《The Beauty CEO's Personal Expert》


 Chapter 1: Sending a Clock

    <h4>Chapter 1: Chapter 1: Sending a Clock</h4><h4><strong>Editor: </strong>Larbre Studio </h4>


    "This damn sun, I swear I¡¯m gonna turn into an African soon."


    Ling Chen was riding an electric tricycle at a snail¡¯s pace on a spacious street in East Sea City, grumbling from time to time.


    There were four big characters adhered to the back of the tricycle: Dongcheng Express.


    If it wasn¡¯t for the fact that next month¡¯s rent was still up in the air, Ling Chen would have really liked to quit this job. How nice would it be to stay home in this scorching heat, enjoying the fan and sipping on ice-cold beer.


    "Wealthy Manor, here we are."


    Looking at the address, Ling Chen signaled to changenes.


    Beep! Beep beep!


    Suddenly, a series of rapid car horns sounded. Ling Chen nced from the corner of his eye, as a white Maserati zoomed past hisne at high speed, nearly skimming past the front of his tricycle and causing him to break out in a cold sweat. Lucky for his quick reaction, he braked in time. Otherwise, it would have been a fatal crash.


    Watching the Maserati leave a trail of exhaust behind as it sped into the manor, Ling Chen was filled with rage. His life almost ended and not even an apology was offered.


    "Dammit, think you¡¯re so great just because you¡¯re rich!" He cursed resentfully, wishing that the driver would give birth to a son without an asshole.


    "Wealthy Manor, 118... Yes, that¡¯s the ce."


    Ling Chen checked the number on the vi¡¯s gate, stopped the electric tricycle, and carried a meter-long cardboard box out of the trunk, walking straight towards the vi.


    Passing by the entrance, he saw several million-dor luxury cars parked outside, among which a white Maserati was particrly conspicuous.


    "Isn¡¯t this the car that almost hit me just now?"


    Ling Chen recognized the license te of that Maserati immediately. Talk about a narrow escape, he was determined to have a good talk with the ownerter.


    "Ding dong!"


    The doorbell rang, and the vi¡¯s door was opened by a man in his fifties.


    "What is it?" The man¡¯s face was tight, his tone not very pleasant, as if someone owed him money.


    "Does Nanrong Yong live here? There¡¯s a delivery that needs to be signed for."


    Nanrong is a rarepound surname.


    "Give me the item."


    "Are you Nanrong Yong?"


    "I am Mr. Nanrong¡¯s butler."


    Ling Chen shook his head, "That won¡¯t do, the client specifically instructed that this is a valuable item and it must be opened in the presence of the addressee himself."


    The middle-aged man hesitated a bit, then stepped aside, "Thene in."


    Once inside the door, Ling Chen saw that the living room was filled with people, both men and women, gathered in groups discussing animatedly, all wearing grim expressions.


    "Uncle Liu, who is this person?"


    A pleasant voice came through. Ling Chen turned to look at the approachingdy, his eyes lighting up instantly.


    The woman had a melon-seed shaped face, fair and smooth skin, ck shiny hair, wearing a white blouse that faintly revealed the ck bra underneath, paired with a denim miniskirt, highlighting a pair of long shapely legs.


    Those legs could be hailed as the golden ratio, crystal clear and fair, perhaps even surpassing top leg models.


    Tsk tsk, a real beauty!


    Feeling Ling Chen¡¯s scrutinizing gaze, the long-legged beauty¡¯s face immediately turned cold, her eyes showing disdain. She hated it when people stared at her with such lecherous eyes.


    "Miss Nanrong, he says he has an important delivery that must be opened in person by the old master," the butler replied.


    The long-legged beauty discontentedly said, "You know well enough about grandpa¡¯s condition, how can he see outsiders now?" Having said this, she looked towards Ling Chen. "Everyone here is my grandpa¡¯s family; just open it."


    Ling Chen didn¡¯t mind; after all, they were all Nangong Yong¡¯s family members, and he figured that his client wouldn¡¯t have any objections. With that thought, he tore off the tape on the cardboard box and took out the item inside.


    After removing the stic wrapping, an ancient clock immediately presented itself to everyone¡¯s eyes.


    Ling Chen was momentarily stunned. He hadn¡¯t expected this thing to be inside.


    To give a clock... it hints at the end of life!


    This is despicable, isn¡¯t it cursing someone to die?


    Regaining hisposure, Ling Chen nced around. As expected, the faces of the people in the room darkened with fury, seething with rage.


    "Which bastard sent this?" A crew-cut youth red furiously at Ling Chen.


    "How would I know? I¡¯m just responsible for the delivery," Ling Chen said innocently.


    Right then, a doctor in a white coat hurried down from the stairs and said in a grave tone, "The old master¡¯s condition has worsened again."


    The expressions of everyone present abruptly changed.


    "It¡¯s all your fault, you bastard," the crew-cut youth cursed loudly, swinging his fist to smash it into Ling Chen¡¯s face, directing all his anger onto him.


    "What the hell?" Ling Chen was speechless. This thing wasn¡¯t even sent by him.


    As the fist came hurtling towards him, he sidestepped and deftly grabbed the youth¡¯s wrist. With a gentle pull, the crew-cut youth lost his bnce and tumbled onto the sofa.


    "You dare to hit someone?" The surrounding people red furiously.


    "He¡¯s the one who started it. This matter has nothing to do with me; why take it out on me?"


    "You¡¯re to me, you SOB! Come on, beat him to death," the crew-cut youth, having picked himself up, bellowed furiously.


    Instantly, seven or eight burly bodyguards charged out from the inner room.


    Ling Chen really wanted to turn around and leave, but this package was cash on delivery, and he hadn¡¯t received the money yet. If he went back empty-handed, his boss would definitely deduct it from his wages.


    Why should he take a loss over something unrted to him? Besides, Ling Chen was never one to suffer losses.


    Seeing several bodyguards approach menacingly, Ling Chen touched his nose, not taking any of them seriously.


    "Beat him!"


    Two bodyguards cooperated and reached out to grab Ling Chen¡¯s arms from both sides, aiming to make him unable to resist.


    Without even looking, Ling Chen simply kicked out. He moved so fast that the bodyguards couldn¡¯t even react in time.


    "Ow!"


    Apanied by a cry of pain, the bodyguard immediately clutched his stomach and knelt on the ground, a cold sweat breaking out on his forehead.


    "Let¡¯s all go at once."


    After witnessing Ling Chen¡¯s prowess, the bodyguards didn¡¯t dare to be careless and immediately joined forces to attack.


    Ling Chen shrugged; these men were too weak, hardly inciting him to get hands-on.


    In just a moment, all the bodyguards wereid out on the ground.


    The others in the living room found it hard to believe; eight against one and they had lost.


    "Anyone else?" Ling Chen looked at the dazed crowd, took out a delivery note nonchntly, and said, "If there¡¯s no one else, please sign here, and pay the delivery fee. It¡¯s a total of one hundred and sixty yuan... huh?"


    Before he could finish speaking, his eyebrows raised as he suddenly felt a gust of winding at him. With a sidelong nce, he saw the butler who had opened the door for him earlier stretching out five fingers and swiftly reaching towards him.


    As the wind brushed his face, Ling Chen didn¡¯t utter another word. He threw a punch in response. Suddenly, a powerful surge of inner strength welled up through his fist, forcing him back two steps.

 Chapter 2 The Peerless Beauty

    <h4>Chapter 2: Chapter 2 The Peerless Beauty</h4><h4><strong>Editor: </strong>Larbre Studio </h4>


    The middle-aged butler chastised coldly, "Young man, there¡¯s always someone better out there, don¡¯t think you can run wild just because you¡¯ve learned a bit of martial arts."


    Twisting his wrist, Ling Chen sized up his opponent, feeling quite surprised in his heart, not expecting there to be such a hidden expert here.


    "Want to try again?" he provocatively said.


    It had been a long time since he¡¯de across someone capable of exchanging a few moves with him. If it weren¡¯t for his carelessness just now, and the opponent¡¯s surprise attack, he would not have let him take advantage.


    "Uncle Liu, teach him a good lesson, let this kid remember this," the crew-cut young man eximed excitedly.


    Everyone present was fully aware that Uncle Liu was not only Nanrong Yong¡¯s butler but also responsible for his safety, having practiced martial arts for decades, possessing impressive skills.


    Seeing Ling Chen taking the initiative to ask for a fight, everyone thought this young man was out of his depth. However, they were indeed eager to see him make a fool of himself.


    Daring to be presumptuous in the Nanrong Family¡¯s presence, truly foolhardy.


    The middle-aged butler snorted softly, sank into a horse stance, and his right arm swung out, his fingers turning into a tiger w, bearing down with imposing momentum towards Ling Chen¡¯s head.


    Watching his opponent¡¯s move, a smile curled on Ling Chen¡¯s lips. Standing his ground, his sharp gaze locked onto the other¡¯s actions. Suddenly, he leaned forward, tilting his head to the right, adeptly dodging the middle-aged man¡¯s tiger w, then taking advantage of the situation to close in, his iron fist thundering out.


    The middle-aged butler reacted extremely quickly, sensing danger and immediately turning to evade, attempting to dodge Ling Chen¡¯s punch. But he quickly realized that as he stepped back, Ling Chen¡¯s fist advanced, unable to shake it off.


    After retreating several steps, the middle-aged butler suddenly felt blocked by a hard object¡ªthere was a wall behind him. With no way back, the only option was to attack. Thereupon, he clenched his tiger w and struck towards Ling Chen¡¯s fist.


    Having practiced martial arts for decades, the middle-aged butler had a lot of confidence in himself.


    As their fists collided, the middle-aged butler¡¯s face suddenly darkened, a hint of shock shing in his eyes. His opponent was standing firm, not taking a single step back.


    "Is this all you¡¯ve got?"


    Ling Chen sneered, his umted punch power suddenly erupting.


    In an instant, the middle-aged butler felt a fierce dark force assail him, his entire arm throbbing painfully, dangling limply.


    Although neither had moved, it was clear to everyone that Uncle Liu was at a disadvantage against the young man.


    "Still want to teach me a lesson, are you worthy?"


    The sound of Ling Chen¡¯s voice reached them, and the middle-aged butler¡¯s face shifted between shades of purple and red, utterly humiliated.


    "Uncle Liu, what are you daydreaming about, keep hitting him!" a group of people egged him on from the side, with the crew-cut young man shouting the loudest.


    "That¡¯s enough."


    Just then, a young woman in a wheelchair was carried down from upstairs.


    As soon as the young woman appeared, everyone in the living room promptly behaved, all standing up straight and not daring to speak.


    Ling Chen took in the sight of the young woman, his expression suddenly startled, feeling almost breathless, his eyes filled with admiration.


    The woman looked to be in her twenties, her skin slightly pale, dressed in a simple and clean gown, her figure graceful.


    Above the gown was a breathtakingly beautiful face; skin more radiant than snow, smooth and silky, a pair of cool and lunar-like eyes, slender eyebrows, and thin lips, pale as jade, with a hint of fragile delicacy due to illness.


    Beautiful, stunningly beautiful.


    The tall beauty he had just seen was already exceptional, but the woman before him was even more so. It was not about appearance, but an indescribable aura.


    Tsk tsk, this world indeed holds such unearthly beauties.


    Ling Chen¡¯s heart delighted silently, feeling that seeing such a beauty was worth it even if he didn¡¯t make any money from this trip.


    "Cousin, why did youe down?" The long-legged beauty hurriedly walked over to the young woman¡¯s side, taking over the wheelchair handles.


    "How could I note down with all themotion going on below?" After speaking, the woman nced at the antique clock ced in the living room, her beautiful eyes suddenly hardened, and she said icily: "Nanrong Hao, what¡¯s the meaning of this?"


    "Sister, it¡¯s like this..." Nanrong Hao, the crew-cut youth, quickly recounted what had just happened.


    "Why are you picking on someone who¡¯s just responsible for delivering goods?"


    "I..." Nanrong Hao was at a loss for words.


    The woman said coldly: "Apologize."


    "Yes, Sister." Nanrong Hao seemed to be very afraid of this sister. Although he was reluctant, he obediently walked over to Ling Chen and whispered an apology.


    "It¡¯s no big deal." Ling Chen said in a lecturing tone: "Young people are impulsive. I understand, just be more careful in the future."


    Nanrong Hao felt so infuriated inside. Who the hell are you to lecture me! But just the thought of the big sister behind him made him dete immediately, and he backed away feeling depressed.


    "Uncle Liu?"


    The middle-aged housekeeper saw the eldest daughter speak up and promptly gave a fist and palm salute: "I am Liu Kun, young man. I¡¯m sorry for any offense caused earlier, please don¡¯t take it to heart."


    "No problem, no problem." Ling Chen¡¯s gaze shifted, looking at the woman in the wheelchair and said: "Since you¡¯re the one in charge here, please sign here and settle the delivery fee."


    The woman nodded lightly, reaching out to take the delivery note from Ling Chen and signed her name.


    "Nanrong Wanqing." Ling Chen nced at the elegant handwriting on the delivery note, silently reading it in his mind.


    After collecting the delivery fee, under everyone¡¯s gaze, Ling Chen turned around to lift up the antique clock, grinning and saying: "You guys probably wouldn¡¯t want to keep this thing, let me take care of it for you."


    "Thank you." Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s lips parted lightly.


    "You¡¯re wee."


    At the doorway, Ling Chen seemed to remember something, turned back and asked, "Whose Maserati is that outside?"


    "Mine." The long-legged beauty said.


    "You?" Ling Chen said irritably: "Do you realize you almost hit me with your car earlier? If I hadn¡¯t reacted quickly, I¡¯d be lying in the mortuary right now."


    "Su Lin, what¡¯s going on?"


    Upon hearing Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s question, Su Lin pouted, feeling aggrieved: "I heard grandpa¡¯s condition was critical, so I rushed over, which is why I was driving a bit fast."


    "Over a hundred miles per hour is ¡¯a bit¡¯ fast?"


    Su Lin retorted unhappily: "I didn¡¯t hit you, what¡¯s with all theints?"


    "From what you¡¯re saying, do I have to get hit by you before I¡¯m entitled to speak up? What kind of logic is that, did you not graduate from elementary school?" Ling Chen said displeased.


    This woman was too unreasonable.


    Nanrong Wanqing slightly furrowed her brows: "Su Lin, you¡¯re in the wrong here. Won¡¯t you hurry and apologize?"


    "I won¡¯t." Su Lin pursed her lips slightly and turned her head away.


    "Tch, with that attitude, I might not even ept your apology if you offered it," Ling Chen sneered: "A good man doesn¡¯t argue with women, I won¡¯t stoop to your level. Beware, with your unyielding demeanor, you might end up with a son whocks manners. I¡¯m leaving; no need to see me off."


    Hearing hisst remark, Su Lin felt her anger welling up, outraged by his curse.


    "Wanqing, did you hear that, this jerk actually..."

 Chapter 3 The Girl Next Door

    <h4>Chapter 3: Chapter 3 The Girl Next Door</h4><h4><strong>Editor: </strong>Larbre Studio </h4>


    "Alright." Nanrong Wanqing gently massaged her temples and said, "He¡¯s just a coarse person, no need to bicker with him over every little thing. Right now, the most important thing is Grandpa¡¯s health."


    "Hmph!"


    Watching Ling Chen swagger away, Su Lin was so angry she gritted her teeth and cursed under her breath: "You just wait."


    Back at the courierpany, Ling Chen finished handing over the payment for the goods and then carried the ancient clock straight to a nearby pawnshop, trading it for five hundred yuan.


    He made less than two thousand yuan a month, so this five hundred yuan was a considerable gain for him.


    With money in his pocket, Ling Chen generously bought a case of ice-cold beer and some marinated snacks, and headed straight home.


    He lived in the Old City of East Sea City, which was full of buildings that were forty or fifty years old. Because the environment was average, the rent was rtively cheap - three hundred yuan a month.


    Upon entering his home, the room was stifling hot, and these cheap rental houses didn¡¯t have air conditioning, just an old fan.


    Ling Chen took off his sweaty shirt, sitting shirtless on the balcony, enjoying the cool evening breeze while drinking ice-cold beer and eating marinated snacks, his face showing utter contentment.


    After a few bottles of beer, Ling Chen sat with his legs crossed and, on a whim, he began to hum a popr tune from years ago.


    "You are the wind..."


    "I am the sand, entwined intensely... to the ends of the earth."


    At that moment, a sweet voice like spring water picked up the lyrics.


    Ling Chen turned his head and saw a pretty young girl walk out onto the neighboring balcony. She was seventeen or eighteen years old, like a white lotus fresh from water, elegant and delicate.


    Seeing the young beauty, Ling Chen immediately broke into a grin.


    She was Tang Shiyun, his neighbor¡¯s daughter, a pretty cute girl who was very likable.


    When he had just moved in, he happened toe across Tang Shiyun being harassed by a few thugs on the street, so he had helped her out. Since then, they had be acquainted, and he always liked to tease the girl whenever he had nothing better to do.


    "Girl, if you were to get all entwined with me, your mom would probably die of anger."


    Tang Shiyun blushed with a shy smile, leaning against the railing with her hands propping up her cheeks, giggling, "Ling, you¡¯re always so unserious. Anyone who doesn¡¯t know you would think you¡¯re not a good person."


    Ling Chen red at her: "What do you know, little girl? I call this being witty."


    "Who¡¯s little." Tang Shiyun retorted, not convinced: "I¡¯m already eighteen."


    Ling Chen looked at her and said with some emotion, "Eighteen, yeah, indeed not young anymore."


    "Ling, you¡¯re not getting any younger either. Howe you still haven¡¯t got a girlfriend?"


    "You think I don¡¯t want to? Look, to get married you need three key things: a house, a car, and a bankbook. I haven¡¯t met any of those requirements; which woman would blindly set her sights on me?" Ling Chen blew out a breath of beer air, looking helpless.


    "But you are handsome." said Tang Shiyun innocently.


    "Can handsomeness be used as food? Alright, don¡¯t worry about me, girl. Come on, sing a little tune to cheer me up."


    "Okay!"


    Tang Shiyun cleared her throat, her sweet voice unfolding once more.


    On the road of life, there¡¯s sweetness and bitterness, joy and sorrow.


    I¡¯m willing to share all with you.


    It¡¯s inevitable to sometimes fall and wait,


    You must be brave and look up.


    Who wants to always hide in a sheltered harbor.


    Rather have...the tempestuous freedom.


    Wishing to be the lighthouse in your heart.


    To guide you through the fog...


    Ling Chen shook the beer bottle in his hand, listening to the tune, watching the afterglow of the sunset, feeling content and satisfied.


    This - this is what I call life.


    Compared to those bloody days of living on the edge, this was like heaven and earth.


    "Daughter, it¡¯s time to eat."


    Just then, a middle-aged woman came out from behind Tang Shiyun.


    Seeing her precious daughter chatting with Ling Chen, the woman¡¯s face immediately fell, and she scolded Tang Shiyun while twisting her ear: "You naughty girl, how many times have I told you not to associate with these riffraff? Why won¡¯t you listen? Get inside now." She was speaking very loudly, seemingly making sure Ling Chen would hear.


    "Got it, Mom, go easy," said Tang Shiyun, sticking her tongue out at Ling Chen apologetically before obediently following her mother inside.


    Ling Chen simply smiled, unaffected. He knew that Tang Shiyun¡¯s mother had a deep prejudice against him, always treating him like a thug, but he couldn¡¯t me her considering he often hung around with the local hoodlums of the Old City.


    "Chen, hurry up and open the door."


    As he was pondering, a frantic knocking came from outside the door.


    "Coming."


    Ling Chen got up to open the door and saw a burly young man standing outside in a tight tank top, his face full of urgency and a bruise swelling on his forehead.


    "Jiang Hao, what happened to you?"


    The young man, named Jiang Hao, was a local hoodlum from the Old City. He was the one who had bullied Tang Shiyunst time and got a beating from Ling Chen for it. He sought revenge by bringing people over, but ended up with his gang knocked out by Ling Chen.


    Since then, Jiang Hao was extremely respectful to him, often bringing a group ofckeys to hang around, treating him with the best of cigarettes and alcohol, all to learn a thing or two about fighting.


    Which is why Tang Shiyun¡¯s mother mistook him for another thug and forbade her daughter from seeing him.


    "Chen, you have to help me this time," Jiang Hao said with a mournful face.


    "Make it clear, what¡¯s the matter?"


    "Zhao Zhengxiong, that bastard, took over my turf and even captured my guys. He¡¯s asking for ransom. I¡¯ve never asked you for anything before, Chen, but you must help me this time."


    Ling Chen hesitated. Although he had dealings with Jiang Hao, he never got involved in their squabbles. He saw all these street thugs as just engaging in petty skirmishes, not worth his time.


    He had heard of Zhao Zhengxiong, another thug from the Old City, an old hand who had been on the scene a few years before Jiang Hao¡¯s bunch.


    The Old City was full of migrants, a mixed bag of characters, with all sorts of factions, a murky pond with many small fish like Jiang Hao.


    Seeing the earnest look on Jiang Hao¡¯s face, Ling Chen casually took out a toothpick and put it in his mouth, nodding, "Let¡¯s go, I¡¯lle with you to get your guys."


    Having epted many offerings from Jiang Hao, it would be too inconsiderate to refuse, which was not Ling Chen¡¯s style. Moreover, he had known Jiang Hao for a while and knew the man wasn¡¯t evil at heart, so helping him wouldn¡¯t hurt.


    Led by Jiang Hao, Ling Chen quickly arrived outside an abandoned warehouse.


    Several tattooed youths were standing outside the warehouse, cigarettes in hand, exchanging various jokes, all with mischievous grins.


    "Jiang Hao, you finally made it, we¡¯ve been standing here for half a day," said one of them, flicking away his cigarette butt. He nced at Ling Chen in his flip-flops and chewing on a toothpick, and said, pointing to the warehouse, "Xiong is inside, you guys go in yourself."

 Chapter 4 Civilized People

    <h4>Chapter 4: Chapter 4 Civilized People</h4><h4><strong>Editor: </strong>Larbre Studio </h4>


    Following Jiang Hao into the warehouse, Ling Chen immediately saw a man in his thirties, with a scarred face, sitting beside a makeshift table, greasily devouring histe-night snack.


    "Chen, that¡¯s Zhao Zhengxiong," whispered Jiang Hao.


    Ling Chen nodded, then shifted his gaze to see Jiang Hao¡¯s brothers kneeling on the ground, their hands on their heads, all bearing wounds, with a dozen burly men holding iron rods, menacingly watching over them.


    At that moment, Zhao Zhengxiong lifted his head, nced at Jiang Hao, and directly ignoring Ling Chen beside him, asked, "Did you bring the money?"


    "Xiong..." Jiang Hao initially wanted to address him respectfully as Xiong, but with Ling Chen beside him, his courage swelled, and he retorted boldly, "Zhao Zhengxiong, release my brothers immediately, and take your men out of my territory."


    Laughter erupted from those around at these words.


    "Jiang, has your brain been damaged? To dare speak to Xiong like that."


    "I think this kid is itching for a beating."


    Zhao Zhengxiong wiped the grease from his mouth and pointing to the ground by his feet, said, "Kneel down and kowtow three times, call me Grandpa, then I might pretend I didn¡¯t hear what you just said."


    "Chen..."


    "Leave it to me."


    Chewing on a toothpick, Ling Chen, with his hands behind his back, walked straight to the table and sat down, opening a beer for himself.


    "Xiong, right? Jiang Hao is my buddy, we all live in the Old City, and bump into each other often. Wouldn¡¯t it be better to resolve this amiably rather than unpleasantly?"


    "Is this kid your backup?" Zhao Zhengxiong sneered, shifting his gaze from Jiang Hao to Ling Chen, disdainfully saying, "Kid, I don¡¯t care who you are, disappear from in front of me now, or don¡¯t me my men if their rods aren¡¯t gentle."


    "Xiong, let¡¯s discuss this civilly. We¡¯re all civilized people here, why use violence? It harms the atmosphere."


    "Wow, fes, did you hear that? This kid¡¯s trying to talk reason with us. Fine, you want to talk reason? Here¡¯s your chance. Chao,e here," Zhao Zhengxiong gestured for someone, saying, "Teach him how we talk reason."


    "Boss, talking reason is my specialty," Chao said with a sly grin, gripping an iron rod as he walked over. The others around wore gleeful expressions, eagerly anticipating the show.


    Raising an eyebrow, Ling Chen spoke, "Brother..."


    "Who the hell is your brother?" Chao cursed, swinging his iron rod towards Ling Chen¡¯s head.


    Bang!


    A crisp sound followed.


    Before anyone could react, Chao¡¯s iron rod dropped to the floor; he clutched his head, blood mixed with beer foam dripping through his fingers.


    Beside the table, Ling Chen, holding the broken beer bottle, smirked and said, "Forgot to mention, I excel at discussing things your way. Anyone else want to try?"


    Stunned, Zhao Zhengxiong abruptly stood up and roared, "Brothers, teach this kid a proper lesson!"


    In an instant, more than a dozen men charged toward him, swinging their iron rods all aiming at Ling Chen.


    With an uplifted corner of his mouth, Ling Chen¡¯s body moved swiftly like a cheetah, breaking through the encirclement in a blink, charging directly towards Zhao Zhengxiong.


    The strategy was clear¡ªcapture the leader first; he had no time to y with these fellows.


    "You¡¯re courting death, kid!"


    Zhao Zhengxiong cursed,unching a kick towards him.


    Seeing this, Ling Chen reached out his right hand swiftly and urately, grabbing the opponent¡¯s ankle, then twisted gently; a faint sound of bone cracking immediately followed.


    "Ow~~"


    Zhao Zhengxiong¡¯s facial features instantly twisted out of shape, pain causing tears to stream down his face.


    "Let go of my boss."


    A bunch of underlings, furious and shocked, hurried over.


    Ling Chen spat out the toothpick and said calmly, "Whoever dares take another step forward, I¡¯ll make sure they spend the rest of their life in a wheelchair."


    "Scram, all of you scram."


    Zhao Zhengxiong, fearing Ling Chen might get serious, ignored the pain in his leg and quickly stopped his men.


    "Bro... brother, let¡¯s talk this through. Let go of me first."


    Ling Chen curled his lips and said, "Howe you¡¯re like this? I wanted to talk nicely with you just now, but you insisted on being reasonable. Now I¡¯m being reasonable with you, and you want to talk nicely again. What exactly do you want?"


    "It¡¯s my fault, brother, my fault." Zhao Zhengxiong hastily begged for mercy.


    "Good that you know it¡¯s wrong. Now tell me, how are we going to settle today¡¯s issue?"


    "I promise I won¡¯t cause trouble on Hao¡¯s turf ever again," Zhao Zhengxiong said with cold sweat from the pain. "And for Hao and their medical expenses, I... I¡¯ll cover them all."


    Ling Chen nodded, that seemed reasonable. Just as he was about to ept the conditions, Jiang Hao cut in, "And Five Miles Street, from now on, it belongs to me. Xiong, you don¡¯t mind, right?"


    "This... this..." Zhao Zhengxiong hesitated.


    "Do you still want this leg?" Ling Chen timely reminded.


    "No, no, I don¡¯t want Five Miles Street anymore, alright?" Zhao Zhengxiong gritted his teeth, not only in pain from his foot but also his heart, as Five Miles Street was a prime territory he had struggled hard to snatch.


    "Very good."


    Ling Chen released his grip, and Zhao Zhengxiong copsed to the ground with another cry of pain.


    "Remember, if you dare to trouble us again, it¡¯s not just your leg, haha. Jiang Hao, let¡¯s go!"


    "Yes yes, I remember." Facing such a fierce man, where could Zhao Zhengxiong dare to talk back, he hurriedly agreed.


    "Boss, what do we do now?"


    "What do you mean what do we do? Rush me to the hospital already!" Zhao Zhengxiong cursed out loud.


    Watching Ling Chen and his group leaving, he gritted his teeth inwardly. Damn, he would reim this debt a hundredfold someday.


    "Chen, you¡¯ve worked hard."


    On the way back, Jiang Hao said happily, "Let¡¯s go to the street food stall and have a feast to celebrate."


    "Another day, your brothers are injured. Let¡¯s get them to a hospital first, don¡¯t leave any internal injuries."


    "Alright, we¡¯ll make it another day." Jiang Hao now greatly admired Ling Chen. Without Ling Chen¡¯s intervention, he wouldn¡¯t have been able to rescue his brothers so effortlessly, plus he even gained the control over Five Miles Street.


    "Jiang Hao." Ling Chen dropped his usual lighthearted tone and said seriously, "I consider you a friend, so I¡¯m giving you a piece of advice. No matter what you do, it¡¯s best to have a bottom line. Being a gangster isn¡¯t shameful, but it¡¯s about how you walk this path. If you can achieve not making people fear you, but respect you, that¡¯s when you¡¯re truly sessful."


    Jiang Hao, puzzled, scratching his head, said, "Chen, I don¡¯t quite understand what you¡¯re saying."


    Ling Chen waved his hand and said, "Think it over yourself, I¡¯m leaving."

 Chapter 5: Su Lin the Little Girl

    <h4>Chapter 5: Chapter 5: Su Lin the Little Girl</h4><h4><strong>Editor: </strong>Larbre Studio </h4>


    Before the blink of an eye, a week had passed.


    Ling Chen was exactly the same as always, going to work every day, then back home for beer and braised snacks, never changing. Until one morning, a phone call startled him awake from his sleep.


    "Boss, I¡¯m taking the day off today, I won¡¯t being to work, you..."


    "You better roll over here right now. If you don¡¯t show up, my store¡¯s about to get torn apart."


    Hearing his boss speak so urgently, Ling Chen didn¡¯t dare to dy; his livelihood was at stake. He rushed to wash his face without even brushing his teeth and headed straight to thepany.


    The courierpany he worked for was located in the Old City area, not far from where he lived. It was just a ten-minute walk away.


    Arriving at thepany¡¯s entrance, Ling Chen was stunned before he even got inside. He saw more than thirty men in suits surrounding the ce, each with a stern face and an imposing air.


    "Where did all these bodyguardse from?" he muttered to himself, his gaze darting around. Suddenly, his eyes fixed on a white Maserati parked on the roadside.


    "So it¡¯s her!"


    Ling Chen immediately understood that the leggyss hade here to cause trouble. She was really persistent... no, more like bearing a grudge.


    Women are indeed creatures that hold grudges.


    "You¡¯ve finally shown up."


    Hearing that voice, grinding her teeth, Ling Chen didn¡¯t need to think twice to know who it was. He turned his head to see Su Lin emerging from thepany, and he greeted her with a smile: "Isn¡¯t this Miss Su."


    As he finished speaking, he sized up the young man with a crew cut standing next to Su Lin and said, "If I remember correctly, you¡¯re called Nanrong Hao."


    "You have a good memory." Su Lin said coldly: "Then you should also remember what you said to me that day."


    Ling Chen pretended to be contemtive: "I said many things that day; I don¡¯t know which one you¡¯re referring to. Why don¡¯t you remind me?"


    Nanrong Hao blurted out: "You said my cousin won¡¯t have..."


    "Shut up!" Su Lin red viciously at Nanrong Hao. If it weren¡¯t for the fact that he was her cousin, she would¡¯ve pped him; what a fool he was.


    Feeling his cousin¡¯s murderous gaze, Nanrong Hao shrank his shoulders and quickly looked away. Whether it¡¯s a Sister or a cousin, both were people he couldn¡¯t afford to provoke.


    "Miss Su, you¡¯re being too narrow-minded. It was just a remark; there¡¯s no need to take it so seriously. Besides, you were the one in the wrong at the start, and now you¡¯reing to trouble me; where am I supposed to reason with this?"


    "You dare say I¡¯m narrow-minded?" Su Lin fumed, obviously this scoundrel¡¯s words were too malicious, daring to curse her. No one had ever dared to say such things to her from childhood until now.


    Ling Chen stared lustfully at her full chest, and said deadpan: "Your chest isn¡¯t narrow, but whether your heart is, I wouldn¡¯t know. Only by taking it off will I find out."


    This guy... Nanrong Hao¡¯s mouth fell open as he watched Ling Chen daring to openly tease his own cousin. With her fiery temper, she¡¯s probably going to lose it.


    "You..." Su Lin pointed at Ling Chen, her cheeks flushed with anger, struggling to even speak coherently.


    Catching her breath, she gritted her teeth and dered: "Ling Chen, you thug, you think you¡¯re so tough. I brought so many people today, if you¡¯re capable, knock them all down."


    Ling Chen shrugged; it¡¯s not surprising that she could find him here following the courier¡¯s delivery slip and know his name.


    Looking at the dozens of bodyguards closing in on him, he felt rather helpless. He really didn¡¯t want to fight with these people, it was time-consuming and exhausting.


    "Gentlemen, we are all civilized people, let¡¯s talk this over," he tried to force out a smile as amiable as possible.


    "Cut the crap!" Su Lin coldly said: "Today, either you go down, or they go down, you don¡¯t have a choice."


    "You all gang up on me alone, isn¡¯t that a bit unfair?"


    "I¡¯m going to bully the few with the many, what¡¯s it to you? Got a problem with that?" Su Lin thought Ling Chen was scared and immediately felt smug.


    Nanrong Hao was secretly snickering, watching Ling Chen with an ¡¯you¡¯re dead meat¡¯ expression.


    Dare to flirt with his cousin, that¡¯s digging your own grave, courting death!


    "What a bustling morning, what¡¯s everyone crowding around for? Eh, Brother Chen, what are you doing here?"


    Ling Chen turned his head, only to see Jiang Hao walking over with a few underlings through the crowd.


    "What are you doing here?"


    Jiang Haoughed: "Brother Chen, did you forget? This street is now under my control."


    Ling Chen pped his forehead, almost forgetting about it. Last time, Jiang Hao took over Five Miles Street from Zhao Zhengxiong, wasn¡¯t it this very street?


    No wonder he hadn¡¯t seen anyone around these past few days, they were busy here.


    "Brother Chen, what are these people here for?" Jiang Hao couldn¡¯t help asking when he saw the bodyguards, one after another, with a menacing and ill-intentioned look.


    Ling Chen said with a wronged face: "These guys are here to cause me trouble, and they even want to gang up on me."


    "Ganging up?" Jiang Hao¡¯s mouth curled up smirkingly, looking at those thirty-something bodyguards, he coldlyughed: "You¡¯ve got some nerve, daring to trouble my Brother Chen. You want to gang up? Fine, I¡¯ll let you see what¡¯s called ganging up. Brothers,e out!"


    At themand, dozens of people immediately surged out from the nearby pool hall and game rooms, plus the ones Jiang Hao brought along, totaling seventy or eighty people. Those with weapons grabbed their weapons, and those without grabbed bricks, surrounding the group of bodyguards.


    Su Lin and Nanrong Hao were stunned on the spot.


    This... plot reversal was too sudden.


    Nanrong Hao wanted to cry without tears, had he known it would turn out like this, he really shouldn¡¯t have followed his cousin to join in the excitement.


    "What¡¯s there to be afraid of?" Su Lin angrily said: "You¡¯re all professionals that I¡¯ve hired with good money, are you telling me you can¡¯t even handle these punks?"


    The bodyguards were speechless. With their bare hands against those who had the numerical advantage and were armed with weapons and bricks, they knew they would be at a disadvantage if a fight really broke out.


    "Miss Su, we¡¯re all civilized people here, let¡¯s sit down and talk things over, let¡¯s not start a needless conflict, that¡¯s no good for anyone." Ling Chen said with a smiling face.


    Hearing his words, a few of Jiang Hao¡¯s men snickered endlessly.


    Having followed Ling Chen for a while, they understood his character rather well; despite always talking about being civilized, when it actuallyes to fighting, he¡¯s more ruthless than anyone else.


    Seeing her own hired bodyguards looking cowardly, Su Lin knew she wouldn¡¯t gain any advantage today and could only walk away disgruntled.


    "Ling Chen, don¡¯t get too happy just yet, I¡¯ll make you pay sooner orter." She dropped a harsh line, holding back her anger, she turned and walked toward her car.


    Nanrong Hao quickly said: "Cousin, don¡¯t leave me here."


    "Take a taxi back yourself." Su Lin squeezed out a few words through clenched teeth, mmed the car door shut, leaving a bewildered Nanrong Hao behind as she drove off.


    "Poor thing, your sister just abandoned you like that." Ling Chen walked over to him, shaking his head and sighing.


    Nanrong Hao anxiously said: "What... what do you want to do? I¡¯m warning you, if you dare touch a hair on me, my Sister will never let you go."

 Chapter 6 Fired from the Job

    <h4>Chapter 6: Chapter 6 Fired from the Job</h4><h4><strong>Editor: </strong>Larbre Studio </h4>


    Hearing him mention his sister, the image of that cold woman in a wheelchair immediately popped up in Ling Chen¡¯s mind.


    Nanrong Wanqing!


    Unfortunately, this kind of woman can only be admired from a distance, not toyed with.


    Brushing aside distractions, he smiled and patted Nanrong Hao on the shoulder, saying, "Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t beat you up. I¡¯ll treat you to a mealter, will you grace us with your presence?"


    "I..."


    Beside them, Jiang Hao frowned and said, "Chen is giving you face by inviting you to dinner. Do you dare not go?"


    "Going, going, definitely going." Nanrong Hao wore a mournful expression, crying inside. Cousin, you¡¯re too harsh.


    "Jiang Hao, you go ahead and find a restaurant with him. I¡¯ll stop by the office and thene over." With that, Ling Chen headed straight to the office.


    Entering the office, he saw a slightly overweight middle-aged man, covering his swollen cheek, picking up items scattered on the floor.


    "Boss."


    As the chubby boss looked up and saw Ling Chen at the door, he instantly flew into a rage, cursing loudly, "Ling, you¡¯ve got some nerve showing your face here."


    Ling Chen hurriedly said, "Boss, calm down, please listen to me exin."


    "I don¡¯t want to hear any exnations." The chubby boss shouted angrily, "Just get lost, don¡¯t bothering to work tomorrow. My small ce can¡¯t afford someone as big as you."


    "Boss, it¡¯s not my fault this time. Someone else came looking for trouble," Ling Chen pleaded with a pained expression. With no degree and no connections, it had been difficult to find this job. If he were to be fired, he would have no choice but to work on a construction site.


    "Enough talk!" The chubby boss pointed at his swollen cheek, furious, "This is all because of you. If you don¡¯t leave now, believe me, I¡¯ll have someone throw you out."


    Ling Chen felt helpless; the boss was seriously upset, and it looked like he couldn¡¯t keep this job after all.


    It was all Su Lin¡¯s fault. If she hadn¡¯te making trouble, he wouldn¡¯t have ended up in this situation.


    With resentment, Ling Chen turned and left thepany. Before leaving, he didn¡¯t forget to settle his sry with the boss. Originally over eighteen hundred yuan, he begrudgingly watched as the boss deducted several hundred for damage costs, which pained him greatly.


    Fuman Building.


    When Ling Chen arrived at the restaurant, Jiang Hao had already found a private room with Nanrong Hao. The dishes hadn¡¯t been served yet, and everyone was there boasting and chatting.


    "Brother Chen." Everyone stood up in unison to greet Ling Chen¡¯s arrival.


    Seeing Nanrong Hao sitting there unmoving, Jiang Hao waved his hand and smacked him on the back of his head, scolding, "Hurry up and stand up."


    Nanrong Hao dared not disobey, feeling like he was in a den of wolves, afraid of offending these fellows. His delicate skin couldn¡¯t withstand their punches.


    Seeing how these ruffians respected Ling Chen so reverently, he was particrly curious about what this guy¡¯s background was. Could he really just be a courier?


    Ling Chen walked up to the main seat Jiang Hao had reserved for him and grinned, "Everyone, take a seat. We¡¯re all friends here, no need for formalities." Then, pointing at Nanrong Hao, he tapped the seat next to him and said, "Mr. Nanrong,e, sit next to me."


    Nanrong Hao, having learned his lesson, didn¡¯t hesitate and quickly moved to sit beside Ling Chen, squeezing out a smile uglier than crying on his handsome face, "Ling... Mr. Ling, it¡¯s my cousin who wants to cause trouble for you, not me at all, really. If you want revenge, go find her, please don¡¯te after me."


    "Don¡¯t worry, I invited you here just for a simple meal, don¡¯t overthink it," Ling Chen said with a smile, patting his shoulder to reassure him.


    "Mr. Nanrong, let me ask you something," he shifted the conversation, "What does your sister do?" Knowing yourself and knowing your enemy. That Su Lin wants to trouble me, I must figure out her background."


    Nanrong Hao honestly replied, "My sister is still in college, she¡¯s a senior this year."


    Student?


    Ling Chen tsked a few times; students these days really are well-developed. Thinking of Tang Shiyun, only eighteen this year and already showing a promising figure, definitely a future beauty.


    After asking a few questions, he had a rough understanding of Su Lin¡¯s background: a rich family, parents runningpanies abroad, typical rich kid, no wonder she¡¯s spoiled.


    "And your older sister?" Ling Chen blurted out. For some reason, he couldn¡¯t forget that Nanrong Wanqing.


    "My older sister? Why are you asking about her?" Nanrong Hao looked at him suspiciously.


    Ling Chen awkwardly smiled, "Oh, nothing, just asking casually."


    He really was just asking casually; that kind of woman was too far beyond his reach, he was merely satisfying his own curiosity, nothing inappropriate.


    "My older sister is the Chairman of Hongyu Group." Mentioning his big sister, Nanrong Hao seemed very proud, almost brimming with excitement, "Not bragging but, nationally, there aren¡¯t many who can stand shoulder to shoulder with my sister. She started participating in managing the family business at fifteen and officially took over at eighteen, bing the youngest chairman. In everyone¡¯s eyes, my sister is absolutely a genius."


    "Your sister is the chairman of Hongyu Group?" Jiang Hao eximed in disbelief. "For real? You¡¯re not making this up, are you?"


    "Who¡¯s making things up, you can check online if you don¡¯t believe me."


    Seeing Jiang Hao¡¯s shocked face, Ling Chen asked, "You¡¯ve heard of Hongyu Group?"


    "Chen, do you not know? It¡¯s like the most powerful enterprise in our East Sea City. I heard the government issued the paperwork, and our Old City area is set for redevelopment. All the old buildings are going to be demolished and reced with gardenplexes. This redevelopment project is led by the government, but funded by the Hongyu Group. Think about it, such a massive area in Old City, the renovation will cost billions, probably only Hongyu Group in our East Sea City has that kind of financial strength."


    "Is that so." Ling Chen nced at Nanrong Hao with a smirk, "Never would have guessed Mr. Nanrong¡¯s family was that rich."


    Feeling his ominous gaze, Nanrong Hao thought to himself this was bad; this guy must be eyeing their family wealth for extortion.


    While he was caught up in his worrying thoughts, Ling Chen already looked away, impatiently saying, "It¡¯s been so long, why hasn¡¯t the food been served yet?"


    "I¡¯ll have someone hurry them along." Saying so, Jiang Hao delegated ackey to go find the restaurant owner.


    "Jiang Hao, you¡¯re quite something, just a few days not seen and you¡¯ve already gathered so many underlings."


    Jiang Hao grinned, "All thanks to brother Chen¡¯s help. Five Miles Street, known as the golden street ¡ª restaurants, tea houses, arcades, hotels, all the businesses cram onto this street, the protection money alone every month is tens of thousands. Hearing that I took over here, many rogues from Old City area came to join me."


    "Do well, try to keep the illegal activities to a minimum," Ling Chen advised.


    People who mix in the underworld can hardly avoid illegal activities; the key is controlling the extent. That¡¯s why he reminded Jiang Hao, whatever you do, stay within limits, don¡¯t go overboard.

 Chapter 7 A Glimpse of Skill

    <h4>Chapter 7: Chapter 7 A Glimpse of Skill</h4><h4><strong>Editor: </strong>Larbre Studio </h4>


    "Chen, don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ve got this under control."


    "Hao, Chen, we¡¯ve got trouble!"


    At this moment, ackey hastily ran into the private room, urgently saying, "Zhao Zhengxiong is here, and he¡¯s brought a few guests with him to dine in the lobby downstairs."


    Jiang Hao frowned and said, "That guy must have the audacity of a bear and the guts of a leopard to daree to my turf. Chen, you sit tight, I¡¯ll take the boys and have a look."


    "Be careful. If they¡¯re just here to eat, there¡¯s no need to make a big deal out of it."


    "I know. Brothers, follow me."


    Bang!


    tter!


    In less than a few minutes, a series of chaotic noises came from outside the private room, as though something was smashed to the ground.


    Ling Chen raised his eyebrows, put down the teacup in his hand, nced at Nanrong Hao who was sitting upright beside him, and said with a slight smile, "Young Master Nanrong, would you be interested in joining me to take a look?"


    "Sure." Nanrong Hao dared not refuse and nodded hastily.


    Upon leaving the private room, Ling Chen, leading Nanrong Hao, walked straight to the lobby. Immediately they saw several people lying on the smooth floor of the lobby, all of Jiang Hao¡¯sckeys, each one holding their injured parts, faces twisting in pain.


    Beside them, Jiang Hao was kneeling on one leg on the ground, holding a beer bottle in his left hand, and his right arm seeming dislocated, dangling weakly, with cold sweat streaming down his forehead.


    Seeing this, Ling Chen approached and helped him up, then gently twisted his right arm. With a ¡¯crack,¡¯ Jiang Hao¡¯s mouth opened wide, almost crying out in pain.


    "Chen..."


    "You go and rest for a bit; leave this to me." Having said this, Ling Chen turned his gaze toward the round table in the middle of the lobby.


    Around the table sat seven or eight people, leading them was Zhao Zhengxiong. There was a cane next to him, it seemed that his injured leg had not fully healed. What attracted Ling Chen¡¯s attention were two of the men: one tall and skinny, with a pointed mouth and monkey cheeks, with white and slender hands. The other of ordinary build, in his thirties, wearing traditional Chinese clothing, with his temples slightly bulging.


    "Interesting."


    Ling Chen casually took a toothpick from the table and put it in his mouth; Zhao Zhengxiong had actually invited two martial artists, no wonder he dared to bring his men back to Five Miles Street to act recklessly.


    "Both of you, it¡¯s this kid."


    Zhao Zhengxiong stared coldly at Ling Chen, a silent resentment in his heart. Having seen Ling Chen¡¯s abilities at the warehousest time, and knowing how formidable he was, he specially spent a lot of money to hire two experts to help him regain face.


    The man with monkey cheeks looked disdainfully at Ling Chen and said in a sharp voice, "Boss Zhao, do you want this kid¡¯s legs crippled or his hands?"


    Zhao Zhengxiong seemed to think of something and said with a cold look, "Just two legs is too few, help me cripple his third leg too."


    The pointy-faced man was startled, then showed a knowing smirk, "No problem."


    Hearing their conversation that discounted his presence, Ling Chen shrugged helplessly. He always wanted to be a civilized man, but unfortunately, these guys didn¡¯t give him the chance.


    At this point, the sharp-mouthed man got up and approached him, looking down at him with an arrogant attitude and said, "Kid, my name is Gao Wei. Remember it, so you¡¯ll know who defeated you."


    As soon as his words fell, he suddenly raised his hands, like two venomous snakes, swiftly striking before Ling Chen had a chance to speak.


    With two gusts of winding at him, Ling Chen¡¯s body leaned slightly backward, his right hand swinging instinctively to fend off the other¡¯s hands. But the opponent¡¯s movements were quick and agile, easily breaking through his block and closing in on him, aiming straight for his eyes.


    Ling Chen¡¯s heart sank, a sh of cold light crossing Mo Che¡¯s pupils.


    The man was striking hard, going for the vitals. He¡¯d intended to deal with these two individuals easily, but their actions fueled his silent anger.


    Fighting, too, must have its rules.


    As Gao Wei¡¯s fingertips quickly approached, Ling Chen twisted his toes, swiftly altering his body position, avoiding the attacker¡¯s assault. Then, he stretched out both hands, entwining Gao Wei¡¯s, and steadily advanced.


    "Hm?"


    Gao Wei was first taken aback, then overwhelmed with shock. He discovered that his hands seemed to be glued by Ling Chen¡¯s pushing hands, unable to break free no matter what.


    While he was horrified, a bone-piercing pain suddenly hit him, as if all of his fingers were broken, limp and unable to be lifted.


    "You... You dare to break my fingers!" Gao Wei¡¯s face turned pale. His martial arts relied on his two hands; with broken fingers, his martial arts would be ruined.


    Ling Chen spoke indifferently, "It¡¯s better to not learn this Snake-Shaped Hand to avoid harming others and oneself."


    "What impressive martial arts, my friend."


    At this moment, the man in the Chinese tunic suit who had been sitting at the table stood up, his face somber as he gazed at Ling Chen.


    "Who is your master? Didn¡¯t he teach you that crippling someone¡¯s martial arts is a taboo?"


    Ling Chen, biting a toothpick, retorted, "One should learn morality before martial arts. Equally taboo is striking with the intent to harm others. Hasn¡¯t your master taught you that?"


    "Sharp-tongued, I see. I would like to witness for myself if your skills are as formidable as your mouth."


    As the man in the tunic approached, Ling Chen spat out the toothpick stick with a ¡¯ptui¡¯, which flew straight toward the man¡¯s face.


    Without a word, the tunic-d man swung his hand in an attempt to deflect the toothpick. But in that moment, Ling Chen¡¯s legs powered up, and he suddenly charged at his opponent, reaching him in the blink of an eye.


    Seeing Ling Chenunch an unexpected attack, the man in the tunic eximed angrily, "You..."


    "What ¡¯you¡¯? Scram!"


    Ling Chen cut him off, throwing a punch that was both rapid and ruthless, mming heavily into the man¡¯s abdomen.


    Before the tunic-d man could fully react, he felt a burst of intense pain, stumbling backwards, his internal organs feeling as if they had been disced, unbearably ufortable.


    "You... you don¡¯t follow the rules," the man groaned through clenched teeth, enduring the pain.


    Ling Chen curled his lip.


    When it came to fighting, rules mattered, but that depended on the opponent. Against guys like these, he never cared for ying by the rules.


    "I¡¯ll count to three, if you don¡¯t disappear from my sight, then you can forget about leaving, stay and I¡¯ll take good care of you."


    The man in the tunic turned an iron blue, "Fine. I, Song Yi, will remember today¡¯s offense, and I will pay it back a hundredfold. Junior Brother, let¡¯s go!"


    "Don¡¯t... Mr. Song, Mr. Gao, what about me if you leave?" Zhao Zhengxiong was desperate, and quickly called out, would have followed if not hindered by his sluggish movements.


    Song Yi didn¡¯t even turn his head, coldly responding, "I can¡¯t sort this out for you. You better ask someone else."


    "But you already took the money..." Zhao Zhengxiong grumbled reluctantly.


    Song Yi ignored him and directly exited the restaurant.


    "Xiong."


    After Song Yi and Gao Wei left, Ling Chen, smiling, walked over and sat next to Zhao Zhengxiong, casually draping an arm over his shoulder.


    "Do you still remember what I told youst time?"


    "I..." Zhao Zhengxiong opened his mouth, streaming with cold sweat and stammering, "Lin... no, Chen, you are magnanimous, please give me another chance, I swear I won¡¯t dare again."

 Chapter 8: Head of the Nanrong Family

    <h4>Chapter 8: Chapter 8: Head of the Nanrong Family</h4><h4><strong>Editor: </strong>Larbre Studio </h4>


    "You had a first time, there can be a second. Why should I trust you? I warned you before, if you dare retaliate, I¡¯ll cripple your other leg. In front of all these brothers, if I break my word, who would take Ling Chen¡¯s words seriously?" Saying that, Ling Chen cast a cold nce at him.


    Feeling the icy stare, Zhao Zhengxiong shivered and hurriedly begged for mercy: "Chen, I really wouldn¡¯t dare anymore. If there¡¯s a next time, may lightning strike me. Just let me go, I... I..."


    "What would you do?" Ling Chen said teasingly.


    "I¡¯ll agree to any conditions," Zhao Zhengxiong clenched his teeth, scared of facing such a ruthless man.


    "You said that, I didn¡¯t force you." Ling Chen grinned and said: "Alright, you can go back now. Jiang Hao will discuss future matters with you."


    Seeing that he was let off, Zhao Zhengxiong didn¡¯t dare to stay longer, quickly leading his few followers to slink away.


    "Chen, we¡¯re just going to let him go like that?" Jiang Hao said reluctantly.


    "Not let him go? What, really cripple him?" Ling Chen gave him a look: "I¡¯m civilized, all this fighting and killing isn¡¯t good. Besides, he brought the stick to your door for you to beat him with; you better seize such a good opportunity."


    After that, he nced at Nanrong Hao next to him and smiled: "Mr. Nanrong, sorry to have kept you so long. Let¡¯s continue our meal."


    Back in the private room, originally having over a dozen people, now only Ling Chen, Nanrong Hao and Jiang Hao remained. Those underlings had all been injured earlier and were sent by Jiang Hao to see doctors. As for Jiang Hao himself, merely having a dislocated joint, was of no big issue with Ling Chen¡¯s help.


    The trio had barely sat down when the food and drinks were served one after another.


    "Mr. Nanrong,e on, have some dishes, don¡¯t be shy." Ling Chen enthusiastically invited him, pouring himself a ss of cold beer. Taking a sip, it was refreshingly satisfying.


    A few drinks in, Nanrong Hao didn¡¯t seem as frightened of Ling Chen as before. And he could tell that Ling Chen was genuinely courteous, not faking it. As the young master of the Nanrong Family, he still had that bit of judgment.


    "Mr. Ling..."


    "Don¡¯t call me ¡¯Mr.¡¯, I¡¯m not used to it, just call me by my name."


    "Then... then I¡¯ll call you Chen." Nanrong Hao¡¯s face flushed with drink, "Chen, your martial arts are so good, you must have been taught by a famous teacher, can you tell me about it?"


    Jiang Hao pricked up his ears, seemingly equally interested in the question.


    "Famous teacher? I only know some basic moves, all self-taught," Ling Chen dismissed the question and casually asked, "Does Mr. Nanrong also want to learn martial arts?"


    Nanrong Hao made a sour face and said, "I want to, but Uncle Liu said I don¡¯t have the talent, not cut out for it."


    "Psh, what ¡¯talent¡¯? That¡¯s just an excuse. The ¡¯Uncle Liu¡¯ you¡¯re talking about must be that steward Liu Kun, right? He probably doesn¡¯t want to teach you because he finds it a hassle. Think about it, he¡¯s a steward and you¡¯re the young master. He can¡¯t hit you or scold you; I wouldn¡¯t want to teach you either if I were him."


    "Exactly, exactly," Nanrong Hao eagerly nodded, "Chen, you¡¯re so right. I always knew it. My sister is a genius; my talents can¡¯t be that bad." After saying that, he looked at Ling Chen with an eager gaze, "Chen, you¡¯re so good at martial arts, why don¡¯t you teach me?"


    Ling Chen was taken aback, pointing to his own nose: "Me, teach you? Mr. Nanrong, don¡¯t drink so much you forget who your parents are. Don¡¯t forget, I¡¯m currently your sister¡¯s enemy, if you dare to get mixed up with me, she¡¯ll beat you to death."


    Hearing him mention Su Lin, Nanrong Hao shuddered as if a bucket of cold water had been poured over him from head to toe, instantly dousing his enthusiasm.


    Ling Chen saw his gloomy face and chuckled, patting his shoulder, "It¡¯s okay. As long as the misunderstanding between me and your sister is resolved, everything else will be easy to discuss."


    "How could that possibly be."


    Nanrong Hao muttered to himself. Daring to openly flirt with his cousin, with her personality, she would definitely not let it go easily.


    At that moment, in vi number 118 at Wealthy Manor, Su Lin stormed into the house, grumbling non-stop, "Damn Ling Chen, stinking Ling Chen, how dare you bully grandma, just wait and see how I¡¯ll deal with you."


    "Su Lin, what happened, who¡¯s made you angry again?"


    Su Lin turned her head to see Nanrong Wanqing in a simple and elegant white dress,ing down the hallway in a wheelchair.


    "It¡¯s that brat Nanrong Hao. I really want to smack him," Su Lin said irritably.


    She didn¡¯t dare to mention Ling Chen¡¯s affair, she had brought so many people to cause trouble, not only did she fail, but she was also bullied by that thug. If this got out, where would she put her face?


    "When will you two ever grow up." Nanrong Wanqing shook her head and, with both hands pushing the wheelchair, said, "Let¡¯s go. Grandpa just woke up,e with me to see him."


    Upon going upstairs and pushing open the bedroom door, a strong scent of traditional Chinese medicine immediately filled their noses.


    Lying on a bed in the southern part of the bedroom was an elderly man in his seventies or eighties. The man had a head full of white hair, a thin face with a sickly pallor, and skin full of wrinkles and age spots.


    This elderly man was the pir of the Nanrong Family, the founder of Hongyu Group, Nanrong Yong.


    Next to the bed, as the butler, Liu Kun took the empty bowl for the medicine and ced it on the table, standing silently by the side.


    "Grandpa."


    "Grandpa."


    Seeing his granddaughter and granddaughter-inw enter, Nanrong Yong¡¯s weak face immediately showed a hint of a smile. However, looking at the wheelchair beneath Nanrong Wanqing, his eyes filled with a mix of tenderness, anger, and helplessness.


    "Grandpa, you really scared us this time, you must take care of your health from now on," Su Lin said caringly, leaning close to the bed.


    "It¡¯s nothing," Nanrong Yongughed heartily, "Your grandpa has fought through tough times for most of my life, what kind of storms haven¡¯t I seen? A little sickness, a little pain thinks to take me down, not that easy. It¡¯s good that you two girls came, stay and apany me for a walkter. I¡¯ve nearly gone mad lying in bed thesest few days."


    Nanrong Wanqing spoke lightly, "Grandpa, the doctor said that even though you¡¯ve passed the critical period, you need to rest well and it¡¯s best not to get out of bed within a month."


    Nanrong Yong dissatisfiedly said, "Those doctors all talk nonsense. With my constitution, what need for a month? One day is enough."


    "If the doctor says a month, then it¡¯s a month. Not a day less. Uncle Liu, you keep a good eye on Grandpa for me. If he even puts half a foot out of bed, you¡¯ll have to answer to me," Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s tone was very stern, brooking no refusal.


    Liu Kun responded with a wry smile, "Yes, Miss."


    After chatting with Nanrong Yong for a while about family matters, Nanrong Wanqing and Su Lin left to avoid disturbing the elder¡¯s rest.


    Seeing the door shut, Nanrong Yong¡¯s gently smiling face instantly became serious, exuding an aura of authority that required no anger to impress.

 Chapter 9: Stolen Kiss

    <h4>Chapter 9: Chapter 9: Stolen Kiss</h4><h4><strong>Editor: </strong>Larbre Studio </h4>


    "Liu Kun, my time is running out."


    "Master, the doctors have said that you..."


    "Those doctors are all paid by me. They say what I want them to say." Nanrong Yong nced at Liu Kun, his voice grave. "You are the person I trust the most; I might as well tell you the truth. The doctors predict I have less than two years to live. The reason I don¡¯t tell Wanqing is that I don¡¯t want them to worry. Wanqing has only taken over thepany for a few years, and the foundation isn¡¯t stable. If those at home find out about my health condition, who knows what they might do. In families like ours, interests are more tangible than kinship."


    "Master, rest assured, I will not tell anyone else about this."


    Nanrong Yong nodded, then changed the subject. "I¡¯ve heard someone sent a clock while I¡¯ve been ill?"


    "Yes... we still haven¡¯t found out who it was."


    "Hmph! No need to search, I can guess who. They dare to send me a clock so openly¡ªit seems they can¡¯t wait to make their move. Liu Kun, stay by Wanqing¡¯s side from now on and protect her. I don¡¯t want the tragedy ofst time to repeat itself."


    Liu Kun knew the ¡¯tragedy¡¯ Nanrong Yong was referring to. A few years ago, Nanrong Wanqing was in a car ident on the way to work. The driver fled the scene, and no one has found them yet.


    That car ident caused Nanrong Wanqing to be paraplegic, destined to spend her life in a wheelchair. The Nanrong Family unanimously believed that the ident was plotted by their adversaries.


    "Master, it is my unshirkable duty to protect the young miss, but if I stay by the young miss¡¯s side, given her intelligence, she might soon guess something."


    "You have a point." Nanrong Yong frowned slightly. "But in the Nanrong Family, aside from you, no one else is capable of protecting the young miss."


    Liu Kun¡¯s eyes darted around, and he suggested, "Master, since there¡¯s no one suitable in the family, we could hire from outside. I have a good candidate in mind. Thest time I sparred with him, I lost. If we can employ him, the young miss¡¯s safety should be guaranteed without fail."


    "Oh?" Nanrong Yong said with interest, "Even you¡¯re not his match. What¡¯s his background?"


    "I checked, his name is Ling Chen."


    Then, Liu Kun recounted what had happened that day.


    "Being able to defeat you at such a young age, he really has some skills. However, capability is one thing, reliability is key."


    "How about I test him?"


    After some thought, Nanrong Yong nodded. "That sounds good. If he¡¯s as capable as you say, it¡¯s worth a try."


    ...


    After a satisfying meal, Ling Chen patted his full belly as he walked out of the restaurant, picking his teeth with a toothpick, his face flushed with contentment, "Haozi, I won¡¯t see you off. You can go back on your own."


    Over the course of the meal, their rtionship had improved significantly, shifting directly from Mr. Nanrong to Haozi.


    "Chen, Brother Hao, then I¡¯ll head back first. Let¡¯s meet again when we have the time."


    "Sure thing."


    After seeing off Nanrong Hao, Ling Chen and Jiang Hao strolled down Five Miles Street, casually chatting as they went along.


    "Chen..." Jiang Hao opened his mouth, hesitated, then stopped.


    "Speak your mind."


    "During the meal, you mentioned you got fired by your boss. What are you nning to do now?"


    "Why ask me this?"


    Jiang Hao hesitated, "Chen, you¡¯re so skilled. Why not join us..."


    "Forget it, I¡¯m not interested." Ling Chen knew what he was getting at and rejected the idea outright.


    He had only just left behind a world of fighting and killing, a life he was already tired of. Besides, hanging out with a bunch of small-time thugs for scraps wasn¡¯t ssy at all.


    "Chen, I was just saying. I won¡¯t force you, but... I hope you can teach us."


    Jiang Hao said earnestly, "Though I¡¯ve got quite a few underlings, they¡¯re just swaggerers at best, only good enough to make up numbers. When troublees, they¡¯re useless, as spineless as reeds. Strength is what matters in this world, and while I¡¯ve got a foundation, it¡¯s not solid. I¡¯d like to ask for your help in training a core force. That way, we can take care of things ourselves in the future and won¡¯t need to bother you again."


    Hearing this, Ling Chen looked at him in a new light. The kid wasn¡¯t bad, ambitious and thoughtful.


    No matter what you do, you can¡¯t do without a good brain; it¡¯s the same in the underworld.


    Jiang Hao¡¯s well-structured request showed he had thought things through.


    Everyone likes an ambitious person, and Ling Chen was no exception. Friends help when they can, and he was also curious to see how far Jiang Hao could go.


    With that in mind, he nodded, "Alright, I¡¯ll help you one more time."


    "Really?"


    Jiang Hao had expected Ling Chen to refuse since his previous requests had all been turned down. So, Ling Chen agreeing was like an unexpected surprise.


    "Chen, thank you."


    "Don¡¯t mention it. Alright, I¡¯m heading back, we¡¯ll get in touchter."


    When he got home, Ling Chen was about to unlock his door when he saw Tang Shiyun running down the corridor towards him, her face alight with excitement.


    "Ling Brother."


    "Hey..."


    Before he could finish, Tang Shiyun suddenly stretched out her arms, wrapped them around his neck, and nted a kiss on his face.


    Ling Chen was taken aback, staring nkly at Tang Shiyun.


    What madness had this girl caught, to be so tant even if she liked him?


    He hurriedly pried off Tang Shiyun¡¯s hands, chastising, "You girl, if you want a kiss go inside the house. It wouldn¡¯t look good to do this out here where people can see."


    Flushing, Tang Shiyun realized her action was a bit excessive and exined, "Who wants to kiss you; I was just happy."


    "Happy to see me?"


    "As if I would be happy to see you." Tang Shiyun said with a grin, "I have great news for you, my university entrance exam results are out, I got into East Sea University."


    "Oh." Ling Chen responded indifferently, a bit disappointed.


    He thought the girl had taken a fancy to him, but it turned out to be just a false rm.


    "Hey, what kind of reaction is that?" Tang Shiyunined, "East Sea University is a well-known key university in the country, with less than a hundred admission slots each year. Aren¡¯t you happy for me?"


    Fearful of upsetting the young girl, Ling Chen quickly responded, "Happy, of course, I¡¯m happy. You getting into a key university makes me, your brother, proud too."


    "Since your sister has added glory to your face, how do you n to repay me?"


    Ling Chen joked, "You know your brother Ling is poor, the most valuable thing I have is myself. How about I devote myself to you?"


    Tang Shiyun pouted, "I don¡¯t want that."


    "Then what do you want?"


    Tang Shiyun¡¯s eyes spun, andtching onto his arm she cooed, "Brother Ling, why don¡¯t you take me out to have fun? Mom always says it¡¯s not safe at night and refuses to let me go out."


    "In your mom¡¯s eyes, I¡¯m even more unsafe."


    (New book seeking support, if you have money give a little reward, if not leave a message and rmend.)

 Chapter 10 Unexplained Unease

    <h4>Chapter 10: Chapter 10 Unexined Unease</h4><h4><strong>Editor: </strong>Larbre Studio </h4>


    "It¡¯s okay, I just won¡¯t let her know. I¡¯ll make the excuse of going to a ssmate¡¯s house, and you can wait for me outside. That¡¯s settled then."


    After saying this, without giving Ling Chen a chance to refuse, Tang Shiyun bounded back home, jumping with joy.


    Ling Chen felt the freshly earned thousand-plus yuan in his pocket, thinking that he was going to bleed money tonight.


    But as long as Tang Shiyun was happy, he didn¡¯t mind the issue of money.


    Being admitted to university, getting one¡¯s name inscribed on the gold list, lifees only once, of course, he wanted to celebrate properly for her.


    At 7:30 in the evening, night had just fallen.


    Tang Shiyun appeared on time under the building.


    Seeing Tang Shiyun running over, Ling Chen was dazzled.


    The girl seldom went out to y, and she even dressed up a bit. She was wearing a white and blue checkered dress, with her hair tied at the back, her lovely face blooming with a floral smile, and she was wearing a delicate letter chain on her wrist, exuding a youthful and lively aura all over.


    "Ling."


    "Tell me, where do you want to go for fun?"


    "How am I supposed to know? Ling, you have a rich nightlife normally, you pick a ce."


    Ling Chen scratched his head. Aside from barbeque skewers and beer, his nightlife was nothing special.


    "How about KTV?"


    "No, that¡¯s too unoriginal."


    "Then..."


    "Ling, can we go to a bar?" Tang Shiyun suggested. "I often hear ssmates say bars are fun, but I¡¯ve never been."


    "That ce is too chaotic, I¡¯m worried it¡¯s not safe."


    "What¡¯s there to fear when you¡¯re around. Please, Ling, just apany me, please." Tang Shiyun cooed while shaking his arm.


    Ling Chen¡¯s heart softened, damn it, he could never resist this move.


    "Alright, fine, isn¡¯t that okay?"


    Tang Shiyun made a ¡¯yeah¡¯ gesture, happily saying, "I knew Ling was the best."


    Originally, Ling Chen wanted to take Tang Shiyun to a bar on Five Miles Street, but remembering that Tang Shiyun had been bullied by Jiang Hao before, he gave up on the idea.


    Although Tang Shiyun knew about her associations with Jiang Hao, she didn¡¯t have a good impression of him, to be precise, she didn¡¯t like any hooligans at all. There were too many hooligans who knew him on Five Miles Street, and they would inevitably have to greet each other if they went; he didn¡¯t want Tang Shiyun to interact too much with these people.


    So, it was best to find a bar where nobody knew them.


    After thinking, he took Tang Shiyun to the street, raised his hand to hail a taxi, and said to the driver, "To a bar, excluding those on Five Miles Street."


    "No problem."


    After more than ten minutes, Ling Chen and Tang Shiyun arrived at a bar called Qing Song.


    This Qing Song bar had arge space, over two floors, totaling more than two hundred square meters, finely decorated and probably one of the more upscale bars in the Old City.


    At this moment, with the lights just beginning to glow, the outside of the bar was crowded with people.


    "Ling, hurry up," Tang Shiyun pulled Ling Chen¡¯s hand, running quickly to the outside of the bar to line up.


    At that moment, the two saw a poster on the exterior wall of the bar. The poster featured a sexily dressed woman with attractive looks, holding a guitar in her arms, with ¡¯Lu Yao Solo Performance¡¯ written beside her.


    "Oh my, it¡¯s actually Lu Yao," Tang Shiyun¡¯s face lit up with excitement.


    "Who is Lu Yao? A famous star?"


    "Stars would note to a bar for solo performances. She is a niche singer who used to perform in bars exclusively. Later, she released an album and gained some fame in our city. I really like her songs. Ling, our luck today is just too good."


    "It¡¯s your luck that¡¯s good, I¡¯m not really interested in her."


    After waiting outside the bar for over ten minutes, it was finally their turn. To Ling Chen¡¯s dismay, the ticket price was a hefty one hundred eighty each; buying two tickets immediately reduced the money in his pocket by a third.


    Once inside the bar, it was already packed to the rafters. Even though Lu Yao was a niche singer, she still had a surprisinglyrge number of fans. Moreover, to amodate more audience, the organizers had removed all the chairs and tables, so everyone had to stand to watch the performance.


    Unable to resist Tang Shiyun¡¯s enthusiasm, Ling Chen squeezed through the crowd, taking her to the very front of the stage to give her the chance for a close contact with Lu Yao.


    Before long, the lights in the bar suddenly dimmed. After about ten seconds, a soft light beamed from the top and focused on a woman in her twenties in the middle of the stage.


    The woman had dark golden curly hair, a charming face, lips red as fire, wore a purple cinched-waist low-cut dress with the hem ending at her upper thighs, revealing snow-white skin, entuating her slender figure.


    Seeing the main attraction Lu Yao appear, the entire audience erupted in excitement, shouting out loud.


    "Goddess!"


    "Goddess!"


    ...


    Ling Chen curled his lips; he was never interested in these sorts of things. Moreover, from her attire, she seemed less like she was here to sing and more like she was here to ¡¯sell her flesh¡¯.


    Rather than spending money here listening to songs, he would prefer to find a food stall to satisfy his hunger.


    Boredom setting in, his eyes started wandering around. Suddenly, his gaze was captured by the ss window on the second floor.


    The bar¡¯s second floor was all private rooms, and the ss windows were covered with a film that allowed people inside to see out, but not vice versa.


    Ling Chen scrutinized the filmy ss, a slight frown appearing on his forehead. For some reason, he felt an inexplicable unease in his heart.


    Having navigated the edge of life and death for many years, he had developed a keen sense of danger, almost like an instinct.


    Inside a second-floor private room.


    A man around thirty stood in front of the ss, looking down at the performance, his eyes slightly narrowed, his expression as cold as ice, like a wild beast lurking in the shadows, exuding a chilling aura.


    The man had an average face, holding a ss of red wine in his hand, gently swirling it.


    After a sip of wine, a striking tattoo unveiled on his neck, a green snake with its forked tongue flickering, adding a ferocious touch to his already frosty demeanor.


    "Snake King, are you sure you want to work with that guy?"


    A voice rang out. The speaker was a young man sitting on a sofa, about twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old. Though not old, he was quite overweight, with a height of 1.8 meters and weighing nearly two hundred kilograms. Even as he spoke, he did not stop munching on the snacks provided by the bar.


    The man addressed as Snake King slowly turned around, his face expressionless, "I¡¯m seeking him out because he¡¯s of use to me. As for working together... he¡¯s not yet qualified."


    The fat man spat out a jujube pit, saying, "Whatever you do is your business, but let me remind you to be careful with those unprofessional folks, don¡¯t let them trick you."


    "You don¡¯t need to worry about that. You just make sure you do your job."


    "My part has been taken care of long ago." The fat man pulled out a document from his carried satchel and threw it on the table: "This is the intel you wanted, the target¡¯s recent itinerary is all herein. I spent quite a bit of money on this information, make sure you reimburse me."

 Chapter 11: The Sound of Heaven

    <h4>Chapter 11: Chapter 11: The Sound of Heaven</h4><h4><strong>Editor: </strong>Larbre Studio </h4>


    Snake King nodded and said, "After the mission ispleted, I will give you a ten percentmission."


    "Great, working with you is straightforward," the chubby man grinned and said, "The equipment you requested is already on its way. Customs have been strict recently, so there might be a dy of a day or two."


    "No rush, I¡¯m just here to scout the area this time. The actual action will take ceter."


    "Alright then, I¡¯m going to leave now. I¡¯ll inform you when the equipment arrives," the chubby man said, standing up ready to leave.


    "Wait."


    "Anything else?"


    "You specialize in trading information, and you have the most reliable sources. I want to confirm something with you."


    "Go ahead."


    Snake King spoke gravely, "Is Blood Wolf really dead?"


    The chubby man smiled and held up a finger, "That information will cost you a million."


    "Okay." Snake King did not hesitate.


    "He¡¯s dead. This conclusion has been confirmed by the tworgest intelligence organizations in the world; there¡¯s no mistake." Earning a million just from one sentence made the chubby man¡¯s eyes nearly squint into a slit.


    "What a pity."


    "Indeed, it¡¯s a pity. A legendary figure was killed by a bomb ced secretly in a hotel. s, who told him to offend so many people. Snake King, although Blood Wolf¡¯s death is regrettable, it is a good thing for you guys. Previously, he monopolized all the big deals in the mercenary and assassin worlds, leaving everyone else starving. Now that he¡¯s dead, it means more work for people like you, isn¡¯t that a good thing?"


    Snake King nodded and turned back to continue looking out the ss window.


    Seeing that he was silent, the chubby man tactfully pushed the door open and walked out.


    In the hall, as Lu Yao finished singing a few songs, the audience¡¯s atmosphere was pushed to a climax.


    "Brother Ling, do you think she sings well?"


    "It¡¯s mediocre, not as good as you."


    He was telling the truth; Tang Shiyun¡¯s sweet voice was much better than the one on stage.


    "I¡¯m not as good as you say, others are much more professional than me."


    Tang Shiyun said modestly, but the joy was evident on her radiant face; anyone would be pleased to beplimented.


    "I¡¯m stating the facts. Rather than paying 180 to listen to her sing, I¡¯d prefer listening to you."


    "Pfft!"


    Just then, a dissatisfied voice chimed in, "Bro, there¡¯s no need to put down my goddess just to please your girlfriend. My Lu Yao sings so well, keep your judgments to yourself if you can¡¯t appreciate it."


    Ling Chen nced at the man with a pockmarked face.


    "She¡¯s your goddess, not mine. Don¡¯t tell me what to say."


    "Why are you being so unreasonable?"


    "Did I ask for your reasoning? I said what I said; you are the one who poked your nose into it unnecessarily."


    Pockface got agitated, rolled up his sleeves, and pointing at Ling Chen, shouted, "Are you asking for a beating?"


    "I..."


    "Ling, let¡¯s drop it," Tang Shiyun interceded, tugging his sleeve.


    Seeing the pleading look in Tang Shiyun¡¯s eyes, Ling Chen shook his head helplessly.


    Forget it, no point in arguing with this guy.


    Seeing him shut up, instead of backing down, Pockface smugly said, "You¡¯re not even fully matured and you¡¯re trying topete with me, hmph! This youngdy must be blind to fall for a low-quality guy like you."


    Hearing this, rage surged in Ling Chen, and he grabbed Pockface by the cor, raising an eyebrow, "What low quality, and who are you to interfere? What did you just say about someone being blind? Say it again if you dare."


    Daring to insult Tang Shiyun was something he, as a man, could not tolerate.


    You could insult him... but not Tang Shiyun.


    "Both of you, please give way to each other a bit. Don¡¯t cause unnecessary trouble, so as not to affect other audience members."


    The voice came from the speakers, and all eyes suddenly focused on Ling Chen and the pockmarked faced guy.


    Ling Chen turned his head, only to see Lu Yao looking in this direction on stage.


    "Ling, stop making a scene."


    Being watched by so many people, Ling Chen didn¡¯t really mind, but Tang Shiyun felt somewhat embarrassed and her face was flushed.


    This guy got off cheap.


    Ling Chen unhappily let go of his hand and released the pockmarked face.


    "Kid, for the sake of my goddess, I won¡¯t hold this against you for now."


    The pockmarked face left a harshment, which Ling Chen ignored altogether.


    Seeing that their dispute had ceased, Lu Yao turned her attention to the audience and sweetly said: "Thank you all for being here today. For the next song, I would like to invite a fan toe up and sing with me. Who would like to join me?"


    Instantly, arge group from the audience raised their hands, including Tang Shiyun.


    "Goddess, pick her. This guy just now arrogantly said that she sings better than you, let her try."


    The pockmarked face pointed at Tang Shiyun and called out loudly, immediately attracting the attention of the surrounding audience.


    "I¡¯ve seen people who care about their image, but I¡¯ve never seen someone so shameless as to darepare themselves to our goddess."


    "That¡¯s right, she really doesn¡¯t know her own limits."


    "Why not let her sing one, maybe she really has the talent."


    "Come on, youngdy, go up and sing one."


    Hearing those cheering from the audience, Tang Shiyun bit her lip, her cheeks burning, tightly holding on to Ling Chen¡¯s hand.


    "Ling, maybe... maybe we should just leave."


    "What are you talking about leaving? Since they want to hear you sing, then sing a few lines for them. Besides, weren¡¯t you the one who wanted to go on stage just now?"


    "I... I¡¯m afraid I won¡¯t sing well."


    Tang Shiyun was nervous. She initially wanted to go on stage because no one cared whether she sang well or not, but it¡¯s different now¡ª if she doesn¡¯t sing well, she¡¯d definitely be ridiculed, and she didn¡¯t want to embarrass Ling.


    Ling Chen patted her hand, encouraging her: "Go ahead, don¡¯t be afraid, I believe in you."


    "Little sister, everyone is cheering for you, don¡¯t let everyone down."


    Seeing Lu Yao¡¯s gaze upon her, Tang Shiyun calmed her nervous heart and mustered up the courage to walk onto the stage.


    Taking the microphone, she stood in the center of the stage, lowering her head, not daring to look at the audience, only ncing at Ling Chen from the corner of her eye.


    Seeing Ling¡¯s encouraging smile, her nervousness gradually eased.


    At this moment, Lu Yao cradled the guitar, her delicate fingers gently strumming the strings. Immediately, a beautiful melody slowly flowed from the speakers.


    Listening to the apanying music flowing beside her ears, Tang Shiyun closed her eyes slightly, as if her whole being was immersed in the music.


    Her teeth gently parted, her sweet voice like a clear spring, flowing into the audience¡¯s ears.


    The wind blows, leaving no trace.


    Our love, like a gust of wind, blew away.


    The wind blows, free from worries.


    You left, I left, henceforth we are strangers.


    ...


    The heaven-like sweet song quietly flowed through the hall, as if a breeze from nature gently brushed over the hearts of the audience, bringing a hint of coolness in the summer.


    Ling Chen watched the amazed expressions of the audience, and couldn¡¯t help but smile with satisfaction.


    His taste was definitely not off; some people practice singing for more than a decade and still can¡¯t match those naturally endowed with a sweet voice. Tang Shiyun was one of thetter.

 Chapter 12 Silver Star Entertainment Producer

    <h4>Chapter 12: Chapter 12 Silver Star Entertainment Producer</h4><h4><strong>Editor: </strong>Larbre Studio </h4>


    Seeing the audience¡¯s enraptured expressions below the stage, Lu Yao¡¯s face turned slightly unpleasant. This was her solo performance, yet someone else had stolen the limelight. Anyone in her ce would have felt the same difort. What was more infuriating was that she had invited someone to join her in a duet, only for Tang Shiyun to sing all her lines, turning it into a solo performance.


    Moreover, looking at the audience¡¯s reaction, it seemed as if she was merely the apanist and Tang Shiyun the lead.


    It wouldn¡¯t have been a big deal on any other day, but not today. Today, there was a very important person in attendance, with her future at stake.


    With that thought, her fingers strumming the strings slipped slightly, and the smooth apaniment was immediately marred by several discordant sounds, waking the audience from their reverie.


    "What¡¯s going on?" The audience¡¯s mood turned somewhat dissatisfied.


    Lu Yao quickly apologized: "I¡¯m sorry, I yed the wrong note just now."


    "Actually, I hadn¡¯t had enough just now. Youngdy, could you start over and sing it again?"


    Lu Yao felt quite ufortable. If she allowed the girl to keep singing, what would she do? With that, she directed her gaze towards the suit-d man behind the stage.


    The host, who caught her hint, quickly took to the stage with a smile: "Ladies and gentlemen, the program has a set order, and the duet segment has ended. Little sister, thank you for your wonderful singing."


    Tang Shiyun, with a blushing face, handed over the microphone and then ran swiftly to Ling Chen¡¯s side, asking nervously and expectantly, "Ling, how was my singing?"


    "Just listen to everyone¡¯s response to know."


    At that moment, thunderous apuse erupted, not ceasing for a long time.


    Even the man with a pockmarked face couldn¡¯t help but give a thumbs up and praised, "Youngdy, you sang really well, I¡¯m about to be your fan."


    Tang Shiyun smiled shyly, wrapping her arms tightly around Ling Chen¡¯s arm in an affectionate manner.


    The man with the pockmarked face said enviously, "Brother, you¡¯re really blessed to have such a great girlfriend."


    "That¡¯s right." Ling Chen¡¯s heart burst with joy and his goodwill towards the pockmarked man skyrocketed.


    With Tang Shiyun setting such a remarkable precedent, Lu Yao¡¯s following performances were merely met with tepid responses. Fortunately, the fans were quite supportive, staying until the end before leaving.


    Leaving the bar, Ling Chen checked the time; it was almost ten o¡¯clock. If they didn¡¯t head back soon, Tang Shiyun¡¯s mother would start worrying.


    Just as the two were about to hail a taxi home, a distinguished-looking middle-aged man hurried up from behind.


    "Excuse me, may I have a moment of your time?"


    Ling Chen nced at the man.


    "Who might you be?"


    The middle-aged man handed over a business card, introducing himself, "Hello, my name is Zhu Yansong, a producer from Silver Star Entertainment."


    "Speak inly, we¡¯re in a hurry to get home."


    "Well, I was at the bar and heard this youngdy¡¯s singing. I think her vocal talent is exceptional, and with proper training, her future achievements would be boundless." Saying that, Zhu Yansong looked at Tang Shiyun eagerly.


    "Youngdy, you have an outstanding talent. I hope you¡¯ll take advantage of it and not let it go to waste."


    "I..."


    "Mr. Zhu."


    At that moment, Lu Yao rushed out from the bar, heading straight towards Zhu Yansong, trotting over in her high heels.


    "Mr. Zhu, I¡¯ve been looking for you everywhere. So here you are."


    While speaking, she noticed Ling Chen and Tang Shiyun beside her, and her face turned sour, feeling uneasy inside.


    Zhu Yansong was a top producer in the entertainment industry. If she had his backing, bing a star and soaring high was just a matter of time.


    The effort and price she paid to invite Zhu Yansong here were unimaginable.


    After her performance ended, Zhu Yansong had not sought her out but instead went straight to this young girl. This was hard to swallow.


    She had given up so much, and after all her efforts to bring him here, why should others reap the rewards so effortlessly? The more she thought about it, the more irritated she became, her eyes filled with envy as she looked at Tang Shiyun.


    Facing Lu Yao, Zhu Yansong¡¯s demeanor was not as friendly as it was towards Tang Shiyun, but rather cold and even slightly disgusted.


    With his status, he didn¡¯t need to demean himself by watching Lu Yao¡¯s performance. But since thepany boss had given the word, he couldn¡¯t refuse. And as for what Lu Yao did to win his boss¡¯s favor, one could only imagine.


    "Miss Lu, you should head back first. We¡¯ll discuss your matter another day."


    "Mr. Zhu..."


    "Was I not clear enough?"


    Zhu Yansong appeared very impatient.


    Afraid of upsetting him, Lu Yao quickly said, "Sorry for the disturbance then." With that, she turned and walked back towards the bar.


    After not going far, she couldn¡¯t help but look back. She saw Zhu Yansong smiling affably at Tang Shiyun, and this difference in treatment fueled her jealousy even more.


    "Isn¡¯t this Miss Lu?"


    Back in the bar, several men approached her, with a middle-aged man leading them and waving at Lu Yao.


    Seeing who it was, Lu Yao squeezed out a sweet smile and leaned forward proactively, cooing, "Sheng, when did you get here? I didn¡¯t see you."


    The middle-aged man was Yang Sheng, the local heavyweight and the bar¡¯s owner. She used to perform regrly in the bar before her debut and had fostered a good rtionship with Yang Sheng. He had contributed significantly to her current sess.


    "I¡¯ve been here for a while, I was in a private room doing business."


    Yang Sheng wrapped his arm around Lu Yao, his eyes flickering with desire, the corners of his mouth lifting slightly, "Miss Lu, you¡¯ve be even more radiant since west met."


    A smile yed on Lu Yao¡¯s face, allowing him to be handsy without taking offense.


    "Sheng, could you do me a favor?"


    "Sure thing. Anything for the beautiful Miss Lu is a matter for Yang Sheng too. Just say the word, as long as I can do it."


    Meanwhile, outside the bar, Zhu Yansong was still earnestly persuading Tang Shiyun.


    "Sorry, Mr. Zhu, I¡¯m a student right now, I¡¯m not considering this at the moment."


    Zhu Yansong was insistent, "Youngdy, this isn¡¯t an issue, I assure you it won¡¯t affect your studies."


    "Mr. Zhu, this decision affects her future. You can¡¯t expect her to make it so quickly. If you ask me, give her some time to talk it over with her family first."


    "Yes, yes, I¡¯m too eager. Here¡¯s what we¡¯ll do then, my contact number andpany address are on the business card. If you decide, feel free to call me anytime."

 Chapter 13 A Minor Punishment

    <h4>Chapter 13: Chapter 13 A Minor Punishment</h4><h4><strong>Editor: </strong>Larbre Studio </h4>


    "Okay."


    After sending Zhu Yansong away, Ling Chen joked: "Girl, get me a hundred or so autographs tomorrow. When you be famous, I¡¯ll depend on selling your autographs to make a living."


    Tang Shiyun burst intoughter.


    "Ling, if that day reallyes, you won¡¯t have to do anything; I¡¯ll support you."


    "Girl, you really have good taste, a handsome guy like me is perfect for being a kept man."


    "Buddy, being a kept man is not that easy. Looking at your frail body, I guess you can¡¯t satisfy her. Maybe let us brothers take over."


    A few young men came over, their faces filled with sinister smiles.


    "Big brother, this chick is so pretty, we brothers are in for a treat tonight."


    "Exactly, encountering such a top-quality chick isn¡¯t something you can just stumble upon, hehe."


    Listening to their vulgar words, Tang Shiyun¡¯s face turned red and green, filled with shame and anger.


    Ling Chen looked at these few hooligans, the corners of his mouth lifted slightly, and a cold light flickered in his eyes.


    "Gentlemen, I love jokes, but I hate it when others joke about the women by my side. You¡¯ve touched my taboo, and generally, those who touch my taboos don¡¯t end up well."


    "Ha! Kid, you¡¯ve got quite the tone. It¡¯s been a few days since we brothers had any practice, why don¡¯t youe and try?"


    The group of hooligans provocatively said.


    Without another word, Ling Chen strode over.


    "Brothers, let¡¯s teach this kid a lesson."


    The hooligans swarmed up and surrounded Ling Chen, swinging their fists at him.


    Ling Chen didn¡¯t even look, his feet slipped and in a blink, he was in front of one of the hooligans. He raised his knee and thrust it forward.


    "Aow~"


    Only a scream like that of a ughtered pig was heard; the hooligan clutched his crotch, his face pale, grimacing and shouting: "Crushed... Crushed..."


    Seeing this, the otherpanions¡¯ faces changed drastically, they angrily eximed: "Kid, how dare you cripple our brother."


    "Not just his, but yours too."


    As he spoke, Ling Chen rushed forward, using both fists and feet, and in just a moment, the ground was filled with pained howls.


    Ling Chen shook his head; these guys were too weak, he hadn¡¯t even exerted much force. Are today¡¯s hooligans really this low quality?


    "Speak, why are you troubling us."


    "I didn¡¯t..."


    Ling Chen looked at them yfully.


    "Do you think having your ¡¯eggs¡¯ crushed wasn¡¯t enough, or should I cripple your family jewels altogether?"


    Hearing this, the faces of the hooligans all showed fear.


    "No, no, I¡¯ll speak, it was Sheng who sent us."


    "Sheng? Which Sheng."


    "Yang Sheng."


    "I have no grudges with him, why is he troubling me?"


    "I don¡¯t know much, I only know Miss Lu enlisted Sheng¡¯s help."


    So it was Lu Yao.


    Ling Chen nodded inwardly, that woman truly wasn¡¯t anything good. Probably because Zhu Yansong took an interest in Tang Shiyun, ignoring her, so she took out her anger on Shiyun.


    A woman¡¯s jealousy is indeed terrifying.


    "Go back and tell Yang Sheng and Lu Yao, I¡¯ll remember this debt. If there¡¯s a next time, I¡¯ll make sure they spend the rest of their lives unable to care for themselves. Girl, let¡¯s go!"


    By the time they returned to their residence, it was already 10:30 PM.


    Ling Chen looked at the dimly lit staircase, and stopped in his tracks.


    "Girl, you go up first. If your mom sees using back together, she might die of anger."


    "Okay. Ling, thank you for keeping mepany tonight."


    "No need to be polite, being with my girlfriend is what I should do."


    Tang Shiyun shyly said, "Who is your girlfriend? Don¡¯t talk nonsense."


    "Just now at the bar, people said you were my girlfriend, and you didn¡¯t refuse. That means you admitted it."


    Ling Chen had a mischievous smile.


    Tang Shiyun snorted lightly and said, "You just like to take advantage of me. I didn¡¯t want to make you lose face. Imagine, such a grown man and still without a girlfriend, it would be so embarrassing to say out loud."


    "Ah! You dare to diss me, girl. Let¡¯s see how I deal with you."


    Saying that, he raised his hand and pretended to smack Tang Shiyun¡¯s little bottom.


    Smack!


    The palmnded exactly on Tang Shiyun¡¯s pert rear.


    Both of them froze.


    Ling Chen didn¡¯t move his hand very fast, thinking Tang Shiyun would dodge, but she didn¡¯t move at all.


    Tang Shiyun was only wearing a thin dress, so Ling Chen immediately felt her smooth, delicate skin. The excellent touch made his right hand somewhat uncontroble as he pinched, causing Tang Shiyun¡¯s cheeks to turn even redder, like a freshly blossomed flower, charming and stunning.


    "Stop it!"


    Tang Shiyun, blushing, pped Ling Chen¡¯s hand away and hurriedly ran up the stairs, disappearing in a blink.


    "This girl..."


    Recalling Tang Shiyun¡¯s shy look just now, Ling Chen felt privately amused, having a beautiful girl around to spice up life was really nice.


    A few minutester, guessing that Tang Shiyun had arrived home, he started humming a tune and went upstairs alone.


    Meanwhile, a pair of eyes that had been peeping from the fourth-floor balcony withdrew.


    For the next two days, Ling Chen was busy looking for a job.


    Now, with only a little over a thousand dors to his name, he could onlyst till the end of the month. If he couldn¡¯t find a source of ie, he might end up sleeping on the streets next month.


    The next day, after a night of heavy rain, East Sea City was sunny and bright.


    The sun was already hot, and Ling Chen was still lying in bed deeply asleep, drooling, with a magazine of sexy women he had bought from a street stall under his head.


    Knock knock knock!


    Hearing the knocking at the door, Ling Chen, rubbing his sleepy eyes, got up and cursed, "Who is it?"


    "Chen, it¡¯s me."


    Ling Chen opened the door and saw Jiang Hao standing at the door, annoyed, he said, "What do you want, kid? Don¡¯t you know..." He hadn¡¯t finished his sentence when he noticed someone else standing beside Jiang Hao.


    "Is that you? Jiang Hao, why are you with him?"


    "I just bumped into him downstairs. He asked if I knew you and said he was looking for you for something, so I brought him over."


    Seeing Ling Chen¡¯s unhappy expression, Jiang Hao whispered, "Chen, is this guy here to cause trouble? Do you want me to call some people?"


    "No need, you go back first. This has nothing to do with you."


    After Jiang Hao left, Ling Chen looked at the visitor and said, "Housekeeper Liu, what do you need?"


    This person was indeed Liu Kun, the housekeeper of Nanrong Family.


    "Mr. Ling, the visitor is a guest, won¡¯t you invite me in to sit?"


    "No, let¡¯s make things clear first. If you¡¯re here to take revenge for that girl, you can leave now. I¡¯m not interested in hosting you."


    "Revenge? What do you mean?"


    "You don¡¯t know?"


    "Mr. Ling, there might be some misunderstanding here, but I¡¯m not here to trouble you, I¡¯m actually here to offer you a job."


    "Really?" He had thought Liu Kun was here on behalf of Su Lin.


    "Mr. Ling, perhaps it¡¯s better we talk inside."

 Chapter 14 Hongyu Group

    <h4>Chapter 14: Chapter 14 Hongyu Group</h4><h4><strong>Editor: </strong>Larbre Studio </h4>


    Entering the room, Liu Kun went straight to the point: "Mr. Ling, I¡¯ll be frank, I saw your skillsst time at the Nanrong family¡¯s ce and I was quite impressed. Ourpany is currently in need of this kind of talent, so I would like to invite you to join us."


    Ha!


    Ling Chen secretly rejoiced, he was just worrying about not having a job, and unexpectedly someone handed him an opportunity so soon.


    Last time he was drinking with Nanrong Hao, he remembered him mentioning that Hongyu Group, managed by the Nanrong Family, was a well-known enterprise in East Sea City, and the benefits of joining would definitely be more generous than before.


    "Housekeeper Liu, what is this job you¡¯re talking about?"


    "Security."


    "Security?" Ling Chen was slightly taken aback, then he shook his head: "No way."


    It wasn¡¯t that he despised anything else, mainly the security uniform was just too ugly.


    "Monthly sry of thirteen thousand, meals included but no amodation, and there¡¯s a bonus every month if you perform well."


    "Pfft! Only thirteen tho... Huh?" Ling Chen thought he had misheard, so he quickly asked, "What did you just say the sry was, thirteen hundred or..."


    "Thirteen thousand."


    "When can I start?"


    Ling Chen¡¯s attitude made aplete 180-degree turn.


    You¡¯re joking, a monthly sry of thirteen thousand, who cares about wearing a security uniform, he¡¯d work without clothes if necessary.


    Thirteen thousand though!


    Thinking about living a petty bourgeoisie life like that, he felt like his mouth was about to split with joy.


    "Mr. Ling, if it¡¯s convenient for you, I can take you to thepany now to handle your employment procedures."


    "Okay."


    Ling Chen quickly changed into a set of clothes and followed Liu Kun out of the house.


    After half an hour¡¯s drive, the two finally arrived at the headquarters of Hongyu Group.


    Looking at the sixty-story building in front of him, Ling Chen¡¯s eyes shined, and his mouth stayed wide open in awe.


    "Mr. Ling, please follow me."


    Walking into the lobby, Liu Kun led Ling Chen to the HR department and handled his onboarding procedures. With Liu Kun present, the normally cumbersome procedures were simplified and expedited. In just a few minutes, Ling Chen had signed the employment contract and officially became a part of Hongyu Group.


    "Mr. Ling, I¡¯ll first take you to the security department to meet the other colleagues, and you¡¯ll officially start work tomorrow."


    "Thank you, Housekeeper Liu."


    The security department was on the first floor. Ling Chen followed Liu Kun to the office door, just about to push it open, when a man in a security uniform with an e-scarred face came out.


    Seeing Liu Kun, the e-faced man quickly stood straight and said: "Mr. Liu."


    Liu Kun nodded, pointing to Ling Chen behind him: "Wei Jun, let me introduce you to your new colleague, Ling Chen."


    Their eyes met, and both Ling Chen and Wei Jun were startled, eximing simultaneously: "It¡¯s you?"


    "You know each other?"


    "Met once." Ling Chen grinned.


    This Wei Jun was the e-faced man he had an argument withst time at the bar; unexpectedly, he also worked at Hongyu and had now be his colleague.


    "Since you two know each other, that¡¯s great. Mr. Ling, Wei Jun is the deputy team leader of the security department, let him show you aroundter. I have other matters to attend to, so I¡¯ll leave first."


    After sending Liu Kun off, Ling Chen warmly pped Wei Jun on the shoulder.


    "Brother Wei, we really are fated to meet here again. Don¡¯t take the bar incident to heart."


    Now that he was working under someone else, naturally, he needed to build a good rtionship to avoid making things difficult for himselfter.


    As they say, don¡¯t p a smiling face. With Ling admitting his mistake proactively, Wei Jun had no good reason to pursue the matter further. Moreover, this guy was personally brought in by Liu Kun, likely someone with considerable backing, so Wei didn¡¯t dare offend him too much.


    "That day, I was also at fault. Let¡¯s not dwell on the past. Ling,e on, let me show you around and get you familiar with the ce."


    The job of a security guard is simple, mainly patrolling and standing guard, but what¡¯s important is a sense of responsibility.


    Under Wei Jun¡¯s guidance, it took less than half an hour for Ling Chen to get a general understanding of the building.


    "Ling, it¡¯s twelve o¡¯clock. Let¡¯s go to the cafeteria for lunch."


    "Okay."


    Hongyu Building has a dedicated staff cafeteria that offers free meals. Ling Chen and Wei Jun went to the cafeteria, got their meals, and found a seat to sit down, chatting while eating.


    "Wei, how long have you been working at Hongyu Group?"


    "Over two years."


    "The pay must be really good, right?"


    Considering I earn thirteen thousand, Wei Jun, as a deputy, must earn more.


    "It¡¯s okay, I take home over three thousand a month."


    Ling Chen was shocked. Just over three thousand? That¡¯s a huge difference.


    But then again, Liu Kun personally hired him and offered such a high sry, probably because he valued his skills. Thinking this, he felt relieved.


    At this moment, all the employees in the cafeteria stopped what they were doing with their chopsticks and looked towards the entrance.


    Curious, Ling followed Wei¡¯s gaze and his eyes immediately fixed on a tall, long-legged beauty pushing a wheelchair into the cafeteria.


    Nanrong Wanqing!


    Seeing the woman in the wheelchair, even though Ling had only seen her once, he was still struck by her stunning appearance.


    While admiring her, a cold gaze suddenly shot his way, catching his attention. He looked up and found himself staring into the fiery eyes of the tall beauty.


    This girl has sharp eyes; she caught me.


    Ling Chen grinned and winked at Su Lin.


    Seeing his action, Su Lin was inwardly furious. What is this jerk doing here, delivering packages?


    Immediately, she whispered something into Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s ear and then let go of the wheelchair, striding quickly to Ling Chen, her presence intimidating as she asked, "Ling, what are you doing here?"


    Ling waved his hand in front of her andughed, "Miss Su, do you have a problem with your eyes? Can¡¯t you see I¡¯m eating here?"


    "This is an internal staff cafeteria at Hongyu; you, an outsider, have no right to eat here. Get out now."


    Wei Jun quickly intervened, "Miss Su, he is now an employee of ourpany."


    "What?"


    Su Lin looked incredulous.


    "Miss Su, if your eyesight is bad, you should still be able to hear, did you clearly hear what Wei said?"


    "You... I don¡¯t care who hired you, I¡¯m firing you right now."


    "Wei, does Miss Su hold any position in thepany that gives her the authority to fire me?"


    Wei Jun was just about to speak when a nce from Su Lin shut him up, making him dare not utter a word.


    "Ling, let me tell you, this is my turf. Even if I hold no position, I can still fire you."


    Ling Chen shrugged nonchntly.


    "I¡¯ve heard that Hongyu Group is a well-known enterprise in East Sea City, with strict policies. I didn¡¯t expect it to be sox, a non-employee relying on connections to lord over inside thepany, showing no respect for employees. Everyone, you¡¯ve seen it. Be careful in the future; if you encounter Miss Su, it¡¯s better to take a detour. Don¡¯t get targeted by her, or you won¡¯t even know how you died."

 Chapter 15 Fire Him

    <h4>Chapter 15: Chapter 15 Fire Him</h4><h4><strong>Editor: </strong>Larbre Studio </h4>


    Su Lin, fuming, snapped, "That Ling, you..."


    "Lin, that¡¯s enough. It¡¯s time to go."


    Hearing Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s voice, Su Lin gave Ling Chen a fierce re, stamped her foot, and said, "Remember this, you¡¯ll pay for itter." After speaking, she angrily returned to Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s side and pushed the wheelchair away.


    "Ling, you¡¯re really something, daring to talk to Miss Su like that. Everyone in thepany knows about Miss Su¡¯s fiery temper, no one dares to provoke her, you¡¯re the first."


    Ling Chen just smiled indifferently.


    Just a woman, what¡¯s there to be afraid of.


    At that moment, inside the executive private room, Su Lin pouted andined, "Wanqing, you saw it all. That jerk was horrible, I can¡¯t swallow this indignation."


    "What do you want to do?"


    "Fire him. He must be fired. We can¡¯t keep such a thug in thepany."


    "A thug?"


    Nanrong Wanqing nced at her and asked, "How do you know he¡¯s a thug?"


    "I... just by looking at those shifty eyes of his, you can tell he¡¯s no good. If he¡¯s not a thug, then what is he?"


    Hearing her strained exnation, Nanrong Wanqing slightly shook her head.


    "Don¡¯t be upset, I¡¯ll ask HR in a bit, see who hired him into thepany."


    Half an hourter.


    In an office at the top of Hongyu Building, Nanrong Wanqing sat in her wheelchair facing Liu Kun.


    "Uncle Liu, did you arrange for Ling Chen to be hired?"


    "Yes."


    "Why didn¡¯t you inform me?"


    "Miss, it¡¯s a minor matter, no need to disturb you."


    Su Lin, annoyed, said, "Uncle Liu, how could we casually hire such a jerk. I don¡¯t care, he can¡¯t stay in thepany."


    "What¡¯s Miss¡¯s opinion?"


    Nanrong Wanqing calmly said, "The security department isn¡¯t short of people right now."


    "Miss, we can¡¯t fire Ling Chen for now, not unless hemits a serious vition."


    "Why?"


    "It¡¯s the master¡¯s orders."


    Hearing this, Su Lin suddenly deted, not expecting it to be her grandfather¡¯s arrangement.


    Nanrong Wanqing pondered for a moment, then nodded thoughtfully, "I understand. Uncle Liu, you may go now."


    "Yes, miss."


    Seeing Liu Kun leave the office, Su Lin made a sour face, "Wanqing, what should we do now?"


    "This is Grandfather¡¯s arrangement, I¡¯m also helpless."


    "Wanqing, you¡¯re so smart, you must have a solution."


    Worried that she might refuse, Su Lin, holding her hand, pleaded sweetly, "We are close sisters, please help me."


    Nanrong Wanqing shook her head helplessly. Ever since her car ident, Su Lin had always been by her side, and they shared a deep bond. She generally didn¡¯t refuse requests from Su Lin.


    "Alright, I¡¯ll try."


    "Yay! That¡¯s great. Wanqing, with your wit, you¡¯ll definitely sort him out in no time."


    As Su Lin fantasized about Ling Chen suffering, Ling Chen was sitting in Wei Jun¡¯s office, legs crossed, with a toothpick in his mouth, hands behind his head, enjoying the cool air conditioning.


    "Wei, when will you take me to meet the captain of the security department?"


    "He¡¯s probably too busy to see you right now."


    "Why?"


    "He... Oh right, almost forgot to ask you, which team were you assigned to?"


    "What team? No one has mentioned this to me."


    "Let me fill you in then. Our security department has two teams, Team One and Team Two. Team One is led by the team leader, specifically responsible for the security of the Miss. Team Two, which I manage, is in charge of the building¡¯s order. Team One¡¯s members are made up of former soldiers, all of very high caliber, and they earn a five-figure sry each month, several times more than us." Wei Jun said this with a look of envy.


    Ling Chen was momentarily stunned, and by his sry standard, he was definitely assigned to Team One.


    Thinking about this, he couldn¡¯t help but grin, thinking that now he would have more opportunities to see Nanrong Wanqing.


    After returning home in the afternoon, Ling Chen saw there was still time, so he made a call to Jiang Hao. Last time he had promised to help Jiang Hao cultivate a group of key members, and as several days had passed, he couldn¡¯t just leave him hanging.


    After agreeing on a location, he made a bowl of instant noodles, finished it in a few bites, and then left the house with a toothpick in mouth. Although his current sry was thirteen thousand, it hadn¡¯t been paid yet, so he still had to live a frugal life.


    In a short while, he arrived at an abandoned warehouse, precisely where he had negotiated with Zhao Zhengxiongst time.


    When he arrived, there were already twenty or thirty people in the warehouse, all of whom were the earliest followers of Jiang Hao, but Jiang Hao himself was missing.


    "Chen."


    "Chen."


    "..."


    Everyone greeted him one after another.


    Ling Chen casually found a ce to sit.


    "Where¡¯s Jiang Hao?"


    "Chen, Brother Hao and Haozi are on their way, almost here."


    "Haozi?"


    Ling Chen looked puzzled; he hadn¡¯t seen him for a few days, and suddenly a ¡¯Haozi¡¯ pops up.


    "Chen!"


    As the voice fell, Jiang Hao quickly walked in from outside, and beside him was someone else, actually Nanrong Hao.


    So the Haozi mentioned by the followers was referring to Nanrong Hao.


    "When did you two start hanging out together?"


    Ling Chen couldn¡¯t understand; one was the young master of the Nanrong family, and the other a gangster from the Old City. How could two such different people findmon ground?


    Nanrong Hao scratched his head and started tough awkwardly.


    "Chen, here¡¯s the thing..." Jiang Hao whispered a few words into Ling Chen¡¯s ear.


    Ling Chen burst outughing.


    A few days ago, Jiang Hao went to a salon for some special service and happened to meet Nanrong Hao, who had just finished his business there.


    The two fellows of the same feather flocking together was not unusual.


    "Haozi, you¡¯re the young master of the Nanrong family, why run to the Old City for fun? Isn¡¯t that a bit beneath you?"


    Nanrong Hao said awkwardly, "Chen, I... my sister is very strict, I dare not go to high-ss ces for fear she would find out. It¡¯s safer here in the Old City, so..."


    Ling Chen nodded in understanding as it¡¯s normal for young men to have such biological needs, but he couldn¡¯t help reprimanding, "You young man should strive to learn good things, and lessen your visits to such ces. If you really think about women, go find a girlfriend; with your conditions, kind of girlfriend can¡¯t you find?"


    "I would if I could, but my sister won¡¯t allow it. She¡¯s ruled that I can¡¯t have a girlfriend until I¡¯m twenty-two."


    "Is that so?"


    Ling Chen felt some sympathy for Nanrong Hao, being so strictly controlled by his sister must be tough.


    "Chen, let¡¯s get down to business."


    Jiang Hao was somewhat impatient.


    "What¡¯s the rush, someone causing trouble for you?"


    "Not yet, but I¡¯m guessing it will be soon. Have you heard of Yang Sheng from the Old City? He¡¯s been quite active recently, recruiting followers everywhere and even reaching into my territory. A few days ago, he sent people to negotiate with me, wanted me to submit to him, which I refused. I reckon he won¡¯t let this go easily."

 Chapter 16 Difficult Family

    <h4>Chapter 16: Chapter 16 Difficult Family</h4><h4><strong>Editor: </strong>Larbre Studio </h4>


    Yang Sheng?


    Ling Chen immediately remembered, wasn¡¯t it Yang Sheng¡¯sckeys who came to cause trouble that night?


    "Is that Yang Sheng¡¯s influence big?"


    "He has been in the Old City the longest, his influence is the greatest. Now he¡¯s started to learn to do business, operating bars and restaurants, trying to go legit."


    "No matter how big his influence is, they are just a bunch of street thugs. I¡¯ll teach you a few moves in a bit, guaranteed to make them cry for their mommas."


    Ling Chen said this with enough confidence, although it was just a few simple moves, they were the essence condensed from his personal experience.


    These few moves were simple and easy to learn. In less than half an hour, everyone almost got the hang of it, even Nanrong Hao could mimic them decently.


    "Jiang Hao, you guys remember, street fighting is all about three words: fierce, ruthless, fast. As long as you are more fierce, strike more ruthlessly, and react faster than others, no one can beat you."


    After listening to Ling Chen¡¯s earnest instructions, everyone memorized it firmly.


    Just then, the ringtone of Jiang Hao¡¯s phone went off. He answered the call and after a few words, his face darkened.


    "Damn it, that bastard Yang Sheng really dares." He cursed fiercely.


    "Chen, Yang Sheng¡¯s people have already arrived at Five Miles Street, they¡¯ve smashed several shops."


    Ling Chen grinned and said: "Perfect, I¡¯ve only taught you theory; only through realbat can you truly master the essence. Since some people havee for you to practice, don¡¯t be polite."


    "Chen¡¯s right. Brothers, let¡¯s go, **** them up."


    A group of people charged furiously to Five Miles Street, where more than thirty thugs were wielding iron rods, smashing game centers and pool halls, which were Jiang Hao¡¯s territories.


    Without saying a word, Jiang Hao picked up a brick and charged forward, followed closely by the others.


    Ling Chen crossed his arms and watched with interest from the side, offering pointers now and then.


    "Hey, what are you daydreaming about, kick his lower body."


    "Right, that punch was good, just the angle was a bit off."


    "You... yes, you, what are you using those legs for, won¡¯t you kick him?"


    As the young master, Nanrong Hao had never seen a real street brawl, his eyes shone brightly, his blood boiling, eager to join in.


    Ling Chen couldn¡¯t help but say: "If you want to fight, just fight, what are you hesitating for like a woman."


    Seeing him speak up, Nanrong Hao hesitated a little, then rushed into the melee.


    Bang!


    A punch was thrown, and a thug¡¯s nose started bleeding immediately.


    In no time, with the help of others, Nanrong Hao had taken down several thugs.


    Ling Chen was quite surprised. He didn¡¯t expect this guy to be so fierce; even some of the thugs couldn¡¯t match his ruthlessness. Moreover, Nanrong Hao had good potential, he had already mastered the few moves Ling Chen taught him, and could apply them well in realbat.


    With everyone¡¯s concerted efforts, it didn¡¯t take long to drive away that group of thugs.


    "Haozi, you are really awesome."


    "If it hadn¡¯t been for Haozi¡¯s help, we alone probably couldn¡¯t have managed."


    Jiang Hao put his arm around Nanrong Hao¡¯s shoulder andughed: "Haozi, I always thought you were a sissy, but you¡¯re so brave when ites to fighting. In my opinion, you might as well follow me and forget about being some useless young master."


    "If that¡¯s the case, my sister would probably kill me." Nanrong Hao smiled bitterly.


    "Chen, how did we do just now?"


    Everyone eagerly watched Ling Chen, hoping to receive his approval.


    "eptable, keep working hard, I¡¯m heading back first."


    Taking a few steps away, Ling Chen turned back and said, "Haozi."


    Nanrong Hao scurried over to him and asked, "Chen, is there anything else?"


    "Do you really want to learn kung fu?"


    "Of course, is that even a question. Chen, are you..."


    "Less talk, follow me."


    Leaving Five Miles Street, the two arrived at an empty lot where no one was present.


    Standing in the center of the field, Ling Chen nced at Nanrong Hao.


    "Watch carefully, I will do it three times."


    With that said, his fists moved rhythmically, generating a fierce force; his movements shifting between quick and slow, powerful when fast and gentle as flowing water when slow. He performed the set of moves three times continuously without any pause, all in one go.


    Nanrong Hao didn¡¯t dare to even blink, fearing he might miss any detail.


    "Did you see it clearly?"


    Nanrong Hao nodded and then shook his head, somewhat confused.


    "Come find me at this time tomorrow, and we¡¯ll see how much you¡¯ve grasped."


    Leaving Nanrong Hao alone, Ling Chen went straight home.


    Judging from Nanrong Hao¡¯s prior performance, his aptitude wasn¡¯t bad. Although he started a bitte, it didn¡¯t matter. What Ling Chen wanted to know now was the degree of Nanrong Hao¡¯s aptitude before considering whether to teach him further.


    The reason he was willing to teach Nanrong Hao was primarily because he thought Nanrong Hao was a decent person, without the airs of a wealthy family. Moreover, his willingness to lower himself and make friends with Jiang Hao and the others showed he was someone who could be considered a friend.


    Arriving home, Ling Chen carried a chair out to the balcony, nning to enjoy the cool breeze and finish off the two bottles of beer he had at home.


    Upon getting to the balcony, he saw Tang Shiyun standing on the neighboring balcony, her hands supporting her cheeks, her eyes red as if she had just been crying.


    "Girl, what¡¯s the matter? Who bullied you?"


    Tang Shiyun, seemingly not noticing his arrival until his sudden words startled her, quickly turned away to wipe her tears.


    "Girl, tell me what¡¯s wrong."


    Tang Shiyun bit her lip, and thinking of some distressing matter, tears involuntarily started flowing from her eyes again.


    Ling Chen, who hated to see women cry, urgently said, "Tell me, who bullied you? I¡¯ll go beat them up."


    "Nobody bullied me."


    "Then why are you crying?"


    "I..."


    After much questioning, it took Ling Chen a while to understand what had happened.


    Tang Shiyun¡¯s family was of average means, her parents were from another ce, and their hometown was impoverished, which is why they came to work in East Sea City, struggling to earn money to finance Tang Shiyun¡¯s education.


    A few days ago, Tang Shiyun received an admission letter from East Sea University, which should have been a happy asion. However, unforeseen circumstances plunged their family into difficulty.


    Tang Shiyun¡¯s father, due to overwork, was not in good health and had been neglecting to visit the hospital to save money for his child¡¯s education. Yesterday, while working, he copsed on the construction site due to cumtive fatigue and was fortunately rescued in time at the hospital. ording to the doctors, his treatment would cost at least tens of thousands of yuan.


    For a financially-struggling family, tens of thousands of yuan was not a small amount. Initially, Tang Shiyun¡¯s parents had saved some money for her university fees, but now it had all gone to the hospital and they had also incurred more than twenty thousand yuan in debt.


    With just over a month until school started, and with tuition fees amounting to more than ten thousand, this situation was truly adding insult to injury for their family.

 Chapter 17: A Display of Authority

    <h4>Chapter 17: Chapter 17: A Disy of Authority</h4><h4><strong>Editor: </strong>Larbre Studio </h4>


    "Ling, I... I¡¯m nning to go out and work with my mom, to earn money for my dad¡¯s treatment."


    Tang Shiyun spoke softly of her decision.


    "No way, you¡¯ve finally made it into university after so much difficulty, how can you give up so easily? If you miss this opportunity, do you want to end up like me, with nothing to show for it?"


    "But I..."


    "Enough, don¡¯t say anymore. It¡¯s just money, right? I¡¯ll figure something out for you."


    Ling Chen promptly took on the responsibility. Having been alone since he was young, he ced great value on his friends. As long as he considered someone a friend, he would never stand by idly no matter what happened.


    Especially since his current sry was over ten thousand, which was just enough to cover Tang Shiyun¡¯s tuition fees.


    "Ling, don¡¯t worry about it, I don¡¯t want you to do anything illegal."


    Tang Shiyun looked at him worriedly; she knew Ling Chen¡¯s situation wasn¡¯t much better than hers, and she feared he might resort to illegal activities in order to pay for her tuition.


    Ling Chen was speechless, but it wasn¡¯t surprising; Tang Shiyun only knew that he was fired from the courierpany and wasn¡¯t aware that he had found a job.


    "Rx, I just found a job today, the sry is over ten thousand a month."


    "Really?" Tang Shiyun was half in doubt.


    Ling Chen nodded.


    "Girl, just focus on your studies and don¡¯t worry about the rest. If you truly encounter something you can¡¯t solve,e find me. Ling will definitely help you."


    "Okay. Thank you, Ling, I will surely pay you back double once I earn money."


    The next day.


    Ling Chen got up early, dressed in the security uniform he had just received yesterday, and took the bus directly to the Hongyu Group headquarters.


    Once in the office, it was empty, Wei Jun was probably out on patrol.


    "Are you Ling Chen?"


    Ling Chen turned around and saw a middle-aged man with a stern face walking in through the door. The man was in his thirties, with wheat-colored skin, sharp facial features, prating eyes, and a very sturdy physique.


    Just one nce told Ling Chen everything about the man¡¯s background. This person wasn¡¯t just a soldier; he was also a hardened elite from the military, the kind that had seen battle.


    "Yes, I am. And you are?"


    "Zhong Wei."


    "So, you¡¯re Captain Zhong, hello."


    He had learned from Wei Jun that the captain of the security department was named Zhong Wei.


    Captain Zhong scrutinized Ling Chen with a evaluating gaze.


    "Housekeeper Liu said you¡¯re quite the fighter."


    "I¡¯m alright," Ling Chen said with a modest smile.


    "Come with me."


    Dropping that line, Captain Zhong walked out of the office.


    Before long, the two of them arrived at the gym on the first floor. This training room was exclusively for Team One members, equipped with all kinds of training gear.


    When Ling Chen walked in, he saw seven or eight team members training vigorously, each robust and powerful. Compared to these men, his figure seemed somewhat slight.


    Soon, his arrival caught everyone¡¯s attention.


    "Captain Zhong, is this the Ling Chen who got in through the back door?"


    Back door?


    Ling Chen felt somewhat displeased; after all, he was personally invited.


    "Members who join Team One must go through strict tests, but since you¡¯re rmended by Housekeeper Liu, you don¡¯t need to go through them."


    Hearing Captain Zhong¡¯s exnation, Ling Chen finally understood why those guys used him of taking shortcuts.


    "However..."


    Zhong Wei¡¯s tone shifted, "Although you¡¯ve been spared the test, you can¡¯t be exempt from the internal assessment. If your abilities don¡¯t meet our minimum requirements, I will suggest to the chairman to move you to Team Two."


    "What sort of test?"


    Zhong Wei gave a look, and a well-built young man immediately walked onto the training ground, beckoning Ling Chen with a finger and with a provocative expression.


    "As long as you canst two minutes under my hands, you¡¯ll qualify to stay in Team One."


    Ling Chen¡¯s lips curled slightly, these guys obviously wanted to give him a tough initiation.


    "Captain Zhong, look at my small frame, you should at least choose an opponent of a simr size to me, otherwise, it¡¯s too unfair."


    Hearing this, the crowd looked at him with a bit more scorn.


    Zhong Wei said coldly, "If you don¡¯t even have that much courage, then you might as well go to Team Two. We don¡¯t need cowards in Team One."


    "Kid, at worst, I¡¯ll only use one hand."


    "That¡¯s better."


    Ling Chen smiled slyly and swiftly moved to the center of the ground.


    "Liang Zhao Hui, be careful with your hands."


    Captain Zhong reminded him. After all, he was someone rmended by Liu Kun, it wouldn¡¯t be good if he was injured too severely.


    "Don¡¯t worry, boss, I¡¯ll just y around with him, won¡¯t hurt him. Come on, kid, bring it on, let me see what you¡¯ve got."


    "Here Ie."


    "Bring it on."


    Ling Chen stepped forward two paces, his hands nervously rubbing together.


    "I¡¯m reallying now."


    Liang Zhao Hui impatiently said, "What¡¯s with all the nonsense, get on with it... Huh?"


    Before he could finish his sentence, his pupils shrank as he saw a legsh out at a ferocious speed. Before he could react, he felt a fierce pain in his abdomen, and his body was alreadyying on the ground.


    Hiss!


    The onlookers drew in a breath of cold air.


    This kid was too shameless.


    He clearly had such good skills but pretended to be so timid, deceiving them all.


    Ling Chen walked over to Liang Zhao Hui and said with a grin, "Friend, you must remember, never underestimate any opponent. If I were the enemy, you¡¯d be dead now."


    Everyone was speechless, it was supposed to be a lesson for him, but instead, he turned around and gave them a lecture.


    "Ling Chen is right. Never underestimate your opponent at any time, or the price could very well be your life. Liang Zhao Hui, you¡¯re penalized with two hundred push-ups, I hope you remember this lesson. Ling Chen,e with me to the office."


    "Yes, Captain Zhong."


    Back in the office.


    "Captain Zhong, did I pass the examination?"


    "Ling Chen, it¡¯s your first day on the job, and I have two things to remind you. First, no matter how strong your ability is, you must follow my orders. Without rules, there is no circle. We are a team; we don¡¯t need members who try to be heroes on their own. Second, only I am allowed to discipline my team members, you have no right to do so. Considering it¡¯s your first offense, I¡¯ll let it go this time, but I hope it doesn¡¯t happen again."


    "Yes, yes, I¡¯ll remember all that."


    "First, go back to the gym and get to know everyone, andter I¡¯ll assign you a task."


    Returning to the gym, Ling Chen greeted everyone individually. However, the attitudes were somewhat cold. They were all ex-military, and the rtionship between soldiers is very special. Suddenly having a neer made them ufortable.


    Ling Chen didn¡¯t mind, as he knew that it would take time to integrate into a team.


    Seeing Liang Zhao Hui still doing push-ups, he walked straight over.


    "Brother, sorry about earlier, don¡¯t take it to heart."


    Liang Zhao Hui kept his eyes straight, as if he hadn¡¯t heard him.


    Seeing that the other party refused to respond, Ling Chen didn¡¯t want to bother further and simply sat down to y on his phone.


    "ying with your phone during work hours, a fine of one thousand."

 Chapter 18 You Arrived Just in Time

    <h4>Chapter 18: Chapter 18 You Arrived Just in Time</h4><h4><strong>Editor: </strong>Larbre Studio </h4>


    Ling Chen was momentarily stunned as he saw Zhong Weiing in from outside and said in a hurry, "Captain Zhong, I..."


    "I don¡¯t want to hear your exnations, the fine will be directly deducted from your sry."


    Upon hearing this, the other members of the gym looked at Zhong Wei with puzzled expressions, as there had never been such a rule before.


    Zhong Wei nced at the crowd, aware of what they were thinking, but he couldn¡¯t exin. While he had been on the phone consulting with the chairman about work, he had mentioned Ling Chen in passing, which led to the president giving him a baffling order.


    As an employee, even though he found it strange, he would not question the boss¡¯s orders but rather obey.


    Ling Chen felt wronged; nobody had told him he couldn¡¯t y with his phone at work. Besides, wasn¡¯t a fine of a thousand too much?


    "Ling Chen, your work has been arranged,e with me."


    Ling Chen shrugged his shoulders. Well, he thought, consider that thousand yuan a lesson learned and be more careful in the future.


    Taking the elevator to the underground parking lot, Zhong Wei pointed at a Rolls Royce and two Land Rovers and said: "Clean these three cars before lunch; there will be other tasks for you this afternoon."


    "Captain Zhong, there are specialized car wash shops outside. I am here to be a security guard, not a car washer."


    "Do car washers get a sry of thirteen thousand? Ling Chen, don¡¯t forget what I said earlier. The only thing you should do while working under me is follow orders. Are you trying to defy my orders now?"


    "I... Yes."


    Zhong Wei¡¯s expression turned cold.


    "No, Captain Zhong, you misunderstood. I meant to say I¡¯ll follow your orders."


    "You have two hours until lunchtime. You¡¯d better hurry, and if you fail toplete the task within the stipted time, I¡¯ll fine you a thousand yuan."


    Watching Zhong Wei leave, Ling Chen couldn¡¯t help but curse.


    This is downright bullying, he thought, as fines of a thousand were unheard of. With so many members in the team, why was he the only one ordered to wash cars?


    Suddenly, he had a thought and suspected to himself that it might be Su Lin using this as an opportunity to take revenge on him.


    "Achoo!"


    Lying on the sofa and resting her eyes, Su Lin sneezed, rubbed her nose, turned her head towards the diligently working Nanrong Wanqing at the desk, and stood up. "Wanqing, how¡¯s that bastard doing now?"


    "I¡¯ve spoken to Zhong Wei; he knows what to do."


    Nanrong Wanqing replied indifferently, without lifting her head.


    "What are you busy with?"


    "The first phase of the renovation project in the Old City is set to start in a few days; there are still some procedures to handle."


    "Are you going then?"


    "The government is leading this time, and there will be a signing ceremony for the renovation project on site. Though it¡¯s just a formality, I need to be there as an investor."


    "Don¡¯t overwork yourself. Take more rest. If it gets too much, ask Nanrong Hao to share some of the burden; he¡¯s after all the eldest son of the Nanrong family."


    Nanrong Wanqing shook her head with a hint of disappointment in her eyes when the topic turned to Nanrong Hao. She too wanted to cultivate her younger brother as a sessor, but Nanrong Hao was too yful and never cared for thepany affairs. Having him in thepany wouldn¡¯t relieve her stress but instead, she¡¯d have to prevent him from causing trouble.


    At this moment, Nanrong Hao was driving into the underground parking lot of the Hongyu Building.


    After parking the car, Nanrong Hao saw someone cleaning inside a Land Rover and shouted, "Hey, car washer, wash this car for me too."


    "Who are you calling a car washer?" Ling Chen poked his head out, clearly annoyed.


    "Chen?"


    Nanrong Hao was startled, immediately disying a surprised and joyful expression.


    "Chen, why are you here? Hey, isn¡¯t that ourpany¡¯s security uniform? Chen, when did you start working as a security guard for ourpany?"


    "Why ask so many questions."


    Ling Chen casually tossed a rag over.


    "You¡¯re just in time, help me wash these cars."


    "Ah?"


    Nanrong Hao was instantly dumbfounded.


    "What are you ¡¯ah¡¯-ing for, hurry up and don¡¯t waste time."


    Ling Chen sat down on the ground with a huff, damn it, you bully me, I¡¯ll bully your little brother, let¡¯s see who¡¯s tougher.


    Nanrong Hao felt like crying but had no tears, he had onlye to visit Sister, never expecting to end up in such a situation. As the eldest young master of the Nanrong Family, when had he ever done such a thing?


    He was busy until noon at twelve o¡¯clock, and Nanrong Hao was almost exhausted to death by the time he cleaned three cars.


    Ling Chen, with his hands behind his back, inspected back and forth several times, expressing high appreciation for Nanrong Hao¡¯s work.


    "Alright, you can scram now, kid. Don¡¯t forget toe to find me in the evening."


    Nanrong Hao felt as if a great burden had been lifted, he quickly ran into the elevator, fearing that Ling Chen would make him do more work.


    As soon as Nanrong Hao left, Zhong Wei arrived not long after. Seeing that Ling Chen hadpleted his task within the allotted time, he couldn¡¯t find an excuse and had to say, "Go have your meal first, there are other tasks arranged for the afternoon."


    In the afternoon, just as Ling Chen expected, Zhong Wei really was trying to torment him in all sorts of ways, having him clean the entire office building¡¯s floors.


    Even if it killed him, it was impossible to finish in half a day; Zhong Wei was clearly looking for an excuse to dock his wages.


    At this rate, his 13,000 yuan sry would sooner orter bepletely deducted. By the end of the month, he might even have to pay out of pocket.


    He was here to earn money, not to suffer. Su Lin, that girl, was really too cruel.


    After thinking it over, Ling Chen simply asked Wei Jun for Liu Kun¡¯s number, and directly made a phone call.


    "Housekeeper Liu, if you want me to continue staying here, I reckon a sry of 13,000 yuan won¡¯t be enough."


    "What happened?"


    "Today is my first day at work, and Captain Zhong has already deducted 2,000 yuan from my sry."


    "Mr. Ling, don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll handle this matter right away."


    After hanging up the phone, in less than ten minutes, Zhong Wei appeared in front of him again.


    "Go and take a break, I¡¯ll arrange if there¡¯s anything."


    Ling Chen¡¯s lips curled up slightly, it seems like Housekeeper Liu does have some ability, to have settled it so quickly.


    Little did he know that after Liu Kun received his call, he immediately reported to Nanrong Yong. It was Nanrong Yong who personally called Nanrong Wanqing, and then Nanrong Wanqing revoked the previous order against him.


    Just as Ling Chen was happily hanging out in the first-floor office, Nanrong Wanqing at the top floor was very unhappy.


    Naturally, the reason for her unhappiness was Ling Chen.


    Ever since she took over thepany, Nanrong Yong hadn¡¯t interfered even once, entrusting everything to her management. In thepany, she had absolute control.


    She liked this feeling, everything was under her control.


    However, Ling Chen was the exception.


    Grandpa actually forced this Ling Chen on her, not even giving her the right to refuse.


    Especially in the phone call just now, Nanrong Yong made it clear that unless Ling Chen resigns on his own, no one else can drive him away.


    Furthermore, in the future within thepany, besides security work, Ling Chen could refuse any other job arrangement, even she couldn¡¯t force him.


    With her intelligence, she of course guessed Grandpa¡¯s intention. Only, she really didn¡¯t like this arrangement, because Ling Chen was out of her control. More importantly, she didn¡¯t like Ling Chen.


    After pondering for a while, she dialed the inte.


    "Lan, call up Ling Chen from the security department."

 Chapter 19 You Will Like Me

    <h4>Chapter 19: Chapter 19 You Will Like Me</h4><h4><strong>Editor: </strong>Larbre Studio </h4>


    It took just a few minutes before Ling Chen pushed open the door to the chairman¡¯s office and appeared before her.


    Although they had met twice before, this was the first time Ling Chen has had the opportunity to appreciate Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s beauty up close, as if no one else was around.


    Appreciating a beautiful woman is always a delightful experience.


    By contrast, Nanrong Wanqing was rather cold, as if she didn¡¯t notice his brazen gaze.


    "Did Uncle Liu call you?"


    "Yes."


    Liu Kun had just called him, and his words had filled Ling Chen with inward glee. With such privilege, who would dare to force him in thepany now? Probably Su Lin is going to cry.


    "I don¡¯t know why my grandfather sees something in you, and I¡¯m not interested in finding out. I just want to tell you that I don¡¯t like you and I don¡¯t wee you staying in thepany, even if you were rmended by my grandfather. Do you understand what I mean?"


    Ling Chen grinned and said, "Chairman, you don¡¯t like me because you don¡¯t know me. As we get to know each other better, I believe you will like me."


    Any clear-headed person could tell that their understanding of "like" was not the same.


    Ling Chen was grateful to be from Huaxia, able to grasp such profound and extensivenguage.


    As smart as Nanrong Wanqing was, she could also tell that Ling Chen was taking advantage of the situation. However, her inner calm was like still water, without a single ripple.


    In her eyes, a person like Ling Chen isn¡¯t worth stirring her emotions.


    "I think I begin to understand why Lin dislikes you now. No one has ever dared to speak to me like this in this building."


    Ling Chen shrugged. He was invited here, not someone who came on his own ord; why act overly courteous? Besides, that¡¯s not his style.


    Noticing his indifferent expression, Nanrong Wanqing suddenly lost the desire to continue the conversation and handed him a piece of paper that was already prepared.


    "Go to the finance department to receive three months¡¯ sry aspensation for your voluntary resignation. You do not need toe to work starting from tomorrow."


    Ling Chen looked at it but didn¡¯t reach out to take it.


    Seeing his indifference, a trace of annoyance crossed Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s eyes.


    "Do you think it¡¯s too little?"


    "No."


    Three months¡¯ sry amounted to close to forty thousand, a considerable sum for Ling Chen. But he had principles; he would never take money he hadn¡¯t worked for.


    "What will it take for you to resign voluntarily?"


    "I don¡¯t have that intention for now. Chairman, whether you like me or not, my job is just to ensure your safety. As long as there¡¯s no danger, I promise I won¡¯t appear before you. Over time, you will naturally forget about me."


    Nanrong Wanqing said expressionlessly: "In thispany, no one dares to refuse me. Since you chose to stay, you better watch yourself. Now, you can disappear from my sight."


    After leaving the office, Ling Chen felt a bit helpless. If not for Tang Shiyun¡¯s tuition, he really didn¡¯t want to stay. On his very first day, he was already being disliked by the chairman. How could there be good days ahead?


    In his office, he yed with his phone all afternoon until five o¡¯clock, when his work officially began.


    Inside the gym, everyone lined up to listen to Zhong Wei¡¯s arrangements.


    "Apart from Ling Chen, everyone¡¯s assignments remain unchanged. Ling Chen,ter you¡¯ll be responsible for one car, following behind the convoy. If anything happens, I will notify you. Alright, everyone check your equipment and prepare to set off."


    Ling Chen¡¯s equipment was simple, a bulletproof vest and a walkie-talkie, nothing else. He looked at the others and noticed that both Zhong Wei¡¯s and Liang ZhaoHui¡¯s waists were bulging, clearly carrying guns.


    For a big corporation like Hongyu Group, it¡¯s not difficult to get two or three gun licenses from the government.


    Descending to the parking lot, Ling Chen saw his vehicle, an old peeling Volkswagen Santana, a model from ten years ago, as rustic as it gets.


    Fortunately, he was mentally prepared. since Nanrong Wanqing clearly didn¡¯t like him, she would definitely find ways to make things difficult for him.


    Getting into the car, there was a pungent, odd smell inside, indicating it hadn¡¯t been driven for a long time.


    Starting the engine, ck smoke immediately spewed from the exhaust pipe, the car trembled violently, and there was a squeaky noise.


    Ling Chen didn¡¯t mind; having a car was better than none at all.


    After a while, apanied by Zhong Wei and Liang ZhaoHui, Nanrong Wanqing took the elevator to the underground parking garage. All other team members stood outside the elevator in greeting, except Ling Chen, who sat inside the car.


    He hadn¡¯t forgotten what he said; unless there was danger, he would never appear before Nanrong Wanqing.


    Exiting the parking lot, a Land Rover was in front, Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s Rolls-Royce in the middle, with another Land Rover behind, a standard escort formation. As for Ling Chen, he followed far behind.


    It¡¯s not that he didn¡¯t want to go faster, but the old clunker just wasn¡¯t up to it. Pressing the gas pedal, ck smoke belched out, and the car shuddered even more violently, as if it might fall apart at any moment.


    Watching the Land Rovers pull further ahead, Ling Chen couldn¡¯t help scratching his head. He cared no more and directly floored the gas pedal.


    Squeak!


    Suddenly, the old car made an abrupt stop while driving, nearly causing Ling Chen¡¯s head to hit the steering wheel.


    Seeing therge amount of white smokeing from under the hood made it clear that it had broken down.


    "Ling Chen, where are you?"


    Zhong Wei¡¯s voice came through the walkie-talkie.


    "Captain Zhong, my car broke down on the road, send someone to pick me up."


    "You figure it out yourself. We are almost there. You don¡¯t need to follow, just gather at Wealthy Manor number 118 before 7 AM tomorrow."


    Turning off the walkie-talkie, Ling Chen directly called Nanrong Hao.


    Within twenty minutes, Nanrong Hao arrived in his Audi A8.


    "Chen, what happened again?"


    "Take me back, and get someone to fix this car while you¡¯re at it."


    Ling Chen wasn¡¯t polite.


    Nanrong Hao looked at the old Volkswagen with a schadenfreude smile.


    "Chen, is this the special car my sister arranged for you?"


    "You know?"


    "I heard it from my grandfather. How is it, tough to serve my sister, right? Chen, you have to be careful, anyone my sister doesn¡¯t like ends up in a bad way."


    "Enough with that, your sister, no matter how formidable, is just a woman. I¡¯m not afraid of her."


    Ling Chen pointed at the old car.


    "Don¡¯t me me for taking advantage, this car is Nanrong family¡¯s property, and as the eldest son of the Nanrong family, you have the duty to help me fix it."


    "No problem, I know a few friends who modify cars, they¡¯ll fix it for sure."


    Returning to Old City, Ling Chen, apanied by Nanrong Hao, arrived at the vacant lot they were at yesterday.


    "Show me the set of punches I taught you yesterday."


    Nanrong Hao touched his head and said, "I only remember half of it."


    ncing at Nanrong Hao, Ling Chen said, "Doesn¡¯t matter, show whatever you remember, hurry up."

 Chapter 20 The Classic Car Shows Its Power

    <h4>Chapter 20: Chapter 20 The ssic Car Shows Its Power</h4><h4><strong>Editor: </strong>Larbre Studio </h4>


    Nanrong Hao didn¡¯t dare to dawdle, obediently walking to the center of the open space and practicing the boxing technique he had learned from Ling Chen the day before.


    Ling Chen crossed his arms, intently observing Nanrong Hao¡¯s movements without saying a word.


    Nanrong Hao had never practiced martial arts before, his movements somewhat uncoordinated and clumsy-looking. However, this was not what Ling Chen was concerned about; he cared about something else.


    After finishing the set of boxing techniques, Nanrong Hao wiped the sweat from his forehead and turned to look at the thoughtful Ling Chen, feeling somewhat uneasy in his heart.


    "Chen, do... do you think I¡¯m doing okay?"


    "Starting tomorrow,e find me here at five in the morning."


    Hearing this, Nanrong Hao said excitedly, "Chen, are you going to take me as your disciple?"


    "No need for a disciple, but teaching you a few moves is no problem."


    Ling Chen had just watched Nanrong Hao practice the set of punches and realized that the kid had some real talent. The set of punches he taught seemed simple but each move had its intricacies. If Nanrong Hao could only copy the form without grasping its essence, then Ling Chen wouldn¡¯t waste time on him.


    Practicing martial arts is not just about hard training; one must also learn to think. Only through reflection can oneprehend the essence and integrate it thoroughly. Nanrong Hao happened to possess this element.


    "I¡¯ll head back now. Oh, and don¡¯t forget my car; it better be fixed before tomorrow morning."


    "Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ve got it covered."


    Upon returning home, as he passed by Tang Shiyun¡¯s house, he saw that the gate was tightly locked, probably because she went to the hospital to apany her father.


    He had intended to visit Tang Shiyun¡¯s father in the hospital, but since her mother didn¡¯t like him and he would just be driven away, he decided to dismiss the thought.


    Early the next morning.


    Nanrong Hao arrived punctually in his vintage Volkswagen beneath Ling Chen¡¯s building.


    Seeing Ling Chene out, Nanrong Hao immediately greeted him with freshly bought steamed buns.


    "Chen, the car is fixed."


    Ling Chen grinned, pleased; the kid was on the ball and even thought to buy breakfast for him.


    It was just five in the morning and barely light. "The n of a day lies in the morning," it was the perfect time for practice.


    Nanrong Hao had never practiced martial arts, so naturally, he had to start with the most basic training.


    The two of them were busy until six-thirty. Ling Chen nced at the time; it was time to get moving or he¡¯d bete. He now had to try to avoid giving Nanrong Wanqing any excuse to trouble him.


    "Haozi, do you want to go back to Wealthy Manor with me?"


    "I¡¯ll rest for a bit; I¡¯ll go back on my ownter."


    Nanrong Haoy exhausted on the ground, breathing heavily, his clothes soaked through with sweat. He, who was usually pampered, had never suffered through the rigors of training before. After an hour and a half, he felt his muscles sore and swollen, his legs numb as if they didn¡¯t belong to him, devoid of any sensation.


    "Then I¡¯m off. Oh, one more thing I forgot to tell you, those who practice martial arts must not have depleted energy, so you¡¯d better steer clear of women for the next six months."


    After saying that, Ling Chen waved his hand, leaving a stunned Nanrong Hao behind, got into his car, started it, and drove away.


    At six fifty.


    Ling Chen reached Wealthy Manor on time; by then, all the other team members had already arrived.


    Since Wealthy Manor had its own security personnel, team one of the security department was only responsible for Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s safety when she was out; the rest of the time, they worked normal shifts, unless there were unexpected tasks.


    Not long after sitting in the car, Su Lin came out of the vi pushing Nanrong Wanqing.


    Seeing Su Ling¡¯s gaze towards this side, Ling Chen greeted her with a smiling face, only to receive a roll of her eyes in response.


    The fleet drove out of Wealthy Manor, and the three cars in front suddenly elerated, quickly putting some distance between them and Ling Chen.


    Trying to shake me off?


    The corners of Ling Chen¡¯s mouth lifted slightly as his right hand swiftly shifted gears, and he pressed the elerator down hard.


    Suddenly, the old Volkswagen car, which had been sputtering along, shot out like an arrow, catching up to the rear of the Range Rover in just a few seconds. This car, having been repaired, clearly had much improved performance.


    After passing a few streets, Ling Chen¡¯s eyes suddenly narrowed as he looked at a white Buick sedan in the rearview mirror.


    From the time they had left Wealthy Manor, he had noticed that Buick, which had been following them at a steady pace for so long. He couldn¡¯t deny that the car might simply be on the same route as them, but years of experience told him not to dismiss any suspicions without being one hundred percent sure.


    With that in mind, he eased off the elerator, allowing the Buick to pass and take the lead.


    Captain Zhong and the others were driving Range Rovers and Rolls-Royces, which drew a lot of attention, while no one would take special notice of his old Volkswagen, least of all suspect that it carried a security guard from Hongyu Group.


    Because the other car¡¯s windows were tinted, it was difficult to see the driver clearly, but he could tell it was a man.


    "Ling Chen, where are you?"


    "Captain Zhong, I¡¯ve spotted a car with suspicious movements."


    "What¡¯s the license te number?"


    Ling Chen nced at it and reported the number. After a while, he heard Captain Zhong speak through the walkie-talkie, "It¡¯s been checked, no issues. Catch up with the convoy immediately, don¡¯t fall behind on your own."


    "Got it."


    Ling Chen switchednes, preparing to overtake from the side. Soon, the Volkswagen Santana caught up with the Buick, aligning his car¡¯s front with the other vehicle.


    Taking this opportunity, he nced through the car window at the driver¡¯s seat of the Buick. Simultaneously, the Buick¡¯s driver also seemed to have noticed him, casting a look towards his Santana.


    Although both drivers could not see each other clearly, for some reason, a strong sense of unease welled up in Ling Chen¡¯s heart, simr to the feeling he hadst time in the bar.


    Relying on years of intuition, he was certain there was something off about the driver in the Buick!


    At this moment, inside the Buick, the driver withdrew his gaze, looking straight ahead. His right hand touched his neck out of habit, and the corner of his mouth lifted slightly with a chilling smile.


    "I didn¡¯t expect to encounter a peer in East Sea City."


    He murmured to himself, pressing the elerator to the floor, and the Buick let out a roaring sound as it surged forward.


    "Trying to leave?"


    Without another word, Ling Chen shifted gears and elerated, sticking close behind the other car.


    It was past seven in the morning, during rush hour, and the roads were filled with heavy traffic. Driving the Santana, Ling Chen pursued the Buick, constantly changingnes and weaving through vehicles.


    In no time, both cars reached a speed of a hundred miles per hour, leaving the Rolls-Royce carrying Nanrong Wanqing far behind.


    "Ling Chen, what are you doing? Get back here right now."


    Upon hearing Captain Zhong¡¯s roar on the walkie-talkie, Ling Chen turned the device off to avoid any distractions.


    "Ling Chen! Ling Chen! Chairman, he might have turned off the walkie-talkie."


    "Defying the leaders and refusing to follow orders on his second day at work, that jerk is too unrestrained. Wanqing, we definitely need to think of a way to get rid of him."


    Nanrong Wanqing nced at Captain Zhong and said coldly, "He¡¯s from your department, I will only hold you responsible for any issues. I don¡¯t care about the rest."


    "I¡¯m sorry, Chairman, I will make sure he¡¯s strictly disciplined."

 Chapter 21 Disobedience to Orders

    <h4>Chapter 21: Chapter 21 Disobedience to Orders</h4><h4><strong>Editor: </strong>Larbre Studio </h4>


    On the wide main road, two cars chased each other at breakneck speeds.


    Boom! Boom!


    Boom boom boom!


    After the Santana reached a speed of one hundred yards, the vehicle immediately started making rumbling noises. Not only that, white smoke began to billow from under the hood.


    Seeing this, Ling Chen cursed under his breath.


    This junk car was already at its limit; continuing the chase like this could lead to it falling apart. Considering the danger of car crashes and casualties, he reluctantly reduced his speed and watched helplessly as the Buick disappeared from sight.


    Returning to thepany, it was already past eight o¡¯clock.


    As soon as he entered the gym, Zhong Wei immediately came over, his face dark with anger, and said, "Where did you go just now?"


    "Captain Zhong, I went after a suspect."


    "A suspect? Where is the suspect?"


    "He got away. Captain Zhong, can I request a better car? That one is too broken down, I..."


    "Enough!"


    Zhong Wei interrupted him, his voice icy, "I ordered you to return to the team; why didn¡¯t you obey? I told you there was nothing wrong with that car. Why didn¡¯t you listen to me? Do you think my words are just hot air?"


    "Captain Zhong, I was just doing my duty. Besides, I feel that the person in that Buick is very dangerous. He was secretly following the chairman, and I suspect he may have malicious intentions towards the chairman. It would be best to remind everyone to be vignt."


    "I don¡¯t trust feelings; I only trust professionalism. Liang Zhao Hui has a background in special reconnaissance, and he will detect any danger himself. I don¡¯t need an amateur to give me suggestions. The chairman is a celebrity of East Sea City; it is normal for paparazzi to follow and covertly photograph him, simr incidents have happened before. Ling Chen, don¡¯t think just because Liu Kun hired you, you have the right to tell me what to do. If you make the same mistake again and disobey orders, then you can just leave yourself, I won¡¯t keep a rule-breaker like you. Do you understand?"


    Ling Chen touched his nose.


    "Captain Zhong, I respect soldiers, but someone like you... forget it, if you won¡¯t believe me, there¡¯s nothing I can do. Just don¡¯t me me if something happens and I didn¡¯t warn you."


    Ignoring Zhong Wei¡¯s menacing gaze, Ling Chen walked straight out of the gym.


    He could understand Zhong Wei; soldiers tend to be rigid and only know how to follow orders. Moreover, a soldier with Zhong Wei¡¯s background carries a certain pride that does not allow others to contradict him. Unfortunately, his personality was destined not to meet Zhong Wei¡¯s expectations.


    Having adjusted to his job, Ling Chen spent the following week and a half ratherfortably.


    The members of team one were still resistant to him, but it didn¡¯t bother him; in fact, he got along well with Wei Jun from team two, often visiting Wei Jun¡¯s office whenever he had time. As a result, their rtionship grew stronger.


    At Hongyu Group, security guards got one day off per week, and today happened to be Ling Chen¡¯s day off.


    ustomed to waking up so early, it was rare for Ling Chen to have a good sleep at home. Unfortunately, someone just wouldn¡¯t let him enjoy hiszy morning rest.


    Looking at Jiang Hao standing at the door, Ling Chen really wanted to kick him a couple of times; it was always this guy who disrupted his sleep.


    "Chen."


    "What now? I¡¯m not free today. Whether you have something or not, don¡¯te to me."


    "Chen, today it¡¯s not me asking you for a favor, but someone else."


    "Who?"


    "You know him, Zhao Zhengxiong."


    "He¡¯sing to ask for my help? Ask him if his brain is fried; he actually dares toe looking for me." Ling Chen grumbled unhappily.


    "Chen, his brain is indeed fried. Could you help him out for my sake?"


    Ling Chen said incredulously, "Jiang Hao, his brain¡¯s fried and yours too? Didn¡¯t you have a grudge against him? Howe you¡¯re now acting as his lobbyist? Spit it out, how much did he pay you?"


    Jiang Hao chuckled, "There¡¯s a benefit, but I can only get it with your help."


    "It seems like a significant benefit for you to plead on his behalf."


    "That¡¯s not it, besides the benefit, it¡¯s also out of a sense of justice."


    "Oh, you and your sense of justice. Enough bullshit, get to the point."


    Jiang Hao had been talking for a few minutes with all sorts of hand gestures before Ling Chen finally understood why Zhao Zhengxiong hade to seek his help, and it turned out to be because of him.


    Last time, Zhao Zhengxiong brought in two martial artists to trouble him and ended up defeated. Those two were introduced to Zhao Zhengxiong through a friend, and it cost a lot to hire them. The job wasn¡¯t done, so themission had to be refunded¡ªat least half of it.


    However, when Zhao Zhengxiong came to ask for his money back, the guys not only refused to return the money but also told him to get lost. Outraged, Zhao Zhengxiong took his brothers to reason with them, only to have his other leg broken and to be stripped of his clothes and thrown onto the street.


    This was an utter humiliation.


    Zhao Zhengxiong¡¯s resentment was so deep that he hated those two even more than he hated Ling Chen. But with their excellent martial arts skills and their significant influence, it was impossible for Zhao alone to seek revenge. So he changed his strategy, targeting Ling Chen.


    Since Ling Chen was capable of dealing with those two, he could take this opportunity to avenge him. Hence, he approached Jiang Hao with a proposal. If Ling Chen was willing to step in, Zhao Zhengxiong was ready to merge his territory with Jiang Hao¡¯s. In the future, Jiang Hao would take the lead, and he would follow, working together.


    "A viin eventually meets a worse viin; Zhao Zhengxiong really had a hard time."


    Ling Chen remarked. Zhao Zhengxiong offering such a deal meant he truly detested those two.


    "Chen, I think Zhao Zhengxiong is quite pitiful. Why don¡¯t we help him out?" Jiang Hao took the chance to urge him.


    Ling Chen pped his head irritably, swearing, "You¡¯re not seeing him as pitiful; you¡¯re eyeing his turf."


    Jiang Hao touched his head, grinning and not daring to refute.


    "We better stay out of these vendettas."


    "Chen..."


    "The grudge has been formed, it¡¯s toote to talk about this now."


    A voice came from outside the door; Zhao Zhengxiong entered, supporting himself on two crutches, assisted by a younger brother.


    "Chen, I know you don¡¯t want to act because of the previous incident, but this time, it¡¯s not just helping me, it¡¯s also helping you."


    "What do you mean?"


    "Chen, you crippled Gao Wei¡¯s ten fingers and wounded Song Yi; those two have long been wanting to take revenge on you. The day I went to ask for money, they broke my leg and even interrogated me about you. From their tone, it seemed like they were nning to take action. Even if you don¡¯t help me today, they¡¯lle for you sooner orter; the oue would be the same."


    Ling Chen¡¯s smile was somewhat tormented: "From your words, I have no choice but to take action, right?"


    Zhao Zhengxiong threw his crutches aside, and his body immediately lost support, copsing to the ground with a thud. His leg injury had not yet healed, and the heavy fall made him break out in a cold sweat from the pain.

 Chapter 22 Qingyun Martial Arts Hall (Part 1)

    <h4>Chapter 22: Chapter 22 Qingyun Martial Arts Hall (Part 1)</h4><h4><strong>Editor: </strong>Larbre Studio </h4>


    "Xiong, what are you..." Jiang Hao and that kid were taken aback, not expecting Zhao Zhengxiong to make such a move.


    Ling Chen put away the joke on his face and frowned slightly, "What are you doing? Don¡¯t you know a man¡¯s knees are gold?"


    "A man lives by his face, just like a tree lives by its bark. If the face is lost, who cares about this bit of gold. Chen, I admit I was wrong before, I shouldn¡¯t have offended you. Just help me get my revenge, and I¡¯m willing to do anything for you."


    "Help him up."


    Ling Chen paused for a moment, then dropped a sentence.


    Zhao Zhengxiong hurriedly said, "Chen..."


    "Enough, no need to say more. You said they want to retaliate against me, right? I want to see how they n to do that."


    Hearing this, Zhao Zhengxiong was stunned for a moment, then quickly understood and excitedly said, "Thank you, Chen, thank you."


    "No time to lose, I happen to have a day off today, let¡¯s get this done quickly."


    "Alright, I¡¯ll call for a car right away."


    Leaving the Old City, led by Zhao Zhengxiong, the group drove to the entrance of a Siheyuan in the East District.


    This Siheyuan was an ancient building with some years on it, its walls bearing the traces of time, and two stone lions stood majestically guard at the door. Ancient pines surrounded the ce, lush and providing shady nooks.


    Unexpectedly, in the bustling city, there was such a tranquil ce.


    Standing at the entrance, Ling Chen looked up and saw a que hanging atop the bright red door, inscribed with the two characters ¡¯Qingyun¡¯. The calligraphy was powerful and vigorous, with strokes as dynamic as a swimming dragon, catching the eye.


    Below and to the right of the que, on the wall, hung a poem.


    Heroes emerge in turbulent times; once in the Martial Arts World, years fly by.


    Discussing grand ambitions casually among friends; s, life¡¯s deeds be an enduring sin.


    Sword in hand, riding through the demon rain; white bones pile high as birds take flight in fear.


    The affairs of the world surge like the tide, and the people are like water; onlymenting how few return from the Martial Arts World.


    Looking at the characters, Ling Chen couldn¡¯t help but inwardly marvel; even though it was a copy, the calligraphy and poemplemented each other perfectly, vividly encapsting the meaning of the verse.


    Even with great ambition and courage, one cannot escape the harsh realities.


    With the name ¡¯Qingyun¡¯ and the inscriptions outside, it was clear that the owner of this Siheyuan was no ordinary person.


    "Xiong, are you saying Song Yi and Gao Wei live here?"


    Ling Chen found it hard to believe, as the nature of those two did not match the elegance of this ce.


    "Chen, I¡¯ve been here twice before, I couldn¡¯t possibly be mistaken."


    "Jiang Hao, go knock on the door."


    Without a word, Jiang Hao immediately walked up to the bright red door and knocked hard.


    After a short while, a ¡¯creak¡¯ was heard as a little girl around seven or eight years old, cute as a button, poked her head out, curiously looking at the strangers outside.


    "Who are you looking for?"


    "Little one, don¡¯t you recognize me?" Zhao Zhengxiong stepped forward.


    "It¡¯s you again! Weren¡¯t you taught enough of a lessonst time that you daree here again?"


    "Cut the nonsense, quickly call Song Yi and Gao Wei out."


    The little girl mmed the door shut, and in less than two minutes, the vermilion gate was opened again, revealing Gao Wei striding out from within.


    But when he saw Ling Chen outside the door, his expression changed drastically. The foot he had already stepped out with immediately retracted, and he backed into the doorway.


    "Mr. Gao, long time no see. Has your finger healed?" Ling Chen greeted with a smile and a wave of his hand.


    "Ling, you actually dared toe to my doorstep."


    "I heard you were looking for me to seek revenge, so I took the initiative toe to you. What, aren¡¯t you weing your foe?"


    Gao Wei seemed somewhat apprehensive and said coldly, "Ling Chen, I don¡¯t have time for you today. Another day I will personally make a visit."


    "Why bother with such trouble? Let¡¯s settle everything today while I¡¯m free."


    "You..."


    Gao Wei was about to speak when the little girl ran over again and whispered a few words into his ear. Whatever the little girl said, Gao Wei¡¯s face turned sour instantly.


    "Come in."


    Walking into the Siheyuan, Ling Chen saw a spacious courtyard filled with many wooden dummies, as well as a variety of practice equipment and weapons.


    It turned out to be a Martial Arts Academy.


    Arriving at the center of the courtyard, more than a dozen people emerged from the main hall, led by an elderly man in his sixties, dressed in a white Tang suit, with a full head of silver hair and a slightly gaunt face. He walked with a steady gait and exuded an air of refined elegance.


    Even before he came close, one could feel a subtle aura about him.


    This old man... is no ordinary person!


    Ling Chen took a few more looks at the old man, then shifted his gaze to his sides.


    To the old man¡¯s left was Song Yi, and to his right was a middle-aged man in his forties, with an average appearance, a sturdy build, and an energetic spirit. Of all the people, only he was wearing a neatly tailored suit.


    "Chen, I didn¡¯t see those two people thest time I came here," said Zhao Zhengxiong, referring to the old man and the man in the suit.


    Ling Chen nodded inwardly. Earlier, Gao Wei was reluctant to let them in, probably due to the presence of these two.


    "Master, it¡¯s him."


    At this moment, Song Yi pointed a finger at Ling Chen and said through gritted teeth, "Last time Gao and I were sparring with him, who knew he would inflict such vicious harm, crippling Gao¡¯s ten fingers and not ying by the rules with a sneak attack on me. Master, you must teach this scoundrel a lesson."


    Ling Chen¡¯s eyes widened. This guy was shameless, casting me before anyone else could.


    "This young friend, my name is He Ziyun, the Martial Arts Hall Master here, known as Mr. Qingyun. Song Yi is my disciple. It ismon for martial artists to spar, but injuring someone is where you were wrong. Today, not only do you show no remorse, you even bring people here to provoke us. Young friend, martial arts is merely a technique for strengthening the body. Besides, there are always stronger people out there, you..."


    "Are you done talking?"


    Ling Chen was getting impatient. This old man spoke so quaintly; it was truly not to his taste.


    "I admit it was I who hit them, they deserved it. If you want to seek justice, you should first understand the reason. Since they are your disciples, I have to take issue with you. One should teach morality before martial arts. You haven¡¯t even figured out what kind of character your own disciples possess and you carelessly pass on your skills. Be careful, lest they harm others and ruin your reputation."


    "You..."


    "Ling, you¡¯re insolent! Daring to lecture my master so brazenly, let¡¯s see how I deal with you."


    Song Yi roared in anger, cutting off He Ziyun¡¯s words, and charged straight at Ling Chen.


    As the punch came flying, Ling Chen slightly sidestepped, dodging Song Yi¡¯s attack, and casually swung out a fist right toward his opponent¡¯s face.


    Bang!


    A muffled thump.


    Ling Chen¡¯s fistnded solidly on Song Yi¡¯s face; thetter immediately stumbled and fell to the ground, clutching his cheek and crying out in pain, blood streaming through his fingers.

 Chapter 23 Qingyun Martial Arts Hall (Part 2)

    <h4>Chapter 23: Chapter 23 Qingyun Martial Arts Hall (Part 2)</h4><h4><strong>Editor: </strong>Larbre Studio </h4>


    Ling Chen was speechless.


    This guy is wasting his talent not being an actor, his punch hadn¡¯t used any real strength, and with Song Yi¡¯s ability, he shouldn¡¯t have been able to dodge it; clearly, the other party wanted to use this as an opportunity to incite anger.


    "How dare you hurt my Senior Brother Song."


    "To hit someone in front of Master and bully us at Qingyun Martial Arts Hall?"


    "Everyone, let¡¯s go together and avenge Senior Brother Song."


    The disciples of the Martial Arts Academy were immediately filled with anger, everyone gearing up to fight, some even carrying Guan Gong¡¯s Great Saber.


    "Stop it all!"


    Ling Chen turned to look and saw that the one who spoke was not He Ziyun, but the middle-aged man in a suit next to him.


    The man walked up, cupped his hands towards Ling Chen, and said, "Young man, my name is Ye Liangyong, and I am the eldest disciple under Mr. He."


    Ling Chen nced at him and said indifferently, "I suppose your Junior Brother has already told you who I am. Are you here to stand up for him?"


    Shaking his head, He Ziyun smiled and said, "You are mistaken. I am not standing up for him; I am standing up for our Martial Arts Academy."


    Ling Chen shrugged, not wanting to waste more words, and simply made a ¡¯please¡¯ gesture. He had already mentally prepared for a fight beforeing.


    "Senior Brother Ye, teach this kid a good lesson, let him know there are always people better than him."


    "Master Ye, beat him."


    The disciples of the Martial Arts Academy cheered from the side.


    Gao Wei supported Song Yi to the side, both of their faces wearing a sinister smile. With Ye Liangyong stepping in, Ling Chen was in trouble.


    "Please!"


    "Please!"


    After exchanging courtesies, Ye Liangyong moved his right foot forward a small step, forming a stable stance, and lifted one hand towards the sky.


    Seeing the stance that the opponent posed, Ling Chen suddenly narrowed his eyes.


    Ye Liangyong¡¯s movements seemed casual but were perfectly natural, like a towering mountain peak, steady everywhere without a single w.


    A true master!


    The thought shed through his mind, and the corners of his mouth lifted slightly; it had been long since he¡¯d encountered such an interesting opponent.


    "Take this."


    As soon as he finished speaking, Ling Chen leaped forward, advancing quickly in just a few steps right in front of Ye Liangyong.


    His fingers clenched tightly, throwing a steel punch that whistled through the air with immense power.


    Ye Liangyong twisted his waist, his burly figure surprisingly agile, easily shifting to Ling Chen¡¯s side, his right hand chopping down towards Ling Chen¡¯s neck with great speed.


    Ling Chen tilted his body, ignoring the attack overhead, and directly rammed his left shoulder towards his opponent. This was a self-sacrificing move, and if the opponent did not retreat, both would be hit.


    Sure enough, Ye Liangyong chose not to sh directly and immediately pulled back, widening the distance to avoid Ling Chen¡¯s charge.


    "Again!"


    Ling Chen pressed forward, his fists flying faster with each strike, the onlookers only seeing his shoulders quivering incessantly, unable to keep up with the rhythm of his punches.


    However, no matter how fast Ling Chen was, he couldn¡¯t break through Ye Liangyong¡¯s impervious defense.


    Suddenly, Ling Chen¡¯s fists halted abruptly, only to see Ye Liangyong¡¯s hands tightly gripping his wrists, rendering him immobile.


    "Well done!"


    "Indeed, Master Ye is formidable; thatd is no match for him."


    Seeing Ye Liangyong sessfully subdue Ling Chen, the disciples of the Martial Arts Academy immediately rejoiced.


    Gao Wei said darkly, "Ye, that boy crippled my ten fingers, now please cripple his hands for me too."


    "Young man, do you wish to continue?"


    Facing Ye Liangyong¡¯s gaze, Ling Chen grinned.


    "Why not? You have already used your full strength, but I have not."


    Ye Liangyong sensed trouble, but before he could react, he saw Ling Chen twist his arms, his power suddenly bursting forth, instantly breaking free from his grasp and striking with his fist.


    His expression changed, and he quickly retreated. However, in that moment, his eyes unintentionally met Ling Chen¡¯s, and his expression froze, causing his movements to slow down.


    In Ling Chen¡¯s clear pupils, there was now a piercing coldness, as if one were amidst heaps of bones and skulls.


    Seeing that cold gaze, an inexplicable chill rose from his feet, his whole body feeling as if plunged into an ice cave.


    "Mr. Ye, I appreciate your leniency."


    Hearing Ling Chen¡¯s voice, Ye Liangyong finally snapped out of it. Seeing the fist stopped in front of him, he gave a wry smile, stepped back, and cupped his fists, "It is I who was inferior in skills."


    "Defeated?"


    The onlooking disciples couldn¡¯t believe it. Ye Liangyong had been in the lead, yet within seconds, Ling Chen had reversed the situation, which they found hard to ept.


    "Old man, would you like toe down and y?"


    Ling Chen looked at He Ziyun, full of fighting spirit.


    It had been a long time since he had faced a true master, and intuitively, he believed this old man was very strong. Ye Liangyong had sparked his interest, and he was eager for a spirited battle.


    "Young friend, I¡¯m too old and frail, not fit to endure your challenging, please spare me."


    Ling Chen curled his lip; clearly, the old man was refusing him. Well then, since there¡¯s no fight to be had, it¡¯s time to handle business.


    "You two,e here." He pointed at Gao Wei and Song Yi.


    "Xiong, repeat what happened, so everyone knows the truth."


    As soon as Zhao Zhengxiong finished, Gao Wei startedining, "Master, it wasn¡¯t like that at all, it was he who struck mercilessly first, I and Senior Brother Song..."


    "Silence!"


    Ye Liangyong shouted, "You use him ofcking Martial Arts Ethics, yet when he sparred with me, he halted at touching. Conversely, you often threaten to maim with little provocation, is this the ethics a martial artist should have? Master was in Beijing a while ago, but the other Senior Brothers were at the Martial Arts Academy, maybe someone from them knows your actions, should I call them to testify?"


    "Ye, the innocent need no defense, feel free to summon the Senior Brothers to testify," Song Yi responded.


    "Good, as your Senior Brother, I hope you are innocent."


    Ye Liangyong scanned the other disciples.


    "Anyone who knows the truth, speak up."


    The disciples looked at each other, none making a sound.


    Song Yi smugly said, "Ye, I told you, I am innocent, it¡¯s them who nder me."


    "I...I can testify."


    Suddenly, the little girl who had let Ling Chen in earlier timidly peeked out from behind He Ziyun, on the verge of tears, "That day, I saw Senior Brother Song distributing money to other Senior Brothers, and he also bought me two lollipops, telling me not to tell anyone. Master, Little Hua knows she was wrong, please don¡¯t punish me."


    As she spoke, the little girl wiped her tears, looking pitiful.


    He Ziyun lovingly picked her up, cooing, "Very well, as long as you behave from now on, Master promises not to punish you."


    "Hmph!"


    Ye Liangyong looked at the pale-faced Gao Wei and Song Yi, and the other disciples, his face as grim as water.

 Chapter 24: The North Has a Peerless Beauty

    <h4>Chapter 24: Chapter 24: The North Has a Peerless Beauty</h4><h4><strong>Editor: </strong>Larbre Studio </h4>


    "Good, very good, these are the talents nurtured by our Qingyun Martial Arts Hall. You have indeed not let me and the Master down. Even a seven-year-old girl knows to distinguish right from wrong, and to admit her mistakes proactively, yet you are not even as good as a little girl. What is the use of keeping you here? Hand over the money and return it to the people. From now on, find your own path, Qingyun Martial Arts Hall will no longer keep you."


    Hearing this, the disciples were shocked and immediately knelt down.


    "Senior Brother, we all realize our mistake, please forgive us this time."


    "Master, please don¡¯t expel us from the school."


    He Ziyun sighed softly.


    "There¡¯s no need to plead with me. This trip to Beijing, I¡¯ve already passed the position of Martial Arts Hall Master to your Senior Brother. Originally, I wanted to tell you today, but I didn¡¯t expect... How to handle this matter is now fully entrusted to your Senior Brother."


    "Senior Brother..."


    There was another chorus of pleas.


    At this moment, Ling Chen, who was observing, noticed that Ye Liangyong was casting a pleading nce at him. Smart as he was, he immediately understood. Ye Liangyong didn¡¯t really want to drive these disciples away, but instead wanted to use this opportunity to establish his own authority. The time was almost ripe; it was about time for him to provide a way out.


    Thinking this, Ling Chen cleared his throat and said, "Mr. Ye, to know one¡¯s mistake and to correct it is the greatest virtue. Everyone makes mistakes, and they should not be defined by one fault. My suggestion is to give them another chance and judge them based on their future performance."


    Feigning contemtion, Ye Liangyong then nodded and said, "Alright, this time I¡¯m sparing you for Mr. Ling¡¯s sake. If anyone dares to do it again, I will show no mercy. As for you two..."


    He looked coldly at Gao Wei and Song Yi.


    "Pack up and get out of Qingyun Martial Arts Hall right away. I won¡¯t keep shameless scum."


    Gao Wei and Song Yi, with heads bowed, dared not even fart, and scuttled away dejectedly.


    "Get up and leave, do you want to kneel here and be aughing stock?"


    Once all the disciples had left, Ye Liangyong approached Ling Chen, cupped his fists, and said, "Young brother, I¡¯m really sorry, it¡¯s unfortunate for our school to have such unruly disciples."


    "It¡¯s ok. Mr. Ye, if there¡¯s nothing else, we¡¯ll take our leave now."


    "Please wait, Ling."


    Seeing He Ziyuning towards him, Ling Chen said, "Mr. He, do you have something else?"


    "Ling, perhaps have your friends leave first, and we can chat afterward."


    "No problem."


    After sending Jiang Hao and Zhao Zhengxiong away, Ling Chen followed He Ziyun to the main hall of the Siheyuan.


    After the three of them sat down, a little girl named Little Hua politely brought over a cup of tea and handed it to Ling Chen.


    "Ling, who did you learn your martial arts from? I just noticed that your technique seems quite diverse, not like it¡¯s from any orthodox school."


    "I figured it out step by step on my own."


    Ling Chen wasn¡¯t lying; he had self-taught his skills through a lost manual. Later, during his fugitive life, after numerous bloodied experiences, his martial arts gradually transformed, discarding unnecessary flourishes, focusing on the fastest way to kill an enemy. Therefore, his punches and kicks were all about wide swings and lethal strikes.


    "I see Ling is indeed a martial arts prodigy."


    "Young brother, your skills are formidable, but I sense too much killing intent. You should be mindful of that in the future."


    "I¡¯m aware."


    "Little Hua, it¡¯s time for your medicine."


    Just then, a woman walked in from outside.


    Ling Chen couldn¡¯t tear his eyes away from the neer, and his gaze was firmly captivated.


    The woman was about his age, dressed in a simple dress, with long hair over her shoulders, and a delicate figure.


    To describe the woman¡¯s appearance and demeanor, Ling Chen could only think of one word: soft.


    If Nanrong Wanqing was a snow lotus atop an icy peak, then this woman would be the gentle water of Bibo Lake, soft and beautiful everywhere. One nce was enough to soothe a turbulent heart, as if caressed by a slender jade hand, immediately bringing tranquility.


    Apparently feeling Ling Chen¡¯s intense gaze, the woman turned her head, gave him a look, and said embarrassedly, "Sorry, I wasn¡¯t aware we had guests."


    Tsk tsk, even her voice was so gentle. Ling Chen inwardly marveled.


    He had always believed that Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s beauty and temperament were unsurpassable, only to find there existed another ethereal and gentle woman in this world.


    "Xiaozhu, let me introduce you, this is Ling Chen. Young brother, this is Zhu Xiaozhu, she¡¯s a doctor."


    "Miss Zhu, I¡¯m pleased to meet you."


    As soon as Mr. Ye finished speaking, Ling Chen took the initiative to reach out his hand, and the scent of a maiden immediately assailed his senses, swaying his mind.


    Confronted with his courtesy, Zhu Xiaozhu couldn¡¯t refuse, and lightly grasped his hand before quickly letting go. However, in that brief moment, Ling Chen had already felt the softness and smoothness of her skin.


    Top-notch!


    He could get away without washing his hands today.


    "Little Hua, it¡¯s time,e back with me."


    "Coming, Xiaozhu sister."


    Little Hua took Zhu Xiaozhu¡¯s hand and skipped out of the room.


    "Mr. He, is Miss Zhu also your disciple?"


    Encountering such a beauty, he naturally wanted to inquire further.


    "If only I had such good fortune."


    He Ziyun chuckled and said, "Xiaozhu¡¯s master and I have been friends for many years; she¡¯s just staying with me temporarily."


    "She¡¯s not a local?"


    Ye Liangyong added, "Her family lives in Beijing. Young brother, you seem quite interested in Xiaozhu, could it be you fancy her?"


    Ling Chen, hearing the teasing tone in Ye Liangyong¡¯s voice, cracked a smile and said, "A gentleman covets a gracefuldy; who doesn¡¯t like a beauty?"


    "Ha ha, young brother has good taste; it¡¯s said that in the east there¡¯s Nanrong, in the north there¡¯s Xiaozhu, they¡¯re both recognized as stunning beauties by everyone. Unfortunately, she¡¯s been quite busy these few days, otherwise, I would have introduced you two."


    "No, no, no."


    Ling Chen hurriedly said, "Mr. He, it¡¯s just a joke, please don¡¯t take it seriously."


    He still had a sense of self-awareness; some women could only be admired from a distance, not to be approached lightly, such as Nanrong Wanqing and the just-met Zhu Xiaozhu.


    After sitting for not much longer, Ling Chen stood up and proposed to leave.


    Ye Liangyong saw Ling Chen out and said, "Young brother, I have to ask a favor of you ¨C I hope you can visit us here more often when you have time, to chat with my master. My master often stays at home alone, and usually only has those disciples around, seldom interacting with outsiders. With your excellent martial arts, you would have many topics inmon with my master."


    "Mr. Ye, don¡¯t you apany him?"


    "Young brother might not be aware, but I usually don¡¯t stay in East Sea City, spending most of my time in Beijing because I have apany to manage, so I don¡¯te back here often."


    "So Mr. Ye is in business. Alright, I¡¯ll definitelye to visit Mr. He when I get the chance."


    "That would be much appreciated."


    This chapter is updated by freew(e)bnovel.(c)om

 Chapter 25 Lady Su’s Boyfriend

    <h4>Chapter 25: Chapter 25 Lady Su¡¯s Boyfriend</h4><h4><strong>Editor: </strong>Larbre Studio </h4>


    A day¡¯s vacation passed, and Ling Chen¡¯s life was back on track.


    This morning, after finishing work, Ling Chen went to Wei Jun¡¯s office as usual, brewed a cup of tea, propped his feet up on the desk, and enjoyed the air conditioning.


    Before he could enjoy it for long, someone walked in from the door.


    "Wei..."


    Ling Chen was about to speak, but when he saw who it was, he immediately swallowed his words and said with a smile: "Isn¡¯t this Miss Su? What brings Miss Su to my ce today? Could it be that you¡¯re itching for a verbal sparring match?"


    Su Lin, unlike her usual fiery temper, snorted coldly: "I wouldn¡¯t stoop so low as to argue with a brute like you." She paused, then changed the subject: "I¡¯m going out, and you¡¯re apanying me."


    "Me?"


    Ling Chen was taken aback. Was this girl feverish, asking him to go out with her? Was she plotting something against him again?


    "It¡¯s you. Stop the chatter ande with me, we¡¯re running out of time."


    "Miss Su, let me make it clear to you, I am a security staff of thepany, not an escort. I refuse your request."


    "You..."


    Su Lin was furious, but thinking about her own schemes, she immediately suppressed her anger and said: "Ling, I¡¯m asking you toe with me to ensure my safety, which doesn¡¯t go against the nature of your job. You have no right to refuse. And for your information, Wanqing has already approved it. Go ask her if you don¡¯t believe me."


    "Really?"


    Ling Chen looked at her skeptically, wondering what trick she was pulling. Given her rtionship with Nanrong Wanqing, asking would be pointless; the matter was undoubtedly true.


    Su Lin urged him impatiently: "Hurry up, I¡¯m pressed for time."


    "Fine, since the chairman has spoken, I¡¯ll make the trip with you."


    Once outside thepany, Su Lin tossed the Maserati car keys into his hand: "You drive."


    Ling Chen didn¡¯t refuse; it was a rare opportunity to enjoy a luxury car.


    "Miss Su, where to?"


    "The airport."


    "OK, buckle up."


    With a press of the elerator and a roaring sound, the Maserati shot onto the road like a bolt of lightning.


    Ten minutester, the car was on the spacious airport boulevard. Su Lin immediately regretted letting Ling Chen drive when the maniac sped up to nearly two hundred miles per hour.


    "Slow down... slow down."


    Feeling the airne-like speed, Su Lin¡¯s heart thumped wildly, and she trembled as she spoke.


    "No worries, aren¡¯t you in a hurry?" Ling Chen tantly ignored Su Lin¡¯s request and sped up even more.


    "Ling, slow down now!" Su Lin¡¯s temper red up again, and she reached out to grab him.


    "Miss Su, you¡¯d better not touch me. If something happens, don¡¯t me me."


    Hearing this, Su Lin immediately backed off, not daring to disturb Ling Chen and risk an ident. But although she couldn¡¯t vocalize it, she cursed Ling Chen a hundred times over in her heart.


    In no time, Ling Chen covered the tens of kilometers to the airport in less than ten minutes. Stepping out of the car, Su Lin felt her legs go weak, barely able to stand steadily, her face pale with fright.


    "Miss Su, do you need me to help you?"


    Seeing Ling Chen¡¯s smug expression, Su Lin felt an urge to pounce on him and bite him; this guy was too darn annoying.


    Apanying Su Lin at the airport exit, Ling Chen, out of boredom, casually asked, "Miss Su, who are you here to pick up?"


    "Why should I tell you?"


    "If you don¡¯t tell me, I can still guess."


    "Like hell I¡¯d believe you."


    "The fact that you¡¯re personallying to pick someone up at the airport shows that person is very important to you; it¡¯s very likely a family member."


    Hearing this, Su Lin opened her mouth wanting to tell him he guessed wrong and to take the opportunity to take him down a notch, but then she heard him continue, "However, you made a special effort to dress up before going out today. With your looks, even without makeup you¡¯re a great beauty, but you still put on light makeup, which indicates you really care about that person¡¯s opinion of you."


    Ling Chen said with a smile, "Miss Su, did youe today to see your boyfriend?"


    Su Lin¡¯s pretty face blushed slightly, and she snorted softly without engaging in his conversation.


    After a while, arge crowd of passengers poured out from the airport¡¯s exit channel.


    Su Lin stood on her tiptoes, looking around. A few minutester, a young man dressed in casual clothes appeared in her line of sight. She smiled brightly and waved her hand, calling out, "Qin Yang, I¡¯m here!"


    Hearing her call, the young man named Qin Yang immediately put on a brilliant smile and hurried over, arms open wide wanting to give her a hug, but Su Lin blocked him with her hand, opting instead to just hold his hand firmly.


    Qin Yang seemed ustomed to her response and smiled nonchntly, "Linlin, I¡¯ve missed you so much. Without you by my side, every single day abroad has been torture for me."


    Su Lin replied shyly, "Me too."


    Ling Chen, standing nearby, couldn¡¯t help but shiver; it was too sweet for him to handle. Seeing that their sweet nothings weren¡¯t over yet, Ling Chen took the chance to size up Qin Yang. Not too old, just over twenty, fair and clean-looking, tall and well-built ¨C a typical handsome guy. And considering the pricey branded clothes he wore, his family background must be decent; no wonder he caught Su Lin¡¯s eye.


    "Are we ready to go now?"


    It wasn¡¯t until Ling Chen spoke up that Qin Yang noticed him.


    "Linlin, who is this?"


    "He¡¯s a security guard and driver I borrowed from Wanqing."


    "Oh, I see, a driver; I thought he was your friend." Qin Yang chuckled, casually tossing his luggage bag into Ling Chen¡¯s hands with amanding tone, "Put the bag in the car for me."


    Ling Chen touched his nose; this guy was actually treating him like a servant. After hesitating for a moment, heplied and carried the bag to the car. No matter what, Qin Yang was Su Lin¡¯s boyfriend, and he couldn¡¯t let Su Lin lose face, or let their rtionship be affected because of him. There are some things he could do, and some he couldn¡¯t; he still had some basic principles.


    Once in the car, Ling Chen asked, "Miss Su, where to?"


    "Go to Delin Western Restaurant on East Shun Street."


    "Not going back?"


    "It¡¯s almost eleven o¡¯clock; Qin Yang must be hungry after such a long flight, let¡¯s go eat first."


    Ling Chen was somewhat surprised; he didn¡¯t expect this fiery-tempered girl to be so considerate of others.


    With a guest in tow, Ling Chen didn¡¯t drive too fast on the way back, obeying all the rules and smoothly made it to Delin Western Restaurant.


    "You scound... Ling Chen, why don¡¯t you join us? I¡¯ll reserve a separate seat for you, and you can drive us back after we finish eating."


    Su Lin was so used to calling him a bastard that it slipped out naturally, but she was quick to react and changed her words, remembering her boyfriend was with her, and her tone became gentle.


    She wasn¡¯t used to it, and neither was Ling Chen. Having always seen her fiery temper, thisdylike demeanor was new to him.


    Truly, the power of love was great. He silently reflected.

 Chapter 26 Paying Your Own Bill (Part 1)

    <h4>Chapter 26: Chapter 26 Paying Your Own Bill (Part 1)</h4><h4><strong>Editor: </strong>Larbre Studio </h4>


    Upon entering the second-floor of Delin Western Restaurant, Ling Chen found that Su Lin had already reserved seats. Although Su Lin mentioned she would arrange a separate seat for him, the spot was right next to her Qin Yang, with only a meter¡¯s distance.


    Ling Chen didn¡¯t understand, "You two being all lovey-dovey, why put me so close? What am I, a third wheel?"


    The Delin Western Restaurant was of high ss, with luxurious decoration primarily in European style. In the center of the hall, there was a white piano, with a blonde, blue-eyed man in a tailcoat gently touching with both hands, ying a beautiful melody¡ªvery romantic.


    Not long after sitting down, a female waiter quickly came over, politely handing over the menu.


    "Sir, what would you like?"


    Looking at the exquisite menu, Ling Chen replied, "Do you have fried rice with egg, therge portion?"


    The waitress paused, then exined, "Sir, I¡¯m sorry, but this is a Western restaurant."


    "Linlin, where did you find this driver? Hees to a Western restaurant and orders fried rice with egg. Others will think it¡¯s a country bumpkin¡¯s first time in the city. Waitress, arrange a different seat for him, don¡¯t let him stay here and embarrass me."


    Qin Yang had an expression of displeasure and disdain, as if being associated with Ling Chen was beneath him.


    "I¡¯m very sorry, sir, but we¡¯re fully booked."


    "Qin Yang, he¡¯s obviously a rough man; why bother arguing with him about these things."


    After Su Lin¡¯s words, Qin Yang chose to stay quiet and carelessly ordered a couple of items.


    Looking at the menu, Ling Chen had no appetite. During those years abroad, he had Western food every day and now he was tired of it. Plus, the portions were too small, and being a practical man, all he cared about was whether he could get full or not.


    How good fried rice with egg is, economical and satisfying. One bowl and you¡¯re not hungry for half a day.


    "Then get me two portions of filet mignon steaks."


    "Do you need any wine, sir?¡¯


    "Bring a bottle of Bnte¡¯s red dry wine."


    "Alright, it¡¯ll be right up."


    After the waitress left, Su Lin looked at Ling Chen in surprise; this country bumpkin actually knows to pair steak with red wine, wonder where he picked up this kind of sophistication.


    Before long, a steak and a ss of red wine were served.


    Watching Ling Chen devouring his food, Qin Yang withdrew his gaze in disgust. Country bumpkin is a country bumpkin; nobody eats steak like that. Western dining is all about being graceful, a disy of one¡¯s temperament. This guy sticks out like a sore thumb in this environment, Su Lin really must have her reasons to keep such a person around.


    "Qin Yang, was it tough being abroad for the past month?"


    Su Lin seemed to forget Ling Chen¡¯s presence, casually chatting with Qin Yang.


    "Of course, it was tough. I went there to push myself, I have to face some hardships."


    "Nowadays, fewer and fewer people have ambition like you. Not like some people, who know nothing but brute force, not willing to learn at a young age, only fit to be a security guard."


    The more Ling Chen listened, the more it tasted off, that ¡¯some people¡¯ seemed to refer to him. Although he knew Su Lin was talking about him, since the other party didn¡¯t name names, there was no need for him to join the conversation uninvited, pretending he heard nothing, and continued eating his steak.


    Seeing Ling Chen not picking up the conversation, Su Lin couldn¡¯t help feeling a bit disappointed. She had nned to use this opportunity to strike at him. But since Ling Chen didn¡¯t y along, she had no way to proceed, so she reluctantly swallowed the words she had been brewing.


    "Qin Yang, what activities were included in the amateur military training expansion you did abroad?"


    "There were a mix of activities. Apart from the daily specified basic training, we also had to survive in the wilderness, eat raw snake meat and insects. The first few days had me vomiting so much that my stomach acid came up. Fortunately, I have a strong adaptability. Out of all the members who participated in the wilderness survival training, I was the only one who persisted to the end."


    "I knew you were the best." Su Lin looked smugly at Ling Chen, as if to tell him, see, my boyfriend is no worse than you.


    Ling Chen just shrugged his shoulders, pretending not to notice the look she gave him.


    "Linlin, the scenery on that ind is so beautiful, especially the sunsets there. You would definitely fall in love with the ce if you saw it. Every evening I would watch the sunset, thinking about our future. If we get married in the future, I will definitely build a vi there, spend every day watching the tidee and go, the setting sun, and grow old together."


    Qin Yang spoke with passion and emotion, and Su Lin was intoxicated by the beautiful scenery he described, her face beaming with happiness.


    Ling Chen sipped his red wine and sighed to himself, another woman dazed by love.


    Ideals are plump, reality is skinny; sooner orter they will learn this firsthand. But on second thought, considering the backgrounds of Su Lin and Qin Yang, they indeed have the means to turn their ideals into reality.


    "Linlin, when I was doing diving training over there, I found a shell with a pearl inside. It¡¯s not something precious, but it was something I salvaged from the ocean floor with my own hands. I n to make it into a pendant for you, to represent our pure rtionship, and I hope you will like it."


    Su Lin said sweetly, "As long as it¡¯s from you, I¡¯ll like it."


    Listening to the two exchanging sweet nothings, Ling Chen was getting restless. It¡¯s just dinner; was there a need to unt their affection in front of me? At the very least, they should consider the feelings of a single guy like me.


    "Miss Su, I have finished eating. I¡¯ll go back to the car first."


    "Go ahead, just don¡¯t forget to pay the bill."


    "Pay the bill?"


    Ling Chen was stunned and pointed at his nose, saying, "Miss Su, are you kidding me? You¡¯re asking me to pay?"


    "Is there a problem? Of course, you should pay for what you ate. Why should I pay for you? I said I would help you reserve a spot, but I never offered to pay for you."


    "Miss Su, I am currently working for you, arranging a meal for me is only natural. How could you have me pay for it?"


    Ling Chen tried to reason with this youngdy.


    "You¡¯re not an employee I hired; you¡¯re just someone I¡¯m temporarily using. If you want reimbursement for the meal, you can go to Wanqing. Don¡¯te to me."


    At this point, it was clear to any observer that Su Lin was deliberately making things difficult for Ling Chen.


    Though Qin Yang did not know where Ling Chen had offended Su Lin, he would not miss this opportunity to showcase himself. He proactively called over the waiter and pointed at Ling Chen: "Settle this gentleman¡¯s bill."


    "Sir, your total consumption is three thousand eight hundred yuan; would you like to pay by card or cash?"


    "Three thousand eight?"


    Ling Chen¡¯s eyes widened. He had assumed that Su Lin would cover the cost, so he hadn¡¯t paid attention to the price; little did he know the meal was outrageously expensive. He only had a few hundred yuan in his pocket, nowhere near enough to cover the bill.


    "Sir, two steaks for one thousand three hundred yuan, one bottle of red wine for two thousand five hundred yuan, a total of three thousand eight hundred yuan, there¡¯s no mistake with the amount."


    Ling Chen was speechless. He could pay three hundred eighty, but three thousand eight hundred... Even if stripped bare, he wouldn¡¯t have that much money. This youngdy was ruthless, using such a mean trick against him.

 Chapter 27 Paying the Bill Oneself (Part 2)

    <h4>Chapter 27: Chapter 27 Paying the Bill Oneself (Part 2)</h4><h4><strong>Editor: </strong>Larbre Studio </h4>


    "Sir, would you like to pay with card or cash?"


    Ling Chen spread his hands.


    "I don¡¯t have that much money, ask her for it."


    The waiter nced at Su Lin, who tly retorted, "I don¡¯t know him."


    Qin Yang sneered, "There really are all sorts of people nowadays, not having money and still daring to dine here." He deliberately raised his voice, attracting the attention of the surrounding customers.


    "Three thousand eight, right?"


    Qin Yang pulled out a bank card and threw it on the table, then stretched his legs out from under the table, looking at Ling Chen with a smile that was not quite a smile.


    "Wipe these shoes clean for me, and I¡¯ll cover your meal."


    Ling Chen¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly, appearing to smile on the surface, but those who knew him were aware that when he squinted his eyes, it meant he was really displeased.


    Thinking he could be humiliated in public, as if he, Ling Chen, would take such a loss.


    Seeing her boyfriend stand up for her, Su Lin was overjoyed, finally getting a chance to properly teach this thug a lesson.


    "Ling Chen, thirty-eight hundred for a pair of shoes, that¡¯s not a deal youe across every day. Only my dear Qin Yang would be so generous, what are you spacing out for?" she gloated.


    Ling Chen remained silent, merely giving her a faint nce, but that look made Su Lin quite ufortable.


    From his gaze, Su Lin actually felt a kind of pity and mockery, as though she was a pathetic woman.


    She couldn¡¯t understand where she appeared pitiful. Clearly, it was him who was embarrassed.


    Ignoring Su Lin¡¯s dissatisfied look, Ling Chen casually sat down, taking out his phone and said to the waiter, "I¡¯ll call a friend to bring money over, we¡¯ll pay the billter."


    "Sir, I apologize, but could you please vacate the seat? We have other customers waiting in line."


    "I¡¯m not refusing to pay, why should I give up my seat?"


    Qin Yang scoffed, "Youe to eat without money and you still think you¡¯re right. The fact that they haven¡¯t kicked you out is already giving you enough face. Mr. Ling, keep some dignity for yourself and don¡¯t lose it all here."


    "What¡¯s my dignity got to do with you? Stop your useless babbling. Shut your mouth and eat your food."


    "You dare talk to me like that?"


    Qin Yang¡¯s face turned dark immediately.


    "What, you have a problem with that?"


    "Mr. Ling, I advise you to be more observant and not to provoke anyone carelessly, or you¡¯ll suffer consequences you can¡¯t handle."


    "In my eyes, there is no one who can¡¯t be provoked, especially someone like you. One p and you¡¯ll all turn into sobbing bears. If you don¡¯t believe me, try it, but don¡¯t me meter for bullying you."


    "You..."


    Qin Yang made a move to stand up, but Su Lin hurriedly held him back. She knew Ling Chen¡¯s capabilities; although her boyfriend was excellent, Ling Chen was, after all, someone who had genuinely practiced martial arts.


    "Qin Yang, there¡¯s no need to stoop to his level and waste energy on him."


    Qin Yang snorted coldly.


    "Mr. Ling, out of respect for Linlin, I¡¯ll overlook this. Waiter, hurry up and kick him out, and don¡¯t let this bumpkin ruin my mood."


    "What¡¯s going on?"


    At this moment, a middle-aged man dressed in a suit approached.


    "Manager..."


    "Luo Quan, long time no see."


    Before the waiter could finish, Qin Yang took over the conversation, greeting him proactively.


    "Isn¡¯t this Mr. Qin? What brings you here today?"


    Recognizing the visitor, Luo Quan¡¯s attitude changed instantly, bowing slightly while speaking respectfully, his face full of smiles.


    "Luo Quan, you¡¯ve arrived just in time. This person not only ate for free but also spoiled the mood for me and my girlfriend. As the manager, shouldn¡¯t you take care of this?"


    "Rest assured, Mr. Qin. I¡¯ll handle it right away."


    While speaking, the waiter whispered a few words into Luo Quan¡¯s ear. Luo Quan nodded in response, then turned his attention to Ling Chen.


    "Mr. Ling, I believe the waiter exined the situation clearly. Please move and let another customer have your seat. As for yourck of funds, we can discuss thatter."


    Ling Chen toyed with the wine ss in his hand, displeased, "Manager, you should be more generous. I¡¯m not refusing to pay; isn¡¯t it a bit unreasonable to ask me to move? Is hospitality in your restaurant based on social status?"


    Luo Quan¡¯s expression turned cold, hands behind his back.


    "Sir, if you continue to make a fuss, don¡¯t me me for being impolite."


    "Luo Quan, some people are too shameless to take a hint. Why bother talking nonsense with him? This ungrateful sort won¡¯t learn their lesson without a firm hand."


    "Yes, Mr. Qin. Come here!"


    As he said this, several tall security guards quickly arrived from the entrance, taking a formidable stance beside Ling Chen.


    "Mr. Ling, I have asked nicely. Don¡¯t be ungrateful."


    "Young man, step back and you¡¯ll find boundless prospects. Why make life difficult for yourself?"


    A customer nearby said.


    Ling Chen shrugged his shoulders. Why should he back down? As someone who never got the short end of the stick, that was not in his nature.


    Seeing him remain unmoved, the surrounding customers shook their heads, another case of a person so concerned with face that he was willing to suffer for it.


    "Throw him out!"


    Luo Quan motioned with a wave of his hand.


    The security guards immediately moved in, about to grab Ling Chen¡¯s clothes and drag him off the chair.


    Qin Yang curled his lip, a cold smile on his face, watching Ling Chen with contempt.


    Trying to fight me? Watch how I crush you.


    "Stop!"


    Just as the security guards were about to make their move, a voice suddenly rang out.


    Everyone turned to look, and saw a dignified middle-aged man apanied by several others walking towards them.


    Upon seeing the neer, the expressions of everyone present changed, their eyes filled with shock.


    "That¡¯s Mr. Ye from Beijing."


    "What¡¯s he doing here?"


    "Mr. Ye."


    Luo Quan was slightly surprised and quickly ran forward to greet him. First, he respectfully greeted Mr. Ye, and then, to the man behind Mr. Ye, he said, "Boss, you¡¯re here too."


    "Luo Quan, what¡¯s going on?"


    "Boss..."


    Luo Quan was about to exin, but then he saw Mr. Ye walk past him, go directly to Ling Chen¡¯s table, and with a smile, said, "Young man, we meet again."


    Ling Chen grinned, "Mr. Ye, what a coincidence to meet you here."


    The Mr. Ye here was none other than Ye Liangyong, whom he¡¯d met at Qingyun Martial Arts Hall. Initially, Ye Liangyong had only mentioned that he was a businessman, but looking at the entourage surrounding him, he was evidently not just a simple businessman.


    Ye Liangyong nced at the nearby security and inquired, "Are these guys giving you trouble?"


    "Can¡¯t help it, a gentle person is easy to bully, and an honest person like me gets picked on wherever I go."


    "Zhong Hao."


    "Mr. Ye, do you have any instructions?"


    The man called Zhong Hao was the owner of this Western restaurant.

 Chapter 28 Exposure

    <h4>Chapter 28: Chapter 28 Exposure</h4><h4><strong>Editor: </strong>Larbre Studio </h4>


    Ye Liangyong pointed at Ling Chen.


    "This young man is my friend. You¡¯d better give me a reasonable exnation."


    Hearing this, Luo Quan behind him changed his expression instantly, cursing his luck inwardly, and quickly said, "Mr. Ye, Mr. Ling didn¡¯t bring money to pay for his meal. I asked him to give up his seat for other customers."


    "I did not bring money, but I did not say I would dine and dash. I told you I would have my friend send money over. Manager Luo, you can¡¯t just say whatever you want. It was clearly under his direction that you tried to kick me out."


    Saying this, Ling Chen pointed his finger at Qin Yang.


    Zhong Hao nced at Qin Yang and frowned, saying, "Luo Quan, did he tell you to do this?"


    "Nonsense."


    It was Su Lin who spoke up, seeing Ling Chen aiming the usation at her boyfriend, she hurriedly said, "Ling Chen, don¡¯t sling mud. This has nothing to do with Qin Yang."


    As the daughter of a wealthy family, she knew all too well who Ye Liangyong was. He was definitely not someone Qin Yang could afford to offend. She couldn¡¯t understand how that bastard Ling Chen could have any dealings with Ye Liangyong, considering the vast disparity between their statuses.


    "Miss Su, I understand you want to protect your boyfriend, but I just think it¡¯s sad that your boyfriend has betrayed you and yet you¡¯re still on his side wholeheartedly. I don¡¯t know whether to call you foolish or na?ve."


    Qin Yang was getting restless and angrily retorted, "Ling Chen, you can eat whatever you want, but you can¡¯t just say anything. Which eye of yours saw me betraying Linlin?"


    "Mr. Qin, you should be more careful in the future. Didn¡¯t you know that when you check in luggage, there¡¯s a flight tag attached to it? You gave me your luggage previously, and the flight information on the tag showed you flew back to East Sea City from the Gambling City. Mr. Qin, there¡¯s a wealth of beauties in Gambling City, must have been lots of fun, huh?"


    Qin Yang¡¯s face changed, and his eyes flickered nervously.


    "Is what he¡¯s saying true?"


    "Linlin, don¡¯t listen to his nonsense, I was just transiting through Gambling City, I didn¡¯t stay there at all."


    "Is that so? Mr. Qin, you said you were doing a survival training on an ind, then why is your skin so fair, not a trace of sunburn anywhere."


    Without waiting for Qin Yang to respond, Ling Chen continued, "Let alone that, didn¡¯t you say that you¡¯re very skilled at wilderness survival training? Manager Luo, bring Mr. Qin a raw steak."


    Luo Quan hesitated a moment, but after a nce from Zhong Hao, he quickly ran into the kitchen. Soon after, a raw steak was brought to Qin Yang¡¯s table.


    "Mr. Qin, the taste of this raw steak is much better than raw snake meat and insects. You dared to eat insects, so I trust this is also no challenge for you. Come, let¡¯s all witness Mr. Qin¡¯s wilderness survival skills."


    "Qin Yang..."


    Su Lin looked on with a blend of nervousness and anticipation.


    Qin Yang, looking at the bloody raw steak, suddenly felt nauseous. After hesitating for a moment, he still picked up the steak. But before it even reached his mouth, the strong smell of blood assaulted his nostrils.


    Just the scent of blood made him feel his stomach churning, and he started to retch violently, almost throwing up what he had eaten earlier.


    After hesitating repeatedly, he put down the steak and, not daring to look at Su Lin opposite him, he lowered his head and said, "I... I can¡¯t do it."


    "You... it turns out..."


    Su Lin¡¯s face turned pale as tears welled up and spilled down her cheeks, forming two clear streams that traced her face.


    "So, everything you said was a lie. And to think I trusted you so much. Qin, you bastard!"


    In desperation, she grabbed the red wine ss from the table and sshed it directly onto Qin Yang¡¯s face. The red wine immediately sttered all over Qin Yang, leaving him in a sorry state.


    It seemed that wasn¡¯t enough to satisfy her, as Su Lin then smashed the wine ss towards his head. Instantly, Qin Yang¡¯s forehead was shed open, and blood gushed forth.


    Being treated this way by a woman in public, Qin Yang felt an overwhelming sense of humiliation and cursed angrily, "Have you had enough, you crazy woman? Sure, I went to Sin City to mess around with women, so what? It was all because of you. We¡¯ve been together for over a year, and besides holding hands, you wouldn¡¯t let me do anything else. I¡¯m a man with normal needs; anyone would go crazy dealing with a woman like you."


    "You... Ling Chen, kill this bastard for me."


    With a shrug, Ling Chen said, "Miss Su, murder is a crime. You should do this kind of thing yourself. Look, there¡¯s a knife on the table. Stab him with it, and it¡¯ll all be over."


    Seeing Su Lin actually casting her gaze towards the knife on the table, Qin Yang was startled, fearing that the mad woman might actually go through with it. He quickly left his seat and ran towards the exit of the restaurant.


    Watching Qin Yang leave, Su Lin slumped into her chair and began to sob, covering her face. After a while, she dried the tears from the corners of her eyes, stood up, dropped a card, and made her way towards the exit.


    After walking a few steps, she turned back and pointed at Ling Chen with eyes red from crying, her voice cold as ice: "I¡¯ve also paid for his bill."


    "Miss Su, Miss Su."


    Ling Chen called out twice, but Su Lin ignored him and walked straight out the door.


    Seeing this, he felt a sense of foreboding. This girl might have been too shocked and might do something foolish.


    "Young man, better chase after her quickly. A woman who¡¯s been through a breakup is the most terrifying creature," Ye Liangyong reminded him.


    "Mr. Ye, I have to go now. We¡¯ll talk some other time."


    Chasing out of the restaurant, Ling Chen was still a step toote. He only saw the lingering exhaust from the Maserati as it sped away, quickly disappearing from his sight.


    Damn!


    Ling Chen cursed inwardly, realizing something was wrong. The keys to the Maserati were with him; who knew that Su Lin had brought a spare set. He hade out with Su Lin, and if something happened to her, he would be to me, and his conscience couldn¡¯t take it.


    With that thought, he hastily hailed a taxi to follow.


    However, the Maserati was too fast. By the time Ling Chen followed along the road, Su Lin was nowhere in sight. He then used his phone to call Nanrong Hao and got Su Lin¡¯s number. But when he dialed it, her phone was already switched off and unreachable.


    Having no other choice, he contacted Zhong Wei and reported the situation. It would be very difficult for him alone to find Su Lin in the vast East Sea City; it would be better to ask for assistance from thepany since there was strength in numbers.


    Before long, Zhong Wei called him back, ordering him to return to thepany and report to the chairman immediately.


    Back at the Hongyu Company headquarters building, Ling Chen went straight to Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s office.


    Upon entering, he was met with Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s icy expression, and a chill enveloped him.


    "Chairman."


    "What happened to Linlin? Why is her phone turned off?"


    "The thing is..."


    Ling Chen told the entire story about Qin Yang.


    Nanrong Wanqing said coldly, "You went out with Linlin, and her safety was your responsibility. Now that she is missing, it only shows that you have not done your job properly. If something happens to her, can you bear the responsibility?"


    This chapter is updated by freew(e)bnovel.(c)om

 Chapter 29 The Meddling Beauty

    <h4>Chapter 29: Chapter 29 The Meddling Beauty</h4><h4><strong>Editor: </strong>Larbre Studio </h4>


    "Chairman, I..."


    "I¡¯m not in the mood to listen to your exnations, I¡¯m giving you twelve hours to find Lin. You better pray nothing happens to her, otherwise, you¡¯ll bear the consequences. Get out!"


    Leaving the office, Ling Chen mutteredints under his breath. Twelve hours was hardly enough; it all came down to luck now.


    As he reached the ground floor, he saw Zhong Wei gathering team members, even some from Team Two had been called in, amounting to over twenty people.


    "Captain Zhong."


    Seeing Ling Chen approaching, Zhong Wei¡¯s expression immediately soured.


    "Ling Chen, after you find Miss Su, you should resign on your own. I don¡¯t need irresponsible team members."


    Ling Chen didn¡¯t say anything; it was indeed his oversight this time.


    Leaving thepany, he drove the Santana slowly onto the road, starting the search for Su Lin.


    Time slowly ticked away, and before long, it was already evening.


    More than six hours had passed, and Ling Chen still hadn¡¯t found Su Lin. He thought about contacting Captain Zhong to see how the search was going on his end, but remembering Zhong Wei wasn¡¯t fond of him, he gave up on the idea. Instead, he phoned Wei Jun to have him poke around for some information.


    Shortly after, Wei Jun returned his call. Captain Zhong had no leads either, and Nanrong Wanqing had reported it to the police, asking for their assistance.


    After searching the streets for another couple of hours and seeing that it was nearly nine o¡¯clock, Ling Chen patted his grumbling belly. He parked the car and found a roadside stall, ordering arge serving of scrambled egg rice to fill up before continuing his search.


    In less than a few minutes, therge bowl of rice was empty.


    Patting his full belly and wiping the grease from his mouth, Ling Chen stood up contently.


    Right then, a white Maserati parked by the roadside caught his eye.


    Looking at the license te, Ling Chen¡¯s spirits lifted. There ¨C Su Lin had been here all along. What luck, finding her without even trying.


    He rushed excitedly to the Maserati, saw that there was no one inside, and turned his attention to the surroundings. Soon, a nearby bar drew his attention.


    Stepping inside the bar, it was filled with throbbing DJ music, and many young people engulfed in smoke, making for a chaotic environment.


    Ling Chen quickly scanned the area and found Su Lin, swaying unsteadily on a high bar stool, one hand propping her cheek, her eyes zed and her face flushed red, with a newly poured drink sitting in front of her.


    Seeing Su Lin about to down the drink in one gulp, he hurried over, grabbed her wrist, and snatched the ss from her hand.


    "Miss Su, stop drinking. Let¡¯s go home."


    "Who are you to me, why should you meddle? Get lost."


    Su Lin pushed at Ling Chen, reaching for her drink, but not sitting steadily; she ended up falling towards Ling Chen, tumbling into his arms, with her bright red lips pressing against his neck, leaving a faint lipstick mark.


    "Ling Chen, you bastard, men are all no good."


    Hearing Su Lin muttering curses to herself, Ling Chen smiled wryly, put one arm around her shoulders, and prepared to forcibly take her out of the bar.


    "Let go of me, you jerk."


    Su Lin struggled frantically, her hands beating hard on Ling Chen¡¯s body, trying to break free; but her strength was too little to make any difference, and her struggle only messed up her clothes.


    Right then, a fragrant breeze blew through, and suddenly, a person appeared in front of Ling Chen.


    "Let her go."


    Ling Chen was taken aback by the sudden appearance of the woman.


    Her figure was nearly perfect, arguably the most alluring he had ever seen in his life. Moreover, this woman¡¯s beauty was no less than Su Lin¡¯s; she was definitely a great beauty.


    He found it somewhat difficult to avert his gaze from that eye-catching spot and said to the other party: "Beautifuldy, what did you say?"


    "Let her go."


    "Do you know her?"


    "I don¡¯t, but I know what kind of person you are. Men like you love to prey on women who drown their heartbreaks in alcohol. Too bad you¡¯ve run into me today. You¡¯re out of luck."


    While speaking, the woman gazed at Su Lin in Ling Chen¡¯s arms, with a sh of astonishment and admiration in her eyes.


    Ling Chen was no ordinary person; his keen eyes immediately caught the unusual look in the woman¡¯s eyes, stirring a sense of oddness within him.


    The way this woman looked at Su Lin was not quite right; it felt like... like the way a man looks at a woman. This realization made his eyes pop open.


    Could this woman be...?


    Seeing that Ling Chen was not letting go, the woman furrowed her brows.


    "I told you to let her go, did you hear me?"


    "Beautifuldy, I think you¡¯ve misunderstood. She¡¯s my friend, and I¡¯m about to take her home."


    "Really?"


    The woman looked at Ling Chen half-believingly, then turned to ask Su Lin, "Do you know him?"


    "I don¡¯t know him, I don¡¯t know this bastard, let me go."


    Ling Chen hurriedly said: "She¡¯s drunk, don¡¯t listen to her nonsense."


    "I think you¡¯re the one talking nonsense. Let her go right now, or don¡¯t me me for being impolite."


    Ling Chen was speechless; he had only heard of heroes saving beauties, and now he was witnessing a beauty saving another beauty. It was indeed an eye-opener for him.


    Annoyed by the woman¡¯s pestering, he was in no mood to stick around as he needed to report back promptly, without any time to waste here.


    Immediately, he embraced Su Lin and strode towards the exit.


    Seeing him ignore her, the woman snorted coldly, and with a high side kick, aimed straight at the back of Ling Chen¡¯s head.


    Feeling the strong winding from behind, Ling Chen didn¡¯t hesitate to turn around swiftly. His movements were lightning-fast and precise as he caught the woman¡¯s ankle and gently pushed forward, causing her to stagger back several steps.


    "Youngdy, I don¡¯t like hitting women, especially beautiful women like you. You¡¯d better stop while you¡¯re ahead and not force my hand."


    "Afraid of you? Hardly."


    The woman lunged forward, ready to take another swing.


    But at this moment, arge group of people burst in from outside the bar, led by Zhong Wei. Not just Zhong Wei, Nanrong Wanqing had also arrived.


    "Captain Zhong, over here." Ling Chen waved towards the people at the doorway.


    Zhong Wei strode over, and upon seeing the drunken Su Lin, he immediately rxed.


    With Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s arrival, the noisy bar suddenly quieted down, and all eyes were fixated on her, unable to look away for a long time.


    "Chairwoman, Miss Su is safe, you can rest assured."


    Seeing Su Lin¡¯s disheveled clothes, Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s expression turned slightly cold, then she nced at Ling Chen beside her. When she noticed the lipstick mark on Ling Chen¡¯s neck, her gaze instantly sharpened, and a chill emanated from her.


    "Liang Zhao Hui, you all take Miss Su back first."


    "Yes, Chairwoman."


    "Stop right there!"

 Chapter 30 Beautiful Policewoman (Part 1)

    <h4>Chapter 30: Chapter 30 Beautiful Policewoman (Part 1)</h4><h4><strong>Editor: </strong>Larbre Studio </h4>


    The woman who had just confronted Ling Chen snapped back to reality from Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s stunning beauty and quickly stepped to block Liang Zhao Hui¡¯s way. Then, she pulled out a badge from her pocket and held it high for everyone to see.


    "Police. Who are all of you?"


    Ling Chen was shocked, not expecting the woman to be a police officer. He nced at the badge in her hand, Xia Mutong, a rather unisex name.


    "We are members of Hongyu Group¡¯s security department, this is our chairman Nanrong Wanqing, Miss Su is the chairman¡¯s sister, we are here to take her back. Also, we have reported to the police, you can check if you don¡¯t believe it."


    "She is Nanrong Wanqing?"


    Xia Mutong was secretly astonished, no wonder she had such outstanding looks and aura, she indeed was the golden flower of East Sea City that everyone talked about, and her attitude became slightly more polite.


    Regaining her wits, she immediately took out her phone to call the reception desk and after confirming everyone¡¯s identity, she let them pass.


    However, the disappointment in her eyes as she watched Su Lin being taken away was unmistakable.


    After leaving the bar, Nanrong Wanqing stopped Ling Chen, who was about to get into the car.


    "Chairman, is there anything else?"


    "Come over."


    Ling Chen didn¡¯t understand what she wanted, but still obediently walked over.


    As he approached, Nanrong Wanqing suddenly raised her arm, and a p flew toward Ling Chen¡¯s cheek.


    Seeing this, Ling Chen immediately stepped back and reached out to grab Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s delicate wrist. He was already frowning with anger rising in his heart, but when he grasped her bone-soft hand, it seemed to have a kind of magic, causing a jolt in his heart as if he had been electrocuted, and for a moment, he found himself unable to speak.


    Feeling the strangeness in Ling Chen¡¯s eyes, Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s face turned red for no reason, and she quickly pulled her hand back.


    "Cough, um, Chairman, what are you doing?" Ling Chen said awkwardly.


    "You know very well what you¡¯ve done."


    "Chairman, please speak inly, I don¡¯t understand what you mean."


    "Ling Chen, I didn¡¯t misjudge you, it was my grandfather who was wrong about you. You are not trustworthy at all, do not show up in front of me again, I don¡¯t want to see you anymore."


    Having said that, Nanrong Wanqing was pushed in her wheelchair by her subordinates onto the Rolls-Royce.


    "Chairman..."


    "Enough."


    Zhong Wei interrupted him, coldly saying, "You should leave now, don¡¯t follow us anymore. You can go to thepany andplete the resignation procedures on your own tomorrow."


    "Captain Zhong, what exactly did I do wrong?"


    Ling Chen really couldn¡¯t understand why Nanrong Wanqing hated him so much. He had brought Su Lin back, she shouldn¡¯t be treating him this way.


    "Don¡¯t you know what you did? Go take a good look at yourself in the mirror."


    Watching the slowly departing motorcade, Ling Chen returned to his car alone, and carefully looked at himself in the mirror. Soon enough, he saw a lipstick mark on his neck.


    At that moment, he figured it out.


    Earlier, in the scuffle with Su Lin, her clothes got disheveled, and there was a lipstick mark on his neck. Anyone would have thought the worst. Nanrong Wanqing must have thought he took advantage of Su Lin while she was drunk.


    Having realized this, he couldn¡¯t help but smile bitterly.


    He was too wronged, not even knowing when that lipstick mark got there.


    Well, the misunderstanding had been made. Considering Su Lin¡¯s attitude towards him, she would definitely not step forward to exin. He wasn¡¯t a man out of his senses. Since she hated him to such an extent, why should he continue to stay at thepany and make people ufortable? It was only unfortunate to lose such a generous sry, he was originally counting on that money to pay for Tang Shiyun¡¯s tuition.


    At this time, across the street, a white Buick was parked by the roadside.


    Watching the Santana merge into the traffic, the driver in the Buick took out his phone and dialed a number.


    "The information you gave me was inurate, and there is still the identity of one security personnel that hasn¡¯t been rified. That person is no ordinary individual ¨C feels like he¡¯s in the same line of work as me. You better check this out thoroughly. We¡¯re taking action tomorrow, so make sure you find out tonight."


    The next morning.


    Ling Chen leaned against the wall, arms crossed over his chest, a de of grass dangling from his mouth, watching Nanrong Hao practice his boxing on the empty lot with a casual eye.


    After finishing a set of moves, Nanrong Hao, wiping the sweat from his forehead, ran up to Ling Chen, full of enthusiasm.


    "Chen, how was it? I¡¯ve made some pretty good progress, haven¡¯t I?"


    "Not bad, but you need to work harder, especially since your foundation is still weak." Ling Chen chuckled.


    Ling Chen checked the time; it was almost eight o¡¯clock, time to go to thepany to handle his resignation.


    Seeing Ling Chen¡¯s downcast expression, Nanrong Hao couldn¡¯t help but say, "Chen, is everything okay? Did you suffer any setbacks at work? Tell me, I¡¯ll take care of it for you."


    "You¡¯re that capable?"


    "Of course, except for my Sister and cousin, who in thepany dares not to give me face."


    "Then you¡¯re talking nonsense."


    "Eh... Chen, the one who troubled you, it wasn¡¯t my Sister, was it? If that¡¯s the case, you¡¯re on your own; I can¡¯t help you."


    "You really are disloyal."


    Amidst their conversation, the two arrived at the parking area.


    Ling Chen was about to get into his car when suddenly his gaze was drawn to a Buick in front of him. The sight of the familiar license te made his eyes narrow instantly.


    It was the same Buick that had escapedst time.


    At that moment, the driver of the Buick gently pressed on the elerator, lurching the car forward and stopping again as if taunting.


    "Haozi."


    "Chen, what¡¯s up?"


    "Give me your car keys; you take mine and go back to thepany."


    "Okay."


    Nanrong Hao didn¡¯t ask for the reason and simply tossed the keys to Ling Chen.


    Getting into the car, Ling Chen started the engine and pushed down on the elerator. Simultaneously, the Buick shot out like an arrow.


    Soon, both cars joined the traffic on the road.


    Eight in the morning is the peak of rush hour; traffic was congested, but Ling Chen¡¯s Audi A8 and the Buick sped away furiously, quickly reaching a hundred miles per hour.


    Woo woo!


    Woo woo woo woo!


    "Please pull over immediately for an inspection, the two cars ahead."


    Amidst the crowded traffic, Ling Chen nced at the rearview mirror; a police car was catching up fast from behind. Without thinking, he floored the elerator, clinging to the other car¡¯s tail to keep it from getting away.


    After chasing for several kilometers at breakneck speed, not caring how many red lights they ran through, the number of police cars in pursuit kept growing. Suddenly, Ling Chen saw that the traffic two hundred meters ahead was jammed, impossible to get through.


    "Perfect chance, let¡¯s see where you can run now."


    No sooner had the thought urred than the Buick in front made a sharp brake, its tail swinging quickly, drifting into an alley on the side of the road.


    Without a word, Ling Chen pulled the handbrake, and the tail of the car immediately swung left. As the car¡¯s nose was about to align with the alley entrance, he coordinated his hand and foot movements ¨C shift gears, elerate, release handbrake ¨C in one smooth motion.


    The alley was narrow, just wide enough for one car, posing a serious challenge to driving skills.

 Chapter 31 Beautiful Policewoman (Part 2)

    <h4>Chapter 31: Chapter 31 Beautiful Policewoman (Part 2)</h4><h4><strong>Editor: </strong>Larbre Studio </h4>


    Woo woo woo woo!


    Hearing the police sirening from behind, Ling Chen was quite surprised, as the driver of the police car was skilled, managing to catch up even in such a ce.


    At that moment, the Buick in front suddenly came to an abrupt stop, then shifted into reverse, gaining speed rapidly.


    Think you can scare me?


    Ling Chen raised his eyebrows, driving the Audi straight into it.


    Bang!


    With a loud noise, the front of the Audi collided fiercely with the rear of the Buick, instantly deforming.


    Ling Chen touched his somewhat dizzy head, moved his hand to push aside the airbag, preparing to get out and pull out the driver of the Buick. However, he quickly realized that the door of the Audi was jammed shut due to the severe deformation from the collision.


    What a piece of junk.


    He cursed under his breath, then swung his fist at the front window. The already cracked window shattered into ss fragments with one punch.


    However, before he could even think about getting out of the driver¡¯s seat, he saw a person crawling out of the Buick¡¯s sunroof. Taking advantage of the height of the car, the person leaped with their legs, grabbed the surrounding wall of the alley with both hands, and with a swift movement, vanished from his sight.


    Fearing that the other party might get too far away, Ling Chen hurriedly got out of the driver¡¯s seat, fingers grasping the protruding stones on the wall, ready to climb over.


    "Don¡¯t move! Get down."


    Ling Chen nced from the corner of his eye and froze, seeing Xia Mutong with a gun in hand, her face as frosty as ever, staring at him.


    With the dark muzzle pointed at him, he inwardly cursed his luck, no longer able to focus on the fleeing target.


    "It¡¯s you?"


    At this time, Xia Mutong also recognized Ling Chen.


    "Officer Xia, the driver of the Buick has escaped, aren¡¯t you going to chase?"


    "If he escaped, it¡¯s his luck. Let¡¯s see if you have the same fortune."


    Ling Chen had no choice but to give up the great opportunity in front of him.


    Well, at worst, he¡¯d just get a speeding ticket, a few hundred yuan in fines, but it was a pity the driver of the Buick got away.


    Having witnessed the other¡¯s skills, he was even more certain that the person¡¯s identity was no simple matter. If not a professional killer, then a professional mercenary, and even a top one in the field.


    In his mind, the world¡¯s top ten mercenaries operated in teams, rarely acting alone. Moreover, mercenaries wouldn¡¯t brazenly make such provocative moves; they tend to be low-key in their operations. Considering these experiences, he could rule out the possibility of the other party being a mercenary.


    Since it wasn¡¯t a professional mercenary, it was very likely that the person was a professional assassin.


    Assassins favor calm over action, making thorough preparations and then seeking an opportunity to deliver a fatal strike out of the shadows.


    Additionally, before taking action, assassins track and investigate their targets ¡ª these characteristics all suggest that the Buick driver was an assassin.


    "Could it be him?"


    Ling Chen¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly.


    He knew the world¡¯s top ten assassins. Although he rarely came into contact with them, he understood their modus operandi.


    It was inevitability¡ªhis job nature required him to have this information.


    He couldn¡¯t understand what kind of grievance forced someone to hire a top assassin to put Nanrong Wanqing to death.


    After pondering for a while, the backup that Xia Mutong had called for had arrived. Leaving some colleagues at the scene, Xia Mutong took Ling Chen straight to the police station.


    Sitting in the back seat, Ling Chen looked at Xia Mutong in the rearview mirror, his gaze brightening.


    Last night at the bar, because the lights were too dim, his attention was all on Xia Mutong¡¯s proud chest and hence didn¡¯t take a close look at her face. Now he had the chance to appreciate it, he realized she was really quite beautiful.


    Shoulder-length short hair, a melon seed-shaped face, skin with a healthy wheat color, and a beauty spot next to cherry-like appealing little lips.


    What a pity, such a pity.


    Ling Chen secretly sighed.


    It¡¯s such a waste for a beauty like her to be a lesbian.


    Through the rearview mirror, Xia Mutong felt Ling Chen¡¯s lecherous gaze and her expression immediately fell.


    "If you dare to look one more time, believe it or not, I¡¯ll gouge your eyes out?"


    "Officer Xia, that¡¯s where you¡¯re wrong. It¡¯s not okay to be beautiful and then forbid others to look. You can¡¯t be that stingy; you need to learn to share."


    "Shut up. If you dare say one more word, I¡¯ll tear off your lips as well."


    Ling Chen curled his lips. This little chick¡¯s temper is just like a tigress, even more extreme than Su Lin¡¯s.


    By the time he arrived at the police station and finished the investigation, Ling Chen realized his troubles were quite big.


    A two thousand fine for speeding, revocation of driver¡¯s license, plus the fine for running a red light, totaling almost five thousand. Moreover, due to the seriousness, he was also subject to seven days of detention.


    With only a few hundred bucks in his pocket, that wasn¡¯t even enough to pay the fines. After some thought, he simply made a call to Zhong Wei. After all, he had been arrested while on official duties, so thepany should reimburse him. Besides, he must give Zhong Wei a heads-up about the assassin.


    "Hello, Captain Zhong, it¡¯s me. I¡¯m locked in the police station, could you¡ªhello! Hello!"


    Listening to the dial toneing through the phone, Ling Chen felt annoyed; that guy actually hung up on him.


    At this moment, Xia Mutong came over.


    "Come with me."


    "Where to?"


    "Why all the needless questions."


    Seeing Xia Mutong turn to leave, Ling Chen hurriedly followed her steps and exined, "Officer Xia, you know I¡¯m from the Hongyu Group¡¯s security department. I was chasing a suspect just now. Someone was nning to harm Miss Nanrong, I..."


    "Don¡¯t give me those excuses. I¡¯ve already called yourpany for confirmation. Captain Zhong from your security department denied any such incident. He said it was all your personal affair and has nothing to do with thepany."


    Ling Chen was speechless. He just med his poor personal rtionships at thepany, with not even one person to believe in him, winding up in this sad situation.


    "Let go of me, let go of me..."


    Passing by an interrogation room, Ling Chen pricked up his ears, and suddenly heard a barely audible yellinging from inside.


    "Why is that guy here?"


    He was puzzled and couldn¡¯t help but stop, pushing open the door of the interrogation room. Instantly, the scene that unfolded before his eyes made his gaze turn cold.


    Inside the interrogation room, Jiang Hao was being held down in the chair by two policemen, while another policeman was holding arge bottle of mineral water, forcefully pouring it into Jiang Hao¡¯s mouth.


    Jiang Hao struggled desperately, water gushing continuously from his nostrils, his face full of agony.


    "Stop it!"


    Seeing Ling Chen entering from the interrogation room, Jiang Hao looked as if he saw a savior.


    "Chen, save me, quickly save me."


    One of the policemen looked at Ling Chen, and his expression immediately chilled.


    "Kid, this is none of your business, get out of here." As he spoke, he reached out to push Ling Chen.


    "Heh!"


    With a slight smirk on his lips, Ling Chen casually stood there like an unshakeable pine, and to the policeman¡¯s surprise, he didn¡¯t budge an inch even with the push. In a moment of shock, the policeman put all his strength into pushing, but just at that instant, Ling Chen¡¯s shoulder slightly shifted, making the policeman lose his point of effort, and he stumbled forward, crashing to the ground, knocking out two of his teeth.

 Chapter 32 Assassin (1)

    <h4>Chapter 32: Chapter 32 Assassin (1)</h4><h4><strong>Editor: </strong>Larbre Studio </h4>


    Seeing this, the other two policemen¡¯s faces changed instantly, and they rebuked, "Kid, you¡¯ve got some nerve, daring to attack the police!"


    "Attack the police?" Ling Chenughed and said, "You also saw that he came at me himself. My hands and feet didn¡¯t move, so how can you say I attacked the police? Is this how you guys handle cases?"


    "What are you doing, Ling Chen?" Xia Mutong hurried over from behind.


    Hearing the screams from the interrogation room, she realized that Ling Chen had disappeared. Seeing a police officer on the ground, her face darkened as she asked coldly, "Did you do this?"


    "It¡¯s a misunderstanding, he fell on his own. Besides, these officers were thinking of inflicting corporal punishment on my friend. Officer Xia, is this the way you serve the people with the taxpayers¡¯ money?"


    "You¡¯re talking nonsense."


    One of the police officers angrily said, "Which eye of yours saw us use corporal punishment? I was just making him drink water. If you don¡¯t believe me, you can have him checked."


    Ling Chen scoffed.


    "If I hadn¡¯t discovered it in time, I estimate my friend would have been tortured into confessing by now. Officer Xia, you better give me a reasonable exnation. Are those four words ¡¯extraction of confession by torture¡¯ on the wall just for show?"


    "I will thoroughly investigate this matter, but I don¡¯t need to exin it to you, and don¡¯t forget your current status."


    With that, Xia Mutong turned to the two police officers and said coldly, "Who is in charge of this case?"


    "I am."


    Xia Mutong and Ling Chen turned their heads to see a young man with a crew cut walking in from outside the interrogation room.


    "Wei Dong, what is he charged with?"


    "Just a small-time thug, involved in a group fight, caught by me."


    "I¡¯ve been wronged, I¡¯m innocent. You just barged into my home for no reason and dragged me to the police station. You have no evidence."


    Wei Dong acted as if he hadn¡¯t heard Jiang Hao¡¯s words and said with a smile, "Officer Qin, such a trivial matter is not worth your worry. I¡¯ll handle it; you can go about your business."


    "Since I¡¯ve seen your men use corporal punishment on the prisoner, I cannot stand by. You should first discipline your subordinates. I¡¯ll take the prisoner away; from now on, I am taking over this case."


    Seeing Xia Mutong about to leave with Jiang Hao, Wei Dong stretched out his hand to block her way, smiling insincerely, "Xia Mutong, you¡¯d best stay out of my business."


    "If you dare, goin about me to the chief. If you don¡¯t have the guts, then move aside and don¡¯t block my way."


    Xia Mutong stood her ground unyielding.


    Wei Dong¡¯s eyes flickered, and his furrowed brows suddenly rxed into a light smile.


    "Since Officer Qin wishes to take over this case, of course, I have no objections."


    "Let¡¯s go."


    Leaving the interrogation room, Ling Chen walked shoulder to shoulder with Jiang Hao and asked, "What¡¯s going on with you, kid?"


    "Didn¡¯t I just tell you? That guy Wei Dong barged into my house for no reason, iming that I was involved in a group fight, and forcefully brought me to the police station."


    Jiang Hao wore an innocent expression.


    "He wouldn¡¯t have arrested you without reason. I know exactly what kind of person you are; so don¡¯t try to fool me."


    "Chen, I¡¯ve been busy dealing with legitimate business these past few days, haven¡¯t done anything illegal or criminal. It must be that bastard Yang Sheng; he can¡¯t take my territory, so he¡¯s resorting to such underhanded tactics."


    "How do you know it¡¯s him?"


    "Yang Sheng has strong connections. I heard that his past few opponents were dealt with this way."


    "Are you two done chatting?"


    Xia Mutong turned back impatiently.


    Ling Chen gave an embarrassed smile. Having just witnessed Xia Mutong¡¯s tough approach, his admiration for this ¡¯tigeress¡¯ rapidly grew. Aside from her role as a cop, Xia Mutong was a rather just police officer.


    Upon reaching the detention room, Xia Mutong locked both of them up.


    "Stay put both of you, especially you."


    She pointed at Ling Chen.


    "You should reflect on yourself."


    At this time, at the Hongyu Company headquarters.


    Zhong Wei and Liang Zhao Hui pushed open the door to the chairman¡¯s office and said, "Chairman, it¡¯s almost time, the signing ceremony starts in an hour and a half."


    Nanrong Wanqing put down the contract in her hand and rolling in her wheelchair, said, "Let¡¯s go."


    "Chairman."


    "What else?"


    "It¡¯s about Ling Chen..."


    Nanrong Wanqing said coldly, "Starting today, I do not wish to hear this name ever again. Don¡¯t mention him in front of me in the future."


    "Yes, Chairman."


    The three took the elevator to the underground parking lot, where the car fleet was ready to go.


    "Depart."


    Zhong Wei issued amand through the walkie-talkie, and the lead Land Rover immediately drove out of the parking lot.


    After a journey of more than twenty minutes, the convoy smoothly reached the Old City.


    Today is the groundbreaking ceremony of the first phase of the Old City reconstruction project. Many officials from East Sea City were gathered to witness this significant moment.


    For years, not only had the Old City been notorious for its poor security, but it was also a ce riddled with both vice and chaos, with the crime rate in the city being one of the highest. If the reconstruction project ispleted, it could not only improve the city¡¯s image but would also considerably boost the government officials¡¯ achievements. Thus, they attached great importance to it, braving even the sweltering weather to attend the event in person.


    Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s arrival was undoubtedly the highlight of the event, instantly drawing everyone¡¯s attention.


    In fact, the main purpose for some high-level officials to be there was to catch a glimpse of Nanrong Wanqing. As one of East Sea City¡¯s golden flowers, her name was widely known, although few had actually met her in person.


    Because Nanrong Wanqing had difficulty walking, many of Hongyu Group¡¯s external activities were handled by other staff members. However, given that this was a coboration with government departments, she made a rare personal appearance to show her importance.


    "Liang Zhao Hui, stay close to me and be responsible for the chairman¡¯s safety. Everyone else, spread out."


    At the scene, Zhong Wei was arranging tasks for the team members.


    Since the ceremony was attended by high-ranking officials and business leaders from within the city, the security arrangements for the venue were very strict. From early morning, the surrounding streets were closed off, prohibiting the passage of all non-essential vehicles. There were many barriers set up around the venue, and the onlooking crowd was kept ten meters away from the site.


    The signing ceremony wouldn¡¯t start for another hour, but Nanrong Wanqing was anything but idle. As the main figure behind the ceremony, she inevitably had to interact with the government officials.


    Outside the barriers, the onlookers held sun umbres, braving the blistering sun and engaged in animated discussions.


    However, nobody noticed a man with a mobile phone, wearing a baseball cap and weaving through the crowd. His cold, snake-like gaze asionally swept towards the center of the venue.


    After a while, his phone vibrated. He picked it up; it was a text message with just four words.


    The goods have been dropped.

 Chapter 33 Assassin (2)

    <h4>Chapter 33: Chapter 33 Assassin (2)</h4><h4><strong>Editor: </strong>Larbre Studio </h4>


    Putting away his phone, the man crossed through the crowd and walked alone into an alley beside the road. As he passed the trash can, he found a ck stic bag from the pile of garbage, and then made his way to the end of the alley where there was a broken rolling gate.


    Entering the gate, the man turned on the light, and under the dim yellow glow, there was a small room less than ten square meters, cluttered with sundry items and exuding a pungent, strange odor.


    The man expressionlessly tore open the stic bag and took out a briefcase. Upon opening the case, it contained a Colt M1911 pistol,plete with a silencer and several magazines.


    Securing the gear close to his body under his clothes, the man lifted a shoulder bag from the stic bag and slung it over his back.


    Once everything was ready, he nced at the time, then sat down quietly to one side, closed his eyes, and began conserving his energy.


    At nine forty in the morning, there were still fifty minutes until the signing ceremony.


    At this moment, inside the police station, Ling Chen and Jiang Hao were sitting in the detention center, engaged in sporadic small talk.


    "Chen, Hao," a voice called out.


    Lifting their heads, Ling Chen and Jiang Hao saw Nanrong Haoing quickly towards them, led by Xia Mutong.


    "How did you get here, kid?"


    "Chen, you crashed my car; how could I not know? Are you hurt?"


    "My body¡¯s tougher than that old car of yours. You¡¯vee just in time; hurry up and get us out of here."


    Nanrong Hao helplessly said, "I just asked; they can only release Hao, not you."


    "Why?"


    "You need to be detained for a full seven days before being released," Xia Mutong said coldly from the side.


    "Haozi,e here."


    Ling Chen beckoned with his finger, calling Nanrong Hao closer, and advised, "Tell Liu Kun or your grandfather that someone is out to harm your sister. Tell her to be careful, it would be best if she could beef up security and minimize going out."


    He knew getting through to Zhong Wei would be useless; it was more practical to report directly to Liu Kun.


    "Chen, you might not know, but my sister went to the Old City today to attend a signing ceremony."


    "What?"


    Ling Chen was taken aback.


    The environment in the Old City was chaotic; if he were an assassin, he would definitely choose to strike there.


    "Haozi, this is no joke¡ªwe¡¯re talking about your sister¡¯s life. You must inform her immediately to return to thepany and not stay in the Old City."


    Seeing the seriousness in Ling Chen¡¯s demeanor, Nanrong Hao also grew anxious and nodded quickly, "Okay, I¡¯ll go right now."


    "Jiang Hao, go back to the Old City with Haozi."


    "Got it, Chen."


    After watching the two head out, Ling Chen turned to Xia Mutong, speaking gravely, "Officer Xia, I¡¯m not kidding; an assassin is after Miss Nanrong. Please dispatch additional personnel for support right away."


    "Ling Chen, I¡¯d advise you to save your breath; I won¡¯t be taking your word for it. Besides, the Old City is already under martialw; any assassin going there would be walking straight into a trap."


    After speaking, Xia Mutong turned and left the detention room.


    Back in her office, Xia Mutong had just sat down when a colleague walked in and handed over a document, "Officer Xia, I¡¯ve checked the owner information of that Buick car, the owner is traveling abroad; it wasn¡¯t driven by him."


    "It might be a family member or a friend then."


    "I¡¯ve asked, but his family members are all traveling abroad too; the car has been parked at home and wasn¡¯t lent out."


    Xia Mutong¡¯s brow furrowed slightly, and she immediately took the document.


    At ten ten in the morning.


    At the center of the venue.


    Zhong Wei set down his phone and whispered in Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s ear, "Chairwoman, Housekeeper Liu just called and wants you to return home immediately; he says it¡¯s the old master¡¯smand."


    "Did he say why?"


    "Ling Chen reported to the old master that an assassin is targeting you; the old master is worried about your safety, so..."


    "The signing ceremony is starting in twenty minutes, and important city government officials have arrived; how can I exin my departure at this time?"


    With that, she paused, looked at Zhong Wei, and asked, "Do you believe Ling Chen¡¯s words?"


    "This..."


    "If there is really an assassin, can you guarantee my safety?"


    "Chairwoman, rest assured, we will not let anything happen to you."


    "That¡¯s good enough, I trust the people I trust."


    Zhong Wei stepped aside and gestured to Liang Zhao Hui, who immediately approached him.


    "Captain Zhong, what is it?"


    "Did you check the surroundings yesterday? Are you sure there are no problems?"


    Liang Zhao Hui assured, "There are nomanding heights around; even if there were an assassin, they couldn¡¯t use a sniper rifle; the only method would be up close. With the few of us here, no assassin can get near the Chairwoman."


    Then, he couldn¡¯t help but jest, "Captain Zhong, do you also believe Ling Chen¡¯s nonsense? How could amateurs like himpare to professionals like us? Don¡¯t worry, nothing will happen."


    "Let¡¯s hope so."


    At this time, Nanrong Hao and Jiang Hao hurriedly drove to the Old City.


    As soon as they got out of the car, the two rushed towards the venue.


    "Hao, Brother Hao, over here," called someone.


    Jiang Hao stopped in his tracks and turned to face the man approaching, surprised.


    "Xiong, what are you doing here?"


    After some time of recuperation, Zhao Zhengxiong¡¯s legs had mostly recovered, and he could walk without crutches.


    "I received a message that Yang Sheng is gathering his troops; I figure he wants to make a big move, so I brought my brothers over."


    Hearing this, Jiang Hao immediately became furious and burst out cursing, "That bastard caused me no small trouble. If he didn¡¯te for me, I wouldn¡¯t let him off the hook. Haozi, go find your sister; I¡¯ll gather the guys."


    "Okay."


    Nanrong Hao quickly acknowledged and hurried to the venue.


    The area around the venue was under martialw; no one without permission was allowed to enter, not even Nanrong Hao. Fortunately, a member of Zhong Wei¡¯s team was patrolling nearby; he recognized Hao and let him in.


    "Sister, Sister..."


    Nanrong Wanqing, seeing Nanrong Hao drenched in sweat, frowned, "Why have youe?"


    "Nanrong Hao urgently said, "Sister, someone wants to kill you; you should hurry back."


    "Where did you hear such news?"


    "Chen told me."


    "Who?"


    "Chen, Ling Chen¡ªyou know him, he¡¯s from ourpany."


    Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s face turned cold, and anger brewed in her eyes.


    "Are you involved with him?"


    "I..."


    Seeing the chill emanating from his sister¡¯s face, Nanrong Hao¡¯s shoulders shrank, and he swallowed his words.


    "Nanrong Hao, listen to me; from now on, you are not permitted to have any dealings with that scum. If you dare go against my advice, then don¡¯t me me for being an unsympathetic big sister."


    "Yes... Sister."


    Nanrong Hao nodded submissively. Deep down, he could not help but bitterly think, Chen, what exactly did you do to offend my sister so severely that she regards you as an enemy? Had he known, he would not have mentioned Ling Chen¡¯s name.

 Chapter 34 Assassin (3)

    <h4>Chapter 34: Chapter 34 Assassin (3)</h4><h4><strong>Editor: </strong>Larbre Studio </h4>


    "Chairman."


    Zhong Wei put down the walkie-talkie and walked over.


    "What¡¯s the matter?"


    "Just received news, several groups of thugs are gathering outside the venue, I¡¯m worried they will disrupt the venue¡¯s order."


    "The chaos in the Old City has always been notorious. Go contact the government officials and have them handle it."


    "Understood, Chairman."


    At this moment, on an abandoned basketball court several streets away from the venue, over a hundred people had already gathered.


    "Hao, all our people are here."


    The speaker was a chubby man named Tang Bing, only about 1.6 meters tall, young, with a round pot belly. Despite his stout appearance, he fought fiercely and was one of Jiang Hao¡¯s trusted men.


    "Xiong said there are over sixty more people on his side, that should be enough."


    Just then, ackey hurried over.


    "Hao."


    "How is it, did Yang Sheng that bastard make a move?"


    "No. Hao, I just went to scout, something is off on Yang Sheng¡¯s side."


    "Off? What¡¯s off?"


    "It seems they¡¯re not preparing to hit us, instead they are heading towards the venue."


    Jiang Hao¡¯s expression changed as he muttered to himself, "What is Yang Sheng up to? Right, did you see Yang Sheng himself?"


    "No, those leading are all Yang Sheng¡¯s close cohorts."


    Jiang Hao thought for a moment and then pulled out his phone to call Nanrong Hao.


    "Haozi, Yang Sheng¡¯s people are heading your way, be careful, I¡¯ll bring people over now."


    While everyone was distracted, Yang Sheng, the instigator, was sitting in his Mercedes, smoking a cigarette, on his phone talking to someone.


    "I¡¯ve handled the matter as you wanted, but we need to renegotiate the price. You didn¡¯t mention high-ranking officials would be present; they will definitely trace it back to me once I make a move, the risk is too big, so the previously agreed two million isn¡¯t enough."


    "How much do you want?" the person on the phone asked.


    "Ten million. If the money isn¡¯t in my ount in ten minutes, I¡¯ll order my men to stop."


    "Okay."


    The other party pondered for a moment and agreed.


    Yang Sheng flicked his cigarette out of the window, his smile radiant.


    He thought the other party would bargain, but they agreed quickly.


    "Sheng, ten million isn¡¯t small, but I¡¯m worried something will go wrong," said the driver, concerned.


    "Why worry? I¡¯ve already booked the flight. Once the money is in, I leave the country immediately, they won¡¯t catch me. I¡¯ve already arranged everything here, the business won¡¯t falter, my brothers will keep things running. With that ten million, I¡¯ll go abroad and have fun for a few years. By the time Ie back, when everything has cooled down, I will have enjoyed myself and made money, killing two birds with one stone, what¡¯s not to love?"


    Thinking of the good days ahead, Yang Sheng¡¯s face beamed.


    After all, it was ten million.


    Although being the boss was morous, he didn¡¯t earn much, as he had to support so many brothers. He had only umted a few million after all these years in the gang; ten million was like a pie from the sky.


    "Chen Le, drive, let¡¯s head downtown."


    After a while, seeing that his driver did not respond, Yang Sheng leaned forward from the back seat and pushed his shoulder.


    "Chen..."


    Before he could finish, his face drastically changed, as he saw Chen Le¡¯s head drooping to his chest, with a bloody hole in his temple, blood gushing out, with a small hole next to the car window.


    Before he could react, the car door was opened from the right side, and a man crawled in, a pistol with a silencer in his hand.


    "It¡¯s you?"


    Yang Sheng recognized the person, who had dealt with him in the barst time. He shrank back, a look of terror on his face: "What... what are you going to do?"


    "Call your men to start, otherwise..."


    The man pulled the gun¡¯s slide, chambering a round, and pressed it against Yang Sheng¡¯s forehead.


    "Don¡¯t... don¡¯t kill me..."


    "Then you better do as I say."


    Yang Sheng, not daring to disobey, quickly took out his phone on speaker and dialed a number.


    The call connected, and a man¡¯s voice came through: "Sheng, everyone¡¯s here, when do we start?"


    "Now, immediately."


    Hanging up, Yang Sheng looked at the man, about to plead, only to see the man¡¯s mouth curl into a smile as his finger gently squeezed the trigger.


    At the venue, the signing ceremony was just minutes away from starting, delegates from Hongyu Group and government officials had arrived at the temporarily constructed stage.


    At that moment, several pandemic enforcement officers hurried backstage. Soon, the secretaries of several government officials rushed onto the stage, speaking anxiously into the leaders¡¯ ears.


    "Is that so?"


    The government representative looked shocked and angry.


    "Miss Nanrong, I¡¯m terribly sorry, we just received news that there¡¯s trouble in the Old City, heading this way. They are numerous and powerful; for your safety, it¡¯s best you leave now, we¡¯ll handle things here."


    "Alright, thank you for your efforts."


    "All units assemble, prepare to evacuate."


    Zhong Wei issued the order through his walkie-talkie. Soon, a squad of officers gathered, escorting Nanrong Wanqing and Nanrong Hao towards the direction of their vehicles.


    However, just as they left the venue, they saw arge group of thugs from all directions rushing in, each with a red ribbon tied around their arm, wielding iron bars, attacking everyone on sight.


    The onlooking crowd seeing such a scene, dared not stay, and scattered in all directions.


    Zhong Wei and his colleagues, trained soldiers skilled in urban maneuvers, maintained theirposure amidst the chaos, swiftly escorting Nanrong Wanqing and Nanrong Hao to make a retreat towards the parking area.


    However, the parking spot was across a block, a hundred meters away, requiring a pass through an intersection. At that moment, the streets were filled with disruptive thugs, numerous and potentially obstructive if crossed directly.


    "Liang Zhao Hui."


    Hearing Zhong Wei¡¯s shout, thetter immediately understood, pointing to an alley not far behind: "There¡¯s a shortcut over there."


    As a security personnel and former reconnaissance soldier, he had surveyed the surrounding area before the operation and knew it well. Seeing the road blocked, he immediately enacted a contingency n, retreating through the shortcut.


    The alley was over forty meters long, leading to the opposite street.


    To avoid being caught by the thugs behind them, everyone quickened their pace, running towards the parking spot.


    However, just as they passed the alley, before they could catch a breath, they encountered about forty to fifty thugs, who happened to be passing through the street.


    In an instant, the thugs¡¯ gaze focused on them.


    "Not good!"


    Zhong Wei¡¯s expression darkened, and his muscles immediately tensed.


    "Protect the chairman."

 Chapter 35 Assassin (4)

    <h4>Chapter 35: Chapter 35 Assassin (4)</h4><h4><strong>Editor: </strong>Larbre Studio </h4>


    "Brothers, attack, take them down!"


    The leader of the gangsters shouted, standing in the back, directing his underlings.


    Seeing fifty-odd gangsters wielding iron rods and charging quickly, Liang Zhao Hui hastily pulled Nanrong Wanqing and Nanrong Hao behind him.


    At the same time, Zhong Wei led the other six team members to form a human wall, encircling Nanrong Wanqing and others in the middle.


    As soldiers, especially special forces, the team members were naturally skilled.


    But it was just at the sh that the front-most gangster pioneers were knocked to the ground.


    Gangsters fight for momentum; the more people, the bolder they get. Luckily, Zhong Wei and his team were not pushovers, protecting the center like an iron barrel, preventing the gangsters from getting near Nanrong Wanqing.


    Just then, Nanrong Hao suddenly heard the urgent sound of footsteps from behind and quickly turned his head. In an instant, he saw more than twenty gangsters rushing over from the alley behind.


    "Liang... Liang... Liang Zhao Hui... behind... behind."


    Under extreme tension, he stuttered as he spoke.


    Liang Zhao Hui had already noticed the gangsters behind him without needing to be reminded.


    He handed the wheelchair to Nanrong Hao, kicked down a charging gangster, and said gravely, "Captain Zhong, we better break out now, or it will be toote."


    "Break out!"


    Zhong Wei nced at the situation behind him, made a snap decision, picked up two iron rods from the ground, and fiercely charged into the crowd.


    Faced with gangsters ten times their number, even though the team members were skilled, it was difficult to fight against so many hands, especially in such chaotic circumstances. In a moment, each of them had been hit several times.


    Several team members were struck in the head by iron rods, bleeding profusely, instantly staining their cheeks red. Fortunately, all of them were physically fit and still put up a brave fight despite their injuries.


    Using their brave fighting spirit, the team members and the others forcefully charged out with Nanrong Wanqing and Nanrong Hao.


    Just as they were about to break through the encirclement, Zhong Wei shouted loudly, "Run!"


    Nanrong Hao didn¡¯t dare to dy, pushing the wheelchair and running hard toward the parking area.


    However, just then, "ouch" was heard twice, and for some unknown reason, two team members responsible for covering the rear suddenly fell to the ground and did not get up.


    Seeing this, Liang Zhao Hui immediately grabbed one of them by the arm, trying to lift him up. But then he realized that the person was very heavy, as if he had lost consciousness and passed out. On closer inspection, he saw that the team member¡¯s back was soaked in blood. Lifting the clothes, a conspicuous bullet hole was revealed.


    He changed color and said, "Captain Zhong, there¡¯s a gunman!"


    "What?"


    Zhong Wei was shocked; could it be true as Ling Chen said, that there was an assassin trying to kill the chairman?


    In a sh of thought, he immediately grabbed the wheelchair from Nanrong Hao, using his broad back to shield Nanrong Wanqing, and said with a serious expression, "Everyone, be careful, there¡¯s a sniper hidden in the crowd."


    Nanrong Wanqing frowned and asked, "What about those two?"


    "They¡¯ve been shot; I¡¯m afraid they won¡¯tst long."


    Zhong Wei secretly felt relieved that he had luckily kept Nanrong Wanqing protected in the middle and hadn¡¯t exposed any vulnerabilities. Otherwise, the ones shot wouldn¡¯t have been those two team members.


    The sniper was cunning, knowing to use the gangsters to cover their tracks. In the chaos, no one noticed who the sniper was.


    Under Zhong Wei¡¯s leadership, everyone ran at full speed, trying to reach the parking area as quickly as possible, but the gangsters behind relentlessly pursued, closing the distance between them.


    Because he was pushing the wheelchair, Zhong Wei couldn¡¯t move as fast as he could. The other team members, considering Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s safety, could only follow closely behind, forming a human wall to prevent giving the sniper an opportunity.


    But at this moment, a team member walking side by side stumbled, his body crashing to the ground.


    Liang Zhao Hui caught a glimpse out of the corner of his eye, only to see blood gradually spreading from therade¡¯s back, strikingly conspicuous.


    "Captain Zhong, another brother has been shot."


    "Keep running."


    With a face ashen, Zhong Wei didn¡¯t hesitate at all. He was acutely aware that once those thugs got close, it would be very difficult to ensure Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s safety with just a few of them.


    The crossroads were right ahead; as long as they crossed the intersection, they would quickly reach the parking spot.


    Seeing their destination drawing closer, everyone hurriedly picked up the pace, ready to make the final sprint.


    However, just at this critical moment, a team member following behind Zhong Wei suddenly lunged forward, his upper body tilting and crashing right into Zhong Wei¡¯s legs.


    He was thrown off bnce by the impact, plummeting to the ground as the tightly gripped wheelchair flew out of his hands.


    Propelled by momentum, the wheelchair carrying Nanrong Wanqing slid forward at high speed, momentarily out of control.


    "Chairman!"


    "Sister!"


    Nanrong Hao was shocked and rushed over in a panic, trying to catch up with the runaway wheelchair.


    At this moment, Nanrong Wanqing, sitting in the wheelchair, bit her lip, her face tinged with paleness. Although the wheelchair had a built-in brake system, using it at such speed would undoubtedly send her flying out.


    Yet, she soon noticed a bump not far ahead. Hitting it at this speed would also throw her out of the wheelchair.


    Was she really unable to escape this disaster?


    With this thought, she smiled bitterly and helplessly, her lips curving up, then she closed her eyes and moved her hands to the wheelchair¡¯s brake system.


    Screech!


    When the wheelchair brakes were activated, the forward motion halted abruptly. At the same time, Nanrong Wanqing felt herself losing control, flung out of the wheelchair, plunging towards the concrete floor ahead.


    After a few seconds, Nanrong Wanqing felt as though nothing had happened to her. The concrete floor wasn¡¯t as hard as she had imagined; instead, it felt soft and springy.


    Thinking this, her hand reached out to touch the ground.


    "Chairman, if you keep touching around like that, don¡¯t me me for using you of indecency."


    A familiar yet annoying voice rang in her ears. Nanrong Wanqing immediately opened her eyes, only to see a face full of smug smiles looming before her.


    "Ling Chen?"


    After a while, she uttered two words from her fragrant lips, her tone somewhat surprised.


    No wonder she was unharmed; it turned out he had caught her.


    "Chairman, could you please move your hand away?"


    Although Ling Chen was enjoying it, having Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s hand ced where it was was too much for him to handle.


    Reminded by him, Nanrong Wanqing suddenly realized her hand was at the root of his thigh, merely centimeters away from his private parts.


    Instantly, a sh of embarrassed annoyance flickered through her eyes, and she quickly withdrew her hand.


    "Put me down."


    Hearing hermanding tone, Ling Chen shrugged and casually ced her down on the ground.

 Chapter 36 Assassin (5)

    <h4>Chapter 36: Chapter 36 Assassin (5)</h4><h4><strong>Editor: </strong>Larbre Studio </h4>


    Just as she sat down, Nanrong Wanqing¡¯splexion changed.


    Ling Chen noticed the subtle change in her face and couldn¡¯t help but chuckle to himself. In this over thirty-degree weather, the temperature of the cement floor must be at least forty degrees; anyone who sits on it would scorch their buttocks, let alone someone as delicate as Nanrong Wanqing.


    Nanrong Wanqing bit her lip, supporting herself with her hands on the ground, trying to keep as much distance between her body and the ground as possible. Then, she nced at Ling Chen and said expressionlessly, "Bring me my wheelchair."


    "The wheelchair is broken."


    "Then..."


    Ling Chen was speechless. This woman is so stubborn; a soft word wouldn¡¯t kill her. Her small movements couldn¡¯t escape his eyes; why insist on suffering for pride?


    "Stop the nonsense. It¡¯s an emergency, and if you me me for taking advantage, I can¡¯t help it." Having said that, he ignored Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s fierce gaze and picked her up.


    Holding her soft and fragrant body, Ling Chen felt a stir in his heart. He had been too busy rescuing her earlier to notice. It must be said, her figure and skin are truly exquisite¡ªsoft, smooth, and delicately fair. If only he could... no, what was he thinking?


    At this moment, Nanrong Wanqing leaned against Ling Chen¡¯s robust chest, her body tense and extremely ufortable, her hands uncertain where to rest. Except for her family, no other male had ever touched her before.


    "Weren¡¯t you captured? Howe you are here?"


    She tried to change the subject.


    "I¡¯ll talk about itter, let¡¯s get you out of here first."


    "No, Zhong Wei and the others are still there, we must rescue them."


    "Your grandfather paid me to ensure your safety, he didn¡¯t ask me to protect them."


    "You..."


    "Big Sister, Big Sister!"


    Just then, Nanrong Hao ran over, panting. Seeing Ling Chen was there too, he was overjoyed.


    "Brother Chen, it¡¯s great that you¡¯re here. Big Sister, are you alright?"


    "With me here, what could happen to your big sister?"


    "Brother Chen, what do we do now?"


    As Ling Chen was about to speak, he saw arge group of gangsters, about sixty or seventy, rushing around the corner.


    Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s face turned cold, and she warned, "Hurry, they¡¯re catching up again."


    "Why run? Haozi, go and rescue Zhong Wei and the others. I¡¯ll take your big sister home. We¡¯ll meet at thepany."


    "Okay..."


    "What do you mean ¡¯okay¡¯?"


    Nanrong Wanqing said in frustration.


    "Ling Chen, my brother doesn¡¯t know anything, are you sending him to his death?"


    "Who says he doesn¡¯t know anything? How can you have so little faith in your brother as his big sister? Haozi, Zhong Wei is your responsibility, be careful."


    "Got it. Big Sister, don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t have any problems."


    "Nanrong Hao..."


    Ignoring his big sister¡¯s shouts, Nanrong Hao quickly went to confront the gangstersing from around the corner.


    "Tang Bing, this way."


    These gangsters were not strangers; they were the reinforcements sent by Jiang Hao.


    "It¡¯s Haozi."


    Seeing Nanrong Hao approach, the head gangster, Tang Bing, immediately brightened up.


    "Haozi, we finally found you."


    "Haozi."


    As Nanrong Wanqing saw the gangsters respectfully greeting Nanrong Hao, she was stunned. The eldest grandson of the Nanrong family, when did he fall to being a street thug?


    "Brothers, follow me, let¡¯s thrash them!"


    Watching Nanrong Hao and the others leave, Ling Chen nced at Nanrong Wanqing in his arms and seeing her worried look, said, "Don¡¯t worry, your brother isn¡¯t as bad as you think."


    He finished speaking and carried Nanrong Wanqing in his arms, striding forward quickly.


    At this moment, due to the trouble caused by some gangsters, residents of the Old City, fearing involvement, had shut their doors, and the surrounding streets were nearly deserted, without even a taxi in sight.


    Nanrong Wanqing noticed that Ling Chen didn¡¯t head towards the parking spot and couldn¡¯t help but remind him, "You¡¯re going the wrong way. The car is parked over there."


    "What¡¯s the point of going there? I don¡¯t have the car keys."


    "Where are we going now?"


    "There¡¯s a subway station nearby, we..."


    Before he could finish, Ling Chen suddenly felt a gust of wind carrying residual heat brush past his ear.


    Bullet!


    Years of experience allowed him to make an immediate judgment.


    Without time to look back, he forcefully sprinted with his legs, rushing directly into an alley off the street.


    The opponent had a gun; moving on the main street would make them too visible and give the assassin chances, so they had to find a way to escape through the alleys.


    "What¡¯s wrong?"


    Nanrong Wanqing, held in Ling Chen¡¯s arms, also felt something was amiss.


    "It¡¯s nothing."


    Ling Chen gave her a reassured smile with a calm expression.


    For some reason, touched by Ling Chen¡¯s confident smile, Nanrong Wanqing gradually calmed down.


    Following the narrow alley, Ling Chen sprinted without any ck.


    Although he lived in the Old City, he rarely came to this area and wasn¡¯t very familiar with the terrain, especially these kinds ofnes; he also didn¡¯t know where the next alley would lead.


    Turning left and right in the alley, suddenly, Ling Chen stopped, his brows slightly lifting.


    It was a dead end.


    Immediately, he carried Nanrong Wanqing and turned back the way they came, looking for another way out.


    But just as he was about to step around the corner, he heard a crisp sound, and a spark sshed on the wall next to him.


    With a nce, he saw a man quickly approaching through the alley.


    "We can¡¯t get out."


    He muttered to himself, immediately retreating back to the dead-end with Nanrong Wanqing.


    "Can we still escape?"


    Nanrong Wanqing looked at him. Ling Chen had spotted the assassin, and she did too. Now that they were trapped here, and the opponent had a gun, it seemed impossible to survive.


    "Don¡¯t you trust me?"


    "It¡¯s hard to trust you."


    Ling Chen smirked, this woman reallycked confidence in him.


    Putting away his thoughts, he surveyed the surroundings and saw a pile of misceneous items in the corner, about as tall as a person.


    He carried Nanrong Wanqing to that corner, gently cing her on the ground, then used the misceneous items to shield her body.


    "What good will this do?"


    "Why ask so many questions? Do you have a phone with you?"


    "Yes."


    "Give it to me."


    Nanrong Wanqing didn¡¯t know what he was nning, but still handed over the phone.


    After entering a number, Ling Chen handed the phone back to her, saying, "When I tell you to fire, dial this number. Remember this well, my life is in your hands."


    Nanrong Wanqing nodded her head, although she didn¡¯t like the man in front of her, with their lives at stake, she wouldn¡¯t mess around.


    After settling Nanrong Wanqing, Ling Chen got ready and walked alone into the middle of the alley, calmly facing the corner.


    Soon, a man wearing a duckbill cap and carrying a shoulder bag appeared in his sight.

 Chapter 37 Snake King

    <h4>Chapter 37: Chapter 37 Snake King</h4><h4><strong>Editor: </strong>Larbre Studio </h4>


    "Indeed, it¡¯s you."


    "Do you know me?"


    Ling Chen grinned: "Who doesn¡¯t know the famous Snake King?"


    He had never seen the Snake King before, but he was well aware of his style of operation. The opponent is an assassin, yet a peculiar one. This person likes to create chaos, then silently assassinate the target amid the mayhem, making it hard for others to spot and catch him.


    "I don¡¯t know you, but I know you are on the same path as me."


    "I¡¯m just a small fry, not worthy of your attention."


    The Snake King nced at the pile of debris in the corner and said coldly, "Hand over the person, in consideration that we are in the same profession, I might spare your life."


    "Do you think that¡¯s credible,ing from an assassin?"


    "It seems you know a lot about assassins. Since that¡¯s the case, let me send you on your way first."


    As he spoke, the Snake King slowly raised the gun in his hand, aiming it at Ling Chen¡¯s forehead.


    Ling Chen shrugged: "It¡¯s an honor to die by the Snake King¡¯s hand, fire away."


    Hiding in the corner, Nanrong Wanqing listened to their conversation. As the words ¡¯fire the gun¡¯ reached her ears, following Ling Chen¡¯s instructions, she quickly pressed the dial button.


    Immediately, a pleasant ringtone followed by a sweet voice sounded from behind the Snake King: "Husband, your wife is calling... Husband, your wife is calling..."


    Hearing the sudden noise, the Snake King instinctively turned his head to look back, only to see a mobile phone lying in the bushes behind him, the sound emanating from it.


    He¡¯s been tricked!


    A sinking feeling in his heart, he quickly shifted his gaze back to Ling Chen, his finger rapidly pulling the trigger.


    But before the sound of the gun, he felt something hit the barrel, causing the gun to slightly deviate, and the bullet hit the wall. Without waiting for him to adjust the aim, a strong gust of wind was already striking him.


    Focusing his gaze, he saw Ling Chen cover the distance in two swift steps, rapidly closing in within a blink of an eye.


    "Looking for death!"


    The Snake King shouted angrily, stepping back, he turned the gun head and pulled the trigger again. However, the moment he pulled the trigger, Ling Chen¡¯s right hand had already reached out, firmly holding the slide and pressing against the hammer, preventing the bullet in the chamber from being fired.


    Immediately after, Ling Chen twisted his wrist, like a magic trick, disassembled the slide and recoil spring of the gun.


    Without the recoil spring, the gun was immediately rendered useless.


    "So fast."


    The Snake King was shocked, he had never seen such quick hands, disassembling his gun in an instant, which was even more professional than an assassin.


    In a moment of rapid thought, he immediately abandoned the handgun, pulled out a dagger from his waist, and thrust it towards Ling Chen¡¯s neck.


    Ling Chen tilted his head back to dodge the sharp dagger, stepped forward, and with a fierce shove of his shoulder, he heavily struck the Snake King¡¯s chest. Thetter grunted, stumbling back several steps.


    "Snake King, better surrender. Among the top ten assassins on the assassin list, only those ranked in the top three have the qualification to fight me in closebat, others have no chance, let alone you who are rankedst."


    "Who exactly are you?"


    "You wouldn¡¯t know even if I told you."


    The Snake King¡¯s face darkened. This man in front of him knew assassins very well, definitely a professional. But in his recollection, neither in the assassin nor the mercenary circles was there anyone who could match this guy.


    Seeing Ling Chen step forward, his pupils shrank and he quickly reached into the bag behind him.


    "Don¡¯te any closer."


    Seeing the Snake King take a grenade out of his bag and hold it in his hand, Ling Chen was startled and immediately retracted his advancing step.


    This guy even carries such a high-powered weapon.


    "Today I admit defeat, but don¡¯t get too happy yet. Since you know about assassins, you should know that an assassin never stops until they achieve their goal. You¡¯d better be careful not to give me a chance."


    After speaking, he nced at the corner of the wall and moved backwards step by step.


    Ling Chen, helpless, could only watch as the Snake King left.


    All assassins are crazy. If he acted rashly, that guy would definitely detonate the grenade. He was young, there was no need to die together with him.


    Once sure that the Snake King had left, Ling Chen picked up the keychain on the ground. Just now, when the Snake King was distracted, he had used the keychain to hit the opponent¡¯s handgun, changing the direction of the gun muzzle to avoid getting shot.


    Returning to the corner, looking at Nanrong Wanqing sitting on the ground, he reached out to hold her.


    But the moment he moved closer, the woman suddenly pped him without a word.


    Ling Chen grabbed her slender wrist and said in displeasure, "What are you freaking out about? I haven¡¯t offended you."


    "You know very well what you did."


    "I really don¡¯t know, why don¡¯t you tell me?"


    Nanrong Wanqing suppressed the shame and anger in her eyes and said coldly, "That ringtone just now..."


    "I¡¯m telling you, Chairman, this shouldn¡¯t be your concern right now. I just saved you from the hands of the assassin, don¡¯t you think you should thank me?"


    "You are still an employee of thepany, protecting me is your duty."


    Ling Chen was speechless, this woman really knew how to avoid losses.


    Although temporarily safe, he dared not rx. As the Snake King said, assassins will not easily give up beforepleting their mission, and he was worried that the Snake King might return.


    Holding Nanrong Wanqing as they left the alley, Ling Chen was nning to head for the subway station, but at that moment, Xia Mutong called.


    When he was detained in the detention room before, Xia Mutong had found him, saying that she had discovered some clues that confirmed his guess about the assassin. It took some convincing before Xia Mutong agreed to let him out.


    Initially, Xia Mutong had apanied him to the Old City, but she had received an emergency order from her superior to go protect the municipal leaders, so they had separated.


    Ling Chen told Xia Mutong his location over the phone, then hung up and waited on the street corner for her to arrive.


    "Ling Chen, who are you really?"


    "I, as you just said, am Ling Chen."


    "You know that¡¯s not what I mean."


    Hearing that Nanrong Wanqing was not pleased, Ling Chen casually said, "Does it matter?"


    "You are responsible for my safety; I need to know your background."


    After overhearing the conversation between Ling Chen and the Snake King, she was very curious about who this man really was, and why he knew so much about assassins.


    As the chairman of Hongyu Group and the daughter of the Nanrong family, she rarely had the opportunity toe in contact with the world outside the upper society, let alone the world of assassins.


    "Chairman, I¡¯m really sorry, but my background is only for my family to know. Outsiders are not privy to that information, unless..."


    "Forget I said anything just now."


    Nanrong Wanqing timely interrupted him before he could continue speaking nonchntly, slightly on guard that he might take advantage of the moment.

 Chapter 38 Close Protection (1)

    <h4>Chapter 38: Chapter 38 Close Protection (1)</h4><h4><strong>Editor: </strong>Larbre Studio </h4>


    Within a few minutes, a police car arrived in front of Ling Chen.


    The car door opened, and Xia Mutong quickly stepped out of the driver¡¯s seat, looking tensely at Nanrong Wanqing who was held in Ling Chen¡¯s arms.


    "Miss Nanrong, are you alright?"


    "I¡¯m fine."


    "Ling Chen, you go drive. I will take care of Miss Nanrong."


    As she spoke, Xia Mutong reached out to take over Nanrong Wanqing.


    Ling Chen shrank back, his smile mischievous: "Officer Xia, no need to trouble yourself. I can take care of her. Besides, I don¡¯t have a driver¡¯s license right now, and driving would be illegal."


    This bastard!


    Nanrong Wanqing looked at him indignantly, thinking he was trying to take advantage of her again. Just as she was about to speak, Ling Chen leaned in and whispered a few words into her ear.


    Feeling the warm breath from his mouth, Nanrong Wanqing felt her ears burn, experiencing an indescribable feeling. However, after hearing Ling Chen¡¯s reminder, she immediately swallowed back her words and looked at Xia Mutong with a peculiar expression.


    "Officer Xia, please take us to the Hongyu Group."


    After she spoke, without waiting for Xia Mutong to say more, Ling Chen had already opened the back seat and carried Nanrong Wanqing into the car.


    Joking, entrusting Nanrong Wanqing to Xia Mutong, a lily woman, wasn¡¯t that like a sheep entering a wolf¡¯s mouth?


    Xia Mutong snorted lightly, ring at Ling Chen with dissatisfaction, and grumpily took her seat in the driver¡¯s seat.


    The drive took over twenty minutes, and the three of them arrived at the headquarters of Hongyu Building.


    As soon as they got out of the car, Wei Jun, who was already waiting at the door, quickly approached with a wheelchair, followed by arge group of security guards.


    During the car ride, Nanrong Wanqing had already arranged everything over the phone.


    "Brother Wei."


    Ling Chen greeted, then lifted Nanrong Wanqing out from the backseat. Seeing his actions, the nearby security guards were all stunned.


    They had worked at Hongyu Group for many years and had never seen the chairman being touched by someone of the opposite sex, let alone such intimate contact.


    "Put me down quickly."


    Nanrong Wanqing also noticed the strange looks in the eyes of the people around her, her cheeks heating up.


    Ling Chenplied, gently cing her on a newly prepared wheelchair, then took the nket from Wei Jun¡¯s hands and carefully covered her legs.


    "Brother Wei, take the chairman back to her office for a rest."


    "Okay, you guys, quickly take the chairman back."


    After sending off Nanrong Wanqing, Wei Jun patted Ling Chen¡¯s shoulder, his face filled with envy.


    "Brother, good job."


    "I¡¯m just doing my duty. By the way, have Captain Zhong and the others returned?"


    "They¡¯re receiving treatment at the hospital."


    At this point, Wei Jun couldn¡¯t help but sigh.


    "Just received a notice, four members of the team were shot, one was hit fatally and couldn¡¯t be saved, the other three are okay, they were lucky to survive."


    Ling Chen¡¯s smile faded, and his expression suddenly turned grave. One dead and three seriously injured, this operation was a heavy blow to the team members. If only they had known Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s schedule earlier, perhaps they could have prevented this incident.


    "Ling Chen."


    "Officer Xia, is there anything else?"


    "I must return to the station to report, given the major incident at Hongyu Group. For now, you stay here; we¡¯ll handle your matters another day."


    "Thanks."


    Ling Chen¡¯s gratitude was sincere; without Xia Mutong¡¯s help, he would not have been able to rescue Nanrong Wanqing.


    Shortly after Xia Mutong left, Liu Kun rushed to thepany with Nanrong Yong and Su Lin.


    Ling Chen returned to the office to rest for a while, only to see Wei Juning from outside.


    "Brother Ling, the chairman wants to see you."


    "Alright."


    Taking the elevator to the top floor, Ling Chen knocked and only entered the office after receiving approval.


    In the office were Nanrong Wanqing, Nanrong Hao, Su Lin, Liu Kun, and Zhong Wei, who had returned from the hospital. Ling Chen paid particr attention to an old man in a Zhongshan suit; though unfamiliar in appearance, he immediately guessed who it was.


    Nanrong Yong.


    Liu Kun pointed to the sofa, saying, "Please, have a seat."


    Ling Chen did not hesitate and directly sat down. Carrying Nanrong Wanqing for such a long distance would exhaust even the toughest person.


    "Mr. Ling, we are fortunate to have had you. You saved Wanqing from disaster. On behalf of the Nanrong family, I thank you."


    Nanrong Yong spoke, and Ling Chen hurriedly responded: "It¡¯s what I should do."


    "Mr. Ling, I just heard from Wanqing that you know that assassin?"


    "Snake King, the tenth-ranked assassin." After speaking, Ling Chen corrected, "Elder sir, I know of him, but I do not know him personally."


    Nanrong Yong nodded, then turned to Zhong Wei: "Have you heard of the Snake King?"


    "I heard about him during my military service. Once the Snake King targets someone, he won¡¯t stop until they are dead."


    "Based on what you¡¯ve described, since the Snake King failed this time, he will certainly seek another chance to strike. Wanqing¡¯s safety is still not guaranteed. Mr. Ling, I won¡¯t delve into your past, but your knowledge of the assassins clearly shows your capabilities. I ask nothing else, only that you keep Wanqing safe."


    "Rest assured, that¡¯s part of my duties."


    "No, you might not understand what I mean. Since Wanqing is targeted by an assassin, she is constantly in danger. She isn¡¯t safe either at home or at the office. From today, I hope you can protect Wanqing personally, ensuring she faces no threats."


    "Personally?"


    Ling Chen paused, his gaze unintentionally shifting to Nanrong Wanqing.


    Feeling his stare, Nanrong Wanqing turned her head away, saying, "Grandfather, there¡¯s no need, I..."


    "You don¡¯t need to argue; it concerns your safety and is not up to you. Mr. Ling, as long as you can ensure Wanqing¡¯s safety, any request you have, I will do my best to meet."


    "Well... I have no particr requests."


    "Good, then go back and pack up, and Liu Kun wille to fetch you. Captain Zhong, please apany Mr. Ling out first, I have matters to discuss with Wanqing."


    "Yes."


    Leaving the office, Ling Chen was still in a daze.


    Go back and pack up? Pack what? Could it be... moving in with the Nanrong family?


    "Ling Chen."


    "Hmm? Captain Zhong, is there anything?"


    "I apologize, I didn¡¯t take your warning seriously, which led to this incident and heavy casualties among the team. This failure is my responsibility, and I will offer my resignation to the chairman after handing over my duties. From now on, the chairman¡¯s safety is in your hands."


    "Captain Zhong, please don¡¯t say that. The Snake King is no ordinary assassin; anyone targeted by him hardly escapes death. The chairman¡¯s survival this time also owes to your efforts. Moreover, aside from this incident, what¡¯s most crucial now is managing any potential crises going forward."

 Chapter 39 Close Protection (Part 2)

    <h4>Chapter 39: Chapter 39 Close Protection (Part 2)</h4><h4><strong>Editor: </strong>Larbre Studio </h4>


    Patted the other person¡¯s shoulder, Ling Chen continued, "If you think you failed in your duties, then you should work even harder to make up for your mistake. If you resign when the chairman is most in need of protection, that would be a real dereliction of duty. As security personnel, sacrifices are inevitable, and as a soldier, you should be aware of this."


    "I..."


    "Alright, let¡¯s leave it at that. Don¡¯t overthink it. Let¡¯s continue to work well together and strive to protect the chairman¡¯s safety. That¡¯s the least we can do to honor our fallen brothers."


    The elevator arrived, and just as Ling Chen stepped in, he heard Su Lin¡¯s voice from behind: "Ling Chen, stop."


    Seeing Su Lin approaching, Ling Chen helplessly shrugged his shoulders at Zhong Wei.


    "Captain Zhong, you can go ahead."


    The elevator doors closed, and Ling Chen asked, "Miss Su, what is it you want with me?"


    "Last night..."


    "Don¡¯t get me wrong, I didn¡¯t do anythingst night at the bar."


    "I know."


    Although she was drunk at the barst night, she still retained a bit of sobriety; she was very clear on what Ling Chen did.


    "So, what do you want?"


    "I..."


    Su Lin hesitated, then stammered, "About Qin Yang, I hope you won¡¯t tell my sister."


    So it was about that.


    "Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m not one to gossip. However, Miss Su, I must still remind you: don¡¯t judge a book by its cover. As the saying goes, ¡¯You can know a person¡¯s face but not their heart.¡¯ Don¡¯t be fooled again."


    "I know."


    After saying that, she turned and walked towards the office. After a few steps, she turned her head back and whispered a faint "thank you."


    Ling Chen was slightly taken aback, then smiled. This youngdy actually thanked him. It¡¯s as if the sun rose from the west.


    Back at home, Ling Chen found arge suitcase, packed a few sets of clothes and daily necessities. There wasn¡¯t much of value at home anyway, so it didn¡¯t take long to pack.


    Since he was moving to the Nanrong Family, he definitely wouldn¡¯t be staying in this room anymore.


    Immediately, he called thendlord and managed to get back the thousand yuan deposit.


    Leaving his home, Ling Chen went next door, intending to say goodbye to Tang Shiyun. Seeing that the door was closed, he knocked, but got no response for a long time; probably everyone was at the hospital and hadn¡¯te back yet.


    Well, he¡¯d better give that girl a call. When he has time, he¡¯lle back to see her.


    At this time, Liu Kun had already parked the car downstairs.


    Getting into the car, Liu Kun handed over a bank card from China Construction Bank.


    "What¡¯s this for?"


    "There¡¯s a hundred thousand yuan inside. It¡¯s from the old master for you."


    Ling Chen shook his head, "I don¡¯t want this money; give it to the family of the deceased brother."


    "You don¡¯t need to worry about that. The old master has it all arranged; the deceased¡¯s family won¡¯t be shortchanged. The Nanrong Family has always been clear about rewards and punishments. Take the money, it¡¯s a small token from the Nanrong Family. We¡¯ll be counting on you to protect the young miss¡¯s safety in the future."


    Seeing him say that, Ling Chen no longer yed the modesty card and epted the bank card.


    Just in time, this money was enough to cover Tang Shiyun¡¯s father¡¯s medical expenses and tuition fees.


    Arriving at Wealthy Manor, Nanrong Hao was already waiting at the entrance. As the car came to a stop, he eagerly ran over to open the car door for Ling Chen.


    "Brother Chen."


    Liu Kun watched this and was somewhat surprised. Other than their own young miss and the old master, he¡¯d never seen Nanrong Hao show such respect to anyone else.


    "Kid, you don¡¯t have to do this in the future. I¡¯m not without hands or feet."


    Ling Chen chided him.


    I¡¯m just an employee, Nanrong Hao is the young master; what would his family think if they saw us like this.


    "Y-Yes, Chen, I¡¯ll show you to your room."


    While verballyplying, Nanrong Hao¡¯s movements were swift, as he hurriedly took Ling Chen¡¯srge leather suitcase and quickly walked inside the house.


    Although he had been here a few times before, this was Ling Chen¡¯s first official visit to the Nanrong house.


    Led by Nanrong Hao, Ling Chen directly passed through the living room to the backyard.


    It was here that he truly saw what wealthy families were like.


    The Nanrong family¡¯s backyard was as big as a ser field, surrounded by a wall more than two meters high,plete with gardens and swimming pools.


    Additionally, there were three separate vis built in the backyard, one purely wooden, and the other two vis were more European in style, with exteriors respectively painted white and beige.


    Nanrong Hao pointed at the white vi and said, "That¡¯s where my sister lives, the other beige vi is where I live, and my grandfather lives in the main house."


    Tsk tsk!


    Ling Chen marveled inwardly, this truly was the home of the wealthy.


    "Haozi, where is my room located?"


    "Over there."


    Nanrong Hao extended his hand towards the white vi.


    Ling Chen blinked, somewhat incredulous.


    "I¡¯m going to live with your sister?"


    "Not just with my sister, but also with my cousin. She lives with my sister."


    Here, Nanrong Hao chuckled mischievously, "Chen, you¡¯re in luck. Even I have never stayed in my sister¡¯s vi. You¡¯re the first man to ever stay in my sister¡¯s vi."


    "Did your sister agree to this?"


    "Of course she didn¡¯t agree, but my grandfather made the call, and she doesn¡¯t have the authority to refuse. Unless, of course, she wants to give up her position as the Chair of Hongyu Group. Chen, there¡¯s a saying that it¡¯s good to have an advantage close at hand. This is a rare opportunity, and you must seize it."


    Smack!


    "Ouch... Chen, why did you hit me?"


    "That was on behalf of your sister. If she knew what you said, she definitely wouldn¡¯t let you off. Besides, a rabbit doesn¡¯t eat the grass by its own burrow. Do you think I¡¯m a person without principles?"


    Although his mouth maintained a serious tone, there was something he held back in his heart.


    A rabbit that doesn¡¯t eat the grass by its burrow isn¡¯t a good rabbit; neither is he a man of principles.


    "Chen, let me take you to your room first."


    Entering the white vi, Ling Chen¡¯s vision suddenly became clear. The living room was over a hundred square meters, with a 120-inch LCD TV hanging on the pink-white wall, European noble style leather sofas set in the center, thick woolen carpets on the floor, sitting next to the firece, surrounded by exquisite decorative items, including a few abstract paintings.


    Every detail exuded an elegant aristocratic charm.


    The bedroom arranged for Ling Chen in the Nanrong house was on the first floor, adjacent to the living room.


    The bedroom was over twenty square meters, with an en suite bathroom, and all household appliances were readily avable, far surpassing the room he rented by a considerable margin.


    "Chen, if there¡¯s anything you¡¯re not satisfied with, just let me know, and I¡¯ll have someonee to change it," said Nanrong Hao with a slight smile.


    "It¡¯s already very good."


    Ling Chen nodded, the conditions exceeded his expectations by a lot.


    "Chen, I still have some things to do. If you need anything, just call me."


    "Okay, go ahead with your business."


    After sending off Nanrong Hao, Ling Chen opened his suitcase and arranged his spare clothes in the wardrobe.


    At this moment, a faded old photo that had been tucked among the clothes fell onto the floor.

 Chapter 40 - 39 Close Protection (Part 3)

    <h4>Chapter 40: Chapter 39 Close Protection (Part 3)</h4><h4><strong>Editor: </strong>Larbre Studio </h4>


    He picked up the photo, only to see a four or five-year-old boy on it, smiling very happily. Beside him was a man in his thirties, with chiseled features, piercing eyes, and a straight posture, handsome and heroic. Upon a closer look, one could find that the man bore some resemnce to Ling Chen.


    "Dad..."


    Looking at the man in the old photo, Ling Chen¡¯s lips curled into a bitter smile.


    He had almost forgotten how many years it had been since hest saw his father. Five years? Six years? Or seven? It had been so long that he no longer had any recollection of it.


    In his memory, when he was very young, his dad took him away from home and they lived a vagrant life. Later, when he was in his teens and capable of independence, his dad said that he had important things to attend to and left him. Since then, he had never seen his father again and had no idea how he was doing now.


    "Ling Chen."


    A voice rang out, abruptly interrupting Ling Chen¡¯s thoughts.


    He put away the photo and looked towards the bedroom door to see Su Lin walking in with high heels, her face showing annoyance.


    "Miss Su." He gave a grin, greeting her.


    Su Lin, looking displeased, said, "Ling Chen, if you¡¯re sensible, you¡¯ll move out on your own. This is the ce where Wanqing and I live; we don¡¯t wee men moving in."


    Ling Chen spread his hands helplessly and said, "Miss Su, you can¡¯t just say that; it¡¯s not like I want to move in here, it was the old man¡¯s orders. He is the one who hired me; I¡¯m just following orders. If you want me gone, that¡¯s easy, but go find your grandfather. Don¡¯te to me."


    "You..."


    Su Lin fumed, "If you don¡¯t move out, your life here won¡¯t be pleasant."


    With that, she stomped her foot and left the bedroom.


    Ling Chen shrugged indifferently; it was all arranged by Nanrong Yong, what did it have to do with him?


    After tidying up the room, he checked the time; after being busy all day, it was already past six in the evening. He hadn¡¯t eaten lunch yet, and his stomach was starting toin.


    There was a kitchen in the vi; it wouldn¡¯t hurt to see what there was to eat.


    Leaving the bedroom, Ling Chen was about to head to the kitchen when he saw two people sitting in the living room¡ªit was Nanrong Wanqing and Su Lin.


    As soon as they saw him, Su Lin immediately pulled a long face. However, being a great beauty, whatever expression she wore was pleasing to the eye. On the other hand, Nanrong Wanqing was as indifferent as a millennia-old cier, her eyes showing no fluctuation.


    Ling Chen, nonchnt, waved to the two beautifuldies, smiled, and said, "Ladies, are either of you hungry? How about I make us something to eat together?"


    "Hmph!"


    Su Lin turned her head away, pouting her sexy lips with a look of disdain.


    Nanrong Wanqing said coldly, "Ling Chen, by tomorrow morning, I don¡¯t wish to see you in this vi. Lin, take me back to my room."


    "Oh."


    After saying that, Su Lin gave Ling Chen a harsh re, then proceeded to push the wheelchair upstairs.


    To amodate Nanrong Wanqing, the vi had a wheelchair ramp installed specifically for easy ess to the stairs.


    Hearing the sound of the room door upstairs, Ling Chen felt somewhat helpless. In order not to be disliked, he had to establish a good rtionship with these two beauties.


    Just as he was pondering, the ringtone from the phone in his pocket began to sound.


    "Haozi, what¡¯s up? Dinner at your ce? Okay, I¡¯ll be right there."


    After hanging up the phone, Ling Chen headed straight to the beige-colored vi next door. By that time, Nanrong Hao had already prepared a full table of borate dishes and drinks.


    "Chen,e on, take a seat."


    "You live alone in such a big house?"


    "There are also housemaids, each vi is arranged with a housemaid, specifically responsible for cooking and room cleaning. The housemaid at my sister¡¯s ce seems to have taken a leave, so the meals these past few days have all been prepared by our housemaid."


    "Then why didn¡¯t anyone see food being delivered there just now? I was even ready to cook for myself."


    "Chen, you might not know yet," Nanrong Hao said mysteriously: "My sister and cousin went to argue with my grandpa about kicking you out, but grandpa refused, so they decided to go on a hunger strike in protest. They even specifically notified our housemaid that starting from today, there¡¯s no need to send meals."


    "Hunger strike?"


    Ling Chen¡¯s eyes widened, they were being too harsh on themselves. Two delicate beauties going hungry, what if they harm themselves?


    "Haozi, how about... I talk to your grandpa and move in with you? After all, our houses aren¡¯t far from each other."


    "Chen, you don¡¯t need to worry about this, my grandpa definitely won¡¯t agree. Besides, if you moved here, what if an assassin went to find my sister at night, would you know? I¡¯m not afraid to tell you, my sister is the apple of my grandpa¡¯s eye. He would do anything for her safety. I know it¡¯s tough for you over there, but don¡¯t worry, just endure it for a few days, once everyone gets used to it, it¡¯ll be fine."


    After eating dinner, Ling Chen stayed at Nanrong Hao¡¯s house for a while longer until nine o¡¯clock before returning.


    After taking a shower, he changed into a pair of big boxers, turned on the air conditioner, and copsed on the soft bed, feeling incrediblyfortable.


    He didn¡¯t know how long he slept, but in a daze, Ling Chen suddenly heard slight noises outside. He sat up abruptly, his mind quickly bing alert.


    Someone!


    He leapt out of bed,nding softly on the floor without making a sound. Reaching the bedroom door, he pressed his ear against it and immediately heard very light footstepsing through.


    Although the sound was barely audible, he still heard it.


    The person was clearly trying to step lightly, which wouldn¡¯t be the case if it were someone from the Nanrong Family.


    He slowly twisted the door lock, trying not to make any noise. As soon as a shoulder-width gap appeared at the door, he rolled on the spot, deftly moving into the living room, and then hid his body behind the sofa.


    The living room lights were off, and only a thin thread of moonlight shone through the windows casting a dim light, leaving everything pitch ck, unable to see your hand in front of you.


    Ling Chen wasn¡¯t looking for where the person was but was gauging their position based on their footsteps.


    He kept his body low, rounding the back of the sofa, and quietly approached them.


    As he listened to the footsteps gradually approaching, Ling Chen tensed his whole body, poised like a cheetah ready to pounce.


    A few secondster, a shadow flitted across his field of vision in the moonlight.


    Got you!


    The corner of Ling Chen¡¯s mouth lifted slightly, a sharp gleam shing in his eyes as his body lunged forward, pressing the person to the ground.


    Ah!


    Instantly, a scream rang out.


    Ling Chen was taken aback, why was it a woman?


    There was a floormp right beside him, and he quickly reached out to switch it on. Under the dim light, a delicate and beautiful face was revealed.


    "Miss Su? Howe it¡¯s you!"


    The woman in front of him was none other than that girl, Su Lin.


    With her face flushed, Su Lin scolded angrily, "You beast, take your filthy hands off me right now."


    Uh...


    Only then did Ling Chen notice that when he had pounced on Su Lin, one hand happened tond right in the middle of her cleavage, the softness almost intoxicating him. Moreover, his rear was straddling Su Lin¡¯s body, which couldn¡¯t be more suggestive...


    (Please support, bookmark, leavements, rmend, and tip)

 Chapter 41 - 40 The Young Lady’s Hunger Strike Protest

    <h4>Chapter 41: Chapter 40 The Young Lady¡¯s Hunger Strike Protest</h4><h4><strong>Editor: </strong>Larbre Studio </h4>


    This position... it should be right the other way around with the man on the bottom and the woman on top.


    He was having wild thoughts.


    If Su Lin knew what he was thinking, she would scold him for being a lecher again.


    Standing up, he reached out to help Su Lin, who was lying on the ground, but she pped his hand away.


    Massaging her sore lower back, Su Lin was seething with anger.


    "Ling Chen, what are you doing? Are you trying to harm me?"


    Ling Chen replied with an innocent face: "Miss Su, you can¡¯t me me for this. Who asked you to sneak around? I thought an assassin had broken in. It was pitch dark just now; how could I know it was you? Eh, what¡¯s this?"


    While speaking, he saw something had fallen on the ground and bent down to pick it up. But Su Lin was quicker, grabbing the item before he could and hurriedly hid it behind her back.


    Seeing this, Ling Chen couldn¡¯t help but start tough.


    Su Lin said annoyingly, "What are youughing at?"


    "Miss Su, if I¡¯m not mistaken, that¡¯s a cucumber in the bag, right? Are you hungry?"


    "Who... who¡¯s hungry."


    "If you¡¯re not hungry, then why are you sneaking around with a cucumber, are you nning to... what?"


    Ling Chen looked at her meaningfully, a sly smile on his lips.


    Hearing his words, Su Lin seemed to think of something, and her pretty face instantly turned bright red with anger and embarrassment, yelling, "Ling Chen, you... you... you shameless hooligan, pervert, scumbag, you... you..."


    "Miss Su, I didn¡¯t say anything. Where did your mind go?"


    "You... hooligan, don¡¯t think I don¡¯t know what filthy thing you¡¯re thinking."


    "This is a grave injustice. Miss Su, I meant to ask, are you nning to use the cucumber for a facial mask? What does this have to do with being a hooligan? Could it be you¡¯re thinking something different from me?"


    With that, Su Lin¡¯s face reddened even further, at a loss for how to retort.


    "I have no interest in dealing with a hooligan like you, hmph!"


    With that, she dashed up the stairs, and in the blink of an eye, she was out of sight.


    Ling Chen smiled to himself. During dinner, Nanrong Hao mentioned to him that these two great beauties were nning to go on a hunger strike to protest. He guessed that Su Lin, the girl, must be starving, and that was why she came sneaking out for food in the middle of the night. She was as stealthy as a thief because she was afraid he would find out.


    Checking the time, it was just midnight. He headed straight to the kitchen, opened the fridge, and got to work.


    Before long, two steaming bowls of egg noodles were ready. He sprinkled some chopped green onions, added some seasonings, and Ling Chen carried the two bowls of noodles upstairs.


    The vi had three floors in total; there were two bedrooms on the second floor, situated opposite each other on either side of the hallway.


    It was Ling Chen¡¯s first time going upstairs, and he didn¡¯t know which room Nanrong Wanqing and Su Lin were staying in.


    He ced the two bowls of egg noodles at the corresponding bedroom doors, then gently knocked and returned to the first floor.


    The next morning.


    Before seven o¡¯clock, Ling Chen was already up.


    He went up to the second floor to check and saw that the two bowls of egg noodles outside the bedrooms were still in their ces; one bowl empty and the other untouched.


    Needless to say, the one who had finished the noodles had to be Su Lin, and the one who didn¡¯t was Nanrong Wanqing.


    Although he had not known Nanrong Wanqing for a long time, he was well aware of her character; she was not someone who yielded easily.


    Before the seconddy woke up, he cleared away the two bowls of noodles.


    Around eight in the morning, Nanrong Wanqing and Su Lin finally got out of bed.


    When they reached downstairs and saw Ling Chen eating noodles, Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s face immediately soured.


    "Why are you still here?"


    "Chairwoman, it was your grandfather¡¯s decision, not my own willful insistence to stay. Why must you treat me this way? I¡¯m just an employee."


    "You..."


    Just as Su Lin was about to speak, Nanrong Wanqing interrupted her, "There¡¯s no need to waste words on him. He¡¯s right, he doesn¡¯t call the shots in this matter."


    Ling Chen grinned and said, "Chairwoman, you are indeed understanding." As he said this, he pointed at the egg noodles in front of him and asked, "Would you like some?"


    "Not interested."


    Su Lin replied angrily and then led Nanrong Wanqing out of the vi.


    This little gal... Ling Chen curled his lip, saying she wasn¡¯t interested, yet she had polished off the bowl of egg noodlesst night, not even leaving a drop of soup behind.


    Due to yesterday¡¯s assassination attempt, Nanrong Wanqing nned to rest at home for a few days and not go to thepany for some time.


    However, Ling Chen was the opposite of idle, with much work to be done.


    Soon after breakfast, Zhong Wei arrived. The two had agreed the night before toprehensively upgrade the security facilities of the Nanrong family¡¯s home.


    Ling Chen handed over a list he had prepared to Zhong Wei and asked, "Can you get a hold of these devices?"


    Zhong Wei merely nced at it and pocketed it.


    "No problem, they can be ready within half a day."


    Hearing this, Ling Chen was quite surprised. There were a few military-grade items on his list that couldn¡¯t be purchased on the open market. He had listed them casually, hardly expecting them to be acquired. It seemed the Nanrong family¡¯s connections were broader than he imagined.


    By the end of the morning, Zhong Wei had all the requested equipment ready.


    With another half day¡¯s effort, and with the help of Zhong Wei and Nanrong Hao, Ling Chen installed all the devices. Not only were infrared detectors added to all surveince cameras, but sound monitoring devices were also deployed around thewn. Once activated, they could detect the footsteps of anyone entering the backyardwn.


    After a busy day, Ling Chen returned to the vi to find Nanrong Wanqing and Su Lin had already returned to their rooms, staying out of sight. ording to Nanrong Hao, the two beauties hadn¡¯t eaten anything again today, presumably intending to carry their hunger strike to the end.


    Out ofpassion, Ling Chen still made two bowls of egg noodles and left them in front of thedies¡¯ bedrooms. Just like the previous night, he knocked on the door and then left, waiting until the next morning to pick up the bowls.


    As expected, only one bowl was finished.


    Ling Chen was helpless; he¡¯d yed the good guy, but if his kindness wasn¡¯t appreciated, there was nothing he could do.


    At nine in the morning, Ling Chen called Zhong Wei and then buried himself in his bedroom. Turning on hisputer, he essed aplex website and selected an advertisement at the bottom right corner. Then, he filtered the information in a unique way, eventually arriving at a website address and a series of codes.


    Inside the website was a hidden chatroom, and shortly after entering the codes, he was notified that a stranger hade online to join the chat.


    "13-4, 16-5, 17-1, 19-6."


    Ling Chen typed in several numbers.


    "8-4, 25-8, 4-16."


    The other party quickly responded, simrly using ordinary numbers.


    Seeing those numbers, Ling Chen¡¯s mouth curled upwards, and he continued to converse with the individual using this special method.


    This was amon contact method in the assassin and mercenarymunities, where each set of numbers represented a word. Given the insecurity of the inte, they had to ensure the conversation remained confidential.

 Chapter 42 - 41 Ghosts

    <h4>Chapter 42: Chapter 41 Ghosts</h4><h4><strong>Editor: </strong>Larbre Studio </h4>


    Aftermunicating with the other party, Ling Chen shut down theputer and left alone.


    The security facilities of the Nanrong Family had been fully upgraded, and it was broad daylight; even Snake King wouldn¡¯t dare to attack rashly, so he was quite at ease.


    Leaving from the main gate, a Land Rover was already parked at the door.


    After getting in the car, Ling Chen nced at Zhong Wei in the driver¡¯s seat and said, "Head to Nanming Road."


    "What are you going to do there?"


    "Meet someone."


    In the past few days, he had figured out that instead of always guarding against Snake King¡¯s assassination, it would be better to actively seek him out. Most independent assassins and mercenaries needed an intermediary to receive missions, except for those from organizations.


    Coincidentally, he knew someone in East Sea City who specifically handled domestic business¡ªthe person he had just contacted on theputer.


    When the car arrived at Nanming Road, Ling Chen opened the car door and said, "You find a ce to park. Contact meter."


    Nanming Road had an open-air square, a tourist attraction in East Sea City. At the moment, the square was full of tourists.


    Ling Chen looked around, scrutinizing his surroundings. Soon enough, a fat man sitting on a bench came into his view. In one hand the fat man held an ice cream, and in the other, a newspaper folded into a distinctive shape, which was the agreed-upon secret signal.


    "Fatso."


    The fat man on the bench hadn¡¯t realized anyone was approaching until a handnded on his shoulder. He swallowed a mouthful of ice cream and hastily looked to the side. Before he knew it, Ling Chen was already sitting to his left.


    When he saw Ling Chen¡¯s face clearly, his expression changed instantly, blurting out, "It¡¯s you?"


    "Since you recognize me, it seems I didn¡¯t find the wrong person; did you provide Snake King with the intel?"


    The fat man¡¯s heart raced as he said, "Who... who exactly are you?"


    "Snake King asked you to check on me; don¡¯t you know my background?"


    "I only know you¡¯re called Ling Chen; I can¡¯t find any other information. You know how to contact us, which means Snake King¡¯s guess is right; you¡¯re one of us. Ling Chen, you should be clear about our rules. Business is business, personal vendettas are personal vendettas."


    "I know the rules. I won¡¯t ask for your employer¡¯s information; I just want Snake King¡¯s whereabouts. You¡¯re his contact in Huaxia; he will surely reach out to you if his mission fails."


    "This..."


    The fat man hesitated.


    "What if I don¡¯t tell?"


    Ling Chen patted his shoulder and said with a grin, "Let¡¯s be frank. I know about the organization behind you; if I killed you, they wouldn¡¯t let me off easily. As I understand, in your line of work, as long as the price is right, any information can be sold. So, how about you treat it like I¡¯m buying information from you?"


    Relieved by these words, the fat man licked his ice cream and smiled, "Great, I love to do business. Here¡¯s what we¡¯ll do¡ªI¡¯ll give you a 20% discount, two million. If I have Snake King¡¯s whereabouts, I¡¯ll inform you immediately."


    "I don¡¯t have money."


    "What?"


    Ling Chen spread his hands and said, "I really don¡¯t have money. However, I won¡¯t take your information for free; I¡¯ll trade you information for it."


    "That depends on whether your information is worth that much."


    "You all know Blood Wolf was killed recently, right?"


    "Blood Wolf is a legendary figure in the mercenary and assassin worlds¡ªwho doesn¡¯t know that."


    Ling Chen said with a smirk, "Then do you know who killed him?"


    The fat man abruptly looked up, gazing into Ling Chen¡¯s eyes eagerly, "You know?"


    Ling Chen nodded slightly.


    "Deal. Tell me who killed Blood Wolf, and I¡¯ll help you find Snake King right away."


    "Fatso, that piece of information should be worth more than two million, shouldn¡¯t it?"


    "What do you want then?"


    "Consider it a favor you owe me. If I need help with something in the future, don¡¯t you shirk."


    The fat man thought it over and, gritting his teeth, said, "Alright, deal."


    Getting his hands on that piece of information could definitely a good price. It was well worth the exchange for a favor.


    "Now can you tell?"


    Ling Chen smiled and let out two words: "Ghost."


    "Ghost?"


    The fat man was taken aback and murmured, "So it¡¯s Ghost. Who else but him could have the capability to kill Blood Wolf. But wait!"


    He looked at Ling Chen skeptically, "Ghost is notorious for being elusive¡ªheard of but never seen. No one knows his identity; how can you be sure it¡¯s him?"


    "I have my sources of information; I assure you, this is one hundred percent urate."


    The fat man pressed on, "How much do you know about Ghost?" Before Ling Chen could reply, he quickly added, "I¡¯ll pay any amount for this intel."


    Ling Chen shrugged and said, "I¡¯d like to know the answer to your question too. Fatso, I¡¯ve said what I had to. Don¡¯t forget about Snake King. Let me know as soon as you have news; you know where to find me."


    With that, he patted his seat and left.


    Ghost.


    The most mysterious figure in the mercenary and assassin worlds; no one knew where he came from, nor had anyone ever seen him. Yet everyone feared the Ghost.


    Like its namesake, the Ghost appears unseen and leaves without a trace. Anyone targeted by the Ghost was doomed to die. At least, until now, there had been no exceptions.


    Once upon a time, two intelligence organizations in the world had spent countless effort and money trying to reveal Ghost¡¯s identity, only to return empty-handed.


    No more than twenty people in the world knew of the existence of Ghost.


    Ghost was not an individual, but an organization, part of Huaxia¡¯s most secretive military force, tasked with secret missions.


    There were a total of twelve members in the Ghost Organization, scattered across the globe.


    Ling Chen was once one of them, even the foremost Ghost, the strongest member.


    When he was ordered to take out Blood Wolf, the organization dispatched two teammates to ensure the sess of the mission.


    It couldn¡¯t be helped; as a legendary figure in the mercenary and assassin worlds, Blood Wolf was not ordinary. Even he didn¡¯t have full confidence.


    For that mission, he prepared for months, ultimately intercepting and killing Blood Wolf in a hotel. However, he was also seriously injured in the process, nearly losing his life. It was his oversight; thinking Blood Wolf was dead, he didn¡¯t expect thetter to detonate the bomb he carried, intent on dying together.


    Luckily, his two teammates discovered it in time and protected him with their bodies.


    Although he was saved, the two teammates sacrificed themselves.


    Since then, he had lost heart, ming himself for his teammates¡¯ deaths. Although the organization didn¡¯t fault him but praised him instead, he couldn¡¯t get over it and chose to retire, leaving the ce that brought him grief.


    Before leaving, he gave all his severance pay to the families of the two teammates, hoping to make amends for his failings.

 Chapter 43 - 42 Xiaozhu Administers Acupuncture

    <h4>Chapter 43: Chapter 42 Xiaozhu Administers Acupuncture</h4><h4><strong>Editor: </strong>Larbre Studio </h4>


    Afterward, he came to East Sea City and from then on, lived incognito, only wishing to be an ordinary person.


    Pushing his thoughts aside, Ling Chen took a deep breath and cast everything else out of his mind.


    There was no need to mention the past. Since he had chosen to leave, he should wave goodbye to his former life.


    Finding the ce where Zhong Wei had parked, he got into the car and said, "Let¡¯s go."


    "Do you want toe to the hospital with me to see them?"


    "Alright."


    Liang Zhao Hui and several other members of the first team were all recuperating at the hospital. He should at least pay a visit, considering they were teammates.


    Twenty minutester, the Range Rover stopped in front of City People¡¯s Hospital.


    Ling Chen bought some fruit on the street; it was customary to bring something when visiting patients.


    The Nanrong Family cared a lot about these injured team members, having arranged for them to be in special care wards with personal attendants. When Ling Chen and Zhong Wei arrived, the team members were watching TV in the ward, chatting andughing.


    "Captain Zhong."


    "Captain Zhong..."


    Seeing Zhong Weie in, everyone greeted him.


    However, as Ling Chen appeared behind Zhong Wei, the faces of the team members suddenly became somewhat uneasy, especially Liang Zhao Hui.


    He originally looked down on amateurs like Ling Chen, often mocking him behind his back, but ended up facing a serious setback. If he had heeded Ling Chen¡¯s advice earlier, perhaps they wouldn¡¯t have ended up like this, causing the death of a teammate.


    Ling Chen sensed the awkwardness of the others, knowing they still harbored some grudges against him. Clearing his throat, he took the initiative to greet everyone.


    "Brothers, I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯ve been quite busy these past few days and only found time toe see you all today."


    "Mr. Ling, you¡¯re too polite."


    "Youing to see us is already a joy; why did you bother to buy all these things?"


    Once Ling Chen started speaking, the others followed suit. They were all grown men with military backgrounds, straightforward in character and without much duplicity.


    In just a few moments, everyone¡¯s conversation became lively.


    "Liang, how are your injuries?"


    Liang Zhao Hui managed a wry smile: "The doctor said there¡¯s no major problem."


    Ling Chen took the initiative to talk, giving him face, and Liang was not ungrateful.


    "Ling Chen, about what happenedst time... I..."


    "Why bring up the past? Liang, you just focus on recovering and try to be discharged as soon as possible. The chairman¡¯s safety is too much for Captain Zhong and me; we still need your help."


    "I will."


    Liang Zhao Hui looked at him gratefully, unsure how to begin apologizing, but Ling Chen¡¯s words undoubtedly relieved his embarrassment.


    After chatting casually with the team members for a while, a rush of hurried footsteps suddenly sounded from outside the hospital.


    "The patient is having another episode, hurry up and call Miss Zhu over."


    Hearing the words ¡¯Miss Zhu,¡¯ Ling Chen couldn¡¯t help but turn his head towards the door. For some reason, upon hearing ¡¯Miss Zhu¡¯, he immediately thought of that softly graceful woman, Zhu Xiaozhu.


    Last time at Qingyun Martial Arts Hall, Ye Liangyong seemed to have mentioned to him that Zhu Xiaozhu was a doctor.


    Could it really be her?


    With that thought in mind, he stood up and said, "Captain Zhong, you all chat first, I¡¯m going to check it out."


    Stepping into the corridor, he saw several individuals in white coats rushing into the adjacent ward, with the asional sound of a patient¡¯s cries of pain echoing out.


    Ling Chen stepped outside the hospital ward, peering through the ss window, and a slender, beautiful silhouette immediately caught his eye.


    It was indeed her!


    At that moment, inside the ward, a man in his forties was lying on the hospital bed, struggling nonstop with great strength; several nurses couldn¡¯t hold him down, and one in a white coat was even pushed to the ground.


    Zhu Xiaozhu wanted to check the patient¡¯s condition, but the patient kept thrashing about, preventing her from proceeding.


    "Let me help you."


    The voice arrived, and Zhu Xiaozhu turned her head, only to see Ling Chen walking over.


    "Mr. Ling?"


    Her memory was not bad; she recognized Ling Chen with a single nce.


    Ling Chen grabbed the patient¡¯s hands in one swift move, firmly pinning them to the head of the bed, and pressed down on the patient¡¯s body with his other hand, immobilizing him.


    "Miss Zhu, it¡¯s your turn."


    Zhu Xiaozhu responded, quickly stepping beside him to begin taking the patient¡¯s pulse.


    The two of them were standing close together, and Ling Chen suddenly felt a fragrant breeze; the mix of virgin and body scent was slightly intoxicating.


    Seeing the pulse-taking technique used by Zhu Xiaozhu, Ling Chen¡¯s heart stirred, and he couldn¡¯t help but say, "Miss Zhu, did you learn traditional Chinese medicine?"


    Hearing this, a hint of curiosity gleamed in Zhu Xiaozhu¡¯s clear eyes.


    "Do you know about traditional Chinese medicine?"


    "I know a bit."


    The secret manual he was taught from not only contained mental methods for martial arts but was also all-epassing, recording medical, divining arts, and much more¡ªessences passed down by the ancients.


    The so-called traditional Chinese medicinees from the ancients, profound and vast, and represents the essence of Chinese medicine. However, it is nearly lost today. Even if it exists, it is passed on singrly through a lineage. Because traditional Chinese medicine is more obscure and difficult to understand, very few can master it.


    For Zhu Xiaozhu to grasp traditional Chinese medicine at such a young age was indeed extraordinary. No wonder Ye Liangyongpared Zhu Xiaozhu and Nanrong Wanqing side by side; both are rare and exceptional women.


    "His condition is very serious; we must treat it immediately. Mr. Ling, please help me remove his clothes."


    Ling Chen nodded, and in just three swift moves, he removed the patient¡¯s clothing, then turned the patient over, face down, back facing up.


    "The rest of you, please leave."


    "Yes, Miss Zhu."


    The physicians did not dare dy, aware that Zhu Xiaozhu disliked being disturbed when administering acupuncture. They quickly led the nurses out of the ward, leaving only Ling Chen and Zhu Xiaozhu.


    Seeing the patient ready, Zhu Xiaozhu took out a needle case, ced it at the bedside, and withdrew a fine silver needle. Without needing to be told, Ling Chen had already brought an alcoholmp to her side.


    Zhu Xiaozhu gave him an approving nce and, after sterilizing the silver needle, she focused on the patient¡¯s body. Holding her breath and concentrating, with a slight tremble of her delicate wrist, the silver needle swiftly descended.


    Observing her actions, a look of amazement appeared on Ling Chen¡¯s face.


    After the silver needle entered the patient¡¯s body, it vibrated at a high frequency. To achieve this, the person applying the needle must have trained in Inner Strength.


    Unexpectedly, this woman, gentle as water, had also practiced inner martial arts, which hinted that her background might be quite extraordinary.


    He Gu, Qu Pool, Outer Gate.


    In the blink of an eye, three silver needles had been inserted.


    Sanyinjiao, Yanglingquan, Zu Sanli.


    Six silver needles shot out in session; Zhu Xiaozhu¡¯s fair forehead, white as jade, was now covered in sweat beads.


    Ordinary Chinese medicine practitioners use an Acupuncture Book, mainly focusing on silver needles. But Zhu Xiaozhu¡¯s Acupuncture Book emphasizes the synergy of Inner Strength and silver needles, whichplement each other to achieve the greatest effect. Each silver needle contained powerful Inner Strength, which helps to stimte bodily functions.


    However, this acupuncture technique greatly drains physical strength. Having inserted just six needles, Zhu Xiaozhu¡¯s face was already pale, with sweat streaming down, evidently running out of steam.


    Ling Chen, unable to bear watching, hesitated and said, "Miss Zhu, perhaps you should rest for a while."

 Chapter 44 - 43 Ling Chen’s Medical Skills

    <h4>Chapter 44: Chapter 43 Ling Chen¡¯s Medical Skills</h4><h4><strong>Editor: </strong>Larbre Studio </h4>


    Zhu Xiaozhu shook her head and once again pulled out a silver needle, piercing the patient¡¯s back.


    After this needle, Zhu Xiaozhu¡¯s body swayed slightly, as if her feet had lost strength, and she toppled towards Ling Chen.


    Seeing this, Ling Chen quickly embraced her slender waist to prevent her from falling.


    "Miss Zhu, how are you?"


    Held by Ling Chen¡¯srge hands, their bodies pressed closely together. Feeling the masculine scent emanating from Ling Chen, Zhu Xiaozhu¡¯s pretty face blushed and she quickly wriggled free from his grip, shyly saying, "I¡¯m fine."


    "Miss Zhu, your Inner Strength is exhausted. Continuing with acupuncture might damage your body. Let me help you."


    "You... Can you do it?"


    Zhu Xiaozhu hesitated. Performing acupuncture was no child¡¯s y; a small mistake could endanger the patient¡¯s life.


    Ling Chen grinned and said, "Don¡¯t worry, I wouldn¡¯t joke with someone¡¯s life."


    Originally often deployed on missions outside, injuries weremon, so he had learned some medical skills. Although rudimentary, every technique recorded in that secret manuscript was extraordinary; even the basics were far from simple.


    With that, he pressed down on the patient, pulled out two silver needles in session, aimed, and thrust them deeply.


    He Gu, Taichong.


    After thest two needles were inserted, the struggling patient immediately calmed down, and his breathing gradually stabilized.


    "That¡¯s it."


    Ling Chen exhaled, turned his head to look at Zhu Xiaozhu, and saw her looking at him with keen interest.


    He touched his face, puzzled, "Miss Zhu, why are you staring at me? Is there something on my face?"


    A hint of amusement shed in Zhu Xiaozhu¡¯s beautiful eyes as she lightly smiled.


    "It¡¯s nothing, I just thought Mr. Ling only practiced martial arts. I didn¡¯t expect you to be quite knowledgeable in medicine too."


    She had not reminded Ling Chen, but he knew where to ce the needles, which clearly showed his medicalpetence was not all talk.


    Ling Chen rubbed his hands, looking modest.


    "Miss Zhu, please don¡¯t say that, I just know a little. I¡¯m no match for you."


    "Mr. Ling, you¡¯ve also worked hard. Let¡¯s rest together, I know there¡¯s a tea house across from the hospital."


    When a beautiful woman invites, naturally, Ling Chen would not refuse.


    He returned to the ward and greeted Zhong Wei, then left the hospital with Zhu Xiaozhu.


    Chunfeng Tea House.


    This tea house, a wooden antique building, boasted a traditional and quaint environment. Despite being located in a bustling area, it offered a unique tranquility.


    Zhu Xiaozhu seemed to be a regr here; as soon as she arrived, the waiter, without asking, immediately led her into a private room.


    The private room had no chairs but only a long tea table, surrounded by bamboo mats on each side.


    The two sat on the floor, and soon a waiter brought a set of exquisite tea ware.


    Watching Zhu Xiaozhu skillfully handle the tea ware, Ling Chen couldn¡¯t take his eyes off her.


    True beauty is not about looks but about demeanor. Only women with both beautiful looks and temperament can be considered top-notch.


    Zhu Xiaozhu undoubtedly epitomized such women, every move exuding a gentle and intellectual charm. Being with her, all troubles seemed to vanish.


    "Mr. Ling, please enjoy the tea."


    Smelling the fragrant tea aroma, Ling Chen generously praised, "I didn¡¯t expect Miss Zhu to be a tea ceremony master."


    "I wouldn¡¯t im to be a master; it¡¯s just a hobby I enjoy in my spare time."


    "Miss Zhu, since you invited me for tea, it means you consider me a friend. Let¡¯s be informal, stop calling me ¡¯Mister.¡¯ I¡¯m not used to that title either, just call me by my name."


    Zhu Xiaozhu nodded and said, "My friends all call me Xiaozhu."


    "Xiaozhu, I heard from Mr. Yest time that you were supposed to return to Beijing earlier."


    "The hospital had an emergency patient, so I was dyed for a few more days. After you left Qingyun Martial Arts Hall that day, Mr. He often mentioned you to me, saying that despite your young age, your talent in martial arts is quite rare, truly a rare talent. After witnessing your medical skills today, I am very curious about your training background."


    Ling Chen sipped the green tea and replied, "I don¡¯t have a master; a lot of what I know is self-taught through practice. There are manymonalities between martial arts and medicine, and I just figured it out by making connections."


    "Self-taught and aplished, you are far more capable than I am."


    Nonsense.


    Ling Chen felt helpless inside; without some medical knowledge, he would have died abroad long ago. It¡¯s fair to say that his skills were forced out of necessity.


    "Ling Chen, what are you working as now?"


    "Security."


    "Oh?"


    A hint of surprise shed in Zhu Xiaozhu¡¯s beautiful eyes. Having seen Ling Chen¡¯s capabilities, she hadn¡¯t expected such talent to stoop to be a security guard, which seemed somewhat like a waste.


    "Judging by your ability to take on such a role, the client must be someone significant."


    Ling Chen casually mentioned, "The Nanrong family from East Sea City, you must have heard of them."


    "Nanrong Wanqing?"


    When that name was mentioned, a flicker of special interest passed through Zhu Xiaozhu¡¯s eyes.


    "Do you know her?"


    As soon as the words left his mouth, Ling Chen knew he had asked superfluously.


    Ye Liangyong had once said, ¡¯In the east, there¡¯s Nanrong; in the north, there¡¯s Xiaozhu.¡¯ These two famous women surely knew of each other.


    "She¡¯s a well-known talenteddy in East Sea City, of course, I know her. Ah, it¡¯s quite pitiful to speak of it..."


    Zhu Xiaozhu did not finish, but Ling Chen knew what she meant. Nanrong Wanqing was almost perfect in every aspect, except for her paralyzed legs.


    "Xiaozhu, do you think her legs can still be healed?"


    "Hard to say; it depends on the situation. As I know, the Nanrong family has sought out many famous doctors, but all were helpless."


    Ling Chen joked, "With your excellent medical skills, haven¡¯t they sought you?"


    "They wouldn¡¯t ask for me."


    "Why?"


    Zhu Xiaozhu didn¡¯t say anything, just quietly lifted her teacup. Ling Chen caught on and tactfully did not continue questioning.


    After another half hour of casual conversation and learning she still had patients at the hospital, Ling Chen didn¡¯t want to keep her any longer, so he stood up to say goodbye.


    "Xiaozhu, when are you returning to Beijing?"


    "Next week. Why?"


    "Nothing, just asking. Hopefully, we¡¯ll meet again if there¡¯s a chance."


    "If you have time, don¡¯t forget to visit Mr. He. He has often mentioned you since you left."


    "I know, I¡¯ll make sure to visit if I have time."


    Watching Ling Chen walk away, Zhu Xiaozhu¡¯s gaze slightly altered¡ªan intuition telling her that Ling Chen wasn¡¯t just an ordinary man. Yet she wondered why such a person would choose to live a low-profile life in the city, willingly working as an ordinary security staffer.


    He must have quite a story, right?


    Realizing this, Zhu Xiaozhu suddenly also realized she might have taken too much interest in him. Her face blushed slightly at the thought.


    Ling Chen left Chunfeng Tea House just as Zhong Wei was leaving the hospital; the two of them drove back to Nanrong¡¯s home together.

 Chapter 45 - 44 Su Xiaoniu’s Threat

    <h4>Chapter 45: Chapter 44 Su Xiaoniu¡¯s Threat</h4><h4><strong>Editor: </strong>Larbre Studio </h4>


    "Ling Chen, there¡¯s something I want to discuss with you."


    "Captain Zhong, just speak straightforwardly."


    "Just now in the hospital, a few members mentioned to me that they want to resign. Those people were injured by gunshots during this operation, and even if they recover, their movements will be inconvenient, so they can¡¯t go on missions with the team anymore. Now, the only ones left are Liang Zhao Hui and Zhou Qing, and including you and me, there are only four of us left. We reallyck manpower."


    "What do you think?"


    "Well, I do have several retiredrades, but if you have any better candidates, we should consider themprehensively."


    "Candidates huh... Let me think about it. There¡¯s no rush at this moment."


    After getting back home, Ling Chen gave Tang Shiyun another call.


    He had made several calls these past few days, but couldn¡¯t get through, unable to reach that girl. Because of this, he specifically asked Jiang Hao to go check at Tang Shiyun¡¯s house, but the front gate of her home was tightly closed and no one had been seen returning for days.


    "Sorry, the phone number you have dialed is currently unavable; please try againter..."


    After hanging up, Ling Chen immediately called Jiang Hao¡¯s number.


    "Hello, Jiang Hao, how¡¯s the thing I asked you to do, did you see anyone?"


    "Chen, I was just about to call you. I asked the neighbors, and they said Tang Shiyun¡¯s family moved away a week ago. Didn¡¯t she tell you?"


    "Moved away?"


    Ling Chen was taken aback. He had just started at thepany recently, and with work keeping him busy during the day, and he was hardly ever home, Tang Shiyun must have moved during that time. However, how could she not even call him about something like moving, at least to inform him.


    "Jiang Hao, do you know where they moved to?"


    "I¡¯m not sure, the neighbors don¡¯t know either."


    "Keep an eye out for me, remember to let me know if you hear anything about her."


    "Sure. Hey, by the way, Chen, don¡¯t forget toe see the brothers when you have time. Everyone misses you since you left."


    Ling Chen jokingly scolded, "You¡¯re not women, why would you miss me, get lost. I¡¯ll contact you when I have time."


    "Ling Chen,e out for a moment."


    Just as he hung up, Su Lin¡¯s voice came from outside the bedroom.


    What does this girl want now?


    Ling Chen thought to himself, she better not be looking for trouble over that incident the other night.


    Entering the living room, he saw that Nanrong Wanqing was also there.


    "Chairwoman, did you need something?"


    "Take a seat."


    Seeing that Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s tone was much gentler than two days ago, Ling Chen couldn¡¯t help but feel secretly delighted. This woman must be caving in from hunger.


    "Ling Chen, I¡¯m allowing you to stay here."


    Just as he expected!


    "But..."


    Hearing this word, Ling Chen knew the main point wasing.


    "If you want to stay here, there must be three rules. First, you are only allowed to be on the first floor; without permission, do not go to the second floor. Second, you are not allowed to bring friends over. Third, and most importantly, if I have friends over, you must keep out of sight and not appear."


    "No problem."


    Ling Chen agreed immediately.


    He had originally thought that Nanrong Wanqing would make some excessive demands, but it turned out to be quite simple. Although they had set some rules, it was still a good start for him.


    By noon, the nanny at Nanrong Hao¡¯s house had already sent over the meals. Since the three of them hadpromised, there was no need for the two women to continue their hunger strike.


    Nanrong Wanqing and Su Lin¡¯s lunch was sent directly to their rooms, while Ling Chen sat alone in the spacious living room, eating his meal and watching TV.


    At this moment, the local news channel was reporting on a chaotic incident that had urred in the Old City a few days ago.


    "The investigation found that arge-scale brawl in the Old City was secretly nned by a man named Yang Sheng. After days of searching,st night at eleven o¡¯clock, citizens found the bodies of Yang Sheng and his driver in a Mercedes. ording to forensic identification, Yang Sheng had been dead for several days, and the cause of death was a gunshot to the head. The case is still under further investigation..."


    Yang Sheng is actually dead!


    Ling Chen took a bite of his meal, shook his head secretly, and thought it was obvious that it was the work of Snake King.


    Daring to coborate with Snake King is like a mouse walking into a pocket, seeking its own death!


    Just as he was thinking, suddenly the sound of high heels cking came from the stairs on the second floor.


    He casually nced over, and suddenly his mouth hung open, and his eyes couldn¡¯t move away.


    There he saw Su Lin, the littledy, wearing a light blue short skirt paired with ck stockings, showing off her slender and fair legs. She wore a white short-sleeved shirt with the top buttons casually undone, revealing her fair and delicate neck. Through the white shirt, one could faintly see the ck bra inside.


    Her sexy attirebined with her gorgeous face and devilish figure was simply an invitation tomit a crime.


    Especially the seductive ck stockings on those beautiful legs, Ling Chen felt his nose heat up, almost to the point of bleeding.


    It seemed that Su Lin felt Ling Chen¡¯s stunned gaze, her red lips slightly curled up, adding to her charm.


    Devil...


    This littledy definitely has the potential to be a devil.


    Seeing Su Lin heading towards the door, Ling Chen immediately snapped back to reality and asked, "Miss Su, are you going out?"


    "Do I need your permission to go out?"


    "That¡¯s not it, but... if you¡¯re going out, it¡¯s best to bring along Captain Zhong."


    "What¡¯s there to be afraid of, it¡¯s broad daylight, could there be any danger?"


    Su Lin was unconcerned.


    "It¡¯s not that I¡¯m worried about you being in danger, I¡¯m worried about the men outside. Miss Su, for the sake of others¡¯ safety, I strongly suggest you bring security."


    This littledy dressed so sexily, if she walked on the street, any man would be attracted. With the number of impulsive crimes now, I really worry for those men.


    Su Lin seemed to understand the implication in his words and smiled proudly.


    Just say you think I¡¯m pretty, why beat around the bush.


    Her eyes shifted: "Ling Chen, why don¡¯t you apany me out?"


    "Me? No, I have to ensure the director¡¯s safety."


    Ling Chen refused t out. He was kidding. He still vividly remembered thest incident. If he went out with this littledy, who knew if she would continue to find ways to make trouble for him.


    Su Lin was instantly furious. How many men in this world would vie jostling in line just at her call? And he refused so directly? She immediately huffed, "Ling Chen, don¡¯t make excuses. You went out in the morning, so why not in the afternoon? Wanqing is at home safe and sound, she doesn¡¯t need your protection. In a word, are you going or not?"


    "Not going."


    "You!" Su Lin stomped her foot angrily, but for some reason, a sly smile suddenly appeared on her face, triumphantly saying: "Alright then, if you don¡¯t go, I¡¯ll tell my grandfather that you have inappropriate intentions towards me."


    "Damn! Who has intentions toward you?" Ling Chen¡¯s old face instantly turned red. How did this littledy figure out what he was thinking? Facing such a stunning beauty, to say he had no thoughts at all wouldn¡¯t fit the nature of a man.

 Chapter 46 - 45 Haven’t Had Enough Yet?

    <h4>Chapter 46: Chapter 45 Haven¡¯t Had Enough Yet?</h4><h4><strong>Editor: </strong>Larbre Studio </h4>


    "You go exin to my grandpa." After saying that, the girl turned around and left.


    "Fine, I¡¯ll go." Ling Chen was genuinely scared of this girl.


    "That¡¯s a good boy. Hehe!" Su Lin was smug about her sessful scheme, turned around with a smile, and deliberately puffed out her ample bosom, rolling her eyes at Ling Chen before heading out.


    Amitabha Buddha!


    Ling Chen murmured the name of the Buddha.


    As the saying goes, "If I do not enter hell, who will?" For the sake of the men outside, he could only bravely sacrifice himself.


    After leaving the Nanrong Family¡¯s residence, Ling Chen got into the Maserati, started the engine, and then took to the road following Su Lin¡¯s directions.


    "Miss Su, the chairman seems to be in a good mood today."


    When he was talking with Nanrong Wanqing earlier, he felt a change in her, distinctly different from the previous days, so he couldn¡¯t help but ask a little more.


    "What does Wanqing¡¯s mood have to do with you? You are only responsible for her safety. You¡¯d better not pry into her private life," she said.


    Ling Chen shrugged his shoulders; Su Lin wasn¡¯t wrong¡ªit was indeed an overstep on his part.


    Before long, the two arrived at a private club in the city center.


    The five-story club covered a thousand square meters. Owning such arge property in the bustling city center attested to the wealth of the club¡¯s owner.


    "Ling Chen, do you want toe in with me?"


    Su Lin asked, a teasing look in her eyes.


    "Go in? Of course, I¡¯ll go in."


    He knew very well what private clubs were all about. With a beauty like Su Lin entering, who knows how many lechers might be attracted? As a security professional hired by the Nanrong Family, Su Lin¡¯s safety was also his responsibility.


    "Good, just don¡¯t regret itter."


    Su Lin sneaked a smile and quickly stepped into the club.


    The private club was open to members only, and entry required showing a membership card. However, Su Lin seemed to be a regr here. Upon her arrival, the doorman hastily opened the door with respectful demeanor: "Miss Su, wee."


    Su Lin nodded her head and walked straight in.


    Ling Chen was about to follow when the doorman stopped him.


    "Sir, this is the main entrance. The lounge is that way."


    "I came with her," Ling Chen pointed at Su Lin.


    "I know, but..."


    "Let him in," Su Lin turned and said.


    The doorman hesitated: "Miss Su, is this... Is this really okay?"


    "What¡¯s wrong with it? I¡¯ll speak with your boss, don¡¯t worry about it."


    "Yes, ma¡¯am."


    With Su Lin¡¯s word, the doorman dared not refuse and quickly allowed Ling Chen inside. Nevertheless, as Ling Chen entered, the doorman gave him a strange look.


    Stepping into the club¡¯s grand hall, it was magnificent, with two crystal chandeliers hanging from the ceiling, carpets fully covering the floor, and marble walls that shone spotlessly, mirroring like a ss. In the center of the hall, there was even a small fountain surrounded by pebbles. At one nce, everything exuded luxury.


    Near the wall, there was a row of sofas upied by several mboyant women in their thirties or forties, draped in designer brands, with any one of their bags worth several months of Ling Chen¡¯s sry.


    When Ling Chen appeared in their line of sight, the women quieted down and looked at him with surprise. However, their expressions soon turned eager as they pointed and talked about him incessantly.


    Feeling their gazes, Ling Chen was somewhat ufortable.


    If she were a beauty, he could have epted it, but those women were all auntie-level. Moreover, their gazes upon him were like... like famished wolves eyeing tender meat, drooling with desire.


    He cleared his throat and quickened his pace, hoping to catch up with Su Lin ahead.


    But at that moment, a woman in her forties, heavily made-up, stood up and walked over, blocking his way.


    "Young man, what¡¯s your rtion to Miss Su?"


    "Is that any of your business?"


    The woman smiled seductively: "Little brother, are you ying dumb or truly clueless, to follow all the way here. Come on, instead of going inside, why not join usdies for a chat outside?" Saying so, she reached to grab Ling Chen¡¯s hand.


    Ling Chen quickly stepped back, his face filled with shock.


    Sister?


    She¡¯s old enough to be my mom.


    Especially with the thickyer of foundation on her face that made her look like she had stayed in a morgue.


    He forced a smile: "Sorry, I¡¯m a bit upied."


    "Where are you going, young man? Let me give you my business card, in case you need some money... Hey, hey!"


    Fearing the older woman would keep bothering him, Ling Chen dashed into the elevator and quickly closed the doors.


    Damn it, to be mistaken for a gigolo.


    No wonder, though he came with Su Lin, the clothes he wore were cheap street stall goods, the disparity between his and Su Lin¡¯s status was obvious to anyone.


    Oh no!


    He only then remembered that he had lost Su Lin, with no idea which floor she had gone to.


    He looked at the elevator buttons and there was only one button, going straight to the fifth floor. Without overthinking, he pressed the button for the fifth floor.


    Soon, the elevator slowly ascended.


    Ding!


    Apanied by a clear bell, the elevator steadily stopped at the fifth-floor portal.


    Stepping out of the elevator, Ling Chen looked down the corridor both ways and saw nobody, the silence was a bit too much.


    "Could it be that I¡¯ve gone to the wrong ce?"


    He talked to himself. But, the elevator had only one button, it shouldn¡¯t be wrong.


    The fifth floor had only one corridor, with bedrooms on both sides, but they were all locked up. Ling Chen followed the corridor all the way to the end, finally spotting a room door ajar.


    He walked over, knocked on the door, then pushed it open and began, "Excuse me, I¡¯d like to ask..."


    Before he could finish, Ling Chen¡¯s eyes fixed in ce, as if frozen by a spell, and his opened mouth couldn¡¯t close.


    In the room, a slim woman stood by the bed, back facing him, hair up, the long dress already off, wearing nothing but a pinkce-trimmed panty, not even a bra.


    Although he couldn¡¯t see the woman¡¯s face, the silky smooth back, the long beautiful legs, along with the shapely figure and the fair skin gave Ling Chen a strong hunch that this was definitely a beauty, and a top-tier one at that.


    At that moment, startled by the sudden noise behind her, the woman instinctively covered her chest with her hands and then turned her head to look toward the doorway.


    Their eyes met, and Ling Chen finally saw clearly the woman¡¯s face.


    A beauty.


    Indeed, a beauty.


    Exquisite features, delicate brows like crescent moons, gently shallow, stirring the soul. In those clear, ss-like eyes was a hint of mncholy, yet with azy allure, intoxicating one¡¯s heart. No words needed, just those eyes alone could convey all her emotions.


    After a moment¡¯s panic and embarrassment, her eyes gradually regained calm.


    Seeing Ling Chen standing there, dumbfounded, she parted her lips and spoke: "Haven¡¯t you seen enough?"

 Chapter 47 - 46 Women’s Private Club (Part 1)

    <h4>Chapter 47: Chapter 46 Women¡¯s Private Club (Part 1)</h4><h4><strong>Editor: </strong>Larbre Studio </h4>


    Hearing her not-so-distant voice, Ling Chen immediately came to his senses and apologized, swiftly exiting the doorway.


    "Stay outside, don¡¯t go."


    The woman¡¯s voice followed him from inside the room. Ling Chen could not help but bitterly smile and stopped his steps which were prepared to leave.


    Running away wasn¡¯t his style, and he had indeed offended her just now. His apology was too hasty. He should properly apologize and seek forgivenesster.


    "Come in."


    Several minutester, the woman inside spoke.


    Ling Chen entered the door and saw the woman sitting on the single-seater sofa, his gaze instantly brightening, a sh of admiration swirling deep within his eyes.


    At this moment, the woman had changed into a light purple long dress, her hair styled up high with only two thin strands left resting on her shoulders, cascading in front of her chest, the ends just touching her full bosom.


    Different from the beauties Ling Chen had seen before, this woman exuded an aura of nobility from head to toe. Sitting there simply, one could feel the elegance, dignity, and aristocracy radiating from her.


    Ling Chen was worldly, but such a woman was a rare sight in his life.


    Such noble demeanor wasn¡¯t something that could be developed overnight but was cultivated over time and came naturally.


    He was very curious about her; she looked to be only around twenty-seven or twenty-eight, and he wondered about her background.


    "Why are you here?"


    The woman¡¯s beautiful eyes slightly lifted, staring straight at Ling Chen, her tone neither cold nor warm, exuding a mature charm.


    "I was taking the elevator up, and it only goes to the fifth floor, so I... I¡¯m sorry, earlier I just wanted to ask for directions, I didn¡¯t mean to offend you, please don¡¯t take it to heart."


    Ling Chen apologized sincerely.


    "Didn¡¯t anyone inform you that it¡¯s my private elevator?"


    Ling Chen shook his head. If he had known it was a private elevator, he would never have entered. He had just bumped into the elevator while avoiding that wealthy woman and didn¡¯t notice much.


    "If that¡¯s the case, then it¡¯s not your fault, it¡¯s the staff¡¯s negligence. I ept your apology."


    Ling Chen was slightly surprised. This woman was too easy-going. He had almost seen her entire body, if it had been any other woman, she probably would have gone mad by now, not letting him off so easily.


    "What¡¯s your name?"


    "Ling Chen."


    "This is a private club, are you a member?"


    "No, I¡¯m security personnel for the Nanrong family, responsible for Miss Su Lin¡¯s safety."


    "So you were brought here by Lin. Lin is my friend. I can act like nothing happened just now, and I hope you can forget about it too and not tell anyone."


    Ling Chen, looking puzzled, reciprocated, "What happened just now?"


    The woman was quite pleased with Ling Chen¡¯s tact, slightly nodding her head, she changed the subject: "You came with Lin, didn¡¯t she tell you what this ce is?"


    "I know, it¡¯s a private club, a ce for wealthy people."


    "It¡¯s true it¡¯s a private club, but this is a women¡¯s private club. We only cater to women, not men. It¡¯s rather inconvenient for a man like you to be here."


    "Uh..."


    Ling Chen was stunned; that little girl really had ulterior motives, bringing him to such a ce¡ªwasn¡¯t that just making him embarrassed. If he had known earlier it was a women¡¯s private club, he would never havee.


    No wonder the doorman looked at him so strangely before.


    Facing the woman¡¯s intoxicating gaze, Ling Chen scratched his head sheepishly: "Sorry, Miss Su didn¡¯t tell me. Since that¡¯s the case, I won¡¯t disturb you any longer."


    After finishing his words, he turned around to leave.


    "Stop."


    The woman stood up and walked gracefully towards him. Ling Chen turned his head and suddenly felt a fragrant breeze. He couldn¡¯t help but take a few deep breaths.


    "Is there anything else?"


    "Don¡¯t take the elevator, use the service stairs."


    This floor has always been upied by her alone, and even if there were guests, they were female. No man has ever entered. If Ling Chen took the elevator down, it would inevitably be seen by others, leading to gossip.


    She was a person who valued her private life and disliked being discussed.


    Ling Chen was smart enough to understand what she meant.


    "Where are the stairs?"


    "Go out the door, turn left, walk straight, and pass through two doors... I better take you there."


    This floor¡¯syout was ratherplex, and she was worried that Ling Chen might identally wander into another room. Saying this, she passed by Ling Chen and led the way ahead.


    However, having only taken a few steps, her legs suddenly softened, her body seemed to lose strength, and her head tilted as she began to fall to the side.


    Ling Chen quickly reacted and supported her body before she could fall.


    Her warm and soft body was in his arms, but Ling Chen had no time to think about anything else, as he gently shook the woman in his arms.


    "Hey, what¡¯s wrong with you, wake up!"


    He patted the woman¡¯s smooth, jade-like cheeks, trying to wake her, but she seemed to have fainted, showing no response.


    ncing at therge bed in the room, he lifted her light and delicate body and gently ced her on the bed, then checked her pulse.


    A few minutes passed, and a sudden change came over his handsome face, a sharp gleam appearing in his eyes.


    Confirming that the woman was not in danger, Ling Chen let go, abandoned the idea of calling an ambnce, and quietly guarded her, unabashedly admiring the beauty of this woman.


    Pure and unadorned, beautiful but not shy, fragile yet strong, like a daffodil. Although young, she seemed to have gone through the trials of time, revealing a noble and elegant temperament.


    Looking at the sleeping woman, for some reason, Ling Chen had no indecent thoughts, even though he had seen her unclothed moments ago.


    After a while, the woman on the bed finally came to.


    She sat up slightly, gently rubbing her forehead, her beautiful eyes unable to hide her weariness.


    "Are you okay? You fainted earlier, so I carried you to the bed."


    Hearing his words, the woman looked at her neatly arranged dress, feeling no difort in her body, and her gaze towards Ling Chen carried a bit of trust.


    "Thank you."


    "Don¡¯t mention it, it¡¯s what I should do."


    "Could you hand me the medicine?" The woman pointed to a thermos on the table across.


    Ling Chen picked up the thermos, opened the lid, and a pungent bitterness immediately assailed his nose.


    He sniffed the medicine, a hint of curiosity shing in his eyes.


    Returning to the bedside, he didn¡¯t hand over the medicine but instead asked, "Miss, are you sick?"


    The woman¡¯s expression turned displeased as she corrected him, "I¡¯m not ¡¯miss¡¯, my name is Liu Xiyao. Whether I am sick or not is none of your business, just hand me the medicine and you can leave."


    Seeing her get upset, Ling Chen realized that his question was too blunt and hurriedly said, "I¡¯m sorry, don¡¯t take it the wrong way, I didn¡¯t mean anything by it, I just wanted to make sure. Miss Liu, after taking your medicine, do you feel energetic, clear-headed, and sleep well?"

 Chapter 48 - 47: Women’s Private Club (Part 2)

    <h4>Chapter 48: Chapter 47: Women¡¯s Private Club (Part 2)</h4><h4><strong>Editor: </strong>Larbre Studio </h4>


    Upon hearing this, Liu Yiyao¡¯s gaze changed subtly, and she reassessed Ling Chen before finally saying, "How do you know all this? Have you studied medicine?"


    Ling Chen gave a nomittal response, "Miss Liu, let me give you a piece of advice. If you wish to live a few more years, it¡¯s best not to continue taking the medication."


    "It¡¯s just traditional Chinese medicine for regting the body. What could be wrong with it?"


    "Miss Liu, if it¡¯s convenient, could you show me your prescription?"


    After hesitating for a moment, Liu Xiyao took out her phone, found a memo with the prescription recorded, and handed it over to Ling Chen.


    "Is there a problem?"


    Ling Chen nced at it and said, "There¡¯s no big issue with the prescription, but there¡¯s a problem with how the medicine is being used. An extra ingredient has been added to the mix. Taken alone, this herb won¡¯t harm the body, but when mixed with other herbs, it will slowly umte in the body, forming a ******** and harming bodily functions. When I took your pulse earlier, you already showed signs of mild poisoning. If you don¡¯t stop taking the medicine immediately and undergo recuperation, you have at most five years left to live." After pausing, he continued, "The reason you fainted earlier was also due to the poisoning."


    Hearing this, Liu Xiyao¡¯splexion changed dramatically, and a sh of anger disappeared from her eyes.


    "Miss Liu, we¡¯re strangers; I have no reason to lie to you. No matter who prepared the medicine for you, you need to be cautious."


    While saying this, Ling Chen couldn¡¯t help but curse inwardly, outraged that someone could bear to harm such a stunning beauty. It was simply unconscionable.


    By now, Liu Xiyao¡¯s expression had returned to calm.


    "I understand, thank you for the warning."


    After speaking, she got up, pulled out a cheque from the bedside drawer, filled in a few numbers, and handed it to Ling Chen.


    "I hope you can keep this matter confidential for me and not let it spread."


    Ling Chen nced at the cheque¡ª200,000 wasn¡¯t a small sum. His lips slightly curved upward as he pushed back the cheque.


    "Miss Liu, I have my principles. You need not worry about me spreading the word. If there¡¯s nothing else, I¡¯ll be taking my leave."


    "Hold on."


    "What else is there?"


    "Since you can see that I¡¯m poisoned, could you help me cure it?"


    "It¡¯s not a big issue. With proper recuperation, you can recover in a few months. This minor matter can be addressed by a hospital; they can help you solve it."


    Liu Xiyao shook her head, "I can¡¯t go to the hospital. If I do, they would definitely..." She stopped mid-sentence, seemingly realizing something, and quickly changed her words, "It¡¯s inconvenient for me to go to the hospital. You are a wise man; some things need not be explicitly stated."


    With that, she walked up to Ling Chen and offered the cheque again, "This 200,000 will serve as your fee for treating me."


    Sensing the plea in Liu Xiyao¡¯s eyes, Ling Chen softened unbeknownst to himself and nodded as if led by some specter.


    "Thank you for helping me."


    Ling Chen felt resigned and unconsciously thought of that old song.


    Your heart is always too soft, too soft... sigh, what can be done when she¡¯s a beauty. When a beauty asks, can the heart not be soft?


    At this moment, the room¡¯sndline phone rang.


    Liu Xiyao answered the call, and whatever was said on the other end made her nce at Ling Chen.


    "Alright, I know."


    After hanging up, she said, "Lin is downstairs having a dispute with someone. You..."


    "I¡¯ll go take a look."


    Before Liu Xiyao finished her sentence, Ling Chen hurriedly ran out of the room. However, just seconds after dashing through the door, he poked his head back in to ask, "By the way, which floor is she on?"


    "Third floor."


    "Got it."


    Third floor... Liu Xiyao¡¯s face paled slightly, and she cursed under her breath, hastily following out the door.


    "Hey, Ling Chen, don¡¯t go to the third floor, that¡¯s where..."


    By then, the hallway was empty; Ling Chen was long gone.


    Finding the emergency exit, Ling Chen, worried about Su Lin being at a disadvantage, quickly made his way to the third floor. Without thinking twice, he burst through the door.


    "Miss Su!"


    The moment the words left his mouth, he was stunned, his pupils dting manifold. The white expanse before him made his head spin.


    Such white legs...


    Such a full chest...


    Ling Chen swallowed hard, his eyes lighting up.


    The third floor of the club was dedicated to hydrotherapy, with spa equipment on one side and severalrge baths on the other.


    The women in the baths, with their graceful figures in sexy bikinis and some wrapped in towels with bare shoulders, while the essential parts were covered, the scene was still irresistible, and Ling Chen feasted his eyes.


    "When did our club allow men?"


    "Pervert."


    "That young guy is quite handsome. I wonder what his body looks like."


    Ling Chen¡¯s sudden appearance provoked quite a reaction, yielding a flurry of gossip and appraisal. The older women were the onesmenting on his appearance, while the younger girls branded him a pervert and a lecher.


    Fortunately, Ling Chen had seen the world and could handle such a scene. He cleared his throat, straightened his jacket, and under the watchful eyes of the women, walked confidently to Su Lin¡¯s side, admiring her; the pink bikini couldn¡¯t hide her ******** voluptuous figure. Usually, because of her somewhat conservative dress, the abundant charm disyed before him now was so full, it made Ling Chen unconsciously swallow.


    "Miss Su, are you okay?"


    It was only then that Su Lin snapped back to reality, looking at Ling Chen with some shock, seemingly not expecting him to show up in such a ce. At the same time, she couldn¡¯t help feeling agitated as his eyes lingered where they shouldn¡¯t, and was about to speak, only to hear a voice dripping with scorn, "Su Lin, is this the boyfriend you found? Hmph, your taste isn¡¯t just poor, it¡¯s atrocious. That such a man caught your eye, no wonder Qin Yang dumped you for my embrace. Only someone like you who has poor taste would end up like this."


    Su Lin fired back, "Song Yuan, listen up, I¡¯m the one who dumped Qin Yang. Who asked him to mess around with other girls? Only someone as promiscuous as you would fancy someone like him."


    Song Yuan tossed her wet hair, unconcerned, "Su Lin, let me teach you something. Just because a woman has been to bed doesn¡¯t make her promiscuous. Are you implying all the women here are loose? Besides, what era are we in now? Who else is as conservative as you, treasuring their chastity like it¡¯s a pricelessmodity? Being over twenty and still a virgin isughable. In my opinion, you should find a man and enjoy the pleasures of the flesh. I guarantee you¡¯ll love that feeling."


    Upon hearing this, many of the surrounding women smiled knowingly.


    Su Lin felt her face burning with shame and anger, "You..."

 Chapter 49 - 48 Women’s Private Club (Part 3)

    <h4>Chapter 49: Chapter 48 Women¡¯s Private Club (Part 3)</h4><h4><strong>Editor: </strong>Larbre Studio </h4>


    "What? Actually, I should really thank you. If it weren¡¯t for you, how could Qin Yang have returned to my side? You have no idea how good Qin Yang has been to me. Look, this ring cost him two hundred thousand to buy from overseas just for me, it¡¯s a limited edition, and he also got me the membership card for that club. Too bad you didn¡¯t have the eyes for it, now you can¡¯t enjoy his goodness. Oh, right, I heard from Qin Yang that you were with him for a year, and apart from holding hands, you never let him touch you anywhere else. Su Lin, do you have some kind of psychological issue? Otherwise, as a normal woman, how could you resist a man¡¯s advances? Could it be that you¡¯re into women?"


    Su Lin was so angry that she couldn¡¯t find the words to respond.


    While they were bickering, Ling Chen nced at the woman named Song Yuan. She was pretty with a voluptuous figure, definitely a beauty, but her eyes and brows carried an overtly seductive charm, not befitting a serious woman.


    Moreover, this woman was clearly a seasoned yer in love affairs, speaking without any scruples. How could someone inexperienced like Su Lin stand a chance against her?


    Seeing that Su Lin did not respond, Song Yuan wore a self-satisfied, victorious smile on her face.


    She and Su Lin were alumni. Her family background was not as good as Su Lin¡¯s, but it wasn¡¯t too shabby either. From the moment she entered school, she had her sights set on Qin Yang, a handsome and rich catch, the typical tall, rich, and handsome. She pursued him for two years, even offering herself up, but Qin Yang paid her no heed, instead starting to pursue Su Lin.


    Every time she saw them walking hand in hand around campus, she was filled with immense jealousy.


    Some time ago, after Qin Yang broke up with Su Lin, he was alone at a bar, where she just happened to run into him. A few drinkster,bined with her taking the initiative, what should have happened did happen, and their rtionship has developed rapidly.


    Today, upon bumping into Su Lin here, she couldn¡¯t hold back her smugness and wanted to unt in front of Su Lin, making her taste the feeling of jealousy.


    "Miss Su, what¡¯s going on?" Ling Chen pulled Su Lin to the side to ask.


    "That crazy woman is sick."


    Su Lin was furious. She was simply there to have a spa treatment, only to run into Song Yuan. She didn¡¯t want to deal with her, but the woman came over on her own initiative, bragging about how wonderful her love life with Qin Yang was.


    Fed up with listening, Su Lin couldn¡¯t help but scold a few words and wanted Song Yuan to leave, but thetter was persistent, hence their argument.


    Upon understanding what had happened, Ling Chen thought it wasn¡¯t a big deal and was about to advise her not to stoop to the level of such an unreasonable woman.


    But at that moment, he saw Song Yuan curling her red lips in disdain, looking at Ling Chen: "Su Lin, where did you pick up this boyfriend of yours from, oozing such a poor and sour smell? Although you have broken up with Qin Yang, you don¡¯t have to degrade yourself like this."


    She knew Ling Chen and Su Lin weren¡¯t in a romantic rtionship; she was just looking for an excuse to continue putting Su Lin down.


    "You... Ling Chen, beat her up for me."


    Su Lin finally found a use for Ling Chen. If she couldn¡¯t win with words, then why not win with fists? She was determined to teach this woman a lesson today.


    "Miss Su, that¡¯s not right, is it? We¡¯re all civilized people, why resort to violence?"


    He had his principles; it¡¯s possible to fight, but not to hit women.


    Su Lin grew impatient, stamping her foot: "Ling Chen, do you still want to stick around in my family, or not? Hit her, I¡¯ll take responsibility if anything happens."


    Song Yuan taunted: "Su Lin, you¡¯re such a failure as a woman, can¡¯t even tame a man. But, I wasn¡¯t wrong just now, your standards are too low, even having eyes for a man without any audacity."


    Ling Chen felt very annoyed; of all the things to say, this woman had to bring him into it.


    He looked at Su Lin, who was about to cry, and spoke: "Miss Su, why bother stooping to the level of such a woman. She has no shame, and is willing to demean herself; you¡¯re lowering your own status by arguing with her."


    Hearing this, Song Yuan¡¯s face froze, anger shed in her eyes as she said word for word: "Who are you calling shameless? Say it again if you dare."


    Ling Chen simply ignored her, continuing: "Some women these days don¡¯t respect themselves, and that¡¯s already bad enough. But they¡¯re also oblivious, thinking that shamelessness is an asset, as if snagging a lousy man is something to be proud of. Miss Song, Miss Su made it clear just now, she dumped Qin Yang because he¡¯s not up to par, and here you are with a man she dumped, where do you get the gall to show off in front of her? Aren¡¯t you just pping your own face? I don¡¯t even know where you get your sense of superiority from."


    Su Lin red at Ling Chen with annoyance, secretly pleased in her heart.


    Just now, when Ling Chen refused to stand up for her, she was stewing in anger, thinking about how she¡¯d deal with himter, but Ling Chen¡¯sst few words made her feel very satisfied.


    Although this guy is annoying at times, he proves to be somewhat useful in critical moments.


    At this instant, perhaps stung by Ling Chen¡¯s words, Song Yuan gritted her teeth and said, "You¡¯ve got some nerve to talk to me like that."


    Ling Chen ¡¯heh¡¯ed: "Just now, I didn¡¯t know who said Icked courage."


    Song Yuan said coldly, "I¡¯ll remember your name, Ling Chen. If you dare, don¡¯t go anywhere. I¡¯ll let you know what happens when you offend me."


    "Fine, I¡¯m not going."


    Ling Chen curled his lips and continued to stand to one side,pletely unfazed by the woman¡¯s threat.


    "What are you all gawking at? Hurry up and throw him out. This is a women¡¯s venue, since when are men allowed in here?"


    Song Yuan yelled at the surrounding staff.


    Although the private club only serves female clients, the security guards are all men. On the notification of the staff, several security guards arrived at the scene quickly.


    Initially, the staff wanted to clear the venue, asking guests to go to the rooms, but everyone wanted to continue watching the drama, so they chose to stay. After all, everyone was wearing bikinis and wrapped in towels, not worried about being seen.


    "Ling Chen, maybe you should go out first."


    Su Lin reminded him softly, thinking about the club¡¯s rule of not admitting men.


    "Okay, I will go outside."


    Song Yuan sneered, "Weren¡¯t you just saying how capable you are, daring to stay here and not leave? Well, then prove you can stay."


    "Ling Chen, don¡¯t stoop to her level; just go outside."


    "And you still have the nerve to call yourself a man, pah!"


    Upon hearing this, Ling Chen who was about to step away instantly retracted his foot. He could tolerate other words, but not this one.


    "Miss Song, I can assure you I¡¯m a man, but you¡¯ll never get to experience that, because I wouldn¡¯t want a woman like you even if you were given to me. No offense, but you¡¯re too dirty, and I¡¯m afraid of catching diseases."


    The women watching the scene suddenly gasped, staring at Ling Chen with wide eyes and speechless; his words were too cruel for any woman.


    "You..."


    Song Yuan¡¯s face turned pale, her finger pointing at Ling Chen, her body trembling slightly, clearly infuriated by hisst remark.


    Ling Chen was indifferent¡ª he wouldn¡¯t treat such a senseless woman kindly.


    Her words were poisonous, and his were even more so.


    "You... what are you spacing out for? Get him out of here now."


    Unable to think of harsher words, Song Yuan directed all her fury at the security guards.

 Chapter 50 - 49: Club Shareholders

    <h4>Chapter 50: Chapter 49: Club Shareholders</h4><h4><strong>Editor: </strong>Larbre Studio </h4>


    "What¡¯s themotion?"


    At this moment, an unhappy voice came through.


    Everyone turned to look, and saw Liu Xiyao, escorted by several staff members, walking towards them.


    Liu Xiyao¡¯s walk was quite distinctive, with hands sped together and hanging in front of her, light footsteps, and her skirt gently fluttering with each step, her beautiful eyes staring straight ahead, exuding an aura of elegance in her every move.


    "Ling Chen, you¡¯re in for it now."


    Seeing Liu Xiyao appear, Song Yuan looked as if she saw a savior, and her face filled with joy.


    "Miss Liu."


    Su Lin hurried forward, about to greet her, but she saw Song Yuan following closely behind, indignant, and questioning: "President Liu, since when did the clubhouse allow men to enter? You must give us an exnation for this."


    Liu Xiyao nced at Ling Chen, who simply shrugged, looking indifferent. She felt somewhat helpless; when Ling Chen left, she had wanted to remind him, but he ran off too quickly for her to catch up.


    "The clubhouse rules haven¡¯t changed; only members can enter," she exined.


    Song Yuan scornfully nced at Ling Chen and said in a tone that looked forward to trouble: "In that case, what do you n to do with this man?"


    Su Lin panicked, as she knew very well Liu Xiyao¡¯s character; she would never allow men in her clubhouse. There was a man who once didn¡¯t believe this, disregarding the rules set by Liu Xiyao, and relying on his family¡¯s influence, tried to force his way into the clubhouse. As a result, that man and his family had to move and were driven straight out of East Sea City.


    Under normal circumstances, given her rtionship with Liu Xiyao, a plea might have resolved the issue without much trouble. But under everyone¡¯s watchful eye, Liu Xiyao might not favor her, because everyone knew Liu Xiyao valued clubhouse rules very much.


    "This young man is in deep trouble."


    "Yeah, who would have thought President Liu would personally intervene?"


    Hearing the whispers around her, Su Lin bit her lip: "Miss Liu, it¡¯s not his fault, it was my mistake; I brought him here, you..."


    "Su Lin, since you brought him in, you are equally responsible," Song Yuan said gleefully.


    Liu Xiyao looked at Su Lin¡¯s pleading eyes and couldn¡¯t help but sigh softly on the inside.


    "You,e with me, everyone else continue with what you were doing," she indicated to Ling Chen.


    Seeing Liu Xiyao intending to take Ling Chen away, Song Yuan became even more anxious. She wanted to witness Ling Chen suffer and relieve the hatred in her heart; she couldn¡¯t allow him to leave.


    "President Liu, you are the owner of the clubhouse, and now someone has broken the rules. If you don¡¯t resolve this matter in front of the guests, how can anyone respect your authority in the future?"


    Liu Xiyao¡¯s eyes flickered, masking the displeasure within, and she coldly responded, "This is my clubhouse; do I need you to teach me how to handle things?"


    "I..." Song Yuan wanted to continue speaking, but seeing the dissatisfaction on Liu Xiyao¡¯s face, she felt suddenly rmed, almost forgetting the stature of the woman in front of her.


    Remembering what Qin Yang had told her about this woman¡¯s background, she shivered and bowed her head.


    Liu Xiyao nced around at everyone, seeing all eyes fixed on her, and immediately understood the situation.


    Without rules, there¡¯s no square (meaning boundaries of proper behavior). Everyone knew she was a stickler for rules; failure to settle Ling Chen¡¯s issue on the spot would undoubtedly lead to gossip.


    "Ling Chen..."


    Her gaze unsettled, she seemed hesitant and possibly contemting something.


    Ling Chen, seeing her dilemma and not knowing how to start, stepped forward, ready to help her out of the bind. He had indeed broken the rules; there was nothing to argue about, and he would take responsibility. What could they do to him, a grown man, after all?


    "Miss Liu..."


    "Ling Chen is a shareholder of the club."


    As Liu Xiyao¡¯s voice rang out, Ling Chen was instantly taken aback, thinking he had heard wrong.


    Shareholder?


    Since when had he be a shareholder of this club?


    It wasn¡¯t just him; everyone else was stunned as well, especially Song Yuan, who looked at Ling Chen with a face full of disbelief. She would never believe that this guy, dressed in cheap street market clothes, could be a shareholder of this club.


    Su Lin didn¡¯t look at Ling Chen; instead, she was astonished and turned to Liu Xiyao. Liu Xiyao¡¯s statement waspletely unexpected for her.


    Although she had a good rtionship with Liu Xiyao, it wasn¡¯t that good. She was puzzled, why would Liu Xiyao make such a decision? Was it really just to help Ling Chen out of a difficult situation?


    Cough cough!


    Ling Chen coughed twice, drawing everyone¡¯s attention, and smirked: "Miss Liu, if there¡¯s a guest who disrespects the owner of the club, what do you think should be done?"


    "Apologize, cancel membership."


    Song Yuan¡¯s face turned pale, and her mouth slightly opened, but no words came out.


    Ling Chen smiled amiably at Song Yuan: "Miss Song, did you hear what Miss Liu said? I don¡¯t want your apology, and I believe Miss Su won¡¯t care about it either. Pack up your things and get out, and don¡¯t make a fool of yourself outside anymore."


    Under everyone¡¯s gaze, Song Yuan bit down her teeth, forcibly suppressing the resentment in her heart, and walked out the door without a word.


    Ling Chen, you¡¯ll remember this!


    "Alright, everyone continue, Ling Chen,e with me."


    "Liu..." Su Lin was somewhat worried; could it be that Liu Xiyao was nning to secretly make trouble for Ling Chen?


    "Lin, I just want to have a chat with him, nothing else."


    After saying that, Liu Xiyao turned and walked out.


    "Miss Su, I¡¯ll be heading out first, you cane find me outsideter."


    After a greeting, Ling Chen quickly followed Liu Xiyao¡¯s steps until they reached the office.


    As soon as he sat down, a staff member brought in a document.


    "This is the shareholder agreement, sign it."


    Ling Chen smiled bitterly: "Miss Liu, I thought what you said earlier was just a joke, I don¡¯t have the money to invest in this club."


    Liu Xiyao said indifferently: "I never take back what I say. You haven¡¯t epted the 200,000 I gave you yet, so consider that as your investment. From now on, aside from me, you are the only shareholder of this club."


    Hearing this, Ling Chen didn¡¯t know what to say. The total investment in this private club was at least several hundred million, and his 200,000 wouldn¡¯t amount to much. He thought Liu Xiyao had onlye up with that idea to help him out, but it turned out she was serious.


    Seeing that Ling Chen hadn¡¯t picked up the pen, Liu Xiyao said: "I have a lot of business, this club is just a part of it. I seldom stay in East Sea City; I usually travel around the country. You live locally, which is perfect for helping me take care of things here."


    "This I can ept."


    Ling Chen grinned and signed his name on the agreement.


    He had put in the money and effort, earning the title of a shareholder; this was fair. As for dividends, he hadn¡¯t thought about it¡ªhow much could he get from a 200,000 investment?


    After checking the agreement, Liu Xiyao put it away in the drawer and said: "Now that we¡¯re done with the small talk, let¡¯s discuss the serious matter. When do you n to start the treatment?"


    "No rush, you cane to East Sea City once a month, and I will personally prepare the medication for you. As long as you persist for about half a year, the toxins in your body won¡¯t pose a threat to your health anymore."

 Chapter 51 - 50 Nanrong Past Events

    <h4>Chapter 51: Chapter 50 Nanrong Past Events</h4><h4><strong>Editor: </strong>Larbre Studio </h4>


    "Okay, I will leave the day after tomorrow ande back this time next month. This is my personal mobile number, you can contact me if you need anything."


    Ling Chen took down the number and also exchanged his own mobile number with Liu Xiyao.


    Just as the matter was settled, Su Lin called to ask where he was.


    "Miss Liu, I¡¯m taking off now. See you next time."


    Leaving the office, Ling Chen walked out of the club only to see Su Lin already changed and sitting in the passenger seat of the Maserati.


    As he got in the car, Su Lin red at him with bright, wide eyes, without even blinking.


    "Miss Su, why are you staring at me like that?"


    "Honestly, what did Liu call you for?"


    "What else could it be? Thanks to you, Miss Liu gave me a good telling-off for breaking the club¡¯s rules."


    Hearing him say that, Su Lin suddenly felt a bit embarrassed. Bringing him to the club was initially to embarrass him, but instead, Ling Chen ended up helping her get some revenge.


    "Sorry!"


    "What?"


    Ling Chen doubted his ears; was the girl actually apologizing to him?


    "What did you just say? Say it again, I didn¡¯t hear it clearly."


    Su Lin lifted her pretty nose slightly and huffed, "Never mind if you didn¡¯t hear. Let¡¯s pretend I didn¡¯t say anything."


    Ling Chen chuckled. This girl was quite interesting when she wasn¡¯t bickering.


    "Miss Liu mentioned before that you are a shareholder of the club, could it be that you..."


    "You believed a casual joke? It¡¯s true that I¡¯m a shareholder, but only in name, with no real authority. If you want to take over that role, be my guest."


    "I wouldn¡¯t want it."


    Returning to the Nanrong house, Ling Chen found an additional person at home, ady in her forties.


    Su Lin introduced her as the Nanrong family¡¯s nanny, Wang Shu. Everyone called her Nanny Wang. She had taken leave and returned home the previous few days but had juste back today. Even though Wang Shu was employed as a nanny by the Nanrong family, she had grown up with Nanrong Wanqing since childhood, and the Nanrong family always treated her as one of their own.


    "Nanny Wang, I¡¯m Ling Chen. Please take good care of me," Ling Chen greeted her warmly.


    Wang Shu beamed with joy and said, "Ling, I heard from the nanny of Mr. Nanrong¡¯s house that a man had moved into the youngdy¡¯s house, and at first, I couldn¡¯t believe it. Now that it¡¯s true, you must protect the youngdy well and make sure she never gets hurt."


    "I will."


    After dinner, with nothing to do, Ling Chen strolled over to Nanrong Hao¡¯s house.


    "Haozi."


    "Hey! Chen, I¡¯m in the living room;e on in."


    "What have you been up to, kiddo? Haven¡¯t seen you all day, did you go hang out with Jiang Hao and the likes again?"


    "Chen, listen to how you phrase that. What do you mean hang out? I¡¯ve been dealing with serious matters these past few days."


    "Haha, you? Dealing with serious matters? Like what? I¡¯m all ears."


    "Xiong, Hao, and I are nning to partner up and invest in some businesses. Hao said that living the life on the streets is not a long-term n, and we should find a legitimate way to make money."


    "He¡¯s right in thinking that."


    Ling Chen nodded, it seems the words he once said to Jiang Hao did not fall on deaf ears.


    "What are you guys nning to do?"


    "I¡¯m going to start an express deliverypany."


    "How much money can an express deliverypany make?" Ling Chen looked puzzled.


    Nanrong Hao smiled mysteriously and said, "Brother Chen, the main purpose of starting an express deliverypany isn¡¯t to make money, but... ah, it¡¯splicated, and I can¡¯t exin it in a brief moment. You¡¯ll understandter."


    "Alright, as long as it¡¯s not illegal, do whatever you guys want."


    After saying this, Ling Chen suddenly noticed a problem. Nanrong Hao¡¯s living room wasrge and fully furnished with home appliances, yet itcked one thing.


    "Haozi, can I ask you a personal question?"


    "Sure, go ahead, Brother Chen."


    "Where are your parents? I¡¯ve been here for several days, but I haven¡¯t seen them."


    He just noticed that there wasn¡¯t a single family photo in Nanrong Hao¡¯s house, and in his memory, Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s house seemed tock them too, which was really strange. As a child, one should at least have photos of their parents.


    "This..."


    Seeing Nanrong Hao¡¯s troubled expression, Ling Chen said, "If it¡¯s difficult for you, you don¡¯t have to tell me. I was just asking casually."


    Nanrong Hao gave a wry smile. "Actually, it¡¯s not that I can¡¯t tell you. When I was born, my parents left home. My sister was still a baby then, and she has no impression of them either. I¡¯ve only heard about a dispute between my parents and the family. Anyway, my grandfather forbids us to talk about them. Brother Chen, don¡¯tugh at me, but I grew up without knowing what my parents even look like."


    Ling Chen shook his head helplessly. Every family has its own difficulties. There wasn¡¯t much he could say about it, so he just patted Nanrong Hao¡¯s shoulder to offer somefort.


    After resting at home for three days, Nanrong Wanqing started going back to thepany for regr work, and Ling Chen also formally began working.


    In fact, his job was very rxed. He was only responsible for ensuring Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s safety during hermute. Once at thepany, as long as Nanrong Wanqing didn¡¯t go out, he would have nothing to do and would spend the entire day killing time in Wei Jun¡¯s office.


    That afternoon, the white sun hung high outside, turning the ground scorching hot, hot enough to cook meat.


    Ling Chen was sitting in the office, enjoying the air conditioning, and casually browsing a few suggestive websites, watching without much interest.


    Thedies on these websites used to be his dream girls, but now that he¡¯d seen beauties like Nanrong Wanqing, Su Lin, Liu Xiyao, and Zhu Xiaozhu, his standards had quickly risen, and thesedies no longer caught his eye.


    At half-past five, as work was nearing an end, Ling Chen was about to prepare to leave when he saw Su Lin walking in.


    "Ling Chen, you¡¯re cking off again."


    "I¡¯m not cking off in hiding; this is legitimate cking off."


    Su Lin replied indignantly, "You take pride in cking off? Be careful or I¡¯ll snitch and dock your pay. Hurry up, we have visitors at home, and Wanqing wants to return early."


    "Okay."


    "Touch your head, oh so tender. Touch your face, looking so fine. Touch your waist, oh so flirtatious. Touch your back,e sleep with me..."


    It was then that Ling Chen¡¯s phone ringtone began to y from his pocket.


    Su Lin blushed, spat lightly, and said, "Pervert." Then, without letting the song finish, she quickly left the office.


    Ling Chen took out his phone and nced at the unfamiliar caller ID before answering, "Hello, who is this?"


    "It¡¯s me."


    Recognizing the voice immediately, Ling Chen knew it was the fat man who specialized in selling information and acted as a middleman.


    "Fatty, did you find Snake King¡¯s whereabouts?"


    "No, but he contacted me and asked for some information about Nanrong Wanqing."


    "Did you give it to him?"


    "Of course, as long as there¡¯s money, I¡¯ll do anything. But don¡¯t worry, the information isn¡¯t useful. Considering that you¡¯ve sold me information before, I wanted to give you a heads-up to watch out for a sneak attack from Snake King."


    "Got it, thanks."

 Chapter 52 - 51 Distant You

    <h4>Chapter 52: Chapter 51 Distant You</h4><h4><strong>Editor: </strong>Larbre Studio </h4>


    After hanging up the phone, a cold gleam shed in Ling Chen¡¯s eyes. That guy Snake King really is relentless. If he dares to make a move this time, I won¡¯t let him off as easily as before.


    Arriving at the underground parking lot, Zhong Wei, Liang Zhao Hui, and Zhou Qing had already escorted Nanrong Wanqing to the Rolls-Royce, getting ready to get in the car.


    Liang Zhao Hui and Zhou Qing had been discharged from the hospital two days ago and officially returned to the team. The other team members received a heftypensation and resigned.


    "Captain Zhong. You and the others take Miss Su and drive off first, the chairman will stay behind."


    Zhong Wei hesitated: "This seems inappropriate."


    "We just got intel that Snake King will likely take action, it¡¯s best we change the n."


    Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s face was expressionless, as if she didn¡¯t take the assassin¡¯s threat seriously, whereas Su Lin seemed more worried: "What should we do?"


    "What is there to be afraid of? With me by her side, she won¡¯t get hurt."


    Zhong Wei nodded: "Alright then, you and the chairman be careful."


    After thest incident, Zhong Wei and the others had a lot of trust in Ling Chen. Since Ling Chen had intelligence indicating that the Snake King could threaten the chairman¡¯s safety, they wouldn¡¯t disagree, only try their best to cooperate.


    From beginning to end, Nanrong Wanqing didn¡¯t speak, letting Ling Chen make the arrangements.


    She was the chairman of Hongyu Group, with tens of thousands of employees under hermand, and had met countless people, having her own skills in judging others. However, she could never see through Ling Chen. This man, who usually seemed to have no rules and was somewhat careless, exuded mystery in every aspect.


    Thinking about it, a man who doesn¡¯t even consider the top ten assassins in the world a threat, how could he be simple?


    After Zhong Wei and the others left in the Rolls-Royce, Ling Chen drove the old Santana to the front of Nanrong Wanqing.


    Getting out of the car, he opened the passenger door, disregarding Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s icy gaze. He picked up her delicate body and gently ced her in the seat, then thoughtfully buckled her seat belt.


    Folding up the wheelchair, Ling Chen returned to the driver¡¯s seat, started the car, and the vehicle started to shake with a rattling noise.


    Breathing in the odd smell of the car¡¯s interior, Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s beautiful crescent-like brows slightly raised, and a trace of displeasure flitted across her fair and jade-like face.


    "Can¡¯t we switch to a better car?"


    Ling Chen shrugged: "Chairman, this is the car you arranged for me. How about getting me a Land Rover after this?" Seeing that Nanrong Wanqing remained silent, he immediately lowered his demands: "Even a Volkswagen Tiguan would do."


    "Drive."


    Facing Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s icy face, Ling Chen couldn¡¯t help feeling helpless. This woman was like an iceberg, always with an unweing expression, as if nothing in the world could make her happy.


    Women will inevitably get married one day, and I wonder what it feels like for the future husband of Nanrong Wanqing to live with an iceberg every day, it¡¯s quite the experience I¡¯d like to have.


    He idly fantasized while shifting gears and driving out of the underground parking lot.


    With Zhong Wei¡¯s Rolls-Royce as a decoy, Ling Chen wasn¡¯t worried about his old clunker being targeted by Snake King. Of course, confidence is one thing, caution is another¡ªwhen on a mission, he never took things lightly.


    The Santana joined traffic and headed towards the Nanrong Family. It was currently the rush hour, the roads were congested with vehicles, and with frequent red lights, more than ten minutes had passed without covering more than a few hundred meters.


    Bored with nothing to do, and with Nanrong Wanqing not engaging in conversation, he turned on the car radio and casually flipped through stations to find something to listen to.


    "Hello to all our friends listening, wee to today¡¯s Music Wave. Up next is a new song we¡¯ll y for you, called ¡¯You in the Distance,¡¯ presented by Silver Star Entertainment. It¡¯sposed and written by the famous producer Zhu Yansong, but the singer¡¯s name has not been revealed yet. Please enjoy..."


    In the city beyond the early morning


    Splendor has faded


    I stand alone before the window


    Mired in memories


    The streetlights outside apany my sleepless night


    Do you, in the distance, also think of me


    ...


    The sweet singing voice echoes inside the car, Ling Chen actually lost focus for a moment. That ethereal voice touched the bottom of his heart, as if it was a breeze from nature, gently brushing over his heart, stirring the most primal emotions from the depths of his soul.


    Not only was Ling Chen intoxicated by the singing, Nanrong Wanqing was also drawn to that sweet voice, her icy face seeming to thaw like frost in the spring breeze. On closer inspection, her eyes, bright as the stars, twinkled with tears, looking pitifully charming.


    Ssssssss...


    Suddenly, the car¡¯s radio signal seemed to be interfered with, and the music from the station immediately turned into noisy static, pulling Ling Chen and Nanrong Wanqing back to reality.


    "What a crappy radio."


    Ling Chen cursed in annoyance, mming his hand on the control panel, and the radio that was still emitting static noise immediately made a silent protest,pletely breaking down.


    "This car ispany property, if you break it, it will be deducted from your sry."


    Hearing Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s stern words, Ling Chen couldn¡¯t help but feel aggrieved: "How can this be med on me?"


    "I saw it with my own eyes, you still want to deny it?" Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s expression was cold, her eyes fixed on the road ahead, as if she hadn¡¯t seen Ling Chen¡¯s widened eyes.


    Ling Chen opened his mouth, hesitated for a moment, and then forcibly swallowed back the word "Damn".


    This woman... Thinking of how he, as a grown man, couldn¡¯t be bothered to stoop to her level.


    The car joined the ring road, where the traffic gradually flowed smoothly. Ling Chen drove while his mind still reyed the singing voice from earlier.


    It¡¯s her!


    It definitely is her!


    Even though the sound was refined, he could not mistake it, it was Tang Shiyun¡¯s voice.


    Ever since hearing from Jiang Hao that Tang Shiyun had moved, he had been looking for her address, hoping to get in touch with her and hand over the money, but there had been no news, and no one in the Old City neighborhood knew where her family had moved to.


    Hearing this song today, he knew that the girl had made her choice.


    With Silver Star Entertainment and Zhu Yansong backing her, coupled with the sweet voice just now, Tang Shiyun bing famous was just a matter of time.


    She probably wouldn¡¯t have to worry about money now.


    But he wondered when he would be able to see her again.


    "Can you drive any faster?"


    Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s voice came through, pulling Ling Chen from his thoughts back to her.


    "Are you in a hurry?"


    "There¡¯s a guest at home."


    Ling Chen nced at the ice queen beside him from the corner of his eye, feeling slightly surprised, for in Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s pure and innocent eyes, he could read a sense of urgency, as if she couldn¡¯t wait to meet someone.


    Yet, within that urgency seemed to be a hint ofplex emotions, indescribable and unclear.


    He was curious, just who could stir up Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s emotions like this.


    As he pondered, a Mercedes-Benz van suddenly sped past the Santana at a speed of over a hundred miles. On this crowded ring road, driving at such a high speed was no different from courting death unless the driver was very confident in his driving skills or there was an emergency.

 Chapter 53 - 52: Bandit (1)

    <h4>Chapter 53: Chapter 52: Bandit (1)</h4><h4><strong>Editor: </strong>Larbre Studio </h4>


    As he was secretly guessing, several police cars appeared in the rearview mirror of his car window, red and blue lights shing, rapidly catching up from behind, quickly passing the Santana, and leaving him far behind.


    "Quick, faster!"


    In the leading police car, Xia Mutong was sitting in the passenger seat, continuously urging the driver while picking up the walkie-talkie connected to the external loudspeaker.


    "Attention, suspect in the Mercedes-Benz, stop the vehicle and surrender immediately, or we will open fire."


    However, the Mercedes-Benz van not only did not slow down but sped up even more, overtaking several cars in a row.


    "Damn!"


    Xia Mutong frowned tightly, pulled the handgun from its holster, and chambered a round.


    Seeing her action, the driver couldn¡¯t resist reminding her: "Captain Xia, there are hostages in the car. We¡¯ve been ordered from above to ensure the safety of the hostages."


    "I don¡¯t need you to tell me what to do, just focus on driving."


    With that said, she rolled down the window, leaned her upper body out, holding the gun in both hands, squinting one eye slightly, aiming to shoot off the Mercedes¡¯ rearview mirror to show them she wasn¡¯t ying around.


    Bang!


    She pulled the trigger and the bullet shot out immediately, urately hitting the ss of the rearview mirror on the car ahead.


    After that shot was fired, the Mercedes van¡¯s driver still did not show any intention to stop. Instead, the vehicle sped up and the body swayed from side to side, following an S-shaped path to avoid being shot again.


    Suddenly, a hand holding something appeared out of the window of the Mercedes van ahead. Since the two cars were more than twenty meters apart and in the midst of a chase, Xia Mutong couldn¡¯t make out what it was.


    At that moment, the person threw the object in their hand onto the ground and then closed the car window.


    As they got closer, Xia Mutong finally saw clearly what had fallen to the ground.


    A bomb!


    Her expression changed drastically, and in a panic, she quickly pulled up the handbrake, trying to forcefully stop the car.


    Screeching!


    Along with a piercing noise, the speeding police car¡¯s front jerked and the speed decreased significantly. But, in the midst of an emergency stop at nearly a hundred yards, the inertia caused the vehicle to lose bnce instantly and m into the guardrail.


    "Boom!"


    At the same time, the bomb on the ground exploded violently into mes, with shockwaves rapidly spreading out. The following police cars couldn¡¯t avoid in time and crashed into each other, their bodies severely deformed.


    Pushing open the caved-in door, Xia Mutong struggled to get out from the passenger seat, her body swaying, her face pale, with multiple abrasions on her arms and forehead, blood flowing freely.


    When the car had hit the guardrail, she hadn¡¯t been wearing a seatbelt, so she was hit hard. The buttons on her clothes were popped open, her sexy white bra enveloping tworge mounds of white flesh, about to spill out.


    She rubbed her throbbing head, her vision blurry. She hadn¡¯t walked far before her strength gave out, and she copsed to the ground.


    At this moment, a Santana slowly drove up and stopped in front of her.


    The car door opened, and Ling Chen ran up to Xia Mutong, asking, "Officer Xia, are you alright?" At the same time, his gaze naturally fell on the woman¡¯s deadly attractive bust, and he couldn¡¯t help swallowing his saliva audibly with a gulp.


    Xia Mutong struggled to lift her head, and suddenly two Ling Chens appeared in her vision, making her even more dizzy. She didn¡¯t notice Ling Chen¡¯s gaze, and said intermittently, "The... hostages..."


    Her delicate teeth slightly parted, she barely spat out three words before she could no longer support herself and copsed to the ground, unconscious.


    Seeing this, Ling Chen felt somewhat helpless and prepared to pick her up and put her in the car to take her to the hospital. But at this moment, his phone in his pocket suddenly rang.


    He thought it was Zhong Wei calling to inquire about the situation, so with one hand supporting Xia Mutong, he took out his phone with the other, only to find that the call was from an unfamiliar number.


    Once the call connected, before he could speak, a middle-aged man¡¯s voice came from the other end, "Mr. Ling?"


    Hearing the voice, Ling Chen paused with a flicker of surprise. How did he have his mobile number?


    "Mr. Ye, what do you want with me?"


    The person on the other end was Ye Liangyong, whom he had met at the Qingyun Martial Arts Hall.


    In a grave tone, Ye Liangyong said, "Mr. Ling, I have a favor to ask of you. Please rush to Qingyun Martial Arts Hall immediately."


    "What happened?"


    "I just got wind that Little Hua has been kidnapped. I¡¯m currently in Beijing, and I can¡¯t get back right away. The police are already on the case, but I don¡¯t have much trust in them. I only trust capable people, and in East Sea City, I only know you. I hope you can help save Little Hua for me; she¡¯s very important to my Master."


    Little Hua?


    Instantly, Ling Chen¡¯s mind recalled the image of that adorable little girl, carved like a jade sculpture. She was the disciple of He Ziyun and the younger martial sister of Ye Liangyong.


    He couldn¡¯t figure out why someone would kidnap a six or seven-year-old girl. Could it be that the girl¡¯s identity was not simple?


    That¡¯s right!


    Before Xia Mutong lost consciousness, she mentioned hostages, and piecing that together with Ye Liangyong¡¯s words, the people in the Mercedes-Benz van must be the kidnappers he was looking for.


    "Mr. Ye, your call is very timely. The kidnappers¡¯ car just passed by me, I¡¯ll give chase right now."


    "Great, I appreciate it. Zhu Xiaozhu and I are on our way to the airport and will arrive in two hours."


    So Zhu Xiaozhu was with him; no wonder Ye Liangyong had his mobile number.


    Thest time they met in the hospital, Ling Chen had willingly exchanged numbers with Zhu Xiaozhu, under the pretext of seeking future medical advice.


    After hanging up, Ling Chen saw Xia Mutong¡¯s colleagues rushing over, so he put Xia Mutong down on the ground. Then, blushing, he said, "Hey, I¡¯m not trying to take advantage of you, but if you don¡¯t do up that button, it might be even more embarrassing for you when your colleagues see," and as he spoke, he crouched down to fasten her button for her. His fingers inadvertently touched that expanse of snow-white skin, and his heart trembled; oh my, the feel, the sticity... He wondered which man would be "fortunate" enough to marry this girl in the future.


    Suppressing the urge to take advantage of her unconscious state and give in to the temptation to cop a feel, Ling Chen stood up, then quickly headed towards the driver¡¯s seat. But after a moment of hesitation, he turned back, pulled out the handgun from Xia Mutong¡¯s waist, and quickly got into the Santana.


    He owed Ye Liangyong a favor from thest time because of Qin Yang¡¯s affair, so this time he had no reason to refuse Ye¡¯s request for help. Moreover, those kidnappers didn¡¯t even spare a little girl, which was utterly unconscionable.


    Although he neverbeled himself a good person, he still had a conscience, and he couldn¡¯t just stand by and watch this happen.


    "Is she alright?"


    Ling Chen started the car and nced at Nanrong Wanqing, who had asked the question, and nodded, "She¡¯s fine, hold on tight."


    With that, he stepped on the gas, and the Santana shot out.

 Chapter 54 - 53: Bandits (Part 2)

    <h4>Chapter 54: Chapter 53: Bandits (Part 2)</h4><h4><strong>Editor: </strong>Larbre Studio </h4>


    Nanrong Wanqing felt the speeding up of the car and couldn¡¯t help but say, "What are you doing?"


    "Saving someone."


    "Who?"


    "A friend."


    "Then let me off ahead, and I¡¯ll have Zhong Wei pick me up."


    "I don¡¯t have time to waste right now."


    The ring road is over fifty kilometers long, with two divergences in between. He must catch up with the kidnappers¡¯ Mercedes-Benz van as soon as possible, not letting them out of his sight. Therefore, every single second is extremely precious to him right now.


    While talking, under Ling Chen¡¯s pressing, the vintage car¡¯s speed was forced up to 120 MPH. Fortunately, his driving skills were good enough to push the vintage car to its limits.


    At this moment, the ringtone of the phone on Nanrong Wanqing rang.


    She took out her phone and answered the call, "Lin, we¡¯re still on the road."


    "Howe you¡¯re still on the road when we¡¯ve all been home for so long?"


    "Ling... Ling Chen has some urgent matters, we might get homete."


    From the other end of the phone, Su Linined, "No matter how big his matters are, he should drop you off first; there¡¯s still a guest at home. He came specially to see you, you can¡¯t neglect others."


    "I know, but..."


    "No buts, hand the phone to Ling Chen, let me talk to him."


    Nanrong Wanqing put down the phone and passed it to Ling Chen, "Lin asked you to take the call."


    Ling Chen kept his gaze fixed ahead, casually took the phone, and greeted with a "Hello."


    "Mr. Ling, hurry up and send Wanqing home. Don¡¯t dy important matters for other people, and also..."


    "And what? I said I¡¯ll be backter, what¡¯s with all the nonsense." After saying that, he hung up the phone impatiently and threw the phone back to Nanrong Wanqing.


    Normally he wouldn¡¯t mind a verbal spar with the girl, but now that lives were at stake, he had no time to bicker with her.


    Bastard!


    Inside the white vi of the Nanrong Family, Su Lin was secretly fuming. That guy actually dared to hang up on Miss Su; he was definitely in for a scolding when he came back.


    "Lin, what did Wanqing say? When is she getting home?"


    On the spacious living room sofa sat a man, about twenty-four or twenty-five years old, dressed in a crisp white striped suit, with shiny hair, a paleplexion, and eyes bright as obsidian twinkling with intelligence. His handsome face wore a captivating smile, his whole being exuded an elegant aura, making one feel as refreshed as an autumn rain in the midsummer heat.


    Such an extraordinarily handsome man could probablypare to the ancient beauty, Pan An.


    Looking at the smile curling on the man¡¯s lips, Su Lin¡¯s pretty face blushed slightly. It wasn¡¯t that she hadn¡¯t seen handsome men, but the man in front of her wasn¡¯t just handsome; he was the perfect choice for a woman in terms of appearance and temperament, and any woman would be attracted to such a man.


    However, Su Lin didn¡¯t forget this man¡¯s identity and quickly gathered her emotions.


    "Zhu Hong, sorry, Wanqing has some emergency matters and might bete getting back... How about this, let me arrange a room for you, you can stay here tonight."


    "No need to trouble yourself, I¡¯ve already booked a hotel, and since there¡¯s still time, I¡¯ve been waiting for years just for today¡¯s meeting, I don¡¯t mind waiting a bit longer."


    Thinking about the story between this man and her cousin, Su Lin¡¯s heart couldn¡¯t help but feel a tinge of admiration. How wonderful it would be to encounter someone like him in her lifetime.


    At this very moment, on the ring road, the Santana emitting ck smoke kept overtaking one car after another at a very high speed.


    Sitting in the passenger seat, Nanrong Wanqing nced at Ling Chen, who was focused on driving, with the corner of her eye, and couldn¡¯t help but feel a strange emotion stir in her usually calm heart. She was ustomed to seeing Ling Chen¡¯s carefree and casual demeanor; this was the first time she had seen him so concentrated.


    It is said that a man is at his most attractive when he is serious about his work, and Ling Chen¡¯s appearance was not bad to start with, especially his sharply defined face and piercing gaze, which were like a ma, firmly capturing her attention, making it impossible to look away.


    Suddenly, Ling Chen¡¯s eyes lit up; a Mercedes-Benz van appeared in his sight a hundred meters away.


    Got you now!


    The corners of his mouth tilted upward slightly, and he floored the gas pedal in an instant.


    "Big brother, a Santana is catching up from behind."


    In the Mercedes-Benz van, the driver looked at the trailing vehicle through the rearview mirror and warned.


    Inside the seven-seater van, including the driver, there were a total of three kidnappers, all wearing face masks from Journey to the West, covering their faces to avoid being captured by surveince cameras.


    The man called big brother wore a Sun Wukong mask, while the driver and another kidnapper were wearing Zhu Bajie and Sha Wujing masks, respectively.


    "Wu wu wu..."


    Following the sound inside the car, they looked at the back seat where a little girly, her hands and feet bound with zip ties, and a piece of rag stuffed in her mouth. Her delicate little face was pale, and her sparkling eyes could not hide her fear.


    This little girl was the kidnapped Little Hua.


    "What¡¯s all this crying about, keep quiet, and if you dare make another sound, believe it or not, I will rip your mouth," Sun Wukong said coldly.


    Frightened, Little Hua shrank slightly, and her big watery eyes filled with tears as she snuffled quietly, looking pitiful and stirring sympathy.


    Seeing that Little Hua remained silent, Sun Wukong nodded in satisfaction. Then, looking through the rear window at the vehicle tail, he saw the Santana, with ck smoke billowing from it, rapidly closing in with less than twenty meters to spare.


    Sha Wujing was a bit concerned, "Big brother, could it be the cops?"


    "Cops would drive such a junk car?" Sun Wukong sneered, then said, "Whether they are cops or not, everyone be careful. We are almost at the meeting point; we cannot afford to be careless now. As long as the mission is sessfullypleted, our status in the organization is sure to go up a level."


    After finishing his words, he looked again at the trailing Santana and instructed, "Slow down and see what that Santana is up to."


    "Yes, big brother."


    Zhu Bajie nodded and gradually released the gas pedal.


    Seeing the Mercedes-Benz van ahead slow down, Ling Chen could easily guess their intentions; they were obviously trying to test him. Without a second thought, he sped up and overtook them.


    Having passed the Mercedes-Benz van, he looked through the rearview mirror at the driver¡¯s seat. There were people in both the main and co-driver seats, wearing masks, with another person in the rear seat, three in total.


    Now aware of the number of adversaries, he could better ensureprehensive nning when taking action to avoid harming the hostage.


    "Chairwoman, have you ever been on a roller coaster before?"


    Nanrong Wanqing was slightly startled, not understanding why he would ask such a question, but she still responded, "I have when I was little."


    "That¡¯s good."


    Ling Chen then put his mind at ease; if she dared to ride something as thrilling as a roller coaster, it showed Nanrong Wanqing had good psychological resilience, andter... she should be able to withstand it.

 Chapter 55 - 54: Bandits (Part 3)

    <h4>Chapter 55: Chapter 54: Bandits (Part 3)</h4><h4><strong>Editor: </strong>Larbre Studio </h4>


    "Keep your head down, and don¡¯t you dare lift it without my permission." Having said that, he flicked out the pistol he had snatched from Xia Mutong, casually ejected the magazine¡ªeight bullets remaining, more than enough.


    "What are you trying to do?"


    Nanrong Wanqing was not someone unfamiliar with the world, but Ling Chen¡¯s actions still took her by surprise. Recalling the questions he had asked earlier for no apparent reason, she felt somewhat uneasy. Furthermore, she was quite unhappy about this situation. As her employee, wasn¡¯t his duty supposed to be protecting her? Why was he meddling in things like rescuing someone¡ªa job meant for the police? Hmph, she would make him pay for this once they were back.


    However, although this was what the young miss was thinking, deep down inside, her opinion of Ling Chen began to shift slightly. The fact that Ling Chen was willing to take such risks to save someone with no rtion to him was extraordinary, a trait not found in ordinary people.


    Ling Chen cracked a smile and gave her a reassuring look: "Don¡¯t worry, there won¡¯t be any danger."


    As soon as his words fell, his left hand, which was resting on the steering wheel, quickly turned it, causing the car, which had been moving forward, to swerve to the left. Then, he pulled the handbrake, shifted into reverse, and hit the gas pedal hard.


    Screech, screech, screech!


    Apanied by the grating sound of the tires, the Santana executed a perfect drift, spinning around so that the rear faced forward, its front end now perfectly aligned with the oing Mercedes-Benz van.


    Seizing the moment, he switched hands: his right hand took control of the steering wheel, and his left hand holding the gun extended out of the window.


    Bang!


    A shot rang out, and instantly a bullet hole appeared in the front window of the Mercedes-Benz van.


    Caught off guard by the sudden gunfire, the driver of the van was startled and hit the brakes hard, bringing the vehicle to an abrupt stop.


    Bang! Bang!


    Without any hesitation, Ling Chen squeezed the trigger again, firing two more shots in quick session.


    Following the two gunshots, faint cries of pain echoed from within the sealed Mercedes-Benz.


    Seeing the fresh blood sttered on the front window of the van, the corner of Ling Chen¡¯s mouth slightly curled up. He hadn¡¯t used a gun in a long time, but his marksmanship was still spot-on, without any deviation. The first shot was just to force the other party to stop; the following two shots hit the kidnappers. Had he shot the driver directly, it could have caused an ident and endangered the hostage¡¯s safety.


    He had been precise with his shooting, not aiming to kill the kidnappers but to make them shed some blood and reduce their mobility.


    Having taken care of the two kidnappers in the driver and passenger seats, there was still one more in the back¡ªthat person was the key.


    "Stay in the car, don¡¯t get out."


    After advising Nanrong Wanqing, Ling Chen pushed open the car door and quickly approached the Mercedes-Benz van. However, before he could reach it, someone already flung the van door open. Following that, a man wearing a Sun Wukong mask came out, holding a pistol to Little Hua¡¯s head as he stepped out from the van.


    At the sight of that pistol, Ling Chen¡¯s eyes narrowed involuntarily.


    Not just anyone could get their hands on a Beretta 92F model, and moreover, this guy was acting very calm, certainly not like your average kidnapper.


    "Are you a cop?"


    The man gazed at Ling Chen, enunciating each word clearly.


    "No."


    "Then why are you opposing us?"


    "You¡¯ve kidnapped a little girl who is a friend of mine. Release her, and I¡¯ll let you go."


    "Hmph! It¡¯s not that easy. How about this¡ªI take her with me, and I promise she¡¯ll remain unharmed. Otherwise, I¡¯m not opposed to dying together with her."


    Ling Chen stared into the eyes of the kidnapper, whose vicious look told him this was no joke.


    It¡¯s getting more and more interesting.


    He had originally thought the kidnapper¡¯s purpose in taking Little Hua hostage was to extort money from Ye Liangyong, but now it seemed that the situation was not so simple. The kidnapper¡¯s determination to take Little Hua with him, even at the risk of death, meant his goal was not just money.


    With this in mind, his gaze towards Little Hua was tinged with curiosity¡ªwhat was the value of this unremarkable little girl?


    "Kid, whether she lives or dies is up to you."


    Ling Chen shrugged his shoulders, "With you putting it like that, what choice do I have?"


    The kidnapperughed with satisfaction, "Good, I see you understand; you should know what to do."


    Without another word, Ling Chen ejected the magazine, smoothly disassembled the pistol, and scattered the pieces on the ground. However, the kidnapper failed to notice that during the disassembly, the bullet that was already chambered was now secretly clenched in Ling Chen¡¯s palm.


    "Big brother."


    At that moment, two other kidnappers emerged from the vehicle, clutching their gun-wounded left chests, stifling their pain, covered in blood.


    "Can you two still drive?"


    "No..."


    Bang!


    Before they could finish speaking, a gunshot sounded, and Zhu Bajie¡¯s mask immediately sprouted a bullet hole, its mask quickly stained red with blood.


    Seeing hispanion fall stiffly to the ground, the other kidnapper was startled. Although his face was not visible, the slight trembling of his body conveyed the panic within.


    "Big brother, don¡¯t... don¡¯t kill me..."


    "You know the rules, I don¡¯t want to be dragged down." After saying this, the man referred to as big brother didn¡¯t hesitate to pull the trigger.


    Seeing both kidnappers lying in the pool of blood, Ling Chen¡¯s brows furrowed slightly, his understanding of the man¡¯s ruthlessness deepening.


    "Your turn now, kid. Let me teach you something, never drop your gun in front of your enemy."


    Facing the gaping muzzle pointed at him, Ling Chen¡¯s clear eyes still retained their calmness. He had been in simr life-or-death situations many times before and was used to it by now.


    "Friend, you¡¯re right. But, let me teach you something too¡ªthose who dare drop their guns in front of their enemies are either insane, or..."


    "Or what?"


    Ling Chen¡¯s mouth curved slightly: "Or they don¡¯t take their enemies seriously."


    Hearing this, the kidnapper¡¯s gaze sharpened, suddenly filled with an ominous premonition, and he immediately pulled the trigger aimed at Ling Chen¡¯s head. However, the moment his words fell, Ling Chen¡¯s body had already moved, stepping to the left.


    Bang!


    The gunshot sounded, the bullet narrowly missing Ling Chen¡¯s ear.


    Behind the mask, the kidnapper¡¯s face turned pale with shock¡ªhow did Ling Chen avoid his bullet? Was this guy even human?


    What he didn¡¯t know was that in terms of speed, Ling Chen could not outrun a bullet. But his control over timing had reached a terrifying level. The moment his adversary fired, Ling Chen¡¯s body had already anticipated and dodged in advance.


    Only those who had undergone countless training sessions could push their body¡¯s reflexes to the utmost limit. In this world, there were few who could achieve this. Ling Chen was among those rare individuals.

 Chapter 56 - 55: Introducing the Girlfriend

    <h4>Chapter 56: Chapter 55: Introducing the Girlfriend</h4><subtxt> Larbre Studio


    Having dodged the kidnapper¡¯s deadly shot, Ling Chen continued to keep moving. At the same time, his wrist snapped fiercely, and the bullet in his palm flew out, urately entering through the right eye of the mask.


    Ah!


    He heard a painful scream, and the kidnapper quickly reached for his own eye, as blood gushed out from his fingertips.


    Great opportunity!


    Seizing the moment, Ling Chen moved swiftly like a gust of wind, rushing forward like a fierce cheetah. In the blink of an eye, he was in front of the kidnapper, snatching the handgun from the other¡¯s grasp, and in a fluid motion, he scooped Little Hua into his arms and retreated from the kidnapper¡¯s side.


    By this time, the kidnapper had already lifted the mask from his face, covering his right eye with one hand, squinting with his left eye, his gaze malevolent and fierce.


    "Friend, surrender. For the crimes you¡¯vemitted, you¡¯ll at most get a life sentence; behave well, and who knows, maybe you¡¯ll be released within your lifetime."


    "Don¡¯t even think about it."


    The kidnapper said coldly, slowly lowering his hand. Suddenly, the bullet embedded in his right eye became visible, his entire face stained red with blood, hideous and terrifying.


    "The mission has failed, death is inevitable eventually, go ahead and shoot."


    Ling Chen shrugged his shoulders, "Murder is illegal, you want to die, find a ce to ram your head into a wall, I¡¯m not ying this game with you."


    The kidnapper nodded, "Kid, take care of yourself. You¡¯ve disrupted our mission, the people above me will not let you off."


    As he finished speaking, he suddenly turned and charged towards a stone pier ced at the edge of the guardrail.


    Ling Chen¡¯s expression changed slightly upon seeing his actions; he was only joking earlier, not expecting that the guy would actually seek death. Realizing he couldn¡¯t stop him, Ling Chen fired a shot without hesitation.


    Bang!


    Instantly, the kidnapper¡¯s left foot was pierced by the bullet, and he stumbled forward, copsing several meters away from the stone pier.


    "Friend, there are minors here. If you want to die, find another ce, don¡¯t do it here."


    "You..." The kidnapper red at Ling Chen with unwilling rage.


    Ling Chen ignored his gaze, busying himself with undoing the zip ties on Little Hua¡¯s body and removing the rag from her mouth, asking with concern, "Little girl, are you alright?"


    Little Hua, wiping the tear stains on her cheeks, seemed to have forgotten the danger just moments before, and beamed with joy, "Big brother, thank you for saving me."


    "Don¡¯t mention it. Little girl, you¡¯ve always been by Mr. He¡¯s side, how did you get captured by these people?"


    Although he hadn¡¯t exchanged blows with He Ziyun, his instincts told him with absolute certainty that He Ziyun was an expert, even more formidable than Ye Liangyong. For this reason, he couldn¡¯t help but ask an extra question, wondering how the kidnappers had managed to abduct Little Hua from He Ziyun¡¯s side.


    Little Hua hung her head low, looking at her feet put together, and said with embarrassment, "I... I heard someone outside selling candied hawthorns, and Master usually doesn¡¯t allow me to eat those, so I sneaked out by myself."


    Ling Chen chuckled, not expecting that this little girl also turned out to be a foodie. He patted her little head and asked her to stand aside, then prepared to tie up the kidnapper¡¯s hands and feet with cable ties. However, at this moment, the kidnapper suddenly grabbed his wrist, enduring the pain in his eyes and legs, and gritted his teeth and said, "Kill me, please kill me."


    Ling Chen furrowed his brows and asked, "Why do you insist on seeking death?"


    "As long as I am still alive, they will never let me go. If they find me, I will suffer more than death."


    "Who are ¡¯they¡¯ that you are talking about?"


    "They are... No," the kidnapper desperately shook his head, "I can¡¯t say... I can¡¯t say... otherwise I¡¯ll die even more miserably."


    Mentioning those people, this man who wouldn¡¯t hesitate to shoot his ownpanion revealed a look of fear.


    Seeing that he refused to speak, Ling Chen wasn¡¯t interested in asking more. He was just an outsider; where these kidnappers came from and why they wanted to kidnap Little Hua were not his concern; that was for Xia Mutong to deal with.


    After the call was made, it would be a while before the police arrived at 110, so Ling Chen took Little Hua back to the Santana.


    Once in the car, Little Hua saw Nanrong Wanqing sitting in the passenger seat. Her little red face immediately blossomed with a sweet smile, and she politely greeted, "Hello Sister."


    Looking at the cute little girl in front of her, Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s face melted like ice and snow, revealing a slight smile, which made Ling Chen stare in amazement. Having been around this woman for so long, he¡¯s never seen her smile before, and to think she looked so beautiful when she smiled; like a myriad of flowers blooming, the beauty of the world seemed to be concentrated in her.


    "Big Brother, is she your girlfriend? She¡¯s so pretty, just like my sister Xiaozhu." Little Hua said with an innocent face.


    Hearing this, Ling Chen nced at Nanrong Wanqing with a smile, inwardly apuding the little girl¡¯s charm, feeling that his hard work in saving her life was not in vain.


    As if Nanrong Wanqing did not notice the teasing in Ling Chen¡¯s eyes, she corrected, "Little sister, you¡¯re wrong, I¡¯m not his girlfriend, this Big Brother is just my employee."


    "Big Sister, why is that? Big Brother is so outstanding, don¡¯t you like him?"


    "This..." Nanrong Wanqing didn¡¯t expect this cute little girl to ask such a question. Is this really a six- or seven-year-old girl? Her thoughts spinning, she looked at Little Hua¡¯s rosy little cheeks, the corners of her lips curling up slightly, disying a charming curve as she exined earnestly, "It¡¯s not a matter of liking or not liking, there are two kinds of affection in this world. One is love at first sight, and the other is growing affection through long-timepanionship. Any rtionship requires fate. If two people are destined to be together in this life, no matter how many obstacles they encounter, they will eventually find their rainbow after the storm. If there is no destiny, no amount of effort will suffice. Little sister, you¡¯re still young, one day you will understand the meaning of my words."


    Little Hua¡¯s smile was as charming as a flower as she said, "Big Sister, I know all what you said, I was just asking casually. Since you are not Big Brother¡¯s girlfriend, then I will take Big Brother."


    "You will take him?"


    Not to mention Nanrong Wanqing was stupefied, even Ling Chen was stunned by this remark. Kids these days are too bold, she¡¯s only a few years old and she already knows how to fight over men. He looked at Nanrong Wanqing, who was in a daze, and with a grin, indulged himself, "Ah, there¡¯s no helping it, who made me so charming, appealing to all ages."


    "Big Brother, you misunderstood," Little Hua said cutely.


    "Misunderstood what?"


    "I¡¯m not going to take you; I just want to introduce you to a girlfriend."


    Ling Chen looked at Little Hua with interest, joking, "Really? And who do you n to introduce to me?"


    "Sister Xiaozhu. Big Brother, you met herst time at the Martial Arts Academy, my sister Xiaozhu is very pretty, not at all inferior to Big Sister. Sister Xiaozhu is the nicest to me, she listens to everything I say, if you¡¯re interested, I can arrange a date for you two."</subtxt>

 Chapter 57 - 56 Zhu Hong (1)

    <h4>Chapter 57: Chapter 56 Zhu Hong (1)</h4><h4><strong>Editor: </strong>Larbre Studio </h4>


    Ling Chen could not help butugh; this little girl actually wanted to y matchmaker, to pair him with Zhu Xiaozhu. However, thinking of Zhu Xiaozhu¡¯s gentle and water-like character and temperament, as well as her stunning beauty, he did feel a certain stirring in his heart.


    In this world, how many men do not like beautiful women, especially those with an exceptional temperament to match their beauty?


    "Xiaozhu Sister?" Nanrong Wanqing found the name somewhat familiar; Little Hua had mentioned this woman more than once just now, and she couldn¡¯t help but be curious about what kind of woman could stand shoulder to shoulder with her.


    "Little sister, who is this Xiaozhu Sister you¡¯re talking about?"


    "My sister¡¯s name is Zhu Xiaozhu, do you know her, Sister?"


    "It¡¯s her!"


    Nanrong Wanqing felt a slight surprise, a trace of astonishment flickering through her starry beautiful eyes, and she quickly turned her head to nce at Ling Chen beside her, wondering how this man could possibly know Zhu Xiaozhu.


    "Chairwoman, why are you looking at me like that? There¡¯s nothing on my face." Ling Chen spoke, touching his face in the process.


    "Who¡¯s looking at you? Don¡¯t tter yourself."


    Nanrong Wanqing huffed lightly, withdrawing her gaze and continued chatting with Little Hua. Seizing the opportunity, Ling Chen got out of the car and took out his cellphone to return a call to Ye Liangyong. At this time, Ye Liangyong and Zhu Xiaozhu were probably worried about Little Hua¡¯s safety; it was time to let them know and ease their minds.


    "Hello, Mr. Ye, it¡¯s me."


    "Mr. Ling, how is it, did you find Little Hua?"


    "Rest assured, Little Hua has been rescued and she¡¯s safe now."


    "That¡¯s great!" Over the phone came Ye Liangyong¡¯s voice filled with surprise and joy. At the same time, a woman¡¯s voice could be heard in the background, not very clear, probably Zhu Xiaozhu.


    "Mr. Ling, I can¡¯t thank you enough for the huge favor you¡¯ve done for me." From Ye Liangyong¡¯s voice, it was evident that he was extremely emotional. This made Ling Chen even more curious about the secrets Little Hua might be hiding.


    "Mr. Ye, I will personally bring Little Hua back to the Martial Arts Academyter, you don¡¯t need to worry."


    "Okay, I appreciate your help."


    After hanging up the phone, it wasn¡¯t long before several police cars sped over from the highway, stopping in front of the Mercedes-Benz business van.


    Seeing the woman stepping out of the car, Ling Chen was quite surprised¡ªit was Xia Mutong. Didn¡¯t this girl just faint? How did she recover so quickly? Noticing the adhesive bandage on her forehead, her wound seemed to have been simply treated. To have experienced such a serious car ident and still be working while injured, this woman truly was a workaholic.


    "Officer Xia." He walked up to greet her with a smile.


    Xia Mutong looked at him coldly, and when she arrived in front of him, her hand reached out: "Give it to me."


    Ling Chen knew what she was referring to and quickly pulled the handgun out and handed it back to her, exining, "Officer Xia, please don¡¯t me me for taking the firearm without permission. The kidnapper was carrying a gun, and I couldn¡¯t just fight them with my body."


    "I know, so I¡¯m not nning to arrest you. Where are the kidnappers?"


    "Here!" Ling Chen pointed to two bodies lying on the ground, as well as the bound robber.


    Xia Mutong frowned, "Did you kill those two?"


    "You¡¯re using me wrongly, they were shot by their own aplice, nothing to do with me. The hostage is still in my car; you can verify with her if you don¡¯t believe me." As he spoke, he opened the car door and called Little Hua out.


    After asking the questions, Xia Mutong handed Little Hua back to Ling Chen. However, her gaze towards Ling Chen contained a hint of puzzlement. She had just received a call from her superiors, explicitly instructing her to hand over the hostage to Ling Chen and to only take the kidnapper into custody. Therefore, she found it odd that the higher-ups knew Ling Chen was here and that he had subdued the kidnapper.


    In reality, Ling Chen had just finished a call with Ye Liangyong, who immediately contacted her leaders, hence the arrangement. However, that was a small detail neither she nor Ling Chen would know about.


    With the kidnapper situation handled, it was already evening.


    Seeing the sky darken, Nanrong Wanqing couldn¡¯t help but urge, "Can we go back now?"


    "We¡¯ll leave immediately." Ling Chen started the car and continued on the road.


    He had intended to take Little Hua back to the Martial Arts Academy first, but seeing Nanrong Wanqing so anxious, he had no choice but to take her home first. Besides, there were still guests at home, and after dying Nanrong Wanqing for so long, he felt apologetic. Since Ye Liangyong and Zhu Xiaozhu were still on the ne and probably an hour away from reaching East Sea City, it should be fine to take Little Hua backter.


    After a journey of over ten minutes, the Santana slowly entered Wealthy Manor and arrived at the vi¡¯s entrance.


    Before even getting out of the car, Ling Chen saw the lights brightly lit outside, and Su Lin, that young girl, quickly running out from inside. The corners of his mouth lifted slightly, ready to greet her, but before he could speak, his eyes were drawn to the man following behind Su Lin.


    That man stood tall and straight, handsome in appearance, gentle and refined, with a warm smile on his lips and an elegant demeanor emanating from his every move¡ªan exceptionally attractive gentleman.


    As Ling Chen was sizing up the man, he too was scrutinizing Ling Chen. Their gazes met in mid-air, and for some reason, Ling Chen felt a strange sensation arise in his heart. He had seen countless people, but the man before him seemed like a deep, unfathomable cold pool, impossible to see through.


    This guy must be the guest of the Nanrong Family.


    "Ling Chen, you this jerk..."


    Seeing Ling Chen, Su Lin couldn¡¯t hold back her anger and was about to scold him. However, as soon as she started to speak, she remembered Zhu Hong behind her and quickly swallowed back the word "egg," changing her tone to say, "Why are you only back now? It¡¯s almost seven o¡¯clock."


    "Why ask so much, I told you I had things to do." Ling Chen casually dropped a response and headed towards the passenger side of the car. At that moment, he suddenly noticed Nanrong Wanqing was looking out through the car window, her gazending precisely on the handsome man.


    At the same time, that man was staring intently at the car window, his eyes filled with a deep affection, as if the gazes of the two could prate the barrier of the car window and meet.


    For some reason, seeing their actions, Ling Chen felt an inexplicable twinge of sourness in his heart.


    He cursed to himself; he was just an employee, these two people had nothing to do with him, why should he feel sour. With that thought, he opened the car door and, supporting Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s slender waist with one hand, carried her out of the car.


    His action made Zhu Hong narrow his eyes, a trace of undetectable chill shing deep within.


    Pressed against Ling Chen¡¯s muscr chest, Nanrong Wanqing, although used to it, felt a faint blush creep onto her usually unppable face under the gaze of the handsome man. She dared not look directly into his eyes and, biting her lip, whispered, "Put me down quickly."

 Chapter 58 - 57 Zhu Hong (Part 2)

    <h4>Chapter 58: Chapter 57 Zhu Hong (Part 2)</h4><h4><strong>Editor: </strong>Larbre Studio </h4>


    "Oh no, I forgot to take out the wheelchair first. Miss Su, could you please get the wheelchair from the back of the car."


    Su Lin pursed her lips, this jerk actually dared to order her around. However, thinking that Wanqing was still in Ling Chen¡¯s arms and there were guests present, she didn¡¯t dare to dy and hurried to the car trunk.


    "This gentleman, please hand Wanqing over to me."


    Zhu Hong strode forward, reaching out to take Wanqing¡¯s delicate body, but Ling Chen stepped back and said with a smile, "You are a guest, how could I let you do such heavy lifting."


    At this moment, the car door at the back seat opened, and Little Hua bounced out.


    Seeing the lovely little girl as delicate as a porcin doll, Zhu Hong¡¯s eyes sharpened for a moment, but it was only for an instant before his emotions were concealed, and a gentle smile still hung on his face, "Wanqing, who is this little girl?"


    "She is called Little Hua, a friend of Ling Chen."


    While they were talking, Su Lin had already brought the wheelchair. Ling Chen gently put down Wanqing¡¯s delicate body and then pushed the wheelchair toward the house.


    But at that moment, Wanqing said, "Ling Chen, have you forgotten what I told you before?"


    Hearing this, Ling Chen¡¯s eyes shifted, and he quickly understood, smiled and let go, saying, "Miss Su, please take the chairman inside."


    "Let me do it."


    Zhu Hong took a brisk step forward, took over the wheelchair voluntarily, and pushed Wanqing into the house. Su Lin gave Ling Chen a cold nce and followed closely behind the two, leaving only Ling Chen and Little Hua outside.


    "Big brother, why don¡¯t youe inside?"


    "Big brother would like to, but they won¡¯t let me follow."


    Wanqing had just reminded him of the ground rules they had set, the most important of which was to keep a distance when there were visitors. Since the rule was established, naturally, he would not vite it.


    "Little girl, let¡¯s go, I¡¯ll take you back."


    "Big brother, can we... can we eat something first? Little Hua is hungry."


    Seeing her swallowing her saliva, Ling Chen couldn¡¯t help but smile, took her hand and said, "Alright, I¡¯ll take you to feast like a mogul." Saying this, he directly took Little Hua to Nanrong Hao¡¯s vi.


    Although Nanrong Hao was usually not serious about his business, he became very obedient at night, staying at home and not daring to go out casually. It is said that this was Wanqing¡¯s wish to prevent Nanrong Hao from messing around with outsiders, so she forbade him from going out at night.


    Nanrong Hao was indeed pitiful, having such a dominant sister.


    With Ling Chen and Little Hua arriving, Nanrong Hao dared not neglect and hurriedly urged the housekeeper to prepare food. Soon, a bowl of steaming noodles was served to Little Hua, along with a few delicate appetizers.


    Seeing Little Hua gobbling down her food, Ling Chen smiled and patted her little head, "No rush, eat slowly, there¡¯s plenty."


    "Chen, where did you kidnap this adorable little girl from?"


    "Cut it out, I¡¯m not a human trafficker. She¡¯s a junior of my friend. Hey, Haozi, guests are at your Sister¡¯s ce, did you know?"


    "How could I not know? He even dropped by here to say hello before Sister came back."


    "Do you know him?"


    Nanrong Hao nodded, "Barely know him, but we¡¯re not familiar. I haven¡¯t had any dealings with him." Speaking of which, he nced at Ling Chen and teased, "Chen, are you feeling threatened now?"


    "What threat?"


    "That man named Zhu Hong has a very good rtionship with my Sister. They grew up together, childhood sweethearts. For some reason, Zhu Hong went abroad and broke off contact with my Sister until he returned today. It has been four or five years since theyst saw each other. Chen, it¡¯s well-known that my Sister has high standards, and it¡¯s rare for any man to catch her eye. However, those of us close to her actually know that it¡¯s not about her high standards; she has always been waiting for Zhu Hong to return."


    So that¡¯s how it is.


    After hearing what Nanrong Hao had to say, Ling Chen gained a general understanding of the rtionship between Nanrong Wanqing and Zhu Hong. No wonder Nanrong Wanqing showed such a rare bashful demeanor when she saw Zhu Hong earlier.


    "Haozi, what does Zhu Hong do?"


    "I talked to him briefly, and he said he runs a pharmaceuticalpany abroad and is nning to expand the business to our country. Chen, don¡¯t be too disheartened, people change. After all, they haven¡¯t seen each other for four or five years; their feelings could have cracks. When the opportunity arises, you just need to swoop in, and you will definitely win my Sister¡¯s heart."


    Ling Chen looked at him with a strange expression, "I really wonder if you¡¯re actually her biological brother."


    Nanrong Hao hurriedly said, "Chen, look at what you¡¯re saying. I treat you like family. As the old saying goes, don¡¯t let the water flow into others¡¯ fields. Besides, I don¡¯t like that Zhu Hong. If I had to choose between you and him to be my brother-inw, I¡¯d definitely choose you."


    Hearing this, Ling Chen couldn¡¯t help but grin, this kid sure knew how to talk. However, jokes aside, although he was now living with the Nanrong family, he hadn¡¯t forgotten his identity. As a security guard, his primary duty was to ensure Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s safety, and he didn¡¯t want to meddle too much in her personal life.


    At this moment, inside that white vi.


    Nanrong Wanqing sat in a wheelchair, looking at the man she hadn¡¯t seen in years, her beautiful eyes flickering. Every woman has a prince charming in her heart, and a man with Zhu Hong¡¯s elegant demeanor and handsome appearance was undoubtedly a perfect fantasy.


    After several years, she had always thought that if they met again, she would inevitably cry.


    Yet, when Zhu Hong appeared before her, she didn¡¯t feel the urge to cry. She didn¡¯t know why, perhaps the years had faded their past feelings, or maybe she had matured and was no longer the little girl who used to run after Zhu Hong. After a brief joy, her heart gradually calmed down.


    Looking at Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s lower body covered with a nket, a hint of guilt shed in Zhu Hong¡¯s eyes, "Wanqing, I¡¯m sorry I couldn¡¯t be there for you when you had the car ident. I only found outter. I wanted toe back to see you, but I really couldn¡¯t get away. I¡¯m sorry!"


    "It¡¯s okay, it¡¯s all in the past. How long do you n to stay in East Sea City this time?"


    "Ourpany ns to set up a branch in East Sea City, which I will be in charge of, so I will be staying for a long time. Wanqing, it has been my fault for not contacting you all these years, I will make up for the lost time. Oh, and here¡¯s a gift I brought back specially for you from abroad."


    With that, Zhu Hong took out an exquisite red box, about the size of a palm, and handed it to Nanrong Wanqing with both hands.

 Chapter 59 - 58 Zhu Hong (Part 3)

    <h4>Chapter 59: Chapter 58 Zhu Hong (Part 3)</h4><h4><strong>Editor: </strong>Larbre Studio </h4>


    "Thank you."


    Upon seeing the gift box ced down, Zhu Hong smiled and said, "Aren¡¯t you going to open it and see what it is?"


    Hearing this, under his gaze, Nanrong Wanqing cradled the box on her palm, gently opening it. Instantly, a naturally-formed heart-shaped stone revealed itself before her eyes.


    "This is..."


    "You once told me that you wanted to go to an ind country in Eastern Europe, where the sea merges with the sky in perfect blue, so clean and wless, the most beautiful ce in the world. I had the chance to go there once, and on the beach, I found this stone, so I wanted to give it to you as a gift. It may not be something valuable, but it represents my feelings."


    Hearing this, a string in Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s heart seemed to be touched, a hint of emotion rippling in her beautiful eyes.


    How many years had it been? Those words she had said in passing as a child, he had actually kept in his heart.


    Her lips parted slightly, about to say something. But at that moment, she saw Zhu Hong pulling out his phone from his pocket, apologetically ncing at her.


    "Sorry, this call is quite important, I need to take it." With that, he quickly walked out.


    The call connected, and an indifferent voice immediately rang out from the other end: "The mission failed."


    "I know."


    "How did you know?"


    "I just saw the target. What about our people?"


    "Two dead, one captured."


    "Not a single survivor should be left."


    "Understood."


    After hanging up, the ferocity in Zhu Hong¡¯s eyes gradually subsided, and his mouth curled with a gentle smile as he returned to the living room.


    Seeing Nanrong Wanqing studying the heart-shaped stone, Zhu Hong smiled and asked, "Wanqing, do you like it?"


    "Thank you," Nanrong Wanqing responded in a neutral tone, neither expressing liking it nor disliking it, her eyes void of any emotional fluctuation. In her memory, her childhood was beautiful and happy, and Zhu Hong was an irreceable part of it. Yet, for some reason, after not seeing him for years, amidst the familiarity, there was a hint of strangeness, as if something was standing between them, gradually extending the distance between them.


    Confronted with Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s polite response, Zhu Hong was unfazed, his lips curling slightly, shing a charming and intoxicating smile. He took a few steps towards Nanrong Wanqing, half-kneeling in front of her, softly cing one hand on the nket covering her legs, tenderly saying, "I know you¡¯re upset, but don¡¯t worry, your childhood Zhu is back. No matter what it takes, I¡¯ll cure your legs."


    Feeling his concern, Nanrong Wanqing gave a faint smile: "I know you mean well, but my legs are beyond hope. We¡¯ve sought every possible doctor, and they were all at their wit¡¯s end. Besides... I¡¯ve gotten used to it over these years."


    "How can that be? As a child, I promised you that no matter what happened, I¡¯d always be by your side, to cherish you, protect you, to prevent you from getting hurt. Since I promised, it¡¯s a lifetimemitment. Wanqing, I heard that the car ident was an attempted murder against you, do you know who did it?"


    "The matter is already in the past, I don¡¯t want to pursue it, nor do I want to bring it up again."


    "Okay." Zhu Hong nodded, then shifted the topic: "You¡¯ve consulted so many doctors, has Xiaozhu ever checked on you?"


    Nanrong Wanqing turned her head away, speaking indifferently: "You know the rtionship between her and me..."


    "Why bother, so many years have passed, Xiaozhu she..."


    "I¡¯m happy to see you today; I don¡¯t want to bring up those unhappy matters."


    Hearing this, a hint of helpless bitterness shed in Zhu Hong¡¯s eyes as he nodded slightly, "Then I won¡¯t talk about it." After speaking, he checked the time and stood up: "Wanqing, I have to deal with some things at thepany, so I can¡¯t stay with you for too long tonight. Once I finish with thepany¡¯s work, I¡¯ll make time to visit you more often. There¡¯s a lot I want to say to you after not seeing you for several years."


    "No worries, work is important. You go and take care of it." After a pause, Nanrong Wanqing asked, "Did you drive here?"


    "The driver brought me here, but he had somethinge up, so I sent him away first."


    "I¡¯ll have someone send you back. Lin!"


    "Eh,ing!"


    Upon hearing Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s call, Su Lin hurriedly ran downstairs from the second-floor bedroom, grinning and saying, "Cousin, what do you need?"


    "Have Ling Chen take Zhu Hong back to the hotel."


    "Okay, got it."


    Seeing Su Lin dash out of the house, Zhu Hong casually asked, "Is that Ling Chen the same person who brought you back earlier?"


    "Yes, he¡¯s a security personnel hired by my grandfather to look after my safety."


    Zhu Hong smiled gently and confidently, "When I¡¯m here, you won¡¯t need anyone else¡¯s protection."


    That¡¯s when Su Lin, after looking around for a while, finally found Ling Chen lounging and chatting in Nanrong Hao¡¯s vi.


    "Mr. Ling, get up quickly, Wanqing is asking you to escort a guest back."


    Ling Chen nced at her and uttered two indifferent words, "Not going."


    "You... Ling Chen, how dare you disobey the chairman¡¯s order?" Su Lin didn¡¯t expect him to refuse, and to top it off, this guy even dared to hang up on her before, increasingly bold.


    With half a toothpick in his mouth, Ling Chen bared his teeth, "Miss Su, I¡¯m not a driver. If you want to send someone off, find someone else. Don¡¯te to me; I don¡¯t have that free time."


    Su Lin said annoyed, "Ling Chen, do you not want to mix here anymore? Don¡¯t forget where you are, and who you are."


    Ling Chen shrugged indifferently, "If you have a problem, go ahead and fire me."


    "You... how dare you talk to me like that?" Su Lin was infuriated, as this guy increasingly failed to recognize her authority.


    "Chen..."


    Nanrong Hao, worried that the two would start quarreling again, quickly tried to mediate. However, before he could speak, Ling Chen shot him a look, and he instantly shut his mouth, not daring to say more. Cousin was not to be trifled with, and he dared not provoke Ling Chen even more, seeing as Ling Chen was his Master. Although Ling Chen refused to formally take him as a disciple, he always regarded Ling Chen as his Master in his heart.


    Besides, he noticed that Ling Chen was acting strangely today. Usually, Ling Chen would greet Su Lin with a smile, but today he seemed like apletely different person, very casual.


    "Miss Su, you better hurry and find someone else, don¡¯t waste your time here."


    "Fine, Mr. Ling, you¡¯ll remember this." Su Lin huffed and turned to leave with a huff.


    Hearing the heavy door m from outside, Nanrong Hao gave a wry smile, "Chen, you know what my cousin¡¯s temper is like, why bother upsetting her?"


    "A woman, you can¡¯t spoil them too much."


    Ling Chen threw out the phrase carelessly. Now he didn¡¯t care, because when he first joined thepany, his main goal was for the substantial sry, to pay for Tang Shiyun¡¯s tuition fees, and to help alleviate the financial pressure on Tang Shiyun¡¯s family. Therefore, he endured and gave way in everything, not quibbling over small things. Now that he knows Tang Shiyun is safe and also chosen by Silver Star Company, he doesn¡¯t need to endure grievances for that sry anymore.

 Chapter 60 - 59 What is your relationship with Xiaozhu?

    <h4>Chapter 60: Chapter 59 What is your rtionship with Xiaozhu?</h4><h4><strong>Editor: </strong>Larbre Studio </h4>


    As for this job that pays tens of thousands, he really didn¡¯t care. A monthly ie of tens of thousands has its way of living, just as a monthly ie of a few thousand has its own lifestyle. When he was a courier, he had a sry of just around two thousand, yet he still got by, and had more freedom, without so many constraints.


    On the way back, he had already made up his mind that it didn¡¯t matter whether he kept this job or not; all he wanted was to live afortable and leisurely life.


    Of course, aside from these reasons, Zhu Hong¡¯s appearance might also be one of them, though he didn¡¯t want to admit it in his heart.


    "Big brother, I¡¯m full."


    Seeing Little Hua patting her round belly and walking over, Ling Chen smiled, touched her head, and stood up saying, "Since you¡¯re full, then I¡¯ll take you back."


    After leaving the Nanrong Family, Ling Chen happened to see a Land Rover driving out of the garage. Su Lin couldn¡¯t persuade him, so she had no choice but to ask Zhou Qing to take the guest away.


    "Wanqing, what were you all talking about just now?"


    Inside the vi, Su Lin had a gossipy face as she circled around Nanrong Wanqing, asking curiously.


    "Why do you need to know so much?"


    "Ohe on, I¡¯m just curious." Su Lin chuckled: "Be honest, when you saw your old me again, did you feel anything stirring in your heart?"


    "What old me? Don¡¯t talk nonsense, I just regard him as a close friend."


    "Really just friends? That simple?" Su Lin teased: "I think it¡¯s more than that. Wanqing, we are good sisters, and there are no outsiders here, feel free to tell me, I promise I won¡¯t spread it."


    Nanrong Wanqing gave her an unimpressed look: "I¡¯ve told you, I have no feelings. By the way, has Ling Chen sent Zhu Hong away yet?"


    Hearing her mention Ling Chen, Su Lin¡¯s face immediately fell, and sheined: "Wanqing, you must properly teach that guy a lesson, he actually dare to defy orders and not even listen to you. I had no choice just now, I had to ask Zhou Qing to send Zhu Hong away at thest minute."


    "Why wouldn¡¯t he agree?"


    "How would I know, that guy is so annoying, you really need to give him a lesson and let him know who¡¯s in charge here."


    "Alright, don¡¯t be angry, no need to stoop to his level."


    On the road for more than twenty minutes, Ling Chen drove to Qingyun Martial Arts Hall.


    By this time, it was already past eight o¡¯clock in the evening, the Martial Arts Academy was brightly lit, and many disciples lingered outside the door, looking worried.


    "Quick, look, the little junior sister is back."


    At that moment, someone noticed Little Hua getting out of the car and immediately called out in surprise.


    "Quick, go inform the Master."


    "Mr. Ling."


    Seeing Ling Chen getting out of the driver¡¯s seat, the disciples of the Martial Arts Academy quickly greeted him respectfully. They remembered what happenedst time; if not for Ling Chen speaking to Ye Liangyong on their behalf, they might have been driven out of the academy. They regarded Ling Chen as their benefactor.


    Apanied by the crowd, Ling Chen smiled and entered the Siheyuan.


    In no time, He Ziyun was seen hurrying out of the building dressed in a traditional Chinese Tang suit.


    "Little Hua."


    "Master."


    Little Hua rushed to He Ziyun, her voice carrying a sob: "Master, Little Hua was so scared, scared that she would never see you again."


    He Ziyun tenderly picked her up and gently patted her back, his face full ofpassion: "There, there, don¡¯t cry anymore, it¡¯s all right now. I promise you as your master, this kind of thing will never happen again."


    Little Hua wiped her tears, looking like a pear blossom bathed in rain, nodding her little head, appearing pitifully lovable.


    Watching the warm scene between master and disciple, Ling Chen couldn¡¯t help but marvel. Life is like a y, it¡¯s all about acting; this saying is indeed true. Looking at the little girl¡¯s performance, it would be a pity if she doesn¡¯t be an actress in the future.


    Earlier, when they were in the car, Little Hua was worried that her master would scold her for running out alone. In her heart, her master was always a strict person, which made her very fearful. Thus, Ling Chen gave her a bad idea, telling her that as long as the tearse down, there is nothing that couldn¡¯t be solved.


    A woman¡¯s tears are always the best weapon, and little girls are no exception.


    Unexpectedly, the little girl¡¯s acting skills were so good; the tears just fell without any need for brewing.


    "Friend Ling, pleasee in."


    After soothing Little Hua in his arms, He Ziyun finally remembered Ling Chen and hurriedly weed him inside.


    "Mr. He, how have you been recently?"


    "Thanks to you, everything is fine. Friend Ling, we¡¯re really indebted to you for helping Little Hua avoid disaster this time. On behalf of everyone at the Martial Arts Academy, I thank you."


    "Mr. He, we¡¯re all friends, there¡¯s no need for such formalities." Having said that, Ling Chen couldn¡¯t help but inquire: "Mr. He, if I may be so bold to ask, why did the kidnappers want to abduct Little Hua?"


    "Friend Ling, it¡¯s a long story, I¡¯ll exin it to you in detail another time."


    Upon hearing this, how could Ling Chen not understand He Ziyun¡¯s intention? The other party obviously didn¡¯t want to divulge it right now, so he looked for an excuse to defer the conversation. He wasn¡¯t oblivious to social cues; the other person had already made it quite clear, and if he continued to ask, it would certainly upset He Ziyun. Besides, he was purely driven by his own curiosity, nothing more.


    "Little Hua, Little Hua..."


    In the midst of the conversation, an anxious voice suddenly came from outside.


    "It¡¯s Sister Xiaozhu returning."


    Little Hua¡¯s face lit up with joy, and she hurriedly ran out while cheerfully calling out, "Sister Xiaozhu."


    Apanied by Ye Liangyong, Zhu Xiaozhu quickly stepped inside, and immediately embraced the running Little Hua, her eyes gentle like water, brimming with tears.


    "Sister Xiaozhu, don¡¯t cry, Little Hua is fine."


    "Sister isn¡¯t crying; as long as I see you are fine, that¡¯s enough." Zhu Xiaozhu, with her cheek pressed against Little Hua¡¯s flushed little face, sobbed.


    Following behind, Ye Liangyong scanned the room with a nce, his gaze immediately falling on Ling Chen, then he strode over to him, grasping his hands and said: "Ling Chen, thank you for saving Little Hua."


    "Mr. Ye, you¡¯re wee." As he said this, a trace of an unusual color flickered in Ling Chen¡¯s pupils. Before, Ye Liangyong had referred to him using ¡¯Mr.¡¯ or ¡¯young brother,¡¯ but just now he called him by name directly. There seemed to be no difference, but the implications were significant. If Ye Liangyong¡¯s previous address was out of politeness, he now regarded him as a friend.


    Ye Liangyong patted his shoulder: "In the future, don¡¯t call me Mr. Ye, you and Xiaozhu are of the same generation, just call me Uncle Ye."


    Ling Chen nodded: "Uncle Ye."


    "Ling Chen, thank you." At this moment, Zhu Xiaozhu also thought of the person who saved Little Hua¡¯s life and promptly stood up to thank him.


    "What¡¯s our rtionship, you don¡¯t have to be so polite," Ling Chen replied with a beaming smile.


    Standing beside them, Little Hua blinked her watery big eyes, a face full of innocence asked: "Big brother, what¡¯s your rtionship with Sister Xiaozhu? I don¡¯t know about this."


    Seeing her adorable appearance, Ling Chen couldn¡¯t help but tease: "Of course we¡¯re friends, what else did you think?"


    Little Hua pouted her little mouth: "I thought that you were..."


    Follow current novels on freewe(b)novel.c(o)m

 Chapter 61 - 60 Former Comrades-in-Arms

    <h4>Chapter 61: Chapter 60 Former Comrades-in-Arms</h4><h4></h4>


    "Alright, Little Hua, you haven¡¯t taken your medicine today. Let¡¯s go, I¡¯ll take you to get your prescription," Zhu Xiaozhu cut off Little Hua¡¯s words and pulled her out of the room. She was afraid Little Hua would talk nonsense in front of so many people. She knew this little girl very well. Although she seemed young, she was actually quite the little devil.


    After Zhu Xiaozhu and Little Hua left, Ling Chen asked, "Mr. Ye, is Little Hua unwell?"


    "She had someplications at birth, so she needs to take medication long-term to maintain her health." After exining, Ye Liangyong nced at He Ziyun, stood up and said, "Master, Ling Chen, please sit. I have something to take care of and need to step out." With that, he walked towards the door.


    However, he hadn¡¯t gone far before his cellphone started ringing.


    He picked up the phone, and though it was unclear what was said on the other end, his expression turned ugly immediately.


    Seeing Ye Liangyong return to the room, Ling Chen asked, "Mr. Ye, what happened?"


    "I was nning to visit the police station to see that suspect, but they just called to say that the suspect was murdered in the detention room, killed by three stab wounds."


    "What?" Ling Chen was shocked; the suspect was actually murdered in the police station. Whoever did it was not only audacious but also highly professional, otherwise, how could theye and go freely within the police station without leaving a trace? He faintly recalled that when the kidnapper was captured earlier that day, the man had begged Ling Chen to kill him, saying that a failed mission meant a certain death. Additionally, the kidnapper kept mentioning ¡¯them¡¯.


    Although he didn¡¯t know who ¡¯they¡¯ referred to, based on his experience, they were likely a mysterious organization. In this world, many criminal organizations followed a rule: if a mission fails, one must not be captured, even in death. If the rule was vited, elimination was guaranteed. If the offender had a family, the organization wouldn¡¯t spare their family members either.


    Once, a person he had been acquainted with met such a fate. Captured for a failed operation, that person was not only assassinated but their family was also killed and their bodies discarded in the wilderness¡ªan unbearably gruesome end.


    After staying at the Martial Arts Academy for half an hour, Ling Chen thought of matters at home and after saying goodbye, he drove back alone.


    After sending Ling Chen off, Ye Liangyong returned inside and called out all the other junior brothers, leaving only himself and He Ziyun. He closed the door, sat in front of He Ziyun, and furrowed his brows slightly, "Master, what should we do now?"


    He Ziyun let out a sigh, "I never thought that after all these years, they would still find this ce. Liangyong, you are well aware of how dangerous those people are, and this matter won¡¯t be easy to resolve."


    "How about... we move to a more secluded ce?"


    "That¡¯s useless. If they could find this ce, it means they are watching our every move. Besides, where can we hide? They would eventually find us. Liangyong, some things are inescapable. I¡¯m old; life or death doesn¡¯t concern me. It¡¯s just... Your junior brothers are still young, I don¡¯t want them to lose their lives for my sake."


    Ye Liangyong nodded, "I understand what to do now. I will make arrangements to transfer everyone to Beijing as soon as possible."


    "Yes, you take care of the junior brothers¡¯ safety. As for me and Little Hua, don¡¯t worry about us. We will stay here to attract their attention."


    "Master, should we ask for Ling Chen¡¯s help? He¡¯s highly capable, maybe..."


    "I know." He Ziyun smiled faintly, wisdom shining in his cloudy old eyes, "I am more aware of Ling Chen¡¯s background than you. Actually, many things are predestined. Ling Chen wants to start anew and leave his past behind, but what he doesn¡¯t know is that once certain things are involved, they can never be escaped. Now, go on down. I would like some quiet."


    "Yes, Master."


    ...


    The next morning, as usual, Ling Chen sent Nanrong Wanqing to herpany and then sneaked off to Wei Jun¡¯s office. As soon as he entered, he saw Wei Jun hurriedly shove the magazine he was holding behind his back.


    "Big Brother Wei, hiding something nice?"


    "It¡¯s you, kid, you startled me. I thought Captain Zhong wasing." Wei Jun sighed with relief, showing the magazine from behind his back without any reservation. "Little Brother Ling, I just picked up this yboy from a street stall; want to take a look?"


    "Foreign chicks? Not interested." Ling Chen waved his hand. He wasn¡¯t into those foreign blondes with blue eyes, he preferred domestic beauties. He liked the type with a delicate figure and a touch of elegance. It wasn¡¯t that he didn¡¯t like Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s type, but the women he fancied more seemed more realistic, whereas Nanrong Wanqing was too dreamy, seemingly untouchable. Compared to her, he found Zhu Xiaozhu¡¯s gentle temperament more appealing.


    "Little Brother Ling, you have no taste. These gals are great; they¡¯ve got the curves where it counts, totally energetic."


    "Energetic indeed, but I¡¯m afraid you can¡¯t handle it."


    "Who says I can¡¯t. Let me tell you, once they experience my ¡¯skills,¡¯ no woman can resist me." Wei Jun boasted proudly. Then, he leaned in towards Ling Chen and whispered, "Little Brother Ling, are you free tonight? I¡¯ll take you out for some fun."


    Ling Chen understood what he meant and shook his head, "Forget it, don¡¯t count me in for that. I don¡¯t have the spare cash or the interest."


    Wei Jun sighed, "Brother, I thought you were one of us."


    While they talked, Zhong Wei walked into the office, "Ling Chen, looking for you. Someone¡¯s outside asking for you, says they¡¯re your friend."


    "My friend?" Ling Chen muttered to himself. He had only a few friends in Zhonghai City; could it be Jiang Hao?


    While he pondered, he went straight to thepany¡¯s lobby. Instantly, a young man sitting on a sofa caught his eye.


    The young man was one meter eighty-seven tall, with a slim figure, slightly gaunt cheeks, short hair, and looked quite spirited. Seeing the man, Ling Chen was immediately taken aback, filled with confusion. How could this guy be here?


    Then, the young man also noticed Ling Chen and smiled, striding over quickly.


    "Brother, long time no see." He said, opening his arms and giving Ling Chen a solid hug. They patted each other on the back vigorously, expressing the joy of their reunion.


    "Tang Yuan, what brought you here?" Ling Chen was pleasantly surprised. The young man in front of him was his former teammate back in the Ghost Organization, and they were close. After leaving the organization, he hadn¡¯t been in touch with any of the members because that was the rule. He hadn¡¯t expected to see a formerrade again today.

 Chapter 62 - 61: Voluntary Resignation (Part 1)

    <h4>Chapter 62: Chapter 61: Voluntary Resignation (Part 1)</h4><h4></h4>


    Tang Yuan nced around and smiled, "It¡¯s probably not convenient for us to catch up here given our identities. Let¡¯s go somewhere else."


    Immediately, the two left thepany and entered a caf¨¦ across the street. After ordering a private room and some casual snacks, they sent the waiter away.


    "When did youe to East Sea City?"


    "Yesterday."


    "On a mission?"


    "You¡¯re thinking too much. Like you, I¡¯m retired now."


    Ling Chen, puzzled, said, "Weren¡¯t you doing well in there? And it¡¯s not time for you to retire yet, has the higher-up really let you go?"


    "Forget it, ever since that mission went wrong, everyone¡¯s been uneasy, especially when you left, we all felt it. Later, the higher-ups said they wanted to reform, bring in fresh blood, and recruited a lot of new members. As you know, we rarely had much to do throughout the year, and now with more people, there¡¯s even less to do. Staying at the base doing nothing and being ostracized by the neers, it¡¯s all so pointless," Tang Yuanined.


    Ling Chen couldn¡¯t help but joke, "Come on, you¡¯re a veteran, aren¡¯t you afraid of being pushed around by neers?"


    "Times have changed. Before, the higher-ups valued us, so we were in favor. Now the organization focuses on training neers, ignoring us. Actually, without stating it outright, everyone understands this¡ªyou¡¯ve experienced it yourself."


    Ling Chen nodded slightly. He had spent four years within the organization and although it wasn¡¯t a long time, he was very clear about the organization¡¯s practices. Absorbing new blood meant the veterans inside the organization were facing the risk of being phased out. When he joined the organization, those veterans had been forced to step down, no longer going out on missions, but focusing instead on training neers and sharing their experience.


    This was something he could never understand. The veterans inside the organization were not actually old, averaging under thirty years of age, with rich experience and strongbat capabilities, in their prime. Why would the organization hurry to rece these veterans, letting neers step up? Rejecting well-sharpened swords for blunt ones, it made no sense to anyone.


    Putting his chaotic thoughts aside, he focused again on Tang Yuan. Since he had left the organization, its matters no longer rted to him.


    "Tang Yuan, how did you know I was here?"


    Tang Yuan, lifting his coffee, smiled and said, "If I couldn¡¯t even figure out this little thing, then I would have wasted all those years. Not to make youugh, but I came here specifically to look for you. As a retired soldier, I can only kill, can¡¯t do anything else, and without a degree, the organization doesn¡¯t arrange jobs for us. I thought, since you¡¯re in East Sea City, I might as welle to you. After all, being an orphan, I have no attachments and it could be nice to have a brother around."


    "That¡¯s perfect timing; ourpany is just short of people. But let me rify first, you¡¯ll start as security, with a sry of over ten thousand a month, and including bonuses and other benefits, almost 200,000 a year."


    Tang Yun¡¯s eyes lit up, "This treat sounds terrific, even better than white-cor jobs."


    "You¡¯re risking your life for it, so of course it¡¯s high. Hey, don¡¯t me me for not reminding you, we¡¯ve recently encountered some tricky issues. Snake King hase to East Sea City."


    "What¡¯s he here for?"


    "What do you think? Why would an assassine to a ce like this, to vacation? We¡¯re not outsiders here, so I¡¯ll tell you bluntly, Snake King¡¯s target is the board chairwoman, Nanrong Wanqing."


    "With you here, can such a small fry like Snake King threaten her?"


    "Can¡¯t say that, I¡¯m quite passive right now, who knows when that guy will make a move. If you¡¯re willing to work, I can also relieve some pressure."


    "What are brothers for, no second thoughts, I¡¯m in for the job," Tang Yuan readily agreed.


    Ling Chen shed a grin, "Good, I¡¯ll speak to Captain Zhong in a bit and take you toplete the entry procedures."


    Tang Yuan¡¯s decision to join made him very happy. Not only because Tang Yuan¡¯s strong ability could help him, but most importantly, reuniting with a brother was truly a joyous event.


    Back at thepany, Ling Chen introduced Tang Yun to Zhong Wei. Seeing Ling Chen strongly rmending him and even vouching for Tang Yuan, Zhong Wei naturally had no objections.


    "Ling Chen, I have no issues here, but if you want to keep your friend, it must be approved by the chairwoman. Our team¡¯s personnel movements have always been managed directly by the chairwoman herself. You need to report to her and get her permission before hiring anyone."


    Ling Chen was speechless, "Is it thatplicated?"


    "The chairwoman has to prioritize her own safety, of course."


    "Alright, then I¡¯ll go talk to her."


    Leaving Tang Yuan in Wei Jun¡¯s office, Ling Chen directly took the elevator to the top floor. After greeting Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s secretary and being allowed through, he entered the chairwoman¡¯s office.


    Seeing Nanrong Wanqing focused on revising documents at her desk, Ling Chen nonchntly walked over and sat down.


    "What is it?" Nanrong Wanqing said without raising her head.


    "Chairwoman, Team One is short-staffed, I¡¯d like to recruit someone, and Captain Zhong mentioned your approval is necessary."


    Nanrong Wanqing slowly lifted her head, her elegant neck radiant, her fair and smooth face expressionless and indifferent, "Prepare a copy of that person¡¯s profile for me, I¡¯ll consider it."


    "You still need to consider it?" Ling Chen said patiently, "Chairwoman, my friend is very capable, no less than me. With him onboard, your safety is guaranteed."


    "I look for trustworthiness first in recruitment, capabilities are secondary. A person who isn¡¯t trustworthy, no matter how capable, is useless."


    "I can vouch for him."


    "You?" Nanrong Wanqing closed the document in her hands, looking directly at Ling Chen with a piercing gaze, "Ling Chen, I can¡¯t even fully trust you now, why should I trust your friend?"


    "Ha!" Ling Chen found it funny. He had saved her life, and yet she couldn¡¯t trust him. Thinking this, he stood up and said, "Chairwoman, if that¡¯s the case, then there¡¯s nothing left to discuss." With those words, he turned and left the office.


    Ling Chen didn¡¯t go far after leaving the office, instead, he approached the secretary outside to borrow some paper and a pen.


    A few minutester, the door to the chairwoman¡¯s office was pushed open again.


    Seeing Ling Chen return, Nanrong Wanqing slightly furrowed her brow, "What else is there?"


    Without a word, Ling Chen handed over a piece of paper and a bank card, cing them in front of Nanrong Wanqing, "This is my resignation letter, and this is the hundred thousand from your grandfather. I haven¡¯t touched a single cent of it."

 Chapter 63 - 62: Voluntary Resignation (Part 2)

    <h4>Chapter 63: Chapter 62: Voluntary Resignation (Part 2)</h4><h4></h4>


    Nanrong Wanqing looked at him in astonishment: "You want to resign?"


    When Ling Chen initially stayed on thick-skinned, she had never thought that he would take the initiative to resign. So when the resignation report was ced in front of her, even her normally tranquil heart couldn¡¯t help but ripple with surprise.


    "Chairwoman, in our line of work, trust is paramount. It is the foundation of all coboration. Since you cannot trust me, there is no point in me staying. Your safety should be left to those whom you deem trustworthy. Your grandfather once said that no one could fire me unless I chose to resign by myself. I know you and Miss Su don¡¯t like me and want me gone. I¡¯m not someone who can¡¯t take a hint; why should I stay and make myself miserable? Chairwoman, here¡¯s a piece of advice ¨C don¡¯t be too self-centered. Not everyone has to mollycoddle you."


    Having said that, Ling Chen walked out without looking back.


    Just as he said, he wasn¡¯t someone who can¡¯t take a hint. He shamelessly stayed back then only to earn a living for Tang Shiyun, and there is no need for that now. He¡¯s not someone without temper; he just suppressed it, trying to get along with the two women as much as possible. Unfortunately, all his efforts were in vain, and he couldn¡¯t even gain a shred of trust.


    "Ling Chen, you..."


    Nanrong Wanqing wanted to stand up and call Ling Chen back, but she quickly realized that her legs wouldn¡¯t move. Moreover, Ling Chen ignored her call and she could only watch helplessly as he left.


    This damn guy!


    For the first time in her life, Nanrong Wanqing felt both anger and distress. She knew that it was her careless remark that had hurt Ling Chen and prompted him to make such a decision.


    But as she watched Ling Chen disappear through the doorway, her lips parted slightly, not knowing what to say or how to make amends. Should she apologize first? From a young age, she¡¯d never admitted wrongdoing to anyone because everyone revolved around her and held her in the palm of their hands. In the world she lived in, she was the center. So often, she reveled in that superior feeling, nobody ever criticized her, not even her grandfather had ever spoken to her harshly, with the exception of Ling Chen.


    Just go... It¡¯s better this way. In the beginning, she was determined to fire Ling Chen, and now the resignation report in front of her was exactly the oue she wanted, wasn¡¯t it?


    Yet, for some reason, when she thought about what Ling Chen had just said, she felt ufortable at heart, and even lost interest in the work in front of her.


    "What? You resigned?"


    In the security department¡¯s office, Zhong Wei and Wei Jun looked at Ling Chen with a face full of surprise, somewhat incredulous.


    "No way, how could the chairwoman make such a foolish decision? I¡¯m going to talk to her about it."


    Zhong Wei acted as if he would go out, but Ling Chen quickly held him back, "Captain Zhong, don¡¯t bother. This has nothing to do with the chairwoman. It was my own decision to resign."


    "Why?"


    "Don¡¯t ask anymore, it¡¯s already done and talking won¡¯t change anything. We¡¯ve been colleagues for some time; I¡¯ll treat tonight, let¡¯s go out for a meal together."


    "Ling Chen, the chairwoman is in a dangerous situation now. Assassins could strike at any time, isn¡¯t it irresponsible for you to leave at this time?"


    "You all are here, aren¡¯t you? You have so many ex-military buddies, just bring a few more on board, and you¡¯ll be able to keep her safe."


    "You this..."


    Ling Chen waved his hand, cutting off Zhong Wei¡¯s words.


    "Alright, Captain Zhong, I get what you mean. There¡¯s no use talking about it now. Take more care in the future. That¡¯s it then, I¡¯m going to go back and pack up. Tang Yuan, let¡¯s go."


    Leaving thepany, Tang Yuan looked at the silent Ling Chen and apologized: "Bro, I¡¯m sorry, this is on me."


    Ling Chen gave a wry smile: "It¡¯s not about you; it¡¯s my own issue. Don¡¯t worry about it. It¡¯s alright now. I originally nned to find you a job, but now we¡¯re both unemployed. Hey, by the way, where do you live?"


    "Hotel."


    "Then you head back to the hotel, give me the address, and I¡¯lle stay with you tonight. We¡¯ll look for a house to rent tomorrow."


    "Alright, see you tonight."


    After bidding Ling Chen farewell, Tang Yuan took out his phone and dialed a number that he knew by heart.


    The call connected, and a cheerful voice came from the other end: "How¡¯s the mission progressing?"


    "Target nearing failure."


    "Oh? Why, didn¡¯t you meet with Ling Chen?"


    "I did, Ling Chen just quit his job. That path is closed to him now."


    "That kid... Nevermind, he didn¡¯t notice anything, did he?"


    "No, I told him I was discharged from the army, and he believed me. He had no suspicions."


    "I know you two are close, that¡¯s why I assigned this mission to you. Whatever happens, try your best to get close to the target, there can be no slip-ups."


    "Yes, Captain."


    ...


    Returning home to the Nanrong family, the little girl Su Lin wasn¡¯t there. Ling Chen packed up his belongings, and, taking advantage of nobody noticing, he slipped out quietly and parked the Santana outside. He wasn¡¯t afraid of much, but he was most afraid of running into Liu Kun. If Nanrong Yong found out that he resigned, who knows, he might say some nice words hoping to make him stay. He¡¯s too soft-hearted, so it¡¯s best to avoid seeing anyone.


    Moreover, having initiated the resignation, if he were to go back now, where would he put his face? Wouldn¡¯t that just be a joke?


    The night fell, and themps lit up.


    After work, Nanrong Wanqing returned home under the escort of Zhong Wei and the others. Upon entering the house, Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s gaze involuntarily drifted towards the bedroom adjacent to the living room. Hesitating for a moment, she pushed her wheelchair to the bedroom door, gently knocked, and then pushed it open.


    As expected, the room had been cleared out, and there was nobody there.


    "Cousin."


    Just at that moment, Su Lin walked in from outside. Seeing Nanrong Wanqing lingering at Ling Chen¡¯s door, she curiously asked, "Wanqing, are you looking for Ling Chen?" With that, she approached the door.


    "Hey, where is he?"


    Looking at the empty room, Su Lin was puzzled, "Where did that bastard Ling Chen run off to? It¡¯s sote and he¡¯s still not back, hmph, Wanqing, look at this, what kind of employee is he, aren¡¯t you going to do something about it? If it were up to me, I¡¯d fire him on the spot."


    "He resigned."


    "Resigned?" Su Lin was taken aback; her previous words were just a moment of anger, but hearing that Ling Chen really packed up and left, she couldn¡¯t quite believe it, "He... why would he resign all of a sudden?"


    "Why ask so many questions, haven¡¯t you always wanted him to leave!"


    Yes! It would be great if that bastard left, she should be happy. But the thought of Ling Chen actually leaving gave Su Lin an indescribable feeling. She used to try every possible way to drive Ling Chen away, butter on, Ling Chen helped her out several times without holding grudges. Even though they often bickered, her opinion of Ling Chen gradually changed. Now, for some reason, knowing that Ling Chen was gone, she felt an emptiness inside, unable to muster any joy.

 Chapter 64 - 63: The Apple-Cheeked Beauty

    <h4>Chapter 64: Chapter 63: The Apple-Cheeked Beauty</h4><h4></h4>


    A sleepless night.


    The next day, Ling Chen stretchedzily as he woke up in the hotel to find it was already past nine in the morning. No need to work, he could finally sleep in.


    "You finally got up, you rascal."


    Tang Yuan, entering from outside, ced the freshly bought breakfast on the bed and asked, "Any ns for today?"


    "First, I need to rent a ce."


    Ling Chen casually grabbed a bun and stuffed it into his mouth without bothering to brush his teeth. With not much money on him, staying in hotels wasn¡¯t sustainable. First things first, secure a ce to live, then find a job.


    After swallowing the bun, Ling Chen suddenly recalled something.


    "Right, Old Tang, what¡¯s the date today?"


    "September 3rd."


    Indeed, today¡¯s the day!


    Without another word, Ling Chen bounced out of bed, hurriedly got dressed, and dashed to the bathroom. Shortly after, he was all set, striking what he thought was a dashing pose at the door, grinning, "How¡¯s that, pretty handsome, eh?"


    Without mincing words, Tang Yuan shot him down, "Handsome my ass. Spill it, you¡¯re dressed all shy. Meeting a girlfriend, are you?"


    "I wish I had a girlfriend. Why don¡¯t you introduce me to one?"


    "I haven¡¯t even found one for myself yet, let alone introduce you. Bugger off, as far as you can."


    "Fine, I¡¯ll bugger off then. You can stay here and wallow in your loneliness," said Ling Chen, waving his hand as he left the hotel.


    Today, September 3rd, was the opening day for the new semester at East Sea University. Tang Shiyun was a new student there; she would definitely go to register. Since he couldn¡¯t reach her by phone, he could only try to find her at the university. It had been a while since hest saw her, and he rather missed the girl.


    Taking the bus to the gates of East Sea University, Ling Chen straightened his clothes, his angr face beaming with a radiant smile as he strode into the campus.


    As soon as he entered the university, his eyes were too busy to take it all in. Indeed, college life is the best, brimming with youthful and beautiful women everywhere.


    Though it was autumn, the heat hadn¡¯t subsided. Some of the more liberal female students, in short skirts and strappy tops, disyed their long, beautiful legs and bare backs, providing a feast for Ling Chen¡¯s eyes.


    His greatest regret in life was never attending school. When he was younger, his dad homeschooled him. By the age of fifteen, when others were still in middle school, he had already finished the university curriculum.


    Admiring the beauties along the way, Ling Chen wandered around the campus until he finally located the new student registration area.


    A few students, probably members of the student union, managed the registration. Ling Chen took a nce, approached a girl with a ponytail bowed over her work, and asked, "Excuse me, I¡¯m looking to find out if Tang Shiyun has checked in?"


    Hearing a voice, the girl looked up and met Ling Chen¡¯s gaze.


    Their eyes met, and a spark lit up in front of Ling Chen. This girl, in her early twenties, had an apple-shaped face, delicate brows, and big eyes. She wore a short-sleeve blouse, the fabric stretched over her ample bosom as if the buttons could burst at any moment. Unfortunately, the table concealed her lower half, so he couldn¡¯t see clearly. Even so, her appearance and figure easily matched the description of "youthful beauty."


    Tsk, tsk, well-deserved reputation as a cradle of beauties, this university.


    "Are you a new student here?" the girl asked, her voice clear and pleasant.


    "No, I¡¯m a friend of Tang Shiyun. I couldn¡¯t reach her, so I wanted to know if she hase to the campus."


    "Do you know what major she¡¯s in?"


    "This..." Ling Chen scratched his head; he really didn¡¯t know what major Tang Shiyun had chosen.


    Seeing that he couldn¡¯t continue the conversation, the girl looked at him suspiciously: "Are you really her friend? If you were friends, howe you don¡¯t even know her major?"


    Just as Ling Chen was about to exin, a male student sitting nearby scrutinized him and warned: "Leng Feifei, be careful. Maybe he got dumped by his girlfriend, found no one else willing to pay attention to him, and that¡¯s why he came to the school. This kind of thing has happened quite often. There are too many jerks nowadays, better safe than sorry."


    The girl named Leng Feifei nodded convincingly and closed the roster, warning Ling Chen warily: "I can¡¯t just give out students¡¯ information here. You should try another method."


    "Come on, prettydy, help me out."


    Leng Feifei turned her head away, with a look that indicated no room for negotiation.


    Ling Chen, having no other choice, left the registration area and found a random ce to sit down. It was just ten o¡¯clock, still early; maybe Tang Shiyun hadn¡¯t arrived at the school yet. He decided to wait and see.


    "Brother Chen?"


    An astonished voice came from behind him at that moment.


    Ling Chen turned around, only to see Nanrong Hao briskly walking towards him with a delighted expression: "Brother Chen, it is really you."


    "What are you doing here,d?"


    Nanrong Hao pointed to the bag over his shoulder, "Brother Chen, did you forget? Both my cousin and I go to the university, I¡¯m in my junior year, and she¡¯s a senior."


    Prompted by his reminder, Ling Chen suddenly remembered that Nanrong Hao indeed had mentioned this to him.


    "Brother Chen, why aren¡¯t you at thepany? What brings you to campus?"


    Ling Chen simply shrugged. Nanrong Wanqing probably hadn¡¯t told him about his resignation yet. Since she hadn¡¯t mentioned it, there was no need for him to b about it.


    "Don¡¯t ask so many questions. Right, you¡¯re a student here. Can you help me check at the registration if there¡¯s a girl who came to enroll named Tang Shiyun?"


    "Sure thing." Nanrong Hao readily agreed and scurried over there.


    In less than two minutes, Nanrong Hao came back dejectedly, saying disheartenedly, "Brother Chen, I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t do this task."


    "What happened?"


    "Leng Feifei is over there; she¡¯s my ssmate and she¡¯s always had it in for me. I don¡¯t even need to say anything, I know she won¡¯t help me out."


    "You..." Ling Chen red at him disapprovingly and said irritably: "You really disappoint me,d. Can¡¯t even handle a woman; what a waste of all I¡¯ve taught you."


    "Brother Chen, since you¡¯re so amazing, why don¡¯t you give it a try? Also, teach that girl a lesson for me."


    Hearing this, Ling Chen frowned and criticised seriously: "No wonder those girls don¡¯t like you; first off, your way of thinking is all wrong. Are women supposed to be scolded?"


    "Brother Chen, then what should I do?" Nanrong Hao asked, keen to learn.


    "Remember this, women should be conquered, not scolded."


    "Brother Chen, I get what you¡¯re saying, but talk is cheappared to action. Why don¡¯t you meet Leng Feifei and show me how it¡¯s done, so I can learn properly from you?"


    "I... ahem, uh, where is the restroom? I¡¯ll go take a break first; we can discuss this matterter."


    He had just been snubbed by that Leng Feifei. Going back now would just make a fool of himself in front of Nanrong Hao, and he absolutely couldn¡¯t do anything to damage his grand image.


    After dawdling in the restroom for about ten minutes, Ling Chen washed his hands and walked along the cobblestone path through the quiet grove on the campus, preparing to meet up with Nanrong Hao. But at this moment, a series of alluring gasps reached his ears from the other side of the grove.


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 Chapter 65 - 64: Su Lin Being Bullied (Part 1)

    <h4>Chapter 65: Chapter 64: Su Lin Being Bullied (Part 1)</h4><h4></h4>


    Although the other party was trying hard not to make any noise, he could still hear them clearly and couldn¡¯t help shaking his head in secret. Young people nowadays are so brazen, seeking thrills by running into the grove in broad daylight for a quickie, not fearing being discovered at all.


    He quickened his pace, intending to leave. However, just as he hadn¡¯t gone far, he heard voicesing from the grove.


    "Yang, feeling good?"


    "Hehe, your skills are unspeakable, you¡¯re the best."


    Hearing these two familiar voices, Ling Chen raised his eyebrows. Damn, what a coincidence, it turned out to be Qin Yang and Song Yuan who were sneaking around here for a tryst.


    "Ah... ah..." Song Yuan groaned while ****ing and gasped, "Yang, how did it go with the thing I asked you to dost time?"


    "Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ve arranged everything. Anyone who dares to bully my woman, I won¡¯t let that bitch off easy."


    "And... ah... and don¡¯t let Ling Chen off either, it was him who helped Su Lin bully me that day."


    "You¡¯re talking about that driver who hangs around Su Lin? Hmph!" Qin Yang scoffed disdainfully, "He¡¯s just a small fry. I¡¯ll see how I squash him. Last time he ruined my ns, I haven¡¯t settled the score with him yet. This time I¡¯ll take care of it all in one go."


    "I knew you¡¯re the best... ah... harder... I can¡¯t take it anymore..."


    Returning to Nanrong Hao¡¯s side, Nanrong Hao checked the time with a strange expression, "Chen, you¡¯ve been gone for almost half an hour, didn¡¯t fall into a pit, did you?"


    "Cut it out, it¡¯s you who would fall into a pit." Ling Chen slightly curved his lips, recalling the scene he had stumbled upon just now, his eyes narrowed slightly, with a mischievously sly smile.


    "Haozi, where¡¯s your cousin?"


    "How would I know, she and I do our own things. Chen, do you still want to meet up with Leng Feifei?"


    "I don¡¯t have that leisure time now. Haozi, just stay put, there¡¯s gonna be a good show to watch."


    While talking, a clear voice like a spring came from beside his ear: "Hey! Why are you still lingering around here, not leaving?"


    Ling Chen turned his head, only to see Leng Feifei approaching him. From the direction she came, she must have just been to the restroom. He opened his mouth, ready to speak, but saw Leng Feifei shift her gaze from him to Nanrong Hao beside him.


    "You two know each other? Humph, seems like what my friend said was right, you¡¯re really no good." After that, Leng Feifei rolled her eyes at Ling Chen.


    "Hey, Leng Feifei, watch how you speak." Nanrong Hao was displeased, "Show some respect in front of my Chen."


    "Why should I be polite to him? He¡¯s nobody to me. Nanrong Hao, I¡¯m reminding you, this is the school, don¡¯t bring questionable characters here, you won¡¯t be able to answer for it if something happens."


    Ling Chen couldn¡¯t sit still anymore, he hadn¡¯t provoked her in any way, so why was he beingbeled as someone dubious, "Beauty, I didn¡¯t seduce you or molest you, which of your eyes saw that I¡¯m not a good person? Speak with evidence, be careful I sue you for nder."


    Leng Feifei¡¯s pretty nose wrinkled, and she huffed, "Birds of a feather flock together, you hang out with scum like Nanrong Hao, what else could you be if not a scumbag, even if not now, you¡¯ll turn into one in the future."


    Tsk tsk! Ling Chen took a meaningful look at Nanrong Hao, it seemed like this beauty held quite a grudge against Nanrong Hao. The so-called scumbags, like Chen Shimei who abandons after seducing, are the stereotype of scumbags. Leng Feifei kept saying Nanrong Hao was a scumbag; could it be that she was dumped by Nanrong Hao?


    Seeing Leng Feifei quickly departing, Ling Chen patted Nanrong Hao on the shoulder, "Spill it, kid. What exactly did you do to that beauty?"


    Nanrong Hao made a bitter face, "Chen, I swear on everything that is good, I did nothing to her."


    "Then why does she have a problem with you?"


    "Sigh, I used to date one of her friends for a while, and things were pretty good. I wanted to continue the rtionship, but my Sister found out. She forbade me from dating in college, so I had to break up. Ever since that incident, she has been eyeing me unfavorably, targeting me every chance she gets."


    "Kid, not to criticize you, but you¡¯re seriously failing as a man. If you like someone, go for it¡ªwhat does your Sister have to do with it? Don¡¯t always let her lead you by the nose. As a man, you need to be confident and independent. You¡¯re the eldest grandson of the Nanrong Family, the future heir of Hongyu Group. Show some backbone and don¡¯t take your Sister too seriously. After all, it¡¯s not like you¡¯re going to spend the rest of your life with her."


    Nanrong Hao nodded, taking the lesson to heart, his face showing deep contemtion.


    Just then, a powerful engine roar was heard, followed by the sight of a white Maserati pulling up at the school entrance. The car door opened, and a gorgeous woman extended her slender legs, stepping out from the vehicle.


    Su Lin was wearing a pink tight-fitting T-shirt today that entuated her arms, smooth as tender lotus roots, with her full, perky chest drawing inviting allure. A knee-length skirt revealed her fair and delicate calves, while casual ts adorned her feet. Topping her ensemble was a cute sun hat, with her long hair spilling down her back. She seemed less sensual and enchanting than usual, emanating a vibrant, youthful energy instead.


    Her appearance immediately captured the attention of the surrounding students. Especially the freshers who had just entered the school, all of them wide-eyed, secretly swallowing their saliva.


    "Hey, your Sister hase."


    "I see her."


    "Aren¡¯t you going to go and say hello?"


    "We¡¯ve met before, no need to be so formal with her."


    Under the watchful eyes of many students, Su Lin walked into the campus with her chest out and her head held high, her steps brisk.


    "Su Lin!"


    At that moment, an anguished shout rang out.


    The surrounding students, drawn by the voice, turned to look. Suddenly, they saw a youth in his twenties ring at Su Lin, veins throbbing on his forehead, his fists tightly clenched, as if an endless fury needed to be unleashed.


    The youth was good looking with an athletic build and fair skin. A fringe of hair hung over his forehead, adding to his handsomeness.


    Su Lin looked at the young man in astonishment, "Have you mistaken me for someone else?"


    "Mistaken?" The young man angrily chuckled, "Even if I were blind, I could sniff out the scent of a wretch like you."


    At his words, the onlooking students gasped in shock. To curse someone as a ¡¯wretch¡¯, this situation seemed far from simple.


    "You..." Su Lin¡¯s face turned red with anger, and she retorted, "Are you sick? I don¡¯t even know you."


    "I know you won¡¯t admit to it, but no matter, I¡¯m going to expose your wretched deeds for all to see and let everyone know what kind of trash you are."


    Unable to listen anymore, a student nearby frowned and said, "Hey, watch yournguage, please. Don¡¯t just insult people. Remember, this is a school."

 Chapter 66 - 65 Su Lin Is Bullied (Part 2)

    <h4>Chapter 66: Chapter 65 Su Lin Is Bullied (Part 2)</h4><h4></h4>


    "Hmph, what does being at school matter?" the young man said disdainfully. "Let me tell you what this woman has done, the morally corrupt things," he said, pointing at Su Lin. "I met her at a bar not long ago, no need for me to say what happened next, everyone knows."


    Upon hearing this, people looked at Su Lin with suggestive expressions, prompting Su Lin to exim angrily: "You¡¯re lying, I don¡¯t know you at all, you better shut up and stop ndering me."


    "Hmph! Are you angry out of embarrassment? If you dared to do it, are you afraid of people knowing? You kept asking to be friends with me, but then you seduced your own driver. What was his name again? Oh, right, Ling Chen. Hmph, you thought I didn¡¯t know about your affair? That day I came to your house to look for you, only to see you two hiding in the car, hugging each other. Everyone can guess what you were doing. Su Lin, Su Lin, I thought of you as a good woman, but it turned out you were fooling around behind my back,cking even the basic moral line. Such a shameless woman you are. Since you¡¯ve cuckolded me, don¡¯t me me for being rude. Today, I want all of your ssmates to know what kind of person you, Su Lin, are."


    "Enough!"


    A clear voice rang out as Leng Feifei quickly walked up to Su Lin, ring at the young man with a furious face, "Do you even know what you¡¯re doing? Carelessly ndering others can bring legal consequences; if you continue this nonsense, be careful of ending up in jail."


    The young man sneered: "Who says I¡¯m ndering her? I have video evidence of her on my phone. Tomorrow I¡¯ll upload it to the campuswork, let everyone see how shameless she is."


    "You..." Su Lin¡¯s face turned livid. She knew this person was spouting nonsense, but in front of so many people, and so suddenly, she was unprepared and unable to defend herself. Regardless of whether others believed it or not, her reputation at school would be impacted. Thinking of this, her eyes began to well up. She had never been insulted like this before.


    Leng Feifei looked at Su Lin whose face had turned pale, feeling some sympathy. Any woman facing this situation would feel terrible.


    She wasn¡¯t close to Su Lin, but she knew her. As one of the beauties of East Sea University, everyone knew her. Regardless of whether the usations were true, she didn¡¯t want toment. However, as a member of the student union, it was her duty to maintain the school¡¯s reputation.


    "Security, get this man out."


    The young man appeared indifferent, not taking the approaching security seriously, "Su Lin, if I were you, I¡¯d find a ce to hide and not show my face again."


    "Yang, did you hear that? Who would have thought our great campus beauty was this kind of woman? Good thing you dumped her early."


    At that moment, a mocking voice sounded. Turning her head, Su Lin saw Song Yuan, holding Qin Yang¡¯s hand, walking out from the crowd of onlookers. Her cheeks flushed with excitement, she nced at Su Lin, her eyes slightly raised in disdainful mockery.


    "Song Yuan, shut your mouth," Su Lin shouted angrily.


    "What? Since you dare to do it, are you afraid of people talking? Su Lin, I thought you were so noble, turns out you¡¯re worse than me. At least I am faithful to Yang, and you? You¡¯re the real flirt, even not sparing your own driver. How desperate are you?"


    "You..." Su Lin was furious, she grabbed her handbag and threw it at Song Yuan. However, Qin Yang quickly intercepted it, warning coldly, "Su Lin, better watch yourself. Yuan Yuan is my girlfriend; if you dare disrespect her again, don¡¯t me me for not being nice."


    Su Lin clenched her teeth, fury burning in her eyes. At that moment, she wished Ling Chen was beside her to teach these people a lesson.


    "Oh, isn¡¯t that Mr. Qin?"


    Suddenly, a taunting voice emerged from the crowd.


    Hearing that familiar voice, Su Lin¡¯s spirits lifted, and she quickly turned her head only to see Ling Chen grinning as he walked out from the crowd.


    It was him... he really came... Su Lin felt so moved she almost cried, her eyes reddening and tears shimmering lightly. She had never expected Ling Chen to actually appear, and after knowing he had quit his job, she thought she might never see him again, since they were from different worlds and had no connection beyond work. But now, seeing him standing tall beside her, she realized this wasn¡¯t just a dream.


    "Ling Chen?"


    Seeing him, Qin Yang¡¯s face instantly turned cold. Particrly Song Yuan, who looked venomously at Ling Chen, almost ready to pounce at him. The humiliation she suffered at the club the other day was vivid in her memory, as if it had just happened yesterday.


    Ling Chen acted as if he didn¡¯t notice the hostility in Song Yuan¡¯s eyes, smiled and waved to the people around, "Hello everyone, let me introduce myself. I am Ling Chen, the driver this guy mentioned earlier."


    "Hey, were you really having an affair with Su Lin?" someone in the crowd asked.


    Ling Chen grinned, "I heard what he said, honestly, I wish it was true. Think about it, Miss Su is who, a wealthy youngdy, and me, just a guy struggling at the bottom. If Miss Su fancied me, then I must have umted good karma in my past life to gain the favor of such a beauty, don¡¯t you think?"


    Hearing this, people burst intoughter, "Buddy, you¡¯re real joker."


    "He has a point, Su Lin wouldn¡¯t just go for anyone, her standard wouldn¡¯t be that low."


    "Hey, are you okay?" Ling Chen touched Su Lin¡¯s arm and asked softly.


    "I¡¯m fine, thank... thank you."


    "No need to mention it." Ling Chen gave a slight smile, his gaze shifting to the young man. He walked up to him confidently, towering nearly six feet tall, a stark contrast to the young man before him. He looked down from above, silently, a mischievous smile ying on his lips.


    The young man swallowed nervously under Ling Chen¡¯s stare, feeling an overwhelming aura and unconsciously stepping back, his eyes darting towards Qin Yang and Song Yuan on the side.


    "What... what are you going to do?"


    "Nothing much. Don¡¯t worry, we are all civilized people here, I won¡¯ty a hand on you, just want to reason with you. Look, I know someone paid you to do this, but why involve me? Although I¡¯m just a nobody, I care about my reputation too. So, how about this, you rify things to everyone, state the facts, and I won¡¯t make things difficult for you. How does that sound?"

 Chapter 67 - 66 Qin Yang’s Ruthlessness

    <h4>Chapter 67: Chapter 66 Qin Yang¡¯s Ruthlessness</h4><h4></h4>


    The youth hung his head low, his eyes darting around restlessly. In that moment, he saw Qin Yang nod slightly, and his courage immediately swelled.


    "What else is there to say, what I just stated are the facts. Kid, don¡¯t act smart after getting a bargain, let me tell you, I don¡¯t fall for that trick."


    "Ha! You¡¯re quite tough, aren¡¯t you? Be honest, how much did they pay you? Do you realize that ndering someone casually is illegal and cannd you in jail? You¡¯re not that old, why make life difficult for yourself?"


    "Ling Chen, I think you¡¯re the one with a guilty conscience, why else would you intimidate him? If you¡¯re a man, then admit it boldly." Song Yuan said with a sneer.


    Ling Chen gave her a nce and let out a coldugh.


    "Song Yuan, you¡¯d better keep your mouth shut when I¡¯m talking, don¡¯t forget what I saidst time, do you want me to repeat it in front of everyone?"


    Upon hearing this, Song Yuan¡¯splexion changed, her anger surged instantly, and her eyes filled with spiteful resentment.


    As a woman, the words Ling Chen spoke to her were tantamount to the most malicious speech. Although the incident had passed, each time she thought of those words, her heart felt exceptionally ufortable, and her hatred for Ling Chen grew.


    Seeing Song Yuan gnashing her teeth but not daring to speak, Qin Yang frowned slightly and said: "Ling Chen, what skill is there in bullying my girlfriend?"


    "If you don¡¯t want me to bully her, then you better keep your girlfriend¡¯s mouth in check, and don¡¯t let her talk nonsense to me." After saying that, Ling Chen turned his attention back to the youth, "I¡¯ll give you one more chance, make yourself clear, or don¡¯t me me for being impolite."


    "I have nothing more to say." The youth was very defiant.


    "I hope you won¡¯t regret itter."


    In the middle of the conversation, several security guards had already rushed over, preparing to take the youth away. But at that moment, a voice sounded: "Stop! Nobody leaves." No sooner were the words spoken than a beautifuldy walked in with leisurely strides, appearing in everyone¡¯s view.


    The beautifuldy had delicate features; she wore a casual short sleeve top and light blue jeans, with her hair casually draped over her shoulders. The jeans tightly clung to her figure, entuating her full buttocks, which swayed from side to side as she walked, [censored], extremely sexy and charming. The beauty mark under her red lips added even more charm to her appearance.


    However, the beauty had a somewhat indifferent demeanor, not the kind that was cold and rejecting from a thousand miles away, yet it radiated a strong and assertive personality.


    Seeing the neer, Ling Chen gave a smirk, "Officer Xia, you¡¯ve finally arrived."


    Today, Xia Mutong was in in clothes, not wearing a uniform, which seemed to indicate she was off-duty.


    "Ling Chen, you said there was illegal activity here, what exactly is going on?"


    "There!" Ling Chen pointed at the youth, "This guy ndered me and Miss Su baselessly, as a police officer, you should know how to handle this."


    Hearing the word ¡¯police¡¯, the youth¡¯s eyelids twitched involuntarily and he took a couple of steps back before turning to attempt to flee. However, one of the security guards grabbed his shoulder.


    "Buddy, what are you running for? If you¡¯ve done nothing wrong, you¡¯ve got nothing to fear, unless you have a guilty conscience?"


    "I... I..." The youth stammered, hesitating, pronouncing several ¡¯I¡¯s, his gaze flickering towards Qin Yang from the corner of his eye.


    At this time, the bystanders easily understood the youth¡¯s behavior¡ªit was clear that it was intentional defamation. If he had any real evidence, he wouldn¡¯t be shrinking back like this.


    "I¡¯ll take this person away for now, and I will investigate the matter thoroughly." After speaking, Xia Mutong stepped forward, ready to escort the youth away.


    "Officer Xia, wait a moment."


    "What is it now?" Xia Mutong seemed quite impatient. It was not easy for her to get a day off, hoping to sleep in at home, but this guy woke her up with one phone call. And it was for such a trivial matter?


    "You¡¯ve missed someone else."


    "Who else?"


    Ling Chen¡¯s smile grew wider as he turned his gaze toward Qin Yang and Song Yuan. Thetter¡¯s face paled instantly, and she started to squeeze through the crowd. But the moment the two of them turned around, they felt arge handnd firmly on their shoulders.


    "The two of you, where do you think you¡¯re going? This matter isn¡¯t over yet."


    Qin Yang gritted his teeth and said, "Ling Chen, what does this have to do with me? Why are you looking for me?"


    "Are you sure it has nothing to do with you?" Ling Chen looked at him with a smile that wasn¡¯t quite a smile.


    For some reason, Ling Chen¡¯s smile gave Qin Yang an ominous feeling. Had this guy got some evidence? The more he thought about it, the more uneasy he became. His eyes involuntarily darted to the young man being held by Xia Mutong.


    Feeling his gaze, the young man immediately shouted: "I admit, someone hired me to target Su Lin."


    Xia Mutong said icily, "Who?"


    "Her, it was her." The young man pointed his finger at Song Yuan, "She gave me ten thousand yuan to humiliate Su Lin at school, and promised another five thousand after it was done."


    "No... It wasn¡¯t me." Song Yuan¡¯s pretty face turned ashen. She didn¡¯t expect the young man to use her and quickly waved her hands in denial.


    "Whether it was you or not,e back to the police station with me. If you are innocent, I will find out."


    "I won¡¯t go, I won¡ät go, it has nothing to do with me." Song Yuan struggled to free herself from Xia Mutong¡¯s grip, clutching Qin Yang¡¯s arm tightly, "Yang, please help me clear this up quickly, I didn¡¯t do it, I don¡¯t want to be taken away."


    Qin Yang frowned deeply, shaking off Song Yuan, and said righteously, "I can¡¯t believe that you would be such a person. I thought the quarrel between you and Su Lin was just some schoolgirl bickering, but you used such despicable methods to frame her. I¡¯m very disappointed in you." After speaking, he nced at Ling Chen and whispered to Song Yuan, "Take the me for this matter, and I will make it up to youter. If you dare breathe a word of this, implicating me in any way, don¡¯t me me for being unkind to you."


    Hearing this, Song Yuan¡¯s face turned deathly white, looking at Qin Yang in disbelief. She never expected the man she gave everything for to betray her like this.


    At this moment, Ling Chen was also surprised, surprised at the coldness of Qin Yang¡¯s heart. Although he knew that the plot was orchestrated by Qin Yang, he didn¡¯t have direct evidence to prove it. His earlier words were only meant to put psychological pressure on Qin Yang to confess. Little did he expect Qin Yang would make Song Yuan take all the me.


    It seems this guy is not just azy rich second generation; he¡¯s also cunning, having made the worst-case scenario preparations beforehand. If discovered, make the young man testify against Song Yuan and clear his own name. After all, everyone in the school knew that Song Yuan and Su Lin were not on good terms; no one would suspect him.


    "Let¡¯s go."


    Xia Mutong tugged at Song Yuan. She tightly bit her lip, her step rigid, not daring to meet the eyes of those around her. After being betrayed by her boyfriend, her heart was cold and numb to the insults around her. She was aware that she had lost all face, and even if this matter was resolved, she could never return to school.


    Thinking back to what Qin Yang had just said, her heart bled. She couldn¡¯t afford to provoke Qin Yang¡¯s powerful family. If she dared to oppose him, her fate would be even worse.


    Men... she trusted men too much...


    Watching Song Yuan pass by him, Ling Chen slightly furrowed his brow. Song Yuan¡¯s eyes were devoid of spirit, her face pale, lips bitten and bleeding, which she seemedpletely unaware of, allowing blood to trickle down her mouth.


    Her condition evoked a sense of pity in Ling Chen¡¯s heart. Although those who are pitiable often have their detestable sides, he was too soft-hearted to bear seeing a woman suffer. If to be med, it was her fault for being beguiled by a man like Qin Yang.


    After Song Yuan and the young man were led away, the crowd of onlookers dispersed like birds flying away.


    "Ling Chen."


    Hearing Miss Su¡¯s voice from behind him, Ling Chen turned around, his lips lifting slightly in a reminder, "Miss Su, you should be more careful in the future, I can¡¯t be here to help you out of trouble every time. If there¡¯s nothing else, I¡¯m going to leave now."

 Chapter 68 - 67: Seeing Tang Shiyun Again

    <h4>Chapter 68: Chapter 67: Seeing Tang Shiyun Again</h4><h4></h4>


    Seeing him turn to leave, Su Lin stomped her foot in frustration. Did this guy really not want to say a single extra word to her?


    At the moment when Ling Chen appeared, her heart was filled with both emotion and guilt. Every time she faced trouble, this man would stand up to help her, while she had never treated him kindly, not even with courteous words. In her mind, Ling Chen was just security hired by her family; protecting her was his job. But now that Ling Chen had resigned from the Nanrong family, he had no obligation to protect her. Despite that, when she encountered trouble, he still stood up for her without hesitation.


    Remembering her past actions, her cheeks blushed slightly, and she felt very ashamed.


    Watching Ling Chen walk further away, she gathered her courage and quickly chased after him, wanting to say sorry to Ling Chen and apologize for her past behavior.


    "Ling..."


    She opened her mouth, intending to call out to Ling Chen. But at that moment, a Lincoln stretch limousine slowly drove up to the school gate. A man in a ck suit got out from the passenger side and opened the car door.


    Suddenly, a girl with an extremely pure and innocent beauty stepped out from the back seat. She wore a white, flower-adorned cinched-waist dress with a V-neck, and around her slim, tender neck was a delicate pearl pendant. It was unclear whether it was because of the cinched-waist dress or the girl¡¯s naturally slender figure, but her waist was incredibly slim, almost as if you could circle it with your hands. As she walked, the lotus-like hem of her dress gently swayed as if a breeze was passing through a lotus pond, pure and clean.


    Noticing that the gazes of the passersby were all focused on her, the girl¡¯s delicate face flushed with a touch of red, her eyshes curled, as if she was not used to being stared at, and her lively eyes showed a hint of shyness.


    "Youngdy!"


    The voice came, and the girl turned her head, instantly taken aback and somewhat in disbelief at the sight of him.


    Ling Chen stood with his hands in his pockets, his lips curled into a smile, saying with a grin: "Youngdy, what are you daydreaming about? Don¡¯t you recognize me?"


    "Ling."


    Apanied by a surprised call, the girl¡¯s pretty face instantly bloomed with a smile, her bright eyes brimming with excitement.


    Unable to resist the impulse in her heart, Tang Shiyun, heedless of the suited man following her, ran over to Ling Chen and threw herself into his arms, her tender, white arms tightly embracing him.


    This youngdy...


    Ling Chen didn¡¯t know whether tough or cry, and he didn¡¯t care that he was in public and that so many people were watching.


    He was just thinking this when he suddenly heard sobbinging from his arms. Startled, he quickly pushed Tang Shiyun¡¯s shoulders back, only to see that her eyes were red and there were still two trails of tears on her face. Seeing her tears, Ling Chen couldn¡¯t help but feel distress, and he hastily said, "Youngdy, why are you crying? Did someone bully you or treat you unfairly?"


    Tang Shiyun shook her head gently, "Ling, I thought I would never see you again."


    "Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m not so short-lived. I might not live to a hundred, but making it to eighty or ny shouldn¡¯t be a problem."


    Hearing his words, Tang Shiyun giggled through her tears and yfully scolded, "You¡¯re so annoying; that¡¯s not what I meant."


    "Alright, alright, I know what you mean. You¡¯re seeing me now, aren¡¯t you?" While speaking, Ling Chen took out a tissue from his pocket and gently wiped her tears, "You¡¯re already a university student, yet you cry like a little child. Aren¡¯t you afraid of beingughed at?"


    Feeling Ling Chen¡¯s gentle and intimate gestures, Tang Shiyun¡¯s cheeks blushed slightly, and she murmured softly, "I only cry in front of you."


    "What did you say?"


    "Nothing."


    Tang Shiyun smiled sweetly, casually wrapping her arm around Ling Chen¡¯s arm, her fine eyebrows curving like crescents, extremely happy, "Ling, it¡¯s been so long, have you missed me?"


    "What do you think? Otherwise, do you think I came to the school after getting full for no reason? I remembered that today was your first day of school, so I came to try my luck and see if I could catch a glimpse of you. You, girl, moved without even a phone call, making me worry for nothing."


    Speaking of this, Tang Shiyun¡¯s eyes suddenly dimmed, and she slightly lowered her head, "Sorry, Ling, I..."


    Seeing her mood turn a bit low, Ling Chen couldn¡¯t help saying, "Girl, what¡¯s wrong?"


    "Miss Tang."


    In the midst of speaking, the man in the suit hurried over from behind, his gaze sharply fixed on Ling Chen.


    "Sir, please keep your distance from Miss Tang."


    "Hmm?" Ling Chen¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly, "What do you mean?"


    The man in the suit looked straight back at Ling Chen without flinching, "Sir, I¡¯m sorry, it¡¯s my duty, please cooperate."


    Ling Chen raised his eyebrows. He finally got a chance to catch up with Tang Shiyun, and now this guy wants him to keep his distance from her? Is he minding too much business? He was about to speak, but Tang Shiyun, seeing his displeased expression, hurriedly took over, saying, "Ling, don¡¯t be angry, his name is Xiang Tao, Mr. Zhu specially arranged for him to ensure my safety." After saying that, she turned her head and said, "Xiang, Ling is not an outsider, you can¡¯t apply those rules to him."


    "This..." Xiang Tao hesitated for a moment, but ultimately chose topromise under Tang Shiyun¡¯s firm attitude, "Understood, I got it."


    "Girl, let¡¯s go over there to talk." After that, Ling Chen moved to leave.


    However, that Xiang Tao followed closely behind the two of them, always maintaining a distance of one meter. Ling Chen, irritated, stopped walking and said, "Buddy, can you give us some personal space?"


    "Sorry, my duty is to ensure Miss Tang¡¯s safety; wherever she goes, I follow."


    Ling Chen waved his hand, "You don¡¯t need to trouble yourself, as long as I¡¯m here, no one can hurt her."


    "You?" There was no surplus expression on Xiang Tao¡¯s face, but his tone carried a hint of disdain.


    "Don¡¯t believe me?" Ling Chen¡¯s mouth twitched upward, as he gestured to him with a hook of his finger, "I¡¯ll give you a chance. No matter what method you use, just push me back one step, and I¡¯ll shut up. You can follow wherever you like. But if you can¡¯t, immediately go back to your car and stay there; don¡¯te disturbing us."


    Xiang Tao looked at Tang Shiyun, hesitating in his gaze, "You are Miss Tang¡¯s friend; I¡¯m afraid of hurting you."


    "If you can hurt me, that¡¯s your skill. Come on, don¡¯t hesitate to strike."


    Seeing Tang Shiyun not opposing, Xiang Tao rotated his shoulders, loosening up his arms. He stepped forward slightly with his left foot, and raised his fists in front of his chest, adopting a standard offensive posture.


    Ling Chen smiled indifferently, as if he didn¡¯t take the other¡¯s attack seriously, asionally turning his head to chat leisurely with Tang Shiyun beside him. Seeing himself being ignored, a nameless anger red up in Xiang Tao¡¯s heart.

 Chapter 69 - 68 Little Matchmaker (Part 1)

    <h4>Chapter 69: Chapter 68 Little Matchmaker (Part 1)</h4><h4></h4>


    This guy is too arrogant. I¡¯ve got to teach him a lesson properly. Thinking this, he clenched his teeth, his fist power bursting forth.


    "Watch the fist."


    With a light shout, Xiang Tao¡¯s sturdy fist suddenly thundered out, whooshing through the air, both fast and urate, aiming straight for Ling Chen¡¯s face. However, when he threw his punch, Ling Chen was still chatting andughing with Tang Shiyun, not even looking straight at him.


    Seeing his fist getting closer and closer to Ling Chen¡¯s cheek, Xiang Tao¡¯s heart leapt with joy, thinking he had seeded! But then, a hand suddenly reached out, and before he could even see the movement clearly, he found his fist enveloped and unable to advance further, nor could he pull it back.


    This sudden change caught himpletely off guard and he somewhat couldn¡¯t believe the result he was seeing.


    This guy¡¯s reaction is so fast!


    Ling Chen smiled and loosened his fingers, "Mr. Xiang, your aim is not bad, but unfortunately, the power iscking a bit. Since you will be responsible for the girl¡¯s safety, you better strengthen your training in this area. I don¡¯t want her to be in trouble."


    Xiang Tao didn¡¯t utter a word, having witnessed Ling Chen¡¯s strength, he knew he was far from his level. Remembering the agreement they had just now, he said nothing more and directly returned to the car.


    "Finally, some peace. Girl, let¡¯s go take a walk in the woods."


    Watching Ling Chen and Tang Shiyun leave, Su Lin stood dumbly in ce, giving up the idea of catching up. Just now she was wondering why Ling Chen happened to be here, apparently, it was for that girl. Seeing how affectionately they behaved together, a faint sense of sourness arose in her heart, a feeling she had never experienced before.


    She had always thought Ling Chen was single, only to find out he had a girlfriend, who was pretty and no less attractive than herself. Seeing that girl¡¯s car and the bodyguards closely following her, she must be from a wealthy family too.


    What merits does that guy have to make such an outstanding girl fall for him?


    In the serene woods, Tang Shiyun was holding on to Ling Chen¡¯s arm, walking like a couple on a cobbled path.


    "Girl, how is your dad¡¯s healthtely?"


    "Much better, he should be able to recover and leave the hospital in a month or two."


    "That¡¯s good. By the way, I heard your song on the radio thest time."


    "Really?" Tang Shiyun¡¯s face brightened, mixed with nervousness and anticipation, "Ling, did I sing well?"


    "Need you even ask." Ling Chen¡¯s mouth curved slightly, his eyes twinkling yfully, "Girl, it looks like the promise you made back then is going to be real."


    "What promise?"


    "Didn¡¯t you say, if you became a big star, you¡¯d provide for me? I¡¯m waiting for that day, so don¡¯t you dare back out."


    Tang Shiyun¡¯s cheeks flushed red, her heart filled with joy, "Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t back out. As long as you dare toe, I¡¯ll dare to support you."


    "Right, girl, why didn¡¯t you let me know that you moved houses? And your phone was unreachable too."


    "I..." Tang Shiyun lowered her head to her toes, the smile gone from her face.


    "Just tell me straight, do you still see me as an outsider?"


    "Ling, I¡¯m sorry... It wasn¡¯t intentional. It was my mom... On the day I returned from the bar with you, she saw us. Later, because of my dad¡¯s hospitalization, she didn¡¯t speak up. In the hospital, I happened to see Mr. Zhu visiting a friend and after he came to know about my family¡¯s situation, he said he could help solve our difficulties, provided I joined theirpany. At first, I hesitated, but after my mom met Mr. Zhu a few times, she decided on it and even had Mr. Zhu arrange an apartment for us. I wanted to inform you, but my mom took away my phone and forbade me from contacting you. She even said..."


    Tang Shiyun wiped her glistening tears, "She even said if I kept seeing you, she¡¯d sever ties with me... so... so I didn¡¯t dare call you. I¡¯m sorry, Ling."


    "Why are you apologizing? It¡¯s not your fault," Ling Chen gently patted her shoulder, handing her a tissue, "It¡¯s my fault. It¡¯s all my fault, I shouldn¡¯t have implicated you, making you get scolded by your mom. I won¡¯t let this happen again."


    "Ling."


    Tang Shiyun lifted her face, her eyes brimming with tears, "Are you... not going to see me anymore?"


    Ling Chen smiled slightly: "Who said that? I¡¯m still waiting for you to provide for me."


    Although he said that, he had made up his mind. He had always treated Tang Shiyun like a sister and wanted her to have a good life. Seeing her so sad filled him with remorse. Now that Tang Shiyun had joined Silver Star Company, her future prospects were limitless. Why should he add trouble to her and her family? It was better to leave sooner rather thanter.


    After wandering around in the woods for a while, Ling Chen checked the time; it was almost twelve.


    "Girl, it¡¯s gettingte. You need to report [to work/school], I won¡¯t dy your time. I¡¯ve got things to do, we¡¯ll meet when there¡¯s a chance."


    "I¡¯ll miss you, Ling. You shoulde and visit me more at school; after all, my mom won¡¯t follow me there."


    "Sure, definitely."


    After saying goodbye to Tang Shiyun, Ling Chen directly left the campus, nning to take a bus home.


    At that moment, a white Maserati pulled up to the curb. The window rolled down, and Su Lin leaned out from the driver¡¯s seat: "Hey, need a ride?"


    "Thanks, I¡¯ll take the bus."


    Hearing his lukewarm response, Su Lin couldn¡¯t help feeling annoyed. It¡¯s bad enough to refuse her offer to ride, but not even a kindly expression¡ªshe hadn¡¯t done anything to him. Thinking this, she angrily pressed the elerator and the car lurched forward.


    Back at the hotel, Tang Yuan was sitting on the bed watching TV. Seeing Ling Chen enter with a gloomy face, he curiously said: "Bro, what¡¯s wrong? You look like you¡¯ve been dumped by a woman."


    "Cut it out. With a great guy like me, which woman would dare to dump me?"


    "Blow hard, keep blowing. See if you can blow a bull out."


    "Enough, stop talking nonsense. Didn¡¯t I ask you to look for a house? Any luck?"


    "Don¡¯t even mention it." Tang Yuan said helplessly, "The housing prices in East Sea City are insanely high, easily thousands a month. Although I have some savings, we can¡¯t just squander them. We don¡¯t even have jobs now, if I empty out my savings, we¡¯re both going to be left high and dry."


    "Cut it! You¡¯re fooling no one. You¡¯ve got at least several hundred thousand in retirement, and you¡¯re saying you can¡¯t afford this rent?"


    "That¡¯s not the point. I still need to save to get married and buy a house someday. I can¡¯t end up like you, being single all my life."


    "Get lost. Who says I¡¯m staying single? Dare curse me again, and watch out, I might just curse your future son to be born without an anus."

 Chapter 70 - 69 Little Matchmaker (Part 2)

    <h4>Chapter 70: Chapter 69 Little Matchmaker (Part 2)</h4><h4></h4>


    "So what, at worst, I¡¯ll have a daughter." Seeing Ling Chen¡¯s eyes widen, Tang Yuan quickly added, "Okay, okay, I¡¯ll stop joking. I¡¯ve looked online for houses, but there aren¡¯t any suitable listings at the moment. They¡¯re either too expensive or too cheap with a bad environment. Let¡¯s make do in a hotel for a few days and see how things go."


    Ling Chen didn¡¯t say anything more and copsed onto the bed.


    Remembering his conversation with Tang Shiyun at school, he felt ufortable. Since his arrival in East Sea City, Tang Shiyun was the first friend he made. Although they had only known each other for a few months, he highly valued her ce in his heart. For someone like him, who had lived through gunfire and treachery, he had very few true friends besides hisrades.


    Tang Shiyun was probably the first ordinary friend he had made, which was quite special to him. Moreover, Tang Shiyun¡¯s personality also attracted him.


    The thought of not being able to meet her again in the future was unsettling.


    He closed his eyes, and before he knew it, he had fallen asleep.


    He didn¡¯t know how much time had passed when a ringtone woke him. He grabbed his phone and pressed the answer button.


    "Hello, Ling Chen, where are you?"


    Hearing that gentle voice, Ling Chen¡¯s groggy mind immediately cleared, and he sat up abruptly from the bed, "I¡¯m outside. Xiaozhu, did you need something?"


    "It¡¯s nothing, Little Hua was fussing about wanting to see you, so I wanted to ask if you¡¯re free toe over to the Martial Arts Academy."


    "Okay, I¡¯ll be right there."


    After hanging up, Ling Chen nced at the other bed and noticed the sheets neatly folded; Tang Yuan was gone somewhere.


    The hotel he was staying at wasn¡¯t too far from the Martial Arts Academy. It took less than half an hour by bus. Once inside the academy, he found it deste, with all the equipment ced in the corner, and not a single person in sight in therge courtyard.


    "Strange, where did everyone go?"


    While he was talking to himself, a little girl bounced out of the hall¡ªit was Little Hua.


    "Big brother." Little Hua grabbed hisrge hand, her face beaming with joy.


    "Xiaozhu said you wanted to see me?"


    "Who wants to see you? You didn¡¯t bring any tasty treats for me." Little Hua pouted, tugging at Ling Chen¡¯s sleeves. Ling Chen got the hint and crouched down to ask, "What¡¯s up?"


    Little Hua whispered into his ear, "Big brother, didn¡¯t I say I¡¯d introduce a girlfriend to youst time? Xiaozhu is returning to Beijing tomorrow, so I made up an excuse to have her phone you toe here. I¡¯ve created the opportunity, whether it works out is now up to you."


    Ling Chen widened his eyes and looked into Little Hua¡¯s innocent eyes, his mind buzzing. She was a little devil, all right, knowing how to scheme at such a young age. No wonder Zhu Xiaozhu said she was cunning.


    He pinched Little Hua¡¯s chubby cheeks with a wry smile, "Is it really okay for you to trick your sister Xiaozhu like this?"


    Little Hua had an air of false maturity, "What¡¯s wrong with that? Women have to marry sooner orter. I think you¡¯re pretty good, so it¡¯s decided¡ªit¡¯s you."


    Ling Chen was caught betweenughter and tears. This was not a demeanor of a seven-year-old girl, she could pass for seventeen with her overly mature thoughts.


    "Little Hua, Ling Chen hasn¡¯t arrived yet?"


    As she spoke, Zhu Xiaozhu walked gracefully out from inside the hall. A few days apart, Zhu Xiaozhu still had a dignified and amiable appearance, gentle as water, particrly her lively and expressive eyes that made one¡¯s heart skip a beat.


    "Xiaozhu." Ling Chen stood up and greeted her with a smile.


    Zhu Xiaozhu responded softly, "Come inside and have a seat."


    "Sister Xiaozhu, you chat first. I¡¯m going to see Master." Having said that, Little Hua tugged Ling Chen¡¯s trouser leg, reminding him not to forget what she had said before, then hopped towards the room next door.


    Zhu Xiaozhu followed a couple of steps, "Wasn¡¯t it you who wanted to see Ling Chen? Why are you avoiding him now that he¡¯s here?"


    Little Hua looked back with an innocent smile, "Sister Xiaozhu, haven¡¯t I just met him? The rest of the time I¡¯ll leave to you."


    Watching her enter He Ziyun¡¯s room without looking back, Zhu Xiaozhu shook her head helplessly.


    "Ling Chen, sorry about Little Hua, she is always so quirky, no one can really figure her out."


    "It¡¯s fine, kids are naturally mischievous." As he said this, Ling Chen found it a bit hard to get the words out. That little girl was more than quirky, she was truly crafty.


    "Come in. I¡¯ll make you a cup of tea."


    While Zhu Xiaozhu was making tea, Little Hua, in the next room, was perched over a chess board. She picked up a chess piece and gently ced it down, muttering, "Hey, old man, do you think big brother has a chance with sister Xiaozhu?"


    If outsiders were present, they would be shocked to hear Little Hua refer to her master in such a way. Moreover, He Ziyun¡¯s calm expression seemed to show that he didn¡¯t mind at all.


    "How would I know? I am not the god of marriage, I can¡¯t deal with these matters."


    "I think big brother is quite nice; anyway, I¡¯ve created the chance for him; whether or not anything happens is up to him. Besides, sister Xiaozhu doesn¡¯t seem to dislike him; I guess they might hit it off."


    A smile crept onto He Ziyun¡¯s weathered face, "Are you that concerned about Xiaozhu¡¯s marriage?"


    "If I don¡¯t care, then who will? I don¡¯t know how much longer I have to live; if I¡¯m gone, who will look after sister Xiaozhu? We can¡¯t expect an old man like you to do it."


    "Don¡¯t worry, even at the cost of my old life, I won¡¯t let those people harm you."


    "You know the abilities of those people. If you were so confident, you wouldn¡¯t have transferred all your disciples to Beijing. Old man, whatever the oue, I¡¯m thankful for your care all these years."


    "No need to be polite."


    "Hmm, then I won¡¯t be polite. General!"


    "Howe you¡¯re already done? You must have cheated... this game doesn¡¯t count, let¡¯s start over."


    Back in the main hall, Ling Chen held his teacup, looking at the empty house and asked, "Xiaozhu, where is everyone?"


    "Mr. He arranged for them to go to Beijing. Mr. Ye has opened a martial arts academy there that needed staff."


    "No wonder."


    "By the way, shouldn¡¯t you be at work today?"


    Ling Chen shrugged, "What¡¯s there to work on? I quit already. Now I¡¯m an unemployed drifter, without even a ce to stay."


    "You quit? Why?" Zhu Xiaozhu¡¯s gentle face showed surprise, "Is the Nanrong family¡¯s treatment not good?"


    "It¡¯s not about the treatment. It¡¯s just... sigh, let¡¯s not talk about it. It¡¯s all in the past." He didn¡¯t feel like mentioning Nanrong Wanqing, though he had left the Nanrong family, he didn¡¯t know why every time he thought of that woman as pure as a snow lotus, he couldn¡¯t calm his heart. It was only when he was with Zhu Xiaozhu that he could enjoy the peace within.


    This chapter is updated by freew(e)bnovel.(c)om

 Chapter 71 - 70 Tang Yuan’s Secret

    <h4>Chapter 71: Chapter 70 Tang Yuan¡¯s Secret</h4><h4></h4>


    Zhu Xiaozhu slightly opened her pearly teeth and said, "If you have nowhere to stay, why not move into the Martial Arts Academy? Mr. He¡¯s disciples have all moved out, and many rooms are now vacant. I¡¯ll go speak with Mr. He in a bit; he will surely agree. The academy has be so deserted now; if you¡¯re willing to move in, Mr. He would have someone to keep himpany."


    Ling Chen thought to himself that this was a good idea.


    "Alright, then please ask Mr. He for me. If possible, I¡¯ll move in tomorrow. Oh, I also have a friend, he..."


    "No problem. You can bring your friend too. It¡¯s still early, so you can go pack your things and move in tonight."


    "Okay, I¡¯ll head back to the hotel first." Having said that, Ling Chen got up and walked out.


    "Eh, where did Big Brother go?"


    Shortly after, Little Hua poked her head in from outside, puzzled.


    "He¡¯s gone back."


    "He left so quickly?" Little Hua snorted through her nose, feeling indignant in her heart. She had kindly created an opportunity for him, and he didn¡¯t cherish it at all.


    "Yeah, he¡¯s going to stay over tonight."


    "What?" Little Hua eximed, her small face filled with surprise as she looked at Zhu Xiaozhu, "Stay over? Xiaozhu, aren¡¯t... aren¡¯t things progressing a bit too fast between you two?"


    "What progressing too fast?" Zhu Xiaozhu was momentarily startled, then immediately understood Little Hua¡¯s implication. Her smooth, porcin cheeks instantly flushed with embarrassment, like a freshly bloomed flower, radiant and dewy, "You little devil..." She scolded, pinching Little Hua¡¯s ear and gently twisting it, her annoyance tinged with shame, "That¡¯s for your nonsense, that¡¯s for your nonsense."


    "Ow, ow... Xiaozhu, Little Hua... Little Hua won¡¯t dare to speak nonsense anymore." Little Hua quickly begged for mercy, vigorously squeezing a few crystal-clear tears from her flutteringrge eyes.


    Seeing her pitiful look, Zhu Xiaozhu¡¯s heart softened. She knew Little Hua was exaggerating her expressions, but she couldn¡¯t bear it and let go, saying, "Don¡¯t talk nonsense in the future, or I¡¯ll spank you next time."


    "Got it. Xiaozhu, about that Big Brother..."


    Zhu Xiaozhu exined, "He currently has nowhere to stay, so I invited him to move into the Martial Arts Academy. It would also give Mr. He somepany."


    "Really? Yay! That¡¯s great!" Little Hua eximed excitedly, "No more having to deal with that boring old man..." As the words left her mouth, she abruptly realized something and hastily covered her mouth with both hands, her round eyes darting around.


    Zhu Xiaozhu raised an eyebrow, "What old man are you talking about?"


    "Nothing... nothing..." Little Hua waved her hands, retreating step by step toward the door. At the doorway, she quickly turned her head and dropped a sentence, "I¡¯m going to find Master," then bolted out.


    Zhu Xiaozhu was both amused and annoyed. This little girl was getting more and more disrespectful, daring to refer to her own Master as an old man. And, although she was only a seven-year-old girl, her thoughts were anything but pure, even speaking of such matters. She wondered how Mr. He usually taught her.


    Back at the hotel, Ling Chen called Tang Yuan, then dragged out the leather suitcase from under the bed. That¡¯s when he noticed arge cowhide bag underneath as well, bulging as if filled with a lot of stuff, probably Tang Yuan¡¯s luggage.


    Thinking of this, he casually pulled out Tang Yuan¡¯s bag as well. However, when he lifted the bag, he found it very heavy, weighing over a hundred pounds; it couldn¡¯t possibly be just clothes and daily necessities.


    "What on earth has this guy packed?"


    He muttered to himself, ncing at the tightly shut room door. Hesitating, he curiously reached to unzip the luggage bag, wanting to have a look. But, his sharp eyes soon spotted a strand of hair at the end of the zipper. To anyone else, a single hair would be meaningless. But Ling Chen knew that it was a simple yet effective trick to prevent someone from stealthily opening the bag.


    Carefully removing the hair, he unzipped the bag, revealing clothes and daily necessities on the surface. Emptying out the clothes, Ling Chen¡¯s gaze suddenly sharpened. At the bottom of the cowhide bag was a hard panel with a six-digit mechanicalbination lock. The six-digitbo wasplex, but not a challenge for Ling Chen. He took a fine steel wire from the room, cut it into two pieces, and skillfully began to work on it.


    If it were an electronic lock, he might have had trouble opening it quickly, but a mechanical lock was different; its structure was simpler. In no time, a faint ¡¯click¡¯ sound was heard, and the secretpartment sprang open.


    Looking at the items inside, Ling Chen¡¯s expression instantly darkened. Several pieces of equipment were arranged there, including surveince devices, and a standard individualbat gear set. There was a QSZ92 semi-automatic pistol with two full magazines and a silencer; a radio receiver and earpiece; a military-grade dagger.


    Tang Yuan professed himself as a discharged soldier, yet he carried so much equipment¡ªhardly the look of someone who had retired from the military. Clearly, he was deceiving him.


    His thoughts raced as he spected the purpose of Tang Yuan¡¯s trip to East Sea City. Tang Yuan hadn¡¯t retired, that much was certain; his visit to East Sea City was most likely for a covert mission. But what he couldn¡¯t understand was why Tang Yuan would contact him and say he wasing to join him if he had a mission to carry out. Could it be... could it be that Tang Yuan¡¯s target had something to do with him, so he wanted to use him to get close to the target.


    The more he thought, the more Ling Chen believed his conjecture. These tactics were not unfamiliar to him. Moreover, he was well aware of the way his former team operated¡ªit had to be this way.


    Checking the time, and fearing Tang Yuan might return at any moment, he quickly put the clothes back in ce, zipped up the bag, pushed the cowhide bag back under the bed, and cleaned up all traces to avoid Tang Yuan noticing he had tampered with his luggage.


    He had intended to confront Tang Yuan face-to-face, but on second thought, even if he did question him, there would be no use. The rules of the organization were clear; Tang Yuan wouldn¡¯t reveal more than he should. Moreover, he didn¡¯t want this matter to ruin the brotherhood between him and Tang Yuan.


    After finishing tidying up, he heard a soft click from the door lock and Tang Yuan entered from outside.


    "What were you up to?" Ling Chen asked casually.


    Tang Yuan shed a grin, "Just took a walk to get familiar with the surroundings. Hey, did you really find a free ce to stay?"


    "Nonsense. Hurry up and pack your things; I¡¯ll go downstairs to call a cab."


    Watching Ling Chen exit the room, Tang Yuan¡¯s smile faded. He silently pulled out his luggage from under the bed, checked the hair on the zipper, and the position of the clothes inside. After confirming nothing was amiss, he hoisted the bag and walked out.

 Chapter 72 - 71 Nanrong Hao Went to His Grandfather’s Place Once

    <h4>Chapter 72: Chapter 71 Nanrong Hao Went to His Grandfather¡¯s ce Once</h4><h4></h4>


    Hongyu Building headquarters.


    In the chairman¡¯s office on the top floor, Nanrong Wanqing sat quietly in her wheelchair, gazing through the floor-to-ceiling windows at the tall buildings outside, her eyes as still and cold as the moonlit night.


    Just then, someone pushed open the door to the office without even knocking.


    Hearing the door, Nanrong Wanqing did not turn around but continued to stare out the window. She knew there were only two people in the entire building who would do this, one was Nanrong Hao, the other Su Lin¡ªonly family would act so casually.


    "Big Sister." Nanrong Hao quickly walked up to Nanrong Wanqing with a trace of displeasure on his face.


    "What is it?"


    "Why did you let Chen resign?"


    "Did he tell you?"


    "No, Uncle Liu told me."


    Nanrong Hao exined. He had seen Ling Chen at school earlier that day and thought Ling Chen had simply taken leave from thepany; he didn¡¯t know about the resignation until he heard it from Liu Kun when he got home. Nanrong Hao had been the happiest when Ling Chen first came to live with the Nanrong Family. Now that Ling Chen had left without exnation, he felt very ufortable.


    From a young age, he was viewed by outsiders as a second-generation rich kid¡ªsuperficially respectful, but not without their criticisms behind his back. There were few who sincerely befriended him, most of those who did were only after the influence of his family background, trying to gain some advantage from him. It wasn¡¯t until he met Ling Chen and Jiang Hao that he experienced what true friendship was.


    Although Jiang Hao was a small-time hoodlum, living at the bottom of society, he sincerely treated him like a brother. Then there was Ling Chen, who offered guidance when Nanrong Hao wanted to learn martial arts from Liu Kun. Liu Kun dismissed him without a second thought, citing ack of talent, but Ling Chen didn¡¯t refuse and instead took the time to teach him earnestly. Learning martial virtues before martial arts, Ling Chen taught him not only martial skills but also many principles of life.


    He admitted he wasn¡¯t as smart as Nanrong Wanqing, but he understood one thing clearly. If someone willingly spends time and effort on you without seeking anything in return, that says everything.


    Because of this, upon learning of Ling Chen¡¯s departure, he immediately drove to thepany to ask his sister upfront why she let Ling Chen go.


    Nanrong Wanqing appeared not to feel Nanrong Hao¡¯s emotional fluctuations, saying indifferently, "He made the request himself. I didn¡¯t force him."


    "I didn¡¯t force him, then why would he resign of his own ord? I¡¯ve known Chen for so long; I know best what kind of person he is. If he promised to ensure your safety, he wouldn¡¯t just quit halfway. You must have said something to upset him, prompting him to make such an irresponsible decision. Anyhow, whether for the sake of your own safety or some other reason, you must ask Chen toe back."


    Nanrong Wanqing turned to look at her brother, a hint of surprise in her beautiful eyes. Throughout these years, Nanrong Hao had never lost his temper with her. Perhaps because she was too dominant, he never dared to be presumptuous in front of her.


    Seeing her not making a statement, Nanrong Hao urged, "Big Sister."


    "The matter of Ling Chen¡¯s employment is apany issue. I am in charge of thepany now, and there¡¯s no need for me to heed your advice. Also, you just started school today, focus on your studies, you needn¡¯t worry aboutpany affairs."


    Nanrong Hao frowned slightly, showing no intention of leaving, "Big Sister, you¡¯re right, you have full authority over thepany now, but don¡¯t forget, I am the eldest grandson of the Nanrong Family, the future sessor to Hongyu Group. I can ignore otherpany matters, but this issue must be resolved as I wish. If you consider me your brother, then take my words as a request. If you insist on making decisions from thepany¡¯s standpoint, then treat it as a directmand from me. As the eldest grandson of the Nanrong Family, I believe I have that much authority. Even if ites to grandfather, he will support me."


    Watching Nanrong Hao turn and leave, Nanrong Wanqing was momentarily taken aback. Then, a hint of brilliance appeared in her eyes, her beautiful face blossoming like flowers in full bloom, shining with the most radiant light.


    Just then, Su Lin walked into the office.


    "Wanqing, did Nanrong Hao upset you again? I ran into him when I came out of the elevator, and he didn¡¯t even greet me. He¡¯s bing more and more unreasonable." While speaking, she noticed the smile on Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s face and couldn¡¯t help but be curious. Although she was in thepany of Nanrong Wanqing day and night, she rarely saw her smile so happily.


    "Wanqing, what¡¯s happened?"


    "Nothing." Nanrong Wanqing replied indifferently, her gaze shifting back to the window, the corners of her lips slightly rising.


    She had almost forgotten how many years it had been since she felt this happy. She had always hoped that Nanrong Hao would be self-reliant and capable, ready to inherit the vast wealth of Hongyu Group. Unfortunately, Nanrong Hao¡¯s timid and fearful character had left her disappointed. Perhaps it was alsorgely due to her own strong-will, which shaped him into what he was.


    Now, Nanrong Hao dared to show his temper in front of her, something that had never happened before. Every time he saw her, he acted as timid as a mouse, meek and breathless. As his sister, she naturally wanted to see her brother grow up to be a strong and upright man.


    Ling Chen...


    She whispered the name in her heart. From Nanrong Hao¡¯s words, she could feel that his change was rted to Ling Chen. Otherwise, Nanrong Hao would not have been so agitated by Ling Chen¡¯s resignation.


    Maybe it was indeed time for her to make a change.


    In contemtion, the outside secretary walked in quickly, "Chairwoman, Mr. Zhu just sent an invitation, asking you to attend a banquet next Monday."


    "What banquet?"


    "It¡¯s said that Mr. Zhu¡¯spany is holding a grand opening next week, and he has invited many high-profile guests. Chairwoman, will you ept the invitation?"


    Nanrong Wanqing nodded lightly: "Tell them I will attend on time."


    ...


    Night fell.


    Inside a bedroom at Qingyun Martial Arts Hall, after showering, Ling Chen walked out of the bathroom wearing only a pair of loose shorts, revealing his well-built upper body with hair still dripping, casually drying himself with a towel in hand.


    The bedroom environment was simple but clean and quiet, much better than any hotel. With many rooms avable, he no longer had to share a room with Tang Yuan.


    ncing at the time, which was almost ten o¡¯clock, hey back on the bed, turned off the light with a flick of his hand, and took out his phone to browse through job-seeking websites, looking for any avable work.

 Chapter 73 - 72: Mysterious Person Attacks the Martial Arts Academy at Night

    <h4>Chapter 73: Chapter 72: Mysterious Person Attacks the Martial Arts Academy at Night</h4><h4></h4>


    Without realizing it, an hour had passed. Ling Chen rubbed his somewhat sore and swollen eyes, tossed his phone aside, and prepared for a good night¡¯s sleep. But at this moment, a barely audible sound came from outside the room, as if something had fallen to the ground.


    One... two... three... Ling Chen pricked up his ears, silently counting in his mind. A minute passed, and he slowly sat up, turning his head toward the door, his eyes narrowing slightly. Judging from the sounds just now, it seemed that more than ten people had climbed over the wall from outside.


    In the middle of the night, to have such arge group of people stealthily infiltrating the Martial Arts Academy, their intentions were probably not simple. Recalling how Little Hua was kidnapped a while ago, a thought shed through his mind¡ªcould it be those same people?


    As thoughts raced through his mind, he quietly moved to the window and gently pushed it open a crack to peer into the courtyard. As expected, he saw more than a dozen dark figures scattered around the courtyard. With the faint moonlight, he could make out the equipment they carried. These people wore masks, each sporting night vision goggles, and carried guns equipped with silencers and infrared, donned bulletproof vests, and had smoke grenades hanging at their waists¡ªaplete set of special forcesbat gear.


    Ling Chen inwardly was impressed; he didn¡¯t know where these guys came from, but their equipment was even moreplete than the military¡¯s.


    As he pondered, he saw the man in the center raise his hand over his head, signaling to the others. Immediately, the rest understood, dispersing and beginning to search each room.


    Seeing a shadow approaching his direction, Ling Chen quickly ducked down, crouching beside the door, tensing his body like a cheetah ready to pounce.


    Before long, a hand gently pushed open the door. Immediately after, the dark barrel of a gun was thrust through the gap. Ling Chen held his breath, motionless, pressing himself against the wall, trying to keep as low as possible to avoid detection.


    As the intruder entered the room, Ling Chen silently rose to his feet and appeared behind him. Not allowing the man to detect his presence, he swiftly grabbed the man¡¯s head and gave it a gentle twist.


    A muffled grunt was heard, and the man¡¯s head slumped to the side, lifeless, with a broken neck.


    Having dealt with one enemy, Ling Chen didn¡¯t rx one bit. He moved stealthily towards the outside. At this moment, the enemies in the courtyard had dispersed, with only two men left standing guard. Seizing the moment when their gaze shifted elsewhere, Ling Chen dashed out like an arrow released from a bow, and in the blink of an eye, he was ten meters away, hiding behind a wooden dummy.


    Taking a deep breath, he adjusted his breathing, leaning slightly forward, waiting for the two men¡¯s line of sight to shift away. Then, with a powerful push from his legs, he bolted out again and rolled to the ground, reaching the front door of the main hall.


    The front door of the main hall was ajar and unlocked. Ling Chen squinted, watching the two enemies while his other hand gently pushed open the door. As soon as there was a gap wide enough for his shoulders, he slipped inside and shut the door behind him, then hastily locking it from inside. Although he knew the lock would not stop those people, it could buy him some time.


    Once inside the main hall, he made his way to the rooms in the back. One of the rooms with a light on was Zhu Xiaozhu¡¯s bedroom. He wasn¡¯t worried about Tang Yuan or He Ziyun at the moment, but about Zhu Xiaozhu and Little Hua. He had never seen He Ziyun¡¯s abilities, but his intuition told him that He Ziyun was quite skilled and could handle himself. As for Tang Yuan, there was even less worry¡ªsomeone from the Ghost Organization might not be good at many things, but they were definitely up to par with killing. Given enough time to y to his strengths, he could handle these intruders on his own.


    Ling Chen quickly approached the door, not even knocking, just pushing the door and entering directly.


    "Xiao¡ª"


    As he stepped in, Ling Chen opened his mouth, about to call out Zhu Xiaozhu¡¯s name. But before he could speak, he was stunned by the sight that greeted him. At that moment, a beautiful young girl appeared before his eyes, naked, her devilish figure and snow-like creamy skin radiating an irresistible charm.


    Ling Chen swallowed hard, feeling astonishingly parched, unable to utter a word. To his embarrassment, he felt an instinctive reaction in his body, which, though a normal urrence for any man in this situation, made the already awkward atmosphere even more indescribable.


    Not only was Ling Chen frozen in ce, but so was Zhu Xiaozhu.


    She had just finished showering, nning to change her clothes, when Ling Chen suddenly barged in without any warning. Feeling his unabashed gaze fixed on her, she felt her whole body heat up and a blush crept up her skin.


    Seeing that Ling Chen had no intention of closing his eyes, she suppressed the bashfulness in her heart, biting her red lips with a look of embarrassment and anger, disying the coy charm of a young woman.


    "Are you still looking?"


    "I..."


    Ling Chen snapped back to reality, about to speak. But a faint sound from outside cut him off mid-sentence.


    It¡¯s not good, they¡¯reing in!


    With no time to exin, he quickly turned off the room light and, with one hand, pulled Zhu Xiaozhu into his embrace.


    Zhu Xiaozhu, about to reach for clothes to cover herself, was startled by Ling Chen¡¯s sudden move, her heart pounding. He turned off the lights and held her tightly¡ªcould it be he wanted...? As the thought arose, her body stiffened, and her shame quickly turned into anger. She had thought him to be a gentleman, but it seemed he couldn¡¯t escape his male instincts, to be tempted by a sight of the flesh. She had misjudged him.


    Thinking this, she struggled forcefully, trying to break free from Ling Chen¡¯s arms. But her movements only made things worse for Ling Chen. He was already scantily d, wearing only big underwear, and Zhu Xiaozhu waspletely bare. As she wriggled, their bodies became even more intimately entwined.


    As a normal man, Ling Chen was finding it incredibly hard to resist the stimtion. Especially with Zhu Xiaozhu¡¯s soft skin and the faint scent of virginity, his resistance quickly crumbled, almost leading him tomit a crime.


    "Don¡¯t move!" Ling Chen, overwhelmed by the double stimtion to his body and mind, couldn¡¯t help but speak.


    "Let me go..."


    Before Zhu Xiaozhu could finish, she felt Ling Chen¡¯s hand closing in, covering her mouth.

 Chapter 74 - 73 Mysterious Person’s Night Attack on the Martial Arts Academy (Part 2)

    <h4>Chapter 74: Chapter 73 Mysterious Person¡¯s Night Attack on the Martial Arts Academy (Part 2)</h4><h4></h4>


    "Keep your voice down," Ling Chen lowered his voice, "Someone¡¯s outside..."


    "People? What people?" Upon hearing this, Zhu Xiaozhu was startled and immediately stopped struggling. Seeing her calm down, Ling Chen then released his hand.


    "Enemies!"


    "What enemies?" Zhu Xiaozhu pressed.


    "I don¡¯t know. There are many of them; I suspect it¡¯s the same group that nned Little Hua¡¯s kidnapping."


    Ling Chen¡¯s exnation made Zhu Xiaozhu breathe a sigh of relief. She had thought Ling Chen wanted to take advantage of her, but it turned out he was just trying to protect her, which made her feel a twinge of shame. However, with their bodies pressing closely against each other without anything in between, she couldn¡¯t suppress the bashfulness in her heart. Especially since it felt like something was poking her from below, making her ufortable.


    "Can you... can you get me some clothes to wear?" She suppressed the shyness at the bottom of her heart and murmured faintly.


    "Just a moment."


    As soon as he finished speaking, Ling Chen bent over and quickly went to the bed, grabbed a pile of clothes, and returned to Zhu Xiaozhu¡¯s side. Although holding Zhu Xiaozhu¡¯s soft and tender body was a pleasurable thing, being able to hold but not act was an undoubtedly torturous pain for a man. Besides, the crisis hadn¡¯t been resolved yet, and he didn¡¯t want to be distracted.


    "Where¡¯s Little Hua?"


    "She¡¯s staying with Mr. He." By this time, Zhu Xiaozhu had already found a skirt to wear, slightly alleviating the awkwardness between them.


    "That¡¯s good." With He Ziyun protecting her, Little Hua should be safe.


    In the midst of their conversation, Zhu Xiaozhu¡¯s bedroom door was pushed open from the outside. Seeing this, Ling Chen tensed all over, his body leaning slightly forward, like a beast lurking in the darkness, ready to tear apart its prey.


    The door opened, and two armed men entered one after the other. Zhu Xiaozhu covered her mouth tightly, curling up behind the door, not daring to make a sound.


    But at this moment, the forward man with the gun suddenly turned around, the night vision goggles pointing towards the back of the door. However, the moment he turned around, what he saw in his goggles was not Ling Chen and Zhu Xiaozhu, but a rapidly erging fist. Before he could react, the forceful punch grounded squarely into his head.


    Immediately, impacted by the punch, the man¡¯s body violently recoiled backward and copsed straight onto the ground, unconscious.


    This sudden change immediately caught the attention of the other person. Seeing hispanion fall, the man quickly raised his assault rifle, his gaze swiftly locking onto the target.


    However, Ling Chen¡¯s reaction was faster. After taking down one man, he didn¡¯t hesitate; his legs shot out fiercely, mping the other man¡¯s body, and with a twist of his waist, his opponent¡¯s feet immediately lost their bnce, and he crashed to the ground.


    The moment he hit the floor, Ling Chen¡¯s movements didn¡¯t cease; his right hand reached out, snatched a military dagger from the man¡¯s waist, and viciously stabbed into his heart.


    The man¡¯s body twitched slightly, then went entirely still.


    Pulling out the dagger, Ling Chen nced at the man he had just knocked unconscious, and with a light swipe of the knife across the man¡¯s neck, he sent him to meet King Yan.


    "Number Four, Number Eight, respond."


    Suddenly, a voice came from the fallen man¡¯s earpiece.


    "Number Four, Number Eight, respond, respond," the same phrase repeated.


    Not long after the voice disappeared, Ling Chen heard a series of rapid footsteps outside. Presumably, having heard no response from theirrades, those people were alling to their aid.


    With this in mind, he dropped the dagger, pulled out a pistol and a sh grenade from one of the men, a Beretta 92F, the same model used by the kidnappers who had abducted Little Hua thest time.


    It seems my guess was right; these guys are all in it together.


    "Xiaozhu."


    Hearing Ling Chen¡¯s call, Zhu Xiaozhu finally snapped out of her panic.


    She lifted her head to look at Ling Chen, standing in the darkness, her beautiful eyes disying aplex expression. She had seen everything that Ling Chen had done just now, killing as natural as the flow of clouds and water, without a hint of hesitation, as if it were an ordinary task. Moreover, from his calm tone, it was evident that even in the face of danger, he maintained a terrifyingposure.


    What kind of man is he, really?


    Seeing Zhu Xiaozhu sitting motionless on the ground, Ling Chen pulled her up, hisrge hand naturally wrapping around her slender waist, pulling her close to his body.


    Feeling the heat from his body, Zhu Xiaozhu¡¯s pretty face blushed slightly.


    "Hold on to me tight; I¡¯ll get us out of here."


    Zhu Xiaozhu softly responded, not in a position to refuse at this life-or-death moment. With a touch of shy embarrassment, she wrapped her arms around Ling Chen, her gaze cast downward. Despite the darkness surrounding them, she still felt too embarrassed to look at Ling Chen.


    Being so close, they could both hear each other¡¯s breathing.


    Inhaling the faint fragrance emanating from Zhu Xiaozhu, Ling Chen felt as if a pebble had been tossed into his heart, creating ripples. However, the urgent footsteps outside quickly pulled him back to reality.


    "Close your eyes."


    Ling Chen warned, then casually threw a sh grenade outside the door.


    With a ¡¯bang¡¯, the blinding light burst forth instantly. Seizing the opportunity, Ling Chen¡¯s eyes wide open, his gaze fierce and sharp.


    With a quick step, he wrapped one arm around Zhu Xiaozhu and held the gun with the other, his chiseled face showing determination and confidence, along with a proud air of unparalleled arrogance.


    Under the afterglow of the sh grenade, three enemies appeared from various directions in his line of sight.


    Bang!


    The trigger was pulled and the bullet discharged immediately, burying itself in the forehead of one of the enemies.


    Next, he tapped the ground with the tip of his foot, spinning rapidly. With the momentum of the spin, Zhu Xiaozhu¡¯s feet lifted off the ground as her skirt fluttered, crossing through the air lightly.


    Bang!


    Another shot, another enemy hit the ground.


    At this moment, Zhu Xiaozhu¡¯s delicate eyebrows trembled slightly, and her eyes slowly opened to see Ling Chen¡¯s handsome, well-defined face immediately before her.


    Although they were in the midst of a gunfight, somehow, seeing the upward curve of Ling Chen¡¯s lips brought a gradual calmness to her agitated heart. In this man, she felt a strong confidence, a strength that allowed one tofortably rely upon him, to entrust him with one¡¯s life.


    Over the years, she considered herself having met many outstanding men, but none had ever given her this sense of reliance like Ling Chen. Even her extremely outstanding brother had never given her such peace of mind.


    "Bang!"


    Another gunshot, and thest enemy inside the room was killed, copsing into a pool of blood.


    Ling Chen let out a breath and looked down at the beauty in his arms, asking with concern, "Are you okay?"

 Chapter 75 - 74: Life is Like a Chess Game

    <h4>Chapter 75: Chapter 74: Life is Like a Chess Game</h4><h4></h4>


    "No worries." Zhu Xiaozhu gently shook her head, her pretty face slightly lifting, revealing a faint blush on her delicate skin, tempting Ling Chen with the urge to lean in for a kiss.


    During their conversation, a sudden sound of footsteps approached. Ling Chen raised his eyebrows, his arms stretched out horizontally, and immediately aimed the gun ahead.


    "It¡¯s me!"


    Hearing Tang Yuan¡¯s voice, Ling Chen hurriedly lowered his gun and grasped Zhu Xiaozhu¡¯s hand, quickly walking towards him. Seeing Tang Yuan in his vest and shorts, presumably just having gotten out of bed and not having changed.


    "How¡¯s the situation outside?"


    "I took down three, a few ran away."


    "Call the police, Xiaozhu and I will check on Mr. He and Little Hua."


    The two headed to the neighboring room. As soon as they entered, Ling Chen saw a corpse lying by the door, with a flying dagger stuck right in the brow, half of the de buried into the skull, showing the strength of the thrust.


    "Little Hua, Mr. He."


    Zhu Xiaozhu, concerned for their safety, hurriedly ran inside, with Ling Chen closely following her every step.


    Entering the room, Ling Chen couldn¡¯t help but feel a mix ofughter and tears upon seeing the scene in front of him. Therey Little Hua, spread eagled on the bed, possibly dreaming of something delicious, drooling from the corner of her mouth, seemingly undisturbed by the noise outside.


    Beside her, He Ziyun sat in a rattan chair, swaying back and forth, holding a cup of tea in his hand, showing a rxed demeanor,pletely unfazed by the previous danger.


    This old man is truly no ordinary person.


    Ling Chen thought to himself. If it were an ordinary person who had just killed someone, they wouldn¡¯t be so at ease.


    "Mr. He..." he opened his mouth, about to speak.


    He Ziyun raised his hand to him, interrupting, "Don¡¯t call the police. Throw those corpses outside, their people will take care of it."


    "That doesn¡¯t seem right." Zhu Xiaozhu didn¡¯t understand why He Ziyun would make such arrangements.


    "Don¡¯t argue, do as I say. Ling Chen, I¡¯ll need your help."


    "Don¡¯t mention it." With that, Ling Chen turned and walked outside. He understood He Ziyun¡¯s decision; those people were well-equipped and trained, definitely not ordinary. Even with police intervention, it would be of no use and would just end unresolved.


    Back in the yard, Ling Chen called Tang Yuan, and they cleaned up the corpses one by one, throwing them all outside.


    After all the work was done, Tang Yuan leaned against the wall, pulled out a cigarette from his pocket, lit it, and exhaled a puff of smoke. He couldn¡¯t help asking, "Brother, what exactly is going on? Who are these people?"


    Ling Chen shrugged: "Don¡¯t ask me, I want to know too."


    "You know the people from this Martial Arts Academy, don¡¯t you know what they¡¯re about? You just saw it. Those guys were carrying standard individualbat gear, obviously professionals, far from a ragtag team. Whoever is behind this, deploying such a force, indicates that the people at this Martial Arts Academy are no simple matter. Brother, you need to be careful."


    "I know. Alright, you¡¯re tired too, go and rest."


    "What about the bodies outside?"


    "Mr. He said not to worry about it, someone will take care of it when the timees."


    Tang Yuan nudged Ling Chen¡¯s shoulder, tempting him, "Don¡¯t you want to know who those people are? How about we secretly follow and see whoes to deal with the bodies? By tracing the clues, maybe we could find the mastermind behind this."


    Hearing this, Ling Chen was somewhat tempted. However, after rethinking, he declined Tang Yuan¡¯s suggestion. No matter who was responsible for dealing with bodies, since they dared toe, they wouldn¡¯t be afraid of being followed. Additionally, they conduct their affairs professionally and certainly have precautions in ce, so nothing could be found out through investigation.


    After expressing his thoughts, Tang Yuan nodded in agreement. He then stopped pondering and went straight back to his room.


    The next morning.


    Ling Chen got up early and pushed open the door of the Martial Arts Academy. As expected, the bodies outside had already been cleared away, and even the bloodstains on the ground were cleaned up without leaving any trace.


    At that moment, Little Hua yawned as she walked out of the house. Seeing Ling Chen at the door, she quickly ran over, her little face brimming with a sweet smile, "Big brother, are you going out to buy food? Little Hua is hungry."


    "Alright, big brother will take you to buy some breakfast."


    "Ling Chen."


    As they were about to leave, they heard Zhu Xiaozhu¡¯s voice from behind. Turning around, Ling Chen saw Zhu Xiaozhu approaching and asked, "What¡¯s the matter?"


    "Mr. He is looking for you for something," Zhu Xiaozhu said softly, somewhat hesitant to meet Ling Chen¡¯s gaze.


    The events ofst night were still fresh, and she blushed shyly, her cheeks flushed with embarrassment thinking about how Ling Chen had seen her body.


    Ling Chen cleared his throat, knowing exactly what Zhu Xiaozhu was thinking. In fact,st night as hey in bed, every time he closed his eyes, the image of Zhu Xiaozhu¡¯s graceful body appeared, tormenting him all night with sleeplessness.


    As both were immersed in the memories ofst night, Little Hua curiously looked at Ling Chen and Zhu Xiaozhu, her innocent face questioning, "Sister Xiaozhu, why are you blushing?"


    Hearing this, Zhu Xiaozhu felt her face grow even hotter and she red at her slightly, "Why does a child ask so many questions? Come on, I¡¯ll take you out to buy some food."


    Watching the two beauties leave, Ling Chen went straight to the hall where he saw He Ziyun sitting inside, with a chess setid out in front of him, seemingly contemting how to solve a difficult chess endgame.


    "Mr. He," he greeted as he approached.


    "Come, join me in a game of chess."


    With the chess pieces set, Ling Chen opened with a cannon, which He Ziyun immediately countered with a horse. After a few moves, Ling Chen found his options limited, his pieces ¡¯killed¡¯ by He Ziyun.


    Chess requires a broad vision and strategy. Ling Chen knew how to y chess but was nowhere near an expertpared to someone like He Ziyun, who had decades of experience.


    In less than ten minutes, Ling Chen was checkmated, with no moves left.


    He Ziyun chuckled, "Another game?"


    "Mr. He, aren¡¯t you just tantly taking advantage of me? No more!" Ling Chen shook his head. Though ying chess was fun, he didn¡¯t enjoy being thrashed.


    He Ziyun was picking up the chess pieces, talking to himself, "They say life is like chess, and indeed, people are like these chess pieces on the board. Take this ¡¯general,¡¯ some rule over everything,manding the whole scene, surrounded by countless capable people. Others are like this ¡¯guard,¡¯ strategically advising and loyally protecting their master. Ling Chen, if you had to choose, which chess piece do you think you are?"


    Looking at the chess pieces on the board, Ling Chen became serious for once. After some contemtion, he pointed at the ¡¯pawn¡¯ on the board, "The former me would probably be this."

 Chapter 76 - 75 He Ziyun

    <h4>Chapter 76: Chapter 75 He Ziyun</h4><h4></h4>


    "Oh?" He Ziyun was somewhat surprised; he hadn¡¯t expected Ling Chen to make such a choice. "On this chessboard, the ¡¯pawn¡¯ has the lowest status, and its abilities are limited. It risks its life only to serve others, without any freedom. Why would you choose it?"


    "Mr. He, sometimes you need to look at things from a different perspective. Although its status is not high, it bravely moves forward, and whoever stands in its way meets their end. It is capable of ying both gods and Buddhas, nothing can stop its advance. Given the right opportunity, it can still be a ¡¯General¡¯, ending the game. The most important thing is, it never backs down."


    Hearing this, He Ziyun¡¯s eyes gleamed, and he looked at Ling Chen thoughtfully, a faint smile appearing on his wrinkled old face. "You¡¯re right; I¡¯ve learned something new. You just said that was the old you, so what about now?"


    "Now..." Ling Chen thought for a moment, then pointed to the ¡¯chariot¡¯ on the chessboard, "Now I should be like it, advancing and retreating at will, unbridled, without any restraint."


    He Ziyun nodded, then abruptly changed the subject: "Are you curious about the origins of those people fromst night?"


    Ling Chen shrugged nonchntly, "Mr. He, you have the right to choose whether to speak or not, and I have the right to choose whether to listen or not. I admit I¡¯m curious, but I don¡¯t want to meddle too much."


    "But you¡¯ve already interfered. Last time, those people kidnapped Little Hua, and it was you who took action to save her, foiling their operation. Andst night, it was you again who helped, resulting in their failure. Regardless of what you think, those people will definitely target you and consider you one of the Qingyun Martial Arts Hall."


    Ling Chen couldn¡¯t help scratching his head. Whether it was rescuing Little Hua or what happenedst night, both incidents were somewhat coincidental; since he came across them, he couldn¡¯t just ignore them. If those people considered him an enemy, there was nothing he could do.


    "Mr. He, let¡¯s not talk about the other things for now, I am actually quite curious about something else."


    "What is it?"


    "Last night I killed six people." As he said this, Ling Chen stared directly into He Ziyun¡¯s cloudy old eyes, hoping to detect some subtle changes.


    "I know." He Ziyun¡¯s tone was nd, his eyes showing no fluctuation.


    "Don¡¯t you find that strange?"


    "Strange? Strange that you could kill so many people and still seem so normal? Or strange about your friend?" He Ziyun smiled slightly, speaking meaningfully: "Ling Chen, there are many things in this world that don¡¯t need to be delved into deeply, you¡¯ll naturally understand when the right timees. Do you get my meaning?"


    "I understand."


    How could Ling Chen not understand? This old fox spoke so much nonsense just to tell him, ¡¯Don¡¯t ask now; even if you do, I won¡¯t tell you.¡¯


    Meanwhile, in another bedroom within the Martial Arts Academy.


    Tang Yuan was sitting on the toilet in the restroom, reporting the situation to someone on the phone.


    "Boss, this is what happened. The identities of those people are still unclear, but they seem to have considerable influence. With such a group suddenly appearing in the country, I thought it was necessary to report to you."


    "I¡¯ll have someone investigate this matter; don¡¯t worry yourself with it too much, focus onpleting your mission. By the way, what¡¯s the name of the master of Qingyun Martial Arts Hall?"


    "ording to Ling Chen, it seems to be He Ziyun."


    "He Ziyun? I feel like I¡¯ve heard that name somewhere before... Wait!" The tone of the person on the phone changed suddenly, their voice rising eight degrees, "Are you sure his name is He Ziyun?"


    "Yes."


    "It can¡¯t be a coincidence, could it actually be him?" The person on the other end mumbled to themselves.


    Tang Yuan couldn¡¯t help asking, "Boss, do you know who he is?"


    "He is... Why am I telling you this? Don¡¯t ask what you shouldn¡¯t, just do your job. That¡¯s it, I have other matters to attend to, I¡¯m hanging up now."


    As the call ended, in a secret underground base located on the outskirts of Beijing, a middle-aged man with an average appearance and a crew cut, about thirty or forty years old, pocketed his phone and quickly entered an elevator.


    As the elevator doors closed, two red beams of light projected from the top of the elevator, scanning the middle-aged man¡¯s body. After over ten seconds, the red light disappeared, and an instrument slowly extended from the elevator button panel.


    The middle-aged man leaned his head forward, aligning his retina with the instrument¡¯s center, while also pressing his thumb onto the fingerprint scanner. Shortly after, the screen disyed the words "Identity Confirmed".


    Pressing a button, the elevator began to descend slowly, all the way down to the fifth sub-level.


    Exiting the elevator, the middle-aged man dashed to an office without even knocking and shoved the door open to enter.


    Inside the spacious and bright office, a man in his sixties, with nearly white hair, was sitting at his desk processing documents. Seeing the middle-aged man hastily barging in, the older man frowned slightly, set down his pen, and said with clear displeasure, "Han Bing, how many times have I told you to knock before entering? Why are you acting just like that brat Ling Chen, with no manners at all?"


    The middle-aged man named Han Bing gave a wry smile, "General, save your lectures forter. I have something much more important to report."


    "What is it?"


    "Tang Yuan has found He Ziyun¡¯s whereabouts in East Sea City."


    "What?" The older man stood up sharply, pressing his hands on the desk and leaning forward, enunciating every word, "Even though I¡¯m quite old, my ears still work well. If I heard you correctly, you just mentioned He Ziyun?"


    "General, it is indeed him."


    The older man pondered for a moment, "We have never mentioned He Ziyun in front of the team members. How could Tang Yuan know of his identity?"


    "The matter isplicated. To be precise, it has a lot to do with Ling Chen."


    "Ling Chen? How did that kid get involved? Hmph!" The older man said irritably, "That rascal is trouble wherever he goes. Spill it, what exactly happened?"


    Well aware of the General¡¯s temper, Han Bing did not dare to dilly-dally and promptly recounted what Tang Yuan had told him.


    The older man listened and then slowly settled back into his chair, rhythmically tapping his fingers on the desk, creating a ¡¯tap tap¡¯ sound.


    "Han Bing, what do you make of this matter?"


    "General, since those people have gone to Mr. He, I¡¯m afraid... I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s connected to the past."


    Hearing this, the older man heaved a sigh, "I never thought that after all these years of hiding, we couldn¡¯t avoid it. I thought we hadpletely eradicated that power back then. I didn¡¯t expect it to resurface."


    "General, now that the situation is clear, should we get involved?"


    The older man pondered for a while, then waved his hand, "No need for now, just keep a close watch. Besides, isn¡¯t that rascal Ling Chen in East Sea City? Since he has formed a rtionship with He Ziyun, he won¡¯t be able to stay out of it even if he wants to." Saying this, he couldn¡¯t help butugh, "Last time, that brat wouldn¡¯t heed my plea to stay and insisted on leaving the service. It aggravated me so much I couldn¡¯t sleep for days. Now look, after all his struggling, he¡¯s still fallen into the pit."


    ...


    "Achoo!"


    Ling Chen touched his nose; in this scorching heat, why was he suddenly sneezing?


    As he was wondering, his phone in his pocket suddenly rang.


    He pulled out his phone and hurriedly answered the call, "Hello, President Liu, what brings you to call me today?"


    "Ling Chen, I have a favor to ask of you." Liu Xiyao¡¯s voice was as pleasant as ever.


    "Tell me, I¡¯ll help if I can."


    "I¡¯ve received an invitation to a dinner party, but I can¡¯t make it back to East Sea City since I have work that isn¡¯t finished here. You¡¯re a shareholder of the club, it¡¯s just as good if you represent me."


    "That..." Ling Chen hesitated.


    "It¡¯s just a formality, it won¡¯t take much time."


    "Since you put it that way, then okay, send me the time and ce, and I¡¯ll be sure to attend."


    "One more thing, don¡¯t forget to prepare a suit since it¡¯s a formal asion; you can¡¯t be too casual. If you don¡¯t have one, go buy a new set, and I¡¯ll reimburse youter."


    "OK, no problem."

 Chapter 77 - 76: A Thousand Thoughts

    <h4>Chapter 77: Chapter 76: A Thousand Thoughts</h4><h4></h4>


    After hanging up the phone, Ling Chen returned to the room and saw Zhu Xiaozhu walking out with an exquisitely small suitcase in hand.


    "What¡¯s this..." Before he finished speaking, he immediately remembered that Zhu Xiaozhu had a flight to catch back to Beijing today. "Let me take you," he said, reaching out to take the suitcase, ready to go out and hail a taxi.


    "Ling Chen, where are you two going?" Just at that moment, He Ziyun walked out from the lobby.


    "I¡¯m taking Xiaozhu to the airport, will be back soon."


    "There¡¯s no need to go through all that trouble. It¡¯s hard to call for a taxi around here; there¡¯s a car in the warehouse in the back, it¡¯s been lying there unused, you can just drive her there."


    "A car?" Ling Chen¡¯s heart leapt with joy, driving there himself was the best option. He immediately followed He Ziyun¡¯s steps to the Martial Arts Academy¡¯s backyard. He had never been to the backyard before; it was filled with clutter, and rarely did anyonee.


    The lock on the warehouse door seemed as if it hadn¡¯t been opened for many years, covered with rust. He Ziyun took out a key and unlocked it. As the door opened, a pungent musty smell immediately wafted out. Ling Chen covered his nose and saw that the warehouse was filled with a thickyer of dust, with various items strewn about in disarray.


    However, his gaze was quickly captivated by a car in the warehouse. The car was covered by a tarp, but from the contours that bulged out, it was clear this was no ordinary sedan you¡¯d see on the market.


    He Ziyun walked over to the car, hands reaching out to gently lift the tarp. In an instant, the ram¡¯s head logo appeared before Ling Chen¡¯s eyes.


    Following the emblem upwards, Ling Chen¡¯s eyes sparkled, filled with excitement.


    The car body was made of carbon alloy, with metallic paint, the front was not only long but also wide, the cabin only had seats for the driver and passenger, and the rear was streamlined ¨C the whole car exuded a bold and rugged personality.


    Dodge Charger, the ssic 1966 muscle car.


    Ignoring the dust on the car¡¯s body, Ling Chen¡¯s hand gently caressed it, as if he were touching a treasured possession. And indeed, calling this muscle car a treasure was fitting. Across the world, there were definitely no more than fifty of these original ssic muscle cars, most of which were kept in museums. If it were to be auctioned, it would certainly fetch millions of US dors.


    "Mr. He, where did you get this car?"


    "I bought it from abroad when I was young, but as I got older, I didn¡¯t want to bother with it anymore, so it¡¯s been lying here unused." Saying this, He Ziyun tossed a set of keys into Ling Chen¡¯s hand, "Don¡¯t ruin it for me, this is the only valuable thing I own."


    "Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t mess it up."


    Overjoyed, Ling Chen eagerly opened the door and couldn¡¯t wait to sit in the driver¡¯s seat. As a man, who doesn¡¯t have a passion for cars. He inserted the key, gave it a gentle twist, and with a roar like that of a beast, the car body slightly trembled to life.


    Though the car hadn¡¯t been driven for many years, Mr. He had not forgotten to maintain it regrly, so it performed very well. Once Ling Chen carefully drove the car out of the warehouse, he quickly washed off the dust from the car, and then drove up to the front entrance of the Martial Arts Academy.


    Sitting in the car, Zhu Xiaozhu looked at Ling Chen, who was full of excitement, and felt a little strange. It was just a car; was it necessary to be so happy?


    She didn¡¯t know that the greatest hobbies of a man are fast cars and beautiful women. Cars and women hold a nearly equal ce in a man¡¯s heart.


    "All set?" Ling Chen grinned, gently tapping the elerator. At once, amid the thrilling roar, the muscle car shot out and quickly merged onto the road.


    "How long do you n to stay this time on your trip back?" Ling Chen casually asked while on the road.


    "I¡¯m not sure, maybe... two weeks, I guess. Why?"


    "Nothing, just asking."


    "Oh," Zhu Xiaozhu replied indifferently, feeling inexplicably disappointed.


    She was caught off guard by the emotional turmoil within her. For over twenty years, her life had been calm as still waters, her mood like a sereneke, undisturbed by ripples. No man had ever affected her emotions. Yet, for some reason, in Ling Chen¡¯s presence, she found it difficult to maintain herposure; his every word stirred countless thoughts in her mind.


    Could it be that she...


    Without knowing what she was thinking about, her pretty face blushed slightly. She quickly turned her head towards the car window, afraid that Ling Chen would see her change.


    In less than half an hour, Ling Chen arrived at the airport smoothly.


    "Have a safe trip."


    "Mhm," Zhu Xiaozhu murmured softly and gracefully, dragging her suitcase toward security. However, her steps were slow¡ªas if she was hesitating, as if waiting for something.


    Watching her receding figure, Ling Chen felt a surge of impulse and blurted out, "Xiaozhu..."


    "What¡¯s up?" Almost the instant Ling Chen spoke, Zhu Xiaozhu turned around, as if she had already been prepared.


    "It¡¯s... it¡¯s nothing." Ling Chen chuckled awkwardly, swallowing the words he wanted to say and changed them to, "Be safe on the road, and keep in touch when you can."


    "I will, bye!"


    Zhu Xiaozhu waved with a smile, no longer lingering, and proceeded directly to the security checkpoint. It wasn¡¯t until her figurepletely vanished from sight that Ling Chen reluctantly left the airport.


    Back in the car and thinking about the foolish conversation they just had, he couldn¡¯t help but curse inwardly.


    Ling Chen, oh Ling Chen, you¡¯re usually so bold, why do you go soft at the crucial moment.


    He sighed. He could shamelessly flirt with any other beauty without concern, but when it came to a woman he truly cared about, he became hesitant, not even daring to utter a single word.


    Shaking his head, he started the car and slowly drove onto the road.


    Returning to the Martial Arts Academy, only He Ziyun and Little Hua were home; Tang Yuan had vanished to who knows where. That guy was always so secretive, hardly a ghost shadow to be seen. Ling Chen couldn¡¯t be bothered with him; ever since he learned that Tang Yuan was on a secret mission in East Sea City, he seldom inquired about his whereabouts.


    After lunch, Ling Chen drove alone to the most bustling area in the city center.


    The dinner that Liu Xiyao mentioned was in two days. He still had a day left, but he didn¡¯t even have a single formal suit; he needed to prepare early.


    With all his savings in his pocket, Ling Chen found a shopping mall and took the elevator to the third floor, which was a menswear specialty. Previously, Ling Chen would never consider buying clothes from such upscale ces; with his personality, he¡¯d be content with picking up some random clothes from street vendors.


    But there was no choice; Liu Xiyao specifically reminded him it was a formal asion, and representing the face of the club, he couldn¡¯t afford to be dressed too shabbily.


    As he browsed, Ling Chen felt as though he was in the wrong ce. Everything was so damn expensive; a casual suit cost a few thousand yuan, and that was the cheapest one. Even though Liu Xiyao had said she would reimburse him, he still had to pay upfront.


    Hesitating at the shop entrance, he clenched his teeth and stepped inside, prepared to walk in.


    "Eh, what are you doing here?"


    Just then, a surprised voice suddenly came from behind him.


    This chapter is updated by freew(e)bnovel.(c)om

 Chapter 78 - 77 Leng Feifei (Part 1)

    <h4>Chapter 78: Chapter 77 Leng Feifei (Part 1)</h4><h4></h4>


    Ling Chen turned around and saw a charming-looking girl walking towards him. He merely nced at her face briefly, before his gaze was drawn to her plump breasts.


    In her thin white blouse, the buttons were stretched taut, as if they might burst open at any moment. Beneath the two unbuttoned buttons at the neckline, her pale white neck was exposed, adorned with a pendant made of lucky stones, and its slightly worn silver chain seemed a bit cheap.


    Leng Feifei?


    Ling Chen¡¯s eyes shifted, and he immediately remembered the name of the girl in front of him.


    He slightly raised the corners of his mouth, smiling, "Leng Feifei, what a coincidence to see you here. Are you here to buy clothes?"


    "I work in sales here."


    "Working in sales? Aren¡¯t you in school?"


    "School is out today, I work here when there are no sses."


    Hearing this, Ling Chen looked at the girl in front of him with new respect. Independent enough not to rely on her family and earning her own money, this type of girl usually has a strong character. Also, judging from Leng Feifei¡¯s attire, her family¡¯s financial condition seemed quite ordinary. But that didn¡¯t matter; a person¡¯s diligence and hard work are what truly count as precious.


    "That¡¯s perfect, I want to buy a suit. Could you help me out?"


    Leng Feifei nodded, "Follow me." As she spoke, she seemed to remember something, paused her steps, and softly said, "Aboutst time... at school, I was wrong. I shouldn¡¯t have judged you prematurely. Please don¡¯t mind what I said."


    Initially, when she first met Ling Chen at school, she was influenced by her ssmates¡¯ opinions and seeing Ling Chen with Nanrong Hao, she didn¡¯t have a good impression of him, mistakenly thinking he was a sleazebag. However, after seeing Ling Chen stand up for Su Lin, she gradually changed her opinion of him.


    Later, when Tang Shiyun came to her for new student registration, she asked an extra question and found out Ling Chen hadn¡¯t deceived her, he indeed was close friends with Tang Shiyun, and she had misunderstood him.


    Taking this rare chance meeting as an opportunity, she wanted to apologize to him face to face.


    Ling Chen grinned and waved his hand, "It¡¯s nothing. I didn¡¯t take it to heart."


    Once inside the shop, Leng Feifei led Ling Chen to the disy area and helped him pick out a suit. Ling Chen wasn¡¯t very picky, he just needed something that fit well and was affordable.


    With Leng Feifei¡¯s help, it didn¡¯t take long for Ling Chen to pick out a suit worth three thousand six hundred, which was almost all his savings.


    After paying, Ling Chen was about to leave. However, at that moment, a female sales associate hastily walked over to Leng Feifei and whispered something to her. Whatever was said, Leng Feifei¡¯s face slightly changed, and she hurriedly went to the fitting room and closed the door behind her.


    Ling Chen was puzzled, but then he heard a voice suddenly rise at the counter, "Where is Leng Feifei? Hurry and call her out."


    The cashier smiled and said, "Sir, I¡¯m sorry, Feifei didn¡¯te to work today. She is at school attending sses."


    "Don¡¯t lie to me. I just went to the school to ask, and her ssmates said she is here. Youngdy, remember to coordinate your lies better next time, or it¡¯s very easy to be caught. I give you one minute. If she doesn¡¯t appear in front of me, I will immediately have your boss fire you." The person spoke arrogantly.


    Ling Chen turned around and sized up the man speaking. He appeared to be in his thirties, sporting a round beer belly, with a face full of fat, his eyes squeezed into slits, looking like a pig-head. Around his neck hung a finger-thick gold ne, as if he was afraid others wouldn¡¯t know he was wealthy.


    Behind him followed a man with sses, holding a bag and standing respectfully to the side, probably an attendant.


    "Sir, I honestly don¡¯t know where she is, asking me won¡¯t help." The female cashier looked troubled.


    p!


    The thuggish man pped his hand on the counter and coldly said, "Seems like you really don¡¯t want to keep your job. Where¡¯s your boss? Call him out."


    As soon as he finished speaking, a middle-aged man who looked gentle and polite came running over, his face full of obsequious smiles, "Mr. Qi, what brings you here?" After speaking, he scolded the cashier, "What are you dawdling for? Hurry up and make tea for Mr. Qi."


    "No need, I¡¯m not here to drink tea. Zhang Huan, your employee is uncooperative and deliberately evasive. Fire her immediately. Also, have Leng Feifeie see me."


    "Mr. Qi, this..."


    "Hmm?" The thuggish man red, his chubby cheeks quivering, "Are you also trying to brush me off? Zhang Huan, don¡¯t be ungrateful, if you offend me, I¡¯ll have your shop shut down immediately."


    Wiping the cold sweat from his forehead, Zhang Huan maintained a pained smile, "Mr. Qi, please take a seat, I¡¯ll call Feifei right away."


    "No need to call, I¡¯m here."


    During the conversation, Leng Feifei walked over from behind, looking at the thuggish man with disgust, "Qi Jianhui, I¡¯ve made myself clear, please stop interfering with my work."


    "Feifei, how can you talk to Mr. Qi like that? As a university graduate, have you forgotten even the most basic manners?" At that moment, the man with sses behind Qi Jianhui spoke up.


    "One should tailor their words to the audience. Dad, if you still consider me your daughter, then stop disturbing my life. Also, I advise you to keep your distance from such people in the future."


    "You..." The man with sses angrily said: "Fine, I see your wings are hardened, daring to lecture me, let¡¯s see how I deal with you." Saying this, he quickly stepped forward, raising his hand to p Leng Feifei¡¯s face.


    Seeing the p approaching, Leng Feifei bit her lip, closed her eyes, and defiantly raised her head.


    However, after a few seconds, she realized the p hadn¡¯te and opened her eyes. To her surprise, she saw the man with sses¡¯ wrist firmly held by arge hand, rendering him unable to move.


    Shifting her gaze backward in astonishment, she realized the owner of therge hand was Ling Chen.


    "This gentleman, we¡¯re all civilized people, no need to resort to physical violence. Besides, in public like this, as a father, you should at least save some face for your daughter," Ling Chen advised.


    Having just found out the man with sses¡¯ identity, he was quite surprised, initially thinking he was Qi Jianhui¡¯s attendant rather than Leng Feifei¡¯s father.


    With his wrist seized by Ling Chen, the man with sses couldn¡¯t help but curse, "Who are you to lecture me? Let go!"


    Ling Chen, feeling indignant, coldlyughed, "If I¡¯m nothing, then you¡¯re less than nothing. What kind of father treats his daughter this way? I¡¯ll tell you, Leng Feifei is my friend, and I don¡¯t take kindly to anyone bullying her, even if you are her father." With that, he pushed the man with sses away.


    "Good, very good!" The man with sses red at Leng Feifei, his teeth gritted, "You ungrateful wretch, all these years I¡¯ve wasted raising you, and now you conspire with outsiders against me. I was blind to ever consider someone as ungrateful as you my daughter."


    Holding back tears, Leng Feifei said firmly, "If you truly regarded me as your daughter, you wouldn¡¯t treat me as amodity to be sold to others."

 Chapter 79 - 78 Leng Feifei (Part 2)

    <h4>Chapter 79: Chapter 78 Leng Feifei (Part 2)</h4><h4></h4>


    "What do you mean ¡¯selling¡¯ me to someone else? I¡¯m doing what¡¯s best for you, trying to find you a good family. What¡¯s not to like about Mr. Qi? It¡¯s your good fortune that he fancies you."


    "This ¡¯fortune¡¯ of mine, I¡¯d rather not have."


    "You..." The man in sses was livid, his body trembling with rage.


    "Zheng Guozhong, you¡¯ve truly failed as a father, not even being able to handle your own daughter," Qi Jianhui snorted coldly. "Don¡¯t forget what you promised me. If we can¡¯t settle things today, don¡¯t me me for turning my face against you."


    "No... that won¡¯t happen..." Zheng Guozhong looked panicked and hastily said, "Mr. Qi, rest assured, I¡¯ll definitely sort this out and won¡¯t let you down."


    Hearing their conversation, Ling Chen felt puzzled. Leng Feifei¡¯sst name was Leng, and her father¡¯s was Zheng. Could it be that she isn¡¯t his biological daughter? That would make sense; what kind of biological father would side with an outsider to go against his own daughter?


    "Feifei, don¡¯t me your father for being ruthless. You muste with me today," Zheng Guozhong seemed to have made up his mind.


    Ling Chen took a nce at Leng Feifei and saw that she was unmoved. He immediately understood her intentions. He nced at Zheng Guozhong and said indifferently, "Unless Feifei is willing, no one can take her away as long as I am here."


    Zheng Guozhong narrowed his eyes and said coldly, "Kid, I advise you not to make trouble for yourself."


    Ling Chen shrugged,pletely disregarding the other¡¯s words, "Sorry, I don¡¯t have other hobbies, I just like to poke my nose into others¡¯ business."


    "Fine, you¡¯re asking for it. Feifei, I foresaw that you wouldn¡¯te with me easily today, so I¡¯vee prepared. Guangwu!"


    As soon as he finished speaking, five young men rushed into the shop. The leader, a twenty-something with dyed red hair and a cigarette in his mouth, was dressed mboyantly. The others were dressed simrly, like typical gangster youths.


    "Dad."


    Zheng Guangwu called Zheng Guozhong and then looked towards Leng Feifei. His eyes, obscured by smoke, showed a sh of lustful intent.


    "My dear sister, why make things difficult with your family? As long as you¡¯re obedient, it will benefit all of us."


    Leng Feifei looked at her so-called brother, and her fists clenched unconsciously, her cheeks slightly pale with distress.


    Feeling that something was off with her, Ling Chen couldn¡¯t help but take another look at Zheng Guangwu. He found it odd; judging by Leng Feifei¡¯s reaction, she seemed to absolutely loathe the guy.


    "Guangwu, since Feifei is unwilling toe with us, you know what to do."


    "Dad, leave it to me," Zheng Guangwu curled his lip, flicked the cigarette butt from his hand, and walked towards Leng Feifei. "Sis, make it easy for the both of us and juste with me. Don¡¯t make this difficult for your brother."


    "Get lost! I don¡¯t want to see you."


    Hearing her sharp rebuke, Zheng Guangwu¡¯s mouth quirked up in a cold smirk, "Looks like you prefer punishment over a toast. If that¡¯s the case, then don¡¯t me me for not being polite." After speaking, he reached out to grab Leng Feifei¡¯s wrist.


    However, what he grabbed was not Leng Feifei¡¯s hand but Ling Chen¡¯s.


    "Buddy, what are you doing? I¡¯m not into that sort of thing, you must be mistaken," Ling Chen said as he shook off his hand and pulled out two tissues from the counter to wipe his hand, lookingpletely disgusted.


    "You..." Before Zheng Guangwu could finish, Zheng Guozhong roared beside him, "Guangwu, this punk is the problem. Teach him a lesson."


    Zheng Guangwu nced at Ling Chen, his mouth twisting up in a scornful smirk, "Kid, move away if you don¡¯t want to get hurt."


    "Give it a try."


    "Hmph! Trying to act the man in front of my sister? Fine, I¡¯ll let you."


    With the end of Zheng Guangwu¡¯s words, a p was immediately thrown out.


    Smack!


    A crisp sound was heard, and all eyes were focused on Ling Chen. However, they quickly realized that they were misled. Ling Chen waspletely unscathed, while it was Zheng Guangwu who was covering his swollen cheek, a mix of shock and anger on his face.


    Seeing this, everyone was surprised.


    It seemed clear that it was Zheng Guangwu who threw the punch, but it wasn¡¯t Ling Chen who got hit¡ªit was Zheng Guangwu himself. For a moment, people looked at Ling Chen with curiosity, wondering how he pulled it off.


    "How dare you hit me?" Zheng Guangwu cursed. "Boys, take him down."


    Seeing those youths charge at her all at once, Leng Feifei worriedly said, "Ling Chen..."


    "Don¡¯t be afraid, I¡¯m here." Ling Chen gave her a reassuring look, and casually pped one across the face.


    Smack!


    The youth at the forefront fell to the ground as a response.


    Smack! Smack! Smack!


    A series of ps were thrown, and the youths became dazed and confused, tumbling to the ground, piling up.


    Seeing Ling Chen effortlessly take down these people with a few ps, everyone was taken aback. Zheng Guangwu looked at Ling Chen with sheer terror and unconsciously stepped back.


    "Buddy, didn¡¯t you just say you were going to beat me up? Come on, continue."


    "You... don¡¯t get too arrogant."


    Ling Chen curled his lip, "If you don¡¯t dare to make a move, then get lost quickly. Don¡¯t embarrass yourself here. And you two..." he pointed at Zheng Guozhong and Qi Jianhui, "if you don¡¯t want to crawl out of here, then disappear from my sight immediately."


    "Mr. Qi..."


    Zheng Guozhong looked at Qi Jianhui, somewhat at a loss.


    "Hmph, if you can¡¯t handle this matter well, then you sort it out." Qi Jianhui coldly dropped a remark and turned to leave.


    "Mr. Qi, Mr. Qi, don¡¯t go." Zheng Guozhong hastily followed, but at the doorway, he turned back to look at Leng Feifei with a grim expression, "Remember this, it¡¯s not over. As long as you¡¯re my daughter, don¡¯t think you can escape this."


    After Qi Jianhui and Zheng Guozhong left one after the other, Zheng Guangwu also didn¡¯t dare to stay any longer. Covering his swollen cheek, he and his men shamefully ran away.


    Ling Chen took a breath, turned his head to look at Leng Feifei beside him, and was about to speak, but saw that her eyes were already brimming with tears.


    "Are you alright?" He offered her a tissue, expressing his concern.


    Leng Feifei gently shook her head, "Thank you for helping me."


    "Don¡¯t mention it."


    "Feifei."


    At this point, the store¡¯s owner, Zhang Huan, came over with a hesitant look. Seeing his conflicted expression, Leng Feifei immediately understood, "Boss, I¡¯m sorry for causing trouble. I won¡¯t work here anymore."


    Zhang Huan sighed helplessly, "Don¡¯t me me, I can¡¯t provoke Qi Jianhui. If you continue to stay here, he definitely won¡¯t let me off the hook."


    "I know."


    "You should go back and rest well. I¡¯ll transfer the rest of your wages to your ount."


    "Okay, then I¡¯ll be going."


    Leaving the mall, Leng Feifei intended to take the bus home, but Ling Chen still pulled her into his car. After what happened just then, he was worried that Leng Feifei was unsettled and might do something rash, so it was better to stay by her side.


    "Where do you want to go?" he asked. He knew Leng Feifei certainly didn¡¯t want to go home now, but there had to be a destination, "Or shall I take you back to school?"


    Leng Feifei looked out of the window, took a while before saying, "Let¡¯s go to a hotel."


    "You¡¯re nning to stay at a hotel tonight?"


    "Yes, I... I hope you can stay with me." After saying this, Leng Feifei lowered her head, a faint blush on her pretty face.


    Ling Chen¡¯s eyes widened, somewhat unable to believe what he had heard. The development of the plot seemed to be a bit unexpected. He thought Leng Feifei would find a quiet ce to sit for a while, perhaps go to a bar to drown her sorrows, but he did not expect her to go straight to the hotel and ask him to apany her.


    What does this mean?


    Could there really be such good luck as pie falling from the sky?


    (If you like it, add to your favorites and rmend it!)

 Chapter 80 - 79 The Pitiful Girl

    <h4>Chapter 80: Chapter 79 The Pitiful Girl</h4><h4></h4>


    "Uh..."


    Ling Chen looked at Leng Feifei¡¯s blushing face, resembling a tempting apple, and he really couldn¡¯t help but want to bite into it. He swallowed and hesitated for a moment, smiling unnaturally, "You might have gotten the wrong idea about me, I... I¡¯m not that kind of casual person."


    Hearing this, Leng Feifei immediately raised her head, both embarrassed and annoyed, "Who¡¯s being casual here? You... Forget it, I don¡¯t want to bother with you, it¡¯s my first time meeting a man who doesn¡¯t take advantage even when it¡¯s offered." After she said that, she stretched her hand to push open the car door, making a move to get out.


    Ling Chen was stunned for a moment; who doesn¡¯t like to take advantage of things? However, this inexplicable opportunity was making him feel uneasy.


    Seeing Leng Feifei already stepping out of the car, he quickly grabbed her arm and pulled her back to the seat.


    "Don¡¯t go yet, let¡¯s talk this out properly."


    Leng Feifei struggled a bit, but Ling Chen¡¯s grip on her arm was tight, and she couldn¡¯t move. She finally gave up resisting and said irritably, "I have nothing else to say to you, just let me get out."


    "Leng Feifei, what kind of attitude is that? I did help you earlier," Ling Chen red, then tried to slow his tone to soothe her mood. "I know you¡¯re feeling wronged, but there¡¯s no need to degrade yourself like this. There are no hurdles in the world that can¡¯t be ovee. There¡¯s a saying, ¡¯Every boat will find its harbor, you can¡¯t see a rainbow without a storm... um, what else is there?"


    He patted his head, trying hard to remember. It had been years since he studied, and he had almost entirely forgotten the teachings his father had imparted.


    Seeing him looking genuinely concerned, yet not quite getting the sayings right, Leng Feifei¡¯s lips twitched, wanting tough but not daring to. "Enough with your ¡¯sayings¡¯, you¡¯re not using them right at all. I wonder if you ever went to school."


    Ling Chen grinned, "You got that right, I¡¯ve never been schooled. You¡¯re a top student at East Sea University, you know these principles better than me. Everyone encounters some difficult times, but if you grit your teeth and persist, these hardships will eventually be part of the past."


    Leng Feifei shook her head, looking deste and distressed, "It¡¯s easy to say, but I... I don¡¯t know how to get over this hurdle."


    "If you don¡¯t mind, perhaps you could talk to me about it. Sharing with someone might make you feel a little better."


    "Actually, there isn¡¯t much to recount; I can only me my bad luck." At this point, Leng Feifei shared her story.


    It turned out that Leng Feifei had lost her parents when she was young and grew up in an orphanage before being fostered by a family in business, specifically by Zheng Guozhong and his son Zheng Guangwu. Zheng Guozhong treated her very well, regard her as his own daughter, and provided for her food, amodation, and schooling. However, unexpectedly, Zheng Guozhong¡¯s business suffered a severe setback, almost reaching the brink of bankruptcy, draining their finances and leaving them deeply in debt.


    Grateful for Zheng Guozhong¡¯s kindness, Leng Feifei stood by their side, working part-time while studying to earn some extra money to help out with household expenses and save some tuition for herself. However, she had an overly optimistic view of human nature. Through a chance encounter, Zheng Guozhong met Qi Jianhui. Qi Jianhui was a major real estate tycoon, undertaking manyrge projects and worth tens of millions, with strong connections in the industry.


    Zheng Guozhong used to deal in building materials. When faced with a big boss like Qi Jianhui, how could he miss such a good opportunity to make aeback? As long as Qi Jianhui was willing to purchase from him, he could make aeback within a few years. However, Zheng Guozhong had nothing left to offer as a gift to Qi Jianhui.


    Just then, Zheng Guozhong had invited Qi Jianhui to his house for a visit, and it happened that Leng Feifei was also there. Qi Jianhui took one look at her and his eyes glistened with desire.


    Leng Feifei, as a top student from East Sea University, had both beauty and brains ¨C traits that would make any man¡¯s heart flutter, especially someone like Qi Jianhui who reeked of money.


    Thus, Qi Jianhui took the opportunity to make an offer to Zheng Guozhong. If Leng Feifei would give herself to him, he would provide Zheng Guozhong with the opportunity to make aeback. Zheng Guozhong, without a second thought, outright refused, dering he would never harm his own daughter.


    Leng Feifei, hiding in her room, overheard the conversation between Zheng Guozhong and Qi Jianhui, and was deeply moved.


    But little did she know, that very night, Zheng Guozhong feigned concern about her studies and brought her a ss of iced juice. Coincidentally, she was feeling unwell that day ¨C it was that time of the month for women, and it wasn¡¯t suitable to drink something cold, so she didn¡¯t touch the juice. A couple of hourster, as she was about to go to sleep, she suddenly heard the voices of two men outside her room, one being Zheng Guozhong and the other Qi Jianhui.


    Leng Feifei overheard their conversation and learned that the juice was drugged. Zheng Guozhong intended to use this opportunity to let Qi Jianhui take advantage of her to fulfill his request.


    At that moment, she felt as if the sky was falling, nearly fainting. The man she trusted said he would not harm her, yet he resorted to such disgraceful means to treat her ¨C how was that different from a beast? She always thought Zheng Guozhong treated her as his own daughter, but reality was cruel, and she deeply felt the danger of human nature.


    That night, after learning the truth, she secretly escaped by climbing out of a window in her house¡¯s backyard. Zheng Guozhong¡¯s actions left her disheartened, and she dared not stay any longer.


    Since then, she never returned home and stayed in the university dormitory. However, Zheng Guodong didn¡¯t let her be, visiting the school every now and then, trying to persuade her with emotions and reason, but each time she refused him, and eventually, she didn¡¯t even want to see him anymore.


    Weeks passed, and Zheng Guozhong stopped harassing her, but Qi Jianhui found her at her workce a few times, only to be turned away by her colleagues. Little did she expect that Zheng Guozhong and Qi Jianhui would show up together, bringing helpers, intending to forcibly take her away.


    After knowing what happened, Ling Chen frowned. Zheng Guozhong was nothing but a beast, treating his adopted daughter so horribly for his own business interests. He felt regret, thinking that he should have severely punished that beast when he had the chance at the mall earlier.


    After pouring out her sorrows, Leng Feifei let out a sigh, her expression much more rxed.


    "Thank you, I feel much better now."


    "There¡¯s no need to be polite. Feifei, since he is so ruthless and unjust, you shouldn¡¯t be merciful with him. If he dares to trouble you again, call me. I¡¯ll handle it for you," Ling Chen said earnestly.


    Leng Feifei¡¯s ordeal was sympathetic, and his willingness to help was purely driven by righteous indignation, without any ulterior motives.


    After a moment, he couldn¡¯t help but ask, "What were you nning to do by asking me toe to the hotel just now?"

 Chapter 81 - 80: Banquet at Yulong Mansion (Part 1)

    <h4>Chapter 81: Chapter 80: Banquet at Yulong Mansion (Part 1)</h4><h4></h4>


    Hearing him suddenly drop such a question, Leng Feifei was taken aback, her pretty face immediately flushed red, and she stammered, "I was thinking... if my body was no longer pure, maybe they would stop pressuring me."


    Uh... Ling Chen was somewhat dumbfounded; he hadn¡¯t expected Leng Feifei¡¯s reason to be so simple. Had he known this, he would have driven straight to a hotel. s, such a pity, a perfect opportunity to lose his virginity wasted away.


    Seeing his disappointed face, Leng Feifei seemed to see right through him, snorting lightly, "What, are you regretting it now?"


    "Who said that!" Ling Chen snapped back to reality, indignantly saying, "Am I the type of man who takes advantage of others? Feifei, even though Zheng Guozhong is a scumbag, you must believe that there are still good men in this world, like me."


    "You?" Leng Feifei gave him a nce, unmercifully striking back, "I can¡¯t see anything good about you."


    "That¡¯s a problem with your vision." Ling Chen swished the bangs on his forehead, full of confidence, "Just spend more time with me, and sooner orter you¡¯ll notice all the qualities that a good man should have in me."


    "Forget it, I¡¯m not interested in men like you."


    "Why not?"


    "Handsome men are yboys, so it¡¯s better to find a more down-to-earth man to live life with."


    Hearing this, Ling Chen was momentarily speechless, his mouth agape but unable to utter a single word. This woman waspletely unpredictable; is being handsome a crime now? If being handsome is a crime, wouldn¡¯t he be sentenced to life with his looks?


    He shamelessly thought to himself.


    After dropping Leng Feifei off at school, Ling Chen drove back to Qingyun Martial Arts Academy. During the drive, Liu Kun and Nanrong Hao each made a call, inviting him to the Nanrong Family; Nanrong Yong wanted to meet him. However, just the thought of Nanrong Wanqing soured his mood, and he directly rejected the invitations.


    Although he¡¯d admit deep down that Nanrong Wanqing was beautiful, with an ethereal quality that could drive every man who saw her mad, he found that kind of woman too self-important, always acting as if they¡¯re above the rest, and he disliked that feeling.


    Two days passed.


    As night fell, East Sea City, a city that never sleeps, shimmied out of its daytime bustle and indulged in a world rampant with material desires.


    Bars, nightclubs, with a never-ending stream of customers, enjoying the thrills of life, venting the pressures of living.


    Half-past seven.


    Ling Chen put on a sharp suit and got into his ssic old muscle car.


    Apanied by the roaring growl akin to that of a beast, along with its conspicuous appearance, though Ling Chen preferred to keep a low profile, the car¡¯s head-turning rate on the road was an incredible ny-nine percent, extremely shy. As for the remaining one percent, that came from blind people.


    After a twenty-minute drive, Ling Chen finally arrived at his destination, Yulong Mansion.


    Yulong Mansion was a manor with over a hundred years of history, built by the nobility of the past, consuming a vast fortune and covering thousands of square meters. In its day, Yulong Mansion was a ce for the elite to seek pleasure and amuse themselves; however, itter fell into decline and was leased privately, keeping the style of thete Qing period on the outside while the inside waspletely renovated, exuding a luxurious atmosphere everywhere.


    The car arrived at the entrance of Yulong Mansion, and a young valet service attendant immediately came over. He respectfully opened the door with a slight bow, politely saying, "Sir, wee to Yulong Mansion."


    Ling Chen nodded slightly and got out of the car. He straightened the cor of his suit and walked towards the entrance of the mansion.


    At this moment, the parking lot outside the mansion was like a luxury car party, with Ferraris, Porsches, and Bugatti Veyrons... All sorts of famous sports cars from around the world were present, dazzling to the eyes. However, among all the luxury cars, Ling Chen¡¯s muscle car stood out, exceptionally prominent, drawing the attention of many people.


    This dinner was of very high standards, and an invitation was necessary for entry. Ling Chen lingered at the entrance for a while, and soon enough, an imposing middle-aged man with a friendly smile came down the stairs.


    "Hello, are you the Ling Chen that President Liu mentioned?"


    "Yes, I am. Are you Mr. Gao Yuan?"


    "Yes. I¡¯m sorry, Mr. Ling, for making you wait."


    "It¡¯s alright, I have just arrived not long ago."


    This Mr. Gao Yuan was an entrepreneur from East Sea City, a friend of Liu Xiyao. Since Liu Xiyao couldn¡¯t attend the banquet herself, she had Ling Chen go in her ce, but she was worried about him not being ustomed to this kind of high society socializing, so she specifically asked Gao Yuan to apany Ling Chen to avoid any mistakes.


    Entering the mansion, Ling Chen was about to go to the banquet hall apanied by Gao Yuan. But at that moment, the entrance suddenly livened up, with all the guests standing at the door stopping to look back down the stairs.


    Out of curiosity, Ling Chen took a longer look. Suddenly, he saw a Rolls-Royce stopped at the entrance of the mansion, and a familiar figure emerged from the passenger side, gently opening the back door. Subsequently, a woman sitting in a wheelchair was pushed out from the spacious back seat by a man in a suit.


    Nanrong Wanqing!


    Her appearance immediately attracted countless gazes. Her arrival instantly became the focus of everyone at the scene.


    Although Ling Chen had no special fondness for Nanrong Wanqing, he had to admit that whenever and wherever she appeared, Nanrong Wanqing always had the ability to amaze, and this moment was no exception.


    Today, Nanrong Wanqing wasn¡¯t overly adorned. As usual, she wore a simple, elegant white dress and her legs were covered with a thick woolen nket. Her look was fresh and simple, and even without the enhancement of a grand gown, her natural grace was hard to conceal. Her wless features were calm as a still well, as if the heat of early autumn couldn¡¯t melt the frost on her face. A head of jet-ck hair casually draped over her shoulders, while her fair hands gently sped together.


    Under the gaze of the crowd, Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s expression remained calm, her bright eyes like a dazzling gxy of stars, seemingly like sereneke surfaces undisturbed by the passing breeze.


    It was this simple, unaffected demeanor that attracted everyone¡¯s attention, making it difficult to look away.


    "Wanqing." At this time, an excited voice rang out.


    Then, a handsome man hurried out from the mansion, it was Zhu Hong.


    As the host of the dinner, Zhu Hong was dressed in a white tailcoat, dignified yet elegant, his handsome face bearing a gentle schrly smile. His deep-set eyes shone with infinite charm, enchanting all who beheld him.


    Seeing Zhu Hong approaching, a soft smile momentarily blossomed on Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s fair and smooth cheeks, like thousands of flowers blooming, exquisitely beautiful.


    Yet, the calmness in her beautiful eyes remained unchanged despite the smile on her face.

 Chapter 82 - 81: Banquet at Yulong Mansion (Part 2)

    <h4>Chapter 82: Chapter 81: Banquet at Yulong Mansion (Part 2)</h4><h4></h4>


    "Wanqing, let me take you inside."


    Zhu Hong took over the wheelchair and slowly pushed towards the entrance of the mansion. To wee Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s arrival, he specially installed rails on the stairs outside the mansion. Perhaps Nanrong Wanqing was the only one who received such special treatment.


    "Indeed, as one of East Sea City¡¯s golden flowers, she attracts countless eyes wherever she goes," Gao Yuan said with a heartyugh.


    "Even beautiful flowers have their day of being plucked," Ling Chen responded coolly.


    "Mr. Ling, your words are intriguing. I really want to see who could pluck such a golden flower. But, Mr. Zhu seems to have a good chance, as it¡¯s said that a talented man and a beautiful woman make a perfect match. Don¡¯t they look like a pair made by heaven when together?"


    Ling Chen shrugged, neither agreeing nor disagreeing.


    "Mr. Gao, let¡¯s go inside," suggested Ling Chen.


    "Alright."


    Upon entering the main banquet hall, Ling Chen was immediately shocked by the luxurious decoration.


    The banquet hall was vast, spanning thousands of square meters, and even with hundreds of people, it didn¡¯t feel crowded. The floor was covered with red velvet carpet that felt soft as one walked on it, ensuring that even a fall wouldn¡¯t cause injury. The walls around were made of bright yellow special material, which shone brilliantly under the lighting, resembling a golden pce.


    At the top of the banquet hall hung ten crystal chandeliers, all made from expensive natural crystals, not synthetic ones. The light projected onto the crystals emitted a dazzling brilliance as if countless stars were floating in mid-air.


    Furthermore, five long tables were ced in the center of the hall, covered with a variety of exquisite dishes, and waiters with trays shuffled through the crowd, providing guests with fine wine and gourmet food.


    Ling Chen, having seen many grand scenes, admitted that this was his first time in such a luxurious ce.


    "Mr. Ling, feel free to look around. I¡¯ll go greet some old friends and will find youter."


    "Mr. Gao, go ahead, don¡¯t worry about me."


    After speaking, Ling Chen took a ss of champagne from a server and began strolling through the hall.


    Before long, his attention was caught by a man in the crowd.


    By a long table piled with food stood a fat man in a suit. The suit seemed ill-fitting, stretching tight over his round belly as if the buttons might pop at any moment. He held a ss of red wine in one hand and an unshelled fried shrimp in the other, cing another shrimp in his mouth before even swallowing the first, clearly enjoying himself.


    Ling Chen inwardly muttered, wondering why this person was here.


    After a moment¡¯s thought, he walked over. The fat man was so immersed in relishing his food that he didn¡¯t notice Ling Chen approaching.


    "Hey!" Ling Chen patted his shoulder, startling him and almost causing him to drop his ss of wine.


    He turned around and said in confusion, "What are you doing here?"


    "That¡¯s my line. What are you doing here? You, a middleman for assassins, were invited to the banquet too?"


    The fat man indignantly said, "That¡¯s discrimination! If a security officer like you cane, why can¡¯t I?" he retorted, taking a bite of his sandwich, his mouth greasy.


    "Be honest, what are you really here for? If you don¡¯t tell me, how about I inform the hosts that you¡¯re nning something against the guests?"


    The fat man red, "Are you threatening me?"


    Ling Chen¡¯s lips curled up in a mischievous smile, "What if I am threatening you? What can you do about it? With your physique, you can¡¯t beat me."


    "You... hmph, forget it. I¡¯m generous-hearted and won¡¯t stoop to your level," the fat man said, and after ncing around to ensure no one was paying attention, he whispered, "I¡¯m here to gather intelligence."


    "What intelligence?" Ling Chen asked with interest.


    "I got information that there¡¯s something off with Boyang Pharmaceutical Company. On the surface, it appears to be a pharmaceuticalpany, but secretly, it¡¯s involved in nefarious activities. Thepany¡¯s headquarters is abroad, with massive influence, and now that it¡¯s expanding to the domestic market, I suspect they are looking to widen their influence. So, I came here to scout around and see if I can find any valuable intelligence. Many people are watching thispany, and if I can gather some firsthand intelligence, I could sell it for a good price."


    "Oh?" Ling Chen was surprised. If what the fat man said was true, then Zhu Hong might be involved too.


    "Fat man, are you sure about this? This isn¡¯t something to joke about."


    "If I had solid proof, I wouldn¡¯t have to work so hard toe here," the fat man responded tersely.


    Ling Chen frowned slightly. If what the fat man said was true, he had to be cautious. It wasn¡¯t just about Nanrong Wanqing but because of Nanrong Hao as well. If Zhu Hong was indeed involved in dubious activities, any contact he had with Nanrong Wanqing could eventually impact Nanrong Hao. As Nanrong Hao¡¯s friend, he had to consider his safety.


    "Fat man, if you find anything, don¡¯t forget to let me know."


    "Why? I deal in intelligence. You want to know? Fine, pay me," the fat man said, suddenly bing serious.


    "Last time I asked you to find out where Snake King was, and you¡¯ve done nothing. Don¡¯t forget you still owe me a favor. Do you really want to leave it at that?"


    "Snake King hasn¡¯t contacted me; what can I do? Alright, if I find any evidence, I¡¯ll tell you immediately as repayment for your favor. Deal?"


    "Deal," agreed Ling Chen.


    In the meantime, Zhu Hong wheeled Nanrong Wanqing into the banquet hall.


    Their arrival instantly drew the attention of all the guests. One was the host of the banquet, and the other was one of East Sea City¡¯s golden flowers, naturally drawing interest. Before long, a group of guests surrounded them to greet them.


    Ling Chen diverted his gaze and asked, "Fat man, what do you know about Zhu Hong?"


    "He¡¯s from the Zhu Family of Beijing. He went abroad years ago and dropped off the radar until he suddenly reappeared a while ago. I¡¯ve used many of my overseas contacts, but couldn¡¯t find any information about him. During these past years, it¡¯s as if he vanished from this world. Think about it, if a person has nothing to hide, why would there be no trace of him anywhere?"


    Ling Chen nodded, understanding the situation. Having been in the Ghost Organization, he knew about disappearing without a trace, thanks to the organization¡¯s efforts to erase all his tracks. Therefore, if Zhu Hong managed to achieve this, there must be a significant power backing him.

 Chapter 83 - 82: Banquet at Yulong Mansion (Part 3)

    <h4>Chapter 83: Chapter 82: Banquet at Yulong Mansion (Part 3)</h4><h4></h4>


    Ling Chen turned his head, and a gaunt face suddenly came into view.


    Tang Yuan?


    He was slightly startled, sized him up from head to toe, looking astonished. Tang Yuan was dressed as a banquet waiter, holding a wine tray high in his right hand, and his left hand behind his back in a standard service posture, looking very professional.


    "Sir, would you like some wine?" Tang Yuan asked, with a polite smile.


    Ling Chen came back to his senses and asked incredulously, "You... what are you doing here?"


    Tang Yuan pointed to his clothes, "Can¡¯t you tell? I got a job as a waiter at Yulong Mansion a couple of days ago. How do I look?"


    Ling Chen looked at him disbelievingly, really thinking this guy could fool him so easily? Seeing the improperly sized pants, he guessed some poor fellow must be lying unconscious in some obscure corner. Tang Yuan probably didn¡¯t know that his secret mission had been seen through. Ling Chen was just curious about Tang Yuan¡¯s purpose here.


    "Hey, is this your friend?" Fatty Hu nced at Tang Yuan, casually ced his empty ss on the tray, picked up a champagne, andmanded with a pompous air, "Go get me a few more drinks."


    Tang Yuan didn¡¯t move, snorting through his nostrils, "Fatty Hu, aren¡¯t you afraid of bursting from drinking so much?"


    Hearing this, Fatty Hu nearly jumped up like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, widening his eyes at Tang Yuan, "You... how do you know myst name is Hu?"


    "Hu Fei, don¡¯t think no one knows your real name. I not only know your name, but I¡¯m also very clear about many of your affairs. If you¡¯re interested, perhaps we could find a ce to have a good chat."


    Hu Fei swallowed, his cheeks trembling slightly, betraying his inner unease, "Who exactly are you?"


    "Didn¡¯t I just say? I¡¯m a waiter at Yulong Mansion." Tang Yuan shed a toothy smile, "Sir, would you like any more wine?"


    "No... no more needed, no more needed," Hu Fei quickly waved his hands.


    "Then I¡¯ll be going first, if you need anything just call me, I¡¯ll make sure you¡¯re satisfied," Tang Yuan said, winked at Ling Chen, then turned and walked into the crowd.


    After watching him leave, Hu Fei, ignoring the table full of delicacies, urgently said, "Ling Chen, who is your friend, how does he know about my matters?"


    "You want to know? Sure, pay up."


    "Money?" Seeing him demanding money, Hu Fei¡¯s face looked pained. Hesitating for a bit, he gritted his teeth and said, "Alright, how much do you want?"


    "Not much, considering we¡¯re friends, I¡¯ll give you a 15% discount, just hand over fifty million."


    "What?" Hu Fei gasped, "You... isn¡¯t this extortion? I don¡¯t have that kind of money."


    Ling Chen spread his hands, "Then there¡¯s nothing to talk about, fifty million is the lowest I can go."


    This price wasn¡¯t blowing things out of proportion. Tang Yuan was part of Ghost Organization, and his profile was top secret. If his identity were exposed, it would mean the ghost would also shed its veil of mystery. Thus, the fifty million was indeed a minimum.


    Hu Fei frustratedly said, "Forget it, you don¡¯t tell me, I¡¯ll find out myself. I don¡¯t believe I can¡¯t uncover his background with my own skills."


    Ling Chen shrugged indifferently, "Take your time. I¡¯m going to walk around." Saying so, he picked up a ss and continued mingling in the crowd.


    The attendees of tonight¡¯s banquet were all notables from East Sea City, including entrepreneurs, government officials, and elites from various fields; the scene was quite lively. However, Ling Chen, not being from this circle and hardly knowing anyone, felt somewhat out of ce. Gao Yuan was busy socializing, leaving him unattended, so he simply found a corner with sofas to sit down and watch the crowd dispassionately.


    Soon, Zhu Hong and Nanrong Wanqing appeared again in his sight.


    Ling Chen casually nced at them, then his eyes were drawn to the several men following behind Zhu Hong. These men, in crisp suits, each equipped with wireless headsets, continually followed closely behind Zhu Hong wherever he went. Judging by their stance and positions, Ling Chen narrowed his eyes slightly.


    Though their positions seemed casual, they were very professional, securely guarding Zhu Hong within their circle. No matter what danger arose, they could react instantly to ensure Zhu Hong¡¯s safety. Moreover, there was a solid and formidable Iron Blood Aura around these men. Compared to them, Zhong Wei and Liang Zhao Hui, who apanied Nanrong Wanqing, seemed much inferior. Furthermore, Zhu Hong¡¯s bodyguards constantly, subtly kept them apart.


    "Wanqing, why did youe alone today, where are Lin and Nanrong Hao? Didn¡¯t I invite them to the dinner?" Zhu Hong asked while pushing the wheelchair.


    "They had somest-minute issues, so they couldn¡¯t make it."


    Mentioning her brother, a hint of helplessness shed in Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s beautiful eyes. Ever since Nanrong Hao had stormed out of her office, he hadn¡¯t spoken to her for days, probably still upset over the matter with Ling Chen.


    Zhu Hong smiled, "I wanted to catch up and bond with them, looks like I¡¯ll have to find another opportunity."


    While speaking, a bodyguard quickly walked up to Zhu Hong and whispered a few words. Whatever was said made Zhu Hong¡¯s gaze tighten, then he nodded, waved his hand to send the bodyguard away.


    "Wanqing, I¡¯m sorry but I have some important guests to attend to. Take a look around, and I¡¯lle over to join you soon."


    "No problem, go ahead. You¡¯re the host tonight; don¡¯t neglect the other guests because of me."


    "I¡¯ll be back soon." After saying this, Zhu Hong and his bodyguards hurriedly turned and left.


    Zhong Wei took over the wheelchair, asking, "Madam Chairman, would you like to meet other guests?"


    "No need, I don¡¯t particrly wish to meet anyone. Find a quiet ce for me to stay for a while."


    "Okay." Zhong Wei replied, his gaze sweeping around, then he pushed the wheelchair toward a corner of the banquet hall.


    Upon reaching the corner, the apanying Liang Zhao Hui saw only a young man sitting on a sofa against the wall, his head lowered ying with his phone, never looking up.


    After studying him for a moment, Zhong Wei withdrew his gaze from the young man and pushed the wheelchair to the floor-to-ceiling windows, pulling the curtains aside and opening a sliver at the top of the window.


    Instantly, a crescent moon hung in the night sky, stars dazzling, reminiscent of the bright eyes of Nanrong Wanqing.


    To prevent any disturbances to Nanrong Wanqing, Zhong Wei and Liang Zhao Hui each stepped back a few meters and positioned themselves at the corners, to prevent others from approaching.

 Chapter 84 - 83 Confession

    <h4>Chapter 84: Chapter 83 Confession</h4><h4></h4>


    Sitting in front of the transparent floor-to-ceiling window, Nanrong Wanqing was looking outside, with a clear view of the street opposite.


    Under the dim streetlights, a little girl and a little boy were frolicking and horsing around, their faces brimming with joyful smiles. The girl was a head taller than the boy, gracefully beautiful. They bore a slight resemnce to each other, probably siblings.


    Just then, in their chase, the little boy identally tripped over the curb steps and tumbled to the ground, crying loudly.


    Upon seeing this, the little girl hurried over, helped the boy up from the ground. Then, she gently blew on the boy¡¯s scraped knee twice and indulgently pulled his head into her embrace, murmuring something that could not be made out.


    In a short while, the tears of the little boy gradually ceased, reced byughter through his sobs.


    Watching this heartwarming scene, a slight wetness appeared at the corners of Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s eyes as her memory instantly traveled back to her childhood.


    Back then, she and Nanrong Hao were just like the siblings by the street. Without the care of their parents, as the elder sister, she tried hard to protect Nanrong Hao and shield him from bullying. Whenever Nanrong Hao felt sad or troubled, she would stay by his side to encourage and take care of him.


    As they grew older, Nanrong Yong ced high hopes on Nanrong Hao, wishing to mold him into the sessor of Hongyu Group. Unfortunately, Nanrong Hao had no interest in the business, and despite the years that passed, he remained unchanged, his character growing more and more rebellious.


    As a sister, she could only shoulder the responsibilities of the Nanrong family for Nanrong Hao. Even though people outside praised her as a prodigy, managing such argepany at such a young age, who really knew the bitterness in her heart?


    Perhaps she had a talent in this area, but she also paid a heavy price for it. Since the age of fifteen, she had not a single moment of leisure. When Nanrong Hao did not return all night, she was in her room reading bymp light, learning how to manage the business. When Nanrong Hao went out to have fun, she was interning at thepany, familiarizing herself with the operations.


    Often, she was tired and weary, but she could only force herself to keep going because she couldn¡¯t afford to give up, nor did she allow herself to. All this should have been Nanrong Hao¡¯s duty, but now ity solely upon her shoulders.


    Over the years, her hard work finally paid off, with Hongyu Group thriving under her management. However, this did not cheer her up; what she truly cared about was her brother, Nanrong Hao.


    To help Nanrong Hao grow, she tried every method, even resorting to force. But not only were her efforts fruitless, they even made Nanrong Hao increasingly fearful of her.


    After countless disappointments, she hadpletely given up on Nanrong Hao. She knew in her heart that the Nanrong family could not rely on Nanrong Hao, and that she would have to continue her vigil. More than once, she thought of remaining unmarried for life, silently staying with the Nanrong family until someone could take over the burden of Hongyu Group from her hands.


    However, the change in Nanrong Hao that day ignited a glimmer of hope in her heart.


    Perhaps the methods she used before were too aggressive, and it was time to let someone else have a try.


    At this moment, Ling Chen sitting on the sofa was somewhat speechless. He didn¡¯t wish to see Nanrong Wanqing, yet Nanrong Wanqing had appeared before him. He slightly turned his head and swept a nce at Nanrong Wanqing from the corner of his eye.


    She sat quietly in her wheelchair, looking up at the window. A breeze from outside grazed by, stirring the hair behind her, dancing lightly.


    Just then, the banquet hall¡¯s lights suddenly dimmed, and the soft moonlight shone in from the window, casting directly upon Nanrong Wanqing. Dressed in a simple white gown, Nanrong Wanqing seemed like a celestial being fallen from the heavens, aloof and solitary, as if she were alone in her world.


    Suddenly, he noticed a tearful sparkle in Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s eyes.


    Crying?


    Ling Chen was taken aback, somewhat incredulous.


    In his mind, Nanrong Wanqing had always been a strong woman with a resolute character and a powerful heart. But when that teardrop glistened, he felt his heartstrings lightly plucked.


    A woman... no matter how strong, ultimately has her vulnerabilities shielded behind a strong exterior. Such a woman would never easily reveal her fragility; only in the quiet of the night would she open her heart and release her true emotions.


    Ling Chen silently withdrew his gaze, his mind filled with mixed emotions.


    Despite Nanrong Wanqing sitting a few meters away, he could sense the fluctuations in her emotions; that fleeting tear dismantled the strong image of Nanrong Wanqing in his mind.


    "Ladies and gentlemen, good evening."


    At this moment, Zhu Hong¡¯s clear voice resonated from the banquet hall¡¯s sound system. Simultaneously, a gentle light descended from above, shining directly on Zhu Hong, turning him into the focus of everyone¡¯s attention.


    "Tonight we have invited everyone here to celebrate the sessful establishment of Boyang Pharmaceutical Company in East Sea City. Many of you here might not know me, so allow me to introduce myself. My name is Zhu Hong, and I am the domestic head of Boyang Pharmaceutical Company. First, I would like to thank everyone for taking time out of your busy schedules to attend tonight¡¯s banquet. I hope that in the future we can work together for mutual development. Secondly, I want to take this opportunity to express my gratitude to a certain individual."


    Zhu Hong cleared his throat and continued, "Over the years, as I struggled abroad alone, enduring many failures and setbacks, there was always someone I would think of during those times. She gave me the strength to keep going, never easily choosing to give up. I told myself that I must make something of myself, not to disappoint myself or her. After years of hard work, I have finally realized my dream. Today, here, I want to tell her personally, in all those years I was away, I¡¯ve never forgotten you. In my heart, you¡¯ve always upied the most important ce. Even if the seas dry up and rocks crumble, my feelings for you will not change."


    As his words ended, all eyes shifted to Nanrong Wanqing.


    Although Zhu Hong had not specifically named anyone, judging from his prior actions, the woman he spoke of was almost certainly Nanrong Wanqing.


    For a moment, the young women present watched Nanrong Wanqing with eyes filled with envy, jealousy, and resentment. Such a capable, handsome, and wealthy man was almost every woman¡¯s dream of a prince charming. Now, Nanrong Wanqing seemed to have him all to herself; how could they not be disappointed?

 Chapter 85 - 84: Rejection

    <h4>Chapter 85: Chapter 84: Rejection</h4><h4></h4>


    "Wanqing."


    Under Zhu Hong¡¯s gentle call, a spotlight simultaneously fell upon Nanrong Wanqing.


    With everyone¡¯s gaze fixed on her, Zhu Hong stepped forward and walked straight towards Nanrong Wanqing. The spotlight above him followed his steps, slowly moving.


    Watching Zhu Hong approaching, Ling Chen smirked. Making a deep confession in public, he really had to hand it to him. However, such sudden romance was likely irresistible to any woman. With this thought, he couldn¡¯t help but sneak a peek at Nanrong Wanqing to see her reaction.


    At this moment, hearing the footsteps behind her growing closer, Nanrong Wanqing wheeled around to face the approaching Zhu Hong.


    "Wanqing..." Zhu Hong stared affectionately at the beauty before him, "I know this may be abrupt, but I can¡¯t control my feelings for you. I just want to tell you, as long as you¡¯re willing, I will always be by your side, to cherish you, to protect you, to prevent you from any harm."


    Nanrong Wanqing looked back at him, her eyes as calm as ever, without the slightest ripple of emotion. After a moment of silence, under the anticipation of the crowd, she parted her lips and spoke softly, "Is this the surprise you prepared for me?"


    Zhu Hong, with his intoxicating smile, crouched before her, his tone gentle, "Since time was limited, my preparations aren¡¯t thoroughlyprehensive. But that¡¯s not important. What matters most is letting you know my feelings. Wanqing, I¡ª"


    "I think you might have misunderstood. I only see you as a friend, nothing more." Nanrong Wanqing said in a light tone, as though discussing something unrted to her.


    At her response, Zhu Hong was momentarily stunned, swallowing back the words he had prepared.


    Before making this decision, he had considered various possibilities, but he had never imagined Nanrong Wanqing would reject him so directly, without sparing any face for him. In his view, even if Nanrong Wanqing were to reject him, she would convey it tactfully, allowing him some dignity. However, he didn¡¯t expect Nanrong Wanqing to refuse him. After all, they had known each other for years, childhood friends who grew up together. Although it had been several years since theyst saw each other, their past affection was still profound.


    Moreover, he was confident in himself. Over the years, with his looks and graceful demeanor, any woman he set his sights on couldn¡¯t escape his control.


    Coming back to his senses, he hurriedly said, "Wanqing, my feelings for you¡ª"


    "There¡¯s no need to say more." Nanrong Wanqing cut him off, her voice cold, a hint of annoyance visible in her eyes, "I think I¡¯ve made my attitude quite clear. If there¡¯s nothing else, then I will take my leave now. Thank you for your hospitality tonight."


    At this point, the guests in the banquet hall whispered amongst themselves, originally thinking that Nanrong Wanqing would ept, only to see her reject him outright,nding Zhu Hong in an awkward situation.


    Tsk!


    At that moment, a mockingughter suddenly entered Zhu Hong¡¯s ears. He furrowed his brows slightly and turned to look, finding the source of theughter was the young man sitting on the sofa.


    Feeling Zhu Hong¡¯s gaze upon him, Ling Chen slowly raised his head, meeting Zhu Hong¡¯s eyes with a hint of amusement. Nanrong Wanqing was indeed Nanrong Wanqing, rejecting others so unapologetically. He couldn¡¯t help butugh; Zhu Hong was truly asking for it. He wanted to y at romance, but ended up losing face instead.


    However, he could understand why Nanrong Wanqing was so merciless.


    Zhu Hong¡¯s public confession wasn¡¯t purely motivated. If the two shared deep affection, then naturally, it would go without saying, everything would fall into ce. But the thing is, Zhu Hong¡¯s rtionship with Nanrong Wanqing existed only in the past, not the present. His public disy of affection was simply to show everyone that Nanrong Wanqing was his target, warning others not to covet her. In addition, Zhu Hong was leveraging the situation. In his view, with so many powerful figures gathered together, Nanrong Wanqing would consider his dignity and couldn¡¯t bear to reject him.


    However, Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s character was unique and unconventional; she couldn¡¯t be judged with the same perspective as an ordinary woman.


    With Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s intelligence, she likely saw through Zhu Hong¡¯s motives, hence her cold demeanor.


    "Is it you?"


    Under the dim lights, Zhu Hong fixed his gaze on the young man on the sofa, his eyes immediately shing with a trace of coldness. At this moment, Nanrong Wanqing also noticed Ling Chen, surprise flickering in her beautiful eyes.


    Why is he here?


    Ling Chen said with a smile, "You have a good memory, remembering who I am."


    "Did youe with Wanqing? I didn¡¯t see you when you entered just now."


    "What, she didn¡¯t tell you? I have resigned from the Nanrong family, I have nothing to do with her now."


    "Is that so?" Zhu Hong crossed his arms behind his back, strode up to Ling Chen, and looked down at him, his voice cold and distant, "Then how did you get in here? I don¡¯t recall inviting you to the banquet."


    Ling Chen opened his mouth, about to speak, but before he could utter a word, he saw Gao Yuan quickly approaching through the crowd.


    "Mr. Zhu, please don¡¯t misunderstand. Mr. Ling is a shareholder of Qingyuan Club. President Liu couldn¡¯te in person, so he asked Mr. Ling to attend tonight¡¯s dinner on his behalf."


    After hearing his exnation, Zhu Hong was a bit displeased, not expecting Ling Chen to be a shareholder of Qingyuan Club. Having just been rejected by Nanrong Wanqing, and now having to endure Ling Chen¡¯s sneer, he was seething with rage, wishing he could vent his anger.


    However, now that he knew Ling Chen was officially invited to the dinner, he could only forcefully suppress his anger. Taking a deep breath, he put a slight smile back on his face and appeared gentle once again.


    "Mr. Ling, I apologize, I lost myposure just now. Please forgive me. I have other matters to attend to, please enjoy yourself."


    Watching Zhu Hong turn and leave, Ling Chen¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly.


    This guy... is not simple.


    He had clearly felt Zhu Hong¡¯s anger, but in just a few words, the man had managed to suppress it and act as if nothing happened, revealing the depth of Zhu Hong¡¯s scheming.


    Such people are often the most dangerous.


    However, he also found it strange, since Zhu Hong was so cunning, why would he confess to Nanrong Wanqing at a time when he wasn¡¯t fully confident.


    "Ling Chen, that¡¯s not cool of you. We were standing right beside you, and you didn¡¯t even say hello. Do you not consider us friends?"


    Liang Zhao Hui¡¯s voice rang out, pulling Ling Chen back to the present. Heughed awkwardly, "I was looking at my phone just now and didn¡¯t notice you."


    Liang Zhao Hui and Zhong Wei knew he was making excuses, but they didn¡¯t make a big deal out of it. They were very aware that the main reason Ling Chen didn¡¯t greet them was because of Nanrong Wanqing.


    During their conversation, Nanrong Wanqing was seen pushing a wheelchair over.


    Seeing this, Zhong Wei quickly walked over and said, "Chairman, let me take you back."


    "No need. You go ahead and sit over there; I have something to say to Ling Chen."


    Hearing this, Zhong Wei and Liang Zhao Hui exchanged awkward nces at Ling Chen. Didn¡¯t their chairman really dislike Ling Chen? Why was she now actively seeking to talk to him? Despite their curiosity, when Nanrong Wanqing spoke, they didn¡¯t dare refuse and quickly stepped aside.


    Looking at the woman in front of him, who seemed as if she had stepped out of a painting, Ling Chen leaned casually on the sofa and asked nonchntly, "Miss Nanrong, do you have something to discuss with me?"

 Chapter 86 - 85 Apology

    <h4>Chapter 86: Chapter 85 Apology</h4><h4></h4>


    Nanrong Wanqing gazed at Ling Chen, her beautiful eyes flickering, seemingly brewing her words. Seeing her hesitant to speak, Ling Chen grew impatient. What did this woman want with him if she wasn¡¯t going to talk? With this thought, he leaned forward, ready to stand up.


    "I¡¯m sorry."


    Just then, three light and indistinct words reached his ears.


    What?


    Ling Chen sharply turned his head, looking at Nanrong Wanqing with surprise, somewhat doubtful whether he had misheard. Was she apologizing to him?


    Slightly dazed, he opened his mouth and said, "Miss Nanrong, did I hear wrong, or did you misspeak?"


    "You didn¡¯t hear wrong, and I didn¡¯t say anything wrong." Nanrong Wanqing lowered her head slightly, her fingers tightly intertwined, "I was wrong about what happenedst time, and I hope you can ept my apology."


    Ling Chen was surprised; he had never thought that Nanrong Wanqing would apologize to him. However, seeing is believing, not only had he heard her, but now he also saw it with his own eyes.


    His mind whirled, and he leaned back a little, sitting down on the sofa again.


    "Miss Nanrong, the past is the past; I didn¡¯t take it to heart. Moreover, I no longer work for the Nanrong family, so there¡¯s no need for you to apologize to me."


    "If you refuse to ept my apology, it means you still haven¡¯t forgiven me." As she finished speaking, a hint of hesitation shed in Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s beautiful eyes, then as if she had made up her mind, her gaze immediately hardened, "What do you want for you to ept my apology?"


    This...


    Ling Chen was momentarily rendered speechless, feeling incredibly strange. Today¡¯s Nanrong Wanqing seemed different from before. She would usually try to avoidmunicating with him, much less say something like this.


    With this thought, his eyes shifted, and the corner of his mouth lifted slightly, carrying a mischievous smirk, "Miss Nanrong, do you mean I can make any request I want?"


    Nanrong Wanqing nodded gently.


    For an instant, countless thoughts surged through Ling Chen¡¯s mind, including some that were not so pure. However, he quickly cast those thoughts aside. If he really epted Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s conditions, wouldn¡¯t it make him appear petty, as if hecked even the most basic magnanimity?


    What¡¯s more, he had always been a magnanimous person. Since Nanrong Wanqing had already apologized, and her attitude seemed sincere, why would he quibble with her?


    Right then, he smiled slightly, "Miss Nanrong, let¡¯s forget the conditions, I ept your apology."


    "Thank you." After speaking, Nanrong Wanqing turned to call Zhong Wei over.


    "Chairman, do you have any orders?"


    "My safety will continue to be Ling Chen¡¯s responsibility, you just provide support."


    Hearing this, Zhong Wei¡¯s eyes brightened, and he quickly replied, "Yes, Chairman."


    "Hey, hey, hey!" Ling Chen panicked, "Miss Nanrong, I didn¡¯t say I¡¯d return to work at Hongyu Group."


    "Since you are willing to ept my apology, it indicates you are ready to return to the Nanrong family without harboring past grievances."


    "That is a separate matter; it can¡¯t be conted," Ling Chen said. Ever since he had voluntarily resigned, he hadn¡¯t thought about returning to the Nanrong family.


    "Ling Chen..." Zhong Wei started to say something in persuasion, but before he could finish, Nanrong Wanqing gestured to him to keep silent. Zhong Wei immediately closed his mouth, tactfully retreating to Liang Zhao Hui¡¯s side.


    "Miss Nanrong, others are handling your security, one more or less person doesn¡¯t make a difference. Besides, that job is too restrictive and doesn¡¯t suit my temperament; I prefer freedom."


    "My main reason for asking you back is not because of my personal safety, but for the sake of Nanrong Hao."


    "Haozi?" Ling Chen was a bit confused. What did this have to do with Nanrong Hao?


    "Nanrong Hao is the eldest grandson of the Nanrong family and the future heir of Hongyu Group. Although I am running thepany now, I am, after all, a woman. This heavy burden will eventually have to be handed over to Nanrong Hao. Having been around Nanrong Hao for so long, you must be well aware of what kind of person he is. The current Nanrong Hao is not yet fit for great responsibility because he is too gentle,cks a sense of duty, so I hope you can help me change him."


    Ling Chen chuckled and said, "Miss Nanrong, have you got the wrong person? You are his sister; I am just an outsider."


    "It¡¯s precisely because you are an outsider that Nanrong Hao doesn¡¯t reject you. I can see that Nanrong Hao trusts you a lot, and the recent changes in him are all because of you. The Nanrong family is not blessed with many children, and a man must step forward in the future. My grandfather is too ill to rely on, so Nanrong Hao is our only hope. If you can get Nanrong Hao to pull himself together, I will agree to any conditions you set."


    After listening to Nanrong Wanqing, Ling Chen felt the determination, the expectation, and a faint plea in her words, and he was inwardly moved.


    Only at this moment did he somewhat revise his opinion of Nanrong Wanqing, even feeling a bit of sympathy for her.


    This woman, sitting in a wheelchair, frail as a breeze, carried the heavy responsibility of the Nanrong family on her small shoulders, a burden that should have been bore by Nanrong Hao. But he knew Nanrong Hao too well; even if this responsibility were handed to him, he wouldn¡¯t be able to bear it.


    Nanrong Wanqing was acutely aware of this, so with no choice, she had to take on the weight for Nanrong Hao. All the while, she hoped that one day Nanrong Hao would grow up. Unfortunately, her brother was indeed disappointing.


    "Ling Chen."


    Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s voice rose, and Ling Chen looked up, his expression hesitant.


    "Miss Nanrong, Nanrong Hao is my friend, and I will help where I can, but there¡¯s no need for me to return to the Nanrong family."


    "When Nanrong Hao learned that you had resignedst time, he was very upset and hasn¡¯t spoken to me for days. If you don¡¯te back, I don¡¯t think he will forgive me. Ling Chen, I know what you¡¯re concerned about. This time I¡¯m asking you back, not just for my safety, but mostly for Nanrong Hao. I can grant you the greatest freedom, without making you feel constrained by the Nanrong family."


    "Miss Nanrong, to be frank, I never thought of returning when I chose to leave. However, since you¡¯re thinking of Nanrong Hao, let me consider it more, and I¡¯ll give you an answer after I¡¯ve thought it through."


    "Alright, you have my phone number, you can call me anytime after you¡¯ve decided."


    While Ling Chen and Nanrong Wanqing were conversing, in the VIP room of the banquet hall, Zhu Hong sat on a soft leather sofa, holding a ss of red wine in his hand, his gaze cold, exuding an oppressive feeling without saying a word.


    "Has Wanqing left?"


    It took a while before he spoke to someone beside him.


    Seeing his gloomy expression, his subordinate cautiously replied, "No, she¡¯s talking with Ling Chen."


    "Ling Chen? Hmph!" Zhu Hong smashed the wine ss onto the ground, his face full of rage.

 Chapter 87 - 86: Snake King Appears (Part 1)

    <h4>Chapter 87: Chapter 86: Snake King Appears (Part 1)</h4><h4></h4>


    "What¡¯s with the big blowup?"


    Suddenly, a voice came from the lounge next to the VIP room.


    Mr. Zhu¡¯s gaze sharpened instantly, and he waved his hand, "Everyone leave, no one is allowed to enter without my permission."


    "Yes."


    After the bodyguards left, a man slowly stepped out of the lounge. However, his attire was rather unusual; adorned in a red trench coat, a hood over his head, and hands tucked in his pockets, his entire figure was concealed. The only identifiable feature was his height - nearly one meter ny, his head almost touching the door frame.


    The man walked over to the sofa, picked up a bottle of red wine from the table and remarked, "¡¯82 Lafite, Zhu Hong, you really know how to enjoy it."


    Zhu Hong¡¯s face turned steely, "What are you trying to say?"


    "I just want to remind you, the money for the banquet, as well as these wines, who paid for them. The support from above was strong when you returned to the country, giving you everything you wanted, but don¡¯t forget your mission. The issue with the little girl hasn¡¯t been settled and you¡¯ve lost so many men, this made people from the top quite unhappy. However, I can understand you, He Ziyun is indeed a tough nut to crack, so I pleaded on your behalf in front of them, urging them to grant you some more time."


    "Rest assured, I will handle that matter as soon as possible."


    "I believe you¡¯ll take it seriously. But remember, your task isn¡¯t just that. Setting aside the little girl for a moment, the matter regarding Nanrong Wanqing must be resolved soon, the people on top are getting impatient, and have urged me several times. Zhu Hong, you voluntarily took on this mission at the beginning, iming you could get the thing in a short time. Yet, nearly half a month has passed without any progress. Don¡¯t me me for urging you, people above have no patience, and neither do I. I¡¯m giving you one more month, if you can¡¯t take care of it by then, then I¡¯ll have to personally intervene."


    Zhu Hong frowned slightly, "What do you intend to do?"


    "It¡¯s simple, use our usual method. Capture her directly, and use harsh interrogation, she¡¯ll talk eventually."


    Zhu Hong stood up abruptly, his eyes sharp, "No, I won¡¯t allow you to harm her."


    The man slightly lifted his head, his gaze ntingly sweeping over him, his tone carrying a trace of disdain, "You won¡¯t allow? Zhu Hong, don¡¯t forget who you are. You don¡¯t have the right to say such a thing in front of me. Sit down, you know I don¡¯t like looking up at people."


    Zhu Hong clenched his fists, mes of rage flickering in his eyes. However, after hesitating for a moment, he eventually sat down.


    The man in front of him was someone he couldn¡¯t afford to provoke, at least not yet.


    "Did you find out who was behind the assassination attempt on Wanqingst time?"


    "What does it have to do with me, anyway? It wasn¡¯t our doing. It¡¯s normal for the Nanrong family, with such arge enterprise, to have several enemies."


    "Aren¡¯t you afraid she¡¯ll be killed? By then, we wouldn¡¯t be able to get what we want at all."


    "It¡¯s better if she dies. There is still Nanrong Hao in the Nanrong family. If Nanrong Wanqing dies, Nanrong Hao will definitely take over Hongyu Group, and I heard that Nanrong Hao is a useless freeloader without real skills. If Hongyu falls into his hands, it¡¯ll make our job much easier. Zhu Hong, I know your rtionship with Nanrong Wanqing, if you don¡¯t want her to get hurt, you better hurry up andplete the mission. As long as the item is in our hands, we won¡¯t touch a hair on her head."


    "I understand, I will hand over the item within a month."


    "Good, I¡¯ll be waiting for your good news."


    Just as the sound cut off, the lights in the VIP room suddenly dimmed, plunging everything into darkness.


    Bang!


    Simultaneously, a crashing sound broke through the door, followed by tense voices.


    "Mr. Zhu, are you okay?"


    "I¡¯m fine, don¡¯t worry."


    After two or three seconds, the lights in the VIP room came back on. Except for Zhu Hong, the man from before had disappeared, and no one knew how he left.


    "What just happened?"


    "I guess there was a power outage; now we¡¯re using backup power."


    "Go ask the staff of Yulong Mansion, there are so many guests in the banquet hall, make sure nothing goes wrong."


    At this moment, in the banquet hall, everyone was discussing the sudden ckout. The manager of Yulong Mansion hurried over from outside, exining the situation to everyone.


    "I¡¯m very sorry, there was a problem with the wiring just now. On behalf of Yulong Mansion, I apologize for the inconvenience caused to everyone. Please rest assured, the backup power has been activated, and you can continue to enjoy..."


    "Ah!!!"


    Suddenly, a piercing scream rose from the crowd.


    "Dead... there¡¯s a dead person..."


    Dead person?


    Ling Chen¡¯s expression changed slightly, and he quickly stood up and walked towards the crowd. After taking a few steps, he turned back and reminded, "Captain Zhong, please protect Miss Nanrong."


    "Got it." Zhong Wei responded, positioning himself next to Liang Zhao Hui, nking Nanrong Wanqing.


    As he pushed through the crowd, Ling Chen saw a man lying on the ground, bleeding profusely from his abdomen, his body twitching slightly, still breathing.


    Hu Fei?


    When he recognized the man¡¯s face, his heart skipped a beat, it was Hu Fei.


    Coming back to his senses, he quickly took off his suit jacket, pressed it against Hu Fei¡¯s wound to stop the bleeding, and shouted at the bystanders, "What are you staring at? Call an ambnce right now."


    "How is he?"


    At this moment, Tang Yuan rushed over from the crowd, looking at the pale-faced, weak-breathing Hu Fei, frowning deeply.


    "Not good, I¡¯m afraid he won¡¯tst until the ambnce arrives."


    "You keep an eye on him, I¡¯ll figure something out." After speaking, Tang Yuan squeezed through the crowd and hurried away. In no time, he returned with the emergency kit provided by the Mansion.


    Seeing Hu Fei¡¯s eyes gradually losing their vitality, Ling Chen pped his cheeks vigorously, shouting, "Fatty, wake up, don¡¯t sleep."


    Hu Fei, half-squinting, his lips turning white, managed to utter a word unclearly: "Snake... snake..."


    Ling Chen raised his eyebrows, "You mean Snake King?"


    "Snake King at the banquet?" Tang Yuan eximed in shock, blurting out, "This is bad, Nanrong Wanqing is in danger."


    Ling Chen saw all the worry disyed by Tang Yuan. At this moment, Tang Yuan¡¯s reaction confirmed his suspicions.


    Tang Yuan¡¯s target was indeed Nanrong Wanqing, it seems he was here to ensure her safety. No wonder he saidst time he wasing to join him; it turns out he wanted to take this opportunity to get close to Nanrong Wanqing, and nothing justifies protecting a target more than being her security.


    However, he was somewhat puzzled, why would the Ghost Organization care about the safety of Nanrong Wanqing. If it were just because of a Snake King, the Ghost Organization wouldn¡¯t interfere.


    Could it be that there are secrets about Nanrong Wanqing that he doesn¡¯t know?

 Chapter 88 - 87: Snake King Appears (Part 2)

    <h4>Chapter 88: Chapter 87: Snake King Appears (Part 2)</h4><h4></h4>


    As he pondered, Tang Yuan had already swiftly treated Hu Fei¡¯s wounds and stopped the bleeding.


    Watching Hu Fei¡¯s breathing grow weaker, Ling Chen frowned to himself. Snake King was truly ruthless, stabbing him five times.


    Hu Fei was the middleman for Snake King, responsible for providing him with intelligence and equipment. When he was casually chatting with Hu Fei earlier, he must¡¯ve been seen by Snake King, who had infiltrated the banquet hall. Thinking that Hu Fei had betrayed him, he made his move in the shadows, wanting to exact revenge on Hu Fei.


    Although Hu Fei dealt in the business of intelligence and assassins, he too had forces backing him. More precisely, it was an alliance formed by middlemen, known as the Secret Society, tasked with upholding the interests of people like Hu Fei.


    Being a middleman seems morous, but in reality, they bear great risks since they often have to deal with assassins and mercenaries, all of whom are ruthless killers. A slight misstep could cost them their lives.


    To prevent such incidents, the Secret Society was formed. If a middleman is killed without just cause, the Secret Society would send someone to seek justice.


    As long as those involved break the rules, be they assassins or mercenaries, regardless of the powers behind them, the Secret Society would pursue the matter relentlessly and without mercy. Moreover, anyone targeted by the Secret Society could not hide or disguise themselves; they would be hunted down and dealt an eye for an eye.


    Thus, the Secret Society became an entity that all factions dared not provoke.


    However, if a middleman betrays their employer or assassin, the Secret Society would no longer offer protection.


    It was for this reason that Snake King dared toy hands on Hu Fei, for he knew that the Secret Society wouldn¡¯t trouble him.


    "Ling Chen, you go protect Miss Nanrong. Leave the fatty to me."


    Seeing Tang Yuan speak up, Ling Chen nodded without a word and stood up to head towards Nanrong Wanqing.


    "Ling Chen, what¡¯s happened, who¡¯s dead?"


    "Captain Zhong, stop asking so many questions, get Miss Nanrong out of here immediately. Snake King has already infiltrated the banquet hall, he could strike at any moment."


    "Snake King?"


    Zhong Ping and Liang Zhao Hui¡¯s expressions suddenly changed.


    "Wanqing, Wanqing."


    Right at this moment, Zhu Hong arrived quickly with several bodyguards.


    "Wanqing, I heard someone was hurt, are you okay?"


    "I¡¯m fine."


    Zhu Hong breathed a sigh of relief, then turned to the bodyguards beside him and ordered, "You guys, from now on, stick close to Miss Nanrong and don¡¯t leave her side for a second, got it?"


    "Yes, Mr. Zhu."


    "It¡¯s not necessary." Nanrong Wanqing spoke lightly, "My own people will ensure my safety; there¡¯s no need for you to worry."


    "Miss Wanqing, I know you¡¯re still angry with me, but now¡¯s not the time to be stubborn. Your safety is of utmost importance." He said, and then nced at Zhong Wei and Liang Zhao Hui, "Miss Wanqing, no offense to your men, but when ites topetency, they are not at the level of my bodyguards. I can only rest assured if they apany you."


    Hearing this, Zhong Wei and Liang Zhao Hui¡¯s faces instantly soured, as anyone would feel maligned by such a remark.


    "Mr. Zhu, we¡¯ve been protecting the chairman for more than a day or two, and the chairman understands our capabilities best. However, I don¡¯t think you have any right to evaluate us."


    Seeing Zhong Wei speak up, Zhu Hong, without another word, gestured to one of his bodyguards. Thetter understood immediately, stepping towards Zhong Ping with a slight smirk of disdain curling at his mouth.


    "First time meeting, please advise." He said, stretching out his right hand.


    Zhong Wei immediately grasped the man¡¯s intention and, without showing weakness, stretched out his hand, both powerful hands sping tightly.


    However, within mere seconds, sweat began to bead on Zhong Wei¡¯s forehead, his arms trembled slightly, and his thick lips pressed into a line. To any observant onlooker, it was clear that Zhong Wei was at a disadvantage against the bodyguard.


    "Enough!"


    Nanrong Wanqing said coldly.


    The bodyguard looked back at Zhu Hong, and seeing the boss nod, he finally let go and stepped back.


    "I have already witnessed your abilities on behalf of Mr. Zhu, and to be honest,pared to us, you¡¯re not yet qualified."


    Zhong Wei clenched his teeth, his face filled with reluctance. However, his nearly numb right hand prevented him from uttering a word, and he could only cast a pleading look towards Ling Chen.


    Mr. Zhu looked appreciatively at his bodyguard and said with a slight smile, "Wanqing, you see, I really can¡¯t rest assured about your safety being in their hands. It¡¯s better if one of my people stays with you."


    "Your people are very impressive? No disrespect, but none of your subordinates are noteworthy in my eyes."


    An unexpected statement drew everyone¡¯s attention to Ling Chen.


    "You?" Mr. Zhu¡¯s gaze turned slightly cold, but he maintained a gentle smile on his handsome face due to Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s presence, "Mr. Ling, if I remember correctly, you resigned from Hongyu Group."


    Ling Chen grinned, "Mr. Zhu, your information is outdated. Miss Nanrong has just invited me back to Hongyu Group. If you don¡¯t believe me, you can ask her."


    "Wanqing..."


    "He¡¯s right," said Nanrong Wanqing indifferently, her beautiful eyes shing with light.


    Ling Chen pointed at the bodyguard who had just shaken hands with Zhong Wei, "You,e here."


    "What for?"


    "Nothing much, it¡¯s our first meeting¡ªplease teach me." As he spoke, Ling Chen extended his hand.


    Seeing this, the bodyguard hesitated. Without a word from Mr. Zhu, he didn¡¯t dare to decide on his own.


    "Since Mr. Ling wants to see your capabilities, why don¡¯t you indulge him a bit?" Mr. Zhumented lukewarmly.


    As the two hands sped, it took just a second for the bodyguard¡¯s face to change color, his lips twitching incessantly. His arm trembled subtly as he tried to pull his hand away. Unfortunately, in front of Ling Chen, all efforts were futile.


    Ling Chen watched him with a smile, his grip growing tighter, to the point where the faint sound of bones cracking could be heard.


    "That¡¯s... that¡¯s enough..."


    Finally unable to bear the pain, the bodyguard wiped the sweat from his forehead with his left hand and spoke up.


    "What¡¯s that? I have poor hearing, speak up."


    "Let... let go... please..."


    At this moment, the bodyguard¡¯s voice shook, his face almost distorted, and he was on the verge of crying.


    Seeing that Ling Chen had no intention of releasing the grip, Mr. Zhu¡¯s face turned livid, "Mr. Ling, that¡¯s quite enough."


    "Mr. Zhu has spoken, how could I notply?" Ling Chen said with a smile, then rxed his fingers and withdrew his hand.


    The bodyguard quickly covered his now crimson and immobile right hand with his left, clenching his teeth and enduring the agony, turning to walk back towards Mr. Zhu.


    "Buddy, remember, keep a low profile in life. Arrogant people never end well." Ling Chen said, casting a meaningful nce at Mr. Zhu.


    "Mr. Zhu, you should feel reassured about Miss Nanrong¡¯s safety now, shouldn¡¯t you? If you¡¯re still not at ease, I don¡¯t mind getting acquainted with all your bodyguards, to exchange some feelings."


    Mr. Zhu snorted lightly, knowing he would gain no advantage against Ling Chen and simply ignored him.


    "Wanqing, be careful, and give me a call when you get home, so I can rest assured."


    Before Nanrong Wanqing could speak, Ling Chen took over the conversation, "Mr. Zhu, if it weren¡¯t for you holding us up and wasting so much time, we would have been safely home by now. If there¡¯s nothing else, please step aside, we have to go."


    Hearing the mocking tone in Ling Chen¡¯s words, a surge of anger swelled in Mr. Zhu¡¯s eyes, nearly exploding with rage.


    "Ling Chen, you..."


    Boom!


    Suddenly, a loud explosion erupted in the middle of the banquet hall, drowning out Mr. Zhu¡¯s voice. Following the st, white smoke billowed and spread, plunging the entire banquet hall into darkness as the lights went out.

 Chapter 89 - 88: Big Guy (Part 1)

    <h4>Chapter 89: Chapter 88: Big Guy (Part 1)</h4><h4></h4>


    This sudden change shocked all the guests present, causing them to rush outside. However, the banquet hall was pitch dark, and one could hardly see their own hands. Soon, many guests fell to the ground in the chaos, their cries continuous.


    "Who is pushing me?"


    "Don¡¯t... don¡¯t step on me... oy vey!"


    "Everyone, don¡¯t panic, stay calm, to avoid injuring others," someone shouted loudly.


    Then, quick-reacting people took out their phones and turned on the shlight apps. Seeing this, others immediately followed suit. However, due to the explosion just now, the banquet hall was filled with white smoke, enveloping everyone and reducing visibility to less than five meters.


    Zhu Hong hastily lifted his phone, shining the light towards Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s direction and shouting, "Wanqing, you..." As soon as he started speaking, he froze. He saw a wheelchair left in its ce, but Nanrong Wanqing had already disappeared, and Ling Chen was gone too. Only Zhong Wei and Liang Zhao Hui were left.


    "Where is Wanqing?" he frowned and demanded from Zhong Wei.


    "I don¡¯t know, it was too dark, I couldn¡¯t see anything," Zhong Wei responded calmly. It was obvious, she must have been taken away by Ling Chen. With Ling Chen by her side, Nanrong Wanqing would surely be safe; such was his trust in Ling Chen.


    Knowing he would get nothing from him, Zhu Hong simply stopped wasting words, turning to instruct others, "You guys split up and search. Find Wanqing and ensure her safety. The rest of you, root out the troublemakers. Hmph! I want to see who dares to stir trouble right under my nose."


    At this moment, amidst the chaotic crowd, Ling Chen swiftly carried Nanrong Wanqing through, continuously changing their direction.


    He was all too familiar with the Snake King¡¯s way of doing things. The opponent loved creating chaos and then seizing the opportunity to strike lethally, like a venomous snake targeting the vital spots.


    Now unaware of the Snake King¡¯s position, the only certainty was that the opponent was hidden while he was exposed. The only option was to keep changing locations to avoid being tracked down.


    Fortunately, the banquet hall guests had turned on their phones, and using the light emitted from the screens, Ling Chen was able to dodge and avoid colliding with anyone.


    Held in Ling Chen¡¯s arms, Nanrong Wanqing didn¡¯t utter a word, letting him lead. She knew he was protecting her, and it was best not to distract him at that time.


    In a short while, the two of them had moved to the front door of the banquet hall. But somehow, the door was locked, and over a dozen guests were at the door, knocking hard, calling for the staff outside to open it, but there was no response.


    Finding the main door blocked, Ling Chen didn¡¯t hesitate; he continued to carry Nanrong Wanqing and moved on.


    Suddenly, a guest who just passed by Ling Chen sttered with blood on his chest and then fell down stiffly.


    This is bad!


    Seeing this, Ling Chen¡¯s pupils shrank and his feet propelled him forward swiftly. As expected, the next second he raised his foot, a bullet struck exactly where he had just been standing, making a sharp sound.


    "Still targeted."


    He cursed under his breath and moved quickly towards the edge of the crowd. The Snake King was not the type to show mercy; as long as the task waspleted, other people¡¯s deaths did not concern him. If they remained within the crowd, it could inevitably lead to coteral damage.


    Along the walls of the banquet hall, Ling Chen carried Nanrong Wanqing rapidly, their speed extremely fast.


    Before entering earlier, perhaps out of professional habit, he had already observed how many exits there were, as well as how many VIP rooms and rest areas in the banquet hall; he knew them all clearly.


    Since the main entrance was blocked, he could only choose another way out and quickly escape with Nanrong Wanqing.


    A few secondster, guided by the dim light, a door to a VIP room appeared before him. Without the slightest hesitation, he instantly sped up, kicked the door open, and rushed in with Nanrong Wanqing.


    He closed the door, leaned against the wall, gasped for breath, and regted his breathing.


    The VIP room was pitch ck, and with the door tightly shut, there wasn¡¯t a single ray of light. Just then, a soft light emanated, shining on both of them.


    Looking down, Ling Chen noticed that Nanrong Wanqing had already taken out her phone. Under the white light, Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s exceedingly beautiful face was clearly visible, her eyes calm as water, showing no signs of panic.


    "Aren¡¯t you scared?"


    Nanrong Wanqing gently shook her head, her lips parting lightly: "I¡¯m used to it."


    Those simple three words, yet they contained endless sorrow.


    "Don¡¯t worry, with me here, Snake King can¡¯t hurt you."


    "I know, I¡¯ve never doubted your ability. What do we do now?"


    "Let¡¯s stay here for now."


    The Snake King must still be outside; if he dared toe in, Ling Chen would wee it. In terms of closebat, he had never feared anyone.


    Once his breathing steadied, at Ling Chen¡¯s signal, Nanrong Wanqing held up the phone, directing the light around the VIP room.


    Ling Chen observed briefly; on the carpeted floory a smashed wine ss, with red wine still staining the brown fur. There was another small door on the left side of the VIP room, leading to a temporary resting room.


    He then carried Nanrong Wanqing towards the resting room, nning to send her inside. If Nanrong Wanqing stayed by his side, it would inevitably hinder him during the confrontation with Snake King, preventing him from unleashing his full potential.


    The resting room had only one door connecting to the VIP room and no other entrances. As long as he sent Nanrong Wanqing into the resting room and guarded the outside, their safety would be guaranteed.


    He opened the door to the resting room and stepped inside. However, before his foot touched the ground, he sensed a fierce gust of wind suddenlying from the side.


    Almost instantaneously, his body reacted instinctively, leaning slightly backward, narrowly avoiding the attacker¡¯s blow.


    The attacker didn¡¯t give up after the failed strike and closed in again. But this time, the target was not Ling Chen but Nanrong Wanqing in his arms.


    Seeing this, Ling Chen said nothing, twisted on the ball of his foot, turning gently with Nanrong Wanqing from the front to the back. Then, he kicked fiercely backward. However, the assant seemed to sense his counterattack and hastily retreated, causing Ling Chen¡¯s kick to miss.


    Taking advantage of this moment, Ling Chen retreated several steps while holding Nanrong Wanqing, the phone¡¯s light illuminating the scene. He squinted, peering into the resting room¡¯s doorway. In the darkness, he could vaguely make out the outline of a person. Although he couldn¡¯t see the full details, Ling Chen judged from the silhouette that the person was very tall, around one meter ny.


    "Who are you?"

 Chapter 90 - 89: The Big One (Part 2)

    <h4>Chapter 90: Chapter 89: The Big One (Part 2)</h4><h4></h4>


    "You don¡¯t think that question is redundant?" The words had barely fallen when the man suddenly asked, "Is the youngdy in your arms perhaps Nanrong Wanqing?"


    "I¡¯d know even without asking."


    "Very well, very well, very well." The other party spat out three ¡¯very well¡¯s¡¯ in session, expressing the joy within, "Just as the saying goes, finding what you search desperately for oftenes when least expected¡ªeasy when not struggled for. Who would have thought Miss Nanrong woulde right to my doorstep? I have a few questions I¡¯d like to ask Miss Nanrong."


    Miss Nanrong Wanqing responded coldly: "What do you want to ask?"


    "I know you¡¯ve secretly established a secret researchb. Just tell me the location of theb, and I¡¯ll let you go immediately."


    Although Ling Chen couldn¡¯t clearly see the changes in Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s expression, he distinctly felt her body tremble slightly.


    "I have no idea what you¡¯re talking about."


    The man chuckled sinisterly, "Miss Nanrong, let¡¯s not beat around the bush. I wouldn¡¯t ask such questions without being absolutely sure. Miss Nanrong, there is an old saying in your country, ¡¯A wise man submits to circumstances.¡¯ I advise you, don¡¯t make it harder for yourself. Otherwise, don¡¯t me me for being rude."


    "Friend, there isn¡¯t just Miss Nanrong here; don¡¯t forget about me," Ling Chen was slightly annoyed, hearing that person¡¯s words, which seemed topletely disregard his presence.


    "This has nothing to do with you; if you don¡¯t want to die, scram." The man spoke to Ling Chen with a cold tone,den with a murderous intent.


    "Then I really want to see, who will be the one to scram from here."


    Ling Chen¡¯s eyes turned cold as he walked to a corner of the VIP room, carefully setting Nanrong Wanqing down, "Stay here."


    Nanrong Wanqing bit her lip, a hint of worry shing in her bright eyes.


    "Be... careful."


    Hearing the concern in her voice, Ling Chen grinned, "Don¡¯t worry, he¡¯s notpetent enough to kill me." With that, he stood up and strode into the lounge.


    Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s cell phone barely lit up the VIP room and couldn¡¯t reach the lounge, which remained pitch ck.


    Ling Chen remained undaunted, slightly closing his eyes. In this environment, eyes were of no use; it was all about the ears. Calming his mind, the breathing of the other person gradually became clearer.


    Suddenly, the breathing changed in its frequency. At the same moment, Ling Chen¡¯s upright body lunged forward. A fist came towards him; he slightly shifted his body, tilting his head to the left, dodging the punch. Then, using the momentum, he surged forward, using his shoulder and elbow forcefully to thrust.


    However, before making contact, he felt a pair of arms blocking his shoulder and elbow, thwarting his attack.


    With his attack blocked, Ling Chen quickly withdrew, stomping on the ground with one foot, leaping up high, and sweeping across with a high sweeping leg aiming for the opponent¡¯s neck.


    The opponent reacted swiftly, raising his arms at the exact moment of the kick, attempting to block the strike. However, when Ling Chen¡¯s kicknded, a dull thud was heard; the man¡¯s body immediately tilted to the side, almost unable to stay upright, apanied by a crisp sound of breaking bones.


    In the darkness, Ling Chen¡¯s lips curled up slightly, bearing a mocking smile. Daring to directly counter his leg strike was simply asking for trouble.


    He seldom used leg techniques, not because he was poor at them, but because he feared he couldn¡¯t control the power of his legs well, easily causing death.


    Now, after taking a kick from him, the man staggered back several steps, widening the distance between them. From the opponent¡¯s heavy breathing, it could be heard that the kick had seriously injured him.


    Ling Chen was sure, the man¡¯s right arm was broken.


    "Who are you?" After a few seconds of silence, the man couldn¡¯t resist speaking up.


    "You won¡¯t even tell me your identity, why should I tell you mine? You think I¡¯m easy to take advantage of? How about this, let¡¯s make it fair - you tell me who you are first, then I¡¯ll tell you who I am, that way no one loses out."


    "I¡¯m not obliged to reveal my identity to you."


    Hearing this, Ling Chen couldn¡¯t help but shrug his shoulders. Although the other party couldn¡¯t see it, he still habitually made this gesture, showing his helplessness.


    "You know what I really can¡¯t stand? It¡¯s people like you who act all high and mighty, thinking you¡¯re something special. You won¡¯t say, huh? Fine, I won¡¯t force you - I¡¯ll beat it out of you."


    As he spoke, Ling Chen bent his waist, like a cheetah in the night, suddenly darting forward with incredible speed. In the blink of an eye, he had charged in front of the man.


    This time, he didn¡¯t use his fist but chose to use his legs instead. With this kind of person, he didn¡¯t want to waste time.


    A sweeping leg kick, and the opponent immediately jumped high. Having experienced Ling Chen¡¯s leg power, he no longer dared to sh head-on.


    "Still trying to dodge?"


    Ling Chen snorted lightly, his body following the momentum and his head fiercely thrusting toward the opponent.


    The man was about 1.9 meters tall, and because he jumped, Ling Chen¡¯s head hit right into his abdomen. With this hit, the opponent¡¯s body immediately lost bnce and fell heavily to the ground.


    Before he had a chance to get up, Ling Chen had already straddled him, sitting on him, his fists pounding down like hammers.


    "Teaching you a lesson for showing off in front of me, teaching you a lesson for showing off in front of me..."


    While muttering, Ling Chen¡¯s fists didn¡¯t stop, raining down on the man, making thudding sounds.


    At first, the man struggled a few times, but after several continuous punches, hepletely lost the ability to resist andy quietly under Ling Chen, motionless, almost as if he were dead.


    Ling Chen inwardly cursed, quickly reaching to check his breathing, seeing he was still breathing, then punched down again.


    "Teaching you to y dead in front of me."


    "Stop... stop hitting..."


    Finally, the man couldn¡¯t endure the physical pain any longer and voluntarily begged for mercy.


    Ling Chen grabbed his cor, pulling him close, and said in a lecturing tone, "Remember this, keep a low profile from now on. Now talk, who exactly are you and why are you going against Miss Nanrong?"


    "I... I¡¯m done for. There¡¯s a master beside Nanrong Wanqing, very skilled, I don¡¯t know his name, you guys should be careful from now on, don¡¯t forget to find out his identity and kill him to avenge me..."


    Listening to the man¡¯s puzzling words, Ling Chen¡¯s mind raced, quickly shifting his gaze, he noticed the man¡¯s left hand had somehow slipped into his pocket.


    Damn!


    He inwardly cursed, quickly pulling the man¡¯s left hand out. Instantly, he saw that the man was holding a cellphone, the screen showing a connected call, with the call duration more than ten seconds.


    Clearly, the man¡¯s plea for mercy was to buy time so he could make a call. The words he said earlier weren¡¯t meant for him, but for the person on the other end of the phone.

 Chapter 91 - 90: The Poison Sac

    <h4>Chapter 91: Chapter 90: The Poison Sac</h4><subtxt> "Farewell, I will avenge you."


    As he pondered, a deep voice came from the cellphone, and then the call was abruptly cut off. Simultaneously, the man¡¯s left hand fell limply down.


    Ling Chen was startled and immediately reached for the man¡¯s philtrum. As expected, there was no breath; he was dead.


    He then took out his phone, lit up the screen, and examined the man¡¯s face closely, noticing a trickle of ck blood seeping from the corner of his mouth.


    "A poison sac?"


    His brow furrowed slightly. This man had been carrying a poison sac in his mouth at all times. Such tactics weremon, often used on devoted warriors in ancient times. Even in modern days, many secret organizations still use these archaic methods because they are secure, effective, and hard to detect.


    At this moment, he was curious about this man¡¯s identity and the powers backing him. Even in death, the man had not revealed any information, showing his unwavering loyalty to his organization. Any organization capable of instilling such loyalty in a person was not simple.


    Collecting his emotions, he picked up the man¡¯s cellphone, then stood up and returned to Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s side. This man¡¯s appearance was unexpected, but he hadn¡¯t forgotten that the Snake King currently posed the greatest danger.


    "The man... is he dead?"


    "Uh-huh." Ling Chen nodded, looking at Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s fair and delicate face, feeling somewhat at a loss for words. Why were there so many people wanting to harm her?


    Just then, the dark VIP room suddenly lit up, restoring electricity. It seemed that the repairs at Yulong Mansion were quite timely.


    Carrying Nanrong Wanqing, Ling Chen swiftly left the VIP room. In the banquet hall, where the white smoke was gradually dissipating, guests were lying all over the floor, many of whom had sustained minor injuries amid the chaos.


    "Wanqing, Wanqing."


    Upon their arrival, Zhu Hong hurried over anxiously, "Are you alright?"


    "Mr. Zhu, with me by her side, you can rest assured." As he finished talking, Ling Chen¡¯s gaze shifted and he pointed to the VIP room, "Mr. Zhu, who was staying in there?"


    "Why do you ask?"


    "Nothing much, just wanted to remind you that there¡¯s a dead person inside. You¡¯d better call the police quickly."


    "A dead person?" Zhu Hong seemed to think of something, his expression changed drastically, and without further concern for Nanrong Wanqing, he hurried towards the VIP room.


    "Chairman."


    Just as Zhu Hong had left, Captain Zhong and Liang Zhao Hui came over, pushing a wheelchair.


    Ling Chen gently ced Nanrong Wanqing down and casually took a nket to cover her legs, saying, "Captain Zhong, please keep a good watch on Miss Nanrong. I¡¯ll be right back."


    "What if the Snake King shows up?"


    "He wouldn¡¯t dare make an appearance at a time like this. Not unless he wants to risk exposure." After speaking, Ling Chen turned and returned to the VIP room.


    As soon as he entered the resting room, he saw Zhu Hong crouched in front of the man, his brows tightly knitted and hisplexion very grave.


    Hearing the footsteps, Zhu Hong immediately looked up and faced Ling Chen who was approaching.


    "Did you kill this man?" As he asked this, a strange light flickered in Zhu Hong¡¯s eyes.


    "He meant harm to Miss Nanrong, I had no choice but to act. However, as you can see, hemitted suicide by taking poison, which has nothing to do with me. Mr. Zhu, do you recognize him?"


    Zhu Hong shook his head, "I¡¯ve never seen him before. He might have slipped in with the assassin. Ling Chen, thanks to you just now, Wanqing was not injured. I give you my thanks on her behalf."


    Hearing this, Ling Chen couldn¡¯t help but curl his lips.


    "Mr. Zhu, the way you talk, it¡¯s as if you could take Miss Nanrong¡¯s ce. Enough with the nonsense, I¡¯ll take Miss Nanrong home first. If the police arrive, tell them to find us at the Nanrong Family."


    Watching Ling Chen turn and leave, Zhu Hong¡¯s expression immediately darkened, his obsidian-like pupils hiding a hint of venom.


    It wasn¡¯t until Ling Chen was out of sight that he lowered his head to look at the body, muttering to himself: "I told you not to target Wanqing, but you wouldn¡¯t listen. Luckily she¡¯s unharmed, otherwise, I wouldn¡¯t have let you off either."


    Back in the ballroom, Ling Chen didn¡¯t go directly to find Nanrong Wanqing but approached Tang Yuan and Hu Fei instead.


    "How is he doing?"


    "Thankfully, his fat saved him; the vital parts weren¡¯t hit, and he narrowly escaped death." Tang Yuan wiped the sweat off his forehead. Saving this guy had drained quite a bit of his energy.


    "You¡¯ve worked hard." Ling Chen patted his shoulder, "You take him to the hospital first, then wait for me at the Martial Arts Academy. I need to talk to you."


    "Mhm."


    Leaving Yulong Mansion without incident under Ling Chen¡¯s escort, Nanrong Wanqing returned safely to the Nanrong Family.


    After getting out of the car and seeing Ling Chen standing by the side without intending to enter, Nanrong Wanqing took the initiative to say, "Come inside and have a rest."


    Ling Chen hesitated for a moment, then shook his head, "No need, I have other things to do. Liang, could you please take me back to Yulong Mansion? My car is still there."


    "No problem."


    Watching Ling Chen walk away, Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s lips tightened slightly, then she pushed her wheelchair to catch up with him, whispering, "Thank you."


    "You¡¯re wee."


    "Do... do you still mean what you said earlier?"


    "What did I say?" As soon as he spoke, Ling Chen immediately understood what she meant. Back at Yulong Mansion, in front of Zhu Hong, he had stated that he epted Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s invitation to rejoin Hongyu Group. He said that only to avenge Zhong Wei and the others, without any other intentions.


    Now, sensing the expectation in Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s eyes, he didn¡¯t know how to answer for a moment.


    "Miss Nanrong, let¡¯s talk about this tomorrow, have a good rest, I won¡¯t disturb you any longer." With those words, he turned and climbed into Liang Zhao Hui¡¯s Range Rover.


    Returning to the Martial Arts Academy, it was already past ten o¡¯clock, and Tang Yuan had long returned from the hospital.


    At this time, He Ziyun and Little Hua had already gone to bed.


    Ling Chen, carrying a couple of bottles of baijiu and some snacks he bought on the way, entered Tang Yuan¡¯s room.


    "Yo!" Tang Yuan¡¯s eyes lit up, happily taking the two bottles of baijiu, "Kid, you really know me well, I was just getting hungry, and here youe with food."


    With a few snacksid out, Tang Yuan poured a ss of baijiu for each of them and downed it in one gulp.


    After a few drinks, Ling Chen put down his cup and looked at the voracious Tang Yuan, "Old Tang, isn¡¯t it time you told me something?"


    "Tell you what?" Tang Yuan looked up puzzled.


    "Stop ying dumb, you think I don¡¯t know? With our years of brotherhood, let¡¯s just be straight with each other. I know you aren¡¯t really discharged. You came to East Sea City on a secret mission. If I¡¯m not wrong, your mission has something to do with Nanrong Wanqing."


    Tang Yuan paused, then forced a smile, "You saw everything in my luggage? Sigh, I didn¡¯t manage to keep it from you, you¡¯re too sly."


    "Cut the crap, just tell me, why did the General send you to protect Nanrong Wanqing? Don¡¯t tell me it¡¯s because of the Snake King, I won¡¯t believe such crap."


    "I¡¯m not treating you any differently, but you know the rules; I can¡¯t disclose the mission details."


    Ling Chen red, "You won¡¯t talk? Believe it or not I¡¯ll beat you up."</subtxt>

 Chapter 92 - 91: Identity of the Deceased

    <h4>Chapter 92: Chapter 91: Identity of the Deceased</h4><h4></h4>


    Tang Yuan swallowed a mouthful of braised meat and said nonchntly, "Don¡¯t threaten me, kid, I don¡¯t buy your tricks."


    "Fine, I was thinking of helping you get close to Nanrong Wanqing, but since you say that, forget it." Ling Chen fiddled with the wine ss in his hand, looking indifferent.


    "Can you really help me?" Tang Yuan¡¯s eyes brightened, quickly picked up the wine bottle, and poured him a ss of wine attentively, smiling, "We¡¯re brothers through thick and thin, I knew you¡¯d help me."


    "Just tell me the reason, and I¡¯ll arrange for you to join the Hongyu Group tomorrow."


    "Well..." Tang Yuan hesitated, "Let¡¯s do this, don¡¯t make it difficult for me. I¡¯ll make a call to ask the General first to see what he thinks." After saying this, he got up from the table and took out his phone to dial a number.


    A few minutester, he returned to the table, his expression somewhat strange.


    Seeing this, Ling Chen couldn¡¯t help asking, "What did the old man say?"


    "He agreed to your request."


    Ling Chen grinned, "The old man is quite straightforward."


    "Of course, he knows who you are. Out of so many members in the Ghost Organization, the General only treats you as a treasure," Tang Yuan said with a hint of sarcasm in his tone.


    "That shows the old man has good taste," Ling Chen said proudly, "Enough of the nonsense, let¡¯s talk about the real business."


    Tang Yuan nodded, speaking seriously, "A few years ago, Nanrong Wanqing secretly set up a small scientific research team; she is directly in charge of theb, and no one else knows the location of thisb."


    "That mysterious?" Ling Chen couldn¡¯t restrain his curiosity, "What is the main research focus of thatb?"


    "I don¡¯t know."


    "How could you not know?"


    Tang Yuan shrugged, "I really don¡¯t know, otherwise I wouldn¡¯t hide it from you. We received intelligence that someone is trying to meddle in Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s research. It¡¯s said that if the research is applied in the military field, it could greatly enhance thebat and survival abilities of soldiers, which is why the General pays such high importance to it."


    "I see."


    Previously, at Yulong Mansion, the man who took poison and killed himself was forcing Nanrong Wanqing to reveal the location of the researchb. Now, hearing Tang Yuan¡¯s words, it was enough to prove that the intelligence was urate.


    "Old Tang, do you know who is behind this?"


    "I¡¯m not sure, the General is still investigating, and there¡¯s no progress yet."


    "I shouldn¡¯t hide from you that tonight, when the Snake King appeared, I took Nanrong Wanqing and hid in the VIP room. There, I encountered someone trying to force the location of theb out of Nanrong Wanqing, but I subdued him."


    "Why didn¡¯t you say so earlier?" Tang Yuan asked urgently, "Where is he?"


    "He¡¯s dead, he had a poison sac in his mouth, I was careless and didn¡¯t notice. But before he died, he made a call." Saying this, Ling Chen took out the cellphone, handed it over to Tang Yuan, "Send this phone back to headquarters, see if they can find any clues."


    "Alright, I¡¯ll send it over first thing tomorrow."


    "Oh!" Ling Chen suddenly remembered something, "Have someone check into Zhu Hong, that guy might be problematic."


    "What problem?"


    "I don¡¯t know, Hu Fei came to the dinner tonight for the purpose of investigating Zhu Hong. He suspects that thepany behind Zhu Hong has ulterior motives."


    "I¡¯ll notify the intelligence department to see if they can trace it."


    After finishing two bottles of Chinese liquor, Ling Chen touched his slightly reddened cheeks, stood up, and said, "You should rest early, I¡¯ll take you to report to Hongyu Group tomorrow morning."


    "Can you really get me in?"


    "Nonsense, who do you think I am? There¡¯s nothing I can¡¯t handle." Ling Chenughed heartily and walked out of the room.


    After the conversation with Tang Yuan, he had decided to return to the Nanrong family. Not just to help Tang Yuan, but also for several other reasons. First for the safety of Nanrong Wanqing, and then for his personal issues.


    He didn¡¯t forget the words of the man who died, that the forces behind him woulde to seek revenge sooner orter. Now that he was involved, he couldn¡¯t extricate himself. Since that was the case, he might as well meet those people and see what they were made of.


    Returning to his room, Ling Chen took a shower and was ready to go to bed. However, at that moment, his phone suddenly rang.


    Answering the call, he said, "Hello, Officer Xia, what¡¯s up calling me sote?"


    "Ling Chen, you have quite the knack,st time two people died, this time another one."


    "Officer Xia, what does this have to do with me? The man at Yulong Mansionmitted suicide by poison, that wasn¡¯t my doing, don¡¯t wrong me."


    "You just attract trouble wherever you go. Come to the police station tomorrow morning to give a statement." After saying this, Xia Mutong hung up the phone.


    The next morning.


    Ling Chen drove his shy muscle car all the way to the police station, waved to Tang Yuan in the co-driver¡¯s seat, and went upstairs alone.


    After waiting in the office for a while, Xia Mutong, who was dressed in a neat uniform, finally finished her meeting and came back.


    Seeing Xia Mutong walking towards him, Ling Chen took an interested look at her. After a few days not seeing her, this youngdy seemed even more fresh and tender, her curved willow leaf eyebrows, her clear,rge eyes, just like spring water without any impurities, bright and vivid. The skin on her face was as tender and delicate as a baby¡¯s, almost irresistibly pinchable. Of course, the most eye-catching was her ample chest.


    Ling Chen couldn¡¯t help but recall Leng Feifei¡¯s full figure and secretlypared them.


    Seeing Ling Chen leering at her, Xia Mutong snorted and mmed the documents in her hand onto the desk.


    "Officer Xia, long time no see."


    "Has it been long?"


    Ling Chen smiled, "To me, a day without seeing Officer Xia feels like an eternity. It¡¯s been over a week now, which feels like several years to me, so yes, it¡¯s been quite some time."


    "Pah!" Xia Mutong spat lightly, irritably said, "I really wish I wouldn¡¯t have to see you for years. Enough of that, quit the small talk, tell me about what happenedst night."


    Ling Chen nodded and narrated the details of the events that took ce. In the end, he couldn¡¯t help asking, "Officer Xia, have you figured out the identity of the deceased?"


    Xia Mutong without uttering a word pulled out a file from the pile of documents and threw it in front of him. He casually flipped through it, and his gaze suddenly turned serious.


    The deceased fromst night was named Jiang Yang, born in Huaxia, butter moved abroad to settle. At twenty-three, he joined the world-famous American Flying Leopard Assault Team and served for three years before he died in an operation, leaving no remains.


    "As you can see, ording to the record, the deceased ¡¯died¡¯ ten years ago, yet he¡¯s appeared here in East Sea City. Ling Chen, what do you make of this?"

 Chapter 93 - 92 Research Lab

    <h4>Chapter 93: Chapter 92 Research Lab</h4><h4></h4>


    Ling Chen closed the documents and smiled faintly: "Officer Xia, this is a matter for the police, why ask me, an outsider? Moreover, what insights could an ordinary person like me possibly have?"


    "Don¡¯t y dumb with me, with your martial skills and sharpshooting, who would believe you¡¯re an ordinary person? A ¡¯dead man¡¯ showing up in East Sea City, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a coincidence. There¡¯s definitely a conspiracy, but I¡¯mcking clues right now."


    "Officer Xia, have you checked how he got into the banquet hall?"


    "I have. The surveince inside Yulong Mansion didn¡¯t capture him. That person is very professional, knowing how to avoid the cameras."


    During the conversation, a police officer knocked on the door and entered, cing a document on the table, "Captain Xia, the wine ss we collected from the VIP roomst night has been examined, and there¡¯s nothing wrong with it."


    A wine ss?


    Suddenly, Ling Chen remembered,st night when he was carrying Nanrong Wanqing into the VIP room, a wine ss had been left on the carpet.


    "Did you check the fingerprints on that wine ss?"


    Xia Mutong nced at him and casually picked up the inspection report. After flipping through a couple of pages, she said, "The fingerprints on the wine ss belong to Zhu Hong. Is there a problem?"


    "Is it him?" Ling Chen raised his brow.


    He clearly remembered thatst night, after the man named Jiang Yang died, he returned to the banquet hall with Nanrong Wanqing, just in time to meet Zhu Hong who had rushed over. At that time, he had asked Zhu Hong who had been in that VIP room, but Zhu Hong told him he didn¡¯t know.


    Since Zhu Hong¡¯s fingerprints were on the wine ss, it indicated that he had been in the VIP room. Furthermore, there was another issue. From Jiang Yang¡¯s appearance, it could be inferred that he wasn¡¯t previously ambushed in the VIP room but had identally encountered Nanrong Wanqing. Before that, he had always been in the lounge.


    Jiang Yang had been in the VIP room, and so had Zhu Hong; could there be something fishy between these two men?


    Otherwise, why would Zhu Hong deny the fact that he had been in the VIP room?


    Thinking this, he became more suspicious of Zhu Hong. It seems Hu Fei¡¯s spection was not wrong; there was indeed something off about that guy Zhu Hong.


    "Ling Chen."


    Seeing that he hadn¡¯t responded for a while, Xia Mutong couldn¡¯t help but call out.


    Ling Chen came to his senses and stood up, saying: "Officer Xia, I¡¯m very sorry, I can¡¯t help you with this matter. If there¡¯s nothing else, I¡¯ll take my leave first."


    It wasn¡¯t that he didn¡¯t want to help Xia Mutong, but the matter was of great importance. Moreover, with the Ghost Organization personally getting involved, it was clear how dangerous the situation was. Xia Mutong was just a local police officer; for her safety, it was better not to entangle her in this.


    Back in the car.


    "Why did it take so long?" Tang Yuan had grown somewhat impatient waiting.


    "Old Tang, the identity of the deceased has been confirmed." Saying this, Ling Chen handed over a folded A4 paper to Tang Yuan.


    While flipping through the documents earlier, he had stealthily taken the paper with the identity record on it, and Xia Mutong hadn¡¯t noticed his small maneuver.


    After examining the documents, Tang Yuan furrowed his brow and said: "It looks like we¡¯re facing quite a problem."


    "I suspect Zhu Hong is connected to this man named Jiang Yang. Keep a good lookout, we might discover some clues." After saying that, he started the car and slowly drove onto the road.


    At ten o¡¯clock in the morning, Ling Chen arrived at Hongyu Group¡¯s headquarters with Tang Yuan.


    "Ling!"


    Wei Jun saw Ling Chen approaching from afar and immediately waved to greet him, quickly walking over.


    "Wei, your face is beaming; you must have been indulging out and about these past few days."


    Wei Junughed and cursed, "Is that any way to talk? What do you mean ¡¯goofing around¡¯? Do you think I¡¯m that kind of person? By the way, Ling, you¡¯re back today, could it be you¡¯re preparing to take up your post again?"


    Ling Chen let out a sigh with a feigned helplessness, "No choice, the chairman has been to my thatched cottage three times, begging me with tears toe back. What could I do? My heart softened and I had no choice but to agree."


    "That just shows how much face you, Ling, have."


    "Alright, won¡¯t talk to you anymore, I¡¯ve got to take my friend to HR for the onboarding procedure. Let¡¯s find a ce for lunch at noon and have a good chat."


    "Sure, I¡¯ll be off."


    Beforeing, Ling Chen had already notified Zhong Ping. The HR department worked with astonishing efficiency, and in less than ten minutes, Tang Yuan sessfully joined Hongyu Group, bing a glorious member of the security team.


    "Old Tang, you go ahead and sit in the office for a bit, I still have something to discuss with Nanrong Wanqing."


    Upon reaching the top floor, Ling Chen pushed open the door to the chairman¡¯s office and saw only Nanrong Wanqing sitting at her desk, concentrating on documents, with a cup of coffee beside her, gently wafting warmth.


    "Chairman."


    Ling Chen walked up to the desk and unceremoniously sat down on a chair.


    Nanrong Wanqing looked up, putting down her pen, an incredibly beautiful tranquility and purity rested on her features, like that of a newborn baby.


    "Have the onboarding procedures for your friend beenpleted?"


    "Mhm." Ling Chen nodded and opened his mouth about to speak. But then, he heard Nanrong Wanqing say, "Before you start, I would like to rify two things."


    "What things?" Ling Chen looked puzzled.


    "First, I did not summon you thrice to my cottage. Second, I did not beg you with tears. Please respect the facts in the future and stop making things up."


    Hearing this, Ling Chen was momentarily stunned. Weren¡¯t these the exact words he had just said to Wei Jun? How did she know? Could it be... could it be this has spread in such a short time? Thinking of this made him somewhat regretful. Had he known Wei Jun¡¯s mouth was so unreliable, he would not have spoken like that.


    However, he was quite surprised by Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s reaction, to be speaking to him about this so calmly.


    "Chairman, I was just saying that off the cuff; please don¡¯t take it to heart," he said sheepishly with an awkward smile.


    Nanrong Wanqing picked up her coffee cup, shifting the topic, "What did you want to ask me just now?"


    When they got onto the main topic at hand, Ling Chen became unusually serious.


    "Regarding the incidentst night, I think we should be frank with each other."


    "What do you want to know?"


    "The researchb." Ling Chen gazed into her eyes and spoke deliberately, "I don¡¯t know what that researchb is working on, but whatever you¡¯re secretly researching has drawn the attention of many. I just made a trip to the police station, and the identity ofst night¡¯s deceased has been confirmed. ording to his records, he has been ¡¯dead¡¯ for over ten years."


    Hearing this, Nanrong Wanqing was visibly shaken, her cherry-red lips slightly parted, carrying a hint of shock in her voice, "How do you know these things? Who told you?" Such state-level secrets, of course, could not be so easily leaked, that¡¯s why she was so surprised to find out Ling Chen was aware of this.


    "I have my ways."


    Seeing Ling Chen didn¡¯t wish to reveal more, Nanrong Wanqing slightly furrowed her brows and with a somewhat disheartened change of direction asked, "Are you certain this person has been dead for ten years?"


    "I wouldn¡¯t have brought it up if I weren¡¯t sure. Chairman, you might not realize the significance of this, but I¡¯m very clear on it. To be able to forge a person¡¯s death record indicates that there are powerful forces supporting him. Now that they have set their sights on you, they won¡¯t give up until they achieve their goal."


    Nanrong Wanqing pondered for a moment, her beautiful eyes shimmering wlessly.


    "What do you suggest?" After a while, she finally spoke.

 Chapter 94 - 93 When will you move back?

    <h4>Chapter 94: Chapter 93 When will you move back?</h4><h4></h4>


    "If you trust me, I want to know what you are secretly researching." As soon as he finished speaking, Ling Chen, fearing she did not grasp the severity of the matter, exined, "Chairman, you have already seen what Snake King is capable of. Compared to these people, there is noparison. I¡¯m not being rmist, just speaking from experience. Only by fully understanding the situation can I ensure both your safety and mine."


    "You?"


    Ling Chen shrugged helplessly, "Thanks to you, I¡¯ve be their target too. So now, we advance and retreat together."


    "Okay." Without much hesitation, Nanrong Wanqing agreed, "In the next two days after I¡¯ve arranged some matters, I will take you to that ce to see for yourself."


    Seeing her so straightforward, the corners of Ling Chen¡¯s mouth immediately rose. After this incident, this woman¡¯s attitude towards him had finally changed.


    "Chairman, you go ahead with your work, I won¡¯t disturb you." After saying that, he got up and prepared to leave.


    "Wait."


    "Is there anything else?"


    "When...when will you move back?" After asking this question, Nanrong Wanqing seemed somewhat embarrassed, her fair face blushed slightly, causing Ling Chen to be stunned, feeling as if his soul was being hooked away.


    This perpetually unyielding ice mountain was also capable of blushing. At this moment, he had the feeling of ice thawing and earth reviving in spring. When her face turned slightly red, it was as if a noble fairy suddenly fell to the mortal world, touched by a trace of worldliness, no longer coldly distant, but more approachable.


    Being stared at directly, Nanrong Wanqing couldn¡¯t help but lower her head, unwilling to meet his gaze directly.


    Realizing his gaffe, Ling Chen chuckled dryly and quickly gathered his thoughts.


    "I¡¯ll move back tomorrow, ask Captain Zhong to arrange another room, my friend will also move in."


    This time, Nanrong Wanqing tactfully did not object but did not speak either, implicitly agreeing.


    Leaving the office, Ling Chen went downstairs and met Tang Yuan and Zhong Wei.


    Approaching noon, the group went out and found a restaurant for a hearty meal. After eating and drinking their fill, Ling Chen drove Tang Yuan to the People¡¯s Hospital.


    Entering the ward, they saw Hu Fei lying on the hospital bed, with an oxygen tube in his nose and his abdomen wrapped in thick bandages. His small eyes were slightly open, watching a television program.


    "Big guy, doing okay?"


    Hu Fei nced at Ling Chen and said displeased, "What do you think? Why don¡¯t you try lying here yourself?"


    "Big guy, you¡¯re lucky this time. If it weren¡¯t for my brother acting in time, you would have been gone. Don¡¯t forget to treat us to a good meal when you get discharged."


    Hearing this, Hu Fei couldn¡¯t help but curse, "You have the nerve to ask me for a meal. If it wasn¡¯t for you, would Snake King have troubled me?"


    "How can you me me? I didn¡¯t know he would appear at that kind of ce. Alright, don¡¯t be angry. I¡¯ll find Snake King after you get discharged and solve him for you, to get revenge for you. Are we good now?"


    "We¡¯ll talk about thatter, just get me out of here first. If Snake King finds out I¡¯m not dead, he definitely won¡¯t let me go."


    Ling Chen thought it made sense and nodded, "Alright, I¡¯ll arrange it right away."


    In less than an hour, Ling Chen hadpleted the discharge procedures for Hu Fei. Because of Hu Fei¡¯s severe injuries, the hospital was concerned about his health and was initially reluctant to discharge him. However, Ling Chen settled it with a single phone call.


    Last time, it was at this hospital where he met Zhu Xiaozhu. Zhu Xiaozhu was well acquainted with the dean of the hospital. With Zhu Xiaozhu vouching for him, naturally, there was no problem.


    "Fatty, where are you nning to go?"


    "Where else could I go? Obviously, I¡¯m going home."


    "OK!"


    Following the address given by Hu Fei, it took about half an hour for Ling Chen to arrive in front of an abandoned residential building.


    Using a stretcher to carry Hu Fei off the vehicle, Ling Chen and Tang Yuan approached the building¡¯s staircase only to find a tightly locked iron gate blocking the way upstairs.


    Tang Yuan looked around and said with a puzzled expression, "Fatty, this is your home? With your status, even if not hundreds of millions, you should have tens of millions. Why are you living in such a shabby ce?"


    "You don¡¯t know anything. This is a safe house. Now that the Snake King is targeting me, it¡¯s not safe to go home. You two are so capable, you can¡¯t possibly fail to pick a lock, can you?"


    Tang Yuan scoffed, "Not to brag, but I can open it even with my eyes closed."


    "Then give it a try." Hu Fei expressed disbelief, but his face bore a look of amusement.


    Ling Chen noticed his expression and cautioned, "Old Tang, don¡¯t fall for his tricks. That lock is probably not that simple."


    Unconvinced, Tang Yuan went up to the iron gate, closed his eyes, and started fiddling with the lock using a thin piece of wire, moving the lock¡¯s head asionally. However, several minutes passed, and he still hadn¡¯t managed to unlock it.


    He furrowed his brows slightly, opened his eyes, and looked closely, murmuring to himself, "This doesn¡¯t make sense. Why won¡¯t it open?"


    Seeing him at a loss, Fattyughed smugly, "There¡¯s no key to this lock. That lockhole is just for show. There are only two ways to open it: one is by force, and the other is remote control. But if someone wants to break it by force, they better prepare a coffin for themselves in advance."


    Hearing that, Tang Yuan immediately stepped back and pinched his chubby cheek, "Fatty, are you messing with me?"


    "Ouch, ouch, ouch, let go..."


    "Alright, stop messing around," Ling Chen said impatiently. "Hurry up and open the door."


    Hu Fei took out his cellphone, opened an app, and a few secondster, a crisp ¡¯click¡¯ sounded and the lock immediately sprung open.


    "How about that, not bad, right? I designed it. It contains a stic explosive and a microchip inside. If tampered with in any way, the explosive will detonate immediately, spares no lives within three meters, and the only way to open it is through my homemade software. If there are intruders, this is the most practical device. If you¡¯re interested, I can sell them in bulk to you, and if you buy more, there¡¯s a discount."


    "Fatty, you¡¯re illegally selling weapons, believe it or not, I could call the police and arrest you?"


    "Come on, if they were going to arrest me, they would have done it already." Hu Fei was unconcerned, "Although I don¡¯t know your identities yet, I¡¯ve been in this business long enough to guess a thing or two."


    Ling Chen didn¡¯t bother to respond and just continued carrying the stretcher upstairs.


    This residential building had been abandoned for many years, deserted and cluttered with broken and misceneous items everywhere.


    Reaching the third floor, Ling Chen and Tang Yuan carrying Hu Fei stopped in front of a room at the end of the corridor, where the door was tightly shut with an old poster of a celebrity from over a decade ago stuck on it.


    Hu Fei nodded toward the poster, and Ling Chen immediately got the hint, peeling off the poster to reveal an electronic keypad lock behind it.


    After entering the password, the door immediately cracked open slightly.


    Pushing the door open, Ling Chen stepped inside, but before his back foot could follow, his face froze, and he stared in astonishment at the furnishings within the room.

 Chapter 95 - 94 Wolf Kiss

    <h4>Chapter 95: Chapter 94 Wolf Kiss</h4><h4></h4>


    In this room of less than two hundred square meters, there was a pile of various types of weapons. German-made STG44 assault rifles, American M1941 Johnson light machine guns, Gatling guns, Barrett sniper rifles, M4A1 carbines, Grenadeunchers, bulletproof vests...one could say that everything was avable here, almost all different models of firearms and equipment from around the world could be found in this ce, stacked in every corner.


    This was not so much a safe house as it was a mini arsenal, with enough equipment to arm a small-sized army of a hundred people.


    Tang Yuan, who had followed behind, was stunned by the sight of these munitions, his mouth agape and not closing for a long while.


    "Fat...Fatty, is all this your property?"


    Hu Fei replied with proudcency: "How about that, not bad, right? This is my collection over many years."


    "Fatty, just for these weapons, you could be sentenced to death ten times over."


    "What¡¯s there to be afraid of, they can¡¯t find this ce." Hu Fei stretched out his hand and gestured generously, "I owe you big time for saving my life this time. Feel free to pick any piece of munition here, consider it a gift from me."


    "You said it." Tang Yuan was not at all polite, immediately searching through the munitions for a weapon that he fancied.


    "Ling Chen, don¡¯t you want to pick something?" Seeing Ling Chen stand there motionless, Hu Fei couldn¡¯t help but speak, "Don¡¯t be shy, just pick any, I won¡¯t charge you."


    "Forget it, these things are of no use to me." Ling Chen waved his hand.


    He had already left the Ghost Organization and no longer had the privilege of carrying firearms. With his current identity, possessing guns was illegal. Although he was tempted by the full room of munitions, he still restrained his impulse.


    In a short while, Tang Yuan had picked his weapon, a German-made Kou Si 9mm Revolver.


    Ling Chen was not surprised by Tang Yuan¡¯s choice, as a member of the Ghost Organization, he mostly used pistols because they were convenient to carry and hard to detect. In contrast, he preferred using knives, silent and deadly, capable of ending lives without a sound.


    Tang Yuan seemed to perceive Ling Chen¡¯s reservations and said, "Fatty, do you have any good knives here? Ling Chen here is not convenient to use guns now." As a brother, he well understood Ling Chen¡¯s preferences.


    "A knife?" Hu Fei pondered for a moment, and the corners of his mouth turned up immediately, "You didn¡¯t mention it, and I almost forgot, I do have a dagger, and it was specially custom-made. Look around, I seem to have tossed it in that corner over there."


    Without a word, Tang Yuan began to move the weapons piled around, searching carefully. Soon, he found a dusty wooden box from the bottom. The box was only ten centimeters long, t on top and bottom.


    Opening the box out of curiosity, he saw a set of conical ceramics inside. These ten conical ceramic pieces varied in size; thergest were as big as a thumb, the smallest smaller than a pinky finger, sharp and thin. Lined up together, they resembled a set of exquisite artworks.


    "Fatty, is this a dagger? Don¡¯t fool me because I¡¯m not well-read."


    Ling Chen came forward, took a closer look, and was also a bit puzzled, as it didn¡¯t seem like a dagger at all.


    Hu Fei chuckled smugly, with an air of arrogance, "This shows yourck of experience, this dagger has quite a backstory. Without needing me to tell you, you definitely know who Blood Wolf is. This dagger wasmissioned by him overseas from a master craftsman. Unfortunately, before the dagger waspleted, he got killed."


    Hearing this, Tang Yuan couldn¡¯t help but nce at Ling Chen.


    The person who killed Blood Wolf was this seemingly harmless guy right in front of them.


    "Later I managed to use some connections to buy the dagger at a low price. This custom dagger of Blood Wolf holds extraordinary significance, and it can fetch a high price after a few years if flipped. Ling Chen, if you fancy it, I can give it to you as a gift."


    So, it belonged to Blood Wolf.


    Ling Chen had a strange expression in his eyes. If Blood Wolf knew that the dagger fell into his hands, he would probably climb out of his grave and die of anger all over again.


    However, he was still quite curious about this oddly shaped dagger.


    Taking the wooden box from Tang Yuan¡¯s hands, he studied it for a while and eventually figured out the trick. Each of these conical ceramics had a secret catch at the base, allowing them to be connected together. Fromrge to small, once all ten conical ceramics were connected, it immediately formed a small and delicate conical dagger.


    He yed with it in his hand, a smile quickly spreading across his face. The dagger was only the length of a palm, not only easy to carry but also could be disassembled into pendants on a keychain, and no one would suspect it to be dangerous.


    "I heard from the knife maker that the name of this dagger is Wolf Kiss."


    "Wolf Kiss?" Ling Chen nodded, finding the name apt, "Fatty, since you¡¯re being so generous, then I won¡¯t be polite, I¡¯ll ept this gift."


    "Why be courteous." Hu Fei was all smiles, his cheeks filled with joy.


    But no matter how Ling Chen looked at it, he felt there was something sly in his smile.


    Tang Yuan put away the revolver, "Fatty, if there¡¯s nothing else, we¡¯ll be going."


    Hu Fei stared, "Leaving? If you guys go, who will take care of me? You can¡¯t let a patient like me take care of myself."


    "You¡¯re so rich, hiring ten nurses would be enough."


    "You think I dare let otherse here? That would scare them to death. Hey, you both have epted my gifts, helping take care of me for a bit wouldn¡¯t be too much, right?"


    As expected!


    Ling Chen muttered to himself. He was just wondering why this money-grubbing guy had suddenly be so generous, offering them gifts out of the blue, apparently wanting them to stay.


    "Fatty, the two of us have to go to work, we don¡¯t have much time to spend with you. How about this, I and Old Tang wille to check on you every evening."


    "Alright, but you better not stand me up."


    After making sure Hu Fei was settled, Ling Chen and Tang Yuan left the residential building.


    Back at the Martial Arts Academy, Ling Chen told Tang Yuan to pack his luggage first. He went to the lobby and found He Ziyun, who was ying chess with Little Hua.


    "Big brother, you¡¯re back."


    Little Hua jumped down from the chair, affectionately wrapping her arms around his, "You came just in time. Master¡¯s skill is so poor; I¡¯ve beaten him over ten times. Now it¡¯s your turn to y with me."


    Ling Chen immediately raised his hands in surrender, "You might as well spare me, I¡¯m worse than your master, ying against you would just be torture for me."


    With that said, he took out a car key and presented it to He Ziyun, "Mr. He, I¡¯ve already parked the car in the warehouse."


    He Ziyun did not reach for the car keys but asked, "You¡¯re getting ready to leave?"


    "Yes, I have to go back to the Nanrong Family."


    "Well then, I won¡¯t keep you any longer. Take the car with you, I don¡¯t need it anyway, just don¡¯t wreck it."


    "Really?" Ling Chen was overjoyed, "Then I won¡¯t be polite."

 Chapter 96 - 95 Nanrong Gang

    <h4>Chapter 96: Chapter 95 Nanrong Gang</h4><h4></h4>


    Little Hua watched Ling Chen leave with reluctance, then sat down on a chair, her face unhappy as she pouted and said, "Old man, why did you let big brother go?"


    "He has his own affairs to attend to; I can¡¯t restrict his freedom. What¡¯s the matter, have you taken a liking to him?"


    Little Hua¡¯s pretty face flushed red as she retorted, "Nonsense! Who said I liked him? I¡¯m just worried about Sister Xiaozhu. That Nanrong Wanqing, I¡¯ve seen her, she¡¯s not a bit inferior to Sister Xiaozhu. If they are together day and night, affection will grow over time. Then what will Xiaozhu do?"


    "People haven¡¯t even started anything, so why are you worrying unnecessarily? I actually think it¡¯s you who has taken a liking to Ling Chen. Come to think of it, you¡¯ve reached the age for love, so it¡¯s quite normal to have feelings of spring."


    Hearing this, Little Hua immediately became displeased, with her hands on her hips, sheined, "Old man, are you implying that I¡¯m old? Let me tell you, I am seven years old this year, and I¡¯ll still be seven tomorrow, the year after next, and the years after that... I¡¯ll always be seven. If you dare to mention age to me again, believe it or not, I¡¯ll pluck out every single one of your whiskers."


    He Ziyun begged for mercy, "Alright, alright, you¡¯re the boss, I won¡¯t bring it up again."


    After leaving Qingyun Martial Arts Hall, Ling Chen drove the ssic muscle car and arrived at Wealthy Manor No. 118.


    Nanrong Hao had been waiting at the entrance for a while already. Seeing Ling Chen getting out of the car, Nanrong Hao immediately scurried over and took the luggage with eagerness.


    "Chen, I¡¯ve been hoping and waiting; finally, I¡¯ve awaited your return."


    "Why didn¡¯t you go to ss today?"


    "Chen, you¡¯re back; why would I still go to ss? Besides, the teachers are used to my absences already."


    Ling Chen put on a stern face and said, "From tomorrow onwards, you better go to school and be honest. If I find out you¡¯ve skipped sses, you¡¯ll see how I¡¯ll deal with you."


    "This... isn¡¯t... Chen, you don¡¯t understand, I just can¡¯t sit still at school, and the lessons the teachers give are all Greek to me."


    "That¡¯s your problem. In short, you better study properly in the future. If the school reports that you¡¯re not engaging actively in ss or failing your grades, then don¡¯t even think about learning another move from me."


    Ling Chen hadn¡¯t forgotten Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s request; his purpose for returning was to ensure Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s safety and also to change Nanrong Hao. Nanrong Hao was ustomed toziness; only by demanding strictly could he gradually change.


    "Don¡¯t, Chen," Nanrong Hao wore a long face, thinking to himself that he hadn¡¯t offended Ling Chen, wondering why he had suddenly changed his demeanor upon returning.


    "Enough talk, it¡¯s only three o¡¯clock in the afternoon, hurry up and go to school. You¡¯re not allowed toe back before sses are over." Finishing his words, and leaving behind a helpless Nanrong Hao, Ling Chen went straight into the house.


    Back in his room, it was the same as before, clean and spotless.


    Just after tidying up, Liu Kun appeared at the bedroom door.


    "Mr. Ling, the master has asked for you toe over."


    "Alright, I¡¯ll be right there."


    Led by Liu Kun, Ling Chen came to the bedroom on the second floor of the main house. As he entered, he saw Nanrong Yong sitting on a single sofa, facing the window. After some time of recuperation, Nanrong Yong¡¯s health had improved noticeably; hisplexion was ruddy and his breathing stable.


    "Old master, you wanted to see me?"


    Nanrong Yong warmly gestured with a smile, "Ling Chen,e, have a seat. Liu Kun, go make a cup of tea for Ling Chen."


    "There¡¯s no need for such courtesy, old master."


    "Eh, you can¡¯t say that. You are not only an employee of the Nanrong Family but also a valued guest. I¡¯m aware ofst night¡¯s incident; it¡¯s thanks to your presence that Wanqing managed to escape disaster. Considering that you¡¯ve saved Wanqing twice now, no amount of courtesy towards you would be considered excessive."


    In the meantime, Liu Kun had already ced the tea in front of him.


    "Liu Kun, you can go now; I have something to discuss with Ling Chen alone."


    "Yes." Liu Kun nodded, turned, and walked out, closing the door behind him.


    Once he left, Nanrong Yong¡¯s smile gradually faded, and he spoke gravely, "Ling Chen, you must have been wondering who would target Wanqing."


    Ling Chen felt a movement in his heart, "Old master, by saying this, could it be that you know who the instigator is behind the curtain?"


    "Indeed, I¡¯ve always known, but I haven¡¯t told Wanqing."


    "Why is that?"


    "It¡¯s a grudge between our generation; there¡¯s no need to let Wanqing know. I thought that person would confront me directly, but he turned out to be colder and more ruthless than I imagined; not even sparing my granddaughter." As he spoke, a fiery anger rose in Nanrong Yong¡¯s eyes, his fists clenched tightly.


    Ling Chen, puzzled, said, "Old master, the Nanrong family¡¯s lineage isn¡¯t just limited to Nanrong Wanqing; there¡¯s also a Nanrong Hao. Why doesn¡¯t that person target Nanrong Hao?"


    "Because the one currently in charge of Hongyu Group is Wanqing, and Nanrong Hao is weak and useless; that person doesn¡¯t consider him a threat. His goal is for me to watch helplessly as the business empire I¡¯ve built crumble to pieces. That¡¯s why he hasn¡¯t targeted me directly."


    "Old master, if convenient for you, why not tell me the identity of that person, perhaps I can..."


    "Find the mastermind and put an end to all this?" Nanrong Yong took over, his face revealing a bitter smile, "If it were that easy, why would I need to hire someone for Wanqing¡¯s protection? For decades, I¡¯ve never stopped looking for him, but that man has vanished without a trace."


    "Old master, you have your methods, and I have mine. The person you can¡¯t find may not be unreachable for me." Ling Chen¡¯s tone exuded confidence. His resources were unlike those of Nanrong Yong; unless that man was backed by a considerable power able to erase all his footstepspletely, otherwise, Ling Chen felt confident about having a seventy percent chance of locating him.


    After some contemtion, Nanrong Yong nodded, "Alright, since you are confident, let¡¯s give it a try. But you must promise me that you will not disclose this man¡¯s name to Wanqing, not just her, but to no one in the Nanrong family."


    "No problem, however..." Ling Chenughed awkwardly, "Old master, as you know, these kinds of affairs require funds to operate, so..."


    "As long as you say it, no matter the cost."


    Tsk, wealthy people sure are different.


    Ling Chen sighed inwardly and asked, "Old master, what¡¯s the name of that man?"


    "That man¡¯s name is..." Nanrong Yong opened his mouth slightly, his gaze flickering, seemingly still wrestling with the decision. After more than ten seconds, his eyes suddenly firmed up, looking directly into Ling Chen¡¯s, "The man¡¯s name is Nanrong Gang."


    "Nanrong Gang?"


    Ling Chen¡¯s expression changed slightly. Another person with apound surname, sharing the same surname as the Nanrong family, could it be... the one wanting to kill Nanrong Wanqing was also a member of the Nanrong family?

 Chapter 97 - 96 Unique Nickname

    <h4>Chapter 97: Chapter 96 Unique Nickname</h4><h4></h4>


    Seeing Ling Chen¡¯s astonished face, Nanrong Yong slowly said, "I know what you¡¯re thinking. I¡¯ve said before, this is a grudge of our generation, and I don¡¯t really want others to know about it."


    "Old master, rest assured, I will do my best to find this person for you."


    Although he was very curious, Nanrong Yong wasn¡¯t willing to say more, so Ling Chen did not continue to ask. After all, it was someone else¡¯s private affair.


    "Old master, if there¡¯s nothing else, I¡¯ll be going."


    "Go on with your business. As for the money, just go to Liu Kun. He will take care of it for you."


    "Alright."


    Ling Chen got up and walked to the door, ready to push it open and leave. But then, as if he remembered something, he turned his head and asked, "By the way, how old is Nanrong Gang?"


    "About the same age as me."


    "Got it." After that, Ling Chen didn¡¯t ask further and walked straight out.


    From the name and age alone, he could roughly guess the rtionship between Nanrong Gang and Nanrong Yong.


    It is said that every household has its own difficult scripture to chant, but the scripture of the Nanrong family seemed too tough¡ªreaching the point where brothers turned against each other.


    When he got back to his room, Tang Yuan was already lying on the bed assigned to him. Seeing Ling Chen returning, Tang Yuanined, "This is so unfair, why do you get such a nice ce to stay?"


    Ling Chen grinned and said, "Because I¡¯m handsomer than you."


    "Handsome my ass, you¡¯re still a virgin," Tang Yuan hit back mercilessly.


    "What¡¯s wrong with being a virgin? I consider it keeping myself pure, being responsible for my future wife. You think everyone is like you, messing around all over the world."


    "As a virgin, you¡¯re not ashamed but proud; your skin is as thick as it gets. Alright, if you think being called a ¡¯virgin¡¯ is honorable, I¡¯ll call you that wherever we go."


    "You..."


    "Ling Chen?" Before he could finish speaking, a surprised voice rose from behind.


    Ling Chen turned around to see Su Lin standing at the door looking at him with surprise. He lifted the corner of his mouth and waved, "Miss Su, we meet again."


    "You... how did youe back?" As soon as she spoke, Su Lin realized her words could be taken with the wrong connotation, as if she strongly disliked him. She quickly corrected, "I mean, hadn¡¯t you resigned?"


    "Didn¡¯t the chairman tell you? She has asked me toe back."


    "Really?" Su Lin found it somewhat unbelievable.


    "I¡¯m already staying here, does that seem fake? Why, do you not wee me?"


    "No... it¡¯s not that." Su Lin said, hastily. She wasn¡¯t opposed to Ling Chening back, in fact, she felt an inexplicable joy.


    Ever since Ling Chen left, she had spent a long time reflecting. Despite the unpleasantness between Ling Chen and her, he had undeniably helped her a lot. Besides, she realized that she was sometimes too willful. Now that she thought about it, she felt somewhat apologetic.


    "Virgin, who is this beauty? Aren¡¯t you going to introduce us?"


    "Virgin?"


    Hearing this ¡¯unique¡¯ nickname, Su Lin was momentarily stunned, and her cheeks turned a slight shade of red as she looked at Ling Chen.


    Ling Chenughed awkwardly, turned his head, and red fiercely at Tang Yuan. That bastard was too much, calling him ¡¯virgin¡¯ in front of a woman, putting him in such an awkward situation.


    Tang Yuan seemed oblivious to Ling Chen¡¯s irritation and walked up to the door with a radiant smile, "Hello, beautiful, my name is Tang Yuan, a friend of Ling Chen¡¯s, and a newly hired employee responsible for the chairman¡¯s security."


    "Hello, I¡¯m Su Lin." In front of a stranger, Su Lin still maintained her politeness. "You guys continue chatting; I¡¯ll go back to my room."


    Watching Su Lin walk away, Tang Yuan spoke with envy, "You¡¯re being so inconsiderate, sharing a room with a beauty and leaving me with those old guys."


    Ling Chen smirked, "I¡¯ve already said it, being handsome gets you privileges. If you want topare with me, maybe in your next life."


    ...


    In the blink of an eye, two days had passed since he returned to the Nanrong Family.


    This day, after sending Nanrong Wanqing to thepany, Ling Chen had nothing to do and casually started a game of Landlord with Tang Yuan and Liang Zhao Hui in the office, betting one yuan per card. In less than half an hour, Ling Chen had already lost over a hundred yuan, with Tang Yuan and Liang Zhao Hui teaming up against him.


    "Ling Chen, the chairman is calling you upstairs." At that moment, Zhong Wei walked in from outside.


    Hearing this, Ling Chen¡¯s eyes lit up. He quickly tossed the ying cards onto the table and turned to slip out the door.


    "Hey, you haven¡¯t paid up yet," Tang Yuan called out begrudgingly from behind.


    Ling Chen turned around, with a serious expression, "Pay what? Captain Zhong, these two guys were ying cards during work hours and even forcibly dragged me in. You really should give them a good talking-to and educate them about thepany¡¯s rules and regtions. I have things to do, so I¡¯m leaving."


    Liang Zhao Hui¡¯s eyes widened in disbelief, watching Ling Chen disappear through the door. The guy was shameless¡ªit was he who had dragged him into the game, and now he was ying the victim.


    "Captain Zhong, I didn¡¯t..."


    "Don¡¯t bother exining; I saw everything. ying cards during work hours, each of you is fined two hundred."


    Meanwhile, Ling Chen hummed a tune as he took the elevator straight to the top floor of thepany.


    Entering the chairman¡¯s office, he saw Nanrong Wanqing seated at her desk, tidying things up.


    "Chairman, did you need me for something?"


    "A few days ago, I mentioned taking you to see the researchb; I have some free time today, let¡¯s go."


    "I¡¯ll call Captain Zhong to prepare the car."


    "No need, just the two of us will go; no one else needs to follow."


    Hearing that, Ling Chen immediately understood her intention¡ªNanrong Wanqing clearly didn¡¯t want too many people to know about the researchb¡¯s existence. Seeing how cautious she was made him even more curious; just what was being researched in thatb that attracted so much attention?


    Putting his thoughts aside, he extended his hand to grab the wheelchair and pushed Nanrong Wanqing into the elevator, heading straight down to the underground parking garage. Reaching his muscle car, he gently picked up Nanrong Wanqing. It seemed she was already ustomed to his gesture, naturally wrapping her arms around his neck.


    Her sudden move made Ling Chen pause, looking at her with a weird expression. The old her wouldn¡¯t have been so proactive. However, Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s face remained expressionless, revealing nothing.


    Seeing this, he didn¡¯t think further and ced her in the passenger seat.


    The car started, and Nanrong Wanqing handed over her phone, which already had the navigation app open. Ling Chen nced at the destination, located on the outskirts of East Sea City, about forty kilometers away. With the current traffic, it would take more than an hour.


    "Hold tight."


    He stepped on the gas, and the muscle car roared like a beast, speeding out of the parking lot.


    Researchb, here Ie!

 Chapter 98 - 97 The Secret of the Research Lab (Part 1)

    <h4>Chapter 98: Chapter 97 The Secret of the Research Lab (Part 1)</h4><h4></h4>


    On the road, halfway through the journey, Ling Chen suddenly reduced the speed of the car, cruising slowly along the roadside.


    "What¡¯s the matter?"


    "Someone¡¯s following us," Ling Chen said.


    Since leaving thepany, he had been keeping an eye on the vehicles behind him. As expected, there indeed was someone secretly following them. The followers were extremely cautious, continuously switching between several vehicles to tail them, but such tricks were not enough to elude Ling Chen¡¯s watchful eyes.


    Nanrong Wanqing nced at the rear of the car. With the traffic too heavy, she couldn¡¯t tell which vehicle Ling Chen was referring to.


    "Is it that assassin?"


    "No, those people are probably after me."


    Nobody knew that Nanrong Wanqing was in his car, so it was impossible for the opposition to be targeting her. It was very likely that the mysterious organization was preparing to retaliate against him.


    "Can we shake them off?"


    A slight smirk appeared on Ling Chen¡¯s mouth, "Piece of cake. Hold tight to the handrail; I want to speed up." As he finished speaking, his foot gently pressed on the gas pedal, and the muscle car immediately shot forward.


    Approaching the intersection ahead, Ling Chen, who was originally driving straight, suddenly turned the steering wheel sharply. Coordinating the use of the gas pedal and the brake, the rear tires of the car instantly emitted clouds of white smoke.


    Screech!


    Apanied by a piercing sound, the muscle car¡¯s body suddenly swerved, cutting through the gap between two vehicles next to it and turning into the left side of the road.


    After driving about two kilometers, Ling Chen nced at the rearview mirror, his face brimming with a smile.


    Still want to tail me? Go back and practice a few more years.


    Two hourster, Ling Chen and Nanrong Wanqing finally arrived at a factory in the suburbs. Normally, the journey wouldn¡¯t take that much time, but to avoid being detected, Ling Chen took a detour from the main road and hurried to their destination via side roads.


    The factory in front of them upied several thousand square meters, consisting of a main building, two workshops, and three warehouses. The name ¡¯Mingzheng Technology Co., Ltd.¡¯ hung prominently on the factory. Several container trucks were driving out one after another.


    "Let¡¯s go through the back door."


    Hearing Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s cue, Ling Chen turned the car toward the rear of the factory. By this time, the back iron gate was already open, and a woman wearing sses and white professional attire was standing at the gate, seemingly waiting for their arrival.


    After parking the car, Ling Chen got out and then carried Nanrong Wanqing down, cing her gently onto the wheelchair.


    "Chairman."


    Looking at the approachingdy with sses, Nanrong Wanqing nodded and introduced, "Ling Chen, this is Qin Lan, the head of the research department."


    "Mr. Ling, hello."


    "Hello."


    Ling Chen extended his hand and shook hands, taking the opportunity to scrutinize Qin Lan. In her early thirties, with neck-length short hair, delicate features, and almost 1.7 meters tall. Paired with a pair of silver-rimmed sses, she had a serious and no-nonsense demeanor, giving off the impression of being stern, smart, andpetent.


    "Please follow me."


    Qin Lan led the way, with Ling Chen pushing the wheelchair close behind, his eyes asionally darting around, observing the surroundings.


    "Chairman, is this factory also a property of Hongyu Group?"


    "Officially, it¡¯s invested by a foreignpany, but in reality, it¡¯s secretly controlled by Hongyu Group. The main business of this factory is processing chips for mobile phones andputers, serving as a cover for the existence of the research department," Nanrong Wanqing said, as the trio arrived at the main building of the factory.


    However, Qin Lan did not enter through the main entrance but rather a side door. Along the spacious and well-lit corridor, after walking more than ten meters, a thick iron door appeared in front of them.


    Qin Lan took out an identification card and swiped it on the device. With a ¡¯beep¡¯, the iron door slowly opened to both sides.


    Ling Chen only then realized that the iron door was an entrance to an elevator. Upon entering the elevator, he looked around. There were no buttons to be seen in the elevator, resembling a sturdy iron cage. However, he noticed that four surveince cameras were installed at the top of the elevator, capable of monitoring the situation inside from all angles.


    "The elevator can only be controlled unterally from the security room. Unless the identity is verified, the elevator will not activate," Qin Lan exined.


    After hearing Qin Lan¡¯s exnation, Ling Chen nodded inwardly. The security measures here were very thorough, which showed how much Nanrong Wanqing valued this research department.


    The elevator descended slowly for about ten seconds, and Ling Chen felt a jolt as the iron doors in front of him opened again. Suddenly, a transparent ss panel appeared in his view.


    Outside the elevator exit was a room constructed of transparent ss. Without testing, Ling Chen knew that it was all made of bulletproof ss. Outside the ss room, there were a total of ten uniformed security personnel equipped with tasers and batons, each wearing a wireless earpiece, fully geared.


    Coming out of the ss room, there was another door ahead. Not only did it require an identification card, but it also needed fingerprint and voice checks. Only after passing all three would the door open.


    After entering the door, Ling Chen finally saw the research department that was under strict protection.


    Following Qin Lan¡¯s brief introduction earlier, Ling Chen had already gained a preliminary understanding of this research department.


    This research department was located twenty meters underground, with a total area of over 4,000 square meters, divided into five sections. There were as many as fifty staff members working here, all living and dining underground.


    Inside the research department, transparent ss panels separated theboratories. Ling Chen took a brief look and counted roughly seven or eightbs, each fully equipped, with one or two research personnel working in eachb.


    Beforeing here, Ling Chen had made many spections. He thought that Nanrong Wanqing¡¯sboratory was likely focused on biological research, as such research would be the most valuable and likely to attract others¡¯ prying eyes.


    But upon arriving, he discovered that he was quite mistaken; this research department had nothing to do with biological research at all.


    Stopping in front of one of theboratory¡¯s ss panels, he saw several high-precision machines inside, with robotic arms continuously rotating and sparks flying, seemingly producing something. Next to it, a research staff member held a tablet, both recording the data and improving the manufacturing process.


    After watching for a while, Ling Chen still couldn¡¯t figure out what they were doing.


    "Chairman, what exactly is being researched here?"


    Nanrong Wanqing did not speak, but she gave Qin Lan a slight nod.


    Understanding the cue, Qin Lan spoke, "Mr. Ling, please follow me; I¡¯ll take you to see the finished product."


    Leaving theboratory, Qin Lan led Ling Chen to the outside of an entirely enclosed room.


    There were two security guards on duty at the entrance, but the keen-eyed Ling Chen noticed that they weren¡¯t equipped with tasers, but rather, Chinese-made 54-style pistols. These guns weremon in the ck market and could be purchased with some connections.


    Nanrong Wanqing actually arranged for two armed guards to secure this ce, indicating that the items inside were extremely important. With this thought, he was even more eager to see the research achievements behind the door.

 Chapter 99 - 98 The Secret of the Research Lab (Part 2)

    <h4>Chapter 99: Chapter 98 The Secret of the Research Lab (Part 2)</h4><h4></h4>


    The door opened, and Ling Chen followed closely behind Qin Lan in his wheelchair, striding into the room.


    Immediately, a metallic skeleton ced in the center of the room appeared in Ling Chen¡¯s sight. The surface of the metal skeleton was a silver-gray color, and the material it was made from was unknown. In the center was a core circuit board, which still had its protective cover uninstalled, leaving the chips and wires exposed.


    From the center of the circuit board, metallic rods extended on both the left and the right, each about two fingers in width. At the middle and end of each metal rod, there was a round fixing device.


    Apart from the sides, there were also two metal supports beneath the circuit board, each about one meter long, and in the middle of the supports were two movable devices that could rotate back and forth.


    At this moment, Ling Chen finally realized what Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s research was about.


    Internationally, this type of metal skeleton goes by one general term, called Mechanical Exoskeleton, and can also be referred to as exoskeleton armor.


    Such exoskeleton armor can be worn on the body, providing protection and additional power to enhance physical functions, such as allowing individuals with leg disabilities to walk freely.


    Seeing Nanrong Wanqing sitting in her wheelchair, how could Ling Chen not understand the purpose behind her research? It was nothing more than her desire to regain the ability to walk.


    Facing Ling Chen¡¯s gaze, Nanrong Wanqing said, "Now you know what this researchb is working on."


    Ling Chen nodded, "Chairman, if I may ask, the existence of exoskeleton armor is no secret in the world and has been reported in the news. Why would those people be interested in your research?"


    Qin Lan took over the conversation and counter-questioned, "Mr. Ling, how much do you know about exoskeleton armor?"


    "Not much, I¡¯ve never been involved in this field."


    "There are many researchers around the world who study exoskeleton armor, including the military powers. The exoskeleton armor can not only allow disabled individuals to regain mobility but can also enhance various physical capabilities. To give a simple example, a person¡¯s limit might be running ten kilometers, but with exoskeleton armor, they could run twenty or thirty kilometers without feeling fatigued. Not only that, exoskeleton armor can significantly increase a person¡¯s abilities, such as jumping power and strength. Our country began the secret research of exoskeleton armor ten years ago, hoping to use it to enhance soldiers¡¯bat abilities and survival skills."


    Qin Lan paused slightly at this point and then continued, "While exoskeleton armor is powerful, it also has many limitations. The exoskeleton armor is mainly powered by electricity; the greater the usage intensity, the more electricity it consumes. In fact, many countries internationally have already developed working models of exoskeleton armor but have not been able to utilize them in the military domain. One reason is the unresolved issue of electricity consumption. The electric energy storage device cannot be toorge, otherwise, it would increase the armor¡¯s weight and cause inconvenience in movement. To my knowledge, the current exoskeleton armors internationally can only operate for one to two hours on their internal power supply when disconnected from an external power source. This is not enough time for soldiers in fieldbat."


    "Moreover, existing exoskeleton armors are tooplicated and cumbersome, making them very troublesome to use and having very poor stealth as anyone can easily spot them. Because of these two reasons, exoskeleton armor has been unable to be applied in the military domain for a long time."


    After listening to Qin Lan¡¯s exnation, Ling Chen had a general understanding of exoskeleton armor.


    "Miss Qin, could it be that you have already ovee these two major obstacles?"


    Qin Lan nodded, her eyes exuding an undeniable pride, "After years of research, we have sessfully solved the material issues of the Exoskeleton armor. What you see now is the firstpleted product developed by us, made from aposite metal. It is a special metal created based on an alloy, not only convenient to carry but also extremely hard. It doesn¡¯t feel too burdensome to wear, even without electrical power. We have conducted several tests, wearing this set of Exoskeleton armor under our clothes and walking on the streets without anyone noticing. Its concealment is very good."


    "As for its power system, our scientific researchers have found a solution and are currently testing it. Once sessful, this Exoskeleton armor can operate autonomously for ten hours. Just these two points alone make this set of Exoskeleton armor sufficiently viable for military use."


    "Qin Lan, show him the test data of this armor."


    Upon Nanrong Wanqing¡¯smand, Qin Lan took out a document from her portfolio and handed it to Ling Chen.


    Ling Chen casually flipped to the first page and his gaze froze, his face showing incredible astonishment. The power of the Exoskeleton armor was vividly demonstrated in these data.


    Speed increased threefold, jumping power fourfold, strength enhanced fivefold. Ignoring everything else, just these three pieces of data alone were enough to reflect its might.


    As a former member of the Ghost Squad, Ling Chen knew all too well what this meant. If this Exoskeleton armor became widespread in the military, it would be enough to change the status of special forces soldiers worldwide. The so-called king of soldiers, the elite special forces, would be nothing but dross in front of this Exoskeleton armor, not worth mentioning.


    Unconsciously, Ling Chen felt his palms starting to sweat. At this moment, he finally understood why those people would go to such lengths to obtain this Exoskeleton armor.


    Closing the document, he looked up at Qin Lan and said, "Miss Qin, may I have a word with you in private?"


    Qin Lan nced at Nanrong Wanqing, and seeing her nod, she immediately left the room, leaving just the two of them.


    "Chairwoman, do you realize what this Exoskeleton armor signifies?" When Ling Chen asked this, there was a rare seriousness in his eyes.


    "I know. The development of these events was beyond my expectations. Initially, I just wanted to research a lightweight Mechanical Exoskeleton so that I could regain the ability to walk, but the research achievements over these years have far exceeded my imagination. It wasn¡¯t until I saw these test data that I realized what a terrifying thing I had created. A year ago, to avoid letting outsiders know about these studies, I strengthened the security of the researchb and signed confidentiality agreements with all the scientific staff. Until I decide how to deal with this Exoskeleton armor, no one is allowed to leak any information."


    "Still, someone got wind of it. Could there be a mole in the researchb?"


    "I don¡¯t know." Nanrong Wanqing shook her head gently, "If it weren¡¯t for that person at Yulong Mansion mentioning the researchb, I would still be unaware that its secrets had been leaked."


    "How many people in the researchb know about the existence of this set of Exoskeleton armor?"


    "That¡¯s a question for Qin Lan. The researchb has always been under her charge. You can ask her anything you want to know."

 Chapter 100 - 99 The Secret of the Research Lab (Part 3)

    <h4>Chapter 100: Chapter 99 The Secret of the Research Lab (Part 3)</h4><h4></h4>


    Several minutester, inside Qin Lan¡¯s office.


    "Mr. Ling, there are a total of forty-eight members in the researchb, consisting of thirteen researchers, twenty-five security personnel, and the remaining ten people including myself are administrative staff responsible for everyone¡¯s daily needs."


    "How many people among them are aware of the exoskeleton armor?"


    "Only the researchers and I know about it." As she finished speaking, Qin Lan looked puzzled at Ling Chen, "Mr. Ling, why do you ask this?"


    "Miss Qin, the chairman might not have informed you yet, but the research on the exoskeleton armor has been leaked to outsiders."


    "That¡¯s impossible!" Qin Lan¡¯s first reaction was disbelief, her tone firm as she said, "The confidentiality work in theb is very stringent, it¡¯s impossible for there to be a leak. Chairman, I..."


    Nanrong Wanqing raised her hand to stop her mid-sentence, "Ling Chen is right, it indeed happened¡ªsomeone already knows about the existence of the exoskeleton armor. Just a few days ago, someone even tried to force out the location of ourb; fortunately, Ling Chen was present and prevented that person from seeding. Our visit this time is also to get to the bottom of this issue."


    "Miss Qin, how do these researchers usually contact the outside world?" Ling Chen asked.


    "During work, they are not allowed to carry mobile phones. If they need to contact their families, they do so through the security room; they have no opportunity to contact outsiders. Moreover, the thirteen researchers are responsible for different projects and work separately. We strictly forbid them from discussing their work with each other, which prevents anyone from knowing all the manufacturing processes and technologies. Even though the exoskeleton armor is manufactured by them, if these thirteen individuals are separated, none of them could produce it on their own. In this researchb, only I am privy to theplete manufacturing process."


    Ling Chen nodded, finding the method not umon as manybs use this approach to safeguard their research.


    "Miss Qin, do they really stay here all 365 days a year?"


    "No, they each have four days off per month, with the thirteen individuals rotating, except for holidays all other times are spent in the undergroundb."


    "Doesn¡¯t anyone protest against this restriction on freedom?"


    Nanrong Wanqing said indifferently, "If you were offered an annual sry of ten million, would you ept these restrictions?"


    "An annual sry of ten million?" Ling Chen muttered to himself. Truly generous of the Nanrong Family. With such a sry offer, the non-profitb¡¯s expenses would amount to at least three hundred million a year, a figure perhaps only the Hongyu Group could afford to burn through.


    "Given that only fourteen people, excluding Miss Qin, know about the exoskeleton armor, it¡¯s very likely that the leak originated from one of the researchers."


    Qin Lan frowned slightly, "I don¡¯t understand why they would do this; the chairman provides a generouspensation package, and leaking information would be akin to ruining their own future."


    "Maybe someone else offered a higher price. In any case, nothing is absolute in this world. Miss Qin, please prepare a list for me; I want the detailed information of the researchers. Also, keep an eye out during this period to see who seems the most suspicious."


    "Okay, if it really is one of them leaking information, I will cooperate with your investigation."


    After organizing the list and other materials, Ling Chen and Nanrong Wanqing left theb and drove towards the headquarters of Hongyu Group.


    On the way back, Ling Chen nced at Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s legs and couldn¡¯t help but ask, "Chairman, can¡¯t current medical technology heal your legs?"


    Nanrong Wanqing, looking out the car window at the rapidly receding trees, her hands gently caressing her numb legs, a hint of bitterness flickered in her beautiful eyes.


    "If there were such a technology, why would I bother researching that thing?"


    "There are so many capable doctors in the world, someone among them might be able to treat your legs, like..."


    "Who are you suggesting? Zhu Xiaozhu? You don¡¯t need to speak for her in front of me. I know her medical skills are very good, but I won¡¯t seek her help."


    "Why?" Ling Chen was genuinely puzzled. When hest mentioned Nanrong Wanqing in front of Zhu Xiaozhu, her expression was also somewhat peculiar. Could it be that these two women had some past conflict?


    "No reason, I just don¡¯t want to mention her anymore," Nanrong Wanqing said, sounding somewhat cold.


    Ling Chen shook his head helplessly. These two women were like two beautiful flowers each flourishing in their ce, widely renowned yet blooming in different seasons, never interacting with each other.


    Since Nanrong Wanqing didn¡¯t want to discuss it further, he didn¡¯t press her. Next time he saw Zhu Xiaozhu, perhaps he¡¯d ask her.


    "Chairman, what are your thoughts concerning the exoskeleton armor?"


    "What do you mean?"


    "Such a device is like a timed bomb in your hands, constantly posing a danger. My advice is to dispose of it. The more people know, the greater the risk to you."


    Nanrong Wanqing pondered for a moment before speaking, "Are you suggesting I turn it over to the state?"


    "Not quite turn it over, but rather, coborate. The military has many defense contractors, all strategic partners, and you could also move in that direction. This way, not only can you ensure your safety, but it could also bring substantial profits to thepany."


    "I never considered using it for military purposes, nor do I want it to be a weapon of murder. Given its significance, you should foresee the enormous changes it could bring to the world once it is released; I don¡¯t want to be the spark that transforms the global militaryndscape."


    "Everything has two sides; you can¡¯t just see the bad; you must also recognize the good. Think about how many people there are in the world who have experienced what you have; if they had this, they could live like normal people."


    Nanrong Wanqing massaged her temples, a trace of fatigue evident in her eyes.


    "Let me think about it further."


    Returning to thepany, Ling Chen escorted Nanrong Wanqing back to her office and then, carrying the information gathered from Qin Lan, he prepared to leave.


    Stopping at the door, he suddenly turned back to ask, "Chairma

 Chapter 101 - 100: Administering Acupuncture for Liu Xiyao (Part One)

    <h4>Chapter 101: Chapter 100: Administering Acupuncture for Liu Xiyao (Part One)</h4><h4></h4>


    Driving to Qingyuan Club, it was already four in the afternoon.


    Now, the staff of the club all knew that Qingyuan Club had an additional male owner. Seeing Ling Chen arrive, the doorman immediately opened the door with respectful ceremony to wee him in.


    "Mr. Ling, President Liu said that you can go up by yourself," the doorman said, looking at Ling Chen with great admiration.


    As employees of the club, everyone knew about Liu Xiyao¡¯s rules: men were never allowed in her room, with the sole exception being this young man.


    Ling Chen nodded and went straight into Liu Xiyao¡¯s private elevator. Upon reaching the fifth floor, it was still the same room as thest time. Pushing open the door, he hadn¡¯t yet seen anyone, but a captivating fragrance already wafted to his nose.


    Looking up, he saw Liu Xiyao walking out of the bathroom. She seemed to have just taken a bath, wearing a loose garment that resembled ancient Han clothing as a nightgown, her waist-length hair still wet and not yet blow-dried.


    Seeing Liu Xiyao again, Ling Chen felt his mood could not settle down for a long while. The woman before him was like a cup of rich and aromatic wine; the longer it was stored, the more intoxicating the fragrance became, making one involuntarily revel in it.


    Fair and silky skin, delicate and lovely facial features, a graceful figure, as well as the noble elegance that radiated from within her¡ªall of it was breathtaking.


    Feeling the appreciation in Ling Chen¡¯s gaze, Liu Xiyao slightly lifted the corners of her eyes, giving him a calm look. Such expressions were too familiar to her and had long be a norm.


    "Have a seat," she gestured to the sofa, then picked up her phone to check the messages on it.


    Ling Chen smiled slightly, unceremoniously took a seat on the sofa, and picked up the teapot on the coffee table. Spotting an empty cup right in front of him, he casually filled it and then brought it to his lips.


    Just then, Liu Xiyao saw his action and quickly stretched out her hand to stop him, saying: "Don¡¯t..."


    Ling Chen swallowed the tea, smacking his lips, finding the tea sweet, leaving a fragrant aftertaste. Noticing an unusual color on Liu Xiyao¡¯s face, he asked, "What did you just say?"


    Liu Xiyao, looking at the teacup in his hand, shook her head helplessly and said, "Nothing... It¡¯s nothing."


    Following her gaze, Ling Chen took a closer look at the teacup in his hand. Suddenly, he noticed a faint lipstick mark on the edge of the cup.


    Being a man, he naturally wouldn¡¯t wear lipstick, so this lipstick mark... Realizing this, he immediately understood why Liu Xiyao tried to say that "Don¡¯t" earlier.


    No wonder he found the tea so sweet; it was because of this.


    Does this... count as an indirect kiss?


    He gave an awkward chuckle and sneakily nced at Liu Xiyao. She appeared very calm, but Ling Chen, with his keen eyes, still noticed that Liu Xiyao¡¯s face was tinged with a slight blush.


    "Um... cough... President Liu, you wanted to see me about something?" he quickly changed the subject.


    "It¡¯s almost been a month."


    Ling Chen pped his forehead, he had been so busy that if not for Liu Xiyao¡¯s reminder, he would have almost forgotten. They had agreedst time to prepare medicine every month to help Liu Xiyao nourish her body and detoxify.


    "President Liu, please sit for a while. I¡¯ll go grab some medicine and be right back," he said, standing up and leaving the room.


    Watching Ling Chen disappear at the door, Liu Xiyao¡¯s gaze uncontrobly fell back to the teacup, and a flush of shyness rose on her delicate, snow-like cheeks.


    Everyone who knew her was aware that she didn¡¯t quite like interacting with men. Perhaps some experiences from her childhood had made her somewhat repulsive towards men. Last time, Ling Chen barged into her room and almost saw her entire body; and this time...


    For some reason, she didn¡¯t feel a strong aversion towards Ling Chen. By the side of this man, who was a few years younger than herself, she felt very secure, with no need to be on guard all the time.


    In less than half an hour, Ling Chen returned with several packages of traditional Chinese medicine that he had just bought.


    "President Liu, take a rest. I¡¯ll go and prepare the medicine for you."


    Liu Xiyao¡¯s room came with a kitchen. Ling Chen prepared the herbs, found a y pot to put on the stove, and simmered them on low heat. In no time, a strong scent of traditional Chinese medicine wafted from the y pot.


    After dusting off the remnants of the herbs from his hands, Ling Chen went back to the living room and was immediately taken aback. While he was preparing the medicine, Liu Xiyao had changed into a pure white Cheongsam. Her fair legs were exposed, and she sat with her legs crossed. Her hair, which was now dried, was casually draped behind her, and her arm, as delicate as a lotus root stalk, rested gently on the arm of the sofa supporting her cheek. Her beautiful eyes revealed a hint ofziness.


    Ling Chen swallowed hard and approached the sofa to sit down, continuing to admire the woman up close.


    "Were you alright that day?" Liu Xiyao asked softly.


    Ling Chen didn¡¯t react at first. "Which day are you talking about?"


    "The night of the banquet. I heard from President Gao that someone died that evening."


    "Oh, I know about that," Ling Chen replied with a smile. Not only did he know about it, but that deceased person had a significant connection to him. If it weren¡¯t for his intervention, that person wouldn¡¯t have died.


    "President Liu, you..."


    "Don¡¯t keep calling me ¡¯President Liu¡¯; you¡¯re not my employee. There¡¯s no one else here; no need to be so formal. I¡¯m just two or three years older than you; perhaps you should change the way you address me."


    "Then... can I call you Xiyao?"


    Liu Xiyao nodded slightly, evidently pleased with the address.


    "Xiyao, do you know that Zhu Hong?"


    "Not at all, never even met him. Boyang Company is renowned internationally; eight percent of the world¡¯s pharmaceutical products are manufactured by them. Moreover, Boyang Company has profound expertise and research in various medical fields and owns many patented medicines. Nowadays, most of the anticancer drugs used by major hospitals abroade from Boyang Company. When Zhu Hong invites people in the name of Boyang Company, nobody would refuse."


    "From what you¡¯ve said, Boyang Company is quite impressive, huh?"


    "Boyang Company has strong assets and ranks within the top ten of the world¡¯s Fortune 500. That tells you how powerful they are, right? Boyang Company¡¯s operations were primarily in North America, Europe, and South Africa, with only three branches in Asia. This time, Zhu Hong has been authorized by the higher-ups of Boyang to set up apany in East Sea City, indicating that they¡¯re preparing to speed up their expansion into Asia."


    After saying this, Liu Xiyao looked at Ling Chen, her eyes shimmering with curiosity, "Why are you asking about Zhu Hong?"


    "Nothing much, just asking. Xiyao, listen to my advice, it¡¯s better to minimize your interactions with that person in the future, or better yet, don¡¯t even get to know him," Ling Chen cautioned.


    "Why?"


    "If you ask me now, I¡¯m not sure how to exin it, but just listen to me; I won¡¯t harm you."


    Liu Xiyao nodded thoughtfully, "I understand, I¡¯ll keep your words in mind."

 Chapter 102 - 101: Administering Acupuncture for Liu Xiyao (Part Two)

    <h4>Chapter 102: Chapter 101: Administering Acupuncture for Liu Xiyao (Part Two)</h4><h4></h4>


    While they were talking, the traditional Chinese medicine in the kitchen was ready.


    Ling Chen poured the thick, dark traditional medicine into a bowl and added two pieces of rock sugar to reduce the bitterness of the medicine. After letting the medicine cool down, he brought it to Liu Xiyao with both hands, then took out a box of silver needles and an alcoholmp from the bag.


    Liu Xiyao, enduring the bitterness, slightly furrowed her brows and drank the medicine in one gulp. After setting down the empty bowl, she saw the two items in Ling Chen¡¯s hands and couldn¡¯t help asking, "What are these for?"


    "Acupuncture. The medicine can expel the toxins from your body, but the toxins have umted in your body for too long, inevitably harming your health. Combining traditional medicine with acupuncture can ensure your health while expelling the toxins," Ling Chen exined, pointing to therge bed, "Take off your clothes and lie down."


    Liu Xiyao hesitated, especially after Ling Chen¡¯sst sentence, which stirred a faint blush of embarrassment within her.


    Her body, pure and untouched, had never been exposed to a man before. Although Ling Chen had seen her naked before, it was a different situation.


    Ling Chen seemed to read her thoughts, "Xiyao, a doctor¡¯s heart is like that of a parent¡¯s. Don¡¯t think too much. If you really don¡¯t want to, I won¡¯t force you." Saying this, he pretended to start packing up the items.


    Liu Xiyao hesitated for a moment, then stood up and said, "I¡¯ll go change my clothes."


    Seeing her enter the bathroom, Ling Chen didn¡¯t idle. He lit the alcoholmp and opened the needle box, sterilizing the silver needles one by one.


    He asked Liu Xiyao to undress for acupuncture with no ulterior motives, purely considering her health.


    Soon, Liu Xiyao came out of the bathroom in a bathrobe. Without looking at Ling Chen, she went straight to the bed,y down, put her hands together, and rested her cheeks on them, her eyes slightly closed.


    "Xiyao, can I start now?"


    "Mm," Liu Xiyao responded softly.


    At that moment, Ling Chen lifted her scattered hair away from her back, then grabbed the corners of the bathrobe and pulled it down from her fragrant shoulders to her waist, revealing her smooth, fair back.


    Feeling the coolness on her back, Liu Xiyao¡¯s eyshes trembled slightly. She pursed her lips, her body involuntarily tensed, and a blush appeared on her cheeks. Fortunately, she was lying on the bed, so Ling Chen did not notice her expression change.


    Looking at the soft and delicate back, Ling Chen couldn¡¯t help swallowing. Although a doctor should maintain a parental mindset, staying calm was not easy in the presence of such a stunning beauty. Especially since Liu Xiyao lying on the bed caused her bosom to bepressed, revealing two half spheres, a silent temptation that was hard to resist.


    He took a deep breath, trying to calm himself down. However, his peripheral vision couldn¡¯t help but nce at those slightly protruding mounds.


    "Have you...not started yet?"


    Hearing Liu Xiyao¡¯s voice, Ling Chen immediately regained hisposure, cleared his throat lightly, and said, "Starting right away."


    With that, he ced his hand gently on her back.


    Touching her skin, Ling Chen felt a stirring in his heart. It was clear that Liu Xiyao took great care of her skin, which was very soft and smooth, offering a delightful touch.


    Feeling his caress, Liu Xiyao¡¯s body trembled slightly, a faint blush emerging on the surface of her skin, making her even more enticing.


    "Xiyao, don¡¯t be nervous; rx your body a bit."


    "Mm." Liu Xiyao breathed out through her nose, trying to rx her body, but the warmth from Ling Chen¡¯s hand made it hard for her to do so.


    This was the first man to have such intimate contact with her; how could she not be nervous? Although she wanted to rx, her body seemed to resist hermands.


    Seeing this, Ling Chen extended both hands, cing them on her delicate back, gently kneading.


    His sudden gesture left Liu Xiyao caught off bnce, her blushing cheeks buried between her arms, not daring to lift her head.


    What...what is he doing? Wasn¡¯t he supposed to perform acupuncture?


    In that moment, Liu Xiyao¡¯s mind became utterly chaotic, she had lost her usualposure.


    Lost in wild thoughts, she suddenly felt a wave of warmth prating her skin, seeping into her body, which felt veryfortable. Unconsciously, her body gradually rxed, her eyes closed, peacefully enjoying Ling Chen¡¯s touch. Before long, her breathing steadied, and she even fell asleep.


    Ling Chen smiled slightly, it seemed his technique worked fairly well.


    Over an hour passed, and the sleeping Liu Xiyao finally woke up. She opened her eyes to find herself covered with a bathrobe and a velvet nket, and the room was void of Ling Chen¡¯s presence.


    At that moment, she noticed from the corner of her eye a note left beside the pillow by Ling Chen.


    Looking at the note and the additional velvet nket on her, she lifted the corners of her mouth slightly, revealing a captivating smile.


    When he returned to thepany, it was exactly five-thirty.


    By the time Ling Chen arrived at the Chairman¡¯s office, Zhong Wei, Tang Yuan, and Liang Zhao Hui had already arrived and were ready to escort Nanrong Wanqing downstairs.


    Seeing him appear, Liang Zhao Hui and Tang Yuan instantly red at him, their faces filled with grudges. They were fined two hundred dors because of him during the previous card game.


    Ling Chen ignored them both, pushing Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s wheelchair into the elevator.


    "What were you doing just now?" Nanrong Wanqing suddenly asked while the elevator was descending.


    Ling Chen looked at Zhong Wei and Tang Yuan beside him, only to realize they did not react, then he came to understand that Nanrong Wanqing was asking him.


    "Nothing, just went out for a bit."


    Tang Yuan, with a smile, leaned close to his ear and whispered, "It was about a woman, wasn¡¯t it?"


    "Nonsense."


    "You still deny it, the scent of perfume has already betrayed you."


    "Perfume scent?" Ling Chen was slightly startled, hurriedly lifted his own sleeve, indeed there was a faint fragrance.


    "Did you go see Liu Xiyao?"


    Hearing Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s question, Ling Chen was slightly surprised; how did she know he went to see Liu Xiyao? He hadn¡¯t said anything. Hesitating for a moment, he couldn¡¯t help but ask: "How did you know I went to see her?"


    "The perfume on you is Biyang, three hundred dors per ounce. A woman who can afford this kind of perfume is not only wealthy but also has taste. I heard at a dinner party that you were a nominal shareholder of Qingyuan Club, so it wasn¡¯t hard to guess."


    Tsk tsk!


    He didn¡¯t expect this woman to be so observant, deducing whom he had seen just by the residual scent of perfume on him. Not to be a detective would be a waste.


    "Chairman, do you know President Liu?"


    Nanrong Wanqing nodded gently, "She and Lin are friends. Speaking of which, she is also a pitiful woman." Her tone bore some emotion and a hint of sigh, seemingly with a touch of sympathy.

 Chapter 103 - 102 Pity for the Poor Person

    <h4>Chapter 103: Chapter 102 Pity for the Poor Person</h4><h4></h4>


    Pity?


    Indeed, when reflecting upon it, this exceptionally beautiful woman was secretly schemed against.


    However, Ling Chen was rather surprised to hear such wordsing from Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s mouth. For in others¡¯ eyes, it was Nanrong Wanqing, with her disabled legs, who was seen as the pitiful one. Yet, even Nanrong Wanqing felt sympathy for Liu Xiyao, suggesting that Liu Xiyao¡¯s plight was even more sorrowful than her own.


    "Chairwoman, you say President Liu is pitiful, there must be a reason, right?"


    "She didn¡¯t tell you?"


    "No."


    "Since she herself is unwilling to speak, why should an outsider like me gossip?" Nanrong Wanqing shook her head, clearly disinclined to continue the topic.


    ...


    Night fell.


    After dinner, Ling Chen drove to see Hu Fei. Hu Fei¡¯s injuries were severe, and his mobility was limited; he could only lie in bed all day. As he couldn¡¯t eat solid food yet and was limited to liquids, Ling Chen made it a point to prepare the next day¡¯s meals every evening to prevent that guy from starving to death.


    "Hey, Ling Chen, have you found that bastard Snake King yet?" Hu Fei took a sip of water to moisten his throat before asking.


    "Looking for him is your job, I don¡¯t have so much time to waste on him."


    "How am I supposed to search in my condition?"


    "That¡¯s not my problem, figure it out yourself." As he spoke, Ling Chen seemed to recall something, "By the way, fatso, there¡¯s one more thing, the person who hired Snake King to kill Nanrong Wanqingst time, was it Nanrong Gang?"


    Hu Fei immediately shook his head: "I can¡¯t say that, it would break the rules."


    Ling Chen gave a half-smile: "You¡¯re talking about rules to me? Believe it or not, if I don¡¯te tomorrow, you¡¯ll starve to death here?"


    "You..."


    "Cut the crap, just tell me if it was him or not."


    "I don¡¯t know."


    "Hmm?" Ling Chen¡¯s gaze skimmed sideways, and Hu Fei quickly added, "I really don¡¯t know, the employer hired me anonymously. I provided a bank ount, and they directly transferred the money into it. They also used a public phone to contact me and even disguised their voice, so I have no clue who that person is."


    Ling Chen nodded, he knew Hu Fei¡¯s character well enough, either he would speak or keep silent, he would never deceive him on this matter.


    "How about this, help me look into this Nanrong Gang person, probably in his sixties or seventies, should have been a local before."


    Hu Fei¡¯s eyes rolled, and with a slyugh, he said, "As the saying goes, even brothers settle ounts clearly, this money..."


    Ling Chen replied irritably, "As long as you find the person, money is no object."


    "Okay, since you¡¯ve said so, I¡¯ll definitely sort it out for you. The Secret Society mayck in other areas, but our ability to find people is absolutely top-notch."


    "I¡¯ll await your good news."


    Upon returning to the Nanrong home, Ling Chen parked the car, preparing to head inside. However, at this moment, he noticed a silver Mercedes parked at the door. Judging by the license te, it didn¡¯t belong to the Nanrong family¡ªhad visitors arrived?


    As he approached the vi, he pushed open the door and stepped inside. Suddenly, he saw several people sitting in the living room: Nanrong Wanqing, Su Lin, and a handsome man¡ªZhu Hong. Besides the three of them, there were also two foreigners with blond hair and blue eyes, dressed in sleek suits, both of imposing stature.


    "Oh, we have a guest at home." Ling Chen grinned, "You guys chat, I¡¯ll head back to my room and won¡¯t disturb you."


    Seeing Ling Chen walking towards the bedroom next to the living room, Zhu Hong¡¯s face changed instantly, and he turned to say, "Wanqing, he... he lives here?"


    "Yup."


    "How is that okay? He¡¯s a grown man living here; it¡¯s so inconvenient for you."


    "It¡¯s fine," Su Lin took over the conversation, "We¡¯ve gotten used to it."


    Zhu Hong continued to persuade her, "Wanqing, I don¡¯t mean anything by it, it¡¯s just... after all, he is an outsider, I worry about your safety."


    Hearing this, Su Lin couldn¡¯t help but retort, "Zhu Hong, I don¡¯t like what you just said. Ling Chen has been brought by the Nanrong family to protect us. Could he possibly harm us? Moreover, Ling Chen has saved Wanqing several times."


    Nanrong Wanqing spoke indifferently, "It was grandpa¡¯s decision for Ling Chen to stay here. I have no right to change it." After speaking, she turned her head to the two foreign men with blonde hair and blue eyes, "You haven¡¯t introduced these two gentlemen to me yet."


    "Oh, I almost forgot." Zhu Hong stood up with a smile, "Wanqing, let me introduce them to you. This is Mr. Stephen, and this is Mr. Nock. Both of them are medical professors from Boyang Company and authorities in the world of medicine. I invited them over from abroad this time to take a look at your leg injury. Wanqing, I know you¡¯ve seen many doctors before, but those people are noparison to these two. I discussed your condition with them over the phone before, and they think you have a sixty percent chance of recovery."


    "Really?" Nanrong Wanqing was very calm and did not get excited by Zhu Hong¡¯s words.


    The greater the hope, the bigger the disappointment. Over the years, too many people had given her hope, only to end in disappointment. Therefore, she didn¡¯t want to go through that disappointment again.


    Seeing her reaction, how could Zhu Hong not understand her thoughts, he said softly, "Wanqing, I know you¡¯ve been very disappointed with those quacks domestically, but trust me, there won¡¯t be any issues this time. If you don¡¯t mind, I can have them take a look for you."


    Nanrong Wanqing nodded slightly, "Then I¡¯ll trouble the two of you."


    Thereupon, with Su Lin¡¯s help, Nanrong Wanqing sat down on the sofa, resting her legs t. Stephen and Nock stood on either side, pinching her calves and asionally tapping them. During the examination, the two continuously conversed in English, seemingly discussing the treatment n.


    "Miss Nanrong, we need to conduct further examinations on your leg to ascertain the exact condition; if it¡¯s convenient, could you go to the hospital tomorrow?" Stephen asked in not so fluent Chinese.


    "Okay."


    "Wanqing, then have a good rest tonight, I¡¯ll apany you to the hospital tomorrow."


    Nanrong Wanqing declined, "There¡¯s no need to trouble you."


    "How about this, I¡¯ll wait for you at the hospital, it¡¯s settled then." After speaking, Zhu Hong left with the two doctors towards the door.


    Before leaving, he nced at Ling Chen¡¯s bedroom, a shade of coldness fleeting across his eyes.


    Leaving the Nanrong Family¡¯s house, Zhu Hong and Stephen got into the car, slowly merging onto the road.


    "Stephen, are you confident you can cure her?"


    "Mr. Zhu, her condition is quiteplicated, and with the current medical technology, it¡¯s difficult for aplete recovery, but..."


    "But what?"


    "If we can use the new drug developed by ourpany, it shouldn¡¯t be a problem."


    "New drug?" Zhu Hong¡¯s eyes sharpened, "You mean... that drug?"


    "Yes. Mr. Zhu, you have seen the effects of that drug yourself. If we can get approval for that drug, I am one hundred percent confident. However, I feel that the higher-ups won¡¯t permit the use of that medicine on a woman who is unrted."


    Zhu Hong said coldly, "You don¡¯t need to worry about that, I will consult with the higher authorities. As long as her legs can be healed, my status in her heart will surely skyrocket. By then, what I want will be well within reach."

 Chapter 104 - 103: Detection

    <h4>Chapter 104: Chapter 103: Detection</h4><h4></h4>


    The next day.


    Today is Saturday, thepany is on holiday, and Ling Chen got up early in the morning, stretchedzily, and then visited Nanrong Hao¡¯s vi to check on his training situation.


    In terms of martial arts training, Nanrong Hao is quite self-disciplined, needing no constant supervision from him. Nanrong Hao starts training at five o¡¯clock every morning, and Ling Chen only needs to drop by asionally to give some guidance, without having to worry about anything else.


    By eight-thirty, after having breakfast at Nanrong Hao¡¯s house, Ling Chen set off to go back. Last night, Nanrong Wanqing had already informed him that she was going to the hospital today for a check-up with two doctors.


    Leaving Nanrong Hao¡¯s vi, Ling Chen was walking alone on the road when he suddenly heard water sounds from nearby. Turning his head, he saw Su Lin in a sexy bikini, swimming back and forth in the pool.


    Although it¡¯s already autumn, the temperature was still quite hot, around thirty degrees. It was a perfect weather for swimming.


    At that moment, Su Lin emerged from the water, gently shaking her long hair, looking like a goddess emerging from the water, stunningly beautiful and delicate, making Ling Chen couldn¡¯t help but take a few more nces.


    "Hey, do you want to join?" Su Lin noticed Ling Chen by the pool and actively invited him.


    Ling Chen waved his hand and said, "You enjoy yourself, I¡¯m not interested."


    Instead of swimming, he preferred to stay on the side and admire Su Lin¡¯s figure. Tsk tsk, really, this girl¡¯s figure is first-rate; any more would seem too plump, any less would seem too skinny, definitely a golden ratio. Especially the fullness in front of her chest, under her sexy bikini, revealing the snowy white semispheres, was even more enticing.


    Remembering thest time he personally touched Su Lin¡¯s soft body, his heart heated up.


    "Ling Chen."


    "Uh, what is it?"


    "Song Yuan dropped out."


    Song Yuan? An image of that charming woman instantly appeared in Ling Chen¡¯s mind.


    "What does her dropping out have to do with me?"


    "Nothing, I just wanted to thank you for helping mest time."


    "No need to be polite. By the way, has Qin Yang bothered you again?"


    "Now whenever he sees me, he takes a detour, doesn¡¯t dare to confront me. Actually, I know that he secretly orchestrated everythingst time, but I don¡¯t want to waste energy on settling scores with him. In my eyes, he¡¯s already a stranger now. It¡¯s just pitiful for Song Yuan, thinking she found a good man, but ended up taking the me for him and ruining her reputation."


    Ling Chen slightly smiled, they say beauty without brains, but this girl is quite smart, able to see through the truth of the matter.


    "To be a person, you still have to learn to be broad-minded, no need to fuss over every little thing."


    Hearing this, Su Lin lifted her head slightly, a charming smile curling on her lips, "I don¡¯t know who once called me narrow-minded."


    Uh... Ling Chen gave a dryugh, realizing he was the one who had said that.


    "Well... The chairman is going outter, I need to prepare for that, you enjoy yourself." Having said that, he quickly ran into the house.


    Just after nine o¡¯clock in the morning, under the escort of Ling Chen and others, Nanrong Wanqing and her group arrived at City People¡¯s Hospital.


    Upon reaching the hospital entrance, Zhu Hong was already there waiting with Stephen and Nn.


    "Wanqing."


    Seeing Nanrong Wanqing appearing outside the door, Zhu Hong¡¯s smile instantly brightened as he strode forward in a few quick steps, making a gesture to take over Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s wheelchair.


    Ling Chen extended a hand to block him, "Mr. Zhu, there¡¯s no need for you to bother with such heavy tasks."


    Zhu Hong¡¯s eyes flickered slightly, but his smile remained unchanging as he softly said, "Wanqing, the hospital equipment is all ready. Stephen and the others will help you with the examination shortly."


    "Mm." Nanrong Wanqing gently nodded. "Thank you for the trouble."


    "There¡¯s no need for such formalities between us; whatever I do for you is only right."


    Listening to these overly sharine words, Ling Chen involuntarily shivered.


    Upon reaching the third floor of the hospital, the corridor was eerily quiet, devoid of people. Before their arrival, Zhu Hong had already informed the hospital to clear the third floor. Ling Chen couldn¡¯t afford to be careless and made a gesture to everyone. Tang Yuan and the others immediately understood and began to check each room and office. Soon, Tang Yuan turned back and gave him a ¡¯no problem¡¯ look.


    As they neared the equipment room, Stephen, who was leading the way, stopped and said to Ling Chen, "Mr. Ling, you don¡¯t need to follow any further. Too many people might disturb the doctors. I can apany Wanqing inside; you guys just wait outside."


    Just as Ling Chen was about to speak, he heard Nanrong Wanqing say, "Ling Chen, you guys stay."


    Seeing her speak, Ling Chen simply held back furtherments and handed the wheelchair to Zhu Hong. After watching the four of them enter, Ling Chen sat down on the bench in the hallway, striking up a casual conversation with Tang Yuan.


    Meanwhile, inside the equipment room, Stephen had already donned a whiteb coat. He wielded a syringe filled with medicine and approached Nanrong Wanqing, saying, "Miss Nanrong, please roll up your sleeve."


    Nanrong Wanqing did not move but stared at the syringe in his hand, "What is this for?"


    "Miss Nanrong, please be assured, this is just a medicinal agent used to assist in the examination. It won¡¯t harm your body."


    Zhu Hong added from the side, "Wanqing, trust Dr. Stephen; he is an authority in this field and wouldn¡¯t deceive you. Besides, with me here, don¡¯t you trust me?"


    Hearing this, Nanrong Wanqing gently nodded, then rolled up her sleeve, revealing her pale and smooth arm.


    After the injection, Nanrong Wanqing leaned back in her wheelchair, suddenly feeling a blur before her eyes as her consciousness gradually fogged. She slightly opened her mouth, wanting to speak, but soon realized she was too weak even to talk.


    In a drowsy haze, she faintly heard Stephen¡¯s voice near her ear, "Miss Nanrong, rx, nothing will happen."


    Watching Nanrong Wanqing slip into unconsciousness, Zhu Hong breathed a sigh of relief and said, "Stephen, hurry up, lest the people outside be suspicious."


    "Yes."


    Stephen responded. With Nn¡¯s assistance, they ced Nanrong Wanqing on a hospital bed and connected various devices to her body. Meanwhile, Zhu Hong pulled a suitcase from under the bed and ced it on the table.


    Opening the suitcase revealed aplete set of medical supplies, including a small device.


    He took out a syringe, approached Nanrong Wanqing, gently pricked her hand, and drew two milliliters of blood. Then, he returned to the suitcase, injected the blood into a test tube, and mixed in an unknown chemical, gently shaking it.


    Once the color of the blood lightened, he opened the device in the suitcase and ced the test tube inside.


    Minutes passed, and soon a light ¡¯ding¡¯ sounded, and a number, ny-four, immediately appeared on the device¡¯s disy.


    "Mr. Zhu, how is the test result?"


    Stephen¡¯s voice came through, and Zhu Hong, looking at the data on the device, frowned slightly, "Stephen, isn¡¯t this value too high?"

 Chapter 105 - 104 Western Medicine

    <h4>Chapter 105: Chapter 104 Western Medicine</h4><h4></h4>


    Stephen quickly walked up to him, and as he saw the data disyed on the equipment, his expression changed abruptly.


    "94? It¡¯s that high? The people we¡¯ve tested before generally scored between 60 and 70, and those over 80 are few and far between, let alone reaching 90."


    "What do you think would happen if we injected her with the new drug?"


    "The higher the data, the better the fusion with the drug. Given her condition, if we inject our new drug, not only could she regain the use of her legs, she might even..." Stephen paused and nced at the figure of Nanrong Wanqing on the hospital bed, speaking softly, "Mr. Zhu, we have never tested this new drug on a woman before. This woman¡¯s data is so high; she could be a prime test subject. In my opinion, we should perhaps..."


    "Shut up." Zhu Hong said coldly, "Stephen, remember my words, she is not a test subject, she is the woman I¡¯m going to be with in the future. You¡¯d better not harbor any thoughts about her, got it?"


    "Yes, I¡¯ll remember that." Stephen quickly lowered his head, a fleeting strange light shing through his blue eyes.


    "Alright, once the examination is finished, wake her up immediately."


    Time passed by, second by second.


    In the hallway, Ling Chen checked his phone, Nanrong Wanqing had already been inside for nearly an hour.


    It¡¯s just a checkup; why is it taking so long.


    Thinking this, he stood up and walked to the door that was tightly shut, reaching out to knock. However, before his hand could touch it, the door opened from the inside.


    Seeing Nanrong Wanqing being wheeled out by Zhu Hong, Ling Chen reached out to take over the wheelchair, asking, "Chairman, how did it go?"


    Zhu Hong smiled, "Wanqing¡¯s leg injury isn¡¯t a big issue. Just now, Dr. Stephen said he is 70% confident he can cure her." His gaze softened as he looked at Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s delicate features. "I¡¯ve said before that I will make sure you can stand up. I never go back on my word."


    "Thank you." Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s lips curved slightly, revealing a faint smile, her bright eyes filled with excitement.


    Ever since her legs had be disabled, she had seen countless doctors but none had confidently told her that her legs could be cured. However, Stephen¡¯s words had rekindled hope in her heart.


    "Wanqing, keep this bottle of medicine safe, take one after dinner every day, and persist for a month." Zhu Hong handed her a transparent bottle filled with white pills the size of fingernails.


    Zhong Wei nced at it and asked, "What medicine is this?"


    "Dr. Stephen is nning to perform surgery in two months, these pills can improve Wanqing¡¯s constitution, consider it a pre-surgical preparation. Don¡¯t worry, this medicine has no side effects."


    Zhong Wei nodded, took the bottle, and stashed it in his pocket.


    Back at the Nanrong Family home, Ling Chen patted Zhong Wei on the shoulder, "Captain Zhong, that bottle of medicine from earlier, let me take a look."


    Without suspicion, Zhong Wei casually tossed the medicine into his hands and said, "You¡¯re living with the Chairman, from now on the Chairman¡¯s medication is your responsibility."


    "No problem."


    In the room, Ling Chen shook the medicine bottle in his hand, then opened the cap, poured out a pill, and sniffed it close to his nose.


    However, he had studied traditional Chinese medicine and never delved into Western medicine, so he didn¡¯t know much about this kind of drug. Since he was convinced something was off with Zhu Hong, he wouldn¡¯t let Nanrong Wanqing take such medicine casually.


    After some thought, he took out his phone and dialed a number.


    Dial tone... Dial tone...


    "Hello?"


    Hearing the voice on the other end of the phone, Ling Chen¡¯s face immediately brightened with a smile, "Xiaozhu, what are you up to?"


    "I¡¯m not doing much, just reading at home. I heard you¡¯re back at the Nanrong Family, is everything okay?"


    "What can go wrong with me? Anyway, when will you be back in East Sea City?"


    "Maybe in a week. What¡¯s up?"


    "I need your help with something. You¡¯re a professional in medicine, I have some Western medicine here that I¡¯d like you to check out, to see if there¡¯s anything wrong with it."


    "I seldom study Western medicine, how about this - I¡¯ll introduce a friend to you, an expert in that field, he¡¯s actually in East Sea City. I¡¯ll give him a call in a bit, you can go straight to him."


    "Alright, that¡¯ll be great, I¡¯ll treat you to a meal next time Ie over."


    After the call, it didn¡¯t take long for Zhu Xiaozhu to send over a message with the doctor¡¯s address and phone number.


    Ling Chen packed his things and made his way to Tang Yuan¡¯s room. Upon entering, he saw him on the phone, his face serious, and Ling Chen knew without asking he was contacting headquarters.


    Seeing hime in, Tang Yuan whispered a few words before hanging up disgruntledly, "You couldn¡¯t knock before entering?"


    "What¡¯s there to be afraid of, do you think I might overhear some secret?"


    "Out with it, what do you want?"


    "What, I need a reason to visit you?"


    "Fine, fine, I won¡¯t beat around the bush with you, I have to go out. Oh, by the way, are you free tomorrow?"


    "What for?"


    "Don¡¯t ask so many questions, you¡¯ll get a call from me, we¡¯re going to meet someone."


    Ling Chen was curious, "There are people in East Sea City both of us know?"


    "Don¡¯t ask too much," Tang Yuan said impatiently. "Why the endless questions? I¡¯m leaving!" With that, he fished a briefcase from under the bed and left the room.


    This guy... Ling Chen shook his head with a smile, thinking he was certainly up to some ¡¯bad business.¡¯


    Since he had originally nned to ask Tang Yuan to apany him to see the doctor but Tang Yuan was busy, he had to go alone.


    The next day.


    Shortly after noon, Ling Chen received a call from Tang Yuan. Remembering the arrangement from the previous day, he promptly said goodbye to Nanrong Wanqing and headed to the door alone.


    Once in the car, Ling Chen nced at Tang Yuan in the passenger seat and asked, "Where to?"


    "Qingyun Martial Arts Hall."


    "Oh... Huh?" Ling Chen paused for a moment, "Why are we going to the Martial Arts Academy?"


    He secretly wondered if they were going to meet He Ziyun.


    "Once we get there, you¡¯ll know."


    Seeing Tang Yuan wouldn¡¯t say more, Ling Chen, filled with curiosity, slowly drove onto the road.


    Half an hourter, they arrived outside Qingyun Martial Arts Hall. Before they even got out of the car, Ling Chen¡¯s eyes were already narrowed.


    Currently, there were two Hongqi sedans parked outside the Martial Arts Hall. The cars themselves weren¡¯t special, but their license tes were, ending in 003 and 002; clearly, government-issue tes.


    In addition, there were eight men in suits standing at the entrance, each with an earpiece and a bulge at their waists, obviously carrying guns.


    From the looks of it, it seemed a VIP was visiting Qingyun Martial Arts Hall.


    Upon their arrival, a few of the suited men immediately walked over, positioning themselves in front of the driver and front passenger doors.


    Follow current novels on freewe(b)novel.c(o)m

 Chapter 106 - 105: Ghost Leader

    <h4>Chapter 106: Chapter 105: Ghost Leader</h4><h4></h4>


    "You should know what to do."


    With that, Tang Yuan pushed open the car door and stepped out first.


    Once out of the car, Ling Chen spread his arms and stood there honestly, allowing the other party to inspect his body. After confirming there were no issues, a man in a suit spoke a few words through his headset before someone inside the Martial Arts Academy finally opened the gate.


    Stepping into the Martial Arts Academy, Ling Chen looked around, and saw four or five men in suits in the spacious courtyard. When he saw one of them, his expression suddenly paused. At that moment, the person also noticed him and shed a faint smile, nodding at him.


    At this moment, Ling Chen finally knew who hade.


    The man in the suit was his former teammate; even he was serving as security, which naturally revealed the significant identity of the person involved.


    Thinking of this, he couldn¡¯t help but give Tang Yuan a re, "Old Tang, why didn¡¯t you tell me earlier? I should have prepared a gift. Showing up empty-handed is rather embarrassing."


    "Forget it, the General isn¡¯t swayed by such gestures."


    During their conversation, the two had already entered the main hall.


    In the principal seat of the great hall, sat two elders, one was He Ziyun, and the other was the General he had just mentioned. Next to the General stood a middle-aged man called Han Bing, the General¡¯s capable assistant.


    Seeing the focus of the three inside the room was on him, Ling Chen grinned, "General, Mr. Han, long time no see."


    The General humphed slightly, speaking without a smile, "Has it been that long? I hardly feel it."


    Ling Chen smiled awkwardly, standing obediently aside. Usually carefree and not taking others seriously, he dared not show any disrespect in front of this General.


    The man known as General was Qiao Zhen, the chief in charge of the Ghost Organization, having led the Ghost for decades and serving as a secret hero of the nation.


    He was curious why Qiao Zhen hade to Qingyun Martial Arts Hall; did he know He Ziyun?


    "Alright, don¡¯t just stand there, everybody sit down."


    "General, even Mr. Han is standing; how can I dare to sit? I¡¯d better stand."


    Qiao Zhen nodded in approval, "You do know some manners. Alright, there are no outsiders here; don¡¯t be so formal, everyone sit down."


    Hearing this, Ling Chen hurriedly moved a chair in front of Han Bing, smiling broadly, "Mr. Han, please take a seat."


    Han Bing chuckled and pped him on the shoulder, "You¡¯re still the same old you."


    Ling Chen nced at the General, then leaned close to Han Bing, whispering, "Mr. Han, how did the General end up here?"


    "You¡¯ll find out soon."


    As they spoke, Qiao Zhen ordered, "Tang Yuan, go close the door. Without my permission, no one is allowed in."


    "Yes."


    Tang Yuan quickly shut the door, then stood straight at the entrance.


    "Ling Chen."


    "General, what are your orders?"


    "Are you wondering why I came to East Sea City, and why Tang Yuan summoned you here?"


    Ling Chen quickly smiled, "The General must have his reasons."


    "Ha, thest time you resisted my persuasion to retire from the military forcibly, I have been quite upset since. I initially didn¡¯t want to see you, but your luck is good; old Chief values you, thus I called you here."


    "The Old Chief?" Ling Chen was briefly taken aback, before turning his gaze towards He Ziyun. In the room, the oldest figured was He Ziyun. He was a chief? Was he previously a high-ranking military official?


    For a moment, his mind was filled with doubts.


    He Ziyun smiled slightly, "Ling Chen, you must be curious about my identity. To be honest, many years ago, I too was a member of the Ghost, so I knew about your role early on."


    "What?" Ling Chen¡¯s eyes widened, hardly believing that this old man was also a member of the Ghost.


    "Old Chief, you misspoke," Qiao Zhen corrected, "You weren¡¯t just a member of the Ghost, you single-handedly established the organization."


    Hearing their conversation, Ling Chen felt his head spinning.


    He Ziyun was the founder of the Ghost? This information was explosive. He had spected about He Ziyun¡¯s background before, believing his identity to be extraordinary, but he never imagined it was to such an extent.


    "Ling Chen, I was brought up by the Old Chief. Without the Old Chief, there would be no Qiao Zhen today. When you see the Old Chief, you should show respect, do you hear?"


    "General, what are you saying, when have I ever been disrespectful to Mr. He?"


    Han Bing interjected, "Both Chiefs, let¡¯s set these idle talks aside for now and focus on the urgent matter. We need to catch a ne back to Beijing."


    "Yes," Qiao Zhen nodded, "Ling Chen, even though you left the Ghost, your past contributions cannot be denied. You are, without doubt, one of the most formidable members of the Ghost. I called you here hoping you could help us with an issue."


    "General, just say the word, I won¡¯t hesitate as long as I¡¯m able to assist."


    Seeing Qiao Zhen, he knew the matter wouldn¡¯t be trivial. Otherwise, Qiao Zhen wouldn¡¯t have casually summoned him, a retired Ghost member. During his time in the Ghost, he had received much care from the General. Last time he retired, his biggest regret was letting down the General, because he knew well that thetter valued him highly and intended for him to be the sessor to the Ghost.


    If the General was now asking for his help, it would be unjust to refuse.


    "Good, I knew you¡¯d never let me down. Han Bing, fill him in on the situation."


    "Yes. Ling Chen, there was a night attack at Qingyun Martial Arts Hall recently, targeting Old Leader and Little Hua. You were there too, and you¡¯ve seen their equipment and professionalism. I can tell you, they are not from any international terrorist group but belong to a secretive organization. In terms of secrecy, they match up to the Ghost."


    "Mr. Han, are you saying the Ghost couldn¡¯t trace them?"


    "No, we have traced them," Qiao Zhen interjected, "As long as thirty or forty years ago, we discovered their existence. At the time, the Old Leader established the Ghost merely to destroy them. Fortunately, we seeded. After more than a decade of covert warfare, we sessfully destroyed their base, their leaders either dead or fled, and some were captured by us and imprisoned indefinitely in a dark, sunless cell."


    Hearing this, Ling Chen quickly reacted, "General, you mentioned thirty or forty years ago, does this mean that organization has resurged?"

 Chapter 107 - 106 God Organization

    <h4>Chapter 107: Chapter 106 God Organization</h4><h4></h4>


    "Correct." Qiao Zhen nodded, a serious expression on his face. At this point, he nced at Tang Yuan at the door and said, "You go out first."


    "Yes." Without a second word, Tang Yuan turned around, pushed the door, and left without hesitation.


    Ling Chen¡¯s thoughts whirled, a hint of gravity adding to his gaze. The fact that the old general had sent Tang Yuan out indicated that what he was about to say was not only important but also very secret.


    "Ling Chen." Qiao Zhen slowly began, unusually not calling him ¡¯kid¡¯ but instead using his name, "I think you must be curious as to why Ghost members around the age of thirty are forced to retire and then we vigorously nurture neers. I believe you¡¯re not the only one; others must wonder the same."


    As soon as these words came out, Ling Chen couldn¡¯t help but sit up straight. He could feel that he was about to encounter the greatest secret of Ghost Organization.


    "Regarding this matter, we..."


    "Old General." Ling Chen suddenly interrupted Qiao Zhen, saying, "Before you speak, I have a question I need to be clear about."


    "What question?"


    "I am now retired, and by all ounts, should not know so much about Ghost¡¯s secrets. By telling me these things now, don¡¯t tell me you want me to rejoin Ghost?" Ling Chen said.


    Though he was curious about the secrets, he was equally concerned. He respected the old general, but he yearned for freedom more and did not want to be tied to Ghost Organization forever because of this matter. So, before Qiao Zhen spoke, he wanted to ask clearly.


    At this, Han Bing couldn¡¯t help butugh, "You kid... as sharp as ever. Don¡¯t worry, the old general has already made himself very clear just now; he¡¯s only asking for your help, not wanting you to return to Ghost. As long as you settle this matter, you can do whatever you want afterward, we will never interfere with your life."


    Ling Chen secretly breathed a sigh of relief, that was exactly what he wanted to hear. Now that he had left, he had no desire to return.


    "Do you have any more questions, kid?"


    Feeling Qiao Zhen¡¯s displeased gaze, Ling Chen gave a dryugh, "No more. Old General, please continue."


    "The Ghost Organization is not a single entity, but ratherposed of two organizations. Aside from the code name Ghost, there is another secret organization with higher authority than Ghost, code-named Lonely Wolf. It is the ultimate secret of our country. Ghost serves as a ce to cultivate talent; when a member passes a series of assessments and meets the standards, we will force them to leave Ghost and join Lonely Wolf."


    So that was it.


    Qiao Zhen¡¯s words finally made it clear to Ling Chen. He had always wondered why members of Ghost were forced to leave just as they were entering their golden years. All the reasonsid here.


    Lonely Wolf, had he not chosen to retire earlier, perhaps there would have been a ce for him in Lonely Wolf as well.


    "Although Lonely Wolf¡¯s authority is higher than Ghost¡¯s, Ghost is the organization that was created first." He Ziyun, who had been silent for a long time, spoke up, "The purpose of establishing Ghost was to counter the mysterious organization that we referred to earlier, code-named G, which likes to consider themselves as God Organization."


    "God Organization?"


    Ling Chen murmured to himself. Those guys dare to aspire, actuallyparing themselves to God, thus showing their boundless ambition.


    "For more than a decade, Ghost and God Organization have fought fiercely, sacrificing countless people to destroy their base. However, the centipede dies but never falls. Although their headquarters were destroyed, a section of their high ranks escaped. They are hiding around the world, still engaging in illegal activities. Since then, I have proposed the Lonely Wolf n, which is specifically responsible for cleaning up the remnants of God Organization."


    Qiao Zhen took over the conversation, "After years of effort, we thought the remnants of God Organization had beenpletely eliminated, but it now appears they have risen again."


    Ling Chen confoundedly asked, "Old General, how can you be so sure it¡¯s them?"


    "Because they came for Mr. He and Little Hua, just this point alone is enough to reveal their identity."


    "Old General, Mr. He is the founder of Ghost, it¡¯s not strange those people are seeking revenge on him, but what does this have to do with Little Hua? She¡¯s just a little girl, she wasn¡¯t even born when Ghost eradicated God Organization."


    Qiao Zhen and He Ziyun exchanged nces, saying, "You don¡¯t need to know about Little Hua¡¯s situation for now; I will naturally tell you when the timees. All in all, God Organization¡¯s power has prated into East Sea City. As to how deep they have infiltrated, we are still unclear, but one thing we can be sure of is, they will not stop at this. After two consecutive failures, they will continue to look for opportunities to act. In my opinion, it would be best for Mr. He to take Little Hua with me back to Beijing, where we can offer protection, but Mr. He rejected my proposal."


    "Why?" Ling Chen looked at He Ziyun in confusion.


    "Because we need clues." He Ziyun exined, "God Organization has revived from death, we must destroy them. Otherwise, the consequences are unimaginable. Ling Chen, you were once the most outstanding member of Ghost, but the severity of this matter exceeds your imagination. I¡¯m staying in East Sea City with Little Hua to present them a target. Only by drawing them out can we trace back and uncover the powers behind them and eradicate them in one fell swoop. The main reason we sought you out is because of your capabilities. Perhaps you yourself don¡¯t know, but in fact, you have already been involved in this matter."


    "Uh..." Ling Chen was stunned, "Have I?"


    Han Bing slightly smiled, "Of course. The Blood Wolf you killedst time was a member of God Organization, and also a very important one. In thest two years of your service in Ghost, we assigned you eleven assassination and intelligence gathering missions; the targets you assassinated were actually people from God Organization, though they were just small fry. The information you collected from them led us to Blood Wolf. You were given these missions because of the old general¡¯s trust in you. You were the only one who began to touch on God Organization before joining Lonely Wolf."


    Qiao Zhen said irately, "Originally, after dealing with Blood Wolf, I wanted to transfer you to Lonely Wolf, but you, you ungrateful kid, gave me attitude and mored for retirement, wasting all my good intentions."


    Ling Chen gave a sheepish smile and quickly changed the subject, "Old General, about that... when you asked me for help just now, did you mean you want me to ensure Mr. He¡¯s safety?"


    "That¡¯s part of it; it would be even better if you could find out those people¡¯s whereabouts in East Sea City. Han Bing, give him the item."


    "Yes." Han Bing stood up, took out a thick envelope from the briefcase he carried, and handed it to Ling Chen, "This is specially prepared for you by the old general, to facilitate your actions in the future."

 Chapter 108 - 107: Siblings

    <h4>Chapter 108: Chapter 107: Siblings</h4><h4></h4>


    Ling Chen didn¡¯t open it right away, just weighed it in his hand. Without opening it, he could guess what was inside. Right then, he unceremoniously stuffed the envelope into his jacket pocket.


    "General, is there anything else?"


    "You are currently working close to Nanrong Wanqing, right? I have a question for you," Qiao Zhen said seriously, "Do you know what Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s researchb is working on?"


    "This..." Ling Chen hesitated immediately. He was naturally aware of the secrets of the researchb, but the fact that Nanrong Wanqing had confided these secrets to him showed her trust in him. Revealing these secrets to others without Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s permission would be a betrayal of that trust.


    However, the one asking was the General, the person who had personally groomed him. If he didn¡¯t tell, he felt like he¡¯d be letting the General down.


    He felt troubled for a moment, unsure of what to choose.


    Qiao Zhen frowned and said, "What, is there something you can¡¯t say in front of me?"


    "No, General, I..."


    "Alright, since he doesn¡¯t want to talk about it, let¡¯s not push him any further," He Ziyun seemed to perceive Ling Chen¡¯s internal conflict and took the initiative to help him out, "Regardless of what Nanrong Wanqing¡¯sb is researching, the fact that it¡¯s attracted attention shows the importance of the subject. Ling Chen, with you by Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s side, I trust you will ensure her and theb¡¯s safety."


    With the elder leader speaking out, Qiao Zhen naturally did not press further.


    "By the way," Ling Chen seemed to recall something, "General, about Jiang Yang who died at thest banquet, did Tang Yuan tell you?"


    Han Bing nodded, "He¡¯s reported everything to me. Do you suspect that Zhu Hong is involved?"


    "Yes, I believe he had contact with the deceased."


    "Your suspicion is not wrong; after receiving Tang Yuan¡¯s intelligence, I immediately investigated Zhu Hong. However, his records from several years ago arepletely nk, as if he had vanished into thin air during that period. It was only a few months ago that he reappeared as the Asian head of Boyang Company. The General and I have discussed this, if Zhu Hong is a problem, then Boyang Company is definitely involved. However, Boyang Company is a foreign enterprise, headquartered abroad, outside our influence, and investigating them is troublesome. Besides, Boyang Company has substantial power and deep rtionships with political figures globally, we can¡¯t act rashly as it might cause diplomatic issues."


    After a pause, Han Bing continued, "Now that Boyang Company has opened a branch in East Sea City, you could take this opportunity to investigate them, see if you can find some valuable intelligence. I will have Tang Yuan give you his full support."


    "I understand."


    After interacting with Han Bing for so long, Ling Chen was very clear about what he meant by ¡¯investigate¡¯.


    It seems there will be exciting times ahead.


    After finishing the official business, they chatted casually for a while. Since Qiao Zhen had a flight to catch back to Beijing, he couldn¡¯t stay for long.


    Having seen Qiao Zhen off outside the Martial Arts Academy, Han Bing walked over to Ling Chen and whispered, "Kid, I heard you¡¯ve been in contact with Hu Fei?"


    Ling Chen touched his nose, knowing without asking that it must have been Tang Yuan who mentioned it.


    Han Bing patted his shoulder, "I mean no harm, just want to remind you to be cautious. Hu Fei is connected to the Secret Society, and you shouldn¡¯t get too involved with people like him."


    "Mr. Han, rest assured, I know what I¡¯m doing."


    "That¡¯s good. Alright, we should also be going, see you next time."


    "General, Mr. Han, have a safe journey." Ling Chen waved his hand, watching the two red-g sedans enter the road and gradually disappear from sight.


    Back at the Martial Arts Academy, he saw Little Hua poking her head out of the room. Seeing Ling Chen, her face lit up with joy, and she bounced over, wrapping her arms around Ling Chen¡¯s arm yfully, and said with a giggle, "Big brother, is that old man gone?"


    "Old man? You mean the General?" Ling Chen couldn¡¯t help butugh dryly; probably only this little girl dared to call the General an old man.


    "What, you don¡¯t like him?"


    Little Hua, touching her chubby cheeks and pouting, said, "He always pinches my face and treats me like a child, it¡¯s so annoying."


    "Aren¡¯t you a child?"


    "I..." As soon as the words left her mouth, Little Hua seemed to realize something and quickly closed her mouth, changing her tune: "I just don¡¯t like it. Big brother, are you staying overnight today?"


    Ling Chen patted her little head, "Nope, I still have things to do."


    While they were talking, He Ziyun came over.


    "Mr. He."


    After knowing He Ziyun¡¯s identity, Ling Chen¡¯s attitude became much more respectful. Being the founder of the spirits, this elderly man was definitely a national hero, a hero of the people.


    He Ziyun nodded, looking at Little Hua, he said, "Girl, go make me a cup of tea."


    "Oh." Little Hua obediently responded and swung her little hands as she went into the main hall.


    "Ling Chen, there¡¯s something I think I should tell you first."


    "Mr. He, please speak."


    "The Zhu Hong you mentioned earlier, hees from the Zhu Family in Beijing, not just him, Xiaozhu is also from the Zhu family, they are siblings, real siblings."


    "What?" Ling Chen was startled, hisplexion slightly changed. Although he knew that Zhu Xiaozhu and Zhu Hong had the same surname, he never thought about it in this way. After all, there are too many people with the same surname in the country.


    "I¡¯m telling you this not because I want you to be overly cautious. Xiaozhu is your friend, and I also consider her part of my family. But when facing major principles, we shouldn¡¯t merely act on personal feelings. If Zhu Hong really has issues, do what needs to be done, without having too many reservations. I tell you this only to remind you to be careful, try not to mention Zhu Hong in front of Xiaozhu."


    Ling Chen nodded," Mr. He, I understand what to do."


    "That¡¯s good. It¡¯s gettingte, if you have things to do, you can go ahead; I won¡¯t keep you."


    "Okay, then I¡¯ll head back now. Mr. He, take care of yourself, and call me if you need anything, I¡¯ll be ready."


    Leaving the Martial Arts Academy, Ling Chen drove, his brows slightly furrowed, still thinking about the rtionship between Zhu Hong and Zhu Xiaozhu. Before, he didn¡¯t need to think about anything; he just had to ept missions, execute them, andplete them. But now it was different; he was no longer a member of the spirits, he could decide for himself how to act.


    If Zhu Hong really had issues, he would indeed take action. When that time came, he didn¡¯t know how he would face Zhu Xiaozhu.


    Thinking about these things, he couldn¡¯t help feeling a bit of a headache.


    "What are you thinking about?" Tang Yuan, sitting in the passenger seat, asked, "It¡¯s been a long while, and you haven¡¯t said a word, this isn¡¯t like you."


    "Stop asking, the more questions, the worse it feels. By the way, apart from escorting the chairman to and from work, don¡¯t stay at thepany other times."


    "What for?"


    "Keep an eye on Zhu Hong, monitor his every move. I want to know who he has met with and what he has done."


    "Alright, you¡¯re my boss now, I¡¯ll do as you say."

 Chapter 109 - 108 Partners

    <h4>Chapter 109: Chapter 108 Partners</h4><h4></h4>


    Returning to the Nanrong Family home, Ling Chen walked alone into the bedroom, closed the door behind him, and then pulled out the envelope Han Bing had given him.


    He tore open the envelope and dumped all its contents onto the table. Inside the envelope was a cellphone, a key, and two red-covered documents. The phone was a touchscreen, and upon startup, it required fingerprint unlocking followed by a password.


    After pondering for a moment, Ling Chen entered a code he¡¯d used previously with Phantom. As expected, the phone immediately switched to the system interface.


    He opened the contacts list, which already had a number saved. Ling Chen memorized the number after looking it over twice, then deleted it from the phone.


    Securing the phone, Ling Chen pocketed the two red-covered documents and hung the key on his own keychain.


    With everything packed away, there was a knock on the bedroom door.


    "Who is it?"


    "Brother Chen, it¡¯s me."


    Ling Chen got up and opened the door to see Nanrong Hao outside, and asked, "Do you need something?"


    "Brother Chen, we have a guest at home. He wishes to see you."


    Ling Chen¡¯s eyes flickered in recognition of whom Nanrong Hao referred to. He closed the door and followed Nanrong Hao to the next vi over.


    As soon as he entered, he saw Jiang Hao approaching quickly with a smile, saying, "Brother Chen." As he spoke, he opened his arms, intending to hug him.


    Ling Chen dodged to the side and scolded humorously, "Get lost, you kid¡ªstop this nonsense, you¡¯re not a woman, what¡¯s there to hug?"


    "Brother Chen, if you¡¯re longing for a woman, it¡¯s easy. I can find seventeen or eighteen to keep youpany tonight, you¡¯ll have a st. How about that?"


    "Cut it out, I¡¯m not into that. And you, take it easy, don¡¯t wreck your health."


    The three of them then sat down. Ling Chen picked up the coffee Nanrong Hao had served and asked, "Jiang Hao, what brings you here today?"


    "I came to discuss some business with Haozi."


    "Business?" Ling Chen was momentarily taken aback, then it dawned on him. Nanrong Hao had mentioned before that he, along with Jiang Hao and Zhao Zhengxiong, nned to invest together in a legitimate business, seemingly an express deliverypany.


    "Eh, did you guys get that express deliverypany up and running?"


    Hearing the question, Nanrong Hao¡¯s head drooped immediately, and he said with a pained expression, "Don¡¯t even mention it, I only just realized how much trouble running a business can be."


    "What happened?"


    "Well, Brother Chen," Jiang Hao began exining the issues they had encountered.


    After listening to the exnation, Ling Chen understood the situation.


    Turns out Nanrong Hao and the others had started several deliverypanies, acquiring all the courier services in the Old City area to consolidate under their unified management. However, there was more to East Sea City than just the Old City area. The trio naturally wanted to expand theirpany further and grow the business. Nowadays, there are many different express delivery services ¨C SF Express, ZTO Express, YTO Express, Yunda Express... countless others, and even more so within East Sea City itself.


    Nanrong Hao and his partners wished to expand their business, but rather than opening new branches, they nned to acquire existing ones. Given that East Sea City¡¯s courier market was already saturated, opening new couriers would be prohibitively expensive and unlikely to turn a profit. Hence, their strategy was acquisition. In just over a month¡¯s time, the trio sessfully acquired more than a dozen courier services, spending millions in the process.


    Ling Chen found this curious. Jiang Hao and Zhao Zhengxiong came from thug backgrounds; where would they have savings? Not to mention millions, even tens of thousands would be hard for them to produce. His gaze shifted to Nanrong Hao; without a doubt, he must be the financier among the three. But Nanrong Hao is usually kept on such a tight leash by Nanrong Wanqing, how did he get so much money?


    Seemingly perceiving his thoughts, Nanrong Hao exined, "Brother Chen, I still have some savings¡ªall from New Year¡¯s money from the past."


    "Your New Year¡¯s money amounts to that much?" Ling Chen was skeptical.


    Scratching his head, Nanrong Hao replied, "It¡¯s alright, I guess. Add up over a decade of New Year¡¯s money, and it¡¯s more than ten million."


    Hearing this, Ling Chen silently scorned the wealthy in his mind once more. The rich are indeed different; with millions in New Year¡¯s money, it would surpass what ordinary people could earn after decades of hard work.


    Jiang Haomented, "Brother Chen, we were nning to expand our business to the surrounding areas of the Old City, but that¡¯s someone else¡¯s turf. Last time Xiong and I went to talk business, we hadn¡¯t even finished when dozens of their guys gathered, looking for trouble with us. Luckily, we fled quickly; otherwise, we would¡¯ve ended up in the hospital."


    Ling Chen nonchntly took a toothpick and ced it between his teeth, "They have people, but so do you; are you scared of them?"


    "It¡¯s not about being scared; we just don¡¯t want to start a big conflict."


    Nanrong Hao chimed in, "Brother Chen, you don¡¯t understand. Starting a fight these days isn¡¯t cheap. Whenever we call our brothers into action, we have to give them some perks. Without underying it, you have to distribute hundreds per person, not to mention covering their food, drink, and entertainment. And if anyone gets hurt in a fight, there are medical expenses, too. With everything included, you¡¯d easily spend tens of thousands. If it¡¯s a big brawl, the costs are even higher."


    Jiang Hao added, "Brother Chen, I took your advice and only collect protection money¡ªhaven¡¯t done anything illegal. But with just that, we can barely support our brothers. If you don¡¯t y dirty, there¡¯s no way you¡¯ll make money."


    Upon hearing their grievances, Ling Chen realized just how tough it is to make a living in this circle. The old saying still stands true: with money, things are easy; without it, everything¡¯s challenging.


    For Jiang Hao to survive, he needs a stable source of ie. However, as he said, for someone from the streets to make money without pulling some strings is next to impossible.


    "Jiang Hao, how many men do you have now?"


    "There are over three hundred regrs, and if needed, I can call up five hundred."


    Ling Chen was surprised. When he first met Jiang Hao, the man barely had a few followers. In such a short period, he had grown his ranks to this size; it seems the guy has some smarts.


    Thinking this, his gaze turned peculiar when he looked at Jiang Hao and Nanrong Hao.


    "Tell me, the two of you aren¡¯t looking for me to lend a hand, are you?"


    Jiang Hao chuckled, "Brother Chen, we¡¯re all brothers here. If we don¡¯t help each other, then who will? Besides, Brother Chen, you¡¯re not making much as a security guard, maybe two or three hundred thousand a year at most. We¡¯ve all talked it over, and once thepany is up and running, we¡¯ll split it four ways¡ªeveryone makes money together."


    Ling Chen spread his hands, "I don¡¯t have money to invest."


    "You don¡¯t need to." Nanrong Hao said, "Brother Chen, we all know deep down that if it weren¡¯t for your help back then, we wouldn¡¯t be where we are today. We have never forgotten this debt of gratitude. We just hope that you can lend us a hand when we run into difficulties in the future."


    "This..."


    Watching Jiang Hao and Nanrong Hao¡¯s hopeful gazes, Ling Chen couldn¡¯t help but hesitate.

 Chapter 110 - 109 Mercenaries (Part 1)

    <h4>Chapter 110: Chapter 109 Mercenaries (Part 1)</h4><h4></h4>


    "Okay, we are all friends, I will definitely help wherever I can."


    Ling Chen thought for a moment and then agreed without hesitation. He only had these few friends in East Sea City, if not them, who else would he help? However, he still couldn¡¯t grasp something and looked puzzledly at the two, "There are many business opportunities in East Sea City, why do you guys specifically want to start a courierpany?"


    Although he wasn¡¯t a businessman, he knew that the profits of a courierpany weren¡¯t high. There were many more profitable businesses than a courierpany, why didn¡¯t Nanrong Hao and the others pursue other industries? Moreover, as the eldest grandson of the Nanrong Family, Nanrong Hao had a certain status, and many people would give him face if he asked.


    Nanrong Hao and Jiang Hao exchanged nces, and a mysterious smile appeared on both of their faces, "Chen, don¡¯t ask about this, our main goal in running the courierpany is not for profit. As for what the goal is, you will naturally know in the future, allow us to keep it secret for a while."


    "Suit yourselves." Seeing them acting all mysterious, Ling Chen was curious, but not to the extent that he must know.


    "Chen, Haozi, if there¡¯s nothing else, I¡¯ll be leaving first," Jiang Hao said as he stood up, "Oh, right, Chen, I will investigate the matter over there thoroughly. I¡¯ll call you if I need your help."


    "Okay, take care of yourself."


    After sending off Jiang Hao, Ling Chen returned to the white vi.


    As he entered, he saw Su Lin, the young girl wearing a silk pajama, with her fair, delicate legs curled up on the sofa, holding a tissue in her hand, her eyes a bright red, tears glistening as she continuously wiped her eyes.


    Ling Chen was stunned, wondering what happened to this girl, why she was crying all of a sudden, maybe she was bullied again?


    "Miss Su, what¡¯s the matter...?"


    Su Lin sobbed a couple of times, "It¡¯s just too moving."


    Moving?


    Ling Chen looked towards the TV and suddenly realized, the girl was watching a Korean soap opera. To cry like this over a TV show, this girl who normally seems careless, turns out to be quite emotional.


    He shook his head helplessly and headed straight to the bedroom.


    Just as he sat down, nning to look up some information online, he suddenly heard a ¡¯beeping¡¯ sounding from a corner of the room.


    His expression slightly changed, and he quickly took three steps in two strides to open a ck box a meter long. Instantly, he saw inside the box was a main control panel equipped with more than ten five-inch monitors, each showing real-time surveince footage covering various areas of the Nanrong Family.


    When he first came to the Nanrong Family, he and Zhong Wei had upgraded the security system of the Nanrong Family, adding sound monitoring devices. Any slight disturbance around the perimeter walls could be detected by the monitoring devices.


    He had warned the people of the Nanrong Family, not to go near the perimeter walls after nightfall to avoid triggering the monitoring devices. If they must go, they should inform in advance to avoid any misunderstanding.


    Looking at the shing red light on the main control panel, Ling Chen immediately pulled out the walkie-talkie, "Captain Zhong, calling Captain Zhong!"


    "Received, go ahead."


    "Suspicious signal detected, ensure the old man¡¯s safety with Liang, and have Tang Yuan protect Nanrong Hao. No one should go out until the crisis is resolved." After speaking, Ling Chen put the walkie-talkie in his pocket and hurried out of the bedroom.


    Seeing Ling Chen rushing out of the room, Su Lin asked curiously, "Ling Chen, what are you doing?"


    "Go back to your room and stay with the chairman."


    While talking, Ling Chen had already rushed out of the living room and reached outside the vi.


    In the entire backyard of the Nanrong Family, there were a total of four sound monitoring devices, all located near the walls. The monitoring device that had been activated just now was on the north side, at the back of the vi.


    Ling Chen locked the door, and went around from the side to the back. Along the way, he lowered his body, hiding in the shadows, moving quickly. In just a few seconds, he had dashed out more than twenty meters, then suddenly lunged forward, lying t on the ground.


    At this time, on the wall of the fence, two ropes were slung over, and people were continuously climbing over the wall and descending to the ground along the ropes.


    There weren¡¯t many of them, a total of seven, all in ck clothes, holding pistols equipped with silencers. With the faint moonlight, he could vaguely make out their faces.


    Foreigners?


    During his contemtion, the seven men had already begun to move, maintaining their formation and rapidly advancing forward, the leading man asionally making hand signals to the team members behind him, coordinatingbat.


    "They are actually mercenaries."


    Ling Cheny down in the bushes, muttering to himself. He was too familiar with mercenaries, many of the movements made by that man were hand signals used by mercenaries.


    Whether it was special forces from various countries or international mercenaries, in addition to the unified hand signals, they also had their own unique signals that only their own people could understand. Ling Chen had dealt with mercenaries quite a bit before and was very clear about this.


    The route taken by the seven mercenaries was very precise, heading straight for the vi where Nanrong Wanqing lived. Obviously, these people had done their homework before the action and knew exactly the location of their target.


    Ling Chen quietlyy on the ground, controlling his breathing, without making a single sound.


    Watching the mercenaries about to pass by him, he reached behind himself and took off the keychain clipped to his belt.


    Hanging on the keychain were several cone-shaped crafts. With his fingers moving swiftly, a small conical dagger took shape in just a moment.


    Wolf Kiss!


    This was the dagger given to him by Hu Fei.


    Holding Wolf Kiss tightly in his hand, his knees slightly bent, his body arched into a streamlined shape, his sharp gaze fixed ahead.


    Five meters...four meters...


    When the seven mercenaries were about to enter within a four-meter range, Ling Chen pushed off with his legs, his body like a cheetah poised to pounce, and he suddenly leaped out. The mercenaries hadn¡¯t yet reacted when the leading man felt a chill in his throat.


    Immediately after, a warm stream of fresh blood sprayed out, spattering on the grass. He sped his throat with both hands, his eyes wide with a look of terror, struggling to make ¡¯uh uh¡¯ sounds.


    After taking down one mercenary, Ling Chen did not pause for a second; his steps quickly changed. One secondter, he had closed the distance to another mercenary.


    Wolf Kiss sliced through, and a spray of fresh blood followed.


    At this moment, the mercenaries finally reacted, each of them raising their guns. However, Ling Chen was prepared; in a critical moment, he caught the neck of one mercenary with one hand, his body spun, using the mercenary as a human shield in front of him.


    At the same time, he scooped the pistol from the mercenary¡¯s hand with his right hand and aimed at the several mercenaries opposite him and started to shoot.


    But just as he pulled the trigger, his expression froze.

 Chapter 111 - 110 Mercenaries (Part 2)

    <h4>Chapter 111: Chapter 110 Mercenaries (Part 2)</h4><h4></h4>


    He was surprised to discover that the pistol didn¡¯t fire bullets, but anesthetic darts.


    These mercenaries had infiltrated the Nanrong Family¡¯s domain with the intention of harming Nanrong Wanqing, yet they used anesthetic darts, indicating they didn¡¯t want to kill her on the spot, but to take her away.


    "Kidnapping?"


    The moment this thought emerged, several anesthetic darts had already pierced the mercenary standing in front of him.


    Without time to think further, he quickly retreated, continuously pulling the trigger. Although they were anesthetic darts, they could still subdue the mercenaries.


    Out of seven mercenaries, Ling Chen killed two on the spot and the remaining five attempted to counterattack. But as Ling Chen had a human shield, the anesthetic darts couldn¡¯t prate.


    Furthermore, the surroundings were justwns, with no cover. In less than half a minute, the five mercenaries sumbed to the effects of the anesthetic and copsed to the ground.


    Seeing this, Ling Chen breathed a sigh of relief, pushing the dead mercenary in front of him to the ground, then took out a walkie-talkie to contact Zhong Wei and the others.


    Shortly after, Zhong Wei, Liang Zhao Hui, Zhou Qing, and Tang Yuan arrived one after another.


    Ling Chen pointed at the two dead mercenaries and said, "Take these two guys aside, and tie up the others."


    While speaking, Tang Yuan went up to one of the mercenaries and rolled up his sleeves. Suddenly, a skull tattoo was visible on the man¡¯s arm, alongside the letters B and R.


    "They¡¯re from ck Riders Mercenary Group."


    "ck Riders? The world¡¯s ninth-ranked mercenary organization. Aren¡¯t those guys specialized in government contracts? Why are they taking private jobs now?" Ling Chen was somewhat puzzled.


    "The information you have is outdated. Few mercenary groups that deal with governments end up well. Last month, ck Riders were ambushed by the government, losing most of their members. Even their leader was assassinated¡ªfor knowing too much. Now, the former deputy leader runs ck Riders, and they have already fallen out of the top ten. If they don¡¯t take private jobs, how would they survive?"


    Ling Chen nodded, he truly did not know about these events.


    "Ling Chen, what should we do with these people?" asked Zhong Wei, approaching.


    "Lock those five up separately. I have questions for them."


    "Alright, I¡¯ll get right on it."


    "Old Tang, don¡¯t just stand idly, hurry up and help," Ling Chen said, then returned alone to the white vi.


    Reaching the second floor, he knocked on the door of a bedroom on the left side of the hallway. But at that moment, Su Lin popped her head out from a bedroom on the right, "Ling Chen, Wanqing is over here."


    Upon entering the bedroom, he saw Nanrong Wanqing sitting in a wheelchair, holding a volume of literature.


    As he entered, Nanrong Wanqing slowly lifted her head to meet his gaze and said indifferently, "What happened outside?"


    "Nothing much, a few unwise guys broke in, but I¡¯ve dealt with them." After speaking, Ling Chen hesitated for a moment before tentatively asking, "Um... Madam Chairman, do you live here?"


    "Of course Wanqing lives here, where else did you think she¡¯d stay?" retorted Su Lin.


    Ling Chen rubbed his nose, still remembering thest time Nanrong Wanqing and Su Lin went on a hunger strike, he had brought them egg noodles for two consecutive nights, leaving the food in front of their door, and only one of them ate it. He had always assumed Su Lin ate his egg noodles, and that Nanrong Wanqing did not touch them because at that time Nanrong Wanqing was quite resistant to him, and he didn¡¯t believe she would eat the noodles he provided.


    Because of this, he thought Nanrong Wanqing lived in the bedroom on the left.


    But now it appeared the situation wasn¡¯t as he assumed. It was actually Nanrong Wanqing who ate the noodles, not Su Lin.


    Thinking of this, his gaze toward Nanrong Wanqing took on a peculiar tinge.


    Sensing the shift in his gaze, Nanrong Wanqing appeared to have guessed his thoughts. Her lifted chin now slightly drooped, and a faint blush emerged on her fair cheeks, like melting snow or the rising sun - ineffably beautiful, leaving Ling Chen momentarily stunned.


    Standing inside the room, Su Lin noticed the subtle changes in their expressions, feeling incredibly surprised. Especially the flush of embarrassment on Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s face, which she found absolutely unfathomable.


    What... what exactly is happening?


    "Wanqing."


    Hearing the call, Nanrong Wanqing had yet to react when Ling Chen already snapped back to reality.


    He cleared his throat softly, masking his ownpse, and said, "Well... I¡¯ll go get busy first, you guys rest."


    Exiting the room, Ling Chen let out a long sigh. Despite Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s usual cold demeanor, the unintentional charm she exuded was irresistible.


    As he left the vi, Ling Chen went straight to the Nanrong Hao residence.


    "Chen."


    Nanrong Hao hurried over to meet him, showing concern, "Are you alright?"


    "What could be wrong with me, where are they?"


    "They are all in the basement."


    "Stay up here, don¡¯t go down."


    "Why?"


    Ling Chen shot him a nce, said irritably, "You¡¯re young; it¡¯s better to avoid bloody scenes." Saying that, he opened the door to the basement and walked down.


    Coming to a storeroom, he saw a mercenary tied to an iron chair, still unconscious.


    "Liang, Zhou, both of you, go out first. Stand guard outside."


    "Alright."


    Liang Zhao Hui and Zhou Qing didn¡¯t dare to disobey Ling Chen¡¯s words, now respectful to Ling Chen after witnessing his methods.


    Taking on seven alone, and killing two, was not something an ordinary person could do. Their admiration was not for anything else but Ling Chen¡¯s ruthlessness and decisiveness. Especially after Ling Chen had killed, he could still exhibit suchposure, as if killing two people was just an everyday urrence to him.


    "Old Tang." Ling Chen gestured with his mouth toward the mercenary.


    Thetter understood, picked up a bucket of water already prepared, and poured it directly over the other¡¯s head. Instantly, the mercenary shuddered and snapped awake from slumber.


    Upon seeing Ling Chen and two others before him, the mercenary immediately shouted in English, exhibiting a fearless demeanor.


    Ling Chen casually pulled over a chair and took a seat.


    "Old Tang, you¡¯re the best at this kind of thing, I¡¯ll leave it to you. When he¡¯s ready to talk, I¡¯lle back to ask questions."


    "OK!" Tang Yuan gave a gesture and then took out a small leather pouch from his pocket. Opening the pouch, it revealed more than a dozen silver tools lined up neatly, quitepact.


    "Buddy, if you don¡¯t want to suffer, you¡¯d better tell us what we want to know. Otherwise, I don¡¯t mind loosening your muscles for you." As he spoke, he shook the items in the small leather pouch in front of the mercenary, "See, this is thetest interrogation tool developed by the Central Intelligence Agency. If you have a bit of knowledge, you should recognize this toy. No need for bloodshed; it can still make you wish for death."

 Chapter 112 - 111 Mercenaries (Part 3)

    <h4>Chapter 112: Chapter 111 Mercenaries (Part 3)</h4><h4></h4>


    Looking at the toolsid out in the small leather bag, the mercenary¡¯s face changed immediately, and he said in horror, "You... you¡¯re from the FIB?"


    "Knowing in your heart is enough; no need to say it out loud," Tang Yuan said with a smile, "Since you¡¯ve guessed my identity, you should be clear about our interrogation methods. We¡¯re not going to talk to you about human rights."


    The twomunicated in English throughout, which Ling Chen could understand, but Zhong Wei was utterly confused, not knowing what they were saying at all. However, seeing the mercenary¡¯s reaction, he knew Tang Yuan had sessfully scared him.


    "Ling Chen, your turn."


    Ling Chen moved a chair in front of the mercenary and said with a grin, "Friend, I won¡¯t make it hard for you, just tell me what you know."


    "We were tasked with kidnapping a woman named Nanrong Wanqing. Besides that, I don¡¯t know anything; the contact with the employer was handled solely by our leader."


    "I believe you." Ling Chen nodded and continued to ask, "If your mission waspleted, and you sessfully kidnapped Nanrong Wanqing, what would be the next step?"


    "We have a phone; the leader told us to contact a person after the mission waspleted, and they would instruct us on what to do."


    Hearing this, Ling Chen stretched out his hand, and Tang Yuan immediately passed him the mobile phone they had found on the mercenary.


    "I¡¯ll give you one chance to call and tell that person the mission is aplished. If you cooperate, I¡¯ll let you go immediately; otherwise..." Ling Chen¡¯s mouth lifted slightly at the corner, a hint of coldness in his eyes. At the same time, the barrel of a ck gun was pressed to the forehead of the mercenary.


    The one holding the gun was none other than Tang Yuan.


    "Ling Chen, this..."


    Seeing Tang Yuan pull out the gun, Captain Zhong¡¯s face changed instantly, his eyes filled withplexity.


    "Captain Zhong, don¡¯t worry, this gun is legal," Ling Chen exined, then turned his attention back to the mercenary.


    After a moment of hesitation, the mercenary finally rattled off a phone number.


    The phone connected quickly, and soon a voice came through, speaking in a pure English ent.


    "How are things?"


    "We¡¯ve got the person, lost two of our own, the hostage is unharmed."


    After the mercenary finished his sentence, a few seconds passed before the person on the other end of the line spoke: "Nanxiang Street, 1156, B3." With that, the call ended.


    "Friend, congrattions, you¡¯ve earned yourself a life."


    Ling Chen smiled slightly, then pocketed the phone and walked out of the storeroom.


    In another room, Ling Chen and Tang Yuan did the same, forcing another mercenary to confess.


    After interrogating three mercenaries, Ling Chenpared their testimonies and found no discrepancies.


    "Captain Zhong, keep these people locked up here; watch them closely."


    "You¡¯re going to Nanxiang Street?"


    Ling Chen nodded, "Yes, we might find the mastermind behind this."


    "Isn¡¯t it too dangerous for just the two of you to go? Should I team up with Liang Zhao Hui and cooperate with you?"


    "No need, we must have someone stay at home. Also, after we leave, immediately inform the police and have them send more people here; therger the presence, the better." Ling Chen instructed. He lied to the other side, saying that Nanrong Wanqing had been captured. If there was no sign of rm from the Nanrong family, that would be very abnormal.


    So not only did he need to inform the police, but he also had to create amotion to confuse the other side and make them believe that Nanrong Wanqing had been kidnapped.


    After everything was arranged, Ling Chen and Tang Yuan didn¡¯t leave through the main gate but climbed over the wall instead. He worried that there might be surveince outside the Nanrong family residence; caution was best.


    The two ran to the street and hailed a taxi, then rushed toward 1156 Nanxiang Street.


    It was already past ten, nearing eleven o¡¯clock, with few vehicles on the road. In less than half an hour, they reached their destination.


    "Nanxiang Street, 1156... this is it, no mistake," Tang Yuan confirmed the address.


    Ling Chen looked around and saw that the ce was an underground parking garage. Reminded of the B3 mentioned on the phone earlier, B3 was an underground floor code; the rendezvous point was on the third underground level of the parking garage.


    "Old Tang, let¡¯s go!"


    "Hey, catch." Tang Yuan casually threw something, and Ling Chen caught it; it was a handgun. He racked the slide to chamber a round, then disengaged the safety and tucked it at his waist.


    Perhaps because it waste, there were very few cars in the underground parking garage, with a vehicle entering or exiting only every few minutes.


    For safety, Ling Chen and Tang Yuan didn¡¯t take the elevator but took the stairs down to the third underground level.


    As they pushed open the door to the safety passageway on the third underground level, Ling Chen was immediately met with pitch darkness and a strong, strange smell, as if the ce hadn¡¯t been ventted in a long time.


    Tang Yuan looked around and whispered, "This level isn¡¯t finished yet."


    Ling Chen nodded. No wonder the other party had chosen to meet here; the third underground level wasn¡¯t operational yet, and people typically didn¡¯te down here.


    Since it was too dark to see, and neither Ling Chen nor Tang Yuan had night-vision goggles, they didn¡¯t dare to act rashly, pressing their bodies low and moving slowly.


    At that moment, a beam of light suddenly shone over. A Mercedes sedan came driving slowly and stopped at the center of the level. Then, the door opened, and a man in a suit got out and ran toward the exit of the parking garage.


    The car didn¡¯t turn off; Ling Chen frowned slightly, watching quietly. Ten minutes passed without any movement.


    "Hey, do you think that car could be prepared for those mercenaries? Maybe there are clues inside about the next step."


    Hearing Tang Yuan¡¯s words, Ling Chen thought it made sense. After hesitating, he nodded, "Let¡¯s split up. You go left; I¡¯ll go right. Let¡¯s encircle it."


    As they spoke, he drew the handgun from his waist.


    "Be careful," he patted Tang Yuan¡¯s shoulder as a reminder.


    Although both were members trained by the Ghost, highly capable, they never dared to be careless on any mission because it could mean life or death.


    Confidence is good, but overconfidence could be deadly.


    Reaching the right side of the Mercedes, Ling Chen kept an eye on his surroundings, then stepped toward the car door.


    By the time Ling Chen got to the right door, Tang Yuan had also reached the left door. Almost at the same time, both opened the car doors and pointed their guns inside.


    "Clear!"


    Tang Yuan spoke two words, his expression rxing slightly.


    But at that moment, a cellphone ring suddenly came from inside the car.


    In the empty underground level, the ringing was exceptionally loud.


    Ling Chen swept a nce and quickly found a cell phone in the storagepartment of the front passenger seat. After a moment¡¯s hesitation, he still pressed the answer button.


    Immediately, he heard a burst of coldughter from the phone, "Mr. Ling, you finally decided to pick up the phone."

 Chapter 113 - 112: Loser Treats to a Meal

    <h4>Chapter 113: Chapter 112: Loser Treats to a Meal</h4><h4></h4>


    Ling Chen raised an eyebrow and nced at Tang Yuan. The person on the phone was speaking fluent English, the same person who had contacted the mercenaries before.


    "What do you want?" Although his identity was exposed, Ling Chen still remained calm, showing no sign of panic.


    "Mr. Ling, asking that question is pointless, but you have indeed piqued my interest. If I¡¯m not mistaken, you have quite the background. Unfortunately, no matter how significant your background is, you¡¯re destined not to leave here alive tonight."


    Ling Chen listened closely to the man¡¯s voice, feeling that it sounded familiar, but he couldn¡¯t immediately recall where he had heard it.


    "How did you know we woulde here?" He was puzzled; while he was monitoring the mercenaries contacting the other party, those mercenaries definitely hadn¡¯t leaked any information about their capture. So he was curious about how the other party had found out.


    "Actually, it¡¯s simple." The man on the phone chuckled proudly, "I indeed gave them contact numbers, but not just one, I gave them two. If the mission waspleted sessfully, they would call one number. Should they get caught, they would reveal the other number to inform me of the mission failure."


    So that was it!


    This guy was indeed cunning, preparing for all contingencies.


    "Mr. Ling... oh, and that unknown gentleman, I have other matters to attend to, so I won¡¯t chat with you any longer. I hope you like the arrangements I¡¯ve made for you, hahaha!" With a loudugh, the other party hung up the phone.


    Listening to the busy tone on the phone, Ling Chen also heard a ¡¯beep¡¯ from within the car. Almost instantly, Ling Chen and Tang Yuan reacted, hurling themselves to either side of the Mercedes-Benz.


    Bang!


    A loud explosion instantly turned the hundred-thousand-dor Mercedes-Benz into a fireball, illuminating everything around it.


    Fortunately, Ling Chen and Tang Yuan reacted swiftly to avoid the explosion. Although affected by the st wave, they were otherwise unharmed.


    Ling Chen casually wiped the dust off his face, quickly stood up, and then swiftly ran in the opposite direction of the Mercedes-Benz. In no time, he blended back into the darkness. Meanwhile, Tang Yuan also hurried over from the other side.


    The two of them backed against a pile of misceneous items, catching their breath and listening intently to the sounds around them.


    "Hey, old virgin, couldn¡¯t that guy be harming Miss Nanrong while we¡¯re trapped here?"


    "I¡¯ve informed Captain Zhong to notify the police; they are stationed at the Nanrong residence. They wouldn¡¯t dare to make a move."


    During their conversation, footsteps echoed from behind the pile of misceneous items.


    Ling Chen crouched down and looked back. Under the illumination of the fire, he saw a dozen heavily armed men searching for their whereabouts.


    Taking his gaze back, he pulled out his pistol and cracked a smile, "Old Tang, looks like we get to stretch our limbs tonight."


    "How about we make it apetition?" Tang Yuan challenged with a smile, "Loser treats to dinner tomorrow."


    "OK! You said it. Don¡¯t back outter."


    After speaking, Ling Chen suddenly turned and disappeared beside Tang Yuan.


    "This guy..." Fearing that Ling Chen would take all the credit, Tang Yuan immediately dashed out from behind the cover. Moving forward, he scanned the area and saw two armed men nearby. Without hesitating, his fingertips squeezed.


    Bang! Bang!


    Two gunshots rang out, and the two armed men fell to the ground.


    "2 to 0." Tang Yuan slightly curled his lips; not having heard Ling Chen¡¯s gunfire yet, it seemed he was in the lead.


    However, firing his gun revealed his location. Four or five armed men quickly headed his way.


    Seeing this, Tang Yuan hurried to a nearby cover, then with a turn, he raised his gun to shoot. But at that moment, he only saw several approaching armed men suddenly fall. Then, in the light of the fire, a shadow swiftly burst from the side like a tiger entering a flock of sheep. In the blink of an eye, several armed men were downed, not even providing Tang Yuan a chance to shoot.


    "Come out."


    Seeing Ling Chen approaching, Tang Yuan paused, "You finished them all? Weren¡¯t there more?"


    "Here!" Ling Chen casually pointed to a corner, where four bodiesy haphazardly.


    Ling Chen patted Tang Yuan¡¯s shoulder, grinning mischievously, "Looks like all three meals tomorrow are on you, Boss Tang. That¡¯s what you said."


    Tang Yuan sighed helplessly, this rascal... still as skilled as ever, truly worthy of being considered the top phantom by the General, defeating so many without even using a gun, just with a Wolf Kiss.


    "Let¡¯s hurry up and leave, or the police will catch us."


    As the two left the underground parking garage, just as expected, two police cars were rapidly arriving at the scene. The loud explosion and gunshots were impossible for nearby people to miss.


    ...


    At this moment, Wealthy Manor at number 118.


    Eight police cars with shing red and blue lights stood parked at the entrance, with over a dozen police officers moving in and out, carrying two body bags to the vehicles.


    Inside the vi where Nanrong Wanqing lived, a strikingly beautiful policewoman in uniform was taking statements from Nanrong Wanqing and Su Lin, with Zhong Wei and Liang Zhao Hui by their side.


    "Miss Nanrong, based on your description, those people specifically targeted you. Do you have any suspects in mind?"


    "Officer Xia, I¡¯ve said all I know; I really don¡¯t know who might wish me harm."


    Xia Mutong persisted, "Miss Nanrong, with the vast operations of Hongyu Group, could it be a business rival or an enemy?"


    Nanrong Wanqing gently shook her head, still iming ignorance. At this time, Zhong Wei spoke up, "Officer Xia, you know the situation. Apart from the two deceased mercenaries, five more have been captured by us; perhaps you could get some information about the mastermind from them."


    "They are suspects; naturally, I will interrogate them." As she spoke, Xia Mutong looked around, her expression somewhat puzzled, "Where¡¯s Ling Chen? Why don¡¯t I see him?"


    Zhong Wei replied, "He¡¯s temporarily upied and will returnter. Do you need him for something, Officer Xia?"


    "Of course, he killed two people. Even if it was in self-defense, a record needs to be made."


    Mentioning Ling Chen, Xia Mutong felt rather unhappy. That guy was too much trouble, with recent deaths all having direct or indirect connections to him. It was unclear what his origins were, but he killed without even blinking.


    Lost in thought, a male officer approached and whispered a few words in her ear.


    Whatever was said, Xia Mutong¡¯s expression suddenly changed.


    She furrowed her brows, looked at Nanrong Wanqing and the others with a fiery gaze, and enunciated clearly, "Where the hell is that bastard Ling Chen?"


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 Chapter 114 - 113: Wanqing is Captured (Part 1)

    <h4>Chapter 114: Chapter 113: Wanqing is Captured (Part 1)</h4><h4></h4>


    "Officer Xia, I already told you I don¡¯t know. Although Ling Chen is a security personnel hired by the Nanrong Family, we don¡¯t have the authority to restrict his freedom. Where he goes is his business," Nanrong Wanqing said indifferently.


    "Miss Nanrong, you don¡¯t have to tell me, I already know. Did he go to Nanxiang Street?"


    At this statement, Liang Zhao Hui¡¯s eyebrows slightly raised. His expression changed subtly, but the perceptive Xia Mutong still caught it.


    She snorted softly, her delicate, fair cheeks tinged with a trace of anger, "I just received a notification that there has been a shooting incident in the underground parking lot on Nanxiang Street. Several people have died, and Ling Chen too..."


    "He¡¯s okay, right?" blurted out Su Lin, who was standing behind Nanrong Wanqing, her face full of nervousness and concern.


    Xia Mutong looked at her with a meaningfully deep gaze, her lips curving slightly upward with a victorious smile, "Now you finally admit that he went to Nanxiang Street."


    Hearing this, Su Lin immediately realized she had slipped up and lowered her head in embarrassment.


    Nanrong Wanqing, with slightly furrowed brows, asked, "Officer Xia, I want to know, is Ling Chen safe?"


    "Don¡¯t worry, he¡¯s fine; not only is he fine, but he also killed more than ten people." Xia Mutong practically spat these words out through clenched teeth.


    That bastard is too hateful, killing two people is bad enough, at least it was self-defense, but now there¡¯s a dozen more bodies to ount for to her superiors.


    "Miss Nanrong, you¡¯d better call him back immediately to rify what happened in person. Otherwise, I will have no choice but to detain him ording to thew."


    Nanrong Wanqing hesitated for a moment before giving Zhong Wei a meaningful look.


    Understanding her signal, he quickly took out his phone and walked out.


    At this moment, outside the Nanrong family¡¯s gate, a police car slowly drove up and stopped at the roadside. Then, the car door opened, and four male police officers in uniform stepped out of the vehicle.


    One of the slender officers approached the gate, casually cing his hand on the shoulder of another officer and asked nonchntly, "Brother, where are those mercenaries detained?"


    "In those two vehicles," the other officer pointed and responded, "We¡¯re getting ready to take them to the station."


    "Thanks."


    With that, the slender man gave hispanions a look. Quickly, they split into two groups; two went into the Nanrong residence while the other two approached the two police vehicles.


    A police officer guarded each of the vehicles. The two men walked up and opened the car door, saying, "We received orders from above to take the criminals back to the station as soon as possible. You guyse with me."


    The officers didn¡¯t suspect anything and immediately got into the vehicles.


    One officer who sat in the passenger seat looked at the driving man and asked, "Brother, you look new here; are you just transferred?"


    The man did not respond and instead reached into his jacket.


    Pop! Pop!


    A few soft noises were heard, and then the officer in the passenger seat slumped down, his head lolling against the car window, as blood slowly seeped into the seat cushion.


    The man gave a cold smile and tossed a set of keys to the mercenaries in the back seat.


    "Everyone alright? We¡¯ve got more work to do soon, so brace yourselves."


    As the two police vehicles were driven away, the other two men had already entered the Nanrong family¡¯s backyard. Despite the number of police in the Nanrong household, no one noticed these two.


    Before long, they had arrived at the vi where Nanrong Wanqing lived.


    At that moment, Zhong Wei just finished a call and came inside, "Officer Xia, Ling Chen will be back soon, please wait a moment."


    Xia Mutong nodded and walked over to sit by the sofa, her beautiful eyes asionally shifting over Su Lin and Nanrong Wanqing, revealing an undisguisable ardor.


    Feeling her gaze, Nanrong Wanqing slightly furrowed her brows. Though they were both women, Xia Mutong¡¯s look gave her difort¡ªthe look wasn¡¯t one of simple admiration between women, but a fervent desire akin to that of a man.


    While she was pondering this, two tall policemen walked in from outside.


    Xia Mutong swept them with her eyes and asked, "What¡¯s the matter?"


    However, those two policemen did not respond to her, their gaze fixed on Nanrong Wanqing, their expressions stern.


    "I¡¯m asking you, did you hear me?" Xia Mutong stood up abruptly, ready to go forward. But as she got up, the two policemen reached towards their waists.


    Seeing their actions, Xia Mutong¡¯s expression changed, and she instantly realized what was happening. She quickly opened her gun holster, but she was a step toote. Before she could draw her gun, the dark muzzle was already aimed at her head.


    "Throw your gun over here."


    Xia Mutong coldly said, "Who are you?"


    "You don¡¯t deserve to ask. Throw your gun over here." The man with thicker lips repeated themand, his finger slightly bent, ready to pull the trigger at any moment.


    Xia Mutong stared into the eyes of the thick-lipped man, her willow-leaf eyebrows twisting slightly. She could sense their attitude¡ªif she didn¡¯tply, they surely wouldn¡¯t spare the bullets.


    With that thought, she took the handgun from its holster with two fingers and threw it in front of them.


    "Take the person away."


    Hearing the thick-lipped man¡¯s order, the other man with tattoos on the back of his hands immediately approached Nanrong Wanqing. But at that moment, Zhong Wei slid in from the side, blocking in front of Nanrong Wanqing.


    "If you want to take her, you¡¯ll have to get through me first."


    The tattooed man scoffed, "Are you not afraid of dying?"


    Zhong Wei remained silent, his sharp gaze unyielding.


    "Zhong Wei, step back!"


    "Chairman..."


    "Step back, that¡¯s an order," Nanrong Wanqing said indifferently, "Although you were hired by me, there is no need for you to die for me." After speaking, she turned to the tattooed man, "I¡¯ll go with you, let the others go."


    The tattooed man¡¯s mouth curled up, "As long as you cooperate, I promise not to hurt anyone."


    "Wanqing," Su Lin bit her lip, her face pale. The sudden change clearly frightened her.


    "It¡¯s okay."


    "Don¡¯t waste time, get moving and take her out," the thick-lipped man urged impatiently.


    The tattooed man nodded, took over the wheelchair from Su Lin, and began pushing it outside.


    Xia Mutong followed a few steps and said coldly, "The outside is full of police, I¡¯d like to see how you n to escape."


    "Escape? Who said we¡¯re going to escape." The tattooed man sneered. Then, he took out a ne resembling a pendant from his pocket and hung it around Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s neck. Next, he gently pressed on the four-pointed star-shaped pendant. Immediately, a point of red light shed from the center of the star.


    "Officer, this thing doesn¡¯t have much power, but it¡¯s still easy to blow somebody¡¯s head off. If you don¡¯t want her to be in danger, you¡¯d betterply with us." After finishing, the tattooed man reminded Nanrong Wanqing, "Miss Nanrong, don¡¯t even think about tearing it off, or else your pretty face is going to turn into a headless beauty."

 Chapter 115 - 114: Wanqing is Captured (Part 2)

    <h4>Chapter 115: Chapter 114: Wanqing is Captured (Part 2)</h4><h4></h4>


    Upon hearing this statement, everyone was shocked, their expressions changing abruptly.


    Xia Mutong clenched her fists tightly and gritted her teeth: "I¡¯ve memorized your faces. No matter where you flee, I will find you and bring you to justice."


    "You can brag about it once you actually manage to find us," said the thick-lipped man, clearly unconcerned by Xia Mutong¡¯s threat, and headed straight outside.


    Upon leaving the vi, the police outside saw them brandishing firearms, pointing at Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s head, and quickly drew their handguns, surrounding them in an instant.


    "Everyone stand down! Do not harm the hostage," Xia Mutong shouted as she hurried over from behind.


    Hearing Xia Mutong¡¯smand, the police officers didn¡¯t dare hesitate and immediately stepped aside, clearing a path and following closely behind the kidnappers.


    After leaving the Nanrong Family home, the tattooed man picked up Nanrong Wanqing and threw her into the back seat of the car. Meanwhile, the thick-lipped man continuously pulled the trigger towards the pursuing officers.


    Bang! Bang!...


    Xia Mutong¡¯s face changed immediately, and she quickly dove for cover, yelling, "Take cover!"


    Before she could rise again, the sound of an engine approached. She looked up only to see the kidnappers speeding away in a police car.


    "Chase them!"


    The moment the words left her mouth, Xia Mutong was already in a police car, in hot pursuit of the criminals¡¯ vehicle.


    Before long, seven or eight police cars followed suit, leaving the Nanrong home with shing red and blue lights and ring sirens.


    No sooner had Xia Mutong and the criminals left than Ling Chen and Tang Yuan took a taxi back to the Nanrong Family home.


    Upon getting out of the car and seeing the anxious crowd at the entrance, Ling Chen¡¯s brow furrowed, feeling a sudden ominous premonition.


    "Captain Zhong, what¡¯s going on?"


    Before Zhong Wei could speak, Su Lin rushed out, her eyes red and on the verge of tears, "Ling Chen, please, I beg you, you must save Wanqing."


    "What happened to her?"


    "Some people impersonated the police and kidnapped the chairman," Zhong Wei said gravely. "They just left not long ago, and Officer Xia has already led a team in pursuit."


    Hearing this, a chill shed through Ling Chen¡¯s eyes.


    These bastards are relentless, constantly scheming one n after another.


    After a moment¡¯s thought, he took out his cell phone and dialed Xia Mutong¡¯s number. The call connected, but no one answered.


    Xia Mutong was probably too busy tracking the criminals to answer his call.


    "Old Tang, you stay here and help me with clues."


    "Alright, take care of yourself."


    As soon as the words fell, Ling Chen quickly got into the muscle car. The vehicle roared to life like a wild beast, and the car lunged forward.


    Driving on the road, Ling Chen took out his phone and dialed Tang Yuan¡¯s number, then ced the call on speakerphone and set it on the passenger seat.


    The call connected, and Tang Yuan¡¯s voice came through immediately: "I¡¯ve just listened to the police radio, and the criminals are fleeing north, having just entered Hehai Road."


    "Plot a route for me."


    "Wait a moment."


    A few secondster.


    "Continue straight along your current route, take a left at the second intersection, and I¡¯ll instruct you further when you get there."


    "Got it." Ling Chen replied and instantly floored the elerator, the car¡¯s speed surging to 120 mph.


    This old muscle car wasn¡¯t equipped with GPS, but Han Bing had given Ling Chen a phone with a tracking device, which allowed Tang Yuan to locate him through the phone.


    "Keep going straight, enter East Jiangdong Road, and after five intersections, you¡¯ll catch sight of the criminals¡¯ vehicle, a modified illegal police car, Volkswagen brand, with thest three digits of the license te being 687."


    Under Ling Chen¡¯s relentless pursuit, a distance of more than ten kilometers was covered in mere minutes. Soon, he could see several police cars chasing the criminals.


    "Old Tang, I¡¯ve caught up with the target."


    "Be careful, Captain Zhong said Miss Nanrong has a micro bomb on her neck; it can¡¯t be forcibly removed, the controller must be with the kidnappers. Also, another thing, we¡¯ve intercepted a radio message that they¡¯ve found two abandoned police cars with two officers dead, and the five mercenaries previously captured are all gone."


    "Damn it, it¡¯s the ck Riders Mercenary Group again," Ling Chen couldn¡¯t help but curse.


    While talking, he overtook several police cars and could faintly see the Volkswagen with the license te ending in 687.


    "Finally caught up with you. Old Tang, help me set up an interception route."


    "Those guys are probably trying to leave the city and escape to the suburbs. Take a right at the uing intersection; there¡¯s a side street. If you¡¯re fast enough, you should be able to beat them to it, and intercept them on the outskirts."


    Without hesitation, Ling Chen turned the steering wheel sharply, and the car drifted into the right-hand intersection.


    Tang Yuan¡¯s mentioned side street was an alley, just wide enough for one car. Though devoid of people, it was littered with garbage on both sides.


    "Sorry about this, Mr. He."


    Ling Chen muttered to himself, then floored the elerator, scattering the garbage on either side, as he charged straight through.


    Meanwhile, inside the fleeing criminals¡¯ car.


    The thick-lipped man sitting beside Nanrong Wanqing nced at the rear window and sneered, "That woman is quite tenacious, chasing us for so long without giving up."


    "Stop ying with them. We are about to leave the city; let¡¯s finish them off quickly," said the tattooed man driving the car.


    The thick-lipped man nodded and pulled out a cell phone.


    "Do it."


    After hanging up the phone, the thick-lipped man turned to look at Nanrong Wanqing, noting her cold gaze fixed on him.


    "Miss Nanrong, you¡¯ve been very cooperative. I hope you¡¯ll continue to cooperate; it¡¯s in both our best interests."


    "What do you want to get from me?"


    The thick-lipped man smiled slightly, "I¡¯m not sure. I¡¯m only responsible for taking you to a predetermined location; I don¡¯t concern myself with the rest."


    "You¡¯re mercenaries, loyal to whoever offers more money. If you release me, I¡¯m willing to pay triple." Nanrong Wanqing made an offer.


    "Miss Nanrong, I know you¡¯re very wealthy, but what we want isn¡¯t just money. What we want, you cannot provide. If you¡¯re thinking of bribing us with money, I advise you to give up that notion, and don¡¯t expect anyone toe and rescue you."


    "Is that so?" Nanrong Wanqing turned away, looking out of the car window, and inevitably thought of that man.


    Will he...e to rescue me?


    "Captain Xia, backups are on their way, but it will take a few minutes more to arrive."


    Hearing the voice from the radio, Xia Mutong frowned slightly and asked, "What about the helicopter I requested?"


    "It¡¯s being arranged."


    "When will you stop arranging and just get it here, now, immediately? If we lose sight of the criminals, just wait and see how I¡¯ll deal with you once I¡¯m back," Xia Mutong said angrily.


    During her rant, two garbage trucks suddenly burst out from the left and right sides at the crossroads ahead.


    Xia Mutong was startled and immediately stepped on the brakes.

 Chapter 116 - 115 Rescue (Part 1)

    <h4>Chapter 116: Chapter 115 Rescue (Part 1)</h4><h4></h4>


    Squeal!!!


    With a piercing screech, the car came to an abrupt halt, its front nearly crashing into a garbage truck.


    Xia Mutong let out a long breath, her heart that had risen to her throat finally settling down. Fortunately, her quick reflexes had saved them from a wrecked car and lost lives.


    Looking at the two garbage trucks blocking the intersection, her relief quickly turned into anger.


    She pushed open the car door, pulled out her handgun, and hurried to the front of the garbage truck, intending to drag out the driver. However, the drivers of both garbage trucks had already vanished, even taking the car keys with them.


    Because the two garbage trucks blocked the intersection, traffic was paralyzed all around, all the vehicles were stuck there, unable to pass, and the police cars following behind could only sigh in frustration as they watched the suspect¡¯s vehicle disappear from sight.


    "Ling Chen, the suspects have sealed off the intersection, the police cars are blocked behind, there¡¯s no way to continue the chase."


    Hearing Tang Yuan¡¯s voice from the phone, Ling Chen wasn¡¯t surprised. Since those people had dared to brazenly kidnap Nanrong Wanqing, they must have been well-prepared. He looked ahead and asked, "How long until we can close in on the target?"


    "You should be able to overtake the suspect¡¯s vehicle in two hundred meters."


    "Got it."


    Ling Chen concentrated on the road ahead, and after a while, the end of the alley finally appeared about a hundred meters away.


    Sixty meters... forty meters... just as the muscle car was about to burst out of the exit, a sedan suddenly drove out slowly from the exit and parked at the roadside, exactly blocking the way.


    "Damn it!"


    He cursed under his breath. Of all times to appear, it just had to be now.


    Beep beep! Beep beep!


    He frantically honked the horn, hoping the car outside the exit would quickly move away. However, seeing him rushing out of the alley, the driver inside was startled and sat there motionless, staring with wide eyes.


    Seeing this, Ling Chen bit his lip, fastened his seat belt, and quickly maneuvered the car¡¯s front, mming into the rear of the other car.


    Bang!


    After the impact, the rear of the sedan was struck and pushed aside. Ling Chen, sitting in the driver¡¯s seat, lurched forward, almost hitting the steering wheel. Luckily, with the protection of the seat belt and having braced himself for the impact, he wasn¡¯t injured.


    But at that moment, the suspect¡¯s Volkswagen sped by on the road, causing him to miss the best opportunity to intercept.


    Ling Chen forcefully suppressed the urge to curse, engaged the gear, and stepped on the gas pedal, reentering the road.


    However, due to the serious damage to the front of the car, the front wheel was somewhat deformed, causing the car to veer off course periodically, making driving extremely troublesome. Ling Chen had no choice; there was no time to find another car now.


    After traveling a few hundred meters, Ling Chen saw the Volkswagen enter an underground tunnel. He gently pressed the gas pedal, not daring to speed up too much, only managing to maintain a speed of around seventy to eighty miles per hour. Because of the deformed front wheel, driving too fast could easily result in an ident.


    Upon entering the tunnel, he nced and realized that the kidnappers¡¯ Volkswagen had vanished from sight; ahead was only a big truck dragging a container and a few sedans.


    "Old Tang, Old Tang..."


    Ling Chen called out several times, but there was no response from Tang Yuan on the phone. He turned to look and realized that the signal in the tunnel was too weak, and the call had already been automatically disconnected.


    Exiting the tunnel, the road outside the city was pitch-ck, with no streetlights installed on both sides, only the headlights of passing vehicles. Ling Chen felt helpless; the headlights had been smashed during the collision, so he could only follow the taillights of the big truck ahead.


    The call connected.


    "Old Tang."


    "Received, did you catch up to the kidnappers?"


    "Target lost, do you have any leads?"


    "None. The police have deployed helicopters to search outside the tunnel, but so far, the kidnappers¡¯ vehicle has not been found. Additionally, the police set up roadblocks ten kilometers away; those kidnappers would have to go through there to leave East Sea City."


    Ling Chen frowned secretly, saying, "Helicopters are involved, it¡¯s impossible they can¡¯t find them, unless they¡¯ve gone into hiding."


    "I think so too, but the issue is where they could hide. The fields are on both sides of that road; they couldn¡¯t possibly drive into them. If they¡¯ve abandoned the vehicle and run, the helicopters should have spotted it by now."


    While they spoke, therge truck in front began to slow down, stopping at the roadside. At the same time, the container door at the back of the truck opened, and a man jumped down.


    When the container doors were opened, the sharp-eyed Ling Chen immediately noticed a car parked inside¡ªit was the same suspect vehicle he had been tracking.


    So that was it!


    Earlier, when that Volkswagen had entered the tunnel, it took the opportunity to get onto thatrge truck, thus making the vehicle disappear without a trace.


    However, by sheer coincidence, because Ling Chen¡¯s headlights were broken, he had been following the tail lights of therge truck all along. If not for that, he probably wouldn¡¯t have suspected that truck.


    At this moment, a Mercedes-Benz van approached from behind therge truck. Shortly afterward, another man appeared from the container, and with the cooperation of hispanion, they quickly transferred Nanrong Wanqing into the van.


    Seeing the van preparing to turn around, Ling Chen immediately understood their n; these guys wanted to return to East Sea City to avoid the police search.


    The police believed the kidnappers had fled to the suburbs and would never expect them to return to East Sea City.


    As the Mercedes-Benz van was about to pass by from the opposite side, Ling Chen, without a second word, quickly turned the steering wheel to collide head-on with the oing vehicle.


    At that moment, the van had just started moving, not yet gaining speed. The driver had not yet reacted when he saw a car suddenlying from the side, mming hard into the left side of the van¡¯s front.


    Due to the impact of inertia, all the people inside the van were suddenly lurched forward.


    The man with thick lips in the front passenger seat, without hesitation, quickly aimed a gun at the driver¡¯s seat of Ling Chen¡¯s vehicle and began shooting.


    Bang! Bang!


    Several bullets were fired, and Ling Chen¡¯s vehicle¡¯s windshield immediately had several holes.


    "Quickly, get through," the tattooed man at the back urgently urged.


    The driver didn¡¯t hesitate, shifted into reverse to back the vehicle up a few meters, then bypassed from the right.


    But at that instant, a loud ¡¯bang¡¯ of a gunshot sounded, a bullet pierced the window next to the driver, grazing his cheek and leaving a long bloody mark.


    The sudden pain instantly threw the driver into confusion, pressing his head down; his hands on the steering wheel violently turned to the right, trying to evade further gunfire.


    "Watch out."


    All of a sudden, the man with thick lips in the front passenger seat¡¯splexion changed dramatically, quickly shouting out.

 Chapter 117 - 116 Rescue (Part 2)

    <h4>Chapter 117: Chapter 116 Rescue (Part 2)</h4><h4></h4>


    The driver hadn¡¯t had the chance to look up when he heard a loud ¡¯ng¡¯ from the chassis, as if something had scraped against it. Following that, the van jolted and shakily surged forward.


    Panicked for a moment, the driver was busy dodging bullets and didn¡¯t watch the road, causing the Mercedes-Benz van to veer off the road and into the field on the right.


    "What do we do?"


    The man with thick lips nced through the rearview mirror and saw that the road was separated from the field by a steep slope; this vehicle couldn¡¯t possibly get back up unless it was a high-performance off-road vehicle.


    "Don¡¯t panic, keep driving forward. Since we can¡¯t go back to the city, let¡¯s find somewhere to hide first. The police helicopter is still in the sky; we can¡¯t let them spot us." While saying that, he took out his phone and dialed a number.


    "ns have changed, we can¡¯t go back for now. We¡¯ll hide first and contact youter."


    After hanging up, the tattooed man looked out the back window and asked, "Who was that guy just now? He didn¡¯t seem like a cop."


    "Forget about him," said the man with thick lips, turning his gaze to Nanrong Wanqing. She had a bruise on her forehead, which she must¡¯ve gotten by identally hitting the car window when the front of the van was struck.


    "Miss Nanrong, are you alright?"


    Nanrong Wanqing replied indifferently, "Do you even care if I live or die?"


    "Of course." The man with thick lips grinned, "If you were injured, that would be hard for me to exin. My superiors repeatedly instructed me to bring you back unharmed."


    Hearing his words, Nanrong Wanqing looked out of the car window and ignored him. At this moment, a glimpse of worry shed through her bright, starry eyes. During the crash, she had clearly seen the other vehicle. In all of East Sea City, only one person owned such a distinctive car.


    She wondered if he was hurt.


    Biting her lip corner, her hands tightly clutched the hem of her dress, and she silently prayed, both for Ling Chen and for herself.


    At this moment, no one noticed that there was someone lying on top of the Mercedes-Benz van¡¯s roof ¨C it was Ling Chen.


    He had originally nned to shoot the driver dead and halt the van but missed by a bit. Seeing the vehicle plunge into the field, he made a split-second decision and stealthily climbed onto the roof while they were not looking.


    The path through the field was bumpy and the van¡¯s ride was shaky, causing him quite a bit of difort. He tightly clutched the luggage rack to stabilize his body to avoid being thrown off.


    There were three kidnappers inside the van, including the driver. To take care of all three in such a confined space while ensuring Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s safety was quite a challenge, even for someone as skilled as he was.


    Moreover, a miniature bomb was nted on Nanrong Wanqing. The slightest mistake could lead to her demise.


    Therefore, without a suitable rescue n, he dared not act rashly.


    Time ticked by, and the Mercedes-Benz van had already driven more than ten miles away into god knows where. The surroundings were all thick forests; not a single house was in sight, let alone people.


    "Stop the car, turn off the headlights," the man with thick lipsmanded after surveying the environment outside the window. Then, he pushed the door open and jumped off.


    Seeing him exit, Ling Chen immediately pressed himself against the roof of the van, not daring to make a sound. Thankfully, it was pitch-ck after the headlights were turned off, and as long as one didn¡¯t pay attention, no one would notice him.


    The man with thick lips looked around and then took out his phone.


    Taking advantage of him being distracted with the phone call, Ling Chen silently slid off the back of the van. Under the cover of night, he crouched low, carefully approaching the man with thick lips.


    "Alright, I¡¯ve got it. I¡¯ll send you the location on my phone in a moment."


    Having said that, the thick-lipped man hung up the phone and prepared to head back to his car. But as he took a step, arge hand suddenly reached out from behind his right shoulder, tightly covering his mouth. Before he could struggle, a sharp dagger pierced through his heart.


    After a few faint convulsions, the thick-lipped man¡¯s hands limply fell to his sides.


    Ling Chen propped up the man¡¯s body and gentlyid him on the ground, then searched his pockets. Unfortunately, he didn¡¯t find the bomb¡¯s remote control; it must be on someone else.


    Returning to the van, he circled around to the driver¡¯s side door, pulled the handle with one hand while tightly clenching the Wolf Kiss in the other.


    Taking a deep breath to prepare, he yanked the door open and lunged inside.


    The tattooed man seated in the back only saw the door suddenly pulled open and felt a sudden shock. Before he could react, a figure emerged from the darkness, grabbed him by the cor, and forcibly dragged him out.


    This series of actions took less than two seconds; the tattooed man didn¡¯t even have the chance to raise his gun before he was dragged out of the back seat and mmed to the ground.


    Without any hesitation, Ling Chen¡¯s right hand, wielding the Wolf Kiss, lightly traced across the tattooed man¡¯s neck, ending his life.


    However, at this moment, the adjacent Mercedes-Benz van suddenly started up and shot forward.


    Having just witnessed the tattooed man dragged out of the car, the driver was well aware of the situation and hastily started the vehicle, attempting to flee the scene.


    Ling Chen swept his gaze and forcefully sprang into action. Like an arrow released from a bow, he quickly caught up to the rear of the van. Next, he propelled himself up with a tip of his toes and clung to the open driver¡¯s side door with both hands, his legs still dragging on the ground.


    "Ling Chen."


    Hearing Miss Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s worried call from inside the car, Ling Chen gritted his teeth, drew his gun with his left hand, and fired two shots towards the windshield of the driver¡¯s seat.


    Instantly, the terrified driver pushed open the door and leaped out, rolling several times on the ground before colliding with the thick trunk of a tree and falling unconscious.


    Although the driver had bailed out, the van did not slow down but instead sped up more and more. Ling Chen felt as if his body, pressed against the side of the van, might soon take flight.


    During this moment, a delicate white hand reached out from the car and gripped his wrist tightly, trying to pull him in.


    "Don¡¯t worry about me, stop the car quickly."


    Miss Nanrong Wanqing stuck out her head, her beautiful face tinged with a shade of pallor, "I... I don¡¯t know how to drive."


    Uh...


    Ling Chen then remembered that Nanrong Wanqing was disabled in her legs and had never learned to drive.


    Just as he was processing this, Nanrong Wanqing had already pulled out the rear seat¡¯s safety belt. Seeing this, he grabbed the safety belt and, dragging his body, strained to crawl forward.


    With Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s help, Ling Chen finally managed to get his upper body into the rear seat. Without a moment to catch his breath, he rushed into the driver¡¯s seat, mmed his foot on the brake, trying to stop the car.


    However, just as he pressed down on the brake, the van¡¯s front suddenly took a steep dive. He fixed his gaze ahead, and hisplexion instantly changed.


    The van had already rushed to the edge of a steep slope. Although he had hit the brakes, the slope was covered in leaves, reducing the tires¡¯ friction dramatically. The van was still sliding downward at a terrifying speed.

 Chapter 118 - 117 Rescue (Part 3)

    <h4>Chapter 118: Chapter 117 Rescue (Part 3)</h4><h4></h4>


    Turning on the headlights, Ling Chen saw a steep decline about forty to fifty meters ahead, his expression extremely solemn.


    Below the steep slope was a dense forest. At this speed, plunging down from the slope would undoubtedly be fatal.


    Thinking this, he turned to nce at Nanrong Wanqing; the hesitation in his eyes instantly turning steadfast, clearly having made a resolution. He moved to the back seat and spoke in a deep voice, "Chairman, staying in the car leaves us only a dead end. If we jump now, there might still be a chance to survive."


    "I¡¯ll listen to you."


    Nanrong Wanqing didn¡¯t think twice. Faced with such danger, her mind was a nk te, unable to grasp what to do, hence her only option was to trust Ling Chen.


    "Let¡¯s go!"


    Ling Chen embraced Nanrong Wanqing, his arms tightly wrapped around her waist. Looking at the pitch-ck scenery outside the car, he squinted his eyes and jumped out while holding Nanrong Wanqing.


    The moment theynded, he twisted his body, facing upwards, his back crashing heavily onto the ground, the pain from the friction almost making him cry out. Clenching his teeth, his arms tightly held Nanrong Wanqing, shielding her with his body.


    Driven by inertia, their bodies continued to slide down. He freed one hand, pulled out Wolf Kiss, and fiercely stabbed it into the ground.


    Suddenly, his body briefly halted, and the speed of their descent gradually slowed.


    Bang!


    At that moment, the Mercedes Benz van had already reached the bottom of the slope, colliding with a tree trunk, emitting a loud crash.


    He didn¡¯t know how long it had been, perhaps just a few seconds, but to Ling Chen, it felt painfully long. Feeling his bodye to aplete stop, he tried to sit up, but quickly discovered that any movement caused severe pain from his back, as if his spine were broken, and he couldn¡¯t move.


    Damn, this is a huge loss, he thought, nearly losing his life over a sry of a couple of ten-thousands.


    His mind wandering, he felt extremely dizzy. Having been tense all this time, now rxing, sleepiness overwhelmed him, and coupled with the physical pain, soon he fell into a deep sleep.


    ...


    At this moment, at the headquarters of Boyang Branch in East Sea City.


    Zhu Hong kicked open the door to an office room, striding in.


    Inside the office, a blond, blue-eyed man was standing by the window, lowering his cellphone from his ear.


    "Stephen."


    Zhu Hong looked at him, coldly uttering a few words through clenched teeth.


    "Mr. Zhu, looking for me thiste? What¡¯s the matter?" Stephen replied with a smile.


    With a livid face, Zhu Hong walked up to him, staring directly into his eyes, pausing between each word, "Was it you who kidnapped Nanrong Wanqing an hour ago?"


    "Do you truly think so?"


    "All operations in East Sea City are my responsibility. I did not issue any such orders today. Someone suddenly targeted Nanrong Wanqing; shouldn¡¯t that be suspicious? Don¡¯t think I¡¯m unaware of your schemes, I¡¯m telling you, don¡¯t even think about it!"


    Stephen, still smiling, said, "Mr. Zhu, this is not for you to decide. I have already consulted the higher-ups, exining the importance of Nanrong Wanqing; they have agreed to let me capture her and bring her back to the base for experimentation."


    Zhu Hong coldly responded, "Then why didn¡¯t you inform me?"


    "Mr. Zhu, not informing you was for your own good. You care too much for Nanrong Wanqing. If you were to act, it likely wouldn¡¯t seed, so it¡¯s better that I handle it myself."


    "Where is she now? Where have you taken her?"


    "I also don¡¯t know their exact whereabouts now, but rest assured, she¡¯s in a very safe ce. When the police reduce their search efforts, I¡¯ll find a way to move her abroad."


    "Stephen, I don¡¯t care what you intend to do, but I need to see her before tomorrow morning, to personally verify her safety." Having said that, Zhu Hong turned and walked out of the office, mming the door behind him.


    After Zhu Hong left, Stephen picked up his phone again and dialed a number he had called several times.


    "Sorry, the number you have dialed is temporarily unavable, please try againter..."


    Listening to the prompt from the phone, Stephen¡¯s brow furrowed, his eyes turning cold.


    "Could something have happened?"


    ...


    It was unclear how much time had passed, but Ling Chen finally awoke from his unconscious state. He rubbed his eyes and looked up at the sky that was beginning to show the first light of dawn, slightly lifting his head.


    Feeling the movement of his body, Nanrong Wanqing, who had been unconscious on his chest, was also startled awake. Last night, during the car jump, she fainted from the tension and knew nothing of what happened afterward.


    Nanrong Wanqing raised her head and found herself looking directly into Ling Chen¡¯s clear pupils. Their eyes met, and being so close, they could even feel each other¡¯s breath.


    Involuntarily, a faint blush rose on Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s pretty face, and she gently lowered her gaze.


    "Um... could you please get off me first?" Ling Chen managed to utter the words with some difficulty.


    Nanrong Wanqing was lying on top of him, her ample bosom pressing against his chest. Normally, he would have enjoyed such a moment, but now he had no such mindset; his back felt numb,pletely devoid of sensation.


    Realizing the ambiguous nature of their position, Nanrong Wanqing hurriedly shifted off him, lying down in a pile of leaves next to him.


    Taking a deep breath, Ling Chen struggled to sit up from the ground, immediately wincing from the pain in his back.


    "Are... are you alright?"


    Nanrong Wanqing stared at his back, her face showing a mixture of shock and pity.


    Ling Chen¡¯s shirt was torn, and blood stained much of it. His entire back was smeared with blood, looking quite frightful.


    She knew that if it weren¡¯t for Ling Chen shielding her with his bodyst night, he wouldn¡¯t have sustained such severe injuries.


    Feeling the concern in her gaze, Ling Chen grinned and said, "We are lucky to be alive; these injuries are nothing." Looking up at the sky, he added, "It¡¯s already daylight. With no news for so long, everyone must be worried to death."


    "Let¡¯s call them and tell them toe pick us up."


    Ling Chen nodded, then reached into his pocket. But then he remembered that he had left his phone in the car and forgotten to take it out.


    "What¡¯s wrong?" Nanrong Wanqing asked, noticing him pausing.


    "Oh... it¡¯s nothing."


    Regaining hisposure, Ling Chen reached into another pocket.


    Last night, when he took care of the thick-lipped man, he had taken his phone, hoping it could serve as a clue to track down the mastermind behind the scenes.


    However, when he pulled out the phone, his expression turned strange, almostically resigned.


    It seemed that during the jump, the phone had been crushed under him, shattering the screen and rendering it unusable.


    Looking around at the dense woods, he couldn¡¯t help but let out a bitterugh, realizing that he and Nanrong Wanqing were likely trapped in this deste ce.

 Chapter 119 - 118 Sharing Hardships

    <h4>Chapter 119: Chapter 118 Sharing Hardships</h4><h4></h4>


    Seeing the broken phone in Ling Chen¡¯s hand, Nanrong Wanqing immediately understood their situation, "What do we do now?"


    Ling Chen turned his head and looked behind at the steep slope that was about forty to fifty meters long, his face filled with a bitter smile. If it had been before, he could have carried Nanrong Wanqing away, but he was seriously injured now,cking the strength to even climb up, let alone carrying Nanrong Wanqing.


    "Let¡¯s rest for a bit. I believe they will find us." As he spoke, he nced at Nanrong Wanqing and noticed a patch of blood on the left side of her waist, which startled him, "Are you injured?"


    "It¡¯s nothing, just a scratch." Nanrong Wanqing gently pressed on her wound, her delicate eyebrows furrowing slightly, clearly in pain.


    "Let me see."


    Ignoring his own injuries, Ling Chen endured the pain in his back and struggled to stand up. He crouched in front of Nanrong Wanqing and then lifted the corner of her clothes.


    Instantly, he saw a long cut on her fair skin, apparently caused by a sharp stone. The blood around it had already coagted, and a hint of blue was faintly encircling the wound.


    His finger pressed on the wound, and Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s body trembled instantly. She bit her thin lips tightly, her face showing a painful expression.


    Seeing this, Ling Chen quickly withdrew his hand and covered the wound with her clothes again.


    "We need to treat our wounds right away, or they may get infected, and that would be troublesome."


    "We don¡¯t have a first aid kit here, how can we treat them."


    Ling Chen grinned and gave her a reassuring look, "Don¡¯t worry, we¡¯ll find a way. You lie down here for a while, I¡¯ll go find something."


    With that, he stood up, looked around, and then walked into Lin Zi.


    The forest was dense and lush with flowers and nts everywhere, surrounded by towering trees, filled with the scent of nature.


    Ling Chen pushed through the bushes, carefully searching in the woods. After a while, his eyes lit up, his angr face filled with joy as he hurried over. His steps too big, he pulled at the wound on his back, causing a sharp pain and cold sweat to run down his body.


    He took a breath, and once the pain slightly subsided, he pulled up a nt with its roots from the soil.


    "Right."


    He muttered to himself, the nt in his hand was the Purple Bellflower.


    Purple Bellflower is a kind of herbal medicine that can be used for antiseptic and hemostatic purposes; it¡¯s a fairlymon herb. It took a few minutes, but he picked four or five Purple Bellflowers and then returned to Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s side.


    Seeing him returning with a few nts, Nanrong Wanqing couldn¡¯t help but ask curiously, "What is this?"


    "Life-saving herbs." Saying that, Ling Chen plucked a few leaves and stuffed them into his mouth, continuously chewing them. At the same time, he lifted the corner of Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s clothes again, revealing her wound.


    "Madam Chairman, we don¡¯t have anything now, we can only work with what we have. Please bear with it."


    Before Nanrong Wanqing could react, Ling Chen spat out the chewed leaves into his hand, then applied it to her wound.


    Feeling the warmth on her wound, Nanrong Wanqing turned her head away, feeling somewhat unable to look directly, it felt a bit... too much.


    Ling Chen exined, "Madam Chairman, I know it¡¯s disgusting, but there¡¯s no help for it. This medicine can stop bleeding and disinfect to prevent infection, you surely don¡¯t want to get tetanus."


    After applying the herbal medicine, Ling Chen tore off a piece of rtively clean cloth from his own clothes and pressed it against Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s wound to let the medicinal effect fully unfold.


    After treating her wound, he started to apply medicine to his own.


    However, his wounds were on his back, making it very inconvenient for both his hands.


    Seeing him struggling, Nanrong Wanqing hesitated for a moment, then sat up and said softly, "Let me help you."


    "Ah? Oh, here you go."


    Ling Chen snapped out of his brief daze and handed over the leaves he had just chewed.


    Nanrong Wanqing nced at them, pursed her lips slightly, and shook her head. "No need, I¡¯ll do it myself." As she spoke, she picked a few leaves and put them in her mouth.


    Watching Ling Chen¡¯s back covered in blood, she tore a piece of cloth from the hem of her skirt and gently wiped the blood off his back, careful not to hurt him.


    "Does it hurt?"


    Ling Chen cracked a slight smile and said indifferently, "These little wounds and pains are nothing."


    When Nanrong Wanqing had cleaned all the blood from his back, her expression suddenly froze, and she stared nkly at his back.


    Seeing her motionless, Ling Chen asked, "What¡¯s wrong?"


    Hearing his voice, Nanrong Wanqing immediately snapped back to reality. "It¡¯s... it¡¯s nothing."


    Although she said it was nothing, her heart was incredibly shocked. On Ling Chen¡¯s back, she saw seven or eight bullet wounds and several fierce scars.


    She had never seen a person with so many injuries. These gunshot wounds and knife scars seemed to silently recount his past hardships.


    "You... what did you do in the past?"


    She rubbed the chewed leaves on his wounds while asking.


    Ling Chen smiled faintly, fully understanding her implication, "Are you asking about where these scars came from?"


    Nanrong Wanqing didn¡¯t respond, but her attitude seemed to confirm it.


    "When you drift in the Martial Arts World, how can you not get wounded? I used to live the life of licking blood off the knife-edge; getting injured wasmon. Compared to me, those who left these scars on me ended up in far worse situations, so I¡¯ve always felt fortunate."


    "Were you a soldier before?"


    "Sort of."


    The organization was independent, but nominally affiliated with the military, yet not controlled by it, so iming to be a soldier was not wrong.


    After applying the herbal medicine, Nanrong Wanqing sat beside him and asked, "Where is your hometown?"


    "I forgot."


    Ling Chen looked up, watching the morning sun filter through the leaves and sprinkle dappled light spots on the ground, a trace of nostalgia flickering in his clear pupils.


    Feeling Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s gaze on him, he gently turned his head to meet her bright eyes, and said with a smile, "I left home when I was very young and lived with my dad. In my teens, my dad was often away from home due to some matters, and rarely returned. Later, when I was idle, I simply joined the army."


    "Have you been living alone all these years?"


    "Pretty much, I just got used to it. Director, you¡¯re asking so thoroughly, are you nning to set me up with someone?" Ling Chen joked.


    "With your capabilities, do you still need my help in this?"


    "That can¡¯t be said; capability is one thing, women are another. Women nowadays are too pragmatic and their thoughts hard to grasp, it¡¯s too draining."


    "If you¡¯re unwilling to even spend that much effort, it only suggests that you don¡¯t value that woman."


    Hearing this, Ling Chen grinned, "Director, you are a woman, you must understand women well, why not teach me a few tricks?"

 Chapter 120 - 119 Storm (1)

    <h4>Chapter 120: Chapter 119 Storm (1)</h4><h4></h4>


    "I..." Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s pretty face blushed slightly as she shook her head, "I¡¯ve never dated, so it¡¯s useless to ask me."


    "Chairwoman, you are a golden flower of East Sea City; I bet the line of men chasing after you could circle around East Sea City. Are you saying not one of these men caught your eye?"


    "What they pursue is not me as a person, but the wealth of the Nanrong Family. After all, I am not aplete person." She said with a faint smile, revealing a sense of destion, "Besides, I¡¯m not interested in this sort of thing right now. The Nanrong Family needs someone to take charge, and I can¡¯t be distracted. Perhaps when Nanrong Hao grows up, I might consider it."


    Ling Chen looked at her stunned, not expecting this woman to be so indifferent about her own disability. To avoid making her sad, he went along with her, "Haozi is lucky to have such a good sister like you. It¡¯s a pity that he doesn¡¯t understand much now and can¡¯t feel the sacrifices and efforts you¡¯ve made for him."


    "That¡¯s why I need your help, to help him change."


    "There¡¯s no rush. Take it one step at a time, the food should be eaten bite by bite, the road should be walked step by step. Haozi has a good nature, I believe he won¡¯t disappoint you." After saying that, he stood up, patting the leaves off his behind, "It¡¯s been a whole night, you must be hungry, I¡¯ll find you something to eat."


    After busying himself for half an hour, Ling Chen managed to find some wild vegetables and mushrooms.


    He returned to Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s side, tossed the food he gathered on the ground, and then walked toward the damaged Mercedes-Benz van, rummaging through it.


    Before long, he found a few bottles of mineral water and some simple tools. Right there and then, he improvised a stove using parts from the car, set it up on a wood fire, with mes rising underneath.


    Once the stove was red-hot, he poured mineral water inside, then added mushrooms and wild vegetables to make a soup.


    Although there were no seasonings like oil, salt, soy sauce, or vinegar, these wild vegetables had a good natural taste. He tasted it, then brought the pot over to Nanrong Wanqing.


    "Aren¡¯t you eating?" Nanrong Wanqing asked, seeing him sitting on the side watching her.


    "I¡¯ve eaten already." Ling Chen said. His wilderness survival skills were far superior to Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s. There were many things in the woods he could eat raw; if it wasn¡¯t for taking care of Nanrong Wanqing, he wouldn¡¯t have needed to put in so much effort.


    Probably starving, Nanrong Wanqing devoured the mushrooms and wild vegetables until the pot was clean.


    "How is it? It should taste no worse than the egg noodle soup." Ling Chen said with a smile.


    Hearing him mention the egg noodle soup caused a hint of embarrassment in Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s beautiful eyes.


    "Thank you."


    "No need to be polite. You sit tight; I¡¯ll go clean up."


    Ling Chen was about to get up when suddenly, a raindrop fell on his head. He looked up to see the sky had turned; what had been sunny now was overcast with a sudden change of face.


    Before he could usher Nanrong Wanqing into the car, a torrential downpour started, falling heavily on the leaves and instantly soaking their clothes.


    Ling Chen hurriedly picked up Nanrong Wanqing and took her into the van.


    Watching the intensity of the rain grow, he frowned to himself, thinking this was trouble.


    ...


    Meanwhile, on a rural road, two police cars were parked at the roadside, with Xia Mutong standing in front of the wrecked muscle car, holding an umbre and looking anxiously across the fields.


    "Tang Yuan, are you sure they went that way?"


    "There are tire tracks in the field over there, definitely can¡¯t be wrong."


    Last night, when Ling Chen became unreachable, Tang Yuan immediately tracked his cellphone signal and hurried here, only to find the car and the abandoned cellphone inside, but no sign of Ling Chen himself.


    Because it was night at that time and the surroundings were shrouded in darkness with weeds overgrown in the fields, it was inconvenient to search, so they had to wait for daylight to begin the search operation.


    Szzz... At this moment, an electric crackle came from the walkie-talkie on Xia Mutong¡¯s body, followed by a report: "Captain Xia, the rain is too heavy, the tire tracks on the fields are almost washed away."


    "As long as we¡¯re heading in the right direction that¡¯s fine. I will request higher authorities for additional support and expand the search area."


    After speaking, Xia Mutong turned to look at Tang Yuan, "You should go back first, we will do our best to locate Miss Nanrong and Ling Chen."


    Tang Yuan shook his head, pulled out his cellphone, and stepped aside to dial a number.


    After hanging up, Tang Yuan returned to Xia Mutong¡¯s side and said earnestly, "Officer Xia, from now on, I am in full charge of the search and rescue for Miss Nanrong and Ling Chen, the East Sea City police force will cooperate with my actions unconditionally."


    "You..."


    "You don¡¯t need to ask more, I think you will soon receive a call from your superiors."


    As soon as Tang Yuan finished speaking, Xia Mutong¡¯s phone rang. She looked at Tang Yuan with surprise and skepticism and took out her cellphone. When she saw the name on the iing call disy, her expression changed.


    "Who are you?" After listening to the call, Xia Mutong asked with a face full of astonishment. She thought Tang Yuan was just a security staff member of the Nanrong family, but it didn¡¯t seem to be the case. Could a security person make the bureau chief personally call her?


    "Officer Xia, you don¡¯t need to know too much, what¡¯s most important now is to find their whereabouts," Tang Yuan said as he spread out a map and drew a circle on it with a pen, "Based on my judgment, they should be within this area."


    "This area is almost thirty to forty kilometers, our manpower is limited, we can¡¯tplete the search of this area in a short time."


    "Call all the support you have, and have helicopters search the area non-stop, 24 hours a day. Ling Chen is smart, he should know we are looking for him and will definitely find a way to contact us."


    ...


    More than two hours passed, and the rain showed no sign of abating.


    Inside the woods, the torrential rain was apanied by gusts of wind that blew through the trees, bringing a hint of autumn coolness and the fresh scent of the earth.


    Inside the Mercedes-Benz van, Ling Chen and Nanrong Wanqing sat in the back seat, quietly waiting for the rain to stop.


    At that moment, a cool breeze blew into the van, and Nanrong Wanqing, who was thinly d, couldn¡¯t help but yawn. Having been soaked by the rain and then chilled by the cold wind, Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s already delicate body was struggling to hold up.


    Ling Chen felt helpless; the windows of the van had been smashed and could not be closed.


    Seeing Nanrong Wanqing hugging her arms, drenched and curled up inside the vehicle, her lips turning pale, Ling Chen couldn¡¯t help but feelpassion. If this continued, Nanrong Wanqing was bound to fall ill sooner orter.


    Unfortunately, there was nothing in the van to keep them warm, and his own clothes were soaked through.


    "Chairwoman, how are you feeling, are you alright?"


    "I¡¯m fine, don¡¯t worry about me." As soon as she spoke the words, bursts of cold wind poured into the van, causing Nanrong Wanqing to tremble involuntarily.


    Seeing her in this state, Ling Chen felt distressed but didn¡¯t know what to do.


    "Chairwoman..."


    "Hmm?"


    "Talk to me." Ling Chen wanted to divert her attention and lift her spirits by conversing with her.

 Chapter 121 - 120 Storm (Part 2)

    <h4>Chapter 121: Chapter 120 Storm (Part 2)</h4><h4></h4>


    Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s lips parted slightly: "Say what?"


    "Say..." Ling Chen¡¯s eyes darted as he smiled, "If you were no longer the chairman of Hongyu Group, what would you most want to do?"


    "I haven¡¯t thought about it."


    "It¡¯s never toote to think about it now since we have plenty of time."


    "I want to..." As soon as the words left her mouth, Nanrong Wanqing¡¯splexion suddenly changed, her brows furrowed slightly, biting her lip corner as if enduring pain.


    Seeing this, Ling Chen was startled and quickly lifted the corner of her garment to inspect the wound on her waist. Perhaps because it had been soaked by the rain, the herbal medicine had lost its effect, and the wound had red up again.


    He hurriedly picked up her delicate body,id her on the back seat of the car, then dashed out into the downpour to bring back the several Purple Bellflower nts he had left behind.


    After cleaning off the previously applied herbs, he chewed up a few leaves and reapplied them to the wound.


    "Chairman." Looking at Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s increasingly pallid pretty face, Ling Chen felt both worried and puzzled. The wound had already been treated; although it was a bit cold, it shouldn¡¯t be weak to this extent.


    As he pondered, he suddenly noticed a pool of blood on the back seat of the car.


    The bleeding from the wound had already stopped, so where did this bloode from?


    Her skirt!


    He raised an eyebrow, realizing that Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s skirt, pressed under her, was soaked with fresh blood. Not minding much, he gently lifted her skirt. Instantly, he saw a branch embedded in the inner thigh of Nanrong Wanqing.


    The branch, as thick as a finger, had prated halfway into her thigh.


    Looking at the dreadful wound, Ling Chen¡¯s pupils constricted, his eyes carrying a trace of hidden anger.


    This woman... she suffered such a serious injury but didn¡¯t tell him; could she really bear this kind of pain?


    That¡¯s it!


    He suddenly realized that both of Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s legs had lost sensation,pletely numb to pain; she probably didn¡¯t even know she was injured there. Perhaps, it was also out of shyness that she didn¡¯t dare to tell him.


    "Chairman..."


    "Ling... Ling Chen, didn¡¯t you just want to know what I would most want to do if I were no longer the chairman of Hongyu Group?"


    "Don¡¯t talk, just rest."


    However, perhaps due to excessive blood loss, Nanrong Wanqing seemed a bit delirious, as if she hadn¡¯t heard his words, still muttering to herself in a low voice.


    "I want... I want to go to amusement parks, I want to go to the cinema, I want to try street food, I want to be an ordinary person, not having to be in the limelight wherever I go, not having to consider others¡¯ feelings in everything I do, I want... I want freedom... I want to find someone I like, to be a wife and a mother, to spend a lifetime together..."


    "To be a wife and a mother?"


    Turns out, she was still a traditional woman.


    Ling Chen shook his head, his mouth chewing on the Purple Bellflower. Once the herbal medicine was ready, he lifted her skirt without looking aside, gently grasped one end of the branch, and quickly pulled it out.


    Without waiting for the blood to run, he hastily plugged the wound with the chewed leaves, then tore off a piece of cloth from the skirt, wrapped it around the wound to let the medicinal effect take hold.


    "Ling Chen..."


    "I¡¯m here."


    "I... I¡¯m so cold... Am I... am I dying?" Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s lips parted faintly, already devoid of color.


    Seeing her in a daze, Ling Chen reached out and touched her forehead, feeling the icy chill of her skin.


    Ling Chen, who had medical knowledge, knew that under Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s condition, she would be in mortal danger if he didn¡¯t find a way to treat her soon.


    After hesitating for a moment, he gritted his teeth and whispered, "I¡¯m doing this to save your life. Don¡¯t me me for this."


    With that, he took off his own clothes and then began unfastening the soaked garments on Nanrong Wanqing, gently peeling them away.


    Instantly, her snow-white skin was exposed without cover before his eyes.


    The white bra appeared in his view, encasing two firm mounts of purity, as if all the temptations of the world were contained within.


    Ling Chen extended his hand, stopping mid-air, indecisive.


    "Ling Chen... I¡¯m cold..."


    Hearing the murmurs from Nanrong Wanqing, Ling Chen sighed softly, hoping she would forgive him.


    He bent down, took Nanrong Wanqing into his arms, his right hand reaching behind her to gently unfasten the sp of her bra.


    As the bra slipped off, Ling Chen cradled her smooth and delicate body against his chest. Feeling his warm body temperature, Nanrong Wanqing cuddled into his embrace like a submissive kitten, burying her head into his chest, her hands tightly clinging to him.


    Outside the car, the wind and rain mingled, and the pitter-patter of raindrops apanied by the rolling thunder crafted a symphony amidst the rustling leaves, like a magnificent natural concerto.


    ...


    "Stephen, where is she?"


    At the headquarters of Boyang Branch, Zhu Hong stood in the office, staring at Stephen seated on the sofa, questioning, "I said I wanted to see her by this morning. Where on earth have you kept her?"


    "Mr. Zhu, I know you¡¯re concerned about Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s safety, but I can¡¯t tell you right now."


    "Why not?" Zhu Hong asked coldly.


    "Because I don¡¯t know where she is either. I¡¯ve lost contact with the people from ck Riders Mercenary Group, and there¡¯s been no word from them yet."


    "What?"


    Stephen gestured reassuringly, "Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ve checked just now, Nanrong Wanqing hasn¡¯t returned to the Nanrong Family home, and the police are still searching for her, which means she¡¯s still in our hands. It¡¯s probably due to poor signal that the phones aren¡¯t getting through. Oh, and there¡¯s one more thing; besides Nanrong Wanqing, Ling Chen is also missing, whereabouts unknown."


    "I don¡¯t care about Ling Chen¡¯s fate; I just want to know where Nanrong Wanqing is. Stephen, you orchestrated this whole affair. If anything happens to Nanrong Wanqing, I won¡¯t let you off the hook," Zhu Hong said sternly, struggling to contain his fury.


    Stephenughed carelessly, "Mr. Zhu, I¡¯m sure the higher-ups won¡¯t allow you to do anything to me. Don¡¯t forget, I¡¯m one of the most valuable scientific researchers in the organization. If you dare toy a hand on me, do you think they would spare you? You know the rules of the organization better than anyone; I don¡¯t need to remind you." As he spoke, he lifted the wine ss from the table and swirled the red wine gently, "Mr. Zhu, our primary task now is to find Nanrong Wanqing and bring her back safely. Instead of getting angry with me, you might as well use your people to search for her."


    "You better pray she¡¯s unharmed, or you¡¯ll have me to answer to, hmph!" Having said that, Zhu Hong turned and left the office.


    Watching him depart, Stephen let out a coldugh and then took out his phone from his pocket, dialing a number.


    Shortly after, a man with a stern expression walked in.


    Stephen handed the phone to him, saying, "Last night, before the mercenary lost contact, he sent a location to my phone. They might still be around there. Go immediately with your team and make sure to find Nanrong Wanqing. Remember, don¡¯t let Zhu Hong find out about this."


    "Understood."

 Chapter 122 - 121: Attachment

    <h4>Chapter 122: Chapter 121: Attachment</h4><h4></h4>


    In the van.


    Ling Chen was holding the soft and delicate body, and he fell into a deep sleep. He didn¡¯t know how much time had passed when he felt Nanrong Wanqing in his arms stir slightly, prompting him to open his eyes.


    However, the moment he did, he found himself looking right into Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s bright eyes that were clear like spring water.


    Their eyes met, and Ling Chen¡¯s face instantly revealed a big, awkward expression. The exnation he had thought up in advance reached his mouth, but he couldn¡¯t bring himself to say it.


    "Are you... alright?"


    It took him a while to barely squeeze out those few words.


    Nanrong Wanqing was biting her lips, her eyes downturned as she looked at his well-built chest, a faint blush involuntarily surfacing on her fair, jade-like skin.


    "You..."


    "That... it¡¯s not what you think," Ling Chen quickly took over her words to exin, "I didn¡¯t mean to take advantage of you. The situation was very dangerous just now. If I hadn¡¯t done what I did, I was afraid something bad might happen to you."


    "I... I understand."


    Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s voice was weak and mosquito-like. After saying this, a slight blush quietly rose on her slightly pale pretty face, incredibly endearing.


    Although her consciousness was somewhat unclear earlier, she was very aware of her own situation. As the saying goes, illness breeds the best doctor; during the years of her legs¡¯ disability, she had read numerous medical books hoping to find a cure. Over time, she also gained a rough understanding of medicine.


    If Ling Chen had not made a prompt decision to protect her with his body heat, her condition could have been much worse, perhaps even life-threatening.


    She had noticed the injury on the inside of her thigh early on but, embarrassed to let Ling Chen treat it, she hadn¡¯t spoken up. Originally, she had nned to wait for the rescue team and then return to the hospital for treatment, but she hadn¡¯t expected the situation to be so severe.


    In fact, she had awakened in Ling Chen¡¯s arms earlier but didn¡¯t know how to face the situation, so she dared not wake him up.


    And, in the cool autumn temperature, she was even more fond of the warmth in Ling Chen¡¯s embrace.


    Feeling that Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s hands were still wrapped around him without uttering a word, Ling Chen suddenly felt a bit helpless.


    As a proud virgin, he had never experienced anything like this.


    Though they were merely close in skin contact, it was still quite the stimtion for him. Having held Nanrong Wanqing in his sleep was initially just an innocent attempt to save her. But now that he was awake, the light virgin fragrance continually tantalized his sense of smell, especially her smooth and fine skin, which instigated his primal urges, and little Ling Chen was somewhat out of control.


    Just then, he noticed that Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s delicate body started to heat up, and her breathing became more rapid.


    Could it be that her injury was acting up? But that shouldn¡¯t cause such a reaction.


    "Are you alright?" After pondering for a long while, he couldn¡¯t help but speak up, breaking the brief silence inside the vehicle.


    "I¡¯m... fine..."


    Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s voice trembled slightly, her eyes tightly closed as she buried her head in his chest, not daring to lift it.


    At this moment, her cheeks were already flushed.


    Just now, she felt something pushing against her lower abdomen. Although she was innocent and had never been in love, it didn¡¯t mean she waspletely ignorant.


    Back when she was with Su Lin, her frank cousin often discussed some embarrassing topics with her in private, so she was well aware of what that was.


    This man... he wouldn¡¯t be thinking of... Unconsciously, she had fallen into a whirl of wild thoughts.


    When Ling Chen¡¯s voice reached her, remembering the scenes she had imagined made her face burn with embarrassment.


    Why would she think of such things... She silently chided herself.


    No, I can¡¯t go on like this anymore, otherwise how would I face this man in the future.


    Thinking of this, her eyes filled with shyness, she whispered, "Could you... get up?"


    Hearing this, Ling Chen felt a slight disappointment, but he still let go of his arms.


    "Wait!"


    Suddenly, Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s voice rang out, Ling Chen asked, perplexed, "What¡¯s wrong?"


    "You... close your eyes... no peeking."


    Ling Chen smirked secretly, fully understanding her meaning. Right then, he obediently closed his eyes and then sat up from the back seat.


    "I¡¯ll go out first."


    Leaving Ling Chen¡¯s warm embrace, Nanrong Wanqing immediately felt a cool breeze from outside the car, causing her to feel an inexplicable sense of loss.


    Upon realizing this, her face turned red again.


    "Oh, right, here, take this."


    At this moment, Ling Chen reached under the seat and pulled out a white bra, and with his eyes still closed, handed it to Nanrong Wanqing. He had ced it there, fearing that Nanrong Wanqing wouldn¡¯t be able to find it, so he picked it up conveniently.


    Nanrong Wanqing bit her lip, her eyes more filled with shyness, couldn¡¯t he be a bit more subtle?


    Annoyed as she was, she still took the bra from him.


    After getting out of the car, Ling Chen turned his back on the van, looked up at the sky, and guessed it was already afternoon. The heavy rain had already stopped, the ground was full of potholes and puddles, and water droplets asionally fell from the leaves.


    He helplessly shook his head; he had wanted to start a fire and create smoke to attract the attention of the rescue team. Now that the branches were all wet, he couldn¡¯t start a fire.


    While pondering, he suddenly heard the roaring sound of an engineing from the steep slope above, getting closer.


    "Could it be the people looking for us?" Nanrong Wanqing also heard the sound and asked, poking her head out of the car window.


    "We don¡¯t know yet. But remember, not only our people are looking for you, those who kidnapped you won¡¯t let you go either," said Ling Chen. He opened the car door, saw that Nanrong Wanqing was dressed appropriately, and then carried her down from the car.


    Following that, he pulled out a pendant from his pocket.


    The pendant, given to Nanrong Wanqing by the mercenaries the night before, contained a tiny mechanism. Besides being controlled by a remote, it would also cause trouble if the ne broke.


    He closed the car door, then carefully wrapped the pendant in the car interior.


    "What are you doing?" Nanrong Wanqing asked curiously.


    "Nothing, just in case."


    After securely cing the miniature bomb, Ling Chen carried Nanrong Wanqing to a nearby bush and quietly observed.


    At that moment, on the steep slope above, two SUVs arrived from different directions and parked together.


    The doors opened, and a total of ten fully armed men got out one after another.


    After they gathered, one of the leading men asked another group¡¯s member, "Were you guys spotted by the rescue team on your way here?"


    "No, just that helicopter was a bit of trouble; we took a very long detour to avoid it."


    "Captain, the police dispatched rescue team is still searching eight kilometers away; they won¡¯t reach here for a while. We have plenty of time toplete the mission."


    "Very good."

 Chapter 123 - 122: The Chase

    <h4>Chapter 123: Chapter 122: The Chase</h4><h4></h4>


    "The positioning signal sent by the mercenaries is nearby. Everyone spread out in pairs and act separately."


    "Yes."


    In less than a few minutes, they discovered two corpses nearby.


    The leader with a stern face slightly furrowed his brow and said, "It¡¯s the ck Riders Mercenary Group¡¯s men. It was them who kidnapped Nanrong Wanqingst night."


    "Captain, since they are dead, could Nanrong Wanqing have been rescued?"


    "We cannot dismiss that possibility, but since the police are still searching, it means she hasn¡¯t returned. We¡¯ve been ordered to never give up as long as there¡¯s a sliver of chance. Look for that Mercedes-Benz van; they might have driven away in it."


    "Number three calling, number three calling."


    At that moment, a team member¡¯s voice came through the portable two-way radio.


    "Received."


    "Captain, we found a body 200 meters to the south. It¡¯s the driver who was responsible for driving."


    "I¡¯m on my way." The conversation ended, and the stern man immediately led his team members southward.


    Reaching the site where the body was found, a subordinate said, "Captain, this person must have hit a tree trunk when he jumped out of the vehicle. His injuries were too severe, and he didn¡¯t make it."


    The stern man nodded, "With the driver jumping out here, it seems the van we are looking for has gone in this direction. Notify the other team members immediately and have them converge here."


    Over ten minutes passed, and everyone followed the direction in which the van had gone and found a steep slope. The stern man stood at the top, looking down for a few moments before his gaze sharpened. He pointed towards the bottom of the slope and ordered, "The van¡¯s down there, go down now!"


    Upon themand, the well-trained team members didn¡¯t say another word and swiftly slid down the slope.


    In no time, the team led by the stern man reached the van and surrounded it.


    With a hand gesture, one of the team members picked up an MP5 submachine gun and cautiously approached the rear door of the van.


    Signaled by the captain, he violently yanked open the door.


    Bang!


    All of a sudden, there was a loud st, and the team member was flung out,nding heavily on the ground with a bloodied and mangled chest, lifeless.


    Seeing this, the stern man¡¯s expression shifted. He yelled ¡¯Get down!¡¯ and quicklyy on the ground, scanning the surroundings as the dark muzzles swept through the grass around them.


    Once he was sure the crisis had passed, the stern man stood up and, looking at the dead team member, said coldly, "They¡¯re definitely still nearby. Find them. Remember, do not injure the target, but show no mercy to anyone else."


    "Yes!"


    ...


    At this moment, in the dense woods, Ling Chen carried Nanrong Wanqing on his back, quickly weaving through the intertwined branches and leaves.


    Running not too far off, Ling Chen¡¯s forehead was already covered with sweat. He clenched his teeth and gasped for breath, not slowing his pace.


    Normally, such physical exertion would not be difficult for him, but now, with his body full of wounds, especially with Nanrong Wanqing on his back, each step he took rubbed against the wound on his back, causing unbearable pain. The wounds that had scabbed over began to crack open again, with fresh blood pouring out.


    If it weren¡¯t for his strong will, he would have copsed already.


    Nanrong Wanqing looked down and saw that her clothes were already stained with blood, and a sense ofpassion surged in her heart.


    "Are you okay? Maybe we should find a ce to rest."


    Rest?


    Is this woman joking? There¡¯s no time to rest at a moment like this, they¡¯re barely managing to escape.


    He shook his head and continued to sprint forward. After a short while, he stopped, took a long breath, and then ced Nanrong Wanqing in a patch of weeds about waist-high.


    "Stay here and don¡¯t make a sound. I¡¯lle back for youter."


    With those words, he didn¡¯t wait for Nanrong Wanqing to reply and darted off, vanishing from her sight in an instant.


    Ling Chen was very clear about his situation. With his current condition, his physical strength and pain were not enough to support him escaping with Nanrong Wanqing. So, the only solution was to take the initiative to strike and deal with that group of men.


    He retraced his steps along the route they came from. Soon after, he saw nine fully armed men approaching from not far away, four in front and three in the back, with one on each side, in a standard search formation.


    Hiding behind a thick tree trunk, he drew his handgun, ejected the magazine, and saw two bullets remaining.


    Limited bullets, he had to be economical.


    He put the gun away and crouched low, circling around through the grass beside him.


    "Captain."


    One of the team members at the front looked at the branches on both sides, and called the stern-faced man over, pointing at a broken tree branch saying, "The break is still fresh; they must have escaped this way."


    "Chase!" The stern-faced man decisivelymanded, immediately quickening their pace.


    But at that moment, a rustling sound suddenly came from the woods on the left. The stern-faced man¡¯s steps halted, and his eyes became sharp. He raised his submachine gun, aimed in the direction of the noise, and then made a gesture to the two teammates beside him.


    The teammates understood and carefully pushed aside the dense branches on both sides, slowly making their way through.


    After advancing more than ten meters, the two of them looked around and found no signs of the enemy. Their tight nerves immediately rxed.


    The two exchanged nces, nodded to each other, and then turned to head back.


    However, just as they turned, a person suddenly sprung out from the umted leaves underfoot, each hand holding a branch as thick as a wrist. Both branches were broken in the middle, the breakpoints sharp like spearheads, and fiercely stabbed towards the back of the necks of the two team members.


    Ah! Ah!


    Immediately, two screams were heard, and the two team members fell face forward to the ground, blood flowing, bodies convulsing non-stop.


    Having struck sessfully, Ling Chen was getting ready to pick up the submachine guns that had fallen to the ground, but gunshot sounds from the opposite direction had already erupted. Bullets pierced through the leaves and whistled past his body, narrowly missing him.


    Without a moment¡¯s hesitation, he immediately pulled back and leapt to the side, crawling with hands and feet. Only after moving out of the enemy¡¯s firing range did he get up and continue to move.


    Taking down two enemies was a good harvest and was worth the time he spent under the leaves. However, this would certainly raise the vignce of others, and it would be difficult to strike so easily again.


    Looking at the two dead team members, the stern-faced man¡¯splexion turned ashen, veins throbbing on his forehead, he gritted his teeth and said, "Find him for me. I¡¯m going to y his skin alive."


    "Captain, that person..."


    Bang!


    Before the words left his mouth, the team member¡¯s head burst into blood, and he fell straight down.


    "Over there."


    "Chase him!"


    The enraged stern-faced man took big strides, quickly charging in the direction of the gunfire.


    Hearing the hurried footsteps behind him, Ling Chen¡¯s mouth slightly curved up. No matter what, he couldn¡¯t let those men find Nanrong Wanqing. He had to lead them away first, then find a way to deal with them one by one.

 Chapter 124: The 123rd First Kiss

    <h4>Chapter 124: The 123rd First Kiss</h4><h4></h4>


    "Ah!"


    Just then, a terrified scream suddenly pierced through the forest.


    Ling Chen, who was sprinting, came to an abrupt halt and turned towards the direction of the sound, his expression changing dramatically. He was certain that the scream hade from Nanrong Wanqing.


    This woman... Hadn¡¯t he warned her not to make any noise? It looked like their n was about to go south.


    No longer concerned about the enemies behind him, he hurriedly dashed towards Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s location. Those people, hearing Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s voice, would definitely shift their target; he had to beat them to it and get back to her first.


    Before long, facing a patch of grass half a person tall, he took a long stride and plunged into it.


    Before he could even speak, he saw a figure sh before his eyes, and a pair of arms reached out, tightly sping his neck.


    "What happened?"


    "Snake... there¡¯s a snake..."


    Nanrong Wanqing pointed to the grass next to her, her voice trembling slightly, clearly frightened.


    Ling Chen nced over and saw a snake about a meter long and as thick as a chicken egg, covered in green, hissing at that moment.


    "It¡¯s just a green bamboo snake, what¡¯s there to be scared of?" he said with a touch of exasperation.


    But then again, women naturally fear such critters like snakes and bugs.


    He casually grabbed the green bamboo snake, flung it with force, tossing it away, then he hoisted Nanrong Wanqing back onto his back and burst out of the grass like a shot. This ce was already exposed; those people would soon find it, so they needed to move immediately.


    "Captain, they¡¯re over there."


    A team member trailing behind caught sight of Ling Chen surging forward and immediately cried out.


    "Stop!" The man with the cold demeanor roared, "If you don¡¯t stop, I¡¯m going to shoot."


    Ling Chen just curled his lip, ignoring the threat as if he hadn¡¯t heard it at all. These people were desperate to kidnap Nanrong Wanqing; they wouldn¡¯t dare to shoot.


    "Chase, don¡¯t let them get away, you two nk from that side."


    As the footsteps behind him got closer, Ling Chen¡¯s expression became increasingly solemn. Now that they were less than thirty to forty meters apart, it was impossible to shake them off at such a short distance. Moreover, his speed was limited by carrying Nanrong Wanqing.


    "I¡¯m sorry."


    Nanrong Wanqingy against Ling Chen¡¯s shoulder, speaking with self-reproach. She knew that if it wasn¡¯t for her own scream, the enemies wouldn¡¯t have been attracted.


    "Chairwoman, you should pray that we can get through this ordeal instead."


    As they spoke, Ling Chen suddenly heard the sound of rushing water not far ahead. Clenching his teeth with resolve, he exerted all his strength, pushing his speed to the limit.


    A few dozen meterster, he burst forth from the dense foliage. Suddenly, he saw a rapid river lying in their path.


    "We¡¯re trapped..."


    Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s pretty face turned pale, despair flickering in her eyes. After hesitating, she bit her lip and said, "Ling Chen, you should escape by yourself, don¡¯t worry about me."


    "Don¡¯t talk like we¡¯ve already lost. As long as I¡¯m alive, they won¡¯ty a finger on you." Ling Chen wiped the sweat from his forehead, his eyes filled with determination, "This is my promise to you, and my responsibility as well."


    "Mm."


    Nanrong Wanqing gave a soft response, touched by his words.


    "Do you know how to swim?"


    "I haven¡¯t learned that..."


    "Hold your breathter, don¡¯t breathe at all."


    As he finished speaking, Ling Chen jumped into the river with her on his back. Once they reached the middle of the river, he dove underwater, and the river immediately engulfed their bodies.


    At this time, the stoic man also arrived at the riverbank with his team.


    "They must have gone into the water, search!"


    At this moment, in the rapidly flowing water, Ling Chen hugged Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s delicate body tightly and swam swiftly with the current.


    After a while, he suddenly felt his wrist being gripped tightly. Turning his head, he saw Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s hand clutching his wrist, herplexion pained as she shook her head lightly, nearly unable to hold on any longer.


    Seeing this, Ling Chen frowned slightly. Those people were still searching for them; surfacing now would surely turn him into a live target.


    Thinking this, he pulled Nanrong Wanqing close and moved his head towards hers.


    Watching as Ling Chen¡¯s face neared hers, Nanrong Wanqing was momentarily puzzled. What... what is he doing?


    Just as she wondered, it felt like something blocked her lips, soft and gentle.


    Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s eyes went nk, her mind goingpletely empty, forgetting her predicament, with only one thought in her heart.


    That was, her first kiss was taken away like this...


    After what felt like an eternity, the two of them finally emerged from the water.


    Nanrong Wanqing stared at him, still unable to snap back to reality. She had no knowledge of what just happened; all she knew was that this man had taken the first kiss she had cherished for over twenty years.


    At this moment, Ling Chen moved his lips away and casually licked his own with his tongue.


    Well, it was actually pretty sweet.


    Seeing his action, Nanrong Wanqing felt both embarrassed and annoyed.


    Noticing the change in her expression, Ling Chen coughed lightly, embarrassedly saying, "That was ast resort just now, I wasn¡¯t trying to take advantage of you."


    "You¡¯re still talking."


    Nanrong Wanqingined. He had taken all the advantages he could from her¡ªbeing pressed against him naked in the car, and now even her first kiss had been stolen¡ªdestroying her purity, and he was still making excuses.


    Thinking this, her eyes began to redden, on the verge of tears.


    "You, don¡¯t cry, okay?" Ling Chen was so anxious he began scratching his head. Seeing her like this, Nanrong Wanqing must still have considered it her first kiss. He hadn¡¯t expected to gain such an advantage, and although he verbally said, "Look, it wasn¡¯t intentional. How about this, you kiss me back?"


    Seeing the tears in her eyes, his joke didn¡¯t seem very funny anymore, and he softened, "Alright, alright, don¡¯t cry. After we escape danger, you can punish me however you want; I¡¯ll take responsibility if ites to that."


    "Who wants you to take responsibility." Nanrong Wanqing retorted angrily. He had taken so many liberties with her and still wanted more, not on her watch. What annoyed her the most was his tone, acting as if he¡¯d suffered some loss.


    "Hey, let¡¯s be clear here, although I took your first kiss, it was also my first kiss. You¡¯ve cherished your first kiss for twenty-three years, and I¡¯ve cherished mine for twenty-four years, one year longer than you. If anyone should feel at a loss, it should be me. I¡¯m not crying, so why are you?"


    "You..." Nanrong Wanqing was frustrated beyond words, hisparison was absurd.


    "Okay, okay, let¡¯s not waste time, those people are still searching for us. We need to go, or it¡¯ll be toote."


    Hearing this, Nanrong Wanqing remembered again that she was still in danger. With a light hum, she wiped away the tears from the corner of her eyes and quickly regained herposure.


    Ling Chen shook his head; they say a woman¡¯s mood changes as fast as flipping through a book, and that¡¯s no lie.


    Once onshore, he carried Nanrong Wanqing and plunged back into the woods.

 Chapter 125 - 124 Searching (Part 1)

    <h4>Chapter 125: Chapter 124 Searching (Part 1)</h4><h4></h4>


    Wealthy Manor, House Number 118.


    At this moment, Wealthy Manor was overwhelmed with people. Both inside and outside the house were crowded, and luxury cars were jam-packed at the entrance, leaving no space for movement.


    Followingst night¡¯s events, news of Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s kidnapping had spread. High-ranking officials from Hongyu Group and friends close to the Nanrong Family had all rushed over, waiting for the oue of the rescue operation.


    Now, the safety of Nanrong Wanqing weighed heavily on everyone¡¯s hearts.


    As a key figure in Hongyu Group, any mishap involving Nanrong Wanqing would impact many people¡¯s interests. Naturally, they all hoped for a safe resolution.


    In the study on the second floor of the residence, Nanrong Yong sat at the desk with a furrowed, aged face, his gaze fixed on the desk phone, fists clenched, eagerly awaiting news of Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s safety.


    Beside him, Liu Kun stood with his hands behind his back, silent. He could empathize with Nanrong Yong¡¯s current state of mind; more words were useless.


    Across the desk, Su Lin and Nanrong Hao were seated on chairs against the wall, heads lowered, faces filled with anxiety and concern.


    Nanrong Hao opened his mouth a few times, wanting to speak, but feeling the oppressive atmosphere in the room, he ultimately chose to remain silent.


    At that moment, a series of knocks, ¡¯thud, thud, thud,¡¯ emanated from the study door. Following that, the door opened, and Zhong Wei entered, followed by a handsome, tall man.


    "Sir, Mr. Zhu has arrived."


    "Sir Nanrong, Su Lin, Nanrong Hao, Mr. Liu," Zhu Hong greeted as he entered.


    Nanrong Yong nodded and casually said, "Have a seat."


    "I¡¯ll remain standing. Sir Nanrong, I know you¡¯re worried about Wanqing¡¯s safety. Rest assured, I will find her and bring her back unharmed."


    "I appreciate your kindness, but the police are involved now, you..."


    "No!"


    Before Nanrong Yong could finish, Zhu Hong interjected, "Sir Nanrong, I once promised Wanqing that I would protect her throughout her life, ensuring she¡¯d never get hurt. In my heart, I¡¯ve always considered her family. Her disappearance is as agonizing for me as it is for you. If anything happens to her, I¡¯ll never forgive myself. Sir, I¡¯m here to say that no matter the cost, even if it costs me my life, I will find her."


    He then continued, "My team is ready; they are professionals I hired. Although the police are involved, theyck hands and it¡¯s unclear when they¡¯ll find Wanqing. The more people involved, the more hope we have. Sir, please allow me to join the search and rescue."


    "This..." Nanrong Yong hesitated as he nced at Liu Kun.


    "Grandfather, I believe sister is okay," Nanrong Hao mustered the courage to say, "Chen and sister both disappeared; they must be together. With Chen protecting her, she will surely return unharmed."


    Zhu Hong shook his head, "While I acknowledge Ling Chen¡¯s skills, if he were truly capable, he¡¯d have safely brought Wanqing back by now. It¡¯s been sixteen hours and still no word from him. How can I trust him? Sir Nanrong, ultimately, Ling Chen is an outsider hired by the Nanrong family. I don¡¯t think he would risk his life for some money. When real danger presents itself, I expect he¡¯d run away."


    "Nonsense!"


    Nanrong Hao abruptly stood up, frowning, "Zhu Hong, I won¡¯t allow you to belittle Chen like that. If Chen is an outsider, then so are you. What right do you have to judge him?"


    "Ling Chen has saved Wanqing twice; I believe he¡¯s not such a person," Su Lin, who had been quiet, spoke up.


    "Su Lin, do you not know the rtionship between Wanqing and me? Do you think I¡¯m an outsider to her?"


    "This..."


    "Sir Nanrong, please give me some time; I am confident I can rescue Wanqing. I believe you too wish to see her return home soon."


    After much deliberation, Nanrong Yong nodded and said, "Alright, I¡¯ll notify the police and have you assist in the search and rescue. Zhu Hong, no matter what, on behalf of the Nanrong Family, I thank you for your help."


    "You¡¯re wee. If there¡¯s nothing else, I¡¯ll go ahead and get busy." With that, Zhu Hong turned and walked out of the study.


    After leaving the Nanrong residence, Zhu Hong got back into his car and pulled out his cell phone from his pocket, dialing a number.


    The call connected.


    "How¡¯s the investigation going?"


    "Sir, as you predicted, Stephen secretly dispatched abat team to the area where Miss Nanrong disappeared, and our people have secretly tracked their vehicles."


    "Hmph! Stephen thinks he¡¯s undetectable; I certainly won¡¯t fall for his tricks. Immediately send our people out; we must find Wanqing¡¯s whereabouts."


    "What if we encounter Stephen¡¯s people?"


    Zhu Hong coldly said, "Kill them all, and... if you see Ling Chen, take care of him too."


    "Yes, sir."


    Meanwhile, inside the study of the Nanrong house.


    Nanrong Hao looked at Nanrong Yong sitting in front of the desk, clenched his teeth, suddenly stood up, and headed straight for the door.


    "Where are you going?" Nanrong Yong called out to him.


    "Grandfather, you¡¯ve already agreed to let Zhu Hong help, do I still need to sit here wasting time?"


    "What are you nning to do? Stay put; this is not the time for recklessness."


    "I¡¯ve been reckless for so many years, I don¡¯t care to be reckless one more time." With that, ignoring Nanrong Yong¡¯s angry re, Nanrong Hao pushed the door and walked out of the desk area.


    "Nanrong Hao, get back here!" Nanrong Yong mmed the table and rose up, his face full of anger.


    Liu Kun hurriedly advised, "Sir, let him go, the young mistress is in trouble, he must be very distressed."


    Nanrong Yong said indignantly, "How did the Nanrong family end up with such a disappointment."


    ...


    Meanwhile, in the wilderness.


    Ling Chen ran as fast as he could, finally struggling to keep going, he set Nanrong Wanqing down on the ground, and he himself copsed, sitting down heavily, gasping for air.


    "Are you alright?" Nanrong Wanqing looked at him worriedly.


    Ling Chen shook his head, not wanting to say much, just desiring to rest properly.


    Having just killed two enemies and run all the way with Nanrong Wanqing, his physical strength was nearly depleted. Of course, these were not big issues; the main problem was the injury on his back, which was almost numbing from pain.


    With the intense activity, his wound had split open, bleeding continuously, andpounded by soaking in water for so long, the injury seriously worsened, sapping his strength even more.


    Over the years, he had encountered even more critical situations and had always managed to turn the tide, but then, it had been only him. Now, having to carry the mobility-impaired Nanrong Wanqing and ensure her safety, undoubtedly made his actions much more challenging.


    Thinking of the wound, Ling Chen couldn¡¯t help but look towards Nanrong Wanqing. She had also been soaked in the river with him, likely worsening her wound. The river¡¯s numerous microorganisms and unclean water could easily lead to the injury bing infected and inmed.

 Chapter 126 - 125 Searching (Part 2)

    <h4>Chapter 126: Chapter 125 Searching (Part 2)</h4><h4></h4>


    He stood up and walked over to Nanrong Wanqing, slightly lifting the hem of her clothes. As expected, all the wounds had turned pale and needed to be dealt with as soon as possible. As for the wound on the inner thigh, he knew without looking that it wouldn¡¯t be much better.


    "You rest first. I¡¯ll go find something."


    Because he was afraid those people would catch up, Ling Chen didn¡¯t dare to go too far. He wandered nearby, found some herbs, and then returned to Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s side.


    Having applied the herbs on Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s waist wound, she took care of the wound on her thigh by herself.


    He did want to help but figured Nanrong Wanqing probably wouldn¡¯t allow it.


    After treating Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s wounds, Ling Chen sat with his back to her and asked her to apply the herbs to his own wounds.


    "Where are we now?" Listening to the birdsong around, Nanrong Wanqing asked.


    Ling Chen looked up at the dense and knotted branches above and shook his head, "I¡¯m not sure. By my estimation, we should be thirty or forty kilometers away from the city district. Later, we can follow the river, and maybe we¡¯ll find a way out."


    "I¡¯m sorry, I got you into this."


    "Enough with the apologies. If you really feel sorry for me, don¡¯t forget to give me a raise when we get back."


    Nanrong Wanqing said irritably, "What time is it now, and you¡¯re still thinking about money."


    "Nonsense, I don¡¯t have a car, a house, or savings. How can I get married without earning more money."


    "What kind of wife are you looking for?"


    "First of all, she must have a good personality, be gentle, and considerate."


    "What about looks?"


    "That¡¯s secondary. As long as she¡¯s passable. But of course, if she¡¯s as beautiful as you, I wouldn¡¯t mind. Who wouldn¡¯t want their wife to be beautiful?" Ling Chen grinned.


    "Men are always greedy. The saying is true."


    Ling Chen protested, "How am I being greedy?"


    Nanrong Wanqing said indifferently, "You men always have this and that requirement for women. Have you ever thought about yourselves? I think a truly good man wouldn¡¯t mind so much, but be more amodating. Only with mutual tolerance can life be harmonious. Marriage is not dating; marriage is for a lifetime. If you can¡¯t be tolerant and considerate of each other, even if two peoplee together, they won¡¯tst long and will eventually part ways."


    "Is that so?" Ling Chen looked at her in surprise, "I didn¡¯t expect you to have such insight into marriage, but..." His eyes shifted, and he suddenlyughed.


    Seeing the inexplicable smile on his face, Nanrong Wanqing couldn¡¯t help but ask, "What are youughing at?"


    "I¡¯m thinking about what you would be like when you get married. You¡¯re so assertive, whoever marries you would be overwhelmed by you."


    "You don¡¯t know me, how can you know that I¡¯m what you describe." Her chin dropped and her beautiful eyes fluttered, "Actually... No matter how assertive a woman is, she still needs a man to rely on. The reason I¡¯m so assertive is not for myself, but because the Nanrong family needs someone assertive."


    Although it was just a simple statement, Ling Chen could feel her bitterness and helplessness.


    He smiled slightly, then changed the subject, "You just asked me what kind of wife I¡¯m looking for. What about you? What kind of man are you looking for?"


    Nanrong Wanqing pondered for a while, yearningly saying, "I hope he is responsible and can shoulder the responsibilities of a family."


    "That¡¯s all?"


    "Mhm."


    Ling Chen touched his nose embarrassingly and grinned, "Why do I feel like you¡¯re describing me?"


    Hearing this, Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s face flushed, and she said annoyed, "What a narcissist you are."


    "Alright, alright, no more joking. That guy... oh right, Zhu Hong, is he your ideal choice?"


    "If it were five years ago, I would¡¯ve said ¡¯yes¡¯, but now..." She turned her head, looking at the lush leaves, with aplex look in her eyes.


    With the conversation having reached this point, Ling Chen understood and prudently stopped the topic.


    Night came, and the dense forest seemed to be shrouded in ayer of mysterious veil. The crescent moon was like a hook, and the dim moonlight spilled like mercury, casting dappled spots of light throughout the woods.


    In arge tent temporarily set up in the suburbs, Tang Yuan was using a walkie-talkie to contact and coordinate with various search and rescue teams.


    This was a temporarymand center established by the police, with all search and rescue teams being coordinated from here.


    Putting down the walkie-talkie, Tang Yuan looked at the map on the table and casually picked up a red marker, drawing a cross on the map.


    He divided the area of over thirty kilometers into more than twenty regions, checking them one by one. After a day¡¯s work, they had cleared half of the areas.


    "Officer Xia, what is this green area?" Tang Yuan pointed to the map and asked.


    "That whole area is a forest; next to it is a national 4A scenic area. The forest connects to the scenic area and hasn¡¯t been developed due to itsrge size. Why, do you suspect Ling Chen andpany went into the forest?"


    "I¡¯ve known Ling Chen for so long; I know him very well. In this situation, he would certainly try to contact us. But it¡¯s been nearly twenty-four hours, and we haven¡¯t heard anything. I believe their situation might be very dangerous."


    "What do you mean?"


    "No matter who kidnapped Miss Nanrong, now that Miss Nanrong is missing, they definitely won¡¯t miss any opportunity. While we are searching, I bet they are also looking for Miss Nanrong¡¯s whereabouts. And they might be closer to the target than us. Ling Chen dares not contact us actively; he is probably afraid of exposing their location. If it¡¯s as I suspect, that they are being chased, Ling Chen would definitely take Miss Nanrong and hide in this forest."


    Xia Mutong frowned slightly and said, "The area of this forest is sorge, our manpower is not enough tounch aprehensive search operation. And we can¡¯t abandon our search efforts in other areas just because of your guess."


    "Do you police have any more people?"


    Xia Mutong shook his head, "We¡¯ve already brought over everyone we could, including dozens of people from the fire department. Additionally, it¡¯s now night, and it¡¯s difficult to carry out a search operation in that forest; we can only wait until daylight."


    "We don¡¯t have that much time to waste."


    While talking, a male police officer hurried into the tent.


    "Captain Xia, something happened outside."


    "What happened?"


    "I can¡¯t exin it, you¡¯d better go out and see for yourself."


    Tang Yuan and Xia Mutong exchanged a nce, and then they quickly walked out of the tent.


    Immediately, they saw more than a dozenrge buses parked at the side of the road, filled with people.

 Chapter 127 - 126 Searching (Part 3)

    <h4>Chapter 127: Chapter 126 Searching (Part 3)</h4><h4></h4>


    Where did all these peoplee from?


    Just as Tang Yuan and Xia Mutong were puzzled, three people got off arge bus in front of them. The leader was none other than Nanrong Hao, and the other two were Jiang Hao and Zhao Zhengxiong.


    "Tang, Officer Xia," Nanrong Hao stepped forward to greet them.


    "Mr. Nanrong?" Tang Yuan was slightly stunned and pointed at the buses, "What is this about?"


    "I knew you were short-staffed, so I brought over four hundred people to help with your search and rescue operation."


    Xia Mutong nced at Jiang Hao and Zhao Zhengxiong, frowning, "I know you, you are all hoodlums from the Old City."


    Zhao Zhengxiong corrected, "Officer Xia, we are not hoodlums, we are legitimate businessmen, and these are all citizens who came to help voluntarily. Don¡¯t the police always advocate for cooperation with the public? Are you going to turn away these enthusiastic citizens?"


    "You..."


    "Alright." Tang Yuan cut off Xia Mutong, "We¡¯re indeed short on manpower, and Mr. Nanrong¡¯s arrival with so many people is a big help." Turning to Nanrong Hao and the others, he said, "You all are friends of Ling Chen. If Ling Chen trusts you, I trust you too. I hope we can all work together to find them as soon as possible."


    "This doesn¡¯t seem right," Xia Mutong still objected.


    "It¡¯s fine," Tang Yuan spoke indifferently, "Officer Xia, unless you can find me this many people right now, let¡¯s follow my n."


    Xia Mutong was at a loss for words.


    Where could she find hundreds of people, unless she summoned every policeman in East Sea City? But that was clearly not realistic. East Sea City was so big; without police on duty, it would be in chaos.


    "Mr. Nanrong, pleasee inside with me."


    Back at the temporarymand post, Tang Yuan spread out the map again on the table and marked a green area with a red circle.


    "Mr. Nanrong, I suspect Ling Chen and Miss Nanrong are hiding here, but we didn¡¯t have enough manpower tomence a search before. Now that you¡¯vee, it¡¯s solved a big problem for me."


    Nanrong Hao nodded, "Tang, just instruct us, we¡¯ll cooperate fully."


    "We don¡¯t know their exact location yet, so we can only start searching from the surrounding areas and then move inward step by step. You¡¯ve brought over four hundred people, perfect for simultaneous actions from four directions." At this point, Tang Yuan looked up at Xia Mutong, "Officer Xia, please deploy forty SWAT officers fully armed."


    "SWAT?" Xia Mutong asked, puzzled, "What for?"


    "I said earlier, Ling Chen and the others are likely facing pursuit from enemies. Mr. Nanrong¡¯s people are unarmed; if they encounter those guys, there could be danger, so I need SWAT support. Mr. Nanrong, divide your people into groups and begin the search from all directions... By the way, do you all have shlights?"


    "Tang, don¡¯t worry, we¡¯re fully prepared."


    "That¡¯s good. Try to create some noise to attract Ling Chen¡¯s attention. I¡¯ll have the SWAT team assist you in case of an attack. Alright, let¡¯s get moving; time is pressing. Everyone, take action. Officer Xia, distribute some walkie-talkies for easymunication."


    After leaving the tent, Nanrong Hao, Jiang Hao, and Zhao Zhengxiong headed back to their vehicle and toward the spot marked on the map.


    In the woods.


    Ling Chen was shirtless, leaning against a tree trunk with his head drooping onto his left shoulder, eyes closed, taking the time to replenish his sleep and strength. His clothes had been worn out, forcing him to be bare-chested.


    After today¡¯s heavy rain, the weather had bid farewell to the hot summer days and weed autumn. At night, the cool autumn breeze passed through the trees, bringing a slight chill.


    Fortunately, Ling Chen had a strong constitution and was not affected by the cold.


    But while he could adapt to such an environment, Nanrong Wanqing couldn¡¯t. As a daughter from a wealthy family, who had never suffered like this, her body was weak to begin with. The ground was damp and the cool breeze made her sneeze uncontrobly, her hands tightly clutching her chest as she rubbed her arms constantly.


    Hearing her sneeze, Ling Chen immediately opened his eyes. Seeing her frail appearance, a feeling of pity arose in him, and he got up and walked over to her.


    Noticing Ling Chen sitting down beside her, Nanrong Wanqing asked curiously, "What are you doing?"


    Ling Chen shed a grin, "If you don¡¯t mind, I can lend you my chest for warmth."


    Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s face turned red, thankfully the dim surroundings hid her blushing cheeks. She turned her head and whispered softly, "No need, I¡¯m not cold."


    "Really no need?"


    "No need!" Nanrong Wanqing was very decisive.


    "That... CEO, you don¡¯t have to be shy. Didn¡¯t you this morning..."


    "Don¡¯t mention it!" Nanrong Wanqing quickly interrupted him. She couldn¡¯t help but blush furiously whenever she remembered the scene of their naked bodies huddled together in the car, overwhelmed with bashfulness, "You¡¯re not allowed to bring up that matter again, you hear?"


    "Alright, alright, I won¡¯t talk about it." Ling Chen chuckled secretly to himself. It seemed this woman was quite thin-skinned.


    In the darkness.


    "Hey, why... why is your hand holding me like this..."


    "CEO, I¡¯m cold; give me some warmth."


    "Don¡¯t... you... Ling Chen, if you dare go any further, I..."


    "Don¡¯t, don¡¯t hit me... Ouch... I¡¯m injured right now, if I get hurt, who will rescue you?"


    "Then... keep still."


    "Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m just holding you, nothing more."


    "..."


    As the moon¡¯s reflection shifted westward, its soft, gentle light pierced through the branches, casting directly upon the male and female in the woods.


    Ling Chen was quietly resting against the tree trunk, the rity of his pupils still shining brightly in the dark, his gaze sharp, constantly surveying the surroundings.


    In his arms, Nanrong Wanqing, with eyes closed and eyshes trembling slightly, had her arms wrapped around his waist, her head resting on his robust chest, and she had already fallen into a deep sleep.


    Looking up at the bright moonlight above, Ling Chen reflected quietly on their situation. It was already past midnight; he wondered where the pursuers were and how far away they might be from him.


    As he pondered, suddenly a faint noise came from the woods to his left, as if something was stepping on the fallen branches and leaves, moving in their direction.


    His brow furrowed slightly as he drew his pistol from his waistband, aiming in the direction of the sound.


    Twenty meters... thirteen meters...


    As the noise grew closer, Ling Chen¡¯s eyes narrowed and his hand holding the gun was rock steady in front of him.


    If it was an enemy, he would not hesitate to open fire.

 Chapter 128 - 127: Night Counterattack

    <h4>Chapter 128: Chapter 127: Night Counterattack</h4><h4></h4>


    Several seconds passed, and a pitch-ck gun barrel poked through the dense branches and leaves, followed by a fully armed man wearing night vision goggles who stepped out lightly.


    Beneath the green glow of the lenses, a woman immediately caught the man¡¯s eye. Dressed in thin clothing and leaning against the trunk of a tree with her delicate head bowed, she was fast asleep. There was no one else around except the woman.


    The man¡¯s eyes, hidden behind the night vision goggles, gleamed for a moment. He swiftly reached for the walkie-talkie button attached to his cor, ready to make contact with his teammates.


    However, before he could speak, a hand and a sharp conical dagger silently reached around from behind his neck. In an instant, the hand mped tightly over his mouth, while the dagger gently slid across his throat.


    "Mmmph..."


    The man tried to scream, but the hand stifled his mouth so tightly that he couldn¡¯t utter a single word. Quickly, as hot blood gushed out, the life faded from his eyes, and his hands dropped weakly.


    At the same time, a figure faintly emerged from the darkness¡ªit was Ling Chen.


    When the opponent approached, he had silently circled to the rear. As a member of the Ghosts, no one could match his stealth skills.


    Taking advantage of the fact that Nanrong Wanqing hadn¡¯t woken up yet, Ling Chen dragged the body into the woods, then stripped off all of the man¡¯s equipment, not even sparing his clothes.


    He gentlyid the clothes over Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s body, stood up, and faced the forest ahead. With one stride, his figure vanished into the darkness.


    "Everyone, report in."


    Before long, a voice came through the earpiece.


    "Number Two received, target not found."


    "Number Three received, still searching."


    "Number Five..."


    "..."


    "Number Seven? Has Number Seven received?"


    Listening to the voice in his earpiece, Ling Chen immediately realized that Number Seven, the man he had just taken down, was being called.


    With this realization, he quickly pressed the talk button, his voice anxious and heavy with panting, "Target spotted, fleeing southeast, request immediate backup."


    "Number Three, Number Five, Number Nine, you are closest to Number Seven¡¯s position, move to support immediately, we¡¯re on our way."


    Two minutester, Ling Chen heard footstepsing from several different directions.


    Surveying the surroundings, he went to arge tree trunk, hugged it tightly with his hands, and agilely climbed up, hiding behind a clump of leaves.


    It wasn¡¯t long before he spotted an enemy within his field of view.


    As the enemy walked beneath his tree, Ling Chen didn¡¯t hesitate. He leaped from the tree branches and plunged Wolf Kiss fiercely into the nape of the enemy¡¯s neck.


    They were all wearing bulletproof vests which Wolf Kiss couldn¡¯t prate, but the vital neck area was exploitable.


    He easily disposed of the enemy, leaving the corpse where it fell, and climbed back up the tree.


    As expected, when the other two enemies who arrived saw theirrade lying on the ground, they rushed over. As they bent over to check the body, Ling Chen replicated his technique, striking unexpectedly from above, killing them instantly.


    In just three seconds, two enemies had fallen, blood pouring from their throats.


    At this time, the cold-faced team leader, along with two teammates, was rushing over, intermittently using the walkie-talkie to request thetest updates from the team members.


    But in the earpiece, there was no voice other than his own.


    "Captain, over there."


    Suddenly, a team member noticed three bodies lying not far ahead, with someone crouched next to them, seemingly checking the bodies.


    The man with the cold face¡¯s expression changed slightly, and he quickly walked over, frowning deeply at the three bodies on the ground. Then, he turned his head and fixed his gaze on the crouching team member, his voice grave: "Have you spotted the target?"


    The team member just shook his head, silent.


    "Why didn¡¯t you respond when I called you over the radio? Didn¡¯t you hear me?" the man with the cold face demanded coldly.


    "Because... I¡¯m not one of your people."


    As those words fell, the team member slowly lifted his head, revealing a handsome and heroic face with a bright smile.


    Upon seeing his face clearly, the man with the cold face was taken aback and hurriedly raised his submachine gun. But Ling Chen was faster.


    Bang! Bang!


    Ratatatat!!!


    With two streaks of muzzle sh, Ling Chen¡¯s right hand holding the pistol instantly blew the heads off the two team members beside him, while his left hand¡¯s submachine gun bullets rained down on the man with the cold face.


    Since the man with the cold face was too close, and Ling Chen was crouching, the spray of bullets was concentrated on his legs and abdomen.


    Although there was a bulletproof vest protecting his abdomen, the man with the cold face¡¯s legs were pierced by bullets, riddled with bullet holes, from which blood gushed out.


    Under the intense pain, the man with the cold face¡¯s legs gave way, and he fell back rigidly, crashing heavily to the ground. Before he could move, Ling Chen violently pounced on him, snatching the firearms off his body and tossing them aside.


    "Alright, you¡¯ve been chasing us for almost a day now; it¡¯s time to wrap this up. My friend, tell me, who sent you after us? I might grant you a quick death."


    Ling Chen said. He spared the man a life simply to ask who was behind the orders. Otherwise, with his skills, this man would have had no chance at survival.


    The man with the cold face clenched his teeth, enduring the agony, and remained silent, ring at Ling Chen as if wishing to kill him with his gaze.


    "Don¡¯t y tough in front of me; I don¡¯t fall for that. If you refuse to talk, I have dozens of ways to make you talk. But, they won¡¯t be pleasant, so I suggest you smarten up."


    "You¡¯ll never get any valuable words out of me," the man with the cold face said fearlessly.


    Ling Chen nodded, "Since that¡¯s the case, there¡¯s nothing more to say." He disliked idle chatter; instead of wasting time, he preferred something more practical.


    He promptly took a grenade from his waist, opened the cap. In no time, he had dismantled it.


    Following the man with the cold face¡¯s injured legs, Ling Chen methodically poured the grenade¡¯s gunpowder into the bullet holes.


    Seeing his actions, the man with the cold face¡¯s brow furrowed, and hisplexion turned slightly pale: "What are you trying to do?"


    "Nothing much, just stopping the bleeding. I don¡¯t want you to die too quickly."


    Saying that, he took out a lighter he had just searched off a body and gently ignited it.


    Hiss!


    Apanied by smoke, the man with the cold face¡¯s mouth gaped open, letting out a wail of agony, his face almost distorted from the unbearable pain, hideously contorted.


    Watching the man¡¯s scorched legs, Ling Chen put away the lighter and said, "I now have plenty of time to wear you down; I want to see how long you canst. Don¡¯t me me for being ruthless; I¡¯ve always lived by an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth."

 Chapter 129: Mysterious Liquid No. 128

    <h4>Chapter 129: Mysterious Liquid No. 128</h4><h4></h4>


    The cold-faced man red furiously and gritted his teeth, saying: "You will regret this."


    "I don¡¯t need you to worry about whether I¡¯ll regret it or not, you should take care of yourself." With that said, Ling Chen reached out and began searching the cold-faced man, who was the leader of the team and was surely carrying a cellphone.


    However, just then, the cold-faced man suddenly raised his right hand. Ling Chen misjudged it as a threat and immediately leaned back. But then, he realized that the cold-faced man was not aiming at him.


    Not only that, he noticed that the man was holding a syringe in his hand. The syringe was only as thick as a finger, very short, filled with 2 milligrams of purple liquid. He didn¡¯t know where the guy had hidden the syringe, as he had failed to notice it.


    By the time he realized it, the cold-faced man had already jabbed the syringe into his own neck, not giving Ling Chen any chance to stop him.


    Seeing the purple liquid being injected into the cold-faced man¡¯s body, Ling Chen immediately stood up, took two steps back, slightly frowned, and stared intently at him.


    Even though he didn¡¯t know what the purple liquid in the syringe was, with years of experience, he had a bad feeling.


    At this moment, the cold-faced man, having injected the purple liquid, started convulsing, his veins bulged, and his face turned extremely red as if burned by fire, looking terrifying.


    Suddenly, the severely injured cold-faced man sprang up from the ground like a carp leaping up, his gaze coldly fixed on Ling Chen, and started walking towards him step by step.


    Ling Chen was slightly surprised and unconsciously nced at the man¡¯s legs, which moved freely, not at all like someone who had been shot.


    "Could it be that he injected adrenaline just now?"


    He guessed secretly. However, as far as he knew, adrenaline needed to be diluted before injection, and the dose was very small, only a few tenths of a milligram each time.


    The syringe just now contained a full two milligrams, and it was undiluted. If it was adrenaline, using it directly like this could easily lead to sudden death.


    As he pondered, the cold-faced man was already closing in, rushing towards him.


    Bang!


    Without thinking, Ling Chen fired a shot, the bullet piercing through the cold-faced man¡¯s shoulder, sttering blood.


    However, the cold-faced man was not affected at all, and his speed increased even more. Before Ling Chen could gather his senses, the man was already in front of him, pping the gun out of his hand.


    Ling Chen¡¯s eyes turned cold, not backing down, he clenched his fist tightly and swung fiercely.


    Facing his punch, the cold-faced man, expressionless, suddenly raised his hand, spread his fingers wide, and actually caught his fist.


    Seeing this, Ling Chen¡¯s punch surged with force, trying to break through the defense. But he quickly found that the strength disyed by the opponent was no less than his own, tightly gripping his fist, unable to move.


    "Die!"


    The cold-faced man shouted angrily. His left hand swung a punch sweeping towards his head.


    In the face of danger, Ling Chen¡¯s gaze remained calm and sharp. Seeing that his fist couldn¡¯t break free, his legs immediately sprung up, his feet harshly kicking the opponent¡¯s chest, then pushing back. Instantly, his right fist loosened, and his body drew an arc in the air,nding back first.


    Ignoring the pain in his back, he quickly rolled over, stood up again, and fixed his gaze once more on the cold-faced man.


    "Ah!"


    Failed to strike, the cold-faced man, his skin flushed red, let out a loud roar. With slightly bent knees, he leaped up abruptly and threw a punch downward.


    Watching the cold-faced man jump up to a height of two meters, Ling Chen couldn¡¯t help but be shocked. He had seen people with strong jumping abilities, but such an extreme case was a first for him; it had surpassed the realm of ordinary people.


    Even if the cold-faced man had just injected adrenaline, it wouldn¡¯t make him this powerful; it was unscientific.


    Without time to think, as his opponent¡¯s fist closed in, Ling Chen twisted his waist and raised his right leg high,unching a whip kick that struck the man squarely in the body.


    An inch longer, an inch stronger; legs are longer than arms, thus giving an advantage in fights. Moreover, his legs were his strongest asset. The power of one of his legs was greater than both his armsbined.


    Usually, he rarely used his legs, fearing he couldn¡¯t control his strength and might identally take someone¡¯s life.


    In that moment, after taking his kick, the cold-faced man¡¯s body, hanging in the air, immediately fell down, copsing onto the ground. Not giving him a chance to rise, Ling Chen quickly pounced forward, pinning the cold-faced man down, then wrapped his arms tightly around his neck and forcefully pushed backward, trying to break his neck.


    The cold-faced man screamed, spitting saliva everywhere, tightly grabbing Ling Chen¡¯s arms, desperately struggling to pry his arms open.


    After a deadlocksting over ten seconds, neither was able to overpower the other.


    Ling Chen frowned secretly; this guy¡¯s strength was not inferior to his own, and taking the chance to finish him off seemed a bit difficult.


    As thoughts raced through his mind, he nced with the corner of his eye and instantly came up with a n.


    Suddenly, he loosened his hands and rolled off the cold-faced man, then swiftly retreated until he was over ten meters away. He stopped, turned back, and watched the cold-faced man stand up.


    "Is that all you¡¯ve got?" the cold-faced man stepped forward, his tone icy, his eyes filled with fierce bloodshot veins.


    "Come on!" he roared loudly.


    "Don¡¯t, don¡¯te any closer." Ling Chen quickly waved his hand at him and backed up a few steps, "You¡¯ve already lost, there¡¯s no need to keep fighting."


    "Lost?"


    Hearing his words, the cold-faced man hesitated slightly; when had he lost? In confusion, he noticed Ling Chen¡¯s gaze fixed on his waist, and he couldn¡¯t help but lower his head.


    Immediately, he saw a grenade hanging from his belt, its pin already pulled.


    Seeing this, his expression dramatically changed, and he hastily reached to remove the grenade.


    Boom!


    Regrettably, his movement was a step too slow.


    Apanied by a dazzling sh of light, the cold-faced man¡¯s body burst apart, turning into countless pieces of flesh, scattering through the woods.


    Ling Chen raised his arm to shield his face. When the st wave subsided, he lowered his hand and walked to the edge of the lingering mes.


    Looking at the surrounding devastation, his eyes suddenly brightened, then he hurried forward, bending down to pick up the syringe.


    Although the purple liquid inside the syringe had been entirely injected, the residue still had its uses; it could be taken back for research. After witnessing the transformation of the cold-faced man, he was very curious about the mysterious liquid inside the syringe.


    This substance was several times more potent than adrenaline and was definitely not a regr drug. The Ghost Organization had a specialized research team; perhaps they could uncover the secrets of this enhancing substance.

 Chapter 130 - 129: Sniping

    <h4>Chapter 130: Chapter 129: Sniping</h4><h4></h4>


    Storing the syringe, Ling Chen looked at the debris scattered on the ground and sighed helplessly. He had hoped to steal the opponent¡¯s cellphone and make contact with the outside world, but it had been destroyed by a grenade.


    Nevertheless, no matter what, at least the future worries were solved; he wouldn¡¯t be harassed by those guys anymore.


    Returning to the location where Wanqing was supposed to be, Ling Chen¡¯s expression changed abruptly. To his astonishment, there was no one under the tree trunk. He clearly remembered this was the ce, there was no mistake, and there were even traces of Wanqing having sat there.


    "Where is she, how could she just disappear?" he wondered secretly. Could it be that she was abducted by those people just now?


    Impossible! The thought had just emerged when he immediately dismissed it. The cold-faced man¡¯s team had a total of ten members, all of whom had died at his hands. During the reply on the walkie-talkie just now, except for the three killed earlier, there were only seven people left, of that he was certain without a doubt.


    Since those people were all dead, then who took Wanqing away? Wanqing definitely couldn¡¯t leave on her own, could there be another group of people?


    Thinking this, he squatted down where Wanqing had been sitting and looked around. As he expected, there were numerous disordered footprints around; it looked like more than one person hade.


    Damn it! He couldn¡¯t help but curse, it was trouble after trouble; he had barely dealt with one group when another appeared.


    Collecting his thoughts, he followed the remaining footprints around to find the direction the others had left in, then quickly pursued them.


    At this moment, in the forest, a group of more than ten people was moving swiftly. At the center, two people were carrying a stretcher, and on the stretchery Wanqing. The other members were positioned in front, behind, and to the sides, seemingly protecting Wanqing¡¯s safety.


    At that time, the man at the front pulled out a cellphone and dialed a number.


    "Sir, the person has been rescued, we are hurrying to the evacuation location."


    "That fast?" the voice on the other end sounded pleasantly surprised.


    "It¡¯s all thanks to the squad sent by Stephen. Ling Chen engaged them, and we tracked the sounds of gunfire to discover Miss Nanrong¡¯s whereabouts."


    "Good. Where is Ling Chen?"


    "When we were taking Miss Nanrong away, Ling Chen was still entangled with Stephen¡¯s men, he didn¡¯t show up. In my opinion, he probably won¡¯t survive, Stephen¡¯s man Lv Wei is tough, Ling Chen might not be his match."


    "Never underestimate Ling Chen, he¡¯s not simple. By the way, how is Wanqing?"


    "She¡¯s injured, but nothing serious. Sir, we had revealed our identities, but Miss Nanrong insisted on waiting for Ling Chen to return before she would leave. In the end, I had no choice but to administer an anesthetic and forcibly take her away."


    "Nevermind, as long as she¡¯s safe. Handle the rest, and exin it to herter. Get her to the evacuation point quickly; I¡¯lle to meet you. Remember, if you see Ling Chen..."


    "Don¡¯t worry, sir, he will stay forever in this forest."


    "That¡¯s good. Xu Ping, I¡¯ll generously reward you once this mission is sessfullypleted."


    After hanging up, Zhu Hong put his cellphone down. A charming smile appeared on his handsome face. He gently swayed the red wine in his hand, drank it in one go, and then stood up and walked out of the vi.


    "Prepare the car, I¡¯m going to the Nanrong¡¯s house."


    ...


    In the temporarymand post in the suburbs.


    Xia Mutong took off the headphones from themunication station and turned to say, "Mr. Tang, the helicopter just monitored some lights and loud noises in the woods."


    "It must be Ling Chen and the others." Tang Yuan stood up abruptly, "Immediately notify everyone, have them stop searching other areas and assemble in the woods. Also, have the helicopter outline the area and tell Nanrong Hao and his team, they¡¯re the closest, to hurry over there."


    "Yes."


    Xia Mutong responded with a nod and quickly passed on themand.


    In the woods.


    Ling Chen ran wildly, tracking the footsteps of the opposing party.


    Soon, he heard a buzzing noise not far away.


    Helicopter!


    He lit up, made a quick decision, and fired two shots into the sky with his pistol. Quickly, he heard the helicopter approaching from afar, flying towards him.


    Meanwhile, the progressing team ahead heard the gunshots from behind and became immediately vignt. Xu Ping turned his head and made a couple of hand signals. Instantly, the four men responsible for the rear quickly left the team and sprinted back the way they hade, preparing to intercept the people behind them.


    At this moment, Ling Chen didn¡¯t slow down, keeping up his speed as he darted through the forest. He had drawn the helicopter¡¯s attention with the gunshots, marking his route, trusting the police would arrange for support. However, the police¡¯s support wouldn¡¯t arrive immediately, and Nanrong Wanqing still needed his rescue.


    Pop!


    Just then, he suddenly noticed a piece of bark being peeled off a tree trunk next to him, leaving a small round hole.


    Sniper rifle?


    His heart sank, certain that firing at the helicopter had also drawn the attention of the adversary.


    Facing the danger of being sniped at any moment, Ling Chen didn¡¯t seek cover but instead increased his speed. However, if one observed closely, they would notice his speed control was incredibly precise.


    Sometimes fast, sometimes slow, now veering left, now veering right, never staying on the same path for more than three seconds.


    This variable-frequency movement was a technique he developed specifically against sniper rifles. The so-called variable-frequency involves continuously changing the movement¡¯s frequency, with each action differing from the next. The purpose is to avoid being locked onto by a sniper.


    A sniper¡¯s advantage only applies to targets moving directly or in a straight line. For fast-moving targets, snipers need to anticipate the target¡¯s actions.


    The variable frequency movement Ling Chen employed would disrupt the sniper¡¯s anticipation, making it difficult for the opponent to aim urately.


    Pop! Pop!


    Sessive shots were fired by the sniper, but all bullets missed, not even grazing Ling Chen¡¯s clothes.


    Ten secondster, the sniper¡¯s shooting pace quickened.


    Ling Chen¡¯s mouth slightly raised, this action suggested he was nearing the sniper¡¯s location. Seizing the moment, he suddenly lunged forward, diving into a pile of branches and leaves. Apanied by rustling sounds, Ling Chen¡¯s body vanished in an instant.


    Through the sniper scope equipped with night vision, the sniper searched the surroundings, frowning, "Have any of you found the target?"


    "No. Could he have been killed by your shots?"


    "I didn¡¯t hit him."


    "Are you guys looking for me?"


    Suddenly, a teasing voice sounded beside them.


    The sniper¡¯s face drastically changed, quickly moving his head away from the sniper rifle and nced towards the direction of the voice. Instantly, he saw his three teammates already on the ground, their fate uncertain, as a dark muzzle pointed directly at his forehead.


    In an instant, a bead of cold sweat slowly slid down his forehead.

 Chapter 131: A Resounding Slap (Part One)

    <h4>Chapter 131: Chapter 131: A Resounding p (Part One)</h4><h4></h4>


    "This..."


    Ling Chen impatiently said, "Stop beating around the bush. You think I can¡¯t figure it out if you don¡¯t talk? Spit it out quickly and don¡¯t waste any more time."


    As soon as he finished speaking, a ringtone sounded from Xu Ping¡¯s body.


    "Give it to me."


    Xu Ping shook his head and stepped back. Seeing this, Ling Chen, without saying a word,nded a direct kick on Xu Ping¡¯s abdomen, eliciting a painful cry. Xu Ping¡¯s face turned pale as he knelt on the ground, clutching his belly and clearly in severe pain.


    Taking advantage of the moment, Ling Chen forcefully searched Xu Ping¡¯s body and found the phone. As he looked at the iing call disy, a slight smile curled his lips, and a cold glint shed in Mo Che¡¯s pupils.


    It really was him!


    Knowing the person Xu Ping was ordered by, Ling Chen squatted in front of him and handed the phone over. "You¡¯re a smart man; you should know what to do. You look young, and I don¡¯t think you¡¯d wish to end up dead in this godforsaken ce."


    After he spoke, he pressed the answer button and turned on the speaker.


    "Xu Ping, how much longer until you reach the extraction point?"


    Face to face with Ling Chen¡¯s piercing cold gaze, Xu Ping uncontrobly shivered and honestly replied, "Soon."


    "Make it quick. I and the Nanrong Family people are at the extraction point. Oh, and has Ling Chen been dealt with?" The person asked thest question in a deliberately lowered voice, as if afraid of being overheard.


    Xu Ping looked at Ling Chen and said, "He didn¡¯t show up; he might be dead from the fight with those guys."


    "Good, then I will no longer contact you. We¡¯ll talk when we meet."


    After the call ended, Ling Chen patted Xu Ping on the shoulder with a smile, "Congrattions, you¡¯ve just saved your own life."


    "I..."


    Bang!


    Before Xu Ping could finish, the sound of a gunshot rang out. Clutching his wounded arm, he looked at Ling Chen with fear and anger, "You¡¯re not keeping your promise."


    Ling Chen shrugged, "Now don¡¯t say that; I am actually helping you. How would you exin yourself if you weren¡¯t slightly injured upon returning? If I were you, I would stay out of sight for an hour or two before leaving. Use this time to concoct a believable story." After speaking, he holstered his gun and walked towards the stretcher.


    Looking at the anesthetized Nanrong Wanqing, he lifted her in his arms and carried her on his back, then he hastened toward the extraction point.


    Amid the haze, Nanrong Wanqing weakly opened her eyes and murmured, "Ling Chen... is that you?"


    "You¡¯re finally awake."


    Nanrong Wanqing rubbed her slightly swollen forehead and looked around with a trace of bewilderment in her beautiful eyes.


    "Where is this? I remember... I remember being taken away by Zhu Hong¡¯s people. Howe you are here? Where are they?"


    Hearing her string of questions, Ling Chen patiently exined, "They¡¯re not good people. I rescued you from their clutches."


    "How can that be? They were all sent by Zhu Hong."


    "Is Zhu Hong necessarily a good person?" Ling Chen curled his lips, discontent in his voice, "Hey, we¡¯re about to be saved soon, but there¡¯s something I want to discuss with you."


    "What is it?"


    "In a moment, I might have to do something you will find rather objectionable. I hope you won¡¯t mind."


    "Too much?" Nanrong Wanqing bit her lip corner lightly, her beautiful eyes flickering. Could it be... he was preparing to take advantage of her again? This thought made her pretty face blush, and she struggled to keep the embarrassment from her eyes. After a while, she finally stammered out, "The... the excessive thing you mentioned... does it have anything to do with me?"


    "It has nothing to do with you."


    "That¡¯s good." Nanrong Wanqing breathed a sigh of relief.


    Ling Chen smiled with a twist of his mouth: "Since you¡¯ve said that, I¡¯ll take it as your agreement."


    At this moment, outside the forest.


    Nanrong Yong and his group were anxiously waiting, their gazes fixed on Lin Zi, unwilling to move away.


    "Sir Nanrong, there¡¯s no need to worry, they will be out soon," Zhu Hong said with a smile. Behind him, aside from several suited bodyguards, there were seven or eight team members who had just evacuated from the forest, all following Xu Ping¡¯s orders to arrive at the evacuation point first.


    A few minutester, there was finally a stir in the dense forest.


    "They¡¯reing, they¡¯reing!" Su Lin said excitedly.


    Apanied by Zhu Hong, Nanrong Yong and Su Lin hurried forward, their eyes shining with excitement.


    With the swaying and shaking of the leaves and branches, a bloodstained young man emerged from the forest. He was carrying a woman on his back, who was none other than Nanrong Wanqing.


    Seeing Nanrong Yong and Su Lin popping out, Ling Chen was momentarily taken aback, then he smiled.


    "Sir Nanrong, Miss Su, you¡¯re all here."


    "Ling Chen?" Su Lin¡¯s face lit up with joy, her eyes rimmed with red, "That¡¯s great, you¡¯re both safe."


    "Howe it¡¯s you!"


    Zhu Hong¡¯s brow furrowed slightly, his eyes cold. He had expected Xu Ping to be the one bringing Nanrong Wanqing, not Ling Chen. During the phone call with Xu Ping just before, he was told that Ling Chen was dead.


    "Why can¡¯t it be me? Does Mr. Zhu think there should be someone else?" Ling Chen¡¯s mouth tilted slightly, half squinting his eyes with an amused look as he retorted Zhu Hong.


    "Zhu Hong, didn¡¯t you say that you were the one who found Wanqing?"


    Hearing Su Lin¡¯s question, Zhu Hong¡¯s face rxed, revealing a faint smile and he looked gently at Nanrong Wanqing.


    "As long as Wanqing is safe, it doesn¡¯t matter who found her." With that, he stepped forward towards Nanrong Wanqing and extended his arms, "Wanqing, let me help you."


    p!


    But at that moment, a crisp sound suddenly rang in everyone¡¯s ears.


    Seeing Ling Chen¡¯s raised palm, everyone froze, including Nanrong Wanqing who was stunned as well, all looking at Ling Chen bewilderedly, not knowing why he would p Zhu Hong.


    Ling Chen seemed not to notice the gazes of those around him, simply lowering his hand and looking at Zhu Hong¡¯s swollen cheek, coldly uttering, "Mr. Zhu, better roll away from my sight, don¡¯t block my way."


    Feeling the fiery pain on his left cheek, Zhu Hong¡¯s face immediately turned gloomy, and his suspended arm slowly retracted. Meeting Ling Chen¡¯s gaze, his brows furrowed, his deep eyes brimming with murderous intent.


    "Ling... Ling Chen... what... what are you doing?" The first to snap out of shock, Su Lin asked in surprise.


    "I think Mr. Zhu knows very well what I am referring to. Don¡¯t you?" Ling Chen slightly lifted the corners of his mouth, unwaveringly staring at Zhu Hong. Despite the smile on his face, the chilling coldness in his eyes overpowered the killing intent in Zhu Hong¡¯s eyes.


    "Mr. Zhu, didn¡¯t you hear what I just said? I want you to get out of my face right now. If you can¡¯t understand innguage, I wouldn¡¯t mind giving you another p."


    "Ling Chen, you are out of line."


    At that moment, the several suited bodyguards behind Zhu Hong all rushed over, along with the few members of thebat team, all of them ring angrily at Ling Chen.

 Chapter 132: A Resounding Slap (Part Two)

    <h4>Chapter 132: Chapter 132: A Resounding p (Part Two)</h4><h4></h4>


    "What are you trying to do?"


    Zhong Wei, along with Liang Zhao Hui and Zhou Qing, strode over and positioned themselves to the left and right of Ling Chen. Although they didn¡¯t understand why Ling Chen had pped Zhu Hong, they knew Ling Chen well enough; he wasn¡¯t the type to act recklessly without a reason. There must be a cause for his actions.


    Moreover, as members of the Hongyu Group, it was only natural for them to stand with their own at this time.


    Watching the standoff between the two sides, Nanrong Wanqing finally understood why Ling Chen had spoken those words. This was the ¡¯excessive¡¯ matter he had referred to.


    In the past, she wouldn¡¯t have hesitated to rebuke Ling Chen and demand an apology from him. But now, after all she had been through, her opinion of Ling Chen had long since changed. Especially considering the experiences of the past two days, her heart had unconsciously leaned towards Ling Chen.


    Resting on Ling Chen¡¯s shoulder, she noticed every subtle expression change on his face. She could tell that Ling Chen was very angry at the moment, but he was controlling his rage very well, not showing it on his face.


    She really wanted to know what Zhu Hong had done to provoke Ling Chen into such rare fury.


    In her contemtion, she suddenly noticed Zhu Hong¡¯s gaze turn towards her. Seeing Zhu Hong¡¯splex and expectant eyes, she was well aware that he was waiting for her to take a stand. As the chairwoman of the Hongyu Group and Ling Chen¡¯s superior, her attitude was very important to Zhu Hong.


    One was her childhood friend, the other a man who had risked his life to save her multiple times. However, in her heart, Ling Chen was not just her savior.


    This annoying man had not only stolen her first kiss, but had also ruined her pure reputation. Every time she thought about it, she experienced an indescribable feeling.


    Hate? Upon self-examination, she didn¡¯t hate Ling Chen.


    Like? That was still far from the mark.


    The feeling was tooplex, too elusive to articte.


    "Lin, help me back to the car to rest."


    After a moment of thought, she ultimately chose to recuse herself. She couldn¡¯t express her stance either for Zhu Hong or for Ling Chen. If she spoke out to defend Zhu Hong, the one who would get hurt would be Ling Chen, and that wasn¡¯t the oue she wished to see. Moreover, she had promised Ling Chen on the way back that she would neither concern herself with nor intervene in the matter he was about to handle.


    With that in mind, she decided to let them resolve it themselves.


    Hearing her older cousin speak, Su Lin immediately understood her intention and hurriedly called the medical staff to take Nanrong Wanqing away on a stretcher.


    Nanrong Yong nced at Ling Chen, then at Zhu Hong, equally puzzled.


    However, seeing that his granddaughter hadn¡¯t made a statement, he naturally wouldn¡¯t take it upon himself to interject.


    "Liu Kun,e with me to check on Wanqing."


    Watching the car full of people, Ling Chen smiled faintly; the woman had finally done something that didn¡¯t disappoint him.


    Compared to his smile, Zhu Hong¡¯s face was looking exceptionally ugly.


    He had been full of hope that Nanrong Wanqing would step in to scold Ling Chen on his behalf, but things hadn¡¯t developed as he had imagined. Far from speaking up for him, Nanrong Wanqing had chosen to avoid the situation.


    In his eyes, Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s avoidance was an indulgence of Ling Chen, and this was hard for him to take.


    He knew Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s character all too well; she didn¡¯t favor any man. In his view, no other man could match his ce in Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s heart.


    Yet her attitude just now had left him profoundly disappointed.


    "Mr. Zhu, take yourpdogs and get lost immediately, don¡¯t be an eyesore here," Ling Chen¡¯s words were filled with a vtile edge.


    Zhu Hong nced at the tightly closed car door, then returned his gaze to Ling Chen.


    "You¡¯ve made a very serious mistake."


    "What¡¯s the mistake? I hit you because you deserved it. Zhu Hong, why speak so inly? You really think I¡¯m a fool?"


    Zhu Hong¡¯s face turned ashen, he turned around with his hands sped behind his back, and said coldly: "Break his hands."


    The moment his words fell, several suited bodyguards immediately moved towards Ling Chen with aggressive momentum.


    Ling Chen sneered, "Besides ordering others around, what else can you do? Why don¡¯t you do it yourself if you¡¯re so capable?"


    "You?" Zhu Hong shook his head in disdain, "You¡¯re not even worth me making a move. Finish him!"


    "Yes!"


    "Who dares!"


    Just as Zhong Wei was about to step forward and stand in front of Ling Chen, a gun was already raised, pointing at the top of his head.


    "Don¡¯t move! This matter doesn¡¯t concern you, you best not interfere. Otherwise, I can¡¯t guarantee that the gun in my hand won¡¯t ¡¯identally¡¯ fire."


    Faced with the ck muzzle of the gun, Zhong Wei¡¯s face suddenly changed, hesitating to move.


    "Captain Zhong, you guys go down first, I will handle my own issues."


    The suit-d bodyguard holding the gun said coldly, "Since you¡¯re being sensible, then don¡¯t make us move. Handle it yourself." As he spoke, he pulled a dagger from his waist and threw it in front of Ling Chen.


    "I really dislike being pointed at with a gun." Ling Chen narrowed his eyes, his tone slightly cold.


    Hearing this, the eyebrows of the suit-d bodyguard lifted as a cold smirk appeared at the corner of his mouth. Far from moving the handgun away, he instead took two steps forward, pressing the muzzle against Ling Chen¡¯s forehead.


    "Quit the chatter, get on with it."


    "What if I don¡¯t? Are you really going to shoot?"


    "You can try."


    Bang!


    Suddenly, a gunshot rang out.


    "Ah!"


    A scream followed, and the bodyguard¡¯s handgun immediately dropped to the ground. Looking closely, one could see his hand back was dripping with fresh blood, a bullet having pierced through it.


    "Who, who fired the shot?"


    The bodyguard looked around in panic and fury, as his severalpanions quickly pulled out their guns, surrounding Zhu Hong in the center, protecting his safety.


    "I did, got a problem with that?"


    A man¡¯s voice rang out as he walked over from not far away.


    "Old Tang?"


    When Ling Chen saw the neer, the corners of his mouth lifted into a faint smile.


    "Who are you?"


    Tang Yuan nced at them, sneered with disdain, "You¡¯ve got some nerve, firing guns around here. Don¡¯t forget, this is Huaxia, not a ce where you can act recklessly."


    With that, he turned his head, looking towards the person behind him, "Officer Xia, I¡¯m sure you¡¯re more aware than me of the crime of illegal possession of firearms in the country. You¡¯re a police officer from East Sea City, this matter is for you to handle."


    Ling Chen looked up to see Xia Mutong leading over a dozen policemen rushing over.


    Seeing the guns in their hands, Xia Mutong¡¯s expression immediately turned stern. Holding onto her holster, she shouted loudly, "Put down your guns and put your hands on your head."


    However, none of the suit-d bodyguards or thebat team members moved; instead, they all focused their attention on Zhu Hong, waiting for him to speak.


    Zhu Hong slowly turned his head, looking at Officer Xia with her cold face, and spoke lightly, "I don¡¯t care who you are, you better mind your own business."


    "Well well! Quite the attitude, even daring to disregard the police," Tang Yuan said with a lifted lip, a mocking smile on his face.

 Chapter 133: Brothers

    <h4>Chapter 133: Chapter 133: Brothers</h4><h4></h4>


    Hearing Zhu Hong¡¯s arrogant words,pletely disregarding her, Xia Mutong¡¯s expression immediately fell, looking extremely ugly.


    ording to her temperament, she wished she could rush over and severely teach this arrogant man a lesson. However, considering her own identity, she could only forcefully suppress her anger.


    "I¡¯ll say it again, hand over all the guns, or else don¡¯t me me for being rude."


    Feeling the determination in Xia Mutong¡¯s eyes, a hint of hesitation shed through Zhu Hong¡¯s indifferent gaze. He was very clear about domesticws, indeed not allowing random carrying of firearms, and in serious cases, it could even lead to the death penalty. Right now, hispany had just been established, and if he caused a disturbance with the local police, it might negatively affect his future development.


    Thinking of this, he signaled to his bodyguards in suits, "Put down the guns."


    Seeing that the boss had spoken, everyone naturally did not dare to disobey, and they threw their guns onto the ground.


    After a while, Xia Mutong directed her subordinates to confiscate all the firearms.


    "Take everyone with me."


    "Old Tang." Just then, Ling Chen, who had been silent, spoke up.


    "What is it?" Tang Yuan walked up to him and asked.


    Ling Chen leaned in close to his ear and whispered a few words, a yful smile in his clear eyes, "What do you think, any problem?"


    Tang Yuan nced at Zhu Hong across from him, grinned and said: "You kid... Alright, since you¡¯ve spoken, how could I possibly refuse?" After finishing, he cleared his throat twice, "Well, Officer Xia, there¡¯s no need to arrest them for now, tell your people to move aside."


    Xia Mutong slightly frowned and said: "What are you trying to do? They have already severely vited thew, I am administering justice impartially."


    "Officer Xia, I know you¡¯re a diligent and good cop, but you don¡¯t need to bother yourself with this."


    "No, I..."


    Seeing her unwilling topromise, Tang Yuan immediately put on a stern face and coldly huffed: "Officer Xia, please be mindful of your position, you are under my jurisdiction now, my words are an order, are you going to defy your superior? Do you believe I couldin to your superiors and you wouldn¡¯t even be able to remain a cop?"


    "Are you threatening me?" Xia Mutong instantly became infuriated.


    Embarrassed, Tang Yuan scratched his head, and with a smile on his face said: "Uh... Officer Xia, do me a favor please. I assure you, nothing will go wrong, and after Ling Chen handles this, you can deal with them however you want."


    Seeing Tang Yuan¡¯s ingratiating look, Xia Mutong was puzzled and nced at Ling Chen, "What is he nning to do?"


    "You heard it just now, that guy was too arrogant, not even putting you in his eye, if we don¡¯t teach him a lesson, he really thinks nobody can handle him. Officer Xia, help us brothers out this time, whatever happenster, just pretend you didn¡¯t see it. Later, I will speak favorably of you to your superiors to push for your promotion."


    "You don¡¯t need to deal with me in this way, I will get promoted through my own efforts, I don¡¯t need your help to take shortcuts."


    "Yes yes, Officer Xia is upright and talented, definitely bound for great achievements," Tang Yuan timely ttered, smiling: "Officer Xia, how about it, please help out."


    Although he had not interacted with Xia Mutong for a long time, through this coboration, he found that Xia Mutong was a diligentw enforcement officer with a strong sense of justice and a strict observer of regtions.


    The request he had just made was exactly against the rules forw enforcement officers, so to get Xia Mutong to help, he did not hesitate to say a few good words.


    Xia Mutong was immediately hesitant, she could guess Ling Chen¡¯s intentions, and she too very much wanted to teach that guy a lesson, but her identity constrained her too much. However, as aw enforcement officer, she must stick strictly to rules and regtions.


    Just when she was struggling to make a decision, suddenly numerous lights lit up in the woods.


    Turning her head to look, she saw hundreds of people walking out of the forest one after another, led by Nanrong Hao, Jiang Hao, and Zhao Zhengxiong.


    They rushed over immediately after receiving Tang Yuan¡¯s notice.


    "Mr. Nanrong." Tang Yuan¡¯s gaze shifted, and he quickly ran to Nanrong Hao¡¯s side, whispering something in his ear.


    I don¡¯t know what he said, but Nanrong Hao¡¯s eyes lit up immediately, looking maliciously at Zhu Hong.


    "Tang, leave this matter to me, don¡¯t worry." After speaking, he pulled Zhao Zhengxiong and Jiang Hao aside and began whispering closely.


    Seeing the smirk on their faces, Xia Mutong immediately had a bad feeling.


    What are they nning to do?


    Just as the thought urred, he saw Nanrong Hao and his men, numbering in the hundreds, rushing over andpletely surrounding Ling Chen and Zhu Hong.


    "Hey, all of you stop."


    Xia Mutong¡¯s expression changed slightly, and he quickly followed them. However, the people brought by Nanrong Hao had tightly sealed off the area, making it impossible to squeeze through.


    "Chen."


    Nanrong Hao and the other two quickly walked up to Ling Chen.


    "Well done." Ling Chen grinned, "Just watch from the side, you don¡¯t need to meddle in my business."


    With that, he turned his head, his gaze fixated on Zhu Hong, squinting slightly, "Weren¡¯t you just trying to cripple me? Now, I really want to see what you¡¯re capable of."


    Seeing Ling Chen walk towards Zhu Hong, several suit-d bodyguards andbat team members immediately stepped in front of Zhu Hong, ring intensely at Ling Chen.


    "Attack!"


    Following a loud shout from one of the suit-d bodyguards, more than ten people started marching towards Ling Chen.


    "Fuck off."


    Suddenly, a flying kick came, directly sending the leading suit-d bodyguard flying. The bodyguard lost his bnce, fell to the ground, and rolled towards the crowd.


    Before he could get up, a fist swung, hitting hard on his face.


    The crowd around him took turns, punching and kicking, and in just a few moments, the bodyguard¡¯s face was swollen like a pig¡¯s, and he was thrown out.


    Seeing their colleague struggling to breathe, the faces of the others changed.


    Ling Chen¡¯s lips curled up slightly, and then he turned his gaze to Tang Yuan, reproaching, "Didn¡¯t I say not to meddle in my affairs?"


    Tang Yuan smiled, "You and I are brothers in life and death. When someone troubles you, they¡¯re troubling me too. Besides, how could I miss out on a fight?"


    Hearing this, Ling Chen felt warmth in his heart. Although he didn¡¯t have any rtives in this world, he at least had brothers.


    "Chen, he¡¯s your brother, and so am I. He¡¯s already helped, you can¡¯t refuse me."


    As soon as he finished speaking, Nanrong Hao had already walked up to Ling Chen¡¯s side, clenching his fists and eyeing the opposing group.


    "Me too."


    Jiang Hao and Zhao Zhengxiong followed closely behind.

 Chapter 134 The Slap Resounds Again

    <h4>Chapter 134: Chapter 134 The p Resounds Again</h4><h4></h4>


    "I¡¯m in too!"


    "I¡¯m in too!"


    "..."


    For a moment, those three words filled the entire scene.


    Jiang Hao grinned and said, "Chen, even though these people aren¡¯t your brothers, they are my brothers. It¡¯s only right for brothers to help each other. Come on, brothers, let¡¯s take down these bastards!"


    "Let¡¯s do it!"


    Instantly, hundreds of people charged towards Zhu Hong¡¯s men.


    Zhu Hong only had a dozen men, and even though they were skilled, they were no match for the hundreds. In no time, all of them were knocked to the ground, unable to get up.


    Seeing this, Zhu Hong¡¯s face turned ashen, and with a murderous look in his eyes, he shouted, "Sto..."


    Bang!


    Before he could finish saying ¡¯stop¡¯, an unexpected fist came flying and smashed into his face, knocking him to the ground.


    "Stop your mother. Brothers, beat him up!"


    "Stop hitting him, enough already."


    Seeing the situation spiraling out of control, Ling Chen grew anxious and hurriedly yelled.


    Damn it, I wanted to get a taste of the action myself, but these guys finished it all, and I didn¡¯t even throw a punch.


    Hearing Ling Chen speak, the hundreds of people, still wanting more, reluctantly backed off.


    In the center of the arena, Zhu Hong and his men were all lying on the ground, hands over their heads, not daring to get up, fearing they would be hit again.


    Ling Chen nced at Zhu Hong not far away and almost couldn¡¯t helpughing. Zhu Hong¡¯s handsome face was swollen, looking almost like a pig¡¯s head, with patches of ck and blue around his eyes. His expensive suit was torn, and his hair a mess, resembling a beggar. He looked utterly wretched, with no trace of the noble young master¡¯s demeanor.


    He walked up to Zhu Hong, squatted down with a smile on his face, and said, "Mr. Zhu, I deeply sympathize with what you¡¯ve gone through, but as you can see, I was not the one whoid hands on you, so please don¡¯t hold it against me."


    Zhu Hong looked up, his eyes coldly fixed on him, and through clenched teeth said, "Ling Chen, the humiliation I suffered today will be returned a hundredfold someday. Remember my words, I will make your life a living hell."


    "Is that so? Well then..."


    p!


    Another loud p.


    Zhu Hong covered his cheek and yelled, "Ling Chen, you..."


    Ling Chen, looking at his palm, said with a smile, "Since you already hate me so much, I can¡¯t lose out. Hitting you one more time won¡¯t change anything. Wouldn¡¯t you agree, Mr. Zhu?"


    After speaking, he leaned in closer, lowering his voice, "Mr. Zhu, listen well, I don¡¯t care who you are, but if you dare trouble me, I guarantee, you¡¯ll live the rest of your life in fear. Remember my words."


    "Ling Chen, what are you doing?"


    At that moment, Xia Mutong finally led her subordinates into the crowd.


    Ling Chen stood up, spread his hands, and said, "Officer Xia, I haven¡¯t done anything, these people can vouch for me, ask them if you don¡¯t believe me."


    Xia Mutong nced at Zhu Hong, who now looked like a pig head, and couldn¡¯t help but feel amused, which alleviated much of the annoyance she had felt earlier. However, as aw enforcement officer, she needed to be fair and stern.


    "Are you saying these people weren¡¯t beaten by you?"


    Ling Chen protested: "Officer Xia, I truly did not initiate anything. If I am lying, let lightning strike me dead."


    Hearing his severe oath, Xia Mutong snorted lightly, then turned to the bodyguards with swollen faces and asked, "You tell me, who was the one who hit you?"


    The crowd nced at Ling Chen and then at each other, shaking their heads one after another. The scene earlier had been too chaotic; they had no idea who actually hit them.


    "Fine, since you¡¯re not willing to pinpoint anyone, you might as well admit defeat. Take all these people back with me."


    Watching Zhu Hong and his group being led away by the police, Ling Chen gestured with his hands to the people around and said, "Brothers, thanks. I¡¯ll set up a feast one of these days to treat you all well."


    "Chen, if there¡¯s nothing else, we¡¯ll be heading off first," Jiang Hao said.


    Ling Chen patted his shoulder and chuckled, "Alright, you guys have worked hard too. Head back first, we¡¯ll be in touch another day."


    After seeing off everyone, Ling Chen and Nanrong Hao got into the Range Rover and followed the convoy all the way to the hospital.


    After having his wounds tended to, the doctor wanted Ling Chen to stay in the hospital for a few days, but he felt it was unnecessary as he knew his own condition best.


    Exiting the medical office, Ling Chen went straight to the inpatient department. Seeing Nanrong Hao in the corridor, he greeted him, "Where¡¯s Sister?"


    "Inside."


    "I¡¯ll go in to take a look."


    Saying so, he pushed open the door of the hospital room and walked in withrge strides.


    At that moment, Su Lin, Nanrong Yong, and Liu Kun were all in the room, sitting around Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s bedside, chatting with her.


    Seeing Ling Chen enter, Nanrong Yong stood up immediately to greet him, grabbing his hands gratefully, "Ling Chen, thank you so much for this time. If it weren¡¯t for you, Wanqing might have..."


    Ling Chen grinned, "Old master, please don¡¯t say such things. I am employed by the Nanrong family as security, safeguarding the chairman¡¯s safety is my duty." After speaking, he walked to the bedside, looking at Nanrong Wanqing lying in bed, "Chairman, how are you feeling? Are the wounds alright?"


    Hearing him mention her wounds in front of everyone caused Nanrong Wanqing to feel slightly embarrassed. Fortunately, she was adept at hiding her emotions, and her face did not reveal anything.


    "Thank you for your concern, I¡¯m fine. How about you?"


    "It¡¯s just a minor injury, it¡¯s nothing."


    "That¡¯s good to hear. Grandfather, Lin, could you please step out for a moment? I¡¯d like to talk to Ling Chen alone."


    "Sure, you guys take your time." Nanrong Yong nodded and walked out.


    Although Su Lin really wanted to stay, since Nanrong Wanqing made the request, she did not want to disobey. However, before leaving, she gave Ling Chen a curious look, secretly wondering what Nanrong Wanqing wanted to talk about with him alone.


    Once Nanrong Yong and the other two had left, Ling Chen unceremoniously pulled up a chair and sat down beside Nanrong Wanqing.


    "You want to ask me about Zhu Hong?" he asked with a smile.


    "Let¡¯s talk about his matterter, I have other questions."


    "Sure, go ahead."


    "Though I don¡¯t know much about your past, I believe you must have aplicated history. Earlier, I was discussing with Grandfather that those who attempted to kidnap me likely aren¡¯t enemies of the Nanrong family. Snake King hasn¡¯t been caught yet; our enemies wouldn¡¯t send someone else so soon. I wonder if, like you spected, those people were after the researchb¡¯s results."


    "The suspicion on them is indeed strong, but so far it¡¯s all conjecture with no solid evidence. So, we can only suspect, not confirm."


    "Based on your experience, who do you think they might be?"


    "I¡¯m not sure, I¡¯ve already withdrawn from that world, so Ick ess to many details." He paused then continued, "Chairman, I know what you¡¯re worried about, rest assured, someone else is handling this matter. They will deal with it. In the meantime, I¡¯ll ensure your safety."


    Nanrong Wanqing nodded gently, "I trust you will."

 Chapter 135: Intent to Cooperate

    <h4>Chapter 135: Chapter 135: Intent to Cooperate</h4><h4></h4>


    "Okay, now you can answer the question from before."


    Ling Chen looked puzzled, "What question?"


    "Why did you beat up Zhu Hong?"


    "Because he deserved it. If it wasn¡¯t for your sake, I wouldn¡¯t have let him off easily."


    Nanrong Wanqing said in confusion, "You should at least give me a reason."


    "Don¡¯t ask about that, beating him was the right thing to do, I certainly didn¡¯t wrong him. Chairman, even though I¡¯m just your subordinate and have no right to meddle in your personal affairs, you¡¯d better listen to my advice. Zhu Hong is not a good person, be more careful in the future and don¡¯t get too close to him."


    Nanrong Wanqing replied indifferently, "He is my friend, we grew up together, and I know very well what kind of person he is."


    "People change, and besides, you haven¡¯t seen each other for four or five years, how can you be sure he hasn¡¯t changed during that time. Chairman, never trust your past, the past and the present are two different worlds."


    Upon hearing this, Nanrong Wanqing fell into deep thought, wondering about something.


    "You can go now, I want to rest for a bit."


    "Alright, then I won¡¯t disturb you." Ling Chen stood up, taking steps towards the door.


    However, as he reached the door, Nanrong Wanqing suddenly called out to him.


    "Chairman, is there anything else?"


    "From now on, unless we¡¯re at thepany or during working hours, you don¡¯t need to call me chairman. You saved me, and I consider you a friend, and I hope you can consider me a friend, too."


    Ling Chen smiled, "If I don¡¯t call you chairman, what should I call you?"


    Nanrong Wanqing turned her head away, "Whatever you like."


    "Alright then. Good night, Wanqing."


    Listening to the sound of the door closing, Nanrong Wanqing turned off the light andy quietly in bed, closing her eyes while the scene in the car that day unconsciously surfaced in her mind.


    Tossing and turning in bed, she couldn¡¯t fall asleep peacefully; the vision of them clinging to each other naked kept swirling in her head.


    Remembering the warmth of Ling Chen¡¯s body, she felt her cheeks instantly be unbearably hot.


    This jerk... doesn¡¯t let me have a good night¡¯s sleep...


    How annoying!


    Achoo!


    Ling Chen sneezed in the hallway, he couldn¡¯t help but touch his nose, wondering who was thinking of him.


    After leaving the hospital, he saw that Tang Yuan was waiting for him in the Land Rover.


    Getting into the car, Ling Chen took out a syringe from his chest, carefully handed it over to Tang Yuan, and instructed, "Take care of this, send it to Beijing immediately, let the General and his team carefully study it to see what it is."


    Tang Yuan examined it curiously, "What¡¯s in here?"


    "A kind of enhancement drug."


    Immediately, Ling Chen recounted his experiences in the forest.


    After listening, Tang Yuan¡¯s expression became very grave, "So, there¡¯s actually such a thing. Okay, I got it, I¡¯ll have someone sent to the base promptly." As Tang Yuan spoke, something seemed to cross his mind, and he changed the topic, "By the way, why did you suddenly lose your temper today?"


    "You¡¯re talking about Zhu Hong?" Ling Chen snorted lightly, "That guy wants my life, would you tolerate that? With my personality, I won¡¯t let go of anyone who dares toy a hand on me. However, there might be bigger forces behind Zhu Hong, so I can¡¯t kill him just yet since it would break the only clue we have. Old Tang, get someone to keep a close watch on him. I humiliated him publicly this time to anger him, to see what other moves he has."


    "Don¡¯t worry, I know what to do. You¡¯ve been through a lot thesest few days, rest well, and recover from the injuries first."


    ...


    In a blink of an eye, a week had passed.


    After these days of recovery, Ling Chen¡¯s injuries had healed significantly, there were no major concerns, and Nanrong Wanqing had also started to go to work normally.


    On this day, upon arriving at thepany, Ling Chen took Nanrong Wanqing to her office but was about to go downstairs when Nanrong Wanqing called him back.


    "Chairman, is there anything else?"


    "Stay with meter for a meeting with someone."


    As they were speaking, a series of knocks on the door could already be heard from outside.


    Ling Chen, seeing the woman pushing the door open, instantly greeted her with a face full of smiles: "Miss Qin, hello."


    "Mr. Ling, we meet again." After speaking, the other party also greeted Nanrong Wanqing: "Chairman."


    "Qin Lan, where are the things I asked you to bring?"


    The woman in front of them was Qin Lan, who was in charge of the research department.


    Qin Lan ced a thick folder of documents on the office desk, "Chairman, everything you requested is inside here."


    Nanrong Wanqing nodded and said, "Thanks for the hard work, please pass this to Ling Chen."


    "For me?" Ling Chen was taken aback for a moment and casually took the documents handed over by Qin Lan, asking, "What¡¯s inside?"


    "Qin Lan, you can go out and take a break first, I¡¯ll call youter."


    "Yes, Chairman."


    After seeing Qin Lan out, Nanrong Wanqing then spoke up, "Ling Chen, you said you were a soldier before, so you should know how to contact people in the military."


    "Chairman, you..." Ling Chen vaguely guessed Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s intention.


    "After careful consideration, I have decided to coborate with the military and share this technology with them," Nanrong Wanqing said earnestly, "After going through so many things, I¡¯vee to deeply realize what I hold. In others¡¯ eyes, this might be a cutting-edge technology, but in my view, it¡¯s the main culprit threatening the safety of me and my family. I do not want Nanrong Hao and my grandfather to encounter any danger because of this technology. Ling Chen, I hope you can help me contact someone from the military. I want to have a proper talk with them."


    Upon hearing Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s decision, Ling Chen immediately smiled.


    It was more than good news that Nanrong Wanqing was willing to coborate with the military; it would not only enhance the nation¡¯s military power but also reduce the troubles of the Nanrong family ¨C a win-win situation.


    In fact, he had been entertaining this idea all along, but Nanrong Wanqing was the owner of this technology, so it was her prerogative. He had no right to influence her decision, and thus he had not brought the matter up for discussion.


    "Chairman, leave this to me; someone will soon contact you regarding the coboration," he assured.


    "Mhm, thank you for the trouble."


    After she finished speaking, the ringtone of Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s phone suddenly sounded.


    She took out her phone, looked at the caller ID, and aplex expression briefly crossed her beautiful face.


    "Ling Chen, you can go ahead, I need to take a call."


    "Alright."


    Ling Chen nodded, his mind preupied with the thought of promptly contacting Old General to share the good news, so he did not notice Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s expression.


    After watching Ling Chen leave, Nanrong Wanqing hesitated for a moment, then pressed the answer button.


    "Hello, Wanqing, it¡¯s me."


    "What¡¯s the matter?"


    "How are you? I¡¯m sorry, I haven¡¯t been able to get out these days, so I didn¡¯t visit you at the hospital. Hope you don¡¯t mind."


    "It¡¯s okay, I¡¯ve been discharged."


    "I¡¯d like to take you out for dinner tonight, there are some things I want to exin to you."


    "This..."


    "Wanqing, after so many years of our rtionship, you wouldn¡¯t refuse me, right?"


    "Fine then, I will be there on time."


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 Chapter 136: The Company was Smashed

    <h4>Chapter 136: Chapter 136: The Company was Smashed</h4><h4></h4>


    Night had fallen, and after finishing a phone call in his bedroom and scheduling a time with the General, Ling Chen stood up and walked out, nning to greet Nanrong Wanqing.


    However, when he reached the living room, he saw Nanrong Wanqing descending slowly downstairs in her wheelchair via the staircase¡¯s track.


    "Wanqing, are you going out?" Ling Chen asked.


    "How did you know?"


    Ling Chen smiled slightly. Nanrong Wanqing was dressed differently from when she got off work; she was in a simple and elegant white dress that highlighted her fair, delicate skin, which was as smooth as snow. She also carried a small, exquisite handbag.


    With such an outfit, if she wasn¡¯t going out, what else could she be doing?


    "I¡¯ll drive you."


    "There¡¯s no need," Nanrong Wanqing declined, "You have a good rest tonight. Zhong Wei and the others will apany me."


    Ling Chen looked at her, surprised by her decision. As Nanrong Family¡¯s security, it was his duty to apany her when she went out, but Nanrong Wanqing had refused hispany, which was quite unusual.


    A thought crossed his mind, and he nodded to himself, smiling, "Alright, since that¡¯s the case, take care and call me if you need anything."


    With his intelligence, he could guess Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s thoughts. She didn¡¯t want him to apany her, and there was only one reason for that¡ªZhu Hong.


    "By the way, Wanqing, I¡¯ve already made the arrangements. Tomorrow, representatives from the military wille to discuss the coboration with you."


    "Please help me receive them."


    "No problem."


    After escorting Nanrong Wanqing to her doorstep, Zhong Wei had already prepared the car.


    "Captain Zhong, Old Tang, take good care of the director."


    "Don¡¯t worry, with me here, what could possibly go wrong?" Tang Yuan said,ughing and patting his shoulder, "Let¡¯s go; see youter."


    As the convoy left Wealthy Manor, Ling Chen turned to head back inside. But just then, he saw Nanrong Hao rushing out of the house.


    "Hey, where are you off to?" Ling Chen blocked his path. "You have ss tomorrow. Just stay home and don¡¯t mess around."


    Looking dejected, Nanrong Hao said, "Brother Chen, I wouldn¡¯t dare mess around. It¡¯s Hao, he just called me, something¡¯s happened at thepany, and he told me to hurry over."


    "Is that so? Let¡¯s go, I¡¯lle with you."


    Since he had nothing else to do at home, he might as well go with Nanrong Hao.


    On the way, Ling Chen, sitting in the passenger seat, asked, "Is my car repaired yet?"


    "That¡¯s not so easy, Brother Chen. Your car is an antique; you can¡¯t buy matching parts in the country, we can only contact overseas manufacturers to make them specially. Brother Chen, I suggest you just get a new car; the maintenance costs for that kind are too high¡ªjust a simple repair costs hundreds of thousands."


    Ling Chen¡¯s eyes widened. "That expensive?"


    "What did you expect? Just the repair costs could buy you a Land Rover."


    "Haozi, this money..."


    "Brother Chen, don¡¯t worry about the repair costs. I¡¯ve already talked to Sister, and let thepany reimburse it. After all, you damaged your car while saving her." Here, he chuckled, "Brother Chen, you wouldn¡¯t know, my sister is rarely this generous. If it were me, she wouldn¡¯t give a penny."


    Ling Chen said proudly, "That¡¯s because, in your sister¡¯s eyes, I¡¯m more esteemed than you."


    "Really?" Nanrong Hao said gossipingly, "Brother Chen, I also feel that Sister¡¯s attitude towards you has changed noticeablytely. Tell me, what exactly happened between you two?"


    "It¡¯s because I saved her," Ling Chen nonchntly brushed it off. He certainly couldn¡¯t tell Nanrong Hao that he saw parts of her he shouldn¡¯t have, and even kissed where he shouldn¡¯t have. If that got out, given Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s modesty, who knows how she would react.


    Nanrong Hao disbelievingly said, "It can¡¯t be just that. You¡¯ve saved my sister several times, and I didn¡¯t see her treat you like this. It must be something else this time. Brother Chen, there¡¯s no one else around, why not tell me. During those days you two were alone in the woods, did something adult-rated happen?" Upon saying this, he grinned mischievously.


    Ling Chen scoffed, "Get lost, if something adult-rated had really happened, I certainly couldn¡¯t tell you."


    Nanrong Hao¡¯s expression was one of sudden understanding, smiling knowingly, "I get it."


    Amidst the jokes, the two had already driven to their destination.


    Getting out of the car, Ling Chen looked around and realized this area was not within the Old City.


    "Haozi, where is this?"


    "This is Songhua District, separated from the Old City by a long street, and is also our next area of expansion. Brother Chen,e with me; Hao and the others are already here."


    During the conversation, the two approached a deliverypany across from the parking lot.


    At the moment, the area outside the deliverypany was crowded. Seeing Ling Chen and Nanrong Hao approaching, everyone stepped aside, eximing, "Brother Chen, Haozi."


    "Where¡¯s Hao?"


    "Hao and Xiong are both inside."


    Upon entering the deliverypany, Ling Chen frowned. Inside, everything was in disarray;puters and desks were smashed, and most of the parcels were burned. There were still remains of water used to extinguish the fire on the ground.


    In the office, Jiang Hao and Zhao Zhengxiong stood side by side, speaking with the employees of the deliverypany.


    "Jiang Hao."


    Ling Chen followed Nanrong Hao into the office, greeting as they entered.


    "Brother Chen."


    "Brother Chen."


    "What happened here?" As soon as he spoke, Ling Chen noticed the employees in the office were bruised and battered, as if they had been severely beaten.


    Zhao Zhengxiong spoke indignantly, "Those bastards from Songhua District came to cause trouble. They smashed ourpany, not to mention injured our people. Brother Chen, I can¡¯t swallow this; we must give those guys a taste of their own medicine."


    "Don¡¯t always think about revenge; let¡¯s understand the incident first."


    "Brother Chen, there¡¯s nothing much to discuss. I told you before, we¡¯re expanding our business. The Old City is already under our control, and Songhua District is our next target. This month, we acquired two deliverypanies in Songhua District. No sooner had we opened than the local forces came by, demanding protection money of twenty thousand a month. Isn¡¯t this looking for trouble? Thepany¡¯s monthly revenue is just a few ten thousand yuan. If we give it to them, what are we supposed to do, live off the wind?" Jiang Haoined unhappily.


    Nanrong Hao helplessly said, "They know our background and are afraid we¡¯ll take their territory, so they make things difficult for us. Actually, we had already informed them that we only do legitimate business and won¡¯t touch underworld matters, but they just won¡¯t believe it."


    "Brother Chen, no matter what you say, since they dare to mess with us, we must retaliate; otherwise, they really think I, Jiang Hao, am easy to bully."

 Chapter 137 Past and Present

    <h4>Chapter 137: Chapter 137 Past and Present</h4><h4></h4>


    Ling Chen understood Jiang Hao¡¯s meaning. Being the boss, he had many brothers following him. Hispany was now trashed, his brothers were beaten, and if he did nothing, the brothers would inevitably haveints. Therefore, he had to take action, to not show weakness.


    "Jiang Hao, how much do you know about those people?"


    "They call themselves the Green Tiger Gang, with a few hundred members. Their boss is a businessman who specializes in contracting construction projects, and then delegates the jobs to his underlings. The construction business is very lucrative; they can make tens of millions every year, and also provide for their brothers below. Moreover, that guy is ruthless, often substituting cheap construction materials to cut corners. It was in the news the year beforest: a residential building that was five years old copsed, causing the death of more than a dozen people. It was the Green Tiger Gang who were responsible for the construction. However, the boss of the Green Tiger Gang has extensive connections, and he managed to suppress that incident."


    "What¡¯s their boss¡¯s name?"


    "Qi Jianhui," Zhao Zhengxiong said, "I¡¯ve had dealings with him once or twice before. I wanted to work with him, but he¡¯s too greedy, wanting to hog most of the profits, so I didn¡¯t continue the partnership."


    "Qi Jianhui?" Ling Chen looked thoughtful, "Isn¡¯t he that fat-brained, nouveau riche-looking guy?"


    Zhao Zhengxiong nodded, "That¡¯s him. Chen, do you know him?"


    "Know him? Of course, I do." Ling Chen revealed a smirk, amused. It really was a small world; he hadn¡¯t expected Qi Jianhui to be the boss of the Green Tiger Gang.


    Last time at the mall, that Qi Jianhui went looking for trouble with Leng Feifei, and ended up being dealt with by him.


    "Jiang Hao, you can handle this matter however you like, I won¡¯t stop you."


    "Really?" Jiang Hao¡¯s eyes lit up, "Alright, I¡¯ll gather the brothers immediately and give the Green Tiger Gang a proper beating tonight."


    ...


    At this time, in a high-ss restaurant located in the city center.


    Zhong Wei pushed a wheelchair, taking the elevator up to the top floor. Behind him followed Tang Yuan and Liang Zhao Hui.


    Ding!


    Apanied by a crisp sound, the elevator doors slowly opened.


    The four of them stepped out, and the two suited men guarding the door immediately came over to block Zhong Wei and the others.


    "Miss Nanrong, Mr. Zhu has already arrived. We will escort you over. Your people will be arranged to rest in a private room."


    "No." Tang Yuan spoke, "We must stay close to Miss Nanrong."


    "Please rest assured, gentlemen, Mr. Zhu has reserved the entire floor. Apart from us, there will be no outsiders present, so there is no need to worry about safety."


    "Zhong Wei, you go and rest first."


    "Yes, Chairman."


    Escorted by the two suited men, Nanrong Wanqing entered the lobby.


    The restaurant, named Dome Restaurant, was one of the most upscale ces in East Sea City, where people worth less than ten million wouldn¡¯t dare to dine in.


    The ability to reserve the entire restaurant demonstrated Zhu Hong¡¯s immense wealth.


    Inside the hall, all the tables and chairs had been removed, leaving only a long table set with two neat sets of silverware, with candlesticks in the middle and decorative roses around, adding a touch of romance to the atmosphere.


    "Wanqing."


    Seeing Nanrong Wanqing approaching, Zhu Hong quickly stood up and hurriedly walked over.


    Today, Zhu Hong was dressed in a white suit, looking valiant and handsome,plementing Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s white dress, resembling an enviable perfect couple.


    After a week of rest, the swelling on his face had subsided, and he had regained his handsome appearance.


    Zhu Hong took the wheelchair and pushed Nanrong Wanqing to the table, then picked up a bottle of Lafite Vineyard red wine and poured it for her attentively.


    "What would you like to eat?" he asked softly.


    "Anything is fine, you decide."


    "I remember you used to like garlic shrimp, so I made a special arrangement for you." Saying this, he gave a meaningful look to a waiter nearby.


    Soon, dish after dish of delicious and exquisite food was brought to the table.


    Zhu Hong sat down again, lifted his wine ss, and a charming smile formed at the corner of his mouth.


    "Wanqing, this ss is to celebrate your recovery, and I hope simr things won¡¯t happen again in the future."


    "Thank you." Nanrong Wanqing took a sip discreetly, then ced the ss back on the table.


    Looking at the garlic shrimp in front of her, Nanrong Wanqing slowly raised her head and looked directly across the table at Zhu Hong, her lips parting slightly: "You wanted to talk to me about something tonight, didn¡¯t you?"


    Zhu Hong smiled: "Don¡¯t you want to try the garlic shrimp first?"


    "I¡¯m not really in the mood to eat right now."


    Zhu Hong put down his knife and fork and said, "Wanqing, thest incident was a misunderstanding; I hope you¡¯ll let me exin."


    Nanrong Wanqing looked puzzled, "I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about?"


    "Ling Chen didn¡¯t tell you?" Zhu Hong was a bit surprised. He had thought Ling Chen told Nanrong Wanqing about the matter of him sending men to intercept him and had been racking his brains for a good excuse to invite Nanrong Wanqing out to exin.


    "He didn¡¯t tell me anything."


    "Is that so?" This was a bit unexpected for Zhu Hong, and judging by Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s expression, she didn¡¯t seem to be lying. Could it be that he was overthinking?


    Thinking this, he lifted the corners of his mouth and said, "It¡¯s just as well, since it was a misunderstanding; let¡¯s not bring it up again."


    "Is there something else besides this?"


    "You¡¯ve been discharged for several days, and I haven¡¯t visited you, which makes me feel guilty, so I wanted to invite you out to see you and talk. This ce is quiet, and we can have a good chat."


    Nanrong Wanqing spoke indifferently: "Thank you for your hospitality, but I have things to attend to at home and can¡¯t stay long, sorry." With that, she pressed a hidden button on the wheelchair.


    This was a device Ling Chen had installed for her, enabling her to contact Zhong Wei and the others at any time.


    Shortly after, Zhong Wei and two others appeared in her line of sight.


    "Wanqing..."


    Zhu Hong quickly stood up, trying to keep her there: "Can¡¯t you stay a bit longer? I still have a lot to tell you."


    Looking at his expectant eyes, Nanrong Wanqing hesitated for a moment, then softly uttered two words: "Sorry." She paused, her gaze moving to the te of garlic shrimp on the table, her expressionplex, "It seems Ling Chen was right."


    Zhu Hong was slightly taken aback, not understanding, "What do you mean?"


    "He told me that the past doesn¡¯t define the present; the past is the past, and now is now. They are twopletely different worlds. You are still living in our past, while I value my present. The years you¡¯ve been gone, I¡¯ve long since grown tired of garlic shrimp. People change; you changed, and I¡¯ve changed. The past can never ovep with the present. Zhong Wei, let¡¯s go back."


    "Yes, President,"


    Zhu Hong watched as Nanrong Wanqing disappeared into the elevator; the smile on his face immediately froze. He clenched his fist tightly and swung it in a sudden movement, the fine dishes on the table instantly scattered across the floor.


    "Let¡¯s go."

 Chapter 138: The Unknown Side

    <h4>Chapter 138: Chapter 138: The Unknown Side</h4><h4></h4>


    "Mr. Zhu, where are we going?" Once in the car, the driver asked.


    Zhu Hong looked out of the window, his face ashen with rage. Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s words had struck him like a hammer, grievously hurting his heart, especially whenever he heard her incessantly mention Ling Chen, which fueled his anger even more.


    "To the hospital."


    "Understood."


    Shortly after, the Mercedes sedan slowly drove to the outskirts and stopped in front of a mental hospital.


    Next to the locked iron gate, a uniformed security guard emerged from the security room. Upon seeing the credentials shown by the driver, he quickly opened the iron gate and let the Mercedes in.


    It wasn¡¯t until they reached the underground parking garage that Zhu Hong stepped out of the car.


    By now, two doctors in white coats were waiting at the elevator, and they quickly greeted Zhu Hong with smiles as he approached, saying, "Mr. Zhu."


    Zhu Hong, with a somber expression, nodded and walked straight into the elevator.


    "Mr. Zhu, are you here for an inspection today, or..."


    "Arrange a patient for me."


    Hearing this, the two in white coats exchanged a nce, their eyes revealing a hint of fear.


    Seeing theirck of response, Zhu Hong¡¯s voice turned cold, "Didn¡¯t you understand what I said?"


    "It¡¯s not that... We will arrange it immediately."


    The elevator reached the fifth floor, and Zhu Hong walked down the hallway to a locked ward at the far end.


    "Mr. Zhu, the person has been arranged."


    "Good, you two go down first, I¡¯lle to find you after I¡¯m done."


    "Understood."


    After the two in white coats went back to the elevator, Zhu Hong walked towards the room at the end of the hall. At the door, he grabbed the handle, gently turned it, and pushed the sturdy iron door open.


    Instantly, in the dimly lit ward, there was an iron chair, on which sat a man in his thirties dressed in striped patient attire, his entire body bound in bandages, and his mouth stuffed, rendering him unable to speak.


    Seeing Zhu Hong enter, the man immediately started making muffled noises, his demeanor strange.


    Watching the man before him, Zhu Hong took off his suit jacket and shirt, hanging them aside. Then, he walked to a workbench in the corner, selected a scalpel from a row of tools, and returned to the man¡¯s side.


    "Muffled screams..."


    The man screamed loudly, fear evident in his eyes.


    "Don¡¯t shout, I¡¯ll make youfortable."


    Zhu Hong gave a cold smile, the scalpel fiercely jabbing towards the man¡¯s eyes. Immediately, blood spurted out, sttering all over him.


    Under intense pain, the man desperately struggled, his body continuously moving, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn¡¯t break free from his restraints.


    "Does it feel good?" Zhu Hong grinned, his smile grotesquely terrifying under the dim light.


    Pulling out the scalpel, he raised his hand and stabbed down again.


    Over and again, soon, the man was soaked in blood, his strength to struggle faded, slumping there, letting the scalpel pierce into his body.


    "Does it feel good?"


    Zhu Hong grabbed the man¡¯s hair and lifted his head, shouting fiercely, "I¡¯m asking you, how does it feel?"


    The man¡¯s left eye was lifeless as he stared back. Even if he wanted to speak, he couldn¡¯t; his mouth was gagged.


    "Not talking, huh?" Zhu Hong sneered and raised a scalpel, stabbing forcefully into his left eye.


    Bright blood instantly flowed everywhere.


    ...


    Half an hourter, Zhu Hong finally walked out of the hospital room.


    At this moment, he had regained the calm demeanor he had when he first met Nanrong Wanqing, his suit impable, his appearance handsome and charming, with a gentle smile on his face.


    Not long after he left, several men entered the hospital room. They looked at the body covered in numerous knife wounds, a patient tortured to death, emotionlessly and silently packed the body, and then cleaned the blood off the floor.


    They had seen such scenes too many times, even more brutal ones, and had long since grown ustomed to it.


    "How is the progress going?"


    In the spacious and bright office, Zhu Hong sat on the sofa with a ss of whiskey in hand, looking at two men in whiteb coats standing before him, he asked.


    "Mr. Zhu, we have conducted twenty-three experiments already, but the results are mediocre. The test subjects¡¯ indices are too low, not even reaching sixty points, and the drug effects can¡¯t fully manifest. Some of them couldn¡¯t even withstand the drug effects and died explosively."


    Zhu Hong squinted his eyes and said, "Then find better test subjects."


    "Rest assured, Mr. Zhu, I¡¯ve already arranged for it. Soon, a batch of test subjects collected from across the country will be delivered, and their quality shouldn¡¯t be an issue."


    "That¡¯s good." Zhu Hong nodded, "As the head of the Asia region, I mustplete the tasks assigned by higher-ups. If I can¡¯t secure my position, you won¡¯t have an easy time either. Do you hear me?"


    "Yes, we will speed up and definitely won¡¯t let you lose face."


    During this conversation, the office door was pushed open, and a blond, blue-eyed Caucasian walked in.


    "Mr. Zhu, so you are here too."


    Seeing the neer, Zhu Hong¡¯s smile remained as he nodded and greeted, "Stephen, what brings you here?"


    "I heard that the new drug assigned from above has arrived, I came to see the results of your experiments."


    "You all heard him, Stephen is an authority in this field, if you have questions, take the time to consult him."


    Hearing Zhu Hong¡¯s lukewarm words, Stephen looked at the two men in whiteb coats and said, "You two, step outside for a moment, I need to speak privately with Mr. Zhu."


    With a wave of Zhu Hong¡¯s hand, his subordinates immediately exited the office.


    "Stephen, speak openly."


    "Ling Chen, you certainly know him. I want you to kill him, by any means necessary."


    Zhu Hong slightly lifted his eyes, looking interestedly at Stephen, "Stephen, why do you want him dead so badly, is there a grudge between you?"


    "No, I¡¯m just worried about our identities being exposed."


    "What do you mean?"


    "The day I sent men to capture Nanrong Wanqing, as a precaution, I prepared a small vial of enhancement drug for one of them, just in case. Later, my men found his body, he had been blown apart by a grenade, turned into countless pieces of flesh. After collecting those pieces and testing them, it turned out he had taken the enhancement drug before dying. In those woods, the only one who could have killed him was Ling Chen, he must have witnessed the power of the enhancement drug. Before he exposes this matter, we must shut him up."


    "Stephen!"


    Zhu Hong suddenly stood up, speaking coldly, "Without authorization from above, you dared to use the enhancement drug casually, it seems you are tired of living."


    "No, I had authorization, but I didn¡¯t expect that person to be killed after using it. Regardless, since it has happened, Ling Chen must die. You are the head of the Asia region, you should handle this."


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 Chapter 139: Cooperation

    <h4>Chapter 139: Chapter 139: Cooperation</h4><h4></h4>


    Gazing into Stephen¡¯s azure eyes, Zhu Hong slowly took his seat, hisplexion gradually regainingposure as he gently swirled the ss in his hand.


    "Ling Chen is not a simple man; I need to do some thorough investigation on him, and also..." his tone suddenly became cold, "from now on, without my permission, you are not allowed to make a move against Nanrong Wanqing. Anything rted to her must consult my opinion. If you can¡¯t do that, don¡¯t even think about me helping with Ling Chen¡¯s matters."


    "No problem, I won¡¯t touch her for the time being, but if the orderes from above..."


    Zhu Hong coldly interrupted, "That¡¯s my business, not yours to worry about." He paused for a moment, then shifted the topic, "Are you confident you can heal Wanqing¡¯s leg injury?"


    "With the drug we¡¯ve developed, if we reduce the dose, there shouldn¡¯t be any problem."


    "Wanqing¡¯s attitude towards me has greatly changed; I hope to improve our rtionship by healing her legs, so you better not mess this up for me."


    Stephen nodded, "I will do my best. If there¡¯s nothing else, I¡¯ll head to theb now."


    ...


    The next day.


    Hongyu Group Headquarters.


    It wasn¡¯t long after Ling Chen had taken Nanrong Wanqing to her office that he received a phone call, and quickly called Tang Yuan to rush to thepany entrance.


    Soon after, a red-g sedan slowly drove up and stopped at the entrance.


    Ling Chen took the initiative to open the car door, and greeted the middle-aged man stepping out of the car with a smile, "Mr. Han."


    "Mr. Han." Tang Yuan also greeted.


    The neer was Han Bing, the Ghost Organization¡¯s second-inmand. As Nanrong Wanqing had actively proposed a partnership, and due to the significance of the matter, Qiao Zhen wanted to personallye to East Sea City, but because someone needed to stay andmand the organization internally, Han Bing was sent instead.


    "Mr. Han, I thought you would arrive in a couple of days."


    Han Bing waved his hand, "Such an important matter cannot be dyed. If I wasn¡¯t worried about Miss Nanrong¡¯s convenience, I would have nned toe yesterday." He pulled Ling Chen to the side and asked in a low voice, "Kid, tell me the truth, are those test results real?"


    "Mr. Han, rest assured, you can haveplete peace of mind. There won¡¯t be any problems," Ling Chen assured with a pat on his chest.


    "If that¡¯s truly the case, no matter the cost, this partnership must happen."


    "Mr. Han, the Chairwoman couldn¡¯te out to meet you personally because of her legs, I hope you won¡¯t mind; she is already waiting for you in her office," Ling Chen exined on behalf of Nanrong Wanqing.


    "No issue, we are all soldiers, we don¡¯t care about formalities. Let¡¯s go; take me to see her straight away." Han Bing was somewhat impatient.


    No wonder, if that set of exoskeleton armor could be equipped in the military, it would certainly enhance Huaxia¡¯s military strength by a level. As a soldier, that equipment could drive one crazy.


    Arriving at the top-floor office, Nanrong Wanqing had already been waiting by the door.


    As the group emerged from the elevator, before Nanrong Wanqing had a chance to approach them, Han Bing had already quickened his pace and reached her, eagerly extending both hands, "Miss Nanrong, hello. I¡¯ve heard so much about you, and today I finally have the honor to meet you."


    "Mr. Han, you are too kind." Nanrong Wanqing returned a polite smile.


    "Chairwoman, Mr. Han, let¡¯s go inside and talk," Ling Chen took over Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s wheelchair and pushed her into the office.


    After both parties were seated, Tang Yuan stood behind Han Bing, while Ling Chen stood beside Nanrong Wanqing. Han Bing nced at Ling Chen, then turned his gaze to Nanrong Wanqing and smiled, "Miss Nanrong, Ling Chen has conveyed your intentions for cooperation. If those data are urate, our military is one hundred percent interested in partnering with Hongyu Group. My visit today is to reach consensus with you on this matter, whatever your requirements may be, I will try my best to amodate."


    Nanrong Wanqing smiled slightly, "Mr. Han, Hongyu Group has been established for many years and is involved in a wide range of areas, but we have never cooperated with the military before. I¡¯m a novice in this respect, so I¡¯d prefer to hear your proposals before considering."


    Han Bing was momentarily stunned, then suddenly smiled, admiration undisguisable in his eyes.


    "Miss Nanrong indeed lives up to her reputation."


    Hearing their conversation, Ling Chen looked at Nanrong Wanqing with newfound respect. He had never before witnessed Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s capabilities in handling matters, but today¡¯s encounter revealed just how astute she was, truly deserving of being Hongyu Group¡¯s chairwoman.


    Nanrong Wanqing asking Han Bing to state his conditions first was, in fact, an attempt to probe the limits of the other party, to maximize her own interests based on these conditions. Only then could she take the initiative.


    Han Bing looked at the teacup ced in front of him, feigning contemtion, and after a good while, finally spoke, "Miss Nanrong, would you be interested in venturing into the military industry?"


    "Military industry?"


    Nanrong Wanqing was slightly startled, finding it somewhat incredible. In her view, no matter what conditions the other party presented, there would naturally be some bargaining involved. However, Han Bingid a significant offer right out of the gate, which took her by surprise.


    Military industry enterprises must be authorized by the state, and furthermore, most military industry enterprises are state-owned assets, with only a few being privately run. As long as it¡¯s connected with ¡¯military industry,¡¯ it¡¯s virtually a guaranteed profit, with huge returns.


    The condition offered by Han Bing was doubtlessly like handing the Nanrong Family a treasure bowl, certainly able to boost the wealth of Hongyu Group to the next level.


    Ling Chen nodded to himself; he was not surprised by Han Bing¡¯s generous offer, as the military¡¯s gain was greaterpared to the benefits for the Nanrong Family. Once the partnership was established, Huaxia¡¯s military strength would undoubtedly reach the pinnacle of the world within the next two to three years. From the national perspective, this was simply notparable to money.


    Seeing that Nanrong Wanqing had not responded for a while, Han Bing smiled and asked, "Miss Nanrong, are you satisfied with this condition?"


    "Since the military is so generous, I naturally have nothing to say," Nanrong Wanqing nodded lightly, the oue already exceeding her expectations. This condition showed that the military highly valued her research results, and if she seized the moment to make other demands, the military would likely not refuse. However, she was not greedy and knew when to stop while ahead.


    "Very well," Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s discretion also made Han Bing very satisfied, "Once this military industry enterprise is established, the military will act as the primary shareholder, with Hongyu Group as the secondary shareholder, holding forty-nine percent of the shares. Hongyu Group just needs to share technology, and the military will handle the rest. How does that sound?"


    "No problem."


    Such an opportunity to earn money without effort, Nanrong Wanqing certainly would not refuse. Besides, she did not have the energy to manage another military industry enterprise.


    Han Bing¡¯s face was filled with joy, "Miss Nanrong, you are straightforward, I hope for a pleasant cooperation in the future."


    "Pleasant cooperation."

 Chapter 140 Imperial Majesty

    <h4>Chapter 140: Chapter 140 Imperial Majesty</h4><h4></h4>


    "Miss Nanrong, when can I see the final product?"


    The coboration had been agreed upon, and Han Bing could hardly wait to see the exoskeleton armor with his own eyes. As the saying goes, seeing is believing. Prior data was abstract, only a firsthand look would suffice.


    "Mr. Han, rest assured, I have arranged everything. This afternoon, Ling Chen and my staff will apany you to the researchb."


    "Good, we will get in touch then."


    Having seen Han Bing out, Ling Chen returned to his office and, seeing Nanrong Wanqing sitting by the window, grinned and said, "Congrattions."


    Nanrong Wanqing replied indifferently, "There¡¯s nothing to congratte. Money is just a number to me, no matter the amount. Besides, my coboration with the military is not for financial gain, but for safety." She pointed to an envelope on the office desk, "That is for you."


    "What¡¯s this?" Ling Chen curiously opened the envelope and found a paycheck inside, the bold figures making his eyes blur.


    "Is this... fifty thousand?"


    Nanrong Wanqing gently smiled and said, "Didn¡¯t you tell mest time that, if we made it back alive, I should give you a raise? I¡¯ve fulfilled my promise."


    "Alright, thank you." Ling Chen beamed with joy; this was money earned by risking his life, and he unabashedly epted it, already calcting where to splurge tonight.


    However, just as the thought crossed his mind, he suddenly remembered he had ns for the evening. He had promised Jiang Hao and others to check out the Green Tiger Gang, to settle some matters; he couldn¡¯t back out now.


    "Ling Chen."


    Hearing Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s voice, Ling Chen snapped back to attention and asked, "What¡¯s up?"


    "I..." Nanrong Wanqing hesitated, looking as if she had more to say, then added, "Never mind, let¡¯s talk about itter."


    At noon.


    Ling Chen and Tang Yuan treated Han Bing well in a hotel. After lunch, the three drove to the researchb.


    Upon arrival, Qin Lan, who had been notified earlier, was already waiting outside.


    Entering theb, everything was ready for testing.


    "Tang Yuan, you go try it out."


    Prompted by Han Bing, Tang Yuan immediately stepped forward and, with the help of several researchers, donned the exoskeleton armor. Since this was a test, multiple aspects had to be considered¡ªnot only its performance but also its concealment.


    After Tang Yuan put on his outerwear, Ling Chen evaluated him and couldn¡¯t help nodding his head. The concealed nature of the exoskeleton armor was indeed strong¡ªit was not noticeable under the clothes and was very hard to detect by others.


    Before long, Tang Yuan walked up to a steel te that had been prepared earlier, clenched his fist, and swung it fiercely.


    ng!


    Apanied by a sharp nk, the steel te, a centimeter thick, immediately dented, leaving a fist imprint.


    Seeing such a performance, Ling Chen and Han Bing were both taken aback. Although they had read the test data, seeing it with their own eyes was something else entirely.


    This punch, if it were tond on someone, would either kill or severely injure them; it is simply a weapon of enemy destruction.


    Having witnessed the power of this exoskeleton armor, Han Bing¡¯s face was filled with excitement, and he hurriedly urged Tang Yuan to test the other functions.


    Jumping, running, weight-bearing, strength, and the sustainability of electrical energy, it took over four hours before Han Bing was satisfied enough to stop the testing.


    "Old virgin, shall we have a practice round?" Tang Yuan, d in the exoskeleton armor, chuckled wickedly with ill intentions.


    "Get lost, I¡¯m not looking for abuse," Ling Chen scoffed, outright ignoring his request. Having seen the test results just now, even he, once the strongest ghost operative, felt a palpitation.


    The capabilities of this exoskeleton armor far exceeded his imagination. Although he never doubted his own abilities, in the face of high technology, he had to admit that technology would eventually rece human capability.


    "Miss Qin, please pack up this set of exoskeleton armor, and while you¡¯re at it, notify the research personnel to prepare; in a few days, I¡¯ll send someone to take you all to Beijing, and you¡¯ll be relocating there to continue your work," Han Bing said.


    Ling Chen cautioned, "Mr. Han, you need to carefully arrange this matter."


    "What¡¯s wrong?"


    Ling Chen nced at Qin Lan and said straightforwardly, "To be frank, we suspect that someone inside the researchb has been secretlymunicating with outsiders, leaking the research results. It¡¯s because of this that we¡¯ve attracted unwanted attention. Only Miss Qin and those researchers know the secrets of thisb, so we suspect that the traitor is likely one of them."


    "I see," Han Bing nodded, pondered for a moment, and then said, "Miss Qin, please prepare a copy of the researchers¡¯ details for me. I¡¯ll use military resources to investigate thoroughly and eliminate suspects one by one. Also, I¡¯ll arrange the transfer in two batches; the research personnel will go first, and once they safely arrive, then we¡¯ll transport the exoskeleton armor to Beijing. Tang Yuan, I have to rush back to Beijing tonight, so you¡¯ll be in charge of transporting the armor."


    "Yes, mission guaranteed."


    Leaving the researchb, it was already evening.


    Ling Chen and Tang Yuan escorted Han Bing to the airport and then returned to the Nanrong residence.


    After reporting back to Nanrong Wanqing, Ling Chen found an excuse to slip out. By then, Nanrong Hao was already waiting by the car at the entrance.


    Half an hourter, the two drove to a spacious street in Songhua District.


    Getting out of the car, Jiang Hao and Zhao Zhengxiong, who were smoking by the roadside, immediately discarded their cigarettes and briskly walked over.


    "Chen."


    Ling Chen nodded his head and, looking at the brightly lit district, asked, "Have you found Qi Jianhui?"


    "There!" Jiang Hao pointed at a nightclub called ¡¯Imperial Majesty¡¯ across the street. "My guys found out that hees here every night for pleasure."


    "He sure knows how to enjoy himself, let¡¯s go meet him."


    Being the temperaments of Jiang Hao and his crew, they would have loved to just beat Qi Jianhui up, but Ling Chen always prided himself on being a civilized person. He believed in diplomacy before force, reasoning before fist fighting, always giving others a chance.


    Imperial Majesty was also somewhat famous in East Sea City as an entertainment spot,vishly decorated, where even the waitstaff were stunningly beautiful. Jiang Hao mentioned that the minimum expenditure here was 8,888 per night, which only included booth seating and a limited selection of drinks. Any additional, higher-end services would cost extra.


    With East Sea City being an international metropolis, it nevercked wealthy people.


    Inside, the first thing they saw was arge hall with a circr stage at the center, where about a dozen scantily d women danced wildly to explosive music, posing enticingly, mboyantly seductive, teasing the primal thoughts of men.

 Chapter 141 Wei Dong

    <h4>Chapter 141: Chapter 141 Wei Dong</h4><h4></h4>


    The stage was surrounded by many stand-alone circr sofas and tables; it was just past eight o¡¯clock, and the hall was already packed with people, mostly men, a majority in their thirties.


    Under the dim lights, many men were holding embracing elegantly dressed women, their hands moving freely over them, without any regard for those around. These women seemed to be ustomed to this, half-resisting and half-epting, letting the men take liberties with their bodies.


    These women were all nightclub staff brought in to apany the drinks. Naturally, if one is willing to spend money, anything else could be arranged.


    "Jiang Hao, where¡¯s the person?"


    "I¡¯ll go ask." Jiang Hao casually grabbed a passing waitress, asked a few questions, then turned and said, "Chen, Qi Jianhui is in private room 1038."


    The nightclub¡¯s private rooms on the second floor were resplendent and luxurious, and Ling Chen couldn¡¯t think of any other word but ¡¯extravagant¡¯ to describe them.


    "1038... Chen, it¡¯s there."


    Nanrong Hao quickly spotted the private room where Qi Jianhui was.


    Arriving at the room, Ling Chen pushed open the door and stepped in. Smelling the pungent tobo scent in the room, he frowned slightly, then cast his gaze towards the sofa against the wall.


    There, Qi Jianhui sat in the middle, with a scantily d beauty on each side, hugging his arms, bring a ss of wine to his lips.


    At the ends of the sofa were seated four or five young men, all looking like small-time punks, probably Qi Jianhui¡¯s underlings.


    At this moment, Qi Jianhui seemed to have drunk quite a bit, his cheeks flushed with a drunken hue, and he was brazenly flirting with the beauties beside him,pletely oblivious to the arrival of Ling Chen and his party.


    However, his followers were quick to react. Seeing neers barging in, they immediately turned off the music in the room, rose to their feet, and blocked the doorway.


    "Who are you guys?"


    "My name is Jiang Hao, you¡¯ve probably heard of me. I¡¯m here tonight to have a good talk with your boss."


    "Jiang Hao?" A young man with a head of red hair sneered, "The little ruffian from Old City? Pah, Mr. Jiang, what¡¯s your statuspared to our boss? You think you can just see him whenever you want? Get lost quickly, don¡¯t disturb our boss¡¯s good time."


    "You..." Anger reddened Jiang Hao¡¯s face, and he stepped forward, ready to explode, but Ling Chen ced a hand on his shoulder, signaling him to stay calm.


    "So you¡¯re Boss Qi, I wonder if you still remember me." Ling Chen gave Qi Jianhui a smiling look.


    Only then did Qi Jianhui raise his head, ncing at Ling Chen out of the corner of his eye. After a brief moment of shock, he pushed the two beauties at his side away, stood up abruptly, and said coldly, "Kid, what are you doing here? I¡¯m telling you, it¡¯s none of my business that Leng Feifei is missing, looking for me is useless."


    "Leng Feifei is missing?"


    Ling Chen was taken aback, he had no idea about this.


    "Qi Jianhui, we¡¯re not here today because of some Leng Feifei. You smashed mypany, you ought to give me an exnation," said Jiang Hao, stepping forward.


    "Jiang Hao, that was just a small lesson and a warning. If you want to run apany on my turf, it can be done ¨C just pay twenty thousand a month for protection. As long as you pay in full, I guarantee no one will bother you."


    "Bullshit, even if you¡¯re collecting protection money, there¡¯s no way to collect like that, at most taking five percent as protection fee, don¡¯t I need to make money?"


    "That¡¯s your business, nothing to do with me." Qi Jianhui sat back on the sofa, pulling a beauty into his arms, while the other readily held up a ss of wine for him.


    Zhao Zhengxiong frowned and said, "Boss Qi, everyone should leave a margin for error, so we can meet on good terms in the future. We just want to make an honest living and never thought about encroaching on your territory. Don¡¯t push us too far."


    "Zhao Zhengxiong, no offense, but you, a supposed big brother, stooping to team up with these low-life thugs. Aren¡¯t you afraid of being theughing stock of the underworld?"


    "That¡¯s my business, not yours to worry about. Just tell me, what do you want?"


    Qi Jianhui thought for a moment, then grinned and said: "How about this? No matter what kind ofpany you want to set up on my turf, I want a fifty percent share. If you agree to this, I guarantee I won¡¯t bother you. Otherwise, you¡¯d better get off my turf as soon as possible."


    "Not a chance!" Jiang Hao replied coldly, "Qi Jianhui, don¡¯t think for a moment that I¡¯m afraid of you. You have your guys, I have mine. If you want to fight, I¡¯ll apany you to the end. Let¡¯s see who bites the dust first."


    "Just you, a mere punk?" Qi Jianhui sneered disdainfully, "You and your few friends are not worthy topete with me. To put it bluntly, just one phone call from me and you won¡¯t have good days ahead. If you know what¡¯s good for you, disappear from my sight now. However, he stays."


    He pointed at Ling Chen, sneering: "Kid,st time you messed up my ns, and I¡¯ve been looking everywhere for you. How convenient that you¡¯ve shown up on my doorstep. Brothers, see this guy? Beat him to death; if he dies, it¡¯s on me."


    As soon as his words fell, a group of youngsters, led by Red Hair, immediately charged at Ling Chen with their fists.


    However, before they could even get close, Nanrong Hao took the initiative to attack, knocking Red Hair to the ground with a kick. In just a few moments, the young ruffians were easily taken down.


    "With your little skills, you dare to trouble Brother Chen." Nanrong Hao dusted off his hands and turned back to stand behind Ling Chen.


    With Ling Chen¡¯s recent training, Nanrong Hao¡¯s fighting skills had improved significantly, making short work of a few street thugs.


    "Well, look at that, you dare to touch my guys; you really must be tired of living." Qi Jianhui¡¯s fleshy face instantly turned cold, and he reached into his pocket to pull out a mobile phone, ready to make a call.


    At that moment, the door to the private room was opened, and four or five policemen entered in single file.


    "Police, sorry to disturb you all, just a routine check, please show your IDs."


    "Oh, isn¡¯t this Mr. Qi?"


    Suddenly, a male police officer walked through the door and immediately smiled upon seeing Qi Jianhui.


    "Is it him?"


    Upon seeing the officer, Ling Chen and Jiang Hao instantly recognized him. If they remembered correctly, this cop was named Wei Dong, who had led the teamst time and arrested Jiang Hao for no good reason. Fortunately, Ling Chen had been there, or Jiang Hao would have been in a terrible situation.


    "Officer Wei, long time no see."


    Qi Jianhui greeted with a smile. Speaking, he looked at Ling Chen and the others with ill-intent and then waved at Wei Dong.


    Thetter got the hint, walked over, and exchanged a few whispers. After which, Wei Dong nodded his head with a smirk, looking at Ling Chen and Jiang Hao.


    "Take these people back with me."


    Jiang Hao, struggling to restrain his anger, said, "We haven¡¯t broken anyws. What right do you have to arrest us?"


    Wei Dong gently swung his finger, his smile cold, "I remember you; your name is Jiang Hao, right? Remember this¡ªI call the shots here. You have no right to object. Bettere with me quietly and stop inviting trouble for yourself."


    "What if I don¡¯t go?" Ling Chen narrowed his eyes slightly, the corners of his mouth lifting in a hint of amusement.

 Chapter 142 Leng Feifei Goes Missing

    <h4>Chapter 142: Chapter 142 Leng Feifei Goes Missing</h4><h4></h4>


    "You¡¯re not leaving?" Wei Dong looked at Ling Chen with a sneer that was not quite a smile, "Last time at the police station, it was you who injured my brothers. Don¡¯t think that just because Xia Mutong has got your back, you can act recklessly in front of me. Let me tell you, I¡¯m in charge of this district, and Xia Mutong has no authority to meddle."


    Ling Chen said indifferently, "If you want to take us away, there needs to be a charge. We are allw-abiding citizens, we have neither broken thew nor vited any discipline, on what basis are you arresting us?"


    "You want a charge?" Wei Dong sneered, pointing at Jiang Hao and Zhao Zhengxiong, "Both of these gentlemen are big shots from the Old City, with hundreds of underlings. I now suspect that you are stirring up trouble and intend to take you back for investigation. How about that, are you satisfied with this charge?"


    Ling Chen cracked a smile, "Of course I¡¯m satisfied, but it seems you¡¯ve overlooked someone." Saying this, he put his arm around Nanrong Hao¡¯s shoulder, tilting his chin up, "Do you know who he is?"


    "Do I need to know?" Wei Dong sped his hands behind his back, his gaze looking elsewhere, an expression of disdain on his face.


    "Of course you do, I¡¯m doing you a favor, to save you from being scolded by your chief. Remember this, hisst name is Nanrong."


    "Nanrong?" Wei Dong¡¯splexion changed dramatically, his gaze suddenly shifting to Nanrong Hao with a somewhat unnatural expression, "Which... which Nanrong?"


    "Isn¡¯t that a stupid question? Is there a second Nanrong family in East Sea City? Haozi, this guy is using us of causing trouble, should we use him of defamation?"


    Nanrong Hao instantly understood, pulling out his phone from his pocket and dialing a number, "Hello, Lawyer Li, it¡¯s me, I¡¯m at the Imperial Majesty Nightclub, can youe over?"


    "No! Please, no!" Hearing Nanrong Hao¡¯s conversation, Wei Dong immediately panicked, no longer daring to put on airs, and quickly said with a smile, "Mr. Nanrong, it¡¯s a misunderstanding, just a misunderstanding, please don¡¯t take it to heart."


    Nanrong Hao said sternly, "Since it¡¯s a misunderstanding, what are you still standing there for, do you want me to invite you for a drink?"


    "I¡¯ll leave right away, right away... I won¡¯t disturb Mr. Nanrong any longer." As he spoke, Wei Dong red fiercely at Qi Jianhui. If it hadn¡¯t been for this guy, he would have almost offended someone he shouldn¡¯t have.


    Everyone knows the status of the Nanrong family in East Sea City, even their police chief had to show some respect to the Nanrong family. Especially now, with Hongyu Group investing with the government to rebuild the Old City, the higher-ups are paying great attention to it and value the Nanrong family even more. If he offended the Nanrong family, he would be digging his own grave.


    Seeing Wei Dong beat a hasty retreat, Qi Jianhui couldn¡¯t help but wipe the cold sweat from his forehead.


    He never expected that among these people, there would be a member of the Nanrong family.


    "Qi Jianhui, shouldn¡¯t we sit down and have a proper chat now?" Jiang Hao spoke up.


    "So it turns out that Mr. Nanrong graced us with his presence, I was blind earlier and did not recognize Mount Tai, please don¡¯t take it to heart, Mr. Nanrong. Please, have a seat, let¡¯s talk things over slowly."


    After learning about Nanrong Hao¡¯s identity, Qi Jianhui¡¯s demeanor did an immediate one-eighty, diligently pouring wine for Nanrong Hao.


    "Cut the crap, in a word, thosepanies all have my share, are you still nning to collect protection money?"


    "Mr. Nanrong is joking, how could I dare to take your money? Rest assured, I guarantee no one will trouble you again."


    "Good, I hope you remember your words. Chen, let¡¯s go."


    "Hold on, now that you¡¯ve finished your business, I¡¯ve still got something to discuss with him." Ling Chen looked at Qi Jianhui, "When you first came in, you mentioned Leng Feifei is missing, exin it to me clearly."


    Qi Jianhui hastily exined, "I heard Leng Feifei was missing, so when I saw you appear, I thought you were here to demand Leng Feifei from me."


    "She¡¯s missing, and you say it has nothing to do with you?" Ling Chen said, his face filled with disbelief.


    "No, absolutely not. Mr. Ling, please believe me, I would never do something like kidnapping. Besides,st night Zheng Guozhong and his son came to me, promising to sort things out with Leng Feifei for me, there¡¯s no need for me to take any extra actions."


    "Them?" Ling Chen¡¯s brows furrowed slightly. He had met Zheng Guozhong and his son at the mallst time¡ªthey were no good people, it wouldn¡¯t be an exaggeration to call them beasts, even targeting their own adopted daughter.


    With that thought, he stood up and said, "It¡¯s best if this matter has nothing to do with you. If I find out that it was you, I will not let you off. Haozi, let¡¯s go."


    "Mr. Nanrong, please take care."


    Qi Jianhui followed behind and saw the group out of the Imperial Majesty Nightclub.


    "Jiang Hao, Xiong, you guys head back first. Haozi, get in the car."


    Sitting in the driver¡¯s seat, Nanrong Hao asked, "Chen, are we going back now or..."


    "Isn¡¯t that Leng Feifei a ssmate of yours? Do you know where her family lives?"


    "I have no clue, she¡¯s always resided at school. Moreover, we¡¯re not that close, probably only her roommate would know. Chen, since when did you be so close to Leng Feifei?"


    "Ask less. Stop talking so much." Ling Chen thought for a while, then suddenly had an idea, "Haozi, didn¡¯t you tell me once that you dated one of Leng Feifei¡¯s close friends? Call her and ask, she should know where Leng Feifei¡¯s family lives."


    "This... isn¡¯t this a bit inappropriate?" Nanrong Hao hesitated.


    Ling Chen urged impatiently, "Stop the nonsense, do it now, this is a matter of life and death, I don¡¯t have time to joke with you."


    If Leng Feifei was really taken by Zheng Guozhong and his son, heaven knows what would happen. Leng Feifei had told him before that Zheng Guozhong had once spiked juice with drugs in an attempt to knock her out and then use her body to please Qi Jianguo.


    The fact that they could do such beastly acts meant that Zheng Guozhong and son had already lost the moral bottom line of being human, this he could not dismiss with indifference.


    With Ling Chen urging, Nanrong Hao reluctantly took out his phone. Probably fearing that Ling Chen would overhear their conversation, he even got out of the car.


    Taking this opportunity, Ling Chen dialed Leng Feifei¡¯s number, and as expected, the system prompt indicated the call could not be connected.


    In less than two minutes, Nanrong Hao returned to the car, "Chen, I got the address. Also, she said that Leng Feifei was still with her at dinner today, butter Leng Feifei received a call saying she had something to do and left first. They were supposed to meet at 7:30 to go to evening study together, but Leng Feifei never showed up."


    "Why are you dawdling, drive!"


    After a journey of a little over twenty minutes, Nanrong Hao drove into a residentialpound.


    Thepound was somewhat old, consisting of five-story buildings with rather aged architecture.


    Zheng Guozhong was once a businessman with afortable home, but after losing money in business and ruing substantial debts, he had no choice but to sell his mansion to pay off the debts, then moved his family here.


    "Building four, third floor, number 307... Chen, this is the ce, no mistake." Nanrong Hao confirmed, looking at the building numbers outside.


    "Let¡¯s go, take a look."


    Ling Chen took the lead, swiftly ascending the stairs to the third floor. Arriving at Zheng Guozhong¡¯s doorstep, he didn¡¯t hesitate to forcefully knock on the door.

 Chapter 143 Beast (Part One)

    <h4>Chapter 143: Chapter 143 Beast (Part One)</h4><h4></h4>


    "Not leaving?" Wei Dong looked at Ling Chen with a smile that wasn¡¯t quite a smile, "Last time at the police station, it was you who injured my brothers. Don¡¯t think just because you have Xia Mutong backing you that you can act recklessly in front of me. I¡¯m telling you, I¡¯m in charge of this area, and even Xia Mutong has no authority to interfere."


    Ling Chen calmly said: "If you want to take us away, you must have a charge. We are allw-abiding citizens. We haven¡¯t broken thew or any rules. On what grounds are you arresting us?"


    "You want a charge?" Wei Dong sneered and, pointing at Jiang Hao and Zhao Zhengxiong, said: "These two are the big shots of the Old City, with hundreds of brothers under them. I¡¯m suspecting you of seeking trouble, and I¡¯m going to take you back for investigation. How about that, are you satisfied with this charge?"


    Ling Chen grinned: "Of course, I¡¯m satisfied, but you seem to be overlooking someone." Saying that, he put his arm around Nanrong Hao¡¯s shoulder and lifted his chin: "Do you know who he is?"


    "Do I need to know?" Wei Dong put his hands behind his back, his gaze directed elsewhere, his face full of disdain.


    "Of course, it¡¯s for your own good, to avoid getting scolded by your chief. Remember this, his surname is Nanrong."


    "Nanrong?" Wei Dong¡¯splexion changed dramatically, and he suddenly turned to look at Nanrong Hao with an unnatural look: "Which... which Nanrong?"


    "Aren¡¯t you talking nonsense? Is there a second Nanrong family in East Sea City? Haozi, this guy wants to use us of creating trouble. Should we sue him for defamation?"


    Nanrong Hao immediately got it, took out his phone from his pocket, and dialed a number, "Hello, Lawyer Li, it¡¯s me. I¡¯m at Imperial Majesty Nightclub, pleasee here."


    "Don¡¯t! Don¡¯t!" Upon hearing Nanrong Hao¡¯s conversation, Wei Dong immediately became anxious, no longer daring to put on airs, and hurriedly pleaded with a smile: "Mr. Nanrong, it¡¯s a misunderstanding, just a misunderstanding. I beg you not to take it to heart."


    Nanrong Hao said with a stern face: "Since it¡¯s a misunderstanding, what are you still standing there for? Do you want me to invite you for a drink?"


    "I¡¯ll leave immediately, immediately... won¡¯t bother Mr. Nanrong anymore." As soon as he finished speaking, Wei Dong red fiercely at Qi Jianhui. If it weren¡¯t for this guy, he almost offended someone he shouldn¡¯t have.


    Everyone knows the status of the Nanrong family in East Sea City; even their chief has to give some face to the Nanrong family. Especially now, with Hongyu Group investing in coboration with the government to rebuild the Old City, senior officials are paying a lot of attention to the Nanrong family. If he offended the Nanrong family, that would be a death wish.


    Seeing Wei Dong slinking away, Qi Jianhui involuntarily wiped the cold sweat from his forehead.


    He never expected that one of these people would be from the Nanrong family.


    "Qi Jianhui, isn¡¯t it time we sit down and have a proper chat now?" Jiang Hao spoke.


    "So it was Mr. Nanrong gracing us with his presence. I was blind and did not see Mount Tai earlier. I hope Mr. Nanrong doesn¡¯t take offense. Please, have a seat, and let¡¯s talk things over slowly."


    Knowing Nanrong Hao¡¯s identity, Qi Jianhui¡¯s attitude shifted aplete 180 degrees, eagerly pouring wine for Nanrong Hao.


    "Cut the crap, in a word, thosepanies all have my share in them. Are you still nning to collect protection fees?"


    "Mr. Nanrong, you jest, how could I dare to take your money? Rest assured, I guarantee no one will trouble you again."


    "Good, I hope you remember that. Chen, let¡¯s go."


    "Hold on, you¡¯ve finished your business, but I still have something to discuss with him." Ling Chen looked at Qi Jianhui, "When you entered earlier, you mentioned that Leng Feifei was missing. rify that for me."


    Qi Jianhui quickly exined: "I heard that Leng Feifei had gone missing, so when I saw youe in, I thought you were here to demand Leng Feifei from me."


    "She¡¯s missing, and you¡¯re saying it has nothing to do with you?" Ling Chen didn¡¯t believe it.


    "No, absolutely nothing. Mr. Ling, please trust me, I would never engage in something like kidnapping. Besides,st night Zheng Guozhong and his son came to find me. They promised me that they would take care of Leng Feifei, so why would I do anything unnecessary?"


    "Them?" Ling Chen frowned slightly. He had met Zheng Guozhong and his son at the mallst time; none of them were good people, calling them beasts would not be an overstatement, and they dared toy hands on his adopted daughter.


    Thinking this, he stood up: "It¡¯s best if this has nothing to do with you. If I find out it¡¯s your doing, I won¡¯t let you off. Haozi, let¡¯s go!"


    "Mr. Nanrong, please take care."


    Qi Jianhui followed and saw off the group from the Imperial Majesty Nightclub.


    "Jiang Hao, Xiong, you go back first. Haozi, get in the car."


    Sitting in the driver¡¯s seat, Nanrong Hao asked: "Chen, do we go back now, or..."


    "Isn¡¯t that Leng Feifei your ssmate? Do you know where she lives?"


    "I¡¯m not sure, she¡¯s always lived at school, and I¡¯m not that close to her. Probably only her roommate would know. Chen, when did you be so close with Leng Feifei?"


    "Quit asking so many questions." Ling Chen pondered for a moment and suddenly thought of something, "Haozi, didn¡¯t you tell me you dated Leng Feifei¡¯s best friend for a while? Call her and ask; she should know where Leng Feifei¡¯s family lives."


    "This... Is that appropriate?" Nanrong Hao hesitated.


    Ling Chen urged impatiently: "Stop dawdling, this is a matter of life and death, I have no time for jokes."


    If Leng Feifei were really caught by Zheng Guozhong and his son, God knows what could happen. Leng Feifei had told him that Zheng Guozhong once tried to drug her juice, hoping to knock her out and use her body to curry favor with Qi Jianguo.

 Chapter 144 - 143 Beast (Part One)_2

    <h4>Chapter 144: Chapter 143 Beast (Part One)_2</h4><h4></h4>


    This kind of bestial act shows that Zheng Guozhong and his son have lost all moral decency, which can¡¯t help but worry him.


    Under Ling Chen¡¯s urging, Nanrong Hao reluctantly took out his cellphone. Probably fearing that Ling Chen would overhear their conversation, he made sure to leave the car.


    Taking advantage of the moment, Ling Chen dialed Leng Feifei¡¯s number, and as expected, received a system notification that the call could not be connected.


    In less than two minutes, Nanrong Hao returned to the car, "Chen, got the address. Also, she said Leng Feifei was still with her at dinner today. Later, Leng Feifei received a call, said she had something to take care of and left earlier. They had agreed to meet at 7:30 for evening self-study, but Leng Feifei never showed up."


    "What are you waiting for then, start driving immediately."


    After a journey of over twenty minutes, Nanrong Hao drove into a residentialplex.


    Theplex was quite old,prising five-story buildings that were rather rundown.


    Zheng Guozhong used to be a businessman with a well-off family. However, after his business failed and debts umted, he had to sell his mansion to pay off the debts and then moved here with his family.


    "Building four, third floor, 307...Chen, it¡¯s this one, no doubt about it." Nanrong Hao checked the numbers on the outside of the building.


    "Let¡¯s go, let¡¯s go up and see."


    Ling Chen, taking the lead, swiftly ascended the stairs to the third floor. Arriving at Zheng Guozhong¡¯s door, he didn¡¯t hesitate and started banging forcefully on the door. "Not leaving?" Wei Dong looked at Ling Chen with a smile that was not quite a smile, "Last time at the police station, it was you who injured my brothers. Don¡¯t think that just because Xia Mutong supports you, you can act recklessly in front of me. I¡¯m telling you, I¡¯m in charge of this area, and even Xia Mutong has no right to interfere."


    Ling Chen calmly replied, "If you want to take us away, you need a legitimate reason. We are allw-abiding citizens, we haven¡¯t broken thew or vited any disciplines, what right do you have to arrest us?"


    "You want a charge?" Wei Dong sneered, pointing at Jiang Hao and Zhao Zhengxiong,"These two are big shots from Old City, each having hundreds of brothers under them. I now suspect that you are causing trouble, we need to take you in for investigation. How about that, are you satisfied with this charge?"


    Ling Chen grinned, "Of course, I am satisfied, but, it seems you¡¯ve overlooked someone." Saying so, he put an arm around Nanrong Hao¡¯s shoulder and jerked his chin up, "Do you know who he is?"


    "Do I need to know?" Wei Dong crossed his arms behind his back, looking away with disdain.


    "Of course, it¡¯s for your own good, to save you from getting scolded by your chief. Remember this, his surname is Nanrong."


    "Nanrong?" Wei Dong¡¯s expression suddenly changed, and he looked sharply at Nanrong Hao, his eyes shing unnaturally, "Which... which Nanrong?"


    "Are you kidding? Is there another Nanrong family in East Sea City? Haozi, this man here wants to use us of causing trouble, should we sue him for defamation?"


    Nanrong Hao immediately caught on, pulling out his cellphone from his pocket and dialed a number, "Hello, Lawyer Li, it¡¯s me. I¡¯m at the Imperial Majesty Nightclub. Can youe over?"


    "No! No!" Hearing Nanrong Hao¡¯s conversation, Wei Dong immediately panicked, losing all airs and quickly made a cating grin, "Mr. Nanrong, it¡¯s a misunderstanding, just a misunderstanding. Please, don¡¯t take it to heart."


    Nanrong Hao sternly said, "Since it¡¯s a misunderstanding, what are you still standing there for? Are you expecting me to invite you for a drink?"


    "I¡¯ll leave right away, right away... No more disturbance, Mr. Nanrong." With that, Wei Dong red fiercely at Qi Jianhui. If it had not been for this guy, he would have almost offended someone he shouldn¡¯t have.


    Who didn¡¯t know the standing of Nanrong Family in East Sea City? Even their chief had to give face to the Nanrong Family. Especially now, as Hongyu Group is investing with the government to rebuild Old City, the upper echelons pay great attention to the Nanrong family. If he had stirred trouble with the Nanrong family, it would¡¯ve been a death wish.


    Watching Wei Dong flee in disgrace, Qi Jianhui involuntarily wiped the cold sweat from his forehead.


    He never expected that among these people, one was a member of the Nanrong family.


    "Qi Jianhui, shouldn¡¯t we sit down and have a good talk now?" Jiang Hao spoke up.


    "So it turns out it¡¯s Mr. Nanrong gracing us with his presence. Earlier, I was blind to Mount Tai. Mr. Nanrong, please don¡¯t take it to heart. Please, have a seat, let¡¯s discuss this slowly."


    After learning Nanrong Hao¡¯s identity, Qi Jianhui¡¯s attitude changed drastically by 180 degrees, eagerly pouring wine for Nanrong Hao.


    "Cut the crap, I have shares in thosepanies. Are you still nning to collect protection money?"


    "Mr. Nanrong is joking, how dare I take your money? Rest assured, I guarantee no one will cause you trouble anymore."


    "Good, I hope you remember what you said. Chen, let¡¯s go."


    "Wait a moment, you have finished your business, but I still have things to discuss with him." Ling Chen looked at Qi Jianhui, "Earlier when you came in, you mentioned that Leng Feifei disappeared, exin this to me clearly."


    Qi Jianhui hurriedly exined, "I heard that Leng Feifei had disappeared, so when I saw you show up, I thought you were here to ask for her."


    "She¡¯s missing, and you have nothing to do with that?" Ling Chen looked incredulous.


    "No, absolutely not. Mr. Ling, please believe me, I would never do something like kidnapping people. Besides,st night, Zheng Guozhong and his son came to see me, promising they would handle Leng Feifei for me, why would I need to do anything myself."


    "It was them?" Ling Chen frowned slightly. Last time at the shopping mall, he had met Zheng Guozhong and his son, both unsavory characters,beling them as brutes was not an overstatement¡ªthey had even targeted his foster daughter.

 Chapter 145 - 143 Beast (Part One)_3

    <h4>Chapter 145: Chapter 143 Beast (Part One)_3</h4><h4></h4>


    Thinking of this, he stood up and said, "It¡¯d better not be you who did this. If I find out it was you, I won¡¯t let you off. Haozi, let¡¯s go!"


    "Mr. Nanrong, take care."


    Qi Jianhui followed behind and saw the group out of the Imperial Majesty Nightclub.


    "Jiang Hao, Xiong, you go back first. Haozi, get in the car."


    Sitting in the driver¡¯s seat, Nanrong Hao asked, "Chen, shall we go back now or..."


    "Isn¡¯t Leng Feifei your ssmate? Do you know where she lives?"


    "I¡¯m not sure, she¡¯s always lived at school, and besides, I¡¯m not that close to her. Probably only her roommate would know. Chen, since when did you start caring so much about Leng Feifei?"


    "Stop asking so many questions." Ling Chen pondered for a moment, then suddenly thought of something, "Haozi, didn¡¯t you tell me you dated Leng Feifei¡¯s best friend for a while? Call her and ask; she should know where Leng Feifei¡¯s house is."


    "This... Is that really okay?" Nanrong Hao hesitated.


    Ling Chen urged impatiently, "Quit the nonsense, hurry up. This is a matter of life and death, I don¡¯t have time to joke around."


    If Leng Feifei really was captured by Zheng Guozhong and his son, who knows what could happen. Leng Feifei had told him that Zheng Guozhong once secretly drugged her juice, trying to make her pass out so he could use her body to please Qi Jianguo.


    Such atrocious acts showed that Zheng Guozhong and his son have lost all moral decency, which made him worry.


    Under Ling Chen¡¯s pressure, Nanrong Hao reluctantly took out his phone, presumably afraid Ling Chen would overhear, he even got out of the car.


    Taking this opportunity, Ling Chen called Leng Feifei¡¯s number, and as expected, the system reported that the call could not be connected.


    In less than two minutes, Nanrong Hao was back in the car, "Chen, I got the address. Also, she said she was still with Leng Feifei at dinner today. Then Leng Feifei received a call, said she had to leave for something. They had agreed to meet up at 7:30 for a night ss, but Leng Feifei never showed up."


    "What are you waiting for then, start driving."


    After a twenty-minute drive, Nanrong Hao drove into a residentialpound.


    This residentialpound was quite old, filled with five-story buildings that looked rather aged.


    Zheng Guozhong used to be a businessman, his family well-off, but after his business losses and facing debts, he had to sell his mansion to repay the debts, then moved here.


    "Building four, third floor, 307... Chen, this is it, no doubt." Nanrong Hao checked the building number outside.


    "Let¡¯s go, up and see."


    Ling Chen led the way, briskly climbing up to the third floor. Reaching Zheng Guozhong¡¯s house, he didn¡¯t say a word and started banging forcefully on the door.


    "Who is it?"


    An impatient voice came from inside, followed by a ¡¯creak¡¯, as the rusty iron door was opened from the inside.


    Seeing Zheng Guozhong who appeared, Ling Chen didn¡¯t waste any words. He pushed past him and burst into the house.


    "Feifei, Feifei?"


    He called out several times, but there was no response. Unwilling to give up, he checked in each room, but besides Zheng Guozhong, there was no one else.


    "Ling Chen, what are you doing?" Zheng Guozhong recognized Ling Chen, the same man who messed up his n in the shopping mallst time, his face filled with anger, "You¡¯re trespassing. Believe it or not, I¡¯ll call the police on you."


    Ling Chen¡¯s eyes darted, staring sharply at him, enunciating each word, "Cut the crap. Where¡¯s Feifei? Did you kidnap her?"


    "Ling Chen, don¡¯t falsely use people. I haven¡¯t seen her recently."


    Ling Chen stared into his eyes, "Yesterday, you and your son went to meet Qi Jianhui, promising him that you¡¯d definitely deliver Leng Feifei to him, and now she¡¯s gone missing from school this evening. Are you telling me this is a coincidence?"


    Zheng Guozhong sneered, "She¡¯s not a three-year-old child. It¡¯s normal for someone her age to note home at night. Ling Chen, you¡¯re wrongfully using people. She is my daughter, I..."


    "Shut up! You dare to call her your daughter, you scum don¡¯t deserve it." With these words, Ling Chen grabbed a cellphone from the table and threw it into Zheng Guozhong¡¯s hands, "Call your son Zheng Guangwu and tell him toe here right now."


    "Why should I listen to you?"


    "Well, in that case, I¡¯ll just call the police. Fortunately, one of my friends is a police officer. You won¡¯t listen to me, so I¡¯ll let her talk to you. But just so you know, kidnapping is a serious crime, punishable by at least ten years in prison."


    "Whatever, it wasn¡¯t me anyway."


    "If not you, then how do you know it wasn¡¯t your son?"


    Hearing this, Zheng Guozhong suddenly hesitated, knowing his son all too well. He could assure his own innocence, but he couldn¡¯t be sure about his son.


    Seeing Ling Chen pulling out his phone, preparing to make a call, Zheng Guozhong hastily interrupted, "Stop, I¡¯ll call Guangwu toe back."


    Momentster, the call was connected.


    "Hello, Guangwu, what are you doing?"


    "Dad, I¡¯m out drinking with the boys, something wrong?"


    "That Ling Chen came to our house, he said your sister disappeared from school, suspecting us of foul y, and now he¡¯s demanding we hand her over."


    "Is that so? Damn it, does that guy need a beating? How dare he trouble our family?"


    "Alright, don¡¯t talk about that now, juste back quickly."

 Chapter 146 - 143: Beasts (Part 1)_4

    <h4>Chapter 146: Chapter 143: Beasts (Part 1)_4</h4><h4></h4>


    "Alright, I¡¯ll call some brothers and rush back immediately."


    After hanging up the phone, Zheng Guangwu sneered coldly, tossing his cell phone onto the table. He looked up at Leng Feifei lying on the bed, dressed only in her underwear, and an uncontroble lust burst forth from his eyes.


    He walked to the bed and gently touched Leng Feifei¡¯s smooth cheek, which was met with her angry and resentful gaze.


    "Get your filthy hands off me," she gritted through her teeth.


    If she could, she would have loved to p him. s, her hands and feet were bound, rendering her incapable of movement.


    Zheng Guangwu seemed not to feel her rage, chuckling to himself, "My dear sister, I intended to take good care of you, but something came up unexpectedly. That guy named Ling Chen has gone to our house, and dad wants me to hurry back. You just wait. Once I¡¯ve dealt with that kid, I¡¯lle back to spend a delightful night with you."


    "Zheng Guangwu, you beast! I¡¯m your sister, how could you treat me like this? Be careful of retribution," Leng Feifei struggled as she pulled at the ropes binding her wrists.


    "You¡¯re only my sister in name, we¡¯re not blood-rted; it doesn¡¯t matter. To tell the truth, I¡¯ve wanted to do this for a long time. Who would¡¯ve thought that dad actually nned to give you to Qi Jianhui? If your pure and clean body were given to him, wouldn¡¯t it be like a fresh flower stuck on cow dung? Don¡¯t you agree, my dear sister? Rather than that, it¡¯s better to let me have you. After all, I¡¯ve taken care of you for over ten years, so it¡¯s only right for you to repay me."


    "You wish. I¡¯d rather die than let you seed."


    "Sister, there¡¯s no need to scare me. There¡¯s no one in this world who¡¯s not afraid of death. Besides, what era are we living in now? It¡¯s just a matter of giving me your first time; there¡¯s no need for suicidal drama. At worst, I¡¯ll pay for you to get it restored at the hospital," he said, ncing at the time, "I need to go back now, I¡¯lle back to keep youpanyter."


    Upon reaching the door, Zheng Guangwu, not feeling entirely at ease, returned to the bed and stuffed a piece of cloth into Leng Feifei¡¯s mouth.


    This small room was the temporary hideout he used with his brothers, often where they brought girls they snatched for overnight stays. The cabin was located in an abandoned factory, rarely tended to by anyone, and no one would hear even if she screamed her lungs out. But to be on the safe side, Zheng Guangwu still took extra precaution.


    Watching Zheng Guangwu leave, Leng Feifeiy numbly on the bed, tears streaming uncontrobly from her eyes, sliding down her cheeks, leaving shallow streaks.


    She could never have imagined that the man she had called brother for over a decade could do such a beastly thing.


    In fact, several years ago, she had already known of Zheng Guangwu¡¯s improper designs on her.


    Back when she was seventeen or eighteen, she discovered that a pinhole camera had been installed in her bathroom. There were only two men in the house, her father, and her brother; aside from them, she couldn¡¯t think of anyone else.


    Later, while Zheng Guangwu was out, she secretly entered his room and turned on hisputer. As expected, he had stored all the secretly filmed videos on hisputer, dozens of them, including a vast collection of photos.


    What was even more humiliating for her was that Zheng Guangwu had sold these videos and photos in a chat group.


    In that moment, she felt rage and resentment, and extreme thoughts shed through her mind.


    However, remembering the kindness the Zheng Family had shown her over the years, she eventually gave up the idea of calling the police. The Zheng Family had only one son, Zheng Guangwu, and she didn¡¯t want to ruin him or the Zheng Family because of herself.


    From then on, she intentionally distanced herself from Zheng Guangwu, worked hard to make money, hoping to move out one day.


    However, even after she moved out from the Zheng Family, she was still unable to escape their grasp. Thinking that her life would be ruined by Zheng Guangwu, her heart felt like it was bleeding, a pain beyondpare.


    "Ling Chen..."


    She thought to herself, recalling that Zheng Guangwu had mentioned Ling Chen had gone to the Zheng Family, most likely looking for her.


    At this moment, she could only pin all her hopes on Ling Chen.

 Chapter 147 - 144 Beasts (Part 2)

    <h4>Chapter 147: Chapter 144 Beasts (Part 2)</h4><h4></h4>


    After waiting for about half an hour at Zheng Family¡¯s ce, Zheng Guangwu finally returned, apanied by a group of ten or so brothers.


    As soon as he entered, Zheng Guangwu immediately fixed his gaze on Ling Chen and said domineeringly, "Ling, what are you doing in my house? Get out now, or don¡¯t me me for being rude."


    "What were you doing just now?" Ling Chenpletely ignored his threat and asked directly.


    "Damn, who the hell are you to me, why should I tell you? Get lost, don¡¯t let me see you again."


    Ling Chen said calmly, "I will only ask you one question, where is Leng Feifei? Tell me, and I will leave immediately."


    Zheng Guangwu spat disdainfully and said with a look of disgust, "I have no contact with that ungrateful woman. Asking me is pointless. If you want to find her, go to the police yourself. I¡¯m not obliged to help you."


    Ling Chen took a step forward, walked up close to him, and stared into his eyes. Feeling the sharpness in his eyes, Zheng Guangwu unconsciously stepped back, his gaze shifting away.


    "Alright, I believe you. I hope you have nothing to do with this matter. Haozi, let¡¯s go."


    Coming out of the apartment building, they sat back in the car, and Nanrong Hao was about to start the engine when Ling Chen stopped him.


    "Don¡¯t rush, we need to wait, the person we¡¯re waiting for has not arrived yet."


    "Waiting for who?" Nanrong Hao asked, puzzled.


    "Zheng Guangwu. Leng Feifei¡¯s disappearance should be rted to him."


    "Chen, how do you know?"


    Ling Chen said indifferently, "Just now, when Zheng Guozhong called Zheng Guangwu, I heard their conversation. Zheng Guangwu said he was out drinking with the brothers, but when I approached him, I smelled no alcohol on him, which is enough to prove he was lying. Of course, this only shows there¡¯s something suspicious about him; it doesn¡¯t guarantee he¡¯s connected to Leng Feifei¡¯s disappearance."


    After sitting in the car for over ten minutes, Zheng Guangwu and his group of brothers came downstairs.


    The group smoked a few cigarettes downstairs, chatting andughing for a while before they each went their separate ways. Once the others had left, Zheng Guangwu walked alone to the street and hailed a taxi, which then drove onto the road.


    "Follow that taxi."


    After about twenty minutes of following the taxi, it gradually slowed down and stopped by the roadside.


    Seeing Zheng Guangwu get out, Ling Chen and Nanrong Hao immediately followed him, trailing behind him. Soon, the three of them, one after another, arrived at the entrance of an abandoned factory.


    Nanrong Hao hid in a corner, watching Zheng Guangwu enter the factory through a side door, and muttered, "In the middle of the night, he actuallyes to such a ce. Chen, it looks like you were right, this guy is very suspicious."


    "Of course, who do you think I am?" Saying so, Ling Chen took out his phone and dialed a number.


    After hanging up, Ling Chen instructed, "Haozi, you wait outside. Someone wille soon. I¡¯m going inside to find Leng Feifei."


    "Okay."


    Entering the factory, Ling Chen looked around. It was pitch dark, and the lighting was dim. After a short while, he noticed a lighting from one area of the factory and quickly walked towards it.


    At that moment, in a small room, Zheng Guangwu looked at Leng Feifei lying on the mattress, spread out in the shape of a cross, and felt a thirst in his throat, barely able to restrain himself.


    "Sweet sister, just wait, your brother wille to spoil you soon."


    Zheng Guangwu chuckled and, unable to wait, pulled out a packet of drugs from his pocket, then poured pre-bought mineral water into a ss.


    As the drug dissolved in the water, he picked up the cup, walked to the bedside, lifted Leng Feifei¡¯s head, and removed the cloth from her mouth.


    "Come on, drink this."


    "No way."


    Leng Feifei¡¯s face was ice-cold, and she coldly spat out two words, tightly closing her lips.


    "Listen, drink this and you¡¯ll have endless joy tonight."


    But Leng Feifei was unmoved, clenching her teeth tightly.


    When she heard the door sound earlier, she still held a glimmer of hope. But when she saw it was Zheng Guangwu entering, herst bit of hope turned into despair.


    "Feifei, you¡¯d better drink it willingly, don¡¯t force me to get rough."


    Zheng Guangwu frowned, and seeing that Leng Feifei still refused to open her mouth, he could no longer wait. He pressed her down on the bed, grabbed her mouth, and tried to force the water into it.


    However, Leng Feifei clenched her teeth firmly, leaving Zheng Guangwu without a solution.


    "Damn it."


    Already impatient, Zheng Guangwu cursed angrily and punched Leng Feifei in the abdomen.


    "Ah!"


    In pain, Leng Feifei couldn¡¯t help but cry out.


    Seizing the moment, Zheng Guangwu poured all the water from the teacup into her mouth. Although most of it sshed out, some still went down Leng Feifei¡¯s throat.


    Seeing this, Zheng Guangwu smirked triumphantly: "My dear sister, enjoy your night." Saying this, he put down the teacup, eagerly took off his shirt, his eyes bloodshot as he gazed at Leng Feifei¡¯s curvaceous body, ready to undress her and unveil the devilish figure beneath.


    Seeing his actions, Leng Feifei felt utterly devastated and involuntarily closed her eyes, tears gleaming at the corners.


    Bang!


    However, just at this critical moment, a loud noise suddenly came.


    Zheng Guangwu was startled and quickly turned his head towards the door. Immediately, he saw Ling Chen standing outside, watching him with a cold stare.


    "Is it you? How could you..."


    Before he could finish, Ling Chen rushed forward, pped him fiercely across the face, pulling him off the bed onto the ground.


    For a moment, Zheng Guangwu saw stars, unable to even tell directions.


    "Feifei, are you alright?"


    Ling Chen quickly untied the ropes binding Leng Feifei¡¯s wrists and ankles, his face filled with concern.


    "Ling Chen..." Leng Feifei blinked hard, her vision blurry and everything around her fuzzy. A sudden, searing heat rose within her, scorching her mind.


    "Feifei, Feifei!"


    Noticing her confused expression, Ling Chen shook her shoulders, trying to wake her up. However, it was ineffective. Leng Feifei¡¯s face grew redder, matching her exquisite beauty like a tempting apple, giving an urge to bite.


    That moment, Ling Chen noticed the remaining water stains on Leng Feifei and the teacup ced nearby, sparking a thought.


    He turned and scanned the area, quickly noticing a small bag of medicine discarded on the floor.


    Picking up the drug bag, he put it to his nose and sniffed, furrowing his brow instantly.


    Bastard! Absolutely despicable, using such cheap tricks on his own sister.


    Seeing Leng Feifei¡¯s body flush with a crimson hue, Ling Chen could no longer afford other concerns. He rushed to the bed, scooped her into his arms, ready to take her to the hospital for gastricvage.


    Who could have imagined, Leng Feifei suddenly wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling hard downwards. Suddenly, he crashed into that soft ce.


    "I... I can¡¯t do it anymore... please, help me..."

 Chapter 148 - 145 Beasts (Part Three)

    <h4>Chapter 148: Chapter 145 Beasts (Part Three)</h4><h4></h4>


    At this moment, Leng Feifei was so inebriated she could hardly think straight, her cheeks flushed red and her sensuous red lips ceaselessly approaching Ling Chen¡¯s face. Her pale, delicate hands danced wildly over his body, attempting to strip off his clothes.


    As he observed the mes of desire in Leng Feifei¡¯s eyes, Ling Chen endured the seduction, mentally crying out in distress.


    Should he continue to maintain his honorable virgin status, or seize this chance to enforce justice on the spot with Leng Feifei? He was indecisive.


    As a man, of course, he¡¯d lean towards thetter. Lust was taking over; who could resist it? If he felt nothing, he wouldn¡¯t be considered a man at all.


    Yet, he didn¡¯t want to take advantage of the situation in such a manner. After all, the rtionship between him and Leng Feifei hadn¡¯t progressed to that stage¡ªthey were merely friends. Deep down, he was quite a traditional man.


    After a brief inner struggle, he gritted his teeth and pushed the increasingly panting Leng Feifei onto the bed.


    "It¡¯s you who forced me, don¡¯t me me..."


    After muttering to himself, he made a swift move, striking hard at the back of Leng Feifei¡¯s neck. Instantly, she leaned sideways and copsed onto the pillow.


    Seeing Leng Feifei pass out, Ling Chen let out a sigh of relief, his gaze unintentionally falling onto the little tent he had pitched down below.


    "You damn thing, you have no willpower at all, unable to withstand even a bit of temptation," he scolded himself, and then turned to look at Zheng Guangwu on the floor.


    Feeling his stare, Zheng Guangwu turned pale, scrambling backward with hands and feet, urgently saying, "What... what are you going to do?"


    "You¡¯re lower than a beast, I¡¯d dirty my hands just by hitting you."


    While he was speaking, a flurry of hurried footsteps suddenly came from outside the small room.


    "Chen."


    Hearing Nanrong Hao¡¯s voice, Ling Chen replied, "Here,e in."


    No sooner had his words fallen than a figure appeared at the doorway, but it wasn¡¯t Nanrong Hao¡ªit was Xia Mutong. Ling Chen had just phoned her, asking her to hurry over as there was a kidnapping incident.


    Upon entering the room, Xia Mutong looked around and her brows immediately knitted together, "Ling Chen, what happened?"


    "There!" Ling Chen pointed at Zheng Guangwu, "He kidnapped my friend, drugged her, and attempted something sinister. Officer Xia, I leave him in your hands, deal with it as you see fit."


    "No... it¡¯s not like that, I¡¯ve been wronged," Zheng Guangwu was terrified and hastily defended himself.


    "Cut the crap, get up. Whether you¡¯re wronged or not, I¡¯ll find out for myself." Xia Mutong barked sternly, pressing him against the wall and then took out a pair of handcuffs to lock him up.


    After dealing with Zheng Guangwu, Xia Mutong turned to look at the flushed Leng Feifei, d only in her underwear, "How is she?"


    "She was drugged, and I was afraid she¡¯d lose control, so I knocked her out. You better call an ambnce quickly and take her to the hospital."


    Xia Mutong nodded and after contacting her colleagues with her phone, she walked over to the bed. Her gaze roved over Leng Feifei¡¯s snow-white skin and her graceful figure, her eyes shing with astonishment.


    "Ling Chen, you go out first, I¡¯ll help her put on her clothes."


    "That¡¯s... not very appropriate, is it?" Ling Chen hesitated.


    Xia Mutong said with dissatisfaction, "What do mean it¡¯s not very appropriate? I¡¯m a woman, so is she, are you still worried that something will happen?"


    Ling Chen curled his lip; if you were genuinely a woman, it wouldn¡¯t matter to him, but the problem is that you¡¯re a lesbian¡ªwho knows whether you¡¯d take advantage of Leng Feifei.


    Perhaps seeing right through Ling Chen¡¯s thoughts, Xia Mutong said angrily, "Ling Chen, you¡¯d better keep your filthy thoughts to yourself."


    "Uh... Ling Chen touched his nose, whatever, he wouldn¡¯t quibble with her, getting taken advantage of by a woman is always better than by a man.


    Thinking this, he left the small room with Nanrong Hao.


    After waiting outside for about ten minutes, a police car and an ambnce arrived at the scene, taking Zheng Guangwu and Leng Feifei respectively to the police station and hospital.


    Leng Feifei was still in a critical condition, and Ling Chen, concerned for her health, rushed to the hospital with Nanrong Hao.


    While Leng Feifei was being examined by the doctors, Nanrong Hao sneaked out to the balcony to make a phone call.


    Not long after, a young girl stepped out of the hospital elevator. In her early twenties, she was pretty with long ck hair, wearing a id shirt and light blue jeans, her figure tall and slender.


    Although the girl¡¯s appearance was not exceptionally beautiful, she had the kind of enduring beauty that gave off a gentle and graceful vibe.


    Seeing the girl approaching, Nanrong Hao hurriedly stood up, squeezed out a somewhat awkward smile, and waved to her.


    "Yuqing."


    "Where¡¯s Feifei?" the girl asked eagerly.


    "She¡¯s inside getting checked. Don¡¯t worry, it¡¯s nothing serious, she was lucky Chen was there in time to save her."


    Ling Chen looked at the girl named Yuqing with a smile, knowing without asking that she was the girl who had once dated Nanrong Hao, and had broken up because of Nanrong Wanqing.


    "Haozi, aren¡¯t you going to introduce me?"


    Nanrong Hao snapped back to reality and quickly said, "Yuqing, this is Ling Chen, Brother Chen, he¡¯s the one who saved Feifei."


    "Thank you," the girl said gratefully.


    "It¡¯s nothing, just lending a hand."


    "Brother Chen, her name is Jiang Yuqing, Feifei¡¯s roommate, and they are best friends."


    Ling Chen nodded and said, "Yuqing, we are all men here, it¡¯s not suitable for us to take care of her, so we have to ask you toe over. You¡¯ll have to work hard these next few days."


    "It¡¯s no problem, she¡¯s my friend, and it¡¯s right for me to take care of her."


    After the three of them sat down, Nanrong Hao and Jiang Yuqing both kept their mouths shut, not uttering a word, and looked down at their shoces. However, from time to time, they stole nces at each other, then quickly looked away as if afraid of being caught by the other.


    Seeing their actions, Ling Chen found it amusing. He cleared his throat, stood up, and said, "I¡¯m going to the restroom, you guys have a chat." Saying this, he subtly nudged Nanrong Hao, winked at him, signaling him to take initiative.


    Anyone could see that the two still cared for each other; they were just too embarrassed to speak up, so he chose to leave, to give them a chance.


    Walking along the corridor to the balcony, Ling Chen gazed at the glittering city lights and couldn¡¯t help but feel sentimental.


    After he left the service, he thought he¡¯d lead the simple life of a civilian, but things didn¡¯t go as nned, many events were beyond his control. Now, he might officially be out of Ghost, but in reality, he was still intricately tied to it.


    And then there was Nanrong Wanqing, to be precise, all this was because of Nanrong Wanqing.


    The bigger the tree, the more wind it catches; these words are indeed true.


    "What are you thinking about?"


    Suddenly, a gentle voice came from behind, soft as trickling stream water, soothing the soul.


    Ling Chen was taken aback, quickly turning his head, beholding a woman who seemed as if she had stepped out of a painting.

 Chapter 149 - 146: Meeting Zhu Xiaozhu Again

    <h4>Chapter 149: Chapter 146: Meeting Zhu Xiaozhu Again</h4><h4></h4>


    "Xiaozhu?"


    Ling Chen was somewhat surprised, but more than that, it should be delight.


    It had been weeks since theyst met and Zhu Xiaozhu was still as beautiful, her eyes brimming like pools of water, seemingly containing all the dazzling stars, irresistibly drawing one in.


    That smooth, creamy skin, incredibly moist; unconsciously, Ling Chen thought back to that time at the Martial Arts Academy, embracing a beauty, their skins touching, a restless excitement spontaneously surging inside him.


    "What are you doing here?"


    "I just arrived in East Sea City today, there were some things at the hospital that needed my help. I was nning to call you after I finished, but I saw you in the corridor just now as I was passing by, so I came over to say hi. What about you, what are you doing here?"


    "A friend had an ident, so I brought her here to get checked up. How are Little Hua and Mr. He doing? I¡¯ve been too busytely, I haven¡¯t had time to visit them."


    "They are all doing well. But, Mr. He didin about you a bit, saying you messed up his car." Zhu Xiaozhu added with concern, "I heard there was an incident at the Hongyu Groupst time, are you okay?"


    Ling Chen smiled and patted his robust chest, "Do I look like I¡¯m in trouble?"


    "That..." Zhu Xiaozhu hesitated slightly, then asked: "What about Nanrong Wanqing?"


    "She¡¯s also fine, just sustained some minor injuries, nothing serious."


    Hearing her bring up Nanrong Wanqing, Ling Chen grew even more curious. Whenever he mentioned Zhu Xiaozhu in front of Nanrong Wanqing, or vice versa, both women invariably chose to evade the topic and refused to discuss more.


    This always puzzled him; what exactly was the issue between them?


    Moreover, he had heard from Nanrong Hao that the Nanrong Family had deep connections with the Zhu Family. When they were young, Nanrong Wanqing always lived with the Zhu Family, thus she had a close rtionship with Zhu Hong. With that being the case, Zhu Xiaozhu and Nanrong Wanqing should be good friends, so why would they avoid each other?


    As he pondered, Nanrong Hao quickly approached, "Chen, the doctor hase out."


    "How is it?"


    "The doctor said it¡¯s not a big problem, but she needs to stay in the hospital to rest for two days. Yuqing will stay to take care of her."


    At this moment, Zhu Xiaozhu, who had been facing away from Nanrong Hao, turned around, smiled, and nodded politely to Nanrong Hao: "Long time no see."


    "Xiaozhu!" Nanrong Hao was stunned, his eyes filled with surprise.


    "Ling Chen, since you¡¯re busy, I¡¯ll leave you to it, I won¡¯t disturb you anymore." After saying this, Zhu Xiaozhu turned and left the balcony.


    Watching Zhu Xiaozhu¡¯s retreating figure, Nanrong Hao was somewhat dazed, taking a while to snap back to reality.


    "Hey, have you had enough of looking?" Ling Chen pped the back of his head, jolting him awake.


    "Chen... Chen, it¡¯s Zhu Xiaozhu, really Zhu Xiaozhu." Nanrong Hao spoke incoherently.


    "I know it¡¯s her, so what. Look at you, you can¡¯t stay calm whenever you see a beauty."


    "No, it¡¯s not that." Nanrong Hao hurriedly exined, "I don¡¯t have any ulterior motives, just..."


    "Just what?" As he spoke, Ling Chen seemed to remember something, interestedly said, "Hey, Wanqing is your sister, you should be familiar with their rtionship, tell me, do they have some misunderstanding between them?"


    "That..." Nanrong Hao stammered, "I¡¯m not quite sure, they used to be like sisters, but I don¡¯t know why, suddenly their rtionship changed, ignoring each other, haven¡¯t seen each other for several years."


    Ling Chen looked at him skeptically, "You really don¡¯t know?"


    "Really! Chen, I have no reason to lie to you."


    "Alright, let¡¯s go check on Feifei."


    Returning to the hospital room, Leng Feifei was still unconscious. The doctor had administered a sedative, probably she would only wake up tomorrow.


    After talking with the doctor for a few moments and ascertaining that Leng Feifei was not in serious trouble, Ling Chen felt reassured and left the hospital with Nanrong Hao.


    "Haozi, how was your chat with your ex-girlfriend?" On the car ride, Ling Chen looked at Nanrong Hao, who was driving, and teased him.


    Nanrong Hao responded embarrassingly with a flushed face, "How could it be, just casually talking."


    "Do you think I¡¯m blind?" Ling Chen curled his lip, this guy had clearly been reluctant to leave the hospital when they left the room, watching Jiang Yuqing with eyes full of reluctance. If it wasn¡¯t for him pulling, he probably wouldn¡¯t have wanted to leave.


    "Chen, when we get backter, please don¡¯t mention Yuqing in front of my sister."


    "Why, are you afraid that she would scold you? I¡¯m telling you, being such a grown man, why fear your sister, just be firm in front of her. If you like Jiang Yuqing, just go for it, don¡¯t be like a woman, all timid and shy. Remember, happiness is in your own hands. If you don¡¯t try now, andter see the woman you like marrying another man, regretting for a lifetime won¡¯t help."


    When Ling Chen said this, he couldn¡¯t help but look out the car window, his clear eyes revealing a trace of nostalgia, his expressionplex.


    After more than ten minutes, they finally returned to the Nanrong Family. Ling Chen was about to get out of the car when suddenly the ringtone from his phone sounded in his pocket. He answered the call, saying hello, and heard Han Bing¡¯s voice on the other side: "Ling Chen, do you have some time?"


    "Mr. Han, what do you need?"


    Ling Chen knew, for Han Bing to personally call him, it must be something significant.


    "You go and find Tang Yuan, he¡¯s currently at the East Sea City branch. The matter you¡¯re about to deal with is very serious, you need to be mentally prepared."


    "Yes."


    Hanging up the call, Ling Chen moved to the driver¡¯s seat, took the keys from Nanrong Hao, and then started toying with the cell phone gifted by Han Bing.


    Inside the phone, there was a built-in software, which when opened, immediately disyed an electronic map. He entered his former code name from Ghost, and a shing red point immediately appeared on the map.


    After nning the route, he immediately started the car and drove towards the destination.


    After half an hour¡¯s drive, the Audi arrived at a secluded area, surrounded by alleys and bungalows, with few people on the streets, only a few dim lights shining on the road.


    Parking the car by the roadside, Ling Chen looked around, then walked down one of the alleys.


    At the end, there was a tightly closed iron door. Observant Ling Chen noticed that there were hidden cameras installed on both sides of the door. If it wasn¡¯t for his experience, it would be difficult for ordinary people to notice.


    He knocked on the door, and after a while, the iron door was opened from the inside. Seeing Tang Yuan poking his head out, Ling Chen walked in without saying a word.


    Passing through the living room, under Tang Yuan¡¯s guidance, Ling Chen entered a spacious and bright office.


    The office was over a hundred square meters, equipped with various precise instruments, with more than a dozen staff members busy at their desks.

 Chapter 150 - 147 Night Exploration

    <h4>Chapter 150: Chapter 147 Night Exploration</h4><h4></h4>


    "Old Tang, what do you want me for?"


    "Come in, everyone¡¯s waiting for you." Tang Yuan pushed open a door, gesturing for Ling Chen to enter first.


    This was an office less than twenty square meters in size, with several monitors hanging on the wall. The screens showed real-time images of two individuals, one was Han Bing, the other was Qiao Zhen.


    "Mr. Han, Elder General." Ling Chen greeted them.


    "Ling Chen, there were things I couldn¡¯t discuss over the phone just now, we¡¯ve set up a secure encrypted line here to avoid eavesdropping by outsiders." Han Bing began, "The syringe you had Tang Yuan send backst time has been tested, and the results are here with me and the General."


    "You cheekyd, the day at the old Chief¡¯s house, I mentioned the God Organization to you, do you remember?"


    Ling Chen nodded, "Elder General, please continue."


    "The reason the God Organization has be a public enemy is because they research forbidden drugs. They¡¯re keen on biological gic research, using it to modify human functions, enhancing the body. For these experiments, the God Organization has killed an unknown number of people. An imprecise tally suggests at least a thousand people have died because of the God Organization¡¯s experiments. The drug you sent the other day is indeed an enhancement drug. We havepared it with data collected from the God Organization decades ago, and this enhancement drug is 80% simr to the one they produced back then. However, the current enhancement drugs have been improved and are much less harmful to the body."


    Pausing for a moment, Qiao Zhen continued: "The drug you sent is just the most basic type of enhancement drug, but it¡¯s enough to show that the God Organization is rallying and they have made bigger breakthroughs in their research. At any rate, we must prevent such drugs from entering the country. Otherwise, the consequences would be unimaginable."


    Hearing this, Ling Chen immediately realized the gravity of the situation, "Elder General, do you have a n?"


    "There¡¯s no n for the moment, after all, the intelligence we¡¯ve collected is limited. However, there are several people who are quite suspicious, one of them is Zhu Hong, who you mentionedst time. We suspect Boyang Pharmaceutical Company is a front for the God Organization. If so, Zhu Hong is definitely involved with the God Organization, and I hope you and Tang Yuan can find out more about him soon."


    "Elder General, rest assured, I will do my best."


    "Alright, that¡¯s it for now, discuss the specifics with Tang Yuan, and I wish you luck." With that, the screens on the monitors turned gray.


    "Old Tang, what¡¯s the n?"


    Tang Yuan chuckled: "Didn¡¯t you ask me to keep a close watch on Zhu Hong? In the past week, I¡¯ve had people monitor his every move around the clock. Where he¡¯s been, what he¡¯s done, it¡¯s all on record. I¡¯ve just reviewed those records, and something very unusual hase up."


    "What¡¯s unusual?"


    "ording to the record, Zhu Hong has visited a psychiatric hospital. I¡¯ve checked that psychiatric hospital; it¡¯s a private institution established more than a decade ago with investment from a foreign medical equipment producer. However, what¡¯s strange is that details about this psychiatric hospital are very limited. I¡¯ve looked through various government departments, and this psychiatric hospital keeps a low profile; to this day, no one knows who the director is. Of course, that¡¯s not the key point; I¡¯ve looked carefully and although this psychiatric hospital ims to have over thirty medical staff and about thirty to forty patients, not exceeding a hundred in total, they make food purchases for two hundred people every two days."


    Ling Chen pondered: "It seems that there are far more people in that psychiatric hospital than what¡¯s reported."


    "Exactly, so I suspect there is something fishy about that psychiatric hospital. What do you say, interested in checking it out with me?"


    "You¡¯ve spoken, how could I refuse?"


    "Great, let¡¯s get ready. We¡¯ll head out in half an hour."


    ...


    Night fell like ink, with no star or moonlight.


    At this moment, it was nearing midnight.


    Outside the psychiatric hospital located in the suburbs, two shadows were moving swiftly towards it. In the blink of an eye, the figures reached the base of the surrounding wall.


    "Old Tang."


    Ling Chen pointed upwards, towards some surveince cameras positioned every ten meters along the top of the wall.


    Tang Yuan got the message, immediately cupping his hands together and cing them at his waist. Seeing this, Ling Chen stepped on them to vault over the two-meter-high wall.


    The cameras were facing the inside of the wall. Ling Chen cautiously moved in front of a camera, reached into his pocket, and pulled out a dagger and a device the size of a mobile phone.


    Using the dagger to slice open the outer covering of the camera¡¯s connecting wire, he pulled out red and blue wires from the device and mped them onto the camera¡¯s connection. Shortly after, an image appeared on the device.


    After freezing the image and setting it up properly, Ling Chen signaled to Tang Yuan below and then flipped over the wall, crawling onto the grass.


    He looked around; not far away were two men in suits, pacing back and forth, monitoring the surrounding security.


    "Shall we take one each?" Tang Yuan, who had caught up from behind, suggested.


    Ling Chen thought for a moment, then shook his head: "We better not cause any disturbance for now. Our main task tonight is to collect evidence; there¡¯s no need to engage them." With that, he pointed a direction, "Let¡¯s circle around to the back."


    Along the perimeter of the wall, under the cover of night, Ling Chen and Tang Yuan crept forward. Soon after, they arrived at the rear of the hospital.


    At that moment, the two noticed that a line of more than a dozen suited bodyguards emerged from the back entrance of the hospital. Following that, therge back gate slowly opened, and a truck towing a container drove inside.


    It took over twenty minutes to unload the container. Then, two forklifts lifted it, transporting it into the hospital¡¯s underground garage.


    After all the suited bodyguards left, Ling Chen and Tang Yuan stood up and quickly made their way towards the underground parking lot.


    The appearance of a transport truck at this time was certainly unusual. They were keen to find out what was inside that container.


    However, when the two arrived at the entrance to the underground parking lot, they saw it guarded by five suited bodyguards, sealing off the entrance.


    To get in, they would have to pass these men.


    As the container vanished from their sight, Ling Chen frowned slightly, quickly pondering his next move.


    "Let¡¯s make a move," suggested Tang Yuan.


    Ling Chen hesitated, about to agree when suddenly the back door of the hospital opened again, and a doctor in a white coat came out.


    "Old Tang, follow me."


    The moment the words fell, Ling Chen dashed forward, pressing close against the wall beside the back door, his gaze fixed unblinkingly on the doctor.

 Chapter 151 - 148: Night Exploration (Part 2)

    <h4>Chapter 151: Chapter 148: Night Exploration (Part 2)</h4><h4></h4>


    The man in the whiteb coat stood outside the back door entrance, pulling a cigarette from behind his ear and started smoking it leisurely. He seemed to be enjoying himself, as if he was out to satisfy his craving for nicotine.


    Seeing Tang Yuan beside him making eye signals, Ling Chen gestured for him to be patient.


    The entrance at the back door was secured with an electronic password lock, which could not be cracked immediately, so they had to quietly wait for the right moment. When the cigarette was finished, the whiteb coat turned back, entered the password, and with a light ¡¯click¡¯, the door opened automatically.


    The moment the whiteb coat stepped through the back door, Ling Chen quickly took three steps in two strides, rushing forward to catch the door before it could close.


    Listening as the footsteps inside faded away, he let out a slight sigh of relief, then opened a small crack in the back door and peered inside.


    "Safe!"


    Ling Chen signaled to Tang Yuan and darted into the back entrance.


    Upon entering, they faced a corridor, with an elevator door at the end. Other than that, there was no other way.


    Looking at the elevator not ten meters away, Ling Chen did not proceed directly but pointed to the surveince camera outside the elevator. Tang Yuan understood immediately, pulling a thumb-sized sphere from his pocket and gently rolling it across the floor.


    When the sphere rolled beneath the surveince camera, Tang Yuan pressed a button lightly, and instantly, the sphere burst open releasing an invisible sh of electricity.


    "OK!"


    Ling Chen nodded, quickly advanced to the elevator door, and opened it.


    Although the Ghost Organization was small in size, they possessed all the top military technologies in the country. The sphere had emitted a scrambling signal, momentarily disabling the surveince camera for a few seconds, which was enough for Ling Chen and Tang Yuan to make their move.


    Entering the elevator, Ling Chen pressed the button for the underground parking garage. Shortly after, they reached the floor where the parking garage was located.


    The parking garage was over a thousand square metersrge and housed more than twenty vehicles, with suited bodyguards stationed throughout.


    Ling Chen scanned the area but did not notice the whereabouts of therge shipping container; it had probably been moved already.


    Tang Yuan patted Ling Chen¡¯s shoulder and jerked his chin towards a nearby slope. Ling Chen focused and saw two forklifts slowly returning up the ramp from the parking garage.


    In an instant, Ling Chen understood his hint. Those forklifts had moved the shipping container; what they were looking for should be at the bottom of that slope.


    The two of them crouched behind a car and in less than ten minutes, the suited bodyguards gradually withdrew, and even the big doors of the underground parking garage were closed.


    "Let¡¯s go!" Whispering softly, Ling Chen took the lead, nimbly dodging the surrounding surveince cameras and sneakily making his way to the bottom of the slope using the blind spots.


    However, once they reached the bottom of the slope, they were surprised to find that there was a warehouse over a hundred square metersrge. Besides some scattered misceneous items piling up, there was no sign of the shipping container.


    Tang Yuan muttered, "Could we havee to the wrong ce?"


    Ling Chen scanned the surroundings, his eyes suddenly lit up and he said with a slight smile, "The ce is right. Look!"


    In the corner formed by two walls of the warehouse, a surveince device was installed, with the camera facing the opposite wall. If there wasn¡¯t something important here, why bother to install a surveince camera, and particrly in that direction?


    At the moment, he walked to the corner of the wall, patted his own shoulder, and gestured for Tang Yuan to stand on it.


    Within two minutes, with theirbined efforts, the surveince camera was quickly dealt with. Once the screen was frozen, Tang Yuan put away the equipment and hurried to the wall.


    The wall was coated with ayer of snow-white paint. Ling Chen and Tang Yuan searched for a long time on both sides, but couldn¡¯t find any mechanism.


    Seeing this, Ling Chen helplessly spread his hands and said, "There¡¯s nothing we can do; this door can probably only be opened from the inside."


    "What should we do then?" Tang Yuan was somewhat unwilling. After finally finding this secret of the mental hospital, were they supposed to leave empty-handed?


    "If you ask me, we..."


    Before Ling Chen could finish his sentence, suddenly, the wall began to rise slowly.


    Exchanging a nce, Ling Chen and Tang Yuan reacted quickly, swiftly dashing to the sides of the wall and hiding behind some piled-up clutter.


    Before long, the entire wall had risen, and a forklift carrying a shipping container slowly drove out from behind it.


    Ling Chen watched the forklift¡¯s tires and nodded to himself. When those two forklifts had brought the shipping containers in earlier, he had noticed the tires getting almost crushed, indicating that the containers were very heavy. Now, with only one forklift transporting the container, the contents must have been unloaded.


    Taking advantage of the wall not being fully closed yet, Ling Chen rolled on the spot and entered behind the wall.


    However, as he passed through the wall, he happened to see two armed guards walking away from him. He was slightly startled, nced around, and quickly moved towards some iron boxes ced nearby.


    Just after hiding, the two guards seemed to hear a noise from behind and immediately turned back. But, Ling Chen had already preemptively hidden out of their sight.


    After the two guards walked away, Tang Yuan stealthily came from the other side, whispering, "What in the world is this ce?"


    "This appears to be an air-raid shelter left from before," Ling Chen guessed. "They¡¯re quite clever to have converted this into a secret base."


    Finishing speaking, he changed the subject, "Old Tang, let¡¯s split up and try to gather enough evidence. We¡¯ll meet back here in half an hour."


    "Alright, take care of yourself."


    Despite it being midnight, the secret base was still brightly lit. Nearby, several doctors in whiteb coats were bustling about, moving in and out of rooms.


    Ling Chen looked at the surrounding structures, grabbed the steel beams connected to the wall surface, and climbed to the top of the air-raid shelter, looking down over this secret base.


    The base was divided into three areas: aboratory, a warehouse, and a living area. At a nce, there were nearly a hundred people in the base. In addition to the scientific staff, there were security personnel and workers.


    What worried Ling Chen was the high level of security there. There were frequent guard posts and watch points, heavily guarded.


    His mission this time was to gather intelligence, necessitating a stealthy infiltration without leaving any trace to avoid startling the enemy. After observing for a few minutes, he suddenly noticed several men pushing movable iron beds towards the warehouse. It seemed like there were people lying on those iron beds, covered with white cloths.


    "Ling Chen, I¡¯ve reached theboratory."


    Hearing Tang Yuan¡¯s voice through the earpiece, Ling Chen made a quick decision to go check out the warehouse.


    Since the security personnel were all located on the ground level, to avoid their gaze, Ling Chen decided to sneak in through the venttion ducts.

 Chapter 152 - 149 Night Exploration (Part 3)

    <h4>Chapter 152: Chapter 149 Night Exploration (Part 3)</h4><h4></h4>


    The venttion duct was extremely cramped; Ling Chen crawled on the ground, unable to extend his arms fully and could only inch forward by alternating his elbows. He had already determined the general direction to the warehouse and, after traveling about forty meters along the venttion duct, a wire mesh appeared in his line of sight.


    Gazing through the wire mesh, he saw a sealed room filled with numerous boxes on the outside.


    Seeing that there was no one in the room, Ling Chen dug his fingers into the wire mesh, preparing to push it aside. But at that moment, he caught a glimpse of a red light out of the corner of his eye and was suddenly startled, hastily halting his hand.


    After confirmation, he felt a surge of relief; it was fortunate he had noticed it in time, otherwise, he would have surely alerted the base¡¯s security.


    An infrared surveince device had been installed outside the venttion duct. If he had pushed the wire mesh open, it would definitely be detected and trigger an rm.


    Immediately, he took out a small pair of needle-nose pliers and cut a slit in the wire mesh. Then, he extended his arm out, touching the infrared surveince device, found its wiring, and gently snipped it.


    After the device had been disabled, he let out a breath, pushed the wire mesh aside, and leaped into the warehouse.


    After sessfully entering the warehouse, he looked around and headed straight for a steel box about half a person¡¯s height. However, the steel box was controlled by a six-digit code lock. Without knowing thebination, it was very difficult to force open, and there was no time for such attempts.


    He felt the surface of the steel box, which was ice-cold to the touch. Clearly, the steel box was equipped with a built-in refrigeration system. Such boxes were generally used to store medicine or other biological materials.


    Moving elsewhere, Ling Chen opened several ordinary boxes, each filled with various medical equipment.


    Based on these things alone, there wasn¡¯t enough evidence to convict. He believed that what was inside that steel box was likely to be the crucial evidence, but unfortunately, he couldn¡¯t open it.


    After searching the warehouse for ten minutes, Ling Chen found another door adjacent to the warehouse.


    The door was not locked, and Ling Chen pushed it open and entered. Instantly, a chill hit him. Looking around, the room¡ªnorger than a hundred square meters¡ªhoused dozens of iron beds, all covered with white cloths.


    "Is this... a morgue?"


    His expression changed slightly as he quickly approached an iron bed nearby, lifted the white cloth, and a pale male corpse was immediately revealed.


    Looking at the male corpse, Ling Chen¡¯s brow furrowed tightly.


    The corpse had been dissected, leaving a long incision in the abdomen that had not been sewn up, vaguely revealing the body¡¯s internal organs. Looking at the corpse¡¯s face, it was terrifying, with an agape mouth and wide-open eyes, indicating the immense pain endured before death.


    Additionally, with a keen eye, he also noticed four or five tiny needle holes on each of the corpse¡¯s arms.


    For a hospital to have a morgue wasn¡¯t strange, but this was a psychiatric hospital, primarily focused on convalescence, and moreover, this morgue was located in a secret facility, which definitely wasn¡¯t ordinary.


    With this thought, he took out the miniature camera he carried and photographed the corpse, not overlooking any detail.


    Then, he checked over ten more bodies, with each case being broadly the same. However, what he found odd was that almost all the bodies ced here were male, with no females.


    After collecting evidence, he turned around to leave the morgue, ready to meet up with Tang Yuan. Tang Yuan had infiltrated theboratory; he presumably had gathered more direct and effective evidence.


    Walking past the warehouse, Ling Chen was about to return the way he hade. But at that moment, he suddenly stopped in his tracks, then immediately cast his gaze around.


    "There¡¯s a noise!"


    He was certain he hadn¡¯t misheard; indeed, he had just heard a faint sound while walking over.


    After a moment of hesitation, he went back the way he came, and after a dozen meters, the sound came again. But the warehouse was empty¡ªwhere was the sounding from?


    In his puzzlement, a thought struck him, and he looked down at his feet.


    The floor of the warehouse wasid with square steel tes, but on the steel te beneath his feet, there was also a pull ring.


    He grabbed the pull ring and slowly lifted it. As the steel te opened, numerous eyes focused on Ling Chen.


    "This..."


    Upon seeing this scene, Ling Chen was immediately stunned. Below the steel te, dozens of people were imprisoned, mostly men, including a few women and two or three teenage boys.


    These people looked at Ling Chen with faces full of fear and apprehension, drawing back in fright, with terror reaching an extreme in their eyes.


    "Let me out, please let us out!" a man pleaded.


    As soon as he spoke, others began to plead, asking Ling Chen to spare them.


    "Shh!" Fearing to attract the attention of the guards outside, Ling Chen quickly made a silencing gesture, "I¡¯m not a bad guy, don¡¯t be afraid." After speaking, he continued to ask, "How were you captured?"


    A woman sobbed and said, "I was at the hospital for a check-up, and then I suddenly passed out unwittingly. When I woke up, I was already lying inside a container with other people."


    A container?


    Ling Chen¡¯s mind stirred; it turned out that the container he had seen before was filled with these people.


    "Everyone, calm down for now, I¡¯ll find a way to rescue you all."


    Standing up, he walked aside and pressed the inte, "Old Tang, respond if you hear this."


    "I hear you. I¡¯ve almost finished gathering evidence on my end. Any findings on your side?"


    Ling Chen nced at the imprisoned people and let out a wry smile, "I¡¯ve got a big haul on my side. I discovered over thirty detained citizens in the warehouse; they must have been brought in through the container we just saw."


    "What should we do?" Anxiety tinged Tang Yuan¡¯s voice.


    "No matter what, we must save these people."


    Tang Yuan suggested, "Why don¡¯t we pull out for now, submit the evidence, ande back with people tomorrow?"


    "That won¡¯t do. They¡¯ve captured so many people, they definitely n to use them for experiments. If we dy even a day, there¡¯s no guarantee some won¡¯t die. Immediately contact Mr. Han and have him dispatch people to surround this psychiatric hospital. Anyway, since we¡¯ve collected the evidence, it should be enough to convict them."


    "Okay. Prepare yourself, because gathering a team on short notice might take at least an hour even if they hurry."


    "No matter, if ites to it, we¡¯ll take direct action. Lives are at stake; we have to get these people out first."


    "I¡¯ll cover you from outside, you be careful."


    After the conversation, Ling Chen turned off the inte, looked at the people imprisoned below, and said, "Stay inside for now, don¡¯t make any noise, backup is on the way. I promise, when it arrives, I will definitely rescue you all."


    "Thank you."


    Ling Chen gave a slight smile, "You can thank me after you¡¯ve escaped."

 Chapter 153 - 150: Change of Plan

    <h4>Chapter 153: Chapter 150: Change of n</h4><h4></h4>


    Closing the steel panel, Ling Chen walked alone to a secluded corner of the warehouse and hid away, quietly waiting for reinforcements to arrive.


    He checked the time, it was just past midnight, and the reinforcements called by Tang Yuan wouldn¡¯t arrive until around 1 a.m.


    At this moment, outside a luxurious vi in East Sea City, Zhu Hong stood with his hands behind his back, his gaze fixed on the entrance of themunity, eagerly anticipating.


    Soon after, a Mercedes sedan slowly drove up and stopped outside the door.


    Zhu Hong¡¯s mouth curved into an attractive smile as he quickly walked to the rear car door and opened it. Immediately, a woman as gentle as water stepped out from the car.


    "Xiaozhu, it¡¯s been a long time."


    Zhu Hong spread his arms, pulled Zhu Xiaozhu into his embrace, and gently stroked her hair.


    "Big brother." Zhu Xiaozhu couldn¡¯t suppress the happiness in her eyes, her face beaming with joy.


    "Sorry for calling you sote. Thest time I returned to Beijing, you were in East Sea City, and I didn¡¯t see you. I called Mom and Dad today, they said you are in East Sea City, so I couldn¡¯t wait to see you."


    Zhu Xiaozhu smiled, "It¡¯s okay, we haven¡¯t seen each other for years, I woulde no matter howte it is."


    "Let¡¯s go inside and talk."


    Zhu Xiaozhu nodded and let Zhu Hong take her hand and walk into the vi.


    Once seated, Zhu Hong waved his hand and had the suit-d bodyguards leave the living room, then picked up a bottle of red wine, "Little sister, would you like some?"


    "Thank you, but I¡¯m not too fond of alcohol."


    "Red wine is good for the skin, but of course, my sister is naturally beautiful and doesn¡¯t need any enhancement to surpass other women," Zhu Hong praised generously.


    "Big brother, where have you been all these years? We heard nothing from you, and the family was very worried."


    "In the past few years, thepany was keen on charity work, assigning me to a remote area with tough conditions, no water, no electricity. It took five years to build a hospital there, improving the local environment and allowing the poor local poption to connect with society. I was too busy and it was not convenient, so I hardly contacted the family. But, my hard work during those five years was not in vain; look, I am now the head of Boyang Pharmaceutical in Asia."


    Zhu Xiaozhu nodded with augh, her eyes filled with admiration, "I heard from our parents when Ist went home. Big brother, you¡¯re capable, and I¡¯ve always believed you¡¯d make something of yourself. Your achievements today also bring glory to the Zhu Family."


    "Little sister, it¡¯s been years since we met. I heard from our parents that you haven¡¯t settled down yet," Zhu Hong changed the subject.


    Zhu Xiaozhu¡¯s face turned slightly red, "I¡¯m still young, not in a hurry."


    "You¡¯re already in your twenties, it¡¯s better for women to marry early, can¡¯t dy too long. I know many talented young men, would you like your big brother to introduce you to some?"


    "Big brother, I appreciate your kindness. However, I value fate more; when the right timees, everything will naturally fall into ce."


    While saying this, Zhu Xiaozhu unconsciously thought of that man.


    "Alright, alright, since you¡¯re unwilling, I won¡¯t force you. I hope you can find your ideal man soon. When you get married, I will definitely give you a big gift."


    "Thank you, big brother."


    "Oh, by the way, little sister, I heard you¡¯ve been staying at Qingyun Martial Arts Hall in East Sea City? I will be staying in East Sea City from now on. Whenever youe to East Sea City, just stay here at my ce, don¡¯t bother others. After all, we are family, and outsiders are still outsiders, we should not always trouble people."


    "It¡¯s okay, Mr. He is a good person. Besides, as an elderly, he sometimes needspany too."


    "As far as I know, besides Mr. He, there is also a little girl named Little Hua living there."


    At the mention of Little Hua, Zhu Xiaozhu smiled suddenly, radiating beauty like a blooming begonia.


    "Little Hua is a wonderful girl, adorable and smart. Next time, I¡¯ll bring her along to meet you."


    "Great, I¡¯ll treat you all to a meal when you¡¯re free."


    ...


    In the blink of an eye, half an hour had passed.


    Ling Chen sat in the corner, patiently waiting.


    "Hey, Ling Chen, hold on, reinforcements will arrive in forty minutes."


    Hearing Tang Yuan¡¯s voice from the earpiece, Ling Chen silently prayed, hoping to calmly get through these forty minutes.


    However, the more you worry about something, the more likely it is to happen.


    Just after finishing the conversation with Tang Yuan, a series of footsteps immediately reached Leng Xuan¡¯s ears. He immediately stood up, touched the box, carefully lifted his head, and looked in the direction from where the sounds wereing.


    Instantly, he saw two uniformed security guards walking side by side, picking up something from the floor.


    "You, and you,e out," one of the guards pointed at two people.


    "No, I don¡¯t want to go out!" the two men named backed away fearfully.


    Seeing they were notplying, the guard cocked his gun, pointed it at one man¡¯s head, and said sternly, "I¡¯ll count to three, and if you don¡¯t get out, believe it or not, I¡¯ll shoot you."


    At this moment, Ling Chen quietly moved behind the two guards.


    Taking advantage of their unawareness, he suddenly charged forward, grabbed both their heads with his hands, and then forcefully banged them together.


    Apanied by two muffled groans, the two guards immediately copsed onto the floor.


    "Don¡¯t be afraid, I¡¯m here."


    With that, Ling Chen closed the steel door again and dragged the bodies of the two guards into the corner.


    "Old Tang, I¡¯m afraid we can¡¯t wait forty minutes. I just dealt with two guards, they¡¯ll soon discover."


    "Understood, let¡¯s y it by ear."


    Less than two minutester, the walkie-talkies on the two guards began to ring.


    "Hello, Zhang Qiang, why haven¡¯t the people been brought over yet, respond."


    Ling Chen turned off the walkie-talkies on them, his gaze fixed on the entrance of the warehouse.


    "Ling Chen, six people are heading your way."


    Hearing Tang Yuan¡¯s warning, Ling Chen replied with a ¡¯got it.¡¯ Then, he got up and moved to the side of the warehouse entrance, crouching down, holding Wolf Kiss tightly in his hand.


    Soon, with a ¡¯click¡¯, the electronic door opened, and six security guards entered in single file.


    The moment the electronic door closed, Ling Chen, who was lying in wait, suddenly leapt up and pounced towards thest security guard.


    Wolf Kiss shed, and a spray of blood sttered. Before the other five could react, Ling Chen had already easily dispatched one enemy.


    Taking advantage of the moment they turned their heads, Ling Chen pounced again, sticking close to their bodies, denying them any opportunity to shoot.


    In less than ten seconds, the sharp fangs of Wolf Kiss had passed over the necks of the five men, leaving six bodies on the ground.


    ...


    Inside the vi.


    Zhu Hong sat on the luxurious leather sofa, still chatting with Zhu Xiaozhu, reminiscing about the past.


    Just then, a suited bodyguard hurried over, whispering a few words in his ear. Instantly, Zhu Hong¡¯s face changed dramatically, and he stood up abruptly.


    "Big Brother, what¡¯s wrong?"


    "Little sister, I have an urgent matter to attend to, I can¡¯t stay with you any longer, I¡¯ll have someone send you backter." After speaking, Zhu Hong strode out.

 Chapter 154 - 151 Crisis

    <h4>Chapter 154: Chapter 151 Crisis</h4><h4></h4>


    Watching Zhu Hong hurry away, Zhu Xiaozhu felt something odd, given it was sote, what emergency could there be?


    She followed Zhu Hong out of the vi and saw three Mercedes-Benz cars parked at the door; Zhu Hong got directly into the middle one. Although Zhu Hong never mentioned what happened, Zhu Xiaozhu could tell that Zhu Hong¡¯s face was ashen, a far cry from his usual gentle smile, his eyes revealing urgency.


    As the three Mercedes-Benz cars left the vi, a suited bodyguard approached Zhu Xiaozhu, respectfully saying, "Miss Zhu, your car is ready, I¡¯ll take you back."


    After a twenty-minute drive, Zhu Xiaozhu finally returned to Qingyun Martial Arts Hall.


    Entering the hall of the martial arts academy, Zhu Xiaozhu saw Little Hua sitting alone on a chair, eating something.


    "Xiaozhu!" Seeing Zhu Xiaozhu return, Little Hua immediately bounced and jumped to greet her, affectionately grabbing her arm.


    "Why aren¡¯t you sleeping at thiste hour?"


    "The master went out and told me to wait for you at home."


    "Mr. He left?" Zhu Xiaozhu was surprised; in her memory, He Ziyun always stayed in the academy and rarely went out, especially thiste at night, "Did Mr. He say what he was going to do?"


    Little Hua grinned and said, "I don¡¯t know, he didn¡¯t tell me. Xiaozhu, will you sleep with me tonight?"


    Zhu Xiaozhu nodded gently, but felt an inexplicable unease rising in her heart, leaving her mood unsettled for a long time.


    ...


    Located in the psychiatric hospital¡¯s secret base.


    Ling Chen cleaned up the previously dealt bodies, moved them to a ce unseen, then continued guarding in the warehouse, secretly protecting the captured citizens.


    "Ling Chen, you¡¯d best move them quickly, the base¡¯s security personnel are already heading toward the warehouse."


    Hearing Tang Yuan¡¯s reminder, Ling Chen frowned slightly, "Can you help me buy some time?"


    "Okay, I¡¯ll try my best."


    As soon as that was said, a burst of gunfire immediately rang out outside the warehouse.


    Seizing the moment, Ling Chen quickly pulled open a metal te on the floor, urging, "Everybody,e out quickly."


    Then, with Ling Chen¡¯s help, over thirty citizens climbed out. "Follow me." Ling Chen looked around, then led them into the morgue.


    Upon seeing the room full of dead bodies, everyone¡¯s faces turned pale, feeling an eerie and prative horror.


    Ling Chen instructed, "Everyone, stay here and don¡¯t go out." After saying that, he quickly walked out of the morgue, locked the door, and alone returned to the warehouse.


    At that moment, outside the warehouse, a fully armedbat squad was assembled, ready to storm in and capture the intruder.


    Just as thebat squad was about to act, a researcher in a whiteb coat hurried over, anxiously shouting, "Put down all your guns, none of the operatives are to carry guns."


    The squad leader¡¯s face turned cold, "Are you joking with me?"


    "This warehouse contains experimental agents stored at low temperatures. If a bullet identally hits those thermal boxes, causing the agents to leak, it would be unimaginable, no one in the entire base would survive."


    Hearing this, the squad members hesitated.


    After contemting for a moment, the squad leaderpromised, saying, "Everyone switch to stun guns."


    Minutes passed, Ling Chen leaned against a box, listening to the noises outside, his hand tightly gripping Wolf Kiss. Soon, the shutter door of the warehouse slowly rose, three or four smoke grenades were thrown in first, followed by several ¡¯bangs¡¯ noises, filling the warehouse with smoke.


    Ling Chen smirked, as expected, standardbat procedure. These smoke grenades, while covering their tracks, could also provide him cover.


    Then, he crouched and sneaked around from behind the boxes, charging into the spreading smoke.


    The visibility in the smoke was very low, but Ling Chen didn¡¯t need his eyes; instead, he located the enemy¡¯s position by their footsteps. Soon, he locked onto one of them and quickly closed in.


    Reaching behind the man, he suddenly stretched out both hands, grabbed the man¡¯s head, and twisted forcefully.


    There was a cracking sound, and the enemy¡¯s neck was instantly broken, his body limp on the ground.


    Following that, Ling Chen searched the man¡¯s body, found two smoke grenades, and continued to throw them around.


    "Who? Who is throwing smoke grenades?" a man shouted.


    Hearing the voice, Ling Chen didn¡¯t hesitate and immediately rushed towards the man¡¯s location. In just moments, he had taken down another enemy.


    At this time, researchers in white coats outside the warehouse were directing their subordinates to begin the evacuation process, destroying allputer data, and packing and transporting valuable items away. Besides the twobat teams responsible for capturing the intruders, an additional security team of more than twenty people was tasked with ensuring the safety of the evacuating personnel.


    "What about the experimental drugs in the warehouse?"


    "This..." The man in the white coat hesitated, those experimental drugs were the base¡¯s most important assets, and they absolutely could not fall into outsiders¡¯ hands.


    While he pondered, his cellphone suddenly rang.


    "Hello, Mr. Zhu."


    "How much longer until you evacuate?"


    "We can finish in ten minutes."


    "Move the confidential files and the experimental drugs, never mind the rest."


    "Mr. Zhu, those experimental drugs are stored in the warehouse; our people are still there capturing the intruders, we might not have enough time."


    Mr. Zhu on the phone paused for a moment, his tone suddenly turned cold: "Don¡¯t worry about those, take your men and evacuate immediately. I¡¯m only giving you ten minutes, you better hurry."


    "Yes."


    After hanging up, the white-coated man quickly urged his subordinates to move everything to the evacuation route.


    Boyang Company Headquarters.


    In the spacious office, Zhu Hong was sitting beside his desk; front of him were two monitors disying more than ten surveince feeds, all streamed in real-time from the secret base.


    Watching the chaotic base, Zhu Hong¡¯s face was ashen, his eyebrows tightly knitted, and his right hand on the desk clenched into a fist.


    "Do you know who did this?" he gritted his teeth, squeezing a few words out through clenched teeth.


    "Boss, we haven¡¯t found out yet."


    "A bunch of useless trash," Zhu Hong scolded angrily, "I spent so much money on the security system, and it didn¡¯t even detect the intruders, what use do I have for you?"


    A group of people stood opposite the desk, heads down, not uttering a word, not daring to meet Zhu Hong¡¯s gaze.


    Zhu Hong exhaled, trying to calm his raging emotions, and coldly asked, "How is the evacuation proceeding?"


    "Theb¡¯s research staff and important confidential files have been safely evacuated."


    "What about the others?"


    "There are still more than sixty people in the base..."


    "Forget about them, immediately seal all passages, activate the self-destruct program, and leave no traces."


    "Yes."

 Chapter 155 - 152: Self-Destruct Program

    <h4>Chapter 155: Chapter 152: Self-Destruct Program</h4><h4></h4>


    Several minutes passed, and the smoke inside the warehouse gradually dissipated. The ground was littered with eliminated enemies, with only Ling Chen standing.


    He holstered Wolf Kiss, wiped off the fresh blood remaining on his hand, and then contacted Tang Yuan on the walkie-talkie.


    "Old Tang, where are you?"


    "I¡¯m outside the warehouse. Ling Chen, you¡¯d better get out quick, we¡¯re in big trouble."


    Hearing this, Ling Chen immediately rushed towards the outside of the warehouse.


    Coming out of the warehouse, Ling Chen saw that there were still many people in the base, but these people were all minding their own business, and no one was paying attention to him.


    "Ling Chen, over here."


    Looking up, Ling Chen quickly went to Tang Yuan¡¯s side and asked, "What¡¯s the matter?"


    "The exits of the base have all been sealed, and there¡¯s this." Tang Yuan gestured towards the LCD monitor installed on the wall.


    Instantly, a row of red numbers on the monitor¡¯s screen kept jumping.


    Six minutes forty seconds!


    Six minutes thirty-nine seconds!


    ...


    Watching the numbers gradually decrease, Ling Chen needed no exnation to understand their meaning.


    "They¡¯ve initiated the self-destruct sequence."


    Tang Yuan nodded, his expression grave, "I¡¯ve just checked, the steel tes at the exits are ten centimeters thick; it¡¯s impossible to break through. Those doors are remotely controlled, and they can¡¯t be opened from inside the base."


    "What about backup?"


    "It will take another ten minutes to arrive."


    Ling Chen¡¯s pupils tightened. By the time the backup forces arrived, they would have long been blown to smithereens. No, they must find a way to escape the base.


    Thinking this, he quickly returned to the warehouse. Soon after, he came back to Tang Yuan¡¯s side with a pile of grenades.


    "Let¡¯s try this."


    Tang Yuan immediately caught on, took a few grenades, lined them up, and ced them in the gaps of the iron door, linking them with a thin rope.


    After everything was ready, the two retreated thirty meters away, hiding in a corner of the wall. At Ling Chen¡¯s signal, Tang Yuan gently pulled the thin rope.


    Boom! Boom! Boom!


    Suddenly, a series of earth-shattering explosions erupted, and the st waves caused the entire base to tremble, with dust falling from above.


    Ling Chen waved away the swirling dust in front of him and eagerly looked towards the iron door. However, the result was greatly disappointing; the iron door waspletely undamaged.


    At this moment, in the Boyang Company¡¯s office.


    Zhu Hong watched the monitoring screen tremble slightly with a massive amount of smoke appearing, and he couldn¡¯t help asking, "Has the self-destruct sequence detonated?"


    "No. We¡¯ve just detected an explosion inside the base, but it wasn¡¯t the self-destruct program."


    Zhu Hong frowned slightly, "Then what happened?"


    As soon as he finished speaking, aputer technician stood up, carrying aptop, and came to the office desk, cing the notebook in front of Zhu Hong.


    "Boss, I¡¯ve locked onto two suspects through the monitoring footage. I¡¯ve checked the base¡¯s personnel list, and these two aren¡¯t on it." With that, he tapped the keyboard twice, and two images captured from the monitor were immediately erged.


    "It¡¯s them!"


    Seeing the two men in the picture, Zhu Hong¡¯s face immediately fell.


    "Ling Chen, it¡¯s you again, ruining my ns." He clenched his fists, teeth gritted, his eyes showing a hint of viciousness.


    "Keep a close eye on him for me; I want to watch him be blown to pieces."


    "Yes, boss."


    Time passed by the second.


    For Ling Chen, time now could only be counted in seconds, with minutes feeling extravagantly long.


    With only six minutes left, he must figure out a way to escape within six minutes, otherwise, they would undoubtedly die.


    At this time, the internal staff of the base had gathered in front of a round iron door, shouting loudly at the surveince cameras, in hopes that someone would open the evacuation passage and let them escape.


    But no one responded to them.


    Ling Chen entered theboratory, turned on theputer, and pulled up the base¡¯s blueprint, searching for an exit.


    "Old Tang, the venttion ducts should lead outside."


    "It¡¯s no use, I¡¯ve tried it. All venttion ducts have been sealed off; we can¡¯t get out. Once the self-destruct sequence is activated, all exits are sealed without exception, unless we can break through that iron door."


    Ling Chen frowned slightly; if that were true, they really had no hope left and would just be waiting to die. However, he wasn¡¯t someone who would resign himself to fate. As long as there was a glimmer of hope, he wouldn¡¯t give up.


    While speaking, Ling Chen saw a man in a suit sitting in a corner of theboratory, pale, covering his face, and crying.


    He approached, patted the man¡¯s shoulder, and asked, "Are you a staff member here?"


    "I take care of the logistics, everything from food to amodation."


    "Do you know this base well enough to tell if there are any other exits?"


    "If I knew that, why would I be sitting here waiting to die?"


    "Then do you know who controls this base?" Tang Yuan asked.


    "Apart from the key personnel, no one knows. Theboratory here is off-limits, we¡¯re not qualified to enter. They say they¡¯re doing cancer research, a national secret project. Everyone who works here has to sign a confidentiality agreement."


    Hearing this, Tang Yuan couldn¡¯t help but curse, "Those bastards, using the nation as their cover."


    Ling Chen was somewhat helpless, having asked all this time without useful information.


    He stood up and continued to search theboratory. Before long, he found a folder left on the floor.


    The folder detailed the cargo numbers; Ling Chen looked through them one by one until his gaze was suddenly caught by a few of those numbers.


    "Old Tang, follow me."


    Without any suspicion, Tang Yuan quickly followed behind Ling Chen, both entering the warehouse.


    "What now?"


    Ling Chen pointed to the iron boxes in the warehouse and said, "These boxes have the same numbers as the goods in theboratory. They must be necessary items for theb; maybe the contents can tell us what experiment they¡¯re conducting."


    Tang Yuan took a quick look, slightly knitting his brows, "These boxes are equipped with six-digit electronic password locks and independent power supplies. How do you n to open them?"


    "This..." Ling Chen hesitated for a moment, his gaze shifted elsewhere, and his eyes suddenly brightened. He walked over to a previously eliminated enemy¡¯s body, bent over and picked up a stun gun.


    Returning to the iron box, he aimed the stun gun at the password lock and rapidly pulled the trigger.


    Apanied by a sh of electric light, the previously lit password lock immediately went dark. Seeing this, Ling Chen¡¯s mouth curled into a slight smile. The stun gun¡¯s charge was very high, enough to damage the electronic lock and the power supply¡¯s circuitry, causing a short circuit.


    "Old Tang."


    Following Ling Chen¡¯s gesture, the two lifted the heavy box lid together and carefully opened it.

 Chapter 156 - 153 Strengthening

    <h4>Chapter 156: Chapter 153 Strengthening</h4><h4></h4>


    With a gust of cold air, Ling Chen instantly saw arge number of ss tubes arranged inside the iron box, each filled with purple liquid.


    "Turns out it¡¯s this thing."


    In an instant, Ling Chen reacted.


    Tang Yuan looked at him puzzled, "Have you seen this before?"


    "This is exactly the enhancement drug I told you about." Ling Chen inwardly gasped in rm, thest time he¡¯d seen only a few milliliters, but the reserves of enhancement drugs at this base were so extensive. Apart from this iron box, there were four others nearby. One could imagine how terrifying the quantity of these drugs was.


    "Old Tang, take a photo and send it out, these are all incriminating evidence."


    "Just photos alone probably won¡¯t be of much use unless we can prove that this stuff is a banned substance."


    Seeing a box full of enhancement drugs, Ling Chen pondered for a moment and asked, "How much time is left in the self-destruct program?"


    "Less than four minutes."


    "Old Tang, I have an idea, it¡¯s all down to luck whether we live or die now." Saying this, Ling Chen pulled out a ss tube filled with the purple liquid and quickly walked towards theb.


    Soon, he found a syringe.


    Seeing his actions, Tang Yuan immediately understood and eximed in rm, "Are you crazy?"


    "Well, we are set to die anyway, might as well give it a try, maybe there is a glimmer of hope." Ling Chen exined.


    Last time, he had witnessed in person the consequences of someone injecting the enhancement drug; strength and various functions had been significantly improved, perhaps it could help them escape.


    In any case, he didn¡¯t want to just sit there and wait for death.


    There were more than twenty milliliters of enhancement drugs in this ss tube, and without hesitation, Ling Chen drew it all into the syringe.


    "Old Tang, get ready to film." He instructed.


    Whether or not they could escape, at least record the process, it couldter serve as direct evidence to prosecute those people.


    Under Tang Yuan¡¯s tense gaze, Ling Chen bit down on his teeth, jabbed the syringe into his own vein, and as he pressed down on the plunger, all of the purple liquid was injected into his body.


    After pulling out the syringe, Ling Chen sat quietly in the chair, eyes closed, feeling the changes in his body.


    Suddenly, he opened his eyes wide, veins bulging all over his body, muscles undting non-stop, and visibly swelling at a noticeable rate. In less than ten seconds, his arms had expanded several times, bing horrifyingly massive.


    Ling Chen clenched his teeth, sweat pouring down his forehead. Only at this moment did he truly realize how intensely painful the enhancement drug was.


    No wonder the bodies in the morgue were all contorted in agony; they must have died due to the unbearable pain.


    Tang Yuan stood by, eyes widened in disbelief as he watched Ling Chen¡¯s transformation. He considered himself to have a strong mentality, but this scene still left him utterly shaken.


    Watching Ling Chen¡¯s agonized expression, Tang Yuan asked urgently, "How are you, are you okay?"


    Ling Chen seemed not to hear him, gasping heavily as if he had lost control over his bodily functions, saliva and mucus all streaming out.


    Not only that, but Ling Chen¡¯s hair was growing rapidly, and in no time, his close-cropped hair had grown long enough to brush his shoulders.


    "Ling Chen..."


    Seeing his change, Tang Yuan was at a loss for words to describe his shock.


    Suddenly, Ling Chen¡¯s head snapped up, his pupils turned a fearsome red. Without waiting for Tang Yuan to speak, Ling Chen¡¯s legs kicked out, and he vaulted over Tang Yuan¡¯s head, charging towards the exit¡¯s iron door.


    His fist hammered out, apanied by a crisp ¡¯ng¡¯ sound, and an indent immediately appeared on the surface of the iron door.


    Tang Yuan, who was hurrying from behind, watched with his eyes wide and tongue-tied as Ling Chen, with sheer force of a single punch, dented the iron door that was ten centimeters thick¡ªa door that even a grenade couldn¡¯t destroy.


    That strength-enhancing drug was just too monstrous.


    At this moment, Ling Chen seemed to have gone mad, pounding the iron door with punch after punch tirelessly.


    The thick iron door gradually dented inward, forming a crack.


    ...


    In the Boyang Company¡¯s office, Zhu Hong stared at Ling Chen¡¯s performance through the surveince footage, his gaze frozen, sitting there in a daze. Ling Chen¡¯s demonstrated abilities had already stunned him.


    It took a while before he came back to his senses and hurriedly said, "Record it, quickly record it."


    When he said this, his tone was tinged with excitement.


    The organization¡¯s newly developed drug wasn¡¯t suitable for everyone because human body functions vary, resulting in different levels of rejection¡ªmild cases are bedridden, severe cases end in death.


    The research experiments they had been conducting aimed to adjust theponents of the strength-enhancing drug so that it could be used by everyone.


    Just now, he had witnessed Ling Chen inject himself with twenty milliliters of the strength-enhancing drug.


    If it were anyone else, they would have sumbed to the effects of the drug and died from bodily explosion by now, but Ling Chen had persevered, which was undeniably a breakthrough. Through this, they might find a way to improve the form of the drug.


    At this moment, there was less than two minutes left before the self-destruct program activated.


    Under Ling Chen¡¯s continuous assault, the surface of the iron door had already cracked. However, the crack was onlyrge enough for a child around four or five years old to squeeze through; it was hopeless for an adult.


    Just then, Ling Chen, who had been throwing punches, suddenly paused. Following that, he spat out blood and fell backward.


    "Ling Chen!"


    Tang Yuan was shocked and rushed to his side, lifting his head up.


    "Ling Chen, wake up!" he yelled loudly.


    However, Ling Chen seemed to have fallen into a deepa; although he was still breathing, no matter how much he was called, he couldn¡¯t be woken up.


    "How is his condition?"


    In this critical moment, an elderly voice suddenly came from outside the iron door.


    Tang Yuan looked up and saw a person appearing outside the crack in the door¡ªit was He Ziyun.


    His face lit up with relief, "Old Leader."


    "Step aside!"


    Tang Yuan responded and hurriedly moved Ling Chen to a distance.


    In an instant, a long sword struck, forcefully piercing through the iron door. Then, with a ¡¯bang¡¯, the crack Ling Chen had made widened further, now justrge enough for an adult to pass through.


    Seeing this, Tang Yuan, without another word, immediately took Ling Chen out.


    "Old Leader, you go ahead and take Ling Chen to safety, I¡¯ll go rescue the others."


    "Be careful yourself." After saying that, He Ziyun sheathed the ancient Han Dynasty long sword and, with one hand holding Ling Chen and a light tap of his foot, whisked away like a swift gust of wind.


    Having escaped the base, He Ziyun ced Ling Chen on the ground and reached out to check his breath, his eyes suddenly grew solemn.


    Ling Chen¡¯s vital signs were fading; if they didn¡¯t find a way to stabilize him quickly, it wouldn¡¯t be long before even a deity could not save him.

 Chapter 157 - 154: Saving Lives

    <h4>Chapter 157: Chapter 154: Saving Lives</h4><h4></h4>


    Time was of the essence; there was no time for hesitation. He Ziyun reached into his chest and grasped five Golden Needles, thrusting them straight into Ling Chen¡¯s chest.


    In an instant, all five Golden Needles disappeared into Ling Chen¡¯s body. At the same time, Ling Chen seemed to have been injected with a shot of adrenaline, his eyes snapping open as he gasped for air.


    "Hang in there!" He Ziyun shouted softly, hoisting Ling Chen¡¯s body onto his shoulders. With his feet firmly on the ground, he leapt forward at great speed, covering over ten meters in the blink of an eye.


    Not long after they left, Tang Yuan led the others out of the base.


    Boom!


    As soon as everyone barely escaped the base, a violent ze burst forth, causing the ground to copse and the psychiatric hospital that stood on the surface to crumble. In an instant, the mes engulfed everything, shooting up to the sky.


    The shockwave from the explosion spread, affecting those who had not managed to get far away, knocking them to the ground.


    Tang Yuan turned his head back to look at the raging mes spreading across the grounds, feeling a sense of relief as though he had narrowly escaped death. However, the thought of Ling Chen¡¯s uncertain fate immediately tensed his heart again.


    Two minutester, eight Chevrolet SUVs arrived at the scene, along with two ambnces. As backup rushed in, the situation quickly came under control, and everyone who had escaped from the base was detained.


    At that moment, a cellphone rang. Tang Yuan saw that it was Han Bing calling and hurriedly answered.


    "How¡¯s the situation over there?"


    "Everything¡¯s under control, and we¡¯ve almost collected all the evidence, but..."


    "But what?"


    Tang Yuan said in a deep voice, "Ling Chen¡¯s in trouble, it¡¯s serious, his condition is unknown, the old chief has already taken him away."


    "Head to the old chief¡¯s ce right away, you must save Ling Chen¡¯s life no matter what," Han Bing uttered urgently.


    "Understood, I¡¯m on my way."


    Boyang Company¡¯s office.


    Zhu Hong looked at the surveince screen that lost its signal, stood up slowly, walked to the floor-to-ceiling windows, stood with his hands behind him, and gazed at the night outside without a word.


    "Boss, our people have confirmed it, a total of fifty-seven people were caught, should we..."


    "No need to worry about them, the core personnel of theb have escaped. Those people don¡¯t know much, they won¡¯t be able to provide any valuable clues."


    "I¡¯m concerned that the higher-ups will me us for the destruction of Base 3."


    "It doesn¡¯t matter, I¡¯ll take the responsibility for this. Besides, although Base 3 is destroyed, we didn¡¯te away empty-handed. At least we found a breakthrough from Ling Chen. Copy the surveince footage we just recorded for me. As long as the people above see it, I believe they¡¯ll keep quiet."


    ...


    Qingyun Martial Arts Hall.


    A car screeched to a stop at the door, the door opened, and He Ziyun leapt out of the driver¡¯s seat, carrying Ling Chen from the back seat and hurriedly rushing into the Martial Arts Academy.


    As soon as the door opened, two busy figures, one tall and one short, hurried to meet them.


    "Mr. He, how¡¯s Ling Chen?" Zhu Xiaozhu, seeing Ling Chen¡¯s pale face and bloodless lips, grew anxious, her eyes full of concern.


    "Don¡¯t ask too many questions right now. Did you prepare everything I asked you to?"


    "It¡¯s all ready, in the room."


    Without another word, He Ziyun quickly carried Ling Chen straight to the bedroom.


    Before getting back, He Ziyun had already notified Zhu Xiaozhu and exined the situation, asking her to prepare the medical equipment.


    Ling Cheny on the bed, opening his eyes in a daze. All he could make out was blurry figures and his consciousness was drifting. His mouth was dry and his tongue parched, as if all the blood in his body was about to evaporate. He desperately wanted water.


    "Water... water..." His mouth gaped open, as if muttering in delirium, incessantly calling for "water."


    "The water¡¯s here." Zhu Xiaozhu hurriedly brought over a cup of water, supported his head, and brought the teacup to his lips.


    However, before he could swallow a sip of water, Ling Chen suddenly started coughing, and tea mixed with fresh blood spewed out.


    "Ling Chen..."


    Seeing the bloodstained water on the bed, Zhu Xiaozhu felt at a loss. Even though she was skilled in medicine, she had never seen such a situation before. Seeing Ling Chen¡¯s unclear consciousness and his deeply furrowed brows, her heart felt as if it was being gripped by a giant hand; her moist eyes shimmered with tears.


    "Give him water; it will make him feel better."


    Hearing He Ziyun¡¯s words, Zhu Xiaozhu again brought the teacup to Ling Chen¡¯s lips. But at this moment, Ling Chen seemed to pass out, losing consciousness. As water was poured into his mouth, it immediately flowed out from the corners of his mouth.


    Seeing this, Zhu Xiaozhu hesitated for a moment, then picked up the teacup, took a sip of water, and bent over. Ignoring the astonished looks from He Ziyun and Little Hua, her soft red lips gently touched Ling Chen¡¯s, delivering the tea water into his mouth.


    Suddenly, Ling Chen seemed to respond, his lips parting ever so slightly, greedily sucking on Zhu Xiaozhu¡¯s lips.


    Their lips pressed together, under Ling Chen¡¯s greedy demand, Zhu Xiaozhu felt her body heat up, a tingly sensations engulfing her, her eyes hazy with intoxication, as if she was about to sink into it at any moment.


    Finally, having fed him a sip of water, Zhu Xiaozhu barely lifted her head, aware of the stunned looks from He Ziyun and Little Hua. She felt her pretty face flush red, as if on fire, her innocenceced with a hint of tempting allure.


    He Ziyun cleared his throat slightly, averted his gaze, and motioned, "Continue."


    Zhu Xiaozhu nodded lightly, suppressing the embarrassment in her heart, continuing to feed Ling Chen the water from the teacup until it was all gone.


    With the replenishment of water, Ling Chen¡¯s condition gradually improved. His furrowed brows finally rxed and his breathing became smooth.


    "That should be enough."


    Zhu Xiaozhu asked with concern, "Mr. He, will he... will he get better?"


    "I don¡¯t know, it¡¯s up to his fate now."


    As he finished speaking, He Ziyun walked to the bed, ced his hand on Ling Chen¡¯s chest. Abruptly, he shouted softly, his fingers forcefully pressing down, and the five Golden Needles previously inserted into Ling Chen¡¯s body immediately popped out.


    As the Golden Needles were removed, Ling Chen¡¯s breathing was immediately disrupted, bing more and more rapid, as if he could suffocate at any moment.


    Seeing this, He Ziyun did not hesitate, quickly stripped Ling Chen, and flipped his body over, back facing up.


    "Xiaozhu, apply the needles."


    "Bai Hui, Water Gutter, Feng Fu, Qu Pool, Yanglingquan, He Gu, Taichong..."


    Listening to the acupuncture points He Ziyun called out, Zhu Xiaozhu, having collected herself, inserted silver needles one by one.


    Before long, Ling Chen¡¯s back was fully studded with silver needles.


    Once all the needles were applied, countless beads of sweat emerged from Ling Chen¡¯s pores, emitting a strange scent.


    He Ziyun straightened his body, letting him sit up on the bed, allowing the beads of sweat to slide off his skin.


    Watching the beads of sweat gradually lessen, He Ziyun couldn¡¯t help but cast a nce at Zhu Xiaozhu beside him.


    She clearly understood his meaning, but with Ling Chen¡¯s safety at stake, she put aside the shyness in her heart. At that moment, Little Hua had already proactively brought the tea water to her.

 Chapter 158 - 155: Sober

    <h4>Chapter 158: Chapter 155: Sober</h4><h4></h4>


    After continuously feeding several cups of water, until the sweat on Ling Chen¡¯s body had stopped, He Ziyun finally nodded, signaling her to stop.


    "The residual medication in his body has been cleared out. Now we can only leave it to fate and see how strong his willpower is."


    Zhu Xiaozhu gently ced the nket over Ling Chen, looking at his distinct, heroic, and handsome face, her lips slightly pursed, her eyes barely concealing her concern.


    "Mr. He, what happened to Ling Chen? Why is he injured?"


    "You don¡¯t need to ask too much about this; there are some things that it¡¯s better you don¡¯t know. Little Hua, you stay here with Xiaozhu to take care of Ling Chen, I need to step out for a moment."


    "Yes, Master." Little Hua obediently nodded her head.


    After He Ziyun left, Little Hua, with great interest, looked at Zhu Xiaozhu, who still had a blush on her cheeks, and couldn¡¯t help but tug at her sleeve.


    "What is it?"


    Little Hua giggled, "Xiaozhu, how did it feel just now?"


    "What feeling?" Zhu Xiaozhu was momentarily dazed, then immediately understood what ¡¯feeling¡¯ she was referring to, her face suddenly flushed red, and she gently pinched Little Hua¡¯s chubby cheek, saying annoyed, "You¡¯re just a child, why ask so many questions?"


    "Lightly... lightly... it hurts!"


    Little Hua quickly begged for mercy, finally evading Zhu Xiaozhu¡¯s torment, she pouted her lips, a face full of grievance, "I was just curious, just asking casually."


    "What¡¯s most important now is Ling Chen¡¯s safety."


    Little Hua¡¯s eyes darted around, she whispered, "Xiaozhu, when brother wakes up, should we tell him about what just happened?"


    "No, you mustn¡¯t say a word, or else, be careful I¡¯ll spank you."


    "Xiaozhu, you gave him your first kiss, don¡¯t you want him to take responsibility for you?"


    "That doesn¡¯t mean anything." Zhu Xiaozhu was looking down, her gaze unconsciously drifting towards the sleeping Ling Chen.


    She didn¡¯t know why, but she had impulsively made that gesture earlier. Although it was for treating him, that was still her first kiss, and she had given it to him.


    However, considering that she had gone through that incident that night, what was a first kiss inparison.


    Asking herself, she didn¡¯t regret it in her heart, but instead, there was a slight anticipation. As for what she was anticipating, she couldn¡¯t quite say.


    Now, she only hoped that Ling Chen would recover soon; that was the most important thing.


    ...


    It was unclear how much time had passed, but amidst the haziness, Ling Chen finally regained some rity of mind.


    However, even though his mind was clear, his body was still unresponsive.


    "Am I not dead?" he thought to himself.


    The events of that night were vivid in his mind; he faintly remembered injecting more than twenty milliliters of a strengthening agent and then losing consciousness, knowing nothing after that.


    "Where am I?"


    He struggled to open his eyes, but his body seemed to have lost control, showing no response at all.


    Suddenly, a warm current emerged from nowhere, slowly flowing through his body, through his limbs. As it circted, he felt the fatigue in his body gradually disappearing, seeming to regain some strength.


    Originally, he had hoped that the warm current would revive him, but it onlysted for a moment before dissipating without a trace within his body.


    "Ling Chen, wake up!"


    Suddenly, a familiar voice sounded by his ear. With the little strength he had just regained, Ling Chen struggled to open his eyes and saw He Ziyun by the bedside, saying weakly, "Mr. He."


    He Ziyun smiled and nodded, "You¡¯re finally awake."


    "Mr. He, please help me up."


    "You are too weak now, better to keep lying down. Xiaozhu has gone to prepare medicine for you. Drink the medicine and rest a bit more; in a few days, you should recover."


    Ling Chen turned to look outside the window, seeing the bright sunlight and a brand new day.


    "Mr. He, aboutst night..."


    "Whatst night? It was the night beforest. You¡¯ve been unconscious for a whole day and two nights."


    Ling Chen was shocked, not realizing he had slept for so long.


    "Don¡¯t worry, everyone has been rescued." He Ziyun knew what he was concerned about and continued, "Tang Yuan has gathered all the evidence from that base and has already handed it over to Beijing. Just focus on your recovery, don¡¯t worry about anything else."


    Changing the subject, he asked, "When I was checking your pulse just now, I noticed a very full Qi within you. Have you practiced Inner Strength before?"


    "I practiced for a bit, but it wasn¡¯t effective, so I gave up."


    "If I remember correctly, when we first met, you told me that all your skills came from a secret tome."


    "Right."


    His tome was not only about Martial Arts techniques but also epassed astronomy, geography, medicine, divination, and much more, all recorded in ancient texts, likely essentials passed down from ancient times.


    However, because the records in the tome were overlyplex, it was impossible to master them all in a lifetime. Therefore, he only learned some fist and foot techniques and medical skills, not delving into the rest.


    He Ziyun said gently, "Your martial skills aren¡¯t bad, but Martial Arts is an extensive and profound field. It¡¯s often said, ¡¯train the body externally, Dantian internally; from external to internal for great mastery.¡¯ You¡¯ve perfected your external skills, but your Inner Strength is just beginning. If you want to progress further, you should focus more on Qi Cultivation. Only by integrating internal and external can you be a true Martial Arts master."


    "You managed to survive this ordeal thanks to your strong physical condition. Anyone else would not have been able to bear it."


    "Mr. He, since you are so skilled, could you teach me how to cultivate Qi." Ling Chen humbly asked for guidance.


    Bing stronger was a good thing, of course, he desired it. Before, all his skills were self-taught from the secret tome, relying solely on his own interpretations and practical experience. To put it simply, he had always carved his own path without guidance from others.


    Train the body externally, Dantian internally.


    The former is easy to understand: with hard work and effort, anyone can achieve it. However, cultivating the Qi in the Dantian is extremely difficult. Moreover, the records in the tome were obscure and difficult to understand; he had studied them for half a year initially and only grasped the basics, barely crossing the threshold. Since then, his cultivation of Qi had stagnated.


    "Old virgin, I knew this guy had a strong life force, definitely would be fine."


    While he was pondering, a carefree voice came from outside the door.


    Ling Chen turned his head to see Tang Yuan and grinned, "I¡¯ve been to the gates of hell too many times, even King Yan refuses to take me in, there¡¯s nothing I could do."


    "You should really thank the old chief. If it wasn¡¯t for the old chief¡¯s help that night, you would have lost your life."


    Hearing this, Ling Chen turned his gaze to He Ziyun, unaware of this matter.


    He Ziyun exined, "The night you guys carried out the operation, Qiao Zhen called me and asked me to secretly back you up, just in case."

 Chapter 159 - 156 Betting

    <h4>Chapter 159: Chapter 156 Betting</h4><h4></h4>


    So that¡¯s how it is!


    Ling Chen nodded, "Old Tang, have you greeted the Nanrong Family about the situation?"


    "Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ve told them that you¡¯ve been feeling unwell recently. I¡¯ve requested a few days off for you. You can return to work once you¡¯ve recovered."


    "The medicine is ready."


    At that moment, Zhu Xiaozhu, apanied by Little Hua, came in with a bowl of traditional Chinese medicine.


    "Ling Chen, you rest up, we won¡¯t disturb you further."


    "Big Brother." Little Hua climbed up to the bed with a giggle, "You¡¯re finally awake. These past few days, Xiaozhu has been taking care of you day and night. She¡¯s exhausted."


    Zhu Xiaozhu¡¯s face turned red, and she scolded gently, "Stop pouting."


    Meanwhile, He Ziyun who was walking to the door turned back and said, "Little Hua,e with me, I have something to tell you."


    Little Hua nced at Ling Chen, then at Zhu Xiaozhu, and unwillingly red at He Ziyun with pursed lips, following him and Tang Yuan out of the room reluctantly.


    "Drink it while it¡¯s hot."


    Zhu Xiaozhu helped him sit up, leaning against the headboard, then handed over the traditional Chinese medicine.


    Enduring the bitterness that assaulted his taste buds, Ling Chen gulped it down, took a long breath, and smiled, "Thank you for taking care of me."


    "We¡¯re friends, no need for formalities." As she spoke, Zhu Xiaozhu pulled out a white handkerchief and gently wiped the remnants of the medicine from the corner of his mouth.


    This intimate gesture suddenly made Ling Chen somewhat ufortable, experiencing an indescribable feeling.


    "Xiaozhu, you..."


    "You¡¯ve just woken up, you should rest more." After she spoke, Zhu Xiaozhu put away the bowl and turned to leave.


    Ling Chen felt puzzled, sensing an inexplicable coldness in Zhu Xiaozhu¡¯s words. Strange, he didn¡¯t think he had offended her. Besides, she had just helped him wipe his mouth a moment ago, so why this sudden change?


    As he was contemting, Zhu Xiaozhu suddenly turned back and handed him a cell phone, "You¡¯ve been unconscious thesest few days, and your phone has been with me. Several people have called you. I was afraid it might cause misunderstandings, so I didn¡¯t answer for you."


    "It¡¯s fine."


    Ling Chen gave a slight smile, watching Zhu Xiaozhu leave, then picked up his phone to see several missed calls. Two from Nanrong Wanqing, one from Su Lin, four from Nanrong Hao, two from Leng Feifei, and one from Liu Xiyao.


    Nanrong Wanqing, Su Lin, and Nanrong Hao¡ªhe could guess, they must have learned he was ill and called to check on him. Leng Feifei was not surprising, since he had saved her that day, and she was probably calling to thank him. But Liu Xiyao, he had treated her less than a month ago, made him wonder what she wanted.


    Just as he was pondering, he saw Little Hua sneak back into the room from the door.


    "Big Brother."


    Ling Chen chuckled, "Why did youe back?"


    Little Hua pouted her lips, looking aggrieved, and on the verge of tears said, "Don¡¯t you want to see Little Hua?"


    "Who said that, of course I do." Ling Chen quickly corrected himself, fearing the little girl would cry.


    At those words, Little Hua immediately cheered up and with a beaming smile asked, "Big Brother, what did Xiaozhu say to you?"


    "Say what? She didn¡¯t say much. What¡¯s wrong? Eh! Little Hua, don¡¯t you stay with Xiaozhu all the time? When Xiaozhu came just now, she seemed a bit off. I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve offended her."


    "How have you not offended her, it¡¯s because you don¡¯t realize it." Little Hua leaned in close to his ear and whispered, "Let me tell you, Xiaozhu is very unhappy right now, you had better gofort her."


    Ling Chen was full of confusion, "I¡¯ve only just woken up and hardly spoken a couple of words to her, how could I have made her unhappy?"


    Little Hua hummed, "It¡¯s because you¡¯re entangled with so many women."


    Er... Ling Chen suddenly realized, could it be because of those missed calls? That couldn¡¯t be, just a few calls, is it necessary to be unhappy?


    Could it be...


    He had a sudden shock, an idea involuntarily sprang to mind, stuttering, "That... Little Hua, you¡¯re not trying to tell me that Xiaozhu is... jealous, are you?"


    Little Hua looked at him with an expression that screamed ¡¯teachable child¡¯ and said with a giggle, "Seems like there¡¯s still hope for you."


    "This..."


    Ling Chen found it somewhat unbelievable, feeling like his brain was about to crash.


    Zhu Xiaozhu likes him?


    This news hade too suddenly, and he wasn¡¯t mentally prepared at all.


    "Little Hua, are you sure? You can¡¯t joke about this kind of thing."


    "Big brother, trust me, as a woman, my sixth sense is very urate, it never fails."


    Ling Chen gave her a once-over and curled his lips, this little girl hadn¡¯t even fully developed yet, and she dared to call herself a woman. Little Hua, sensing the doubt in his eyes, immediately felt disgruntled and put her hands on her hips, "If you don¡¯t believe it, how about we make a bet?"


    "What¡¯s the bet?"


    Little Hua¡¯s big, shiny eyes began to turn slightly, and a devilishly clever smile appeared on her chubby cheeks.


    "If you lose, you have to kiss Xiaozhu in front of all of us."


    "Kiss her by force? No way, I¡¯m not doing that."


    If it were just the two of them, he might have epted, but to do it in front of others, let¡¯s not talk about his embarrassment, Zhu Xiaozhu probably wouldn¡¯t be able to ept it either.


    "Little girl, if I lose... how about I buy you two lollipops, how¡¯s that?"


    Little Hua¡¯s eyes widened, "Big brother, you¡¯re so shameless, thinking you can get rid of me with just two lollipops. Final offer, two boxes of lollipops, not one less."


    "OK!" Ling Chen smiled broadly, "Tell me, how are you going to prove it?"


    "Don¡¯t rush, I will make the arrangements, just you wait and see," Little Hua said with full confidence.


    ...


    After resting for three days at Qingyun Martial Arts Hall, Ling Chen¡¯s body finally started to recover.


    "Mr. He, Xiaozhu, Little Hua, thank you for taking care of me these days."


    "Why the courtesy." He Ziyun said with a casual smile, "If you¡¯re free in the future,e to the Martial Arts Academy, and I¡¯ll teach you Qi Cultivation."


    "Sure, I¡¯ll definitelye."


    With that, he nced at Zhu Xiaozhu, who was looking down, seemingly intentionally avoiding his gaze. He then turned his attention to Little Hua.


    This little girl kept saying she would help prove that Zhu Xiaozhu liked him, yet there had been no movement these past few days, leaving him to wonder what she was scheming.


    Seeming to understand what he was thinking, Little Hua winked at him and said with a chuckle, "Big brother, remember to keep in touch."


    "I¡¯ll be going back now."


    Waving his hand, Ling Chen turned and walked out of the Martial Arts Hall with Tang Yuan¡¯spany.


    He had just got into the car when Little Hua came hopping over and leaned on the car window, looking at Ling Chen inside the car.


    "Little girl, is there something else?"


    "Big brother, are you free tomorrow evening?"


    "I should be."


    "Fine, I¡¯ll contact you tomorrow evening, and when things work out, don¡¯t forget my lollipops."


    "Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t forget. Bye!"


    The car started, and Tang Yuan drove onto the road, curious, "What¡¯s happening tomorrow evening?"


    "Why ask so much, just drive your car."


    Ling Chen turned to look out of the car window, feeling inexplicably a mix of anticipation and nervousness. To say he had no feelings for Zhu Xiaozhu would be a lie. However, as a gloriously inexperienced virgin who had never been in a rtionship, he felt somewhat at a loss on how to proceed with such matters.

 Chapter 160 - 157: Returning to the Company

    <h4>Chapter 160: Chapter 157: Returning to the Company</h4><h4></h4>


    Today is Thursday, and Nanrong Wanqing is still at work in thepany, so Ling Chen and Tang Yuan drove directly to the headquarters of Hongyu Group.


    "Hey, Old Tang, didn¡¯t Mr. Han ask you to personally escort that exoskeleton armor to Beijing? When are you leaving?" In the elevator, Ling Chen casually asked.


    "It¡¯ll be a few more days. Just after such an incident urred, Mr. Han and the others are busy dealing with it and don¡¯t have the energy to take care of too many things right now."


    "Be careful when you do."


    During the conversation, they heard the ¡¯ding¡¯ of a crisp sound, and the elevator arrived at the top floor of Hongyu Group.


    Walking into the chairman¡¯s office, Ling Chen saw Nanrong Wanqing sitting in a wheelchair, buried in paperwork at the desk, with a cup of coffee ced aside, its steam already dissipated.


    Hearing the door, Nanrong Wanqing lifted her head, her beautiful eyes slightly lighting up as she saw Ling Chen approaching, her thin lips brimming with a faint smile.


    "Are you feeling better? Tang Yuan said you¡¯ve been sick recently, and you haven¡¯t been answering calls; everyone¡¯s been worried about you."


    Ling Chen smiled and patted his robust chest, "I¡¯m fine, thank you for your concern. Chairman, if there¡¯s nothing else, I¡¯ll go find Captain Zhong now."


    He had meant to let Nanrong Wanqing knowst time that he had returned to the team.


    "Wait a minute!" Nanrong Wanqing pushed her wheelchair around from the desk, "Tang Yuan, you go down first. I have something to talk to Ling Chen about."


    "Alright, you two have a good chat." Tang Yuan smiled, sent a suggestive look to Ling Chen, and walked out of the office.


    "Take a seat."


    Ling Chen, unceremoniously, sat down on the sofa and with azy posture said, "What does the chairman want to talk with me about?"


    "Nanrong Hao has partnered with others to open several courierpanies, did you know that?"


    "Did he tell you that?"


    Of course, he knew about it. Not only did he know, but Nanrong Hao and his partners also gave him twenty-five percent of the shares. He intended to refuse, but Nanrong Hao, Jiang Hao, and Zhao Zhengxiong all made their stance clear, so his refusal was of no use.


    "No, he didn¡¯t tell me; I heard it from others. I heard that he even went to negotiate with someone that day."


    Ling Chen immediately realized that there was no wall in the world that did not let some wind through. That night, he took Nanrong Hao to see Qi Jianhui and invoked the Nanrong Family name, which must have been why the matter spread.


    Nanrong Wanqing, who controlled the top enterprise of Hongyu Group in East Sea City with substantial assets, had a brother who ran off to start courierpanies, which inevitably led to criticism and mockery. Nanrong Wanqing must have heard plenty of gossip, hence her seeking a conversation.


    "I know about this, and I was involved. What¡¯s the matter, do you have an opinion on his involvement in this?"


    "I have no objections. As long as he is on the right path, I won¡¯t stop whatever he does. But I neither support nor oppose this matter. Besides, if he wants to stand on his own, he can¡¯t use the Nanrong family¡¯s name anymore. Otherwise, it wouldn¡¯t be meaningful for him."


    Hearing this, Ling Chen immediately understood her meaning and nodded, "I agree."


    If Nanrong Hao used the Nanrong Family¡¯s name for business, others would definitely give way and not dare to trouble him too much; some might even take the opportunity to ingratiate themselves with Nanrong Hao to court favor with the Nanrong family. In this manner, it wouldn¡¯t be hard for Nanrong Hao to smoothly build a business.


    But Nanrong Wanqing did not wish for this to happen. If one wants to stand on their own, they must learn to endure the hardships; without facing rains and storms, how can one see the rainbow? Only through constant trials can one grow through setbacks.


    Her thoughtful intentions as an older sister weremendable.


    "I will make it clear that all of Nanrong Hao¡¯s affairs have nothing to do with Hongyu Group. I will not intervene on his behalf, nor will I acknowledge any favors he epts."


    "Okay, I will pass the message on to Haozi, I believe he will be very happy."


    "Thank you for that."


    After she finished speaking, Nanrong Wanqing pushed her wheelchair back to her desk and continued to busy herself with thepany¡¯s affairs.


    Ling Chen stood up, walked over to her, picked up the cup of coffee that had gone cold, and reced it with a cup of warm water.


    "Drink less coffee; it¡¯s not good for your health. If you need to stay alert, just call me. I can give you a massage to relieve the fatigue."


    Nanrong Wanqing rolled her eyes and her face blushed slightly, but her heart felt warm, with an indescribable taste of sweetness.


    Leaving the chairman¡¯s office, Ling Chen took the elevator straight down to the security department on the first floor.


    As soon as he entered, he saw Tang Yuan sitting at the desk, chatting with Wei Jun, while Zhong Wei was busy organizing documents.


    "Ling Chen, perfect timing, there¡¯s something I want to discuss with you."


    "Captain Zhong, what¡¯s up?"


    "Today, thepany held a job fair outside, and there will be a few interviewster. I want to rmend a few formerrades to join the first security team, have a look at them."


    "Captain Zhong, you decide on these matters. As they are all yourrades, there should be no problem."


    Right now, the first team has too few members, only five including him, Tang Yuan, Zhong Wei, Liang Zhao Hui, and Zhou Qing. Tang Yuan is a ghost member who joined the Hongyu Group because of a mission. Once he delivers the exoskeleton armor back to Beijing, his mission in East Sea City will end, and then there will be only four members left, which will cause a shortage of manpower.


    "That won¡¯t do. The chairman has ordered that from now on, any personnel arrangements for the first team must have your consent. Besides, it¡¯s a good opportunity to get to know them," insisted Zhong Wei.


    Ling Chen scratched his head. When did Nanrong Wanqing give him this authority? He had no idea.


    "Alright, just let me know when they¡¯re here."


    "Hey, by the way!" Tang Yuan fiddled with a pen in his hand and casually said, "Snake King has been quiet recently, do you think he has given up?"


    "You know him as well as I do. Without a good opportunity, he won¡¯t make a move. In any case, everyone should not let down their guard."


    After lunch and a half-hour nap in the office, Ling Chen received a call from Zhong Wei, asking him to join the interview in the meeting room in a few minutes.


    With some time to spare, he took the opportunity to go to the restroom and wash his face.


    At that moment, a young man with gold-framed sses rushed in, standing in front of the mirror, looking nervous, continually washing his hands under the tap.


    Ling Chen nced at him and, noticing his unfamiliar face and difort, couldn¡¯t help asking, "Friend, you alright?"


    "I¡¯m... I¡¯m fine," replied the young man, managing a strained smile.


    "Are you a staff member of thepany?" He seemed too nervous forfort, and as security personnel, Ling Chen couldn¡¯t help but be suspicious.


    "Not yet, I hope to be an employee of thispany in the future."


    Ling Chen instantly understood; the young man was here for an interview, no wonder he was so nervous. Smiling, he said, "Don¡¯t be afraid, perk up, have confidence in yourself. I wish you sess in your interview in advance."


    "Thank you!"

 Chapter 161 - 158: The Whereabouts of Nanrong Gang

    <h4>Chapter 161: Chapter 158: The Whereabouts of Nanrong Gang</h4><h4></h4>


    Entering the conference room, Zhong Wei had already arrived, sitting in front of him were two men, both around thirty years old, with crew cuts, wearing crisp suits, meticulous, exuding a tough aura.


    Ling Chen sized them up and nodded inwardly; even after leaving the military, ex-servicemen still maintained a rigorous style,plied absolutely with orders, which is why manyrge corporations prefer to hire them for security.


    Upon seeing him approach, the two men promptly stood up, behaving very politely.


    "Have a seat," Ling Chen grinned, "You are all Captain Zhong¡¯s oldrades and our own people. No need for such courtesy."


    "Ling Chen, let me introduce you. This is Song Xiong, he used to be amunications soldier in the military, recognized for his outstanding performance with three second-ss merit medals and one first-ss merit medal. And this is Lu Haifeng, a special forces soldier with a richbat experience. He has participated in numerous external missions, and the military wanted to retain him to be an instructor, but personal reasons led him to choose to discharge."


    Ling Chen said with a smile: "Since both of you caught Captain Zhong¡¯s eye, there¡¯s definitely no question about your capabilities, and I trust you. However, our first security team, though under the security department, acts more like private bodyguards. Moreover, with the chairman¡¯s personal safety being threatened recently, there are certain risks involved. Both of you need to think it over clearly."


    "Mr. Ling, rest assured, Captain Zhong has already made things very clear to us. We wouldn¡¯t be here otherwise," replied Lu Haifeng earnestly.


    "That¡¯s good to hear. Since neither of you have objections, on behalf of Hongyu Group, I wee you aboard."


    During the conversation, the meeting room¡¯s door was pushed open, and a young man with gold-rimmed sses peeked his head in timidly.


    "Excuse me, is this where the interview is taking ce?"


    Seeing him, Ling Chen¡¯s lips curved up slightly; wasn¡¯t this the guy he just ran into in the restroom?


    "You¡¯re in the wrong ce, this is the security department¡¯s interview. The room next door is where your interview should be," Zhong Wei hinted.


    "I¡¯m sorry for the interruption," said the young man, his face slightly red, as he hurriedly retreated.


    Ling Chen found it amusing; how could such a grown man be so timid like a woman.


    After sorting out the recruitment matters, Ling Chen was about to return to his office when his pocket suddenly vibrated with the ringing of his phone.


    Upon seeing the caller ID, Ling Chen¡¯s heart lightened ¨C it was Hu Fei.


    "Hello, Fatty, have you recovered from your injuries?"


    "I¡¯ve been fine for a while now. Are you guys free tonight? Let¡¯s go out for dinner to celebrate my narrow escape. Plus, I have something to tell you."


    "Alright, you set the time and ce, and Old Tang and I will be there."


    In the evening.


    After dropping off Nanrong Wanqing at home, Ling Chen and Tang Yuan drove to a small restaurant.


    This small restaurant was tucked away in a side alley by the road, rather basic surroundings. When they entered, there were few diners inside, who appeared to be localborers based on their attire.


    The only private room in the restaurant, already reserved by Hu Fei, had him sitting at a greasy round table fiddling with a bottle of his own Moutai.


    Tang Yuanined, "I say Fatty Hu, you¡¯re worth at least ten million, yet you invite us to this ce for dinner, isn¡¯t that too stingy? After all, I am your lifesaver."


    Hu Fei red, "Am I that petty? Let me tell you, despite this restaurant¡¯s poor conditions, they serve the most authentic boiled fish in East Sea City. If it weren¡¯t for my rtionship with the owner of this restaurant, you wouldn¡¯t even get the chance to taste it."


    "Don¡¯t take Old Tang seriously; he¡¯s just got a loose tongue," Ling Chenughed, "We aren¡¯t fussy about the ce, as long as there¡¯s good food."


    "Come on, this is the treasured Moutai I¡¯ve kept. Fill everyone¡¯s sses," Hu Fei said eagerly as he poured the liquor for them, and then he picked up his cup and sipped it contently.


    While waiting for the dishes to arrive, Ling Chen asked, "Didn¡¯t you say you had something else to tell me?"


    "You didn¡¯t remind me, I almost forgot. Remember you asked me to look for someone named Nanrong Gang, right? I¡¯ve used quite a few resources, and I haven¡¯t let you down."


    Ling Chen¡¯s eyes sparkled, "Where is he?"


    Hu Fei pointed downwards with his hand.


    "What do you mean?"


    "That Nanrong Gang has already been buried."


    "Dead?" Ling Chen¡¯s face was filled with surprise and disbelief, "Are you sure he¡¯s dead?"


    "Do I look like I¡¯m lying to you? Absolutely sure." Saying so, Hu Fei pulled out an envelope from his pocket and tossed it on the table, "Look for yourself."


    Ling Chen tore open the envelope; there were several photographs inside, one of which was of an old man in his sixties or seventies, with a wrinkled face, bald head, white beard, and a malnourished appearance.


    Just by looking at his face, he bore some resemnce to Nanrong Yong.


    Another photo was of a graveside tombstone, detailing the old man¡¯s death, which happened three years ago.


    "He has been living abroad all these years, never returning home. ording to the information I¡¯ve gathered, he lived a hard life abroad, relying on government assistance," Hu Fei stated.


    Ling Chen nodded, put the photos back in the envelope, and asked: "Does he have any descendants?"


    "None, he lived alone abroad all these years, with no wife or children. Although, he was married when he was young, but they divorced before he went abroad, no children then. I wanted to look up his ex-wife for you, but with all these years passed, aside from a name, there¡¯s nothing, don¡¯t even know what she looks like, too difficult to track."


    "No need to look into that."


    With that, Ling Chen furrowed his brows and thought to himself.


    Last time Nanrong Yong told him in person that the person behind the threats to Nanrong Wanqing was Nanrong Gang. But now Nanrong Gang had died, and judging by his life abroad, he couldn¡¯t possibly have afforded to hire the Snake King.


    Being amongst the top ten on the assassin list, the Snake King¡¯s fee wouldn¡¯t be low, at least several million.


    If it wasn¡¯t Nanrong Gang orchestrating everything from behind the scenes, then who could it be?


    Probably only Nanrong Yong would know.


    Soon, a big pot of boiled fish was brought into the room. The owner of the restaurant, a man in his forties with yellowishplexion and an honest look, someone who has endured hardship.


    "Boss Hu, enjoy your meal. Call me if you need anything."


    "Alright, Liu, you go ahead."


    Fatty Hu whispered to them with a mysterious smile, "You guys don¡¯t need to ask,e on, let¡¯s eat while it¡¯s hot."


    After the meal, Ling Chen and Tang Yuan couldn¡¯t stop praising the taste of the boiled fish. Both were seasoned foodies, having eaten all around from south to north, domestically and internationally, yet agreed that the small restaurant¡¯s dish was even more authentic than those crafted by so-called top chefs.

 Chapter 162 - 159: Shall We Make An Appointment?

    <h4>Chapter 162: Chapter 159: Shall We Make An Appointment?</h4><h4></h4>


    Returning to the Nanrong Family house, it was already past eight o¡¯clock.


    After sending Tang Yuan back to his room, Ling Chen went alone to the bedroom where Nanrong Yong resided.


    "Ling Chen, what brings you here today? Please, have a seat." Nanrong Yong warmly weed him into the room and personally brewed a cup of tea for him.


    Ling Chen, feeling ttered, said: "Elder, you are too kind."


    "You saved Wanqing, you are a great benefactor of our Nanrong Family. Serving you tea is the least I can do," after saying this, Nanrong Yong shifted the topic, "What brings you here sote? Is there something you need?"


    "Elder,st time you asked me to help find Nanrong Gang¡¯s whereabouts, I¡¯ve found him."


    Upon hearing this, Nanrong Yong¡¯s expression changed drastically, his smile vanished instantly and he asked with a slightly cold tone, "Where is he?"


    "You should see for yourself." With that, Ling Chen handed over a few photographs to Nanrong Yong.


    Viewing the photographs, Nanrong Yong¡¯s gaze became fixed, and he did not shift his eyes for a long time, his expressionplex.


    "Elder, is this the person?"


    "Indeed, it is him," Nanrong Yong nodded slightly, sighing deeply, "I never thought he was already dead."


    "Elder, you previously suspected that the person who plotted against the chairman was Nanrong Gang, but Nanrong Gang died three years ago, indicating that it wasn¡¯t him who was covertly targeting the chairman. Do you have any other suspects?"


    "I don¡¯t know. If anyone in this world hated the Nanrong Family enough, he was the only person I could think of. All these years, whatever the Nanrong Family has gone through, I believed it was his revenge, but now... s!" Nanrong Yong leaned back against the sofa, his aged eyes reflecting a trace of fatigue.


    "Ling Chen, let this matter of Nanrong Gang rest; there¡¯s no need to investigate further. As for Wanqing..."


    "Elder, rest assured, I will not utter an extra word."


    "Much obliged."


    After Ling Chen left, Nanrong Yong got up and approached the safe, pulling out a patterned wooden box.


    Opening the box, he picked up a yellowed photograph and stared at it for a long time. In the photo, two young men in shirts were embracing each other¡¯s shoulders, smiling brightly at the camera.


    "After so many years, to think I didn¡¯t even get to see you onest time; did I really misjudge you?"


    Back in the vi.


    Ling Chen passed through the living room, intending to head to his bedroom. At that moment, he saw Su Lin lying on the couch, wearing a cute pajama set, her head resting on her arms, deeply asleep.


    The neckline of the pajama was originally rather low, and with Su Lin lying on her side, half of her bust was exposed, revealing the allure beneath without obstruction.


    This unexpected temptation nearly made Ling Chen nosebleed.


    This girl really wasn¡¯t careful about her image; wasn¡¯t she afraid of a wardrobe malfunction?


    While he contemted, Su Lin in her sleep stretched a hand to scratch an itch on her legs, consequently pulling up the hem of her pajama, suddenly uncovering a pair of snow-white beautiful legs for Ling Chen to see, making him swallow his saliva.


    There was no helping it; the girl¡¯s posture was too enticing. If it weren¡¯t for his strong self-control, he might have already lost hisposure.


    "No, no..." he muttered to himself, fearing that he might lose control over the primal energies within him if he continued looking. Although he thought this, his eyes remained unblinkingly fixed on that deep cleavage.


    He really wanted to dive into it.


    Amitabha Buddha, even food and lust are natural; the Buddha himself said so, staring a bit longer is only reasonable.


    "Ling Chen, what are you looking at?"


    "Just then, Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s voice came over, startling Ling Chen, who grinned like a thief and said, ¡¯No, I wasn¡¯t looking at anything, I¡¯m going to take a shower first.¡¯ After speaking, he quickly walked into his room.


    Nanrong Wanqing strangely wheeled herself down the staircase rail and headed straight to the sofa, looking at Su Lin¡¯s seductive pose, her pretty face couldn¡¯t help but blush slightly. No wonder Ling Chen looked so odd just now, as if he had a guilty conscience.


    With that thought, she gently patted Su Lin¡¯s cheek to wake her up.


    ¡¯Wanqing...¡¯ Su Lin rubbed her sleepy eyes, ¡¯What¡¯s up?¡¯


    Nanrong Wanqing scolded softly, ¡¯You know there¡¯s a man in the house, yet you¡¯re so careless. From now on, sleep in your room, or you might be seen.¡¯


    ¡¯Man, what man?¡¯ Su Lin¡¯s still sleepy face was puzzled.


    ¡¯Ling Chen is back, did you forget?¡¯


    Su Lin looked at her own messy pajamas and shyly said, ¡¯I was so tired at school today, um... did Ling Chen just get here? Did... did he see anything?¡¯


    ¡¯He saw whatever there was to see.¡¯


    Su Lin¡¯s face turned red as she muttered, ¡¯That pervert.¡¯


    ¡¯How can you me him, it¡¯s your own fault for not being careful.¡¯


    Hearing this, Su Lin¡¯s eyes gleamed, and sheughed yfully, ¡¯Wanqing, you¡¯ve changed quite a bittely, even starting to take his side.¡¯


    ¡¯Not at all, I¡¯m just being objective.¡¯


    ¡¯Really?¡¯ Su Lin looked meaningfully at her, ¡¯Wanqing, you¡¯ve always refused to tell me what happened during those two days in the woods. But since that day, your attitude towards Ling Chen seems different. Come clean, did something inappropriate for children happen when you two were alone?¡¯


    ¡¯What inappropriate? Nothing like that.¡¯ Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s neck turned crimson as she replied angrily, ¡¯Your mind is getting increasingly impure.¡¯


    ¡¯I don¡¯t believe it. A man and a woman alone, and nothing happened? If truly nothing happened, would you let him teach Zhu Hong a lesson? Wanqing, you might deceive others but not me. I know perfectly well how important Zhu Hong is to you, your neutrality that day said it all.¡¯


    After this, she nced at Ling Chen¡¯s bedroom and whispered, ¡¯Wanqing, tell me truthfully, do you have feelings for him?¡¯


    ¡¯Who, who likes him? Don¡¯t talk nonsense.¡¯


    Angered and embarrassed, Nanrong Wanqing picked up a cushion and threw it hard, ¡¯Say that again, and see if I don¡¯t kick you out?¡¯


    ¡¯Okay okay, I won¡¯t say anymore.¡¯ Su Lin caught the cushion thrown by Nanrong Wanqing, her eyes teasing, ¡¯Wanqing, if it were before, you would have kept a straight face, not saying a single unnecessary word, even refusing to defend yourself, but now... stop, don¡¯t throw anymore, isn¡¯t it okay if I stop talking?¡¯


    Ignoring Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s reproachful look, she giggled softly, ¡¯I¡¯m going back to my room.¡¯


    Running upstairs, Su Lin suddenly turned her head back, seriously saying, ¡¯Wanqing, although you¡¯re usually cold, I think this is the real you.¡¯


    Watching Su Lin reach the second floor, Nanrong Wanqing lowered her head, reflecting on Su Lin¡¯s words just now, aplicated expression shing through her beautiful eyes. She could feel it too, whenever Ling Chen was mentioned, her tranquil heart would ripple subtly.


    At this moment, the bedroom door opened, Ling Chen appeared in his boxers, bare-chested, wiping his wet hair with a towel as he walked into the kitchen.


    Passing the living room, he noticed Nanrong Wanqing and looked up.


    Simultaneously, Nanrong Wanqing turned her head, meeting his gaze.


    Their eyes locked, and seeing his robust chest, recalling how she once nestled against it, two streaks of red flew up her cheeks, her eyes full of uncontainable shyness, her beauty beyond measure.


    Captivated by her demurely charming demeanor, Ling Chen found himself staring, unable to look away for a long time.


    ¡¯Um... are you free tonight?¡¯ he blurted out unintentionally.


    ¡¯Free. What¡¯s up?¡¯ Nanrong Wanqing looked at him curiously.


    ¡¯Well...¡¯ Ling Chen grinned, recalling a popr online phrase, ¡¯Wanna hang out?¡¯

 Chapter 163 - 160 Watching a Movie

    <h4>Chapter 163: Chapter 160 Watching a Movie</h4><h4></h4>


    "What?" Nanrong Wanqing was momentarily stunned in ce, thinking she had heard wrong, and stared nkly at Ling Chen.


    "There¡¯s nothing." Ling Chen scratched his head. Those two words had just blurted out on a whim, and he really didn¡¯t dare to say such flirtatious words in front of Nanrong Wanqing, fearing that he would be too abrupt for the lovelydy.


    "Wanqing, do you just stay at home after work and not go out?"


    "Uh-huh." Nanrong Wanqing nodded, "It¡¯s too dangerous to go out at night, I don¡¯t want to trouble Zhong Wei and the others."


    "Isn¡¯t that very dull?"


    Staying at home all day, if it were someone else, they would probably be bored to death. Thinking about Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s situation, she must be quite bored too, stuck in the office during the day and cooped up at home at night. Such a life was truly uninteresting.


    With that in mind, he couldn¡¯t help but feel some sympathy for Nanrong Wanqing. If it weren¡¯t for her inconvenience with her legs, why would she need to live like this?


    "It¡¯s still early tonight, how about we go out for a walk?" Ling Chen didn¡¯t know whether it was a devil or god who prompted him, but he suddenly blurted out.


    "Where shall we go?"


    "Anywhere, East Sea City is so big, there are plenty of ces to have fun."


    "But..." Nanrong Wanqing seemed tempted yet hesitated, "Won¡¯t that trouble everyone too much?"


    "It¡¯s fine, Captain Zhong and the others will stay at home, I¡¯ll apany you alone. With me by your side, are you still afraid of danger?" Not waiting for Nanrong Wanqing to refuse, Ling Chen had already turned and walked back to the bedroom, "Sit for a while, I¡¯m going to change my clothes."


    Watching Ling Chen disappear at the door, Nanrong Wanqing felt her pretty face heat up with her fingers tightly intertwined.


    Him apanying her alone, is this... is this a date?


    Unconsciously, the usually calm and smart Wanqing couldn¡¯t help but entertain all sorts of wild thoughts.


    In just a few minutes, Ling Chen, now properly dressed, came out of the bedroom and then pushed the wheelchair toward the Nanrong Family¡¯s house. On the way, no one noticed them.


    At the doorstep, Ling Chen brought out his ssic muscle car.


    A few days ago, this muscle car, which had been damaged in a collision, had been fixed, costing nearly eight hundred thousand, all of which was reimbursed by thepany, saving Ling Chen a considerable expense.


    Sitting in the passenger seat, Nanrong Wanqing watched the car slowly drive onto the road and couldn¡¯t help asking, "Where to?"


    Ling Chen checked the time; it had just turned nine. At this hour, the only ces to have fun were bars and nightclubs, but he definitely couldn¡¯t take Nanrong Wanqing to those kinds of ces. After a moment¡¯s thought, his eyes suddenly brightened with an open smile, "Sit tight."


    With that, he stepped on the gas pedal, and the car¡¯s speed instantly picked up.


    Reaching the city center, Ling Chen parked the car on the side of the road and said, "Wait for me," before getting out alone.


    Soon after, he returned to the car and handed a baseball cap and a face mask to Nanrong Wanqing, "Here, try these."


    "What are these for?"


    "You¡¯ll see in a bit."


    After ten or so minutes of cruising the city, Ling Chen finally drove to their destination.


    Following Ling Chen¡¯s instructions, Nanrong Wanqing put on the face mask and baseball cap to hide her stunning beauty, then, holding onto his neck, sat back in the wheelchair.


    As they entered the elevator with Ling Chen, Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s heart was still filled with curiosity, still unsure where this man intended to take her.


    Ding!


    With a crisp sound, the elevator slowly reached the floor.


    As the elevator doors gradually opened, Nanrong Wanqing saw therge letters that came into view and immediately understood.


    It turned out to be a movie theater.


    "Hey, what kind of movies do you like to watch?" Ling Chen asked, pointing to the film schedule.


    Nanrong Wanqing spoke softly, "I... I¡¯m fine with anything."


    At this moment, her thoughts were not on the movies at all, but on why Ling Chen would bring her to the movie theater. Could this be... a date, as this is a ce that couplese to?


    As she thought about it, a faint blush appeared on her cheeks. Thankfully, the mask covered her face, so Ling Chen beside her didn¡¯t notice.


    "Sir, which movie would you like to watch?" The young ticket seller, with a professional smile, asked politely.


    "Um... do you have any good movies you can rmend?"


    Ling Chen rarely watched movies, so he wasn¡¯t sure how to choose.


    The ticket seller nced at Nanrong Wanqing, who was sitting in the wheelchair, and enthusiastically said, "We have a newly released film that is perfect for couples to watch."


    Upon hearing the word ¡¯couples¡¯, Nanrong Wanqing unconsciously lowered her head to hide the shyness in her eyes.


    Ling Chen nced at her from the corner of his eye and coughed lightly, "Then, please give me two tickets."


    "Sure," the ticket seller drew out two freshly printed tickets, "Sir, that will be a total of one hundred and twenty yuan." As she said this, she turned towards Nanrong Wanqing in the wheelchair and said, "If your girlfriend has a disability certificate, she can get half off."


    Ling Chen frowned secretly, the ticket seller really brought up an unwee topic. He had wanted to take Nanrong Wanqing out for some fun and rxation, but now her mood was probably spoiled by these three words.


    Although Nanrong Wanqing had never expressed anything, he was very aware that she cared deeply about this matter.


    After a moment¡¯s thought, he was about to refuse outright, "No need, I..."


    "I have a disability certificate."


    Before Ling Chen could finish speaking, Nanrong Wanqing had already taken out a disability certificate and handed it over.


    Noticing this, Ling Chen was slightly taken aback, paying attention to the change in Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s expression. However, unexpectedly, Nanrong Wanqing was very calm.


    After buying the tickets, Ling Chen pushed Nanrong Wanqing into the cinema¡¯s lobby.


    "I¡¯m sorry, I didn¡¯t know she would..."


    "It¡¯s okay." Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s tone was serene, "I have already gotten used to it, not to mention she isn¡¯t wrong¡ªI am indeed disabled, and that is an unchangeable fact."


    "I believe you will get better one day."


    "I hope so."


    Upon entering the lobby, the movie hadn¡¯t started yet, and therge cinema was upied only by the two of them.


    Ling Chen ced the wheelchair to the side and then carried Nanrong Wanqing to sit in the back row of the cinema. Seizing the moment before the movie started, he went to buy a bucket of popcorn and a drink.


    "Have you brought other girls here to watch movies before?" Nanrong Wanqing asked softly, out of curiosity or perhaps some other reason.


    "No, you¡¯re the first,"


    "Oh." Nanrong Wanqing responded, her eyes moving, and her pupils shone with an unusual light, as though she was thinking about something.


    A few minutester, as the lights in the hall dimmed, the movie finally began.


    In the spacious hall,rge enough for a hundred people, only the two of them were present. With the lighting dim, Nanrong Wanqing feltfortable removing her cap and mask, unafraid of being recognized by anyone.


    Ling Chen ced the popcorn between them, his gaze fixed on the giant screen, quietly watching the film.


    However, as soon as the opening scene of the movie appeared, both Ling Chen and Nanrong Wanqing were momentarily stunned.

 Chapter 164 - 161: Holding Hands

    <h4>Chapter 164: Chapter 161: Holding Hands</h4><h4></h4>


    On the big screen, the first to appear was a young man and woman, tenderly entwined in bed. Although there was visual editing and objects blocking the view, this not-suitable-for-children scene still made Ling Chen and Nanrong Wanqing very ufortable.


    There was no helping it, they had chosen the movie themselves and had to watch it to the end even with tears in their eyes.


    Besides, everyone was an adult, and watching such scenes wouldn¡¯t hurt anyone. Plus, he hadn¡¯t purposely chosen it; it was rmended by the ticket seller as a couple¡¯s movie.


    He had originally thought it would be a pure romance movie, but now he understood that so-called couple¡¯s movies were actually about creating opportunities for couples.


    As for what kind of opportunities, every man understood.


    After finally getting through the first few minutes of the passionate opening scenes, the movie atst entered the regr plot. Ling Chen quietly breathed a sigh of relief and asionally stole nces at Nanrong Wanqing beside him with the corner of his eye.


    Nanrong Wanqing watched intently, her fair and smooth cheeks still flushed with a touch of red. Under the dim light, she looked even more charming and alluring.


    Thinking back on the passionate scenes they had just watched, and with a beautiful woman by his side, Ling Chen felt an unnamed me rising in his belly that he couldn¡¯t control.


    At that moment, he crossed his legs, trying to conceal his awkwardness, and cursed in his heart that this couple¡¯s movie was really quite harmful.


    Halfway through the movie, the scenes on the big screen suddenly changed, once again shifting to passionate bedroom scenes that were even hotter than before, with every line dripping with seduction.


    Ling Chen swallowed hard and crossed his legs even tighter, continuously reaching for the popcorn bucket.


    It wasn¡¯t just him; Nanrong Wanqing also unconsciously sped up her popcorn eating, as if that was the only way to cover up the awkwardness between them.


    At that time, Ling Chen suddenly froze, his hand in the popcorn bucket stiff and at a loss.


    Just as he reached in, Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s little hand happened to be in the popcorn bucket too. Both of their eyes were focused on the movie screen, paying no attention to the popcorn bucket.


    So, coincidentally, Ling Chen¡¯s big hand intended to grab popcorn but instead grasped Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s small hand.


    Although this wasn¡¯t the first time they had physical contact, the smoothness of Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s little hand still made his heart flutter.


    Secondster, Ling Chen realized that Nanrong Wanqing hadn¡¯t withdrawn her hand but allowed him to hold it.


    Not pulling away, what did that mean?


    As an old virgin who had never been in a rtionship before, aplete novice, even if Ling Chen was slow to catch on, as a man, how could he not understand the implications?


    This meant that Nanrong Wanqing did not reject him.


    Thinking of this, he couldn¡¯t help but feel a bit excited.


    Nanrong Wanqing didn¡¯t withdraw her hand, so naturally, he couldn¡¯t let go either; otherwise, what kind of man would he be?


    At this moment, Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s body was tense,pletely unaware of what the movie was about, the only thought in her head being that Ling Chen had taken the initiative to hold her hand.


    Did he... did he do it on purpose?


    God knows, if Ling Chen realized what was on her mind, he would feel wronged; he just wanted to eat popcorn and had identally grabbed her hand.


    But Nanrong Wanqing didn¡¯t think so; in her heart, she felt it was Ling Chen¡¯s initiative.


    They had held hands, so what would the next step be?


    He wouldn¡¯t want to...


    Kiss?


    At that thought, her cheeks turned crimson, as if ame, and she bit her thin lips lightly, feeling extremely nervous inside.


    But, one minute... two minutes... three minutes passed, and Ling Chen still held onto her small hand without any further action. Seeing this, she suddenly felt an indescribable mix ofplex emotions. Was it disappointment? Or relief?


    For the past twenty-three years, everything she cherished had been taken by the man before her. Whether it was her first kiss or her pure and innocent body, although he hadn¡¯t breached the final line of defense, in her eyes, this man had taken everything from her.


    Perhaps it was because of the Nanrong family¡¯s traditions, deep down she had always been a traditional woman.


    To a traditional woman, the most important thing is her first time. In her opinion, a woman¡¯s purity should only be given to one man.


    For this reason, every time Ling Chen made an intimate gesture, she tried not to resist. In other words, she was trying to ept it.


    If it were any other man who brought her to see this kind of movie, she probably wouldn¡¯t stay for even a second longer.


    Only Ling Chen enjoyed this special treatment.


    Time ticked by, second by second. Neither Ling Chen nor Nanrong Wanqing knew what the movie was about; their minds werepletely elsewhere.


    Ling Chen continued to hold Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s small hand, which was ced inside the popcorn bucket, and never drew it out. The two had maintained this position for a long time.


    Watching Nanrong Wanqing, who was looking straight ahead without moving her eyes, Ling Chen¡¯s heart was extremely conflicted; he was unsure of what to do next.


    Kiss her?


    What if he was rejected? How embarrassing that would be.


    For a moment, he was torn.


    After a while, he gritted his teeth. Damn it, as a man, what is there to be afraid of? If I chicken out at such a crucial moment, am I still a man?


    With this thought, he steeled his resolve, turned his head, preparing for the next step. But at this moment, with her face blushing red and looking down, Wanqing whispered softly, "I... I want to eat some popcorn."


    Uh...


    With an awkward smile, Ling Chen reluctantly let go of her hand.


    What a pity!


    Now even the chance was gone.


    One and a half hours passed, and the two of them finally finished watching the movie amidst their ¡¯painful¡¯ endurance.


    Upon exiting the hall, the young girl who was in charge of ticket sales looked at them with a smiling face and politely said, "We wee both of you toe again."


    "Definitely, definitely," Ling Chen mumbled perfunctorily, quickly pushing Nanrong Wanqing into the elevator.


    All the way back to the car, Nanrong Wanqing remained silent, just fiddling with the hem of her clothing.


    "Are you hungry?" Ling Chen broke the silence between them, asking.


    Nanrong Wanqing nodded lightly, "A little."


    "Let¡¯s go, I¡¯ll take you to eat something." Saying that, he started the car and slowly drove onto the road.


    Before long, they drove to the most bustling area of the city center. This was Snack Street, full of street stalls featuring delicacies from all over the country. As soon as night falls, visitors swarm the area, creating a lively atmosphere.


    Pushing the wheelchair, Ling Chen pointed to a stall selling mung bean cakes, "Want to try? The taste here is very authentic."


    "Okay."


    Nanrong Wanqing looked eager to try. To amoner, a five-star dinner might be a luxury, but to the truly wealthy, isn¡¯t street food a kind of luxury as well?


    Both watching a movie and trying street food were things she wanted to experience, and Ling Chen had brought her to see them tonight. She was curious about how Ling Chen knew of these interests of hers, could it be... a telepathic connection?

 Chapter 165 - 162: Street Snacks

    <h4>Chapter 165: Chapter 162: Street Snacks</h4><h4></h4>


    She had no idea thatst time, while injured in the woods and slipping in and out of consciousness, she had mentioned many of her likes, all of which Ling Chen had memorized without missing a word. However, shepletely forgot what she had said once she came to.


    Walking along, browsing the stalls, and snacking away, Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s pretty face was lit up with a bright, happy smile. She had almost forgotten how long it had been since she felt this happy.


    After finishing some mung bean cakes and pine flower pastries, Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s eyes suddenly sparkled as she pointed at a stall ahead, excitedly saying, "Ling Chen, they have rice noodle rolls over there, I want some."


    "Alright, let¡¯s go get some."


    Ling Chen smiled faintly, pushing Nanrong Wanqing to the stall, "Vendor, two bowls of rice noodle rolls, no chili."


    Seeing a round table set up beside them, Nanrong Wanqing couldn¡¯t help but suggest, "Let¡¯s sit down and eat. You must be tired from walking so much."


    "It¡¯s nothing." Even though he said that, Ling Chen still sat down at the table.


    Before long, two bowls of rice noodle rolls were brought to them.


    "How does it taste?"


    "Delicious," Nanrong Wanqing said with a satisfied smile, "These rice noodle rolls have to be eaten fresh. Lin used to buy them for me, but the taste changes by the time she brings them home."


    "Take your time, there are over a hundred stalls here, we can go through them one by one."


    "No, I can¡¯t... I¡¯m afraid of gaining weight," Nanrong Wanqing said shyly. "I seldom eatte-night snacks, this is the first time I¡¯m making an exception."


    "You have such a good figure, you won¡¯t get fat. Just eat to your heart¡¯s content without worrying."


    Hearing hispliment, Nanrong Wanqing smiled slightly and continued to savor the delicious rice noodle rolls.


    Before long, more and more people arrived at the stall, and the round table was filled with patrons. However, everyone¡¯s gaze seemed to settle on Nanrong Wanqing.


    No wonder, as one of East Sea City¡¯s golden flowers, Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s charm was irresistible. Despite the disability in her legs, her delicate beauty and demeanor were akin to a goddess descending to Earth. Moreover, her sitting in a wheelchair added a touch of vulnerability, eliciting an instinctive tenderness from the depths of people¡¯s hearts.


    "Beautifuldy, hello, let¡¯s get acquainted. My name is Jiang Yunkai," a young man sitting nearby initiated a conversation.


    Nanrong Wanqing gave him a brief nce without a word, focusing on her rice noodle rolls instead.


    "Beauty, I..."


    "Pal, stick to your rice noodle rolls and don¡¯t bother others for no reason," Ling Chen interrupted him impatiently.


    Jiang Yunkai sized up Ling Chen and smiled showing his teeth, "Ah, so you have a boyfriend."


    Ling Chen nodded, appreciating that the guy got the hint.


    "But having a boyfriend doesn¡¯t matter. Haven¡¯t married yet, and even if you are married, divorce is always an option."


    This sudden statement from Jiang Yunkai instantly irked Ling Chen.


    "Ling Chen, I¡¯m done eating, let¡¯s go," Nanrong Wanqing put down her chopsticks and spoke softly.


    Seeing her speak up, Ling Chen abandoned the idea of bickering with the other man, pushed the wheelchair back onto the street, and continued their stroll.


    Jiang Yunkai¡¯s mouth twitched into a smirk as he stood up and started to follow them, matching their pace.


    Seeing that he kept following them, Ling Chen frowned slightly, this guy really didn¡¯t know when to quit.


    Afraid that he would take action, Nanrong Wanqing advised, "There are plenty of people like him, no need to get into a squabble."


    Not too far away, Ling Chen noticed a grilled skewer stall by the road and stopped, "There are skewers over there, do you want some?"


    Nanrong Wanqing was a bit eager but hesitated seeing so much meat.


    Knowing what she was thinking, Ling Chen grinned widely, "It¡¯s fine, eating one or two won¡¯t make you fat."


    "Well... okay then," Nanrong Wanqing ultimately could not resist the temptation of delicious food.


    "Boss, give me five skewers."


    "Okay..." The stall owner was about to respond, but his face suddenly changed, and he corrected himself: "Sorry, we¡¯re all sold out."


    Ling Chen pointed to the heaps of skewers nearby, "Are you treating me like I¡¯m blind? There are so many here, aren¡¯t they yours?"


    "I already said they¡¯re sold out, what¡¯s with all the useless talk? Hurry up and move, don¡¯t block my business."


    As he spoke, the stall owner cautiously nced behind Ling Chen.


    Noticing his gaze, Ling Chen immediately turned his head and saw Jiang Yunkai standing behind him with a smile.


    "Boss, give thisdy here a few skewers," Jiang Yunkai stepped forward and greeted the owner.


    "Alright! Brother Jiang, please wait a moment, they¡¯ll be ready shortly."


    Ling Chen looked at Jiang Yunkai with a yful gaze, noticing that this young man wielded some clout on this street; even the stall owner seemed to fear him.


    Having dealt with Jiang Hao and the others for so long, he was all too familiar with such characters.


    "Ling Chen, let¡¯s go back, it¡¯s gettingte and we have to work tomorrow."


    Nanrong Wanqing spoke up, not wanting him to get into a conflict.


    "Okay."


    Ling Chen hesitated for a moment and then nodded.


    But at that moment, suddenly, from the opposite side of the street came a burst of cursing, followed by a nging noise, as if something had been smashed to the ground, sending numerous tourists running over here with panic on their faces.


    Beside him, Jiang Yunkai¡¯s expression turned cold as he walked straight over.


    Before long, a group of more than thirty thugs wielding steel rods surged forward, smashing all the stalls on the street, striking people without mercy.


    "Stop it!" yelled Jiang Yunkai.


    "Brother Jiang is here."


    "Brother Jiang, you must stand up for us."


    The stall owners around saw Jiang Yunkai as if they had seen a lifesaver, and they ran over to him one after another.


    Seeing the actions of these stall owners, Ling Chen was somewhat surprised. He had originally thought Jiang Yunkai to be amon street thug, which is why these stall owners were afraid of him. Now, it seemed that was not the case.


    It looked like the stall owners respected Jiang Yunkai quite a bit; such respect was not typically orded to an ordinary street thug.


    "Everyone, step back. I¡¯ll handle this."


    With those words, Jiang Yunkai stepped forward, gave the thugs a scan, then fixed his gaze on the leader and frowned, "Huang Zhan, I¡¯ve warned you, you can¡¯t touch this street. Did you take my words as a joke?"


    "Jiang, don¡¯t get too cocky. From today on, this street is under the control of the Green Tiger Gang. If you dare to interfere, don¡¯t me me for being unkind."


    The Green Tiger Gang?


    Ling Chen¡¯s mind stirred; wasn¡¯t Qi Jianhui the boss of the Green Tiger Gang?


    As he contemted, he heard Jiang Yunkai say: "Come at me if you have the guts. If I take a step back, then I¡¯m not Jiang Yunkai."


    "Fine, you¡¯re asking for it. Brothers, grab your weapons, charge!"


    Facing more than thirty thugs, Jiang Yunkai was calm and unabashed, aggressively charging forward.


    His arms twisted, his waist turned, and with a simple move, a thug was knocked to the ground.


    Watching his movements, Ling Chen¡¯s eyes lit up, thoughtfully observing Jiang Yunkai.

 Chapter 166 - 163 Jiang Yunkai

    <h4>Chapter 166: Chapter 163 Jiang Yunkai</h4><h4></h4>


    Jiang Yunkai¡¯s movements were as fluid as drifting clouds and flowing water, without a hint of stagnation. Each motion seemed to have been honed a thousand times, picked up effortlessly, very casual. Yet, each move contained a powerful force. With just a light touch, a hoodlum was sent flying far away, crashing heavily to the ground, crying out in pain.


    Ling Chen watched quietly, nodding asionally and praising Jiang Yunkai¡¯s martial arts skills.


    His skills were honed in realbat, focusing on lethal intent, with big and bold moves where every strike was meant to kill. Thus, his martial arts had no fixed routines; every punch and kick aimed to quickly eliminate the enemy.


    But Jiang Yunkai was different; the aura he exuded clearly indicated a well-trained background. Judging by his moves, he likely practiced traditional martial arts, Xingyi Fist.


    Xingyi Fist is one of Huaxia¡¯s traditional martial arts, celebrated alongside Tai Chi Boxing and Trigram Palm as one of the three major Inner Boxing styles.


    Assessing martial arts isn¡¯t just about observing the physical form; the most important aspect lies in the artistic conception. If it possesses only form without substance, it¡¯s merely a useless decoration.


    The reason Jiang Yunkai¡¯s martial arts captivated Ling Chen was that every move contained the essence of Xingyi Fist, demonstrating that he had grasped the profound mysteries and essence of the boxing technique.


    Such a person can truly be called a master.


    Jiang Yunkai had interrupted his and Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s private moment earlier, which initially annoyed him. However, after witnessing Jiang Yunkai¡¯s martial arts, he grew increasingly intrigued by him.


    At such a young age to possess such skills, his mentor must be extraordinary.


    In no time, Huang Zhan¡¯s thugs were all knocked down by Jiang Yunkai.


    "Isn¡¯t it time for you to leave?" Jiang Yunkai stood with his hands behind his back, looking down at Huang Zhan on the ground with a cold tone.


    Huang Zhan clenched his teeth: "Jiang, don¡¯t get cocky. Offending our Green Tiger Gang won¡¯t make your life any easier. Brothers, let¡¯s go!"


    Watching the gang of hoodlums flee dejectedly, the surrounding vendors burst into apuse and cheers.


    "Jiang is really tough."


    "Indeed, thanks to Jiang, we can run our businesses smoothly."


    "..."


    Suddenly, the crowd was filled with words of praise for Jiang Yunkai.


    Jiang Yunkai smiled slightly, then turned to look at Nanrong Wanqing and walked over to a roadside stall, "Boss, are the skewers ready?"


    "They¡¯re ready, Jiang. From now on, skewers for you are on the house."


    "Thanks!"


    Jiang Yunkai took the skewers without any reserve and approached Nanrong Wanqing with a radiant smile, "Beauty, your skewers."


    Nanrong Wanqing shook her head lightly, murmuring distantly, "These are your skewers." After speaking, she shifted her gaze towards Ling Chen.


    Thetter patted Jiang Yunkai on the shoulder and grinned, "Buddy, I know you¡¯re great, but even if you are, flirting with my girlfriend in front of me is not right."


    Jiang Yunkai didn¡¯t even turn his head, "I¡¯ve said it before, as long as this beauty isn¡¯t married, everyone has a chance to pursue her. Beauty, I don¡¯t even know your name yet?"


    "Boring." Nanrong Wanqing coldly spit out two words, then turned her wheelchair and left.


    Feeling Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s icy demeanor, Jiang Yunkai was momentarily stunned, seemingly not expecting such a frosty reception. He¡¯s good-looking and skilled in martial arts; don¡¯t all women like men who can provide a sense of security?


    "Beauty, don¡¯t go."


    Seeing Nanrong Wanqing walking away, he immediately chased after her.


    However, having just taken two steps, he felt someone grab his shoulder.


    Turning his head, he saw the smiling Ling Chen behind him, and Jiang Yunkai frowned, "Take your hand off."


    "Pal, stop chasing. The world is full of beauties, why don¡¯t you go find another one?"


    "You also know the world is full of beauties, so why don¡¯t you let me have this beauty and you go after other women?"


    Ling Chen¡¯s smile remained unchanged, but his eyes narrowed, "Buddy, I¡¯m advising you nicely, don¡¯t overstep."


    "Or what, you want to teach me a lesson?" Jiang Yunkai said dismissively, "I¡¯ll say it again, take your hand off."


    Ling Chen did not move, his hand still gripping his shoulder.


    Seeing this, Jiang Yunkai snorted lightly and leaned his shoulder back forcefully, trying to push Ling Chen away and make him retreat. But as soon as he made his move, his expression changed. Ling Chen¡¯s hand was like an iron mp, firmly locking onto his shoulder. He couldn¡¯t make a move or even budge; all his strength seemed to be dissolved invisibly.


    At this moment, the disdain in Jiang Yunkai¡¯s eyes gradually receded, turning solemn.


    "So it turns out you¡¯re also a martial artist."


    "I¡¯m different from you; I practice unorthodox methods, I can¡¯tpare with someone from a proper lineage like you."


    Jiang Yunkai frowned slightly, a glint shing in Mo Che¡¯s eyes. He then gathered his strength and struck again. However, Ling Chen stood firm like a rock, rooted to the ground. No matter how hard he tried, Ling Chen¡¯s body did not move an inch.


    Having used less than half of his strength in his first attempt and going all out in the second one, yet still unable to free himself from Ling Chen horrified him.


    After two failures, he immediately gave up the idea of trying again.


    His face turned serious, and he bowed with his hands sped, "I didn¡¯t expect to meet a master like you in East Sea City. I was rash before, please forgive me."


    "No worries, just don¡¯t try to snatch my girlfriend again." Saying this, Ling Chen looked towards Nanrong Wanqing not far away, "Brother Jiang, I have to go now, we¡¯ll chat another time."


    "Sure, I live on this street, ask any vendor here, they all know me. Oh, right!" Jiang Yunkai seemed to remember something, quickly handing over some skewers he was holding, "Sorry about earlier, please apologize to your girlfriend for me."


    "It¡¯s fine, she won¡¯t mind. Let¡¯s go!"


    Ling Chen waved his hand and quickly returned to Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s side, pushing her wheelchair out of the street.


    Eating the tasty skewers, Nanrong Wanqing curiously asked, "What were you guys talking about just now? I thought you were going to fight."


    "No, Jiang Yunkai isn¡¯t a bad person."


    "How do you know? Just because he gave you some skewers for free?"


    Ling Chen chuckled, "You¡¯re overthinking."


    In fact, when Jiang Yunkai fought with those hoodlums earlier, Ling Chen had already noticed. Jiang Yunkai was measured in his strikes, and those hoodlums only suffered superficial injuries, nothing serious.


    For martial artists, moral character is crucial, and this can be discerned from how one conducts themselves. Thus, through Jiang Yunkai¡¯s actions, Ling Chen knew he wasn¡¯t a bad person. If it weren¡¯t for that, he would have knocked him down with a punch much earlier.


    In this East Sea City, it¡¯s rare to encounter a young person of simr age with remarkable skills. Although they only exchanged a few words earlier, both had the intent to make further acquaintance.

 Chapter 167 - 164: The Cunning Little Hua

    <h4>Chapter 167: Chapter 164: The Cunning Little Hua</h4><h4></h4>


    Back at the Nanrong Family.


    Ling Chen escorted Nanrong Wanqing to the living room, watched her ascend the stairs, and then turned back to his own bedroom.


    At that moment, Nanrong Wanqing suddenly looked back, and seeing Ling Chen about to enter his room, she couldn¡¯t help but speak out, "Ling Chen."


    "Hmm?" Ling Chen turned around, "What¡¯s up?"


    "Thank you for yourpany tonight, I haven¡¯t been this happy in a long time."


    Ling Chen grinned, "Why be polite? If you feel like going out again, just let me know, and I¡¯ll take you out."


    Nanrong Wanqing nodded slightly and went straight back to her room.


    After taking a shower, Ling Cheny in bed, smiling foolishly to himself as he thought about the evening spent alone with Nanrong Wanqing. He remembered when he first joined thepany, Nanrong Wanqing was extremely resistant to him, wishing to drive him out. Now, her attitude towards him had greatly changed.


    This transformation began after they returned from the forestst time.


    Upon reflection, Ling Chen realized that Nanrong Wanqing was indeed an alluring woman. Despite her disability, it didn¡¯t stop her from being a golden flower of East Sea City.


    Beautiful, talented, and wealthy ¨C these were probably the main reasons she was considered a golden flower.


    Thinking of her legs, Ling Chen sighed internally; that must be the only blemish on her beauty.


    If only he could cure her legs, that would be wonderful.


    At that thought, he suddenly got up from bed, turned on the light andputer, and logged into a website, then essed a private cloud storage. Afteryers of decryption, the contents of the cloud storage finally appeared.


    Within this cloud storage, there were dozens of images, all of which were copies of content from an ancient tome that he kept online for easy reference.


    No one would have imagined that this hidden cloud storage contained valuable ancient manuscripts.


    After a while, Ling Chen found those images rted to medical records. These images were filled with ancient seal script, which he had even learned to read fluently to understand these manuscripts.


    The pictures documented many ancient prescriptions, each with various effects. Unfortunately, the medical skills he learned from them were only superficial. Many of the profound techniques were beyond his grasp, and he never had the opportunity to try them.


    After studying for two or three hours, seeing that it was gettingte, Ling Chen decided to print those images and nned to discuss them with Zhu Xiaozhu the next day.


    Zhu Xiaozhu was proficient in ancient Chinese medicine and he believed she could offer a lot of advice.


    Just as he thought of Zhu Xiaozhu, Ling Chen pped his forehead, suddenly remembering something. Today, on his way back from the Martial Arts Academy, Little Hua ced a bet with him, having arranged to meet the next evening to prove that Zhu Xiaozhu liked him.


    Thinking of the date with Nanrong Wanqing tonight and facing Zhu Xiaozhu tomorrow, he scratched his head. If it was true as Little Hua said, that Zhu Xiaozhu liked him, should he ept it? If he did, what would happen with Nanrong Wanqing?


    He could feel that Nanrong Wanqing did not resist interacting with him, which meant something to him beyond any doubt.


    To say he had no feelings for Nanrong Wanqing would be a lie. After all, they had shared adversity, and he had taken a great advantage of her hospitality. It wouldn¡¯t be right to just walk away as if nothing had happened.


    Thinking of all this, he felt a tremendous headache.


    Damn it, he thought. Previously, when he wanted to find a girlfriend, he couldn¡¯t; now, two exceptional beauties appeared in his life simultaneously. As a man, he naturally wished to have both. However, that was clearly impossible.


    Leaving aside that thew would not permit it, both Nanrong Wanqing and Zhu Xiaozhu were renowned talents. Any talented woman has her pride and would not share a man with another woman ¨C that was just impractical.


    Moreover, Nanrong Wanqing and Zhu Xiaozhu had grievances between them.


    "Let it be, we can talk about this tomorrow." He thought to himself. Perhaps he was overthinking it; Zhu Xiaozhu didn¡¯t like him at all.


    A night passed.


    The next day.


    Qingyun Martial Arts Academy.


    "Xiaozhu."


    Early in the morning, Little Hua pushed open the door and rushed into Zhu Xiaozhu¡¯s room. Seeing Zhu Xiaozhu still asleep in bed, a sly glint flickered in Little Hua¡¯s round eyes. Then she quietly climbed onto the bed and burrowed under the covers.


    "Ah!"


    Suddenly, the room was filled with a high-pitched scream of embarrassment and anger.


    "Xiaozhu, what are you shouting for?"


    Zhu Xiaozhu¡¯s cheeks flushed with embarrassment as she red at Little Hua, pushing her off, and said irritably, "You¡¯re not allowed to pinch me there again next time... pinch me there, or else I¡¯ll spank you."


    Little Hua hugged her smooth, delicate arms, giggling, "We¡¯re both women, Xiaozhu, are you still embarrassed? Xiaozhu, I heard that a woman¡¯s breasts need to be massaged to grow bigger, is that true?"


    Zhu Xiaozhu¡¯s face turned even redder as she scolded, "You little rascal, who¡¯s been telling you these things?"


    "Come on, Xiaozhu, just tell me, you¡¯re a medical student, you must know the truth."


    "What does a little kid like you need to know that for?"


    Stillughing, Little Hua said, "If you don¡¯t say it, I¡¯ll take it as you agree." Then, leaning close to Zhu Xiaozhu¡¯s ear, she whispered softly, "I just gave you a little massage, and I feel like you still have room for improvement. Why don¡¯t you give it a try, maybe they¡¯ll grow."


    "That¡¯s easy for you to say." Zhu Xiaozhu¡¯s eyes were shy and annoyed as she raised her arm and gently patted Little Hua¡¯s butt.


    Little Hua didn¡¯t care about Zhu Xiaozhu¡¯s punishment, "If you don¡¯t want to massage them yourself, then find someone to help you. Or... maybe ask big brother to do it, I think he¡¯d be quite suitable."


    "You..."


    Hearing her mention Ling Chen, Zhu Xiaozhu¡¯s pretty face grew even redder, provoking a desire to cherish her.


    "Xiaozhu, do you like big brother?"


    "Who said that?"


    "So you don¡¯t like him then." Little Hua pretended to sigh heavily, disappointed, "Poor big brother."


    Zhu Xiaozhu asked in confusion, "Why is he pitiful?"


    "Big brother told me the other day that he likes you a lot. But he¡¯s also afraid of being rejected by you, so he¡¯s never dared to confess. He said that right now he doesn¡¯t have a house or a car, and doesn¡¯t have any savings, so he¡¯s worried that you¡¯d look down on him, so..."


    Before she could finish, Zhu Xiaozhu interrupted, dissatisfied, "I¡¯m not that kind of materialistic woman."


    "Right, that¡¯s what I told big brother too. He asked me to pass on a message to you, but since you don¡¯t like him, I guess there¡¯s no need for me to ry it." Saying this, Little Hua sneaked a nce at Zhu Xiaozhu and got ready to get out of bed.


    "Where are you going?"


    "I¡¯m going to return a call to big brother, tell him to give up on this idea. My Xiaozhu doesn¡¯t think highly of him."


    Zhu Xiaozhu suddenly became anxious and blurted out, "Don¡¯t!"

 Chapter 168 - 165: The Plan Succeeds

    <h4>Chapter 168: Chapter 165: The n Seeds</h4><h4></h4>


    "What?" Little Hua turned her head, pretending not to have heard, but a mischievous, triumphant grin twinkled in her bright,rge eyes.


    "I... I said..." Zhu Xiaozhu stammered, finding it somewhat difficult to express herself.


    "Xiaozhu, if you don¡¯t say it now, I¡¯ll have to make a phone call. s, if Big Brother finds out, he probably won¡¯te to our Martial Arts Academy again, and who knows if there will be another chance to see him in the future."


    Hearing this, Zhu Xiaozhu quickly grabbed her hand, and with a touch of shyness asked, "What... what message did he ask you to pass on to me?"


    "Big Brother said that he has reserved dinner tonight at a restaurant and would like to invite you. If you¡¯re interested in him, then go meet him. If not, I¡¯ll make an excuse for you."


    "Which restaurant?"


    Little Hua said with a beaming smile, "Xiaozhu, by the look of it, are you nning to go?"


    "I..." Zhu Xiaozhu, with her head lowered, hesitated.


    "Xiaozhu, think it over. Big Brother is a good man. He¡¯s helped us so many times. You really shouldn¡¯t miss this chance. If Big Brother takes a liking to some other womanter, you¡¯ll regret it." Little Hua continued to spur her on, eagerly persuading.


    Zhu Xiaozhu bit the corner of her lip, and after a while, she spoke hesitantly, "Tell me the restaurant¡¯s address and time, I¡¯ll think about it."


    Little Hua snickered secretly; she knew Zhu Xiaozhu too well. Such words meant she had already agreed.


    After leaving behind the restaurant¡¯s details and the time, Little Hua bounced out of the room. Just as she left, she bumped into He Ziyun, who was in the midst of his Breathing Control in the courtyard.


    "You little rascal, did you secretly use my money to book the restaurant?"


    Little Hua replied discontentedly, "Old man, why are you so stingy? It¡¯s just a few thousand bucks. Besides, don¡¯t you want Big Brother to be together with Xiaozhu? If things work out, I can just ask Big Brother to pay you back. Hmph, he still owes me two boxes of lollipops."


    He Ziyun shook his head helplessly. "You, you¡¯re betraying your Xiaozhu for two boxes of lollipops. If she found out, who knows how sad she¡¯d be."


    "I¡¯m thinking of her lifelong happiness," Little Hua defended.


    During this conversation, there came a knock at the door from outside the Martial Arts Academy.


    "Who is it?"


    Little Hua was a bit puzzled¡ªit was early morning, who woulde here? Could it be Big Brother couldn¡¯t wait to see Xiaozhu?


    With that thought, she hurried to the door and opened it. Instantly, a well-dressed man greeted her politely, "Hello, may I speak with Miss Zhu?"


    "Who are you? What do you want with Xiaozhu?"


    "Not him seeking, but I need to find her." As the words fell, a handsome young man with a gentle smile approached, escorted by several suited bodyguards, "Little sister, you should have seen me at Nanrong¡¯s housest time. My name is Zhu Hong, and I am your Xiaozhu¡¯s brother."


    "I remember you."


    "May I see her now?"


    Little Hua hesitated for a moment, then nodded. "Come in, then."


    Upon entering the room, Zhu Hong looked around and asked, "Little sister, why don¡¯t I see the others?"


    Little Hua was also perplexed; the old man was still here just a moment ago, and now he was nowhere to be seen.


    "They haven¡¯t gotten up yet," she replied offhandedly. "Please have a seat, Xiaozhu will be here soon."


    A few minutester, Zhu Xiaozhu, fresh from her morning routines, gracefully walked into the main hall of the Martial Arts Academy.


    Seeing her, Zhu Hong immediately stood up from the chair, weing her with a smile, "Xiaozhu."


    "Big Brother, why are you so early today?"


    "An urgent matter at thepany, I have to take a trip out of town soon. I wanted to see you before I leave. I didn¡¯t disturb your rest, did I?"


    "No, it¡¯s fine. I was already awake."


    Zhu Hong nodded, then suddenly asked, "Xiaozhu, how are you and Ling Chen getting along?"


    Zhu Xiaozhu was taken aback, somewhat surprised, and unsure why Zhu Hong would suddenly bring up Ling Chen.


    "It¡¯s fine. We are friends." As she said this, her thoughts inadvertantly turned to the evening¡¯s appointment, painting a touch of blush on her pretty face. "Big Brother, do you need to see him for something?"


    "Not really," Zhu Hong waved his hand. "It¡¯s like this; I have a misunderstanding with Ling Chen that may not be resolved in a few words. Since he¡¯s your friend, I wouldn¡¯t want our issues to affect your rtionship, so I wanted to tell you in advance."


    "Misunderstanding? What kind of misunderstanding?"


    "That... let¡¯s not talk about it. It¡¯s hard to rify in a few words. Alright, let¡¯s not talk about him now. I came especially to see you. Also, I brought some Beijing delicacies you love."


    "Thank you, Big Brother."


    "We¡¯re siblings, no need for formalities." After finishing, he looked at the time and stood up, "It¡¯s gettingte. I need to catch my flight. I¡¯ll call you after I get back."


    "Sure, Big Brother, travel safely."


    After leaving Qingyun Martial Arts Hall, Zhu Hong got back into his car and looked at the man beside him, asking, "How¡¯s it going?"


    "All set up, and the signal is stable." The man tapped on hisptop for a bit before turning the screen towards Zhu Hong. In an instant, the screen disyed several surveince feeds, with Zhu Xiaozhu passing through one of them in the courtyard.


    "Very good."


    Zhu Hong nodded his approval. During his chat with Zhu Xiaozhu, his guards had discreetly installed micro-cameras around the Martial Arts Academy, allowing them to monitor the entirety of the establishment.


    "By the way, boss, the information you requested has been found."


    With that, the man beside him handed over a folder.


    Zhu Hong took it and browsed through, his brows soon furrowing, "You¡¯ve investigated for so many days, and this is all the information you¡¯ve found?"


    "Boss, that Ling Chen¡¯s background is quite mysterious, and this is all the information avable. The records show that he was previously in the army; I think he must have been a member of Huaxia¡¯s secret forces. People like him, once discharged, have their records sealed by the government, making them very hard to trace."


    "Secret forces?" Zhu Hong murmured to himself. After pondering for a while, he said, "Get in touch with our contacts; use their resources. I want to see what kind of background this Ling Chen really has."


    "Yes, sir."


    8:30 in the morning.


    Ling Chen was punctual in dropping off Nanrong Wanqing at her office. Just after returning to his own, he received a call from Little Hua.


    "Xiyuan Restaurant, 7:30 tonight... Okay, got it. Uh... will Xiaozhu also be there?"


    Little Hua giggled mysteriously on the phone, "You guess?" Leaving him with two exasperating words, she hung up.


    This girl!


    Ling Chen shook his head; with the restaurant already booked, it was certain that Zhu Xiaozhu would be there.


    Checking the time, there were still eleven hours to go. At the moment, however, he couldn¡¯t help feeling nervous. Along with the nerves, there was also a little hint of anticipation.


    (Kneeling for rmendation tickets, favorites)

 Chapter 169 - 166 Clay Pot Rice

    <h4>Chapter 169: Chapter 166 y Pot Rice</h4><h4></h4><subtxt> After dozing off in the office all morning, Ling Chen found it dull. Initially, he was supposed to escort Nanrong Wanqing back home at noon, but due to thepany being busy, Nanrong Wanqing decided to stay and work overtime.


    Following Tang Yuan and Wei Jun to the cafeteria, the three of them ordered some meals and found a spot to sit down.


    They were just chatting when a slender, well-mannered young man with sses approached with a tray in hand. Looking around and seeing that all the seats were taken except for a few empty ones, he hesitated before setting his sights on the vacant seat next to Ling Chen and headed over.


    "Excuse me, may I... can I sit here?"


    Ling Chen nced at him and immediately grinned, "No need to be polite, have a seat."


    Ling Chen had seen this bespectacled young man before¡ªa couple of times at the restroom and once during a job interview when he identally walked into the conference room.


    Among hundreds of people at Hongyu Group, it was interesting that they could bump into each other again; seemed like fate.


    "Hey, I¡¯m Ling Chen, this is Tang Yuan, Wei Jun, we¡¯re all members of the security department. How about you?" Ling Chen initiated a conversation.


    "My name is Ji Beizhao, I work in the Market Research Department."


    Ji Beizhao spoke in a gentle and quiet voice, nearly like a woman, and even blushed talking to so many people, which everyone found amusing.


    Ling Chen was curious; employees in the Market Research Department have to deeply engage with the market and interact with people, was Ji Beizhao¡¯s character really suited for this?


    Wei Jun casually remarked, "Hey, Ji, based on your ent, you don¡¯t seem local."


    "I used to study abroad and just recently returned home."


    "Wow, can¡¯t tell; turns out you¡¯re a foreign graduate."


    Ji Beizhao smiled shyly, "Many in Hongyu Group are high-caliber talents returned from studying abroad; I¡¯m nothing special."


    Ling Chen silently nodded; the young man was quite humble, and his personality seemed fine. Staying in such a bigpany, it wouldn¡¯t be a bad idea to make more friends. Usually hanging around with the big guys from the security department was dull, so making friends from other departments could be a good thing.


    After chatting for more than half an hour, Ling Chen saw a delicate-looking girl carrying a tray sit down at the table next to them.


    "Lan," he waved in greeting.


    This girl¡¯s name was Wang Lan, secretary to Nanrong Wanqing.


    "Mr. Ling," Wang Lan greeted him with a smile.


    "Lan, has the chairman had lunch yet?"


    Wang Lan shook her head, "The chairman is still busy; I just asked her, she said she doesn¡¯t have time to eat now and asked me to keep her meal."


    Ling Chen checked the time; it was almost 1:30 pm. That woman really didn¡¯t know how to take care of herself, no matter how busy, she should eat first.


    He stood up immediately, "You guys keep talking, I¡¯ll go bring some food to the chairman."


    Tang Yuan teased, "The old virgin is catching on, finally caring about a female colleague?"


    "Get lost."


    "Old virgin?" Hearing this peculiar nickname, Wei Jun chuckled looking at Ling Chen, "Ling, no wonder you wouldn¡¯te out with me for some fun at night, turns out it¡¯s because..."


    Ling Chen¡¯s face rarely blushed, he red and said, "Don¡¯t listen to his nonsense, I¡¯m off!"


    Originally, Ling Chen wanted to get Nanrong Wanqing a meal from the cafeteria, but it was sote that the food had already gone cold. Thinking of Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s delicate physique, Ling Chen simply ran out of thepany and bought a y pot rice from a restaurant across the street, which he brought to the chairman¡¯s office.


    He knocked on the door and heard Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s voice from inside, Ling Chen gently pushed the door open and strode in.


    At that moment, Nanrong Wanqing was still buried in work at her desk, not even lifting her head.


    "Lan, the document I was asking you for just now, give it to me."


    While speaking, she was seriously signing a document with a pen, and raised her other hand slightly towards the outer edge of the desk.


    Ling Chen helplessly shook his head; this woman actually mistook him for the secretary, Wang Lan.


    He stepped forward and ced the freshly-bought y pot rice directly onto her hand. Feeling the unexpected weight in her hand, Nanrong Wanqing immediately lifted her head. Seeing Ling Chen in front of her, she expressed her surprise, "Why is it you?"


    Ling Chen chided, "Look at the time, no matter how busy you are, you should eat first. Eating well gives you the strength to work. Here, this y pot rice was just bought, hurry up and eat it while it¡¯s warm."


    Hearing the care in his words, Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s heart warmed, and a small smile unconsciously spread across her lips.


    Opening the lunchbox and smelling the delicious aroma, her beautiful eyes suddenly lit up with a peculiar sparkle, curiously looking at Ling Chen, "How did you know I like fish-vored shredded pork?"


    "I just picked randomly, d you like it," Ling Chen said, smiling.


    Of course, he would not tell Nanrong Wanqing that he had specifically made a call to Nanrong Hao, who as a brother, knew his sister best.


    However, to Nanrong Wanqing, it felt like a special twist of fate. Could it be true telepathy? Thinking this, her pretty face blushed slightly as she quickly bowed her head and started eating the fish-vored shredded pork in the lunchbox, hiding her embarrassment.


    After a few bites, she noticed Ling Chen was still standing there and couldn¡¯t help asking, "Aren¡¯t you going back to your office?"


    "I¡¯ll wait until you finish eating. Once you¡¯re done, I¡¯ll leave." Saying this, Ling Chen found a chair to sit on, crossing his legs and casually pulling out a toothpick to chew on.


    Seeing his rxed demeanor, Nanrong Wanqing reprimanded him, "Mind your image, this is the chairman¡¯s office, what if someone saw?"


    "What¡¯s there to be afraid of." Ling Chen said nonchntly, "The chairman herself doesn¡¯t mind, who dares to care. Come on, stop worrying about me and eat your meal."


    This jerk... who said I didn¡¯t mind.


    Nanrong Wanqing muttered to herself but did not argue further, burying her head in her fragrant meal.


    With her usual appetite, she would be full after half of it. But today, somehow under Ling Chen¡¯s ¡¯supervision¡¯, she managed to clean up the pot entirely, and even felt somewhat reluctant to stop.


    "I¡¯m done," she presented the empty lunchbox in front of Ling Chen, "Don¡¯t bring me this to eat anymore."


    "Why, wasn¡¯t it tasty?"


    "I¡¯m afraid of getting fat."


    She usually controlled her portion to maintain her figure.


    Ling Chen nonchntly said, "It¡¯s fine, a bit chubbier is good, feels more substantial."


    "How do you know I¡¯m not... substantial..." Nanrong Wanqing blurted out, but as soon as the words left her mouth, she immediately stopped herself, her face turning crimson, unable to utter another word.


    Last time he held her naked body, he probably knew perfectly well where she was more or less endowed.


    Seeing Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s enticingly bashful appearance, Ling Chen could guess what she was thinking, feeling a bit embarrassed. Not knowing how to continue the conversation, he quickly cleared his throat, "Well... if there¡¯s nothing else, I¡¯ll get going first, you continue with your work." Saying that, he quickly walked out of the office.</subtxt>

 Chapter 170 - 167: Candlelight Dinner

    <h4>Chapter 170: Chapter 167: Candlelight Dinner</h4><h4></h4>


    Watching Ling Chen walk to the door, Nanrong Wanqing suddenly thought of something and hurriedly called after him.


    "Is there something else?" Ling Chen turned around.


    "Do you have time tonight?"


    "Tonight? I have a dinner appointment with friends. What¡¯s up?"


    "Can¡¯t it be another day?"


    Ling Chen hesitated for a moment, shook his head with a face of apology, "The person I¡¯m meeting today is quite important, so... Did you need me for something tonight? If it¡¯s urgent, I can..."


    "It¡¯s nothing." Nanrong Wanqing took over the conversation, "Just asking casually. Since you¡¯re busy, let¡¯s forget about it."


    "Oh, then I¡¯ll be off now."


    As she watched Ling Chen leave the office, the blush in Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s beautiful eyes gradually faded. However, thinking about Ling Chen being unavable tonight couldn¡¯t help but make her feel somewhat disappointed.


    In the evening.


    After work, Ling Chen took Nanrong Wanqing back to Nanrong Family¡¯s home. ncing at the time, it was already close to six-thirty, leaving only an hour to get ready.


    After a quick shower, he changed into a set of rtively fresh clothes and then drove alone to the destination, Xiyuan Restaurant.


    Shortly after his departure, a white Maserati slowly entered Wealthy Manor and stopped at the Nanrong Family¡¯s front door.


    The car door opened, and a pair of slender beautiful legs stretched out first; followed by the youthful and pretty Su Lin, who dashed into the vi like a breeze.


    "Wanqing."


    Upon entering, she excitedly called out.


    "I¡¯m here." As she finished speaking, Nanrong Wanqing appeared at the top of the stairs in her wheelchair.


    Seeing her outfit, Su Lin couldn¡¯t help but exim "Aiya" and pouted, "Why haven¡¯t you changed clothes yet? It¡¯s almost time." Saying this, she hurried up the stairs, helped push the wheelchair into Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s room and urged, "Hurry up and change, we leave in half an hour."


    Nanrong Wanqing looked helplessly at her butplied obediently.


    Today was her big day; she couldn¡¯t spoil her mood.


    In less than half an hour, Nanrong Wanqing came out of her room first. She usually wore in whites, but today she had put on a beige long dress. Her jet-ck hair fell like a waterfall, setting off her stunning beauty. Since the climate had entered autumn and the evening breeze was cool, she added a light-colored shawl on top. With her beauty and grace, she conveyed an additional air of nobility.


    Soon after, Su Lin also came out of the bedroom.


    She was dressed very formally today, in a pink dress, with her shoulders slightly exposed and the hem adorned with shiny silver foil. Under the lighting, it sparkled brilliantly. Her smooth hair slipped down her shoulders, and her delicate face was lightly made-up. A pure white diamond ne graced her tender neck,plimenting her fair skin.


    Already beautiful by nature, she became even more dazzling after a little dressing up, matching Nanrong Wanqing in splendor.


    "How do I look, Wanqing?"


    Su Lin twirled, with her dress fluttering like a blossoming violet, disying her beautiful smile.


    Nanrong Wanqing nodded gently, her eyes showing a trace of admiration.


    "Sister, cousin, the car is all ready. Shall we head out?"


    At this point, Nanrong Hao walked in from outside. Compared to his two sisters, he was dressed more casually, as always.


    "Let¡¯s go. If we don¡¯t leave now, I¡¯m afraid we¡¯ll bete."


    Nanrong Hao looked around and asked curiously, "Sister, where¡¯s Chen? Isn¡¯t he ready yet?"


    "You didn¡¯t mention it; I almost forgot." Su Lin, already at the door, turned back and said, "Howe I don¡¯t see Ling Chen? Wanqing, didn¡¯t you tell him?"


    "He¡¯s got something on tonight, he¡¯s already left."


    "Left?" Su Lin was slightly disappointed, "Since he¡¯s got something to do, let¡¯s leave it at that."


    Dusk, 7:20 PM.


    Ling Chen arrived at Xiyuan Restaurant ahead of time, quietly waiting in the hall for Zhu Xiaozhu¡¯s arrival. Thinking about seeing Zhu Xiaozhu soon, he immediately felt nervous, with sweat continuously breaking out on his palms.


    On a normal day, he wouldn¡¯t be so nervous, but today¡¯s meeting was unusual for him, hence the inevitable nerves.


    Xiyuan Restaurant is a newly-opened high-end establishment; the interior decor is very opulent, with the spacious hall furnished with over twenty tables and chairs. When the restaurant is full, the staff will use screens to partition the area around, creating a private little space to avoid disturbance from others, providing attentive service.


    After waiting for a few minutes, a graceful figure slowly stepped into the entrance of Xiyuan Restaurant. Ling Chen raised his head, and his gaze was instantly captivated.


    Zhu Xiaozhu was wearing a simple dress with t shoes, carrying an exquisitely small shoulder bag ¨C the usual attire. However, the one difference for tonight, especially, was that Zhu Xiaozhu had deliberately adorned herself with a snow-white pearl ne and teardrop-shaped earrings.


    Though merely two unostentatious pieces of jewelry, they added a touch of enchanting charm to Zhu Xiaozhu¡¯s fresh and elegant demeanor, like a radiant moon fringed by dazzling stars ¨C extraordinarily charming.


    "Xiaozhu."


    Ling Chen quickly stood up and waved to Zhu Xiaozhu in greeting.


    Seeing him, a faint blush crept onto Zhu Xiaozhu¡¯s pretty face as she walked straight over.


    "Please, take a seat." Ling Chen gantly pulled out a chair for her.


    Once Zhu Xiaozhu was seated, Ling Chen snapped his fingers, summoning the waiter. He then passed the menu to Zhu Xiaozhu, "Take a look at what you¡¯d like to eat."


    The restaurant offered a fusion of Chinese and Western cuisine, catering to all tastes. Zhu Xiaozhu, being from Beijing, still preferred the vors of the north.


    After cing the order, two waiters promptly set up screens, crafting an isted world for two.


    Facing each other, upon looking into Zhu Xiaozhu¡¯s bright, limpid eyes, a gentle ripple spread across Ling Chen¡¯s heart. Sensing the unusual look in his eyes, Zhu Xiaozhu couldn¡¯t help but lower her head, the glow of blush spreading across her tender, pale cheeks, causing Ling Chen¡¯s heart to skip a beat.


    Just then, a waiter entered, recing the vase on the table with two candlesticks in the center, and poured them a ss of red wine.


    Moreover, even the lights overhead gradually dimmed, allowing the romantic glow of candlelight to pervade the small screened-off space.


    "This is..."


    Ling Chen looked at the waiter, puzzled.


    With a smile, thetter said, "Sir, this was your request. Please enjoy your dinner at your leisure."


    My request? Ling Chen was taken aback; when had he made such a request?


    Could it be... Little Hua?


    Yes, it must be that girl.


    Ling Chen was torn betweenughter and tears; that girl didn¡¯t even give him a heads-up, so he could be mentally prepared.


    Looking at the candlelit dinner in front of him, Zhu Xiaozhu¡¯s pretty face reddened even more, her expressive eyes filled with shyness.


    What woman doesn¡¯t like romance? Even someone as refined and unworldly as her harbors the same expectations as any ordinary woman in her heart.

 Chapter 171 - 168: Family Love and Romantic Love

    <h4>Chapter 171: Chapter 168: Family Love and Romantic Love</h4><h4></h4>


    "Is everything at the hospital taken care of?" Ling Chen initiated a conversation.


    "Almost, if things go well, I¡¯ll return to Beijing next week."


    "That soon?"


    "The hospital in Beijing has asked for my help." At this point, Zhu Xiaozhu looked at Ling Chen and said, "When will youe to Beijing? You coulde to see me."


    "I can¡¯t say for certain. I¡¯ve got work obligations, and it looks like I won¡¯t be able to leave anytime soon."


    Before Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s crisis is fully lifted, he won¡¯t leave casually. Besides, he doesn¡¯t have much interest in Beijing. The headquarters of the Ghost Organization is based in Beijing; he¡¯s far more familiar with it than Zhu Xiaozhu, a local, could be.


    As the nation¡¯s political center, it¡¯s too chaotic there; East Sea City is much better.


    Zhu Xiaozhu seemed hesitant and appeared to hold back something she wanted to say.


    Seeing this, Ling Chen couldn¡¯t help but ask, "What is it you want to say?"


    "Actually, I think for someone as capable as you, it¡¯s not necessary to stay with the Nanrong family as security. It¡¯s somewhat of a waste of talent. If you¡¯re willing, with your abilities, I believe there are better opportunities out there for you." After speaking, she hurriedly rified, "Don¡¯t overthink it. I didn¡¯t mean anything else; it¡¯s just a suggestion."


    Ling Chen gave a faint smile: "I know. But since I chose this job, I should at least see it through. The Nanrong family is facing a crisis right now. It wouldn¡¯t be right for me to walk away at a time like this."


    "A crisis? A business crisis?"


    "Not a business one. The crisis I¡¯m talking about rtes to the personal safety of the Nanrong family."


    Zhu Xiaozhu nodded, showing an understanding yet puzzled expression, "Given the Nanrong family¡¯s vast business and the wide range of areas involved, it¡¯s normal to have a few adversaries."


    Living in Beijing¡¯s big melting pot, she had seen too many such cases to be fazed by them.


    "Ling Chen."


    "What¡¯s up?"


    "You and my older brother... did you two have a falling out?" Zhu Xiaozhu bit her lips lightly as she spoke.


    Ling Chen¡¯s heart stirred, "You mean Zhu Hong?"


    "He came to see me today and brought up the matter. I don¡¯t know what misunderstandings you two might have, but you¡¯re my friend, he¡¯s my brother, and I sincerely hope you can put aside past grievances and make peace. If you don¡¯t mind, I can try to mediate between you two and set up a time for both of you to clear up any misunderstandings."


    "Clear up?" Ling Chen¡¯s smile carried a hint of bitterness. "Xiaozhu, I know you mean well, and I understand your feelings, but some things can¡¯t be cleared up. What¡¯s between him and me... it¡¯s not exactly a misunderstanding. Anyway, you should stay out of it. I don¡¯t want our rtionship to be affected because of him."


    "Isn¡¯t there any possibility of reconciliation?" Zhu Xiaozhu asked dubiously, "What exactly happened between the two of you?"


    Ling Chen shook his head and didn¡¯t take up her line of questioning. He could hardly tell Zhu Xiaozhu that Zhu Hong had once plotted against his own life. Such a revtion might have a great impact on her.


    "Xiaozhu, since we¡¯ve made the rare effort to dine out together, let¡¯s talk about something else." He smiled, attempting to steer the conversation away.


    "I¡¯m sorry."


    Zhu Xiaozhu spoke softly. Unable to see a resolution between Ling Chen and Zhu Hong, she truly had no other care in mind. One was the man she admired, the other her biological brother¡ªeach held a significant ce in her heart.


    Hearing her apology, Ling Chen gave a helpless bitter smile. Without a clear answer from him, Xiaozhu probably wouldn¡¯t let go easily.


    Gazing at the slightly swirling red wine in the tall ss, he pondered for a moment and then spoke, "Xiaozhu, I know you hold deep affection for your brother, but it¡¯s difficult for me and him to reconcile. It¡¯s not just about me, but also about him. I can¡¯t back down in this matter, be it a matter of principle or anything else, I have no choice. If you want us to make peace, then there¡¯s only one possibility: he must give in. There¡¯s no other way."


    He paused, then continued, "Xiaozhu, you are my friend ¨C someone I don¡¯t want to hurt. But I can¡¯t guarantee anything because nobody knows what the future holds. If I ever do something that wrongs you, I hope you can forgive me."


    After listening to his words, Zhu Xiaozhu stared at him nkly, a hint of deep solemnity welling up in her eyes.


    Though Ling Chen hadn¡¯t spoken inly, she understood the implicit meaning; the discord between him and Zhu Hong had be irreconcble. She couldn¡¯tprehend what had happened to make Ling Chen so resolute.


    Seeing Zhu Xiaozhu remaining silent, Ling Chen felt a sour ache in his heart. He had nned to enjoy an indulgent candlelit dinner with Zhu Xiaozhu, but now, he simply wasn¡¯t in the mood.


    The presence of Zhu Hong was more than just a thorn lodged in Zhu Xiaozhu¡¯s throat; it was also a needle piercing deep into his own heart.


    He never denied that he liked Zhu Xiaozhu very much. In his heart, she was a gentle woman, with a serene temperament and the potential of a virtuous wife and mother¡ªthis type of woman is perfect for a life partner.


    There had been times when he¡¯d fancifully pondered in his dreams¡ªif he could make Zhu Xiaozhu his wife, how perfect that would be.


    Yet, reality was often so cruel that it made every step difficult.


    Zhu Hong was Zhu Xiaozhu¡¯s older brother¡ªthat was an insurmountable gap. If he wanted to be with her, he had to confront this issue head-on.


    All this time, he had been trying to ignore it, afraid of adding to his troubles.


    But tonight, Zhu Xiaozhu brought it up, and he knew that he could no longer skirt around the matter.


    "We only have each other, my brother and I. Since we were children, he has always worked hard to look after me. No matter what I did wrong, he stood up for me, pleaded with our family on my behalf, and took responsibility for my mistakes. In my heart, he has always been a good brother. I once told him that if there were a next life, I would still wish to be his little sister."


    Listening to her soliloquy-like narrative, the bitterness in Ling Chen¡¯s eyes deepened.


    He knew full well that Zhu Xiaozhu was conveying to him the profound familial love between her and Zhu Hong¡ªirreceable in her heart.


    At that moment, outside the Xiyuan Restaurant, a Rolls Royce escorted by two Range Rovers slowly pulled up to the entrance.


    Su Lin was the first to step out of the car, followed by Nanrong Hao pushing a wheelchair, with Nanrong Wanqing close behind.


    As Nanrong Wanqing entered, she identally nced at the muscle car in the parking lot and was instantly captivated.


    There was only one person in the whole of East Sea City who would drive that kind of car.


    Ling Chen, was he here too?

 Chapter 172 - 169 The Feeling of Heartache

    <h4>Chapter 172: Chapter 169 The Feeling of Heartache</h4><h4></h4>


    Taking the elevator into the Xiyuan Restaurant, led by the waiter, Nanrong Wanqing, Nanrong Hao, and Su Lin headed straight to the private room they had reserved in advance.


    Today is Su Lin¡¯s birthday, a rare asion to celebrate. In addition to her family, she also invited quite a few ssmates with whom she had good rtionships. As for Zhong Wei and his team responsible for security, they were arranged in an adjacent private room. This way, they would not disturb the celebration, yet could provide protection at any moment.


    At this moment, Nanrong Hao was pushing the wheelchair, closely following behind Su Lin.


    Ever since entering the restaurant, Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s gaze had been searching for Ling Chen. However, all the upied tables in the hall were shielded by screens, making it impossible to see anyone.


    With no other choice, Nanrong Wanqing had to give up looking.


    Just then, as the trio was passing a screen, Nanrong Wanqing suddenly called out to Nanrong Hao.


    "Sister, what¡¯s wrong?"


    Nanrong Wanqing did not answer, her beautiful eyes fixed on the screen beside her, as if she were listening to something.


    "Xiaozhu, let¡¯s not talk about those things. What will happen in the future is uncertain, what we need to do is cherish the present."


    Behind the screen, Ling Chen raised his wine ss, smiling, "To be honest, I¡¯m really happy that you were willing toe to my invitation tonight. I hope you can temporarily forget those unpleasant things and truly enjoy tonight¡¯s dinner."


    Zhu Xiaozhu lifted her head, gazing directly into Ling Chen¡¯s deep and clear eyes, and mustered her courage to say, "Ling Chen, we¡¯ve known each other for quite some time and been through quite a few things. I don¡¯t want to deny my own thoughts. Among the men I¡¯ve met, besides my elder brother, you¡¯re the only one who doesn¡¯t repel me."


    "Xiaozhu, I won¡¯t hide it from you, actually I..."


    "You don¡¯t have to say it." Zhu Xiaozhu¡¯s face reddened slightly, "I understand your feelings; Little Hua already told me."


    Xiaozhu? Zhu Xiaozhu!


    So he was on a date with Zhu Xiaozhu.


    Hearing Ling Chen and Zhu Xiaozhu¡¯s voices from behind the screen, Nanrong Wanqing suddenly froze, her eyes expressing aplex emotion.


    His date turned out to be Zhu Xiaozhu.


    For some reason, at that moment, her heart felt a piercing pain, as if being pricked by a needle, and her smooth delicate cheeks paled slightly.


    These past days, she had tried to let down her guard and status, and made an effort to interact with him. Anyone with even a slight bit of understanding could see her intentions through her actions.


    In her heart, she always viewed herself as a traditional woman and hoped for a lifelongmitment.


    Ling Chen had saved her life several times and they had even shared intimate physical contact. No matter how she thought about it, she had to admit that Ling Chen had left a deep impression in her heart.


    The days she spent with Ling Chen, however brief, had made her happy. To her, this seemed like a good beginning.


    Moreover, that night at the movie theater, Ling Chen had taken the initiative to hold her hand. As a man making such a gesture, as a woman, she understood the meaning behind it.


    That night, she had difficulty sleeping, tossing and turning as she thought over many things. If the two of them could continue to interact like this, then maybe this man could be her choice.


    But now, hearing the conversation between Ling Chen and Zhu Xiaozhu, the future she had envisioned crumbled down.


    It wasn¡¯t hard to tell from Zhu Xiaozhu¡¯s words that she also had feelings for Ling Chen, and it seemed that Ling Chen reciprocated those feelings.


    She wasn¡¯t a narrow-minded person; she wouldn¡¯t quibble over past incidents. But if Ling Chen had revealed his feelings to her that night at the movie theater, why would he still entangle with another woman?


    What made her even more distressed was that the other woman was Zhu Xiaozhu.


    Men are fickle, that statement is certainly true.


    She smiled self-deprecatingly, she had trusted him too much, originally thinking his feelings for her were sincere. Now it turns out all of it was a lie.


    "Sister..." Watching the changing expressions on Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s face, Nanrong Hao couldn¡¯t help but ask, "Are you feeling unwell?"


    "I¡¯m fine, let¡¯s go, we shouldn¡¯t dy Lin¡¯s birthday party."


    Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s tone was cool and indifferent, but that stunningly beautiful face of hers had a touch of coldness to it, as if she had returned to the previous ice-cold, impassive Nanrong Wanqing.


    Sensing her subtle change, Nanrong Hao felt a bit strange, but still held back from asking. He knew his sister¡¯s character well; she rarely shared her inner feelings, thus asking would be in vain.


    After Nanrong Hao had pushed the wheelchair away, Ling Chen suddenly peeked out from behind the screen, ncing around with confusion in his eyes.


    Just now, while chatting with Zhu Xiaozhu, he overheard someone outside calling ¡¯Sister.¡¯ The voice was very familiar, seemingly that of Nanrong Hao¡¯s, but there was no one outside the screen¡ªinadvertently he had heard wrong?


    Closing the screen again, Ling Chen looked at Zhu Xiaozhu sitting across the table and asked, "Xiaozhu, what did Little Hua tell you?"


    "Aren¡¯t you aware of everything?"


    Uhh...


    Scratching his head with a smile, Ling Chen muttered to himself, Little Hua that girl is so whimsical, who knows what she¡¯s been saying.


    After finishing a candlelit dinner and spending time chatting, when Ling Chen and Zhu Xiaozhu left the Xiyuan Restaurant, it was almost nine o¡¯clock.


    Driving Zhu Xiaozhu to the Martial Arts Academy, Ling Chen got out of the car and apanied her inside.


    As they reached the door, Zhu Xiaozhu suddenly turned around, her gaze hesitant while looking at Ling Chen¡¯s sharply defined face.


    Seeing this, Ling Chen smiled with a grin, "What is it, just say whatever you want to say."


    "I... don¡¯t be angry after I say it."


    "Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m not that petty."


    Zhu Xiaozhu said softly, "Thank you for the dinner, but... my attendance tonight doesn¡¯t imply anything."


    "What do you mean?"


    "Actually, I was hoping that tonight¡¯s dinner might help clear up the misunderstanding between you and my brother. But now it seems that it was just my wishful thinking. Ling Chen, I don¡¯t mean anything else, it¡¯s just... I don¡¯t know how to make a decision, please give me some time to think it over properly. Is that okay?"


    Ling Chen nodded; he understood theplexity of Zhu Xiaozhu¡¯s feelings at the moment. Asking her to make a decision right away would be difficult.


    "Don¡¯t take this matter too much to heart, I know you did it for the sake of my wellbeing and your brother¡¯s, but we should resolve our issues by ourselves. I don¡¯t want you to get involved. Regardless of the decision you make, I will respect it."


    "Thank you."


    "What is there to thank. Alright, it¡¯s gettingte, you should head back and rest, and convey my regards to Mr. He."


    Watching Zhu Xiaozhu¡¯s figure disappearing into the room, Ling Chen couldn¡¯t help but sigh, feeling somewhat gloomy.


    Why did Zhu Xiaozhu have to be Zhu Hong¡¯s younger sister? It was truly headache-inducing.


    If he were to confront Zhu Hong in the future, how should he face Zhu Xiaozhu?

 Chapter 173 - 170 Attitude Shift (Part 1)

    <h4>Chapter 173: Chapter 170 Attitude Shift (Part 1)</h4><h4></h4>


    Inside Qingyun Martial Arts Hall.


    Zhu Xiaozhu pushed open the door and walked into her bedroom alone, sitting on the bed, staring nkly at the night scene outside the window, continuously recalling the conversation she had with Ling Chen, feeling extremely conflicted inside.


    "Xiaozhu."


    Suddenly, a voice arose from the bed, startling the unprepared Zhu Xiaozhu. She quickly turned her head, only to see Little Hua crawling out of the quilt, grinning at her.


    "What are you doing in my room?" Zhu Xiaozhu asked with dissatisfaction, pretending to spank her.


    Little Hua quickly dodged her gentle p, smiling sweetly, "Sister Xiaozhu, I thought you weren¡¯ting back tonight, so I wanted to spend the night in your room."


    "Who said I wasn¡¯t going to spend the night, you..." As soon as she spoke, Zhu Xiaozhu immediately grasped the hidden meaning in Little Hua¡¯s words, her face turning pink with embarrassment, "You little girl, your thoughts are getting more and more impure."


    "Okay! Okay! Sister Xiaozhu, my bad." Seeing Zhu Xiaozhu¡¯s raised hand, Little Hua quickly begged for mercy. After saying that, she affectionately wrapped her arms around Zhu Xiaozhu¡¯s arm, batting her big, round eyes, "Sister Xiaozhu, how was your date with big brother? When can I start calling him brother-inw?"


    "What brother-inw? You¡¯re talking nonsense again." Zhu Xiaozhu could barely stand her anymore, her speech was always about this topic.


    Xiaozhu¡¯s eyes darted around, "Then... then have you made your rtionship official?"


    "No."


    "Why? Sister Xiaozhu, big brother likes you and you like him too, such a simple thing, can¡¯t you make it clear?"


    Zhu Xiaozhu shook her head gently, "It¡¯s not for that reason. It¡¯s just... him and I might not be suitable."


    Little Hua puzzledly asked, "Why?"


    Zhu Xiaozhu answered with a bitter smile while stroking her head, "Little Hua, sometimes rtionships aren¡¯t just about two people, we have to consider many external factors. There are some unresolved issues between your big brother and me, so we can¡¯t be together for now."


    "External factors?" Little Hua grasped her own pigtails, a look of puzzlement on her face.


    "Alright, hurry back to your room and go to sleep." Zhu Xiaozhu patted her little bottom, shooing her out of the room.


    Back in He Ziyun¡¯s room, Little Hua sat on the bed edge, pouting unhappily, arms crossed, looking quite upset.


    Seeing her expression, He Ziyun, who was reading a book, couldn¡¯t help but smile, "Girl, what happened? Who made you angry?"


    "Humph! It¡¯s Zhu Hong, that annoying viin."


    "What? Did he bully you?"


    "He didn¡¯t bully me, but he¡¯s too despicable, sabotaging big brother and Sister Xiaozhu¡¯s rtionship."


    "So that¡¯s what you¡¯re talking about." He Ziyun gave a faint smile.


    Little Hua, struck by an idea, pped her hands, "Old man, I have a good idea. Why don¡¯t you sneak into Zhu Hong¡¯s house, stuff him in a sack, and throw him into the river, making him silently disappear from this world? That way, big brother and Sister Xiaozhu wouldn¡¯t have to worry about him anymore."


    He Ziyun chuckled, "You and your wild ideas. We can¡¯t touch Zhu Hong for now; he¡¯s just a visible chess piece. We need to find out the forces behind him, so we must keep him around. Just be patient."


    "What about Sister Xiaozhu then?"


    "Fated people will end up together, don¡¯t worry needlessly." Pausing a moment, He Ziyun then changed the topic, "By the way, keep an eye out recently; someone has installed cameras in our house, and we¡¯re under surveince. Make sure you don¡¯t expose yourself."


    "Who did it?"


    "Who has been to our house?"


    "Zhu Hong! Again, that viin. He better not fall into my hands, or else I¡¯ll make him regret it." Little Hua put on a fierce expression, but no matter how one looked at it, it still seemed somewhat cute and mischievous.


    The next day.


    Ling Chen got up bright and early, exercised for half an hour, then returned to the vi and ate the nutritious breakfast prepared by Nanny Wang.


    Just then, Nanrong Wanqing and Su Lin, rubbing her sleepy eyes, came down from upstairs.


    "Wanqing, you guys are up just in time; Nanny Wang just made breakfast. Come eat while it¡¯s hot."


    Ling Chen smiled. He had taken Zhu Xiaozhu back to the Martial Arts Academyst night and by the time he got back it was already past ten, and Nanrong Wanqing and the others had already gone to rest, so he hadn¡¯t run into them.


    Nanrong Wanqing spoke in a cold tone, "I¡¯m not hungry, you take your time eating; I¡¯m heading to thepany now." Saying this, she pushed her wheelchair directly outside.


    Feeling the chilly attitude from her, Ling Chen was momentarily stunned. Strange, wasn¡¯t everything fine just a few days ago? Why has it suddenly reverted back to before?


    Without the time to ponder, he hurriedly stuffed the bread into his mouth and followed Nanrong Wanqing outside.


    At the front door, Ling Chen was about to get into the Rolls-Royce, but Zhong Wei, standing in front of the car, closed the door.


    "Captain Zhong, what¡¯s wrong?"


    Zhong Wei nced at the car window and discreetly pointed to the side. Ling Chen immediately caught on and followed him to the rear of the car.


    "Ling Chen, did you upset the Chairman?"


    "No, not at all."


    "Well, she told mest night that you don¡¯t need to follow her car anymore; she wants you to drive your own car to work."


    "This..."


    Ling Chen was baffled, not having done anything to offend her; why the sudden change?


    "Hey, let¡¯s head to thepany first. You drive and follow behind, we can talk more about it when we get to thepany."


    "Alright."


    Watching the convoy slowly drive into the street, Ling Chen turned and walked towards his own car.


    Just then, carrying a bag, Nanrong Hao walked out from the house.


    "Brother Chen."


    Ling Chen nodded at him, about to sit in the driver¡¯s seat, but Nanrong Hao rushed in front of him and asked, "Brother Chen, where did you gost night? You didn¡¯t evene to my cousin¡¯s birthday party."


    "Su Lin¡¯s birthday?" Ling Chen was surprised; he was unaware of this. That¡¯s right! He suddenly remembered that yesterday at thepany, Nanrong Wanqing had asked if he was free in the evening, probably to invite him to the birthday party, and he had ended up declining.


    Could it be because of this incident that Nanrong Wanqing gave him the cold shoulder?


    That shouldn¡¯t be the case, right?


    "Where did you guys hold the birthday partyst night?"


    "Xiyuan Restaurant, it¡¯s newly opened, the environment is pretty good; I¡¯ll treat you there next time."


    Ling Chen¡¯s eyes widened; what a coincidence?


    "So it was you guys at Xiyuan Restaurantst night."


    At the time, he vaguely heard Nanrong Hao calling for ¡¯Sister¡¯, but when he went out to look, he didn¡¯t see anyone. He thought he had misheard, not realizing they were all at Xiyuan Restaurantst night.


    Over the course of one night, Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s attitude towards him had drastically changed. Maybe it was because of... Thinking about this, he quickly asked, "Haozi, did your sister have any strange reactionsst night?"


    "Which sister are you talking about?"


    "Nonsense, of course your older sister." Ling Chen anxiously watched him, "Think carefully."

 Chapter 174 - 171 Attitude Shift (Part 2)

    <h4>Chapter 174: Chapter 171 Attitude Shift (Part 2)</h4><h4></h4>


    "Chen, if you ask like this, it does seem there was such a matter." Nanrong Hao recalled, "Sister called me to stop when she was passing through the hall, then she seemed a bit ufortable, urging me to hurry along."


    Indeed!


    Ling Chen pped his forehead, a bitter smile on his face.


    It must have been that she saw him on a private date with Zhu Xiaozhu, that¡¯s why her attitude changed so drastically.


    The rtionship between Wanqing and Zhu Xiaozhu was not great originally, and seeing such a scene, it was inevitable for her to be angry, which was quite normal. However, this change in Wanqing made him consider other possibilities.


    Wanqing being angry about this indicated that she cared deeply. Given her rtionship with Zhu Xiaozhu, it wasn¡¯t likely about Zhu Xiaozhu, so the only possibility is...


    No way!


    He groaned internally. If that was indeed the case, then he couldn¡¯t me anyone else but himself.


    He didn¡¯t deny that he had special feelings for Wanqing. But, that kind of feeling couldn¡¯t yet be called love. It was a sentiment born out of the hardships they shared together, unclear and indistinct.


    It wasn¡¯t like love, but also not like mere friendship; it was hard to define.


    Conversely, Zhu Xiaozhu seemed like a more suitable person for him because the gap between him and the Nanrong family was not small. However, there was also Zhu Hong to consider between him and Zhu Xiaozhu. If Zhu Hong¡¯s issue wasn¡¯t resolved, his fate with Zhu Xiaozhu was doomed.


    Last night chatting with Zhu Xiaozhu, the two of them shared an unspoken understanding, so that final barrier was never broken.


    He recalled a few nights ago, still entangled in dreams about choosing between these two women. Now, it seemed, neither was an option anymore.


    Indeed, one should not be too greedy, or in the end, it renders everything vain.


    "Chen, are you alright?"


    Ling Chen waved his hand, "I¡¯m fine, you go to school. I need to head to the office." Saying so, he got into the driver¡¯s seat, started the car, and followed the convoy.


    Upon reaching thepany.


    Wanqing had already been escorted to the top-floor office, and he didn¡¯t even see her. Standing in front of the elevator, Ling Chen hesitated for a moment, but ultimately gave up on the idea of exining.


    Some things weren¡¯t useful to exin, especially since it was indeed his fault towards Wanqing.


    However, just as he was set to return to the security department, Zhong Wei suddenly called him, asking him to visit the Chairman¡¯s office, mentioning that there was a task for him.


    A task? What kind of task?


    Full of doubts, he took the elevator to the top floor, reaching out to push the door to Wanqing¡¯s office. At that moment, Secretary Wang Lan stopped him and handed him some documents, saying, "This is a task assigned by the Chairman."


    Ling Chen opened the documents and nced through. His expression changed slightly.


    "Lan, please tell the Chairman that I will not ept this task. My duty is to protect her safety, not to run errands for her."


    "The Chairman anticipated you would say this. She mentioned that if you refuse, then she..."


    "What will she do?"


    Wang Lan nced at the office door and pulled Ling Chen aside, whispering, "Mr. Ling, are you having a dispute with the Chairman? Just now when I saw the Chairman, she had a cold expression,pletely different from a few days ago."


    Ling Chen nodded slightly, embarrassed.


    "Mr. Ling, listen to my advice. The Chairman is currently very upset; she definitely won¡¯t calm down anytime soon. Don¡¯t confront her directly for now; let her mood stabilize first, maybe it¡¯ll be better in a few days."


    "But..."


    "I know what you¡¯re worried about. It¡¯s okay." Saying so, Wang Lan leaned close to Ling Chen¡¯s ear and quietly said a few words.


    "Really?"


    "Of course it¡¯s true. I am the chairman¡¯s secretary, all of the chairman¡¯s affairs are handled by me, there can be no falsehood."


    "Alright." Ling Chen decided to take Wang Lan¡¯s advice, "Lan, thanks, I¡¯ll treat you to a meal when I return."


    "That¡¯s what you said, I¡¯ll be waiting."


    Watching Ling Chen enter the elevator, Wang Lan turned and walked into the chairman¡¯s office.


    "Has he arrived?" Nanrong Wanqing asked without lifting her head.


    "Yes, he has agreed to do as you arranged." After finishing, Wang Lan hesitated for a moment, then continued, "Chairman, Mr. Ling asked me to ry a message, he says... he¡¯s sorry."


    "Sorry?" Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s expression was indifferent, her beautiful eyes revealing a touch of aloofness, "These three words are too easy to say. If all problems could be solved with these three words, then everyone can make mistakes without fear." Saying this, she suddenly realized, telling Wang Lan this seemed somewhat inappropriate. Her tone then became gentler, "Alright, you may leave. I still have work to attend to."


    At this moment, having returned to the security department, Ling Chen was sitting in a chair with his legs crossed, and he sighed deeply, his face filled with gloom.


    "Hey, you, sighing like that, what is it? Could it be that you were dumped by some beauty?" Tang Yuan teased him.


    Ling Chen red at him, this guy really knew how to rub salt in the wound.


    "Didn¡¯t Mr. Han task you with transporting items to Beijing? When are you leaving?"


    "Day after tomorrow, why, will you miss me? Indeed, without me here, who will you chat and shoot the breeze with."


    "Cut it out, I¡¯m not into that, you¡¯re not that important in my heart. Hey, enough nonsense, remember to take me with you when you go to Beijing."


    Tang Yuan was surprised, "You¡¯re going to Beijing?"


    Ling Chen nodded, "Yes, the chairman personally assigned the task, I can¡¯t disregard it."


    "No way, absolutely not, if both you and I leave, who will ensure Miss Nanrong¡¯s safety? Don¡¯t forget, her crisis is not yet over."


    Ling Chen smiled mysteriously, "I know, don¡¯t worry, if I didn¡¯t have a n, would I have carelessly agreed?"


    Tang Yuan nodded, "Alright, if you¡¯re prepared that¡¯s fine, but if anything goes wrong, you can¡¯t bear that responsibility."


    ...


    For the next two days, Ling Chen waspletely cut off by Nanrong Wanqing; entering and leaving at different times, he always deliberately avoided her.


    Ling Chen had no choice but to cooperate with her as much as possible, letting her cool off. Her body was delicate to begin with, he didn¡¯t want her to harm her health from anger.


    On the day of departure, Ling Chen woke up early, said goodbye to no one, carried a simple bag, and drove alone to the airport.


    However, he did not notice that when he left, seated at the window on the second floor of the vi was a person, watching his figure disappear.


    Airport.


    A military transport ne was already prepared.


    This transportation was directly organized by Qiao Zhen from Beijing, responsible for transporting the exoskeleton armor. Besides the transport ne, ten special forces soldiers were also on board to ensure the security of the transportation.


    As the ne slowly ascended, maintaining altitude, Ling Chen unbuckled his seatbelt and began to walk around the cabin.


    At this moment, amunications soldier holding a satellite phone approached Tang Yuan.


    "Chief Tang, the General is looking for you."


    Tang Yuan took the phone, got up, and walked to the side to listen.


    Before long, his face suddenly changed, and he eximed, "What?"

 Chapter 175 - 172: Arriving in Beijing

    <h4>Chapter 175: Chapter 172: Arriving in Beijing</h4><h4></h4>


    Looking at Tang Yuan¡¯s tightly furrowed brows, Ling Chen suddenly had an ominous premonition.


    "Old Tang, what¡¯s wrong?"


    "There¡¯s been an incident." Tang Yuan put down the satellite phone, his face grim, "Recently, we relocated all the research staff from the research institute along with their families to Beijing, but I just received news that one of the more than ten researchers has been missing for two to three days, whereabouts unknown."


    "What about his family?"


    "The General had people go to look for them, but it was toote, his family has disappeared too. Their residence was under protection, they couldn¡¯t have escaped without inside help."


    Ling Chen nodded, "Initially, Wanqing suspected that there was a mole in the research institute, but we never identified any suspicious individuals. Now that the research institute is under military control, once the exoskeleton armor falls into military hands, they will never obtain the critical technology of the armor. Their actions now, I¡¯m afraid, are desperate."


    "I don¡¯t understand, if there¡¯s a mole in the research institute, why didn¡¯t that person just reveal the location to those people before the military got involved, instead of waiting until now?"


    "You think Nanrong Wanqingcks brains? When she learned about the importance of the exoskeleton armor, she immediately relocated the research institute. Not just the researchers, but other staff too¡ªonly designated vehicles were assigned to pick up and drop them at specified locations, and except for Qin Lan who was responsible, no one knew the exact location of the institute."


    "So that¡¯s how it is." Tang Yuan finally resolved the confusion in his mind, "I didn¡¯t expect she had some capabilities."


    "Nonsense, could she be the chairman of Hongyu Group without any capabilities? Now, what should we do?"


    "Per the original n, we were tond at the military airport outside of Beijing, but now we need to change the n."


    "Why do we need to change?" asked Ling Chen, puzzled.


    "That I¡¯ll exinter, the General is still analyzing the intelligence, he¡¯ll inform us if there¡¯s any change."


    Ling Chen scratched his head in frustration, originally hoping for a smooth ride, but now faced with this situation, it was truly troublesome. As he pondered, his gaze shifted towards the cargo hold.


    Inside the cargo hold, a rectangr box secured with ropes stood fastened. The box, made from an alloy, was incredibly sturdy¡ªno matter the impact, it would ensure the exoskeleton armor inside remained undamaged. Moreover, the box had threeyer encryption. It required the passwords entered sequentially by Tang Yuan, Han Bing, and Qiao Zhen to be opened, the protection was very thorough.


    From East Sea City to Beijing, it was a one-and-a-half-hour flight.


    When the transport ne sessfullynded at the military airport outside Beijing, everyone in the cabin breathed a sigh of relief, finally arriving safely at the destination.


    "Old Tang, I¡¯m heading off, keep in touch when you¡¯re free."


    After disembarking, Ling Chen slung his backpack over his shoulder, waved to Tang Yuan, and then started walking towards the airport exit.


    At that moment, Tang Yuan received a call from the General, and upon hearing the instructions, his expression turned peculiar.


    "General, this... this doesn¡¯t seem very appropriate?" He hesitated.


    As soon as he spoke, the voice on the other end of the phone rose by eight degrees, making him unconsciously pull the phone away a bit.


    "Yes, General, don¡¯t worry, I assure you I¡¯llplete the mission." After finishing, he suppressed a chuckle and nced at Ling Chen who was walking away.


    "Ling Chen!" Hanging up, he quickly called after Ling Chen, hurrying to catch up.


    "What¡¯s up?"


    Patting his shoulder with augh, Tang Yuan said, "It¡¯s several kilometers from here to the city, you aren¡¯t nning to walk that far, right? This ce is a military zone, there are no taxis. Just wait a moment, I¡¯ll arrange a car for you."


    "Good brother, hurry up."


    In less than ten minutes, a jeep drove up to Ling Chen, and a good-looking soldier rolled down the window, greeting him.


    "Mr. Ling, get in, I¡¯ll take you."


    Ling Chen unceremoniously sat in the passenger seat, grinning, "Brother, thanks for the trouble."


    Soon after the jeep left the airport, several military vehicles followed out of the airport, heading in the opposite direction.


    Sitting in the jeep, Ling Chen hummed a tune, asionally chatting with the driver to pass the time.


    "Brother, how long have you been in the army?"


    "Two years, I¡¯m in logistics."


    "How¡¯s life in the army?"


    "Not bad, just that..." The driver hesitated a bit.


    Ling Chen burst intoughter, "Just that there are no women, all bigds. There¡¯s nothing embarrassing about that, I went through the same back in the days. During closed training, we weren¡¯t allowed to leave the base all year, no TV, no cell phones, no contact with the outside world. Damn, you don¡¯t know what it¡¯s like not seeing a woman for a year, even the female pig in the canteen seemed pretty."


    Hearing this, the driverughed, teasingly said, "Mr. Ling, is that female pig still there?"


    Ling Chen chuckled wryly, "You, kid... your thoughts are too dirty."


    While they were talking, the driver¡¯s expression suddenly changed, and he quickly stepped on the brakes. As the jeep made an abrupt stop, Ling Chen¡¯s body lurched forward, looking ahead.


    Suddenly, he saw arge truck parked horizontally in the middle of the road, blocking the way.


    Huh?


    He slightly furrowed his brows, it was wilderness here, how could arge truck be here.


    "Mr. Ling, I¡¯ll go check it out."


    Seeing the other party intending to get out of the car, Ling Chen immediately grabbed his arm, saying, "You stay in the car, I¡¯ll go."


    The appearance of arge truck in such a remote location was abnormal, he was worried there might be some issue, it was better if he checked himself.


    Approaching the truck, Ling Chen climbed up to the driver¡¯s cabin, and found it empty, even the keys were removed.


    Definitely something wrong!


    No one would just randomly park a car in such a ce.


    "Ah!"


    Just then, a loud scream suddenly came from behind.


    Ling Chen quickly turned to look back, and at that moment, he saw a strange man standing next to the jeep, forcefully pulling the driver out from the driver¡¯s seat, lifting him single-handedly, then forcefully flinging him out.


    Bang!


    The drivernded heavily on the ground, grimacing in pain, both hands clutching his waist, unable to even stand up.


    Seeing the stranger moving towards the car, Ling Chen didn¡¯t say another word, immediately jumped down from the truck and quickly ran over. When he reached the front of the car, his legs powerfully pushed off the ground, leaping up,nding on the hood, and kicked the front window¡¯s ss with his foot, attacking the man.


    The man seeing this, slightly tilted his head to the side, tightly grabbed his ankle and forcefully pulled inward. Ling Chen immediately felt a powerful forceing, almost losing control of his body.


    This guy is formidable!


    He was inwardly shocked, no time to think further, his hands propped up on the roof of the car, he quickly retreated, freeing his leg from the man¡¯s hand.

 Chapter 176 - 173: Interception

    <h4>Chapter 176: Chapter 173: Interception</h4><h4></h4>


    "Are you Ling Chen?" The man moved out from the driver¡¯s cabin and sized him up with a yful look in his eyes, as if he wasn¡¯t seeing a person, but a prey, emanating an intimidating aura from head to toe.


    "Yes, I am. And who are you?"


    Seeing the man, Ling Chen slightly furrowed his brows but maintained direct eye contact without flinching. The man in front of him seemed to be in his early thirties, dressed casually, with an unremarkable appearance that would go unnoticed in a crowd. However, Ling Chen could tell at a nce that there was something extraordinary in his gaze.


    And after sensing the man¡¯s strength, he grew even more cautious; this man was definitely a master.


    "Song Qing."


    "I don¡¯t know you, and I have no grudges against you. Why are you blocking my way?"


    Song Qing replied indifferently, "I think you should know the reason. Just let me take the item, and I can spare your life."


    "Item?" Ling Chen was struck by a realization and immediately understood what the other man meant, "You must be mistaken, what you¡¯re looking for isn¡¯t with me."


    "What¡¯s in the trunk?" After saying that, Song Qing walked to the trunk and pulled off the tarp covering it. Suddenly, an alloy-made box appeared before Ling Chen¡¯s eyes.


    "This..." Ling Chen¡¯s eyes widened in disbelief as he stared at the box, his mind unable to process what he saw.


    Damn it, I¡¯ve been screwed over by Tang Yuan again!


    He cursed resentfully. He thought Tang Yuan was kindly helping him by calling a cab to take him to the city center, but in the shadows, he had sneakily put that set of exoskeleton armor in his car.


    At least let me know so I can be prepared.


    Cursing was one thing, but now that it had happened, he couldn¡¯t just run away and abandon the item; that wasn¡¯t his style. It seemed he was bound for a fight today.


    With that in mind, he shrugged his shoulders and loosened his arms and legs, then beckoned Song Qing with a hook of his finger, "Let¡¯s cut the chit-chat. If I lose, you can take the item. But if you lose, I¡¯m sorry, but you¡¯ll probably spend the rest of your life in prison."


    "We¡¯ll see if you¡¯ve got the skills for that." With those words, Song Qing reached behind his waist, flicked his wrist, and a Soft Sword quickly slid out.


    Seeing the weapon his opponent revealed, Ling Chen¡¯s gaze sharpened and without hesitation, he drew Wolf Kiss. But looking at his daggerpared to the Soft Sword in the other¡¯s hand, he felt irritated; a longer weapon had the advantage, and it seemed like he was at a disadvantage.


    Before he could voice hisint, Song Qing¡¯s Soft Sword had already struck, aiming fast at his brow.


    Shit, the slightest carelessness could reveal a weakness for the opponent to exploit. Seeing the Soft Sword thrusting at him, Ling Chen quickly adjusted his stance, raising Wolf Kiss to meet it.


    ng!


    A crisp sound rang out as Wolf Kiss deftly deflected the Soft Sword. Seizing the opportunity, Ling Chen closed the distance, preparing for closebat with Song Qing.


    His dagger was too short; if he allowed Song Qing to fully utilize the Soft Sword, it would be difficult for him to close the distance. Therefore, he had to take the initiative; only by getting close could he limit Song Qing¡¯s performance.


    Song Qing seemed to understand his intention, quickly stepping back to create distance. But Ling Chen steadily pressed forward, Wolf Kiss relentlessly aiming for his adversary¡¯s vital points.


    At that moment, Song Qing twisted his waist, found an opening, and thrust the Soft Sword downward from above.


    Ling Chen immediately raised Wolf Kiss to block the Soft Sword¡¯s attack. However, when Wolf Kiss came into contact with the Soft Sword, the de suddenly went limp, forming an arc and continuing its trajectory towards his forehead.


    Not good!


    His expression shifted slightly, and he hastily retreated two steps, narrowly avoiding the Soft Sword¡¯s lethal thrust.


    Seeing him retreat, Song Qing sneered coldly, her wrist trembling slightly, the soft sword instantly straightened, bing rigid and unbending.


    This is... Inner Strength!


    Ling Chen frowned secretly; the person before him was actually an Inner martial arts expert. Because the de of a soft sword is flexible, it is difficult to control, so very few people master it. However, Inner martial arts experts are different; they can change the hardness of the soft sword at will through their Inner Strength.


    Now, he finally understood why that mysterious organization had only arranged for one person to guard this path.


    With Song Qing¡¯s strength, one person was enough to match more than a dozen people.


    "Is that all you¡¯ve got?" Song Qing said with a disdainful tone, "Jiang Yang died at your hands in vain."


    Hearing this, Ling Chen¡¯s mouth curled slightly, and then he sheathed his Wolf Kiss.


    "Don¡¯t be hasty, you¡¯ll soon witness what I¡¯m capable of."


    Seeing him raise his fists, Song Qing humphed lightly, with a hint of a scornful smile, and the soft sword struck again.


    Watching the soft sword thrusting towards him, Ling Chen still stood in ce, motionless, his sharp gaze fixed on the tip of the sword.


    Suddenly, just as the soft sword was about to reach him, he swiftly shifted his body to the side, his toes rapidly spinning on the ground, his body executing a three hundred sixty-degree turn to end up beside Song Qing, then he swung his fist towards his opponent¡¯s face.


    Song Qing, seeing this, immediately raised her sword to protect her chest.


    But at that moment, Ling Chen suddenly smirked.


    This inexplicable smile immediately made Song Qing feel a sense of foreboding. Before she could react, she felt a sharp pain in her leg.


    It turned out Ling Chen feigned an attack on her face, which was actually a ruse, the real attack targeted her lower body.


    Having taken a kick from Ling Chen, Song Qing¡¯s right leg bent slightly, and she nearly lost her bnce and her center of gravity. However, her reaction was not slow. She lightly tapped her soft sword on the ground, leveraging that force to straighten her body again.


    However, that kick from Ling Chen was still ufortable for her, leaving a throbbing pain.


    "Not bad for taking one of my kicks."


    Ling Chen nodded, looking at Song Qing¡¯s physical condition with new respect. The strongest part of his body was his legs, and their strength was several times that of his fists. Over the years, he had encountered countless opponents, but none could withstand his leg strikes.


    Even Jiang Yangst time had been defeated by his legs.


    Song Qing¡¯s face darkened as she yelled out sharply, her body leaping high, one sword strike following another, the speed of her attacks growing faster and faster, causing Ling Chen to be dazzled.


    He kept a close watch, constantly moving backward, dodging the soft sword¡¯s assaults while secretly seeking Song Qing¡¯s vulnerabilities. His martial arts emphasized taking out the enemy with one move; just give him a chance, and he could finish off his opponent.


    But Song Qing¡¯s assault was fast yet orderly, methodical without chaos, attacking while not forgetting to defend herself. More than a dozen strikes passed, and Ling Chen had not found a suitable opportunity, instead being pushed by Song Qing to the edge of the road.


    On both sides of the road were steep slopes; a fall down there would likely cost one half their life.


    Thinking this, he nced sideways, preparing to break through Song Qing¡¯s attack from the side. However, Song Qing seemed to anticipate his intention, the direction of her swordy suddenly changed, shifting from the front to the side, blocking his retreat.


    Damn it!


    With nowhere to retreat, Ling Chen cursed, and his right hand immediately reached for his waist.

 Chapter 177 - 174: Mysterious Woman

    <h4>Chapter 177: Chapter 174: Mysterious Woman</h4><h4></h4>


    Immediately, a belt whipped out from his hand, wrapping around the Soft Sword, and then he yanked it back, trying to pull Song Qing down the steep slope.


    Song Qing didn¡¯t expect Ling Chen to pull such a move, and caught off guard, his body immediately lost its bnce, tipping forward and plunging headfirst down the slope. But before Ling Chen could rejoice, his expression suddenly changed drastically.


    While falling, Song Qing grabbed at his pants, dragging him down together.


    For a moment, both men involuntarily tumbled down the steep slope.


    Reaching the bottom, Ling Chen shook his head, groggily getting to his feet. Rubbing his somewhat swollen forehead, he silently rejoiced that the steep slope was covered with weeds and few stones; he wasn¡¯t battered, and apart from feeling a bit dizzy, everything else seemed fine.


    Catching his breath, he looked around and saw Song Qing lying about ten meters away, still conscious. However, during the fall, his Soft Sword had been lost.


    Seeing Song Qing preparing to stand up, Ling Chen didn¡¯t hesitate for a moment and immediately charged at him, hoping to take the opportunity to subdue him.


    Hearing the rapidly approaching footsteps, Song Qing quickly got to his feet and swung his fist at Ling Chen. As the fist approached, Ling Chen dodged his head and locked onto the opponent¡¯s arms, then, with the momentum, performed an over-the-shoulder throw, mming his opponent¡¯s body harshly onto the ground.


    However, the ground was covered with weeds and the soil was soft, which didn¡¯t cause much damage to Song Qing. Thetter performed a kip-up and stood back up, his right leg sending a flying kick in Ling Chen¡¯s direction.


    Seeing this, Ling Chen didn¡¯t dodge, lifting his leg to meet the kick head-on. In terms of legwork, he had never feared anyone.


    Bang!


    Their legs collided, and both men executed moves swiftly, one after another, in a straightforward, hard-hittingbat style. However, Ling Chen soon realized that the strength he relied upon was no advantage against Song Qing.


    Ling Chen¡¯s strength stemmed from physical training, while Song Qing¡¯s came from the power of his Inner Strength. Although Ling Chen had also trained in Inner Strength, he was only half-trained, a beginner; he couldn¡¯tpare with a master of the Inner like Song Qing.


    If his external martial arts hadn¡¯t reached the peak, he would have had no confidence in this battle.


    It is often said that martial arts evolve from the external to the internal: first, train the external arts toy a solid foundation, then cultivate the Inner Strength, which is the essence of martial arts. Indeed, this saying is true.


    Several minutes passed, and the two closely entangled figures finally separated.


    Ling Chen bent over, hands on knees, gasping for breath, with sweat pouring from his forehead. Song Qing didn¡¯t seem much better; both were severely depleted of stamina.


    In those short few minutes, both had exerted all their strength, but unfortunately, neither had gained the upper hand.


    "Again!"


    Ling Chen straightened up, panting heavily.


    Song Qing frowned slightly, watching him, a flicker of hesitation in his eyes. Suddenly, he turned around and ran straight towards the nearby thicket.


    "Thinking of escaping?"


    Without a second word, Ling Chen followed close behind, rushing into the thicket.


    However, upon entering, he found that Song Qing had disappeared from sight. The surroundings were filled with dense branches and underbrush; it was unclear where he had hidden.


    After a moment of thought, Ling Chen took out his cellphone from his pocket, called Tang Yuan, exined the situation, and asked him to bring people over quickly.


    After giving instructions, he continued to move deeper into the forest, searching for the whereabouts of Song Qing.


    Song Qing was skilled in martial arts; he must be a big fish, and perhaps he could pry a lot of information about that mysterious organization from him. Ling Chen didn¡¯t want to miss this opportunity.


    Not far into his search, Ling Chen suddenly stopped in his tracks, his gaze sweeping slowly over the surroundings. Just then, he had the sensation of a thorn in his back, as if someone was watching him.


    He trusted his intuition very much; Song Qing must be nearby, secretly following him. Thinking of this, he withdrew his gaze, quickened his pace, and walked straight toward the bushes in front of him.


    Entering the bushes, he fell forward, lying prone in the dense shrubbery, camouging his body. At the same time, he pricked up his ears, listening silently to the sounds around him.


    Before long, the sound of light footsteps grew from afar and approached his direction.


    As expected!


    Ling Chen¡¯s mouth curled into a slight smile, his judgement was correct.


    Hearing the footsteps drawing nearer, Ling Chen tensed his whole body, ready to spring into action, prepared tounch a surprise attack on the other party. As the footsteps passed by in front of him, he suddenly leapt up from the bushes, pouncing on the person beside him to the ground, then raised his fist high, and powerfully smashed it down towards the other party.


    However, before his fist couldnd, Ling Chen froze, staring dumbfounded at the person before him, his mind not quite catching up.


    At this moment, the person he had pinned down was actually a woman, and a very attractive beauty at that.


    Simply using ¡¯attractive¡¯ to describe her seemed somewhat insufficient, but Ling Chen couldn¡¯t think of any other adjectives at the moment.


    The woman in front of him was about twenty-something years old, with brows like paintings, lips painted red, a face as delicate as an egg and a slender yet voluptuous figure, like a celestial fairy descended from heaven, ethereal and otherworldly.


    Despite being dressed in simple coarse cloth, it couldn¡¯t conceal her temperament.


    Unexpectedly, in such a deste mountain, there was such a stunning beauty.


    While Ling Chen was still startled, the woman under him suddenly swung out a palm, hitting him hard in the chest. Instantly, Ling Chen¡¯s body arched backward and he fell to the ground.


    Feeling the pain in his chest, he was shocked and struggled to sit up, staring straight at the beauty in front of him.


    "So skilled!"


    A seemingly light palm, but full of force, he considered himself physically strong, not feeling pain even when shing directly with Song Qing earlier, but that palm just now was agonizingly painful.


    This proved that the woman before him was not just any woman, but also a master.


    Seeing the other party looking at him warily, ready to strike at any moment, Ling Chen quickly raised his hands, indicating his intentions.


    "I¡¯m not a bad person, it was just a misunderstanding just now. I thought you were the bad one chasing after me."


    The other party watched him with a mix of belief and skepticism, seemingly judging the truth of his words.


    "Beautifuldy, what is your name?"


    "I... don¡¯t... have a... name."


    The woman slowly started to speak, her speech not very fluent, as if every word she uttered was extremely difficult.


    "No name?" Ling Chen found it hard to believe, even cats and dogs have names, let alone people, "Then where do you live?"


    "Mountain..."


    "You live in the mountains?"


    Hearing her answer, Ling Chen began to understand why it was difficult for her to speak. Someone living alone for years without interaction or conversation would easily developmunication barriers over time.


    Thinking of this, he couldn¡¯t help but feel sympathy for the woman before him. So beautiful, yet living alone in the mountains, he wondered what reasons she had for staying in such a deste ce.

 Chapter 178 - 175: The True Expert

    <h4>Chapter 178: Chapter 175: The True Expert</h4><h4></h4>


    As he thought, Ling Chen suddenly felt ufortable all over, especially in his chest. He thought it was nothing major after being hit by that woman, but now he felt suffocated as if he was about to lose his breath, which was extremely ufortable.


    Seeing his face turn red and his breathing difficult, the woman quickly stepped forward and struck out with her palm again. Ling Chen widened his eyes, watching her movements.


    Again? Was she trying to kill him?


    Just as the thought arose, the woman¡¯s delicate palm had alreadynded on his body. Instantly, he felt an inexplicable force surge through him, a sweetness rose in his throat, and he spat out a mouthful of fresh blood.


    As the clotted blood came out, his breathing became much smoother, and his whole body rxed. However, when hepletely rxed, he immediately felt his head dizzy and lethargy overwhelmed him.


    After the fight with Song Qing, where he severely depleted his physical strength, and now being struck twice by this mysterious woman, he felt he could not take it anymore.


    In a daze, he leaned back, lying unconscious in the bushes.


    ...


    He did not know how much time had passed, but Ling Chen finally came to.


    He rubbed his temples and slowly sat up, realizing he was lying on a simple wooden bed, covered with a nket that carried a faint scent of freshness. He looked around and saw that he was in a wooden cabin with nothing but a bed and a desk chair and no valuable decorations - almost everything was made of wood.


    "What ce is this?"


    As he wondered, the door of the cabin was pushed open from outside. Shortly after, a woman came in holding a bowl of rice porridge.


    So it was her.


    Ling Chen regained his senses and looked at the woman who had injured him yet had also saved him, his eyes flickering with curiosity.


    Such a skillful and stunningly beautiful woman living alone in the deep woods must have an untold story. Generally, he wouldn¡¯t be interested in others, but with such a beauty, he wouldn¡¯t mind delving into her secrets.


    At that moment, the woman approached the bed and handed him the bowl of millet porridge, "Eat..."


    Ling Chen smiled slightly, knowing she spoke with difficulty. Without waiting for her to finish, he took the porridge with both hands. Driven by immense hunger, he gulped it down greedily, leaving not a single grain at the bottom of the bowl.


    The more severe the physical exhaustion, the hungrier he got.


    After finishing the bowl of porridge, Ling Chen felt a significant relief throughout his body, not feeling as ufortable as before.


    "Thank you."


    The woman took the empty bowl, ced it aside, and then sat dawn in front of the bed. Her clear eyes stared at him unblinkingly, as if she was assessing an interesting object.


    Being stared at so unrestrainedly, even Ling Chen with his thick skin felt a bit embarrassed.


    He coughed lightly and chuckled, "Beauty, do you really not have a name?"


    The woman gently shook her head.


    "Then..." Ling Chen nced at the empty porridge bowl, "I¡¯ll call you Porridge Girl, we need some kind of address."


    "Whatever."


    "How many years have you lived here?"


    Porridge Girl stretched out two fingers, and Ling Chen immediately understood. Twenty years! He clicked his tongue in wonder. This woman had actually lived in this deserted ce for twenty years; it must have been hard for her, wondering how she got through these long years. If it were him, living alone in such a deste ce, not to mention twenty years, he¡¯d go mad just after two or three years.


    Thinking of this, he couldn¡¯t help but admire the persistence of the porridge girl.


    "Other than you, has no one else been here?"


    "There has, my... Master... Master."


    "Master?" Ling Chen nodded secretly. He knew it, the porridge girl¡¯s skills were so formidable, it must have been taught by a master, "Doesn¡¯t your master live with you?"


    Mentioning her master, the porridge girl¡¯s expression suddenly dimmed, her eyes carrying a touch of faint sorrow.


    Seeing this, Ling Chen knew he had touched on her tragic past, and hurriedly apologized: "I¡¯m sorry."


    "You..."


    The porridge girl was about to speak, but at that moment, she seemed to hear something, suddenly stood up, and turned to look outside the door.


    "What happened?"


    "There¡¯s... someone."


    Ling Chen listened carefully, but it was silent outside, not a sound. He gave a bitter smile, he had always thought his martial arts were not bad, butpared to the porridge girl, he was far weaker.


    Watching the porridge girl walk out, Ling Chen immediately threw off the nket, got out of bed, and followed her out of the wooden cabin.


    Stepping out of the cabin, Ling Chen was surprised to find that the cabin was actually built on arge tree. Rather than a wooden house, it seemed more appropriate to call it a treehouse. The treehouse was hidden by lush branches and foliage, making it difficult to spot without careful attention.


    At that moment, the porridge girl leaped forward from a branch over five meters high and jumped down. Landing on her feet, she slightly bent her knees and made no sound even though she stepped on dry leaves.


    Seeing the height, Ling Chen hesitated briefly, then gave up the idea of jumping down. His condition wasn¡¯t good now, better not to overdo it. Plus, the perspective from the tree branch was good, his gaze could cover the surroundings.


    However, in the blink of an eye, the porridge girl had disappeared from his sight, not knowing where she had gone.


    During this contemtion, a rustling sound approached from far to near. Ling Chen looked up and saw a middle-aged man walking towards him through the shrubs.


    "Song Qing?" Ling Chen¡¯s eyes brightened slightly, the corners of his mouth lifting slightly, finding what one sought effortlessly after much effort, he had wanted to find him and here he came on his own.


    Thinking this, he grabbed the rope beside the treehouse, preparing to slide down and capture Song Qing.


    However, before he could act, Song Qing, who was underneath the treehouse, suddenly stopped and looked around with a wary expression, coldly saying, "Who¡¯s there? Come out!"


    Seeing no response, Song Qing slightly furrowed his brow and said: "Ling Chen, I know it¡¯s you, stop sneaking around,e out." Saying that, he picked up a roughly one-meter long tree branch from the ground, tightly gripping it in his hands.


    Suddenly, a figure shed, and the sound of wind attacked; Song Qing quickly turned around, stabbing the branch fiercely backwards.


    However, just as he moved, Song Qing was shocked, staring dumbfounded at the woman who suddenly appeared in front of him. She had caught his stabbing branch between two fingers.


    "Who are you?"


    "Porridge girl, be careful, that guy is a bad person."


    Hearing Ling Chen¡¯s voice from the treehouse, Song Qing¡¯s face changed starkly, and he coldly shouted: "So you two are in this together, go to hell!"


    With a loud shout, he flicked his wrist, and the branch immediately snapped. Then, holding the broken half of the branch, he thrust forward once again towards the porridge girl.


    The porridge girl stood there without any expression, seeming not to take his attack seriously. As the tip of the branch almost reached her, she didn¡¯t move her hands, and Song Qing¡¯s body was suddenly struck hard, flying up from the ground and heavily falling back down.

 Chapter 179 - 176: Master Ranking

    <h4>Chapter 179: Chapter 176: Master Ranking</h4><h4></h4>


    This woman...


    Ling Chen couldn¡¯t help but be astonished. Just now, from the treehouse, he had a clear view of the moment the porridge girl made her move.


    Fast! Too fast! Even his eyes could barely keep up with her movements. In this moment, he felt his own skills were utterly weakpared to hers; this was a true expert.


    After being repelled by a move from the porridge girl, Song Qingy on the ground gasping for breath. Clenching his teeth, he struggled to rise from the ground and while staring coldly at the porridge girl opposite him, said icily, "Who on earth are you?"


    The porridge girl silently stared at him.


    "Song Qing, you might as well stop asking and surrender quietly," Ling Chen grinned. With the help of the porridge girl, Song Qing had no chance of escaping.


    "Song... Qing, your name is... Song Qing?" The porridge girl suddenly spoke up, "The... Tiger List... ranked sixth... Song Qing?"


    Song Qing¡¯s eyes went cold, "You know me?"


    "Tiger List... a strong fighter, but... nothing special."


    "You..." Song Qing¡¯s face showed a slight change of color, and he was about to shout in anger, but before he could speak, a heavy punch had alreadynded. With a grunt, he spat out a mouthful of fresh blood andy face down on the ground, unconscious.


    "So much nonsense," said Ling Chen as he retracted his fist. While Song Qing and the porridge girl were talking, he had slid down from the treehouse and knocked Song Qing directly to the ground.


    After finding some hemp ropes, he tied Song Qing up and bound him to a tree trunk, then he and the porridge girl returned to the treehouse.


    Sitting at the table, Ling Chen looked at the porridge girl beside him and asked curiously, "Do you know Song Qing?"


    "Don¡¯t... know him, just heard of," she replied.


    "What did you mean just now by the Tiger List?"


    "It¡¯s a ranking list," the porridge girl finally spoke much more fluently after so much conversation, "Besides the Tiger List, there¡¯s also the Dragon List, Heavenly List, and Earthly List. Those who make it onto the lists are all experts. You practice martial arts, don¡¯t you know of it?"


    Ling Chen gave an embarrassed smile, "To be precise, I can¡¯t really consider myself a conventional martial artist."


    He was an elite trained by the military, all his skills were honed in actualbat, and of course, this was also due to his own efforts. However, he wasn¡¯t very familiar with the ¡¯Martial Arts World¡¯ within the country, as he hadn¡¯t had any encounters with it. The so-called Dragon and Tiger List, Heavenly and Earthly List, were probably only known to those involved in these circles.


    After thinking for a bit, he asked, "About these four lists you mentioned, how are they ranked?"


    "The Heavenly List is at the top, followed by the Earthly List, the Dragon List is third, and the Tiger List isst. Each list includes ten people," exined the porridge girl.


    Hearing this, Ling Chen felt somewhat embarrassed. He thought he was quite skilled, but the porridge girl¡¯s words made him realize, there are always stronger people out there.


    Song Qing was the Tiger List¡¯s sixth, and since he could fight to a draw with him, it meant he also had the qualifications to be on the list. However, the Tiger List was the bottommost, and there were three more lists above it. What did this mean? Huaxia, this vastnd with hidden dragons and crouching tigers, full of talent. Although he had rarely encountered a match abroad over the years, he only realized upon returning home that he had been looking at the sky from the bottom of a well.


    The real experts would always keep a low profile.


    "Porridge girl, which list could you rank on?"


    "Don¡¯t know, I might just barely make it onto the Earthly List."


    Uh...


    Ling Chen was momentarily stunned, the porridge girl¡¯s skills were so good, yet she could only just barely make it onto the Earthly List; he couldn¡¯t imagine how much more formidable the number one of the Heavenly List would be.


    "Since you are aware of Tiger List¡¯s Song Qing, it seems like you know the people on the list quite well."


    The porridge girl nodded, "Heaven, Earth, Dragon, Tiger - I know everyone on all four lists, they are all my targets."


    "Targets?"


    "Master said, when I can defeat them, then I will be qualified to leave this ce."


    Ling Chen was surprised. Her master had set such a rule, that was simply making things difficult on purpose. With so many experts on both the Heavenly List and Earthly List to challenge one by one, defeating them all was almost harder than reaching the heavens. More importantly, the porridge girl was still so young; by the time she achieved her goal, she would probably be old already. By then, even if she could leave, what good would it do?


    If the most precious time of one¡¯s life is wasted on pointless struggle, what¡¯s the point of it all?


    As he thought this, he felt quite undeserved on behalf of the porridge girl; her master was simply a freak without a shred of humanity.


    While they were talking, Ling Chen suddenly heard his cellphone ringing in his pocket. He took it out and saw it was a call from Tang Yuan, which he immediately answered.


    "Hello, you¡¯ve arrived? Alright, wait there for me, I¡¯ll be right over."


    After hanging up, Ling Chen turned to look at the porridge girl, who had already stood up before he could speak, saying, "I¡¯ll take you out."


    Leaving the treehouse, with the bound Song Qing, still unconscious, on his back, Ling Chen followed the porridge girl as they walked outside.


    After about a kilometer, the porridge girl pointed towards the north and said indifferently, "Beyond that woods, you¡¯ll be able to find yourpanions."


    "Thank you!"


    "You can go now." After finishing her sentence, the porridge girl turned around and walked back the same way she came.


    Watching the lonely and deste figure of the porridge girl, Ling Chen felt a sudden pang of reluctance. Such a vibrant and youngdy living alone deep in the mountains and forests was truly a pity.


    If it weren¡¯t for his pressing business, he really wanted to stay and have a good chat with her. It was evident the porridge girl longed for human interaction; otherwise, why would she offer a helping hand to a stranger?


    With a heavy sigh, he shouldered Song Qing and quickened his pace.


    Returning to the foot of the steep slope, Ling Chen only saw several military jeeps parked at the roadside on the slope.


    "Old Tang!" Ling Chen shouted loudly, and Tang Yuan quickly popped his head out from within one of the vehicles.


    Shortly after, Tang Yuan threw down a rope and pulled Ling Chen up the slope.


    "Here you go! I¡¯ve brought him to you." Ling Chen threw Song Qing onto the ground with a thump, immediately waking him up. However, before he could resist, he was taken into custody by several soldiers and thrown into the vehicle.


    "You¡¯re not hurt, are you?" Tang Yuan asked with concern.


    Ling Chen said irritably, "You have some nerve to ask. If it weren¡¯t for you, would I have suffered like this? If you dare to do this again in the future, don¡¯t me me for not being polite as a brother."


    Tang Yuan responded with an air of injustice, "You can¡¯t me me for this, it was the General¡¯s intention. ording to intercepted intelligence, they suspected someone would attempt to hijack the vehicle on the way, so we acted as targets to lure the enemy away, while you were to stealthily transport the goods to divert attention."


    "Did you also get ambushed?"


    "Let¡¯s not talk about that. Thankfully, the General had the foresight to make preparations in advance, which saved the exoskeleton armor."


    Ling Chen nodded, then asked, "By the way, where¡¯s the driver who drove me here? Is he alright?"


    "He¡¯s fine, just passed out, and we¡¯ve already taken him to the hospital."


    "That¡¯s good. Hey, lend me a car, I¡¯ll go to the city by myself, to avoid getting tricked by you again."

 Chapter 180 - 177 Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion

    <h4>Chapter 180: Chapter 177 Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion</h4><h4></h4>


    Upon entering Beijing, it was already noon.


    Ling Chen parked the car on the side of the road, randomly picked a restaurant to fill his stomach, and then drove to his destination.


    Half an hourter, he arrived in front of a high-end office building. With the documents given to him by Nanrong Wanqing, he entered the lobby, ready to ask the receptionist for information. But at that moment, a familiar voice came from behind: "Ling Chen."


    He turned around and saw Liang Zhao Hui quickly approaching, his face full of smiles.


    "Why are you just arriving now?"


    "I ran into some trouble and was dyed a bit. Where¡¯s the chairman?"


    "She¡¯s upstairs in a meeting with someone. Hey, be carefulter, the chairman asked you to deliver the documents. She has been here for half a day, and you still haven¡¯t shown up. Just now, from the look on her face, she seemed very angry."


    Ling Chen shrugged his shoulders; he wanted to be on time too, but who would have expected that kind of ident to ur. On that day, Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s secretary Wang Lan told him that Nanrong Wanqing would be going to Beijing to attend a shareholder meeting in two days. If it weren¡¯t for this reason, he wouldn¡¯t have left his responsibilities behind and traveled all the way to Beijing.


    Following Liang Zhao Hui upstairs, they entered a spacious reception room, where Zhong Wei and others were sitting on the sofas, waiting for the meeting to end.


    "Mr. Ling, you¡¯ve finally arrived."


    Wang Lan hurried over, took the documents from him, and then turned and went back to the meeting room.


    "Captain Zhong, how long does the chairman n to stay in Beijing?"


    "It¡¯s still uncertain, maybe two or three days. Why, do you have something on your mind?"


    "No, just asking."


    Less than ten minutester, the shareholder meeting finally ended. While chatting idly with Zhong Wei, Ling Chen learned that aside from the Hongyu Group in East Sea City, Nanrong Wanqing had also invested in severalpanies in Beijing, and was looking to expand the group¡¯s business into Beijing in the future.


    Seeing Nanrong Wanqing being wheeled out of the meeting room by Wang Lan, Ling Chen and several others from the Zhong team immediately went up to greet her.


    Nanrong Wanqing looked at Ling Chen with an expressionless face and asked coldly, "Where have you been? You¡¯re sote."


    "I¡¯m sorry, there was an unexpected issue on the road, and I got dyed. I assure you that I will not..."


    "Zhong Wei, let¡¯s return to the hotel." Before Ling Chen could finish, Nanrong Wanqing had already signaled to leave.


    Seeing this, Ling Chen couldn¡¯t help but give a wry smile. He had to endure the consequences of his own actions, even if it meant swallowing his tears.


    Nanrong Wanqing spent the afternoon in her hotel suite dealing with matters and did not go out. As night descended, Ling Chen used his phone to call Ye Liangyong. After all, since he was in Beijing, he might as well pay a visit.


    When he received his call, Ye Liangyong was delighted, insisting on inviting him to dinner for a proper chat. Soon, Ye Liangyong personally arrived at the hotel by car. Originally, he wanted to take Ling Chen somewhere else, but since Ling Chen was responsible for Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s safety, it was not convenient to go too far, so the two went to the hotel¡¯s private restaurant.


    "Ling Chen, how is my master doing?"


    "Mr. He is in great health, better than many young people."


    "I originally wanted to visit him in East Sea City, but work at thepany has been so busy that I just couldn¡¯t find the time."


    Ling Chen smiled slightly: "Mr. Ye, you are a busy man of great importance; Mr. He will surely understand." He paused for a moment, then changed the subject, "Mr. Ye, I want to ask you about something. Have you heard of the Heaven and Earth List and the Dragon and Tiger List?"


    "Anyone who practices martial arts knows about them. What about it?"


    "There¡¯s nothing much, I just heard someone mention it today, so I¡¯m quite interested."


    Ye Liangyong said longingly, "The Heaven and Earth Dragon and Tiger Four Rankings are the pursuit of all martial artists; everyone wants to be on the lists. It represents not only strength but also honor and status. Don¡¯tugh at me, but actually, my name is also on one of the lists."


    "Really?"


    "Tiger List, ranked tenth, at the very bottom." He said this with a sigh of resignation, "To tell you the truth, I really don¡¯t want this name."


    "Why?"


    "Many who are not on the list want to squeeze into the Tiger List. To do that, they must challenge those who are on it. I¡¯m ranked tenth, the weakest one. Anyone who can beat me can eliminate me and qualify for the ranking. So, every month, quite a few peoplee to challenge me. If I happen to meet an equal opponent, it¡¯s a good thing, as we can exchange skills and improve. But the problem is, those challengers are of mixed abilities, without any real skill, yet you can¡¯t refuse to ept the challenge. Otherwise, words might spread that you¡¯re scared. This matter really bothers me."


    As he spoke, he nced at Ling Chen and smiled, "Since you¡¯re so interested, how about I give you the tenth position on the Tiger List? Last time at the Martial Arts Academy during our spar, I lost to you, so it¡¯s only right to pass the position to you."


    Ling Chen quickly waved his hand, "Forget it, I hate being troubled. Hey, Mr. Ye, who actually ranks these Heaven and Earth Dragon and Tiger Four Rankings? It seems like everyone seriously trusts the cement on this list."


    "Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion. You must have heard of Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion in some TV dramas and novels. In fact, it¡¯s not fiction, but a real entity. It is said that Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion originated hundreds of years ago, specializing in collecting martial arts secrets and anecdotes of the famous, while never getting involved in fights, with an aloof status. Even after hundreds of years, Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion has retained itsplete form. Now, keeping up with the times, it has be a mysterious sect. However, it¡¯s more appropriate to call it an organization nowadays."


    "Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion operates in secrecy and possesses many confidential channels to collect all kinds of information. They keep records of all the experts, along with assigning rankings to all of them."


    "What kind of rankings?"


    "Among the experts of the world, there are nine grades in total, grades one to three are the lower tier, four to six are the middle tier, and seven to nine are the upper tier. In the Heaven and Earth Dragon and Tiger Four Rankings, the Tiger List is the lower tier, the Dragon List is the middle tier. Experts of the seventh and eighth grade can enter the Earthly List, and only those of the ninth grade can enter the Heavenly List. Any martial artist without a grade is considered insignificant."


    "Mr. Ye, what about you...?"


    "I¡¯m a First Grade, you should be around Second Grade." Seeing the surprise on Ling Chen¡¯s face, Ye Liangyong said, "The martial arts of Huaxia are profound and unmatched by outsiders. For someone of your young age to be graded is already very admirable. With your talent, if you work hard, there might be a chance for you to enter the Heaven and Earth List in the future."


    Ling Chen touched his nose. The Heaven and Earth List was too distant for him right now. Besides, he had no interest inpeting for rankings; a simple and quiet life was what he pursued.


    After finishing the meal.


    Ling Chen returned to his hotel room andy quietly on the bed, still thinking about the porridge girl he had just met.


    That woman had given him a very mysterious impression¡ªa young yet already an expert on the Earthly List.


    ...


    At this moment, in a treehouse hidden among the dense foliage.


    The porridge girl sat at the doorway, legs dangling in the air, flipping through a stack of old photographs in her hand.


    When her eyesnded on a yellowed old photo, she suddenly froze, unable to shift her gaze for a long time.


    In the photo, a young man was standing with a smile, like a gentle breeze that felt warming to the soul.


    "Master..." she muttered to herself, her eyes involuntarily reddening.


    If Ling Chen were here, he would be shocked by the man in the photo.


    Because the man was his father, whom he had not seen for many years.


    (Brothers, send over your rmendations.)

 Chapter 181 - 178: The Great Singer

    <h4>Chapter 181: Chapter 178: The Great Singer</h4><h4></h4>


    Waking up, Ling Chen nced at the clock¡ªit was 6:30 in the morning. After washing up, he dialed the hotel¡¯s front desk, and soon a server brought avish breakfast to his room.


    While he was eating, Zhong Wei knocked on the door and came in, handing a schedule to Ling Chen, "This is the chairman¡¯s n for today, take a look."


    Ling Chen bit into his bread and looked over the schedule, the corners of his mouth instantly curving up. Today¡¯s work was quite rxed; Nanrong Wanqing was scheduled to visit friends at several ces. As long as it wasn¡¯t somewhere crowded, there wasn¡¯t much to worry about.


    "Captain Zhong, you haven¡¯t eaten yet, have you? Come, join me." As he spoke, Ling Chen casually picked up the remote control and turned on the TV, flipping through channels ceaselessly.


    At that moment, the duo hosting an entertainment show suddenly caught his attention.


    "In two days, the pop music scene¡¯s rising star Tang Shiyun will be holding her first concert at the Beijing Sports Stadium. Speaking of Tang Shiyun, I believe there are few who haven¡¯t heard of her. Although it¡¯s been just over a month since her debut, her songs have already spread across major music stations and she¡¯s topped the new song trending charts for four consecutive weeks. I just checked, and the second ce is 67 million in poprity behind her¡ªan unprecedented situation."


    "You¡¯re right, bing a nation-wide sensation in just one month, and turning into a familiar pop star isn¡¯t an easy feat. Apart from opportunity, what¡¯s more important is her talent. I won¡¯t lie, I¡¯m also a devoted fan of hers. From the moment I heard her first song, I was immersed in her voice, unable to extricate myself. The first thought that popped into my head was that this girl would surely be wildly popr¡ªa big star in the limelight."


    "I heard that the concert tickets went on presale two weeks in advance and they got snapped up overnight. Originally priced at 1,800, the tickets have now been scalped for 30,000, and are still hard to find. It¡¯s a phenomenon in the music scene that we haven¡¯t seen for years."


    "Just this point alone suffices to highlight the extent to which Tang Shiyun is sought after domestically. My girlfriend even joked with me the other night if I don¡¯t manage to get concert tickets, she would break up with me."


    "..."


    Tang Shiyun hase to Beijing?


    Staring nkly at the TV, Ling Chen seemed deaf to the hosts¡¯ discussion, his mind filled only with the thoughts of Tang Shiyun¡¯s youthful and vibrant smile.


    Thest time he saw Tang Shiyun was when she started school. After a long conversation with her, he decided not to disturb Tang Shiyun¡¯s life anymore. Tang Shiyun¡¯s mother looked down on him, thinking he had no prospects, and forbade Tang Shiyun from associating with him. Therefore, he didn¡¯t want to cause any discord between them because of this.


    "Wow, she¡¯s actually going to hold a concert," Zhong Wei said to himself as he ate.


    Ling Chen, surprised, asked, "You know her?"


    "How could I not? Don¡¯t tell me you don¡¯t? Over the past month, the television, newspapers, the inte¡ªeverywhere was filled with news about her. From 80-year-old seniors to 6 or 7-year-old kids, I guess nobody doesn¡¯t know her."


    Uh...


    Ling Chen inwardly gave a wry smile as he genuinely wasn¡¯t aware of this. He rarely watched TV or read newspapers, and when he had free time, he would either wander around outside or sleep at home.


    "Captain Zhong, is she really that famous?"


    Zhong Wei shook his smartphone,ughing, "I paid to download her songs, as support for her."


    Hearing this, Ling Chen widened his eyes, feeling quite incredulous. Zhong Wei, a man in his thirties, usually stern-faced and serious, was also captivated by Tang Shiyun¡¯s voice.


    Initially, he¡¯d known that Tang Shiyun would be popr, but he never imagined she would reach this level of fame, appealing to audiences young and old.


    "Captain Zhong, lend me your phone to listen."


    Plugging in the earphones, Ling Chen found the ylist and quietly listened to the touching music. As Tang Shiyun¡¯s sweet voice rang out, Ling Chen¡¯s thoughts were drawn back to the times they spent together months ago, every detail flooding his mind.


    That girl... she must be happy now.


    With a slight smile, he returned the phone to Zhong Wei, turned off the TV, and stood up saying, "Let¡¯s go, it¡¯s almost time."


    Arriving at the hotel lobby, Ling Chen sat alone on a couch, quietly waiting for Nanrong Wanqing to appear. He knew Nanrong Wanqing was still upset, so he tried as much as possible to avoid being in her sight.


    Just then, his phone rang, and he quickly answered, "Hello, Old Tang, what¡¯s up?"


    "It¡¯s because of that Song Qing you caught yesterday. Damn it, that guy¡¯s lips are sealed. I¡¯ve interro gated him all night and got nothing valuable."


    "With your methods, none of them worked?"


    "Don¡¯t even mention it, I¡¯ve tried everything, and he didn¡¯t react at all."


    "Is that so?" Ling Chen was somewhat surprised, but then again, he realized that the man was a high-level practitioner from the Inner sect, not someone easy to deal with.


    "Hey, old virgin, you¡¯re usually full of tricky ideas, why don¡¯t youe up with a n?"


    "Well... let me think."


    He knew Tang Yuan wouldn¡¯t ask for help unless he had no other choice.


    "Old Tang, how about this? I¡¯ll find some time toe over today for a face-to-face talk with him. In the meantime, you can take my ce and ensure the chairman¡¯s safety. How does that sound?"


    "Okay, that¡¯s settled then."


    After ending the call, Nanrong Wanqing made her appearance, escorted by Zhong Wei and several others, emerging from the elevator in a wheelchair.


    Passing through the lobby, Nanrong Wanqing didn¡¯t nce sideways and seemed to not notice Ling Chen sitting on the couch. She went straight through the main entrance and into the car.


    Seeing her indifferent expression, Ling Chen smiled helplessly, stood up, and walked out. He got into a Land Rover arranged by Zhong Wei, following behind the convoy.


    Midway through the journey, Ling Chen heard a sequence of ¡¯beep beep¡¯ horn sounds from behind. Looking in the rearview mirror, he saw a Volkswagen car following behind the Land Rover. Then, a hand stretched out of the window, gently waving.


    Seeing this, he immediately understood and slowed down to break away from the convoy. At the same time, the Volkswagen caught up, taking his ce. The driver of the Volkswagen was none other than Tang Yuan.


    After leaving the city, Ling Chen drove to the outskirts to the gate of a country mansion.


    This mansion covered almost a thousand square meters, with two-meter-high walls piled around. In the middle stood a three-story white vi, surrounded by lush greenwns. A winding path made of bluestone meandered among them, with artificial hills and flowing water features all avable.


    Pulling over in front of the iron gate, Ling Chen poked his head out, looking at the surveince camera above the door. Then, he made eight hand gestures.


    Not long after, the iron gate slowly opened.

 Chapter 182: Visit familiar places again

    <h4>Chapter 182: Visit familiar ces again</h4><h4></h4>


    Entering the manor, Ling Chen parked the car and walked straight toward the vi. When he reached the door, it was already opened from inside, and a middle-aged man in home clothes smiled warmly at him.


    "Little Ling, wee back."


    "Uncle Mu, it¡¯s been a while," Ling Chen greeted.


    The middle-aged man in front was Mu Zhiyuan, the owner of the vi.


    "Is it Little Ling who hase?" As the voice sounded, a beautiful woman in her forties with charm still lingering, came quickly. Her slightly wrinkled face was filled with a friendly smile, "Little Ling,e here, let me have a good look at you. I¡¯ve missed you so much over the past few months."


    Ling Chen grinned, "Mrs. Chen, you really shouldn¡¯t miss me, otherwise Uncle Mu might get jealous."


    This beautiful woman, Chen Ping, was Mu Zhiyuan¡¯s wife. They used to live together when he wasn¡¯t on missions, so they were quite close. Mu Zhiyuan and Chen Ping had no children and always treated him like their own, often buying him food and clothing.


    He nned this visit to Beijing early to see this couple. In his heart, they were like family though not by blood.


    "Little Ling,e, sit down, and have a good chat with Mrs. Chen."


    "Alright, don¡¯t hold him up. Let him finish his work first."


    "Mrs. Chen, I¡¯lle and join youter." With that, Ling Chen followed Mu Zhiyuan into the study.


    After closing the door, Ling Chen automatically walked to the desk and nodded at Mu Zhiyuan. Thetter took out his cell phone, pressed it gently, and the bookshelf in front of Ling Chen immediately slid to the side, revealing a bright corridor.


    Walking through the corridor, there was an elevator at the end. After aplicated identity verification, the elevator slowly started and descended.


    As the elevator doors opened, Han Bing was already waiting outside for his arrival.


    "Mr. Han."


    Han Bing smiled and patted his shoulder, "Come with me."


    This secret underground base was the headquarters of the Ghost Organization. No one would expect that this mysterious organization was built under a vi.


    There are five levels in the Ghost Base, equipped with cutting-edge technology andprehensive facilities. When Ling Chen first joined Ghost, he underwent a year of closed training here and was very familiar with it.


    In a short while, the two walked side by side to the outside of an interrogation room.


    "The person is inside, do you need me to apany you?"


    "No need, I¡¯ll go meet him alone." After speaking, Ling Chen pushed the door and walked in.


    In the interrogation room, Song Qing was seated in a specially made chair, his hands and feet bound by thick chains. Since he was a master from the Tiger List, Han Bing had given him special treatment.


    "Song Qing, we meet again."


    Ling Chen smiled and brought a chair over, sitting in front of him and staring into his eyes.


    Song Qing coldly said, "Don¡¯t waste your efforts, I won¡¯t say anything."


    "It¡¯s your choice to speak or not, I won¡¯t force you. You are a master from the Tiger List, and I always respect masters, so rest assured, I won¡¯t use any despicable means to interrogate you. However, you should think carefully. You have openly stolen government property and alreadymitted a felony, death is inevitable. You look no older than thirty. It must have taken a lot of effort to be ranked in the Tiger List at such a young age. Are you willing to let these years of effort go to waste?"


    Song Qing kept his head down, silent, as if he hadn¡¯t heard him.


    Seeing this, Ling Chen slightly smiled and said to himself, "I am also a martial artist, and we learn morals first, which I believe your Master has taught you. You¡¯ve struggled for decades, barely making it onto the Tiger List, for what? Nothing more than fame and fortune. You might have gained the fortune, but what about the reputation? Among more than a billion people in Huaxia, only a few can make it onto the Heaven and Earth Dragon and Tiger Four Rankings. Just being ranked sixth on the Tiger List should have been enough for you to be proud. Yet, what you are doing now is gradually destroying the reputation you worked hard to build. If Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion hears about this, how do you think they will judge you? A traitor? A corrupt viin driven by greed? You know Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion well; once this news reaches their ears, it won¡¯t be long before every martial artist knows of your deeds. By then, if not reviled for eternity, you will be universally detested. Is this the oue you want, to ruin your reputation overnight?"


    Hearing this, a flicker of emotion finally surfaced in Song Qing¡¯s usually unppable eyes.


    He slowly raised his head, his voice hoarse, "If I confess, will you keep this matter from being leaked?"


    Ling Chen promised, "I assure you, not a word will be disclosed. As long as you confess truthfully, I will plead with my superiors to reduce your sentence, so you spend fewer years in prison. Once you are released, you would still be a renowned master on the Tiger List."


    Song Qing hesitated for a moment, then appeared to make a decision, nodding, "Alright, I ept your terms. What do you want to know?"


    "Don¡¯t hurry, I¡¯m not the one to ask these questions. Someone else wille here to see you shortly, just cooperate with them." Finished speaking, Ling Chen turned and walked out of the interrogation room.


    "Young man, you¡¯re quite something," Han Bing praised generously outside the door. He had just listened to their conversation through the monitoring equipment in the interrogation room. Seeing Song Qing relent obviously pleased him.


    The corner of Ling Chen¡¯s mouth lifted slightly; he too wasn¡¯t very sure of himself. But martial artists ce great importance on their reputations, especially those who are well-known masters. That¡¯s why he used this point to try and break through Song Qing¡¯s psychological defenses.


    "Mr. Han, I¡¯ll leave the next steps to you. I¡¯m going to check on the General."


    "He¡¯s in theb."


    After Han Bing entered the interrogation room, Ling Chen made his way to theb within the base.


    In the spaciousb, besides Qiao Zhen, several researchers were studying the exoskeleton armor.


    "General," greeted Ling Chen.


    Seeing him approach, Qiao Zhen¡¯s stern face rarely showed a smile, "You rascal, your timing is perfect. I was about to call you to thank you. You have done a great service for our nation this time. With this exoskeleton armor, our country¡¯s military power will absolutely surpass other nations. Tell me, what reward would you like, you rascal?"


    "General, you can skip the reward. The country raised me, and it¡¯s only right for me to contribute to the country."


    "Not bad, you have high awareness. But your contributions are clear, and a deserved reward must be given. Just name it, as long as it¡¯s not too excessive, I will fulfil it."


    Ling Chen¡¯s eyes twinkled, and he grinned, "General, you mean what you say?"


    "Nonsense, when have I ever gone back on my word?"


    "Alright then... since that¡¯s the case, how about you introduce me to your granddaughter? I¡¯ve been single for so long, I can¡¯t just... Ouch! General, you told me to make a request, why are you hitting me?"


    "Get lost!" Qiao Zhenughed and scolded, "Don¡¯t even think about my granddaughter."

 Chapter 183 - 180 Zhang Family

    <h4>Chapter 183: Chapter 180 Zhang Family</h4><h4></h4>


    In casual conversation, Han Bing walked in from outside theb.


    "General, Song Qing has confessed everything."


    When it came to serious matters, Qiao Zhen immediately put on a stern face and asked, "Has the mastermind behind the scenes confessed?"


    "Not yet. General, ording to what Song Qing described, the organization we¡¯re investigating is veryplex."


    "Complex? In what way? Exin."


    "Our previous guesses weren¡¯t wrong, the mysterious force behind Song Qing is indeed the God Organization that has been revived. However, the current God Organization is more secretive and vast than decades ago. Moreover, God Organization controls many smaller forces, including foreign mercenary groups and international criminal groups. Song Qing confessed that in their organization, there¡¯s a strict hierarchy. The level determines one¡¯s status within the organization."


    "What level?"


    "Bronze, Silver, tinum, Gold, and Jade Gold, five levels. Jade Gold represents the head of the organization, and the others follow in descending order."


    Ling Chen asked, "What¡¯s Song Qing¡¯s level within the organization?"


    "He has no rank. Only ranked individuals are core members of the organization; the rest are peripheral members. I just asked Song Qing, and he¡¯s merely a hired thug for them, and there are many more like him."


    Hearing this, Ling Chen was puzzled, "People like him wouldn¡¯t oppose the government just for some money, would they?"


    Han Bing nodded and said, "You¡¯re right, his aim isn¡¯t money, but special drugs. ording to him, taking those drugs can significantly enhance his strength. As per their agreement, every time Song Qingpletes a task, he is given a bottle of the drug as a reward. Song Qing himself confessed that he wanted to use the drugs to boost his strength and challenge others on the Tiger List."


    So that¡¯s it!


    Ling Chen nodded inwardly; the saying ¡¯greed is a bottomless pit that exhausts the person in an endless effort to satisfy the need without ever reaching satisfaction¡¯ was indeed true.


    Looking back through history, human desires are never satisfied; after conquering one peak, people always seek the next, it¡¯s never-ending. Throughout the thousands of years of history, there have been many such people, and none had a good end.


    As a human, the most important thing is to learn to be content.


    "General, Song Qing only has direct contact with those people, he has never met them in person, and all transactions are done via mobile phones; there¡¯s nothing to trace."


    "I didn¡¯t expect to figure out much." Qiao Zhen said with folded arms, "God Organization operates cautiously, not giving anyone an opportunity to exploit. Furthermore, Song Qing is just a peripheral member, so the information he knows is certainly limited."


    "General, how do you n to deal with this person?"


    "Proceed ording to thew; since he cooperated, we can consider reducing some of his criminal responsibility."


    "Understood."


    "General, Mr. Han, if there¡¯s nothing else, I¡¯ll be leaving first."


    Qiao Zhen waved his hand, "Hurry up and scram, I didn¡¯t n to keep you for lunch."


    "Okay, then I¡¯m leaving. General, take care."


    Han Bing patted Ling Chen¡¯s shoulder and smiled, "Let¡¯s go, I¡¯ll walk you out."


    Back in the study, Ling Chen had intended to meet up with Nanrong Wanqing and switch back Tang Yuan. However, Mu Zhiyuan and his wife, Chen Ping, insisted on having him stay for lunch.


    It was an offer he couldn¡¯t refuse, and after such a long time, he too wanted to spend some time with Chen Ping.


    Mu Zhiyuan and Chen Ping were both former members of Ghost Base, fighting side by side for many years and deeply in love, they got married ten years ago. Later, persuaded by the General, they became the guardians of Ghost Base.


    Despite their schrly elegance and tranquil virtue, they were both tough characters in the past, with probably hundreds fallen at their hands.


    After the meal, Chen Ping reluctantly let Ling Chen go.


    On his way back, Ling Chen made a call to Zhong Wei to ask for their current location and then drove over.


    After an hour¡¯s drive, the Land Rover slowly drove into a luxurious viplex.


    Each of these high-end vis came with a separate courtyard, very spacious, and close to the city center. To settle here would cost tens of millions at least.


    Those who are friends with Nanrong Wanqing definitely wouldn¡¯tck resources.


    At that moment, seeing Tang Yuan waving from a distance, Ling Chen immediately drove towards him.


    "You finally came back, kiddo. How did it go, did that bastard spill anything?" Tang Yuan asked eagerly.


    Ling Chen grinned, full of pride, "With me involved, what can¡¯t be handled?"


    "I knew you could do it. Alright, I¡¯m heading back, we¡¯ll catch up when we have time."


    Watching Tang Yuan drive away, Ling Chen stepped into the nearby vi. In the living room, he saw Nanrong Wanqing sitting in a wheelchair, chatting leisurely with a young couple, her lips revealing a faint smile.


    Ling Chen tactfully didn¡¯t interrupt them and instead approached Zhong Wei and spoke to him in a low voice.


    "Captain Zhong, are these two people directors¡¯ friends?"


    "The woman is named Zhang Qianqian, a college ssmate of the director from the past, and the man is Zhang Zekai, her older brother. I heard the Zhang Family is involved in the entertainment industry and quite famous in Beijing."


    Ling Chen nodded and stood obediently aside, waiting for Nanrong Wanqing to be done with her visitors.


    "When will you be going back, Wanqing?" Zhang Qianqian asked.


    "I haven¡¯t decided yet, there¡¯s a lot going on at thepany, I might leave tomorrow."


    "Tomorrow? How about you postpone for two more days? There¡¯s Tang Shiyun¡¯s concert the day after tomorrow, let¡¯s go together."


    Zhang Zekai chuckled, "My sister isn¡¯t usually into idol-chasing, but ever since she listened to Tang Shiyun¡¯s songs, she instantly switchednes and became her devoted fan. Miss Nanrong, it¡¯s a rare opportunity for Tang Shiyun¡¯s first concert, why not stay an extra couple days and let us do our part as hospitable hosts."


    "This..."


    Nanrong Wanqing hesitated, she was very interested in experiencing Tang Shiyun¡¯s concert. Having listened to Tang Shiyun¡¯s songs on the car radio a while back, she had grown to like them.


    Tang Shiyun¡¯s voice was like a ma that firmly attracted her, irresistible. Listening to Tang Shiyun¡¯s songs in the quiet of the night was a great pleasure, as if bringing sce to a lonely heart.


    "I heard her concert tickets are hard to get, won¡¯t it be too troublesome to arrange it at thest minute?"


    Zhang Qianqian burst intoughter, "You don¡¯t have to worry about that at all, Wanqing, you might not be aware, but our Zhang Family is one of the sponsors for Tang Shiyun¡¯s concert, and Silver Star Entertainment Company, which she signed with, has shares of our Zhang Family. In a sense, we¡¯re her bosses. Also..."


    As she spoke, she cast a meaningful nce at Zhang Zekai beside her, her tone ambiguous, "That Tang Shiyun seems to have taken a liking to my brother, alwaysing over to our house after rehearsal these days, cozying up to him. Right, big brother?"

 Chapter 184 - 181 Zhang Zekai

    <h4>Chapter 184: Chapter 181 Zhang Zekai</h4><h4></h4>


    Hearing this, Zhong Wei and the others looked at Zhang Zekai with envious eyes.


    Being favored by Tang Shiyun was not a treatment just anyone could enjoy. If it were a month ago, probably no one would care. But now it¡¯s different, Tang Shiyun had be a red-hot singing star, and the crown of the future queen of the music scene would undoubtedly fall on her head.


    Feeling Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s gaze on him, Zhang Zekai curled his lips, slightly proud, "Shiyun is a good girl, but I don¡¯t want to hinder her future because of feelings, moreover, I need to prioritize my career now. As for what¡¯s between us, let¡¯s talk about itter."


    "Big brother, Shiyun is so beautiful and talented, if you don¡¯t make a move now, be careful that someone else will snatch her away," Zhang Qianqian joked.


    "Sister, you underestimate your brother¡¯s charm. What¡¯s mine will eventually be mine; why should I worry?"


    Ling Chen, standing to the side, curled his lip. Although he didn¡¯t take it to heart, he still felt a bit annoyed inside. This guy really thinks highly of himself. What kind of person Tang Shiyun is, how could he not know? By the sound of Zhang Zekai¡¯s words, it seemed as if Tang Shiyun had set her heart on him.


    However, despite what he thought, who didn¡¯t know that the entertainment industry, while morous on the surface, is actually the filthiest ce? His biggest worry was that Tang Shiyun would be contaminated. After all, Tang Shiyun is quite young, not even twenty years old. She went from an unknown girl to a nation-famous singing star overnight. This change was too huge for her.


    In just over a month, he didn¡¯t know if she had changed.


    "Wanqing, how about this, stay for dinner tonight, and then I¡¯ll get my brother to call Tang Shiyun over, so everyone can get acquainted. How about it?" Zhang Qianqian suggested.


    Nanrong Wanqing was immediately intrigued. Ever since hearing Tang Shiyun¡¯s songs, she had been curious, wanting to see what kind of girl could sing such beautiful songs.


    Seeing her not speaking, Zhang Qianqian could guess her thoughts and smiled, "Big brother, give Tang Shiyun a callter and invite her for dinner."


    "Sure, no problem, leave it to me."


    Ling Chen, listening to the trio¡¯s conversation, his eyes slightly lit up. If Tang Shiyun wasing, wouldn¡¯t that mean he could see her? At this thought, he couldn¡¯t help but get excited.


    It had been so long since they saw each other; to say he didn¡¯t miss her would be a lie. In his heart, Tang Shiyun always held great importance.


    In the blink of an eye, it was evening.


    In the living room, Zhang Qianqian nced at the time and said dissatisfied, "Big brother, it¡¯s almost dinner time, why hasn¡¯t Tang Shiyun arrived yet?"


    "No rush, I¡¯ve called her already. There¡¯s a concert in two days, she definitely needs to focus more on rehearsals, it¡¯s normal for her to bete."


    While talking, a man dressed like a butler approached Zhang Zekai and whispered a few words in his ear.


    Not knowing what was said, Zhang Zekai¡¯s face changed slightly, and a trace of anger could be seen in his eyes. Zhang Qianqian, sitting next to him, asked, "Big brother, what¡¯s wrong?"


    "Nothing." Zhang Zekai forced a smile, stood up, and said, "Qianqian, keep Miss Nanrongpany for a while, I¡¯ve got something urgent, I¡¯ll be right back." After speaking, he followed the butler towards the stairs.


    Upstairs, Zhang Zekai¡¯s smile faded, and he said coldly, "Talk, what happened?"


    "Mr. Zhang, Tang Miss¡¯s agent just called, saying she¡¯s upied with rehearsals tonight and can¡¯t make it to the dinner."


    "No time?" Zhang Zekai scoffed, "She really knows how to find excuses, tell her if she dares not toe, I¡¯ll make sure she¡¯ll have no good days ahead. Hmmph, doesn¡¯t she realize her current fame is all because of who supported her? I made her famous, and I can make her worthless."


    The butler nodded, understanding, "Yes, Mr. Zhang, I know what to do."


    "Tell her to hurry up, she must show up in front of me within half an hour, I don¡¯t want to offend the distinguished guests."


    "Yes."


    Back in the living room, Zhang Zekai beamed with a spring breeze and said, "Miss Nanrong, sorry for the wait, I just contacted Shiyun, she¡¯s already back at the hotel, she¡¯ll be here in half an hour."


    "No worries, I¡¯m not in a rush." As she spoke, Nanrong Wanqing waved towards Zhong Wei. He quickly walked over and leaned forward, "Director, any instructions?"


    "You¡¯ve worked hard too, go have dinner first, and don¡¯t stay by my sideter. This is the Zhang Family, there won¡¯t be any danger."


    "Understood, Director."


    At once, Zhong Wei withdrew all the security, including Ling Chen.


    ...


    In Beijing¡¯s sports arena, the stage was already set up, and over twenty staff members were assembling lighting equipment.


    On the stage, a youthful and beautiful girl stood vividly in the center, holding a microphone, coordinating with the surrounding band for the final rehearsal for the concert in two days.


    At this moment, a middle-aged man hurried onto the stage and gestured to everyone, "Stop, everyone stop."


    The girl looked at the man, puzzled, "Mr. Zhu, what¡¯s wrong?"


    "Shiyun, President Zhang¡¯s side just called again, asking you to hurry over."


    "Again?" Tang Shiyun¡¯s face tensed, displeased, "Didn¡¯t I just refuse?"


    "Sigh, there¡¯s no helping it, he insists you go," Zhu Yansong said helplessly. "Shiyun, if you ask me, you should just go. After all, he¡¯s the boss, and we can¡¯t disregard his wishes."


    "Mr. Zhu, you know that Zhang Zekai always finds excuses to invite me to his ce, trying to take advantage of me. I really detest this type of person."


    "Look, I know you don¡¯t want to deal with him, but this industry is like this, many things are done out of necessity. You are a neer and haven¡¯t secured your standing yet, it¡¯s best not to offend those people, otherwise, it could negatively impact your future career."


    "Mr. Zhu, I just want to sing my songs well and make this concert a sess."


    "I understand your feelings; you¡¯re a good girl, and I don¡¯t want you to be tarnished by the industry¡¯s bad culture, but sometimes reality is just like that. Every new artist goes through this. Don¡¯t worry, it¡¯s just a dinner with guests, if he dares to touch you or act inappropriately, even if I lose this job, I¡¯ll stand up for you."


    Amidst this discussion, a middle-aged woman approached. The woman, around forty, was somewhat overweight, with a thickyer of makeup on her face, wearing expensive clothes, a gold ne, and a pair of gold bracelets.


    However, her attire did not enhance her elegance but rather conveyed the crudeness of a nouveau riche.


    "Mom, weren¡¯t you resting at the hotel?"


    This middle-aged woman was none other than Tang Shiyun¡¯s mother, Yao Li.


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 Chapter 185 - 182: Keeping the Appointment

    <h4>Chapter 185: Chapter 182: Keeping the Appointment</h4><h4></h4>


    "I know you¡¯ve been working hard on rehearsals, so I came to see you and have dinner together. Mr. Zhu, you join us too, you¡¯ve been tired these past few days."


    "Mrs. Yao, you¡¯re here just in time, help me to persuade Shiyun."


    "What¡¯s wrong?"


    "Well, President Zhang would like to invite Shiyun to dinner to meet an important guest, but Shiyun is unwilling to go."


    "President Zhang?" Yao Li recalled, "Isn¡¯t he that shareholder of Silver Star Entertainment?"


    "Yes, that¡¯s him. He even hosted a wee for you the other day when you were in Beijing. You¡¯ve met him."


    Hearing this, Yao Li frowned and lectured, "Daughter, President Zhang is inviting you over because he values you. How can you refuse?"


    "Mom, that Zhang Zekai is not a good person, he¡¯s always handsy with me, and he even... he even made those unreasonable demands." Tang Shiyun was both aggrieved and angry.


    Ever since she came to Beijing to prepare for the concert, Zhang Zekai had been calling her frequently, saying it was to discuss the concert. However, after a few visits, she realized that Zhang Zekai was far from a gentleman. Not only was he physically inappropriate with her, but he also said very lewd things and asked her to spend the night with him. Zhang Zekai even promised her that as long as she obeyed, he would ensure her huge sess.


    She often watched entertainment news and knew the industry was full of dirty deals and unwritten rules, but she never expected to experience it herself, nor that it would be proposed so tantly, which was incredibly humiliating for her.


    These past few days, Zhang Zekai had been calling her frequently to meet, but she ignored him. She no longer wanted anything to do with such scum.


    Seeing her daughter¡¯s strong resistance, Yao Li patiently said, "You haven¡¯t even met him, how do you know he¡¯s not a good person? Daughter, he¡¯s a big boss, young and handsome, andes from a wealthy family. It¡¯s your good fortune that he¡¯s interested in you, why not give it a try, perhaps..."


    "Mom, stop talking, I¡¯m not going." Tang Shiyun turned her head away impatiently, very determined.


    Yao Li frowned and said, "You child, do you think you¡¯re so grown that you don¡¯t listen to your elders anymore?"


    "Mom, I¡¯m not a child anymore, I want to make my own decisions, please don¡¯t interfere so much."


    Zhu Yansong, seeing Tang Shiyun not heeding advice, couldn¡¯t help but say, "Shiyun, I didn¡¯t want to mention this, but... s, let me be clear, President Zhang has said that if you don¡¯t go, not only will this concert not happen, but he will also coborate with otherpanies to ban you. The Zhang Family has been in the entertainment industry for many years and has built up many connections; just by his word, no one would dare to employ you. You already have such great fame; abandoning it halfway would be such a waste. Shiyun, you have to understand, once you are banned, you¡¯ll be left with nothing. The car, house, and money thepany arranged for you, will all be taken back."


    Tang Shiyun replied nonchntly, "Let them ban me, I won¡¯t sell myself for money and fame, I can just live as an ordinary person."


    "Daughter, that¡¯s not eptable." Yao Li quickly took her hand, persuading, "Our family has only just escaped from hard times, you can¡¯t be so capricious. Do you want to go back to living in that old broken house? And your father is still in the hospital receiving treatment; if you lose your job, who will pay for all the medical bills? If you don¡¯t think for yourself, think about your parents. We¡¯re old and can¡¯t endure hardships anymore. If you have any filial piety, let us enjoy a few peaceful years. Listen to mom, go, it¡¯s just a dinner."


    "Mom..." Tang Shiyun¡¯s eyes welled up, still somewhat hesitant.


    "If you¡¯re worried, then I will apany you," Zhu Yansong said.


    Tang Shiyun looked at him, then at Yao Li, who had a nervous and hopeful face, sighed silently, and gently nodded her head.


    "Good, that¡¯s my obedient daughter." Seeing her agree, Yao Li immediately turned her worries into joy and kissed her on the face.


    "Mr. Zhu, thank you for your help."


    "No worries. I personally trained Shiyun, and I don¡¯t want her to ruin her own future."


    ...


    Currently, in the resting room arranged by the Zhang Family, Zhong Wei and a few teammates are having dinner prepared by the chef. While chatting, Liang Zhao Hui sees Ling Chen holding a bowl of rice, standing in front of the window, asionally looking outside, seemingly distracted, barely touching his food.


    "Ling, what¡¯s wrong? Not hungry?"


    "It¡¯s nothing." Ling Chen withdrew his gaze and sat back down with the rest.


    Zhong Wei patted his shoulder and said, "It¡¯s okay. The president is a good person. Whatever conflict you have with her, it will eventually pass. Besides, if the president was really angry with you, she would have driven you away by now."


    Ling Chen smiled faintly. Zhong Wei probably misunderstood; he was not thinking about his issues with Nanrong Wanqing, but about Tang Shiyun. He had no other thoughts but just wanted to take a distant look at her. As long as she is doing well, he is utterly content.


    Before long, a luxury Mercedes-Benz slowly drove into the Zhang Family¡¯s residence and stopped in front of the mansion.


    Upon receiving the notification from the butler, Zhang Zekai hurried to the front door, saw the car stopping, and immediately went to open the rear car door.


    As the door opened, Tang Shiyun dressed in a white casual outfit paired with jeans, stepped down from the car. Although she is a widely popr singer, her attire was still modest and simple, without any shy decorations. Her delicate face was also makeup-free, bare for all to see.


    However, even without makeup, her natural beauty could not be concealed. Her soft skin, slightly prominent cute nose, beautiful features, and a pair of bright and sparkling eyes exuded a youthful aura.


    Seeing Tang Shiyun¡¯s attire, Zhang Zekai frowned and dissatisfiedly said: "Why are you dressed like this, didn¡¯t I tell you the guests we are meeting are very important?"


    Tang Shiyun nced at Zhang Zekai, then shifted her gaze elsewhere and responded indifferently, "You asked me toe here within half an hour, I didn¡¯t have time to change."


    "You..."


    "President Zhang, hello, sorry to disturb you."


    Zhang Zekai was about to scold her but then saw Zhu Yansong following out from the car.


    "What are you doing here?"


    "I..."


    "Alright, it¡¯s none of your business, go back first." Before Zhu Yansong could finish, Zhang Zekai impatiently interrupted him. Saying this, he grabbed Tang Shiyun¡¯s hand and started walking towards the house.


    "Be polite in front of the guestster, don¡¯t embarrass me," he whispered.


    Tang Shiyun bit her lip corner and struggled a bit. However, the more she struggled, the tighter Zhang Zekai gripped, causing her hand to hurt, leaving her no choice but toply as he held onto her.

 Chapter 186 - 182 Coercion

    <h4>Chapter 186: Chapter 182 Coercion</h4><h4></h4>


    Upon entering the living room, Zhang Qianqian saw Tang Shiyun and Zhang Zekai holding hands and couldn¡¯t help but burst intoughter, teasingly saying, "Big brother, do you really need to be all lovey-dovey in front of Wanqing and me? We¡¯re both single, you should at least consider our feelings."


    "I¡¯m used to it," Zhang Zekai smiled and let go of Tang Shiyun¡¯s hand gracefully, "Shiyun, let me introduce you. This is Nanrong Wanqing, an honored guest of the Zhang Family. You¡¯ve been living in East Sea City for so many years, you must have heard of Miss Nanrong¡¯s reputation. She is the chairman of Hongyu Group."


    Hearing this, Tang Shiyun couldn¡¯t help but take a few more nces at Nanrong Wanqing, her gaze carrying a hint of curiosity.


    She was certainly familiar with Hongyu Group. It was precisely where Ling Chen used to work. She did not expect the chairman of Hongyu Group to be so young and stunningly beautiful. However... when she saw the wheelchair under Nanrong Wanqing, her eyes could not help but reveal a trace of surprise and pity.


    Seeing Tang Shiyun hesitating to greet her, Zhang Zekai frowned slightly, full of apologies, "I¡¯m sorry, Miss Nanrong, Shiyun is a bit reserved. Please don¡¯t mind her. Shiyun, hurry up and greet Miss Nanrong."


    Upon hearing his reproachful tone, Tang Shiyun came back to her senses and spoke with a soft greeting.


    "Miss Nanrong, hello."


    "Hello, a pleasure to meet you," Nanrong Wanqing said with a faint smile, shaking hands with Tang Shiyun.


    "Alright now, we¡¯re all friends here, no need to be too formal. Let¡¯s go, dinner is ready." After saying this, Zhang Qianqian pushed Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s wheelchair into the dining room.


    Zhang Zekai, following after them with Tang Shiyun, said unhappily, "Smile more for me, don¡¯t look so stern in front of our guests, as if I¡¯ve mistreated you."


    Tang Shiyun had a cold expression, seemingly ignoring his words, and simply quickened her pace.


    Seeing this, Zhang Zekai grabbed her hand, pulling her forcefully to his side, and said with a smile, "Since you¡¯re here, don¡¯t go back tonight. Stay and keep mepany."


    Hearing this, Tang Shiyun¡¯s face showed a touch of anger and she retorted indignantly, "Don¡¯t push your luck."


    Zhang Zekai let out a coldugh, "Your willingness toe shows that you care a lot about what you now have, so don¡¯t pretend to be pure with me. I¡¯ve seen too many women like you ¡ª as long as you take good care of me, I will never treat you badly in the future."


    "Don¡¯t even think about it, don¡¯t lump me with those women. I epted the invitation because you are the boss, and I respect you for your position. If you think I would sell my body for material pleasures, then you are sorely mistaken."


    "Shiyun, don¡¯t be naive. In this world, you have to give something to get something back. You women are actually very fortunate, because you have natural assets."


    "Then go find other women, and leave me alone. I have things to do, goodbye!" She dropped the words and turned to leave.


    "Stop right there! If you dare to step out this door, I¡¯ll make sure you never have a good day again. If not for yourself, think about your parents."


    "Big brother, Shiyun, why aren¡¯t youing over?"


    Hearing Zhang Qianqian¡¯s voiceing from the dining room, Zhang Zekai spoke with as gentle a tone as he could muster, "If you really don¡¯t want to, then I won¡¯t force you. Go back after dinner, and we can talk about other thingster."


    "Really?" Tang Shiyun looked at him suspiciously.


    "A twisted melon isn¡¯t sweet; I understand that principle. Come on, let¡¯s not keep them waiting too long."


    Tang Shiyun hesitated for a moment and then gently nodded her head. It was best to let Zhang Zekai give up on his own; she did not wish for their rtionship to be too strained.


    Watching Tang Shiyun turn and walk towards the dining room, Zhang Zekai sneered coldly. She was indeed just a naive young girl, too easy to deceive.


    Give up? For the woman that Mr. Zhang had his eyes on, how many could escape from the palm of his hand?


    Arriving at the dining table, the chef had already prepared avish dinner.


    Zhang Qianqian apanied Nanrong Wanqing as they sat to one side, pointing to two adjacent seats and smiled, "Big brother, you sit with Shiyun, so you can¡¯t me me for not being considerate."


    Nanrong Wanqing looked at Tang Shiyun, who was taking her seat, and asked with interest, "Miss Tang, which part of East Sea City is your home in?"


    "The Old City." After saying this, Tang Shiyun opened her mouth as if she wanted to say more but stopped herself, a hesitant look in her eyes.


    Nanrong Wanqing noticed her expression and smiled, "Is there something you want to say, Miss Tang?"


    "I... it¡¯s nothing." Feeling Zhang Zekai¡¯s gaze, Tang Shiyun swallowed back the words she was about to say. She had wanted to ask about Ling Chen¡¯s current situation, as they had lost contact since theirst meeting at East Sea University, and she didn¡¯t know how her ¡¯Brother Ling¡¯ was doing.


    Besides, Nanrong Wanqing was the chairman of Hongyu Group, and with so many employees in thepany, she might not recognize every single one.


    "Miss Nanrong, you¡¯re about the same age as Qianqian, and Qianqian is already engaged. You must have someone in mind too, right?" Zhang Zekai picked a topic at random and asked.


    "Not at the moment."


    "Wanqing, you can¡¯t be so busy that you don¡¯t even have time to date, can you? Hey, I know quite a few handsome guys in Beijing, do you want me to introduce a few to you? Although they don¡¯t match up to you in terms of background, they¡¯re not too bad either."


    "That won¡¯t be necessary, I¡¯m currently focusing all my energy on thepany and have no interest in thinking about such matters."


    Zhang Zekai chuckled, "Qianqian, you need not worry about Miss Nanrong, with her qualifications, there¡¯s no man she can¡¯t find."


    Nanrong Wanqing shook her head and gave a self-deprecatingugh.


    No matter how rich she was, she was still a disabled person. In fact, these days she could not figure it out anymore and did not me Ling Chen for being fickle. Everyone has the right to choose, and between herself and Zhu Xiaozhu, although her assets were greater than those of the Zhu Family, Zhu Xiaozhu¡¯s appearance and temperament were on par with her own, and more importantly, Zhu Xiaozhu had a healthy body.


    In this regard, she could neverpare to the other party. Thus, she could understand why Ling Chen was fond of Zhu Xiaozhu.


    After some idle chatter, Nanrong Wanqing noticed that Tang Shiyun had her head down, face expressionless, and hadn¡¯t said a word as if she was quite averse to the dinner party. Not just her, Zhang Qianqian also noticed something off about Tang Shiyun and asked with concern, "Shiyun, why aren¡¯t you talking?"


    "I..."


    Zhang Zekaiughed as he took over the conversation, "She¡¯s been rehearsing for several days in a row, she must be tired." Finishing his sentence, he turned toward Tang Shiyun, "Why don¡¯t you go rest in my room for a bit."


    "No need." Tang Shiyun stood up. "I¡¯m going to the restroom, please continue without me."


    Standing in the restroom, Tang Shiyun washed her face, gazing at her reflection in the mirror, feeling inexplicably exhausted.


    She was just an ordinary girl, and bing overnight sensation was something she had never imagined. Now having finally gotten used to this lifestyle, the ensuing issues were causing her endless troubles. Sometimes, she really wished to go back to the past; even though life was hard then, at least she could retain the innocence in her heart.


    "If Brother Ling were here, he surely wouldn¡¯t let me be bullied," she quietly thought to herself.


    But she knew clearly in her heart, that wish could never be reality.


    Afterposing herself and thinking of the people waiting for her back at the table, she didn¡¯t dare to dy any longer, so she left the restroom and prepared to head back to the dining room.


    However, at that moment, a young man suddenly emerged from a room along the corridor.


    Seeing the person, Tang Shiyun was momentarily stunned, her lips parted slightly with an incredulous expression on her face.


    (Please vote for me)

 Chapter 187 - 183 Long-Awaited Reunion

    <h4>Chapter 187: Chapter 183 Long-Awaited Reunion</h4><h4></h4>


    Watching the woman in front of him, Ling Chen was equally stunned. He had only wanted to go to the restroom and hadn¡¯t expected such a coincidence to run into Tang Shiyun.


    Feeling the disbelief in Tang Shiyun¡¯s gaze, he couldn¡¯t help but grin: "Girl, don¡¯t you recognize me anymore?"


    Hearing that familiar voice, Tang Shiyun finally realized that she wasn¡¯t dreaming; her beloved Ling was truly here.


    "Ling!" She couldn¡¯t hold back and quickened her pace, opening her arms and trotting towards Ling Chen, wrapping her arms around his waist and burying herself in his embrace.


    The warm hug, long missed, brought tears to her eyes, glistening and on the verge of falling.


    Ling Chen gently patted her back and smiled: "Alright, alright, no crying, we should be happy to finally meet."


    "Mhmm." Tang Shiyun, nestled in his embrace, replied softly, holding him tightly, unwilling to let go for a long time. Seeing Ling Chen was not just joy and excitement for her, but more importantly, it was a feeling of reliance. As long as she was in his arms, the grievances of the past days seemed to vanish into nothing.


    Just then, the room door next to them was suddenly opened, and Zhong Wei, who had just stepped out, was startled to see this scene.


    "Captain Zhong." Ling Chen coughed lightly, smiling sheepishly.


    Seeing someone nearby, Tang Shiyun quickly lifted her head, leaning cutely against Ling Chen with a blush on her cheeks.


    Zhong Wei hadn¡¯t clearly seen her face when she was leaning on Ling Chen earlier, so he hadn¡¯t reacted. But when he saw the familiar face that had appeared countless times on TV, his eyes widened instantly.


    "Miss... Miss Tang..." He stammered, his voice full of disbelief.


    "Girl, let me introduce you. This is Zhong Wei, my captain."


    "Hello." Tang Shiyun greeted him politely.


    "Hello... Hello, Miss Tang, I really enjoy your songs."


    Tang Shiyun smiled sweetly: "Thank you!"


    At this time, the people inside the room heard themotion outside and squeezed their way to the doorway. Seeing Tang Shiyun, a group of burly men instantly turned into fanatical fans, excited about getting photos and autographs.


    Since they were all friends of Ling Chen, Tang Shiyun naturally obliged and amodated each one of their requests.


    While Tang Shiyun was taking pictures with the other teammates, Zhong Wei pulled Ling Chen aside and quietly asked, "Bro, did you know her from before?"


    "Yes."


    "Then why didn¡¯t you tell me sooner?"


    "You didn¡¯t ask."


    "What was that... just now?" Zhong Wei didn¡¯t finish his sentence, but the suggestive smile in his eyes said it all.


    Ling Chen blushed, "Why ask so many questions."


    "Ling."


    Tang Shiyun returned to his side with a smile, habitually wrapping her arm around his. This intimate gesture made Zhong Wei and the others green with envy, looking at Ling Chen with envy, jealousy, and resentment.


    Ling Chen didn¡¯t mind and waved his hand, "We are going to step out first."


    Leaving the room, Ling Chen suddenly thought of something and asked, "Didn¡¯t youe to have dinner? Are you done eating?"


    "Not yet."


    "Then why aren¡¯t you going back? You are still a guest after all, don¡¯t stay away for too long."


    "I don¡¯t want to go."


    "Why?"


    "There¡¯s someone really annoying." Thinking of Zhang Zekai, Tang Shiyun pouted, her face full of displeasure.


    "You mean Zhang Zekai?" Ling Chen immediately grasped her meaning.


    Tang Shiyun nodded slightly.


    Ling Chen¡¯s brows knitted as he asked, "What¡¯s wrong with him, did he bully you? Tell me about it."


    "He..." Tang Shiyun¡¯s lips parted slightly, hesitation flickering through her bright eyes.


    Seeing her hesitate to speak, Ling Chen couldn¡¯t help but urge, "What exactly did he do?"


    "It¡¯s nothing, just a small matter." Tang Shiyun forced a smile, "Ling, let¡¯s talk about you instead, how have you beentely?"


    She originally wanted to tell Ling Chen what Zhang Zekai had done to her, but after another thought, she decided against it. Although her Ling was skilled, Zhang Zekai had money and power, and she didn¡¯t want to cause trouble for Ling because of herself.


    Watching the smile on her face, Ling Chen sighed internally, then took her hand and led her to the balcony, looked into her eyes, and said word by word, "Girl, if you still consider me your Ling, then tell me honestly, what exactly happened."


    He might not be old, but his experiences far surpassed those of Tang Shiyun. Tang Shiyun¡¯s forced cheerfulness didn¡¯t fool him; he could see that the girl definitely had something on her mind but was afraid to speak. The more she acted this way, the more he believed that Tang Shiyun must have been wronged.


    Under Ling Chen¡¯s gaze, Tang Shiyun¡¯s eyes started to dodge, "Ling, I... I haven¡¯t..."


    "If you keep this up, it means that I¡¯m not important in your eyes, you never used to hide things from me."


    "No, that¡¯s not it." Tang Shiyun quickly shook her head, "Ling, I... can I talk now?"


    Then, she collected her emotions and narrated the incident she had encountered. Upon hearing her story, Ling Chen¡¯s face turned ashen, and a nameless anger shone from his eyes.


    Tang Shiyun had his full support on her chosen path, but he was equally worried. Everyone knew that the industry was treacherous, full of dirty dealings and unspoken rules, and thest thing he wanted was for Tang Shiyun to fall victim to such things.


    But still, Tang Shiyun couldn¡¯t avoid it.


    Zhang Zekai! He sneered inwardly, a glint of sharpness in his eyes. Quite the nerve, to bully Tang Shiyun.


    He took a deep breath to quell the rage in his heart, gently stroked Tang Shiyun¡¯s hair, and said gently, "Girl, don¡¯t be afraid, Ling will stand up for you in this matter. If anyone dares to bully you in the future, just tell me, and I¡¯ll make sure they regret it."


    "Don¡¯t. Ling, I heard from Mr. Zhu that Zhang Zekai¡¯s family is very powerful. Better not to provoke him. Zhang Zekai also promised me just now that he will not bother me anymore, let¡¯s just forget about this, shall we?"


    "Silly girl, you believe his words? In this industry, you can¡¯t be too naive, or you¡¯ll suffer a great loss."


    "But..."


    "Enough!" Ling Chen cut her off, "Don¡¯t keep on with the ¡¯buts.¡¯ I¡¯ll handle this matter and make him not dare to harass you anymore." After a pause, he added, "I know you¡¯re worried about me, but rest assured, it¡¯s always been your Ling who bullies others; no one can bully me."


    "Okay." Tang Shiyun nodded softly, her delicate face showing a sweet smile, feeling delighted within.


    Her Ling was still the same Ling, who would always stand up for her no matter what.


    "Girl, you go back first, and I¡¯lle over to find youter."

 Chapter 188 - 184: A Rage for a Beauty

    <h4>Chapter 188: Chapter 184: A Rage for a Beauty</h4><h4></h4>


    Reluctantly parting from Ling Chen, Tang Shiyun returned to the restaurant.


    "Sorry to keep everyone waiting."


    "Shiyun, are you feeling unwell? Why did it take you so long?" Zhang Zekai asked with concern on his face.


    "It¡¯s nothing." Tang Shiyun sat down again, her pretty face always wearing a sweet smile.


    Nanrong Wanqing couldn¡¯t help but take a few more nces at her. She could feel the change in Tang Shiyun, especially her smile. As the chairwoman of Hongyu Group, she was adept at reading people, and Tang Shiyun¡¯s smile before seemed forced, but now it was genuinely heartfelt.


    She was curious about why Tang Shiyun underwent such a significant change.


    After dinner, the four returned to the living room.


    Zhang Zekai called the butler and instructed, "Have the driver take Miss Tang back first." After finishing, he exined to Nanrong Wanqing, "Shiyun has rehearsals tonight and cannot stay long."


    "It¡¯s okay, I am already very happy that Miss Tang coulde. Miss Tang, when you return to East Sea City, you are wee to visit my home anytime. My sister also really likes your songs," Nanrong Wanqing invited.


    "Thank you!" Tang Shiyun smiled faintly and then turned to Zhang Zekai, "I don¡¯t want to go back yet, can I stay a little longer?"


    Hearing this, Zhang Zekai immediately beamed with joy, his eyes filled with excitement as he quickly nodded, "Of course, no problem. You can stay as long as you like."


    In his view, Tang Shiyun¡¯s willingness to stay likely meant she had considered his conditions and was willing to ept them. The thought of possibly spending a romantic evening together made him restless inside.


    After chatting for a while, Nanrong Wanqing suddenly saw Zhong Wei approaching. He came to her side and whispered, "Chairwoman, when are you nning to go back to the hotel?"


    "Is there something wrong?"


    "Nothing¡¯s wrong, just... Ling Chen asked me to ry a message; he suggests you return soon."


    "Why?"


    "He said you might not want to see what happens next. It¡¯s better to avoid it."


    Hearing this, Nanrong Wanqing slightly furrowed her brows. Asking her to avoid, what exactly does he intend to do?


    "Go back and tell him, I will arrange my return to the hotel myself, he doesn¡¯t need to make decisions for me." After saying this, she couldn¡¯t help but instruct, "Tell him from me, since we are guests at someone else¡¯s house, ask him to behave and not stir up trouble."


    "Yes," Zhong Wei nodded and left.


    Not long after Zhong Wei left, Ling Chen appeared alone in the living room.


    Seeing him approaching, Tang Shiyun¡¯s smile deepened, her eyes unblinkingly fixed on him.


    Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s gaze followed Ling Chen, wondering inside, what is he up to?


    While pondering, Ling Chen had already walked up to the sofa and sat down as if no one else was there.


    Zhang Zekai recognized him as Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s security, so he did not get angry because of his rudeness, instead, he looked at Nanrong Wanqing with a questioning look in his eyes.


    "You don¡¯t need to look at her. I am not here as a security personnel of Hongyu Group, but in a personal capacity to find you."


    "To find me?" Zhang Zekai was puzzled, "What do you need me for?"


    Ling Chen chuckled and patted his shoulder, grinning, "President Zhang, you¡¯re really something, using your status to mess around with quite a few celebrities, huh?"


    As soon as these words were spoken, Zhang Zekai¡¯s face changed instantly, a hint of hidden anger in his frown as he said, "You better watch your mouth."


    "I¡¯m already being very polite."


    "Ling Chen, don¡¯t be rude," Nanrong Wanqing chided softly.


    Ling Chen nced at her and said indifferently, "Didn¡¯t you hear what I just said? I¡¯m not talking to him as an employee of Hongyu Group, so you have no right to tell me what to do."


    After saying that, hepletely ignored the anger in Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s eyes and turned to look at Zhang Zekai, smilingly said, "President Zhang, a man should own up to what he does. Are you afraid to admit the things you have done? Okay, let¡¯s not talk about distant things; let¡¯s talk about what just happened. You must be very familiar with Miss Tang. You must be very clear about the unreasonable demands you made on her before. I¡¯m someone who always stands up against injustices and can¡¯t help but get involved when I see things that displease me."


    "What do you mean by that?" Zhang Qianqian said angrily, "My elder brother and Miss Tang have mutual affection. He has never forced her into anything, don¡¯t falsely use him."


    Zhang Zekai waved his hand, signaling his sister to be quiet.


    "You think you can control me?" He sneered disdainfully, "Do you think you¡¯re qualified to control me? If you weren¡¯t Miss Nanrong¡¯s security, you wouldn¡¯t even have the qualification to enter this door, yet you dare to be so presumptuous in front of me. Hmph! Since you repeatedly im you came here in a personal capacity, I have nothing to discuss with you. Butler, kick this man out."


    Watching several men in suits quickly approaching, Ling Chen¡¯s mouth slightly raised, appearing undisturbed, his gaze fixed on Zhang Zekai.


    "President Zhang, I came here to reason with you, it¡¯s best not to resort to violence."


    Zhang Zekai scoffed and turned his head, not interested in giving Ling Chen another nce. However, realizing that Nanrong Wanqing was nearby, he quickly halted the men in suits and said, "Miss Nanrong, I hope you don¡¯t mind how I handle this?"


    Nanrong Wanqing replied expressionlessly, "As you wish."


    At this moment, aside from being furious, she was more puzzled, not understanding why Ling Chen was standing up for Tang Shiyun. From what Ling Chen had said earlier, she roughly understood the reason.


    The entertainment industry is notoriously chaotic and filled with hidden rules. As a leading figure in the entertainment industry, Zhang Zekai undoubtedly engaged in many of these sordid transactions using his status.


    Yet, if what Ling Chen said was true, that Zhang Zekai harbored ill intentions towards Tang Shiyun, then this man was indeed detestable. Treating a girl who had just turned eighteen like that, what¡¯s the difference between him and a beast?


    Seeing Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s stance, Zhang Zekai immediately breathed a sigh of relief and gave a signal to the men in suits.


    Seeing those men in suits fiercely approaching Ling Chen, Tang Shiyun suddenly became worried, gripping her clothes tightly.


    But Ling Chen seemed to not even see the suits closing in, his gaze still locked on Zhang Zekai.


    "Get up."


    One of the men in suits barked, reaching out to grab Ling Chen¡¯s shoulder.


    But at that moment, the still-seated Ling Chen suddenly made a move, fiercely grabbing the back of Zhang Zekai¡¯s neck and forcefully pulling forward.


    Bang!


    A crisp sound.


    Zhang Zekai¡¯s face heavily smashed onto the transparent ss coffee table, shattering the sspletely.


    This sudden turn of events stunned everyone present. No one had expected Ling Chen to actually attack Zhang Zekai directly, and with such severity.


    Zhang Zekai clutched his face, continuously crying out in pain, as blood gushed from his nostrils, quickly flowing through his fingers and staining his white shirt red.

 Chapter 189 - 185: Accusation

    <h4>Chapter 189: Chapter 185: usation</h4><h4></h4>


    "Ling Chen, you... you dare to hurt my big brother." Zhang Qianqian looked at Ling Chen with a face full of shock and anger, yelling at her own bodyguards: "What are you waiting for? Hurry up and throw him out."


    Ling Chen raised an eyebrow, grasped Zhang Zekai¡¯s neck again, and pressed his head down towards the shattered coffee table. Although the ss was broken, there were still countless tiny shards scattered around.


    "Whoever dares to touch me, try it. I¡¯ll let him taste what it¡¯s like to have his face ruined," he said, sweeping his gaze over the suited men. Sure enough, they hesitated and stepped back, not daring toe forward.


    Zhang Zekai endured the pain in his face and roared fiercely: "Ling Chen, do you know who I am? If you dare to touch a hair on me, I¡¯ll make you regret it for the rest of your life."


    "Do you think I¡¯d be afraid?" Ling Chen said, putting a bit more pressure on his hand, pressing Zhang Zekai¡¯s head closer to the coffee table and even nearer to the ss shards.


    "Ling Chen, don¡¯t... don¡¯t be impulsive. Let¡¯s talk this out," Zhang Qianqian said in panic, afraid that Ling Chen would ruin her big brother¡¯s face. After saying that, she looked at Nanrong Wanqing for help, "Wanqing, he¡¯s your subordinate. Tell him to let go of my big brother right now."


    Nanrong Wanqing let out a bitter smile and shook her head gently, "I¡¯m sorry, my words are useless, he won¡¯t listen to me at all."


    After all the events she had been through, she understood Ling Chen¡¯s character too well. Whatever he wanted to do, it would be impossible for her to stop him. After thinking for a moment, she advised, "President Zhang, he means what he says. It¡¯s best not to antagonize him."


    Hearing this and looking at the ss shards within arm¡¯s reach, Zhang Zekai secretly swallowed hard, feeling somewhat fearful. He believed that Nanrong Wanqing wouldn¡¯t lie to him. This man before him was someone who didn¡¯t y by the rules¡ªif he dared to start a fight in his own home, what wouldn¡¯t he dare to do?


    "What do you really want?"


    "I already asked you, did you or did you not make indecent propositions to Miss Tang?"


    "I... I didn¡¯t, you must be mistaken. You can ask her."


    Ling Chen looked amused, "Still refusing to admit it? Girl, tell him if I have wronged him."


    "He threatened me, said that I should spend a night with him. If I didn¡¯t agree, he would work with otherpanies to cklist me, ensuring that I¡¯d never seed."


    After hearing Tang Shiyun¡¯s words, Zhang Zekai immediately shouted: "No, that¡¯s nonsense, I didn¡¯t..."


    Ling Chen shrugged, "Since you won¡¯t admit it, there¡¯s nothing more to be said. The Zhang Family is so wealthy, spending a few million on stic surgery must be trivial for you." After saying that, he pressed hisrge hand on Zhang Zekai¡¯s head, ready to push it down.


    "No, no..." Zhang Zekai was terrified, quickly saying, "I... I admit it, I did make that request."


    "Big brother, how... how could you do such a thing?" Zhang Qianqian looked at him incredulously.


    Nanrong Wanqing didn¡¯t say anything. She just looked at Zhang Zekai with a hint of disgust.


    Ling Chen smiled, released his hand, helped brush the ss shards off of him, and said with a grin, "You should have admitted it earlier, it would have saved you so much pain. President Zhang, remember this. If you dare to disrespect Miss Tang again, don¡¯t me me for not warning you beforehand. If you end up missing limbs, don¡¯t me me."


    With that, he got up and walked out with Tang Shiyun.


    "Stop right there, Ling!"


    Hearing Zhang Zekai¡¯s furious voice from behind, Ling Chen turned and asked, "Is there anything else?"


    "After injuring me, do you think you can just walk out that door?" Zhang Zekai¡¯s face turned ashen with sinister glints in his eyes.


    Ling Chen nced over the suited men and said indifferently, "If you want to fight, I¡¯m game. But with just these few, you can¡¯t keep me here. You might as well call for more people."


    "Don¡¯t worry, they won¡¯t touch you. I¡¯m not so crass as to settle things by fighting. This is Beijing, where everything is subject to thew. I¡¯ve called the police, and you wait to be held responsible. At the police station, there will be someone to ¡¯take care¡¯ of you properly," said Zhang Zekai, his lips curling with a smug sneer.


    Ling Chenughed, "So President Zhang also knows thew. That¡¯s good; we¡¯ll havepany at the police station. I intentionally harmed someone, and you are threatening and intimidating. If we¡¯re lucky, we might end up in the same detention cell."


    "Hmph! You justugh now, but I doubt you¡¯ll beughingter."


    "Fine, since you¡¯ve called the police, I¡¯ll wait and see how the police handle it. Girl,e, sit here."


    Tang Shiyun worriedly said, "Ling, let¡¯s... let¡¯s just go." She was afraid Ling Chen would get arrested by the police.


    Ling Chen patted her hand with a smile, indicating that she needn¡¯t worry.


    Soon after, more than a dozen police officers finally arrived at the Zhang Family residence.


    "Director Liu?"


    Seeing the middle-aged man leading the way, Zhang Zekai was slightly surprised, and hurriedly went up to greet him, politely saying, "Director Liu, this is just a small matter. Why trouble yourself to lead the team in person?"


    The man before him, Director Liu, was a high-ranking official at the municipal office. He had to be respectful even when encountering him, not daring to be impolite. To personally show up tonight was truly surprising.


    "If there is trouble at the Zhang Family residence, of course, I have to take it seriously."


    Hearing this, Zhang Zekai said with a smile, "Director Liu, you¡¯re giving too much face."


    "Alright, let¡¯s get down to business." Director Liu looked around at the crowd and asked, "Where¡¯s the person you¡¯re talking about?"


    Zhang Zekai pointed at Ling Chen and said fiercely, "It¡¯s this guy. I want to charge him with intentional injury. Director Liu, you must help me handle him properly."


    "Don¡¯t worry, I will handle it impartially."


    Director Liu nodded, turned to Ling Chen, looked him over, and asked, "Are you Ling Chen?"


    "Yes, that¡¯s me. May I ask how I should address you?"


    "Liu Geng."


    Ling Chen pulled Tang Shiyun closer, grinned, and said, "Director Liu, Miss Tang would like to file aint against President Zhang for threats and intimidation. I hope you can help with the issue and give Miss Tang some justice."


    "No problem." Liu Geng signaled to several police officers, "Take Ling Chen and Miss Tang away, and also bring Mr. Zhang back to the police station."


    Seeing two police officers approaching him, ready to escort him away, Zhang Zekai was dumbfounded and quickly said, "Director Liu, did you arrest the wrong person?"


    "I didn¡¯t make a mistake. Miss Tang just filed aint against you for threats and intimidation, and I¡¯m taking you back for further investigation. Is there a problem?"


    "It¡¯s not... Director Liu, can you dy my matter and deal with Ling Chen first?" Zhang Zekai was frustrated; Liu Geng was not following the unspoken rules and even arresting him.


    Liu Geng ignored him and said sternly, "When someone charges you, I have the right to arrest you. If you have any problems, we can discuss them back at the police station. Take him away!"

 Chapter 190 - 186 Reversal

    <h4>Chapter 190: Chapter 186 Reversal</h4><h4></h4>


    Zhang Zekai wanted to say something more, but the two police officers had already forcibly escorted him to the door.


    "Wait a minute! Wait a minute! Director Liu, may I have a word with you in private?"


    "Sorry, whatever you have to say, we can discuss it back at the station. Take him away." After speaking, Liu Geng turned to look at Ling Chen and Tang Shiyun, making an unexpectedly courteous gesture, "Mr. Ling, Miss Tang, this way please!"


    Seeing Liu Geng¡¯s attitude toward Ling Chen, everyone present was momentarily stunned. Especially Zhang Zekai, who could hardly believe his own ears. In front of himself, Liu Geng was extremely strict, but in Ling Chen¡¯s presence, he suddenly became polite, an obvious case of differential treatment.


    Thinking of this, he looked at Ling Chen with a hint of surprise in his eyes. It wasn¡¯t just him; even Nanrong Wanqing was incredibly astonished. She was certain that Liu Geng and Ling Chen had only just met; otherwise, they wouldn¡¯t have needed to exchange names.


    On one side was Zhang Zekai being pushed by two police officers, and on the other was Liu Geng courteously apanying Ling Chen and Tang Shiyun. The treatment seemed to imply that Zhang Zekai was the criminal, while Ling Chen and Tang Shiyun had be guests of the police station.


    Zhang Zekai was at a loss; having been in the entertainment industry for so long, he had picked up the skill of reading people to an extent. Liu Geng¡¯s attitude served as a signal, but for him, it was undoubtedly a dangerous one.


    The Zhang Family was wealthy, but their influence and connections were mainly in the business world, with little involvement in political circles, as the topic between officials and merchants was sensitive, and nobody dared to tread lightly.


    But after all, the phrase is "officials first, merchants second," signifying that officials have never feared businessmen throughout history.


    If it were not for this fact, with Zhang Zekai¡¯s status, he wouldn¡¯t be so respectful and polite to a city police chief.


    He thought of himself as having several dealings with Liu Geng, enough to be considered acquainted, and assumed that thetter would certainly take his side. Who could have expected Liu Geng to side with Ling Chen? Could it be... he suddenly thought of something and shuddered.


    "Director Liu, Director Liu!"


    "What¡¯s the matter now?" Liu Geng seemed somewhat impatient.


    Zhang Zekai said with an apologetic smile, "That... Director Liu, I... I won¡¯t press charges."


    "You¡¯re not pressing charges?"


    "Yes, yes, I won¡¯t press charges. It was a misunderstanding just now; I don¡¯t me them."


    Liu Geng, with hands sped behind his back, asked with a semi-smile, "Then where did those injuries on your facee from?"


    "I... I identally tripped over."


    "Really?" Liu Geng smiled faintly but then his expression suddenly turned stern, and he scolded: "If it was indeed yourself who caused the injury, then why did you use them of intentional injury? That¡¯s defamation, and that itself is a criminal act, do you understand?"


    "I...I..." Zhang Zekai¡¯s forehead was sweating, unable to find any words to defend himself.


    Seeing his flustered manner, Ling Chen said with a rxed smile, "I suppose President Zhang just wanted to have a little fun with us. That¡¯s it, right, President Zhang?"


    Zhang Zekai quickly nodded, "Yes, yes, just having fun. Director Liu, it was really just a misunderstanding."


    "Fine, since you admit it¡¯s a misunderstanding, I won¡¯t pursue the matter with Mr. Ling. But about Miss Tang... Miss Tang, you just used Mr. Zhang of threatening and intimidating, is that also...?"


    Tang Shiyun nced at Ling Chen, saw him giving her a sign with his eyes, and quickly said, "Actually, that matter was also a misunderstanding. Director Liu, I¡¯m sorry for causing you trouble."


    "Trouble, not really, but in the future make sure you¡¯re clear on matters and don¡¯t create problems out of nothing. I don¡¯t have that much free time to deal with your issues. Alright, that¡¯s it!" After the speech, Liu Geng prepared to leave with his subordinates.


    Reaching the doorway, Liu Geng suddenly came back to his senses and gestured to Zhang Zekai, who understood and quickly walked over.


    "Director Liu, is there anything else?"


    Liu Geng sternly warned, "Be careful from now on, and don¡¯t bring trouble upon your Zhang Family. Do you hear me?"


    Zhang Zekai was inwardly shocked and said in a low voice, "Director Liu, you¡¯ve known my father for so many years, for my father¡¯s sake, can you hint to me, is it because of that Ling Chen...?"


    "Don¡¯t ask what you shouldn¡¯t ask. There are things you are not yet qualified to know," Liu Geng cut him off, "You better watch yourself."


    Watching Liu Geng leave, Zhang Zekai wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, inwardlymenting. Liu Geng¡¯sst words, although not explicit, indirectly confirmed his guess.


    If Ling Chen did not have a significant background, Liu Geng would never have shown such wariness. Even Director Liu dared not openly speak of Ling Chen¡¯s identity, which indicated his significant backing. Thinking of this, Zhang Zekai wished he could p himself for offending a big shot for no good reason, and the future fallout for the Zhang Family could be severe.


    Back in the living room, Ling Chen sat on the sofa with his legs crossed, silent, his gaze yfully watching Zhang Zekai as he entered.


    "President Zhang, have a seat. Our conversation isn¡¯t finished yet."


    "Yes, yes." Zhang Zekai didn¡¯t dare to be negligent and sat down properly, constantly shifting, clearly uneasy. Especially upon seeing Ling Chen¡¯s half-smiling expression, he felt apprehensive.


    "Mr. Ling, I was too impulsive just now. Please don¡¯t take it to heart," he hesitated and chose to apologize proactively.


    The attitude of Director Liu just now had convinced him that Ling Chen was someone of significance. Liu Geng was a man of the political scene, and only the son of a high-ranking political official could be treated with such decorum. At that moment, his mind was racing, recalling families that matched the surname Ling.


    Seeing Zhang Zekai¡¯s anxious demeanor, Ling Chen could easily see through his thoughts and secretly chuckled.


    Before causing trouble for Zhang Zekai, he had called General Qiao Zhen, seeking some help. Qiao Zhen would typically not involve himself in such minor matters. However, a few days ago, he had stated that he wanted to reward Ling Chen for his merits, which Ling Chen had tactfully declined.


    Taking advantage of this opportunity, he asked for a favor from General Qiao Zhen, believing that the General, out of respect for his services, wouldn¡¯t refuse.


    As for the police¡¯s arrival, it was within his expectations. He knew well that making a scene would inevitably alert the police because of the Zhang Family, hence he asked the General to give the police station a prior notice. He did not expect the General to be so generous, to send the city police chief himself, giving ample face to Ling Chen.


    "Enough of that, how do you intend to handle Miss Tang¡¯s case?"


    "That... May I know what Mr. Ling suggests?"


    "It¡¯s quite simple. Terminate Miss Tang¡¯s contract with Silver Star Entertainment, restoring her freedom, and as for future issues, you don¡¯t need to worry, it¡¯s none of your business. Also, after the contract is canceled, the concert will proceed as nned. If I find that you¡¯re conspiring with otherpanies to trip up Miss Tang, what happened today will seem like child¡¯s y. Understand?"


    Zhang Zekai hastily replied, "Mr. Ling, I¡¯ve realized my mistake, I promise I won¡¯t harass Shiyun again, could you please..."


    "Stop, don¡¯t call her Shiyun, call her Miss Tang. You two aren¡¯t at that stage yet," Ling Chen interrupted him disapprovingly.

 Chapter 191 - 187: Invitation

    <h4>Chapter 191: Chapter 187: Invitation</h4><h4></h4>


    "Mr. Ling, I really know I was wrong, can you give me another chance, I will never make the same mistake again," Zhang Zekai pleaded.


    Although he threatened Tang Shiyun, saying if she did notply, he would join otherpanies in banning her, it was just a verbal threat; he would never actually do it. He was a businessman, and businessmen value profits. It¡¯s only been a little over a month since Tang Shiyun¡¯s debut, and she had already be nationally famous and a star who attracts widespread attention. If properly cultivated, Tang Shiyun would be equivalent to a money printing press. As a shareholder of Silver Star Entertainment, all he needed to do was sit at home and count money.


    So, he would never do something that would cut off his own financial source.


    "You originally had a great opportunity, and you were the one who wasted it. My terms have already beenid out; you just need to tell me whether you agree or not."


    Zhang Zekai struggled and said, "Mr. Ling, I am not in charge of this matter. It¡¯s true that I am a shareholder of Silver Star Entertainment, but I don¡¯t manage thepany, and my stake is only thirty percent. Unless all other shareholders agree, I have no authority to cancel the contract between Miss Tang and Silver Star Entertainment."


    "That¡¯s your problem, not mine." After speaking, Ling Chen nced at Nanrong Wanqing, "Chairwoman, it¡¯s gettingte. Shall we head back to the hotel?"


    Nanrong Wanqing nodded, "Qianqian, thank you for your hospitality today. We will get together again when there¡¯s a chance."


    Soon after, upon receiving the notification, Zhong Wei rushed over with others and started pushing the wheelchair out.


    "Girl, let¡¯s go as well," he said.


    Tang Shiyun obediently responded and followed closely behind Ling Chen.


    Seeing them about to leave, Zhang Zekai breathed a sigh of relief, thinking that Ling Chen was not going to pursue the matter with Tang Shiyun any further. But at that moment, as Ling Chen reached the doorway, he suddenly turned back, lips slightly raised, and said, "President Zhang, I hope you can give me a satisfying response at this time tomorrow, or else you¡¯ll be responsible for the consequences."


    After watching them leave, Zhang Zekai stood there in a daze. Ling Chen¡¯s words made his heart, which had just eased, tense up again.


    "Big brother, what¡¯s the background of that Ling Chen? Even Director Liu is helping him," Zhang Qianqian asked, confused and puzzled.


    "How would I know?" Zhang Zekai keptining. If he knew Ling Chen¡¯s identity, he wouldn¡¯t be so uneasy. With the broad reach of the Zhang Family, he could ask someone for mercy. But the problem was that he didn¡¯t know Ling Chen¡¯s background, which left him without a starting point. There were so many prominent families in Beijing, with deep backgrounds. Often the most terrifying were those who didn¡¯t reveal their family ties.


    "Since he¡¯s a well-connected man, why would he condescend to work for Hongyu Group as a mere security guard?"


    "I..." Zhang Zekai was about to speak when his eyes suddenly brightened, "Qianqian, aren¡¯t you close with Miss Nanrong? Could you help me ask her? Ling Chen works for her, so she might know his identity." After a pause, he added, "I¡¯ll call Dad in a bit to get him to contact Director Liu to see if anything can be learned."


    For a while, the Zhang Family was caught in guesswork and fear about Ling Chen¡¯s identity.


    After leaving the Zhang Family, Nanrong Wanqing politely said, "Miss Tang, where are you headed? I¡¯ll take you."


    "No need, I have a car to pick me up, but thank you for your kindness," Tang Shiyun said, and then naturally looped her arm through Ling Chen¡¯s, acting affectionately as she smiled sweetly and said as if no one else was present, "Ling, my concert is in a couple of days, will youe to see it?"


    "You know I have work now, but if time allows, I¡¯ll definitely go."


    Hearing this, Tang Shiyun¡¯s eyes shifted, and she cast a sly nce towards Nanrong Wanqing, with a hint of a smile on her lips and anticipation in her voice, "Miss Nanrong, may I invite you to watch my concert?"


    Nanrong Wanqing looked at Ling Chen, her beautiful eyes filled with surprise.


    She knew all too well that the real purpose of Tang Shiyun inviting her to the concert was actually for Ling Chen. She had thought that Ling Chen just happened to encounter Tang Shiyun at the Zhang Family and learnt of her plight, and out of righteous indignation, he helped her.


    But now it seemed this was not the case. Two people who had just met would not show such affectionate behavior, nor would they call each other ¡¯Ling brother¡¯ with such closeness. Moreover, Tang Shiyun¡¯s actions seemed to be very natural. Not only that, Ling Chen always casually called Tang Shiyun ¡¯girl¡¯, his eyes filled with indulgence.


    From all these signs, they must have known each other for a long time.


    Although she did not know the specifics of their rtionship, seeing their intimate gestures still made her feel a bit ufortable.


    First was Zhu Xiaozhu, and now Tang Shiyun. Just what charm did this man have to attract so many women, and each one so outstanding?


    "Miss Nanrong?"


    Seeing Nanrong Wanqing not responding, Tang Shiyun had to speak again.


    "Miss Tang, with such a gracious invitation, of course, I won¡¯t refuse," Nanrong Wanqing came back to her senses and smiled as she agreed.


    "Yay!"


    Tang Shiyun excitedly gestured to Ling Chen, her face nearly blossoming into a flower.


    "Ling brother, I¡¯ll head back first, remember to contact me when you¡¯re free, and don¡¯t be likest time, not a word for over a month."


    "Okay, okay," Ling Chen smiled and nodded, casually opening the door of the Mercedes-Benz for Tang Shiyun and cautioned, "Be safe on the road."


    Not until the Mercedes-Benz gradually drove away from the Zhang Family did Ling Chen retract his gaze. Turning around, he saw Zhong Wei and his party watching him with envy and a hint of suggestive looks.


    Liang Zhao Hui secretly gave a thumbs up and winked, the meaning self-evident.


    Ling Chen shook his head helplessly; these guys definitely misunderstood the pure friendship between him and Tang Shiyun, but he was toozy to exin.


    Hesitating for a moment, he nced at Nanrong Wanqing before him, and seeing her expressionless, icy demeanor, he couldn¡¯t help but say, "Shiyun used to live in the Old City area, she was my neighbor, and I¡¯ve always taken care of her like a sister. If anyone bullies her, I¡¯ll never look the other way. I hope you don¡¯t mind about the incident just now; I didn¡¯t intend to ruin your rtionship with the Zhang Family."


    Nanrong Wanqing said indifferently, "As you said, you were dealing with Miss Tang¡¯s situation in a personal capacity, it has nothing to do with me, no need to exin to me. Zhong Wei, let¡¯s go back."


    "Yes, Chairwoman."


    Back in the car, Nanrong Wanqing looked at Ling Chen outside the window, and the difort in her heart instantly disappeared, a smile unconsciously rising on the corner of her lips.


    Ling Chen really didn¡¯t need to exin to her, but he did, could it be that he cared about her thoughts?


    Thinking this, the resentment she had felt over the past few days seemed to be somewhat alleviated.


    Returning to the hotel, it was almost ten o¡¯clock.


    After sending Nanrong Wanqing back to her room, just as Ling Chen was about to return to his own, the ringtone of his mobile phone suddenly rang in his pocket.

 Chapter 192 - 188 Big Trouble

    <h4>Chapter 192: Chapter 188 Big Trouble</h4><h4></h4>


    ncing at the unfamiliar iing call, he answered the phone and asked, "Who is this?"


    "Hello, may I speak to Mr. Ling?"


    "This is he. Who are you?"


    "I am Zhu Yansong. Mr. Ling, we have met outside Qingyang Bar before."


    Ling Chen immediately recalled, "Ah, Mr. Zhu. What can I do for you, Mr. Zhu?"


    "Mr. Ling, the chairman of Silver Star Entertainment asked me to give you a call. He is already aware of the incident involving the Zhang Family, and he deeply regrets the actions of Zhang Zekai. Just now, after discussing with the shareholders and with the consent of the Zhang Family, Silver Star Entertainment has decided to revoke the Zhang Family¡¯s shareholder status. From now on, the Zhang Family will have no connection with Silver Star Entertainment. Our chairman hopes that Mr. Ling will allow Miss Tang to continue to stay with Silver Star Entertainment, and he personally assures that such incidents will never happen again. Mr. Ling, are you satisfied with this resolution?"


    "Fine, as long as the Zhang Family withdraws, I will give you one more chance."


    Zhu Yansong joyfully responded, "Thank you for your understanding, Mr. Ling. I will inform our chairman immediately, and won¡¯t disturb your rest any longer."


    After hanging up, Ling Chen grinned. These people were quite efficient; they made a decision in less than an hour.


    It was clear they valued Tang Shiyun as a lucrative asset.


    What Ling Chen didn¡¯t know was that an hour ago, when Zhang Zekai reported this matter to his father, thetter immediately called Liu Geng, trying to ascertain Ling Chen¡¯s identity. Liu Geng was evasive and unwilling to divulge much, which inadvertently left the Zhang Family extremely anxious, fearing they had offended someone formidable and brought major trouble upon their family.


    After much deliberation, Zhang Zekai¡¯s father made the painful decision, hoping to cate the situation.


    That was the reason for that recent phone call.


    Arriving alone at his room, Ling Chen was about to push open the door when his gaze suddenly sharpened, and his right hand, which was holding the doorknob, immediately retracted as his expression grew serious.


    Having spent many years with the Ghost Organization, he had developed many good habits, such as being vignt. Particrly when staying in hotels, he would tamper with the door to ensure no one could sneak into his room while he was away.


    There was a strand of fine hair originally wrapped around the doorknob, but now, it was broken, indicating someone had entered the room. Before leaving the hotel, he had informed the cleaning staff that his room did not need cleaning, so it couldn¡¯t have been them.


    At once, he pressed his ear against the door, listening intently for a while. After confirming there were no unusual sounds from inside, he swiped the key card, then slowly turned the doorknob.


    Click!


    The lock opened, but instead of pushing the door open, he opened just a sliver and peered through the gap. After a short moment, the corner of his mouth curled up, and a sharp gleam flickered in his eyes.


    Behind the door, there was a metal wire wrapped around both the door panel and the frame. If he had pushed the door open directly, it would certainly have broken the wire. What would happen then was clear to him without even thinking.


    "Snake King!"


    Immediately, a name popped into his mind. Other than the Snake King, he couldn¡¯t think of anyone else who would set such a trap.


    But wait, it could be Zhu Hong as well. That guy hated him to death; it could have been his doing too.


    Right away, he ran to the hotel reception, borrowed a portable makeup mirror from a female service staff, and then returned to his room. Inserting the makeup mirror into the gap, through the reflection, he saw a stic bomb installed next to the door frame.


    The amount of explosives in the stic bomb wasn¡¯t much but was enough to destroy the entire room.


    That metal wire was directly connected to the stic bomb.


    Defusing bombs is one of Ling Chen¡¯s specialties, especially these simple bomb devices. He pulled out a nail clipper with one hand, preparing to cut the metal wire, while holding the other end of the wire with the other hand to prevent it from snapping back and triggering the explosive device.


    Everything was ready, and just as he was about to cut the metal wire into two with the nail clipper, a thought crossed his mind, and he hesitated.


    If it was the Snake King, then why didn¡¯t he just ce the bomb directly in Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s guest room? That would¡¯ve been much simpler. Killing him and then Nanrong Wanqing would onlyplicate the mission.


    As a professional assassin, one would never do such a thing.


    With this in mind, he immediately focused on Zhu Hong. Although he had made many enemies, the only ones who truly wanted him dead were probably Zhu Hong and the mysterious organization behind him.


    Zhu Hong knew his strength and would not send mediocre people to deal with him; he would definitely send experts.


    However, the quality of the bomb instation was passable but far from professional. A real expert wouldn¡¯t have the bomb easily visible to the target. Moreover, a professional assassin would have noticed the little trick he set on the doorknob.


    "Trap!"


    His eyebrows furrowed, Ling Chen pondered for a moment, then moved to the adjacent guest room and prepared to enter the room by climbing through the balcony window.


    Fortunately, the window ss had not been tampered with, and he easily entered the room.


    Turning on the light, he walked to the back of the door and checked the bomb. As expected, this stic bomb was not simple; it had three different trigger mechanisms. Moreover, each of these triggers was based on three different ways to disarm them. Any attempt to disarm it in any way would detonate the bomb.


    Luckily, he was cautious and not deceived.


    After spending a few minutes, he carefully removed the bomb and threw it onto the nearby sofa, then sat down to rest for a while.


    But then, something seemed to ur to him, his expression suddenly changed, and he quickly picked up the bomb and looked at it closely.


    "How can this be?" His eyes widened with an incredulous expression, "Could it be a coincidence?"


    He desperately wanted to believe it was a coincidence, but the reality told him that the chance of such a coincidence was too low.


    Putting down the bomb, he took out his phone and dialed a number.


    "Hello, Old Tang, you bettere over here immediately, something¡¯s happened." After speaking, he hung up the phone and sat alone on the sofa, his expression extremely solemn.


    In less than half an hour, Tang Yuan arrived at the hotel room.


    "What¡¯s so important that you had mee all the way here, couldn¡¯t you have just said it over the phone?"


    Ling Chen didn¡¯t bother responding and simply threw the bomb into his hands. Tang Yuan caught the bomb, his expression changing slightly, and asked, "Where did thise from?"


    "Stop asking so many questions, just take a good look."


    Tang Yuan examined it and praised, "Very good, the person who made this bomb is definitely a professional, with three different triggering devices, and even..." Before he could finish his sentence, his eyes were already fixed on the bomb in his hands, his face full of surprise, "Is this... possibly a coincidence?"


    "Do you think there are such coincidences in the world?"


    "No."


    Ling Chen raised his head, his face showing a rare solemnity, and said word by word, "Old Tang, we are in big trouble."


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 Chapter 193 - 189: The Phantom’s Crisis

    <h4>Chapter 193: Chapter 189: The Phantom¡¯s Crisis</h4><h4></h4>


    "Don¡¯t jump to conclusions so quickly, maybe we¡¯re overthinking it."


    Ling Chen shook his head: "Impossible, the world isn¡¯t that coincidental." Saying this, he looked at the bomb device, his brows furrowing tightly, "I made this bomb, aside from a few of you, no one knows."


    Originally, he epted a mission from the Ghost Organization to ambush the legendary figure from the worlds of mercenaries and assassins, Blood Wolf, at the hotel. During that mission, before Blood Wolf returned to his room, he secretly installed the bomb as a contingency. If he couldn¡¯tplete the mission sessfully, he would detonate the bomb, perishing together with Blood Wolf.


    Only by doing this could he avoid leaving any clues and revealing the existence of the Ghost Organization.


    During the mission, the organization assigned two members to carry out the task with him; the result was two dead and one injured. The two members sacrificed their lives heroically to save him. It was precisely because of this incident that he decided to retire.


    After Blood Wolf was killed, because themotion at the hotel was too big, he didn¡¯t dare to linger and quickly retreated, leaving the bomb behind at the scene.


    And now, the bomb in Tang Yuan¡¯s hands was exactly the one left behind back then; it had a triple triggering mechanism, installed personally by him. When he first saw it moments ago, he hadn¡¯t paid much attention, until he remembered the affair with Blood Wolf and the realization hit him.


    This bomb installed unchanged in his hotel room, was this really a coincidence? Impossible! He didn¡¯t believe the world could have such coincidental matters. His identity might already be exposed right now, and the bomb was a message that someone knew he killed Blood Wolf. As for whether the Ghost Organization behind him had been exposed, he wasn¡¯t certain and he didn¡¯t dare to think about it because the consequences would be too severe, involving too many people. A slight misstep might bring cataclysmic disaster to the Ghosts.


    Seeing Ling Chen silent and deep in thought, Tang Yuan walked to the balcony and dialed a number on his mobile phone.


    At the same time, on a street opposite the hotel, a fiery red Ferrari parked at the roadside. The driver sitting in the driver¡¯s seat looked through the window at the hotel room lighting up on the fifth floor, a cold smile curling at the corner of his mouth.


    "I¡¯ve contacted Mr. Han, he wants us to head back to base immediately." Tang Yuan said after putting down his phone.


    "Let¡¯s go." Ling Chen stood up and followed Tang Yuan out of the hotel room.


    After driving around the city for half an hour to ensure they were not being followed, the two drove to the countryside manor.


    At the manor, Mu Zhiyuan was already waiting at the entrance, he patted Ling Chen¡¯s shoulder, managing to force a thin smile: "Everyone has arrived; you can go straight down."


    Entering the base, everyone gathered together in the spacious and bright conference room, each person silent with heads lowered, the atmosphere heavy.


    After Tang Yuan reported the situation, Han Bing immediately convened all the senior members of the Ghost Organization to discuss solutions.


    Seeing Qiao Zhen¡¯s tense face, Ling Chen said with a sense of guilt: "General, I¡¯m sorry, I was careless during that mission."


    Qiao Zhen waved his hand: "This matter isn¡¯t rted to you. It must be we who leaked the information internally; hence your identity was exposed. If we really want to me someone, it should be me. You are a retired member of the organization, and we have a duty to ensure your safety. Your exposure is our negligence." He then turned and said: "Han Bing, exin the situation to everyone."


    Han Bing opened a file, taking out a document, and looked at the people present: "Currently, we have six members of the Ghosts out on missions, I just had the headquarters contact them, only five people are reachable, with no news from the other one."


    "Who is it?"


    "Yang Tao. His mission was an assassination, targeting an arms dealer who had settled abroad. That arms dealer controls all the arms smuggling in the Asian region, extremely vile in nature. We¡¯ve gathered a lot of evidence against him, but the problem is, the country he¡¯s in has no extradition treaty, and we don¡¯t havew enforcement authority, so he¡¯s been getting away with it over there. After discussion amongst the top brass, we decided to remove this menace without anyone noticing."


    "ording to the n, if nothing unexpected happens, the mission would bepleted in half a month. Yang Tao has been at the location for over ten days now, he might be in the middle of the mission, which is why it¡¯s inconvenient for him to make contact. ording to regtions, all members out on a mission must contact headquarters at least once every three days to report on progress. It¡¯s been two days since Yang Tao¡¯sst report; he should contact us by tomorrow. If there¡¯s still no news tomorrow, it means something has happened to him."


    Ling Chen tapped the table with his fingers, slightly frowning: "Yang Tao is an old member of the organization, well-acquainted with all of us. If he gets caught and reveals our names and faces, it¡¯d be easy for the opposition to track us down."


    "Han Bing, notify everyone, all members out on missions must withdraw immediately; raise the state of alert from level one to level three at the base, everyone is forbidden to leave, cut off all externalmunications. Before this matter is resolved, no one is allowed to leave their post. Any vition will be severely punished."


    "Yes, General."


    "Ling Chen, your identity is already exposed for the time being. It¡¯s best to stay at the base; this way, your safety is guaranteed."


    Ling Chen hesitated for a moment, then declined: "I should go back. What¡¯sing wille; I can¡¯t hide from it. Besides, I want to know who exactly wants to take revenge for Blood Wolf."


    Qiao Zhen cautioned: "Then be careful. Tang Yuan, you stay with Ling Chen these next few days. If anything happens, it¡¯s better for the two of you to look out for each other."


    "Understood."


    Leaving the base, the two drove back to the hotel.


    By now, it was approaching midnight. Ling Cheny on the couch with his hands behind his head, his eyes fixated on the bomb ced on the table, continuously pondering in his mind.


    Seeing this, Tang Yuan couldn¡¯t help but ask: "What are you thinking about?"


    "Blood Wolf. From what I know of Blood Wolf, that person always acted alone without anypanions. Although Blood Wolf was a member of the God Organization, that mysterious organization wouldn¡¯t expend so much effort just to avenge an outsider like him."


    "You make some sense in your analysis."


    "Damn, there¡¯s just too much trouble these days." Ling Chen scratched his head and stood up towards the bedroom.


    "Hey, where are you going?"


    "What do you think, if not to sleep?"


    "Where do I sleep then?"


    "Obviously on the couch. Or do you want to share a bed with me? My sexual orientation is very straight, so don¡¯t even think about it."


    Tang Yuan spat out in disgust: "As if I would want to sleep with you."


    The next day.


    Ling Chen hadn¡¯t woken up yet when the internal phone in the bedroom began to ring.


    He sleepily answered the phone, yawning, "Hello."


    "Mr. Ling, good morning, a guest in the lobby is asking for you."

 Chapter 194 - 190: Tenth on the Tiger List

    <h4>Chapter 194: Chapter 190: Tenth on the Tiger List</h4><h4></h4>


    "Did he say who it was?"


    "No, he just said it was something very important and hoped to meet with you in person."


    "Alright, I got it. Ask him to wait." After hanging up the phone, Ling Chen got out of bed, freshened up, got dressed, and then left the guest room alone. Soon after, he took the elevator down to the lobby and found the receptionist.


    "Mr. Ling, the gentleman is looking for you." The receptionist finished speaking and pointed towards the lounge area in the lobby.


    Ling Chen turned his head to look, only to see a man in his thirties, a stranger, sitting on the sofa, holding a cup of coffee provided by the hotel, and reading a newspaper.


    The man had an ordinary appearance, short hair, and a very robust body, dressed in a well-fitted suit, and looked quite genteel.


    He approached and sized up the man before speaking: "Are you looking for me?"


    The man set down his newspaper and smiled, "Mr. Ling, hello, let me introduce myself. My name is Qin He."


    "Speak. What do you want with me?"


    "I am here to offer my congrattions."


    "Congrattions?" Ling Chen was full of confusion. He hadn¡¯t gotten married, much less be a father, what was there to congratte him about?


    Qin He opened his briefcase that was with him and pulled out a gold-embossed business card, presenting it with both hands to Ling Chen.


    As soon as the business card was in hand, Ling Chen¡¯s gaze was captivated by three characters written in the regr script.


    Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion!


    He sharply raised his head, looking at Qin He with astonishment, and blurted out: "You¡¯re from the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion?"


    "Indeed."


    Ling Chen looked at his attire with some disbelief. Could it be that people from the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion were all so ordinary-looking? Qin He seemed to see through his thoughts and chuckled: "Mr. Ling, times are changing, and naturally, the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion has to keep up with them."


    "Let¡¯s not talk about that for now, you were just congratting me, what did you mean?"


    "Well, Mr. Ling, starting from today, you have sessfully eliminated Ye Liangyong and ascended to the tenth rank of the Tiger List."


    Uh... Ling Chen was slightly taken aback. He wasn¡¯t particrly interested in the Heaven and Earth Dragon and Tiger Four Rankings. He had expressed his feelings during thest meal with Ye Liangyong. Why had the people from Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion stille looking for him? With this in mind, he couldn¡¯t help but ask: "Did Mr. Ye tell you this?"


    "No. Your martial arts match with Mr. Ye at Qingyun Martial Arts Hall, we saw everything clearly. Mr. Ye lost to you, that is an indisputable fact, thus you rightfully ascend to the tenth rank of the Tiger List."


    Ling Chen internally clicked his tongue, not many people knew about this matter. Those present at that time were all disciples of the martial arts academy, and Jiang Hao and a few others, no outsiders. How did the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilione to know?


    While he was pondering, he heard Qin He say with a smile: "I know being ranked tenth on the Tiger List may seem beneath Mr. Ling. With your skills, you are more than qualified to be ced sixth on that list."


    Upon hearing this, Ling Chen¡¯s expression shifted slightly as he looked straight into Qin He¡¯s eyes, "Mr. Qin, your words seem to imply something."


    "A few days ago, you fought Song Qing, who is ranked sixth on the Tiger List, and the duel ended in a draw. I¡¯m not wrong, am I?"


    "How do you know?" Ling Chen pressed. At the time, only he and Song Qing were present, with no one else around. He was curious how the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion could know such specifics.


    Qin He smiled enigmatically: "Mr. Ling, in this world, there are few things that can escape the eyes of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion. Also, there¡¯s another thing I¡¯d like to remind you of. You might currently be the tenth on the Tiger List, but I¡¯m not sure how long you can maintain that position."


    "What do you mean?"


    "You probably remember that on that day, Song Qing was defeated by a woman. So far, we have been unable to determine this woman¡¯s true identity, not even her name, so we¡¯re unable to rank her. Once we ascertain her identity, she will be the sixth on the Tiger List, pushing Song Qing to seventh ce and so on. As a result, Mr. Ling, your position as tenth on the Tiger List will be reced. Therefore, I suggest that you challenge those ranked higher on the Tiger List as soon as possible to keep your ce."


    Ling Chen was somewhat surprised, not expecting that the people from the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion would be aware of all these details. Such a mysterious organization might even surpass the world¡¯s leading intelligence organizations; their capability to gather information was nearly freakish, knowing even these secretive matters.


    "Mr. Qin, I¡¯m not interested in the ranking of the Tiger List; in fact, it would be better if I dropped out of it. In any case, I don¡¯t like trouble, so I hope you won¡¯te looking for me again."


    Thest time Ye Liangyong told him that being ranked tenth on the Tiger List was troublesome, as it subjected one to numerous challenges. He was too busy with his own affairs to bother dealing with challengers.


    "Mr. Ling, ascending to one of the Four Rankings is an irreceable honor for any martial artist, and all who practice martial arts wish to see their name on the list. Moreover, those who are ced on the Heaven and Earth Dragon and Tiger Four Rankings receive quite a few benefits."


    "Benefits?"


    "Indeed." Qin He nodded with a smile: "The Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion is a very humane organization. For those ranked on the list, we provide certain types of assistance."


    Hearing this, Ling Chen became interested, "What kind of assistance?"


    "High-ranked individuals on each list enjoy different privileges. For instance, those on the Dragon List have ess to a certain quantity of elixirs. These elixirs vary, some enhance strength, some assist in unleashingtent potential overnight, and some are Holy Medicine that can heal injuries. For Tiger List masters, we cater to personal needs¡ªsome need money, some desire fame, and others may require certain types of informational resources. Depending on the situation, we can provide appropriate assistance."


    "Is that so?" Ling Chen¡¯s interest was piqued, but he didn¡¯t show it; instead, he curiously inquired, "Dragon and Tiger Lists offer so many benefits, but what about the Heaven and Earth Lists?"


    Qin He¡¯s face revealed a bitter smile: "The Heaven and Earth Lists are not realms ordinary people can engage with. Even though I¡¯m with the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, I too don¡¯t have the qualification to interact with those individuals. You understand what I mean?"


    At these words, Ling Chen was startled. He was merely of Tiger List caliber but could already run rampant in the ordinary world, so the formidable figures of the Dragon and Tiger Lists were beyond mention. As for the Heaven and Earth Lists, he initially intended to learn more from Qin He, yet even Qin He himself was not entitled to meet those ranked on them. Therefore, those on the Heaven and Earth Lists must be truly unfathomable. It was hard to imagine what kind of extraordinary individuals they might be.


    "Mr. Ling, my phone number is on the business card. You can contact me directly if needed."


    "Alright." Ling Chen nodded, casually pocketing the business card. He knew he would never call that number because he had no interest in getting entangled with the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion.

 Chapter 195 - 191: Rescue Plan

    <h4>Chapter 195: Chapter 191: Rescue n</h4><h4></h4>


    After sending Qin He away, Ling Chen returned alone to his guest room. At that time, Tang Yuan had already gotten up and was washing up in the bathroom.


    "What did you run off to early in the morning?"


    "Just met with someone." After finishing, Ling Chen¡¯s mind moved, and he asked, "Old Tang, have you ever heard of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion?"


    "Of course, I¡¯ve heard it mentioned quite often in those martial arts novels."


    Hearing this, Ling Chen couldn¡¯t help but give a wry smile, and decided not to continue this topic. After breakfast, Zhong Wei called to say there was nothing nned for the morning, Nanrong Wanqing would be working in the hotel, dealing withpany matters remotely, and told them to go about their day freely.


    Tang Shiyun¡¯s concert was in two days, so the group had to stay at least two more days in Beijing.


    With nothing particr to do, Ling Chen and Tang Yuan stayed in their room, idly watching television. Around noon, Tang Yuan received a call from the base, and his expression changed immediately.


    "What¡¯s wrong?" Ling Chen noticed the change in his expression and asked.


    Tang Yuan didn¡¯t speak but rather received a video on his phone and yed it. Suddenly, an image appeared on the phone¡¯s screen. In the picture, a young man, around twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old, was tied to a chair, his body covered in bruises and wounds, his face swollen and bloody, with a split at the corner of his eye, blood flowing freely, looking very miserable.


    Looking at the young man in the video, Ling Chen¡¯s eyes narrowed immediately, revealing a cold glint.


    He recognized this young man¡ªit was Yang Tao, a former teammate in the Ghost Organization. It appeared their guess was correct, Yang Tao had been captured. The Ghost Organization had lost numerous members throughout its existence, but this was the first time one had been taken alive.


    "This video just came in from the base."


    "What are they trying to do, extort us?"


    As he spoke, the image on the cellphone video suddenly changed, showing a man in a suit and mask.


    "Ghost Organization, you are the most secretive organization in the world, but I know all about you. The God Organization was destroyed by your hands, and suffered great losses. And now, you still won¡¯t let go, always opposing us at every turn. Do you truly think we are afraid of you? Today, the God Organization rises once more. Old and new grudges, it¡¯s time to settle them. From now on, we officially dere war, vowing not to stop until the Ghost is wiped out."


    As he said this, the image switched back to Yang Tao, "You have three days¡¯ time. After three days, if no one rescues him, I will deliver his corpse to the doorstep of your base."


    The video ended, and Tang Yuan put away his phone, saying: "The General has asked us to go there."


    Ling Chen nodded; he understood the seriousness of the situation. The Ghost Organization was likely in turmoil, anxious and restless.


    Upon arriving at the Ghost Base, Ling Chen and Tang Yuan went straight to Qiao Zhen¡¯s office.


    "Have you both seen the video?"


    Ling Chen asked, "General, what¡¯s your n?"


    "Yang Tao¡¯s capture is our inescapable responsibility. We had no prior knowledge that the arms dealer was actually a peripheral member of the God Organization, with God Organization members personally guarding him. Yang Tao¡¯s mission failure was mainly due to the God Organization¡¯s enhancement drugs. Han Bing has just investigated the IP address from which the video was sent, the location indicates that Yang Tao is still being held in the territory of that arms dealer."


    "General!" Ling Chen let out a sigh, "You know as well as I do, without me saying, this is obviously a trap, just waiting for us to fall into it."


    "I know it¡¯s a trap, but it¡¯s also our opportunity. The God Organization is very secretive, after all these years of fighting, we haven¡¯t caught any big fish; the intelligence we¡¯ve collected so far hasn¡¯t been of much value. We must infiltrate their inner circle to dismantle their power."


    "Zhu Hong." A name popped out of Ling Chen¡¯s mouth, "He definitely has a deep connection with the God Organization, we can start from him."


    "I know Zhu Hong is a suspect, but we don¡¯t have enough evidence to arrest him. Although we of the Ghost Organization have privileges, we must still follow thew and cannot supersede it. As long as Zhu Hong is in the country, we must proceed ording to legal procedures, first collecting evidence of his crimes before prosecuting him."


    After a pause, Qiao Zhen continued, "I know what you are worried about. Yang Tao is bait, and they will surely set up a dra. If we send someone to rescue him, I fear it may be a one-way trip. However, as long as there is a glimmer of hope, we must not give up. Moreover, he is ourrade-in-arms, do you really want to stand by and watch his body being sent back?"


    Ling Chen and Tang Yuan looked at each other and then bowed their heads in silence.


    Qiao Zhen tossed a file onto the desk and said, "Han Bing and I have devised a rescue n. They have given us a three-day deadline, within which Yang Tao won¡¯t be in danger to his life. During these three days, we will stand by and let them think we have abandoned Yang Tao. When the deadline is nearly up, they will certainly let their guard down. That¡¯s when we will strike unexpectedly and rescue him. Of course, I don¡¯t deny the extreme danger of this mission. Tang Yuan!"


    "Present," Tang Yuan quickly stood up, chest out, head high, standing upright, waiting for instructions.


    "You will lead this mission. Apart from you, there will be three other team members apanying you. And you..." Qiao Zhen turned to look at Ling Chen, "You have already left the Ghost Organization; I have no authority to order you around, so I will not force you. It¡¯s up to you to decide whether or not to go."


    Upon hearing this, Ling Chen couldn¡¯t help butugh bitterly.


    The old general had made his point clear¡ªhow could he not go? Besides, Yang Tao was once hisrade-in-arms. Now that he knew about this situation, how could he ignore it?


    "When do we move out?"


    "The flight tomorrow morning. It will take us at least two days to prepare once we¡¯re there, so we can¡¯t dy."


    Ling Chen scratched his head; he had promised to attend Tang Shiyun¡¯s concert the day after tomorrow, but now it looked like he would have to break that promise.


    "Besides the five of you on this operation, I have arranged for someone to provide you with support. Once you reach the destination, he will contact you. Remember, this rescue operation is happening abroad, we are not authorized; if you get caught, you can only bear the risk yourself."


    "General, this isn¡¯t our first mission; we¡¯re clear on all of this."


    Qiao Zhen nodded and said, "Ling Chen, watch that video a few more times. Memorize that person¡¯s voice and try your best to locate him."


    "Got it."


    "Alright, Tang Yuan, you go out first. I have something to say to Ling Chen alone."


    After Tang Yuan left, Qiao Zhen got up, walked over to Ling Chen, and pped him on the shoulder, saying, "Kid, take care of yourself. I don¡¯t want to see you return in a coffin. After this mission is over, I might just introduce my granddaughter to you."


    Ling Chen grinned and said, "General, at least show me a photo of your granddaughter first. If she¡¯s pretty, I¡¯ll fight to return alive no matter what."


    "Scram, my granddaughter is more than good enough for you." Qiao Zhen said with a smile and a curse.


    Leaving the office, Tang Yuan, who was waiting outside, gave him a look and said helplessly, "You shouldn¡¯t have agreed to the general just now."


    "Why?"


    "You and I know very well, this trip is too dangerous, with a slim chance of survival. You don¡¯t need to take this risk."


    Ling Chen gave a slight smile, draped his arm around his shoulder and said, "What, am I that sort of spiritless person? More to the point, if I don¡¯t go, who will bring you back? Without my help, do you think you couldplete the mission with your mediocre skills?"


    "Get lost, I¡¯m not that bad," Tang Yuan said with a disgruntled face, yet his eyes showed a hint of being touched.


    Returning to the hotel, Ling Chen and Tang Yuan were about to head upstairs. But at that moment, a fiery red Ferrari slowly drove up to the hotel entrance. The window rolled down, and a stunning woman stuck her head out, calling towards Ling Chen: "Get in the car!"

 Chapter 196 - 192: Blood Spider

    <h4>Chapter 196: Chapter 192: Blood Spider</h4><h4></h4>


    Looking at the unfamiliar woman, Ling Chen was somewhat bewildered, pointed at his own nose, and uncertainly said, "Are you talking to me?"


    The woman spoke indifferently, "Is there another man here?"


    Hearing this, Tang Yuan who was standing to the side, felt immediately displeased. What did she mean, was he not a man? He was just about to step forward to argue a few words, but the woman driving the Ferrari didn¡¯t even give him a direct look, her cold eyes locked firmly onto Ling Chen with an air that brooked no refusal, "Get in the car. I don¡¯t want to repeat myself a third time."


    Ling Chen hesitated for a moment, then patted Tang Yuan¡¯s shoulder, pursed his lips and said, "You go back to the room first."


    "You¡¯re going with her? Hey, this woman¡¯s background is unclear, you better be careful not to be deceived."


    "Don¡¯t worry, the woman that can deceive me hasn¡¯t been born yet." Ling Chen said confidently with a smile, then pulled open the car door, and sat in the passenger seat of the Ferrari.


    Apanied by the roar of the engine, the fiery red Ferrari sped like a me on the road, reaching a hundred miles per hour in just a few seconds.


    Ling Chen slightly turned his head to discreetly size up the woman using his peripheral vision.


    This woman seemed to be of mixed race, looking almost Asian, but with blue eyes like dazzling, pure gems, though somewhat cold.


    The beauty of a mixed-race woman didn¡¯t need to be described, absolutely a great beauty, with naturally golden hair, delicate facial features, each part in perfect ce, impable, curvy eyshes, frosty eyes, skin as tender and white as a newborn baby¡¯s, thin red lips like a me, able to arouse the most primal urges and desires in men.


    Just by looking at her age, Ling Chen guessed she was around twenty-seven or twenty-eight, because she carried a mature charm unique to adult women.


    "Have you looked enough?" The blonde beauty suddenly threw out a sentence.


    Ling Chen grinned, retracted his gaze, looked ahead through the windshield and asked, "Beauty, you should at least tell me your name if you are looking for me."


    "You know my name."


    "I know?" Ling Chen was startled, then gave the blonde another look. He searched all his memories but could not find any information about this woman. He was certain he had never seen her, let alone knowing her name.


    "Beauty, have you mistaken me for someone else?"


    "The bomb you found in the hotel roomst night was ced by me."


    At these words, the smile on Ling Chen¡¯s face disappeared immediately, his pupils reflecting a trace of alertness.


    "So it was you." He nodded lightly, "Are you here to seek revenge for Blood Wolf?"


    "Some people want me to seek revenge, but I¡¯m not interested. He was someone who mingled in the world of assassins and mercenaries. It¡¯s always either kill or be killed. With this line of work, one should be prepared. He died at your hands, only because he was not skilled enough. It has nothing to do with you."


    Ling Chen looked at the blonde beauty in surprise, not knowing whether to praise her for being reasonable or call her cold and heartless.


    "Who leaked the information to you?"


    "People from the God Organization."


    "Are you also a member of the God Organization?"


    "They tried to recruit me, but I wasn¡¯t interested in that inhumane organization. If it wasn¡¯t for them, Blood Wolf wouldn¡¯t have died." Saying this, she suddenly stopped the car, looking directly into Ling Chen¡¯s eyes, "My name is Kaelina. Blood Wolf was my friend; wee from the same training camp."


    "What training camp?"


    "Broken Teeth."


    Hearing the words ¡¯Broken Teeth¡¯, a hint of caution suddenly appeared in Ling Chen¡¯s eyes as he looked at Kaelina, his brows slightly furrowed, "Are you an assassin too?"


    The Broken Teeth Training Camp, known to anyone in the mercenary and assassin circles, was a devil¡¯s paradise noted for cultivating assassins. Around the world, sixty percent of elite assassins were trained by ¡¯Broken Teeth.¡¯


    The rules at the Broken Teeth Training Camp were extremely strict, almost to the point of being perverse. Broken Teeth would recruit a hundred trainees from around the world for each term, around seven years of age, half male, half female, and put them through uniform training. After ten years, the hundred trainees would undergo brutal elimination, leaving only ten survivors. The rest would be stepping stones for the victors, dying during training confrontations.


    While the rules were cruel, it was undeniable that the assassins trained by Broken Teeth Training Camp were among the top tier in the world of assassins.


    To Ling Chen¡¯s knowledge, among the current top ten in the global assassin list, five were from Broken Teeth Training Camp.


    "Blood Spider."


    At this moment, Ling Chen suddenly blurted out three words.


    "You are Blood Spider."


    Kaelina spoke ndly, "I just said, you know my name."


    "Indeed, it¡¯s you."


    Ling Chen nodded to himself, and when Kaelina mentioned the Broken Teeth Training Camp, he immediately thought of a figure on the assassin list. To be friends with Blood Wolf, one¡¯s strength must not be weak, and given that she was a woman, there was only one person who fit these conditions: Blood Spider, ranked third on the assassin list.


    Looking at this cold and stunning woman, Ling Chen simply could not link her to the Blood Spider. She has been in the business for nearly ten years, and her deeds were well known to him as if they were engraved on his heart.


    This woman, since her debut, had probably killed no fewer people than him.


    As he was contemting this, he saw Kaelina get out of the car and enter a coffee shop by the road. Ling Chen followed her steps, found a quiet seat in the coffee shop, and ordered two cups of pure coffee.


    "God Organization¡¯s people told you to kill me, and you say you¡¯re not interested. Now you should tell me, what exactly are you interested in?"


    "Half a year before Blood Wolf was killed, he gave me something, entrusting me to keep it. He said that if he died one day, I would be allowed to open it and look."


    "What is it?"


    "I can¡¯t tell you yet. In short, he had an unfulfilled wish he hoped I could helpplete. But alone, I don¡¯t have the power to do it, so I need a partner."


    Ling Chen caught on immediately, nodding, "You came to me because you want to cooperate?"


    "More precisely, I¡¯m looking to leverage the power behind you. Of course, your ability to kill Blood Wolf is enough to prove your worth to work with me."


    Ling Chen joked, "I heard assassins are cold-blooded; why are you so enthusiastic?"


    "I owe him my life." Kaelina spoke impassively, "Back in the Broken Teeth Training Camp, if not for him, I would have died long ago. Assassins may be cold-blooded, but we know how to repay a debt." Pausing for a moment, she changed the subject, "Let¡¯s not dwell on the past. Now let¡¯s talk business?if you can help me, I will give you the thing Blood Wolf left with me. After seeing it, you¡¯ll gain a deep understanding of the God Organization."

 Chapter 197 - 193 Cyprus

    <h4>Chapter 197: Chapter 193 Cyprus</h4><h4></h4>


    Ling Chen pondered for a moment and said, "Sorry, I can¡¯t make a decision on this matter myself, I have to ask for instructions."


    Kaelina picked up the coffee cup and made a "please feel free" gesture.


    Stepping out of the caf¨¦, Ling Chen took out his cellphone and dialed Qiao Zhen¡¯s number. As this was rted to the God Organization, he naturally had to report to the old General.


    A few minutester, he returned to his seat in the caf¨¦ and looked at Kaelina sitting across the table. "I¡¯ve just consulted with my superiors. If you can prove that the item you possess is rted to the secrets of the God Organization, I can agree to your terms."


    Upon hearing this, Kaelina, without a word, pulled out a portable storage device from her sleeve and pushed it toward Ling Chen, "Take this back and verify it, then you¡¯ll know if I¡¯m telling the truth or not." Finishing her speech, she took out a hundred-dor bill from her wallet, ced it on the table, stood up and said, "I¡¯ll leave first. I will contact you when the time is right."


    "Okay." After watching Kaelina leave, Ling Chen picked up the hundred-dor bill from the table, reced it with another one, and then left the caf¨¦.


    Two hourster.


    Ghost Base.


    "The kid, you¡¯re really lucky this time." Qiao Zhen, brimming with excitement, walked into the office with a wide smile, "The intelligence you sent has been verified, and it¡¯s all true. The information we¡¯ve been collecting for years isn¡¯t evenparable to what you got in half a day. Kid, no matter what measures you take, you must obtain all the intelligence from the Blood Spider."


    "I will do my best. Oh, by the way, General, has the fingerprint on that bill been checked?"


    "It has been checked, there are no fingerprints on it."


    "No fingerprints?" Ling Chen was slightly startled. He had seen Kaelina pull out that hundred-dor bill from her wallet, how could there be no fingerprints? Could it be...


    Suddenly, an idea struck him. It¡¯s possible that Blood Spider had ironed t the tips of her fingers, so no matter what she touched, she would leave no fingerprints.


    Tsk, tsk! He couldn¡¯t help but admire the woman¡¯s caution and ruthlessness.


    "Kid, you better go back now, rest well for tonight, you still have actions to carry out tomorrow." Qiao Zhen advised, "Take good care of yourself."


    "Understood."


    Returning to the hotel, Ling Chen greeted Nanrong Wanqing, informing her that he would be away for a few days.


    Nanrong Wanqing expressed her surprise, "Miss Tang¡¯s concert is the day after tomorrow. Aren¡¯t you attending? She will be very disappointed if you don¡¯t go."


    Ling Chen gave a bitter smile, "I know, but this matter is very important, it can¡¯t be dyed. I must depart tomorrow. Chairman, if you see Shiyun, please pass on my apologies, and I¡¯ll apologize to her myself when I return."


    "Whatever you say." After finishing, Nanrong Wanqing continued to bury her head at the desk, dealing withpany matters. After signing a few contracts, she slowly lifted her head and noticed that Ling Chen was still standing in front of the desk, showing no sign of leaving.


    "Is there anything else?"


    Ling Chen hesitated for a moment before speaking, "Chairman, I hope you can give Nanrong Hao more space in the future, let him make his own decisions whether right or wrong. A man has to experience setbacks to grow. He¡¯s actually a good person. I believe he won¡¯t disappoint you. Additionally..."


    He looked into Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s beautiful eyes, his expression hesitant, opened his mouth a few times, but hesitated to speak.


    "What else?" Nanrong Wanqing prompted.


    "About the other time, I¡¯m sorry. I know it was my fault. I don¡¯t seek your forgiveness, I just hope that my matters don¡¯t cause you any unhappiness. If...never mind, let¡¯s not talk about that. Anyway, I¡¯m very d to have met you. Chairman, you carry on, I¡¯ve got to go." With that, Ling Chen turned and left the presidential suite.


    Watching Ling Chen¡¯s departing back, Nanrong Wanqing was somewhat taken aback. She found it strange why Ling Chen suddenly talked to her like this, it felt like...they might never see each other again.


    For some reason, her heart felt strangely panicked and uneasy.


    At this moment, as Ling Chen left the suite, he shook his head silently. He was well aware of the level of danger in this rescue operation. In previous missions, he had a seventy percent certainty, but this time, he had less than twenty percent confidence, essentially a slim chance of survival. Because he was unsure if he would return alive, he wanted to say everything he needed to, lest he never get another chance.


    Early the next morning.


    Ling Chen and Tang Yuan, without notifying anyone, took a taxi directly to the airport.


    At this moment, the airport¡¯s waiting hall already had three people waiting for their arrival.


    These three were the teammates for this operation, Lao Bei, Xiong, and Axe; they were members of the Ghost Organization and had cooperated frequently in the past. These three had been on assignments abroad and were urgently summoned back due to issues at the base.


    Lao Bei and Axe were actually young men in their twenties, simr in age, but with rich experiences that aged their mindsets, so they preferred to address each other with ¡¯Old,¡¯ like Old Tang.


    Both were elites picked from the military and trained by the Ghost Organization, exceptionally skilled.


    Xiong, true to his name, was very robust with bulging muscles, towering over everyone else.


    After the group of five met, they chatted casually in the waiting hall and then boarded the flight.


    After several hours of flying, the ne finally reached its destination, the capital of Cyprus, Nicosia.


    Cyprus is an ind country located at the junction of Europe and Asia, with a total poption just over one million, a very small country; any single city in Huaxia has a poption many times greater.


    Not only that, Cyprus is also a tourist paradise, weing millions of visitors every year, thriving economically.


    After disembarking from the ne, Ling Chen and Tang Yuan, along with the other four, rented a minivan outside the airport and then rushed to the pre-arranged meeting point.


    The General had already arranged someone to rendezvous with them there.


    After driving for half an hour, the minivan stopped in front of a residential building.


    The five carried their luggage and directly went to the top floor of the residential building, finding room 508. Under Ling Chen¡¯s signal, Tang Yuan rhythmically knocked on the door.


    After a short while, the door opened, and a man in his thirties appeared in front of them. The middle-aged man was extremely thin, with piercing eyes like a hawk, and a distinct scar at the corner of his left eye.


    Seeing the man, Ling Chen¡¯s eyes lit up, eximed with joy: "Instructor Pang!"


    "Kid, you finally made it,e on in." The middle-aged man gave a slight smile, especially when he saw Ling Chen, the coldness in his eyes gradually warmed, showing a hint of tenderness.

 Chapter 198 - 194: The Eve of Action

    <h4>Chapter 198: Chapter 194: The Eve of Action</h4><h4></h4>


    The middle-aged man in front of him was named Pang Jiulin. When Ling Chen first joined the Ghost Organization, it was Pang Jiulin who was in charge of training him. In his heart, he had always regarded Pang Jiulin as his guide.


    However, as he grew and became capable of handling matters independently, Pang Jiulin retired and was no longer reachable.


    "Instructor Pang, you¡¯re not..."


    Pang Jiulin nced at the others, pulled Ling Chen aside, and whispered: "I did leave the Ghosts, but I¡¯m now a member of Lonely Wolf."


    "Lonely Wolf?" Ling Chen suddenly realized. The General had mentioned Lonely Wolf to him before; Lonely Wolf was a secret organization established on the basis of the Ghost Organization. Its members were all selected from the Ghost Organization.


    Simply put, the Ghost Organization was responsible for cultivatingbat abilities and experience in its members, and when the time was ripe, they could join Lonely Wolf.


    Lonely Wolf was the main force against the God Organization.


    If he hadn¡¯t retired now, he would also be eligible to join Lonely Wolf.


    "Alright, we can catch up another time when we¡¯re free, but don¡¯t forget our main mission this time."


    Ling Chen nodded, tossed his luggage aside, and sat down on the sofa to rest. This private residence was their base for this operation. They chose this location instead of a hotel mainly to avoid the God Organization from detecting their entry into the country.


    "You¡¯ve been on the ne for so long, you all must be tired, have some food first. Later, I¡¯ll take you around to check out the surrounding environment," Pang Jiulin arranged.


    After lunch, everyone took the business van driven by Pang Jiulin and toured the surrounding area. Before long, the business van left the city area and came to the outskirts.


    After more than ten minutes, Pang Jiulin parked the vehicle in a secluded spot and gestured for everyone to get out of the van.


    Through a dense forest, Pang Jiulin stopped, looked around, and said, "We¡¯re here, this is our target building."


    Ling Chen looked up to see a factory about a hundred meters from the dense woods, with a total area of several thousand square meters. Besides the high walls, it was also enclosed with electric fencing. It was broad daylight, but the factory gates were closed tight, and only a few scattered individuals could be seen walking around inside.


    "ording to the video IP location, Yang Tao is being held inside this factory. Moreover, I¡¯ve investigated, and this factory outwardly ims to be engaged in the production of daily goods, but in reality, it¡¯s processing weapons. Armaments smuggled in the Asian region are all shipped from here."


    Hearing Pang Jiulin¡¯s words, Tang Yuan murmured to himself, "The security here doesn¡¯t seem very tight."


    "If you think that, you¡¯re making a big mistake. I¡¯m telling you, the defense level of this factory is very high, almost no different from the Ghost Base. We suspect that this could very well be a secret base arranged by the God Organization."


    Ling Chen asked, "Instructor, is there a way to get in?"


    "Not yet, I¡¯ve collected quite a bit of intelligence regarding this factory, we¡¯ll go back and study it more. For the next few days, we¡¯ll familiarize ourselves with the terrain and formte a good n."


    "Instructor Pang, have our equipments arrived?"


    "No equipment!"


    "No?" Not only Tang Yuan, who asked, but everyone else was stunned as well, "Are you telling us to fight them with bare hands? Instructor Pang, you can¡¯t mess with us like this."


    Pang Jiulin said sternly, "We must not use weapons for this operation. This is an armaments factory; there are many mmable and explosive prohibited items inside. If a fire breaks out, we¡¯re all done for. Remember, this is a rescue operation, not a suicide mission, the best oue is to stealthily rescue the person."


    Everyone gave a wry smile helplessly. Not being allowed to use weapons undoubtedly increased the difficulty of the mission several times over. However, what they were more concerned about was their own safety. As Pang Jiulin said, this was a rescue operation, not a suicide mission.


    Noticing everyone¡¯s concerns, Pang Jiulin smiled and said, "Don¡¯t be nervous. We can¡¯t use weapons, and neither can they. This country has a strict ban on firearms; anyone who dares to shoot will immediately attract a horde of police. They¡¯re not so foolish as to expose themselves."


    "Really?" Everyone sighed with relief in unison.


    In terms of skills, the members of the Ghost Organization had never feared anyone.


    Returning to the apartment building, Pang Jiulinid out all the information collected in the past two days for everyone¡¯s reference, pooling wisdom to create the best strategy.


    Ling Chen greatly admired Pang Jiulin¡¯s methods. In just under two days, he had managed to get his hands on the factory¡¯s blueprints, which would be of great benefit to their mission.


    Pang Jiulin exined, "The factory was originally built with government funding to provide jobs for the citizens. Later, as the tourism industry developed, fewer people were willing to work in factories, so it was put up for sale, and eventually bought by an arms dealer, but the blueprints remained in the local Construction Bureau."


    Ling Chen scrutinized the blueprint, looking for a route that would allow entry.


    After the recent on-site observation, they noticed that the factory was protected by an electric fence. Tampering with the fence would likely alert the enemy, so this n had to be abandoned.


    "Instructor, look here."


    Not long after, Ling Chen found a breakthrough and marked it on the blueprint with a pen. "This is the factory¡¯s sewage drainage pipe. It¡¯s half a meter in diameter and over four hundred meters long, extending from the factory to the sewage treatment nt. We can try to sneak in through here."


    "Crawling through over four hundred meters... With our physical capability, we should be able to endure it. Let¡¯s do this, I¡¯ll go check it out first. If there are no issues, we¡¯ll proceed with your n."


    "Instructor, do you want me to apany you?"


    Pang Jiulin waved his hand in refusal, "No need, you should rest well. Oh, by the way, the nightlife in this country is not bad. Since you are here, why not take them out to rx and not wind yourself up too tightly?"


    Ling Chen smirked with a knowing smile and nodded, "Sure, I¡¯ll certainly give everyone a chance to broaden their horizons."


    It was an unwritten rule in the Ghost Organization ¨C before executing a mission, everyone would indulge in pleasures and rx themselves since nobody knew if the next mission could be theirst.


    Initially, the organization was resistant to this behavior, but over time it became a habit, and even the General epted it.


    Night fell.


    The lights of Nicosia City came on, and the streets were filled with tourists. Locals in entric costumes performed zealously, and vendors crammed the streetside, an atmosphere of opulence and bustle.


    Ling Chen, apanied by Tang Yuan and a few others, strolled on the street before heading straight to Nicosia City¡¯s biggest bar.


    Entering the bar, Ling Chen cautioned, "Don¡¯t stay out toote."


    Lao Bei and two others hurriedly dropped a ¡¯we know,¡¯ then enthusiastically plunged into the crowd, searching for their night¡¯s conquests.


    "Old virgin, aren¡¯t youing?"


    "You know that¡¯s not my thing."


    "Well, I won¡¯t keep youpany then." Tang Yuan looked at a blond-haired, blue-eyed girl nearby, his eyes sparkling.


    Ling Chen teased him, "Get lost, I don¡¯t need yourpany."


    After Tang Yuan left, he went to the bar alone, ordered a bottle of beer, and enjoyed the surrounding excitement.


    At that moment, a woman walked into the bar with leisurely steps. As the woman appeared, the patrons around the bar immediately became quiet, staring at the woman, unable to take their eyes off her.


    Ling Chen nced out of the corner of his eye and was suddenly taken aback.


    Why is it her?

 Chapter 199 - 195: Chance Encounter

    <h4>Chapter 199: Chapter 195: Chance Encounter</h4><h4></h4>


    Nicosia City is an ind city with a perennial summer climate, sweltering heat, where most tourists wear short-sleeved shirts and beach shorts, and women prefer wearing colorful, locally styled skirts. The more liberated women wear just bikinis, draped in thin shawls, creating an enticing scene.


    At this moment, the woman who appeared in the bar was wearing an elegantly light blue long dress that highlighted her slender figure, her hair as flowing as a waterfall bound by a hairband, cascading down her back, and a pure white pearl ne around her delicate neck.


    However, what caught more attention was the woman¡¯s appearance, her features finely crafted as if meticulously sculpted, with raised eyebrows, a pointed nose, cherry-red lips, and eyes as bright as gems, exuding nobility and sophistication with every gesture.


    Behind the woman stood two tall, young women. They seemed casually following her, yet covertly protecting her.


    Sensing everyone¡¯s gaze, the woman seemed ustomed to it and was unmoved. However, upon noticing Ling Chen by the bar, she immediately stopped in her tracks, a sh of surprise in her beautiful eyes.


    Seeing him approaching, Ling Chen stepped forward, grinning, "President Liu, we really are fated to meet in such a ce."


    The woman in front was Liu Xiyao.


    Liu Xiyao said displeased, "How many times have I told you, don¡¯t call me President Liu when we¡¯re outside."


    "Right, right, Yao, what brings you here?"


    "Just taking a break since I¡¯m freetely. What about you? Not working at Hongyu Group and insteading here, is it apany perk?"


    Ling Chen smiled, "Nothing of that sort, it¡¯s a personal trip. I haven¡¯t seen the guys for a long time, so we nned a get-together."


    Liu Xiyao nced around and casually asked, "Where are these friends of yours?"


    "They all went off chasing girls, leaving me all alone," Ling Chen shrugged, an expression of resignation on his face.


    "Why didn¡¯t you join them? This is thergest bar in Nicosia City, filled with beautiful women from every country. None caught your eye?"


    "It¡¯s not that; it¡¯s just not my cup of tea."


    Liu Xiyao chuckled softly, meaningfully adding, "Didn¡¯t expect to see such an honest man like you in the world. Since you¡¯ve no other interests, why not join me for a while?"


    During their conversation, a Caucasian manager in the bar quickly approached, bent slightly in front of Liu Xiyao, and respectfully said, "President Liu, wee, your private room is ready."


    "Follow me."


    Led by the Caucasian manager, Ling Chen followed Liu Xiyao to a luxurious private room on the top floor of the bar. The room was extravagantly decorated, over a hundred square metersrge, equipped with a KTV, bar, billiard table, and even two pretty female attendants.


    On the left side of the room was arge transparent floor-to-ceiling ss, from which the bustling district around could be seen.


    "Do youe here often?" Ling Chen asked.


    "I bought a vi by the sea, and I usually stay here for a few days when I¡¯m free." Liu Xiyao picked up a freshly mixed cocktail, "I¡¯m nning to go sailing tomorrow, you can bring your friends along if you¡¯re free."


    "You have a yacht?"


    "Can¡¯t I have one?" Liu Xiyao retorted.


    Ling Chen touched his nose, realizing his question was redundant. With assets over a billion, buying a yacht for Liu Xiyao was indeed an easy feat.


    "I already have ns to go somewhere else with my friends tomorrow, I¡¯m afraid I won¡¯t be able to join you for the sailing."


    Liu Xiyao didn¡¯t insist and nodded, "Anyway, you have my number. If you want to go out to sea, just give me a call, I¡¯ll lend you my yacht."


    "Hey, how have you been feeling recently?"


    "Much better, thanks to your treatment."


    "You¡¯re wee. By the way, that..." Ling Chen nced at a nearby waiter and whispered, "Have they found out who poisoned you?"


    Upon hearing this, a fleeting cold light passed through Liu Xiyao¡¯s eyes, and she responded calmly, "Some things don¡¯t need to be investigated. I have a clear understanding myself. You don¡¯t need to ask more about this matter; I will handle it myself."


    Ling Chen chatted idly with Liu Xiyao for a while and then suddenly received a call from Pang Jiulin, telling him to rush back soon. Pang Jiulin calling him at this time must have had something important.


    Immediately, he stood up to leave and said, "I have other matters to attend to, I will leave first, you enjoy yourself."


    "When will you be going back?"


    "In a day or two, I can¡¯t say for sure."


    "I will leave the day after tomorrow. You can take my private ne back to East Sea City."


    "Okay, we¡¯ll be in touch."


    After leaving the bar, Ling Chen headed straight back to that secluded apartment building.


    Back at his ce, Tang Yuan and the others were not yet back, only Pang Jiulin was there.


    "Coach, what¡¯s the matter?"


    "I just spoke with the General on the phone, and we¡¯re thinking of altering our n. We¡¯re almost clear on the situation outside that factory, but we know nothing about its interior¡ªthe number of people inside, defensive measures, and the location of the hostages. To save operational time, the General and I unanimously decided to first send someone to infiltrate the factory and scout the situation. It would be best if you could locate Yang Tao."


    Ling Chen well understood Pang Jiulin¡¯s implication; being called back at this time obviously meant he was to lead the operation.


    "Coach, right now?"


    "Wait until midnight, the guards will be more rxed then, it¡¯s easier to avoid detection." Pang Jiulin said pointing to a bag on the bed, "All the equipment is ready, see if there¡¯s anything missing."


    Ling Chen walked to the bed and opened the zipper. Inside was a tight-fittingbat suit, a tactical shlight, a wireless earpiece and receiver, three military daggers, a pair of night vision goggles, and a tool kit.


    "We mentioned before, no guns for this operation. Be careful on your own."


    "Got it." Ling Chen¡¯s lips lifted in a confident smile.


    "Also this, keep it with you." Pang Jiulin handed a button-shaped metal object to Ling Chen, instructing, "This is a signal transmitter. Once you find Yang Tao¡¯s holding location, install this device. I will lock onto his position via the signal. Once you¡¯re clear on the situation, find a ce to hide and wait for our support."


    When everything was ready and midnight arrived, Pang Jiulin drove the van and dropped Ling Chen near the wastewater treatment nt on the outskirts.


    Through the car window, one could see the factory situated 500 meters away. Though it was deep into the night, the factory was still brightly lit.


    Pang Jiulin patted Ling Chen on the shoulder and reminded, "Kid, be careful."


    "Understood!"

 Chapter 200 - 196: Taking Action Early

    <h4>Chapter 200: Chapter 196: Taking Action Early</h4><h4></h4>


    The sewage treatment nt was all automated machinery; there were only two people on duty in the security room at night. It didn¡¯t take Ling Chen much time to easily bypass the surveince and infiltrate the interior of the sewage nt.


    Finding the sewage pipe that led directly to the target factory, Ling Chen put on night vision goggles, adjusted the signal of his headset, and then crawled into the sewage pipe. The diameter of the pipe was half a meter long, just enough to amodate an adult.


    However, the pipe emitted a pungent stench, and its inside was coated with sticky filth, which was very disgusting.


    Fortunately, Ling Chen was prepared in advance, wearing a mask and gloves, and moved slowly along the sewage pipe. This pipe was over four hundred meters long, and he could only crawl on hands and knees, carrying tools on his back, which was veryborious. It was undoubtedly a serious test of his stamina.


    More than ten minutes passed, Ling Chen exhaled deeply andy down to rest. After regaining some strength, he continued on his way. After roughly half an hour in total, he finally reached the end of the sewage pipe.


    There was no exit from the pipe, it was all sealed. Ling Chen took off the backpack he was carrying, took out the welding tools he had prepared in advance, and started to burn through the top of the pipe.


    A momentter, a square exit was burnt into the sewage pipe. Climbing out of the pipe, Ling Chen looked around to make sure no one was in the vicinity before sealing the opening of the pipe to avoid detection.


    At the moment, his location was a storage room, with goods piled messily all around. After changing out of his foul-smelling clothes, he approached the door and listened intently. Hearing no movement outside, he gently opened the door and poked his head out.


    Outside the storage room was a spacious corridor. With no one else around, Ling Chen quickly moved towards the end of the corridor. However, just as he was about to reach the corner, he suddenly heard footstepsing from around the corner.


    His gaze swept around, and he quickly stepped into the nearby room and rushed inside.


    The door had just closed when the footsteps passed by outside.


    Ling Chen breathed a sigh of relief, put on his night vision goggles, and looked around the room. It was a bedroom, with someone lying on the bed against the wall, deep in sleep and unaware of Ling Chen¡¯s presence.


    He walked gently to the beside of the bed, taking a nce, and a look of surprise momentarily crossed his face.


    The person lying on the bed turned out to be a woman, probably around thirty years old, with a pretty face. However, her only w was on her left ear; her left ear had been cut off and reced with an artificial ear. Moreover, and more importantly, the woman had yellow skin and was very likely to be a Huaxia person.


    While Ling Chen pondered, a sudden ringtone startled him.


    He turned his head to look and saw that it was the woman¡¯s phone by her pillow.


    Seeing that the woman was awakened by the ringtone, Ling Chen quickly bent down and hid under the head of the bed to avoid being seen.


    The woman answered the call; Ling Chen didn¡¯t know what was said on the other end, but the woman responded in English with a simple "Understood" before hanging up. Immediately after, sounds came from the bed as the woman got dressed and headed for the door.


    When the bedroom door opened, Ling Chen noticed that two men, unknown when they had arrived, were outside the room. The men were very respectful in front of the woman, indicating that her identity was likely not simple.


    After watching the woman leave, Ling Chen stood up and began to search the room, hoping to find some useful intelligence.


    However, regrettably, the only items in the bedroom were some change of clothes and female toiletries.


    Leaving the bedroom, Ling Chen crept carefully along the corridors in search of the hostages. The factory had three floors in total, and he was currently on the first. After some investigation, he found that the first floor housed the employees¡¯ quarters, and the security was not particrly tight.


    Soon, he located the elevator and the emergency exit leading to the second floor. However, there was personnel stationed outside both the elevator and the emergency exit¡ªit was clearly impossible for him to bypass these guards and sneak into the second floor without making a sound.


    He couldn¡¯t afford to spook anyone before the operation began.


    ording to his original n, he had intended to disguise himself as a factory employee and blend in, but to his dismay, all the employees were Caucasian, which made his own facial features too easily recognizable.


    As he was pondering his options, the elevator doors slid open, and the woman with the defective left ear walked out, surrounded by several men in suits. Soon after, she conferred with the people beside her for a moment before heading off to a room by herself.


    Ling Chen hesitated for a bit, then followed the woman after she had walked some distance.


    The security of the factory was too stringent, making it difficult to act, but the identity of the woman was not unimportant; she might provide a breakthrough.


    Before long, daylight began to break outside the factory.


    Ling Cheny underneath the woman¡¯s bed, eyes closed, using the time to rest and gather strength for the operation in the evening.


    "Ling Chen, respond if you receive this."


    Pang Jiulin¡¯s voice came through the earpiece at that moment. Ling Chen didn¡¯t dare to give a verbal response, afraid that the woman would hear, so he just lightly pressed the talk button. With Jiulin¡¯s experience, he would naturally understand what it meant.


    ncing at the time, it was already 9 AM, and the woman finally got out of bed. Ling Chen, lying under the bed, turned his head and saw the woman undresspletely, throwing her clothes and underwear to the floor.


    Ling Chen inwardly expressed regret; the bed obstructed his view so he could only see parts of her body below the knees; he could only use his imagination for the rest.


    After watching the woman finish freshening up and leaving the room, Ling Chen finally had time to contact Pang Jiulin to report the situation on his side. After listening to his n, Jiulin said, "Do as you see fit, time it right, don¡¯t start too early to avoid alerting anyone."


    "Understood."


    From morning to afternoon, the woman came back to the room twice, and Ling Chen remained hidden under the bed without making a sound.


    Until the evening, with one hour left until Jiulin¡¯s operation, Ling Chen crawled out from beneath the bed, walked behind the bedroom door, and waited patiently.


    More than ten minutes passed, and a series of footsteps finally approached from outside the door. Following that, the door was pushed open from the outside, and the woman walked straight in.


    As the door closed, Ling Chen surged forward, choking the woman from behind and covering her mouth, ignoring her struggle, and whispering sharply, "Be quiet if you want to live."


    After a few attempts, the woman felt Ling Chen¡¯s overwhelming strength and gave up resisting.


    Seeing this, Ling Chen pulled out a dagger, held it against the woman¡¯s neck, and warned, "I¡¯d advise against alerting anyone outside. Otherwise, I can assure you that my knife is faster than your scream." After saying that, he released the hand that was pressing firmly over her mouth.


    "Who are you?" the woman asked coldly. At this time, she seemed to have regained herposure, no longer as panicked as before.

 Chapter 201 - 197: Trap

    <h4>Chapter 201: Chapter 197: Trap</h4><h4></h4>


    "This question should be asked by me, tell me, your name and your identity."


    "Zhang Xueli, head of the production department."


    "Miss Zhang, I have another question, and I hope you can answer me truthfully. Where are you holding the hostages?"


    "Hostages? What hostages?" Zhang Xueli replied coldly, "You must be mistaken, this is a legitimate factory, not a criminal organization."


    Ling Chen slightly lifted his lips: "Miss Zhang, we¡¯re all sensible people, why pretend to be confused in front of me." Saying this, he slightly applied pressure with the dagger in his hand, leaving a crease on Zhang Xueli¡¯s delicate neck, "I keep my word; as long as you tell me where the hostages are, I will spare your life and not harm you."


    Zhang Xueli hesitated for a moment, then spoke, "Third floor, count from the left, the second bedroom, the person you¡¯re looking for is there."


    "Very good." Seeing her cooperate, Ling Chen smiled, casually taking out a mobile phone from her pocket, and said: "Miss Zhang, I need one more favor from you. Call your subordinates and have them bring the hostage here. As for the reason, with your wit, you should be able to think of one."


    "I don¡¯t have that authority. I¡¯m only in charge of the factory operations, others handle different matters, I can¡¯t overstep."


    "In that case, you can take me to see the hostages, no problem right?"


    "That¡¯s possible, but you¡¯ll need to change your attire, I don¡¯t want to be marked as a traitor."


    After a short while, Ling Chen changed into a neat suit. Before stepping out, he nced at Zhang Xueli and reminded her: "Miss Zhang, after we go out, it¡¯s best if you refrain from any suspicious actions. Within a meter, I can take your life at any moment. So, for your own safety, do not do anything out of line."


    "I know." Zhang Xueli replied indifferently.


    Ling Chen nodded and called through his earpiece, "We can move now."


    "Received!"


    Leaving the bedroom, Ling Chen closely followed behind Zhang Xueli, keeping a distance less than a meter. As he said, it was his effective attack range. Within a meter, no one could escape his dagger.


    Approaching the elevator, Ling Chen kept his head down for fear of being recognized. Fortunately, with Zhang Xueli leading him, no one doubted his identity. Stepping into the elevator, Ling Chen slightly rxed and smiled, "Miss Zhang, you¡¯ve done well, I hope you can keep it up."


    Ding!


    With a crisp sound, the elevator finally reached the third floor.


    Outside the elevator, the corridor was heavily guarded with surveince cameras everywhere, and guards stationed every few steps. Ling Chen silently rejoiced that he didn¡¯t act recklessly toe to the third floor alone. The guards were everywhere, nowhere to hide. He would definitely have been spotted.


    Arriving at the room where the hostage was held, Zhang Xueli nodded towards two men in suits by the door who immediately opened it and let them in.


    Once inside, Ling Chen immediately saw, in the center of the room, a chair with Yang Tao tied to it, head hanging down, covered in blood, a horrifying sight.


    Ling Chen frowned slightly, quickly walked up to Yang Tao, and gently patted his shoulder, trying to wake him from his stupor.


    "Brother, wake up!"


    After shaking him a few times, Yang Tao finally responded, slowly lifting his head. However, as Ling Chen clearly saw the other¡¯s face, his expression drastically changed and eximed, "You..."


    Before he could finish speaking, the person in front of him suddenly pulled out a syringe and fiercely stabbed it into his leg.


    Seeing this, Ling Chen had no time to think and hurriedly retreated. However, at that moment the room¡¯s door was kicked open, several men in suits rushed in, each holding a tranquilizer gun aimed at Ling Chen¡¯s back.


    Even with Ling Chen¡¯s quick reaction, he could not defend himself in the confined space. After several dodges, his arm was unfortunately hit by a tranquilizer dart, causing him to copse to the ground.


    After an unknown amount of time, a bucket of cold water poured over his head suddenly woke Ling Chen.


    He opened his eyes and looked around, seeing Zhang Xueli stood before him, staring coldly, with several men in suits beside her.


    "You thought you could sneak in undetected, that no one would know?"


    Hearing Zhang Xueli¡¯s words, Ling Chen frowned and said, "You knew I came?"


    "Ha! You were hiding under my bed for so long, you really thought I didn¡¯t notice?" Zhang Xueli pointed to her left artificial ear, "This is fitted with an electronic eavesdropping device. When youmunicated with others using your wireless earpiece under the bed, the transmitted signal would interfere with the device, causing electrical static noise. There¡¯s an old saying in Huaxia, ¡¯Even the wise have one oversight,¡¯ you didn¡¯t expect your movements would be exposed because of it, did you?"


    Ling Chen gave a wry smile, "Indeed, I did not." He thought he was being cautious, yet his presence was exposed by a small device, which was somewhat disheartening.


    "What time is it now?"


    Zhang Xueli looked at her watch, said: "You have fifteen minutes left until your operation." She took the wireless earpiece devices from one of the men, waved it in front of Ling Chen, "Earlier, your teammates contacted you three times, aren¡¯t you going to reply to them?"


    "You think I will cooperate with you and betray my teammates?" Ling Chen smiled faintly. As long as he didn¡¯t respond, Pang Jiulin would surely know something was wrong.


    Zhang Xueli spoke nonchntly, "I know you won¡¯t cooperate voluntarily, but no worries, I have my ways."


    During the conversation, one of the men walked to a desk in the corner, opened aptop, and connected it to an external device.


    Watching the man¡¯s actions, Ling Chen felt a bad premonition and asked, "What is he doing?"


    "All that you told me just now, I recorded. Soon, after analyzing your voice with software, it will automatically match."


    Zhang Xueli¡¯s words had just dropped when the man turned around and said, "It¡¯s ready."


    "Contact them."


    The man nodded, opened the wireless earpiece, and then, from theptop, a voice emerged, "Where are you now?"


    Ling Chen heard this, his face changed immediately; theputer-generated voice was almost indistinguishable from his own, even he could hardly tell the difference, let alone Pang Jiulin.


    Indeed, Pang Jiulin¡¯s response came through the earpiece soon after, "You finally decided to speak up, I thought something had happened." After a pause, he continued, "We¡¯ve reached the sewage pipe and can enter at any time. How are things on your side?"


    "Safe." Theptop conveyed in two words.


    "Good, we¡¯ll be over soon."


    Once themunication ended, Zhang Xueli watched the ashen face of Ling Chen and smiled triumphantly, "It looks like I need to prepare a few more coffins."

 Chapter 202 - 198 Death Live Stream

    <h4>Chapter 202: Chapter 198 Death Live Stream</h4><h4></h4>


    More than ten minutes passed, Ling Chen sat quietly in his chair, staring at Zhang Xueli in front of him, constantly pondering his options.


    But to his dismay, he rejected every n he could think of. In this room, no less than six men in suits were watching him, and his hands and feet were bound by iron chains. Even with extraordinary abilities, he was powerless. At this moment, he could only pray silently, hoping that Pang Jiulin would realize the danger in time and lead his team members to retreat.


    Just then, the door of the room was opened and a young man covered in bruises, with a swollen nose and face, was brought in by two men in suits.


    Seeing the neer, Ling Chen immediately recognized his identity: it was Yang Tao, the target of this rescue mission.


    Feeling his gaze, Yang Tao weakly lifted his head, a bitter smile on his lips: "Why is it you?"


    Ling Chen shrugged his shoulders, jokingly said: "I wish it weren¡¯t me. s, what can I do, I¡¯m too sentimental, couldn¡¯t bear to see you suffer, so I joined in on the suffering with you. How about it, I¡¯m a good brother, right?"


    "Enough, shut up," Zhang Xueli ordered coldly.


    Once she had spoken, a man in a suit came in carrying a television set and then ced it in front of Ling Chen and Yang Tao.


    Ling Chen, perplexed, asked, "What¡¯s this for?"


    Laughing, Yang Tao took over the conversation: "I guess they¡¯re worried we¡¯d be bored to death, so they¡¯re giving us something to relieve the boredom."


    "Laugh all you want now, I¡¯m afraid you won¡¯t be able toter," said Zhang Xueli, and with a meaningful nce at her subordinate.


    Thetter understood and immediately turned on the television. Suddenly, the television screen showed more than a dozen different images. Ling Chen nced at them and his brows immediately furrowed; the smile on his face slowly fading.


    They were the live surveince feeds from the factory. What are these people up to?


    Zhang Xueli nced at the time and sneered, "Keep your eyes wide open, the main character is about to make their entrance."


    "We¡¯re in already. Where are you?"


    At that moment, Pang Jiulin¡¯s voice came through the wireless earpiece. Simultaneously, on the surveince screens, a group of five people quietly infiltrated.


    At this moment, the expressions on both Ling Chen and Yang Tao¡¯s faces changed drastically. Ling Chen finally understood why Zhang Xueli wanted them to watch the surveince; the enemy wanted them to witness their teammates being killed with their own eyes.


    Seeing the drastic change in the expressions of Ling Chen and hispanion, Zhang Xueli nodded in satisfaction and instructed, "Notify them, they can move."


    "Understood."


    At this moment, on the factory¡¯s first floor.


    Pang Jiulin, wearing night-vision goggles and tightly gripping a dagger, bent his waist and slowly advanced along the pitch-dark corridor, hugging the wall. Not far out, he called for Ling Chen again through the earpiece but still received no response.


    Tang Yuan frowned and said, "Instructor, isn¡¯t it too quiet here, with not a soul around?"


    "Could something have happened to Ling Chen? Why is there no word from him after so long?" Lao Bei was somewhat worried.


    Pang Jiulin pondered for a moment and said, "Let¡¯s still be cautious; Lao Bei, Axe, you two split up and check the surroundings. Xiong, Old Tang, you two are responsible for covering the rear."


    "Understood!"


    As soon as the words were spoken, the five men were ready to move, when a blinding bright light suddenly shone down from above, casting its glow on them.


    This sudden change took all five men by surprise. Pang Jiulin was the quickest to react, maintaining hisposure amidst the panic, he swiftly removed his night vision goggles, and said in a deep voice, "Find cover!"


    However, as the lights fully turned on, the factory illuminated bright and clear, leaving absolutely nowhere to hide. Following that, from the various rooms along the corridor, a tall and muscr man stepped out from each, totalling five men.


    These men were exceptionally tall, each around one meter ny in height, their bodies bulging with muscles and veins, making it likely that only someone with Xiong¡¯s towering build could match them.


    "Spread out!" Pang Jiulin made a prompt decision, issuing themand, "Break through on your own."


    Tang Yuan nodded, gripping the dagger in his hand firmly, his gaze fixed on the muscr man approaching him, and took a deep breath.


    Ah!


    With a loud shout, he raised the dagger high, darting forward quickly, and fiercely charged to eliminate the enemy before him.


    As Tang Yuan rapidly closed the distance, the muscr man remained expressionless, neither dodging nor evading. When the sharp dagger fell, Tang Yuan¡¯s face changed drastically. He was stunned to find that the muscr man¡¯s body was as hard as iron, the dagger unable to prate after being mped tightly by his muscles.


    Startled, he hurriedly warned, "Be careful, these people have all taken enhancement drugs."


    Just as he finished speaking, Lao Bei and the man with an axe were sent flying by the enemy¡¯s punches, crashing heavily onto the ground, clutching their chests, faces contorted in pain.


    Among the five, Pang Jiulin¡¯s skill goes without saying; being able to join Lonely Wolf was proof enough of his prowess. In the Ghost Organization, Tang Yuan was second only to Ling Chen, and could barely protect himself against the muscr man¡¯s onught. Surprisingly, it was Xiong who unexpectedly evenly matched the enemy.


    It was no wonder, as Xiong was a power-basedbatant. His natural talentsbined with training made his physical fitness perhaps even superior to Ling Chen¡¯s.


    The only ones at a disadvantage were Lao Bei and the axe-wielding man, both elite soldiers selected from the military, skilled with firearms and marksmanship. However, theirbat skills were not on par with those of Tang Yuan and others. After all, not everyone was like Ling Chen, a master of both martial arts and marksmanship.


    In the third-floor room of the factory, Ling Chen and Yang Tao watched the surveince footage with furrowed brows, tightly knit into a line.


    Seeing the muscr men¡¯s appearance, Ling Chen knew things were going to be bad. Zhang Xueli had clearly set a trap, luring them into the urn. It was likely that Pang Jiulin and his group had little chance of breaking out and escaping.


    Zhang Xueli, standing next to them with arms crossed, watched thebat on the monitor with interest and smiled, "What do you think, how long can theyst?"


    Ling Chen¡¯s face was as still as water, he remained silent, continuously attempting to snap the chains on his wrists. But the chains were too thick, and his strength alone was not enough to break free.


    "Not good!"


    Just then, Yang Tao suddenly yelled out.


    Ling Chen looked intently, his face stiffening sharply. In the surveince footage, the man with the axe had his left leg grabbed by a muscr man who forcefully twisted it, instantly breaking the knee. Although there was no sound, the twisted expression on the axe man¡¯s face revealed the excruciating pain he must be enduring.


    With his left leg disabled, the axe man¡¯s movements immediately slowed down.


    "Axe, be careful!"


    Seeing that the situation was dire, Tang Yuan wanted to aid him, but the muscr man before him pressed in step by step, leaving him no chance to look out for others.


    The immobilized axe-wielder didn¡¯t have a chance to escape far before he was once again apprehended by the adversary. The man wrapped both hands around the axe-wielder¡¯s head, mping down tightly, then with a sudden twist of his hands, a ¡¯crack¡¯ sounded. The axe-wielder¡¯s head slumped down limply, and he fell to the ground, dead.

 Chapter 203 - 199 Fierce Battle

    <h4>Chapter 203: Chapter 199 Fierce Battle</h4><h4></h4>


    "Ax!"


    Seeing this, Ling Chen¡¯s eyes immediately turned blood-red, his anger uncontainable, he roared out loud.


    Yang Tao hung his head low, his gaze dull, his face the color of deathly ash, muttering to himself, "It¡¯s all my fault... all my fault..."


    Zhang Xueli coldly said, "Don¡¯t panic, only one is dead so far, the highlight is still toe."


    Ling Chen clenched his teeth and stared at her unblinkingly, his eyes like the cold wind of December, icy and piercing.


    "As long as I¡¯m alive, I will make you pay in blood for this debt." He paused after each word, squeezing the sentence through his teeth.


    Hearing his threat, Zhang Xueli scoffed indifferently, "Do you really think you¡¯ll have a chance?"


    During the conversation, a ringtone from a cellphone suddenly rang out. Zhang Xueli took out her phone, nced at the caller ID, and her expression slightly changed. "Watch these two." Having said that, she turned and left the room to answer the call.


    "Everything has been taken care of, thankfully you notified me in time so I could prepare and they didn¡¯t seed... Apart from the person we caught beforehand, in total six people came, identity unknown, probably all members of the Ghosts, one is dead, five are left. I will take care of them."


    "Why?"


    At this moment, whoever was on the other end of the phone said something and Zhang Xueli frowned, "This is too risky, if this gets out, the higher-ups will definitely me us, and then who will take the responsibility?"


    "Alright, since you¡¯ve said so, I¡¯ll do you this favor. But I want to make it clear that if the higher-ups start asking questions, I won¡¯t cover for you."


    After the call ended, Zhang Xueli returned to the room, looking at the stern-faced Ling Chen, a strange light flickering in her eyes.


    "You two, unlock his shackles and take him to the next room."


    Hearing Zhang Xueli¡¯s voice, Ling Chen¡¯s heart sank. Being taken away at this moment, could it be they¡¯re going to... Thinking of this, his eyes narrowed slightly, a sharp glint surfacing.


    As the two suited men prepared to take Ling Chen away, Yang Tao became desperate, bellowing loudly, "If you have the guts, kill me first!"


    Zhang Xueli coldly replied, "Don¡¯t rush, your turn wille sooner orter. Take him away!"


    The two suited men responded and immediately pushed Ling Chen out, escorting him to the next room.


    "Sit down!"


    One of the suited men pushed Ling Chen¡¯s shoulder impatiently and pointed to a chair in the center of the room.


    Ling Chen nced sideways at the two men and took a step. However, at that moment, his body suddenly leaned forward, his right leg kicking high, his left foot¡¯s toes firmly nted on the ground, twisting his body in motion, a sweeping leg kickshed out, viciously striking the faces of the two suited men.


    Ling Chen showed no mercy with his kick, exerting full force, and the two suited men didn¡¯t even have the chance to cry out before copsing to the ground, unconscious, as blood streamed from the corners of their mouths.


    Taking the keys from their bodies, Ling Chen quickly unlocked his handcuffs, then moved to the door, and pushed it open.


    ncing at the closed room next door, he strode forward, kicking the door open, forcefully breaking and entering the room.


    However, as soon as he entered the room, he immediately realized Zhang Xueli was gone; only three suited men were left inside guarding Yang Tao.


    The ten eyes met, and the suited men were momentarily dumbfounded in ce, not expecting Ling Chen to appear.


    Before they coulde to their senses, Ling Chen had already reacted, his toes touching the ground, his body propelling forward like a cannonball. In less than a few seconds, the three suited men were taken down.


    Watching Ling Chen in front of him, Yang Tao felt a sense of unreality and eximed in astonishment, "Aren¡¯t you...?"


    "Stop talking so much. Can you still walk?"


    "No problem."


    Ling Chen nced at the surveince screen. Jiulin¡¯s group of four was in grave danger, at risk of being killed at any moment. They needed support urgently.


    He walked over to the desk, inserted the previously confiscated dagger into his waist, and casually threw another dagger to Yang Tao.


    "Find a ce to hideter and take care of yourself. I¡¯m going to rescue Old Tang and the others."


    Yang Tao nodded, "Be careful yourself."


    If possible, he would also like to help, but his physical condition wouldn¡¯t allow it. Going along would only be a burden to Ling Chen.


    Leaving the room, they encountered many guards along the way, all of which were taken down by Ling Chen, leaving no survivors. At this moment, Ling Chen¡¯s heart was aze, like raging mes torching his body, consuming his sanity.


    It had been a long time since he felt this fury engulf him. Ax¡¯s death was a fuse, igniting the mes in his heart. At this moment, he desperately needed an outlet to vent his anger.


    By the time he reached the elevator, the dagger in Ling Chen¡¯s hand was dyed red with fresh blood. The crimson blood dripping down the de onto the ground, coupled with the fierceness in his eyes, was indescribably ferocious.


    First floor of the factory.


    Pang Jiulin, Tang Yuan, Lao Bei, and Xiong huddled together, struggling to withstand the muscle men¡¯s assault. After a round ofbat, all four were pale and gasping for air. The intense fighting rapidly depleted their stamina, while the five muscle men seemed tireless, their strength undiminished, growing fiercer as the battle progressed.


    Furthermore, with the loss of onerade, the odds were increasingly against the four, their situation looking bleak, constantly on the brink of life-threatening danger.


    "Lao Bei, watch out!"


    At that moment, Tang Yuan saw the exhausted Lao Bei kicked to the ground by a muscle man, who then aimed a stomp at his head. Without a second thought, he yelled and lunged forward, crashing hard into the muscle man.


    Suddenly, the muscle man lost his bnce and tumbled to the ground. Tang Yuan was about to get up to continue fighting, but suddenly, the muscle man¡¯s legs stretched out, mping tightly around his neck, causing him breathing difficulties.


    He tried desperately to pry the legs apart, but his strength was no match. Several attempts proved unsessful.


    As his face grew increasingly pallid, Tang Yuan felt dizzy and almost suffocated, a painful groan asionally escaping his throat.


    At this critical moment, a gust of wind came through, a sh of cold light glinting, and a sharp dagger forcefully plunged into the muscle man¡¯s left eye. Even with their bodies enhanced by drugs, the eyes remained the weakest part of the human body.


    Driving through the left eye, the dagger pierced straight through the muscle man¡¯s skull, and blood instantly sttered everywhere.


    Tang Yuan turned back, gasping heavily, and his gaze fell on the owner of the dagger. Instantly irate, he cursed, "Why did you only just arrive, I was almost done for."


    Ling Chen smirked, "With me here, you won¡¯t die."


    After speaking, he turned to the other four muscle men, his gaze instantly turning cold, as he brandished the dagger and charged forward, blocking the attack aimed at Pang Jiulin.


    "You take them to meet up with Yang Tao first. I¡¯ll cover the rear."


    "Can you handle it?"


    Ling Chen¡¯s mouth curled up slightly, his eyes shining with a sharp light.


    "I¡¯m very hard to kill; these four can¡¯t take me down."

 Chapter 204 - 200 No Escape

    <h4>Chapter 204: Chapter 200 No Escape</h4><h4></h4>


    Pang Jiulin gave Ling Chen¡¯s shoulder a solid p. Sometimes, men don¡¯t need to say much to each other.


    He removed his own headset and handed it to Ling Chen.


    "Keep this, and stay in touch at all times. Lao Bei, bring along the Axeman¡¯s body."


    Without a word, Lao Bei hoisted the Axeman¡¯s corpse onto his shoulders, following closely behind Pang Jiulin¡¯s footsteps. As a soldier, one does not abandon or give up onrades¡ªnot even their bodies.


    Seeing them trying to escape, four muscr men immediately gave chase. However, Ling Chen stepped forward to block their path, toying with a dagger in each hand, and said with a grin, "If you want to chase them, you¡¯ll have to get past me first."


    "Fools who don¡¯t know whether they¡¯re alive or dead."


    Watching the surveince footage, Zhang Xueli spoke coldly. She had obliged that person¡¯s request, kindly giving him a chance to escape, but instead of fleeing for his life, he foolishly went to rescue hispanions.


    "I¡¯ve helped as much as I could; if he wants to dig his own grave, that¡¯s not my fault," she thought to herself and picked up the walkie-talkie, saying coldly, "All units, engage. Kill them all without exception."


    At that moment, facing the encirclement of the four muscr men, Ling Chen licked his lips, his knees slightly bent, with two daggers held tightly against his thighs.


    As the four muscr men gradually closed in, he kicked off with his legs, fast as a darting rabbit, and took the initiative to attack.


    One muscr man threw a punch as Ling Chen approached. Sensing the fierce power behind the punch, Ling Chen twisted his waist, agilely dodging the attack, and the dagger in his right hand scraped a shallow gash across the man¡¯s leg.


    This was not his first time fighting Enhanced People, but this new batch of them was even more twisted, their bodies as hard as steel, impervious to his daggers.


    However, these muscr men, despite their robust physiques and thick skin, were at a disadvantage in reaction speed. Moreover, having already killed one muscr man, Ling Chen had identified their weakness¡ªtheir eyes.


    Surrounded by the four muscr men, Ling Chen kept dodging and shifting his position, preventing them fromying a hand on him. Whenever he spotted an opening, he took the chance and aimed straight for their eyes.


    Caught off guard by his nimble moves, one muscr man was stabbed in the eye by Ling Chen¡¯s dagger, crying out in agony. Initially intending to end the man¡¯s life, Ling Chen had to abandon the idea as the other three muscr men pounced, forcing him to retreat and keep his distance, waiting for the best moment to strike.


    "Ling Chen, the original escape route ispromised. We¡¯re heading to the underground parking lot. Hurry over," came Tang Yuan¡¯s voice through the headset.


    "Understood!" Ling Chen replied.


    After terminating the call, he strode swiftly towards the safety exit. Several muscr men followed closely, relentless in pursuit.


    Upon entering the stairwell, he heard hurried footsteps both above and below, indicating a sizable group.


    Undaunted, Ling Chen cut a bloody path and quickly made it to the underground parking lot.


    "Old Tang, where are you guys?"


    "Southeast corner. What about you?"


    "Wait for me, I¡¯ll be right there."


    After orienting himself, Ling Chen stretched his legs and moved swiftly, using the parked cars for cover, heading towards Tang Yuan¡¯s location.


    While running, Ling Chen suddenly caught sight of over thirty men in suits pouring out from a nearby staircase, all armed with crossbows, and they were all charging towards Tang Yuan¡¯s direction.


    This is bad!


    Frowning slightly, he realized that if these men caught up, with the weapons they carried, Tang Yuan and the others would likely have no chance of escape.


    With that thought, Ling Chen stepped onto a car hood, leapt up powerfully, and with a loud shout, he threw his dagger, which pierced through the neck of a suited man, his blood flowing freely.


    His loud shout immediately attracted the attention of those people. In a moment, the gazes of all the men in suits were focused on him.


    Seeing those people charging towards him head-on, Ling Chen turned around, ready to take a detour, but at that moment, four muscr men came quickly from behind, less than twenty meters away.


    With tigers ahead and wolves behind, trapped, Ling Chen saw the bad situation and simply dashed toward the left. Sacrificing the small to save therge, he was alone, while there were five people with Tang Yuan, and he had to ensure their safety no matter what.


    "Ling Chen, where are you? We¡¯ve already got in the car, just waiting for you." Tang Yuan¡¯s voice sounded in the earpiece, his tone anxious.


    "You guys go first, don¡¯t mind me, I¡¯ll find a way to leave on my own."


    "No, if we¡¯re leaving, let¡¯s leave together. Where are you, I¡¯ming over..."


    Ling Chen, impatient, interrupted him, urging: "That¡¯s enough, stop the nonsense, just scram, and we¡¯ll meet at the old ce after getting out."


    He paused for a moment, his voice low: "If I don¡¯t appear within two days, then don¡¯t wait for me, you guys head back to the country."


    "Hey, you..."


    Before Tang Yuan could say anything else, Ling Chen had already thrown his earpiece on the ground and crushed it with his foot.


    "Hey, hey, Ling Chen, Ling Chen..."


    Hearing the static from the earpiece, Tang Yuan punched the steering wheel, cursing: "This damn show-off."


    Xiong anxiously said: "Instructor, what do we do now? Are we really going to abandon Ling Chen?"


    Pang Jiulin looked stern, ncing at the body of the axe-wielding man, his fists clenched, eyes flickering, torn inside.


    "Instructor!" Lao Bei couldn¡¯t help but urge, waiting for hismand.


    "Drive, let¡¯s retreat first." Finally, Pang Jiulin made a decision, ncing around at everyone, "I know what Ling Chen is thinking, he wants to sacrifice the small to protect therge. If we don¡¯t draw the enemies away, our chance of escape is zero. Since he has made his decision, we can¡¯t let his painstaking effort be in vain. Besides, you all know Ling Chen¡¯s capabilities; he definitely has a way to escape."


    Tang Yuan clenched his teeth, reached out to turn the car key, and started the vehicle.


    Brother, take good care of yourself!


    At this moment, Ling Chen was frantically sprinting in the underground parking lot, dodging the enemies¡¯ pursuit and iing arrows.


    Suddenly, he stopped, standing in front of severalrge trucks, looking around, his brows immediately furrowed.


    Walls on both sides, it was a dead end!


    Turning his head back, seeing enemies converging from all sides, Ling Chen¡¯s mouth curved into a bitter smile.


    With even the way out sealed, it looks like there¡¯s nowhere to run. Is today¡¯s cmity inevitable?


    While he pondered, dozens of enemies had already surrounded him, trapping him between therge trucks.


    Ling Chen chuckled, with an unconcerned shrug, he said: "What¡¯s everyone waiting for? Make it quick, just shoot me."


    As the words fell, the crowd parted, and Zhang Xueli walked over surrounded by several men in suits, looking at him coldly.


    "I gave you a way out, but you didn¡¯t cherish it."


    "A way out?" Ling Chen was slightly startled, seemingly understanding something.


    Zhang Xueli waved her hand, ordering lightly: "Kill him."

 Chapter 205 - 201: Escape from Desperation

    <h4>Chapter 205: Chapter 201: Escape from Desperation</h4><h4></h4>


    "Wait!"


    Just as the crossbow was about to pull the trigger, Ling Chen suddenly shouted to stop.


    Zhang Xueli slightly frowned, speaking with a mocking tone: "What, a moment ago you were all noble and selfless, ready to rescue yourpanion without regard to your own safety, and now you are afraid of dying?"


    Ling Chen took a deep breath, touched his nose, his eyes gleaming subtly, and grinned: "In our line of work, we¡¯ve long been prepared to make sacrifices. However, I don¡¯t want to die confusedly. You can kill me, but at least let me die understanding why."


    "What do you want to know?"


    "You just said you deliberately left me a way out, I¡¯m not sure what you mean by that, could you rify?" This was a concern of his. He hadn¡¯t thought much about it before, but when Zhang Xueli brought it up, he felt something was amiss.


    If Zhang Xueli wanted to kill him, there was no need to change locations; it could have all been done in that room without any extra effort.


    It¡¯s clear that Zhang Xueli didn¡¯t lie; she truly intended to give him a way out. Yet, as they were strangers and adversaries, it made no sense for her to spare him.


    "I can¡¯t give you an answer to that question." After saying that, Zhang Xueli waved her hand, making a shooting gesture.


    "Wait!"


    Hearing Ling Chen shout again, Zhang Xueli impatiently said: "Are you done yet?"


    "This is myst tiny request, and I hope you can fulfill it. Since I¡¯m going to die anyway, might as well let me have a cigarette so I won¡¯t be lonely on the way to the underworld. Miss Zhang, since you kindly offered me a way out, I trust you won¡¯t refuse me."


    Zhang Xueli hesitated for a moment, remembered the face of someone, and nodded to someone beside her. Soon, a man in a suit stepped forward with a cigarette and a lighter, ready to light it for him.


    However, Ling Chen did not let him help, but took the lighter himself and took a satisfied puff, exhaling a plume of smoke.


    "Now I can go on myst journey in peace," Zhang Xueli said coldly, watching his content expression.


    Ling Chen flicked the ash from his cigarette and cheerfully replied: "Thank you, Miss Zhang, but...I¡¯ve thought about it, and I still find it better to live. Look how young I am, it would be such a pity to die now, wouldn¡¯t it?"


    "I think you talk too much, just kill him!"


    However, at the moment everyone was about to pull the trigger, Ling Chen suddenly leaped up, grabbed the tailgate of the truck, and jumped into the cargo box.


    Zhang Xueli¡¯s face was cold as she spat out through clenched teeth: "Still struggling even when death is imminent, drag him out."


    Several men in suits, without a word, immediately rushed towards the truck¡¯s cargo box.


    At that moment, within the spacious cargo box, Ling Chen looked around at the barrels and broke into a grin.


    His nose was indeed sharp; when outside the truck, he had smelled something familiar inside the cargo box ¨C the scent of gunpowder. All those barrels contained gunpowder.


    This factory manufactured weapons illegally, and both bombs and bullets needed the finished gunpowder.


    Hearing footsteps approaching the cargo box, Ling Chen didn¡¯t dy, quickly twisted open a barrel, and dragged it to the tail of the cargo box, pouring out the gunpowder.


    Following that, he mped the cigarette in his mouth, looking at the startled crowd, and smirked: "Gentlemen, you best not make any sudden moves. I get nervous easily, and if I get startled and throw the cigarette into the gunpowder, everyone here will suffer."


    Hearing this, the crowd collectively took steps back.


    Zhang Xueli stood her ground, motionless, and said coldly, "I¡¯m afraid you don¡¯t have the guts."


    "Is that so?" Ling Chen¡¯s eyes slightly narrowed, and a cruel smile curled the corners of his mouth, "Miss Zhang, you seem not to know me well. I am indeed very vengeful. I¡¯ve said before, you killed my brother, I must make you pay with blood. Now, it¡¯s time."


    As his words fell, he flicked his fingers, sending the cigarette butt in his hand directly onto the gunpowder on the ground.


    Seeing his action, Zhang Xueli¡¯s pupils shrank, and her face turned pale instantly. Gone was herposure as she quickly turned and fled.


    Without need for a reminder from Zhang Xueli, everyone else, wishing they had more legs given by their parents, had already scattered in all directions.


    As the cigarette buttnded on the gunpowder, a fierce me immediately burst forth. Following this, the me quickly spread along the cargo bed of the truck, swallowing the entire truck in an instant.


    At this moment, Ling Chen was running swiftly, already far from danger.


    Boom!


    With a thunderous explosion, the underground parking lot burst into mes, the ferocious fire voraciously sweeping around.


    Feeling the heat wave behind him, Ling Chen felt a force hit his back harshly, sending him flying and crashing heavily against a sedan, shattering its windows.


    Ignoring the pain in his body, he quickly stood up, nced at the sedan beside him, opened the door, and sat in the driver¡¯s seat.


    Boom! Boom! Boom!


    A series of explosions resounded, turning the underground parking lot almost into a sea of fire. Under the impact of the explosions, columns in the parking lot broke one after another. With the columns gone, the crossbeams above began to copse, and the whole factory was on the brink of copse.


    In this critical moment, Ling Chen remained calm, seemingly oblivious to the approaching mes, and continued to try starting the car with two wires.


    Wooh... Wooh wooh wooh...


    As the engine roared to life, Ling Chen, without a second word, shifted gears and pressed hard on the elerator. Instantly, the car shot forward like an arrow released from a bow.


    At this moment, the top of the parking lot was covered in cracks, with huge stones constantly falling down.


    Ling Chen was alert in all directions, watching the movements around him, dodging falling stones from above while driving towards the exit of the parking lot.


    Then, at the exit of the parking lot, the crossbeam on top was half copsed, threatening to fall at any moment and block the exit.


    Thirty meters...twenty meters...


    As the exit was close at hand, the crossbeam above thunderously fell. Seeing this, Ling Chen did not look away, kept his focus straight ahead, and did not reduce his speed at all. Instead, he floored the elerator.


    As the vehicle sped up sharply, just as the crossbeam was descending, the top of the sedan barely brushed past it, bursting out of the parking lot.


    "That was close!"


    Ling Chen took a deep breath, wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, and silently felt fortunate.


    Being able to escape from such a perilous situation, it seemed that his life was not meant to end yet. As he pondered, he turned to look behind, only to see the factorypletely copsed, engulfed by roaring mes.


    The fire zed up to the sky, with explosions asionally sounding from the rubble, sparks flying, resembling splendid fireworks, adorning the ink-like night sky.

 Chapter 206 - 202: Entering Danger Again

    <h4>Chapter 206: Chapter 202: Entering Danger Again</h4><h4></h4>


    Driving out of the factory, fire trucks and police cars whizzed by the roadside, swiftly rushing to the scene of the explosion.


    Ling Chen secretly breathed a sigh of relief, reaching towards his waist. Instantly, he furrowed his brows, feeling the warmth in his palms. Raising his hand, he saw it was covered with fresh blood.


    He gently lifted the corner of his coat, where a rusty piece of rebar was lodged in his waist. During the explosion, this broken rebar from a beam, propelled by the st wave, had impaled him.


    Previously, he had been too focused on escaping to notice the pain. But now that he rxed, excruciating pain surged through him, making him grit his teeth.


    There was nothing in the car to stop the bleeding, and he dared not pull out the rebar. Enduring the pain, he barely managed to drive the car towards the rendezvous point. However, just as the car started moving, the rear end suddenly suffered a fierce collision, almost smashing his forehead against the steering wheel.


    Through the rear-view mirror, he saw several Chevrolet SUVs closely following his car. With the streetlights illuminating the road, he clearly saw Zhang Xueli sitting in the passenger seat of one of the Chevrolets.


    "Damn it, this woman really won¡¯t give up," he cursed under his breath, hastening his speed to distance himself from them.


    "Catch up, don¡¯t let him escape."


    In the Chevrolet, Zhang Xueli clenched her teeth, her eyes filled with raging fury and hatred, wishing she could capture Ling Chen immediately and take his life.


    As the person in charge of this secret base, she had let it be destroyed, a dereliction of her duty. She knew the higher-ups would me her. Thinking of the organization¡¯s punitive measures, she couldn¡¯t help but shudder. Her hatred for Ling Chen intensified even more.


    All the way, Ling Chen dared not rx, pushing the car to its limits, speeding through red lights and causing several idents. The three Chevrolet SUVs closely pursued, relentlessly tailing him.


    Nicosia City wasn¡¯t veryrge, but also not too small. After about ten minutes, Ling Chen drove onto a seaside elevated bridge. Through the window, the turbulent sea was visible on the left.


    Beneath the darkness, the ocean seemed to wear a mysterious veil, creating a sense of eeriness and unease.


    After driving a few kilometers, Ling Chen saw the congested traffic ahead and his face changed instantly. It seemed his luck had run out; he encountered a dead end. Shifting into reverse, he attempted to back up, but the three Chevrolets had already caught up, blocking his way.


    Seeing this, Ling Chen pushed open the car door, nning to make his way on foot through the traffic. However, before he could get out, the Chevrolets behind him surged forward, mming hard into the rear of his car.


    Propelled by the impact, Ling Chen¡¯s body shook violently, his head knocking against several spots painfully, especially worsening his waist injury, from which blood continuously poured out, quickly staining the driver¡¯s seat red.


    Before Ling Chen could react, his car was hit violently again. Aside from the Chevy behind, the other two Chevrolets struck from both sides, severely deforming the car body, making it impossible to open the doors normally.


    Seeing those men in suits rushing out of their cars, Ling Chen didn¡¯t waste any moment, kicked hard against the windshield, and then climbed out through the front window.


    Taking the opportunity before the pursuers caught up, he clutched his wound, stepping on the vehicles in front to move quickly. His actions immediately drew the ire of many drivers who got out of their cars and began yelling at Ling Chen.


    In this critical life-threatening moment, Ling Chen couldn¡¯t care less, running desperately to shake off the pursuers.


    However, the suited men behind continued their relentless pursuit, not giving up at all. With the strenuous running, Ling Chen¡¯s waist wound worsened, bleeding profusely.


    Feeling his body weaken, Ling Chen was well aware that if he didn¡¯t get medical treatment soon, he would eventually die from excessive blood loss.


    "Stop!"


    Hearing the sounds gradually closing in from behind, Ling Chen gasped for air and looked back; those men in suits were less than twenty meters away from him. With his current condition, his legs felt as heavy as if they were filled with lead, moving painfully, and it was only a matter of time before he would be caught.


    At that moment, he clenched his teeth and quickly walked to the edge of the overpass, observing the ocean surface thirty meters below. Without any hesitation, he leaped straight down.


    Ssh!


    Apanied by a ssh, Ling Chen dove into the water and quickly moved along with the waves.


    A group of men in suits rushed to the railing of the overpass, peering out to try and locate Ling Chen. However, the ocean surface was pitch ck and, without light, nothing could be seen clearly.


    As time ticked by, Ling Chen was soaked in the ocean waters for over half an hour, letting the waves push his body along. Now, he truly had no strength left to move his arms.


    Not long after, he saw a bright light not far away, surrounded by dozens of yachts.


    It was the dock!


    His eyes lit up, and he immediately gathered his spirits and swam with all his might towards it. Nheless, hampered by the resistance of the waves, he was pushed back every time he swam out more than ten meters, repetitively. The dock that seemed so close appeared impossibly distant.


    Driven by a strong will to survive, Ling Chen did not give up and pushed himself to the limit.


    Finally, fortune favored the determined; by sheer willpower, he sessfully reached the shore.


    Crawling onto the dock, he copsed on the ground, breathing heavily and his face pale.


    Lifting up his shirt, he looked at the wound on his waist and gave a wry smile. Soaked in the ocean for so long, along with the salt content in the sea, the wound had worsened significantly; even a gentle touch caused a piercing pain.


    Laying on the ground for a while, Ling Chen felt his head heavy and his consciousness blurring, his body seemed to lose strength, and he didn¡¯t want to move but just wished to sleep.


    No!


    He gritted his teeth secretly; he absolutely couldn¡¯t sleep at this time. If he did, he might never wake up again.


    Taking a deep breath, he propped himself up with his hands, struggling with all his might to stand up and started staggering forwards.


    Not far out, he suddenly saw on a white yacht parked next to the dock, two tall women.


    Was it them?


    His heart leaped with joy, his strong desire to survive drove him, and he rushed towards them quickly.


    "Hey..."


    Waving his arms, he shouted with all his strength, hoping to catch their attention.


    However, just as he almost reached the yacht, his body could no longer hold on, his legs gave out, and he copsed on the ground, falling unconscious. (I¡¯m injured, forgive thete update.)

 Chapter 207 - 203: Life and Death Unknown

    <h4>Chapter 207: Chapter 203: Life and Death Unknown</h4><h4></h4>


    In the blink of an eye, two days passed.


    In front of the ruins of the factory destroyed by the explosion, Pang Jiulin, Tang Yuan, Yang Tao, Lao Bei, and Xiong stood silently, watching as the firefighters conducted a search and transfer bodies buried under the rubble.


    Due to the explosion, the bodies were all charred beyond recognition, making it impossible to identify them.


    "Let¡¯s go. It¡¯s time to head back."


    After a long while, Pang Jiulin sighed softly and spoke.


    Lao Bei, Xiong, and Yang Tao simultaneously straightened up, saluted in a standard military fashion, then turned and left. Tang Yuan, however, remained rooted to the spot, motionless, staring nkly at the ruins.


    "Lone dude, it seems like you won¡¯t get to taste the vor of a woman. Don¡¯t worry, as your brother, I won¡¯t let you down. Every Qingming Festival, I will burn many more women for you to enjoy blissfully."


    As he spoke, his eyes began to redden uncontrobly, his mind flooded with memories of the times he had shared with Ling Chen.


    At that moment, arge hand was ced on his shoulder, giving it a gentle pat, consoling, "Don¡¯t be sad. We won¡¯t let his sacrifice be in vain. Sooner orter, we will find the mastermind behind this and avenge Ling Chen."


    Tang Yuan nodded solemnly and said, "After I return, I want to apply to join Lonely Wolf."


    Pang Jiulin understood his thoughts well; only by joining Lonely Wolf could he directly confront the people from God Organization.


    "No problem, I will put in a request with the General."


    ...


    Beijing, Ghost Base.


    Inside a spacious and brightly lit office, Qiao Zhen sat in a chair, with stacks of thick documents piled in front of him awaiting his review. However, at the moment, he was in no mood for any other tasks.


    He was waiting for a message.


    He raised the teacup on the desk to his lips, intending to moisten his throat, but it took a while for him to realize that the teacup was already empty.


    At that moment, the office door was pushed open, and Han Bing swiftly walked in.


    Seeing him, Qiao Zhen quickly stood up, unable to mask the anxiety in his eyes, and asked eagerly, "How is it, any news?"


    Han Bing said nothing, his head lowered, and his somber expression said it all.


    Qiao Zhen dumbly sat back in his chair, speechless for a long time. In that moment, he seemed to have aged over a decade, his agedness fully disyed, looking utterly exhausted.


    Han Bing sorrowfully said, "General..."


    "No need to say anymore." Qiao Zhen waved his hand weakly, interrupting him, "Go out, let me be alone for a while."


    "Yes. General, take good care of yourself." Han Bing sighed silently, knowing too well how many people were affected by Ling Chen¡¯s life and death, especially the General, who despite appearing strict, actually valued Ling Chen the most. If it weren¡¯t for Ling Chen¡¯s decision to retire, the General even had ns to groom him as the sessor of Ghost Base, to take over the entire organization.


    The next day.


    At the military airfield on the outskirts of Beijing, a transport ne slowlynded on the runway.


    As soon as the ne stabilized, two Hongqi sedans had already arrived. The car doors opened, and Qiao Zhen and Han Bing stepped out, standing by the cars, looking up at the aircraft door.


    Today, both were dressed in crisp military uniforms, standing tall and statuesque.


    The aircraft door opened, and Pang Jiulin was the first toe out, followed closely by Lao Bei, Tang Yuan, Yang Tao, and Xiong, the four of them carrying a coffin, their expressions somber, tinged with a trace of sadness, they marched down.


    Qiao Zhen and Han Bing quickly moved forward, standing on either side, silent, expressions solemn.


    "Salute!"


    Qiao Zhen stood to attention and saluted, watching as the coffin was ced into the vehicle.


    "General."


    Seeing Tang Yuan approaching him, Qiao Zhen asked, "What is it?"


    "I would like to request two days off to visit East Sea City."


    "What for?"


    "Ling Chen has some friends in East Sea City. I want to help take care of his affairs."


    Qiao Zhen nodded, his cloudy old eyes unable to hide his own sorrow. The deceased was gone, with not even a bone left, not even a chance to see him onest time. Ridden with regrets, he felt even more self-reproach in his heart.


    Ling Chen had already retired from the military, yet I insisted on holding onto him, wanting him to continue serving the country. Otherwise, how could he have ended up like this?


    I sighed, organized my emotions, and said, "Go ahead, try not to tell them about Ling Chen¡¯s death, just leave it as a memory."


    "I know."


    ...


    East Sea City.


    Hongyu Group.


    In the chairman¡¯s office located at the top floor of the building, Nanrong Wanqing sat in a wheelchair, dealing with the task at hand. But for some reason, she felt restless, as if something was about to happen.


    After hesitating for a moment, she picked up the internal phone and connected to the security department.


    "Zhong Wei, has Ling Chen not returned yet?"


    "No, I¡¯ve tried contacting him, but his phone is unreachable. Chairman, do you have anything you need him for?"


    "It¡¯s nothing, carry on."


    After hanging up the phone, a hint of doubt shed across Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s beautiful eyes.


    What exactly did he go to do? That day in Beijing, he said he needed to take leave for some personal matters, then he spoke some strangely enigmatic words. I don¡¯t know why, but those words sounded vaguely like a farewell.


    Thinking of this, she felt more ufortable inside, even unable to concentrate on her current work.


    Just then, Secretary Wang Lan walked in and said, "Chairman, there is someone asking to see you."


    "Who?"


    "Tang Yuan."


    "Is it him?" Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s heart stirred, and she hurriedly asked, "Is he alone?"


    "Yes."


    Hearing this, she felt disappointed for a moment, having hoped that Ling Chen was with Tang Yuan.


    "Let him in."


    Soon, Tang Yuan, dressed in a ck suit and wearing sunsses, appeared before her.


    "Chairman."


    "Mr. Tang, do you need something from me?"


    "Chairman, I am here to handle Ling Chen¡¯s resignation procedures."


    Nanrong Wanqing was shocked, a glint of surprise flickering in her eyes, confusedly asking, "He wants to resign? Why?"


    "He has more important things to attend to now, and will not return to East Sea City anymore, so... Chairman, he asked me to convey his gratitude for the care provided by the Nanrong family during his time here."


    "Noting back?" Nanrong Wanqing blinked slightly, a subtle sourness spreading in her heart, an indescribable mix of feelings.


    At this moment, she finally understood why Ling Chen said those strange words before he left.


    "Chairman, I have delivered the message, goodbye!" After speaking, Tang Yuan turned to leave.


    "Mr. Tang." Nanrong Wanqing quickly called him back.


    "Do you have any other matters, Chairman?"


    "I..." Nanrong Wanqing opened her mouth but didn¡¯t know what to say. At this moment, it seemed anything would be superfluous, "I just wanted to thank you."


    Tang Yuan gave a slight smile, "You¡¯re wee. Chairman, take good care of yourself."


    After seeing Tang Yuan off, Nanrong Wanqing sat idly in front of the window, gazing at the distant towering buildings, her thoughts surging like tides.


    Just like that, he left? Not even willing to say a final goodbye, instead asking someone else to ry it; is making a phone call really that difficult?


    She bit her lip corner, a sudden trace of resentment in her beautiful eyes.


    Never returning to East Sea City again... is there really nothing here worth your nostalgia?


    Ling Chen, you are indeed a thorough jerk.

 Chapter 208 - 204 Awakening

    <h4>Chapter 208: Chapter 204 Awakening</h4><h4></h4>


    Boyang Company.


    Zhu Hong sat in his spacious office, spinning a pen in his hand as he stared at theputer screen, lost in thought.


    At this moment, a series of ¡¯thump thump thump¡¯ sounds came from outside the door.


    "Come in."


    As the door was pushed open, a woman dressed in professional attire with an indifferent expression on her face walked in. Seeing the visitor, Zhou Hong¡¯s lips curved upwards slightly as he stood up to greet her, "Miss Zhang, hello, wee to East Sea City."


    The woman in front was pretty with a tall figure, but the imperfection was that her left ear was reced by an artificial one. If Ling Chen were here, he surely would recognize her as Zhang Xueli, the woman he had encountered in Cyprus.


    "Mr. Zhu, I presume you¡¯re already aware of my situation. Whatever you need me to do, just order away."


    "Miss Zhang, you are a guest, how could we possibly trouble you?"


    Zhang Xueli said coolly, "Mr. Zhu, there¡¯s no need for formalities between us. You are well aware of my situation. Due to my fault, the organization lost a secret base. This time, the organization sent me to assist you, hoping to redeem my mistake by helping you break into the Asian market. I hope you will give me a chance to make amends for my crime."


    "Fair enough." Zhu Hong smiled and nodded, "Miss Zhang, before we cooperate, there¡¯s something I¡¯d like to confirm with you. Is Ling Chen really dead?"


    "I saw with my own eyes that he jumped into the sea from the overpass. Moreover, I found a lot of blood in his car. He must have been seriously injured before he jumped into the sea."


    "As the saying goes, ¡¯No body, no proof.¡¯ How can you be so sure of his death without finding his corpse?"


    "He was severely injured, and the tide was very strong that night. With his condition, it was impossible for him to swim to shore. Besides, I sent additional people to search overnight. We checked all along the coast and found no trace of him, nor has anyone seen him. I can say with certainty that he¡¯s been lost to the sea."


    "Good, very good!" Zhu Hong smiled and pped his hands.


    "Do you have a grudge against him?"


    "Indeed, I¡¯ve wanted him dead, but I never found the opportunity. It¡¯s no wonder I couldn¡¯t find any information about him before, turns out he was a member of the Ghosts." Speaking, Zhu Hong returned to his desk, took out a document from the drawer, and handed it to Zhang Xueli, "Miss Zhang, this is my next step n. Take a look and see if there¡¯s anything that needs to be improved."


    Zhang Xueli nced over the document, "I just arrived in East Sea City and am not very familiar with the situation here, so I can¡¯t offer much advice. However, there¡¯s a message for you from above ¨C they¡¯ve invested so much in you, it¡¯s time to make a profit for the organization."


    "I¡¯m aware of that, which is why I¡¯ve drawn up this n. All going well, starting next month, Boyang Company will earn its first pot of gold. I appreciate your ability, Miss Zhang, and since the higher-ups have sent you to assist me, I hope we can work well together. From now on, I will handle the overt matters, and for those that cannot see the light of day... I¡¯ll have to trouble Miss Zhang."


    ...


    It was unclear how much time had passed, but finally, Ling Chen awoke from hisa in a daze.


    Opening his eyes, he turned his head, and immediately, a stunningly beautiful face entered his vision.


    "Yao..." He opened his mouth and struggled to sit up, but pain shot through his waist the instant he moved, causing him to grimace.


    "Stay down, lie down," Liu Xiyao pressed his shoulders with a gentle voice, "Your injuries are severe; you need to rest more."


    Ling Chen mustered a faint smile, "Yao, thank you."


    He still remembered that night when he climbed onto the dock, he saw two tall women on a yacht. Those two women he had seen in the bar, both were Liu Xiyao¡¯s bodyguards, which is why he called them for help.


    Luckily, they found him and provided timely treatment; otherwise, it was hard to say whether he could have survived.


    "What happened to you?" Liu Xiyao asked with a slight frown and a bit of confusion, "Didn¡¯t you tell me you were on a trip with friends? Where are those friends?"


    "That... just an ident, purely idental," Ling Chen said with a forced smile.


    As soon as Liu Xiyao wanted to ask more, he quickly changed the subject, "By the way, Yao, how long have I been unconscious?"


    "Almost four days now."


    "Oh, four days... what? Four days?" Ling Chen¡¯s expression changed, and he shot up abruptly, the sharp movement causing unbearable pain to his wound, nearly making him cry out.


    "Don¡¯t move, I told you," Liu Xiyao said urgently, "Lie back down!"


    Under themanding tone of her voice, Ling Chen gave an embarrassed smile and quicklyy back down.


    He had been unconscious for four days, and that spelled big trouble. When evacuating that day, he had told Tang Yuan that if he didn¡¯t reach the rendezvous point within two days, it meant he couldn¡¯t make it back. Now, four days had passed and Tang Yuan would surely think he had perished after being out of touch.


    With this in mind, he hurriedly said, "Yao, could I borrow your phone to contact a friend of mine?"


    Liu Xiyao took out her phone from her pocket, handed it to him, then lifted the hem of her dress and stood up, "I¡¯ll get you some water."


    "Thanks."


    Saying that, Ling Chen unlocked the phone, switched to the dial screen, ready to dial Tang Yuan¡¯s number to inform him he was still alive. However, before he began to dial, his eyes were drawn to the call log in the phone.


    Could this really be a coincidence?


    While his mind raced, Liu Xiyao came back carrying a cup of tea. Seeing him lying on the bed in a daze, she asked, "What¡¯s wrong?"


    "Oh... nothing. Yao, could I trouble you to get me something to eat? I haven¡¯t eaten in days and am pretty hungry."


    "No problem, I¡¯ll have someone prepare something for you."


    As Liu Xiyao left the room, the smile on Ling Chen¡¯s face instantly vanished, and he quickly dialled a number.


    More than ten minutes passed, and Liu Xiyao walked back in through the door, carrying a steaming bowl of corn porridge and several slices of pineapple bread. However, when she entered, she discovered that the bed was empty except for a messy quilt. Ling Chen was nowhere to be seen.


    "Ling Chen?"


    She called out, but receiving no response, she hurriedly put down the corn porridge and pineapple bread, and turned to leave the room to call for help in finding Ling Chen.


    But just as she turned around, she suddenly saw the room door being shut by a hand. The hand¡¯s owner was none other than Ling Chen, and to her surprise, not only had he closed the door, but he had also locked it from inside.


    Witnessing Ling Chen staring intently at her with a piercing gaze, Liu Xiyao¡¯s brows furrowed slightly, unable to help but ask, "What are you going to do?"

 Chapter 209: The 205th Unbearable to Look Back At Past Events

    <h4>Chapter 209: The 205th Unbearable to Look Back At Past Events</h4><h4></h4>


    "Yao, I trusted you so much, yet you deceived me."


    "What are you talking about? I don¡¯t understand what you mean."


    Ling Chen said with a smile that was not quite a smile, "Would you really not know?" As he spoke, he lifted the cell phone and waved it in front of Liu Xiyao, "Others might find it hard to notice, but it¡¯s a pity you encountered me. The call log shows that four days ago, you made a phone call at seven in the evening."


    Liu Xiyao replied indifferently, "Is it strange to make a phone call? Even if I¡¯m a businessperson, it¡¯s normal for anyone to make calls."


    "True! However, the number you called was not saved with a name, and furthermore, I checked the call log: you have dialed that number twice, once was five days ago, after we met in the bar, and the other time I just mentioned, four days ago, with a call duration of one minute. Just now, I had a friend check that number for me, it¡¯s registered under the surname Zhang, and you know her given name without me needing to say it."


    At this point, Ling Chen¡¯s expression turned cold as he gave a self-mocking smile, "I always treated you as a friend, but you sold me out in secret. After we met at the bar that day, it was you who called Zhang Xueli, right?"


    Liu Xiyao looked straight into his eyes, her expression still calm, "How did youe to suspect me?"


    "Maybe I never told you that I¡¯m a very suspicious person, perhaps due to my line of work, so I approach many things with skepticism. When I saw that call log, I wondered if it was just a coincidence."


    Ling Chen exined. That day at the factory, his whereabouts were exposed and he was captured by Zhang Xueli, and confined in a room. ording to their n, the action was to start at seven in the evening. At that time, he was with Zhang Xueli in the room. He distinctly remembered that she had received a phone call, right around seven o¡¯clock. Moreover, the length of the phone call Zhang Xueli received was about a minute, which matched the one from Liu Xiyao¡¯s cell phone precisely.


    Of course, before he investigated the number, he thought all of this could be a coincidence. But after recalling his conversation with Zhang Xueli that day, he immediately became more suspicious of Liu Xiyao.


    Zhang Xueli had said that she originally wanted to let him off the hook, so she deliberately created an opportunity for him to escape. When she spoke, she mentioned someone, and it was because of that person that she decided to spare him.


    Based on his suspicions, if that person was Liu Xiyao, then everything made sense. It was on ount of these elements that he called Tang Yuan to have him check the owner of that phone number, confirming his suspicions.


    When Tang Yuan told him that the number was registered to Zhang Xueli, he couldn¡¯t believe it, even subconsciously rejected the result.


    He couldn¡¯t fathom why Liu Xiyao would have any connection with the God Organization.


    "I thought I had concealed it deeply enough not to be noticed by you, but you still found out. Those whoe from the shadows are indeed extraordinary." Liu Xiyao smiled helplessly, and took a seat by the couch, on her own ord.


    "Why?" Ling Chen was gazing at her delicate face, his fists unconsciously clenched.


    "Because everything I have now was given to me by them."


    Ling Chen frowned and asked, "Were you poisoned by someone as a premeditated n to lure me into a trap?"


    "You¡¯re overthinking it. That day at the club was my first time meeting you. I had no idea who you were, so how could I make a move against you. As for being poisoned, that was because of my personal vendetta, it has nothing to do with my background."


    Pausing for a moment, Liu Xiyao continued, "Decades ago, there was a prominent family in the south with three brothers. The eldest and the second brother were in charge of managing the family¡¯s businesses, only the youngest brother was irresponsible, enjoying flirting around. Subsequently, he cheated during his marriage, fell in love with another woman, and fathered a daughter. However, within the big family, the identity of a illegitimate daughter would never be epted, and since the youngest brother¡¯s wife came from a powerful background, he dared not offend her, much less bring the illegitimate daughter home."


    "Although they were not recognized, the mother and daughter didn¡¯t care and lived their own quiet lives. But their existence deeply angered someone. You know who that is without me saying. The youngest brother¡¯s wife was born into a distinguished family, a person of status, but she had health problems and was infertile. If the affair of the mother and daughter were to be known publicly, it would undoubtedly tarnish her reputation and make her aughingstock in high society. For someone of status, face is everything. So, she forced her husband to make the mother and daughter disappear forever."


    "The man was hesitant and reluctant to act. So, his wife decided to deal with it herself. One night, while the mother and daughter were strolling on the street, they were suddenly blocked by several men, dragged forcefully to a small grove. There, the little girl was muffled by hands and watched with her own eyes as her mother was brutally vited by a gang, struggling on the brink of death. Not only that, those beasts even thought toy hands on the little girl. But at the critical moment, someone stepped forward and saved the little girl. Unfortunately, her mother¡¯s injuries were too severe and she bled to death despite efforts to save her."


    "Since then, the little girl who lost her mother lived with the man who saved her, leaving Huaxia. However, the events of that night always lingered in her mind, haunting her with nightmares every night. One day, her rescuer asked her if she wanted revenge, and she nodded her head. From that moment, the little girl began learning the ways of the nobility, dealing with high society individuals. It wasn¡¯t until a decadeter, now a grown woman, that she was allowed by the man to return to Huaxia."


    Listening to Liu Xiyao recounting the story, Ling Chen felt deep sympathy for the little girl. He was well aware that the little girl mentioned by Liu Xiyao was none other than herself.


    Looking at Liu Xiyao¡¯s calm face, he didn¡¯t know what to say. One could imagine how much pain Liu Xiyao held inside. Yet, during the recounting, there was no fluctuation in her eyes, as if she was narrating something unrted.


    Perhaps Liu Xiyao had grown ustomed to living with hatred, which allowed her to remain soposed.


    "The man you mentioned, is he a member of the God Organization?"


    Liu Xiyao nodded lightly, "Correct. I could survive, including everything I have today, all because of him."


    "So you¡¯re willing to be an aplice, helping him harm others?"

 Chapter 210 - 206 Cooperation

    <h4>Chapter 210: Chapter 206 Cooperation</h4><h4></h4>


    "That was not my intention, I never thought of harming anyone, but when faced with kindness, how could I refuse to help without being ungrateful?"


    "But do you know that because of you, my dear brother was killed." Ling Chen sternly said, clenching his fists, struggling to control his emotions. Thinking of the gruesome death of his friend, the rage within him burst forth uncontrobly, wishing he could immediately avenge his brother.


    However, looking at Liu Xiyao in front of him, he couldn¡¯t bring himself to do it, torn incredibly inside.


    Even without considering their past friendship, his life was saved by Liu Xiyao, he couldn¡¯t possibly kill his lifesaver. He couldn¡¯t do something like repaying kindness with ingratitude.


    Liu Xiyao raised her head, her eyes calm like still water, not a ripple in sight, "I know what you are hesitating about. Since you already know my identity, then I might as well be clear, it was me who informed Zhang Xueli and leaked your whereabouts."


    Ling Chen frowned slightly and asked, "How did you know I was with the Ghosts?"


    "I guessed. From the first day I met you, I knew you were no ordinary person. Just by showing up in Cyprus at this time, anyone with a brain would suspect. I have a great responsibility for your friend¡¯s death, and if you want to seek revenge, you can do so anytime."


    "I don¡¯t want to repay kindness with enmity, at least not now." Ling Chen said coldly, "What is your role in the God Organization?"


    "I don¡¯t have a role."


    "How could you get Zhang Xueli to spare me if you have no role?"


    "Now that things havee to this point, I have no reason to lie to you anymore. Zhang Xueli listens to me not because of my role, but because of the person behind me."


    Hearing this, Ling Chen immediately understood and said solemnly, "That man who saved you?"


    Liu Xiyao nodded, "He is a high-ranking official in the organization, everyone knows I was raised by him personally, so they all give me some face."


    "Where is he, what¡¯s his name?"


    "Sorry, I can¡¯t say that. If it were you, I believe you wouldn¡¯t betray your benefactor either."


    "You..." Ling Chen was at a loss for words. After thinking for a moment, he said, "Alright, I won¡¯t ask about him. Since you¡¯ve been in the God Organization for so many years, then you must be quite familiar with it."


    "Do you want me to help you deal with the God Organization?"


    "Exactly, this is what you owe me."


    Liu Xiyao hesitated for a moment and said, "I indeed know some things, but they won¡¯t be of much help to you. Ling Chen, the power of the God Organization is far beyond your imagination, you will never know how deep this pond really is. I once heard that man mention the Ghosts; he said that the original God Organization was destroyed by the Ghosts. But they have learned their lesson. For decades, the God Organization has never disappeared, always operating in the shadows, secretly expanding their forces. You can¡¯t imagine how vast thework of the God Organization is. Over the years, the God Organization has infiltrated every country, reaching across military, government, and business sectors. If they want, they could overthrow a country¡¯s government overnight."


    Hearing this, Ling Chen was somewhat surprised. He knew the God Organization was strong, but he hadn¡¯t expected it to be this powerful.


    "If you know about the original God Organization, then I can tell you that the current organization is several times, even tens of times, more powerful than before. Over the years, I¡¯ve followed that man, and what I¡¯ve seen is just the tip of the iceberg of the God Organization. Not to mention you, even the entire Ghosts wouldn¡¯t stand a chance against the God Organization."


    "The Ghosts have state backing, will they be afraid of them? Besides, the enemies of the God Organization should not be just us. As long as we unite, we will sooner orter destroy it."


    "That¡¯s just what you think, only if you really understand the God Organization will you know how terrifying it is."


    Ling Chen was somewhat unconvinced, in his view, no organization couldpete with a nation.


    "What is the God Organization¡¯s n?"


    "I don¡¯t know, they are involved in a wide range of industries, almost every field. However, their biggest industry is drug production, that¡¯s their main source of ie."


    "Is Boyang Pharmaceutical Company a property of the God Organization?"


    "Yes." Liu Xiyao nodded slightly, "In addition to Boyang Company, many other pharmaceuticalpanies are secretly controlled by the God Organization, they almost control forty percent of the world¡¯s drug production, making huge profits. With such substantial financial support, the development of the God Organization has been very rapid."


    "What is your task within the organization?"


    "To make as many connections with high society as possible, enter their circles and then provide information about these people to the higher-ups."


    "What about Zhu Hong?" Ling Chen asked, "If I¡¯m not mistaken, Zhu Hong should be from the same organization as you."


    "Zhu Hong... you better not provoke him, otherwise you will only get burned."


    "Why?" Ling Chen was surprised, he had shed with Zhu Hong more than once and to be honest, he didn¡¯t consider Zhu Hong a significant threat.


    "Zhu Hong is not simple, don¡¯t be fooled by his appearance. As for his special skills, I¡¯m not very sure, I never interacted with him, just heard about him asionally. Zhu Hong, being so young, has stood out from manypetitors and was entrusted with important tasks by the organization, do you think such a person could be simple?"


    Ling Chen nodded privately, the point indeed had some truth.


    After pondering for a while, he looked at Liu Xiyao and said, "I won¡¯t kill you for now, but that doesn¡¯t mean I forgive you. I hope you can cooperate with me, and help me deal with the God Organization."


    "Okay!" Liu Xiyao agreed without hesitation, "The man is the one I am indebted to, not the God Organization, but I have a condition. I help you deal with the God Organization, and you help me deal with my enemies."


    Ling Chen said puzzledly, "With such a powerful backing behind you, do you still need my help?"


    "It¡¯s a personal grudge, they won¡¯t waste energy on such matters. Over the years, I have been looking for an opportunity for revenge. Beforeing back to the country, I thought I had enough capability to retaliate against them, but these years, not only have I made progress, but they have also developed and be even stronger than before; I must seek help."


    "Alright, it¡¯s a deal!"


    Saying this, Ling Chen picked up his phone, walked aside, dialed a number, and put it to his ear.


    "What are you doing?"


    "Of course, calling back home."


    Liu Xiyao indifferently advised, "I suggest you don¡¯t let too many people know you¡¯re still alive."


    "Why?"


    "Zhang Xueli thought you were dead and has already reported it to the higher-ups. Moreover, ording to the information I received, Zhang Xueli has already headed to East Sea City. If you want to deal with the God Organization, it¡¯s better to operate in the shadows, turning passive into active."


    Ling Chen thought about it and nodded, "I understand."

 Chapter 211 - 207: Return

    <h4>Chapter 211: Chapter 207: Return</h4><h4></h4>


    Two dayster, at East Sea International Airport.


    A handsome young man wearing sunsses walked out of the airport, nced around on the roadside, then took out his phone to make a call. Minutester, a Santana slowly drove up and stopped at the curb.


    After getting in the car, the young man took off his sunsses andined to the chubby driver, "With all your money, can¡¯t you afford a better car?"


    The chubby man chuckled, "It¡¯s more low-key this way."


    "Is everything arranged?"


    "Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ve got it handled." The chubby man started the car and merged into traffic, asking with interest, "Ling Chen, sneaking back to East Sea City this time, did you do something shady?"


    "Cut it out." Ling Chen retorted mercilessly: "Looking like you is what¡¯s truly shady."


    "Hey, what¡¯s wrong with being fat? Did I eat your food? Spend your money? It¡¯s none of your business. Fat people have a sense of security, unlike you, thin as a rail. Let me tell you, women nowadays like men with a bit of flesh, this is the ideal figure," Hu Fei said, clearly annoyed.


    "Alright, alright, I won¡¯t argue with you, just take me to where I¡¯m staying."


    Soon, the car arrived at a in residentialplex. The buildings in theplex were old and about to be demolished, with most of the residents already moved out, leaving only a dozen households.


    Entering a dpidated room, Hu Fei tossed the keys to Ling Chen, "This ce is very quiet, no one will bother you. Also, the location is excellent, it meets your requirements."


    Ling Chen went to the window, pulled back the dusty curtains, and looked outside theplex, nodding, "Not bad, it¡¯s a good spot."


    "Right, and I¡¯ve got all the stuff you wanted here." Saying that, Hu Fei dragged out arge leather suitcase from under the bed, ced it on the table, and opened it. Instantly, an entire set of brand-new equipment was revealed.


    "Listening devices, mini-cams, signal trackers,ptop, I¡¯ve got it all for you."


    Ling Chen checked everything and gave a thumbs-up, "You have wide connections. Keep these expenses on my tab for now, I¡¯ll pay you back when I have money."


    "I¡¯m not counting on you being able to pay me now. Just remember to pay me back with interest next time." After speaking, Hu Fei seemed to remember something and took out a USB drive from his pocket, "Here¡¯s the information you wanted."


    "Thanks!"


    "No need to be polite, everything is chargeable. Call me anytime you need something else, I¡¯ll get it sorted out for you."


    "Sure, will contact youter."


    During the conversation, Hu Fei¡¯s phone started to ring suddenly. He took it out, nced at the caller ID, and his expression changed instantly. Noticing his expression, Ling Chen put down what he was working on and stepped forward, "What¡¯s up?"


    Hu Fei gestured for him to stay quiet, then answered the call.


    He didn¡¯t say a word the whole time, just listened intently. Two minutester, he hung up, his round face looking a bit unpleasant, his small eyes slightly squinting as if contemting something.


    "Whose call was it?"


    "Secret Society."


    "Secret Society?" Ling Chen was taken aback, "What do they want from you?"


    Hu Fei said with a bitter smile, "They want me to cooperate with Secret Society¡¯s investigation. Snake King thinks I betrayed him and broke the rules of the trade, so heined about me to the Secret Society. As you know, the Secret Society won¡¯t tolerate any troublemaker. Anyone who breaks the rules can¡¯t escape their punishment."


    "So, what¡¯s your n?"


    "What else can I do but cooperate with them as best as I can." Hu Fei seemed resigned, "The Secret Society, if they want to investigate you, you can¡¯t hide even at the ends of the earth. Besides, I didn¡¯t break any rules. When I shared Snake King¡¯s info with you, it was an exchange for intelligence; I didn¡¯t reveal his whereabouts voluntarily. As long as the Secret Society is reasonable, they shouldn¡¯t punish me."


    Ling Chen nodded and cautioned, "Take care of yourself. If the Secret Society means harm to you, remember to notify me. You¡¯ve helped me a lot, I won¡¯t sit idly by."


    "Understood." After saying this, Hu Fei hesitated briefly, then took off his electronic watch from his wrist, "Take this, make sure to wear it at all times."


    "What¡¯s this gizmo good for?"


    "Figure it out on your own, the instructions are on it. I have other matters to attend to, I need to leave."


    After seeing off Hu Fei, Ling Chen closed the door, sat in the living room, took out all the equipment from the suitcase, and started testing each one. He then opened theptop, plugged in the USB drive, and opened a folder. Inside the folder, there were over a dozen pictures, all of architectural blueprints.


    After studying for a while, Ling Chen rubbed his temples andy down on the sofa, lifting the hem of his shirt to check the bandaged wound. After several days of recovery, the wound was healing, new flesh had grown, but his current physical condition still wouldn¡¯t allow for strenuous activity.


    His goal for returning to East Sea City was clear: to destroy all the God Organization¡¯s strongholds in Huaxia. ording to Liu Xiyao, the God Organization had over twenty secret bases in the country, and the one they had destroyedst time was just one of them.


    Moreover, he received important information that the person in charge of operating these secret bases was none other than Zhu Hong. Based on this intelligence, he nned to start from Zhu Hong, follow the trail and destroy all the secret bases, weakening God Organization¡¯s influence in the country.


    This n had received the approval of General. From now on, he would hide in the shadows, act secretly, and try to collect more intelligence about the God Organization.


    After finishing the preparations, it was already evening, and Ling Chen left theplex alone, taking a taxi to Qingyun Martial Arts Hall.


    Currently, the only people in East Sea City who knew he was still alive were Hu Fei and He Ziyun. He came to see He Ziyun this time to retrieve some belongings, and also to seek his counsel on another matter.


    Knock, knock, knock!


    After a sequence of knocks, the door of Qingyun Martial Arts Hall was opened, and Little Hua peeked out from inside, her big eyes gazing at Ling Chen, and her round little face immediately filled with a smile.


    "Big Brother!"


    She called out affectionately, throwing her arms open and hugging his arm.


    "Little girl," Ling Chen said with a smile as he petted her head, "Is Mr. He around?"


    "Master¡¯s inside."


    "Let¡¯s go, I have something to consult with Mr. He."


    "Big Brother." Little Hua quickly grabbed his hand, "Wait before going in, you haven¡¯t told me yet."


    Ling Chen is full of doubt: "Told you what?"


    Puffing her lips, Little Hua said, "You haven¡¯t told me how your date with Xiaozhu wentst time. I asked Xiaozhu, but she wouldn¡¯t reveal anything. Big Brother, I kindly helped to set you two up, you¡¯ve got to let me know the oue."

 Chapter 212 - 208: Legacy

    <h4>Chapter 212: Chapter 208: Legacy</h4><h4></h4>


    Ling Chen smiled bitterly in his heart, unsure of how to respond. Recently, he had deliberately avoided thinking too much about Zhu Xiaozhu. Although he admitted that there was mutual affection between him and Zhu Xiaozhu, there was Zhu Hong standing between them. Zhu Hong¡¯s presence was like an insurmountable barrier. As long as this barrier was not removed, there would never be any hope for them.


    Moreover, he was well aware that, given Zhu Hong¡¯s status, it was impossible for him and Zhu Hong to reconcile. In this silent battle, it was either Zhu Hong¡¯s demise or his own, with no other options avable. Once Zhu Hong was killed, he could foresee that even if Zhu Xiaozhu forgave him, they would no longer associate with each other.


    On one hand, there were national affairs; on the other, romantic feelings. As an elite trained by the Ghost, he had already made his choice and decision. Zhu Hong must die!


    Therefore, he intentionally avoided thinking about Zhu Xiaozhu, trying to extricate himself from her life. This was the best oue for both him and Zhu Xiaozhu.


    Seeing him not speaking, Little Hua, growing impatient, asked, "Big brother, what¡¯s wrong? Did you and sister Xiaozhu have a falling out?"


    "Alright, kids shouldn¡¯t ask about adult matters." After saying that, Ling Chen quickened his pace and headed straight to the main hall of the Martial Arts Academy.


    Little Hua stamped her foot, snorted, and muttered to herself with a pouting face full of displeasure, "Who¡¯s a child? You should be calling me sister."


    Entering the main hall, he saw He Ziyun sitting leisurely in front of an exquisite tea tray, brewing kung fu tea.


    "Mr. He."


    "You¡¯ve arrived at the perfect time, try my tea-making skills." He Ziyun smiled warmly and handed him a cup of brightly colored, richly fragrant tea.


    Ling Chen took the tea cup and drank it all in one gulp, nodding in approval, "Not bad."


    He Ziyun shook his head, "Thatment is as good as none. This is a premium Da Hong Pao that Xiaozhu gifted me. I usually don¡¯t even bring myself to drink it."


    Ling Chen touched his nose and smiled sheepishly, "Mr. He, I¡¯m ayman and a rough one at that, I can¡¯t get into such elegant interests."


    "Alright, enough about tea. Here¡¯s something Qiao Zhen sent over." He Ziyun took a paper box from under the tea table and ced it beside him.


    Ling Chen quickly unwrapped it. Inside the box was a cell phone. His previous phone, given by Han Bing, had broken, so a recement was sent to him. This type of phone was custom-made, not avable on the market. Moreover, all the data from the old phone, including contacts and call logs, had been synced to this new device.


    After unlocking it, Ling Chen saw several missed calls¡ªall from Tang Shiyun. He had promised to attend her concertst time but bailed at thest minute; surely Tang Shiyun wasn¡¯t happy. He should call her back when he had time to cheer her up and apologize.


    After storing the phone safely, Ling Chen turned his attention back to more serious matters, asking, "Mr. He, do you know about the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion?"


    "Any true martial artist knows the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion. What about it?" After a moment, as if remembering something, He Ziyun suddenly chuckled, "See, my memory fails me. I almost forgot, you are now ranked tenth on the Tiger List."


    "Mr. He, how much do you know about the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion?"


    "Many people know OF the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, but not many truly UNDERSTAND it."


    "Is the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion that mysterious?" Ling Chen was somewhat surprised.


    He Ziyun smiled, "It¡¯s beyond mysterious. You must know about the Secret Society, another mysterious organization dedicated to gathering intelligence. Their intelligence capabilities are undeniable. But the Secret Society, despite over a decade of efforts, has failed to unearth any substantial information about the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion. That shows how deep the Pavilion is hidden. Of course, I do have some understanding of it which I wouldn¡¯t mind sharing if you¡¯re interested."


    Ling Chen nodded, then leaned forward attentively.


    "You should be familiar with the Heaven and Earth Dragon and Tiger Four Rankings. It is rumored that the mysterious Pavilion Master of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion is a master from the Heavenly List. Only those on the Heavenly List are invited to join the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion. The Pavilion¡¯s external mission is to revive and pass on Huaxia martial arts, nurturing more talents. In this era of technology, wars depend on the strength of military equipment, making individual prowess secondary. Moreover, today¡¯s youth are too restless, few willing to calm their minds to learn martial arts or endure the hardships associated with it, resulting in gaps in the transmission of Huaxia martial arts, leading to many martial arts styles created by predecessors bing lost."


    "For hundreds of years, the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion has dedicated itself to the development of martial arts. They¡¯ve collected secret manuals from various schools and sects,piled them, and then looked for suitable candidates to train and teach martial arts to. Once these individuals grow, they establish their own schools and continue the transmission of martial arts. The martial artsmunity today owes much of its resurgence to the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion. Therefore, in the eyes of martial artists, the Pavilion is revered as the authority in the martial arts world."


    "When I first established the Ghost, I thought of coborating with the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion. Since the Ghost focuses on individual strength, it was impossible to cultivate a group of experts quickly, so I wanted to borrow some experts through coboration with the Pavilion. However, the Pavilion Master inherited the character of ancient martial artists from the Martial Arts World and absolutely refused to get involved in national affairs."


    Ling Chen smiled slightly, finding it interesting, "That Pavilion Master sounds like an intriguing person."


    "Not only intriguing but also very young."


    "Young?" Ling Chen was taken aback, "Mr. He, didn¡¯t you just say that the Pavilion Master of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion is a master on the Heavenly List?"


    "Being on the Heavenly List doesn¡¯t mean they are all old. That Pavilion Master is an exception."


    Ling Chen nodded appreciatively, "Mr. He, how do you know the Pavilion Master is not old? Did someone tell you?"


    He Ziyun shook his head, "I once had the chance to chat with the Pavilion Master. You might not be familiar with the rules of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, but every high-ranking individual on the Earthly List gets one chance to have a long conversation with the Pavilion Master¡ªany question can be asked, and the Pavilion Master will answer them. However, it¡¯s just a conversation, you won¡¯t see them. During our talk, there was a curtain separating us, and I could only see a vague silhouette."


    "Didn¡¯t you feel the urge to pull the curtain open and see for yourself?"


    "Of course," He Ziyunughed, "Everyone is curious, I¡¯m no exception. But as much as I wanted, I didn¡¯t dare to break the rules. Besides, there¡¯s a cautionary tale in ce, who would dare to breach such code? I heard that a previous high-ranking individual on the Earthly List couldn¡¯t contain his curiosity and pulled open the curtain. He was never seen again."

 Chapter 213 - 209: Secret Manual

    <h4>Chapter 213: Chapter 209: Secret Manual</h4><h4></h4>


    "Only a master from the Heavenly List has the chance to meet the Pavilion Master; others shouldn¡¯t even dream about it."


    He Ziyun¡¯s words provided Ling Chen with a preliminary understanding of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion. What surprised him even more was that He Ziyun was a master on the Earthly List. Those who make it onto the Tiger List are already among the top martial artists, and the Dragon List is even more prestigious. As for the Heavenly and Earthly Lists, they transcend the limits of martial arts, reaching another level.


    At first, he was eager to spar with He Ziyun, but now he realized that He Ziyun¡¯s refusal was the right decision. The gap in their strengths was too great. Trying to fight him would not be a sparring match, but a beating.


    "Ling Chen, if you get a chance, you might try climbing higher."


    Confused by this remark, Ling Chen asked, "Mr. He, what do you mean by that?"


    "You are currently ranked tenth on the Tiger List, but with your overall strength, you should be able to reach the sixth or seventh position. I know you are indifferent to fame and fortune and are not interested in the Heaven and Earth Dragon and Tiger Four Rankings, but I want to tell you that this is an opportunity to improve yourself. Most importantly, if you can enter the Earthly List and have a discussion with the Pavilion Master, it will definitely be immensely beneficial to you. The Pavilion Master¡¯s words were of great help to me."


    "Mr. He, I won¡¯t hide it from you, I came to you this time for this very reason," Ling Chen dered earnestly. "I want to enhance my strength."


    During this period, having fought twice with the Enhanced People from the God Organization, he deeply felt his own inadequacies. These Enhanced People were no longer ordinary people, and with his current strength, he couldn¡¯t gain the upper hand. Moreover, the ones he faced were only the lower-level Enhanced People; facing more powerful ones would probably leave him helpless.


    The future battles with the God Organization would undoubtedly be prolonged, and to handle more dangers, he had to be stronger. He Ziyun had told him that while his external skills had reached their peak, his Internal Strength was just at the beginning stage. Only a master of Inner Strength could be a true master. Therefore, his visit to He Ziyun this time was to seek guidance on cultivating Inner Strength.


    He Ziyun smiled and said, "I already guessed you woulde to me; I have prepared something for you." Saying this, he stood up and walked into the rear hall.


    Soon, he returned, cing a set of beautifully bound handwritten manuals in front of Ling Chen.


    "These are all secret manuals for cultivating Inner Strength, including Shaolin¡¯s Yijinjing, Wudang Sect¡¯s Pure Yang Wuji Technique, Southern Fist Skills, and more..." He Ziyun recounted like listing treasures.


    "Mr. He," Ling Chen interrupted him, "I¡¯m not really interested in these Inner Cultivation Methods."


    He Ziyun looked surprised. "Then what do you want to learn? These are all top-level Internal Cultivation Methods from various schools; do you find them not worthy?"


    "That¡¯s not it. I once told you, I obtained a secret manual by chance, and my martial arts, including Internal Cultivation Methods, are mostly learned from it. However, the Internal Cultivation Methods in it are obscure and hard to understand, so I wanted to consult you for some guidance," exined Ling Chen.


    "In the world of martial arts, there¡¯s a saying ¡¯understanding one opens the way to understanding all.¡¯ With a bit of guidance, you can quickly break through the bottleneck. If you don¡¯t mind, it would be best to tell me about those Internal Cultivation Methods so I can study them first."


    "No problem. Mr. He, could you prepare some paper and pen? I¡¯ll write it down for you."


    Soon, Ling Chen had meticulously written down the Internal Cultivation Method, without missing a single word, and handed it to He Ziyun.


    He had studied this Internal Cultivation Method hundreds of times and knew it by heart. Now, as He Ziyun received the content and nced through it, his eyes were immediately captivated, and a gleam of excitement shed through his aged eyes.


    "Mr. He, how is it? Does this Internal Cultivation Method seem decent?" Ling Chen asked for advice.


    He Ziyun let out a bitter smile, "I finally understand why you looked down on the secret manuals I collected. Although I don¡¯t know who created this Internal Cultivation Method, I can affirm that it¡¯s no ordinary method. Honestly, not only do you find it hard to understand, but I¡¯ll also need some time to get it clear and need to study it thoroughly. How about this; you go back, ande again in a week."


    "Alright, then I won¡¯t disturb your rest," said Ling Chen, turning to leave. However, as he reached the door, he turned back, "Mr. He, when will Xiaozhu return?"


    "She mentioned that she has lots of work in Beijing and probably won¡¯t return to East Sea City for ten to fifteen days. Why, did you need her for something?"


    "No, just asking."


    Leaving Qingyun Martial Arts Academy, Ling Chen headed straight back to the residential area.


    After sleeping for a few hours and waiting until midnight, he opened his eyes, grabbed his pre-prepared backpack, and confidently walked out of the room.


    Although it was midnight, the streets were still brightly lit, and many food stalls were filled with people. Ling Chen approached the roadside, hailed a cab, and provided an address.


    In less than half an hour, he arrived at his destination.


    Looking at the high-rise building in front of him, Ling Chen scrutinized it for a moment. The main entrance was tightly closed, only the security room was lit, and several security personnel were walking around the building, patrolling.


    Tightening the backpack on his back, Ling Chen bypassed the security guards and reached the back of the building. The building had thirty-five floors, all covered with thick ss.


    Taking advantage of the moment when no security personnel were in sight, Ling Chen quickly took out two suction devices from his backpack and firmly attached them to the ss. Then, using the two suction devices alternately, he slowly started to climb upwards.


    Since his wound had not yet fully healed, he didn¡¯t dare to exert too much force, moving very slowly.


    After about fifteen minutes, he finally reached the eleventh floor. Taking a few breaths, he secured the two suction devices and wrapped a rope around himself, hanging mid-air. Then, he took out a sharp ss cutter from his backpack and gently slid it along the edge of the ss.


    In a short while, the whole piece of ss came loose. Before cutting, he had taken safety measures, sticking the ss with a suction device to prevent it from falling.


    After packing up his tools, he untied the rope from his body and smoothly entered the building¡¯s interior.


    Equipping his night-vision goggles, he walked and looked around, searching for his target. Soon, a tightly closedpany door appeared in his line of sight.


    "Boyang Biological Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd... This is the ce."


    He nodded to himself, then quickly walked up to the door, took out his lock-picking tools, ready to open the door.


    However, before he could start, he heard a ¡¯click,¡¯ and the door unexpectedly opened on its own.


    At the same time, Ling Chen saw a woman walking out from inside, and he was instantly stunned.

 Chapter 214 - 210: The Identity of the Snake King

    <h4>Chapter 214: Chapter 210: The Identity of the Snake King</h4><h4></h4>


    Their eyes met, and Ling Chen pointed at the other party with a hand, his face full of surprise, "Why is it you?"


    The woman before him was none other than Kaelina, the Blood Spider, whom he had met some time ago.


    Recognizing Ling Chen, Kaelina immediately withdrew the half-drawn dagger and her expression rxed slightly. She brushed her golden bangs that fell in front of her forehead, her manner exuding a sensual charm, her enticing red lips curling up slightly.


    "I didn¡¯t expect to run into you here either."


    Watching Kaelina, Ling Chen couldn¡¯t help but swallow. Tonight, Kaelina was d in a tight-fitting ck outfit that entuated her curvaceous figure, her rounded hips and full chest paired with a slender waist like a willow, the standard S-curve silhouette. Coupled with her alluring face, she was a deadly temptress, capable of igniting the mes of desire in a man at a single nce, awakening the most primal urges.


    "What are you doing here?" Ling Chen shifted his gaze away from her ample bosom and asked.


    "Mr. Ling, I think my purpose is probably simr to yours," Kaelina replied, ncing at the backpack behind him, "Come on, I¡¯ll take you inside for a tour of Zhu Hong¡¯s office."


    Seeing Kaelina turn to leave, Ling Chen quickly followed her pace and entered a spacious office.


    Kaelina went straight to the bar on the south wall of the office, opened a bottle of whiskey, poured herself a drink, and then gestured for Ling Chen to join her with a ¡¯please¡¯ motion.


    Ling Chen didn¡¯t waste words. He put down his backpack and began installing several eavesdropping devices in various hidden ces around the office. After he was done with that task, he started searching around the office.


    "Mr. Ling," Kaelina called him, stretching out her hand to point at a bookshelf ced along the north wall.


    Ling Chen immediately understood and quickly approached the bookshelf. In no time, he found the anti-eavesdropping device installed inside. Zhu Hong was a cautious man; it was improbable that he had left himself unprotected. To keep the listening devices undetected, they had to disable the anti-eavesdropping devices.


    It took about five minutes before Ling Chen finally reconfigured the anti-eavesdropping device¡¯s circuitry, making it inoperative while still appearing to function normally to avoid suspicion.


    "Done with your work?"


    Ling Chen nodded, nced at Kaelina leaning against the bar, and offered with a slight smile, "Care to share a drink?"


    "OK! I was just looking for someone to chat with."


    Leaving the office building, Ling Chen and Kaelina walked to a nearby bar.


    The night had deepened, and there weren¡¯t many patrons in the bar, making the atmosphere rtively quiet. They took a seat by the window, ordered two bottles of whiskey, and some appetizers to whet their appetites.


    "Cheers!"


    "Cheers!"


    After finishing their drinks, Ling Chen looked at the seductive woman before him and said, "I¡¯ve always had a question I wanted to ask you."


    "What question?"


    "You told me that you wanted to fulfill an unaplished wish of Blood Wolf¡¯s, but the more I think about it, the more puzzled I be. True, Blood Wolf once saved your life, and it¡¯s reasonable for you to help him in repayment. However, as a top assassin, being rational is the most crucial thing. Since you know Blood Wolf worked for the God Organization, then you should understand how formidable it is. Your current actions are undoubtedly dering war on the God Organization. If they find out, they will never let you go, and you¡¯ll be in great danger. Although you are cooperating with us, the God Organization¡¯s power is clear for all to see, and we don¡¯t have a 100% certainty of keeping you safe. In my opinion, for an assassin to risk their life out of gratitude is quite irrational."


    "So you think my motive isn¡¯t just about repaying a debt?"


    Ling Chen didn¡¯t hide his suspicion and nodded, "Anyone would think that."


    Kaelina yed with her ss, suddenly chuckled, her blue eyes gleaming with a deep meaning.


    "Regardless of what you think, there¡¯s one thing I can tell you for certain: everything I do is for Blood Wolf. Beyond that, I have no ulterior motives. As for why I¡¯m doing this, given our current rtionship, I don¡¯t feel the need to tell you."


    With that, she set down her ss, looking at the thinning crowd in the bar, "Can we talk about something else? It¡¯s rare that I get out to rx, and I don¡¯t want to discuss these vexing issues."


    Ling Chen shrugged, "Sure. What do you want to talk about?"


    "Let¡¯s talk about you," Kaelina said, showing interest in Ling Chen, "You¡¯re young, but with no small capabilities, even Blood Wolf wasn¡¯t your match. You must be highly regarded within your organization."


    "To be honest, I¡¯ve actually already left. I wanted to just be an ordinary person, but things from the past caught up with me, and there¡¯s no way I could escape it."


    "Quite normal. For people like us who have gone down this path, it¡¯s difficult to turn back. Did you stay in East Sea City after you left the organization?"


    Ling Chen said helplessly, "After I left the organization, I took a security job, hoping to just idle away my days. But trouble came knocking one after another, even the Snake King showed up."


    "Snake King? Is he targeting your boss?"


    "Yeah, Nanrong Wanqing, a very famous person in East Sea City."


    "Nanrong..." Kaelina seemed a bit surprised.


    "What?" Ling Chen noticed her expression, "Have you heard of her?"


    "No, I¡¯m not familiar with the person you mentioned, but her surname sounds somewhat familiar to me."


    Hearing this, Ling Chen¡¯s curiosity piqued. Nanrong was a rare double surname, and it was surprising that Kaelina, who spent most of her time abroad, recognized it.


    "Do you know someone from the Nanrong family?"


    "I¡¯m not sure if he¡¯s from the Nanrong family. I only know that his surname is Nanrong, but he never used his real name."


    "Who?"


    Kaelina smiled meaningfully, "You know him."


    "I do?" Ling Chen pondered and was still a bit confused, unsure of whom Kaelina meant.


    "Snake King." Kaelina uttered the two words.


    "Is it him?" Ling Chen was astounded by the revtion and struggled to digest the news, "He¡¯s also surnamed Nanrong?"


    "Correct." Kaelina nodded, "Assassins rarely tell others their real names, using nicknames instead. However, I once had an encounter with Snake King. At that time, I was on a mission, and so was he; our target was the same person. That target was so detested that many people wanted him dead. Given the target¡¯s particr status, the security was extremely rigorous, making it difficult to infiltrate. So we hit it off and decided to work together¡ªhe was to create chaos, drawing away the security, and I was to assassinate the target. After the mission, we celebrated together in a bar. Perhaps because we drank too much, during our conversation, he revealed his name to me¡ªNanrong Zhengqing."

 Chapter 215 - 211 Suspicion

    <h4>Chapter 215: Chapter 211 Suspicion</h4><h4></h4>


    "Nanrong Zhengqing?"


    Ling Chen¡¯s pupils constricted. The Snake King¡¯s surname was also Nanrong - could this really be a coincidence? No! He had once asked Hu Fei, and it was known that the Snake King was hired to assassinate Nanrong Wanqing. Besides, what kind of grudge could there be between the Snake King and Nanrong Wanqing?


    Nanrong Yong had once told him that the Nanrong Family had an enemy, which was the Nanrong Gang. But he had had Hu Fei investigate, and Nanrong Gang had died overseas several years ago. Moreover, before leaving the country, Nanrong Gang had divorced his wife, and at the time of their divorce, they had no children.


    Although there were not many people with the surname Nanrong in the country, it was not unheard of. Perhaps this was just a coincidence. However, Ling Chen found it very difficult to convince himself, to believe this point.


    "What are you thinking about?" Kaelina asked, seeing Ling Chen deep in thought.


    "How much do you know about the Snake King?"


    "He is an odd one. The golden age for an assassin is between twenty-eight to thirty-four years old. Generally, assassins choose to retire at thirty-five, but the Snake King is an exception. As far as I know, the Snake King should now be over forty years old and is still active in the assassin world, which is quite rare. In my view, the Snake King is probably not doing it for money. As a top-tier assassin, over ten years is enough time to umte a substantial fortune."


    Ling Chen nodded, Kaelina¡¯s words made sense. Deep in thought, a sh of inspiration suddenly crossed his mind.


    "Sit for a while, I¡¯m going to make a call." After that, he stood up and walked outside the bar, dialing Hu Fei¡¯s number.


    Soon, the phone was connected, and Hu Fei¡¯s voice came through, yawning heavily: "Hey, why are you looking for me sote?"


    "Fatty, you told me that the person who hired the Snake King was anonymous. I want to know if the other party was specifically naming the Snake King or if it was you who arranged it for the employer?"


    "It was the employer¡¯s request. Of course, I found it strange too. That person actually knew about the Snake King, which means he¡¯s probably very familiar with our circle. Eh, why are you asking this?"


    "Just asking, go back to sleep."


    After hanging up the phone, a sharp glint shed in Ling Chen¡¯s eyes. It seemed the matter with the Snake King was not as simple as he had thought.


    This could very well be a y, directed and acted out by the Snake King himself.


    The Snake King used an employer¡¯s identity to hire an assassin anonymously through Hu Fei. He probably went through all this trouble for the convenience of action. Any middle man would first check out the target¡¯s information thoroughly and then provide the assassin with all the necessary intelligence. The assassin only needs to act on this information to n and eliminate the target, saving time and effort.


    However, if his guess was right, another question arose.


    What grudges did the Snake King have with the Nanrong Family? Could it be rted to Nanrong Gang? Just now, Kaelina said the Snake King was over forty; at his birth, Nanrong Gang would have been in his twenties. It was the exact time when Nanrong Gang divorced and went abroad, which matched perfectly in time.


    It¡¯s a pity that Hu Fei couldn¡¯t find anything about Nanrong Gang¡¯s ex-wife; otherwise, he could unravel the truth of the matter and see if Nanrong Gang had any offspring.


    Returning to the bar, Ling Chen found that Kaelina was no longer there, leaving behind a few banknotes on the table.


    This woman... leaving without a word.


    The next day.


    Wealthy Manor No. 118.


    At 7:30 in the morning, the motorcade was ready, just waiting for Nanrong Wanqing to appear.


    In the vi, Su Lin apanied Nanrong Wanqing at the dining table, having breakfast. While drinking rice porridge, Su Lin noticed Nanrong Wanqing kept turning her head to look towards the bedroom next to the living room.


    "Wanqing, what are you thinking about?"


    "Nothing," answered Nanrong Wanqing indifferently, looking away.


    "I don¡¯t believe that. You must be worried about something," Su Lin said with a teasing smile. "Is it because Ling Chen hasn¡¯te back for a few days, and you¡¯re not used to it? He¡¯s been away for so many days and hasn¡¯te back yet. I¡¯ll call and hurry him upter."


    "No need to call," replied Nanrong Wanqing, putting down her chopsticks and bowl, her expression turning somewhat cold. "He¡¯s noting back."


    "What?" Su Lin was taken aback. "Did he quit? Howe I didn¡¯t know?"


    "Keep eating; I¡¯m full." Nanrong Wanqing evaded her question and wheeled herself out.


    Watching Nanrong Wanqing leave, Su Lin shook her head slightly. No wonder she felt that her cousin had been behaving strangely these past few days, seemingly distracted. It turned out to be because Ling Chen quit. She didn¡¯t understand; things had been going well recently, so why did he suddenly resign?


    But what concerned her more was Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s change. She had never seen Nanrong Wanqing so restless over a man. Could it be... No way?


    Leaving the Nanrong home, the fleet slowly moved on the road. In the back seat of the Rolls Royce, Nanrong Wanqing looked out at the passing traffic, her beautiful eyes shing withplex emotions.


    Several days had passed, but her heart still couldn¡¯t calm down. Every time she returned home and saw that bedroom, she couldn¡¯t help but think of Ling Chen and the things they had been through.


    She had to admit, she had never cared so much about a man. But this man had left without a word, without even saying goodbye. These past few days, she was angry, wronged, and resentful, a rush of emotions filled her heart as if she had lost something, leaving emptiness inside.


    "Chairwoman, we¡¯ve arrived at thepany."


    Zhong Wei¡¯s voice came through, and Nanrong Wanqing came back to her senses,posed herself, and followed everyone into the Hongyu Group building.


    Shortly after arriving at her office, Wang Lan came in from outside, urgently saying, "Chairwoman, there¡¯s been an ident with the project in the Old City?"


    "Don¡¯t panic, tell me slowly, what happened?"


    "Last night, the construction materials at the site were sabotaged by someone, and some valuable items were stolen. This morning, when workers were about to start work, a bunch of ruffians appeared from nowhere, demanding protection money and injuring many workers. They also threatened that if we don¡¯t pay, we won¡¯t be allowed to start work."


    "Such a thing happened?" Nanrong Wanqing frowned slightly, her displeasure apparent. "Don¡¯t they know that the Old City redevelopment project is a joint venture between Hongyu Group and the government?"


    "They are just a bunch of hooligans; they don¡¯t care about that."


    "Call the municipal government, exin the situation to them. They can handle this matter."


    "Okay." Wang Lan nodded and turned to leave the office.


    But at that moment, the phone in front of Nanrong Wanqing suddenly rang. She answered the phone with a hello, and whatever the caller said made her face turn sour.


    "Wang Lan."


    "Chairwoman, do you have any other instructions?"


    "Immediately notify thepany¡¯s senior executives; I¡¯m calling an emergency meeting. Everyone must arrive within ten minutes."

 Chapter 216 - 212: Crisis at Hongyu Group (Part 1)

    <h4>Chapter 216: Chapter 212: Crisis at Hongyu Group (Part 1)</h4><h4></h4>


    In Hongyu Group, every word of Nanrong Wanqing is amand. Over the years, everyone has be very familiar with the character of this chairman. If an emergency meeting is suddenly called, it must be something significant, and no one dares to neglect it. Within less than ten minutes, thepany¡¯s senior management had all gathered in the conference room, buzzing with spection.


    By the time it was due, the door of the conference room opened, and the secretary Wang Lan, pushing a wheelchair, came in from outside.


    For a moment, the conference room fell silent, all eyes fixated on Nanrong Wanqing.


    Seated at a conference table over ten meters long, Nanrong Wanqing scanned the executives present and began, "I just received news that the reconstruction project in the Old City has been sabotaged, resulting in several workers getting injured and admitted to the hospital."


    "Who dares to oppose our Hongyu Group so brazenly? We must find the culprit and teach them a harsh lesson," someone angrily cursed.


    "I had initially thought to leave this matter to the government, but we are now faced with another issue. This morning, the police discovered arge amount of smuggled goods at the pier operated by our Hongyu Group, involving tens of millions in value, including a significant number of contraband items."


    At this revtion, a wave of shock swept through the executives present.


    "How is this possible?"


    "Chairman, could there be some mistake?"


    Nanrong Wanqing raised her hand, signaling for silence, "Our Hongyu Group has always operated within the bounds of thew, never skirting on the edges or breaking thew. However, first there was an issue with the reconstruction project, and now an issue at the pier. I believe these incidents are not coincidental; someone is targeting our Hongyu Group."


    "Chairman, we have manypetitors; could they be using these underhanded tactics to mess with us?"


    "It¡¯s not clear at the moment; without evidence, we shouldn¡¯t jump to conclusions. The most important task now is to manage these two issues, especially the smuggled goods discovered at the pier as they involve arge sum of money. If investigated, Hongyu Group could face severe penalties. Starting now, I want you all to strengthen the management across all business lines to ensure such incidents won¡¯t happen again. Additionally, we need to thoroughly investigate the pier incident to see if it involves any insiders."


    "Yes, Chairman."


    At that moment, Wang Lan received a phone call, then whispered in front of Nanrong Wanqing, "Chairman, the police are here and would like to talk with you."


    "Have them visit my office."


    A few minutester, Nanrong Wanqing returned to her office with Wang Lan, only to see a very fair-skinned woman sitting on the sofa, none other than Xia Mutong.


    "Officer Xia."


    "Miss Nanrong, hello," Xia Mutong nodded solemnly, "I believe you¡¯re aware of why I am here. I intended to ask Miss Nanrong toe to the police station to assist with the investigation, but given your status, the chief requested that we keep this matter confidential for now."


    "Thank you!"


    "You¡¯re wee. Miss Nanrong is a significant partner of the government, so it¡¯s only right to afford you some special treatment." After saying this, Xia Mutong gestured to a colleague who understood and immediately opened a notebook to take notes. Meanwhile, Xia Mutong handed a list to Nanrong Wanqing, "Miss Nanrong, please take a look at this list."


    Nanrong Wanqing nced at it, her tone calm, "Is this the list of smuggled goods found at the pier?"


    "Yes. Miss Nanrong, for the past ten years, Dongling Pier has been under the management of Hongyu Group, and now you are the chairman of Hongyu Group. I hope you can exin this."


    "It¡¯s clear that this is a setup. You have seen the list; it involves only tens of millions, which is a drop in the bucket for Hongyu Group, whose market value you, Officer Xia, are surely aware of. Hongyu Group¡¯s daily profits alone exceed this amount, why would we risk smuggling?"


    Xia Mutong nodded slightly, "Miss Nanrong, I know Hongyu Group has substantial assets and does not care about a few tens of millions. However, who would spend tens of millions to frame Hongyu Group? That is not a small amount. Furthermore, with so much cargo entering your pier, are you saying you wouldn¡¯t know about it? Besides, this is just what we found today; who can guarantee that Hongyu Group hasn¡¯t been involved before? Tens of millions at a time, and dozens of times a year... Miss Nanrong, that¡¯s billions in profit, and anyone would be tempted."


    "Officer Xia, it¡¯s right for a police officer to maintain skepticism, but the innocent are clear of guilt, and you are wee to investigate freely. Moreover, I have a question for you, Officer Xia; how did you know about the smuggled goods at Dongling Pier?"


    "We received an anonymous tip-off, iming to be an internal employee of Hongyu Group. Miss Nanrong, given your status, we will not detain you, but from today, until the case is rified, you must stay in East Sea City and may not leave."


    "Rest assured, I will fully cooperate withÄã. Besides this matter, I hope you will also focus on the Old City issue, expedite the construction work, and not dy the schedule."


    "No problem."


    After bidding farewell to Xia Mutong, Nanrong Wanqing sat alone in her office, staring at theputer screen with a slight frown and an icy expression. She has never been afraid of trouble; it¡¯smon for Hongyu Group, as a significant yer, to be targeted. But what worries her the most is not knowing who her enemy is.


    After a taxing day and as the end of her shift approached, Nanrong Wanqing made a call to Zhong Wei, nning to head home early.


    With so much happening today, she needed to report to Nanrong Yong.


    As the convoy left the underground parking lot, ready to hit the road, suddenly, a group of people rushed in, wielding cameras and microphones, surrounding the Rolls Royce.


    "Miss Nanrong, as the chairman of Hongyu Group, what is your opinion on the smuggled goods found at Dongling Pier?"


    "Miss Nanrong, rumor has it that Hongyu Group started from smuggling, is that true?"


    "Miss Nanrong..."


    Amid the chaotic scene, reporters relentlessly posed sharp questions, seeking answers.


    Nanrong Wanqing looked out the car window, her face seemingly covered with ayer of frost. The incident had happened just a day ago, and although Xia Mutong promised to keep it confidential for the time being, it seemed as though the reporters had all agreed to show up. If no one was orchestrating this behind the scenes, who would believe such a coincidence?


    Seeing the scene outside, Zhong Wei frowned and said heavily, "Chairman, stay in the car. I¡¯ll disperse those reporters immediately." Saying this, he contacted other team members through the inte.


    In a short while, apart from the driver, all members of the security team got out of the cars, stood on either side of the convoy, spread their arms to block the reporters outside, and began clearing a path.


    "Ah!"


    As the three cars slowly moved forward, a scream suddenly erupted in the crowd.

 Chapter 217 - 213: The Crisis of Hongyu Group (Part 2)

    <h4>Chapter 217: Chapter 213: The Crisis of Hongyu Group (Part 2)</h4><h4></h4>


    "What¡¯s happening?" Nanrong Wanqing looked out the car window and saw a female reporter lying on the ground, holding her chest, her face contorted with pain.


    "You...why did you hit someone?"


    The cameraman apanying the female reporter pointed at Zhong Wei¡¯s group, angrily using, "Do you have no respect for thew anymore? Don¡¯t think that having money allows you to do whatever you want. This is a society ruled byw. Don¡¯t believe me? I¡¯ll sue you!"


    Zhong Wei frowned slightly, his face looking unpleasant, said, "I didn¡¯t hit her, I just pushed her, and she was the one who couldn¡¯t stand firmly."


    "You¡¯re still trying to argue your way out!"


    "I..."


    "Stop arguing." At this moment, Nanrong Wanqing rolled down the window, stopped Zhong Wei who wanted to retort, and said expressionlessly, "Take her to the hospital, and while you¡¯re at it, apologize to her. We are in a sensitive time; try not to invite any trouble."


    "Yes, Chairman."


    Seeing Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s face, several reporters swarmed forward, their cameras and microphones all thrust in front of her, eagerly asking, "Miss Nanrong, regarding the smuggling incident at Dongling Pier, as the Chairman of Hongyu Group, is there anything you would like to say?"


    "This matter is now under police investigation, and I believe they will clear Hongyu Group¡¯s name." After speaking, Nanrong Wanqing closed the car window, shutting out the noisy sounds from outside.


    Back at Wealthy Manor.


    Nanrong Wanqing went straight to Nanrong Yong¡¯s study, looking at him concentrating on his calligraphy at the desk. She sat quietly by his side without disturbing him.


    A few minutester, Nanrong Yong put down his brush, looked at his granddaughter, and smiled slightly, "I¡¯ve heard about what happened at thepany. Someone is targeting us."


    "I know."


    "There¡¯s an old saying, ¡¯A big tree catches the wind.¡¯ Hongyu Group is the leader in East Sea City¡¯s businessmunity, involved in many industries, though we haven¡¯t created a monopoly, but many people have lost their livelihoods because of us. I know there are many in the industry who hate Hongyu Group, but I don¡¯t care because I have no regard for them. In any business, one cannot be too sympathetic, otherwise, the one who will suffer is oneself. Give them an inch and they¡¯ll take a mile, hoping you¡¯ll give even more. I learned my lesson once before, so I¡¯ve never backed down since. Wanqing, the business world is a battlefield, it¡¯s either you or me, never show mercy."


    "Grandfather, what¡¯s your advice on this matter?"


    "Watch and wait. Whoever took action this time, there¡¯s definitely more than one person involved. They¡¯ve gone to great lengths to frame us, and they won¡¯t give up so easily. There¡¯s surely more toe, just watch¡ªthe y has just begun, and the best part is yet to follow."


    Nanrong Wanqing nodded lightly, "I know what to do now." After speaking, she began pushing the wheelchair, turning to leave.


    "Wanqing."


    "Grandfather, is there anything else?"


    "Ling Chen..."


    "It was his own decision to resign, it has nothing to do with me."


    "Ah, it¡¯s a pity," Nanrong Yong sighed deeply, "Ling Chen is a goodd, I had hoped to keep him in the Nanrong Family for the long term."


    ...


    The next day.


    Ling Chen got up early in the morning, bought breakfast outside, then headed towards the residential area. As he passed by the newspaper kiosk outside themunity, his eyes were suddenly drawn to a newspaper headline.


    "Hongyu Group Suspected of Smuggling!"


    Seeing the conspicuous headline, Ling Chen slightly startled, disbelief in his eyes. He picked up the newspaper, flipped through a few pages; aside from East Sea Daily, the several other papers were all reports on the Hongyu Group¡¯s smuggling case.


    Buying a few newspapers, Ling Chen hurried back home, reading them in detail.


    "Hongyu Group¡¯s fortune built on smuggling?"


    "The dirty deals hidden in the shadows."


    "Nanrong Wanqing angers into violence, directing her subordinates to assault the reporter, causing hospitalization."


    "..."


    There were an overwhelming number of such headlines, countless of them, all negative news about Hongyu Group.


    Ling Chen bit into a baozi, shaking his head in silence. He had only been gone a few days, and so many things had happened to Hongyu Group. He wondered how Nanrong Wanqing was coping now.


    As he was pondering, there came a series of knocks at the door, three short and three long.


    Opening the door, he saw the chubby Hu Fei standing outside, holding a few recently bought newspapers.


    Seeing his face, Ling Chen knew the reason for his visit.


    "Come in."


    Sitting in the living room, and seeing the newspapers on the table, Hu Fei chuckled and said, "I see you¡¯re already in the know, I had especially run over here to inform you."


    "Chubby, what¡¯s your take on this?"


    "It¡¯s clear someone is after the Nanrong Family." Hu Fei threw the newspapers on the table, "Just look at these papers, they¡¯re all tabloids reporting this. The major media aren¡¯t saying a peep. Hongyu Group has been operating for so many years, and they have good rtions with the government and media. They won¡¯t make noise without rifying the situation or fabricating news that would be detrimental to Hongyu Group. The current reports can only be considered rumors, not worth much. But to be honest, Hongyu Group is indeed in big trouble this time."


    "What do you mean?"


    "The police found smuggled goods worth tens of millions at Dongling Pier, which is solid evidence. Unless you can find proof that someone deliberately set you up, the Nanrong Family will find it difficult to shake off this usation. Of course, if there¡¯s really no other way, they will have to find a scapegoat to take the me and preserve the Nanrong Family¡¯s reputation and assets. But the problem is, this crime is not trivial, ording to our country¡¯sws, smuggling goods worth more than 500,000 means at least ten years or life imprisonment. Now that the involved amount is in the tens of millions, it¡¯s likely hard to escape the death penalty. Even if the Nanrong Family is willing to pay, it¡¯s not certain that someone would be willing to take the fall."


    Ling Chen nodded, this was indeed a big problem.


    "Chubby, do me a favor, look into that batch of smuggled goods. So many items couldn¡¯t have been moved to the pier without anyone noticing."


    "Didn¡¯t expect you to still have emotions for the past."


    "Speaking of which!" Ling Chen abruptly changed the topic, "Another thing, investigate a person named Nanrong Zhengqing, see if you can gather any information on him."


    "Why another person from the Nanrong Family?"


    "Nanrong Zhengqing has a nickname, called Snake King."


    "It¡¯s him?" Hu Fei¡¯s face changed, surprised.


    Ling Chen smiled, "Now you¡¯re interested, right?"


    "Fine, I¡¯ll go check it out for you right away."


    After sending Hu Fei away, Ling Chen returned to the table, contemting the newspapers spread out before him, his brows furrowing slightly. The Nanrong Family was in trouble at this time, and he couldn¡¯t show himself; thinking of Nanrong Wanqing having to face all this alone, he couldn¡¯t help but feel distressed.


    He wondered if she had slept wellst night.


    As he pondered, a device on the table suddenly lit up with a red light.

 Chapter 218 - 214: The Crisis of Hongyu Group (Part 3)

    <h4>Chapter 218: Chapter 214: The Crisis of Hongyu Group (Part 3)</h4><h4></h4>


    Ling Chenposed himself, quickly put on the listening device, and adjusted the frequency on the equipment. Soon, a clear voice came through the headphones.


    But after listening for a short while, he put the headphones down and couldn¡¯t help cursing. He thought he would eavesdrop on some valuable information, but all he heard were a woman¡¯s moans.


    As a man, he knew exactly what those sounds meant. Unexpectedly, Mr. Zhu, a gentleman by appearance, was having a sordid affair right in the office.


    It took less than two minutes for the seductive moaning to finally quiet down. Ling Chen, with headphones in hand, snickered to himself; that guy had such poor stamina, onlysting a minute and a half¡ªwhat a wimp.


    Following the sound of a door, the woman must have left. Next, Zhu Hong¡¯s voice came through the monitor: "Have the driver get ready; I¡¯ll be going out soon."


    Hearing this, Ling Chen immediately shut off the equipment and left the room.


    Ten minutester.


    Outside the office building of Boyang Company, Ling Chen, wearing a helmet, sat on a motorbike, quietly watching the entrance, waiting for Zhu Hong to appear.


    Traffic in East Sea City is too congested; it¡¯s more convenient on a motorbike.


    He didn¡¯t have to wait long before Zhu Hong emerged, nked by several suited bodyguards, and got into a Mercedes.


    Watching the Mercedes drive onto the street, Ling Chen followed behind on his motorbike, keeping a safe distance. Zhu Hong¡¯s bodyguards were professionals; if he got too close, they would surely notice.


    About half an hourter, the Mercedes finally stopped outside a tall building.


    "Hongyu Group!"


    Ling Chen was startled; he thought Zhu Hong would go to some secret ce, but instead, he headed to Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s. Damn it, this bastard, just after sleeping with another woman, came to look for Nanrong Wanqing, truly shameless. But then again, with such a big scandal hitting Hongyu Group, Zhu Hong would naturally seize the opportunity to show some concern and providefort.


    Seeing Zhu Hong and his entourage enter the building, Ling Chen couldn¡¯t follow inside, so he stayed outside, patiently waiting for him toe out.


    Inside the office.


    Zhu Hong sat on the sofa, eyes filled with unconceble love as he watched Nanrong Wanqing.


    "Wanqing, I heard about what happened at Hongyu Group, are you okay?"


    "Thank you for your concern."


    "I know someone deliberately framed the Nanrong family this time. No matter who they are, I will help you find them and clear Hongyu Group¡¯s name."


    Nanrong Wanqing lightly shook her head, "I appreciate your kindness, but the police are helping with this matter, you..."


    "Wanqing," Zhu Hong cut her off, his tone firm, pausing deliberately between words, "I know what happened a while ago has changed your opinion of me, but I want to tell you that no matter how you change, my feelings for you will never waver. This is my promise to you. I¡¯ve said before that I would be by your side for life, protecting you from any harm. You know my character; I always keep my word."


    Nanrong Wanqing bowed her head, silent. How could she not understand Zhu Hong¡¯s intentions? But she could no longer face him as she used to.


    Seeing her silent, Zhu Hong changed the subject, "By the way, Wanqing, where is Ling Chen?"


    "Are you looking for him?"


    "There¡¯s been some misunderstanding between him and me, but after all, he¡¯s someone by your side, ensuring your safety. For that, I¡¯m grateful. So, no matter who was right or wrong between us, I hope to apologize to him and make peace, to avoid making things difficult for you."


    "It¡¯s not necessary; he¡¯s already resigned."


    "Oh?" Zhu Hong showed a surprised expression, "Why?"


    "Don¡¯t ask; I don¡¯t want to talk about him anymore."


    Zhu Hong nodded, "Then I¡¯ll leave you to your work. Don¡¯t worry too much about Hongyu Group; I¡¯ll find a way to clear things up soon."


    After leaving the building, Zhu Hong got into the Mercedes and took out his phone to dial a number.


    "Hello, Miss Zhang, the job at Dongling Pier was well done. However, the Nanrong family doesn¡¯t seem to be too worried. Perhaps you could add fuel to the fire."


    "Understood. Mr. Zhu, if I may be so bold to ask, what are you doing with all these maneuvers around Hongyu Group? Are you trying to take over the Nanrong family¡¯s assets?"


    "Miss Zhang, just do your job, and don¡¯t ask questions about the rest."


    After saying that, Zhu Hong hung up the phone directly.


    Following Zhu Hong¡¯s car back to the Boyang Company¡¯s building, Ling Chen couldn¡¯t help but swear, aplete waste of his damn time.


    Evening.


    Back at home, after Nanrong Wanqing and Su Lin finished dinner, Nanrong Hao came looking for them.


    "Sister."


    "What¡¯s the matter?"


    Nanrong Hao got straight to the point: "I heard that the construction site in the Old City has been harassed, and many workers were injured. Is that true?"


    "That¡¯spany business; I¡¯ll handle it. You just focus on your studies and stay out of it."


    "How can I do that? You¡¯re in charge of thepany; I have no say in it, but the Old City is my turf. Someone stirring trouble on my turf, should I just stand by and do nothing? Sister, let me handle the Old City situation. Street issues should be solved by street rules. I want to see who¡¯s daring enough to mess with my family." Without waiting for Nanrong Wanqing to respond, Nanrong Hao had already stormed out.


    "Wanqing, you should keep an eye on him, be careful he turns into a real thug," Su Lin showed concern.


    Hearing her, Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s lips curled into a faint smile.


    Although she did not approve of Nanrong Hao¡¯s actions, she felt heartened that Nanrong Hao had taken the initiative to share the family¡¯s worries, no longer idling about like before, never minding the family¡¯s affairs.


    Leaving the Nanrong home, Nanrong Hao called Jiang Hao and then drove to the Old City.


    Upon arrival, Jiang Hao was already waiting with a group of brothers.


    "Haozi."


    "Hao, did you bring everyone?"


    "Yes, called over thirty good men; that should be enough."


    "Let¡¯s go, let¡¯s see who¡¯s so blind as to cross Lord Tai Sui."


    Crossing an intersection, the group reached the Old City construction site¡¯s renovation project. The site was cordoned off with temporary fences, as there were many building materials to prevent theft, some measures were enacted.


    At the site, the workers were resting in the sheds, lights bright all around. In a corner of the site, aluminum and cables were scattered haphazardly, and several uniformed security guards patrolled the area.


    The day before yesterday, an incident urred at the site; many materials were stolen, and several workers were injured, prompting Nanrong Wanqing to increase security to ensure the workers¡¯ safety.

 Chapter 219 - 215 Suspected of Murder

    <h4>Chapter 219: Chapter 215 Suspected of Murder</h4><h4></h4>


    After waiting for over two hours, the workers had all fallen asleep, and the construction site outside was deste, not a ghost in sight.


    "Hey, Haozi, will those people stille?"


    "I don¡¯t know," Nanrong Hao replied as he dug his ear, "Let¡¯s try our luck. Damn it, they dared to bully the Nanrong Family, they must be severely taught a lesson."


    "Haozi, I think there¡¯s no need for us to stand guard here, who knows if they¡¯ll evene. It¡¯s better to leave some brothers here, and they can notify us if anything happens," Jiang Hao advised. It wasn¡¯t that hecked loyalty, but he didn¡¯t want to waste time for nothing.


    Nanrong Hao thought for a moment and nodded, "Alright."


    In the middle of the conversation, a group of people suddenly appeared outside the construction site. There were at least a dozen or twenty men, each holding an iron rod or a steel pipe, looking formidable.


    "Hey, what a coincidence, just when we were thinking of leaving, these guys showed up," Nanrong Hao grinned, "Brothers, let¡¯s get to work and give them a good lesson. Dinner¡¯s on me tonight."


    Jiang Hao stepped forward with big strides and questioned, "Which gang are you from? Don¡¯t you know this ce is our turf? Want to get by in Old City without paying any respect?"


    "Who do you think you are that you deserve our respect? Kid, scram aside, don¡¯t block our way to fortune," the other side sneered.


    Jiang Hao¡¯s face turned cold, and he snorted disdainfully through his nostrils, his gaze sweeping through the crowd. Soon, a young man around twenty-five or twenty-six caught his attention. The young man was dressed in a floral shirt and jeans, with short hair, the corners of his mouth slightly raised in an arrogant manner, as if he looked down on everyone.


    Moreover, while everyone was wielding weapons, this young man¡¯s hands were empty except for an odd pair of leather gloves, likely indicating he was the leader.


    "Are you the leader?"


    The young man scoffed at his question as if he had not heard, but instead looked towards Nanrong Hao and asked, "You¡¯re Nanrong Hao?"


    "That¡¯s me. You know me?"


    The young man gave a cold smile, "Of course I know you, you are exactly who we were looking for. Brothers, get him, give Mr. Nanrong a proper wee."


    Seeing that the opponents went straight to action without any regard for rules, Jiang Hao lost his temper as well, picked up a steel pipe from the ground, and charged into the fray.


    "Go, take them down!"


    Facing a few thugs rushing at him, Nanrong Hao clenched his fists, neither dodging nor evading, and plunged straight into the crowd. With a smash of his fist, fast as lightning, a thug had no time to react before crashing down to the ground.


    After practicing martial arts with Ling Chen for so long, plus his own hard work, no ordinary person could get close to him. Within moments, he had knocked down the five thugs surrounding him.


    Seeing the tide turning, the young man quickly retreated.


    "Where do you think you¡¯re going, stay right there."


    Nanrong Hao shouted loudly and immediately gave chase, aiming to capture the opponent. But then, the young man suddenly turned around and with a flick of his wrist, a sharp dagger whizzed towards Nanrong Hao¡¯s face.


    Nanrong Hao¡¯s heart sank, he tilted his body slightly and with agile movements, snatched the dagger¡¯s hilt as it flew past his face, cursing, "You dare ambush me!" and flung the dagger back.


    However, the young man¡¯s reaction was even quicker, pinching the de of the dagger between his fingers.


    Seeing this, Nanrong Hao was taken aback by the realization that the guy¡¯s skills might be even better than his own. While he was still surprised, the young man had already run far off, and the other thugs, seeing their leader flee, scrambled to escape as well.


    "Anyone who dares to make trouble on my turf again, don¡¯t me me for being rude," Jiang Hao yelled.


    After speaking, he walked over to Nanrong Hao, patting his shoulder, "What are you spacing out for?"


    "Nothing."


    "Don¡¯t worry about it, with the lesson they¡¯ve learned this time, I believe they won¡¯t dare toe back. Come on, let¡¯s go have a drink."


    "Okay."


    A night passed.


    Early in the morning, Nanrong Hao had already gotten up and practiced basic martial arts skills in the backyard for an hour. Although Ling Chen left, he never forgot Ling Chen¡¯s teachings. Having started martial arts trainingte, his foundation was shaky. In order to reach a higher level, he had to double down on this aspect.


    Today was Saturday, no sses. After finishing his training, Nanrong Hao went to Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s vi, ready to report to Sister aboutst night¡¯s events.


    "Sister, Cousin."


    Upon entering, he saw Nanrong Wanqing and Su Lin having breakfast.


    "Have you had breakfast?"


    "Not yet."


    "Sit down and join us. Nanny Wang made century egg and lean pork congee." As she spoke, Nanrong Wanqing picked up a bowl and served him a portion.


    A warm feeling filled Nanrong Hao¡¯s heart. Sister had always been strict with him, and over time, he had grown somewhat fearful of her. Since then, unless it was a family meal, he would deliberately avoid Sister. Over the years, they had never had breakfast together.


    But recently, he felt Sister¡¯s attitude towards him had changed significantly, no longer as overbearing as before.


    "Sister,st night I went to the construction site and ran into that gang causing trouble. Hao and I taught them a lesson. They won¡¯t be back to cause any more destruction."


    "Are you hurt?" Nanrong Wanqing asked, her voice filled with concern.


    Nanrong Hao replied with a proud smile, "No worries, all thanks to Chen¡¯s teachings. A few small-time thugs aren¡¯t worth my concern."


    Nanrong Wanqing nodded gently, "Be careful in the future, and try not to hurt anyone."


    "Cousin," Su Lin giggled, "Now that you¡¯re so capable, if anyone bullies your sister at school, you¡¯ll help me."


    "No problem, leave it to me. However... Cousin, who at our school would dare to mess with you? No need for me to step in, your ability tomand like a shrew is enough."


    Hearing this, Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s lips curved into a smile, like a blossoming white orchid, overflowing with pleasant mood.


    Su Lin rolled her eyes irritably and said discontentedly, "How can you talk like that? Aren¡¯t you my cousin? Humph, you¡¯ve been with Ling Chen so long, you¡¯ve been led astray by him."


    "Not true! Cousin, Chen is a good guy. Don¡¯t wrong him."


    While the three siblings were chatting and joking, the butler Liu Kun came in quickly from outside and whispered a few words in Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s ear.


    "Uncle Liu, please let her in."


    "Yes."


    Shortly after, apanied by Liu Kun, Xia Mutong and several colleagues walked into the vi.


    "Miss Nanrong, sorry foring over so early and disturbing you."


    "It¡¯s okay. Officer Xia, have you made progress on the smuggling case bying to see me at this time?"


    Xia Mutong shook her head and said, "I¡¯m not here to see you, but him." She extended her hand and pointed at Nanrong Hao.


    "Me?" Nanrong Hao was momentarily startled, "What do you need me for?"


    Xia Mutong pulled out an arrest warrant stamped with the court seal and said solemnly, "Nanrong Hao, I am now using you of suspicion of murder. This is an arrest warrant issued by the court. Pleasee with us."

 Chapter 220 - 216: Nanrong Hao is Captured

    <h4>Chapter 220: Chapter 216: Nanrong Hao is Captured</h4><h4></h4>


    Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s face changed slightly, and with surprise, she said: "Officer Xia, is there some kind of mistake?"


    "Miss Nanrong, our police force values evidence in handling cases, and the evidence now is conclusive. I believe I am not mistaken." With that, Xia Mutong stared at the stunned Nanrong Hao, "Nanrong Hao, I ask you, were you at Old City¡¯s construction sitest night?"


    "Yes... I was there."


    "Did you get into a dispute with someone and engage in a physical altercation?"


    Nanrong Hao quickly tried to defend himself: "They came looking for trouble with us, I was just acting in self-defense, you..."


    "You don¡¯t need to exin so much, you just need to answer yes or no." Xia Mutong interrupted him, gazing into his eyes.


    "Yes."


    Xia Mutong nodded: "Then that settles it. In the early hours ofst night, we received a report and found a male corpse near the construction site. The victim was stabbed with a dagger in a vital spot and died from excessive blood loss at the scene. We¡¯ve examined the fingerprints on the dagger, and they point to you as the murderer."


    "No... it wasn¡¯t me, you... you must have made a mistake." Nanrong Hao frantically waved his hands, vigorously denying it.


    "Save your words for the judge. Take him back in handcuffs."


    Upon hearing Xia Mutong¡¯s order, several police officers rushed forward, ready to subdue Nanrong Hao and take him back to the police station.


    "Stop!"


    Seeing the situation go downhill, Liu Kun immediately shouted loudly and rushed in front of Nanrong Hao, stopping the police officers in their tracks.


    "Officer Xia, I¡¯m very clear about my brother¡¯s character. He would never do such a thing. There must be a misunderstanding. I hope you can investigate this thoroughly." Nanrong Wanqing tried to remain calm. However, the tightly gripped hands betrayed her inner tension.


    Xia Mutong, with an unchanged expression, said: "Miss Nanrong, I¡¯m sorry, but I operate ording to thew. If the Nanrong family interferes, I¡¯ll have to arrest you for obstructing justice." After a pause, looking at the slightly pale Nanrong Wanqing, she felt a bit of reluctance, "Miss Nanrong, I¡¯m only taking Nanrong Hao back for now. There will be no conviction before the court hearing. Whatever you want to do, you still have ample time. However, I suggest finding a goodwyer for your brother, it might reduce his sentence."


    Nanrong Wanqing bit her lip, ncing at Nanrong Hao, her expression hesitant and undecided.


    "Miss..."


    "Uncle Liu, let him go."


    "Yes."


    "Big sister, I really didn¡¯t kill anyone, you have to believe me." Nanrong Hao pleaded anxiously.


    Nanrong Wanqing nodded slightly, her tone full of resolve: "Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t let anything happen to you. Officer Xia, before any conviction, I hope you will treat my brother well."


    "I¡¯ll try my best."


    Watching Nanrong Hao being handcuffed by the police and taken out of the house, Nanrong Wanqing slowly exhaled, feeling as if all her strength had left her, she slumped into her wheelchair.


    "Wanqing, are you okay?" Su Lin asked with concern, a trace of worry in her eyes.


    Nanrong Wanqing shook her head, despite her physical weakness, and said with a pale face: "Uncle Liu, please go and hire awyer immediately."


    "Miss, please rest for a while, don¡¯t harm yourself."


    "How can I rest at a time like this?" Nanrong Wanqing said with a bitter smile, "Uncle Liu, don¡¯t tell grandpa about this for now. He just recovered from his illness, I¡¯m afraid it would hit him hard."


    "I understand, but with such a big incident, I¡¯m afraid it can¡¯t be concealed."


    "Just do your best."


    ...


    In a luxurious vi in the city.


    Zhu Hong sat on a leather sofa, legs crossed, holding a ss of red wine in his hand, an elegant and charming smile on his face.


    At this moment, Zhang Xueli walked in from outside, saying, "Mr. Zhu, everything has been taken care of. Nanrong Hao has been taken away by the police, and everything is going ording to n."


    "Excellent!" Zhu Hong smiled faintly, raising his ss, "Miss Zhang, I was right about you, your ability to handle things is strong."


    "Mr. Zhu, you are targeting the Nanrong family everywhere, could it be that you are aiming for the Nanrong family¡¯s assets?"


    "Assets? Miss Zhang, my ambitions aren¡¯t that low. Money to me is just a number; I don¡¯t care about that. However, if you want to think that way, it¡¯s not wrong. If things go smoothly, the Nanrong family¡¯s wealth will sooner orter be mine." With these words, Zhu Hong put down his wine ss and stood up, "Miss Zhang, I may not be at home for the next few days, contact me via phone if anythinges up."


    "Where are you going?"


    Zhu Hong curled his lips into a smile: "With such a big incident happening in the Nanrong family, as a friend of Nanrong Wanqing, it¡¯s only right for me to show my concern. Don¡¯t you think?"


    A day passed.


    "What! Nanrong Hao has been arrested?"


    Holding the phone, Ling Chen stood up and said, "Fatty, what is going on, exin it to me clearly."


    "It¡¯s said he¡¯s suspected of murder, I don¡¯t know the details. Nanrong Hao has been detained, locked up in the police station."


    "Okay, I got it."


    After hanging up the phone, Ling Chen calmed down and sat back in his chair, frowning slightly.


    Nanrong Hao being charged with murder, he couldn¡¯t believe it. Although he had known Nanrong Hao for only a few months, he understood his character well; Nanrong Hao would never do such a thing.


    These few days, first, the Nanrong family was allegedly involved in smuggling, and now this has happened to Nanrong Hao. Two incidents happening so close together couldn¡¯t be a coincidence, someone must be pulling strings from behind.


    "I wonder how she is doing now."


    Muttering to himself, Ling Chen¡¯s brows were filled with a trace of concern. With Nanrong Hao arrested, the Nanrong family was probably in chaos now. After all, if Nanrong Hao¡¯s charges were proven true, the consequences were evident. And as the only male heir of the Nanrong Family, if anything happened to him, the family line would end.


    After contemting for a while, he stood up and left the room.


    Night fell.


    At the headquarters of the East Sea City Police Department.


    In the detention cell, Nanrong Hao slumped on the bed, dressed in a prison uniform, staring nkly at the iron bars outside, motionless for a long time, like a lifeless statue.


    Bang!


    Suddenly, a muffled noise came through. Nanrong Hao turned his head, only to see the guard outside the detention cell copsing to the ground as if he had fainted.


    He was a little staggered, his mind wasn¡¯t caught up yet, but a person had already appeared before his eyes.


    "Haozi."


    "Chen... Brother Chen? You, you..." Nanrong Hao hurriedly got up, ran to the bars with a surprised look on his face, looking at the person who came.


    "I know you have questions for me, but don¡¯t ask too much now. I¡¯ve heard about your situation, what happened?"


    With a distressed face, Nanrong Hao said: "Brother Chen, I didn¡¯t kill anyone, I¡¯ve been framed."


    "I believe you, otherwise, I wouldn¡¯te to see you. Don¡¯t worry, take your time to exin everything clearly."


    Nanrong Hao nodded and recounted the events of that night in detail, "Brother Chen, Hao was with me that night, he can testify for me."

 Chapter 221 - 217 Difficult Times

    <h4>Chapter 221: Chapter 217 Difficult Times</h4><h4></h4>


    "This isn¡¯t a matter of whether or not you can testify, someone is out to harm the Nanrong Family, that¡¯s why they designed this trap for you. Don¡¯t worry too much, I will definitely help clear your name and get you out." After a pause, Ling Chen instructed, "Also, don¡¯t mention to anyone that you¡¯ve seen me, including your sister. Do you hear me?"


    "Chen, rest assured, I won¡¯t say a word."


    If not for this incident, Ling Chen would not have made an appearance so readily. He was still in a period of concealment, and until he had gathered the intelligence about Zhu Hong, he preferred not to reveal himself.


    Leaving the police station without a sound, Ling Chen went straight back to his temporary residence in the neighborhood.


    As he entered the door, the dense aroma of braised food immediately hit his nose.


    Arriving in the living room, he saw Hu Fei sitting in front of a square table with several fast food containers filled with different kinds of braised dishes and apanied by a few bottles of beer. Hu Fei was holding a pork knuckle, gnawing at it with greasy lips in relish.


    "Hey, you¡¯re finally back. I bought you supper, let¡¯s have some together." Hu Fei called out.


    Ling Chen casually picked up a piece of braised meat and stuffed it into his mouth, smacking his lips: "How is it, any findings?"


    "That depends on what you¡¯re asking." While speaking, Hu Fei spat out a bone and wiped his hands with a napkin, "Let¡¯s start with the Snake King¡¯s affair. I¡¯ve checked into Nanrong Zhengqing, there¡¯s a domestic record of him, though it¡¯s notplete, but I found a name that proves a significant rtionship with Nanrong Gang. Nanrong Zhengqing¡¯s mother is actually Nanrong Gang¡¯s ex-wife."


    Ling Chen nodded, "The Snake King must have been aware of the grudge between Nanrong Gang and the Nanrong Family, hence his act of revenge. Put that aside for now, and tell me about Nanrong Hao, have you found anything?"


    "The matter with Nanrong Hao is simple, he¡¯s done for. I¡¯ve checked all the evidence, and the most crucial piece is that dagger, it has Nanrong Hao¡¯s fingerprints on it. Just based on that alone, it¡¯s enough to convict him."


    "I just visited him at the police station, he told me that he and Jiang Hao were out drinking until after eleven o¡¯clock that night before leaving."


    "All that¡¯s useless, the time of death for the victim is between eleven at night and midnight, during which Nanrong Hao was alone, no one can alibi for him. Ling Chen, I advise you not to waste your effort. Their arrangement is wless, leaving no loopholes unless you can find the real mastermind behind the scenes. But right now, there isn¡¯t a single clue to start with." As he finished speaking, Hu Fei suddenly thought of something, his eyes lighting up, "Since Nanrong Zhengqing has a score to settle with the Nanrong Family, could it be him..."


    "It couldn¡¯t be him." Ling Chen immediately dismissed his conjecture. "Nanrong Zhengqing is an assassin, he could easily do it himself, why make it soplicated?"


    Hu Fei spread his hands, "Then there¡¯s nothing we can do. To me, saving Nanrong Hao through official procedures is impossible, we¡¯d have to resort to other means. Think about it, the biggest piece of evidence against Nanrong Hao is that dagger, the most crucial piece of evidence. If the evidence disappears, gets lost, can¡¯t be found, then what can the judge convict on?"


    Upon hearing his suggestion, Ling Chen felt tempted; it was a good idea. Since Nanrong Hao was framed by someone using such means, he might as well employ some tactics himself. No matter what, he couldn¡¯t let anything happen to Nanrong Hao.


    Having realized this, he felt much more relieved.


    ...


    Wealthy Manor No. 118.


    Two days have passed since Nanrong Hao was arrested. During these forty-eight hours, Nanrong Wanqing has not been idle, running around for the sake of her brother.


    As the chairwoman of Hongyu Group and a public figure in East Sea City, she now put aside her nobility and status, pleading for help everywhere. Lawyers told her if there is no additional evidence, the chances of overturning Nanrong Hao¡¯s case are slim. Moreover, Nanrong Hao was already eighteen years old, capable of bearing criminal responsibility and unless a miracle happened, his conviction was a sure thing.


    With the situation having reached this point, Nanrong Wanqing didn¡¯t want to give up, nor could she. Nanrong Hao was the only male in the Nanrong Family, he must not have any mishaps.


    Since she couldn¡¯t save Nanrong Hao through legal avenues, her only option was to use herwork of rtionships and favors.


    However, the day after the incident, a sudden piece of news almost drove her to despair.


    The tabloids in East Sea City reported the murder case of Nanrong Hao. The news spread like wildfire, and within just one day, the case became public knowledge.


    All eyes were on the Nanrong Family, curious to see how they would respond.


    Under such circumstances, no one dared to offer help. Because everyone knew clearly, the case against Nanrong Hao was irrefutable, and there was no chance of overturning it.


    A life for a life, this was to be Nanrong Hao¡¯s ultimate fate.


    "Chairwoman, we¡¯ve arrived."


    Zhong Wei opened the car door, helped Nanrong Wanqing out, and came to the front of a small building.


    Ding-dong!


    The doorbell chimed, and the door was quickly opened by a middle-aged woman who looked at Nanrong Wanqing outside and asked: "May I know who you are looking for?"


    "Hello, I am Wanqing from Hongyu Group, I¡¯m here to see Director Zhang."


    "Oh, it¡¯s Miss Nanrong." The middle-aged woman smiled apologetically, "I¡¯m sorry, but Director Zhang isn¡¯t home today, he¡¯s gone to a meeting in the city."


    "When will he be back?"


    "I can¡¯t say for sure. How about this, Miss Nanrong, leave me your number, and I¡¯ll have him call you back when he returns."


    "Thank you!"


    After handing over her business card, Nanrong Wanqing returned to the car, her expression deste, her exquisite face tinged with sorrow.


    "Chairwoman..." Zhong Wei hesitated before speaking, "This is the fifth refusal we¡¯ve encountered, we..."


    "Let¡¯s move on to the next one."


    Nanrong Wanqing looked out of the car window, speaking faintly. No matter what, as long as there was a glimmer of hope, she wouldn¡¯t give up. If she couldn¡¯t clear Nanrong Hao¡¯s name, she would find a way to save his life. As long as he is alive, there¡¯s always hope.


    In the midst of this, Zhong Wei received a phone call, his expression suddenly turned solemn.


    "Chairwoman, Housekeeper Liu says the old master fainted upon learning of Nanrong Hao¡¯s situation."


    Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s expression changed. She quickly said, "Let¡¯s go back immediately!"


    Two hourster.


    In Nanrong Yong¡¯s bedroom, Nanrong Wanqing sat by the bed, looking at the unconscious and intravenously fed Nanrong Yong, her face wan and forlorn.


    "Grandfather..."


    She whispered softly, her ster eyes devoid of light, a glistening tear shimmering uncertainly, her eyes red at the rims.


    She never imagined that in just a day, the Nanrong Family would suffer such a cmity. Who on earth wanted to push the Nanrong Family to their demise, could there really be such deep hatred?


    As this crossed her mind, a tear rolled gently down her smooth cheek.

 Chapter 222 - 218: Meeting Again

    <h4>Chapter 222: Chapter 218: Meeting Again</h4><h4></h4>


    "Don¡¯t cry."


    Suddenly, a gentle voice sounded beside her ear, and a pair ofrge handsfortably rested on her delicate shoulders.


    Nanrong Wanqing was momentarily startled, turning her head to look at the neer, only to see a remarkably handsome man standing behind her, his eyes filled with a hint of pity and tenderness.


    She gently wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes,posed herself, and asked, "How did you get here?"


    "Such a big incident has urred in the Nanrong family; of course, I had toe and see you. Wanqing, I know you are suffering now. Believe me, I will stay with you and help you through this difficult time."


    Looking at Nanrong Yong lying unconscious on the bed, a sour feeling surged in Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s heart, her eyes reddening as she said, "Zhu Hong, I¡¯m scared... I¡¯m really scared..."


    "Don¡¯t be afraid, I¡¯m here with you. Even if the sky falls, I¡¯ll hold it up for you. Don¡¯t give up until the veryst moment. I still have some connections in East Sea City; I will ask them for help to see if there is a chance to turn things around."


    "Thank you."


    Zhu Hong gave a slight smile: "Why be so formal between us? I¡¯ve told you, no matter how you treat me, my feelings for you will never change. Now, let me take you home to rest. People around you said you haven¡¯t slept for a whole day and night. No matter how worried you are, you can¡¯t wear yourself out."


    "Mhm."


    Returning to the vi in the backyard, Nanrong Wanqing noticed two bodyguards in suits following Zhu Hong, each carrying a suitcase.


    "What is this..."


    "I will stay here with you for a few days," Zhu Hong said gently. "Now, with Nanrong Hao detained by the police and the old man fallen ill, there are no men in Nanrong family; I cannot let you face this alone. You may not care about yourself, but I do. Let me take care of you until this is resolved."


    As he spoke, he nced at the bedroom next to the living room, "I¡¯ll stay there."


    Looking at the bedroom Zhu Hong pointed to, Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s eyes suddenly fixed on it. That had been Ling Chen¡¯s room, and it had been vacant since he left.


    Ling Chen...


    Nanrong Wanqing bit her lip slightly, feeling some resentment inside. Why, why did you have to leave? If you were here, perhaps Nanrong Hao wouldn¡¯t have gone to the Old City, and things wouldn¡¯t have escted to this stage.


    After escorting Nanrong Wanqing back to her room, Zhu Hong went downstairs and stepped into that bedroom.


    He pushed the door open to see aputer on the desk and a photo frame beside it with an old photo inside. He casually picked up the photo, nced at it, scoffed, and threw it directly into the trash bin.


    "You two, clear everything out. Anything belonging to Ling Chen, throw it all away, and don¡¯t leave anything."


    ...


    The night fell.


    Ling Chen sat alone in his room, looking out the window at the starless night sky, a hint of hesitation shing in his eyes.


    Hu Fei had just visited him, bringing news that kept echoing in his mind. Nanrong Yong had fallen ill and was currently unconscious. Together with the arrest of Nanrong Hao, the two pirs of the Nanrong family had fallen. Now, it all depended on the frail shoulders of Nanrong Wanqing.


    With so much happening, he wondered if she could withstand it. Thinking of Nanrong Wanqing made Ling Chen worry. No matter how strong Nanrong Wanqing was, she was ultimately a woman. In such difficult times, alone and unsupported, anyone else might have already copsed.


    At that thought, a strong impulse surged in his heart.


    "I can¡¯t worry about so much now."


    He gritted his teeth, stood up, and rushed out of the room.


    Half an hourter.


    Upon arriving at Wealthy Manor No. 118, Ling Chen¡¯s gaze was immediately drawn to a Mercedes-Benz outside the door.


    Zhu Hong!


    He frowned slightly; this guy was here too. It made sense, after all, Zhu Hong wouldn¡¯t miss such a good opportunity.


    He initially wanted to meet Nanrong Wanqing directly, but since Zhu Hong was present, he obviously couldn¡¯t just walk in openly. Never mind, he thought, I¡¯ll just sneak a peek. As long as she is alright, he would feel much more at ease.


    At that moment, he circled around to the back of the vi and climbed over the wall into the Nanrong Family¡¯s residence. Ling Chen had set up the Nanrong Family¡¯s security system himself; he knew every camera and detector like the back of his hand. It didn¡¯t take him long to reach the white vi where Nanrong Wanqing lived.


    Seeing the lights on in the living room, he stealthily climbed to the second-floor bedroom balcony and then slipped through the ss window.


    However, just as he was about to leave through the door, he heard footsteps and the voices of Nanrong Wanqing and Zhu Hong outside the door. Clearly, the two were walking towards the room.


    As they reached the door, with the doorknob twisting, Ling Chen had no time to retreat the way he hade. His gaze shifted, and he immediately darted under the bed.


    Just after he hid, the door was pushed open. Following closely, Zhu Hong was seen wheeling Nanrong Wanqing into the room.


    "Wanqing, do you want me to stay and chat?"


    "No need, I want to rest early. You must be tired today too, get some sleep early. We have a lot more to do tomorrow."


    "Well then, I¡¯ll sleep downstairs. Call me if you need anything. Good night!"


    "Good night!"


    Listening to their conversation, Ling Chen felt extremely displeased; Zhu Hong was actually staying in the Nanrong Family¡¯s house, and even in his former room.


    After Zhu Hong left the room, Nanrong Wanqing alone wheeled herself to the bedside. She propped herself up with her hands, moved onto the bed, then began unbuttoning her clothes, revealing her delicate shoulders and fair skin. After changing into a thin nightgown, she pulled back the covers andy down.


    Under the bed, Ling Chen tried to control his breathing, daring not to make much noise, lest he be heard by Nanrong Wanqing.


    He waited quietly for about five minutes until the lights in the room were finally turned off. After a while, hearing Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s breathing gradually be even, suggesting she had fallen asleep, Ling Chen carefully crawled out from under the bed, his eyes fixed on the sleeping Nanrong Wanqing.


    Having not seen her for a while, she was still so beautiful, utterly captivating. But her face seemed a bit pale, with a hint of exhaustion, presumably thinking over issues rted to Nanrong Hao these past days.


    "Don¡¯t worry, with me here, everything will get better," he sighed softly and murmured.


    With that, he turned and walked towards the balcony. However, just after taking a few steps, he suddenly heard a movement from the bed. Turning his head, he was surprised to find Nanrong Wanqing had opened her eyes and was watching his retreating figure.


    In the darkness, their eyes met, neither of them spoke.


    After a while, Nanrong Wanqing sat up in bed, her lips slightly parted, her voice tinged with a trace of indifference: "I thought you had left. Why did youe back?"


    Although her tone was cold, her eyes held a hint of tearfulness. Only she knew what that meant.


    (Brothers and sisters, please rmend and bookmark, love you all.)

 Chapter 223 - 219: Why Not?

    <h4>Chapter 223: Chapter 219: Why Not?</h4><h4></h4>


    Ling Chen opened his mouth and, looking at Nanrong Wanqing in the pitch-dark, didn¡¯t know what to say. After some thought, the words "I¡¯m sorry" finally came out of his mouth.


    Nanrong Wanqing bit her lip corner, as if an overwhelming wave of sourness hit her heart at that instant, her beautiful eyes reddened. She took a deep breath, trying hard to adjust her emotions, "Didn¡¯t you say you would nevere back to East Sea City?"


    "I..." Ling Chen gave a bitter smile and fell into silence. It wasn¡¯t him who said that. Tang Yuan thought he had died afar, so he made up that lie to cover up the true circumstances of his death.


    Hearing the faint sobbing from the bed, Ling Chen¡¯s heart softened. He went to the bedside and exined, "I¡¯m sorry, I thought I couldn¡¯t make it back before, so I... I had no intention to deceive you."


    "Now that you¡¯re back, why not juste through the front door? Why sneak into my room?"


    "I wanted to see you, but I saw Zhu Hong was there, and it wasn¡¯t convenient, so I thought I¡¯d sneak in and take a nce at you."


    Hearing this, Nanrong Wanqing lowered her brows, a strange light flickering in her eyes. She wiped the tears that lingered at the corners of her eyes and asked, "Are you going to leave again?"


    Ling Chen shrugged his shoulders, his expression indifferent, "Zhu Hong has moved into the Nanrong family, hasn¡¯t he? With him helping you, I believe you don¡¯t need my help."


    Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s lips curled slightly, with a faint smile. As clever as she was, how could she not hear the jealousy in Ling Chen¡¯s words.


    "Zhu Hong moved in on his own, I didn¡¯t ask him to stay. Besides, so much has happened with the Nanrong family; I indeed need help. If you were here, he would not havee."


    "How¡¯s the old gentleman¡¯s health?"


    "The doctor says he¡¯s been greatly stressed and needs some time to recuperate." Nanrong Wanqing dropped the smile from her lips, her face full of worry, "Grandfather¡¯s health is not the issue; it¡¯s Nanrong Hao, he... I really don¡¯t know what to do. Thewyer says the evidence is conclusive; it¡¯s unlikely for Nanrong Hao to be acquitted. I¡¯ve been seeking help everywhere but there¡¯s no hope. Ling Chen, can you help me contact Mr. Han?"


    "Mr. Han?" Ling Chen was startled momentarily and then understood her intent, "You mean Han Bing?"


    "Hongyu Group is currently cooperating with the military, I am willing to provide the technology to them for free, I don¡¯t want anything in return, I just hope they can help me and let Nanrong Hao go."


    "This..." Ling Chen hesitated.


    It was very possible that the elder general would agree to such a request from Nanrong Wanqing. With Elder Han¡¯s status, he could certainly use some special privileges.


    "Wanqing, don¡¯t be too anxious. Things haven¡¯t reached an irreversible point. Nanrong Hao is framed. If the true culprit behind the scenes isn¡¯t found, even if he survives this crisis, there may still be a next time. Rest assured, Haozi is my friend; I will do my utmost to help clear his name and find the real perpetrator. If there¡¯s still no turnaround before the trial, then we¡¯ll seek help from Mr. Han. All in all, I promise you that Haozi won¡¯t be in danger."


    "Mm." Nanrong Wanqing nodded slightly, "I believe you."


    "Wanqing!"


    Just then, Su Lin¡¯s voice came from outside the door. Following that, the door was pushed open, and Su Lin stepped inside.


    Ling Chen was taken aback by Su Lin¡¯s abrupt arrival; he had not anticipated Su Lin¡¯s entrance at that moment. Moreover, with the door already open, he faintly saw Su Lin¡¯s hand reaching for the light switch on the wall.


    In the instant the lights turned on, Ling Chen couldn¡¯t find anyce else to hide and simply lied down on the bed, reaching his hand out to pull over the covers, nketing his entire body, including his head.


    Nanrong Wanqing clearly hadn¡¯t expected Ling Chen to make such a move, and was involuntarily taken aback. Feeling his body pressed against hers, her pretty face blushed slightly as she looked at the approaching Su Lin, her beautiful eyes filled with nervousness.


    "Wanqing, why is your face so red?" Su Lin asked with concern, "You¡¯re not sick, are you?" Saying that, she reached out to touch Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s forehead.


    "I¡¯m fine."


    Nanrong Wanqing held the covers tightly, shielding everything below her neck, and attempted to maintain herposure as she spoke, "It¡¯s sote, why haven¡¯t you gone to rest?"


    Su Lin nced around the room, "I just happened to pass by your door and thought I heard voices in your room, so I came to check."


    "That must have been your imagination."


    Listening to the conversation between Nanrong Wanqing and Su Lin, Ling Chen hid under the covers, not daring to move rashly, afraid that Su Lin would discover him. However, being so close to Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s delicate body and smelling the faint scent of a maiden, he couldn¡¯t help feeling restless.


    Moreover, Nanrong Wanqing was only wearing a thin, gauze-like nightgown, and through thatyer of fabric, he could clearly feel Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s supple skin. Involuntarily, the memory of holding a bare Nanrong Wanqing in his arms surfaced in his mind, and he secretly swallowed his saliva.


    "Wanqing, you must take care of your health, don¡¯t overwork yourself," Su Lin said as she sat beside the bed, her tone full of concern.


    "Mhm, I know. It¡¯s gettingte, you should go to rest."


    "How about I sleep with you tonight?"


    "No way!" Nanrong Wanqing blurted out, swiftly rejecting the offer. If Su Lin stayed, Ling Chen hiding under the covers would surely be discovered. Even though Su Lin was her cousin, such a humiliating incident was something she was too embarrassed to let anyone know about. Aside from her family, no other men had ever entered her room, not even Zhu Hong, who would only escort her to the door without daring to enter.


    If Su Lin saw Ling Chen in bed with her, who knows what she would think.


    "Why not?" Su Lin asked, puzzled, "Didn¡¯t we often sleep together in the past?"


    "I... I¡¯m feeling a bit under the weather today," Nanrong Wanqing prevaricated.


    Su Lin immediately understood and nodded, "Alright then, you should rest early. I won¡¯t disturb you anymore." With those words, she stood up, left the room, and turned off the light.


    Seeing Su Lin leave, Nanrong Wanqing secretly breathed a sigh of relief, holding back the embarrassment in her heart, and gently lifted the covers.


    "Come out now; she¡¯s gone."


    Ling Chen poked his head out and looked at the beauty so close at hand. His inner restlessness intensified, a me ignited in his abdomen, burning, bing more and more intense.


    The bright moonlight shone through the window, casting a dim light inside. Feeling Ling Chen¡¯s fervent gaze, Nanrong Wanqing unconsciously lowered her head, her beautiful eyes bashful, her pretty face flushed with two blushes, stunning beyond measure.


    Looking at her shy demeanor, Ling Chen swallowed his saliva, his body like a wildfire spreading uncontrobly, unable to suppress the me that was spreading. As if beyond his control, his fingertips slowly leaned closer to Nanrong Wanqing, tentatively touching her tender body.

 Chapter 224 - 220: A Romantic Late Night Snack

    <h4>Chapter 224: Chapter 220: A Romantic Late Night Snack</h4><h4></h4>


    Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s body trembled slightly, her hands tightly clutching the sheets, involuntarily she lowered her head, biting the corner of her mouth lightly, aplex expression flickering in her beautiful eyes¡ªuncertain if it was nervousness or anticipation.


    Seeing she offered no resistance, Ling Chen¡¯s heart secretly leaped with joy. He shifted his body closer to her and wrapped his arms around her from above, gently holding her delicate body.


    Feeling his increasingly bold movements, Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s breathing became rapid. Her eyes involuntarily closed; her body was tightly tensed, and her palms were sweaty. Meanwhile, she heard Ling Chen¡¯s breathing getting closer from the side, her face blushing even more, unbearably hot.


    What... what does he want to do?


    Caught up in her frantic thoughts, she suddenly felt Ling Chen¡¯srge hand on her stomach, gently stroking it. The gentle movements and the warmth from his palm feltfortable, gradually rxing her body.


    However, before she could speak, she saw Ling Chen lower his head, and her lips were sealed. For a moment, her mind went nk, forgetting everything she wanted to say.


    "Don¡¯t..."


    Nanrong Wanqing braced against his chest, pushing him away.


    "What¡¯s wrong?"


    Nanrong Wanqing, with a flush on her face, whispered weakly, "I... I can¡¯t breathe."


    "Now?"


    "Much better... mm..."


    Feeling Ling Chen¡¯s lips pressing against hers again, Nanrong Wanqing shyly extended her hands, wrapping them around his broad back, awkwardly responding to him.


    At this moment, outside the room, in the corridor, Zhu Hong holding several takeout boxes, walking with a smile, approached Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s room and gently knocked on the door.


    "Wanqing, are you asleep?"


    Hearing Zhu Hong¡¯s voice, Ling Chen raised his head and looked towards the door, feeling slightly annoyed. Why did he have to show up at this exact moment? It was irksome.


    "Is there something you need?" Nanrong Wanqing asked, still catching her breath, her blush not yet faded.


    "I noticed you didn¡¯t have dinner. I was worried you might be hungry, so I brought you somete-night snacks. Would you like to eat something?"


    "No need, thank you!"


    As Zhu Hong¡¯s footsteps receded, Ling Chen turned to look at Nanrong Wanqing beneath him; her flushed cheeks and tempting lips nearly made him lose control.


    Feeling his gaze and recalling their intimate actions, Nanrong Wanqing bashfully scolded, "You¡¯re still looking!"


    With a slight smile on his lips, Ling Chen replied, "We¡¯ve already kissed, am I not allowed to look?"


    "You still say..." Nanrong Wanqing blushed as she pushed him away, wrapping herself tightly in the nket, even covering her mouth, fearing he would take advantage of her again.


    Seeing her vigntly guarding against him, Ling Chen couldn¡¯t help but smile wryly. They had already gone that far, what was there to be shy about? He was just about to speak when suddenly a rumbling sound entered his ears.


    "Are you hungry?" he asked with augh.


    "Mhm," Nanrong Wanqing nodded bashfully,ining, "It¡¯s all your fault!"


    She had been fine before, but their recent activities had drained all her energy.


    "Alright, alright, my fault," Ling Chen quickly replied, eyes twinkling, "How about we go out and grab something to eat?"


    "Aren¡¯t you avoiding Zhu Hong? He lives downstairs, and his bodyguards are guarding the entrance."


    "No worries, I have a way to leave without them noticing," he said, then got up, "You should get dressed first."


    Nanrong Wanqing took her clothes, about to change. However, seeing Ling Chen staring intently at her, she blushed, "No peeking."


    Ling Chen shrugged, grinned, and then turned around, his back facing her.


    After Nanrong Wanqing had changed, Ling Chen sat on the bed and patted his shoulder, "Hop on!"


    Understanding his intention, Nanrong Wanqingy on his back, wrapping her arms around his neck, and inquired, "How will we get out?"


    "The same way we came in."


    With that, Ling Chen, carrying her, walked to the balcony and smoothly climbed down using the installed pipes.


    Seeing him head straight for the boundary wall, Nanrong Wanqing quickly reminded, "What about the wheelchair?"


    "With me carrying you, what need do we have for a wheelchair?"


    Nanrong Wanqing nodded, a warm feeling spreading through her heart.


    Having scaled the wall out of the Nanrong Family estate, Ling Chen hailed a taxi and headed straight for the snack street.


    It was already 10:30 p.m., but the snack street was still bustling with activity. Ling had brought Nanrong Wanqing here once before, knowing she was interested in the local delicacies, so he chose this familiar ce again tonight.


    Carrying Nanrong Wanqing, Ling maneuvered through the crowd, immediately attracting many curious gazes.


    Passing couples, seeing their intimate demeanor, the girls envied them immensely, pulling their boyfriends along, saying, "Look at how good that boyfriend is, aware of how to care for his girlfriend."


    Listening to the couple¡¯s conversation, Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s lips curled up into a sweet smile, leaning her face against Ling Chen¡¯s shoulder.


    "What would you like to eat?"


    "Anything."


    Right now, she truly didn¡¯t mind anything, as long as the person beside her was there, she was content no matter what they ate.


    "Then let¡¯s have rice noodle rolls, you said you loved their tastest time."


    Reaching the rice noodle roll stall, Ling Chen found a seat, ordered two bowls of rice noodle rolls from the owner, and then dashed to the side of the street to buy two bottles of mineral water.


    Shortly after, the two bowls of rice noodle rolls were served. Ling handed over a pair of chopsticks, saying, "Eat them while they¡¯re hot."


    In the midst of speaking, he suddenly noticed someone sitting down beside him. Turning his head, he broke into a grin, "Oh, it¡¯s you."


    The young man beside him was none other than Jiang Yunkai, whom they had encountered before on the snack street.


    Thetter nodded, "I was just thinking a few days ago about when I might see you again, and here you are today." Addressing Nanrong Wanqing, he greeted her as well.


    "Last time you left in a hurry, I didn¡¯t even get your name."


    "My name is Ling Chen."


    "Ling Chen?" Jiang Yunkai¡¯s eyes hardened, a glint shing through them, "So, you are Ling Chen."


    Ling Chen inquired in surprise, "You know me?"


    "Ranked tenth on the Tiger List, of course, I know of you."


    Hearing this, Ling Chen suddenly realized. Jiang Yunkai was also a martial artist, and with considerable skill, he naturally knew of the Heaven and Earth Dragon and Tiger Four Rankings.

 Chapter 225 - 221: Challenge

    <h4>Chapter 225: Chapter 221: Challenge</h4><h4></h4>


    "Tiger List¡¯s Tenth?" Nanrong Wanqing, who was beside them, couldn¡¯t help but express her interest upon hearing the conversation of the two, curiously asking, "What is Tiger List¡¯s Tenth?"


    Jiang Yunkai gave a slight smile, "You haven¡¯t told your girlfriend? I can¡¯t tell, but you¡¯re quite good at hiding." He paused for a moment, then exined, "Beauty, there are four rankings of top masters in the world, known as the Heavenly List, Earthly List, Dragon List, and Tiger List, each list containing ten people. The Heavenly List is the highest, while the Tiger List is at the bottom, and your boyfriend is the master ranked tenth on the Tiger List."


    Nanrong Wanqing looked at Ling Chen, "The Tenth on the Tiger List, isn¡¯t that the weakest?"


    Er...


    Ling Chen and Jiang Yunkai looked at each other, lost for words.


    "What¡¯s wrong, did I say something incorrect?" Wanqing, seeing their expressions, asked in confusion.


    "No, you didn¡¯t say anything wrong, the Tenth on the Tiger List is indeed the weakest," Ling Chen said with a smile, burying his head in eating the rice noodle roll in his bowl.


    Jiang Yunkai patiently exined, "Beauty, you can¡¯t say it like that. There are millions practicing martial arts, and only forty people can be on the lists, each one being a top master among millions. Do you know how many people devote their whole lives just aiming to be on the list? Your boyfriend is only in his twenties and already ranked Tenth on the Tiger List, which is a very impressive aplishment."


    Hearing this, Wanqing¡¯s gaze towards Ling Chen was filled with admiration. She knew Ling Chen was formidable, but she hadn¡¯t realized his prowess was to this extent. With over a billion people in Huaxia, only forty had the qualifications to be on the list, and she obviously knew what that meant.


    At that thought, she suddenly realized that she actually didn¡¯t know much about Ling Chen¡¯s past. She was also unaware of what he had been through over the years to earn such achievements.


    Faced with Jiang Yunkai¡¯s praises, Ling Chen modestly said, "Don¡¯t say that, in Huaxia, there are hidden dragons and crouching tigers, unknown masters concealing their names. Compared to them, I¡¯m not that outstanding, being on the list is just due to good luck."


    "Luck is also part of one¡¯s strength," Jiang Yunkai said as he stood up, gave a respectful fist salute towards Ling Chen, and said earnestly, "I¡¯ve wanted to challenge the masters of the Tiger List for a long time. Last month I even sent a challenge card to Mr. Ye, nning to go to the capital to have a friendly sparring with him. Now that you¡¯ve taken the Tenth rank on the Tiger List, I hope you can give me a chance."


    "Now?"


    "Yes, right now!"


    "Sorry." Ling Chen shook his head, refusing, "I¡¯m not in the mood for a sparring contest right now, but how about this? Leave your phone number with me, and I¡¯ll call you when I¡¯m free."


    Jiang Yunkai nced at Nanrong Wanqing, mistaking the refusal as Ling Chen not wanting to fight in front of his girlfriend, and said, "Alright then."


    Having left his phone number, Jiang Yunkai got up and said, "I won¡¯t disturb you two any longer. Ling Chen, remember to call me."


    "Definitely."


    After Jiang Yunkai left, Nanrong Wanqing asked, "Are you really going to ept his challenge?"


    "No choice, I can¡¯t refuse, it¡¯s the rule," Ling Chen shrugged helplessly. Ye Liangyong had once told him that any challenge must be epted. Although it was somewhat troublesome, it was a rule set by the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion. Moreover, sparring with someone of simr skill level is also a kind of improvement for martial practitioners.


    After finishing the rice noodle roll, Ling Chen took Nanrong Wanqing for a stroll around, buying some snacks, and it wasn¡¯t until eleven-thirty that he took Wanqing back home.


    Climbing back into the room, he held Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s delicate body, gently cing her on the bed, then thoughtfully covered her with the nket.


    "Rest well, I¡¯m heading back now."


    Seeing him turn to leave, Nanrong Wanqing quickly stretched out her hand and grabbed his wrist.


    "What¡¯s wrong?"


    Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s face blushed as she asked, "Are you...ing over tomorrow?"


    Ling Chen smiled, "Whenever you want, I¡¯ll be there." As he was speaking, he reminded her, "By the way, don¡¯t mention me in front of Zhu Hong."


    "Why?"


    "Don¡¯t ask so many questions for now; I¡¯ll exin the reasons to youter. Also, don¡¯t worry about Haozi¡¯s affair. Just go to work with peace of mind and take good care of the old master. I¡¯ll take care of the rest."


    "Okay."


    Watching Ling Chen leave the balcony, Nanrong Wanqing turned over, resting her head on her hand, her eyes lightly closed, and it wasn¡¯t long before she drifted into dreand.


    In her sleep, she seemed to dream about something joyful; her lips unconsciously lifted into a sweet smile.


    ...


    The next day.


    Nanrong Wanqing came down from upstairs to the dining room, just in time to see Zhu Honging out of his room.


    "Wanqing, did you sleep wellst night?"


    "Pretty well." Recallingst night¡¯s experience, her pretty face blushed, feeling blissful inside. At this moment, she just wished for night toe quickly so she could see Ling Chen again.


    "Wanqing, I¡¯ve contacted a friend who has some connections in East Sea City. I¡¯ve mentioned Nanrong Hao¡¯s situation to him, and he says he can help. I¡¯ve made an appointment for you to meet him after breakfast."


    Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s lips parted, ready to say ¡¯okay¡¯, but remembering Ling Chen¡¯s instructions fromst night, she hesitated briefly and then gently shook her head: "I won¡¯t go."


    "Not go?" Zhu Hong was taken aback by her refusal, puzzled: "Why?"


    As they spoke, Zhong Wei and Liang Zhao Hui walked in from outside.


    "Chairman, the car is arranged."


    "It¡¯s gettingte; we should go."


    Zhu Hong hurriedly asked, "Where are you going?"


    "To thepany." Nanrong Wanqing replied indifferently, "Thank you for your help these past few days, but I¡¯ve figured things out. Nanrong Hao¡¯s situation is set in stone and cannot be changed. Given that, I might as well focus on Hongyu Group. I can¡¯t allow the Nanrong Family to copse entirely because of Nanrong Hao."


    Hearing this, Zhu Hong¡¯s expression changed.


    "Wanqing..."


    "There¡¯s no need to say more. You should move back today; I¡¯m not quitefortable having a man living in the house."


    Watching Nanrong Wanqing leave, Zhu Hong furrowed his brows, hisplexion slightly ashen. He didn¡¯t understand why her attitude had taken such a sudden turn since yesterday¡ªcould she have noticed something?


    Impossible! He had been wlessly discreet; she couldn¡¯t possibly know.


    But what infuriated him the most was Nanrong Wanqing¡¯sst remark.


    Not quitefortable having a man living in the house?


    Was Ling Chen not a man before? She could let Ling Chen live in her house, so why couldn¡¯t he? Was there such a big difference between himself and Ling Chen in her eyes?


    As he thought about it, a fierce rage began to burn within him, his eyes filled with a murderous intent.


    Taking a deep breath, he forced himself to calm down. Ling Chen was already dead; why bother with a dead man? There would be opportunities in the future, he thought. Sooner orter, he would make Nanrong Wanqing wholeheartedly follow him.


    At that moment, a ringtone from a phone call suddenly sounded. He answered it and gave a simple "Hello". Whatever was said on the other side made his face change dramatically.


    (Don¡¯t you think today¡¯s content is worth collecting and rmending?)

 Chapter 226 - 222 Zhu Hong Gets Tricked

    <h4>Chapter 226: Chapter 222 Zhu Hong Gets Tricked</h4><h4></h4>


    Leaving the Nanrong Family, Zhu Hong, surrounded by several suited bodyguards, quickly got into a Mercedes and urged, "Hurry, let¡¯s head back to thepany immediately."


    Originally a half-hour journey, it took less than twenty minutes before the group arrived in front of the office building where Boyang Company was located.


    Ding!


    The elevator doors opened, and Zhu Hong charged ahead, swiftly entering thepany¡¯s main door and heading straight for his office. Upon entering, he was met with a scene of utter disarray; all the office items were scattered about, including the leather sofa which was shed open with a dagger, exposing the fluffy cotton inside, and even the paintings on the walls were not spared.


    Zhu Hong clenched his fists tightly, his face looking dreadful, his eagle-like sharp eyes emitting a cold and harsh light. Several suited bodyguards stood by his side, not daring to breathe heavily for fear of angering their boss.


    Having followed their boss for so long, they were all too aware of the consequences of enraging him.


    "Mr. Zhu!"


    A staff member, who was cleaning up the clutter, quickly approached.


    "When did this happen?" Zhu Hong gritted his teeth, his words coldly squeezing through them.


    "I arrived at the office this morning as usual to clean, and as soon as I entered, I found the office in chaos. Mr. Zhu, should we call the police?"


    "Call the police? I think you¡¯re out of your mind," Zhu Hong waved his hand impatiently, "Just get out, you don¡¯t need to worry about this." After speaking, he walked to his desk, turned on theputer, and then entered a line of startup password. After typing a few keys, several images immediately popped up on theputer screen.


    The images fully disyed every corner of the office. These were the secret surveince cameras he had installed in his office to prevent anyone from sneaking in. However, he quickly discovered that from two in the morning until six in the morning today, the surveince records had been deleted.


    The intruder not only cracked hisputer password but also deleted the surveince records. A person able to do this must be a professional. Such individuals are very cautious and wouldn¡¯t leave any clues behind.


    Fortunately, theputer did not store any confidential information, and there was no fear of it being stolen.


    Looking at the mess throughout the room, he slightly furrowed his brow, a sense of unease lingered in his mind. The intruder had turned the office upside down, obviously searching for something. With that in mind, he gestured to the suited bodyguards. They immediately understood, leaving the office and gently closing the door behind them.


    When only he was left in the room, Zhu Hong walked to the small bar in his office, took hold of a bottle of ¡¯84 Lafite, and gently turned it.


    Click!


    A crisp sound followed as a wooden cab below the bar sprung open, revealing a ck safe. He crouched down, input a series of numeric passwords, and after a retinal and fingerprint bi-scan, the safe finally opened.


    Looking at the materials stored inside, Zhu Hong breathed a sigh of relief. Regardless of who had entered his officest night, they had at least not discovered the safe.


    After closing the safe again, he stepped out of the office, called a suited bodyguard, and ordered, "From today on, thepany must have someone on watch 24 hours a day. If anything simr happens again, I trust you all know what the consequences will be without me saying."


    "Yes, boss."


    At this moment, from a building across the street, Ling Chen put down the binocrs, removed the listening earpiece, and looking at Hu Fei who was operating the equipment beside him, he smugly said, "Fatty, how about that, my idea isn¡¯t bad, right?"


    "You¡¯re just a blind cat running into a dead rat, Zhu Hong is a fool for falling for it so easily."


    Ling Chen grinned, feeling self-satisfied. He had been monitoring Zhu Hong for days with no real gains. Now that the Nanrong Family was in trouble, he didn¡¯t have much time to waste on Zhu Hong, and hence he came up with this n.


    Anyone with a guilty conscience, upon seeing their office vandalized, would first check if their most important possessions were missing¡ªa psychological reactionmon to everyone. He was exploiting this to make Zhu Hong involuntarily reveal his secret.


    "Now that we know the location of the safe, are you nning to sneak in again? Zhu Hong is already on guard; it won¡¯t be so easy for you to seed next time."


    "I know," Ling Chen nodded, "which is why I n to act now."


    "Now? Are you out of your mind? Sneaking into Boyang Company in broad daylight, do you think those people are blind?"


    "You see, even you didn¡¯t expect that, Zhu Hong certainly won¡¯t anticipate that I would break into theirpany at the least likely time. This is called ¡¯catching them unprepared¡¯, a strategy passed down from Sun Tzu. Look at you, all brawn and no brains, you wouldn¡¯t understand even if exined."


    "Ptui!" Hu Fei frowned displeasedly: "I graduated from a prestigious university, unlike you, who doesn¡¯t even have a primary school diploma, and yet you darepare yourself to me."


    "For smart people, diplomas are neither here nor there," Ling Chen waved dismissively, "Enough of this nonsense, let¡¯s get moving. I have other things to attend to tonight."


    "What could you possibly have?"


    Ling Chen revealed a meaningful smile, his lips curling up: "Of course, it¡¯s something good."


    Having made significant progress in his rtionship with Nanrong Wanqingst night, if it weren¡¯t for more important tasks awaiting him, he would be eager to see her now.


    After packing up the equipment, Ling Chen and Hu Fei each carried a backpack and took the elevator down.


    They got into Hu Fei¡¯s Santana, and as Hu Fei started the car, he asked, "Hey, how are you nning to get in?"


    Ling Chen¡¯s mouth curved slightly, he chuckled: "That¡¯s easy, of course, I¡¯ll just walk right in. Fatty, there¡¯s something else I need your help withter."


    "Alright, just tell me. As long as it¡¯s not arson or murder, I¡¯m in."


    "If you say that, how could I bring myself to ask."


    Hearing this, Hu Fei red, "You¡¯re not nning to make memit arson or murder, are you?" He shook his head repeatedly, "I¡¯m telling you, I have my limits, I won¡¯t get involved in anything violent, don¡¯t drag me down with you."


    Ling Chen shrugged nonchntly, sticking out a finger.


    "One million, will you do it?"


    Hu Fei¡¯s eyes lit up, his attitude clearly doing a 180, squinting he smiled and said: "You should have started with that. Forget arson or murder, climbing a mountain of swords or descending into a sea of mes wouldn¡¯t be a problem."


    Ling Chen sneered, this guy was nothing but greedy.


    "Enough, stop wasting time, let¡¯s head back. We still have some preparations to make to wrap things up today."


    "Alright!"


    Hu Fei pressed the elerator, and the Santana immediately merged into the traffic.


    One hourter.


    A Mercedes left the underground parking lot, followed closely by an Audi A5 that pulled up a

 Chapter 227 - 223: The Safe (Part 1)

    <h4>Chapter 227: Chapter 223: The Safe (Part 1)</h4><h4></h4>


    The man nudged his sunsses and hoisted his sagging belt, carrying an air of nouveau riche, he strode into the office building.


    Riding the elevator to the tenth floor, the man looked around and, touching his ear, whispered, "Ling Chen, I¡¯ve arrived."


    "Stick to the n. Remember, don¡¯t get busted."


    "Don¡¯t worry, with my acting skills, I could nab an Oscar if I went into showbiz."


    "Yeah, keep dreaming."


    After putting his hand down, Hu Fei coughed and cleared his throat. He approached the reception desk, plonked his briefcase onto it with a haughty air, and said confidently, "Is this the Huayu Financial Investment Company?"


    The receptionist maintained a charming smile and nodded, "Sir, how may I help you?"


    Hu Fei nced at the receptionist, "Well, aren¡¯t you a pure beauty." He chuckled slyly, his face oozing sleaze, "Sweetheart, does your service include everything?"


    The receptionist¡¯s face stiffened, irritation flickering in her eyes, but she still forced a smile, "Sir, if you have any specific requests, please say so."


    "I¡¯m here to see if yourpany has any worthy investment projects." Hu Fei patted his briefcase, "Call your manager for me."


    "Sir, I¡¯m sorry, but our manager is in a meeting. If you¡¯re interested in investing, I can give you an introduction to ourpany¡¯s businesses."


    "That would be great." Hu Fei grinned, "But don¡¯t bother with anything under thirty million. I¡¯m not interested in small investments; only the big deals. Hey, pretty girl, you¡¯re so beautiful, do you have a boyfriend? How about we go for a meal sometime?"


    "Hey, fatty, can you get down to business?" Ling Chen¡¯s voice came through the earpiece impatiently, "If you waste any more time, forget about that one million."


    The mention of money immediately straightened Hu Fei¡¯s attitude. Pretending to check his watch, he picked up his briefcase and said, "If your manager doesn¡¯t have time, I¡¯ll just go downstairs to Huahai Investment Company."


    "Sir, please wait." The receptionist hurried after him, worried about losing a big deal, "Take a seat first, I¡¯ll contact our manager for you."


    "Make it quick, I have more business to discuss soon."


    In a matter of moments, a middle-aged man came out quickly, all smiles, "Sir, I¡¯m terribly sorry for the wait. I¡¯m the manager of thispany. I¡¯ve heard you¡¯re interested inrge projects, and we can certainly meet your needs."


    "Can¡¯t we go somewhere to sit down and talk? Are you letting all your guests stand outside?"


    The manager quickly apologized, "My fault, pleasee in!"


    Inside thepany, Hu Fei looked around and, as he walked, said, "Manager, before we talk business, could you give me a tour of yourpany?"


    "Of course, right this way."


    Led by the manager, Hu Fei wandered around. At each location, when no one was paying attention, he discreetly tossed a disk-shaped metal object overhead. Once the metal touched the ceiling, it immediately adhered.


    After the tour, Hu Fei suddenly clutched his stomach, sheepishly saying, "Manager, where¡¯s the restroom?"


    "Over there."


    "Right, I¡¯ve got it. You wait here." He quickly went into the restroom and closed the door behind him.


    "Fatty, is it done?" Ling Chen¡¯s voice rang out in the earpiece, and Hu Fei replied smugly, "With me on the case, what can¡¯t be done. How¡¯s it going on your end?"


    "OK! All set."


    "Good, then I¡¯ll get started." With that, Hu Fei took out a remote control from his pocket and lightly pressed the red button.


    Boom! Boom! Boom!


    Instantly, several explosions sounded from outside the restroom. Immediately after, mes spread quickly along the ceiling and soon gushed into the restroom through the door gap.


    "I¡¯m heading out first, the rest is up to you."


    Exiting the restroom, he saw the employees screaming frantically, their faces filled with terror, as they stumbled towards thepany¡¯s exit. Hu Fei was in no rush and strolled out of thepany, leisurely.


    The bombs he had installed had little lethality, somewhat like incendiaries. However, after some modifications, they were more advanced than regr incendiary devices. The mes would only spread along the ceiling, and as long as evacuation was prompt, there would be no danger.


    On the eleventh floor.


    A suit-d bodyguard picked up the phone and dialed a number.


    "Boss."


    "What¡¯s up?"


    "There¡¯s been a fire on the tenth floor, should we evacuate?"


    "Is it serious?"


    "We¡¯re not sure yet."


    "Have the other staff evacuate first, the rest of you stay put, I¡¯m on my way."


    Over ten minutes passed.


    Two fire trucks swiftly arrived, and more than twenty firefighters with heavy gear hastily headed to the scene, evacuating people and getting ready to fight the fire.


    By then, the raging mes had spread, engulfing the entire floor.


    In the stairwell of the eleventh floor, a firefighter rushed out and shouted, "Everyone head downstairs via the emergency exit. What are you guys spacing out for? Hurry up and leave." He pointed at several suited men.


    "We¡¯ll leaveter; go help the others first," one of the suited men said.


    "Leaveter?" The firefighter shrugged, "If that¡¯s the case, then all of you might as well stay, don¡¯t leave."


    "Huh?"


    As soon as he spoke, the suited men realized something was wrong. However, before they could react, the firefighter charged them, knocking one to the ground with a punch. In less than ten seconds, all the bodyguards left outside thepany were taken down.


    After dealing with these guys, the firefighter took off his mask, revealing the handsome, chiseled face of none other than Ling Chen.


    Looking at the knocked-out bodyguards, Ling Chen said resignedly, "I told you to leave, and you wouldn¡¯t ¨C don¡¯t me me." Then, he quickly entered thepany and made his way to Zhu Hong¡¯s office with familiarity.


    Reaching the bar, he picked out an ¡¯84 Lafite and gently twisted the bottle.


    Click!


    With a crisp sound, a hiddenpartment below the bar popped open, revealing a ck safe.


    "Fatty, I¡¯ve found the stuff."


    Outside the office building, Hu Fei sat in the Santana,municating with Ling Chen via walkie-talkie while keeping an eye on the situation outside.


    "Can you open it?"


    "I¡¯ll try."


    Looking at the safes digital keypad, retinal and fingerprint scanners, Ling Chen shook his head helplessly, knowing it was impossible to crack three codes in a short time.


    Just then, a Mercedes sedan slowly drove up to the building and stopped at the curb.


    "Ling Chen, you¡¯d better hurry up. Zhu Hong has arrived downstairs."


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 Chapter 228 - 224: The Safe (Part 2)

    <h4>Chapter 228: Chapter 224: The Safe (Part 2)</h4><h4></h4>


    "So soon?"


    Ling Chen was taken aback. Without much time to think, he simply moved the entire safe out from the inside.


    Damn, the safe was almost a few hundred pounds heavy, nearly as much as a bull.


    He took a deep breath, hugged the safe tightly with both hands, almost exerting all his strength, and step by step, he moved out of the office. After walking over ten meters, he could no longer persist and dropped the safe on the ground, then leaned against the wall and gasped for air.


    "Zhu Hong has entered the building. He will arrive at your location in no more than three minutes."


    Hearing Hu Fei¡¯s voiceing from the earpiece, Ling Chen didn¡¯t have time to rest. He continued to lift the safe, struggling towards the emergency exit. Upon reaching the staircase, a series of rapid footsteps suddenly echoed from downstairs. Looking down through the railing, he saw Zhu Hong and a few suit-d bodyguards hurrying over.


    They sure picked the right time!


    It seemed he couldn¡¯t go down anymore. Immediately, he lifted the safe and headed upstairs.


    He had just reached the twelfth floor; Zhu Hong and his men had just arrived at the eleventh. Pushing open the door to the emergency exit, Zhu Hong immediately observed several of his men lying unconscious on the floor.


    From just this scene, his eyes turned cold, and he said with a somber expression: "Wake them up." With that, he rushed straight into the office. Seeing the empty secretpartment, he bulged his eyes, clenched his fists tightly, and veins throbbed on his forehead. He took a deep breath, forcefully suppressing his rage, and turned to leave.


    At this moment, the bodyguards who had been down on the ground had already regained consciousness. Zhu Hong strode forward, grabbed the cor of one bodyguard, and said with an icy tone: "Speak, what happened."


    Feeling the chilling look in his eyes, the man shivered and hastily replied: "Boss, a firefighter suddenly came and told us we needed to evacuate immediately. We refused, and then he attacked and knocked us all out."


    "When did this happen?"


    "This... I don¡¯t know, I didn¡¯t check the time."


    "Useless!" Zhu Hong spat out through gritted teeth, and shoved him to the ground. After pondering for a moment, he seemed to have thought of something, hurried back to the office, and turned on theputer.


    Sure enough, as expected, the office surveince video showed a firefighter entering his office and then carrying away the entire safe.


    The other party was in a hurry, without time to delete the surveince footage. ording to the time disyed on the monitor, the person had left no more than three minutes ago.


    Three minutes... A thought crossed his mind, and he immediately rushed outside thepany, speaking as he went: "The building¡¯s elevators have been disabled, there¡¯s only one emergency exit essible. We did not see anyone when we came up, so that person should still be inside the building. Everyone, split up and search upward; that person is carrying a safe and can¡¯t have gotten far."


    "Yes, boss."


    Time ticked by, second by second.


    Ling Chen, carrying the safe, arrived at the fifteenth floor and then entered the floor from the emergency exit. Due to the fire, the entire building¡¯s upants had been evacuated, and there was not a single person upstairs.


    "Ling Chen, where are you, howe you haven¡¯te out yet?"


    "Don¡¯t ask, I can¡¯te out for now. I ran into Zhu Hong¡¯s men in the stairwell, had no chance to go down, so I had to head up."


    "Do you want me toe and help you?"


    "Forget it, don¡¯te up. I¡¯ll hide the safe first ande back for it tonight."


    Just as he finished speaking, he suddenly heard the sound of footstepsing from the emergency exit. Turning his head, he saw the door to the emergency exit being pushed open, and two men in suits quickly entered.


    Is it them?


    Ling Chen was startled and quickly took cover in a corner by the wall.


    How did they get upstairs? Could it be that Zhu Hong guessed he was still in the building?


    As the footsteps of the other party grew closer, Ling Chen put down the safe and pressed himself against the wall. When the footsteps were less than a meter away, he suddenly turned around, leaped out, and took down two suit-d bodyguards to the ground. Before they could get up, he swiftly threw two punches, knocking them out cold.


    "Hey, Jiang Chao, respond if you hear me."


    At that moment, a walkie-talkie on one of the bodyguards started ringing.


    Ling Chen frowned slightly, quickly got up, and carried the safe as he made a swift exit. However, not far out, he entered apany¡¯s reception room, and an idea struck him upon seeing a coffee table by the window ledge. He moved the coffee table aside, ced the safe on the floor, and then pulled off the tablecloth from the coffee table to cover the safe. From the outside, it looked just like a small table; no one would suspect a safe was hidden under the tablecloth.


    With the goods well-hidden, Ling Chen did not linger any longer; he left immediately before Zhu Hong¡¯s people could arrive.


    More than ten minutester, he walked out of the building, removed the firefighting suit, and slipped into the Santana.


    "Where¡¯s the safe?" Hu Fei turned to ask.


    "It¡¯s still in the building. We¡¯lle back for it tonight."


    Through the car window, watching smoke billow out from the tenth floor, Hu Fei said helplessly, "You really did it big for just a safe."


    "It¡¯s alright, after all, thepany¡¯s insured. There won¡¯t be any significant loss. Let¡¯s go, head back first."


    Inside the building.


    Zhu Hong stood at the entrance of the office building, his face an iron hue, silent. After a while, several suit-d men hurried over and reported in a low voice, "Boss, we¡¯ve searched the entire upstairs area and found no trace of him, nor the safe."


    "What about the underground parking lot?"


    "People were guarding the stairways to the parking lot, and no one has been seen passing through."


    Zhu Hong nodded, "I¡¯ve been monitoring the entrance, and no one left with the safe. If I¡¯m not mistaken, that person must have left the safe inside the building. Hmph! Daring to steal my stuff, I want to see just how many lives you have. Notify the others, immediately gather a team, and surround the whole building. I want to see how capable that person really is."


    "Yes."


    Night fell.


    Ling Chen and Hu Fei drove the Santana and came once again outside the office building.


    After parking the car, Ling Chen observed the building from the window and saw four suit-d men pacing back and forth at the entrance.


    "Fatty, go check the parking lot."


    Driving to the parking lot entrance, Ling Chen looked around and, unsurprisingly, noticed several bodyguards on patrol.


    "It seems Zhu Hong has already guessed," he said, the corners of his mouth lifting into a faint smile.


    "All the entrances are guarded, even if you manage to get in, you won¡¯t be able to take the safe out. The target is too big and too heavy; they¡¯ll definitely notice. In my opinion, you shouldn¡¯t rush this; we need a more thought-out n."


    Ling Chen shook his head: "We don¡¯t have that much time to waste. Since Zhu Hong has guessed that the safe is still in the building, he will surely send more people to search."


    "What do we do then? Just barge in?"


    Hearing Hu Fei¡¯s question, Ling Chen grinned: "Zhu Hong is smart, butpared to a clever person like me, he falls short. Just wait and see how I y him to death."

 Chapter 229 - 225: The Frustrated Zhu Hong

    <h4>Chapter 229: Chapter 225: The Frustrated Zhu Hong</h4><h4></h4>


    "Fatty, do you have a disposable phone?"


    "What for, don¡¯t you have your own phone?" Although he asked, Hu Fei fished out apact mobile phone from Santana¡¯s storage box and tossed it to him.


    Watching the suit-d bodyguards patrolling outside the underground parking lot, Ling Chen¡¯s lips quirked up as he dialed a number. After a short while, he ended the call, rolled down the window, and threw the disposable phone out.


    "Alright, let¡¯s find a spot to enjoy the show."


    "You really are cunning, kid."


    Ling Chen grinned: "Thanks for thepliment."


    About twenty minutester, four police cars, with sirens shing, sped down the road and stopped next to the office building. Right after that, the car doors opened and a spirited female police officer dashed out first, holding a handgun with both hands and raising it to her chest, and she sternly shouted at the suit-d bodyguards outside the building, "Don¡¯t move! Raise your hands."


    The bodyguards looked at each other, clueless as to why a bunch of cops had suddenly appeared.


    "Officer, we haven¡¯t broken anyws. What right do you have to arrest us?" one of the bodyguards said in a deep voice.


    "We received a tip-off that someone here is carrying guns without authorization."


    Hearing this, the faces of the bodyguards changed instantly, and they began to back away. Seeing their reaction, Xia Mutong sneered: "Seems we got the right people. Handcuff them all."


    Faced with the barrels of guns, the bodyguards dared not make any rash moves, obediently raising their hands above their heads. At Xia Mutong¡¯s signal, several police officers immediately rushed up, handcuffed their hands, and then went for their waists.


    "Captain Xia, jackpot."


    Xia Mutong nodded, it seemed the tip-off was correct ¨C these people were indeed carrying guns.


    "You guys guard the exits, Zhao Gang, you take a team to the underground parking lot, no vehicles are to leave, the rest follow me into the building. ording to the tip-off, there should be more than just these men."


    "Yes!"


    Across the road from the office building, Ling Chen and Hu Fei sat inside the Santana, watching the bodyguards being taken away through the car window, grinning broadly.


    "Zhu Hong would be pissed if he knew you dealt with him this way."


    Ling Chen smiled: "Whose fault is that? I¡¯ve said it before, Zhu Hong is a smart guy, but he doesn¡¯t like to use his brain much. Others learn from their mistakes; he knowingly repeats them. Knowing that this is Huaxia, he still dares to carry guns in public. Isn¡¯t that just asking for trouble?"


    Xia Mutong¡¯s team worked efficiently; in less than half an hour, the bodyguards in the building had all been apprehended. They needed two vehicles to take all of them back.


    ...


    In a luxurious vi in East Sea City.


    "What did you say?"


    Zhu Hong stood up abruptly from the sofa, his arm holding the phone trembling slightly with extreme anger.


    "Useless, all of you are useless!"


    He yelled angrily, lifting his arm and smashing the phone to the ground, venting his fury. After a while, he took a deep breath, his rage gradually subsiding, then turned and walked into his study, pulled out a satellite phone from a drawer, and dialed a number.


    At this moment, in a temporary room arranged by Hu Fei for Ling Chen, they were gathered in front of a safe, carefully studying it.


    "Fatty, do you have any experience with this?"


    "I deal with intelligence, not a secret agent, you should be the one good at this."


    Ling Chen scratched his head. He knew how to crack safes, but this one had triple locks. The digital lock was easy to handle, but the retinal and fingerprint scans were tricky.


    "Fatty, go and prepare the tools, let¡¯s just pry it open."


    "Okay, wait for me."


    Not long after, Hu Fei walked in with a big bag from outside. Welding machine, cutter, all the tools were well-equipped. Ling Chen rubbed his hands together, took up the drill, and got busy.


    Since it was unknown what was inside the safe, Ling Chen didn¡¯t dare use too aggressive a method, for fear of damaging the contents.


    After drilling for about half an hour and changing several drill bits, they finally made a thumb-sized hole in the top of the safe. Ignoring the sweat on his body, Ling Chen took the pinhole camera handed over by Hu Fei and stuck it into the hole.


    The camera had night vision capabilities; although it was pitch ck inside the safe, everything could still be seen clearly. Through the image disyed on the screen, Ling Chen carefully controlled the camera, moving it deeper inside bit by bit.


    After a while, he spotted several documents enclosed in folders inside the safe. Unfortunately, they were covered with folders, and the contents inside were not visible unless taken out.


    Just as he was about to continue drilling, the pinhole camera suddenly captured something. More precisely, it was an electronic control device installed inside the safe.


    Seeing that electronic control device, Ling Chen immediately broke out in cold sweat on his forehead.


    Damn, lucky for me, or it would have been all for naught.


    He pulled out the pinhole camera and tossed the equipment aside, then sat down on the ground, shaking his head in resignation. Seeing his chagrined expression, Hu Fei asked, "What¡¯s wrong?"


    "We can¡¯t touch this safe anymore."


    "Why not?"


    "It has a monitoring device installed inside, and thepartment has sensors. Once the sensors are triggered, the self-destruct mechanism will activate, and all the documents will be destroyed. We were lucky just now; the drill didn¡¯t touch the sensors inside thepartment, otherwise, our efforts would have been wasted."


    Hu Fei was stunned, "So what do we do? After all the trouble to get it here, are we just supposed to give up?"


    "Don¡¯t rush, there¡¯s notpletely no solution, as long as we get through the fingerprint and retinal scans, we can open it."


    "Fingerprints are easy to deal with, but retinas... unless you bring him here."


    Ling Chen touched his chin, his mind whirring, thinking of a viable n. Suddenly, an idea struck him, and he asked, "Fatty, what time is it?"


    "It¡¯s almost ten."


    Ling Chen got up hurriedly and picked up a jacket, saying as he walked, "Let¡¯s talk about the safe tomorrow, I¡¯ve got something else to do, you can head back by yourselfter."


    He had promised Nanrong Wanqingst night that he would meet her tonight; he couldn¡¯t break his promise.


    He took a ride to Wealthy Manor and, just likest night, he sneaked over the wall into the backyard and then climbed onto the second-floor balcony. Looking at the pitch-ck room, he muttered to himself, could she be asleep? After thinking for a moment, he gently pushed open the ss door and slipped inside.


    Approaching the bed, he saw the bedding slightly bulging; Nanrong Wanqing was lying on her side, her breathing even, clearly fast asleep.


    Thereupon, he tiptoed to the bed, leaned over to Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s ear, and softly called out, "Wanqing."

 Chapter 230 - 226: It Really Is a Misunderstanding

    <h4>Chapter 230: Chapter 226: It Really Is a Misunderstanding</h4><h4></h4>


    However, Nanrong Wanqing showed no reaction, as if she had not heard his calling.


    Seeing that she did not wake up, Ling Chen gave a sly smile and quietly slipped his hand under the quilt, wrapping it around her delicate body. Hisrge hand slowly slid up from her lower abdomen, teasing her skin. Not sure whether it was the unusual sensation from her body that she felt, but Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s body trembled slightly.


    Feeling her stir, Ling Chen¡¯s instinctual masculine side grew more rampant, almost ovee with the impulse to take things further right there and then.


    Under his gentle movements, Nanrong Wanqing finally reacted, twisting softly and her breathing became increasingly rapid.


    "Wanqing, stop sleeping, I..."


    Ling Chen leaned towards her ear, whispering softly. Before he could finish, Nanrong Wanqing had already turned her head, her sleepy eyes focusing on him.


    Their eyes met, and Ling Chen was momentarily taken aback, his mind seemingly going nk.


    "Ah!"


    Suddenly, a shrill scream pierced the air, and Nanrong Wanqing in the quilt delivered a kick at Ling Chen, trying to kick him off the bed.


    "Hooligan!"


    "I... I¡¯m not... Ouch!"


    Ling Chen clutched at the hit area, a pained expression on his face. It wasn¡¯t Nanrong Wanqing... no, it should be Su Lin, this girl, who had kicked him in a particrly sensitive spot. And she hadn¡¯t held back at all.


    Snap!


    The lights turned on, and the bedroom lit up immediately. Su Lin sat up clutching the quilt, her face a mix of shame and anger, her eyes nearly spitting fire. However, when she realized it was Ling Chen, her expression suddenly froze, and she stuttered, "Why... why is it... you? Didn¡¯t you leave?"


    "I have my difficulties, I can¡¯t talk about it yet." Ling Chen said with a pained look, changing the subject, "Lady Su, there was no need for such a heavy hand; you nearly ended the lineage of the Ling Family."


    "I... I..." Su Lin, looking at where his hand was, her face flushed, unsure of what to say.


    No, that¡¯s not right! She suddenly came to a realization, it seemed she was the one being taken advantage of. While she was asleep, she felt a tingling sensation like someone caressing her. She thought it was a dream, but upon waking, realized it was no dream but this man before her causing the mischief. Thinking that her private parts had been wantonly yed with by this man, her face once again flushed with shame and anger.


    "Tell me, why are you in Wanqing¡¯s room?" She wondered inwardly; wasn¡¯t this guy supposed to have quit his job? What was he doing in the Nanrong Family¡¯s home, let alone in Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s boudoir?


    "Lady Su, that¡¯s a question I should be asking you. This is Wanqing¡¯s room. What are you doing here instead of sleeping in your own room?" Ling Chen was full of grievances. He hade to meet Nanrong Wanqing, but who would have expected such an incident to happen.


    "Is there anything wrong with sleeping together with Wanqing tonight?" Su Lin snorted lightly, "You haven¡¯t answered my question yet."


    "I..."


    Just as Ling Chen was about to speak, the bedroom door was pushed open from outside. Soon after, Nanrong Wanqing entered, pushing a wheelchair.


    "Wanqing!"


    Su Lin eximed, hurriedly hopping off the bed barefoot and pointing at Ling Chen, pouting as sheined, "Wanqing, you must stand up for me, this jerk... he... he took advantage of me."


    "I... didn¡¯t..." Ling Chen quickly waved his hands in defense, internallymenting. If he had known it was her, he would never have taken such advantage. However, he had to admit, the girl had quite a nice feel.


    Nanrong Wanqing looked at Su Lin, then at Ling Chen, a hint of helplessness shing across her beautiful eyes. She had been working overtime in the study, dealing withpany matters, and had forgotten to contact Ling Chen. Had she informed him earlier, this incident might not have happened.


    "Wanqing."


    Hearing Su Lin¡¯s voice ringing in her ears, Nanrong Wanqing came back to her senses and shot Ling Chen an annoyed nce, her pretty face flushed with color. This man was too impatient; he didn¡¯t even bother to check who it was before making his move.


    Feeling her reproachful gaze, Ling Chen shrugged his shoulders. The room had been pitch dark at the time; how could he have known that the person in bed was Su Lin?


    "Alright, don¡¯t be angry," Nanrong Wanqing soothed. "You go back to your room first, I¡¯lle to find you in a bit."


    "But..."


    "I know, you won¡¯t suffer any loss for this. Go on!"


    Su Lin reluctantly nodded, giving Ling Chen a fierce re before turning and walking out of the room.


    Seeing her leave, Ling Chen let out a sigh of relief and flopped down onto the bed, giving Nanrong Wanqing a wry smile and spread his hands, "You can¡¯t really me me for this, I thought it was you, and so..."


    Before he could finish his exnation, Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s pretty face had already turned red with anger, as delicate as a blooming flower, she reprimanded him, "You still have the nerve to say it."


    This annoying guy, it sounded like if it had been her in bed, he felt he had the right to take liberties with her.


    Ling Chen chuckled awkwardly, "Okay, okay, I won¡¯t talk about it. So... how are you nning to exin things to her?"


    Nanrong Wanqing rubbed her temple with some headache, this matter was indeed a bit difficult to exin.


    "It¡¯s all your fault," she looked at Ling Chen with no good humor, "You¡¯d better go back first, I¡¯ll exin things to her clearly."


    "Then... shall Ie over tomorrow night?"


    Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s face blushed, "We¡¯ll see."


    Ling Chen chuckled mischievously, secretly thinking ¡¯what a game¡¯, then stood up, walked over to her, and gently kissed her smooth cheek. In a soft voice, he said, "I¡¯ll leave first then. Please apologize to Su Lin for me, I really didn¡¯t mean to take advantage of her."


    Watching Ling Chen leave through the balcony, Nanrong Wanqing touched her cheek where his kiss had justnded, the corners of her mouth lifted slightly, revealing a sweet yet helpless smile.


    "Wanqing."


    Just then, Su Lin suddenly pushed the door open and walked in, disbelief in her eyes as she looked at her, filled with confusion.


    "Weren¡¯t you going back to your room?"


    Su Lin shook her head; she had sensed that something was amiss earlier, so she had been hiding outside the door, eavesdropping. When she heard the conversation between Ling Chen and her cousin, she was shocked and couldn¡¯t calm down for a long time.


    Her own cousin had actually been with Ling Chen... She really couldn¡¯t understand why her cousin would fall for him.


    "Wanqing, are you and Ling Chen..."


    She opened her mouth, finding it hard to speak.


    Nanrong Wanqing hesitated for a moment, then nodded slightly, "I know it¡¯s hard for you to ept. Actually... I never expected that so many things would happen between him and me. Lin, I hope you can keep this secret for me for now, and don¡¯t tell anyone else."


    "Why?"


    "Don¡¯t ask so many questions; there are some things I¡¯m not very clear about either. Just pretend that nothing happened just now, and that you didn¡¯t see anyone."


    Looking at Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s pleading eyes, despite the numerous doubts in her heart, Su Lin agreed.

 Chapter 231 - 227: The Blood Spider’s Trade

    <h4>Chapter 231: Chapter 227: The Blood Spider¡¯s Trade</h4><h4></h4>


    But misunderstandings aside, even though Ling Chen didn¡¯t mean to take advantage of her, it was still the first time that her body had been vited by someone. And, just by thinking about the embarrassing things Ling Chen had done to her, Wanqing¡¯s face immediately turned bright red, filled with immense shame and annoyance.


    Even if Nanrong Wanqing didn¡¯t pursue it, she couldn¡¯t easily let go of that hooligan. She wasn¡¯t someone whose advantage could be taken so easily.


    Achoo!


    On the way home, Ling Chen sneezed several times in a row. Touching his nose and thinking about what had just happened, there was a restlessness stirring in his heart. Su Lin¡¯s figure was seriously impressive, with curves in all the right ces, especially her full chest¡ªwith an extremely good feel to the touch. He really wanted to touch it again.


    Just as he was thinking this, a fiery red Ferrari sped up from the side of the road and then screeched to a stop in front of him.


    The car window rolled down, revealing a beautiful face from the driver¡¯s seat.


    "Miss Kaelina?" Ling Chen was slightly taken aback and eximed, "How did you know I was here?"


    "I have my ways. Get in!"


    Ling Chen didn¡¯t think too much and immediately sat in the passenger seat. Apanied by a roar like a wild beast, the Ferrari once again hit the road.


    "Did you want to see me about something?" he asked. Miss Kaelina looking for him in the dead of night was definitely not just for a joyride. He always felt that this woman was mysterious and didn¡¯t know what she was up to.


    "You¡¯re very impressive."


    Ling Chen grinned: "Of course, I¡¯m impressive. If I weren¡¯t, you wouldn¡¯te to me for a partnership."


    Miss Kaelina turned her head to look at him: "I¡¯m talking about what you did today. You actually stole Zhu Hong¡¯s secret safe from his office."


    "You know every move I make, it seems you¡¯re more impressive than me."


    "Cut the chatter, I want that safe. Thest time I went to Zhu Hong¡¯s office, it was to look for it."


    On to serious matters, Ling Chen¡¯s smile faded as he said, "What¡¯s inside that safe?"


    "I¡¯m not sure about the rest, but I believe there should be a document mentioning an address."


    "What address?"


    "I¡¯m not obligated to answer that question."


    Ling Chen shrugged nonchntly and said with a slight smile, "If that¡¯s the case, then I¡¯m not obligated to give you the safe. I put in a lot of effort to steal it from Zhu Hong. I can¡¯t just hand it over to you because of a few words."


    "You really dislike being on the losing end," Miss Kaelina remarked with a cold look and a hint of dissatisfaction.


    "Let¡¯s be clear about our rtionship. We are partners, not friends. You do me a favor, and I¡¯ll do you a favor¡ªthat¡¯s what partnership means."


    "I could be your friend."


    Ling Chen replied indifferently with a smile, "Miss Kaelina, friendship isn¡¯t just spoken into existence. Considering our current rtionship, we¡¯re far from being friends."


    Miss Kaelina slightly furrowed her brows and asked, "So what do you want?"


    "Back to what I said earlier, you want the safe, that¡¯s fine! But at the very least, give me something worthwhile, like valuable information."


    "No way." Miss Kaelina didn¡¯t even think before directly rejecting his request, "The information I possess is my biggest bargaining chip in partnering with you all. Simply wanting to exchange it for a safe is too cheap for you. Besides, it¡¯s still uncertain whether the safe contains the information I need."


    After a pause, she changed the subject: "How about this, you give me the safe, and I¡¯ll help you with something."


    Ling Chen, intrigued, asked, "What is it?"


    "You have a friend who¡¯s suspected of murder and was arrested by the police, right? I can help him clear his name."


    "Really?" Ling Chen¡¯s eyes lit up. He was worried about how to save Nanrong Hao; if Miss Kaelina could help with this, that would be more than great.


    "Your friend was framed, and I know who¡¯s behind it. How¡¯s this for a deal?"


    "OK!" Ling Chen agreed without hesitation, "As long as you can clear his name, the safe is all yours."


    Hearing this, Kaelina gave a slight smile. Her right hand shifted gears, and she floored the gas pedal, instantly boosting the Ferrari¡¯s speed.


    After three blocks, Kaelina didn¡¯t slow down but instead sped up even more, running several red lights. A few minutester, a police car burst out from a crossroad, tailing the Ferrari closely.


    Kaelina nced at the rearview mirror, curled her seductive lips into a beautiful smile, full of charm.


    Roar roar roar!


    Amidst the roaring engine sound, within seconds, the Ferrari¡¯s speed had reached its peak, leaving the police car far behind.


    Tsk tsk!


    Ling Chen looked at the woman beside him and clicked his tongue inwardly. Worthy of being the third-ranked assassin, indeed she was crazy enough.


    "Where are we going?"


    "A ce that can save your friend," Kaelina casually replied.


    Ling Chen nodded, then sealed his lips and let Kaelina take him on a wild ride.


    More than ten minutester, the Ferrari gradually slowed down and stopped by the roadside.


    "We¡¯re here."


    Getting out of the car, Ling Chen followed Kaelina¡¯s steps as they turned into an alley. Following the alley to the end, there was a rusty iron gate. Through the gate, Ling Chen could faintly hear the sound of intense music.


    Kaelina fished out two slender steel pins from her blonde hair, inserted them into the lock, and gently toggled them. Soon, the lock was opened.


    Entering the gate, Ling Chen saw rooms piled with arge quantity of misceneous items and an odd smell lingering. Past the door, the intense music became clearer.


    "What is this ce?"


    "A dance hall."


    As they spoke, Kaelina pushed open a door, leading Ling Chen into an abandoned kitchen. Ling Chen surveyed the surroundings and noticed an iron door to the east of the kitchen, which had been welded shut and couldn¡¯t be opened¡ªthe intense music wasing from behind that door.


    "This used to be a restaurant, but then it was turned into a dance hall."


    "Why was the kitchen preserved?"


    "Because someone bought it from the dance hall owner." After saying that, Kaelina walked straight to the door of the freezer and removed an iron que hanging on it, revealing a row of numeric keys.


    Seeing Kaelina entering the password with familiarity, Ling Chen was somewhat surprised and asked, "You¡¯ve been here before?"


    "Once. Not only you were monitoring Zhu Hong, but I was also keeping an eye on him. However, my main target isn¡¯t him, it¡¯s someone else you¡¯re familiar with."


    "Zhang Xueli?" Ling Chen¡¯s thought immediately went to this woman.


    Kaelina nodded, reached out to grasp the freezer¡¯s doorknob, and gently twisted it.


    Click!


    With a soft sound, the freezer¡¯s door opened as expected.


    Kaelina lifted her foot, ready to step in. But at that moment, as if she remembered something, she suddenly turned back and said to Ling Chen, "How¡¯s your psychological endurance?"


    Ling Chen didn¡¯t understand why she would ask that, "The psychological quality of those in our line of work is never bad."


    "That¡¯s good, because I¡¯m afraid you¡¯d be scared by the scene you¡¯re about to see."

 Chapter 232 - 228 Secret Warehouse (Part 1)

    <h4>Chapter 232: Chapter 228 Secret Warehouse (Part 1)</h4><h4></h4>


    Ling Chen shrugged indifferently. He had seen all there was to see in the world and was not easily frightened.


    Following Kaelina into the ice storage, Ling Chen immediately felt a chill. The temperature inside was about ten degrees colder than outside. The two of them went straight to the center of the ice storage where there was a long table covered with ayer of frost.


    Kaelina reached under the table, triggering a mechanism. Suddenly, Ling Chen felt the ground beneath him sink, and the floor of the ice storage slowly started descending.


    After descending five meters, the floor finally stopped moving, and Kaelina gestured to Ling Chen: "Follow me."


    Ling Chen followed close behind, looking at the surrounding environment with a peculiar expression, "Is there no one here?"


    "This is the God Organization¡¯s secret warehouse and prison in East Sea City. The people they capture are all brought here for interrogation. Additionally, there is a special operations team stationed here, responsible for handling some unsightly matters."


    "If there are people here, why aren¡¯t there guards?"


    "From where we entered to here, there are more than a dozen full-range surveince cameras. They can see even a fly. However, thest time I infiltrated, I had already secretly hacked into their system." As she spoke, she took out a small device from her pocket, "This is a signal jammer. Combined with the changes I made in their system, those cameras will automatically filter us out. Simply put, we are now invisible, they can¡¯t see us."


    Ling Chen praised inwardly; Blood Spider truly lived up to her name, working wlessly.


    "I had one more question I didn¡¯t ask earlier, bringing me here, is Zhu Hong targeting the Nanrong family?"


    "Zhu Hong only handles things on the surface, and all the dirty work behind the scenes ispleted by Zhang Xueli for him. Actually, I stumbled upon this identally. I was monitoring Zhang Xueli, hoping to obtain some valuable intelligence from her, and instead, I unexpectedly discovered her actions against the Nanrong family. From the smuggled goods at Dongling Pier to your friend being falsely used of murder, everything was controlled by Zhang Xueli behind the scenes." Saying this, she turned her head to look at Ling Chen, "I have a question, why are they targeting the Nanrong family? Although the Nanrong family runs the affluent Hongyu Group, the God Organization has never been short of money, and they wouldn¡¯t spend so much effort just for money."


    "Because their goal is not money, but a person." Ling Chen¡¯s lips curled slightly, his clearly defined and sharply contoured handsome face showed a hint of coldness.


    Knowing that all of this was Zhu Hong¡¯s doing behind the scenes, their motive was crystal clear.


    Zhu Hong expended so much effort, all for the sake of gaining Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s favor.


    First, he created trouble for the Nanrong family, then offered help to Nanrong Wanqing when she felt most helpless, solving all her problems. In that case, anyone would feel grateful, not to mention, Nanrong Wanqing and Zhu Hong had a childhood friendship, a foundation of feelings. With just a little maniption, it would be easy for Zhu Hong to make Nanrong Wanqing see him in a different light.


    Hmph! For the sake of winning Nanrong Wanqing over, Zhu Hong really was willing to spend a fortune. Too bad, Cheng Yaojin came out of nowhere, and now that he¡¯s aware, he naturally wouldn¡¯t let Zhu Hong have his way.


    While musing, Ling Chen and Kaelina arrived in front of a tube-like corridor, at the end of which was a metal door with a movable window at the top.


    "We can¡¯t go any further this way," said Kaelina. "Someone is behind that door, and he can see anyone outside through the window."


    "How do we get in then?"


    Kaelina pointed towards the bottom corner of the wall: "There¡¯s an abandoned air vent over there that I used to get inst time."


    Ling Chen nced at the vent and saw that it was very narrow; his stature most likely wouldn¡¯t fit through.


    "You stay out here, I¡¯ll go in and take care of the guard." As she spoke, Kaelina unbuttoned her shirt, took off her coat, and revealed a set of leather ck clothing that clung to her skin, highlighting her slender figure. Particrly those rarely seen lofty peaks that protruded, catching Ling Chen¡¯s eye.


    This woman sure dresses boldly!


    Kaelina seemed entirely unconcerned with his gaze, she smoothed her golden hair, tied it with a band, and let it hang behind her. Then, she walked to the abandoned vent, removed the iron covering it, andy back, facing up, to squeeze in.


    However, although her figure was slender, the two ample mounds caused her some trouble, getting stuck at the top of the vent. Ling Chen shook his head inwardly; sometimes being toorge wasn¡¯t a good thing. Kaelina took a deep breath, trying topress her chest, but due to their size, half was still exposed outside.


    Ling Chen hesitated, approached, and squatted in front of her, chuckling awkwardly, "Uh... do you need some help?"


    Kaelina gave him a nce and huffed, without speaking further, which clearly meant she agreed. Thereupon, Ling Chen swallowed and extended his hands, grabbing the sides of the wire and tugging hard, inevitablying into contact with her skin.


    Really big!


    Ling Chen quietly marveled, but at the same time, he was cursing himself ¨C what was he thinking at a time like this?


    At that moment, Kaelina felt as if she had been electrified and quivered gently.


    Seeing her reaction, Ling Chen felt a little embarrassed, not expecting the woman to be so sensitive. He cleared his throat and quickly pushed aside those improper thoughts, helping Kaelina¡¯s body into the vent.


    Hearing her sounds fading away, Ling Chen stood up and sniffed his hands; the lingering fragrance instantly enveloped him.


    Although this woman is a merciless killer and wanted in various countries, he had to admit, her figure was truly top-notch.


    A minute or two passed, and the metal door at the end of the corridor opened from the inside. Then, Kaelina walked out, waving her hand at him.


    Passing through the metal door, Ling Chen saw a person lying on the ground with a twisted neck, devoid of life. Kaelina stood nearby nonchntly, her expression unaltered.


    Ling Chen nced at her impressive bosom, curiosity getting the better of him, and asked, "How did you get in by yourselfst time?"


    "I used cloth to wrap them up, and then it wasn¡¯t an issue," Kaelina stated matter-of-factly as if the question didn¡¯t bother her. If it were a young girl from within the nation, she would have probably already turned pink and would be calling out ¡¯pervert.¡¯


    "Using cloth..."


    Ling Chen couldn¡¯t help but chuckle naughtily!


    Who would have thought, this woman really had her ways.

 Chapter 233 - 229: Secret Warehouse (Part 2)

    <h4>Chapter 233: Chapter 229: Secret Warehouse (Part 2)</h4><h4></h4>


    Cough!


    Ling Chen cast aside his distracting thoughts and looked around the room, only to see a door on each of the left and right sides. Kaelina pointed to the door on the left and said: "Behind this is a secret warehouse of the God Organization. Do you want to take a look?"


    Ling Chen nodded his head, havinge all this way, of course, he wanted to clear up the situation here. After gathering the intelligence, he would report back to his organization.


    Arriving at the doorway, Kaelina grasped the doorknob, giving him a meaningful look: "You¡¯d better be mentally prepared," she said, and then pushed the door open and went in.


    As soon as the door opened, Ling Chen immediately felt a wave of heat hit him from behind the door. Entering the secret warehouse, he followed closely behind Kaelina¡¯s footsteps, his gaze sweeping around. Kaelina¡¯s repeated reminders for him to be prepared made him even more curious about what kind of rming things were kept inside this secret warehouse.


    Not long after walking, Ling Chen frowned slightly. Not only was the temperature in the secret warehouse very high, but there was also a strong and odious stench that nearly suffocated him. At that moment, Kaelina, who was leading the way, suddenly stopped, turned aside, and pointed to something for Ling Chen. Following the direction of her finger, Ling Chen fixed his eyes on the sight, and hisplexion drastically changed. Veins on his forehead bulged as he clenched his fists unconsciously, unable to utter a single word for quite some time.


    In this moment, he finally understood Kaelina¡¯s repeated warnings. Any person would find it hard to ept the scene before their eyes.


    In a corner of the warehouse, countless corpses were piled up, men and women, old and young, like a small hill, too numerous to count.


    These bodies had been stored for God knows how long, all were decaying and swollen, ghastly pale. Moreover, under the high temperature of the warehouse, the bodies were covered with maggots, densely packed and countless, which was incredibly disgusting.


    Even Ling Chen, who had seen much of the world, felt nauseous at this moment and almost threw up his dinner.


    He turned his head and looked at Kaelina, asking in a deep voice, "What¡¯s the deal with these bodies?"


    "They are all failed experiments from theboratory, sent here for unified disposal." As they spoke, a small forklift came from not far away, and Ling Chen and Kaelina quickly hid aside to avoid being discovered.


    The forklift drove straight up to the pile of corpses, then scooped up a pile of bodies and returned the way it hade.


    "There is a cremation furnace inside the warehouse; all these bodies will be burned. What you¡¯re seeing is just a part of the failed subjects. I¡¯ve looked through their files, and almost every week, bodies have to be dealt with."


    Ling Chen¡¯s face was an ashen color, still unable to recover from the initial shock. After a while, he adjusted his mentality and asked, "Where do all these peoplee from?" He noticed that among those bodies, there were not only Asians but also Caucasians and Africans, almost every ethnicity was represented.


    Kaelina exined, "The God Organization has many channels; they transport test subjects to Huaxia country by sea and air. They are very cautious, capturing mostly beggars, wanderers, or mentally unstable people, so if these people disappear, it would not raise suspicion."


    "Some time ago, I destroyed a secret base of the God Organization, which also had aboratory, however, every body there was intact, not like these bodies here which are all mangled."


    "Do you think the God Organization only conducts human enhancement experiments?" Kaelina shook her head, "What you see is just the tip of the iceberg. The God Organization is involved in a wide variety of experiments, such as head transnts, you must have heard of this surgery. Four or five decades ago, someone proposed the concept of head transntation and performed numerous experiments on animals, shocking all circles. Later, international humanitarian organizations deemed the nature of this surgery egregious, crossing the moral line of people, and thus strictly forbade it. However, the God Organization did not abide by the ban and has been secretly researching."


    At this point, she paused, then continued: "Head transntation is just one kind; there are also limb regeneration techniques, cellr repair, gic modification, these are all types of experiments the God Organization is involved in. Decades ago, the God Organization focused solely on the research of strength-enhancing serums. However, to sessfully create a strength-enhancing serum, one needs an in-depth understanding of the human body, including gic genes and the fusion of blood cells. As they overcame more and more challenges, their field of study broadened. Simply put, all of the God Organization¡¯s techniques have derived from their strength-enhancing serums."


    Ling Chen nodded: "You know a lot about the God Organization."


    "This is all information left to me by Blood Wolf. Ling Chen, the God Organization is far more terrifying than you can imagine; their research is beyond what you dare to imagine."


    Ling Chen¡¯s brows slightly furrowed, his observant nature noticing that when Kaelina uttered these words, a hint of fear shed in her blue eyes.


    That a top Assassin, unfazed by killing, felt fear, spoke volumes of the horror that was the God Organization.


    He distinctly remembered that Liu Xiyao had also said simr words to him. The God Organization of today was like a bottomlesske; he was only standing at the shoreline, yet to get close to the center, hence unable to deeply experience the power of the God Organization.


    "You said earlier this is a secret warehouse of the God Organization, why do I only see corpses?"


    "You¡¯ll find out soon."


    Bypassing the odorous pile of corpses, Ling Chen followed Kaelina to the left side of the warehouse, where there was arge door.


    "This is the cold storage." Kaelina opened therge door and led Ling Chen inside.


    Seeing the items stored in the cold storage, Ling Chen immediately understood why Kaelina said this was a secret warehouse. Inside this cold storage, various organs were stored, all well-preserved.


    "These organs will be sold on the ck market in various countries at high prices, and the funds are used for research and development in theboratories. With just this ie, eachb could basically be self-sufficient, with no need for additional funding from the organization."


    "Who manages this secret warehouse?"


    "It used to be Zhu Hong, now it¡¯s Zhang Xueli¡¯s responsibility. Why, do you want to catch her?"


    Ling Chen said coldly: "People like her being alive only cause more innocents to suffer."


    "It¡¯s useless. Kill one Zhang Xueli, and another will emerge. Even if you destroy this secret warehouse, the God Organization will just build another one. With strong financial support, the God Organization can start again anywhere, anytime. Topletely take down the God Organization, the strength of you and your people alone is not enough."


    "Then what do you suggest?"

 Chapter 234 - 230: Secret Warehouse (Part 3)

    <h4>Chapter 234: Chapter 230: Secret Warehouse (Part 3)</h4><h4></h4>


    "God Organization¡¯s influence spreads across various countries, and there are countless such warehouses andboratories. Over the years, through bribery and infiltration, God Organization has controlled many foreign politicians. Without eliminating these people, no one will take God Organization seriously."


    "At present, the battles between you and God Organization are all carried out secretly; no one knows what kind of organization God Organization is. Even those who coborate with God Organization do not understand it; therefore, driven by interests, they choose to cooperate. I believe that if someone publicly exposes God Organization, bringing it into the light for everyone to clearly see its malfeasance, things would be much easier."


    Ling Chen nodded; Kaelina¡¯s words made sense. Making God Organization an organisation everyone despises could indeed make solving them easier.


    However, once this smokeless war is exposed, it will also cause many problems. Because one must not only look at superficial aspects but should consider the big picture. Whether it¡¯s the old General Qiao Zhen or the founder of the Ghosts, He Ziyun, there¡¯s no way Kaelina could think of something they hadn¡¯t. Their inaction must be due to reservations.


    Seeing that he was hesitating to speak, Kaelina, as though seeing through his thoughts, spoke up: "In doing anything, one can¡¯t be overly cautious. Being overly cautious only results in missing many opportunities. As a leader, considering various aspects and taking care of the big picture is not wrong, but it also makes one timid. Over the years, one reason why God Organization has be so rampant is precisely this. Now that God Organization has matured, if we don¡¯t take severe action, no one will be able to stop it."


    "It sounds strange hearing this from you," Ling Chen said.


    If it were someone else, he could somewhat ept it, but this woman in front of him was a cold-blooded Assassin. An assassin notorious for killings suddenly bing so benevolent likely isn¡¯t just out of righteous indignation.


    Kaelina stroked her blonde hair and said indifferently, "I¡¯m just discussing the matter as it stands. This is your country, the decision is in your hands. If you want to continue to watch yourpatriots be experimental subjects for God Organization, then I have nothing more to say."


    Ling Chen was somewhat speechless; although he admitted that Kaelina had a point, he was just a pawn and had no decision-making power. Moreover, he was currently only an unofficial member of the Ghosts; only Qiao Zhen had the authority to make decisions.


    He decided to leave these issues to the higher-ups. Changing the subject, he said, "Don¡¯t forget the main mission; we came here to find evidence to clear my friend¡¯s name."


    "Follow me."


    Leaving the warehouse, Kaelina and Ling Chen returned to that room and then headed straight for the door on the right.


    "This is for your self-protection."


    Looking at the dagger Kaelina handed him, Ling Chen gave a slight smile and refused, saying, "Thanks, but I have brought my own weapon."


    Kaelina didn¡¯t press further, flipping her wrist and making the dagger disappear. Ling Chen was secretly amazed; this woman was dressed in leather from head to toe, without a pocket, and he had no idea where she hid the dagger.


    Upon opening the door, Kaelina walked ahead with Ling Chen closely following, watching both sides cautiously.


    Both sides of the corridor were lined with individual cells, most of which were empty, with only a few holding prisoners. As there were no lights inside the cells, it was pitch dark, and though Ling Chen could hear voices, he couldn¡¯t see anyone.


    Walking past the cells, a burst of noisy sounds suddenly reached Ling Chen¡¯s ears, sounding like many people. Besides voices, there was also the crisp sound of clinking bottles. Kaelina slowed down and gave Ling Chen a signal with her eyes.


    Ling Chen nodded in understanding, sticking close behind Kaelina, standing at the corner of the corridor. In a moment, Kaelina stealthily scoped out the situation, then gestured that there were a total of eight enemies ahead, and none were armed.


    "I¡¯ll take care of them, you should..."


    Before Kaelina could finish her sentence, Ling Chen had already charged out swiftly, vanishing by her side. Before she could react, a series of shing noises followed swiftly, apanied by screams like those of ughtered pigs.


    "Ling Chen!"


    Miss Kaelina rushed out from around the corner, prepared to lend a hand. However, before she could act, she was stunned.


    She saw Ling Chen touching his nose, standing not far away, with eight men lying unconscious around him.


    Seeing Miss Kaelina approaching, Ling Chen shrugged and said, "So these are the special operations team you were talking about? They¡¯re too easy to defeat."


    "It¡¯s because they didn¡¯t use guns, otherwise you¡¯d be riddled with holes," Miss Kaelina retorted, yet her gaze towards Ling Chen held a trace of peculiarity. This was her first time witnessing Ling Chen¡¯s capabilities; the eight special operation team members were taken down in a matter of seconds. Even she might not have been able to aplish that in such a short time.


    People whoe out of the Ghost Organization are indeed extraordinary.


    Hearing Miss Kaelina¡¯s teasing, Ling Chen smirked dismissively. However, he admitted there was a bit of luck in quick disposal of those men, because they were all happy andpletely unaware of the impending danger when he burst in, which gave him the upper hand.


    "You¡¯re looking for this person." Miss Kaelina pointed to a young man lying on the ground, "It was him who murdered someone that night, and then pinned the murder on your friend."


    Ling Chen nodded, casually lifted the young man onto a chair, and patted his cheek.


    Soon, the young man groggily regained consciousness.


    Seeing Ling Chen in front of him, the youth¡¯s face changed, and he attempted to resist. However, Ling Chen¡¯s fist was faster than his reaction. After taking a punch in the stomach, it seemed like the youth¡¯s entire body lost strength, he slumped in the chair, his teeth clenched, and his expression pained.


    "Friend, I have a few questions for you, I hope you can cooperate," Ling Chen spoke pleasantly.


    The youth spat out a mouthful of saliva and coldly stared at him without saying a word.


    Seeing this, Ling Chen¡¯s mouth slightly raised, carrying a faint smile.


    "Miss Kaelina, please step out for a bit, let me have a proper chat with our friend here."


    Miss Kaelina nced at him, and without a word, turned around and left the room.


    ...


    Ten minutester.


    Ling Chen walked out, holding a cloth, wiping the fresh blood on the back of his hand.


    "Where are they?"


    "They¡¯re all dead." Ling Chen¡¯s tone was indifferent, as if discussing something unrted to him.


    Miss Kaelina was stunned, not expecting Ling Chen to be more ruthless than she had imagined.


    "How can you clear your friend¡¯s name if you don¡¯t turn that man over to the police?"


    Ling Chen smiled confidently: "I have my ns. Also, I have a scheme I hope you can help me with."

 Chapter 235 - 231 Capturing Zhang Xueli

    <h4>Chapter 235: Chapter 231 Capturing Zhang Xueli</h4><h4></h4>


    Leaving the secret warehouse, Ling Chen and Kaelina returned to the Ferrari parked by the roadside.


    "Let¡¯s go, I¡¯ll take you to get the stuff."


    Twenty minutester, they drove to the residential area where Ling Chen lived. It was already midnight, and Hu Fei had already left. Upon entering the apartment, Ling Chen pointed to the safe ced in the corner of the wall, "The thing you want is in there. Don¡¯t me me for not reminding you, there¡¯s a sensor installed inside this safe. If forced open, it will trigger a self-destruct device."


    "Don¡¯t worry about that, I¡¯ll find a way to handle it."


    "Don¡¯t forget our previous agreement, remember to copy the documents inside for me."


    Kaelina nodded. Then, with Ling Chen¡¯s help, the two carried the safe downstairs and ced it in the passenger seat of the Ferrari.


    "Thank you!" Once in the car, Kaelina did not forget to thank Ling Chen, who was outside the window.


    "No need for politeness, we are in a cooperative rtionship now; we should help each other."


    The roaring sound began as the red Ferrari drove off. Watching it disappear into the distance, Ling Chen returned to his room upstairs and sat by the window sill, taking out his cell phone from his pocket and dialed a number. He had to report what he had seen and heard at the secret warehouse tonight. Additionally, his n also needed the old General¡¯s support.


    The next day.


    An Audi sedan pulled out from the traffic and stopped by the roadside. Immediately, the car door opened, and a woman wearing sunsses stepped out, followed by two suited bodyguards.


    Turning into an unupied alley from the street, the woman in sunsses quickened her pace and walked directly to an iron gate at the end of the alley.


    "Open up!"


    One of the bodyguards took out a key and unlocked the gate. However, as the gate opened and the woman in sunsses was about to enter, her expression suddenly changed, a sh of coldness passing behind her sunsses as she stepped back.


    Following her move, the dark barrel of a gun protruded from the iron gate, pressing against her forehead.


    Seeing this, the two suited bodyguards were shocked. Before they could act, several fully armed special forces soldiers swarmed out from behind the gate, quickly subduing them and pinning them to the ground.


    Simultaneously, a Buick van drove from the street corner to the outside of the alley, blocking the entrance so that no one from outside could see inside.


    "Miss Zhang, we meet again."


    Hearing a familiar voice, Zhang Xueli¡¯s expression turned cold as she faced Ling Chening out from behind the door, "How did you find this ce?"


    "If you don¡¯t want people to know, you should never have done it. Miss Zhang, you are from Huaxia, you should have heard this saying."


    Zhang Xueli sneered, "You think catching me will stop the forces behind me? That¡¯s too naive."


    Ling Chen shook his head slightly, a small smile ying at the corner of his lips as he looked directly at her, "Miss Zhang, I never had any illusions about using you to breakdown the God Organization because I know very well, you¡¯re just a minor character."


    "You think you could extract information from me and then use it to catch a big fish?" Zhang Xueli scoffed coldly, "That¡¯ll probably disappoint you."


    "That may not necessarily be the case." As soon as he spoke, seeing Zhang Xueli¡¯s determined eyes, Ling Chen¡¯s heart sank, he moved quickly like lightning, locking her jaw and forcing her mouth open to prevent it from closing. He then signaled a special forces soldier beside him who understood and immediately took out a small pointed pliers and reached into Zhang Xueli¡¯s mouth.


    In less than a minute, a false tooth containing a poison sac was extracted from Zhang Xueli¡¯s mouth.


    "Miss Zhang, did you think I wouldn¡¯t be prepared?"


    "You..." Zhang Xueli clenched her teeth, her face looking very ugly.


    Ling Chen smiled indifferently; Zhang Xueli was not the first member of the God Organization he had encountered. He was well aware of their tactics; every minor leader had a poison tooth hidden in their mouth in case they were captured and tortured. Thus, the moment he noticed something off in Zhang Xueli¡¯s demeanor, he did not hesitate to act.


    "Miss Zhang, have a good journey, we probably won¡¯t meet again." After speaking, he gestured, and several special forces soldiers immediately escorted her into the Buick van.


    ording to the n, Zhang Xueli would be directly taken to Beijing, where the old General and Han Bing would personally handle her interrogation. With the methods of the Ghost Organization, they believed substantial intelligence could be extracted from Zhang Xueli, perhaps even revealing the extent of the God Organization¡¯s influence in Huaxia.


    However, more than capturing Zhang Xueli, Ling Chen was more interested in dealing with Zhu Hong. Liu Xiyao had once told him that Zhu Hong was the head of the Asian region, with a potentially high rank within the God Organization. However, since his sessful theft of Zhu Hong¡¯s safe, Zhu Hong had disappeared without a trace, likely having left East Sea City.


    At that moment.


    Outside a three-story vi on the outskirts of Beijing, a Mercedes sedan slowly approached and stopped at the gate, a young man in a crisp suit and handsome appearance stepped down. He adjusted his cor, his expression serious, and strode into the vi.


    Reaching the second floor of the vi, the young man approached a room and gently knocked on the door.


    "Come in!"


    At the sound, the young man took a deep breath, calming his nervous heart, and pushed the door open.


    Inside the study, with an ancient charm, there were tables and chairs made of valuable purple sandalwood, reflecting the owner¡¯s taste. The walls were adorned with ink paintings, several of which were authentic works by famous artists. At a window in the study, a man sat with his back to the door, his face obscured, diligently handling the tea set in front of him.


    The young man stood up straight behind him, silent and barely daring to breathe.


    A full ten minutester, a pot of fragrant tea was ready, and the man finally spoke: "Say what you want to say."


    "I¡¯m sorry, I let you down." The young man bowed his head, his face full of shame.


    "Zhu Hong, you are a smart man, capable too, that was why I initially rmended you to handle the affairs in the Asian region. Do you know where you went wrong?"


    "I... I underestimated my opponent too much."


    "No!" The other man shook his head slowly: "That¡¯s not the main issue; your mistake was investing too much emotionally in a woman. I once cautioned you, advised you to act cautiously, not to underestimate the Ghost Organization. Yet, because of a certain Nanrong Wanqing, you couldn¡¯t maintain your usualposure, and that¡¯s why you showed too many ws."


    "I¡¯m sorry, I know I was wrong, please give me another chance."


    "For someone else, I wouldn¡¯t give a second chance, but you are different, I personally cultivated you, consider this a lesson; you need to reflect on yourself."


    Zhu Hong secretly breathed a sigh of relief, nodding, "Yes, thank you!"

 Chapter 236: The 232nd Mysterious Man

    <h4>Chapter 236: The 232nd Mysterious Man</h4><h4></h4>


    "You don¡¯t need to thank me, because your operation this time is bound to fail."


    Hearing this, Zhu Hong showed a puzzled expression and asked, "Why?"


    "You¡¯ve been around me long enough to understand my character; I always strive for stability. You have the ability and courage, but youck experience. Do you really think I¡¯d casually let you manage such a big operation? The task assigned to you, aside from being a training exercise, was also meant to create a smoke bomb to draw the attention of the Ghost Base, facilitating other ns. Even if you hadn¡¯t exposed yourself, I would have taken measures to make the Ghost Base suspect you. However, even though the oue is predetermined, it doesn¡¯t change my disappointment in you. ording to my initial n, you should have been able to hold off the Ghost Base for at least half a year, but now only two months have passed, far from meeting my expectations."


    "I¡¯m sorry!"


    "In front of me, you don¡¯t need to say sorry. You are young, and it¡¯s normal to make mistakes."


    "But, that safe inside..."


    The man waved his hand and said, "All the information you have was given by me. Knowing that you would be targeted by the Ghost Base, do you think I would give you truly important intelligence? Like I said, those were just smoke bombs, meant to attract the attention of the Ghost Base; we had to sacrifice something. Thosebs being destroyed doesn¡¯t impact us significantly. Also, I just received the news that Zhang Xueli has been captured by the people from the Ghost Base."


    "What?" Zhu Hong looked startled. "What should we do?"


    The man said with some dissatisfaction, "How many times have I taught you? Don¡¯t panic when things happen, maintain a calm demeanor. As someone in a higher position, you must learn to keep yourposure and not let others guess your thoughts. Zhang Xueli is just a pawn, her fate isn¡¯t important. Moreover, if she can disclose our secret bases in East Sea City, that would also be beneficial."


    "How could that be beneficial?" Zhu Hong asked, confused.


    "The n I¡¯m currently preparing will take another month toplete. I had hoped you could stall for some time. Since you¡¯ve been exposed, we can only pin our hopes on Zhang Xueli now, using those secret bases to hold off the Ghost Base, keeping them too busy to focus on other matters."


    "Those secret bases have hundreds of members, don¡¯t their lives matter?"


    "To achieve great things, one must not be soft-hearted. You need to learn to look at issues from a different angle. They are sacrificing themselves for the organization¡¯s greater cause, not because we aren¡¯t rescuing them. Alright, let¡¯s not discuss this further, go abroad for a while to avoid trouble. Once this blows over,e back; I still have many things I need your help with."


    "Yes, take care. I¡¯ll be leaving now." After saying this, Zhu Hong turned and walked toward the exit of the study.


    At the doorway, the man suddenly spoke up to stop him, "There is one thing I think it¡¯s necessary to tell you."


    "What is it?"


    "That young man named Ling Chen is actually not dead. Not only is he not dead, but he is also alive and well, still lurking in East Sea City. The troubles you¡¯ve encountered these days are probably all rted to him."


    Zhu Hong abruptly turned his head, his eyes filled with hatred and his face turning ashen, "He... really isn¡¯t dead?"


    "Believe me, I wouldn¡¯t lie to you; this is information I obtained from inside the Ghost Base."


    "I see." Zhu Hong gritted his teeth, furious. Thest time he stayed with the Nanrong family, he wanted to help Nanrong Wanqing resolve the troubles of the Nanrong family. Initially, everything was going well, but suddenly overnight, Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s attitude towards him changed drastically. He had always been puzzled by the reason, now it seems, it must be because of Ling Chen.


    "Don¡¯t let hatred blind you," the man said indifferently. "He is just a minor character, not worth your hatred. Once you have grown stronger, people like him can be easily dealt with by you at any time."


    Zhu Hong nodded, suppressed the anger in his heart, and forced a smile, "I will certainly bear your teachings in mind."


    "Good. Besides, there is another matter, the most important thing, without my permission, you are not allowed to touch Nanrong Wanqing. If you don¡¯t heed my warning, even though I have personally mentored you, I won¡¯t give you any more chances. Did you hear me clearly?"


    "This..." Zhu Hong hesitated.


    "Hmm?"


    Feeling the man¡¯s coldening tone, Zhu Hong grit his teeth and nodded, "Yes, I understand."


    "Alright, you can go now."


    After Zhu Hong had left the study, the man picked up a cup of tea, leaned back in his chair, and muttered to himself, "Don¡¯t me me for being too harsh on you. You¡¯re not yet qualified to marry my daughter."


    ...


    Two days passed.


    News came from Ghost Base. Zhang Xueli disclosed four secret bases located in East Sea City. Tang Yuan was leading a team to apprehend them all in one fell swoop.


    With the threat in East Sea City temporarily mitigated and Zhu Hong gone missing again, Ling Chen suddenly found himself at a loose end, not knowing what to do.


    "Old bachelor."


    Returning to East Sea City, the first thing Tang Yuan did was excitedly rush to Ling Chen¡¯s residence.


    Ling Chen pushed away Tang Yuan¡¯s approaching arms and said gruffly, "Enough, what¡¯s there to hug between two grown men?"


    "I¡¯m just happy to see you," Tang Yuan said with a broad, cheerful smile. "Last time, I really thought you were dead. I bought many paper dolls to burn for you, so you could enjoy your next life."


    "Get lost! I¡¯m definitely tougher than you. Hey, you don¡¯t need my help for this operation?"


    "No need, I have enough manpower. The General said you¡¯ve worked hard recently, so he¡¯s giving you some time off to rest properly."


    "Really?"


    "Of course, it¡¯s true. I wouldn¡¯t lie to you. If you want, you can return to Nanrong Family anytime. The General wants you to continue staying by Miss Nanrong¡¯s side to protect her. The military¡¯s coboration with Nanrong Family has just begun, and he doesn¡¯t want any mishaps with Miss Nanrong. You know what I mean."


    "I understand." Ling Chen nodded. There was still one enemy of the Nanrong Family left to deal with ¡ª the Snake King. Given that he now knew the true identity of the Snake King, he naturally couldn¡¯t let his guard down.


    "Right!" He switched topics, asking, "Has there been any resolution regarding Nanrong Hao¡¯s issue?"


    "He will be released in a couple of days. Zhang Xueli has already confessed that it was Zhu Hong who instructed her to covertly transport contraband and frame it on Hongyu Group, including the set-up against Nanrong Hao. The General has already issued an order that will soon bemunicated to the city police."


    "That¡¯s good."


    Checking the time, Tang Yuan said, "I¡¯ve got other things to handle, I¡¯ll catch up with you some other time."


    "Mm, take care."


    After seeing Tang Yuan off, Ling Chen stretchedzily and then went back to his room to pack his bags. Since everything had been settled, there was no need for him to stay any longer.


    Closing the door, Ling Chen carried his luggage and sighed quietly to himself. Although this case had concluded in the way he had anticipated, he still felt a twinge of disappointment. He had secretly infiltrated East Sea City to gather evidence and intelligence to confront Zhu Hong, but Zhu Hong had left prematurely, rendering his efforts futile.


    However, thinking of Nanrong Wanqing immediately brightened his mood. Regardless, the endeavor wasn¡¯t entirely fruitless, at least it had rified the rtionship between him and Nanrong Wanqing.


    Before leaving, he made a phone call to Hu Fei. He owed much to Hu Fei¡¯s help during this period and naturally wanted to express his gratitude properly.

 Chapter 237 - 233: Future Husband Cultivation Plan

    <h4>Chapter 237: Chapter 233: Future Husband Cultivation n</h4><h4></h4>


    Hongyu Group.


    Secretary Wang Lan pushed open the door of the Chairman¡¯s office, a smile on her face as she looked at Nanrong Wanqing, who was busily working at her desk.


    "Chairman, someone is looking for you."


    "I¡¯m really busy right now, I don¡¯t have time..."


    "Not even time for me?" A familiar voice came, and Nanrong Wanqing immediately looked up at the door, only to see Ling Chen standing behind Wang Lan with a cheeky grin, winking at her.


    "Lan, you go ahead with your work; I have something to discuss with the Chairman."


    "Mhm." Wang Lan, very understanding, didn¡¯t say anything unnecessary and turned to leave the office.


    Nanrong Wanqing wheeled away from her desk and looked curiously at Ling Chen, who was sitting on the sofa with his legs crossed. "Didn¡¯t you say that you don¡¯t want others to know that you¡¯re back?"


    "It¡¯s okay now." Ling Chen shed a wide grin, "Old Tang helped me resignst time, and I¡¯m here to be reinstated today. It¡¯s up to you, the Chairman, to agree or not."


    "Reinstate?" Nanrong Wanqing pondered for a moment, then gently shook her head: "I cannot agree."


    Ling Chen was slightly taken aback, puzzled: "Why not?" As he spoke, he ¡¯oh¡¯ed, with a sudden look of realization, his smile yful: "Are you refusing to let me return to thepany because you want to propel me directly to the pinnacle of life?"


    "What pinnacle of life?"


    "Be a general manager, marry a rich and beautiful woman... Nope, that should be marry the Chairman, and also..."


    Hearing his nonsense, Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s pretty face blushed, two streaks of crimson rose involuntarily, and she retorted with annoyance: "You¡¯re thinking too much."


    "Then what would you have me do?"


    "Security doesn¡¯t have much career prospect; I think you should try other fields, like management."


    "Management?" Ling Chen¡¯s eyes rolled, and he immediatelyughed. He looked at Nanrong Wanqing with meaningful amusement. Feeling his gaze, Nanrong Wanqing couldn¡¯t help but turn her head away, her face reddening, her beautiful eyes flickering, she stammered: "What are you looking at me for?"


    Ling Chen chuckled: "Chairman, are you undertaking a future husband training program?"


    "Who says that, I just... just think your abilities are wasted on being security." By the end of her sentence, her voice had be a faint whisper, with a hint of shyness, not daring to look directly into his eyes.


    Seeing her bashful, demure appearance, Ling Chen smiled to himself. The old Nanrong Wanqing used to be stern with an icy face, authoritative and nobody dared to defy her. But the current Nanrong Wanqing appeared like a fairy descending from the heavens, tasting the mortal world for the first time, with apletely different charm that unwittingly attracted him.


    "Really not a future husband training program?"


    Seeing him bringing up that topic again, Nanrong Wanqing became both shy and annoyed: "If you ask again, then you can go back to the security department."


    "Alright, alright, I won¡¯t ask anymore. You¡¯re the Chairman; whatever you say goes. So what position are you nning to arrange for me?" Knowing she was thin-skinned, Ling Chen no longer teased her.


    "Start by getting familiar with the Human Resources Department. If you perform well, then I will arrange other tasks for you." When it came to work, Nanrong Wanqing immediately became serious, "The Human Resources Department is a vital part of thepany and is involved in the overall operation. You can¡¯t take it lightly."


    "No problem, don¡¯t you know my abilities." Ling Chen was full of confidence.


    "Right, how¡¯s Nanrong Hao doing?" Bringing up her own brother, a trace of concealed worry crossed Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s brows.


    "Don¡¯t worry, if his issue wasn¡¯t resolved, could I havee back to find you? By tomorrow at thetest, you¡¯ll be able to see him."


    Upon hearing that, Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s brows immediately smoothed out, as if she rxedpletely, "Thank you."


    Ling Chen waved his hand dismissively: "Do we still need to thank each other? If you really want to thank me, why not make it up to me tonight." While saying this, he let out a sly chuckle.


    Thinking of the passionate night, Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s pretty face blushed, her hands gripping the hem of her clothes as she scolded angrily: "Without my permission, you¡¯re not allowed in my room ever again. Also, when you go back, you need to apologize to Lin yourself."


    Su Lin?


    Ling Chen scratched his head; that girl was a bit of trouble. With her tigress-like personality, he wasn¡¯t sure if she would forgive him.


    Nanrong Wanqing seemed to sense his worries and said, "I¡¯ve exined it to Lin. It was just a misunderstanding; she probably won¡¯t me you."


    "That¡¯s good then." Ling Chen nodded, but still felt somewhat unsure, since he had taken such a big advantage of someone, "Did she say anything?"


    "Say anything about what?"


    "About our rtionship, didn¡¯t she show any reaction at all?"


    "Not for now. I¡¯ll find an opportunity to have a good talk with herter. Oh, and one more thing," Nanrong Wanqing quickly changed the subject, reminding him, "You¡¯re not allowed to mention our rtionship to anyone else at thepany."


    "Rtionship, Wanqing, what are you referring to?"


    "Get lost." Nanrong Wanqing was so irritated that she uttered a curse, which was rare for her.


    Ling Chenughed heartily. He had wanted to spend more time with Nanrong Wanqing, but seeing that she was busy with a lot of work, he tactfully didn¡¯t disturb her and went down to the security department alone.


    Seeing him return, Zhong Wei, Wei Jun, and the others were naturally overjoyed.


    "Ling, wee back to thepany. To celebrate your return, you¡¯re treating us to a meal tonight," Wei Jun said with augh, patting his shoulder.


    "I don¡¯t mind a dinner, but not tonight. I¡¯m busy; let¡¯s do it another day."


    Thinking of facing Su Linter in the evening, he really wasn¡¯t in the mood to go out and enjoy himself.


    At six o¡¯clock in the evening.


    Ling Chen sat in his Rolls-Royce, apanying Nanrong Wanqing back to Wealthy Manor. When they reached the doorstep, and he saw the white Maserati parked outside, Ling Chen cleared his throat and nced at Nanrong Wanqing beside him.


    It seemed like she didn¡¯t notice his gaze and said indifferently, "I¡¯m going back to my room. You go find Lin."


    Ling Chen touched his nose and shook his head, resigned. After Nanrong Wanqing returned to her room, he headed alone to Su Lin¡¯s bedroom door. Peeking through the door gap, the light was on inside; Su Lin should be in there.


    Taking a deep breath, he raised his hand and gently knocked on the door.


    "Come in."


    Getting her permission, Ling Chen grasped the doorknob, pushed the door, and walked in.


    However, the moment he entered, his expression froze, and he stood there dumbfounded with his foot hovered midair, staring open-mouthed at Su Lin inside the room.


    Apparently, the youngdy had just finished showering, her body wrapped in a towel, exposing soft, fragrant shoulders. As he entered, Su Lin was about to remove her towel, holding ace-trimmed sexy bra in her hand, and turned her head to ask, "Wanqing, you..."


    Before she could finish her sentence, seeing Ling Chen standing at the doorway with his mouth agape, Su Lin was momentarily stunned, her mind went nk, and it took her a long time to snap back to reality.

 Chapter 238 - 234 Letting You See It Again

    <h4>Chapter 238: Chapter 234 Letting You See It Again</h4><h4></h4>


    Eye to eye, Ling Chen¡¯s attention wasrgely focused on Su Lin¡¯s bare and delicate body.


    Watching Su Lin¡¯s alluring figure, Ling Chen felt a dry throat and couldn¡¯t help but swallow, feeling a slight swelling in his lower body, stirred by primitive desires.


    A few seconds of eye contactter, Su Lin finally came to her senses. Instinctively, her first reaction was to scream. However, noticing her action, Ling Chen panicked, took a quick step forward, and covered her mouth before she could make a sound.


    "Don¡¯t... don¡¯t scream!"


    Ling Chen urged anxiously. Nanrong Wanqing was next door, and if Su Lin screamed, Nanrong Wanqing would definitely hear, and if she saw the situation, it would be awkward for all three of them.


    "Mmm..." Su Lin tried to speak, but Ling Chen was covering her mouth, and she couldn¡¯t utter a word.


    "Lady Su, I just misunderstood; I didn¡¯t mean to peep on you," Ling Chen exined, then added, "Wanqing is next door, do you want her to see this?"


    Su Lin red at him, still thinking it was Nanrong Wanqing knocking on the door earlier, hence her guard was down. Since no man ever came to the second floor, and since Zhu Hong and Ling Chen weren¡¯t residing at home, she never anticipated the coincidence that Ling Chen would appear.


    When did this rascale back?


    Realizing she was still unclothed in front of Ling Chen, Su Lin felt unbearable embarrassment, her fair skin blushing faintly.


    "Mmm... Mmm..."


    Seeing the color of embarrassment in Su Lin¡¯s eyes, Ling Chen reacted and couldn¡¯t help but lower his head, ncing at Su Lin¡¯s full bosom. This act turned Su Lin¡¯s face as red as an apple, appearing charmingly shy.


    Rascal, you¡¯re still looking! She cursed in her heart.


    "Umm... you should get dressed first." Feeling Su Lin¡¯s anger, Ling Chen forced a smile, quickly let go of her, and turned his back. However, as soon as he turned, his expression became strange. On the wall opposite him, there was a full-length mirror, perfectly reflecting Su Lin¡¯s voluptuous body.


    Su Lin seemed not to notice this detail; by the time Ling Chen turned around, she had already grabbed a nightgown and draped it over herself, covering the exposed view.


    Once she had put on her nightgown, Su Lin¡¯s face gradually returned to normal. Then, she turned her head, wanting to call him to turn around. But at that moment, she finally noticed the full-length mirror on the wall, her face turning red again, indignantly saying, "Ling Chen, you..."


    "I didn¡¯t see anything," Ling Chen quickly denied.


    "Pah! Who would believe your nonsense?" Su Lin sniffed, still blushing and ring at Ling Chen, internally cursing the rascal thousands of times. Last time he had taken such advantage of her, and she hadn¡¯t settled ounts with him yet, and now she suffered another huge loss. Thinking of this, she felt like a jar of mixed emotions was knocked over, very ufortable.


    Though she had a boyfriend before, it was only limited to holding hands, never crossing the boundary. She always held her body in high regard. Now, this rascal had touched where he shouldn¡¯t, seen what he shouldn¡¯t have; how could she face anyone after this?


    The more she thought, the more aggrieved she felt, her eyes involuntarily reddening, on the verge of tears.


    Seeing her sudden tears, Ling Chen was dumbfounded. Who knew this girl had such fragile mental resilience, unable to even withstand this small setback. If it were about killing someone, he could do it without blinking an eye. However, faced with a saddened, crying woman, he felt utterly helpless and unsure of how to console her.


    "Look, don¡¯t cry, I didn¡¯t do it on purpose, how about... I let you see in return? That way, no one loses out."


    Hearing this, Su Lin became furious. She had already suffered a loss, and he was still trying to take advantage of her, this rascal, pervert, scoundrel... couldn¡¯t he justfort her for once.


    "Hey, I said it was a misunderstanding, isn¡¯t my apology enough?"


    Su Lin retorted indignantly: "Is an apology enough?"


    Ling Chen spread his hands helplessly: "Then what do you want? You¡¯re not expecting me to take responsibility, are you?"


    "Who¡¯s asking you to take responsibility." Su Lin blushed, wiped the tears from the corner of her eye, and huffed: "I might ept your apology, but it depends on your sincerity."


    "What counts as sincere enough?"


    Su Lin rolled her eyes, sniffing: "Depends on your future behavior. If you can satisfy me, I might pretend that both today andst time never happened."


    "Alright, I¡¯ll do my best." Ling Chen sighed, after all, he shouldpensate since he took such advantage of her.


    Having barely escaped from Su Lin¡¯s room, Ling Chen knocked on the door across, waiting for a response before he pushed the door and entered.


    Entering the bedroom, he saw Nanrong Wanqing struggling to move from the wheelchair to the bed. Upon seeing this, he quickly stepped forward, lifted her delicate body, and gently ced her on the bed.


    "Have you seen Lin? How did it go?"


    "It was fine," Ling Chen replied nonchntly, his eyes thoughtful on Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s legs.


    "What do you mean ¡¯fine¡¯? rify, did she forgive you?" Nanrong Wanqing was a bit unsatisfied with his casualness and pressed for details.


    "I¡¯m on good terms with her, nothing happened, you should be satisfied with that," Ling Chen said, shifting the topic: "Wasn¡¯t that exoskeleton armor sessfully developed? Why not have them deliver a set here?"


    "My set of exoskeleton armor needs to be customized, their power reduced. It¡¯s still being rushed; it will take some time toplete," Nanrong Wanqing said, her expression somewhat mncholic, "Doctor Stephen said he had a way to cure my legs, but there has been no news, and even he¡¯s nowhere to be found."


    "You don¡¯t have to look any more, he¡¯s not reliable." Ling Chen pointed out. Unknown to Nanrong Wanqing, Stephen was a member of the God Organization. Even if Stephen truly had a way to cure Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s legs, Ling Chen wouldn¡¯t hand her over to him; that would be far too dangerous.


    "The exoskeleton armor will be here soon, use it for now. I will find a way to make you truly stand up."


    "Really?"


    Ling Chen smiled slightly: "Trust me, I won¡¯t disappoint you."

 Chapter 239 - 235 Human Resources Department

    <h4>Chapter 239: Chapter 235 Human Resources Department</h4><h4></h4>


    The next day.


    Ling Chen woke up early and did an hour of morning exercise. When it was about time, he returned to his room for a quick shower and then joined Nanrong Wanqing and Su Lin for breakfast.


    Sitting at the dining table, Su Lin absentmindedly nibbled on bread, her gaze constantly shifting back and forth between Ling Chen and Nanrong Wanqing.


    Feeling ufortable under her stare, Ling Chen couldn¡¯t help but look up and say, "Lady Su, is there something on my face that you keep staring at me? I know I¡¯m handsome, but I¡¯m taken. I¡¯d appreciate it if you don¡¯t harbor any intentions towards me."


    Upon hearing this, Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s pretty face flushed slightly red, and she gave him an annoyed re. Su Lin was even less polite, lightly spitting in contempt, "Don¡¯t tter yourself. There are plenty of guys handsomer than you. I¡¯m not interested in a face like yours."


    Ling Chen chuckled, "No worries, if you¡¯re not interested, someone else will be. Right, Wanqing?"


    Su Lin looked at him with irritation and muttered, "I don¡¯t see what Wanqing sees in you."


    "It¡¯s because Wanqing has good taste and discernment."


    "You..." Su Lin huffed, "Wanqing, did you hear that? He¡¯s bullying me! He dares to say Ick taste and discernment."


    Nanrong Wanqing rubbed her temples, helplessly saying, "Can¡¯t you both give it a rest? Early in the morning, all I hear is you two bickering. I¡¯m tired just listening to you."


    "Hmph, I can¡¯t be bothered with you." Su Lin pursed her lips and picked up her handbag from the chair, "I¡¯m off to ss." Walking a few steps, she turned her head back, reminding, "Ling Chen, don¡¯t forget what you promised mest night."


    Watching Su Lin leave, Nanrong Wanqing asked curiously, "What did you promise her?"


    "Nothing much." Ling Chen chuckled, standing up, "I¡¯m full. You take your time. I¡¯m going to find Captain Zhong and check if the car is ready." Having said that, he dashed out.


    Eight o¡¯clock in the morning.


    Ling Chen apanied Nanrong Wanqing to the office on time.


    "Today is your first day at the department; remember to follow the rules and avoid trouble," Nanrong Wanqing advised before parting.


    "Don¡¯t worry, I will be prudent and humbly learn from my colleagues."


    After watching Nanrong Wanqing enter her private elevator, Ling Chen took another elevator to the tenth floor of Hongyu Group, the Human Resources Department.


    Inside the department, a cacophony of keyboard cking filled the air as everyone intently worked at theirputers without uttering a word. Upon his arrival, they only nced at him briefly, uninterested in a second look, and continued with their work.


    Ling Chen touched his nose, feeling that this ce waspletely different from life in the security department; it was like night and day. Keeping in mind Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s instructions, he went straight to the department manager¡¯s office and knocked on the door.


    "Come in!"


    A woman?


    Ling Chen opened the ss door to see a woman in her thirtiese into view.


    The woman before him was dressed in a white business suit, wearing sses, her expression stern and seemingly with rigid facial muscles; she was very serious.


    "Manager Jiang, hello." Ling Chen greeted her warmly, "I¡¯m Ling Chen, the new employee. I look forward to working with and learning from you."


    This woman was named Jiang Ying, the manager of the Human Resources Department. He had done his homework in advance.


    Jiang Ying looked up at him, said nothing, but pointed to the clock on the wall. Ling Chen nced at the clock, then back at Jiang Ying, his face full of confusion, not understanding her point.


    "Thepany¡¯s working hours start at eight o¡¯clock. It¡¯s already five past eight. As a new employee, you can¡¯t even keep the most basic punctuality. How can I trust you with work?"


    Ling Chen was momentarily stunned. This woman¡¯s sense of time was too strong. Besides, it wasn¡¯t like he had intentionally beente; did she need to look at him with such disapproval?


    Seeing him with a nonchnt expression, Jiang Ying frowned slightly, "HR told me you were transferred from the security department. People from the security department tend to bex and undisciplined. Here, you¡¯d better change your old habits. Three strikes and you¡¯re out; I don¡¯t care what connections you have in thepany, you¡¯ll be dismissed after three vitions. Do you understand?"


    "Crystal clear." Ling Chen nodded his head. Nanrong Wanqing had arranged for him to learn in the Human Resources Department; he couldn¡¯t let her down. Although he didn¡¯t take a liking to this manager, for Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s sake, he had to ept it reluctantly.


    "Good. I will observe your performance over the next few days. If you fail to satisfy me, I suggest you return to the security department. We have no need for useless people here," Jiang Ying said, and then pressed the inte button. Shortly after, a pretty girl in her twenties entered the room.


    "Xiao Han, this is Ling Chen, the department¡¯s new employee. Please arrange his work for him."


    "Understood, Manager."


    After leaving the office, Ling Chen spoke with the girl for a moment and learned that her name was Yang Han, Jiang Ying¡¯s secretary.


    "Ling Chen, this is where you¡¯ll be working."


    Yang Han led him to an empty desk, then ced a stack of files on it, "This is your work for today. You need to enter the new employee information from various departments into thepany¡¯s records."


    Ling Chen snapped his fingers and shed a grin, "No problem."


    "Then get busy. If there¡¯s anything you don¡¯t understand, just call me. I sit in the cubicle across from you."


    "Okay, thanks."


    After Yang Han left, Ling Chen sat at the desk, powered on theputer, and began to sort through the files, entering them into theputer one by one. After working non-stop at the screen for two hours, Ling Chen felt his back stiffening and his eyes straining. Damn, this workload is massive.


    Despite the hard work, he understood the motive behind Nanrong Wanqing arranging for him to work here. The Human Resources Department is crucial for understanding thepany¡¯s employees, managing the operations of all departments, and arranging personnel movement. Putting the right effort into the most effective areas ¨C that¡¯s what the Human Resources Department is supposed to do.


    Checking the time, it was ten o¡¯clock, an hour and a half away from lunch. Ling Chen stood up, filled his mug with coffee, then stood by the window, twisting his waist and stretching his sore body.


    "Ling Chen, what are you doing?"


    Just then, Jiang Ying¡¯s voice came from behind him.


    Ling Chen turned around and smiled, "Manager, I¡¯m just taking a brief break."


    "Have you finished your work?"


    "Not yet."


    "It¡¯s working hours now. There¡¯s plenty of time to rest after work. Also, don¡¯t wander around the department, you¡¯re distracting the other colleagues."


    Ling Chen suddenly felt displeased, "Manager, don¡¯t you think you¡¯re being a bit too impersonal? People aren¡¯t machines; everyone gets tired. Taking a short break allows us to work better."


    Jiang Ying, her face expressionless, responded, "This is my department; I make the rules. If you have a problem, you can leave. I won¡¯t hold you back. Including your tardiness today, you¡¯ve already breached two rules. Make sure there isn¡¯t a third."


    ""

 Chapter 240: Aunt No. 236

    <h4>Chapter 240: Aunt No. 236</h4><h4></h4>


    "Manager, it¡¯s not that I¡¯m targeting anyone, but there¡¯s a big problem with the way you handle things. I¡¯m here to work, not to sell my life away. On what grounds do you deny me rest? Moreover, this is Hongyu Group; I only need to follow thepany¡¯s rules. You¡¯re not the chairman, so why should I abide by your inhumane rules?" Ling Chen expressed his dissatisfaction. This woman was just too damn unreasonable; she was just a manager, yet she acted as if she was the emperor, expecting everyone to listen to hermands.


    Jiang Ying¡¯s face turned slightly cold as she frowned and said, "You¡ªa new employee¡ªdare to challenge my work and talk back to me?"


    "Why wouldn¡¯t I dare? I guess the other employees in your department are holding back their anger for the sake of their livelihoods, but I don¡¯t have those concerns. At worst, you just fire me."


    He wasn¡¯t a pushover, and with his personality, even if he reluctantly stayed today, he would inevitably protest tomorrow. So why not leave sooner?


    "Fine, you said it yourself." Jiang Ying nodded her head and, pointing to the main door, said, "You can roll out from here right now."


    Ling Chen had been about to leave, but when he heard the word ¡¯roll,¡¯ he immediately halted, narrowed his eyes at Jiang Ying, and said enunciating each word, "Who are you telling to roll? As a manager, your vocabrycks any ss. It¡¯s a wonder how someone like you became a manager. Even the chairman of Hongyu Group must be blind to promote someone like you."


    Upon hearing these words, everyone in the office was suddenly shocked and looked at Ling Chen with their mouths agape. This guy had such a nerve; he even dared to insult the chairman. Didn¡¯t he know about the rtionship between the manager and the chairman?


    s, this guy is done for! Everyone silently mourned for Ling Chen for a second.


    "You dare disrespect the chairman?" Jiang Ying¡¯s face fell, with anger zing in her eyes.


    Ling Chen shrugged his shoulders: "I¡¯m just speaking the truth."


    "Good, I see you don¡¯t want to stay in thispany any longer."


    "It doesn¡¯t matter to me; I can just go back to the security department," Ling Chen said unconcernedly. Working under such people, no amount of money would be worth it to him.


    "You won¡¯t be returning to the security department either, just pack up and leave." Jiang Ying coldly threw out a sentence and turned to walk back into her office.


    Ling Chen just smiled dismissively, waved his hand to his colleagues, and said, "Folks, continue to enjoy your suffering in the sea of bitterness. I¡¯m breaking free from it first."


    After leaving the Human Resources Department, Ling Chen thought about going to the security department to clear his head. However, just as he entered the elevator, he received a phone call from Nanrong Wanqing asking him toe to her office.


    Tsk tsk! He¡¯d just left, and Nanrong Wanqing already knew¡ªJiang Ying was quick to tattle.


    Arriving at the top-floor office, Ling Chen greeted Wang Lan and then pushed the door open and walked in.


    "Chairman, did you want to see me?"


    Nanrong Wanqing looked at him with a displeased expression and reproached, "I warned you this morning not to cause any trouble, yet just two hourster, Manager Jiang calls the HR department demanding your dismissal."


    Ling Chen spread his hands and said, "You can¡¯t me me for that; who asked that woman to be so unreasonable. I wanted to do my work quietly, but she kept provoking me."


    "You... Manager Jiang may be a bit strict, and I¡¯ve advised her too, but that¡¯s just her personality, and it¡¯s hard to change; you just have to adapt. Moreover, over the years, she¡¯s put a lot of effort into thepany. Hongyu Group¡¯s sess today is partly her achievement," Nanrong Wanqing patiently exined, "with others, a little backtalk is fine, but not with her."


    "Why not?"


    Nanrong Wanqing bit her lip, looking somewhat embarrassed as she said, "She¡¯s my aunt."


    "Aunt?" Ling Chen was slightly taken aback, not expecting Jiang Ying and Nanrong Wanqing to have this connection. Aunt, that would be Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s mother¡¯s sister.


    Thinking back to the unpleasant exchange he had with Jiang Ying, his expression immediately turned sour.


    This was awkward.


    "Why didn¡¯t you give me a heads-up before?" heined.


    "How was I supposed to know you¡¯d anger her so quickly?" Nanrong Wanqing said helplessly. She had specifically arranged for Ling Chen to be in the HR department out of personal interest, because her own mother had left home when she was very young, and her aunt had taken great care of her ever since. Later, Jiang Ying told her that in the absence of her mother, she would like to vet any boyfriends she might have, which is why she transferred Ling Chen to the HR department to let them get to know each other first.


    She initially wanted to observe Ling Chen¡¯s performance and tell him about her aunt after a while, but who knew that just in two hours, he would anger her aunt, which left her not knowing whether tough or cry.


    Ling Chen grimaced and said, "Why didn¡¯t you ever mention your aunt before?"


    "At that time, you were still an outsider. Why would I tell you about my family matters?"


    "So what should I do now? I¡¯ve already made a bad impression on your aunt. Maybe... maybe you could exin it to her?"


    "My aunt¡¯s personality is a bit entric," Nanrong Wanqing said and couldn¡¯t help but sigh lightly. "Actually, my aunt wasn¡¯t like this before. It¡¯s just that she went through too much when she was young, which caused her to be what she is today."


    "What happened?" Ling Chen asked with a curious expression. "Could it be that she was abandoned by a man? Yeah, turning to hatred from love could certainly change someone¡¯s personality. I understand."


    "Don¡¯t talk nonsense," Nanrong Wanqing red at him, and said with annoyance, "If it weren¡¯t for my mother, my aunt wouldn¡¯t have ended up like this."


    Hearing this, Ling Chen felt a stir in his heart, walked over to her, and said solemnly, "Actually, I¡¯ve always had a question that I didn¡¯t feel it was appropriate to ask. But now that we are in this kind of rtionship, shouldn¡¯t you tell me about your parents¡¯ affairs?"


    He had noticed during hisst visit to the Nanrong Family that neither Nanrong Wanqing nor Nanrong Hao had any photos of their parents in their rooms, which obviously was unusual. Moreover, Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s parents seemed to be a taboo topic in the Nanrong family, with no one daring to mention them. Therefore, he was very curious. Now that it was brought up, he wanted to take this opportunity to ask for rity.


    "My parents..." Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s face turned somber, and a trace of sadness shimmered in her eyes. Seeing this, Ling Chen walked behind her, ced his hands on her fragile shoulders, and said softly, "If you don¡¯t want to talk about it, then I won¡¯t ask."


    He could feel that when it came to her parents, she was greatly troubled. Considering she had lost her parents shortly after she was born and they had never returned for decades, it must have been hard for her as their child.


    Nanrong Wanqing shook her head, managing a faint smile, "Actually, I also want to confide in someone. Let¡¯s sit over there and talk."


    Ling Chen agreed, pushed the wheelchair over to the sofa, and sat down next to her, listening attentively to her story.


    (Brothers and sisters, how about some rmendations¡ª!)

 Chapter 241 - 237 Jiang Family

    <h4>Chapter 241: Chapter 237 Jiang Family</h4><h4></h4>


    "I don¡¯t know why my parents left home, and Grandpa never talked to me about it. When I was young, I asked him a few times, but Grandpa was reluctant to talk about it, and every time my parents were mentioned, he lost control of his emotions. Since then, I haven¡¯t mentioned it in front of him anymore. However, I¡¯ve heard quite a bit about my mother from Nanny Wang and my aunt."


    "My mom was named Jiang Qing¡¯e, and she was a daughter of the Jiang Family in Yangcheng. She had four siblings, two older brothers, and a younger sister, who you just met, Mrs. Jiang Ying. Back then, my dad met my mom while traveling, and Auntie was with her on the trip. After bingpanions, my parents developed feelings for each other during the journey and exchanged contact information, frequently meeting up and traveling to different ces. Their rtionship deepened over time. However, when my dad thought the timing was right and proposed, the Jiang Family refused him. I could never understand why; even though the Nanrong Family was already wealthy and the Jiang Family also had influence in Yangcheng, our families were well matched, yet they refused the marriage."


    "Even though the Jiang Family was against it, my parents were deeply in love andmitted to each other for life. Ignoring their family¡¯s objections, my mom ended up marrying my dad. At that time, only my aunt attended their wedding. Because of this, she and my mom were considered traitors by the Jiang Family, disobeying the family¡¯s order, so they were expelled. Since then, my aunt has stayed in East Sea City, working at Hongyu Group. My parents had several happy years together, deeply in love as a couple. However, a major incident urred not long after Nanrong Hao was born, which led to my parents leaving the Nanrong Family and never returning."


    "Regarding the incident that happened at the Nanrong Family, all those who knew kept silent, and I couldn¡¯t find out more. Later, I asked my aunt, hoping to learn the truth from her, but she told me not to ask too much. She said knowing some things might bring more pain, and they didn¡¯t tell me to protect me, to prevent me from being affected by the resentments of the previous generation."


    "Yangcheng Jiang Family?" Ling Chen murmured to himself.


    Nanrong Wanqing nodded slightly, "I¡¯ve investigated the Jiang Family in Yangcheng; it¡¯s a prominent family with a hundred years of history and significant influence. I tried to contact the head of the Jiang Family, who is my maternal grandfather, but the several letters I sent were all ignored, receiving no response. I guess the Jiang Family did not want to deal with me, so I gave up. Ling Chen, I¡¯m telling you all this just to let you know that my aunt has it tough; she sacrificed a lot for my parents. At the time, she tried her best to persuade the Jiang Family to approve my parents¡¯ marriage. For that, she shed with her family members, ending up without a home to return to."


    "Why doesn¡¯t she live at your ce if she¡¯s your aunt?"


    "There are three vis in the backyard of the Nanrong Family, besides the ones where Nanrong Hao and I each live, the other one was where my parents used to live. Auntie used to live with them. However, since my parents left, Auntie¡¯s character has also be entric, refusing to stay in the Nanrong Family anymore; she says it makes her sad, so she insists on living alone."


    "I see," Ling Chen finally understood the situation. Yet, the issue that urred at the Nanrong Family was undoubtedly an intriguing problem.


    Scratching his head, he presented the dilemma again to Nanrong Wanqing with a helpless smile, "What should I do now? I¡¯ve managed to offend Auntie terribly already. With her rigid personality, it¡¯s probably toote to apologize."


    Nanrong Wanqing helplessly said, "Auntie is still on a rampage right now, even if you go to apologize, she would directly kick you out. You...sigh, I don¡¯t even know how to handle you. Refrain from going to the HR department for now, head back to the security area instead. Also, try not to let my aunt see you in thepany these days, she might just fire you."


    "I¡¯ll be careful to avoid her."


    Leaving the office, Ling Chen sighed heavily, his face full of worry, regretting his impulsive mistake of offending Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s aunt. What bad luck.


    Checking the time, there was still an hour left until the end of the workday. Since he was heading back to the security department, he figured he might as well tackle something useful.


    He went to the underground parking lot, where his ssic muscle car was parked in a corner, spotless. It seemed that in his absence, Nanrong Wanqing had not forgotten to take care of his beloved car. His lips curled slightly, appreciating her considerate nature.


    Driving out of Hongyu Group, Ling Chen headed onto the road. After a thirty-minute drive, he parked outside Qingyun Martial Arts Hall.


    Reaching the door, he knocked, and the door opened in response. Seeing that it was He Ziyun who opened the door, Ling Chen greeted with a smile, "Mr. He."


    "Come on in."


    "Where¡¯s Little Hua?" Ling Chen walked through the spacious courtyard, not seeing Little Hua, the sticky little girl, and asked.


    "She¡¯s gone out with Xiaozhu."


    Ling Chen was surprised, "Xiaozhu is back?"


    "Yes, she arrivedst night."


    Ling Chen secretly breathed a sigh of relief, d that he hade at the right time. Since parting from Zhu Xiaozhu that night, there had been an unspoken yet profound gap between them. Without addressing Zhu Hong¡¯s issue, he didn¡¯t know how to face her. Meeting under such circumstances would probably make both of them feel awkward.


    "Did youe to see me about that cultivation technique today?"


    Hearing He Ziyun speak, Ling Chen nodded, "Mr. He, how¡¯s your research going?"


    He Ziyun smiled slightly, "I have to admit, you¡¯re enviable for your luck, stumbling upon such a treasure. Although the text of the Internal Cultivation Methods is obscure and difficult, it¡¯s undeniable that it¡¯s an absolute skill passed down from ancient times. I¡¯ve been consulting various major sects¡¯ archives, and fortunately, persistance pays off; I¡¯ve tranted the Internal Cultivation Methods. Wait here, I¡¯ll go get it for you." Saying that, he stood up and walked towards his bedroom.


    Ling Chen felt a small thrill of excitement inside. He was well aware of He Ziyun¡¯s strength, a renowned figure on the Earthly List, and receiving such high praise from him meant the Internal Cultivation Methods were extraordinary. His external training had reached its pinnacle, but his internal strength was just beginning. A good set of Internal Cultivation Methods could save him much trouble and detours.


    While pondering, He Ziyun returned to the hall, handing over a sheet of handwritten paper filled with characters.


    Ling Chen couldn¡¯t wait to receive it, and before he had a chance to look at other content, his gaze was already drawn to the fewrge characters at the top.

 Chapter 242 - 238 Prajnaparamita Sutra

    <h4>Chapter 242: Chapter 238 Prajnaparamita Sutra</h4><h4></h4>


    "Prajnaparamita Sutra?"


    Ling Chen was momentarily taken aback. The name sounded strange, somewhat like the title of a Buddhist scripture? Thinking this, he looked at He Ziyun puzzled, hoping to get an exnation from him.


    He Ziyun saw his thoughts and couldn¡¯t help but smile slightly, patiently exining: "The reason you find this Internal Cultivation Method obscure is that it involves a lot of Buddhist terminology. I must admit, I too had to consult many ancient Buddhist scriptures to trante this mental method. Personally, I think that the author of this Internal Cultivation Method must have been a Buddhist monk. However, if my guess is correct, there is a significant issue with this Internal Cultivation Method."


    "What issue?"


    "It¡¯s well known that Buddhism values the equality of all beings and bases itself onpassion, saving people with a fearless heart from dire situations. However, this Internal Cultivation Method focuses primarily on killing, which contradicts the principles of Buddhism. Thus, it puzzles me why a Buddhist monk would leave such a mental method for future generations."


    Ling Chen slightly raised his lips and chuckled: "Mr. He, as you just mentioned, this is only your conjecture. Perhaps the author of this Internal Cultivation Method wasn¡¯t a Buddhist monk but someone else. Who can know the affairs of hundreds of years ago?"


    "That¡¯s also true." He Ziyun nodded and said, "Maybe I¡¯m overthinking it." After pausing, he changed the subject, "You just asked me why the name of this Internal Cultivation Method resembles a Buddhist scripture. The reason is quite simple. Buddhism epasses everything, and this Internal Cultivation Method also harbors all the essences of Martial Arts¡ªchangeable in countless ways."


    "That powerful?" Ling Chen couldn¡¯t contain his excitement, his eyes gleaming.


    He Ziyun smiled and said: "That¡¯s why I said you are fortunate. You have practiced this Internal Cultivation Method before and didn¡¯t see much effect because you didn¡¯t approach it in the right way. Only with the correct approach can you understand its mysteries. However, any top-tier Internal Cultivation Method has specific requirements for the practitioner."


    Ling Chen asked curiously, "What requirements?"


    "The Prajnaparamita Sutra can only be practiced by men; they must be at the peak of their external skills and cannot be older than twenty-five. You meet all these conditions, but there is one most crucial condition you haven¡¯t fulfilled, which is why you haven¡¯t progressed."


    "The most important condition?" Ling Chen felt anxious, "Mr. He, do I still have any hope?"


    He Ziyun revealed a meaningfully deep smile: "There is hope. Actually, this condition is not difficult for you; you can meet it anytime you want." Pausing, he cleared his throat and said with a smile: "For the practice of the Prajnaparamita Sutra, the man must lose his virginity."


    "What?" Ling Chen widened his eyes, thinking he had heard wrongly. Losing virginity? This was the first time he heard such a bizarre condition.


    "That... Mr. He, are you sure you¡¯re not mistaken?"


    "I have studied it over a dozen times, and I am positive there¡¯s no mistake. At first, I thought it was a joke, but after careful study, this condition is actually well-founded. It¡¯s useless to exin it to you now; you would understand once you practice the Prajnaparamita Sutra and experience its transformations yourself."


    Saying this, He Ziyun smiled and patted Ling Chen¡¯s shoulder, "You¡¯re not that young anymore; this sort of thing is quite normal, no need to feel embarrassed. If you don¡¯t have a suitable partner, you might as well roam the night markets. There are many such ces in East Sea City, you might try it out."


    Err...


    Hearing this talk, Ling Chen was speechless. He Ziyun actually encouraged him to visit those kinds of ces, the old man usually seemed so proper, who would have guessed he was so unconventional.


    "Come, I¡¯ll take you to the training room first, to teach you the introductory mental method."


    Following He Ziyun, Ling Chen arrived at a room behind the Martial Arts Academy. This room was entirely built of wooden materials without using a single steel nail. The room was spacious, with several candlesticks ced on each of the walls. Directly across from the door, the wall had a thickly inked ¡¯Quiet¡¯ character. In the center of the room, there was a round carpet.


    He Ziyun walked directly onto the carpet and sat cross-legged, then patted the spot beside him signaling for Ling Chen to sit down too.


    "Internal cultivation involves three key aspects: Body Adjustment, Breathing Control, and Mind Control. Your physical condition is excellent, so there¡¯s no need to spend much effort on that; thus, I will teach you Breathing Control directly. Breathing Control is about mastering the correct breathing techniques. Internal cultivation ces much emphasis on breathing, you need to achieve three shallow and one deep breaths, maintain a steady breath, only then can you enter what we often refer to as the state of meditation."


    While exining, He Ziyun also provided guidance.


    Although Ling Chen had practiced Internal Strength before, his approach was purely by ident, based on his understanding without any guidance, resulting in many mistakes in his practice. Now, under He Ziyun¡¯s patient guidance, he closed his eyes, slightly bent his arms, fingertips pointing skyward, while adjusting his breathing, fully rxed.


    Minutes passed, and he felt his body enter an ethereal state. With full concentration, following He Ziyun¡¯s instructions, he controlled the Inner Strength within his Dantian, converting it into a warm current, circting from the Gate of Heaven down to the abyss,pleting a cycle.


    "Close eyes to transverse the void, hands embracing Kunlun, stabilize essence to settle mind, connecting conscious to heavens... Perceive the void¡¯s breath, pull it into the Dantian..."


    He Ziyun¡¯s voice flowed gently into his ears. Listening to the chanted mnemonic, Ling Chen immediately made the corresponding movements, guiding the warm current in his Dantian through his limbs.


    Time ticked by.


    Unaware of how long it took, in his meditative state, Ling Chen seemed to forget the existence of time, his mind wholly invested in the practice of the Internal Cultivation Method.


    "That will do."


    Only when He Ziyun spoke did Ling Chen open his eyes, his handsome face carrying an inexplicable excitement.


    "Mr. He, I seeded." Unable to contain the surprise in his heart, he grinned broadly.


    He Ziyun nodded his head, not hiding his admiration: "Yourprehension is good. You¡¯ve memorized the incantations of the Prajnaparamita Sutra, and without my guidance, you can practice it on your own. However, still the same words I said before, although you¡¯veid the foundation, without meeting its requirement, this Internal Cultivation Method can hardly progress. So... you¡¯re an adult now, I need not say more, it¡¯s up to you to see what to do."


    Ling Chen gave a wry smile, the requirements of the Prajnaparamita Sutra were truly outrageous. Nevertheless, at this juncture, he could onlyply; he could not miss the opportunity to master a top-tier Internal Cultivation Method.

 Chapter 243 - 239: The RV from the Jiang Family

    <h4>Chapter 243: Chapter 239: The RV from the Jiang Family</h4><h4></h4>


    After leaving Qingyun Martial Arts Hall, it was already past four in the afternoon. Ling Chen had stayed in the practice room for a solid five hours, yet he didn¡¯t feel the passage of time at all.


    It has to be said, Inner Strength cultivation is a very magical thing.


    Back at thepany, Ling Chen didn¡¯t forget Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s instructions; he stayed holed up in the security department office withouting out, to avoid bumping into Jiang Ying. Although there were hundreds of people in thepany, it was still possible to run into her.


    He only breathed a sigh of relief at the end of the workday and drove back to Wealthy Manor with Nanrong Wanqing.


    In the car, looking at Nanrong Wanqing beside him, Ling Chen scratched his head, mustering up courage a few times, but just as quickly he chickened out, looking like he had more to say but hesitated. His odd behavior finally caught Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s attention, who asked curiously, "What¡¯s wrong with you?"


    "Nothing... nothing!" Ling Chen forced a smile and nervously shifted his gaze out of the car window, still thinking about what He Ziyun had said.


    Damn, to advance in Inner Strength, one has to lose their virginity, and for a perennial virgin, it¡¯s really not an easy matter. When He Ziyun mentioned this, Nanrong Wanqing was the first person toe to his mind, but now when it came to it, he couldn¡¯t utter a single word.


    Although he had established a rtionship with Nanrong Wanqing, with her traditional thinking, it was probably not going to be easy to persuade her.


    After thinking back and forth, he eventually discarded the idea. His skin may be thick, but there were some things he just couldn¡¯t bring himself to say.


    Upon arriving at 118 Wealthy Manor, as soon as they got out of the car, Nanrong Hao came running over excitedly, calling out loudly, "Sister, Chen."


    Ling Chen smiled, patting his shoulder and said, "You finally got out, kid. How was it inside, they didn¡¯t give you a hard time, did they?"


    "No, Officer Xia took good care of me, there were no difficulties."


    Seeing her brother returning safe and sound, Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s frown rxed, she smiled faintly and nodded lightly, "It¡¯s good that you are fine."


    To celebrate Nanrong Hao¡¯s return home, Nanny Wang specially prepared avish dinner, even Nanrong Yong made a rare appearance to join the fun, with the family getting along well and happily.


    Two days went by.


    Ling Chen was feeling very frustrated; he had been training hard these two days, immersing himself in the cultivation of Internal Cultivation Methods whenever he had time. However, it was proven that what He Ziyun said was true. No matter how he cultivated, the Inner Strength in his Dantian did not grow and remained stagnant.


    Without breaking the physical limitations, there¡¯s no hope of advancing further in Internal Cultivation Methods.


    That day, after dropping Nanrong Wanqing at the office, Ling Chen slipped away to the security department, putting his feet up and enjoying the leisure time.


    "Elder Ling, if you¡¯re not busy, why don¡¯t you join me for a patrol outside, it¡¯s not good to stay cooped up in the office all the time."


    "Brother Wei, since you¡¯ve said so, how could I refuse? Let¡¯s go!"


    Leaving the office, Ling Chen and Wei Jun were about to step outside. But at that moment, Ling Chen¡¯s expression suddenly changed, and he quickly pushed Wei Jun in front to block his own body.


    Wei Jun was a bit stunned and said: "Elder Ling, what is this..."


    "Be quiet."


    Ling Chen looked up, his gaze going past Wei Jun¡¯s shoulder, looking at Jiang Ying who had just came out of the elevator not far away, and silently breathed a sigh of relief. Luckily, he reacted quickly and noticed her in time. If she had caught him, Nanrong Wanqing would probably be very troubled.


    However, beyond relief, Ling Chen¡¯s eyes also held a hint of puzzlement. After Jiang Ying came out of the elevator, she hurried along with an anxious look on her face, seeming to have encountered some vexing issue. Employees passing by greeted her, but she seemed not to hear, her eyes fixed on the outside.


    Sensing something off about her, Ling Chen couldn¡¯t help feeling curious. Jiang Ying was a conservative person with strong principles; this could be deduced from the rules set by her department. It was now working hours, yet she wasn¡¯t in her office but instead going out, with a look of urgency on her face¡ªa sign that it was probably no small matter.


    If it had been before, he definitely wouldn¡¯t have meddled, but now that he knew about Jiang Ying¡¯s rtionship with Nanrong Wanqing, he couldn¡¯t just overlook it.


    "Big Brother Wei, you go ahead with your work, I¡¯ve got something to attend to."


    After saying that, without waiting for Wei Jun to respond, he had already caught up with Jiang Ying¡¯s pace and quickly left thepany.


    Arriving at the roadside, a Mercedes-Benz van slowly approached and stopped by the curb. Following that, Jiang Ying walked over to the van, opened the door, and sat inside. The moment the door was opened, the sharp-eyed Ling Chen noticed a young man sitting inside the vehicle, d in a casual suit.


    The youth was in his twenties, with handsome and well-defined features, and short hair dyed white, resembling a delinquent from society. Moreover, his attractive face was expressionless, like someone with facial paralysis.


    Watching the van blend into the traffic, Ling Chen gave chase for a few steps and nced at the van¡¯s license te, frowning slightly. That van did not have a local license te, and from the letters at the beginning of the te number, it was evident that the van came from Yangcheng.


    Yangcheng, the Jiang Family!


    The only people who could make Jiang Ying behave so oddly were probably members of the Jiang Family. Nanrong Wanqing had told him that there had never been any interaction between the Jiang Family and the Nanrong Family, and Jiang Ying had also been expelled from the Jiang Family. So why would someone from the Jiang Family suddenly seek out Jiang Ying?


    Thinking of these things, he felt vaguely uneasy.


    Night fell.


    After dinner, with nothing to do, Ling Chen decided to pop over to the neighboring vi to chat with Nanrong Hao. Upon reaching the door, before even entering, he saw Nanrong Hao touching his glossy hair,ing out from inside the house.


    "Brother Chen?" Upon seeing Ling Chen, Nanrong Hao smiled, "You looking for me for something?"


    "What¡¯s with this shy getup? Where are you headed?"


    "Hao and Xiong found out I was out and insisted on treating me to a fun night."


    "Where¡¯s the fun gonna be had?"


    Nanrong Hao scratched his head sheepishly and chuckled, "That uh... Emperor Foot Bath, you know the ce."


    "Look at you, all set to go out and enjoy life just after getting out."


    "Can¡¯t really turn down an invitation like that. Hey, Brother Chen, you interested? We could go together?"


    "I..." Ling Chen was about to decline, but then he thought, since he hadn¡¯t found the opportunity to lose his virginity, perhaps he should try out such a ce. He Ziyun had said, after all, everyone was an adult and there was nothing embarrassing about this kind of thing.


    Besides, he was doing this to enhance his own strength, not for the sake of indulgence; surely Nanrong Wanqing wouldn¡¯t me him. With this in mind, he gave a light cough and said earnestly, "You need to start taking life seriously, kid. I need to keep an eye on you for your sister¡¯s sake, and I can¡¯t let you get into trouble."


    "Of course." Nanrong Hao snickered slyly, easily reading Ling Chen¡¯s mind, but he didn¡¯t expose him.


    Clearly wanting to have fun, yet too shy to say it outright and using himself as a shield¡ªBrother Chen sure seemed to be someone with thin skin.


    Departing from the Nanrong residence, the two men got into Nanrong Hao¡¯s Audi and headed straight for their destination. It took them less than half an hour to arrive outside a luxurious foot bath city, the Emperor Foot Bath.


    (My brothers and sisters, your continued rmendations would be my downfall. Writing two books at once, please forgive me for not being able to release more frequently for now. Can I ensure the quality instead? I promise to release more once the old book isplete.)

 Chapter 244 - 240 Undercover

    <h4>Chapter 244: Chapter 240 Undercover</h4><h4></h4>


    Emperor Foot Bath City is located in the downtown area and is one of East Sea City¡¯s high-end entertainment venues. Every evening, finding a parking spot outside the foot bath city is next to impossible, and guestse and go without end.


    When Ling Chen and Nanrong Hao arrived, Jiang Hao and Zhao Zhengxiong were already waiting at the entrance. The four of them met, and Jiang Hao¡¯s reaction to Ling Chen¡¯s arrival was a mix of surprise and delight. He knew Ling Chen¡¯s personality too well; he had invited Ling Chen to such ces more than once before, only to be rejected every time.


    "Haozi, you really did it, managing to get Chen here." Jiang Hao said, hooking his arm around Ling Chen¡¯s shoulder and chuckling, "Chen, we brothers will make sure you enjoy the pleasures of being a man tonight."


    Ling Chen kept a stern face and red, saying, "Cut the crap. I¡¯m just here to keep an eye on Haozi, so none of you lead him astray."


    "Come on, Chen..."


    "Alright, enough," Nanrong Hao cut off Jiang Hao¡¯s words, stealthily giving him a look, "Chen is just here for a look, don¡¯t force him. Xiong, is the private room all set?"


    "All booked early on and just waiting for you guys."


    "Chen, let¡¯s go up and take a look." Nanrong Hao energetically led Ling Chen, and the group of four entered Emperor Foot Bath City. At the elevator, a sweet-faced attendant warmly helped open the lift, weing the four inside.


    Standing in the elevator, Ling Chen saw that none of them reached out to press any buttons, so he asked, "Which floor are we going to?"


    Zhao Zhengxiong gestured, "Chen, no need to press anything; it will move on its own." As soon as he finished speaking, there was a gentle ¡¯creak¡¯ and the elevator slowly started to ascend.


    Tsk tsk!


    They really do keep things under wraps here. Ling Chen mused to himself. Emperor Foot Bath City had a total of eight floors, but the elevator buttons only went up to the fourth. Clearly, the floors above the fourth weren¡¯t meant to see daylight.


    Ding!


    The elevator door opened, and Ling Chen followed Nanrong Hao out. Before he could take a good look around, he was hit by a wave of perfume and encountered a sea of white as girls in skimpy clothes flooded in from both sides, dazzling to the eyes.


    Ling Chen raised his arm to block the pairs of smooth, lotus root-like arms and quickly made his way out of the crowd. When he looked back, he saw six or seven youngdies in revealing outfits, with not much fabric on their bodies, surrounding Jiang Hao and the others, chirping and sweetly calling them ¡¯boss¡¯.


    Nanrong and the others must have oftene to ces like this; facing so many beautiful women, the three of them were like fish in water, showing no difort at all, which reminded Ling Chen of a term ¨C ¡¯smooth drivers.¡¯


    Just then, a petite girl noticed Ling Chen standing aside and immediately came over, giggling while pulling his arm, "Handsome, is this your first time here?"


    Though Ling Chen had seen the world, he had never seen a scene like this. Feeling the softness against his arm, he swallowed involuntarily, his hands unsure of where to go.


    Jiang Hao seemed to sense his difort andughed, easing the tension, "Alright, don¡¯t cling to our Chen. Come on, let¡¯s go to the private room first."


    Entering the spacious and luxurious private room, Ling Chen breathed a sigh of relief and leaned back on the sofa. Turning to see Jiang Hao puffing out smoke, he asked, "Don¡¯t the police raid ces like this?"


    "Heh heh, Chen, you saw it when we wereing up, didn¡¯t you? The elevator only goes to the fourth floor. If the policee, they will shut it down. By the time the police rush up here, we¡¯ll have already left through a secret door."


    Zhao Zhengxiong joined in, "ces like this aremon in East Sea, and many have backing. Shut down one, and immediately two more open up. It¡¯s never-ending."


    While they talked, a middle-aged woman with heavy makeup sauntered over with a flirtatious smile, her face so caked with foundation it seemed it might fall off at any moment.


    "Gentlemen, wee."


    "Tao, cut the talk. My brother just got out of the mmer and is fuming. Hurry up and call your girls over," Zhao Zhengxiong called out.


    "Boss Zhao, don¡¯t rush. I¡¯ll call them over to join you right away."


    At that moment, Jiang Hao and Nanrong Hao sat together, whispering and grinning wickedly, their eyes asionally sneaking nces at Ling Chen.


    "Leave it to me."


    Jiang Hao patted his chest, smiling confidently, then stood up to catch up with Tao and left the private room.


    After a few minutes, Jiang Hao returned to the private room first, followed by Tao leading a dozen young and beautiful girls in light attire into the room, lined up in a row, each with a number pinned at their waist and posing seductively, oozing charm.


    Ling Chen was immediately captivated; these beauties were all in their early twenties, youthful and beautiful, each with an excellent figure and fair skin. He was overwhelmed.


    Jiang Hao said, "Chen, you pick first. If you¡¯re not satisfied, I can ask them to bring in another group."


    Ling Chen coughed awkwardly, his expression unnatural. Although he had resolved toe here and indulge, now that the moment had arrived, he couldn¡¯t help but shrink back.


    "Don¡¯t be shy, Chen," Nanrong Hao teased. "If you don¡¯t choose, then I¡¯ll choose for you."


    Just then, Ling Chen suddenly felt a piercing gaze from the line of beauties staring at him with a hint of chill. Curiously following the gaze, his eyes locked on a beauty on the far left. His face turned pale when he saw her clearly.


    Damn, what is this woman doing here? He inwardly cursed.


    He had been too careless.


    ming the dim light of the private room, the abundance of beauties, and his ownck of attention, he hadn¡¯t noticed. Moreover, looking at her pretty face, it seemed she had deliberately applied heavy makeup, not only eyeliner but also fake eyshes. If one didn¡¯t look closely, it would be hard to recognize her.


    Now he was in trouble!


    He was inwardly groaning, feeling his luck terribly bad to have been caught red-handed on his first time in such an environment.


    Seeing him not making a move, Jiang Hao couldn¡¯t help but urge him, "Chen, you need to pick or we¡¯ll have to make a choice for you."


    "Uh... Jiang Hao, didn¡¯t you say you had something to take care of earlier? Let¡¯s head back first ande another day," Ling Chen stood up and gestured to Jiang Hao with his eyes.

 Chapter 245 - 241 This is a Trap

    <h4>Chapter 245: Chapter 241 This is a Trap</h4><h4></h4>


    However, Jiang Hao did not grasp his meaning, instead, he said: "Chen, are you mistaken? I never said that."


    "You..." Ling Chen was infuriated inside. This guy is usually quite clever, how could he not even understand a look from him?


    At that moment, the beautiful woman came over with a smile, hugged Ling Chen¡¯s arm with both hands, and sweetly said: "Boss, since you¡¯re here, why not stay and y for a while? Why rush to leave. Let me keep youpany, I¡¯ll make sure you¡¯re satisfied."


    Hearing that overly sweet voice, Ling Chen shivered involuntarily, angry yet tearless, this woman has caught him and won¡¯t let him leave.


    He squeezed out a smile reluctantly, ready to find an excuse to slip away. But before he could say anything, he suddenly felt pain in his arm¡ªthe woman was fiercely pinching his flesh with her nails, her eyes carrying a threat.


    "Sit down obediently. If you dare to leave, I will immediately have you arrested."


    An inaudibly quiet voice came over, Ling Chen knew he couldn¡¯t escape now, so he might as wellply and sat back down obediently.


    Jiang Hao and the others thought he was captivated by the beauty, and they all startedughing, giving a thumbs-up: "Thisdy is amazing, even able to subdue our Chen."


    Tao smiled and said: "You can only say that this boss has good taste. This is our newly arrived beauty, working for the first time tonight."


    Ling Chen red at Jiang Hao and the other two angrily, these three idiots are ssic examples of losing their brains at the sight of a woman. They had seen Xia Mutong before, especially Nanrong Hao, who had been detained in the station these past few days, almost meeting Xia Mutong every day, yet he didn¡¯t recognize her.


    After a while, Nanrong Hao and the others each selected a beauty. Once Tao had led the remaining women out, several waiters came in and ced drinks and snacks onto the coffee table.


    "Enjoy at your leisure, gentlemen. Call us whenever you need something."


    Jiang Hao gave Nanrong Hao a look, picked up a bottle of foreign liquor, poured two sses, and smilingly handed one to Ling Chen.


    "Chen, here, this ss is for you, let¡¯s down it in one gulp."


    Ling Chen was never afraid of drinking, but with Xia Mutong sitting next to him, he really wasn¡¯t in the mood.


    "Let¡¯s put it aside for now, I¡¯ll drink itter."


    "Chen, we are out to have fun, don¡¯t ruin it," Zhao Zhengxiong came over with a ss of drink, then pointed at the Xia Mutong beside him, dissatisfied, he said: "Hey, it¡¯s not like we paid money for you just to sit here, hurry and encourage Chen to drink."


    Hearing this, Xia Mutong picked up a ss of foreign liquor, leaned against Ling Chen¡¯s body, and coquettishly said: "Boss,e on, let¡¯s drink this ss."


    This woman... how long is she going to keep up this act?


    Ling Chen had no choice but to sip a bit to pacify her.


    However, once the alcohol went down, Jiang Hao and the other two took turns pushing drinks, one ss after another, along with Xia Mutong¡¯s encouragement to drink, it wasn¡¯t long before most of a bottle of foreign liquor was consumed by Ling Chen and Xia Mutong.


    The aftereffects of the foreign liquor were strong, Ling Chen felt dizzy, his body seemed to be burning, he was extremely restless. Not just him, Xia Mutong was also not in good shape, her forehead was drenched with sweat, her face flushed red, and she kept exhaling, revealing a seductive attitude.


    Seeing that the two had drunk a lot, Jiang Hao came over with a smile, "Chen, how about we take you to rest for a bit?"


    Ling Chen nodded, given his capacity for liquor, this situation shouldn¡¯t have arisen, but now with the alcohol affecting him, he was very ufortable, feeling an inexplicable impulse, wanting to find a quiet ce toy down.


    "Haozi, let¡¯s go, let¡¯s take Chen to the room." Saying this, the two helped both Ling Chen and Xia Mutong up, walked them out of the private room, and into an adjoining guest room.


    After settling them in, Jiang Hao and Nanrong Hao immediately exited the room, stood outside the door covering their mouths, snickering quietly.


    "Hao, everything okay?"


    "Rx, I¡¯ve notified Tao to add something to that bottle of foreign liquor, Chen won¡¯t be going back tonight."


    "Well done."


    Inside the room.


    Ling Chen and Xia Mutongy side by side on the bed, eyes closed, trying to get a good sleep. However, for some reason, the more they tried to sleep, the less they could, and the restlessness in their hearts grew stronger, almost uncontroble. He couldn¡¯t help but open his eyes and turn his head to look at Xia Mutong beside him, her pretty face flushed red, her fair skin showing a light blush, her mouth slightly open, her two long white legs tightly mped together, her voluptuous body heaving.


    Ling Chen swallowed, with his willpower, he was originally still able to somewhat control himself, but the scene before his eyes indeed made him feel unbearable.


    Thest bit of consciousness under that inexplicable thinking gradually blurred, and he reached out to the person beside him...


    ...


    Outside the Emperor Foot Bath City.


    Amercial van was parked by the roadside, several inclothes police officers sat in front of a row ofputers, watching through the surveince the guestsing in and out of the foot bath city.


    "It¡¯s been so long, why hasn¡¯t Captain Xia sent a signal yet? Hey, there won¡¯t be a problem, right?"


    "What¡¯s the rush, Captain Xia has her own measures. If there really was a problem, she would have contacted us already. What, are you afraid that someone might take advantage of Captain Xia?"


    "I just don¡¯t know what the higher-ups were thinking, actually letting Captain Xia go undercover."


    "Who else but Captain Xia could be our police station¡¯s beauty. I heard this foot bath city has high standards for the looks of their hostesses, besides Captain Xia, our station really couldn¡¯t select anyone else more suitable."

 Chapter 246 - 242: The Arrogant Jiang Family

    <h4>Chapter 246: Chapter 242: The Arrogant Jiang Family</h4><h4></h4>


    The next day, 8:00 AM.


    Wealthy Manor 118.


    After breakfast, Nanrong Wanqing pushed her wheelchair to Ling Chen¡¯s bedroom and gently knocked on the door. However, after several knocks, there was utter silence inside, without any response.


    Seeing this, she felt a bit puzzled. Normally, Ling Chen got up quite early. Why was he still not around today? As she thought this, she pushed the door open and called out, "Ling Chen, I..." Before she could finish, she saw that the bed was empty and the nket was neatly folded.


    "Where is he?"


    "Wanqing." At this moment, Su Lin walked down the stairs, rubbing her sleepy eyes and yawning. Passing by the dining table, she picked up a cup of milk and walked over to Nanrong Wanqing, peering into Ling Chen¡¯s room, and asked, "Are you looking for Ling Chen for something?"


    "It¡¯s nothing."


    Su Lin teased: "Cousin, just one night without seeing him and you¡¯re already so eager?"


    Hearing her teasing, Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s pretty face blushed slightly and said, "Don¡¯t talk nonsense."


    "Today¡¯s Saturday, thepany has a day off, I guess he¡¯s out having fun. Wanqing, since you¡¯re also free, how about we go shoppingter?"


    Nanrong Wanqing hesitated for a moment, and was about to agree when she saw Liu Kun walking in quickly from outside, his expression stern.


    "Miss, Young Miss."


    "Uncle Liu, is something the matter?"


    "Visitors have arrived at home, you¡¯d better go and see."


    "Who are the visitors?"


    "The Jiang Family from Yangcheng."


    Upon hearing Liu Kun¡¯s words, the expressions on Nanrong Wanqing and Su Lin¡¯s faces changed immediately.


    Su Lin frowned slightly and asked, "The Jiang Family and Nanrong Family usually don¡¯t have dealings, what are they here for?"


    "I¡¯m not sure, but I think their intentions are not benign. Miss, besides the Jiang Family, Miss Jiang is also here, and the old master is currently receiving them."


    "Auntie?" Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s eyes showed aplex look as she nodded lightly, "I understand. Uncle Liu, Lin, let¡¯s go and meet them together."


    The three of them arrived outside the main house¡¯s living room. Before even entering, they heard a haughty voice saying, "Old man, get out of the way, I¡¯m not interested in wasting words with you, hurry up and call Nanrong Wanqing out."


    Hearing the Jiang Family¡¯s words to her grandfather, Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s pretty face immediately turned frosty, utterly cold.


    She pushed her wheelchair, apanied by Liu Kun and Su Lin, into the living room, and her gaze was immediately caught by a young man. The youth, in his twenties, was wearing a casual striped ck-and-white suit, his short hair dyed white, handsome in appearance, but exuding a vibe not matching his age, not maturity, but a bizarre air that was unsettling.


    Besides Jiang Ying, there were also two robust men in suits standing by his side, positioned behind him, hands behind their backs, expressions grave.


    Noticing her arrival, the young man¡¯s lips curved slightly, giving her a half-smile as he nodded to himself: "They say that Nanrong Wanqing of Nanrong Family is a golden flower of East Sea City, with impable beauty. This is truly not a lie, a pity that she¡¯s disabled."


    "Shut up!" Liu Kun angrily said: "This is Nanrong Family¡¯s house, keep your mouth clean, don¡¯t be rude to Miss."


    The young man didn¡¯t even give him a proper nce, disdainfully said, "You are nothing but a butler, a dog of the Nanrong Family, what right do you have to speak to me. I personally came to your Nanrong Family, which is already giving you enough face. So let me remind you, when you speak in front of me, show some respect. Aside from Nanrong Wanqing and Nanrong Hao, it¡¯s better for everyone else to keep their mouths shut, otherwise, don¡¯t me me for being rude."


    "If that¡¯s the case, then our Nanrong Family doesn¡¯t need your Jiang Family¡¯s grace, you can leave now," Nanrong Wanqing said coldly.


    The youth scoffed, "It¡¯s only because you, Nanrong Wanqing, are speaking. If it were someone else, they wouldn¡¯t even have the chance to sit in a wheelchair for the rest of their life."


    Seeing the conversation charged with animosity, Jiang Ying quickly intervened, "Alright, we are all family, why must this be so stiff?" As she spoke, she approached Nanrong Wanqing and whispered, "Wanqing, his name is Jiang Han, the son of your second uncle, your cousin."


    "Little aunt, I need to correct you, before Jiang Family acknowledges her identity, we¡¯re not family," Jiang Han said coolly.


    Nanrong Wanqing seemed as if she did not hear his words, looking at Jiang Ying, expressionlessly said: "Auntie, why is he here?"


    "He is here on behalf of Jiang Family to discuss some matters with you," Jiang Ying spoke, barely concealing her nervousness, whispered, "Wanqing, listen to your aunt, whatever demands he makes, try not to refuse them. It¡¯s for your and Nanrong Family¡¯s benefit."


    "Auntie, are you asking Nanrong Family to bow down to Jiang Family?"


    "Sigh, it¡¯s not about bowing down, it¡¯s for your family¡¯s good. Wanqing, please, whatever you do, do not offend Jiang Family, otherwise, the consequences are not something you can bear."


    "Have you all finished talking?" Jiang Han impatiently said, "Nanrong Wanqing, I am here under Family Head¡¯s order, to take you back to Jiang Family in Yangcheng. Not just you, but also Nanrong Hao, you both muste with me."


    Hearing his upromising tone, Nanrong Wanqing felt indignation, she coldly said, "Over these years, I have tried to contact Jiang FamilyMultiple times, but was always ignored. Now you just show up at my Nanrong Family¡¯s home, disrespectful and demanding, why should we follow you? Since Jiang Family doesn¡¯t consider Nanrong Family as anything, why should I bother with you?"


    "Wanqing..." Jiang Ying looked anxious.


    Jiang Han curled his lip, "You don¡¯t have to go. But don¡¯t me me for not warning you, if you don¡¯t leave with me today, henceforth, Nanrong Family will be erased from East Sea City."


    "Hmph! Such arrogance," Nanrong Yong squinted his old eyes and said, "Back then, your Jiang Family couldn¡¯t bring down our Nanrong Family, and you won¡¯t be able to now either. Go back and tell that old scoundrel not to set his sights on my granddaughter. If he dares touch Wanqing and Nanrong Hao, I won¡¯t let him off even at the cost of my old life."


    "Old fool, how dare you insult my grandfather?" Jiang Han¡¯s expression turned cold, his gaze sinister.


    "Enough!" Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s face was like frost, she sharply said, "Jiang Han, our Nanrong Family doesn¡¯t wee you, you may leave now."


    Jiang Han¡¯s lips turned up, he coldly chuckled: "Little aunt, don¡¯t me me for not giving you face, since they¡¯re unwilling to cooperate, then I can¡¯t help it." With that, he raised two fingers, signaling to the two men behind him.


    Jiang Ying hurriedly said, "Jiang Han, let¡¯s talk this over, no matter if you acknowledge it or not, she is still your cousin."


    "Little aunt, you better step aside, don¡¯t force me to take action against you."

 Chapter 247 - 243: Sobering Up

    <h4>Chapter 247: Chapter 243: Sobering Up</h4><h4></h4>


    "Jiang Ying, get out of the way!"


    Nanrong Yong waved his massive hand, and although he was just an ordinary old man, he exuded an aura of unspoken authority. As the founder of Hongyu Group, his demeanor was naturally extraordinary. He stood up, one hand pressing on the armrest, his face stern as he said, "I want to see who dares to act wildly in my Nanrong Family¡¯s home!"


    "In East Sea City, no one dares to provoke the Nanrong Family, but in my eyes, the Nanrong Family is nothing to mention." Jiang Han didn¡¯t bother to hide his contempt, "Old man, you¡¯ve already lost a son. If you don¡¯t want to lose a grandson and granddaughter too, you¡¯d better let them go with me quietly." As he finished speaking, he nced at Nanrong Wanqing, "We¡¯ve been talking for so long, where is Nanrong Hao? Call him out to see me."


    "Who wants to see me?"


    As the voice sounded, Nanrong Hao yawned and walked in from outside, wearing a look of fatigue and bearing the appearance of someone who hadn¡¯t woken up fully.


    Jiang Han observed him, his brows slightly furrowed, and said coldly: "You¡¯re Nanrong Hao? Hmph, looking at the dark circles under your eyes, the yellowness of your sclera, and theck of color on your lips, it¡¯s certain that you spentst night fooling around with a woman. I¡¯ve long heard that the young master of the Nanrong Family is a useless piece of trash, indulging in wine and women, utterly worthless. It seems that the rumors were true. Such useless trash like you isn¡¯t worth my energy to bring to the Jiang Family."


    Upon these words, the focus of everyone from the Nanrong Family shifted onto Nanrong Hao. Nanrong Yong¡¯s face turned the color of iron, his gaze filled with disappointment and frustration. Nanrong Wanqing and Su Lin shook their heads helplessly, not wanting to say anything. Even Liu Kun sighed.


    Nanrong Hao¡¯splexion changed slightly; he hadn¡¯t expected this bastard to point out hisst night¡¯s mischief so bluntly.


    He retorted unhappily, "What does my being trash or not have to do with you? Who are you, toe here and act recklessly?"


    "Jiang Han."


    "Jiang Han, Jiang..." Nanrong Hao was shocked, blurting out, "You¡¯re with the Jiang Family?" Seeing the other person nod, his expression immediately became grave.


    The Jiang Family of Yangcheng, as a member of the Nanrong Family, he was well aware of the grievances between the two.


    He looked at Nanrong Wanqing beside him, bent down, and asked softly, "Sister, what are the people from the Jiang Family doing here?"


    "Looking for trouble."


    "Damn it, the people from the Jiang Family really are up to no good. We from the Nanrong Family haven¡¯t looked for trouble with them, yet they dare toe to our door." Nanrong Hao cursed indignantly.


    Nanrong Wanqing said calmly, "Enough, you talk less." After speaking, she gave Nanrong Hao a look, who caught on and quickly leaned in, "Go and call Ling Chen, tell him there¡¯s trouble at home and he needs to hurry back."


    "Chen?"


    "What, is there a problem?"


    "No, no problem, I¡¯ll contact him right now." As soon as he finished speaking, Nanrong Hao ran out in a hurry.


    After dialing Ling Chen¡¯s number, Nanrong Hao looked anxious and muttered, "Chen, you have to answer the phone."


    Having gone to Emperor Foot Bath Cityst night for pleasure, he had nned to return after midnight. But he drank too much, got all blurry, and just didn¡¯t feel likeing back. In the morning, he went to Ling Chen¡¯s room, hoping to call him to return together, but no one answered the door no matter how long he called, and no one picked up the phone either. He guessed that Ling Chen probably yed too hardst night and was dead asleep.


    After some thought, he had to return first. Although the boss has a key to the room, he didn¡¯t dare to enter. If he saw any inappropriate scenes, it wouldn¡¯t be a big deal for him, but Ling Chen was thin-skinned, who knows if he would give him a lecture.


    He dialed once and got no response. Nanrong Hao dialed several more times, not giving up. Finally, on the fourth attempt, the phone was answered.


    "Hello, Chen."


    "Uh?" A confused voice came from Ling Chen on the other end of the phone, "Who is it?"


    "Chen, it¡¯s me, Haozi... Stop sleeping,e back quickly, there¡¯s been an emergency at home."


    "Got it."


    "Beep beep beep..." Nanrong Hao smiled bitterly upon hearing the busy tone from the phone. He actually hung up, I wonder if he even took it in.


    ...


    Tossing aside his phone, Ling Chen rubbed his throbbing forehead, lifted the bedsheet, and propped himself up with both hands to sit.


    Looking around the room, he was slightly startled. Where is this? His own bedroom didn¡¯t look like this.


    While he was still in a daze, a soft white arm suddenly stretched out from under theforter and draped over him.


    "This..." Ling Chen quickly rubbed his eyes, fearing he had seen incorrectly, "Is this... a woman? How could there be a woman here?" He hastily lifted theforter, and upon seeing his own bare body, his face instantly underwent a change, his mouth agape in surprise, taking a long time to snap back to reality.


    That¡¯s right!


    Last night he had followed Nanrong Hao to the Emperor Foot Bath, and then... ran into the undercover Xia Mutong, and following that... As he thought about what came next, he was somewhat afraid to continue.


    At this moment, anguid voice came through. The sleeping Xia Mutong beside him started to wake up, rubbing her sleepy eyes, and groggily sat up. Seeing herpletely unguarded figure before him, Ling Chen felt a surge of heat within him.


    They say a woman is most enchanting just after waking up, and that saying was certainly true.


    He suppressed the impulse in his heart, looking at the fading bruises on Xia Mutong¡¯s fair skin, cursing inwardly. What on earth had happenedst night?


    Although he had been drunk, with his tolerance and self-control, it shouldn¡¯t have led to this. He vaguely remembered that he seemed to have lost control at that time, his mind unclear, and couldn¡¯t recall what happened afterward.


    Thinking back now, this situation was very abnormal.


    However, he didn¡¯t have time to ponder these issues anymore. Feeling Xia Mutong¡¯s gaze on him, he turned his head. Their eyes met; Ling Chen felt awkward, while a faint me seemed to be burning in Xia Mutong¡¯s eyes.


    "Cough!" Sensing the imminent outbreak of fury in the woman¡¯s eyes, Ling Chen decided to act before being acted upon, brazenly taking the initiative with a thick-skinned plea, "Officer Xia, what did you do to mest night?"


    "Huh?" Xia Mutong was stunned. No matter how clever she was, she hadn¡¯t expected Ling Chen to throw out such a shameless usation. Seeing his aggrieved expression, she couldn¡¯t react for a moment.


    "What, you¡¯re not speaking because you don¡¯t want to take responsibility for this? You women really are heartless..."


    "Ling Chen!" Xia Mutong¡¯s angry roar emerged just as Ling Chen finished his sentence.


    "You bastard!"


    Xia Mutong cursed, her eyes brimming with tears, as she made to lunge at him. However, as soon as her body moved, she let out an ¡¯ah¡¯ of pain, her eyebrows slightly furrowed, biting her lips lightly.


    Seeing the pain on her face, Ling Chen felt somewhat remorseful, dropping the feigned grievance and asked with concern, "Are you alright?"


    Xia Mutong red at him fiercely, her teeth grinding with a rasping sound.

 Chapter 248 - 244 Responsibility

    <h4>Chapter 248: Chapter 244 Responsibility</h4><h4></h4>


    "This bastard...has no idea how to cherish ady."


    Seeing the ever-changing expressions on Xia Mutong¡¯s face, Ling Chen felt somewhat uneasy. After all, as a man, he should take more responsibility for this kind of situation¡ªit was not something that could justly be med on a woman.


    He gave a helpless smile and said, "Officer Xia, I..."


    "Shut up!" Xia Mutong¡¯s pretty face turned beet red, and her eyes zed with fury, "Ling Chen, you have some nerve to dare... to do that to me..." She gritted her teeth, but she couldn¡¯t bring herself to finish the sentence.


    "Officer Xia, you can¡¯t wrong someone without proof. I admit I bear a lot of the responsibility, but this isn¡¯t all my fault either..."


    "Shut up," Xia Mutong bit her lip, feeling furious and indignant, but at the same time, she was disturbed by some strange thoughts that she couldn¡¯t quite articte.


    Knock knock knock!


    "Open up! Open up! Police room check!"


    Suddenly, a series of urgent knocks came from outside the door.


    "Police?" Ling Chen was startled and turned to Xia Mutong beside him, "Officer Xia, I..."


    "What about me, hurry up and get dressed."


    Xia Mutong said urgently. She pulled out her phone and saw more than a dozen missed calls, cursing inwardly for the oversight. Ignoring her body¡¯s difort, she snatched a nightgown from the wall and threw it on.


    "Hurry up and open the door!"


    Hearing the police¡¯s urging, Xia Mutong pointed to the bathroom, "Go in there and don¡¯te out."


    Without a word, Ling Chen dashed into the bathroom and locked the door behind him. Being caught by the police would be an embarrassingly big deal.


    Stepping out of bed, Xia Mutong took two steps towards the door but couldn¡¯t help letting out a pained whimper.


    Damn it! She cursed angrily in her mind.


    When she opened the door, several inclothes officers stood outside, their faces taut with tension as if ready to break down the door. Seeing her face, the officers were taken aback and then breathed a sigh of relief.


    "Captain Xia, why didn¡¯t you answer your phone? We¡¯ve been outside all night, worried that something happened to you."


    Embarrassed, Xia Mutong replied, "I had a few drinksst night and slept like the dead, didn¡¯t hear my phone ringing. Sorry for making you worry."


    "As long as you¡¯re alright."


    "Go check the other rooms now, don¡¯t miss a single one, especially that Tao. She¡¯s the manager here, and we need to bring her in."


    "Yes, Captain Xia."


    After everyone left, Xia Mutong closed the door, walked to the bathroom, and knocked, "Come out."


    Ling Chen came out of the bathroom, fully dressed but still wearing an awkward expression, uncertain of how to face Xia Mutong.


    "Stay in the room, don¡¯t even think about leaving." After saying that, Xia Mutong mmed the bathroom door shut and walked under the shower.


    The warm water sluiced over her shoulders, and amidst the steaming mist, Xia Mutong furiously scrubbed her skin with body wash, over and over. Tears mingled with the hot water, quietly streaming down her cheeks.


    To be honest, she despised men, loathed them, resisted any contact with them. She had even sworn that she would rather remain unmarried for life than let a man touch her body. Yet, her resolve had crumbled in one night.


    Inside the room, Ling Chen sat unnaturally on the bed, silently waiting for Xia Mutong toe out.


    Since it had already happened, regret was pointless, and he needed to find a way to resolve it. As he pondered, his eyes inadvertently caught sight of patches of red flowers peeping out from under the bedsheet.


    Is this...


    His throat tightened, and he lifted the bedsheet, revealing a conspicuous red patch to his eyes.


    "It¡¯s all over... it¡¯s all over..." He muttered to himself, his face full of bitterness. The responsibility was even greater now that he realized she was still...


    Creak!


    At that moment, the bathroom door opened, and Xia Mutong stepped out, drying her damp hair, with a white towel wrapped around her, revealing her fair skin, as pale as jade or snow.


    Ling Chen cleared his throat softly and quickly averted his gaze.


    Xia Mutong nced at him expressionlessly and then walked over to the bedside to pick up her phone and dial a number.


    "Alright, you guys head back first, leave a car for me, I will join you at the stationter."


    After hanging up, Xia Mutong looked at Ling Chen and said indifferently, "You can go now."


    "Ah?" Ling Chen was slightly stunned, almost doubting his ears, and said with disbelief, "You¡¯re letting me go?"


    Seeing his puzzled expression, Xia Mutong felt increasingly irritated. She had struggled for a long time in the bathroom, uncertain about how to handle the situation. It was neither feasible to arrest him nor let him go; after all, both parties were at fault. If she arrested him and he revealed the truth, she wouldn¡¯t be able to show her face ever again, and staying in the police force would be out of the question.


    After much deliberation, the only option was to let Ling Chen go as if nothing had happened.


    "If I say leave, then leave. Why all the pointless talk?" She said coldly, "Remember, nothing happenedst night. If you dare to spread a word, don¡¯t me me for being unfriendly."


    Hearing this, Ling Chen silently breathed a sigh of relief. Although he was not one to shirk responsibility, Xia Mutong¡¯s decision not to pursue the matter was a wee one. But deep down, he felt an indescribable emotion.


    "You still not leaving?" Seeing him sitting dazed, Xia Mutong could not help but urge him again.


    Ling Chen stood up and walked straight to the door. Hesitating for a moment, he turned back to Xia Mutong at the bedside, "I¡¯m sorry, if there¡¯s anything you need in the future, just tell me. I won¡¯t refuse."


    At this point, that was the only promise he could make to try and make up for his wrongdoing.


    The sound of the door closing echoed. Xia Mutong sat nkly on the bed, her gaze fixed on the sheets, her expressionplex, her mind full of tumultuous thoughts.


    After leaving the Emperor, Ling Chen suddenly thought of the calls from Nanrong Hao and his heart sank. He had been so consumed by thoughts of Xia Mutong that he had almost forgotten the matter.


    Looking at the congested traffic, he frowned, quickly took out his phone, and dialed Nanrong Hao¡¯s number, then turned to walk back.

 Chapter 249 - 245: Fifth on the Tiger List

    <h4>Chapter 249: Chapter 245: Fifth on the Tiger List</h4><h4></h4>


    Bang!


    Liu Kun¡¯s body mmed heavily onto the ground, a trickle of fresh blood flowing from the corner of his mouth. He had already lost count of how many times he¡¯d been knocked down, his entire body ached everywhere.


    Seeing him struggle to his feet again, both Nanrong Wanqing and Nanrong Yong¡¯s eyes showed a hint of pity.


    "Liu Kun, get down!"


    Hearing the deep voice of Nanrong Yong, Liu Kun shook his head, clenched his teeth tightly, and said word by word, "Master, Miss, don¡¯t worry about me, I can hold on."


    "Hmph! Stubborn to the end." Jiang Han sneered coldly, his face full of disdain, "You think you can stop them? It¡¯s like trying to stop a car with your arm, totally overestimating yourself."


    Liu Kun stared at the two imposing men in suits, his expression grave, never expecting that the men Jiang Han brought were so formidable. Behind him, Zhong Wei and Liang Zhao Hui were already lying down, unable to fight any longer. Now, the only one who could still stand was him alone.


    Su Lin looked anxiously at Nanrong Hao beside her, "Why hasn¡¯t Ling Chen returned yet?"


    "I just called, he¡¯s on his way." Nanrong Hao was anxious too, it was a more than twenty-minute drive from Emperor Foot Bath to Wealthy Manor without traffic, and it was uncertain if Ling Chen could make it in time.


    In the midst of their conversation, the two men in suits had already made a move, takingrge strides towards Liu Kun.


    Seeing this, Liu Kun clenched his fists and propelled forward with the tip of his toes, charging ahead and throwing a punch at one of the men¡¯s face.


    Bang!


    Unexpectedly, the suited man stood still, allowing Liu Kun¡¯s fist to smash into his face.


    As the fist connected, the suited man appeared unfazed,menting, "Speed is there, but the strength is stillcking."


    Witnessing that it was as if nothing had happened to the man, Liu Kun¡¯s expression changed and he hastily retracted his fist. However, before he could pull away, a severe pain shot through his chest, sending him flying uncontrobly backward.


    "Come again!" The suited man beckoned with his fingers.


    Liu Kun supported himself on the ground, struggling to rise, but the agonizing pain in his chest was unbearable. Based on his many years of martial experience, he knew at least two of his ribs were broken.


    "Is that all the Nanrong Family got?" Jiang Han shook his head with undisguised contempt, "Nanrong Wanqing, if you don¡¯t want him to end up a cripple like you, you¡¯d bettere with me quietly, and stop making me waste my time."


    "No way!"


    Nanrong Hao clenched his teeth and stepped forward, saying in a deep voice, "My sister won¡¯t go with you. Give up that idea."


    Jiang Han snorted with augh, "A loser thinks he can stand up for you?"


    "Nanrong Hao,e back!" Nanrong Wanqing said, her lips barely moving, her beautiful eyes shing with concern, fearing her brother might act rashly and get hurt.


    "Sister?"


    "Come back!" Nanrong Wanqing spoke again, her tone leaving no room for doubt.


    Jiang Han mocked, "It looks like the Nanrong Family is truly going to fall. You don¡¯t even have one man who can stand up for you."


    Hearing this, Nanrong Hao, who was about to retreat, red furiously and could no longer control his rage. He suddenly turned around and charged towards Jiang Han.


    However, before he could get two meters away, a thick arm suddenly swung over, hitting him right in the throat. Caught off-guard by the attack, Nanrong Hao¡¯s head tilted back as he fell, his head hitting the ground with a ¡¯bang¡¯. Clutching his throat with both hands, his face turned an ashen hue as he emitted ¡¯ugh ugh¡¯ sounds, as if he was about to suffocate.


    "Nanrong Hao!" Everyone was taken aback.


    Su Lin hurried over and helped him up. Instantly, a pool of blood was seen remaining on the ground, and fresh blood was continuously flowing out through Nanrong Hao¡¯s thick hair.


    "He brought it upon himself," Jiang Han said coldly with a sneer.


    Aside, Jiang Ying couldn¡¯t stand it any longer and burst out indignantly: "Jiang Han, he is your cousin after all. How can you treat him like this?"


    "With all due respect, Auntie, you know the rules of the Jiang Family the best. Trash like him doesn¡¯t deserve to be my brother."


    "He doesn¡¯t deserve to be your brother, and someone like you doesn¡¯t deserve to be his brother either."


    As those words were spoken, everyone¡¯s gaze converged on the entrance.


    Seeing Ling Chen stride in, Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s tightly furrowed brows immediately rxed, and she let out a sigh of relief. The hearts of others that had been suspended also settled down. His arrival seemed to provide everyone with a pir of support.


    However, of all the people, only Jiang Ying¡¯s look was a bit strange; she couldn¡¯t understand why someone who had been fired from thepany would appear at the Nanrong Family¡¯s residence.


    Ling Chen sat down in the living room, nced at Nanrong Wanqing, gave her a slight nod, then came to Nanrong Hao¡¯s side and asked with concern, "Are you alright?"


    Catching his breath, Nanrong Hao squeezed out a smile, "It¡¯s nothing, I¡¯m fine." He paused, his face filled with surprise, "Brother Chen, how did youe back so quickly?"


    "I¡¯ll tell youter."


    Turning his head, Ling Chen looked at Jiang Han, who was sitting in a chair and was also sizing him up with coldness in his eyes.


    "Who did you just call human trash?"


    Ling Chen¡¯s mouth lifted in a yful smile, "I¡¯m part of the Nanrong Family, so of course, I wouldn¡¯t call one of our own human trash. Other than you, who else would be worthy of such a title?"


    "How dare you!" Two men in suits shouted in unison, "Dare to disrespect Mr. Jiang, are you seeking death?"


    Ling Chen shrugged indifferently, "I¡¯ve courted death not just once or twice, and yet I¡¯m still very much alive."


    "What¡¯s your name?"


    Hearing Jiang Han¡¯s voice, before Ling Chen could answer, Jiang Ying interjected: "His name is Ling Chen, a former employee fired by Hongyu Group."


    "Hmph!" Jiang Han sneered, "I thought you were someone with a big background. Turns out you¡¯re just a nobody who can¡¯t even get on the stage, yet you dare to im to be part of the Nanrong Family."


    "Ling Chen?"


    At this moment, the two men in suits exchanged nces, looking thoughtfully at Ling Chen, then said, "We¡¯ve heard that the neer ranked tenth on the Tiger List is called Ling Chen. Is that you?"


    "Something like that."


    "Tiger List Ranked Tenth?" Jiang Han¡¯s expression stiffened, and the look he gave Ling Chen abruptly changed. This unremarkable fellow turned out to be a master from the Tiger List. However, the surprise in his eyes was quickly reced by a cold sneer, "Tiger List ranked tenth, no wonder you¡¯re so bold, daring to be rude in front of me. What a pity, you shouldn¡¯t have offended me. After today, the title of Tiger List ranked tenth will belong to someone else."


    Ling Chen squinted his eyes, his smile unchanged, as the other party¡¯s tone did not take the Tiger List ranked tenth seriously, obviously relying on something.


    In thought, the two tall and burly men in suits stepped forward at Jiang Han¡¯s signal, holding their heads high with arrogance on their faces.


    "Qiu Wen, Qiu Wu, Tiger List ranked fifth."


    "Tiger List ranked fifth?" Ling Chen showed a faint look of surprise. Howe there are two people ranked fifth on the Tiger List?

 Chapter 250 - 246: Battling the Fifth on the Tiger List (Part 1)

    <h4>Chapter 250: Chapter 246: Battling the Fifth on the Tiger List (Part 1)</h4><h4></h4>


    Qiu Wen seemed to see Ling Chen¡¯s confusion and exined, "It seems you don¡¯t know much about us brothers. We practice Combined Attack Skills, either we win together or we lose together, never alone. In the Tiger List, besides us brothers, there is also the Northwest Three Swords who are ranked third; their three brothers practice the Sword Array, moving forward and retreating as one."


    Is that so? Ling Chen¡¯s eyes widened, that¡¯s just... too shameless. Two against one, I have no advantage at all, it seems the evaluation criteria of Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion have big issues.


    "Ling Chen..."


    Nanrong Wanqing couldn¡¯t hide the worry in her beautiful eyes. She had heard about the Heaven and Earth Dragon and Tiger Four Rankings from Jiang Yunkai before, and although each list had ten names, the gap in strength was significant. If it¡¯s the ninth in the Tiger List, the strength difference with those ranked eighth and tenth is negligible. However, once the ranking difference is too great, the disparity in strength also widens significantly.


    Ling Chen is only tenth in the Tiger List, but the Qiu brothers are fifth, the difference in their rankings is too great. She was very worried, unsure if Ling Chen could handle it.


    Hearing the concern in Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s tone, Ling Chen turned back, cracked a smile, nodded slightly, and gave her a reassuring look.


    Turning back, he looked at Qiu Wen and Qiu Wu, a sharp glint shing through Mo Che¡¯s eyes. Previously, he had crossed hands with Song Qing, ranked sixth on the Tiger List, and neither had outperformed the other. This showed that hisprehensive ability could match that of Song Qing. The Qiu brothers ranked fifth, higher than Song Qing, and it was unknown by how much stronger they were. Moreover, critically, they were two people. As the saying goes, one pair of hands is hard to beat four, he really wasn¡¯t sure.


    "Su Lin." Su Lin, unable to suppress her curiosity, asked softly, "What is the Tiger List?"


    "The Tiger List ranks the top martial artists in the world." Liu Kun answered her question from the side.


    "Oh!" Su Lin appeared suddenly enlightened, "Uncle Liu, what ranking could you achieve?"


    "Me?" Liu Kun gave a bitter smile, his eyes filled with longing, "I don¡¯t even qualify to be ranked."


    Nanrong Hao, holding the back of his head where it was injured, waved his fist excitedly, "I knew Brother Chen wasn¡¯t ordinary."


    "Alright." Nanrong Wanqing frowned slightly, speaking softly, "Let¡¯s not talk anymore."


    Although Ling Chen appeared confident, the worry between her brows couldn¡¯t be dissipated; she tightly clutched the armrests of her wheelchair, biting her lip lightly, her stunning face filled with tension.


    "Please!" Ling Chen sped his hands together, following the customary greeting before the start of a sparring match.


    However, Qiu Wen and Qiu Wu showed no response, instead, they took off their zers, rolled up their shirt sleeves, and rubbed their hands together, their expression coldly saying, "Today we are not here to spar and see who is stronger, there¡¯s no need for so many formalities. Out of respect for you as fellow experts on the Tiger List,ter we will only cripple your legs and spare your life."


    Ling Chen slightly curled his lips as if he didn¡¯t perceive the malicious intent in their words, nodding, he said, "Then I shall thank you both for your mercy."


    "Take this!"


    With a roar, Qiu Wen made the first move, charging towards Ling Chen with a swift step, his right palm t and striking like a venomous snake towards Ling Chen¡¯s face.


    Seeing this action, Ling Chen¡¯s eyes narrowed, a cold light shed. Such ruthless tactics, directly aiming for his vitals. In a high-level duel, it usually starts with probing and then gradually escte to full strength. Yet, Qiu Wen didn¡¯t hold back from the beginning, clearly underestimating him and aiming to finish the battle quickly.


    As the wind from the strike approached, Qiu Wen¡¯s fingertips were almost within reach, Ling Chen remained unphased, his expression calm, as he stepped back with his left foot and leaned back. Qiu Wen¡¯s arm length was limited, unable to reach further, he had to change his move; his t palm slightly twisted, transforming into a knife-hand strike, he raised it high above his head and, while lunging forward, chopped towards Ling Chen¡¯s neck.


    Ling Chen wanted to retreat further, but at that moment, Qiu Wu somehow nked his side, sweeping a kick across targeting his back neck, coordinating with Qiu Wen¡¯s attack, blocking his retreat.


    Again, a deadly move!


    Whether it¡¯s Qiu Wen¡¯s hand-chop or Qiu Wu¡¯s whip-leg, both were strikingly close, targeting vital areas, almost wishing to cripple him.


    Facing thebined attack of the two, Ling Chen remained calm amidst the danger. With a tap of his toes on the ground, his torso suspended in mid-air, his legs hanging upside-down, he kicked towards Qiu Wen and Qiu Wu respectively, neutralizing their attacks.


    However, when their legs shed, his pupils contracted, unable to suppress the shock in his eyes.


    In terms of leg techniques alone, he had always considered himself second to none. Yet, after shing with Qiu Wu, he was astonished to find that his opponent¡¯s leg technique was no less superior than his own, even surpassing him in strength.


    Utilizing the momentum from Qiu Wu¡¯s sweeping leg, Ling Chen supported himself with his hands on the ground and performed a backflip,nding firmly on his feet.


    "Cross Training in Hard Qi Gong!"


    Looking at Qiu Wen and Qiu Wu, Ling Chen slightly furrowed his brows, for the brief exchange had already allowed him to discern the extent of their skill.


    This is troublesome!


    It¡¯s Hard Qi Gong.


    His greatest reliance was his own peak external skills,plemented by years of training, giving him a reaction speed far superior to ordinary people. However, his advantage seemed minimal against Cross Training in Hard Qi Gong. Practitioners of Hard Qi Gong cultivate both internally and externally, possessing not only immense strength but also formidable resistance, exactly what counters him.


    In a split second of thought, the Qiu brothers attacked again.


    Their steps interweaving, one in front and one behind, constantly changing positions, unpredictably left and right, confusing Ling Chen¡¯s vision.


    As they approached, a fist asrge as a casserole pot rushed towards him, making it unclear who attacked, as Ling Chen could only see Qiu Wen and Qiu Wu shaking in front of his eyes, unable to urately track their movements.


    Ling Chen tilted his head, dodging the fierce punch, then followed through by closing in, his fingers tightly clenched, his fists like dragons emerging from the sea, riding the wind and breaking the waves, suddenly booming out.


    Bang! Bang!


    Apanied by several dull thuds, in the blink of an eye, Ling Chen had exchanged several hard blows with the Qiu brothers.


    Their style was Hard Qi Gong, withrge and open moves, devoid of any fancy techniques, identical to Ling Chen¡¯s method of attack, a pure head-on approach.


    After several moves, Ling Chen felt a slight numbness in his arms, even a bit of soreness, something he had never experienced before. This clearly showed that Qiu Wen and Qiu Wupletely overpowered him in strength.


    Suddenly, Qiu Wen leaned forward, the punch roared with the force of the wind, veins popping on the back of his hand, like a clump of solidified steel, indestructible, thunderously approaching.


    Ling Chen¡¯s gaze flickered, pushing forward with both hands, trying to misalign Qiu Wen¡¯s line of attack. But at that moment, his vision blurred, and the Qiu Wen who was originally in front of him somehow switched ces with Qiu Wu, their positions changing so fast they were nearly imperceptible.


    Before Ling Chen could react, the oing fist had transformed into a whip-leg, sweeping in from the side, striking fiercely against his right shoulder.

 Chapter 251 - 247: Battle for Fifth on the Tiger List (Part 2)

    <h4>Chapter 251: Chapter 247: Battle for Fifth on the Tiger List (Part 2)</h4><h4></h4>


    Caught off guard, Ling Chen suddenly felt his shoulders give way, and the formidable power caused his defense to crumble instantly, his right knee bent slightly, and he nearly lost his footing.


    Qiu Wu¡¯s attack seeded, and while Ling Chen endured the pain in his right shoulder, intending to muster his strength to push back his opponent, he hadn¡¯t anticipated a change of move when Qiu Wen, who had not been noticed before, burst out from somewhere. His fists were as fast as the wind and full of power, striking directly at Ling Chen¡¯s abdomen, prating three inches deep.


    Ling Chen¡¯splexion turned slightly pale, and he staggered, retreating step by step.


    "Ling Chen!"


    "Brother Chen!"


    Seeing Ling Chen at a disadvantage, the onlookers couldn¡¯t help but cry out, each wearing a look of concern and immense anxiety.


    Nanrong Wanqing gripped the armrest of her wheelchair tightly, her thin lips lightly bitten, her palms sweaty, watching Ling Chen worriedly, unsure if he had been injured.


    Ling Chen took a deep breath to ease the pain in his body, and his paleplexion gradually returned to normal.


    Indeed worthy of being the fifth master on the Tiger List, the Combined Attack Skills of Qiu Wen and Qiu Wu were exquisitely brilliant. Clearly refined through countless trials, not only was their coordination tacit, but their steps were also proficient, alternating attack and defense, making it difficult to detect the switch. More critically, the individual strengths of these two were not inferior. Whether it was their boxing or leg techniques, both were deeply aplished.


    If it were one-on-one, he could barely be confident of maintaining an undefeated stance, but that was just being undefeated; as for defeating his opponent, hecked the confidence.


    In his contemtion, his eyes, sharp as Mo Che¡¯s, suddenly shed with an unusual color, his expression somewhat dazed.


    Seeing Ling Chen¡¯s prolonged inaction and thoughtful gaze, Qiu Wu, with his thick lips, spoke in a rough voice, chillingly stating: "If you don¡¯t want to fight again, then cripple your own legs, to save us brothers the trouble."


    Hearing this, Ling Chen still did not move, nor showed any intention to speak. He stood firm, like a mountain, his expression indifferent, his dark eyes showing no hint of emotional turmoil.


    "Why bother talking nonsense with him, just cripple him," Jiang Han urged impatiently.


    Qiu Wen and Qiu Wu exchanged nces and strode forward, each step carrying an aggressive momentum.


    Approaching Ling Chen, and seeing his somewhat nk expression, Qiu Wen coldly smirked, not masking the disdain in his tone: "What¡¯s the matter, too scared to make a move?"


    However, Ling Chen seemed oblivious to his words, as if he hadn¡¯t noticed the presence of the two men.


    "Bluffing."


    Qiu Wu¡¯s eyes turned icy, and he threw a punch with incredible speed, aiming directly at Ling Chen¡¯s face.


    The force of the punch rushed towards him; Ling Chen¡¯s eyes suddenly widened, brilliance shed, and with a loud shout, his originally somewhat pale face suddenly turned red, as if injected with adrenaline.


    The sudden shout slightly stunned Qiu Wen and Qiu Wu. Nevertheless, Qiu Wu¡¯s fist still thrust forward with undiminished force.


    But just when his fist was less than two centimeters from Ling Chen¡¯s face, arge hand moved with the speed of lightning and abruptly reached out, tightly grasping his wrist, stopping the punch from advancing any further.


    "Let go!"


    With a bellowing shout, Qiu Wen¡¯s fist harshly mmed into Ling Chen¡¯s body.


    One step... Two steps...


    Merely taking two steps back, Ling Chen¡¯s feet were as steady as a rock, firmly nted.


    This subtle change was unnoticed by others who merely thought Ling Chen retreating signified a disadvantage. But Qiu Wen and Qiu Wu didn¡¯t see it that way. In a fight between masters, no detail was overlooked.


    Although it was still Ling Chen, somehow they felt that the current Ling Chen was very different from the earlier Ling Chen, almost like two different people. This differencey in one¡¯s momentum, that is, the aura.


    Others may not feel it, but as a martial artist, this feeling is very clear.


    At this moment, it felt as if there was a ball of fire inside Ling Chen¡¯s body, burning fiercely, growing stronger and seemingly about to swallow him whole. All the windows in the living room were open and the autumn breeze was cool, but his body was covered in sweat, almost soaking his clothes.


    Driven by that ball of fire, he found his tactile nerves gradually weakening, barely feeling any external pain.


    Not only that, as the evil fire spread in his Dantian, he urgently needed an outlet to vent this evil fire.


    Qiu Wen and Qiu Wu undoubtedly became the best targets for venting.


    Watching Ling Chen step by step, his eyes icy cold like a beast lurking in the darkness of the night, devoid of any emotional fluctuations, only primitive bestiality remained¡ªbrutal, bloodthirsty, as if wanting to tear everything apart.


    Over the years, these brothers had sparred with numerous masters to climb to the fifth position on the Tiger List. However, they had never encountered such terrifying eyes.


    Through Ling Chen¡¯s pitch-ck eyes, they seemed to see piles of corpses, blood everywhere, gusts of chilling wind whistling past their ears, sending shivers all over.


    However, as top experts of the Tiger List, after a brief shock, Qiu Wen and Qiu Wu immediately came to their senses, staring at Ling Chen with serious expressions.


    After exchanging a nce, the brothers very tacitlyunched their attack.


    One on the left, one on the right, one punch, one kick, overwhelming in momentum.


    Bang!


    The fist met flesh; Qiu Wu¡¯s round kick ferociously struck Ling Chen¡¯s knee, aiming to cripple his leg.


    However, Ling Chen remained unmoved, all the pain transformed into a surge of evil fire, burning within his body.


    The more the evil fire red, the stronger his power became, as if he had endless strength.


    With a smirk, a sinister smile appeared on Ling Chen¡¯s face.


    "Your turn, gentlemen."


    Qiu Wen and Qiu Wu¡¯s pupils shrunk, a foreboding feeling surged in their hearts, and they hastily retreated. But as Qiu Wen turned, arge hand had alreadynded on his shoulder, gripping his corbone like a sharp w, the fingertips nearly piercing the flesh, the pain piercing to the bone.


    "Let go!"


    Qiu Wen¡¯s face turned iron-blue, he shouted sharply and swung a punch in retaliation.


    Ling Chen did not dodge, his steel fist fiercely shot out, shing with his head-on, not falling behind at all.


    Feeling the sudden increase in his strength, Qiu Wen was shocked, quickly retracted his fist, and leaped up with his legs, forcefully pushing against Ling Chen¡¯s legs, trying to break free from the grip.


    But at that moment, the hand that Ling Chen had on his left shoulder forcefully tightened, followed by a twist of his waist and spreading his arms, spinning on the ground. Before Qiu Wen could react, he was already suspended in the air, rapidly spinning under Ling Chen¡¯s momentum.


    "Big brother!"


    Seeing Qiu Wen being subdued, Qiu Wu immediately panicked, rushing forward to assist.


    However, Ling Chen was keeping an eye on his movements. Seeing him approaching, he loosened his five fingers and with the momentum, Qiu Wen¡¯s body immediately flew out, mming hard against the wall, then ¡¯bang¡¯ fell onto the floor.


    "Ling Chen, you..."


    Before Qiu Wu could finish shouting, a powerful leg already swept across.


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 Chapter 252 - 248: A Bully Is Always a Bully’s Grindstone

    <h4>Chapter 252: Chapter 248: A Bully Is Always a Bully¡¯s Grindstone</h4><h4></h4>


    "You¡¯re asking for death!"


    Enraged, Qiu Wu did not hesitate, his body slightly leaning back, his hefty thighs lifting high to meet Ling Chen¡¯s assault.


    The two snap kicks collided hard, and neither man was pushed back. Seizing the opportunity before Qiu Wen could join the fight, Ling Chen pressed on step by step, his legs taking turns attacking, with each strike stronger than thest.


    After five consecutive shes, Qiu Wu¡¯splexion had changed, both his legs aching and swelling immensely. Even more fatal was the sensation of a fracture in his right leg bone, causing him faint pain.


    He looked at Ling Chen with a face full of astonishment. The guy had previously showed less strength than him, but now he seemed to be growing stronger with every battle. Could it be that the opponent had been concealing his true power all along?


    At this moment, Ling Chen gave a strange and sinister smile, his punches and kicksing out in tandem, attacking like a whirlwind that left Qiu Wu struggling to keep up.


    Suddenly, Ling Chen¡¯s movements paused, and he appeared to stare past Qiu Wu¡¯s shoulder with eyes wide and a look of shock on his face.


    Noticing the change in his expression, Qiu Wu¡¯s curiosity got the better of him, and he couldn¡¯t help but turn his head to look behind him. But all he saw was Jiang Han sitting in a chair. There was nothing else.


    While he was momentarily distracted, a gust of wind abruptly struck him.


    "Second brother, be careful!"


    Before Qiu Wen¡¯s voice had even finished echoing, Ling Chen¡¯s whipping leg had already shot through the air, striking heavily on Qiu Wu¡¯s head and neck.


    Immediately, Qiu Wu staggered, seeing stars as if he were drunk, and swaying before crashing to the ground, unconscious.


    "Ling Chen, you¡¯re despicable, using such tactics," Qiu Wen said furiously, staring daggers at him. Ignoring his own pain, he quickly rushed to Qiu Wu¡¯s side to check his condition.


    "Me, despicable?" Ling Chen ¡¯ptooey¡¯ in contempt, cursed: "It¡¯s two against one, and you¡¯re calling me despicable? Damn it, all is fair in war. You don¡¯t even understand such a simple principle; I seriously doubt you graduated from elementary school."


    "You..."


    "What ¡¯you¡¯? Cut the crap, a loss is a loss. It doesn¡¯t matter if you don¡¯t admit it, as long as the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion acknowledges it."


    Qiu Wen opened his mouth but was speechless.


    Seeing that he had nothing more to say, Ling Chen strode past him, heading straight for Jiang Han.


    At this moment, Jiang Han was struggling to remain in his seat. He had never dreamed that the situation, which had seemed so securely in his favor, would be reversed by Ling Chen. Watching Qiu Wu lying unconscious, his throat moved, and he rose with a fearsome expression, pointing at Ling Chen¡¯s nose, shouting, "What are you trying to do?"


    Ling Chen grinned, a hint of cold light in his eyes: "Nothing much. You stormed into the Nanrong Family¡¯s territory, swaggering around and causing blood to be shed. If I let you walk away just like that, I reckon the folks of the Nanrong Family wouldn¡¯t be pleased. So, heh heh, I just have to inconvenience you a bit."


    Jiang Han¡¯splexion changed, eximing in rm and anger: "Ling Chen, I am a member of the Jiang Family. If you darey a finger on me, I..."


    p!


    A loud smack cut off Jiang Han¡¯s threat.


    Ling Chen rubbed his hands together, smiling amiably at Jiang Han, "Sorry, what was that you were saying? I didn¡¯t quite catch it."


    Jiang Han, covering his swiftly swelling cheek, red furiously, teeth clenched, "Fuck your mother, how dare you hit me. You just remember, I¡¯ll definitely make you..."


    p!


    Another crisp p echoed.


    Ling Chen¡¯s smile remained unchanged as he leaned his ear closer to the other person.


    "Mr. Jiang, I didn¡¯t hear you clearly. Could you speak up? What is it exactly that you want?"


    This time, Jiang Han learned his lesson and kept his mouth tightly shut, looking at Ling Chen with venomous eyes, not saying a word. He knew all too well that if he dared to utter another word, a p would undoubtedly find its way across his face. He wasn¡¯t a masochist; he had some self-awareness. Without Qiu Wen and his brother¡¯s help, he was no match for Ling Chen.


    All he could do now was endure, as long as he could return to the Jiang Family, the Jiang Family would surely stand up for him.


    p!


    At that moment, a loud p echoed once again in the living room.


    "Ling Chen!"


    Having received three ps in a row, the veins on Jiang Han¡¯s forehead bulged, clearly indicating he was at the peak of his rage. The two words "Ling Chen" were almost roared out with all his strength.


    The others present were all puzzled, with Jiang Han having not said a single word, why was he pped again?


    Ling Chen shrugged his shoulders, seemingly unaffected by Jiang Han¡¯s fury, and said indifferently, "I asked you to speak, and you don¡¯t; doesn¡¯t that mean you¡¯re asking for it?"


    Hearing this, Jiang Han was so angry he almost passed out. Words could no longer express his rage.


    Seeing Jiang Han¡¯s defeat, a slight smile yed on everyone¡¯s lips, a look of wanting tough but not daring to filled their faces. The bully finally met his match; Jiang Han was unreasonable, and Ling Chen was even less so.


    "Enough!" Finally, Jiang Ying couldn¡¯t stand it anymore and intervened, "Ling Chen, if you don¡¯t want trouble for yourself, you¡¯d better apologize to him now."


    "Apologize?"


    Ling Chen turned to look at her, enunciating each word, "Why should I apologize to him? Oh, I¡¯m sorry, I almost forgot, you¡¯re also a Jiang. But, Miss Jiang, the Nanrong Family hasn¡¯t said a word, what right do you have to call the shots here?"


    Jiang Ying said sternly, "Ling Chen, it¡¯s your business if you want to look for trouble. I don¡¯t care, but don¡¯t drag the Nanrong Family into it."


    "Miss Jiang, we should be reasonable. When that bastard was bullying the people of the Nanrong Family, why didn¡¯t you stop him?"


    "I..."


    "Shut up!" Ling Chen snapped coldly: "Don¡¯t give me those useless excuses. I know you¡¯re in a tough spot, having to take care of both the Jiang Family and the Nanrong Family, but let me make it clear to you, I¡¯m not indecisive like you; I only stand with the Nanrong Family. Anyone who dares to bully the Nanrong Family, I will not let them off. Today, out of respect for Wanqing¡¯s parents, I won¡¯t make it hard for him. But don¡¯t me me for not warning you, if there¡¯s a next time, you might walk in here but you¡¯ll be crawling out."


    "Ling Chen, you will regret this."


    With those words, Jiang Ying looked at Nanrong Yong and Nanrong Wanqing, pleading, "Uncle Yong, Wanqing, listen to me, going against the Jiang Family does you no good. Can¡¯t we all just take a step back and calmly resolve this issue? Do you really want to repeat the events of the past?"


    Nanrong Yong said in a deep voice, "Jiang Ying, I know you mean well for our Nanrong Family. However, as long as the Jiang Family is unwilling topromise, our Nanrong Family will not back down. Just now, Ling Chen was right; our Nanrong Family is not a ce where the Jiang Family can run amok. If the Jiang Family dares to bully us and I still retreat, how can the Nanrong Family stand tall in the future?"


    After a pause, his tone chilled, "The incident that happened in the past is still vivid in my memory, and I have sworn never to let anything like that happen again. If the Jiang Family has no regard for our rtionship and insists on pushing our Nanrong Family, then let¡¯s have a fight to the bitter end."


    "A fight?" Jiang Han scoffed, disdainfully, "Does your Nanrong Family even have the right to contend with our Jiang Family?"


    p!


    Ling Chen casually delivered another p and red, "Did I ask you to speak?"


    Brothers and sisters, continue to rmend and collect, send a wave of support.

 Chapter 253 - 249: Exhaustion

    <h4>Chapter 253: Chapter 249: Exhaustion</h4><h4></h4>


    Several pster, Jiang Han¡¯s cheeks were swollen to an extreme, resembling a pig¡¯s head, and even his voice had changed.


    "Wanqing!" Jiang Ying nced at Nanrong Wanqing and pinned hisst hopes on her. However, Nanrong Wanqing appeared indifferent, seemingly with no intention to speak. Noticing this, Jiang Ying sighed in resignation, unwilling to waste more words, and said to Jiang Han, who bore a look of resentment, "Let¡¯s go back."


    Jiang Han opened his mouth, wanting to throw out a harsh statement. But upon meeting Ling Chen¡¯s icy gaze, he swallowed his words, bit his teeth in fury, and followed Jiang Ying out of the living room. Qiu Wen, carrying the unconscious Qiu Wu, quickly followed suit, disappearing from the Nanrong Family¡¯s doorstep.


    "Chen, it¡¯s still you who¡¯s the formidable one." Nanrong Hao walked over to Ling Chen with a beaming smile, excitedly patted his shoulder hard.


    "Ouch!"


    Ling Chen inhaled sharply, his face turning pale from pain, and couldn¡¯t help but curse, "Can¡¯t you be a little gentler?"


    Nanrong Hao paused, looked at his hand, and said with slight surprise, "Chen, I didn¡¯t use much strength."


    "Nonsense, who¡¯d believe you."


    Ling Chen rubbed his shoulder, feeling as if his entire body was falling apart, with not a single ce without pain. Especially his legs, which hurt beyond description¡ªevery step felt like a muscle cramp, an excruciating pain, as if two willow branches were constantly swaying.


    Seeing his painful expression, Nanrong Wanqing couldn¡¯t hide the worry in her beautiful eyes and quickly wheeled the wheelchair in front of him, asking with concern, "Are you alright?"


    "I¡¯m fine." Ling Chen managed a forced smile. However, no sooner had he finished speaking than his legs seemed to disobey him, his knees buckled, and he sat down on the floor with a thud, grimacing in pain.


    "Chen!" Nanrong Hao was shocked and immediately called Su Lin over to help him up from the ground and sit him down on a nearby chair.


    "Ling Chen, the Nanrong Family owes you a lot for stepping in and preventing the Jiang Family from seeding," said Nanrong Yong gratefully. "I won¡¯t say thank you; should you have any needs in the future, the Nanrong Family will do its utmost to meet your requests."


    "Old Master, I have only one request right now¡ªcould you please send me back to my room so I can lie down properly?"


    If possible, it¡¯d be even better to have two beautiful nurses take care of him. However, he didn¡¯t dare to voice thisst request, only thinking about it to himself.


    Back in the bedroom, Ling Cheny on the bed, trying to rx his body to alleviate some of the pain.


    This Prajnaparamita Sutra was powerful indeed, but it was too perverse. He thought to himself. He Ziyun was right, only by breaking through could the Prajnaparamita Sutra truly show its effect.


    However, this mental method was too unorthodox.


    Moreover, the Prajnaparamita Sutra was clearly drawing on his potential to exert great strength in a short period, but it also brought potentially unforeseeable aftereffects to his body.


    As he pondered, his thoughts involuntarily drifted to Xia Mutong, and he truly needed to thank her this time. If it wasn¡¯t for her help, driving the police car to bring him back, he probably couldn¡¯t have made it to the Nanrong Family in time.


    ...


    "You two wastes of space, failing to deal with Ling Chen and still having the gall to im yourselves as the fifth-ranked experts on the Tiger List. In my view, the so-called experts of the Tiger List are nothing but trash," In a suite at a hotel in East Sea City, Jiang Han pointed at Qiu Wen and Qiu Wu¡¯s noses, berating them loudly, venting his anger.


    Qiu Wen and his brother hung their heads low, standing obediently without a murmur of dissent, far removed from the imposing manner of a Tiger List expert. Although they too were seething inside, the mere thought of the Jiang Family¡¯s influence sent a shiver through their bodies, fear apparent in their eyes.


    "Don¡¯t be angry anymore; it¡¯s not their fault." Jiang Ying tried to calm the situation from the sideline.


    "It¡¯s all Ling Chen¡¯s fault," Jiang Han hissed through clenched teeth, his eyes brimming with hatred. Taking a deep breath, he struggled to suppress his anger and said coldly, "No, we must bring the person back no matter what. This is the first time the Family Head has entrusted me with such an important task. If I mess this up, I¡¯ll have no face to stay with the Jiang Family."


    At this point, he frowned and continued, "I really don¡¯t understand what the Family Head is thinking. Of the two Nanrong heirs, one is a good-for-nothing and the other is crippled. What use could they possibly be?"


    "What do you n to do?"


    "Forget about that good-for-nothing Nanrong Hao; bringing him back is pointless. We just need to get Nanrong Wanqing back to the Jiang Family. Cousin, you have been helping the Nanrong Family for so many years; you should know them well. I still need your help with this."


    Jiang Ying shook her head, "The Nanrong Family has treated me well over the years; I cannot betray them."


    "Cousin, don¡¯t forget, you have no ties to the Nanrong Family; you are ultimately a member of the Jiang Family. Don¡¯t you wish to return to the Jiang Family?"


    "Return to the Jiang Family?" Hearing these words, Jiang Ying couldn¡¯t contain her excitement, "Really...is that possible?"


    Jiang Han slightly curved the corners of his mouth, nodding, "Of course. In fact, the Family Head knows you¡¯ve had a hard time out there. No matter what mistakes you made before, these twenty-odd years should have been enough to make amends." As he spoke, he observed Jiang Ying¡¯s hesitant expression and continued to coax her, "Cousin, I know you have deep feelings for the Nanrong Family, but you have to understand that by helping the Nanrong Family, it¡¯s just that they can¡¯t appreciate your hard work. If the Nanrong Family falls out with the Jiang Family, it will be the Nanrong Family who loses out in the end."


    Jiang Ying¡¯s gaze flickered, torn with indecision. Yet, upon reflecting on Jiang Han¡¯s words, she firmed her gaze, gave a slight nod, and asked, "What do you want me to do for you?"


    Seeing her concede, Jiang Han smiled with satisfaction, "Don¡¯t worry; I won¡¯t ask you to do anything too difficult."


    ...


    After resting for two days and receiving meticulous care from the Nanrong Family, Ling Chen¡¯s health wasrgely restored.


    Early in the morning, Ling Chen got up alone and went out to the vi¡¯swn, stretched his arms, and warmed up his body by twisting his waist. After lying down for two days, it was high time to move or he¡¯d rust.


    "Brother Chen."


    At this moment, Nanrong Hao came running over in a tracksuit, drenched in sweat.


    Ling Chen nced at him and asked, "Finished your training?"


    Nanrong Hao nodded, his face full of yearning, "Brother Chen, how long do I need to train before I can make it onto the Tiger List?"


    "Heh!" Ling Chen let out a sardonicugh, "Give it another hundred years and you might stand a chance."


    "Ah?" Nanrong Hao was taken aback, his face turning sour, "Brother Chen, is my talent really that poor?"


    "It¡¯s not about talent; it¡¯s that you started learning toote. To truly master martial arts, one must start cultivating at the ages of five or six, strengthening the fundamental skills. Only with a solid foundation can you reach the next level. You¡¯re already in your twenties, having missed the optimal learning age. However, as long as you persevere, even if you can¡¯t make it to the Tiger List, you won¡¯t be too far off."


    Ling Chen did not want to dampen his enthusiasm, so he offered words of encouragement.

 Chapter 254 - 250 Artificial Respiration

    <h4>Chapter 254: Chapter 250 Artificial Respiration</h4><h4></h4>


    Eight o¡¯clock in the morning.


    After dropping Nanrong Wanqing off at Hongyu Group, Ling Chen usually heads back to the security department¡¯s office.


    But at this moment, the ringtone of his cellphone suddenly res. Checking the caller ID, he wonders, What does this girl want with me?


    Answering the call, he says "Hello," and then asks, "Lady Su, is there something you need?"


    "Where are you?" Su Lin¡¯s voicees through, sounding congested as if her nose is blocked,zy and listless.


    "Have you caught a cold?"


    "Ah, stop asking so many questions. I¡¯m at home;e pick me up quickly." With that, Su Lin hangs up the phone.


    This woman... Considering she¡¯s sick, I won¡¯t hold it against her. Ling Chen informs Nanrong Wanqing and then drives his muscle car back to Wealthy Manor.


    Arriving at the vi, Ling Chen goes straight upstairs to Su Lin¡¯s bedroom door and knocks softly.


    "Come in, the door¡¯s unlocked."


    Ling Chen pushes the door open, steps into the room, and is hit with a wave of intoxicating fragrance. This is his first time entering Su Lin¡¯s bedroom, and as he takes in the decor, he can¡¯t help but chuckle.


    The room is dominated by pink hues, from the wall paint to the wardrobe bed sheets, including all the room¡¯s light fixtures, every detail screams pink. They say every girl harbors a princess dream, and this one¡¯s no exception. It¡¯s just that, at twenty-something years old, to keep such pure fantasies is indeed rare.


    Taking a brief look around, he turns his gaze to the bed where he sees Su Lin lying under the covers, wrapped up so only the area above her nose is visible. On the carpet beside the bed, there are numerous crumpled tissues. However, Ling Chen¡¯s attention is swiftly drawn to something else.


    On the carpet, pink, ckce, white¡ªthe floor is littered with various styles of sexy bras and underwear carelessly tossed aside.


    Tsk-tsk!


    This girl doesn¡¯t care at all for her privacy, way too casual. Can these kinds of intimate garments just be thrown around?


    Shaking off his wandering thoughts, he approaches the bed with concern, reaches out to touch Su Lin¡¯s forehead, and immediately feels rmed. It¡¯s burning up; this girl is seriously ill.


    "Lady Su, you have a high fever. I should take you to the hospital."


    "No hospital." Su Lin¡¯s muffled voices from within the covers.


    "How can you not? You are so sick," Ling Chen exims speechlessly. She called him back here, and he thought she wanted him to take her to the hospital.


    Extending a fair arm from under the covers, Su Lin casually grabs a tissue, blows her nose, and says, "Just drive me to schoolter."


    "School?" Ling Chen is taken aback. He nearly forgot it¡¯s Monday. But she¡¯s this sick, how can she go to school? Besides, he¡¯s never noticed her being particrly eager to study.


    With that in mind, he tries to persuade her earnestly, "Lady Su, you are seriously ill, you should quickly see a doctor. Don¡¯t let it get worse."


    Su Lin exims impatiently, "Why so many words? If I ask you to drive, you drive. Don¡¯t forget what you promised me, you can¡¯t refuse my requests."


    "Alright, alright, you win," Ling Chen concedes with a helpless shake of his head. This girl is bringing up the incident when he took advantage of her, and he really has no way out.


    "You wait outside for a bit, I¡¯m going to take a shower and change clothes beforeing out."


    After Su Lin spoke, Ling Chen turned around, walked out of the bedroom, and sat in the living room to wait for her toe out.


    However, just after sitting down for a little while, he heard a ¡¯thud¡¯ from the floor above, as if something had fallen onto the ground.


    Ling Chen, feeling uneasy, approached the bedroom and knocked, saying: "Lady Su, are you alright?"


    After calling out several times and getting no response from inside the room, Ling Chen was startled, could something have gone wrong? Thinking this, he quickly pushed the door open and entered. The bed was empty, with nobody in the master bedroom; there was the sound of rushing watering from the bathroom.


    He nced inside, noting that the bathroom door was half-open. He called out Su Lin¡¯s name a couple of times, but received no answer from within. Could she have fainted?


    Unfortunately, Nanny Wang was not there; she had gone out to buy groceries, otherwise, he could have asked her to take a look. After all, it was Su Lin¡¯s private bathroom, and it would be quite problematic for him if he barged in and saw something not suitable for children.


    But he couldn¡¯t ignore Su Lin¡¯s safety either. Hesitating for a moment, he gritted his teeth, deciding he couldn¡¯t care about that now.


    Without dy, he pushed the door to the bathroom open and right away, his expression changed drastically.


    Su Lin was lying naked in a bathtub filled with water, with a bruise on her forehead and a cut; she had lost consciousness, and there was even a smear of blood on the wall beside her. Evidently, Su Lin had hit her forehead and fainted. At this moment, the water in the bathtub had already gone over her head, submerging her body, and was spilling out bit by bit.


    This is bad!


    Ling Chen¡¯s heart raced with fear, unable to think any further. He hurriedly lifted her delicate body out of the bathtub and quickly carried her back to the bedroom.


    "Su Lin, Su Lin..." He patted Su Lin¡¯s cheeks, trying to wake her up, but there was no reaction, and he even couldn¡¯t feel her breathing.


    She couldn¡¯t possibly have drowned, could she?


    Drowning in one¡¯s own bathtub, such a story, if it gets out, would hardly be believed by anyone.


    But the reality was right before his eyes, and Ling Chen had no choice but to believe it.


    "This is to save your life, so don¡¯t me me for taking advantage of you."


    He muttered to himself, then he pinched Su Lin¡¯s mouth, bent down, and kissed her cold, red lips, blowing air into her body. Subsequently, he ced his hands on Su Lin¡¯s full chest and gently pressed down.


    After several rounds of artificial respiration, Su Lin suddenly raised her head and expelled a mouthful of water, coughing violently.


    Seeing she had finally regained consciousness, Ling Chen inwardly heaved a sigh of relief. It was a good thing he discovered the situation in time; otherwise, this girl would have died. To drown in her own bathtub, had he not witnessed it with his own eyes, he wouldn¡¯t have believed it.


    After a while, Su Lin caught her breath and then realized she was lying on the bed with no clothes on, with Ling Chen standing by her side. In shock and anger, she quickly grabbed the quilt to cover her exposed body, looking at Ling Chen with shame and indignation, "What... what have you done to me?"


    Ling Chen shrugged, "What needed to be done is done, and what shouldn¡¯t have been done, is also done."


    "What?" Su Lin¡¯s pretty face turned pale, "You..."


    Seeing her bewildered look, Ling Chen didn¡¯t have the heart to joke with her any longer, he quickly said: "Alright, alright, I won¡¯t tease you anymore, I didn¡¯t do anything. You should be thanking me; if it wasn¡¯t for my timely arrival, your life would have been gone."


    Su Lin looked at him half-believingly: "You really didn¡¯t do anything?"


    Ling Chen was at a loss for words, not caring about the danger she just faced; instead, she worried about whether her advantage was taken. He couldn¡¯t understand what was going on in this girl¡¯s mind. Did to women, their purity really rank above their life?

 Chapter 255 - 251 Tang Shiyun Encounters Danger

    <h4>Chapter 255: Chapter 251 Tang Shiyun Encounters Danger</h4><h4></h4>


    After hearing Ling Chen recount what had just happened, Su Lin seemed to recall the incident. Rubbing the bruise on her forehead, she muttered, "I just wanted to take a bath, but who knew the floor was so slippery that I fell."


    "Be more careful in the future, it¡¯s fortunate that I was here this time. Alright, you just rest here, I¡¯ll be back shortly after I step out for a moment."


    Leaving the Nanrong Family¡¯s residence, Ling Chen drove out of Wealthy Manor and went to a pharmacy on the street to purchase several boxes of cold medicine and fever reducers.


    Back at home, he brought a warm cup of water to Su Lin¡¯s bedside, "Here, take the medicine."


    Su Lin obediently swallowed the medicine, her face flushed red as she looked at Ling Chen, seeming hesitant to speak.


    "What¡¯s the matter, something you don¡¯t dare to say? That doesn¡¯t seem like you, Lady Su," Ling Chen teased.


    "That... did you... did you just give me mouth-to-mouth resuscitation?"


    Ling Chen touched his nose, privately thinking, ¡¯Does this girl want to trouble me because I took her first kiss?¡¯ Despite his thoughts, he replied, "Yes, is there a problem?"


    Su Lin nced at him, her eyes flitting away as she stammered, "No... no problem."


    "Then rest well. I¡¯ll be in the living room. Call me if you need anything."


    As Ling Chen turned to leave, Su Lin hastily called out to him, "Don¡¯t tell Wanqing about what happened today. If she knows, she will definitely scold me."


    Ling Chen, nonchnt, nodded, "Got it."


    At noon, Ling Chen stayed at home for lunch and nned to take a nap before heading back to thepany to pick up Nanrong Wanqing. However, at this moment, Su Lin descended from upstairs, neatly dressed and lightly made up, looking ready to go out.


    "You¡¯re not well yet, where are you going?"


    "I¡¯m going to school."


    Hearing this, Ling Chen looked at her with confusion and asked, "Why do you need to go to school? Is there a handsome guy waiting for you?"


    "Definitely not, I don¡¯t have eyes for any of the men there." Su Lin exined patiently, "Today, Tang Shiyun is back at school. She¡¯s now a hot celebrity, and I missed her concert in Beijingst time. I can¡¯t miss this chance again. Aren¡¯t you acquainted with her? I asked you toe back because I wanted you to apany me to school. With you there, we¡¯ll certainly be able to see her."


    So this girl insisted on going to school despite being sick, all for the sake of meeting Tang Shiyun.


    Tsk, I must say, Tang Shiyun¡¯s charm is indeed extraordinary, even Su Lin is smitten, turning into a crazy fan.


    "Will youe with me, please?" Su Lin, fearful that Ling Chen would refuse, tugged at his hand, pleading.


    "Alright, alright." Ling Chen had no other choice but to agree due to her persistence.


    "Yay!" Su Lin was all smiles with excitement.


    Once they were in the car, Su Lin couldn¡¯t resist her curiosity and asked, "How close are you with Tang Shiyun?"


    "Why do you ask?"


    "If you¡¯re close, we could invite her to have dinner. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll foot the bill, and you won¡¯t have to pay a penny."


    "I can¡¯t promise that. Eh, why is she returning to East Sea University this time?"


    "It seems like she¡¯s here to take a leave of absence. She¡¯s now the hottest star in the country, and everyone wants her for movies or reality shows; she doesn¡¯t have time toe back to school. How did you get to know her?"


    "We used to be neighbors."


    Su Lin said enviously, "You¡¯re so lucky."


    Ling Chen shrugged, nomittal.


    Twenty minutester, the two drove to East Sea University. Ling Chen parked the car on the side of the road, and as he looked at the exceedingly crowded university gate, he couldn¡¯t help but click his tongue in amazement.


    At this moment, the entrance to East Sea University was jam-packed with onlookers and numerous journalists and cameramen armed with their equipment. Even Tang Shiyun¡¯s fan club hade out in full force, gathering together with homemade cards held high, bearing the words "I Love You" inrge print¡ªthe scene was bubbling with excitement.


    If it weren¡¯t for the police officers who had been deployed to assist, the school¡¯s security staff alone would have undoubtedly failed to hold back these frenzied fans.


    Ling Chen was aware that Tang Shiyun was popr, but he hadn¡¯t anticipated fame of this magnitude. A girl who had just turned eighteen reaching such heights was unprecedented, if not altogether unparalleled, in the country.


    After getting out of the car, Ling Chen led Su Lin to the outskirts of the crowd to try entering the school. However, the entrance waspletely blocked by the crowd, making it impossible to get through. Moreover, the police had set up a cordon, forbidding anyone from getting close to the gate.


    Su Lin looked at Ling Chen with a plea for help, signaling him to think of a solution.


    Ling Chen spread his hands in a gesture of helplessness. There were too many people at the gate; even if they managed to squeeze through, the police would stop them. Plus, people were guarding the outside of the school wall to prevent anyone from climbing over into the school.


    "Let¡¯s just wait out here honestly."


    Standing on the outside of the crowd, Ling Chen folded his arms and looked at the reporters guarding the entrance, chuckling, "This is quite the spectacle. It¡¯s attracted even the reporters from the East Sea Daily." East Sea Daily was a publication focused on public welfare and never engaged in entertainment news, priding itself on earnestness. Besides that, he noticed that journalists from some provincial news stations had also arrived.


    "You don¡¯t know?"


    "Know what?" Ling Chen asked, puzzled.


    "They¡¯re not here topete for entertainment headlines, but because of the suicide incident that happened a few days ago."


    "A suicide incident? What suicide incident?" Ling Chen asked in surprise.


    "It¡¯s all because the fans are too crazy. After having his derations of love rejected, one of them took it to the extreme," Su Lin said while walking to a nearby newsstand. She bought a newspaper and handed it to Ling Chen, "Read it for yourself."


    Ling Chen couldn¡¯t wait to unfold the newspaper and find the news about the fan¡¯s suicide.


    Halfway through reading, he found it unbearable to continue. The paper stated that a male fan in his twenties was insanely obsessed with Tang Shiyun, sending her a love letter each day to herpany, and even repeatedly showing up where Tang Shiyun lived, waiting desperately in hopes that Tang Shiyun would ept his love.


    After being rejected several times, the disheartened fan was overwhelmed with sorrow. After leaving a message on Weibo that looked suspiciously like a suicide note, he jumped off an overpass, ending his life.


    Since the incident, neither Tang Shiyun¡¯spany nor she herself had made any statements, which was why all major media outlets were eager to nab the headline and secure an interview with Tang Shiyun for herments on the matter.


    Ling Chen shook his head. It was clear that the incident wasn¡¯t Tang Shiyun¡¯s fault¡ªthe fan was the one who had been unreasonably infatuated, not cherishing his own life.


    As he pondered, the noise at the school gate grew louder, with the police and school security beginning to clear the area.


    At the same time, a stretched Lincoln slowly drove out from inside the school. Immediately, all fans and reporters rushed forward, encircling the Lincoln Sedan.


    Bang!


    Suddenly, a crisp sound rang out. Ling Chen looked up just in time to see the ss of the Lincoln¡¯s window shatter.


    Following that, an arm reached out from the crowd, holding up a beer bottle that had been lit, and threw it into the car through the window.


    Boom!


    In a sh, towering mes erupted from inside the car, instantly forcing the surrounding crowd to retreat.

 Chapter 256 - 252: Explosion

    <h4>Chapter 256: Chapter 252: Explosion</h4><h4></h4>


    "Murder!"


    The crowded scene instantly became chaotic, filled with terrified screams everywhere. People stuck inside tried desperately to escape, pushing against those outside, but it was equally crowded outside. In the collision, many people lost their bnce and fell to the ground. Before they could get up, people behind stepped on them.


    For a moment, the scene was out of control, screams of horror and cries for help intertwined in an instant.


    The police and the school security responsible for the alert did not expect such a sudden incident, and they froze on the spot, unsure of what to do. Moreover, their numbers could not change anything; they could only watch helplessly as the stampede unfolded, unable to carry out any rescue.


    "Shiyun!"


    In the moment the mes surged, Ling Chen¡¯s face drastically changed, turning pale with his lips trembling slightly. The smell of gasoline¡ªit was a homemade incendiary bomb!


    At this moment, his mind was nk, his only concern was for Tang Shiyun¡¯s safety. He even forgot Su Lin next to him and madly rushed toward the stretched Lincoln Sedan. However, there were too many people outside the Lincoln Sedan, all desperately rushing out while he alone squeezed inside.


    He clenched his teeth, pushing against the crowd, and madly ran towards the Lincoln Sedan. Secondster, when he arrived at the Lincoln Sedan, he saw both front and back doors were already open, the driver and passengers had quickly jumped out of the car after the bomb exploded. But, the incendiary bomb made with gasoline was very adhesive and mmable, once it stuck on someone, it was difficult to extinguish.


    Ling Chen nced around and saw three men next to the Lincoln Sedan, all male, currently rolling on the ground desperately to extinguish the mes on their bodies.


    No women? His heart sank, could Tang Shiyun still be in the car?


    With this thought, he quickly looked into the Lincoln Sedan, hurried forward, and shouted Tang Shiyun¡¯s name loudly. However, the fire inside the Lincoln was intense, mes wildly surged from the car windows, almost enveloping the entire car, making it impossible to approach.


    "Shiyun, Shiyun..."


    Bang!


    Amidst the shouts, the Lincoln Sedan suddenly exploded at the front.


    Disaster!


    Ling Chen¡¯s pupils constricted, if the fire spread to the gas tank and ignited the gasoline inside, it would certainly cause a secondary explosion, and people within ten meters could hardly escape.


    At this moment, the three people who had escaped from the vehicle had extinguished the mes on their bodies, but hadrge burns all over, looking dreadful and were breathless, lying motionless on the ground,pletely unable to flee.


    "Ling Chen,e back!" From dozens of meters away, Su Lin shouted loudly, her tone unable to hide her own anxiety.


    Ling Chen nced at the burning Lincoln Sedan and then at the three men lying on the ground, his expression hesitant. After a brief contemtion, he finally made a decision, picked up the bodies of two men, and quickly rushed out of the explosion range.


    When he rescued thest man, the Lincoln Sedan exploded loudly, debris and sparks scattered everywhere within more than ten meters around the center of the explosion.


    "Shiyun..."


    "Miss Tang... wasn¡¯t... inside..." Suddenly, thest man he rescued said weakly, his words intermittent and his body extremely weak.


    "Really?"


    Hearing this, Ling Chen¡¯s eyes brightened, feeling like hearing heavenly music, unable to suppress the excitement in his heart, he quickly asked, "Where is she?"


    "The principal¡¯s office..."


    "Ling Chen!" At this moment, Su Lin rushed over in a hurry, her face full of concern, "Are you injured?"


    "I¡¯m fine." Ling Chen smiled slightly, knowing that Tang Shiyun was safe and sound, his heart finally settled down. The explosion that happened just a moment ago really scared him to death.


    Soon, the police gradually gained control of the scene. An ambnce was on its way, and the medical staff from East Sea University arrived first to provide emergency treatment to the three burn victims to prevent infection in their wounds.


    At this moment, the crowd of onlookers and reporters who had just escaped danger crowded around him, and the shbulbs shed non-stop. Several reporters surrounded Ling Chen, eagerly pushing their cameras toward him.


    "Sir, you just risked your life to save three people, do you have anything you¡¯d like to say now?"


    "Sir, I am a reporter from the East Sea Daily, and I would like to interview you about your heroic actions."


    "..."


    Faced with all these questions from reporters, Ling Chen, unable to bear the attention, grabbed Su Lin¡¯s hand and ran towards the campus. He had no interest in being on camera; as a former ghost squadron member, he strongly resisted revealing his identity. Being a student at East Sea University, with Su Lin leading the way, the two quickly left the trailing reporters far behind.


    "Where is the principal¡¯s office?"


    "Just ahead, what are you going to do?" Su Lin looked at him puzzledly.


    "Shiyun is there, I¡¯m going to see her."


    Su Lin patted her ample chest, still frightened, and said, "Thank goodness she wasn¡¯t in the car just now. I don¡¯t know who could be so cruel to target her. Whoever did this must be caught and executed."


    Ling Chen frowned secretly as the attack had happened too quickly, and with too many people around the Lincoln Sedan, the perpetrator had managed to throw the firebomb and then disappear into the crowd without leaving any clues.


    When they arrived at the principal¡¯s office.


    Ling Chen pushed the door open, and upon entering, he saw Tang Shiyun sitting there, her expression anxious. Her delicate face was filled with worry, her thin lips slightly pale, having lost their color. Tear stains lingered at the corners of her eyes; she had clearly been crying. Zhu Yansong was beside her, trying tofort her.


    "Shiyun!"


    Hearing that familiar voice, Tang Shiyun quickly looked up and saw Ling Chen approaching. She immediately lost control of her emotions and rushed toward him, burying herself into Ling Chen¡¯s arms and tightly wrapping her arms around his waist with tears brimming in her eyes, her expression sorrowful as she sobbed, "Ling, it¡¯s all my fault, I caused their harm."


    Ling Chen gently patted her back, his voice soft, "It¡¯s okay, they are not in life-threatening danger. Besides, if anyone is to me, it¡¯s the person whomitted the attack, not you. Don¡¯t me yourself too much."


    "But..."


    "Come on, stop crying."


    Su Lin watched Tang Shiyun clinging to Ling Chen, a hint of surprise shing in her eyes. Their rtionship... seemed to be more than just friends, as it was clear from Tang Shiyun¡¯s expression that she relied heavily on Ling Chen.


    After a while, with Ling Chen¡¯sfort, Tang Shiyun¡¯s emotions gradually stabilized.


    Su Lin brought over a ss of water, handing it to Tang Shiyun, and took out a pack of tissues from her bag and handed it to her.


    "Miss Tang, wipe your tears first, take some rest."


    "Thank you."

 Chapter 257 - 253: Shrew

    <h4>Chapter 257: Chapter 253: Shrew</h4><h4></h4>


    Seeing Tang Shiyun apanied by Su Lin, Ling Chen approached Zhu Yansong and asked, "Mr. Zhu, do you know who might be wishing harm upon Shiyun?"


    Zhu Yansong gave a bitter smile, shook his head, and said, "How would I know? Miss Tang has just entered this circle, she has a good personality, and is likable. She has never made enemies with anyone. If there has been any conflict, it might only be with..."


    He paused, his words trailing off, as he gave Ling Chen a meaningful look.


    Being a clever man, Ling Chen quickly caught on and blurted out, "Are you referring to Zhang Zekai from Beijing?"


    "Yes. But, based on my knowledge of the Zhang Family, even if they are bold, they wouldn¡¯t dare to do such a thing. Murder is no trifle matter, and getting caught could ruin a lifetime. Although President Zhang and Miss Tang had some disputes, it hasn¡¯t reached that extent. Sigh, I noticed earlier there were many people outside, so I asked the staff to leave in the car first, to divert the reporters¡¯ attention, but I didn¡¯t expect... it really was a narrow escape this time."


    Zhu Yansong wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, internally feeling relieved.


    "Mr. Zhu, besides you and Shiyun, is there anyone else?"


    "Yes, Miss Yao is also here, she just went to the restroom."


    "Miss Yao?" Ling Chen was momentarily taken aback, then quickly realized. The Miss Yao mentioned by Zhu Yansong was Tang Shiyun¡¯s mother, Yao Li.


    This was bad! Yao Li had always been prejudiced against him, andst time she even moved away from the LC district specifically to sever his rtionship with Tang Shiyun. If she saw him here, who knows what trouble it might cause.


    With this in mind, he excused himself to Zhu Yansong and turned to leave the office. It was better to avoid meeting Tang Shiyun¡¯s mother at this time.


    However, sometimes things happen exactly as feared, and there¡¯s no escaping it.


    As Ling Chen reached the door, before he could even open it, the door was already pushed open from the outside. Yao Li, in a fur coat which made her look even bulkier, her hair done in wave curls, wearing a gold ne and earrings, suddenly appeared in front of him, a strong perfume smell wafting into his face.


    Seeing Yao Li before him, Ling Chen inwardly gave a bitter smile, realizing he was a step too slow to avoid her.


    At that moment, Yao Li¡¯s face fell upon recognizing Ling Chen, resembling the unpredictable weather of September, instantly overcast with clouds and a cold wind swept through, looking extremely unpleasant.


    Ling Chen managed to muster a strained smile, greeting, "Mrs. Yao, hello."


    "What are you doing here, who let you in?" Yao Li¡¯s tone was sharp, as if facing an enemy, showing no mercy.


    "I heard Shiyun was in danger, I happened to be passing by, so..."


    Before Ling Chen could finish, Yao Li rudely interrupted, coldly saying, "My daughter¡¯s affairs are none of your concern, get out quickly, and stop being an eyesore here."


    "Mom!"


    Hearing Yao Li¡¯s harsh tone, Tang Shiyun immediately became anxious, hurriedly running over to grab Ling Chen, frowning displeasedly, "Ling is kindly here to see me, why are you being so rude to him?"


    "Watch him? Could he possibly be that kind-hearted?" Yao Li¡¯s voice immediately rose to a high pitch as she stood with one hand on her hip, pointing at Ling Chen¡¯s nose like a furious street hawker, she yelled, "Daughter, don¡¯t you know what kind of person he is? A small-time hoodlum who iszy andcks ambition. Now that he sees you¡¯re famous and wealthy, he just wants to take advantage. Mr. Ling, I¡¯m telling you, I know your kind of worthless trash very well, so stay away from my daughter. If I see you again, I¡¯ll call the cops and have you arrested for life."


    Tang Shiyun defended, "Mom, Ling is not that kind of person, don¡¯t talk about him like that."


    "Good daughter, I¡¯ve lived long enough to know people. You have to believe me, I wouldn¡¯t misjudge someone." After saying this, Yao Li still not satisfied, continued to curse at Ling Chen, "With your useless garbage self, you think you can take advantage of my daughter? Dream on like a toad aiming for swan meat. Bah! What a joke, get out of here, don¡¯t hang around in front of me, you¡¯re annoying to look at."


    "Hey, how can you talk like that, you have no manners at all."


    Seeing her constantly insulting Ling Chen, Su Lin couldn¡¯t listen anymore and indignantly spoke up.


    Yao Li nced at Su Lin and cursed mercilessly, "And who are you? Mind your own business."


    "You..." Su Lin, furious, replied heatedly, "You just rely on your daughter being a star, what¡¯s so great about that? Let me tell you, don¡¯t be so arrogant, there are plenty of rich people out there. You don¡¯t appreciate Ling Chen because you¡¯re short-sighted. Not to insult you, but you¡¯re really not in his league now."


    "Me? Not in his league?" Yao Li scoffed as if hearing a ridiculous joke, sarcastically said, "Yes, I¡¯m not in his league, only shameless women like you would fall for that kind of thug."


    Su Lin trembled with anger, indignant at being called shameless.


    "Mom, stop talking," Tang Shiyun, her face pale and almost on the verge of tears, "Su, my mom just has this temper, please don¡¯t take it to heart, I apologize on her behalf."


    "Daughter, no need to apologize to such people, they can¡¯t appreciate it," sneered Yao Li.


    "Enough!" Ling Chen, frowning slightly, sternly said, "Mrs. Yao, I only regard Shiyun as a friend, I have no ulterior motives, don¡¯t think the worst of everyone. You can scold me, but don¡¯t insult my friend. For Shiyun¡¯s sake, I won¡¯t argue with you today to avoid making it difficult for her, but I advise you, your attitude will hurt Shiyun sooner orter."


    "Bah!" Yao Li spat on the ground, "Just stop bothering my daughter, she¡¯ll be fine without you."


    "Ling, you... you should go back first," Tang Shiyun said with tearful eyes, looking at him pitifully, caught between Ling Chen and her own mother, she did not want to hurt either of them.


    Ling Chen sighed softly, nodded and said, "Take care of yourself out there. Mr. Zhu, I¡¯ll count on you to take good care of Shiyun."


    "Rest assured, I guarantee she won¡¯t be hurt," Zhu Yansong promised. He had witnessed the scene and had wanted several times to speak up for Ling Chen but held back as it was personal family matters and not appropriate for an outsider to intervene.


    "Lady Su, let¡¯s go."


    Seeing Ling Chen walk away, Su Lin unwillingly red at Yao Li and quickly followed him.


    "Ling Chen, after she treated you like that, can you really endure it?" Su Lin asked, her face full of indignation, she had never seen someone socking in ss.


    Ling Chen shook his head helplessly, "She¡¯s Shiyun¡¯s mom, what do you expect me to do? Punish her? Argue back? If I did that, Shiyun would be the one most distressed. Let it go, don¡¯t get angry, it¡¯s not worth arguing with such a person."

 Chapter 258 - 254: Wanted List

    <h4>Chapter 258: Chapter 254: Wanted List</h4><h4></h4>


    "Mom, you must not be rude to Ling anymore," Tang Shiyun said with a resentful look at Yao Li inside the principal¡¯s office, speaking discontentedly.


    "Daughter, I¡¯m doing this for your own good. I¡¯m in my fifties, I¡¯ve seen more of life than you¡¯ve walked, and I understand exactly what kind of games Ling Chen is ying. As long as I¡¯m here, he won¡¯t take advantage of my daughter."


    "Ling is definitely not that kind of person. You made up your mind about him first, thinking he¡¯s no good, that¡¯s why you¡¯re biased against him. Mom, if you keep being like this, I¡¯ll ignore you."


    Yao Li said irritably, "You¡¯re really going to be the death of me. Mr. Zhu, you have children too, tell me, am I right or not?"


    "This..." Zhu Yansong hesitated for a moment, then said, "Miss Yao, from my understanding of Mr. Ling, he¡¯s probably not the person you think he is."


    Yao Li frowned and said sternly, "Now you¡¯re starting to speak good of him too."


    "I¡¯m just telling the truth. Last time in Beijing, thanks to Mr. Ling¡¯s help, Miss Tang was saved from a big trouble. I believe he genuinely has Miss Tang¡¯s best interests at heart."


    "He was only pretending to be helpful to win my daughter¡¯s favor. Hmph, my daughter is going to be a big star in the future, having someone like him around will only tarnish her reputation. Listen to me, if you dare see him again, I¡¯ll disown you," Yao Li finished and turned to Zhu Yansong, "And you, Mr. Zhu, don¡¯t take it the wrong way, but if I find out you¡¯ve arranged for them to meet secretly, or if you knew and didn¡¯t tell me, I¡¯ll immediately have my daughter cancel her contract with Silver Star Entertainment Company. Manypanies are vying to sign my daughter now, I¡¯m not worried about finding another."


    "I¡¯ll be mindful," Zhu Yansong nodded. As an employee of thepany, he naturally had to think about thepany¡¯s interest, it seemed he would have to let Ling Chen down.


    ...


    Outside East Sea University.


    Just as Ling Chen and Su Lin stepped out of the campus gate, they saw over a dozen police officers setting up a crime scene tape and conducting a clean-up.


    At the same time, three police officers were walking towards them, probably nning to speak with Tang Shiyun to understand the specifics since Tang Shiyun was the potential victim targeted by the assant.


    Seeing the leading female officer, Ling Chen touched his nose, his face slightly embarrassed. This was indeed a bit awkward, bumping into her here.


    Ling Chen saw Xia Mutong, and Xia Mutong saw him too. Originally expressionless, her face turned icy cold as mes seemed to flicker in her eyes at his sight. Before even approaching, Ling Chen could already feel her simmering rage hitting him.


    As they were about to brush past each other, Ling Chen forced a smile and greeted proactively, "Officer Xia, hello."


    "It was fine until I saw you," Xia Mutong responded coldly, "You better not show up in front of me again." After saying that, she quickened her pace and walked past Ling Chen.


    Su Lin looked back at the departing Xia Mutong, curiously asking, "Ling Chen, do you have a feud with Officer Xia? She seems to really hate you."


    "Don¡¯t talk nonsense, she and I are on good terms," Ling Chen replied flippantly, then hurried to a car parked by the roadside, opened the door, and got in.


    Checking the time, it was just three o¡¯clock in the afternoon, still a while before Nanrong Wanqing finished work.


    "I¡¯ll take you home first. You haven¡¯t fully recovered from your cold yet, better rest more."


    "Okay." Sensing the care in Ling Chen¡¯s voice, Su Lin softly responded.


    After returning to Wealthy Manor, Ling Chen dropped Su Lin at her home, then drove back to thepany.


    Halfway there, he suddenly received a call from Hu Fei.


    "Hello, Fatty, what¡¯s up?"


    "Are you free right now?"


    "Yes."


    "Remember the little restaurant where I treated you to boiled fishst time? I¡¯m here waiting for you, hurry up ande over."


    "Okay, I¡¯ll be there in half an hour."


    After hanging up the phone, Ling Chen immediately turned the car around and headed towards the restaurant.


    Hu Fei wouldn¡¯t say on the phone, it must be something important, so it was inconvenient tomunicate over the phone.


    In less than twenty minutes, Ling Chen arrived at the destination. He parked the car by the roadside and walked down the alley. After walking a few dozen meters, he came to a humble restaurant entrance. Perhaps because it was afternoon, the restaurant hadn¡¯t opened for business yet.


    Knock, knock, knock!


    He knocked on the door, and the tightly closed door was immediately opened, revealing a face tinged with a yellowish-paleplexion and full of wrinkles.


    "Boss Liu."


    Ling Chen greeted with a smile. He had eaten here once before, having tried the boiled fish, and he remembered the restaurant owner vividly. It must be said, Boss Liu¡¯s boiled fish was exceptional, delicious, and even better than what five-star chefs could make.


    "Mr. Ling, pleasee in!"


    Once inside the restaurant, Ling Chen headed straight to the private room. As soon as he entered, a strong fragrance of fish hit his nose, making one¡¯s mouth water.


    By the round table, Hu Fei sat alone in a corner, with his sleeves rolled up, eating a hot pot of boiled fish, sweating profusely, and the small private room was steaming hot.


    "Tsk tsk! Fatty, you really know how to enjoy yourself."


    Hu Fei chuckled and pointed to the chair opposite him. With a mouth full of hot fish, he said vaguely, "Come, sit and eat with me."


    Although it wasn¡¯t dinner time yet, Ling Chen couldn¡¯t resist the tempting deliciousness of the boiled fish. Without being bashful, he opened a bottle of beer and started eating with a pair of chopsticks.


    Soon, a serving of boiled fish was finished.


    "Old Liu, another serving."


    "That¡¯s enough, just a treat to satisfy the craving."


    Hu Fei nced at him and said nonchntly, "You better eat up, I¡¯m afraid this might be yourst meal."


    "Hmm..." Ling Chen raised his head, put down the beer ss he was holding, "What do you mean by that?"


    "Somebody wants to kill you."


    "Who?"


    "How would I know? Hey, tell me, how many people have you offended that they all want you dead?" As he spoke, Hu Fei took out his phone, logged into a website, pulled up a page, and handed it to Ling Chen, "You see for yourself."


    "This is... a bounty?" Ling Chen looked at the page disying his detailed information and eximed.


    Hu Fei nodded, "This is a bounty list updated by the Secret Society¡¯s dark web three hours ago. You did well, you shot up to first ce."


    "How much money?"


    "Seven million US dors." Hu Fei stretched out three fingers, "There are three clients who posted the bounty, one offers two million, one offers one million, and one offers four million. So, by killing you, one can im all three rewards."


    "Damn!" Ling Chen cursed in dissatisfaction, "They really look down on people, just seven million US dors, my head is worth at least ten million at least."


    "Give it a rest, you¡¯re the only one who can enjoy such treatment. I really don¡¯t know why you¡¯re so hated. Remember, this is a bounty, for such a handsome reward, I estimate many assassins will be restless. As far as I know, several top-notch assassins have already entered the country, you better be careful, I don¡¯t want to see you next time in a crematorium."


    Ling Chen smirked slightly, casually pulled out a toothpick and put it in his mouth, unconcerned, "Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll definitely outlive you."

 Chapter 259 - 255: Who Could it Be?

    <h4>Chapter 259: Chapter 255: Who Could it Be?</h4><h4></h4>


    After feasting at a shabby little diner, Ling Chen wiped his mouth, bid Hu Fei goodbye, then got back into his car, his expression cold and stern.


    Although he appeared nonchnt in front of Hu Fei, he had be alert inside. He knew whatcency could cost him.


    The fact that three individuals simultaneously ced a bounty on his head made him slightly smile; he truly was popr. Among these three, he could only think of Zhu Hong; as for the others, he couldn¡¯t figure them out. It seemed like, other than having a mortal enmity with Zhu Hong, he had no other enemies in East Sea City.


    Could it be Zhang Zekai? He shook his head, dismissing the idea. Zhang Zekai was involved in the entertainment industry and wouldn¡¯t be associated with this sector. The bounty was issued on the Secret Society¡¯s dark web, essible only by insiders. Ordinary people might know of the dark web, but they couldn¡¯t contact it.


    The Jiang Family?


    His mind raced. Just a few days ago, he had humiliated Jiang Han in public, and given Jiang Han¡¯s hatred for him, it¡¯s very likely he could have financed the bounty. Furthermore, Jiang Han was now associated with the sixth-ranked master on the Tiger List... not fifth-ranked anymore.


    It implied the Jiang Family had profound resources.


    Thinking this through, he nodded to himself, almost certain of his assumptions. Now, with two suspects confirmed, thest one remained a mystery to him.


    Lost in thought, his phone suddenly rang. He pulled it out and answered the call.


    "Hey, Old Tang, what¡¯s up?"


    "Old virgin, congrattions are in order."


    Hearing the familiar yet peculiar nickname, Ling Chen immediately expressed his strong disapproval: "Old Tang, you really need to drop that nickname."


    "Why change it? You haven¡¯t even... hmm..." Tang Yuan suddenly realized, surprised, "You little devil, did you finally manage to getid?"


    Ling Chenughed proudly: "Of course. With my charm, it was a piece of cake."


    "Tsk tsk, which poor girl let the pig have her way with her?"


    "Cut it out, stop ridiculing me."


    Tang Yuan teased ambiguously: "So, how many rounds in one night?"


    "Three... Damn, why am I discussing this with you?"


    "Hehe, don¡¯t be shy, I heard all about it. Three times in one night, not bad for your first time, Tang Yuan. Push harder next time, try to reach brother¡¯s level, seven rounds in one night."


    Hearing this, Ling Chen felt a huge blow to his pride and angrily retorted: "Spit it out if you have something to say, otherwise, I¡¯m hanging up."


    "Wait, wait, let¡¯s talk serious. I heard you topped the Secret Society¡¯s dark web list. I called to congratte you and to check if there¡¯s anyst wish you want fulfilled, us brothers would handle it."


    "Damn, it¡¯s just a bounty. Why do all of you assholes think I¡¯m a goner. Anyone who dares try to im my head, I¡¯ll kill one for each thates, or two if they double up."


    "Alright, no more jokes." Tang Yuan¡¯s tone became serious, "The General heard about this and asked me to call you; if you need any help, just say the word, your brothers are here for you."


    "Don¡¯t worry about me, they¡¯re just a few assassins. I¡¯ve dealt with Blood Wolf, how hard could these nobodies be?"


    "Don¡¯t be careless, those assassins are well-prepared. How about this? I¡¯ll catch a flight to East Sea City right now. It¡¯s good to have someone by your side."


    Ling Chen creased a smile: "I appreciate the thought, but I can take care of myself, rest easy."


    "Sure, I knew you¡¯d act tough, just be safe. I don¡¯t want to wear a ck suit again."


    After hanging up, Ling Chen rubbed his head and squinted slightly; it seems the assassinsing for him are not simple. Otherwise, both Hu Fei and Tang Yuan wouldn¡¯t have specifically warned him.


    However, as he said earlier, if he dared to kill Blood Wolf, who was ranked first on the assassin list, what was there to fear from others?


    Returning to Hongyu Group, it was just the end of the workday, and after meeting up with the motorcade, he headed straight back to Wealthy Manor.


    During dinner, as usual, Su Lin turned on the TV and watched as they ate. At that moment, the local news channel was reporting on the attack that Tang Shiyun faced today at East Sea University.


    "ording to our reporter on the scene, the suspect took advantage of the chaos, holding a homemade incendiary device, broke a car window, and threw the incendiary into the car, causing the Lincoln Sedan to be engulfed in mes. Fortunately, Miss Tang was not inside the car, only two staff members and the driver were. When the fire spread to the fuel tank causing a second explosion, an anonymous hero disregarded his safety to rescue the seriously injured to a safe area, avoiding further casualties..."


    As the news reached that point, the screen switched, and Ling Chen appeared on camera, waving his arms trying to block the filming. Unfortunately, the camera still captured his appearance.


    "As per the information we received, this righteous hero named Ling Chen lives in Wealthy Manor and works as a security personnel for Hongyu Group..."


    "Ling Chen, didn¡¯t expect you to be so photogenic," Su Lin teased smiling.


    Ling Chen¡¯s face darkened as he sullenly shoveled his food, clearly upset.


    Damn, he was still caught on camera. Now the whole city would recognize him. What impressed him even more was how the media managed to dig up his identity and workce¡ªit was indeed a fearsome entity.


    "Brother Chen, Brother Chen..."


    Nanrong Hao burst in excitedly, waving his arms and shouting loud, "Brother Chen, you¡¯re on TV."


    "Shut up, will you!" Ling Chen snapped irritably.


    "Uh..." Realizing the atmosphere was off, Nanrong Hao chuckled nervously and quickly left.


    Nanrong Wanqing nced at her brother, her thin cherry-red lips smiling faintly. Redirecting her gaze, she looked at Ling Chen sitting opposite her and gently began, "Miss Tang isn¡¯t hurt, right?"


    "She wasn¡¯t in the car at the time."


    Mentioning Tang Shiyun, Su Lin suddenly recalled Yao Li, involuntarily fuming, she hmphed, "Now I¡¯ve seen what Tang Shiyun¡¯s mother is capable of, looking down on people, really want to give her a piece of my mind."


    "What happened?" Nanrong Wanqing asked curiously.


    "She..."


    "Forget it, it¡¯s all in the past now, let¡¯s not bring it up again. No matter her failings, she¡¯s still Shiyun¡¯s mother." Ling Chen interrupted Su Lin, his chiseled face showing a hint of helplessness. With Yao Li meddling, meeting Tang Shiyun again would probably be incredibly difficult.


    This chapter is updated by freew(e)bnovel.(c)om

 Chapter 260 - 256: Computer Virus

    <h4>Chapter 260: Chapter 256: Computer Virus</h4><h4></h4>


    Night had fallen.


    Ling Cheny in bed, his head propped on his arms, staring nkly at the ceiling, thinking about how to deal with the impending crisis.


    At that moment, thendline on the bedside table suddenly rang, disrupting his thoughts. He casually picked up the receiver, his greeting sounding half-hearted.


    "Ling Chen, do you know how to repairputers? Something seems to be wrong with mine."


    Recognizing Su Lin¡¯s voice, Ling Chen sat up and said, "Wait for me, I¡¯ll be right over."


    Upon reaching Su Lin¡¯s bedroom, Ling Chen immediately felt like he had entered a pink world. Breathing in the fragrance that permeated the room, his eyes unconsciously slid to the floor. The items that had been scattered on the ground during the day were now tidied away.


    Su Lin had just taken a shower, her hair damp and smooth, wearing a pink spaghetti strap silk nightgown. The nightgown was not very transparent, exuding an elegant style, yet it entuated her figure alluringly. Perhaps because of drowsiness, Su Lin kept yawning, her delicate face showing a trace ofziness. Not only that, she also unreservedly stretched, and when her fair and smooth arms extended, it was like watching ridges rise and peaks form¡ªa myriad of charming styles.


    Ling Chen swallowed hard, feeling a bit embarrassed, but couldn¡¯t help stealing a few more nces.


    How nice it would be if Wanqing was this busty too, he thought to himself.


    Feeling Ling Chen¡¯s lingering gaze on parts of her that shouldn¡¯t be watched, Su Lin¡¯s pretty face blushed, irritation rising in her heart. This jerk, hadn¡¯t he taken advantage of her enough? Under the shade of indignation, she red fiercely at Ling Chen.


    Caught in the act, Ling Chen coughed awkwardly, his gaze immediately straightforward as he asked seriously, "Lady Su, what¡¯s the problem with yourputer?"


    Su Lin pointed at the pinkptop on her desk and pursed her sexy red lips, "It was working fine just a moment ago, then it suddenly froze, and it¡¯s the same after restarting, the system isn¡¯t running."


    "Let me have a look."


    Ling Chen sat in front of theputer and casually operated it, saying, "You haven¡¯t installed antivirus software; yourputer has a virus."


    "What should I do? I¡¯ve made ns with a friend for a video chatter."


    "It¡¯s a piece of cake, I¡¯ll sort it out in minutes."


    Ling Chen smiled confidently, his fingers gracefully touching the keyboard, pulling up themand console and entering a string of digital codes before lightly pressing the Enter key.


    Suddenly, countless pop-ups appeared on theputer desktop, all from virus websites, and the content was startling¡ªmainly featuring the bold styles of Western adult content.


    The static images were one thing, but there were also quite a few animated images.


    Seeing so many indecent images, Ling Chen¡¯s face stiffened, his expression extremely awkward. Su Lin felt even more ufortable; as a delicatedy, she had never been exposed to such vulgar stuff from a young age. Especially those animated pictures and unspeakable sounds made it hard for her to look directly, her pretty face instantly turning red and slightly warm.


    But, even as she looked away, images that made her blush and fluster continued to linger in her mind. She was both ashamed and annoyed, yet uncontrobly stealing nces at theputer screen.


    At this moment, Ling Chen was the one feeling the most terrible. If it were the past, with his willpower, none of these would be an issue. But now, wasn¡¯t there a little enchantress present, killing without spilling blood? So all his steadfastness and such went out the window, and amidst the onught, his old face couldn¡¯t help but turn red.


    Swallowing hard, reason finally overcame the wicked thoughts in his heart. His fingers flew over the keyboard, swiftly clearing away those images. As the sounds disappeared, the awkward atmosphere between the two eased significantly.


    "All good now," Ling Chen stood up, yielding the seat, and nced at Su Lin next to him.


    Her cheeks were still flushed with shyness, her eyes bashful, hardly daring to meet his gaze. The seductive allure on her reddened face made his heart flip, unable to resist taking a few more looks.


    Feeling Ling Chen¡¯s brazen gaze, Su Lin became even more ufortable, suppressing the timidity in her heart and looking up with an angry expression, "Still looking?"


    Ling Chen gave an awkward smile, unable to deny that this girl¡¯s shyness was indeed very tempting.


    "Well... you go ahead with your stuff, I¡¯m heading back to my room."


    Leaving the bedroom, Ling Chen seemed to breathe a sigh of relief. Just then, he passed by Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s door, and so he gently knocked.


    "Who is it?" Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s voice was tinged withssitude.


    "It¡¯s me. Have you gone to bed yet?"


    "I¡¯ve justid down. Whatever it is, let¡¯s talk tomorrow, I¡¯m tired today."


    "Then, have a good rest early."


    Ling Chen shook his head, somewhat disappointed; he had wanted to have a moment of tenderness with Nanrong Wanqing, to talk about love, to deepen their connection. But it seemed tonight he was destined to be alone.


    In the living room, looking at the pitch-ck night outside, Ling Chen¡¯s thoughts whirred, a sly glint shing in Mo Che¡¯s pupils, before he stepped out of the vi.


    In Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s room at this moment.


    Nanrong Wanqing leaned on the bed, dressed in a pale blue silk nightgown made of excellent fabric, with her fragrant shoulders slightly exposed and her tender arms, smooth as lotus stems, revealed. Gently raising the hem of her nightgown, she exposed a pair of slender snow-white beautiful legs. Looking at her own fair and delicate, translucent feet, a trace of sorrow crossed Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s beautiful face.


    She picked up the towel from the bedside and gently wiped her legs. After the car ident, she had never let anyone touch her legs, always taking good care of them herself, longing for the day she could stand up again.


    After cleaning her body, shey in bed and turned off the light, plunging the room into darkness.


    However, just then, she suddenly heard a breathing sounding from beside her, her heart startled, she hurriedly turned to look, her lips parting, ready to speak. But before she could say a word, her mouth was blocked by something, and she was taken aback.

 Chapter 261: Interview number 257

    <h4>Chapter 261: Interview number 257</h4><h4></h4>


    Between her embarrassment and annoyance, a familiar scent wafted over her, instantly rxing her tense and delicate body.


    Annoying!


    She scolded herself in secret. She thought there was a thief in the house, but didn¡¯t expect this bold man to sneak in through the balcony again, just likest time.


    After a long while, Ling Chen finally moved his lips away, his clear eyes staring intently at the beauty beneath him, filled with deep affection.


    Nanrong Wanqing felt embarrassed under his gaze, her cheeks flushing red. She couldn¡¯t help but turn her head away, pushing against his robust chest with both hands, rebuking him: "I¡¯ve already said I need to rest."


    Ling Chen chuckled: "Why not rest and enjoy at the same time? What¡¯s wrong with that?"


    Hearing the word ¡¯enjoy,¡¯ Nanrong Wanqing felt a huge wave of embarrassment. Before she could retort, a warm breath washed over her face, and her lips were sealed again. She panicked at first, but gradually, she entered a blissful state, feeling that nothing in this world was more wonderful than this.


    Feeling Ling Chen¡¯s breath gradually be heavier, a sliver of remaining rationality in Nanrong Wanqing immediately stopped him, her voice shyly retreated: "Don¡¯t..."


    Ling Chen lifted his head, staring deeply at her, his throat felt dry as he asked: "Wanqing, what¡¯s wrong?"


    "I¡¯m sorry, I... I was thinking... to wait until our wedding day..." Nanrong Wanqing closed her eyes, too shy to look at him. She wasn¡¯t resisting Ling Chen, it¡¯s just that she wanted to save the most precious part of herself for the most meaningful day.


    Ling Chen smiled softly, his mood calming down as he gently caressed her smooth cheek, softly saying: "Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m not in a hurry. What¡¯s mine will eventually be mine, don¡¯t you think?"


    Nanrong Wanqing didn¡¯t speak, just buried her head in Ling Chen¡¯s embrace like azy kitten, enjoying his warmth.


    Thus, the twoy quietly together, drifting off to sleep.


    The night passed.


    The next day.


    After breakfast, Ling Chen checked the time and was preparing to apany Nanrong Wanqing to thepany when Liang Zhao Hui briskly walked in from outside the vi and said: "Ling Chen, there are reporters looking for you outside."


    "Reporters?" Ling Chen paused, surprised.


    Liang Zhao Hui smiled and said: "Yes, they said they would like to interview you about your act of bravery yesterday."


    "I won¡¯t see them." Ling Chen waved his hand without hesitation, "Help me drive them away."


    Su Lin, who was sipping porridge, muttered: "It¡¯s only 7:30 in the morning, and they are already blocking the door. Those reporters are really dedicated."


    "They just want to get firsthand information for a scoop." Liang Zhao Hui then looked at Ling Chen and asked, "Are you sure you won¡¯t see them?"


    "Definitely not." Ling Chen looked unwilling. Those media who had reported on him without his consent had already annoyed him. The idea of interviewing him was not even worth considering.


    "You should go see them," Nanrong Wanqing urged: "Those media know you are an employee of Hongyu Group. Even if you don¡¯t see them now, they will find you at thepany. I¡¯m not afraid of anything else but those unprincipled reporters. In order not to cooperate, they may deliberately smear your reputation to attract attention. Especially the online media nowadays have no moral bottom line; they are capable of anything for clicks and heat."


    "Wanqing has a point," Su Lin agreed: "The online troll army is scary. One misstep, and you could ruin your reputation. Just do the interview. You can just casually answer a few questions and be done with it, it¡¯s not like you¡¯ll lose a piece of flesh."


    With that, Ling Chen considered it for a while and then grudgingly agreed.


    What Nanrong Wanqing said made sense; he couldn¡¯t let these unprincipled media ruin his reputation over such a trifle. Besides, his identity has already been exposed, so it didn¡¯t matter anyway.


    "Liang, please ask them to sit in the guest room for a bit, I¡¯lle over after breakfast."


    "Alright."


    Ten minutester, at the insistence of Su Lin and Nanrong Wanqing, Ling Chen changed into a sharp suit, looking dashing and heroic, with hair gelled back. ording to the twodies, since he would be on camera, he ought to look handsome.


    Ling Chen couldn¡¯t help butin that those reporters really had nothing better to do. He was just a small fry, and wasting their time interviewing him seemed pointless.


    When he arrived at the guest room, he pushed the door open and saw two people sitting inside, a young man and woman. The man, carrying a camera and tripod, was dressed casually; the woman, in a western-style business skirt with a white blouse, paired with ck stockings and high heels, had an attractive face with light makeup on.


    "Mr. Ling, hello."


    The female reporter approached him proactively, shook hands, and apologized with a smile, "Sorry to bother you so early. My name is Dai Ying, and I¡¯m a journalist from the LeFeng online tform. This is my assistant, the cameraman Hong Gang."


    Ling Chen nodded: "I¡¯m in a hurry to get to work, can we please make this quick?"


    "Mr. Ling, don¡¯t worry, we won¡¯t take up much of your time, please sit!"


    Once they settled, Hong Gang set up the tripod, mounted the camera, and aligned it with Ling Chen¡¯s position. After adjusting it, Hong Gang gestured to Dai Ying that everything was ready to begin.


    Dai Ying maintained her smile, extended the microphone to Ling Chen, and asked: "Mr. Ling, I understand that you only joined Hongyu Group a few months ago. What was your job before that?"


    "I was in the military, just recently discharged."


    "So, Mr. Ling is an ex-soldier, no wonder you are so skilled. What were you thinking when you saved that person? Weren¡¯t you concerned about your own safety?"


    Ling Chen patiently endured and selected some positive reasons to exin: "I¡¯m a soldier, my duty was to protect the country and serve the people. Even though I¡¯ve been discharged, I have never forgotten the training the country gave me."


    "Mr. Ling truly deserves respect as a soldier," Dai Ying said with a gentle smile, a glint of something cold and subtle flickering in her eyes. Then, she turned to nce at Hong Gang.


    The two exchanged knowing looks, nodding silently to each other.


    Then, Hong Gang lightly pressed a button on the camera.

 Chapter 262 - 258: Killing Intent

    <h4>Chapter 262: Chapter 258: Killing Intent</h4><h4></h4>


    At this moment, on the camera screen, the crosshairs were aimed at Ling Chen¡¯s head. Simultaneously, a red circle appeared around the screen, slowly shrinking towards the center. Soon, the red dot locked onto the center of Ling Chen¡¯s forehead.


    Hong Gang¡¯s mouth curled with a hint of a sinister smile, as he gently ced his thumb on the switch behind the camera.


    However, at that instant, Ling Chen suddenly felt an intense sense of danger well up in his heart. Years of experience in gun battles had honed his instincts for danger to a razor¡¯s edge. Almost reflexively, he violently threw himself backward, along with the chair, to the ground.


    Bang!


    As he leaned back, a shot suddenly rang out, fired from the camera lens, grazing his scalp and hitting the wall.


    Seeing that the shot had missed its target, Dai Ying¡¯s expression changed slightly and without a moment¡¯s hesitation, she leapt up, twisting open the microphone in her hands. Immediately, a hidden dagger appeared in her hand, stabbing toward Ling Chen, who was on the ground.


    Faced with imminent danger, Ling Chen raised an arm, blocking Dai Ying¡¯s firmly gripped dagger. Then, he went with the momentum, using the strength in his wrist, causing Dai Ying¡¯s body to immediately lose bnce and fall towards the ground. At that moment, Ling Chen caught a glimpse from the corner of his eye that Hong Gang had drawn a pistol with a suppressor, aiming it at his body.


    In the blink of an eye, with a tense face, Ling Chen rolled on the spot, grabbed Dai Ying¡¯s delicate neck with one hand, and yanked her up from the ground, using her as a shield in front of him.


    Bang! Bang!


    Two shots were fired, both bullets hitting Dai Ying¡¯s body, blood spattered.


    "Yin!"


    Hong Gang was stunned, not expecting that his shots not only failed to kill Ling Chen but instead killed his own partner, and he stood there in shock. After a brief moment of stasis, he snapped back to reality, bellowed a loud cry, and once again aimed the gun at Ling Chen.


    But before he could pull the trigger, Ling Chen had already snatched the dagger from Dai Ying and threw it straight at Hong Gang, striking him right between the eyebrows.


    A trickle of blood flowed out. Hong Gang¡¯s hand holding the gun hung in the air, and his body fell straight down, his eyes still filled with disbelief and unwillingness; his meticulously nned scheme had failed.


    Looking at the two corpses on the ground, Ling Chen let out a breath, feeling the aftermath of a close escape. Damn, truly unpredictable. If it hadn¡¯t been for his quick reflexes, he would probably be the one lying in a pool of blood right now.


    Thud!


    At this moment, Zhong Wei and Liang Zhao Hui, with others, broke through the door and entered, their faces changing drastically at the scene inside the room. Having heard unusual noisesing from the parlor just before, they had hurried over.


    Zhong Wei, shocked, pointed at the two bodies and said, "Ling Chen, what is this..."


    "They¡¯re not reporters; they¡¯re assassins wanting my life," exined Ling Chen. "Captain Zhong, call the police."


    Leaving the parlor, Ling Chen walked back to the living room to wait for the police to arrive. Those two assassins were quite clever, probably having seen the newsst night, hence they devised such an ingenious n to approach him under the guise of an interview and then take the opportunity to shoot him when he was off guard.


    In the assassin world, some assassins rely on their skills, while others rely on their brains; the assassins he encountered just now were of thetter type.


    "Ling Chen, are you alright?"


    Upon hearing the news, Su Lin, pushing a wheelchair with the anxious Nanrong Wanqing in tow, rushed over. Her exquisite face was full of concern.


    Ling Chen gave a slight smile, patted his robust chest, and quipped, "Don¡¯t worry, see? I¡¯m perfectly fine."


    "Who sent those assassins after you, and why were you targeted?"


    "How would I know that? If someone wants to kill me, they¡¯re hardly going to notify me in advance," Ling Chen shrugged.


    Although he understood the situation, he would not discuss it in front of the two women. It was better that he kept some things to himself; informing Nanrong Wanqing and Su Lin would only make them worry more.


    "You should go to work if you have to work, go to school if you have to study. Don¡¯t worry about me, I¡¯ll take care of it." Having said that, Ling Chen stood up, called Zhong Wei, and asked him to arrange a car to take Nanrong Wanqing to herpany.


    Not long after Nanrong Wanqing and Su Lin left, two police cars drove into Wealthy Manor and stopped in front of the Nanrong family¡¯s house.


    As the car doors opened, Xia Mutong emerged, her face stern and devoid of smiles, seriousness written all over it.


    "Officer Xia." Ling Chen greeted her with a smile, hastening to meet her with a wave.


    Xia Mutong gave him a cool nce, feeling an inexplicable burst of anger welling up inside her. This annoying guy, she had tried to avoid contact with him as much as possible, yet she always ran into him. It was as if she was destined to be entangled with him.


    Putting her thoughts aside, she didn¡¯t forget her identity and her duty, and with a stern face, she asked, "Where¡¯s the assassin?"


    "They¡¯re inside. You¡¯d better take two body bags in with you."


    "You didn¡¯t leave a single survivor?" Xia Mutong frowned slightly, she couldn¡¯t see through the man before her. He had killed two people, yet there he was, unfazed, even smiling; his mental resilience must be exceptionally strong. If it were her, she probably wouldn¡¯t be able to sleep well for ten days to half a month.


    Ling Chen said helplessly, "They were trying to kill me; I couldn¡¯t just not fight back."


    Xia Mutong gestured to the several colleagues behind her and said, "Take the bodies back and identify them." After speaking, she pulled out a notebook and a pen from her upper garment pocket, looked at Ling Chen with an air of impartiality, and asked, "Have you made any enemies recently?"


    "No," Ling Chen popped out two words.


    "No?" Xia Mutong was frustrated; the bastard wasn¡¯t being cooperative at all. "If you haven¡¯t made any enemies, why are assassins after you? Mr. Ling, you¡¯d better be honest with me, don¡¯t try to pull the wool over my eyes."


    Ling Chen spread his hands and said, "Officer Xia, I truly don¡¯t know. I hope you can help me find out."


    "Fine, if you don¡¯t want to talk, I won¡¯t force you. After all, it¡¯s your life. Also, don¡¯t wait until someone dies to inform us; the police aren¡¯t here just to handle dead bodies for you."


    Xia Mutong left a final remark, not pleased, and turned to walk back to the car.


    "Hey, Officer Xia, wait, hold on!" Ling Chen followed her, reaching out to block her way.


    "What do you want?"


    "Officer Xia, could I talk to you privately for a moment?"


    "I have nothing to discuss with you," Xia Mutong replied coldly. She didn¡¯t even want to nce at him any longer, let alone give him a chance for a private conversation.


    Rejected by her, Ling Chen didn¡¯t seem to care, the corner of his mouth curving into a grin, he deliberately raised his voice and said with augh, "Officer Xia,st time we were at Emperor Foot Bath City..."


    Xia Mutong¡¯s face panicked, and upon seeing her colleagues¡¯ attention being drawn over, she quickly snapped, "Shut your mouth."

 Chapter 263 - 259: Dream Garden Bar

    <h4>Chapter 263: Chapter 259: Dream Garden Bar</h4><h4></h4>


    Seeing Ling Chen¡¯s smug smile, Xia Mutong felt a surge of anger inside her but was helpless in the moment, as she couldn¡¯t very well reprimand this bastard in front of all these people. Besides, it wasn¡¯t certain she could best him in a fight.


    Stomping her foot, she huffed and turned towards a corner. Ling Chen cracked a grin and quickly followed her steps.


    "Officer Xia, don¡¯t be angry, I just wanted to ask you a few questions."


    "Cut the crap and talk," Xia Mutong said sternly, her face as cold as frost, keeping people at a vast distance.


    Ling Chen didn¡¯t beat around the bush and got straight to the point: "Officer Xia, I want to know if there¡¯s been any progress on Shiyun¡¯s case, whether you¡¯ve caught the suspect or not."


    Hearing him mention Tang Shiyun, for some reason, a nameless rage started bubbling up from the bottom of Xia Mutong¡¯s heart, cursing inwardly, this bastard, to think he approached me for this, actually to ask about another woman, doesn¡¯t he know to show some concern for me?


    Pah, pah, pah! Her pretty face slightly flushed, who needs his concern anyway, what am I even thinking? This annoying bastard took my first time, I should hate him.


    Noticing the change in her expression, Ling Chen looked at her puzzled and asked, "Officer Xia, are you alright?"


    "Better than you anyhow," Xia Mutong retorted.


    Ling Chen touched his nose,pletely unconcerned about her attitude. This woman has been quite irritable and moodytely, probably time of the month. He was understanding, considering the special circumstances.


    "Officer Xia, about Shiyun¡¯s situation..."


    Xia Mutong cut in impatiently: "We¡¯re still investigating, no suspects found yet." As she spoke, something seemed to ur to her, her eyes widening in surprise: "Why are you asking about Miss Tang, and you call her Shiyun so intimately, are you very familiar with her?"


    Ling Chen smiled and nodded: "She is my friend."


    He and Tang Shiyun are friends? Xia Mutong was surprised. She also enjoyed Tang Shiyu¡¯s songs, she was a fan. She never chased after celebrities, Tang Shiyun was the exception. She didn¡¯t expect that the man before her had this connection with Tang Shiyun.


    At that thought, she couldn¡¯t help but feel jealous. This bastard¡¯s luck with women really ran deep, cohabitating with beauties like Su Lin and Nanrong Wanqing, both top-tier stunners, and now there was Tang Shiyun too, seems like he knew every beauty in the world.


    This thought, popping into her head, left her feeling not only jealous but also a strange emotion, sour and unclear, very ufortable.


    "If you don¡¯t have anything else, I¡¯m leaving, I¡¯m not as idle as you."


    "Then I won¡¯t dy Officer Xia any more."


    Xia Mutong took a few steps away, only to stop and turn back to ask: "Do you really have nothing to say about those two assassins?"


    Ling Chen spoke innocently: "Officer Xia, you watched the TV yesterday too, I¡¯m just a good citizen who assisted out of goodwill, it¡¯s my duty to cooperate with the police work, but I really don¡¯t know anything, I would have told you otherwise."


    As if I¡¯d believe you! Xia Mutong muttered to herself, Ling Chen definitely knew something, he just didn¡¯t want to say.


    Watching two police cars speed away, Ling Chen didn¡¯t stay at home any longer, he drove his muscle car straight to Hongyu Group.


    A day passed peacefully, except for the attack in the morning, all was calm during the daytime.


    Ling Chen spent the entire day in the security department¡¯s office, eyes closed in meditation, conserving his energy, waiting for the real danger to arrive.


    ...


    As the evening lights began to shine, the night turned dark as ink, and the moonlight shimmered like water.


    At 7:30 pm, after dinner, Ling Chen took a break to digest his meal, then bid farewell to Nanrong Wanqing and drove away from Wealthy Manor alone.


    After half an hour of driving through the crowded traffic, circling the city center twice, Ling Chen parked the car by the curbside and walked into a luxurious high-end bar on the street, Dream Garden.


    Since joining Hongyu Group, his ie had also reached the ranks of the white-cor elite, with a monthly sry of tens of thousands aside from the asional hefty bonus. He had never checked his sry card, but conservatively estimated, there must be at least a few hundred thousand in it, most of which were rewards and thanks from the Nanrong Family, besides his monthly fixed sry.


    With money to spare, he naturally wouldn¡¯t shortchange himself.


    Dream Garden Bar is an establishment with high consumption, a ce that nevercks beautiful women fishing for affluent men.


    Inside the bar, the dim lighting and figures made for an ambiguous atmosphere, and as soon as one entered, the scent of tobo, alcohol, and women¡¯s perfume hit the nose. The bar wasrge and just past eight, it was almost full, bustling and without a single empty seat.


    On the stage to the east of the hall, several youths in strange attire with guitars and basses swung their heads frantically to the passionate beat, their hair iling as they screamed into the microphone, spittle flying as if venting all their emotions.


    Ling Chen had little interest in this kind of heavy metal music, finding it impossible to stir up any appreciation. He walked through the crowd shoulder-to-shoulder and headed straight for the central circr bar to find a vacant spot to sit down. A scantily-d, sexy bartender asked with a sweet smile, "What would you like to order, sir?"


    "Two bottles of Budweiser," Ling Chen casually replied, taking a hundred-yuan note out of his pocket and cing it on the counter.


    The so-called high-consumption ces only mean good location, nice decoration, and better service. The beer that costs a dozen or so yuan outside was sold for fifty here, multiplying the profits severalfold and could be described as excessive.


    Under the hazy and blurred lights, Ling Chen took a sip of beer to moisten his throat and scanned the surroundings of the bar.


    Some couples sat in private booths, rubbing cheeks and ears affectionately and making bold gestures, filled with ambiguous vibes. Of course, there were also beautiful women who had sessfully lured affluent men with warm advances and threw themselves into their embraces. Several eager men and women couldn¡¯t hold back and were passionately kissing in the dimly lit corners of the bar, carelessly indulging in physical stimtion regardless of the stares from people around.


    Before long, Ling Chen realized that he too had be a target for those beautiful women; in no time, several had thrown flirtatious nces his way. This secretly thrilled him; at least, he could say his face was an audience-pleaser.


    However, those beautiful women looked okay, but Ling Chen wasn¡¯t interested.


    He was usually surrounded by top beauties with outstanding looks and qualities such as Nanrong Wanqing, Su Lin, and Zhu Xiaozhu, so he was no longer impressed by these ordinary ones. Besides, he didn¡¯t like second-hand goods others had used.


    Just then, Ling Chen¡¯s gaze was suddenly captivated by a beauty across the bar and he found it difficult to look away.


    The beauty wore a purple off-shoulder long dress that showcased her graceful figure, stylish and mature, with slightly curled shoulder-length hair exuding a hint of elegance and sensuality. The dim light fell on her face and, although he couldn¡¯t see her clearly, her facial features seemed extremely delicate. In the obscurity, her mysterious allure was only heightened.


    This was what you¡¯d call a beauty with grace!

 Chapter 264 - 260: Hero Saves the Beauty

    <h4>Chapter 264: Chapter 260: Hero Saves the Beauty</h4><h4></h4>


    The extraordinarily poised beauty sat at the bar, her captivating eyes as delicate as silk, her slender legs wrapped in ck stockings crossed elegantly, her posture hiding the allure beneath her skirt, seductively charming.


    No one knew when this beauty had appeared there; as soon as the men in the bar noticed her, their attention was irresistibly drawn as if maized, unable to shift their gaze. Even men who were with their girlfriends couldn¡¯t help but take a few extra nces, forgetting the presence of their partners, which resulted in a ¡¯gentle¡¯ caress from their girlfriends¡¯ hands.


    Thedy in ck stockings seemed ustomed to being the focus of everyone¡¯s attention, nonchnt as she openly surveyed her surroundings, seemingly searching for something. The men in the bar puffed out their chests and stood taller, eagerly trying to catch her eye and be her ¡¯prey.¡¯


    However, the ck stockings beauty seemed barely interested in those attempts, her gaze consistently wandering through the crowd.


    After a while, some brazen men took the initiative to approach and court her, but the ck stockings beauty seemed uninterested, sipping her drink without giving those men a nce. One by one, the men faced rejection and retreated, causing other hopeful men to lose interest. Those who were chatting continued their conversations, and those who were drinking carried on.


    Ling Chen slightly curled up the corners of his mouth, drinking his beer nonchntly. He hade to the bar with a purpose today, he was waiting¡ªfor what, no one knew.


    At that moment, an intrigued gaze fell upon him. Ling Chen nced over and noticed the ck stockings beauty at the bar eyeing him; her attractive red lips slightly upturned, her tongue teasing the corner of her lips¡ªa sight so provocative it sent hearts racing.


    Their eyes locked, and Ling Chen suddenly smiled broadly, lifting his beer bottle in a toasting gesture to the mysterious beauty.


    It was a rare moment that this woman showed interest in him; idle as he was, he decided to entertain the idea.


    The ck stockings beauty seemed to ept his invitation, picking up her drink, clutching a delicate handbag, and walking over with a swaying grace, then sitting next to Ling Chen. Seeing her approaching Ling Chen, envy, jealousy, and resentment filled the eyes of the other men.


    "What¡¯s your name, handsome?" the voice of the ck stockings beauty was maic and melodiously gentle, a pleasure to the ear.


    Now up close, Ling Chen could finally see the ck stockings beauty clearly.


    Just as he had guessed, she was very beautiful¡ªthe light makeup on her oval face enhanced her already delicate features, her brows light yet profound, eyes full of allure, and long eyshes slightly curled, every detail radiating beauty.


    Not only was she beautiful, but she was also quite young, around thirty, at the most dazzling age for a woman, mature yet with a touch of youthful vigor, even more enchanting.


    "Ling Chen. And you?"


    "Shen Yueying."


    "So you are Miss Shen." Ling Chen smiled slightly, his eyes clear, "With so many men here, Miss Shen chose me over everyone else, truly I¡¯m honored."


    Shen Yueying replied gracefully: "You are different from the other men."


    "How so?"


    "Your eyes." Shen Yueying raised her finger elegantly, picking up her wine ss, her lips as seductive as the red wine pouring into her mouth. Watching her finish the strong spirit in one gulp, Ling Chen¡¯s expression brightened¡ªthis woman could really hold her liquor.


    He did not continue the conversation, instead waiting for Shen Yueying to speak.


    She set down her ss and Shen Yuying extended her tongue, yfully licking the remaining liquor from her fragrant lips, a mesmerizing gesture that made hearts flutter.


    "Don¡¯t get me wrong, other men look at me, and all they want is to spend a night tangled up with me. But you¡¯re different, your eyes don¡¯t carry that vulgar desire, just admiration. That¡¯s why I¡¯m interested in you." As she spoke, she slightly lifted her shapely, long legs, her high heels intentionally or unintentionally touching Ling Chen¡¯s shin, her eyes carrying a hint of intoxicating allure.


    She moved closer to Ling Chen, their faces only inches apart, and cooed, "What about you? Are you interested in me?" As her lips parted slightly, a fragrant breeze mixed with the scent of alcohol swept over him.


    Ling Chen wasn¡¯t drunk, but his heart was intoxicated. This woman was simply a temptress, too skilled at stirring desires.


    "I..."


    Ling Chen was about to respond, but suddenly, the light in front of him seemed to dim, as if something was blocking the dim light.


    Turning his head, he saw three burly men standing by his side, their eyes unabashedly roaming over Shen Yueying¡¯s silky legs, their eyes gleaming, their mouths gaping almost drooling.


    "Beautiful, are you free to hang out with us three brothers?" one of the burly men directly issued an invitation, in an indisputablymanding tone.


    Shen Yueying furrowed her brows slightly, sizing them up, her seductive red lips curling into a beautiful arch as she smiled and responded: "Sure. But, you must ask my boyfriend¡¯s permission first." With that, her slender finger lightly pointed towards Ling Chen at her side.


    Immediately, three fierce gazesnded on Ling Chen, who blurted out boldly, "Bro, mind if we borrow your girlfriend for some fun? No issues, right?"


    Ling Chen helplessly looked at Shen Yueying, who had just used him as a shield.


    At this moment, the men in the bar were all watching this scene; their previously envious looks had turned into schadenfreude.


    Picking up a beer bottle from the table, Ling Chen acted as if he hadn¡¯t heard those three men, continuing to drink leisurely.


    Seeing that he didn¡¯t respond, the three burly men¡¯s expressions immediately turned grim, and they coldly said, "Kid, I¡¯m talking to you. Did you hear?"


    Ling Chen fiddled with his ears, muttering to himself, "Some dog is barking, how annoying."


    "Damn it, you dare curse us brothers, looks like you¡¯re tired of living."


    A roar broke out, and the burly man closest to Ling Chen raised his fist, swinging it towards Ling Chen¡¯s left face. Ling Chen still sat unmoved, as if he hadn¡¯t seen the iing attack.


    As the fist was about to make contact,


    Suddenly, Ling Chen swung one arm out, sending two beer bottles from the table flying directly at the man¡¯s face.


    Crack! Crack!


    Apanied by two crisp sounds, the beer bottles shattered instantly, ss shards scattering across the floor and onto the surrounding customers. Seeing that things were going south, the nearby customers quickly dodged out of the way to avoid getting involved.


    The burly man reacted quickly; as soon as Ling Chen made his move, he retracted his hand and threw both fists, shattering the two iing beer bottles.


    Ling Chen looked at him in surprise, not expecting this man to have some skills. In a moment of surprise, he seemed to think of something, his gaze meaningfully ncing at Shen Yueying beside him, then stood up from his seat, a faint smile lifting on his lips, facing the three burly men.


    "C¡¯mon, let¡¯s see what you¡¯ve got."

 Chapter 265 - 261: The Hero Doesn’t Always Save a Beauty

    <h4>Chapter 265: Chapter 261: The Hero Doesn¡¯t Always Save a Beauty</h4><h4></h4>


    "Let¡¯s go together."


    Immediately, three burly men surrounded Ling Chen in a besieging manner, their demeanor fierce, and they rushed to his proximity in an instant.


    Ling Chen did not back down and swung his fists to meet them. Amidst the dull sounds, the four had already exchanged a few hard punches, with no one gaining the upper hand.


    Judging by the strength disyed by the three burly men, the adversary was as well a master of close-quarterbat, with explosive power and precise moves without any fancy actions, all straightforward and targeting vital points.


    Soldiers!


    After exchanging a few blows, the word sprung into Ling Chen¡¯s mind. These three burly, formidable men were definitely soldiers, evident from theirbat techniques. However, these three were clearly not soldiers from Huaxia, because their fighting skills contained Western-style jujitsu, and their close-quarter techniques were incredibly fierce.


    Earlier, when in close quarters, Ling Chen was almost caught off-guard and nearly let them take advantage. Fortunately, although these three guys were formidable, he was not a pushover either.


    Continuous punches, kicks, and elbow strikes, both sides employed a hard-hitting approach, which was exactly to Ling Chen¡¯s liking. He was a master of external martial arts, never afraid ofpeting in physical prowess.


    Moments passed, and the faces of the three burly men grew increasingly unpleasant. They were horrified to find that Ling Chen was bing more vigorous as the fight went on, seemingly with inexhaustible strength. Each collision not only did not give them any advantage but instead made their arms numb.


    In a split second, one of the burly men took a step back, while the other two immediately pressed forward, their attacks ferocious, relentless.


    Just as Ling Chen was handling them, the man who had quietly stepped back suddenly moved to his rear, forcefully stepping forward, rapidly closing the distance to his back, raising his elbow to strike fiercely. Yet, his movement, though stealthy, was noticed early by Ling Chen.


    At the moment when the vigorous wind approached, Ling Chen suddenly turned around, his toes twirling on the ground, his knee lifted sharply, heading towards the burly man¡¯s elbow.


    Crack!


    A crisp sound, the burly man¡¯s face instantly turned pale, cold sweat dripping from his forehead, one arm hanging limply at his waist, clearly broken.


    Thinking about ambushing me? No way!


    Ling Chen inwardly thought they deserved it, shifting his gaze and locking onto the other two burly men. Seeing theirpanion injured, with a disabled right arm, the expressions on the two burly men did not change much, still maintaining their stern,posed coolness.


    Suddenly, a gust of wind arose.


    The bodies of the two burly men leapt into the air in an instant, their momentum ferocious, pouncing toward Ling Chen. Both arms raised high, fists clenched, veins bulging, their strength had been brewed to the extreme.


    Fast! Very fast!


    But Ling Chen was faster.


    He pushed off the ground with his toes, leaping into the air, jumping half a meter higher than the two burly men, his legs suspended perfectly targeting the heads of the two men.


    Faced with this sudden change, the faces of the two burly men finally changed.


    Before they could react, Ling Chen¡¯s legs had already fiercely kicked out, striking right below the necks of the two burly men with powerful force. Instantly, the two men, who hadn¡¯t even touched the ground yet, were sent flying through the air andnded heavily on a round table, along with the drinks on the table, in a very sorry state.


    Having dealt with those two burly men, Ling Chen straightened his clothes and didn¡¯t look at them again. He was very confident that those two men wouldn¡¯t be getting up anytime soon.


    Turning around, Ling Chen leisurely nced at Shen Yueying, who was sitting at the bar, smiled, and then shifted his gaze to another burly man, beckoning with his finger.


    "Do you still want to continue?"


    The burly man¡¯s face turned ashen, and frowning, he stared at Ling Chen, his left hand moving towards his waist, pulling out a dagger, and slowly advancing.


    "Stop! Everyone, stop!"


    Just then, a cold voice suddenly rang out in the bar.


    Hearing that familiar voice, Ling Chen shrugged and slipped his hands into his pockets. He knew the fight couldn¡¯t continue any longer.


    "Ling Chen, it¡¯s you again!" Xia Mutong, furious, rushed over from behind and scolded: "Fighting and brawling in a public ce, do you want to spend a few days in detention?"


    Just when she and her colleagues were about to finish their task and return, they happened to see that muscle car parked on the roadside. In the whole East Sea City, only one person owned that unique car, and she recognized it at a nce. She intended to go straight back to the station, but for some reason, as if possessed, she couldn¡¯t help but enter the bar to see what that bastard was up to.


    As soon as she entered, she saw the mess all over the ce, along with two unconscious burly men on the floor, and Ling Chen was the main culprit.


    Before Ling Chen could even begin to exin, the graceful Shen Yueying approached, smiling sweetly, "Officer, you¡¯ve misunderstood. Mr. Ling only intervened because he saw me being bullied by three thugs."


    Seeing the alluring and seductive Shen Yueying in front of her, Xia Mutong felt unnaturally angry and jealous. Why she was angry, nobody could really say.


    Howe this bastard keeps on running into such strokes of luck, encountering a stunningly beautiful woman, and even sessfully ying the hero to win her favor? Why do such good things never happen to me?


    While she was lost in thought, Ling Chen noticed her slightly angry and indignant expression, seemingly reading his mind, and said meaningfully with a slight smile, "Officer Xia, don¡¯t misunderstand, ying the hero doesn¡¯t always involve saving a beauty."


    Xia Mutong sized up Shen Yueying and muttered to herself, wondering how such a high-quality beauty didn¡¯t count as a beauty.


    At that moment, Shen Yueying¡¯s gentle and beautiful visage remained smiling, but a barely noticeable strange light flickered in her eyes.


    "ying the hero sometimes doesn¡¯t involve saving a beauty... it could also involve saving a transgender!"


    Finally, Ling Chen spoke thest crucial words, then, smilingly, looked at Shen Yueying, "Miss Shen, I¡¯m not wrong, am I? I think the name Shen Yueying is also fake; perhaps calling you Thousand-faced Fox suits you better, don¡¯t you agree?"


    Xia Mutong was momentarily unable to respond, her face full of confusion, asking, "What transgender, what Thousand-faced Fox, what are you talking about?"


    At this point, with her identity exposed, Shen Yueying chuckled seductively, not losing her charm even after being uncovered by Ling Chen, she cheerfully said, "You truly are an interesting target, being able to see through my disguise."


    "There¡¯s nothing surprising about that, the three troublemakers who made their move just now weren¡¯t ordinary; they have the Iron Blood Aura, I¡¯d guess they must be military trained, top-ss foreign mercenaries. Plus, in this bar full of men, you chose to approach me. I¡¯m a very suspicious person, it¡¯s normal for me to suspect you."

 Chapter 266 - 262 Thousand-faced Fox

    <h4>Chapter 266: Chapter 262 Thousand-faced Fox</h4><h4></h4>


    "Ling Chen, who is she?" Xia Mutong, baffled by their conversation, couldn¡¯t resist asking.


    Ling Chen raised the corners of his mouth slightly and enunciated, "Thousand-faced Fox, the sixth-ranked assassin among the world¡¯s top ten."


    Among the top ten assassins in the world were all kinds of entric characters, few of whom were normal. The Thousand-faced Fox, active for a decade, had an age unknown to anyone. She became infamous for her ruthless exploits and history.


    It was said that the Thousand-faced Fox was a handsome young man from a well-off family who tragically had his family annihted by an enemy. To seek revenge, she schemed to get close to the foe with the intent to take their life. However, after repeated failures to take action, she couldn¡¯t even get near her enemy. In the end, she went as far as to undergo gender reassignment surgery, transforming from a man into a stunningly beautiful woman.


    Her efforts were not in vain; over the course of two years, she sessfully caught her enemy¡¯s eye and even became his woman. That was when her vengeance truly began.


    No one knew how she exacted revenge on her enemy¡ªsome imed she cut him up piece by piece to feed to dogs. Others said she devoured his heart whole. In any case, these rumors shrouded the Thousand-faced Fox in mystery and emphasized her ruthlessness in the world of assassins.


    Due to personal reasons, the Thousand-faced Fox had one rule: no matter who hired her, she only killed men.


    To men, a stunning beauty was like poison, irresistible and overpowering. With this advantage, the Thousand-faced Fox never failed; any man targeted by her was unable to escape her grasp.


    "Assassin?" Xia Mutong¡¯s expression changed slightly, and without another word, he immediately drew his gun, aimed it at the Thousand-faced Fox, and barked, "Don¡¯t move, hands up!"


    The corners of the Thousand-faced Fox¡¯s lips curved up in a sweet smile, unfazed, as she observed Ling Chen with interest, nodding slightly, "You¡¯re an interesting man. Anyone I want to kill can¡¯t escape me, but you are an exception."


    "Thanks for thepliment."


    "If it were before, I would have tried every means to kill you, but not now."


    Ling Chen said in a surprised tone, "Why?"


    "Seven million dors is too little; it¡¯s not worth the risk. To kill you, the reward would need to be at least ten million dors," the Thousand-faced Fox stated with her lips barely parting.


    Hearing this, Ling Chen burst intoughter, gave a thumbs-up, and said with agreement, "You¡¯ve got the right idea. My life is indeed worth more than seven million, but..." His tone shifted, "Since you¡¯re already here, why not ¡¯stay as a guest¡¯ in East Sea City? I¡¯m sure Officer Xia here will arrange a luxurious single room for you with all-inclusive services."


    The Thousand-faced Fox smiled holding back a giggle, "Mr. Ling, I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ll have to disappoint you." While she spoke, a touchscreen phone appeared in her hand, her thumb precisely on a red virtual button in the center of the screen.


    "Mr. Ling, you better advise your police officer friend to lower the gun. You¡¯ve seen the handbag over there; as soon as I release my hand, everyone here will be my funeralpanions, including you both. So, it¡¯s best if you do not act rashly."


    Xia Mutong was taken aback and quickly pulled out his phone to call for backup. But at that moment, Ling Chen swiftly reached over and pressed down on her gun barrel.


    "Go ahead."


    "No!" Xia Mutong protested anxiously, "She can¡¯t get away!"


    Ling Chen smiled calmly, "Officer Xia, if Thousand-faced Fox wants to leave, you can¡¯t keep her here. This is the best way to minimize casualties."


    "You do understand me. Well then, I¡¯ll take my leave." Before departing, the Thousand-faced Fox didn¡¯t forget to give Ling Chen a flirtatious wink. However, he couldn¡¯t quite appreciate it, knowing that despite her appearance, the Thousand-faced Fox was not a genuine woman. Just the thought made him ufortable all over.


    At the entrance of the bar, the Thousand-faced Fox suddenly turned around, her words loaded with meaning, "Mr. Ling, I wish you luck and hope you can get out of here safely." With that, she chuckled and vanished into the crowd of the bar.


    Ling Chen, with a slight concern in his furrowed brow, interpreted the words of the Thousand-faced Fox as a warning. Although he was safe for that moment, as soon as he left the bar, there could be unknown dangers awaiting him.


    Xia Mutong quickened his pace and rushed towards the outside. Seeing this, Ling Chen followed swiftly behind, grabbed her hand, and asked, "Where are you going?"


    "She¡¯s an assassin, we can¡¯t let her escape."


    "Trying to catch her alone is suicidal."


    "I..."


    "Let it be," Ling Chen said and pointed to the handbag by the bar, "Quickly evacuate the crowd and call the bomb squad to handle the bomb."


    Xia Mutong hesitated, but ultimately stayed behind, prioritizing the safety of the public, as was her duty as a police officer. After making the call, she turned to Ling Chen, "Backup will take fifteen minutes to arrive. Hey, where are you going?"


    She saw Ling Chen heading out and shouted to stop him.


    But Ling Chen seemed not to hear her shouting and continued straight towards the door, ready to step outside.


    The damn bastard... Xia Mutong cursed in her heart and hurriedly followed, blocking his path and demanded, "Where are you going?"


    Ling Chen looked at her angry face and said helplessly, "Officer Xia, I have things to do. Why follow me and bother about what I do?"


    Xia Mutong blurted out, "It¡¯s not my concern, but if an assassin is after you, I can¡¯t ignore it." As she spoke, her frustration seemed undiminished, scolding, "You¡¯re not young anymore; why do you always joke with your life?"


    Hearing this, Ling Chen¡¯s lips curved into a barely-there smile as he looked at Xia Mutong, his eyes clear with an unusual gleam.


    Is this little girl actually concerned for me?


    Recognizing his gaze, Xia Mutong¡¯s cheeks flushed, and unable to maintain eye contact, she wondered why she had said that. This annoying guy, let him die for all she cared, why bother with him?


    Lost in her thoughts, Ling Chen slightly smiled, "Officer Xia, I know what I¡¯m doing. Rest assured."


    He left the Nanrong family residence to wander around out of concern for not wanting assassins to locate the Nanrong family, potentially endangering Nanrong Wanqing and others. Also seizing the opportunity to draw out the assassins once and for all.


    With that, disregarding Xia Mutong¡¯s attempt to stop him, Ling Chen pushed the door open and walked out.


    Watching his retreating figure, Xia Mutong stamped her foot in frustration and anger, then quickly followed him out.

 Chapter 267 - 263 Ghost Shadow Ninja

    <h4>Chapter 267: Chapter 263 Ghost Shadow Ninja</h4><h4></h4>


    Leaving the bar, Ling Chen walked to the roadside, preparing to get into his car. However, hearing the sound of footsteps, he shook his head helplessly; this woman really didn¡¯t know when to stop. Thereupon, he turned around and said, "Xia..."


    No sooner had he spoken than his eyes suddenly sharpened, and his body involuntarily swerved to the side. In the instant he made his evasive move, a sharp crossbow arrow whizzed past, nearly grazing his ear as it flew by his cheek.


    Damn! He thought Xia Mutong had followed him, but it turned out to be an assassin¡ªa rookie assassin at that¡ªwho couldn¡¯t even seize such a perfect opportunity.


    Having missed the first shot, the assassin panicked, fumbling to reload the crossbow arrow, preparing to aim once more. Ling Chen curled his lips into a smirk and casually strolled over, reassuringly saying, "Don¡¯t rush. Take it slow. Hey, you¡¯re aiming the arrowhead off-target. There, that¡¯s better."


    By the time the assassin had reloaded the crossbow and raised the weapon, Ling Chen was already up close. In a flurry, the assassin, without a second thought, pulled the trigger. This time, Ling Chen didn¡¯t even dodge, yet the arrow still missed him.


    Seeing Ling Chen unharmed and standing right in front of him, the assassin¡¯s face turned pale and his body trembled uncontrobly, his throat rolling as he swallowed his saliva.


    Ling Chen sighed, patted him on the shoulder, and advised earnestly, "Brother, with your skills, being an assassin is just a waste of talent. You might as well consider another profession; I think you could earn more setting up a stall on the street than being an assassin."


    Bang!


    As he finished speaking, a sudden gunshot abruptly rang out.


    Startled, Ling Chen quickly pushed the assassin in front of him away, then ducked, scanning the area to locate the source of the gunshot. Soon, his gaze was drawn to Xia Mutong outside the bar, holding a gun with both hands, her face filled with tension, staring at something beyond him.


    He immediately turned his head and saw a ck shadow swiftly moving upward along the wall. "Crawling on walls?" he eximed. The wall was very smooth and over ten meters tall; yet the ck shadow, using hands and feet, moved along the wall, a truly baffling sight.


    While pondering, two more ck shadows quickly emerged from a nearby alley, approaching rapidly toward him. Before he could react, a spherical object flew from one shadow¡¯s hand,nded near his feet, and exploded on impact, much like a street-side popper.


    However, upon exploding, the sphere released a thick cloud of white smoke that enveloped the area, obscuring his vision.


    In an instant, Ling Chen guessed the foe¡¯s identity.


    Ghost Shadow Ninja!


    The fourth-ranked assassin on the assassin list.


    The Ghost Shadow Ninja was not a single person, but rather three who were known as senior brothers in the ninjitsu realm. Theyter fell out of favor with their sect for viting rules and ended up in the assassin trade.


    The trio was highly skilled in ninjitsu, notorious for their cruelty; they would eliminate anyone, women or children, as long as the price was right.


    It seemed the seven million US dor bounty held significant allure for the three of them.


    As he reflected, two shadows rushed toward him and entered the smoke. Approaching him, Ling Chen¡¯s eyes narrowed¡ªcloaked and masked, they indeed were the ones.


    Without a second thought, two katanas were drawn from behind them, the des shing coldly and ominously. As the two katanas sliced toward him, Ling Chen quickly dipped his hand to his waist, Wolf Kiss shing into action¡ªwith a nging spark, the short Wolf Kiss bravely blocked the katana¡¯s de, halting their assault.


    Landing a sessful strike, Ling Chen didn¡¯t pause; his body swiftly twisted, avoiding the edge of the other katana.


    When their attack was blocked, the masked shadows hurriedly retreated, throwing several spheres as the smoke thickened once again around them.


    "Ling Chen!"


    At that moment, the anxious voice of Xia Mutong came from outside.


    Hearing her voice getting closer, Ling Chen hurriedly shouted: "Don¡¯te over." As soon as he finished speaking, he suddenly felt a stabbing pain in his arms and legs. Unbeknownst to him, two wounds had appeared on his body.


    Darn it!


    He frowned slightly, almost forgetting. These three guys were not only skilled in Ninjutsu and had highbat power, but their hidden weapons technique was also top-notch. His own voice had just exposed his location.


    Thinking of this, he immediately kept moving to prevent the opponent from tracking his position. Suddenly, a whooshing sound rang out, and a masked ck shadow fiercely burst into the smoke, hands raised high, swinging a katana towards his head.


    In the smoke, his vision was obstructed, visibility less than a meter, unable to discern direction, Ling Chen could only judge based on the subtle sounds of the opponent.


    As the de approached, Ling Chen still stood still, his ears perked up, carefully listening to the sounds around him. Suddenly, he flicked his wrist, and the Wolf Kiss flew out of his hand.


    By now, the masked shadow had closed in, less than a meter away, the sharp katana could im Ling Chen¡¯s life at any moment. However, the attacker did not expect that at this critical moment, Ling Chen would pinpoint the position by sound and blind fire.


    The one-meter distance was too short to allow ample time for a response; the attacker could only watch in horror as the Wolf Kiss flew towards him, piercing into his body.


    Intense pain followed, and the masked ninja endured the pain, turned, and prepared to retreat. But then, a gust of wind rose, he shifted his gaze just as a figure flitted before his eyes, Ling Chen approached swiftly like a specter, in the blink of an eye, was up close, and smashed his fist heavily against the ninja¡¯s chest.


    At the same time, Ling Chen reached out with his other hand, grasped the hilt of the Wolf Kiss, and pulled the de out from the opponent¡¯s body, blood flowing freely.


    At this moment, the other two ninjas rushed into the smoke from the left and right, wanting to coordinate an ambush with theirrade. However, the scene before them caused their pupils to contract, carrying a hint of fury.


    "Damn it!"


    The masked ninja roared furiously, advancing instead of retreating, striking with anger.


    "Damn your sister!"


    Ling Chen shouted back defiantly, his body suddenly surging forward, his hand clutching the Wolf Kiss tightly, flinging it out, stopping another charging masked ninja in his tracks. Although it only held the opponent for a second or two, it was enough for him.


    Seeing Ling Chen¡¯s unabated speed, the ninja in front changed his chopping attack to a sweeping strike at Ling Chen¡¯s neck.


    However, in that instant, Ling Chen¡¯s body suddenly leaned back, forming an arch, evading the fatal strike. As the de swept past, Ling Chen did not wait for the opponent to retract, he stepped forward rapidly, pressing the attacker with his pre-prepared punching power, and knocked him flying out.


    Seeing tworades fail in session, the remaining masked ninja¡¯s eyes widened in shock and anger, hastily retreating out of the smoke.


    "Ah!"


    Ling Chen had yet to pursue when a piercing scream already rang out.


    Not good!


    Ling Chen¡¯s expression changed instantly; that was Xia Mutong¡¯s voice.

 Chapter 268 - 264: Poisoned

    <h4>Chapter 268: Chapter 264: Poisoned</h4><h4></h4>


    At the critical moment, Ling Chen¡¯s legs thrust powerfully, and his body shot forward like a cannonball toward the direction of the scream.


    Just as he broke free from the smoke, he saw the masked figure raise the katana high above Xia Mutong¡¯s head and swing it down. If the de struck, Xia Mutong¡¯s body would be split in two. At this point, Wolf Kiss had already made his move but held nothing in his hands, still five meters away from Xia Mutong, too far to rescue her.


    "Be careful!"


    He bellowed urgently, pushing his speed to the limit as he rapidly lunged at the Ghost Shadow Ninja.


    At that time, the startled Xia Mutong seemed to snap back to reality upon hearing Ling Chen¡¯s cry. As she saw the katanaing down, she almost subconsciously raised her handgun, not bothering to aim, and her finger repeatedly pulled the trigger.


    Bang! Bang!


    Several bullets fired in quick session, and although they didn¡¯t hit the target, the close-range confrontation kept the masked ninja on edge, wary of being shot as he quickly retreated. He twisted mid-air, the katana¡¯s de pressing against the ground, the force of the de springing his body back into the air.


    Immediately after, he flicked his wrist, and several cold stars were flung from his hand, glittering as they flew swiftly, hitting Xia Mutong directly in her arms and legs. Three Ninja Darts embedded themselves in her body, leaving only half sticking out.


    The sudden pain caused Xia Mutong to frown tightly, a shade of pallor appearing on her delicate face.


    At this moment, Ling Chen finally reached her side. Seeing her injuries, his eyes turned cold, his gaze sharply locking onto the Ghost Shadow Ninja. Unfortunately, after losing tworades, the Ghost Shadow Ninja no longer dallied and quickly scaled the wall, disappearing into the darkness.


    "Are you alright?" Out of concern for Xia Mutong at his side, Ling Chen stopped the pursuit and asked with a worried expression.


    Xia Mutong gently shook her head, her lips parting slightly as if to say something. However, before she could speak, her body suddenly went limp and she copsed to the ground. Seeing this, Ling Chen¡¯s expression shifted, and he quickly supported her delicate body, calling out, "Officer Xia, Officer Xia..."


    But Xia Mutong seemed to have fallen unconscious, unresponsive to his calls. Suddenly, the attentive Ling Chen noticed that her lips were turning purple.


    This isn¡¯t good! His heart skipped a beat, recognizing this as a sign of poisoning¡ªthe three Ninja Darts must have been coated with poison, a typical ninja tactic.


    Feeling Xia Mutong¡¯s breathing gradually weakening, Ling Chen immediately hoisted her delicate body onto his back and hurried towards the muscle car parked by the roadside. But after a short distance, he abruptly stopped, his piercing gaze sweeping the surroundings.


    In the nearby alleyway and along both sides of the street, there were more than ten people: some holding a newspaper, some dressed as sanitation workers sweeping the streets, and a couple of lovers wrapped in each other¡¯s arms, sitting on a bench enjoying their love talk.


    At a nce, nothing seemed out of the ordinary, but Ling Chen was no ordinary man. Having risen to the leader of the Ghosts within the organization, it was not luck that got him there, but his own abilities that helped him climb to that position.


    Not the slightest detail could escape his eyes.


    These people seemed normal, but they asionally cast nces his way, with some already sliding their hands into their pockets.


    Assassin!


    And it¡¯s a group of assassins!


    Ling Chen slightly frowned; he was not worried about his own safety, but he was worried about Xia Mutong. Xia Mutong was currently unconscious, with toxins invading her body, and if she did not receive treatment soon, her life would eventually be in danger. Moreover, what¡¯s more important was that he had been hit by a Ninja Dart just now. Although it was just a scratch, the toxin had still contaminated his flesh and blood.


    However, his Inner Strength was abundant, allowing him to slow down the toxic invasion, unlike Xia Mutong who had fainted immediately. But even so, he could not hold on for too long. At this moment, he could already feel the numbing effect of the wound, which would greatly inconvenience his movements.


    Turning his head, he looked back at the Dream Garden Bar, his eyes rolling. Xia Mutong had already called for backup, and in about ten minutes, police reinforcements would arrive. By then, the assassins would naturally not dare to act rashly. The question was whether the two of them couldst ten minutes.


    In a sh of thought, he had made up his mind and quickly backed into the bar, carrying Xia Mutong. With his current situation, he had no chance to escape by car; he was sure that as soon as he approached his vehicle, it would immediately provoke an attack from the assassins.


    Seeing the two of them retreating to the bar, the assassins all rose and followed closely, vigntly watching their colleagues around them.


    These assassins were very clear in their minds¡ªeveryone was after the seven million dor bounty. But there was only one bounty, and so many assassins; there were too many monks and not enough porridge. Therefore, while attempting to assassinate the target, one also had to be wary of sneak attacks from peers.


    Back at the entrance of the bar, the door had already been closed. When the gunfire started earlier, the owner had shut the door, letting the patrons leave through the back door.


    Ling Chen drew Xia Mutong¡¯s pistol by instinct, fired a shot at the lock, kicked the door open, and strode in. At this moment, in the luxurious bar, only the owner and a few waiters were cleaning up.


    The sudden gunfire and smashing of the door startled everyone, their faces filled with fear as they looked at Ling Chen and Xia Mutonging in. When they noticed the gun in Ling Chen¡¯s hand, theirplexions instantly turned pale, and they hurriedly retreated.


    Ling Chen nced at them and said with a slight smile, "Don¡¯t be afraid, I won¡¯t hurt you. Owner, do you have a first aid kit?"


    "Yes... yes we do," the owner replied with a trembling voice, stuttering.


    Once the first aid kit was brought over, Ling Chen ced Xia Mutong on a sofa in a booth, then walked straight to the bar, took a bottle of strong liquor, bit off the cap, and poured two mouthfuls into his mouth.


    The strong liquor burned its way down his throat, and Ling Chen wiped off the remaining liquid from his mouth with his sleeve. Looking at the uneasy owner and waiters, he said, "Owner, you¡¯d better take your staff and leave quickly. If you don¡¯t leave now, you won¡¯t be able to when you want toter."


    "Yes, yes," the owner said, relieved, and quickly evacuated the waiters through the back door.


    After the people had left, Ling Chen picked up the handbag left behind by Thousand-faced Fox in the bar, opened the zipper, and found a bundle of stic explosives and an explosive device inside. He expertly dismantled the explosive device, separated a small portion of the stic explosives and kneaded it into a ball.


    After setting the explosive device, he tied his phone to it, returned the handbag to its original ce, and put the rest of the stic explosives into his pocket.


    Once everything was prepared, he picked up Xia Mutong, took the first aid kit, and went into a private room inside the bar.

 Chapter 269 - 265: Detoxification

    <h4>Chapter 269: Chapter 265: Detoxification</h4><h4></h4>


    After closing the door, Ling Chen took off his clothes, doused the wounds with strong liquor for simple disinfection. Then, he turned his gaze to Xia Mutong and squatted beside her.


    "This is to save your life, don¡¯t me me for taking advantage," he murmured to himself, his hands busy unfastening Xia Mutong¡¯s belt and pulling down her trousers, revealing a pair of snow-white, slender legs. Next, he took off her jacket as well, exposing the injured arm.


    Looking at the three wounds on Xia Mutong¡¯s body, Ling Chen frowned slightly, reached out and grabbed the Ninja Dart embedded in her arm, gritted his teeth, and yanked it out. Immediately, a stream of ck blood flowed from the wound. Around the wound, the skin had turned bluish-purple, indicating the poison was spreading inside her body.


    To prevent the poison from reaching the heart, Ling Chen did not hesitate, quickly pouring more liquor on the wound to cleanse it. Then, he used his mouth to suck out the remaining poison from the wound, bit by bit. After each extraction, he rinsed his mouth with alcohol before continuing.


    Before long, the ck blood began to turn red, and the toxins in the wound had beenrgely cleared.


    However, Ling Chen did not pause. There was only one wound on the arm, but there were still two wounds on Xia Mutong¡¯s legs that needed attention, one of which was particrly embarrassing. But, for the sake of saving her, he could not afford to care about that.


    Holding Xia Mutong¡¯s jade foot, Ling Chen felt its smoothness, the round and delicate ankle, and the moist and lustrous skin. Perhaps due to her work, Xia Mutong had exercised a lot, and the curve of her calf was beautiful, tender yet resilient. Such a pair of legs was indeed rare.


    Although Ling Chen did not have a fetish for feet, holding these beautiful legs in his hands, his heart still uncontrobly skipped a beat.


    Just then, a series of faint footsteps suddenly came from outside the private room.


    He turned his head, looked at the tightly closed door, and the corners of his mouth lifted slightly. Following that, he fished out a cellphone from Xia Mutong¡¯s pocket and dialed his own number.


    Boom!


    Although the phone¡¯s ringtone sounded off, there was an immediate loud noise outside the private box. The ground shook violently, and the whole bar trembled. Dust kept falling from above, as if the entire building might copse at any moment.


    As Ling Chen looked at the dust seeping through the door crack, he put down the cellphone and refocused on Xia Mutong, no longer paying attention to the Assassin outside.


    With his lips sealed over Xia Mutong¡¯s wound, Ling Chen began to suck eagerly, extracting the poison-infected ck blood a little at a time, spitting it onto the floor.


    At this moment, it was unclear whether it was the shaking caused by the recent explosion or the cleansing of the toxins from her body that roused Xia Mutong. Feeling groggy, she opened her eyes, waking from her stupor.


    Feeling a numbness at the root, she struggled to lift her head and immediately saw stars in her field of vision, gasping for breath with rage.


    Scoundrel! To take advantage while she was unconscious, utterly shameful.


    "Ling Chen!" Overwhelmed with shame and anger, she yelled out and reached for a wine bottle next to her, aiming to smash it onto Ling Chen¡¯s head. But as she lifted her arm into the air halfway, she felt a wave of weakness, her right hand sore and without any strength, the bottle consequently dropping from her grasp.


    However, Ling Chen, quick as lightning, caught the bottle in his hand. Looking at Xia Mutong¡¯s face flushed with embarrassment, he said helplessly, "Officer Xia, don¡¯t get excited, I was not taking advantage of you."


    "You... you still argue, I... I saw it all..." As soon as she spoke, Xia Mutong felt mortified and too embarrassed to continue.


    This bastard, clearly taking advantage yet vehemently denying it.


    Seeing the tears of shame and anger brimming in her eyes, Ling Chen feared she might misunderstand and quickly picked up the Ninja Dart from the floor, exining, "Take a good look, it¡¯s poisoned. If I hadn¡¯t sucked out the toxins, your life would be in jeopardy. If you don¡¯t believe me, you can get it tested when you go back."


    Xia Mutong opened her mouth but didn¡¯t know what to say. Once Ling Chen spoke, she actually believed him. She felt weak all over, her head throbbing with pain, clear signs of poisoning. It¡¯s just that... a woman¡¯s modesty prevented her from epting Ling Chen¡¯s good intentions.


    Ling Chen saw her evasive eyes and blushing cheeks and knew her thoughts well. But he had no time to consider so much and pointed to the wound on her leg, "There¡¯s a bit more poison to extract. If you let it reach the bloodstream, not even a god could save you."


    Hearing his words, Xia Mutong bit her thin lips, her pretty face blushing even deeper, unable to speak. After a moment¡¯s hesitation, she simply closed her eyes, no longer looking at Ling Chen.


    Seeing this, Ling Chen did not hesitate any longer and approached her again, covering the wound with his lips and gently began to suck.


    Xia Mutong¡¯s eyshes trembled, and her hands unconsciously tightened their grip on the fabric of her clothes. Apart from the pain, her sensitive skin was faintly tingling, as if ants were crawling over it, a sensation beyond words. Her breathing became more and more rapid.


    "Mmm..."


    Eventually, unable to resist the body¡¯s instinctive response, a barely audible moan escaped from her throat.


    At that sound, Ling Chen also felt a jolt in his heart.


    He lifted his head to look at Xia Mutong, her features bathed in a rosy hue of allure, and he couldn¡¯t help himself, embracing this woman.


    "Ah!"


    Xia Mutong let out a soft cry and immediately opened her eyes.

 Chapter 270 - 266: Relieving the Siege

    <h4>Chapter 270: Chapter 266: Relieving the Siege</h4><h4></h4>


    "Cough cough!"


    Just when the two were unable to restrain their feelings, a sudden coughing sound came through.


    Ling Chen was startled and immediately regained hisposure. He quickly turned his head towards the door, only to see that the room door of the private booth had been opened by someone at some point. A woman dressed in a ck tight leather jacket and pants leaned against the door frame, her arms folded across her chest, a faint smile ying on her lips, her gaze teasingly fixed on the two of them.


    "Uh... Kaelina?" Ling Chen came back to his senses and asked in surprise, "What are you doing here?"


    "I think what you should be concerned about now is not that. The police will be here soon, you two better hurry up and tidy yourselves. I don¡¯t really mind, but if others see..." Kaelina giggled and then stepped out.


    "Ling Chen, you jerk!"


    Xia Mutong waved her fist, hitting his sturdy chest, her pretty face blushing red, and she struggled to suppress the shyness in her eyes as she scolded, "Hurry up and get up."


    Ling, feeling embarrassed, touched his nose and let out a sheepishugh. He quickly got up, handed the pants next to him to Xia Mutong and turned his back, secretly reflecting on himself. Recently, he could not control himself, easily tempted, and mes of desire would immediately rise.


    Could it be the consequence of practicing the Prajnaparamita Sutra?


    At this point, Xia Mutong had already dressed neatly. Although she still felt weak, she could manage to walk a few steps. Looking at Ling Chen standing before her, an involuntary blush rose on Xia Mutong¡¯s cheeks, her beauty radiant, and the color of shyness in her eyes could not be suppressed.


    Last time she could me the alcohol, but this time, she remained sober. She clearly wanted to refuse, but she eventually sumbed to Ling Chen¡¯s advances and was also seen by another woman. The thought of this made her unbearably embarrassed, her body flushed hot, and she felt too ashamed to see anyone.


    Noticing the silence behind him, Ling Chen couldn¡¯t help but turn his head back. Seeing Xia Mutong changing expressions and silent, he said, "Officer Xia, you..."


    "You go first, I... I¡¯ll leave in a moment." Xia Mutong said, looking down, not even lifting her eyes.


    Ling Chen knew she was embarrassed to see Kaelina, and he felt the same. He agreed and quickly walked out of the booth.


    Upon reaching the bar lobby, the scene was a mess. By the heavily damaged bar, Kaelina found a well-preserved bottle of red wine, poured it into a ss, and sipped elegantly and seductively.


    Seeing Ling Chen approaching, Kaelina smiled and teased, "Mr. Ling, it seems you can¡¯t escape the nature of men."


    Ling Chen cleared his throat and tried to avoid this embarrassing topic, asking, "What are you doing here?"


    "Aren¡¯t you forgetting, I am also an assassin."


    "I know. But a bounty of seven million should hardly catch your eye."


    Kaelina¡¯s lips slightly curled up, her spirited smile intoxicating as she said, "You are my partner, and if you were dead, I would have to find someone else to cooperate with, which would be too troublesome. So, after much thought, it benefits everyone only if you¡¯re alive. Earlier, I took care of the assassins outside for you, oh, and that lone Ghost Shadow Ninja, I sent him to hell to join hispanions."


    "Thanks!"


    "No need for thanks, it was just a small favor. Killing all of the fourth-ranked Ghost Shadow Ninjas should serve as a warning to the other assassins. For a while, no one will trouble you again, unless there really is someone who isn¡¯t afraid to die."


    Ling Chen nodded, asking, "You¡¯re in this business, do you have any information?"


    "Are you referring to the ones who paid to put a bounty on you?"


    "Exactly."


    "I¡¯m not sure about that; the people from the Secret Society always tightly seal their information. Besides, those offering the bounty usually remain anonymous, unless you can trace their method of payment."


    "Then never mind," Ling Chen waved his hand dismissively. This bounty was issued by the Secret Society, making it difficult to trace. Moreover, out of the three people who ced the bounty on his head, he could guess two, but the identity of the remaining one eluded him.


    Just then, a series of police sirens wailed from outside. Through the window, shing red and blue lights could be seen outside the bar; not just police cars, but ambnces and fire trucks were all dispatched.


    Kaelina put down her empty wine ss and turned to say, "I¡¯m leaving now. Let¡¯s keep in touch when we¡¯re free."


    No sooner had she left than Xia Mutong came out of the private room. Seeing Ling Chen¡¯s gaze, she tightened her expression sternly and snapped, "What are you still standing here for?"


    "Huh?" Ling Chen was momentarily at a loss for understanding and stood dumbfounded.


    Seeing his confused face, Xia Mutong hurriedly said, "I¡¯m telling you to leave, can¡¯t you understand? Don¡¯t interfere with our police work."


    Hearing this, Ling Chen immediately grasped her intent, a slight smile forming at the corner of his mouth. This woman did care about him, otherwise, she wouldn¡¯t have asked him to leave. Once the police entered the scene, as an involved party, he would inevitably have to go to the police station. Though it wouldn¡¯t be a big issue, it could still be bothersome.


    Thereupon, he nodded and said with concern, "Your wound was only patched up briefly; it¡¯s best to go to the hospital for proper dressing." After speaking, he walked out through the bar¡¯s back door.


    By the time he got back to Wealthy Manor, it was quitete.


    Ling Chen took a shower, changed into clean clothes, andy on his bed. Exhaustion from the night quickly swept him into sleep.


    ...


    The next day.


    Hongyu Group headquarters.


    Ling Chen dropped Nanrong Wanqing off on the top floor and then returned to the security department to enjoy some downtime.


    Knock knock knock!


    "Come in!"


    The door opened, and Nanrong Wanqing looked up from her desk, a hint of surprise in her beautiful eyes.


    "Aunt, where have you been these past few days? I haven¡¯t seen you at work."


    Jiang Ying gave a wry smile and said, "Wanqing, I hope you can take to heart what happened a few days ago, I..."


    "Aunt, please don¡¯t say such things. I know you did it for the good of my Nanrong family, and I have never med you." Nanrong Wanqing interrupted her, wheeling her wheelchair closer to Jiang Ying, "Aunt, I understand your difficulties. Let¡¯s forget about the past and not bring it up again."


    "Thank you, Wanqing. You always understand me," Jiang Ying extended her hand, gently caressing Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s cheek, her eyes revealing a trace of nostalgia as she murmured, "You look so much like your mother."


    "Aunt..."


    "Wanqing, remember, whatever I do, it¡¯s for your and the Nanrong family¡¯s good."


    Wanqing looked puzzled, "Aunt, what do you mean by that?"


    Jiang Ying shook her head, remaining silent. Suddenly, she bit her teeth, and from the ring on her middle finger, a small needle extended and pierced into Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s delicate neck.


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 Chapter 271 - 267: Betrayal of a Loved One

    <h4>Chapter 271: Chapter 267: Betrayal of a Loved One</h4><h4></h4>


    The silver needle pierced into her skin, and Nanrong Wanqing felt only a slight sting at her neck as if bitten by a mosquito. Subconsciously, she reached to touch it, her beautiful eyes looking at Jiang Ying with confusion.


    "Auntie, you..." Before she could finish speaking, she suddenly felt her head heavy, the brightness before her eyes rapidly dimming, her consciousness growing increasingly blurred, her body feeling as though it was filled with lead, extremely heavy, without even the strength to lift her hands.


    Seeing Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s head drooping, her arms hanging down, Jiang Ying gently patted her shoulder, calling out close to her ear, "Wanqing, Wanqing."


    Half a minute passed, and seeing that she was still unresponsive, Jiang Ying slightly rxed, her eyesplex as she gazed at her, murmuring to herself, "Wanqing, don¡¯t me me, this is for your own good." With that, she briskly walked over to her desk, picked up the phone, and dialed the secretary Wang Lan.


    "Xian, go to my office, there¡¯s a document in the right-hand drawer, help me fetch it, the chairman wants to see it now."


    After giving the instructions, she pushed the wheelchair to the door, cracked it open slightly, waited for Wang Lan to leave, and then took Nanrong Wanqing into the chairman¡¯s private elevator. The elevator began to move slowly, and shortly afterward, the two arrived directly at the underground parking garage.


    Jiang Ying stepped out of the elevator first, and a motor home immediately drove over from a nearby parking space, stopping in front of them.


    Whoosh!


    The car door slid open, and two burly men quickly jumped out, transferring the wheelchair into the vehicle. Once everyone was in, the motor home did not pause, immediately heading for the exit.


    Merging into the traffic, Jiang Han in the vehicle nced at the unconscious Nanrong Wanqing, his lips curling into a smug smile.


    "Niece, well done, I knew you wouldn¡¯t disappoint me."


    Jiang Ying¡¯s lips moved as if she wanted to say something, but upon catching a glimpse of Nanrong Wanqing out of the corner of her eye, her emotions became flickering and uncertain¡ªguilt, relief, anticipation, an indescribable taste. In the end, she chose silence.


    At this moment, Jiang Han reached out, lifted Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s chin, her beautiful face fully revealed before him without hindrance. He gently caressed her fair, buttery cheeks, his gaze unabashedly roving over her elegant figure, admiring, his mouth continually letting out ¡¯tsk tsk¡¯ sounds of appreciation, his chilly eyes emitting a strange light, like a primal me burning.


    "Truly, a golden flower of East Sea City, no one could fault this beauty, such a pity..." His lips slightly curved upward, his words trailing off, but the implication was clear.


    Jiang Ying¡¯s face stiffened, quickly saying, "What are you talking about? Don¡¯t forget, she¡¯s your cousin."


    Jiang Han snorted inwardly, so what if she¡¯s a cousin? The Jiang Family of Yangcheng came to be the enormous entity it is today because they had been practicing intermarriage within the family for centuries to sustain their lineage, ensuring that the n¡¯s blood ran through everyone, maintaining absolute unity. Although such things were scarce in modern times, they were not nonexistent. Of course, he did not show this before Jiang Ying, merely saying indifferently, "Niece, why so nervous, I was just speaking off the cuff. Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t do anything to her before she meets the Family Head." After speaking, he lifted the corner of his lips, thinking to himself that if she couldn¡¯t meet the Family Head¡¯s expectations, she would eventually be abandoned by the Jiang Family. By that time, he could y with her as he wished, and no one would care.


    Thinking about this exciting prospect, his body involuntarily reacted.


    ...


    Hongyu Group headquarters.


    Ding!


    The elevator doors opened, and Ling Chen, expression stern, hurried out with Zhong Wei and Liang Zhao Hui, heading straight for the chairman¡¯s office.


    "Mr. Ling." The secretary Wang Lan, who had been waiting at the door, hastened over to greet the three people as they approached, with an anxious expression.


    Ling Chen nced at the empty office and asked, "Lan, what¡¯s going on? Where is the chairman?"


    "I... I don¡¯t know." Wang Lan¡¯s eyes were slightly red, and she was almost in tears with urgency. "Manager Jiang came by just now and asked me to fetch a document from her office, saying the chairman wanted to see it. But I searched for a long time and couldn¡¯t find it. When I returned to ask for rification, both the chairman and Manager Jiang were gone. I thought they had gone to inspect the department¡¯s work, so I didn¡¯t think much of it. However, it has been half an hour now, and the chairman has not returned, and her phone is unreachable. Five minutes ago, the chairman was supposed to have a meeting. She has never missed a meeting without reason, let alone beingte, so I¡¯m worried that something might have happened."


    "Manager Jiang... do you mean Jiang Ying?" Ling Chen¡¯s face changed slightly, and he had an uneasy premonition.


    "Liang, take Wei Jun and the others to patrol the building to see if you can find the chairman. Captain Zhong,e with me to check the surveince footage." With that, Ling Chen and Zhong Wei hurried to the security department¡¯s monitoring room.


    The surveince footage from half an hour ago was pulled up, and Ling Chen focused on the screen, filtering through it frame by frame. Soon, he noticed that Jiang Ying had used her work card to pass through the underground parking lot¡¯s ess control. Through the parking lot¡¯s surveince footage, a motorhome caught his eye.


    The license te of the motorhome was from East Sea City, and the model was a Toyota Alphard. Since the windows were tinted with a film, it was impossible to see clearly inside the vehicle through the surveince. Moreover, the other party was cunning, always deliberately avoiding the camera¡¯s range and parking in the blind spots.


    In addition, the timing of the motorhome¡¯s entry and exit matched perfectly with Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s disappearance. It was clear to conclude that Nanrong Wanqing must be in that vehicle.


    The Jiang Family!


    Ling Chen¡¯s eyebrows were knotted, and a cold chill shed in his dark pupils.


    Nanrong Wanqing disappeared after meeting with Jiang Ying. This matter was definitely rted to the Jiang Family. As for the person behind this, who else if not Jiang Han?


    However, what infuriated him the most was Jiang Ying. Nanrong Wanqing treated her like family, yet she took advantage of this trust and secretly kidnapped Nanrong Wanqing. He could protect Nanrong Wanqing from harm by outsiders, but he could not prevent betrayal by a family member.


    "Ling Chen, should we call the police?"


    "It¡¯s no use," Ling Chen stated solemnly. "I know who took the chairman, but we don¡¯t have evidence to prove it, and the police won¡¯t investigate the Jiang Family based on just our word. Besides, the Jiang Family is located in Yangcheng, outside of East Sea City¡¯s jurisdiction. By the time they coordinate, it will be toote."


    "Are you certain they will take the chairman to Yangcheng?"


    Ling Chen nodded. Last time Jiang Han went to the Nanrong Family to cause trouble, he repeatedly stated that he wanted to take Nanrong Wanqing back to the Jiang Family. Now that he has kidnapped her, he will surely rush back to Yangcheng to report.


    Looking at the time, over forty minutes have passed. By now, Jiang Han is probably already out of the city, and it is toote to pursue.


    Yangcheng... it seems a trip to Yangcheng is imperative.


    "Captain Zhong, you and Liang prepare to apany me to Yangcheng. Let¡¯s keep this matter to ourselves for now, including to the elderly master; nobody is to breathe a word. If they ask, tell them that we¡¯re apanying the chairman to a meeting and won¡¯t be back for a few days. Also, give Lana heads-up to keep it quiet."


    "Alright, I understand."


    The reason for not informing the Nanrong Family about this incident is, firstly, to avoid worrying everyone, and secondly, as Nanrong Wanqing is the chairman of the Hongyu Group, if the outside world learned she was in trouble, it could unnerve the employees and affect thepany.


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 Chapter 272 - 268 Jiang Family on the Move

    <h4>Chapter 272: Chapter 268 Jiang Family on the Move</h4><h4></h4>


    Night falls.


    Yangcheng.


    As one of the top three economically ranked cities in the country, Yangcheng¡¯s prosperity is no less than that of East Sea City. If East Sea City is an international metropolis, then Yangcheng should be the confluence of the nation¡¯s elites. ording to iplete statistics, over half of Yangcheng¡¯s residents are migrants. Due to Yangcheng¡¯s number one industrial scale in the country, many people from within the nation flock to Yangcheng for work, seeking a livelihood.


    Nanyang Coast is the name of a luxurious vi district.


    Although there is no real coastline, there is an artificial sandy beach and a man-madeke at the center of the vi district. The azureke water gently ripples with the evening breeze, creating waves that softlyp against the sandy beach, making murmuring water sounds.


    At this time, a motorhome drove into the entrance of Nanyang Coast, following the t road all the way into the depths of the viplex. There, a mansion sprawling thousands of acres was brightly lit.


    The motorhome arrived outside the mansion, and two suit-d security staff quickly approached. On seeing Jiang Han¡¯s face in the vehicle window, their demeanor immediately became respectful, addressing him as ¡¯Mr. Jiang¡¯, and then waving toward the security room.


    Instantly, an iron gate three meters high and more than six meters wide was pulled open from the middle, slowly moving to both sides, revealing a quiet road.


    Inside the mansion, lush trees hid several vis of different styles¡ªEuropean, Gothic, and even a historic Siheyuan. Winding cobblestone paths thread through them, crisscrossing in all directions, connecting each vi.


    At the center of several vis, there was also a huge fountain, from which water columns sprouted from the ground to mid-air, forming countless water arcs that interweave, converging into a beautiful canvas.


    Around the fountain, more than a dozen security personnel paced back and forth, surveying the safety outside the vis.


    The motorhome passed through several checkpoints, driving straight to the heart of the mansion, stopping outside the Siheyuan. The two security staff at the door immediately approached, courteously opened the car door, stood beside it with a slight bow, and respectfully said, "Mr. Jiang."


    Jiang Han looked at Nanrong Wanqing inside the car with an expressionless face and instructed, "Qiu Wu, Qiu Wen, take the guests to the living room. Youngdy,e with me, let¡¯s first visit the Family Head in the study."


    Descending from the vehicle, Jiang Ying looked around at the familiar yet unfamiliar surroundings with a somewhat excited expression. After twenty years away, she had finally returned home. Before she knew it, her eyes had reddened slightly, with tears shimmering.


    "Youngdy," Jiang Han saw her standing motionless and impatiently urged her.


    "Coming,ing!" Jiang Ying snapped back to reality and hurriedly followed his footsteps. The thought of meeting the Family Head soon made her feel inexplicably apprehensive.


    Entering the Siheyuan, Jiang Ying closely followed Jiang Han¡¯s steps and came to a lit study outside. At the door, an old man in his sixties, aged and hunched, stood against the wall. Dressed in a Sun Yat-sen suit, his face was gaunt, standing with hands dangling.


    As Jiang Ying approached, the old man slightly lifted his head, his cloudy vision gradually brightening, his voice trembling slightly, "Is... is it the second youngdy?"


    "Uncle Liu?" Jiang Ying¡¯s face brightened with joy as she hurried over, her eyes brimming with hot tears, tightly gripping his withered hands, "Uncle Liu, it¡¯s been so many years, you haven¡¯t changed at all."


    Jiang Han frowned slightly and spoke, "Uncle Liu, you can catch upter. We are here to see the Family Head, please announce our arrival."


    "Yes," Uncle Liu responded, turned, and pushed the door to enter.


    A few minutester, Uncle Liu returned from inside the house, nodding towards them, "Go in, the master is waiting for you."


    Watching Jiang Han enter the room first, Jiang Ying stood outside the threshold, struggling to calm her emotions.


    "Second youngdy, go ahead."


    Encouraged by Uncle Liu¡¯s supportive gaze, Jiang Ying nodded and stepped into the study.


    In the bright study, a bookcase was ced in front of each of the four walls, brimming with densely packed books. Next to a pearwood desk sat an elderly man, around seventy years old, with a full head of silver hair, dressed in a green Tang-style suit, his face square, his thick eyebrows slightly raised, exuding an aura of authority without anger. Despite his advanced age, time had not left many traces on his face; he had the youthful look of an old man, with bright and piercing eyes, bursting with vigor.


    At the moment, he was holding a book, engrossed in reading, seemingly unaware of the two additional people in the study.


    Looking at that familiar face, Jiang Ying couldn¡¯t help but lower her head, her body tense, not even daring to breathe.


    "Family Head!" Jiang Han greeted with a smile, respectfully.


    The old man did not look up, "Has the person been brought back?"


    "I¡¯ve only brought back Nanrong Wanqing. She was uncooperative, so I had to use a bit of force."


    "What about Nanrong Hao?"


    "Family Head, that useless waste isn¡¯t worth mentioning, bringing him back would be a waste of time."


    "You may leave now."


    Jiang Han nced at Jiang Ying beside him and replied, "Yes." After speaking, he turned and left the study.


    Once he had left, the old man put down the book in his hand, his gaze lifted slightly, staring straight at Jiang Ying, his eyes flickering with sharpness, yet he said nothing for a long time.


    "Fa... Family Head..." Jiang Ying¡¯s lips quivered slightly as she struggled to utter these two words.


    The old man snorted softly, his tone neither cold nor warm, "After more than twenty years, is it really that difficult for you to call me ¡¯Dad¡¯?"


    Jiang Ying¡¯s face changed slightly, she hastily corrected, "No, it¡¯s not like that, I..."


    "Enough." The old man waved his hand, cutting her off, "The past is in the past, I don¡¯t want to reopen old wounds. You¡¯ve had a tough twenty years, from now on stay at home."


    "Thank you, Dad, thank you," Jiang Ying said, her face filled with emotion.


    "Let¡¯s go, apany me to meet the misbegotten daughter of the Nanrong Family." The old man stood up and strode out of the study.


    In the drawing room of the Siheyuan, the marble floor glistened, the pure white ceiling was adorned with a huge crystal chandelier, and the walls were decorated with tasteful oil paintings andndscape paintings. In addition to the luxurious decor, the various pieces of furniture also exuded opulence.


    Surrounding the living room, several young and delicate female attendants stood against the wall, ready to serve the master at any moment.


    Apanied by Jiang Ying, the old man entered the living room, his gaze immediately captivated by Nanrong Wanqing seated in the wheelchair. Looking at her stunningly beautiful face, the old man was struck by a sense of d¨¦j¨¤ vu and stood frozen on the spot.


    "Qing¡¯e..."


    Hearing the old man¡¯s murmurs, Jiang Ying gently reminded, "Dad, she is my sister¡¯s daughter, Wanqing, not my sister herself."


    Upon hearing the word ¡¯daughter,¡¯ a frosty expression spread across the old man¡¯s face, and a fierce gleam shed in his eyes, as he walked directly towards the sofa in front of Nanrong Wanqing.


    After taking a seat, he gave a knowing nce to Jiang Han, who had been waiting in the living room. Understanding the cue, Jiang Han took out a bottle from his pocket, unscrewed the cap, and held it under Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s nose.


    The pungent smell wafted through the air, and Nanrong Wanqing, who had been unconscious, immediately awoke.

 Chapter 273 - 269 Jiang Family Patriarch

    <h4>Chapter 273: Chapter 269 Jiang Family Patriarch</h4><h4></h4>


    Looking at the unfamiliar surroundings, Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s brows furrowed slightly, and her beautiful eyes swept over Jiang Han and Jiang Ying before settling on the old man.


    Their eyes met, her lips parted, and she spoke with an indifferent tone: "So, the Jiang Family also only knows to resort such low and shameful means."


    "How dare you!" Jiang Han reprimanded, "This is the Jiang Family¡¯s territory; you better show some respect."


    "Wanqing, we had no other choice, you..."


    "That¡¯s enough." Nanrong Wanqing said coldly, "Aunt, to think I trusted you so much, regarded you as family, yet you treat me this way."


    Jiang Ying quickly tried to exin: "Wanqing, I did it for your own good."


    "That¡¯s from your perspective. Aunt, don¡¯t forget, my surname is Nanrong, not Jiang. The affairs of the Nanrong Family don¡¯t need the Jiang Family to make decisions for me."


    "You¡¯re just as stubborn and willful as your mother, always wanting to have your own way, not listening to anyone¡¯s advice," the old man said. "Don¡¯t me them; it was mymand to bring you to the Jiang Family by any means necessary." He paused, then introduced himself, "My name is Jiang Kun, you should know who I am."


    "The Jiang Family Patriarch."


    "The Jiang Family Patriarch?" Jiang Kun smiled faintly, "Can¡¯t you address me differently?"


    Nanrong Wanqing replied coldly, "If you want me to call you ¡¯Grandfather¡¯, I¡¯m sorry, I can¡¯t. If you really considered me your granddaughter, you wouldn¡¯t have ¡¯invited¡¯ me to the Jiang Family in such a manner."


    "It seems you harbor quite some resentment." Jiang Kun said unconcernedly, "I don¡¯t care whether you call me Grandfather or not; what I care about is you and the things I need from you. Jiang Han, bring the people in."


    "Yes." Jiang Han nodded, walked aside, and dialed a number on his phone.


    Shortly after, several doctors in white coats carrying medical cases came in from outside.


    "Family Head."


    Jiang Kun pointed at Nanrong Wanqing and said, "Don¡¯t waste time, hurry up and take her blood sample."


    As a doctor in a white coat approached with a syringe, Nanrong Wanqing quickly raised her hand to push them away. However, her resistance was swiftly stopped by two other doctors in white coats, who held down her arms firmly, rolled up her sleeve, exposing her fair arm.


    Then, the sharp needle pierced her skin, the plunger of the syringe slowly drew back, and her fresh blood was quickly drawn into it.


    After taking the blood, the two doctors in white released her arm, restoring her freedom.


    Nanrong Wanqing, covering the spot where the needle had pierced, her pale face showing a trace of frost, stared at Jiang Kun and said word by word, "What are you trying to do?"


    "That¡¯s none of your concern. Jiang Han, take her to her room and have someone watch her closely."


    "Yes, Family Head."


    "And, inform your elder brother to strengthen the guard; the Nanrong Family will surely not let this go easily."


    ...


    Yangcheng, Baiyun Airport.


    At the airport exit, Ling Chen, carrying his luggage on one shoulder, along with Zhong Wei and Liang Zhao Hui, arrived at the roadside and hailed a taxi to head straight for the city.


    Half an hourter, the taxi stopped outside a three-star hotel.


    Before arriving, Ling Chen had already booked a room. Entering his room, he received a text message. Then, he took out aptop from his luggage bag, set it up on the coffee table next to the window sill, dialed a number on his cellphone, and turned on the speakerphone.


    "Hello, Ling Chen, did you receive the file I sent?"


    "Receiving it now." While speaking, the attachment in the email had finished downloading, he double-clicked with the mouse, and aplete architectural blueprint immediately stretched across the screen.


    "Fatty, what¡¯s this?"


    "That¡¯s a blueprint of the Jiang Family¡¯s buildings. After thorough investigation, two years ago, the Jiang Family had a major reconstruction and renovation, so I hacked into that contractor¡¯sputer and got some information."


    "You¡¯re reliable." Ling Chen spared no praise for his friend. His knowledge of the Jiang Family was almost non-existent, so intelligence was crucial to rescuing Nanrong Wanqing, which is why he asked Hu Fei to help.


    "With your skills, infiltrating the Jiang Family shouldn¡¯t be too difficult, but keep in mind that the Jiang Family¡¯s security system is veryprehensive, covering the entire area. Also, I found out that the Jiang Family owns a securitypany in Yangcheng which specially trains their personnel. My rough estimate is that the security staff of the Jiang Family is at least around a hundred people."


    "That many?" Ling Chen was surprised. It was impressive for the security at an ordinary wealthy household to number more than ten, but the Jiang Family had ten times as many.


    "You better be careful, the Jiang Family is not simple. Their influence in Yangcheng is massive. To my knowledge, the Jiang Family has a history of several hundred years in Yangcheng; a long time ago, the ancestors of the Jiang Family were high-ranking officials in Yangcheng and owned many properties. Back then, Yangcheng was practically ruled by the Jiang Family. Those assets were passed down through the generations, leading to the Jiang Family¡¯s prosperity today. Given the Jiang Family¡¯s position in Yangcheng, calling them a local emperor wouldn¡¯t be an exaggeration."


    Ling Chen frowned slightly; this Jiang Family was even more difficult to deal with than he had thought. But considering that they could hire the sixth-ranked expert on the Tiger List for personal protection, such a family was inevitably not going to be simple.


    "Fatty, continue gathering information for me, I¡¯ll observe for a day or two."


    "OK, no problem! Hey, I¡¯ll keep a tab for these favors, you¡¯d better not back outter."


    "Get lost!"


    Hanging up the call, Ling Chen studied the architectural blueprints of the Jiang Family¡¯s buildings, and then went to bed early to rest, gathering energy for the preparation of the next day.


    ...


    The next day.


    At eight o¡¯clock in the morning, Ling Chen took a car back to the hotel.


    Early in the morning, when it was still dark, he had hurried to the Nanyang Coast, secretly surveying the Jiang Family¡¯s movements. But the security of the Jiang Family was imprable, and the surroundings were blocked by walls over three meters high, making it impossible to perceive what was happening inside. It was not just a problem to infiltrate the Jiang Family but to even get close to their estate.


    With no other choice after wasting two hours, he had to return without aplishing his purpose.


    Stepping off the car at the hotel entrance, Ling Chen walked up the steps, intending to meet with Zhong Wei and Liang Zhao Hui. However, at that moment, a voice calling "Mr. Ling" caught his attention.


    Turning around, he saw a young man approaching head-on. After a once-over, with a hint of doubt, he asked, "Do I know you?"


    The young man smiled and said, "Mr. Ling, you don¡¯t need to know me." He gestured invitingly with his hand, "Mr. Ling, please follow me, our boss wants to see you."


    "Boss? Who?" The man didn¡¯t give his name, and Ling Chen was instinctively cautious, hesitant to agree hastily.


    The young man seemed not to care about the wariness in his eyes, continuing, "Mr. Ling, you came to Yangcheng to rescue Miss Nanrong, am I right? If you want to sessfully rescue Miss Nanrong, it¡¯s best that you meet our boss; he might be able to help you."

 Chapter 274 - 270 Mr. Yun

    <h4>Chapter 274: Chapter 270 Mr. Yun</h4><h4></h4>


    Upon hearing the young man¡¯s words, Ling Chen became more suspicious. This person not only knew his identity but also his purpose for this trip; he was no ordinary man. Nanrong Wanqing was kidnapped by the Jiang Family, and no more than five people knew about this. Where did this person get his information?


    Thinking this, he felt it necessary to meet the young man¡¯s boss mentioned earlier, hoping that the mysterious boss could answer his questions.


    "Lead the way."


    "This way, please!"


    Arriving at the roadside, the young man pointed to a Cadic parked not far away, saying, "Mr. Ling, our boss is in the car; he would like to have a private chat with you."


    Ling Chen nodded and briskly walked toward the Cadic, gently knocking on the rear seat window.


    Click!


    The car door automatically popped open, and Ling Chen bent down to get in. A faint scent of a cigar immediately hit his nose.


    Looking at the middle-aged man next to him, dressed in a crisp suit, approximately in his forties or fifties, with a refined and schrly face and a stable demeanor. From his slightly plump facial contours, one could tell that he was quite a handsome man in his youth.


    Additionally, Ling Chen noticed something peculiar. The man wore a leather glove on his left hand but not on his right hand, where instead he wore a wedding ring. It seemed odd, as in Huaxia tradition, men wore wedding rings on the left hand, the opposite of what this middle-aged man did.


    While Ling Chen was sizing up the man, he, too, was observing Ling Chen, constantly wearing a gentle smile, his eyes seeming like those of an elder looking at a younger rtive.


    "Who are you? I don¡¯t remember ever meeting you." Ling Chen took the initiative to ask.


    "You can call me Mr. Yun, and furthermore, it¡¯s our first meeting, so it¡¯s normal that you don¡¯t recognize me."


    Ling Chen did not let his guard down; the middle-aged man before him was too mysterious, even unwilling to reveal his identity, making him difficult to trust.


    "You seem to know a lot about me."


    "That¡¯s not the question you should be asking now; don¡¯t forget your main purpose foring to Yangcheng." Mr. Yun took a Cuban cigar from the armrest box, ced it in his mouth, and seemed unperturbed by Ling Chen¡¯s scrutinizing gaze.


    "Do you have a way to help me rescue Nanrong Wanqing?"


    "Of course, it all depends on what you are willing to give."


    Without hesitation, Ling Chen said, "As long as she can be rescued safe and sound, I am willing to bear any cost."


    "Good!" Mr. Yun seemed pleased with his attitude and nodded, "Wanqing has good judgment. Ling Chen, I am here to remind you, what you see of the Jiang Family is not the real Jiang Family. You are still far from understanding their power. Before they do that to Wanqing, you must rescue her."


    "What do you mean?"


    Mr. Yun opened his mouth but then shook his head, "You don¡¯t need to know too much. All I can tell you is two words: bloodline. The Jiang Family ces great importance on nurturing their bloodline; it is their foundation. Hence, for the sake of bloodline inheritance, the Jiang Family is capable of anything."


    Ling Chen was puzzled. Although Nanrong Wanqing was rted to the Jiang Family, she was a coteral rtive, whereas someone like Jiang Han was a direct rtive of the Jiang Family. Normally, bloodline inheritance should fall to direct sessors; why was it happening to Nanrong Wanqing?


    Seeing his confusion, Mr. Yun exined, "The bloodline inheritance of the Jiang Family is different from other families; you won¡¯t understand it all at once. Just focus on what you need to do now." Having said this, he took a box-shaped metal object out of his jacket pocket, about the size of a cigarette pack, with a touch-control device installed on it.


    "Take this."


    Ling Chen took it in his hands, curiously examining it, and asked, "What is this?"


    "This is the only thing I can help you with. With your ability, finding Wanqing shouldn¡¯t be hard, but the difficult part is getting her out. If you run into trouble, Wanqing¡¯s fingerprint can unlock this box, and inside you will find what you need. Alright, I¡¯ve said what I needed to; you can go now. I¡¯ll wish you sess in advance."


    "Onest question, what is your rtionship with Wanqing?" Ling Chen looked directly into Mr. Yun¡¯s eyes, hoping to discern something from his gaze.


    However, Mr. Yun¡¯s eyes were as calm as water, showing no extra emotional fluctuations, always maintaining a faint smile.


    "That question... I¡¯ll tell you next time we meet." After saying this, he turned his head to look out of the car window, no longer continuing the conversation.


    Ling Chen knew he wouldn¡¯t get any more information, so he decided not to waste more time and pushed the door open to get out of the Cadic. Soon after he left, the young man earlier got into the driver¡¯s seat, started the car, and while looking at Mr. Yun in the rearview mirror, asked, "Boss, do you think he can seed?"


    "Fifty-fifty." Mr. Yun spoke indifferently: "It would be best if he seeds; I¡¯m not ready to reveal my strength too soon, which could alert the Jiang Family." Saying this, his gaze turned slightly cold, his tone revealing a hint of chill, "The Jiang Family must be desperate, otherwise, they wouldn¡¯t pin their hopes on Wanqing. This time, it was my oversight for not expecting them to make a move on Wanqing."


    "Notify them to be ready at all times. If Ling Chen fails, have them step in. No matter the cost, nothing must happen to Wanqing."


    "Yes, boss."


    ...


    Jiang Family.


    Jiang Kun sat in the study room, looking at a man in a whiteb coat standing in front of the desk, and asked, "Are the test results out?"


    "Yes, the results are ready. Thepatibility is as high as ny-four percent."


    "Ny-four?" Jiang Kun immediately stood up from his chair, excitement overflowing,ughing repeatedly, "Good, good, too good, even higher than her mother¡¯spatibility. It seems the future of our Jiang Family is secure. Go on, call Jiang Han for me."


    Before long, Jiang Han appeared in the study room.


    "Family Head, you wanted to see me?"


    Jiang Kun changed from his usual seriousness, walked to his side, kindly patted his shoulder, and said with a smile, "Jiang Han, grandpa has something good to entrust to you."


    "What good thing?"


    Jiang Kun whispered a few words into his ear; it was unclear what he said, but Jiang Han¡¯s eyes brightened, and his face immediately disyed a look of surprise, excitedly asking, "Grandpa... grandpa, is this really okay?"


    "With grandpa making decisions for you, what could go wrong? We need to hurry with this matter, let¡¯s do it tonight. Get it done, and I can rest easy."


    "Yes, I understand, thank you grandpa."


    "Alright, go get ready, I¡¯ll await your good news tomorrow."


    While they were talking, the butler Uncle Liu walked in from outside, whispering into Jiang Kun¡¯s ear.


    "Hmph! I knew they wouldn¡¯t give up easily." Jiang Kun sneered coldly and instructed, "Let Jiang Yu handle this; he knows what to do."

 Chapter 275 - 271 Night Raid on Jiang Family (Part 1)

    <h4>Chapter 275: Chapter 271 Night Raid on Jiang Family (Part 1)</h4><h4></h4>


    Hotel.


    Ling Chen sat alone in the guest room, fiddling with the metal box Mr. Yun had given him, quietly guessing what could be inside.


    At that moment, the ringing of the mobile phone on the table began, he nced at it and casually pressed the answer button.


    "Tang Yuan, where are you?"


    "Yufeng Hotel, how much longer until you arrive?"


    "Almost there, I¡¯m already in a taxi. Wait for me, I¡¯ll be right over."


    After hanging up, Ling Chen felt slightly relieved. The situation this time was quite special, so he had asked Tang Yuan toe help. Even though he had Zhong Wei and Liang Zhao Hui by his side, their abilities were limited and couldn¡¯t offer him the greatest help. Furthermore, Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s identity was particrly special, not just as the chairperson of Hongyu Group, but also an important coborator with the military. Therefore, when he made a request to the old general, thetter immediately sent Tang Yuan over.


    Knock knock knock!


    The sound of knocking at the door arose. Ling Chen got up and went to the door, opened it, and saw a male waiter pushing a mobile dining table, greeting him with a smile: "Sir, good morning, here is the breakfast you ordered."


    "You must be mistaken, I didn¡¯t order any breakfast." It was almost nine o¡¯clock, and he had already eaten outside.


    The male waiter held the order ticket, puzzled, "No mistake, aren¡¯t you Mr. Ling Chen?"


    "It¡¯s me, but this breakfast..."


    "If it¡¯s you then it¡¯s correct." As he said this, the waiter¡¯s mouth curled up slightly, his right hand pulling out a glittering dagger from beneath the tablecloth and thrusting it toward Ling Chen¡¯s chest with lightning speed.


    This sudden crisis caused Ling Chen¡¯s pupils to shrink, and almost subconsciously, he slightly tilted his body. A sh of cold light, and the dagger passed through the clothing on his shoulder with a slight tearing sound, but did not harm his skin.


    Seeing this, the waiter slightly startled, not expecting Ling Chen to dodge. Before he could swing the dagger again, Ling Chen had already shouted loudly, lunged forward, grabbed the waiter¡¯s wrist holding the dagger with one hand, and clenched his other fist, swinging it fiercely, smashing it into the waiter¡¯s cheek, knocking him down to the ground.


    Ptui!


    Ling Chen spat contemptuously. Damn it, they still want to assassinate me. I¡¯m the originator in this business.


    Swearing aside, this assassination incident still made him vignt. He dragged the waiter into the room and searched him, but found nothing that could prove his identity. Clearly, the opponent was very cautious in his actions.


    But there was no need to think too much to know, it must be someone sent by the Jiang Family. In this unfamiliar ce, it was impossible to encounter his own enemies, and since his trip to Yangcheng was very secretive, those bounty assassins could not have tracked him here either, who else could it be other than the Jiang Family?


    It seems Hu Fei was right, the Jiang Family has a substantial influence in Yangcheng. I had just arrived for a day, and they had already grasped my whereabouts and made such a swift move, it has to be said, they handle things very efficiently.


    While pondering, Ling Chen came to the guest room where Zhong Wei and Liang Zhao Hui were staying and knocked on the door.


    As the door just opened, a fist immediately shot out from inside, heading straight for his face. His quick eyes and hands immediately caught the wrist of the assant, stopping the punch, and shouted, "It¡¯s me!"


    "Ling Chen?" Zhong Wei, who threw the punch, saw it was him, quickly withdrew his fist, and let him in, exining, "I thought someone wasing to assassinate us."


    "Did you encounter it too?"


    Liang Zhao Hui nodded and pointed to the closed bathroom, saying, "Fortunately, we discovered it in time and didn¡¯t let him seed. The person has been knocked out and thrown into the bathroom."


    "Our whereabouts have been discovered; we can¡¯t stay here any longer. Pack up and leave immediately." Saying this, Ling Chen walked to the window, pulled back the curtains, and nced downstairs. He saw several buses parked by the road outside the hotel, and dozens of men in suits and sunsses were getting off and rushing towards the hotel.


    "Captain Zhong, Liang, seems like we¡¯ll have to stretch our muscles."


    As he spoke, Ling Chen picked up a chair, smashed it on the ground, and removed all four wooden legs. The sticks were neither too thick nor too thin, just perfect to handle.


    "Follow behind me."


    Opening the room door, Ling Chen strode forward, heading straight for the emergency exit. The elevator must have been controlled; now they could only take the stairs. Turning a corner, they heard a crisp ¡¯ding¡¯ as the elevator doors opened, and more than twenty suited men charged out from two elevators, wielding expandable batons and aggressively lunging forward.


    "Scram!"


    Ling Chen roared, swinging both hands, the wooden sticks whistling fiercely through the air, powerfully striking the leading man in a suit who fell to the ground unconscious before he could even scream.


    As a top-ranked fighter on the Tiger List, these underlings were insignificant in Ling Chen¡¯s eyes. In just a few moments, manyy defeated on the ground; both Zhong Wei and Liang Zhao Hui, who were covering the rear, had no chance to even pick off any leftovers, merely following and watching the whole event.


    "Ling Chen, be careful, they might have guns," Zhong Wei reminded.


    Hearing this, Ling Chen smirked slightly, not taking it seriously. Except for assassinations, the Jiang Family wouldn¡¯t dare to openly use firearms. If things escted and the government got involved, even with the Jiang Family¡¯s influence, they couldn¡¯t escape responsibility.


    Stepping over a group of wailing suited men, Ling Chen led Zhong Wei and Liang Zhao Hui to the emergency exit and swiftly ran down the stairs.


    Just as they exited the hotel, dozens of suited men outside immediately pursued them, attempting to encircle them.


    At that moment, a taxi pulled up to the curb, the window rolled down, and Tang Yuan stuck his head out, waving his arms and shouting loudly, "Get in the car!"


    Without hesitation, Ling Chen sped up and dove into the front passenger seat.


    "Drive, quick!"


    As the four urged, the taxi driver quickly pressed the elerator and sped off in a cloud of dust.


    After driving past three intersections and seeing no one catching up, Ling Chen finally rxed, threw his wooden stick out the window, and grinned, "Old Tang, you really have great timing."


    Tang Yuanughed proudly, "Hehe! It¡¯s not about being early, but about being timely. Hey, Tang Yuan, who were those people just now?"


    "Jiang Family¡¯s enforcers."


    "You¡¯ve been exposed?"


    "Yep." Ling Chen nodded, pointing to the side of the road, "Driver, please stop over there."


    After getting out of the taxi, the group didn¡¯t return to the hotel but found an unregistered roadside inn in an obscure alley.


    Upon entering the room, Tang Yuan tossed his backpack onto the bed, and Ling Chen immediately noticed the mattress sag down significantly, feeling curious about what could be so heavy inside.


    Seeing Ling Chen¡¯s gaze fixed on his backpack, Tang Yuan lifted his lips, a mysterious expression on his face, saying, "This is a good item, but it¡¯s not for you to use."

 Chapter 276 - 272 Night Raid on Jiang Family (Part 2)

    <h4>Chapter 276: Chapter 272 Night Raid on Jiang Family (Part 2)</h4><h4></h4>


    "What¡¯s the good stuff?" Urged by Tang Yuan, Ling Chen grew even more curious and reached out to touch it.


    Tang Yuan pped his hand away with a ¡¯snap¡¯, guarding the backpack with both hands, looking like a brat who deserved a beating for not sharing.


    Ling Chen cursed displeasedly, "Fine, if you won¡¯t let me see it, then I don¡¯t want to see it." As he said this, he saw Liang Zhao Hui light up a cigarette. He snatched it from his mouth and took two deep drags.


    "You don¡¯t smoke, do you?"


    "Mind your own business, I¡¯m annoyed."


    "Alright, alright, enough of that, let¡¯s talk business. What¡¯s your n next?"


    Ling Chen leaned against the windowsill, smoke swirling from the cigarette in his hand, obscuring his sight. He tried to mimic Liang Zhao Hui and blew a smoke ring, watching it slowly dissolve into the air. Suddenly, he threw the cigarette butt onto the floor and said grimly, "Now that our whereabouts have been exposed, we must act tonight no matter what. We can¡¯t give them time to prepare."


    "Okay, I¡¯ll follow your lead. What do you want to do?"


    "Old Tang, you work with Captain Zhong and Liang on the outside to support me, and arrange the escape route. I¡¯ll go in to rescue."


    "No way!" Tang Yuan shook his head decisively and refused, "That¡¯s just rash nonsense. Where¡¯s your n? Just blindly rushing into the Jiang Family like this is looking for death, not a rescue!" As he spoke, he pulled out a file from the backpack and threw it on the bed, "When I came here, I used our organization¡¯s resources to check. The Jiang Family bought an advanced security system from abroad two years ago, worth eighty million US dors. This system can monitor the entire Jiang Family area, including the perimeter wall fitted with induction and acoustic devices. Anyone approaching within five meters of the wall will trigger the rm. Even if you¡¯re lucky enough to avoid the surveince equipment, you won¡¯t escape the eyes of the security staff. There are patrols inside and outside the walls throughout the day, changing shifts every five minutes, rotating regrly."


    Ling Chen stared for a moment, his face filled with surprise, "That awesome? The fatty didn¡¯t mention this."


    "The Jiang Family introduced that system through their connections with the military brass, how would the fatty know about it."


    "So, does that mean we can only watch from the outside?"


    "That¡¯s why I¡¯m telling you to think of a foolproof n, don¡¯t be so impulsive. I know you¡¯re worried about Miss Nanrong¡¯s safety, but you can¡¯t ignore your own safety."


    Ling Chen turned away, looking out the window, his brows slightly furrowed as he stared at the soaring high-rises in the distance, pondering his next move. The Jiang Family defense was rigorous, sneaking in was much harder than he had imagined. And now, with limited equipment, they could only rely on individual ability.


    "How to get in..."


    After pondering for a while, his eyes suddenly lit up as he looked out the window, a bright idea shing through his mind.


    "I¡¯ve got an idea." Saying so, he immediately took out his notebook and marked the location of the Jiang Family on the map, then scanned the surrounding environment with the Jiang Family at its center.


    Tang Yuan and Zhong Wei leaned over theptop screen, looking at Ling Chen as if deep in thought, "What¡¯s your n?"


    Ling Chen grinned, "I¡¯ll keep it a secret for now. But before that, I need your help with something. Old Tang, if I remember correctly, there¡¯s a military base about a hundred kilometers away from Yangcheng. Contact the General and ask them to send some equipment over. Captain Zhong, Liang, please take a trip to the animal shelter."


    "Animal shelter?"


    Zhong Wei and Liang Zhao Hui looked at each other, surprised, wondering if they had misheard.


    Tang Yuan gestured, "Do as he says. This kid always has tricks up his sleeve."


    ...


    Night fell.


    The autumn breeze was mildly cool, brushing lightly.


    Inside the Siheyuan of Jiang Family¡¯spound, Jiang Ying hesitated as she stood outside a bedroom, retracting her hand from the doorknob several times. After a moment¡¯s hesitation, she finally pushed the door open and went inside.


    The spacious bedroom was lit with amp, as bright as day.


    In the luxuriously decorated room, there was a bed against the wall. On the bedy a young and beautiful girl, with her hands spread out and feet together, her wrists each wrapped in a rope, affixed to both sides of the headboard, constraining her freedom.


    Hearing footsteps from the doorway, the girl did not react, her eyes as brilliant as stars gazing nkly at the ceiling, as if lost in endless contemtion.


    Jiang Ying walked gently to the bedside, looking at the dim glow in her eyes, sighed softly, and asked with concern, "Wanqing, are you okay?"


    "Apart from not being dead, everything is fine," Nanrong Wanqing replied icily, her voice devoid of emotion.


    "Wanqing, don¡¯t be like this, I... I didn¡¯t mean to hurt you, my initial intention was for your own good, I hope you can understand."


    Nanrong Wanqing responded indifferently, "Auntie, I¡¯m not three years old, why bother lying to me with such words, you might as well deceive yourself. Ask yourself, do you really have my best interests at heart without any selfish motives? I know you¡¯ve wanted to return to the Jiang Family for a long time, after all, you carry the Jiang family blood. I don¡¯t me you, and I have no right to. You were exiled by the Jiang Family for my mother, living outside for more than twenty years. For you, that was a painful thing, I understand your feelings. So, I won¡¯t resent you, nor will I hate you. However, starting from today, the Nanrong Family no longer owes you anything."


    "Wanqing..." Jiang Ying¡¯s lips moved, wanting to say something, but not knowing where to start. She was clearly aware her niece no longer had any affection for her.


    Just then, the door was pushed open and several delicate-looking girls carried in arge wooden tub, cing it beside the bed. Then, one after another, they poured hot water into it and sprinkled flower petals on the surface. The room quickly filled with steam and a faint scent of flowers.


    Nanrong Wanqing turned her head and saw what the girls were doing, frowning slightly, "What are you doing?"


    One of the delicate girls smiled sweetly, "Miss Nanrong, we are here to help you bathe and change."


    "I don¡¯t need it, thank you!"


    The girl said apologetically, "Miss Nanrong, sorry, this is the Master¡¯s order, we must carry it out. Please understand." Saying this, she went to the head of the bed and untied the ropes from Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s wrists. Then, with the help of the other girls, they lifted Nanrong Wanqing into the tub.


    Nanrong Wanqing didn¡¯t struggle or resist, letting them strip her. She knew that any defiance was futile here at the Jiang Family, where she was essentially a prisoner under house arrest, with no freedom of her own.

 Chapter 277 - 273 Night Raid on Jiang Family (Part 2)

    <h4>Chapter 277: Chapter 273 Night Raid on Jiang Family (Part 2)</h4><h4></h4>


    Clothes shed, Nanrong Wanqing sat in the wooden tub with her fragrant shoulders slightly exposed and her fair neck entuated by the misty steam, adding a touch of hazy beauty.


    There was no need for her to move a finger, as several graceful girls gently wiped her body. Jiang Ying watched silently from the side, not uttering a word. However, there seemed to be a hint of inexplicable envy in her eyes.


    After the bath, a girl holding a sheer and smooth nightgown draped it over Nanrong Wanqing, covering her graceful figure and wrapping up all the beauty.


    Back on the bed, this time, no one tied her up with ropes. Everyone knew that Nanrong Wanqing, with her legs disabled, couldn¡¯t possibly run away.


    As those girls left the room, Jiang Han entered from outside. It seemed that he had also just taken a bath, his body feeling refreshed, his hair still slightly damp. Walking into the room and seeing Nanrong Wanqing sitting on the bed, Jiang Han¡¯s eyes brightened, and his face was unable to hide his excitement and thrill.


    Today, when Jiang Kun sought him out, he never expected such a good thing would fall into hisp.


    If it weren¡¯t for the presence of Jiang Ying, he would have already rushed over in his eagerness.


    "Little Aunt, it¡¯s time to get down to business, please step aside."


    Jiang Ying nodded, nced at the slightly pale-faced Nanrong Wanqing, sighed silently in her heart, and walked out of the room.


    The door closed, and Jiang Han, unable to contain his urge, quickly walked to the bedside. Looking at Nanrong Wanqing, with her charming and aloof demeanor, his mouth curved higher and his eyes grew brighter.


    After her bath, Nanrong Wanqing, exuding a faint fragrance that was intoxicating, her fair skin peeking out from beneath the thin nightgown, her silhouette slender, radiated an irresistible charm. Especially that exquisite face, stunningly beautiful, and her skin soft as cream, was even more tempting.


    Feeling his invasive gaze, Nanrong Wanqing bit her thin lips, a hint of disgust shed in her beautiful eyes, and her small hand gripped the sheet tightly; her lips had long since lost their color. She swore that if this man before her dared to touch her, she would rather die than let him seed and ruin her pure and chaste body.


    Perhaps sensing Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s thoughts, Jiang Han curled his lips, chuckling, "Cousin, don¡¯t be scared, I won¡¯t harm you. Though, I¡¯ll need you to cooperate with me in a bit."


    "Over my dead body!" Nanrong Wanqing parted her lips and coldly spat out the words.


    Jiang Han replied indifferently, "Cousin, don¡¯t me me for not reminding you, I can choose not to touch you, but if you don¡¯t cooperate, then don¡¯t me me for doing something extreme."


    Hearing this, Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s brows furrowed slightly, somewhat puzzled, not understanding the meaning behind Jiang Han¡¯s words. She had always presumed Jiang Han harbored ill intentions towards her, but it seemed that might not be the case. She didn¡¯t know what kind of ¡¯cooperation¡¯ Jiang Han was referring to.


    As she pondered, Jiang Han took off his shoes and was ready to get into bed. Seeing his actions, Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s expression turned icy, as cold as the frost of the winter month.


    However, just at that moment, a ¡¯beep beep¡¯ rm suddenly rang from outside the room.


    Jiang Han turned to look outside the window, his face instantly darkening, and he coldly said, "A bunch of overconfident fools."


    At this time, listening to the hurried footsteps outside, Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s heartstrings tightened instantly. Could it be Ling Chening to save her? Thinking this, a glint of anticipation faintly shone in her eyes.


    Jiang Han turned his gaze back to Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s flickering eyes and immediately guessed her thoughts, sneering, "Don¡¯t expect anyone toe to your rescue, this is the Jiang Family, no one can get in. Even if Ling Chen is very capable, he still won¡¯t be able to escape from the palm of the Jiang Family."


    As he spoke, he took out his phone, dialed a number, and instructed, "Turn off the rm, don¡¯t disturb me." As soon as his words fell, the piercing rm outside immediately stopped.


    "Alright, cousin, we can start now." Jiang Han¡¯s mouth quirked upward in an excited smile as he slowly extended his hands.


    Beep beep beep!


    But just then, the abrupt rm bell sounded again, reverberating throughout the entire Jiang Family estate.


    Jiang Han¡¯s smile froze, a hint of anger shing across his eyes. He picked up his cell phone and bellowed, "What the hell is going on?... What? A dog? Where did the doge from?"


    ...


    Outside the Jiang Family¡¯s perimeter wall.


    Zhong Wei and Liang Zhao Hui were hiding in the nearby greenery, surrounded by more than a dozen pet cages filled with pets like cats and dogs, counting up to twenty or thirty.


    Zhong Wei gently patted the pet dog in his hands, casually throwing a bone out near the Jiang Family¡¯s perimeter wall, then released the dog. It immediately darted out, speeding so fast that in a sh, it was next to the wall, gnawing on the bone on the ground.


    Soon after the pet dog approached the wall, the Jiang Family¡¯s rm went off. In less than half a minute, a team of five security personnel rushed over and reported the situation via walkie-talkie.


    In the security room, several staff members were busy in front ofputers. By arge LCD screen, stood a young man in a suit, hands behind his back, intently watching the shing red dots on the screen. His brows were slightly furrowed, his handsome face emotionless, and his eyes held an indescribable shadow.


    "It¡¯s Mr. Jiang, confirmation received, no trace of the enemy found, it¡¯s a pet dog."


    The youth was none other than the eldest grandson of the Jiang family, Jiang Yu, in charge of the family¡¯s security¡ªJiang Han¡¯s older brother.


    Hearing the staff¡¯s report, without turning around, Jiang Yu spoke in a cold voice, "Using such methods to disrupt our rm system, they sure are imaginative. Notify the team to send more people outside the wall. I want to see how they n to break into the Jiang Family estate."


    "Yes."


    Outside the perimeter wall.


    Dozens of security personnel arrived one after another, forming a human wall around the perimeter, one guard every ten steps, monitoring every movement.


    "These bastards really fell for it." Liang Zhao Hui chuckled. Before, Ling Chen asked them to go to the pet store, and they had been utterly confused about his intentions. Now, they couldn¡¯t help but admire Ling Chen¡¯s ingenuity foring up with such a tactic.


    Zhong Wei pressed on his wireless earpiece and called out, "Ling Chen, your n worked, we can start the operation now."


    "OK! You guys withdraw first and wait for us at the rendezvous point."


    "Be careful on your own."


    "Old Tang, how¡¯s your preparation going?"


    At this moment, Tang Yuan was lying in a patch of grass, using the dark night to conceal his movements. Not far in front of him was the Jiang Family¡¯s perimeter wall. Hearing Ling Chen¡¯s voiceing through the earpiece, he spoke with a piece of grass in his mouth, unclearly saying, "Don¡¯t worry about my work."


    "Good, then I¡¯m starting."

 Chapter 278 - 274: Major Disturbance at the Jiang Family 1

    <h4>Chapter 278: Chapter 274: Major Disturbance at the Jiang Family 1</h4><h4></h4>


    Several kilometers away from the Jiang Family, Ling Chen made his final checks atop a high-rise building. Communication devices, weapons, smoke grenades¡ªall were ready.


    Walking to the edge of the rooftop, he looked down at the flowing cars below and those pedestrians who seemed as insignificant as ants, Ling Chen took a deep breath. After checking the wind direction, he no longer hesitated and leaped down from the building.


    Plummeting from over two hundred meters in the air, Ling Chen quickly descended in free fall, his speed increasing. Suddenly, he spread his arms and legs wide, and his body, which had been falling, soared upwards and swiftly glided through the air.


    Upon closer inspection, there was a piece of thin fabric like cicada wings stretched between his arms and body, as well as between his legs.


    Wingsuit!


    He had asked Tang Yuan to call the military district to borrow this equipment. The wingsuit, also known as a flying squirrel suit, is a special garment made from metal frameworks and high-tech nylon fibers. By simply wearing it and spreading one¡¯s arms and legs, one can glide through the air like a bat.


    After gliding for several kilometers in the air, Ling Chen began to descend. The brightly-lit Jiang Family residence soon appeared in his goggles.


    "Old Tang, I¡¯ll reach the destination in one minute."


    "Roger that!"


    Upon receiving the signal, Tang Yuan immediately spit out the chewed grass in his mouth, stood up from his crouch, and from the backpack beside him took out a modified crossbow rifle, holding it level on his forearm. Aiming at the target, he gently pulled the trigger, and the Crossbow Arrow ¡¯swooshed¡¯ through the air, soaring over the three-meter-tall fence, and fell to the ground.


    Then, the smoke grenades attached to the Crossbow Arrows automatically popped open, and thick smoke rapidly spread outwards, filling the air.


    Five consecutive Crossbow Arrows were shot, and the northeastern corner of the Jiang Family was nearly engulfed in smoke.


    "Tang Yuan, it¡¯s done!" After ending the call, Tang Yuan threw down the crossbow and lifted the ck cloth that had been covering the grass. Instantly, a quadcopter appeared before him. To avoid detection, he had coated the surface of the drone in ck.


    Controlling the remote controller, the drone ascended slowly. Meanwhile, a real-time image appeared on the screen of the controller¡ªit was the view from the drone, which, under the cover of smoke, moved swiftly toward the target.


    At that moment, Ling Chen, gliding in the sky, suddenly pulled the ripcord, and his parachute behind him sprang open. Passing through the smoke, he skillfully controlled the parachute andnded silently on the roof of a three-story vi.


    "Old Tang, I¡¯m here."


    As soon as his words fell, a buzzing sound approached, and the drone flew over his head,nding beside him. Hanging from the bottom of the drone was a ck backpack. Since the wingsuit couldn¡¯t support too much weight, he could only smuggle in equipment he needed through this method.


    Removing the backpack, he slung it over his shoulder and whispered through his earpiece, "Package received, you can pull out now."


    "Take care of yourself," Tang Yuan warned.


    Standing on the vi¡¯s rooftop, Ling Chen surveyed his surroundings, the corners of his mouth slightly lifting. His n had worked. The Jiang Family assumed that he would try to sneak in from outside the fence, so they assigned most of the security personnel to the perimeter, leaving the interior understaffed.


    At a nce, there were only about ten security guards patrolling the roads.


    After observing for a while, Ling Chen leaped from the rooftop, directly onto a tree beside the vi, grabbing onto a sturdy branch. He swung his body back and forth, using the inertia to leap again, reaching another tree. Using this subtle approach, he moved quickly over the heads of the security personnel.


    At this moment, the night sky was dim, a swath of dark cloud obscuring the bright moonlight. However, the Jiang Family had installed streetmps along the roads which did not hinder his movements.


    After a while, Ling Chen suddenly noticed that there was a wall surrounding the entire southwestern corner of the Jiang Family. Furthermore, the wall was covered with Iron Thorns, with a surveince device every meter on top of the wall, and an electricid over the wall.


    Although no security personnel were present around the wall, Ling Chen, relying on his years of intuition and experience, felt that this ce was heavily guarded, perhaps even more so than the other defenses of the Jiang Family.


    Standing on a tree branch, his body was level with the top of the wall. His gaze passed over the wall into the inside, seeing nothing but dense branches and darkness beyond.


    "What kind of ce is this?"


    He muttered to himself and immediately cast aside the doubts in his mind. His main mission was to rescue someone; he had no time to think about other things.


    The Jiang Family estate was vast, with luxurious vis seen everywhere.


    Ling Chen unfolded a blueprint of the Jiang Family¡¯s buildings, his brow furrowing slightly. He knew that Nanrong Wanqing was within the Jiang Family, but he didn¡¯t know the exact location. Searching blindly like this, he would not know how much time he would waste.


    With that thought, he immediately had an idea.


    Peering through the foliage, Ling Chen watched a security guard holding a walkie-talkie passing by underneath. Seeing this, he hung upside down from the branch, his body slowly descending. As the security personnel walked below him, he struck like lightning, quickly grasping the man¡¯s neck. Before the guard could react, Ling Chen powerfully twisted, forcibly dragging the security guard up into the tree.


    "You..."


    The security guard¡¯s pupils dted with a mixture of shock and fury as he looked at Ling Chen, about to call for help, but before he could speak, a glint of cold steel shed in front of his eyes, pressing against his neck.


    "Keep your mouth shut if you don¡¯t want to die!" Ling Chenmanded coldly.


    "What... what do you want?" The guard felt the cold de on his throat, swallowed hard, and asked tremulously.


    "Where is Nanrong Wanqing being held?" Ling Chen cut straight to the point, dispensing with any superfluous conversation.


    "She¡¯s in the master¡¯s house."


    "Where is that?"


    The security guard quickly pointed in one direction, frankly responding, "That Siheyuan over there."


    Ling Chen nodded, a slight smile on his face as he patted the guard¡¯s shoulder, "Congrattions, you¡¯ve just saved your own life." With those words, he put away his dagger and, with a swift chop of his hand, knocked the man unconscious.


    Now that he knew Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s whereabouts, Ling Chen immediately identified the exact location of the Siheyuan on the architectural blueprint.


    Without dy, he picked up the pace, circumventing the patrolling security personnel, and rapidly approached the Siheyuan.


    Security room.


    Jiang Yu listened to the reports of the staff, his eyes narrowing, muttering to himself, "Not a single shadow spotted, what are they up to?"


    "Mr. Jiang, shall we pull the men back?"

 Chapter 279 - 275: Great Disturbance at Jiang Family 2

    <h4>Chapter 279: Chapter 275: Great Disturbance at Jiang Family 2</h4><h4></h4>


    "Not necessary for now." Jiang Yu waved his hand and said, "Tell my younger brother that the danger is over, he can do what he wants now."


    "Understood."


    After putting down the phone, Jiang Han looked at Nanrong Wanqing on the bed, smiling proudly, "Here¡¯s some good news, Ling Chen ising to rescue you."


    Upon hearing this, a hint of joy immediately appeared on Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s brows. However, noticing the smile on Jiang Han¡¯s face, her heart immediately sank to the bottom, vaguely feeling uneasy.


    "But the bad news is, he has already been captured by our Jiang Family."


    Exactly!


    Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s heart tensed, worry clearly visible in her beautiful eyes.


    Noticing the change in her expression, Jiang Han smirked to himself, propped his hands on the bed, leaned closer to her, and unabashedly savored the attractive fragrance emanating from her.


    "Cousin, do you know what happens to those who oppose our Jiang Family? First, chop off his left hand and feed it to the dogs, then lock him in a dark room. After two days, he¡¯d bleed out and die without usying a finger on him. Of course, some tough guys survive. But, if the wound is left untreated, do you know what happens next? It starts festering, then turns into rotting flesh, and then..."


    "Enough!" Nanrong Wanqing, her pretty face pale, eximed, "Let him go."


    "What?" Jiang Han pretended not to hear clearly, leaning his ear closer to her, "Cousin, say that again."


    Nanrong Wanqing bit her lip, looked straight at Jiang Han, and said word by word: "Let him go."


    Jiang Han feigned difficulty and shook his head, saying, "Cousin, I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t satisfy this request. Our Jiang Family never goes easy on enemies, especially since..." Seeing something, a hint of malice shed in Jiang Han¡¯s eyes, he scoffed, "Especially since he openly humiliated me that day at the Nanrong Family home. If I don¡¯t seek revenge, where would I put my face?"


    "Let him go!" Nanrong Wanqing spoke again, her expression firm, without a hint of hesitation, "As long as you agree to let him go, I will ept any condition."


    Jiang Han¡¯s eyes brightened, he chuckled, "Cousin, those are your words, don¡¯t go back on themter." He then took out his phone, turned his back, and made a show of speaking into the phone, "Release that man, no one is allowed to harm him."


    After speaking, he snickered, secretly admiring his own cunning. He didn¡¯t expect Nanrong Wanqing to be so easy to deceive, she hadn¡¯t even suspected him.


    Little did he know, it¡¯s the concern that confused her, because she was too worried about Ling Chen¡¯s safety, she didn¡¯t think much about it.


    Turning around, facing the frosty Nanrong Wanqing, Jiang Han lifted his lips, took something out of his pocket, and said, "Cousin, now that the man has been released, shall we begin?"


    ...


    At this moment, outside the Siheyuan, over ten security personnel were pacing back and forth, inspecting the surroundings.


    Not far away, Ling Chen was crouching at the base of arge tree, his gaze piercing through the messy bushes and intently watching the entrance of the Siheyuan, his eyes shing coldly.


    The tight security around the Siheyuan indicated that Nanrong Wanqing was definitely inside. But without dealing with those security personnel outside, he had no hope of getting in.


    "I have no choice but to force my way in!" he thought to himself.


    Picking up a stone from the ground, he flicked his wrist, and the stone curved towards the nearby concrete pathway, making a sharp ¡¯snap¡¯ noise.


    The two nearest security personnel were immediately attracted by the noise, walking briskly over with their shlights raised.


    Seeing the adversaries approaching, Ling Chen reached for his waist, drew two silver needles, and kept his gaze on the two security officers. Suddenly, his wrist flicked, sending two silver needles charged with Inner Strength shooting through the air like bullets, striking their targets with great velocity.


    "One, two, three..."


    After counting silently to three, the two security officers immediately fell to the ground, unconscious.


    Relieved, he took a moment to breathe; it seemed the anesthesia on the silver needles was effective. At that moment, the security personnel patrolling outside the Siheyuan noticed their fallenrades and their expressions changed instantly. They hurried over and simultaneously called for backup on their radios.


    Taking advantage of the distraction, Ling Chen moved swiftly like a freed rabbit, darting out from under the bushes as fast as an arrow released from a bow, instantly reaching the outer wall of the Siheyuan. Without slowing down, he powerfully kicked with his right leg, leaping more than two meters high, grabbed the top of the wall with both hands, and with a beautiful somersault aided by his legs against the wall, he entered the Siheyuan.


    In the spacious courtyard, maids asionally passed by. Ling Chen stayed close to a stone pir, regting his breath, and stealthily scanning the surroundings from the corner of his eyes.


    Suddenly, his gaze sharpened, locking onto two burly men.


    Qiu Wen! Qiu Wu!


    The two stood with their hands behind their backs outside a bedroom, eyes fixed straight ahead.


    "Found them." He was ted internally, thinking that the presence of the Qiu brothers guarding personally indicated an important person inside the room.


    However, the troublesome part was that Qiu Wen and Qiu Wu were highly skilled; although he defeated them at the Nanrong Family homest time, it left him bedridden for two days. With time pressing, he had no time to waste fighting them again, and he was not sure he could defeat them as before.


    In a split-second decision, he drew two smoke grenades from his waist and threw them into the room next door through a window.


    ng!


    As the sound of shattering ss rang out, Qiu Wen and Qiu Wu¡¯s attention immediately shifted. However, to Ling Chen¡¯s disappointment, they did not move to investigate the noise and stayed steadfast by the door. Instead, the security personnel outside the Siheyuan rushed in after receiving the alert.


    As more security personnel arrived, Ling Chen¡¯s presence was quickly exposed.


    "There he is, catch him."


    Seeing the security personnel closing in from all sides, Ling Chen frowned slightly, quickly pulled out several silver needles, and threw them to slow their advancement.


    "Damn it!"


    He cursed silently. It was a miscalction; he expected the Qiu brothers to be drawn away, but they werepletely unaffected.


    With a swift thought, he gritted his teeth, quickly removed his backpack, and threw it towards the door where Qiu Wen and Qiu Wu were standing, shouting, "I¡¯ll blow you bastards up." Saying that, he took out his phone, pretending to press it.


    Seeing his actions, the Qiu brothers and the security personnel were taken aback and hurriedly retreated to avoid the explosion. Seeing Qiu Wen and Qiu Wu sprinting to the sides, Ling Chen¡¯s lips curled up slightly; without another word, he quickly moved his legs, rushed to the door, and picked up the backpack from the ground.


    "Damn it! Fell for it!"


    The faces of the Qiu brothers changed slightly, their eyes filled with furious humiliation, and they charged at him.

 Chapter 280 - 276: Major Disturbance at the Jiang Family 3

    <h4>Chapter 280: Chapter 276: Major Disturbance at the Jiang Family 3</h4><h4></h4>


    Just at that moment, Ling Chen¡¯s door was flung open, and Jiang Han appeared with an irritated expression, shouting, "What the...?" However, before he could finish, his eyes locked onto Ling Chen¡¯s, hisplexion changed dramatically, and, shocked and terrified, he eximed, "It¡¯s you!"


    Ling Chen shed a grin, "Mr. Jiang, we meet again." As soon as he finished speaking, without waiting for Jiang Han to react, Ling Chen¡¯s fist had already swung out, smashing viciously into Jiang Han¡¯s nose.


    "Ah!" A miserable howl erupted as blood spurted from Jiang Han¡¯s nostrils like a breached flood barrier, quickly staining his shirt red. Clutching his broken nose, Jiang Han was in so much pain that tears and snot mixed on his face, and he bellowed with his facial muscles contorted, "Ling Chen, you..."


    "Shut your mouth!" Ling Chen snapped coldly. He delivered a savage kick to Jiang Han¡¯s abdomen. Struck by the power, Jiang Han immediately lost his bnce, leaning back from the waist and retreating uncontrobly, ending up seated on the floor inside of the room.


    "Ling Chen, do not harm our young master." Concerned for Jiang Han¡¯s safety, Qiu Wen and Qiu Wu yelled out, ready to charge forward.


    Ling Chen suddenly turned his head, sweeping a cold, prating gaze over the pair, and said icily, "Whoever dares toe in, I¡¯ll kill them on the spot."


    At those words, Qiu Wen and his brother felt a sinking feeling in their hearts and immediately halted their advance, not daring to act recklessly. If anything happened to Mr. Jiang, neither could escape responsibility. After thinking it through, it seemed wiser to wait and see how things would unfold.


    Seeing they no longer pressed forward, Ling Chen¡¯s expression rxed slightly, and he stepped back into the room, casually shutting the door behind him. But hearing the continuous wails and screams from behind, Ling Chen grew annoyed and, without a second thought, delivered another kick to ensure Jiang Han would stay quiet.


    "Ling Chen?"


    At this moment, Nanrong Wanqing, who was sitting on the bed, looked at the man approaching with disbelief, feeling as though she was dreaming, an unreal sensation.


    "You... you were captured, weren¡¯t you?"


    "Who told you I was captured, and you actually believe their lies?" Ling Chen said with a slight smile, moving to her side and gently caressing her cheek, asking with concern, "Are you okay?"


    Feeling the warmth of his palm, along with his familiar breath and voice, Nanrong Wanqing unconsciously raised her hand to rest it on the back of his, her eyes glistening with tears.


    She wasn¡¯t dreaming; it was truly him.


    She had always believed that Ling Chen woulde to her rescue, but upon hearing he had been captured, it felt as though the sky had copsed, all hope turning to dust, her heart was dead and ashen. Until this moment, seeing Ling Chen truly standing before her, she felt a lump in her throat, and even though she was normally strong, she couldn¡¯t suppress the urge to cry.


    "It¡¯s okay, you¡¯re safe now."


    Seeing the tears welling in her eyes, Ling Chen was fully aware of her emotions, gently pulling her into his embrace, patting her back tofort her, "With me here, no one can hurt you. That¡¯s my promise to you."


    "Mhm." Nanrong Wanqing wrapped her arms around him, her pretty face against his chest, murmuring in agreement, with both joy and a hint of shyness in her beautiful eyes. She had known Ling Chen for so long and even though they were close, he had never said such things to her. To her, it was not just a confession, but a promise for a lifetime.


    "Tang Yuan, how are things on your end?"


    At that moment, Old Tang¡¯s voice came through the earpiece, breaking up the tender moment between them. However, Old Tang¡¯s words also snapped Ling Chen back to reality. They were in danger, and it wasn¡¯t the time for intimacy.


    "Wanqing has been found, she¡¯s with me."


    "Can you make it to the rendezvous point?"


    Ling Chen nced at the unconscious Jiang Han and replied, "Should be no problem, wait for us there."


    After ending the call, Ling Chen turned to look at Nanrong Wanqing, collected his emotions, and said seriously, "We need to leave."


    "They took away my wheelchair."


    "That¡¯s not a problem." Ling Chen¡¯s mouth curled slightly, lifting the ck backpack beside him onto the bed, then unzipped it and took out a set of equipment.


    Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s expression showed slight astonishment, and she said curiously, "This is...?"


    "Exoskeleton armor." Ling Chen nodded and said with a smile, "Didn¡¯t you tell mest time that those people had custom-made a set of exoskeleton armor for you? This is it. It just got finished recently, and Old Tang brought it over when he came. Here, let me help you put it on."


    With Ling Chen¡¯s help, it didn¡¯t take long for Nanrong Wanqing to put on the exoskeleton armor, and once she draped a coat over it, nothing seemed amiss from the outside.


    Leaning on Ling Chen¡¯s arm for support, Nanrong Wanqing cautiously tried a few steps. With her intelligence, she quickly mastered the knack of the exoskeleton armor. Although she was not yet proficient, walking normally was not a problem.


    Being able to stand up and walk again without the wheelchair was something Nanrong Wanqing had longed for.


    Seeing the excited glow on her pretty face, Ling Chen smiled slightly and reminded her, "Alright, don¡¯t just be happy, we can celebrate after we escape from the Jiang family." With that, he walked over to Jiang Han, reached out to grab Jiang Han¡¯s cor, and lifted him up from the ground.


    Seeing Jiang Han still unconscious, Ling Chen pped him hard across the cheek, producing a loud smack.


    The pain woke Jiang Han slightly dazed, and when he saw Ling Chen in front of him, his face changed, fear in his eyes as he hurriedly said, "Li... Ling Chen, this is the Jiang family. If you dare touch a hair on me, neither of you will leave alive."


    "Don¡¯t be afraid, I won¡¯t hurt you. I¡¯m counting on you to lead us out." After speaking, Ling Chen ignored Jiang Han¡¯s struggle, dragging his body and striding towards the door.


    The door opened, and outside, dozens of security personnel had already gathered, filling the Siheyuan courtyard to the brim.


    Facing such a grand scene, Ling Chen smiled lightly, his clear eyes showing no trace of fear.


    "Get up!" hemanded lightly. He pulled Jiang Han to stand in front of him, grabbed his neck with one hand, and with the other hand drew a dagger, pressing it against his vital spot, and began to step outside.


    At this moment, Jiang Yu, dressed in a suit and nked by Qiu Wen and Qiu Wu, emerged from the crowd, his gaze cold and steadfast as he fixed it on Ling Chen.


    Seeing the neer, Jiang Han seemed to see a savior, and immediately started yelling, "Big brother, save me, hurry!"


    "Ling Chen, let my brother go right now."


    "It¡¯s possible. Just ensure our safe departure, and I¡¯ll release him immediately."


    Hearing this, Jiang Yu nced at Nanrong Wanqing behind Ling Chen, his eyebrows knotted and his eyes hesitant, without responding for a long moment.


    Seeing this, Ling Chen¡¯s expression turned cold, and he pressed the dagger lightly against Jiang Han¡¯s neck, creating a fine cut from which bright red blood slowly started to ooze out, striking and rming.


    "Stop!" Jiang Yu quickly shouted, his tone anxious, "Fine, I¡¯ll let you go, but you must promise not to hurt my brother."

 Chapter 281 - 277: Major Disturbance at the Jiang Family 4

    <h4>Chapter 281: Chapter 277: Major Disturbance at the Jiang Family 4</h4><h4></h4>


    Ling Chen smiled and replied, "That¡¯s possible..."


    "Not possible!" Suddenly, an old voice rose from the crowd, carrying a hint of chill, "Without my permission, no one can leave."


    Ling Chen followed the direction of the voice, only to see an elderly man with white hair, hands behind his back, walking briskly without the faltering steps typical of old age, carrying an aura of implicit authority. People around him stepped aside, bowing slightly, their faces full of respect.


    Jiang Kun!


    Jiang Family Patriarch.


    The name immediately popped into Ling Chen¡¯s mind. Before taking action, he had already researched the members of the Jiang family, so he was clear about the elder¡¯s identity.


    Thinking of what Jiang Kun had just said, Ling Chen¡¯s eyes narrowed, his expression turned solemn. With this old fellow¡¯s appearance, things might not be so easy to resolve.


    At that time, Ling Chen also noticed that, apart from Jiang Kun making an appearance, Jiang Ying had also arrived, standing behind Jiang Kun, watching the unfolding situation, his gazeplex.


    "So, you are Ling Chen?" Jiang Kun approached the crowd, staring directly at Ling Chen, his tone t, as if he hadn¡¯t seen Jiang Han being held hostage by Ling Chen.


    "So, you¡¯re the old guy in charge of the Jiang Family?" Ling Chen asked knowingly, his words not very polite.


    "Young man, I respect you as a Tiger List expert, and your future holds great promise, so I don¡¯t wish to make things difficult for you. Just let my grandson go, leave Nanrong Wanqing behind, and I will let you leave immediately, never to trouble you again."


    Ling Chen¡¯s lip curled slightly as he responded, "I respect your age, so I won¡¯t make it difficult for you either. Just let us leave safely, and not only will I let your grandson go, I¡¯ll even let you live a few more years. How about that?"


    Jiang Kun smiled faintly, his smile gradually turning cold, a sharp light shing in his eyes as he said slowly and deliberately, "Young man, one ought to be aware of their limitations. Don¡¯t overstep your bounds. In the Jiang family, a Tiger List expert is just a bodyguard. Your ability to defeat Qiu Wen and Qiu Wu does not mean you have the right to act arrogantly here."


    "Enough, stop with the nonsense." Ling Chen impatiently said, "I am just going to ask you once, do you still want Jiang Han¡¯s life?"


    Jiang Kun shook his head, "I don¡¯t believe you have the guts to kill him."


    "Is that so? Let¡¯s give it a try then." With those words, Ling Chen lightly shed with the dagger in his hand, creating a cut on Jiang Han¡¯s neck.


    Feeling the pain on his neck, Jiang Han¡¯s face instantly turned pale with terror, his body tense, he looked at Jiang Kun pleadingly and trembled, "Grand... Grandfather..."


    "Hey!" Ling Chen unashamedly responded, his lips curling, "Grandson, rather than begging your grandfather to save you, you might as well beg me, your new grandfather, to let you go."


    Jiang Kun narrowed his eyes slightly, staring at the wound on Jiang Han¡¯s neck, his eyes cold, showing a hint of ruthlessness.


    "Ling Chen, you are audacious."


    "Thanks for thepliment, I¡¯ve always been very bold. If you don¡¯t believe me, I can prove it to you right now."


    "Hmph!" Jiang Kun coldly said, "I wanted to give you a way out, but since you insist on seeking death, you can¡¯t me others. Kill him!"


    The moment the words fell, a sense of rm surged in Ling Chen¡¯s heart, and a fierce wind broke through the air. From the corner of his eye, he saw a sh of cold light shooting towards himself and Jiang Han. The attacker was incredibly fast, nearly reaching his peak speed instantly, and Ling Chen had no time to think much, hastening to step back.


    But at that moment, the cold light suddenly changed trajectory, swirling in the air, and aimed straight for his face. Seeing this, Ling Chen¡¯s expression changed slightly, surprised by the attacker¡¯s skill, which seemed to be more than a notch above the Qiu brothers.


    The opponentunched two consecutive attacks, aiming to repel him and rescue Jiang Han. Not only that, the opponent¡¯s moves were aggressive and ruthless, taking the initiative. If he had killed Jiang Han at that moment, he would have taken the bait.


    A life for a life, he couldn¡¯t afford the gamble and had no choice but to give up.


    However, just as he let go of Jiang Han, that cold star suddenly spun in the air, circling to his back at a tremendous speed, leaving him no chance to react. He only felt a fiery pain on his back as it was torn open by arge gash.


    "Ling Chen!"


    Seeing the vicious wound on his back, Nanrong Wanqing eximed in shock, her beautiful eyes unable to hide her concern as she asked, "Are you alright?"


    Ling Chen shook his head, shielding her behind him, and scanned the surroundings. He said, "Come out, at least let me know which expert I am dealing with."


    "Hanlin, teach him a lesson, so he may know there are some people he shouldn¡¯t provoke."


    Jiang Kun had barely finished speaking when a middle-aged man flew over the wall of the Siheyuan like a leaf rolled by the wind, lightly touching down on the ground.


    An expert!


    Ling Chen¡¯s heart sank a bit; just from the opponent¡¯s unassuming action, it was evident that this man was not only an expert but one of the topmost experts. He wondered what level of Inner Strength one must cultivate to reach such a state.


    With the appearance of the middle-aged man, Jiang Han¡¯s eyes lit up, and he joyfully called out, "Dad."


    Hearing this address, Ling Chen was taken aback as this man turned out to be Jiang Han¡¯s father, Jiang Hanlin.


    At this moment, Jiang Hanlin turned his head, revealing a fairly ordinary face with thick brows and narrow eyes. Despite being over forty, his skin was well-kept, showing no signs of age, resembling a man in his thirties, his expression cold and unemotional. Even hearing Jiang Han¡¯s shout induced no change in his demeanor. However, when his gaze shifted to Ling Chen, a sharp chill flickered in his eyes.


    "Dad, this guy almost killed me just now; you must avenge me." With Jiang Hanlin¡¯s backing, Jiang Han shed his earlier fear and became arrogant, giving Ling Chen a ¡¯you¡¯re doomed¡¯ look.


    Jiang Hanlin nodded slightly, sparing his words as he said coldly, "Those who bully the Jiang Family, kill!"


    A single word ¡¯kill¡¯, filled with a murderous chill, utterly cold.


    Ling Chen sized up Jiang Hanlin, his gaze suddenly drawn to something at his waist. It was a silver whip winding around his waist, six meters long, with a sharp dart attached at the end, glinting with a bone-chilling light.


    The dart had caused the wound on his back just a moment ago.


    "Ling Chen."


    Nanrong Wanqing pulled on his hand from behind, whispering, "You go first, I¡¯ll stay."


    From Jiang Hanlin and Ling Chen¡¯s brief interaction, she had already deduced that although Ling Chen was strong, Jiang Hanlin was stronger. If it came down to a fight, Ling Chen had no chance of winning. She was already satisfied that Ling Chen hade to rescue her despite the dangers; she didn¡¯t want him to get hurt because of her, which would make her regret it forever.


    Ling Chen turned his head, smiled, and held her hand back.


    "Don¡¯t say such foolish things. If we go, we go together; if we stay, we stay together."


    Feeling the resoluteness in his gaze, Nanrong Wanqing swallowed her words, a faint smile appeared on her lips, and she gently nodded.

 Chapter 282 - 278: Major Disturbance at the Jiang Family 5

    <h4>Chapter 282: Chapter 278: Major Disturbance at the Jiang Family 5</h4><h4></h4>


    "You just watch from the side, I¡¯ll handle things here." Ling Chen patted her hand and turned to walk towards Jiang Hanlin.


    Watching his retreating figure, Nanrong Wanqing gave her own right hand an odd nce. When Ling Chen was holding her hand earlier, she felt as if she had touched something hard.


    Ling Chen strode to the center of the area, his gaze fixed unwaveringly on Jiang Hanlin, standing tall and straight like a spear, his pupils as dark as ink showing not the slightest fear.


    As their eyes met, Ling Chen slightly raised the corners of his mouth, turned his head to Jiang Kun, and asked, "So if I win, I can take someone with me and leave?"


    Jiang Kun, as if he had just heard some funny joke, rxed his eyebrows slightly, his lips curling up in a scornful smile, nodded, and said, "Fine, I promise you, as long as you win, I will not trouble the two of you."


    Qiu Wen and Qiu Wu standing behind him silently shook their heads, not the least bit optimistic about Ling Chen¡¯s chances. Indeed, they had both lost to Ling Chen previously. But this time, Ling Chen¡¯s opponent was Jiang Hanlin. Having spent so many years at the Jiang Family, they knew all too well how formidable and terrifying Jiang Hanlin was. Years ago, the two brothers were consistently used as sparring partners for Jiang Hanlin. It was not until three years ago that they were able to shed this role, not because Jiang Hanlin no longer needed practice, but because they were no longer qualified to be his sparring partners.


    Jiang Hanlin was, undoubtedly, an expert.


    In their opinion, Jiang Hanlin¡¯s strength was enough to rank in the top three of the Tiger List. Yet, his name was not found on the Tiger List, not because hecked the qualification, but because he disdained it. Furthermore, he seldom appeared in public to showcase his strength, spending his time in seclusion within the family, practicing ¨C even the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion was unaware that such a top-tier expert was hidden here.


    At this moment, Ling Chen paid no attention to the expressions of the Qiu brothers; all his energy was focused on Jiang Hanlin.


    Taking a deep breath, Ling Chen brought his hands together in salute, standing tall and announcing earnestly, "Please advise!"


    Without uttering a word, the cold light in Jiang Hanlin¡¯s eyes grew colder, as if it could pierce through one¡¯s body and freeze one¡¯s soul. A shiver ran through Ling Chen, who as a martial artist knew this to be the aura emanating from Jiang Hanlin.


    First, intimidate the opponent with one¡¯s presence, then strike with a fatal blow as swift as lightning.


    This was the mark of a top-tier expert.


    Facing this overwhelming pressure, Ling Chen drew a breath of energy from his Dantian, like a trickling stream, slowly flowing along his meridians, countering Jiang Hanlin¡¯s imposing aura.


    As Jiang Hanlin¡¯s aura reached its peak, Ling Chen saw the figure in front of him flicker; Jiang Hanlin had made his move.


    With a flip of his palm, concentrated with formidable Inner Strength, it sted towards him, aiming straight for his face.


    Jiang Hanlin was incredibly fast; his body approached Ling Chen in the blink of an eye.


    Worried, Nanrong Wanqing shouted urgently, "Ling Chen, be careful!" But her warning came toote. As soon as she spoke out, Ling Chen had already reacted.


    Ling Chen shifted slightly beneath his feet, dodging Jiang Hanlin¡¯s palm wind, and with agility swift as the wind, he moved to Jiang Hanlin¡¯s side. His fists clenched tightly, punch after punch resounded powerfully through the air, aiming for Jiang Hanlin¡¯s right shoulder.


    Jiang Hanlin didn¡¯t seem to dodge; instead, he slightly bent his right arm, palm facing outward, and astonishingly used his palm to block Ling Chen¡¯s punch firmly.


    Failing tond the punch, Ling Chen¡¯s pupils shrank. He quickly withdrew. However, whilst still in the stance with their fist and palm touching, Jiang Hanlin suddenly changed his move. His palm transformed into a grip, sping firmly onto Ling Chen¡¯s fist, preventing him from pulling away.


    Instantly, Ling Chen felt a powerful force flowing through the opponent¡¯s fingers, binding his fist tightly like an iron hoop, immobilizing it.


    Seeing this bad turn of events, without a moment¡¯s hesitation, Ling Chen¡¯s right leg shot up,unching a powerful kick towards Jiang Hanlin¡¯s neck.


    However, as Ling Chen¡¯s right leg hung mid-air, yet to hit the target, Jiang Hanlin seemed to have already anticipated his move. As Ling Chen began kicking, Jiang Hanlin¡¯s right leg lifted in sync, sweeping towards his nted left leg.


    Power surged forth, and as Ling Chen¡¯s left leg tilted, his body immediately lost its bnce, hanging suspended in mid-air. Seizing this opportunity, Jiang Hanlin pushed out a palm and viciously struck his chest.


    Puh!


    A mouthful of fresh blood spewed out, and under the impact of that force, Ling Chen¡¯s body was thrown straight out, mming into the wall of the Siheyuan, crashing down heavily.


    "Ling Chen!"


    Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s voice carried a hint of sobbing, as she hurried to his side, helping him up from the ground with a face full of concern, asking, "Are you alright?"


    "Hm?" Seeing Nanrong Wanqing move lightly on her feet, Jiang Kun¡¯s eyes suddenly narrowed, filled with a trace of puzzlement. Not just him, both Jiang Ying and Jiang Han were extraordinarily surprised.


    Wasn¡¯t Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s legs disabled? Why could she suddenly walk?


    At this moment, Ling Chen stood up from the ground, spitting out a mouthful of bloody saliva, hisplexion slightly pale but his sharp gaze fixed directly on Jiang Hanlin.


    Very strong!


    That was his only assessment of Jiang Hanlin.


    Through the recent exchange, he had profoundly experienced Jiang Hanlin¡¯s strength. He had almost exhausted all of his might, yet Jiang Hanlin had used, at most, sixty percent of his power. What was more important was that the silver whip, constantly wrapped around Jiang Hanlin¡¯s waist, hadn¡¯t been employed at all.


    That was Jiang Hanlin¡¯s strongest killing move!


    "Hanlin, no need to waste time with him, finish it quickly," Jiang Kun said, urging him. More than disciplining Ling Chen, he was now more eager to know why Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s legs had recovered.


    As soon as his words fell, the still-standing Jiang Hanlin tapped lightly with the tip of his foot, his body like a gust of wind, rushing swiftly towards Ling Chen. His palms lifted up before his chest, switching non-stop between feints and strikes, dazzling to the eyes and making it impossible to discern where his attack would trulye from.


    Ling Chen pushed Nanrong Wanqing aside and, rather than retreating, advanced to meet Jiang Hanlin¡¯s offensive, pressing forward with both fists. Just as they were about to sh, he suddenly let out a fierce shout, his fist power bursting forth, with great momentum and force, aiming a blow at Jiang Hanlin¡¯s left chest.


    He knew he couldn¡¯t discern Jiang Hanlin¡¯s feints from his real moves. Rather than take the risk, he would be better off engaging in a mutually destructive style of fighting, where neither side would lose out.


    Jiang Hanlin¡¯s eyes cooled slightly, Ling Chen¡¯s actions somewhat beyond his expectations. Immediately, the forward rush of his body paused slightly as he changed tactics mid-approach, switching from palms to grabs, with his right hand striking like lightning, seizing Ling Chen¡¯s right fist at the wrist, twisting along the arm, trying to disarm Ling Chen¡¯s right arm.


    Not good!


    Ling Chen was greatly rmed, his body instinctively reacting as he immediately sprung up, somersaulting in mid-air to dissipate Jiang Hanlin¡¯s power.


    However, just as he was about tond, a piercing surge of power suddenly closed in on him, and next, all he saw was Jiang Hanlin¡¯s knee rising sharply, hitting his shoulder.


    Crack!


    The sound was crisp, and Ling Chen¡¯s expression became instantly ghastly. He knew that was the sound of a dislocated arm.


    Before he could react, Jiang Hanlin¡¯s attacks continued relentlessly, not giving him a moment to breathe. Hanlin¡¯s single palm struck out repeatedly, hitting his chest, his Inner Strength bursting forth, once again sending him flying.


    "You, are not worthy to be my opponent."

 Chapter 283 - 279: Major Disturbance at the Jiang Family 6

    <h4>Chapter 283: Chapter 279: Major Disturbance at the Jiang Family 6</h4><h4></h4>


    The icy disdainful words reached Ling Chen¡¯s ears. He slowly lifted his head, looking at Jiang Hanlin who stood tall and proud across from him, a faint smile lifting the corners of his mouth, revealing teeth stained red with blood¡ªferal, horrifying, like a wild beast that had just awakened.


    Jiang Hanlin turned his back, unwilling to nce at Ling Chen again, his tone indifferent: "Hand him over to you. He¡¯s not worthy of dying by my hand."


    Hearing this, Jiang Han immediately leaped forward, eyes alight with bloodthirsty excitement, and chuckled coldly: "Dad, let me do it. I¡¯ve long wanted to ughter this guy myself." As he spoke, he extended his hand and someone immediately handed him a sharp dagger.


    Seeing Jiang Han approach step by step, Nanrong Wanqing bit her silver teeth and immediately rushed forward, arms wide open, blocking Jiang Han.


    "You¡¯re not allowed to touch him."


    "Cousin, you¡¯d better step aside; I don¡¯t want to hurt you."


    Nanrong Wanqing shook her head, her gaze resolute.


    "Wanqing, move. He can¡¯t kill me yet."


    Ling Chen¡¯s weak voice came through, and Nanrong Wanqing couldn¡¯t help but look back. She saw him leaning on the wall with one hand, struggling to stand up. However, his trembling legs didn¡¯t even have the strength to remain steady. After a great effort to stand halfway, he immediately copsed back to the ground.


    Seeing his struggle, her lips lightly pursed with a hint of reproach in her beautiful eyes¡ªas if to say, still trying to act tough in this state.


    Turning her gaze away, Nanrong Wanqing faced Jiang Han and said, "Let him go. I¡¯ll stay behind."


    "It¡¯s toote!" Jiang Han, impatient, reached out to push Nanrong Wanqing to the side. Seeing his handing, without thinking, Nanrong Wanqing pushed back immediately, making ast-ditch effort.


    But then, an astonishing scene unfolded. During their shoving match, Jiang Han couldn¡¯t withstand Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s strength and was directly pushed several meters away, then fell backward,nding on the ground with a thud.


    At this, everyone present was stunned; their looks towards Jiang Han were filled with mockery, derision, and helplessness.


    His father, Jiang Hanlin, possessed great strength,manding respect from warriors far and wide, yet his son was so useless he couldn¡¯t even handle a woman who was weak as a chicken, and to make matters worse, was pushed to the ground¡ªa total embarrassment.


    Among all the people present, probably only Ling Chen knew the truth. He too had seen what happened just now, and without a doubt, it must have been the function of the exoskeleton armor. The exoskeleton armor Nanrong Wanqing wore had been specially modified to reducebat ability to prevent idental harm when she used it. Even so, this suit of exoskeleton armor was not something ordinary people could contend with, especially not Jiang Han, who was just an average man.


    If he had known this would happen, he should have borrowed a few standard versions of the exoskeleton armor from the General. With that high-tech assistance, he wouldn¡¯t have lost so miserably.


    As these thoughts shed through his mind, Jiang Han had already stood up from the ground. Feeling the mocking gazes of the crowd, Jiang Han¡¯s cheeks were burning with shame and difort. Having been pushed to the ground by a woman was too humiliating; how could he ever hold his head up in the Jiang Family again?


    Thinking this, rage surged within him, drowning out his rationality. He roared and raised the dagger in his hand to stab at Nanrong Wanqing.


    "Stop!"


    "Stop!"


    Two voices rang out at once, one was Jiang Kun¡¯s, and the other was naturally Ling Chen¡¯s.


    However, Jiang Han, consumed by rage, seemed not to hear the reprimands from both men, and his speed did not decrease as he lunged at Nanrong Wanqing.


    The cold light flickered, rmingly conspicuous in the dark night. Nanrong Wanqing almost instinctively raised her arms, her beautiful eyes tightly closed, not daring to look.


    A second went by.


    Nanrong Wanqing found herself unharmed, but beside her came a heavy breathing sound. She turned her gaze in surprise and saw that Ling Chen had appeared behind her at some moment, his eyes blood-red, one hand tightly grasping Jiang Han¡¯s wrist, gasping for breath.


    "I told you to stop, didn¡¯t you hear?" Ling Chen¡¯s voice was low, heaving for breath like a bull, as if he had used up all his strength.


    "You..."


    Jiang Han stared at him in shock and rage, about to speak, but at that moment, Ling Chen¡¯s hand suddenly exerted force, viciously twisting the wrist he was holding, and the dagger gripped in Jiang Han¡¯s hand immediately switched direction, shing towards his own throat.


    Seeing the uncontroble dagger closing in on a vital point, Jiang Han¡¯s face turned deathly pale. No longer caring about being ridiculed, he urgently called for help: "Dad, save me!"


    Swoosh!


    As soon as the words were uttered, a cold star shot through the air, urately striking the dagger, which immediately flew out of his hand.


    Following that, the cold star surged forward, from top to bottom, lightly flicking, and drew a long sh across Ling Chen¡¯s chest, spattering blood, staining his shirt red.


    Gazing at the wound on his chest, Ling Chen¡¯s expression was stern, as if he felt no pain, and he strode towards Jiang Hanlin, his steps firm, his sharp eyes showing no sign of flinching.


    "How reckless!"


    Hearing Jiang Hanlin¡¯s cold mockery, Ling Chen grinned, lightly saying, "Not necessarily." Having said that, he lifted his arm and swallowed the bottle of blue liquid he held tight in his palm.


    Earlier, when he was holding hands with Nanrong Wanqing, he had taken the opportunity to unlock Mr. Yun¡¯s metal box with her fingerprint, inside which was hidden a bottle of blue liquid. He wasn¡¯t sure what effects it would have, so he dared not consume it lightly.


    At this moment, he had no other choice.


    ...


    In Yangcheng, in the presidential suite of a five-star hotel.


    A middle-aged man with aposed demeanor sat on the leather sofa, holding a cup of freshly brewed fragrant tea in his hand.


    In one corner of the room were severalputers and devices, with five suit-d employees seated in front of theputers, quietly watching the screens, seemingly waiting for something.


    Suddenly, an external device connected to aptop lit up with an indicator.


    Instantly, everyone sprang into action, rapidly typing on the keyboards, their eyes fixed on the leaping numbers on the screens, their expressions tense. At the same time, a young man walked over to the middle-aged man and said with a slight bow, "Boss, it¡¯s started."


    Upon hearing this, the middle-aged man immediately stood up and walked behind the row of working staff.


    "The test subject has sessfully ingested the drug, the nanochip is activated."


    "Drug integration level 80 percent... 90 percent... 92 percent... 95 percent..."


    As the percentage numbers climbed higher and higher, the brightness in the middle-aged man¡¯s eyes grew more intense.


    "Integration level 99 percent!"


    Once the number was confirmed, the middle-aged man couldn¡¯t help but clench his fist, a hint of a triumphant smile appearing at the corner of his mouth.


    "How are the test subject¡¯s vital signs?" he asked.


    "Body temperature increased by 100 percent, heart rate increased by 60 percent... The test subject is currently normal, vital signs stable."

 Chapter 284 - 280: Major Disturbance at the Jiang Family 7

    <h4>Chapter 284: Chapter 280: Major Disturbance at the Jiang Family 7</h4><h4></h4>


    "Very good, continue monitoring the data; I want aplete report." After speaking, the middle-aged man turned his head to look at the youth and smiled, "It seems that Zhu Hong¡¯s information was urate. Ling Chen¡¯s genes can perfectly fuse with the potion; it¡¯s just unknown if there will be any side effects."


    Jiang Family.


    Siheyuan.


    With a "click", the sound of a dislocated arm being set back in ce could be heard.


    At this moment, all eyes were focused on Ling Chen. Even ordinary people could feel the change in him.


    Jiang Hanlin stared coldly, watching Ling Chen, whose body glowed red as if scorched by raging mes, his eyes slightly wavering. As a martial artist, he had a clearer sense than others. In these few seconds, Ling Chen¡¯s aura was rapidly strengthening.


    He couldn¡¯t determine Ling Chen¡¯s condition, but he faintly felt that something was not right.


    Strike first to gain the upper hand!


    The thought prompted him to flick his wrist, and with a "swish", the tip of the silver whip with its cold gleam shot out again, aiming straight for Ling Chen¡¯s eyes.


    Facing the gust of the whip, Ling Chen, who was squinting, suddenly opened his eyes wide and, with a lightning-fast move, urately caught the end of the silver whip and wrapped it around his hand.


    Jiang Hanlin raised an eyebrow and immediately tugged the silver whip, trying to pull Ling Chen¡¯s body back along with it. But Ling Chen was as stable as a rock, his legs rooted to the ground. No matter how powerful Jiang Hanlin¡¯s effort was, Ling Chen remained unmoved.


    Seeing this scene, everyone found it unbelievable, even Jiang Kun¡¯s face showed a hint of astonishment. Previously, Ling Chen had beenpletely overpowered by Jiang Hanlin without any ability to fight back, but now he was evenly matched with Jiang Hanlin, despite his severe injuries, which was simply inconceivable.


    Suddenly, a roar erupted; Ling Chen yanked the silver whip, pushing off with his legs. Apanying his movement, Jiang Hanlin¡¯s face slightly changed, his right foot moved forward, his body slightly leaning as if he couldn¡¯t withstand Ling Chen¡¯s strength.


    "Let go!"


    In the midst of the yelling, the handle of the silver whip flew out from Jiang Hanlin¡¯s hand, leaving a shallow bloodstain on his palm.


    The pain in his palm transmitted, and a violent sh appeared in Jiang Hanlin¡¯s icy eyes.


    "Seeking death!"


    With a soft exhtion, he tapped his toes on the ground, closing in quickly, inner strength surging and striking out with a single palm toward Ling Chen¡¯s vital spot.


    Ling Chen, throwing off the silver whip from his hands, didn¡¯t dodge and swung his fist towards Jiang Hanlin¡¯s palm. Fist and palm met, the robust Inner Strength gushing out like a surging river continuously from Jiang Hanlin¡¯s body.


    However, Ling Chen didn¡¯t move back an inch, standing firm,pletely unaffected by the Inner Strength. Suddenly, Ling Chen opened his mouth and roared like a tiger, his punching power bursting out, his formidable force tearing through with a crushing momentum, immediately dismantling Jiang Hanlin¡¯s attack.


    Seizing the advantage, Ling Chen pressed forward aggressively, stepping forward with rapid punches thrown from both left and right with increasing power, showing no sign of stopping.


    Forced into a retreat, Jiang Hanlin continuously stepped back, his palms waving in front of his chest, desperately countering Ling Chen¡¯s punches.


    After more than a dozen exchanges, Jiang Hanlin¡¯splexion turned slightly pale, his arms numbed by the force of Ling Chen¡¯s strikes, gradually slowing down.


    In contrast, Ling Chen seemed not to feel any pain at all, relentlessly advancing, with only one thought in his mind¡ªto defeat the opponent in front of him.


    At this moment, Jiang Hanlin revealed a w, and Ling Chen seized the opportunity,unching a punch straight towards his opponent¡¯s chest. However, Jiang Hanlin reacted quickly, slightly bending his body and tightly wrapping his hands around Ling Chen¡¯s arms, preventing his punch from advancing even half an inch.


    Ling Chen¡¯s punch was blocked, and he fiercely raised his head, staring directly into Jiang Hanlin¡¯s eyes.


    Not good!


    This exmation of "not good" came from Jiang Hanlin, not from Ling Chen. When their eyes met, Jiang Hanlin was surprised to find a faint sneer emerging in Ling Chen¡¯s red eyes.


    Unfortunately, it was toote for him.


    "Die!"


    Apanied by Ling Chen¡¯s furious shout, his arms, originally restrained by Jiang Hanlin, suddenly exerted force, broke free from Jiang Hanlin¡¯s grasp, and violently smashed into his chest.


    Spurt!


    A spray of blood shot out, and Jiang Hanlin¡¯s chest immediately caved in, his bones shattered, and he nearly couldn¡¯t catch his breath, standing still on the spot for a long time.


    "Dad!" Jiang Han cried out in rm and took a step forward to rush over. But before he could move, Ling Chen appeared in front of him.


    Feeling the chilly ruthlessness in those blood-red eyes, Jiang Han involuntarily shuddered and hastily stepped back. But by then, Ling Chen had already reached out first, grabbing his cor and lifting him from the ground, holding him high in the air.


    Seeing his actions, Jiang Kun, Jiang Hanlin, Jiang Ying, and Jiang Yu¡¯s expressions drastically changed, and they yelled in anger and shock, "Ling Chen, what are you doing?"


    "I want you all to know what¡¯s called retribution." With that, Ling Chen swung a punch, heading straight for Jiang Han¡¯s forehead.


    "No!" Watching the rapidly erging fist before him, Jiang Han¡¯s pupils constricted, his face turned pale, full of fear.


    "Stop!"


    As Jiang Kun¡¯s voice echoed, Ling Chen¡¯s merciless fist smashed onto Jiang Han¡¯s forehead. Instantly, Jiang Han¡¯s head tilted, dangling weakly over his neck, frothing at the mouth, unconscious.


    Unperturbed by the furious stares from everyone, Ling Chen casually threw Jiang Han to the ground, his icy gaze sweeping over the crowd, like a beast on the hunt.


    "Who else?"


    As he spoke, a group of security personnel stepped back, not daring to meet his gaze.


    Jiang Hanlin gazed at his son lying on the ground, uncertain if he was alive or dead, his eyes emitting a cold re as his body shook with extreme anger. As he stepped forward, intense pain immediately shot from his chest, and his limbs spasmodically twitched uncontrobly.


    "You... you dare..." Jiang Kun pointed at Ling Chen, his old face turning pale with anger, unable to utter aplete sentence. Jiang Han was his grandson, yet Ling Chen had crippled him right in front of him, tantly disregarding the Jiang family.


    Ling Chen coldly said, "Old fool, listen carefully. If you dare to bully the Nanrong Family again, I will ensure the Jiang Family never recovers. Wanqing, let¡¯s go."


    Nanrong Wanqing softly agreed, closely following his steps, heading straight outside. The surrounding security personnel all stepped aside, not daring to obstruct. This man had dared to cripple the young master of the Jiang family; he was not someone they could afford to provoke.


    Watching the two of them receding into the distance, Jiang Yu gritted his teeth and said, "Family Head, are we just going to let them go? Shall I go and invite..."


    "Shut up!" Jiang Kun sharply interjected: "Do not disturb them over such trivial matters. Today we¡¯ll let them go, but sooner orter, I¡¯ll settle this ount with them properly."

 Chapter 285 - 281: Successful Rescue

    <h4>Chapter 285: Chapter 281: Sessful Rescue</h4><h4></h4>


    With those words, he walked over to the side, bent down to pick up an empty bottle from the ground, and examined it closely in front of him. Suddenly, it seemed he thought of something, and his expression changed slightly.


    "Jiang Yu, you handle the aftermath here." Leaving behind that remark, he hurriedly turned and left.


    "Boss, the experimental subject¡¯s vital signs are beginning to weaken."


    "Is there any danger?"


    "No, at most they¡¯ll be in a faint for a while. This is a normal reaction after taking the medication."


    The middle-aged man nodded and said, "That¡¯s good. By the way, how long did the drug effectst?"


    "Nine minutes, which is a record-breaking duration. Other experimental subjects, after taking the new drug, could only hold out for three minutes at most, and they experienced severe side effects¡ªthe milder being brain death, the more serious being fatal¡ªbut this experimental subject hasn¡¯t shown any of these adverse characteristics."


    "The nano-chip inside the experimental subject¡¯s body will soon be excreted. Hurry up and monitor all his bodily data."


    "Yes."


    ...


    After leaving the Jiang Family, Ling Chen felt his body getting weaker and weaker; his legs seemed filled with lead, unable to lift, and only with Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s support was he able to walk out of the Jiang residence.


    After exiting the Nanyang Coast vi area, a Volkswagenmercial vehicle slowly approached and stopped beside them. The van door opened, and Tang Yuan and Zhong Wei immediately jumped down, lifting Ling Chen into the vehicle.


    "Tang Yuan, Tang Yuan..."


    The van started, and Tang Yuan gently tapped Ling Chen¡¯s cheek, trying to wake him up. But at that moment, Ling Chen¡¯s consciousness was fading, and he could no longer hear the sounds of the outside world. In a drowsy haze, his eyes tightly shut, he fell into a deep sleep.


    Not knowing how long he slept for, when Ling Chen woke up, he felt soreness all over his body as if he had been severely beaten, with pain everywhere.


    Sitting up, he looked around at his environment and was suddenly taken aback¡ªwasn¡¯t this his bedroom at the Nanrong Family house? When did hee back? While he was pondering, the door was pushed open, and Nanrong Wanqing came in with a basin of hot water.


    "Wanqing."


    "You¡¯re awake!" With a look of surprise on her face, Nanrong Wanqing walked to the bedside, put down the basin, took Ling Chen¡¯s hands in hers, and said joyfully, "You¡¯re finally awake."


    Ling Chen watched her with a smile and asked, "How long have I been asleep?"


    "If you count from when we left the Jiang Family, you¡¯ve been asleep for a day and a half." As she spoke, Nanrong Wanqing asked with concern, "How are you feeling? Is everything okay with your body? Do you want me to call a doctor to have a look at you?"


    "You forgot, I know medical techniques myself. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m fine, I¡¯m very tough." Ling Chen patted his chest as he spoke, but immediately his body protested with a violent cough, making Nanrong Wanqing both frustrated and heartbroken.


    "Alright! Stop trying to act tough and rest properly." With those words, she wrung out a towel from the hot water basin and carefully wiped Ling Chen¡¯s face.


    This kind of task could be done by the housemaid at home, but she wanted to take care of Ling Chen herself. It wasn¡¯t just because of Ling Chen¡¯s sacrifices for her, but more importantly, she regarded Ling Chen as her man. As a woman, it was only natural to take care of your man.


    "Wanqing."


    "Hmm?"


    Ling Chen curiously asked, "The Jiang Family kidnapped you, what exactly for?"


    Nanrong Wanqing shook her head, her beautiful eyes also showing a trace of confusion, "I¡¯m not sure, they seemed to have some ns for me. Originally, Jiang Han was ready to do something to me, but then you arrived in time and stopped him, so I don¡¯t know the specific reason." With that, she hesitated for a moment, and couldn¡¯t help but ask, "Is... is Jiang Han dead?"


    "He¡¯s not dead, but he might as well be, he¡¯s going to have to spend the rest of his life in bed," Ling Chen said. He knew how to control his strength, and that punch, while not lethal, was enough to leave Jiang Han in a vegetative state.


    He never imed to be a good person. If someone offends him, he would strike back¡ªthat was his principle. Jiang Han repeatedly opposed him and even kidnapped Nanrong Wanqing. Without venting his anger, it would be unfair to himself and would not serve as a harsh lesson to the Jiang Family.


    However, the sessful rescue of Nanrong Wanqing and their smooth escape were owed to the mysterious Mr. Yun. But every time he thought of Mr. Yun, his heart was filled with doubts.


    From the enhanced medicine, it was clear that Mr. Yun must be from the God Organization. Being from the God Organization, why would he help rescue Nanrong Wanqing? Moreover, every time Mr. Yun mentioned Nanrong Wanqing, he affectionately called her "Wanqing." Such a term is only used by those with close rtions.


    With this in mind, he asked, "Wanqing, do you know someone named Mr. Yun?"


    "Mr. Yun? I don¡¯t recall. Why do you ask?"


    "It¡¯s nothing, just wondering," Ling Chen replied evasively. That person knew Nanrong Wanqing very well, yet she did not recognize him¡ªcould it be... A bold guess suddenly struck his mind, leaving him utterly shocked.


    No way!


    He was secretly astounded, if his guess was true, then this matter would be a huge deal, likely even moreplicated than he had imagined.


    "What are you thinking about?" Seeing him lost in thought and appearing shaken, Nanrong Wanqing couldn¡¯t help but ask.


    "I¡¯m just thinking..." Ling Chen grinned, his gaze captured by her bright eyes, "I¡¯m thinking, when the old man and the others see you walking again, they¡¯re going to be so excited they won¡¯t be able to sleep for days."


    Hearing his words, Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s beautiful face bloomed like a thousand flowers in joy, a sparkle of childish excitement shing in her eyes. In her view, being able to walk again was even more delightful than returning home safely from the Jiang Family.


    Even though it was with the help of external exoskeleton armor, it was still better than life in a wheelchair before.


    Ling Chen gently held her delicate and fair wrists, gazing intently into her eyes that shone like stars, as if making a promise, he said, "I guarantee you, this is just the beginning, I will surely make you stand on your own strength."


    "Mhm." Nanrong Wanqing nodded, the corners of her lips curving up into a beautiful arc, making Ling Chen¡¯s heart itch with desire. If it weren¡¯t for his body not yet fully recovered, he would have pounced on her to taste those tempting red lips.


    Seemingly sensing his intense gaze, Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s face blushed with modesty, and she rebuked yfully, "Don¡¯t daydream, rest well."


    Ling Chen coughed lightly, hiding his inner impulse, and changed the subject, "By the way, where¡¯s Old Tang?"


    "He¡¯s gone back. He said if you woke up, to give him a call."


    "Okay."


    ...


    The next day.


    Nanrong Wanqing had gone to the Hongyu Group headquarters with Zhong Wei and others, leaving Ling Chen alone at home. Out of sheer boredom, he casually turned on the television, leaned back on the bed, and leisurely enjoyed some grapes.


    For these two days, he had enjoyed an emperor-like treatment, not having to lift a finger as everything was brought to him.


    Just then, a news report on the television suddenly caught his attention.

 Chapter 286 - 282: Distance

    <h4>Chapter 286: Chapter 282: Distance</h4><h4></h4>


    "This station¡¯stest report, Miss Tang Shiyun, an artist under Silver Star Entertainment Company, will hold a fan meeting at East Sea City International Square in two days. This will also be Miss Tang¡¯s first public appearance since she was attacked. Up to now, both Silver Star Entertainment and the police have not released many details about the previous attack. Our station will broadcast the entire fan meeting live, so please tune in..."


    Watching the news, Ling Chen frowned to himself. Several days had passed, have they still not found the suspect? Could the police¡¯s efficiency be this low?


    Right now, with the attacker still atrge, Tang Shiyun is actually appearing in public again; he wondered what herpany was thinking. What if something happens again?


    While pondering, he picked up his phone, pulled up Tang Shiyun¡¯s number, his thumb hovered over ¡¯call¡¯, hesitating, never pressing down. It¡¯s not that he didn¡¯t want to, but just thinking about Tang Shiyun¡¯s mother, Yao Li, made him somewhat indecisive.


    After thinking, he decided against it, better not let Yao Li know he contacted Tang Shiyun and bring that girl trouble.


    Havingid around all morning, Ling Chen really couldn¡¯t stay idle any longer. He got up from bed, dressed himself, and stealthily opened the door. Seeing that Nanny Wang was not in the living room, he secretly breathed a sigh of relief and quickly ran out.


    He had no choice, as Nanrong Wanqing was afraid he wouldn¡¯t rest properly, she specifically instructed Nanny Wang to watch over him and not allow him to go out.


    Once outside, Ling Chen went straight to his car, apanied by a roar like that of a beast, the car swiftly sped off and entered the road.


    He initially wanted to go to thepany to have a look, but then thought, if Nanrong Wanqing happened to be there, he couldn¡¯t predict the ¡¯lecture¡¯ he¡¯d get. Thinking of this, he directly drove to Qingyun Martial Arts Hall. About the Prajnaparamita Sutra, he had too many questions to ask He Ziyun.


    Half an hourter, the car arrived at the destination.


    Ling Chen walked up to the Martial Arts Academy and gently knocked on the door. In no time, the door opened, revealing a stunningly beautiful face. Their eyes met, both paused briefly. After a short moment, Ling Chen was the first to recover and greeted with a smile.


    "Xiaozhu, long time no see."


    Since theyst parted, it had been almost one or two months since he saw Zhu Xiaozhu. After so many days, Zhu Xiaozhu was still as gentle and graceful as ever, like a tranquil autumn water casually flowing into one¡¯s heart and intoxicating it.


    "Come in."


    Watching Ling Chen, Zhu Xiaozhu spoke softly. Her beautiful eyes shimmered like water, carrying a hint of unusual emotions.


    Walking into the Martial Arts Academy, Ling Chen and Zhu Xiaozhu walked side by side, asionally exchanging a few words¡ªmostly Ling Chen asking and Zhu Xiaozhu softly responding a couple of times, silently, with her head down, her eyes touching the ground, seemingly lost in thought, appearing distracted.


    "Big brother!"


    Seeing Ling Chen walking over, Little Hua cheerfully ran out from the hall and affectionately wrapped his arm, seemingly wanting to hang her whole body weight on his arm.


    "Careful, careful," Ling Chen said hastily. His body hadn¡¯t yet recovered, and it couldn¡¯t withstand this girl¡¯s frolic.


    "Big brother, you haven¡¯t visited me for a long time." Little Hua pouted, somewhat displeased.


    "I¡¯m here now, aren¡¯t I." Ling Chen knew how demanding this girl could be, fearing she might seize the chance to ¡¯ckmail¡¯ him, he quickly changed the subject and asked, "Where is Mr. He? I need to see him for something."


    "Sniff!" Little Hua frowned with dissatisfaction, mumbling through her nose, "Every visit is to see that old man, never just for me."


    Hearing this, Ling Chen was caught betweenughter and tears. How cunning a child she was! Who knows what was going on in her little head?


    "You guys go ahead and talk, I have some other things to take care of," Zhu Xiaozhu said softly. Without waiting for Ling Chen to respond, she had already headed towards her own room, not looking back. Watching her graceful, slender figure leaving, Ling Chen opened his mouth, tried to speak several times, but the words seemed to be stuck in his throat.


    Little Hua nced at Zhu Xiaozhu, then back at Ling Chen, a subtle twinkle hardly noticeable in her big round eyes.


    "Big Brother, did you have a fight with Sister Xiaozhu?"


    "Nothing of the sort."


    "Then why won¡¯t Sister Xiaozhu talk to you?"


    "This..." Ling Chen was momentarily speechless, unsure how to exin to her. Indeed, there was a seemingly insurmountable chasm between him and Zhu Xiaozhu. However, that didn¡¯t prevent them from being friends. In fact, he had realized upon arriving at the Martial Arts Academy that avoiding the issue was not a solution. As a man, he ought to be more magnanimous.


    Yet, Zhu Xiaozhu¡¯s attitude was puzzling. Although on the surface nothing seemed amiss, he could sense that Zhu Xiaozhu was keeping him at a great distance. The smile on her face was merely polite, no longer as sincere as before.


    Thinking it over, he hadn¡¯t seen Zhu Xiaozhu for a while and couldn¡¯t figure out where he might have offended her.


    Ah, the heart of a woman is like a needle in the depths of the sea; not something a man like him could easily fathom. Shaking his head, he decided not to dwell on it and stepped into the lobby. Little Hua nibbled on her finger, her eyes wandering cunningly before she hurried to Zhu Xiaozhu¡¯s room.


    At this moment, He Ziyun was seated in the hall, holding a scripture. Beside him, an incense burner wafted faint blue smoke, filling the room with the delightful fragrance of sandalwood.


    "Mr. He." Ling Chen greeted him as he approached.


    He Ziyun slightly lifted his head to gaze at him, a sharp light shing through his cloudy aging eyes. He set down the scripture and said, "You¡¯re injured."


    "I knew I couldn¡¯t hide it from your eyes." Ling Chen smiled, sat down uninvited, and began to recount the events of the past few days.


    "Yangcheng¡¯s Jiang Family?" He Ziyun nodded, "I¡¯ve heard of them. That family is deeply hidden and not to be trifled with."


    Ling Chen touched his nose, his face filled with curiosity, "Mr. He, everyone says the Jiang Family is no simple matter, but I really can¡¯t see what¡¯s soplex about them."


    He Ziyun gave a light smile, "What¡¯s visible on the surface isn¡¯t frightening. What¡¯s truly terrifying are the things hidden behind. It applies to both situations and people. You can know one¡¯s face but not the heart. The outward appearance doesn¡¯t represent the inside unless you have the skill to dissect andy everything bare unabashedly. Otherwise, do not take it lightly."


    Ling Chen took the lesson to heart, "Right! Mr. He, there seems to be an issue with the Prajnaparamita Sutra I¡¯ve been practicing."


    "Any Internal Cultivation Method, without predecessors¡¯ guidance or references, must be tackled through self-exploration. It¡¯s normal to encounter problems. Tell me about it, and let¡¯s see if I can help you solve them."


    Promptly, Ling Chen recounted the sparring encounter with Qiu Wen and his brothers, including the sudden emergence of a strange, malevolent fire within him.

 Chapter 287 - 283 Porridge Girl’s Challenge Letter

    <h4>Chapter 287: Chapter 283 Porridge Girl¡¯s Challenge Letter</h4><h4></h4>


    "Interesting."


    After listening to Ling Chen¡¯s story, He Ziyun¡¯s eyes slightly brightened, as if he had discovered something amusing.


    Ling Chen secretly smiled wryly; he didn¡¯t find this amusing at all. The Internal Cultivation Methods he practiced always inexplicably lost control, who knows what situation might arise in the future. Moreover, that evil fire only appeared when he shed with his brothers Qiu Wen, that day when he sparred with Jiang Hanlin, he hoped to ignite the evil fire inside him, but there was no movement at all,pletely out of his control.


    "This matter should be rted to a woman."


    "Woman?" Ling Chen blinked slightly perplexed, "Mr. He, what does this have to do with a woman?"


    "Didn¡¯t you just say that the night before you and Qiu Wen brothers shed, you had an encounter with a woman."


    Upon hearing this, Ling Chen¡¯s face turned red, even someone as thick-skinned as him felt embarrassed to discuss this openly in front of He Ziyun.


    "Prajnaparamita Sutra is a profound internal cultivation method that integrates the essence of various schools including shades of the Buddhist mental methods. Ling Chen, have you ever heard of Dual Cultivation? Though Buddhism is a tranquil ce that doesn¡¯t indulge in worldly affairs, Buddhism explores all aspects, embracing the world, and even matters of men and women aren¡¯t taboo. Otherwise, how would there be Joyful Buddha. The internal cultivation method you practice mainly relies on Yin and Yang. Men are Yang, women are Yin, and only by merging Yin and Yang can it manifest its effects. Therefore, that situation urred when you faced off with Qiu Wen brothers."


    Ling Chen asked doubtfully, "But why didn¡¯t this happen when I faced Jiang Hanlin?"


    "It¡¯s because youck Yin Qi in your body, so it couldn¡¯t be activated," He Ziyun exined.


    "I see." Ling Chen nodded, somewhat understanding, feeling an indescribable taste in his heart. This internal cultivation method is good, but it¡¯s too perverse. ording to Mr. He, doesn¡¯t it mean that I need to engage more with women, umting enough Yin Qi inside, in order for the Prajnaparamita Sutra to exert its maximum power?


    Damn, does it mean I really have to be a pervert.


    While mulling over this, a knocking sound came from outside the Martial Arts Academy.


    Before Ling Chen could get up, Little Hua had already sprinted out from Zhu Xiaozhu¡¯s room and ran directly to the door.


    Soon, Little Hua came bouncing back into the lobby and said to Mr. He: "Master, a very beautiful Sister is looking for you."


    Beautiful? And a woman?


    He Ziyun, ignoring Ling Chen¡¯s ill-intentioned gaze, walked towards the courtyard. Ling Chen also wanted to see what that woman looked like, and quickly followed him.


    Ling Chen couldn¡¯t help but nce at Mr. He again, a strange smile emerging on his lips. Unexpectedly, this old man still preserved the colors of manhood despite his age.


    Exiting the lobby, Ling Chen saw Zhu Xiaozhu being dragged out of her room by Little Hua. Their eyes met, and Zhu Xiaozhu slightly lowered her head, seemingly unwilling to make eye contact. Ling Chen shrugged helplessly; he really didn¡¯t know why suddenly Zhu Xiaozhu was so resistant to him.


    At that moment, the beautiful Sister mentioned by Little Hua appeared from the doorway, walking towards him. Looking at the arriving guest, Ling Chen¡¯s expression froze slightly, his pupils reflecting surprise.


    Is it her?


    Long time no see, she hasn¡¯t changed, still so in and simple, wearing no makeup. However, even with a bare face, her stunning beauty cannot be hidden¡ªher figure neither fat nor thin, perfectly contoured like a naturally carved ice sculpture, elegant and ethereal, with a touch of coldness.


    When he was watching her, she was also observing him. Their eyes met, Ling Chen slightly smiled and nodded lightly, greeting her.


    However, the woman didn¡¯t show much response, directly withdrawing her cold gaze and looking towards Mr. He, her lips slightly parting.


    "Are you Earthly List expert, He Ziyun?"


    Mr. He smiled faintly, nodding: "That¡¯s me. And you are?"


    "Porridge girl."


    "Porridge girl?" Hearing this unique name, Mr. He gently shook his head, "Youngdy, this mustn¡¯t be your real name. Not even daring to reveal your name shows ack of sincerity, my Martial Arts Academy doesn¡¯t entertain people without sincerity. Please leave."


    "My name is indeed Porridge girl. If you don¡¯t believe it, you can ask him," she said, pointing at Ling Chen.


    "Oh?" Mr. He looked puzzledly at Ling Chen, "You know her?"


    Before Ling Chen could speak, Porridge girl added, "He was the one who gave me this name."


    With this statement, the way the others looked at Ling Chen changed. Zhu Xiaozhu clenched her dress and a seldom noticeable hint of sadness flickered through her eyes, followed by a nearly inaudible sigh.


    "Since you¡¯re a friend of Ling, I won¡¯t ask further. What brings you to me?"


    "I¡¯vee to challenge you!" As she spoke, Porridge girl flicked her wrist, and suddenly, a golden challenge letter appeared in Mr. He¡¯s hand.


    Ling Chen, watching from the side, was startled; he couldn¡¯t even see the trajectory of the challenge letter, and it alreadynded in Mr. He¡¯s hand, the speed probably surpassed visual recognition.


    Her abilities are actually this strong!


    When he first met Porridge girl, he knew she was an expert, but he didn¡¯t expect her to be among the very elite. Mr. He is ranked on the Earthly List, and Porridge Girl was challenging him. What did this imply?


    Mr. He maintained hisposure, his smile probing: "Since you know I¡¯m an Earthly List expert, your own skills must not be negligible?" This sentence, although courteous on the surface, hinted, do you really have the qualifications to challenge an Earthly List expert?


    Porridge girl effortlessly undid the cloth bag on her back, throwing a cleaved two-piece steel knife onto the ground. Although broken, the de emitted a chilling light, the might lingering.


    "This is the personal weapon of Liu Xieyuan, ranked eighth on the Earthly List. Do I qualify to challenge you now?"


    Watching the broken knife on the ground, Mr. He¡¯s expression turned solemn.


    "The time and ce are on the challenge letter, please be punctual."


    As she finished speaking, Porridge girl turned and walked outside.


    "Wait! Hold on!"


    Ling Chen, seeing her leaving, quickly followed, but by the time he reached the door, Porridge girl was nowhere to be seen.


    This woman, after such a long time, could at least have stayed to catch up; after all, he was practically her first friend.


    Returning to the Martial Arts Academy, Zhu Xiaozhu had already gone back to her room with Little Hua. Mr. He picked up the broken knife from the ground, and without looking back, said, "Ling Chen, you can leave first. I am going to close off for a few days and won¡¯t see any guests."


    Helpless, Ling Chen had to leave the Martial Arts Academy and drove towards Wealthy Manor.


    On the way, his cell phone suddenly rang. Looking at the unfamiliar caller ID, he answered and said, "Who is this? ... Is it you?" Ling Chen was slightly surprised, somewhat puzzled, howe this person was calling him.

 Chapter 288 - 284 Death Threat

    <h4>Chapter 288: Chapter 284 Death Threat</h4><h4></h4>


    After hanging up the phone, Ling Chen turned around and entered a street, driving a hundred meters before parking by the roadside, and got out to walk into a coffee shop on the street.


    Arriving at the prearranged private room, Ling Chen lightly knocked on the door, then pushed it open and walked in.


    In the modest-sized room, a delicate round table was ced by the window, with the curtains drawn. Zhu Yansong was sitting on one side, holding a cup of coffee, his face colored with anxiety.


    "Mr. Zhu."


    Ling Chen greeted and took a seat opposite him.


    Zhu Yansong squeezed out a wry smile and said apologetically, "Mr. Ling, I¡¯m terribly sorry to bother you during your busy schedule to meet with me."


    "No problem, I was just idling at home anyway. Mr. Zhu, do you need something from me?"


    When Ling Chen received the call from Zhu Yansong, he was very curious, not knowing what the other party wanted from him.


    Zhu Yansong hesitated for a moment, a troubled expression on his face, "Mr. Ling, my visit today is mainly concerning Miss Tang."


    Upon hearing this, Ling Chen¡¯s mind stirred, and he asked without revealing his thoughts, "Is it Miss Yao who asked you to find me?"


    "No, not at all!" Zhu Yansong hastily replied, "You¡¯ve misunderstood, I¡¯m here because Miss Tang needs help."


    Help? Without continuing the conversation, Ling Chen waited silently for Zhu Yansong to finish speaking.


    "Mr. Ling, to be frank, Miss Tang has run into trouble."


    "What?" Ling Chen¡¯s heart skipped a beat, and he eximed, "What kind of trouble? Where is she? Is she okay?" His thoughts immediately turned to Tang Shiyun¡¯s previous assault incident. Could it be... With that thought, his heart started to race with worry.


    "Mr. Ling, she¡¯s currently at home."


    Ling Chen paused for a moment, then rxed. That scared him¡ªhe had thought Tang Shiyun was in danger. "Mr. Zhu, can you please speak clearly? You¡¯re going to give someone a heart attack like this."


    "Miss Tang has been scared out of her witstely, staying at home all day, afraid to go out."


    "Wait! Make yourself clear, what do you mean scared out of her wits?"


    "Ever since the assault incident, Miss Tang has been receiving anonymous letters filled with gruesome photos, of severed hands and feet, or heads chopped off. At first, it wasn¡¯t too bad, but these past two days, it¡¯s not just photos anymore. The sender even mailed boxes containing dissected dead cats and dogs, their bodies brutally mutted." Even Zhu Yansong, a grown man, showed a look of dread. Obviously, he had seen those animal corpses.


    "Death threats!" Ling Chen immediately identified the nature of the incident.


    "Yes, that¡¯s it," Zhu Yansong nodded.


    At that moment, as if something urred to Ling Chen, he said, "I saw on the news, Shiyun is going to have a fan meet in East Sea City. Knowing that someone is out to harm her, why not cancel it?"


    "The fan meet was scheduled a month ago, and after this incident, thepany¡¯s upper management was concerned for Miss Tang¡¯s safety and wanted to cancel it. However, after consulting with the police, they advised us to proceed as normal. They said as long as Miss Tang appears in public, they will definitely be able to lure out those with malicious intent. At that time, they n to implement full surveince, hoping to catch the suspect."


    "That won¡¯t do, this is gambling with Shiyun¡¯s life," Ling Chen frowned, clearly aggravated, "What kind of terrible advice is this?"


    Zhu Yansong looked helpless as he replied, "I can¡¯t do anything about this situation; it¡¯s a decision made by thepany¡¯s executives and the police. I¡¯m just a man paid to get things done, I don¡¯t have the authority to criticize. Mr. Ling, I know you care about Miss Tang and I¡¯m aware of your capabilities, so I¡¯d like to ask for your help to ensure nothing happens to Miss Tang."


    Without hesitating, Ling Chen responded, "When ites to Shiyun¡¯s safety, I have an undeniable responsibility." He paused and nced at Zhu Yansong, unable to help himself from asking, "Mr. Zhu, is it Shiyun who asked you to find me, or..."


    "I took the initiative."


    "Oh." Ling Chen¡¯s expression turned somewhat disappointed.


    "Mr. Ling, please don¡¯t mind, actually Miss Tang really needs you by her side, it¡¯s just... you know, she isn¡¯t in a position to do much right now. Just before I left, I saw Miss Tang sitting alone on the windowsill, holding her phone, staring at your number, and hesitant to call, fearing that Miss Yao would discover."


    Ling Chen nodded to show he understood. The main problem wasn¡¯t Tang Shiyun, but Yao Li. With Yao Li by Tang Shiyun¡¯s side, even if she missed him, she wouldn¡¯t dare to express it, lest it would only worsen the mother-daughter rtionship.


    "Mr. Zhu, how are Shiyun¡¯s current security measures?"


    "Besides the bodyguards hired by ourpany, there are the police protecting her around the clock. As long as she doesn¡¯t leave the vi, there¡¯s no problem. What I¡¯m most concerned about is the fan meet the day after tomorrow, that¡¯s the critical moment."


    "Don¡¯t worry, I will be there to assist you in secret," Ling Chen emphasized the word ¡¯secret,¡¯ to slightly ease Zhu Yansong¡¯s anxiety. His biggest fear was having Ling Chen face off with Yao Li; her previous threats were still fresh in his memory, not to be forgotten.


    Taking a nce at the time, Ling Chen stood up and said, "Mr. Zhu, we¡¯ll be in touch about the day after tomorrow. If there¡¯s nothing else, I¡¯ll be going now."


    "Sure, take care."


    Leaving the coffee shop, Ling Chen got into his car, mulling over Zhu Yansong¡¯s words. Whoever was sending the death threats must be the same person who attacked the Lincoln Sedan outside of East Sea University. However, what he couldn¡¯t understand was who bore such a deep grudge against Tang Shiyun to the point of wanting her dead.


    Tang Shiyun was new to her career, Zhu Yansong said she got along well with everyone, never offended anyone, and wouldn¡¯t have enemies.


    Could the suspect be psychologically disturbed?


    If that were the case, it seemed far-fetched.


    After much thought, Ling Chen decided to arrange a meeting with Xia Mutong. The operation was led by the police; it was necessary to give her a heads-up. Additionally, he wanted to ascertain which idiot came up with such a lousy idea of risking Tang Shiyun¡¯s life.


    The phone connected.


    "Hello." Xia Mutong¡¯s crisp voice came through.


    "It¡¯s me. Are you free right now?"


    "I¡¯m very busy," Xia Mutong had just finished her sentence when Ling Chen heard a familiar voice from the other end: "Xia, dinner¡¯s ready, are youing to eat with us?"


    Tang Shiyun?


    Ling Chen tensed slightly, wondering why Xia Mutong was with Tang Shiyun. Right, he realized, as a police officer, Xia Mutong must be involved in this operation. Moreover, being a woman, she could provide close protection for Tang Shiyun¡¯s safety.


    However, considering Xia Mutong¡¯s sexual orientation, he couldn¡¯t help but worry if that woman might attempt anything inappropriate with Tang Shiyun.

 Chapter 289 - 285: Exotic Taste

    <h4>Chapter 289: Chapter 285: Exotic Taste</h4><h4></h4>


    "Officer Xia, I..."


    "I don¡¯t have time to talk to you right now. We¡¯ll talkter." After saying that, Xia Mutong hung up the phone directly.


    This woman... Ling Chen shook his head helplessly. After all, he was her first man, yet her attitude didn¡¯t show any friendliness. If Xia Mutong knew what he was thinking, she would probably want to tear him into pieces.


    Returning to the Nanrong Family, Ling Chen leaned against the sofa and crossed his legs, searching for news about Tang Shiyun on his phone. Aside from the attack incident outside East Sea Universityst time, there were no other reports, it seemed the police had the news tightly sealed, and didn¡¯t let the media find out.


    Just then, the WeChat notification tone rang, and a new message was received. This WeChat ount was registered for him by Wei Jun when he was working in the security department, who said he wanted to share some ¡¯good stuff¡¯ with him.


    Opening the message, sure enough, Wei Jun had sent a short video. The screen was pitch ck; he had no idea what it was about. He casually tapped on it, and suddenly, a steamy scene that could get one¡¯s blood racing immediately yed on the phone screen, apanied by moans and groans.


    Caught off guard by this raunchy clip, Ling Chen felt incredibly embarrassed, ncing stealthily around. Seeing that no one was home, he let down his guard, brazenly holding up his phone and watched it openly.


    "Wow, that body, that position, that technique..." As he watched, hemented from time to time and took the opportunity to humbly learn some skills¡ªafter all, this was professional knowledge he might need to use in the future.


    After enjoying a short video, Wei Jun sent several more, with each bing more explicit.


    "Big Brother Wei¡¯s taste is really something else."


    Mumbling to himself, the door was pushed open, and Su Lin walked in from outside. She was about to greet Ling Chen, who was sitting on the sofa, but at that moment, a high-pitched moan suddenly rang out. She paused for a moment, nced at what Ling Chen was holding, and immediately turned bright red.


    This pervert, actually... actually at home watching such dirty videos. Unconsciously, the scene from the other day when she was fixing theputer in the room with Ling Chen resurfaced in her mind; her face and ears turned red, her ample chest rose and fell slightly, looking stunningly beautiful.


    "Cough cough!" She forced out two coughs, promptly pulling Ling Chen, who was immersed in the video, back to reality.


    He swiftly turned his head to see Su Lin at the door, and his face immediately turned awkward. When did this girl get back? He was so engrossed in the video that he hadn¡¯t even noticed.


    At this point, the moaning from the video was getting louder and was echoing in the living room, filled with a suggestive atmosphere.


    Su Lin bit her cherry lip, her face blushing a lovely red, looking irresistibly attractive, wishing she could block her own ears. The seductive moans entered her ears, making her feel restless, hot all over, and utterly embarrassed.


    After a brief daze, Ling Chen finally snapped out of it and hurriedly closed the video on his phone, cursing inwardly, Wei Jun, you jerk, you¡¯ve really screwed me over now.


    Hearing that embarrassing sound disappear, Su Lin, in her high heels, went cking upstairs. As she passed the sofa, she nced at Ling Chen with a flushed face and whispered softly, "Pervert!"


    Her voice was very low, but the sharp-eared Ling Chen still heard it clearly. Heughed awkwardly, "Lady Su, saints too enjoy beauty, that... it¡¯s only human nature."


    Su Lin snorted lightly, "Don¡¯t make excuses for your sleaziness."


    Ling Chen called out discontentedly, "Hey, hey, what¡¯s this way of talking, I am, after all, your brother-inw."


    "You can¡¯t call yourself a brother-inw when there¡¯s not even a stroke of agreement between you and Wanqing, wait until you¡¯re married to her before you strut around me acting like one," Su Lin didn¡¯t fall for his act at all.


    This little girl actually dares to question her future status. If I don¡¯t teach her a lesson now, she¡¯ll turn the heavens upside downter.


    Ling Chen red, intending to assert his authority, but just then, a knock suddenly came from outside the door.


    "You go open the door." After speaking, Su Lin went upstairs.


    Watching her graceful figure ascend the stairs, her round buttocks slightly perked up, Ling Chen shook his head secretly¡ªthis girl would surely be a heartbreaker when she grew up.


    Approaching the door, he opened it and saw Liu Kun standing outside.


    "Uncle Liu, what brings you here? Come in and sit."


    "No, I have other matters. Just now I received a few express packages, and some of them are for Miss Su, so I thought I¡¯d drop them off."


    Taking the express packages handed over by Liu Kun, Ling Chen thanked him on Su Lin¡¯s behalf, then turned around and walked back to the living room, cing the packages on the table, casting a casual nce at them.


    Inadvertently, one of the packages caught his attention. While other packages had the sender¡¯s name, address, and items clearly written on the courier slip, this one had only the recipient¡¯s name and phone number. Other than that, there was no further information.


    With the Nanrong Family in the midst of troubled times, he had to be cautious. Moreover, the postal code on the express slip indicated it was from Yangcheng, which immediately made him think of the Jiang Family.


    However, Su Lin had no involvement in the grudge between the Jiang and Nanrong Families, so it seemed unlikely that they would trouble her.


    After some thought, Ling Chen still felt uneasy. Especially since he had learned from Zhu Yansong that Tang Shiyun had recently received many death threats, he didn¡¯t dare take it lightly. It was just a package anyway¡ªchecking it should be no problem.


    With this thought, he took a pair of scissors from a drawer, cutting along the seam of the package very carefully.


    Peeling off the tape from the package¡¯s exterior, he opened the box, revealing a slit, and then scrutinized it closely. As he saw clearly what was inside the package, his expression changed slightly, a hint of doubt in his eyes.


    "What¡¯s this?"


    Curious, he pulled out the object from the package, only to see it resembled arge banana, connected at the top to a wire and a remote control. He pressed the remote lightly, and therge banana started to buzz and vibrate.


    This... this is...


    Seeming to realize something, his eyes widened as he stared at the object in his hands, his mouth agape¡ªbig enough to stuff an egg in. No, an egg wasn¡¯t enough to convey the shock in his heart; an apple would be more like it.


    Good heavens!


    No wonder there was nothing written on the express package¡ªsuch a private item must be too embarrassing to write about. Still, he was quite surprised that Su Lin would buy something so embarrassing. It seems that regardless of beauty or not, young people have their needs. He thought with a sleazy amusement.


    Suddenly, footsteps were heard from the stairs.


    Su Lin came rushing down hurriedly, asking, "Ling Chen, the delivery guy just called saying the express delivery arrived. Did you..."


    Before she could finish her sentence, Su Lin froze on the spot, staring nkly at therge banana in Ling Chen¡¯s hand, her pretty face turning red in an instant.

 Chapter 290 - 286: The Heart of a Young Girl

    <h4>Chapter 290: Chapter 286: The Heart of a Young Girl</h4><h4></h4>


    At this moment, neither Ling Chen nor Su Lin spoke. They just looked at each other as the quiet living room was filled only with the ¡¯buzzing¡¯ of the vibrator.


    "You... you..."


    After a long while, Su Lin opened her mouth, her eyes full of shame and anger, at a loss for words. This pervert dared to secretly open his package, and even held such embarrassing items in his hand. She had ordered online sneakily and specifically asked the seller not to write the item on the delivery note to avoid embarrassment.


    But now, the situation was a hundred times more embarrassing than any she had encountered before. She felt she could no longer show her face to anyone.


    At that time, Ling Chen finally came to his senses and quickly turned off the vibrator, stuffing it clumsily back into the package while giving an awkward smile, "That... I didn¡¯t do it on purpose."


    "You still say!"


    Su Lin felt her anger rising uncontrobly, mes seemed to burn in her eyes, wishing she could devour Ling Chen alive on the spot. Now her privacy waspletely exposed. The more she thought about it, the angrier she became, but more than that, she felt humiliated. Thinking about Ling Chen holding that thing in his hand, her face felt as if it was on fire, extremely hot.


    Feeling the awkward atmosphere between the two, Ling Chen coughed lightly and spoke with earnestness, "Lin, we are all young, there¡¯s nothing to be embarrassed about, I can understand your needs, but you should still control yourself, don¡¯t be too... too much. Besides, this thing is so big, it doesn¡¯t seem suitable for you."


    Su Lin could barely ept what he said at first, but thest sentence made her face turn bright red, overwhelmed with embarrassment. This bastard, what¡¯s with ¡¯so big, it¡¯s unsuitable for me¡¯?


    For a moment, she felt she couldn¡¯t stay any longer, she red fiercely at Ling Chen, stamped her foot, and hurried back upstairs.


    Ling Chen hurriedly called out, "Hey, don¡¯t go, you haven¡¯t taken your stuff yet."


    Bang!


    His response was a loud door m.


    Seeing Su Lin¡¯s embarrassment, Ling Chen couldn¡¯t help but snicker to himself. Just earlier she was calling him a big pervert, and now with the evidence in hand, look who turned out to be the more pervy one. While he thought so, he still admired Su Lin for buying such arge model, how unsatisfied she must be. Moreover, she¡¯s never tasted the pleasures of a man, but could she actually handle that thing?


    His mind wandering, he nced at the vibrator left on the living room coffee table and suddenly felt uneasy. If Nanrong Wanqing were to see this, who knows what she would think. After all, it¡¯s a woman¡¯s private matter, and even though Nanrong Wanqing is Su Lin¡¯s cousin, it¡¯s probably not something Su Lin would want her to know.


    With that thought, he picked up the package and went straight upstairs.


    Arriving in front of Su Lin¡¯s bedroom, he made as if to knock on the door. But at that moment, he heard a faint sound of sobbinging from the room.


    Could it be? This girl is actually crying. He mentally scolded himself, ming his loose lips for saying those words and causing her to cry. However, he found it funny too, as bold as this girl was to buy such a thing, her skin was still so thin.


    Twisting the doorknob, Ling Chen pushed the door slightly ajar and peered inside. He saw Su Lin lying on the bed, a box of tissues beside her, continuously wiping away tears, murmuring under her breath. He tiptoed to her side, leaned in to listen and finally made out what she was saying. Turns out, she was cursing him.


    "Pervert, bastard, hooligan, scoundrel..." Su Lin used every insulting moniker she could think of on Ling Chen. While cursing, she was also tearing the tissues, the gritting of her teeth made it seem as if she wished it wasn¡¯t tissue she was tearing, but Ling Chen instead.


    Tsk tsk! Ling Chen shook his head helplessly, this girl really had a huge grudge against him.


    Forget it, it¡¯s better not to disturb her, to avoid making her cry again. Thest thing he wanted to see was a woman¡¯s tears¡ªthey¡¯re the invisible, most lethal weapon that could shatter your defenses at any time.


    Gently cing down the express package, Ling Chen silently withdrew, then closed the room door behind him.


    Not long after he left, Su Lin, having seemingly vented out her feelings, got up and prepared to head to the bathroom. However, as she turned around, she saw the opened express package ced on her desk.


    Her face showed subtle consternation as she quickly approached and took out the contents of the package. Looking at the thick and big banana, her pretty face involuntarily turned red again, her shyness mixed with an undeniable flirtatious and sensual charm.


    "Big pervert," she pouted and muttered.


    Without even thinking, she knew it must have been Ling Chen who sneaked the item in while she was lying on the bed. However, thinking that Ling Chen had touched this thing, her cheeks turned crimson, and she immediately put that embarrassing item back.


    That day when Ling Chen came to help her fix theputer, seeing those blood-pumping images, she felt the stirrings of spring for the first time. After Ling Chen left, shey in bed restless, unable to sleep, so she couldn¡¯t help but turn on theputer and ask a girlfriend for a website.


    Later, unsessfully resisting her friend¡¯s coaxing and temptation, she bought this item online.


    After hesitating for a moment, Su Lin resealed the express package with tape and locked it in the cab. Now that Ling Chen knew about this thing, she was too embarrassed to use it. Just the thought of it made her cheeks burn hot.


    ...


    The next day.


    As he bit into his bread at breakfast, Ling Chen looked towards the staircase and asked, "Wanqing, where¡¯s Lin? Why hasn¡¯t shee down yet? She¡¯s almostte for school."


    "I don¡¯t know, probably oversleeping. I¡¯ll go call her."


    Watching Nanrong Wanqing climb the stairs with a light step, Ling Chen smiled slightly. Ever since she got that external skeleton armor andpletely got rid of the wheelchair, Nanrong Wanqing wouldn¡¯t stay idle for a moment. Even aftering home, she would continuously walk around the living room, enjoying the pleasure of walking freely.


    However, the external skeleton armor was only a temporary solution, not a cure. Although Nanrong Wanqing regained the ability to walk, her legs still had no sensation. She still needed to find a way to truly heal her legs.


    Lost in thought, Nanrong Wanqing had alreadye down from the stairs.


    "She says she doesn¡¯t feel well and wants to lie down for a bit longer."


    Not feeling well? Could it be that she overdid it with her passionst night. Ling Chen chuckled wickedly to himself.


    "I¡¯m off to thepany," Nanrong Wanqing finished thest sip of milk and unconsciously licked the corner of her lips, her action unintentionally seductive, sending a ripple through Ling Chen¡¯s heart.


    Since this woman shed her icy exterior, she has be increasingly charming and enchanting.


    "Do you want me to apany you?"


    "No need, you rest well at home. Bye!"


    Seeing Nanrong Wanqing turning to leave, Ling Chen swiftly grabbed her smooth wrist and, pointing at his own cheek, said with a beaming smile, "Have you forgotten something?"


    Seeing his gesture, a flush of red flew across Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s cheeks. She nced at the staircase to make sure no one was around and, holding back her shyness, bent over to Ling Chen¡¯s face, and gave him a sweet, fragrant kiss.

 Chapter 291 - 287 Undercover Protection

    <h4>Chapter 291: Chapter 287 Undercover Protection</h4><h4></h4>


    However, just at this moment, Ling Chen suddenly turned his face, and Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s soft lips immediatelynded on his own. Without waiting for Nanrong Wanqing to get up, Ling Chen stretched out his hand to wrap around her slender waist, his hot lips greedily savoring her sweetness.


    "No, stop!"


    Nanrong Wanqing, almost breathless from the kiss, gently pushed against his chest with both hands and pouted, her cheeks blushing like fire, making her look even more charming.


    Rubbing her own hot cheeks, Nanrong Wanqing red at him resentfully, this man always took advantage of her. However, despite her thoughts, her heart still fluttered with happiness.


    "I¡¯m leaving now, see you tonight."


    Ling Chen waved his hand, watching Nanrong Wanqing leave, a slight smile curling up at the corner of his mouth, savoring the lingering fragrance she left behind.


    At this moment, a faint noise suddenly came from the staircase, and as Ling Chen looked up, he saw Su Lin sneaking out her head, stealing a few nces in this direction. Feeling his gaze, Su Lin¡¯s cheeks turned red, and she immediately retracted her head.


    Ling Chen shook his head with a smile, guessing that the young girl was probably too shy to see him.


    Having finished breakfast, he didn¡¯t bother to tease Su Lin anymore and stood up to return to his own room. After a quick tidy-up, he left the Nanrong¡¯s home and drove onto the road.


    Tang Shiyun¡¯s fan meeting would be held tomorrow, and he hadn¡¯t forgotten Zhu Yansong¡¯smission. Before the fan meeting took ce, he needed to scout the situation.


    Twenty minutester, Ling Chen drove to Wuxun Square in East Sea City, the venue for the fan meeting. At the moment, in the center of the square, dozens of men in work clothes were building the stage and installing lights, preparing for tomorrow¡¯s fan gathering.


    Ling Chen walked around the square a few times, observing his surroundings. He noticed several suspicious-looking passers-by. Some were sitting or standing, with newspapers in hand, others walking dogs, and a few seemed aimlessly wandering around.


    However, despite their good disguises, they could not escape Ling Chen¡¯s keen eye.


    Undercover police officers.


    Ling Chen quickly identified their true identities. It seemed that the person in charge of the operation wasn¡¯t entirely ipetent, having the foresight to deploy undercover officers to patrol the area, searching for suspicious individuals. Anyone who wanted to harm Tang Shiyun would definitelye in advance to scout and observe, then n their actions.


    Wuxun Square was vast and could amodate thousands of people. Given Tang Shiyun¡¯s current poprity, the number of fans attending the fan meeting would be sizeable. To manage the crowd flow, barricades and warning tapes were already being set up around the square.


    In addition to surveying the environment, Ling Chen also specifically checked the positions of nearby surveince cameras.


    No problems!


    He nodded to himself. The security measures in the square were very thorough, leaving virtually no blind spots. However, these were all passive protective measures. The real danger woulde tomorrow. Once thousands of fans entered, the scene would surely be chaotic, that would be the real test of the security and police force capabilities.


    ...


    The next day.


    Afternoon, two o¡¯clock.


    Ling Chen rested at home for a while, then set off for Silver Star Entertainment Company.


    Silver Star Entertainment¡¯s headquarters were located in the southern part of East Sea City, within a ten-story office building. After arriving at the destination, Ling Chen drove out of the parking lot and pulled out his phone to dial a number.


    A few minutester, Xia Mutong came over with a stern face, holding a ck suit and a backpack in her hands.


    Ling Chen rolled down the car window and greeted cheerfully, "Officer Xia, good afternoon."


    "Good your head," retorted Xia Mutong ungraciously. "Hurry up and change, then I¡¯ll take you upstairs."


    "Sure thing!"


    Soon after, Ling Chen changed into the new outfit inside the car and stepped out. Hearing footsteps from behind, Xia Mutong turned her head and was slightly taken aback as she saw Ling Chen approaching.


    Dressed in a sharp ck suit and wearing sunsses thatplemented his sculpted and handsome face, Ling Chen exuded a calm and stern demeanor that looked irresistibly cool from any angle, leaving no room for criticism.


    He¡¯s actually quite handsome, Xia Mutong muttered to herself. However, the moment she remembered what Ling Chen had done to her before, she snorted and set her face in a stern expression.


    Ling Chen slightly adjusted the sunsses on the bridge of his nose, turned around with a flippant air, striking what he thought was a cool pose, and grinned, "How about this, when the talent scouts at Silver Star Entertainment see me, do you think they¡¯ll want to scoop me up to be a star?"


    "You?" Xia Mutong scoffed disdainfully, crushing his hopes without mercy: "Forget it, don¡¯t inflict yourself on thatpany."


    Ling Chen could sense Xia Mutong¡¯s dissatisfaction, knowing she was still upset about yesterday, but he just smiled it off.


    Last night, he had called Xia Mutong, hoping to take charge of Tang Shiyun¡¯s safety. Having been a special agent for so many years, he only trusted himself and didn¡¯t want to entrust Tang Shiyun¡¯s safety to anyone else. As expected, Xia Mutong rejected his request t out and told him not to meddle, assuring him that the police would handle it.


    Left with no choice, he resorted to some smooth talking, bringing up certain matters between them. Annoyed by his pestering, Xia Mutong had finally agreed.


    "The personal safety of Miss Tang is in the hands of a professional bodyguard team hired by Silver Star Entertainment. We, the police, are only responsible for maintaining order on the periphery. I¡¯ve spoken with their team leader, and they will arrange for an undercover officer to join the team."


    Ling Chen said in surprise, "You want me to pretend to be a police officer? That¡¯s illegal."


    Xia Mutong said impatiently, "If I don¡¯t say anything and you don¡¯t say anything, who will know? If I didn¡¯t put it that way, they wouldn¡¯t let you join. Just behave yourself, don¡¯t blow your cover. If my superiors find out, I won¡¯t be able to wear this police uniform anymore."


    Ling Chen nced at her attractive figure and teased, "No problem, it might look even better off."


    Hisment immediately earned him an eye roll from Xia Mutong.


    They took the elevator to the third floor.


    Xia Mutong led Ling Chen to a rest room. Upon entering, Ling Chen scanned the room and saw five men in suits lounging around, smoking and casually chatting.


    Their arrival immediately drew the attention of the men.


    At that moment, a man in his early thirties approached with brisk steps and extended his hand, "Officer Xia, hello." After finishing his greeting, he nced at Ling Chen and said politely, "Hello, my name is He Zhong, and I hope we can work well together."


    Ling Chen responded with a slight smile, "Nice to meet you. Captain He, for certain special reasons, it¡¯s not convenient for me to reveal my name. Just call me by my code."


    He had no other intention; he just didn¡¯t want Yao Li to know of his presence. He had already gotten a taste of that woman¡¯s disposition and really didn¡¯t want to invite trouble.


    He Zhong looked at Xia Mutong in surprise, noticed her subtle nod of approval, and wisely chose not to pry further, "If that¡¯s the case, until the mission is over, you¡¯ll be known as Number Six."

 Chapter 292 - 288: Fan Meet and Greet

    <h4>Chapter 292: Chapter 288: Fan Meet and Greet</h4><h4></h4>


    After Xia Mutong left, Ling Chen sat alone on the sofa in the lounge, looking at the scenery outside the window. He was only a temporary guest this time, not interested in mingling with the bodyguards. Moreover, after briefly getting to know him, the bodyguards started chatting among themselves, paying him no attention.


    At three-thirty, He Zhong came in from outside and said, "Time to get to work."


    Exiting the lounge, Ling Chen closely followed He Zhong, heading straight to thepany¡¯s main gate. After a short wait, Tang Shiyun arrived, fashionablyte, apanied by Yao Li and Zhu Yansong.


    Watching Tang Shiyun approach, Ling Chen¡¯s eyes lit up, dazzled by her beauty. Today, Tang Shiyun had dressed up specially, wearing a light blue off-shoulder gown that showed off her slender figure and subtly revealed her cleavage. Her smooth long hair was tied up and draped over her bare back, her delicate face lightly made-up, and her clear eyes shimmering, she looked enchantingly beautiful, like a fairy stepping out of a painting, captivatingly gorgeous.


    Ling Chen¡¯s mouth curved into a slight smile as he stood behind He Zhong, unabashedly admiring Tang Shiyun¡¯s charm.


    Seemingly sensing his gaze, Tang Shiyun slightly turned her head and nced in his direction. Startled, Ling Chen quickly moved behind He Zhong, using his body to shield himself.


    Seeing that fleeting figure, a hint of disappointment shed in Tang Shiyun¡¯s eyes. She had vaguely felt a familiar gaze just now andughed it off, shaking her head. It must have been her mistake; how could Ling possibly be here?


    Although she wished her Ling could be with her, protecting her, seeing Yao Li by her side, she sighed softly, a look of age-inappropriate sorrow on her face, weighed down with worries.


    At that moment, a Lincoln Sedan was waiting outside, nked by a Mercedes Sedan in the front and another in the back, with a van trailingst.


    Leaving Silver Star Entertainment, Ling Chen followed behind, quickly getting into the zone, his sharp eyes scanning the surroundings to ensure there were no abnormalities.


    Once Tang Shiyun and her group entered the Lincoln Sedan, except for He Zhong who sat in the co-driver seat, the rest of the bodyguards boarded the Mercedes Sedans leading and trailing.


    The convoy set off, maintaining a steady speed of sixty miles per hour, heading towards Wuxun Square.


    Half an hourter, the convoy safely arrived at the destination.


    Through the car window, Ling Chen looked at the crowded and noisy throng at the square, somewhat shocked. Although he knew Tang Shiyun was popr, this level of fandom was beyond his expectations.


    At Wuxun Square, apart from the stage and red carpet set up in the center, the ce was packed to the brim, shoulder to shoulder, a sea of heads, with probably two to three thousand people, all fervent fans of Tang Shiyun, each looking around in anticipation, eagerly awaiting her appearance.


    As the convoy reached the venue, regardless of age or gender, it was like fireworks being ignited, instantly exploding with noise, wave after wave of sound rising higher.


    Outside the barriers on either side of the convoy, numerous media outlets spared no expense on their camera memory, shlights shing nonstop.


    Even though Tang Shiyun had not alighted from the vehicle, the atmosphere at the scene had already reached a climax.


    At this moment, the Lincoln Sedan slowly drove to the entrance of the red carpet. Ling Chen immediately followed the other bodyguards out of the van, surrounding the Lincoln Sedan, his piercing eyes scanning the crowd on both sides of the barrier, eliminating any threats.


    "Number two, secure."


    "Number three, secure."


    "..."


    Hearing the feedback through his earpiece, Ling Chen immediately replied, "Six is secure. One can move out!"


    One is He Zhong. After ensuring the surroundings were safe, He Zhong immediately stepped out from the front passenger side and went directly to the rear seat to open the door.


    Zhu Yansong got out of the car first, smiling and waving at the fans at the scene, immediately eliciting cheers. Zhu Yansong was not a pop star, but he was a maker of pop stars, and his poprity was in no way inferior to some big-name singers.


    "Miss Tang."


    Zhu Yansong turned, slightly bowed, and gentlemanly extended his hand.


    "Tang Shiyun!"


    "Tang Shiyun!"


    "I love you!"


    "..."


    Amidst the thunderous shouts, Tang Shiyun¡¯s cheeks flushed slightly with shyness. She extended her arm, as delicate as white lotus root, and ced it on Zhu Yansong¡¯s hand. She stepped out of the car wearing shimmering high heels, lightly lifting the hem of her gown. Following Zhu Yansong¡¯s lead, she walked down the red carpet towards the stage, continually waving to the fans on both sides and expressing her gratitude.


    At this moment, Yao Li also joined the red carpet lineup, still dressed as ostentatiously as ever, with gold and silver adornments. Facing the overwhelming cheers, her face was flushed with excitement. As if afraid others wouldn¡¯t recognize that she was Tang Shiyun¡¯s mother, she shouted loudly, "Thank you for supporting my daughter."


    With Tang Shiyun¡¯s arrival, the scene gradually became chaotic and uncontroble. Although the police and Silver Star Entertainment had deployed hundreds of staff to maintain order, they had still underestimated the fans¡¯ enthusiasm.


    Ling Chen followed closely behind the group, his gaze sweeping sharply around, his brows slightly furrowed.


    At this moment, the crowd outside the square continued to swell, even blocking the surrounding roads, snarling up traffic. All passing vehicles were stuck at intersections, unable to get through.


    Just then, he noticed He Zhong holding a phone, his expression slightly troubled and his tone somewhat sharp, as if he was arguing about something. Seeing He Zhong looking upset as he hung up the phone, Ling Chen approached and asked, "Captain He, what¡¯s wrong?"


    "Your superiors just issued an order, saying the situation has exceeded their expectations with a severe shortage of manpower. For safety sake, they¡¯ve ordered us to immediately evacuate Miss Tang."


    Ling Chen instantly understood¡ªpresumably, the police couldn¡¯t allocate more manpower to control the site, thus making this decision. However, they had just arrived, and leaving now might trigger dissatisfaction among the fans, potentially exacerbating the loss of control at the scene.


    "Captain He, what¡¯s your n?"


    He Zhong nced at him and said, "I¡¯m employed by Silver Star Entertainment, not by the police. Their orders don¡¯t apply to me unless the head of Silver Star Entertainment says otherwise." With that, he hurried to catch up with Zhu Yansong to discuss the situation.


    Watching Tang Shiyun, who was less than five meters away, Ling Chen took a deep breath. He didn¡¯t rx his vignce at all, his sharp gaze constantly roving through the crowd.


    Suddenly, he halted, feeling a chilly gaze sweep over him. Years of experience as a special agent had honed his instincts, and he trusted his judgment.


    The fact that he could feel it so acutely meant that the person was nearby, probably no more than ten meters away, likely around the barrier. However, the barrier was crowded with reporters and photographers, and the ring shes made it impossible for him to urately search.

 Chapter 293 - 289 Chaos

    <h4>Chapter 293: Chapter 289 Chaos</h4><h4></h4>


    At this moment, Zhu Yansong came straight over and whispered to Ling Chen, "Mr. Ling, the police hope that we can evacuate Miss Tang as soon as possible."


    "What¡¯s your opinion?"


    "After discussing among the higher-ups at Silver Star Entertainment, this is Miss Tang¡¯s first fan meeting. If she leaves as soon as she arrives, it will inevitably cause dissatisfaction among the fans. Besides, with so many reporters and media on the scene, if this gets reported, it will affect Miss Tang¡¯s reputation to a certain extent. Therefore, considering the big picture, thepany has decided to go ahead, only shortening the fan meeting from one hour to half an hour."


    Upon hearing this, Ling Chen was somewhat speechless. Tang Shiyun was facing a life-threatening situation, yet thepany¡¯s higher-ups were concerned about her reputation. Indeed, for the profit-minded entertainment industry, the things they care about are far more important than safety.


    Looking at Tang Shiyun, who was about to go on stage, Ling Chen nodded and said, "Mr. Zhu, don¡¯t worry, I will ensure Shiyun¡¯s safety." Saying that, he quickly followed her, staying close behind Tang Shiyun as they ascended the stage together. He stood in a corner next to her, maintaining a distance of five meters from Tang Shiyun at all times. His sharp gaze constantly roved through the crowd below the stage, searching for suspicious targets.


    Standing on stage with a high vantage point, his view became much broader. Suddenly, with his keen senses, he knit his brows and detected a whiff of danger.


    Trusting his intuition, he quickly honed in on the direction of that sensation, in the crowd to his right.


    After scanning a few times, his eyes slightly narrowed, the sharpness in his clear pupils shing. As his gaze incessantly met that of the fans, Ling Chen¡¯s pupils suddenly contracted. In the crowd to his right, he captured a chilling gaze.


    However, the crowd was too dense with fans, heads packed together so tightly that in an instant, that gaze had disappeared.


    "Number One, Number Six calling Number One."


    "Received."


    "A suspicious target is spotted, at the 8 o¡¯clock direction, hidden in the crowd, please send someone to check."


    Upon receiving Ling Chen¡¯s message, He Zhong immediately issued orders to Number Three and Number Four. Shortly after, two bodyguards blended into the crowd, searching for the whereabouts of the suspicious target.


    At this time, Tang Shiyun was holding a microphone, standing at the center of the stage, looking at the cheering fans below with a slightly blushing face, radiating a bright, youthful smile.


    "Thank you all for your support and foring. Here, I would like to sing a song as thanks for your enduring love for me."


    As her words fell, soothing music emanated from the speakers on both sides of the stage. Apanied by the music, Tang Shiyun started to dance gracefully, her skirt lightly lifting as if bringing a breeze with her twirling movements, spinning like a fairy, captivatingly beautiful.


    I think I should calm down and think of some words.


    I think I should calm down and walk a distance.


    I think I should calm down and read a book.


    ...


    Her sweet voice, passing through the microphone like a gentle, serene stream, flowed quietly into everyone¡¯s ears. As Tang Shiyun began to sing, the noisy crowd immediately quieted down, listening to her sweet voice as if basking in a spring breeze,pletely mesmerized, unable to extricate themselves.


    But at this moment, Ling Chen had no mind to appreciate Tang Shiyun¡¯s singing; he was focusing on the crowd in front of the stage.


    "No target found."


    Number Four¡¯s voice came through the earpiece.


    "Return to formation and stay alert," He Zhong immediately issued themand.


    Ling Chen¡¯s brow furrowed slightly; he was certain he hadn¡¯t misjudged¡ªthe individual he¡¯d seen was indeed in the crowd. Presumably, the appearance of a bodyguard prompted the person to change positions. After all, the bodyguards around Tang Shiyun were all dressed in ck suits, which were very conspicuous wherever they appeared.


    As the song was midway through and everyone was enjoying Tang Shiyun¡¯s singing, a sudden scream erupted from the crowd.


    Then, a thick white smoke spread quickly from among the crowd, swiftly enveloping the area around the stage. At the same time, a pungent smell wafted through the air, causing everyone to instinctively cover their mouths and noses and move backward.


    However, there were too many fans at the event, crowded and without any space to retreat.


    "Protect Miss Tang!"


    He Zhong¡¯s voice echoed in the earpiece; Ling Chen had already reacted promptly, rushing to Tang Shiyun¡¯s side, taking her small hand, shielding her vitals with his body, and moving her to a corner of the stage.


    Soon after, He Zhong and several other bodyguards arrived one after another, forming a human wall around Tang Shiyun, protecting her in the middle and vigntly watching the surroundings.


    At this point, the scene became more chaotic. Under the cover of the white smoke, everyone was directionless and at a loss. Some people, in their panic, pushed towards the exits, resulting in a few tripping and falling to the ground. Before they could get up, countless feet had already trampled over them.


    Their cries for help were quickly drowned out by the noisy crowd.


    Watching the situation spiral out of control, Ling Chen¡¯s face turned grim. This way, who knew how many stampede incidents would ur, leading to numerous casualties. With this in mind, he noticed the microphone in Tang Shiyun¡¯s hand, snatched it, and shouted loudly, "Don¡¯t move! Please follow themands and leave in an orderly manner to avoid unnecessary casualties."


    His voice had an immediate effect, as the previously panicked crowd stopped moving and looked towards the source of the sound.


    Seeing this, Ling Chen breathed a sigh of relief, having managed to regain control of the situation.


    But just then, a loud ¡¯bang¡¯ was suddenly heard from within the crowd, followed by several erratic gunshots.


    "There¡¯s been a murder!"


    "Run for it!"


    At that moment, no one heeded Ling Chen¡¯s advice any longer; they all rushed out frantically, the scene turning even more chaotic than before. In this crucial moment of life and death, everyone was only thinking of saving their own skin, with no concern for others.


    At this instant, watching the crowd scurrying around like headless flies, Ling Chen frowned deeply, unsure of what to do next.


    He had heard the explosion and the gunshots. But something felt odd about those sounds. Moreover, if there had indeed been an explosion on-site, why couldn¡¯t he detect even a hint of gunpowder in the air?


    His mind racing, he nced at He Zhong beside him and said sternly, "Captain He, you protect Miss Tang, I¡¯ll check it out."


    With those words, he leaped off the stage and plunged into the chaotic crowd, heading in the direction of the explosion.


    It didn¡¯t take long for him to locate a portable speaker amidst the thick white smoke. The speaker was turned on, with a memory card plugged into it.


    As expected!


    He nodded to himself, affirming his suspicion. The explosion and gunshots were fake, designed only to incite panic among the people.

 Chapter 294 - 290: Tang Shiyun is Kidnapped (1)

    <h4>Chapter 294: Chapter 290: Tang Shiyun is Kidnapped (1)</h4><h4></h4>


    "Number Six, quickly regroup, we¡¯re sending Miss Tang to the car."


    Upon hearing He Zhong¡¯s voice, Ling Chen immediately returned to the stage. Zhu Yansong approached, wanting to say something, but before he could speak, Ling Chen cut him off, saying, "Mr. Zhu, you and Miss Yao stay here; we¡¯ll take Shiyun away first."


    The target was Tang Shiyun, and with limited manpower, if Zhu Yansong and Yao Li came along, they would have to divide their attention to ensure their safety, inevitably pressuring the bodyguards to protect Tang Shiyun and preventing them from focusing entirely on her protection. Therefore, this was the best decision.


    Zhu Yansong nodded, not objecting to Ling Chen¡¯s proposal, and cautioned, "Be careful."


    "Understood."


    By now, the smoke that filled the venue was gradually dissipating, and visibility had improved considerably. Seizing the moment, Ling Chen followed closely beside the crowd, his sharp eyes diligently scanning the surrounding throng as he guarded Tang Shiyun toward the parking location.


    Through the crowded and chaotic crowd, the Lincoln Sedan was in sight by the roadside. The bodyguards dared not be careless; as professionals, they remained vignt, not rxing their guard until the employer was thoroughly out of danger.


    A few minutester, under the tight protection of the bodyguards, they arrived at the Lincoln Sedan without incident.


    The sedan could only seat four people. Number Two and Number Three directly escorted Tang Shiyun into the back seat, He Zhong took the passenger¡¯s seat without hesitation, and Ling Chen, having no other choice, got into another BMW sedan with two other bodyguards.


    Just as the car started, Ling Chen received a call from Xia Mutong, inquiring about Tang Shiyun¡¯s status.


    "We¡¯re in the car now, I¡¯ll notify you once we arrive at thepany."


    Putting away his phone, Ling Chen leaned back in his seat, watching the Lincoln Sedan ahead, a weight lifting off his heart. Based on the current situation, it was virtually impossible for the assant to get in touch with Tang Shiyun again.


    While pondering, the Lincoln Sedan entered the main road and took a detour down a side street.


    "Number One, what¡¯s happening?"


    A few secondster, He Zhong¡¯sposed voice responded: "Nothing, just a temporary route change."


    "Understood." Ling Chen replied. Their route had been nned in advance, changing it to prevent any leaks and intercepts was the correct decision. Thus, Ling Chen had no suspicion.


    Meanwhile, inside the Lincoln Sedan.


    He Zhong watched the driver, and the dagger pressed tightly against his neck, and coldly demanded, "Where exactly are you taking us?"


    "Don¡¯t worry, someone wille to receive you shortly."


    "Why?" He Zhong stared at the driver¡¯s profile, enunciating each word, "Guan Long, you¡¯re part of our team, and I¡¯ve treated you well. Why do this?"


    Guan Long nced at him, speaking indifferently, "Captain He, don¡¯t me me; I¡¯m just carrying out someone¡¯s order. Now, don¡¯t ask too much, hurry up and contact the car behind us, tell them to beat it, stop following us."


    He Zhong hesitated for a moment, feeling the light pressure of the dagger on his neck; he pressed the earpiece and said, "Number One calling, we¡¯re out of danger, return and pick up Mr. Zhu and Miss Yao."


    "Roger that!"


    Watching the BMW behind theme to a slow stop, then turn around and head back the way it came, Guan Long¡¯s lips curled into a smile, "Captain He, since you¡¯re so cooperative, rest assured that except for Miss Tang, everyone else will be safe and sound."


    Hearing these words, Tang Shiyun turned pale with fear showing in her eyes. Clutching at her dress, she mustered up the courage, asking, "I have no grievances with you; why are you kidnapping me?"


    "Other than money, I can¡¯t think of any other reason," He Zhong chimed in.


    Guan Long smiled, "Money is only a part, as for the real purpose... Captain He, you¡¯re better off not knowing."


    In the midst of the conversation, He Zhong raised his head slightly and looked into the rearview mirror on the roof. In the mirror, Number Two and Number Three, sitting in the back seat, were also looking at the rear-view mirror, silentlymunicating through their gazes.


    Just as the two bodyguards in the back seat were preparing to seize an opportunity to grab the dagger from Guan Long¡¯s hand, he suddenly said, "You¡¯d better not do anything reckless; I¡¯ve installed a bomb beneath the back seat. If you leave your seats and the hydraulic pressure is not maintained, the bomb will instantly detonate, and we¡¯ll all be dead."


    This deration turned He Zhong and the others pale, and the two bodyguards stopped fidgeting and sat still.


    Guan Long smirked, "Captain He, we¡¯re all ex-soldiers; we be bodyguards to make money, no need to risk our lives for it, right?"


    "You still remember you once were a soldier, then you should know that justice has long arms." He retorted.


    "There¡¯s no need for you to worry about that; I¡¯ve made preparations." With that, Guan Long reduced his speed and pulled over to the roadside.


    After waiting a few minutes, two middle-aged men wearing duckbill caps approached from both sides of the car and then opened the rear doors. Before the two bodyguards in the back could resist, the men had already pressed daggers against their vitals.


    "If you don¡¯t want to die, behave." The one speaking was none other than Tang Shiyun, being ordered, "You, get down!"


    Faced with their stern gazes, Tang Shiyun trembled, her cheeks turning ashen, biting her lips as she tried her best not to scream out in fear.


    "Miss Tang, you¡¯d better cooperate obediently, otherwise, although you¡¯ll be fine, I can¡¯t guarantee the safety of these three," Guan Long threatened.


    Hearing Guan Long¡¯s threat, Tang Shiyun nced at He Zhong in the passenger seat, her eyes wavering, but ultimately she decided to follow theirmand and stepped out of the back seat. As she got up, the middle-aged man on the right immediately pressed down on the seat to prevent the hydraulic device beneath from activating.


    Once out of the car, the middle-aged man on the left immediately ced a prepared duckbill cap on her head, pulling the brim down to cover her face so that passersby wouldn¡¯t recognize her, then draped arge coat over her.


    "Follow me."


    Tang Shiyun dared not resist and followed the middle-aged man into a Wuling Hongguang van.


    Seeing that everything went smoothly, Guan Long¡¯s smile grew even brighter, "Alright, Captain He, please move to the back seat. Also, hand over all your mobile phones."


    He Zhong didn¡¯t say a word, his face ashen as he moved from the passenger seat to the back.


    Guan Long threw all their mobile phones and radios into a trash can by the road, then reminded again, "Captain He, sit tight and don¡¯t move. In the future, when I make it big, I¡¯ll treat you brothers to a fine meal. Ha ha!"

 Chapter 295 - 291 Tang Shiyun Kidnapped (2)

    <h4>Chapter 295: Chapter 291 Tang Shiyun Kidnapped (2)</h4><h4></h4>


    Before long, a taxi passed by the side of the road.


    Sitting in the passenger seat, Ling Chen saw the Lincoln Sedan parked by the curb and his gaze swept across the license te, his expression subtly changing. What were they doing parking here?


    "Driver, please pull over."


    After paying the fare, Ling Chen quickly made his way to the Lincoln Sedan. Through the window, he could vaguely see three people seated in the back, while both the driver and front passenger seats were empty. Noticing this, a strong sense of unease began to well up within him, and he hurriedly pulled open the rear car door.


    "Captain He?" Seeing He Zhong and the other two seated side by side, with no sign of Tang Shiyun, Ling Chen was taken aback and anxiously asked, "Where¡¯s Shiyun?"


    He Zhong¡¯s voice was heavy, "Miss Tang has been kidnapped."


    "What?" Hearing this news, Ling Chen felt his heart pound furiously.


    "Number six, call the cops quickly. There¡¯s a bomb under our seats; moving away will set it off. Also, the driver Guan Long is a traitor. He colluded with others to kidnap Miss Tang."


    Without another word, Ling Chen immediately took out his phone and dialed Xia Mutong¡¯s number.


    Ten minutes passed, and two police cars arrived with sirens ring, stopping by the roadside.


    "Ling Chen, get in the car!"


    Seeing Xia Mutong in the driver¡¯s seat waving at him, Ling Chen immediately got in and asked impatiently, "Did you find any clues?"


    Xia Mutong shook his head, "The license te number provided by He Zhong is fake, useless. The traffic police department is working with us to ess the surveince footage of the surrounding area, searching for the whereabouts of that Wuling Hongguang van. In addition, we¡¯ve checked Guan Long¡¯s background. He¡¯s 43 years old, served as a soldier abroad, returned to the country 13 years ago to join a securitypany, constantly worked on the front line, andter became a driver due to his age."


    "Does he have a criminal record?"


    "None, a clean background."


    Ling Chen furrowed his brows, that was strange. Why would someone with no bad record suddenly take such a big risk tomit this crime? Didn¡¯t he realize what he¡¯d be facing if he failed?


    "Right! Captain He mentioned that there are two more aplices. Moreover, Guan Long kept telling them that money was not their only objective. It¡¯s clear that they will definitely call Silver Star Entertainment for ransom."


    "I¡¯ve already sent people to thepany headquarters. If the kidnappers call, they¡¯ll monitor it and try to pinpoint their location by tracing the call."


    Ling Chen nodded, sighing to himself. When He Zhong asked them to go back to pick up Zhu Yansong and Yao Li, he hadn¡¯t gone along, but had left the car on his own. His task was to protect Tang Shiyun¡¯s safety; besides, he had no desire to meet with Yao Li. If he hadn¡¯t waited too long for a taxi, maybe he could have prevented Tang Shiyu from being kidnapped.


    Recalling what had just happened, he couldn¡¯t help but admire the meticulous and unexpected nning of the culprits. They caused confusion on the spot not to find an opportunity to attack Tang Shiyun but to constrain the police.


    "Where are we going now?"


    "Back to the station to wait for news."


    Arriving at the police station, Ling Chen followed Xia Mutong to the office. At this moment, all the officers were busy, and the case involving Tang Shiyun had many people on tenterhooks. The kidnapping of a big star, and in East Sea City no less, would draw intense scrutiny if it got out.


    If the case wasn¡¯t solved quickly, the media might start questioning the police¡¯spetency, which could greatly affect the force¡¯s public image.


    "Captain Xia."


    A male officer holding a file walked over quickly and said, "We¡¯ve just received a message. The kidnappers called Tang Shiyun¡¯s mother, demanding she prepare thirty million in cash before nine o¡¯clock tonight."


    "Did the kidnappers specify the ransom drop location?"


    "No, they are very cautious. They kept the phone call short, so we couldn¡¯t trace the signal¡¯s origin."


    "They are ex-military, so they are well aware of our police tactics. Keep monitoring and notify me immediately if there¡¯s any news."


    "Yes."


    Sitting in the office, watching Xia Mutong busy taking calls and arranging work, Ling Chen felt a growing sense of urgency. Tang Shiyun was kidnapped, her life in the bnce, and yet he could only sit here helplessly waiting, unable to do anything, which weighed heavily on his conscience.


    At that moment, the office door was pushed open, and a male officer walked in carrying a cardboard box and ced it on the desk.


    "Captain Xia, this is the bomb we¡¯ve just disarmed from the Lincoln Sedan."


    Upon hearing this, Ling Chen immediately sprang to his feet and hurried to the desk. Without waiting for Xia Mutong to stop him, he carefully took the bomb out of the box.


    Seeing him recklessly tampering with its wires, the officer¡¯s face turned to one of panic, "Be careful..."


    Ling Chen seemed not to hear him, continuing to scrutinize the bomb in his hands, a sh of recognition in his eyes.


    "Very professional!"


    "What?"


    "I said the craftsmanship of this bomb is very professional; only someone with specialized military training could make something like this." After saying this, Ling Chen put down the bomb and asked, "Where are Guan Long¡¯s files? Let me see them."


    Xia Mutong immediately pulled out a file and handed it over.


    Ling Chen skimmed through it and nodded, "It says here Guan Long was trained as a reconnaissance soldier when serving abroad, but only a demolition expert would be capable of making such a sophisticated device. I think Guan Long¡¯s two aplices are probably also military."


    Xia Mutong¡¯s eyes lit up, immediately getting his point andmanded, "Check Guan Long¡¯s formerrades, see if there are any suspects who fit the profile."


    "Yes."


    In less than ten minutes, aplete file was ced on Xia Mutong¡¯s desk.


    "Captain Xia, we¡¯ve found something. There are five people who were demobilized with Guan Long from the foreign military, all locals. Two moved to Beijing over ten years ago, another died of cancer. I¡¯ve checked the tel records; the remaining two have been in regr contact with Guan Long, and the three are very close. Moreover, I found a photo of the three of them gathering together on Guan Long¡¯s Weibo."


    Ling Chen raised the corners of his lips slightly, "Over forty and still into Weibo, he¡¯s quite the trendsetter."


    Xia Mutong nced at him and asked, "Have you identified the other two?"


    "Yes, one¡¯s named Zhou Lin, the other Zhuang Qian. Both are about Guan Long¡¯s age. Among the three, both Zhuang Qian and Guan Long are single, only Zhou Lin is married with children. However, owing to his wife¡¯s affair, they divorced five years ago." Pausing, the officer looked up, "Captain Xia, based on the data we¡¯ve gathered, I think I know their real motive for kidnapping Tang Shiyun."


    (I apologize for the inconvenience today.)

 Chapter 296 - 292: Avenging for the Son

    <h4>Chapter 296: Chapter 292: Avenging for the Son</h4><h4></h4>


    "What¡¯s their objective?" Xia Mutong asked urgently. Knowing the kidnappers¡¯ motive would help us hit the nail on the head and figure out a way to rescue her.


    "Captain Xia, there was a news story recently that caused quite a stir. A young male fan confessed his love to Tang Shiyun and was rejected. Unable to bear the blow, he chose tomit suicide by jumping off a bridge. That male fan¡¯s father is Zhou Lin."


    "So that¡¯s it!" Ling Chen finally understood why they targeted Tang Shiyun. The previous assault outside East Sea University and this kidnapping¡ªboth the perpetrator and the nner must be Zhou Lin. His objective is clear, to avenge his deceased son.


    Oh no!


    His heart sank. Since it was for revenge, Zhou Lin naturally would not let Tang go. Even if a ransom was paid, it likely wouldn¡¯t save Tang Shiyun¡¯s life.


    With this thought, Ling Chen and Xia Mutong exchanged nces, both simultaneouslying to the same realization.


    "The mastermind behind this operation must be Zhou Lin. The previous assault made it so that security was tightened around Tang Shiyun, preventing him from getting close. Hence, he enlisted the help of his oldrades, Guan Long and Zhuang Qian. Both are bachelors without family ties and live modestly, so they struck a deal¡ªtwo seeking money and one seeking revenge," Xia Mutong analyzed.


    "We must notify Silver Star Entertainment Company about this. Yao Li doesn¡¯t have thirty million; this money will definitely have toe from Silver Star Entertainment. Since Zhou Lin isn¡¯t going to let Shiyun go, we can¡¯t let them benefit from this money."


    "Let¡¯s go to thepany," Xia Mutong decided decisively and started walking out of the office. Ling Chen was about to follow when Xia Mutong turned and blocked him, "You¡¯re not a police officer; it¡¯s better if you stay here."


    "No way!" Ling Chen firmly rejected: "I must be involved throughout the case until Shiyun is rescued." His tone was firm, brooking no refusal. Given Tang Shiyun¡¯s safety was at risk, how could he just stand by? Besides, he had promised Tang Shiyun that as long as he was around, he would never let her be in danger.


    "If you won¡¯t let me get involved, then I¡¯ll act alone, and you can¡¯t me me for messing up your n."


    "You..."


    Xia Mutong fumed as she looked at him¡ªthis guy was beingpletely unreasonable, even daring to threaten her. However, she couldn¡¯t really ignore Ling Chen¡¯s threat, knowing full well what he was capable of¡ªwithout constraints, he could wreak havoc.


    "Wait here, I can¡¯t decide on this matter alone. I¡¯ll go and ask the director."


    Ling Chen made an ¡¯OK¡¯ hand gesture, watching as Xia Mutong left the office. Soon after, Xia Mutong pushed the door open and entered, ring at Ling Chen before saying, "Come with me."


    Ling Chen grinned, it seemed he had seeded.


    "I emphasized your abilities to the director, and how they could be of great help to the case, so the director decided to hire you as a temporary consultant for our police station," Xia Mutong stated fiercely, warning him, "I¡¯m telling you, you better help me rescue Tang Shiyun. I¡¯ve made a promise in front of the director. If the operation fails, both of us are in deep trouble."


    "Don¡¯t worry, with me here, there won¡¯t be an issue."


    "Stop boasting for now, let¡¯s talk once we¡¯ve rescued the person," Xia Mutong grumbled.


    Although Xia Mutong was somewhat dissatisfied with Ling Chen¡¯s threats, she had to admit that having him by her side was a great help to her. Just like before, based on a self-made ******, he was able to analyze the identity of the kidnapper, thereby pinpointing the suspect. Although the police station was full of talent, very few had this capability.


    ...


    Silver Star Entertainment Company headquarters.


    Ling Chen and Xia Mutong walked into the senior office and saw Zhu Yansong, Yao Li, He Zhong among others, including Silver Star Entertainment¡¯s Chairman, Yang Chengfeng, a middle-aged man in his forties, slightly overweight, already balding, dressed in home clothes. Clearly, he had rushed over from home upon receiving the notice.


    Seeing Ling Chen and Xia Mutong enter the office, Yao Li looked up, and her face immediately fell, her tone full of dissatisfaction, "Why is he here? Get him out quickly, don¡¯t annoy us here."


    Xia Mutong nced at Ling Chen, knowing Yao Li was scolding him, and felt somewhat puzzled. Judging by Yao Li¡¯s attitude, it seemed she held deep resentment towards Ling Chen. Ling Chen, unconcerned, simply shrugged his shoulders, pretending he hadn¡¯t heard her words.


    Seeing him still not moving, Yao Li immediately couldn¡¯t sit still, suddenly stood up from the sofa, and scolded loudly, "Are you deaf? Did you not hear me telling you to get out?"


    "Shut your mouth!"


    Xia Mutong frowned, and spoke coldly. Hearing Yao Li¡¯s harsh attitude toward Ling Chen, for some reason, Xia Mutong felt an inexplicable anger boiling inside, not venting it would not do.


    Yao Li was stunned, her opened mouth suddenly lost for words. She recognized Xia Mutong, who had been personally protecting Tang Shiyun in the past few days, and knew she was a police officer.


    "Miss Yao, please show some respect. Ling Chen is a specially appointed consultant by the police, responsible for participating in this kidnapping case. Whether your daughter can be saved depends entirely on him. If you drive him away with your curses, then you better start preparing for your daughter¡¯s funeral."


    "Him?" Yao Li stared at Ling Chen in a daze, seemingly disbelieving Xia Mutong¡¯s words, and disdainfully said, "What capabilities can this thug have."


    "Hehe!" At this moment, a mildugh sounded, and Yang Chengfeng, Chairman of Silver Star Entertainment, strode towards Ling Chen, reaching out his hand, "Mr. Ling, hello, I¡¯ve long heard of your reputation, never got the chance to meet you. Thank you for helping Tang outst time in Beijing."


    Ling Chen was initially puzzled, as he did not know this President Yang, wondering where the so-called long-standing reputation came from. It was only after hearing his final words that he understood it was because of Zhang Zekai¡¯s incident.


    He grinned and said, "President Yang, you are too kind."


    Yang Chengfeng affectionately patted Ling Chen¡¯s shoulder, saying, "Mr. Ling, we are counting on your help this time, hoping you can safely bring Tang back."


    Hearing Yang Chengfeng and Ling Chen¡¯s conversation, Yao Li immediately became anxious, quickly speaking up, "President Yang, you cannot trust him, he¡¯s just a thug, if you let him help, my daughter¡¯s life definitely won¡¯t be saved."


    Yang Chengfeng nced at Yao Li, his thick eyebrows slightly furrowed, showing a hint of displeasure. Tang Shiyun was a well-behaved girl, he liked her a lot, but regarding her mother, not only did he dislike her, but he was also somewhat disgusted. She usually liked to meddle in matters that were none of her business, acting as if everyone had to obey her just because her daughter was a big star, bossing around without restraint in thepany.


    However, for the sake of Tang Shiyun, he had always restrained himself, never saying anything. But Yao Li¡¯s repeated behavior like this made him quite angry.

 Chapter 297 - 293: The Kidnapper’s Call

    <h4>Chapter 297: Chapter 293: The Kidnapper¡¯s Call</h4><h4></h4>


    She¡¯s such an uncouth woman who hasn¡¯t seen the world.


    President Yang thought this way about Yao Li in his heart. He knew everything about the incident that happened to the Zhang Family in Beijing quite clearly. The Zhang Family was somewhat influential in Beijing, yet they suffered a blow at Ling Chen¡¯s hands. It was said that even the Chief of Beijing¡¯s Police Department had taken action personally, and the reason was none other than for Ling Chen.


    The position of Beijing¡¯s Police Chief is unlike that of other ces; it¡¯s an individual with real power and clout. Even someone like that got involved, which shows that Ling Chen¡¯s capabilities are not small. So when he learned of this matter, he had been wanting to find an opportunity to meet Ling Chen, to make his acquaintance. Not to say he would rely on him for anything, but at least making a friend wouldn¡¯t be wrong.


    "Miss Yao, Tang is an employee of ourpany. Now, I, on behalf of Silver Star Entertainment, am asking Mr. Ling to help rescue Tang. However, after all, you are Tang¡¯s mother, so we still need to seek your consent for this matter."


    "I disagree." Yao Li didn¡¯t even think about it and directly refused. It was a joke, letting a little punk mess around; her daughter would never be able to be rescued.


    President Yang nodded and said with an impassive tone, "Well then. In that case, Miss Yao, you find a way to rescue Tang yourself, our Silver Star Entertainment will no longer interfere in this matter. Moreover, about the thirty-million ransom demanded by the kidnappers, that¡¯s for you to settle on your own, I¡¯m sorry I can¡¯t be of help."


    Hearing this, Yao Li¡¯s face changed, and she said in a panic, "President Yang... you can¡¯t do this. If you don¡¯t help, my daughter is doomed. President Yang, as you said earlier, Tang is an employee of yourpany, you can¡¯t just stand by and watch her die."


    "Miss Yao, I really want to help you, but you¡¯ve already refused my help. What can I do?" President Yang spoke while patting Ling Chen¡¯s shoulder, "Mr. Ling is now fully in charge of Tang¡¯s affair on behalf of Silver Star Entertainment. You¡¯ve refused him, which means you¡¯ve declined ourpany¡¯s assistance. Alright, let¡¯s not waste time here; everyone should get back to work."


    With that, he made a move to walk out of the office.


    "Wait, wait!" Yao Li became anxious, quickly grabbing onto President Yang¡¯s sleeve and pleading helplessly, "President Yang, I agree, I agree, isn¡¯t that enough?"


    Without turning back, President Yang said, "Miss Yao, it¡¯s no useing to me. You¡¯ve just refused Mr. Ling. If you now want to ask him toe back and help, it depends on whether he¡¯s willing or not."


    "This..." Yao Li didn¡¯t expect President Yang to say such a thing and hesitated.


    "It seems like you don¡¯t care about your daughter¡¯s safety."


    President Yang¡¯s words rang in her ears, and Yao Li hurriedly said, "No, that¡¯s not it." After speaking, she turned to look at Ling Chen with a somewhat embarrassed expression. After a long moment of hesitation, she begrudgingly said, "Alright, I¡¯ll allow you to intervene in my daughter¡¯s affair this time, but this is not to set a precedent."


    Hearing her tone, everyone in the room shook their heads in unison, secretly doubting in their hearts¡ªwas Tang Shiyun really this woman¡¯s daughter? The gap was too wide. Was this the attitude of someone asking for help?


    Ling Chen¡¯s mouth curved slightly, and he waved his hand, saying, "Sorry, I might have been interested just now, but I¡¯ve lost interest. You said it yourself, didn¡¯t you? I¡¯m just a little punk; how could I have the capability to rescue your daughter? You should find someone more capable. Officer Xia, let¡¯s go."


    Watching Ling Chen turn to leave, Yao Li stood frozen, unable to believe Ling Chen would refuse her, and was at a loss for what to do.


    "Let¡¯s go as well. This is Miss Yao¡¯s family affair; let her solve it on her own." After saying this, President Yang left the room with others, as everyone understood and started to head out.


    "President Yang... no, Ling Chen... you all..." Yao Li opened her mouth, looking foolish, unable to utter aplete sentence.


    After leaving the office, President Yang politely said, "Mr. Ling, Officer Xia, this way, please!"


    The group entered the conference room and took their seats again. Zhu Yansong proactively brewed some tea and served it to everyone.


    "Mr. Ling, please don¡¯t mind Miss Yao. That¡¯s just the kind of person she is. You don¡¯t need to pay attention to her."


    "President Yang, I¡¯m not that petty," Ling Chen said with a slight smile. "Let¡¯s get back to the matter at hand. Officer Xia and I have gathered some information and have identified three of the kidnappers. Additionally, we¡¯ve also figured out their real motive."


    Talking business, Xia Mutong immediately got into the zone and took out a notepad from his pocket, briefing everyone about the situation.


    Zhu Yansong said worriedly, "Officer Xia, from what you¡¯re saying, even if we pay the ransom, they might still harm the victim?"


    "That¡¯s correct, so we can¡¯t let the kidnappers get their way. They¡¯ve asked you to prepare the ransom before tonight; once the ransom is given, Miss Tang¡¯s life will not be guaranteed. Therefore, the longer we can dy, the more time we have to increase our chances of finding Miss Tang."


    "Good." President Yang nodded and said, "Mr. Ling, Officer Xia, whatever ns the police have, we will cooperate fully. We are willing to spend any amount of money as long as we can rescue Tang."


    Night had fallen in an instant.


    Ling Chen called Nanrong Wanqing to exin the situation, saying he might not return tonight.


    Back in the conference room, Yao Li was also there; Zhu Yansong had already invited her over. After all, she was Tang Shiyun¡¯s mother, and the kidnappers would still contact her; she could not be left out of it.


    However, with the lesson learned previously, Yao Li was much more subdued, sitting quietly in the corner for hours, not uttering a word, and no one approached her voluntarily. Everyone was clear about her personality and didn¡¯t have a good impression of her.


    Being ignored for so long made Yao Li ufortable. In the past, people would fawn over her wherever she went, always being attended to; she had never been treated with such coldness before. Especially President Yang¡¯s attitude earlier had upset her; he actually made her lower her head to Ling Chen¡ªwhere should she put her face?


    With that thought, she grew more indignant, secretly making up her mind.


    At 9 p.m.


    Finally, Yao Li¡¯s phone rang, and the prepped task force immediately connected the equipment, ready to trace the kidnappers¡¯ location through the signal source.


    With a nod from Xia Mutong, Yao Li pressed the speakerphone button and answered the call.


    "Is the money ready?" The person on the other end went straight to the point.


    Yao Li was about to speak when she saw Ling Chen shaking his head at her; she had to follow his cue and answered, "Not yet."


    The kidnapper¡¯s tone immediately turned colder, demanding, "I told you to have the money ready by nine o¡¯clock. It seems you don¡¯t want your daughter to survive."


    "No, that¡¯s not it," Yao Li quickly said, "You name the ce, I¡¯ll be right there..."


    Hearing her misstep, Ling Chen furrowed his brows, cutting off her words, and said, "Mr. Kidnapper, you¡¯re not asking for a small amount. Thirty million is arge sum of money, and you only want cash, not epting a transfer. Banks close at five-thirty. With such short notice, it¡¯s difficult for us to gather thirty million in cash. We hope you can grant us some extension."

 Chapter 298 - 294 The Foolish Woman

    <h4>Chapter 298: Chapter 294 The Foolish Woman</h4><h4></h4><subtxt> There was silence on the phone for a moment before the kidnapper¡¯s voice came through: "I only talk with family members. You police should mind your own business. If you dare to butt in again, I¡¯ll tear up the ticket immediately."


    "You¡¯ve got it wrong, I¡¯m not the police, I¡¯m Tang Shiyun¡¯s brother, so I¡¯m not an outsider. My aunt has a weak heart, she can¡¯t handle the scare, so from now on, I¡¯ll be the one fully responsible formunicating with you."


    At this point, Xia Mutong took a card with a name written on it from the technician and handed it to Ling Chen.


    Zhuang Qian!


    Ling Chen nodded silently, the technicians had already identified the kidnapper¡¯s identity through voice recognition.


    At that moment, Zhuang Qian said impatiently: "I don¡¯t care if you¡¯re her cousin or a cop, I want the ransom by ten o¡¯clock, or else, be ready to collect Tang Miss¡¯s corpse." Then the other side hung up the phone.


    Ling Chen looked at Xia Mutong, who shook her head and said: "No, we¡¯re ten seconds short, they timed it very precisely, we didn¡¯t have enough time to locate them."


    "Mr. Ling, when ten o¡¯clockes, should we deliver the ransom?"


    "No, keep stalling. Officer Xia, tell the police to step up the search, we have to find their whereabouts."


    "I¡¯ve already contacted all the stations and airports, and increased the patrols at the exits of the city. They won¡¯t be able to escape East Sea City."


    "Don¡¯t becent, East Sea City is right by the sea, they could escape by boat. Call your informants and ask if anyone is heading out to sea tonight." After speaking, Ling Chen went behind the technicians, "y the call recording again, remove the conversation, amplify the background noise, and see if we can find any valuable clues."


    ...


    An hour passed in the blink of an eye.


    At ten o¡¯clock, the phone rang on time. Ling Chen answered the call, and before the other party could speak, he said: "I¡¯m sorry, Mr. Kidnapper, the money is not fully raised yet, can we dy it a bit more?"


    Zhuang Qian coldly said: "Kid, do you think I don¡¯t have the guts to kill the hostage?"


    "No no no, of course I hope to rescue the hostage safely, but we really can¡¯t raise that much money. How about this, give me a little more time, we¡¯ll definitely manage to gather 30 million for you."


    "Sorry, you¡¯ve already broken your word once, I won¡¯t trust you again, get ready to collect your cousin¡¯s corpse."


    Doo doo doo!


    Hearing the busy tone from the phone, everyone¡¯splexion changed drastically. Yao Li, in a frenzy, lunged at Ling Chen, cursing: "Ling you beast, you killed my daughter."


    Zhu Yansong and Yang Chengfeng nearby quickly held her back, trying to calm her down: "Miss Yao, please cool down for a moment."


    Yao Li red at Ling Chen with a resentful face, gritting her teeth: "Ling, if my daughter suffers any harm, I¡¯ll make sure you pay with your life, your whole family will not die well."


    Xia Mutong slightly frowned, anxiety in her eyes with a hint of disappointment. She had put too much trust in Ling Chen¡¯s ability, thinking he could rescue Tang Shiyun, but by stalling for time, she had actually put Tang Shiyun in danger.


    After hesitating for a moment, she spoke: "Ling..."


    Before she could finish, Ling Chen raised his head and gave her a smile: "Don¡¯t worry, nothing will happen."


    As soon as the words fell, the phone rang again.


    Ling Chen answered the call with a calm expression, and Zhuang Qian¡¯s sneer came through immediately: "Everyone, was that stimting just now? Don¡¯t worry, Miss Tang is still alive, but..."


    Just as Zhuang Qian was about to continue, Yao Li suddenly broke free from Zhu Yansong and Yang Chengfeng, rushed to the table, and cried out loudly: "Mr. Zhuang, please, don¡¯t kill my daughter, I¡¯ll give you whatever amount of money you want."


    "Shut up!" Ling Chen¡¯s face changed drastically, and he quickly shouted. But it was a step toote. On the other end of the phone, Zhuang Qian asked coldly: "Do you know who I am?"


    Ling Chen¡¯s mind raced, thinking of how to exin, but Zhuang Qian had already hung up the phone. He looked at Yao Li, his face turning livid with rage in his eyes. Suddenly, he raised his arm, and a loud pnded crisply on Yao Li¡¯s cheek, showing no mercy.


    Yao Li covered her cheek in disbelief, speaking sharply: "You... you dare to hit me?"


    Ling Chen said coldly: "Congrattions, you have sessfully killed your daughter."


    "It¡¯s you, it¡¯s clearly you who killed my daughter, don¡¯t think about shirking the me."


    Listening to Yao Li¡¯s angry scolding, Ling Chen sighed, no longer wanting to argue with her, and sat down in a chair with a dejected expression.


    After several minutes of continuous scolding, Yao Li¡¯s mouth was dry, seemingly exhausted, she leaned on the couch covering her face, and began to cry in pain.


    Feeling the heavy and oppressive atmosphere in the conference room, Yang Chengfeng couldn¡¯t help but speak: "Mr. Ling, isn¡¯t there any hope at all?"


    Ling Chen gave a wry smile: "Those kidnappers already know that we have their identities; whatever they n to do, we¡¯re aware of it. Whether there is a ransom or not, Shiyun is doomed, so they know we won¡¯t pay the ransom."


    Xia Mutong curiously asked: "How did you know they would call again?"


    "That¡¯s not hard. There are three kidnappers, Guan Long, Zhuang Qian, Zhou Lin. The first two are in it for money, Zhou Lin is seeking revenge for his son. If Guan Long and Zhuang Qian don¡¯t get money, not only will their efforts be in vain, but they will also have to live on the run with the stigma of kidnapping and murder, which they naturally won¡¯t ept. Therefore, until the money is firmly in their hands, they won¡¯t easily give up. Moreover, as long as we don¡¯t pay the ransom, Shiyun will not be in danger. They are afraid that we will request to speak with the hostage to ensure her safety. Therefore, even if Zhou Lin can¡¯t wait to kill Shiyun right away, Guan Long and Zhuang Qian will not allow him to do so."


    After hearing Ling Chen¡¯s analysis, everyone admired him a little more, and Xia Mutong¡¯s eyes shed with appreciation. This man, usually so carefree, turned out to be so meticulous in thought, even grasping the kidnappers¡¯ mindset; no wonder he was so bold earlier, without any fear for Tang Shiyun¡¯s safety.


    At this moment, Yao Li, who had been sobbing softly, also lifted her head. She had taken in every word of Ling Chen¡¯s, and reflecting on her impulsive actions just now, she couldn¡¯t help but regret. There was still a glimmer of hope before, but now not even the slightest hope remained.


    Thinking she would never see her daughter again, she couldn¡¯t help but burst into tears again.


    "Ling Chen, what do we do now?" Xia Mutong asked worriedly: "Is there really nothing we can do?"


    Ling Chen shook his head and said: "There¡¯s nothing we can do, all we can do right now is wait."


    "Wait for what?"


    "Wait for hope."


    With those words, Ling Chen closed his eyes, silently praying that if everything went as he guessed, perhaps Tang Shiyun might still have a chance for survival.</subtxt>

 Chapter 299 - 295: A Glimmer of Hope

    <h4>Chapter 299: Chapter 295: A Glimmer of Hope</h4><h4></h4>


    In an abandoned warehouse in East Sea City, three middle-aged men sat together, speaking words that gradually became more agitated.


    "No way, I absolutely disagree." Guan Long waved his hand, giving off a vibe that there was no room for negotiation, "Zhou Lin, I agreed to join for the sake of making money, not to avenge your idiot son. I¡¯ve now be penniless and have abandoned my former life. I don¡¯t want to be a fugitive, running for my life everywhere. If you want to kill that woman, go ahead, as long as you put thirty million cash in front of me. You can do whatever you want with her, I won¡¯t say a word."


    The middle-aged man named Zhou Lin lowered his head, expressionless, his sharp eyes shing with a cold gleam. After a while, he lifted his head and looked at Zhuang Qian beside him, asking, "What do you think?"


    Zhuang Qian nced at Guan Long and spoke, "Old Zhou, it¡¯s not that we don¡¯t understand you, but you have to consider our perspective as well. After this is over, it¡¯s clear we can¡¯t stay in this country. Right now we¡¯re penniless. You have to think about us."


    Hearing this, Zhou Lin stood up and walked to the cluttered corner of the warehouse. Opening the door, there sat Tang Shiyun, tied up with ropes on her hands and feet, white wrists chafed by red blood marks, her mouth sealed with duct tape so she couldn¡¯t speak.


    Seeing Zhou Lin approaching, Tang Shiyun¡¯s eyes filled with fear, her pale face looking pitiable.


    Zhou Lin, without a word, walked up to her and pulled out a dagger from his waist, the sharp de gently caressing Tang Shiyun¡¯s smooth cheek, eyes merciless and sinister.


    "Zhou Lin, what are you doing?" Guan Long and Zhuang Qian, following behind and seeing this, eximed with surprise and quickly stopped his action.


    "Give me the phone."


    Guan Long and Zhuang Qian looked at each other, not understanding what Zhou Lin intended to do, but still handed over the phone.


    ...


    Silver Star Entertainment Company headquarters.


    In the conference room, everyone was immersed in a suppressive atmosphere, waiting patiently, silently praying for a turn of events.


    Suddenly, the pleasant ring of a cell phone sounded, and everyone¡¯s gaze immediately centered on that phone, breathing bing rapid.


    Ling Chen gave Xia Mutong a look and then pressed the answer button, turned on the speakerphone, and an icy voice immediately said, "Since you know she can¡¯t survive, I won¡¯t waste words with you. Prepare twenty million in half an hour. Remember, this money isn¡¯t to buy her life, but to lessen her suffering. If you don¡¯t agree, I will have a few men take good care of her, then I will cut her flesh off piece by piece, and record a video to upload online, so everyone can appreciate it."


    "Okay. How do we trade?" Ling Chen replied without hesitation, at this moment it wasn¡¯t time to be angry or emotional, keeping absolutely calm was the only chance for a turn of events.


    "Don¡¯t rush, I¡¯ll give you half an hour to get ready."


    The call ended, Xia Mutong looked at Ling Chen and said, "It¡¯s Zhou Lin."


    Ling Chen nodded and said, "Right now we can¡¯t reject his demand, it¡¯s the only lead we have."


    "Captain Xia, I¡¯ve made a discovery," the technician responsible for analyzing the call¡¯s content spoke up at this moment.


    Ling Chen and Xia Mutong immediately stood up and walked over to him. He said, "I¡¯ve just filtered Zhou Lin¡¯s voice and amplified the background sound. Listen." Saying that, he pressed the keyboard and a muffled sound of a horn red from the audio.


    "That is..." Ling Chen raised his eyebrow, "A truck horn."


    "Yes. I checked just now, it¡¯s the horn of a heavy truck. East Sea City has strict regtions on heavy trucks, most roads are restricted, with only one ring route permitted for heavy truck passage. I¡¯ve marked the route, their hideout should be near the ring road."


    Xia Mutong slightly frowned and said, "That route is dozens of kilometers long, the scope is still too big, can we further narrow it down?"


    "Having a clue is better than none. Contact the traffic police department, get them to retrieve surveince footage from this route to see if there¡¯s a clue."


    "Understood."


    While they were talking, He Zhong suddenly pushed the door open from outside and whispered a few words in Yang Chengfeng¡¯s ear.


    "What?" Yang Chengfeng eximed.


    "President Yang, what¡¯s happened?"


    Yang Chengfeng quickly walked to the window, pulled back the curtain to look outside thepany¡¯s main entrance, and said in a heavy voice, "More than ten media outlets know about Tang¡¯s kidnapping, they¡¯re now gathering at the entrance, wanting to interview us."


    Xia Mutong in astonishment said, "How did the media find out? We haven¡¯t announced the news publicly."


    "It must be someone inside ourpany who sold the news to the media," Yang Chengfeng said, his face looking grim, "I will find out who¡¯s responsible."


    Zhu Yansong casually turned on the TV in the conference room and switched to a news station where indeed, a news channel was broadcasting a news sh, with a reporter standing outside the Silver Star Entertainment headquarters, reporting.


    "Dear viewers, ording to thetest information we¡¯ve obtained, Tang Shiyun was abducted by kidnappers during a fan meet-and-greet, her whereabouts currently unknown, her life and death uncertain, the police are investigating, and specific details have not been disclosed. We will continue to monitor the development..."


    "Forget about that for now," Ling Chen interrupted. He had no mood to investigate who leaked the information. Tang Shiyun was in imminent danger, he couldn¡¯t afford to be distracted.


    ...


    Half an hour passed, and the kidnappers made another call.


    "Put the money into two garbage bags, bring your cell phone and head to Linxing Road. I will tell you what to do next once you get there. Remember, no tricks, only one person shoulde."


    Without saying another word, Ling Chen took the phone and put it in his pocket. At the same time, Yang Chengfeng approached carrying two ck garbage bags.


    "Mr. Ling, all twenty million are in these bags. Be careful on your own."


    Ling Chen nodded silently and walked out of the conference room swiftly. Since there was media at the front entrance, to avoid them, Ling Chen went to the underground parking garage and drove out in Yang Chengfeng¡¯s Mercedes-Benz, quickly heading toward Linxing Road.


    Ten minutester.


    The cell phone rang, Zhou Lin¡¯s deep voice came from the earpiece, "Now head to Zhenghe Road."


    Within moments, an hour passed, and under Zhou Lin¡¯s guidance, Ling Chen circled around the city continuously. Ling Chen knew that the other party was testing to see if there were any police tracking him.


    "That¡¯s enough, stop the car, there¡¯s a residential building on your left, go straight to the rooftop," Zhou Lin said.


    Hearing this, Ling Chen looked through the car window, surveying the surrounding environment, filtering through the pedestrians on both sides of the street. From Zhou Lin¡¯s words, it was clear they were secretly watching his movements.


    "Officer Xia, I¡¯ve arrived at the drop-off point." After reporting the situation, Ling Chen, carrying the bags filled with money, took the elevator all the way to the rooftop of the residential building.

 Chapter 300 - 296: Ransom Transaction

    <h4>Chapter 300: Chapter 296: Ransom Transaction</h4><h4></h4>


    The night was like water, the autumn breeze slightly cool.


    Ling Chen stood at the top of the rooftop, his eyes sweeping around, but besides himself, there was no one else; the kidnapper had not shown up. Holding his phone, he patiently began to wait nearby.


    Soon after, his phone finally rang.


    "Put the money on the rooftop, and you can leave."


    Without hesitation, Ling Chen tossed the trash bag to the rooftop¡¯s top and promptly returned to his car. Those wads of cash were imnted with micro-tracking devices; as soon as the kidnapper touched the money, they could track the kidnapper¡¯s whereabouts.


    Several minutes passed.


    "Officer Xia, any movement yet?"


    "Nothing."


    Odd! Ling Chen furrowed his brow as he watched the stairwell entrance of the residential building. It had been so long, yet the kidnapper hadn¡¯te for the money.


    Just as he was pondering, Xia Mutong¡¯s anxious voice suddenly came through the earpiece: "Ling Chen, the signal is gone."


    "What?"


    Ling Chen¡¯s heart skipped a beat. Without another word, he dashed out of the car and hurried toward the rooftop. As soon as he reached the rooftop, he immediately heard a buzzing sound above his head. Looking up, he saw two drones hovering in the midair, with hooks on top of the aircraft, precisely snagging the trash bags.


    Under the drones, a small device was fitted, its red light shing.


    A signal jammer!


    What a tactic, to think up such a method to take the money.


    As the drones began to distance themselves, Ling Chen immediately contacted Xia Mutong to report the situation here. He then rushed back to his car and visually tracked the drones in the sky. Because the cash in the trash bags was rather heavy, the drones could not fly too high and were barely maintaining an altitude of fifty meters.


    After crossing several intersections, Ling Chen suddenly hit the brakes, his expression changing as he watched the drones flying around in midair. To his surprise, there were suddenly four or five more drones in the air, each with a ck trash bag hanging from its bottom.


    These identically appearing drones blending together, and given it was night, made them absolutely indistinguishable.


    After circling for a while, the drones began flying off in different directions.


    With a twist of his brow and an inner sense of urgency, Ling Chen didn¡¯t know which drone to follow. Suddenly, his eyes lit up as if he¡¯d thought of something, and he immediately took out his phone to pull up the map of East Sea City.


    "Here, yes, it must be this one."


    The tech team had previously filtered through the call recordings and analyzed the kidnapper¡¯s approximate range. As long as they knew the kidnapper¡¯s direction, and then matched it with the directions of those drones, they could determine which two drones were their targets.


    Having locked onto the drones, Ling Chen drove the Mercedes-Benz, following closely behind. Five minutester, the two targeted drones slowly descended and flew into a basketball court. By the time Ling Chen arrived, under the dim light of the streetmps, he only saw two middle-aged men wearing duckbill caps load two drones into a Jinbei van, hitting the road.


    Atst, he caught up with them!


    The corners of Ling Chen¡¯s mouth lifted slightly as he followed the Jinbei van from a distance. The three kidnappers were all former soldiers, with Guan Long among them being a scout, well aware of tracking and anti-tracking techniques. Ling Chen dared not take it lightly, always maintaining a safe distance.


    At this moment, having received Ling Chen¡¯s notification, Xia Mutong had already left the Silver Star Entertainment Company, leading more than ten officers into the car, ready to rendezvous with Ling Chen.


    About half an hourter, the golden van that Ling Chen had been following drove into an abandoned warehouse. Without waiting for Ling Chen to get out of his car, the van drove out again after just two minutes, followed by a Wuling Hongguang minivan leaving the warehouse as well.


    The two vehicles did not travel together but headed in different directions. Ling Chen hesitated for a moment, then started his car and followed the Wuling Hongguang.


    It wasn¡¯t long before the Wuling Hongguang suddenly turned into a mountain road. Passing by the intersection, Ling Chen¡¯s eyes were immediately drawn to a sign erected on the side of the road.


    Hongshan Cemetery!


    A cemetery? What is he doing at a cemetery? Could it be... A thought struck Ling Chen, and he quickly elerated, driving along the mountain road.


    Upon reaching the entrance to Hongshan Cemetery, the Wuling Hongguang was parked outside, already empty. Ling Chen turned off his car lights, parked the car, and quickly walked into the cemetery.


    At this moment, Zhou Lin used a rope to bind Tang Shiyun¡¯s hands and rapidly moved through the cemetery. It wasn¡¯t long before the two arrived in front of a grave site. Under the faint moonlight, the picture on the tombstone was visible¡ªit was a very young man.


    Zhou Lin gently patted the tombstone and muttered to himself: "Son, you liked her, didn¡¯t you? Dad will fulfill your wish and soon have her join you down there." As he said this, he coldly nced at Tang Shiyun, then reached out and lifted a tombstone in front of the grave. Immediately, an unsealed coffin came into view before Tang Shiyun.


    "What... what do you want to do?" Tang Shiyun¡¯s face turned deathly pale, especially after seeing the coffin, a hint of fear shing through her eyes.


    "My son liked you very much, but you heartlessly refused him, leaving him cold and despairing, leading to his suicide. He was my only son, and as his father, I don¡¯t want him to depart with regrets, so I want to fufill hisst wish. From today onward, you¡¯ll stay here and apany him."


    "No, I don¡¯t want to." Tang Shiyun shook her head vigorously, tears flowing down her cheeks like pearls off a broken string, "I¡¯m sorry, I didn¡¯t mean to hurt him, I..."


    "Shut up!" Zhou Lin shouted coldly, "You don¡¯t need to y the victim in front of me, it¡¯s toote for anything you say now. I¡¯ve been preparing for this day for a long time."


    Tang Shiyun bit her lip, trying hard to control her emotions, not allowing herself to cry out loud.


    Brother Ling...Unconsciously, she thought of Ling Chen. If Ling Chen were here, he would never let her get hurt.


    But now, she would never have the chance to see her Ling again. Thinking that her short life would end here, she couldn¡¯t suppress the fear and sadness in her heart and started sobbing softly.


    "It¡¯s your turn now."


    Zhou Lin stood up from in front of the coffin, his face ferocious as he stared at Tang Shiyun, his hand gripping a dagger, veins popping on the back of his hand, looking much like a butcher staring at amb waiting to be ughtered.


    "Go down and apany my son."


    Heughed coldly, his arm abruptly lunging forward, the sharp tip of the de stabbing straight towards Tang Shiyun¡¯s heart.


    ng!


    Just then, a crisp sound rang out, and the dagger in Zhou Lin¡¯s hand dropped to the ground.


    The abrupt change stunned Zhou Lin, who shouted loudly: "Who¡¯s there? Come out!"


    "You looking for me?"


    Familiar voice sounded, Tang Shiyun hurriedly turned her head, looking at Ling Chen walking briskly towards her, her mouth slightly agape, filled with an incredible mix of excitement and surprise.

 Chapter 301 - 297: Perilous Danger

    <h4>Chapter 301: Chapter 297: Perilous Danger</h4><h4></h4>


    "Ling... Brother Ling..."


    Unconsciously, sparkling tears streamed down from her eyes. Only this time, it was not out of fear, but rather tears of overwhelming joy. Tang Shiyun felt like she was dreaming; the Brother Ling she had been longing for in her heart had actually appeared.


    "It¡¯s you!" Zhou Lin immediately recognized Ling Chen. When Ling Chen had gone to deliver the money earlier, he had been secretly monitoring his actions.


    Ling Chen said indifferently: "Zhou Lin, just surrender, there¡¯s no escape for you now." As he spoke, the wail of police sirens came from outside the cemetery, and the interwoven red and blue lights flickered endlessly in the night sky.


    "Not a chance!" Zhou Lin roared: "Since you¡¯re here, you can join my son in death." As he spoke, he bent down to pick up a dagger from the ground and quickly lunged forward, attempting to take Tang Shiyun hostage.


    Seeing his move, Ling Chen, who was prepared, lifted his wrist, and Wolf Kiss, sped between his fingers, flew out, piercing into Zhou Lin¡¯s chest. Struck by pain, Zhou Lin¡¯s movement halted immediately. Seizing the opportunity, Ling Chen took three steps in two strides, leaping forward and pulling Tang Shiyun into his arms, then kicked Zhou Lin to the ground with a lift of his leg.


    "Girl, let¡¯s go, let me take care of him."


    Having said that, Ling Chen was about to move forward to subdue Zhou Lin, but at this moment, Zhou Lin¡¯s hand revealed a homemade device.


    "Go to hell."


    Seeing Zhou Lin trigger the detonation device, Ling Chen¡¯s expression shifted slightly, not daring to approach any closer, he quickly turned and threw himself towards Tang Shiyun, pressing her beneath him.


    Boom!


    A loud explosion.


    Along with a bang, a ten-meter radius instantly turned into a fiery inferno. In the terrifying wave of the st, Ling Chen and Tang Shiyun were blown away, tumbling down.


    After rolling down the hillside for more than twenty meters, Ling Chen felt that he and Tang Shiyun were suddenly airborne. Then, out of control, they fell heavily. Without concerning himself with the pain in his body, Ling Chen quickly took a look and found they had fallen into a pit. This pit must have been a graveyard freshly dug ¨C fortunately for them. Otherwise, if they had continued rolling down from the cemetery hill, they wouldn¡¯t have been severely injured if not dead.


    Looking at Tang Shiyun in his arms, her face pale, he asked softly, "Are you alright?"


    Tang Shiyun shook her head. Even though her body ached, with Ling Chen by her side, nothing else mattered.


    At this moment, they held each other tightly, their bodies pressed close together. Snuggling in Ling Chen¡¯s embrace, a whiff of his masculine scent entered her nostrils, causing Tang Shiyun¡¯s heartbeat to quicken, her body gently struggling.


    "Ling... Brother Ling..."


    "What is it?"


    Tang Shiyun¡¯s faint voice trembled like a mosquito: "I... I¡¯m feeling a bit out of breath."


    Her heart pounding with embarrassment, Tang Shiyun¡¯s cheeks flushed red. She was about to speak when she heard Ling Chen¡¯s voice near her ear: "Don¡¯t move, that man ising."


    Tang Shiyun¡¯splexion paled in panic, daring not to make any sudden moves, obediently lying atop Ling Chen.


    In the darkness, it was utterly quiet around them. Tang Shiyun peeked at Ling Chen with a crimson face. Ling Chen said Zhou Lin wasing, but she hadn¡¯t heard anything, instead, the close contact between their bodies was making her feel inexplicably shy.


    This was her first intimate contact with a man in her entire life. Especially the masculine scent emanating from Ling Chen, which stirred confusion within her, causing her to wriggle her body unnaturally.


    This movement, however, made Ling Chen feel ufortable. As a man as normal as could be, such close proximity inevitably gave rise to some uncontroble thoughts.


    This girl, she¡¯s indeed lethal. Ling Chen inwardlymented; ever since cultivating the Prajnaparamita Sutra, his resistance in this respect had been weakening. Although the girl was unintentional, her actions were undeniably torturous to him.


    At that moment, Tang Shiyun also sensed some changes in Ling Chen, her small face reddening instantly, her breathing bing morebored.


    Sensing that the external crisis was far from over, Ling Chen quickly dismissed his wandering thoughts and listened intently to the surroundings.


    Soon, footsteps drew near from afar, resounding above the pit.


    He¡¯s here!


    His eyes slightly cold, he gently patted Tang Shiyun¡¯s back, and whispered, "Don¡¯t make a sound."


    Then, he slightly arched his body, sticking to the side wall of the pit, carefully poking his head out to scan the area. Just three meters away, Zhou Lin¡¯s face twisted in ferocity as he searched for their whereabouts. In his hand, he held another homemade explosive device.


    Having witnessed the power of that thing, he naturally dared not act rashly, even though he could have subdued Zhou Lin in close quarters. If Zhou Lin went mad, Ling Chen feared he wouldn¡¯t escape the st radius in time. Moreover, he had no weapon handy; Wolf Kiss had already been thrown and was now embedded in Zhou Lin.


    After thinking for a moment, he picked up a stone from the pit and threw it to the left.


    Snap!


    At the light noise, Zhou Lin¡¯s attention was immediately drawn.


    Seeing Zhou Lin stepping toward the direction of the noise with his back to him, Ling Chen quickly climbed out of the pit and crept up behind him.


    However, just as he was about to approach Zhou Lin and was preparing to take him down with lightning speed, something unexpected happened. Zhou Lin swiftly turned his head, his cold eyes locking onto him.


    Not good!


    Ling Chen inwardly cursed his luck, not expecting Zhou Lin¡¯s reaction to be so sharp.


    "Die!"


    Zhou Lin bellowed, hurling the explosive device in his hand straight at Ling Chen.

 Chapter 302 - 298: Capturing the Kidnapper

    <h4>Chapter 302: Chapter 298: Capturing the Kidnapper</h4><h4></h4>


    Seeing that object thrown towards his face, it was almost in the blink of an eye that Ling Chen reacted swiftly, turning and leaping backwards, plunging directly into the pit.


    Lying in the pit, Tang Shiyun only felt a darkness before her eyes, as Ling Chen¡¯s body was already pressing down upon her delicate form. As he jumped down, Ling Chen¡¯s hands supported himself against the ground to avoid his body pressing down on Tang Shiyun and hurting her. However, the moment hended, his arms slightly bent and his body leaned downwards, hoping to dissipate the force of the impact.


    What he didn¡¯t anticipate was that this downward motion caused his lips to meet Tang Shiyun¡¯s. Their lips pressed tightly together, and their minds went nk instantaneously. Tang Shiyun looked at Ling Chen in a daze, her smooth face like a freshly bloomed delicate flower, vivid and immensely flushed with shyness. Seemingly forgetting the danger they were in, only one thought upied her mind.


    Her first kiss was taken away!


    This sudden turn of events also stunned Ling Chen; who could have imagined that the spot he leaped to would align perfectly with Tang Shiyun¡¯s lips.


    Coincidence, this was an absolute coincidence.


    As he pondered, the dangerous device above the pit exploded, the mes roaring instantly and spreading, covering a radius of more than ten meters. Fortunately, Ling Chen and Tang Shiyun were hiding in the pit, the mes swept over the surface without harming them.


    Feeling the temperature above his head gradually decrease, Ling Chen, without time for second thoughts, immediately moved his lips away, and leapt towards the edge of the pit. Watching Ling Chen leave, Tang Shiyun gently touched her own thin lips, a glimmer of sweet tenderness passing through her radiant, captivating eyes, filled with reluctance and a trace ofplex, indiscernible emotions.


    At this moment, Ling Chen climbing out of the pit saw Zhou Lin holding the dangerous device, running in their direction, with less than five meters separating them. If he were to throw that thing into the pit, Tang Shiyun would undoubtedly be in peril.


    With this thought, he swept his gaze around, and casually grabbed a clump of dried, cracked mud from the ground, flinging it at Zhou Lin.


    Although the mud was light, empowered with Inner Strength, it flew quickly and smashed directly into Zhou Lin¡¯s face. Zhou Lin hurriedly raised his arms, holding them in front of his face, blocking the mud.


    Opportunity!


    Ling Chen¡¯s eyes brightened, he charged forward in swift strides. By the time Zhou Lin lowered his arms, Ling Chen had already appeared in front of him. This scare was significant for Zhou Lin, but as a retired soldier, hisbat readiness remained. After a brief moment of shock, he immediately reacted, his eyes fierce, and he shouted loudly, "We¡¯ll die together!" As he said this, he attempted to trigger the explosive device.


    However, Ling Chen was already prepared. Before Zhou Lin could trigger the device, his hand reached out, grabbing Zhou Lin¡¯s hand holding the device firmly, preventing his fingers from moving.


    At the same time, his right hand clenched into a fist, and he fiercelyunched it at Zhou Lin¡¯s chest.


    Bang!


    Hit by his powerful punch, Zhou Lin¡¯s face instantly turned pale, a trickle of blood flowing from the corner of his mouth.


    "Get down!" Ling Chen shouted softly, his left leg sweeping across, striking Zhou Lin¡¯s calf. Losing his bnce, Zhou Lin immediately toppled, falling to the ground.


    After snatching the dangerous device from Zhou Lin¡¯s hands, Ling Chen breathed a sigh of relief, dismantled the explosive device, and threw it aside. Then he pulled out his belt and tied Zhou Lin¡¯s hands behind his back.


    All set, Ling Chen dusted off his hands, jumped back into the pit, took hold of Tang Shiyun¡¯s soft wrist, and smiled, "Get up."


    Sss!


    Suddenly, a sound of fabric tearing echoed through the air. Ling Chen focused his gaze and noticed Tang Shiyun¡¯s skirt hem was caught by a piece of root on the ground. As she stood up, her skirt was inadvertently pulled and tore open from the side, the rip extending up to her waist, revealing a sh of white. Through the tear, theyers of her undergarments were faintly visible.


    "Ah!"


    Tang Shiyun cried out, her inadvertent exposure causing great embarrassment. Especially when she saw Ling Chen¡¯s eyes, squinted with suggestiveness, tantly staring at her, she felt even more ashamed, her pretty face turning crimson in an instant.


    Seeing that Ling Chen¡¯s gaze remained fixed on her, she stamped her little foot and couldn¡¯t help but pout, "Ling."


    Startled by her call, Ling Chen immediately came back to his senses, grinned sheepishly and quickly turned his head away. As his heated gaze disappeared, Tang Shiyun¡¯splexion slowly began to recover, as she bent down to fiddle with her skirt hem. At that moment, Ling Chen couldn¡¯t help but sneak another nce, his gaze immediately freezing, his mouth slightly agape, filled with a hint of awe.


    As Tang Shiyun bent over, the cleavage of her bosom was unmistakably revealed. Through the wide-open neckline, two soft mounds were bared before him, mesmerizing him to the point his pulse raced and his blood boiled.


    Amitabha Buddha! Sinful, sinful, one must not look upon things one should not, one must not see.


    He silently recited a Buddhist chant to himself, yet his eyes were reluctant to move away, internally sighing in marvel at how much this girl had developed in just a few months.


    At that moment, Tang Shiyun, who was tending to her skirt corner, felt the evening breeze pierce through, a chill settling on her chest. Beside her, Ling Chen¡¯s breathing gradually became heavier. Strangely aware, she looked up to catch Ling Chen¡¯s voyeuristic gaze. Startled, Tang Shiyun subconsciously followed the direction of Ling Chen¡¯s eyes and realized that her bust was unintentionally exposed. Instantly feeling extremely shy, she quickly covered her neckline and red at Ling Chen with a blushing face.


    How annoying! Ling has be more and more indecent.


    Caught in the act, Ling Chen was too embarrassed to continue his gaze. He looked around and saw Xia Mutong with a police officer approaching from the base of the cemetery hill, feeling somewhat relieved.


    "Girl."


    Ling Chen turned his head, about to speak, but saw Tang Shiyun squatting on the ground, her arms crossed, pressing on her delicate shoulders, gently rubbing them, her face somewhat pale.


    It was now midnight, and the night breeze was growing colder, especially in the cemetery, the psychological effect made it feel even colder.


    Seeing Tang Shiyun¡¯s frail appearance, Ling Chen immediately felt a pang of pity in his heart. Swiftly, he took off his jacket and draped it over Tang Shiyun, gently embracing her into his arms, using his own body heat to warm her delicate frame.


    The bashful Tang Shiyun resisted slightly at first, thenpliantly leaned into Ling Chen¡¯s embrace, quietly enjoying the scent of his body.


    Everything that happened tonight seemed like a dream to her. She had thought she was doomed, but out of nowhere, her Ling had suddenly appeared at the critical moment, rescuing her from the kidnappers.


    "Ling, was that you I saw this afternoon at thepany?" She remembered the momentary daze from the afternoon, mistakenly thinking Ling Chen was there and couldn¡¯t help but inquire.


    "Mhm." Ling Chen let out a slight smile and nodded his head. At this point, there was no need for him to keep it hidden any longer.

 Chapter 303 - 299: Capture and Bring to Justice

    <h4>Chapter 303: Chapter 299: Capture and Bring to Justice</h4><h4></h4>


    Upon hearing this, Tang Shiyun¡¯s cheeks immediately revealed a sweet smile. She knew that as long as she was in danger, Ling would certainly not ignore her.


    She squeezed into Ling Chen¡¯s arms, took a deep breath, and wanted to remember his scent forever, murmuring softly, "Ling, it feels so good to have you by my side."


    Just as the two were intimately nestled against each other, blinding shes suddenly lit up outside the pit.


    Ling Chen¡¯s heart skipped a beat, and he quickly looked up to see several photographers mixed in with the police, ceaselessly snapping photos. Before the police could rescue Tang Shiyun from the pit, two reporters had already jumped down with microphones in hand, anxiously asking, "Miss Tang, what do you have to say about being kidnapped this time?"


    "Miss Tang, was this kidnapping targeting you personally or for money?"


    "Miss Tang..."


    Annoyed by the incessant questioning of the reporters, Ling Chen immediately lost patience, blocked their microphones with one hand, and embraced Tang Shiyun to avoid being photographed, while asking Xia Mutong, "Officer Xia, what is this all about?"


    Xia Mutong exined with resignation, "It¡¯s the chief¡¯s order. He promised a few significant media outlets exclusive information, aiming to give more coverage to our police force¡¯s aplishments."


    Ling Chen was somewhat displeased internally, but after all, it was the chief¡¯smand and he had no choice. The sessful rescue of Tang Shiyun by the city police would greatly enhance the fame of the police force if it was well-promoted. Correspondingly, the chief in charge of the police force would naturally receive significant credit.


    He then escorted Tang Shiyun, avoiding the reporters¡¯ disturbances, and quickly made their way to the car surrounded by a crowd of police officers. Shortly after, Xia Mutong brought the kidnapper Zhou Lin down from the mountain and ced him in the car.


    Back at Silver Star Entertainment Company, Yang Chengfeng, Yao Li, and Zhu Yansong, who had already received the news, were all waiting at the entrance, looking down the street with anticipation.


    As the police car arrived, everyone¡¯s faces were filled with joyful smiles as they quickly stepped forward to greet them.


    "My daughter!"


    Yao Li, with tears in her eyes, hugged Tang Shiyun tightly and burst into tears, "My daughter, I was so worried about you, I thought I¡¯d never see you again."


    Tang Shiyunforted her, "Mom, don¡¯t cry, look I¡¯m fine." Saying this, she turned her head to look at Ling Chen, who had just gotten out of the car, and said with a glowing smile, "I owe it to Ling for being safe this time. Mom, you should really thank Ling."


    "Thank him?" Recalling how she had been publicly pped by Ling Chen, Yao Li¡¯s anger red up as she coldly said, "Why should we thank him? He did nothing to deserve it. If we should thank anyone, it should be Officer Xia for the big help his police force provided."


    "Mom, how can you say that," Tang Shiyun said, visibly displeased, "If it weren¡¯t for Ling acting in time to stop the kidnapper, I could have..."


    "Alright, alright, let¡¯s not talk about that now." Yao Li, irritable, cut off her daughter¡¯s words. She felt annoyed hearing her continually mention Ling, "Daughter, you must be tired too, I¡¯ll apany you back to rest first. Mr. Zhu, please arrange a car to take us to the hotel."


    Tang Shiyun wanted to say goodbye to Ling Chen, but she was forcibly held back by Yao Li and couldn¡¯t get away. She could only turn back to look at Ling Chen with an apologetic expression.


    Ling Chen smiled faintly, nonchntly waving his hand, mouthing ¡¯rest well.¡¯


    As the Lincoln Sedan drove away, a group of reporters immediately followed by car, while a few set their sights on Ling Chen, crowding in front of him with their microphones, bombarding him with various questions.


    Ling Chen really hates scenes like this, so he immediately pushed through the crowd and quickly walked into the entrance hall of Silver Star Entertainment Company.


    "Mr. Ling, I can¡¯t thank you enough this time. If it hadn¡¯t been for your help, Silver Star Entertainment might have gone through a huge crisis," Yang Chengfeng expressed his heartfelt gratitude.


    Tang Shiyun was a major star fully cultivated by Silver Star Entertainment, in whom thepany had invested countless efforts. Without Silver Star Entertainment¡¯s cost-ignorantprehensive packaging and promotion, even with Tang Shiyun¡¯s talent, it wouldn¡¯t have been possible for her to reach this level in such a short time. Thus, any harming Tang Shiyun¡¯s way would undoubtedly be a severe blow to Silver Star Entertainment, with all the prior investments going down the drain.


    "President Yang, Shiyun is my friend, and I¡¯ve always treated her as a sister. Protecting her is my responsibility; you don¡¯t need to be so polite." Saying this, Ling Chen looked at the time, stood up and said, "President Yang, it¡¯s gettingte, I¡¯ll head back now. You all should rest early too."


    "Okay, take care, Mr. Ling."


    After leaving Silver Star Entertainment Company, Ling Chen saw Xia Mutong leaning against the police car, taking a phone call.


    As he approached, Xia Mutong put down her cell phone, her eyebrows slightly rxed, and a faint smile on her lips, she said, "Just as you predicted, Zhuang Qian and Guan Long nned to smuggle out to sea overnight and head to Vietnam. They were caught all at once by the people we had lying in wait in advance. The twenty million ransom was recovered in full and is now being escorted to the police station."


    "Congrattions, for sessfully solving a kidnapping and murder case. After this, your chief is definitely going to promote and give you a raise."


    "I¡¯m not counting on that. Alright, I won¡¯t talk anymore; I still have to go back to interrogate and write reports, it looks like it will be an all-nighter."


    "Don¡¯t work too hard; take care of your health."


    After watching Xia Mutong drive away, Ling Chen also drove back to Wealthy Manor.


    Two o¡¯clock in the morning.


    Having just finished an interrogation, Xia Mutong dragged her tired body out of the interrogation room and back to her office.


    Feeling her stomach growl, she recalled that she had not had dinner yet, having been too busy with the case. Unable to withstand the hunger, she stood up to get some instant noodles from the station¡¯s pantry to quickly satiate her hunger.


    At this moment, there was a gentle knock on the door of her office.


    "Come in."


    The door opened, and a delivery guy in work attire asked with a smile, "Are you Miss Xia?"


    "That¡¯s me." Xia Mutong nodded, looking confusedly at the delivery guy, and asked, "And you are?"


    "Miss Xia, hello, here¡¯s your takeout." As he spoke, the delivery guy took out several boxed meals from the insted bag, ced them on the table, and turned to leave.


    "Wait a minute!" Xia Mutong quickly called out to him, asking, "Who sent this?"


    "Sorry, Mr. Ling asked us not to reveal his name." The moment the words left his mouth, the delivery guy immediately covered his own mouth, smiled apologetically, and quickly slipped out.


    "Mr. Ling?" Xia Mutong¡¯s lips curled up with a yful smile. Unexpectedly, the guy could be quite caring. Thinking about it, she couldn¡¯t help but feel a tinge of sweetness in her heart.

 Chapter 304 - 300: I Have a Fiancé

    <h4>Chapter 304: Chapter 300: I Have a Fianc¨¦</h4><h4></h4>


    The next day.


    Exhausted from the night before, Ling Chen slept straight through until eight in the morning, luckily it was Saturday, so he didn¡¯t have to go to work.


    Yawning, Ling Chen stretched and walked out of the bedroom to see Nanrong Wanqing and Su Lin both in the living room. He was about to greet them when he realized they were fixed on the television, seemingly unaware of his presence.


    What were they watching? He muttered to himself, walked behind the couch, and gazed at the TV.


    At that moment, the news channel was broadcasting the incident involving Tang Shiyun¡¯s kidnapping,plete withmentary and photos from the rescue scene. Seeing the first photo disyed on the TV, Ling Chen¡¯s face immediately turned unnatural.


    In the photo, he was holding Tang Shiyun tightly, with her nestled in his arms, their behavior tender and intimate, especially with the faint blush on Tang Shiyun¡¯s face, which added a hint of ambiguity. At first nce, they looked like a couple.


    Su Lin turned her head with a grin, nced at Ling Chen who appeared somewhat embarrassed, and teased, "Ling Chen, in front of your girlfriend, do you have anything to exin?"


    Ling Chen stealthily peeked at Nanrong Wanqing, who was intently staring at the television, then cleared his throat and sheepishly smiled, "That... it was really cold at the time, I was worried she would catch a cold, so... Wanqing, I¡¯ve always treated Shiyun like a sister, don¡¯t get the wrong idea."


    Nanrong Wanqing gave a light smile and said, "I didn¡¯t say anything, why are you so nervous. By the way, is Miss Tang alright?"


    "She¡¯s fine, just a bit shaken up."


    Su Lin said cheerfully, "Now you¡¯ve done it, you¡¯ve be a celebrity. Last time you were on TV because of Tang Shiyun, and this time again because of her, with such intimate photos to boot, what do you think... those reporters outside will specte? Ling Chen, you¡¯d find it hard not to be famous now."


    Ling Chen touched his head, unable to suppress his worry, "Really?"


    "You..."


    "Chen, Chen!" Before Su Lin could finish, she saw Nanrong Hao rushing inside, his face aglow with excitement, "Chen, there are a lot of reporters outside, they say they want to interview you."


    Su Lin smiled triumphantly, "See, I told you, it looks like our Nanrong Family is going to be home to a major celebrity."


    "Chen, about those reporters outside..."


    "Get rid of them all," Ling Chen waved his hand impatiently. Last time, an assassin had posed as a reporter to assassinate him, and he was still shaken by that. If it weren¡¯t for his skills, he would have lost his life then.


    After breakfast, Ling Chen was preupied with the thought of He Ziyun¡¯s sparring with porridge girl and informed Nanrong Wanqing before driving to Qingyun Martial Arts Hall.


    These past few days, he¡¯d been thinking about it non-stop. Whether it was He Ziyun or porridge girl, both had substantial connections with him. Although he only met porridge girl once, for some reason, she left a very special impression on him, like an unfamiliar acquaintance.


    Arriving at Qingyun Martial Arts Hall, Ling Chen knocked on the door, and Little Hua answered.


    He patted Little Hua on the head and asked, "Where¡¯s your master?"


    "He left," Little Hua pouted, clearly disgruntled.


    "He left?" Ling Chen was startled and quickly asked, "Did he go to the appointment, do you know where?"


    "Zong..." Little Hua was about to speak but suddenly recalled something, her eyes rolled cunningly, and a sly smile appeared, she immediately clung to Ling Chen¡¯s arm, "Big brother, I can tell you, but you have to take me with you."


    "This... that¡¯s not a good idea, right?" Ling Chen was unsure. If He Ziyun was willing to bring Little Hua, he would have done so already, rather than leaving her at home.


    Seeing his reluctance, Little Hua puffed up her cheeks and pouted, "Then you might as well not go, stay home and y with me."


    Ling Chen had no choice but to agree, "Fine, fine, I¡¯ll take you there. Hurry up, let¡¯s not waste any more time."


    Leaving Qingyun Martial Arts Hall, the two drove straight to Zongming Mountain on the outskirts of East Sea City.


    Ling Chen was in a hurry because he hoped the two would show restraint and not harm each other by ident. Secondly, he wanted to see for himself the strength of an Earthly List master. He was a Tiger List master and although he didn¡¯t pursue rankings too much, that didn¡¯t stop his curiosity and pursuit of stronger opponents.


    He was eager to know what level of strength an Earthly List master possessed.


    Zongming Mountain.


    This mountain was a wild and undeveloped area, with strange rocks and steep peaks, imposing and treacherous, covered with weeds. They had to proceed on foot to climb the mountain once they reached its base.


    Upon Little Hua¡¯s insistence, Ling Chen had no choice but to carry her up the narrow mountain trail. The higher they climbed, the narrower and steeper the path became. Even though Ling Chen was agile, carrying Little Hua still proved to be somewhat challenging. It took about half an hour before they finally reached the mountaintop.


    At that moment, on the mountaintop of Zongming Mountain, He Ziyun and the porridge girl were sitting cross-legged on either side, adjusting their breathing, gathering their energy. Hearing footsteps, both opened their eyes simultaneously and turned their gaze towards Ling Chen and Little Hua.


    "Master."


    With a gigglyugh, Little Hua sprinted towards him.


    He Ziyun nced at Ling Chen, his face slightly annoyed, and said, "You girl, did you threaten Ling Chen to bring you here?"


    "Ah! Master, I was worried about you," pouted Little Hua, immediately resorting to her killer move as she sweetly acted coy upon seeing him upset.


    He Ziyun helplessly shook his head and swallowed the words at the tip of his tongue. He had no way to deal with this girl.


    Ling Chen greeted He Ziyun and then walked towards the porridge girl opposite.


    "Hey!"


    The porridge girl, with her delicate and beautiful face showing no sign of emotion, gazed calmly with an unruffled look and asked indifferently, "What is it?"


    This woman is really too detached, Ling Chen thought to himself, considering he hade out of concern for her.


    "Be careful during the sparter. Don¡¯t hurt yourself or Mr. He. You are both my friends, and I don¡¯t want to see either of you get injured."


    "Sorry! Not giving it your all in a martial arts challenge is disrespectful to your opponent."


    "Well said," He Ziyun smiled slightly and said, "Ling Chen, you don¡¯t need to worry about us; we will take care of ourselves."


    Ling Chen nodded but couldn¡¯t help but continue to admonish the porridge girl, "Just be careful. Winning or losing is not important; safety is what matters most."


    The porridge girl gently lifted her head, her clear eyes fixating on Ling Chen¡¯s sharply sculpted handsome face, and asked, "Are you concerned about me?"


    Ling Chen¡¯s mouth curled slightly, relieved that the woman finally got the hint.


    However, before he could respond, the porridge girl said dismissively, "Thank you! But I don¡¯t need your concern."


    Hearing this, Ling Chen was slightly stunned, puzzled, and asked, "Why?"


    "I am engaged. Please, don¡¯t waste your time on me."

 Chapter 305 - 301: The Battle of Zongming Mountain

    <h4>Chapter 305: Chapter 301: The Battle of Zongming Mountain</h4><h4></h4>


    Zongming Mountain Misfortune


    "Unmarried fianc¨¦?" Ling Chen was momentarily stunned.


    He remembered that the porridge girl had been living in seclusion in the mountains and forests, rarely venturing out. How could she suddenly have an unmarried fianc¨¦? But then again, he realized, this was, after all, someone else¡¯s private affair; why would she casually disclose it to an outsider? Still, the porridge girl¡¯s words left him somewhat helpless. He was only concerned for a friend; was she overthinking things?


    In the midst of his thoughts, he couldn¡¯t resist stealing a nce at the porridge girl. Her face, delicate as a goose egg, with every contour seemingly sculpted with precision, was round and wless. With a pert, aquiline nose and slender lips, her eyes were like pools of clear spring water, transparent and bright. Even without makeup, she was still stunning beyondpare.


    Such a woman would make any man¡¯s heart flutter.


    Ling Chen gathered his thoughts and patiently exined, "Porridge girl, I mean no harm; don¡¯t misunderstand, I consider you a friend..."


    The porridge girl said coolly, "Master told me, when a man is obsequiously attentive to a woman for no reason, he¡¯s either a viin or a thief. Besides my unmarried fianc¨¦, I cannot ept any man¡¯s concern."


    Hearing these words, Ling Chen cursed inwardly, not knowing who the porridge girl¡¯s Master was. Her Master didn¡¯t teach her anything else, just this Anti-pervet Skill¡ªhow utterly amoral. A beauty like her, who wouldn¡¯t want to be friends with her? And that mysterious fianc¨¦ of hers, what sort of man was he, what merits and capabilities did he have, to actually marry such a top-tier woman.


    He opened his mouth, hesitated a moment, but ultimately, the words he intended to say were left unsaid. Since she was so averse to men¡¯s care, he didn¡¯t want to waste his breath, and turned back to He Ziyun¡¯s side.


    Little Hua said with a giggle, "Big brother, you got snubbed, didn¡¯t you?"


    "Nonsense," Ling Chen covered up the embarrassment in his eyes and asked Mr. He, "How confident are you?"


    "At best fifty-fifty."


    Ling Chen was slightly surprised. He Ziyun¡¯s words clearly showed ack of confidence. An old man in his seventies or eighties and a girl in her early twenties¡ªsuch a great age difference, and an even greater disparity in their martial arts practice, yet He Ziyun was unsure. This indicated how formidable the porridge girl¡¯s strength was.


    "Ling Chen,ter you take Little Hua down the mountain to wait for us."


    "This... Mr. He, may I stay and watch the fight?" Ling Chen asked.


    He Ziyun shook his head without a moment¡¯s hesitation and tly refused his request. Seeing the disappointment on Ling Chen¡¯s face, He Ziyun spoke in earnest, "It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t want you to stay, observing high-levelbat can improve one¡¯s insight. However, if the skill disparity is too great, it would not only be of no benefit to you, but could also hinder you, preventing you from making progress."


    Ling Chen touched his nose, feeling immensely frustrated inside. What He Ziyun meant was simple: you are too weak right now, not qualified to watch the fight. He thought to himself, is there really such a big gap between those on the Tiger List and the Earthly List?


    Helplessly, Ling Chen had no choice but to take Little Hua, who had been forcibly driven away, down to the foot of the mountain.


    Sitting on a smooth stone, Little Hua pouted her lips, looking unhappy. Her little legs swung back and forth, stirring the ground¡¯s weeds, passing the dull time.


    Ling Chen leaned against a thick tree trunk, a piece of foxtail grass in his mouth, arms crossed in front of his chest, gaze diagonally upwards at about a 45-degree angle, looking toward the distant mountaintop, his mind filled with images of He Ziyun and the porridge girl sparring.


    At this moment, a series of engine roars suddenly reached Ling Chen¡¯s ears.


    He leaned forward, approaching the edge of the mountain path on Zongming Mountain, and looked down towards the entrance at the mountain base¡ªthree off-road vehicles were parked next to his car. The doors opened, and seven people got out from the vehicles one after another. Seeing them emerge, Ling Chen¡¯s expression subtly changed, and he felt a twinge of unease.


    Though these people were not armed with guns and did not appear fully equipped forbat, for some reason, Ling Chen detected a whiff of danger emanating from them.


    Among the group were men and women, old and young, dressed in an assortment of styles¡ªthe eldest appeared to be in their seventies or eighties, d in rigid, old-fashioned Zhongshan suits, neat and solemn with grave expressions on their faces, while the youngest seemed to be about fifteen or sixteen, sporting a tank top and shorts, mismatched with an out-of-ce pair of slippers. It was already autumn, but the youngster was dressed as if in the height of summer¡¯s sweltering heat. The attire of the others in the group was reasonably normal.


    What caught Ling Chen¡¯s attention the most was a child, not even one meter tall, who looked to be about the same size as Little Hua and had an air of innocent naivety.


    Such an oddly-styled group appearing on Zongming Mountain naturally aroused concern.


    Observing the peopleing up along the mountain path, Ling Chen made a snap decision, hastily returning to Little Hua¡¯s side. He hoisted her on his shoulder and rushed into the mountain, finding a more concealed spot to put her down.


    "Big brother, what are you doing?" Little Hua asked, puzzled.


    "Some people areing. I¡¯ll go and take a look. Stay here and don¡¯t move an inch," Ling Chen instructed.


    After his cautioning words, Ling Chen returned to the midsection of the mountain path. By this time, the group had already reached the hillside, moving swiftly. Ling Chen hid behind the half-human tall weeds, keenly observing their movements with Wolf Kiss gripped tightly in his hand.


    He watched as the people made their way up towards the mountain top without stopping, and Ling Chen inwardly cursed.


    Could these fellows be intending to harm He Ziyun and porridge girl?


    Thinking this, he nced at the path beside him; there was a rugged goat trail that could bypass the main route and lead to the mountain summit. Without hesitation, he rose to take that trail, hoping to get ahead of the group to warn He Ziyun and porridge girl.


    However, just as he started moving, his clothes brushed against the nearby weeds unintentionally. The old man in the Zhongshan suit pricked up his ears; his murky eyes instantly sharpened. With a quick turn, he flicked his wrist and several darts whizzed through the air, shooting toward the thicket where Ling Chen was hiding.


    Looking at the three darts fallen on the ground, Ling Chen widened his eyes in sudden shock.


    Such precise skill!


    Fortunately, he had moved promptly; had he been a moment slower, those darts would have surely hit him. This one move alone proved that the old man was an expert with skills concealed deep.


    Now, as the old man reacted, a man and a woman quickly rushed toward the weeds. The man¡¯s left sleeve was empty, tied around his waist, with only the right arm intact. The woman had a striking appearance, her left cheek adorned with a red snow lotus tattoo, adding a touch of icy allure.


    Within a few strides, the two reached the thicket. Their sharp gazes swept the surroundings, on the lookout for any suspicious targets.


    Ling Cheny still in the underbrush, holding his breath without daring to exhale, intently listening to the sounds a few meters away. The man and woman moved quickly. He couldn¡¯t escape in time and worried it would cause more noise and attract attention. Therefore, he stayed put, waiting for them to leave.


    But at that moment, the pair began to walk around, pressing down the weeds with their feet as they went, checking the underbrush to see if anyone was hiding.


    Seeing their movements, Ling Chen inwardly frowned. These people were not only strong, but also experienced¡ªit seemed they would not be easy to deal with.


    ~~~~~~~~~~I¡¯ve identally included the full day¡¯s worth of manuscript. I don¡¯t have sufficient author¡¯s editing privileges, and I can¡¯t submit less than the originally nned word count, so I¡¯m temporarily recing it with filler text until an editor at Xing Yi can correct it. My deepest apologies~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 Chapter 306 - 302 Strange People

    <h4>Chapter 306: Chapter 302 Strange People</h4><h4></h4>


    One step, two steps, three steps...


    A man and a woman were approaching Ling Chen¡¯s position step by step. Ling Chen, who was lying on the ground, could even faintly hear their breathing.


    This way, they would eventually find him.


    He thought to himself. Seeing a foot press down on the weeds in front of him, Ling Chen no longer hesitated. His body, pressed against the ground, suddenly burst up. His fists were like a thousand pounds, smashing towards the patterned woman in front of him.


    Caught off guard, the patterned woman didn¡¯t even have time to react. Her chest had already been heavily struck by Ling Chen¡¯s punch, causing her to stagger backward, her face instantly turning pale.


    Ling Chen nced at her and saw the patterned woman¡¯s ample left breast had caved in and had not bounced back. Seeing this, he smirked and mockingly said, "So it was just a bra supporting fake breasts. You¡¯re really dishonest, Taiping Princess."


    Hearing his sarcasm, ¡¯Taiping Princess¡¯ face instantly frosted over, her eyes ice cold, wishing she could tear Ling Chen apart. She furiously said, "I¡¯ll kill you!"


    As soon as she spoke, the one-armed man by her side immediately stopped her, shouting, "Don¡¯t forget what they said, we need him alive."


    "Huh?" Ling Chen was slightly surprised. He had thought these people were after He Ziyun and porridge girl, but from the one-armed man¡¯s words, it seemed they were targeting him.


    Damn it! Who had he angered that they sent so many people to capture just him? It was clearly a case of the many bullying the few, damn unfair.


    With that thought, Ling Chen didn¡¯t hesitate and immediately ran. The disparity between his and the enemies¡¯ strength was too great; strategically, retreating was the wiser choice. He Ziyun and porridge girl were both on top of the mountain; as long as he could regroup with them, he wanted to see what those people could do to him.


    The two masters from the Earthly List were not to be trifled with.


    However, before he could get far, Ling Chen only saw a figure flickering in front of him. The child from the group descended from the sky, blocking his path and with a bright smile said, "Sorry, big brother, this way is blocked."


    Ling Chen stood in ce for a moment, then looked up at the sky, his gaze shifting back to the child in surprise.


    This kid... can fly?


    Otherwise, how could he have suddenly jumped over from above him? Was this the legendary Qinggong?


    While his mind was filled with these thoughts, Ling Chen suddenly noticed the boy¡¯s shoes. The shoes were a bit strange, the soles of ordinary shoes wouldn¡¯t be so thick, but the boy¡¯s shoes were about ten centimeters high, quite unusual.


    This kid could fly over his head, probably relying on those special shoes. Still, he couldn¡¯t let his guard down. Everyone in this team was incredibly strange; who knew what abilities they had.


    In a sh of thought, his eyes narrowed, and without another word, he went straight at the boy. Right now, he needed to regroup with He Ziyun and the others; he couldn¡¯t afford to dy here. With a brisk step, he reached the boy and swung his hand, prepared to push the boy aside. After all, he was facing a child and didn¡¯t want to be too harsh.


    However, the moment he acted, the boy leaped from the ground, easily jumping over two meters high, and firmlynded on his shoulders. Following that, the boy squatted down, his legs wrapping around Ling Chen¡¯s neck like two ropes. Simultaneously, the boy pressed down with his torso, his head downward against Ling Chen¡¯s back, his arms wrapped around his waist, and his legs forcefully squeezed.


    Ling Chen instantly felt a tightening in his throat, struggling to breathe, gasping for air.


    Freak!


    This was the only thought in Ling Chen¡¯s mind, as the little boy seemed frail, but his strength was terrifyingly great. The weak and small body was like a shackle, tightly imprisoning him.


    At this moment, the one-armed man and the patterned woman who were chasing from behind didn¡¯t wait for Ling Chen to struggle out, and kicked fiercely at his buttocks. Ling Chen immediately stumbled and fell to the ground.


    Ling Chen wanted to resist again, but the patterned woman pulled out a short knife from somewhere and put it on his neck, saying viciously, "If you dare to move again, I will cripple you."


    Feeling the chilly de against his neck, Ling Chen immediately became obedient and reluctantly shouted, "You are ganging up against one, it¡¯s not fair. Let me call my friends and let¡¯s have a fair fight."


    The patterned woman coldly said, "Stop talking nonsense. It¡¯s your bad luck to fall into our hands. Get up!"


    Ling Chen sighed and cooperatively followed the patterned woman, not daring to make any rash moves. If he tried to fight with all his might, he barely had the confidence to break free. But with five other people standing there not moving, if everyone rushed forward, he knew he¡¯d definitely be defeated without even trying.


    "Hey, if you¡¯ve captured me, at least let me know who sent you."


    "Shut up."


    Scolded by the patterned woman, Ling Chen turned his head and took a nce, his eyes unintentionally fell on her t chest, and he secretly sighed in pity. The woman was about thirty years old, pretty in her own right, butcking in certain assets, which detracted from her overall attractiveness. If only she had fuller breasts, she might have had the chance to be quite a stunner.


    Lost in wild thoughts, Ling Chen was brought before an old man. Eyes met in midair as the two sized each other up.


    "Yes, that¡¯s him." The old man nodded as if confirming Ling Chen¡¯s identity.


    Boom!


    Just then, a sudden loud noise came from the top of the mountain. Everyone looked up, the old man¡¯s expression changed slightly, and he said gravely, "Don¡¯t dy, let¡¯s hurry and leave. If they discover us, we won¡¯t be able to escape."


    At thatmand, seven people immediately escorted Ling Chen down Zongming Mountain.


    Shortly after they left, Little Hua who was hiding between two rocks peeked out. Her round eyes scanned around, and seeing no one nearby, she immediately flipped over the rocks and began to run towards the mountaintop.


    Sitting in the car, Ling Chen was sandwiched in the back seat between the one-armed man and the patterned woman, while the old man in a Sun Yat-sen suit took a cellphone out of his coat pocket, dialed a number, and said, "We¡¯ve got him, he¡¯ll be delivered in half an hour. Get your things ready."


    Ling Chen, looking through the rearview mirror, watched the old man with a serious expression, deep in thought, and asked, "Are you guys from the God Organization?"


    The old man stared straight ahead, as if he hadn¡¯t heard Ling Chen¡¯s question, and remained silent.


    Suddenly, the old man¡¯s aura burst forth, he said in a deep voice, "They areing after us."


    Ling Chen quickly turned his head to look out the car window. He saw He Ziyun on the steep cliffs of Zongming Mountain, agile like a clever monkey, his legs continuously jumping, using the protruding rocks on the surface of the mountain to descend rapidly. In a blink of an eye, he was nearing the foot of the mountain.


    Ling Chen¡¯s eyes widened, incredulous.


    Holy crap, is this still human? Is this the strength of someone from the Earthly List?

 Chapter 307 - 303: The Eight Eccentrics

    <h4>Chapter 307: Chapter 303: The Eight entrics</h4><h4></h4>


    At the foot of the mountain, He Ziyun tapped the ground with his legs, covering several meters in a single step, speeding like a gust of wind that left no trace behind.


    Suddenly, Ling Chen saw that in the SUV following closely behind, the window rolled down, and a man stuck out half of his body, holding a bow and arrow. The bow was fully drawn, the man ced an arrow on the string, his upper body remaining motionless. No matter how much the car rocked, his upper body stayed still as he held his breath and concentrated, like an unyielding rock amidst the mountain, allowing the wind and rain to batter him without flinching.


    Whoosh!


    The arrow shot out, and the fast-moving He Ziyun paused slightly, looking at the man with the bow and arrow, a trace of shock shing across his eyes.


    The man shot each arrow rhythmically: draw the bow, ce the arrow, inhale, concentrate, release the string, one arrow every ten seconds, no more, no less.


    After a series of ten arrows, He Ziyun was getting farther and farther away from the SUV, with no possibility of catching up anymore.


    Watching the three SUVs gradually disappearing from sight, He Ziyun stopped in his tracks and shook his head helplessly. Suddenly, his face turned pale, and he spat out a mouthful of fresh blood.


    He had already sustained an internal injury while sparring with the porridge girl earlier. Upon learning that Ling Chen had been captured, he disregarded his injuries and forcefully used his Inner Strength, resulting in exacerbating his injuries. At this moment, as he spat out a mouthful of blood, hisplexion immediately grew weak.


    Then, the porridge girl arrived with Little Hua from behind, the little girl anxiously asked, "Master, where¡¯s big brother?"


    "He¡¯s been taken." With that, He Ziyun turned around and walked back, picked up an arrow from the ground, weighed it in his hand, examined it, then turned to the porridge girl and said, "I know who took Ling Chen."


    "Who?"


    "The Eight entrics, you should have heard of them."


    The porridge girl nodded, "The martial arts world of Huaxia is full of hidden dragons and crouching tigers; the Eight entrics are among them, each possessing their unique skills. But due to their entric personalities, they never mix with others in the martial arts circle. Their strength is formidable, but for some reason, the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion hasn¡¯t included them in the Heaven and Earth Dragon and Tiger List."


    "The Eight entrics do have abilities, but each only excels in one aspect and is weak in others. Some say that if the abilities of all Eight entrics werebined in one person, that person would be among the rare masters in the world. Unfortunately, the Heaven and Earth Dragon and Tiger List considers overall ability, not a single strength, which is the main reason they¡¯re not on the list," He Ziyun exined.


    Little Hua asked curiously, "Master, since they¡¯re called the Eight entrics, there should be eight people, right? But I counted just now; only seven appeared."


    "Perhaps someone didn¡¯te." He Ziyun frowned slightly, murmuring to himself, "The Eight entrics are reclusive by nature, never dealing with others; why would they suddenly strike at Ling Chen this time?"


    ...


    Half an hourter.


    At a vi located on the outskirts of East Sea City, three SUVs slowly decelerated, parking at the outdoor lot.


    The car doors opened, the patterned woman and a one-armed man escorted Ling Chen down from the vehicle, following an old man into the vi.


    Entering the spacious and bright living room, before Ling Chen was settled, he heard a heartyughter descending from the staircase. Looking up, his expression changed abruptly, and he eximed, "It¡¯s you!"


    "Ling Chen, we meet again."


    The middle-aged man in front of him was none other than Mr. Yun, whom he had met in Yangcheng, no wonder Ling Chen was so surprised. It seemed his guess was correct; the God Organization was manipting this operation from behind.


    "Mr. Yun, if you wanted to see me, a simple phone call would have sufficed. Why go to the trouble of sending so many people to capture me?"


    Mr. Yun responded with an indifferent smile, "You must have already guessed my identity. If I had called you, would you havee alone? Please, have a seat. Let¡¯s sit down and talk."


    In the meantime, an old man in a Zhongshan suit stepped forward and said, "Mr. Yun, we¡¯vepleted the task you asked us to do. Isn¡¯t it time you kept your promise?"


    "Elder Qiu, don¡¯t be impatient. I won¡¯t go back on my word. However, your third brother¡¯s situation is quiteplicated, and he still needs some time for treatment. Rest for now, andter I will take you to see him."


    Once the seven of them left, Ling Chen looked at Mr. Yun and asked the question that had long lurked in his heart, "You¡¯re from the God Organization, so why did you help me save Wanqing in Yangcheng?"


    "With your wits, you should be able to guess the reason."


    Hearing this, a thought struck Ling Chen, and he blurted out, "Could it be you¡¯re really..."


    Mr. Yun waved his hand, cutting him off, "Some things are clear in our hearts; there¡¯s no need to say them out loud. I once tested your abilities, indeed not bad. Knowing you¡¯re there to protect Wanqing¡¯s safety gives me peace of mind."


    "Tested my abilities? When was this?" Ling Chen was puzzled.


    "One of the three who put a bounty on you was me. If I had known others were doing such things, I wouldn¡¯t have needed to intervene. But you didn¡¯t disappoint me, which saved me four million US Dors."


    "If Wanqing knew about your identity, how do you think she should face you?"


    "That¡¯s not your concern. Besides, I only care about her safety, not how she sees me. Ling Chen, I brought you here today mainly for two matters. First, you can stay by Wanqing¡¯s side to protect her, but you must not harbor any improper thoughts toward her. Remember my words, no matter how your rtionship with her develops, there¡¯s no oue for you and her. I¡¯m not threatening you, I¡¯m warning you, reminding you, so you don¡¯t get too deeply entangled and unable to extricate yourselves, which will only lead to greater pain in the end."


    "Why? Just because of your rtionship with her, you think you can make decisions for her? Don¡¯t forget, even if you are rted by blood, in Wanqing¡¯s eyes, you¡¯ve always been a stranger. I believe, given her character, she wouldn¡¯t let you control her life."


    Ling Chen was very unhappy; he disliked others meddling in his personal affairs, especially matters of the heart.


    "I can¡¯t tell you the reason; it¡¯s a matter of the Nanrong Family, and you¡¯re an outsider; you don¡¯t need to know. Just keep my words in mind, don¡¯t cross my bottom line, otherwise..."


    "Otherwise, what?" Ling Chen spoke mockingly. "Kill me?"


    Mr. Yun shook his head, "I won¡¯t kill you, but I have a hundred ways to make living worse than death for you, so you¡¯d better heed my advice and not act recklessly."


    "Sorry, I don¡¯t ept your advice. I have my own principles in life and don¡¯t need someone else dictating them. If you¡¯re really capable, then go and tell Wanqing yourself," Ling Chen was unyielding.


    Hearing this, Mr. Yun did not get angry; his expression remained calm.


    "I¡¯ve made myself clear; what you do is up to you. Now, let¡¯s talk about the second matter."

 Chapter 308 - 304: Seeing Zhu Hong Again

    <h4>Chapter 308: Chapter 304: Seeing Zhu Hong Again</h4><h4></h4>


    Ling Chen¡¯s brows furrowed slightly as he asked, "Is there anything else you need?"


    Mr. Yun smiled profoundly and stood up, saying, "You¡¯ll know soon enough. Come with me."


    Ling Chen followed his steps closely, without resisting. By this point, he knew resistance was futile. With those seven bizarre individuals guarding outside, he had no chance of escape.


    Since he was here, he might as well adapt. He was curious to see what Mr. Yun intended to do with him.


    Leaving the vi, the one-armed man and the patterned woman once again approached under Elder Qiu¡¯s leadership, pushing Ling Chen into the car, one on either side of him. Two Mercedes-Benzes, along with three Chevrolet SUVs, maintained a speed of seventy miles, driving along the road.


    After about an hour, the five vehicles took a big loop around the ring road of East Sea City, without arriving at the destination. Ling Chen knew that the other party was ruling out the possibility of being tracked. After circling a few more intersections, the five cars finally entered a chemical nt.


    The cars stopped, and immediately over ten men in suits came out from the security booth, holding various precision instruments, checking the vehicles to prevent any tracking devices, listening devices, or dangerous items from being present. Ling Chen observed carefully onboard and nodded to himself. Very professional, and very principled. Mr. Yun was an important figure in the God Organization, holding high authority. Yet, even so, strict inspections were still necessary, with no exceptions.


    After spending a few minutes to ensure safety, the security allowed them to proceed.


    The five vehicles entered an underground parking garage, moving downward. When they reached the lowest level, two parked trucks inside slowly started moving, heading in opposite directions, revealing a smooth wall. Then, with a series of clicking sounds, the whole wall rose slowly, revealing a brightly lit passage immediately before everyone¡¯s eyes.


    Ling Chen was secretly astonished. Previously, Tang Yuan, along with the members of the Ghost Organization through Zhang Xueli¡¯s confession, had almost destroyed all the secret bases in East Sea City. He didn¡¯t expect there to be another secret base hidden here. This made him admire the powerful force of the God Organization; their vitality was as tenacious as wild grass.


    As the five cars arrived at their destination, the security personnel waiting outside immediately swarmed the vehicles. After getting out of the car, Ling Chen saw a researcher in a whiteb coat holding a specially-made syringe, injecting each person, himself included. After wiping the fresh blood that remained on his arm from the injection, Mr. Yun¡¯s voice echoed in Ling Chen¡¯s ear, "Gentlemen, it¡¯s best to behave yourselves here and not wander around. You all have been injected with nano tracking devices that can precisely pinpoint your locations. If we find any signal anomalies, I¡¯m sorry, you will have to stay here forever."


    As he was speaking, several white-coated figures quickly approached from the elevator entrance, holding metal cases.


    "Mr. Yun," they greeted respectfully in unison.


    "The person you want is him," Mr. Yun pointed at Ling Chen, and the gaze of several in white coats immediately locked onto Ling Chen, their eyes burning with intensity.


    Seeing how they pounced like hungry wolves, surrounding him, Ling Chen felt a bit uneasy. Their eyes seemed like those of frustrated wives, suddenly spotting a muscr prey, instantly excited.


    As they kept touching and feeling, pinching his pectoral muscles, rubbing his thighs, Ling Chen suddenly cried out, "Hey! What are you doing?" As he spoke, he flung his arms, trying to push away those in white coats. But at that moment, he felt a tickle at the back of his neck, as if a mosquito had bitten him. Then, his head began to feel heavy, his consciousness blurred, his body softened, and he copsed to the ground.


    "Take him down," Mr. Yun said, then looked at the one-armed man and others, adding, "Elder Qiu, youe with me."


    I don¡¯t know how long it had been, but Ling Chen hazily awakened, feeling an unbearable throbbing in his head and a sour ache throughout his muscles. He instinctively wanted to raise his hand to touch his forehead, only to discover that both his hands couldn¡¯t move at all.


    Opening his eyes, he looked at his body and his face slightly changed. At this moment, he was bound to a vertical iron bed, his limbs tied down by specially made metal constraints. Beside him, several individuals in whiteb coats and masks were holding tabletputers, whispering to each other, discussing something unknown.


    Then, one of the white coats approached him, holding a thick syringe, and directly jabbed it into his arm, slowly drawing blood. Fresh blood immediately started flowing into the syringe through the needle.


    "Damn it, what are you doing, stop!" Ling Chen red fiercely and shouted. Shit, with the capacity of this syringe, at least a tenth of his blood must have been taken.


    But the white coatpletely ignored his anger, busily focusing on his task at hand. Once the blood was drawn full, Ling Chen¡¯s body immediately reacted with a strong sense of weakness. After removing the needle, the white coat hung a saline drip for him, then took the fresh blood away for testing.


    Before long, those white coats seemed to treat him as an automatic blood donor machine, drawing blood every hour or two.


    Unconsciously, Ling Chen had lost track of time, feeling groggy and incoherent, pale-faced, unable to muster any strength. If he were set free now, he estimated he wouldn¡¯t have the strength to escape.


    "Ling Chen, Ling Chen... wake up!"


    In his daze, Ling Chen thought he heard a familiar voice calling him. Struggling to open his eyes, he looked up ahead, his dting pupils gradually focusing, and a handsome face suddenly appeared before him.


    "It¡¯s you... Zhu Hong..." Ling Chen weakly said.


    "Long time no see." Zhu Hong smirked coldly. "Never thought you¡¯d end up like this. I¡¯ve always told you, opposing me won¡¯t end well, but you just wouldn¡¯t believe and had to show off."


    Ling Chen summoned his energy, Zhu Hong¡¯s chilling smile growing clearer in his eyes. With a slight upward curve of his lips and in a mocking tone, he said, "What¡¯s there to be proud of? I didn¡¯t lose to you, and I¡¯m not sure who was it that ran away like a bereaved dog."


    Hearing this, Zhu Hong¡¯s expression shifted, his face turning pale as he stared at Ling Chen with a cold voice, "Still stubborn under these circumstances, huh? Let¡¯s see how long you can hold out."


    As he finished speaking, he swung a heavy punch,nding it firmly on Ling Chen¡¯s body.


    Puh!


    Ling Chen spit out all the saliva he had been holding back, spraying Zhu Hong¡¯s face. He squeezed out a smile, tauntingly said, "You hit with such little force, are you even a man? If the God Organization falls apart, with your looks you could get a sex change and be a woman, then go to a ce like Thand; you might even make more than you do now."


    "Shut up!" Zhu Hong, who was wiping the saliva from his face, shouted angrily with another fist raised.

 Chapter 309 - 305: Perfect Gene

    <h4>Chapter 309: Chapter 305: Perfect Gene</h4><h4></h4>


    "Stop!"


    At that moment, a stern voice rang out. Zhu Hong¡¯s movements slowed, and he reluctantly retracted his fist, stepped back to one side, bowed slightly, and said, "Mr. Yun."


    Mr. Yun looked at him displeasedly and scolded, "I asked you here to assess the situation, not to take the opportunity for revenge. If you are truly a man, defeat him one-on-one with your own abilities, not by using such despicable methods."


    "Yes, I was wrong." Zhu Hong bowed his head, not daring to utter a word and honestly epted the criticism.


    "Mr. Yun." A person in a whiteb coat, holding a freshly printed report still smelling of ink, excitedly ran in from outside, speaking with an exhrated expression, "It worked, it worked! Mr. Yun, you were right, his genes have fused with the drug at a 99%patibility rate, almost perfect."


    "Can it solve our problem now?"


    "No problem," the person in the whiteb coat said confidently, "As long as we extract his genes and proceed with gene cloning, we¡¯ll be able to mass-produce the drug, and the incidence of side effects will be greatly reduced."


    "Very good." Mr. Yun smiled slightly, satisfied, "From now on, I will grant you full ess to whatever you need, just ask and I will have people fully cooperate with you."


    "Yes."


    After the person in the whiteb coat left, Mr. Yun walked up to Ling Chen, looked at his pale face, and said with a smile, "Ling Chen, when the God Organization rises globally, you will be our greatest hero."


    Ling Chen frowned slightly, speaking in a deep voice, "Have you considered your daughter in all this?"


    "That¡¯s my business, not yours to worry about. Just stay here quietly for a while, and once they have seeded, I will let you go. Wanqing¡¯s safety still needs your protection, I won¡¯t keep you for too long."


    Hearing this, Zhu Hong behind him couldn¡¯t help saying, "Mr. Yun, let me handle Wanqing¡¯s safety..."


    "You can¡¯t." Mr. Yun cut him off, shaking his head, "Zhu Hong, it¡¯s not that I don¡¯t trust you, but you have more important things to do. Go now, let Ling Chen cool down a bit, I have things to discuss with you." With those words, he turned and walked out.


    Zhu Hong nced at Ling Chen, his eyes cold and resentful.


    "Ling Chen, our business isn¡¯t finished yet." After saying that, he scoffed, flung his sleeve, and left.


    At this moment, in a hospital room at the secret base, seven of the infamous eight were gathered in a spacious room, looking at the middle-aged man lying unconscious on the hospital bed, their expressions filled with concern.


    Soon, the door of the hospital room was pushed open, and Mr. Yun walked in, escorted by Zhu Hong, nodding to the Elder Qiu leading the group.


    "Mr. Yun, exactly how is my younger brother?"


    "Elder Qiu, don¡¯t worry, he is out of danger for his life, but... although his life is saved, it may take some time before he can wake up, he must continue to take our drug. However, that drug is very precious, and we have a shortage here, if he cannot continue taking it, his life may be in danger..."


    "Mr. Yun, I, Qiu Yong, am not a fool, speak frankly, what will it take for you to help my brother?"


    Mr. Yun¡¯s lips curled into a slight smile, speaking casually, "Elder Qiu really understands well, then I¡¯ll speak frankly. There are a few other tricky matters I need your help with. If you can assist me in those, not only will I save your brother, but there will also be extrapensation."


    "You break your promises." The patterned woman behind Qiu Yong, furious, couldn¡¯t help but intervene, "You promised us, as long as we helped you capture Ling Chen, you would treat my brother. I warn you, don¡¯t think we¡¯re easy to bully, and don¡¯t me us for not being polite if you enrage us."


    "Presumptuous!" Zhu Hong barked coldly, "If you want to live and leave this ce, better watch your tone."


    Mr. Yun waved it off nonchntly, "Elder Qiu, times change, the conditions I¡¯veid out are there, whether you agree or not is your decision. I have other matters to attend to, think it over and let me know."


    Watching Mr. Yun and Zhu Hong leave, the patterned woman angrily said, "Big brother, this man clearly wants to use us, we must not agree."


    "That¡¯s right, how dare he threaten us."


    Qiu Yong looked at the middle-aged man lying on the hospital bed, hesitated, and said, "Don¡¯t you want to save our younger brother? We eight siblings have always been united, advancing and retreating together. Now that our brother is in trouble, we can¡¯t just stand by."


    Hearing this, everyone fell into silence.


    ...


    I do not know how long I had been unconscious, but when Ling Chen regained consciousness, he felt his body being pushed, with the sound of wheels nearby. Immediately after, a pungent smell of medicinal fluid entered his nostrils, as if he were in a hospital.


    "Connect the equipment properly, monitor the patient¡¯s vital signs, we cannot let him die."


    Ling Chen squinted his eyes, barely discerning two blurred figures in front of him. He exhaled a breath, his clenched fist slowly rxing, and his chest¡¯s rising and falling gradually slowing down.


    Beep beep!


    An ear-piercing rm sounded, and the nearby disy lit up with a red light.


    "The heartbeat and body temperature are dropping, the patient¡¯s vital signs are unstable, he needs urgent resuscitation."


    The white-coated individual immediately panicked, hurriedly saying, "Notify all doctors, no matter what, we must save his life." After speaking, he quickly took out his phone to contact Mr. Yun, updating him on Ling Chen¡¯s condition.


    Not long after, over a dozen doctors had arrived in the hospital room, performing resuscitation on Ling Chen.


    "The patient must have lost too much blood, causing his constitution to weaken, go immediately to the blood bank for sma."


    "Doctor, the patient¡¯s heartbeat is about to stop."


    "Prepare adrenaline immediately."


    The team of doctors, sweating profusely, hurriedly busied themselves. Soon, a dose of adrenaline was injected into Ling Chen¡¯s body. Almost instantly, Ling Chen¡¯s body reacted strongly, his eyes suddenly opening wide, his pupils dting, and his breathing growing more and more rapid as the monitor disyed waveforms like high peaks, unceasing.


    "How is the patient¡¯s condition?"


    "I¡¯m very well."


    A sudden voice erupted among them, startling the attending medical staff who promptly focused their gaze on Ling Chen, their faces filled with astonishment, "You... how could you..."


    Ling Chen¡¯s lips curled up slightly, his face flushed with a healthy glow, no signs of weakness visible. Before the doctors and nurses could even react, Ling Chen performed a swift move and swiftly got off the hospital bed, leaped over the heads of everyone, and rushed to the door of the hospital room, breaking it with his foot and swiftly taking down the two security personnel guarding the door.


    "Quick, ring the rm, don¡¯t let him escape!" shouted the first doctor toe to his senses.

 Chapter 310 - 306: Skillfully Laying Plans

    <h4>Chapter 310: Chapter 306: Skillfully Laying ns</h4><h4></h4>


    Wearing a patient¡¯s gown, Ling Chen quickly pulled out the remaining needles and ran relentlessly.


    Luckily, those doctors and nurses were easy to deceive, otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t have found the chance to escape. With his physical condition, even with excessive blood loss, his life wouldn¡¯t be in danger. Just now, he deliberately used his Breathing Control Skills to slow down his breathing, creating the illusion that his vital signs were weakening. He knew that once there was a life-threatening situation, following normal procedures, the doctor would inject a certain amount of adrenaline to enhance the patient¡¯s bodily functions.


    He needed the adrenaline because the excessive blood loss had left his body too weak to even muster any strength, and adrenaline could exactly trigger his potential.


    However, the only drawback of adrenaline was that it couldn¡¯tst for too long, he must find a way out quickly and escape from this damned ce.


    Just as he was thinking, several security personnel suddenly rushed out in the corridor ahead.


    "Stop, don¡¯t run!"


    Ling Chen nced sideways and immediately turned towards another corridor. Yet, he hadn¡¯t gotten far when more than ten security personnel intercepted him, blocking his path.


    "Damn!"


    Trapped from both front and back, Ling Chen muttered to himself that something was wrong, and then remembered that when he first entered the secret base, someone had injected a nano tracker into his body. As long as he was within the base, the enemy could lock onto his location at any time.


    ncing left and right, Ling Chen gritted his teeth, turned around, and kicked open the door behind him, nning to slip out through the window. However, the moment the door was kicked open, more than a dozen gazes immediately focused on him.


    Uh...


    Ling Chen was slightly startled and froze on the spot, looking somewhat embarrassed.


    "Uh...sorry, wrong room." Ling Chen gave an awkward smile and hurriedly retreated out the door. But by then, the ten-plus security personnel had already arrived, blocking the entrance to the room. With no other choice, Ling Chen kicked a few people away and then mmed the door shut with a ¡¯bang¡¯, using his back to barricade the door and prevent the people outside from breaking in.


    The patterned woman inside the room looked at Ling Chen, a cold glint shing in her eyes as she stepped forward. However, she had barely taken a step when she was stopped by Qiu Yong.


    "This has nothing to do with us, no need to interfere."


    Hearing this, the patterned woman nodded and stepped back.


    Seeing this, Ling Chen secretly heaved a sigh of relief. He had not expected such luck to run into these people¡¯s room. He also heard what Qiu Yong just said and felt secretly fortunate. If it came to a fight, they both might not be a match for these people.


    "Open the door! Open it now!"


    The voices outside grew louder, apanied by the ¡¯bang bang¡¯ sounds of the door being hit, almost pushing Ling Chen¡¯s body away several times.


    Facing such a dangerous situation, Ling Chen was momentarily at a loss, unsure of what to do. At that moment, he saw a cab ced next to the room¡¯s door, immediately toppled it over, and used it to barricade the door, freeing himself.


    Taking a breath, Ling Chen¡¯s eyes shifted, and his gaze soonnded on a hospital bed. A middle-aged man, in his thirties,y on the bed with a waxenplexion and purple lips, showing signs of poisoning. Thinking of this, he couldn¡¯t help but walk over to the bedside and ced his hand on the man¡¯s pulse.


    Seeing his actions, everyone¡¯s expression changed dramatically, and they hastily shouted, "Stop!"


    Hearing the shouts of the crowd, Ling Chen was startled. Seeing Qiu Yong and the others ring at him, he immediately exined, "Everyone, don¡¯t misunderstand, I mean no harm, I just wanted to check his condition."


    Qiu Yong looked at Ling Chen skeptically and asked, "Do you know medical techniques?"


    "A little bit." After saying that, Ling Chen saw no resistance from him and again ced his hand on the middle-aged man¡¯s pulse.


    After a while, he nodded slightly and said, "He has been poisoned, and it¡¯s a severe poison."


    The patterned woman coldly said, "Nonsense, we all know that. The question is whether you can save him or not."


    "I can¡¯t. The toxins in his body have spread to all his organs, and his bodily functions are essentially necrotic. Even if Hua Tuo were alive, he couldn¡¯t save him. He is currently only being kept alive by drugs and devices that stimte potential, lingering on in a desperate state." Ling Chen said sternly, "If I were you, I would end his life and not let him suffer any longer."


    "Nonsense!" The one-armed man yelled angrily: "My third brother will never die, and if you keep spouting nonsense, do you believe I¡¯ll kill you?"


    Ling Chen shrugged his shoulders, looking helpless, "I¡¯m telling the truth. If you don¡¯t believe it, there¡¯s nothing I can do. But don¡¯t me me for not reminding you, dragging this out will only make him suffer more, a fate worse than death. If you really consider him a brother, you shouldn¡¯t let him endure this torment."


    "Shut your mouth." The one-armed man roared, a cold light shing in his hand, and a steel knife appeared somehow, striking straight at Ling Chen¡¯s head.


    "Stop!"


    Hearing the familiar voice, the one-armed man paused slightly and immediately stopped, turning his head to look at Qiu Yong, puzzled, "Big brother, let me kill this jerk."


    Qiu Yong shook his head, looking directly at Ling Chen in front of the sickbed, eyes filled with sharp light.


    "I know he has been deeply poisoned. The doctors outside have the same diagnosis as you. But Mr. Yun told me he has a way to cure my third brother."


    "He has deceived you. The God Organization mainly researches enhancement drugs which can stimte a person¡¯s potential for a short period, but they do not remove the toxins in his body. Once his potential is exhausted, no amount of enhancement drugs will be useful. My guess is, in three or four days, he won¡¯tst. Elder Qiu, I know you¡¯re worried about your brother¡¯s safety, but some things can¡¯t be forced."


    While he was speaking, the door of the sickroom was jolted open a crack.


    Ling Chen¡¯s face changed slightly, he quickly grabbed a surgical knife, gritted his teeth, and cut a slit in the skin of his own arm, then used tweezers to probe into the wound. After fiddling for a while, he extracted a rice grain-sized nano tracker.


    Having dealt with the tracker, he did not hesitate, immediately ran to the window of the sickroom, opened the ss window, then grabbed the guard rail outside the window, and pushed outward with both hands forcefully.


    This is bad!


    Suddenly, he inwardly cursed. At this moment, his strength was fading faster and faster, and the effect of adrenaline was rapidly decreasing. After a few movements, he was already sweating profusely and gasping for breath.


    Just then, the internal line phone in the sick room suddenly rang, and at the same time, the sound of pounding on the door from outside disappeared.


    Under everyone¡¯s watchful eyes, Qiu Yong walked to the phone, picked up the receiver, and greeted, "Hello."


    "Elder Qiu, do me a favor, catch Ling Chen, don¡¯t let him run. Once it¡¯s done, I¡¯ll immediately save your brother."


    Qiu Yong nced at Ling Chen and replied, "He¡¯s right here, I can capture him at any moment. But I have a condition, you must save my third brother first."


    "Elder Qiu, now is not the time to negotiate terms. As long as you capture Ling Chen and hand him over to the security personnel outside, we can talk slowly about the rest."


    "I refuse. You better make a decision quickly; he¡¯s about to escape. Also, he has already removed the nano tracker from his body. Once he escapes the sickroom, don¡¯t think of finding him again."

 Chapter 311 - 307: Seeing Through

    <h4>Chapter 311: Chapter 307: Seeing Through</h4><h4></h4>


    At this moment, everyone held their breath, and the room was so quiet that the sound of a needle dropping to the floor could be heard. The sound of Mr. Yun¡¯s breathing was faintly audible on the other end of the phone.


    Qiu Yong pressed Mr. Yun for a decision once more; they needed an oue, yet Ling Chen¡¯s words still echoed in his ears.


    On one side was the hope of saving his brother, on the other side was disappointment and the anger of being deceived.


    They were all patiently waiting.


    "Mr. Qiu," Mr. Yun¡¯s voice finally came through the phone, "I¡¯ve said before, your third brother¡¯s illness is quiteplicated and requires long-term rehabilitation and observation. You want me to cure him instantly, that I cannot do."


    "How would I know that you¡¯re not just stringing me along?" Qiu Yong said sternly: "A life for a life, you want Ling Chen, I want to save my third brother. Now, call the doctors in, let them cure my third brother before my eyes. I¡¯ll give them three days; if there¡¯s no improvement within three days, I¡¯ll kill Ling Chen immediately, and you¡¯ll get nothing."


    Ling Chen, hearing this, inwardly cursed his bad luck. Damn it, he thought, he had be a bargaining chip in Qiu Yong¡¯s negotiation.


    "Alright, I¡¯ll do my best."


    The call ended, and within five minutes, there was a knock on the door outside the ward. Qiu Yong gave a look to the one-armed man, who understood and rose to open the door; five doctors in whiteb coats and three nurses filed in. Once they were inside, the one-armed man mmed the door shut with a ¡¯bang,¡¯ locking the security personnel outside, and then stood by the door with a steel knife, ready to prevent anyone from forcing their way in.


    Qiu Yong scanned the doctors and nurses, and in a tepid voice let out three words: "Start then, you have three days. If my third brother suffers the slightest harm, you shall all be buried with him."


    Feeling the intense killing intent in his tone, the doctors broke out in a cold sweat and hastily began their examination and treatment.


    At this time, Ling Chen ungracefully slumped on the floor, drenched in sweat as if he had been out in the rain, not only was his forehead soaked, but his clothes were also drenched in cold sweat. He gasped for air and looked at the busy doctors, then at Qiu Yong, and weakly said: "Mr. Qiu, if you want to use me as a bargaining chip, at least let me stay alive."


    As a martial artist, Qiu Yong could see that Ling Chen was in bad shape. He nodded his head and signaled for a doctor to give Ling Chen an IV.


    Ling Chen climbed onto a chair and rested his hand on the table, rolling up his sleeve. The doctor approached with a medical kit, took out a bottle of medicine, and then with a needle, aimed for Ling Chen¡¯s arm and injected it. As the throbbing pain in his arm spread, Ling Chen looked up at the doctor giving him the IV and with a hint of peculiarity asked casually: "How long have you been a doctor?"


    The doctor was slightly startled, seeming not to expect such a question from Ling Chen. After a brief daze, he lowered his head to adjust the IV tube and replied: "Over twenty years."


    "Over twenty years?" Ling Chen looked at him with a smile that was not quite a smile, "An old doctor of over twenty years and you still can¡¯t insert a needle urately? Or is it that you can¡¯t do it at all and just trying to fob me off?"


    Hearing this, the doctor suddenly looked up; a flicker of sharpness passed through his dark eyes. Though it was fleeting, Ling Chen caught it urately. He smirked slightly and chuckled: "In the future, don¡¯t pretend to be in a profession you know nothing about. It¡¯s easy to be found out that way."


    As he finished speaking, before the other person could react, Ling Chen abruptly pulled the needle from his arm and stabbed it into the doctor¡¯s eye.


    "Ah!"


    With a piercing scream, the person clutched their left eye, from which blood gushed through their fingers.


    This sudden turn of events caught everyone in the room by surprise. The four doctors in white coats and three nurses, who were treating the patient at the bedside, saw theirpanion attacked and their faces instantly changed. They quickly drew hidden daggers from within their clothes and stabbed towards Qiu Yong and the others.


    "Seeking death!"


    The patterned woman shouted furiously, her face cold as frost. Her slim and slender figure leaped up like a swallow gliding at low altitude, charging into the crowd. Following that, she loosened her sleeve, and a three-foot-long short sword slid into her hand from the sleeve. With the sword in hand, she crossed her arms and the de split in two¡ªit was a Mother-Child Sword.


    Those posing as doctors and nurses were skilled fighters, as evident from their martial arts; all had undergone strict training in standardbat techniques.


    However, Qiu Yong and hispanions were no pushovers either. Although the eight entrics hadn¡¯t made it onto the Heaven and Earth Dragon and Tiger List, there was no doubt that they were recognized as high-level martial artists by their peers.


    Ling Chen sat in his chair without getting up; he was too weak to move now. Watching the two groups fighting fiercely in the sickroom was quite enjoyable. Among the seven in front of him, besides Qiu Yong, he could only identify four. One was a little boy with astonishing jumping power and strength beyond ordinary. One was the Taiping Princess, skilled in swordsmanship; one was a one-armed man with a saber; and another was an archer. In addition to these, there were two others he wasn¡¯t familiar with.


    "Eh?"


    While observing the fight, Ling Chen suddenly noticed a young man dressed in summer clothes standing in the corner of the room with a brilliant smile on his face, watching both sides without any intention of joining in.


    To his surprise, the fight in the sickroom was drawing to an end. Unsurprisingly, Qiu Yong and hispanions were victorious. Those disguised as doctors and nurses were not weak, but unfortunately, they had intended tounch a surprise attack. Ling Chen had seen through their identities, allowing Qiu Yong and the others to be prepared.


    "Elder Qiu, you should believe me now," Ling Chen spoke, "Mr. Yun knew he couldn¡¯t save his own life, so he resorted to these tactics."


    Qiu Yong nodded, his face serious, with a hint of suppressed anger in his old eyes.


    At this moment, no one contested Ling Chen¡¯s words anymore. The truthy before their eyes, leaving no room for hope.


    "Ling Chen, our brother and sister were deceived and used by Mr. Yun, and we have offended you greatly. Please don¡¯t take it to heart," Qiu Yong said earnestly, expressing his apologies.


    Ling Chen grinned: "No worries, desperate times call for desperate measures, I can understand your feelings. Now that things are clear, shouldn¡¯t we think of a way to get out of here?"


    "Big brother, he¡¯s right. If we don¡¯t leave now, they definitely won¡¯t let us go."


    As soon as the one-armed man finished speaking, thendline phone in the room rang again. Qiu Yong picked up the receiver, and Mr. Yun¡¯s voice immediately came through, "Elder Qiu, it seems my people have failed. How about this, we change the terms. If you agree to serve me and join me, I will spare your lives. What do you say?"


    Qiu Yong answered coldly, "Mr. Yun, before you decided to use us, maybe you should have inquired about the consequences of provoking the eight entrics. We have never been merciful, and you¡¯ve made a grave mistake."

 Chapter 312 - 308 Escape

    <h4>Chapter 312: Chapter 308 Escape</h4><h4></h4>


    "Hehe! Elder Qiu, are you threatening me?" Mr. Yun¡¯sughter carried a chill.


    "You had better be careful, we will find you and then kill you."


    Snap! The phone hung up, and Qiu Yong nced at his siblings and said solemnly, "Prepare to break out. Xia Yue, ensure Ling Chen¡¯s safety."


    The patterned woman¡¯splexion changed slightly, and just as she was about to speak, she was silenced by Qiu Yong¡¯s gaze.


    So, this woman¡¯s name was Xia Yue. Ling Chen nced at her, a slight smile lifting the corners of his mouth. It seemed Qiu Yong indeed cared for him, having a woman take care of him.


    Bang!


    Secondster, a loud bang as the door of the sickroom was violently smashed open. Following that, over a dozen security personnel wielding riot shields entered one by one, looking around the empty room. They paused slightly, then turned their gaze toward the damaged window.


    "Calling the control center, the target is not in the room, is there an error in your signal?"


    "ording to the signal, all eight targets are within the sickroom."


    "Damn it, they must have removed the trackers from their bodies, order immediately, seal off the entire base."


    ...


    In a corridor of the secret base, led by Qiu Yong, eight extraordinary individuals along with Ling Chen were rapidly moving towards the exit.


    It was Ling Chen¡¯s first visit here, but Qiu Yong and the others had been here once before and were fairly familiar with the routes, knowing where the exit was. With them leading, at least they wouldn¡¯t go in the wrong direction.


    Ling Chen dragged his heavy legs, struggling to keep up with the group. Although he wanted to match the group¡¯s speed, his body was too weak; not long after running, he was gasping for breath, falling behind.


    At that moment, Xia Yue, walking in front, looked back at Ling Chen. Seeing his staggering step and shaky body, she frowned slightly. Remembering Qiu Yong¡¯s instructions, Xia Yue quickly returned to Ling Chen¡¯s side, took his arm over her shoulder, and supported his waist with her other hand, helping his body move forward.


    As their bodies touched, a faint fragrance reached Ling Chen¡¯s nose, instantly revitalizing his spirit. A surge of perverse strength slowly grew within him, and his energy gradually recovered.


    Damn! Does the Prajnaparamita Sutra have such an effect?


    Ling Chen was startled, somewhat in disbelief. It seemed He Ziyun was right; women could strongly catalyze the effects of the Prajnaparamita Sutra. However, he had closely interacted with Nanrong Wanqing during his recovery period before, so why hadn¡¯t it had such an effect?


    Could it be... that only women who have practiced Inner Strength can be effective?


    If that¡¯s the case, wouldn¡¯t he be invincible in the world if he keeps a hundred women who practice Inner Strength around him in the future?


    While he was entertaining these thoughts to himself, a young man in the group suddenly stopped, pointing ahead and saying, "There are people in the left corridor."


    "How many?"


    "About fifteen."


    Hearing this, Qiu Yong gestured, and Xia Yue immediately took Ling Chen to hide in a corner, their bodies pressed tightly together.


    As soon as they hid, a flurry of footsteps approached from not far away. Ling Chen stealthily peeked and saw fifteen security personnel passing right in front of their cross-corridor, inwardly shocked. That young man was impressive, not only did he know people wereing over, but he could also urately count their number. That was quite freakish.


    Xia Yue seemed to see the surprise in his eyes and exined, "The seventh brother is blind; he was born unable to see, so he intensely practiced his hearing. The eldest brother said that within ten meters, even the sound of a mosquito pping its wings couldn¡¯t escape his ears."


    It turns out he is blind.


    Ling Chen was astonished; he hadn¡¯t noticed it at all.


    With the help of the young man, the group was able to urately avoid the search parties every time. It wasn¡¯t long before they sessfully reached the exit.


    Ling Chen leaned close to Xia Yue¡¯s soft body, looking around attentively. At the doorway, over thirty security personnel stood ready, all equipped with riot shields, stun batons, and tasers¡ªuniform urban SWAT gear. Additionally, there were two water cannon trucks parked on either side of the doorway.


    It was apparent that Mr. Yun did not wish to harm their lives, or rather, did not want to harm Ling Chen for the time being, so he did not deploy lethal weapons. Once Ling Chen died, they would lose their subject of research, rendering him valueless.


    Trouble!


    Ling Chen slightly furrowed his brow. There were nine of them now, one unconscious and needing care, plus he had Xia Yue who was responsible for his safety. That immediately reduced their number by four, leaving only five capable of fighting. Whether they could break through the defenses was still hard to say.


    During his contemtion, his eyes lifted upward, following the ceiling, and his gaze suddenly brightened.


    "Elder Qiu, do you see that distribution box over there? If we turn off the lights, we could..."


    Before Ling Chen could finish speaking, Qiu Yong had already grasped his intention and gave a meaningful nce to the man carrying a quiver beside him. Without a word, thetter opened his quiver, took out a bow and arrow, and aimed at the wiring box at the top of the wall.


    Whoosh!


    The arrow shot through the air, instantly piercing the distribution box. Following that, the box erupted with a ¡¯bang¡¯, sparks flying everywhere, and the surroundings plunged into darkness. However, merely two seconds passed, and the lights came on again as the backup power supply kicked in.


    The man¡¯s expression remained unchanged as he pulled out five more arrows from the quiver, loaded them onto the bowstring, and fired continuously without pause. Five arrows flew simultaneously, none missing their target, all hitting the overhead lights. The lighting fixtures were destroyed, rendering the backup power useless.


    "Call the main control, they have reached the exit, send backup immediately," the security personnel immediately ryed the information.


    In less than a minute, three SUVs quickly arrived at the scene, their row of rooftop lights switched on, instantly illuminating the surroundings.


    "Everyone be alert, they must be nearby."


    As soon as those words fell, they suddenly heard a noise from behind. Then, they saw the exit door slowly rising.


    "How is the door opening?" The security personnel looked somewhat dazed.


    A security captain quickly picked up the walkie-talkie and loudly said, "Calling the main control, the door..."


    Before he could finish, a dazzling light suddenly shone on them. Caught off guard, all the security personnel hastily raised their arms to shield their eyes. At that moment, the roar of an engine sounded, followed by the water cannon truck parked next to the gate charging directly outside.


    The security captain peered through his fingers to see a young man sitting in the passenger seat, it was Ling Chen.


    "No good, they are in the vehicle, don¡¯t let them escape."


    Regrettably, he was still a step toote; the vehicle had already rushed out the gate and elerated towards the parking lot outside.


    Watching the vehicle kick up dust as it left, everyone was dumbfounded, unable toprehend how these individuals managed to bypass them and get to the vehicle; it was indeed baffling.

 Chapter 313 - 309: Bonds of Affection

    <h4>Chapter 313: Chapter 309: Bonds of Affection</h4><h4></h4>


    Emerging from the parking lot, the factory security room, having already received notification, hurriedly assembled personnel, forming a human wall at the entrance. But against the high-pressure water cannon truck that didn¡¯t slow its speed, those suited men didn¡¯t have the guts to hold their ground. Before the vehicle even got close, they scattered to both sides, allowing the truck to smash through the iron gate and speed away.


    "Done!"


    Sitting in the passenger seat, Ling Chen nced at the rearview mirror, a pale face revealing a hint of joy at the smooth escape. They could sessfully escape this time thanks to Qiu Yong and others. Had it not been for their respective special abilities, they might still be struggling inside the secret base.


    After the lights went out, relying on the sharp hearing of youth, everyone huddled shoulder to shoulder, following his lead and sneaking past the group of security personnel in the dark. They were all martial arts practitioners, who found controlling their footsteps to be a simple task. Additionally, those security personnel weren¡¯t experts. Once they sessfully got behind the security staff, Xia Yue stealthily got on the vehicle, taking care of the personnel on board. Meanwhile, Ling Chen sneaked into the security room and opened the main gate.


    Through this cooperation, Ling Chen truly witnessed the prowess of the eight peculiar individuals. Each possessed their own unique skills, truly strange people within the Martial Arts realm.


    "Third brother, third brother..."


    At this moment, an anxious voice from Xia Yue came from the trunk.


    The driver Qiu Yong quickly pulled over to the side of the road, then got out and went around to the rear of the vehicle, with Ling Chen closely following. Pulling open the door, Ling Chen¡¯s expression changed slightly upon seeing a middle-aged man lying in Xia Yue¡¯s arms, ck blood flowing from his mouth and his pale face, his body convulsing violently.


    "Ling Chen, don¡¯t you know medicine? Quickly take a look!" the one-armed man called out urgently upon seeing him.


    Ling Chen nodded, stepping quickly into thepartment, and ced his hand on the other man¡¯s pulse. Everyone¡¯s gaze was fixed on him, waiting for his diagnosis. After a while, Ling Chen sighed softly and shook his head at the others.


    "His bodily functions have already copsed," he said, turning to look at Qiu Yong. "Elder Qiu, his life can¡¯t be saved. However, you can help reduce his suffering."


    "How do I help?"


    "He won¡¯t die right away, but this state will continue for an hour or two. During this time, he will constantly endure the pain and torment from his body. So, the best solution is to release him from his suffering as soon as possible."


    Xia Yue¡¯s gaze turned cold as she spoke sharply, "You want to kill him?"


    Ling Chen nodded, "I know you can¡¯t ept it, but this is the best way to handle it. Knowing that he¡¯s sure to die, do you have the heart to watch him suffer?"


    "I..." Xia Yue fell silent for a moment, then defiantly said, "No. I don¡¯t agree."


    "Elder Qiu, what do you think?"


    Qiu Yong looked at the middle-aged man convulsing all over, a flicker of reluctance in his eyes. After hesitating for a moment, he shook his head and said gravely, "I can¡¯t bring myself to do it."


    As he spoke, the middle-aged man lying in Xia Yue¡¯s arms suddenly lifted his hand, firmly grasping the one-armed man¡¯s arm, and with a hoarse voice, as if mustering all his strength, uttered with great difficulty, "Kill... kill... me... please..."


    "Third brother!"


    The one-armed man cried out, his eyes red, a grown man now unable to hold back his tears.


    It¡¯s not that men don¡¯t shed tears, only that the grievous moment had yet toe.


    The tense atmosphere immediately spread throughout the van, everyone bowed their heads, secretly wiping away tears, and the little boy cried out loud, his expression full of sorrow.


    "Ling Chen."


    "Elder Qiu, what is it?"


    Qiu Yong clenched his fists tightly, struggling to suppress his emotions, and spoke word for word, "I need a favor, help us siblings out."


    Ling Chen was startled, then quickly understood and eximed in surprise, "You want me to..."


    "Just consider it as us begging you."


    Facing the pleading look in Qiu Yong¡¯s eyes, Ling Chen hesitated for a moment, sighed silently, and nodded gently.


    "Thanks! Everyone else, get off." As soon as he finished speaking, Qiu Yong turned and walked to the back of the vehicle.


    The others looked at each other, somewhat bewildered. Finally, the one-armed man was the first to rise, patted Ling Chen¡¯s shoulder, and said in a low voice, "Please grant him a quick end, thank you!"


    Seeing the one-armed man get off the vehicle, the others no longer hesitated and stepped off one after another. Xia Yue, unable to let go, caressed the middle-aged man¡¯s cheek with tears already brimming in her eyes.


    "Third brother, if there¡¯s a next life, let¡¯s be siblings again."


    Watching everyone leave, Ling Chen squatted in the carriage, looking directly at the middle-aged man in front of him, and murmured to himself, "Don¡¯t me me for being heartless; I just don¡¯t want you to suffer anymore."


    The middle-aged man seemed to hear his words, his eyelids trembling slightly as if responding to him.


    "Go in peace." With that, Ling Chen¡¯s hand moved to his neck.


    The middle-aged man slowly closed his eyes, his lips slightly curled up in a smile of relief, and his twitching body gradually became calm.


    ...


    The car door opened, and those waiting outside immediately focused their gaze on Ling Chen.


    Ling Chen¡¯s expression was serene; he said nothing but gave a slight nod. Seeing his gesture, Xia Yue could no longer contain herself and threw herself into the arms of the one-armed man, weeping loudly.


    Ling Chen stood quietly to the side, not disturbing the others immersed in grief. He could feel the sincere emotions among these people, heartfelt and genuine.


    It¡¯s rare in life to find true friends, rare to have brothers.


    Having so many genuine siblings by your side throughout life, even death would leave no regrets.


    Ling Chen reflected to himself, feeling a twinge of envy.


    "Ling Chen, thank you for your help. We, the eight strange people, owe you a favor." After saying this, Qiu Yong handed over a piece of paper, "If you ever need anything, you can contact me with this number. Whatever trouble you face, we siblings will definitely help you with all our might."


    Ling Chen¡¯s eyes brightened. These people were each skilled in their own way, and he had long thought of making connections with them. With such a rare opportunity, he naturally wouldn¡¯t miss it.


    "Elder Qiu, please don¡¯t say that; as long as you don¡¯t hold this against me, that¡¯s enough."


    "Not at all. We are preparing to send our third brother back to his hometown for burial. Take care of yourself, and we¡¯ll get in touchter."


    "Safe travels."


    After Qiu Yong and the others drove away, Ling Chen stood alone on the roadside, patiently waiting. About half an hourter, a Land Rover drove down the road and stopped at the curb. The window rolled down, and Zhong Wei poked his head out from the driver¡¯s seat, waving his hand, "Get in!"


    Ling Chen nodded and quickly got into the passenger seat. When he parted ways with Qiu Yong, he had borrowed his phone to call Zhong Wei toe and pick him up.


    "Where have you been these past few days? Couldn¡¯t reach you by phone, couldn¡¯t find you, the chairman and the others were almost out of their minds."


    "Ran into a bit of trouble. How about at home, everything okay?"


    "Not too great, something¡¯s happened."

 Chapter 314 - 310: Nanrong Hao Gets Injured

    <h4>Chapter 314: Chapter 310: Nanrong Hao Gets Injured</h4><h4></h4>


    "Trouble?" Ling Chen¡¯s expression tightened, and he asked hastily, "What happened?"


    "Mr. Nanrong had a conflict with someone."


    "Haozi?" Ling Chen immediately rxed. It wasn¡¯t that he didn¡¯t care about Nanrong Hao; it¡¯s just that Nanrong Hao is a man, and it¡¯s quite normal for him to experience setbacks and pain. What he¡¯s most worried about is Nanrong Wanqing. As long as she¡¯s alright, nothing else is a problem.


    Upon returning to Wealthy Manor, Ling Chen went straight to the vi. After entering, he realized that both Nanrong Wanqing and Su Lin were not there. It was only after asking Nanny Wang that he found out both women had run off to Nanrong Hao¡¯s vi.


    Inside Nanrong Hao¡¯s ce, Ling Chen caught sight of Nanrong Hao sitting in a wheelchair, his arms and abdomen wrapped in bandages and his face bruised and swollen, looking just like a mummy. This drew an unfeeling grin from Ling Chen.


    Hearing theughter at the doorway, Nanrong Wanqing, Su Lin, and Nanrong Hao all turned their heads to look at Ling Chen as he walked in.


    With a frustrated face, Nanrong Hao said, "Chen, I¡¯m like this, and you¡¯re stillughing."


    Ling Chen quirked a smile. "It¡¯s fine. You¡¯re a grown man; it¡¯s okay to get hurt. It doesn¡¯t matter if you¡¯re disfigured; you¡¯re not handsome anyway." After teasing him, he couldn¡¯t suppress his curiosity and asked, "By the way, who did this to you?"


    Although Nanrong Hao was no expert, he had trained for so long with Ling Chen after all. It would be difficult for four or five ordinary guys to get close to him, so Ling Chen was rather curious.


    "Ah," Nanrong Hao sighed and said, "let¡¯s not talk about it. It¡¯s embarrassing."


    "There are no strangers here, what¡¯s there to be embarrassed about. If you want me to stand up for you, then spit it out."


    "So, here¡¯s the thing..."


    Nanrong Hao then exined his ordeal.


    After hearing the story, Ling Chen frowned slightly, a trace of coldness in his eyes.


    Recently, Nanrong Hao had been busy with Jiang Hao and Zhao Zhengxiong, working on setting up a courierpany. They had already notified Qi Jianhui of the Green Tiger Gang, intending to open five courier branches in his territory. All started well because Qi Jianhui, knowing Nanrong Hao¡¯s background, did not dare to easily provoke him, and the two sides coexisted peacefully.


    Buttely, for some unknown reason, Qi Jianhui, as if emboldened by a surge of ambition, openly went against Jiang Hao and his group. Not only did he send people to cause trouble at their courierpanies, threatening them to pay protection money, but he also beat up their couriers, causing significant losses to thepany.


    Because of this, Nanrong Hao and Jiang Hao and the others were furious and wanted to teach Qi Jianhui a lesson to make him back down. But Qi Jianhui, far from being subdued, stepped up his hostility, even smashing two of theirpanies.


    In the underworld, only those with stronger fists have a say.


    After much thought, Nanrong Hao and the others decided to gather their power, call for reinforcements, and directly take over Qi Jianhui¡¯s territory.


    Zhao Zhengxiong was cautious, having dealt with Qi Jianhui in the past. Before making a move, he thoroughly investigated Qi Jianhui¡¯s background and urately counted the numbers of the Green Tiger Gang. To defeat the Green Tiger Gang, Jiang Hao had gathered twice as many people as the opponent.


    With so many people, none of the three from the Nanrong family ever thought they could lose.


    Last night, the trio split up, each leading hundreds of subordinates, prepared to siege the stronghold of the Green Tiger Gang. Everything went smoothly at the start, Nanrong Hao and his twopanions easily took down the Green Tiger Gang¡¯s stronghold, leaving Qi Jianhui with no way out.


    But at that moment, an unexpected force emerged. Although outnumbered, they were all skilled and not weak by any means. It wasn¡¯t long before Nanrong Hao and his men were effortlessly defeated in the sh, both Jiang Hao and Zhao Zhengxiong suffered injuries, and with Nanrong Hao covering the rear, he was even more seriously hurt, sustaining a dislocated arm and a stab wound to his belly. Fortunately, the vital organs were missed, and he escaped with his life.


    "Do you know who they were?" Ling Chen asked.


    Nanrong Hao shook his head, "Not sure for now. Hao is looking into it, but what we can be sure of is that those people were not Qi Jianhui¡¯s men."


    "What¡¯s your n?"


    "Do I even need to say it? Once I¡¯ve recovered from my injuries, I¡¯ll make sure those jerks pay. If we don¡¯t settle this, how can we ever mix in the circles again?"


    Watching Nanrong Hao furiously talk, Nanrong Wanqing couldn¡¯t help but stand up and say, "Ling Chen,e out for a moment, I have something to tell you."


    Seeing Nanrong Wanqing walk out, Ling Chen winked at Nanrong Hao, smiled slightly, and quickly followed her steps. In fact, without saying much, Ling Chen could guess what was on her mind.


    Once outside the vi, Nanrong Wanqing turned back, looked at Ling Chen who was grinning, and chided, "And you¡¯reughing. I left my brother in your care, hoping you would help him grow. Look at what he¡¯s be now, just yelling about fighting and killing, no different than a street thug. If he continues like this, how can I trust him with the Hongyu Group in the future?"


    Ling Chen corrected, "That¡¯s not right. Actually, what Haozi is doing right now is not fundamentally different from running the Hongyu Group. At least now he¡¯s sort of a big brother, managing quite a few people under him. As a boss, he has to think about how to make money and ensure his subordinates aren¡¯t going hungry, while also regrly bonding with them to win their hearts. If something happens, he has to negotiate with others. Honestly, don¡¯t think those bosses have nothing to do and just enjoy life; they work harder than you, a chairman, with everything being hands-on. Once he bes apetent boss, I believe he¡¯ll have the necessary ability to manage the Hongyu Group."


    Nanrong Wanqing gave him an annoyed nce and said, "Your reasoning is twisted. Okay, enough joking, I¡¯m not interested in what he wants to do; I¡¯m just worried about his safety. You know the current situation at the Nanrong family is unstable; if someone has it out for him..."


    "Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m here. I won¡¯t let anything happen to him," Ling Chen grinned and said, "After all, he¡¯s going to be my future brother-inw."


    Hearing this, Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s face blushed, feeling sweet inside, but she retorted coquettishly, "Nothing is set in stone yet, don¡¯t speak so early."


    "Is that so?" Ling Chen smiled mischievously, reaching out with both hands, he wrapped them around Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s slender waist, and then gently pushed forward, pressing her delicate body against his strong chest.


    Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s face turned red as she said, "What are you trying to do?"


    Ling Chen leaned into her ear and whispered, "Didn¡¯t you just say nothing was decided yet? How about we make that first stroke?"


    "No." Feeling the warm breath of Ling Chen tickling the sensitive spot behind her ear, Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s body trembled slightly, ovee with embarrassment, she quickly pushed Ling Chen away, her face bashfully frustrated, "It¡¯s broad daylight, no touching."


    Ling Chen chuckled, "So you mean it¡¯s not okay during the day, but it¡¯s okay at night? Fine, I¡¯lle see you tonight."

 Chapter 315 - 311 Perfect Data

    <h4>Chapter 315: Chapter 311 Perfect Data</h4><h4></h4>


    Although the two had confirmed their rtionship, the shy Nanrong Wanqing couldn¡¯t withstand his teasing. Recalling the tender moments they shared, a blush immediately rose to her delicate face, bright and charming, like a goddess fallen into the mortal world, intoxicating to behold.


    "I¡¯m not talking to you anymore." Nanrong Wanqing, fearing Ling Chen might blurt out something bold again, quickly dropped a sentence and immediately turned to head back to the vi.


    Watching her retreating figure, Ling Chen couldn¡¯t help but think of the words Mr. Yun had once said to him, feeling incredibly conflicted inside. He didn¡¯t understand why Mr. Yun would prevent him from being with Nanrong Wanqing, and now he had no interest in finding out. What he was worried about was far more important.


    Mr. Yun was undoubtedly a high-ranking member of the God Organization. Given his position, he would inevitably stand against the God Organization in the future. Consequently, Mr. Yun would be his enemy. In this situation, the one who would suffer the most was undoubtedly Nanrong Wanqing. If she knew the truth, she might find it hard to face.


    Thinking of these headache-inducing issues, he couldn¡¯t help but let out a sigh. Forget it, he thought, one step at a time¡ªcross that bridge when youe to it.


    Night fell, and the autumn breeze was slightly cool.


    Just after nine o¡¯clock, Ling Chen went to bed early. Having lost too much blood in the past couple of days, his body felt weak. He wanted to rest well and recover as soon as possible.


    At this moment, the ringtone of the mobile phone on the bedside table rang out.


    "Hello! Old Tang, how is it?"


    "It¡¯s toote, they¡¯ve already run away. All the data has been cleaned up, not a trace left behind."


    "They sure fled quickly."


    After escaping from that secret base, Ling Chen immediately contacted the Ghost Organization. Unfortunately, they were a step behind, and Mr. Yun had probably already left East Sea City with Zhu Hong.


    ...


    At this time, in an underground room, the lights were bright. In the small room filled with various sophisticated instruments, several researchers in white coats were busy preparing.


    After a while, the door was pushed open, and Zhu Hong, wearing a thin patient¡¯s gown, walked in from outside and theny down on the bed in the center of the room.


    "Mr. Zhu, if you feel any difort, remember to tell us in time," reminded a researcher nearby.


    Having said that, he turned his head to look at the north wall of the room, where a huge transparent ss window had been installed. Outside the window, Mr. Yun stood with his hands behind his back, staring intently at Zhu Hong on the bed.


    Sensing the gaze of the researcher, he nodded lightly. Receiving his approval, the researcher immediately picked up a syringe and focused on injecting the serum into Zhu Hong¡¯s body.


    In less than ten seconds, Zhu Hong¡¯s eyes gradually closed, and he fell into a deep slumber.


    "Start!"


    As the voice fell, the researchers began the experiment in an orderly manner.


    With a blood transfusion tube inserted into Zhu Hong¡¯s arm, bright red blood immediately began to flow through the clear tube, then along the transfusion line into the blood exchange machine. As the fresh blood was drawn from Zhu Hong¡¯s body, another pale red blood was infused into his body through another tube.


    Throughout the process, everyone¡¯s expressions were tense, not daring to rx in the slightest, their eyes firmly fixed on the data disyed on the instruments.


    After more than ten minutes, Zhu Hong, who was in a deep sleep, suddenly opened his eyes, his pupils dted, his body violently convulsing, and white foam continuously spewing from his mouth, a very frightening sight.


    Mr. Yun, watching from outside the ss window, saw the changes in Zhu Hong and his face immediately darkened, his brows furrowing tightly as he asked in a deep voice, "What¡¯s the matter?"


    "It¡¯s likely a bodily rejection of the blood fusion." A researcher inside the room exined, "The blood we transferred into him was artificial blood manufactured using Ling Chen¡¯s genes. It¡¯s quite normal for the body to reject it."


    "Is there a risk to his life?"


    "There shouldn¡¯t be a problem. We anticipated this situation and were already prepared." As the researcher spoke, several researchers had be busy, using various instruments to alleviate Zhu Hong¡¯s symptoms. As sweat formed on the brows of everyone present, Zhu Hong¡¯s condition finally began to improve and steadily stabilized.


    At the same time, the data on the instruments started to jump from zero to ten, and continued to rise.


    Seeing those numbers, all researchers heaved a sigh of relief, their faces breaking into rxed smiles.


    "Mr. Yun, everything is progressing smoothly."


    "Very good." Mr. Yun nodded, a faint smile appearing at the corner of his mouth. Zhu Hong was a talent he had nurtured himself; he didn¡¯t want anything to happen to him. Moreover, he had higher expectations for Zhu Hong. If Zhu Hong died now, his many years of hard work would be in vain.


    Two hourster.


    The sessful blood transfusion recipient Zhu Hong slowly opened his eyes, which, originally dark as ink, now bore a trace of eerie blue, adding a mysterious charm to his handsome appearance.


    Rising from the bed, Zhu Hong lifted his hands, examined the palms and backs of them, and then flexed his joints. Feeling the changes in his body, the corners of his mouth immediately lifted.


    "Not bad, this is the effect I wanted."


    After getting out of bed, a researcher immediately handed him a steel pipe that was presented to Zhu Hong. ncing at it, Zhu Hong took it, applied a slight force with his arms, and the steel pipe, as thick as a wrist, instantly deformed, twisted into a lump by Zhu Hong as easily as if it were dough.


    "Proceed with the next set of tests immediately; I need to know his data clearly," said Mr. Yun from outside the ss window, his eyes excited, urging them on impatiently.


    "Yes."


    In less than half an hour, aplete report was delivered into Mr. Yun¡¯s hands. Looking at the astonishing numbers, even the usuallyposed Mr. Yun couldn¡¯t help butugh.


    "Excellent, very good! Zhu Hong, you certainly did not disappoint me. This data alone is enough to rival an exoskeleton armor suit."


    At this moment, Zhu Hong, now dressed in a sharp suit, was holding a cup of tea and sitting leisurely in a chair, savoring it.


    "Mr. Yun..."


    "There are only us rtives here, no outsiders, you may use a different address."


    "Yes, Uncle Yun." Zhu Hong spoke, "Ling Chen¡¯s blood and genes do indeed have extraordinary effects, it¡¯s a pity we let him escape, and can¡¯t collect more of his fresh blood."


    Mr. Yun waved his hand and said, "These aren¡¯t problems. As long as he is out there, whenever we need him, we can capture him back at any time."


    "Uncle Yun." Zhu Hong hesitated for a moment, but still couldn¡¯t resist asking, "Why do you insist on letting Ling Chen go? Even without Ling Chen by Wanqing¡¯s side, we could still ensure Wanqing¡¯s safety."


    "You can¡¯t say it like that. I need someone capable and trusted by Wanqing to stay by her side, and Ling Chen is the most suitable candidate. Given the current situation, the Jiang Family will sooner ortere after Wanqing. Since we are not in a position to act now, we can only rely on Ling Chen for help." Saying this, Mr. Yun paused, giving Zhu Hong a meaningful look. "I know what you¡¯re thinking. Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t change what I promised you."

 Chapter 316 - 312 Dongyi

    <h4>Chapter 316: Chapter 312 Dongyi</h4><h4></h4>


    The next day.


    Ling Chen woke up at ten in the morning. He had been too exhausted the past couple of days, his biological clock was out of sync.


    When he got up, Nanny Wang had already prepared breakfast. Ling Chen called Nanrong Wanqing to make sure she had safely arrived at the office before he could rx.


    He ate a bit of breakfast quickly, then a familiar voice came from outside the door. Ling Chen turned around to see Jiang Hao and Zhao Zhengxiong walking in side by side.


    "Hey! You guys are early. Here to see Haozi?"


    Jiang Hao nodded and said, "Chen, where did you run off to that night? We called but couldn¡¯t reach you."


    "I had my matters to attend to." While speaking, Ling Chen looked over Jiang Hao and Zhao Zhengxiong. The battle that night seemed quite ¡¯fierce¡¯; both were bandaged on their faces and hands.


    "Are you two alright?"


    "Just some minor injuries, nothing serious."


    "Did you figure out who was behind this?" Ling Chen asked.


    Hearing this, Jiang Hao and Zhao Zhengxiong exchanged a nce, their expressions somewhat bitter as they said with a wry smile, "Chen, we might have gotten ourselves in big trouble this time."


    "Tell me about it."


    "I checked. The people who showed up that night were from the Dongyi Gang. To put it simply, we¡¯re like a budding smallpany, but Dongyi Gang is like the Hongyu Group; it¡¯s an established gang in East Sea City with decades of foundation."


    Hearing Jiang Hao¡¯s exnation, Ling Chen was taken aback and asked in surprise, "How did you guys get tangled up with such a big gang?"


    Jiang Hao grimaced and said, "We wouldn¡¯t dare offend Dongyi Gang. It¡¯s all because of that bastard, Qi Jianhui. I have no idea how he got involved with Dongyi Gang. Now the Green Tiger Gang has been absorbed by Dongyi Gang and became one of their bases. Chen, I intended to keep to my own turf and be the king of my own hill, but somehow we ended up shing with Dongyi Gang. Now we¡¯re doomed."


    Zhao Zhengxiong then added, "We received a notice from Dongyi Gang this morning. Within three days, we must submit to them and hand over all our territories, or else Dongyi Gang will forcefully drive us out of Old City. Chen, you have to help us; you¡¯re the only one we can rely on."


    Ling Chen frowned slightly. It wasn¡¯t that he was unwilling to help, but the situation was tricky. From Jiang Hao¡¯s description, he got a preliminary understanding of Dongyi Gang. Such a longstanding gang was a real scourge to society, indulging in all kinds of vices like gambling, drugs, and prostitutions.


    Although Jiang Hao was also part of this underworld, he adhered to his principles; his gang never engaged in these criminal activities, just collected protection money and earned through legalbor. Compared to Dongyi Gang, Jiang Hao¡¯s group was like the fresh-faced youths of the underworld.


    Ling Chen had dealt with underworld forces when he was abroad; those were cold-blooded killers. Realrge-scale gangs had a clear hierarchy with professional fighters and assassins, and were notcking in strength. Jiang Hao contending with those people was truly a case of a mantis trying to stop a chariot, courting self-destruction.


    After thinking for a moment, he asked, "Do you know who the head of Dongyi Gang is? How about I talk to him and see if I can persuade him toy off Old City?"


    Zhao Zhengxiong shook his head and said, "Chen, not to hide it from you, but hardly anyone knows who the leader of Dongyi Gang is. That person is very mysterious and seldom shows their face; usually, the two hall masters of Dongyi Gang handle the gang¡¯s affairs. One handles the business aspects, and the other manages their men, and they are the most powerful people in the gang."


    "Who should I talk to then?"


    "Deng Guoyong; he¡¯s the one dealing with us in Old City."


    "Fine, you guys set a time to meet him, and I¡¯ll have a proper talk with him."


    Jiang Hao responded, "Alright, I¡¯ll try to arrange a meeting with him and contact you by phone."


    After seeing Jiang Hao and Zhao Zhengxiong off, Ling Chen sat on the sofa in the living room, thought for a moment, then took out his phone to dial a number.


    The call connected, and Ling Chen cheerfully said, "Hey, Officer Xia, are you busy?"


    "Get straight to the point, I don¡¯t have time to waste."


    "It¡¯s like this, how much do you know about Dongyi Gang?"


    "Dongyi Gang?" Xia Mutong¡¯s tone changed slightly, and he immediately asked, "Ling Chen, what are you up to now?"


    "Just asking casually."


    "Dongyi Gang is suspected in one hundred and forty-five crimes including murder, kidnapping, extortion, assaulting police, and disturbing public order. They are thergest underground force in East Sea City and a major focus of our police efforts."


    Ling Chen was internally shocked, with so many charges, the reputation of this old gang truly preceded it.


    "If that¡¯s the case, then why has there been no effect, and Dongyi Gang is still so rampant?"


    "Dongyi Gang has numerous underlings, and every time theymit a crime, a minion takes the fall, and we can¡¯t touch anyone higher up. We are police; we work based on evidence, and it¡¯s the same when making arrests," Xia Mutong couldn¡¯t help asking, "Ling, you haven¡¯t gotten into trouble with Dongyi Gang, have you? Otherwise, why inquire about them?"


    "Dongyi Gang has targeted Jiang Hao and his crew, looking to swallow their territory. They asked for my intervention. We are all brothers; I can¡¯t just stand by and do nothing. Officer Xia, don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m a civilized man, just nning to talk it out, no violence."


    "That¡¯s your business. If you can really help me deal with Dongyi Gang, I have to thank you properly. Alright, I have a meeting to attend, can¡¯t talk more. You handle it your way."


    After hanging up, Ling Chen grinned and chuckled to himself. Xia Mutong¡¯s meaning was clear, whatever you n to do is fine, the police won¡¯t intervene. Since that¡¯s the case, things should be much easier now.


    ...


    Night fell.


    Nanrong Wanqing returned home from Hongyu Group, and as soon as she entered, she saw Ling Chen changing his clothes, getting ready to head out.


    "Where are you going?"


    "I¡¯ve arranged to have dinner with someone." Ling Chen replied. Jiang Hao had just called, having arranged a meeting with Deng Guoyong.


    "Who?"


    Ling Chen was about to make up an excuse, but then he heard Nanrong Hao¡¯s voice from behind, "Chen, are we ready to go?"


    Nanrong Wanqing looked suspiciously at them and asked, "Are you two going together?"


    "Sister, we¡¯ve arranged to negotiate with the hall master of Dongyi Gang; Chen has agreed to help us out."


    Hearing this, Ling Chen nced at Nanrong Hao reproachfully. This guy really spilled everything, not even considering if it would worry Nanrong Wanqing. Catching his reproachful gaze, Wanqing spoke, "Don¡¯t me him. We have an agreement; whatever he does, he must tell me everything, no secrets, or I won¡¯t let him leave the house." Then she turned yful and asked, "Are you really going to negotiate?"


    Ling Chen nodded, watching Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s spirited demeanor, a bad feeling stirring within him.


    "Okay, you can go, but you have to take me with you. I want to see for myself how you guys negotiate."

 Chapter 317 - 313 Negotiation

    <h4>Chapter 317: Chapter 313 Negotiation</h4><h4></h4>


    "Sister, you want to go too?" Nanrong Hao was taken aback, clearly not expecting Nanrong Wanqing to make such a request.


    "What, can¡¯t I?"


    "This..." Nanrong Hao was at a loss for words and turned to Ling Chen for help.


    Ling Chen coughed lightly and said with an awkward smile, "Wanqing, that kind of situation isn¡¯t quite suitable for women. It¡¯s better if you stay at home. Don¡¯t worry, with me apanying Haozi, nothing will happen to him."


    Nanrong Wanqing said indifferently, "I¡¯m not worried about whether anything will happen to him. I just want to go and see for myself. He¡¯s my younger brother, and I should be aware of what he¡¯s doing. If Grandpa asks about itter, I should know how to respond."


    Seeing she was bringing up Nanrong Yong, Nanrong Hao immediately mped his mouth shut, not daring to refute any further.


    Threat! A tant threat!


    Nanrong Yong had no idea what Nanrong Hao was doing and thought he was dutifully attending school. If he found out Nanrong Hao was not engaging in proper business and dealing with a bunch of gangsters, Nanrong Hao probably wouldn¡¯t have good days ahead.


    Ling Chen knew that Nanrong Wanqing had made up her mind and that he couldn¡¯t refuse her, so he said, "If you want to go, then let¡¯s go. It¡¯s not a big deal." With him by her side, who would dare to hurt Nanrong Wanqing.


    Shortly after, the three of them made a few preparations and then drove to the negotiation site.


    The meeting ce Jiang Hao had arranged was at a high-end restaurant in East Sea City, where luxury cars filled the entrance and the stream of patrons was endless.


    When Ling Chen and the others arrived, Jiang Hao and Zhao Zhengxiong were already waiting outside. They hurried up to greet them when they got out of the car. But when Nanrong Wanqing appeared in their line of sight, both men were momentarily taken aback, mouths agape, looking at her with disbelief.


    Zhao Zhengxiong was the first toe to his senses and greeted her with a smile, "Miss Nanrong, what brings you here?"


    "I¡¯m just apanying my brother to take a look. You don¡¯t mind, do you?"


    "No, not at all." Zhao Zhengxiong and Jiang Hao hurriedly waved their hands, their smiles forced as they thought to themselves, where would we dare to object. Jiang Hao stole a nce at Ling Chen and Nanrong Hao, his eyes questioning. Thetter spread his hands, looking helpless.


    "Jiang Hao, has Deng Guoyong arrived yet?"


    "He just got here. He¡¯s already in the private room."


    Ling Chen nodded and said, "Let¡¯s go and meet him."


    Upon entering the restaurant, guided by Jiang Hao, they arrived at a private room called ¡¯Prosperous Blossoms.¡¯


    Pushing open the door, Ling Chen, as the representative for these negotiations, stepped in first, followed closely by the others. Upon entering the room, Ling Chen scanned the area; there were five people inside, and a middle-aged man in a ck suit was sitting upright by the round table, with dishes neatly arranged in front of him. The food had already been served, the aroma wafting through the air, but the man had not started without permission, showing good manners. Moreover, this middle-aged man had a gentle face and a kindly smile. At first nce, it was hard to associate him with a gangster.


    Deng Guoyong!


    One of the hall masters of the Dongyi Gang.


    Behind Deng Guoyong stood four young men, in suits and sunsses, standing straight, with the air of bodyguards.


    "Mr. Deng." Ling Chen¡¯s mouth curled up slightly, bearing a light smile as he took the initiative to extend his hand and said hello.


    Deng Guoyong politely stood up and said, "You must be Mr. Ling? Please, have a seat!" As he spoke, his gaze swept over Jiang Hao and the others. When his eyesnded on Nanrong Wanqing, his expression instantly froze, his gaze fixated on her for a long while, unable to move away.


    However, Nanrong Wanqing seemed oblivious to his stare, taking a seat with Nanrong Hao next to her, close to Ling Chen.


    "Mr. Deng?"


    Hearing Ling Chen¡¯s call, Deng Guoyong snapped back to reality, gave an embarrassed smile, and gestured with a ¡¯please¡¯, signaling Ling Chen to sit down.


    "Mr. Ling, I¡¯m a straightforward person; I don¡¯t like beating around the bush. I understand your intentions for calling me out, so allow me to speak inly up front. You can keep control of the Old City; we won¡¯t send people over, but you must join our group, under the control of Dongyi Group, and pay us forty percent of your profits every year."


    Ling Chen responded with a smile that was not quite a smile, "Dongyi Group?"


    Deng Guoyong smiled and said, "Mr. Ling, times have changed. We need to keep up with the times. ck activities are not allowed to exist anymore, which is why Dongyi Group was founded. Under Dongyi Group, we have thirty-six KTVs, one hundred and twenty-eight bars, twenty-two bathhouses, and also five private securitypanies. We are now legitimate businessmen, not the small-time hoodlums who just know how to fight and kill. Otherwise, I wouldn¡¯t be sitting here negotiating with you."


    "Is that so?" Ling Chen slightly lifted his lips, his mouth bearing a yful smile, "Mr. Deng, a wolf and a wolf in sheep¡¯s clothing, do you think there¡¯s a fundamental difference?"


    Before Deng Guoyong could answer, Ling Chen continued, "I can¡¯t ept your conditions. The Old City is our hard-earned turf; if we hand over half of our profits to you, then what do we use to sustain our brothers below? Surely we can¡¯t let them go drink the northwest wind."


    "Then what are Mr. Ling¡¯s conditions?"


    "We won¡¯t encroach on Dongyi Group¡¯s interests in the Old City, and Dongyi Group must not touch the Old City either. We mind our own business. How does that sound?"


    "Sorry, I can¡¯t ept that condition." Deng Guoyong decisively refused without hesitation, "Mr. Ling, let¡¯s not mince words. The Old City is no longer what it used to be. Previously, the Old City was popted with all sorts of people, and the environment was chaotic, so Dongyi Group was not interested to intervene. But now, it¡¯s different. Hongyu Group has partnered with the government and invested heavily to develop the Old City into a new urban area. In a few years, the Old City will be andmark in East Sea City. Whoever controls it will have a sulent piece of meat in their mouth. To put it bluntly, Dongyi Group is determined to have the Old City."


    Ling Chen shrugged, "Then we have nothing left to discuss." After that, he stood up, pointing to the dishes on the table, "Mr. Deng, enjoy your meal. We won¡¯t apany you any longer."


    As he turned to leave, Deng Guoyong spoke calmly, "Mr. Ling, you better think carefully. Being an enemy of Dongyi Group doesn¡¯t end well."


    "Threatening me?" Ling Chenughed not taking it seriously, "I don¡¯t start trouble, but I will retaliate if provoked. If you want to deal with us, you¡¯d better think twice, lest you lose more than what you bargained for."


    Hearing this, Deng Guoyong no longer responded, his gaze wandering over Nanrong Hao and Nanrong Wanqing, a contemtive look in his eyes.


    After leaving the restaurant, Jiang Hao asked worriedly, "Chen, are we really going to start a fight with them?"


    "Scared?"


    "It¡¯s not that, just..."


    Before Jiang Hao could finish, Ling Chen patted his shoulder and said, "Haven¡¯t you always aspired to be a sessful hoodlum? Now¡¯s the time."


    (2 more Chapters being rushed, there may be irregr updates due to special circumstances, will stabilize as soon as possible)

 Chapter 318 - 314: Confronting Jiang Yunkai

    <h4>Chapter 318: Chapter 314: Confronting Jiang Yunkai</h4><h4></h4>


    "A promising hoodlum?" Jiang Hao looked puzzled.


    Ling Chen cracked a smile, his eyes gleaming as he said, "What¡¯s the point of being just a hoodlum in the Old City? If you¡¯re going to be one, be the biggest hoodlum in East Sea City."


    Upon hearing his words, Jiang Hao and the others were momentarily stunned, to be precise, astonished by Ling Chen¡¯s ambition. Being the biggest hoodlum in East Sea City was something they had thought about, but only dared to dream about. Going against the Dongyi Group wasn¡¯t a matter of courage¡ªthey simplycked the strength.


    Seeing their shocked expressions, Ling Chen didn¡¯t borate further. His statement wasn¡¯t something rashly said in a moment of folly but the result of careful consideration.


    After several encounters with the God Organization, he profoundly realized their might. At present, he had be a target of the God Organization, and as for Nanrong Wanqing, he didn¡¯t know what she might face in the future. But one thing he could be certain of was that with Mr. Yun¡¯s involvement, it would be difficult for Nanrong Wanqing to break ties with the God Organization.


    Therefore, he needed to establish his own force to help him confront the God Organization.


    Jiang Hao and the others were merely insignificant hoodlumspared to the God Organization; there was a world of difference in strength, and no basis forparison. But that wasn¡¯t key¡ªtheir strength could be gradually nurtured. What mattered most was loyalty and brotherhood.


    Without his help, Jiang Hao wouldn¡¯t have achieved what he has today. Thus, Jiang Hao had a kind of blind trust in him. Not to mention Nanrong Hao, who was essentially family. Although Zhao Zhengxiong had had conflicts with him, those were things of the past. Through their recent interactions, he felt that Zhao Zhengxiong wasn¡¯t a bad person by nature and was a straightforward guy who could be trusted.


    As long as he could cultivate these three people and form his core team, he wouldn¡¯t need to always seek help from the old General in case of trouble in the future.


    Dongyi Group would be a perfect opportunity.


    Back in the car, Nanrong Wanqing sat in the passenger seat, her expression filled with worry as she looked at Ling Chen and said, "Are you really nning to take them on?"


    "You saw too, they won¡¯t back down. Since that¡¯s the case, let¡¯s have a showdown and see whose tactics are superior."


    Nanrong Hao said with a smile, "Sister, don¡¯t worry. Chen here is a master of the Tiger List after all. With Chen covering us, let alone one Dongyi, even two Dongyi Groups would be no problem. Isn¡¯t that right, Chen?"


    Ling Chen couldn¡¯t be bothered with him. However, when Nanrong Hao mentioned the Tiger List, Ling Chen¡¯s mind instantly thought of someone. If he could win that person over, it would be greatly beneficial to himself.


    Upon arriving at Wealthy Manor, Ling Chen dropped off Nanrong Wanqing and Nanrong Hao at their doorstep and said, "You guys go back first; I have some things to take care of and will be backter."


    "Take care of yourself."


    ...


    Half an hourter.


    Ling Chen met Jiang Yunkai on the snack street.


    "Congrattions." As soon as they met, Jiang Yunkai immediately wished him well.


    Ling Chen, puzzled, asked, "Congrattions for what?"


    "Congrattions for bing the number six master on the Tiger List."


    Number six on the Tiger List?


    Wasn¡¯t I number five on the Tiger List? How did I drop a spot?


    "Hey, how do you know my ranking?" Ling Chen voiced his inner question.


    Hearing this, Jiang Yunkai looked at him with a surprised expression, his tone astonished, "Don¡¯t you know?" With that, he took out his phone, entered a website, and handed it to Ling Chen, "Take a look for yourself. The rankings of the masters on the Tiger List are all here. Any changes, and Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion will immediately update the rankings."


    Ling Chen looked down from the first-ranked master one by one, and when he saw that the number five spot on the Tiger List had changed to Jiang Hanlin, he suddenly understood. However, what puzzled him was that during his time at the Jiang Family, he had clearly defeated Jiang Hanlin, so why did his ranking unexpectedly drop instead of rise?


    Could it be that the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion didn¡¯t take into ount the oue of that battle because they knew I had taken a strength-enhancing potion?


    That must be the reason.


    To his surprise, the intelligencework of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion was truly everywhere, even managing to uncover such secretive matters.


    "Ling Chen, do you need something from me tonight?"


    "I¡¯m here to keep our appointment. Didn¡¯t you want to challenge mest time? I ept, but I have one condition. If I win, you have to agree to do something for me. If I lose, you can make a request, and I will do my best to fulfill it."


    "Okay." Jiang Yunkai agreed without hesitation, barely thinking it over. After a pause, he asked, "Do we fight now or choose another time?"


    "Let¡¯s do it now, no need for any borate preparations."


    Jiang Yunkai nodded, stood up, and walked to a clear area, then gave Ling Chen a salute with sped fists.


    "Please enlighten me!"


    "Please!"


    Both stood firm, Ling Chen took a deep breath, regting his breathing. His aura became restrained, and the warmth of the Prajnaparamita Sutra circted in his Dantian. Warm currents flowed gently along his meridians like trickling streams, spreading throughout his body as if basking in the warm sunshine.


    Looking at the calm andposed Ling Chen, Jiang Yunkai¡¯s gaze gradually turned serious. With his energy locked on, fists clenched, and positioned in front of his body, he moved his right leg back slightly bent.


    Eyes locked onto each other, after a few seconds of intense gaze, they almost simultaneously made their move.


    Jiang Yunkai was very fast, taking five steps in the blink of an eye. His punches were powerful and contained Inner Strength. As his fist broke through the air, it immediately brought a whistling sound.


    Ling Chen didn¡¯t dodge, and as he saw Jiang Yunkai¡¯s punching, he countered head-on, unstoppable.


    The collision of their fists made a ¡¯bang¡¯ sound. With his fist momentum blocked, Ling Chen didn¡¯t step back, but instead tapped his toes on the ground, twisted his waist, and instantly moved to Jiang Yunkai¡¯s side, sweeping a steel fist towards his right shoulder.


    With the forceful wind approaching, Jiang Yunkai immediately changed his move, raising both shoulder and elbow to block Ling Chen¡¯s attack firmly. His feet seemed rooted to the ground, motionless, stable as Mount Tai.


    Two consecutive moves were easily neutralized by Jiang Yunkai, and a gleam of admiration appeared in Ling Chen¡¯s eyes.


    Jiang Yunkai practiced Xingyi Fist, which is one of the three major Inner Boxing styles of Huaxia. Ling Chen started with external techniques before mastering the inner, but Jiang Yunkai¡¯s approach was from the inside out.


    Ling Chen¡¯s external skills had reached the pinnacle, and inbat, he mainly relied on them, assisted by Inner Strength, the opposite of Jiang Yunkai¡¯s approach.


    Minutes passed.


    The two exchanged punches and kicks, neither gaining the upper hand, but the more they fought, the more exhrated they became.


    Ling Chen secretly marveled that Jiang Yunkai had practiced Inner Boxing for quite some time, with long, continuous, and potent Inner Strength. If it weren¡¯t for his external skills reaching their peak, relying solely on Inner Strength alone would not be enough to contend with Jiang Yunkai.


    Recruiting such a master to his side would indeed be a significant boost.


    As these thoughts flickered through his mind, Jiang Yunkai once again closed the distance, his forceful Inner Strength coordinating with the momentum of his punch, striking fiercely toward Ling Chen.


    "Bring it on!"


    Ling Chen bellowed, stepping out in an instant, his presence imposing, a sh of brilliance in his eyes, and his punch exploding with force.

 Chapter 319 - 315: The Sealed Villa

    <h4>Chapter 319: Chapter 315: The Sealed Vi</h4><h4></h4>


    As the two fists were about to collide, Ling Chen made an unexpected move. Instead of moving forward, his body suddenly stopped, then he pushed off the ground with both feet and quickly retreated backward, causing Jiang Yunkai¡¯s punch to miss. At the same time, Ling Chen changed his fist to a w, grasping Jiang Yunkai¡¯s wrist with one hand and pulling his body backward.


    Jiang Yunkai didn¡¯t expect Ling Chen to suddenly change his tactic, causing him to lose his bnce and lurch forward.


    However, those who have the courage and confidence to challenge a master from the Tiger List are certainly no ordinary fighters.


    In the face of danger, Jiang Yunkai didn¡¯t panic. He jumped up, his body suspended in the air, twisted his waist, and using the momentum of his body turning, he managed to free his wrist from Ling Chen¡¯s grasp.


    Such strong adaptability!


    Ling Chen silently praised, and without waiting for Jiang Yunkai¡¯s body tond, he quickly moved closer, jumped up, performed a front somersault over Jiang Yunkai¡¯s head, andnded steadily behind him.


    The moment Jiang Yunkai¡¯s feet touched the ground, Ling Chen suddenly turned around, extended one arm, aiming directly at Jiang Yunkai¡¯s neck. He was mere inches away from touching Jiang Yunkai¡¯s skin.


    Seeing Ling Chen¡¯s halting movement, Jiang Yunkai knew he had lost.


    Defeated by a single move.


    "Tiger List masters are indeed formidable," Jiang Yunkai took a step back and said while cupping his fists.


    Ling Chen grinned and said, "You¡¯re being too modest, you¡¯re not bad either. If you¡¯re willing, your name could be on the Tiger List anytime."


    He was speaking sincerely. Jiang Yunkai¡¯s skills were very strong, not inferior to his own. In terms of skill alone, they might be evenly matched, but Jiang Yunkai lost in terms of experience. He was a man who had climbed up through numerous life-and-death battles. Experienced people have a unique ability, which is to anticipate.


    Anticipating the opponent¡¯s next move and then reacting ordingly. During the spar with Jiang Yunkai, it was precisely this skill that allowed Ling Chen to make an urate judgment at the critical moment and defeat his opponent with a single move.


    "Come on, let¡¯s go for a drink, my treat," Jiang Yunkai said generously. Although he lost, there was no sign of disappointment on his face, instead, there was a faint smile.


    True masters always possess a broad mind and do not care about winning, losing, or vanity.


    A rival of equal caliber is like a confidant.


    At this moment, that¡¯s how Jiang Yunkai saw it, and so did Ling Chen.


    After several bottles of liquor, with his face still unchanged, Jiang Yunkai asked, "What do you want me to help you with?"


    "No rush, I¡¯ll tell youter. Right now, I only have a rough idea, it¡¯s not yet fully formed. I¡¯ll contact you once I¡¯ve sorted it out."


    "Alright, you have my number, just contact me anytime."


    They drank until midnight, and a slightly tipsy Ling Chen drove back to Wealthy Manor.


    Upon reaching the vi, Ling Chen saw that the light was still on in Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s room.


    It¡¯s sote, why hasn¡¯t she gone to sleep? he muttered to himself, ncing mischievously towards the second-floor balcony. With a cunning smile, he shifted his eyes, then climbed up the balcony using the exterior water pipe, ready to steal a kiss.


    However, when he reached the balcony, his expression suddenly changed, and his gaze turned sharp.


    In Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s room, through the ss window, he saw a man¡¯s figure from behind, vaguely familiar.


    Zhu Hong!


    Yes, him!


    How did this guy get in?


    At this moment, Nanrong Wanqing was lying on the bed, wearing a thin and sexy nightgown, with her delicate shoulders slightly exposed and her soft, fair arms outside the nket, breathing steadily, already fast asleep.


    Zhu Hong quietly admired the beauty in front of him, with a hint of fervor in his eyes. After examining her for a few moments, he couldn¡¯t help but lean down, lightly brushing his hand over Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s forehead, touching her smooth, creamy skin, and savoring the faint scent on her body.


    "Wanqing, wait for it, you will soon be mine," Zhu Hong murmured to himself, his lips curling up slightly. With that, he took out a small bottle from his pocket, unscrewed the cap, and brought it close to Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s nose.


    After a while, Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s head tilted slightly, as if she were dead asleep.


    Seizing the opportunity, Zhu Hong lifted Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s delicate body, turned, and walked towards the balcony, jumping directly to the ground floor. Throughout this, Zhu Hong never noticed that Ling Chen¡¯s back was tightly pressed against the bottom of the balcony, his hands gripping the water pipes on both sides to support his body.


    Seeing Zhu Hong carrying Nanrong Wanqing and leaping from the balcony, a look of surprise shed across Ling Chen¡¯s face. When had this guy be so strong?


    Without time to think further, seeing Nanrong Wanqing being taken away by Zhu Hong, Ling Chen immediately followed. While Zhu Hong was in the room earlier, Ling Chen had a chance to stop him. However, after a moment¡¯s thought, he decided to see where Zhu Hong was nning to take Nanrong Wanqing. Perhaps by following him, he could discover Mr. Yun and their secret base in East Sea City.


    However, to Ling Chen¡¯s surprise, Zhu Hong did not head towards the enclosure wall but went directly towards the wooden vi in the backyard.


    Nanrong Wanqing had once told him that the vi was her parents¡¯ former residence. Since her parents left, it has been sealed by Nanrong Yong, and no one was allowed to enter.


    Zhu Hong not taking Nanrong Wanqing away from Nanrong Family but bringing her to her parents¡¯ vi left Ling Chen utterly baffled.


    Pushing aside the doubt in his mind, Ling Chen stealthily followed Zhu Hong, keeping as low as possible to avoid being detected.


    Upon reaching the vi, Zhu Hong pushed open the door, carrying Nanrong Wanqing, and stepped inside.


    Ling Chen got to the door, listened for a while to make sure the footsteps inside had faded away, then gently pushed the door open, following behind. The vi was pitch ck, blindsided to the point where not even moonlight could prate.


    Maybe due to being sealed for too long, the ground had umted a thickyer of dust.


    Ling Chen pulled out his phone, using the faint light from the screen to carefully move forward. Fortunately, the floor was covered in dust, leaving plenty of footprints from Zhu Hong. Following those footprints, Ling Chen arrived at a narrow door next to the firece.


    Looking at the footprints on the ground, Ling Chen pressed his ear against the door, listening to the sounds inside. After a moment, confirming no one was behind it, he pulled open the door.


    Behind the door was a staircase leading down to the basement.


    Seeing the lights on in the basement and the neatly arranged equipment around, Ling Chen¡¯s heart tightened, and he quickly realized:


    Mr. Yun¡¯s secret base was actually in the Nanrong Family.


    Tsk tsk!


    Had to admire Mr. Yun, not only bold but also smart. Probably no one would have thought that Mr. Yun would set up a secret base at the Nanrong Family. Also luckily, since this vi was never entered before, otherwise, this secret would have long been exposed.

 Chapter 320 - 316 Ji Beizhao

    <h4>Chapter 320: Chapter 316 Ji Beizhao</h4><h4></h4>


    Following the stairs, Ling Chen descended slowly to the basement, scanning his surroundings cautiously to prevent anyone from suddenly appearing.


    The vi¡¯s basement was huge, nearly covering hundreds of square meters. Ling Chen, with his sharp eyes, noticed several wine barrels ced in a corner and slots on the walls. This ce used to be a wine cer, but now it had been cleared and was filled withputer equipment and devices.


    Arriving at a side door on the eastern side of the basement, Ling Chen immediately heard voicesing from behind it. He pressed his ear against the door and instantly recognized the two familiar voices.


    "Mr. Yun, could this drug have side effects on Wanqing¡¯s health?"


    "Rest assured, the dosage is well controlled, it won¡¯t cause any adverse reactions. She¡¯s my daughter, I care about her safety more than you do. By the way, is the research on that exoskeleton armor she¡¯s wearing yetpleted?"


    "We¡¯re still collecting data."


    "Tell them to speed up; I don¡¯t have much time to waste here. I need to return to the headquarters soon to report the current situation. After I leave, you will be entirely in charge of the affairs in East Sea City. Remember, don¡¯t stir up trouble. Keep Ling Chen untouched for now; he is still useful to me."


    "Yes," Zhu Hong replied, though his tone was noticeably reluctant.


    At that moment, a new voice spoke, "Mr. Yun, the injection isplete, and Miss Nanrong¡¯s vitals are all normal, without any adverse reactions."


    "Good," Mr. Yun spoke, "Zhu Hong, take Wanqing back. Make sure the Nanrong family doesn¡¯t notice."


    "Yes, Mr. Yun."


    Hearing they were about to leave, Ling Chen quickly retreated and followed the same path back to the vi. Soon, Zhu Hong, holding Nanrong Wanqing, exited and walked straight to the outdoors. Ling Chen secretly followed them, watching as Zhu Hong safely escorted Nanrong Wanqing back to her room.


    After Zhu Hong left, Ling Chen hesitated for a moment and then abandoned the idea of intervening. He had just discovered the secret base of Mr. Yun and Zhu Hong and didn¡¯t want to alert them prematurely. For now, they were unaware that their secret base had been exposed, providing him an excellent opportunity.


    It¡¯s finally my turn after being manipted so many times, Ling Chen thought to himself.


    ...


    The night passed without incident.


    The next day.


    Ling Chen got up early, sitting in the dining area, observing Nanrong Wanqing, who had juste downstairs, watching every move she made.


    Feeling his unwavering gaze, Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s cheeks turned slightly red, feeling sweet inside, yet she couldn¡¯t help but coquettishlyined, "What are you looking at?"


    Ling Chen grinned and said, "I¡¯m not just looking, I¡¯m admiring. I never understood what a feast for the eyes meant, but now I do."


    Hearing hispliment, Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s lips curved into a sweet smile, her eyes filled with shyness and delight.


    Just as they were indulging in the tender moment, a displeased voice came from the staircase, "Showing affection so early in the morning, can you choose another ce next time? Don¡¯t do it in front of me. My teeth feel sour just after brushing."


    Seeing Su Lin stretchingzily, her ample bust outlined and herzy, enchanting demeanor as she came downstairs, Ling Chen unconsciously touched his nose and cleared his throat, shifting his gaze away. They say a woman freshly woken has her own unique charm, and indeed, it¡¯s true.


    During breakfast, Ling Chen looked at Nanrong Wanqing sitting across him and asked, "Wanqing, how are you feeling? Is there anything ufortable?"


    Nanrong Wanqing thought he was just showing concern and didn¡¯t think much about it, smiling as she replied, "I¡¯m very good. I guess it¡¯s because I had enough sleep these past few days. Usually, I feel tired after a day¡¯s work, but I¡¯ve been very energetic these days."


    Ling Chen nodded and said, "That¡¯s good."


    Eight o¡¯clock.


    Ling Chen dropped Nanrong Wanqing off at the Hongyu Group headquarters and prepared to go to the security department to chat with Wei Jun and the others.


    Taking the elevator to the lobby on the first floor, Ling Chen stepped out. Just then, an irate cursing voice came through: "How do you walk, are you blind or what?"


    "Sorry, sorry," a familiar voice hurriedly apologized.


    Hearing that voice, Ling Chen was slightly startled and looked over, only to see Ji Beizhao bending down on the ground picking up scattered items and putting them back into his handbag. Next to him stood a woman with her hands on her hips, pretty-looking but fierce, dressed in business attire, deliberately unbuttoning two buttons at the cor, revealing a patch of bare skin, seemingly quite adept at attracting men.


    Ling Chen shook his head, thinking how such nice business attire is ruined by being worn so revealingly, deducing this woman was probably not a good sort.


    He walked over to Ji Beizhao, bent down to help him pick up the items, and asked, "What happened?"


    Ji Beizhao, seeing it was Ling Chen, a slight smile appeared on his gaunt face, "It¡¯s nothing, I identally bumped into thisdy."


    While picking up the items, Ling Chen¡¯s expression stiffened as he looked at the items in his hand, feeling a bit awkward. Damn, this woman actually carries something that could be blown up like a balloon, and she even brought five of them, how insatiably fierce.


    Caught off guard, the woman also noticed the items in Ling Chen¡¯s hand, her face slightly blushed, hurriedly snatched them from his hand, stuffed them into her upper garment pocket, and indignantly cursed, "What are you looking at, haven¡¯t you seen such things? Pervert!"


    Pervert?


    Ling Chen immediately felt annoyed, he hadn¡¯t harassed her. Besides, he wouldn¡¯t even be interested in her type.


    "Miss, watch how you speak. Don¡¯t just curse people."


    The woman, chest thrust forward, looked at Ling Chen disdainfully and said, "So what if I curse you, cursing you is still giving you face."


    Ling Chen¡¯s face darkened, if it weren¡¯t for her being a woman, he would have taught her a lesson by now. At this moment, Ji Beizhao, noticing Ling Chen¡¯s displeasure, quickly advised, "Chen, it¡¯s just a small matter, we¡¯re all employees of the samepany, no need to blow it up."


    Hearing this, the woman scoffed coldly, "You two are such big men, yet have no temper at all, worse than trash, truly a disgrace to men." Saying this, she picked up her handbag from the ground and said haughtily, "A good dog doesn¡¯t block the way, get lost quickly, don¡¯t dy my work time."


    "Work?" Ling Chen¡¯s mouth curved slightly, casually saying, "You bring so many indecent items to Hongyu Group, I seriously doubt what kind of work you do."


    The woman¡¯s expression froze, coldly saying, "What do you mean?"


    "There are two meanings to working, one is working for Hongyu Group, and the second... is working for yourself, like engaging in some kind of indecent service. What do you think, miss?" As he spoke, Ling Chen emphatically stressed the word ¡¯miss,¡¯ the implication clear.


    "You..." The woman, clearly understanding Ling Chen¡¯s insinuation, instantly turned frosty, eyes burning with anger, burst out cursing, "You dare insult me."


    This chapter is updated by freew(e)bnovel.(c)om

 Chapter 321 - 317 Zou Yu

    <h4>Chapter 321: Chapter 317 Zou Yu</h4><h4></h4>


    Ling Chen spread his hands with an innocent look, "How did I insult you? Miss, could it be that you¡¯re overthinking things?"


    Hearing him repeatedly address her as ¡¯Miss¡¯, the woman¡¯s face turned ghostly pale with rage, pointing at Ling Chen¡¯s nose, she shouted angrily, "Fine, you¡¯ve got guts. If I don¡¯t make you roll out of here today, then I¡¯m not Zou Yu. Security, where on earth are all the guards?"


    At this time, more and more onlookers gathered around, pointing and discussing amongst themselves.


    "Move aside, move aside." At this moment, Wei Jun and a few security guards pushed through the crowd and came inside, asking, "What¡¯s going on... Eh? Ling, what are you doing here?" Wei Jun was slightly taken aback upon seeing Ling Chen.


    Zou Yu, with a frosty face, asked, "You know him?"


    "Of course, he¡¯s an employee in our security department."


    "Good, then fire him for me right now." Zou Yumanded arrogantly.


    Wei Jun looked at Zou Yu in surprise and asked with confusion, "Miss, who might you be? Since when is it your ce to manage our security department¡¯s affairs?"


    Zou Yu raised her head with an air of arrogance, "Don¡¯t worry about who I am, just do as I say. Otherwise, you won¡¯t end well either."


    "Heh." Wei Junughed suddenly, saying with interest, "I¡¯ve been working here for years, but no one has ever threatened me before. Ling, it¡¯s up to you to handle this."


    Ling Chen, not bothering to waste words with that woman, waved his hand impatiently, "Wei, throw her out, don¡¯t disturb thepany¡¯s order."


    "Alright then."


    Wei Jun signaled with his eyes, and several security guards immediately grabbed Zou Yu¡¯s arms and forcibly dragged her out of thepany. Zou Yu hadn¡¯t expected these bastards to dare such boldness, struggling desperately and cursing, "You two just wait, I will not let you off."


    Watching Zou Yu being dragged out of the door, Ji Beizhao didn¡¯t show any reaction and smilingly said to Ling Chen, "Chen, thank you!"


    "Don¡¯t mention it." Ling Chen patted Ji Beizhao¡¯s shoulder and advised, "Don¡¯t be so timid in the future, be a bit braver; if there¡¯s anything you can¡¯t solve,e find me in the security department."


    "Okay, I¡¯ll get back to work now."


    "Go ahead."


    After Ji Beizhao left, Ling Chen shook his head to himself, thinking that Ji Beizhao had a good nature, but was somewhat meek. In a bigpany, such a personality doesn¡¯t win favor and only makes one seem easy to bully. He remembered when he first joined Hongyu Group, he endured a lot to gather tuition for Tang Shiyun. Later, he resigned angrily because he couldn¡¯t stand Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s intentional targeting.


    He had thought that there would no longer be any dealings between himself and Nanrong Wanqing, but many things are unpredictable and nobody knows what will happen tomorrow. He had never expected that his and Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s rtionship would develop to this extent.


    ...


    Night fell.


    Ling Chen apanied Nanrong Wanqing back to Wealthy Manor. At dinner time, Su Lin habitually turned on the TV to watch local news.


    "Today at three in the afternoon, the police received a report and discovered a corpse in a rented apartment. The victim is a woman named Zou Yu, twenty-six years old, employed at Hongyu Group. ording to information disclosed by the police, the victim was tortured to death. The perpetrator¡¯s methods were extremely cruel, not only torturing the victim before death but also mutting the body afterwards. The case is currently under further investigation and we will continue to follow up on this report..."


    Hearing the news broadcast, Ling Chen was shocked, staring nkly at the screen on the TV.


    "Wanqing, this woman is actually an employee of Hongyu Group," Su Lin said with slight surprise.


    Nanrong Wanqing nodded, took out her cellphone from her pocket, ready to contact the head of the HR department. Since she was an employee of Hongyu Group, thepany definitely had to respond, and a condolence payment was unavoidable.


    After making the call, Nanrong Wanqing noticed that Ling Chen had a troubled expression, and she asked, "What¡¯s wrong?"


    "Nothing, nothing," Ling Chen came back to his senses and said, "This morning at thepany, I had a conflict with her, andter I had the security staff kick her out." Saying this, Ling Chen felt some self-reproach and sighed softly, "If I hadn¡¯t done that, maybe she wouldn¡¯t have had this misfortune."


    "Don¡¯t think about it anymore," Nanrong Wanqing consoled, "The murderer¡¯s methods are cruel, obviously a premeditated vendetta, if it didn¡¯t happen today, it could have happened tomorrow, it¡¯s all just coincidence. Now we can only hope that the police can catch the murderer quickly to bring sce to her spirit in heaven."


    After dinner, Ling Chen sat alone in his room, still thinking about Zou Yu¡¯s matter. At this moment, his cellphone rang with an unfamiliar number. Ling Chen answered the call, said ¡¯hello¡¯, and asked, "Who is this?"


    "Mr. Ling, hello, do you remember me?"


    Hearing the voice on the other end, Ling Chen immediately thought of a person, Deng Guoyong.


    "So it¡¯s Mr. Deng. Does Mr. Deng have something for me?"


    "Mr. Ling, you¡¯d better hurry to the Old City. If you¡¯rete, I¡¯m afraid you won¡¯t be able to see your brothers," said Deng Guoyong before hanging up directly.


    Ling Chen¡¯s heart tightened. It had been less than two days since his negotiation with Deng Guoyong, and he didn¡¯t expect the other party to act so quickly. Without time to think further, he rushed out of the bedroom and drove towards the Old City. On the way, he took out his cellphone and dialed Jiang Hao¡¯s number.


    "Hello, Chen, got something for me?"


    Jiang Hao¡¯s voice came through the phone, mixed with loud music and noisy chatter, either from a bar or a nightclub.


    "Where are you?" Ling Chen asked urgently.


    "What? Chen, speak up, it¡¯s too noisy here, I can¡¯t hear you clearly."


    "Where are you?" Ling Chen almost shouted.


    "Oh, I am at... hey, what are you doing, let go of me, brothers, fight them to death..." Jiang Hao¡¯s words were cut off before he could finish, and the phone lost its signal.


    Listening to the ¡¯beep beep¡¯ busy tone, Ling Chen¡¯s brows furrowed tightly. He redialed several times, but no one answered. Not just Jiang Hao, Zhao Zhengxiong¡¯s phone was the same, unreachable.


    Deng Guoyong was indeed skilful. Knowing the strategy of capturing the leaders first, by capturing Jiang Hao and Zhao Zhengxiong, he would be cutting off the head of the snake in the Old City.


    While he pondered, the cellphone rang again, and it was Deng Guoyong.


    "Mr. Ling, if you don¡¯t want your brothers toe to harm, you¡¯d better agree to our terms. I guarantee they won¡¯t be hurt at all, otherwise... you¡¯ll have to fish their bodies out of the sea."


    "I¡¯ll agree, but at least let me see them first, to ensure their safety."


    "No problem," Deng Guoyong said with augh: "In thirty minutes,e to the Dongling Pier of Hongyu Group. Remember, you muste alone, I don¡¯t want to see any police show up."


    "Okay." Ling Chen tossed his phone on the co-driver¡¯s seat, hit the gas pedal to the floor, and raced towards the agreed location like a bolt of lightning.

 Chapter 322 - 318: Arrogance

    <h4>Chapter 322: Chapter 318: Arrogance</h4><h4></h4>


    Less than half an hour had passed when Ling Chen had already driven to his destination.


    He parked the car at the roadside and headed straight for Dongling Pier. It was already half-past nine in the evening, and there were still dock workers unloading cargo. As Ling Chen walked, he was on the lookout for Jiang Hao and Zhao Zhengxiong¡¯s whereabouts. Shortly after, a man in a suit appeared before him and waved at him.


    Following the man in the suit, Ling Chen quickened his pace and arrived in front of a huge container. The doors were opened, and the man in the suit gestured for him to enter with a ¡¯please¡¯. Without any hesitation, Ling Chen stepped in.


    The space inside the container wasrge, with a table and several wooden chairs arranged. At that moment, Deng Guoyong was sitting at the table, savoring a bottle of red wine intently. Beside him, Jiang Hao and Zhao Zhengxiong were tied to chairs with ck hoods over their heads, with four men in suits watching over them.


    Seeing that Jiang Hao and the others were not in mortal danger, Ling Chen¡¯s expression slightly rxed, and he took a seat across from Deng Guoyong.


    "Mr. Ling, this is a cer-aged red wine airlifted from Lafite Vineyard, with a vintage of twenty years. Why don¡¯t you try some?"


    "Thanks, but I¡¯m not really interested in red wine."


    Deng Guoyong gave a slight smile and shook his head, "Then you really don¡¯t know how to enjoy life. Don¡¯t we earn all that money just to improve the quality of our lives and make ourselves a bit better off? Otherwise, who would struggle to theirst breath, risking their lives just to scrape a living?"


    "My ambitions differ from yours. Now that I¡¯m here, can you release them?"


    "Don¡¯t rush, let¡¯s talk business first. Mr. Ling, I¡¯ve looked into your background; you are ex-military, a security personnel for Hongyu Group. If I¡¯m not mistaken, the woman who came with you to negotiate that day must be Nanrong Wanqing. It¡¯s obvious that Mr. Ling has a special rtionship with the Nanrong Family. Actually, our Dongyi Group has long wanted to coborate with Hongyu Group. In East Sea City, Hongyu Group is the leading business powerhouse, involved in many industries. Although Dongyi Group doesn¡¯t have the financial power of Hongyu Group, we are, nevertheless, the underground emperor of the entire East Sea City, which I believe no one can deny. As long as we sincerely cooperate, East Sea City will eventuallye under our control. By then, we will have both authority and wealth, and everyone will prosper together. Isn¡¯t that a win-win scenario, Mr. Ling? What do you say?"


    After hearing Deng Guoyong¡¯s words, Ling Chen¡¯s lips slightly curled up, and a sharp light shed in his eyes.


    "Your Dongyi Group is quite ambitious, aiming to control the entire East Sea City."


    Deng Guoyongughed heartily, "Mr. Ling, one should have aspirations in life. I hope you can convey Dongyi Group¡¯s intentions to Miss Nanrong."


    "There¡¯s no need to waste time. She won¡¯t agree to your demands." Ling Chen said indifferently: "Release my people, and I can pretend nothing happened tonight."


    "Mr. Ling, if you don¡¯t want your brothers to get hurt, you¡¯d better do as I say. Moreover, I hope you can utilize your connection with the Nanrong Family to facilitate this cooperation. If sessful, Dongyi Group will not fail to reward you handsomely."


    Upon hearing this, Ling Chen¡¯s gaze slightly narrowed and he looked past Deng Guoyong¡¯s shoulder towards Jiang Hao and Zhao Zhengxiong.


    "I once warned you, if nobody offends me, I won¡¯t offend anybody. But if someone dares to bully me, they had better prepare a coffin for themselves."


    No sooner had he finished speaking than Ling Chen¡¯s eyes zed with intensity. He exploded from his chair, leaped across the table, and locked his hand around Deng Guoyong¡¯s neck, lifting him from the chair and hoisting him into the air.


    Seeing his actions, the four suited bodyguards behind were terribly shocked and hurriedly rushed forward, ready to intervene.


    "Don¡¯te any closer."


    Ling Chen roared furiously, his fingers applying slight pressure. Deng Guoyong¡¯s breathing was restricted, his face gradually turning ashen, as he tightly gripped Ling Chen¡¯s wrist, trying to pry his fingers open. However,pared to Ling Chen¡¯s strength, his effort was futile.


    "If you don¡¯t want him to die, release them immediately!"


    The four suited bodyguards hesitantly looked at Deng Guoyong, and seeing him nod in agony, they immediately lifted the ck hoods off Jiang Hao and Zhao Zhengxiong. However, as the faces of the two became clear, Ling Chen felt a sinking feeling in his heart, and a glint of chilly light shed through Mo Che¡¯s pupils.


    The ones wearing the ck hoods were not Jiang Hao and Zhao Zhengxiong at all, but two strangers they had never seen before.


    Not only that, in their hands, each was holding a mobile phone, and each phone¡¯s screen disyed an image.


    In the image, Jiang Hao and Zhao Zhengxiong were trussed up, hanging from the arm of a cargo ship, with the cold seawater below them. Seeing this scene, Ling Chen¡¯s face instantly turned exceedingly cold.


    "Mr... Mr. Ling..." Deng Guoyong coughed twice and said with a forced smile: "If you kill me, they won¡¯t survive either."


    Hearing this, Ling Chen furrowed his brows, hesitated for a moment, then rxed his grip, and the suspended Deng Guoyong immediately fell to the ground. The four suited bodyguards hurried forward to help their boss up.


    Deng Guoyong touched his sore neck and smiled: "Mr. Ling, you have one day to save them. As long as you can convince the Nanrong Family to cooperate with Dongyi Group, I will release them immediately. Otherwise, you better be ready to pick out a couple of graves for them."


    Having said that, Deng Guoyong walked away with his subordinates, exiting the container.


    Watching their retreating figures, Ling Chen clenched his fists, his expression icy cold. He had initially nned to y a slow game with Dongyi Group, but since they were being so rude, there was no reason for him to hold back anymore.


    Returning to Wealthy Manor, it was already eleven at night.


    Ling Chen made a call, did nothing more, and went straight to bed.


    The next day.


    Upon arriving at Hongyu Group¡¯s headquarters, everyone was talking about the tragic death of Zou Yu, expressing deep sighs in their words.


    Ling Chen escorted Nanrong Wanqing to her office and then took the elevator down to the underground parking lot. At that moment, a Santana was parked not far from the elevator. Ling Chen walked over and knocked on the car window, which immediately opened.


    Sitting in the passenger seat, Ling Chen nced at the driver and asked: "Fatty, have you found out everything I asked you to check?"


    "I wouldn¡¯t dare be negligent with matters you¡¯ve entrusted to me." Saying so, Hu Fei threw a document into Ling Chen¡¯s hands, rubbing his darkened eye bags and yawning: "I stayed up all night to get this information for you. It may not beplete due to the limited time, so make do with it."


    "Thanks for the hard work."


    Ling Chen casually flipped through the document and asked, "Do you know who the real boss behind Dongyi Group is?"


    Hu Fei shook his head: "That person is very elusive, and it¡¯s tough to find any leads on them in such short notice. Aside from that person, I¡¯ve managed to get rity on all the big and small leaders of Dongyi Group." Saying this, Hu Fei sighed with an expression of glee: "I reckon the coffin shops are going to be booming these days."


    Ling Chen put away the document, opened the car door, and said: "Thanks. Once I¡¯m done with all this, I¡¯ll treat you to a meal another day."

 Chapter 323 - 319: Massacre (1)

    <h4>Chapter 323: Chapter 319: Massacre (1)</h4><h4></h4>


    After parting with Hu Fei, Ling Chen returned alone to the security department office, pulled out the documents, and meticulously reviewed them, constantly making marks with his pen.


    Hu Fei¡¯s efficiency in handling matters was unquestionable. The document had all the leaders of Dongyi Group listed by their full names, including their positions and duties within Dongyi Group, and the divisions of their power, all clearly stated and easy to understand.


    Remembering Hu Fei¡¯s exhausted expression just a while ago, Ling Chen smiled slightly, feeling as if he owed him a big favor.


    After organizing his thoughts, Ling Chen made a call to Nanrong Wanqing, telling her he had personal matters to handle and would returnter in the evening. He also instructed Zhong Wei to be extra careful.


    Once he had given all his instructions, Ling Chen drove away from the Hongyu Group headquarters, heading straight for his first destination.


    Xinyu Building.


    A high-rise located in North City District, it had seen better days; most of its external ss was shattered, and the advertising billboards hanging at the top had faded from exposure to the sun and wind, the iron frames also rusting.


    Despite its dpidated state, the building was still in use. Several years ago, this building was rented by Dongyi Group and had be one of their strongholds.


    Ling Chen entered the building, where several mahjong tables were set up in the lobby, already filled with yers. Surrounding the tables were over twenty young men with cigarettes in their mouths, piles of ten and five-yuan bills stacked high on the tables. Others leaned against the walls, watching with interest, asionally shouting advice.


    The noise, the swearing, mixed with the swirling smoke, created a deeply unhealthy atmosphere.


    Ling Chen¡¯s arrival didn¡¯t attract much attention. Even those who noticed him merely nced briefly before continuing with their own activities, ignoring him altogether.


    Ling Chen¡¯s mouth curved slightly upward, d that no one was stopping him, which saved him a lot of trouble. He immediately climbed the stairs all the way to the top floor of Xinyu Building.


    Pushing open the door, a pungent smell of smoke immediately wafted from the room. Inside the spacious office, more than a dozen men around their thirties were lounging, each with a cigarette in mouth, beer on the tables, chatting leisurely.


    In a corner of the office, two young women in their early twenties, wearing nothing, squatted on the ground, their bodies dirty and bruised, sobbing continuously, a dog cor locked around each of their necks, chained to the wall. A middle-aged man, bare-chested and wearing shorts, wielded a leather belt, ruthlessly whipping them, cursing foully as if dissatisfied with the women¡¯s services.


    The others watched the women being disciplined; everyone smirked broadly, chatting away without a trace of sympathy or pity.


    At that moment, noticing Ling Chen at the doorway, a burly middle-aged man with a vicious face immediately stood up and came over, blocking Ling Chen at the door, squinting at him and asking, "Kid, who are you looking for?" He nced outside the door, puzzled. There were men guarding the stairwell, so he wondered how this guy had got in.


    Ling Chen didn¡¯t answer but instead took out a notebook from his pocket, flipped through two pages, and started reading names to himself, "Chen Qian, Luo Zifei, He Gang, Huang He... are you them?"


    The middle-aged man took a drag of his cigarette and blew smoke in Ling Chen¡¯s face, saying with a feigned smile, "Kid, you¡¯re right. We are all here. Do you want us to introduce ourselves so you can tell who is who?"


    "No need for that," Ling Chen closed his notebook, patting his pocket, and looked at the middle-aged man with a smiling face, and quipped, "In the end, the result is the same, why bother being so specific."


    The middle-aged man asked with interest, "What result?"


    "Die!"


    As soon as his words fell, without waiting for the middle-aged man to react, a chill shed in Ling Chen¡¯s eyes as he ferociously swung his fist, knocking the man to the ground with a punch.


    The others present changed their expressions drastically upon seeing this.


    "Kid, you dare to cause trouble on Dongyi Group¡¯s turf, you¡¯re seeking death!"


    With a roar, over a dozen men and women rushed towards Ling Chen, grabbing chairs nearby and smashing them towards his head. Ling Chen tapped the ground with his toes, twisted his waist, and with a snap kick, he sent the flying chair off course, then turned around and side-kicked towards the maning head-on, hitting him right in the neck.


    Crack!


    With a crisp snap, the man¡¯s neck broke instantly, his head limply hanging to one side.


    Seeing theirpanion killed, the crowd¡¯s pupils shrank, filled with shock and anger, not expecting Ling Chen to strike with such lethal force and without mercy.


    "Get the weapons."


    A middle-aged man with a tattooed face quickly rushed to a desk, frantically pulled open a drawer, and drew out a machete, roaring loudly as he aimed for Ling Chen¡¯s head.


    However, before the machete could fall, a sharp cold light suddenly shed, and the tattooed man¡¯s neck was immediately shed open, his blood gushing out like a fountain and sttering on the ground.


    After killing two people in quick session, Ling Chen showed no mercy, leaping towards the others, his Wolf Kiss de reaping lives with each swing.


    In less than a minute, the office had fourteen fewer people and fourteen more corpses.


    Two women curled up in the corner, hands tightly covering their mouths, shaking uncontrobly and watching Ling Chen with terror. Seeing him step closer, the two women uncontrobly screamed in horror, pleading, "Don¡¯t... don¡¯t kill me... please..."


    Ling Chen said indifferently, "Remember, you didn¡¯t see anything." After speaking, he pulled out a cellphone from a corpse¡¯s pocket and threw it in front of the two women, "Call the police yourself."


    Leaving Xinyu Building, Ling Chen got back into his car and crossed out the names of those people from the notebook.


    Those fourteen were all low-ranking heads of Dongyi Group, street bosses responsible for recruiting underlings, each with blood on their hands, and extensive criminal records stretching across several boxes at the police station; such people deserved to die.


    Ling Chen has never been one to show mercy. If someone offends me, I shall offend them in return. He is merciless towards those who dare threaten him. Deng Guoyong made a fatal mistake; he threatened someone out of his league. Kidnapping Ling Chen¡¯s friend and threatening him crossed Ling Chen¡¯s line.


    Hu Fei provided very detailed information to Ling Chen. ording to the intelligence, there were twenty-six low-ranking heads in the Dongyi Group. Ling Chen had only dealt with half; the rest were scattered throughout various streets, bars, nightclubs, and bathhouses in East Sea City.


    As Ling Chen looked over the remaining names in his notebook, he set his next target, started the car, and continued towards his next destination.


    Shortly after Ling Chen left, several police cars and ambnces arrived with sirens wailing, reaching Xinyu Building.

 Chapter 324 - 320: Massacre (2)

    <h4>Chapter 324: Chapter 320: Massacre (2)</h4><h4></h4>


    Nestled within a high-end office building in the heart of the city, floors ten through thirteen were leased by Dongyi Group, serving as their headquarters.


    At this moment, within an office on the thirteenth floor, Deng Guoyong sat in the executive chair with an ashen face, silent, while several suited bodyguards opposite him kept their heads down, not daring to even breathe loudly.


    "Are you certain?" It took a while before Deng Guoyong squeezed out three icy words from between his teeth.


    "Yes, all the top figures in Xinyu Building were murdered, and the police are currently clearing the scene."


    Suppressing his rage, Deng Guoyong gritted his teeth and asked, "Do you know who did it?"


    "For now, it¡¯s unclear. The scene has been cordoned off by the police, and our people have been detained. We have no information."


    "Contact others, tell them to ensure their own safety ande here to meet as soon as possible," Deng Guoyong decisively ordered.


    Several subordinates didn¡¯t hesitate; they immediately took out their phones to contact other leaders.


    However, as minutes passed and seeing his subordinates¡¯ increasingly pale faces, Deng Guoyong grew impatient and asked anxiously, "What¡¯s happening?"


    "Boss, we... we can¡¯t reach anyone. The calls go through, but nobody answers."


    "What?" Deng Guoyong was startled and in disbelief, "This can¡¯t be possible."


    As the words left his mouth, he suddenly heard his phone vibrate on the desk; it was a text message. Deng Guoyong picked up his phone, only to see several images attached¡ªpictures of blood-drenched corpses, all of whom he recognized as his own men.


    Looking at those horrifying images, Deng Guoyong felt a chill down his spine, a wave of coldness inexplicably rising in his heart. Having been in the underworld for decades, it had been a long time since he¡¯d felt such fear.


    "Issue the order, all management personnel of Dongyi Group must gather at thepany within half an hour. Also, contact Zhang Bo and have hime here immediately."


    Less than ten minutester, a middle-aged man in his forties, skinny, bespectacled, and gentlemanly, walked into the office. The man¡¯s face looked terrible; as soon as he entered the door, he asked without any courtesy, "Deng, what¡¯s going on?"


    "Old Zhang, don¡¯t ask me. I¡¯m not clear on the details either."


    Zhang Bo, one of the top executives of Dongyi Group, apart from the mysterious behind-the-scenes boss, was the only person who could stand on equal footing with Deng Guoyong, specifically responsible for handling the group¡¯s affairs. Inside the Group, like civil and military roles, they shared different responsibilities but both held substantial authority.


    "I¡¯ve already notified all our management personnel to return and assemble immediately. No matter who initiated this attack, if they dare to oppose Dongyi Group, I will not let them off easily," Deng Guoyong said coldly.


    Zhang Bo hesitated for a moment, nced at a few subordinates beside him, and asked quietly, "Should we notify him? After all, this incident has blown up, and he will find out sooner orter."


    "This..." Deng Guoyong¡¯s eyes flickered, unsure. He knew well the temperament of that person; Dongyi Group had suffered such a severe loss, and both of them could not escape responsibility. Now, their only way to lessen the punishment was to catch the perpetrator and thus redeem themselves.


    During his contemtion, a suited bodyguard put down his phone and said, "Boss, everyone has arrived one after another."


    Deng Guoyong nodded, looked at Zhang Bo, and said, "Let¡¯s go and meet them together."


    Upon reaching the conference room on the tenth floor, seven people were sitting inside, all in suits and apanied by two personal bodyguards each. At this moment, knowing the situation, everyone was worried, whispering to each other, discussing countermeasures. Seeing Deng Guoyong and Zhang Bo enter, they all stood up and greeted them.


    "Please, take your seats." Deng Guoyong gestured with his hand, leaned his hands on the table, leaned forward slightly, and scanned the room. He then spoke, "You must have all heard about what happened at the Xinyu Building. Over twenty people died, all of them lower-tier leaders, not a single one missed. I¡¯m worried that you might be the next targets, so I gathered you all here. From now on, until the crisis is over, no one is allowed to leave this office building. Also, call everyone you can; I want to see if the person daring this has the guts topletely wipe us out."


    At that moment, outside the upscale office building, a ssic muscle car slowly drove up and parked at the curb.


    The car door opened, and Ling Chen stepped out of the driver¡¯s seat, looking up at the towering building with a slight smile on his lips.


    Having dealt with the lower-tier leaders of the Dongyi Group, it was now time for the middle and upper-tier leaders. On his way here, he had confirmed that all seven middle-tier leaders of the Dongyi Group had arrived at the headquarters, including Deng Guoyong and Zhang Bo ¨C it was time to catch them all in one sweep.


    Just then, several vans raced from the intersection and stopped in front of the office building. Subsequently, dozens of youths got out of the vans, carrying rolled-up newspapers that concealed long items, and quickly entered the building.


    Seeing this, Ling Chen¡¯s eyebrows slightly furrowed. He had intended to strike when the opponent was unprepared, but Dongyi Group had acted faster than expected. It was still noon, and many people were in the office building; initiating a move now would certainly cause a major disturbance. Thinking this, Ling Chen abandoned his original n and found a restaurant by the street to fill his stomach first.


    Several hourster, night gradually fell.


    By one minute past six, most of the office workers had left, except for the lights still on from the tenth to the thirteenth floor, with only a few scattered offices lit.


    After resting all afternoon and feeling recharged, Ling Chen opened his car door and walked towards the back door of the office building. As expected, the front and back doors were guarded by more than ten thugs. Ling Chen calmly walked to the corner, climbed directly up the outer wall where the air conditioning units were installed.


    Before long, he had flipped in through a window into the interior of the office building. Finding a fire escape, Ling Chen quickly climbed the stairs to the tenth floor. Just then, voices talking above caught his attention. He stopped, looked up, and saw at the stairway entrance of the tenth floor, several young men leaning on the railing, casually chatting with cigarettes in their mouths.


    Ling Chen took a deep breath, didn¡¯t stop even for a moment, and immediately ran upstairs, appearing breathless. Reaching the tenth-floor staircase, the young men¡¯s attention quickly focused on him.


    Bent over, hands on his knees, Ling Chen gasped heavily. Without waiting for the youths to speak, he scanned them, extended two fingers to one of the youths and said, "Bro, give me a cigarette; I¡¯m dead tired."


    The young man, suspecting nothing, handed over a cigarette casually. Ling Chen took a drag, slowly raised his head, the swirling smoke somewhat obscuring his face.


    "Hey, buddy, where¡¯s Boss Song?"


    "In the conference room. You looking for him?"


    "Not me looking for him, he¡¯s looking for me. Damn, didn¡¯t even say why, just told me to hurry over, didn¡¯t even get to finish my dinner, we small guys really have it tough."


    The young men, feeling empathetic,ughed, "Stopining, we¡¯re all in the same boat, been guarding here without even a sip of water. Alright, go on in, don¡¯t dy Boss Song¡¯s business."

 Chapter 325 - 321: Massacre (3)

    <h4>Chapter 325: Chapter 321: Massacre (3)</h4><h4></h4>


    Upon entering the 10th-floor lobby sessfully, Ling Chen smiled to himself ¡ª thugs will be thugs; too easy to deceive, without any vignce.


    ording to the information gathered from those people, the middle management of Dongyi Group should all be in the conference room. By this time, all the staff on the floor had left work, leaving only the underlings.


    Ling Chen strode confidently through the crowd, raising no suspicions. With so many underlings in Dongyi Group, and not everyone knowing each other, no one cared to pry into each other¡¯s affairs or to question one¡¯s identity ¡ª that¡¯s the difference between amateurs and professionals.


    The conference room was easy to find; one just needed to head where the thugs were most concentrated. Ling Chen passed through the crowd and headed straight for the door of the conference room, then pushed it open and walked in.


    In the spacious, well-lit conference room filled with smoke, seven middle-aged men in suits sat upright, with cigarettes in their hands, while the ashtrays on the table were already filled with cigarette butts.


    Ling Chen closed therge door of the conference room, locked it, and the corners of his mouth lifted in a faint smile as he looked at the seven middle-level leaders of Dongyi Group.


    A middle-aged man who had taken off his suit jacket, wearing a white shirt, his sleeves rolled up, nced at Ling Chen and asked impatiently, "What¡¯s the matter?"


    "Mr. Deng sent me with a message," said Ling Chen casually. The mention of ¡¯Mr. Deng¡¯ immediately caught everyone¡¯s attention, and someone impatiently asked, "Does that mean we can leave now?"


    Ling Chen smiled without answering, walking straight to between two middle-aged men,ying his hands on their shoulders. Seeing his actions, the two men¡¯s brows furrowed slightly, showing a touch of displeasure.


    This personcks respect for his elders.


    Just as the two were about to speak out in rebuke, the smile on Ling Chen¡¯s face suddenly turned cold, a sharp glint in his eyes, and he quickly reached for their necks, twisting hard.


    Crack!


    Apanied by two crisp sounds, the heads of the two middle-aged men dropped instantly, and they toppled onto the table.


    This sudden turn of events startled the other five people present. Before they coulde to their senses, Ling Chen, without saying another word, gave a slight flick of his wrist¡ªWolf Kiss flew out of his hand, stabbing directly into the brow of one middle-aged man.


    After swiftly taking down three middle managers, Ling Chen didn¡¯t hesitate, his steps shifting as he pounced on the next two closest individuals.


    "You..."


    Before the words could be spoken, Ling Chen¡¯s iron fist had alreadynded.


    Everything happened very fast, in a sh, like lightning striking flint. In less than three seconds, Ling Chen had in five men. However, there were a total of seven people in the conference room; the remaining two middle-aged men were sitting at the other end of the conference table, at a distance too far for Ling Chen to reach promptly.


    During these brief seconds, the two middle-aged men finally came to their senses, their faces filled with terror, desperately rushing towards the door of the conference room, shouting loudly, "People, quickly, get someone!"


    Ling Chen cursed silently, hastening over in a few strides, his speed lightning-fast.


    Luckily, he had locked the conference room on his way in, buying him a few seconds. Before the two middle-aged men could open the door, Ling Chen moved like lightning, appearing behind them in the blink of an eye.


    With a swing of his arms and two dull thuds, the two middle-aged men fell to the floor, their eyes wide open, dying with grievances.


    Bang!


    At this moment, the thugs outside heard themotion in the conference room and began desperately pounding on the door. Ling Chen, remaining calm, shifted his gaze to the floor-to-ceiling ss window behind him. Without hesitation, he picked up a chair and smashed it fiercely, shattering the window amid a sharp ¡¯ng¡¯ sound of breaking ss.


    Taking advantage of the fact that the hoodlums hadn¡¯t broken in yet, Ling Chen acted swiftly, pulling off the belts from the middle-aged men, linking them together, then wrapping them around the corner of the desk by the window and leapt out.


    As he jumped, the conference room door was finally smashed open and dozens of hoodlums swarmed in.


    However, when they entered, they only saw corpses scattered on the floor and didn¡¯t catch sight of the murderer, instead, a crisp sound came from outside the ss window.


    A few of the youngsters quickly ran to the shattered window, leaned over to look down, and noticed the ss on the ninth floor had been smashed.


    "The murderer has fled to the ninth floor, chase him!"


    Office building, ninth floor.


    Ling Chen dusted the ss fragments off his clothes, his expression calm as he walked towards the stairwell. The hoodlums from the Dongyi Group would definitely follow, but it would take some time for them to rush from the tenth to the ninth floor; he had to leave before they arrived.


    Reaching the stairwell, a series of hurried footsteps came from above. Ling Chen¡¯s lips curled slightly, and with one hand on the railing, he vaulted over it. Before long, he was already in the underground parking lot.


    It was time to contact Deng Guoyong.


    Ling Chen thought to himself that if the other party was smart, they would know what to do. Taking out his phone, Ling Chen was about to dial the number. But at that moment, a familiar voice suddenly rang out behind him.


    "Don¡¯t move, put your hands up."


    Ling Chen slowly turned his head, seeing Xia Mutong with a gun, his expression slightly surprised. How could she be here?


    In a sh of thought, the corners of his mouth lifted, and he said with a smile, "Officer Xia, what a coincidence, to bump into you here."


    Xia Mutong hummed lightly and said, "You know very well whether it¡¯s a coincidence or not. Come clean, what are you doing here?"


    "Just passing time, wandering around. And what about you, Officer Xia?"


    Xia Mutong said indifferently, "Today there were more than twenty murder cases, and all the victims were core members of the Dongyi Group. I guessed that the murderer wouldn¡¯t give up so easily, so I came to check out the headquarters of the Dongyi Group, but I didn¡¯t expect that person to be you. No wonder you called me the other day asking about Dongyi Group, you had nned this all along."


    Ling Chen stroked his nose, not sure how to exin. His luck was too bad, getting caught red-handed like this.


    At this moment, in the office on the thirteenth floor of the office building. Having received the news, Deng Guoyong and Zhang Bo slumped on the sofa, their faces ashen, hands trembling involuntarily.


    They were all dead, killed right under their noses, which gave them an unprecedented sense of fear.


    Zhang Bo lifted his head, looked at Deng Guoyong, and said in a deep tone, "Tell me the truth, did you offend someone outside?"


    "Absolutely not," Deng Guoyong immediately denied.


    Zhang Bo tried to keep his tone controlled and said coldly, "If not, then why would someone target us, and kill so many of us in one day?" As he spoke, he seemed to remember something, his brows furrowing slightly, and said, "You told me yesterday that you were confident about securing a partnership with the Hongyu Group, could it be rted to this?"


    Deng Guoyong¡¯s face changed subtly, with a look of surprise, "Could it be him?"


    Just as he finished speaking, the ringtone from his pocket suddenly red. Deng Guoyong quickly took out his phone, saw the caller ID, and his face turned sour, a vague fear in his eyes.


    "It¡¯s the boss¡¯s call."

 Chapter 326 - 322: The Behind-the-Scenes Boss of Dongyi

    <h4>Chapter 326: Chapter 322: The Behind-the-Scenes Boss of Dongyi</h4><subtxt> Zhang Bo nervously looked at Deng Guoyong¡¯s phone. The two exchanged nces, and with unease, Deng Guoyong answered the call, respectfully saying, "Boss."


    "I heard there¡¯s trouble at thepany." The voice on the phone was neither cold nor warm, as if inquiring about something unrted to himself.


    But Zhang Bo and Deng Guoyong, having followed their boss for many years, knew his temperament well: the calmer his voice, the angrier he was inside. Deng Guoyong nced at Zhang Bo, signaling him to speak. However, Zhang immediately shook his head and shrank further behind the sofa.


    Deng Guoyong felt helpless and mustered his courage to reply, "Boss, there¡¯s a small issue, but rest assured, we will handle it."


    "A small issue?" The person on the phone almostughed. "So many people have died, and you call that a small issue? Do you need the assassin to find you before you start telling me the truth?"


    "No, I..."


    "Enough!" The caller interrupted Deng Guoyong¡¯s exnation, coldly saying, "I¡¯ll be back in East Sea City tomorrow morning. You two find a way to survive tonight."


    Beep beep!


    The call ended, and as the busy tone echoed from the phone, both Deng Guoyong and Zhang Bo¡¯s faces turned exceptionally grim.


    "Old Deng, quickly call for backup. I want this building sealed tight, not even a mosquito gets through. Let¡¯s see how he can kill us then," Zhang Bo said in a heavy tone.


    Hearing his reminder, Deng Guoyong snapped back to reality and immediately grabbed his phone to contact his subordinates. However, he paused mid-dial, staring nkly at the contact names, unsure of what to do next.


    Seeing his dazed expression, Zhang Bo couldn¡¯t resist urging him, "What are you spacing out for? Call now."


    "Call whom?" Deng Guoyong bitterlyughed, threw his phone aside, leaned against the sofa, seemingly drained of all strength, and copsed there.


    Due to Dongyi Group¡¯s strict hierarchical management, usually handled top-down with clear levels ofmand. Now, both the middle and lower-level leaders had been killed, leaving only the two senior leaders. In their usual high positions, they¡¯d never stoop low to directly contact lower-tier subordinates. Normally, a call to the mid-level leaders was sufficient for manpower. But now that everyone was gone, he had no idea whom to contact for reinforcements.


    In the underground parking lot of the office building.


    Ling Chen looked at the handgun raised in Xia Mutong¡¯s hand and clumsily smiled, "Uh... Officer Xia, we all know each other so well, maybe you could put the gun down first, and we can talk it out."


    Xia Mutong snorted lightly, knowing too well that such a scene wouldn¡¯t intimidate Ling Chen. She holstered her gun and demanded, "Tell me, what mischief have you caused now?"


    "Let me rify, I wasn¡¯t the one stirring up trouble. It was Dongyi Group who came after me, kidnapping a friend as a threat, so I just yed along."


    Xia Mutong said exasperatedly, "You call this ying? Do you realize how many people you¡¯ve killed?"


    "They all deserved it; why fuss about it? Besides, didn¡¯t you say over the phone the other day that I could do as I please without police interference?" Ling Chen appeared somewhat innocent.


    "Who knew you would be so ruthless," Xia Mutong red fiercely at Ling Chen. This scoundrel had boldly killed over twenty people without blinking an eye, as if it was nothing, showing a strong nerve.


    "Alright, alright, no hard feelings," Ling Chen said as he smiled apologetically, "Once this is over, I¡¯ll treat you to dinner and properly apologize."


    "It¡¯s not over yet?"


    "I haven¡¯t yet rescued my friend. But let¡¯s get one thing straight," Ling Chen interrupted Xia Mutong, "I¡¯ll handle this myself, and the police shouldn¡¯t get involved for now. You said it yourself the other day, your police force can¡¯t touch Dongyi Group. This way, I¡¯m going to help you eradicate this cancer from East Sea City for good."


    Xia Mutong was about to reject the idea, but upon seeing Ling Chen¡¯s determined eyes, the words at the tip of her tongue were swallowed back.


    Seeing she remained silent, Ling Chen cracked a smile, "Since you¡¯re not objecting, I¡¯ll take it as your agreement." After saying this, Ling Chen turned to leave.


    "Wait," Xia Mutong quickly caught up with Ling Chen, blocking his path, "The police may not intervene, but you must let me oversee your actions throughout. If you disagree, I¡¯ll immediately call for backup."


    Ling Chen, seeing her adamant demeanor, felt somewhat cornered but reluctantly nodded, "Alright, but let me be clear, you can only watch, you mustn¡¯t interfere."


    Back at Xia Mutong¡¯s car parked in the parking lot, Ling Chen took out his phone and dialed Deng Guoyong¡¯s number in front of Xia Mutong.


    "Hello?"


    "Mr. Deng, remember me?"


    "Ling Chen?" Deng Guoyong immediately reacted on the other end, already losing theposure he had the first two times they met, "Is this your doing?"


    "Mr. Deng, why ask when you already know. You gave me one day; now I¡¯m giving you one hour to release my friend. Otherwise, I won¡¯t mind taking a couple more lives." After saying this, Ling Chen continued, "Don¡¯t think you¡¯re safe hidden in that building. If I could take down those seven people, I can certainly handle you two as well. I won¡¯t say more, think it over, and if I don¡¯t see my friend in an hour, I¡¯ll be visiting you personally."


    Before Deng Guoyong could say anything else, Ling Chen had already hung up.


    "Do you think he¡¯ll release them?" Xia Mutong asked.


    Ling Chen smiled slightly, "Doesn¡¯t matter. At least now he wouldn¡¯t dare harm them since they are his only way to save himself. What I am really interested in now is seeing what he will do next."


    During this conversation, Deng Guoyong in his thirteenth-floor office clenched his teeth and cursed, "It really was him."


    "Who?"


    "Ling Chen, the man who negotiated on behalf of Old City with me that day."


    "Is that him?" Zhang Bo was shocked and incredulously asked, "Does he really have that much capability?"


    "I only know he was once a soldier." Deng Guoyong frowned deeply, pacing back and forth in his office in deep thought. After a while, he seemed to have made a decision, turned to Zhang Bo, and said, "I have a n that should ensure our safety tonight."


    "What n?"


    "Call the police!"


    "Are you insane?" Zhang Bo stared nkly, "Do you think the police aren¡¯t aware of our background? I¡¯m grateful enough they haven¡¯t kicked us while we¡¯re down, and now you actually want to seek help from the police? I¡¯m amazed by your terrible idea."


    "With so many from Dongyi Group dead today, it¡¯s natural for us to seek police protection. They haven¡¯t got anything on us; what¡¯s there to fear. Old Zhang, as long as we survive tonight, everything will be resolved when the boss arrives in East Sea City tomorrow. I think, for the sake of our lives, we should endure this one night."</subtxt>

 Chapter 327 - 323: Falling into One’s Net

    <h4>Chapter 327: Chapter 323: Falling into One¡¯s Net</h4><h4></h4>


    Zhang Bo hesitated for a moment, recalling the seven middle management leaders who had been silently murdered, fear involuntarily rose in his heart, and he nodded, "Alright, I¡¯ll follow your n."


    After the call, in less than half an hour, several police cars arrived outside the high-end office building. By then, Zhang Bo and Deng Guoyong, nked by a group of suited bodyguards, were already waiting at the entrance. Seeing the arrival of the police, the two men simultaneously let out a sigh of relief.


    At this moment, a tall female officer in a neat uniform, apanied by several colleagues, approached and said indifferently, "You two,e with me." Turning her head to the officers by her side, she ordered, "You go upstairs and check the situation, report back to me at the stationter."


    "Yes, Captain Xia."


    When they got to the police car, Xia Mutong suddenly turned around, her expression slightly displeased as she frowned at the suited bodyguards who were trailing behind Deng Guoyong and Zhang Bo, "You¡¯re going to the station to assist in an investigation, not on a sightseeing holiday. Why bring so many people?"


    Deng Guoyong awkwardly apologized and turned to instruct, "You go ahead and wait for me at the station."


    Once the suited bodyguards had left, Xia Mutong pointed to the back seat of the car, "Get in." As she finished speaking, she opened the door and sat down in the passenger seat.


    The car started, quickly blending into traffic.


    Ten minutester, the police car drove onto the elevated highway and stopped at the roadside.


    Deng Guoyong, looking oddly at what he saw through the car window, asked, "Officer, this doesn¡¯t seem to be the way to the station, did you take a wrong turn?"


    "Who said we were going to the station." A familiar voice came from the driver¡¯s seat. Deng Guoyong was startled and instinctively looked at the rearview mirror. As the sharply defined handsome face came into view, Deng Guoyong¡¯splexion instantly changed, and he eximed, "It¡¯s you!"


    "Who is he?" Zhang Bo waspletely confused, not understanding what the two were talking about.


    "Ling Chen, he¡¯s Ling Chen."


    Deng Guoyong looked as if he had been frightened, his expression panicked as he hurriedly tried to unlock the door. However, Ling Chen had already locked the doors.


    "No use wasting your energy," Ling Chen turned his head to look at Zhang Bo and Deng Guoyong in the backseat, lifting his wrist to show his watch, "I¡¯m giving you one hour¡¯s time, now there¡¯s less than ten minutes left. If I can¡¯t see my friend in the next ten minutes, I¡¯ll take you two for a little skydiving." Saying so, Ling Chen looked out the window at the high-rise bridge with a malevolent grin and yfully remarked, "What do you think, if you fall from here, will you turn into a bloody mess?"


    Zhang Bo spoke anxiously, "Officer, you..."


    Ling Chen waved his hand impatiently, cutting off Zhang Bo¡¯s words, "Officer Xia won¡¯t be able to help you. Your lives are in your own hands. You have nine minutes left, you¡¯d better make a decision fast."


    "Release them." Zhang Bo, with a livid face, red at Deng Guoyong next to him and roared from his throat, "Hurry up and release them! If you want to die, don¡¯t drag me down as your cushion."


    Deng Guoyong¡¯s gaze was dark, and he said coldly, "Ling Chen, you¡¯ll get nothing by opposing Dongyi Group..."


    p!


    A crisp p sounded, and immediately a bright red handprint appeared on Deng Guoyong¡¯s cheek.


    "Enough with the nonsense; do you think I¡¯m a three-year-old who would be afraid of your threats? Mr. Deng, you¡¯ve made one mistake already; better not make a second one."


    Deng Guoyong, holding his swollen cheek, swallowed the blood that had oozed from the corner of his mouth, and didn¡¯t dare to utter another word. He obediently took out his phone and dialed a number.


    "Tell them to hurry. You¡¯ve got eight minutes left," Ling Chen reminded.


    Hearing this, Zhang Bo¡¯s face showed fear, as he quickly snatched the phone from Deng Guoyong, shouting desperately, "We¡¯re on the overpass, deliver the person in eight minutes. If you¡¯re one secondte, I¡¯ll exterminate your entire family."


    In less than six minutes, a minivan approached on the overpass and stopped beside the police car.


    The door opened, and Jiang Hao and Zhao Zhengxiong jumped down from the van, rushing to the front of the police car. Ling Chen rolled down the window, nced at Jiang Hao and Zhao Zhengxiong, and seeing they were injured but not seriously, he was immediately relieved.


    "Chen."


    "Chen."


    "Jiang Hao, Xiong, you guys go back to the Old City and rest. I still have some stuff to deal with here. I¡¯ll contact you tomorrow."


    Jiang Hao took a nce at Deng Guoyong and Zhang Bo in the back seat, realizing the situation, he nodded and said, "Alright Chen, we¡¯ll leave first."


    After watching Jiang Hao and Zhao Zhengxiong leave in a taxi, Ling Chen closed the window, started the police car, and drove off the overpass.


    "Mr. Ling, we¡¯ve released the person, can you let us go now?" After much hesitation, Zhang Bo couldn¡¯t help but ask.


    "Don¡¯t rush, we¡¯ve not finished our business. Dongyi Group is thergest gang in East Sea City, established for decades, with vast influence that spreads throughout the various districts. I¡¯m quite curious to know who has the capability."


    Zhang Bo¡¯s expression shifted, shaking his head, "No, I can¡¯t tell you."


    "Is it that you can¡¯t tell, or you don¡¯t dare to?" Ling Chen asked with a sardonic smile, "You¡¯d better consider your situation. With your past crimes, a death sentence would be more than justified. However, you¡¯re just working for someone else if you¡¯re willing to divulge who¡¯s behind the scenes, Officer Xia will arrange for you to be informants. Though you can¡¯t escape a long time in jail, at least you¡¯ll have a chance to walk out alive."


    Deng Guoyong scoffed coldly, "Don¡¯t try to scare us, we are legitimate businessmen and have never done anything illegal; don¡¯t wrongly use us."


    "Really?" Ling Chen said with a smile, "Mr. Deng, you guys are clever most of the time but foolish for once, actually inviting police for protection. Now you¡¯re both with me here, while the police are searching Dongyi Group¡¯s headquarters. Do you think they might discover something incriminating?"


    At these words, both Zhang Bo and Deng Guoyong¡¯s faces instantly darkened, their eyes filled with worry, losing the calm they had before.


    Ling Chen watched their expressions through the rearview mirror, his lips curling up slightly. He pondered how these two thought it was a good idea to invite the police to theirpany, effectively crying to a tiger for help, asking for trouble.


    After a few moments, Zhang Bo turned away from the window and said, "Mr. Ling, if we be informants, I hope for leniency, a lighter sentence."


    "That depends on how valuable the information you provide is." The reply came from Xia Mutong. Ling Chen had dealt with his private affairs; now it was time for her to step in for the official ones.


    "Old Zhang, have you lost your mind?" Deng Guoyong snapped coldly, "Do you no longer value your life?"

 Chapter 328 - 324: Tainted Witness

    <h4>Chapter 328: Chapter 324: Tainted Witness</h4><h4></h4>


    "I know what I¡¯m doing, it¡¯s a dead end either way, might as well seek a glimmer of hope. Officer Xia, can your police guarantee my personal safety?"


    Officer Xia nodded and promised, "As long as you¡¯re willing to be witnesses, we will initiate the witness protection program. Until we apprehend the perpetrators, you¡¯ll be in no danger."


    "I ept this proposal."


    Deng Guoyong hurriedly said, "Old Zhang, think it over, don¡¯t rush to a decision."


    "Deng Guoyong, you only get one chance. If you don¡¯t ept the deal now, once Zhang Bo spills everything, you¡¯ll lose your value. By then, if you want to cooperate with us, we won¡¯t agree. So you¡¯d better think carefully."


    Hearing this, Deng Guoyong was stunned, Xia Mutong¡¯s words were undoubtedly a threat, but he had to admit, it was a very effective one. Nobody wants to die, Deng Guoyong included; this was hisst straw of hope.


    "Alright."


    Finally, Deng Guoyong sighed and made his decision. Just as Xia Mutong said, once Zhang Bo revealed all of Dongyi Group¡¯s secrets, he¡¯d be valueless. To stay alive, he had no choice but to make this decision.


    Ling Chen shed a grin, "Officer Xia, congrattions on cracking a major case. Don¡¯t forget to treat me to a meal when you get promoted."


    Xia Mutong red at Ling Chen with annoyance. Although she didn¡¯t quite approve of his methods, she had to admit that extraordinary situations required extraordinary measures, and following procedures strictly would hardly yield such significant results.


    Taking down the Dongyi Group was definitely the biggest achievement in recent years. As long as things went smoothly, promotion was a sure thing.


    Thinking of this, Xia Mutong couldn¡¯t help but admire Ling Chen. To think he could undermine Dongyi Group¡¯s interior in just one day was an astonishing feat.


    What she didn¡¯t know was that Ling Chen¡¯s sess hinged on two key factors: the intelligence provided by Hu Fei and his own strength, both indispensable.


    Upon arriving at the police station, Ling Chen stepped out of the car, waved his hand, and said goodbye, "Officer Xia, unless there¡¯s something else, I¡¯ll head back now."


    Xia Mutong poked her head out of the car window and asked, "Don¡¯t you want to know who¡¯s behind Dongyi Group?"


    Ling Chen smiled indifferently, "Tell me next time if there¡¯s a chance."


    He was indeed interested, but not so curious that he had to know at all costs. For someone of his perspective, the mystery of a gang boss was nothing special, not worth dwelling on.


    Moreover, with the Dongyi Group destroyed, he had lots of things to do; ns that had been scheming in his mind could finally be put into action.


    When he returned to Wealthy Manor, it was already midnight.


    Nanrong Wanqing and Su Lin had long since fallen asleep, the vi was silent and pitch-ck.


    Upon entering the house, Ling Chen tiptoed to Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s room, and seeing the sleeping beauty on the bed, he felt slightly relieved. At least Zhu Hong hadn¡¯t appeared tonight to take Nanrong Wanqing away.


    He didn¡¯t know what Mr. Yun and Zhu Hong had done to Nanrong Wanqing, but he was certain that Mr. Yun would not harm her. Even tigers do not eat their cubs, let alone humans. From his interactions with Mr. Yun, he could feel Mr. Yun¡¯s heartfelt care for Nanrong Wanqing.


    Leaving Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s bedroom, Ling Chen was ready to go downstairs to his room to rest. However, as he passed Su Lin¡¯s bedroom, he heard faint moansing from the room.


    What¡¯s that girl up to?


    Could it be...


    Ling Chen¡¯s heart stirred, and his feet unwittingly moved to Su Lin¡¯s door, then he pressed his ear against it.


    Immediately, the moaning sounds from inside the room became even clearer.


    Tsk tsk!


    This girl is actually watching ******** in her room in the dead of night.


    Thinking this, Ling Chen¡¯s mouth curled into a slight smirk, a mischievous idea shing through his mind. He raised his hand and gently knocked on the door.


    As the sound of the door echoed, a flurry of hurried noise came from inside the room, and the seductive moaning abruptly stopped.


    In no time, the door opened, and Su Lin appeared before Ling Chen, hair disheveled. Although the hallway light was dim, he could vaguely see Su Lin¡¯s blushing pretty face, her eyes spring-like, charming and enticing, her coquettish demeanor sending a ripple through Ling Chen¡¯s heart.


    Su Lin, half-hiding behind the door, peered out from the crack with her upper body and red at Ling Chen, asking, "Why aren¡¯t you sleeping sote at night and looking for me instead?"


    Ling Chen nced down and saw Su Lin wearing a thin, off-the-shoulder nightgown. Through the slightly parted cor, he could glimpse an intoxicating cleavage and the curves of two semi-arches, round and snow-white.


    This girl wasn¡¯t even wearing a bra.


    Seemingly sensing Ling Chen¡¯s lecherous gaze, Su Lin subconsciously looked down at her chest, her eyes suddenly filled with immense embarrassment. She quickly reached to cover her neckline, her face flushed with indignation as she said to Ling Chen, "You pervert, watch out or I¡¯ll gouge out your eyes. Spit it out, what do you want? If there¡¯s nothing, I¡¯m going back to sleep."


    "It¡¯s nothing much, I just thought I heard some noise from your room as I was passing by, it didn¡¯t seem right, so I came to ask."


    Hearing this, a flicker of panic crossed Su Lin¡¯s eyes, and she stammered, "What... what kind of noise, you must have heard wrong."


    "Is that so?" Ling Chen teased with a smile, "It¡¯s sote, why aren¡¯t you asleep yet? What are you hiding and doing in your room?"


    Seeing Ling Chen¡¯s meaningful smile, Su Lin grew a bit flustered and uneasily bit her thin lips, berating herself inwardly. This jerk must have heard something, otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t be asking such a question.


    Ugh, I should have worn earphones.


    Last time Ling Chen found that embarrassing package, and now he¡¯s caught her red-handed, he¡¯s like her nemesis.


    The more she thought about it, the more flustered she became, her cheeks burning hot, like a ripe apple, tempting one to take a bite.


    Watching Su Lin¡¯s ufortable expression, Ling Chen secretly smirked and stopped teasing her, not wanting her to freak out. Flirting with a beauty had to be done just right, not clinging too tightly.


    "Get to bed early, you have school tomorrow." As he said this, Ling Chen seemed to think of something and added meaningfully, "Take care of your body, don¡¯t overdo it." With that, he walked downstairs.


    Listening to the footsteps of Ling Chen leaving, Su Lin recalled his words just now and her face turned bright red, her eyes brimming with embarrassment.


    This bastard... so infuriating! What does he mean by ¡¯take care of your body, don¡¯t overdo it¡¯? Does he think she was... No, she had to confront him to rify things. She was pure and innocent, she couldn¡¯t let him ruin her reputation.


    With that in mind, Su Lin couldn¡¯t be bothered to close the door and immediately chased after Ling Chen downstairs.


    Arriving in front of Ling Chen¡¯s bedroom, seeing that the door was ajar and not fully closed, Su Lin, without a second thought, pushed the door open, and began to say, "Ling..."


    Before she could finish her words, Su Lin froze on the spot, her gaze nkly on Ling Chen, her alluring lips slightly agape, her pretty face turning from white to green, then from green to red, overwhelmed with embarrassment.

 Chapter 329 - 325: Who Wants to Watch You

    <h4>Chapter 329: Chapter 325: Who Wants to Watch You</h4><h4></h4>


    Just now, upon returning to the bedroom after a busy day, Ling Chen felt like taking a bath, then sleeping soundly. Upon entering the room, he immediately took off his clothes, carelessly throwing them on the floor, preparing to head to the bathroom naked.


    But at that moment, the door creaked open. Ling Chen instinctively turned around, only to see Su Lining in, which left him startled. Meanwhile, his robust masculine body was fully exposed in front of Su Lin¡¯s eyes, though she only paused briefly.


    Su Lin¡¯s face was flushed, yet she red with her eyes wide open, even rolling her expressive eyeballs as if tantly stealing a look.


    For a moment, the two stared at each other, both stunned on the spot.


    Being unabashedly stared at by a woman, and a temptingly beautiful one at that, made even the thick-skinned Ling Chen feel extremely awkward. After a few coughs, he said, "Hey, haven¡¯t you seen enough?"


    "Who, who wants to look at you! I, I..." Su Lin¡¯s face turned even redder, hurriedly closing her eyes.


    Seeing Su Lin tightly shutting her eyes, daring not to open them, the initially awkward Ling Chen¡¯s lips lifted into a teasing smile, as he slowly walked towards her.


    Feeling the masculine aura enveloping her, Su Lin¡¯s delicate body stiffened, her breathing quickened, and her pretty cheeks blushed like the afterglow of a sunset, stunningly beautiful.


    Getting closer, Ling Chen could even smell the faint fragrance emitting from Su Lin. Observing her trembling shoulders, Ling Chen slightly curved his lips, suppressing augh and asked, "Lady Su, what are you thinking about?"


    "I... you..." Su Lin stuttered, too nervous to speak clearly, "You... you should put on your clothes first."


    Ling Chen smiled and said, "I have already dressed."


    Hearing this, Su Lin slightly rxed and opened her eyes. But soon, she realized that Ling Chen standing in front of her was stillpletely bare, truly shameless.


    Seeing his muscr body made her heart shudder with embarrassment, and inwardly, she cursed him, "Jerk, scoundrel, how dare you deceive me."


    Noticing Su Lin¡¯s shy eyes and swiftly changing facial expressions, Ling Chen could tell what she was thinking. With a sly smile, he asked, "Lady Su, are you cursing me as a scoundrel again?"


    "Aren¡¯t you one?" Su Lin sharply retorted.


    Ling Chen blinked, teasingly said, "Since youbelled me a scoundrel, wouldn¡¯t I be wronged if I didn¡¯t do something scoundrel-like?" Saying that, Ling Chen took a step forward, almost pressing up against her.


    Su Lin bit her thin lips, feeling Ling Chen¡¯s breath gently caressing her face. Panicking, she immediately took a step back, her face full of tension, "What... what do you want to do?"


    "What do you think?" Ling Chen teased, approaching her step by step.


    Soon, Su Lin was cornered against the wall. Back against the wall, she watched Ling Chen draw nearer, instinctively shielding herself with her hands, then turned her head away, eyes tightly shut, her frightened demeanor added a unique charm, making Ling Chen involuntarily swallow.


    As they got intimately close, Ling Chen unabashedly admired her beautiful face, like a freshly bloomed flower, pleasing to the eyes.


    Noticing Su Lin¡¯s increasingly rapid breathing, Ling Chen¡¯s smile broadened, he slightly shifted away, casually pulling a towel from a nearby rack, wrapping it around his waist, covering the essential parts.


    "Alright, no more teasing." Ling Chenughed heartily, realizing that the littledy also knew fear.


    Half doubting, Su Lin opened her eyes and saw Ling Chen in front of her, now with his lower half wrapped in a towel, her tense expression slightly rxed, letting out a sigh. However, seeing Ling Chen¡¯s smug smile, Su Lin felt a surge of irritation, enraged that he dared to flirt with her. Yet inexplicably, there was a small sense of loss within her.

 Chapter 330 - 326: Black-faced Judge Bao

    <h4>Chapter 330: Chapter 326: ck-faced Judge Bao</h4><h4></h4>


    However, just at this moment, they suddenly noticed that the living room lights had turned on.


    There were three people living in the vi: him, Su Lin, and Nanrong Wanqing, with Nanny Wang residing in the main house. At this time, the only person who would turn on the light, besides Nanrong Wanqing, was no one else. Realizing this, he instantly snapped to alertness, quickly pushed Su Lin away, and dragged her towards the bathroom.


    The sudden change left Su Lin somewhat bewildered, not knowing what to do as she looked at Ling Chen.


    "Don¡¯t speak, Wanqing is here."


    "Wan... Wanqing?" Su Lin immediately stood frozen in ce, her expression frantic.


    Ling Chen couldn¡¯t afford to exin any further, he immediately shut the bathroom door, then picked up a towel from the floor and wrapped it around his waist, covering his important parts.


    Just after he had secured the towel, Nanrong Wanqing, dressed in her pajamas, appeared at the bedroom door.


    Seeing Ling Chen with his upper body bare, his muscles clearly defined, Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s pretty face blushed as she nced at him reproachfully.


    "Didn¡¯t you go to sleep? Howe you¡¯re up again?" Ling Chen greeted her with a smile and asked.


    "I heard some noise downstairs when I went to the bathroom just now, so I came down to check. Did you just get home?"


    Ling Chen nodded, holding the towel, and yawned, "I¡¯ve been busy all day, nearly dead from exhaustion."


    Nanrong Wanqing offered a slight smile and said, "Then you should rest early, I won¡¯t disturb you."


    Watching Nanrong Wanqing turn and leave, Ling Chen secretly breathed a sigh of relief, grateful that she hadn¡¯t discovered anything, otherwise it would have been embarrassing for all three of them. It was all the fault of the Prajnaparamita Sutra causing trouble, making him lose even his most basic self-control.


    Back in the bathroom, Ling Chen knocked softly on the door and said, "Come out, Wanqing is gone."


    As soon as he finished speaking, Su Lin hurriedly pushed open the door and, without saying a word, ran out of the bedroom with a flushed face.


    After closing the bedroom door, Ling Chen walked into the bathroom and stood under the showerhead, his eyebrows slightly furrowed. Nanrong Wanqing had said she came out because she heard a noise downstairs in her room.


    But through a floor and so many walls, was Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s hearing too acute? If it were him, he might not be able to hear noisesing from his own room upstairs.


    With this in mind, Ling Chen was full of doubts.


    Could it be because...


    In a sh of thought, he vaguely guessed the answer.


    ...


    The next day.


    Ling Chen had breakfast with Nanrong Wanqing, then they both rushed to Hongyu Group¡¯s headquarters. Until they left the house, Su Lin was nowhere to be seen.


    He figures that the girl must be too scared to see him because ofst night¡¯s incident. Ling Chen thought to himself.


    Upon arriving at thepany, Ling Chen sat in the security office, with his legs propped up, browsing the news on theputer. Just then, his phone rang in his pocket. ncing at the caller ID, he picked up the phone and greeted with a smile, "Officer Xia, what¡¯s the matter so early?"


    "The mastermind behind Dongyi Group has fled." Xia Mutong spoke with a hint of frustration, even a touch of anger.


    Ling Chen expressed his surprise, "Fled?"


    Xia Mutong gave an affirmative grunt and continued, "ording to confessions by Zhang Bo and Deng Guoyong, the mastermind behind Dongyi Group was scheduled to arrive in East Sea City this morning. We obtained the flight information in advance and prepared to arrest him, but the information was leaked, allowing him to escape from the airport."


    Hearing this, Ling Chen slightly knitted his brows and said, "Was it someone from your department who leaked the information?"


    "It¡¯s highly possible, but at the moment it¡¯s just conjecture without solid evidence. Although we didn¡¯t catch the person, we have secured the identity information of the mastermind, who is a powerful figure from Beijing and started taking control of Dongyi Group from the previous leader, seemingly aiming to expand his influence in East Sea City through Dongyi Group."


    After hanging up the phone, Ling Chen shook his head and didn¡¯t dwell on it much. He didn¡¯t ce much importance on a gang¡¯s mastermind; it was merely a matter of scale. Despite the Dongyi Gang changing its skin and calling itself a group, its nature hadn¡¯t changed much.


    Furthermore, the police who had infiltrated Dongyi Group the previous night were no pushovers. Having eyed Dongyi for so long and finally breaking into their stronghold, if they couldn¡¯t seal their fate, they really ought to strip off their uniforms and step down.


    The urgent task at hand was to get Nanrong Hao ready to take over the vacancy under Dongyi Group¡¯s g. There would be no shortage of people eyeing this juicy piece of meat, and anyone who was slow to act and still wanted a piece would have to brace for another bloody storm to see if they could get a share.


    Nanrong Hao who received the call was wildly excited, not finishing his sentences before hanging up ¨C clearly eager to seize the territory first thing.


    With a cup of tea and a magazine, Ling Chen spent his shift leisurely and contentedly, but thisfort was interrupted during the lunch break.


    The police had arrived!


    This time, however, the police team wasn¡¯t led by Xia Mutong, but by another unfamiliar face, stern like Judge Bao.


    "Mr. Ling, we are here to ask for your assistance with a homicide investigation."


    "Homicide? What homicide?" Ling Chen wasn¡¯t feigning ignorance ¨C the issue with Dongyi Group had been internally resolved, and those who were killed were arguably deserving of it. It had been dealt with through special channels, so the police had no reason to approach him.


    "Do you recognize the name Zou Yu, Mr. Ling?"


    Zou Yu? Not unfamiliar nor familiar, Ling Chen had a certain impression of this woman ¨C an on-duty employee of Hongyu Group known for her domineering and pretentious behavior,ter to be seen in the news as brutally murdered in her home. How did this case get linked to him?


    "Which department are you from?"


    "We are from the city¡¯s Criminal Investigation Unit." The serious-faced officer pulled out his badge and handed it to Ling Chen, saying, "I am Chu Guoxiong, deputy captain of Xingda."


    "So, it¡¯s Captain Chu." Ling Chen, knowing it couldn¡¯t be a fake as soon as he checked the credentials, inspected it carefully still due to his cautious nature, then handed it back with a smile, "How may I assist?"


    Chu Guoxiong nodded slightly, still with an unchanging expression, and said, "Mr. Ling, it¡¯s a routine inquiry, please understand. In this case, our investigations revealed you had some conflicts with the victim prior to her death?"


    "That¡¯s correct." Ling Chen nodded honestly," It¡¯s hardly a conflict, just a few verbal altercations, we didn¡¯t know each other before that. Why? Am I considered a suspect now?"


    Chu Guoxiong shook his head, "Routine inquiry, you¡¯re not considered a suspect. If it¡¯s convenient for you, Mr. Ling, please apany us to the police station to record a statement."


    Ling Chen agreed, made a phone call to inform Nanrong Wanqing with two sentences, and followed Chu Guoxiong downstairs with a cheery demeanor.

 Chapter 331 - 327 Bai Huanjun

    <h4>Chapter 331: Chapter 327 Bai Huanjun</h4><h4></h4>


    "Have you not seen Captain Chu before?" Ling Chen smiled as he nced at Chu Guoxiong and spoke.


    "Mr. Ling, are you familiar with Xingda?" Chu Guoxiong strode ahead, Ling Chen by his side, followed leisurely by two police officers.


    "Not bad, I have a good rtionship with your Captain Xia. Huh? These two also look quite unfamiliar!"


    "Yes, these two have just been transferred from the local police station." Chu Guoxiong¡¯s pace faltered slightly before returning to normal.


    "That exins it!" Ling Chen chuckled heartily, "If it weren¡¯t for Captain Xia going to Beijing this morning to transfer a case, I guess she would havee looking for me herself."


    Chu Guoxiong nodded without much conversation, entered the parking lot, briskly started the car, and the vehicle smoothly merged into traffic.


    "Man, are we going the wrong way?" Ling Chen, sitting in the backseat, turned and asked Chu Guoxiong next to him.


    "No mistake, just up ahead and turn, and it¡¯s Xingda."


    "Really heading to Xingda?" Ling Chen narrowed his eyes and smiled, "I¡¯m just worried it¡¯s easy to go in but hard toe out!"


    "You¡¯re not a murderer, what are you afraid of?"


    "I¡¯m worried that it would be easy for you to go in but hard toe out." Ling Chen, with a keen interest, scrutinized the stern-faced man beside him and grinned, "Impersonating a police officer willnd you in prison!"


    Chu Guoxiong¡¯s expression darkened, his eyes filled with lethal intent, his body slightly leaned forward as he swiftly raised his hand in a chopping motion towards Ling Chen¡¯s throat.


    Ling Chen, already alert to his movements, tilted his neck to dodge the strike with exquisite timing, his right hand, like a Spirit Snake, immediately coiled around the opponent¡¯s arm, reaching for the back of his head, pulling harshly and leaning back, his bent knee thrusting forward.


    Chu Guoxiong evidently didn¡¯t expect Ling Chen to be able to counterattack so fluidly in the cramped space of a car¡¯s backseat. By the time he reacted, it was toote, only feeling his nose go numb, sour, and warm as tears mixed with snot and blood were all knocked out.


    The policeman in the passenger seat also reacted, quickly turning around and without hesitation, drawing his gun to shoot!


    Ling Chen swiftly captured the officer¡¯s wrist, lifting it upwards, causing the shot to miss and strike through the roof of the car. Chu Guoxiong, having recovered, fiercely elbowed him in the chest!


    Staying in the car had be impossible. The space in the backseat of the police car was originally quite small, the two men were not of a small build, and with the copilot ring menacingly, Ling Chen decisively took the elbow strike, shifted his weight, and burst open the car door, tumbling out.


    As soon as the two in the backseat started fighting, the officer driving steered the car into a nearby alley, where almost no one could be seen.


    After rolling on the ground several times, Wolf Kiss already poised, Ling Chen did not wait for the car to stop and quickly shed to the rich man¡¯s car door. Wolf Kiss gently probed, deftly shing the man¡¯s throat.


    With a screech, an emergency stop, and the pungent smell of rubber arising, Chu Guoxiong with a dark face got out of the car, ncing at his incredulous-looking partner in the passenger seat, slightly raised his eyebrows, and said, "How did you figure it out?"


    "It¡¯s nothing much, after all, I¡¯m too familiar with Xingda. You could have impersonated anyone, but you chose to impersonate someone from Xingda."


    Chu Guoxiong shook his head, "As far as I know, your familiarity with Xingda people is limited to Xia Mutong and a few of her deputies, and you have never even met the deputy head of Xingda."


    "Indeed." Ling Chen nodded in acknowledgment, "Your preparation was indeed good, I¡¯m not very familiar with the people from Xingda, but I do know that the deputy head of Xingda is a stern-faced man named Chu Guoxiong. The police badge is real too, so presumably, the real Chu Guoxiong has been duped by you, hasn¡¯t he?"


    Chu Guoxiong subconsciously touched his face, still with a calm demeanor, and asked: "The identification is real, and the appearance matches, why can you still spot a w?"


    "It¡¯s simple, because Xia Mutong just talked to me on the phone this morning, and the so-called trip to Beijing was just a test for you."


    Unexpectedly, the impostor Chu Guoxiong was not angry, but just shook his head and muttered: "The work is still not meticulous enough!"


    This turned out to be an adorable person who could always reflect on his mistakes at work, which was always admirable.


    "Just from that one point you noticed the w?"


    "Not entirely, if it weren¡¯t for your face, why would I think of testing you?" Ling Chen seemed somewhat proud, smiling and wiping his forehead: "The human skin mask on your face is indeed exquisite, but it has one defect."


    "What defect?" Chu Guoxiong¡¯s eyes revealed an eager desire, though his face remained impassive.


    "Itcks human touch!"


    The impostor policeman in the driver¡¯s seat suddenly became furious: "You cheeky brat! How dare you insult me!"


    "What I said is the truth. No matter how exquisite a human skin mask is, it is still an inanimate object and cannot disy the changing expressions of a person¡¯s face. If one observes carefully, differences can still be detected."


    Chu Guoxiong nodded thoughtfully, then suddenly reached up to his earlobe and gently pinched it a few times, gradually lifting off a thin mask as delicate as cicada wings.


    "Now that you¡¯ve revealed your true face, let¡¯s talk about your background. Whether I die at your hands or you fall at mine, I presume neither of us wants to die confused."


    "There is a Thousand-faced Fox on the assassin list, do you know about it?"


    "Yes, I had the fortune to meet him not long ago." Ling Chen¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly, saying: "Are you also from the assassin list?"


    "Hmph, is the assassin list that impressive? In this world, many people simply disdain topete for that silly ranking, but that does not mean theyck the ability."


    Ling Chen quite agreed with this. Considering the masters he had recently encountered from the Heaven and Earth Dragon and Tiger Four Rankings, picking any two of them, they were not something the people on the assassin list could handle. Indeed, true masters disdain to be on such rankings, and moreover, as an assassin, pursuing profit is eptable, but disputing over fame is foolish. Without rankings, it is even more covert, making tasks easier to handle.


    "So, what do you mean by mentioning this Thousand-faced Fox?" Ling Chen was somewhat speechless.


    "Because we both specialize in disguise. Also, I don¡¯t mind telling you, my name is Bai Huanjun."


    "Never heard of you." Ling Chen shook his head straightforwardly; he was telling the truth.


    Bai Huanjun didn¡¯t get angry, his brows and eyes moved, saying: "Whether you know it or not, your end will be the same. I just don¡¯t want you to die too confused."


    Gosh! Was this guy a Monk before? Speaking with a bit of a provocative tone.


    "Enough with the long talk, why do you want to kill me?"


    Bai Huanjun was stunned for a moment, then suddenly scratched his head like a child, a hint of embarrassment appearing between his brows and eyes.


    "Well, you see, I... am short on money."

 Chapter 332 - 328: The Feeling of Being Nervous Around Women

    <h4>Chapter 332: Chapter 328: The Feeling of Being Nervous Around Women</h4><h4></h4>


    When an assassin says in a shy manner that he wants to kill you just because he is short of money, the feeling is really beyond words.


    "You¡¯re here for the bounty too?"


    "Mhm, seven million is enough tost a year or so." Bai Huanjun nodded earnestly in reply, nearly making Ling Chen choke with anger.


    No wonder you¡¯re short of money, seven million onlysts you a year; you¡¯re either showing off or filthy rich, or a show-off rich guy.


    "Now that we¡¯re both clear, can I kill you?" Bai Huanjun¡¯s arms trembled slightly, and a Soft Sword appeared in his hand.


    Saying you¡¯re an assassin being so polite, this is really not something I¡¯m used to! Ling Chen clicked his tongue; even assassins have a sense of crisis now? What¡¯s next, a smiley face service?


    "Come on!" Ling Chen nodded, the Wolf Kiss in his palm spun swiftly, and he shouted as he leapt towards Bai Huanjun.


    Bai Huanjun put aside his shy expression and sharplymanded; the Soft Sword flickered a streak of silver light, thrusting straight at Ling Chen¡¯s throat.


    The sword was like a venomous snake lunging out, reaching Ling Chen in a blink of an eye. Mid-leap, Ling Chen gave a cool smile. The Wolf Kiss in his hand turned horizontally, barely blocking the tip of the sword.


    Ding! A crisp ring sounded; Ling Chen felt a strong force transmitted from the sword tip to the dagger, through the dagger to his wrist, and then to his entire arm. He felt as if he had been electrocuted, shaking him out of the air and sending him tumbling backward!


    Thepanion in the driver¡¯s seat didn¡¯t hesitate and moved up from the side, holding a steel spike, forearm-long, with a cold, gleaming tip aimed straight at his waist.


    Ling Chen, still in mid-air, saw the steel spike lunging towards him. Incredibly, he twisted his body forcibly, just bypassing the spike andnding with his feet on the man¡¯s shoulder, pressing down hard!


    With a crack, the man¡¯s body tilted, he howled in agony for a moment but gritted his teeth and endured it, although the steel spike in his hand had already fallen to the ground, his body drenched in sweat, his face pale as paper.


    With this kick in mid-air and borrowing force, Ling Chen shattered the man¡¯s shoulder de!


    Turns out he¡¯s a tough guy, apart from the unexpected cry of pain at the beginning, he could actually bear it.


    A sh of admiration swept through Ling Chen¡¯s eyes, but his hands were notx. Once on the ground, he turned around, and Wolf Kiss urately swept across the other¡¯s neck. A thin line of blood slowly thickened, then suddenly burst open; blood sprayed high into the air. The man coughed from his throat, his head tilted, and he fell down.


    Behind him, the sound of a sword cutting through the air approached stealthily, but Ling Chen was far from being careless. He knew the greatest enemy was Bai Huanjun, and these two assistants were just minor characters, merely serving to harass and distract attention.


    Ducking below the sword¡¯s edge, he used one leg as a pivot on the ground to continuously sweep towards Bai Huanjun¡¯s upper, middle, and lower sections. After a dozen rounds of leg sweeps, though they were all avoided, Ling Chen had sessfully breached Bai Huanjun¡¯s close quarters defense.


    Hiss! Wolf Kiss grazed across the opponent¡¯s chest. Even though Bai Huanjun was quick to react, he couldn¡¯t dodgepletely, resulting in a foot-long gash on his chest.


    As the saying goes, the longer it is, the stronger it is; the shorter it is, the more dangerous. In closebat, it was clear that the shorter Wolf Kiss was the more fitting weapon.


    Bai Huanjun¡¯s skills were evidently not just limited to his potent Disguise Skills. Startled, he executed an Iron te Bridge on the spot, his Soft Sword swiftly creating a swirling arc towards Ling Chen¡¯s legs.


    With a smugugh, Ling Chen was pleased he had anticipated this move. He twisted his body for a jump, dodging the stroke of the sword, while kicking towards Bai Huanjun¡¯s lower abdomen!


    This kick hit the mark; Bai Huanjun felt as if he had been struck by a high-speed car. His belly numbed, no pain felt, and his whole body turned somewhat wooden.


    Luckily, his head hadn¡¯t turned to mush, and Bai Huanjun finally realized he was no match for this fellow. The best course of action when faced with the 36 stratagems is to flee!


    Throwing himself on the ground and rolling away may not have looked graceful, but it was a highly effective move. After rolling a few steps, he leaped to his feet, sprinted to a wall, lightly touched the top, and disappeared from sight.


    Ling Chen watched, dumbfounded. The guy had executed a series of moves in one fluid motion, as if he had rehearsed them countless times¡ªtruly breathtaking.


    Thinking back to how arrogantly this guy had looked down on all the heroes of the world, Ling Chen could never have imagined that after a few exchanges, he would turn tail and run, with no regard for his twopanions whoy dead on the spot!


    There was nothing for it; he would have to deal with the aftermath himself.


    He dialed Xia Mutong¡¯s number and an impatient voice came from the other end, "Didn¡¯t we just talk on the phone this morning?"


    Ling Chen was taken aback and reflexively jumbled his words: "Ah? Yes, but... I started missing you again!"


    Silence came from the other end, followed by a sudden burst of anger, "I¡¯m not deaf! Why are you yelling?!" Xia Mutong exploded.


    Ling Chen felt wronged. Was he really that loud? He had been particrly careful to keep his voice down. What was with her today? She had been fine this morning, and now she was acting all bitey.


    Not daring to provoke a woman who waspletely not in a feminine mood, Ling Chen hurriedly exined the situation here, only to find that she had already hung up the call.


    Ling Chen stared nkly at his phone for a while before shaking his head with a bitter smile. What¡¯s with all this rush?


    It wasn¡¯t long before Xia Mutong arrived with backup, her face turning pale at the sight of the police car.


    "Everyone, secure the perimeter!" The female detective¡¯smanding presence filled the area, leaving Ling Chen utterly confused.


    "What¡¯s going on? Why secure the perimeter? I took everyone down; they¡¯re out of breath! Hurry up and deal with... Hey? Let go of my clothes, stop pulling or I¡¯ll use you of harassment!"


    Xia Mutong¡¯s eyes were bloodshot, and herplexion grew paler, but she gripped Ling Chen¡¯s cor as if she wanted to strangle him alive.


    "Ling Chen! If you¡¯re looking to die, just go smash your head with a tofu block! What are you doing? Got addicted to killing? Escting to the point of daring to murder a cop? So what if you have connections? Do you realize this is a capital offense! No one can save you!"


    Confused, Ling Chen responded, "Hold on, who killed a cop?"


    "You! You¡¯re still denying it!" Xia Mutong¡¯s hand trembled as she pointed at the two fake policemen, one in the passenger seat of the police car and the other kneeling not far away, her face filled with heartbreak.


    "Quickly make a call, pull whatever strings you have. We can¡¯t evade a death penalty, but we still have to try. I can only assume you¡¯re turning yourself in, I can¡¯t help you with anything else..." Xia Mutong suddenly let go, and tears silently fell from her eyes, her whole body copsing.


    "Why would I turn myself in?" Ling Chen thought it was funny, yet he was also touched. If he had really killed the cops, her actions would clearly be a vition of discipline.


    Xia Mutong, clearly in a state of disarray from her concern, suddenly jumped up and handed Ling Chen a gun. With amanding growl that belied her bewildered gaze, she said, "Right, right, you can¡¯t turn yourself in, killing a cop means certain death! You make a break for it. With their currentck of knowledge and your skills, it wouldn¡¯t be hard to make a distant escape!"


    (I owe you one Chapter from yesterday, I¡¯ll sort out the rest tomorrow. Afterwards, I¡¯ll stockpile some more Chapters for a burst of releases. I truly apologize for this period, I hope the brothers understand.)

 Chapter 333 - 329: Long Pinhole

    <h4>Chapter 333: Chapter 329: Long Pinhole</h4><h4></h4>


    "I¡¯m telling you, if you had said earlier that you killed a cop, would I have brought so many people here? We all saw the scene just now; it¡¯s obviously impossible for you to just walk away! Hurry up and take me hostage!"


    Ling Chen stared stupidly at the anxious Xia Mutong, his face changing expressions in a peculiar way, feeling her deep emotions. After a long while, he finally sighed deeply and hugged Xia Mutong¡¯s still trembling delicate body, whispering, "You silly girl. It¡¯s such a waste for you not to write novels. What a rich imagination you have! Who said I killed a cop?"


    Xia Mutong stiffened, suddenly looking up and saying, "You didn¡¯t kill these two?"


    Caught off guard, Ling Chen¡¯s chin was hit by her head, nearly biting his own tongue. He quickly let go of her and spoke unclearly with his tongue sticking out, "Yes, I killed them!"


    "And you still have the mood to tease me?"


    "My dear! Can you let me finish speaking? Yes, I killed these two, but they¡¯re not cops!"


    Xia Mutong was startled and asked, "Are you sure?"


    "Sure!" Ling Chen didn¡¯t dare to talk anymore and started gasping for air, hastily exining the whole story in detail.


    Xia Mutong nodded continuously, and at the end, asked curiously, "Is that all?"


    "That¡¯s all, then you all arrived."


    "Then why didn¡¯t you say so earlier?"


    Ling Chen couldn¡¯t help but smile wryly, "Did you give me a chance to speak? The moment you arrived it was all brash and about turning yourself in and taking hostages¡ª I was totally wronged."


    "You deserve it! Who told you to be so restless all the time!" Xia Mutong felt relieved, and it felt like the whole world became bright again. She viciously stepped on Ling Chen¡¯s foot, and with his painful groans, she puffed out her chest and ordered her subordinates to proceed with their case at the crime scene.


    The identities of the two fake cops were easily found to be A-level wanted criminals, both guilty of murder. It was unclear how they got mixed up with someone like Bai Huanjun.


    As for the police badge left behind by Bai Huanjun, it was indeed authentic. Deputy team leader Chu Guoxiong of Xingda was on a case in another province, only finding out at this moment that his badge was missing. He had been unknowingly using a fake one; it was unknown when and where by whom it had been switched.


    Switching the badge of a veteran detective¡ª Bai Huanjun sure had some tricks up his sleeve.


    With the identities of the deceased confirmed, Ling Chen suddenly remembered the reason Bai Huanjun lured him out and urgently asked Xia Mutong for information.


    Xia Mutong shook her head, "Zou Yu¡¯s case is indeed handled by Xingda, but I¡¯m not the lead, and I haven¡¯t heard about the progress of the rted case. I only know the woman was tortured to death; the case seems not so simple. I¡¯ll check on itter."


    Ling Chen nodded in thanks. Xia Mutong gave him an annoyed nce and humphed, "The biggest thank you to me would be for you to kill fewer people!"


    Hearing this, Ling Chen and the surrounding busy officers all felt a chill, something didn¡¯t feel right. What did she mean by ¡¯kill fewer people¡¯? Was he that bloodthirsty?


    Considering the girl¡¯s emotional outburst today, Ling Chen decided to not take it personally. Wanting to get a little cheeky advantage, his phone rang.


    "Ling Chen! Grandma has been bullied!"


    "Huh? Grandma¡¯s been bullied and you¡¯re looking for me? Go find your grand-nephew!"


    "Ling Chen! You¡¯re going to be the death of me! Hurry to the school and pick me up!" Su Lin on the other end of the phone was so annoyed she was itching with anger. This guy had no clue!


    "Are you ordering or requesting?" Ling Chen wasn¡¯t in a hurry at all. Su Lin herself had several bodyguards, all ex-military men. Although their strength was much less than his, they were not to be underestimated. If she could angrily make a call to him now, it meant there was nothing serious.


    "Please...!"


    Ling Chen chuckled mischievously, sensing Su Lin gnashing her teeth on the other end, thinking to himself, ¡¯Can¡¯t I handle you?¡¯


    After greeting Xia Mutong, he hailed a cab on the roadside and went straight to school.


    He was indeed eager to see who dared to provoke Su Lin, the tigress.


    Usually, the only ones brave enough to provoke a tigress are a tiger, or perhaps another tigress.


    When Ling Chen arrived, Su Lin was standing on the side entrance steps of the school, looking fiercely at the girl in front of her as if ready for a fight.


    "What¡¯s wrong? Bullying people again?"


    "Me, bullying people? Me, bullying people! Which dog eye of yours saw me bullying anyone!" Su Lin was so angry that her mouth was pouting high, and she started cussing without picking her words.


    Ling Chen snorted, turned around, and walked away, causing Su Lin to hastily grab hold of his sleeve: "What are you doing? Walking away as soon as you arrive!"


    "I didn¡¯t see you!" Ling Chen said, ncing at her with an indifferent look.


    Su Lin¡¯s clear eyes widened in disbelief and she protested, "Have you gotten a sty in your eye? How can you not see a living person standing right here?"


    Ling Chen chuckled and said, "It¡¯s just 36D, isn¡¯t it? It¡¯s not like I haven¡¯t seen it before, enough to get a sty?" As he spoke, his eyes involuntarily nced at Su Lin¡¯s chest, recalling the unintended intrusion that night.


    Su Lin didn¡¯t notice this guy dared to leer at her even in public, and continued indignantly, "Ling Chen! Are you doing this on purpose? You didn¡¯t even greet me when you saw me; you think you got a sty?"


    "I have dog eyes; dog eyes look down on people, naturally it¡¯s not easy to see."


    Su Lin suddenly realized, so this guy was holding a grudge because of her previousment.


    Feeling both annoyed and amused, she quickly grabbed his arm and whispered threateningly, "Hmm, a grown man throwing a fit? Keep this up and I¡¯ll show you!"


    "I¡¯m already good-looking!" Ling Chen rolled his eyes, ignoring her.


    Su Lin gave a sly smile and said, "Fine, I¡¯ll go back and discuss with my sister the possibility of a brother-inw serving two sisters in this day and age. Oh, and I¡¯m about to graduate, how about my thesis deeply explores this topic?"


    "How would you explore it deeply?" Ling Chen was already sensing trouble and asked subconsciously.


    "Obviously, I¡¯d have to personally experience it!"


    That would be disastrous; he knew Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s temper all too well¡ªcold on the outside, warm on the inside, a model of outer softness and inner strength. If she found out he was eyeing both sisters, she wouldn¡¯t spared his life.


    "Actually, I think you make sense sometimes." Ling Chen made a snap decision, as a wise man does not fight when the odds are against him, and immediately shifted his attitude with a smile.


    "How so?"


    "They say men are like dogs and women are like cats; saying men have dog eyes isn¡¯t entirely without reason."


    Su Lin had been thinking about how to refute his nonsense, but upon hearing this theory, she asked curiously, "Who said this? What does it mean?"


    "Exactly who said it, I¡¯ve never really looked into." Ling Chen scratched his head and said, "The meaning? Hey? I say, you didn¡¯t call me here just to chat at the main entrance, did you?"


    Su Lin was also confused by Ling Chen¡¯s antics, and it was only when she heard this that she pped her head and turned around ferociously pointing at the girl who was still there, not having left, and dered, "She¡¯s the one bullying me!"

 Chapter 334 - 330 Qin Wu

    <h4>Chapter 334: Chapter 330 Qin Wu</h4><h4></h4>


    The girl was quite pretty, exuding a cool and detached air that always gave people the impression of keeping them at a great distance. Seeing Su Lin point her finger at her, she didn¡¯t speak, merely tugging at her lips with a cold expression, and it was unclear whether it was disdain or a sneer.


    With Su Lin¡¯s tone, Ling Chen felt somewhat helpless; it sounded every bit like the haughty and domineering speech of a rich youngdy bullying others, leaving one scratching their head, not knowing what to do.


    "Speak up, what¡¯s going on?"


    "What else could it be?" Su Lin curled her lip, "She¡¯s Qin Yang¡¯s sister."


    Ling Chen was startled, scrutinizing her carefully; indeed, without saying a word, she did bear some resemnce to Qin Yang. No wonder Su Lin was ranting like a shrew,shing out at everyone.


    "I am Qin Wu, and you are her boyfriend?" Qin Wu spoke dispassionately, fixing her gaze on Ling Chen, her eyes crystal clear, devoid of any other emotions.


    Ling Chen was about to shake his head when Su Lin suddenly clung to his arm, tilting her head haughtily and huffed, "That¡¯s right, he is my boyfriend Ling Chen! Much better than your brother who¡¯s nothing more than a wolf in sheep¡¯s clothing!"


    Unexpectedly, Qin Wu nodded, "I know all too well what kind of person my own brother is. However, I want to make it clear once again, Miss Su, you can resent my brother, but I am me and he is him. Please understand this."


    "I have no time to bother hating him!" Su Lin lifted her neck arrogantly, continuing to pose like a proud swan, "Just to be clear, Qin Wu, it was me who saw through your brother¡¯s true colors and dumped him, not the other way around!"


    "This is between the two of you, I¡¯m not interested, nor do I ever inquire about it. Who dumped whom has nothing to do with me."


    "Then why are you spreading rumors everywhere that you were dumped by your brother?"


    Finally, a look of surprise crossed Qin Wu¡¯s face, as she stared intently at Su Lin, enunciating carefully, "Miss Su, we were friends for a time, and although we¡¯ve grown apart due to Qin Yang, you should know the kind of person Qin Wu is. I never stoop to gossip and nder!"


    Caught between two women, Ling Chen finally started to understand the situation; it was really simple, still the residue of Lady Su¡¯s ex-boyfriend¡¯s past. Recently, there¡¯d been rampant rumors at school about how Qin Yang yed Lady Su, then left her high and dry after having his fill.


    The more these words spread, the more outrageous they became, evolving into the version that Su Lin had multiple abortions because of Qin Yang, which led to her inability to have children in the future, and thus she was cruelly cast aside.


    Today, it happened that Su Lin ran into Qin Wu at the gate, and this rash suspicion took hold of her, making her think there was a hidden meaning behind Qin Wu¡¯sposed demeanor. Unable to resist, she sought her out to argue but couldn¡¯t bring herself to be direct. Instead, her vague usations made the taciturn Qin Wu leave her at a loss for words.


    And this led to the angry act of calling over Ling Chen as reinforcement.


    This was a tricky situation; since time immemorial, the most difficult thing to guard against, and the most frightening, was gossip. The so-called fear of public opinion came from this.


    To find out who was spreading the rumors wasn¡¯t impossible, but it would take time and effort and might not win anyone¡¯s favor.


    "Miss Qin, thanks for understanding. You¡¯re both young women, so I trust you can appreciate Su Lin¡¯s feelings right now. If there was any offence, please forgive us."


    Su Lin was waiting for Ling Chen to take her side, and hearing this made her furious. Was this guy really sticking up for her?


    "Ling Chen! You bastard! Whose side are you on? Have you set your sights on her because she¡¯s pretty?"


    "Hey hey! Stop it! What do you mean ¡¯again¡¯? Inurate words can easily kill people!"


    "Mind your own business? I like speaking this way! Don¡¯t think I¡¯m unaware of your sordid affairs!" Su Lin, not showing the slightest courtesy, hissed vehemently, "You traitor! You turncoat! You betrayer!"


    Ling Chen was at his wits¡¯ end, these terms she was using... He was about to say something when what followed made his heart skip a beat.


    "Hmph, don¡¯t think I don¡¯t know about Tang Shiyun."


    "That¡¯s my old neighbor!"


    "The look in your eyes though, it¡¯s like that of old lovers!"


    "..."


    "And there¡¯s the beautiful policewoman Xia Mutong!"


    "Don¡¯t talk nonsense, we are more like enemies! Have you not seen how many times she¡¯s wanted to arrest me?"


    "Are you sure it¡¯s not a love-hate rtionship? The way she looks at you, if there¡¯s really nothing between you two, I¡¯ll gouge out my eyeballs!"


    "Don¡¯t, that would hurt!"


    "I¡¯ll gouge out yours!" Su Lin said angrily, ring at him.


    Ling Chen felt a bit awkward; to be honest, Tang Shiyun could somewhat be exined away, as they hadn¡¯t quite crossed the final line, but Xia Mutong had actually fought over live ammunition with him. Tang Yuan¡¯s reputation didn¡¯te from nowhere.


    Seeing him not respond, Su Lin began to regret her impulsiveness. He wasn¡¯t angry, was he? Men need to save face when they¡¯re outside. Regardless of anything else, she shouldn¡¯t haveshed out at him at this time!


    Feeling uncertain, Ling Chen, however, smiled and said: "You really are petty, even more so than your sister... Never mind, I won¡¯t hold it against you."


    "Miss Qin, sorry to take up your time, but if you don¡¯t mind, I have a small favor to ask."


    Qin Wu nodded slightly, curious about what made this fairly good-looking man special. From Su Lin¡¯s list ofints, it seemed that this man had quite a few close female confidantes. Given her understanding of Su Lin, she shouldn¡¯t have been able to tolerate him.


    After all, Qin Yang was a man of talent and looks, and Su Lin had decisively broken up with him just for lying and goofing around. Su Lin obviously showed a bit of unease just a moment ago; what was so special about this man?


    Tang Shiyun? That name sounded sort of familiar...


    "These rumors after all are just hearsay. When people break up, they don¡¯t utter those pretentious words of remaining friends, but it doesn¡¯t mean they want the other party dead. I think the Qin Family should also take some responsibility."


    Qin Wu responded calmly, "Go on, Mr. Ling."


    "I will try my best to uncover the person behind the rumors, and I¡¯d like to ask for Miss Qin¡¯s help. What do you think?"


    "Why should I help you?"


    "It¡¯s not for me, it¡¯s for the Qin Family itself."


    "How so?"


    "I¡¯ve always preferred winning people over with virtue, hmm, to put it simply, I like to reason with them," Ling Chen said with a slight smile, seemingly a bit shy.


    "However, when others refuse to listen to reason and insist on being stubborn, I have no choice but to find a different way to reason with them."


    "And how would you do that?"


    Ling Chen swung his fist lightly and smiled, "Often, when words fail tomunicate, one has to resort to the most primal methods."


    After a moment of silence, Qin Wu suddenlyughed. Her normally calm and peaceful face bloomed like a multitude of flowers, shining brilliantly, even stunning Su Lin, a girl who was herself breathtakingly beautiful.


    What kind of beauty was that?

 Chapter 335 - 331: Celebration Banquet

    <h4>Chapter 335: Chapter 331: Celebration Banquet</h4><h4></h4>


    Ling Chen didn¡¯t know how to describe it; he just felt that one moment Qin Wu appeared like a mortal fairy, and with a smile was transformed into a celestial maiden descending to earth, shrouded in a hazy splendor, extremely beautiful yet elusive.


    "Mr. Ling¡¯s approach to winning people over with virtue is quite interesting."


    "Wealth and martial arts ethics, well, virtue isn¡¯t necessarily something you talk about but also something you need to act upon. Just like love, all talk and no practice is just a sham. You have to do... ah! Oops, off-topic! Miss Qin, have you agreed?"


    "Of course, I also want to know who is stirring up trouble behind the scenes!"


    "Miss Qin is wise and magnificent!"


    "Your ttery is a bit much!"


    Ling Chen gave an awkward smile, and Qin Wu turned and left gracefully.


    Picking up Lady Su to take her straight home, her mood was not very pleasant. She always felt that Ling Chen did not give her face and failed to show off his prowess as described in movies and novels to vent her frustration for her.


    This made her doubt her sister¡¯s judgment. This guy hardly resembled the legendary prince on the white horse that came to her rescue; instead, he was more like the incessant nagging Monk Tang, who also rode a white horse.


    Along the way, Lady Su found various ways to torment Ling Chen; now she wanted to drink coffee, then eat ice cream,ter go shopping for clothes, and even tantly wished to visit a club. After several rounds of this, the sky was already getting dark.


    Ling Chen today was absolutely a model of manhood, with a temper so good it was beyond reproach. Even when Lady Su nit-picked like she was looking through a magnifying ss, she had to admit that Ling Chen was really putting effort into appeasing her!


    "Why aren¡¯t you angry today?"


    "What are you saying, you¡¯re actually hoping I would get angry?"


    "No." Su Lin shook her head thoughtfully, "You usually don¡¯t have such a good temper. Tell me, did you do something guilty?"


    Ling Chen sneered, "If I really did something wrong, the one I wouldn¡¯t dare face would be your sister, not you. Who do you think you are?"


    "Huh?"


    "Oh, a tender little spring onion, quite delicate!"


    "Stop beating around the bush,e clean!"


    "Really, there¡¯s nothing. Aren¡¯t I just going along with you because you¡¯re in a bad mood? After all, when ady has her rtive over, you shouldn¡¯t take her seriously; if it can be overlooked, then let it slide."


    Su Lin was taken aback, her face suddenly flushed red, and she spoke uneasily, "You! You! How did you know I was on my period?"


    "What¡¯s so strange about that? Have you forgotten that night when the two of us..." Ling Chen gave her a meaningful smile filled with implications.


    Su Lin¡¯s face turned even redder. That night, by some strange twist of fate, they had run into each other in the bathroom, and by another twist, they got entangled together. If it weren¡¯t for her sister suddenlying out, who knows what might have happened. Still, nothing did happen, so how could he know she was on her period?


    "I felt it, after all, there was something padded." Ling Chen spoke indifferently, but his heart was twitching. Discussing physiological matters with a stunningly attractivedy who had a flirtatious rtion with him, could there be anything more stimting?


    Su Lin was so embarrassed she nearly wished she could bury her head between her legs, thinking to herself that this guy really was her nemesis!


    The first time she watched that sort of movie, he ran into her. The first time she bought **those** apparatuses, he saw them. Now, he even intimately sensed when she was on her period. Was this the rhythm of embarrassing her to the fullest?


    "Are you cold?" Su Lin forced herself to pretend she didn¡¯t care. She was clear that the more she showed her bashfulness, the more the other party would be pleased with himself, so she quickly changed the subject.


    "It¡¯s not cold at all!"


    "Why are you shivering if it¡¯s not cold?"


    "Um... Maybe it¡¯s the precursor to a stroke." Ling Chen made a grimace and poked fun at himself. He certainly couldn¡¯t tell her that he wasughing to himself so hard that he started to tremble.


    Su Lin ignored him. As soon as they got home and she opened the car door, she ran upstairs and disappeared in the blink of an eye.


    Ling Chen smiled and was just about to step in when his phone rang again.


    "Chen, where are you?"


    "Haozi? I¡¯m at home, what¡¯s up?"


    Nanrong Haoughed happily over the phone, cackling like a duck, "It¡¯s great news! Come on over! We¡¯re all here at First-ss Residence in the southern city!"


    Hearing the words "great news," Ling Chen couldn¡¯t help but shiver. Thest time it was "great news," he ended up picking the thorny rose Xia Mutong. It would be a lie to say he wasn¡¯t pleased or happy, but it was also true that he had a headache. How is he supposed to interact with her in the future?


    "I¡¯m not going, I¡¯m afraid of falling for you guys¡¯ tricks again!"


    Nanrong Haoughed even more creepily today, still cackling gleefully, "Chen, if it weren¡¯t for my callst time, you would still be lost in bliss! Never mind that, if you really don¡¯t like it, we won¡¯t arrange it anymore. Hurry up ande over, there¡¯s a huge piece of good news!"


    At this point, Ling Chen more or less understood. The so-called huge piece of good news must be rted to the ownership issue of the Dongyi Group¡¯s venue. But it hadn¡¯t been long, how did they manage to secure it so smoothly?


    Curious, he decided not to enter the house and turned around to drive straight to First-ss Residence.


    What he didn¡¯t know was that Lady Su, who had gone upstairs earlier, saw him get back into the car from the balcony. In anger, she threw the box in her hand heavily and closed the door to attend to her own affairs.


    On the way, Ling Chen called Jiang Yunkai to tell him the location to meet up directly there, without specifying what the matter was.


    Jiang Yunkai was obedient. Having lost a martial arts bet before, he knew this day woulde. Without asking any questions, he simply hung up the phone.


    First-ss Residence isn¡¯t big but has its uniqueness. The whole ce is arranged like the prosperous era of the Tang dynasty. The waitstaff shuttled back and forth in imperial Hanfu outfits. There were red and goldennterns of various sizes hanging everywhere, and exquisite screens were ced meticulously throughout the hall.


    The floor is entirely made of tempered ss with a pool below where the fish swim, ying beneath the feet of the patrons, adding a unique charm.


    It was when Ling Chen arrived at First-ss Residence that he learned there are twenty-four private rooms in total, each named after a meritorious general of the Tang dynasty¡¯s Lingyan Pavilion, which served as a distinction. The room Nanrong Hao and his group booked was named ¡¯Duke Lu Mansion¡¯.


    Duke Lu was Cheng Yaojin, a marauding demon, a bandit leader, which quiteplemented their current identities.


    Entering the private room, a whole bunch of people were already waiting. Nanrong Hao, Jiang Hao, Zhao Zhengxiong, and other leading figures, all longtime core members who had fought their ways up together, were present.


    When Ling Chen walked in, everyone stood up in unison, shouting "Chen!", causing the nearby waitstaff to look on with amazement. This young man, aside from being somewhat handsome, didn¡¯t seem to have any other outstanding qualities. Why were these people all showing him such respect?


    Ling Chen was used to their mannerisms and smiled as he gestured with his hands, not making a big deal of it.


    "Everyone¡¯s here? Why not start drinking?"


    "Chen, who would dare to move chopsticks till you arrive?" Jiang Hao said jokingly, with others nodding in agreement.


    Ling Chen gave him a disdainful look and snorted, "All those present are brothers of our own. There¡¯s not a single outsider. What¡¯s with putting up such pretenses? If we need to stick to such rotten rules among our own brothers, we might as well disband and befortable!"


    Jiang Haoughed without taking offense, but the older folks eyes showed moved expressions. Zhao Zhengxiong let out a sigh with a self-deprecating smile, "If everyone had Chen¡¯s magnanimity and open-heartedness, the scene wouldn¡¯t be as chaotic as it is now."

 Chapter 336 - 332: Courting Yunkai (Part 1)

    <h4>Chapter 336: Chapter 332: Courting Yunkai (Part 1)</h4><h4></h4><subtxt> "Cut the crap!" Jiang Hao didn¡¯t dare to bare his teeth at Ling Chen, but he had no such qualms with Zhao Zhengxiong, choking out sharply, "If everyone was like Brother Chen and resolved issues just by sitting down to y a few rounds of Mahjong, what¡¯s the point in all this?"


    Zhao Zhengxiong, whose temper has be much steadier nowadays, didn¡¯t get angry upon hearing this and simply continued to drink tea with a smile.


    As people were joking around, the dishes started to stream in as soon as Ling Chen arrived, and the wine was poured and ready to be served. Ling Chen wanted to wait, but then the private room¡¯s door was pushed open, and Jiang Yunkai walked in with a beaming smile.


    "Brother Chen, it¡¯s quite lively in here!" At some unknown point, maybe starting from the day he was defeated, Jiang Yunkai subconsciously started to address Ling Chen differently.


    The others, however, didn¡¯t recognize him and showed surprised expressions.


    Ling Chen smiled, seated him, and then raised his ss, saying, "Let¡¯s have a drink before we talk!"


    The group roared in agreement, no one being vague about downing a 50-gram drink, except Nanrong Hao, who acted a bit sly, not leaving the ss from his lips, taking three sips to finish it.


    "This is Jiang Yunkai, my brother, and from now on, he¡¯ll be your brother as well!" Ling Chen¡¯s introduction was simple, but the implications were not. Clever as Jiang Hao was, and as experienced as Zhao Zhengxiong was, they both sensed something, while Nanrong Hao just chuckled, "If he¡¯s Brother Chen¡¯s brother, then he¡¯s our brother too, what¡¯s there to say?"


    With a brief introduction out of the way, Ling Chen didn¡¯t rush to borate, but instead waved to have all the service staff leave and then asked, "Have we taken over all of Dongyi¡¯s turf?"


    "Yes!" Jiang Hao, seeing that the conversation had turned to business, also returned to his solemn state,ying down his chopsticks and dered, "Dongyi Group had thirty-six KTVs, one hundred twenty-eight bars, twenty-two bathhouses, and five private securitypanies, and not a single one was missed; we¡¯ve taken over all of them!"


    Ling Chen was taken aback, feeling that something wasn¡¯t quite right instinctively. With so many of Dongyi¡¯s businesses, there must be plenty of people eying them greedily. Now that Dongyi has fallen, wouldn¡¯t those people be scrambling to fight over it, bleeding heads and all? Even if Jiang Hao and the others acted quickly, it¡¯s unlikely that they could take it all without resistance!


    "Brother Chen, it¡¯s actually not that surprising." Zhao Zhengxiong, noticing the doubt in Ling Chen¡¯s mind, shook his head and said, "Dongyi¡¯s downfall came too suddenly. Although other forces had been eyeing them, they simply weren¡¯t ready to react so abruptly, and some who did have the time to react were still wary, unsure if it was a trap set by officials, hence a wait-and-see attitude."


    Ling Chen caught on to this logic, nodding, "So you guys caught them unprepared when taking over, and basically faced no resistance or interference?"


    "Yes, half of the KTVs, bars, and bathhouses were Dongyi¡¯s own assets. With their boss arrested and most of the backbone dead, those who didn¡¯t flee were considered loyal, and nobody had the guts to resist."


    "What about the rest?" Jiang Yunkai suddenly chimed in.


    Everyone was taken aback and instinctively looked at Ling Chen, who slightly nodded, prompting Zhao Zhengxiong to continue, "The rest was even easier to handle. They¡¯re all just doing business; we didn¡¯t raise the protection fees, so it doesn¡¯t matter who they pay, as long as we don¡¯t cause them trouble and can help them resolve it. It¡¯s all the same who¡¯s in charge."


    Having finished, as though afraid the neer wouldn¡¯t understand, he added a few exnatory words, "These grey area industries, in between ck and white, have never shied away from some involvement by gang members. For them, as long as there¡¯s money to be made, it¡¯s most important to earn it in peace and quiet. A little spending is nothing to them."


    Jiang Yunkai nodded thoughtfully, taking a subtle sip of his drink.


    "What about those five securitypanies?"


    "These were fully-owned assets of Dongyi; we¡¯ve taken them over as well. Official procedures are underway, but security has always just been a front; the people below were all Dongyi¡¯s. After the incident, almost everyone has fled. It¡¯s basically an empty shell now."


    "Don¡¯t worry, a shell has its advantages."


    Ling Chen smiled, turned his head and asked Jiang Yunkai, "Are you interested?"


    Everyone reacted with uniform movements as they heard this sentence.


    They all put down their chopsticks at the same time, their expressions serious as they watched Jiang Yunkai, seemingly waiting for his answer.


    Jiang Yunkai remained expressionless, his eyelids drooping slightly, the cup in his hand spinning continuously between his fingers, his thoughts inscrutable.


    Perhaps only two people in the room could maintain a rtively calm demeanor, one was Ling Chen, and the other was Nanrong Hao.


    Ling Chen had absolute authority; his words were taken as imperial edicts without any discount in front of these people.


    Although Nanrong Hao was increasingly fond of this atmosphere and had gained ample respect and one of the top positions within it, he was well aware that, whether it be ying around for fun or turning it into a career, it wasn¡¯t feasible¡ªnot with his grandfather Nanrong Yong, his sister Nanrong Wanqing, or even Chen himself allowing him to continue down this path.


    Hongyu Group was his lifelong stage.


    The others, however, were lost in their concerns, all understanding what mattered most in this line of work: first and foremost was absolute martial power, followed by financial power. No amount of money could necessarily buy the loyalty and life-risking dedication of people, but if you had loyal and dedicated followers, what did money mean? It could be fought for and won!


    The current situation was exactly like this; the KTVs, bars, and bath cities under Dongyi were profitable ventures, but the corey with those few securitypanies.


    Even though they were only shells at the moment, their status held sway here, and they were destined to be the department wielding the greatest martial power internally in the future.


    It wasn¡¯t that they were thinking aboutpeting for power and profit at this moment; it¡¯s just that no one was a fool. After years in the Martial Arts World, they knew to weigh the importance; they dared not question Chen¡¯s decision but were merely curious about what abilities made Chen take notice of this man.


    "Brother Chen," Jiang Yunkai finally lifted his eyelids and spoke indifferently, "I did promise you that if I were defeated, I would agree to one request from you, but I never agreed to work for you for the rest of my life, did I?"


    As these words were spoken, the atmosphere in the private room condensed; the others did not understand what cryptic message was being exchanged and remained silent, not inclined to speak.


    Ling Chen was unbothered, poured himself a ss of wine, and drained it in one gulp. Grimacing as though the alcohol burnt fiercely, he downed several more bowls of soup before wiping his mouth and smiling.


    "You¡¯re a drifter."


    This statement seemed somewhat nonsensical. Nanrong Hao scratched his head, puzzled, and for some reason, lines from Gu Long¡¯s masterworks popped up in his mind. His eyes lit up, and he watched with amusement as Brother Chen started to show off.


    "I¡¯m not a drifter; I simply have my own pursuits," Jiang Yunkai tly rejected, not giving face.


    Ling Chen shook his head and persisted, "The designation ¡¯drifter¡¯ is inherently for those who have extreme pursuits in certain aspects. Aren¡¯t you one of them?"</subtxt>

 Chapter 337 - 333: Courting Yunkai (Part 2)

    <h4>Chapter 337: Chapter 333: Courting Yunkai (Part 2)</h4><h4></h4>


    Jiang Yunkai remained silent for a while before he spoke, "I have no benefits here."


    "I suppose you wouldn¡¯t care about the money, but what if it could help with your Martial Arts cultivation?"


    Jiang Yunkai was startled and then burst outughing, leaning back and forth as if he had just heard a big joke: "Chen, even if you want to recruit me, there¡¯s no need for such ame excuse, right?"


    "How is itme?"


    "Security? Are we just facing street gangs? A situation where wielding a big machete and swinging it around can strike for miles, does that help with Martial Arts cultivation?"


    "You are mistaken," Ling Chen shook his head, sighing in frustration, "Do you know why disciples from prestigious sects need to go through real-world experiences when they reach a certain level of cultivation?"


    "To gain experience?"


    "Right, if you really can¡¯t understand, think of it as leaving the novice vige to fight monsters, gain experience, and level up!"


    Jiang Yunkai¡¯s face twitched; this analogy really wasn¡¯t that great.


    "The so-called worldly cultivation is exactly that; there are many experts hidden among themon folks, and being among them can bring great benefits!"


    Jiang Yunkai fell silent, unable to refute Ling Chen¡¯s words that made some sense, yet subconsciously feeling something was off, but unable to pinpoint what.


    "I¡¯m nning to merge five securitypanies and have you serve as the general manager. Of course, if you are not interested in the regr operations, I¡¯ll assign a deputy to take over. You can focus on cultivating your Martial Arts and asionally provide guidance to the internal security staff."


    At this point, Ling Chen revealed his true purpose. It was rather simple, Jiang Yunkai could challenge the experts on the Tiger List, his presence alone would be a deterrent, swelling the courage of these old brothers both internally and externally.


    Internally, it would serve as a wake-up call that the times were still unstable, not yet the time for peace and enjoyment, especially since new talents were continuously emerging; standing still ultimately leads to elimination!


    Externally, having an expertparable to the Tiger List experts would at least double theirbat effectiveness, and essentially serves as a deration to any underground forces, who dares to employ Tiger List experts?


    Jiang Yunkai was still hesitant, he had gleaned their identities from their conversation and understood that though Ling Chen wasn¡¯t officially the leader, he was in fact the real leader, somewhat like a regent.


    As for being involved in this line of work, Jiang Yunkai wasn¡¯t opposed to it. In fact, for him, there was nothing particrly important as long as it supported his Martial Arts progress, even if it meant involvement in dark activities.


    Seeing his hesitation, Ling Chen bit his lip and made a bold promise: "Yunkai, if you trust me, I guarantee you¡¯ll reach the strength to be listed on the Tiger List within six months!"


    Others were confused, not knowing what the Tiger List really meant, but Jiang Yunkai¡¯s eyes lit up. He was well aware that although he had been defeated by Ling Chen in one move initially, their level of skills were quiteparable. He knew clearly that if it were not a friendly match but a battle to the death, he wouldn¡¯tst more than ten moves against him!


    There¡¯s a big difference between a friendly spar and a fight for life.


    And to get listed was even harder; there are millions of Martial Artists in the world, countless of those with simr abilities, often losing by just one move for various reasons - to truly exceed someone wasn¡¯t as simple as subtracting one.


    Thinking about all this, Jiang Yunkai hesitated no more and firmly nodded, saying, "Let¡¯s do it!"


    At this moment, Ling Chen finally took a deep breath and introduced with a smile again, "Let¡¯s formally meet Jiang Yunkai, the future leader of our security. I know it¡¯s everyone¡¯s first meeting, and some may feel unconvinced, but that¡¯s not unusual. No man would easily bow down to others."


    Looking at the group eagerly staring at him, Ling Chen slightly withdrew his smile and said, "However, I, Ling Chen, can pound my chest and tell you brothers, when ites to pure martial force, all of youbined would not be a match for Yunkai!"


    Everyone was momentarily stunned, yet unusually none showed displeasure, for they all understood that Ling Chen did not boast on serious matters.


    And so, the matter was settled, marking the firstrge-scale gathering towards formalizing the group. Everyone was in high spirits.


    Nanrong Hao even mored about arranging a threesome for the newly appointed Kai, but Jiang Yunkai, blushing, repeatedly refused.


    This intrigued Ling Yun¡¯s mischievous side. Recently losing his virginity himself, he couldn¡¯t help but gossip and subsequently passed the title of the eternal virgin to Jiang Yunkai.


    The whole group roared withughter, making the drinking even more enjoyable.


    As they drank deep into the night, nearly all of them began staggering.


    Ling Chen, thinking of Nanrong Wanqing at home, ordered everyone to disperse and dragged the heavily tipsy Nanrong Hao towards Wealthy Manor.


    Arriving home, Ling Chen noticed the lights were still on in the house, warming his heart at the thought of having someone waiting for him.


    Careful not to make noise and disturb the sisters upstairs, he tiptoed into the bathroom. Fortunately, he didn¡¯t encounter Su Lin like thest time, which left him feeling both disappointed and relieved.


    After a cold shower, he realized he had forgotten to bring a change of clothes. Assuming no one would see him in the middle of the night, he simply wrapped a towel around himself and hurried back to his room.


    The moment his hand touched the door, Ling Chen¡¯s mind cleared, his eyes shed sharply, and his muscles tensed instantly!


    Someone was in the room!


    Who could be in his room at this time? The breathing was gentle, hard to detect, suggesting a skilled opponent, but the faint scent gave away her presence.


    It couldn¡¯t be Nanrong Wanqing; given her personality, she would never venture into his room before they were married.


    And it certainly couldn¡¯t be Su Lin¡ªthe blunt and gutsy girl was actually not very brave. Sneaking into her future brother-inw¡¯s room at night would be too reckless, not to mention her concern for her sister.


    Without a sound, Ling Chen gently turned the door handle, exhaled a breath smelling of alcohol, and pretended to stumble into the room, muttering something. But as he neared the bed, he suddenly transformed into a streak of light, lunging at the shadow in the corner!


    With a swift hiss, Ling Chen formed his hand into a de, aiming directly at the opponent¡¯s throat.


    The shadow trembled but without any extra movement, skillfully dodged the lethal strike just with an unintentional quiver.


    Ling Chen was greatly shocked. This person was a skilled opponent; his well-practiced move had been quick and unexpected. Even against the full force of the Snake King, it wouldn¡¯t have been easy to dodge. Who was this person?


    The shadow trembled again, and with just a slight movement of an arm, Ling Chen felt a chill at his waist¡ªthe well-tied towel quietly slid down.

 Chapter 338 - 334 Porridge Girl Knocks on the Door

    <h4>Chapter 338: Chapter 334 Porridge Girl Knocks on the Door</h4><h4></h4>


    Ling Chen was stunned. Through the moonlight streaming in from the window, his figure listlessly hung there, as if he too had drunk too much and couldn¡¯t muster any energy.


    The shadow suddenly stepped back a few steps, and a gentle and elegant voice rang out in the room: "What are you staring at?"


    "How is it you?"


    "Why shouldn¡¯t it be me?"


    "What I mean is, why are you in my room?"


    "Then where do you think I should be?"


    Ling Chen suddenly found himself at a loss for words, staring nkly at the other¡¯s outstanding face under the moonlight, which was coated with ayer of silvery glow, and he didn¡¯t know what to say.


    "It¡¯s ugly."


    "What?"


    The woman¡¯s expression remained unchanged, her toe picking up the clothes beside her and throwing them at him.


    "Cover it up, it¡¯s really ugly."


    Ling Chen suddenly realized what she was talking about, and with a twist of his mouth said, "What¡¯s ugly about it? Even if you haven¡¯t seen it now, you will in the future." While speaking, he quickly got dressed.


    Porridge girl¡¯s expression was strange, her face faintly covered with a halo, not caused by the moonlight outside, but as if it was emanating from herself. This kind of demeanor made Ling Chen involuntarily think of someone.


    Qin Wu.


    However, porridge girl was trained in martial arts, her brilliance contained within, and this faint divine light was understandable. But Qin Wu had a regr constitution, why did Ling Chen feel this way about her too?


    Holding the nket thoughtfully, porridge girl walked straight to the side of the bed and sat down, uttering in a nd tone, "I have something to ask you."


    Ling Chen thought to himself that it¡¯s obvious, why would she run into a man¡¯s room in the middle of the night for no reason?


    "You have a bounty of seven million for your head?"


    Ling Chen said, "That doesn¡¯t seem like anything new, does it?"


    "Yeah, if I hadn¡¯t gone to challenge a senior today, I wouldn¡¯t have known about it."


    By now, Ling Chen knew that porridge girl¡¯s existence seemed to revolve around constant challenges, and what level herbat power had reached, he couldn¡¯t estimate; anyway, even putting two of himself together might not be a match for this girl.


    "Who did you knock down again?"


    "I didn¡¯t knock him down, just sparred a bit and broke his arm." Porridge girl said very seriously, but Ling Chen just rolled his eyes ¨C did this girl grow up watching darkedy?


    "You didn¡¯t run to my room tonight just to ask about this, did you?"


    "Do you need my help?" porridge girl asked straightforwardly, "I heard that some top assassins from the assassin list have already made their move."


    Ling Chen was startled and thenughed: "Don¡¯t joke, it¡¯s just seven million, the top-ranked ones on the assassin list aren¡¯t that idle, they can easily make more than that amount on any job, right?"


    Porridge girl shook her head: "It¡¯s not seven million anymore."


    "What?"


    "Apparently, someone on the dark list has offered a new bounty, still targeting you, and the price is ten million US dors."


    Ling Chen was truly stunned then, not out of fear, but feeling a bit unbelievable, he subconsciously touched his own head and asked foolishly, "Is my head worth over ten million?"


    "That depends on who you ask. To some, your head is worthless, but to others, it could be worth millions. There¡¯s no absolute standard to measure that."


    Ling Chen understood the meaning behind porridge girl¡¯s words, but impulsively asked, "In your heart, how much is my head worth?"


    Porridge girl gave him a nonchnt nce and casually announced a price, "Sixteen yuan and fifty-eight cents."


    Ling Chen was astonished; the price was unreasonably low, and why was it so oddly specific?


    "Today¡¯s unit price for pig head meat."


    Ling Chen almost choked on his own saliva, staring nkly at the expressionless porridge girl and sighed, "Are you thinking about that over ten million reward?"


    "I don¡¯t want it." Porridge girl slightly tilted her head, and the corners of her lips slightly lifted, "Your death brings me no benefit. Besides, I have no use for money."


    "Then why are you still mad at me?" Ling Chen spoke irritably, "You might as well just kill me off easily, im the reward, and build me a grand cemetery!"


    Porridge girl looked amusedly at the somewhat childish Ling Chen, shaking her head after a while, "Do you need me to take action?"


    Ling Chen regained his seriousness, pondered for a moment, and said, "No need. The path has to be walked by myself. In the future, those who want to kill me will only increase and grow more dangerous. I must face them myself, otherwise, even if I tied you to my belt, there will still be times when I need to take off my pants!"


    This inappropriate analogy caused a slight fluctuation in the usually cool and unruffled beauty of porridge girl¡¯s face, her lips slightly lifting in what seemed like a suppressedment.


    "Then you take care, I¡¯m leaving."


    "Hold on, I¡¯m curious, why did you suddenly want to help me?"


    "Because I felt like it."


    That was hardly an answer. Ling Chen paused, then said, "Well, regardless, thanks for the good intent. What are you nning to do next?"


    "Down south, there¡¯s an old man who has just finished his seclusion. I need to check on him."


    "Check on him?" Ling Chen was a bit puzzled.


    Porridge girl showed a yful smile, "This old man, my master repeatedly defeated him forcing him into seclusion, the most recent onested for ten years. Now that he¡¯s out, I have to go and see if I can make him go into seclusion again."


    Ling Chen started to wonder if his brain was damaged by alcohol, as he couldn¡¯t follow the back and forth of this mentor-student rtionship. People only have a few decades in a lifetime, and here they casually force someone into years of harsh seclusion. It¡¯s quite hical.


    "By the way, who exactly is your master?"


    "Cannot say."


    "Why not?"


    "No reason."


    "What does ¡¯no reason¡¯ mean?"


    "No reason just means no reason."


    "Why no reason?"


    Finally unable to tolerate his nagging, the usually calm porridge girl lightly tapped his forehead.


    "Shut up! It¡¯s not time for you to know yet!"


    "Do you know how eager I am to ¡¯meet the parents¡¯?" Ling Chen couldn¡¯t resist joking when he saw her serious and indifferent demeanor.


    Porridge girl¡¯s expression turned even stranger but didn¡¯t mind his teasing, suddenly quirking her lip and said, "I¡¯m really looking forward to that eager day of yours."


    Hearing this, Ling Chen was taken aback; this was not typical of porridge girl. Last time, she mentioned having a fianc¨¦, hence rejecting any man¡¯s approach, but the change now gave him a weird feeling. Suddenly, he heard a noise and at the same moment, porridge girl¡¯s smile faded and she whispered, "I¡¯m leaving," then disappeared from the window in a sh.


    "Ling Chen, you just got back?" The door opened a crack, and Su Lin¡¯s head popped in.


    "Yeah, why are you not asleep at thiste hour?"


    "I had already slept earlier, just woke up... and checked if you were back."

 Chapter 339 - 335 Jiang Hao is Injured

    <h4>Chapter 339: Chapter 335 Jiang Hao is Injured</h4><h4></h4>


    Ling Chen nodded and said, "Oh, then hurry up and go to sleep."


    Su Lin agreed, but suddenly her nose twitched slightly, and a suspicious look appeared on her face.


    "What did you do tonight?"


    "I was drinking, with Nanrong Hao and the others. What¡¯s wrong?"


    "Why do you smell fragrant?" Su Lin spoke and gently pushed the door open toe in. "It wasn¡¯t just drinking, was it? Did you go fooling around?"


    "There¡¯s no such thing. Is your nose congested?" Ling Chen waved his hand andughed, "I just took a shower when I came back. Even the smell of alcohol isn¡¯t strong anymore. Where did you get that from? People talk about their eyes being deceived, but did your nose go astray?"


    "It¡¯s your nose that went astray!" Su Lin red at him and snorted, "My sense of smell has been very sensitive since I was little. I can detect even the slightest scent!"


    "Impressive. It¡¯s a shame not to be a police dog."


    Su Lin raised her hand and pinched him, saying angrily, "Even if I became a police dog, I¡¯d bite you first!"


    "Come on, who¡¯s afraid of who?"


    Ling Chen looked disdainful, and Su Lin, infuriated, threw herself on him, wrapping around his neck and bit him.


    Ling Chen hadn¡¯t expected that she would really bite, and by the time he reacted, he felt pain in his neck.


    "Lighter! That¡¯s flesh!"


    "Nonsense, I wouldn¡¯t bite if it weren¡¯t flesh!" Su Lin lightly nibbled, her words muffled in her mouth.


    Ling Chen got anxious too, considering it was his neck. Although he wasn¡¯t afraid of her biting to death, what if she left a mark¡ªwould he have to wrap a scarf around his neck tomorrow?


    "Hurry up and get down. If not, be careful I enforce some immediate justice here!"


    "You wouldn¡¯t dare even if you had the guts!" Su Lin sneered, boldly contemptuous.


    Ling Chen got fired up too, alright, you¡¯re asking for it!


    His big hand circled around, tightly holding Su Lin¡¯s shoulders, and one hand gradually moved downward, finally resting on her perky back.


    Su Lin shivered all over, feeling the intense warmth from his hand, her body going slightly soft, and she subconsciously loosened Ling Chen¡¯s neck, just about to speak, when Ling Chen, fearing she¡¯d bite again, bent his head down and sealed her lips!


    Boom!


    Su Lin¡¯s mind went nk, feeling her lips burning and her body, like thousands of ants crawling over her, uncontrobly let out a low moan.


    Possibly because of the training in the Prajnaparamita Sutra, Ling Chen felt an overwhelming desire, utterly incapable of stopping himself.


    Su Lin tightly grasped Ling Chen¡¯s shoulders, her nails nearly digging into his flesh in her tension, her whole body taut and her entire being feeling dizzy.


    Ling Chen¡¯s hand began to gently knead, waves of strange sensations flooded in, Su Lin let out uncontroble sounds through her nose, her eyes already shut.


    Ling Chen, empowered by alcohol, couldn¡¯t bear it anymore and was thinking of how to handle the situation since Su Lin seemed to be on her period, when his phone rang inappropriately.


    Su Lin was startled by the ringtone, instantly sobered up, turned red-faced, red at Ling Chen, and fiercely stomped on his foot before running out like a scared rabbit.


    Watching her retreating figure, Ling Chen gave a bitter smile and casually picked up the phone.


    Jiang Hao was attacked!


    Ling Chen dumbfoundedly put down the phone, feeling a bit of regret. He had always known that this path wouldn¡¯t be calm, yet he had been negligent. He hadn¡¯t expected someone would dare to make a move on them so soon. Who could it be?


    Without further thought, he got dressed, opened the door, started the car, and rushed to the hospital, calling Jiang Yunkai on the way. As for Nanyun Hao, he thought it over but decided not to call him. It was time for him to gradually fade out.


    The hospital¡¯s emergency room was busy today, with six to seven bloodied people suddenly brought in the middle of the night; it wasn¡¯t easy to rx.


    By the time Ling Chen arrived at the hospital, the surgery was already done, thankfully everyone only had superficial skin injuries. There were many cuts, but none life-threatening.


    Zhao Zhengxiong made the call, the only old slicker who now drinks with caution. He was slightly drunk, only about five or six points worth. Moreover, with good luck, he was halfway through the phone call trailing at the back, which allowed him to narrowly escape the attack.


    Jiang Hao¡¯s injuries were the most serious, with over a dozen knife cuts on his back that looked terrifying but weren¡¯t much issue, just superficial wounds. The real concern was a stab in the lower back.


    It was his fortune that the knife that stabbed into his waist didn¡¯t get pulled out and, luckier still, it didn¡¯t hit any organs. He narrowly escaped with his life.


    Others were more or less chopped up and bloodied; it looked scary but there wasn¡¯t much harm done. Lying in bed for ten to fifteen days should suffice for them to be up and about.


    As for this attack being a fiasco, being drunk was naturally the biggest factor. It also reflected these young men¡¯s ever-inting confidence. Besides God, they thought they were next in line.


    That was why they hadn¡¯t suffered a significant loss before.


    Ling Chen looked over everyone, and since no one had life-threatening injuries, it was a fortunate misfortune. Another relief was that the attackers clearly weren¡¯t martial arts experts, probably just a bunch of street hoodlums; otherwise, these young men might have been crippled today.


    People temporarily arranged to guard them were by their sides, and Ling Chen pulled Zhao Zhengxiong out to the stairwell for a smoke.


    "What happened?"


    "I¡¯m not sure yet." Zhao Zhengxiong grimaced, genuinely confused. He had trailed a few hundred meters behind, busy on the phone. When he heard themotion up front and caught up, he saw a group of people ferociously chopping at Jiang Hao and the others. Before he could even react, those dozens of people had vanished.


    "Couldn¡¯t tell who they were?" Ling Chen felt a bit frustrated. It was like a p in the face. First-ss Residence was celebratingvishly, only to have a groupe and decimate almost half of their people soon after. Embarrassing!


    Zhao Zhengxiong¡¯s expression turned even more sour: "Chen Brother, do you think I have electronic eyes, or that those people were wearing jerseys that marked them as Wei, Shu, or Wu? It waste at night and from a distance, even if there were familiar faces, I couldn¡¯t tell who they were!"


    Ling Chen nodded, understanding that his question was a bit far-fetched, and patted his shoulder, "First, ensure their safety at the hospital, and don¡¯t let anyone find them here for another attack."


    Zhao Zhengxiong nodded in agreement, thinking about his brothers who, just a few hours ago, were boisterously drinking and now, ended up wrapped up like mummies ¡ª the feeling in his heart was indeedplicated.


    As they talked, a series of hurried footsteps approached. Ling Chen curiously turned his head and saw a round face with a hint of youthful naivety appear before him.


    "You¡¯re not allowed to smoke here."


    Ling Chen uttered an "Oh," quickly threw away the cigarette in his hand, apologized, and only then did the young nurse give him a sharp look and walked back.


    At that moment, Jiang Yunkai, who had received the news, also arrived. After drinking, he had left alone, while Ling Chen and Nanrong Hao went home together. They were the only three not present at the scene. If they had been there, perhaps nothing would have happened.

 Chapter 340 - 336: The Assassin Who Won’t Give Up

    <h4>Chapter 340: Chapter 336: The Assassin Who Won¡¯t Give Up</h4><h4></h4>


    Ling Chen briefly exined the situation, and Jiang Yunkai thought for a moment and frowned, "It shouldn¡¯t have been done by someone from the Martial Arts circles, most likely a local faction. We¡¯ve just taken over so much territory from Dongyi, there¡¯s bound to be jealousy."


    Ling Chen nodded and asked, "What do you mean?"


    "The priority is not to find the Assassin, but to enhance our own strength," Jiang Yunkai nced at the fierce-looking brawny men wandering around the hospital corridor and frowned, "These guys are only good for street brawls, they get passive when facing someone a bit stronger."


    "We can¡¯t just hire a bunch of Martial Arts experts, can we? They¡¯re not cabbages that you can just wholesale," Ling Chen said, understanding his meaning and spoke irritably.


    Jiang Yunkai showed a strange expression, "Why would we need Martial Arts experts? These are just street fights for territory. As long as we improve the individual abilities of the people we have, that will be enough to cope. It¡¯s not a big deal!"


    "You make it sound so easy. Fine, since you¡¯re in charge of the securitypany, do as you see fit. I won¡¯t get involved. Discuss with them yourselves," Ling Chen conceded.


    Jiang Yunkai nodded in understanding, thought for a moment, then asked out of curiosity, "Originally, Dongyi¡¯s securitypany was almost an empty shell apart from some not-so-valuable equipment. Why did you still take it over? Starting anew wouldn¡¯t cost too much."


    Ling Chen hadn¡¯t spoken yet when Zhao Zhengxiong passed over a cigarette and began to exin, "Kai, you don¡¯t understand, the domestic security industry isn¡¯t easy to handle."


    Jiang Yunkai had formally objected to the nickname ¡¯Kai¡¯ at the dinner table, but to no avail, as everyone continued to use it. It was actually Ling Chen who came to his rescue, telling everyone to stop calling him ¡¯Kai¡¯, or else they might as well call him ¡¯Old Virgin¡¯.


    Comparatively, ¡¯Kai¡¯ sounded nicer.


    "I see quite a few doing business under the name of security, why is it difficult?"


    "The domestic security industry has experienced a roller coaster trend in the past ten years," Ling Chen interjected with a smile.


    Jiang Yunkai was even more confused, but Zhao Zhengxiong, watching his bemused expression, couldn¡¯t help but burst intoughter a few times before exining.


    The private security industry was not recognized by the state at first. Twenty years ago, trying to register a private securitypany was sheer fantasy. Even with real needs, it was mostly handled by the relevant government departments, subordinate to various police units, and the heads of thepanies were often government officials.


    Later, with more favorable conditions and the winds of reform and opening up having blown, some began to enter this area. For the domestic scene, it was an emerging industry. Although there¡¯s a history of at least three thousand years of escort agencies out of five thousand years of history, hadn¡¯t they been banned in thest hundred years?


    This first group of people caught the right time when policy support was leaning in their favor, approvals were quick, and they set high standards. They were at the peak.


    Since it was still immature, more and more problems began to arise, with frequent cases of inadequate regtion. The control and management then tightened again, which is also why it has been impossible to apply for new licenses in this field in recent years.


    After such a long exnation, what¡¯s needed is essentially just a facade. The securitypany under Dongyi Group has been approved through regr channels, having such a cover makes many things much more convenient! This is why Ling Chen was willing to invest money to take over the securitypany.


    Now Jiang Yunkai understood. He nodded and promptly left ament, stating that he would personally select a few dozen people to join the securitypany, and have Old Zhao assist him.


    Ling Yun clearly grasped his intention; it was to build the foundation forbat capability. Zhao Zhengxiong also understood internally. He nodded repeatedly. Having tasted the bitterness of insufficient martial force earlier, he was more than eager to have a powerful backup.


    The three swiftly made clear divisions ofbor and ns for the future on the spot. Ling Chen still would not involve himself in any specific affairs or make any substantialmitments, but his people clearly understood that, acting as the boss or not, Ling Chen would always be their boss in their hearts.


    The conversation was heating up when Ling Chen suddenly felt something was amiss behind him. He abruptly turned around to find the plump-faced, big-eyed nurse standing behind him, puffing up with anger.


    "You men, how can you be so oblivious? Smoking is not allowed here! You started again as soon as I turned away!"


    Ling Chen gave an awkward smile and hurriedly tossed his cigarette butt away, saying, "I¡¯m sorry, Miss Nurse, it won¡¯t happen again!"


    The nurse snorted and cocked her head, saying, "Empty promises, and ¡¯it won¡¯t happen again¡¯? Who would believe that?"


    Ling Chen noticed her gesture and a sh of insight sparked in his eyes as he suddenly smiled, "I truly forgot. How can I make you believe me then?"


    "The smell of smoke is all over your mouth! Hand over the cigarettes first! You cane to the nurse¡¯s station to get them when you leave!" she said, stretching out her fair, delicate hand.


    But Zhao Zhengxiong couldn¡¯t bear this sort of treatment. It¡¯s one thing to be scolded, as it was within her job responsibilities, but taking away his cigarettes? Does she think I¡¯m a schoolboy or what?


    His eyes widened, about to snap back, when Ling Chen subtly turned his head and covertly shot him a look.


    Zhao Zhengxiong was momentarily confused, but being a wily old hand at life, he quickly shut his mouth and said nothing.


    Ling Chen chuckled, reaching into Zhao Zhengxiong¡¯s pocket to retrieve the cigarettes and passing them to the nurse with an ingratiating smile.


    The nurse smiled triumphantly and reached out to take the cigarettes, her fingertips barely touching the pack when she suddenly let out a sinister smile!


    Ssst!


    Amidst a faint swoosh, a small and exquisite dagger appeared in the nurse¡¯s hand, as she swiftly aimed for Ling Chen¡¯s wrist!


    Such a sudden and close attack would be nearly impossible for anyone to dodge. If itnded, Ling Chen¡¯s hand would be useless.


    Ling Chen¡¯s face revealed a sly smile, his fingers loosened slightly, dropping the cigarette pack as he moved forward a few steps, flipping his hand into a w, aiming straight for the nurse¡¯s soft hand!


    The nurse felt the attack go awry halfway through and immediately drew back, slicing the dagger¡¯s de horizontally towards Ling Chen¡¯s fingers!


    Though it soundsplicated, it all happened within a few breaths. Zhao Zhengxiong hadn¡¯t even reacted yet when the two of them had already exchanged a couple of moves face to face.


    Jiang Yunkai was the first to respond, bellowing loudly as he punched towards the nurse¡¯s back with no hint of chivalry or restraint.


    Facing the coordinated assault of two masters from front and back, the nurse eerily twisted out of their grip, retreating a few steps and then casually asking, "How did you figure it out?"


    "Old habits die hard!" Ling Chen sneered, "Seems like it¡¯s time for you to change your name, Bai Huanjun."


    The person nodded silently but persisted, "I believe I left almost no ws this time, how did you still notice?"

 Chapter 341 - 337: Expert Appearance

    <h4>Chapter 341: Chapter 337: Expert Appearance</h4><h4></h4>


    "Wanna know?"


    Bai Huanjun nodded solemnly with sped hands, "Please enlighten me!"


    Ling Chen swayed with pride and snorted twice. You think I have to tell you just because you want to know? Even Bai Huanjun, so full of openings in front of this young master, aren¡¯t you ashamed?


    "I just won¡¯t tell you! Die of anger!"


    Although Bai Huanjun is not on the assassin list, he surpasses those who are.


    Within the industry, there aren¡¯t many who excel at Disguise Skills, and those like Thousand-year-old Fox who have long been famous and have the ability to be on the list are even fewer.


    Although Bai Huanjun is not on the list, it¡¯s mostly due to his disdain. He and Thousand-faced Fox once crossed paths,peting in their skills. It¡¯s not for outsiders toment on who was superior, but ever since then, wherever one appeared, the other would make a detour. This at least suggests their skills must be closely matched.


    However, their biggest difference lies in temperament. Thousand-year-old Fox is very pragmatic, especially adept at assessing the situation, and if something seems off, he prioritizes his own safety first, never stubbornly fixated on one point, and certainly doesn¡¯t insist on achieving a result by any means necessary.


    This was also why Thousand-faced Fox immediately retreatedst time, iming he wouldn¡¯t interfere. His reason was that seven million wasn¡¯t worth it, which was partly true, but behind those words, wasn¡¯t it also reflecting that he indeed didn¡¯t have the confidence to take down Ling Chen? The seven million wasn¡¯t worth the risk for him.


    Bai Huanjun, on the other hand, tends to be stubborn. Once he sets his sights on a target, he doesn¡¯t rest until he achieves his goal. Last time, he lost the lives of two assistants, and yet, here he is again in just a few days.


    "This time, I didn¡¯t wear a human skin mask, so there shouldn¡¯t be any ws in my facial expressions. How did you see through me?"


    Compared to killing Ling Chen, Bai Huanjun was more curious about why he was exposed again this time.


    Ling Chen sighed and said, "Are you really that dumb or just pretending? The fact that someone with your intellect is still alive, I must say, is truly a miracle."


    Bai Huanjun frowned without a word, then after a long pause still sped his fists solemnly, "Please enlighten me!"


    "Enlighten what?" Ling Chen said impatiently: "As a man disguised as a nurse, at least you should understand what the most obvious difference between men and women in appearance is, right? Yet you recklessly tossed your head acting coy, and your Adam¡¯s apple popped out!"


    Bai Huanjun was stunned. Such a simple thing, such a foolish mistake!


    "You escapedst time and had the guts toe back; looks like you¡¯re really in need of money."


    Bai Huanjun nodded, "I know it¡¯s not easy to kill you, and I was nning to leave, but you¡¯ve be too poprtely and your price has gone up, I had to give myself another chance."


    "I¡¯m afraid this is yourst chance," Ling Chen said coldly. "What I hate most in this world is someone like you, an omnipresent annoyance like a fly. Since you¡¯vee today, don¡¯t even think about leaving!"


    Bai Huanjun smiled charmingly, and even though Ling Chen now knew that the lovely little nurse before him was a man in disguise, he couldn¡¯t help his heart skipping a beat.


    Damn it, how can a grown man smile so seductively? This really makes life unbearable!


    "Die!" Ling Chen¡¯s eyes narrowed as he kicked a nearby trash can towards Bai Huanjun¡¯s face, his figure immediately pouncing forward.


    Bai Huanjun deftly spun to the side, his hand suddenly filled with several scalpels, flicking them towards the onrushing Ling Chen.


    The whistling of the des was incessant, Ling Chen twisted his body in mid-air, narrowly dodging, andnded with an unadorned kick straight to the chest!


    At the same time, Jiang Yunkaiunched another attack, still with his firm and domineering punches, faintly apanied by the sound of wind and thunder, throwing fourteen or fifteen punches in the blink of an eye,pletely sealing off Bai Huanjun¡¯s path of retreat.


    To the left was a wall, to the right a window, in front was Ling Chen delivering a fierce kick, and behind was Jiang Yunkai blocking with punches; Zhao Zhengxiong had already called over a dozen people to encircle the area.


    Bai Huanjun was trapped, with escape seeming as impossible as ascending to the heavens, let alone causing harm to anyone.


    Just as Bai Huanjun seemed on the brink of falling beneath Ling Chen¡¯s foot, a patient leaning on a cane sitting by the stairwell suddenly leaped up, showing no signs of mobility issues.


    The cane in his hand was as swift as lightning, aiming straight for Jiang Yunkai¡¯s back; the tip of the cane glittered coldly, apparently concealing a de!


    "Watch your back!" Ling Chen¡¯s kick almost reached Bai Huanjun¡¯s chest when he noticed the sneak attack, promptly issuing a warning. However, unexpectedly, the man in front abruptly twisted his body and without hesitation crashed through the window!


    This was the twelfth floor; if Bai Huanjun wasn¡¯t courting death, then he must have made some preparations in advance.


    Unable to concern himself with the suddenly emerging assassin, believing in Jiang Yunkai¡¯s skill, even if he couldn¡¯t subdue the attacker, self-protection should be no problem¡ªat the very least, there would be no life-threatening danger.


    Ling Chen had no time to think further, striding to the window just in time to see Bai Huanjun stop at the seventh or eighth floor, appearing to step on something, his body osciting slightly up and down.


    With Ling Chen¡¯s keen eyesight, he meticulously observed and finally discerned a steel wire stretched between the floors, difficult to spot against the night sky.


    Bai Huanjun¡¯s choice fornding was extremely precise, touching the wire with his toes to counteract the force of the descent. With such a setup, there were probably one or two more wires below, and jumping from the twelfth floor wasn¡¯t an insurmountable task.


    Ling Chen was furious, treating him as if he was just a dish to be sampled at will, taking bites when he pleased and running away when he failed. Was he content just getting a whiff?


    Ling Chen hastily pulled a scalpel that Bai Huanjun had previously thrown into the wall, flicking it back at him. However, given the distance, Bai Huanjun easily dodged and continued to descend a few more floors, indeednding on another steel wire.


    This guy was really like a rabbit; not even trying for a second strike if the first one missed, but rather, he escaped quite nimbly. Who knew when and in what bizarre guise he would appear next?


    Watching as Bai Huanjun reached the ground and arrogantly gestured a sign of victory towards Ling Chen, Ling Chen felt annoyed, but then a sudden change urred below!


    A dark shadow dashed forward, void of any fancy orplex moves, speed like lightning, reaching the still-smug Bai Huanjun. Grabbing the unsuspecting Bai Huanjun, he swung him heavily against the wall.


    Before he could fall from the wall, the shadow soared up and delivered a flying kick straight to Bai Huanjun¡¯s temple. Bai Huanjun didn¡¯t even make a sound before sliding down the wall to the ground, silence ensuing.


    The entire process took just a few seconds. Ling Chen watched from above, dumbstruck, his heart chilled. Bai Huanjun¡¯sbat power was average, but his agility was extremely slippery and cunning, having escaped him twice. Who would have thought the shadow below would deal with him as if he were as insignificant as a kitten or puppy, mming and kicking to settle the matter?

 Chapter 342 - 338 Dongfang Yu

    <h4>Chapter 342: Chapter 338 Dongfang Yu</h4><h4></h4>


    Just as Ling Chen felt a shock of rm, the ck shadow, without pausing, rapidly scaled the exterior wall of the hospital building, reaching the fifth floor in the blink of an eye.


    Seeing this scene, Ling Chen couldn¡¯t help but widen his eyes in disbelief, staring at the ck shadow as his mind temporarily froze, unable to snap back to reality.


    Is... is this even human?


    Scaling walls and walking on roofs!


    With just this skill, the person¡¯s physical ability could very well be on par with He Ziyun.


    A gust of wind struck his face, and without time for further thought, Ling Chen took steps backward. He still hadn¡¯t figured out the ck shadow¡¯s origins, so he had to remain cautious. As his thoughts raced, the ck shadow had already entered through a window,nding in the corridor of the hospital.


    Ling Chen¡¯s heart tensed, his fists slightly clenched, as he sized up the person with piercing eyes, his expression immediately taken aback.


    Bathed in the bright corridor light, the appearance of the ck shadow wasid bare before Ling Chen. Silver hair, skin covered in wrinkles, eyes dark and ominous, a light red tumor on the chin the size of a pigeon¡¯s egg, dangling slightly, somewhat bizarre.


    At first nce, this old man appeared to be at least seventy or eighty years old. Besides the old man¡¯s appearance, the cane in his hand also caught Ling Chen¡¯s attention.


    The three-foot long, pure wooden cane was brown, very much like a twisted tree trunk, with deep, convoluted grain patterns, and a ¡¯7¡¯-shaped handle at the top. At this moment, the old man was leaning on his cane, sizing up Ling Chen with the same chilly, shadowy eyes.


    Those who are good do note; those whoe are not good.


    Ling Chen¡¯s intuition told him, this old man was not here to make friends. With this thought, his eyes slightly narrowed as the Inner Strength within his Dantian began to move slowly, the robust Inner Strength flowing like a tiny stream through his meridians, ready to erupt at any moment.


    "Are you Ling Chen?" the old man was the first to speak.


    Ling Chen nodded, his heart on guard, his lips slightly turning up with a faint smile, he replied neither humbly nor arrogantly, "Do you need something from me?"


    The old man did not hesitate and, leaning on his cane, pressed forward one step closer, staring straight into Ling Chen¡¯s pupils, he cut to the chase, "Where is Qiu Yong?"


    "Qiu Yong?" Ling Chen was momentarily stunned. He thought the old man was here to trouble him, it seems he was overly sentimental. He looked at the old man perplexedly and asked in return, "What do you want with Elder Qiu?"


    "That is my business; you don¡¯t need to know. Tell me, where is he?" The old man¡¯s tone was insistently demanding.


    Ling Chen spread his hands and said, "Sorry, you¡¯ve asked the wrong person. I haven¡¯t seen Elder Qiu in a very long time."


    The old man coldly stated, "My people have told me that you have frequent contact with the eight entrics, surely you can¡¯t be unaware?"


    Ling Chen immediately pleaded innocence, "That¡¯s nonsense. Whoever your informant is, you should definitely fire them, too irresponsible, spouting nonsense with eyes wide open. Yes, I know the eight entrics, but I¡¯m not familiar with them, it¡¯s useless to ask me."


    "If you don¡¯t get a lesson, you won¡¯t be ready to tell the truth." As the words left him, the old man¡¯s eyes suddenly widened, brimming with sharpness and emitting an intimidating authority. With just this attitude, Ling Chen¡¯s legs involuntarily stepped back, like a willow branch in a gale, unable to hold ground.


    So powerful!


    Ling Chen observed the old man, his pupils slightly constricted, internally startled.


    This old man¡¯s strength was probably beyond the Tiger List.


    Not only him, but Jiang Yunkai alongside him was also filled with shock, staring at the old man in disbelief.


    With thoughts swirling, the old man who leaned on the cane made his move, swift as a gust of wind, and in an instant, he was upon Ling Chen, his withered fingers transforming into a w, reaching for Ling Chen¡¯s face.


    Ling Chen gathered his spirit and quickly raised both hands to protect his vital facial features, hoping to block the opponent¡¯s attack. However, as soon as he made a move, Ling Chen realized that the old man¡¯s attack had suddenly shifted from a high line to a mid-line, striking rapidly towards his chest and abdomen.


    Ling Chen acknowledged his own reaction abilities weren¡¯t weak, but in front of the elder, his actions couldn¡¯t keep up with his sight. Watching as the withered w struck, Ling Chen found himself utterly helpless. For the first time, he felt a profound sense of powerlessness.


    "Stop!"


    Jiang Yunkai saw that the situation was grim and, concerned for Ling Chen¡¯s safety, didn¡¯t hesitate to leap forward and strike out with a single palm. However, the elder didn¡¯t even nce at him, shaking his walking stick lightly. Before Jiang Yunkai could see the move clearly, his forward-charging body was sent flying and smashed heavily against the wall.


    "Kai!" Ling Chen¡¯s expression changed slightly, his eyes filled with concern.


    "You should watch out for yourself first." The elder snorted coldly, his vigorous attack unabatedly targeting Ling Chen¡¯s vital points.


    Just in the blink of an eye, a sharp sword light suddenly shot forth, aiming straight for the elder¡¯s head.


    The sudden change caused the elder¡¯s expression to change, prompting him to immediately withdraw and step back.


    ng!


    Apanied by a crisp sound, a cold, gleaming sword was firmly embedded in the wall, half the de sunk in, the hilt trembling slightly, the force not yet dissipated.


    The elder nced at the sword, his eyes instantly turning cold as he shouted, "Who¡¯s there,e out!"


    "Dongfang Yu, long time no see. I trust you¡¯ve been well."


    An elderly and familiar voice came through, and Ling Chen¡¯s eyebrows lifted slightly. A trace of joy appeared on his sharp-featured face as he turned to look at the neer.


    The one who had lent a timely hand was none other than He Ziyun.


    At this moment, He Ziyun was dressed in a Tang suit, hands sped behind his back, walking with head held high and chest out.


    "It¡¯s you?" Seeing He Ziyun, Dongfang Yu¡¯s face suddenly fell, revealing a clear sense of discontent, "Mr. He, this is my private affair, don¡¯t intervene."


    He Ziyun spoke indifferently, "Ling Chen is a friend I deeply respect. If you intend to harm him, I will be the first to object."


    Hearing this, Dongfang Yu¡¯s gaze flickered, seemingly hesitating. After a moment, he looked intently at Ling Chen and squeezed a few words from between his teeth, "Fine, Mr. He, for your sake I will let him go for now. But as long as he doesn¡¯t reveal Qiu Yong¡¯s whereabouts, I will never let this rest."


    With that, Dongfang Yu turned and leaped towards the window, spreading his hands like a great roc spreading its wings, vanishing instantly into the ink-like night.


    Ling Chen quickly walked to the window, watching Dongfang Yu leaving, and let out a sigh of relief.


    That was close! Had He Ziyun not arrived in time, he probably couldn¡¯t have escaped this disaster.


    "Mr. He..."


    He Ziyun waved his hand, cutting off Ling Chen¡¯s words, and said, "You should first sort your own affairs out and thene to the Martial Arts Academy to find me." With that, He Ziyun walked to the wall, pulled out the sword with his hand, sheathed it, and strode away.


    At this moment, Jiang Yunkai got up from the ground, clutching his aching right shoulder, and watched He Ziyun¡¯s departing figure with a tinge of shock in his eyes.


    "Ling Chen, who is that man?"


    "He Ziyun, Mr. He." After a pause, Ling Chen added another sentence: "A master of the Earthly List!"


    (Damn, I got too drunk and slept for a whole day. I¡¯ll make up for it tomorrow, can¡¯t write anymore)

 Chapter 343 - 339: Courting Bai Huanjun

    <h4>Chapter 343: Chapter 339: Courting Bai Huanjun</h4><h4></h4>


    Upon hearing the words ¡¯Earth Rankings¡¯, Jiang Yunkai¡¯s eyes widened not with mere shock but with astonishment. As if stupefied, he stood there, his gaze vacant and unfocused.


    After a while, regaining hisposure, Jiang Yunkai gave Ling Chen a meaningful look. In this moment, he finally understood why Ling Chen was so confident during that day at the First-ss Residence, promising that by following him, he could surely make great strides in his martial arts progression.


    A person who knows masters of the Earth Rankings surely wouldn¡¯t have a simple background. And moreover, Dongfang Yu¡¯s skills just now were also extraordinary, likely not below those of the Earth Rankings. Thinking of this, Jiang Yunkai became even more resolute in his decision to stay by Ling Chen¡¯s side. As long as he was with Ling Chen, he wouldn¡¯t need to worry about not encountering masters.


    With Dongfang Yu¡¯s situation temporarily resolved, Ling Chen, taking Jiang Yunkai with him, immediately took the elevator down to the hospital¡¯s ground floor.


    In the hospital¡¯s green belt, the two found Bai Huanjun lying in the grass.


    Having suffered a heavy blow from Dongfang Yu, Bai Huanjun hadpsed into aa, his face pale and consciousness lost, with a trace of blood remaining at the corner of his mouth. It seemed his injuries were very severe. Jiang Yunkai nced at Bai Huanjun and asked, "Should we call the police?"


    Ling Chen thought for a moment before responding, "No need, take him to the hospital first. Keep a close eye on him personally, don¡¯t let him escape again."


    "Understood."


    Jiang Hao¡¯s injuries were serious, but fortunately, not life-threatening. He would need to spend the better part of a month in the hospital. As for the incident of Jiang Hao¡¯s attack, Ling Chen left Zhao Zhengxiong to handle it entirely.


    Regarding this matter, Ling Chen¡¯s heart actually bore some hidden worries. He saw things from a different perspective; he liked to consider the bigger picture. The sudden attack on Jiang Hao was not just a catalyst but also a reminder.


    Leaving the hospital, Ling Chen nced at the time before driving straight to Qingyun Martial Arts Hall.


    At this moment, only the main hall of the academy was lit; Little Hua had already gone to sleep, while He Ziyun was sitting alone in the hall, holding a copy of the Prajnaparamita Sutra, reading under the dim light. Hearing footsteps at the entrance, He Ziyun slowly lifted his head and, seeing Ling Chening towards him, stretched out his hand to point at the seat beside him, "Please sit."


    Ling Chen, without any pretense, sat down beside He Ziyun and inquired, "Mr. He, who exactly is this Dongfang Yu we faced today?"


    "He is also a master of the Earth Rankings."


    Indeed!


    Ling Chen silently eximed that his guess was not wrong.


    "From what I know, he seems to have a grudge against the Eight entrics. The Eight entrics are known for their elusive whereabouts. You¡¯ve had contact with them, so that¡¯s why Dongfang Yu came after you."


    "I see." Ling Chen nodded, then quickly changed the topic, "Mr. He, do you know what the grudge between him and the Eight entrics is about?"


    He Ziyun exined, "Dongfang Yu once had a disciple, a master on the Dragon List, but the disciple had character issues, and not many people liked him. Somehow, he got into a conflict with the Eight entrics, vowed to kill them, but ended up being killed by the Eight entrics instead. Dongfang Yu¡¯s intent is merely to avenge his disciple." Pausing for a moment, he continued, "If you can somehow contact the Eight entrics, you might want to give them a heads-up to be more cautious. Someone like Dongfang Yu will not rest until he achieves his goal."


    "I understand." Ling Chen affirmed. When hest bade farewell to the Eight entrics, Qiu Yong had given him a phone number. If there were ever a need, he could use the number to reach them at any time.


    "Mr. He, thank you for your help this time. If it hadn¡¯t been for your timely intervention, I might not have been so fortunate."


    He Ziyun offered a faint smile, "Why stand on ceremony between us? I just happened to learn an old friend hade to East Sea City and followed him all the way here. I never expected he was actually looking for you."


    "Right, Mr. He." Ling Chen suddenly thought of something and spoke up: "There seems to be something odd about the Prajnaparamita Sutra."


    "Odd? Why do you say that?"


    "I feel... ever since I started cultivating the Prajnaparamita Sutra, even my personality seems to be changing. Isn¡¯t that somewhat abnormal?" Ling Chen was somewhat troubled. His feelings were most profound these past few days. Especially when he saw women, he found it increasingly difficult to control himself, always unable to resist making a few teasing remarks. To think he, a proud man of integrity, would, due to the Prajnaparamita Sutra, turn into a lecher¡ªhis reputation of half a lifetime would be destroyed.


    He Ziyun said with interest: "Is that so? Well, any cultivation technique can cause a certain impact, but this is not a major issue. You have to learn to restrain yourself. Restraint is also a kind of training for oneself."


    Hearing this, Ling Chen appeared to have gained some enlightenment and nodded.


    After talking with He Ziyun at Qingyun Martial Arts Hall untilte into the night, Ling Chen saw that it was gettingte, so he bid his farewell and returned to Wealthy Manor.


    The next morning.


    Ling Chen dropped Nanrong Wanqing off at the headquarters of Hongyu Group, intending to go rest in the security department, but he received a call from Jiang Yunkai saying that Bai Huanjun had woken up and asked him to visit the hospital.


    He arrived at the hospital by nine o¡¯clock in the morning.


    In the intensive care ward, Ling Chen saw Bai Huanjun, who was resting in bed. Sincest night, Jiang Yunkai had been keeping vigil in the ward non-stop to prevent Bai Huanjun from escaping.


    Looking at Bai Huanjun, whose body was wrapped in bandages, Ling Chen asked, "You wanted to see me?"


    "Thank you for saving my life." Bai Huanjun was still very weak and spoke feebly.


    Ling Chen casually moved a chair to sit by the window, waving his hand, he said, "Don¡¯t be in a hurry to thank me yet. I¡¯m still considering whether to hand you over to the police."


    "No!" Bai Huanjun¡¯s face changed slightly. Now, with his serious injuries, if he fell into the hands of the police, he probably would spend the rest of his life in prison.


    Ling Chen... no, Mr. Ling, please be a good Samaritan to the end, please don¡¯t call the police. As long as you can set me free, I¡¯ll agree to any of your conditions," Bai Huanjun begged earnestly.


    "Really?" Ling Chen said with a smile that was not quite a smile: "What if I let you go and then you turn around to kill me, wouldn¡¯t I be at a great loss? Besides, do I look like a good person to you?"


    "This..." Bai Huanjun was momentarily at a loss for words, not knowing how to respond.


    Ling Chen grinned, picked up an apple, took a bite, and while chewing said, "You¡¯re an assassin, and assassins are all about money. How about this, from now on, you work for me. I can¡¯t promise you much in the short term, but at the very least you won¡¯t have to worry about food and clothing. If everything goes smoothly, once we grow and be strong, not to mention seven million US dors, even ten million dors will not be an issue."


    Ling Chen tried to persuade him, "Really, what¡¯s so good about being an assassin? You¡¯re always living on the edge of life and death, never knowing when you¡¯ll bite the dust. It¡¯s better to be down-to-earth as a person. It¡¯s pointless to make money if you don¡¯t live to spend it. You¡¯re capable, and as long as you¡¯re willing to follow me, I¡¯ll make sure it¡¯s worth your while. What do you say?"


    Hearing this, Bai Huanjun hesitated for a moment, bowing his head in deep thought and saying nothing.


    Jiang Yunkai chimed in, "Don¡¯t forget who saved your life. One should appreciate kindness and repay favors. If you¡¯re an ungrateful and heartless person, then just disregard what we¡¯ve said."

 Chapter 344 - 340: Mr. Yun’s Visit

    <h4>Chapter 344: Chapter 340: Mr. Yun¡¯s Visit</h4><h4></h4>


    After hesitating for a long time, Bai Huanjun raised his head, seemingly determined, and looked directly into Ling Chen¡¯s clear eyes, saying, "If you want me to follow you, fine! But you must agree to one demand."


    "Speak." Ling Chen suppressed the joy in his heart and replied indifferently.


    "First, give me two million, I urgently need it. After I get the money, I need to leave for a while. When I have dealt with my matters, I wille back to you and fulfill my promise."


    Jiang Yunkai slightly frowned and said, "How do we know you will keep your word? If you take the money and run, where would we find you?"


    Bai Huanjun red at Jiang Yunkai and retorted, "Assassins value reputation the most, I do what I say. If you don¡¯t believe me, I..."


    "I believe you," Ling Chen interjected, "Although you have tried to kill me several times, I am willing to trust you once. First, take good care of your injuries. Tomorrow I¡¯ll bring the money."


    Leaving the hospital room, Jiang Yunkai closely followed behind Ling Chen, asking, "Do you think he can be trusted?"


    "I don¡¯t know." Ling Chen smiled faintly, "If two million can test his sincerity, I think it¡¯s worth it." This was his sincere thought; Bai Huanjun was a capable man, and having him on board would undoubtedly be a significant help.


    Moreover, two million wasn¡¯t much; the reward from the Nanrong Family would probably exceed this amount.


    After dealing with Bai Huanjun¡¯s matter, Ling Chen returned to his car and then took out his phone, dialing a number.


    Dial tone...


    "Hello!"


    A familiar voice came through, and Ling Chen smiled, saying, "Elder Qiu, it¡¯s me. You remember me, right?"


    "It¡¯s Ling. What do you need from me, Ling?"


    "It¡¯s like this..." Ling Chen then shared the incident involving Dongfang Yu¡¯s appearance the previous night. After listening, Qiu Yong snorted slightly, his voice tinged with a hint of coldness, "Although Dongfang Yu¡¯s disciple is a master from the Dragon List, he¡¯s nothing but scum. Such a person isn¡¯t worth mourning over. If Dongfang Yu seeks revenge, let hime. We siblings are not afraid."


    "Elder Qiu, I know you all are formidable, but Dongfang Yu is, after all, a master from the Earthly List, better be careful."


    "I know that. But, a mere master from the Earthly List is not worth our attention. Ling, anyway, we siblings thank you for your reminder."


    "Don¡¯t mention it, let¡¯s meet up again when you¡¯re free."


    After hanging up the phone, Ling Chen drove straight back to the headquarters of Hongyu Group.


    Upon arriving at thepany entrance, Ling Chen suddenly saw a luxury car parked outside, casually nced at the license te, and his expression suddenly changed.


    It¡¯s him!


    Why has hee here?


    Without further thought, Ling Chen quickly got out of the car and hurried toward Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s private elevator. At the same time, he pulled out his phone and frantically dialed Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s number.


    However, the call was met with a busy signal, indicating the line was already in use.


    Could something have happened? Ling Chen anxiously wondered, watching the elevator numbers changing constantly, his brow slightly furrowed.


    Ding!


    With a crisp sound, the elevator finally reached the top floor of Hongyu Group.


    Ling Chen strode briskly, covering three steps in two, quickly rushing to the door of the chairman¡¯s office. Ignoring the shouting of Secretary Wang Lan, he directly pushed the door and walked in.


    Upon entering, Ling Chen immediately heard a burst of heartyughter. Looking intently, he saw a middle-aged man in a suit and leather shoes sitting on the office sofa, with two personal bodyguards standing behind him. The middle-aged man had a gentle smile and a refined aura, giving off an approachable feeling. At this moment, Nanrong Wanqing was sitting opposite the middle-aged man,ughing brightly about something amusing.


    Ling Chen¡¯s sudden intrusion immediately drew everyone¡¯s attention. The two suit-d bodyguards standing behind the middle-aged man saw Ling Chen appear, their expressions changed slightly, and they immediately reached for their waist, watching Ling Chen warily.


    Nanrong Wanqing did not notice the unusual behavior of the two suit-d bodyguards. She walked up to Ling Chen, smiled lightly, and said, "Howe you¡¯re here? Let me introduce you, this is Mr. Yun. Mr. Yun is an overseas Chinese running arge enterprise abroad, and he¡¯s here in East Sea City to discuss cooperation with our Hongyu Group."


    During her speech, Mr. Yun had already stood up from the sofa, fastened the button in front of his suit, and strode towards Ling Chen, extending his hand with a smile, "Hello, I¡¯m pleased to meet you."


    "Mr. Yun, this is Ling Chen, an employee of ourpany¡¯s security department," Nanrong Wanqing introduced.


    Ling Chen stared at Mr. Yun in front of him, shaking his hand with a faint smile, "I¡¯m also very pleased to meet you."


    Mr. Yun seemed not to notice the sharpness in Ling Chen¡¯s eyes, turned his head to look at Nanrong Wanqing, and said, "Miss Nanrong, I still have matters to attend to. Let¡¯s find another time to have a good chat and discuss business."


    "No problem."


    "Then, I¡¯ll be going first."


    "I¡¯ll see you out."


    After leaving the chairman¡¯s office, Ling Chen and Nanrong Wanqing, along with Mr. Yun and his two suit-d bodyguards, walked into the chairman¡¯s private elevator. However, when Nanrong Wanqing was about to enter the elevator, Ling Chen stopped her, giving a slight smile, "You go ahead with your work, I¡¯ll take them down."


    "Okay." Nanrong Wanqing nodded gently, not insisting, "Mr. Yun, take care, and you¡¯re wee to visit Hongyu Group again."


    "Sure thing," Mr. Yun replied with a smile.


    The elevator doors slowly closed. At the moment when Nanrong Wanqing was blocked outside the elevator, Mr. Yun¡¯s two suit-d bodyguards quickly drew out daggers from their waists, guarded Mr. Yun behind them, and raised their knives, ready to stab Ling Chen.


    "Stop!" Mr. Yun shouted to stop them, then pointed at the upper left corner of the elevator, where there was a surveince camera.


    "What are you doing here?"


    Hearing Ling Chen¡¯s question, Mr. Yun, still smiling, replied, "Why can¡¯t Ie here? As a father, don¡¯t I have the right to see my daughter?"


    Ling Chen curled his lips, "I don¡¯t believe you."


    "So, what do you want to do, catch me now?"


    It must be said, Mr. Yun¡¯s words somewhat tempted Ling Chen. With only two suit-d bodyguards present, it was the best opportunity to apprehend Mr. Yun. However, seeing the mysterious smile on Mr. Yun¡¯s face, Ling Chen was not very confident.


    This man dared toe to Hongyu Group openly; he couldn¡¯t possibly be unprepared. For a moment, he hesitated.


    Mr. Yun nced at the elevator¡¯s floor disy, smiling ambiguously, "We will soon reach the lobby, if you don¡¯t act now, there won¡¯t be another chance."


    Ling Chen¡¯s brows furrowed, his piercing gaze sweeping back and forth over the two suit-d bodyguards, still unable to make up his mind.


    Ding!


    The elevator door opened, and Ling Chen, burdened with too many concerns, ultimately did not make a move. He silently followed behind Mr. Yun, walking straight out of thepany¡¯s main entrance.

 Chapter 345 - 341: Stunning

    <h4>Chapter 345: Chapter 341: Stunning</h4><h4></h4>


    At the car, a suited bodyguard opened the door, Mr. Yun smoothly got into the back seat, then rolled down the window, looked at Ling Chen outside, and smiled, "Actually, you don¡¯t need to be nervous, I just came to see Wanqing, I have no other intentions. If I wanted to harm her, why would I let youe back and ensure her safety?"


    "I hope so. However, given your identity, it¡¯s best to keep your distance from Wanqing."


    "What else do you want to do to me? Kill me?" Mr. Yunughed unrestrainedly, "Ling Chen, you wouldn¡¯t dare kill me, unless you want Wanqing to resent you for a lifetime." After that, Mr. Yun closed the window and ignored Ling Chen.


    Watching the sedan slowly merge into the traffic, Ling Chen¡¯s clenched fist slightly rxed, and he turned to head back to Hongyu Group.


    Chairman¡¯s office.


    Ling Chen pushed open the door, only to see Nanrong Wanqing bustling in front of the office, handling thepany¡¯s documents.


    Hearing footsteps, Nanrong Wanqing slightly lifted her head, her beautiful eyes gazing at the approaching Ling Chen, the corners of her mouth slightly curled up, shing a captivating smile.


    "Is he gone?"


    Ling Chen nodded, asking, "What business did Mr. Yun want to discuss with you?"


    "He wants to coborate with our docks to handle import and export trade."


    "It¡¯s better to have less contact with him in the future."


    "Why?" Nanrong Wanqing asked, puzzled.


    "He..." Ling Chen opened his mouth, unsure of how to exin. He couldn¡¯t just tell Nanrong Wanqing that Mr. Yun was actually her biological father and a high-ranking member of the God Organization, a true international criminal. If Nanrong Wanqing knew these details, who knows what she might do.


    After thinking it over, it seemed best to keep Mr. Yun¡¯s true identity hidden for the time being.


    "Wanqing." Ling Chen turned serious for once and spoke, "Trust my judgment, I would never harm you, nor would I damage the interests of Hongyu Group, but Mr. Yun is not entirely clean."


    "Do you know him?" As soon as she spoke, Nanrong Wanqing seemed to remember something, blurting out, "I remember, you once asked me if I knew a Mr. Yun, are you talking about him?"


    "Correct." Ling Chen went along with a lie, saying, "You should know, I have connections with the military. ording to what I know, the military suspects his background is dirty and has been investigating him, they¡¯ve already gathered some evidence. I¡¯m involved in this matter, so I know Mr. Yun, but he doesn¡¯t know me, nor is he aware of my background."


    "I see." Nanrong Wanqing nodded gently, "Got it. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll try to avoid contact with him."


    Seeing that Nanrong Wanqing believed his words, Ling Chen breathed a sigh of relief.


    "By the way, are you free tonight?"


    "What¡¯s up?"


    "There¡¯s a gathering tonight, attended by celebrities of East Sea City."


    Ling Chen¡¯s lips curved up, yfully saying, "You want me as your malepanion? What role are you thinking? Boyfriend, or future husband?"


    Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s cheeks flushed, she retorted coquettishly, "That depends on your performance, for now you¡¯re at most a temporary boyfriend, whether you get promoted depends on further evaluation."


    "Evaluation?" Ling Chen¡¯s eyes twinkled, his face filled with mischief, "Okay, tonight I¡¯lle to your room for a thorough evaluation."


    Nanrong Wanqing couldn¡¯t stand this teasing, her cheeks instantly reddened, her eyes shyly annoyed, she snapped, "Get lost, stop being so flippant."


    ...


    Night fell.


    The moonlight was like water, the street lights like scenery, dazzlingly splendid.


    In the room, Ling Chen changed into a sharp suit, stood in front of the mirror, swivelled around showing off, and adjusted his tie while murmuring, "Handsome, really handsome!"


    "Hmph, I¡¯ve never seen such a narcissistic man." Ling Chen turned around to see Su Lin standing in front of the bedroom door, pouting her sexy red lips, and delivered a merciless jab.


    "That¡¯s confidence." Ling Chen discontentedly corrected her.


    "Narcissists usually are very confident."


    Ling Chen, not wanting to argue with Su Lin, took a nce at her, his eyes instantly lighting up.


    Tonight, Su Lin was also invited to the banquet. Dressed in a purple off-shoulder gown, her shoulders as white as snow, smooth as cream, perfectly entuated her ******** figure. Aside from the specially prepared gown, her tender earlobes were adorned with two sparkling translucent diamond earrings, and a delicate ne hung on her rosy neck.


    This girl was naturally beautiful and, with the enhancement of jewelry, looked even more enchantingly beautiful, like a blooming flower that never tires the eyes.


    Feeling Ling Chen¡¯s admiring gaze, Su Lin¡¯s heart throbbed with shyness, satisfaction, and pride, summoning a light blush that spread softly across her charming face, adding an extra touch of seductive allure.


    "Lady Su, do you have a malepanion tonight?"


    "Why do I need a malepanion when a female one will do?"


    "Femalepanion?" Ling Chen blinked in surprise and asked, "Who?"


    "Wanqing, who else?"


    Ling Chen touched his nose, feeling that he had asked a redundant question.


    "Ling Chen, are you ready?"


    The voice of Nanrong Wanqing came from outside the bedroom, and Ling Chen immediately answered, then quickly walked out. He was eager to see how Nanrong Wanqing was dressed tonight.


    Stepping out of the bedroom, upon seeing Nanrong Wanqing descend the stairs, Ling Chen froze on the spot, his mouth agape and his face full of awe.


    Tonight, Nanrong Wanqing wore a snow-white evening gown, slightly revealing her shoulders, herplexion smooth and fair, her delicate face as pure as a snow lotus atop an iceberg, sacred and wless, exuding an ethereal charm that seemed above the worldly, untouchable and irresistible.


    Though simply dressed without any jewelry, the aura emitted by Nanrong Wanqing alone was enough to steal the scene.


    Seeing Ling Chen staring dazedly, Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s heart swelled sweetly, and a faint smile graced her lips, captivating and intoxicating, like a rich wine that ensnares onepletely.


    "Still looking." Approaching him, Nanrong Wanqing yfully scolded, "Haven¡¯t you seen enough?"


    Ling Chen recovered from his stupor, smilingly replied, "A lifetime wouldn¡¯t be enough."


    "Oh please." Su Lin pouted, sourly saying, "Aren¡¯t you two too cheesy? Mind my feelings a bit."


    Ling Chen grinned and said, "Envious, huh? Then hurry up and find a boyfriend. However, finding someone as outstanding as me is practically impossible. Or you could negotiate with your sister to share me, I won¡¯t mind taking a bit of a loss."


    Su Lin snorted dismissively, "Keep dreaming. Humph, men are really all fickle and greedy, not satisfied with one, they want two. Wanqing, don¡¯t say I didn¡¯t warn you, you must keep a close eye on him, never let him have the chance to meet other women."


    "Both of you, cut it out." Nanrong Wanqing looked at them helplessly, "It¡¯s gettingte. Let¡¯s go, we shouldn¡¯t bete."


    Leaving the Nanrong family home, the three hopped into the car, with Ling Chen naturally taking the driver¡¯s seat.


    Not long after driving out of Wealthy Manor, a pleasant ringtone suddenly echoed. Ling Chen pulled out his phone, saw the disyed number, and his heart skipped a bit.


    Why is it him?


    (After finishing the official meeting, I will continue to make up the 2 Chapters owed from yesterday)

 Chapter 346 - 342 Charity Banquet

    <h4>Chapter 346: Chapter 342 Charity Banquet</h4><h4></h4>


    Ling Chen answered the phone and greeted, "Elder Qiu, is there something you need?"


    The caller was none other than Qiu Yong, the leader of the "Eight entrics." Ling Chen had just spoken to Qiu Yong that day, and he was curious why he would be receiving another call at this time, wondering what it was about.


    "Ling, where are you? We¡¯ve arrived in East Sea City."


    Qiu Yong¡¯s voice came through the phone, and Ling Chen was momentarily taken aback.


    Arrived in East Sea City? Why hadn¡¯t they informed him earlier so he could prepare? Right now, he needed to apany Nanrong Wanqing and Su Lin to a banquet. He had no time to host them.


    Seeing that Ling Chen did not respond, Qiu Yong seemed to guess something and said understandingly, "Ling, if you have matters to attend to, then go ahead with your business. We will find our own ce to stay, and we can get in touchter."


    "Alright."


    After hanging up the phone, the corners of Ling Chen¡¯s mouth lifted slightly. Eight entrics... no, it should now be Seven entrics. With the Seven entrics gathered in East Sea City, it seemed like there would be an interesting show to watch.


    Following the traffic for about half an hour, the trio finally arrived at their destination.


    Yulong Mansion, back to the familiar ce. Ling Chen had fresh memories of here since a lot had happened in this ce.


    At this time, Yulong Mansion¡¯s exterior was filled with luxury cars, each worth millions. Cars worth a few hundred thousand didn¡¯t dare park here and were left far away on the roadside. At the entrance of Yulong Mansion, two rows of neatly dressed attendants stood, holding trays with champagne-filled flutes.


    Pairs of beautifully dresseddies and gentlemen in suits walked arm in arm towards the mansion.


    After parking the car, Ling Chen opened the rear door, gentlemanly extended his right hand, slightly bowed, and weed Nanrong Wanqing, dressed in snowy white, out of the car.


    Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s appearance instantly attracted the gaze of guests outside the mansion. Men were dazzled, and women were jealous. Once upon a time, Nanrong Wanqing was known as a golden flower of East Sea City. It was a pity that, due to her leg disability, despite women being jealous of her appearance and talent, they felt bnced knowing she was disabled.


    But now, Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s legs had recovered, shattering the only sense of equilibrium in the hearts of those envious women.


    Feeling everyone¡¯s stares, Nanrong Wanqing remained indifferent, gently holding Ling Chen¡¯s arm, her pretty face blushing slightly, lifting her brows modestly as they walked shoulder to shoulder towards the entrance.


    Seeing Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s actions, everyone¡¯s eyes gathered on Ling Chen, full of surprise, curiosity, and envy.


    In East Sea City, Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s reputation was well known, yet no man had ever won her favor. Evenst time at Yulong Mansion, Zhu Hong, a handsome man and Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s childhood friend, publicly confessed to her only to be gently rejected. This wasmon knowledge, and since then, everyone had been specting about what kind of man could catch Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s eye.


    At this moment, with Nanrong Wanqing holding Ling Chen¡¯s arm, this was definitely big news because no man had ever received such treatment.


    Facing the surprised and questioning gazes from the crowd, Ling Chen remained calm andposed, not taking them to heart. Instead, he held his head high and puffed out his chest, rather showily flicked his bangs falling over his forehead, and made what he thought was a very cool gesture.


    After a few steps, Ling Chen seemed to remember something and suddenly stopped walking, turned his head to look behind, and saw Su Lin following them alone at a measured pace.


    Seeing Ling Chen halt, Su Lin lifted her head, looking at him with curiosity, not knowing what he was about to do.


    Their eyes met, and Ling Chen grinned, extending his right hand. Su Lin paused briefly, instantly grasping Ling Chen¡¯s intention and a light blush spread across her pretty face.


    She nced at Nanrong Wanqing beside her and, seeing that her older cousin showed no reaction, Su Lin immediately stepped forward to link her arm with Ling Chen¡¯s right arm and started walking with him toward the mansion.


    Seeing Ling Chen nked by beauties on both sides, and each a top-tier looker at that, the surrounding men were instantly filled with envy. Then, ncing at the women by their sides, their envy quickly turned to jealousy.


    Sensing the distinctive gazes of the men around him, Ling Chen was both satisfied and proud. If he had a tail, it would probably be wagging up to the sky by now.


    What defines a sessful man? This is it!


    Amidst the weing voices of numerous attendants, Ling Chen entered the mansion with Nanrong Wanqing and Su Lin.


    On the way here, Ling Chen had already asked Nanrong Wanqing about their event for the evening ¨C a charity g. Put simply, it was an asion where a bunch of rich people gathered to donate money for poverty relief.


    Rich individuals either genuinely wanted to contribute to society or sought a boost in their reputation. Nheless, as long as the donations were genuine, their motives weremendable.


    Ling Chen had no money, so his main task today was to apany Nanrong Wanqing.


    Upon entering the venue, the guests had already arrived en masse, with hundreds of people filling the enormous banquet hall. In the center of the hall, a temporary stage was set up, and several employees were busy adjusting equipment, preparing for the uing event hosting.


    Ling Chen had initially wanted to find a spot to sit and rest for a while, but he quickly realized that this simple wish was impossible to fulfil. As the Chairman of Hongyu Group, Nanrong Wanqing had too many people to mingle with. Almost everyone present was queuing up to exchange a few words with her.


    At first, Ling Chen still maintained a pleasant demeanor, shaking hands and introducing himself. After more than ten minutes, feeling his smile growing stiff, he retreated behind Nanrong Wanqing, taking on the role of her temporary bodyguard to avoid further interaction with the guests.


    "Eh?"


    Just then, Ling Chen noticed that Su Lin, that girl, had disappeared. He had been too preupied with assisting Nanrong Wanqing to notice where she had gone.


    Looking through the crowd for a while, Ling Chen finally located Su Lin. She was gathered with a few girls of simr age, engaged in a lively and joyous conversation.


    "Ling Chen."


    Hearing Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s voice, Ling Chen uttered a huh, asking, "What¡¯s up?"


    "Why don¡¯t you have a look around first? I need to discuss some matters with a few CEOs," suggested Nanrong Wanqing, seeing Ling Chen was bored and thus urged him to rx a bit.


    "Sure thing! I¡¯ll just be around here, call me if you need anything." Ling Chen couldn¡¯t be happier; he held no interest in those stifling business talks.


    Watching Ling Chen walk away, a middle-aged man asked with a smile, "Miss Nanrong, was that your boyfriend just now?"


    Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s face blushed slightly, and she nodded gently.


    The middle-aged manughed heartily, saying, "I didn¡¯t expect East Sea City¡¯s prized beauty to be taken too. You must introduce your boyfriend to us next time. To capture Miss Nanrong¡¯s heart, he must be extraordinary indeed."

 Chapter 347 - 343: The Hidden Qin Wu

    <h4>Chapter 347: Chapter 343: The Hidden Qin Wu</h4><h4></h4>


    "Miss Nanrong, what high position does your boyfriend hold?" the person next to her asked with interest.


    "President Liu is joking, it¡¯s nothing high profile; he works in security at Hongyu Group, responsible for my safety."


    "Security?"


    Hearing this, the several presidents gathered around Nanrong Wanqing were stunned. This news was too shocking for them; the boyfriend of the distinguished chairman of Hongyu Group was just an ordinary security staff¡ªthis was something that probably few would believe.


    Thinking of this, everyone couldn¡¯t help but admire Ling Chen¡¯s capabilities, never expecting that the toad could indeed eat swan meat.


    At this moment, Ling Chen, with his hands behind his back, was leisurely strolling back and forth in the banquet hall, enjoying champagne and fruit tters, quite contented. However, Ling Chen, weaving through the crowd, suddenly noticed a man next to Su Lin¡ªand it was a very familiar man.


    Qin Yang!


    This guy also came to attend the dinner.


    Seeing Su Lin with a cold expression, Ling Chen felt a sudden heaviness in his heart and immediately quickened his pace towards her. Upon getting closer, he heard Su Lin¡¯s displeased voice: "Mr. Qin, I have nothing to say to you, please don¡¯te over and bother me."


    "Linlin, why bother? We are all acquaintances; if we can¡¯t be lovers, we can still be friends," Qin Yang tried to persuade kindly.


    "Sorry, I¡¯m not interested in being friends with you; you should go ask some other women instead." After saying this, Su Lin turned around and was about to leave. However, Qin Yang, quick and alert, immediately grabbed Su Lin¡¯s arm, attempting to pull her back.


    But what Qin Yang didn¡¯t expect was that his action would trigger Su Lin¡¯s fiery temper. Su Lin suddenly turned around, and without a word, delivered a p straight across his face.


    p!


    Apanied by a crisp sound, a bright red palm print immediately appeared on Qin Yang¡¯s left cheek, very striking.


    Feeling the fiery pain on his face, Qin Yang was momentarily dumbfounded, never expecting Su Lin to hit so hard, not leaving any dignity for him. At this moment, the surrounding guests were all drawn to the loud p.


    Seeing Qin Yang¡¯s swollen cheek, people started whispering and chuckling quietly. Theughter echoing in Qin Yang¡¯s ears felt incredibly harsh. Under the watchful eyes of everyone, being pped by a woman, how could he face anyone after this? Even more damaging, everyone present tonight was someone of status and position; once this incident spread, he would have no face left to continue mingling.


    Thinking this, Qin Yang gritted his teeth, both embarrassed and angry. His face was definitely lost; now it was about whether he could recover a bit of his dignity.


    With anger rising in his heart, he raised his arm and aimed a p at Su Lin¡¯s delicate cheek.


    However, before the p couldnd, Qin Yang felt his wrist being caught by someone, rendering him unable to move. Looking along the hand, a sharp and distinct handsome face suddenly appeared before his eyes.


    Seeing that familiar yet annoying smile, Qin Yang¡¯s expression changed slightly, eximing, "It¡¯s you!"


    Ling Chen slightly tilted his lips, smiling and said, "Mr. Qin, as a dignified man, hitting a woman in public, isn¡¯t that quite unreasonable?"


    Qin Yang clenched his teeth and retorted, "She hit me first."


    "If you didn¡¯t shamelessly pester her, getting hit serves you right."


    Qin Yang scoffed, forcefully twisting his wrist, trying to break free from Ling Chen¡¯s hold, but Ling Chen¡¯s grip was as solid as steel bars, tightly binding his wrist, making it impossible to escape.


    "Let go!"


    Ling Chen didn¡¯t linger, simply shrugged his shoulders, loosened his fingers, and stepped back next to Su Lin.


    "Are you okay?"


    Su Lin smiled sweetly, feeling delighted to see Ling Chen standing up for her. It felt great to have a dependable man by her side, but unfortunately, he wasn¡¯t hers. With this thought, she silently sighed.


    "Big brother, what¡¯s wrong?"


    At that moment, a voice as clear as spring water chimed in from the crowd, drawing Ling Chen¡¯s gaze. In his clear eyes, a sh of surprise appeared.


    It was her!


    Seeing the neer, Qin Yang seemed to have found his backbone, hurriedly approaching her and said anxiously, "Sister, you arrived just in time."


    Qin Wu observed the swelling on Qin Yang¡¯s left cheek, her slender eyebrows slightly furrowed, and she asked, "What happened?"


    "It¡¯s all because of that despicable woman Su Lin. I spoke to her nicely, and she hit me," Qin Yang stated indignantly.


    Hearing this, Qin Wu turned her head, nced at Su Lin, then shifted her gaze to Ling Chen.


    "Mr. Ling, Miss Su, regardless of what my brother did wrong, it¡¯s still not good to hit someone in public. I hope you both can apologize and make peace."


    Su Lin was about to speak, but Ling Chen interjected, "Miss Qin, hitting people is wrong, but is harassing women okay then? You know very well what kind of person your brother is. If you want us to apologize, fine, let your brother apologize to us first."


    Qin Yang felt enraged, shouting furiously, "Ling Chen, don¡¯t push people too far! It was clearly that despicable woman who hit me, why should I apologize?"


    Upon hearing this, Ling Chen¡¯s eyebrows slightly furrowed, a cold glint shing through his sharp eyes.


    "What did you just call her?"


    "Despi...."


    Before the words ¡¯despicable woman¡¯ could be fully pronounced, Ling Chen, who had been standing still, suddenly lunged forward with swift steps. In the blink of an eye, he was right in front of Qin Yang, and his hand delivered a fierce p.


    Qin Yang never expected Ling Chen to strike without a word, and the speed was so fast that he didn¡¯t even have time to react. As the p rapidly erged in his eyes, he stood there dumbfounded, at a loss.


    However, just as Ling Chen thought his p would surelynd, a smooth, delicate white wrist suddenly stretched out from the side, urately grasping his wrist, stopping him from moving further.


    Huh?


    Following the direction of the wrist, Ling Chen saw that it was none other than Qin Wu.


    This woman... turned out to be a master hiding her strength. He had almost misjudged her.


    But the p was already in motion, and withdrawing halfway would only serve to let Qin Yang off easy. With thoughts racing, Ling Chen¡¯s eyes narrowed, and the inner strength in his Dantian surged crazily, condensing into a fine stream flowing towards his right hand.


    With the sudden burst of power, Ling Chen instantly broke free from Qin Wu¡¯s hold.


    p!


    The crisp sound of a p echoed, and a handprint immediately appeared on the right cheek of Qin Yang.


    This p from Ling Chen was much harsher than Su Lin¡¯s. In an instant, Qin Yang¡¯s right cheek swelled up, resembling a steamed bun, amusing to onlookers.


    "Mr. Qin, keep your mouth clean. If there¡¯s a next time, I¡¯ll knock out your teeth."


    Seeing her brother repeatedly humiliated, Qin Wu could no longer stay calm. Qin Yang was the eldest son of the Qin Family, and this rted to the entire family¡¯s reputation. They couldn¡¯t just let it slide like this.

 Chapter 348 - 344: Teasing Qin Wu

    <h4>Chapter 348: Chapter 344: Teasing Qin Wu</h4><h4></h4>


    With a thought, Qin Wu didn¡¯t hesitate at all; without waiting for Ling Chen to back away, she immediately closed in and swung her palm towards Ling Chen¡¯s right shoulder.


    Ha! This woman still wants to exchange a few moves with me.


    Ling Chen secretly smiled, showing no sign of retreat. He clenched his fist tightly, raised it slightly, and met Qin Wu¡¯s palm head-on. When fist met palm, both of their Inner Strength erupted instantly, causing them to each take a step back.


    Feeling the numbness in his arm, Ling Chen looked at Qin Wu in surprise. One really shouldn¡¯t underestimate this woman; her Inner Strength was almost as strong as Jiang Yunkai¡¯s.


    Interesting!


    Ling Chen¡¯s mouth curved up slightly, a shallow smile on his face, as he beckoned to Qin Wu with a gesture of his hand, tauntingly saying, "Come on, again!"


    Qin Wu bit her thin lips lightly, her toes tapped on the ground, moving as swiftly as a breeze, and she closed in on Ling Chen in an instant. However, just as Qin Wu was about to strike, she was surprised to find that Ling Chen in front of her had disappeared without a trace.


    "Looking for me?"


    While she was startled, Ling Chen¡¯s teasingugh suddenly came from behind her. Qin Wu was shocked, and without thinking, she turned around and struck out with her palm. However, the moment she turned around, there was no sign of Ling Chen behind her.


    Where is he?


    "Hey, I¡¯m right here."


    Arge hand reached out and lightly patted Qin Wu¡¯s shoulder.


    With her quick reflexes, Qin Wu immediately reacted, swinging a high kick sideways. Ling Chen stepped back at once, dodging Qin Wu¡¯s leg strike. At the same time, his eyes brightened, and he looked at Qin Wu with a smile, saying, "So Miss Qin likes the color purple."


    "What?"


    Qin Wu was slightly startled, not catching on immediately. Once she saw the teasing smile on Ling Chen¡¯s lips, she instantly understood, and her pretty face, originally coated with a light powder, blushed bright red.


    The onlookers watching were somewhat puzzled. Why did her face turn red during the fight?


    The others might not know, but Ling Chen was well aware. All the women at tonight¡¯s banquet were wearing evening dresses, which were mainly gowns. Just now, when Qin Wu lifted her leg, she identally revealed what was beneath her dress. Because it happened so fast, others didn¡¯t see clearly, but Ling Chen saw it vividly.


    The white, bare thighs, and the purple panties, tsk tsk. They say women who like to wear dark colored undergarments belong to the implicit yet lustful type. Unexpectedly, despite Qin Wu¡¯s sweet appearance and graceful temperament, she also seems to be a woman with internal desires.


    "Miss Qin, do you still want to continue?" Ling Chen grinned and said.


    Qin Wu bit her silver teeth, her eyes filled with embarrassed anger as she stared at Ling Chen. After a while, her expression flickered, and then she turned around, pulling her elder brother with her as they left the crowd.


    Without more spectacle to witness, the onlookers dispersed in amotion.


    "Well done," Su Lin said with a gigglyugh. Ling Chen had avenged her, making her feel extremely satisfied.


    Ling Chen withdrew his gaze from Qin Wu¡¯s retreating figure and reminded, "Stay away from that Qin Wu in the future."


    "Why? After all, she¡¯s no match for you."


    Ling Chen did not give any further exnation. Although Qin Wu was not his match, this did not mean she was not formidable. On the contrary, Qin Wu was a master; her being toyed with earlier was mainly due to herck of actualbat experience.


    It was evident from their exchange that Qin Wu had at least over ten years of foundational training in martial arts, but she had always practiced routines and had never engaged in realbat, hence herck of experience and inability to make urate responses and predictions.


    If Qin Wu were given some time to temper herself, her strength would definitely not be inferior to Jiang Yunkai.


    Ling Chen was curious about the background of this woman; despite her young age, she possessed such exceptionalbat skills, surely a disciple of a distinguished master.


    While Ling Chen was pondering, on the other end of the banquet hall, Qin Yang sat on a sofa in a corner, pressing a hot towel to his swollen cheek, seething with resentment, "Sister, we must not let that Ling Chen and that cheap woman Su Lin get away with this."


    Qin Wu nced at her inept brother, her tone ice-cold, "Who asked you to provoke them?"


    Qin Yang hurriedly replied, "I was thinking of our Qin Family¡¯s interests."


    The Qin Family had recently faced some economic crises, with business going poorly and suffering heavy financial losses. Were it not for using real estate as coteral to borrow over a billion from the bank, it would have been very difficult for the Qin Family to survive. Hence, Qin Yang had set his sights on Su Lin. He was well aware that Su Lin came from a notable background; her parents were overseas businessmen with assets worth at least tens of billions. If he could rekindle the rtionship with Su Lin and turn cooked rice into a done deal, not only could it ease the Qin Family¡¯s financial strain, but they could also ride on the coattails of the Nanrong Family. At that time, the glory of the Qin Family would be within reach.


    However, Qin Yang had not expected Su Lin to be so cold-hearted, not giving him any chances.


    Qin Wu shook her head slightly, not wishing to speak further. She had never had much hope for her brother. If the Qin Family¡¯s future was left in Qin Yang¡¯s hands, it would be tantamount to ruin. As a member of the Qin Family, she could not let this happen.


    "Sister, didn¡¯t you say that your senior brothers wereing to East Sea City tonight? Maybe..."


    "My sect¡¯s people are not the Qin Family¡¯s thugs, don¡¯t get any ideas."


    "Sister, you can¡¯t say that. Think about it, you are also part of the Qin Family. Ling Chen and Su Lin pping my face is like pping the Qin Family¡¯s face. If we don¡¯t settle this score, how can our Qin Family hold our heads high in front of others? Moreover, Grandfather is quite old now. If he learns about tonight¡¯s incident, he would surely be furious. We can only exin to him after we¡¯ve settled this matter."


    Upon hearing this, Qin Wu fell into deep thought, wondering. After a while, she stood up and said, "Don¡¯t worry about this; I will handle it." After speaking, Qin Wu turned and walked into the crowd.


    Watching his departing sister, Qin Yang¡¯s lips curled with a sneer. He understood his sister very well. By saying those words, it meant she had epted his suggestion.


    Humph! Ling Chen, Su Lin, just you wait and see; there will be sufferinging your way.


    At this moment, afterpleting her mingling with the guests, Nanrong Wanqing rejoined Ling Chen and Su Lin, and seeing Ling Chen chomping on an apple, she shot him an irritated look and chided, "In just a blink of an eye, you¡¯ve managed to cause trouble, quite the feat."


    Ling Chen spread his hands, looking innocent as he said, "How can you me me? It was that Qin guy who came looking for trouble with Lin. Do you expect me to just stand by?"


    "You still should be mindful of the impression you make. So many people are watching."


    "What¡¯s there to be afraid of, I am the man of the Hongyu Group¡¯s chairman, who dares to touch me?"


    Nanrong Wanqing felt a blush creeping up, and with a small fist, she lightly punched Ling Chen, her tone both annoyed and embarrassed, "Why do you say such things so loudly?"


    Su Lin covered her mouth and chuckled, "Ling Chen, you really have a knack for it, proud even of mooching off a woman, probably the only one in the world."


    "That¡¯s right. Do you think just anyone qualifies to enjoy such a cushy life?" Ling Chen boasted proudly.


    This chapter is updated by freew(e)bnovel.(c)om

 Chapter 349 - 345: Auction

    <h4>Chapter 349: Chapter 345: Auction</h4><h4></h4>


    "Alright, everyone, stop fussing. The banquet is about to begin." No sooner had Nanrong Wanqing finished speaking than a middle-aged man holding a microphone with a friendly smile stepped onto the temporary stage at the center of the venue.


    "First of all, on behalf of the organizers, I wee everyone¡¯s presence and thank you all for taking time out of your busy schedules to contribute to the charitable cause. Here, on behalf of those poverty-stricken families that have been supported, I express sincere gratitude to you all."


    After the formalities, the host moved on to the main topic.


    "As usual, tonight¡¯s charity banquet will be conducted in the form of an auction, and I hope everyone will participate enthusiastically. Now, without further ado, let¡¯s take a look at the first item up for auction today."


    With the host¡¯s words, a pretty girl in a cheongsam came over, pushing a four-wheeled cart. On the cart¡¯s tray, an item was covered with a red cloth.


    When the cart was pushed closer, the host reached out, pinched the corner of the red cloth, and gently lifted it to reveal a piece of blue and white porcin before everyone¡¯s eyes.


    "Ladies and gentlemen, this is blue and white five-color porcin from the Qing Dynasty, a precious type of blue and white porcin. Those in the know are definitely clear about the value of this item, which is an excellent choice whether for disy or collection. In view of its rarity, the starting bid is one million; please start your bids now."


    "Two million." The bid was quickly called out from among the crowd.


    "Three million."


    "Five million."


    "..."


    In less than two minutes, the price of this Qing Dynasty blue and white porcin had already climbed to tens of millions.


    "Twenty million."


    As the voice sounded, all eyes turned to Nanrong Wanqing. Ling Chen looked at Nanrong Wanqing in surprise. The bidding had just passed ten million and yet Nanrong Wanqing directly called out twenty million. Could that broken piece of porcin be worth so much?


    After Nanrong Wanqing bid, suddenly no one else raised the bid. Competing with the chairman of Hongyu Group in terms of financial resources was simply asking for trouble.


    The host held the gavel, shouting out three times in session, and seeing no further bids, the gavel finally came down.


    "Congrattions to Miss Nanrong for obtaining a piece of Qing Dynasty blue and white porcin."


    Nanrong Wanqing, with an unchanged expression, stood up and said, "Let¡¯s go back."


    "Go back?" Ling Chen was stunned, "Isn¡¯t the auction not over yet?"


    Hearing this, Su Lin smiled and mercilessly teased, "How can you be so dense? Wanqing is here for charity, not to participate in the auction."


    So that was it.


    Ling Chen suddenly understood. Nanrong Wanqing didn¡¯t care whether the auction item was worth the price or not; she only needed to donate a substantial sum of money. Since the goal had been achieved, there was no need to stay any longer.


    With this realization, Ling Chen stood up and said, "Let¡¯s go."


    However, just as the trio was about to leave the banquet hall, the host¡¯s voice suddenly came through the speakers: "Ladies and gentlemen, the next item up for auction has a history of more than six hundred years. Its specific usage is unknown, but ording to several expert appraisers¡¯ judgments, this is likely a weapon crafted in ancient times. Please have a look."


    At the mention of ¡¯weapon¡¯, Ling Chen couldn¡¯t help but pause and turn to look at the stage.


    Because of the distance, Ling Chen couldn¡¯t see very clearly, so he deliberately turned his gaze to therge screen hanging on the wall. On the screen, the camera was capturing a close-up of the weapon¡¯s shape.


    It was a cylinder about one and a half feet long and about two fingers thick, which could be held in one hand. The cylinder, made of some unknown material, had a smooth surface intricately carved withplex patterns. From its appearance alone, it was hard to discern its function.


    "Ladies and gentlemen, do not underestimate this weapon. ording to our appraisers, it contains many mechanisms and boasts various effects," the host said. Holding the cylinder in his hand, he gently pressed it with his finger, and a two-foot long sword de sprung out from one end.


    Despite being several hundreds of years old, the de was still sharp as ever. With its cold, translucent gleam, anyone practiced in martial arts could recognize the extraordinary quality of the weapon.


    Ling Chen¡¯s eyes gleamed; he hadn¡¯t expected toe across such a treasure at a charity auction.


    "The starting bid for this weapon, which is only valuable as a collectible, is set at one hundred thousand."


    "Two hundred thousand." Ling Chen immediately raised his hand, offering a price.


    "Five hundred thousand."


    No sooner had Ling Chen¡¯s voice trailed off than a crisp voice followed. Ling Chen turned his head and saw Qin Wu also looking at him, eyes filled with animosity.


    This woman has a good eye for quality as well.


    Ling Chen snickered to himself unconcernedly and continued to bid, "Six hundred thousand."


    "One million." Qin Wu quickly followed up with a determined tone.


    Hearing Qin Wu¡¯s bid, Ling Chen hesitated for a moment. One million was already his limit; he had transferred two million to Bai Huanjun and didn¡¯t have much left.


    "Two million," Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s voice rang out just as Ling Chen was indecisive.


    Upon hearing Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s bid, the crowd burst intoughter. Everyone had seen her entering hand in hand with Ling Chen. Now, it was clear to all present that this young man was Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s boyfriend.


    However, it was usually men who spent money on women. Women spending money on men was quite rare, except for kept men. Thus, the smiles on people¡¯s faces were far from friendly but rather filled with derision and mockery.


    Feeling the ridicule in everyone¡¯s gaze, Nanrong Wanqing realized she shouldn¡¯t have spoken up for Ling Chen and regretted it, apologetically looking at him.


    Ling Chen was well aware of her intentions and smiled slightly, not caring about the nces from others.


    "Hmph! Just a kept man who only knows how to live off women, truly a disgrace to men." A sneering voice came through, and without looking, Ling Chen knew who it was.


    Qin Yang!


    Ling Chen smirked and said, "Well, it depends on whose support you are seeking. Some people aren¡¯t even qualified to receive it. Nowadays, to be a kept man also requires skills; unlike some, who, under everyone¡¯s watch, get pped by a woman and don¡¯t even have the guts to p back. That is the real disgrace to men."


    Qin Yang¡¯s face turned angry, and he wanted to retort, but he was silenced by Qin Wu beside him.


    Qin Wu nced at Ling Chen and then raised her hand high, stating nonchntly, "Three million."


    Ling Chen looked at the weapon disyed on therge screen. Despite his fondness for it, the odd nces from the crowd irked him.


    After a moment of thought, he decided to let that woman have it.


    Watching Ling Chen turn away and leave, a slight smirk lifted the corners of Qin Wu¡¯s lips, outlining a trace of cold amusement.


    Leaving Yulong Mansion, Nanrong Wanqing quickly caught up to the ahead-striding Ling Chen, showing the timidness of a woman who had done wrong, hanging her head and softly saying, "I¡¯m sorry."


    "Why apologize? You¡¯ve done nothing wrong." Ling Chen smiled and took Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s smooth hand, "It¡¯s fine, don¡¯t take it to heart."


    "Did you really like that weapon?"


    "I did, but there¡¯s no point inpeting with that woman for it. It¡¯s meaningless." With that, Ling Chen took out his phone to check the time and said, "Let¡¯s go, I¡¯ll take you home first. I¡¯ve got some things to take care ofter."

 Chapter 350 - 346: Finding Fault

    <h4>Chapter 350: Chapter 346: Finding Fault</h4><h4></h4>


    After escorting Nanrong Wanqing and Su Lin back to Wealthy Manor, Ling Chen drove alone into the traffic flow.


    Thinking of the encounter at Yulong Mansion just now, Ling Chen heaved a silent sigh. The saying "A hero struggles without a penny" held true, for although he possessed remarkable abilities, his pockets were empty, and he could not bring himself to ask a woman for money; it was not in his character. Before, he never cared for money, but now, he realized that being penniless was truly agonizing. Moreover, his power was in a phase of growth, and money was essential. He had to figure out a way to get some.


    Lost in thought, Ling Chen took out his phone and dialed Qiu Yong¡¯s number. After confirming the address, Ling Chen immediately drove over.


    After driving for more than ten miles, Ling Chen nced at the rearview mirror and the corners of his mouth lifted slightly. These guys were relentless, following him all the way from Yulong Mansion.


    Without having to think, he knew that the people in those two cars were surely Qin Family¡¯s subordinates. At the banquet hall, Qin Yang and Qin Wu had suffered such a big loss at his hands; they were unlikely to let it go easily.


    Well then, since they wanted to y, he might as well indulge them.


    More than ten minutes passed, and Ling Chen drove up to a hotel. After parking in the car park, he phoned Qiu Yong, then walked towards the elevator.


    But at that moment, three sedans and a van drove in from the entrance of the parking lot and swiftly pulled up in front of Ling Chen, forming a triangle and trapping him inside.


    With his arms folded and a faint smile on his face, Ling Chen looked amused as he watched the people getting out of the three cars. The car doors opened, and several suited bodyguards got out one after another. Following them, stepping out from the passenger side of the van, was the red-cheeked Qin Yang. Trailing behind him, Qin Wu, holding up her evening gown, stepped out gracefully from the van. In addition to her, several young men and a middle-aged man emerged from the van.


    Upon their descent, Ling Chen couldn¡¯t help but take a few more nces.


    The middle-aged man exuded a sense of stability and restrained aura, obviously a cultivated martial artist, and moreover, an Inner martial arts expert. Around forty-something years old, Ling Chen wondered if he might be Qin Wu¡¯s Master. The young men moved lightly, likely to be martial artists as well.


    As Qin Wu and her group approached, Ling Chen grinned and said, "Miss Qin, we just parted ways; did you miss me so much that you couldn¡¯t wait to see me? If you wanted to meet me, just meet me, why bring so many people? After all, having so many onlookers at a date can be quite embarrassing."


    Hearing Ling Chen¡¯s taunt, Qin Wu¡¯s face turned frosty as she said, "Ling Chen, don¡¯t get too cocky. You humiliated my elder brother in public and tarnished the reputation of the Qin Family. Do you really think my Qin Family can¡¯t handle you?"


    Ling Chen shrugged, smiling indifferently, "We¡¯re all martial artists. A loss is a loss. Calling a group of people to cause trouble after a defeat, what¡¯s the difference between that and street thugs? Someone like you, whocks even the most basic Martial Arts Ethics, does not deserve to be called a martial artist."


    "You..."


    Before Qin Wu could speak, the young men beside her began to mor, "Shut up! Show some respect in front of my martial sister. If you dare to speak rudely again, do you believe I¡¯ll knock your teeth out?"


    Ling Chen beckoned with his fingers, his smile faint, "Save the talk, just bring it on. Do you really think I¡¯m afraid of you?"


    "You¡¯ve got quite an attitude, let¡¯s see how I¡¯ll deal with you." As the words fell, one of the young men leaped into the air, stepping on the hood of a sedan, and, with a tight fist and fierce momentum, aimed a punch straight at Ling Chen¡¯s head.


    Facing the oing gust of force, Ling Chen didn¡¯t even look as he swept his leg around in a whip kick.


    Bang!


    With a muffled thud, the youth hadn¡¯t yet touched the ground when his body flew up again, uncontrobly falling towards a sedan. At this moment, the middle-aged man who had remained silent had a stern look in his eyes, and with a gentle tap of his toe on the ground, he shot forward like a bullet, casually flicking the youth¡¯s waist.


    With the help of the middle-aged man, the youth immediately adjusted his center of gravity andnded steadily on the ground. However, even though he wasn¡¯t hurt by the fall, the kick he had just received from Ling Chen was far from pleasant. The youth clutched his chest, his face pale, breathing heavily.


    Seeing theirpanion injured, the other youths could not sit still and began to shout, "Let¡¯s all go at him together, give him a good lesson."


    "Shut up!" the middle-aged man said with a slight frown and a soft rebuke.


    Upon hismand, the impassioned group of youths immediately closed their mouths, standing obediently behind the middle-aged man, not daring to utter another word.


    At this time, the middle-aged man was sizing up Ling Chen, and Ling Chen was also sizing him up. The man had a square face, thick eyebrows, and big eyes, and was dressed in a formal suit, exuding an impression of uprightness and integrity.


    "Are you Ling Chen? You have a decent foundation in martial arts. However, the purpose of practicing martial arts is not forpeting and showing off, but for strengthening the body, activating your potential, you..."


    "Can you stop talking to me in this preachy tone?" Ling Chen dug his ear, losing patience, "I¡¯m not your disciple, and I don¡¯t need your lessons. To be frank, if you¡¯re here to reim your pride, stop the nonsense. If you want to fight, let¡¯s fight; if not, then get lost and stop wasting my time. Honestly, I have the least respect for people like you who y the **** and still want to set up a shrine."


    Hearing this, Qin Wu was infuriated and scolded, "Ling Chen, don¡¯t be disrespectful to my master uncle."


    Ling Chen spread his hands and said, "Am I wrong? If you were really as he says, you wouldn¡¯t be here looking for me. Bring it on, and let¡¯s see how capable you are." Ling Chen beckoned to the middle-aged man with a curl of his finger.


    "Master uncle..."


    The middle-aged man raised his hand to stop Qin Wu¡¯s words, saying indifferently, "I also want to see how formidable a Tiger List expert is."


    Seeing the middle-aged man make a move, the group of youths immediatelyughed, giving Ling Chen a look that seemed to say ¡¯you¡¯re definitely doomed¡¯.


    Ling Chen shook his arms loose, unconcerned with others¡¯ gazes, focused his mind, and walked straight towards the middle-aged man.


    The two stood facing each other, and the middle-aged man spoke, "I am older than you, so I¡¯ll let you strike first."


    Ling Chen couldn¡¯t be bothered with small talk. He clenched a steel-like fist, charged forward in an instant, and in the blink of an eye, he was up close to the middle-aged man. His fist roared through the air and suddenly thundered forward.


    As the fist approached, the middle-aged man stood still, not moving an inch as if he didn¡¯t take Ling Chen¡¯s attack seriously. Just as the fist was about two centimeters from the middle-aged man¡¯s face, the still-standing man finally made his move.


    Without any noticeable motion, Ling Chen just felt a tight grip on his wrist, followed by intense pain shooting through his nerves.


    So fast!


    Ling Chen was inwardly shocked and quickly retreated. After moving back two meters, Ling Chen lifted the arm he had punched with and saw two purplish marks on his wrist, as if made by finger pressure¡ªindescribably painful¡ªas if his whole arm was bing numb.

 Chapter 351 - 347: The Pretentious Dragon List Expert

    <h4>Chapter 351: Chapter 347: The Pretentious Dragon List Expert</h4><h4></h4>


    Ling Chen looked at the middle-aged man in full surprise. In just a brief confrontation, not only did he not gain the upper hand, but he instead suffered a great loss. The martial skills of this middle-aged man were truly unfathomable.


    Indeed, worthy of being Qin Wu¡¯s martial uncle, truly formidable.


    "The experts of the Tiger List, merely so." The middle-aged man said indifferently, his toneced with a hint of mockery.


    Ling Chen let his numb arm droop, his expression solemn, his sharp gaze fixed on the middle-aged man, he asked, "May I ask how to address you?"


    "You, are not worthy of knowing my name." The middle-aged man, with his hands behind his back, proudly said, "Do you wish to continue? If you don¡¯t want to continue, as long as you apologize to the Qin Family, I can forgive and let you leave."


    "No way, this bastard has made my face like this, he cannot be let off easily," Qin Yang, standing nearby, cried unwillingly.


    The middle-aged man nced at him and asked, "What does Mr. Qin wish to do?"


    Qin Yang, with resentment flooding his heart recalling old and new grudges, sneered and said, "Simple, as long as he kneels down and kowtows three times to me, and calls me grandpa, I can forgive his actions."


    "You heard it." The middle-aged man turned his head to look at Ling Chen, his expression cold.


    Facing the gaze of the crowd, Ling Chen slightly raised the corners of his lips, boldly stating, "You should inquire who I, Ling Chen, am. If you want me to bow, you¡¯ll have to chop off my head first."


    "Having some backbone, since that¡¯s the case, don¡¯t me me for being impolite." The middle-aged man¡¯s tone turned colder, initiating the attack.


    Seeing the middle-aged man rushing towards him, Ling Chen¡¯s pupils contracted slightly. He hurriedly stepped back to dodge. However, his movements were far too slowpared to the other¡¯s speed. Before he could react, a figure suddenly shed in front of him.


    Immediately afterward, Ling Chen felt an intense pain in his chest, a powerful force spreading throughout his chest, pushing him back by four or five meters. Luckily, a car behind him stopped him from falling.


    However, with just this move, the disparity in their strength was clear, as vast as the difference between clouds and mud, without any basis forparison.


    Ling Chen took a deep breath, calming his tumultuous blood and tightening his brows. This man¡¯s skills were too freakishly strong, he didn¡¯t even have a chance to respond.


    "Come again!" The middle-aged man looked provocatively at Ling Chen.


    Ling Chen clenched his fists tightly, gritting his teeth, about to make a move. But at that moment, a nonchnt voice suddenly said, "Impressive, truly impressive. A prestigious expert of the Dragon List actually sparing against an expert of the Tiger List, really giving face."


    A Dragon List expert?


    Ling Chen was shocked, his view of the middle-aged man changed instantly. No wonder he was so powerful, turned out he was an expert of the Dragon List.


    Realizing the identity of the opponent, Ling Chen couldn¡¯t help but burst out cursing, "Damn, you¡¯re a Dragon List expert and you¡¯re still pulling this act in front of me."


    The middle-aged man paid no mind to Ling Chen¡¯s curses, instead turning to look at the speaker. At this moment, from the direction of the elevator, seven people appeared, men and women, old and young, their group an unusual sight that drew the curious looks of the Qin Wu and others.


    Seeing the leading elder, Ling Chen greeted proactively: "Elder Qiu."


    Qiu Yong nodded slightly, voicing his concern, "Are you all right?"


    Ling Chen patted his chest with a smile, "I¡¯m fine, not that fragile." After speaking, Ling Chen turned his gaze to Xia Yue, smiling warmly as he greeted, "Yue, long time no see."


    Xia Yue gave him a cold nce, remained silent.


    "Who are you?" The middle-aged man scanned the seven suddenly appeared individuals and said sternly, "This is a private matter between us and Ling Chen. For your own safety, it¡¯s best you do not interfere."


    Qiu Yong stood with his hands behind his back, his face stern, and spoke deliberately, "Ling Chen¡¯s business is our business. If you want to make a move on him, you¡¯ll have to ask if we agree."


    The middle-aged man sneered, "Knowing that I am a master from the Dragon List and still daring toe forward, it seems you all are quite skilled. Why not state your names?"


    The one-armed man standing behind Qiu Yong coldly said, "Not recognizing us, the eight freaks, Liu Yunsong, as a master of the Dragon List shows how ignorant you really are."


    "Eight freaks?" Liu Yunsong¡¯s pupils tightened, his face changing immediately. How could he not know the reputation of the eight freaks? It¡¯s just that there were only seven people who came out, so he didn¡¯t think in that direction.


    "There are eight people in the eight freaks, you..."


    Qiu Yong coldly said, "Isn¡¯t there eight of us here?"


    "What?" Liu Yunsong was shocked, staring incredulously at Ling Chen, "Is he also..."


    At that moment, not only was Liu Yunsong surprised, Ling Chen was equally astonished. Did Qiu Yong¡¯s words mean that he was also counted among the eight freaks?


    At this time, Xia Yue stepped forward, her face cool as she looked at Liu Yunsong and the others, coldly saying, "Daring to harm a member of the eight freaks, today I really want to test your abilities."


    "No!" Now knowing the identities of the eight freaks, Liu Yunsong lost his earlier calmness, his eyes shing with urgency, hurriedly saying, "Ladies and gentlemen, it was just a misunderstanding earlier, I didn¡¯t know Ling Chen¡¯s identity. If there¡¯s any offense, please be generous in your forgiveness."


    Seeing their uncle admit weakness, Qin Wu and the others were suddenly stunned.


    The eight freaks were names they had heard, but only by hearsay, and their uncle was a true master of the Dragon List, so why would he fear these people who weren¡¯t even on the Tiger List?


    Qiu Yong turned his head, looking at Ling Chen beside him and asked, "What do you say?"


    "We are all civilized people, and there is an old saying, better to dissolve enmity than to perpetuate it..."


    "Yes, yes, Ling has the grace," Liu Yunsong¡¯s face rxed slightly, smiling as he interrupted.


    Ling Chen looked displeased at Liu Yunsong and said, "I haven¡¯t finished speaking yet, what¡¯s the rush. As they say, better to dissolve enmity than to perpetuate it, however..." Saying this, Ling Chen red furiously and cursed, "I fucking can¡¯t stand people acting tough in front of me, you, a Dragon List master challenging me, fuck, I won¡¯t be satisfied today if I don¡¯t get this anger out, I fucking might as well take your surname."


    Hearing thetter part of Ling Chen¡¯s words, the other seven freaks slightly smiled, their eyes gleaming with amusement. Indeed, this guy¡¯s temperament was very much to their liking.


    "Liu Yunsong, you heard it. me yourself for offending us eight freaks." With those words, the one-armed man¡¯s smile faded, and his body dashed forward like a swift wind, instantly covering the ground to Liu Yunsong.


    Following that, without any noticeable movement, he suddenly brandished a steel knife, shing directly at the top of Liu Yunsong¡¯s head.


    Feeling the fierce Sword Force contained within the de, Liu Yunsong¡¯s face paled, he didn¡¯t dare to be careless, hurriedly retreating to dodge the fatal strike.


    "Go, quickly go!"


    Hearing Uncle Liu Yunsong¡¯s roar, Qin Wu and the others were slightly stunned, then quickly reacting, they rushed towards the parking lot.


    Seeing this, Ling Chen immediately gave chase, stepping on the car roofs, his body leaping forward,nding in front of Qin Wu and the others, blocking their path.


    Looking at the icy Qin Wu, Ling Chen grinned, "Miss Qin, where are you going?"

 Chapter 352 - 348 Extortion

    <h4>Chapter 352: Chapter 348 Extortion</h4><h4></h4>


    Qin Wu looked at her Senior Uncle engaging inbat with the one-armed man, her eyes filled with worry.


    "Don¡¯t get too smug, Ling," Qin Wu¡¯spanion, Qin Yang, called out defiantly, "it¡¯s not certain who will win or lose yet. Let¡¯s all attack together; with so many of us, we shouldn¡¯t be afraid of them." Encouraged by Qin Yang, the several brothers-in-arms following Qin Wu didn¡¯t hesitate, eyeing Ling Chen like tigers before pouncing towards him.


    Ling Chen just smiled. Liu Yunsong was a master from the Tiger List, whom he did not consider himself a match for, but these people... he truly didn¡¯t take them seriously.


    As the groupunched their attack, Ling Chen immediately met them head-on, fists and kicks flying as he tangled with everyone.


    Meanwhile, the battle between the one-armed man and Liu Yunsong intensified. Undeniably, Liu Yunsong, a Dragon List master, was powerful, but the one-armed man wasn¡¯t the slightest bit inferior, wielding a steel knife that was imprably swift and deadly in its attacks.


    After a long exchange, Liu Yunsong could barely find an opportunity to close the distance, repeatedly forced to retreat without a chance for advantage.


    Just then, a sudden ¡¯whoosh¡¯ broke the silence as the sound of something tearing through the air was heard.


    Liu Yunsong¡¯s expression turned grave as if realizing something, but before he could react, a deep wound appeared on his right shoulder. Behind him, not far on the wall, was a piercing arrow with a remnant trace of fresh blood still undried.


    Feeling the pain in his shoulder, Liu Yunsong¡¯s gaze flickered, only catching a glimpse of a man standing behind Qiu Yong, bow drawn, arrow nocked, intensely focused and with a piercing gaze as sharp and cold as the arrow that breaches one¡¯s psychological defenses.


    Even as a Dragon List master, facing that simple bow and arrow, Liu Yunsong felt an involuntary dread.


    The entric Eight were notoriously elusive, and he had never encountered them before, but Liu Yunsong was well aware of their prowess.


    The Archer God, Zhang Zhongfeng.


    Across thend, there was no archer more formidable than him. Nearly half of the entric Eight¡¯s fame was held up by Zhang Zhongfeng alone.


    At this moment, locked in the aim of Zhang Zhongfeng¡¯s bow, Liu Yunsong was thrown into panic. For masters in contest, a moment of distraction can reveal a fatal w. Seizing the chance, the one-armed man surged with power, his attacks growing fiercer, unleashing five rapid shes aimed at Liu Yunsong¡¯s head.


    Liu Yunsong, with his concentration wavering, managed to parry four shes, but was caught off guard by thest, allowing the one-armed man to breach his defense and leave a gash on his left shoulder, blood spurting out and staining his clothes red.


    Simultaneously, the battle on Ling Chen¡¯s side also came to a conclusion, and the underlings apanying Qin Wu were allid out on the ground. Qin Wu held her right arm, panting heavily, her delicate face showing a hint of paleness from excessive exertion.


    Casting a nce at Qin Wu, who was unable to continue the fight, Ling Chen casually dusted off his hands and returned to Qiu Yong¡¯s side, then turned his attention to Liu Yunsong. Seeing his opponent¡¯s drooping arms and the blood stains on both shoulders, Ling Chen couldn¡¯t help but reveal a teasing smile, mockingly saying, "Master Liu, how could you be so careless?"


    Hearing the mocking tone in Ling Chen¡¯s voice, Liu Yunsong¡¯s face turned ashen with anger, and through gritted teeth, he said, "This victory of yours is dishonorable."


    "Dishonorable?" Ling Chen¡¯s mouth curved slightly as he stepped in front of Liu Yunsong with a mocking smile, "You know all about dishonorable, do you? So, it¡¯s eptable for you to bully with numbers, but it¡¯s not allowed when I do this?" Finishing his words, Ling Chen showed no courtesy as he stretched out his leg and brutally kicked Liu Yunsong, cursing unrestrainedly, "Think being a Dragon List master makes you exceptional? Act less arrogant in the future. There¡¯s always someone stronger; there are heavens beyond our own. If you dare to provoke me again, I¡¯ll strip you and throw you onto the streets."


    Liu Yunsong, unreconciled, wanted to retort, but noticing the menacing stance of the entric Eight nearby, he lost his nerve and could only swallow his anger.


    "Ling Chen, should we let them go now?" Qiu Yong asked.


    "Go..." Ling Chen¡¯s eyes shifted as he looked towards Qin Wu not far away, a smile immediately surfacing in his eyes as he continued, "Let¡¯s not rush. Eh, I say, Master Liu, not only did you bully me just now, but you also injured me. Don¡¯t you think you ought to give me somepensation for my emotional distress?"


    "Compensation for emotional distress?"


    This statement not only stunned Liu Yunsong, but even Qiu Yong and the others were caught off guard, never expecting Ling Chen to make such a demand.


    Liu Yunsong furrowed his brows and asked reluctantly, "What do you want?"


    Ling Chen snapped his fingers and grinned: "Simple. At the auction at Yulong Mansion before, Miss Qin obtained something I¡¯m quite fond of. She¡¯s your nephew¡¯s apprentice... so why not have her give me that item aspensation?"


    "Impossible!" Liu Yunsong refused immediately without even thinking, then added, "I can give you money aspensation."


    Ling Chen waved his hand, "You clearly haven¡¯t inquired about who my girlfriend is. Do you think I¡¯m the kind of person who is short of money? Master Liu, I¡¯ve made my terms clear. Whether you ept them or not is up to you. But don¡¯t me me for not warning you ¨C my friends here have bad tempers, and if you can¡¯t meet my demands and piss them off, not one of you will leave here alive."


    Hearing this, Xia Yue couldn¡¯t help but roll her eyes at Ling Chen. This bastard was so despicable, actually using the reputation of the eight entrics to swindle and cheat.


    However, Ling Chen¡¯s threat was not without effect. Liu Yunsong looked at Qiu Yong and others behind him, hesitation flickering in his eyes. When his gaze swept over Zhang Zhongfeng, he gritted his teeth, turned his head towards Qin Wu, and said in a deep voice, "Give him the item."


    Qin Wu¡¯s expression changed slightly, and she quickly said, "Senior Uncle, that item..."


    "Enough, stop talking, give it to him quickly," Liu Yunsong interrupted Qin Wu and urged.


    "Yes." Qin Wu¡¯s brows slightly furrowed, reluctantly going back to themercial vehicle to retrieve the weapon wrapped in silk brocade, handed it over to Ling Chen with a face full of resentment.


    Ling Chen pretended not to see the anger in Qin Wu¡¯s eyes and smiled as he reached out to take it. After checking to make sure it was the right one, Ling Chen nodded with a smile and said, "Everyone, take care, I won¡¯t see you out."


    "Go!" Liu Yunsong spat out the word through clenched teeth, not wanting to stay a moment longer, and went straight into the car.


    Once Liu Yunsong and his group had driven away, Ling Chen put away the weapon, turned around to look at Qiu Yong and the others, and said with a salute, "Elder Qiu, thank you for earlier."


    "No need for courtesy. Come on, let¡¯s head back to the room and talk."


    Arriving at the hotel room where Qiu Yong and others were staying, before they could even sit down, Xia Yue couldn¡¯t help but ask, "What¡¯s the use of the weapon you extorted from Qin Wu?"


    Ling Chen touched his nose and said with a lifted corner of his mouth, "I don¡¯t know yet; I haven¡¯t studied it." Saying this, Ling Chen took out the weapon and exined, "Apparently, this thing was crafted by someone in the Martial Artsmunity hundreds of years ago."


    "Oh?" The one-armed man said with interest, "Let me take a look."

 Chapter 353: The 349th of the Eight Eccentrics: Ling Chen

    <h4>Chapter 353: The 349th of the Eight entrics: Ling Chen</h4><h4></h4>


    The weapon reached the one-armed man¡¯s hand, and he felt for the mechanism at the top, pressing it gently. Instantly, a de shot out from one end of the cylinder, its cold light piercing and clear.


    With a casual swing or two, the one-armed man suddenly twisted his arm and stabbed towards the wall of the guest room. In an instant, the de easily prated the wall to a depth of a foot.


    "Not bad," the one-armed man nodded affirmatively, saying, "Several hundred years old and still this sharp, indeed it¡¯s impressive, the person who forged this weapon must have been a grandmaster."


    Ling Chen¡¯s face lit up with joy at the one-armed man¡¯s praise, confirming to himself that he had a unique eye for quality.


    "It shouldn¡¯t be just that simple," Qiu Yong remarked from the side: "Judging from Liu Yunsong¡¯s demeanor earlier, he seemed quite reluctant to part with this weapon."


    Ling Chen nodded; he had also noticed this detail.


    Xia Yue took the weapon and scrutinized it closely. Before long, she found two tiny ancient seal characters on the top of the cylinder.


    "Tianling, this should be the name of the weapon."


    "It might not be," Qiu Yong said: "In ancient times, weapon forging grandmasters liked to engrave their names on their work, perhaps ¡¯Tianling¡¯ is the name of that grandmaster."


    "It doesn¡¯t matter," Ling Chen dismissed with an unconcerned smile, "Tianling is a good name, we¡¯ll call it that from now on." At this point, Ling Chen changed the subject and asked, "Elder Qiu, who is that Liu Yunsong?"


    "He¡¯s ranked tenth on the Dragon List, and also from the Dangyang Sect. His senior brother is the Sect Leader of the Dangyang Sect," Qiu Yong exined, "The Dangyang Sect is a southern sect with a history of over a hundred years and has some influence in Martial Arts. Liu Yunsong and his senior brother are both well-known experts on the Dragon List."


    "I see," Ling Chen scratched his head, realizing Qin Wu¡¯s background was not simple. This was his first encounter with Martial Arts sects, and it seems that he would now have another troublemaker due to his enmity with Qin Wu.


    Reading Ling Chen¡¯s thoughts, Qiu Yong said: "You don¡¯t need to worry too much, with the name of the ¡¯Eight entrics¡¯ backing you up, the Dangyang Sect wouldn¡¯t dare mess with you, unless they want to make enemies with us, the ¡¯Eight entrics¡¯."


    As he finished speaking, Qiu Yong nced at Xia Yue, the one-armed man, Zhang Zhongfeng, and the other members of the ¡¯Eight entrics¡¯, then said solemnly, "Ling Chen, there¡¯s something I¡¯d like to discuss with you."


    "Elder Qiu, please speak freely."


    "The reputation of us ¡¯Eight entrics¡¯ has been established for quite a while now. Recently, my third junior brother tragically passed away, leaving us one brother short. Continuing to call ourselves the ¡¯Eight entrics¡¯ is no longer appropriate. So, we siblings wanted to ask you, would you be interested in joining us? That way, we can at least retain the name of the ¡¯Eight entrics¡¯."


    Hearing this, Ling Chen was momentarily stunned, taking some time to process the proposal.


    Back in the parking lot, when Qiu Yong mentioned he was a member of the ¡¯Eight entrics¡¯, Ling Chen thought it was just a casual statement to intimidate Liu Yunsong, little did he expect that Qiu Yong would seriously bring up the offer.


    Seeing Ling Chen¡¯s dyed response, Qiu Yong said: "If you¡¯re not willing, we won¡¯t force it. You¡¯ve helped us, and we¡¯ll still consider you a friend."


    "No, it¡¯s not that," Ling Chen quickly said, "Elder Qiu, you misunderstood, I¡¯m not unwilling, it¡¯s just..." he said somewhat embarrassedly, "Each member of the ¡¯Eight entrics¡¯ has their own special talents, I¡¯m afraid my modest martial arts skills will tarnish the reputation of the ¡¯Eight entrics¡¯."


    The one-armed man chuckled, "That¡¯s not a problem at all. Ling Chen, to be honest, we investigated you before our eldest brother suggested this. Honestly, you remind us of myte third brother, not just in character, but also in skills."


    "Really?" Ling Chen looked at the one-armed man with skepticism, unaware of any unique skills that he himself possessed.


    "My third brother had a nickname, ¡¯yboy¡¯. He wasn¡¯t good at many things, but when it came to charming women, he was peerless. Any woman he set his sights on couldn¡¯t escape his palm. In that regard, I think you¡¯re very much like him. The beautiful women around you are enough to attest to your charisma."


    "Uh..."


    Hearing the one-armed man¡¯s words, Ling Chen was at a loss whether tough or cry, finding it ridiculous that charming women could be considered a skill; were the ¡¯Eight entrics¡¯ too entric after all?


    "Ling Chen, you¡¯re a decent person, and you¡¯re upright. Although we ¡¯Eight entrics¡¯ are known for our entric behavior, we¡¯re definitely not bad people, and we¡¯ve never done anything to harm heaven or reason. Most of us in the ¡¯Eight entrics¡¯ are orphans or were abandoned by our families. Later by fate, we came together. If you¡¯re willing, from now on, you¡¯ll be a member of the ¡¯Eight entrics¡¯," Qiu Yong said.


    "This..." Ling Chen thought for a moment and hesitated, "Elder Qiu, it¡¯s not that I¡¯m unwilling, I just worry about bringing you trouble. Honestly, I have quite a few enemies..."


    Qiu Yong waved his hand dismissively, "That¡¯s not an issue. Ask Xia Yue and the others; who doesn¡¯t have a few enemies? It¡¯s quite normal."


    "In that case..."


    Since the conversation hade this far, any further hesitation would seem discourteous, and Ling Chen readily agreed. Although he had known the ¡¯Eight entrics¡¯ for a short time, the impression Qiu Yong and the others left on him was profound - they were loyal and righteous. Being brothers with these people was also a good thing.


    "Great." Seeing Ling Chen¡¯s agreement, the usually serious Qiu Yong rarely smiled.


    "Come, let me formally introduce you to everyone," Qiu Yong said, bringing each member of the ¡¯Eight entrics¡¯ to Ling Chen¡¯s side.


    A few minutester, Ling Chen finally had a general understanding of all the members of the ¡¯Eight entrics¡¯.


    The one-armed man, named Yuan Yun, had practiced saber techniques since childhood under a master. Later, due to jealousy from fellow disciples leading to a trap that cost him an arm, he lost his master¡¯s favor and left his sect to join the ¡¯Eight entrics¡¯.


    Xia Yue, an orphan from a young age, followed an odd character roaming around and learned a range of martial arts.


    Zhang Zhongfeng, known as the ¡¯God of Arrows¡¯, had unmatched archery skills and was the strongest member of the ¡¯Eight entrics¡¯. No one knew his origins, not even Qiu Yong.


    The blind youth named Yang Chen, had especially keen hearing due to his blindness from birth. During Ling Chen¡¯s time at God Organization¡¯s secret base, he had witnessed Yang Chen¡¯s skills.


    And that child around ten years old named Wei Jiahao had left a deep impression on Ling Chen, having fought him before. Despite his young age, his strength was extraordinary. It was only after Qiu Yong¡¯s introduction that Ling Chen understood that Wei Jiahao¡¯s might wasn¡¯t due to solid martial arts foundations, but because he excelled at Mechanical Techniques and liked to tinker with mechanical gadgets.


    Inside Wei Jiahao¡¯s clothing were all sorts of intricate mechanisms, linked together with springs, which allowed him to exert formidable strength.


    Ling Chen was very impressed; despite Wei Jiahao¡¯s young age, he was incredibly clever. Even modern scientists might not be able to produce such precise devices.

 Chapter 354: The 350th Beauty Coming Out of the Bath

    <h4>Chapter 354: The 350th Beauty Coming Out of the Bath</h4><h4></h4>


    Among the eight entrics, aside from these five people, plus Qiu Yong and the newly joined Ling Chen, there is one more person, who is also the most mysterious among the eight entrics.


    The reason why he is considered mysterious is that he¡¯s usually silent and reserved, hardly speaks, and always likes to sit alone. This man is about forty years old and goes by the name Xu Ming. He is the second eldest among the eight entrics, with a very ordinary appearance that wouldn¡¯t stand out in a crowd.


    After Qiu Yong finished introducing everyone, Ling Chen quietly asked Xia Yue for more information, but even Xia Yue didn¡¯t know much about Xu Ming¡¯s background, only that Xu Ming is one of the senior members of the eight entrics.


    "Elder Qiu, should we... perhaps be sworn brothers?"


    Qiu Yong replied with a light smile, "There¡¯s no need for such formalities. We eight entrics don¡¯t care for thosemon rituals, but a drink is unavoidable."


    "Let¡¯s go, my treat," Ling Chen said generously.


    After the drinks, it was already midnight. Ling Chen said his goodbyes to Qiu Yong and the others, then drove back to Wealthy Manor in a drunken state.


    Once he entered his room, Ling Chen didn¡¯t even bother to shower before copsing into bed and falling asleep, until the next morning when he was woken up by Nanrong Wanqing.


    Smelling the scent of alcohol on Ling Chen, Nanrong Wanqing frowned slightly and chided, "Don¡¯t you know to drink less? Too much alcohol is bad for your health."


    With sleepy eyes, Ling Chen looked at the beautiful Nanrong Wanqing by his bedside and shed a grin. Before she could dodge, he grabbed Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s hand and pulled her into his embrace, savoring her intoxicating fragrance.


    "How annoying," Nanrong Wanqing, blushing, beat on Ling Chen¡¯s chest, her delicate body wriggling slightly as she tried to break free from his arms. However, their bodies were tightly pressed together, and her movement instantly prompted a morning reaction from the just-awakened Ling Chen. Fortunately, they were covered with a quilt, which spared them any embarrassment.


    Ling Chen, unable to resist the adorable face of Nanrong Wanqing, flipped over, pinning her delicate body beneath him and went straight for those tempting red lips, savoring her sweetness without any restraint.


    Nanrong Wanqing struggled briefly before melting into Ling Chen¡¯s tenderness, wrapping her arms around his waist, passionately reciprocating.


    "Wanqing, breakfast is ready, you guys..."


    Just then, Su Lin suddenly appeared at the bedroom door. Seeing the two people on the bed closely entwined, Su Lin¡¯s pretty face instantly flushed red, and she quickly covered her eyes,ining, "Cousin, could you at least be a bit more discreet?"


    Caught red-handed by Su Lin, Nanrong Wanqing felt incredibly embarrassed and hurriedly pushed Ling Chen away, dashing out of the room as if fleeing, not daring to stay a second longer.


    Ling Chen climbed out of bed smilingly, stretchedzily, knowing that flirting with a beauty early in the morning is good for both mental and physical health.


    After taking a shower and changing into a set of clean clothes, Ling Chen made his way to the dining room, only to find Su Lin had already left for school, and Nanrong Wanqing was sitting at the table alone, eating cereal. When she saw Ling Chen, her newly regainedposure was againpromised as a blush crept up her cheeks, looking irresistibly shy and charming.


    "What did you dost night?" Nanrong Wanqing tried to change the subject.


    "I was drinking with some friends."


    Thinking ofst night¡¯s events, Ling Chen rubbed his slightly aching forehead, it felt almost like a dream¡ªhim bing a member of the eight entrics. While he was pondering, the ringtone from his cellphone in his pocket went off. Ling Chen took out his phone, nced at the iing number, and quickly answered, "Elder Qiu, you looking for me?"


    "Still calling me Elder Qiu?"


    Hearing Qiu Yong¡¯s chiding tone, Ling Chen immediately realized his mistake and corrected himself with a smile, "Big brother."


    The eight entrics didn¡¯t care about seniority, regardless of age; everyone addressed Qiu Yong as Big Brother. Being the sixth oldest among the eight entrics, they all called Ling Chen either Ling Cheng or Big Brother.


    "Ling Cheng, if you¡¯re freeter,e to the hotel; we have a task to undertake."


    "No problem, I¡¯ll be there on time."


    After breakfast, Ling Chen and Zhong Wei took a group of people to send Nanrong Wanqing to the headquarters of Hongyu Group, and then he drove alone to the hotel where Qiu Yong and the others were staying.


    In the Chinese-style tea restaurant on the third floor of the hotel, Ling Chen met everyone who was dining.


    "Brother Ling, you should be clear about our main purpose foring to East Sea City this time."


    Hearing Qiu Yong¡¯s words, Ling Chen¡¯s mind stirred, and he asked, "Is it for Dongfang Yu?"


    "Correct." The one-armed man Yuan Yun nodded and said, "Since we killed Dongfang Yu¡¯s disciple back then, Dongfang Yu will look for revenge sooner orter. Given this, we might as well take the initiative and just take him down."


    "Dongfang Yu is a master from the Earthly List, big brother, do you guys have a way to deal with him?"


    Qiu Yong pointed to the Archer God Zhang Zhongfeng sitting next to him and said with a smile, "With your third brother here, what¡¯s there to fear?"


    That¡¯s true.


    Ling Chen nodded silently. Back then at Zongming Mountain, Zhang Zhongfeng had forced He Ziyun to retreat with three arrows, demonstrating overwhelming strength.


    "Brother Ling, you¡¯ve stayed in East Sea City for quite a while, can you find a way to help us locate Dongfang Yu?"


    "Big brother, I¡¯m not sure I can, but I can try. How about this, I¡¯ll ask someone to look for him first, and notify you if there¡¯s any news."


    "Alright, thank you for your trouble."


    Ling Chen grinned and said, "We¡¯re brothers, no need for formalities."


    ...


    Leaving the hotel, Ling Chen drove directly to Qingyun Martial Arts Hall. To find out Dongfang Yu¡¯s whereabouts, he could only seek assistance from He Ziyun.


    Knocking on the door of the martial arts hall, Little Hua looked at Ling Chen listlessly, quite different from her usual enthusiasm, showing an unhappy face. Seeing this, Ling Chen scooped up the little girl into his arms and asked, "What¡¯s wrong? Did someone upset you?"


    "Sister Xiaozhu is sick," Little Hua said sorrowfully.


    "Xiaozhu?" Ling Chen was slightly shocked and asked, "Is she in the academy?"


    "She¡¯s in her room; Master said Sister Xiaozhu is very sick."


    "Let¡¯s go, take me to see her."


    Reaching the door of Zhu Xiaozhu¡¯s bedroom, Little Hua suddenly grabbed Ling Chen¡¯s sleeve and said, "Big brother, you go in by yourself first, Master asked me to fetch medicine for him, and I almost forgot."


    "Alright."


    Ling Chen responded, set Little Hua down on the ground, and then pushed open the door to enter the bedroom.


    As soon as he entered, Ling Chen froze on the spot. Inside the room, steam was swirling, and the fragrance was rich. Through a hazy mist, there was arge wooden tub near the window. Along with the sound of water, a snowy figure stood up from the tub, her hair dancing, cascading down her delicate back, and her tender shoulders covered with droplets.


    Although ayer of steam obscured the view a bit, it did not hinder Ling Chen from clearly seeing the elegant and fair body.


    Gazing at the beautiful curves and voluptuous figure, Ling Chen¡¯s mind went nk, and his breath involuntarily held still.


    At this moment, the beauty in the tub waspletely unaware of Ling Chen¡¯s presence behind her, she kept on moving out of the tub and turned towards the clothes on the bed. However, the moment she turned around, her eyes were immediately drawn to Ling Chen standing at the doorway.

 Chapter 355 - 351: Flower-like Beauty and Moon-like Appearance

    <h4>Chapter 355: Chapter 351: Flower-like Beauty and Moon-like Appearance</h4><h4></h4>


    At this moment, Ling Chen¡¯s eyes widened, all his attention captivated by the stunningly beautiful and pale body before him. In the dimness, those bright white thighs, slender waist, and round breasts, along with her exceptionally beautiful face, radiated deadly seduction. Any man would find it hard to resist such temptation.


    Ling Chen was a man, and a vigorous one at that. Further fueled by the waves of desire evoked by the Prajnaparamita Sutra, he felt an urge surging outward from his belly, his throat involuntarily swallowing, his clear pupils growing brighter.


    However, after a brief daze, Zhu Xiaozhu snapped back to reality. Her cherry-like mouth slightly open, she let out an "Ah" of shock, her hands hurriedly pulling a bath towel from the bed to wrap around her delicate body, concealing all her charm.


    Seeing that Ling Chen was still staring intently at her, Zhu Xiaozhu felt her face burning hot, a deep red flush spreading across, adding a more seductive allure in the steamy air, making it hard for anyone to look away.


    "You... you¡¯re still looking!" Zhu Xiaozhu bit her thin lips, holding the towel with both hands against her full figure, she looked annoyedly at the ground, unable to meet Ling Chen¡¯s gaze.


    Chided by Zhu Xiaozhu¡¯s light scolding, Ling Chen finally came back to senses, turning his head with an awkward expression, sheepishly saying, "I¡¯m sorry, I didn¡¯t know you were bathing."


    While apologizing, Ling Chen internallyined about Little Hua. It must have been that girl who did it on purpose, knowing Zhu Xiaozhu was bathing in the room, thus she found an excuse to leave him to enter alone.


    He just couldn¡¯t understand, what on earth was going on in that girl¡¯s head, toe up with such a bad idea.


    "Please... could you step out for a bit?"


    Hearing Zhu Xiaozhu¡¯s weak, mosquito-like voice, Ling Chen didn¡¯t hesitate and immediately stepped outside. He dared not stay in the room any longer, fearing that he couldn¡¯t resist the temptation and might do something excessive.


    As he heard the door close, Zhu Xiaozhu breathed a sigh of relief, but the blush on her cheeks did not fade quickly, her beauty radiant and moving.


    Thinking about the long-unseen Ling Chen suddenly appearing before her, she actually felt a bit thrilled at that instant. However, as soon as she thought about her rtionship with Ling Chen, and Zhu Hong being involved, her joy disappeared instantly, reced with endless mncholy and helplessness.


    With a soft sigh, Zhu Xiaozhu let go of her hands, the white towel falling to the floor, revealing her slender and graceful pale figure, her smooth belly was like a tender willow swaying lightly, her soft arms, delicate like lotus roots, gently lifted, ying with the ck hair that cascaded down her shoulders.


    Then, she picked up a close-fitting garment from the bed, covering all the spring scenery in the room.


    Once dressed, Zhu Xiaozhu calmed her emotions, trying to forget the awkward scene just now, then she pushed the door and walked out.


    At this moment, Ling Chen was standing alone by the door, quietly waiting. Hearing the sound of the door behind him, Ling Chen immediately turned around, his gaze meeting the charmingly gentle Zhu Xiaozhu, stirring up slight ripples in his heart.


    This woman was unspeakably beautiful, as if all the essence of the world was integrated into her.


    Internally eximing, Ling Chen thought of the words previously spoken by Little Hua, looking at Zhu Xiaozhu a couple more times. Perhaps because she had just bathed, Zhu Xiaozhu¡¯s cheeks were flushed, but her spirit seemed much weaker than usual, her eyes pitifully endearing.


    Meeting Ling Chen¡¯s gaze, Zhu Xiaozhu opened her lips lightly and asked in a soft voice, "Why did youe today?"


    "I..." Ling Chen originally wanted to say he came to find He Ziyun, but instantly changed his words, "I heard you were sick, so I came to check on you. How are you, are you okay? Do you need to go to the hospital?"


    Feeling the concern from the man in front of her, Zhu Xiaozhu gave a faint smile: "It¡¯s okay. Have you forgotten? I¡¯m a doctor myself. If I can¡¯t even cure myself, how can I treat others?"


    Ling Chen touched his nose and smiled: "True, then you should rest well and don¡¯t overexert yourself."


    During their conversation, Little Hua came bouncing over, holding He Ziyun¡¯s hand. Seeing her proud smile, Ling Chen had to admit, the little girl¡¯s acting skills were too good, it would be a pity for her not to be an actress. She had seemed all unhappy when they first met, but that was all just an act.


    Life depends on acting skills, and this little girl, so young, had already mastered the essence.


    "Big brother, Sister Xiaozhu." Little Hua giggled, her shiny eyes darting back and forth between Ling Chen and Zhu Xiaozhu¡¯s faces, seemingly curious about what interesting thing had just happened.


    Ling Chen gave Little Hua a stern look, then greeted He Ziyun.


    "Little Hua,e, let¡¯s go out and buy some herbal medicine."


    Hearing Zhu Xiaozhu, Little Hua pouted, reluctant: "Why don¡¯t you ask big brother to apany you."


    Zhu Xiaozhu nced at Ling Chen, her pretty face blushed slightly, and she scolded Little Hua: "He¡¯s busy. If you¡¯re not going, then I will go alone." With that, Zhu Xiaozhu walked towards the outside of the Martial Arts Academy. Little Hua had no choice, she made a face at Ling Chen and quickly caught up with Zhu Xiaozhu¡¯s steps.


    Watching the two of them leave, Ling Chen turned to He Ziyun and said, "Mr. He, I need your help with something."


    "What is it?"


    "I¡¯m looking for Dongfang Yu."


    After saying this, Ling Chen continued to exin his reasons. In front of He Ziyun, Ling Chen had nothing to hide.


    When Ling Chen said he had joined the ranks of the Eight entrics, the usually unppable He Ziyun couldn¡¯t hide his surprise.


    "You¡¯re really full of surprises, to think you¡¯ve ended up with the Eight entrics." He Ziyun smiled and said, "But that¡¯s good, each of the Eight entrics has their own skills, and they might be a strong support for you in your future journey. Especially that Zhang Zhongfeng, his archery is the best in the world, unmatched, it¡¯s your good fortune to have his help."


    Ling Chen knew Zhang Zhongfeng was excellent in archery, hence the title of Archery God, but he hadn¡¯t expected He Ziyun to hold such a high opinion of Zhang Zhongfeng.


    "Mr. He, how strong is Zhang Zhongfeng exactly?"


    "From a hundred meters away, he can certainly defeat me. Within a hundred meters, it¡¯s fifty-fifty. Within fifty meters, he will undoubtedly lose."


    Hearing He Ziyun¡¯s judgment, Ling Chen was secretly stunned. This meant that he had really stumbled upon a great advantage. As long as he kept the Eight entrics by his side in the future, who would dare to mess with him.


    Thinking this, he couldn¡¯t help but feel secretly delighted.


    "If you want to find Dongfang Yu, I can help you. ording to my knowledge, Dongfang Yu has been staying in East Sea City recently, but I need some time to pinpoint his exact location. For now, you go back, and I¡¯ll inform you once I have news."

 Chapter 356 - 352: Nanrong Wanqing’s Little Secret

    <h4>Chapter 356: Chapter 352: Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s Little Secret</h4><h4></h4>


    Back at the headquarters of Hongyu Group, it was almost noon. Ling Chen gulped down some food in the cafeteria to fill his stomach, then took the elevator to the chairman¡¯s office.


    He knocked gently on the door, and getting no response from inside, Ling Chen couldn¡¯t help but turn his gaze towards the secretary Wang Lan outside, asking, "Where¡¯s the chairman?"


    "In the office, the chairman hasn¡¯t gone out all morning."


    Hearing this, Ling Chen didn¡¯t bother to knock again and pushed the door directly and entered. The spacious and bright office was empty, but the door to the adjoining resting room next to the office was tightly closed; Nanrong Wanqing was probably taking a nap.


    Ling Chen tiptoed to the door and quietly pushed it open a crack, only to see Nanrong Wanqing lying sideways on the bed, ying with her phone,pletely unaware of someone peeking from outside.


    Ling Chen sneaked a smile, approached like a thief, and then pounced like a tiger, pinning down on Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s delicate body.


    "Ah!"


    The suddenness of the encounter startled Nanrong Wanqing. When she saw who it was, the surprise in her beautiful eyes instantly turned into annoyance. She gently patted her chest, looking reproachfully at Ling Chen and said, "Can¡¯t you just not scare me?"


    Ling Chen, holding Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s soft body, nced at the phone in her hand and asked with a mischievous smile, "What were you doing?"


    As soon as he asked, Nanrong Wanqing seemed to think of something, her pretty face slightly changed, and she hurriedly hid her phone, stuffing it under the pillow.


    Her actions only piqued Ling Chen¡¯s curiosity further. He had merely asked casually, not expecting such a strong reaction from Nanrong Wanqing.


    "Are... are you watching some adult movies or what?"


    Flushed, Nanrong Wanqing retorted, "I don¡¯t watch those kinds of things."


    "Then what were you doing?"


    "I..." Nanrong Wanqing was at a loss for words, not knowing how to exin, so she changed the subject, "I have my privacy, don¡¯t ask too much."


    Seeing that she brought up her privacy, Ling Chen felt it was not appropriate to ask further, yet his curiosity was itching inside.


    With a beauty in his arms, Ling Chen¡¯s curiosity merelysted a short while before he immersed in Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s sweet lips, seeking her fragrance.


    After a period of entanglement, Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s cheeks were flushed and her eyes were like silk, gasping under Ling Chen¡¯s firm hands. If not for thest bit of her rationality, her bra would almost have been torn off by Ling Chen.


    "Why are you getting more and more lewd?" Nanrong Wanqing reproached. When she first met Ling Chen, he wasn¡¯t this bold; usually at most they would be affectionate at home, but now he doesn¡¯t even spare the office.


    She too was bing increasingly sensitive, barely able to hold herself at the slightest provocation. Compared to before, she had changed too much. Often when she thought of herself lost in amorous caresses, she was almost too embarrassed to face herself.


    Hearing Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s reproach, Ling Chen grinned and cheekily responded, "What kind of man would I be if I weren¡¯t lewd?"


    During their conversation, a knocking sound came from the resting room door.


    "Chairman, are you there?" The voice of Wang Lan came through the door, causing Nanrong Wanqing immense embarrassment as she red resentfully at Ling Chen. If Wang Lan were to see her in this state, the image she had carefully cultivated in the minds of the employees would bepletely ruined.


    Taking a deep breath, Nanrong Wanqing tried to adjust her tone and replied, "What is it?"


    "The manager from HR wants to see you."


    "Understood, tell him toe over in ten minutes."


    Once the footsteps of Wang Lan faded away from the door, Nanrong Wanqing hurriedly stood up and straightened her dishevelled clothes. Ling Chen, propping his head with one hand, stared unblinkingly at the beauty in front of him, feeling as if recent events were like a dream.


    "Still looking?" Nanrong Wanqing lightly tapped on Ling Chen¡¯s shoulder, saying annoyedly, "Get out now, I have work to do."


    Ling Chen shrugged his shoulders, reluctantly sitting up. Nanrong Wanqing took out a mobile phone from beneath the pillow and left the rest room first.


    What secrets lie within that phone? Ling Chen thought to himself, his curiosity once again piqued.


    Leaving the chairman¡¯s office under the ambiguous gaze of Wang Lan, Ling Chen stepped into the elevator.


    He had not yet arrived at the security office when he received a call from Jiang Yunkai.


    "Bai Huanjun just got discharged from the hospital. I did as you instructed and didn¡¯t follow him."


    "Understood."


    "By the way, if you have time now,e over. Everyone has something they wish to discuss with you."


    "Alright, I¡¯ll be right there."


    After hanging up the phone, Ling Chen headed to the underground parking lot, driving straight to the destination. Half an hourter, he met Jiang Yunkai and Zhao Zhengxiong at a courierpany in Old City, surprisingly, even Nanrong Hao showed up.


    "Chen."


    "Why aren¡¯t you in school? What are you doing here?"


    "There¡¯s a big issue. Hao is still in the hospital undergoing rehabilitation, and we¡¯re short-handed here. As a part of Old City, how can I stand idly by?"


    Hearing Nanrong Hao¡¯s reasoning, Ling Chen chose not to argue and asked, "What¡¯s the matter?"


    When it came to the matter at hand, Zhao Zhengxiong¡¯s expression turned solemn. He pulled out a map of East Sea City, spread it on the table, and ced several coins on various districts of the city.


    "Chen, look. East Sea City has six districts: North City District, South District, West District, East District, as well as Central District and Old City. Previously, Dongyi Group¡¯s influence was primarily concentrated in Central District and the three districts to the east, south, and west. Since Old City is mixed and chaotic and North City District is rtively remote, Dongyi Group didn¡¯t extend its influence to these two districts. These past few days, I¡¯ve gathered some information on the streets. It was the forces from North City District that attacked us this time. Before, they thought the police had orchestrated the downfall of Dongyi Group, so they hesitated, not daring to take over. Once we took control, they realized and reacted. From what I know, the people from North City District are very ambitious, wanting to swallow several districts in one go."


    Ling Chen nodded and asked, "How strong are the forces in North City District?"


    "They have about six or seven hundred people, almost equal to our forces in Old City."


    "What are your thoughts?"


    "The territory left by Dongyi Group is massive, covering four districts. If we take over entirely, we¡¯ll face a severe shortage of manpower. I¡¯m worried that hiring temporarily would result in a mixed quality of personnel, potentially undermining our foundation. Plus, with the people from North City District watching closely, if we spread our manpower too thin, we won¡¯t be able to confront them, only giving them the upper hand. So, after careful consideration, I think we should act within our capacity, take over a portion first, and let go of the rest. Once our foundation is solid, we can slowly reim those territories. Chen, what do you think?"

 Chapter 357 - 353: Ceding Power

    <h4>Chapter 357: Chapter 353: Ceding Power</h4><h4></h4>


    After listening to Zhao Zhengxiong¡¯s analysis, Ling Chen looked at him in a new light. He always thought Zhao was careless, but he turned out to be a meticulous person with a great sense of the bigger picture, not blinded by immediate lucrative gains but rather able to see through them and act ordingly.


    Before, Ling Chen thought only Jiang Hao was smart, but it seems Zhao Zhengxiong is not bad either.


    Ling Chen smirked and nodded, "You¡¯ve thought it through well. Since you¡¯re suggesting this, you must have aplete n. Let¡¯s hear it."


    With Ling Chen¡¯s affirmation, Zhao Zhengxiong felt encouraged and continued, "The Old City is our stronghold, we definitely can¡¯t lose it. Moreover, the Central District is the center of East Sea City, the most prosperous area. We can¡¯t let such a juicy slice slip away. The East District is adjacent to both the Old City and Central District, which makes it easy to manage. My idea is to only keep these two districts. We can give up the West District and South District to others."


    "Good, I support your decision." Ling Chen didn¡¯t hesitate; Zhao Zhengxiong¡¯s analysis was logical and sound, making this the best arrangement. With that said, Ling Chen turned to Jiang Yunkai, "How is the progress with those four securitypanies?"


    "After preliminary screening, only a bit more than thirty individuals meet the basic conditions."


    Jiang Yunkai finished speaking, Zhao Zhengxiong couldn¡¯t help butin, "Chen, don¡¯t me me for nagging, but isn¡¯t Kai a bit too harsh? I sent over four hundred people, and not even one-tenth got selected."


    "My n is to transform the securitypany into a top-notch individualbat team, naturally the selection must be strict. Give me half a year to train them, those thirty plus people will be as effective as three hundred, I assure you won¡¯t be disappointed."


    "Really? That¡¯s impressive."


    It wasn¡¯t just Zhao Zhengxiong and Nanrong Hao; even Ling Chen was somewhat skeptical, thinking Jiang Yunkai¡¯s statement was an exaggeration.


    Jiang Yunkai calmly said, "Those people are physically fit and with the unique training method of my sect, there will absolutely be no problem."


    "Alright, I¡¯ll see the result after half a year." Ling Chen was no longer dubious, knowing that seeing is believing.


    Leaving the courierpany, Jiang Yunkai was just about to head to the securitypany, so Ling Chen gave him a ride along the way.


    As the car merged into the traffic, Jiang Yunkai nced at Ling Chen who was driving and asked, "The people in the North City District can be troublesome, but with our abilities, it wouldn¡¯t be hard to handle them. Why then did you let Zhao Zhengxiong exert so much effort?"


    Ling Chen smiled, "The rise of a nation often requires enduring many hardships and difficulties. If things are too easy, no one will cherish what they have. We¡¯re currently having a smooth ride, but that¡¯s not necessarily a good thing. Jiang Hao, Zhao Zhengxiong, including Nanrong Hao, used to engage in minor skirmishes; suddenly letting them take over the entire underground forces of East Sea City, do you think that¡¯s wise? What I need is not just a force but a solid and mature team. For them, this is a process of growth and experience."


    Hearing Ling Chen¡¯s words, Jiang Yunkai gave a thumbs up, generously praising, "You really do have a far-sighted vision."


    While they were talking, two Mercedes-Benz sedans suddenly sped up from behind and quickly overtook Ling Chen¡¯s muscle car.


    Have they finally made a move?


    Ling Chen¡¯s lips curved slightly; he had noticed those two Mercedes-Benz sedans trailing behind throughout the ride.


    Looking at the two Mercedes-Benz sedans blocking the road ahead, Jiang Yunkai frowned, "Who are they?"


    "We¡¯ll find out soon."


    As he finished speaking, the two Mercedes-Benz cars abruptly came to a harsh stop. Fearing a collision, Ling Chen instantly hit the brakes, bringing the car to a secure stop.


    At that moment, two men in suits stepped out from the Mercedes-Benz cars and quickly approached the driver¡¯s side window. Ling Chen rolled down the window, squinting at them, he asked, "What can I do for you gentlemen?"


    "Mr. Ling, our Miss would like to invite you over."


    "Who?"


    "Go and you¡¯ll find out."


    "Not even willing to say a name, that¡¯s really insincere. Tell your missus that I¡¯m not free today; ask her to make an appointment."


    The man in the suit coldly said, "Mr. Ling, you¡¯d better cooperate with us willingly, don¡¯t make it difficult. Otherwise, don¡¯t me us for not being polite."


    Ling Chen grinned, a yful smile on his face: "Try it."


    The two men in suits looked slightly cold, snorted lightly, reached out to grab the car door handle, and tried to forcibly pull Ling Chen out of the car. But just then, a van suddenly drove up from the left, parked next to the muscle car, right beside Ling Chen¡¯s driver seat. Following that, the window rolled down, and a face as cold as frost appeared before Ling Chen.


    Seeing the person, Ling Chen smiled and said, "I was wondering who was asking me, turns out it¡¯s Miss Qin."


    Qin Wu signaled the two men in suits with her eyes, and once they stepped back, she turned her gaze to Ling Chen and asked, "Can we talk in the car for a bit?"


    "Would I dare not to show respect when Miss Qin asks?" Ling Chen said with a smile, pushed open the car door, and got into the van by himself.


    Inside the van, apart from Qin Wu and the driver, there was no one else. Ling Chen felt a bit relieved; he was actually worried that Liu Yunsong might appear. Calming himself down, Ling Chen looked at Qin Wu¡¯s beautiful face and asked, "What did Miss Qin want to see me about?"


    "I want that weapon," Qin Wu got straight to the point. Without waiting for Ling Chen to respond, she continued, "I don¡¯t want to bring up the past events; I just want that weapon back. As long as your demands aren¡¯t too excessive, I can agree to them."


    A weapon?


    So it was about that weapon called Tianling. Ling Chen suddenly understood, but still felt puzzled, wondering why Qin Wu insisted on getting that weapon¡ªwas it very important to her?


    Seeing Ling Chen in deep thought and not responding, Qin Wu couldn¡¯t help urging, "So is it possible or not?"


    Ling Chen looked at Qin Wu meaningfully and said lightly, "Miss Qin seems to care a lot about that weapon. Does it have some special significance?"


    Qin Wu¡¯s expression faltered, realizing she had been too eager. To prevent Ling Chen from noticing more, she withdrew the urgency in her eyes and spoke emotionlessly, "You¡¯re thinking too much. That weapon has special significance for my sect, so I want to reim it."


    As if I¡¯d believe you!


    Ling Chen thought to himself. That weapon must be not simple; otherwise, right after falling out with Qin Wu and her Senior Uncle Liu Yunsong, and with Qin Wu¡¯s hatred towards him, she wouldn¡¯te to him lowering her stance and allowing him to name any conditions.


    After going back today, he should study the weapon carefully to see what secrets it conceals.


    "Ling Chen."


    Qin Wu¡¯s sharp call pulled Ling Chen back to the present.


    "Miss Qin, I am very sorry, but I quite like that weapon, so I am not nning to part with it."


    "You..."


    "If there¡¯s nothing else, I¡¯ll be heading back now, goodbye!" After saying that, not waiting for Qin Wu to speak again, Ling Chen had already opened the car door and walked out.


    Getting back in his car, Ling Chen started the vehicle, first dropped Jiang Yunkai off at the securitypany, then drove back to Wealthy Manor alone, and found the weapon ced in his bedroom.

 Chapter 358 - 354: The Long Spear

    <h4>Chapter 358: Chapter 354: The Long Spear</h4><h4></h4>


    After obtaining this weapon, Ling Chen still hadn¡¯t had the time to properly study it. Today, Qin Wu¡¯s actions had sparked a strong interest in this weapon.


    The weapon wasid out in front of him, held up by Ling Chen¡¯s hands for a closer inspection. At the top of the cylindrical body, there was a clever mechanism that controlled the extension and retraction of the sword de. The surface of the cylinder was etched with many patterns, and it felt quite heavy in hand. However, it seemed that besides these features, there were no other special functions.


    Moments passed, and Ling Chen couldn¡¯t help but doubt - could it be that Qin Wu hadn¡¯t deceived him? Was her determination to obtain this weapon simply because it held special significance for her sect?


    Lost in thought, Ling Chen casually maneuvered the weapon, his eyes reflecting contemtion.


    Suddenly, the astute Ling Chen noticed a thin seam in the middle of the cylinder, hard to spot due to the oveying patterns. He immediately grasped both ends of the cylinder and gently twisted.


    Click!


    With a soft sound, the middle part of the cylinder began to rotate. At the same time, the cylinder, initially only a foot in length, rapidly extended from both ends, transforming into a six-foot long staff. Not only that, when he pressed the clever mechanism, a sharp sword de suddenly protruded from the top of the staff, instantly turning the staff into a long spear.


    Tsk, tsk!


    Ling Chen¡¯s eyes lit up, so this was it. He had to admit, even calling this craftsmanship heaven-defying wouldn¡¯t be an overstatement. After all, this weapon was crafted hundreds of years ago. To produce something so intricate in an era with such limited technology was quite the feat.


    However, as ingenious as this weapon was, it likely wasn¡¯t the main reason that attracted Qin Wu. There must be other secrets hidden within it.


    Sadly, after over two hours of searching, Ling Chen had examined every part and found nothing else. Regardless, having this exquisitely made weapon suited his taste well, and it wouldn¡¯t hurt to keep it by his side.


    ...


    Night fell.


    After having dinner with Nanrong Wanqing and Su Lin, Ling Chen sat on the living room sofa, legs on the coffee table, holding a remote control, idly flipping through channels.


    At this moment, the ringtone of his mobile phone echoed from his pocket. Ling Chen pulled out his phone, nced at the unfamiliar caller ID, and answered the call with a "hello."


    "Mr. Ling."


    Hearing the caller¡¯s voice, Ling Chen immediately knew who it was - Zhu Yansong, the top producer from Silver Star Entertainment Company.


    "Mr. Zhu, is there something you need?"


    There was a hint of anxiety in Zhu Yansong¡¯s tone as he urgently said, "Mr. Ling, there¡¯s a problem with Miss Tang."


    "Tang Shiyun?" Ling Chen¡¯s heart sank as he hurriedly asked, "Has something happened to her?"


    "No, no, no, she¡¯s safe. It¡¯s about Miss Tang¡¯s mother. After you helped rescue Miss Tang from the kidnappers, Miss Yao wasn¡¯t satisfied with how ourpany handled the situation and wants to take Miss Tang out of Silver Star Entertainment to join anotherpany." Zhu Yansong sighed, "President Yang and I have tried persuading her, but Miss Yao is hell-bent on severing ties with us."


    That idiotic woman!


    Ling Chen frowned slightly. Truthfully, he had no fondness for Yao Li; she was too mercenary, only considering immediate benefits without thinking about her daughter¡¯s feelings.


    "Mr. Zhu, what¡¯s the situation now?"


    "Mr. Ling, it¡¯s not clear over the phone. How about this - when you have time,e to Silver Star Entertainment, and we can talk in person."


    "Alright, I¡¯ll be there right away."


    After hanging up the phone, Ling Chen greeted Nanrong Wanqing and then drove alone to the headquarters of Silver Star Entertainment. Shortly after he left, a neatly dressed Nanrong Wanqing came out of the room and went straight out the door.


    Su Lin, who was watching TV, couldn¡¯t help but ask, "Wanqing, where are you going?"


    "Just have something to do."


    "Do you want me toe with you?"


    "No need, I¡¯ve got Zhong Wei and the others with me, you stay home."


    Su Lin responded and continued watching the TV program, not asking any further.


    Leaving the Nanrong home, Nanrong Wanqing didn¡¯t take any security personnel with her, but went alone to the entrance of Wealthy Manor. Then, she took out her cell phone and dialed a number, saying, "I¡¯m here."


    A few minutes passed, and a white Honda van drove up from the side of the road and stopped next to Nanrong Wanqing.


    The car door opened, Nanrong Wanqing looked at the person in the car, didn¡¯t say a word, and directly got in. The car started and soon merged into the flow of traffic, disappearing from view.


    At this moment, Ling Chen had already driven to the entrance of Silver Star Entertainment¡¯s headquarters. As soon as he got out of the car, Zhu Yansong, who had been waiting at the entrance, hurried over.


    "Mr. Ling, I¡¯m terribly sorry for the inconvenience of having youe all the way herete at night."


    "It¡¯s okay." Ling Chen said nonchntly, waving his hand and asked, "Where is Shiyun?"


    "Still in the meeting room. During this period of time, Miss Yao covertly got in touch with anotherpany, and now she¡¯s leading them in negotiations with President Yang."


    "Negotiations? About what?"


    "Compensation." Zhu Yansong exined, "Initially, Miss Tang signed a ten-year contract with ourpany. If she unterally breaches the contract, she will need to pay arge sum ofpensation, about 200 million. Miss Yao cannot afford this amount, so it has to be paid by anotherpany."


    Ling Chen nodded to himself. Tang Shiyun¡¯s fame is considerable; as long as she continues to be promoted, anypany that takes over will be able to reap huge profits in the future. Naturally, there arepanies willing to pay about 200 million inpensation.


    "What¡¯s President Yang¡¯s attitude?"


    "He certainly doesn¡¯t want to let her go. Miss Tang is someone we¡¯ve cultivated with countless resources, and now that we¡¯ve finally achieved results, who would want to give away the benefits?"


    Zhu Yansong felt somewhat helpless as he continued, "The key issue now is still Miss Yao. If she doesn¡¯t relent, it probably will be difficult to keep Miss Tang."


    "Mr. Zhu, how about this, could you please call Shiyun out for me and arrange a ce for us to talk alone?"


    "Sure, no problem."


    Upon entering Silver Star Entertainment Company, Zhu Yansong took Ling Chen to his office and said, "Mr. Ling, please wait here a moment while I go call Miss Tang."


    In less than five minutes, the door of the office was pushed open from the outside. Following that, Tang Shiyun, dressed in in goose-yellow casual wear, came in. Tang Shiyun was dressed simply but it could not hide her natural beauty. However, her slightly red eyes appeared as if she had just been crying, and there were still tears lingering in the corners of her eyes, looking vulnerable and pitiful.


    Upon opening the door and seeing Ling Chen in the office, Tang Shiyun was momentarily taken aback; it seemed she hadn¡¯t expected Ling Chen to be there and froze on the spot.


    Ling Chen gave a wry smile and said, "You little girl."


    Hearing the familiar nickname, Tang Shiyun¡¯s tears broke free like a flood, unable to stop them from gushing out, erupting all her emotions.


    "Ling."


    With a tender shout, Tang Shiyun threw herself into Ling Chen¡¯s arms, wrapping her arms tightly around his waist.

 Chapter 359 - 355 Contract Dispute

    <h4>Chapter 359: Chapter 355 Contract Dispute</h4><h4></h4>


    Ling Chen gently patted Tang Shiyun¡¯s back, soothing her copsing emotions, and softly said, "Alright, stop crying, I¡¯ll shoulder everything for you."


    After crying for a while, Tang Shiyun gradually stopped her tears and sobbingly said, "Ling, I... I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t stay."


    "How so? Has the matter been settled on their end?"


    "The other party agreed to pay the penalty, and President Yang is helpless. Even taking it to court would be useless. They are drafting the contract now."


    Ling Chen took Tang Shiyun¡¯s hand and walked with her to a sofa nearby where they sat down. Looking at Tang Shiyun, tear-stained and pitiful, Ling Chen spoke, "Girl, this is originally your family matter, and I, as an outsider, should not interfere. However, putting aside everything else, I want to know what your heart truly desires. Do you wish to go to anotherpany, or do you want to continue staying here?"


    "Mr. Zhu and President Yang have always taken good care of me, treating me like family. Of course, I want to stay, but... my mom..." Mentioning her mother, Tang Shiyun¡¯s expression immediately turned gloomy.


    If it weren¡¯t for Yao Li meddling, she wouldn¡¯t be this heartbroken. Nevertheless, that¡¯s her mother no matter what.


    Ling Chen smiled faintly, reached out to wipe away the tears at the corners of Tang Shiyun¡¯s eyes, and said, "You¡¯re already eighteen, an adult with the right to make your own decisions. It¡¯s appropriate to respect Miss Yao, your mother, but you can¡¯t hand over your entire life to her. You need to learn to control your own destiny. In terms of gratitude, President Yang and Mr. Zhu have spent so much effort developing you. If you leave them now and turn to anotherpany, even if they don¡¯t say anything, outsiders will criticize you for being ungrateful. Of course, I know this isn¡¯t your choice; it¡¯s mainly because of your mother."


    Tang Shiyun whispered, "I tried to persuade my mom, but she won¡¯t listen to me."


    "You, everything about you is good, just your character is too soft. On this matter, your mother¡¯s approach is terribly wrong, and you can¡¯t afford to make the same mistake alongside her."


    "Ling, then what should I do?"


    "Like I said earlier, you need to learn to make decisions for yourself, and you must take a firm stance on this issue. Frankly speaking, for better or for worse, what your mom is doing now is ruining your future, treating you merely as a tool to make money without considering your feelings at all. If you can¡¯t break free from your mom¡¯s control, you will have a hard time growing in the future."


    Seeing Tang Shiyun looking hesitant, Ling Chen continued to persuade, "Girl, if you trust me, do as I say, and don¡¯t let your mom interfere anymore."


    After saying that, Ling Chen fell silent. He knew that Tang Shiyun was a filial daughter, and asking her to go against her mother was undoubtedly difficult. But he had no choice; for Tang Shiyun to be free, she needed to break away from Yao Li¡¯s control.


    Time ticked away, second by second, and Tang Shiyun kept her head down, indecisive. Ling Chen understood her feelings, so he didn¡¯t rush her, giving her ample time to think things through.


    Over ten minutester, a knocking sound ¡¯dong dong dong¡¯ came from outside the office. Following that, Zhu Yansong entered from outside, saying, "Miss Tang, Miss Yao and Mr. Tang asking you toe over." After saying this, Zhu Yansong nced at Ling Chen with an inquiring look.


    Ling Chen shrugged his shoulders, looking at Tang Shiyun beside him, and gently grasping her hand, asking, "Made a decision?"


    Tang Shiyun slightly lifted her head, her soft eyes carrying a hint of firmness. Catching the expression in her eyes, Ling Chen smiled, knowing she had made her own decision.


    "Go ahead."


    Tang Shiyun stood up and followed Zhu Yansong to the door, hesitating slightly as she turned back to look at Ling Chen on the sofa, softly saying, "Ling, can youe with me?" After speaking, she fiddled with the hem of her clothes, hesitantly adding, "I¡¯m afraid... I¡¯m afraid I won¡¯t have the courage when the timees, if you were by my side, I..."


    Before Tang Shiyun could finish speaking, Ling Chen grinned and nodded, saying, "No problem."


    Leaving the office, the three of them went straight to the conference room on the same floor.


    Pushing the door open, they saw five people sitting inside. Besides the chairman of Silver Star Entertainment, Yang Chengfeng, and Yao Li, there were three middle-aged men in suits, probablywyers judging by the serious and stern expressions on two of their faces.


    As for the other middle-aged man, he was a representative from anotherpany, named Xu Qiang, whom Zhu Yansong had mentioned to Ling Chen beforeing in.


    Seeing Ling Chen following behind, Yang Chengfeng, who had been maintaining a stern face, brightened up and quickly stood to greet him with a smile, "Mr. Ling, hello!"


    "President Yang." Ling Chen greeted politely, then turned his gaze to Yao Li next to him.


    At this moment, Yao Li was also looking at Ling Chen, not hiding her displeasure. Especially seeing Ling Chening in with her daughter, she became even more upset, pulling Tang Shiyun aside and coldly asked, "Why are you with him?"


    "I..."


    "Miss Tang."


    Before Tang Shiyun could finish speaking, Xu Qiang, apanied by hiswyers, walked over with a smile and eagerly handed a contract to Tang Shiyun, saying, "The contract is ready, just need your signature, and you will have no further ties with Silver Star Entertainment, ourpany will pay the full penalty."


    Looking at the contract presented to her, Tang Shiyun did not reach out to take it but instead said to Yao Li, "Mom, I have something I want to talk to you about."


    Yao Li impatiently said, "Whatever you have to say, we can talk about it back home, sign the contract first." Saying that, Yao Li stuffed the contract and a pen into Tang Shiyun¡¯s hands, urging her to sign quickly.


    Tang Shiyun nced at Ling Chen standing next to her, her expression steadied, and she casually ced the contract on the conference table.


    Seeing her daughter¡¯s actions, Yao Li frowned and asked, "What are you doing?"


    "Mom, I can¡¯t sign this contract."


    "What?" Yao Li was stunned, her face immediately looking troubled as she repressed her anger and said, "Why won¡¯t you sign? We have arranged everything for you, do you know how much effort and heartache I¡¯ve put into this matter for you? Are you trying to kill me by saying you won¡¯t sign now?"


    Tang Shiyun pleaded, "Mom, please don¡¯t be mad, let me exin slowly."


    "I don¡¯t want to listen." Yao Li waved her hand, pointing at the contract on the table and said, "If you still consider me your mother, then sign it quickly."


    Tang Shiyun gathered her courage and said, "Mom, please don¡¯t force me, I¡¯ve already decided, I won¡¯t leave Silver Star Entertainment before my contract expires."


    Hearing this, Yang Chengfeng and Zhu Yansong immediately showed joy, forming a stark contrast to the tightly furrowed brows of Xu Qiang.


    Seeing her daughter disobeying her and making decisions on her own, Yao Li became furious, and eximed, "Are you deliberately trying to infuriate me to death? Tell me, is it because of this bastard?" Yao Li pointed at Ling Chen, her breathing bing more rapid.

 Chapter 360 - 356: Mother-Daughter Relationship

    <h4>Chapter 360: Chapter 356: Mother-Daughter Rtionship</h4><h4></h4>


    Tang Shiyun nced at Ling Chen, and thetter nodded slightly without speaking, his eyes offering encouragement.


    "Mom, this is my own decision, it doesn¡¯t involve anyone else; you don¡¯t need to me Ling."


    Yao Li cursed angrily: "Still calling him Ling, why are you so close with him?" Then, turning to Ling Chen, she burst out: "I know it¡¯s you, you bastard, leading my daughter astray. What business is it of yours to meddle in our family affairs? Get out! Get the hell out!"


    Yang Chengfeng slightly frowned and said, "Miss Yao, we are at Silver Star Entertainment right now, not your home. You don¡¯t have the right to tell anyone to get out."


    Yao Li was left speechless for a moment and scoffed, picking up the contract off the table and holding it in front of Tang Shiyun, speaking sternly, "If you still think of me as your mother, then sign this right away. Otherwise, I will disown you."


    Hearing her mother¡¯s coercion, Tang Shiyun¡¯s eyes immediately reddened, tears glistening, lightly biting her lower lip, she struggled to hold back her tears.


    Seeing Tang Shiyun¡¯s indifference, Xu Qiang couldn¡¯t sit still and blurted out, "Miss Tang, you reached out to us first, and now that everything has been negotiated, you¡¯re unwilling to sign. Are you taking us for a ride?"


    "I¡¯m sorry!" Tang Shiyun replied, "I never approached you, nor did I think about switchingpanies. This was orchestrated by my mother without my knowledge, and I was kept in the dark until your appearance today. I¡¯m sorry for any inconvenience caused and please forgive us."


    Hearing this, Xu Qiang looked at Yao Li with dissatisfaction and frowned, "Miss Yao, you repeatedly assured us that you could bring your daughter to ourpany. Because she is your daughter, we believed you, and even paid the upfront fee you demanded ¨C thirty million. Now that it¡¯se to this, don¡¯t you think you owe us a reasonable exnation?"


    "Thirty million?" Tang Shiyun asked in confusion; "What thirty million?"


    "You don¡¯t know?" Xu Qiang continued, "Your mother asked us to pay her thirty million as a ¡¯hardship fee¡¯ for poaching you from Silver Star Entertainment."


    "No, it¡¯s not like that, there¡¯s no such thing," Yao Li said in a panic, quickly denying.


    Xu Qiang snorted briefly, "It¡¯s written in ck and white, Miss Yao, are you trying to renege on the deal?"


    Tang Shiyun stared at Yao Li, her face deathly pale, and demanded, "Mom, what is going on, exin yourself clearly."


    Yao Li hastily replied, "I...daughter, listen to me exin, I thought you would obediently sign the contract, so I made that request. It¡¯s not excessive."


    After hearing Yao Li¡¯s exnation, Ling Chen sighed silently. Calling her mercenary was indeed urate. She was only interested in immediate benefits, utterly disregarding her daughter¡¯s future. For Tang Shiyun to have such a mother was truly tragic.


    "Miss Yao, what do you have to say now?" Xu Qiang said irritably, "The contract is right here, will you sign it or not? If you can¡¯t fulfill it, please, ording to our initial agreement, pay us fifty million including the penalty, and we can consider this matter closed."


    "My dear daughter, you¡¯ve heard it too, just sign it, mom can¡¯t afford to pay them that much in damages," Yao Li still did not give up and persuaded.


    Tang Shiyun sighed helplessly and said, "Mom, this is a mess you got yourself into, find a way to resolve it yourself; I don¡¯t have that much money either." With that, Tang Shiyun felt drained, not wanting to say another word, and turned to walk out.


    Seeing this, Yang Chengfeng gently nudged Ling Chen¡¯s arm and whispered, "Mr. Ling, gofort Tang, we¡¯ll handle things here."


    "Alright, I¡¯ll leave it to you."


    After leaving the conference room, Tang Shiyun stood alone at the balcony, gazing at the bustling night scene in the distance. Gusts of evening breeze brought a hint of early autumn chill.


    Ling Chen walked behind Tang Shiyun, took off his coat, and draped it over her, standing quietly by her side, wordless. Sometimes, silentpanionship is more powerful than words.


    "Ling."


    Tang Shiyun, holding back her tears, slightly turned and leaned her head on Ling Chen¡¯s shoulder, seekingfort. Ling Chen raised his hand, enclosing her slender waist, whispering, "Don¡¯t cry. No matter what happens, I¡¯ll always be by your side."


    Tang Shiyun nodded lightly, her lips curving into a sweet smile.


    The evening breeze was cool, but with Ling Chen by her side, she felt a warm heart, unfearing of the chill.


    Momentster, the sound of footsteps approached from behind. Ling Chen and Tang Shiyun turned around to see Zhu Yansong walking up.


    "Mr. Zhu."


    "Mr. Zhu, how did it go? Is everything taken care of?"


    Zhu Yansong smiled lightly and said, "It¡¯s all settled. The 30 million plus the penalty will be paid by ourpany in full. The 30 million that Miss Yao got can stay with her, but starting from today, she cannot be involved in any matter rted to Miss Tang. From now on, all affairs will be fully handled by Miss Tang herself and ourpany."


    At this point, Zhu Yansong paused slightly before continuing, "Miss Tang, you have a ten-year contract with Silver Star Entertainment. President Yang¡¯s hope is that you could renew it early and extend the contract to fifteen years. Do you have any objections?"


    "I ept," Tang Shiyun replied without hesitation.


    "This is a happy oue for all," Ling Chen remarked with a smile.


    "Well..." Tang Shiyun hesitated before asking, "Mr. Zhu, what about my mother?"


    "She¡¯s still in the conference room. You can go see her if you want. It¡¯s a good opportunity to have a proper talk. After all, you¡¯re family, and there¡¯s no need for rtions to be so strained."


    Ling Chen added, "Mr. Zhu is right, go see your mom. Hopefully, this incident will serve as a lesson for her."


    "Then I¡¯ll head there first."


    After seeing Tang Shiyun off, Ling Chen didn¡¯t stay long. He greeted Zhu Yansong and then drove back to Wealthy Manor.


    When he arrived back at the Nanrong home, Su Lin was still watching TV in the living room. Ling Chen casually asked, "Where¡¯s Wanqing?"


    "She went out."


    "Out?" Ling Chen said in surprise, "What for?"


    "She didn¡¯t say. With Zhong Wei and the others with her, you don¡¯t have to worry."


    Hearing this, Ling Chen¡¯s eyebrows instantly knitted together, "When I just got back, I ran into Captain Zhong and his team, and they definitely didn¡¯t go out."


    "Ah?" Su Lin¡¯s face turned to shock as she sprang from the couch, "Really?"


    Without another word, Ling Chen quickly took out his phone and dialed Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s number. Immediately, however, the line on the other end beeped with the busy signal that the phone was switched off.


    What is this woman doing?


    Ling Chen¡¯s mind raced with urgency, and he turned and ran out of the vi.


    By then, the Honda minivan had already left the city area, arriving at a deserted countryside. In front of an abandoned derelict house, the Honda minivan came to a stop.


    The car door opened, and Nanrong Wanqing got out alone, heading towards the lit-up broken house.

 Chapter 361 - 357: Dongfang Yu Reappears

    <h4>Chapter 361: Chapter 357: Dongfang Yu Reappears</h4><h4></h4>


    Wealthy Manor, security room.


    Ling Chen stood in front of the monitor with a solemn expression, reviewing the surveince footage. Following the time frame provided by Su Lin, it didn¡¯t take him long to spot Nanrong Wanqing in the video. As a high-end residential area, the facilities here wereprehensive, with cameras installed at nearly every section of the road, clearly capturing the Honda business car that appeared beside Nanrong Wanqing.


    Looking at the Honda business car on the screen, Ling Chen quickly pulled out his phone and dialed a number.


    "Hello! Officer Xia, sorry to disturb you thiste, but I need a favor. Could you check a license te number for me, and also its current location... Yes, it¡¯s urgent, I would appreciate a prompt response... Okay, thank you."


    After hanging up the phone, Ling Chen walked out of the security room with a frown, heading towards the Nanrong family home.


    He was now curious about who was in that Honda business car. Nanrong Wanqing was always cautious by nature, she would not have left without even a word of notice, unless the person she was meeting or the matter she was dealing with was highly secretive.


    As his thoughts raced, Ling Chen suddenly remembered how earlier that day in the office lounge, Nanrong Wanqing had hidden her cell phone very carefully, as if she was afraid he would discover some secret. Could there be a connection between the two?


    Lost in thought, Ling Chen heard his phone ring in his pocket. He took it out, expecting it to be Xia Mutong calling him, internallymenting on the girl¡¯s quick efficiency, ready to answer. But as soon as he saw the caller ID, his face turned to shock.


    It was Nanrong Wanqing!


    Without a second thought, he answered the call, greeted her, and asked impatiently, "Wanqing, where are you?"


    "Ling Chen, I... I¡¯m not in a position to talk right now, just listen to me. I have to leave for a few days, please tell grandfather that he will take care of things at Hongyu Group. If nothing unexpected happens, I should be back in a week at most. You don¡¯t have to worry about my safety."


    Hearing Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s voice, Ling Chen hurriedly asked, "Who are you with..."


    Beep beep! Beep beep!


    Before he could finish, he was greeted by a busy tone from the other end, and when he tried to call back, the phone was already switched off.


    Recalling Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s words just now, Ling Chen couldn¡¯t help feeling anxious. The woman had left without giving any reason, not even saying who she was with, only mentioning that she had to leave for a while, how could he not worry?


    Returning to the Nanrong home, Su Lin saw Ling Chen rush in from outside and asked, "Where¡¯s Wanqing, did you find her?"


    "She..." Before Ling Chen could exin, his phone rang again.


    This time it was Xia Mutong.


    "Hello! Officer Xia, did you find it?"


    "I¡¯ve found it, that Honda business car you mentioned is heading towards the airport, about half an hour from arrival. Ling Chen, who is in the car?"


    "Wanqing is in the car, I don¡¯t know who she¡¯s with. Officer Xia, please contact airport security, do whatever it takes to stop them, I¡¯m on my way there right now."


    With that, Ling Chen put away his phone, rushed into the room, slid the Tianling de into his waistband, and hurried outside.


    As he reached the house¡¯s entrance, Ling Chen pulled out his car keys, ready to drive to the airport, but then he heard a bout of severe coughing reaching his ears.


    Turning his head, Ling Chen saw an elderly man sitting on a bench opposite the Nanrong home, wearing thin clothes, leaning on a cane, his wrinkled face turning slightly red from coughing.


    Sensing Ling Chen¡¯s gaze, the old man slowly lifted his head, a sharp gleam shing through his cloudy eyes.


    Once Ling Chen saw the old man¡¯s face clearly, his pupils shrank and his expression changed drastically.


    Dongfang Yu!


    This old geezer actually found his way to the Nanrong Family.


    Seeing Dongfang Yu stand up and move towards him, Ling Chen immediately reached towards his lower back, his eyes warily watching the other party.


    Had it been yesterday, he would have been very happy to find Dongfang Yu. But now was not the time, he was in a hurry to get to the airport, and he had no time to waste here.


    "Dongfang Yu, another day to find me, I¡¯m in a hurry right now."


    "Tell me where the Eight entrics are, and I¡¯ll let you go immediately."


    "I don¡¯t know..."


    Before he could finish speaking, Dongfang Yu¡¯s expression suddenly turned fierce. With a light tap of his foot, he was like a gust of wind, instantly rushing to Ling Chen. Ling Chen had no time to react when he felt a pain in his throat, his airway seized by a firm hand.


    Dongfang Yu didn¡¯t stop. He kept pushing Ling Chen¡¯s body until his back hit the exterior wall of the Nanrong house. Only then did Dongfang Yu stop and raised his hand high. Ling Chen¡¯s legs immediately dangled in the air, his forehead tilted upwards, struggling to breathe.


    "Speak!" Dongfang Yu barked sharply: "Where are they?"


    Ling Chen bit down hard on his teeth, his hands pressing down on Dongfang Yu¡¯s arm, trying to alleviate the pressure on his throat.


    "Not talking, huh?" Dongfang Yu let out a coldugh, his left hand raising his cane and mming it hard onto Ling Chen¡¯s shoulder. Apanied by a burst of intense pain, Ling Chen felt like his left arm had gone numb, it was dislocated.


    Dongfang Yu¡¯s cane rose and fell mercilessly until both of Ling Chen¡¯s arms were dislocated. Then he stopped, reaching into Ling Chen¡¯s pocket, and took out his phone.


    Flipping through the phone¡¯s contact list, Dongfang Yu suddenly sneered, turning the phone screen toward Ling Chen. On the screen, the name Qiu Yong was prominently disyed.


    "And you say you don¡¯t know?"


    Dongfang Yu dialed Qiu Yong¡¯s number, turned on the speakerphone, and held it up to Ling Chen, saying coldly: "Ask him where he is. If you dare say one extra word, I¡¯ll kill you on the spot."


    Dial tone...


    The call connected, and before Qiu Yong¡¯s voice came through, Ling Chen already asked: "Elder Qiu, where are you?"


    "The hotel. If you¡¯reing, juste directly. Also, haven¡¯t I told youst time, don¡¯t call me..."


    Without letting Qiu Yong finish, Ling Chen hastily took over the conversation: "Wait for me, I have taken care of the matter you asked me to handle, I¡¯ll bring the stuff over now."


    "Okay, we¡¯ve brewed some tea and will wait for you."


    Dongfang Yu hung up the call and casually threw the phone into the bushes nearby, asking, "Which hotel? Take me there. I warn you, you¡¯d better not y any tricks on me."


    After getting into the car, Ling Chen rubbed his freshly reset arms, started the vehicle, and under Dongfang Yu¡¯s close surveince, slowly drove out of Wealthy Manor.


    On the road, Ling Chen behaved properly, not daring to make any rash move. With an Earthly List master sitting beside him, he didn¡¯t dare to be reckless, unless he wished for death.


    Ten minutester, the car arrived at the destination, parked next to the hotel.


    "What floor are they on?"


    "Eight floor, rooms 803 to 808."


    "Let¡¯s go,e up with me. Once I have dealt with them, I¡¯ll give you a way out."


    Ling Chen, not daring to resist, obediently got out of the car, led Dongfang Yu into the hotel, and then took the elevator to the eighth floor of the hotel.

 Chapter 362 - 358: Encircle and Kill Dongfang Yu

    <h4>Chapter 362: Chapter 358: Encircle and Kill Dongfang Yu</h4><h4></h4>


    At the entrance to Room 803, Ling Chen knocked on the door at Dongfang Yu¡¯s signal. Dongfang Yu was clever, not standing behind or beside Ling Chen, to avoid being seen through the peephole by those inside the room.


    Ling Chen nced at Dongfang Yu hiding aside, pondering over his strategy, uncertain if Qiu Yong had noticed his warning.


    While he was contemting, the lock clicked, and the door of the room was opened from the inside; Qiu Yong, dressed in a Tang suit, appeared before Ling Chen.


    "Elder Qiu."


    Qiu Yong smiled slightly, "You¡¯re finally here;e on in, everyone is waiting for you."


    "What fine taste you all have." At this moment, Dongfang Yu turned around from outside the door frame and came in, looking at Qiu Yong inside the room, he spoke coldly, "Do you remember me?"


    Upon seeing Dongfang Yu suddenly appear, Qiu Yong¡¯s face changed, eximing, "It¡¯s you!" As soon as he finished speaking, Qiu Yong quickly reacted, hastily retreating backward.


    "Let¡¯s see where you can run to!" Dongfang Yu bellowed, his fingers spread wide like a set of talons as he lunged forward rapidly, reaching to grab Qiu Yong¡¯s face.


    However, just as Dongfang Yu crossed the threshold, a series of whistling sounds of weapons cleaving the air arose sharply. Then, several sharp short arrows shot out one after another from the door frame, aimed straight at Dongfang Yu¡¯s vital points.


    Caught off guard, Dongfang Yu¡¯s eyes widened in anger, and he immediately started swinging his cane, knocking down several of the arrows. Nheless, with over ten short arrows shooting from all directions¡ªgiven their close range¡ªDongfang Yu, no matter how skilled, couldn¡¯t possibly neutralize them all in an instant.


    In an instant, Dongfang Yu¡¯s eyebrows furrowed as several short arrows struck his legs and arms, piercing into his skin, with blood gushing out profusely.


    "Ling Chen!"


    At this moment, Qiu Yong shouted loudly, and Ling Chen got the hint instantly; taking advantage of Dongfang Yu¡¯s distracted state, he quickly rushed into the room. Only then did Ling Chen notice Zhang Zhongfeng, Xia Yue, Yuan Yun, all inside the room, each holding weapons, ready to surge forward at any moment.


    Seeing this scene, Ling Chen couldn¡¯t help but crack a smile¡ªit seemed they had understood his hint.


    Previously, when he called Qiu Yong, he mentioned, "The task you assigned me is taken care of; I¡¯ll bring the goods over immediately." The task Qiu Yong had given him was simply to find Dongfang Yu¡¯s whereabouts, but Dongfang Yu was unaware of this, which is why Ling Chen dared to subtly signal Qiu Yong in front of Dongfang Yu.


    "Ling Cheng, are you alright?" Wei Jiahao, who was rankedst among the Eight entrics, asked with concern.


    "It¡¯s nothing. A mere Dongfang Yu cannot harm me."


    Hearing this, Xia Yue looked at Ling Chen with a touch of irritation and scoffed with a huff, "Blowing hot air."


    "Enough chit-chat, let¡¯s deal with Dongfang Yu first." The speaker was Xu Ming, the most mysterious of the Eight entrics, second only to Qiu Yong in rank. When he spoke, no one dared to disobey.


    For a moment, everyone¡¯s gaze focused on Dongfang Yu.


    At this point, Dongfang Yu, wounded, had a face ashen with anger, his cold gaze sweeping over everyone before locking onto Qiu Yong.


    "How did you know I wasing?"


    "Thanks to my little brother¡¯s wisdom, he knew to remind us."


    "Little brother?" Dongfang Yu gasped slightly, turned his head to look at Ling Chen, and said coldly, "You¡¯re also a member of the Eight entrics?"


    Ling Chen lifted his lips into a smile and said, "Sorry, I didn¡¯t tell you beforehand."


    Facing the eight oddities present, Dongfang Yu¡¯s face looked unwell, his eyes hesitant, indecisive. Originally wanting to strike unexpectedly and attack these people, he ended up falling into their ambush instead. He was very clear about the capabilities of the eight oddities; if it was to defeat them one by one, he had absolute confidence. However, facing an eight-to-one situation, he did not have such self-assurance. Moreover, he was now injured.


    Thinking of this, Dongfang Yu could not help but think of retreating.


    The cunning and experienced Qiu Yong could see through Dongfang Yu¡¯s thoughts. He stepped forward and said indifferently: "Dongfang Yu, haven¡¯t you always wanted to seek revenge on us? Today we are all here, it¡¯s the perfect time to settle this."


    Dongfang Yu¡¯s brow furrowed, just as he was about to speak, a chilling coldness suddenly surged from the bottom of his heart. His gaze shifted only to see Zhang Zhongfeng in the room raising the bow in his hand, the sharp arrow aimed straight at his forehead.


    Not good!


    Without the slightest hesitation, Dongfang Yu immediately dodged towards the door to take cover. The moment he moved, Zhang Zhongfeng¡¯s arrow had already left the string, with such speed that it was almost invisible to the naked eye.


    Whoosh!


    A spurt of fresh blood sshed, apanied by a pained grunt.


    "Chase him!" Qiu Yong at the doorway, his expression slightly darkened, quickly dashed out, with Ling Chen and the others following closely behind.


    At this moment, Dongfang Yu, with his left hand covering his ear, his eyes clouded with dark intent, endured the pain and fled outside the inn. Zhang Zhongfeng¡¯s arrow had nearly cost him his old life just now. Fortunately, he reacted in time. Though he avoided a fatal blow, the arrow still left a deep blood mark above his left temple. It wasn¡¯t deadly, but the incessant bleeding affected his left eye, making it impossible to open.


    Being a prominent fighter on the Earthly List, now reduced to such a sorry state¡ªif this were known, his reputation would bepletely ruined.


    Whoosh!


    Amidst his thoughts, another whooshing sound of cutting air came. Following that, Dongfang Yu felt a pain in his leg and, looking down, he saw an arrow pierced through his calf, going right through his leg.


    The Archer God, Zhang Zhongfeng!


    Dongfang Yu was shocked. He had forgotten among the eight oddities in pursuit there was an archer who never missed his shot. Fleeing in a straight line was akin to delivering his life into the enemy¡¯s hands. Thinking this, he quickly changed his steps, constantly moving left and right to avoid being targeted by Zhang Zhongfeng¡¯s arrows.


    The elevator!


    Seeing the elevator entrance five meters away, Dongfang Yu quickened his steps, rushing towards it. But at that moment, with the sound of a ¡¯whoosh¡¯, a sharp arrow flew by his shoulder and hit the elevator button squarely.


    At the same time, a figure jumped over from above Dongfang Yu¡¯s head andnded steadily in front of him.


    Seeing that his path was blocked by a kid over ten years old, Dongfang Yu grew angry. He immediately swung his walking stick at Wei Jiahao¡¯s head.


    Although Wei Jiahao was young, he was fearless. Seeing Dongfang Yu¡¯s attack, he quickly raised his arms, and several sleeve arrows flew out from his cuffs, directly targeting Dongfang Yu¡¯s vital points.


    Dongfang Yu was taken aback, not expecting the child to hide mechanisms in his sleeves. Without time to think, he swiftly changed his movements with the walking stick, knocking all the iing sleeve arrows to the ground.


    Wei Jiahao did not back down after his attack failed; instead, he leaned forward, making a strange bowing posture.


    Before Dongfang Yu could react, three sharp arrows were suddenly shot from Wei Jiahao¡¯s back, tearing through his clothes, forcing Dongfang Yu, who was trying to flee, to retreat once again.


    Tsk tsk!


    Ling Cheng, who had been following behind, was secretly impressed by Wei Jiahao¡¯s performance. The kid had excellent methods; surrounded by mechanisms all over his body, he was truly unguardable against.

 Chapter 363 - 359: The Sudden Appearance of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion

    <h4>Chapter 363: Chapter 359: The Sudden Appearance of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion</h4><h4></h4>


    Taking advantage of the opportunity when Dongfang Yu was dyed by Wei Jiahao in his escape, Ling Chen followed Qiu Yong and others to rush over and surrounded Dongfang Yu.


    Facing the menacing eight oddities, Dongfang Yu¡¯splexion looked extremely unpleasant. He had never anticipated that despiteing to avenge his disciple, he would end up in such a predicament.


    Qiu Yong coldly shouted, "Dongfang Yu, your disciple is a disgrace deserving of death, and instead of feeling ashamed for your disciple, you seek to avenge him. Since that¡¯s the case, don¡¯t me us for being ruthless¡ªeveryone attack together!"


    However, just as everyone¡¯s eyes betrayed murderous intent and prepared for a fierce battle, a pleasant ringtone suddenly sounded.


    Everyone¡¯s expressions showed a trace of astonishment, and all eyes fell on Ling Chen.


    Ling Chen put down the weapon in his hand, smiled awkwardly, and hurriedly took out his phone from his pocket. Seeing that it was a call from Xia Mutong, he gestured to the phone with an embarrassed expression and said, "This call is quite important, you guys go ahead and start, I¡¯ll catch up in a bit, don¡¯t wait for me."


    Hearing this, everyone couldn¡¯t help but react with a mixture ofughter and helplessness, as the tense atmosphere they had finally created was disrupted by Ling Chen¡¯s remark.


    "Begin!" Xia Yue, feeling irritated, red at Ling Chen and didn¡¯t bother to pay him further attention. She raised her sword and stabbed towards Dongfang Yu.


    Ling Chen moved to the side on his own, answered the call, and asked, "Officer Xia, how is it going on your end? Did you stop the car?"


    "We didn¡¯t find Miss Nanrong in the Honda business car you mentioned, but based on the information provided by the driver, we can confirm that Miss Nanrong is heading to the airport, seemingly preparing to leave the country overnight."


    "Is there any way to find her?"


    "I¡¯ve already informed the airport; I¡¯ll do my best to find her." After a pause, Xia Mutong on the other end of the line asked, "Has Miss Nanrong been kidnapped?"


    "I... can¡¯t be entirely sure," replied Ling Chen. When Nanrong Wanqing called him, it seemed to be of her own volition and not under coercion.


    "Not kidnapped? Then this is going to be difficult. Unless it¡¯s a kidnapping case, I don¡¯t have the authority to deploy so many people. If you don¡¯t report it, then it can only be considered a private matter, not an official one."


    "Just do what you can to help," Ling Chen knew it was against the rules for Xia Mutong to use police resources privately.


    "I¡¯ll help within the range of what I can do. By the way, how long until you get to the airport?"


    Ling Chen nced at the people engaged inbat and replied, "I¡¯ll hurry over as soon as possible."


    After hanging up the call, Ling Chen picked up the Tianling de and stood among the people, looking for an opportunity to strike.


    By now, Dongfang Yu was utterly exhausted, suffering several arrow wounds, and the violent movement caused his injuries to rip open, blood gushing profusely. Seeing hisbored breathing, it was likely he wouldn¡¯t hold out much longer.


    Watching this, Ling Chen simply stood aside, taking interest in watching the others. Dongfang Yu¡¯s fate was sealed; there was no need for him to intervene anymore, as Qiu Yong and the rest were more than enough to resolve the fight.


    Soon after, the weakened Dongfang Yu found himself under attack from the one-armed man, Yuan Yun, and Xia Yue taking advantage of an opportunity to strike from both sides, inflicting several more injuries on him.


    When he is down, deliver the final blow!


    Seeing Dongfang Yu growing weaker, Qiu Yong immediately moved in, swinging his fist straight towards Dongfang Yu¡¯s chest.


    But just at this critical moment, a sudden gust of wind attacked, targeting Qiu Yong. Zhang Zhongfeng, who had been observing the battle, saw the impending danger and immediately drew his bow and arrow; ¡¯whoosh¡¯, the arrow flew, intercepting the gust of wind midair.


    ng!


    With a crisp ringing sound, a sharp dagger fell to the ground along with an arrow.


    Ling Chen¡¯s heart sank as he looked up in the direction from where the dagger hade and said with a deep voice, "Who¡¯s there? Come out!"


    As his words ended, a person walked out from around the corner of the corridor. To be precise, it was a man dressed in ck, with a mask covering his face, revealing only a pair of bright, glistening eyes.


    Noticing the man who had suddenly appeared, everyone immediately stopped what they were doing and watched him cautiously, asking, "Who are you?"


    "Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion."


    "People from the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion?" The crowd¡¯s expression shifted slightly. Qiu Yong furrowed his brows and said, "This is a private grudge between us and Dongfang Yu. Is the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion nning to intervene?"


    The man responded coolly, "The Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion doesn¡¯t involve itself with others, but when ites to him... the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion is in charge. Qiu Yong, the grudge between Dongfang Yu and your group of eight oddballs ends here. On behalf of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, I assure you that from now on, Dongfang Yu won¡¯t trouble you again."


    "Hmph! The face of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion carries weight, but whether we give you face is our business."


    The man looked at Ling Chen who had spoken and exined, "Dongfang Yu is of use to our Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, so we hope you can let bygones be bygones. As long as you allow me to take him away, I will do you a favor at the uing Heavenly Mechanism Great Ceremony."


    The Heavenly Mechanism Great Ceremony?


    Ling Chen wondered what that was. Before he could ask, Qiu Yong nodded and said, "Alright, since you¡¯ve put it that way, we eight oddballs aren¡¯t unreasonable. We¡¯ll agree to let this go."


    "Thank you!"


    The man cupped his hands together in thanks, then walked over to Dongfang Yu, supported him by the arm, and headed towards the staircase.


    Watching the pair disappear from sight, Ling Chen touched his nose, feeling somewhat displeased. It had been so difficult to trap Dongfang Yu; he could have killed him, but someone from the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion had to interfere and rescued Dongfang Yu.


    Back in his hotel room, Ling Chen asked curiously, "Big Brother, what is this Heavenly Mechanism Great Ceremony that man mentioned?"


    "That¡¯s an event hosted by the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, only those who are invited are qualified to attend. We the group of eight oddballs have received several invitations, but we¡¯ve only gone once, as there wasn¡¯t much interest. You are now one of the eight oddballs and also a master of the Tiger List, so you will definitely be invited to this year¡¯s Heavenly Mechanism Great Ceremony. You might want to go and see the world."


    Ling Chen nodded, then suddenly remembered that Xia Mutong was waiting for him at the airport. It was all Dongfang Yu¡¯s fault, making him waste so much time.


    "Big Brother, I have urgent business at the airport, I must go," he said. Without waiting for Qiu Yong to ask anything, Ling Chen quickly left the room.


    Once outside the hotel, Ling Chen started the car and pushed the elerator to the floor, the engine roaring like a wild beast as the car shot out like an arrow.


    From a room on the eighth floor of the hotel, Wei Jiahao lifted the curtain and watched the muscle car disappear from his line of sight, saying, "Ling Cheng seems to be in a big hurry, I hope there¡¯s no trouble."


    Xia Yue coolly responded, "What kind of urgent business could he possibly have? Hasn¡¯t Big Brother checked his background? If you ask me, it¡¯s definitely all rted to women."


    Achoo!


    Sitting in the car, Ling Chen sneezed and rubbed his aching nose, steering with one hand as he weaved through the traffic.


    Just then, the cellphone on the passenger seat rang, and the caller ID showed the name Nanrong Wanqing.

 Chapter 364 - 360: Pursuit (Part 1)

    <h4>Chapter 364: Chapter 360: Pursuit (Part 1)</h4><h4></h4>


    Ling Chen picked up the co-pilot¡¯s phone and answered the call.


    "Wanqing..." Before he could even inquire, he heard a familiar voice from the other end of the line: "Ling Chen, stop chasing. Your little tricks can¡¯t stop us."


    "Is that you?" A shock ran through Ling Chen, and he responded gravely, "Where are you taking Wanqing?"


    "That¡¯s none of your business. Rest assured, I won¡¯t hurt her. At most in a week, I will deliver her to you unharmed... Oh, wait, better than before actually, hahaha!"


    "Zhu Hong, if youy a finger on her, I will pursue you to the ends of the earth."


    "I wee you to try," Zhu Hongughed and hung up.


    Listening to the busy tone on the phone, Ling Chen furrowed his brows. He instantly increased his speed to the limit, disregarding whether it was a red light and rushed straight through.


    A journey of several tens of kilometers took him less than ten minutes. He maintained a speed around two hundred yards, even the traffic police attracted by him were left far behind, unable to even see Ling Chen¡¯s tail lights.


    Upon arriving at the airport, Ling Chen parked his car by the roadside, and hurried into the terminal, scanning the crowd for Xia Mutong.


    "Ling Chen, over here."


    Hearing Xia Mutong¡¯s voice, Ling Chen turned to see Xia Mutong in a uniform, waving at him. He quickly walked over, nced at the two airport policemen by Xia Mutong¡¯s side, and asked, "Did you find her?"


    "I¡¯ve asked the airport police to keep an eye out, but so far there¡¯s no sign of Miss Nanrong."


    Ling Chen looked around at the moving crowd, suddenly a thought struck him, "Have you checked the private jets? The people who took Wanqing know I am searching for them, they wouldn¡¯t be on amercial flight, they¡¯d definitely arrange a private jet to leave."


    "Alright, I¡¯ll check it out for you, wait here." Saying that, Xia Mutong walked away with the two airport policemen.


    At that moment, in the VIP channel of the airport, two Mercedes sedans slowly entered the apron, heading directly towards the hangar.


    As the hangar doors opened, a small Boeing jet was parked inside, and several security personnel were conducting the final pre-flight checks.


    The two Mercedes cars came to a halt, the doors opened, and a young man in a crisp suit, with a distinguished air and a mild gentle smile, stepped out. He walked over to the other Mercedes, looked at the suited bodyguarding out of the car, and asked, "Is she awake?"


    "Not yet."


    "Take her to the ne." After a brief pause, the young man changed his mind, "Never mind, you go do your thing, I¡¯ll carry her on board." He then bent over the back seat of the car, and looking at Wanqing Nanrong, who was leaning on the headrest asleep, the corners of his mouth slightly curled up, his fingertips gently glided over her smooth, soft cheeks, savoring the fineness of her skin.


    Under the caress of the young man¡¯s fingertips, the sleeping Wanqing Nanrong seemed a bit ufortable. She raised her arm, gently brushing her cheek, and murmured with a tone of annoyance, "Stop it, Ling Chen, let me sleep a bit."


    Hearing his own name escape her lips, the young man¡¯s face instantly darkened, his look turned icy. He grunted lightly, pulled over Wanqing Nanrong¡¯s arms, and scooped her up, heading straight for the ne. This action gradually roused Wanqing Nanrong from her slumber.


    Opening her eyes, Wanqing Nanrong saw the young man in front of her, her face changing slightly in surprise, "Zhu Hong? Why is it you?"


    "Why can¡¯t it be me?" Zhu Hong offered a faint smile, "Didn¡¯t you reach an agreement with that person? He had a sudden matter, so he asked me to take you there."


    "Do you know Mr. Yun? What¡¯s your rtionship with him?"


    "That¡¯s not for you to worry about; you¡¯ll find out in time."


    Wanqing Nanrong furrowed her brows, her face showing a hint of irritation, struggling a bit in Zhu Hong¡¯s arms, she softly demanded, "Put me down, I can walk."


    "The exoskeleton suit you had on has been removed. Let me carry you instead, just like the old times."


    Wanqing Nanrong reached down to touch her legs, finding, just as Zhu Hong had said, the exoskeleton suit was indeed gone. Seeing this, she looked up at Zhu Hong¡¯s handsome face, her eyes conveying slight resentment, and questioned, "Afraid I¡¯d run away?"


    "You¡¯re overthinking it."


    Once on the ne, Zhu Hong set Wanqing Nanrong down in a seat and secured her seatbelt, then casually sat down opposite her.


    Feeling the ne start to move slowly, Wanqing Nanrong nced at Zhu Hong, feeling somewhat puzzled.


    When she went to meet with Mr. Yun, Zhu Hong had not appeared. Later, when she reached an agreement with Mr. Yun, and got into that Honda minivan, heading towards the airport. But after getting in, she felt a wave of dizziness and unconsciously fell asleep. When she awoke, she was already here,pletely unaware of what had happened in between.


    Thinking this far, Wanqing Nanrong instinctively reached into her pocket but found nothing.


    "Looking for this?" Zhu Hong shook the cellphone in his hand.


    "Give it to me."


    "Sorry, I can¡¯t do that yet. If you want to contact your family, I will give you a chanceter."


    "I reached an agreement with him, but I didn¡¯t agree to restrict my personal freedom."


    Zhu Hong corrected her, "It¡¯s just as a precaution. You know, you have that annoying Ling Chen around; I don¡¯t want any trouble."


    "Are you afraid of him?"


    "Afraid?" Zhu Hong scoffed coldly, "Why should I be afraid of him? Wanqing, there¡¯s so much you don¡¯t understand. Ling Chen is just a minor character. I don¡¯t want to waste energy on him. If you think you might end up with him, I advise you to discard that thought. It¡¯s impossible for you two to be together; he¡¯s not worthy of you."


    "That¡¯s my personal affair, and you have no right to make decisions for me, nor is it your ce to judge Ling Chen."


    Zhu Hong appeared unconcerned, "Talking about this now is pointless. Time will prove everything. I¡¯m just curious, what¡¯s so good about that Ling Chen that caught your eye?"


    Hearing this, Wanqing Nanrong remained silent, turning her head to look out the ne window, lost in thought.


    Meanwhile, back in the airport terminal.


    Ling Chen impatiently waited for a few minutes until Xia Mutong finally returned.


    "I found it, a small Boeing jet is preparing for takeoff, that private ne is registered under a foreignpany."


    "Whatpany?"


    "Boyang Pharmaceutical."


    "That¡¯s it," Ling Chen said urgently, "Where¡¯s the ne? Can we intercept it?"


    "I¡¯m afraid not, the ne is already on the runway. Besides, we don¡¯t have a valid reason, air control won¡¯t help us intercept it."

 Chapter 365 - 361: Pursuit (Part 2)

    <h4>Chapter 365: Chapter 361: Pursuit (Part 2)</h4><h4></h4>


    Ling Chen frowned tightly as he quickly walked to the ss windows of the waiting hall, watching the airnesing and going on the runway. Within moments, his gaze locked onto a small Boeing aircraft.


    Nanrong Wanqing was on that ne, less than a kilometer away from him.


    Looking at the Boeing aircraft with shing lights, waiting for the takeoff signal, Ling Chen gritted his teeth and determinedly walked towards the airport¡¯s exit.


    "Hey, Ling Chen, where are you going?" Xia Mutong called out from behind.


    Ling Chen acted as if he hadn¡¯t heard, elerating his pace and running out of the airport. He got into his car, and without waiting for Xia Mutong to catch up, Ling Chen started the vehicle and quickly drove towards the airport¡¯s VIPne.


    If others can¡¯t be relied upon, then he could only rely on himself.


    The bastard!


    Seeing the dust trail left by Ling Chen¡¯s departure, Xia Mutong, who had chased after him, cursed with hatred and a hint of worry in her eyes. Having been with Ling Chen for so long, she knew him too well; he was not someone who gave up easily. Especially when it involved the safety of Nanrong Wanqing, who knew what foolish things he might do.


    It didn¡¯t take long for Ling Chen to reach the outside of the VIPne. However, there were guards in front of thene, and it was barricaded. The two security staff saw Ling Chen driving towards it and immediately waved their hands, signaling him to stop the car for inspection.


    Ling Chen¡¯s eyes stared at the barricade ahead, he shifted gears with one hand and mmed the elerator with the other. Suddenly, the muscle car shot out like an arrow from a string, knocking down the barricades on the ground and rushing onto the airport runway.


    "Stop!" The two duty officers shouted from behind. Watching Ling Chen drive farther and farther away, the duty officers quickly took out walkie-talkies and contacted the airport control center.


    In less than half a minute, airport police were mobilized, driving police cars, ready to intercept Ling Chen.


    ncing at the rearview mirror that reflected more than a dozen police cars, the corners of Ling Chen¡¯s mouth lifted slightly. His speed did not decrease but instead increased, reaching a speed of two hundred miles per hour, leaving those police cars far behind.


    At this time, Zhu Hong, sitting inside the small Boeing aircraft, saw the ne stop and got up to walk to the cockpit, asking, "What¡¯s going on?"


    "We just received a notification from the control center that a suspected vehicle has entered the airport. Now, all nes are forbidden to take off and must wait until the danger is cleared."


    Hearing this, Zhu Hong frowned slightly and walked quickly to the cabin door, pushing it open. Suddenly, he saw a muscle car not far away rushing towards them, with only a few hundred meters away.


    Ling Chen!


    Zhu Hong snorted coldly, really relentless, actually following them this far.


    Closing the cabin door, Zhu Hong returned to the cockpit and urged, "Take off immediately!"


    "But..."


    "Less talk, hurry up."


    "Yes." The pilot did not dare to disobey Zhu Hong¡¯s order and immediately started the engine, pushing forward along the runway.


    "Control center calling G3AR aircraft, stop flying immediately, stand by at your current position, repeat, stop flying immediately, stand by at your current position..."


    Snap!


    Zhu Hong turned off the radiomunicator and looked straight ahead at the runway, speaking in a stern voice, "elerate."


    In the car, watching the Boeing enter the runway and gradually speed up, Ling Chen did not hesitate and immediately pushed the car¡¯s speed to the limit, preparing to overtake the aircraft and prevent it from taking off.


    Amidst the roaring sound of the powerful engine, the muscle car¡¯s speed instantly increased to two hundred and thirty miles, closely following behind the Boeing aircraft.


    At this moment, in the waiting hall, the passengers waiting to board watched through the ss windows the chasing drama ying out, all of them excited beyond measure, discussing animatedly, taking out their cellphones and starting to record.


    Xia Mutong¡¯s eyes widened, watching the muscle car speeding forward, chasing after the Boeing passenger ne, hardly believing his own eyes.


    This bastard... has quite some nerve.


    At this moment, as the Boeing ne picked up speed, the muscle car, which had just closed the gap, was gradually left behind.


    Ling Chen frowned as he nced at the speedometer, the needle was already pointing to the red zone on the far right; the muscle car was reaching its limits and could not go any faster.


    Hearing noises from the cockpit, Nanrong Wanqing, who was sitting in the cabin, felt somewhat puzzled, especially due to Zhu Hong¡¯s nervous demeanor when he pushed open the cabin door earlier, leaving her filled with questions. Then, a jarring and chaotic siren sounded, causing her to involuntarily turn her head to look out the window.


    Instantly, a muscle car going at extreme speed appeared in her line of sight.


    Ling Chen?


    After recognizing the muscle car, Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s heart leaped to her throat, and the corners of her eyes stung with emotion.


    "Zhu Hong!"


    Hearing Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s call, Zhu Hong poked his head out of the cockpit and asked, "What¡¯s wrong?"


    "Give me your phone."


    "What are you going to do?"


    "I want to call Ling Chen."


    "No way." Zhu Hong outright denied Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s request, sneering, "Let him chase; I want to see just how capable he is."


    While they spoke, the Boeing ne reached take-off speed, its nose lifting slightly as it headed straight for the night sky.


    Watching the ascending Boeing ne, Ling Chen¡¯s expression shifted subtly, sighing inwardly, as he ultimately couldn¡¯t catch up. As the Boeing jet flew higher and higher, Ling Chen gently tapped on the brakes, preparing to slow down.


    But at that moment, there was a loud ¡¯bang,¡¯ and the hood of the muscle car suddenly emitted thick smoke, clouding Ling Chen¡¯s vision.


    Not good!


    Ling Chen inwardly cursed as he lightly tapped on the brakes repeatedly, but it was as if the brakes had failed, unresponsive, keeping the speed at around 190 miles per hour.


    Although this muscle car was a ssic model from a world-famous brand, it could not withstand its status as a vintage car. Ling Chen had just pushed it to its full potential, and now not only had the engine blown a gasket, but the parts were also malfunctioning.


    ncing out of the car window, Ling Chen forced himself to remain calm, silently pondering his next move. Jumping out of the car at this speed would lead to death or severe injury. Since the engine was already dead, he could only let the muscle car coast on inertia, letting it gradually lose speed.


    Dozens of seconds passed, and as Ling Chen expected, the muscle car¡¯s speed had already dropped from over a hundred to around eighty miles per hour.


    However, the thick smoke billowing from the hood didn¡¯t stop at all, almost engulfing the entire car, severely limiting Ling Chen¡¯s visibility.


    Right then, a ringtone for an iing call sounded.


    Ling Chen looked at the number on the caller ID and immediately answered; before he could speak, Xia Mutong¡¯s frantic and urgent voice came through: "Are you crazy? Stop the car, you¡¯re almost at the end."


    Hearing Xia Mutong¡¯s warning, Ling Chen was shocked and hurriedly turned the steering wheel to the left.


    But as the front end of the car barely shifted, before he could straighten up, it crashed into a bord at the end of the runway, making a loud ¡¯bang.¡¯


    "Ling Chen... Ling Chen..."


    Xia Mutong¡¯s anxious voice came from the phone, but there was no response.

 Chapter 366 - 362: Injured

    <h4>Chapter 366: Chapter 362: Injured</h4><h4></h4>


    "Mr. Zhu, I just received a report from the control center, the car lost control and crashed into the bord at the end of the runway."


    The co-pilot of the Boeing airliner walked into the cabin and reported to Zhu Hong.


    "Are the people okay? Is anyone hurt?" Before Zhu Hong could speak, Nanrong Wanqing had already asked impatiently.


    "I don¡¯t know, there¡¯s no news just yet, but at that speed, even if it were a man of steel, he couldn¡¯t have survived."


    Seeing Nanrong Wanqing slumped in her seat with a deathly pale face, Zhu Hong waved his hand, signaling for the co-pilot to step away.


    "Wanqing, I know you¡¯re upset, but..."


    "Shut up!" Nanrong Wanqing looked coldly at Zhu Hong and said word by word, "If I ever had the slightest expectation or fondness for you, now all you do is make me feel disgust and hatred. Compared to Ling Chen, you¡¯re nothing but a despicable wretch."


    Zhu Hong¡¯s face changed, not expecting Nanrong Wanqing to say such things. To him, it was like a heavy hammer smashing down on his heart, especially the indifferent eyes of Nanrong Wanqing made him very ufortable.


    Meanwhile, at the end of the airport runway, more than ten police cars had arrived in session. Several officers stepped out of the cars quickly and rushed to the wrecked muscle car, pried the deformed door open, and dragged the unconscious Ling Chen out of the driver¡¯s seat.


    "Ling Chen!"


    At that moment, Xia Mutong arrived in a hurry by police car, rushed over with an anxious face, and looked at the unconscious Ling Chen with worry in her eyes.


    Not long after, an ambnce arrived at the scene and Ling Chen was ced on a stretcher. Xia Mutong stayed by his side the whole journey, silently praying that he would be alright.


    ...


    East Sea City First People¡¯s Hospital.


    It was hard to tell how much time had passed, but Ling Chen finally woke up from hisa.


    Rubbing his throbbing forehead, he propped himself up on the bed with his hands and sat up, realizing where he was as he looked around.


    Wanqing!


    Ling Chen murmured softly, his eyebrows slightly furrowed, wondering where Zhu Hong had taken Nanrong Wanqing. What puzzled him even more was why Nanrong Wanqing would be willing to leave with Zhu Hong. Could there be something he didn¡¯t know about?


    Lost in thought, the door to the hospital room was pushed open from the outside. Then, Xia Mutong, Nanrong Hao, and Liu Kun entered the room.


    "Chen, you¡¯re awake!" Nanrong Hao eximed with joy.


    "Mr. Ling, are you alright?" Liu Kun asked with concern.


    Ling Chen dismissed it with a wave of his hand, saying, "It¡¯s nothing, just a minor injury."


    "A minor injury," scoffed Xia Mutong, "Do you have any idea how dangerous it was? The doctor said you were lucky, it¡¯s fortunate your body is stronger than the average person, only a few broken ribs. If the car had been any faster, we would be attending your funeral right now."


    "Yes, I¡¯ll be more careful," he said, and then Ling Chen asked, "Did they hold me responsible for the incident at the airport?"


    "I¡¯ve reported the situation to the Chief, and considering the Nanrong Family¡¯s face, he¡¯s not going to trouble you this time."


    "Thanks!" Ling Chen breathed a sigh of relief, knowing that if they did decide to pursue it, he wouldn¡¯t have been able to avoid spending time behind bars.


    "Uncle Liu, are you all aware of what happened to Wanqing?"


    "Officer Xia has already informed us about the situation, but we haven¡¯t dared to tell the old master yet, fearing he might worry. I called an emergency meeting at Hongyu Group and had several senior managers temporarily take over thepany operations; there shouldn¡¯t be any major issues."


    "What about Wanqing¡¯s whereabouts, have you found anything?"


    "We checked the Boeing aircraft, itnded on an ind on the Public Sea yesterday morning. Our police authority is limited, we can only find out so much. To get detailed intelligence about that ind, we¡¯d have to apply to national security," replied Xia Mutong.


    Ling Chen massaged his temples, thought for a moment, and said, "There¡¯s no need for that, just give me the exact location of the ind, I¡¯ll handle the rest."


    Hearing this, Xia Mutong couldn¡¯t help but angrily say, "You¡¯re still thinking about rescuing others in this condition, take care of yourself first."


    "I have my limits."


    From Xia Mutong, he learned that he had been unconscious for a whole day and night. He couldn¡¯t settle down knowing that, during this time, who knows what Zhu Hong could be doing to Nanrong Wanqing.


    "Mr. Ling, you should focus on recovering first, don¡¯t worry about anything else." Liu Kun said.


    Ling Chen nodded, nced at Nanrong Hao, and asked, "What about Su Lin, why isn¡¯t she here with you?" To think he was in the hospital and that girl didn¡¯t evene to visit, it was quite unkind.


    Before Nanrong Hao could speak, Xia Mutong interjected, "Miss Su kept watch over you all night yesterday, she only went back to rest this morning."


    "Is that so?" Ling Chen suddenly felt embarrassed, realizing he had misunderstood Su Lin.


    After Nanrong Hao and Liu Kun left, Ling Chen, bored, turned on the TV in the hospital room, just in time to see the footage of his frantic race against the aircraft at the airport. However, the image wasn¡¯t very clear, it was taken from a distance, likely with a cellphone.


    After the video finished, the screen immediately switched to the wrecked muscle car, apanied by a news anchor¡¯s voice: "At present, the victims have been sent to the hospital for treatment and are not out of danger yet..."


    Listening to the news report, Ling Chen had a thought and immediately picked up his phone to dial Xia Mutong¡¯s number.


    As soon as the call ended, there was a knock at the door of the ward, followed by the sight of a round, pot-bellied figureing into Ling Chen¡¯s view.


    "Oh!" Noticing the visitor, Ling Chen¡¯s eyes lit up and he smiled, "Fatty, what brings you here? I was just thinking of finding you."


    Carrying a fruit basket, Hu Fei plonked it on the nightstand andined, "I heard you were hospitalized, so I came to check on you. Had I known this was your n, I wouldn¡¯t havee."


    "Why?"


    "You look for me only when there¡¯s trouble; it¡¯s from experience."


    "Cut the crap," Ling Chen said seriously, "Wanqing was taken away by Zhu Hong, all I know is they went to an ind, and I want you to help me check it out."


    "Send me the coordinates of the ind, I¡¯ll see what I can do. But let me be clear, it¡¯s a paid service, I¡¯ll give you a friend¡¯s price at most. You still owe me several million fromst time, we¡¯ll settle it all together." When it came to money, Hu Fei immediately got serious.


    "Seems like you¡¯re eyeing money more than ever, there!" Ling Chen handed a piece of paper with the coordinates to Hu Fei and said, "Here are the coordinates."


    Hu Fei grabbed a chair and plopped down, then took out a specially made cellphone, opened the map app, and input the coordinates. Soon, a red dot appeared on the map, marking the position of the ind.


    Looking at the information disyed on the map, Hu Fei¡¯s round face froze for a moment, then he looked up at Ling Chen and said, "Are you sure you didn¡¯t make a mistake?"


    "No. What¡¯s wrong?"


    Hu Fei, with a serious expression unlike his usual jocr manner, said, "Do you know what ce this ind is?"

 Chapter 367 - 363 Broken Teeth Training Camp

    <h4>Chapter 367: Chapter 363 Broken Teeth Training Camp</h4><h4></h4>


    Watching Hu Fei¡¯s sinister expression, Ling Chen slightly furrowed his brow, feeling a sudden rush of unease, he asked, "That ind... is it special?"


    "Special is an understatement; that ce is not fit for humans. It¡¯s understandable you don¡¯t know since you¡¯re not in our line of work. In our circle, the ind is an open secret; it¡¯s the base of the Broken Teeth Training Camp. You know about the Broken Teeth Training Camp, right?"


    Ling Chen¡¯s expression shifted, saying in shock, "That ind is the base for the Broken Teeth Training Camp? Are you sure?"


    "Would I joke about this type of thing?" Hu Fei rubbing his round, fat-filled face, persuaded, "Listen, you better think this through, it¡¯s not a yground. Anyone who dares to trespass there has nevere out alive. Even if all of us know, intelligence organizations from various countries are definitely aware, but over the years, the Broken Teeth Training Camp has been operating smoothly without a hitch."


    ncing at Hu Fei, Ling Chen replied indifferently, "That¡¯s because the Broken Teeth Training Camp is covertly supported by various governments."


    "Really?" This news shocked Hu Fei, who asked with a mix of belief and doubt, "How do you know all this?"


    "As everyone knows, the Broken Teeth Training Camp trains the world¡¯s top assassins. Every graduate from there is a notorious assassin internationally. Blood Wolf, who once topped the assassin list, originated from this camp, and his abilities are extraordinary. However, the training methods of the Broken Teeth Training Camp are too brutal, only one out of dozens or even hundreds survives to be the final winner. Everyone else faces certain death. Thus, many countries denounce and censure this as an inhumane training method. But regardless, the individuals trained there are exceptionally talented, unmatched by any country."


    "So, while many countries outwardly oppose it, they secretly coborate with the Broken Teeth Training Camp, hoping it will help them nurture talents." Here, Ling Chen sneered, continuing, "Many governments engage in unsavory activities behind the scenes. These activities naturally require skilled individuals who can work in the shadows, making the Broken Teeth Training Camp their top choice. Of course, those countries do not intervene directly but use overseaspanies as a cover. However, this is an open secret and goes unspoken. It¡¯s precisely the covert protection from these countries that allows the Broken Teeth Training Camp to continue existing. Otherwise, do you really think the world¡¯s nations couldn¡¯t deal with the Broken Teeth Training Camp?"


    "Everything has its value, it seems this saying is right," mused Hu Fei. After speaking, he shifted the topic, "Since you know the details about the Broken Teeth Training Camp, are you still nning to go to that ind? Isn¡¯t that just like seeking death?"


    Ling Chen looked at the sunlight streaming through the window, slightly squinting, a trace of cold intent hidden deep within his eyes. For the safety of Nanrong Wanqing, he must go.


    Turning his head back, Ling Chen withdrew his gaze, looking at Hu Fei by the bed, "Fatty, don¡¯t ask so much; I definitely need to go."


    "Do you intend to storm in there alone? Why not ask Old Tang for help? He¡¯s your brother; he surely won¡¯t refuse," suggested Hu Fei.


    "No need. He¡¯s in the military. I¡¯ve called him before; he¡¯s on a mission and can¡¯t spare the time to help me. Besides, I¡¯ve already thought of someone else to ask for help."


    "Who?"


    "Don¡¯t ask so much for now, you¡¯ll find out when the timees. Don¡¯t idle around these next few days either; help me arrange a ne and bring your equipment. Also, help me scout out that ind. In at most two days, once my injuries are better, I¡¯ll leave immediately."


    Hu Fei gaped, stunned, "You are not thinking of bringing me along, are you?"


    "Are you unwilling?"


    "Bullshit, who would be willing to go on a suicide mission? Find someone else for this, I¡¯m not ying along," Hu Fei immediately objected, quickly rising from his chair and striding towards the exit. After a few steps, he turned around and returned to the bedside.


    Seeing Hu Fei return, Ling Chen grinned, "I knew it. Someone as warm-hearted as you wouldn¡¯t leave a friend behind."


    "You thought wrong; I just came to take back my fruit basket. I¡¯ve decided not to be friends with someone like you."


    Seeing Hu Fei about to leave with the newly delivered fruit basket, the smile on Ling Chen¡¯s face immediately stiffened as he shouted in frustration, "Hey! Fatty, that¡¯s not very brotherly of you. What about the several hundred thousand inmission you owe me, do you still want it?"


    Hu Fei retorted, "Money can be earned again, but once life is gone, no amount of money can bring it back."


    "You make a good point."


    As the voice faded, someone pushed open the hospital room door from outside. Subsequently, Qiu Yong, leading six others, walked into the room.


    Seeing the group, Ling Chen immediately smiled, asking, "Big brother, what brings you all here?"


    "We saw the news and recognized the smashed car as yours, so we came to check on you. How are you, any serious injuries?" Qiu Yong asked with concern.


    Ling Chen patted his chest, about to say he was fine, but unfortunately, his handnded right o¨´ his fractured ribs, causing him to grimace in pain.


    "Enough already, stop putting on a brave front when you¡¯re hurt; there are no outsiders here," Xia Yue said with concern, visibly annoyed.


    "Really, it¡¯s nothing. I¡¯m used to these small injuries."


    Qiu Yong spoke seriously, "Ling Cheng, we heard everything from outside. If you¡¯re going to that ind to save someone, we¡¯ll go with you."


    "This..." Ling Chen hesitated and then said, "Big brother, I don¡¯t think that¡¯s wise. This is my personal matter; I want to handle it myself." This trip to the ind would undoubtedly be fraught with danger, and he did not want to involve Qiu Yong and the others.


    Xia Yue, dissatisfied, said, "What are you talking about? The ¡¯Weird Eight¡¯ share trials and tribtions together; your issue is our issue. If it were any one of us in the group, it would be the same." Turning to Hu Fei, Xia Yue huffed, "We¡¯re not like your cowardly friend who turns tail when it¡¯s time to help, we¡¯re better off without that kind of friend."


    Upon hearing this, Fatty Hu immediately became upset, clearly the remark was directed at him.


    "Heydy, what do you mean cowardly? Am I that type of person? I just don¡¯t want to knowingly walk into certain death. That¡¯s just dying without value."


    With a one-armed gesture, Yuan Yun spoke, "With us around, what¡¯s there to fear?"


    "You guys?" Hu Fei looked doubtfully at Qiu Yong and the others, shaking his head, "This one¡¯s past his prime, that one¡¯s underage... I really can¡¯t see what skills you have."

 Chapter 368 - 364: The Island Trip

    <h4>Chapter 368: Chapter 364: The Ind Trip</h4><h4></h4>


    Yuan Yun did not get angry, and pointing at a fly buzzing around the room, he said indifferently, "Young man, watch closely."


    The moment his words fell, before Hu Fei could even react, he saw a cold glint sh by, and the fly in midair immediately fell to the ground.


    "Take a closer look."


    Upon hearing Yuan Yun¡¯s words, Hu Fei immediately picked the fly up from the ground. Seeing its wings cut into two, Hu Fei¡¯s face changed instantly, he looked at Yuan Yun in disbelief, his face full of shock.


    Holy crap, if I could learn this skill, it would be an absolute babe ma.


    "How... how did you do that?" he asked, dazed.


    "I could tell you, but you wouldn¡¯t understand, so why waste the breath. With us apanying Ling Chen, are you still afraid?"


    "Not afraid, not afraid at all." Hu Fei¡¯s attitude changed drastically, puffing up his chubby round face close to Yuan Yun as he earnestly pleaded, "Could you... teach me that move you just used?"


    Ling Chen couldn¡¯t help butugh and said, "Fatty, give it up. He has trained hard for decades to achieve that. With all that fat on you, you¡¯d better stick to being a butcher rather than dreaming of being a swordsman. Maybe in your next life."


    "Ptui!" Hu Fei retorted mercilessly, "Don¡¯tpare your IQ with someone as incredibly smart as me. With my talent, it¡¯d take me ten days to learn."


    "Alright, enough chit-chat, get going and handle the important stuff," Ling Chen urged impatiently.


    "I¡¯m off then."


    As Hu Fei started to leave, Ling Chen quickly called out to him, "Wait! Are you really nning to take that fruit basket with you?"


    Hu Fei pped his forehead andughed embarrassingly, "I almost forgot."


    Ling Chen thought Hu Fei would return the fruit basket to him, but instead, the chubby man cheerfully approached Yuan Yun and handed it over, shamelessly saying, "Master, I didn¡¯t have time to prepare a proper offering today, just a small gesture, please ept it. Next time we meet, I¡¯ll bring a bigger gift."


    Watching this amusing scene, Xia Yue couldn¡¯t help but ¡¯pfft¡¯ augh, finding the fatty quite entertaining.


    "Damn, you fatso, using my gift to curry favor, get lost!"


    Amidst theughter and swearing, Hu Fei patted his buttocks and walked out of the hospital room.


    ...


    In the blink of an eye, two days had passed.


    After two days of rest, Ling Chen¡¯s injuries healed rapidly, thanks to his robust bodily condition and the meticulous care from everyone. Especially the girl Su Lin, who would report to the hospital every day after school and wouldn¡¯t leave until the next morning, she really put in a lot of effort.


    At three in the afternoon.


    With everything in order, Ling Chenpleted the discharge procedures and took a taxi alone to Dongling Pier.


    Half an hourter, on a cargo ship docked at Dongling Pier, Ling Chen met with Hu Fei and Qiu Yong among others. The travel ns to the ind were all arranged by Hu Fei, and with him in charge of such tasks, Ling Chen felt very reassured.


    "Ling Cheng, when do we set off?" the one-armed man Yuan Yun asked.


    Ling Chen stood on the railing of the ship, looking at the crew going back and forth on the pier, responding, "No rush, there is still one person who hasn¡¯t arrived yet." After saying that, Ling Chen turned to Hu Fei and asked, "Fatty, did you send out the message?"


    "I always get the job done, don¡¯t worry. Maybe they got dyed on the way, East Sea City is known for its bad traffic."


    During the conversation, a heavy motorcycle swiftly arrived from outside the pier. The rider, wearing a helmet and d in sexy, tight leather clothes with a trench coat over them, exuded a bold yet enticing demeanor.


    Once the heavy motorcycle came to a halt, the rider took off the helmet, revealing a stunning face, blue eyes like gems, fair skin, and fiery red lips, with dazzling blonde hair smoothly falling behind her back. Her appearance immediately drew admiring and amazing gazes from the surrounding workers.


    Seeing Ling Chen standing at the bow, the blonde beauty smiled and waved her hand. After she boarded the ship, Ling Chen, apanied by Hu Fei, quickly approached her, smiling, "I thought you weren¡¯ting."


    Kaelina stroked her blond hair which had fallen over her shoulders, and said enchantingly, "We have a partnership, and you asked for my help, how could I note? Tell me, what¡¯s the agenda this time?"


    "We want to go to the Broken Teeth Training Camp base to find someone. You and Blood Wolf were both groomed by Broken Teeth Training Camp, so you should be familiar with the environment there. That¡¯s why I¡¯d like your help to get us in."


    "Broken Teeth Training Camp?" Kaelina¡¯s smile stiffened, seemingly recalling some unsavory past, her expression turning somewhat unpleasant.


    "Are you sure you want to go there?"


    "We¡¯re all set and ready to depart anytime, just waiting on your decision." After a pause, Ling Chen said, "I suspect that Broken Teeth Training Camp might have ties with the God Organization."


    Kaelina hesitated for a moment then asked, "How many people do you have?"


    "Including you, ten people, all capable fighters."


    "Alright, I¡¯ll apany you, but I have one condition; when I say we retreat, we must leave immediately, no dys. As long as you all listen to me, I¡¯m confident I can get you out safely."


    "No problem," Ling Chen grinned. Having Kaelina as a ¡¯guide¡¯, they could avoid a lot of trouble.


    After setting sail, following more than six hours of voyage, the freighter finally entered the Public Sea.


    Within the Public Sea, no countries have jurisdiction, and allws are ineffective. In this area, almost anything is permissible.


    "Leng Xuan, we¡¯re about to enter the target zone."


    Hearing Hu Fei¡¯s reminder, Ling Chen immediately notified everyone to prepare for action. Soon after, two motorboats were lowered from the freighter into the ocean, and Ling Chen¡¯s group of ten split into two teams, each boarding a motorboat and departing from the freighter towards their destination.


    Knowing that Hu Fei had arranged this route, Kaelina approved, "That ind is equipped with radar systems; any approaching aircraft would be detected. The only way is by water. Luckily, you remembered to call me for help, otherwise, you wouldn¡¯t have gotten close to the ind without perishing."


    "Why?" asked Ling Chen, puzzled.


    "The waters around the ind are filled with underwater mines. Any detected movement would instantly trigger an explosion, no one would survive."


    Hearing this, Ling Chen was startled and turned to look at Hu Fei, asking, "You didn¡¯t know about this?"


    Hu Fei gave a bitter smile, "How could I know? You only gave me two days; I couldn¡¯t gather more information."


    Ling Chen felt secretly relieved; good thing he had brought Kaelina along, otherwise, it would have been an unknown demise.


    After traveling for about half an hour, an ind shrouded in the darkness of the night faintly appeared, showing up in everyone¡¯s sight. Ling Chen stood up, eagerly looking at the silhouette of the ind.


    Wanqing, wait for me, I¡¯ming for you soon.

 Chapter 369 - 365: Infiltrating the Island

    <h4>Chapter 369: Chapter 365: Infiltrating the Ind</h4><h4></h4>


    Atop the ind, in a vi nestled among the lush trees, Zhu Hong sat on a leather sofa made in Italy, holding a ss of red wine, enjoying the refreshing sea breeze tinged with a hint of fishiness, his expression one of intoxication.


    "Mr. Zhu." At this moment, a suit-d bodyguard strode forward, carrying a tabletputer in his hand.


    Without even lifting his eyelids, Zhu Hong asked, "Is it confirmed?"


    "Take a look." The bodyguard handed over the tablet to Zhu Hong and pressed the y button.


    "We have just received news that the driver involved in the airport ident has died after unsessful resuscitation efforts. ording to announcements from the airport authorities, this incident has not affected airport operations. The airline has also stated that it will strengthen security measures at the airport to prevent simr incidents..."


    "Mr. Zhu, this was the news released this morning," said the bodyguard in a suit.


    "Finally dead, now I can rest easy," Zhu Hong said with a smile, lifting the wine ss for a sip, "By the way! Hasn¡¯t Mr. Yun arrived yet?"


    "He¡¯s boarded the ne; there are about four or five hours left in the journey."


    "Very well, I¡¯m going to rest for a bit, remind me when Mr. Yun arrives."


    ...


    At this time, hundreds of meters off the ind¡¯s shore, two motorboats trailed one another, moving slowly forward.


    As they entered the minefield, Hu Fei handed over control of the motorboat to Kaelina. Piloting the boat at the slowest speed, Kaelina approached the ind.


    The group watched the pitch-ck waters around them, daring not to breathe too heavily for fear of affecting Kaelina. ording to her, there was a hidden safe passage amongst the mines that led directly to the ind. After her training, she was sent off the ind via this safe passage.


    However, so many years had passed, and Ling Chen was worried not knowing if Kaelina¡¯s memory held up. A single slip-up could spell death for them all.


    In the end, Ling Chen¡¯s worries proved unnecessary. After more than ten minutes of tension and anxiety, the two motorboats sessfully passed through the minefield and reached the shore of the ind.


    After docking the motorboats, Ling Chen and Hu Fei gathered some branches and leaves to conceal them onshore to avoid detection.


    Checking the time, it was 1 a.m., close to their expected arrival. Before departing, Ling Chen had briefed everyone on the n: they must find their people and leave the ind before dawn. If they hadn¡¯tpleted the mission by daylight, their danger would increase significantly, fully exposed to the enemy¡¯s eyes.


    For now, they had no idea how many people were on the ind and had to proceed with caution.


    "Come, pick what you need."


    Hu Fei, carrying two waterproof bags, threw them in front of the group. As he opened a bag, Ling Chen was taken aback. That chubby guy was quite generous, bringing along so much equipment.


    Qiu Yong and the others nced over but did not move. They were from the Martial Artsmunity, relying on their own skills, and had no interest in modern weaponry. Kaelina unceremoniously picked a sleek pistol, loaded it, and fastened it to her waist.


    Ling Chen rummaged through and randomly selected a few pieces of light equipment for self-defense.


    Seeing that the group wasn¡¯t particrly interested in his arsenal, Hu Fei was unfazed, mboyantly donning his bulletproof vest, helmet with night vision goggles, slinging a sniper rifle over his back, and carrying an assault rifle, with his legs and waistden with ammunition and explosive weapons, making himself look like a walking armory.


    Ling Chen couldn¡¯t help asking, "Fatty, aren¡¯t you tired?"


    "These are life-saving things, I have to carry them even if it¡¯s tiring."


    "Alright, let¡¯s not waste time," Kaelina urged. "Further ahead, about a hundred meters or so, is the base of the Broken Teeth Training Camp. There are watchtowers and barbed wire nearby. Let¡¯s take out the sentries first, then we¡¯ll infiltrate."


    Ling Chen responded, "Okay."


    Immediately, the group followed Kaelina, swiftly moving through the dense forest. Before long, they were stopped in their tracks by a barrier of barbed wire two persons high.


    Kaelina squatted down, her gaze sweeping around as she pointed at a watchtower located ten meters away from the electric fence. Ling Chen looked up to see two sentries on the watchtower more than ten meters high, monitoring the movements around them.


    "Fatty." Ling Chen made a hand signal to Hu Fei, indicating for him to pass over the sniper rifle.


    However, as soon as he spoke, there were two whooshing sounds from behind. Zhang Zhongfeng drew his bow and rapidly fired two arrows. By the time Ling Chen reacted, the two sentries on the watchtower had already fallen to the ground, each with an arrow piercing through the center of their forehead.


    Witnessing Zhang Zhongfeng¡¯s skill, both Hu Fei and Kaelina were stunned.


    This is too incredible!


    Without hesitation, Ling Chen immediately took out pliers to cut a half-meter-long opening in the barbed wire. As everyone infiltrated the training camp one after another, Kaelina patted Hu Fei¡¯s shoulder and pointed to the watchtower they had just dealt with: "You go up. They check in every five minutes. If no one responds, they¡¯ll definitely get suspicious."


    Hu Fei nodded and, without a word, moved his hefty body swiftly to the bottom of the watchtower and hurried up the woodendder.


    After a few climbs, there was a crisp snap, and the spot where Hu Fei stepped broke away abruptly. Fortunately, Hu Fei reacted quickly and managed to firmly grasp the horizontal bar above, avoiding a fall.


    Catching his breath, Hu Fei turned to look at the tension on the faces of the team, gave a smile and shed a scissors hand sign, then continued climbing upward.


    Ling Chen wiped the cold sweat from his brow. This dead fatty, already heavy, was carrying so much gear, how could the woodendder support his weight?


    After Hu Fei was in position, Kaelina pointed to a dpidated five-story building not far away and said, "That¡¯s the barracks of Broken Teeth Training Camp where all the trainees stay. I estimate there might be two to three hundred people."


    "That many?" Ling Chen was astonished.


    "There are many people, but less than three or four will survive in the end." A simple sentenceid bare the cruelty of Broken Teeth Training Camp.


    "Where do you think Wanqing could be held?"


    "It¡¯s hard to say. The Broken Teeth Training Camp has a prison; maybe we should look there?"


    Ling Chen thought for a moment, then said, "We¡¯re short on time; let¡¯s split up. I¡¯ll go to the prison, and you take Elder Qiu and the others to look elsewhere."


    "Okay, keep in touch at all times."


    After Kaelina gave Ling Chen directions, she left with Qiu Yong and others.


    Composing himself, Ling Chen took a deep breath and quickly rushed toward the prison. Even though it waste at night, the defense of Broken Teeth Training Camp had not ckened in the slightest, with patrols happening around the clock.


    Within a few minutes, Ling Chen sessfully evaded the patrol and arrived at the prison Kaelina had mentioned.


    The prison was unguarded outside, saving Ling Chen a lot of trouble. Pushing open a rusty iron door, Ling Chen tiptoed into the prison, immediately assailed by a pungent stench.


    He covered his nose and slowly walked forward in the dim light illuminating the inside of the prison.


    The prison seemed quite old, with damp air, crumbling walls, and the stone floor cracked with countless fissures.


    At that moment, a faint sound of pained groaning reached Ling Chen¡¯s ears. He turned to look, only to see a person in tattered clothes imprisoned within a cell made of steel columns.


    Approaching the cell, Ling Chen focused his gaze and the dirty, disheveled face became clear before his eyes.


    For a moment, his heart was profoundly shaken, his eyes widened in disbelief at the person held captive in the cell.


    No, impossible!


    How could it be him?

 Chapter 370 - 366 Reylov (1)

    <h4>Chapter 370: Chapter 366 Reylov (1)</h4><h4></h4>


    Seeing Ling Chen outside the cell, the imprisoned man immediately let out a loud shout, like a wild beast, and fiercely pounced forward. It seemed as if he felt no pain, his body heavily mming into the iron pir. His emaciated hands reached out through the gaps between the bars, iling wildly, trying to grab Ling Chen.


    Ling Chen stepped back two paces, staring at the man in front of him, the shock in his eyes lingering.


    After a while, Ling Chen, regaining his senses, pressed his earpiece and called out: "Kaelina."


    "Received."


    "You bettere over here," Ling Chen said in a deep voice.


    "Coming right away."


    In less than three minutes, Kaelina appeared silently at the entrance of the prison.


    Walking into the prison, Kaelina looked at Ling Chen beside her and asked, "What¡¯s going on?"


    Ling Chen expressionlessly pointed at the cell and said, "I think you might want to meet this person."


    Hearing this, Kaelina eyed the man imprisoned in the cell, her expression slightly changing. However, her look of surprise quickly returned to normal.


    Noting the change in Kaelina¡¯s expression, Ling Chen said, "He¡¯s already dead. I personally dealt with him, there can be no mistake. Why is he still here? Judging by your reaction, his presence doesn¡¯t seem to surprise you. Shouldn¡¯t you exin?"


    Kaelina hesitated for a moment and then said, "I do know something, but those are bargaining chips for our cooperation, I can¡¯t tell you yet. After all, those matters are too shocking. In any case, I can assure you that Blood Wolf is dead."


    Ling Chen frowned slightly, pointing at the man in the cell, he demanded, "If he is dead, then why is he here?"


    The moment Ling Chen saw the man¡¯s face clearly, he thought he had recognized the wrong person. But as a top agent, he could not make such a basic mistake. The man imprisoned in the cell was none other than Blood Wolf, who had died by his hands.


    At this moment, seeing a person who was supposed to be dead appearing alive in front of him, how could he remain calm?


    "Don¡¯t ask anymore, I¡¯m not lying to you. About him ..." Kaelina turned to look at the man in the cell, pulled out her pistol, aimed at his forehead. Without any hesitation, she pulled the trigger, and the bullet flew from the silenced barrel, instantly sting his head.


    Without even struggling, under the impact of the bullet, the man¡¯s head reclined back, dropping dead on the spot.


    "Let¡¯s go, don¡¯t forget the main reason you¡¯re here." After saying this, Kaelina left the prison without lingering any longer.


    Looking at the man¡¯s body, Ling Chen kept frowning, not because of Kaelina¡¯s ruthlessness, but because of the man¡¯s identity, too many doubts swirling in his mind.


    Leaving the prison, Ling Chen collected himself, burying the scene that had just unfolded deep in his heart, his gaze searching around.


    "Fatty, have you found anything on your end?"


    "Just saw a few patrol teams."


    "Kaelina, searching like this is a waste of time. To capture the thieves, first capture the leader. Who is the leader of the Broken Teeth Training Camp? He rules this ind; we must find him to learn Wanqing¡¯s whereabouts."


    "The leader of Broken Teeth Training Camp is called Reylov, a Russian, in his fifties, with a beard, bald, and a scar on the left side of his face. You can try looking for him."


    "Received."


    Armed with Reylov¡¯s characteristics, Ling Chen began to target his search on isted quarters, where typically, people of status resided.


    However, just as Ling Chen was about to sneak into a barrack, he saw the door of the barracks suddenly pushed open. Startled, Ling Chen quickly reacted, leaping to the side andnding silently in a clump of grass.


    Listening to the footsteps passing by, Ling Chen unconsciously let out a sigh of relief.


    That was close!


    At this moment, a shrill whistle pierced the tranquil night sky, spreading throughout the camp.


    Instantly, all the lights in the rooms were turned on. Within ten seconds, more than two hundred people emerged from a dpidated building in the distance, arranged orderly on the spacious drill ground.


    Seeing this scene, Ling Chen was slightly stunned and inwardly cursed his luck.


    Damn!


    This timing was just too bad.


    He had not expected that the Broken Teeth Training Camp¡¯s instructors would conduct a nighttime drill at this time. This inevitably had a great impact on their operations.


    ording to the n they had made earlier, they were supposed to retreat before dawn. But now, it was uncertain whether this n could be sessfully carried out.


    "Ling Chen, what should we do now?"


    Hearing Kaelina¡¯s voice from the headset, Ling Chen replied, "Don¡¯t rush, let¡¯s watch and see."


    As soon as he had finished speaking, Ling Chen¡¯s gaze was immediately drawn to a group of people approaching from not far away. The leader wore an army green vest and special operations pants, matched with a pair of military boots, and a gun holster at his waist. At this moment, nked by two subordinates, the person came in front of the neatly arranged troops and roared loudly in English.


    After seeing that man¡¯s face clearly, Ling Chen immediately recognized him as Reylov, who Kaelina had mentioned, the leader of the Broken Teeth Training Camp.


    Ling Chen had some recollection of the name Reylov. If he wasn¡¯t mistaken, more than twenty years ago, Reylov had been a dictator of awless country, a warlord, frequently using brutal means to oppress the people, causing great international outrage.


    However, it had to be admitted that Reylov was very skilled at training soldiers; in terms of individualbat capabilities, his army definitely ranked among the world¡¯s top tier. At that time, if not for outdated equipment and interference from several major countries, Reylov would not have fled in such a sorry state.


    To this day, Reylov was still an internationally wanted criminal.


    No wonder no one had found his whereabouts for so many years; turns out this guy had joined the Broken Teeth Training Camp and even became its leader.


    At this moment, after finishing his lecture, Reylov left the drill ground with his two subordinates and walked towards the barracks.


    Opportunity!


    Ling Chen quietly circled the drill ground and trailed behind Reylov, following him all the way to the outside of the barracks.


    Upon entering the barracks, the two subordinates beside Reylov did not follow inside, but stood guard at the door with their guns. Ling Chen scanned the area; the front door had no breach and was easy to be spotted, so he moved to the back of the barracks.


    However, Ling Chen was disappointed to find that the back of the barracks was aplete wall, with no windows, making it impossible to sneak in.


    He had to force his way in!


    His mind racing, Ling Chen immediately made a decision.


    Circling back to the front of the barracks, Ling Chen, lying on the ground, pulled out two sharp daggers from his waist. Seizing the moment, his eyes wide open, he suddenly sprang up from the ground, his hands flicking the two daggers into two fierce shes of cold light, swiftly thrown forward.


    Apanied by two muffled groans, the two daggers urately hit their targets¡¯ foreheads, instantly killing them.

 Chapter 371 - 367 Reylov (Part 2)

    <h4>Chapter 371: Chapter 367 Reylov (Part 2)</h4><h4></h4>


    After taking out two guards, Ling Chen quickly rushed forward, catching the bodies as they fell to prevent any noise from disturbing Reylov inside the barracks.


    Dragging the bodies into the bushes nearby, Ling Chen flicked his wrist, his fingertips tightly clutching Wolf Kiss, and walked straight to the entrance of the barracks, took hold of the doorknob, and gently pushed the door inward.


    Inside the room, it was pitch-ck, except for a bleak moonlight shining through a window at the top of the room. Ling Chen squinted his eyes, treaded lightly, and quietly entered the room, looking around. He saw a bed against the north wall, under whose coversy a person.


    The corners of Ling Chen¡¯s mouth lifted slightly, and he silently approached the bed. Without waiting for any reaction from the individual, he suddenly flipped the covers and swung his hand-de toward Reylov.


    However, the moment the covers were lifted, Ling Chen froze. To his surprise, there was no person under the covers, merely a human-shaped doll.


    Darn it! It¡¯s a trap!


    The thought had just arisen when an intense unease surged in Ling Chen¡¯s heart, prompting him to look down immediately. Just then, an arm holding a military dagger emerged from under the bed, stabbing toward his legs.


    Amidst the shock, although Ling Chen was panicked, his body reacted swiftly, retracting backward to dodge the dagger¡¯s stab.


    Unable to hit his target, the arm clutching the dagger quickly withdrew. Following that, a dark figure rolled out from underneath the bed, leaped from the ground, waving the sharp military dagger, and lunged at Ling Chen.


    As the cold light approached, Ling Chen didn¡¯t hesitate and countered with a powerful kick.


    Reylov was skilled, but only moderately so. Compared to a Tiger List expert like Ling Chen, he was still farcking.


    After missing his strike, Ling Chen¡¯s foot urately kicked Reylov¡¯s abdomen, sending him flying. Not allowing Reylov¡¯s body to hit the ground, Ling Chen swiftly closed in, grasped his wrist, pulled him inward, and pressed the sharp Wolf Kiss against Reylov¡¯s neck.


    "If you don¡¯t want to die, better stay still," Ling Chen rebuked in English.


    With his life held in another¡¯s hands, Reylov promptly dropped his dagger and cooperatively said, "Let¡¯s talk. Who sent you to kill me? The Central Intelligence Agency, or the Russian security service?"


    "You¡¯re overthinking it; I have no connections with them," Ling Chen said, ncing at the doll on the bed and slightly smiling, "Your preparation was indeed thorough."


    "It¡¯s just a habit," Reylov replied indifferently. "I¡¯ve experienced too many assassination attempts over the years, so I dare not sleep on the bed, always under it. So, what do you want?"


    "Rest assured, I¡¯m not interested in your life; I just want to inquire about someone."


    "Who?"


    "Nanrong Wanqing."


    "Sorry, I¡¯ve never heard that name."


    Hearing this, Ling Chen frowned slightly, applied a bit more pressure with Wolf Kiss, and created a thin cut on Reylov¡¯s neck, his voice cold, "I don¡¯t have the patience to dally with you. You¡¯re the leader of the Broken Teeth Training Camp; wouldn¡¯t you know if someone came to your ind?"


    Reylov, seemingly unfazed by the pain in his neck, calmly stated, "Killing me won¡¯t help; I truly don¡¯t know. But I think the person you¡¯re looking for might not be me, but a member of the God Organization; the Nanrong Wanqing you mentioned is likely brought to the ind by them."


    "Then you still im you don¡¯t know?"


    "I never interfere with the affairs of the God Organization; I merely cooperate with their operations."


    "Exin clearly."


    "A few years ago, the people from the God Organization approached me to build a secret base on this ind. For the base¡¯s security, they paid me to ensure, should the base face any external threats, Broken Teeth Training Camp would help resolve their issues. Initially, I wanted to refuse, but the payment they offered was too tempting, so I agreed to their terms. Aside from maintaining the base¡¯s security, I also helped them train a group of soldiers; those people you see on the training field outside are all members of the God Organization."


    Hearing Reylov¡¯s exnation, Ling Chen thought of the man locked in the prison, resembling Blood Wolf.


    "The man you¡¯re keeping in prison, who is he?" Since Kaelina wouldn¡¯t speak, he could only seek the truth from Reylov.


    "That lunatic? That¡¯s someone the God Organization handed over to me, asking me to give him special training," Reylov said, unable to resist grinning.


    "What are youughing at?" Ling Chen inquired, perplexed.


    "You specifically asking about that lunatic implies you¡¯re thinking the same as I did. When you first saw that man, did you think he was Blood Wolf? I¡¯ll be honest, I was stunned too. Blood Wolf is a top assassin I personally trained; he has no siblings, and in this world, it¡¯s impossible for two people to look exactly identical unless someone¡¯s had stic surgery."


    "stic surgery?" A thought shed through Ling Chen¡¯s mind, providing a usible exnation. Thinking for a moment, he continued, "Why would the God Organization do this?"


    "How would I know? I just carry out what they assign me to do, nothing else. Asking me is futile."


    "Then where should I look for them?"


    "This is the eastern side of the ind, and the God Organization¡¯s secret base is on the western side. If you want to find them, you¡¯ll have to go to the other end of the ind."


    "How can I be sure you won¡¯t alert them if I let you go?" Ling Chen asked.


    Reylov chuckled, "Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m not the kind of person who betrays for money; no amount canpare to my life. However, I do have an agreement with the God Organization; if they¡¯re in trouble, I must send troops to protect them. But, I can give you three hours. During these three hours, whatever happens at the base, I won¡¯t take any action. If you can¡¯t aplish what you want within these three hours, don¡¯t me me."


    Hearing this, Ling Chen hesitated, unsure whether to trust Reylov or not.


    "Let him go."


    At this moment, Kaelina walked in from outside, adding, "I can vouch for him; he won¡¯t deceive us."


    Seeing Kaelina, Reylov¡¯s smile grew even brighter.


    "Kaelina, my most outstanding student, you haven¡¯te to see me for a long time."


    "I did want to see you, just afraid you wouldn¡¯t dare to meet me," Kaelina coldly replied.


    "Ha ha!" Reylovughed loudly: "You understand me best. What can I do? Being the third ranked assassin on the assassin list, I¡¯m afraid someone might hire you to kill me."


    "I¡¯m not interested in that. We¡¯re here just to find someone; we don¡¯t want to make an enemy out of Broken Teeth Training Camp. If we offended you in any way, I hope you can understand."


    Reylov, magnanimously responded, "Considering you were once my most outstanding student, I won¡¯t mind what you did just now."


    This chapter is updated by freew(e)bnovel.(c)om

 Chapter 372 - 368: Infiltrating Successfully

    <h4>Chapter 372: Chapter 368: Infiltrating Sessfully</h4><h4></h4>


    Kaelina gave Ling Chen a signal with her eyes, and thetter understood, immediately moving the Wolf Kiss away from his hand.


    Reylov touched the fresh blood on his neck, nced at Ling Chen, and gave a thumbs-up, saying, "You¡¯ve got some good moves. The organization behind you must be quite something to have trained someone like you."


    "Enough talk, what kind of information do you have on the base? Give it all to me," Ling Chen urged impatiently.


    Reylov pointed to the ind map posted on the wall and said, "I can¡¯t help you much, only tell you the exact location of the base and a shortcut to get there, which can save you a lot of time."


    "That¡¯s enough."


    After gathering intelligence from Reylov, Ling Chen and Kaelina got ready to leave.


    "Be careful after you leave, don¡¯t expose your tracks. Those students outside are all from the God Organization," Reylov reminded them from behind.


    As they walked out of the barracks, Ling Chen contacted Hu Fei, Qiu Yong, and the others through his headset, asking them to hurry over for a rendezvous.


    While waiting for the others to arrive, Ling Chen asked curiously, "The international rumors say that Reylov is a ruthless executioner, brutal to the extreme, but he didn¡¯t seem so just now."


    "That¡¯s because you don¡¯t know him well enough," Kaelina said, her sapphire-like eyes shing with fear and trepidation at some memory. "Reylov¡¯s brutality only shows towards his students and enemies. If you had experienced his training methods, you would understand how terrifying he is. Often times, he¡¯s not a man but a beast. We were lucky that you didn¡¯t kill him just now, or we would never be able to escape this ind."


    "Why is that?" Ling Chen asked curiously.


    "Reylov is not just ruthless to others but to himself as well. He once had surgery to imnt a micro-device in his heart, which controls explosives all over the ind. As soon as his heart stops beating, it will immediately trigger the device. The explosives he¡¯s buried around the ind are enough to destroy the whole ce, leaving no one alive."


    "That severe?" Ling Chen was taken aback. With that kind of trick up his sleeve, who would dare to kill him on this ind?


    While they were talking, Hu Fei, Qiu Yong, and the others arrived at the meeting point.


    Ling Chen pulled out the map he had acquired from Reylov, pointing to a route marked with a red line, and said, "This is the shortcut Reylov pointed out to us. Going this way, it should take about ten minutes to reach the God Organization¡¯s base."


    "Reylov only gave us three hours, we¡¯d better hurry."


    "Let¡¯s get moving then."


    The group hadn¡¯t gone far when Hu Fei started to fall behind. He couldn¡¯t bear to part with his heavy equipment. Seeing him drenched in sweat and gasping for breath, Ling Chen couldn¡¯t help but sigh and took the equipment off his back to help lighten his load.


    "I really don¡¯t know why you brought so much stuff." Heined.


    "This is all life-saving gear, how could I not bring it?" Hu Fei retorted. "If I had your skills, I wouldn¡¯t need all this stuff."


    "Fine, forget I said anything."


    The group rushed forward and, after more than ten minutes, they were stopped by a wall over three meters high.


    "This is it," Ling Chen said, dropping the heavy gear he was carrying. "I¡¯ll go up and take a look first."


    With that, Ling Chen¡¯s legs powered up, and like a nimble monkey, with the help of Wolf Kiss, he quickly climbed to the top of the wall.


    However, as soon as he reached the top, Ling Chen froze. A surveince camera was directly facing him.


    Done for!


    After a brief moment of shock, Ling Chen quickly moved aside, lying on top of the wall, his heart pounding and his breathing bing rapid.


    Dear God, let me not be discovered. He prayed silently.


    Minutes passed, and no unusual activity urred inside the base, which made Ling Chen breathe a sigh of relief.


    Luckily, I must have had good fortune, as it seemed that the surveince operator had dozed off and didn¡¯t notice my face.


    Regaining myposure, I stealthily surveyed the situation inside the perimeter wall. There were over a dozen security personnel on duty outside, all armed with firearms, and there were also a few hunting dogs.


    Not far off, two European-style vis stood erect, lights shining within, with security patrols around the balconies and entrances.


    The God Organization¡¯s bases always preferred underground construction, offering both concealment and effective defense.


    After observing the situation, Ling Chen signaled to the people at the base of the wall.


    Soon, a line of individuals climbed over the wall one after another, infiltrating the inside of the enclosure.


    "Pudgy."


    "Roger that! Watch me."


    Hu Feiy prone on the ground, set up his sniper rifle, aimed at an isted security guard, and gently squeezed the trigger.


    At the same time, Zhang Zhongfengunched arrows from his bow, four in quick session, each shot hitting its mark. Hu Fei had only taken out one guard when over here, four security personnel were easily neutralized.


    With the cooperation of everyone, in less than a minute, all the security personnel and hunting dogs outside the base entrance were dealt with.


    "Let¡¯s go, inside."


    Ling Chen called to everyone and quickened his pace to the entrance of the base. But at that moment, Hu Fei called out from the side: "Ling Chen."


    "What¡¯s up?"


    Hu Fei pointed to a vi not far away and shook the binocrs in his hand. Catching on, Ling Chen immediately understood, took the binocrs from Hu Fei, and looked towards that vi.


    At that moment, in front of the transparent floor-to-ceiling window of the vi, stood a young man in a sharp suit, holding a wine ss, leisurely gazing at the coast.


    Zhu Hong!


    Ling Chen¡¯s expression turned cold, a surge of nameless rage bubbling up from within. He put down the binocrs and said in a low voice, "Pudgy, Kaelina, Big Brother, you go ahead into the base to find Wanqing. I¡¯ll take care of Zhu Hong."


    Kaelina frowned and said, "Now¡¯s not the time for revenge. Let¡¯s rescue the others first. As long as Zhu Hong is on this ind, you can take his life at any moment."


    Qiu Yong chimed in, "Ling Cheng, let¡¯s focus on the task at hand."


    Persuaded by everyone, Ling Chen finally gave up on the idea of going after Zhu Hong.


    Forget it. I¡¯ll find Nanrong Wanqing first, letting Zhu Hong live a few more hours.


    The group entered the base, surprisingly without much hindrance. It made sense, though, as the God Organization had sent most of their manpower to the Broken Teeth Training Camp for training, leaving not so many security personnel at the base.


    Following the spacious and bright underground passage, Ling Chen led everyone swiftly towards the depths of the base.


    After passing several electronically locked doors, Ling Chen suddenly stopped in his tracks, looking towards arge door on his left. This door was different from the others; it was specifically marked with red English letters indicating a scientific research area, strictly off-limits to unauthorized persons.


    However, this only piqued Ling Chen¡¯s interest.


    He approached that door, spent a few minutes, and cracked the electronic password lock.


    Click!


    With a soft sound, the hefty steel door gradually opened. Ling Chen stepped forward as the first to enter.


    Suddenly, Ling Chen¡¯s pupils shrank, and his face was filled with shock ¨C he was utterly astonished.

 Chapter 373 - 369: Locating the Target

    <h4>Chapter 373: Chapter 369: Locating the Target</h4><h4></h4>


    Behind therge door, it was like a meat processing nt, except those hanging from the hooks were not pork but people, dead people. Even more shocking, all of these bodies were deformed, missing limbs or having shrunken brains ¨C not one was normal.


    Furthermore, these corpses had been disemboweled, their innardspletely hollowed out. At a cursory nce, there were about forty to fifty bodies in this storage room, presenting a grotesquely horrifying scene that was truly disturbing. Even seasoned individuals like Qiu Yong and others were stunned by this sight.


    Xia Yue covered her mouth, fighting back nausea, and turned away as she said, "What the hell is this ce?"


    Ling Chen furrowed his brows; he too wanted to figure out what experiments were being conducted in this ce. Turning around, he strode out of the storeroom and said in a deep voice, "Sooner orter, we will uncover the secrets of this base."


    Following the underground passage, the group cautiously advanced toward the deeper parts of the base.


    After walking approximately several dozen meters, blind Yang Chen suddenly stopped and looked up, saying, "Someone ising."


    Ling Chen, fully aware of Yang Chen¡¯s keen hearing, knew he was not mistaken, and asked, "How many people?"


    "Five, based on the footsteps. They¡¯re in the passage to the left."


    Ling Chen nced at the left corner; although the people were not yet in sight, their shadows were already cast on the wall by the light. Immediately, Ling Chen signaled everyone, and they quickly scattered, each finding a hidden corner to conceal themselves.


    Before long, five researchers in whiteb coats walked shoulder to shoulder into Ling Chen¡¯s view. Watching the researchers who were about to pass by, Ling Chen¡¯s expression subtly changed. Among them was someone he recognized.


    Stephen!


    The doctor who Zhu Hong had introduced to Nanrong Wanqing for treatment was here as well. Watching as Stephen and the others slowly moved further away, Ling Chen gestured to his team with a nod and then silently followed behind Stephen.


    "Kaelina, you and the fat man go to the surveince room."


    "Got it!"


    After Kaelina and Hu Fei left, Ling Chen and the others like Qiu Yong followed and soon arrived outside a clean room. Through the ss, they saw Stephen and his group putting on clean protective suits and entering through a side door.


    Ling Chen took a look at the surveince camera on top of the outside door, then stopped in his tracks, waiting for Kaelina¡¯s response.


    Three minutes passed, and Hu Fei¡¯s voice finally came through the earpiece: "Done!"


    With surveince under control, their next moves would be much easier. Ling Chen pushed open the door to the clean room and quickly walked up to the side door, grabbing the handle and trying to push it open. However, he quickly realized that the side door was locked and couldn¡¯t be opened.


    Seeing this, Ling Chen looked up at the surveince camera, pointed at the side door, and said, "Fat man, can you control this door?"


    "No, that door doesn¡¯t have an electronic lock. I can¡¯t remotely control it; it can only be opened from the inside," Hu Fei barely finished talking when Kaelina¡¯s voice chimed in, "Ling Chen, you bettere here and see this."


    "I¡¯ll be right there."


    After instructing Qiu Yong and the others to stay put, Ling Chen promptly made his way alone to the base¡¯s surveince room.


    Upon entering, Kaelina pointed at the surveince screen and said, "See for yourself."


    Ling Chen nced over and his expression changed abruptly. He saw, within the monitor screen, Nanrong Wanqing lying quietly on a bed with her arms and legs bound, eyes slightly closed as if in a deep slumber. Beside her, several precise instruments were ced with wires connected to Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s body, seemingly monitoring her vital signs.


    At the same time, Stephen, leading a group of scientists, was conducting examinations on Nanrong Wanqing. After a moment, a scientist in a white coat approached Stephen holding a metallic case. Once the case was opened after entering the password, Ling Chen¡¯s pupils contracted and his fists clenched involuntarily at the sight of its contents.


    "What¡¯s wrong?" Kaelina, noticing the change in Ling Chen¡¯s expression, asked.


    "They are nning to inject Wanqing with strengthening serums. No, we cannot let them seed," Ling Chen dered in a deep voice. He then quickly left the surveince room and returned to the cleanroom.


    Facing the tightly closed side door, Ling Chen gritted his teeth and ferociously kicked it.


    Bang!


    A dull sound followed, but the side door did not budge or even indent.


    However, the sound of the door alerted everyone in theboratory. Stephen, confused, nced at the door and then went to hisputer, pressing a few keys with fingers d in rubber gloves.


    Instantly, an image appeared on theputer screen; Ling Chen and Qiu Yong, among others, were all disyed on the screen.


    Having met Ling Chen a few times before, Stephen recognized him immediately, his face turning pale, he quickly took off his gloves and grabbed theboratory phone, dialing a number swiftly.


    But the phone signal was busy, emitting ¡¯beep beep¡¯ sounds and not connecting. After several attempts, the phone still couldn¡¯t reach the other side.


    "Ling Chen, they¡¯ve discovered you. I¡¯ve cut off theb¡¯s connection with the outside; they will be temporarily trapped in there. You¡¯d better find a way to open that door quickly."


    Hearing Hu Fei¡¯s voice from the earphone, Ling Chen nced at Qiu Yong and others and said, "Big brother, help me out!"


    "Let me do it."


    Qiu Yong walked over to the side door, sank his waist, crouched in a horse stance, hands moving from upward to downward coordinated with his breathing, Qi sinking to the Dantian. Suddenly, he roared and threw a punch like the wind heavily against the door.


    Bang!


    A loud noise urred, and a fist-shaped dent immediately appeared on the surface of the sturdy iron door. Yet, that was all; the door remained intact.


    Seeing Qiu Yong¡¯s unsessful attempt, the people who had been eager to try instantly gave up. Ling Chen may not be aware of Qiu Yong¡¯s capabilities, but the other members of the ¡¯Eight entrics¡¯ knew very well. Qiu Yong practiced the Iron Cloth Shirt of Cross Training, had incredibly strong muscles and bones, and possessed extraordinary strength; if even he couldn¡¯t break the door, it was futile for others to even try.


    "Mr. Ling, don¡¯t waste your efforts anymore; this door is made from a special metal. Merely relying on human strength to destroy it is simply wishful thinking," Stephen¡¯s deep voice came from an external speaker.


    Frowning slightly, Ling Chen replied, "Stephen, open the door. Just let me take Wanqing away, and I promise not to kill you."


    "Forget it. As long as I stay in theb, you¡¯ll never be able to harm me," Stephen retorted with a coldugh, then added, "It¡¯s perfect that I¡¯m in need of a few spectators; you might as well serve as witnesses."


    As his voice fell, the outer wall¡¯s screen started broadcasting theboratory¡¯s scene live.

 Chapter 374 - 370: Injection Successful

    <h4>Chapter 374: Chapter 370: Injection Sessful</h4><h4></h4>


    Seeing Stephen put on the rubber gloves again and walk over to Nanrong Wanqing to begin the experiment, Ling Chen suddenly panicked, kicking frantically at the iron door, but unfortunately it was futile.


    Xia Yue couldn¡¯t stand watching, she ced her hand on Ling Chen¡¯s shoulder, and said, "Don¡¯t worry just yet, we¡¯ll definitely find a way to rescue her."


    Ling Chen stared at the screen, his mind racing. Suddenly, he gritted his teeth and shouted into the headset, "Hu Fei, hurry over here."


    In less than a minute, Hu Fei ran to the cleanroom with his short legs, asking, "What¡¯s up?"


    Without saying another word, Ling Chen grabbed the backpack from behind Hu Fei and threw it next to the iron door. Unzipping it, he took out a few stic explosive charges, molded them into discs, and stuck them in each corner of the door. After the explosives were ced, Ling Chen retrieved a detonator cap, preparing to connect the explosives.


    Seeing what Ling Chen was doing, Hu Fei eximed in surprise, "Are you crazy? If you blow this up, everyone will know we are here."


    "There¡¯s no time to worry about that."


    At that moment, inside the sealedboratory, Stephen took a syringe and drew several milliliters of purple liquid from a transparent bottle. He then extracted several milliliters of red liquid from another transparent bottle. As the two different liquids mixed, they immediately turned into a bizarre color.


    "Ready to start the injection," stated Stephen as he put on a mask and gently flicked the syringe with his fingers.


    At his indication, a staff member in a whiteb coat lifted Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s sleeve, revealing her smooth and fair arm. After wiping it with alcohol, Stephen leaned closer and positioned the needle near Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s arm.


    Just as he was about to administer the injection, a thunderous boom suddenly echoed from outside theboratory, severely shaking the entire room. The ssware ttering on the table was nearly knocked to the floor.


    Startled by the explosion, Stephen¡¯s wrist shook, causing the needle to veer off course.


    He cursed under his breath, hastily looking up at the surveince monitor, only to see the dust-filled cleanroom where no figure could be clearly distinguished.


    At that very moment.


    In a vi hundreds of meters from the base, upon hearing the sound of the explosion, Zhu Hong suddenly stood up from the sofa and rushed to the balcony. He looked in the direction of the base and frowned, saying, "Contact the base immediately, see what happened."


    A suit-d bodyguard immediately pulled out a walkie-talkie and called the base¡¯s duty personnel. However, after several minutes, there was still no response from the base.


    "Something¡¯s wrong!" Zhu Hong¡¯s expression darkened, he turned and said, "Notify Reylov to send reinforcements immediately. Also, have the vi¡¯s security head to the base to ascertain the situation."


    "Yes."


    At the base.


    Ling Chen waved his hands to clear the surrounding dust and strode towards the iron door. However, despite the power of the stic explosives, the iron door was only deformed, not blown open.


    "Ling Chen, Zhu Hong¡¯s men are heading this way, you better hurry and rescue Nanrong Wanqing from theb."


    "How many people areing?"


    "More than thirty," Kaelina replied.


    Qiu Yong spoke, "Ling Cheng, focus on handling things here, we¡¯ll take care of the people outside." Saying this, he led Xia Yue and others quickly towards the base¡¯s exit.


    After they left, Ling Chen touched the scorching iron door, hesitating in his gaze. The explosives Hu Fei brought were plentiful, and blowing open this door was not difficult. However, the issue was that if the amount of explosives was not controlled well, it was very possible that Nanrong Wanqing in theboratory would be identally injured.


    During his contemtion, Stephen¡¯s voice suddenly came from the loudspeaker outside the door: "Mr. Ling, there¡¯s no time left, Miss Nanrong has alreadypleted the injection."


    Hearing this, Ling Chen¡¯s face changed, filled with shock and anger.


    "Stephen, you¡¯re dead!"


    With that said, Ling Chen stopped hesitating and immediately took out half a block of stic explosives from his backpack, stuffing it into the cracks made by previous explosions in the iron door.


    Once everything was prepared, Ling Chen quickly backed out to the clean room and pressed the control button on the st device. For a moment, there was a loud ¡¯bang¡¯, and under the impact of two explosions, the solid iron door was finally blown away.


    Ling Chen charged ahead with great speed, rushing straight into theboratory. His sharp gaze swept around; Stephen and a few others were clinging to the wall, trembling in fear as they watched him.


    "Fatty, keep an eye on them, don¡¯t let them escape." After saying this, Ling Chen quickly walked to the bed and saw Nanrong Wanqing asleep, his brows immediately furrowing.


    At this moment, Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s body was flushing red after the injection, breathing rapidly. The monitoring equipment showed her heartbeat and rhythm both rapidly increasing, exhibiting extremely unstable vital signs.


    "Wanqing." Ling Chen grasped Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s hand, feeling her skin burning hot as if soaked in boiling water.


    He called out several times, and seeing that Nanrong Wanqing did not respond, Ling Chen, with a stern face, red coldly at Stephen beside him, striding forward, grasped his cor, and dragged him to the bed.


    "Wake her up."


    "She¡¯s currently merging with the medication. Only after the drug¡¯s effects unfoldpletely and get absorbed, she might wake up."


    Ling Chen nced at the two empty bottles on the table and coldly asked, "What did you inject her with?"


    "One is a regr enhancement drug, the other is a newly developed drug, the specific effects are only clear to Mr. Yun and Zhu Hong; I was just following orders, I don¡¯t know anything else."


    "You like conducting experiments on people, don¡¯t you? Since that¡¯s the case, let you taste it too." After saying that, Ling Chen forcefully pressed Stephen¡¯s head down, randomly picked up a syringe, drawing more than ten milliliters of the enhancement drug.


    Seeing Ling Chen¡¯s actions, Stephen immediately turned pale with fright, struggling desperately: "Don¡¯t, Mr. Ling, I..."


    Before he could finish his words, Ling Chen had already stabbed the needle into his neck, injecting all the purple liquid in the syringe into his body.


    The reaction speed of the drug was very fast; just after the injection, less than ten secondster, Stephen¡¯s body began to show signs of reddening, looking as if he lost all strength, copsing to the ground, convulsing, foaming at the mouth, and his hands frantically scratching at his chest, even tearing his clothes.


    Turning his gaze away, Ling Chen looked at the four men in white coats standing against the wall and coldly said: "Fatty, kill them all, leave none behind."


    Hu Fei didn¡¯t hesitate, immediately pulling the trigger, unleashing a volley of bullets, turning the bodies of the four in white coats into a hive.


    "Let¡¯s go!"


    Ling Chen picked up the delicate body of Nanrong Wanqing, not hesitating for a moment, quickly heading towards the base exit. Now that they had rescued the person, it was time to evacuate.


    However, as they reached the base¡¯s exit, they saw Qiu Yong and others blocked at the gate, pinned down by external gunfire, unable to break out.

 Chapter 375 - 371: Monster

    <h4>Chapter 375: Chapter 371: Monster</h4><h4></h4>


    "Big brother."


    Seeing Ling Chen carrying Nanrong Wanqing and catching up from behind, Qiu Yong grimaced and said: "We¡¯re surrounded outside, the enemy¡¯s fire is too strong, we can¡¯t get out."


    Hearing this, Ling Chen called Xia Yue over, handed Nanrong Wanqing to her, and instructed her to take good care of Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s safety.


    ncing at the time, Reylov had said they would have three hours to act, and there was still about two hours left, which was more than enough.


    Listening to sporadic gunshots from outside, Ling Chen pondered for a moment, then turned his gaze to Hu Fei beside him.


    Hu Fei trembled with fear under his stare and swallowed before saying: "What are you nning to do?"


    "What are you afraid of? I¡¯m not preparing to send you to your death." Ling Chenughed, took his backpack, pulled out a few smoke grenades, and said: "Big brother, I¡¯ll distract them. You all head to the evacuation point ording to our earlier n, I will find you as soon as possible."


    "Alright, take care of yourself."


    "Ling Chen." At this moment, Kaelina rushed over from the monitoring room and reminded him: "Zhu Hong is also outside."


    "I know!" Ling Chen nodded, a sharp cold light shing through his pupils.


    After throwing a few smoke grenades, thick white smoke immediately enveloped the outside of the base. Seizing the opportunity, Ling Chen, like a darting rabbit, quickly dashed out. However, just as he rushed out of the base, gunshots immediately rang out, bullets falling at his feet.


    That was close!


    A shock went through Ling Chen, and he suddenly had an ominous premonition.


    Bang! Bang!


    Two sessive shots, both hitting where he was. Luckily, he kept moving at high speed, and each bullet missed his body by a whisker.


    Trouble! Ling Chen frowned secretly. Under the cover of smoke, the enemy was still able to urately pinpoint his location, indicating that they were equipped with thermal imaging. As long as he had body heat, he couldn¡¯t escape their eyes.


    Without thinking further, Ling Chen leaped, his body soaring high andnding behind a small mound. Just as hended, a bullet shot toward him, but it was blocked by the mound.


    Taking a deep breath, Ling Cheny on the ground, reached for a grenade from his waist, unscrewed the detonator, and threw it into the air.


    Bang!


    An explosion rang out, followed by several screams.


    Ling Chen¡¯s mouth curled slightly, the gunshots from the enemy had likewise exposed their positions. Having taken out several gunmen, Ling Chen hesitated no longer, rushing forward like a swift wind. His n was clear¡ªto circle to the enemy¡¯s rear, draw their attention, and create a chance for Qiu Yong and the others to escape.


    Tens of seconds passed, and the thick smoke outside the base gradually dispersed. By then, Ling Chen had sessfully navigated to the rear.


    Hearing the gradually distant gunshots outside the base, the group knew Ling Chen¡¯s n had seeded. Immediately, under Kaelina¡¯s lead, everyone followed, quickly evacuating with Nanrong Wanqing.


    Yet, just then, Qiu Yong, who was covering the rear, suddenly flew into the air, crossing over everyone¡¯s heads and heavily falling to the ground.


    This sudden change shocked everyone present, causing them to hurriedly turn back. In the darkness of the night, a figure was rapidly approaching from behind. As the figure entered their line of sight, Kaelina and Hu Fei, among others, widened their eyes in disbelief at the approaching silhouette.


    Is this... still a human?


    Hu Fei gaped, his face full of horror.


    At this moment, the person appearing before them could no longer be called human, but a monster. Its entire body swollen, its limbs seemingly inted, and pus-blood flowing all over. Its head unevenly sized, extremely disproportionate. Its face also twisted beyond recognition.


    After a brief moment of shock, Hu Fei was the first to react, pointing at the monster in rm, "That¡¯s Stephen."


    Previously, Ling Chen had injected Stephen with an overdose of enhancement drugs, expecting him not to withstand the pain and die. However, Stephen not only survived but also transformed into this neither human nor ghost-like monster.


    "Everybody be careful, his strength is terrifying." Qiu Yong stood up from the ground, watching Stephen approach step by step and cautioned.


    Without a second word, Zhang Zhongfeng immediately drew his bow and arrow aiming at Stephen¡¯s head.


    Whoosh!


    Following the sound of air tearing, the sharp arrow pierced straight through Stephen¡¯s head.


    However, to everyone¡¯s astonishment, the fatally wounded Stephen appearedpletely unaffected. As if unable to feel the pain, he continued charging towards them.


    Seeing this, Hu Fei¡¯s eyes rotated, his gaze suddenly brightened, and he shouted loudly, "I have a n, hold him off first."


    Without hesitation, Qiu Yong lightly tapped his foot off the ground, leaping up and throwing a punch towards Stephen¡¯s head. Simultaneously, Xia Yue and the one-armed Yuan Yun rushed forward, wielding their swords, pinning Stephen in ce.


    With agile movements, Yuan Yun and Xia Yue coordinated swiftly, and in a blink of an eye, Stephen had more than a dozen wounds on him. For a normal person, these injuries would have been fatal, but Stephen waspletely unfazed, no matter how severe the wounds, they werepletely ignored.


    Just then, Xia Yue seized the opportunity, lifting the Mother-Child Sword, her wrist flicked, thrusting straight for Stephen¡¯s eyes.


    However, just as the sharp tip of the sword was about to prate his eyeball, Stephen suddenly raised his hands,pletely disregarding the de¡¯s sharpness, fiercely grasping onto the sword, and then violently throwing it.


    Xia Yue felt a powerful force transmitted from the sword, her body immediately losing control, soaring straight up.


    "Be careful!"


    Yuan Yun, seeing this, and fearing that Xia Yue might get hurt, hurriedly sheathed his sword and rushed over, stretching out his hands to catch Xia Yue¡¯s delicate body. However, just as Xia Yuended in his arms, herplexion abruptly changed, she eximed in shock, "Brother, watch out behind you!"


    Yuan Yun turned back only to see Stephen had somehow appeared behind him, his arm fiercely swinging, heavily pping his back.


    Struck by Stephen¡¯s powerful blow, Yuan Yun¡¯s face turned pale, he stumbled, and together with Xia Yue, they both fell to the ground.


    Seeing the dire situation, Qiu Yong and Xu Ming, fearing for their safety, quickly rushed over, coboratively blocking Stephen¡¯s assault. Seizing this opportunity, Wei Jiahao swiftly moved to help Yuan Yun and Xia Yue to their feet.


    Once they had retreated, Qiu Yong nced at Hu Fei nearby and asked in a grave tone, "How much longer?"


    "Almost ready." Hu Fei, neglecting the sweat on his forehead, hurriedly handed the modified arrow to Zhang Zhongfeng who immediately ced it on his bow, drew the bowstring full circle, aiming right at Stephen¡¯s forehead.


    "Big brother, second brother, move aside!"


    Hearing Zhang Zhongfeng¡¯s voice, Qiu Yong and Xu Ming didn¡¯t hesitate and quickly retreated. Without waiting for Stephen to catch up, Zhang Zhongfeng seized the moment, his finger slightly loosened, and the arrow immediately tore through the air, flying towards Stephen¡¯s forehead.

 Chapter 376 - 372 Ling Zhu Solo Challenge

    <h4>Chapter 376: Chapter 372 Ling Zhu Solo Challenge</h4><h4></h4>


    Zhang Zhongfeng¡¯s archery skills were incredibly urate, never missing their mark, his arrow pierced directly through Stephen¡¯s brow. However, just like before, Stephen waspletely unaffected by this fatal wound, if anything, it only made him more ferocious.


    Seeing Stephen quickly approaching with his swollen legs, Hu Fei sneered, raising the detonator in his right hand and murmuring, "Let¡¯s see if you die now!" As soon as these words fell, he pressed his thumb down, and Stephen¡¯s head instantly exploded into a bloody mist, filling the air with a pungent stench.


    After stumbling forward a few steps, the top half of his body blown open, Stephen finally lost his bnce and copsed on the ground, lifeless.


    Watching Stephen motionless, Hu Fei secretly breathed a sigh of relief. It was fortunate that he had been clever enough to attach a stic bomb to Zhang Zhongfeng¡¯s arrow. As the arrow pierced Stephen¡¯s head, the stic bomb also entered Stephen¡¯s body. Otherwise, it would not have been easy to deal with Stephen.


    "Let¡¯s go now," urged Kaelina. The explosion just now was bound to attract the attention of the base personnel, and they couldn¡¯t afford to dy.


    Meanwhile, in the opposite direction from where Qiu Yong and the others were, Ling Chen was sprinting alone through the dense vegetation, with the frequent sounds of footsteps and gunfire behind him. More than twenty security personnel were following closely behind him, pressing onward.


    "Ling Chen, we¡¯ve already reached the safe zone. How long until you can join us?"


    Kaelina¡¯s voice came through the headset, causing Ling Chen to rx and immediately respond, "Give me ten minutes."


    His mission was to distract the enemies, allowing Qiu Yong and others to escape the base. Now that the mission waspleted, there was no need to waste time with these guys. Seizing the opportunity, Ling Chen set his eyes on arge tree ahead. Reaching it, he swiftly climbed to the top like a nimble gori, crouching on a thick branch and using the dense leaves to conceal himself.


    Soon, the twenty or so security personnel who were following him passed by beneath him, continuing further ahead.


    Ling Chen watched the enemies below, preparing to join Kaelina once they had moved on.


    However, at that moment, his pupils narrowed, fixing on a young man at the back of the group, causing his brows to furrow slightly.


    Zhu Hong!


    Checking the time, Ling Chen felt a bit more settled. There was still plenty of time for him to do what he wanted. With this thought, Ling Chen reached behind his waist, pulled out a sharp dagger, and held it between his fingers, his intense gaze now locked on Zhu Hong¡¯s nape.


    When Zhu Hong passed by the tree, Ling Chen seized the opportunity without hesitation and flicked his wrist slightly. The sharp dagger was thrown straight at Zhu Hong¡¯s vital spot.


    But just as the dagger was about to pierce Zhu Hong¡¯s nape, Zhu Hong, who was running swiftly, suddenly turned around, raising his arm quickly.


    ng!


    Apanied by a crisp sound, the flying dagger was struck by the pistol in Zhu Hong¡¯s hand and fell to the ground.


    Seeing this, Ling Chen was taken aback, surprised by Zhu Hong¡¯s quick reflexes. He had never known him to have such agility before; had he been hiding his skills all this time?


    Bang!


    In the blink of an eye, a gunshot rang out, and a bullet whizzed past Ling Chen, flying through the dense branches and leaves.


    Without time to think further, Ling Chen immediately jumped down from the branch, exerting force with his legs and diving towards the grass ahead. Under the cover of the night, Ling Chen bent over, avoiding Zhu Hong¡¯s searching gaze, and quickly headed towards Kaelina and the others¡¯ location.


    However, after sprinting a hundred meters, Ling Chen realized that Zhu Hong was still following close behind, maintaining a distance of about thirty meters. No matter how Ling Chen changed his route, he couldn¡¯t shake Zhu Hong off. Thetter seemed to be clinging to him like a persistent parasite.


    Ling Chen frowned slightly, Zhu Hong¡¯s sudden disy of abilities was beyond his expectations. Had he known that guy had such impressive skills, he wouldn¡¯t have stirred up trouble, leaving himself without a chance to escape.


    Bang!


    Another shot.


    The bulletnded exactly where Ling Chen had just stepped. Ling Chen secretly felt shocked; even he admitted the gunmanship was precise.


    Bang! Bang!


    Two consecutive shots, both skillfully dodged by Ling Chen. At the same time, during his sprint, Ling Chen abruptly stopped, turned around, and faced Zhu Hong, who was chasing him.


    All this while, Ling Chen had been carefully counting the number of shots Zhu Hong had fired. With his experience and knowledge of firearms, Ling Chen knew Zhu Hong¡¯s ammunition was depleted. If it weren¡¯t for witnessing Zhu Hong¡¯s urate shooting, he would have confronted Zhu Hong directly much earlier.


    Seeing the still figure ahead, Zhu Hong immediately slowed down, and walked step by step towards it.


    As the distance between them gradually closed, Zhu Hong finally saw clearly the face of that figure, and his expression darkened instantly.


    "Ling Chen!" Zhu Hong gritted out the words through clenched teeth.


    "Didn¡¯t expect it to be me, did you?"


    "Indeed, I thought you were dead."


    Ling Chen smiled slightly: "You aren¡¯t dead, how could I possibly be?"


    As he spoke, he nced at the gun in Zhu Hong¡¯s hands, his lips curling slightly: "Honestly, I¡¯m surprised; turns out you¡¯ve been hiding your skills in front of me all this time."


    "You¡¯re wrong, I never hid myself."


    Hearing this, Ling Chen was slightly startled, as if realizing something, and his doubts were immediately resolved.


    "Did you inject an enhancement drug?"


    "You guessed half right," Zhu Hong sneered. "I owe my sess today to you."


    Ling Chen, puzzled, asked, "What do you mean?"


    "When you¡¯re close to death, I¡¯ll tell you," Zhu Hong said, and without waiting for Ling Chen to respond, he threw away his gun, took off his jacket, revealing his muscr upper body.


    "You think you¡¯re so strong? Let me see for myself. Let¡¯s find out whether you are stronger or I am superior."


    Faced with Zhu Hong¡¯s challenge, Ling Chen didn¡¯t say a word and stepped towards Zhu Hong. Approaching him, Zhu Hong¡¯s eyes turned fierce, and with a powerful leap from the ground, he aimed a punch from above down towards Ling Chen¡¯s head.


    As the punch came, Ling Chen crossed his arms in front of his forehead, resisting Zhu Hong¡¯s punch forcefully. Suddenly, Ling Chen felt his body slightly waver, nearly losing his bnce.


    Such incredible strength!


    Ling Chen looked up at Zhu Hong, a sh of amazement in his eyes. He had purposely taken Zhu Hong¡¯s hit head-on to test his strength, but he hadn¡¯t expected his opponent¡¯s power to be so immense.


    Unsessful with the first strike, Zhu Hong did not back down. His fists, fast and furious, flew one after another in quick session, continuously striking out andpletely taking the initiative.


    Ling Chen held his breath and focused, dodging the punchesing from Zhu Hong, moving left and right. After more than ten punches, Zhu Hong hadn¡¯t even touched the edge of Ling Chen¡¯s clothes, all his punches missing the mark.

 Chapter 377 - 373: The Powerful Zhu Hong

    <h4>Chapter 377: Chapter 373: The Powerful Zhu Hong</h4><h4></h4>


    "Die!"


    Seeing his attack miss entirely, Zhu Hong immediately grew furious. He shouted loudly and threw his fist straight at Ling Chen¡¯s face.


    However, before his fist could get close to Ling Chen, he felt a pain in his abdomen. Unbeknownst to him, Ling Chen had already lifted his right leg and fiercely kicked him, forcing him back several steps.


    Looking at Zhu Hong¡¯s face filled with shock and rage, Ling Chen said indifferently, "Your strength is not bad, but unfortunately, you arecking in other areas. No matter how powerful the enhancement drug is, it can¡¯t cover everything."


    Zhu Hong coldly responded, "That¡¯s because you haven¡¯t seen the true power of enhancement drugs." As he spoke, Zhu Hong reached deep into his pocket and pulled out a portable syringe filled with about twenty milliliters of purple liquid.


    Seeing Zhu Hong inject all twenty milliliters of the liquid into his body without hesitation, Ling Chen¡¯s pupils contracted and his expression abruptly changed.


    This guy is crazy!


    He had personally experienced the terror of enhancement drugs. Injecting so much at once, isn¡¯t Zhu Hong afraid his body can¡¯t handle it?


    At this moment, having sessfullypleted the injection, Zhu Hong stood still. His skin color changed from red to white, gradually returning to normal, but his breathing became more and more rapid. Faintly, one could see his muscles slightly bulging, seemingly catalyzed by the enhancement drug.


    Taking a deep breath, Zhu Hong spread his hands, clenched his fists, and stared at Ling Chen, whose expression was somewhat solemn. He sneered, "Now... I will show you just how terrifying the power of science can be."


    With those words, before Ling Chen could respond, Zhu Hong dashed towards him with increased speed.


    Compared to before, Zhu Hong¡¯s speed had increased by at least two to three times. Ling Chen only saw a blur before Zhu Hong was already up close, swinging his fist at him.


    Without time to think further, Ling Chen shifted his body slightly to the side, trying to dodge Zhu Hong¡¯s fist. However, his reaction speed, which he took pride in, was still a step too slow. Before he couldpletely move out of the way, Zhu Hong¡¯s powerful fist had already mmed into his left shoulder.


    Ling Chen furrowed his brows but ignored the pain in his shoulder, swiftly retreating backwards. However, Zhu Hong, havingnded his blow, did not back down an inch and pressed forward step by step, quickly advancing and throwing another punch.


    With no room to retreat, Ling Chen¡¯s eyes widened in anger as he met Zhu Hong¡¯s punch with a punch of his own, unleashing his Inner Strength.


    Bang!


    The two fists collided, immediately producing a muffled sound. The powerful force surged through his fist, and Ling Chen felt a numbness in his arm. If not for his Inner Strength offsetting some of the force, this arm might have beenpletely disabled.


    Suffering setbacks twice made Ling Chen¡¯s expression gradually turn solemn.


    He had always been very confident in his skills. Being on the Tiger List was proof of his abilities. However, facing the abnormal enhancement drug, he felt somewhat powerless. This was not his first time fighting someone who had taken an enhancement drug, but no one had been as abnormal as Zhu Hong.


    Moreover, Zhu Hong had injected an excessive amount of the enhancement drug without any apparent side effects, which puzzled him greatly.


    Feeling Ling Chen¡¯s flickering gaze, Zhu Hong seemed to guess his thoughts and said proudly with a smile, "Are you curious? Then let me tell you, so that you can die with understanding. The effects of the enhancement drug are astonishing, but due to individual differences in physical constitution, there is more or less rejection, which prevents a hundred percent integration and reduces the potency of the enhancement drug. However, we idently discovered that after you were injected with the enhancement drug, not only did you not experience any side effects, but you could also perfectly integrate with the enhancement drug. Therefore, during ourst operation at the secret base in East Sea City, we drew your blood for experiments. Although we couldn¡¯t achieve a hundred percent effect, we reached ny-nine percent, which is already an incredible result. Therefore, we used your blood as a sample, replicated your genes and blood, and then converted all the blood in my body into your blood. This way, the enhancement drug can exert its effects in my body and also avoid side effects. So, I should really thank you, because you made me."


    After hearing Zhu Hong¡¯s exnation, Ling Chen finally understood the truth, realizing that all this was because of himself.


    "Ling Chen, if the God Organization is to seed greatly, you will be our greatest contributor, because you have helped us solve the biggest problem. Once the enhancement drug is widely distributed, which country in the future would dare to oppose us."


    Ling Chen, rubbing his painful left shoulder, said mockingly, "You aren¡¯t going to tell me that the ultimate goal of the God Organization is to rule the world, are you? That¡¯s just a childish plot from television shows."


    Zhu Hong sneered, "The goals of the God Organization are beyond your imagination." He paused for a moment, then waved his hand impatiently, "Alright, now you know what you need to know, you can go on your way peacefully." At this point, as if he remembered something, a sinister smile crept across his lips, "Don¡¯t worry, after you die, I will take good care of Wanqing and apany her for a lifetime."


    Ling Chen pouted, annoyed, "Cut the nonsense, if you can, kill me and then talk."


    "Alright, then I will send you on your way."


    With those words, Zhu Hong raised his fists and charged straight towards Ling Chen.


    As the fist wind approached, Ling Chen did not retreat or dodge, and met it head-on. He knew clearly, there was no escaping now, it was time to fight for his life. Although the enhancement drug was powerful, it was not without weaknesses. He had once taken the enhancement drug and was very familiar with this fact.


    Any enhancement drug always has a time limit. If he couldst until the effects of the drug waned, he might have a chance to turn defeat into victory.


    At this moment, on the other end of the ind, Kaelina, Hu Fei, Qiu Yong, and others had already arrived at the rendezvous point, waiting for Ling Chen to show up.


    Under the dense night sky, a light sea breeze brushed past, carrying a faint fishy scent.


    "She seems to be waking up."


    At this time, Xia Yue, who had been in charge of caring for Nanrong Wanqing, spoke up.


    Upon hearing this, everyone¡¯s gazes converged on Nanrong Wanqing. Under everyone¡¯s watchful eyes, her eyshes trembled slightly, her eyes opened a slit, and her delicate body gently twisted.


    "Miss Nanrong?" Hu Fei leaned in and called.


    Nanrong Wanqing opened her eyes, saw the grinning round face in front of her, and as if startled, let out a startled ¡¯ah¡¯, swinging her hand in a p.


    Fortunately, Xia Yue reacted quickly, grabbing Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s arm just in time to spare Hu Fei¡¯s chubby face from suffering.


    "Miss Nanrong, don¡¯t be afraid, we are not bad people," Xia Yueforted.


    Nanrong Wanqing shrank back, watching everyone warily, and asked, "Who are you?"

 Chapter 378 - 374: Use the Enemy’s Own Tactics Against Them

    <h4>Chapter 378: Chapter 374: Use the Enemy¡¯s Own Tactics Against Them</h4><h4></h4>


    "Miss Nanrong, we are all Ling Chen¡¯s friends," Hu Fei exined. "Don¡¯t you remember what happened before? You were captured and brought to this ind, and we came with Ling Chen to rescue you."


    "Ling Chen... Ling Chen..." Nanrong Wanqing murmured to herself, quickly realizing and urgently asked, "How is he... Is he alright?"


    Hu Fei smiled and said, "Don¡¯t worry, he is doing very well."


    Nanrong Wanqing looked slightly relieved; she had been worried that something had happened to Ling Chen. Hearing Hu Fei¡¯s words, the weight in her heart finally dropped. Thinking about her own overreaction just now, Nanrong Wanqing looked at Hu Fei with embarrassment and sincerely apologized, "I¡¯m sorry, I thought... I thought you were the ones who captured me, so..."


    Hu Fei generously waved his hand and said, "No worries."


    ncing at the people around her, Nanrong Wanqing asked, "Where is Ling Chen? Why isn¡¯t he here?"


    Kaelina looked at her wristwatch, slightly frowned, and said, "It¡¯s been so long; he should have been back by now." Thinking for a moment, she pressed a button on her headset and called out, "Ling Chen, do you copy?"


    After calling several times, there was still no response from Ling Chen in the headset, causing everyone¡¯s expression to turn somewhat ugly.


    "He couldn¡¯t have..." Hu Fei started, initially wanting to suggest that something might have happened to Ling Chen, but seeing Nanrong Wanqing nearby, he immediately shut his mouth and swallowed what he was about to say. Others might not know the rtionship between Ling Chen and Nanrong Wanqing, but he was well aware.


    At that moment, inside the ind¡¯s dense foliage, Ling Chen was panting heavily, staring at Zhu Hong, his forehead sweaty and hisplexion a bit pale. In contrast, Zhu Hong looked much better, still calm andposed, without a drop of sweat.


    This guy... is too monstrous!


    Ling Chen thought to himself. He was nearly out of energy, whereas Zhu Hong seemed unaffected and full of vigor.


    "Already giving up so soon?" Zhu Hong looked at the breathless Ling Chen, sneered with disdain, and mocked, "Weren¡¯t you very formidable before?"


    Ling Chen pretended not to hear Zhu Hong¡¯s sarcasm, mind racing as he silently pondered his strategy.


    Unable to fight, unable to flee, unable to endure. After thinking it through, there seemed to be no way to deal with Zhu Hong, unless...


    He didn¡¯t know what came to mind, but his eyes suddenly brightened, the corners of his mouth slightly lifted, and a sharp glint appeared in his eyes.


    At this point, risking it all wasn¡¯t the worst idea.


    With that thought, Ling Chen gritted his teeth, concentrated all his strength in his body into his legs. Then, he bent his knees, forcefully propelled himself forward, and like a cannonball shot towards Zhu Hong.


    Watching Ling Chen charging towards him, Zhu Hong let out a coldugh, showing no intention of dodging. In his eyes, Ling Chen was just a dying animal, not worthy of concern.


    Seeing Zhu Hong lower his guard, Ling Chen secretly smirked, instantly sped up, pulled back his raised fist, and instead threw his arms around Zhu Hong, tightly hugging his body.


    Caught off guard, Zhu Hong was slightly stunned; he expected Ling Chen to fight fiercely, but he didn¡¯t anticipate Ling Chen to resort to such a childish, rogue tactic.


    Seeing Ling Chen¡¯s arms wrap around his waist, Zhu Hong coldly snorted, lifted his left leg abruptly, and mmed his knee harshly against Ling Chen¡¯s abdomen. Seeing him still not letting go, Zhu Hong clenched his fists and from above his head forcefully swung down, hitting Ling Chen¡¯s neck.


    After taking two heavy blows, Ling Chen suddenly lost his strength, a stream of fresh blood spewed out, and his hands were finally freed by Zhu Hong. Seizing the moment, Zhu Hong delivered a flying kick, heavily striking Ling Chen¡¯s chest, sending him flying to the ground.


    Looking at Ling Chen spitting out blood and continuously coughing while clutching his chest, Zhu Hong looked down from above, his gaze nting with disdain, "To resort to such inferior moves, you truly disgrace those who practice martial arts."


    Ling Chen took a few deep breaths, barely stood up, half-crouched on the ground, and gasped with a chuckle: "Being inferior doesn¡¯t mean it¡¯s ineffective."


    Hearing this, Zhu Hong¡¯s pupils shrank, suddenly feeling a strong unease. Looking down, he saw that Ling Chen¡¯s hand now held a portable syringe somehow.


    "You..." Zhu Hong was shocked, hurriedly reaching for his own trouser pocket, only to find the syringe that was supposed to be there missing.


    He had carried two syringes, having used one just now. At this moment, the other syringe was held in Ling Chen¡¯s hand.


    "Didn¡¯t expect this, huh?" Ling Chen grinned broadly, "Didn¡¯t you say you replicated my blood to enhance the effect of the enhancer? If I use it myself, the effect should be even better than yours, right?"


    After saying this, under Zhu Hong¡¯s shocked gaze, Ling Chen plunged the needle into his body, injecting all of the purple liquid inside the syringe into himself.


    Seeing Ling Chen¡¯s action, Zhu Hong¡¯s face drastically changed, hisposure and confidence gone. Not waiting for Ling Chen to get up, he hurriedly ran in the opposite direction. If the drug in Ling Chen¡¯s body took effect, he would be the one getting thrashed soon; he dared not stay any longer.


    However, Zhu Hong hadn¡¯t gotten far when he heard a burst of footstepsing from behind. Suddenly, arge hand reached from behind, resting on his shoulder. Turning his head, he saw Ling Chen standing behind him, smiling broadly and grinning, "Why run away? Weren¡¯t you enjoying yourself just now?"


    Zhu Hong¡¯s pupils constricted, eximing, "Ling Chen, you..."


    Before Zhu Hong could finish his words, Ling Chen quickly lifted his leg, kicking fiercely, knocking Zhu Hong down to the ground. Immediately, Ling Chen didn¡¯t give Zhu Hong a chance to resist, pouncing over and straddling him, his fists swinging left and right, smashing fiercely on his handsome face.


    After more than ten punches, Zhu Hong¡¯s face turned into a swollen mess, his cheeks extremely swollen, blood streaming from the corners of his cracked mouth, utterly disheveled.


    "Stop... stop..."


    Zhu Hong raised his swollen arms, protecting his face, struggling to speak.


    Ling Chen paused his punches, asking, "Do you have anything left to say? If you have anyst words, spit them out."


    "Let... let me go... I¡¯ll let you all leave the ind safely."


    "Wow! How generous. But, we can leave without your help. Zhu Hong, you¡¯ve opposed me time and again, you should¡¯ve expected today¡¯s oue. Thinking you can piss me off and still live, you must be delusional." With that, Ling Chen ruthlessly delivered another punch, hitting Zhu Hong straight on the nose.


    Immediately, blood gushed out like a fountain, streaming from Zhu Hong¡¯s nostrils and instantly staining his face red.


    Under the intense pain, Zhu Hong let out a scream like a ughtered pig.


    "Don¡¯t, let... let me go, please... don¡¯t kill me... I¡¯ll do whatever you want..."


    Listening to Zhu Hong¡¯s pleas, Ling Chen scoffed disdainfully, "You still dare topete with me for a woman with your cowardice, not ughtering you today would be an insult to my name!"

 Chapter 379 - 375: Exposed Tracks

    <h4>Chapter 379: Chapter 375: Exposed Tracks</h4><h4></h4>


    "Stop!"


    Bang!


    A furious shout rang out, followed by a series of piercing gunshots.


    Ling Chen¡¯s fist, hovering over Zhu Hong¡¯s head, paused for a moment. He looked up to see over a dozen men in suits rapidly approaching, all of whom had been pursuing him earlier. They had likely heard themotion here and doubled back.


    Facing more than ten dark gun muzzles, Ling Chen felt a chill in his heart. Without time to think, he hurriedly grabbed Zhu Hong¡¯s cor, preparing to drag his body up to use him as a human shield. After all, even after taking the strength-enhancing drug, he was still flesh and blood, incapable of withstanding the lethality of bullets.


    However, before Ling Chen could pull Zhu Hong up, several bullets whizzed past his ear, just a hair¡¯s breadth away from blowing his head off.


    At this moment, Zhu Hong seemed to realize what Ling Chen intended to do and immediately raised his hands, pushing forcefully against Ling Chen¡¯s chest. In a bid for his life, he exerted all his strength as if he was fighting for survival.


    Pushed hard by Zhu Hong, Ling Chen, who had been straddling him, suddenly lost his bnce and fell backward. Seizing this opportunity, Ling Chen let go of Zhu Hong¡¯s cor and rolled toward a nearby pile of grass.


    Bang! Bang!


    As soon as he moved away from Zhu Hong, a barrage of gunfire followed. The bullets pierced the ground, not hitting Ling Chen¡¯s body.


    Hearing the security guards¡¯ footsteps closing in fast, Ling Chen didn¡¯t dare dy and leapt up from the ground, dashing forward at high speed.


    "Mr. Zhu, are you alright?"


    A few men in suits clumsily helped Zhu Hong up from the ground, their faces filled with concern.


    Zhu Hong wiped the fresh blood from his nose and mouth, his gaze harsh, fierce, and extremely angry.


    p!


    A crisp p rang out, and Zhu Hong, pointing in the direction Ling Chen had fled, shouted angrily, "Why aren¡¯t you chasing him? If you don¡¯t catch him, none of you will live."


    Fearing for their lives and fortunes, over a dozen security guards hurriedly gave chase.


    "Wait!" Just then, Zhu Hong seemed to think of something and quickly called a security guard to a halt, frowning, "Where¡¯s Reylov? Have you contacted him? Why hasn¡¯t he arrived yet?"


    "Mr. Zhu, I¡¯ve tried, but I can¡¯t reach him. There seems to be signal interference from the Broken Teeth Training Camp."


    "Send someone directly. Tell Reylov to send reinforcements immediately." After speaking, Zhu Hong began to walk away. But after a few steps, he noticed something in the grass pile beside his foot.


    "What¡¯s this?" he muttered to himself, bending over to pick it up. Looking at the object in his hand, his eyes instantly lit up.


    ...


    At this very moment, Ling Chen was sprinting rapidly alone through the tall and lush forest.


    Minutes passed and Ling Chen finally shook off the pursuers. He gasped for air, his tense muscles slowly rxing as the effects of the drug wore off.


    He had dyed for so long; Kaelina and the others should have reached the evacuation point by now. With this thought, Ling Chen touched his earpiece, intending to contact them. But as his hand reached his ear, he was shocked to find not only the earpiece but also the signal receiver was gone.


    Crap!


    He cursed inwardly, sure that it must have been lost during the scuffle with Zhu Hong.


    Thinking of the rendezvous point previously agreed upon with Kaelina, Ling Chen immediately rushed towards it. Kaelina and the others would surely wait there if they couldn¡¯t contact him.


    After a moment.


    Hu Fei, leaning against a tree trunk, nced at the time on his watch and spoke with some concern, "It¡¯s been over ten minutes, should we go look for him?"


    Kaelina hesitated as she nced at Qiu Yong and the others.


    "Ling Chen¡¯s capability is clear to all of you. If he hasn¡¯t arrived yet, there must be some dy. I suggest we wait a little longer; he¡¯ll likely be back soon."


    As he finished speaking, the inherently blind Yang Chen suddenly stood up from the ground and said, "Someone¡¯sing!"


    Hearing this, Kaelina slightly smiled, "I¡¯ve said before, he¡¯lle sooner orter."


    "No, it¡¯s not Brother Six," Yang Chen said gravely, "There are more than twenty people, and they¡¯re about fifty meters away."


    Hu Fei, surprised, asked, "How do they know we¡¯re here?"


    "Let¡¯s not worry about that now." Qiu Yong spoke in a deep voice, "If onees, we kill one; if twoe, we kill both. I want to see just how many are not afraid to die."


    As they spoke, a deep voice came from the dark forest, "Everyone inside, listen up, you have one minute to surrender, or else¡ªAh!"


    Before the voice could finish, a scream pierced the air, followed by silence.


    Everyone turned to Zhang Zhongfeng, who had put down the longbow in his hands, and simply stated, "Too noisy."


    Qiu Yong nced at Hu Fei and Kaelina, "You two stay and protect Miss Nanrong. We¡¯ll take care of those outside." Without waiting for Kaelina to respond, Qiu Yong and the others had already leaped into the forest and disappeared without a trace.


    Dada dada!


    Dada dada!


    Kaelina¡¯s expression changed, and she quickly pressed Nanrong Wanqing down to the ground, shielding her from the bullets flying overhead. Meanwhile, roaring engine sounds drew closer from afar.


    Hu Feiy on the ground, binocrs with night vision in hand, looking towards the dense forest not far away. His round, pudgy face was suddenly filled with shock as he cursed loudly.


    Damn it!


    "Where are they?" Kaelina asked.


    "They¡¯re back!"


    The words had barely left her mouth when Qiu Yong and the others emerged from the forest in disarray.


    Yuan Yun, pping leaves from his hair and panting, said, "The enemy¡¯s firepower is too strong; we can¡¯t get close enough."


    Kaelina pointed to the left of where the group was stationed, suggesting, "The motorboat is docked on that shore, about five kilometers away. We should head over there first and then figure out how to contact Ling Chen."


    "No!" Yang Chen immediately rejected Kaelina¡¯s suggestion, saying, "We¡¯re surrounded by heavy fire on three sides; there¡¯s no way to break out. There¡¯s only one path we can take behind us."


    "No way!" Kaelina frowned slightly, "Unless we have no other choice, it¡¯s better not to enter the forest behind us. The dangers there are no less than our current situation."


    Hearing their argument, Hu Fei, with a troubled face, said, "Miss Kaelina, do you think we have any other choice?"


    "Go!" Decisively, Qiu Yongmanded, "Head for the retreat! You guys go first; Brother Two and I will cover the rear."


    With the situation leaving no room for argument, Kaelina, despite her reluctance, had to follow Qiu Yong¡¯s instructions and led everyone towards the forest behind them.

 Chapter 380 - 376 The Blurred Corpse

    <h4>Chapter 380: Chapter 376 The Blurred Corpse</h4><h4></h4>


    "Where are they?"


    Zhu Hong, with a bruised and swollen face, dressed in a floral shirt, stepped off a jeep and asked the man in a suit beside him.


    "They fled to the woods back there."


    "Hmph!" Zhu Hong sneered coldly, "They really have some nerve, actually running in that direction. Can we lock on their position?"


    "No problem." The man in the suit replied, "They all have signal receivers on them. I¡¯ve hacked into their signal devices and can monitor their locations at all times."


    "Good." Zhu Hong nodded in satisfaction and instructed, "Remember, the lives of the others don¡¯t matter, but Nanrong Wanqing must be alive. If anyone dares to hurt her, it¡¯s not just that I¡¯ll be merciless¡ªMr. Yun won¡¯t let them off either. Do you understand?"


    "Yes, Mr. Zhu."


    ...


    At this moment, the group who had entered the woods realized that their pursuers were not following and breathed a sigh of relief. However, unlike the others who were at ease, Kaelina alone was frowning deeply, her expression grave and vignt as she swept her gaze around.


    Seeing this, Hu Fei couldn¡¯t help but tease, "Miss Kaelina, why so tense?"


    Kaelina nced at the fatty and coldly said, "If you knew what kind of ce this is, I doubt you¡¯d beughing."


    Hearing this, everyone became curious and couldn¡¯t help asking, "Is there something special about this ce?"


    Kaelina exined, "This forest is the outdoor training base of the Broken Teeth Training Camp, filled with all sorts of dangers:ndmines, traps, poisonous insects¡ªyou name it, this ce has it. Every year, hundreds of people die here."


    With her description of the danger, Hu Fei was immediately startled, and his smile disappeared as he asked with a face full of fat, "Miss Kaelina, you¡¯ve trained here before, so you should be quite familiar with the environment of this area."


    "That was in the past. The setup here changes every month, and except for Reylov and his instructors, no one knows how many dangers are buried in this forest. If it wasn¡¯t absolutely necessary, I wouldn¡¯t have led you here."


    Qiu Yong said indifferently, "We¡¯re already here; there¡¯s no use talking about that now. Everyone just be more careful. Jiahao, you¡¯re the best with traps and hidden weapons, keep an eye out for everyone, and try to avoid any traps."


    "No problem," Wei Jiahao responded.


    "Right!" Hu Fei had an idea and said, "Everyone, turn off your signal receivers. The reason we can¡¯t contact Ling Chen might be because his receiver has fallen into enemy hands. As long as they have aputer expert among them, they could use the signal frequency to pinpoint our location, which must be why our hideout was exposed just now."


    Kaelina nodded and said, "Makes sense, everyone do as he says."


    After turning off the signal receivers, the group of ten followed Kaelina¡¯s lead and headed deep into the forest. Only by crossing this forest could they circle around to where the motorboat was docked and leave the ind.


    As everyone prepared to cross the woods, Ling Chen had already reached the rendezvous point. Seeing the dry branches and broken wood scattered all over the ground, Ling Chen¡¯s expression turned ugly. On his way here, he¡¯d heard gunshots, so he rushed over immediately but was still a step behind. By the time he arrived, everyone was gone, with only chaos left behind.


    Looking at the tire tracks left on the ground, Ling Chen looked off in the direction they headed and felt slightly relieved.


    If Kaelina and the others were captured, these guys would surely return to base and not continue forward. Judging from the current situation, Qiu Yong and the rest must have sessfully escaped.


    Thinking this, Ling Chen immediately started moving his legs, striding vigorously and quickly catching up.


    After covering a few hundred meters, Ling Chen gradually slowed down, using the trees in the forest to conceal his body. At this moment, within his field of vision, there were thirty men in suits, each holding a gun, lined up in a row, swiftly advancing behind the cover of several jeeps.


    Seeing the heavy machine guns mounted on the jeeps, Ling Chen slightly furrowed his brow, not expecting these guys to be equipped with such heavy firepower.


    Taking advantage of the enemy¡¯s unawareness, Ling Chen took a deep breath, drew a dagger from his waist, and stealthily approached the men in suits.


    Ambushing in the dark night was his forte.


    To avoid startling the enemy, Ling Chen didn¡¯t attack from the middle but instead circled to the side, looking for isted targets.


    After tailing them for several tens of meters, a man in a suit who was walking on the far left gradually slowed down. Seizing this opportunity, Ling Chen crouched down and sneaked up. Without waiting for the others to notice, Ling Chen moved as fast as lightning, pouncing like a wild beast, covering the man¡¯s mouth with one hand and, without hesitation, drove the sharp dagger directly into his throat.


    This string of actions was smooth as flowing water, both fast and urate, silent as a whisper, and the people nearby didn¡¯t notice one of theirpanions had disappeared.


    After the man in his arms ceased moving, Ling Chen gently ced the body onto a pile of grass and continued to search for the next target.


    Boom!


    Just then, a sudden explosion erupted from the forest ahead, apanied by dazzling mes.


    What¡¯s happening?


    Ling Chen¡¯s heart skipped a beat. Before he could think further, he saw the three jeeps instantly elerate towards the location of the explosion, with the thirty-plus men in suits holding their guns and running full speed behind them.


    Seeing this, Ling Chen hurriedly followed. He silently prayed, hoping it wasn¡¯t Wanqing and the others who were in trouble.


    After rushing for several hundred meters, everyone finally arrived at the explosion site. Scanning the surroundings, Ling Chen quickly climbed up arge tree, looking down at the epicenter of the explosion. He saw that the ground had been blown into a huge crater, over a meter deep. Not only that, around the explosion, scattered limbs and severed hands and feety around, bodies sted beyond recognition, charred and bloodied, impossible to identify.


    "Ha ha!" Zhu Hong, sitting on the jeep, looking at the limbs on the ground, sneered, "Truly, heaven helps me. Keep pursuing, they must be injured and can¡¯t have gone far."


    Hearing Zhu Hong¡¯s words, Ling Chen, hiding in the tree branches, had a sudden change in expression, a cold harshness showing on his sharp, angr face.


    Kaelina, Wanqing, the fatty, and the other seven, including Qiu Yong, he didn¡¯t know who identally stepped on thendmine buried in the soil. However, judging from the mangled corpses, it was unlikely to be Wanqing, Kaelina, or Xia Yue, but rather a male.


    What kind of cursed ce is this?


    Ling Chen frowned, unable to contemte further. Seeing Zhu Hong and his group rushing forward, he immediately jumped down from the tree branch, circling around from the side. Not knowing the current state of Wanqing and the others, he had to overtake Zhu Hong, to find everyone first, lest they face more danger.


    While he was deliberating, a series of sharp gusts suddenly struck from the side, flying straight toward Ling Chen¡¯s body.

 Chapter 381 - 377: Crisis Lurks Everywhere

    <h4>Chapter 381: Chapter 377: Crisis Lurks Everywhere</h4><h4></h4>


    The sudden danger made Ling Chen instantly alert, and he quickly turned his head to see several logs rolling towards him from one side. The ends of the logs had been whittled by a knife, sharp beyondpare. Being hit by a log would be a certain death.


    Seeing this, Ling Chen remained calm amidst the chaos, his eyes cool and collected, as he swiftly squatted down. In an instant, several logs skimmed past his abdomen and crashed into the tree trunks beside him. For a moment, all that could be heard was the rustling of branches and leaves, and falling foliage.


    With the crisis averted, Ling Chen silently breathed a sigh of relief; this damned ce was filled with so many traps.


    Ah!


    As he was thinking, a pitiful scream suddenly came from not far away. Following the direction of the sound, Ling Chen saw that one of Zhu Hong¡¯s men had identally fallen into a trap and was instantly killed.


    Seeing this, Ling Chen had a slight premonition; it seemed they were also unaware of the arrangement of traps in this ce.


    "Mr. Zhu, do you want to continue the pursuit?" The man in a suit who had been following Zhu Hong eximed nervously, "There are many traps in this forest, I¡¯m concerned..."


    p!


    Before he could finish speaking, Zhu Hong impatiently pped him across the face.


    "Shut up!" Zhu Hong stared at him coldly. "We¡¯re not going back until we find the person. Drive!"


    As soon as he finished speaking, the walkie-talkie worn by the man in the suit immediately picked up a burst of static noise, apanied by human voices. After clearly hearing the message that was conveyed, the man seemed to forget the scolding he had just received from Zhu Hong, and said excitedly, "Mr. Zhu, our men have reached the training camp and made contact with Reylov. They are on their way here. All the traps in this area were set up by Reylov. With him as our guide, we can reduce a lot of unnecessary casualties."


    Hearing this, Zhu Hong, looking at the dark forest around him, hesitated for a moment before asking, "How long will they take to arrive?"


    "Five minutes, at the quickest."


    "Alright. Pass the word to hold position and rest, and we¡¯ll move outter."


    "Yes!"


    Since he was quite far away, Ling Chen could only see Zhu Hong talking to someone, but couldn¡¯t make out the content of their conversation. However, observing that the people had sat down right there, Ling Chen didn¡¯t hesitate any further and immediately ran forward.


    The forest on the ind was very dense, the deeper one went, the more crowded the trees became. Bushy branches and leaves blocked out even the moonlight, making the surroundings pitch-ck as if one¡¯s hand could not be seen when extended.


    After running for more than two kilometers, Ling Chen didn¡¯t dare to proceed at a fast pace, and instead, slowed down. In such pitch-ck darkness, if he carelessly triggered a trap, it would be a big trouble; he certainly didn¡¯t want to die a confused death in such a ce.


    Gasping for breath, Ling Chen paused for a moment to adjust, and then took out his phone from his pocket. There was no signal on the ind; the phone could only be used to check the time. It was nearly three o¡¯clock in the morning now, and in just over two hours, daylight would slowly start to break. If he couldn¡¯t escape from the ind before dawn, they would eventually be live targets. By then, trying to escape would be troublesome.


    Moreover, what Ling Chen was even more worried about was Reylov. The man had promised him three hours, and most of that time had already passed, it was uncertain whether Reylov would keep his word. Once the soldiers from Broken Teeth Training Camp got involved, the crisis they faced would be even more severe.


    While pondering, Ling Chen suddenly raised his head, his sharp gaze swiftly scanning his surroundings. For no known reason, he had a strong feeling of crisis, as if a wild beast had him dead in its sights, ready to pounce at any moment.


    "Don¡¯t, it¡¯s Ling Chen!"


    A barely audible voice came from within the forest, and Ling Chen immediately recognized it; it was Hu Fei speaking.


    "Fatty."


    "Ling Chen, we¡¯re over here."


    Following the sound, Ling Chen finally reunited with the main force. A quick scan revealed that everyone was present; the body he had seen at the explosion site was not one of theirs. However, seeing the battered state of hispanions, Ling Chen felt no happiness, only a deep frown, his expression solemn.


    Both Wei Jiahao and Yuan Yun in the team had suffered serious injuries. Yuan Yun¡¯s were the most severe, the flesh on his back torn and bloody, with shards of stone and metal embedded in his body, his breath barely hanging on. Since no one had brought medical supplies with them, immediate treatment was impossible; he had to rely solely on his own grit to persevere.


    After inquiring, Ling Chen learned of therades¡¯ ordeal.


    Earlier, under Kaelina¡¯s leadership, the team had intended to cross the forest and reach the location where their motorboat was docked. However, halfway there, they encountered a body. ording to Kaelina, it was a soldier who had died in the wilderness at the training base. Wei Jiahao thought he might find some equipment and a shlight on the corpse.


    But when Wei Jiahao moved the body, he discovered andmine hidden underneath. The instant the mine detonated, Yuan Yun, in an effort to protect Wei Jiahao, hurled himself over him; despite this, both were still caught in the st. Thankfully, Wei Jiahao was shielded by Yuan Yun, so he was not in mortal danger, but Yuan Yun¡¯s situation wasplicated.


    To look after the two injured, the rest of the team had to slow down and find a ce to rest temporarily.


    Having learned of everyone¡¯s condition, Ling Chen nced at Nanrong Wanqing and nodded at her, signaling she didn¡¯t need to worry. Then he turned his gaze to Kaelina, gesturing to her with his eyes.


    Understanding, she followed Ling Chen to the side and whispered, "The situation is grim. We still have half way to go through this forest. With two injuredrades and the enemy in pursuit, it¡¯s difficult for us to speed up our progress."


    "You¡¯re the most familiar with this area. Do you have any suggestions?"


    Kaelina gave it some thought and said, "If I remember correctly, there¡¯s a temporary camp about two kilometers from here, usually used to treat personnel injured during training. They should have the medical equipment and medicines we need. As you¡¯ve seen, your friend¡¯s injuries are severe, and without prompt treatment, he won¡¯t be able to leave this ind alive."


    "Alright, we¡¯ll go with your n."


    Their immediate concern wasn¡¯t escape but rescue¡ªfirst, they had to save Yuan Yun¡¯s life.


    Time was of the essence. After exining the situation to everyone, Ling Chen immediately carried the wounded Yuan Yun and headed for the temporary camp under Kaelina¡¯s guidance.


    ...


    An hourter.


    "Reylov, you¡¯ve led us around for over an hour without a trace. What the hell are you doing?"


    In the jeep, Zhu Hong looked at Reylov beside him and questioned coldly.


    "This is your territory; don¡¯t tell me you can¡¯t find them."


    "Mr. Zhu, don¡¯t rush, be patient," Reylov said with a smile, ncing at the time and muttering to himself, "Three hours are almost up."


    Zhu Hong frowned slightly, "What¡¯s almost up?"


    Reylov said confidently, "You want to find them, don¡¯t you? No problem, give me ten minutes, and I¡¯ll make sure they appear before your eyes."


    (The old book concluded today, the new book will be updated more frequently in the future)

 Chapter 382 - 378: Breakthrough

    <h4>Chapter 382: Chapter 378: Breakthrough</h4><h4></h4>


    The sea breeze was gentle, and the night sky was dotted with stars, brilliant and charming.


    In the lush woods of the ind, inside two temporary tents, Yuan Yun and Wei Jiahao were lying on two single beds, receiving treatment.


    Wei Jiahao¡¯s injuries were not life-threatening and easier to handle. The most troublesome was Yuan Yun, whose body had too many fragments of rocks and metal embedded in it. It took over half an hour, and neither Ling Chen nor Kaelina were able to clean his back thoroughly. They could only manage the more serious wounds first, barely keeping Yuan Yun alive. Once they escaped from the ind, they would seek further treatment.


    There was no choice; time was limited, and they had to race against it now, without any more dys.


    "Fatso, bring the first aid kit," Ling Chen instructed. Yuan Yun¡¯s condition was still unstable and to be cautious, it was better to be prepared in advance in case of emergency.


    In less than two minutes, everyone packed up their belongings and continued deeper into the woods under Kaelina¡¯s lead.


    At this moment, they were in the central area of the region; there was no turning back, only forward.


    "Ling Chen."


    Hearing Kaelina¡¯s voice beside his ear, Ling Chen turned his head and asked, "What¡¯s the matter?"


    Kaelina didn¡¯t speak but merely swung her wristwatch in front of him. Seeing the time disyed, Ling Chen¡¯s expression stiffened, immediately grasping her implication.


    Three hours had passed, Reylov was probably going to take action now.


    "How much farther do we have to go?"


    "About seven kilometers, and it¡¯s expected to take at least an hour to reach the shore," Kaelina said, looking around the pitch-dark environment with a hint of helplessness in her voice, "This ce is fraught with perils; we can hardly speed up."


    Ling Chen understood their predicament and said helplessly, "We¡¯ll do our best."


    After speaking, Ling Chen nced at Nanrong Wanqing beside him, slowly stepping closer to walk alongside her, and asked with concern, "Are you okay?"


    Nanrong Wanqing gave a gentle affirmation, looking at Yuan Yun and Wei Jiahao who were being carried on the backs of Qiu Yong and Xu Ming, a trace of guilt shing in her beautiful eyes, she med herself, "I¡¯m sorry, it¡¯s all my fault. If it weren¡¯t for my willfulness, you guys wouldn¡¯t have..."


    "Alright!" Ling Chen interrupted Nanrong Wanqing sharply, holding her delicate, boneless hand, and slightly smiled, "It¡¯s not your fault. I know Zhu Hong better than you. Even without this incident, he would have taken you away by any means." Ling Chen then changed the conversation tone, doubt in his eyes as he asked, "What exactly happened in East Sea City that made you willingly go with them?"


    Nanrong Wanqing lowered her head, saying, "It¡¯s because of my father."


    "Your father?" Ling Chen was shocked.


    Could it be... Nanrong Wanqing already knows Mr. Yun¡¯s true identity?


    Surprised, he heard Nanrong Wanqing say, "That day Mr. Yun contacted me, telling me he knew my father¡¯s whereabouts and could take me to see him whenever I was willing. Initially, I didn¡¯t believe him, but then, he mentioned many details from my childhood, and it was not just that; he knew my father very well. After knowing this, I subtly asked my grandfather and confirmed the information from him. So, my initial skepticism turned into belief. One day, Mr. Yun told me that he had arranged for me to meet my father, but because of some reasons of my father¡¯s, I had to go alone, so I... I¡¯m sorry, I should have listened to you and had less contact with Mr. Yun."


    "It¡¯s okay," Ling Chen breathed a sigh of relief internally. He had thought Mr. Yun had revealed his own identity.


    If Nanrong Wanqing knew Mr. Yun was her biological father, it¡¯s uncertain if she could withstand such a shock. After all, his stance is different from Mr. Yun¡¯s, and their rtionship is irreconcble, only allowing them to stand on opposite sides. cing Nanrong Wanqing between them would undoubtedly make her ufortable.


    Thinking about it, Ling Chen felt puzzled. Why did Mr. Yun deceive Nanrong Wanqing intoing here? Was it merely for an experiment? Or to treat Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s legs?


    Earlier, when Ling Chen met with Nanrong Wanqing, he had noticed that the exoskeletal armor she wore was gone, but her legs were unaffected and she could still walk normally. This clearly must be due to the enhancement drug.


    However, as far as he knew, the enhancement drug had a time limit; after which, the effects would wear off. It had been two hours now, and Nanrong Wanqing seemed unaffected. Could it be that the effects of the enhancement drug had be permanent in her body?


    Amidst his thoughts, Yang Chen, who was walking with him, suddenly stopped, his expressionless eyes "looking" around and said, "Brother, we¡¯re surrounded."


    Hearing this, everyone turned and focused their attention on him, asking solemnly, "Are you sure?"


    Yang Chen nodded and said, "There are a lot of them, probably no less than two hundred, and they are less than sixty meters away."


    Ling Chen¡¯s expression changed slightly. Over two hundred people¡ªit seems like the entire force of the Broken Teeth Training Camp had been dispatched. He knew Reylov wouldn¡¯t stand by idly, but he hadn¡¯t expected them to arrive so quickly.


    "Breakthrough!" Kaelina said coldly, "It¡¯s the only way."


    Yang Chen suggested, "The least people are on the east side, about thirty. With our strength, we should be able to break through smoothly."


    "Little sister, younger brother, take good care of third brother and eighth brother," Qiu Yong and Xu Ming left the injured Yuan Yun and Wei Jiahao in their care. As two of the mainbat forces of the Eight entrics, they needed to free their hands to deal with the enemy.


    "Ling Chen."


    At this moment, Hu Fei pulled off his backpack, unzipped it, took out two handguns and magazines, and threw them to Ling Chen. Kaelina walked by herself, picked up an assault rifle, and then clipped two grenades to her waistband.


    Ling Chen pulled back the bolt of the gun, chambered a round, and quickly arranged his equipment, preparing thoroughly for the uing fight.


    "Forty meters left."


    Hearing Yang Chen¡¯s reminder, Ling Chen nced at everyone around him. Without needing words, a single look was enough for everyone to nod in understanding.


    "Go!"


    With a light exhtion, Ling Chen moved swiftly, sprinting toward the woods on the east side, with two handguns tightly held in his hands, his sharp eyes like a beast lurking in the shadows, searching for its prey.


    Thirty meters... twenty meters...


    Quiet footsteps approached, and with a quick nce, Ling Chen instantly spotted two figures. Without a second thought, he raised his wrist and lightly squeezed the trigger.


    Bang! Bang!


    Two gunshots mercilessly took away two lives.


    However, as the gunfire rang out, not only did it expose their location, but it also hastened the approach of enemies nearby.

 Chapter 383 - 379: Deadlock

    <h4>Chapter 383: Chapter 379: Deadlock</h4><h4></h4>


    Ling Chen¡¯s marksmanship goes without saying, as urate as a textbook. Kaelina, ranked third in the world as an assassin, is no less proficient with a gun, and together with a hundred-percent urate archer god, the three unleashed full firepower. They encountered almost no resistance, and the thirty-something enemies they faced head-on not only failed to stop them but were instead driven back by their assault.


    Taking this opportunity, Ling Chen and his group didn¡¯t wait for the pursuers behind them to catch up and hurriedly sped up their breakout.


    "Big brother, you take everyone and go first; we¡¯ll cover the rear," Ling Chen shouted loudly.


    Without a word, Qiu Yong immediately led Nanrong Wanqing and others forward. Ling Chen and Kaelina leaned back against a tree trunk, stealing nces behind them. Illuminated by the headlights of a jeep, they saw more than two hundred soldiers, guns in hand, charging toward them with raging momentum.


    "Damn it, I¡¯ll st you bastards to death!" Hu Fei spat, rubbed his hands together in annoyance, and cursed. Reaching into his backpack, he pulled out a grenadeuncher and fired a shot into the sky.


    Boom!


    The grenade fell into the crowd from midair and exploded instantly into a burst of mes. The powerful explosion sent four or five soldiers flying with the st wave.


    Boom! Boom! Boom!


    Watching the mes continuously bursting among the crowd, Hu Feiughed heartily with a delighted face.


    But at that moment, Ling Chen¡¯s gaze locked onto a jeep not far away, and his expression changed drastically. He urgently cried out, "Fatty, watch out!" As the words left his mouth, he sprang on his feet and rushed over to Hu Fei¡¯s position, tackling him to the ground.


    Dadada!


    At the same time, the heavy machine gun on the jeep spat out fire serpents, and a series of bullets poured out, falling around Hu Fei.


    Ling Chen buried his head deeply into the ground. Under the oppressive heavy firepower, he didn¡¯t dare to raise his head at all, worried it would be riddled like a ho¡¯s nest.


    At this point, all three heavy machine guns on the jeeps were aimed at Ling Chen and Hu Fei. Bullets rained down like they cost nothing, cutting down all surrounding trees.


    Bang!


    Suddenly, a tree as thick as an adult toppled sideways and urately crashed onto Ling Chen¡¯s back. Excruciating pain surged, making Ling Chen wince in agony.


    Damn! He cursed inwardly. If he didn¡¯t handle those heavy machine guns, he and Hu Fei had no chance of escaping. The moment they showed their heads, they could be shot dead.


    Bang! Bang!


    Apanied by two abrupt gunshots, Kaelina, hiding nearby, fired two shots, taking out two machine gunners. However, this action revealed her position. In an instant, she saw more than a dozen soldiers rushing toward her.


    Without a word, Kaelina immediately stowed her gun and retreated backward.


    With two heavy machine guns ceasing fire, Ling Chen felt the pressure ease significantly. Seizing this opportunity, he quickly pulled up the Fatty on the ground and dashed towards the rear.


    "Chase them down!"


    Seeing Ling Chen running frantically, Zhu Hong on the jeep immediately shouted.


    Reylov leaned leisurely in the car seat,fortably puffing on a cigar, and smiled, "Mr. Zhu, what do you think? I told you I wouldn¡¯t disappoint you."


    Zhu Hong nced at Reylov and asked, "How did you find them?"


    "The entire area is littered with motion sensor devices, specifically installed to monitor the personnel undergoing training. As soon as anyone enters this forest, they¡¯ll trigger the sensors."


    Upon hearing Reylov¡¯s exnation, Zhu Hong coldly said, "Then why did you waste our time by bringing us here?"


    Reylov replied leisurely, "Mr. Zhu, I am a man of my word. I promised them three hours to escape, and I won¡¯t go back on that. Besides, haven¡¯t they failed to flee the ind by now? What¡¯s the hurry?"


    "Mr. Yun will be arriving shortly. You can exin it to him then."


    At this moment, Ling Chen, apanied by Hu Fei, was dashing through the forest, trying to evade their pursuers. Not long after they took off, Hu Fei, covered in fat, could not keep up any longer, gasping for air, sweat streaming down his forehead. Even while fleeing, he did not forget to carry his extrarge backpack.


    Dada dada dada dada!


    The two jeeps in pursuit were getting closer, the heavy machine guns ruthlessly spitting out bursts of fire, eager to im Ling Chen and Hu Fei¡¯s lives.


    "No... I can¡¯t go on..." panted Hu Fei, "I... I can¡¯t run anymore."


    Ling Chen said sternly, "Hold on a little longer." While speaking, he continued to drag Hu Fei along, hurrying forward. But at that moment, Hu Fei¡¯splexion drastically changed, and he hastily shook off Ling Chen¡¯s hands, his round face turning pale, "You... just go, leave... leave me behind."


    "You¡¯re mad, what nonsense are you spouting? Let¡¯s go," Ling Chen frowned slightly.


    Hu Fei managed a wry smile and nced down at his feet, saying helplessly, "I can¡¯t go any further."


    Noticing his gaze, Ling Chen¡¯s heart skipped a beat, as if he realized something. He quickly crouched down and cleared the mud beside Hu Fei¡¯s left foot. Immediately, he saw andmine pressed under Hu Fei¡¯s foot. Thendmine had been triggered, and as soon as Hu Fei lifted his foot, it would explode.


    "Just go, leave me," Hu Fei urged, seeing the enemies rapidly approaching from behind.


    "Shut up!" Ling Chen snapped, "Am I the type to abandon a friend? If we¡¯re going, we go together; if we die, we die together." After speaking, he took out a dagger from his waist and gently inserted it into the sole of Hu Fei¡¯s shoe. Next, he loosened Hu Fei¡¯s shoces, signaling him to take his foot out.


    "Don¡¯t rush, move slowly," Ling Chen instructed.


    At that moment, the footsteps of their pursuers grew closer, now less than thirty meters away. Ling Chen held his breath and focused, seemingly oblivious to the arrival of the enemies, as he attentively worked on disarming thendmine.


    As soon as Hu Fei¡¯s foot was freed from the shoe, Ling Chen used the dagger to firmly press down on the shoe to prevent thendmine from being triggered.


    "Don¡¯t move!"


    Looking up, facing more than ten guns pointed at his head, Ling Chen¡¯s gaze narrowed, and he remained motionless, crouching there.


    "Ha ha! Ling Chen, I bet you didn¡¯t expect this. After all the running around, you still couldn¡¯t escape from my grasp."


    A coldughter drifted over, and Zhu Hong was seen approaching in his jeep. While speaking, Zhu Hong nced at Ling Chen¡¯s hands and, realizing what he was doing, Zhu Hong broke intoughter and said, "Your luck is really something else. Everybody back off, so no one gets hurt by thendmine."


    At Zhu Hong¡¯smand, more than ten soldiers quickly stepped aside, not daring to approach the potential st radius of thendmine.


    "Give me the gun."


    A man in a suit immediately pulled out a pistol from his holster and handed it to Zhu Hong.


    Zhu Hong expertly worked the gun¡¯s action, chambering a round, and aimed the muzzle at Ling Chen¡¯s forehead, saying coldly, "I suggested killing youst time in East Sea City; pity Mr. Yun didn¡¯t agree. Now that Mr. Yun is not here, I¡¯d like to see who can stop me from killing you." As he spoke, a malicious smile curled on his lips, and his finger lightly squeezed the trigger.

 Chapter 384 - 380: At Wit’s End

    <h4>Chapter 384: Chapter 380: At Wit¡¯s End</h4><h4></h4>


    "Stop!"


    Zhu Hong turned his head and looked at the shouting Hu Fei, sneered and said, "Why the rush? After killing him, it will soon be your turn."


    Hu Fei flicked his wrist and threw arge backpack next to the jeep, saying, "Mr. Zhu, you¡¯d better take a look at what¡¯s inside first."


    Hearing this, Zhu Hong nced at the backpack suspiciously. After hesitating, he gestured with his eyes to the man in the suit next to him. Getting the hint, thetter immediately jumped out of the vehicle, walked over to the backpack, and unzipped it. Seeing the contents inside, his face changed drastically, and he hastily retreated backward.


    Seeing the look of terror on his subordinate¡¯s face, Zhu Hong frowned and asked, "What¡¯s going on?"


    "It¡¯s... C4 explosives and grenades."


    Hu Fei held the detonator in his hand and chuckled, "Mr. Zhu, these bombs are enough to level everything within a twenty-meter range. If you dare to shoot, we¡¯ll all die together. Let¡¯s see who¡¯s more ruthless."


    Zhu Hong¡¯s face showed shock, and the hand holding the gun suddenly stiffened in the air.


    Watching Hu Fei¡¯s grim face, Ling Chen was surprised to himself; he hadn¡¯t thoroughly checked the contents of the backpack and didn¡¯t expect that the fat man would carry so much equipment, truly a walking arsenal.


    "Mr. Zhu, if you don¡¯t want to die, have your men all back off."


    Zhu Hong stared at the backpack, his eyes hesitating. Such a good opportunity... but he couldn¡¯t bring himself to join Ling Chen in death. After weighing his options, he put down his gun and gestured with his eyes to the people around him.


    As the soldiers began to retreat, Hu Fei breathed a sigh of relief and turned his gaze to Ling Chen beside him, asking in a low voice, "Can you handle it?"


    Ling Chen¡¯s mouth curved slightly, and he nodded, "Move back a bit first."


    After Hu Fei retreated more than twenty meters away, Ling Chen dug up the dirt next to thendmine, forming a pit. Then, with his hands pressing down on his shoe soles and his knees slightly bent, he took a deep breath, and with a powerful leap, his body swiftly flew backward.


    A fraction of a second after his hands left the soles of his shoes, a loud ¡¯boom¡¯ was heard ¨C thendmine exploded instantly. However, thanks to the pit dug by Ling Chen beforehand, the force of thendmine explosion did not spread around but shot upwards at a forty-five-degree angle into the air.


    Seeing thendmine sessfully disarmed, Ling Chen didn¡¯t hesitate and immediately ran towards Hu Fei.


    "Run!" Hu Fei waved his hands, urging urgently.


    "Where¡¯s the detonator? Give it to me, I¡¯ll blow those bastards up." Ling Chen stretched out his hand, asking Hu Fei for the detonating device.


    "To hell with the explosion, the stic explosives in the backpack didn¡¯t have detonators inserted, how could they explode? I was just bluffing them."


    Ling Chen¡¯s eyes widened, this fat man... was too unreliable, he had learned to y dirty too.


    "Don¡¯t look at me, I learned it from you." After saying that, Hu Fei raised the detonator in his hand and roared at Zhu Hong, "All of you bastards go die."


    Hearing Hu Fei¡¯s roar, Zhu Hong¡¯s face turned pale, and he hastily threw himself outside the jeep, lying on the ground with his hands over his head, waiting for the bomb to explode.


    However, after more than ten seconds passed, there was no movement around them.


    Reylov, not far away, raised his head, looked at the backpack next to the jeep, and then at Ling Chen and Hu Fei disappearing into the woods, and immediately realized the truth.


    "Get up, everyone. We¡¯ve been had."


    "Bastards!" Zhu Hong¡¯s face turned ashen with anger and cursed, giving the man in the suit a furious re, and said coldly, "Didn¡¯t you say the backpack was full of explosives?"


    The man in the suit hurriedly defended, "Yes, I..."


    Bang!


    Before he could exin, a gunshot rang out, and Zhu Hong blew his head off with a shot.


    "Chase them, we absolutely can¡¯t let them get away."


    At this moment, the satellite phone in the jeep suddenly rang. Zhu Hong hurriedly answered the call, only to hear Mr. Yun¡¯s calm voiceing from the other end: "How are things going?"


    "Uncle Yun, I¡¯m sorry, there has been some trouble. Ling Chen and his group havee, they rescued Wanqing from theb, and I¡¯m in full pursuit."


    "Hmph! You can¡¯t even handle such a trivial matter." After a pause, Mr. Yun asked: "Did Ling Chen discover the secret of the base?"


    "He shouldn¡¯t have."


    "What do you mean ¡¯shouldn¡¯t¡¯? I don¡¯t need such uncertain answers. I¡¯ll be arriving in half an hour, and you better have things taken care of before I get there, don¡¯t disappoint me again."


    "I understand."


    After hanging up the phone, Zhu Hong¡¯s face looked terrible after being chastised by Mr. Yun. He nced at Reylov and said with a heavy tone: "Mr. Yun has spoken, we must capture them within half an hour. Reylov, we provide so much funding to Broken Teeth Training Camp every year, if you can¡¯t handle even this little matter, I think Mr. Yun will be very displeased, and if the budget for Broken Teeth Training Camp gets cut, you..."


    "Alright, Mr. Zhu, there¡¯s no need to threaten me," Reylov cut in. "In half an hour, I guarantee they will surrender willingly."


    ...


    At this moment, Ling Chen and Hu Fei, having temporarily shaken off their pursuers, had sessfully regrouped with the main force.


    Kaelina looked up at the thinning night sky and pointed ahead, saying: "It¡¯s three kilometers from here to the shore."


    Ling Chen nodded: "Everyone, hold on a bit longer, we are about to escape."


    Ten minutes passed.


    Perhaps because they had left that dangerous area behind, they didn¡¯t encounter any traps anymore. On the way, everyone hurried along without stopping and finally reached the shore of the ind as the sky was starting to lighten.


    Looking at the surging waves, Ling Chen took a deep breath, feeling relieved to have finally made it.


    Hu Fei lifted the cover off the speedboat, and with Qiu Yong¡¯s help, dragged the two speedboats to the shore, urging everyone to hurry up and get on.


    "It¡¯s in your hands," Ling Chen said, looking at Kaelina. The waters around the ind were filled with sea mines, and it was Kaelina who had led them in before, so now they had to rely on her to lead them out.


    The engines started, and Kaelina piloted the speedboat, carefully avoiding the sea mines as she steered towards the Public Sea.


    However, just at that moment, a ¡¯buzzing¡¯ sound suddenly came from the sky. Ling Chen¡¯s expression changed slightly, and he quickly looked up, only to see a helicopter flying rapidly towards them, hovering above the two speedboats.


    At the same time, Reylov, from the rear seat of the cabin, stuck his head out, and spoke through a loudspeaker to the people below: "Ling Chen, surrender. You can¡¯t escape."


    Ling Chen frowned and said in a deep voice: "Ignore him, keep going."


    "Kaelina, my finest student, do you really think you can leave smoothly?" Reylov said with a proud smile: "Just now, I¡¯ve changed the positions of the underwater mines. If you n on using the old method to leave, there¡¯s only a dead end awaiting you."


    Hearing this, Kaelina¡¯splexion finally changed and she immediately stopped the speedboat in the middle of the water.


    "Surrender, you¡¯ve got nowhere to escape."

 Chapter 385 - 381: Maritime Crisis

    <h4>Chapter 385: Chapter 381: Maritime Crisis</h4><h4></h4>


    Watching the thin-lipped Nanrong Wanqing biting her lips tightly beside him, Ling Chen stretched out his hand to embrace her shoulder, protecting her in his embrace, and gave her a reassuring look. Then he turned to Kaelina and asked, "Can the submarine mines move in the water?"


    Kaelina nodded lightly and said, "Those mines have been specially modified with the addition of miniaturized propellers, allowing them to be moved slowly throughputer control."


    "Why didn¡¯t you say so earlier?" Hu Fei couldn¡¯t helpining, "If we knew this, we would have devised another n."


    "Other than taking a boat, do you have another way?" Kaelina countered, leaving Hu Fei speechless. Indeed, the ind was surrounded by the sea on all sides with nond routes avable. Besides the waterway, there were no other methods.


    At this moment, Zhu Hong arrived at the shore in a jeep with over two hundred soldiers in tow, looking over at the people trapped on the motorboat with a slight smile on his lips, a smile of victory.


    "Ladies and gentlemen, don¡¯t hesitate anymore. Hurry back the way you came; otherwise, don¡¯t me me for being merciless under my gun."


    Hearing Reylov¡¯s voiceing from the helicopter, Ling Chen¡¯s eyebrows furrowed, his thoughts flying as he wracked his brain for a way to escape.


    The key was still the mines!


    If they could figure out the mine issue, they could escape the ind unobstructed.


    With this in mind, Ling Chen looked at Nanrong Wanqing in his embrace and said firmly, "Do you trust me?"


    Nanrong Wanqing didn¡¯t utter a word but nodded her head.


    "What are you nning to do?" Kaelina asked from the side.


    "Just follow my instructionster," Ling Chen replied, then turned his head towards Qiu Yong and others on another motorboat, saying, "Brother,e over to this side."


    Without a word, Qiu Yong immediately led the injured Yuan Yun and the others onto Ling Chen¡¯s motorboat. Fortunately, the motorboat had standard space to amodate ten people, and though everyone was on board, it wasn¡¯t too crowded, though it might have some minor impact on the speed of the boat.


    Once everyone was settled on the motorboat, Ling Chen briefed Yang Chen and Kaelina for a moment, then took out a sunshade from the boat, covered it over the heads of everyone, hiding all of them. After all this was done, Ling Chen looked up at the circling helicopter above and raised his arm high, giving the long middle finger.


    Seeing Ling Chen¡¯s gesture, before Reylov could react, Ling Chen leaped into the sea from the motorboat, disappearing without a trace.


    At the same time, the motorboat started again, moving forward slowly.


    "I want to see where you can escape to," Reylov hummed coldly, and shouted to the pilot, "Fire!"


    "Stop! Without my order, no one is allowed to fire," Zhu Hong on the shore of the ind yelled into the walkie-talkie loudly.


    "Do you want to let them go?"


    "I... no, we can¡¯t fire no matter what," Zhu Hong hesitated for a moment, but his tone quickly became resolute.


    At this moment, all the people on the motorboat were covered by the sunshade cloth, making it impossible to distinguish who was where. If Nanrong Wanqing were identally injured or even killed, Zhu Hong was certain that no matter how close his rtionship with Mr. Yun was, he would not be spared.


    After all, that was Mr. Yun¡¯s biological daughter; he did not dare to act rashly.


    Watching the powerboat gradually getting further away, Zhu Hong roared into the walkie-talkie, "I don¡¯t care what method you use, you must stop them."


    Reylov¡¯s eyes were somewhat cold, and beyond that, there was a hint of admiration. Ling Chen was very smart, knowing to exploit their weakness and preventing them from daring to attack. However, what he was even more curious about was how Ling Chen, having dived into the sea and not reemerged for a while, managed to direct the powerboat away from the mines?


    "Boss, what should we do?" the sergeant riding with Reylov in the helicopter asked.


    Reylov sneered, "If he thinks I have no way to deal with them, then he is sorely mistaken." Saying this, Reylov nced at his subordinates and spoke indifferently, "Now, I need your help."


    "Please give your orders, Boss."


    "Very well." A cruel smile spread across Reylov¡¯s face as a glint of ferocity shed in his eyes. Without waiting for the sergeant to react, Reylov suddenly grabbed his shoulder and pushed him out of the helicopter, dropping him into the chilly seawater.


    Watching the sergeant flounder in the water, Reylov said emotionlessly, "Kill him!"


    As soon as he spoke, the Gatling gun mounted beneath the helicopter began to spin, raining bullets down like a torrential shower. In an instant, the sergeant¡¯s body was riddled with holes, and his blood slowly began to spread in the sea.


    Beneath the powerboat, Ling Chen clung to the underside of the boat, observing the underwater mines and incessantly tapping either side of the boat¡¯s bottom, first left, then right. Although the sound was faint, with Yang Chen¡¯s keen hearing, it was entirely distinguishable. It was through his guidance that Kaelina on the powerboat could urately control the course, avoiding the hidden underwater mines.


    When his air ran out, Ling Chen stuck his head out of the water, taking a deep breath before diving back under to guide Kaelina.


    However, while surfacing for air, he suddenly smelled a stench of blood nearby. Looking intently, he saw a mutted corpse floating on the water¡¯s surface, with blood spreading from its body.


    Seeing this, Ling Chen¡¯s brow slightly furrowed, a sudden shock ran through him as something crossed his mind, and he quickly looked deeper into the water.


    Instantly, several sharks about three meters in length were swiftly swimming towards him from about ten meters away.


    Trouble!


    Ling Chen¡¯s pupils constricted, clearly, these sharks were attracted by the smell of blood. As more and more sharks appeared around him, Ling Chen¡¯s body tensed up. At this moment, the best course of action would be to get back on the boat to avoid the sharks¡¯ attacks.


    But doing so would mean lingering on the sea surface. The longer they dyed, the more disadvantageous it would be for them.


    Thinking of this, Ling Chen gritted his teeth, trying to remain calm while letting the sharks swim past him. As long as there was no blood scent on him and he did not provoke the sharks, he should not be attacked.


    However, Ling Chen had still underestimated Reylov¡¯s ruthlessness.


    At that moment, the helicopter¡¯s Gatling gun spewed out a long stream of fire snakes, and the bullets with terrifying destructive power prated the sea surface, shooting frantically along the edge of the powerboat.


    In an instant, several sharks were riddled with bullets, with blood flowing along the seawater, almost covering the area around the powerboat.


    Seeing this, Ling Chen muttered to himself that this was bad. This way, sooner orter, he would be the target of the sharks¡¯ attacks. After a moment¡¯s hesitation, Ling Chen immediately surfaced, preparing to get back on the boat to avoid the blood-thirsty brutal sharks.


    Bang!


    Suddenly, apanied by a crisp sound of gunfire, Ling Chen felt pain in his left shoulder as a bullet pierced through it, and blood gushed out profusely.

 Chapter 386 - 382: Short-lived Leader

    <h4>Chapter 386: Chapter 382: Short-lived Leader</h4><h4></h4>


    On the shore of the ind, Zhu Hong held the sniper rifle, a look of pity on his face. Thest shot had deviated, missing a clean headshot that would have killed Ling Chen. Now, he reloaded and continued to target Ling Chen through the scope.


    At this moment, Ling Chen had spotted Zhu Hong on the shore from the direction of the iing bullet. Seeing the sniper rifle in the opponent¡¯s hands, Ling Chen¡¯s expression changed slightly, and without hesitation, he immediately submerged himself into the sea.


    Bang!


    The moment his body sank into the water, another gunshot rang out. If Ling Chen had been a fraction of a second slower, that bullet might have prated his head.


    Watching Ling Chen disappear, Zhu Hong sneered to himself, "I want to see how long you can hide underwater."


    In the water, Ling Chen clutched his bleeding left shoulder, vigntly watching the groups of sharks around him, cursing his luck silently. There was Reylov above and Zhu Hong on the shore; he had no chance to get on the boat. What¡¯s worse, his wound would soon attract the sharks.


    No! He must find a way to escape both Reylov and Zhu Hong, or all their efforts would be in vain.


    It was easy to think, but the real question was how to do it.


    In his contemtion, a shark that had missed its meal suddenly targeted Ling Chen. Seeing the shark open its gaping mouth, revealing sharp teeth and charging towards him, Ling Chen didn¡¯t hesitate to pull out the dagger from his waist. He slightly shifted his body to the side, dodging the shark¡¯s strike.


    Seizing the moment, Ling Chen rapidly moved closer and tightly grabbed the shark¡¯s head with both hands, plunging the dagger into the top of its head.


    The pain-induced frenzy sent the shark thrashing madly in the water. Ling Chen held tightly onto the dagger, not daring to let go, letting the shark drag him around.


    At this moment, Reylov in the helicopter, seeing that Ling Chen hadn¡¯t surfaced, immediately issued amand through the inte: "Disable the mines¡¯ triggering mechanism, send kayaks to pick up everyone from the boat back to the shore."


    In less than five minutes, two kayaks carrying more than a dozen soldiers approached the motorboat from both sides.


    Reylov, sitting in the helicopter, hovered in mid-air, supervising and directing his subordinates.


    However, at that time, no one noticed a bloodied hand clinging to the rear of one of the kayaks, grabbing the pull rope and slowly climbing up. As the head emerged above water, a pair of sharp eyes scanned around. Then, without waiting for the people on the kayak to react, Ling Chen flipped aboard, stabbing his dagger mercilessly into a vital area of a soldier.


    Ah!


    Apanied by a scream, everyone¡¯s attention was immediately drawn. But, as they turned around, they only saw a swift gleam of cold light sweep across their necks.


    In less than five seconds, all six soldiers on the kayak were killed.


    "There!" At this moment, Reylov, riding in the helicopter, finally noticed the anomaly on the kayak, pointing at Ling Chen and shouting loudly.


    Hearing Reylov¡¯s shout, Ling Chen looked up, bent down to pick up an assault rifle, and aimed at the helicopter forty meters away.


    "Quick, turn the nose, kill him," Reylov urged.


    The pilot immediately controlled the helicopter to direct the Gatling gun at Ling Chen on the kayak.


    "Fire!"


    In Reylov¡¯s enraged shout, the pilot lifted his thumb, gently pressing the red button on the control stick. However, at the same time, Ling Chen, holding a gun, slightly raised the corners of his mouth and gently pulled the trigger.


    Bang! Bang! Bang!


    Gunshots rang out, three bullets streaked through the air, hitting the helicopter¡¯s front windshield with deadly uracy. The first two bullets sessfully prated the ss, and thest bullet went through the hole, precisely shooting into the pilot¡¯s head.


    Headshot!


    The pilot, killed instantly, slumped forward, pressing right against the helicopter¡¯s control stick. Instantly, the helicopter spiraling in midair lost its bnce and rushed towards the sea surface.


    No!


    Reylov¡¯s face changed drastically. Seeing the helicopter about to crash into the sea, he immediately leapt out of the cabin.


    Bang!


    Right as he was falling, another gunshot from the kayak fired, hitting his abdomen. Blood gushed wildly out like a fountain.


    Watching Reylov fall into the sea, Ling Chen holstered his gun, mumbling to himself, "Let¡¯s see how you like the taste of sharks."


    Cold seawater rushed in from all sides. Reylov surfaced a few times in the water, enduring the pain in his abdomen, desperately paddling his arms, swimming towards the nearby kayak.


    "Quick... Save me!" Reylov shouted to the soldiers on the kayak.


    Several soldiers didn¡¯t dare dy, hastily steering the kayak over, reaching Reylov quickly. One soldier bent over, half his body out of the kayak, grabbed Reylov¡¯s arm, and pulled hard.


    But at that moment, the soldier suddenly felt a heaviness in his arm; Reylov¡¯s body seemed unbearably heavy. Simultaneously, Reylov¡¯s pupils shrank, and the Broken Teeth Training Camp leader, known for his brutality, showed a fearful expression.


    "Save... Save me..."


    Reylov shouted in panic, his hands tightly grasping the soldier¡¯s arms, desperately climbing. But at that moment, the surface of the water was gradually reced by a stain of blood red. Blood slowly spread out, and Reylov¡¯s face grew paler, blood incessantly gushing from his mouth.


    Finally, withbined effort from several soldiers, Reylov was forcefully dragged onto the kayak. However, when everyone saw Reylov¡¯s miserable state, their faces instantly changed. What remained of Reylov was only his upper body, with his waist below drenched in blood, his legs already missing.


    "Commander... Commander..."


    A soldier tried calling out twice.


    Reylov nced at him lifelessly, his body twitching slightly. He opened his mouth, attempting to speak, but before he could, another gush of blood poured out.


    Looking at Reylov who closed his eyes and showed no signs of life, the soldiers looked at each other, unsure of what to do.


    The Broken Teeth Training Camp¡¯s leader had died just like that.


    Looking at the motorboat not far away, the soldiers hesitated, unsure if they should continue executing themander¡¯s orders.


    At this moment, on the shore of the ind, Zhu Hong frowned, his expression unpleasant. He had also witnessed the scene of Reylov being pulled up, under those circumstances, survival was impossible.


    He picked up the walkie-talkie, coldly said, "Reylov is dead, I am now taking full control. Everyone listen, immediately bring all the people on that motorboat back."

 Chapter 387 - 383: Cripple

    <h4>Chapter 387: Chapter 383: Cripple</h4><h4></h4>


    Upon hearing the orders issued by Zhu Hong, everyone immediately sprang into action.


    Boom!


    But just at that moment, an earth-shattering explosion suddenly urred in the center of the ind, causing the entire ind to tremble slightly. Zhu Hong¡¯s facial expression changed dramatically, and he quickly turned his head, only to see mes soaring and dense smoke billowing from the center of the ind.


    "What happened? Where did the explosion ur?"


    Before Zhu Hong could finish speaking, several more explosions were heard, ¡¯boom boom¡¯, with powerful shockwaves erupting and trees being instantly obliterated.


    As the ind was engulfed in explosions, Zhu Hong made a lightning-fast decision, hurriedly ordered: "Arrange for boats to evacuate immediately."


    "Yes."


    "Get in the car!"


    However, just as everyone was about to leave in the jeep, another explosion, ¡¯boom¡¯, urred less than thirty meters from the jeep, sending mes skyward and sweeping st waves across. Zhu Hong had not even recovered when he felt a wave of heat engulf him, lifting his body into the air and rendering him unconscious in an instant.


    On a kayak, Ling Chen calmly observed the ind being destroyed by the sts. Kaelina had once told him, Reylov¡¯s heart had been imnted with a micro-device, controlling all the bombs on the ind. Once Reylov¡¯s heart stopped beating, the bombs would immediately detonate, obliterating the entire ind.


    What was happening now was exactly the oue he wanted.


    In such a catastrophic explosion, it was hard for anyone to survive, including Zhu Hong.


    Regaining hisposure, Ling Chen drove the kayak to the motorboat, lifted the sunshade, and smiled: "All clear now."


    Kaelina stood up, her eyesplex as she looked at the ind, now a sea of mes, and asked, "Is Reylov dead?"


    Ling Chen gently nodded, reached out to help Nanrong Wanqing up, and smiled, "We can go home now."


    Hearing this, Nanrong Wanqing breathed a sigh of relief. However, seeing the wounds on Ling Chen¡¯s body, her delicate face immediately tensed, and she quickly asked, "Are you hurt? Is it serious?"


    "It¡¯s nothing major, don¡¯t worry." Although he said this, Ling Chen still felt a burning pain in his back.


    Previously, while battling a shark underwater, he had no idea where the shark had taken him. After dealing with the shark, when he surfaced, he realized he was tens of meters away from the motorboat. Fortunately, a kayak happened to pass by him, giving him a chance to find a gun and destroy the helicopter.


    As the explosions continued behind them, Kaelina drove the motorboat far away from the ind. An hourter, when their motorboat¡¯s fuel was almost depleted, a cargo ship slowly appeared in their sight.


    Arriving here, Hu Fei had already arranged a rescue ship. Although the operation deviated from the original n, it was nheless sessful ¨C they had rescued Nanrong Wanqing. As long as there were no casualties, everything else was eptable.


    ...


    Meanwhile, on the ind.


    A seane was docked at the shore, and over twenty survivors were busy counting the casualties.


    "Mr. Yun."


    "How is it, have you found Zhu Hong?"


    The man in a suit hesitated for a moment, stammered, "We... we found him, but..."


    Mr. Yun furrowed his brows slightly and urged, "But what? Speak up!"


    "Mr. Yun, perhaps you should see for yourself."


    Shortly after, the two arrived at a row of bodies. Looking at the white cloths covering the bodies, Mr. Yun¡¯s expression hardened and he coldly inquired, "Is he dead?"


    "No!" the man in the suit hurriedly said, "He¡¯s not dead... I¡¯m just... just afraid of frightening others." With that, he walked over and lifted the white cloth. Suddenly, a face,pletely unrecognizable, appeared before Mr. Yun.


    Looking at the person almost charred before him, Mr. Yun¡¯s face turned steel blue as he said in a deep voice, "Are you sure he is Zhu Hong?"


    "One hundred percent sure, I¡¯ve already verified it." After a pause, the man in the suit continued, "The apanying medical staff examined him; Mr. Zhu¡¯s body has burns covering ny-eight percent, and his injuries are severe. It¡¯s because of the strengthening agent that he¡¯s been able to hold on. However, even if his life is saved, given the condition of his burns, it¡¯s doubtful he¡¯ll ever return to his previous appearance."


    Mr. Yun pondered for a moment and then said, "Send him to theboratory in Florida."


    Hearing this, the man in the suit¡¯s expression changed slightly, surprised he said, "Sending him there, do you intend to..."


    "Rather than having him live as a disabled person, better to let him live with some value. Enough, say no more, just follow my orders and send him there as soon as possible."


    "Yes."


    ...


    In the blink of an eye, three days passed.


    In the security office of the Hongyu Group headquarters, Ling Chen was lounging with his legs crossed, holding a mouse, watching an enthralling video on theputer, asionally clicking his tongue in amazement.


    "Ling, what are you watching now?"


    The office door was pushed open as Wei Jun strode in, looking at Ling Chen¡¯s face relishing, he curiously leaned over.


    "Oh! So you are also a fan of Tang Shiyun, and here I thought you were watching some adult film." Wei Jun waved his hand uninterestedly.


    Ling Chen mercilessly retorted, "Only someone like you, whose mind is filled with lust, would think of nothing but women."


    "Get lost, other than women, I¡¯m also interested in money." Finishing, Wei Jun mysteriously leaned close to Ling Chen and whispered, "Ling, are you free tonight? I¡¯ll take you to a nice ce."


    Ling Chen curled his lip, "Another outing to find women? Sorry, I¡¯m not interested."


    "It¡¯s not women this time."


    "Then what for?"


    Wei Jun smiled meaningfully, "You¡¯ll know tonight. Hey, let¡¯s settle on it then, eight o¡¯clock, I¡¯ll give you a call."


    "Alright, I¡¯ll wait for your call."


    Ling Chen held his head, watching Tang Shiyun in the video, with the corners of his mouth slightly raised. Having returned from the ind three days ago, everything had gone back to normal. After being busy for so many days, it¡¯s good to go out and rx now that Wei Jun has invited him.


    Night fell.


    After dinner, having watched TV with Nanrong Wanqing and Su Lin, Ling Chen received a call from Wei Jun and drove there alone.


    Arriving at the ce, Ling Chen met up with Wei Jun and asked, "Where to?"


    "First to Shunbei Road."


    In less than fifteen minutes, the two arrived at Shunbei Road. Looking at the cold and quiet street, possibly because it was somewhat remote, it seemed even less lively than the Old City.


    Getting out of the car, Ling Chen asked curiously, "Wei, what¡¯s fun around this ce?"


    "Heh heh! Don¡¯t be impatient, you¡¯ll know soon, follow me."


    Walking along a dark alley, Ling Chen followed Wei Jun step by step until they reached the end of the alley. Seeing a rusty iron gate, Wei Jun, who seemed familiar with the ce, walked up and lightly knocked on the door¡ªfour short, three long¡ªimmediately, the iron door was opened from inside.


    ncing at the burly doorman, Ling Chen muttered to himself, this ce is so secretive, could it be some illegal venue?


    Following Wei Jun through several doors, Ling Chen¡¯s eyes suddenly widened as the surroundings brightened. He was taken aback as he looked around.

 Chapter 388 - 384: Secret Place

    <h4>Chapter 388: Chapter 384: Secret ce</h4><h4></h4>


    At this moment, what presented itself before Ling Chen was a warehouse spanning thousands of square feet. However, it was no longer urate to describe it merely as a warehouse.


    The walls around the warehouse were covered with golden striped wallpaper, and the floor wasid with pure white ceramic tiles, the gaps between each filled with copper wire, creating a visually grand and upscale impression. Hanging from the top of the warehouse were several ring-shaped crystal chandeliers,yer uponyer, the bright lights dazzling, illuminating every corner of the warehouse.


    With just simple decorations, the overall grade of the old warehouse was instantly elevated.


    Inside the spacious warehouse, over fifty gambling tables were lined up, offering all sorts of games, with a row of slot machines against the wall. Even though it was just past eight o¡¯clock, the casino was already packed with people, men and women alike crowded around the tables, their faces flushed and expressions excited.


    Ling Chen, who was observant, noticed that those who came here to gamble were not very wealthy, and judging by their clothing and attire, they were not much different from him and Wei Jun, merely ordinary folks.


    "Hey! Brother Wei, these underground casinos are illegal operations, aren¡¯t you afraid of getting caught by the police?" Ling Chen asked in a low voice.


    Wei Jun gestured for silence with a ¡¯shush¡¯ and said with a smile, "Why worry so much? They have connections and don¡¯t fear the police showing up. Just y boldly and without worry, if something really happens, I¡¯ll be here with you."


    Ling Chen asked with curiosity, "Do you know who¡¯s behind this casino?"


    "I¡¯m not sure about that. As far as I know, this casino hasn¡¯t been open for long, not even a month. It was a friend who told me about this ce," Wei Jun said, then added with pride, "I¡¯ve been quite lucky recently, yed a few times and made what I¡¯d earn in two years¡¯ wages. Brother Ling, why don¡¯t you try your luckter, maybe you can win some pocket money."


    "Forget it, I¡¯m not interested in gambling. Brother Wei, don¡¯t get too addicted."


    "Don¡¯t worry, a little gamble for fun won¡¯t make me go bankrupt. Eh, if you¡¯re not ying, I¡¯ll go try my luck. If I¡¯m on a winning streak tonight, no matter what you want to do, I¡¯ll cover all expenses." With that, without waiting for Ling Chen to say more, Wei Jun eagerly moved towards the gambling table.


    Ling Chen stood behind Wei Jun and watched for a couple of rounds; Wei Jun was indeed having good luck, getting several good hands in a row. In no time, he had pocketed over three thousand, equivalent to a month¡¯s sry for Ling Chen.


    After watching for a few minutes, Ling Chen soon lost interest. He wasn¡¯t into gambling. Had he known Wei Jun was bringing him here, he would have rather stayed at home, spending time with Nanrong Wanqing, talking about love.


    "Brother Wei, you keep ying, I¡¯ll take a walk around."


    Without turning his head, Wei Jun replied, "Alright! Don¡¯t go too far, this ce offers free food and drinks, don¡¯t be shy."


    Leaving the gambling table, Ling Chen with hands in his pockets, aimlessly wandered around. But it was just a casino, and no matter how much he roamed, he couldn¡¯t stir up any interest. Checking the time, it wasn¡¯t even nine o¡¯clock yet. Well, he thought, he¡¯d endure a little longer; Wei Jun asked him out, so he ought to give him some face.


    As he idled about, Ling Chen¡¯s peripheral vision suddenly caught sight of a curtain hanging in the northeastern corner of the casino, concealing the corner.


    In less than half a minute, seven or eight people emerged from behind the curtain, entering the casino.


    The space behind that curtain could at most amodate two or three people. The fact that seven or eight came out in session indicated something unusual. Driven by curiosity, the already bored Ling Chen felt his interest piqued. After scanning his surroundings and seeing no one taking notice of him, he walked toward the corner.


    Lifting the curtain, Ling Chen found that behind it was a wall covered with wallpaper, with nothing else. Seeing this, the corner of Ling Chen¡¯s mouth lifted slightly, as he looked with interest at the wall. Then, he pressed his hand against the wall and gently pushed inward.


    As expected, there was a secret door hidden in the wall.


    Entering the secret door, the lighting inside was quite dim, but his vision was clear.


    Ling Chen walked a few meters away and saw a staircase leading straight down. ording to the warehouse¡¯syout, there should be an underground room below.


    Following the stairs all the way to the bottom, the vast underground room had dim lighting, casting a hazy ambiance. Unlike the gambling den, the underground room was set up with many separate booths, each enclosed by screens, allowing for privacy from the view of others.


    At this moment, there were not many people in the underground room, mostly staff members preparing for something.


    Seeing someone approaching, Ling Chen, afraid of being discovered, quickly hid in a nearby tea room.


    Casting a nce at the wall where waitstaff uniforms hung, an idea struck Ling Chen, and he immediately changed out of his casual clothes and into the uniform of a waiter. After that, he straightened his cor, puffed out his chest, and walked out carrying a tray of drinks.


    As it turned out, after Ling Chen put on the uniform, the people around only nced at him and said nothing, not a single one suspected his identity.


    After wandering around for a bit, it was almost nine o¡¯clock.


    At this time, the underground room was fully set up, all the waitstaff stood lined up against the wall, neat and orderly. Each of them took out a masquerade mask¡ª the kind with butterfly eyepieces¡ª from their pockets, covering the area above their noses.


    Seeing their actions, Ling Chen mentally cursed, not expecting such a rule, as he waspletely unprepared. Just as Ling Chen was at a loss, a male waiter next to him gently nudged his arm and passed him a mask, signaling him to hurry and put it on.


    Ling Chen nced at the waiter gratefully and hastily put on the butterfly mask, covering half of his face. In doing so, he no longer had to worry about his identity being exposed.


    At nine o¡¯clock, on the other side of the underground room, a group of men in suits came in single file or in groups of threes and fives. As though it was a mutual agreement, they all remained silent, not uttering a word, each finding their own seats without interaction. Moreover, like Ling Chen, these men all concealed their faces with various masks, seemingly fearing recognition.


    This mysterious atmosphere increasingly piqued Ling Chen¡¯s curiosity, making him want to discover what was truly happening.


    Once everyone was in ce, the side door was immediately shut. At the same time, the lighting in the underground room instantaneously dimmed, limiting the range of vision to less than three meters.


    Following the arrival of the guests, the waitstaff standing against the wall also began their work, diligently offering champagne and fine wines to the guests.


    Ling Chen, carrying a tray of drinks, moved through the crowd, and while bending to serve drinks, he stealthily observed the customers. Unfortunately, everyone was wearing masks, making it impossible to identify anyone.


    However, based on Ling Chen¡¯s many years of experience, he could tell from their attire that all the guests present were wealthy individuals.

 Chapter 389 - 385: Special Auction Item

    <h4>Chapter 389: Chapter 385: Special Auction Item</h4><h4></h4>


    So many rich individuals gathered here, and it¡¯s all so secretive, I¡¯m afraid they must be up to some unsavory business.


    Minutes passed, and a spotlight illuminated the stage directly opposite all the private booths. A round tform then automatically moved towards the center of the stage. Above the tform, over two meters high, was covered with ayer of red cloth, obscuring the contents.


    Ling Chen leaned against the wall, his gaze intensifying as he scrutinized the tform, wishing he could see through theyer of red cloth.


    At that moment, the red cloth surrounding the tform suddenly dropped, revealing the mysterious contents wrapped inside.


    Immediately, Ling Chen¡¯s expression changed, his eyes shing with a hint of anger and a chilling iciness.


    Atop the tform was an iron cage, in which stood a scantily d young woman, roughly in her twenties, with a curvaceous figure and pretty features, a typical beauty.


    The woman was wearing a bikini, covering only the essential parts, her smooth and delicate skin unabashedly presented before a room full of men, subject to theirscivious gazes.


    Ling Chen frowned slightly; the woman in the cage seemed to have been drugged or injected with a hallucinogenic substance. She stood limp and groggy, her face confused and seemingly unaware of her surroundings.


    "Ladies and gentlemen..."


    At this moment, a woman¡¯s voice came through the speakers installed in the corner, "You all know the rules, so I won¡¯t repeat them. I can promise you solemnly that all the women we sell are pure and unspoiled, never defiled and never undergone any restorative surgery at a hospital, so you need not worry. Additionally, we¡¯re not in the business of a one-time sale; if you don¡¯t want them after use, you can contact us, and we will handle it for you. Without further ado, let¡¯s start the auction. As per usual, the starting bid is fifty thousand, and each subsequent bid must not be lower than ten thousand."


    As soon as her speech concluded, someone from the crowd immediately called out a bid of sixty thousand.


    In less than a minute, the price soared, quickly breaking two hundred thousand, and finally closing at two hundred sixty thousand.


    "Congrattions to the gentleman at table number seven for sessfully acquiring this item; please wee the next one."


    Item?


    Listening to the person¡¯s rhetoric, Ling Chen¡¯s face turned sour; these people were actually auctioning off living women as items, downright despicable. Not just the wealthy bidders, but even more detestable were the shadowy figures organizing the auction.


    Clearly, these women were not here by choice, otherwise, they wouldn¡¯t have been drugged.


    Since he stumbled upon this, he couldn¡¯t just stand idly by.


    With this thought, Ling Chen surreptitiously took out his cell phone, turned on the recording function, and captured everything happening in the basement, preparing to use it as evidence to hand over to Xia Mutong.


    In just half an hour, five women were auctioned off, with a total price of about 1.3 million.


    At that point, the host¡¯sughter came through the speakers, "Alright,dies and gentlemen, we¡¯ve arrived at the climax of the evening. To thank you for your support, we¡¯ve specially sourced an exquisite item, guaranteed to satisfy the tastes of all present."


    As she spoke, the iron cage covered in red cloth was moved to the center of the stage.


    As the red cloth fell, a slender, delicate-faced beauty immediately caught everyone¡¯s attention. Not only was this woman extremely beautiful and young, but her ample bust also had all the men drooling, unable to avert their eyes.


    Looking at the woman caged, Ling Chen¡¯s mouth fell open, unable to hide his surprise.


    Leng Feifei!


    It was actually her!


    Ling Chen had a vivid memory of this beauty he met at East Sea University. Back then, when Leng Feifei was being bullied by Qi Jianhui and Zheng Guangwu, he had stepped in to help her out several times.


    Since then, they hadn¡¯t seen each other for a while due to being too busy, but he hadn¡¯t expected to meet again in such circumstances.


    Those bastards!


    Ling Chen gnashed his teeth in hatred, finding even his friend involved now. It seemed he could no longer remain uninvolved.


    As thoughts raced through his mind, Ling Chen was about to rush onto the stage and rescue Leng Feifei from the cage.


    But as he took a step forward, he immediately held back. This was, after all, the enemy¡¯s turf. Bold enough to engage in such illegal acts in in sight, the opposing force was likely significant. Moreover, Leng Feifei appeared somewhat unconscious, which meant he might be hamstrung if attacked while attempting to flee with her.


    Forget it!


    Upon reflection, Ling Chen decided against immediate action, considering it would not be toote to make a move after the auction had ended.


    By this time, the bidding for Leng Feifei had reached two million.


    Such a peerless beauty¡ªwho wouldn¡¯t be tempted?


    Not long after, Leng Feifei was finally sold for two million four hundred thousand.


    "Alright, today¡¯s auction is nowplete. We will notify everyone of the next auction a day in advance via text message. Thank you all for attending."


    When the auction ended, everyone got up to leave without dy, including those who had sessfully bid on items.


    Ling Chen was inwardly puzzled¡ªweren¡¯t they going to take the people with them directly?


    As the men left, Ling Chen¡¯s gaze shifted back to the stage, only to find that Leng Feifei was no longer in the cage.


    Damn it!


    He had been too preupied to notice Leng Feifei on stage, and it seemed likely that she had been taken away by the backstage staff.


    Without a moment to waste, Ling Chen rushed towards the backstage. Having not gone far, he realized there was no one backstage, and not just Leng Feifei¡ªnone of the girls auctioned off were anywhere to be seen.


    They¡¯re fast!


    Ling Chen frowned, and just then the sound of car engines reached his ears. Following the noise, he hurriedly dashed in that direction.


    Kicking open a tightly locked iron door, a cool night breeze gently brushed against him. Outside the warehouse, he saw a row of luxury cars driving onto the road. Among these were two vans, and one had its door still ajar¡ªone of the men had just thrown an unconscious woman into the vehicle, then hurriedly pulled the door shut and signaled an ¡¯OK¡¯ to the driver.


    Watching as the two vans started up, Ling Chen didn¡¯t hesitate to pick up the pace, chasing after them like a swiftly blowing wind.


    But by this time, the two vans had merged with the traffic, elerating and leaving Ling Chen far behind.


    Assholes!


    As the two vans disappeared from sight, Ling Chen cursed under his breath and then turned his attention to the staff member.


    "What... what are you going to do?"


    Seeing Ling Chen approaching with a dark expression, the man was somewhat frightened and asked stammeredly.


    Ling Chen grabbed the man¡¯s cor in one swift motion and demanded coldly, "Where have those girls been taken?"

 Chapter 390 - 386 Lady Tong

    <h4>Chapter 390: Chapter 386 Lady Tong</h4><h4></h4>


    "I... I don¡¯t know, these things are not my responsibility." The man answered in panic.


    Ling Chen pressed on: "Then who does know?" After speaking, he remembered the mysterious woman hosting the auction and changed his tone: "Where is that woman?"


    "Woman? What woman?" The man asked confusedly.


    "Still ying dumb, it seems you won¡¯t tell the truth unless I teach you a lesson." Having said that, Ling Chen swung his fist, about to smash it into the man¡¯s face.


    Seeing the coldness in Ling Chen¡¯s eyes, the man realized Ling Chen was not joking and quickly said, "Don¡¯t, don¡¯t hit me, let¡¯s talk this through. The woman you mentioned must be Lady Tong."


    "Lady Tong? Who is she?"


    "She¡¯s in charge of the underground auction and the casino; we¡¯re all employed by her."


    "Where can I find her?"


    "She should be at the casino now."


    "Come on, take me to her." Ling Chen grabbed the man¡¯s cor and dragged him towards the casino. Taking this opportunity, he took out his phone and called Xia Mutong to ask for immediate backup to raid this illegal venue.


    Back at the casino, Ling Chen pushed the man in front of himself and scanned the crowd, demanding in a deep voice, "Which one is Lady Tong? Point her out to me."


    "It¡¯s... it¡¯s her, over there." The man looked around and finally spotted Lady Tong among the gamblers.


    "Buddy, I¡¯m just trying to make a living. If Lady Tong finds out I betrayed her, my life will be miserable. Please, let me go," the man pleaded desperately.


    Ling Chen stared at the woman in the crowd, snorted lightly, and loosened his grip, saying, "Scram, and stop getting involved in illegal activities."


    "Yes, yes!" The man, feeling as if he¡¯d just been pardoned, wiped off his cold sweat and scurried out of the casino.


    Once the man had left, Ling Chen did not hesitate and walked straight towards Lady Tong. At that moment, the mysterious Lady Tong was leaning against a gambling table, ying with chips in her hand, her eyes focused on the cards on the table,pletely unaware of Ling Chen¡¯s approach.


    "Lady Tong?"


    Hearing the voice, Lady Tong turned her head, sized up Ling Chen, and frowned slightly, "Who are you?"


    "Who I am is not important. What¡¯s important is I know who you are," Ling Chen stated lightly.


    Now closer, Ling Chen could clearly see the features of Lady Tong. Around thirty, with a pretty face that still retained its charm, she must have been quite the beauty in her youth, only slightly marred now, and both her eyes and mouth bore signs of cosmetic surgery.


    "You..."


    "Where is the person?" Ling Chen cut off Lady Tong¡¯s words and demanded.


    "Which person? I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about. Get lost, don¡¯t interrupt my betting," Lady Tong said, retracting her gaze from Ling Chen and continuing to focus on the gambling table, ignoring him further.


    Seeing this, Ling Chen¡¯s lips slightly curled, and his eyes narrowed slightly, a sharp light appearing.


    "Lady Tong, I never hit women. However, today, for my friend, I am forced to make an exception."


    As he finished speaking, without waiting for Lady Tong to react, Ling Chen grabbed her long hair, harshly pulled it back, and his robust arm stretched forward, forcefully locking her neck to prevent any resistance.


    "Bastard, let go of me. Someone,e quickly!" In shock and anger, Lady Tong immediately yelled out.


    Soon, more than twenty young men from the crowd hurried over, surrounding Ling Chen and Lady Tong, shouting angrily, "Let Lady Tong go now!"


    Ling Chen sneered, "I can release her, but first, let her tell me where the person is." As he spoke, Ling Chen pulled out Wolf Kiss from his waist and gently slid its sharp point across Lady Tong¡¯s delicate skin, "Lady Tong, you¡¯d better send those women back. Otherwise, I won¡¯t mind giving your pretty face a few more cuts."


    "You... dare you, do you know who I am?"


    "I¡¯m not interested in your identity right now. You asked if I dare? How about we test it? I have never done stic surgery on a woman, why not start practicing with you?" As he finished speaking, Ling Chen pressed his wrist down, and the sharp Wolf Kiss immediatelynded on Lady Tong¡¯s smooth skin.


    Feeling the sting on her face, Lady Tong panicked and hurriedly shouted, "Stop! Stop!"


    "Then make the call right now, don¡¯t test my patience any further." Ling Chen¡¯s tone was slightly cold.


    Lady Tong hurriedly took out her phone and dialed a number.


    The phone connected, and a man¡¯s voice came from the other end, "Lady Tong, the goods have been delivered, I¡¯m on my way back and will arrive shortly."


    Hearing this, Lady Tong hung up the phone.


    "What are you doing?"


    "It¡¯s useless, the goods have already been shipped, and at this point, the ship has left the harbor and can¡¯t be called back until it docks tomorrow morning."


    Ling Chen frowned and said, "Call and have the ship return."


    "I advise you to give up. The guests have already started enjoying their goods, and even if the ship returns now, you cannot save them. How about this, I¡¯ll give you five hundred thousand, release me, and don¡¯t interfere in this matter anymore." Lady Tong proposed.


    Ling Chen leaned close to her ear and said coldly, "Among those women is my friend. If anything happens to her, I will make you experience a fate worse than death."


    As the words fell, Ling Chen clenched his teeth and pressed down hard with the hand holding Wolf Kiss. Instantly, a ten-centimeter-long wound, deep enough to expose the bone, was permanently left on Lady Tong¡¯s cheek, with blood gushing out like a fountain, quickly staining her cor red.


    "No... don¡¯t..." Lady Tong screamed in horror, her hands tightly covering her right cheek, her lips pale and utterly bloodless.


    "Remember, this is just the interest. You better pray that my friend is alright. Now, call and have the ship return, find a way to ensure my friend¡¯s safety."


    Watching Ling Chen¡¯s blood-stained Wolf Kiss, Lady Tong shivered all over, daring not to utter another futile word, and hastily made a call to the ship¡¯s crew.


    At this moment, a piercing siren sound approached from afar, entering the gambling den from outside.


    "Not good! The police areing."


    "Everyone run!"


    In an instant, the gamblers scattered like birds, and in the blink of an eye, the lively casino became destely empty, leaving only a messy scene.


    "Ling, what are you dazing about? Run fast, don¡¯t get caught by the police."


    Wei Jun, who had juste out of the restroom, had no idea what had happened in the casino. He was originally relieving himself and hurriedly ran out without even zipping up upon hearing the sound of the police sirens.


    "Don¡¯t worry, I was the one who called the police." Ling Chen said calmly.


    The half-crouching Lady Tong, with a face full of resentment, looked at Ling Chen and asked through clenched teeth, "Who exactly are you? An undercover?"


    "Not at all."


    "You¡¯re not even a cop, and yet you dare interfere in our affairs. Do you know who I have behind my back?"


    Ling Chen coldly said, "If my friend is harmed, in my eyes, both you and the people behind you are dead."


    This chapter is updated by freew(e)bnovel.(c)om

 Chapter 391 - 387: The Mastermind Behind the Scenes

    <h4>Chapter 391: Chapter 387: The Mastermind Behind the Scenes</h4><h4></h4>


    "Ling Chen."


    A familiar voice came, and Xia Mutong appeared wearing a crisp uniform, looking valiant and impressive, boasting proudly of her ample chest, apanied by two colleagues who quickly approached.


    "Officer Xia, you¡¯ve arrived just in time. These people have set up an illegal gambling den and are auctioning off women like goods. You must severely punish such heinous behavior." As he spoke, Ling Chen handed his phone to Xia Mutong and yed the secretly recorded video for all to see.


    After watching the video, Xia Mutong nced at Lady Tong, who was kneeling on the ground, and said coldly, "Handcuff her and take her back. Get someone to search the ce inside and out for me. See if there are any other aplices or hostages being held."


    "Yes, Captain Xia."


    The two male police officers nodded and stepped forward to pull Lady Tong up.


    "Let go of me!" Lady Tong iled her arms desperately, struggling furiously, pointing at Xia Mutong and shouting angrily, "Do you know who I am? Let me tell you, I have a very good rtionship with the leaders of your police department. If you dare to arrest me, I¡¯ll make sure you¡¯re packing your bags and leaving tomorrow."


    p!


    Xia Mutong frowned and casually delivered a p to Lady Tong¡¯s cheek, reprimanding, "Shut up. Say one more word, and I¡¯ll tear your mouth apart."


    Lady Tong was stunned, not expecting the woman before her to be even more hot-tempered than herself, and instantly became like an eggnt hit by frost, lowering her head and walking away with the two police officers.


    "Officer Xia, I¡¯ll leave that woman to you for now. I have a friend who is still in danger, and I need to find her quickly. I¡¯ll contact you by pher." Without waiting for Xia Mutong to respond, Ling Chen had already run out of the gambling den.


    Getting into the car, Ling Chen put his right hand on the gear shift, stepped on the elerator, and the car shot out like an arrow released from its bow.


    The port previously mentioned by Lady Tong wasn¡¯t too far away, only about ten kilometers from the gambling den. At this moment, the boat was already on its way back and he didn¡¯t know if Leng Feifei was safe. He had to hurry over as soon as possible.


    Just then, the pleasant ring of a mobile phone came from his pocket.


    Ling Chen took out his phone and nced at the iing call disy. Seeing it was Zhao Zhengxiong, he immediately pressed the answer button and said, "Xiong, I¡¯m really busy right now, I¡¯ll talk to youter..."


    "Chen, were you just at the gambling den?"


    Hearing this, Ling Chen was slightly taken aback and asked with confusion, "How did you know?"


    "My people reported it to me, they saw you outside the gambling den. Chen, you might not be aware, but that gambling den is operated by the gangsters from North City District, I have been keeping an eye on them."


    "Is it them?"


    "Yes, that¡¯s right! Those guys have been expanding their power like crazy after taking over the West District and South District, with no idea of restraint. But the more people they have, the more money they need. So they took risks and did whatever made quick money - running gambling dens, trafficking drugs, they¡¯ve been involved in almost all kinds of illegal and criminal activities."


    Ling Chen asked, "Why doesn¡¯t the police do anything?"


    "The police in those districts have all taken bribes, no one wants to meddle, no incidents are reported. The previous raids on the gambling dens were conducted by the city police, who are not as easily bribed with money like the district police. I have been collecting evidence of their illegal activities and nning to report them anonymously. I didn¡¯t expect that you, Chen, would take the lead by storming in and destroying their den. Now they are in for it."


    "It was just a coincidence I came across them. If they hadn¡¯t kidnapped my friend, I wouldn¡¯t have gotten involved."


    "Chen, is your friend okay? Do you need the brothers to help out?"


    "No need, I can handle it myself. That¡¯s it for now, I¡¯m still driving. We¡¯ll chat another day."


    "Okay."


    After hanging up the phone, Ling Chen¡¯s brow furrowed slightly. It turned out all this was the doing of those thugs from North City District. Well, they would have to be dealt with sooner orter. This opportunity was good for a crackdown on their arrogance.


    During his contemtion, Ling Chen had already driven to the port.


    Gazing out of the car window at the pitch-dark sea surface, he saw a cargo ship slowly approaching the port, preparing to dock.


    In the port¡¯s parking lot, Ling Chen also spotted several luxury cars worth millions.


    Yes, it¡¯s here!


    Getting out of the car, Ling Chen, concerned about Leng Feifei¡¯s safety, quickly ran towards the mooring location of the cargo ship.


    Without waiting for the ship toe to aplete stop, Ling Chen leaped up, grabbed onto the ropes on the side of the ship, and swiftly climbed aboard.


    "Who¡¯s there?"


    A young man who was preparing to secure the ropes on the deck spotted the suddenly appearing Ling Chen and immediately shouted, picking up a harpoon nearby and charging at him.


    "Scram!"


    Ling Chen didn¡¯t even nce at the young man, kicking him down to the ground, and then hurried towards the interior of the ship.


    Pushing open the door, before even entering, Ling Chen immediately heard a disputeing from inside.


    "Damn it! I spent so much money on those women, why can¡¯t I have my way with them?"


    "Calm down, please. It¡¯s not that we¡¯re stopping you, but Lady Tong just called saying those women can¡¯t be touched for now. If you have anyints, you can go talk to Lady Tongter. I believe she will give everyone a satisfactory exnation."


    "When it was time to take our money, you were so willing. Why the change of face now? Fine, get your boss to refund my money immediately, and I won¡¯t say another word, I¡¯ll just leave. If you can¡¯t do that, then get out of the way quickly and don¡¯t disturb our mood."


    "This... Gentlemen, I¡¯ve already called Lady Tong, but there¡¯s been no answer. Maybe you could wait a bit longer?"


    "..."


    Following the noise, Ling Chen quickly located the arguing parties¡ªone side was a group of middle-aged men in robes, seven or eight in total, with indignant faces, furious; the other side was five young men, with the oldest appearing to be in charge of the ship.


    At that moment, the group noticed Ling Chen¡¯s arrival, and they all focused their attention on him, asking, "Who are you?"


    Ling Chen was toozy to waste words with them, fixating on the ship¡¯s person in charge and demanded, "Where are the women locked up?"


    "You..."


    "Your Lady Tong has already been taken into police custody, and the police will be here any minute now. None of you will be able to escape."


    Hearing this, everyone¡¯s expression changed. Especially for those middle-aged men in robes, who were well-known figures¡ªif the police caught them, their reputations would bepletely ruined.


    As several middle-aged men hurriedly scrambled to escape, the person in charge of the ship hesitated for a moment and immediately followed suit with his subordinates.


    At this time, Ling Chen had no time to deal with them¡ªa priority was Leng Feifei¡¯s safety.


    After searching several rooms, Ling Chen still couldn¡¯t find Leng Feifei¡¯s whereabouts. Just then, a seductive moan suddenly reached Ling Chen¡¯s ears.


    He followed the sound to a locked door and, without saying a word, mmed his body into it.


    Bang!


    The door flung open, revealing a sensual scene inside that made Ling Chen¡¯s eyes widen, unable to look away for a long time.

 Chapter 392 - 388: The Woman Who Takes Lives

    <h4>Chapter 392: Chapter 388: The Woman Who Takes Lives</h4><h4></h4>


    The cargo ship looked old and worn on the surface, but the rooms inside were meticulously decorated, furnished with variousvish decorations. In the middle was a round bed, where a woman was lying. And who else could it be but Leng Feifei?


    At this moment, Leng Feifei¡¯s gaze was dazed, her clothes disheveled, and she was muttering shameful words in her dreams. Of course, to a man, this might just be the most wonderful music to the ears.


    "Feifei, what¡¯s wrong with you?" Ling Chen picked up a piece of clothing at hand, covering Leng Feifei¡¯s body, but he didn¡¯t expect that the woman would suddenly grasp him in a hug and start to frantically touch and kiss him all over his body. Ling Chen was, after all, a normal guy, and Leng Feifei, in terms of both figure and appearance, was top-notch. Even with extraordinary self-control, he couldn¡¯t help but feel his heart race. While pushing her away, he said with a somewhat dry voice, "Feifei, Feifei, what are you doing?"


    "Don¡¯t talk, just hold me tight. Please, I¡¯m begging you." Leng Feifei¡¯s consciousness was very confused; as soon as Ling Chen pushed her away, she immediately pounced back on him, hugging him tightly, her breathing rapid and her skin covered in a fine sweat, as if she had a fever.


    Ling Chen¡¯s heart was racing, but with his keen eyesight, after touching Leng Feifei¡¯s forehead and observing her expression, he quickly realized that Leng Feifei was probably drugged. The best way to save her was that thing. Looking at her attractive figure and listening to her enchanting murmurs, he almost lost control but knew better than to take advantage of someone in their vulnerable state and ruin the reputation of a fine youngdy.


    "What should I do?" he also became somewhat anxious.


    Do not peep if it¡¯s immoral... Do not peep if it¡¯s immoral... Amitabha Buddha...


    Ling Chen muttered to himself, holding his breath and concentrating, trying to calm himself down. Soon, he thought of a method that might work. He pushed Leng Feifei away and quickly entered the restroom. After a short while, he came out and then picked up Leng Feifei again, heading towards the restroom.


    At that moment, the bathtub in the restroom was filled with cold water. Without hesitation, Ling Chen plunged Leng Feifei into it, pressing down firmly on her shoulders to prevent her from escaping.


    After sshing around in the water for a bit, the flush on Leng Feifei¡¯s skin gradually faded, and she seemed to regain some consciousness.


    "Feifei, Feifei, are you feeling any better?" After a while, seeing her looking somewhat more alert, Ling Chen couldn¡¯t help but feel relieved.


    "Ling Chen..."


    Leng Feifei looked at Ling Chen dazedly, responding weakly and appearing extremely frail. At the same time, her eyes brimmed with tears, a mix of pitifulness and joy. "It¡¯s really you, you came to rescue me. Tha-thank you."


    Ling Chen asked with full concern, "Are you feeling better?"


    Leng Feifei gently rubbed her forehead, biting her thin lips, her expression showing a hint of pain and difort. However, seeing her regaining consciousness, Ling Chen took a deep breath of relief.


    At this point, Leng Feifei, soaking in the bathtub, noticed her disheveled clothes and her face flushed red.


    Realizing that Ling Chen was still in front of her, her originally pale face suddenly bloomed with intoxicating blush, and she hurriedly covered her chest with her arms, concealing the exposed charms.


    "Thank you!"


    Ling Chen grinned and said, "What¡¯s there to thank for? You¡¯re my friend; helping you is only natural. Stay in there for a bit; I¡¯ll go find you some clothes." After speaking, Ling Chen turned around and exited the restroom.

 Chapter 393 - 389: The Girl’s Thoughts

    <h4>Chapter 393: Chapter 389: The Girl¡¯s Thoughts</h4><h4></h4>


    A few minutester, Leng Feifei, wrapped in a bathrobe, walked out of the restroom while drying her wet hair with a towel. She found the room empty¡ªLing Chen was nowhere to be seen; only a set of clothes remained on the bed.


    Looking at the pink round bed and the array of sex toys around it, a flush of shame and anger briefly shed through Leng Feifei¡¯s eyes. However, thinking back to what had happened between her and Ling Chen on the bed, she felt her face turning scarlet hot and her eyes filled with bashfulness.


    She knew clearly that it was because she had been drugged, which caused her to act in such an embarrassing manner. But in her over twenty years of purity, she had not even held hands with a man, let alone have such an experience.


    Just as she was thinking, the door was pushed open from the outside, and the person who entered was none other than Ling Chen.


    Seeing the weary look on Ling Chen¡¯s face, Leng Feifei asked with concern, "Are you alright?"


    "I¡¯m fine," Ling Chen replied with a smile, secretly thinking to himself that it was no easy feat. To free the other women on the cargo ship from the control of the drugs and to bring them back to consciousness, he had nearly exhausted all his energy.


    "Feifei, how did you fall into their hands?" Ling Chen asked.


    "I had finished night self-study and was on my way back to the dormitory when a few youths stopped me. They used knockout drugs on me, took me into a car... after that, I¡¯m not too clear on what happened. I was in a daze the whole time until I was brought here; only then did I regain some awareness." Having said this, Leng Feifei looked at Ling Chen curiously and asked, "How did you know I had been captured?"


    "It was a coincidence," Ling Chen exined casually.


    "I¡¯ve already called the police, and they¡¯ll be arriving soon. You can go home after giving your statement to them," Ling Chen reminded her not to forget: "Be more careful in the future, try not to walk alone at night, as dangers are everywhere in society nowadays."


    Feeling Ling Chen¡¯s concern, Leng Feifei felt a sweet warmth in her heart, as if she had tasted honey, and she nodded with a gentle smile, "I¡¯ll be careful."


    During the conversation, Leng Feifei couldn¡¯t help but take a few more nces at Ling Chen.


    She thought back to thest time in the mall when Qi Jianhui had stopped her, it was Ling Chen who had stepped in to help her out. Then, when she was almost vited by Zheng Guangwu, Ling Chen had also saved her at the critical moment, allowing her to avoid a cmity. And now, once again, it was Ling Chen who had courageously stepped forward to rescue her in her time of peril.


    As an orphan who had suffered through painful foster homes, she thought she was all alone in the world. But the man before her seemed like her guardian angel, always appearing by her side when she needed help the most.


    If it were just once, Leng Feifei wouldn¡¯t think too much of it, but this man had repeatedlye to her aid. She didn¡¯t believe it was coincidental, but rather a fateful encounter decreed by destiny.


    With these thoughts, the way Leng Feifei looked at Ling Chen suddenly shifted with an unusual emotional flutter.


    However, at this moment, Ling Chen hadn¡¯t noticed too much of that, his gaze constantly sweeping out the window, checking to see if Xia Mutong and the others had arrived.


    Ten minutester, Xia Mutong, having dealt with the casino incident, finally arrived at the port with arge entourage and an ambnce.


    Along with Leng Feifei, there were a total of six girls who, with the aid of Ling Chen, were now safe and sound, shaken but with no other diforts.


    After handing the girls over to Xia Mutong, Ling Chen said goodbye to Leng Feifei and Xia Mutong and then drove back alone to Wealthy Manor.


    Back at the Nanrong Family, Ling Chen didn¡¯t go straight to the vi but headed instead to the wooden-structured vi. This vi was once the residence of Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s parents, and since they had left home, it had been sealed up, with no one entering it since.


    But not long ago, Ling Chen identally discovered that Mr. Yun¡¯s secret base was located in the basement of this vi. In order not to rm the enemy, he had not taken any action but had been secretly surveilling the ce.


    Stepping into the pitch-dark vi, Ling Chen made his way to the basement with practiced ease.


    In the brightly lit basement, several men were tied up, their mouths taped shut, and dumped in a corner.


    On the other side, in front of a row ofputer equipment, a chubby man was tapping away at the keyboard, his eyes fixated on the files flickering on the screen, his expression one of deep concentration.


    "Chubby, you must be hungry. Have somete-night snacks first." Ling Chen put the fast-food box he was carrying onto the table and said.


    Since escaping from the ind, after deep consideration, Ling Chen decided to turn passivity into proactivity. However, to take the initiative, sufficient intelligence was necessary. Hence, he had discreetly taken control of this secret base and had Hu Feie over to help gather information.


    Hu Fei specialized in this line of work; he knew best which information was valuable.


    Seeing the food, Hu Fei immediately abandoned his task at hand, opened a fast-food box, and began to wolf down the contents without any care for appearances.


    Ling Chen knew Hu Fei had been exhausted these past few days. To gather more information before Mr. Yun discovered the exposure of this secret base, Hu Fei had barely rested, even developing dark circles under his eyes.


    He opened a bottle of beverage and handed it to Hu Fei, asking, "Got any results yet?"


    Hu Fei pointed to aputer against the wall and said, "Thatputer can connect to the God Organization¡¯s main server, but it needs a login password. I¡¯ve asked those guys, and only Mr. Yun knows the password. I¡¯m still trying to crack it. If all goes well, we should have results soon."


    "Thanks for your hard work."


    "Forget it." Hu Fei immediately waved his hand and said, "Please don¡¯t be polite to me. If you¡¯re too courteous, I¡¯ll feel too embarrassed to ask you for money."


    "You rascal." Ling Chen couldn¡¯t help but shake his head with a mix ofughter and tears.


    As they spoke, theputer suddenly beeped loudly. Hu Fei¡¯s eyes lit up. He threw aside the half-eaten fast-food box, hastily wiped the grease from the corner of his mouth, and rushed to theputer. Seeing the data disyed on the screen, he pped his hands excitedly and eximed, "We¡¯re in!"


    Ling Chen leaned over theputer screen, watching the scrolling folders, repressing the excitement in his heart and asked, "Can you copy them out?"


    "Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ve been prepared for this." Saying that, Hu Fei plugged a USB drive into theputer tower and tapped the keyboard. Soon, a progress bar popped up on the screen.


    However, the data on the God Organization¡¯s main server might have been too vast and the file sizes toorge, several minutes passed, and the progress bar had only moved two percent. At this rate, it would take several hours to copy all the server¡¯s data.


    Beep, beep-beep!


    At that moment, an irritating rm suddenly sounded from an external device connected to theputer tower, and a red warning light shed without stopping.


    "This is bad!"


    Hu Fei¡¯s face changed, he frowned and said, "They¡¯ve discovered us." Speaking, he furiously typed on the keyboard, his eyes glued to the rapidly switching data boxes on the screen, his expression grave.

 Chapter 394 - 390: Invasion Failed

    <h4>Chapter 394: Chapter 390: Invasion Failed</h4><h4></h4>


    Ling Chen watched quietly from the side, not making a sound to disturb Hu Fei. Although he was also proficient withputers, he couldn¡¯t quite understand these advanced hacking techniques.


    Two minutes passed, and a ck box appeared in the center of theputer screen, with a line of red English letters on it.


    "Damn! It¡¯s been locked." Hu Fei cursed loudly and quickly pulled the USB drive from theputer¡¯s main unit.


    "Run!"


    Watching Hu Fei sprinting frantically out of the basement, Ling Chen was puzzled but still followed closely behind. Just as they ran out of the basement, they heard a loud ¡¯boom¡¯¡ªthe powerful st wave from the explosion crazily surged out from the entrance of the basement, throwing Ling Chen and Hu Fei into the air, and they heavily fell onto the floor.


    "Fatty, are you alright?"


    "I won¡¯t die." Hu Fei, rubbing his sore shoulder, grimaced in pain.


    Ling Chen coughed twice, waved his arms to disperse the surrounding dust, stood up from the ground, and then returned to the basement.


    Under the destructive power of the explosion, all the equipment in the basement was destroyed, and several men who had been tied up with ropes were lying scattered around, already showing no signs of life.


    Ling Chen was inwardly shocked; had it not been for Hu Fei¡¯s timely warning, they would have both died there.


    "Who¡¯s there? Don¡¯t move!"


    At this moment, a burst of angry shouting came from above. Ling Chen recognized it as Zhong Wei¡¯s voice and, fearing a misunderstanding, hurriedly went upstairs, only to see Zhong Wei and several others surrounding Hu Fei.


    "Captain Zhong, don¡¯t be hasty, we are all on the same side, it¡¯s alright."


    "You¡¯re here too?"


    Seeing Ling Chen appear, Zhong Wei nced at Hu Fei, slightly rxing his vignce, and waved for Liang Zhao Hui and the others to step back, asking, "Ling Chen, what happened?"


    "It¡¯s hard to exin in a few words, it was probably an idental explosion. Captain Zhong, please go exin to Wanqing and the old master, tell them not to worry, I will handle things here."


    "Do you want me to call the police?"


    "No need, you all go rest, I¡¯ll take care of this."


    Hearing this, Zhong Wei clearly understood what Ling Chen meant. There must have been something going on in the basement, but Ling Chen didn¡¯t want others to know.


    In the past, Zhong Wei wouldn¡¯t have let Ling Chen get away with such an exnation so easily. But things were different now; Ling Chen¡¯s rtionship with Nanrong Wanqing was no secret among them. Besides, after having experienced so many things together, Zhong Wei trusted Ling Chen a lot.


    Seeing him say this, Zhong Wei tactfully did not pursue the matter further and left with his team.


    During this time, Nanrong Wanqing, Su Lin, Nanrong Hao, and Liu Kun all came to inquire about the situation, but Ling Chen sent them all back.


    Taking advantage of the dark, Ling Chen and Hu Fei secretly transported the bodies out of the basement, ced them in the trunk of the car, and prepared to find a secluded ce to bury them.


    As the car drove out of Wealthy Manor, Ling Chen, who was driving, asked, "Fatty, is there any way to hack into their servers?"


    Hu Fei shook his head, "No, thatputer main unit had special hardware installed, so it could ess the God Organization¡¯s servers. Otherputers won¡¯t work." After a pause, with a grave expression, Hu Fei said, "Those guys are really something, they even installed a self-destruction program in the equipment. If it weren¡¯t for my high vignce, we both could¡¯ve been done for."


    "So we¡¯ve been busy for nothing?"


    "I copied a small part of the data onto the USB, but it was damaged by their remote code. I¡¯ll try to fix that data when I get back."


    "I¡¯ll leave this matter to you then."


    After handling everything, Ling Chen dropped Hu Fei off at his home, then returned to Wealthy Manor.


    ...


    The next day.


    Since it was Saturday, Nanrong Wanqing didn¡¯t have to work, and Ling Chen spent his time at home watching the news on TV.


    The incident at the casinost night had been exposed, and all the major television stations were reporting on it, highly praising the police¡¯s actions.


    However, Ling Chen was not concerned about that but rather whether the people behind the casino had been caught.


    Until now, Xia Mutong hadn¡¯t called him, probably indicating no progress.


    "Brother Chen."


    At that moment, Nanrong Hao¡¯s voice came from the doorway. Ling Chen, sitting on the living room sofa, turned his head, seeing Nanrong Hao waving at him, signaling him toe over.


    "What is it? Sneaking around, why can¡¯t you talk inside the house?" Ling Chen said as he walked over.


    Nanrong Hao sheepishly touched his head, "Isn¡¯t it because I was afraid my sister would hear. Just now, Xiong called and asked us toe over, saying there¡¯s something to discuss."


    Ling Chen nodded, "Then let¡¯s go." Even if Nanrong Hao didn¡¯t say it, he could guess that Zhao Zhengxiong wanted them over probably concerning the people in North City District.


    Half an hourter, Ling Chen and Nanrong Hao drove to a courierpany in Old City.


    To be honest, Ling Chen was still unclear about why Nanrong Hao and his group ran so many courierpanies. From what Nanrong Hao and Jiang Hao said, their purpose for setting up courierpanies was not just to make money or run a legitimate business but had a greater scheme in mind.


    Yet, Ling Chen could never understand what role a courierpany could y. Every time this matter was mentioned, Nanrong Hao and his group were always secretive and unwilling to borate.


    Upon entering the office, Zhao Zhengxiong and Jiang Hao were present, while Jiang Yunkai was busy managing the securitypany and rarely interfered with matters in Old City.


    Ling Chen patted Jiang Hao¡¯s shoulder, asking with concern, "Has your injury healed?"


    Jiang Hao smiled, "It¡¯s already scarred over. The doctor said it¡¯s nothing serious, just that it will leave some scars in the future."


    "A man with more scars is a real man, look at me." Zhao Zhengxiong rolled up his sleeve, revealing the knife scars on his arm, proudly saying, "I was the one who dared to fight, that¡¯s why I could be the boss."


    Ling Chen jokingly teased, "Haozi, did you hear that? The four of us, only you don¡¯t have scars, seems you¡¯re not a real man."


    Nanrong Hao nonchntly said, "What¡¯s the big deal, as long as you¡¯re a real man in bed, that¡¯s enough."


    This immediately drew heartyughter from Jiang Hao and the others.


    "Alright, alright, no more jokes," Zhao Zhengxiong put away his smile and said, "Let¡¯s talk business, I believe everyone knows about what happenedst night. As far as I know, the police, after an overnight interrogation, pulled out a few people, but they were just insignificant small fries, specifically used as scapegoats. The big shots in North City District didn¡¯t even scratch a bit, still living freely without a care. I originally wanted to use this opportunity to suppress the influence of North City District a bit, but looking at the current situation, this operation didn¡¯t really hurt them."


    Nanrong Hao asked, "Xiong, are you thinking of taking them down all at once?"


    "Not really, we don¡¯t have enough resources to swallow them up yet. However, we need to figure out a way to control their expansion. Otherwise, once they grow stronger, it will be troublesome to deal with themter."

 Chapter 395 - 391 Confidential Documents

    <h4>Chapter 395: Chapter 391 Confidential Documents</h4><h4></h4>


    Ling Chen nodded and said, "Xiong¡¯s concerns are valid; we indeed need to consider this issue."


    Zhao Zhengxiong said, "I¡¯ve made a rough estimate. Those people in the North City District have been running gambling operations, trafficking drugs, and other illicit activities for over a week. Although it hasn¡¯t been long, during this time, they have earned at least around twenty million."


    "That much?" Nanrong Hao eximed in surprise.


    "It¡¯s not a lot." Ling Chen exined, "Whether it¡¯s the casino or drugs, both are highly profitable, a sure win without any loss. Besides, the people in North City District now control three districts, the market is huge, so it¡¯s not surprising they made this much in a short time."


    "That¡¯s right," Zhao Zhengxiong continued, "The casino has already been shut down by the police, but the drug trade in North City District is still ongoing. If we can¡¯t cut off their source of funds, they¡¯ll only make more money and expand their influence faster. By that time, it might not be a question of whether we can take them down; they might turn around and bite us instead."


    Ling Chen looked at Zhao Zhengxiong and Jiang Hao, giving a slight smile, "Since you¡¯ve considered this aspect, I presume you already have a solution."


    Jiang Hao nodded and said, "Brother Chen, the best way is to cut off their supply. Xiong and I have already found their source of goods, but they are cunning, changing locations for each transaction. By the time we get there, they¡¯ve alreadypleted the deal, and we can¡¯t find either the people or the goods. However, thanks to the insider Xiong nted, we¡¯ve got the exact location of the next deal. Brother Chen, I know you have a good rtionship with Officer Xia, so we¡¯d like to ask for your help."


    Ling Chen readily agreed, "No problem. Just give me the location of the transaction, and I¡¯ll have Officer Xia take people to set up an ambush in advance."


    "This..." Jiang Hao hesitated, ncing at Zhao Zhengxiong with an expression that seemed he had more to say but was holding back.


    Seeing this, Ling Chen spoke with dissatisfaction, "What, is there something you can¡¯t say in front of me?"


    "It¡¯s not that," Zhao Zhengxiong exined, "In our n, the police are thest link. If they show up too early, then our n will be useless."


    Ling Chen, full of interest, asked, "What n?"


    Then, Jiang Hao detailed the n he and Zhao Zhengxiong hade up with. After Ling Chen listened to it, Jiang Hao spoke nervously, "Brother Chen, I know you don¡¯t support us doing illegal activities, but... if we do this, not only would the police benefit, but we could profit as well, so..."


    "Are you worried I wouldn¡¯t agree?" Ling Chen smiled and waved his hand, "You¡¯re overthinking it. I¡¯m not so rigid. How could I refuse such a win-win proposition? Both of you are clever,ing up with such an idea. Okay, I agree. Just go ahead with it, and I¡¯ll handle the police."


    After speaking, Ling Chen stood up, "If there¡¯s nothing else, I¡¯ll head back first. Call me if there¡¯s anything."


    "Brother Chen, that..." Nanrong Hao gazed eagerly at Ling Chen, wringing his hands non-stop with a fawning smile on his face.


    Ling Chen nced at him, fully understanding his intention, and said helplessly, "Alright then, you stay here and act with them. Be safe."


    "Thank you, Brother Chen!" Nanrong Hao¡¯s face lit up with excitement.


    Leaving the courierpany, Ling Chen got into the car, ready to return to Wealthy Manor. But at that moment, he suddenly received a call from Hu Fei.


    "Hello! Ling Chen, are you free? I¡¯ve repaired part of the data fromst night. Do you want toe and look at it?"


    "For something like this, even if I¡¯m not free, I¡¯ll make time. Tell me, where shall we meet?"


    "The usual ce; Old Liu has already prepared the fish hotpot."


    "Wait for me, I¡¯ll be there shortly."


    After hanging up the phone, Ling Chen immediately started the car and drove towards the restaurant where he often met with Hu Fei. The documents concerning the secrets of the God Organization were urgent in Ling Chen¡¯s heart.


    It took less than twenty minutes on the road for Ling Chen to arrive in front of the restaurant.


    Knocking on the door, it opened to reveal Boss Liu, his face waxen yellow and skin slightly dark, immediately appeared before Ling Chen.


    "Mr. Ling, wee,e in, please!" Boss Liu said with a smile, ushering Ling Chen inside.


    Ling Chen politely greeted Boss Liu and then walked into the private room.


    The small room was steamy and stuffy, with the buzz of an old exhaust fan that was barely effective. In a corner, Hu Fei, having taken off his coat, was enjoying a fish hotpot with relish.


    "Eat, don¡¯t be shy."


    "Cut it out. I¡¯m not like you, eating this early, lunchtime isn¡¯t even here yet. Enough chit-chat, hurry up and hand over the data you¡¯ve repaired."


    "I went backst night and didn¡¯t sleep all night, been busy with your thing, man, and not even a word of thanks from you," Hu Feiined, but he still handed over the already prepared file folder.


    Ling Chen couldn¡¯t wait to tear open the folder and pulled out a stack of documents from inside.


    After skimming through, Ling Chen immediately noticed a problem. The information recorded in these documents were all about the past operations of the God Organization, several years old, and essentially worthless.


    "Fatty, is there no useful intelligence?"


    "Don¡¯t rush, look carefully, there will definitely be information that interests you."


    Hearing this, Ling Chen patiently continued to read through the documents in his hands. Ten or so minutes passed, his eyebrows slightly furrowed. Ignorance was bliss, the more he read, the more rmed he became.


    All along, Ling Chen¡¯s understanding of the God Organization was based on objective knowledge. However, through the recorded content in these documents, he gained a more direct understanding of how colossal the God Organization was.


    If there was one thing to describe the God Organization, it would be a sprawling, towering tree. Not only possessing an unshakable foundation, but its branches were also extensive, reaching into various industries and countries.


    ording to the information provided, in the past decade, more than forty significant incidents around the world had the shadow of the God Organization behind them.


    Each incident was meticulously nned, causing huge impacts on international society, directly affecting the political and business circles of various countries.


    At this moment, Ling Chen finally understood that what made the God Organization truly frightening was not the overt things, but the secret, unknown mysterious forces behind the scenes.


    It was just that the infiltration of the God Organization into Huaxia had just begun, which is why it hadn¡¯t seemed so terrifying.


    In his shock, Ling Chen¡¯s gaze was suddenly captured by a piece of information in his hands.


    There was a ck-and-white photo attached to that document, and Ling Chen recognized the person in the picture at a nce.


    Little Hua!


    Not only that, but the word ¡¯Top Secret¡¯ was also annotated next to the photo.


    The identity of Little Hua had always been a mystery. Ling Chen had questioned He Ziyun about it more than once, but sadly never received an answer. Unexpectedly, there was a record of Little Hua in this data.


    Thinking this, Ling Chen immediately opened the documents and began to carefully read through them.


    (Today I¡¯m releasing 5 Chapters, give some rmendation tickets as a reward, your support is the motivation for my burst of writing.)


    This chapter is updated by freew(e)bnovel.(c)om

 Chapter 396 - 392 Little Hua’s Secret (Part 1)

    <h4>Chapter 396: Chapter 392 Little Hua¡¯s Secret (Part 1)</h4><h4></h4>


    After reading about Little Hua¡¯s background, Ling Chen¡¯s heart struggled to calm down for a long time. He never expected Little Hua to have such a hidden past.


    "Have you finished reading the girl¡¯s information?" Noticing Ling Chen¡¯s dazed expression, Hu Fei put down his chopsticks, wiped his greasy lips, and smacked his mouth, saying, "I was just as shocked as you when I first read it. I couldn¡¯t believe that such people existed in the world. Truly, the Great Thousand World is full of wonders. Eh! If I remember correctly, you seem to know that little girl, right?"


    Ling Chen nodded and stood up, saying, "Enjoy your meal, I¡¯m not going to join you."


    "Hey! You¡¯re not nning to go find that little girl, are you?" Hu Fei hastily followed him out of the private room, catching up to Ling Chen¡¯s steps and saying, "Considering all the hard work I¡¯ve put in, take me with you. As long as you bring me, we¡¯ll call it even for all thepensation you owe me."


    Hu Fei made the offer with a painful heart. He had no choice since, like Ling Chen, his heart couldn¡¯t stay calm after reading Little Hua¡¯s informationst night. Overwhelmed by intense curiosity, he was desperate to know the secrets rted to Little Hua.


    Ling Chen stopped walking, looked at Hu Fei, and said, "You need to think this through. Little Hua is someone the God Organization closely watches, and they will make a move on her sooner orter. Moreover, if the people from the God Organization find out you know Little Hua¡¯s secret, they won¡¯t let you off easily. As a friend, I advise you to consider it carefully. If you choose to go with me, you will be standing against the God Organization from now on."


    Hearing this, Hu Fei suddenly hesitated, rubbing his round belly as he pondered. After a while, he cursed under his breath and looked up, saying, "Hell, I¡¯m already on your crooked boat, and there¡¯s no escape now. Let¡¯s go find that little girl."


    Seeing Hu Fei¡¯s determination, Ling Chen smiled without saying much more, and the two of them left the restaurant side by side.


    Not long after, Ling Chen and Hu Fei drove straight to the Qingyun Martial Arts Hall.


    When they knocked on the door of the Martial Arts Academy, Little Hua, with a pouty face, opened the door and said unhappily, "Big brother, you don¡¯t like Little Hua anymore, you haven¡¯te to see me in so long."


    Ling Chen touched Little Hua¡¯s head and smiled, saying, "I¡¯ve been busy."


    "Hmph! You¡¯re just making excuses." Little Hua muttered, her big round eyes examining Hu Fei as she asked, "Big brother, who is this fat guy?"


    "My name is Hu Fei, a friend of your big brother," Hu Fei said with a smile, "You can just call me Fatty."


    Little Hua showed little interest in Hu Fei, wrapping her arms around Ling Chen¡¯s arms and saying, "Big brother, you¡¯rete. Xiaozhu returned to Beijing a couple of days ago."


    At the mention of Zhu Xiaozhu, Ling Chen¡¯s expression stiffened, and he looked somewhat uneasy. Back on the ind, Ling Chen had killed Reylov and detonated the ind¡¯s bomb, destroying the entire ind. With such terrifying destructive force, it was almost impossible for Zhu Hong to survive.


    Therefore, Zhu Hong¡¯s death was definitely on his conscience.


    If Zhu Xiaozhu knew about this, Ling Chen could hardly imagine what she might do; she probably would not deal with him for a lifetime.


    With a silent sigh, Ling Chen pushed aside his mixed emotions,posed himself, and asked, "Where¡¯s Mr. He?"


    "Master is inside. Big brother, do you have business with him?"


    Seeing Ling Chen nod, Little Hua immediately pouted and said discontentedly, "I knew it, big brother didn¡¯te specifically for me. Hmph! You go find Master yourself; I¡¯m not ying with you anymore."


    Little Hua shook her hands, swishing her braids, and ran off huffily into the bedroom.


    Ling Chenughed bitterly; this little girl was already so grown up yet still so childish.


    Entering the main hall of the Martial Arts Academy, he saw He Ziyun dressed in a Qing dynasty outfit, sitting on the ground in the manner of the ancients, holding a Sanskrit scripture.


    As Ling Chen and Hu Fei entered, He Ziyun had already put down the scripture and stood up.


    "Mr. He, sorry to disturb you. This is my friend, Hu Fei."


    He Ziyun gave a faint smile, "I know who he is. Guests are always wee, please have a seat."


    Hu Fei looked at He Ziyun, puzzled as to how he knew him. With his doubt lingering, he sat down with Ling Chen, quietly waiting for Ling Chen to speak.


    "Did youe to see me about something?"


    Ling Chen handed over a document bag he was carrying to He Ziyun, saying, "Mr. He, I have some information here. Please take a look before we discuss."


    He Ziyun pulled out the documents, and after just one nce, a ripple disturbed his normally tranquil, wrinkled face. Lifting his head, he didn¡¯t continue reading but ced the documents aside and asked, "Where did you get this information from?"


    Ling Chen was forthright, exining the process of hacking into the main server of the God Organization.


    "You¡¯re here to clear up Little Hua¡¯s identity?"


    "Yes," Ling Chen didn¡¯t beat around the bush; he was eager to know the truth.


    He Ziyun reflected for a moment, sighed, and nodded, "All right. I was considering telling youter, but since you¡¯re asking now, I might as well reveal the events of that year. However..." He Ziyun nced at Hu Fei, asking, "Are you sure you want him to know?"


    "The Fatty has also seen that information; he is a trustworthy person."


    Seeing Ling Chen vouch for Hu Fei, He Ziyun asked no more. Leaning against the chair, his gaze fell on the leaves fluttering outside the hall, seemingly immersed in the memories of the past.


    "This matter goes back decades. At that time, I was the founder of the Ghost organization, leading its members to destroy the God Organization¡¯s secret bases one by one, suppressing their influence. The God Organization is a very formidable opponent, and it took us nearly twenty years to find their stronghold and the identity of their mysterious leader."


    "When we arrived at that secret base, we arrested or killed all the base members, but unfortunately, the God Organization¡¯s mysterious leader fled in a panic with the help of others and also initiated the base¡¯s self-destruct mechanism. We were nning to evacuate ording to the n, but a Ghost member involved in the operation discovered an ongoing experiment in the base. Although the base¡¯s staff were dead or had fled, the experiment had already started and was in its final stage."


    "All along, we didn¡¯t know the real purpose of the God Organization. So, with thest few minutes before the self-destruct sequence began, I decided to stay behind to find out while the others evacuated first. With two minutes left on the self-destruct timer, the experiment finallypleted. As five experimental chambers opened, I discovered that each chamber contained a child, both boys and girls, around the ages of four to five."


    "Little Hua was one of them?" Ling Chen asked.

 Chapter 397 - 393: Little Hua’s Secret (Part 2)

    <h4>Chapter 397: Chapter 393: Little Hua¡¯s Secret (Part 2)</h4><h4></h4>


    "Not bad," He Ziyun continued, "Among the five children who participated in the experiment, only Little Hua survived. The other four lost their lives due to various reasons. Given the urgency of the situation at the time, I had no time to delve deeper into the experiment; I could only take Little Hua and escape from the base first. Later, I took Little Hua to the headquarters of the Ghosts. To conceal her identity and avoid the curious eyes of others, I publicly dered her as my disciple."


    "In the years following that event, we never gave up on the search for the God Organization, relentlessly pursuing them until, five yearster, we received news of the mysterious leader¡¯s serious illness and subsequent death. With his demise, the remnants of the God Organization¡¯s influence splintered immediately. Having worn myself out after all these years and having Little Hua by my side, I let Qiao Zhen take over my position to continue the legacy of the Ghosts. After leaving the Ghosts, I brought Little Hua here to East Sea City alone and opened this Martial Arts Academy, hoping to settle down. However, as the old saying goes, ¡¯If you don¡¯t remove the roots when cutting grass, the spring breeze will bring it back to life.¡¯ I never expected that after so many years, the God Organization would rise from the ashes again."


    After listening to He Ziyun¡¯s story, Ling Chen exhaled deeply, digesting the shock in his heart.


    "Mr. He, so that means Little Hua¡¯s age..."


    He Ziyun chuckled, "Don¡¯t be fooled by her child-like appearance; she¡¯s actually in her twenties, both mentally and by age."


    So that was it!


    Ling Chen suddenly realized why the little girl was so cunning and full of tricky ideas¡ªit was because she had the mind of an adult.


    To think that he had been so deceived by Little Hua¡¯s adorable exterior for so long.


    Hu Fei couldn¡¯t help but ask, "If she¡¯s in her twenties, why hasn¡¯t her body grown at all? Could it be a congenital form of dwarfism?"


    "No," He Ziyun shook his head. "I have had her examined, and her body is very healthy, not at all like the dwarfism you¡¯re talking about. More importantly, the cells in Little Hua¡¯s body continue to remain active. Even though her age keeps increasing, her cells have not shown any signs of change. In a regr person, cells would age over time, but this phenomenon hasn¡¯t urred with Little Hua. Therefore, I believe it has something to do with the original experiment."


    Ling Chen didn¡¯t quite grasp the profound bio-technological aspects, but felt it was veryplex. Just like He Ziyun had said, Little Hua¡¯s current condition was indeed likely linked to that past experiment.


    "Mr. He, if it¡¯s all from several decades ago, why won¡¯t the God Organization let go?"


    "Although the previous leader of the God Organization passed away, there must be others who are aware. There were five children involved in the experiment, and I only took Little Hua. After the secret base was destroyed, they would have certainly searched the scene and found the bodies of the other four children. Not finding the fifth child¡¯s corpse would have naturally led them to suspect us. If that experiment was vital to them, they would spare no effort to seek out Little Hua and me. Recently, Zhu Hong was sent to East Sea City, presumably for our sake."


    Ling Chen furrowed his brow slightly, "If that¡¯s the case, the God Organization probably won¡¯t give up easily."


    "There¡¯s no need to worry too much right now," He Ziyun said. "Their repeated actions have all ended in failure. As long as they know I¡¯m guarding Little Hua, they wouldn¡¯t dare to act rashly unless they¡¯re confident that they can deal with me."


    "Mr. He, though you say that, you still need to be careful. The enhanced drugs developed by the God Organization are very powerful. I¡¯ve experienced them a few times myself, and..."


    He Ziyun cut Ling Chen off with a smile, waving his hand, "You worry too much. No matter how powerful the enhancement drugs are, they¡¯re ultimately just a means of forcibly tapping into human potential through biotechnology. In the eyes of us Martial Artists, such methods are not advisable. The unlocking of potential must be approached scientifically and progressively, not overnight. Otherwise, the more often enhancement drugs are used, the greater the harm to the body. When I shed with the God Organization back then, they had already developed enhancement drugs. To my knowledge, anyone who has taken enhancement drugs doesn¡¯t live past thirty. Despite improvements to the drugs by the God Organization over the years, reducing side effects, the harm to the human body cannot be ignored. Therefore, in the eyes of people like us, enhancement drugs are not worth mentioning, an underhanded tactic."


    With that said, He Ziyun changed the subject and continued, "Ling Chen, I know you¡¯re busy, but don¡¯t neglect your Martial Arts studies for that. Martial Arts Training requires perseverance and must not be taken lightly. At your young age, it¡¯smendable that you¡¯ve reached the Tiger List, but don¡¯t becent. In the vastnd of Huaxia, there are countless hidden dragons and crouching tigers; the Heaven and Earth Dragon and Tiger Four Rankings do not represent all Martial Artists. On the contrary, the most formidable existences are those you cannot see. Remember, each era has its own prodigies that shine for a few hundred years. Among the current younger generation, there are certainly more than one leading figure apart from you. With your current status, you will definitely have more opportunities to engage with this world. Before that, you must be prepared."


    Ling Chen took He Ziyun¡¯s earnest advice to heart, knowing that there must be a reason for such caution.


    "Mr. He, don¡¯t worry, I will work hard."


    He Ziyun nodded with satisfaction, "Now that you know about Little Hua¡¯s identity, I hope you keep it to yourselves. I will ensure her safety, and if anything unexpected happens, I¡¯ll seek your help."


    After their chat with He Ziyun, Ling Chen and Hu Fei didn¡¯t stay long. Their main reason foring was to understand Little Hua¡¯s identity. Now that their curiosity was satisfied, there was no need to linger.


    Before leaving, Ling Chen had intended to greet Little Hua, but upon remembering her true age, he immediately abandoned the idea. For the moment, he wasn¡¯t sure how to face Little Hua.


    Returning to Wealthy Manor, Ling Chen still had Little Hua on his mind.


    "Ling Chen... hey! Ling Chen!"


    Hearing the voice next to him, Ling Chen turned his head and saw Su Lin pouting and walking over with a displeased face, saying annoyed, "What are you thinking about? I called you several times without a response. Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯ve been enchanted by another beauty?"


    Ling Chen came back to his senses and grinned, "Look at what you¡¯re saying, there¡¯s no one more beautiful than you."


    Hearing Ling Chen¡¯s ttery, Su Lin¡¯s heart fluttered with joy, and with a coquettish nce, she said melodically, "Don¡¯t let your girlfriend hear that, or she might get jealous."


    "It¡¯s fine; Wanqing isn¡¯t that petty."

 Chapter 398 - 394: The Young Expert

    <h4>Chapter 398: Chapter 394: The Young Expert</h4><h4></h4>


    While speaking, Ling Chen sized up Su Lin, only to see that the youngdy was dressed in a light-colored coat, with ck stockings paired with a short skirt, and a pair of boots. Her delicate face was adorned with light makeup and a touch of eyeshadow, which made her already stunning beauty even more captivating and irresistible.


    Tsk tsk!


    "Dressing up so prettily, are you nning to meet a man?" Ling Chen teased with a smile.


    "Not at all." Su Lin¡¯s pretty face blushed as she exined, "We have a ssmate gathering today. In a few days, we¡¯ll start our internships, so there won¡¯t be many chances to meet afterward. That¡¯s why everyone decided to get together in advance."


    "Where are you guys gathering?"


    "At the pub."


    "Why go to a ce like that? You are all students; be careful not to get into trouble outside."


    "Ah, what¡¯s there to be afraid of? It¡¯s not just us girls, the boys will be there too."


    So, there are boys joining in.


    Ling Chen nodded, feeling relieved, and said, "Then have fun."


    ...


    Night fell.


    After having dinner, Ling Chen received a phone call from Nanrong Hao.


    "Chen, have you got everything arranged at your end? We are about to start the operation."


    "Are you still worried about how I handle things? I¡¯ve already notified them. Just be careful on your end; don¡¯t let anything unexpected happen." Ling Chen hadn¡¯t forgotten the n Zhao Zhengxiong and the others had made; tonight was the time to act.


    After hanging up, Nanrong Wanqing, who was sitting next to him, asked, "What did Nanrong Hao want from you?"


    "It¡¯s nothing." Fearing that Nanrong Wanqing would worry, Ling Chen dared not tell her. After hesitating for a moment, he stood up and said, "You get some rest early. I have some errands to run and will be back soon."


    Although he had advised Nanrong Hao and the others to be careful, Ling Chen still felt uneasy. This was not something to be taken lightly. One slip-up could mean losing lives. For safety¡¯s sake, he decided it was better to go and see for himself, to prevent any idents.


    Leaving Wealthy Manor, Ling Chen drove his car straight to the destination. During the call with Nanrong Hao, he had already obtained the address. In less than twenty minutes, Ling Chen arrived at the trading location.


    He parked the car on the side of the road, turned off the engine, and looked out through the window. Beside the road was an open-air parking lot with forty or fifty cars, and there weren¡¯t many people around.


    With his sharp eyes, Ling Chen noticed two vans parked not far away. The tires of the vans were heavilypressed, indicating that there were many people inside. Without a second thought, it was clear that these were the people Zhao Zhengxiong hadin in ambush.


    Ling Chen had not nned to show himself during this evening¡¯s operation. He would not appear unless something unexpected happened. Some matters needed to be handled by Zhao Zhengxiong and the others themselves; they couldn¡¯t rely on him every time. His idea was to cultivate Zhao Zhengxiong and Jiang Hao into figures who could stand on their own.


    More than ten minutes had passed, and at exactly nine o¡¯clock, a van drove up from the intersection and entered the parking lot.


    When the van came to a stop, the driver¡¯s side door opened, and a young man stepped out, cautiously looking around to ensure no suspicious individuals were present before quickly walking away. However, the youth did not go far; he walked up to a Chevrolet sedan in the parking lot, opened the rear passenger door, and got into the car. The Chevrolet was parked so that its front faced the van¡¯s position, giving a clear view and an excellent vantage point for surveince.


    Not long after, a Hyundai sedan drove into the parking lot and pulled up beside the Chevrolet.


    The car window rolled down, and a tattooed arm holding a hefty backpack reached out from inside the car, which was immediately grabbed by someone from the Chevrolet.


    It was easy to guess that the backpack was surely filled with the money for the trade.


    A momentter, the person inside the Chevrolet gestured an ¡¯OK¡¯ sign with his hand. Then, the sedan started its engine and drove straight out of the parking lot. At the same time, a man got out of the Hyundai and hurried towards the van.


    It was time to make a move!


    Watching this scene unfold, Ling Chen thought to himself.


    True enough, more than a dozen people swiftly emerged from the two parked vans by the roadside, armed with sticks and machetes, closing in on the van from four different directions. Simultaneously, two minivans drove up from the intersection, blocking the entrance and exit of the parking lot, leaving no way out for the van.


    Not bad!


    A slight smile formed on the corners of Ling Chen¡¯s lips.


    Zhao Zhengxiong¡¯s arrangements were meticulous, they sealed the first and then slowly caught the small fish.


    "Get down!"


    Very soon, Zhao Zhengxiong¡¯s dozen or so subordinates had surrounded the van and the Hyundai sedan. A young man wielding a baseball bat viciously smashed the car window and shouted, "Everyone get the hell out!"


    There was no resistance, people from both cars obediently got out, hands over their heads, squatting on the ground.


    At this moment, Zhao Zhengxiong, Nanrong Hao, and Jiang Hao walked in from outside the parking lot, headed straight to the van, and signaled their subordinates with a nce to open the cargo box.


    Seeing this, Ling Chen smirked, pressed the start button, and started the car.


    By this step, there was no need to continue watching. The drugs had been sessfully intercepted, and it was time to execute the next n.


    However, just as Ling Chen was getting ready to leave, a sudden change urred in the parking lot.


    As the cargo box was opened, what appeared before Zhao Zhengxiong and the others was not drugs, but over twenty youths holding machetes.


    "Kill them."


    With that angry shout, the twenty or so knife-wielding youths immediately surged out of the cargo box, faces fierce, crazily shing towards Zhao Zhengxiong and the others.


    "Fuck off!" Nanrong Hao reacted the fastest, cursing loudly as he kicked the leading youth to the ground.


    However, after taking Nanrong Hao¡¯s kick, the youth seemed to be fine, quickly getting up from the ground and continuing to charge at them with his knife.


    "Damn! He¡¯s not even fazed."


    Nanrong Hao cursed, while retreating backward under the cover of his subordinates. At this moment, Jiang Hao suddenly noticed that the youths were all dressed in very thick clothes, as if they had cotton stuffed inside their clothes.


    No wonder!


    This would definitely enhance their resistance to blows, it appeared these people were well-prepared.


    "Xiong, you guys retreat first, we¡¯ll hold them back."


    Zhao Zhengxiong coldly said, "What¡¯s there to fear, they have knives, we have knives too, let¡¯s fight them. I want to see how fast their knives really are."


    Just as everyone was preparing to sh head-on, suddenly three or four dozen people emerged around the parking lot, all wielding clubs and knives.


    Sitting in the car, Ling Chen¡¯s expression suddenly changed when he saw this scene.


    This was the contingency that he had feared.


    The opposition was overwhelming in numbers, and Ling Chen, worried for Nanrong Hao and the others¡¯ safety, hurriedly pushed open the car door and rushed towards the parking lot.


    But at that moment, a sharp glint of cold light suddenly struck, aimed directly at Ling Chen¡¯s neck.


    Caught off guard, Ling Chen¡¯s heart sank, his body quickly responded, his steps rapidly retreating backward, narrowly avoiding the deadly attack of that cold light.


    "Who¡¯s there?"


    His words had barely fallen when a figure suddenly appeared before Ling Chen. To be precise, a youth of a simr age to him.


    The youth held a steel knife, his build tall and robust, with sword-like eyebrows and starry eyes, handsome features, and a few strands of hair falling on his forehead, fluttering in the wind, inadvertently revealing the cold, sharp light in his eyes.


    Ling Chen frowned and watched the other party, on high alert.


    Judging solely by that lightning-fast strike just now, this youth was definitely a master among masters.


    Could this person be rted to the thugs in North City District?


    Impossible!


    Ling Chen dismissed his own guess. A master like this would not stoop to fraternize with thugs.


    With this thought, he asked, "Who are you?"

 Chapter 399 - 395: There is Always Someone Better

    <h4>Chapter 399: Chapter 395: There is Always Someone Better</h4><h4></h4>


    The youth coldly stared at Ling Chen, his sharp steel knife slightly tilted, ready to strike at any moment.


    Ling Chen slightly frowned, "Not talking, or can¡¯t talk? Mute?"


    "Hand over the Tianling de," the youth squeezed the words through his teeth, each word icy cold, like the chill wind of the twelfth lunar month, chilling to the bone.


    Tianling de?


    Ling Chen was momentarily taken aback, quickly realizing that the youth hade for the Tianling de.


    "Are you a disciple of the Dangyang Sect?"


    "My name is Yi Shuiyan, Qin Wu is my junior sister."


    Ling Chen¡¯s lips curved slightly, finally rifying the other¡¯s identity. However, Ling Chen was puzzled why the Dangyang Sect was repeatedly trying to acquire the Tianling de¡ªcould the item really hold extraordinary significance for them?


    After careful study, he concluded that the Tianling de was merely a finely-crafted weapon and nothing more. He couldn¡¯t understand why the Dangyang Sect was so fixated on it, relentlessly trying to obtain it.


    In the end, the Tianling de was just a weapon. If the Dangyang Sect had approached him politely and respectfully, he might have been happy to give it to them out of goodwill, as he believed having more friends was better than having more enemies. However, the Dangyang Sect did not treat him with courtesy and instead constantly opposed him.


    Just now, Yi Shuiyan¡¯s strike was clearly meant to kill. Had Ling Chen not reacted promptly, he would have already be a corpse.


    Seeing Ling Chen deep in thought and not responding, Yi Shuiyan with the steel knife in hand, stepped closer, coldly saying, "I know you are one of the Eight entrics and also a high-ranking expert on the Tiger List. But, without the other entrics by your side, I want to see if you truly deserve your ce on the Tiger List."


    Seeing Yi Shuiyan approaching with the knife, Ling Chen immediately drew out Wolf Kiss and held it across his chest to guard against Yi Shuiyan¡¯s attack.


    However, looking at Yi Shuiyan¡¯s three-foot-long steel knife and then at his own Wolf Kiss, which was less than ten centimeters long, Ling Chen suddenly felt things were not fair.


    As the saying goes, an inch longer is an inch stronger. Yi Shuiyan¡¯s weapon undoubtedly had a significant advantage.


    As he pondered, Yi Shuiyan increased his speed, raised the steel knife high, jumped up without any fancy moves, and swung it hard down at him.


    The wind from the de attacked his face; Ling Chen quickly focused, retreating while lifting Wolf Kiss to meet the de. When Wolf Kiss touched the de, he immediately felt an overwhelming force, nearly causing the Wolf Kiss to fly out of his hand.


    Fortunately, Ling Chen was prepared. As the de pressed down, he twisted his wrist, allowing Wolf Kiss to slide closely past the de, bending slightly at the waist to dissipate some of the force.


    As soon as the de came down, Ling Chen had already moved out of the steel knife¡¯s strike range. Seeing the sharp tip of the knife slicing past his forehead, Ling Chen¡¯s eyes narrowed, he drew a breath, and lunged forward to close the distance between them.


    Based on his rich experience, Ling Chen knew that Yi Shuiyan had a significant advantage with his weapon, and only by fighting at close range could he turn his passive position into an active one and control the effectiveness of the steel knife.


    A sudden assault halted Yi Shuiyan¡¯s momentum, forcing him to retreat several steps with Wolf Kiss.


    However, Ling Chen had underestimated the youth before him. As Qin Wu¡¯s senior brother, Yi Shuiyan did notck practical experience like Qin Wu. On the contrary, his agile footwork and anticipatory movements showed that Yi Shuiyan¡¯s skills were proportional to his experience.


    Just these two aspects alone made him a troublesome opponent.


    Ling Chen wielded Wolf Kiss, his expression gradually tensing. His several tricky moves were easily neutralized by Yi Shuiyan, and even though he had taken the initiative, he hadn¡¯t gained any advantage.


    While deep in thought, a sudden sh of de light appeared before his eyes. Yi Shuiyan flicked his wrist and the steel de swung past him like a windmill. Ling Chen, without a word, immediately retracted his move and pulled back his extended arms.


    "Tiger List rank five, that¡¯s all the skill you have?"


    Yi Shuiyan looked up at Ling Chen with a nted gaze, his eyes filled with sarcasm and disdain.


    "The discernment of Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion is really declining, even someone like you made the list. You had just used all your strength, while I only exerted sixty percent of my power. Hand over the Tianling de, and I shall spare your life."


    After hearing Yi Shuiyan¡¯s words, Ling Chen¡¯s pupils tightened, his eyes revealing a hint of shock. He had thought that Yi Shuiyan¡¯s strength wasparable to his own, but only now did he realize that the opponent had always been hiding his true power.


    He probably didn¡¯t even deem it necessary to use his full strength against him.


    With that thought, Ling Chen suddenly felt underestimated and was quite unhappy. However, despite his annoyance, he had to admit that Yi Shuiyan was indeed very strong. He had always considered himself among the best of his generation, yet only after witnessing the impressive power of Yi Shuiyan did he realize he had been seeing the sky from the bottom of a well.


    There¡¯s always someone better.


    At this moment, Ling Chen finally understood the words He Ziyun had told him today at Qingyun Martial Arts Hall.


    "The Tianling de, hand it over!" Yi Shuiyan¡¯s expression was icy, his tone revealing impatience.


    Facing his sharp gaze, Ling Chen¡¯s lips curved slightly, and his expression gradually returned to calm. Lightly he said, "Sorry, I¡¯ve always preferred the carrot over the stick. If you want the Tianling de, you¡¯ll have to take it with your skills."


    "Courting death!" Yi Shuiyan shouted angrily. With a light tap of his toe, his body moved like a swift breeze, instantly nearing Ling Chen, swinging his de furiously.


    Sensing the fierce wind from the de, Ling Chen¡¯s eyes widened and his mind was greatly shaken.


    Fast, so fast!


    The speed at which Yi Shuiyan struck was almost beyond the eye¡¯s ability to discern.


    Within the cold de light, Ling Chen only saw a blurry shadow of the deing directly at him, unstoppable, and a strong sense of crisis instantly filled his mind.


    Unable to react in time, driven by instinct, Ling Chen hurriedly lifted his sword "Wolf Kiss", swinging it overhead.


    ng!


    With a crisp sound, a powerful force, like a surging tide, fiercely assaulted him. Ling Chen¡¯s legs immediately lost bnce, and he kept retreating until his back hit a utility pole on the roadside, where he barely managed to steady himself.


    At this moment, Ling Chen frowned tightly, his face somewhat pale, his right arm trembling slightly, his tiger¡¯s mouth numb, and his whole arm felt weak and powerless.


    Fast, urate, ruthless!


    The three essential elements of sword techniques were perfectly demonstrated by Yi Shuiyan.


    Looking at the "Wolf Kiss" in his hand, Ling Chen¡¯s expression changed slightly. There was now a nick on the surface of the sword, surrounded by cracks, it waspletely destroyed.


    When Hu Fei first got the "Wolf Kiss" from the fat man, he kept boasting about it, saying that this weapon was crafted by a master, with top-notch materials and workmanship, yet it couldn¡¯t withstand a single strike from Yi Shuiyan.


    This clearly showed how strong the young man before him really was.

 Chapter 400 - 396: Mad Blade Yi Shuiyan

    <h4>Chapter 400: Chapter 396: Mad de Yi Shuiyan</h4><h4></h4>


    "The de is destroyed, what else can you fight me with?" Yi Shuiyan sneered coldly, sheathing his sword and standing upright, his posture as sharp as a de, his aura intimidating and overwhelming.


    Ling Chen casually threw away the broken Wolf Kiss, rubbing his sore right shoulder, and replied, "I still have my hands and feet, a pair of fists is enough. Let¡¯s go again!"


    Hearing this, Yi Shuiyan did not strike immediately but sheathed his steel de, held the scabbard with one hand behind his back, and extended the other hand forward, speaking indifferently, "I won¡¯t take advantage of you. If you want a fistfight, I¡¯m game. Just withstand three moves from me using one hand, and I¡¯ll let you go tonight."


    One hand?


    Ling Chen was slightly taken aback, a surge of nameless anger instantly welling up in his heart. This bastard, he was underestimating him too much, it was an outright insult.


    Taking a deep breath, Ling Chen tried to suppress the anger in his heart, maintaining hisposure. In such moments, he must not let anger dominate his emotions, which would only impair his ability to think.


    Watching Yi Shuiyan opposite him, raising one hand slightly with palm facing upward, his left hand holding the scabbard behind his back, his movements casual. However, Ling Chen dared not act rashly. The stronger the martial artist, the more effortless their actions, each movement naturally wless, with no trace of vulnerability. Yi Shuiyan had clearly reached this level.


    Ling Chen moved his legs without hesitation andunched a direct frontal attack.


    Facing an expert like Yi Shuiyan, there was no chance for tricks, only a head-on confrontation.


    The moment his feet touched the ground, Ling Chen bent his knees and pushed forcefully, his body flying out again, rapidly closing in with a steel fist aiming straight for Yi Shuiyan¡¯s face.


    As the fist approached, Yi Shuiyan remained expressionless, his hand lifting lightly, wrapping around Ling Chen¡¯s wrist like a nimble snake, then nudging it to the side, which sent Ling Chen¡¯s punch veering off course into the air.


    One punch missed, Ling Chen did not back down but advanced, powering his shoulder and elbow, fiercely mming towards Yi Shuiyan.


    Feeling Yi Shuiyan¡¯s body retreating, Ling Chen felt a surge of tion.


    It worked!


    However, the joy in his eyes didn¡¯tst long and was reced by shock. Under Ling Chen¡¯s shoulder and elbow strike, Yi Shuiyan¡¯s feet seemed rooted to the ground, immovable, only his upper body leaning back. As Ling Chen¡¯s force exhausted, Yi Shuiyan¡¯s upper body sprung forward, crashing into Ling Chen.


    Suddenly, Ling Chen lost his bnce, and was struck flying.


    Bang!


    Apanied by a muffled sound, Ling Chen¡¯s body fell heavily to the ground from mid-air, the pain making him grimace.


    "One more move!"


    Yi Shuiyan¡¯s voice came, Ling Chen gritted his teeth and quickly scrambled up. But as he was getting up, a shadow flickered before him.


    Soon before Ling Chen could react, a severe pain exploded in his abdomen, Yi Shuiyan¡¯s five fingers embedding deep into his flesh, the pain unbearable.


    "Get lost!"


    Enduring the agony, Ling Chen shouted fiercely, throwing a punch towards Yi Shuiyan. The punch came, and Yi Shuiyan scoffed,pletely disregarding Ling Chen¡¯s attack. Or rather, Ling Chen¡¯s reaction waspletely anticipated by him.


    Bang!


    With a swift twist of his waist, Yi Shuiyan dodged Ling Chen¡¯s fist, swinging his fist sideways harshly smashing it into Ling Chen¡¯s cheek.


    Splurt!


    A mouthful of fresh blood spewed out, and the heavily struck Ling Chen felt his head go nk, his consciousness wavering, everything before him blurring.


    Wobbling a few times, he finally could not hold on, and copsed to the ground.


    Looking at Ling Chen who couldn¡¯t get up from the ground, Yi Shuiyan sneered disdainfully, "So weak, yet dare to im yourself as a Tiger List expert. Truly disappointing to the extreme."


    In the midst of talking, Ling Chen, with his hands pressing against the ground, struggled to his feet, his steps wavering unsteadily as if he could fall at any moment.


    But no matter what, he ultimately stood up, albeit looking somewhat disheveled, with his cheeks swollen and his forehead bruised in shades of blue and purple, his body covered in dust.


    Seeing Ling Chen manage to rise again, Yi Shuiyan frowned slightly, his eyes revealing a chill.


    Suddenly, Yi Shuiyan¡¯s expression tensed as if he had made a resolve, he abruptly lunged forward, his palm wind howling, his momentum fierce, aiming straight for Ling Chen¡¯s face.


    "Stop!"


    At this critical moment, a sharp shout apanied by a sh of cold light came.


    Seeing the cold light approaching, Yi Shuiyan¡¯s expression changed slightly, quickly retreating. He swung his scabbard forward, knocking the cold light to the ground.


    Looking at the diamond-shaped dart on the ground, Yi Shuiyan nced around, searching for the person who had intervened and coldly said, "Brave enough to make a move, but not brave enough to show yourself?"


    "You just said that as long as he can withstand three strikes from you without falling, you¡¯d let him off. Yi Shuiyan, as a leading figure among the younger generation, are you going to go back on your word?"


    The voice came from all directions. Yi Shuiyan¡¯s eyebrows rxed, and with a smile that was not quite a smile, he said, "You know me?"


    "Yi Shuiyan, the mad de, one of the youngest experts in the martial arts world today, strong enough to rival those on the Dragon List, a talent vigorously cultivated by the Dangyang Sect, in full glory, and one of the most eligible candidates to win the Heavenly Mechanism Great Ceremony."


    Yi Shuiyan nodded and said, "Alright, since you know me, I won¡¯t make things difficult for him tonight."


    "No, not just tonight. I hope you won¡¯t trouble him until the Heavenly Mechanism Great Ceremony begins."


    Hearing this, Yi Shuiyan chuckled coldly, "Aren¡¯t you asking for too much?"


    "There¡¯s less than two months left till the Heavenly Mechanism Great Ceremony, Ling Chen will also participate. Whatever grudges or disputes you have with him, wouldn¡¯t it be better to settle them at the Heavenly Mechanism Great Ceremony?"


    "I don¡¯t have the patience to wait that long."


    "If you do not agree, then you will never get the Tianling de."


    As soon as the words fell, three beams of cold light shot out in a trident formation, rapidly closing in on Yi Shuiyan. Seeing this, Yi Shuiyan immediately swung his scabbard, shing towards the three streams of cold light, intending to knock them down.


    However, as the scabbard touched the cold light, Yi Shuiyan¡¯s face slightly changed, a look of realization shing across his eyes.


    Such strong Inner Strength!


    Is this demonstration meant for me?


    Thinking this, Yi Shuiyan smiled and said, "Fine, I agree. The issues between him and me can wait until the Heavenly Mechanism Great Ceremony."


    After speaking, Yi Shuiyan didn¡¯t linger and turned to leave, disappearing at the end of the street.


    Once Yi Shuiyan had left, Ling Chen, whose mind was still somewhat dazed, couldn¡¯t hold on any longer and copsed to the ground, sitting back against a utility pole.


    "Are you okay?"


    In a daze, a gentle voice rang in his ears. Ling Chen, struggling to lift his head, suddenly saw a blurry figure. Because of the heavy blow to his head, his vision hadn¡¯t fully recovered, and everything looked unclear.


    "Who... who are you?"


    "Don¡¯t ask too much now, just rest well when you get back." After saying this, the voice sighed softly, adding, "There¡¯s too much strife in the martial arts world. You indeed have talent, but to im a ce for yourself, you still fall far short. Keep working hard; I believe you won¡¯t disappoint me."

 Chapter 401 - 397 Strive to Become Stronger

    <h4>Chapter 401: Chapter 397 Strive to Be Stronger</h4><h4></h4>


    Ling Chen opened his mouth, wanting to say something more. But just then, a soft and smooth little hand gently slid across his cheek. For some unexinable reason, Ling Chen immediately felt dizzy and fell into a deep sleep with his head lolling to one side.


    After an unknown period of time, Ling Chen finally regained consciousness, waking up from his stupor.


    Opening his eyes, Ling Chen looked at his surroundings and realized he was lying in a hospital room. Beside the hospital bed, Nanrong Hao and Jiang Hao were sitting on chairs, having fallen asleep at the bedside.


    "Haozi... Jiang Hao..."


    Hearing Ling Chen¡¯s call, Jiang Hao and Nanrong Hao immediately lifted their heads, their faces filled with joy as they eximed, "Chen, you¡¯re finally awake."


    "How did I end up here?"


    Nanrong Hao said nkly, "Chen, have you forgotten what happened earlier? After we dealt with those people in the parking lot, we were nning to head back but found you lying by the roadside, covered in injuries, so we brought you to the hospital."


    Jiang Hao added, "Chen, the doctor has already examined you. There¡¯s nothing serious; it¡¯s just superficial injuries." After speaking, Jiang Hao asked with confusion, "Chen, how did you get these injuries?"


    Yi Shuiyan!


    Ling Chen stared at the pristine white ceiling, his eyebrows tightly knotted and a hint of resentment in his eyes. All this while, he had outwardly dismissed the Tiger List as trivial, but deep down, he still felt a bit smug. Being young and already on the Tiger List, an object of envy for all martial artists, was indeed something to be proud of.


    However, after tonight¡¯s events, all his pride was ruthlessly shattered by Yi Shuiyan.


    Both belonging to the younger generation, the gap between them made him feel utterly left behind. Compared to Yi Shuiyan, his pride now seemed utterly ridiculous.


    "Chen, Chen?" Seeing Ling Chen¡¯s distant expression and his prolonged silence, Nanrong Hao couldn¡¯t help but call out.


    Ling Chen gave him a nce, threw off his nket, and got up, saying, "Haozi, go and sort out my discharge paperwork."


    Jiang Hao quickly said, "Chen, your injuries aren¡¯tpletely healed yet, why not stay a few more days for observation?"


    "My body isn¡¯t that precious; hurry up, I have things to handleter." Ling Chen urged.


    About ten minutester, the three of them exited the hospital and got straight into a car.


    Checking the time, it was already past five in the morning; he didn¡¯t realize he had slept for so long.


    "Haozi, did you tell your sister I¡¯m noting back?"


    "Don¡¯t worry, I called her earlier. To keep her from worrying, I told her about your injuries."


    Ling Chen nodded and then shifted the conversation, asking, "How did things go on your end?"


    "Everything is sorted out. Fortunately, we had experienced people with us this time, and with Haozi¡¯s help, those guys were dealt with, and their drugs were found. Xiong is handling it. If all goes as expected, we¡¯ll have news soon."


    Just as he finished speaking, Jiang Hao¡¯s phone rang.


    After listening to the call, Jiang Hao smiled and said, "Chen, it¡¯s done. The people were caught, and the money is in hand."


    "That¡¯s good."


    ording to the n, after Zhao Zhengxiong and his team intercepted the drugs, they would contact the people from North City District and extort a sum from them. Once the money from North City District was delivered, Zhao Zhengxiong would return the intercepted drugs unopened.


    However, once the North City District people came to pick up the goods, Xia Mutong, having been informed beforehand, would lead his men to secretly ambush and capture all the handlers from North City District.


    In doing so, not only did moneye into the ount, but North City District also lost some manpower. More importantly, drug trafficking is a serious crime. In theing months, all entertainment venues within the North City District will undoubtedly be the prime targets of police searches.


    With the police causing disruptions, the business of those guys in North City District will definitely plummet. Not only will there be no ieing in, but they¡¯ll also have to be constantly vignt and live in fear.


    During this period, it¡¯s enough time for Zhao Zhengxiong and the others to aplish a lot.


    "Jiang Hao, Haozi, you guys need to put in more effort in these two months. Handle whateveres up on your own; I¡¯m afraid I won¡¯t have the energy to help you," Ling Chen instructed.


    "Chen, don¡¯t worry. As long as the three of us work together, we guarantee there will be no mistakes."


    "That¡¯s for the best," Ling Chen said, looking out the car window. "Stop the car, I¡¯ll get off here."


    Nanrong Hao turned to look at Ling Chen in the back seat and asked, "Chen, aren¡¯t youing back with me?"


    "No, I have other matters to attend to. You guys go ahead."


    After Nanrong Hao and Jiang Hao drove away, Ling Chen walked alone on the roadside and turned into an alley. Following the narrow alley to its end, Ling Chen stood in front of a bright red gate and gently knocked.


    Shortly after, the gate opened, and a beautiful and delicate face instantly appeared in front of Ling Chen.


    "Ling Cheng, you..." As soon as she began to speak, Xia Yue immediately noticed the injury on Ling Chen¡¯s face and frowned slightly, "What happened, who hurt you?"


    Ling Chen gave a wry smile, "Fifth Sister, let¡¯s talk inside."


    Xia Yue hurriedly stepped aside and weed Ling Chen into the house.


    Ever since he came backst time, Ling Chen had rented a quiet Siheyuan in East Sea City specifically for Yuan Yun and Wei Jiahao to recover from their injuries. At this moment, it wasn¡¯t yet dawn, but Qiu Yong and the others had already gotten up and were exercising in the spacious courtyard.


    As martial artists, they must persist in their efforts, as only with perseverance can they continuously improve.


    Once inside, it wasn¡¯t more than two minutes before Qiu Yong and the others arrived one by one, each with a fierce look and a stern expression.


    "Ling Cheng, everyone is here. Tell us, who hurt you? Your Big Brother will help you get justice."


    Ling Chen looked at the people in front of him, feeling a touch of emotion. He took a breath, sorted out his feelings, and said, "Big Brother, I appreciate your kindness. But as a man, where I fall is where I should get back up. I want to regain my lost face on my own."


    Hearing this, the usually silent Xu Ming slightly lifted his head, a hint of admiration flickering in his cloudy eyes.


    Zhang Zhongfeng, who was not prone to smiles, slightly curled the corner of his mouth and said with a smile, "It¡¯s good that you think this way. That shows you are indeed a real man. Ling Cheng, remember, a temporary defeat is not shameful. Who among us hasn¡¯t experienced failures? As long as you are determined and willing to work hard, you will surely regain what you have lost."


    "Fourth Brother is right," Qiu Yong echoed. "Since you want to handle it yourself, we respect your choice. But there must be more than just this matter that brought you to us so early, right?"


    Ling Chen got straight to the point, "I heard that the Heavenly Mechanism Great Ceremony is in less than two months, and I n to participate."


    Qiu Yong and the others looked at each other and nodded, "Alright, since you want to participate, we¡¯ll all go with you."


    "There¡¯s one more thing." At this point, Ling Chen suddenly stood up, knelt down with a ¡¯thump¡¯, and kowtowed three times to the people present.


    "Ling Cheng, what are you doing?" Xia Yue¡¯s expression changed, and she hurriedly helped Ling Chen up.


    Ling Chen spoke seriously, "I know my abilities are limited. In these less than two months, I hope my brothers and sisters can impart their knowledge to me. I understand the rules of the Martial Arts world, that skills are not passed on lightly. Those three kowtows are my way of offering a master-apprentice homage."

 Chapter 402 - 398 Seeking Knowledge

    <h4>Chapter 402: Chapter 398 Seeking Knowledge</h4><h4></h4>


    Xu Ming looked up and asked Ling Chen, "Who is your opponent?"


    "Yi Shuiyan, have you heard of this person before?"


    "Mad de Shuiyan, the most prominent young man of the Dangyang Sect and also the youngest expert," Qiu Yong said with a solemn expression: "So it was him who sought you out. It looks like the Dangyang Sect is not giving up on the Tianling de, they even deployed Shuiyan. However, it¡¯s normal for you to lose to him. Let alone you, even if our fifth sister were to face him, there would be no guarantee of victory. As one of the outstanding young generation, Yi Shuiyan¡¯s skills are indeed formidable."


    "Big brother." Ling Chen couldn¡¯t suppress the doubts in his heart and asked, "If Shuiyan is so strong, on par with the experts on the Dragon List, why isn¡¯t he on the list?"


    "Because of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion," Xia Yue exined from the side. "The Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion likes to recruit talent. Anyone eyed by the Pavilion, as long as they pass the challenges of the Heavenly Mechanism Great Ceremony, can join and be a member of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion. That is the only way to enter. Other than that, there is no other method. Every year, hundreds, if not thousands, yearn to join the Pavilion, but only two or three actually seed."


    "Correct." Zhang Zhongfeng nodded slightly, "The Pavilion¡¯s criteria for selection are very strict. They don¡¯t want those who are too old, those with insufficient talent, or those with an unclean background. To even qualify, one¡¯s strength must not be lower than that on the Tiger List, otherwise, it¡¯s out of the question. It¡¯s precisely because of this reason that the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion has always maintained its transcendent status and formidable power. If we were back in ancient times, the Pavilion¡¯s status would be akin to that of the leader of the Martial Arts, having the ability and deterrence tomand the heroes."


    "Big brother, among the promising young generation, besides Yi Shuiyan, are there any others?" Ling Chen asked.


    "To my knowledge, there are six individuals. Yi Shuiyan is just one of them, and moreover..." At this point, Qiu Yong nced at Ling Chen, hesitating, as if there were more he wished to say but refrained. Seeing this, Ling Chen could not help but ask, "Big brother, is there something you can¡¯t say?"


    "It¡¯s not that Big Brother doesn¡¯t want to say it, but rather he¡¯s worried it might demoralize you," Xu Ming chimed in. "Among those six people, Shuiyan is at most ranked fifth. There are four others even more formidable than him." After speaking, Xu Ming sighed, "Your generation indeed has quite a few natural-born talents. It has been many years since we¡¯ve seen such a situation. But with too many talents, conflicts within the Martial Arts will also increase, as everyone wants to be the dragon that soars to the heavens."


    "Little sixth brother, don¡¯t be too disheartened. After all, you have just begun to truly step into the Martial Arts World. You are different from Shuiyan and the others. They have been cultivated from a young age, apart from talent, enormous resources have been expended to build their strength to what it is today. Therefore, you don¡¯t have to undervalue yourself. If you were on the same starting line as them, they would have no bragging rights at all."


    Upon hearing Qiu Yong¡¯s words, Ling Chen nodded slightly, "Big Brother, I¡¯m not concerned with these matters at all. I¡¯m just wondering if within less than two months, I can catch up to Shuiyan¡¯s pace."


    Qiu Yong spoke with full confidence, "If you were to follow the usual hard training process, it definitely wouldn¡¯t be possible, but we are the Eight entrics. The Eight entrics have never done things by the book. Hence, ordinary methods are useless for you, we must adopt unorthodox methods." After that, Qiu Yong beckoned Xia Yue over, gave her an instruction, and then rose up and walked out of the living room.


    Seeing his actions, everyone immediately followed him to the spacious courtyard.


    By now, the sky was slightly bright, the dawn brought the white belly of the fish in the east, a sliver of the faint sunlight shone on everyone, apanied by the cold breeze of early winter gently blowing.


    "Little sixth brother,e out."


    Hearing Qiu Yong¡¯s words, Ling Chen obediently walked and stood in the center of the courtyard.


    At the same time, Xia Yue, Yuan Yun, and Wei Jiahao came out of the adjacent room.


    Ling Chen was startled and asked with concern, "Third Brother, Eighth Brother, your injuries haven¡¯t healed yet, why aren¡¯t you resting inside?"


    Yuan Yun waved his hand with a smile, "After lying down for so many days, the injuries have mostly healed, it¡¯s no big deal, don¡¯t worry about me." After finishing, Yuan Yun changed the subject, "I heard you¡¯re going to face Shuiyan at the Heavenly Mechanism Great Ceremony, so I came to give you a hand."


    With those words, Yuan Yun flicked his wrist, and a steel saber over three feet long immediately appeared in his hand, stepping right in front of Ling Chen.


    "Before we help you, we first need to understand your gap with Shuiyan to devise a corresponding n. Don¡¯t hold back during the bout, go all out."


    Ling Chen hesitated, "This... Is this really okay?"


    "What, are you afraid of hurting me?" Yuan Yun raised his head andughed, "Honestly, I¡¯m not afraid of you hurting me, I¡¯m afraid you don¡¯t have the skills."


    Ling Chen touched his nose, knowing that his third brother was trying to provoke him. If Yuan Yun could ignore his own injuries to help him, and Ling Chen acted squeamishly, it would really be unfair to everyone¡¯s good intentions.


    With this in mind, Ling Chen took a deep breath,posed himself, his gaze focused slightly, staring at Yuan Yun who was ten steps away, adjusting his breathing, as the Inner Strength in his Dantian flowed gently through his meridians, like a trickling stream.


    "Third Brother, excuse my offense!"


    With a light shout, Ling Chen lightly tapped with the tip of his foot, his body shot forward like a cannonball, rapidly advancing towards Yuan Yun. His iron fist smashed forward mercilessly, the punch ferocious, the sound of wind whistling.


    "Nice one!"


    Yuan Yun smiled, shifting his feet backwards by a step, leaving space, raising his saber to chop towards Ling Chen¡¯s iing fist.


    Seeing danger, Ling Chen quickly retracted his fist, twisted his waist, and instantaneously sidestepped to Yuan Yun¡¯s left, using both shoulder and elbow to get close, aiming to limit Yuan Yun¡¯s saber with closebat.


    Last night, when he had battled with Shuiyan, he had used the same method, but the difference in strength between them was too great, so it didn¡¯t have a significant effect.


    At this moment, Yuan Yun¡¯s steps moved agilely, dodging Ling Chen¡¯s attacks. His steel saber was continuously gathering strength, waiting for the right moment.


    Ling Chen did not pause, his punches forceful, one after another, pressuring Yuan Yun, wishing to force a weakness through a storm-like offensive. However, Yuan Yun¡¯s defense was watertight, not leaving any opportunity.


    Just as the two were locked in a standoff, Yuan Yun casually swung his saber in an attempt to force Ling Chen back but Ling Chen easily dodged it. Simultaneously, Ling Chen saw Yuan Yun expose his side, a huge opening; he was delighted and immediately seized the opportunity and shot forward with a sting punch.


    Just as the punch was about to hit the target, Ling Chen¡¯s eyes lit up, his mouth corners just beginning to smile. Yet before his smile could broaden, he suddenly felt a blur in front of his eyes, and Yuan Yun disappeared from his sight.


    Where did he go?


    Seeing what happened, Ling Chen was greatly shocked and turned his head around hurriedly, looking in all directions.


    This chapter is updated by freew(e)bnovel.(c)om

 Chapter 403 - 399 Special Training

    <h4>Chapter 403: Chapter 399 Special Training</h4><subtxt> As his gaze shifted, a fierce sword wind suddenly attacked from above his head.


    Ling Chen looked up and saw Yuan Yun holding a sword in both hands, raised high over his head, chopping straight towards him. Without time to think, Ling Chen immediately retreated hastily, trying to avoid the range of the steel sword¡¯s attack.


    However, for every step he took back, Yuan Yun pressed forward a step, continuously swinging the steel sword in his hand, fast and ruthless, as if it came with an unstoppable force.


    After Ling Chen had retreated more than ten steps, his back seemed to hit something hard, and his retreat waspletely blocked. At this moment, Yuan Yun¡¯s steel sword rapidly erged in his eyes. For a moment, Ling Chen¡¯s pupils slightly shrank under that fierce Sword Force, and he actually felt a suffocating pressure.


    "Alright, that¡¯s far enough."


    Qiu Yong¡¯s voice came, and Yuan Yun¡¯s steel sword immediately stopped in mid-air, less than an inch away from Ling Chen¡¯s forehead. Looking at Ling Chen¡¯s dazed expression, Yuan Yun slightly smiled, sheathed his sword and stood up, patting Ling Chen¡¯s shoulder, and asked, "Ling Cheng, are you alright?"


    Regaining his senses, Ling Chen gave a bitter smile and touched his nose, saying, "I lost."


    "Losing to your third brother is no big deal; he just wanted to test your skill and figure out the gap between you and Yi Shuiyan," said Qiu Yong as he walked. "Besides, your third brother might not excel in other skills, but his swordsmanship is almost as good as Yi Shuiyan¡¯s. Choosing him to spar with you couldn¡¯t be more appropriate." With that, Qiu Yong turned to look at Yuan Yun and said, "Third brother, you just tested Ling Cheng¡¯s skill, you should speak your thoughts."


    Yuan Yun nodded and said, "Ling Cheng¡¯s martial foundation isn¡¯t bad, but perhaps because of his previous upation, his moves mainly aim for a one-hit kill, discarding those useless fancy maneuvers. Overall, Ling Cheng is a little too eager for quick sess, too desperate to defeat his opponent. His martial arts may work against ordinary martial arts practitioners, but if he faces a true master, the effectiveness will be greatly reduced."


    "Ling Cheng, to defeat Yi Shuiyan, you must change your habits, abandon everything you¡¯ve learned before. The martial arts of Huaxia are profound and epassing; every move is the essence evolved from our predecessors. Comparingbat skills in the military with martial arts is likeparing heaven and earth. Only by seeking change can you make progress."


    "Change?" mused Ling Chen.


    However, as easy as it sounds, it¡¯s difficult to do. Changing one¡¯s old habits is not so easy.


    "Yi Shuiyan excels in swordsmanship, why don¡¯t you learn swordsmanship from me?" Yuan Yun suggested.


    Xia Yue chimed in, "Yi Shuiyan has over twenty years of hard training in swordsmanship; how can Ling Chengpare with him? It¡¯s more reliable for him to learn swordsmanship from me. I can teach him how to counter swordsmanship."


    Qiu Yong waved his hands, "Ling Cheng¡¯s hand-to-handbat skills are pretty good, and besides, his external skills have already reached the pinnacle. I think he¡¯s more suited to learn the Cross Training of Iron Cloth Shirt from me."


    For a time, everyone was talking at once, each expressing their desire to impart their Absolute Skill to Ling Chen.


    "Enough, stop arguing," said Xu Ming, who was now speaking, and everyone immediately quieted down. Xu Ming looked at Ling Chen and said, "There are only less than two months left, no matter what you study, you can¡¯t make much progress. Any skill needs persistent effort; there are no shortcuts."


    Hearing this, Xia Yue asked, "Second brother, then do you have any good ideas?"


    "There is one method; instead of learning a single skill, why notbine the strengths of various styles, simplify theplex, and impart the essence, allowing him to master a variety of different techniques. This way, when facing the enemy unexpectedly, it might have a surprising effect."


    After hearing Xu Ming¡¯s suggestion, Qiu Yong¡¯s eyes lit up, nodding in agreement, "Second brother¡¯s method is good, I think it¡¯s feasible. Ling Cheng, what do you think?"


    "I¡¯ll follow everyone¡¯s arrangements."


    "Good, you were just injuredst night, so go back and rest for today, ande back here early tomorrow morning."


    Scratching his head and feeling somewhat embarrassed, Ling Chen said, "Big Brother, I might as well stay here. Wanqing doesn¡¯t even know I¡¯ve been injured yet."


    "Suit yourself, there are plenty of rooms avable here anyway."


    ...


    The next day.


    As dawn broke, Ling Chen was already up and out of his room.


    At this moment, Qiu Yong and the others were in the yard, preparing for the uing training. When Ling Chen arrived in the courtyard, he saw four supports ced in the center, connected at the top by sticks. From each stick, more than a dozen fist-sized sandbags hung by thin strings, constantly swinging in mid-air.


    Ling Chen walked over with a puzzled look and asked, "Big Brother, what¡¯s this for?"


    Qiu Yong said with a smile, "This is a listening training specially prepared for you by your junior brother. He was born blind but has sharp hearing. With those ears of his, he is no less capable than a normal person with sight. His abilities alsoe from training since childhood."


    After hearing Qiu Yong¡¯s exnation, Ling Chen immediately understood; he also possessed the ability to discern location by sound. However, he had previously relied on the sound of gunfire to determine the position of enemies. If a sound were too soft, his ears would not be able to pick it up.


    Blindfolded, Ling Chen, guided by Yang Chen, walked towards the still sandbags, listening carefully to the faint sound of sand rustling against the bags to gauge their distance and position for dodging.


    However, this level of training was more than ten times harder than the training Ling Chen underwent at Ghost Base. In less than half an hour, he was nearly dizzy from the swinging sandbags andpletely lost his bearings.


    After being ¡¯tortured¡¯ by Yang Chen for two hours without much break, Ling Chen was then dragged away by Xia Yue to learn swordsmanship.


    Among the eight entrics, all but Wei Jiahao, whose Mechanical Techniques were not suitable to teach Ling Chen, extracted the essence of their Absolute Skills and imparted them to Ling Chen. Each person trained him for two hours in uninterrupted intensive sessions.


    Even with Ling Chen¡¯s iron-d physique, after being tormented for twelve straight hours, he was left aching and weak, barely able to walk steadily.


    After a busy day, when Ling Chen returned to his room, he didn¡¯t even take a bath. Smelling of sweat, he copsed into bed and fell asleep.


    A week passed, and Ling Chen lived and ate with Qiu Yong and the others, never returning home nor having time to do so. Each day he could only find a moment for a phone call with Nanrong Wanqing, to keep her reassured.


    Besides learning the unique skills of the eight entrics, Ling Chen didn¡¯t forget to cultivate the Prajnaparamita Sutra. No matter how formidable the martial skills he learned, Inner Strength was the most crucial foundation. Only by advancing in both aspects would he have a chance to surpass Yi Shuiyan.


    That day, after breakfast, Ling Chen was preparing to continue getting thrashed by Yang Chen when he saw Qiu Yong approaching and saying, "You have the day off today. Go out and rx. Training must maintain a bnce between tension and rxation; you can¡¯t wind yourself too tight."


    "Really?" Ling Chen¡¯s spirits lifted, finally, he could rx for a bit.</subtxt>

 Chapter 404 - 400 Belief

    <h4>Chapter 404: Chapter 400 Belief</h4><h4></h4>


    Leaving the yard, Ling Chen directly drove to Wealthy Manor. Today was a day off, and Nanrong Wanqing was at home, not going to thepany.


    The car stopped outside the door, and Ling Chen directly went to the vi. Upon entering, he saw Nanrong Wanqing wearing a set of home clothes, lying sideways on the living room sofa, her legs slightly bent, a pair of delicate bare feet exposed, holding a magazine in her hands, engrossed in reading,pletely unaware of Ling Chen¡¯s arrival.


    Seeing Nanrong Wanqing so engrossed, Ling Chen sneaked a smile, tiptoed around to the back of the sofa.


    Without waiting for Nanrong Wanqing to react, Ling Chen suddenly leaped forward, his hands supporting the couch¡¯s cushion, gently pressing down on Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s soft body.


    Ah!


    Startled, Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s mouth opened slightly, her beautiful eyes like shimmering water looking at Ling Chen who had appeared on top of her, and she froze for a moment.


    Ling Chen grinned, his eyes filled with affection, and said, "Beautifuldy, did you miss your husband?"


    "What husband, don¡¯t talk nonsense." Feeling Ling Chen¡¯s breath, Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s face blushed, her eyes shyly said, "I... uh..."


    Before she could finish her sentence, Ling Chen couldn¡¯t wait to capture Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s cherry lips, savoring her fragrance and sweetness.


    "Don¡¯t... uh... stop..."


    Nanrong Wanqing, with a face flushed with shyness, pushed at Ling Chen, trying to stop his actions, but Ling Chen¡¯s advances were too forceful. In no time, she gave up resisting and fellpletely into his tender embrace, responding to his ardor.


    At this moment, the sound of footsteps came from the staircase, and Ling Chen looked up, his expression changing to surprise. He was expecting it to be that young girl Su Lin, but to his surprise, it was the nanny, Nanny Wang.


    Seeing them being intimate, Ling Chen felt a bit embarrassed, reluctantly got up from Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s body, and waved a greeting at Nanny Wang.


    "Uh... Miss, I have cleaned up the upstairs, you guys go ahead, I¡¯ll be leaving now." After speaking, Nanny Wang left the vi in a hurry without even putting down her rag.


    "It¡¯s all your fault!" Nanrong Wanqing sat up, her face red and her eyes brimming with embarrassment.


    Ling Chen spread his hand, protesting, "How was I supposed to know Nanny Wang was here, you didn¡¯t tell me beforehand either."


    Nanrong Wanqing hit Ling Chen¡¯s shoulder crossly, andined, "I was just about to tell you, but you didn¡¯t give me a chance."


    "Alright, alright, my fault, my fault, happy now?" Saying this, Ling Chen¡¯s hand involuntarily reached for Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s slender waist, pulled her into his arms and whispered with a low chuckle, "Now that Nanny Wang is gone, shall we continue?"


    "Stop it! Who is going to continue with you. Come clean, what have you been up totely? You haven¡¯t been home."


    "Isn¡¯t it because I have important matters to attend to." Ling Chen exined, "At most two more months, once I¡¯m done with things, I¡¯ll be with you every day. Is that good enough?"


    With that, Ling Chen lifted Nanrong Wanqing onto hisp, letting her lean against him, one hand gently stroking her legs, his eyes showing a hint of puzzlement.


    "Wanqing, have your legspletely recovered?"


    Nanrong Wanqing nodded lightly, unable to hide the excitement in her eyes, and spoke with a soft smile, "I don¡¯t know why, but suddenly they healed. I even went to the hospital for a check-up, and the doctor said both my legs are healthy, no problems."


    Nanrong Wanqing didn¡¯t know, but Ling Chen was very clear that it was due to the enhanced drug that Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s legs recovered normally. What he couldn¡¯t understand was how Mr. Yun managed to permanently fix the effect of the enhanced drug in Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s body.


    Could it be that the God Organization had developed a new drug?


    While he was thinking, the ringtone from Ling Chen¡¯s cellphone in his pocket started to ring.


    Ling Chen took out his phone, saw that it was a call from Tang Yuan, and immediately put down Nanrong Wanqing, walked to the window, and pressed the answer button.


    "Hello! Old Tang, what do you need?"


    "Is it convenient for you to talk right now?" Tang Yuan¡¯s voice carried a hint of gravity.


    "You go ahead."


    "I want to ask if Miss Nanrong still has that suit of exoskeleton armor on her?"


    Damn it!


    Ling Chen¡¯s face changed slightly. He had almost forgotten about this and hadn¡¯t reported it to the Phantom. After Nanrong Wanqing was taken away by Zhu Hong, the suit of exoskeleton armor had disappeared, never to be found. Presumably, it had been taken by people from the God Organization for research.


    "Some time ago, there was an ident, and the armor has been lost. Why, did something happen?"


    "No wonder." Tang Yuan sighed over the phone and replied, "A couple of days ago, we raided a secret base of the God Organization and faced fierce resistance. Their strength was formidable; our attack was repelled, and we had to retreat early. During the withdrawal, we killed an enemy and found a suit of exoskeleton armor on him. After examination, the technology used in the exoskeleton armor was indeed the technology provided by Miss Nanrong, which is why I¡¯m calling to ask."


    Ling Chen frowned slightly and said, "How are the casualties on your side?"


    "Fortunately, no one was lost, just some gunshot wounds. We were nning to use the exoskeleton armor as a secret weapon, but now it¡¯s great, the God Organization not only has the same technology but is also producing it on arge scale. Once the exoskeleton armor is widely equipped,bined with the enhancement drugs, the God Organization will only be harder to deal with in the future."


    "Sorry, I was too careless and didn¡¯t protect the exoskeleton armor well."


    "Forget it! Talking about it now is useless, just take care of yourself, don¡¯t let anything else happen."


    "You too, take care."


    After hanging up the phone, Ling Chen let out a sigh, feeling somewhat downcast. If the God Organization equipped the exoskeleton armor on arge scale, the situation would be grim.


    "What¡¯s wrong?" Nanrong Wanqing walked barefoot to Ling Chen¡¯s side and asked with concern.


    Ling Chen turned his head and managed a slight smile, "It¡¯s nothing. It was Old Tang¡¯s call, he¡¯s just bored and wanted to chat."


    Nanrong Wanqing, ever so astute, could tell Ling Chen was troubled. Seeing that he was reluctant to borate, she didn¡¯t ask further. Although she acted very strong at Hongyu Group, she knew that there are some things men do that women are better off not meddling with. In her eyes, as long as Ling Chen was safe, that was what mattered most.


    "Oh, right!" Ling Chen changed the subject, "Where¡¯s Su Lin? Is she not home today?"


    "You don¡¯t know?" As soon as she spoke, Nanrong Wanqing immediately remembered that Ling Chen hadn¡¯t been home for a week, so he had no idea about Su Lin¡¯s situation.


    "Lin has left."


    "Left?" Ling Chen was slightly startled, puzzled: "What do you mean? Where did she go?"


    "She¡¯s gone for an internship and might not be back for a while."


    So, she went for an internship. Ling Chen thought Su Lin had gone abroad to find her parents.


    "Hey, what major is Su Lin studying?" Ling Chen asked casually.


    "Archaeology."


    "Archaeology?" Ling Chen was taken aback. Why had that girl chosen a major that dealt with the dead? It didn¡¯t seem to fit her personality.


    As he was thinking, Liu Kun walked in from outside.


    "Uncle Liu." Ling Chen greeted with a smile.


    "Ling Chen, someone outside sent a letter, specifically asking for it to be given to you." After saying that, Liu Kun handed an envelope to Ling Chen.


    Ling Chen tore open a slit and pulled out the letter inside. He only nced at it, and his gaze immediately froze.

 Chapter 405 - 401: Deep into the Trap

    <h4>Chapter 405: Chapter 401: Deep into the Trap</h4><h4></h4>


    "Ling Chen, who sent this letter?"


    Nanrong Wanqing leaned in close to Ling Chen, eyeing the letter in his hand. However, before she could make out the contents of the letter, Ling Chen had already folded it up and slipped it into his pocket, saying, "I have something to take care of, I¡¯ll step out for a bit." Without waiting for Nanrong Wanqing to ask any more questions, Ling Chen quickly exited the vi.


    But after a few steps, Ling Chen seemed to remember something and turned back to his bedroom. When he came out again, he had something wrapped in clothes in his hand.


    Leaving the Nanrong Family home, Ling Chen got into his car and took out the letter from his pocket again. Looking at the contents, Ling Chen¡¯s face remained expressionless, but his eyes revealed a cold and sinister glint, like a blood-thirsty beast ready to tear the throat of its prey at any moment.


    Then, he took out his cell phone and repeatedly dialed a number. However, the phone kept indicating that the recipient was unreachable.


    A few minutester, Ling Chen put away his phone, started the car, and drove out of Wealthy Manor.


    After a drive of more than fifty minutes, Ling Chen arrived at the outskirts of the South District of East Sea City, near the rural areas. This ce was an industrial park, dotted with over ten factories, among which were some old and abandoned buildings and warehouses.


    Ling Chen drove up to a dpidated factory building, looked at the rusty iron gate, and honked the car horn.


    Soon after, two men in suits came out from a nearby guard room. After ncing at Ling Chen in the driver¡¯s seat, the two men quickly approached, circled the car to make sure there was no one else inside, and then opened the iron gate to let Ling Chen in.


    Reaching the entrance of the factory building, Ling Chen opened the car door and stepped out, only to be immediately surrounded by several men in suits. They gestured for him to spread his arms and took everything out of his pockets¡ªhis cell phone and wallet¡ªthen scanned him a few times with a device to make sure he wasn¡¯t carrying any weapons.


    "Go inside," one of the men in suits threw the phone and wallet back to Ling Chen and pointed toward the factory¡¯s main entrance.


    Without a word, Ling Chen gathered his belongings and stepped inside.


    Once in the factory, therge door behind him was immediately locked by the people outside. Ling Chen frowned and looked around. The spacious, dpidated factory was filled with various debris and discarded machinery. The floor was covered in thick dust, and most of the window ss above had shattered, allowing unobstructed sunlight to stream in from above.


    In the center of the factory, there was a table with a camera on it, pointed in the direction of the entrance.


    Ling Chen walked over to the camera and said coldly, "I don¡¯t care what tricks you want to y, hand over the person now."


    "Ling Chen, you really are gullible. I gave you a random excuse and you actually believed it." A hoarse voice mixed with electronic tones came from the camera¡¯s speaker, carrying a hint of a sneer.


    Hearing that unfamiliar yet somewhat familiar voice, Ling Chen¡¯s mind raced, searching through his memories for the owner of the voice. However, none of the enemies he knew matched this voice. Still, he was certain that this person definitely came from the God Organization.


    "If she¡¯s not in your hands, why can¡¯t I contact her?" Ling Chen asked.


    "Ling Chen, it seems you don¡¯t really care about the people around you. Didn¡¯t you know Miss Su went on an internship to the mountains? She¡¯s in a remote area deep in the forest with no signal; of course, you can¡¯t reach her."


    Relieved to hear that Su Lin was safe, Ling Chen breathed a sigh of relief. The letter he had received earlier imed that Su Lin had fallen into their hands, and if he didn¡¯t arrive within an hour, he would have to collect her corpse.


    When he left the Nanrong Family home, he had called Su Lin several times, but no one had answered. Plus, since the other party gave him only one hour, he didn¡¯t have time to investigate thoroughly, so he had to rush over to the meeting. True or false, he had to confirm Su Lin¡¯s safety.


    "What borate scheme did you concoct to lure me here? Is this about seeking revenge for the ind incident?"


    "Hmph! Do you have any idea how much effort we put into that base? Because of you, more than ten years of our hard work went down the drain."


    "Evil deeds will bring retribution; you¡¯ve brought this upon yourselves."


    "Cut the crap, today you¡¯re not leaving here alive."


    As those words fell, Ling Chen heard footsteps from outside the factory gradually receding, as if the suited men guarding the door were running away.


    Noting in to deal with him, but running away instead... Could it be...


    Ling Chen¡¯s pupils shrank as he quickly realized what was happening. He hurriedly dashed towards the tightly locked main door and delivered a powerful flying kick.


    Bang!


    The robust iron door was immediately dented by the kick.


    At that moment, mes suddenly burst out from a pile of debris in the factory, rapidly spreading around. As the fire drew closer to him, Ling Chen channeled his Inner Strength and furiously kicked at the iron door.


    But despite his strength, Ling Chen couldn¡¯t break through. At this rate, before the iron door gave way, he might already be consumed by the mes.


    Realizing this, Ling Chen immediately discarded the idea of escaping through the main door and began looking for other ways out.


    The factory was surrounded by walls, and the only exits were through the high windows above¡ªfar too high to climb¡ªand the iron gate he hade through.


    His gaze shifting, Ling Chen¡¯s attention was suddenly captured by an old machine inside the factory. He couldn¡¯t tell what the machine was used for; it was spherical in the middle as if it processed something.


    Without dy, Ling Chen rushed to the machine and, with all his strength, forced open the rusted seal. As expected, there was a sealed space inside¡ªcramped but just enough to amodate an adult.


    Immediately, Ling Chen crawled into the opening, sealed the entire space, and kept the mes at bay.


    At the same time, he took out his cellphone and dialed the fire department number urgently.


    After the machine¡¯s space was sealed, the air was limited, and he couldst only a few minutes at most. Furthermore, with the engulfing fire, the machine¡¯s outer shell was getting hotter and hotter; if he didn¡¯t escape quickly, he would inevitably be cooked alive.


    Three minutes passed, and the temperature inside the machine soared rapidly. Ling Chen was drenched in sweat as if he had been caught in heavy rain. Moreover, the machine¡¯s inner walls were hot like burning iron; Ling Chen didn¡¯t dare touch them and curled up as much as possible to avoid getting burned.


    Just then, a wailing ¡¯woo woo woo woo¡¯ sound faintly came from outside the machine.


    Gasping for air and nearly suffocating, Ling Chen was overjoyed. Rescue had finally arrived.

 Chapter 406 - 402 Invitation

    <h4>Chapter 406: Chapter 402 Invitation</h4><h4></h4>


    Before long, Ling Chen felt the temperature inside the machine gradually decrease. Unable to breathe, he hurriedly pushed open the sealed hatch, and a smell of scorching mixed with the air immediately rushed in from outside.


    Ling Chen didn¡¯t care too much, greedily breathing in the air as he crawled out of the machine. By this time, the fire inside the factory had been brought under control and a team of firefighters had already burst through the doors, rushing in with hoses.


    "Sir, are you alright?" One of the firefighters saw Ling Chen escaping from the machine and hurried over to help him walk outside.


    "I¡¯m fine, you go ahead with your work," Ling Chen declined the offer of help and walked out of the burnt-out factory on his own.


    At this moment, among the crowd that had gathered around the fire trucks, a man wearing sunsses turned around and pulled out his phone to dial a number.


    "Hello!"


    "How did things go?"


    "Mr. Yun, everything went ording to your n, Ling Chen is safe and has escaped sessfully."


    "He won¡¯t suspect anything, will he?"


    "We set it up thoroughly, he should not realize our true intentions and will simply think we are seeking revenge for thest incident."


    "Good, I trust your work."


    Sitting in the ambnce, the doctor responsible for checking Ling Chen¡¯s body said, "Mr. Ling, you¡¯re really lucky. It¡¯s fortunate that there was a fire brigade stationed just two kilometers away. If it weren¡¯t so close, you would have had a hard time escaping from the fire."


    Ling Chen grinned and said, "That¡¯s right, my luck is always good."


    Returning to the Nanrong Family, Ling Chen didn¡¯t dare mention what had happened to Nanrong Wanqing for fear of worrying her. Regardless, at least Su Lin was fine; it was a false rm.


    Havinge back for a rare visit, Ling Chen spent the entire night by Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s side, enjoying the tenderness of a beautiful woman.


    ...


    The next day.


    Early in the morning, before the sky had brightened, Ling Chen set out for where Qiu Yong and the others lived. With less than one and a half months left until the Heavenly Mechanism Great Ceremony, he needed to race against time to improve himself.


    From six in the morning until six in the evening, Ling Chen underwent continuous intensive training for twelve hours. After each exhausting session, he couldn¡¯t even think about sleeping, immediately starting to cultivate the Prajnaparamita Sutra.


    After days of training, Ling Chen had deeply appreciated the benefits of the Prajnaparamita Sutra. After each session of cultivation, he felt strength coursing through his body, all fatigue swept away, needing only two to three hours of sleep to maintain his energy for the entire day.


    In the blink of an eye, a month passed by, and Ling Chen improved faster with each passing day.


    Among the eight entrics, apart from Ling Chen himself and Wei Jiahao, the other six possessed unique abilities. After a month of intensive training, Ling Chen began realbat training. Having six experts with different abilities to spar with him, it would be difficult not to progress.


    One day, after having lunch with Qiu Yong and others, Ling Chen nned to rest for a moment before continuing training. But at that moment, there was a knock on the door.


    "I¡¯ll get the door." The youngest, Wei Jiahao, stood up and quickly walked to the door, opening it.


    A few minutester, Wei Jiahao returned to the group with two invitations.


    "Big brother, the people from Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion have sent two invitations. One is for us, the eight entrics, and the other is solely for Ling Cheng."


    Ling Chen¡¯s eyes brightened, he reached out to take the invitations and looked at them with interest.


    The invitations issued by the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion were very ordinary, no different from those on the market, but the sharp-eyed Ling Chen noticed a gold-embossed pattern on the lower right corner of the invite, resembling a broken sword.


    Seeing Ling Chen examining the pattern, Xia Yue said, "That is the Heavenly Mechanism Sword, the treasured sword of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion."


    Ling Chen curiously asked, "Why is it broken?"


    "The Heavenly Mechanism Sword passed down by the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion is, in fact, a broken sword," exined Qiu Yong. "There are many legends about the Heavenly Mechanism Sword in the Martial Artsmunity. Some say that the Heavenly Mechanism Sword was the personal sword of the first Pavilion Master of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion. Hundreds of years ago, that Pavilion Master fought alone against numerous heroes with the Heavenly Mechanism Sword and overpowered all the experts, establishing Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion¡¯s esteemed status. Therefore, subsequent Pavilion Masters have taken the Heavenly Mechanism Sword as a symbol of the Pavilion, passing it down through generations."


    "I see," Ling Chen nodded, looking at the date marked on the invitation, the sixth of the next month, ten days away.


    "Big brother, why does it only have the time, but no specific location?"


    Qiu Yong replied, "Each Heavenly Mechanism Great Ceremony is held in a different location. As a grand event in the Martial Arts, it naturally attracts many martial artists. However, generally, only those who are invited have the entitlement to participate in the Heavenly Mechanism Great Ceremony. If there were too many people, the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion would struggle to control the situation, and chaos could ensue. Decades ago, the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion held a public Great Ceremony, resulting in two to three thousand martial artists attending from across the country. Due to the overwhelming number of participants, coordination became difficult, and the event had trouble proceeding smoothly. The Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion had no choice but to end the Great Ceremony prematurely. Hence, the subsequent Great Ceremonies have been held in very secretive locations, and until thest moment, no one knows the exact location. This way, it prevents any leaks of information."


    After listening to Qiu Yong, Ling Chen curled his lip. A Heavenly Mechanism Great Ceremony treated like a national leader¡¯s election, made so solemn and mysterious, was it really necessary?


    Grumbling aside, Ling Chen did not forget his goal. He wasn¡¯t particrly interested in the Heavenly Mechanism Great Ceremony, his purpose in attending was to seek revenge.


    On the night he crossed swords with Yi Shuiyan, he heard the voice of the porridge girl. If it weren¡¯t for the porridge girl¡¯s intervention at a critical moment, he would not know what his current state would be.


    As a man, always being protected by a woman felt annoying. While he may seem carefree and mingle easily with women, as if he didn¡¯t take anything too seriously, in this aspect, his sense of male ego was strong.


    A man should protect a woman; it¡¯s embarrassing to have it the other way around.


    Thinking this, Ling Chen picked up his Tianling de and strode into the courtyard.


    "Third brother, let¡¯s go a few more rounds."


    ...


    Five days had passed, and Ling Chen¡¯s training finally came to an end.


    Ling Chen wanted to continue the special training until the start of the Heavenly Mechanism Great Ceremony, but Qiu Yong refused his request. With five days left, Qiu Yong advised him to rest well, adjust his condition, and ideally integrate what he had learned during this period.


    When the big brother spoke, Ling Chen dared not disobey. Moreover, he had neglected Nanrong Wanqing during this period of intensive training. Now that Su Lin had gone out of town for an internship, Nanrong Wanqing was at home all alone, without anyone to talk to.


    What¡¯s more, in a few days, he would leave to attend the Heavenly Mechanism Great Ceremony, unsure when he would be able to return. So during these few avable days, it might be better to spend more time with Nanrong Wanqing at home.

 Chapter 407 - 403 Departure

    <h4>Chapter 407: Chapter 403 Departure</h4><h4></h4>


    Staying in the tendernd of love, five days passed in the blink of an eye.


    Upon opening his eyes, Ling Chen looked at the hazy sky outside the window, then retracted his gaze and turned to look at Nanrong Wanqing, who was sound asleep in his arms.


    Nanrong Wanqing was hugging his body with both hands, her legs slightly curled, just like a little cat, enjoying the warmth of his embrace.


    Looking at her enchanting face, Ling Chen couldn¡¯t help but raise his hand and gently stroke her smooth cheek, pushing away a few strands of hair that had fallen on her forehead, and nted a light kiss there.


    Perhaps feeling the moisture of Ling Chen¡¯s lips, the sleeping Nanrong Wanqing fluttered her eyshes, opened her eyes slightly, and sleepily looked at Ling Chen beside her,zily said: "It¡¯s still not bright outside, why are you awake already." With that said, Nanrong Wanqing squeezed into Ling Chen¡¯s embrace, finding afortable position, and continued to lie down.


    Ling Chen looked down and just caught a glimpse of the snow-white cleavage that had been squeezed out from Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s neckline.


    Men always have an involuntary physical reaction in the morning, and Ling Chen was no exception. At the moment, smelling the faint scent of Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s body undoubtedly made Ling Chen¡¯s reaction even more intense.


    Thinking that he would have to leave soon, if not taking the chance to be intimate now, when would he? Immediately, Ling Chen rolled over and pressed Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s delicate body beneath him.


    Looking at Ling Chen above her, Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s eyes held a shy charm, and she pouted with a flushed face: "Stop it, it¡¯s still early in the morning. If I had known you were this naughty, I wouldn¡¯t have fallen for your tricks and slept with youst night."


    "We¡¯ve already slept together, are you thinking of going back on that now? Come on, give me a kiss."


    "You... mmh..."


    Before Nanrong Wanqing could finish speaking, her cherry-like mouth was blocked by Ling Chen¡¯s.


    ...


    After a session of tenderness, it was already past six in the morning, and the sky was gradually getting brighter outside the window.


    Looking at Nanrong Wanqing panting softly in his arms, her cheeks blushing, Ling Chen smiled proudly.


    Nanrong Wanqingined: "You¡¯re still smiling, it¡¯s all your fault, not letting anyone get a good sleep. I still have to work today."


    "Then keep sleeping, it¡¯s about time for me to leave."


    Hearing this, Nanrong Wanqing immediately sat up from the bed, and asked reluctantly: "Then when will you be back?"


    "For now, I¡¯m not sure, but I promise you, once things are handled, I will rush back as soon as possible." After a pause, Ling Chen continued: "I have asked two friends to secretly protect you while I¡¯m not here, so there won¡¯t be any safety issues."


    Nanrong Wanqing urged: "Take good care of yourself when you¡¯re out there alone, remember to look after yourself."


    "Alright, wifey, I¡¯m not a child, there¡¯s no need to worry about me."


    Hearing him calling her wifey, Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s face flushed with shyness, and she muttered: "I haven¡¯t agreed to marry you yet, don¡¯t call me that." Her words said one thing, but the slight curl of her lips betrayed her true feelings.


    With a smile in his eyes, Ling Chen said: "You¡¯ve slept in my bed, and you still think you can run away. Alright, I have to go now, everyone is waiting for me."


    After getting dressed and freshening up, Ling Chen changed into his clothes, picked up the backpack already prepared, and left the Nanrong Family alone.


    On his way, Ling Chen received a phone call from Qiu Yong, telling him to go directly to the harbor in East Sea City.


    The harbor? Are we taking a ship to attend the Heavenly Mechanism Great Ceremony?


    Thinking to himself, Ling Chen then turned the car around and headed towards the harbor.


    Twenty minutester, Ling Chen parked the car in the parking lot outside the harbor. Arriving at the roadside, he saw Qiu Yong and others standing outside the harbors¡¯ gates, waiting for his arrival.


    "Big brother, second brother..." Ling Chen hurried over and greeted everyone with a smile.


    Qiu Yong nodded and said: "Everyone is here, let¡¯s set off."


    As expected, their mode of transportation this time was a passenger ship, and moreover, a luxurious one. Ling Chen noticed that the surface of the ship was also marked with the pattern of the Heavenly Mechanism Sword, indicating that it belonged to the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion.


    "Wow, the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion is really rich," Ling Chen muttered under his breath.


    Xia Yue, who was walking beside him, gave Ling Chen a look and said: "You think all the people from the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion are hermits living in seclusion, untouched by the worldly smoke? We are in modern times now, even organizations like the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion with hundreds of years of legacy have to keep up with the times. Besides, without solid financial support, the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion would probably have dissolved long ago."


    While talking, the group boarded the passenger ship.


    A middle-aged man in a suit greeted them with a smile at the boarding gate. Seeing Qiu Yong and the othersing aboard, he immediately approached with a beaming smile: "Elder Qiu, it has been a long time since I¡¯ve seen you. It is an honor for the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion to have you attending this edition of the Heavenly Mechanism Great Ceremony."


    Qiu Yong nced at him and said indifferently: "Zhong Yang, spare me the pleasantries. We are here to broaden the horizons of my sixth brother."


    Hearing this, the middle-aged man named Zhong Yang immediately turned his gaze toward Ling Chen and smiled: "I suppose this gentleman must be Mr. Ling, truly a person of outstanding appearance. Gentlemen, I am the host for your trip, feel free to ask for anything you need, and the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion will do its best to amodate everyone¡¯s requests."


    After speaking, Zhong Yang led everyone to a luxurious suite. The suite had three bedrooms and two living rooms, very spacious and fully equipped, almost having everything avable,parable to a presidential suite in a high-end hotel.


    "Elder Qiu, please rest for a while. I have other guests to attend to. Contact me by phone if you need anything."


    After Zhong Yang left, Ling Chen threw his backpack on the bed, walked straight to the window, and looking out at the azure ocean and the clear sky, he felt incredibly rxed and at ease.


    "Sixth brother, there¡¯s no need to be too nervous, just remember the training you¡¯ve done recently, and dealing with Yi Shuiyan won¡¯t be a problem," Yuan Yun patted Ling Chen¡¯s shoulder, encouraging him.


    "Third brother, you¡¯re worrying too much," Ling Chen grinned, after all, he was someone who had seen the world, and nervousness was almost non-existent to him.


    "Third brother, do you know where they will host the Heavenly Mechanism Great Ceremony this time?"


    "How would I know? The Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion¡¯s actions are always mysterious, and the ces they choose for the ceremony are even more bizarre each time. If my memory serves me right, a few years ago, the Heavenly Mechanism Great Ceremony was held on a snow mountain in the north. There wasn¡¯t a soul in sight for hundreds of miles around; everyone who went to the ceremonyined bitterly, freezing half to death. Luckily, big brother was wise not to ept the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion¡¯s invitation. Otherwise, we would have had to suffer along," said Yuan Yun.


    "Really?" After hearing what Yuan Yun had said, Ling Chen became even more curious about where this edition of the Heavenly Mechanism Great Ceremony would take ce.


    After waiting in the room for about two hours, the passenger ship finally started, slowly departing from the harbor, heading towards the destination.

 Chapter 408 - 404: On the Eve of the Grand Ceremony

    <h4>Chapter 408: Chapter 404: On the Eve of the Grand Ceremony</h4><h4></h4>


    Ten hours had passed, and the sky was growing dim. The suite arranged by Zhong Yang for the eight entrics only had three bedrooms. Aside from Xia Yue, who enjoyed one by herself, the rest were all grown men; they weren¡¯t too particr and could make do with whatever sleeping arrangements for the night.


    Once everyone had sorted out their sleeping arrangements, Ling Cheny on the couch in the living room, his legs crossed, ying with his cell phone, prepared to sleep there for the night.


    "Huh?" As he was ying, Ling Chen discovered that his cell phone had lost its signal, and he couldn¡¯t even search for the cruise ship¡¯s Wi-Fiwork anymore. Annoyed, Ling Chen sat up; it was truly disappointing not being able to finish the movie he was watching halfway through.


    At this moment, Qiu Yong and Yuan Yun walked out of the bedroom. The living room was equipped with an independent bar, and these two men were fond of a good drink, liking to have a few sips before going to bed.


    "Ling Cheng,e on, join us for a few drinks if you¡¯ve got nothing else to do." Yuan Yun called out to Ling Chen, taking out three sses from a cab under the bar and cing them side by side on the table. He then took out a bottle of Moutai from the liquor cab and filled each ss.


    Ling Chen put away his phone and walked to the bar, lifting his ss, he said, "Elder Brother, Third Brother, after sitting on the boat for more than ten hours, where are they taking us? I estimate we¡¯ve already left Huaxia territorial waters."


    Yuan Yun was also puzzled, "Every Heavenly Mechanism Great Ceremony has been held domestically, there¡¯s never been a precedent for holding it abroad. Is the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion breaking tradition this time?"


    "I¡¯m not sure about that either." After speaking, Qiu Yong nced at the wall clock and suggested, "It¡¯s still early, why not go find Zhong Yang and ask him? Now that we¡¯vee this far, he surely won¡¯t keep hiding it from us."


    Ling Chen and Yuan Yun followed Zhong Ping to the top deck of the cruise ship. After asking a crew member, they learned that Zhong Yang was in the cockpit, and they immediately hurried over.


    "Elder Qiu?" Seeing Qiu Yong¡¯s trio standing outside the cockpit, Zhong Yang was slightly taken aback, then greeted them with a smile, saying, "Elder Qiu, you could have called me if you had any issues, why bothering here in person?"


    "Zhong Yang, spare the pleasantries, we¡¯ve been on this boat for so long and haven¡¯t arrived at our destination yet. Where are you taking us?"


    Faced with Qiu Yong¡¯s questioning, Zhong Yang sheepishly replied, "Elder Qiu, you also know the rules of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion¡ªI cannot disclose anything before we arrive."


    While the two were speaking, Ling Chen surveyed the cockpit, observing the advanced equipment and instruments. His eyebrows knitted slightly, a hint of suspicion in his eyes.


    Impatiently, Qiu Yong said, "We¡¯ve alreadye this far, are you still worried we would leak our location?"


    "No, no, no, Elder Qiu, you misunderstand, that¡¯s not what I meant," Zhong Yang hurriedly exined, "This time..."


    "Stop there." Not letting Zhong Yang finish his words, Ling Chen interrupted, "Elder Brother, Third Brother, I think I¡¯ve figured out why we haven¡¯t reached our destination even after more than ten hours."


    Hearing this, both Qiu Yong and Yuan Yun looked at Ling Chen in surprise, asking, "You know the reason?"


    Ling Chen nodded, "They¡¯ve been circling around; we¡¯ve actually been in the waters belonging to East Sea City all along, we haven¡¯t gone far." After speaking, Ling Chen looked at Zhong Yang, "Mr. Zhong, am I wrong? Now, isn¡¯t it time you gave us a proper exnation?"


    Zhong Yang nced through the window at the pitch-dark sea and curiously counter-asked, "Mr. Ling, how are you so sure we¡¯re still near East Sea City?"


    Ling Chen pointed to the electronic equipment in the cockpit, and therge disy screens assembled, his expression indifferent, "I used to serve in the military after all. You can fool my elder brother, who can¡¯tprehend high-tech and is a traditional martial arts practitioner, but you can¡¯t fool my eyes. I understand clearly what the data disyed on these devices means."


    Yuan Yun coldly said, "Zhong Yang, you¡¯re wasting our time. You better rify things clearly; what is going on?"


    "Gentlemen, please calm down." Zhong Yang, feeling helpless, exined, "It¡¯s not that I intended to deceive everyone, it¡¯s just... we¡¯ve been doing this also considering everyone¡¯s safety. To be honest, the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion received intelligence that someone intends to cause trouble during the Heavenly Mechanism Great Ceremony. However, the information we have collected is limited, and we do not know who the party is. To be cautious, the Pavilion Master ordered that we must be extremely careful this time to ensure that the location of the ceremony does not get leaked. We are circling around this area just to avoid being followed."


    Upon hearing this, Ling Chen and hispanions were taken aback¡ªthey had not expected someone to dare oppose the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion.


    With a forced smile, Zhong Yang said, "Elder Qiu, you all go back to rest. I assure you, by tomorrow morning, we will definitely arrive at the venue."


    "Fair enough."


    Qiu Yong was a reasonable person. After learning the reason, he no longer insisted and turned to leave the cockpit. Ling Chen walked to the door, then turned back to ask, "Mr. Zhong, has the wirelesswork on the ship been turned off?"


    "Yes, to prevent any idents, we¡¯ve blocked all signals on the ship. If it has inconvenienced Mr. Ling, please ept my apologies."


    "It¡¯s fine. Mr. Zhong, please continue with your work, we won¡¯t disturb you anymore."


    Back in the suite, Yuan Yun called for a waiter to bring some snacks to apany the drinks. The three of them drank until midnight before staggering back to their bedroom to rest.


    Under the influence of alcohol, it didn¡¯t take long before Ling Chen¡¯s snoring could be heard from the couch in the living room.


    ...


    At this time.


    East Sea City.


    In a spacious basement, over a dozen staff members were seated in front ofputer screens, with various precise devices arranged around, and blinking indicator lights everywhere.


    Standing in front of arge screen hanging on the wall, was a middle-aged man dressed in a suit and leather shoes, cultured and elegant.


    "Mr. Yun, the drone has been deployed."


    Upon hearing the sound, Mr. Yun pointed to therge screen in front of him, "Switch the view to the screen."


    "Yes."


    As the words fell, therge screen immediately disyed an image filtered through night vision. In the image was an endless ocean with surging waves.


    Mr. Yun frowned slightly, "Where¡¯s the target?"


    "Still searching. Ten minutes ago, signal from the trackers in Ling Chen¡¯s cell phone and wallet disappeared¡ªthe other party must have activated a signal jamming device. However, judging from the signal¡¯sst known location, they couldn¡¯t have gone too far."


    The voice suddenly paused, then with excitement said, "We¡¯ve found the cruise ship."


    Mr. Yun focused on the screen where a cruise ship appeared from a distance in the drone¡¯s surveince camera.


    "Keep your distance, don¡¯t let them notice us. Dispatch the frogman team immediately, make sure they lock onto the cruise ship¡ªwe can¡¯t let that ship escape our sight."


    "Yes, Mr. Yun."


    "The Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, the Heavenly Mechanism Great Ceremony!"


    Mr. Yun murmured to himself, his lips curving into a sinister smile, and a sharp glint swept across his eyes, deep as a pond.

 Chapter 409 - 405: Arriving at the Venue

    <h4>Chapter 409: Chapter 405: Arriving at the Venue</h4><h4></h4>


    The next day.


    Under the ¡¯gentle¡¯ touch of Xia Yue¡¯s fingers, Ling Chen, who was suffering fromst night¡¯s hangover, finally came to his senses.


    Looking out the window at the calm sea, Ling Chen felt puzzled. It had been one night; why hadn¡¯t the passenger ship docked yet?


    After freshening up, a waiter delivered a sumptuous breakfast directly to his room. It must be admitted that the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion indeed had substantial financial resources, as everyone on the ship was enjoying five-star treatment.


    After breakfast, there was a gentle knock on the door of the suite. Wei Jiahao got up to open it and saw Zhong Yang outside, asking, "Does Mr. Zhong need something?"


    Zhong Yang said with a smile, "We have arrived at our destination."


    Ling Chen asked with a puzzled face, "Aren¡¯t we still at sea?"


    "Mr. Ling, you¡¯ll know in a moment."


    Then, everyone packed up their luggage and followed Zhong Yang to the deck of the passenger ship. As far as the eye could see, there were only the azure-blue waters and the rolling waves, not even a single ind or boat in sight.


    Ling Chen stood among the Eight entric Fighters, looking around, and saw people continuously arriving on the deck. There were about twenty people in total, all invited guests for the Heavenly Mechanism Great Ceremony, mostly men, with women ounting for less than a third. Their ages were around thirty to forty years old, and each person carried with them a weapon, either a knife or a sword, all wrapped in cloth.


    Waited for about five minutes, someone in the crowd suddenly eximed, "There¡¯s a shiping."


    Ling Chen looked up and saw a pure white luxury liner approaching from the southeast. Seeing that luxury liner, Ling Chen was slightly amazed and immediately understood, asking Zhong Yang in astonishment, "Is that the venue for the Heavenly Mechanism Great Ceremony?"


    Zhong Yang merely smiled and said nothing, apparently agreeing with his guess.


    Tsk tsk!


    Such extravagance! To actually hold the Heavenly Mechanism Great Ceremony on that luxury liner¡ªhow much money would that cost?


    As the luxury liner drew near, Zhong Yang immediately arranged for staff to lower the motorboat to transfer the guests from the passenger ship to the luxury liner.


    Once aboard, Ling Chen followed Qiu Yong and others, led by the attendants, straight to their rooms. Along the way, Ling Chen, driven by curiosity, constantly scanned the surroundings, observing the environment on the luxury liner.


    Before them, many guests had already boarded, gathering in groups of three to five on the deck, engaged in animated discussions, and pointing at the passing guests, sizing them up.


    Especially when the Eight entric Fighters appeared, almost everyone¡¯s eyes were drawn to Qiu Yong and the others.


    The Eight entric Fighters had a resonant reputation in the Martial Artsmunity because everyone knew that even if the Eight entric Fighters were not on the Heaven and Earth Dragon and Tiger List, they each had their own remarkable abilities, no less skilled than those ranked masters. Moreover, the Eight entric Fighters sharedmon hostility against enemies and moved forward and back as one. Provoking any one of them would incur the collective retaliation of all eight.


    Therefore, in the Martial Artsmunity, there were very few who dared to provoke the Eight entric Fighters, unless they possessed great strength or a powerful background.


    Entering the third tier of the luxury liner, Ling Chen was immediately captivated by the interior decoration. The vessel was designed with an antique style in mind, resembling an old-timey inn. Although doors and windows were made of steel structures, they were coated with wood-colored wall paint, supplemented with other ancient decors, making one feel as though they¡¯ve stepped into an ancient city, marvelously beautiful and brimming with an antique charm.


    To protect the privacy of the guests, each room was a separate unit. Everyone was provided with their own private room. Considering the identities of the eight oddities, their rooms were arranged together, adjacent to one another.


    Upon entering the room, although mentally prepared, Ling Chen was still fiercely astonished by the opulence of his quarters.


    A living room, bedroom, plus a separate bathroom and washroom were included. Aside from the antique decor, all facilities were fully equipped. Ling Chen noticed that even an ordinary-looking chair in the living room was no simple object; it was crafted from expensive rosewood, as were the other tables and chairs.


    Indeed, this was the luxury of the wealthy.


    Ling Chen couldn¡¯t help but sigh internally; the cost of the luxury liner, coupled with its interior decor, was probably unimaginable.


    Just as he was thinking, a ¡¯knock, knock, knock¡¯ came from the door outside his room.


    Ling Chen got up to open the door and was immediately taken aback by the middle-aged man standing at the entrance. He eximed with surprise, "Mr. Ye?"


    Ye Liangyong smiled slightly: "Ling Chen, long time no see."


    "Mr. Ye, pleasee in." Ling Chen joyfully weed Ye Liangyong into the room, asking, "Mr. Ye, how did you know I was here?"


    "You are a Tiger List expert, so you must have been invited. I just checked the guest registration list and found your room number, so I came to see you." With that, Ye Liangyong patted Ling Chen¡¯s shoulder,ughing, "My boy, you¡¯re doing quite well for yourself, bing one of the eight oddities. It is truly unexpected."


    Ling Chenughed it off and casually mentioned, "Ah! Mr. Ye, did Mr. He not ept the invitation this time?"


    "Master will not be attending this kind of gathering. Only experts from the Tiger List and Dragon List are invited to the Heavenly Mechanism Great Ceremony. The experts on the Earthly List wouldn¡¯t limit their vision to a measly Heavenly Mechanism Great Ceremony¡ªthat would be beneath them. Besides, Earthly List experts have gatherings exclusive to them." Ye Liangyong paused momentarily, then continued, "Ling Chen, as a representative of the younger generation, what are your thoughts?"


    "My thoughts?" Ling Chen asked in confusion, "What thoughts?"


    Ye Liangyong looked surprised: "Don¡¯t you know the rules of the Heavenly Mechanism Great Ceremony?"


    Ling Chen shrugged; he truly was unaware. Qiu Yong hadn¡¯t mentioned anything, and his purpose for attending the Heavenly Mechanism Great Ceremony was straightforward¡ªto keep the appointment with Yi Shuiyan and settle their scores.


    "You really are rash,ing here without knowledge of anything." Ye Liangyong shook his head helplessly and exined: "Well, let me tell you, the nature of the Heavenly Mechanism Great Ceremony is simr to a martial artspetition¡ªvictors are kings, and winners receive numerous substantial rewards. However, thepetitors are divided by age groups. Like you, you belong to the finest of the young generation. If youpete, your opponents will be people of your age group, but..."


    "But what?"


    "From what I know, there are several experts among the youngpetitors this time. Ling Chen, have you ever heard of the Neer List?"


    "No."


    "Before each Heavenly Mechanism Great Ceremony, the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion willpile a Neer List. Only those young experts with excellent talent and tremendous potential can make the list, and this time is no exception. Furthermore, considering the abundance of rising stars on this Neer List, the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion has specially increased the rewards. If you can stand out and im one of the top three spots, not only will you have a chance to receive dan medicines and Martial Arts Heart Methods gifted by the Pavilion, but you will also meet the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion Master and join the Pavilion. Usually, only experts on the Earthly List have the privilege of meeting the Pavilion Master; this time, the Pavilion is setting a precedent. It¡¯s very rare, so you might want to seize the opportunity."

 Chapter 410 - 406: Newcomer List

    <h4>Chapter 410: Chapter 406: Neer List</h4><h4></h4>


    After listening to Ye Liangyong¡¯s narrative, Ling Chen couldn¡¯t help but be tempted. The Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion Master was the most mysterious figure in the Martial Arts world. Even the Secret Society, which imed to be the biggest intelligence agency globally and spent years trying, failed to uncover the identity of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion Master.


    Moreover, He Ziyun once told him that if he had a chance to have a long talk with the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion Master, it would be greatly beneficial to his future.


    "Mr. Ye, how much do you know about the Neer List?" Ling Chen curiously asked.


    "There are ten people on the Neer List. The ones ranked in the top five are Song Ge, Han Yu, Qu Jinxian, Yi Shuiyan, and He Haifeng. These five are the outstanding youths of their generation, very strong. It is said that some of them are no less skilled than the experts on the Dragon List. Moreover, these individualse from major sects and have very powerful backers. The gap between the five behind them and these five is quite significant."


    Ling Chen sheepishly asked: "What about me... Mr. Ye, where do I rank on the Neer List?"


    "You?" Ye Liangyong lifted his lips with a smile, "Take a guess."


    "The eighth?" Ling Chen said cautiously. But seeing the smile on Ye Liangyong¡¯s face, he quickly changed his words, "Could it be the ninth?"


    Seeing that Ye Liangyong didn¡¯t reply, Ling Chen said with a wry smile: "Don¡¯t tell me it¡¯s the tenth?"


    "Alright, stop guessing. I¡¯ll tell you the truth, your name isn¡¯t on the Neer List. But you don¡¯t need to feel downhearted; with your strength, ranking seventh or eighth wouldn¡¯t be a problem. The reason your name isn¡¯t listed is because Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion has to consider aprehensive evaluation. They consider not just an individual¡¯s strength, but also their background. There are many young talents like you in the Martial Arts world, but there are only ten spots. It¡¯s difficult for Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion to cover everyone. In any case, the list is more questionable for thetter five names; those can be ignored. What you really need to pay attention to are the top five; they are the truly outstanding masters."


    Ling Chen touched his nose and said: "Mr. Ye, knowing how strong those people are, why do you still encourage me to participate?"


    Ye Liangyong said with a smile, "As a martial artist, you must constantly challenge your limits to make greater progress. For you, winning or losing isn¡¯t the key; the most important thing is to temper yourself. Opportunitiese only once; you must cherish it."


    "Let¡¯s talk about it when the timees. By the way, Mr. Ye, when does the Heavenly Mechanism Great Ceremony start?"


    "It¡¯s estimated to start in two days. People are still arriving."


    After chatting idly for a while, Ye Liangyong then took his leave. They had agreed to have dinner togetherter, at which time Ye would introduce Ling Chen to the other members of the Eight entrics.


    In the evening.


    Night fell, and the boundless ocean seemed draped in ayer of mysterious veil.


    After dinner, Ling Chen came to the deck alone, leaning on the railing with his hands, listening to the surging waves below, looking out at the distant horizon. Far away, a storm cloud was approaching this way, with lightning shing, strong gusts of wind, followed by rumbling thunder.


    A storm wasing!


    Feeling the coolness rushing towards his face and drops of rain mixed with the wind, Ling Chen turned and headed towards his cabin.


    However, as Ling Chen approached the cabin door, something in the corner of his eye caught his attention¡ªa wless white figure. He turned his head and looked at the figure standing beside the railing, his gaze slightly hardening.


    The woman was dressed in white, her long hair fluttering and dancing with the wind, seemingly unaffected by the fierce gusts, standing silently, unmoving, listening to the roaring of the ocean.


    Although it was just a simple silhouette, Ling Chen couldn¡¯t shake the feeling of familiarity in his heart.


    While he pondered, several drunken youths emerged from the cabin, holding bottles of wine, their faces flushed, already showing signs of intoxication,ughing boisterously.


    At this moment, one of the young men noticed the woman in white next to the ship¡¯s railing and immediately signaled hispanions with a nce, surrounding her together.


    "Beauty, are you alone? Why not join us for a few drinks?"


    The woman in white turned her head, her beautiful eyes calmly looking at the young men, said nothing, and continued walking toward the ship¡¯s cabin. Seeing the woman in white about to leave, a young man immediately reached out and touched her shoulder, gently pulling her back.


    Suddenly, the woman in white lost her bnce, her delicate body immediately fell backward, right into the arms of that young man.


    "Yo! Senior Brother, you really have the charm; this beauty has thrown herself into your embrace. Haha!"


    Hearing hispanion¡¯s teasing, the young man grinned andughed, reaching out to wrap his arm around the woman in white¡¯s slender waist. However, the woman in white reacted quickly, struggling to free herself from his embrace and looked at the young man with anger and shame, about to p him.


    But before the p couldnd, the silky wrist of the woman in white was grasped by the young man.


    "Tsks tsk! Beauty, your skin is really smooth. I wonder if other parts are the same; why not let me have a feel?" the young man said with a sleazy grin.


    "Let go of me!" the woman in white shouted angrily, struggling vigorously, but the young man held on tight.


    The sea breeze came, blowing the woman¡¯s stray bangs on her forehead, revealing her exquisitely wless face. Seeing the woman in white¡¯s face, the young men¡¯s eyes widened, their gazes became dazed, their throats rolled continuously, swallowing saliva.


    So beautiful!


    One of the young men snapped out of it, carefully examined the woman in white, and eximed, "I can¡¯t believe there¡¯s such a beautiful woman on this ship; it seems our Senior Brothers are in for some good fortune."


    The woman in white red angrily at the young men and said softly, "Let go of me, I don¡¯t want any trouble."


    Despite being astonished by the beauty of the woman in white, one of the young men felt the sea breeze sobering him up significantly and whispered, "Senior Brother, everyone on this ship is invited to attend the Heavenly Mechanism Great Ceremony. It¡¯s better to be cautious, let¡¯s not cause trouble for our sect."


    The young man holding the woman in white waved his hand, dismissive, "We are from the Qingyang Sect, who dares disrespect us. Besides, we¡¯ve got the Elder Senior Brother backing us up, what¡¯s there to fear?"


    After finishing his words, the young man looked at the woman in white with ill intentions and sneered, "Beauty, what era are we living in, why so shy? Aren¡¯t you women very open nowadays? Just y with us Senior Brothers, it¡¯ll be pleasurable for you too. Isn¡¯t it great? Brothers, don¡¯t you agree?"


    Hearing this, the eyes of the young men revealed primal desires.


    "Junior Brother, stop talking, let¡¯s take her to the room, I can hardly wait."


    The young manughed and scolded, "You¡¯re just too impatient, kiddo. Beauty,e with me." As he spoke, the young man forcefully dragged the woman in white by her wrist towards the ship¡¯s cabin.


    The woman in white bit her thin lips, pulling hard on her wrist and said urgently, "Let me go, or I¡¯ll call for help."


    "By saying that, you¡¯ve actually reminded me, Fourth Junior Brother, gag her mouth, don¡¯t disturb the others."


    "Yes."


    "Let her go!"


    Right at that moment, a detached voice came with the wind, entering everyone¡¯s ears.

 Chapter 411 - 407 Qu Jinxian

    <h4>Chapter 411: Chapter 407 Qu Jinxian</h4><h4></h4>


    The crowd looked in the direction of the voice, only to see a young man of simr age, with an upright posture, striding forward, his handsome face with chiseled features filled with a stern coldness. Especially those icy-cold eyes gave a chilling sensation.


    Seeing the appearance of the young man, the struggling woman in white froze, staring nkly at the youth as if forgetting everything around her.


    Ling Chen... it was him!


    "Kid, don¡¯t meddle in other people¡¯s business, get lost as far as you can," a young man cursed loudly, tantly ignoring Ling Chen¡¯s presence, dragging the woman in white towards the cabin.


    Ling Chen frowned and said coldly, "Out of respect for us being fellow martial artists, I¡¯m giving you one more chance, let her go!"


    "Go to hell, who do you think you are, trying to y the hero in front of us brothers. Third Junior Brother, Fourth Junior Brother, teach this brat a lesson, let him know there are some people he can¡¯t afford to provoke."


    When Brother spoke, two young men immediately stepped forward quickly, swinging the wine bottles in their hands to smash down onto Ling Chen¡¯s head.


    Seeing this, Ling Chen¡¯s eyes turned cold, and without hesitation, he moved in close to the two young men, his fists like dragons emerging from the sea, mming hard into their chests.


    Bang! Bang!


    With two muffled sounds, the young men¡¯s wine bottles hadn¡¯t yet fallen, and their bodies had already been sent flying out,nding heavily on the ground.


    Witnessing Ling Chen¡¯s move, that Brother¡¯s pupils shrunk as he cursed, "Two useless pieces of trash, can¡¯t even handle this little thing, watch me." After speaking, the young man pushed the woman in white towards anotherpanion and stepped forward to confront Ling Chen.


    "Kid, I¡¯m Xu Song from Qingyang Sect, state your name."


    Ling Chen replied with an indifferent expression, "You¡¯re not worthy to know my name."


    Hearing this, a fierce look shed across Xu Song¡¯s eyes, and he sneered, "Good, I want to see what you¡¯re capable of. Take this!"


    With a shout, Xu Song bent and sprung his legs, leaping up rapidly towards Ling Chen, his fist aimed straight at Ling Chen¡¯s brow.


    Seeing the opponent¡¯s attack, Ling Chen bent his body backward, lifting a leg high, his toe kicking precisely onto Xu Song¡¯s wrist, deflecting his attack. Seizing this opportunity, Ling Chen spun around, his leg whipping out forcefully, its speed rapid, aimed straight towards Xu Song¡¯s neck.


    If this leg hit, Xu Song wouldn¡¯t be standing up again.


    Sensing the fierce wind of the kick approaching, Xu Song¡¯s expression changed, his eyes showing rm, not expecting Ling Chen¡¯s agility and speed to be far superior to his own.


    With no time to think further, he gritted his teeth, his eyes filled with a fierce light, and swung his fist towards Ling Chen¡¯s whipping leg.


    Seeing Xu Song¡¯s action, Ling Chen sneered silently, thinking him foolish to meet his leg with a fist.


    However, just as their fist and leg were about to connect, Ling Chen¡¯s face suddenly changed, his eyes widened with fury.


    During their exchange, a short sleeve sword had unexpectedly extended from Xu Song¡¯s cuff, stabbing towards Ling Chen¡¯s calf. If that sleeve sword had pierced through, Ling Chen¡¯s journey would likely have ended there.


    In a sh of thought, Ling Chen reacted rapidly, urgently pushing down his right leg, narrowly avoiding the sleeve sword, merely cutting the fabric of his trousers without hitting any vital parts.


    "You¡¯re asking for death!"


    Anger flourishing within him, Ling Chen shouted, in an instant closing the distance to Xu Song, his iron fist sting out, intending to break his ribs.


    But at that moment, a gust of powerful wind suddenly arrived, pushing Xu Song aside. Following that, an unknown fistshed out, shing hard with Ling Chen¡¯s iron fist.


    Feeling the Inner Strength contained in the fist, Ling Chen was startled, and before he could react, that burst of Inner Strength suddenly exploded, immense and heavy, forcibly pushing him back two steps.


    Looking up, Ling Chen saw a strange young man had appeared before him.


    The young man was tall and lean, reaching a height of 1.8 meters, with an ordinary visage, sporting a crew cut, his eyes sharp as if he were an unsheathed sword, intimidating, making one dare not look directly.


    Ling Chen squinted his eyes at the other party and asked in a deep voice, "Who are you?"


    "The eldest disciple of Qingyang Sect, Qu Jinxian."


    Hearing this name, Ling Chen¡¯s pupils involuntarily constricted.


    Qu Jinxian, ranked third on the Neer List, even more formidable than Yi Shuiyan. So this was Xu Song¡¯s Senior Brother.


    "The Qingyang Sect truly has a way with instruction, one hides weapons in secret, and another takes advantage of an ambush. Are there none amongst your Qingyang Sect disciples who are upright and honorable?" Ling Chen said sarcastically.


    "Bullshit!" Xu Song cursed angrily: "It was clearly you who meddled in others¡¯ business first."


    Ling Chen pointed to the woman in white and said indifferently, "She is my friend. Your Qingyang Sect members are bullying my friend, am I not allowed to help? I really don¡¯t know who your master is, teaching such a bunch of scum."


    "How dare you!"


    Qu Jinxian said coldly: "Do not disrespect my master, you¡¯d better apologize right now."


    "Fine, but the Qingyang Sect must apologize to my friend first." Ling Chen stared directly at Qu Jinxian¡¯s chilling gaze, without a trace of retreat in his eyes.


    "Good, I would like to see how capable you are to speak to me like this." The moment his words fell, Qu Jinxian lightly tapped with the tip of his foot, ready to charge forward.


    "I¡¯m not afraid of you!" Ling Chen¡¯s fists readied, without a hint of fear in his eyes.


    "Stop!"


    "Stop!"


    Just then, two different voices came simultaneously.


    Ling Chen and Qu Jinxian stopped in their tracks and turned to look, only to see two groups of people walking briskly towards them. One group was led by Qiu Yong, the eight entrics, and Ye Liangyong. The other group was led by an old man, about the same age as Qiu Yong, dressed in an old-fashioned Zhongshan suit, with white hair and a youthful face, exuding an aura of calm andmanding presence.


    "Big Brother."


    "Master."


    After hearing Qu Jinxian¡¯s address, Ling Chen realized that the old man was the Sect Leader of Qingyang Sect.


    The old man nced at Xu Song and Qu Jinxian, then at Ling Chen, and snorted coldly: "Qiu Yong, you¡¯re quite audacious, bringing trouble to our Qingyang Sect."


    Qiu Yong said coldly: "Qu Yuan, it¡¯s not certain who¡¯s causing trouble for whom, don¡¯t try to pin the me on us. Even if my Junior Brother Ling Cheng has a problem with your Qingyang Sect, if you dare, thene at us. We eight entrics have never feared anyone."


    Qu Yuan¡¯s expression grew gloomy as he said: "Good, I¡¯ve heard much about the extraordinary martial arts of the eight entrics. Today, I shall see for myself whether your reputation is deserved."


    As tensions rose to the point where swords might be drawn at any moment, Zhong Yang, followed by several subordinates, hurried over from the cabin, slightly frowning as he said: "Gentlemen, you all should be aware of the rules. Before the Heavenly Mechanism Great Ceremony begins, whoever dares to engage in a private skirmish, do not me us at Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion for being ruthless."


    Ling Chen spoke up: "Mr. Zhong, we don¡¯t have to fight. Since the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion is the organizer, why don¡¯t youe and judge for yourselves and rify right from wrong. My friend was bullied by the people of Qingyang Sect, and I helped out. Is that not appropriate?"


    "You¡¯re talking nonsense," Xu Song immediately protested.


    "The person involved is right there, how can you still deny it?"


    Zhong Yang looked at the woman in white not far away and gave a fist salute: "Miss, may I ask your name?"


    The woman in white slightly lifted her face, her eyes gentle as autumn waters as she looked towards Ling Chen, and said softly, "My name is Zhu Xiaozhu."


    (Today¡¯s 4 Chapters yet the rmendations are still too few.)

 Chapter 412 - 408 Shi Su

    <h4>Chapter 412: Chapter 408 Shi Su</h4><h4></h4>


    "Mr. Ye, why didn¡¯t you tell me that Xiaozhu also came to attend the Heavenly Mechanism Great Ceremony?" Ling Chen asked Ye Liangyong beside him.


    "You wrong me, it¡¯s not that I didn¡¯t tell you, I didn¡¯t even know she was here until I saw her just now."


    "Zhu Xiaozhu?" Zhong Yang turned to the man beside him and asked, "Is there this name among the guests? Why don¡¯t I remember it?"


    The man took out a tablet, checked the guest invitation list, and shook his head, "Mr. Zhong, there¡¯s no one by that name on the list."


    "I was not invited," Zhu Xiaozhu took the initiative to say, "It was my master who brought me here."


    Hearing this, Zhong Yang instantly understood. Among those invited were notcking members of sects, just like Xu Song, they all came with their masters to see the world. In this regard, the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion was quite generous.


    Ling Chen nodded secretly, so Zhu Xiaozhu came here with her master. He had heard from He Ziyun before; Zhu Xiaozhu¡¯s master was skilled in medicine and had a deep friendship with He Ziyun, hence Zhu Xiaozhu always stayed at the Qingyun Martial Arts Hall whenever she was in East Sea City.


    "Miss Zhu, may I ask who your master is?" Zhong Yang inquired.


    "My master..."


    "It¡¯s me!"


    Before Zhu Xiaoxhu could finish speaking, a cold and distant voice slowly came from outside the crowd, making everyone turn their heads to look. Immediately, they saw a woman gracefully walking toward them.


    The woman, about forty or fifty years old, had a dignified appearance with well-maintained, smooth, and fair skin tinged with a hint of pink, resembling an eighteen-year-old girl. However, the faint crow¡¯s feet at the corners of her eyes betrayed her real age.


    Her graceful figure and a temperament cold as the moon, noble and haughty, almost perfectly disyed the charm of a woman to the extreme.


    Seeing the woman appear, both Qiu Yong and Qu Yuan¡¯s expressions changed at the same time. The former was surprised, while thetter was frightened, eyes filled with disbelief.


    Qu Yuan had never expected Zhu Xiaozhu¡¯s master to be this woman.


    "Master."


    Zhu Xiaozhu hurriedly went over, affectionately holding the woman¡¯s arm, and said with embarrassment, "Master, I¡¯m sorry for causing you trouble."


    "It has nothing to do with you, don¡¯t me yourself," the woman¡¯s expression was indifferent, and she nced at Qu Yuan beside her, seemingly talking to herself sarcastically, "There are always some who overestimate themselves, thinking being a sect leader means they can do whatever they want."


    Hearing this, Qu Yuan¡¯s old face immediately turned ugly.


    At this moment, Zhong Yang came up with a smile, his words tinged with respect, "So Zhu Xiaozhu is your disciple, we were disrespectful earlier, I hope Ms. Shi won¡¯t take offense."


    At this point, Ling Chen gently touched Qiu Yong¡¯s forearm and asked softly, "Big brother, what¡¯s the story with this Ms. Shi? Seeing Old Man Qu¡¯s expression, he seems quite afraid of her."


    Qiu Yong responded with surprise, "She is your friend, don¡¯t you know who her master is?"


    Ling Chen touched his nose. He truly didn¡¯t know as he had never discussed Zhu Xiaozhu¡¯s master with her before.


    "That woman is named Shi Su, born into a family of traditional Chinese medicine practitioners. Her medical skills are exceptionally brilliant. In terms of traditional Chinese medicine skills alone, looking throughout Huaxia domestically, if she ims to be the second, probably no one dares to im the first. Not only that, even the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion Master once invited Shi Su to help treat illnesses. The Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion Master even publicly dered Shi Su as a friend of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, stating that anyone who dared to harm Shi Su would be opposing the entire Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion. Think about it, with the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion as her backer, who would dare provoke her?"


    So powerful!


    Ling Chen was secretly amazed, not expecting Zhu Xiaozhu¡¯s master to have such a profound background. No wonder the people of Qingyang Sect feared her. With the Heavenly Mechanism Great Ceremony currently ongoing, if Shi Su wanted to make life difficult for the people from Qingyang Sect, the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion would certainly cooperate.


    "My disciple, who was bullying you just now? Tell me, I will stand up for you."


    Hearing Shi Su speak up, Zhu Xiaozhu immediately directed her gaze towards the people from Qingyang Sect, preparing to speak, but then saw the Sect Leader Qu Yuan stride over, cupping his fists and saying: "Ms. Shi, the youngsters are ignorant, it is my Qingyang Sect¡¯s failure in teaching. I apologize on their behalf to Miss Zhu and ask you to give me, Qu, a face, and let this matter rest. I assure that such things will not happen again."


    "You assure?" Facing Qu Yuan who was admitting his fault, Shi Su seemed unappeased and coldly said: "My disciple doesn¡¯t know martial arts. If it weren¡¯t for someone stepping in to help just now, your disciples might have already seeded in their attempt. For scum like them, not only do you not punish them severely, but you also speak on their behalf, which fits the old saying perfectly: ¡¯A crooked beam makes a crooked rafter.¡¯ Sect Leader Qu, it¡¯s apparent that your character isn¡¯t that great either."


    Being publicly questioned about his character, Qu Yuan¡¯s old face couldn¡¯t hold. However, thinking of Shi Su¡¯s status, Qu Yuan had to suppress his anger, speaking sternly: "Then what should I do to satisfy Ms. Shi?"


    "The Heavenly Mechanism Great Ceremony has its rules. Zhong Yang, this matter should be handled by the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion."


    "Yes, Ms. Shi," Zhong Yang instantly understood, turning to face Qu Yuan and said: "Sect Leader Qu, ording to the rules of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, anyone who vites regtions, given the severity of the situation, will be convicted. Your several disciples behaved improperly, endangering others¡¯ safety. On behalf of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, I sentence each of them to fiftyshes and ten days imprisonment, do you have any objections?"


    After hearing Zhong Yang¡¯s verdict, Qu Yuan¡¯s face darkened, his eyes gloomy, suppressing the fury in his heart, he coldly said: "The Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion has spoken, how dare I object?"


    Upon hearing this, Xu Song and others¡¯ expressions changed drastically, and they hastily pleaded: "Master, you can¡¯t just stand by and watch us die. Fifty heavyshes will take half of our lives, Master..."


    "Shut up!" Qu Yuan yelled angrily: "You brought this upon yourselves, who can you me?" After speaking, Qu Yuan¡¯s gaze shifted, his expression turned icy as he stared at Ling Chen, gritting his teeth: "What a freak, we shall see."


    Shi Su he dared not offend, thus he could only vent his anger on Ling Chen and the eight entrics.


    Qiu Yong snorted coldly, fearlessly saying: "You¡¯re wee to bring trouble from Qingyang Sect; we, the eight entrics, are always ready to entertain."


    After Qu Yuan left with his subordinates, Zhong Yang immediately ordered men to take Xu Song and others away.


    At this time, Shi Su, followed by Zhu Xiaozhu, walked up to Ling Chen, sizing him up, and lightly said: "Are you Ling Chen?"


    "Yes." Facing Zhu Xiaozhu¡¯s master, Ling Chen dared not be rude, greeting her respectfully: "I have seen Ms. Shi."


    "My disciple often mentioned you to me before, saying you are young and handsome, with good skills and talented."


    Ling Chen replied modestly, feeling embarrassed: "Not at all, Xiaozhu is exaggerating."


    "Not bad."


    Ling Chen was just being modest, but Shi Su nodded: "It seems you are self-aware. Indeed, you are not that outstanding,pared to the top five in the Neer List, you are far behind. I brought Xiaozhu here to introduce a promising young man to her. As her friend, if you really have her best interests at heart, I hope you will keep your distance from her in future to avoid unnecessary misunderstandings."

 Chapter 413 - 409: Estrangement

    <h4>Chapter 413: Chapter 409: Estrangement</h4><h4></h4>


    Shi Su¡¯s words suddenly made Ling Chen stunned; he didn¡¯t expect the other party to be so direct and disregard his feelings.


    Looking at the bbergasted Ling Chen, Zhu Xiaozhu¡¯s beautiful eyes carried a hint of apology. She hadn¡¯t expected her Master to speak such words in front of Ling Chen. Not just Ling Chen, even she felt somewhat ufortable after hearing these words.


    "Master..."


    "Enough, no more words. I¡¯ve said all I need to say. Xiaozhu, let¡¯s go."


    As Shi Su turned to leave with Zhu Xiaozhu, Xia Yue, who had been standing beside Ling Chen, could not suppress her anger and indignantly said, "You think my brother Ling Cheng is not good enough for your disciple, but your disciple might not necessarily be worthy of my brother Ling Cheng either."


    Hearing this, Shi Su turned back and said indifferently, "I¡¯ve heard enough of such self-deceiving words. Say whatever you want. In short, I don¡¯t want to see him hinder my disciple¡¯s future."


    "You..." Xia Yue became very agitated.


    "Sister Five." Ling Chen pulled Xia Yue back and shook his head at her, saying, "Why bother arguing with her kind of people."


    Xia Yue slightly frowned and said, "She spoke about you like that, aren¡¯t you angry?"


    Ling Chen shrugged and said, "What¡¯s the use of being angry? Besides, what she said is the truth; I indeed am not as good as the top five on the Neer List."


    "Ling Cheng is right," Qiu Yong patted Ling Chen¡¯s shoulder and said, "Instead of having the upper hand in words, it¡¯s better to speak with facts. Strength is everything, that has been the unchanging rule in Martial Arts for a thousand years. Let¡¯s go, let¡¯s head back."


    Back in his room, Ling Chen sat alone on the sofa, legs crossed, idly fiddling with the teacup in his hands. Although he outwardly imed not to care in front of Qiu Yong and the others, internally, he was quite troubled.


    Nothing frightens a man more than being looked down upon. Shi Su¡¯s words undoubtedly dealt a heavy blow to his self-esteem.


    Ling Chen scratched his head, his expression somewhat helpless. Now in a good situation, had one Yi Shuiyan to deal with, and now another Qu Jinxian had emerged. What was worse, both individuals were ranked fourth and third on the Neer List, respectively, both difficult adversaries.


    Just then, the telephone in the guest room rang.


    Ling Chen picked up the receiver and greeted, "Who is it?"


    "Brother Ling Cheng, it¡¯s me." Wei Jiahao¡¯s voice came through the phone, "I just saw the Dangyang Sect people boarding the ship. Both Yi Shuiyan and Qin Wu have arrived. Big brother asked me to remind you, before the Heavenly Mechanism Great Ceremony officially starts, try to avoid conflicts with the Dangyang Sect to not offend the rules of Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion."


    "Don¡¯t worry, I know."


    After hanging up the phone, Ling Chen immediately felt a sense of crisis. The gap between him and Yi Shuiyan was evident; even after nearly two months of special training, it would still be difficult to close this gap.


    On this point, Ling Chen was very clear. To win, he needed a lot of luck. Although it frustrated him, he had to admit, luck was the key to his victory.


    Sighing, Ling Chen put aside the distracting thoughts in his mind, and prepared to take advantage of the time to diligently practice the Prajnaparamita Sutra.


    Polishing the gun before battle, even if not sharp, it would shine, always serving a purpose.


    But at that moment, someone gently knocked on the room door. Ling Chen walked to the door and pulled it open. Instantly, a faint fragrance wafted in.


    Looking at the visitor outside the door, Ling Chen was slightly stunned. He had thought it would be Qiu Yong or someone else, but he had never expected it to be Zhu Xiaozhu.


    Coming back to his senses, Ling Chen smiled, "What brings you here?"


    Zhu Xiaozhu bit her thin lips, nced left and right down the hallway, and asked softly, "Can Ie in?"


    Without any hesitation, Ling Chen stepped aside to wee Zhu Xiaozhu into the room. After she had taken a seat, Ling Chen brewed a cup of tea, brought it to Zhu Xiaozhu, and asked with a smile, "Aren¡¯t you afraid of what your master might say bying to see me?"


    "I¡¯m sorry!" Zhu Xiaozhu bowed her head, holding the teacup with both hands. The steam rising up blurred her delicate features, reminiscent of a silver moon reflecting in theke, exuding a hazy beauty.


    Hearing Zhu Xiaozhu¡¯s apology, Ling Chen generously waved his hand and said, "It¡¯s alright, no need to apologize. I¡¯m not that sensitive."


    "But I feel guilty. Master is usually very gentle and takes great care of me, but I didn¡¯t expect her to say those words to you, maybe it¡¯s because..." At this point, Zhu Xiaozhu unconsciously stopped talking, her face blushing slightly, her beautiful eyes shy, not daring to continue.


    Ling Chen, who hadn¡¯t noticed the shyness in Zhu Xiaozhu¡¯s eyes, asked curiously, "Because of what?"


    Zhu Xiaozhu¡¯s face turned redder, unable to meet Ling Chen¡¯s gaze, staring at the faintly rippling tea in the cup, she remained silent for a long time.


    Her childhood was unlike other girls; while other little girls had dolls, her only toys were silver needles and ancient medical books. She spent almost ten years under Shi Su¡¯s guidance, learning from her. It was only after she turned fifteen and had made some aplishments in medicine that she was allowed to leave.


    Therefore, in her childhood memories, it was not her parents who were important but her master, Shi Su. In her eyes, Shi Su was both a mentor and a friend. She confided everything to Shi Su, including her feelings for Ling Chen, especially after learning that Ling Chen was with Nanrong Wanqing, which left her heartbroken and urgently needing someone to talk to, making Shi Su the perfect confidant.


    Thus, Shi Su knew everything about her and Ling Chen.


    The unkind words Shi Su had to Ling Chen werergely out of a desire to defend her. For this, she felt very guilty, which was why she came to apologize to Ling Chen.


    However, this was not something she could tell Ling Chen, as it would only make their rtionship more awkward.


    Seeing that Zhu Xiaozhu was still not speaking, the somewhat slow Ling Chen finally realized that she was ufortable answering, so he decided not to press further and tried to change the subject. Yet, as he opened his mouth, he found himself at a loss for words, unsure of what to say.


    In the past, he and Zhu Xiaozhu could talk about anything and everything. However, since Zhu Hong appeared, there had been a subtle barrier between them, and their rtionship gradually faded.


    A significant reason might be his deliberate avoidance.


    He did this because he wanted to avoid hurting Zhu Xiaozhu. He knew very well that there was no possibility of reconciliation with Zhu Hong unless one of them died in battle. As Zhu Hong¡¯s sister, if Zhu Xiaozhu ever found out that he had killed Zhu Hong, she would probably never forgive him.


    It was better to cut off their camaraderie early, so if Zhu Xiaozhu ever learned the truth in the future, it wouldn¡¯t be as painful; at most, she would see him as an enemy.


    He¡¯d rather have Zhu Xiaozhu hate him than see her suffer through tremendous pain.


    Lost in thought, neither of them spoke, both silently sitting there like two quiet statues.


    Boom!


    Just then, a thunderous explosion suddenly erupted.

 Chapter 414 - 410: Unexpected Injury

    <h4>Chapter 414: Chapter 410: Unexpected Injury</h4><h4></h4>


    Apanied by a loud bang, the luxury cruise ship suddenly rocked. Sitting on the sofa, Ling Chen and Zhu Xiaozhu were affected by the shaking of the ship, their bodies immediately leaning to one side.


    However, Ling Chen was okay as he leaned backwards, but Zhu Xiaozhu, who was sitting opposite him, leaned forward, immediately losing her bnce and lunging into Ling Chen¡¯s arms.


    Seeing this, Ling Chen, fearing that Zhu Xiaozhu might get hurt, didn¡¯t dare to dodge and quickly opened his arms to embrace the lunging Zhu Xiaozhu. The fragrant and delicate body entering his arms, Zhu Xiaozhu¡¯s soft chest happened to hit Ling Chen¡¯s face.


    Instantly, Ling Chen felt his face enveloped by two soft and full mounds, the faint fragrance caused his heart to flutter.


    At this moment, the startled Zhu Xiaozhu came to her senses and saw the embarrassing posture between her and Ling Chen. Her pretty face instantly turned red, like the red glow on the horizon, radiantly beautiful.


    Suppressing the shyness in her heart, Zhu Xiaozhu quickly moved backwards, freeing Ling Chen¡¯s face from her bosom. However, just as she moved back, the ship shook again.


    This time, the direction of the ship¡¯s shaking was different, exactly opposite to before. As Zhu Xiaozhu moved backward, her feet slipped, and with a soft cry, she fell backward.


    Seeing Zhu Xiaozhu¡¯s head about to hit the corner of the rosewood sofa, Ling Chen panicked, without thinking too much, immediately reached out to encircle her slender waist. However, at this moment, Zhu Xiaozhu was off bnce, her body almost tilted at a forty-degree angle, and even though Ling Chen embraced her, he couldn¡¯t help her up.


    In a sh of thought, Ling Chen didn¡¯t think twice, quickly holding Zhu Xiaozhu¡¯s delicate body and turning, moving Zhu Xiaozhu above his own body.


    Bang!


    Protected by Ling Chen, Zhu Xiaozhu was safe, but Ling Chen¡¯s back heavily hit the sofa, his waist exactly against the corner of a rosewood sofa.


    This collision caused Ling Chen¡¯s face to instantly change, his entire face almost twisted, intense pain emanating from his waist, his whole body seemingly numbed, unable to move.


    Seeing Ling Chen¡¯s pained expression, Zhu Xiaozhu was startled and quickly reached out her hand to his arm, trying to pull him up.


    "Don¡¯t... don¡¯t move..." Ling Chen immediately stopped Zhu Xiaozhu¡¯s action.


    After taking a few deep breaths, Ling Chen¡¯s forehead began to sweat heavily. Once the pain slightly ebbed, with Zhu Xiaozhu¡¯s help, Ling Chen slowly walked back to the sofa.


    At this time, the ship was still rocking from side to side, but not as severely as before. Through the window, the thunderous sound of thunder and the torrential rain were clearly audible.


    On the sea, a storm is a terrifying existence. If it weren¡¯t for the sturdy construction of the luxury cruise ship to withstand the impact, it would probably have been flipped over by the waves in the storm.


    "Ling Chen, is your injury severe?" In the room, Zhu Xiaozhu looked at Ling Chen with concern.


    Ling Chen slightly lifted his lips, barely squeezing out a smile: "It¡¯s nothing, just need to rest a bit."


    Although he was saying it was nothing, he knew in his heart that the injury to his waist was very severe. He could only sit, fearing to walk around. He intentionally concealed his injury, to prevent Zhu Xiaozhu from feeling guilty.


    However, being a doctor, Zhu Xiaozhu is deeply skilled in diagnosis, how could she fail to notice the severity of Ling Chen¡¯s condition.


    "I¡¯ll take a look for you."


    After saying that, disregarding Ling Chen¡¯s refusal, Zhu Xiaozhu gently lifted Ling Chen¡¯s outer garment, revealing his lower back. Suddenly, a palm-sized bruise was visible.


    Seeing the injury on his body, Zhu Xiaozhu softly asked, "Does it hurt?"


    Ling Chen grinned and said, "Not at all."


    Hearing this, Zhu Xiaozhu gently pressed on the wound with her finger. Although Zhu Xiaozhu was very gentle, Ling Chen still gasped in pain, his body slightly trembling.


    "So severe, yet you say it doesn¡¯t hurt," Zhu Xiaozhu reproached him.


    "It¡¯s really fine, with my physical condition, a sleep will do," Ling Chen reassured.


    "How could that be okay? I¡¯ll treat your wound first, just wait." With that, Zhu Xiaozhu quickly ran into the bathroom. Soon after, she returned to Ling Chen¡¯s side with a first aid kit from the guest room.


    After about ten minutes, Ling Chen¡¯s bruised waist was treated with ointment, and a cooling sensation through his skin significantly reduced the pain.


    "Are you feeling better?" Zhu Xiaozhu looked up at Ling Chen and asked with concern.


    "Much better, thank you."


    "If it weren¡¯t for trying to save me, you wouldn¡¯t have gotten hurt, I should be the one thanking you. Alright, you should rest early, I wille again in the morning to help you change your bandages."


    After sending Zhu Xiaozhu off, Ling Chen supported himself with the armrest of the sofa, slowly stood up, and then walked towards the bedroom.


    However, just after taking two steps, a sharp pain suddenly shot through his spine, and his legs felt as if they had lost all sensation, his body immediately copsed onto the floor.


    This sudden mishap caused Ling Chen¡¯s injured waist to be impacted again, the pain was so severe he almost crushed his teeth.


    This is bad!


    Ling Chen furrowed his brows, a sense of foreboding arose in his heart; the injury he suffered seemed to be more severe than he had anticipated, even normal walking had be so difficult.


    In a couple of days, it will be the Heavenly Mechanism Great Ceremony, and he has topete in martial arts with Yi Shuiyan. With his current condition, how can he fight against Yi Shuiyan? He probably can¡¯t even make it onto the stage.


    Meanwhile, his legs gradually began to regain sensation.


    It¡¯s okay, just need to sleep it off, Ling Chenforted himself.


    ...


    The next day.


    After a night of stormy weather, the sky finally cleared up. A sliver of faint sunlight shone through the window,nding right on Ling Chen.


    Thud thud thud!


    "Ling Cheng."


    The sound of knocking apanied by Wei Jiahao¡¯s voice came from outside the door. Ling Chen, who was in deep sleep, immediately woke up. He rubbed his sleepy eyes and got ready to open the door. However, he discovered in horror that his lower body waspletely unresponsive, numb. Except for his upper body, which could still move, nearly the whole body was limp on the bed.


    How... how could this be? Ling Chen was terrified.


    One night had passed, and instead of alleviating, his injury seemed to have worsened.


    Thud thud thud!


    The knocking continued.


    Ling Chen tried several times, but his lower body continued to be unresponsive, as if paralyzed. Reluctantly, Ling Chen had to use the bedside telephone to call Qiu Yong¡¯s room.


    In less than two minutes, Qiu Yong and others, with the help of the staff, opened the door and entered.


    "Ling Cheng, what happened to you?"


    Looking at Ling Chen who was confined to his bed, Qiu Yong asked.


    Ling Chen smiled bitterly and said, "Big brother, it seems like my legs are ruined."


    "What?"


    Hearing this, everyone present was shocked, looking at him in disbelief.


    Yuan Yun said solemnly, "Last night when we parted, you were fine, how did it turn into this so quickly?"


    Ling Chen did not dare to conceal and recounted the event that happened in the roomst night.

 Chapter 415 - 411 Han Yu

    <h4>Chapter 415: Chapter 411 Han Yu</h4><h4></h4>


    "What should we do?" Xia Yue said with a worried heart: "The Heavenly Mechanism Great Ceremony is about to begin in one day. With you in this condition, how can youpete in martial arts with others?"


    Xu Ming indifferently said: "If we can¡¯tpete, then we won¡¯t. Health is the most important. What we should be concerned about right now is not the Heavenly Mechanism Great Ceremony, but Ling Cheng¡¯s injuries."


    Ling Chen looked at his own legs, his eyebrows slightly furrowed, his eyes shining with a Mo Che-like glint.


    "I must participate in this Heavenly Mechanism Great Ceremony."


    "No way!" Qiu Yong immediately refused: "How can you participate looking like this? Do you really want to end up with a lifelong disability?"


    Ling Chen shook his head, with a determined tone: "Big brother, I know you are worried about my injuries. However, now that we¡¯re here, we can¡¯t just drop out halfway. That would only turn us into aughing stock in the eyes of others." As soon as he finished speaking, without waiting for others to respond, Ling Chen continued: "My current injury should be temporary, not yet severe enough to cause paralysis. Eight younger brother, go get me a set of silver needles, I¡¯ll try to stimte my legs using the Acupuncture Technique."


    "Alright." Wei Jiahao agreed, and immediately set about doing as asked. Soon after, he brought over a set of silver needles to Ling Chen.


    Half an hour passed.


    Thud, thud, thud!


    A clear knocking sounded.


    The door opened, and Zhu Xiaozhu came in carrying a medicine chest. Looking at Ling Chen who appeared in front of her, she asked, "Did I disturb your rest?"


    Ling Chen smiled and replied: "I¡¯ve been up for a while."


    "How¡¯s the recovery from your injury?" Zhu Xiaozhu¡¯s bright, beautiful eyes were filled with concern.


    "Much better." As he spoke, Ling Chen hopped around on the spot and said with a smile: "See, I told you, didn¡¯t I? It¡¯s all good after a night¡¯s sleep."


    Seeing his unruffled demeanor, Zhu Xiaozhu was greatly relieved. She had been worried about Ling Chen¡¯s injuries the prior night, and did not sleep well. As soon as it was light, she hurried over to find Ling Chen, wanting to know how he was.


    "It¡¯s good that you¡¯re alright, let me help you change the ointment."


    "No need to bother, I¡¯ve already changed it." As soon as he finished speaking, Qiu Yong¡¯s voice came from inside the room: "Ling Cheng, who¡¯s there?"


    Zhu Xiaozhu nced at Ling Chen¡¯s back, nodded lightly, and said: "Alright then, I won¡¯t disturb you. You rest more and take care of your health."


    "I will."


    After sending Zhu Xiaozhu away, Ling Chen closed the door. As soon as he did, he leaned against the wall, his face twisted in pain, sweat streaming down his forehead.


    "Ling Cheng!"


    Yuan Yun and Xia Yue hurriedly ran over, supporting Ling Chen¡¯s arms, easing the weight on his legs, and moved him back to lying down on the bed.


    "What am I to do with you..." Seeing Ling Chen endure the torment of pain, Xia Yue shook her head helplessly, admonishing: "You¡¯ve obviously been seriously injured, yet you insist on putting up a front. Do you care that much about her feelings?"


    "I owe her too much, I don¡¯t want to make her worried." After a pause, Ling Chen changed the subject, smiled lopsidedly, and said: "Sister Five, didn¡¯t you also see? After the acupuncture just now, my legs have gone back to normal. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m fine. I¡¯m still waiting to properly take care of Yi Shuiyan."


    Qiu Yong nodded and said: "Okay then, as long as you feel there¡¯s no problem, that¡¯s fine. I¡¯ll have Sister Five stay and take care of you. If you need help with something, just give us a shout."


    "You just lie there, I¡¯ll go get you breakfast."


    After speaking, Xia Yue left the room with Qiu Yong and others.


    Once everyone had left, Ling Cheny alone on the bed, the smile on his face gradually fading. He was very clear about his own condition. Last night¡¯s ident clearly injured the nerves in his spine, otherwise he wouldn¡¯t have experienced this kind of situation.


    The reason he was able to regain sensation earlier was because he stimted several unconventional points with the Acupuncture Technique, forcibly restoring his legs. However, doing so came with severe consequences. If those points were stimted for a long time, it might very well lead to actual paralysis.


    Two days...


    Ling Chen muttered to himself, as long as he persisted for two more days, it would be fine once he finished handling the affairs.


    At this moment.


    Miss Zhu, carrying a medicine box, returned to the outside of her room.


    Just as she was about to enter, suddenly, a series of footsteps sounded near her ears, approaching from afar. Zhu Xiaozhu turned her head to look, only to see a young man, handsome and with an extraordinary temperament, walking towards her.


    The young man was about twenty-five or twenty-six years old, with handsome features, eyebrows sharp as swords and eyes bright as stars, with a standard height of one meter seventy-eight, hair cut evenly across his forehead, wearing a sunny smile on his face, exuding an energetic aura.


    "Xiaozhu."


    The young man greeted Zhu Xiaozhu with a smile.


    Zhu Xiaozhu responded politely, "Mr. Han, hello."


    "Xiaozhu, there¡¯s no need to be so formal, just call me Han Yu, you don¡¯t need to add ¡¯Mr.¡¯ in front," said Han Yu, ncing at the medicine box in Zhu Xiaozhu¡¯s hands, he asked, "Where did you just go? I was looking for you to have breakfast together but you weren¡¯t in your room."


    "A friend got injured, I went to help take a look," Zhu Xiaozhu said indifferently.


    "Your friend? Introduce me someday."


    "We¡¯ll see if there¡¯s a chance, Han..." Zhu Xiaozhu initially wanted to say Mr. Han, but after a moment¡¯s thought, she instead said, "Han Yu, if there¡¯s nothing else, I¡¯m going back to my room."


    "Don¡¯t go!" Han Yu spoke up, "Xiaozhu, your Master introduced us, hoping we could get to know each other better. The weather is nice today, how about we take a walk on the deck?"


    Zhu Xiaozhu hesitated for a moment then declined politely, "I¡¯m sorry, I didn¡¯t rest wellst night and would like to catch up on some sleep. We can chat another time."


    Having said that, before Han Yu could respond, Zhu Xiaozhu had already pushed the door and entered her room.


    Having been turned down by Zhu Xiaozhu, Han Yu appeared somewhat dejected.


    Last night, through the introduction by Shi Su, when he firstid eyes on Zhu Xiaozhu, he was taken aback by her beauty. This woman, gentle as water,pletely captivated him, rendering him helplessly smitten.


    He made up his mind then and there that he had to win over this woman by any means necessary.


    As he watched the tightly closed door, Han Yu stood at the doorstep for a moment before he had no choice but to leave reluctantly.


    Just then, a young man walked towards him in the corridor.


    Seeing the other person, Han Yu¡¯s gaze slightly narrowed, revealing a sharp edge.


    "Yi Shuiyan, long time no see."


    "Han Yu, your room doesn¡¯t seem to be on this floor."


    "That¡¯s none of your business."


    Yi Shuiyan was indifferent to Han Yu¡¯s tone, his eyes briefly swept over the room number beside Han Yu and the corner of his mouth immediately curved into an amused smile.


    "If I remember correctly, this room is upied by Ms. Shi¡¯s disciple, Miss Zhu. Do you have an interest in her?"


    Han Yu responded unceremoniously, "That¡¯s my business, mind your own."


    "I didn¡¯t mean anything by it, just a word of caution. If you have designs on Miss Zhu, you¡¯d better give up sooner rather thanter to avoid bringing trouble upon yourself."


    Hearing this, Han Yu immediately asked, "What do you mean?"


    "Just now when I went out, I happened to see Miss Zhu enter a man¡¯s room."


    "A man?" Han Yu¡¯s expression changed, his gaze turning cold in an instant, as he pressed, "Which man?"

 Chapter 416 - 412: Grand Ceremony Begins

    <h4>Chapter 416: Chapter 412: Grand Ceremony Begins</h4><h4></h4>


    "Ling Chen." Yi Shuiyan said with a smirk, "She went to find Ling Chen early in the morning on her own, yet you were turned away at the door. Han Yu, as a man, you should clearly understand what this means."


    "No, impossible!" Thinking of what Zhu Xiaozhu had just said, Han Yu argued, "She told me that she was just helping a friend seek medical treatment. Which woman doesn¡¯t have a few male friends? There¡¯s nothing strange about that."


    "If that¡¯s how you want to think, then I can¡¯t help you. But it¡¯s not just this morning; Miss Zhu also went to Ling Chen¡¯s roomst night and stayed for quite a while. Han Yu, a man and a woman alone together in a room, do you think it¡¯s just a simple friendship?"


    Last night...


    Han Yu raised an eyebrow; he had only just met Zhu Xiaozhust night. Could it be that after meeting him, she went to see another man?


    Yi Shuiyan fanned the mes from the side, "Han Yu, you better be careful. As far as I know, that Ling Chen is not simple; he has a way with women. In East Sea City, he has connections with many women. Han Yu, a big man like you, don¡¯t end up picking up leftovers."


    "Shut up!" Han Yu¡¯s face darkened as he scolded, "Don¡¯t you insult Xiaozhu! She¡¯s not that kind of person, I believe her. As for that Ling Chen you mentioned..." Han Yu snorted softly, coldly saying, "I will make him back off."


    "I¡¯m just kindly reminding you. What you do about it is your business, it has nothing to do with me. I have other things to attend to, we¡¯ll talk another day." Having said that, Yi Shuiyan stepped past Han Yu and walked into the guest room next to Zhu Xiaozhu¡¯s.


    Seeing that Yi Shuiyan was staying next door to Zhu Xiaozhu, Han Yu believed Yi Shuiyan¡¯s words a bit more.


    Ling Chen... Humph! I want to see what you are capable of, daring topete with me for a woman.


    ...


    The next day.


    The long-awaited Heavenly Mechanism Great Ceremony finallymenced.


    After breakfast, Ling Chen, apanied by Qiu Yong and others, went straight to the luxurious top-floor banquet hall of the cruise ship.


    The banquet hall was very spacious, capable of amodating four or five hundred people without feeling crowded. For this Heavenly Mechanism Great Ceremony, the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion had redesigned the entire banquet hall, simr to ancient Roman amphitheaters, surrounded by a giant circr arena with tiered seating. In the very center was a square tform, over thirty meters wide.


    The venue was covered entirely in red carpets, and hanging from the ceiling were more than a dozen crystalmps, the lights dazzling. Over forty members of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, dressed in uniform attire, stood in line respectfully, ushering guests to their seats one by one.


    Although it was merely a simple seat assignment, it also contained great significance. Major sects in the Martial Artsmunity had seats at the front, then ording to status and influence within Martial Arts, the arrangement followed in session, down to the veryst row.


    To Ling Chen¡¯s surprise, he was assigned a seat in the very front row.


    Sitting in his seat, Ling Chen looked around with interest, observing the attendees entering, among them some familiar faces.


    Such as Tiger List masters he had previously shed with, the brothers Qiu Wen and Qiu Wu, and even Jiang Family¡¯s Jiang Hanlin was there. However, they weren¡¯t as lucky as Ling Chen to get front row seats and were sitting in the third row.


    Just in terms of ranking on the Tiger List, Ling Chen was not higher than Jiang Hanlin. This showed that the special treatment he was enjoying was thanks to the reputation of the "Eight entrics."


    Through this, Ling Chen gained a more direct understanding of the status of the "Eight entrics" in the Martial Artsmunity, being on par with those major sects with substantial influence.


    When Ling Chen noticed Jiang Hanlin, thetter also took notice of him. However,pared to Ling Chen¡¯s calmness, Jiang Hanlin¡¯s eyes revealed a chilling coldness and resentment.


    Initially, when Ling Chen went to rescue Nanrong Wanqing from the Jiang Family, he punched Jiang Hanlin¡¯s son, Jiang Han, to the ground out of anger, leaving him as a nearly dead vegetative person. Such a deep-rooted enmity was not something Jiang Hanlin would easily let go of.


    Feeling the harsh gaze from behind, Ling Chenpletely ignored it. At this moment, his attention was caught by Yi Shuiyan who had just entered.


    Yi Shuiyan was the same as when theyst met, unchanged, holding a steel knife with his head held high and chest out, elegant and towering. By his side was a remarkably beautiful woman, his junior martial sister, Qin Wu.


    Besides these two, Ling Chen also saw Liu Yunsong from the Dangyang Sect and another middle-aged man with a distinguished presence. As the four walked in, Liu Yunsong and Qin Wu closely followed behind, highlighting the status of the middle-aged man.


    "Who is that man, Elder Qiu?"


    "That¡¯s Zhu Jin, the Sect Leader of the Dangyang Sect," Qiu Yong replied.


    Meanwhile, the Sect Leader of Qingyang Sect, Qu Yuan, entered the venue with his disciples and Qu Jinxian.


    As the two Sects took their seats, almost simultaneously, both Sect Leaders¡¯ gazes sharply turned towards the eight entrics, their eyes fierce with a hint of chill.


    Feeling those eyes wandering over him, Ling Chen couldn¡¯t help but touch his nose, pretending not to see it.


    By 9 a.m., the spacious venue was filled with people.


    With everyone present, the Heavenly Mechanism Great Ceremony officially began.


    Apanied by a loud gong sound, the noisy venue gradually quieted down, and everyone¡¯s gaze converged on the central tform.


    At this moment, a man about sixty years old, dressed in traditional Tang attire and full of energy, stepped onto the tform, greeted everyone with a fist salute and cheerfully said, "My name is Zhou Qi. I have the honor to be the host of this session of the Heavenly Mechanism Great Ceremony as entrusted by the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion Master. If there are any shorings in our hospitality, please be forgiving."


    Ling Chen originally thought that the Heavenly Mechanism Great Ceremony would have an borate opening ceremony, being a major event in the martial arts world. Instead, Zhou Qi briefly exchanged pleasantries and directly announced the start of the ceremony.


    "Ladies and gentlemen, this year¡¯s rules are the same as usual, with two rounds: the Heavenly Mechanism Chaos Battle and thepetition for new talents. Everyone is presumably familiar with the rules of the Heavenly Mechanism Chaos Battle. Whoever canst five unbeaten matches on the tform can choose from abundant rewards, be it martial arts heart methods or elixirs."


    After listening to Zhou Qi¡¯s introduction, Ling Chen quietly asked, "Big brother, what exactly is an elixir?"


    "There are many types of elixirs, some for curing diseases and healing injuries, and others for enhancing inner strength. They are all quite effective."


    Ling Chen clicked his tongue, "I always thought elixirs were just fictional things from martial arts novels. I didn¡¯t expect they really existed."


    "That¡¯s because you¡¯re uninformed." Xia Yue, walking beside Ling Chen, said, "Elixirs are actually the essence of ancient Chinese medicine. Simply put, they are a type of medicine. However, the elixirs from Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion are special, specifically designed for martial artists."


    Ling Chen, intrigued, asked, "So taking an elixir asionally can increase one¡¯s martial prowess by ten years?"


    Xia Yue gave him a look and said unenthusiastically, "You¡¯ve been reading too many martial arts novels. There¡¯s no such miraculous effect."

 Chapter 417 - 413 Heavenly Mechanism Chaos Battle

    <h4>Chapter 417: Chapter 413 Heavenly Mechanism Chaos Battle</h4><h4></h4>


    "The effects of the pills are indeed good, but not as magical as you described," Qiu Yong said. "The pills crafted by Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion are different from ordinary ones; each batch takes years to perfect. They greatly aid those practicing martial arts by improving physique and speeding up the cultivation of their skills. However, while the pills are beneficial, one can at most consume one. Overconsumption will only lead to the body developing resistance and nullifying their effects."


    After listening to Qiu Yong¡¯s exnation, Ling Chen nodded, and with curiosity, he asked, "Big brother, those novels often mention Shaolin¡¯s Great Rejuvenation Pill. Is that real?"


    Qiu Yong affirmed, "The Great Rejuvenation Pill truly exists, but its effects are not as astonishing as the books im. Across the Martial Arts circles today, there are only two kinds of pills with the most significant effects¡ªone being the Heavenly Mechanism Pill crafted by Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, and the other is the Xiangrun Pill from the Shi Family."


    "Shi Family?"


    "That¡¯s Shi Su¡¯s family; they hail from a lineage of traditional Chinese medicine, profoundly knowledgeable about ancient Chinese medical practices. Throughout Huaxia¡¯s history of thousands of years, much of the essence of traditional Chinese medicine has been lost, only the Shi Family has preserved itpletely. The Xiangrun Pill they craft is even slightly superior to the ordinary Heavenly Mechanism Pill. However, I¡¯ve heard that the ingredients required for the Xiangrun Pill are extremely precious, making them very scarce, and the Shi Family only has two or three pills in stock."


    "Big brother, you just mentioned the ordinary Heavenly Mechanism Pill, does that mean there are different kinds?"


    "Indeed. There are three types of Heavenly Mechanism Pills crafted by Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion. Although they share the same name, their effects vary. There¡¯s the ordinary, the premium, and the top grade¡ªeach corresponding to different groups: the Tiger List, the Dragon List, and the Earthly List. Otherwise, why do you think the Heavenly Mechanism Great Ceremony attracts so many participants? It¡¯s because of the Heavenly Mechanism Pill."


    During the conversation, Zhou Qi, who was in charge, announced loudly, "Ladies and gentlemen, today is the first day, and Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion has specially prepared six prizes, plus a grand prize that includes a premium Heavenly Mechanism Pill. So if you¡¯re interested, don¡¯t hesitate, or you might miss out on something good. Now, who would like to be the first on stage?"


    "I¡¯ll give it a try."


    As soon as Zhou Qi finished speaking, a middle-aged man stood up from the crowd and walked up to the stage with firm strides, greeting everyone with a fist and palm salute.


    "Is there anyone who would like toe up and offer guidance?"


    "I¡¯ll take you on." Someone immediately responded, ready to challenge.


    The rules of the Heavenly Mechanism Chaos Battle were simple¡ªanyone who could maintain five consecutive victories on the tform could take home a prize. As simple as it sounds, fulfilling it was not easy.


    Witnessing the back-and-forth between the two men on the stage, Ling Chen was secretly astounded. As expected of the Heavenly Mechanism Great Ceremony, none of those invited by Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion were weak, including these two seemingly obscure men whose strength was not less than those on the Tiger List.


    "Ling Cheng, watch closely; you might learn some experience," Qiu Yong reminded.


    "Got it."


    While Ling Chen was enjoying thepetition on the stage, he felt an intermittent gaze sweeping over from the opposite side.


    Ling Chen looked up to see someone seated at the other end of the tform¡ªit was Zhu Xiaozhu. As their gazes met, Zhu Xiaozhu turned her head away bashfully, her cheeks slightly flushed as she watched the contest on the stage absent-mindedly.


    Neither Ling Chen nor Zhu Xiaozhu noticed that their inadvertent actions had been observed by someone nearby.


    At that moment, a clear gong sound resonated, and the contenders on the stage had concluded their match, determining the victor by point scoring. The middle-aged man who went up first seeded in holding the stage.


    Half an hour passed, and the middle-aged man won four rounds in a row, but unfortunately lost in thest match, narrowly missing out on Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion¡¯s generous reward.


    By noon, no one had seeded in iming a prize.


    "Ladies and gentlemen, this morning¡¯s Heavenly Mechanism Chaos Battle hase to an end. Please take a break; we will continue at two o¡¯clock in the afternoon."


    Hearing Zhou Qi¡¯s words, everyone stood up and walked in groups toward the restaurant on the magnificent cruise ship. After watching the battles all morning, they were famished.


    The restaurant offered a buffet with a wide variety of food, both Chinese and Western, and even the chefs were top-tier chefs from star-rated hotels. In terms of food and amodation, Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion was far from stingy, aiming to provide everyone with the best service.


    "Ling Cheng, eat more, the main event is in the afternoon," Qiu Yong patted Ling Chen¡¯s shoulder and said.


    Ling Chen grinned and said, "Big brother, I never treat myself poorly when ites to eating." After saying that, he picked up two tes piled with food and sat down at a dining table.


    Just as he was about to start eating, Ling Chen suddenly felt a sharp gaze staring right at him, very close by.


    He slowly lifted his head and looked across the table, only to see a young man leaning on the table, looking down at him with displeasure.


    Ling Chen put down the salt and pepper shrimp in his hand and smiled, "My friend, if you want to eat, go get your own. What are you looking at me for?"


    "The surname is Ling, cut the crap with me," the young man said coldly. "I¡¯m warning you, stay away from Xiaozhu. If you dare to so much as nce at her again, I¡¯ll gouge out your eyes."


    Hearing the young man¡¯s threat, the smile on Ling Chen¡¯s face gradually faded and he replied indifferently, "Who are you?"


    "Han Yu! If you want to leave this ship in one piece, remember what I¡¯ve said." After speaking, Han Yu nced at Qiu Yong and the othersing over and turned to leave.


    Watching Han Yu¡¯s retreating back, Ling Chen slightly furrowed his brows.


    Han Yu? The Han Yu who¡¯s ranked second on the Neer List?


    Damn it! Who have I offended? Why does everyone from the Neer List find trouble with me? I¡¯ve never even interacted with Han Yu.


    Xiaozhu?


    That¡¯s right!


    Thinking of Han Yu¡¯s words just now, Ling Chen instantly realized that it was all because of Zhu Xiaozhu.


    He vaguely remembered that the night he met with Shi Su, he was told that there was a young prodigy a thousand times better than him being introduced to his disciple. Could that person be Han Yu?


    Darn!


    Ling Chen couldn¡¯t help but want to curse. Why was his luck so terrible, to be inexplicably making enemies and being threatened like this? Did he look like someone who was easy to bully?


    "Ling Cheng, what are you thinking about?"


    Wei Jiahao¡¯s voice reached him, and Ling Chen looked down and fiddled with the pepper salt shrimp on his te, casually saying, "It¡¯s nothing."


    After lunch, everyone returned to their rooms for a rest. At two o¡¯clock in the afternoon, they gathered at the venue once again.


    The host, Zhou Qi, walked up to the center of the arena with a smile and said, "To save everyone¡¯s time, make up your minds. If you want toe up, juste up. I won¡¯t bother with any more talk."


    As soon as the voice fell, Ling Chen saw Yuan Yun, who was sitting next to Xia Yue, get up and walk towards the ring.


    "Third brother?"


    Ling Chen paused, then quickly turned his gaze to Qiu Yong and the others, only to see them all with calm expressions, not at all surprised by Yuan Yun¡¯s move.


    "Big brother, did you all know that third brother was going up?"


    Qiu Yong nodded and said, "Your third brother is worried about your injury, so he wants to win a Heavenly Mechanism Pill for you, to give you a better chance when you face Yi Shuiyan."


    Hearing this, Ling Chen felt warmth in his eyes and a touch of emotion welled up in his heart.


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 Chapter 418 - 414 Yuan Yun Goes into Battle

    <h4>Chapter 418: Chapter 414 Yuan Yun Goes into Battle</h4><h4></h4>


    As Yuan Yun entered the arena, a considerable stir arose in the venue, with everyone discussing animatedly and showing surprise on their faces. No one expected Yuan Yun to make a move at this time.


    From their perspective, even if Yuan Yun were to act, it would be to vie for the grand prize, because only the grand prize contained a high-quality Heavenly Mechanism Pill. But what they didn¡¯t know was that Yuan Yun was not doing this for himself, but for Ling Chen.


    Only a Dragon List expert could consume a high-quality Heavenly Mechanism Pill, and Ling Chen¡¯s current strength was still in the Tiger List; even if he were given a high-quality Heavenly Mechanism Pill, he wouldn¡¯t be able to fully absorb its potency. Hence, it would be more cost-effective to go for a regr Heavenly Mechanism Pill, without expending so much effort in the contest.


    Seeing Yuan Yun standing proudly in the center of the arena, de in hand, looking around with a daunting gaze, no one came down to challenge him.


    Zhou Qi, standing beside the stage, looked at the time and reminded everyone, "Ladies and gentlemen, there are two minutes left. If no onees onto the stage within five minutes, the contestant will automatically win."


    Hearing this, some started to grow restless. However, considering Yuan Yun¡¯s identity, the crowd hesitated.


    The Eight entrics, each with their unique extraordinary skills, were recognized in the Martial Arts world for their impressive strength. Anyone thinking of taking the stage would have to first weigh whether they were truly qualified.


    Moreover, the most crucial rule of the Heavenly Mechanism Chaos Battle was that each person had only one chance. Once defeated, they could not take the stage again. As a result, everyone wanted to save their opportunity for a moment when they were most confident.


    "Does no one wish to take the stage?" Zhou Qi called out again, unwilling to ept the silence.


    Everyone looked at each other, without a single response.


    "I¡¯ve long heard of the formidable strength of the Eight entrics. I shall experience it myself, then."


    A snarky voice rang out, drawing everyone¡¯s gaze to the Qingyang Sect¡¯s seating area. A man in his thirties stood up from his seat and walked up to the stage.


    The middle-aged man was tall and thin, with a sickly pallor thatpletelycked the vigorous energy typical of men.


    Upon seeing this middle-aged man, a surprised murmur rose from the crowd, and even Qiu Yong and others turned serious. Ling Chen, concerned, asked, "Big brother, who is that man?"


    Qiu Yong frowned and replied, "Zhu Xi, Qu Yuan¡¯s Junior Brother, a Dragon List expert."


    Ling Chen¡¯s expression changed. It was a Dragon List expert. The Qingyang Sect¡¯s interference at this time was probably in retaliation for the incident that night. As he pondered, Zhu Xi had already approached Yuan Yun, smiling ominously, "Yuan Yun, fighting may lead to idental injuries. Don¡¯t me me if you get hurtter."


    Yuan Yun responded indifferently, "We¡¯ll see if you¡¯re capable enough."


    As soon as he finished speaking, Zhu Xi¡¯s eyes sharpened, and his hands rapidly reached for his waist. With just a sh of cold light, Zhu Xi had already moved close to Yuan Yun, with both glimmers of cold steel aiming for Yuan Yun¡¯s neck.


    Faced with Zhu Xi¡¯s assault, Yuan Yun remainedposed, moving swiftly at the feet, constantly changing position, dodging Zhu Xi¡¯s attacks. In his hands, the steel de remained unengaged, as he patiently waited for the right moment.


    In the blink of an eye, the two had exchanged more than a dozen moves. Zhu Xi maintained the initiative throughout, relentless after more than a dozen attacks, bing increasingly fierce.


    Ling Chen noticed that Zhu Xi held a short curved de in each hand, employing tricky techniques specially targeting those spots hard to defend against. Not only that, Zhu Xi had extensivebat experience. He knew well the advantage of greater reach, thus he kept to close-quarterbat, limiting the efficacy of Yuan Yun¡¯s steel de.


    At this point, Yuan Yun, who had been on the defensive, started to lose patience. With a flick of his wrist, the steel de swung up rapidly, spinning like a windmill and pushing Zhu Xi back several steps. Without hesitation, Yuan Yun¡¯s toe tapped the ground, the steel de raised high overhead, swinging down directly towards Zhu Xi¡¯s head.


    Faced with the fierce de wind, Zhu Xi immediately raised the two short curved des, crossing them against each other to form an ¡¯X¡¯, managing to brace against the steel de forcibly.


    Before Yuan Yun could draw back his broadsword, Zhu Xi¡¯s lips curved in a sneer, a chilly gleam in his eyes. He forcefully mped his twin hook swords around the de, effectively locking it in ce.


    Taking advantage of the moment, the two hook swords slid along the broadsword, sparking brilliant fire as they went. In an instant, they were pushed up to the hilt of the broadsword.


    "Let go!"


    Zhu Xi shouted coldly, his hook swords raised high, showing no mercy as he aimed a chop at Yuan Yun¡¯s wrist.


    Seeing this, Yuan Yun¡¯s face darkened. He immediately released his right hand from the grip of the sword, evading Zhu Xi¡¯s strike.


    Onlookers of the battle couldn¡¯t help but shake their heads as they saw Yuan Yun¡¯s broadsword slip from his grasp.


    The oue of the battle was now determined.


    Everyone knew that Yuan Yun¡¯s greatest strengthy in his sword technique. Without his sword, he was like a gunman without a gun, incapable of demonstrating his true abilities.


    In the spectator seats, Ling Chen couldn¡¯t help but clench his fists, anxiously watching Yuan Yun, his face etched with tension.


    "Don¡¯t worry." Qiu Yong, who noticed Ling Chen¡¯s restlessness, reassured him, "With your third brother¡¯s skill, he won¡¯t be defeated so easily."


    As they spoke, the fight on the stage took another turn.


    Before the broadsword even touched the ground, Yuan Yun twisted his body, avoiding Zhu Xi¡¯s attack. With one quick movement, his left hand grabbed the floating broadsword securely.


    Zhu Xi pressed on step by step, his hook swords cleaving from left and right, aiming straight for Yuan Yun¡¯s shoulders. Pressed for time and unable to switch his sword hand, Yuan Yun could only wield his left arm, directing the broadsword backward in a sh.


    ng! ng!


    With two crisp sounds, the des of the hook swords were instantly struck by the broadsword, deflecting off course and missing Yuan Yun¡¯s shoulders.


    With his offense thwarted, Zhu Xi frowned inwardly, not content to admit defeat and advanced again. But before he could close the distance, a fierce gust of de wind suddenly bore down on him.


    Watching the broadsword descend upon his head, Zhu Xi smirked coldly.


    The same move again? Had he forgotten the lesson from before?


    Without overthinking, Zhu Xi swiftly raised his hook swords above his head, crossed them into an ¡¯X¡¯, ready to block the iing de.


    However, as the broadsword came down, Zhu Xi only felt his arms sink heavily. The fierce power instantly broke through his defense; his hook swords didn¡¯t stand against the broadsword for even a second before it prated through, crashing harshly onto his left shoulder.


    Feeling the pain in his left shoulder, Zhu Xi¡¯s face drastically changed. Simultaneously, members of the Qingyang Sect stood up, ring at Yuan Yun with fury, eximing, "Audacious! Yuan Yun, how dare you injure someone from our Qingyang Sect."


    "Combates with the risk of injury. Stepping into the arena means being prepared for it. Sect Leader Qu, is the Qingyang Sect trying to use its influence to pressure others?"


    The speaker wasn¡¯t Yuan Yun, but Zhou Qi. He swept a nce over the people of the Qingyang Sect and said in a detached tone, "Everyone, please sit down and don¡¯t block those behind you."

 Chapter 419 - 415 Heavenly Mechanism Pill

    <h4>Chapter 419: Chapter 415 Heavenly Mechanism Pill</h4><h4></h4>


    Qu Yuan looked grimly at Yuan Yun, not daring to defy Zhou Qi¡¯s words, and sat back down obediently.


    After scolding the members of the Qingyang Sect, Qu Yuan turned his head to look at Yuan Yun and Zhu Xi on the stage, smiling as he said, "Brother Yuan is truly an expert with the de. Zhu Xi, you should thank him quickly for showing mercy. If Brother Yuan had not held back, you¡¯d be disabled by now."


    Hearing this, Zhu Xi suddenly realized that it was the back of the de, not the cutting edge, that hadnded on his left shoulder. Otherwise, his left arm would likely have been ruined.


    Zhu Xi secretly sighed in relief, looked at Yuan Yun in front of him, and said in a deep voice, "The Eight entrics truly live up to their reputation." After saying this, without even voicing a word of thanks, he turned around and went back to the seats of the Qingyang Sect.


    Zhou Qi shook his head. Zhu Xi was too narrow-minded. Even as a Dragon List expert, it would be difficult for him to achieve anything great in the future.


    "Alright! The first stage duel is over, Yuan Yun wins. Is there anyone else who wishes to challenge?"


    Zhou Qi looked around at the audience, but no one responded.


    At this moment, Ling Chen, sitting below the stage, watched Yuan Yun holding his de, his expression one of contemtion.


    "Big Brother."


    "What is it?"


    "Third Brother, he..."


    "You¡¯ve noticed?" Qiu Yong smiled slightly and said, "The real power of your Third Brother lies in his left-handed de, not his right hand. The same move has an entirely different effect when executed with the left handpared to the right¡ªthis is his true strength."


    So that was it!


    It wasn¡¯t until this moment that Ling Chen realized Yuan Yun had always kept his skill hidden. Without the element of surprise, he probably wouldn¡¯t have won so easily.


    "Is there no one else?" Zhou Qi stood on the stage, calling out several times, but still no one came forward to challenge. It was a joke; even a Dragon List expert was no match for Yuan Yun, who else would dare to go up? Although there were quite a few experts present, they didn¡¯t want to waste their chances on Yuan Yun¡ªwhat they were targeting was the grand prize from the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion.


    Five minutes passed, and seeing that no one challenged, ording to the rules, Yuan Yun automatically won and received a generous prize.


    Back at his seat, Yuan Yun passed the newly acquired wooden box to Ling Chen and said, "Try the effect when you get backter."


    Ling Chen didn¡¯t put on any airs; he carefully stowed the wooden box away, keeping all his gratitude in his heart, waiting for an opportunity to repay the favor in the future.


    The afternoon quickly passed, and after Yuan Yun, another twenty or thirty people participated in the Heavenly Mechanism Chaos Battle, but only three of the prepared prizes were given out, showing the fierce level ofpetition.


    ...


    After having dinner, Ling Chen couldn¡¯t wait to return to his room, locked the door, then sat cross-legged on the bed and took out that wooden box. He opened the lid, and insidey a pure white medicinal pill, about the size of a lychee, emitting a faint fragrance.


    Ling Chen carefully held the pill in his hand and ced it directly into his mouth.


    The pill melted upon entering his mouth, immediately turning into a sweet liquid that flowed down his throat, reminiscent of sugary water.


    After consuming the pill, Ling Chen cleared his mind of distractions, sat quietly on the bed, eyes slightly closed, feeling the changes within himself. However, minutes passed, and there was no reaction in his body.


    Ling Chen opened his eyes, feeling puzzled. Could there be a problem with the pill, seeing as there was no sensation even after all this time?


    Just as he was thinking, Ling Chen suddenly felt a warmth spreading through his body, as if a zing me had risen in his abdomen, burning his body, with sweat continuously seeping out from his pores. In no time, his skin was covered in beads of sweat, even soaking his clothes.


    After another half an hour, Ling Chen felt ufortable all over, especially on the surface of his skin where ayer of sticky substance had formed, giving off an irritating odor, making him badly want to wash it off immediately.


    Considering it might be the effect of the Heavenly Mechanism Pill, Ling Chen held his breath in concentration, quietly sitting cross-legged.


    He didn¡¯t know how long had passed, but when Ling Chen woke up again, it was pitch ck outside the window, and the waves were raging¡ªit was already midnight. Ling Chen was secretly shocked; he hadn¡¯t realized so much time had passed.


    At this moment, his skin was covered with ayer of gray powdery substance, seemingly hardened from that sticky material.


    Seeing that his body had returned to normal, Ling Chen immediately got up and ran into the bathroom, washing away the filth from his body with hot water.


    After everything was done, for some reason, Ling Chen felt an overwhelming sleepiness, utterly devoid of energy, his whole body weary, only wanting to fall asleep.


    He had wanted to persevere, to see the changes in himself. But Ling Chen simply couldn¡¯t resist andid straight down on the bed. In less than ten seconds, his snoring started up immediately.


    ...


    Knock knock knock!


    The clear knocking sound entered his ears and Ling Chen, groggy, opened his eyes, yawning and sitting up from the bed.


    "Coming!"


    Stretching, Ling Chen rubbed his sleepy eyes and walked towards the door. Not far out, Ling Chen suddenly stopped in his tracks, looking at his body with a face full of surprise.


    Just now, he had felt different from before; his body had be lighter and more effortless to move, that indescribable feeling was wonderful.


    Knock knock knock! Knock knock knock!


    Hearing the persistent knocking, Ling Chen snapped back to reality and quickly ran to the door, opening it to see Qiu Yong and the others all standing outside.


    "Big Brother, Second Brother..." Ling Chen weed them in, greeting everyone in turn.


    Qiu Yong sized up Ling Chen and said with a smile, "Did everyone notice that something seems different about Ling Cheng?"


    Xia Yue nodded and agreed, "It must be the effect of the Heavenly Mechanism Pill." After speaking, Xia Yue curiously asked, "Ling Cheng, how do you feel?"


    "Fantastic!" Ling Chen grinned and said, "Like I¡¯ve received a younger body."


    "The main effect of the Heavenly Mechanism Pill is to change your physique; it won¡¯t do much for power enhancement, but if we go to the martial arts practice fieldter, we¡¯ll see the real effects," Yuan Yun interjected.


    "Enough talk, let¡¯s go and witness it already," Xia Yue said eagerly, hastening Ling Chen out the door.


    The luxurious cruise ship was fully equipped, including an independent martial arts training ground.


    After everyone arrived, Yuan Yun drew out his steel saber and walked to the center of the field, throwing Ling Chen a look, signaling him to attack.


    Ling Chen did not hold back, approaching barehanded.


    "Third Brother, be careful."


    As he spoke, Ling Chen took in a deep breath, his legs kicked forcefully, like an arrow off the string, he quickly rushed in front of Yuan Yun and threw a punch.


    Watching the sparring and Ling Chen¡¯s performance, Qiu Yong, and the others nodded continuously from the sidelines.


    "Not bad, faster than before, and the reaction is much more sensitive. Third Brother¡¯s hard work has not been in vain; the Heavenly Mechanism Pill is indeed good stuff."


    Hearing Qiu Yong¡¯sment, Xia Yue said with a smile, "Big Brother, I think you should try andpete for that grand prize. If an ordinary Heavenly Mechanism Pill has such good effects, a high-quality Heavenly Mechanism Pill must be extraordinary, it might greatly help in enhancing your strength."

 Chapter 420 - 416: Accidentally Entering the Boudoir

    <h4>Chapter 420: Chapter 416: identally Entering the Boudoir</h4><h4></h4>


    "Let¡¯s see when the timees."


    During the conversation, Ling Chen, who was practicing with Yuan Yun, suddenly lost his bnce and stumbled forward. Thankfully, Yuan Yun reacted quickly and caught his arm, preventing him from falling to the ground.


    Seeing this, Qiu Yong and the others rushed over to the sitting, pained-faced Ling Chen and asked with concern, "Junior Brother, what happened?"


    Ling Chen stretched his hand to rub his lower back and said with a bitter smile, "The injury acted up again."


    Upon hearing this, everyone¡¯s expressions instantly turned grave.


    "Big Brother, can¡¯t the Heavenly Mechanism Pill cure Junior Brother¡¯s injury?" Xia Yue asked.


    Before Qiu Yong could speak, Xu Ming shook his head and said, "If it was an internal injury, the Heavenly Mechanism Pill might be somewhat effective, but Junior Brother has sustained external injuries; we can only treat it through recuperation."


    "What should we do then?" Xia Yue¡¯s tone was filled with urgency and worry, "Thepetition is tomorrow, and with his current condition, even if he goes on the stage, he won¡¯t be able topete."


    "It¡¯s okay." Ling Chen forced a smile and said, "I can endure it. Big Brother, please take me back to my room to rest."


    Qiu Yong nodded, and Wei Jiahao along with Xia Yue supported Ling Chen as they left the training ground.


    As the group was leaving the training ground, heading back to the rooms, a group of people approached from the opposite direction, led by Yi Shuiyan, followed by Qin Wu and others.


    Seeing Ling Chen being assisted in his walk, a hardly perceptible cold glint shed in Yi Shuiyan¡¯s eyes. He sneered as he walked by without saying a word.


    "Senior Brother, looking at Ling Chen, it seems like he¡¯s seriously injured," Qin Wu said.


    "That¡¯s not my concern," Yi Shuiyan said coldly. "Whether he¡¯s injured or not, I must get the Tianling de."


    "What if he withdraws from thepetition at thest minute?" Qin Wu expressed her concern, "With the eight odd characters protecting him, we might not be able to snatch the Tianling de back."


    Hearing this, Yi Shuiyan stopped in his tracks, his eyebrows frowning into a line. Qin Wu¡¯s spection forced him to be cautious. After pondering for a while, a cold smile curled the corners of Yi Shuiyan¡¯s mouth, and his brows slightly rxed.


    "If he wants to withdraw, I¡¯ll force him to fight." Saying so, Yi Shuiyan called a Junior Brother over and whispered a few instructions in his ear.


    "Go, don¡¯t mess this up."


    "Yes, Senior Brother."


    ...


    Back in his room after resting for a while, Ling Chen felt the pain lessen significantly and wanted to join Qiu Yong and others at the venue. However, considering his injury, Qiu Yong denied his request and asked him to rest in his room.


    Watching everyone leave, Ling Cheny on the bed, bored, staring at the ceiling and lost in thought. He had thought taking the Heavenly Mechanism Pill would give him a more solid chance against Yi Shuiyan, but the injury in his waist became his biggest issue.


    During his earlier practice with Yuan Yun, he had already felt how the injury seriously affected his movement.


    What to do?


    Should he choose to give up?


    No, that¡¯s not eptable!


    Ling Chen shook his head silently. No matter what, he couldn¡¯t give up. Even if not for himself, he couldn¡¯t let porridge girl feel disappointed.


    He clearly remembered that night when Yi Shuiyan appeared, it was porridge girl who saved him at the critical moment. Although his consciousness was hazy at the time, he recognized porridge girl¡¯s voice.


    Even after so long, the words of Porridge Girl still echoed in his ears.


    He did not want to be the weaker one; even if he lost in strength, he could not lose in momentum.


    After resting in the room for two hours, Ling Chen sat up, preparing to take a walk on the deck, feel the sea breeze, and rx his mood.


    Leaving the room, Ling Chen went straight to the deck. At this moment, only he was around, everyone else had gone to the venue to watch the martial artspetition.


    That¡¯s good, a rare moment of quiet.


    Standing at the edge of the ship¡¯s rail, Ling Chen looked out with raised eyes, watching the azure sea and the clear blue sky, his gloomy mood suddenly brightened a lot.


    At that moment, the corner of Ling Chen¡¯s eye suddenly caught a glimpse of a white figure. However, when he turned his head to chase the figure, it had already disappeared.


    Strange!


    Ling Chen muttered to himself; he had clearly seen someone, but how did they vanish in the blink of an eye? With that thought, he walked over to where the figure had appeared, his gaze searching around for the other party¡¯s whereabouts.


    However, although he didn¡¯t find the person, Ling Chen found a cabin door nearby. The figure must have gone in there; otherwise, they wouldn¡¯t have disappeared.


    A yellow sign was posted outside the cabin door, indicating that this area was off-limits, and unauthorized personnel were not allowed to enter. Ling Chen looked around, saw that no one on the deck noticed him, and driven by curiosity, he opened the cabin door and quickly stepped inside.


    Behind the cabin door was a corridor. Ling Chen walked along the corridor for over ten meters, and a faint fragrance immediately hit his face. Guided by the fragrance, Ling Chen soon found himself outside a room.


    The door was slightly ajar, and through the crack, the fragrance inside the room was even more intense, subtle and intoxicating.


    Ling Chen reached out to push the door open and peeked inside, only to see the room was empty, not a person in sight.


    Could it be the wrong ce?


    Ling Chen muttered to himself, hesitating for a moment, he stepped into the room.


    The room¡¯s decor was simple, with an antique feel, the floor was pure wood, and the wall surfaces were decorated with bamboo strips. In the middle of the room, four thin curtains hung down to the floor. Through the curtains, the items inside were hazy and unclear.


    Ling Chen walked forward, lifted the curtains, and saw inside the curtains there was a tea table with aplete set of Kung Fu tea utensils, and a bamboo mat was spread beside it.


    Whose ce is this?


    Ling Chen was somewhat puzzled; the location of this guest room was not only remote but also very hidden. Most importantly, there was a no-entry sign posted outside.


    This luxurious giant ship belongs to Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, and the people who could live here must also be from Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion.


    With that thought, Ling Chen immediately retreated towards the doorway. After all, he was just a guest; it would be bad if he was found intruding on private quarters without permission.


    However, just as Ling Chen was about to leave, the door next to the room leading to the bedroom was suddenly opened by someone. Following that, a woman walked out of the bedroom.


    Seeing that woman, Ling Chen¡¯s face instantly changed, and his eyes widened.


    At that moment, the woman was only wearing a thin bralette, with a white skirt wrapped around her lower body, her fair skinpletely visible.


    As their eyes met, the woman was immediately stunned in ce, staring dazedly at Ling Chen and seemed unable to react for a moment.


    The first to regain hisposure was Ling Chen, he quickly turned around, feeling embarrassed and said, "I¡¯m sorry, I didn¡¯t mean to, I... I¡¯ll leave right now." Speaking, Ling Chen hastened his steps towards the door.


    "Stop!"


    At this moment, the woman¡¯s voice came from behind, soft and clean like the lingering fragrance in the room, subtle and pleasing to the ears.

 Chapter 421 - 417 Tea Girl

    <h4>Chapter 421: Chapter 417 Tea Girl</h4><h4></h4>


    Ling Chen halted his steps, inwardly groaning that this woman was relentless and seemed intent on holding him ountable. Fearing his eyes might offend her once more, Ling Chen responded without turning back, "That... it was really a misunderstanding. It wasn¡¯t intentional."


    "Just stand here for now," said the woman in an indifferent tone. Immediately after, Ling Chen heard the sound of the bedroom door closing.


    In less than a minute, the woman¡¯s voice rang out again, "Sit down."


    Hearing this, Ling Chen turned around and found the woman already seated behind the curtain. Since she had spoken, Ling Chen dared not disobey; he was at fault, after all. He thought to himself that he should apologize sincerelyter; maybe she would forgive him.


    With that thought, Ling Chen honestly took a seat outside the curtain.


    "What¡¯s your name?"


    "Ling Chen."


    "Ling Chen?" The woman behind the curtain chuckled lightly, as if talking to herself, "So you¡¯re Ling Chen."


    Ling Chen asked in surprise, "You know me?"


    "I¡¯ve heard of you. The Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion initially nned to ce you on the Neer List, but after thorough consideration, they decided not to include you."


    As I thought!


    Ling Chen nodded inwardly, confirming his guess that this woman was also a member of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, although he didn¡¯t know her status within it.


    "When you came in just now, didn¡¯t you see the warning sign outside?"


    "I did."


    "Yet you still entered?"


    "Well..." Ling Chen touched his nose awkwardly, exining, "I didn¡¯t mean to barge in. I just wanted to find someone."


    "There¡¯s only me living here, so were you looking for me?" the woman asked.


    "I..."


    Before Ling Chen could finish speaking, the woman behind the curtain cut him off, continuing, "Never mind, I won¡¯t pursue it since it¡¯s your first offense. Since we¡¯ve met, it must be fate. Take a seat and we can chat."


    Ling Chen was secretly relieved and breathed a sigh of relief. He was indeed afraid that this woman would hold him ountable and that it would affect Qiu Yong and the others, especially since this was someone else¡¯s territory.


    As he heard the sounds of washing tea utensilsing from behind the curtain, Ling Chenpletely rxed and asked with a smile, "I still don¡¯t know what to call you."


    "I have no name. People have referred to me by various titles, but no one has ever called me by my name. Over time, I¡¯ve forgotten it. A name is just abel; you can call me whatever you like."


    Ling Chen cracked a smile, finding the woman¡¯s personality quite simr to that of porridge girl.


    Thinking of porridge girl, an idea shed through Ling Chen¡¯s mind, and he grinned, "Since you don¡¯t care for titles, I¡¯ll call you Tea Girl."


    "As you wish."


    As they spoke, a pair of smooth and fair hands emerged from behind the curtain, offering a cup of steaming tea.


    Ling Chen hurriedly took it, thanking her.


    "Did youe to the Heavenly Mechanism Great Ceremony this time to broaden your horizons, or is there another purpose?" asked Tea Girl.


    "Settling some issues of enmity and gratitude."


    Tea Girl seemed to sigh as she said, "People in the Martial Arts can never escape these words of enmity and gratitude. Despite the evolution of the ages, this has never changed."


    Ling Chenughed, "Where there are people, there will be grievances. Times change, but human nature does not."


    "You seem to have a deep understanding," Tea Girl said with a hint of admiration in her voice.


    "One learns from experience."


    "Who is your opponent?"


    "Yi Shuiyan."


    "Is it him?" Tea Girl seemed surprised and peered at Ling Chen through the curtain, asking, "Are you confident you can defeat him?"


    "To be honest, no."


    "Then why still go through with it?"


    Ling Chen sipped the tea. The bitterness spread through his mouth but quickly transformed into a sense of rity and invigoration.


    "Good tea." Ling Chen¡¯s lips curved upward as he smiled, "Many things aren¡¯t done based on certainty, but on necessity. If I believe it¡¯s the right thing to do, no matter how strong the opponent, I will not back down. To put it simply, you could say it¡¯s a man¡¯s pride."


    "You¡¯re quite frank. But I know Yi Shuiyan well; his martial arts are exceptional. On the Neer List, aside from Song Ge who ranks first, Han Yu in the second ce, Qu Jinxian in third, and Yi Shuiyan in fourth, their abilities are quite close. The reason why Han Yu is ranked second is that the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion sees potential in him." Pausing with a yful tone, Tea Girl asked, "Do you want to know how the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion evaluates you?"


    Ling Chen¡¯s eyes lit up with curiosity, "What¡¯s their evaluation?"


    "Mediocre talent, mediocre martial arts, mediocre background, but the one thing that¡¯s quite good is your charm with women."


    Er...


    Hearing this, Ling Chen¡¯s face turned red, and he awkwardly scratched his head. He had to admit, the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion¡¯s intelligence capabilities were quite impressive to have such a clear grasp of his poprity with women.


    He coughed lightly, masking his embarrassment, andughed, "At least there¡¯s one good thing."


    "If you don¡¯t mind, would you tell me what Internal Cultivation Methods you practice?"


    Ling Chen puzzled, "Why ask that?"


    "Nothing much, just to assess the gap between you and Yi Shuiyan. When masters contend, besides external skills, the most important is Inner Strength. The types of Internal Cultivation Methods are many, some strong, some weak, each with different effects. As far as I know, Yi Shuiyan doesn¡¯t practice the inherited mental method of the Dangyang Sect; instead, he practices a type of robust Inner Strength. This method paired with his unique sword technique is highlyplementary, rendering it extremely powerful."


    "My Internal Cultivation Method is quite special; it¡¯s called the Prajnaparamita Sutra. Have you heard of it?" Ling Chen didn¡¯t hide it, as it was just the name of the method and not the content; there was no harm in telling her.


    "The Prajnaparamita Sutra?" Tea Girl sounded surprised from behind the curtain.


    Noticing the change in Tea Girl¡¯s tone, Ling Chen asked, "Do you know of this method?"


    "Hundreds of years ago, there was an exceptional individual in Buddhism who, before his conversion, was a wanderer in the Martial Arts with high skill, having exchanged moves with the past several Pavilion Masters of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, neither of them superior. This wanderer was free and unbound, known for many good deeds. However, he had one bad habit."


    "What habit?"


    "He..." Tea Girl seemed reluctant to speak, hesitated for a moment, and then said, "That person liked to seduce daughters from noble families and virtuous women. Moreover, his actions were worse than a rapist: not only did he take their bodies, but he also took their hearts, a true heartbreaker. Later, no one knows why he suddenly changed his ways and converted to Buddhism. In less than ten years, he transformed into a high monk and even served as a Buddhist abbot."

 Chapter 422 - 418 The Secret of the Prajnaparamita Sutra

    <h4>Chapter 422: Chapter 418 The Secret of the Prajnaparamita Sutra</h4><h4></h4>


    Ling Chen eximed in surprise, "Is he that formidable?"


    "Although his actions are despicable, one must admit that his aptitude is truly outstanding. Whatever he does, he can reach the pinnacle in a short time. At that time, almost no one in the Martial Arts world couldpare."


    "What eventually happened to him?"


    The Tea Girl said, "He stayed in the Buddhist temple for twenty years, only to be expelled from it."


    "Why?"


    "Because of the Prajnaparamita Sutra. The Prajnaparamita Sutra was an Internal Cultivation Method he developed within the Buddhist temple. Even though it is named after a Buddhist scripture, this method involves the forbidden elements of sensuality and killing, both prohibited by the monks. The abbot at the time ordered him to cease his research on this mental method, but he refused to repent, leading to his expulsion. Since then, no one has seen him."


    Having finished speaking, the Tea Girl couldn¡¯t help but ask, "Where did you obtain the Prajnaparamita Sutra from?"


    As soon as the words left her mouth, she seemed to realize something and quickly corrected herself, saying, "Sorry, I forgot the rules. Please disregard myst question."


    Behind a curtain, Ling Chen, greatly interested, looked at the Tea Girl and said, "You seem to be very informed about these centuries-old events."


    "There¡¯s nothing surprising about that. Ever since the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion was founded, it has continuously collected intelligence from within the Martial Arts world. Even after hundreds of years, that information has been organized and archived, well-preserved without omissions. Such outdated intelligence can be freely read by members of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion."


    Ling Chen nodded and humbly asked for guidance, "You just mentioned that the Prajnaparamita Sutra involves sensuality and conflict. Could you exin that to me?"


    When he first acquired the Prajnaparamita Sutra, its content was recorded in Sanskrit, and it was only with He Ziyun¡¯s help that he was able to decipher the Internal Cultivation Methods written there. However, despite having practiced the Prajnaparamita Sutra, Ling Chen was still partially ignorant of many aspects.


    He understood what the Tea Girl referred to in terms of sensuality¡ªenhancing one¡¯s Inner Strength by gathering Yin energy from women through sexual intercourse. He had experienced this himself, and the effects were indeed remarkable. However, he didn¡¯t understand the killing aspect she mentioned. Could it be that the Prajnaparamita Sutra had other effects?


    "These are matters rted to the intelligence of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion. There are rules in the Pavilion: vital information such as this cannot be disclosed casually. If you really want it, you can buy it."


    "Buy?" Ling Chen was momentarily stunned, then quickly understood and said generously, "Alright, name your price."


    "You might not be aware of the rules of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion. Our intelligence is not measured by money. If you want intel, you must perform tasks for us."


    "What kind of tasks?"


    "That depends on the value of the information. The higher the value, the more tasks you¡¯ll need to perform¡ªperhaps three, maybe five."


    Ling Chen thought for a moment and then asked, "What¡¯s the price for the information I want?"


    "Sorry, you don¡¯t have the standing to discuss terms with me yet. With your current strength, even if we at the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion assigned tasks to you, you wouldn¡¯t be able toplete them."


    Hearing this, Ling Chen was immediately displeased. All that talking turned out to be a waste of breath.


    Fine! If she won¡¯t talk, I won¡¯t ask. Ling Chen thought haughtily.


    Immediately, he stood up and said, "Thank you for the tea, but I must be going." After speaking, he waved his hand and walked out of the room.


    After Ling Chen had left, the Tea Girl sitting behind the curtain grasped a thin wire hanging from above her head and gave it a gentle pull. Apanied by the sound of a crisp wind chime, the door quickly opened, and a delicate-looking woman walked in. She knelt down respectfully outside the curtain and asked, "Pavilion Master, do you have any instructions?"


    The Tea Girl spoke in a cold tone, "Where were you just now? Didn¡¯t you know someone hade in?"


    The woman quickly bowed her head, her face filled with panic as she said, "I¡¯m sorry, Pavilion Master. You hadn¡¯t returned, so I left for a bit, I..."


    "Enough!" The Tea Girl cut her off and said firmly, "I¡¯ve taken care of it. Don¡¯t let it happen again, or you know the rules of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion."


    Hearing this, the woman¡¯s body trembled slightly, and her delicate face turned extremely pale.


    "Go tell Zhou Qi that when the Neer Challenge begins, I will be there to observe."


    "Yes, Pavilion Master."


    At this moment, Ling Chen was walking alone back to his room, still thinking about the Tea Girl he had met by chance. Suddenly, he seemed to remember something, stopped in his tracks, and his face showed a mix of confusion and shock.


    How could this be?


    Ling Chen muttered to himself. He clearly remembered that although the Tea Girl had stayed behind the curtain, he had met her face to face before. He had seen her appearance, her snow-white skin, and her full bosom. But now, looking back, the Tea Girl¡¯s features had be blurry in his memory, and he could barely recall what she looked like. If he saw her again, he might not be able to identify her.


    Ling Chen had always prided himself on his memory and should not be experiencing this kind ofpse. But the reality before him forced him to wonder whether the problem was with himself or with the Tea Girl.


    That¡¯s right!


    A sudden thought struck him¡ªhe had drunk a cup of tea in the Tea Girl¡¯s room.


    Could there be something wrong with that cup of tea?


    After pondering for a while, Ling Chen affirmed to himself that it must have been because of that cup of tea; otherwise, he could not have forgotten the Tea Girl¡¯s face.


    Very cautious indeed.


    It seemed that the woman¡¯s position within the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion was not low; otherwise, why would she resort to such measures?


    Forget it, it doesn¡¯t matter if I can¡¯t remember her face; remembering her voice will suffice.


    Upon returning to his room, Ling Cheny on the bed, pretending to rest for a while. When it was close to noon, Qiu Yong and the others finally returned, bringing with them a sumptuous lunch for Ling Chen.


    "Big brother."


    Ling Chen greeted them with a smile but noticed that everyone looked rather upset.


    "What¡¯s wrong, big brother?"


    "It¡¯s because of those bastards from the Dangyang Sect," Xia Yue cursed indignantly. "They¡¯ve publicized your agreement with Yi Shuiyan, iming that you will have a showdown on the Neer Challenge arena. Now, everyone knows about it, and they¡¯re all talking. Some say you¡¯re overreaching, while others think you¡¯re trying to make a name for yourself using Yi Shuiyan¡¯s reputation. Not a single word in your favor."


    Yuan Yun frowned and said, "The most important thing is, now that the news is out, if you back out or don¡¯t respond to the challenge, your reputation will bepletely destroyed. You won¡¯t be able to continue in this circle."


    "When Yi Shuiyan saw you were injured after leaving the training ground today, he probably feared you¡¯d withdraw from the fight, so he used this despicable tactic to force you into a no-choice situation, unless you¡¯re willing to lose face."


    Hearing Qiu Yong¡¯s words, Ling Chen smiled faintly, "Let them say what they will. I never intended to back down anyway."

 Chapter 423 - 419 Song Ge

    <h4>Chapter 423: Chapter 419 Song Ge</h4><h4></h4>


    In the afternoon, Qiu Yong originally wanted Ling Chen to stay in his room and continue resting, but upon hearing that there would be apetition for a grand prize in the afternoon, Ling Chen could no longer sit still. He knew that this afternoon was the real highlight. For the grand prize prepared by the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, many experts would make their move, and Ling Chen didn¡¯t want to miss such an event.


    At Ling Chen¡¯s repeated requests, Qiu Yong reluctantly agreed to take him to the venue.


    Upon arriving at the venue and as everyone settled into their seats, Ling Chen immediately noticed that many people¡¯s gazes were focused on him, pointing and discussing.


    "See that? That¡¯s Ling Chen, the guy who ims he wants to have a showdown with Shuiyan on the stage."


    "He¡¯s really overestimating himself. Shuiyan is ranked in the top five of the Neer List; he hasn¡¯t even made it into the top ten. What qualifications does he have to challenge Shuiyan? He¡¯s just asking for trouble."


    There were others with a different opinion, saying, "You can¡¯t say that. Ling Chen is after all one of the Eight entrics. Each of the Eight entrics possesses unique skills. You saw yesterday¡¯spetition too, where Yuan Yun defeated a Dragon List expert. Perhaps Ling Chen truly has some real abilities."


    Ling Chen ignored the surrounding discussions and sat quietly, waiting for the martial artspetition to begin.


    After a while, the host Zhou Qi stepped onto the stage, looked around at the audience with a smile, and said, "Ladies and gentlemen, as the Heavenly Mechanism Chaos Battle progresses, we are approaching the most exciting match. Whoever wins this afternoon¡¯s match will receive a premium Heavenly Mechanism Pill provided by the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion. You all know the value of the premium Heavenly Mechanism Pill, so I won¡¯t say much more. Remember, there¡¯s only one chance; please cherish it."


    After speaking, Zhou Qi turned and stepped down from the stage, waiting for the first contestant toe up.


    By this time, everyone¡¯s gaze in the venue was on the Dragon List experts. It was clear to everyone that the Dragon List experts were the main attraction of the afternoon; others were just there to add to the excitement.


    Seeing that no one wasing up to the stage for a while, Liu Yunsong from the Dangyang Sect suddenly stood up and walked confidently to the stage. He greeted the audience with a bow and said, "Since no one wishes to go first, let me be the trailzer. Who is willing toe up and give me some pointers?"


    "Big brother, let me do it," Xia Yue said eagerly.


    Qiu Yong shook his head and said, "Don¡¯t rush, let¡¯s watch for a bit first."


    As his words fell, a young man slowly walked out from the crowd, with a handsome face wearing a gentle and humble smile, and leaped onto the stage.


    Ling Chen was somewhat surprised; he hadn¡¯t expected that the contestant would be a young man of simr age to himself.


    The young man, about twenty-six or twenty-seven years old, stood tall and clean, with a friendly smile that gave a refreshing feeling. Combined with his handsome face, it added a bit of charm to him.


    "Oh my!"


    As the young man took to the stage, a wave of exmations immediately erupted from the venue.


    "It¡¯s actually Song Ge."


    "Why did hee to the stage?"


    Hearing the voices from the stands, Ling Chen was taken aback. This young man was actually Song Ge, the top-ranked fighter on the Neer List.


    "Big brother, can he also participate in the Heavenly Mechanism Chaos Battle?"


    "Why not," Qiu Yong replied. "Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion has not restricted anyone from participating. As long as you have the ability, even someone from the Neer List can challenge these Dragon List masters." At this, Qiu Yong looked at Song Ge with a great interest and murmured to himself: "I¡¯ve heard that Song Ge, the first of the Neer List, is powerfully skilled and unfathomably mysterious. Nobody knows how strong he actually is. Today is a good opportunity to see whether he really lives up to his reputation."


    At this moment, Liu Yunsong on the stage saw Song Ge appearing, his face immediately shifted, his eyes narrowed hiding a cold glint, and he managed to squeeze out a slight smile, saying: "So it¡¯s Song."


    Song Ge politely sped his fists and with utmost courtesy, he said: "Mr. Liu, please be gentle, I look forward to learning from you."


    "Of course."


    During the conversation, Liu Yunsong nced at the seats of the Dangyang Sect, only to see Sect Leader Zhu Jin nodding subtly to him. Liu Yunsong immediately understood, turned his head to look at Song Ge on the stage, and made an inviting gesture saying: "You are junior, you make the first move."


    "Then I shall not hold back."


    As the words fell, Song Ge¡¯s face still wore a gentle smile, his legs moving swiftly like the wind, stepping in strange patterns, quickly moving around Liu Yunsong, maintaining a distance of about a meter.


    Seeing Song Ge¡¯s actions, Ling Chen nodded silently; the man was indeed smart, notunching a direct attack, but first probing Liu Yunsong¡¯s depth. The one-meter distance he maintained was just perfect, ready to advance or retreat, capable of responding promptly to any action from the opponent.


    At that moment, Liu Yunsong stood still on the spot, following Song Ge¡¯s footsteps closely with his gaze, shifting positions as he moved.


    Half a minute went by, and Liu Yunsong, who had been observing Song Ge¡¯s movements, finally decided to make a move. His fingers like sharp ws, quickly reached forward, grasping toward Song Ge¡¯s shoulder.


    Liu Yusong¡¯s timing and positioning were very precise; by the time the audience realized, Liu Yusong¡¯s hand had already locked onto Song Ge¡¯s shoulder. Sessfullynding the first strike, Liu Yunsong¡¯s face lit up with joy, immediately pressing forward, hoping to take this chance to defeat Song Ge.


    As Liu Yunsong rapidly approached him, Song Ge still wore a smiling face, undisturbed.


    A figure shed, and when Liu Yunsong came up close, Song Ge¡¯s shoulder shook slightly, and for some reason, Liu Yunsong¡¯s fingers were shaken off, slipping down from Song Ge¡¯s shoulder.


    This sudden change immediately shocked Liu Yunsong, who quickly retreated backward. But by then, Song Ge, with his agile steps, rapidly closing in on Liu Yunsong. Then, he raised a single palm and delivered what seemed like a light p.


    Without a word, Liu Yunsong folded his arms across his chest, palm against the back of his hand, forming a cross shape to meet Song Ge¡¯s fleshly palm.


    Bang!


    Apanied by a muffled sound, Liu Yunsong¡¯s body slightly leaned back as if he had lost his bnce, his steps retreating continuously until he stabilized himself two meters away.


    Seeing this scene, the crowd at the venue were taken aback, their eyes showing disbelief.


    Nobody expected that a prestigious Dragon List master would be repeatedly embarrassed by Song Ge¡¯s hands. And seeing how effortlessly Song Ge handled himself, it seemed like he hadn¡¯t even used his full strength.


    He truly lived up to his reputation as the first-ranked in the Neer List. Ling Chen marveled silently.


    "Mr. Liu, no need to hold back too much, I can still withstand. Let¡¯s go again!" Song Ge said with a smile.


    Hearing the teasing tone in his voice, Liu Yunsong¡¯s face quickly darkened. Losing to a junior wouldpletely disgrace him.

 Chapter 424 - 420 Shameless Ambush

    <h4>Chapter 424: Chapter 420 Shameless Ambush</h4><h4></h4>


    "Song is truly worthy of being the top on the Neer List, indeed formidable." Liu Yunsong said with a forced smile, reaching out to smooth his cuff. Seeing his gesture, a sharp cold light shed in Xu Ming¡¯s eyes as he said solemnly, "Liu Yunsong is preparing to make a sneaky move."


    Ling Chen asked in surprise, "Second brother, how do you know he¡¯s going to y dirty?"


    "You¡¯ll see soon."


    As they were speaking, Liu Yunsong lightly tapped with his toes, one fist and one palm, throwing himself toward Song Ge.


    "Take this!"


    With a light shout, Liu Yunsong shook his wrists, palms raised high like the crushing weight of Mount Tai,ing down toward the top of Song Ge¡¯s head. At the same time, his left fist thrust forward, fierce and unstoppable.


    Faced with Liu Yusong¡¯s dual attacks, Song Ge remainedposed. With a smile on his handsome face unchanged, his long arms moved swiftly like two nimble snakes, wrapping around Liu Yunsong¡¯s fist and palm,pletely neutralizing his Power.


    Once his Power and force were dissipated, Liu Yunsong, seeing the tide turning against him, hastily withdrew. However, Song Ge showed no sign of stopping. Before Liu Yunsong could move, Song Ge instantly moved forward, hands raised and coiled around Liu Yusong¡¯s wrists, closing in.


    Not good!


    Seeing the approaching figure, Liu Yunsong¡¯s pupils shrank and his face paled.


    "Go!"


    As Song Ge lightly eximed, his waist and shoulders coordinated in a powerful effort, hitting Liu Yunsong like a solid iron rod, sending him crashing heavily onto the arena tform.


    Feeling the pain in his chest and back, Liu Yunsong gritted his teeth and sprang back up.


    "Again!"


    With a furious shout, Liu Yunsong charged forward, his palms glowing red with concentrated Inner Strength, eyes losing all reason for the roaring fury within.


    On the spectator stand, Ling Chen shook his head silently. Getting consumed by rage was the biggest taboo in martial artspetition. Without rity, one couldn¡¯t make correct decisions and adapt, and the inevitable oue was clear.


    But what shocked Ling Chen the most was Song Ge. Liu Yunsong, after all a top eight contender on the Dragon List, posed no threat at all in front of Song Ge, showing a significant gap between their skills.


    Meanwhile, Liu Yunsong had already closed in on Song Ge, his palms fiercely aiming for Song Ge¡¯s chest.


    Song Ge smiled lightly, his eyes vividly bright and fearless as he raised his palms to meet the attack head-on.


    However, just as their palms were about to meet, Song Ge seemed to notice something, his expression suddenly changed, and a cold light exploded in his eyes as he swiftly leant back, bending into a bow shape.


    This sudden change left the onlooking crowd puzzled and bewildered, unaware of what had transpired.


    However, this movement left Song Gepletely exposed, full of vulnerabilities.


    Seizing this chance, Liu Yunsong, with a chilling smile, transformed his palms into fists, hammering down hard, knocking the bent-over Song Ge to the ground.


    Feeling a sharp pain in his chest, Song Ge¡¯s smile instantly vanished. Without a moment to think, he pped his hands on the ground, sliding his body out from in front of Liu Yunsong and quickly got back to his feet.


    "Song¡¯s skills are good, but he stillcks experience," Liu Yunsong sneered.


    Hearing this, Song, who had been expressionless, suddenly smiled slightly, meaningfully saying, "Mr. Liu, it¡¯s no doubt you are a Dragon List expert, but was this really worth it?"


    "You..."


    Liu Yunsong was about to respond, but Song Ge across from him didn¡¯t give him the chance to speak.


    With a swift movement, Song Ge quickly approached Liu Yunsong, throwing punches with both fists like an overwhelming force of thousands of troops, unstoppable by anyone.


    Seeing the cold gleam in Song Ge¡¯s eyes, for some reason, Liu Yunsong felt a strong sense of unease rising in his heart. He involuntarily stepped back and hastily yelled, "Stop! I acknowl..."


    Before he could finish shouting ¡¯admit defeat¡¯, Song Ge¡¯s feet forcefully propelled him forward, and his fist mmed harshly into Liu Yunsong¡¯s body.


    Crack!


    A crisp sound of bones breaking immediately spread from the stage.


    "Stop!"


    Sitting in the seats of the Dangyang Sect, Zhu Jin¡¯s expression turned cold, and he shouted loudly, soaring up from his seat like a great roc flying, rushing directly towards the stage to grab Song Ge.


    However, before his hand could reach Song Ge, it was blocked by an old man, the host and referee of this match, Zhou Qi.


    "Zhou Qi, what are you doing?" Zhu Jin shouted coldly.


    Zhou Qi calmly said, "Master Zhu, the match isn¡¯t over yet. By intervening now, aren¡¯t you breaking the rules?"


    "Nonsense, my Junior Brother clearly admitted defeat."


    "I didn¡¯t hear him say the words ¡¯admit defeat¡¯."


    "You..."


    Before Zhu Jin could finish his sentence, a pitiful scream suddenly came from behind Zhou Qi. Following that, with a ¡¯bang¡¯, Liu Yunsong¡¯s body copsed on the stage, both his arms bent unnaturally, clearly broken by Song Ge.


    Seeing this scene, the people present gasped in shock, not expecting Song Ge to be so ruthless and directly cripple Liu Yunsong¡¯s two arms. An esteemed fighter from the Dragon List had instantly turned into a disabled person.


    Was he not afraid of making an enemy of the Dangyang Sect?


    "Junior Brother!"


    Seeing the terrible state of Liu Yunsong, Zhu Jin¡¯s eyes filled with bloodshot rage, and ring coldly at Song Ge, he gritted his teeth and said, "Song Ge, you are being too presumptuous!"


    Song Ge paid no heed to Zhu Jin¡¯s rage, and indifferently said, "He brought this upon himself. Master Zhu, you should know very well what your Junior Brother did just now."


    "I only know that you¡¯ve disabled my Junior Brother¡¯s two arms, turning him into a disabled person. I know nothing else about the matter." After speaking, Zhu Jin turned to Zhou Qi and said sternly, "You are more aware of the rules of Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion than I am. This is a martial artspetition, not a personal feud. Song Ge clearly intended harm. ording to the rules of Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, such a ruthless and unprincipled person does not deserve to participate in the Heavenly Mechanism Great Ceremony. He must be expelled immediately. As the host of this ceremony, I want to see how your Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion will uphold justice."


    Hearing this, Zhou Qi looked somewhat troubled as he nced at Song Ge. He also hadn¡¯t expected Song Ge to be so heavy-handed as to cripple Liu Yunsong.


    ording to the rules of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, martial artspetitions should stop at the point of contact and deliberate harm is not permitted, but Song Ge¡¯s actions had already broken these rules.


    "Song Ge, do you have anything to say?" Zhou Qi thought for a moment, then handed the right to speak to Song Ge to hear his defense.


    "Elder Zhou, I did not break the rules. It is he who first breached the rules by using a hidden weapon to attack me. My response was merely appropriate retaliation. That shouldn¡¯t be a problem, right?"


    "Nonsense!" Zhu Jin scolded angrily: "Which eye of yours saw my Junior Brother attacking you? Song, don¡¯t nder my Junior Brother with your wild usations."

 Chapter 425 - 421: The Disappearing Steel Needle

    <h4>Chapter 425: Chapter 421: The Disappearing Steel Needle</h4><h4></h4>


    Zhou Qi spoke solemnly, "Song Ge, you can¡¯t joke about this sort of thing. You say Liu Yunsong used a hidden weapon to ambush you; do you have any evidence?"


    Song Ge pointed at Liu Yunsong¡¯s cuff and said, "There¡¯s a mechanism hidden inside his sleeve. If you don¡¯t believe me, you can search it."


    Upon hearing this, Zhou Qi immediately went in front of Liu Yunsong, bent over, and rolled up his cuff. Suddenly, a leather pouch bound to Liu Yunsong¡¯s sleeve appeared, equipped with an exquisitely hiddenpartment on its surface, with three needle-sized holes on the front.


    Seeing the hidden weapon mechanism that Liu Yunsong wore, Zhou Qi¡¯s face changed, and with dexterous hands, he removed the pouch, raising it in front of Zhu Jin to challenge him, "Master Zhu, how do you exin this?"


    With his hands sped behind his back, Zhu Jin calmly said, "What¡¯s so strange about this? My Junior Brother is a member of Martial Arts; he has many enemies, so he frequently carries this set of hidden weapons for self-defense. It has be a habit for him. Zhou Qi, are you suggesting that having personal habits is wrong?"


    At this point, Zhu Jin paused, then continued, "I am well aware of my Junior Brother¡¯s habits. To avoid any idents, I specifically instructed him before ascending the stage to remove the steel needles from the hidden weapon for me to keep safe."


    After finishing his statement, Zhu Jin took out three steel needles from his pocket and handed them to Zhou Qi, saying, "If you don¡¯t believe it, you can try and see if these three needles match."


    "There¡¯s no need to try," Song Ge interjected from the side. "I have a better way to prove it¡ªthe three steel needles your Junior Brother used to attack me are still left on the tform. Just find those three needles, and the truth will be clear whether it was a fact or a nder."


    "Alright!" Zhu Jin readily agreed. "As long as you can find them, then it¡¯s my Junior Brother¡¯s own fault, and I will no longer pursue it."


    "Someone," Zhou Qi gestured grandly andmanded, "Set a perimeter around the tform, and no one is allowed to approach."


    Very swiftly, Zhong Yang led a dozen people to surround the tform, meticulously searching for the whereabouts of the steel needles.


    Ten minutes passed.


    Zhong Yang walked over to Zhou Qi and whispered a few words in his ear.


    Whatever Zhong Yang said, Zhou Qi nodded and turned to Song Ge and Zhu Jin, saying, "We¡¯ve searched the tform thoroughly and haven¡¯t found the steel needles."


    Song Ge¡¯s expression changed, and with a frown, he said, "Elder Zhou, I am one hundred percent certain he used the hidden weapon to ambush me. Could it be that you¡¯ve missed it, or..." Song Ge looked at Zhu Jin, saying, "Or it was discreetly dealt with by someone."


    "I get your point," Zhou Qi replied. "However, the only ones who went up to the tform just now were me and Master Zhu. As a judge, I naturally wouldn¡¯t help Dangyang Sect conceal criminal evidence. While Master Zhu was on the tform, I was watching him the entire time. If he had done anything sneaky, it couldn¡¯t have escaped my eyes."


    "Elder Zhou..."


    Zhou Qi waved his hand, cutting off Song Ge¡¯s words, with a serious face he said, "Song Ge, there¡¯s no need for further exnation; the matter is clear. Ignoring the rules of Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, you deliberately used excessive force and seriously injured Liu Yunsong. Even though you are the top of the Neer List, I must uphold justice and integrity."


    Upon hearing this, Song Ge¡¯splexion turned unsightly, with amotion ofments erupting among the audience.


    "What a pity!"


    "Yes, indeed. The top of the Neer List, the most promising candidate, has made such a basic mistake, which is really unbing."


    "Who¡¯s to me? He destroyed his own promising future; he¡¯s just too young and impulsive."


    Listening to the sighs around him, Ling Chen looked towards Song Ge on the tform and also felt sorry for him. Deep down, he believed in Song Ge¡¯s words. To be the top of the Neer List was no easy feat. Moreover, Song Ge¡¯s demeanor did not seem arrogant or unyielding.


    However, facts speak louder than words. Without the hidden weapon, all words were in vain.


    While musing, Ling Chen nced at Zhu Jin on the tform and Yi Shuiyan among the seated guests, noting the faint smiles on their lips. Neither was perturbed by Liu Yunsong¡¯s injury¡ªit all seemed too suspicious.


    "What a pity."


    Ling Chen, looking at the shaking head of Xu Ming, asked, "Second Brother, do you also believe that Song Ge is innocent?"


    "He was wronged; Liu Yunsong indeed used a hidden weapon. However, without the three steel needles, everything said is futile."


    Ling Chen was somewhat surprised. Among so many present, including numerous experts, no one saw Liu Yunsong deploy a hidden weapon, except Xu Ming did, which couldn¡¯t be a simple coincidence.


    As far as he knew, among the eight entrics, Xu Ming and Zhang Zhongfeng had the most mysterious backgrounds. Especially Xu Ming, who was typically quiet and rarely spoke, never mentioned his past. Even Qiu Yong didn¡¯t know much about him.


    After letting his thoughts wander for a while, Ling Chen shifted his focus back to the tform, pondering why the three steel needles had inexplicably vanished.


    "Ladies and gentlemen..."


    At this moment, Zhou Qi cupped his fists towards the audience and announced, "In light of Song Ge¡¯s vition, I hereby dere the cancetion of Song Ge¡¯s eligibility to partake in the Heavenly Mechanism Great Ceremony. Due to the sudden incident, I need to report quickly to the Pavilion Master. Please, everyone, take a break with a cup of tea. After the matter is resolved, the Heavenly Mechanism Chaos Battle shall continue."


    "Let¡¯s go."


    The audience looked reluctantly at Song Ge on the tform and began to rise up to leave.


    But at that moment, after hearing Zhou Qi¡¯s words, Ling Chen seemed to think of something, his eyes suddenly sparkled with realization, and he quickly raised his arm high, shouting, "Wait!"


    Those who were about to leave turned their heads at his shout.


    Zhou Qi, recognizing Ling Chen, asked, "Mr. Ling, do you have something else to say?"


    Ling Chen smiled as he emerged from his seat, climbed swiftly onto the tform, and spoke slowly and deliberately, "I believe I know the whereabouts of those three steel needles."


    As soon as these words came out, the whole ce erupted like a boiling pot.


    "Oh?" Zhou Qi asked with interest, "Mr. Ling, this is not a matter to joke about. Are you sure you have a handle on this?"


    Song Ge, standing to one side, gave Ling Chen a slightly puzzled look, but remained silent and did not speak.


    "Ling Chen, don¡¯t get ahead of yourself here. The people of Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion have searched thoroughly and didn¡¯t find the three steel needles. Are you implying you¡¯re questioning the integrity of Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion?" Zhu Jin said coldly.


    "Master Zhu, you don¡¯t need to target me. I know what you¡¯re thinking¡ªyou¡¯re just afraid I¡¯ll mess up your ns."


    "Insolent! You dare nder me?"


    "Zhu, stop your nonsense. If you disturb my Junior Brother¡¯s work, get out of the way. Other people might fear your Dangyang Sect, but we eight entrics certainly don¡¯t."


    Hearing Qiu Yong¡¯s rebuke, Zhou Qi, fearful of a dispute breaking out right there, promptly intervened, "Both of you, say less. Since Mr. Ling has a way to find those three needles, why not let him try? It won¡¯t take much of everyone¡¯s time."

 Chapter 426 - 422 The Truth About Ling Chen’s Way

    <h4>Chapter 426: Chapter 422 The Truth About Ling Chen¡¯s Way</h4><h4></h4>


    Zhu Jin coldly said, "Fine, I want to see how he can find those three steel needles."


    "Elder Zhou, please show me that hidden weapon."


    Without a word, Zhou Qi handed over the hidden weapon fixed in the sheath to Ling Chen.


    Ling Chen squatted down, dexterously disassembled the hidden weapon, took out theponents one by one, revealing the core part - the chamber thatunches the three steel needles.


    Looking at the water stains remaining inside the chamber, Ling Chen¡¯s mouth curled slightly, and he lightly touched it with his finger. As expected, the chamber still felt slightly cold.


    "Elder Zhou, Master Zhu is right, we indeed have no way to find those three steel needles."


    Hearing this, Song Ge¡¯s face suddenly showed a hint of disappointment.


    Zhu Jin sneered sarcastically, "I thought you were highly capable, but it turns out you¡¯re just mediocre. Ling Chen, you should better stay out less embarrassing yourself and tarnishing the reputation of your notorious group."


    Ling Chen nced at Zhu Jin and said indifferently, "Master Zhu, I haven¡¯t finished speaking yet, why the rush? I believe what Song said; Liu Yunsong indeed used a hidden weapon against him. The reason why the people of Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion couldn¡¯t find the three steel needles is because the needles have disappeared. Honestly, I admire Liu Yunsong foring up with the idea of using ice needles."


    Ice needles?


    Ling Chen¡¯s words immediately aroused exmations from the audience, and Zhu Jin and Yi Shuiyan¡¯s expressions changed drastically.


    "Exactly, ice needles." Ling Chen handed the disassembled hidden weapon to Zhou Qi, saying, "Elder Zhou, take a closer look; there¡¯s still moisture in the muzzle of the weapon. Although it¡¯s been a few minutes, you can still feel the cold. If it were ordinary steel needles, this would definitely not be the case."


    "When ice needlesnd, they also need time to melt. However, Master Zhu¡¯s appearance dyed the melting of the ice needles. Elder Zhou, why not ask someone to search again and see if there are three spots of water on the tform?"


    Zhou Qi looked around, and without his saying a word, Zhong Yang had already led people to search the tform likebing through a carpet.


    In no time, someone shouted, "Elder Zhou, we found them."


    Without another word, Zhou Qi quickly walked over to the person, inspecting the water stains left on the ground.


    "Elder Zhou, isn¡¯t it just as I said?"


    "Zhu Jin!" Zhou Qi stood up, turned his head to look at the Sect Leader of the Dangyang Sect, and said sternly, "Don¡¯t you think you owe me a reasonable exnation?"


    Zhu Jin remained indifferent, "That¡¯s just his side of the story. Besides, what can a few water stains prove? It could have been identally left by others. Without the steel needles, no ims hold."


    "You¡¯re still making excuses."


    Ling Chen chimed in, "Elder Zhou, since Master Zhu wants evidence, let¡¯s give him the evidence. Creating such fine ice needles requires special equipment. Why not send someone to search Liu Yunsong¡¯s room? You might find something."


    Hearing this, Zhu Jin¡¯s expression changed, and he coldly said, "No! Without our Dangyang Sect¡¯s permission, no one is allowed to enter my junior brother¡¯s room; you guys from Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion have no right to vite the privacy of a guest."


    "Stop right there!"


    At that moment, Ling Chen shouted lightly and pointed at the disciples of the Dangyang Sect, saying, "Gentlemen, for your own sake, it¡¯s better to sit quietly and not entertain any crooked ideas."


    Ling Chen had anticipated that the people from Dangyang Sect would take action after he made his suggestion, so he kept an eye on the Dangyang Sect¡¯s seating area to prevent anyone from sneaking out to destroy evidence.


    As expected, he noticed Qin Wu and Yi Shuiyan secretly exchanging nces before she stood up to leave.


    In an instant, upon Ling Chen¡¯s reminder, everyone¡¯s gaze focused on Qin Wu. Faced with the meaningful looks from the crowd, Qin Wu¡¯s pretty face immediately turned pale, and she quietly defended herself, "I... I just wanted to go to the restroom."


    "Without my permission, no one from the Dangyang Sect is allowed to leave," Zhou Qi said coldly as he eyed Zhu Jin,manding, "Zhong Yang, take your men and search Liu Yunsong¡¯s room. If you find nothing there, search all of the Dangyang Sect¡¯s rooms thoroughly, leave no stone unturned. Do you hear me?"


    "Yes."


    Watching Zhong Yang lead his men away, Qin Wu nervously sat back down, biting her thin lips, her eyes filled with resentment as she red at Ling Chen. Beside her, Yi Shuiyan clutched Qin Wu¡¯s hand tightly, his gaze chillingly fixated on Ling Chen.


    Feeling the intense hostility from their eyes, Ling Chen remained unconcerned and turned to Song Ge, smiling and winking at him. Thetter smiled back and nodded appreciatively.


    Within ten minutes, Zhong Yang hurried back to the venue and handed several items to Zhou Qi, saying, "Elder Zhou, Mr. Ling was right; these are tools used to make ice needles."


    "Were they found in Liu Yunsong¡¯s room?"


    "No. ording to the guest room records, that room belonged to Qin Wu."


    "Qin Wu?" Ling Chen was surprised, not expecting her to be the one making ice needles.


    Zhong Yang continued, "Moreover, besides the tools for making ice needles, we also found a medical anesthesia, which they used to create the ice needles by mixing it with ice."


    "Good, very good!"


    Zhou Qi red at Zhu Jin, mming the tools down at his feet and rebuked, "Zhu Jin, now that there¡¯s conclusive evidence, what else do you have to say?"


    Zhu Jin¡¯s face changed as he quickly retorted, "I truly didn¡¯t know about this; my Junior Brother never mentioned it to me."


    "Zhu Jin, even now, you still make excuses?"


    "No... don¡¯t me my Senior Brother."


    At this point, the disabled Liu Yunsong, enduring his pain, struggled to speak, "Elder Zhou, let the person responsible bear the consequences alone, this matter has nothing to do with my Senior Brother. I acted on my own. I asked Qin Wu to help me make the ice needles, but she didn¡¯t know I would use them in the martial artspetition."


    After speaking, Liu Yunsong looked at Zhu Jin with a guilty expression, "Senior Brother, I was too eager for quick sess; I¡¯m sorry for dishonoring your and our Master¡¯s teachings."


    Zhu Jin sighed with disappointment, "Junior Brother, how could you be so foolish."


    "Elder Zhou, I broke the rules of Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion; this has nothing to do with Dangyang Sect. Whatever punishment you decide for me, I will ept," Liu Yunsong said defiantly.


    "Alright, since you¡¯ve confessed, I have nothing more to say. Zhong Yang, take him away."


    "Wait!" Zhu Jin interjected, "Considering my Junior Brother¡¯s actions, I, as his Senior Brother, bear an inescapable responsibility." He then bowed to Song, "Song, I apologize for the offense earlier on behalf of Dangyang Sect; I hope you can forgive us."


    After speaking, Zhu Jin turned to the attendees, "My Junior Brother¡¯s actions have not only broken the rules of Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, but they have also tarnished the reputation of Dangyang Sect. Here, I wish for all present to witness. From this moment, as Sect Leader of Dangyang Sect, I expel Liu Yunsong from the sect; from now on, Liu Yunsong has no association with Dangyang Sect."


    Pausing, he continued, "As for my disciple Qin Wu, considering she was unaware beforehand, her actions are forgivable. After the Heavenly Mechanism Great Ceremony concludes, I will personally deal with her. Besides that, I owe a great deal of gratitude to Mr. Ling."

 Chapter 427 - 423: A Thank-You Gift from Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion

    <h4>Chapter 427: Chapter 423: A Thank-You Gift from Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion</h4><h4></h4>


    Thank me?


    Ling Chen was slightly startled, not expecting Zhu Jin to mention him. That bastard probably hated him to death by now, how could he have the goodwill to thank him.


    "Thanks to Mr. Ling, our Dangyang Sect did not wrong a good person, maintaining the reputation of our sect. Mr. Ling, as our token of gratitude, please let me know if you ever need help in the future, I will certainly assist with all my might."


    Seeing Zhu Jin¡¯s insincere smile on his face, Ling Chen also responded with feigned courtesy: "Certainly, certainly."


    "Let¡¯s go." Zhu Jin waved his hand, and his disciples immediately followed him, leaving the meeting ce together.


    Upon exiting the venue, Zhu Jin¡¯s expression immediately darkened, rage simmering in his eyes, hating so much that his teeth were gnashing.


    "Shuiyan."


    "Master, what are your orders?"


    Zhu Jin¡¯s face was ashen, as he squeezed a few words through gritted teeth: "Don¡¯t let Ling Chen leave this boat alive."


    Yi Shuiyan replied promptly, "Master, rest assured, for the sake of Dangyang Sect and Uncle, I will make sure he pays the price."


    After the people from Dangyang Sect left, the crowd at the event gradually dispersed too. Considering this unforeseen incident, Zhou Qi decided to take a break for a moment and continueter.


    "Mr. Ling, thank you for stepping in to help just now." Song Ge approached Ling Chen and gratefully said, "If not for you, I probably wouldn¡¯t have been able to participate in this Heavenly Mechanism Great Ceremony."


    "Don¡¯t mention it." Ling Chen said with a smile, "Song, you are a few years older than me. If you don¡¯t mind me being presumptuous, feel free to call me Ling, please don¡¯t use the formal Mr. Ling."


    "That¡¯s not the way to say it. The renown of the Eight entrics is well-known; to be friends with Ling is truly my honor."


    Song Ge appeared very humble, but his words won the favor of others including Qiu Yong. After all, a person who could speak well was also liked.


    "Mr. Ling, I really owe you one for this time. Otherwise, I really wouldn¡¯t have known what to do." Zhou Qi spoke up. Song Ge was someone the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion had long set its sights on, a future key prot¨¦g¨¦. If Song Ge lost his eligibility to participate in the Heavenly Mechanism Great Ceremony, then their ns for thepetition amongst neers would be meaningless.


    In the midst of speaking, Zhou Qi suddenly became curious and asked, "Mr. Ling, how did you know that Liu Yunsong used an ice needle?"


    "It was actually thanks to your hint, Elder. You asked us to take a break for tea in the middle, once I thought about tea, I naturally associated it with water, hence the spection. But that Liu Yunsong is tough, taking all the me on himself." Ling Chen spoke with a hint of disappointment.


    "There was no other way, he could only do that. By taking all the me on himself, it is equivalent to Dangyang Sect owing him a huge favor. If he didn¡¯t do that, with Zhu Jin¡¯s character, he definitely wouldn¡¯t let him off once they returned."


    Ling Chen looked at Zhou Qi in surprise, not expecting the elder to see through things so clearly.


    "Elder Zhou, so you knew all along."


    "At my old age, if I couldn¡¯t even see this, it would have been a life wasted. Some things, we all know well inside, no need to voice them. However, you, you¡¯ve messed up Dangyang Sect¡¯s ns, they probably won¡¯t let you off easily. On this boat I can protect you, but once you disembark, you¡¯re on your own."


    "Dangyang Sect alone, I, one of the Eight entrics, do not even consider them a threat." Qiu Yong spoke dismissively.


    Zhou Qi pped his forehead,ughing, "Look at my memory, I almost forgot Mr. Ling is one of the Eight entrics. With Elder Qiu here, Dangyang Sect naturally can¡¯t pose a threat. Well, I must report this incident to the Pavilion Master as soon as possible, I¡¯ll excuse myself first, you guys chat."


    After watching Zhou Qi leave, Song Ge shook his head and said, "I didn¡¯t expect the people of Dangyang Sect to use such despicable tactics against me."


    "It wasn¡¯t a deliberate targeting, it just happened to be a coincidence, I guess even Liu Yunsong didn¡¯t expect you to suddenly step up to the challenge. What Liu Yunsong and Zhu Jin did just now was simply grasping at an opportunity to either seriously injure you or to have the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion strip you of your eligibility topete."


    Hearing Ling Chen¡¯s words, Song Ge asked in confusion, "Why would they do that?"


    """It¡¯s all for clearing the way for Yi Shuiyan. I¡¯ve heard that among the top five people in the Neer List, besides you, the ones ranked second, third, and fourth have roughly equal strength. If you don¡¯t participate, Yi Shuiyan¡¯s chances of winning will greatly increase."""


    Song Ge sighed, "So that¡¯s the case. Those from the Dangyang Sect really are quite scheming."


    "It¡¯s not thatplicated, you¡¯d realize it if you think about it. Big Brother Song, it seems you don¡¯t have much exposure to these kinds of things."


    "I usually focus on martial arts training and don¡¯t spend much thought on other things."


    "No wonder," Ling Chen smiled and said.


    Who would have thought that the one ranked first on the Neer List is such a newbie, seriouslycking social experience. In the eyes of swindlers, this kind of person is like a delicious steamed bun.


    After chatting for a while and considering that Song Ge was injured, Ling Chen didn¡¯t keep him for too long and let him go back to his room to rest.


    "Ling Cheng, you did great today," Yuan Yun gave Ling Chen a thumbs up, generously praising him: "You¡¯ve managed to make a fool out of Zhu Jin and his gang, and also started a connection with Song Ge."


    Zhang Zhongfeng nodded and said, "That Song Ge is really not bad, so young yet even Liu Yunsong is not his match. Given time, that young man might even have a chance to challenge the Heavenly List."


    The Heavenly List!


    Ling Chen smacked his lips; that was something one could only aspire to reach. In his view, being able to get into the Earthly List within his lifetime would be quite an achievement.


    At this moment,


    In the room Ling Chen had once visited, Zhou Qi was kneeling on the ground with a respectful demeanor, head bowed, reporting to the person behind the curtain about what had just happened at the event.


    "Pavilion Master, should I give a warning to people from the Dangyang Sect?"


    "No need, it¡¯s normal for there to be cunning plots and fights in the Martial Arts world. It¡¯s Ling Chen who did us a big favor, preventing Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion from making the wrong decision."


    "Pavilion Master, thepetition for the neers is about to begin, should we provide some convenience for Ling Chen when the timees?"


    "That¡¯s not necessary. Different matters should be dealt with ordingly, and Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion has always prioritized fairness. Zhou Qi, prepare a gift on my behalf, as a token of gratitude towards Ling Chen."


    "Yes, Pavilion Master."


    ...


    Thunk, thunk, thunk!


    Hearing the knocking at the door, Ling Chen got up and opened it, seeing Zhou Qi at the doorstep, he quickly stepped aside with a grin, "Elder Zhou, what brings you here? Pleasee in."


    "No need, I¡¯vee specifically to convey the Pavilion Master¡¯s gratitude to you and to present you with a gift on behalf of Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion." Saying this, Zhou Qi handed a delicate wooden box to Ling Chen.


    "Elder Zhou, you¡¯re being too polite." Though he said this, Ling Chen still honestly epted the gift.


    Joking, of course. Anything given by Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, if it¡¯s free, why not take it?


    "It¡¯s no trouble, you go on with what you were doing, I won¡¯t disturb your rest."


    After Zhou Qi left, Qiu Yong and others immediately crowded around, curiously asking, "Ling Cheng, what¡¯s the gift?"


    Without a word, Ling Chen promptly opened the lid of the box.


    Seeing the item ced inside the wooden box, everyone was suddenly startled, looking at each other in disbelief.

 Chapter 428 - 424: The Eve of the Competition

    <h4>Chapter 428: Chapter 424: The Eve of the Competition</h4><h4></h4>


    "I can¡¯t believe the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion is so generous to have gifted a premium-quality Heavenly Mechanism Pill," Xia Yue couldn¡¯t help but smile happily. It was delightful to receive such a nice gift for free.


    Ling Chen closed the wooden box and handed it to Qiu Yong, saying, "Big brother, you¡¯ll know what to do with this."


    Qiu Yong declined, "This is a gift from the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion to you, why are you giving it to me?"


    "Big brother, it¡¯s strange to hear you say that. We¡¯re all brothers, so it doesn¡¯t matter who has it. Besides, I¡¯ve already taken a Heavenly Mechanism Pill, and considering my current realm in martial arts, another premium-quality one wouldn¡¯t be of much use to me. Better give it to someone who needs it."


    "Big brother, since it¡¯s Ling Cheng¡¯s sincere gesture, you should just ept it. Second brother said that your internal strength has been stagnant for a while. Maybe taking this premium-quality Heavenly Mechanism Pill could help break through that bottleneck and take you to the next level. You¡¯re our leader among the eight entrics ¨C we¡¯re counting on you to hold the fort in the future. So, it¡¯s most appropriate for you to use this Heavenly Mechanism Pill," Yuan Yun suggested.


    "Third brother is right," Xia Yue chimed in, "Big brother, don¡¯t be too modest."


    After much persuasion, Qiu Yong finally epted the premium-quality Heavenly Mechanism Pill.


    Originally, everyone had wanted to participate in the afternoon¡¯s Heavenly Mechanism Chaos Battle to win the grand prize. However, since they had already received a generous gift from the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, there was no need to join the fray and conserve their energy. After all, aiming for that grand prize meant shing with numerous top fighters, and victory was not guaranteed.


    After a short rest, everyone headed to the arena again to watch the uing battles. As expected, the Dangyang Sect members did not reappear. Having lost face just a short while ago, they probably didn¡¯t have the nerve to continue participating in the Heavenly Mechanism Chaos Battle.


    The afternoon¡¯spetitive battles eventually came to an end with a Dragon List master triumphing and iming the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion¡¯s grand prize. With that, the Heavenly Mechanism Chaos Battle was over.


    The main event of this Heavenly Mechanism Great Ceremony, thepetition for the neers, would take ce tomorrow.


    Night fell.


    After dinner, Qiu Yong urged Ling Chen to get some rest quickly to prepare for tomorrow¡¯s neerpetition. Their only worry now was Ling Chen¡¯s back injury.


    Ling Chen was also aware of his condition¡ªit was fine for normal walking, but intense physical activity would aggravate his injury.


    Saying goodbye to Qiu Yong and the others, Ling Chen didn¡¯t head straight back to his room but went to themunications room on the luxurious vessel. This room was specially set up by the event organizers for guests attending the Heavenly Mechanism Great Ceremony. Once on board, for safety reasons, all mobile phone signals were blocked, including wireless inte and satellite signals. The only way to contact the outside world was through thismunications room.


    Having been away from East Sea City for a few days, Ling Chen didn¡¯t forget to call Nanrong Wanqing to check in, making time each day to touch base and inquire about each other¡¯s well-being.


    After a chat of over ten minutes, Ling Chen hung up the phone and was about to head back to his room when he happened to see Zhu Xiaozhu approaching from outside, and they bumped into each other.


    Seeing Zhu Xiaozhu¡¯s delicate features, Ling Chen smiled and greeted her with a wave.


    "How¡¯s your injury?" Zhu Xiaozhu asked with concern.


    "Much better, don¡¯t worry."


    "The neerpetition is tomorrow. Take care of yourself. I¡¯ll wish you sess in advance."


    "Thank you!"


    After the brief exchange, Ling Chen and Zhu Xiaozhu went their separate ways. Just as Ling Chen was about to leave, he saw someone suddenly block his path.


    Han Yu?


    Ling Chen raised his eyebrows and spoke indifferently, "Do you need something from me?"


    "Ling, have you forgotten what I said the other day?" Han Yu red at him coldly, "I warned you, if you dare to take another look at Xiaozhu, I¡¯ll gouge out your eyes."


    Hearing this, Ling Chen looked Han Yu up and down and sarcastically retorted without holding back: "Who do you think you are? What I do is my business, and none of your concern. You can¡¯t capture a woman¡¯s heart, yet youe to show off your power to me? With your character and pettiness, no wonder Xiaozhu isn¡¯t interested in you."


    Finished speaking, Ling Chen shook his head, not bothering with Han Yu, and simply walked past him.


    "Stop!" Han Yu¡¯s face turned livid as he struggled to contain his fury, grabbing Ling Chen¡¯s cor and growling, "Don¡¯t think just because you have the eight entrics backing you up that I wouldn¡¯t dare to touch you. To me, someone who can¡¯t even make it to the Neer List¡¯s top ten is nothing more than an ipetent loser."


    "Pity that Xiaozhu happens to be interested in this ¡¯loser¡¯ but not in you ¨C doesn¡¯t that mean you¡¯re even worse than a loser?"


    Han Yu¡¯s face twisted in anger as he spat, "You..."


    "Shut up!"


    Ling Chen interrupted him before he could finish, impatiently brushing his hand off his cor and speaking emphatically, "You keeping to warn me time and again¡ªlet me give you a warning now. Stop threatening me from now on, it¡¯s childish, and I¡¯m not buying it. And don¡¯t think you¡¯re something special just because you¡¯re second on the Neer List. Maybe you should ask around to find out what I used to do. In martial skills, I might not be your match, but when ites to the art of killing... you and nine more like you still wouldn¡¯t equal me. If you really piss me off, I¡¯ll make sure you die without understanding how. So, be smarter in the future and don¡¯t bother me."


    Watching Ling Chen walk away, Han Yu shouted furiously, "Fine, Ling, just wait! Tomorrow on thebat tform, I will see exactly how capable you are."


    Ling Chen ignored Han Yu¡¯s bellowing and went back to his own room.


    ...


    The next day.


    Early in the morning, Ling Chen applied his Acupuncture Technique to treat his injured back, hoping it would prevent any issues during thepetition.


    After the acupuncture treatment, Ling Chen took a bath and heard someone knocking at his door¡ªit was Qiu Yong and the gang.


    "Ling Cheng, how are you feeling? Are you ready?"


    Ling Chen nodded with a smile, "No problem."


    "Let¡¯s go. We have half an hour until the start. Let¡¯s have breakfast first."


    After breakfast, it was 8 o¡¯clock in the morning. Ling Chen followed Qiu Yong and the others into the arena.


    The venue was already full of people. Compared to the past two days, everyone seemed very rxed today, each wearing a smile on their faces. After the end of the Heavenly Mechanism Chaos Battle, the Heavenly Mechanism Great Ceremony didn¡¯t involve them much, and now it was time to enjoy thepetition amongst the neers.


    Sitting in his seat, Ling Chen looked around and immediately felt three fierce gazes directed at him.


    Turning his head slightly, Ling Chen nced through the corner of his eye and noticed the three gazes belonging to Yi Shuiyan, Han Yu, and Qu Jinxian from the Qingyang Sect.


    Huh!


    He smirked. Thepetition hadn¡¯t even begun, and he had already be the target of many.


    Then, Ling Chen saw Song Ge escorted into the venue by a middle-aged man in a suit. Sensing his gaze, Song Ge turned around and nodded at him in a friendly manner.

 Chapter 429 - 425: The Heavenly Secrets Competition (Part 1)

    <h4>Chapter 429: Chapter 425: The Heavenly Secrets Competition (Part 1)</h4><h4></h4>


    As everyone took their seats, Zhou Qi, who was the host, ascended the tform and, as per usual, first greeted the guests with a fist-and-palm salute.


    "Ladies and gentlemen, after two days ofpetition, the Heavenly Mechanism Chaos Battle has concluded sessfully, with all seven prizes finding their respective owners. Today, we are going to witness the highlight of the Heavenly Mechanism Great Ceremony¡ªthe battle of the neers. Unlike previous years, this year¡¯s contestants are all remarkably gifted, and it would be a pity for any of them to be eliminated. With a keen interest in talent, the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion has specially revised the rules for this year¡¯spetition."


    "Any contestant who finishes in the top three will not only have the opportunity to join the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion and be a key focus of its cultivation. Furthermore, the top three contestants will each receive a generous prize. In addition, the first-ce winner will have the honor of being summoned by the Pavilion Master."


    Upon hearing these words, the entire audience was abuzz with excitement, their speech brimming with envy.


    Having a meeting with the Pavilion Master was an unprecedented opportunity. Normally, only martial artists who ascended to the Earthly List would have a chance to meet with the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion Master. However, there are countless masters in the world, and very few can reach the Earthly List.


    Thus, for any martial artist, an audience with the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion Master is the highest honor.


    Ling Chen touched his nose, remembering what He Ziyun had told him. The Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion Master¡¯s powers are vast and all-epassing, almost all questions can be answered. Guidance from the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion Master could greatly enhance his martial arts progress.


    If even He Ziyun said so, it must be true. If possible, he too wanted to meet this mysterious Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion Master and see just how capable he is.


    As he contemted, he saw Zhou Qi gesturing with his hand for quiet, then continued, "I believe everyone is very interested in the prizes for the top three."


    "Elder Zhou, stop keeping us in suspense, let¡¯s hear it."


    Hearing the urging from the audience, Zhou Qi smiled and said, "The first ce, besides having the opportunity to meet with the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion Master, will also receive three premium Heavenly Mechanism Pills, a choice of any Martial Arts Heart Method from the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion¡¯s collection umted over hundreds of years, and a weapon personally forged by Master Guo Liang. The second ce will receive two premium Heavenly Mechanism Pills and one Martial Arts Heart Method. Third ce will receive one premium Heavenly Mechanism Pill and one ordinary Heavenly Mechanism Pill. Ladies and gentlemen, remember, these prizes will bepletely at the disposal of the winners, the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion will not interfere."


    Tsk tsk!


    Even Qiu Yong and others couldn¡¯t help but feel impressed after hearing about the rich prizes prepared by the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion.


    Compared to the prizes of the neer battle, the rewards of the Heavenly Mechanism Chaos Battle suddenly seemed insignificant, the gap was too big.


    Ling Chen wondered, "Since the top three winners will join the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion anyway, what¡¯s the significance of these prizes?"


    Yuan Yunughed from the side and said, "Didn¡¯t you hear thest sentence from Elder Zhou? That¡¯s the key point. In in terms, these prizes are not for the winners themselves, but for the powers behind them."


    "I see." Ling Chen nodded. Then he changed the topic and asked, "Third Brother, since the candidates on the Neer List all belong to their own sects and forces, wouldn¡¯t they have to draw a line with their previous identities after joining the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion?"


    "That¡¯s not necessary. Their backgrounds won¡¯t change after joining the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion. Take Yi Shuiyan as an example; if he enters the Pavilion, he is still a disciple of the Dangyang Sect. However, for the next few decades, he would receive cultivation from the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion and work for them. Of course, if the Dangyang Sect needs him, he can also lend a hand, as the Pavilion will not impose restrictions. This is akin to having two great powers simultaneously nurturing a genius who can serve them both¡ªa win-win situation for both the Dangyang Sect and the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion. Moreover, they can maintain a harmonious rtionship through this approach."


    Qiu Yong added, "The Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion has been able to stand tall for hundreds of years and maintain its detached status among the major forces not only because of its mystery and strength, but more importantly, its tactics and control over the human heart. The Pavilion knows what these people need, so it always provides what they desire. Throughout history, there have been many who joined the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, each with different backgrounds, yet there has never been a single person who betrayed the Pavilion. On the contrary, when they grow old, instead of returning to their original forces and sects, they are willing to stay in the Pavilion for retirement, silently guarding it. These individuals are one of the core reasons for the Pavilion¡¯s longstanding stability."


    After listening to Qiu Yong, Ling Chen couldn¡¯t help but be amazed, realizing how alluring the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion was.


    "Ladies and gentlemen, ording to the old rules, only those on the Neer List are eligible topete in the neer battle. However, considering the extraordinary talents of this edition¡¯s neers, the rules have changed slightly from previous years. The Neer List has only ten spots, but I believe that there are more than just these ten rising stars in the Martial Arts world. Therefore, in addition to the Neer List, we have provided one additional spot. Whoever secures this spot will be eligible topete for the top three of the neers."


    Ling Chen silently nodded, as the changes to the rules of the neer battle had already been made public. Otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t have stayed.


    To contend with Yi Shuiyan at the Heavenly Mechanism Great Ceremony, he must secure this spot.


    "Alright, without further ado, the battle for the spot begins now. Whoever can maintain an undefeated streak through three matches on the tform, thest spot will belong to them. The opportunity is limited, so do not hesitate, lest you miss out on a golden chance." After finishing, Zhou Qi turned and stepped down from the tform.


    Ling Chen looked at the empty tform, hesitated for a moment, but decided to wait and see. At this moment, rashly stepping up onto the stage, who knew what opponents he might encounter.


    Soon, a young man walked down from the spectator seats and confidently climbed onto the tform, smiling and gesturing with a fist-and-palm salute: "Zhou Jun here, who wishes to enlighten me?"


    "I will!"


    As the words fell, a crew-cut young man leaped onto the tform and bowed with sped hands: "He Yang, please enlighten me."


    After speaking, He Yang did not waste any words, immediately making his move. His steel sword, like a Spirit Snake darting out its tongue, aimed straight at Zhou Jun¡¯s throat.


    Zhou Junughed heartily and weed the attack with empty hands, full of confidence.


    As Zhou Jun¡¯s hands touched the sword de, before the onlookers could react, they saw He Yang¡¯s steel sword fly out of his hands, shocking everyone.


    Catching a de barehanded?


    How impressive!


    So confident!


    Seeing the steel sword falling from his grip, He Yang¡¯s expression changed, and he promptly withdrew, admitting defeat with a flushed face: "I have lost."


    "It was just luck." Zhou Jun said with a smile, looking around at the surrounding stands, and asked, "Who else?"


    "I¡¯ll have a try."


    As the voice sounded, another young man stepped onto the tform.


    However, the duel did not evenst three moves before Zhou Jun easily defeated his opponent, securing two consecutive victories.


    Watching the triumphant Zhou Jun, Ling Chen¡¯s expression became a bit odd, and so did the faces of the onlookers.

 Chapter 430 - 426: The Heavenly Secrets Competition (Part 2)

    <h4>Chapter 430: Chapter 426: The Heavenly Secrets Competition (Part 2)</h4><subtxt> Just now, when the first round ended, everyone was still amazed at Zhou Jun¡¯s prowess. However, having yed out two rounds consecutively, anyone with a bit of discernment could tell that this wasn¡¯t a martial artspetition; it was clearly a staged performance, with both challengers who went on stage acting as stooges.


    To think he had the audacity to cheat openly during the Heavenly Mechanism Great Ceremony, Zhou Jun sure has some nerve.


    For a moment, everyone¡¯s gaze turned unanimously to Zhou Qi. With things being this way, shouldn¡¯t the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion intervene?


    Contrary to everyone¡¯s expectation, Zhou Qi not only did not intervene but instead said with a smile, "Ladies and gentlemen, he has now won two consecutive rounds. If he wins one more, you will have no chance left."


    "I¡¯ll go!"


    "Let me take you on."


    "..."


    As soon as Zhou Qi¡¯s words left his mouth, immediately, seven or eight young men, unwilling to be outdone, rushed onto the stage, and Ling Chen joined in without exception.


    Seeing these young men staring at him with menacing expressions, Zhou Jun suddenly felt intimidated and managed a forced smile. Turning to Zhou Qi, he said, "Umm... Grandpa, I forfeit. Let them do it." After speaking, he scurried down the stage in disgrace and vanished in the blink of an eye.


    Grandpa?


    The crowd burst intoughter, realizing that the young man was indeed Zhou Qi¡¯s grandson, no wonder Zhou Qi turned a blind eye.


    "That brat just yed a little joke with everyone, please don¡¯t mind. However..." Zhou Qi looked at the people on the stage and continued with augh, "However, my good-for-nothing grandson did do one good thing; he pushed you all to step forward, saving us some time. Now, I will ask again, is there anyone else? If not, I¡¯ll change the rules a bit. You eight will pair up and fight, three rounds to decide the victor. Any objections?"


    "No objections." Everyone responded in unison.


    To save time, the eight individuals each took their spots at the four corners of the ring, and all began at once.


    Ling Chen was matched with a young man in his early twenties, possibly a year or two younger than himself, but he was burly and sported a shaved head, looking strong and formidable.


    After exchanging a few courteous words, the bald man did not hesitate and immediately took off with his stout legs towards Ling Chen, charging like a humanoid bulldozer, his momentum fierce.


    As the opponent came closing in, Ling Chen moved his feet, swiftly circling to the bald man¡¯s side. He lightly raised his right leg to block the bald man¡¯s rushing legs, and with his left hand, he pushed on the opponent¡¯s back.


    Instantly, the bald man stumbled underfoot, his burly body losing its bnce and tumbling to the ground.


    "Ling Chen, victor of the first round."


    Hearing Zhou Qi¡¯s voice, Ling Chen silently smirked to himself, but the audience erupted in boos. Even a move fit for a child¡¯s brawl was enough to secure victory; Ling Chen¡¯s opponent was too weak to strike a blow.


    In a few minutes, Ling Chen and three others advanced to the next stage, while the rest were eliminated.


    When Ling Chen had exchanged words with the Tea Girl previously, she had told him that with his capabilities, he could rank in the top ten of the Neer List, but considering other factors, they had left him off the list.


    Thus,pared with thesepetitors, Ling Chen felt no pressure or threat at all.


    The second round¡¯s oue was as expected, with Ling Chen easily defeating his opponent and advancing to the final round.


    "Ling Chen, your luck ends here. Will you go down on your own, or shall I send you down?"


    Ling Chen looked at his opponent and felt a bit perplexed. The other¡¯s words carried a hint of coldness, with anger flickering in his eyes, almost as if he saw Ling Chen as an enemy. However, Ling Chen had no recollection of knowing this person at all.


    "The next match is the decisive battle, Ling Chen versus Liang Qian of the Qingyang Sect. The ultimate victor will secure a spot in the Neerpetition."


    As Zhou Qi¡¯s voice rang out, Ling Chen immediately realized that this guy was a disciple of the Qingyang Sect; no wonder he harbored such enmity towards him.


    "If you want to avenge Xu Song and the others, thene at me. Why so much nonsense?"


    "Seeking death!"


    Liang Qian coldly snorted and with a light tap of his toes, he swooped toward Ling Chen at high speed, his spear thrusting straight toward Ling Chen¡¯s face.


    Ling Chen retreated step by step, trying to dodge the spearhead. But Liang Qian¡¯s spearmanship was extremely exquisite, and no matter how Ling Chen moved, the sharp spearhead always locked onto his body, pressing closer with each step.


    Seeing that he was about to be driven to the edge of the arena, Ling Chen hesitated no more, reaching swiftly to his waist.


    ng!


    Apanied by a crisp sound, the spear tightly gripped by Liang Qian was struck, diverting its course, sweeping past Ling Chen.


    At the same time, Ling Chen¡¯s hand now held a rod-shaped iron instrument, roughly a foot and a half long.


    Upon seeing Ling Chen wielding the Tianling de, Zhu Jin and Yi Shuiyan from the Dangyang Sect squinted their eyes, fixating on the de with intense desire, wishing they could snatch it away immediately.


    At this moment, Ling Chen lightly triggered a mechanism, and a sharp de suddenly extended from the end, transforming into a sword over three feet long.


    With the sword in hand, Ling Chen took a couple of running steps and vigorouslyunched off his toes, his body leaping high into the air. Following that, he twisted his waist, spread out his arms, and swiftly rotated in mid-air, like a spinning windmill, bringing the sword de in his hand shing down in quick session upon Liang Qian¡¯s head, not pausing for a moment.


    Under the relentless sword onught, Liang Qian found no chance to fight back and was forced to hold his spear horizontally above his head to parry the sword strikes.


    However, apart from the spear tip, the shaft of Liang Qian¡¯s spear was made of wood. Although sturdy, it could not withstand the sharpness of the Tianling de. Moreover, Ling Chen¡¯s precision was impable; every strike hit the same spot.


    When the fifth strike came down, Liang Qian¡¯s spear could no longer withstand Ling Chen¡¯s assault and snapped into two pieces at the center.


    Without the spear for defense, Ling Chen¡¯s Tianling de directly thrust forward, firmly resting against Liang Qian¡¯s neck.


    "You¡¯ve lost!"


    Liang Qian¡¯s face turned ugly as he looked at the Tianling de, his gaze flickering. Suddenly, he gritted his teeth and bellowed, "I haven¡¯t lost yet." As he spoke, he leaned forward, grabbing the broken spearhead with his hand, lunging straight for Ling Chen¡¯s chest.


    Seeing Liang Qian¡¯s action, Qiu Yong and others in the audience seats changed their expressions dramatically, rising from their seats to exim, "Stop!"


    However, Liang Qian ignored their shouts as if unheard, his malicious face bearing a grim smile.


    At that moment, seeing the rapidly approaching spearhead, Ling Chen¡¯s eyebrows furrowed; he had not expected Liang Qian to resort to such extreme measures. He had thought the battle was over and had let down his guard, only to find Liang Qianunching a surprise attack.


    Moreover, from the direction of the spearhead, it was clear he aimed to take Ling Chen¡¯s life.


    As the spearhead was less than five centimeters away from a vital spot, Ling Chen didn¡¯t hesitate for a moment, his wrist flicking slightly. Instantly, Liang Qian¡¯s face stiffened, his movements abruptly slowing.


    Seizing the opportunity, Ling Chen quickly withdrew, evading the spear attack.


    "You... you..." Liang Qian opened his mouth but couldn¡¯t believe what he saw from Ling Chen.


    Before he could finish, a stream of hot blood spurted from his neck, along with his body copsing to the ground.</subtxt>

 Chapter 431 - 427: The Heavenly Secrets Competition (Part 3)

    <h4>Chapter 431: Chapter 427: The Heavenly Secrets Competition (Part 3)</h4><h4></h4>


    Seeing Liang Qian copsed in a pool of blood, the crowd on the stands fell deadly silent, everyone was shocked by Ling Chen¡¯s ruthlessness and decisiveness.


    Confronting Liang Qian¡¯s sneak attack, he actually killed him mercilessly.


    "Ling Chen, how dare you kill someone from Qingyang Sect, prepare to meet your end!"


    At that moment, an enraged voice rang out, as disciples of Qingyang Sect, led by Qu Yuan, rushed onto the arena, heading straight towards Ling Chen with a menacing aura.


    "Who dares to touch my Ling Cheng."


    Apanied by a furious shout, led by Qiu Yong, the eight entrics swiftly assembled in front of Ling Chen, staring coldly at the approaching Qu Yuan.


    Qu Yuan clenched his fists, veins bulging on his forehead as he gritted his teeth, "Qiu Yong, you saw it too, he killed my disciple, do you intend to shield him? Hand him over, I want him to pay with blood for blood."


    Qiu Yong said coldly, "That was your disciple¡¯s own fault. If it weren¡¯t for my Ling Cheng¡¯s quick reactions just now, he would be the one dead. Qu Yuan, you fail to instruct your disciples properly, they either harass women orunch sneak attacks behind the scenes,pletely undisciplined, yet you want to shift the me onto my Ling Cheng. Hmph! Let me tell you, don¡¯t even think about it. If you dare touch a hair on my Ling Cheng, I will make sure your Qingyang Sect members¡¯ blood stters right here, including you, this shameless old creature."


    As Qiu Yong¡¯s words fell, Yuan Yun drew his steel de, stepping forward to Qu Yuan, his sharp gaze sweeping over Qu Jinxian and the others.


    "People of Qingyang Sect, listen up, I¡¯ll count to three, either get lost or die here, it¡¯s your choice." Yuan Yun¡¯s words were domineering, just like his swordsmanship, leaving no room for mercy.


    "Yuan Yun, you..."


    Before he could finish, Qu Yuan suddenly felt a bone-chilling cold rising from underneath him, abruptly biting off his words as he nced towards the stands.


    Unbeknownst to him, Zhang Zhongfeng had already left the arena, standing at the back of the stands, with one hand holding a longbow, the arrow nocked and aimed directly at Qu Yuan¡¯s forehead.


    Seeing this, Qu Yuan¡¯s face drastically changed, the corners of his mouth twitching uncontrobly.


    In the world of Martial Arts, who doesn¡¯t know the name of Zhang Zhongfeng, the Archer God.


    Once the arrow is released, it means certain death, and in front of the Archer God, no one dares harbor any hope of luck.


    At this time, the onlookers all watched Qingyang Sect with schadenfreude. Clearly, it was their own disciple who disregarded the rules and initiated a deadly sneak attack, now being counter-killed by Ling Chen, they can only me his own disregard for the rules, no one else.


    Qingyang Sect was already in the wrong, yet they still wanted to trouble others, which was truly shameless. Now confronted with the tough stance of the eight entrics, let¡¯s see how they¡¯ll step down.


    "One!"


    Yuan Yun spat out a number, causing the hearts of the Qingyang Sect led by Qu Yuan to sink suddenly, bing involuntarily tense, palms sweating.


    "Two!"


    The corners of Yuan Yun¡¯s mouth slightly raised, watching Qu Yuan with a sneering smile, raising his steel de slightly. Simultaneously, behind the stands, Zhang Zhongfeng had already pulled his bow tight, only needing to loosen his fingers and there would be another corpse on the arena immediately.


    Watching Yuan Yun¡¯s lips preparing to open again, Qu Yuan¡¯s forehead was covered in cold sweat, having lost his earlier anger and firmness. Not waiting for Yuan Yun¡¯s ¡¯three¡¯ toe out, Qu Yuan quickly turned his head, looking down at the arena to Zhou Qi, and spoke, "Elder Zhou, you are the referee, you¡¯ve seen everything that just happened, please uphold justice for our Qingyang Sect."


    Hearing this, the crowd on the stands couldn¡¯t help butugh, carrying a hint of mockery.


    "I thought Qu Yuan was made of sterner stuff, but it turns out he¡¯s just like everyone else. All his talk of asking Zhou Qi to preside over justice was just looking for a way out.


    Zhou Qi nced at Ling Chen and said at a leisurely pace, "I believe everyone has seen that Ling Chen acted in self-defense, without fault. Liang Qian¡¯s death was his own doing; no one else is to me. Sect Leader Qu, everyone knows the facts clearly, can¡¯t your people from Qingyang Sect see that?"


    "I..." Qu Yuan was momentarily at a loss for words, not expecting Zhou Qi to put him on the spot. He wanted a way out, but Zhou Qi¡¯s words only added to his embarrassment.


    "Alright, everyone please return to your seats," Zhou Qi walked up to the tform and addressed the people from both sides.


    Seeing that Zhou Qi had given him an out, Qu Yuan said nothing more and immediately led his people back to their seats. Once everyone had seated themselves again, Zhou Qi looked at Qu Yuan and said indifferently, "Sect Leader Qu, I hope in the uing matches your people from Qingyang Sect will keep their eyes wide open. I don¡¯t want to see another incident like this."


    With these words, Zhou Qi ignored the displeased look on Qu Yuan¡¯s old face, turned his head to survey everyone present, and continued: "Please abide by the rules of thepetition. If anyone acts like Liang Qian, Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion will not seek justice for them. Also, I would like to congratte Ling Chen for securing thest spot in the rookiepetition. That concludes this morning¡¯spetition, everyone can go back and rest for a bit. At 2 PM, the rookie championship will officially start, please make sure to arrive on time at the venue and not miss out on the exciting event."


    After leaving the venue, seeing that it was still early for lunch, Ling Chen and Qiu Yong went straight to the luxury cruise ship¡¯s tea cafe.


    Ling Chen took a sip of the coffee brought by the waiter, delightfully savoring it. His gaze drifted through the window, looking out at the vast expanse of the azure sea, which brought him a great sense of relief.


    "Ling Chen."


    At that moment, Ye Liangyong, carrying tea, came over and greeted everyone with a smile.


    "Mr. Ye, please sit."


    "Ling Chen, you killed Liang Qian on the tform. Although everyone knows it was out of necessity, you still need to be cautious of Qingyang Sect¡¯s reprisal," Ye Liangyong kindly warned.


    "Mr. Ye, don¡¯t worry, I understand," Ling Chen replied, slightly puzzled, "I had no enmity with that Liang Qian. Why would he desperately fight me for his fellow brothers?"


    "Do you remember Xu Song?"


    Ling Chen nodded.


    "Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion sentenced him to fifty strokes. Who knew his body was so weak, he couldn¡¯t withstand it."


    "Is he dead?" Ling Chen was shocked.


    "He¡¯s not dead, but he¡¯s be a cripple. I heard that Liang Qian and Xu Song are cousins and very close. That¡¯s probably why Liang Qian was so ruthless with you. Now one is crippled, and the other is dead. Just now in the venue, you also made Qu Yuan lose face, with his temperament, he most certainly won¡¯t let this go."


    "What is there to fear?" Qiu Yong said indifferently, "If he dares to cause trouble, we, the Eight entrics, aren¡¯t pushovers either. Sixth Brother... Sixth Brother..."


    "Huh?" Ling Chen snapped back to reality, shifting his gaze from the window, and asked, "Big brother, what happened?"


    "What got into you, you suddenly drifted off mid-conversation."


    Ling Chen smiled sheepishly, his eyes returning to the calm sea outside the window, his brows slightly furrowed.


    Strange!


    There seemed to be something floating on the sea surface just now, but it disappeared in the blink of an eye.


    Could I have seen it wrong?

 Chapter 432 - 428: Rookie Preliminary Contest

    <h4>Chapter 432: Chapter 428: Rookie Preliminary Contest</h4><h4></h4>


    At this moment, a massive cargo ship sails over the ocean surface, with over a dozen suit-d, armed guards patrolling the deck. On the spacious deck, there are also three helicopters, with several men busy maintaining and adjusting them.


    In the cargo hold beneath the ship, more than twenty staff members sit in front ofputers, rapidly typing away on their keyboards, surrounded by precision equipment blinking in red and green lights.


    "Target One in position!"


    "Target Two in position!"


    "Target Three in position!"


    "..."


    Following the announcement from the staff, a young man in a suit briskly approaches a refined and schrly-looking middle-aged man, reporting, "Mr. Yun, all preparations areplete."


    Mr. Yun turns around and directly walks over to therge screen hanging on the wall, nodding at the young man, "Begin."


    "Yes."


    Soon after, a real-time image appears on therge screen. In the azure sea, an underwater machine equipped with a camera slowly moves forward.


    Dozens of secondster, the underside of a giant shipes clearly into view on the screen.


    As the machine approaches the bottom, two mechanical arms slowly extend out under the remote control of the staff.


    "Mr. Yun, all six packages have been installed."


    "Good, have them retrieve the machine, don¡¯t let the other side detect it."


    "Understood." As soon as he says this, the young man asks, "Mr. Yun, when do we start the operation?"


    "There¡¯s no rush; my people have not yet arrived. Let¡¯s wait a bit longer."


    ...


    After lunch, Ling Chen takes a short rest and then follows Qiu Yong and others to the conference venue to participate in the afternoon¡¯s neerpetition.


    Sitting in the seating area, Ling Chen immediately feels a soft gaze upon him. Looking up, he sees Zhu Xiaozhu on the opposite stand watching him. He smiles and gives a light nod.


    At this moment, Shi Su, who is beside Zhu Xiaozhu, seems to notice their interaction, her eyes coldly fix on Ling Chen, as if ayer of frost has formed on her face.


    Ling Chen touches his nose and turns his head away, no longer looking at the woman.


    Although Shi Su is Zhu Xiaozhu¡¯s master, Ling Chen has no fondness for her.


    At two o¡¯clock in the afternoon, the attendees for the venue are all present, and the host Zhou Qi, as usual, mounts the stage, giving a fist salute to all the seated guests.


    "Everyone, this morning¡¯spetition for spots was just an appetizer; the main event is this afternoon. You are all already aware of the prize for this neerpetition, so I won¡¯t repeat it and will just announce the rules. This year¡¯s neerpetition is divided into two rounds. The first round is for the bottom five of the Neer List, plus Ling Chen who won his spot this morning, making a total of six people. The winner among these six willpete with the top five of the Neer List for the top three spots."


    Hearing this rather unfair rule, the crowd looks at one another, their faces a mix of astonishment.


    "Elder Zhou, isn¡¯t this rule somewhat unfair? Why don¡¯t the top five neers participate in thepetition together?" Someone in the stands questions, "Even if one of those six emerges victorious, they will surely be drained in energy and physical condition after sessive battles, and it will be even more troublesome if they¡¯re injured. How can they thenpete with the top five neers in such a state?"


    "That¡¯s right." Another person immediately agrees, "I also feel it¡¯s unfair; those six are at too much of a disadvantage."


    Faced with the opposition and doubts of the crowd, Zhou Qi presses his hand down, signaling everyone to quiet down.


    "I understand that you find the rules set by Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion unfair. However, Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion has always been fair and impartial in its actions and will not favor anyone. The Pavilion has made this decision after careful deliberation and has entirely considered the six contestants."


    "Elder Zhou, what do you mean by that?"


    "Since everyone wants to know, let me just tell the truth. There¡¯s arge gap between the strength of the top five and bottom five of the Neer List. The neers ranked in the top five possess strength not inferior to Dragon List experts, as I believe everyone saw in the match between Song Ge and Liu Yunsong that day. As a Dragon List expert, Liu Yunsong was utterly defenseless against Song Ge. By contrast, the few ranked in the bottom five of the Neer List only possess Tiger List strength. With such a huge disparity, do you think it¡¯s interesting to put them together?"


    Seeing that everyone is stunned by his words, Zhou Qi smiles and says, "We have arranged this also with the safety of the neers in mind, of course, I do not rule out the possibility of a dark horse. However, if there really is a dark horse, I believe they will stand out in thepetition. Apart from that, I¡¯d like to remind you all. Each of you is a member of the Martial Artsmunity, survival of the fittest, it alles down to who has the stronger fists. It¡¯s cruel, but that¡¯s reality. To be a strong person, how can one reach the pinnacle without going through hardships and obstacles?"


    After Zhou Qi¡¯s stirring speech, everyone falls into silence, and no one objects to the rules set by Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion anymore.


    Survival of the fittest, this is the unchangingw for millennia.


    If, as Zhou Qi said, the strength disparity is so great, then the six of them indeed have no qualifications to challenge the top five of the Neer List.


    "Alright, I¡¯ve said all that needs to be said. Since no one objects, let¡¯s proceed with drawing lots to determine the opponents." After saying that, Zhou Qi gestures grandly, and Zhong Yang immediately runs up the stage, handing a bamboo tube with six bamboo sticks to Zhou Qi.


    "Please, all neerse up to the stage."


    Without a word, Ling Chen steps onto the stage. At the same time, the other five neers rise from their seats and step onto the stage one after another, gathering around Zhou Qi, sizing up those who could very well be their opponents.


    To Ling Chen¡¯s surprise, among the five neers, there is a young woman with a delicate face, tender and elegant, looking about twenty-one or twenty-two years old.


    Seeing that all six are present, Zhou Qi speaks, "There are three sets of matching numbers on the six bamboo sticks, and those with the same numbers will be in one group. Begin."


    Once the other five have drawn, Ling Chen doesn¡¯t need to draw to know who his opponent is.


    Shi Tao, a youth of simr age to himself, ordinary-looking with a hooked nose, thick eyebrows,rge eyes, and very thick lips, seems like a straightforward person.


    After looking at the bamboo sticks in the hands of the six, Zhou Qi points to the exquisite young woman and another youth next to her.


    "Xiao Wan, Luo Yu, let¡¯s start with you two."


    The two nod their heads and immediately step down to prepare.


    Ling Chen returns to his seat and finds Ye Liangyong has unknowingly taken a seat behind him.


    "Mr. Ye, why have youe over?"


    "I switched seats with someone else."


    "Is there something you need from me?"


    "I¡¯ve just been asking around about those few people¡¯s details, so I wanted toe over and tell you, to help you be prepared."


    "Ye has been considerate." Qiu Yong smiles, "Ling Cheng, know yourself and your enemy, and you will never be in peril. No matter who your next opponent is, you must not underestimate them, learning more is always good."


    "I know, Big Brother."

 Chapter 433 - 429: A Fierce Battle with Shi Yong (1)

    <h4>Chapter 433: Chapter 429: A Fierce Battle with Shi Yong (1)</h4><h4></h4>


    Before long, Xiao Wan and Luo Yu both returned to the arena and bowed with sped fists to each other in greeting.


    Ling Chen¡¯s curiosity was piqued as he observed the weapons in their hands. For those dedicated to Martial Arts,mon weapons are swords and sabers, but both Xiao Wan and Luo Yu wielded rather unusual ones.


    Luo Yu was using a folding fan, which appeared to be made of alloy from a single nce. His weapon, rtively speaking, was still normal. On the contrary, it was Xiao Wan; she held two cone-shaped short des in her hands, each about half a foot long, resembling two intricately crafted daggers.


    Short des weremon weapons, but cone-shaped ones were extremely rare. With only the tip possessing the lethality, this design undoubtedly lessened their power.


    As he contemted, Luo Yu let out a sharp cry and took the initiative to attack.


    With his body rushing forward, Xiao Wan, without a word, instantly raised the cone-shaped short de in her right hand above her head. Just as the audience was puzzled by her action, the cone-shaped short de startlingly split in two. The sharp tip was violently shot out, connected to the end by a fine steel wire, and it pierced into the top of the venue.


    Immediately after, the steel wire started to rapidly retract, lifting Xiao Wan into the air and avoiding Luo Yu¡¯s line of attack.


    Clicking his tongue!


    Witnessing this scene, Ling Chen couldn¡¯t help but be impressed, not having expected the two short cone-shaped des to have such an effect. Clearly, these were specially modified weapons.


    At this point, Xiao Wan was suspended in mid-air, over two meters above Luo Yu¡¯s head, which was out of his reach even if he were to jump. While Luo Yu pondered his next move, Xiao Wan flicked her wrist, and the short de gripped in her left hand was also shot out, heading straight towards Luo Yu¡¯s head.


    Seeing this, Luo Yu did not hesitate and immediately stepped back. However, surprisingly, after her initial miss, Xiao Wan did not retract the shot de. Instead, she used the steel wire connected to the de to gently shake it, controlling the de fluidly as if by an extension of her arm. She maneuvered it around Luo Yu, constantly changing positions, waiting for an opportunity to strike.


    In no time, Luo Yu was put entirely on the defensive, forced to drop all other thoughts and focus on fending off the attacks from the short de.


    "This youngdy has some good ideas." Xia Yue said with a smile, her tone filled with a hint of appreciation.


    Yuan Yun nodded and added, "Looking at her technique, she must have dedicated over a decade to reach this level today. It¡¯s quite remarkable."


    As they conversed, a sudden change urred on the tform. Luo Yu, probably fed up with being entangled, took a quick step back. Simultaneously, he snapped open his folding fan with a swish, twisted at the waist, and made a throwing gesture.


    Instantly, the folding fan whirred through the air like a boomerang, rapidly spinning towards the steel wire in Xiao Wan¡¯s hand.


    Sparks flew, and Luo Yu¡¯s face lit up with joy, but his pleasure quickly froze. Although the folding fan had hit the steel wire squarely, it had failed to cut it.


    Not only that, Xiao Wan seized the opportunity. With a gentle tug of her left hand, she entwined the folding fan with the steel wire and, with a flick, threw the fan out of the arena.


    Losing a weapon meant half a defeat. Watching Xiao Wan who remained aloft, Luo Yu could not help but let out a bitter smile. In this situation, despite his capabilities, he was helpless; Xiao Wan countered him at every turn.


    Having no other choice, Luo Yu bowed his fists to Elder Zhou beneath the tform and said, "Elder Zhou, I admit defeat."


    Hearing his voluntary concession, the audience couldn¡¯t help but feel a bit sorry. Although many believed Xiao Wan¡¯s victory was somewhat dishonorable, a win was a win, a loss was a loss, and there was no cause forint.


    Unlike others, Ling Chen and a few other new talents showed a contemtive look. If they were to face Xiao Wanter, how would they break through her Sky Flying Technique?


    "The first battle, Xiao Wan wins!" Zhou Qi announced loudly: "Now for the second battle, Ling Chen against Shi Yong. Please both get ready, the match will start in three minutes."


    "Ling Cheng,e on!" Qiu Yong patted Ling Chen on the shoulder, encouraging him.


    Ling Chen smiled and with the Tianling de in hand, stepped onto the tform.


    At this moment, Shi Yong also walked up to the other side of the tform. Seeing Shi Yong¡¯s equipment, despite being mentally prepared, Ling Chen was still taken aback.


    Shi Yong held a broad and thick Horse-ying Saber in one hand, and in the other, he carried a solid round shield, while his upper body was d in armor. His attire was reminiscent of an ancient battlefield soldier, missing only a splendid steed.


    Earlier in the spectators¡¯ stand, Ye Liangyong had mentioned Shi Yong¡¯s background to Ling Chen. Shi Yong came from a Martial Arts family, his ancestors once held the title of Golden Saber Marshal,manding thousands of troops and horses. In the history of the Shi Family, there had been a total of two Marshals and seven Generals. As a result, the Shi Family¡¯s Martial Arts were evolved from the ancient battlefield, characterized by their fierce and aggressive nature, epassing both offense and defense.


    "Shi Yong, please enlighten me."


    "Please!"


    Ling Chen sped his hands in salutation, then moved back to the edge of the tform, holding the Tianling de, waiting for Shi Yong¡¯s move.


    "The match... begins!"


    As Zhou Qi¡¯s voice fell, Shi Yong¡¯s eyes instantly burst with an intimidating brilliance, and he roared like a wild beast, exuding an overwhelming presence.


    "Kill!"


    Shi Yong held the shield high with his left hand, protecting his vital parts, and strode forward with the Horse-ying Saber raised above his head, charging at Ling Chen with an unstoppable momentum, the saber¡¯s sharp edge aiming to viciously strike down towards his head.


    Seeing the saber¡¯s winding at him, Ling Chen quickly raised the Tianling de, forcefully blocking the attack from the Horse-ying Saber.


    ng!


    Amid a sharp sound, Ling Chen felt a tingling numbness in his hand, apanied by a sore swelling sensation in his arm. A simple sh felt like it carried the weight of thousands. Having suffered a setback, Ling Chen quickly moved, dodging beneath Shi Yong¡¯s Horse-ying Saber, and swiftly circted to his back.


    However, before Ling Chen couldunch a counter-attack, a gust of wind suddenly hit him from the side. At this moment, even though Shi Yong was still with his back turned to Ling Chen, his body hadn¡¯t moved, but the shield in his left hand, in coordination with the twist of his waist, struck fiercely at him.


    Left with no choice, Ling Chen had to abandon the idea of attacking and continued to withdraw backwards.


    Two consecutive moves, and Ling Chen had not gained the slightest advantage, instead falling into a significant disadvantage in terms of strength.


    "Come again!"


    Shi Yong adjusted his stance, holding the shield level and the Horse-ying Saber in hand, readying himself again for the charge.


    Ling Chen frowned, shifting his feet lightly, his gaze sizing up Shi Yong, in hopes of finding an opening. However, with the defense of the shield, Shi Yong¡¯s defense was irond, leaving no opportunity for a strike.


    "Ling Cheng is in trouble," said Qiu Yong from the seats.


    Zhang Zhongfeng nodded and said, "Shi Yong¡¯s defense is very solid, leaving virtually no gaps, and with his advantage in strength, it seems rather precarious for Ling Cheng to win."

 Chapter 434 - 430: A Fierce Battle with Shi Yong (2)

    <h4>Chapter 434: Chapter 430: A Fierce Battle with Shi Yong (2)</h4><h4></h4>


    Watching Shi Yong gradually closing in, Ling Chen gripped the Tianling de in his hand even tighter.


    Indeed, none of the top ten on the Neer List are ordinary characters. In the twinkling of a thought, Ling Chen made a swift decision. With a light tap of his toes, he shifted from defense to offense. The cold light of the Tianling de shed as the de swiftly extended, slicing towards Shi Yong¡¯s shield.


    ng!


    With a crisp sound, the de steadily chopped onto the solid shield, leaving not a single mark. From the sound emitted by the shield, it could be inferred that the shield was made of pure steel, not only hefty but also extremely hard, making it difficult for ordinary attacks to break through its defense.


    After several probing attempts, Ling Chen suddenly noticed something. Shi Yong, when facing an opponent, disyed great steadiness, not rushing for quick sess but focusing on solid defense. After each defensive move, he wouldn¡¯t seize the chance to attack but would stabilize his defense on the spot.


    This might be rted to his family¡¯s history, where soldiers in ancient armies were primarily focused on maintaining stability. As the battlefield is ever-changing, one could lose their life at any moment. Therefore, the most important thing on the battlefield wasn¡¯t victory, but survival, and Shi Yong had indeed inherited this excellent family tradition.


    However, for Ling Chen, this was an opportunity.


    ng!


    The attack was blocked by the shield once again. Without hesitation, Ling Chen immediately moved his feet, shifting to Shi Yong¡¯s left side, continuing to press the attack. Having understood Shi Yong¡¯s habits, he knew that Shi Yong would not counterattack. Thus, he could attack boldly, continuously seeking vulnerabilities in the relentless onught to try and break Shi Yong¡¯s defense.


    However, after a round of aggressive attack akin to a storm, Ling Chen felt that he had exhausted half of his energy, yet Shi Yong¡¯s defense was still imprable, without the slightest opportunity to exploit.


    Yuan Yun, who was watching the battle, shook his head and said, "This isn¡¯t going to work; Ling Cheng can¡¯t oust the opponent in stamina. If he can¡¯t find a breakthrough, he¡¯s bound to lose to Shi Yong eventually."


    "This Shi Yong has a good foundation; his basics are very solid. Among thest five on the Neer List, his strength is probably the strongest."


    Hearing Xia Yue¡¯s assessment, the usually reticent Xu Ming spoke up: "At most three minutes. If no turning point emerges, Ling Cheng will undoubtedly lose."


    As they spoke, Ling Chen and Shi Yong stood on opposite sides of the arena, facing each other.


    At this moment, Ling Chen had switched from holding the sword with one hand to both hands. After the continuous hard shes, his arms felt incredibly sore and swollen, forcing him to use both hands to maintain the strength of the Tianling de.


    Under the gaze of the crowd, the previously passive Shi Yong finally took a step forward, holding up his shield and advancing towards Ling Chen.


    Seeing this, Ling Chen continuously changed positions, maintaining the distance between them.


    Seeing his evasion and reluctance to fight, a wave of booing immediately arose from the stands.


    "If you¡¯re too scared to fight him, just concede and stop wasting everyone¡¯s time," someone shouted loudly.


    "Exactly, just concede graciously, why resort to such underhanded tactics?"


    "Having the audacity to challenge Yi Shuiyan with such mediocre skills, he must have water in his brain."


    Amid the mocking voices rising and falling, Ling Chen acted as if he had heard nothing, turning a deaf ear and continuing to move around the arena, using this opportunity to recover his depleted energy.


    However, this situation did notst long. As Ling Chen moved to the corner of the ring, Shi Yong, who had been maintaining a steady pace, suddenly quickened his steps, rushed forward, and cornered Ling Chen, leaving him no room to move to either side.


    Feeling the mountain-like stable aura emanating from Shi Yong, Ling Chen raised his eyebrows, his eyes sparkling with sharp light.


    At this moment, there were no other choices but to strike.


    In an instant, without hesitation, Ling Chen forcefully propelled himself from the ground, leaped high, and with both hands holding the Tianling de, he brought it down with a sh.


    Unexpectedly, Shi Yong did not defend with his shield as usual but swung it forcefully, striking the de, and instantly deflecting the edge of the Tianling de.


    Before Ling Chen could react, Shi Yong, holding his shield, quickly closed the distance and mmed his shield against Ling Chen, knocking him flying.


    At the moment Ling Chen struck, he was already at the edge of the ring, and under the impact of the shield, his body immediately flew out of the ring.


    Seeing this, Qiu Yong and others changed their expressions drastically, stood up from their seats, and watched Ling Chen anxiously. On the other side of the spectator stand, Zhu Xiaozhu was biting her thin lips with worry, holding her clothes tightly, her concern even affecting Shi Su, earning a displeased look from him.


    At this critical moment, as Ling Chen was about to hit the ground, he suddenly twisted his body mid-air, facing downward, and at the same time, flicked his wrist, lightly tapping the ground with the tip of the Tianling de. Instantly, the de flexed like a fully drawn longbow.


    Using the rebound force formed by the bent de, Ling Chen bounced up again, his feet neatlynding on the edge of the ring.


    That was close!


    Ling Chen silently remarked, a cold sweat breaking out on his forehead. Once he fell out of the ring, this fight would be deemed a loss to his opponent, and his journey would alsoe to an end.


    Luckily, his quick reactions helped him regain control. However, the crisis was only temporarily averted. The match was not over yet, and facing a powerful opponent like Shi Yong, Ling Chen was unsure how to secure a victory.


    Indeed, he still had some formidable techniques at his disposal. However, those techniques were intended for facing Yi Shuiyan, and if revealed now, even if he defeated Shi Yong, he would lose the means to confront Yi Shuiyanter.


    Because of this, Ling Chen was somewhat hesitant.


    As he pondered, Shi Yong was already approaching with a shield in hand, his presence fierce. As Shi Yong drew closer, Ling Chen stared at the solid shield, his brow furrowing, his mind constantly searching for a strategy.


    That shield was key; without dealing with it, his attacks were unlikely to threaten Shi Yong.


    With a resolved expression, Ling Chen suddenly retracted the tip of the Tianling de he was holding. Following that, both ends of the Tianling de extended outwards, instantly transforming into a five-foot-long steel rod.


    Not waiting for Shi Yong to approach, Ling Chen gripped the steel rod, took a few quick steps, then used it to vault from the ground, leaping over Shi Yong¡¯s head.


    Shi Yong seemed unprepared for Ling Chen¡¯s move, pausing slightly before looking up, lifting his shield above his head to guard against Ling Chen¡¯s attack.


    However, Ling Chen did not attack directly but lightly tapped the surface of the shield with the steel rod, using it to bounce even higher into the air.


    Watching Ling Chen¡¯s actions left the spectators puzzled, unsure of what he was nning.


    Just when everyone was baffled, Ling Chen, who had jumped three meters into the air, suddenly spun around tightly gripping the steel rod, and from above, he smashed it down fiercely onto the shield.

 Chapter 435 - 431: Fierce Battle with Shi Yong (Three)

    <h4>Chapter 435: Chapter 431: Fierce Battle with Shi Yong (Three)</h4><h4></h4>


    ng!


    When the steel rod struck the shield, a loud sound like a prolonged bell echoed throughout the entire venue.


    Under Ling Chen¡¯s forceful attack, Shi Yong¡¯s arms and knees showed a distinct sinking movement, indicating that Ling Chen¡¯s attack exceeded the range he could withstand.


    Although Shi Yong¡¯s movement was subtle, the sharp-eyed Ling Chen still noticed it and could not help but feel pleased.


    Sess!


    This method was indeed effective.


    Ling Chen knew clearly that he couldn¡¯t match Shi Yong in sheer strength, so he had to find another way to enhance his power.


    Launching an attack from mid-air was different from attacking on the ground; leveraging the body¡¯s inertia and the impact of the fall,bined with his own strength and Inner Strength, was enough to bring his power to its utmost limit.


    It¡¯s like throwing a shot put; if you stand in one spot, motionless, and throw the shot put, it certainly won¡¯t go very far. However, if you take a run-up, the distance the shot put travels will be much farther than the former.


    The situations are different, but the principle is the same.


    Having found the method to defeat the enemy, Ling Chen¡¯s tense face rxed considerably, continuously using the same method to put pressure on Shi Yong.


    Although Shi Yong was stable enough, each of his movements was precise, but his footwork could not be called agile, just average. Moreover, facing Ling Chen¡¯s attack, he had to lift the shield above his head. Consequently, the area of shield blocked his line of sight, preventing him from pinpointing Ling Chen¡¯s exact position and forcing him to rely on the range of the shield to defend against Ling Chen¡¯s steel rod.


    In less than half a minute under Ling Chen¡¯s powerful assault, the shield in Shi Yong¡¯s hand was increasingly lowered, as if the arm holding it was growing tired.


    Excellent opportunity!


    Noticing the change in Shi Yong, Ling Chen¡¯s eyes brightened, recognizing that his attacks were effective. At that moment, he leaped high, apanied by a whistling wind, and again fiercely struck the shield with his steel rod.


    ng!


    The powerful force spread across the surface of the shield. Shi Yong¡¯s arm shrank back as if unable to bear it, and he quickly retreated, only stabilizing his footsteps five meters away, slowly lowering the shield he held up high.


    Ling Chen slightly curved the corners of his mouth, ready to overpower Shi Yong in one go. But just then, a movement from Shi Yong made Ling Chen halt and look at him curiously.


    Shi Yong threw down the shield he was holding and took off the armor from his body, leaving only the Horse-ying Saber in his hand.


    Ling Chen was puzzled, was Shi Yong nning to give up his defense and attack with all his might?


    While he was thinking, Shi Yong silently raised the Horse-ying Saber, de facing outward, standing as straight as a rigid javelin, with a formidable aura.


    Suddenly, Shi Yong shouted loudly from where he stood with the saber, his morale soaring. With an unstoppable momentum, he quickly ran towards Ling Chen, slightly tilting the Horse-ying Saber back, poised in a chopping stance.


    Watching Shi Yong charging towards him, Ling Chen was momentarily stunned, a hint of surprise in Mo Che¡¯s eyes.


    At this moment, Shi Yong, who had discarded his armor and shield, moved swiftly and with sharp movements, looking entirely different from before. Without a moment to spare as Shi Yong closed in, the broad Horse-ying Saber chopped straight towards the top of his head, full of force.


    Without a word, Ling Chen immediately raised his steel rod, holding it above himself. In an instant, only a crisp ¡¯ng¡¯ sound was heard as Ling Chen¡¯s knees bent, his shoulders and elbows moving in concert with his torso to sink down, dissolving that fierce power.


    Notnding a sessful hit, Shi Yong quickly retracted the Horse-ying Saber, his footsteps as swift as the wind, and in an instant he moved to Ling Chen¡¯s right side, the Horse-ying Saber shing down again with a mighty aura.


    So fast!


    Seeing the flickering figure before him, Ling Chen couldn¡¯t help but be greatly rmed; Shi Yong¡¯s speed was at least twice as fast as before.


    Could it be that this fellow has been hiding his strength all along?


    In a sh of thought, Ling Chen seemed to realize something, his eyes swiftly ncing at the discarded shield and armor on the ground, his eyes filled with undisguised shock.


    At this moment, with the whistle of the saber wind by his ear, and the oppressive power closing in, Ling Chen hurriedly discarded all distractions, focusing on countering Shi Yong¡¯s attacks.


    ng! ng!


    In just a moment, Shi Yong had already unleashed four or five shes in session, the power contained in the de not only showing no sign of weakening but instead growing stronger as if Shi Yong possessed an inexhaustible strength, his offensive relentless, leaving Ling Chen struggling to defend.


    At that moment, as Ling Chen once again swung the steel rod, hard-connecting with Shi Yong¡¯s fierce attack, a sudden change urred on the tform. Facing Shi Yong¡¯s aggressive assault, Ling Chen suddenly found his feet giving way, his legs seemingly unable to support his body, staggering backward, nearly falling to the ground. Fortunately, he reacted promptly, using the steel rod to prop himself up on the ground.


    Feeling the pain in his waist, Ling Chen¡¯s expression changed, inwardly cursing, not expecting his waist injury to re up at this time. Probably the high-intensity battle had triggered the injury once more.


    What now?


    Ling Chen frowned deeply, reaching to touch his lower back, feeling a piercing pain.


    Seeing Ling Chen holding his spine, his eyebrows tightly furrowed, and a fleeting expression of pain across his face, Zhu Xiaozhu on the stands couldn¡¯t help but worry. That day because of her, Ling Chen had identally hurt his spine. Since Ling Chen had repeatedly insisted he was fine, she hadn¡¯t taken it too seriously.


    But now, it seemed that Ling Chen was not only not fine, but his injury was also very serious. He had deliberately hidden his injury in front of her, probably not wanting to make her feel guilty. Thinking of this, Zhu Xiaozhu¡¯s eyes started to moisten, shimmering faintly.


    On the tform, Shi Yong, seeing Ling Chen¡¯s actions, put away the Horse-ying Saber and asked, "Are you injured?"


    "It¡¯s nothing." Ling Chen shook his head, mustering his spirits, gripping the steel rod in his hand, signaling to Shi Yong, "Continue!"


    "You¡¯re a decent opponent, but in your current state, it isn¡¯t suitable to continue. Admit defeat, to avoid aggravating your injury."


    "Ling Cheng,e down." Qiu Yong spoke from the seats.


    They were all aware of Ling Chen¡¯s injury, which was their biggest concern. With the injury ring up now, it undoubtedly would greatly impact Ling Chen. For the sake of his health, Qiu Yong could only urge him to admit defeat.


    "Big brother, I¡¯m fine, no need to worry." Ling Chen forced a smile, his gaze fixed on Shi Yong across from him, nodding, "Let¡¯s go."


    Shi Yong said seriously, "Since you insist, I respect your decision, but I must remind you, I won¡¯t go easy."


    "That¡¯s best, I don¡¯t want an unearned victory."


    As he spoke, Shi Yong once again raised the Horse-ying Saber, his waist sinking down, steady as a rock, his eyes zing with a sharp light.


    "Take this!"


    With a loud shout, Shi Yong tapped the ground with one foot, takingrge strides, advancing like a flying arrow, charging at Ling Chen with soaring momentum.


    Seeing the opponent approach, Ling Chen took a deep breath, his teeth tightly clenched, enduring the pain in his spine, he swung the steel rod horizontally, an unstoppable force.

 Chapter 436 - 432: A Fierce Battle with Shi Yong (4)

    <h4>Chapter 436: Chapter 432: A Fierce Battle with Shi Yong (4)</h4><h4></h4>


    As the battle entered its final stage, everyone was focused intently on the arena, watching Shi Yong and Ling Chen, waiting for the victor to emerge.


    "That Shi Yong is quite outstanding."


    In a corner of the venue stood two women, one of whom was wearing a veil, seemingly afraid of being recognized. However, the attention of everyone in the venue was so concentrated on the stage that nobody noticed their presence.


    Hearing the veiled woman¡¯s assessment, the delicate woman beside her agreed: "Shi Yong is a newbie heavily nurtured by the Shi Family, with excellent aptitude and physical qualities. We took all aspects into consideration during our evaluation, which is why we ced him in thest five spots of the Neer List. However, his strength has indeed exceeded our expectations. Judging by the power he has just disyed, he should be on par with the masters on the Dragon List. Personally, I think he is qualified to challenge the top five on the Neer List."


    The veiled woman nodded lightly, her eyes like autumn waters fixed on Ling Chen, who was struggling on the stage, and she softly spoke, "What do you think of that Ling Chen?"


    "Not bad, but just that, far from outstanding. Even if he wasn¡¯t injured, he would not be Shi Yong¡¯s match. Based on my understanding of him, his endurance is probably thanks to the Heavenly Mechanism Pill, which has enhanced his strength. However, even with that, the gap between him and Shi Yong cannot be narrowed."


    While they were talking, a faint elegant fragrance suddenly arrived. Unbeknownst to them, a woman in white clothing and wearing a veil too, not revealing her face, had appeared beside them.


    "How did you get here?" The previously speaking veiled woman didn¡¯t even look at the neer; she recognized her identity simply from the fragrance. And the only person who would dare to appear beside her without notice was this woman.


    "You can leave first."


    "Yes." The delicate woman replied and withdrew to the back, leaving the two veiled women alone.


    "I¡¯vee to see him."


    "Who?"


    "Ling Chen."


    The veiled woman asked with a hint of surprise in her tone, "You know him? Howe I wasn¡¯t aware?"


    "There¡¯s a lot you don¡¯t know, and I don¡¯t need to tell you everything."


    "That¡¯s true. However, in the current situation, do you think he can win?"


    "Until the final moment arrives, no one can predict the oue. I believe he won¡¯t disappoint me."


    ng!


    At that moment, in the arena, Ling Chen, having sustained a direct attack from Shi Yong, staggered backward, his body shaking, nearly unable to stand firm.


    Minutes passed, and Shi Yong hadpletely taken the initiative, not giving Ling Chen any chance to counterattack, pressing him step by step. Apart from defending, Ling Chen had no strength to fight back, like a fish on a chopping board, at the mercy of others.


    "Aren¡¯t you conceding yet?" Shi Yong frowned at the gasping Ling Chen, "Don¡¯t force me to be ruthless."


    "Bring it on!"


    Ling Chen gritted his teeth and swung his steel staff with force. Shi Yong stepped forward, and his Horse-ying Saber swooped down through the air.


    At the moment of weapon contact, Ling Chen felt a numbness in his palm, the strong force making his arms tremble slightly, almost causing him to drop the steel staff.


    Taking advantage of this, Shi Yong closed in and repeatedly chopped down with his Horse-ying Saber, striking hard on the steel staff.


    "Let go!"


    With Shi Yong¡¯s shout, the power bursting from the Horse-ying Saber was like raging river waters, continuous and relentless, fiercely assaulting the steel staff.


    Ling Chen, gritting his teeth to endure, suddenly felt an ache in his arm, as if he had lost all strength, and the steel rod slipped from his grasp, falling to the ground.


    Atst, a victor had emerged!


    The audience in the stands exhaled collectively, their gazes filled with unreserved admiration for Shi Yong, who was undoubtedly a dark horse. Although there was one battle yet to end, everyone had already recognized him as the final victor in their hearts.


    Gazing at the rolling steel rod on the ground, Ling Chen slowly lifted his head, looking directly at Shi Yong, showing not the slightest hint of backing down.


    Shi Yong, feeling the determination in Ling Chen¡¯s eyes, was taken aback and looked at him in disbelief. Had ite to this point, and yet this guy still refused to admit defeat?


    Lost in thought, Shi Yong suddenly saw Ling Chen reach inside his clothing with empty hands and pull out ten daggers, wedged between his fingers.


    Everyone was shocked at Ling Chen¡¯s actions.


    This guy still wouldn¡¯t give up!


    Some couldn¡¯t help but utter words of admiration; even though Ling Chen¡¯s abilities seemed average, his indomitable spirit wasmendable. However, their admiration was mingled with confusion, as they wondered what Ling Chen intended to do.


    Could he possibly hope to turn the tables with just a few daggers?


    Watching the ten daggers in Ling Chen¡¯s hands, Shi Yong raised his Horse-ying Saber, instantly on guard, daring not to be careless.


    The martial artspetition wasn¡¯t over yet; anything could happen. He understood this all too well.


    At that moment, the attentive Shi Yong suddenly noticed something odd about the daggers in Ling Chen¡¯s hands. They appeared to be just ten daggers, but they were unusually thick, not the normal thickness of regr daggers. It seemed as if each one wasposed of more than ten thin daggers.


    What was he nning to do?


    With this thought, a hint of confusion flickered in Shi Yong¡¯s eyes.


    With the ten daggers in hand, Ling Chen took a deep breath, trying to bring himself to peak condition. After a moment, he looked up at Shi Yong, his lips suddenly curling into a faint smile.


    Seeing the smile emerge on his face, for some reason, Shi Yong felt an uneasy sensation.


    Right then, he put aside distracting thoughts, lifted the Horse-ying Saber high, and quickly charged at Ling Chen. Regardless of what Ling Chen had up his sleeve, it was essential to gain the initiative.


    As Shi Yong approached, Ling Chen lightly tapped the ground with the tip of his foot, flinging his arms upward, and the ten daggers wedged between his fingers were instantly thrown into the air.


    The odd action immediately startled the onlookers.


    Shi Yong was directly in front of Ling Chen, and instead of attacking him, Ling Chen threw the daggers into the sky. What did that mean?


    Just as everyone was perplexed, the ten daggers in midair suddenly transformed, each one splitting into more than ten des thin as cicada wings.


    In just an instant, hundreds of daggers appeared above their heads, nearly covering the entire arena.


    Shi Yong looked up at the falling daggers, his expression changing instantly. He immediately halted his attack, swinging the Horse-ying Saber with both hands, deflecting the daggers raining from the sky to avoid being cut.


    "What is he doing?"


    At that moment, an rmed shout came from the stands, and all eyes focused on Ling Chen, utterly astonished.


    Among the dense rain of daggers, Ling Chen moved swiftly like a gust of wind, darting through them. What was even more surprising was that whenever it seemed like Ling Chen would be struck by the falling daggers, he always anticipated in advance, shifting his position to deftly avoid them.


    In a blink of an eye, Ling Chen had swiftly made it up close to Shi Yong.

 Chapter 437 - 433: A Fierce Battle with Shi Yong (5)

    <h4>Chapter 437: Chapter 433: A Fierce Battle with Shi Yong (5)</h4><h4></h4>


    At this moment, Shi Yong was still dealing with the dagger falling above his head. It was only when he heard the fierce wind by his ear that he became aware of Ling Chen¡¯s approach. Unfortunately, even though he detected Ling Chen beside him, he was still a step toote; Ling Chen¡¯s iron fist had already fiercely mmed towards him.


    Bang!


    With a muffled sound, Shi Yong, who had taken a punch, staggered back several steps and let out a roar, brandishing his saber in preparation for a counterattack. However, the falling dagger above forced him to contain his rage.


    While Shi Yong¡¯s attention was captured by those daggers, Ling Chen seized the opportunity, circling around Shi Yong¡¯s body, continuously swinging his iron fists.


    In the blink of an eye, Shi Yong¡¯s midsection and back took sessive heavy blows from Ling Chen. Under the painful stimulus, his reaction speed got slower and slower.


    At this time, having dealt with the threat of the daggers, Shi Yong flipped his hands, sweeping the Horse-ying Saber horizontally in an attempt to force Ling Chen back from his side.


    However, Ling Chen had been paying close attention to his actions. Seeing the deing, Ling Chen immediately leaned backward. As soon as the saber passed in front of him, he quickly got up, reached out to the side, and seized one of the falling daggers, cing it backhanded against Shi Yong¡¯s neck.


    Feeling the cold touch on his neck, Shi Yong¡¯s body stiffened, and he immediately halted his actions, standing there with a stunned expression.


    "The duel is over, Ling Chen wins!"


    As Zhou Qi¡¯s voice sounded, the audience, recovering from their shock, stared in disbelief at Ling Chen on the stage.


    No one had expected Ling Chen, who was assumed to be undoubtedly defeated, to turn defeat into victory in thest moment in such a fashion; it was entirely unexpected.


    "How could that work?" Someoneined about Shi Yong¡¯s loss: "That Ling Chen clearly took advantage of the situation. In terms of strength, he is no match for Shi Yong."


    No sooner had he spoken than someone retorted: "What do you mean by taking advantage? Could you make urate predictions like he did with so many daggers? It¡¯s not luck; it¡¯s true skill."


    On the stage.


    Ling Chen put away the dagger and took two steps back, giving Shi Yong a fist salute.


    "I appreciate your forbearance."


    Shi Yong turned his head, looking directly at Ling Chen, and asked in a deep voice, "How did you do it?"


    Ling Chen understood what Shi Yong meant, with so many daggers above, one couldn¡¯t simply rely on eyesight to evade, and anyone would be amazed how easy he did it. He pointed to his own ear and replied with a smile, "By listening."


    "So it is." Shi Yong nodded, "I understand now. To win in such a situation, even though I lost, I am convinced by the loss and hope you can achieve better results."


    After speaking, Shi Yong sped his fists, picked up his discarded shield and armor, and turned to leave the stage.


    Watching Shi Yong¡¯s departure, Ling Chen exhaled a breath of relief; he had finally made it through. But for this victory, he had exposed his trump card, which he had intended to reserve for the duel against Yi Shuiyan. He had not expected Shi Yong¡¯s strength to be so formidable; without employing this tactic, it would have been difficult for him to emerge victorious.


    "The next battle is..."


    Hearing Zhou Qi¡¯s voice, Ling Chen hurriedly made way and walked towards the stands. However, after only a few steps, he suddenly felt his legs go numb as if they had lost all sensation, and he copsed to the ground.


    Seeing this, the spectators on the stands burst into discussions, specting with various theories.


    "Ling Cheng!" Qiu Yong¡¯s expression changed, and he quickly rushed onto the stage to help the fallen Ling Chen, asking with concern, "How are you?"


    Ling Chen shook his head and said with a frown, "Big brother, please take me back to my room first."


    "Alright. Third brother,e and lend a hand."


    With the help of Qiu Yong and Yuan Yun, Ling Chen was quickly carried out of the venue, but the discussions among the onlookers in the stands didn¡¯t cease; everyone was specting whether Ling Chen, in his physical condition, would still be able to participate in the uing duels.


    "You have a good eye."


    In a corner of the venue, two masked women whispered to each other.


    "However, it looks like he has sustained quite serious injuries. Even if he gets the chance topete with the top five on the Neer List, how far do you think he can go?"


    "That¡¯s not for you to worry about." The masked woman said and turned to leave.


    "By the way! Last time Ling Chen identally entered my room, we had a short conversation, would you like to know who his master is?"


    "Tell me."


    "The Internal Cultivation Methods he practices is the Prajnaparamita Sutra."


    "The Prajnaparamita Sutra?" The masked woman paused, taken aback.


    "Yes. I¡¯ve been wondering whether this is fate or not."


    "There are some things it¡¯s better to know without saying. Also, mind your own business from now on when ites to him."


    Watching the masked woman walk away, the Tea Girl gently shook her head and sighed inwardly.


    ...


    In the guest room, Qiu Yong and Yuan Yun together lifted Ling Chen¡¯s body and gently ced it on the bed, Xia Yue immediately handed a cup of water to Ling Chen.


    Sensing everyone¡¯s concern and care, Ling Chen grinned and said, "It¡¯s nothing, I just need some rest."


    Xia Yue gave him a sharp look, saying irritably, "All you know is to act tough. Do you have any idea how worried we were? What¡¯s the point of winning if you ruin your health?"


    "Okay now! Give it a rest and let him recover properly," said Qiu Yong.


    At that moment, Wei Jiahao leaned over Ling Chen¡¯s bed, beaming, and asked, "Sixth Brother, how about those daggers I made for you? They worked quite well, didn¡¯t they?"


    Ling Chen gave a thumbs up and praised with a smile, "I owe this victory over Shi Yong to you and Seventh Brother; the biggest credit goes to you guys."


    He wasn¡¯t just being polite, those daggers were specially made by Wei Jiahao, they were not only lightweight but also sturdy and sharp. Wei Jiahao had put a lot of effort into making those daggers. Besides, Yang Chen¡¯s training on his auditory skills was essential.


    Although the special trainingsted less than two months, the effect was significant and was key to his victory.


    After a short rest, a series of ¡¯knock, knock, knock¡¯ sounds came from outside the door.


    Xia Yue got up to open the door and found Zhou Qi, the host of the Heavenly Mechanism Great Ceremony.


    "Elder Zhou, what brings you here?" Ling Chen sat up from the bed and asked.


    "I came to check on your injury and to tell you about the next arrangements. The three rounds ofbat have ended, and you, Xiao Wan, and Lin Dong have advanced. After a lucky draw, your fortune is good, you have a bye in the next round. Tomorrow morning¡¯s fight will be between Xiao Wan and Lin Dong, and the winner of that match will face you in the final battle. You have a day to recuperate before the fight begins."


    "I understand. Thank you, Elder Zhou."


    "No need to be polite." Zhou Qi changed the topic and said, "Ms. Shi is also on the ship; her medical expertise is profound. Would you like me to ask her to see to your wounds?"


    "Elder Zhou, that¡¯s not necessary." Considering his rtionship with Shi Su, Ling Chen chose to decline.


    "Very well then, you rest up. I won¡¯t disturb you any longer."

 Chapter 438 - 434 Zhu Xiaozhu’s Decision

    <h4>Chapter 438: Chapter 434 Zhu Xiaozhu¡¯s Decision</h4><h4></h4>


    In the spacious and luxurious room, Zhu Xiaozhu stood in front of the window, quietly gazing at the azure sea outside, her clear eyes shimmering with light.


    At this moment, Shi Su walked into the room and saw her disciple standing motionless by the window, silent, as if she hadn¡¯t noticed her arrival, and thus called out, "Xiaozhu."


    However, either Zhu Xiaozhu didn¡¯t hear her or she just didn¡¯t react, remaining still and silent.


    "Xiaozhu!"


    Shi Su approached her disciple from behind, gently patted her on the shoulder, and finally brought the dazed Zhu Xiaozhu back to reality.


    "Master."


    Seeing Zhu Xiaozhu¡¯s delicate face that was endearing, Shi Su smiled and asked, "What¡¯s on your mind, to be so engrossed?"


    Zhu Xiaozhu fiddled with her fingers, looking down, and replied softly, "It¡¯s nothing."


    "The weather is nice today. Why are you staying in your room? Why not go out for a walk with Han Yu? He told me he¡¯s invited you several times, but you¡¯ve turned him down. It¡¯s not good to be like this; he¡¯s trying to get to know you better, and you¡¯re being impolite by rejecting every time. Plus, you only know if someone is right for you if you understand each other better. I¡¯m not forcing you to favor Han Yu. I just think he¡¯s very promising and an excellent young man. You could try to get in touch with him and not miss out on a good opportunity."


    After listening to Shi Su¡¯s words, Zhu Xiaozhu hesitated before gathering her courage and said, "Master, I know you mean well, but..."


    "But what?" Shi Su¡¯s expression turned displeased, "You aren¡¯t still thinking about that Ling Chen, are you?"


    "Master..."


    Shi Su shook her head, interrupting Zhu Xiaozhu¡¯s response, "It¡¯s not that I am biased against Ling Chen; it¡¯s just that he¡¯s not suitable for you. As my disciple, only a man that¡¯s truly outstanding can match you. And by outstanding, I don¡¯t mean just personally, but also his background. In my view, both in personal capability and background, Ling Chen doesn¡¯te close to Han Yu. Xiaozhu, listen to me, one must be cautious with emotions; you can¡¯t be too emotional, and you must approach it rationally, thinking of your future. Besides, didn¡¯t you tell mest time that Ling Chen already has another woman? Do you wish to meddle in others¡¯ rtionships?"


    "I..." Zhu Xiaozhu opened her mouth but found herself at a loss for words. The thought of the rtionship between Ling Chen and Nanrong Wanqing immediately dimmed the sparkle in her eyes, leaving a faint sadness.


    "Sigh!"


    Shi Su sighed, gently stroking Zhu Xiaozhu¡¯s hair and said, "Xiaozhu, such is life; we miss out on many things. Once something is missed, it might be lost forever. As such, one must learn to look forward and not dwell on the past."


    "Master," Zhu Xiaozhu lifted her head, her lips slightly parted, and said, "Can you help me with a favor? If you agree, I¡¯ll always listen to you and never go against your wishes."


    "What do you want to do?"


    Zhu Xiaozhu¡¯s lips moved as she slowly uttered three words.


    "No way!"


    Shi Su¡¯s face changed immediately, and without a second thought, she refused, "Absolutely not. Xiaozhu, your Master advises you to give up this idea; I will not agree."


    "Master..."


    "Enough, let¡¯s not talk about this. There¡¯s no room for negotiation." With that, Shi Su turned and walked towards the door. However, shortly after stepping out, Shi Su heard a ¡¯thump¡¯ from behind.


    She turned around to see Zhu Xiaozhu kneeling on the ground and was taken aback, softly chastising, "What are you doing?"


    Zhu Xiaozhu pleaded pitifully, "Master, I¡¯ve never asked you for anything, but this time I hope you can assist me. I promise, just this once. From now on, I will obediently follow your words, never refusing anything you ask of me, even if..."


    Pausing, Zhu Xiaozhu hesitated. But thinking of her request, her clear eyes hardened with determination, and she looked at Shi Su and continued, "Even if it means being with Han Yu, I will not object."


    "You..."


    Hearing her disciple¡¯s words left Shi Su stunned, speechless.


    "Master, please."


    "You... sigh..." Shi Su sighed helplessly, unable to articte her thoughts, and expressed with deep sympathy while looking at her disciple, "Get up."


    "Master..."


    "Alright, no more words. I¡¯ll agree to your request."


    Upon hearing this, joy immediately spread across Zhu Xiaozhu¡¯s face, and she repeatedly expressed, "Thank you, Master!"


    "You silly girl, I don¡¯t know what good deeds Ling Chen did in his past lives to earn your affection like this. But I must say it upfront: I¡¯ll help you, but don¡¯t forget the words you just said. Once this matter is over, you are not to have any dealings with Ling Chen again. In the future, just treat him as a stranger who once appeared in your life."


    "Yes, Master."


    ...


    Nighttime arrived.


    After dinner, Ling Cheny in bed resting, regaining some sensation in his legs through the treatment of Acupuncture Technique. Based on this progress, tomorrow¡¯s martial contest should pose no problem.


    As long as the pain did not affect him, Ling Chen was confident in victory. After all, not everyone in the bottom five of the Neer List was as strong as Shi Yong. Looking within himself, he acknowledged that Shi Yong was indeed stronger; in this regard, he was self-aware.


    That he won at thest moment today was indeed fortuitous. Otherwise, relying solely on brute force, he would have been undoubtedly defeated.


    While pondering, the door to his room was knocked.


    "I¡¯ll get the door." Xia Yue, who was looking after Ling Chen, stood up and went to the door.


    Soon after, Xia Yue returned to the bedroom with Zhu Xiaozhu.


    "Xiaozhu?" Ling Chen was momentarily stunned, then quickly mustered a smile and asked, "What brings you here?"


    "I came to see how you were doing, is your injury okay?"


    "It¡¯s fine."


    "Ling Cheng, you two chat. I have something to discuss with our eldest brother; I¡¯lle backter." With that, Xia Yue tactfully left the room.


    Only after Xia Yue had gone did Zhu Xiaozhu, seeing Ling Chen lying in bed, somewhat unable to move, chide him lightly, "You suffered such a severe injury, yet you kept it from me."


    "It¡¯s not like that." Ling Chen quickly exined, "I..."


    "No need to exin, I know what you¡¯re thinking."


    Hearint this, Ling Chen smiled awkwardly.


    "I¡¯ve brought you some medicine, it should help with your injury. Wait here, I¡¯ll get some water." Saying this, Zhu Xiaozhu walked to the table, filled a ss with boiled water, and then reached into her pocket for something.


    "Here, drink the water."

 Chapter 439 - 435 Jealousy Arises

    <h4>Chapter 439: Chapter 435 Jealousy Arises</h4><h4></h4>


    Ling Chen took the ss and looked at the pills Zhu Xiaozhu had handed him, jokingly said, "You¡¯re a traditional Chinese medicine practitioner, why have you switched to Western medicine?"


    "Although traditional Chinese medicine can treat the root cause, it takes a longer time. You have a martial artspetition tomorrow, of course, you need fast-acting Western medicine. You know medicine too, don¡¯t you understand this?"


    "I¡¯m just an amateurpared to you." Ling Chen replied with a smile, then popped the pills into his mouth and washed them down with the boiled water in his ss. After swallowing the pills, Ling Chen smacked his lips, feeling the boiled water surprisingly sweet, as if it were well water, and couldn¡¯t help but drink a few more sips, quickly finishing the cup.


    Seeing Ling Chen drink the entire cup of water, a faint smile appeared on Zhu Xiaozhu¡¯s delicate face.


    "What are you smiling about?" Ling Chen noticed the smile on her face and asked.


    "Nothing." Zhu Xiaozhu took the ss from him and advised, "Get some rest, I won¡¯t disturb you anymore."


    "You¡¯re leaving so soon?"


    Zhu Xiaozhu nodded gently, her beautiful eyes showing a hint of reluctance. She really wanted to stay, but remembering her promise to Shi Su, she had to leave.


    "I¡¯ll be going then."


    Watching Zhu Xiaozhu leave, Ling Chen couldn¡¯t help but feel she looked rather troubled, as if she was deliberately avoiding him.


    ...


    The next day.


    Early in the morning, Ling Chen woke up from his sleep. Looking at the time, it was only 6:30. He originally wanted to sleep in more, but the noise outside woke him up.


    "Why is it so noisy this early in the morning?" Ling Chen rubbed his sleepy eyes, got out of bed to wash up, and then jogged around in his bedroom to check on the recovery of his waist injury.


    He was pleased to find that the pain in his waist had greatly reduced. Although it was still slightly painful, it didn¡¯t affect him much. After a night¡¯s rest, he didn¡¯t expect to recover so quickly; it seemed his physical condition was quite good.


    Just then, Xia Yue walked in. Seeing Ling Chen exercising, her expression changed immediately, and she ran over to stop him, "Your injury hasn¡¯t healed yet, what are you jumping around for? Get back to bed."


    Ling Chen smiled and said, "Sister Five, don¡¯t worry, my waist feels a lot better." After that, without waiting for Xia Yue to speak, Ling Chen changed the subject and asked, "By the way, Sister Five, what¡¯s happening outside? It¡¯s so noisy."


    "They discovered a fishing boat and are preparing to carry out a rescue."


    "Really?" Ling Chen immediately became interested and suggested, "Sister Five, let¡¯s go outside and breathe some fresh air."


    "Hey! Your injury..." Before she could finish, Ling Chen had already quickly left the room.


    Once on deck, he saw many people gathered at the edge of the ship, with Qiu Yong and others too. Ling Chen was about to go over and greet them, but at that moment, a man and a woman suddenly appeared in his line of sight, causing his face to instantly stiffen.


    Not far away, Han Yu and Zhu Xiaozhu were walking side by side, the man¡¯s face beaming with joy, looking very happy. In contrast, Zhu Xiaozhu wore a strange expression on her face, looking like she wanted to smile but couldn¡¯t.


    Of course, if it had just been this, Ling Chen wouldn¡¯t have cared too much. What mattered was that Han Yu was also holding Zhu Xiaozhu¡¯s hand. Thinking about how long he had known Zhu Xiaozhu and that he had never held her hand, jealousy churned inside him.


    At this moment, the approaching Han Yu and Zhu Xiaozhu seemed to feel Ling Chen¡¯s gaze and both looked over.


    As their six eyes met, Han Yu smirked and lifted his head, his handsome face showing a smug smile, swaying the hand he held with Zhu Xiaozhu back and forth, as if to unt to Ling Chen.


    But Ling Chen didn¡¯t even nce at him directly, his eyes were always fixated on Zhu Xiaozhu, asplex emotions shed through his eyes.


    Zhu Xiaozhu was biting her thin lips, her head lowered, looking at her toes, somewhat afraid to meet Ling Chen¡¯s gaze.


    As they walked past in front of him, Ling Chen opened his mouth but couldn¡¯t utter a word, he didn¡¯t even know what to say.


    No matter how Zhu Xiaozhu chose, it was her freedom, after all, he was just a friend, an outsider, with no right to interfere in her private affairs.


    "Ling Cheng."


    Hearing Yuan Yun¡¯s voice, Ling Chen gathered his emotions and stepped toward everyone.


    Standing by the ship¡¯s rail, Ling Chen looked into the distance and saw a fishing boat on the sapphire sea. The fishing boat had sustained serious damage, the deck was in disarray, and several crew membersy on it, weak and waiting for rescue.


    Soon, the luxurious cruise ship dispatched two motorboats, rescuing all the crew members from the fishing boat.


    Watching the rescue team escort the crew into the infirmary, Ling Chen asked, "Big Brother, what happened to that fishing boat?"


    "I¡¯m not very sure either, but I heard from others that the fishing boat encountered a storm, which damaged the hull and made it unable to sail. It has been drifting on the sea for many days."


    "Well, their luck isn¡¯t bad, running into us."


    The appearance of the fishing boat was just a minor incident; the cruise ship had specialized rescue personnel, and the crew members would be properly amodated.


    Meanwhile, in the control room of the luxurious cruise ship, Zhou Qi wasmunicating with several staff members.


    "Have you figured it out?"


    "We¡¯ve confirmed it. The fishing boat is registered in Haiyang City. It went out to sea half a month ago with fourteen crew members on board, no issues." As he spoke, the staff member handed a document to Zhou Qi, saying, "These are the identities of those crew members, I¡¯ve confirmed with the rescue team."


    "That¡¯s good. Once their condition stabilizes, arrange a helicopter to take them away."


    "Understood."


    By eight o¡¯clock in the morning, everyone had gradually arrived at the venue.


    When everyone had assembled, Zhou Qi stepped up to the ring and announced that the martial artspetition would continue.


    This morning¡¯s contest would be between Xiao Wan and Lin Dong, with the winnerpeting against Ling Chen in the afternoon for a spot to advance.


    A martial arts contest doesn¡¯t take much time, but considering Ling Chen¡¯s injuries had not fully recovered and to give the morning¡¯s winner more time to rest and prepare, Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion adjusted the contest to one session per half day. In this respect, Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion was quite humane.


    Sitting in the seats, Ling Chen¡¯s gaze was fixed on Lin Dong in the ring. He had already witnessed Xiao Wan¡¯s capabilities, only this Lin Dong he did not understand. As someone who might be his opponent, he needed to figure him out.


    However, when he saw the weapon Lin Dong was using, he instantly lost interest in the contest.


    Lin Dong¡¯s weapon was a whip, which perfectly countered Xiao Wan¡¯s tactics. Unless something unexpected happened, there wouldn¡¯t be much suspense in this contest.


    Meanwhile, people in the venue began to leave one after another. For a contestcking suspense, everyone was less interested. Rather than wasting time here, they preferred to go outside and enjoy the sun.

 Chapter 440 - 436 Viral Infection (1)

    <h4>Chapter 440: Chapter 436 Viral Infection (1)</h4><h4></h4>


    As Zhou Qi announced the start of the martial artspetition, as everyone expected, Xiao Wan repeated her usual tactic and conceded defeat after barely holding on for two minutes. Lin Dong won the match almost effortlessly.


    Ling Chen originally wanted to see Lin Dong¡¯s capabilities, but was greatly disappointed by the unexpected quick ending.


    Returning to his room, under the supervision of Xia Yue, the entire morning was spent in bed.


    When mealtime came, Qiu Yong and others gathered in Ling Chen¡¯s room, waiting for the waiter to bring their meals.


    "Be extra careful in this afternoon¡¯spetition, Ling Cheng, to prevent your injuries from recurring," Qiu Yong cautioned while covering his mouth with his hand, constantly coughing, his face turning bright red.


    "Big brother, are you okay?"


    Qiu Yong waved his hand and said, "What could possibly be wrong with me? Don¡¯t worry unnecessarily, better take care of yourself."


    During the conversation, the waiter had already brought avish lunch to the room on a cart.


    After lunch, Qiu Yong and others went back to their rooms for a nap. Havingid down all morning, Ling Chen, with nothing else to do, turned on the TV and casually selected a movie to watch.


    Around 1:40 in the afternoon, Ling Chen checked the time, felt it was about right to head to the venue to prepare, and thus got up and went to knock on Qiu Yong¡¯s door.


    "Big brother, it¡¯s me!"


    Before the door opened, a series of intense coughs had already reached Ling Chen¡¯s ears through the door. When the door opened, Qiu Yong was seen covering his mouth, coughing incessantly, hisplexion looking rather unhealthy and his spirits down.


    Ling Chen asked with concern, "Big brother, are you sick? Let me have a look."


    "It¡¯s just a minor illness, no need for a fuss." Perhaps due to severe coughing, Qiu Yong¡¯s voice was hoarse.


    "How can that be okay? What if a minor illness turns into a serious one?" Saying this, Ling Chen, ignoring Qiu Yong¡¯s protest, took him back into the room. Once seated, Ling Chen checked Qiu Yong¡¯s pulse carefully.


    The pulse was normal, no major issues, likely just a severe cold caught unintentionally.


    "Big brother, since you¡¯re not feeling well, you should skip thepetition this afternoon and rest well in the room. I¡¯ll ask the medical staff to bring some cold medicine over."


    Qiu Yong nodded, "Then you call your second brother to apany you."


    "Understood."


    Leaving the room, Ling Chen went straight to the room where Xu Ming was staying. As the door opened, seeing Xu Ming, Ling Chen was momentarily stunned, staring at him with a look of surprise.


    Feeling his astonish gaze, Xu Ming asked, "Ling Cheng, what¡¯s wrong?"


    "Second brother, your eyes... why are they red?"


    Hearing this, Xu Ming immediately turned around and walked into the bathroom, standing in front of the mirror examining his eyes. Indeed, his eyes were full of blood vessels, appearing congested, somewhat rming.


    "Second brother, do you feel unwell?"


    Xu Ming shook his head and said, "No, I feel normal."


    While talking, a bout of coughing suddenly came from the doorway, Ling Chen turned to look, only to see Xia Yue walking in, her cheeks reddish, breathing apanied by continuous coughs, very simr to Qiu Yong¡¯s symptoms.


    "Sister Xia."


    Ling Chen quickly walked over, asking with a face full of concern, "Are you also sick?"


    "Maybe it¡¯s just a cold." As she finished speaking, Xia Yue noticed Xu Ming¡¯s bloodshot eyes and eximed, "Second brother, what¡¯s wrong with your eyes?"


    "I don¡¯t know either. If Ling Cheng hadn¡¯t mentioned it, I wouldn¡¯t have even noticed."


    Ling Chen thought for a moment and said, "Second brother, fifth sister, you two stay in the room for a bit, I¡¯ll go to the medical room and get some medicine for you."


    The symptoms of Xia Yue and Xu Ming were not as severe as those of Qiu Yong. He surmised the source of the illness was with Qiu Yong, and because everyone had been together for a long time, it had spread to others.


    However, when Ling Chen arrived at the medical room, he realized the situation was not as simple as he had imagined. The medical room was filled to capacity, overcrowded, with most people stuck outside unable to enter.


    Moreover, these people had symptoms simr to Qiu Yong¡¯s, including coughs and red eyes. Some even hadrge patches of red rashes on their skin, which looked particrly disturbing.


    Strange!


    Ling Chen frowned secretly. Why were so many people sick? And all at the same time, could it really just be a coincidence? He shook his head on his own, unable to believe it was a coincidence. This morning during thepetition, there was no sign of this problem, but in just three to four hours, a massive outbreak had triggered. There must be an issue.


    In his contemtion, a rush of hurried footsteps approached from afar, heading this way. Ling Chen looked up to see Zhou Qi and Zhong Yang leading over thirty Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion Disciples, all with serious expressions, clearly realizing the seriousness of this sudden incident.


    "Elder Zhou, Elder Zhou is here."


    Upon seeing Zhou Qi appear, the crowd outside the medical room immediately surged forward, all talking at once.


    "Please, everyone, calm down."


    Zhou Qi gestured with his hand and said, "We are aware of the situation, please rest assured, Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion will handle this fully. However, before that, please cooperate with our efforts."


    "Elder Zhou, as you can see, there are so many people sick, and the medical room has limited staff. In my opinion, it¡¯s best to dock the ship as soon as possible to not dy everyone¡¯s treatment."


    "Everyone, please stay calm, we have already started heading back. However, it will take at least two days to reach the nearest port. Until then, I hope everyone stays organized, and we will ensure everyone¡¯s safety." After finishing, Zhou Qi gave Zhong Yang a look, who understood immediately and began organizing people to head to the deck.


    Seeing this, Ling Chen quickly returned to Xu Ming¡¯s room and gathered all members of their group in Qiu Yong¡¯s room. As expected, everyone else also had varying degrees of symptoms.


    "It was all fine this morning, how could this suddenly happen?" Yuan Yun said with a furrowed brow.


    "It¡¯s still unclear what¡¯s going on. People from Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion are investigating."


    While talking, Ling Chen checked everyone¡¯s pulse, trying to find the cause of the illness. However, what puzzled him was that everyone¡¯s body seemed perfectly normal, and their pulses were steady, not at all like those of sick people.


    Knock, knock, knock!


    At this moment, a knock came from the door.


    Ling Chen got up and opened the door, only to see several men in protective gear standing at the doorway with medical kits.


    "What is this..."


    "Sorry, we¡¯ve been ordered to check on every guest."


    Hearing this, Ling Chen immediately stepped aside and weed the medical staff into the room.


    After drawing blood, a medical staff member spoke, "Before theb results are avable, please stay in your rooms and do not go out unnecessarily. If you need anything, contact our staff."


    Seeing the people preparing to leave, Ling Chen quickly followed and asked, "How much do you know about this sudden illness?"


    "Sorry, there are orders from Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, noment can be made."

 Chapter 441 - 437 Viral Infection (2)

    <h4>Chapter 441: Chapter 437 Viral Infection (2)</h4><h4></h4>


    In view of the arrangements made by the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, Ling Chen and others all stayed in Qiu Yong¡¯s room, waiting for the test results.


    Originally, there was to be a martial artspetition in the afternoon, but, with this incident urring, the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion had no choice but to suspend allpetitions and devote all efforts to the crisis.


    Three hours passed, and daylight gradually faded.


    Ling Chen leaned against the window, watching the people whose spirits were gging and symptoms worsening, his brow deeply furrowed in worry.


    He spent the whole day with people like Qiu Yong, and while others were infected, only he was unaffected¡ªcould it be that he had antibodies that made him immune to the disease?


    While he was thinking, the room¡¯s telephone suddenly rang.


    Ling Chen answered the call, greeted briefly, and after listening to the person on the other end, he replied, "Okay, I¡¯lle over immediately."


    After hanging up, Ling Chen turned to Qiu Yong and said, "Big Brother, I have to step out for a bit but will be back soon."


    Leaving the room, Ling Chen took the elevator to the fifth floor of the luxury cruise ship. This area, usually an entertainment lounge and the liveliest part of the ship, was now eerily quiet. At the entrance, Zhong Yang was waiting for him.


    "Mr. Ling, pleasee in." After speaking, Zhong Yang covered his mouth and coughed a few times.


    Ling Chen nodded and walked through the door on his own. Immediately, he saw over twenty people in therge entertainment room, some sitting and some standing, all looking rather ill. Ling Chen scanned the room and recognized many familiar faces: Zhou Qi, Zhu Xiaozhu, Han Yu, Shi Su, Song Ge, as well as Zhou Qi¡¯s grandson Zhou Jun, along with over ten strangers likely skilled in the medical arts from the Martial Artsmunity, including a few doctors from the medical office.


    "Mr. Ling," Zhou Qi came forward.


    "Elder Zhou," Ling Chen greeted and asked, "Did you need me for something?"


    "I heard from Miss Zhu that you are also skilled in medicine, so I hoped you coulde and help. We need everyone¡¯s collective intelligence to see if we can resolve this crisis."


    "Elder Zhou, I am merely an amateur, picking up bits and pieces along the way. When ites to medical skills, there are several here far more proficient than me."


    "I already said we had enough people, no need to call him. It¡¯s just causing unnecessary confusion," said Han Yu coldly.


    Song Ge nced at Han Yu and chuckled, "Ling, no need to be humble now. We are short-handed as it is, do your best."


    "Now that everyone is here, let me brief you on the situation," Zhou Qi began: "ording to the blood tests conducted on everyone aboard, over 90% have been infected. There were a total of three hundred and forty participants attending the Heavenly Mechanism Great Ceremony. Including the members of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion and the staff on board, we have over six hundred people here. I believe everyone understands what this means." He nced at the people around, his expression grave, "Regardless of any past conflicts among us, I hope we can work together sincerely and cooperatively to ovee this crisis."


    After speaking, Zhou Qi signaled to a medical staff member.


    Thetter took out a document, stating, "After preliminary confirmation, we are facing a severe contagious disease whose carriers are the more than ten crew members from the fishing boat earlier today. This disease is airborne, which is why so many have been infected."


    Hearing this, everyone kept silent.


    The sudden emergence of the infectious disease had already been suspected by everyone, and the medical staff member¡¯s words merely confirmed these suspicions.


    "What is the condition of those crew members?" asked Shi Su.


    "Dead. It was less than three hours after boarding when the crew began dying one by one. We¡¯ve kept this news under wraps, so no one is aware. Initially, we thought that the crew members had fallen ill from being stranded at sea too long without proper food and water, but our investigationster revealed the presence of a severe infectious disease."


    Elder Zhou said sternly, "I¡¯ll be frank: we believe this incident was a targeted attack against the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion. Before the Heavenly Mechanism Great Ceremony began, we received intel that there were ns to disrupt this event. For this reason, our security measures were exceptionally thorough; apart from members of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, almost no one knew the specific location of this cruise ship."


    Han Yu indifferently added, "It seems your measures were still insufficient; our location has been exposed."


    "In this matter, the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion will not shirk responsibility. However, regardless of who the mastermind is, the most important thing now is to find a way to resolve the crisis. Based on the examination of the dead crew¡¯s bodies, those infected will have atent period of one to two days during which mild symptoms may appear. If we cannot find a solution within two days, I am not exaggerating when I say that the entire Martial Artsmunity will suffer a catastrophic blow."


    Hearing Zhou Qi¡¯s words, Ling Chen silently furrowed his brows. Who would be so cruel to use such insidious means,pletely indifferent to the lives of hundreds?


    "Alright, now that everyone is briefed, please speak up if there is anything needed. The Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion will mobilize all resources to assist."


    "Elder Zhou, may I go see the bodies of those crew members?"


    "No problem. You, you, and you, escort Ms. Shi to the morgue and fully cooperate with Ms. Shi¡¯s work."


    "Xiaozhu, let¡¯s go."


    "Yes, Master." Zhu Xiaozhu stole a quick look at Ling Chen and hurriedly followed Shi Su out of the entertainment room, with Han Yu following along.


    Watching Shi Su leave, the remaining ten-plus people looked at each other and quickly followed. Soon, only Ling Chen, Zhou Jun, Song Ge, and a middle-aged man remained in the entertainment room.


    "Song, aren¡¯t you going with them?"


    Before Song Ge could speak, Zhou Jun waved dismissively and said, "Why bother with their pointless meddling? Those people are capable of treating a cold at best; they have no business dealing with this kind of contagious disease. They¡¯re following Shi Su hoping she cane up with a solution so they can share in the creditter."


    Hearing this, Ling Chen chuckled. This guy really spoke bluntly, with not a care in the world. However, Zhou Jun¡¯s words did strike a chord with him.


    "Let me introduce myself; my name is Ling Chen, I saw you at the arena a few days ago." Ling Chen extended his hand.


    "I¡¯ve seen you too; the old man hasn¡¯t stopped praising you in front of me," said Zhou Jun with a grin, politely shaking Ling Chen¡¯s hand.


    Song Ge pointed to the middle-aged man and introduced, "Ling, Zhou Jun, this is He Yuan, our Song family¡¯s private doctor."


    "If it were up to me, the few of us would form a team to try and find a solution before Shi Su does, then we all shine together. How about it?" Zhou Jun suggested.


    "I have no objections. I don¡¯t know much about medicine anyway; I¡¯m just here to look around with Uncle He," expressed Song Ge.


    "What about you, Ling Chen?"

 Chapter 442 - 438 Viral Infection (3)

    <h4>Chapter 442: Chapter 438 Viral Infection (3)</h4><h4></h4>


    "Me?" Ling Chen touched his nose and said with a bitter smile, "Don¡¯t hold too high hopes for me. I only know a superficial amount."


    "No problem. Maybe a few of us half-baked expertsbined will be able to fumble our way to a solution."


    Ling Chen let out a wryugh; Zhou Jun seemed to be relying entirely on luck.


    "Alright, enough joking, let¡¯s talk seriously," Zhou Jun put on a grave face and said: "I¡¯ve checked the conditions of those patients. Their vital signs appear normal, probably because the virus is still in the incubation period, making symptoms not very obvious. However, considering the speed of infection and the vectors, as well as the symptoms and lethality that have been observed, I suspect this virus may be derived from the gue or cholera."


    After some thought, He Yuan said, "Based on the symptoms and signs of the patients, the likelihood of it being the gue virus seems higher."


    "Right, that¡¯s what I think, too. However, with current medical technology, the gue has already been dealt with. Since someone wants to harm us, they certainly wouldn¡¯t use an ordinary strain of the gue virus. In my opinion, this is likely a new type of virus that is based on the gue but has been modified."


    After hearing Zhou Jun¡¯s conjecture, He Yuan said with a troubled face, "If that¡¯s the case, it might be very difficult to find a solution within two days. Any contagious virus has to undergo repeated trials before we can draw a conclusion. We only have two days, and the medical equipment on board is limited, so we can¡¯t conduct overlyplex experiments."


    Zhou Jun scratched the back of his head and said with a headache, "This is indeed a problem." After saying that, he looked at the silent Ling Chen and asked, "Do you have any good suggestions?"


    "Me..."


    Ling Chen was about to speak when suddenly he heard the sound of helicopter rotors starting from outside.


    The four men quickly walked to the window and looked out towards the deck, only to see that two helicopters had already started, and Shi Su was leading the others aboard the helicopters. Meanwhile, several crew members were carrying body bags, preparing to transport them to the helicopters.


    He Yuan muttered to himself, "What are they trying to do?"


    "I¡¯ll go ask Elder Ling," Zhou Jun said, and then ran out of the recreation room quickly.


    As the two helicopters took off and disappeared from view, Zhou Jun returned despondently to the group and said helplessly, "Shi Su has thought of the same thing we did; she has already contacted theb and is taking the bodies of several crew members there."


    Ling Chen smiled indifferently, "Why worry about this? It concerns everyone¡¯s safety. If they can find a solution within two days, it would actually be good news."


    He Yuan nodded and said, "I hope they seed too, but truth be told, from my years of medical experience, solving a virus in a short time is not an easy task. Even with Shi Su¡¯s advanced medical skills, sess isn¡¯t guaranteed." After saying this, He Yuan turned his head to look at Ling Chen and asked, "Mr. Ling, what were you about to say?"


    Feeling everyone¡¯s gaze focused on him, Ling Chen hesitated for a moment before saying, "Just now Zhou Jun asked me for any suggestions. In fact, my consideration is different from yours. You¡¯re thinking about how to solve the virus problem, but I¡¯m thinking about the mastermind behind the scenes. The person who modified the gue virus would certainly have a corresponding solution. If we can find the mastermind, perhaps we can find the way out."


    "That¡¯s easy to say, but we¡¯re confined at sea now, where do we look for the mastermind? Besides, we don¡¯t have any clues at all, we don¡¯t even know where to start," Zhou Jun said.


    "There are not zero clues."


    Zhou Jun¡¯s eyes lit up, and he asked impatiently, "What clues?"


    "That fishing boat," Ling Chen exined. "Whoever is targeting us must ensure their n can be executed. To guarantee that, they would definitely keep watch over our movements."


    Hearing this, Song Ge immediately expressed agreement with Ling Chen¡¯s deduction.


    "Ling is right, there¡¯s no point inpeting with Shi Su since she has already made her move. We might as well try something different; there could be unexpected gains."


    "Okay then," Zhou Jun immediately agreed. "I¡¯ll go prepare the helicopter. Let¡¯s go have a look at that fishing boat together."


    He Yuan said embarrassingly, "I better not go. I¡¯m just a doctor with no self-defense capability. I don¡¯t want to drag you down."


    "Then the three of us will go together."


    However, although the three of them had a n, implementing it was not smooth sailing. Zhou Jun tried to get Zhou Qi to arrange a helicopter, only to be rejected. There were three helicopters on board in total, two of which had been taken by Shi Su. Now only thest helicopter was left, which had to be ready on the ship at all times.


    "What do we do now?" Zhou Jun spread his hands helplessly and said with a grimace, "Elder Ling doesn¡¯t agree with our action, saying that we are just causing trouble. He told us to stay put on the ship, and we can¡¯t go anywhere."


    Ling Chen thought for a moment and asked, "Is there a way to distract the security around the helicopter?"


    "That¡¯s not a problem. The problem is that there¡¯s no pilot, and I don¡¯t know how to fly a helicopter."


    "You don¡¯t need to worry about that; it¡¯s enough if I know how," Ling Chen smiled with confidence.


    "Really?" Zhou Jun said excitedly: "If you had said earlier that you could pilot a helicopter, I wouldn¡¯t have needed to plead with that old man. Alright, enough talk, I¡¯ll take care of the security. See you at the helipad in five minutes."


    It must be said that Zhou Jun was very efficient. By the time Ling Chen and Song Ge arrived at the helipad, the area was deserted, all security personnel had been cleared out.


    Sitting in the cockpit, Ling Chen expertly checked the helicopter¡¯s instruments and equipment, ensuring there was enough fuel to return to the luxury cruise liner.


    "Where are you going?"


    Just then, a familiar voice came from outside the helipad. Ling Chen turned his head to find that the person who arrived was Shi Yong. Moreover, his eyes were bloodshot, clearly showing that he was also infected by the virus.


    "Of course, to find a way to save your life," Zhou Jun threw out a casual remark.


    Hearing this, Shi Yong said, "I¡¯ll go with you."


    "You?"


    Zhou Jun and the others were startled; they did not expect Shi Yong to make such a request.


    "I don¡¯t want to leave my fate in the hands of others. Instead of waiting to die here, I¡¯d rather fight for a chance."


    Zhou Jun looked at Ling Chen and Song Ge, asking, "What do you think?"


    "Another pair of hands could be useful; we don¡¯t know what situations we might encounter." After speaking, Ling Chen smiled at Shi Yong, "You can go, but make sure to bring your tools."


    Ling Chen was well aware of Shi Yong¡¯s abilities; having such a skilled ally would be reassuring even in the face of danger.


    A few minutester.


    A helicopter carrying the four men slowly rose from the helipad and quickly disappeared into the night sky.

 Chapter 443 - 439: Striking Directly at the Heart (1)

    <h4>Chapter 443: Chapter 439: Striking Directly at the Heart (1)</h4><h4></h4>


    "These damn kids."


    Zhou Qi hurried to the helipad and watched the helicopter disappear into the vast night, unable to stop cursing aloud. He had been keeping the helicopter for a purpose, but unexpectedly, these youngsters actually dared to hijack it. What¡¯s even worse, the mastermind turned out to be his own grandson.


    Helplessly, Zhou Qi quickly approached a cabin door marked with a warning sign. Pushing the door open, a delicate woman immediately appeared before him.


    "I need to see the Pavilion Master."


    The delicate woman stepped aside, pointed to the room, and gestured for Zhou Qi to go in.


    Entering the room and seeing the person seated behind the curtain, Zhou Qi hurried forward, kneeling respectfully on the floor.


    "Did you need me for something?"


    "Pavilion Master, Ms. Shi has taken people by helicopter to the nearest city; the disciples of Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion have been ordered to start setting up theb. As soon as Ms. Shi arrives, they can begin the experiment."


    "I see, I hope she can help us resolve this crisis."


    "Pavilion Master, there¡¯s another matter..." Zhou Qi opened his mouth, hesitating to continue.


    "Go ahead."


    "Zhou Jun, Ling Chen, Song Ge, and Shi Yong took advantage of our unpreparedness and stole the helicopter," Zhou Qi said, bowing his head guiltily. "Zhou Jun led it, all because I failed to guide him properly, allowing this situation to ur. Please, Pavilion Master, punish me."


    "Is that so?" Instead of ming him, Tea Girl asked interestedly, "What are they nning to do?"


    "I heard Zhou Jun say they want to find out who is really behind this incident."


    "Your grandson seems quite capable, managing to persuade Ling Chen and the others to help."


    "Pavilion Master is joking. What capabilities could my grandson have that I don¡¯t know about? It was all Ling Chen¡¯s idea."


    "Well, since they¡¯ve already left, let them go; we can¡¯t catch up with them anytime soon anyway. Ling Chen, Song Ge, and that Shi Yong are not simple either; maybe they really will find something. Although we have Shi Su, we can¡¯t pin all our hopes on just her. Alright, you may go."


    "Yes, Pavilion Master." Zhou Qi nodded and quickly left the room.


    ...


    At this moment, Ling Chen was piloting the helicopter through the night sky towards the direction of a fishing boat.


    The fishing boat had been discovered this morning, almost ten hours ago. During this period, the luxury cruise ship maintained full-speed sailing. Through calctions of ship speed and wind power, plus the direction of ocean currents, Ling Chen locked down an approximate location.


    After more than an hour of flying, Ling Chen and hispanions finally reached their destination. As the searchlights turned on, a bright light immediately appeared on the pitch-ck sea surface. Zhou Jun and the other two sat next to the cabin door, looking down, searching for the fishing boat.


    "There it is!"


    After circling in the air for about ten minutes, Song Ge, with his sharp eyes, finally spotted the fishing boat drifting on the sea.


    Target locked, Ling Chen controlled the helicopter, slowly descending onto the undting sea, less than twenty meters away from the boat. Fortunately, it was a water helicopter left by Shi Su; otherwise, finding a ce tond would have been quite challenging.


    Once the helicopternded on the sea, Song Ge took a rope from the cabin and threw it onto the fishing boat. Then, he lightly tapped his toes and leaped onto the fishing boat along the rope.


    On the fishing boat, facing the pitch-dark cabin, Ling Chen made a gesture to signal everyone to be as quiet as possible and wait. Then, he threw the backpack he was carrying on the ground, rummaged through it to find a device the size of a mobile phone, and slowly moved it around the perimeter of the boat.


    Soon, the green light on the device instantly turned to red and started shing. Seeing this, Ling Chen¡¯s expression brightened, and he immediately walked towards the direction where the red light was shining. As he moved, the shing of the red light became faster.


    "This is the spot."


    Following the red light¡¯s direction, Ling Chen came to a mast standing on the deck. Looking around the mast, he discovered a small hole in the middle.


    Taking out a shlight, Ling Chen moved close to the hole, only to see a pinhole camera installed inside.


    Indeed!


    Ling Chen smirked to himself, his guess was right ¨C someone had installed surveince equipment on this fishing boat, monitoring the situation onboard.


    After the device confirmed that all surveince equipment on the boat had been cut off, Ling Chen finally breathed a sigh of relief. Presumably, the other party had already achieved their goal, so they cut off the signal on the boat.


    Within less than ten minutes, Ling Chen found eight pinhole cameras on the boat¡¯s deck and cabin, all ced in hidden spots.


    These pinhole cameras all came with independent wireless transmitters, allowing for individual control.


    "Ling Chen, what do we do now?" Zhou Jun asked, "These devices surely can¡¯t tell us who the mastermind is."


    "Don¡¯t worry." Saying that, Ling Chen took out a satellite phone and dialed a number.


    "Hello?"


    Soon, a sleepy voice came from the other end.


    "Fatty, it¡¯s me."


    "Ling Chen? What do you want?"


    "Stop sleeping, get up, I need your help. And yes, turn on yourputer."


    A minuteter, Hu Fei¡¯s voice came again: "Okay, tell me, what¡¯s up?"


    "It¡¯s like this..." Ling Chen briefly exined the situation but didn¡¯t mention anything about the Heavenly Mechanism Great Ceremony.


    "Hey, Ling Chen, are you messing with the God Organization again?"


    "God Organization?"


    "Based on what you just described, achieving remote control in the ocean requires using independent satellite signals, and not everyone can do that. Remember when we hacked into the servers of the God Organization and downloaded some data? Those files mentioned that the God Organization secretly acquired an outdated military satellite in another country ¨C the kind of thing you just described would be a piece of cake for them." After a pause, Hu Fei continued, "By the way, what kind of devices did you find?"


    "Wait, let me check."


    Ling Chen picked up a set of wireless transmitters, took a closer look, and then reported the model to Hu Fei.


    A few minutester, Hu Fei¡¯s uniquely mischievousughter came through the phone: "Ling Chen, congrattions, you¡¯ve won the jackpot."


    "What do you mean?"


    "The wireless transmitter you found is thetest cutting-edge device, military-grade, and only onepany in the world has the production rights for these products. ording to the data we got from the God Organization, thatpany is actually one of the God Organization¡¯s hidden assets. What do you think, could it be a coincidence?"


    Ling Chen frowned, not expecting that after all this detour, the mastermind behind this would actually be the God Organization.

 Chapter 444 - 440: Striking Directly at the Heart (2)

    <h4>Chapter 444: Chapter 440: Striking Directly at the Heart (2)</h4><h4></h4>


    Although he knew who the mastermind behind the scenes was, Ling Chen still felt some confusion in his heart.


    Why is the God Organization targeting the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion? Could it be that the Pavilion is a stumbling block for them? However, as far as he knew, the Pavilion tended only to concern itself with matters within the Martial Arts world and never dealt with other forces, let alone an evil force like the God Organization.


    What exactly is the God Organization¡¯s purpose in going after the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion?


    Thinking of this, Ling Chen put down the satellite phone and turned to Zhou Jun beside him, asking: "Have you heard of the God Organization?"


    "The God Organization?" Zhou Jun shook his head and answered, "No impression."


    After hearing his response, Ling Chen picked up the phone again, walked to the edge of the fishing boat, and spoke: "Fatty, is there a way to track those people¡¯s location?"


    "It¡¯s not difficult to do, I can write a reverse-tracking program and imnt it into the wireless transmitter. As long as the signal connects to their server, we can lock onto their location. Do you have aputer there?"


    "Yes, wait for me."


    Ling Chen gave Zhou Jun a look, and thetter immediately took out aptop from his backpack. It must be said, while the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion was a Martial Arts force, it kept up with the times and had many high-end devices, all of which Zhou Jun had secretly brought along from scavenging in the luxury liner¡¯s cargo hold.


    Once Zhou Jun connected theptop to the satellite signal, Ling Chen notified Hu Fei. In less than five minutes, Ling Chen logged onto Hu Fei¡¯s private server and began downloading the program.


    "Fatty, let¡¯s stop here, I have work to do. I¡¯ll treat you to a good meal when I get back."


    "Okay, take care of yourself."


    After hanging up, Ling Chen imnted the reverse-tracking program written by Hu Fei into the wireless transmitter, and then reinstalled the pinhole camera to its original ce. Next, he forced the wireless transmitter to start up through theputer.


    Everything was set; now it was time to wait.


    ...


    At this moment, a staff member who was busy in front of aputer saw a shing red light on a device nearby and a hint of perplexity appeared on his face.


    "Mr. Qi."


    Hearing the call of the staff member, a young man in a suit and leather shoes walked over quickly and asked, "What¡¯s the matter?"


    The staff member pointed to the red light on the device and said, "This is a signaling from that fishing boat. I remember I already turned off the signal source."


    "All devices?"


    "No, just one device sent a signal."


    "Switch the video feed here."


    "Yes." The staff member nodded, immediately connected the signal and disyed the video on theputer screen. However, through the night vision capability of the camera, the fishing boat was silent and empty, nothing to be seen.


    "Connect the other signal sources and check."


    In a while, eight small frames appeared on the screen, each showing a different scene.


    "Mr. Qi, no suspicious individuals found."


    "It¡¯s possible that the wireless transmitter had a malfunction. It¡¯s a new product that was just produced; it could have some issues. Alright, leave it be, cut the signal, and focus on your work."


    "Understood."


    ...


    "Got it!"


    On the fishing boat, Ling Chen looked at the red dot disyed on theptop and the corners of his mouth instantly turned up.


    Zhou Jun excitedly asked, "Did you really find it?"


    Ling Chen nodded and swiftly tapped away at the keyboard. Before long, Ling Chen locked onto the exact location of the red dot through itstitude and longitude.


    "The target is on a boat, approximately over two hundred nautical miles away from us."


    "From here, even with the helicopter¡¯s spare fuel, I¡¯m afraid we won¡¯t have enough to get back," Zhou Jun said with some concern.


    Ling Chen put away his notebook and said, "Let¡¯s not worry about that for now. Once we get there, we¡¯ll see. Their ship might have spare fuel for the helicopter."


    Back on the helicopter, Ling Chen started the engine, and with a buzzing sound, the helicopter slowly took off, disappearing into the vast night.


    It was already past ten o¡¯clock at night.


    After more than two hours of flight, Ling Chen finally reached the pre-determined location.


    Beep beep beep!


    Hearing the rm going off inside the helicopter, Ling Chen nced at the fuel gauge¡ªthe needle was already in the red zone, with very little fuel left, barely enough for another half hour.


    "Everyone, hold tight!"


    With that, Ling Chen grasped the control stick tightly, lowering the helicopter, almost skimming the surface of the sea as it flew.


    Feeling the violent shaking of the helicopter, Zhou Jun, sitting in the co-pilot¡¯s seat, clutched the handrail nervously, his back straight as he looked at the pitch-ck sea and hurriedly reminded, "Take it easy, brother. I don¡¯t want to end up dead in the sea."


    "Don¡¯t worry, nothing will happen," Ling Chen said with a reassuring smile.


    Knowing that they were dealing with members of the God Organization, Ling Chen had to be cautious in his approach. Only by lowering the altitude could he avoid detection by their radar.


    Ten minutester, arge cargo ship slowly sailing came into view of the four.


    "That¡¯s it." As he spoke, Ling Chen turned off all the lights on the helicopter to avoid being spotted.


    Zhou Jun took out the binocrs and observed the situation on the ship, frowning as he said, "This doesn¡¯t look good, Ling Chen."


    "What¡¯s wrong?"


    "There are guards around the deck; we have no chance ofnding. If we approach like this, we¡¯ll probably be treated as sitting ducks."


    "Let me see."


    Ling Chen took the binocrs from Zhou Jun and scanned from the bow to the stern before finally focusing on the deck of the cargo ship.


    "To board the ship without alerting the guards is nearly impossible; we¡¯ll have to go in hard," Zhou Jun said.


    "Song, Shi Yong, do you have any ideas?"


    "Since we followed you out here, you tell us what to do. We will follow your lead," Song Ge and Shi Yong dered their position one after another.


    Hearing this, the corners of Ling Chen¡¯s mouth lifted, and a sharp light shone in his eyes as he smiled and said, "Alright, then let¡¯s make a big move."


    Having said that, Ling Chen piloted the helicopter, quickly gaining altitude, no longer concerned about being discovered as he dove straight toward the cargo ship.


    Two hundred meters... one hundred meters...


    At this moment, the guards patrolling the ship received orders from the control station and immediately rushed to the stern, aiming their guns at the helicopter in the night sky that was getting closer and closer.


    However, just when everyone was ready to pull the trigger, the helicopter, which had been flying in a straight line, suddenly changed direction, bypassing the stern and flying toward the bow from the side.


    "Quick, follow it!"


    At themand, dozens of guards hurriedly sped up their pace, carrying guns from the stern towards the bow.


    At this time, the helicopter had already sessfully reached the bow, less than four meters above the deck. As the cabin door opened, Song Ge, Shi Yong, and Zhou Jun jumped down one after the other, quickly finding cover and protecting themselves behind it.


    Ratatata! Ratatata!


    A series of gunshots rang out, and more than a dozen bullet holes appeared instantly on the front windshield of the helicopter.


    Seeing dozens of guards with guns rushing over, Ling Chen, sitting in the cockpit, sneered and gently pushed the control stick forward with his arm.


    Suddenly, the helicopter, hovering at a low altitude, tilted forward and dove straight at the group of guards.

 Chapter 445 - 441: Striking Directly at the Heart (3)

    <h4>Chapter 445: Chapter 441: Striking Directly at the Heart (3)</h4><h4></h4>


    As the helicopter¡¯s nose was about to crash into the ground, Ling Chen quickly pushed open the cabin door, jumped out of the cockpit, rolled on the spot, and hid in a nearby shelter.


    Bang!


    Apanied by a loud explosion, the helicopter mmed violently into the ground, sliding forward as the high-speed spinning rotors instantly minced the guards who couldn¡¯t escape in time, their blood mingling with severed limbs flying through the air.


    Unfortunately, the helicopter¡¯s fuel had been exhausted, and though it sparked from the friction, it didn¡¯t ignite the fuel tank. Otherwise, the destruction would have been much greater.


    However, eliminating half of the guards was a very satisfying oue.


    "Go, quick battle and quick decision!"


    With a light shout, Ling Chen reached for his waist, flipped over from behind the shelter, and threw several daggers from his fingertips, knocking down several guards rushing towards him.


    At the same time, Shi Yong, holding a shield d in armor and wielding a broad Horse-ying Saber, charged boldly towards the guards, undeterred by the weapons in their hands.


    With Shi Yong¡¯s shield blocking the bullets, Song Ge and Zhou Jun closely followed behind, looking for opportunities to strike.


    Under the fierce overpowering force of Ling Chen and his team, it took less than two minutes to wipe out all the guards on the deck.


    ...


    "Mr. Qi, all our men have been dealt with."


    "What?" The young man¡¯s face changed, and he said sternly, "How many intruders are there?"


    "Four, led by Ling Chen."


    "Him again!" The young man¡¯s face turned livid, and he hurriedly pulled out a satellite phone, dialing a number.


    "Mr. Yun, it¡¯s me. We are under attack by Ling Chen... Yes, I understand." After hanging up the phone, the young man looked at the cabin crew and ordered, "Immediately destroy the hard drives, clear all data, activate the self-destruct sequence in ten minutes, and head to the evacuation point after processing."


    "Understood!"


    After giving instructions to the personnel present, the young man walked out of the room alone, through a corridor, and entered a cargo hold secured with a fingerprint lock.


    The spacious cargo hold, dimly lit, had rows of red indicator lights shing continuously on the wall, conspicuously eye-catching.


    As the main lights turned on, the cargo hold instantly became brighter.


    Along the wall, more than ten individual cryogenic chambers were lined up, each with a transparent ss top. Through the ss, the faces inside the cryogenic chambers were clearly visible.


    However, what was even more peculiar was that the faces all looked strikingly simr, as if they were cast from the same mold.


    The young man walked straight to one of the cryogenic chambers and entered a long string of passwords on the digital keypad on the surface. When the confirm button was pressed, a stream of cold air immediately burst out from the chamber, and simultaneously, the red light at the bottom of the chamber instantly turned green.


    ...


    At this moment, on the deck of the cargo ship, Ling Chen walked up to arge tarpaulin, lifted it vigorously, and, looking at the helicopter hidden beneath, turned to Zhou Jun and said, "You stay here, don¡¯t let anyone get close to this helicopter, whether we can escape or notter depends on it."


    Zhou Jun gave an ¡¯OK¡¯ gesture and confidently said, "Don¡¯t worry, if I can¡¯t handle this little task, I¡¯ll cut off my head and kick it around like a ball for you."


    "Song, Shi Yong, let¡¯s go."


    As he spoke, Ling Chen, holding the Tianling de, took the lead and quickly headed into the hatch towards the bottom of the ship.


    Descending the stairs to the mid-level of the ship, Ling Chen was about to speed up, but suddenly a huge force burst open a nearby cabin door. Luckily, Ling Chen reacted in time, quickly dodging backward to avoid being struck by the door.


    After a second of daze, Ling Chen immediately saw more than a dozen people appear from the cabin door. Not only were these people tall and robust, but they all looked identical.


    However, what truly shocked Ling Chen was that these people¡¯s faces were... Blood Wolf¡¯s!


    How could it be him again?


    Ling Chen frowned, his expression as dark as water. Back on that ind, he had seen a man in the prison who resembled Blood Wolf, only to see Kaelina ruthlessly shoot him dead. Now, there were so many men who looked exactly like Blood Wolf on this cargo ship; even someone as experienced as Ling Chen couldn¡¯t keep calm in this situation.


    As he saw a few men charging towards him, Ling Chen quickly cleared his mind, focusing solely on the crisis at hand.


    "Brother Song, Shi Yong, be cautious; these are Enhanced People, both strong and highly defensive."


    Hearing this, Shi Yong fearlessly lifted his shield and said indifferently, "Well, I want to test that." After speaking, he leaned forward and exploded with power from his feet, rushing towards the man in front of him.


    Bang!


    With a muffled sound from the shield, a man who tried to collide with Shi Yong was instantly sent flying, his arm hanging limply, clearly shattered by the impact of the shield.


    "Strong?" Shi Yong shook his head dismissively: "Not even close."


    Meanwhile, Song Ge had already effortlessly taken down two opponents.


    Seeing this, Ling Chen was momentarily stunned. How had these Enhanced People be so weak? It was like bullying the weak; they had no power to fight back.


    He didn¡¯t realize that it wasn¡¯t the Enhanced People who had be weaker; it was his standards that had risen. No matter how strong the Enhanced People were, they were ultimately forcibly enhanced through external means and couldn¡¯tpare to true Martial Artists.


    "Ling, leave this to me. You go handle the important stuff."


    "Alright, meet up on the deckter." As he finished speaking, Ling Chen immediately ran towards the bottom of the ship.


    In no time, Ling Chen found the main control room of the cargo ship. The room was deserted, leaving onlyputers and equipment. Seeing the progress bar on theputer screen, Ling Chen¡¯s expression shifted as he cursed inwardly, those guys had deleted all the data before leaving.


    Not wasting another thought, Ling Chen hurried to theputer, and while the data wasn¡¯tpletely erased yet, he opened the file archive, rapidly browsing through the files.


    "Virus... virus..."


    Ling Chen murmured to himself, scanning multiple lines at a nce. Seconds passed, and he finally found a folder named ¡¯gue¡¯.


    Opening the folder and seeing the data disyed on the screen, Ling Chen couldn¡¯t help but clench his fist.


    Fortunately, this data hadn¡¯t been erased yet.


    He plugged in his USB drive and copied all the data about the virus. Just as he finished copying, theputer screen went ck, and all data was erased.


    However, just a few secondster, a box suddenly popped up on the screen, disying the number ¡¯thirty¡¯.


    As the number steadily decreased, Ling Chen immediately realized.


    They had activated the self-destruct program!


    With less than twenty-five seconds left, Ling Chen didn¡¯t dare to dy; he dashed out and sprinted towards the deck at full speed.

 Chapter 446 - 442: A Desperate Situation

    <h4>Chapter 446: Chapter 442: A Desperate Situation</h4><h4></h4>


    It took Ling Chen more than ten seconds to finally reach the deck. By then, Song Ge and Shi Yong had already met up with Zhou Jun, waiting for his arrival.


    "Ling Chen." Zhou Jun smiled and waved, pointing to the young man on the ground, saying, "This guy wanted to escape by helicopter, but I took care of him."


    Eleven... Ten... Nine...


    At this moment, Ling Chen had no time to bother with that young man; he was silently counting down the self-destruct program in his head. With less than ten seconds left, starting the helicopter to escape was an impossible task.


    Five seconds!


    Without time to think further, Ling Chen shouted urgently to the three people with Song Ge: "Run!"


    Hearing his roar, Song Ge and the others were stunned, not understanding his intent. However, seeing the anxious look on Ling Chen¡¯s face, Song Ge and the others didn¡¯t think twice. They immediately followed Ling Chen¡¯s lead and ran quickly toward the side of the ship.


    Boom!


    With a thunderous explosion, the cargo ship¡¯s hold burst into mes, and the powerful force of the explosion split the hull instantly. At that moment, under Ling Chen¡¯s lead, the four men jumped from the ship into the pitch-ck sea.


    The icy seawater surged from all directions. Ling Chen held his breath, dived into the sea, frantically paddling with his arms, swimming away from the cargo ship in the opposite direction, trying to avoid the explosion¡¯s reach as much as possible.


    Though submerged underwater, the sounds of the sea surface¡¯s sessive explosions still reached his ears; mes nearly covered the surrounding water, and heavy objects fell into the sea.


    After swimming dozens of meters, Ling Chen emerged from the water, gasping for air. His gaze pierced through theyers of mes, searching for the whereabouts of the others.


    "Zhou Jun, Shi Yong, Song!" Ling Chen shouted at the top of his lungs.


    "I¡¯m here." As Zhou Jun¡¯s voice sounded, Song Ge and Shi Yong also called out in response. Seeing the three of them were all right, Ling Chen breathed a sigh of relief. Looking at the slowly sinking cargo ship in the distance, Ling Chen couldn¡¯t help but let out a bitter smile.


    Great, now the cargo ship had been blown up, the helicopter on board had sunk to the bottom of the sea, and not even a motorboat had been left behind. In this vast sea, where could they seek rescue?


    While pondering, Zhou Jun and the others swam over one after another, gathering around Ling Chen. Watching the cargo ship gradually being engulfed by the sea, all four of them wore a somewhat difficult expression.


    "Ling Chen, what do we do now?" Zhou Jun asked.


    Ling Chen gave a wry smile and shook his head. He carried a satellite phone on him. But when he jumped into the sea just now, the phone got waterlogged, and it was no longer usable. Seeing his helpless expression, Song Ge and the others fell into silence.


    At this moment, several oil barrels and broken nks floated over from not far away. With the joint efforts of the four men, they cobbled together a raft from oil barrels and nks, temporarily escaping the sea¡¯s chill.


    Sitting on the raft, Ling Chen spread open his palm, looking at the USB drive in his hand with a sigh. He had been worried that the USB drive would get waterlogged and be ruined, keeping it clenched in his fist. Unfortunately, even though they had sessfully obtained the data, the four of them were now trapped in the vast sea with no escape.


    Calling to heaven without answer, calling to earth without response¡ªthese two phrases appropriately described their current situation.


    "Everyone, I¡¯m sorry, I did not n thoroughly, making all of us end up in this situation," Ling Chen said with a look of guilt.


    Shi Yong said in a deep voice, "I chose to follow you of my own free will; this has nothing to do with you."


    "Ling, don¡¯t me yourself for this; nobody expected those people to be so ruthless."


    "Come on, let¡¯s not act like we¡¯re all doomed. Rather than wasting time here, we might as well pray to Buddha¡ªmaybe we¡¯ll get lucky and have a ne appear out of nowhere." Even in such a dire situation, Zhou Jun¡¯s easygoing nature didn¡¯t change, as he joked.


    However, no one was in the mood to joke with him. With less than two days left, if they couldn¡¯t get back in time, it wouldn¡¯t just be the few of them at risk.


    ...


    On the luxury liner.


    Zhou Qi stood in the pilot house on the top level, anxiously asking, "Haven¡¯t made contact yet?"


    "Elder Zhou, I¡¯ve been calling all day, and they haven¡¯t responded," the staff member replied.


    "Keep calling." After saying that, Zhou Qi looked at the time; it was already past three o¡¯clock in the afternoon. Since Zhou Jun and the others had secretly flown off in the helicopterst night, there had been no news. Zhou Jun¡¯s parents died when he was young, and the two of them had relied on each other for many years; Zhou Qi certainly did not want any harm toe to his grandson.


    "Elder Zhou."


    At that moment, a staff member ran over in a hurry, barely containing his excitement as he spoke, "We just received news that Ms. Shi and the others are on their way back by helicopter, they will arrive in two hours."


    "Good!" Zhou Qi¡¯s tightly furrowed brows rxed slightly. After a tense day of waiting, there was finally some good news.


    The return of Shi Su and her team at this time suggested they had found a way to crack the virus.


    "Notify the medical team to be ready and stand by at all times."


    "Yes, Elder Zhou."


    In less than two hours, two helicopters flew in one after the other, appearing above the luxury liner. As the helicopters slowlynded, Zhou Qi, who had been waiting, immediately went to greet them with his team.


    "Ms. Shi." Zhou Qi greeted her and asked eagerly, "How¡¯s the situation?"


    Shi Su smiled confidently, "Elder Zhou, rest assured, I have found the solution. Moreover, I¡¯ve brought two boxes of serum that were rushed out, enough to treat everyone on the ship."


    Zhou Qivishly praised, "Ms. Shi¡¯s medical skills are truly unparalleled in the country."


    "Elder Zhou is too kind. It¡¯s not just my own merit; thanks to everyone¡¯s strong support."


    Hearing Shi Su¡¯s words, the people behind her all smiled, visibly overjoyed. They all knew the real effort came from Shi Su and her disciples; they did little more than assist, mostly just watching from the sidelines and not helping much. However, Shi Su¡¯s remark made everyone share in the glory, bing saviors in everyone¡¯s eyes.


    Given the generosity of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, a handsome reward was inevitable.


    "Elder Zhou, we must not dy. Please arrange for the infected patients to be transferred to the deck immediately; I will arrange for my people to administer the serum," Shi Su instructed.


    "No problem, everything¡¯s prepared; I¡¯ll have someone take care of it immediately."


    While everyone was waiting for treatment, Ling Chen and his threepanions were still floating at sea on a makeshift raft, being pushed forward by the waves.


    Though they hadn¡¯t eaten for a day, all four had good physical endurance and could survive several days without food or water. However, for them now, food and water weren¡¯t the priorities¡ªthe key was hope.


    Without the hope of survival, everything was empty talk; they could only quietly wait for death toe.

 Chapter 447 - 443: Unexpected Rescue

    <h4>Chapter 447: Chapter 443: Unexpected Rescue</h4><h4></h4>


    At this moment, even Zhou Jun, who usually had plenty of spirit, became dispirited, sitting on the raft with his head down, not saying a word.


    Just then, Ling Chen seemed to hear something, suddenly lifted his head, and looked up at the azure sky, searching for something.


    Noticing his actions, Song Ge asked, "Ling, what¡¯s up?"


    Hush!


    Ling Chen made a quieting gesture, stood up from the raft, and shaped his hands into a horizontal line to shield his eyes from the sun, scanning the sky.


    Following his gaze, Song Ge and the others lifted their heads and saw a ck dot appear in the sky as blue as the sea. As the dot approached, a seane came into view.


    "It¡¯s a ne!" Zhou Jun¡¯s face lit up with joy, and he excitedly yelled, "Haha! We¡¯re saved."


    Before long, the seane seemed to notice them, descended gradually, and touched down on the surface of the sea.


    As the raft approached the ne, someone pushed open the cabin door, and a round, chubby face poked out, looking at Ling Chen with a teasing smile, "Is drifting at sea fun?"


    Seeing the person, Ling Chen was taken aback and eximed in surprise, "Fatty?"


    He had never expected the person inside the ne would be Hu Fei.


    "Surprised?" Hu Feiughed and said, "Alright, stop gawking and get on board."


    After getting on the ne, Ling Chen gave everyone a quick introduction and curiously asked, "Fatty, how did you know where we were?"


    Hu Fei replied, "Once the reverse tracking program I gave you establishes a connection, I get a signal too, so I know where you are. I figured you were going to scrap with the God Organization, so I waited at home all night, called at least ten times to ask about your situation, but your satellite phone was unreachable. I got worried you¡¯d been caught by the God Organization, so I chartered a ne over here. Luckily, my luck wasn¡¯t too bad, and I stumbled upon the wreckage of that cargo ship. I figured with your skills, you wouldn¡¯t have been blown to bits, so I looked around the area, and would you believe it¡ªI actually found you."


    Ling Chen was moved by these words and firmly patted Hu Fei¡¯s shoulder in gratitude, saying, "You truly are a good brother; I wasn¡¯t mistaken about you."


    "Oh, cut it out, you¡¯re trying to butter me up," Hu Fei said with an expression of disgust, brushing away Ling Chen¡¯s hand, and grumbled, "You think I want to save you? You still owe me millions, who am I supposed to get my money back from if you die?"


    Ling Chen knew his friend was saying one thing and meaning another, and replied with augh, "Alright, I¡¯ll double repay you when we get back."


    Then, Ling Chen changed the subject and asked, "Fatty, do you have aputer with you?"


    "Yeah. What do you need it for?"


    Ling Chen threw a USB drive into Hu Fei¡¯s hand, "Help me check out the data inside."


    Without a word, Hu Fei immediately took out hisptop, inserted the USB drive, and started carefully browsing the files.


    "Zhou Jun, contact your grandfather and see how things are going on the ship."


    "Okay." Zhou Jun nodded, took the satellite phone from Hu Fei, and dialed the number.


    ...


    "Elder Zhou."


    A staff member ran up to Zhou Qi, panting, and handed over a satellite phone, saying breathlessly, "It¡¯s Zhou Jun¡¯s call."


    Without a word, Zhou Qi snatched the satellite phone and immediately started scolding, "You little punk, where did you run off to? Get your butt back here right now!"


    "Old man, we are on a ne right now, will be back soon. By the way, how are things on the ship?"


    "Ms. Shi has found a solution and is preparing to inject everyone with the serum; none of you cause any more trouble."


    Zhou Jun covered the phone with his hand, turned to Ling Chen, and said, "The old man says Shi Su has found a solution."


    "Tell Elder Zhou that we¡¯ve acquired data rted to the virus and we¡¯re sending it over now, have Ms. Shi verify it to make sure her solution is wless."


    "You got it!"


    After hanging up the phone, Zhou Qi¡¯s face lost its anger, and he mumbled to himself with a smile, "Didn¡¯t expect these brats to have some ability." Saying this, he waved at Shi Su, who was giving out serums nearby, calling her over.


    "Elder Zhou, is there something you need?"


    "It¡¯s like this, Ling Chen and the others found the mastermind behind all this and obtained some viral data; they hope you can check it to ensure there are no mistakes."


    "Is that so?" Interest sparkled in Shi Su¡¯s eyes as she nodded, "Alright then, have someone send over the data, and I¡¯ll make sure topare it carefully."


    Soon, a staff member brought the printed data to Shi Su.


    In front of Zhou Qi, Shi Su flipped through the pages, skimming through the information quickly. A few minutester, she handed the data to Zhou Qi and said with a smile, "Elder Zhou, no need to worry, my solution is perfect."


    "That¡¯s great."


    "If there¡¯s nothing else, I¡¯ll get back to work."


    "Please do."


    Seeing Shi Su return, Zhu Xiaozhu asked, "Master, did Elder Zhou want something?"


    "It¡¯s nothing. Xiaozhu, run to the infirmary and grab some medicine for me." After giving her instruction, Shi Su stopped Han Yu, who was about to leave with Zhu Xiaozhu, and said, "Wait, don¡¯t go. I have another task for you."


    Watching Zhu Xiaozhu¡¯s elegant departure, Han Yu reluctantly withdrew his gaze and asked, "Mrs. Su, what do you need?"


    Shi Su leaned in and whispered a few words into his ear, instructing him meaningfully, "Remember, find a few reliable people to do this, and make sure no one else finds out... including Xiaozhu."


    Han Yu looked around to make sure no one was paying attention to them before asking quietly, "Mrs. Su, are there issues with those serums?"


    "There¡¯s no issue, just a few missingponents. Add those and there will be no problems. Hurry along, don¡¯t waste any more time."


    "Understood."


    ...


    Two hourster, the ne carrying Ling Chen and hispanions finally arrived near the luxury liner.


    As the nended on the sea, a motorboat from the luxury liner came out to pick them up. Initially, Ling Chen wanted Hu Fei to head back, but during those short two hours, the foul-smellpatible, simrly natured Hu Fei and Zhou Jun hit it off as if they were long-lost brothers. Zhou Jun insisted on not letting Hu Fei leave, and so took it upon himself to invite him aboard the ship.


    Given his status, even if Zhou Qi found out, at most, he would get a scolding.


    "Elder."


    Seeing the approaching Zhou Qi, Zhou Jun greeted with a smile.


    Zhou Qi red at him, snorted coldly, and gave them a merciless reprimand, "You youngsters have no discipline at all. If anything happened, how am I supposed to exin to your families, especially you mischief-maker, only knowing how to cause me trouble."

 Chapter 448 - 444: The Motive of the God Organization

    <h4>Chapter 448: Chapter 444: The Motive of the God Organization</h4><h4></h4>


    Zhou Jun said with a grin, "Old man, stop schooling us for a moment. At least we¡¯ve done some good and rescued everyone."


    "Pfft, what aplishment?" Zhou Qi said disdainfully, "You were just stirring up trouble unnecessarily."


    Hearing this, Ling Chen asked, "Elder Zhou, are you suggesting that the serum developed by Ms. Shi has no issues?"


    "Of course, there are no issues. Everyone has been injected with the serum, and all symptoms have disappeared. Apart from some physical weakness, there¡¯s nothing major."


    Zhou Jun was dumbfounded, "Really? Old man, don¡¯t fool me. Shi Su¡¯s medical skills are decent, but are they that incredible? I¡¯ve studied medicine too, albeit half-baked. But to repeatedly experiment in such a short time and then find the correct solution, that seems impossible."


    "Shut your mouth!" Zhou Qi sharply rebuked, "You should be aware of Ms. Shi¡¯s rtionship with the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion. Don¡¯t talk nonsense in the future. If the Pavilion Master hears of this, neither you nor I will have an easy time. Besides, I¡¯m an old man; I have no reason to lie to you kids. Seeing is believing. If you don¡¯t trust it, you can go and see for yourself."


    Considering the condition of Qiu Yong and others, Ling Chen didn¡¯t bother to probe further. After a brief greeting, he immediately rushed to Qiu Yong¡¯s residence.


    Upon entering the room, he saw Qiu Yong and others there. Except for looking somewhat exhausted, all previous symptoms had vanished. It seemed Zhou Qi was right; Shi Su¡¯s serum had worked against the virus.


    "Big brother, second brother... are you all alright?"


    Yuan Yun replied with a smile, "Better than ever. Eh, Sixth Brother, where have you been? Haven¡¯t seen you all day."


    "Just out handling some things."


    Ling Chen intended to stay and spend time with everyone, but then there was a knock at the door. Turning around, Ling Chen opened the door to see a man in a suit, checking, "May I help you?"


    The man politely said, "Mr. Ling, Elder Zhou would like you toe over."


    "Alright, I¡¯ll be right there."


    After saying goodbye to Qiu Yong, Ling Chen left the room with the man in the suit.


    Shortly after, under the guidance of the man in the suit, Ling Chen arrived at a conference room. There were not many people inside. Zhou Qi and Zhou Jun were present, and there were also two unfamiliar women, around their thirties to forties, appearing graceful and still charming.


    "Mr. Ling, please take a seat!"


    "Elder Zhou, what did you need to see me for?"


    "Zhou Jun told me about your trip, mentioning you brought up the God Organization. Therefore, I would like to understand more and hope you can cooperate with us."


    "That¡¯s no problem," Ling Chen nodded. He had expected the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion to inquire eventually but hadn¡¯t anticipated it so soon, indicating the importance they ced on this matter.


    "Mr. Ling, do you believe that the God Organization was behind the scenes targeting the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion?"


    "It¡¯s not a belief, but a certainty. I won¡¯t hide from you that I¡¯ve dealt with the God Organization numerous times, so I can say with one hundred percent certainty." Ling Chen shifted his tone, asking, "Elder Zhou, if I may ask, how much does the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion know about the God Organization?"


    Hearing this, Zhou Qi nced at Zhou Jun beside him and signaled, "You go outside first."


    "But old man, I..."


    "Less talk, get out now!"


    Seeing Zhou Qi¡¯s tone be stern, Zhou Jun immediately shut his mouth and obediently left the conference room. Once he was gone, Zhou Qi turned his gaze back to Ling Chen, saying, "Mr. Ling, the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion isn¡¯t unfamiliar with the God Organization. Furthermore, members of the God Organization have sought us out, hoping to coborate and use our influence to control the Asian region. However, our Pavilion never allies with evil forces or lends a hand to tyranny, hence we rejected their proposal."


    Ling Chen smiled slightly, "That means the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion knows quite a bit about the God Organization."


    "Somewhat," Zhou Qi openly replied, "Mr. Ling, you should be aware of our Pavilion¡¯s capability in gathering intelligence. When the God Organization approached us, we had investigated this force secretly. However, the deeper we investigated, the more shocking it became. Eventually, the Pavilion Master ordered an end to the inquiry, sealing all information about the God Organization."


    "Why?"


    "Firstly, we prefer not to sh with the God Organization. The Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion has its principles and codes. Martial Arts are treasures culminating from thousands of years of Huaxia¡¯s legacy, and it¡¯s our duty to ensure its continuous propagation. Thus, we don¡¯t want to provoke too many issues. Secondly, it¡¯s for our own protection."


    "Protection?" Ling Chen was taken aback. He might believe this from someone else, but Zhou Qi represented the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, the most secretive force in Huaxia with great power. Could they still be afraid of the God Organization?


    "Mr. Ling, I¡¯ve reviewed your background. You were a soldier, so you must understand that no matter how times change or how fierce your fighting skills are, there are limits. They can¡¯t match modern cutting-edge weapons. Unless you are ranking high on the Heavenly List, but such individuals are extremely rare across Huaxia. In other words, the technology of the God Organization is at the forefront of the era. For us, standing as an enemy against them would ce the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion in an extremely precarious situation."


    After thinking for a moment, Ling Chen said, "Elder Zhou, not to conceal from you, the organization I previously worked for wasmitted to countering the God Organization, but due to limited intelligence, our efforts were minimal. Since the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion holds so much information about the God Organization, could you..."


    "Sorry!" Before Ling Chen could finish, Zhou Qi had already responded, "I have no authority on this matter; only the Pavilion Master can decide. I can bring it up to him and see what he thinks. But I advise you not to hold too much hope. Regardless of the extent of your struggle with the God Organization, the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion prefers to stay neutral."


    "Elder Zhou, you want to remain neutral, but the God Organization might not think the same. They¡¯ve alreadye knocking. Aren¡¯t you nning to just stand by and watch?"


    "This... I trust the Pavilion Master will consider it," Zhou Qi replied, standing up and extending his hand, "Mr. Ling, thank you for providing us so much information and for what you¡¯ve done for the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion. As long as you have no objections, we are pleased to consider you as a friend."


    "Don¡¯t mention it." Ling Chen smiled lightly and turned to leave the conference room.


    On the way back, Ling Chen was still puzzled, not understanding why the God Organization would suddenly target the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion. The Pavilion had dered its stance of neutrality. By acting in this way, wasn¡¯t the God Organization just causing trouble for nothing?

 Chapter 449 - 445: Appreciation Banquet

    <h4>Chapter 449: Chapter 445: Appreciation Banquet</h4><h4></h4>


    Returning to his room and resting for a while, Ling Chen received a notice: thepetition for neers would continue in two days. Despite a crisis arising, the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion had no intention of ceasing the Heavenly Mechanism Great Ceremony.


    In addition, Ling Chen got an unexpected piece of news: he had been directly promoted, avoiding the match with Lin Dong.


    Upon inquiry, he learned that Lin Dong, his opponent, had developedplications due to an infectious disease, leading to health issues. Although the virus had been cleared, his body had not yet recovered and required a period of rest. Therefore, he unterally gave up his qualification.


    Regardless, this was an unexpected joy for Ling Chen. Not only was he spared a fight, but he also smoothly advanced and got the opportunity topete with the top five neers.


    Upon hearing this news, Qiu Yong and the others were very happy.


    "Ling Cheng, with two days left, you should take good care of your body. The top five on the Neer List are nothing like your previous opponents; they are all true masters, so you must be cautious," Zhang Zhongfeng advised.


    "Zhang Zhongfeng, I know."


    ...


    In the blink of an eye, a day passed.


    The next afternoon, in his room, Ling Chen sat on the couch with his legs crossed, casually chatting with Hu Fei.


    After Zhou Jun¡¯s earnest pleading, and considering Hu Fei once saved his grandson¡¯s life, Zhou Qi reluctantly agreed to let him remain on the ship.


    "Fatty, fatty!"


    Ling Chen called out several times before Hu Fei, who was engrossed in hisptop, looked up and asked, "What¡¯s up?"


    "What are you up to? You didn¡¯t hear me calling you," Ling Chen said, approaching Hu Fei¡¯sputer, curious about the content on the screen. However, the vignt Hu Fei quickly closed theptop and clutched it to his chest as if he was afraid Ling Chen would snatch it away.


    "You, this guy..." Ling Chen shook his head helplessly and grumbled discontentedly, "Fine, I won¡¯t look. Are you under the impression I¡¯m dying to?"


    Hu Fei let out a slyugh and said mysteriously, "Don¡¯t be angry, I¡¯ll let you know once I¡¯m done with it."


    "Hey! You can connect to the inte?" Ling Chen remembered that signals were blocked on the ship.


    Hu Fei scoffed and said, "With my skills, their firewall is no obstacle to me. I hacked into their server as soon as I boarded the ship."


    "Okay, you¡¯re amazing."


    "I¡¯ll stop yapping now. Zhou Jun invited me to the entertainment room to rx this afternoon, gotta go!" Hu Fei said, then stood up holding hisptop and walked out.


    Opening the room door and just about to leave, Hu Fei saw a young man in a suit approaching politely, handing over an invitation with a smile, "Please hand this to Mr. Ling. Tonight, the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion will host a banquet in the banquet hall on the fifth floor. We would be honored if Mr. Ling would grace us with his presence."


    Holding the invitation from Hu Fei, Ling Chen couldn¡¯t help butugh. People from the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion sure had a generous tolerance, still thinking of organizing a banquet at a time like this.


    Night fell.


    Darkness enveloped, the sea became tranquil, and it seemed like the sound of the rolling waves was the only thing left in the world.


    The banquet hall located on the fifth floor of the luxury cruise ship, apanied by elegant light music, Ling Chen, Qiu Yong, and others arrived at the dinner event. In contrast to the grand attire of everyone present, the "Eight entrics" appeared quite casual and were particrly noticeable among the crowd dressed in suits and leather shoes.


    Ling Chen wasn¡¯t interested in the banquet, but considering the invitation from the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, he couldn¡¯t just skip it; that would be disrespectful. Therefore, he decided to show his face and as soon as the banquet officially started, he nned to slip away quietly.


    The banquet hosted by the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion wasn¡¯t much different from the ones Ling Chen had attended before: an elegant and luxurious setting with fine wines and dishes, where every gentleman was dressed to the nines, sauntering among the crowd with a ss in hand.


    Ling Chen truly felt that such banquets were a waste of life.


    Just then, a wave of gasps sounded at the entrance of the banquet hall. Subsequently, everyone¡¯s gaze converged on two individuals.


    Han Yu, Zhu Xiaozhu.


    Han Yu, dressed in a tailcoat, wore shoes that reflected the feigned smiles of people. However, it had to be admitted that this attire, paired with Han Yu¡¯s handsome appearance, did indeed possess a certain charm.


    Yet, because of Zhu Xiaozhu¡¯s presence, Han Yu was naturally overlooked. The woman who instantly became the focus of the event was like a delicate and vibrant flower, with every gesture and smile radiating her stunning beauty, captivating and enthralling onlookers.


    Whether they were in their twenties or in their thirties and forties, almost everyone¡¯s gaze was drawn to Zhu Xiaozhu.


    Ling Chen stood amid the crowd, gazing infatuatedly at Zhu Xiaozhu, who was wearing an elegant evening gown with a hint of her shoulders exposed, white and smooth. The hem of her skirt red out slightly, like a blooming peony, refined and noble. Aside from appreciation, no impure thoughts arose in his mind.


    Especially those eyes, tender like water, seemingly like a babbling brook, clear and wless.


    However, seeing Zhu Xiaozhu gently leaning on Han Yu¡¯s arm, a surge of sourness welled up in Ling Chen¡¯s heart, as if a bottle of mixed emotions had been overturned, indescribably ufortable.


    Sighing, he withdrew his gaze, turned, and found an unnoticed corner to sit down in.


    Some things are better left unseen.


    7:30 in the evening.


    The three hundred-plus guests were now all gathered in the banquet hall. It was at this time that Zhou Qi, dressed in traditional attire, took the stage apanied by several disciples of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion.


    "Ladies and gentlemen..." As Zhou Qi¡¯s voice rang out, everyone immediately quieted down and listened attentively to his opening remarks.


    "Due to the unexpected incident two days ago, which caused great inconvenience to everyone and even endangered your lives, I, on behalf of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, would like to extend my apologies. The incident was entirely due to the Pavilion¡¯s negligence. As a gesture of our apology, the Pavilion has prepared a small gift for everyone. Furthermore, please be assured that the Pavilion guarantees that such incidents will not ur again."


    At this point, Zhou Qi paused and looked at the audience with a smile, saying, "This time we were able to safely get through the crisis, all thanks to the selfless assistance of a single individual. Even if I don¡¯t mention it, I believe everyone knows who that person is. Tonight, the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion is holding this banquet not only to celebrate our collective survival but also to express our gratitude to Ms. Shi. Now, please wee Ms. Shi Su to the stage."


    As Zhou Qi finished speaking, Shi Su, wearing a ck evening gown, looking noble and graceful, with a delicate smile on the corner of her mouth, gracefully stepped onto the stage.


    "The Shi Family is blessed indeed."


    Qiu Yong nced at Shi Su on the stage,menting lightly.


    Yuan Yun joined the conversation, saying, "Not just blessed, but after saving so many people on the ship, that act of grace isid out there. Who would dare to oppose the Shi Family now? With this foundation, the Shi Family can rise anytime within the Martial Arts world."


    "Regardless of anything else, we owe her our lives. Gratitude is gratitude and grievances are grievances. We, the ¡¯Eight entrics,¡¯ have always been clear about debts of gratitude and revenge. Ling Cheng, do you understand what I mean?"


    Ling Chen nodded and said, "Elder Brother, don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m not someone who forgets favors and vites righteousness."

 Chapter 450 - 446: Arrogant Love Rival

    <h4>Chapter 450: Chapter 446: Arrogant Love Rival</h4><h4></h4>


    "Ms. Shi, do you have anything you¡¯d like to say?" Zhou Qi asked with a smile on stage.


    Surveying the crowd below the stage, Shi Su said with a light smile, "The Shi Family has been in the medical profession for generations. As a doctor, healing the sick and saving lives is my duty, and I¡¯m just doing what I should do. Moreover, in resolving this crisis smoothly, I cannot take all the credit alone. First of all, I would like to thank everyone for their great support, especially my apprentice Xiaozhu and Han Yu. As an up-anding talent, Han Yu is truly a remarkable individual, not only ranking second on the Neer List but also exemry in the medical arts. I¡¯m pleased as a Master that Xiaozhu has found such a lifelong partner."


    Lifelong partner?


    Upon hearing this, the crowd gasped in surprise, their gazes filled with a mix of envy and jealousy toward Han Yu.


    With the audience¡¯s attention on him, Han Yu held his head high, his face brimming with a proud smile, his eyes roaming through the crowd as if looking for something. Suddenly, his lips curled up in arrogance as he stared disdainfully at a corner of the banquet hall.


    Facing Han Yu¡¯s gaze, Ling Chen, who had been sitting on the couch, stood up and walked over without any expression. Seeing his action, Qiu Yong hurriedly held onto his shoulder and whispered, "Ling Cheng, don¡¯t be impulsive."


    "Big brother, I know what I¡¯m doing."


    With that, Ling Chen brushed off Qiu Yong¡¯s hand and made his way through the crowd towards Han Yu.


    Seeing Ling Chen approach, Han Yu¡¯s smile grew even brighter. A fool who doesn¡¯t know any better; this was the perfect opportunity to put him in his ce in front of everyone.


    However, the arrival of Ling Chen made Zhu Xiaozhu feel uneasy, her palms sweating. Yet, deep down, there was a small sense of anticipation. As for what she was anticipating, she couldn¡¯t quite articte it herself.


    As Ling Chen neared, Han Yu coldly smirked, ready to utter a few words of mockery, but then he saw the other man walk straight past him, approaching Zhu Xiaozhu instead.


    Feeling Ling Chen¡¯splex gaze, Zhu Xiaozhu bit her thin lips and couldn¡¯t help but lower her head to stare at her toes, feeling extremely nervous.


    At this moment, everyone¡¯s attention was captivated by Ling Chen¡¯s sudden arrival, their faces showing expressions that were keen to watch the drama unfold.


    Shi Su had just announced Han Yu and Zhu Xiaozhu¡¯s affair, and Ling Chen¡¯s sudden appearance clearly indicated that it wasn¡¯t as simple as giving blessings by looking at the expressions on their faces.


    For a while, everyone was waiting for Ling Chen to speak.


    "Why?" After a long pause, Ling Chen finally spoke the three words slowly.


    "Ling Chen..." Zhu Xiaozhu opened her mouth but was at a loss for words. After hesitating, she said softly with her head down, "There¡¯s no reason, you¡¯ve heard everything my Master said."


    "I understand you, you¡¯re not that kind of person. I just want to know, is this your own decision, or did your Master make it for you?"


    "I..."


    "Xiaozhu!"


    Just as Zhu Xiaozhu spoke out, she heard Shi Su¡¯s voiceing from the stage. Her pretty face suddenly turned pale.


    "Xiaozhu..."


    "Don¡¯t ask anymore." Zhu Xiaozhu closed her eyes, holding back the tears, and said word by word, "It¡¯s my own decision." After saying these words, Zhu Xiaozhu felt her inner strength copse in an instant, all her feigned bravery dissolving into nothingness.


    Hearing her response, Ling Chen shook his head lightly and said, "I don¡¯t believe it. If it were truly your own decision, then why wouldn¡¯t you dare look me in the eye?"


    "Ling Chen, enough!" Before Zhu Xiaozhu could say anything else, Han Yu, who was standing nearby, couldn¡¯t hold back his fury and rebuked, "What is the meaning of these questions? Do you think I am not worthy of Xiaozhu?"


    "You are indeed not worthy," said Ling Chen, bluntly.


    Han Yu scoffed and replied, "Not worthy, you say? And you think you are? Why don¡¯t you take a look in the mirror to see who you really are, and what right do you have topare with me? In terms of martial prowess, you have no standing topare with me. In terms of ability, even less so. Not to mention afar, just take the crisis that happened on this ship, what did I do, and what did you do? Compare with me, hmmph! Get lost, save yourself from further embarrassment."


    "It¡¯s important to know oneself, too bad, some people just don¡¯t understand this."


    "I for one think Han Yu and Miss Zhu are a perfect match, a union of talent and beauty, made by heaven and earth."


    "That¡¯s true. Han Yu, so young with such high martial arts and excellent medical skills, is a rare gem among the younger generation, and his future is boundless. What could that Ling fellow have topete with him?"


    "He¡¯s probably just trying to get attention and boost his reputation. But I couldn¡¯t do such a shameless thing."


    Hearing the crowd¡¯s mockery and ridicule of Ling Chen, the faces of Qiu Yong and others immediately turned exceedingly ugly. Xia Yue, unable to contain her anger, was about to step forward to stand up for Ling Chen, but Qiu Yong pulled her back.


    "Shi Su and Han Yu just saved everyone, naturally they would side with them. We owe them a favor, now is not the time to go against them."


    Xia Yue said furiously, "So we just let them bully Ling Cheng?"


    "Enough, don¡¯t say any more, I¡¯ll go get Ling Cheng back." With that, Yuan Yun quickly walked to Ling Chen¡¯s side, grabbed his arm, and whispered, "Ling Cheng, don¡¯t look for trouble, we can talk about it when we get back."


    Seeing Zhu Xiaozhu, who still didn¡¯t dare to lift her head, Ling Chen sighed quietly and nodded slightly. He knew when to exercise restraint. Now was not the time to act rashly. He had to consider Qiu Yong and others and not be willful.


    Seeing Ling Chen turn and leave, Han Yu smirked triumphantly, with a disdainful sneer on his face, "What a joke."


    "Ling Chen."


    Ling Chen stopped in his tracks and turned to look at Shi Su on the stage, "Is there anything else?"


    Shi Su spoke with a cold demeanor, "Xiaozhu is now with Han Yu, regardless of what you¡¯re thinking, I hope you¡¯ll behave yourself and not bother them again. Otherwise, don¡¯t me me for not warning you in advance."


    A threat!


    An undisguised threat.


    Saying something like this in front of so many people, Shi Su clearly had no intention of saving Ling Chen¡¯s face. On the contrary, she intended to trample viciously on Ling Chen¡¯s dignity.


    Ling Chen frowned and stared at Shi Su with cold eyes as a flicker of concealed anger passed through his Mo Che-like pupils.


    "Ling Cheng," Yuan Yun, worried that Ling Chen wouldn¡¯t be able to keep his temper in check, looked at him apprehensively.


    Feeling the concern in Yuan Yun¡¯s gaze, Ling Chen took a deep breath, suppressing the anger in his heart, and said indifferently, "Ms. Shi, everyone here is indebted to you, so they can only follow your lead. However, I do not need to show such consideration. Xiaozhu is a good girl; it¡¯s a pity that she has chosen the wrong master. If you expect me not to intervene in Xiaozhu¡¯s affairs, then I¡¯m sorry, but I cannot do that. I will not just stand by and watch Xiaozhu be with someone she doesn¡¯t like, nor will I let her life be ruined by her conceited master."

 Chapter 451 - 447: Confrontation (Part 1)

    <h4>Chapter 451: Chapter 447: Confrontation (Part 1)</h4><h4></h4>


    After listening to Ling Chen¡¯s words, Shi Su¡¯s eyebrows furrowed slightly, her face cold as frost, she coldly said, "Fine, then I would like to see what ability you have to stop them from being together."


    "Ling Cheng..."


    Ling Chen waved his hand, cutting off Yuan Yun¡¯s words, and said indifferently, "Elder brother, there¡¯s no need to persuade me. I¡¯ll resolve this matter myself. You don¡¯t need to help me."


    Having said that, Ling Chen ignored Yuan Yun¡¯s obstruction and strode towards Zhu Xiaozhu, reaching out his hand to her.


    "Come with me."


    Zhu Xiaozhu looked up and met Ling Chen¡¯s gaze. Feeling the resolve and determination in his eyes, her heart seemed to be struck by a stone, causing violent ripples.


    Perhaps this was what she had been hoping would happen.


    Seeing the hesitation in Zhu Xiaozhu¡¯s eyes, Ling Chen spoke again, "Come with me, no matter what it is, I will bear it for you."


    Upon hearing these words, Zhu Xiaozhu was somewhat tempted. However, the promise she had made to Shi Su echoed continuously in her ears.


    "Xiaozhu, if you dare to go with him, from now on I won¡¯t have you as my disciple. Also, don¡¯t forget what you promised me."


    As Zhu Xiaozhu was caught in a dilemma, Shi Su¡¯s voice suddenly came over, causing her nearly outstretched hand to shrink back.


    Seeing that she couldn¡¯t make a decision, Ling Chen simply got tired of talking nonsense, grabbed her hand, and forcefully pulled her to walk outside.


    Seeing Ling Chen¡¯s actions, Han Yu¡¯s expression turned cold, and he yelled angrily, "Let go of her!"


    As soon as his voice sounded, he had already lunged forward, his fist aiming straight for Ling Chen¡¯s neck. However, before Ling Chen could react, a gust of wind shed through the crowd.


    As the figure shed by, a strong hand quickly reached out, firmly locking onto Han Yu¡¯s wrist, stopping his attack.


    With his punch blocked, Han Yu was slightly startled, he fixed his gaze on the neer, his expression changed immediately, his eyes harshly said, "Are you taking his side?"


    "You aren¡¯t including me among the people you¡¯ve saved, so I¡¯m not obligated to owe this favor."With that, Song Ge turned his head to look at Ling Chen, smiling, "Ling, you go ahead, I¡¯ll hold them off here."


    "I¡¯d like to see who dares to leave!" Shi Su said coldly, her gaze sweeping across everyone, "Everyone here saw it, Ling Chen tried to forcefully take my disciple, an utterly heinous act, I hope everyone can help me capture this man."


    "Ms. Shi, rest assured, I won¡¯t let him walk out of this door."


    A familiar voice sounded, and Jiang Hanlin appeared with the Qiu brothers from the crowd, blocking in front of Ling Chen.


    "When Ms. Shi asks for help, our Dangyang Sect will surely assist."


    "And my Qingyang Sect as well."


    Immediately, dozens of people appeared around Ling Chen, almost leaving him no way to escape.


    "Enough, stop!"


    Zhou Qi, who had been coldly observing, saw that the situation was getting serious and immediately shouted out to stop them.


    Once a person from Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion spoke, naturally, nobody dared to act rashly, and the crowd that had gathered immediately dispersed.


    "Elder Zhou, since you have spoken, how should we deal with this matter?"


    Zhou Qi nced at Shi Su who had spoken and countered, "Ms. Shi, how do you think this should be handled?"


    Shi Su coldly said, "Punish him with fifty strokes, expel him from the ship, disqualify him from participating in the Heavenly Mechanism Great Ceremony, and forbid him from involving in any affairs within the Martial Artsmunity."


    "This... Ling Chen made a mistake, but there is no need for such a severe punishment."


    "Is Elder Zhou trying to make excuses for him?"


    "That¡¯s not it, I just..."


    "Since Elder Zhou can¡¯t make up his mind, I might as well directly consult the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion Master. I believe he will agree with my decision."


    Zhou Qi¡¯s expression changed; he hadn¡¯t expected Shi Su to directly invoke the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion Master, clearly putting pressure on him.


    "Fine then." Zhou Qi helplessly nodded.


    "Bring someone!"


    "Hold on!"


    As the voice was heard, Zhou Jun appeared with his hands behind his back, swaggering to Ling Chen¡¯s side, and looking at Shi Su on stage, hemented with a click of his tongue, "Tsk tsk! You really are something, everyone has to listen to you. I¡¯m a bit confused now, who actually runs this ship? The Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, or someone from the Shi Family? Ms. Shi, you better rify, the Pavilion treats you as a friend, which is giving you face, don¡¯t overestimate yourself. Truly, you don¡¯t deserve it."


    Hearing Zhou Jun¡¯s words, everyone was shocked, looking at him. That guy really was bold, uttering words without any regard.


    Seeing Shi Su¡¯s livid face, Zhou Qi next to her was instantly anxious, wishing he could severely beat that brat. Anyone in the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion knew of the rtionship between Shi Su and the Pavilion Master, Zhou Jun¡¯s words were like smashing their rice bowls.


    "I¡¯m just handling this ording to the rules; I didn¡¯t mean tomand on behalf of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion. Are you making a mountain out of a molehill?"


    "What rules are you following? Are those the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion¡¯s rules? Ling Chen only snatched your disciple, which is a personal matter and doesn¡¯t seem to vite any Pavilion rules. What right do you have to expel Ling Chen from the ship? Basically, you¡¯re just leveraging the fact that no one dares to contradict you because you saved everyone."


    "Zhou Jun, shut up!" Zhou Qi hurriedly shouted, fearing that the foul-mouthed kid had offended Shi Su to death.


    "Old man, why so anxious, I haven¡¯t finished speaking." Meanwhile, Zhou Jun secretly gave Ling Chen a wink, then continued, "Ms. Shi, unless I¡¯m mistaken, you said at the start that the Shi Family has been medics for generations, treating and saving people is your duty. You also mentioned Han Yu¡¯s superb medical skills as your capable assistant, thanks to a few of you, everyone¡¯s lives were saved."


    Shi Su, holding back her anger, coldly said, "Is there a problem?"


    "Of course there¡¯s no problem, it only makes people feel disgusted, not just ordinarily disgusting, but extremely disgusting." Zhou Jun turned to the audience and loudly said, "Everyone, you have been deceived by her, she¡¯s nothing but a petty person who steals the credit of others."


    "Is that true?"


    People were shocked, discussing amongst themselves.


    Shi Su gritted her teeth, her face bing even uglier, ring at Zhou Jun, "How dare you nder me?"


    Zhou Jun sneered, "Whether I¡¯m ndering you, you know best in your heart. Dare you say that the serum you injected everyone with was developed by you?"


    "If not me, then who do you think it should be?"


    "Humph! Still unwilling to admit it. Shi Su, do you really want to ruin your own reputation before you regret it? I¡¯ll give you one more chance, if you still won¡¯t admit it, no worries, I have the evidence to prove it. But, by that time, you¡¯ll have lost all face."


    Hearing this, a flicker of panic crossed Shi Su¡¯s eyes as her angrily flushed cheeks turned a shade paler.


    Seeing his grandson so full of confidence, Zhou Qi suspiciously looked at Shi Su and asked, "Ms. Shi, what exactly is going on?"

 Chapter 452 - 448: Confrontation (Part 2)

    <h4>Chapter 452: Chapter 448: Confrontation (Part 2)</h4><h4></h4>


    Zhou Qi knew his grandson well; though usually flippant andckadaisical, he was serious when it mattered. Thus, his words definitely held ground.


    Facing Zhou Qi¡¯s inquiry, Shi Su did not respond but instead turned to look at Han Yu in the crowd. Sensing her gaze, thetter subtly nodded. With Han Yu¡¯s affirmation, Shi Su quicklyposed herself, her expression turning cold: "Elder Zhou, your grandson is quite the storyteller. I hope he continues, as I am curious to see what ¡¯evidence¡¯ he ns to concoct to nder me."


    "Fine. Since you are so deluded and still struggling at death¡¯s door, don¡¯t me me for not giving you face," Zhou Qi sternly said. "Honestly, this wasn¡¯t a big deal. If you had just told the truth, everyone could have shared the credit. But you, being narrow-minded, not only hid the truth but also monopolized all the credit for yourself. Shi Su, ask yourself, aren¡¯t you ashamed?"


    Pausing briefly, Zhou Jun looked around at the buzzing crowd and began, "Perhaps everyone isn¡¯t quite clear about the situation. Here¡¯s what happened..." He then recounted what Ling Chen had done.


    After hearing this, everyone immediately understood why Zhou Jun was so furious. Ling Chen and his team, risking their lives to find data on the virus, rightfully deserved the credit, but instead, it was imed by Shi Su and Han Yu.


    This behavior was indeed despicable.


    Feeling the scornful looks from everyone, Shi Su, losing herposure, snapped, "Nonsense! These are all lies you¡¯ve concocted."


    "I can prove he¡¯s not lying," Zhou Qi interjected. "That day, Ling Chen sent me the data to show you, to ensure there was nothing wrong with the serum you produced."


    Zhou Jun added, "You took a helicopter that day to the nearest city, where the experiments were conducted in a temporaryboratory set up by the Heavenly Mechanage Pavilion. All the information you obtained in the experiment was recorded on aputer, including the final serum form."


    Shi Su scoffed, "And then?"


    "I guess you must have felt quite pleased with yourself," Zhou Jun continued. "Afraid of being discovered, you instructed someone to delete all the data stored on theputer. Unfortunately, you made a mistake because the person you enlisted was not proficient withputers. Although the data was deleted, it was notpletely erased. For a top hacker, restoring the data is a simple task. The serum form you developed is fundamentally different from the final one injected into everyone."


    Top hacker?


    Ling Chen¡¯s mind stirred; Zhou Jun was referring to Fatty. No wonder Hu Fei was so mysteriously secretive today, not allowing him to see hisputer. He was messing with those files.


    "How interesting," Shi Su said emotionlessly. "Am I not allowed to adjust the formst minute?"


    "Of course you can. However, if you want to engage in nefarious deeds in the future, better choose a secluded ce, and not do it publicly. Didn¡¯t you realize, this luxury cruise ship is equipped with surveince cameras everywhere to ensure everyone¡¯s safety? That day, after reviewing the data sent by Ling Chen, you sent Zhu Xiaozhu away and then secretly whispered to Han Yu. What you discussed, you know best. After Han Yu left, he met with eight people, each of whom shares amon trait¡ªthey are skilled in medicine but have no significant backing. You probably didn¡¯t anticipate that all this was recorded by the surveince."


    At this point, Zhou Jun looked at Shi Su and Han Yu, his tone mocking, "Do I need to keep going, or do you need me to present evidence and have Han Yu confront those people face-to-face before you admit your mistake? If you two have any shame left, just confess yourselves and don¡¯t waste everyone¡¯s time."


    Hearing this, Shi Su and Han Yu¡¯s faces drastically changed, their eyes reflecting a hint of hesitation and struggle.


    Seeing their continued silence, Zhou Jun continued on his own, "Those who conspired with Han Yu, listen well. I know you are all here. Considering that you were unknowingly exploited, I¡¯ll withhold your names for now. If you don¡¯t want to end up disgraced like these two, here¡¯s your chance to redeem yourselves. Juste forward and exin yourselves to the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, and I assure you, the Pavilion will not pursue your faults nor will it expose you. This is a rare opportunity; cherish it."


    "Ms. Shi." Zhou Qi looked at Shi Su beside him, his voice deep. "Do you have anything to say now?"


    Biting her lip, Shi Su defensively argued, "I didn¡¯t do these things; this is nder. Zhou Qi, as a member of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, you even let your grandson tarnish my reputation. I will definitely take this up with the Pavilion Master."


    "Master."


    Suddenly, a voice from the crowd¡ªZhu Xiaozhu¡¯s¡ªrang out.


    "Is what he said... all true?" Zhu Xiaozhu, looking up, her beautiful eyes twinkling, incredulously stared at Shi Su.


    "No, it¡¯s not!" Shi Su nearly hysterically yelled. "I never did such a thing." After speaking, she took a deep breath, calming her emotions, and gently said, "Xiaozhu, you¡¯ve been with me for so many years, don¡¯t you even believe in your master?"


    "Master, I want to believe you. You taught me to always be fair. Since you insist it¡¯s nder, let me clear your name." Saying that, Zhu Xiaozhu turned to Zhou Jun and said, "I was involved in the entire process of making the serum, and I know the original form. Please give me the data, and I willpare both versions of the serum forms."


    Zhou Jun nced at Ling Chen, who nodded, and he immediately had the data delivered to Zhu Xiaozhu.


    Watching Zhu Xiaozhu earnestlyparing the data and forms, Shi Su became visibly flustered, quickly interjecting, "Xiaozhu, you don¡¯t need to get involved in this."


    She knew her disciple¡¯s character too well; that was why, initially, she had entrusted this task to Han Yu without telling Zhu Xiaozhu.


    "Master, this concerns your reputation, and as your disciple, I cannot stand idly by." Zhu Xiaozhu locked eyes with Shi Su, each word deliberate, "Master, you don¡¯t want me involved, unless it¡¯s because..."


    At this point, Zhu Xiaozhu stopped. She didn¡¯t want to continue, nor could she believe it. In her eyes, Shi Su was not that kind of person.


    However, as Zhu Xiaozhu finished reviewing the data andparing the two serum forms, her pretty face gradually turned pale, her lips devoid of any color.


    "Master..."


    Zhu Xiaozhu¡¯s lips parted slightly, her voice trembling, her eyes filled with disappointment, pain, and a myriad ofplex expressions intertwined in her gaze, converging into a single glistening tear.

 Chapter 453 - 449: Losing Face

    <h4>Chapter 453: Chapter 449: Losing Face</h4><h4></h4>


    It¡¯s over!


    At the moment Zhu Xiaozhu began to speak, Shi Su knew everything was ruined. Perhaps she could deceive others, but she couldn¡¯t deceive her own disciple, because Zhu Xiaozhu¡¯s skills were all taught by her; she understood too well.


    Facing Zhu Xiaozhu¡¯s regretful gaze, Shi Su¡¯s eyes carried a hint of pleading. Now she could only hope that Zhu Xiaozhu would help her keep this hidden. Once the matter came to light, she was well aware of what consequences she would face.


    Not to mention the loss of her reputation, she would also have to endure others¡¯ usations, spitting, and the gaze of contempt, and would never be able to turn things around. More importantly, this issue would inevitably implicate the Shi Family, affecting their reputation.


    "Please help me for the Pavilion Master¡¯s sake," Shi Su implored softly, afraid of being overheard. By saying such words, she was no different from admitting her own actions. However, Shi Su could no longer care about that much; after all, this was the territory of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion. With her rtionship with the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, as long as the Pavilion was willing to stand up for her, she could at least keep her reputation intact.


    Regarding Shi Su¡¯s request, Zhou Qi frowned and said, "Ms. Shi, I have always respected you, but you should be aware that the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion always seeks justice in its actions. I¡¯m sorry, I can¡¯t help you with this matter, and I believe the Pavilion Master would agree with me."


    With that, Zhou Qi stepped to the edge of the stage, his gaze sweeping across the hall, and he spoke in a loud voice, "Ladies and gentlemen, the situation is now clear. We were able to get through this crisis thanks entirely to Ling Chen and his team, who risked their lives to infiltrate the enemy camp and find a way to treat the virus, saving everyone on this ship. On behalf of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, I would like to express my heartfelt thanks to Ling Chen and the others, and also hope they can forgive the Pavilion¡¯s mistake for trusting the wrong people."


    At this point, Zhou Qi paused in his speech, nced over the ashen-faced Shi Su, and continued, "Regarding the actions of Shi Su and Han Yu, these were purely out of personal greed. As friends of Ms. Shi, the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion feels deep shame. From now on, character will be our utmost priority in friendships. The Pavilion refuses to associate with those of poor character."


    This sentence undeniably dered the end of the rtionship between the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion and Shi Su.


    "I really didn¡¯t expect her to be this kind of person."


    "Now she¡¯s done for¡ªnot only did she not gain any merit, but she also ruined her own future."


    "She has only herself to me."


    Upon learning the truth, the attitudes of those present changed in an instant, their discussions filled with undisguised contempt.


    Shi Su stood stiffly on the stage, her limbs cold. At this moment, she felt so disgraced she wished she could just crawl into a corners.


    "Hey! Han Yu, where do you think you¡¯re going? Weren¡¯t you so pleased with yourself just now?"


    At this moment, Zhou Jun spotted Han Yu trying to silently slip away from the banquet hall, and sneered sarcastically.


    His words immediately drew everyone¡¯s gaze to Han Yu. Han Yu red at Zhou Jun with resentment; she had wanted to sneak away unnoticed, but the sharp-eyed Zhou Jun had spotted her, making her the center of attention.


    Faced with the mocking looks from everyone, Han Yu¡¯s face turned beet red. Especially since the people around her stepped back as if to avoid being associated with him, which made him even more ashamed.


    "And here I wonder, who was it that shamelessly told Ling Chen to buzz off just now? Hmm! Han Yu, I¡¯d like to ask, who is making a fool of themselves now? Is it Ling Chen, or is it you?" Zhou Jun had no intention of sparing Han Yu, pressuring him aggressively.


    Hearing this, Han Yu clenched his teeth, his humiliation and anger barely squeezing through his gritted teeth: "Remember this." After speaking, under everyone¡¯s gaze, he quickened his pace, fleeing from the banquet hall.


    Watching Han Yu¡¯s retreating figure, everyone couldn¡¯t help but shake their heads. Clearly, it was his own fault to begin with; not apologizing was one thing, but to add threats was another. It was clear to see, his character really wasn¡¯t that great.


    After Han Yu left, Shi Su felt too ashamed to stay, unable to bear the cold stares from everyone, so she silently disappeared from the stage, out of sight.


    Seeing Shi Su leave, Zhu Xiaozhu quickly followed after her.


    "Xiaozhu."


    Noticing Zhu Xiaozhu¡¯s actions, Ling Chen immediately caught up to her, grabbed her arm, and asked, "What are you doing?"


    Zhu Xiaozhu¡¯s face showed a woeful smile as she bitterly said, "No matter what, she is still my Master. You all can scorn her actions, but she has been kind to me for over a decade, I cannot ignore her. With such an incident, she definitely needs someone by her side." Having said that, Zhu Xiaozhu apologetically looked at Ling Chen, full of remorse, "I¡¯m sorry, I know my Master did wrong, and I hope you don¡¯t hold it against her."


    "I won¡¯t."


    Although Shi Su¡¯s actions had angered him, he wasn¡¯t concerned about the credit. In his eyes, as long as the people he cared about were safe, it didn¡¯t matter who received the credit. If Zhou Jun hadn¡¯t brought this to light, perhaps he would have never investigated.


    "Xiaozhu, if you need anything, juste find me," Ling Chen instructed.


    "Okay, I know," Zhu Xiaozhu nodded lightly.


    Watching Zhu Xiaozhu leave, Ling Chen let out a silent sigh. Having known Zhu Xiaozhu for so long, he understood her dilemma and pain. Zhu Xiaozhu was a kind-hearted and upright girl, but facing her Master¡¯s wrongdoing was certainly causing her intense inner turmoil.


    If she chose to cover up for Shi Su, she would undoubtedly be viting her principles. But not doing so might be seen as betrayal in the eyes of others. Although Zhu Xiaozhu had made her choice, it must have been hard on her heart.


    A carefully prepared banquet had ended prematurely, even before it began, with Shi Su and Han Yu¡¯s embarrassing departure.


    At that moment, Zhou Jun approached Ling Chen with a gleeful smile, as if expecting praise, andughingly said, "How was that? I handled it quite well, didn¡¯t I?"


    Ling Chen curiously asked, "When did you start suspecting her?"


    "I never believed her from the start," Zhou Jun stated bluntly. "Even though she¡¯s a friend of Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, I never really liked her. I can¡¯t stand people who act so high and mighty like her."


    "Forget it, it¡¯s alreadye to this; I believe she has learned her lesson. There¡¯s no need to dwell on it," Ling Chen said, then turned his head to Song Ge, expressing his gratitude, "Song, thank you for earlier."


    "No need to be polite," Song Ge replied with a faint smile. "There¡¯s a martial contest tomorrow, you should go back and rest early." After a pause, Song Ge added, "Friends aside, if we meet in the arena, I won¡¯t show any mercy."


    "Nor will I," Ling Chen said, and after waving goodbye, apanied by Qiu Yong and the others, he returned to the guest rooms.

 Chapter 454 - 450 Han Haifeng

    <h4>Chapter 454: Chapter 450 Han Haifeng</h4><h4></h4>


    The next day.


    Ling Chen got up early and went to the deck alone, breathing in the fresh air and stretching his muscles to prepare for the morning¡¯s martial arts contest.


    As everyone on board practiced martial arts, they all had the habit of getting up early. Just past six o¡¯clock, the deck was already filled with people exercising. Seeing Ling Chen there, everyone cast friendly nces and smiles his way.


    After about half an hour of exercise, Ling Chen learned from the idle chat of those around him that Shi Su and Zhu Xiaozhu had left by helicopter shortly after the banquet the night before. Given the situation, Shi Su probably had no face to stay.


    However, to Ling Chen¡¯s surprise, Han Yu had not left and was evidently prepared to continue participating in the tournament. In the Neer List, he was ranked second, with great hopes of contending for the top three. Also, the rewards for this edition of the Neer Championship were generous, and with only one opportunity, no one wanted to miss it.


    Returning to his room, Ling Chen rested for a while until Qiu Yong and the others arrived, and then they all went to the dining hall, chatting andughing.


    After enjoying a hearty breakfast, it was eight o¡¯clock in the morning. Ling Chen followed Qiu Yong and the rest directly into the venue and took their seats in the area reserved for the eight entrics.


    Before long, members ranked in the top five of the Neer List began to arrive at the venue one after another.


    When people in the crowd saw Han Yu, many pointed andmented with disdainful expressions. After such an incident, the fact that Han Yu still had the face to stay was tantamount to having skin as thick as city walls. However, despite their contempt, few dared to voice it outright. After all, the power standing behind Han Yu was nothing to scoff at. His position as second on the Neer List was not just due to his own strength but also his significant backing.


    Facing the crowd¡¯s gossip, Han Yu¡¯s face turned ashen. Apanied by several middle-aged men, he walked to his seating area with his head down, without saying a word. However, his gaze asionally swept towards the area where the eight entrics sat, his cold eyes revealing a hint of resentment.


    Ling Chen could naturally feel Han Yu¡¯s gaze, but he didn¡¯t take it to heart. Anything said now was superfluous; it was the arena where the real test would take ce.


    Just then, under everyone¡¯s gaze, Zhou Qi ascended the arena with his hands behind his back. Without mentioning the previous night¡¯s events, he dove right into the main subject and announced the start of the final round of the contest.


    It made sense, too, given that Shi Su, as a friend of Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, hadmitted such a deed, leaving the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion equally disgraced.


    "Ladies and gentlemen, after many rounds ofpetition, the final six contestants are now confirmed. The top five on the Neer List¡ªSong Ge, Han Yu, Qu Jinxian, Yi Shuiyan, Han Haifeng¡ªand the newly risen Ling Chen, making six in total. Over the course of two days, they will determine the top three. Now, pleasee to the stage for the drawing of lots to decide your opponents."


    "Wait!" Just as the voice fell, Yi Shuiyan from the Dangyang Sect stood up from his seat and looked at Zhou Qi, "Elder Zhou, I have a pending challenge with Ling Chen. I hope you can allow us to settle it on the arena and directly pair us in the same group."


    The request from Yi Shuiyan took the audience by surprise. In the many editions of the Heavenly Mechanism Great Ceremony, there had never been an instance of someone voluntarily specifying their opponent.


    "This..." Zhou Qi hesitated for a moment, nced at Ling Chen not far away, and said, "Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion has always adhered to fairness as its principle, and drawing lots is the fairest method. Moreover, this is only a unteral request from you. Unless Ling Chen agrees, Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion cannot grant your request. Ling Chen, what do you say?"


    Ling Chen smiled faintly, unafraid, and nodded. Sooner orter, what¡¯s meant to happen will happen, and his main goal in participating in the Heavenly Mechanism Great Ceremony was precisely for this fight.


    "Good. Since both parties have no objections, I will make an exception this time. Now, will the other four pleasee to draw lots."


    Soon, the sixpetitors had all determined their opponents. Ling Chen was up against Yi Shuiyan, Qu Jinxian against Song Ge, and Han Yu against Han Haifeng.


    The first round featured Han Yu and Han Haifeng taking the stage.


    After several minutes of preparation, Han Haifeng was the first to ascend the arena. Among those ranked in the top ten on the Neer List, Han Haifeng was probably the youngest, only neen years old, just starting college, with a frail appearance, wearing a pair of nearsighted sses, and at first nce looked like a bookworm, quite far from the image of a Martial Artist.


    Before this, Ling Chen had not had much interaction with Han Haifeng, only seen him from a distance a few times. Ling Chen was filled with curiosity towards this young contestant. Without a doubt, those who are listed on the Neer List were all exceptional. Ling Chen wanted to take this opportunity to understand and see what special abilities Han Haifeng possessed.


    At this moment, Han Yu walked up to the stage with a cold face andrge strides, standing opposite Han Haifeng with his hands behind his back and eyes nting, showing no regard for his opponent in front of him.


    Putting aside everything else, as the second rank on the Neer List, Han Yu indeed had the right to look down on Han Haifeng.


    "Remember, stop at a touch, do not seriously injure your opponent. Whoever dares to break the rules, don¡¯t me me for being impolite," Zhou Qi reminded them.


    With that, Zhou Qi stepped down from the arena and nodded at the two men, signaling that they could begin.


    "You are no match for me, concede defeat."


    Before even crossing hands, Han Yu had already opened his mouth to persuade his opponent to surrender, with arrogance clear in his words.


    Han Haifeng pushed up his sses on the bridge of his nose,pletely unaffected by Han Yu¡¯s words, and said calmly, "If I can¡¯t injure you within ten moves, I¡¯ll concede defeat."


    Han Haifeng¡¯s tone was very calm, but with a hint of confidence within that calmness.


    Ling Chen nodded inwardly, finding Han Haifeng¡¯s temperament to his liking; he was most annoyed with people like Han Yu, who acted high and mighty, as if they were something special.


    "Hmph! Since you want to show off, then I will oblige you." After speaking, Han Yu hooked his fingers, his face full of contempt, "Come at me."


    Han Haifeng rolled up his sleeves and walked towards Han Yu without a word, each step deliberately slow, as if taking a leisurely stroll in a garden, without any sense of pressure.


    Any expert¡¯s every step would contain momentum. Before the sh, they would establish pressure through their aura, then seek the opportunity to strike. In contrast, Han Haifeng behaved like an ordinary person.


    Ling Chen was curious to see how Han Haifeng would make his move.


    While he was thinking, the advancing Han Haifeng finallyunched an offensive. He stretched out both hands, and unexpectedly, two writing brushes appeared in his hands.


    The brush handles were about a foot long, with a jade-green surface, seemingly made of bronze. The brush bristles were tightly packed and extremely sharp.


    Although Ling Chen was aware that the weapons in the Martial Arts world were diverse and unusual, including the Judge¡¯s Pen, this was his first time seeing someone employ such brushes.


    The two brushes in Han Haifeng¡¯s hands moved like two dragons surging from the sea, lively and nimble, constantly changing positions, and deliberately targeting tricky angles.


    Caught off guard, Han Yu was actually forced back several steps by Han Haifeng¡¯s rapid offensive.

 Chapter 455 - 451: The Long-Awaited Battle (Part 1)

    <h4>Chapter 455: Chapter 451: The Long-Awaited Battle (Part 1)</h4><h4></h4>


    Han Haifeng¡¯s attack was very characteristic, especially his ten fingers which were not only flexible but also powerful. The two bronze brushes at his fingertips moved at will; wherever he intended to attack, the brush tips would effortlessly arrive.


    At this moment, Han Haifeng, seizing an opportunity in his offensive, directed the brush tip straight at Han Yu¡¯s face. Seeing this, Han Yu sneered and, without waiting for the brush tip toe close, raised his hands high and mped down on the brush shaft with both palms, preventing the tip from advancing an inch.


    However, just as Han Yu thought he had blocked Han Haifeng¡¯s attack, the bristles of the brush tip suddenly syed out. Then, with a light twist of the hand holding the brush shaft, the dense bristles spread out like a broom,pletely covering Han Yu¡¯s eyes and blinding him to whaty ahead.


    This sudden change of events caused Han Yu¡¯s expression to shift instantaneously, and he hastily retreated backward.


    Witnessing Han Yu¡¯s action, the audience on the stands nodded to themselves. Han Yu¡¯s reaction and adaptability were swift; if he hadn¡¯t made a split-second decision to retreat, Han Haifeng¡¯s other brush might have very well hit him.


    However, what was even more astonishing than Han Yu was Han Haifeng.


    The brush bristles that had syed out were now regrouping, bing incredibly sharp. When Han Haifeng first pulled out the two bronze brushes, everyone thought the bristles were one with the shaft, both fashioned from bronze, merely coated with ayer of ck. But after witnessing that scene, everyone realized that the bristles were actually made from a soft material.


    To make soft bristles lethal required not just anyone; it demanded the support of powerful Inner Strength. Han Haifeng was so young, yet he had managed to do this, indicating that his Inner Strength practice had reached an impressively strong level.


    Ling Chen was inwardly shocked, questioning himself whether he could achieve the same, and concluded that he definitely could not.


    While he mused, the situation on the stage gradually began to change.


    Han Yu, who had been passive, seemed to have been provoked by Han Haifeng and after regaining hisposure, he abandoned defense and took the initiative to attack, alternating between punch and palm, searching for Han Haifeng¡¯s vulnerabilities.


    "It¡¯s already the seventh move," muttered Qiu Yong, sitting next to Ling Chen.


    At that moment, Han Haifeng was wielding the two bronze brushes, defending himself tightly, making him impervious to attack. Han Yu¡¯s offense was fierce, but he still couldn¡¯t break through Han Haifeng¡¯s defense.


    For a time, the two were locked in a stalemate.


    The ninth move!


    Han Haifeng still hadn¡¯t found an opportunity to counterattack, and with only one move left, if he couldn¡¯t injure Han Yu, he would only be left with the option to admit defeat as he had promised.


    Suddenly, Han Haifeng stumbled backward, his waist bending sharply rearward, barely maintaining his bnce.


    Seeing this circumstance, Han Yu¡¯s eyes brightened. He swiftly closed the gap with Han Haifeng, thrusting a single palm forward, striking towards Han Haifeng¡¯s chest.


    Defeated!


    At this sight, everyone felt pity. What could have been a longer stand was cut short by such an error.


    However, just then, the stage was set for another twist.


    Just as Han Haifeng seemed about to be hit by Han Yu, he twirled on the tips of his toes, and with an unstable center of gravity, supported his entire body with one foot, forcibly moving to Han Yu¡¯s side. Not only did he avoid Han Yu¡¯s attack, but Han Yu hadn¡¯t anticipated Han Haifeng¡¯s tricky maneuver, leaving his side wide open.


    Ling Chen¡¯s lips curled into a smile, that Han Haifeng truly had guts. The previous w was clearly a deliberate ploy to lure Han Yu in; in fact, he had reserved a move in advance.


    As he felt the rush of wind behind his head, Han Yu quickly turned around and, without thinking, reached out with his right hand to grab the brush shaft. However, at that instant, the other bronze brush emerged from nowhere, with its sharp bristles aiming directly at the armpit of his right arm.


    At this moment, with Han Yu¡¯s right hand constrained by the brush shaft and his left hand unable to cover the angle of Han Haifeng¡¯s cunning attack, he could only watch helplessly as the brush tip jabbed toward him.


    Damn!


    Han Yu¡¯s face was iron-blue; he had underestimated his opponent too much.


    The guy in front of him seemed to have calcted everything in advance. Each move was paving the way for the next. To consider all aspects in such a short time and then make a n, this guy¡¯s mind must be incredibly fast.


    "I lost!"


    At that moment, Han Haifeng suddenly retracted his moves, holding two bronze brushes and retreated to the edge of the arena, conceding defeat voluntarily.


    Hearing his words, everyone present was momentarily stunned. With such a good opportunity at hand, why concede?


    While everyone was still in shock, it seemed that someone understood the reason behind Han Haifeng¡¯s concession.


    Facing this oue, Ling Chen was also confused and turned his head to ask Qiu Yong, "Big brother, what¡¯s going on?"


    Qiu Yong exined, "He promised to injure Han Yu within ten moves, but thatst move was already the eleventh."


    So that was it!


    Ling Chen nodded, watching Han Haifeng on the stage with interest. He didn¡¯t expect this man to be quite so amusing. Though defeated, the victorious Han Yu was probably even more frustrated.


    He started off with a posture of arrogance and disdain, but ended up winning when he was at a disadvantage. Not only losing face, but also being pped in the face.


    As expected, Han Yu¡¯s face was dark with gloom, his eyes frighteningly cold. Without waiting for Zhou Qi to make the announcement, he had already turned and left the arena.


    Although Han Haifeng took the initiative to admit defeat, there wasn¡¯t much dispute over the result. After all, Han Haifeng had used a weapon, while Han Yu fought with his bare hands. Those who knew Han Yu understood that he was not skilled in unarmedbat. If Han Yu had used a weapon, the duel might not have dragged on for so long.


    With the end of the duel between Han Haifeng and Han Yu, the second round was next.


    Ling Chen versus Yi Shuiyan.


    There was a great deal of anticipation for this fight.


    Ling Chen¡¯s feud with the Dangyang Sect was already known to those with a keen interest, passing from one to ten and ten to a hundred; most people were well aware. Also, because of Ling Chen, Liu Yunsong from the Dangyang Sect was expelled and suffered great loss of face.


    Thus, although this duel had not yet started, in everyone¡¯s eyes, it would undoubtedly be a splendid fight.


    During the few minutes of preparation time, Yuan Yun patted Ling Chen¡¯s shoulder and said, "Don¡¯t feel pressured. Just go ahead and fight freely, don¡¯t worry too much about winning or losing. The key is to protect yourself. Just remember, you have your brothers standing behind you."


    Ling Chen smiled slightly and nodded, "Third brother, I know."


    "Please both sides enter the arena."


    As Zhou Qi¡¯s voice rang out, Ling Chen took a deep breath and stepped onto the stage.


    The two contestants took their positions, Yi Shuiyan holding a steel knife, his posture upright, looking coldly at Ling Chen who held the Tianling de in hand, and said coldly, "Don¡¯t forget our previous agreement, if you lose, that weapon must be returned to the Dangyang Sect."


    "Let¡¯s talk about it after you¡¯ve won."

 Chapter 456 - 452: Long-Awaited Battle (Part 2)

    <h4>Chapter 456: Chapter 452: Long-Awaited Battle (Part 2)</h4><h4></h4>


    "Let¡¯s begin." Zhou Qi¡¯s voice rang out.


    "Wait!" Yi Shuiyan stared directly at Ling Chen, enunciating each word carefully, "Before we start, I have a proposal. In a martial artspetition, one should give it their all, but it¡¯s inevitable that one may not control themselves and cause idental injury. I am aware of the rules of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, but they are too restrictive, making it difficult to really let loose. I think we should agree on our own rule between us."


    Ling Chen¡¯s expression remained indifferent, but his mind fully grasped the intent behind Yi Shuiyan¡¯s words.


    "Tell me, what rule?"


    "Combat can be unpredictable, and if someone gets hurt, or even dies on the stage, it can¡¯t be med on anyone else. What do you say?"


    Upon hearing this, before Ling Chen could respond, Zhou Qi frowned from below the stage and chastised, "Yi Shuiyan, don¡¯t overstep your bounds."


    Yi Shuiyan let out a coldugh, ignoring Zhou Qi¡¯s warning, his chilling eyes fixated on Ling Chen as if awaiting his response.


    Seeing that Ling Chen had yet to reply, Yi Shuiyan snorted with a sneer, his eyes brimming with disdain, "What¡¯s the matter, don¡¯t you have the courage? Are you only capable of hiding behind a woman, letting her fight for you? Hmph! How can someone like you be worthy of being called a man?"


    Faced with Yi Shuiyan¡¯s provocation, the corners of Ling Chen¡¯s mouth lifted slightly, his pupils as dark as Mo Che¡¯s, radiating a fierce chill.


    Yi Shuiyan had this request because his true purpose was likely to see him in right there, to avenge the humiliation suffered by the Dangyang Sect.


    With this in mind, Ling Chen nced at the seats of the Eight entrics. He saw Qiu Yong and the others looking worried, gently shaking their heads at him, signaling him to refuse Yi Shuiyan¡¯s proposal.


    Ling Chen was silent for a moment before suddenly breaking into a smile and nodding, "Fine, if you wish for a battle to the death, then I¡¯m all in."


    As soon as he said this, the entire ce erupted in shock. No one expected Ling Chen to agree to Yi Shuiyan¡¯s demand; wasn¡¯t it akin to seeking death? Immediately, the spectators were abuzz with surprise, some admiring Ling Chen¡¯s bravery, but many believed that his action was recklessly endangering his own life.


    Although Ling Chen had demonstrated considerable strength in the previous days¡¯ matches, it was still just that: considerable. The top five on the Neer List were not like his previous opponents, almost all possessing strength not inferior to those on the Dragon List.


    "Good! Very good!" Hearing Ling Chen¡¯s agreement to his proposal, Yi Shuiyan¡¯s face showed a subtle and sessful conspiratorial smirk.


    "Everyone present has heard, if someone should be unlucky enough to be killed in this battle, they can only me their insufficient skills and cannot hold others ountable. Please be our witnesses."


    No sooner had he finished speaking than someone in the stands shouted indignantly, "Yi Shuiyan, can the people from the Dangyang Sect be any more shameless? Ling Chen saved your lives, and yet you y these tricks against him, it¡¯s despicable beyond measure."


    "That¡¯s right, the behavior of the Dangyang Sect is too outrageous."


    Faced with the chorus of condemnation, the Dangyang Sect¡¯splexion turned unsightly. Especially Sect Leader Zhu Jin, with a grim face and a darkly oppressive gaze. Likely, they didn¡¯t expect Yi Shuiyan¡¯s proposal to attract so much disdain, casting a further blow on the reputation of the Dangyang Sect.


    Moreover, if Yi Shuiyan were to kill Ling Chen in front of everyone present, the Dangyang Sect might bear the stigma of being ungrateful, bing an object of scorn to all.


    Zhu Jin wished nothing more than for Ling Chen to die immediately, to wash away their previous disgrace, yet this oue was something he had not anticipated.


    To kill, or not to kill, became the biggest problem they were facing now.


    At this time, Yi Shuiyan also realized that the situation was somewhat out of control and involuntarily cast his gaze towards Zhu Jin, waiting for his instruction.


    Zhu Jin kept a cold expression, and after deep consideration, he subtly shook his head at Yi Shuiyan. There would be plenty of opportunities to deal with Ling Chen after the Heavenly Mechanism Great Ceremony ended; for now, it was better to restrain themselves to avoid tarnishing the reputation of the Dangyang Sect.


    Having received Zhu Jin¡¯s signal, Yi Shuiyan, although frustrated, had no other choice but to contain his urge to kill.


    "Shall we begin, everyone is getting impatient," Ling Chen looked at Yi Shuiyan and asked.


    Without a word, Yi Shuiyan lightly lifted the steel de in his hand, nting it towards the ground, his waist shifted slightly to the side, assuming an offensive stance.


    Feeling the intense sharpness emanating from Yi Shuiyan¡¯s eyes, Ling Chen lightly triggered the mechanism, and the Tianling de immediately sprang out, turning into a sharp edge, held across his chest.


    "Kill!"


    With a low shout, Yi Shuiyan leaned forward, his speed surging as he quickly closed in on Ling Chen with the steel de in hand. In the blink of an eye, the ten-meter distance shrank to two.


    As the two were about to sh, Yi Shuiyan abruptly raised his steel de, unleashing a fierce momentum that carried a formidable force. With one strike, he aimed to sh straight down onto Ling Chen¡¯s head. The de¡¯s speed was so fast, it was like a residual image shing through midair, nearly impossible for the naked eye to catch.


    However, although his eyes couldn¡¯t catch it, Ling Chen still had his keen hearing. Relying on his ears, at the instant the steel de was about to descend, Ling Chen¡¯s feet suddenly moved back, and with just one step, the de¡¯s edge fell through empty space, slicing down in front of Ling Chen¡¯s forehead.


    Failing to hit his mark, Yi Shuiyan pressed on once more, relentlessly moving in step by step, intent on capturing Ling Chen in one fell swoop.


    Back when he first fought Ling Chen in East Sea City, Yi Shuiyan had almost effortlessly defeated him. In his eyes, Ling Chen simply wasn¡¯t qualified to be his opponent. Even though Ling Chen had impressive performances in the martial arts duels a few days ago, for Yi Shuiyan, it was impossible for Ling Chen to surpass himself in the short span of less than two months.


    However, after a round of fierce attacks, Yi Shuiyan¡¯s face became increasingly grim.


    Amidst his tempestuous onught, Ling Chen maintained an orderly defense. Ling Chen dodged several killing moves in a row, and this was certainly not just a matter of luck.


    Thinking this, Yi Shuiyan changed his sword force, and his straightforward, wide-sweeping de technique instantaneously became cunning, targeting those areas that were difficult to defend. For a moment, Ling Chen was thrown into disarray, nearly falling victim to the attacks several times.


    Before the duel, Ling Chen had studied Yi Shuiyan¡¯s de techniques more than once, and had even specifically sought advice from Yuan Yun, who specialized in de techniques. In Yuan Yun¡¯s words, Yi Shuiyan¡¯s de technique was aggressive and straightforward, embodying the essence of speed, uracy, and ruthlessness. However, from the current situation, it was clear that Yi Shuiyan was proficient in more than just one type of de technique.


    Indeed, he deserved his reputation as a master of the de.


    At this time, a trace of impatience gradually appeared on Yi Shuiyan¡¯s face; after several minutes, he still couldn¡¯t breach Ling Chen¡¯s defense, which was causing him to lose face.


    He was, after all, ranked fourth on the Neer List, facing a former opponent who had been defeated by his hand, and yet he was entangled for so long. ording to his previous n, he intended to take down Ling Chen in one go, seriously injuring him in the shortest amount of time.


    However, Ling Chen¡¯s strength was somewhat beyond his expectations.


    Could it be that in such a short period of less than two months, one could make such significant progress?

 Chapter 457 - 453: The Long-Awaited Battle (Three)

    <h4>Chapter 457: Chapter 453: The Long-Awaited Battle (Three)</h4><h4></h4>


    Yi Shuiyan couldn¡¯t believe it.


    If Ling Chen possessed such good aptitude, his name would definitely be among the top five on the Neer List.


    Thinking this, Yi Shuiyan¡¯s expression turned serious as he looked at Ling Chen, his eyes suddenly filled with coldness. With a change in his knife technique, his attacks became sharper, infusing a more dangerous killing intent into his moves.


    ng!


    Suddenly, a crisp sound rang out, and the steel knife Yi Shuiyan swung was parried. Focusing his eyes, Ling Chen now wielded not a sword but a steel rod¡ªunknown when he switched¡ªthat not only blocked Yi Shuiyan¡¯s attack but also increased the distance between them slightly.


    "Quite a variety of tricks, let¡¯s see how long you can hold on."


    Yi Shuiyan sneered and swung his steel knife to close in again. However, Ling Chen, now armed with the steel rod, no longer stayed passive and instead took the initiative to attack. Leveraging the length of the steel rod, Ling Chen controlled the distance between them, making it difficult for Yi Shuiyan to get close.


    As long as Yi Shuiyan couldn¡¯t get close, his knife skills were halved in strength, greatly reducing their threat.


    Yi Shuiyan frowned, trying repeatedly to break through the restraint of the steel rod. However, Ling Chen skillfully took advantage of timing, retreating as Yi Shuiyan advanced, always maintaining a two-meter distance, rendering Yi Shuiyan¡¯s skills ineffective.


    Seeing this, Yi Shuiyan stopped his attack, staring coldly at Ling Chen and said, "You think you can dy like this?"


    Ling Chen shrugged his shoulders, remaining silent.


    "No matter how much you¡¯ve improved, I¡¯ll show you the gap between us."


    As he spoke, Yi Shuiyan lifted his steel knife high, his eyes fierce. In his hand, the de of the knife trembled slightly, highly unusual.


    Seeing this, Qiu Yong and others¡¯ pupils contracted, a worried expression spontaneously appearing on their faces. They knew what this meant: Yi Shuiyan was getting serious now, and it was uncertain whether Ling Chen could withstand it.


    Suddenly, Yi Shuiyan roared, leaped high off the ground, no longer seeking a chance to close in but instead striking directly at the steel rod.


    ng!


    Apanied by another crisp sound, Ling Chen¡¯s expression suddenly changed. Under the steel knife¡¯s attack, the steel rod trembled violently, making the base of his palm go numb and both arms bear the brunt of the power.


    Such strong Inner Strength!


    Ling Chen eximed inwardly. Previously, Yi Shuiyan relied solely on his knife techniques, but now he had truly shown his formidable power.


    Clearly, Yi Shuiyan intended to use his profound Inner Strength foundation to crush his opponent and quickly determine the oue.


    Amidst these thoughts, the fierce knife wind struck again, and without any hesitation, Ling Chen swung his steel rod to meet it.


    ng!


    As their weapons collided, a surging force as relentless as tidal waves came wave after wave. Struck by that power, Ling Chen instantly lost his footing, continually retreating several steps, his arms sore and swollen.


    "Again!"


    Noticing Ling Chen¡¯s slightly trembling arms, Yi Shuiyan sneered, lifting his steel knife high and persistently advancing, intending topletely break Ling Chen¡¯s defense.


    Watching Yi Shuiyan advancing relentlessly, Ling Chen¡¯s eyes flickered, his sharp-featured face losing its earlier calm as a trace of anxiety gradually spread in his eyes.


    Yi Shuiyan¡¯s personal strength,bined with the disy of his Inner Strength, was unstoppable like a force majeure. If this continued, he couldn¡¯t hold on for much longer.


    Capturing the worry in Ling Chen¡¯s eyes, a hint of smugness appeared on Yi Shuiyan¡¯s face.


    In the face of absolute strength, all tactics were futile; this was the gap between him and Ling Chen, and also the confidence behind his challenge to a duel to the death.


    ng!


    As the steel knife came shing down, Ling Chen, who had been continuously shing hard, felt numbness in his tiger¡¯s mouth, and his arms swelled up as if drained of strength. The steel staff slipped from his hands and fell to the ground, rolling to the edge of the tform.


    Ah!


    The audience in the stands gently sighed, feeling pity for Ling Chen. The disparity between the two was too great; Ling Chen had no chance of winning, and it was impressive that he had managed to hold on for so long.


    At that moment on the tform, seeing Ling Chen¡¯s weapon fall, Yi Shuiyan didn¡¯t hesitate and with his steel knife aimed straight for Ling Chen¡¯s chopping down. Clearly, he intended to disable Ling Chen¡¯s arms.


    "Stop!"


    Seeing Yi Shuiyan striking mercilessly, aiming to severely injure Ling Chen, Qiu Yong immediately stood up from his seat and rushed towards the tform. However, before he could ascend the tform, Zhu Jin of the Dangyang Sect had already made a move, blocking Qiu Yong¡¯s path.


    "Get out of the way!" Qiu Yong shouted coldly.


    "Qiu Yong, a deal was made beforehand, regardless of life or death, everyone present can testify. The ¡¯Eight entrics¡¯ always keep their word; are you trying to break this rule?"


    "Zhu Jin, you..."


    Qiu Yong hadn¡¯t finished speaking when suddenly a burst of exmations erupted from the crowd. He quickly turned his head, peering past Zhu Jin¡¯s shoulders towards the tform, just to see Ling Chen awkwardly dodging Yi Shuiyan¡¯s steel knife.


    Seeing this, Qiu Yong breathed a sigh of relief. However, seeing the aggressive Yi Shuiyan, Qiu Yong couldn¡¯t help but worry about Ling Chen¡¯s safety. He couldn¡¯t be sure if Ling Chen would be lucky enough to dodge the next strike.


    Thinking this, he clenched his teeth, determined to bring Ling Chen down from the tform unharmed, even at the cost of breaking his promise, to prevent him from being severely injured by Yi Shuiyan.


    "Zhu Jin, we concede this fight, let me pass."


    Hearing this, Zhu Jin sneered, "Qiu Yong, you are not Ling Chen. He hasn¡¯t conceded, what right do you have to make decisions for him?"


    "Fine! Then I want to see how you¡¯ll stop me."


    "Big brother!"


    Just as Qiu Yong was about to make his move, he suddenly heard Ling Chen¡¯s breathless voiceing from the tform.


    "Big brother, step back, I¡¯ll handle this myself."


    Qiu Yong anxiously said, "Ling Cheng."


    "Big brother..." Ling Chen turned to look at Qiu Yong, and with a slight smile and a firm look in his eyes, he said, "Trust me, nothing will happen." After saying that, Ling Chen turned his gaze back to Yi Shuiyan on the tform, his face unexpectedly showing a faint smile.


    "You made a very serious mistake," Ling Chen muttered to himself, "You shouldn¡¯t have proposed a fight to the death."


    Yi Shuiyan scoffed, "I don¡¯t think so, do you really think you still have a chance to resist?"


    "Until thest moment, who knows what might happen?" As he spoke, Ling Chen reached into his clothes.


    Seeing his action, the audience in the stands immediately widened their eyes, curiously watching Ling Chen.


    nning to use that move again?


    The technique Ling Chen used against Shi Yong was still fresh in everyone¡¯s memory. If he used that technique, maybe Ling Chen really would have a chance to turn defeat into victory.


    "Do you think the same trick will work on me?" Yi Shuiyan scoffed, dismissive. He admitted Ling Chen¡¯s technique was impressive, but he had already studied how to counter it and was not afraid at all.


    Should Ling Chen dare to use that move, he would ensure Ling Chen suffered an even worse defeat.


    As Ling Chen¡¯s hand came out from his clothes, to everyone¡¯s surprise, he held not a dagger.

 Chapter 458 - 454: The Long-Awaited Battle (Four)

    <h4>Chapter 458: Chapter 454: The Long-Awaited Battle (Four)</h4><h4></h4>


    At that moment, what Ling Chen pulled out from within his clothes was a string of springs, their shape quite peculiar, resembling a rge" character and over one meter in length.


    What is that?


    The crowd looked at the object in Ling Chen¡¯s hands, their faces full of confusion. Could this be a weapon? But they had never seen a weapon of such shape before.


    At this time, on the seating of the eight entrics, Qiu Yong and the others watched with a hint of anticipation. Especially Wei Jiahao, who was the most excited. The device that Ling Chen was wearing, which Wei Jiahao had personally crafted, was neither a weapon nor a hidden projectile, but rather a sophisticated contraption for training one¡¯s speed.


    The springs were fixed to Ling Chen¡¯s hands and feet, and he had to endure the tension of the springs nearly all the time. He had been wearing this device since before he began his special training, whether sleeping, eating, or even duringbat, he never took it off.


    At the moment Ling Chen took off that device, Qiu Yong and the others were very eager to see how he would perform.


    Seeing Ling Chen throw the string of springs outside the arena, Yi Shuiyan¡¯s eyes slightly condensed, and for some reason, he felt a troubling sensation in his heart. He thought he had already figured out all of Ling Chen¡¯s cards, but now it seemed that there were still many things about Ling Chen that he didn¡¯t know.


    After removing the device, Ling Chen twisted his neck, rubbed his hands together, and moved his limbs. Free from the device, Ling Chen immediately felt a tremendous relief, as light as a swallow, and indescribably exhrated.


    "You¡¯ve been on the offensive until now, now it¡¯s my turn." Ling Chen¡¯s mouth curled into a smile as he said to Yi Shuiyan: "I¡¯m curious to see how long you canst against me."


    "You think you can?" Yi Shuiyan looked disdainful, scoffing: "Skill isn¡¯t something you can just talk about."


    "Let¡¯s give it a try."


    With those words, Ling Chen¡¯s toes lightly tapped, and his body, like a swift breeze, quickly rushed towards Yi Shuiyan.


    "He intends to fight Yi Shuiyan¡¯s steel sword barehanded?" Looking at Ling Chen unarmed going against Yi Shuiyan, the audience on the tform was somewhat surprised.


    "Yi Shuiyan¡¯s swordsmanship is exquisite; it won¡¯t be easy for Ling Chen to gain any advantage."


    "Don¡¯t be too quick to draw conclusions; Ling Chen probably won¡¯t do anything he¡¯s not sure of."


    As they spoke, Ling Chen had already closed in on Yi Shuiyan.


    "Seeking death!"


    Yi Shuiyan bellowed furiously, raising his steel sword high, the sword force biting cold, shing straight towards Ling Chen¡¯s head.


    But at this moment, Ling Chen sidestepped nimbly, shifting his body. Before the steel sword even came down, Ling Chen had already appeared at Yi Shuiyan¡¯s side.


    Seeing this, Yi Shuiyan¡¯s pupils constricted, quickly stopping his Sword Force and switching from a chop to a sweep, shing sideways, trying to push Ling Chen back. The de of the steel sword neared, but Ling Chen¡¯s expression remained calm, without any hint of retreating.


    When the sword reached his shoulder, Ling Chen suddenly thrust upward with his shoulder and elbow, striking hard against the back of the de. Instantly, affected by that force, the horizontally approaching steel sword bounced upwards, deviating from its course and just grazing past Ling Chen¡¯s hair.


    Seizing the opportunity, Ling Chen¡¯s hands moved like lightning, aiming a heavy blow at Yi Shuiyan¡¯s right shoulder.


    "Bang!" Having been hit by the solid punch, Yi Shuiyan¡¯s body involuntarily tilted, and before he could react, Ling Chen had already closed in, powering his shoulder and elbow simultaneously, crashing into his body.


    In a moment, Yi Shuiyan, having lost his bnce, retreated several steps before finally steadying himself.


    Impossible!


    Watching the smiling Ling Chen, Yi Shuiyan was utterly shocked, almost unable to believe his own eyes. The move Ling Chen had used just moments before to neutralize his attack contained an Inner Strength that was extremely powerful, not a bit weaker than his own.


    Since he possessed such strength, why did he choose to conceal it during their earlier exchange? Could it be to feign weakness, to lower his guard?


    Despite his myriad uncertainties, Yi Shuiyan had no time to ponder. Facing the oing Ling Chen, he hurriedly lifted his steel de to meet the attack.


    As the steel de chopped down, Ling Chen sidestepped with extreme speed, without the slightest hesitation. Then, his fist clenched tightly, concentrated Inner Strength erupted like fireworks, and he swung a punch directly at the back of the de, intending to meet steel with flesh.


    However, even more astonishing was that as Ling Chen¡¯s fist connected, the steel de began to tremble violently. The force was transmitted along the de to Yi Shuiyan¡¯s hands, which made hisplexion grow increasingly unsightly.


    When the de was deflected, Ling Chen¡¯s punch drove straight in towards Yi Shuiyan¡¯s vital points. Not only that, but Ling Chen¡¯s strikes grew bolder and bolder, unlike traditional Martial Arts patterns. Each move was a lethal technique, cunning, ferocious, decisive, and utterly ruthless.


    Faced with Ling Chen¡¯s brutality, Yi Shuiyan momentarily lost hisposure. He had crossed hands with many experts, with moves and countermoves, but had never seen this kind of fighting style like Ling Chen¡¯s, which abandoned traditional moves and went straight for killing blows at vital spots. Moreover, Ling Chen knew the weaknesses of the body extremely well. Each attack forced Yi Shuiyan to respond with all his might, not daring to be careless for even a second.


    Simple, yet significantly effective.


    "Let go!"


    Suddenly, with a cold shout from Ling Chen, before Yi Shuiyan could even react, the steel de in his hand had dropped to the ground. Then he was sent flying with a kick from Ling Chen. Although he managed to remain standing, he staggered several steps backwards, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth, his face pale, evidently seriously injured.


    In an instant, the Dangyang Sect members sitting in the seats all stood up together, their faces tense, their eyes filled with anxiety.


    Casting a nce at the steel de on the ground, a slight smile yed on Ling Chen¡¯s lips. He lifted his gaze to face Yi Shuiyan, and once more advanced step by step.


    Seeing Ling Chen approach, Yi Shuiyan couldn¡¯t help but step back, his eyes flickering, unsure of what he was thinking.


    "Yi Shuiyan, do you remember what I said just now?" Ling Chen spoke indifferently, "You made a fatal mistake; you shouldn¡¯t have proposed a duel to the death. In a fight to the death, the advantage lies with me, not you."


    Ling Chen has always been restraining himself, forgetting what he learned before and reacquainting himself with the knowledge of orthodox Martial Arts. His previous skills were all about killing; when ites to the techniques and experience of killing, probably no one present couldpare to him.


    So, when Yi Shuiyan proposed a duel to the death, Ling Chen dly epted.


    A fight to the death means no need to hold back, no need to stop at contact; as long as the opponent can be killed, there are no other restrictions.


    Ling Chen might not excel in other areas, but killing... he truly excelled in that.


    Now, Yi Shuiyan without his steel de was like a wolf without its fangs, standing there flustered, unable to hide the panic in his eyes.


    With his steel de, he could not defend against Ling Chen, let alone now.


    "We from the Dangyang Sect admit defeat."


    At this moment, Zhu Jin¡¯s unwilling voice came from the spectator seats.


    Hearing this, Ling Chen nced at Zhu Jin and said indifferently, "This is between him and me, what right do you have to speak for him?"


    Zhu Jin was taken aback, as he had used these words to stop Qiu Yong earlier, and hadn¡¯t expected Ling Chen to retort with the same phrase.


    "As this is a fight to the death, it can¡¯t end without witnessing life or death. Yi Shuiyan, am I right?"

 Chapter 459 - 455: Disdain to Kill You

    <h4>Chapter 459: Chapter 455: Disdain to Kill You</h4><h4></h4>


    Ling Chen¡¯s words, like a heavy hammer, fiercely struck Yi Shuiyan¡¯s heart, nearly leaving him breathless.


    Faced with Ling Chen¡¯s gaze, Yi Shuiyan opened his mouth but was at a loss for words. He had thought the battle was a sure win, but he did not expect to end up in such a situation. Whether he believed it or not, this was the reality before his eyes.


    "I... I admit defeat!" After hesitating, Yi Shuiyan struggled to utter these three words. After speaking, he walked off the stage listlessly, like a deted ball.


    "Stop right there!"


    Hearing Ling Chen¡¯s voice from behind, Yi Shuiyan turned his head back, frowning and said, "I¡¯ve already admitted defeat, what more do you want?"


    Ling Chen replied with a smile that was not quite a smile: "Do you have a problem with your ears, or is it your memory? I just said, in a fight to the death, without seeing life or death, don¡¯t think it is over. Unless I ept, you have to stay on the stage."


    "Ling Chen, don¡¯t push people too far," Zhu Jin, from the seating area, called out coldly.


    "I am a reasonable person. It was you who proposed a fight to the death, not me. Why am I the one pushing people too far? Do you think I¡¯m easy to bully?" Saying this, Ling Chen turned his head to Zhou Qi and asked, "Elder Zhou, could you give us your judgment? Am I right?"


    Zhou Qi nodded and said, "Ling Chen is correct. Since it is a fight to the death, it must witness life or death. Yi Shuiyan, you may admit defeat, but only if Ling Chen agrees. As you just mentioned, everyone here is a witness. Do you intend to break the rules?" At this point, Zhou Qi looked at Zhu Jin in the audience and said, "Master Zhu, the battle is a matter between the two of them; you best not interfere."


    At this moment, everyone present adopted an attitude of watching a good show, looking at Dangyang Sect¡¯s members and Yi Shuiyan.


    It was like lifting a rock only to drop it on one¡¯s own feet¡ªa phrase that was perhaps the best description for Dangyang Sect.


    On the stage, Yi Shuiyan¡¯s face was ashen, and his forehead was, unbeknownst to him, covered in sweat. Just thinking about the possible oue made his face turn even whiter.


    He was still young with a promising future. To die here would be far too unworthy.


    At this time, Ling Chen, leisurely and carefree, looked at Yi Shuiyan with an inscrutable smile, showing no intention of acting. Suddenly, Ling Chen took a step forward, walking straight up to Yi Shuiyan, silent, just staring into his eyes.


    Under such a bizarre situation, the whole ce fell silent, and all eyes focused on Ling Chen and Yi Shuiyan, waiting for the oue of the battle.


    Confronted with Ling Chen¡¯s stare, Yi Shuiyan appeared to freeze, motionless, sweat sliding down his cheeks onto the ground, not daring to breathe heavily, the unease in his eyes growing more intense.


    After a brief silence, Ling Chen¡¯s gaze turned cold, his face became stern, and he suddenly raised his arm. Yi Shuiyan¡¯s face changed dramatically at the sight, instinctively stepping back, raising both hands to protect his front.


    However, after several seconds, Ling Chen¡¯s attack never came.


    Looking closely, Ling Chen was seen scratching the back of his head with a mocking smile, not nning on striking at all.


    Yi Shuiyan instantly realized that he had been tricked by Ling Chen.


    People in the audience shook their heads at Yi Shuiyan¡¯s reaction, thinking his mental fortitude was far too weak. Even with good martial skills and excellent talents, without psychological strength, one could hardly be a master.


    Meanwhile, Zhou Qi, watching the battle below, also showed a look of disappointment. As the host of the Heavenly Mechanism Great Ceremony, he was responsible not only for maintaining order but also for assessing every member on the Neer List in every aspect.


    Any talent, even if not ranked within the top three, would be nurtured through other means by the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion.


    Unfortunately, Yi Shuiyan¡¯s performance was truly disappointing.


    "Back in East Sea City, you said I was not worthy to be your opponent. Now, I¡¯m going to return that sentence to you; you¡¯re even less qualified to be mine."


    Ling Chen looked at Yi Shuiyan with a serene expression, pronouncing each word slowly: "A person not qualified to be my opponent, I¡¯m not interested in killing you."


    "I ept your surrender."


    After saying that, Ling Chen turned and walked down from the stage.


    Watching Ling Chen¡¯s departing figure, Yi Shuiyan clenched his teeth, his eyes filled with a cold and venomous look. The murmurs around him were excessively irritating; he wanted nothing more than to leave immediately, and he jumped off the stage, rushing toward the exit.


    Seeing his disciple so devastated, Zhu Jin heaved a silent sigh and turned his head to say, "Qin Wu, go check on your senior brother andfort him."


    "Yes, Master."


    Qin Wu replied and followed Yi Shuiyan out of the assembly.


    At this moment, among the seating area of the eight entrics, Wei Jiahao, with a big thumbs-up, excitedlyughed and said, "Ling Cheng, that was brilliant! Yourst few words were really too cool."


    "Really?" Ling Chen grinned: "I think so too."


    Yuan Yun patted Ling Chen¡¯s shoulder and praised without stinginess: "Not bad, well done, you¡¯re progressing amazingly fast."


    Everyone was pleased, and Xu Ming, somewhat puzzled, looked at Ling Chen and asked, "When did your Inner Strength cultivation be so strong? You didn¡¯t show such great improvement in the previous matches."


    Hearing this, Qiu Yong chimed in: "I also noticed that. Ling Cheng, based on what happened just now, your Inner Strength has more than doubled. How did you manage that in just a few days? Are you hiding something from us?"


    Ling Chen quickly waved his hands and said, "Big brother, I haven¡¯t hidden anything from you all." He scratched his head, puzzled: "To be honest, I don¡¯t even know why. Recently, I suddenly felt my Inner Strength growing rapidly, and I was wondering if it could be due to the Heavenly Mechanism Pill."


    "Impossible!" Qiu Yong shook his head and said, "You only took an ordinary Heavenly Mechanism Pill. I took a higher-quality one and didn¡¯t experience such a change, so it¡¯s even less likely for you. It must be something else."


    "Could it be because of the Internal Cultivation Methods I practice?"


    Qiu Yong and the others exchanged nces, unable toe up with an answer.


    "Let¡¯s not think about it anymore. As long as Ling Cheng wins safely, that¡¯s all that matters," Zhang Zhongfeng said. "Besides, progression is always a good thing."


    Yang Chen, smiling, said, "With Ling Cheng winning this match, a spot in the top three is assured. Now it¡¯s just a matter of who will take thest ce in this afternoon¡¯s matches."


    "As long as there are no surprises, the winner will surely be Song Ge," Ling Chen said.


    The Tea Girl had mentioned to him that Song Ge¡¯s top spot on the Neer List was indisputable. Even other members within the top five did not dispute his selection as number one. This indicated that if Song Ge faced Qu Jinxian, he should have an overwhelming advantage.


    What Ling Chen was concerned with now was not the afternoon¡¯s battle, but rather who his next opponent would be. He wondered if it might be Han Yu.

 Chapter 460 - 456: Qin Wu’s Encounter

    <h4>Chapter 460: Chapter 456: Qin Wu¡¯s Encounter</h4><h4></h4>


    Thud, thud, thud!


    At this moment, Qin Wu arrived at the guest room where Yi Shuiyan was staying, and hearing the noise from inside, she quickly knocked on the door.


    "Senior Brother, it¡¯s me."


    Not long after, the door opened, and Yi Shuiyan, his face twisted with ferocity, appeared in front of Qin Wu. Looking at Yi Shuiyan, whose eyes were bloodshot, Qin Wu couldn¡¯t help feeling frightened. The Yi Shuiyan before her seemed like a wild beast that had lost control, eager to vent his fury.


    Following Yi Shuiyan¡¯s shoulder line, she saw that almost every fixture in the room had be an outlet for his rage, all smashed to pieces on the floor.


    "Senior Brother, I know you¡¯re hurting, but it¡¯s okay, we¡¯ll have more chances if we lose this time. As long as we¡¯re alive, there is hope," Qin Wuforted.


    Yi Shuiyan coldly said, "Did Master send you here?"


    Qin Wu gently nodded, "Master is worried about you, so he asked me toe and check on you."


    "What¡¯s there to see?" Yi Shuiyan snorted coldly and turned back into the room. Seeing this, Qin Wu immediately followed in and closed the door behind her, then picked up a nearby trash can to clean up the mess on the floor.


    Yi Shuiyan sat on a chair, breathing heavily, staring unblinkingly at the busy Qin Wu bending over, his eyes progressively more bloodshot.


    Feeling Yi Shuiyan¡¯s gaze on her, Qin Wu raised her head and smiled, "Senior Brother, what¡¯s wrong?"


    "Sister..." Yi Shuiyan, with a suppressed voice, beckoned, "Come here."


    Qin Wu, unsuspecting, stood up and walked over to Yi Shuiyan.


    "Sister, has your Senior Brother been good to you?"


    "Yes." Qin Wu did not understand why Yi Shuiyan would suddenly ask such a question, but replied honestly anyway.


    Hearing her answer, Yi Shuiyan¡¯s mouth curled, his bloodshot eyes gleaming with a peculiar light, his smile sly, "Since you think Senior Brother has been good to you, it means you must help me relieve my anger now, don¡¯t you think?"


    Qin Wu was slightly stunned, perplexed, "Senior Brother, do you want some tea? Wait, I¡¯ll go and pour you some." Saying so, Qin Wu turned and quickly walked towards the door.


    However, after just a few steps, her wrist was grabbed by Yi Shuiyan from behind.


    "Senior... Senior Brother." Qin Wu turned her head, biting her thin lip, her expression anxious.


    Yi Shuiyan, looking directly at his junior sister, with a smirk that was not quite a smile, said, "I have tea in my room, what are you going outside for? Could it be... you are trying to avoid me."


    Qin Wu lowered her head, muttering softly, "I... I¡¯m not."


    Yi Shuiyan, his eyes shing coldly, scoffed, "Sister, you¡¯re a smart person, you must have understood what I mean by now, otherwise, you wouldn¡¯t think of leaving. So, don¡¯t you want to help your Senior Brother?"


    Qin Wu dodged Yi Shuiyan¡¯s gaze, a flicker of fear in her eyes.


    "Senior Brother... please, don¡¯t be like this, okay?" Qin Wu¡¯s voice was tearful.


    "Quit the nonsense,e here!" With a fierce expression, Yi Shuiyan pulled Qin Wu into his embrace and then carried her toward the bedroom.


    "Senior Brother, no... please, I beg of you." Qin Wu struggled desperately, her pleas filled with panic.


    However, Yi Shuiyan paid no attention to her resistance, pinning her delicate body onto the bed, hisrge hands forcefully tearing at her clothes.


    The more Qin Wu struggled, the more excited Yi Shuiyan became. At this moment, he hadpletely lost his sanity, his eyes extremely bloodshot.


    Looking at that pale skin, the high, round breasts, Yi Shuiyan could no longer restrain himself and pounced directly.


    ...


    I don¡¯t know how long it has been, Qin Wu slowly opened her eyes, a crystal-clear tear rolling down her cheek. At this moment, her body, wantonly ravaged by Yi Shuiyan, was unbearably painful, as if she had lost all her strength, not wanting to move at all.


    She bit her thin lips hard, struggled to sit up, and looked at the blood stains on the sheets, finally unable to hold back her cries. The treasure she had kept for over twenty years was now gone.


    At this time, Yi Shuiyan, neatly dressed, walked in from the living room, nced at Qin Wu on the bed, and said indifferently, "I took some clothes from your room, put them on quickly. The Master willeter, you should go back and rest first, I wille find you when I have time."


    Qin Wu didn¡¯t say a word, silently picked up her clothes, and as she saw the bruises on her arms and thighs, tears couldn¡¯t stop flowing out.


    She had never imagined herself having such a day.


    Towards Yi Shuiyan, she had merely respected him as a fellow apprentice; never had there been feelings of a man and a woman between them. However, she could never have imagined that her normally refined Senior Brother wouldmit such a beastly act on her.


    By the time Qin Wu was dressed, Yi Shuiyan leaned against the wall, watching her walk to the door.


    "Wait!"


    Qin Wu turned her head, her face expressionless as she looked at Yi Shuiyan, her bright eyes like stagnated ponds, devoid of any luster.


    "Keep your mouth shut, it¡¯s best not to let the other apprentices know about today¡¯s affair. Also, don¡¯t think aboutining to the Master, you should know my status in his eyes; even if you approach him, it would be futile. If you¡¯re smart, just obediently be my woman from now on, I won¡¯t mistreat you."


    After hearing this, Qin Wu silently opened the door and staggered out.


    Leaving the room, Qin Wu didn¡¯t return to her own cabin but went directly to the deck, standing quietly at the ship¡¯s rail, staring at the distant azure sea, her demeanorplex.


    At this time, a young man approached from behind Qin Wu, leaning on the railing next to the ship¡¯s edge, smiling and enjoying the breeze from the sea.


    "Miss Qin?"


    Seeing Qin Wu beside him, Ling Chen slightly staggered, especially at the disheveled appearance of Qin Wu, which surprised him and involuntarily called out.


    Qin Wu turned her head to look at Ling Chen, her eyes empty, then withdrew her gaze and continued staring at the undting sea.


    Ling Chen inwardly felt rmed, Qin Wu¡¯s expression was all too familiar to him; only those utterly disheartened would look like this. Moreover, his keen eyes noticed the two tear tracks on Qin Wu¡¯s cheeks, clearly indicating she had just cried.


    "Miss Qin, are you okay?"


    Ling Chen was worried; seeing Qin Wu on the deck in this state, could it be she was thinking of jumping into the sea? Although he had grievances with the Dangyang Sect and didn¡¯t like Qin Wu, she was still a human life, and he could not stand idly by.


    "Men..."


    Qin Wu opened her mouth, mumbling two words.


    Hmph!


    Suddenly, Qin Wu sneered.


    For some reason, thatughter sounded eerie to Ling Chen.


    What exactly had happened to this woman?


    Just as he was pondering, Qin Wu turned around and started walking towards the cabin step by step.


    Seeing her not-so-nimble legs, a shock went through Ling Chen, as he recognized this walking posture from somewhere before.


    That¡¯s right!


    Xia Mutong.


    Back when he had spent a night with Xia Mutong, she walked just like that.


    Considering Qin Wu¡¯s earlier actions and expression, Ling Chen slightly frowned, could it be that she...

 Chapter 461 - 457 Master Swordsmith

    <h4>Chapter 461: Chapter 457 Master Swordsmith</h4><h4></h4>


    Sigh!


    Ling Chen sighed lightly, not knowing how to express his feelings, as he thought of the ordeal Qin Wu might have gone through. Even though Qin Wu hadn¡¯t said it, Ling Chen could guess who that man was.


    From the looks of Qin Wu just now, it obviously wasn¡¯t her willing choice. He never would have imagined that guy would do something so despicable.


    Although Ling Chen felt indignant, this was ultimately a private matter of the Dangyang Sect, and he knew he couldn¡¯t intervene.


    Returning to his room, Ling Chen prepared to rest and wait for the afternoon¡¯s martial artspetition to begin.


    At that moment, a knock on the door was heard. Ling Chen stood up to open the door and saw a waiter holding a letter, which he handed over to Ling Chen with a smile, saying, "Mr. Ling, this is your letter."


    Ling Chen took the letter and casually asked, "Who¡¯s it from?"


    "Sorry, I¡¯m not sure. The person didn¡¯t show themselves, just left a message for me to pass this on to you."


    "Okay, I got it, thanks!"


    After closing the door, Ling Chen tore open the envelope curiously and pulled out the letter. There wasn¡¯t much written on it, just one sentence.


    Someone is after you!


    "Someone is after me?" Ling Chen frowned to himself, unsure who had sent the letter and why they hadn¡¯t made themselves clear.


    On this luxurious cruise ship, there were plenty of people who might wish him harm: Jiang Family¡¯s Jiang Hanlin, Dangyang Sect¡¯s Zhu Jin, Qingyang Sect¡¯s Qu Yuan, and Han Yu. All of them would be more than happy to see him dead.


    With so many enemies, what good is a simple warning? He needed to know who it was to take precautions.


    After muttering a fewints, Ling Chen tossed the letter in the trash bin and then sat on the couch, crossing his legs, a look of seriousness in his eyes.


    Regardless of who wished him harm, the fact that this mysterious person sent a warning meant that those individuals would act soon. It could be today, or perhaps tomorrow.


    Jiang Hanlin? Han Yu?... Who could it be? Ling Chen pondered seriously. To him, Jiang Hanlin seemed the most likely. After all, during his time at the Jiang Family, he had left Jiang Hanlin¡¯s son, Jiang Han, in a vegetative state¡ªa grievance not easily forgiven.


    Next would be Han Yu. Due to Ling Chen, Han Yu had suffered a major blow to his dignity, and the reputation of the Han Family was impacted. Ye Liangyong had said that the Han Family was a major n with considerable influence. After such an incident, it¡¯s also possible that the Han Family mighte after him.


    Thinking of this, Ling Chen suddenly felt an immense headache.


    Coming to the Heavenly Mechanism Great Ceremony with much effort, he hadn¡¯t gained much benefit, but he had certainly made quite a few enemies.


    However, more curious to Ling Chen than those who might seek trouble was the person who sent the warning. He knew very few people on this ship, and whether it¡¯s the eight entrics or Ye Liangyong and others, they definitely wouldn¡¯t choose such a secretive way to warn him.


    Who could it be?


    Ling Chen was at aplete loss.


    Two o¡¯clock in the afternoon.


    Ling Chen followed Qiu Yong and others to the venue.


    There was only one match this afternoon, Song Ge against Qu Jinxian,peting for thest spot in the top three. The real highlight was tomorrow when the owners of the top three positions would be decided.


    To be honest, Ling Chen was not very concerned about the ownership of the top three spots now. His main goal for the trip had already been achieved, and besides, even if he suffered two consecutive losses tomorrow, he could still be assured of a ce in the top three. Though the rewards weren¡¯t too generous, he wasn¡¯t the type to be insatiable.


    At this moment, Zhou Qi and a man in his seventies with silvery white hair and beard walked side by side into the venue from the outside.


    The appearance of the old man caused the entire audience to exim in surprise, as they got up to pay their respects.


    "Big brother, who is that? He seems to be quite famous." Ling Chen asked curiously.


    "That¡¯s Guo Liang, a master cksmith. The weapons he forges are all top-notch; no onepares."


    Guo Liang?


    Upon hearing this name, Ling Chen immediately had an impression. Last time, Zhou Qi mentioned when announcing the prize for the rookiepetition that one of the rich rewards for the first ce was a weapon personally forged by Master Guo Liang.


    "Guo Liang once pledged that he would only forge ten weapons in his lifetime. Thus, obtaining a weapon personally made by him is an ultimate honor," Yuan Yun said. "As far as I know, including this time¡¯s prize, Guo Liang has already forged seven pieces."


    Ling Chen smacked his lips, "What¡¯s so amazing about him?"


    Qiu Yong nodded and said, "Guo Liang¡¯s craftsmanship is indeed extraordinary, unmatched throughout Huaxia in the crafting of weapons. Of course, aside from his skills, what¡¯s even more famous is his heritage. It¡¯s said that an ancestor of Guo Liang once obtained a manuscript handed down from the great sword forging master, Ou Yezi, which details the art of sword making. Since then, the Guo Family has focused on forging and has achieved great aplishments. Guo Liang is a descendant of the Guo Family, and he has truly inherited the essence of their craft."


    Ling Chen marveled to himself. As they say, you can¡¯t judge a book by its cover, nor can you measure the sea¡¯s depth. He hadn¡¯t expected that old man to be so formidable.


    Just as he was thinking, Ling Chen suddenly felt a gaze upon him. Turning his head, he saw Mr. Guo looking at him with a beaming smile, nodding kindly.


    Uh...


    Ling Chen was slightly stunned. What did this old gentleman mean? If it weren¡¯t for Qiu Yong¡¯s introduction just now, he wouldn¡¯t even recognize this person. Now, Guo Liang was greeting him, leaving him as confused as a monk unable to touch his own head, a look of bewilderment on his face.


    Puzzled as he was, adhering to a sense of politeness, Ling Chen smiled back at the man, in a manner of response.


    At this moment, Guo Liang said something to Zhou Qi and walked straight towards the seats of the eight entrics, with a friendly smile creasing his wrinkled face.


    "Brother Qiu, I¡¯ve long admired your reputation, hello."


    Guo Liang actively greeted each of the eight entrics. When his eyesnded on Zhang Zhongfeng, hisughter grew even more hearty.


    "Mr. Zhang, it¡¯s been a long time."


    "Mr. Guo, you¡¯re still as hearty as ever," Zhang Zhongfeng¡¯s face rarely revealed a hint of a smile.


    Curiously, Qiu Yong nced at Zhang Zhongfeng and asked, "Fourth brother, you know Mr. Guo?"


    "More than just knowing. The bow used by Mr. Zhang was personally crafted by me."


    Upon this deration, the entire assembly was shocked.


    Everyone looked at Zhang Zhongfeng with surprise; all this time, Zhang Zhongfeng had never mentioned this.


    Facing the astonished gazes of everyone, Zhang Zhongfeng said in a mild tone, "Thank you, Mr. Guo."


    "Ha ha!" Guo Liangughed and waved his hand, "No need to thank me. I only craft weapons for those who are worthy. Mr. Zhang¡¯s archery is unparalleled in the world, making a weapon for you is my honor."


    With that, Guo Liang turned his gaze, smiling at Ling Chen, "Mr. Ling, hello."


    "Mr. Guo is too kind." Ling Chen quickly responded.


    "Mr. Ling, if you don¡¯t mind, could we have a chat separately?"


    Ling Chen was somewhat surprised by the request from Guo Liang, unsure what the old man wanted with him.


    "Mr. Guo, please have a seat, take your time to speak."


    Seeing Guo Liang sitting beside Ling Chen, a look of joy on his face, everyone at the venue couldn¡¯t help feeling envious and curious. The people around all pricked up their ears, trying to listen in on what they were talking about.

 Chapter 462 - 458 The Secret of the Tianling Blade

    <h4>Chapter 462: Chapter 458 The Secret of the Tianling de</h4><h4></h4>


    "Mr. Ling..."


    "Mr. Guo, you are many generations older than me, just call me Ling Chen."


    Mr. Guo smiled and said, "Alright then. Ling Chen, I¡¯ll get straight to the point. I heard you have a weapon that can transform at will."


    "Correct." Ling Chen nodded, this wasn¡¯t a secret, everyone knew.


    Mr. Guo, suppressing the excitement in his eyes, asked, "Can I take a look at it?"


    "Of course, no problem." Having said that, Ling Chen took out the Tianling de he carried with him and handed it to Mr. Guo.


    Mr. Guo held it with both hands, not sure if it was because of his age or his emotions, he shakily took the Tianling de, gently stroked the engraved patterns on the surface, and apelling brilliance burst from his cloudy old eyes, showing no signs of being a man in his seventies.


    "Tianling... so you really do exist." Mr. Guo murmured to himself, his tone carrying a trace of emotion.


    "Mr. Guo, you know about it?"


    Mr. Guo raised his head and exined to Ling Chen, "This weapon was forged by an ancestor of the Guo Family several hundred years ago. His name was Guo Tianling, therefore, the name ¡¯Tianling¡¯ was engraved on it."


    Hearing this, Ling Chen was shocked. Mr. Guo mentioned this¡ªcould it be that he wanted to take the Tianling de back?


    Mr. Guo seemed to see through Ling Chen¡¯s thoughts, gave him a reassuring smile, and said, "Don¡¯t worry, I have no intention of taking it back. I just wanted to see the object made by my ancestor. Besides, this weapon is not owned by the Guo Family. Back then, my ancestor forged this weapon at someone else¡¯s request, putting all his effort and skill into it. Ling Chen, you must take good care of it in the future and not lose it."


    "I understand."


    "Moreover..." Mr. Guo changed the topic and said, "ording to the records passed down by the ancestors of the Guo Family, this weapon seems to be more than just a simple weapon."


    Ling Chen asked curiously, "What do you mean?"


    "I¡¯m not very clear on the specifics, the records about this weapon are fragmentary and not very detailed. However, one thing I can be sure of is that there is a secret hidden within this weapon."


    "Secret?" Ling Chen seemed to think of something, his gaze unconsciously swept toward the Dangyang Sect¡¯s seat. It might be because Yi Shuiyan was defeated, no one from the Dangyang Sect hade to watch the afternoon events, and the seats were empty.


    Qin Wu once told him that the Tianling de was very important to the Dangyang Sect and they sought to seize it, but they never seeded.


    Could it be... that the people from the Dangyang Sect knew about the secret hidden inside the Tianling de, and that¡¯s why they were so desperate to obtain it?


    Thinking of this, Ling Chen felt this was very likely.


    While he pondered, Mr. Guo handed the Tianling de back to Ling Chen, saying, "Ling Chen, there is a long story about this weapon. If you¡¯re interested, you might want to visit my house sometime, and I can tell you all about it."


    Mr. Guo took the initiative to invite him; naturally, Ling Chen wouldn¡¯t refuse and readily agreed, "If I have the chance, I will definitely visit."


    "Alright, my purpose for this visit was to see this weapon. Since my wish is fulfilled, I won¡¯t stay any longer. Until next time."


    "Mr. Guo, take care."


    After watching Mr. Guo leave, Ling Chen yed with the Tianling de in his hands, his curiosity piqued, wondering what secret this weapon hid. After the Heavenly Mechanism Great Ceremony ends, he must find the opportunity to thoroughly investigate it.


    Before long, the afternoon¡¯s martial arts contest officially began.


    However, unexpectedly, when Song Ge took to the stage, Qu Jinxian failed to appear, and nobody from the Qingyang Sect came either. As the crowd spected wildly with various conjectures, a disciple from the Qingyang Sect hurriedly arrived at the venue, whispering a few words into Zhou Qi¡¯s ear.


    After that person left, Zhou Qi stepped onto the stage, saying loudly, "Ladies and gentlemen, I¡¯m afraid I have to disappoint you this afternoon. We just received word from the Qingyang Sect that Qu Jinxian has relinquished his qualification topete. Therefore, this fight directly advances Song Ge to the top three."


    Hearing this, themotion in the crowd grew louder.


    To willingly give up at this crucial moment, what exactly is the Qingyang Sect thinking?


    Nevertheless, some understood Qu Jinxian¡¯s decision. After all, his opponent was Song Ge, ranked first on the Neer List. Everyone had seen Song Ge¡¯s strength; even top fighters from the Dragon List seemed like weaklings before him, his power profoundly inscrutable. If Qu Jinxian were to face Song Ge, his chances of winning were utterly slim.


    Ling Chen was speechless. Although he knew Song Ge was highly likely to win, he didn¡¯t expect it to be so easy. Could Song Ge¡¯s intimidating force be so great that it made Qu Jinxian admit defeat without a fight?


    In any case, with Song Ge smoothly advancing to the top three, Ling Chen, as a friend, did not forget to congratte him.


    "Alright, the top three contenders of the neers challenge has been decided. Now, we¡¯ll draw lots to determine tomorrow¡¯s top three battle. As usual, one will have a bye, while the other two will determine the winner, and then the final battle will ur. Ling Chen, Han Yu, Song Ge, pleasee to the stage."


    "No need to draw." Han Yu spoke up from the seat, "Ling Chen, since you¡¯re so powerful, even defeating Yi Shuiyan, I would like to have a proper challenge with you. How about this, tomorrow it¡¯ll be you and me, same rules, fight to death. If I lose, I don¡¯t want the third-ce prize, it¡¯ll all go to you. What do you say, dare or not?"


    Zhou Qi frowned slightly and said, "Han Yu..."


    "Elder Zhou, don¡¯t talk to me about rules, rules are made by people. Since you made an exception for Yi Shuiyan, why can¡¯t you make one for me?" Han Yu interrupted Zhou Qi¡¯s words.


    Zhou Qi was momentarily speechless.


    "Ling Chen, one word, do you dare?"


    Ling Chen touched his nose, a faint smile on his face, "With such a gracious invitation, it¡¯d be too rude of me to refuse. Alright, since you want a life-and-death battle, I¡¯m with you all the way."


    Seeing Ling Chen agree, Han Yu¡¯s eyebrows rxed, and a cold smile appeared on his handsome face.


    "Very well, you haven¡¯t disappointed me. Enjoy tonight well, I¡¯m afraid you might not survive tomorrow." Having said that, Han Yu left the venue with several middle-aged men.


    Qiu Yong looked worried and said, "Ling, wasn¡¯t your eptance a bit rash?"


    Ling Chen replied helplessly, "Brother, faced with so many people, could I show weakness? Besides, who wins tomorrow is still uncertain."


    "Alright, when the timees, just give it your all. If it really gets out of hand, your brothers won¡¯t sit idly by; we¡¯ll definitely keep you safe."


    As they were talking, Song Ge came over.


    "Ling."


    "Song."


    Ling Chen asked with a smile, "Did you need something?"


    "Do you have time to go out and talk for a bit? I have something I want to discuss."


    "You¡¯re asking, how could I refuse. Let¡¯s go!"

 Chapter 463 - 459: The True Face of Han Yu

    <h4>Chapter 463: Chapter 459: The True Face of Han Yu</h4><h4></h4>


    Walking on the deck, Ling Chen looked at the silent Song Ge beside him and asked with a smile, "Song, you told me toe out because you had something to tell me. Why haven¡¯t you said anything for so long?"


    Song Ge stopped walking, opened his mouth and said, "The decision you made just now was wrong."


    "What?" Ling Chen didn¡¯t grasp what was said at first.


    "You shouldn¡¯t have agreed to Han Yu¡¯s challenge."


    "Song, isn¡¯t it toote to say that now?"


    Song Ge sighed helplessly, "I thought you would refuse, so I didn¡¯t remind you at the meeting. I didn¡¯t expect you to ept his request."


    Ling Chen shrugged it off with a smile: "Song, there¡¯s no need to worry about me. Although I¡¯m not confident I will definitely beat Han Yu, he¡¯ll have to pay a price to defeat me."


    "You¡¯re thinking too simply," Song Ge shook his head, looking at the gradually darkening sky and said, "Han Yu is by no means as easy to handle as you imagine. I know him too well. You may not know that our Song Family and Han Family are both Martial Arts ns with a hundred years of feud. Even now, the underground and open battles never stopped. Ten years ago, I fought with Han Yu and lost, and over the following years, I¡¯ve lost to him every single time."


    "But two years ago, I finally beat him once. Since then, every time we sparred, he lost to me." Having said this, Song Ge looked at Ling Chen, "You might think my improvement was greater than his, but that¡¯s not actually the case. I¡¯ve said, I know Han Yu very well. It¡¯s hard not to, after being old rivals for so many years. He is very calcting and never easily reveals his inner thoughts. But this time, you forced him to show his true face. More precisely, you pressured him into it."


    "The Han Family cares a lot about their reputation. Because of you, not only has the Han Family¡¯s face been lost, but their reputation has been damaged. With Han Yu¡¯s personality, he will not let you go. Actually, Zhou Jun and I are involved in this matter too. However, with the Song Family¡¯s background and being lifelong enemies with the Han Family, it¡¯s not so easy for Han Yu to touch me. Zhou Jun is from the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, and Han Yu wouldn¡¯t dare to move against him either. Therefore, you became the only option for Han Yu¡¯s revenge."


    Ling Chen frowned and said, "Even if he kills me, isn¡¯t he afraid of retaliation from the eight entrics?"


    "I don¡¯t deny the strength of the eight entrics, but as long as Han Yu sessfully joins the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, with the Pavilion backing the Han Family, do you think he would be scared?"


    "Song, is it possible that you¡¯re overestimating Han Yu? Maybe he really isn¡¯t as good as you."


    Song Ge smiled bitterly, "I hope that¡¯s the case. You might not know, but Han Yu has lost to me seven times, each time on the thirtieth move without exception. You should understand what that means."


    Hearing this, Ling Chen¡¯s face changed color.


    Clearly, Han Yu intentionally lost to Song Ge.


    "Why would he do that?" Ling Chen asked, puzzled.


    "These days, being number one isn¡¯t necessarily a good thing. A wise person who is good at hiding will position himself neither too high nor too low, ready to advance or retreat. That is the best choice."


    Ling Chen nodded in strong agreement.


    "Song, how strong is Han Yu really?"


    "I¡¯m not sure, but definitely no weaker than me. My strength is probably around the sixth ce on the Dragon List, like Yi Shuiyan and Qu Jinxian, their strength is between the eighth and ninth on the Dragon List. You know, after entering the Dragon List, each rank difference corresponds to a significant difference in strength. Especially those who enter the top five, these masters have reached another realm in Martial Arts. Of course, I hope it¡¯s just my guess, maybe Han Yu hasn¡¯t reached that level yet. In any case, you must be extremely careful when you face him, don¡¯t be reckless."


    After a pause, Song Ge continued, "Given Han Yu¡¯s temperament, if you lose, he will definitely not ept your surrender, so you have to prepare in advance."


    "What preparation?"


    "The crisis on this ship earned you a lot of merit, and the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion is immensely grateful to you. I suggest you seek out Elder Zhou; if something goes wrong during the duel, have him intervene at a critical moment to prevent Han Yu from killing you."


    Hearing Song Ge¡¯s suggestion, Ling Chen seemed distressed, "Your words make me afraid to even go on stage."


    Song Ge¡¯s expression became grave, "I¡¯m not joking, this concerns your life, you better take it seriously."


    "Alright, I understand."


    Song Ge sharing so much was out of kindness; Ling Chen appreciated his concern. However, the thought of tomorrow¡¯s life-and-death battle gave Ling Chen a headache. If only he had known, he wouldn¡¯t have casually agreed to Han Yu¡¯s request; wasn¡¯t this jumping into a pit of fire?


    Returning to his room, Ling Cheny sloppily on the couch, propping his head with one hand, and then pulled out a satellite phone from the drawer of the tea table and dialed Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s number.


    Having been away from East Sea City for so long, Ling Chen missed Nanrong Wanqing and hoped to finish the Heavenly Mechanism Great Ceremony soon and return to meet her.


    After the usual half-hour long phone call, Ling Chen reluctantly hung up. This was all thanks to Hu Fei, who secretly hacked the luxury cruise ship¡¯s blocking equipment, allowing him to contact people outside anytime, anywhere.


    "Ling Chen, open the door quickly."


    At this moment, Hu Fei¡¯s voice came from outside the door.


    Ling Chen got up to open the door and looked at Hu Fei who came in holding aptop, joked, "I thought you were having a great time with Zhou Jun, howe you have time toe and find me?"


    "Come on, do you think I came to see you willingly? I¡¯ve encountered a problem."


    "What happened?"


    Hu Fei opened hisptop, tapping on the keyboard as he spoke, "Didn¡¯t I hack the ship¡¯s firewall? Today, I was bored and checking the system when I discovered a problem. Apart from me, someone else has invaded the ship¡¯s system. Fortunately, they haven¡¯t tampered with anything, but they¡¯ve stealthily left a backdoor in the system."


    Hearing this, Ling Chen trusted Hu Fei¡¯sputer skills implicitly and asked, "Do you know who did it?"


    "How would I know that? There are so many people on the ship; I can¡¯t possibly check every one of them. The only thing certain is that the person is on this ship. To ess the ship¡¯s control system, one must go through the ship¡¯swork, otherwise it¡¯s impossible to do so. However, I¡¯ve written a program in the system, so as soon as that person logs into the system again, I will get a notification here. Once we lock onto that person¡¯s signal, we can pinpoint their location."


    "Have you told Zhou Jun about this?"


    "Not yet. We haven¡¯t found the person, so there¡¯s no point in saying anything. We¡¯ll tell him when we have results."

 Chapter 464 - 460: The Mysterious Masked Woman

    <h4>Chapter 464: Chapter 460: The Mysterious Masked Woman</h4><h4></h4>


    "Hey! Ling Chen, I heard from Zhou Jun that you have a duel to the death tomorrow?"


    Ling Chen nodded.


    "Are you up for it, man? Don¡¯t make me bring your corpse back. What am I supposed to tell your future wife if she asks?"


    Annoyed, Ling Chen cursed: "To hell with you, shut your damn mouth." After speaking, Ling Chen nced at theptop in front of Hu Fei, a thought suddenly striking him, and asked: "Fatty, is yourputer connected to the ship¡¯s system?"


    "Yeah."


    "So you can pull up the ship¡¯s surveince, right?"


    "Nonsense, of course I can."


    "Fine, leave theputer behind, and you can piss off." Saying that, Ling Chen grabbed Hu Fei and gave him a kick on the butt, shoving him towards the door.


    "Hey! What are you doing?" Hu Fei yelled while covering his butt: "Damn it! You¡¯re not nning to spy on the beauties on the ship, are you? Just wait, I¡¯ll definitely tell your future wife when we get back."


    "Get lost." Ling Chenughed and scolded.


    After Hu Fei left, Ling Chen sat alone on the sofa, switched on theptop, and pulled up all the surveince from the ship.


    Although Hu Fei¡¯s parting words were a joke, Ling Chen was indeed looking for a beautiful woman. After pulling up the deck¡¯s surveince, it didn¡¯t take long for Ling Chen to find the cabin door with the warning sign.


    Initially, it was there he had met Tea Girl. He was very curious about this woman. He clearly remembered seeing her, but could not recall her face at all, simply unable to remember what she looked like. When he was alone with Tea Girl, she had made him a cup of tea. He suspected that it was due to that cup of tea that he had forgotten Tea Girl¡¯s appearance.


    Thus, he became very interested in Tea Girl¡¯s identity. He was eager to know what role this woman yed within the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion.


    Unfortunately, Ling Chen only found a camera pointing at the cabin door, and since there were no cameras inside the cabin, it was impossible to know what was happening there.


    At that moment, someone appeared on the surveince screen, more precisely, a masked woman.


    As the sky was dark and the woman was facing sideways to the camera, Ling Chen could only see the side profile of her face. However, he vaguely felt a sense of familiarity towards this woman.


    If he remembered correctly, he had never seen this woman during his many days on the ship. As there were fewer women attending the Heavenly Mechanism Great Ceremony, Ling Chen would have a strong impression of any woman appearing on the ship.


    As he watched the masked woman enter the cabin door, Ling Chen¡¯s eyes glued to the surveince screen, waiting for her to reappear.


    As expected, a few minutester, the cabin door opened, and the masked woman walked out alone, standing outside the door, looking around as if observing something. Ling Chen watched her intently, trying to figure out her destination.


    But then, something incredible happened.


    The masked woman lightly touched her toes to the ground and, light as a feather, quickly swept upwards along the side of the ship, disappearing in a blink.


    After a brief moment of shock, Ling Chen quickly recovered and began frantically typing on the keyboard, pulling up the other surveince cameras. Soon, he caught a glimpse of a dark shadow.


    However, that shadow moved very fast, and Ling Chen¡¯s eyes meticulously searched through the dozens of minimized surveince screens. Finally, he locked onto that shadow in one of the screens. However, the shadow only remained in his view for two seconds before disappearing through a window.


    "Where do you think you can run to!"


    Ling Chen tapped the keyboard methodically, bringing up the location of the surveince.


    Sixth floor?


    Ling Chen held his chin with one hand, a thoughtful expression on his face.


    As far as he knew, the sixth floor of this luxury behemoth seemed to be the engine room, uninhabited. After some thought, Ling Chen decided to go there himself and investigate.


    Leaving the room, Ling Chen exited the floor and then took the elevator to the fifth floor. Since the sixth floor was the engine room, only the ship¡¯s staff could ess it with a card. Outsiders couldn¡¯t get in.


    Standing by the window on the fifth floor, Ling Chen looked around to make sure no one was around, then he instantly climbed out of the window, grabbed onto the outer side of the ship, and rapidly ascended using the protrusions on the surface. Soon, he arrived in front of the sixth floor window.


    Looking at the surveince camera less than ten meters from the window, Ling Chen¡¯s lips curled up slightly. The masked woman had just climbed in through this window.


    Seizing the moment, Ling Chen nced at the bottom, from the deck to the sixth-floor window was about sixteen or seventeen meters ¡ª that masked woman must be extremely skilled to climb up so effortlessly.


    With this thought, Ling Chen couldn¡¯t help but worry. If a conflict aroseter, what if he couldn¡¯t defeat his opponent?


    Hesitating for a moment, Ling Chen pped his forehead, shook off the distracting thoughts, and directly climbed through the window.


    Inside the sixth floor engine room were various types of equipment. Although the lights weren¡¯t on, the built-in lights of the equipment were enough for Ling Chen to see his surroundings clearly.


    Walking through the quiet engine room, Ling Chen was very careful with his steps, afraid of being discovered by the masked woman.


    Passing equipment arranged along the wall, a door appeared in Ling Chen¡¯s view. The door was located in the northeast corner of the engine room, and the light seeping from under the door indicated that someone was inside.


    So, the masked woman lives here.


    Ling Chen tiptoed to the door, body pressed against the wall, then he ced his ear against the door to eavesdrop on any sounds inside.


    After more than ten seconds, the room remained eerily silent, not sounding like someone was living there.


    At that moment, Ling Chen mustered his courage, grabbed the doorknob, and gently pushed open the door. As a sliver of a gap appeared, he stealthily peeked inside, only seeing a few simple decorations.


    No one?


    Ling Chen pushed the door slightly wider and then peeked his head through the gap. However, as he did, a force suddenly came from behind the door. Caught off guard, before Ling Chen could retract his head, it was trapped in the gap, his neck jammed by the doorframe, making it impossible for him to move forward or backward.


    Only then did Ling Chen realize, the masked woman had already discovered him and had been hiding behind the door all along.


    "Is it you?"


    Seeing Ling Chen, the masked woman was taken aback and quickly released her hand from the door, freeing Ling Chen¡¯s head from the gap.


    "What are you doing here?"


    At this moment, Ling Chen, rubbing his sore neck, heard the slightly angry voice of the masked woman. His expression stunned, he stared into the eyes of the masked woman and eximed in surprise, "You are... porridge girl?"

 Chapter 465 - 461: Ling Chen Falls into a Trap (Part 1)

    <h4>Chapter 465: Chapter 461: Ling Chen Falls into a Trap (Part 1)</h4><h4></h4>


    Looking at the woman in front of him, Ling Chen was very surprised. He had never expected to encounter the porridge girl here. After so many days on the ship, he had never seen the porridge girl appear, and here she was, hiding away by herself. Recalling the scene he had just witnessed, Ling Chen¡¯s heart harbored an additional trace of confusion.


    The porridge girl went to see that mysterious tea girl; did they know each other? Or could it be that the porridge girl was rted to the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion?


    In a sh, many questions surfaced in Ling Chen¡¯s mind, and he couldn¡¯t wait to hear the answers from the porridge girl¡¯s own lips.


    "Have a seat," said the porridge girl, pointing to a chair in the room and speaking indifferently.


    Ling Chen asked, "When did you board the ship? Why didn¡¯t you say anything to me?"


    "Why should I tell you?" The porridge girl replied offhandedly, turning her back to him.


    "As friends, why be so distant?" Ling Chen grinned. "Last time Yi Shuiyan came to East Sea City to trouble me, I was fortunate that you stepped in to help. I haven¡¯t properly thanked you yet."


    Upon hearing this, the porridge girl turned back to look at Ling Chen, her clear eyes shimmering lightly, showing gratification, admiration, and a hint of confusion.


    "I¡¯ve heard about yourpetition with Yi Shuiyan; congrattions to you."


    Ling Chen smiled modestly, "It was pure luck."


    "Your progress is significant after two months apart; how did you achieve this?" asked the porridge girl curiously, "As far as I know, no matter how exceptional one¡¯s talent is, it¡¯s impossible to make such a qualitative leap in such a short time. Especially with Inner Strength cultivation, which requires time to umte. It can¡¯t be achieved overnight. But as of now, your strength has more than doubledpared to two months ago."


    "This..." Ling Chen shrugged his shoulders, looking bemused, "To be honest, I really don¡¯t know. It felt like my Inner Strength just increased inexplicably, without any signs."


    The porridge girl looked at Ling Chen skeptically and said, "Extend your hand."


    Without suspicion, Ling Chen obediently ced his hand on the tea table. Seeing the porridge girl¡¯s fair and delicate fingers resting on his pulse, a hint of surprise shed in Ling Chen¡¯s eyes.


    "Do you know medicine?"


    The porridge girl said nothing and ignored his question, her eyes softly closed, her fingertips gently dancing on his pulse. After a while, she withdrew her fingers and opened her eyes to tell Ling Chen, "Your inner breath is normal but not stable."


    "What does that mean?"


    "It means your foundation is weak. The reason your Inner Strength has improved so rapidly is that you¡¯ve used external forces."


    Ling Chen honestly admitted, "I¡¯ve taken an ordinary Heavenly Mechanism Pill."


    "An ordinary Heavenly Mechanism Pill wouldn¡¯t have such an effect; you must have taken other medicinal pills as well. However, you¡¯re lucky; both pills¡¯ effects are neutral and mild, and they¡¯ve integrated perfectly in your body without causing side effects. Instead, they¡¯ve greatly enhanced your Inner Strength." The porridge girl paused before continuing, "Regardless, Inner Strength cultivation relies on a solid foundation. Without a solid foundation and reliance on external substances, it will be difficult for you to go far in the future. After the Heavenly Mechanism Great Ceremony, it would be beneficial for you to focus on cultivation for a while."


    "I¡¯ll keep that in mind."


    Having said that, Ling Chen changed the subject and asked, "What¡¯s your rtionship with the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion? And who¡¯s the woman you went to see just now?"


    The porridge girl frowned, displeased, and asked, "How do you know these things? Were you following me?"


    Ling Chen quickly waved his hands, denying fervently, "Don¡¯t get me wrong, I just happened to see."


    "That¡¯s my private affair; you don¡¯t need to know." With that, the porridge girl stood up and spoke indifferently, "I need to rest now."


    Although Ling Chen still had a bellyful of questions, once the porridge girl issued the eviction order, he felt it would be rude to continue hanging around.


    "I¡¯ll head back first then. You should know where I live,e find me when you¡¯re free."


    As the sound of the door closing reached her, the porridge girl slowly turned her head and reached up to remove the veil covering her face, revealing delicate features. A shade of slight concern appeared on her soft, pale cheeks.


    "Master, what should I do with him?"


    Her murmur, apanied by a soft sigh, echoed in the room for a long time.


    Back in his room, it was still early, not even ten o¡¯clock yet. Thinking about tomorrow¡¯s fight with Han Yu, Ling Chen¡¯s brow immediately furrowed with concern. He remembered the words Song Ge said to him today; if it¡¯s as Song Ge suggested, tomorrow¡¯s martial artspetition would undoubtedly be a tough battle. A moment¡¯s carelessness could mean life-threatening danger.


    After much contemtion, Ling Chen sighed helplessly, climbed into bed to lie down, conserving energy and preparing for tomorrow¡¯s fight.


    The next day.


    Before dawn, Ling Chen was already out of bed.


    He couldn¡¯t help it, the thought of today¡¯sing fight made it impossible for him to sleep.


    Staying awake until sunrise, Ling Chen yawned and rubbed his grumbling stomach. Not waiting for Qiu Yong and the others, he went to the dining room alone and ordered a hearty breakfast.


    As Ling Chen was wolfing down his meal, a barely perceptible gaze from not too far away caught his attention. He looked up to see a fair-faced woman sitting alone at a dining table across from him, eating breakfast nonchntly.


    Perhaps feeling Ling Chen¡¯s gaze, the woman blinked her beautiful eyes and met his look for a moment before turning to look around.


    At this time, since it was still early, there were few people eating in the restaurant. Besides the two of them, there were several strangers, all busily eating their meal in silence.


    Seeing that no one noticed her, the woman picked up her te and gracefully walked over to Ling Chen¡¯s table, politely asking with a smile, "May I sit here?"


    "Of course." Ling Chen grinned, gestured to the seat beside him, and said courteously, "Please, have a seat."


    Xiao Wan.


    The only woman on the Neer List.


    Ling Chen had a profound impression of her. She took the initiative to greet him, and he wouldn¡¯t refuse even out of politeness. Besides, he was keen on making acquaintance with these outstanding peers of his age.


    The two of them chatted aimlessly about this and that, passing the time during their meal. Suddenly, Xiao Wan blurted out, "Did you receive my letter?"


    A letter?


    Ling Chen was stunned for a moment, then suddenly realized, looking at Xiao Wan with a surprised expression, "The letter was from you?"


    He had received a letter yesterday warning him that someone was out to get him and to be extra cautious. He had always been puzzled about who sent the letter, never expecting it to be this woman in front of him.


    No wonder Xiao Wan had seemed so cautious earlier; it was because of this reason.


    With this thought, Ling Chen leaned closer to Xiao Wan and asked softly, "Who are you referring to?"


    Xiao Wan nced at the other guests dining around them and whispered, "Come to my room in five minutes, 403." With that, she picked up her te and walked away on her own.

 Chapter 466 - 462: Ling Chen Is Trapped (Part 2)

    <h4>Chapter 466: Chapter 462: Ling Chen Is Trapped (Part 2)</h4><h4></h4>


    After Xiao Wan left the restaurant, Ling Chen waited for about two minutes before he followed her.


    Room 403, it wasn¡¯t long before Ling Chen arrived outside Xiao Wan¡¯s room and gently knocked on the door.


    The door opened, Xiao Wan peeked out, cautiously looking left and right down the corridor. Seeing her cautious demeanor, Ling Chen said with a smile, "Don¡¯t worry, I observed carefully on my way here; nobody noticed me."


    Xiao Wan gave a slight nod, then stepped aside to let Ling Chen into the room.


    "Please, have a seat!"


    Once Ling Chen was seated, Xiao Wan brought over a freshly brewed cup of green tea and handed it to Ling Chen.


    "Thank you." Ling Chen smiled and then steered the conversation to the main topic, asking, "Miss Xiao, you mentioned that someone is out to harm me; could you be more specific? Don¡¯t worry, no one will know that you¡¯ve shared this information with me."


    Xiao Wan smiled faintly, "Don¡¯t rush, try the tea I made first. It¡¯s our family¡¯s own ntation; normally, you can¡¯t buy this outside."


    Holding the teacup, Ling Chen gently blew away the floating leaves and took a small sip. As the tea went down his throat, he felt a warmth in his abdomen, and the taste lingered in his mouth¡ªit indeed was a rare good tea.


    "Excellent." Ling Chen did not skimp on his praise. After speaking, he looked up at Xiao Wan and quietly waited for her to continue.


    "Yesterday, as I was taking a walk on the deck, I stumbled upon a few people who were gathered and whispering, discussing something. I was too far away to hear their conversation, but I faintly heard them mention your name."


    "That¡¯s it?" Ling Chen appeared momentarily stunned.


    "Their tone was very unusual when they mentioned your name. Based on my experience, I think they might be nning to harm you."


    "Thank you for your concern. That... do you know who they are?"


    "I only know they are from the Jiang Family, but I can¡¯t name them."


    The Jiang Family?


    Ling Chen inwardly nodded; since Xiao Wan mentioned the Jiang Family, it was undoubtedly Jiang Hanlin. He had already anticipated that Jiang Hanlin would not let things slide so easily. Hmph! If Jiang Hanlin dared to make a move against him on the ship, it would be a good opportunity to settle things once and for all.


    Now, backed by the Eight entrics and his own progress, he no longer needed to fear the Jiang Family.


    Collecting his thoughts, Ling Chen said to Xiao Wan with a smile, "Miss Xiao, thank you for the information... and your tea. If there¡¯s nothing else, I¡¯ll be on my way¡ªI have a duel scheduled for this morning, and I need to prepare."


    "I¡¯ll walk you out."


    "No need to be so polite." Ling Chen thanked her again and then turned towards the door to leave.


    However, at that moment, as Xiao Wan¡¯s footsteps came from behind him, Ling Chen¡¯s vision was suddenly blurred by a moving object. Before he could react, he felt his neck tighten, as if it were being strangled by a thin thread, and he struggled to breathe.


    The thread was very fine, nearly cutting into his flesh. Moreover, the strength of the thread was increasing, quickly drawing a line of blood across his neck.


    After an initial shock of anger, Ling Chen swiftly regained hisposure, stepped backward, and leaned his back tightly against Xiao Wan, forcing her against the wall.


    With no decrease in the strength of the thread, Ling Chen hesitated no further and used the back of his head to smash backward, hitting Xiao Wan squarely on the forehead. Under the impact, Xiao Wan¡¯s head tilted backward and hit the wall behind her again.


    Feeling the thread on his neck loosen slightly, Ling Chen promptly extended both arms behind his shoulders and firmly grasped Xiao Wan¡¯s wrists, yanking them forward forcefully.


    In terms of strength, Xiao Wan was no match for Ling Chen.


    At that moment, the bedroom door in the room opened, and Jiang Hanlin along with the brothers Qiu Wen and Qiu Wu rushed out quickly.


    Seeing Ling Chen escape from the deadly thread, Jiang Hanlin¡¯splexion subtly changed.


    "Go!"


    Along with Jiang Hanlin¡¯s light shout, Qiu Wen and Qiu Wu charged at Ling Chen without another word, one to the left and one to the right, hoping to team up with Xiao Wan in trapping Ling Chen.


    Seeing the two mening at him, Ling Chen¡¯s mouth curled into a slight cold smile. Gripping Xiao Wan¡¯s wrists tightly, he leaned forward, thrusting his hips against Xiao Wan and forcefully pushed his arms upward. In an instant, Xiao Wan¡¯s body flew over Ling Chen¡¯s head and crashed right onto the tea table.


    Bang!


    Amid Xiao Wan¡¯s cries of pain, the wooden tea table shattered instantly.


    Having dealt with Xiao Wan, Ling Chen cast a nce, his face disying a chilling smile as he looked at the approaching Qiu Wen and Qiu Wu.


    "You guys are really capable, setting such a nice trap for me to fall into."


    Jiang Hanlin said coldly: "Ling Chen, don¡¯t expect to leave this ce alive today."


    "Oh, really?" Ling Chen narrowed his eyes, a cold light shooting out from his dark pupils, "Then let¡¯s see if you really have the ability to back that up."


    As he finished speaking, Ling Chen tapped the ground with the tip of his foot, his legs bounced forcefully, and he leaped high, charging towards Qiu Wen and Qiu Wu. Back when he had just advanced to the Tiger List, the two Qiu brothers were already no match for him, let alone now.


    Two punches thundered out, and the Cross Training of Qiu Wen and Qiu Wu disintegrated in an instant. They were directly sted away by the fierce punch, hitting the wall.


    Seeing Ling Chen deal with Xiao Wan and the Qiu brothers with mere punches and kicks, Jiang Hanlin¡¯s face suddenly showed a hint of terror.


    Impossible!


    As Ling Chen¡¯s gaze turned towards him, Jiang Hanlin couldn¡¯t help but step back, frowning and saying, "This can¡¯t be possible!"


    "What can¡¯t be possible?"


    "You¡¯ve been drugged with the tea you just had, you shouldn¡¯t be this strong."


    "Drugged?"


    Hearing this, Ling Chen secretly activated his Inner Strength, feeling everything to be normal, with no difort. Feeling reassured, Ling Chen looked at Jiang Hanlin with an amused smile: "Was the drug you used expired? Jiang, I originally had no interest in quarreling with the Jiang Family. But since you¡¯re being unwise and asking for trouble, don¡¯t me me for being unmerciful."


    "You..."


    "Enough talk!"


    Before Jiang Hanlin could finish speaking, Ling Chen gave a light shout, his feet suddenly propelled him forward with force, and he quickly rushed towards Jiang Hanlin. Jiang Hanlin hadn¡¯t had the time to draw the silver whip from his waist, and Ling Chen was already upon him, punching straight towards his face.


    One move!


    Jiang Hanlin, whom Ling Chen could not tackle with all his might in the past, was now knocked to the ground in just one move.


    The Tiger List and the Dragon List are only a word apart, but the difference between them is like that between the clouds and the mud.


    Looking at Jiang Hanlin who couldn¡¯t get up, Ling Chen shook his head and nced at the painfully groaning Xiao Wan, speaking coldly, "Tell me, why would you help the Jiang Family against me?"


    Enduring the pain, Xiao Wan replied with a pale face: "The Jiang Family once helped us at our most desperate time, we had to repay that kindness."


    "Hmph! To repay a kindness, you go as far as murder? I thought about making friends with you, but it seems I was just being sentimental."


    "I¡¯m sorry, I..."


    "That¡¯s enough, no need to exin. You should be grateful, I never kill women, but... they won¡¯t be so lucky."

 Chapter 467 - 463: Battle of the Top Three

    <h4>Chapter 467: Chapter 463: Battle of the Top Three</h4><h4></h4>


    Jiang Hanlin¡¯splexion changed as he struggled to stand up and said, "You... what do you want to do? Ling Chen, this is Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion¡¯s territory. If you dare to kill at will, Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion won¡¯t let you off easily."


    Ling Chen sneered and said, "Now you think to use Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion as a shield? When you plotted to kill me, why didn¡¯t you think of this? Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t kill you. A person like you is not worth dirtying my hands."


    Hearing this, Jiang Hanlin¡¯s tense face slightly rxed.


    "However... your life might be spared, but a little punishment is unavoidable."


    One minuteter.


    Ling Chen pped his hands, looking at the unconscious Jiang Hanlin and the brothers Qiu Wen and Qiu Wu, his lips curling into a smile, then turned to Xiao Wan and said, "If you¡¯re smart, you¡¯ll know what to say. Also, it¡¯s best if I never see you again."


    After finishing his words, Ling Chen turned around, leaving behind Xiao Wan with a pale face, still in shock, and walked out of the room.


    Although he spared Jiang Hanlin¡¯s life, Ling Chen had disabled their arms and legs, shattering all their bones¡ªthey would never recover in this lifetime.


    In dealing with his enemies, Ling Chen never showed mercy.


    Back in his room, Ling Chen stood in front of the mirror, looking at the clear line of blood on his neck, and he sighed with a bitter smile.


    This time, he only med himself for being too careless, for easily trusting Xiao Wan and going to her room. He could guess what Jiang Hanlin and the others were nning.


    Once he entered Xiao Wan¡¯s room, they joined forces to try and kill him, then they would im he attempted to harm Xiao Wan. With a well-arranged scene, even if anyone doubted, it would be useless since he would already be dead, with no proof to the contrary.


    Thinking back on the recent events, Ling Chen was rather curious about one thing. Jiang Hanlin confessed to drugging the tea, and indeed, he had drunk it, but it had no effect. Jiang Hanlin, with all his meticulous nning, certainly wouldn¡¯t use expired drugs.


    Could it be due to his unique physique being resistant to poison?


    Thinking this, Ling Chen shook his head andughed, feeling that his luck hadn¡¯t reached such a level yet¡ªthere must be a reason.


    While he pondered, a series of knocks came from the door. Judging by the time, it should be Qiu Yong and the others.


    The door opened.


    Qiu Yong stepped inside, about to speak. Yet, before he could say anything, his gaze was drawn to the bloodstain on Ling Chen¡¯s neck.


    "Ling Cheng, what happened here? Who did this?" Qiu Yong¡¯s tone carried a hint of chill.


    "It¡¯s nothing, just a minor injury; I¡¯ve already handled it." Regarding the recent incidents, Ling Chen didn¡¯t wish to borate further.


    Looking at the time, it was already half-past seven. Ling Chen collected his emotions and smiled, saying, "The martial arts contest starts in half an hour, big brother, let¡¯s head to the venue first."


    Once at the venue, Ling Chen noticed that today¡¯s audience had arrived earlier than usual. By just past seven-thirty, the ce was already fully packed, with everyone eagerly awaiting this morning¡¯s life-or-death contest.


    As one of the key figures, Ling Chen naturally attracted quite a lot of attention.


    "Ling."


    Seeing Song Ge approaching, Ling Chen greeted him with a smile, "Song, you¡¯re early."


    "I didn¡¯t sleep wellst night, thinking about today¡¯s martial arts contest, I really couldn¡¯t calm down," Song Ge¡¯s voice was filled with worry.


    "Song needn¡¯t worry too much, Yi Shuiyan and Han Yu are closely matched in strength. If Ling Cheng could defeat Yi Shuiyan, perhaps he could also defeat Han Yu."


    Hearing Yuan Yun¡¯s words, Song Ge looked puzzledly at Ling Chen. Thetter smiled, shaking his head at him.


    Song Ge¡¯s words to himself, Ling Chen didn¡¯t mention them to Qiu Yong and the others, for fear of making them worry.


    After taking his seat, it wasn¡¯t long before Zhou Jun and Hu Fei walked into the venue side by side and came directly to Ling Chen¡¯s side.


    "Fatty, why are you here?"


    Hu Fei, with aptop in hand, touched the loose fat on his face and said with a grin, "I¡¯m nning to record the entire martial artspetition. If you die, I¡¯ll send the footage to your future wife so she¡¯ll know whom to seek revenge from."


    "Go to hell, not a single good word from you." Ling Chen cursed irritably, "If I really have an ident, it will definitely be because of your curse. If that happens, I won¡¯t spare you even as a ghost."


    "Ling Chen, that Han Yu is not simple, you have to be careful." Zhou Jun kindly reminded.


    "I know."


    Seven fifty.


    Escorted by several middle-aged men, Han Yu entered the venue with his head held high.


    As he passed by the seats of the eight entrics, Han Yu nced at Ling Chen, his gaze cold and sinister with a hint of ferocity, and his slightly upturned lips carried a chilling coldness.


    At that moment, in an inconspicuous corner of the venue, stood two masked women, silently watching the stage, without saying a word.


    At eight o¡¯clock sharp, the host Zhou Qi strode onto the stage, looked around at the spectators and said loudly, "Ladies and gentlemen, I believe everyone is clear about the details of this morning¡¯s martial artspetition, so I won¡¯t repeat them. This is a fight to the death, it won¡¯t end until we see life or death. Han Yu, Ling Chen, you have three minutes to prepare."


    Seeing Ling Chen stand up and leave his seat, Qiu Yong and the others adviced anxiously, "Ling, be very careful."


    Ling Chen smiled and nodded, then headed straight to the stage. Facing Han Yuing towards him, Ling Chen took a deep breath. Thepetition hadn¡¯t even started, yet his palms were already covered in sweat. He tried hard to adjust his mood, but couldn¡¯t quell the anxiety in his heart.


    At this moment, the audience in the stands noticed the weapon carried by Ling Chen and were simultaneously surprised.


    Today, Ling Chen was not using the Tianling de, but instead he had a bow.


    Using a bow and arrow as a weapon in a martial arts arena was unprecedented, never having urred before. Furthermore, sharp-eyed people noticed that the bow was the weapon of the Archer God, Zhang Zhongfeng.


    "If Ling Chen¡¯s archery is one-third as good as Zhang Zhongfeng¡¯s, he might actually defeat Han Yu."


    "That¡¯s not necessarily true, the edge of the stage is only twenty meters, it¡¯s hard for a bow and arrow to be effective. I don¡¯t know what Ling Chen was thinking, using a bow and arrow as his weapon."


    "..."


    "Thepetition, officially begins!"


    Amidst the crowd¡¯s discussions, Zhou Qi¡¯s booming voice rang out. Instantly, the whole venue fell silent, all eyes focused on Ling Chen and Han Yu.


    Han Yu nced at the bow and arrow in Ling Chen¡¯s hands, sneered coldly, and made no effort to hide his disdain.


    "Using a bow and arrow to fight, huh... Ling Chen, are you giving up on yourself? Even if it were Zhang Zhongfeng himself on stage, his archery couldn¡¯t threaten me."


    Upon hearing this, the entire venue was shocked.


    Such arrogant words,pletely disregarding the title of Archer God.


    Ignoring the uproar around him, Han Yu kept his focus on Ling Chen and said with a sneering smile, "Today is a life-and-death fight, but before we start, I¡¯ll give you a chance to live. If you kneel down and kowtow three times before everyone here, I can spare your life and ept your surrender."


    Ling Chen chuckled, "How about this, you kneel and kowtow three times to me, and then call me grandpa. Considering you are my good grandson, I¡¯ll spare your life, how about that?"

 Chapter 468 - 464: Desperate Fight to the Death (Part 1)

    <h4>Chapter 468: Chapter 464: Desperate Fight to the Death (Part 1)</h4><h4></h4>


    "Fine, I want to see if you will still be able to say thatter." Han Yu sneered, his wrist flicking lightly and the scabbard immediately shot out, nailing into a pir outside the arena, prating three inches deep.


    This single move alone elicited exmations from the audience on site.


    At a distance of nearly twenty meters, Han Yu was actually able to shoot the scabbard into the pir. This was no longer just a disy of wrist strength, but a mastery of Inner Strength that was nothing short of perfection.


    Looking at the Longquan Sword in Han Yu¡¯s hands, Ling Chen¡¯s brows furrowed slightly, as his gaze slowly shifted onto Han Yu.


    "Prepare to die!"


    With eyes wide open in anger, Han Yu let out a fierce shout, without the slightest hint of warning, instantly sprung from the spot, flying more than a meter into the air, his sharp Longquan Sword pointing straight at Ling Chen¡¯s brow, the sword momentum swift and unstoppable.


    Seeing Han Yu make his move, Ling Chen, without a second thought, immediately turned and ran towards the edge of the arena. When Ling Chen was about two meters away from the corner of the arena, he leapt with his legs, suspending his body mid-air.


    Immediately after, he twisted his waist, fiercely correcting his body¡¯s position, raising his longbow high in hand, a sharp arrow swiftly nocked onto the bowstring.


    Nocking the arrow, all in one fluid motion.


    Whoosh!


    With a release of his finger, the sharp arrow immediately flew out, shooting towards Han Yu, who had yet tond.


    At this moment, there was less than ten meters between them. The arrow¡¯s speed was as fast as lightning, and in the blink of an eye, it was upon Han Yu. However, Han Yu¡¯s eyes were locked firmly on Ling Chen,pletely disregarding the arrow hurtling through the air.


    Suddenly, Han Yu raised his arm, the agile Longquan Sword like a Spirit Snake lightly flicked.


    ng!


    Before the spectators could even react, a clear ring resounded. Subsequently, an arrow was seen deflecting off in mid-air, falling onto the arena.


    Seeing Han Yu effortlessly deflect the arrow, Ling Chen was taken aback, disbelief evident in his eyes.


    Han Yu had been staring at him all along, not even ncing at the position of the arrow, yet he was able to defend so urately... Could it be... Yes! A thought struck Ling Chen, the Han Yu before him must possess the same ability to discern position by sound, just like himself.


    This is bad!


    With a solemn face, Ling Chen inwardly cursed, not expecting Han Yu to possess such a skill. Had he known earlier, he would not have chosen the bow and arrow as his weapon.


    After his conversation with Song Gest night, Ling Chen, after much deliberation, decided to take a risk and forego the Tianling de in favor of using the bow and arrow for the duel. Firstly, to catch his opponent off guard, and secondly... he knew Han Yu was highly skilled; using a bow and arrow could greatly prevent Han Yu from getting close.


    However, facing Han Yu, who had the ability to discern position by sound, Ling Chen¡¯s archery was greatly hindered. Although his archery skills were personally taught by Archery God Zhang Zhongfeng, he had not practiced for long and was probably less than a tenth as skilled as Zhang Zhongfeng.


    While his thoughts raced, Han Yu somersaulted in mid-air, his Longquan Sword gently touching the ground, using the bounce from the sword¡¯s de, Han Yu¡¯s body soared upwards once again. From the moment he made his move until now, his feet had never touched the ground, soaring in mid-air all this while.


    This disy of skill stunned everyone watching.


    At this moment, Ling Chen, holding his bow and arrow, kept moving around the edge of the arena, trying his best to maintain a distance from Han Yu.


    Whoosh!


    The arrow tore through the air.


    Sadly, it was slightly off the mark, not hitting Han Yu but flying past him instead.


    Ling Chen didn¡¯t utter a word and once again drew an arrow and nocked it on the bowstring, with the arrowhead following Han Yu¡¯s body, seeking an opportunity to release.


    To speak truthfully, Ling Chen¡¯s archery was not at all subpar. During his time at the Ghost Organization, he was known as a sharpshooter with a hit rate nearing one hundred percent on a good day. However, there are subtle differences between marksmanship and archery.


    The velocity of a bullet far surpasses that of an arrow. For firearms, it¡¯s sufficient to simply aim and pull the trigger, but archery is different.


    Because arrows travel slower through the air, it¡¯s necessary to predict the trajectory of the target before releasing. Compared to firearms, archery demands more technical skill.


    Moreover, this longbow, personally crafted by Guo Liang, exuded a sense of steadiness inside and out, was heavy to the touch, and required significant strength to fully draw. Fortunately, Ling Chen had practiced using Zhang Zhongfeng¡¯s bow and arrow for some time and had grown ustomed to it.


    At that moment, Han Yu found an opportunity, his Longquan Sword¡¯s tip tapped on the ground and his body somersaulted mid-air, rapidly closing in on Ling Chen.


    Seeing the situation worsen, Ling Chen immediately retreated and simultaneously released the bowstring.


    However, just like before, Han Yu effortlessly deflected the arrow, posing no threat whatsoever.


    Watching the distance between himself and Han Yu rapidly close, a sense of crisis crept into Ling Chen¡¯s heart. ncing at the quiver of arrows he carried, Ling Chen gritted his teeth and pulled out three arrows at once, nocking them all together on the bowstring.


    He released one arrow and without checking if it hit the target, he released the second... and then the third arrows in quick session.


    The three arrows formed a ¡¯Æ·¡¯ character formation,ing at Han Yu with a sharp wind.


    Faced with three distinct sharp arrows, Han Yu let out a cold snort. His somersaulting body paused slightly mid-air as he gently flicked his wrist, weaving the Longquan Sword in front of him into a sword flower. The pliable de moved like a Spirit Snake extending its tongue, swiftly and urately deflecting each of the three arrows and sending them plummeting to the ground.


    "Ling Chen, with your archery, you think you can hurt me? Hmph! Go back and train for a few more decades," Han Yu sneered condescendingly.


    Ling Chen remained silent, ignoring Han Yu¡¯s sarcasm, and continued to run around the edge of the arena, asionally firing arrows, but all in vain.


    Seeing the dwindling number of arrows in Ling Chen¡¯s quiver, the spectators began to shake their heads.


    At this rate, once Ling Chen¡¯s arrows ran out, he would likely bemb to the ughter, with little chance of turning the tide.


    "Big brother."


    Yuan Yun turned his head, looking worriedly at Qiu Yong beside him.


    Qiu Yong spoke in a deep voice: "Don¡¯t panic; just watch and wait. It¡¯s not time for us to intervene yet."


    "Big brother... look over there." At that moment, Xia Yue signaled everyone with her eyes.


    The crowd looked up and saw several middle-aged men on the opposite seats always watching them, unconcerned with the ongoing fight on the stage.


    "They are from the Han Family," Yuan Yun said, furrowing his brow slightly. "They¡¯re watching to prevent us from intervening."


    "Second brother," Qiu Yong nced at Xu Ming and instructed, "If anything unexpected happenster, you¡¯ll be responsible for protecting Ling Cheng. We¡¯ll handle the Han Family¡¯s people."


    "Understood," Xu Ming nodded.


    As they spoke, the situation on the stage was changing rapidly. Only five arrows were left in Ling Chen¡¯s quiver while Han Yu was ever closer, pressing within ten meters and on the verge of breaking through Ling Chen¡¯s defenses.


    Seeing this, Ling Chen turned and ran backward.


    "Trying to run?"


    Han Yu let out a coldugh, instantly picking up speed, chasing right behind Ling Chen.


    Eight meters... six meters... four meters...


    As the distance between Han Yu and Ling Chen narrowed, everyone¡¯s hearts leapt to their throats.


    Is it going to end now?

 Chapter 469 - 465: Desperate Fight to the Death (Part 2)

    <h4>Chapter 469: Chapter 465: Desperate Fight to the Death (Part 2)</h4><h4></h4>


    However, just as everyone was worrying for Ling Chen, he suddenly stopped in his tracks while running, leaned back, and aimed his bow and arrow at the approaching Han Yu.


    Faced with this sudden change, Han Yu¡¯splexion immediately shifted, not expecting Ling Chen to pull such a move.


    At this moment, there was less than three meters between the two, and at such a close distance, even Han Yu¡¯s quick reflexes couldn¡¯t outspeed the arrow.


    Whoosh!


    Hearing the sound of the bowstring, Han Yu forcibly controlled his body, hastily dodging to the side, narrowly brushing past the arrow. The arrow, missing its target, continued with undiminished force, embedding itself into a pir outside the arena, the shaft vibrating intensely and buzzing loudly.


    What a pity!


    The crowd sighed; it was such a good opportunity, almost a perfect kill. Besides regret, everyone was full of admiration for Ling Chen¡¯s unexpected attack. Had Han Yu not been lucky, Zhou Qi would have already dered the winner.


    "Look."


    At that moment, someone with sharp eyes pointed at the arrow lodged in the pir, calling out a reminder.


    Everyone focused their look, and upon close inspection, noticed a trace of fresh blood on the shaft of the arrow.


    It turned out that the arrow had not missed.


    Does this mean Han Yu was injured?


    In an instant, everyone¡¯s eyes focused on Han Yu. Indeed, at that moment, Han Yunded on his feet, with blood streaming down his left arm, instantly staining his sleeves red.


    However, the arrow did not prate through Han Yu¡¯s arm; it merely grazed the flesh, and the injury was far less severe than the blood made it appear.


    At this point, Han Yu, with a grim expression, stared intensely at Ling Chen, his eyes clearly filled with resentment. He had thought he would easily defeat Ling Chen, but he didn¡¯t expect to be the first to get injured.


    Under everyone¡¯s gaze, Han Yu tore off a strip of cloth from his clothes to bandage the wound on his arm, then picked up the Longquan Sword with his right hand again.


    "This is the first andst time; you won¡¯t have another chance to strike." Han Yu coldly stared at Ling Chen, speaking emphatically.


    This is bad!


    Song Ge, watching from the stands, his face darkened, and his brows filled with worry.


    He knew Han Yu too well; with Han Yu¡¯s temperament, Ling Chen might be in danger.


    As he thought this, Han Yu on the arena held his sword with one hand, his legs bursting from the spot, charging towards Ling Chen.


    Whoosh! Whoosh!


    Apanied by a whooshing sound, two arrows were shot one after the other, aiming to stop the approaching Han Yu.


    Watching the two arrowsing straight at him, Han Yu showed no intention of dodging, and with a light swing of the Longquan Sword in his hand, he split the two arrows in midair.


    So fast!


    Ling Chen was shocked, his right hand quickly reaching for the quiver. However, after shooting so many arrows, there were only two left in the quiver, causing Ling Chen to hesitate slightly in his movements.


    The battle had just started not long ago, and the arrows were being used up faster than he had anticipated. If he couldn¡¯t make thest two arrows count, he would be facing a significant crisis.


    In an instant, Ling Chen¡¯s brief hesitation provided Han Yu an opportunity to close in. By the time he reacted, Han Yu was already within two meters.


    Seeing this, Ling Chen dared not hesitate any longer, quickly drew onest arrow and mounted it on the bowstring, pulling the bow fully, aiming the arrow straight at Han Yu¡¯s face. At such close range, he didn¡¯t believe Han Yu could dodge. Despite risking injury, he was determined to inflict a serious wound on Han Yu, to fight for a glimmer of hope for himself.


    However, just as Ling Chen was about to release his fingers and let the arrow fly, Han Yu¡¯s Longquan Sword suddenly quivered. At the same time, Ling Chen felt as if his longbow had been struck by something and it slightly shifted to the side.


    With the angle of the longbow shifted, the arrow flew past Han Yu¡¯s shoulder and missed again.


    What happened?


    Ling Chen frowned secretly, unsure why his longbow seemed to be influenced by an external force, even though Han Yu was a meter away and couldn¡¯t possibly have touched him.


    As Ling Chen med himself for the error that just urred, Qiu Yong and others in the stands, including Song Ge and Zhou Qi, along with two women in the corner, were all shocked, staring at Han Yu in the arena with disbelief.


    Perhaps Ling Chen didn¡¯t realize what had just happened, but they saw it clearly.


    Release of Inner Strength!


    Han Yu¡¯s Martial Arts cultivation had actually reached this realm, and at such a young age too, it was incredible.


    On the Dragon List, only those who have reached the realm of releasing Inner Strength externally qualify to enter the top five. Even Song Ge, who ranks first on the Neer List, has his strength at most positioned at sixth on the Dragon List because he hasn¡¯t reached that realm.


    "Ling Chen, you¡¯re in danger."


    In an unnoticeable corner of the venue, a masked woman spoke up: "Unless there¡¯s an exception, Ling Chen is undoubtedly doomed in this fight to death."


    "You are the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion Master, you must save his life at all costs."


    "Although I am the Pavilion Master, the rules of this duel were agreed upon by them, recognized by both sides, and witnessed by many. Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion has always pursued justice; we can only try to uphold their rules and cannot deliberately break them. If I let the people of Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion intervene, how would others view us and how can we maintain our reputation for fairness?"


    "Fine, since you refuse to act, I will do it myself."


    "No matter what you n to do, I must remind you that if you intend to break the rules, I will not allow it."


    "Then try and see if you have the power to stop me."


    ...


    Bang!


    At that moment, Ling Chen, who was standing at the edge of the arena, suddenly leapt up and flew out of the ring,nding heavily on the ground.


    In the past, falling out of the arena would mean Ling Chen had lost, but today was different. Today was a fight to the death, and this battle would not stop unless one perished.


    "Don¡¯t lie there and pretend to be dead, get up quickly."


    Han Yu¡¯s cold voice came through, and Ling Chen clenched his teeth, enduring the pain in his body as he slowly stood up and stepped back into the arena.


    "Now do you see the gap between us? In my eyes, you are nothing more than a dog at my mercy."


    Han Yu, with one hand behind his back, pointed the Longquan Sword obliquely at the ground, standing upright with a proud look on his face, his disdain for Ling Chen clearly evident in his eyes.


    Ling Chen took a deep breath to alleviate the pain in his body. It seemed Song Ge¡¯s guess was right, Han Yu¡¯s strength was indeed unfathomable, rightfully cing him at the top of the Neer List.


    Inner Strength released externally... Ling Chen hadn¡¯t expected that Han Yu had indeed reached the realm Song Ge mentioned.


    At this moment, Ling Chen felt a deep sense of powerlessness wash over him. Although his own strength had improved significantly recently, it seemed so trivial in front of Han Yu.


    Hovering on the edge of life and death for so many years, having experienced countless battles, none felt like today, where he couldn¡¯t see even a glimmer of hope.

 Chapter 470 - 466: Desperate Fight to the Death (Part 3)

    <h4>Chapter 470: Chapter 466: Desperate Fight to the Death (Part 3)</h4><h4></h4>


    A battle without hope is the most despair-inducing.


    Ling Chen is now engulfed in such despair. If courage, perseverance, and boldness could make up for everything, Ling Chen would certainly not be stingy. The problem is, in the face of absolute power, everything can be rendered irrelevant.


    Looking at the silent Ling Chen, the smile on Han Yu¡¯s face grew even more smug, as if relishing the feeling of being the center of attention once again.


    In the gaze of everyone present, Han Yu took steps towards Ling Chen, the tip of the Longquan Sword scraping faint sparks from the ground, emitting a crisp nging sound reverberating across the entire venue.


    "Tell me, how do you wish to die? This is yourst choice to make; I advise you to treasure it."


    Hearing Han Yu¡¯s voice rise above the arena, Qiu Yong and others in the seated area were restlessly poised, eyes fixated on Han Yu, ready to leap in for a rescue at any moment. Beside them, Song Ge gripped his sword hilt, his eyes sharp and ready to strike.


    Ling Chen had once aided him, and now that Ling Chen was in danger, he would definitely not stand by and watch him perish.


    "Han Yu," Zhou Qi, standing at the edge of the arena, open his mouth to say: "Mercy to the merciful; there are some things you shouldn¡¯t take to extremes."


    Han Yu turned to nce at Zhou Qi, sneering as he said, "Elder Zhou, I don¡¯t need you to teach me how to conduct my affairs."


    With these words, Han Yu¡¯s gaze returned to Ling Chen, his steps closing in once more.


    Feeling the oppressive force approaching him, Ling Chen tightened his grip on his longbow, his flickering gaze gradually bing steely and fearless.


    Having seen life and death, Ling Chen had long since put concerns of mortality aside. He was not afraid of death; he just loathed a pathetic end. At this juncture, other than fighting to the death, there were no other options left.


    In the blink of a thought, Ling Chen, having made his resolve, slowly raised his head, staring directly at Han Yu¡¯s cold gaze, striding forward without any hint of retreat.


    "Humph!" His action caught in Han Yu¡¯s eyes, instantly turning into a disdainful sneer.


    "Impatient to die, are you? Fine, I¡¯ll oblige!"


    In a sh, the sword light burst forth, with Han Yu¡¯s wrist propelling the Longquan Sword to resonate sharply, its piercing wail enveloping the entire arena, aiming straight for Ling Chen¡¯s neck.


    As the sword tip rapidly erged in his pupils, Ling Chen lightly tapped his toe, cing thest sharp arrow on the bowstring, facing the thrust of the Longquan Sword without flinching.


    What is he trying to do?


    Is he courting death?


    At this sight, everyone stood up from their seats, eyes glued to Ling Chen, expressions of shock on their faces.


    At that moment, the edge of the Longquan Sword was less than a foot away from Ling Chen¡¯s body, its speed zing fast, potentially piercing through Ling Chen¡¯s throat at any moment. At such a close distance, even if Ling Chen wanted to dodge, he couldn¡¯t.


    Suddenly, Ling Chen spread his arms wide, raising the longbow in his hands, the bow fully drawn in a semicircle shape, pointing directly at Han Yu, his Mo Che-like pupils devoid of fear.


    So that¡¯s how it is!


    At this moment, the crowd understood Ling Chen¡¯s intentions.


    He knew he was no match for Han Yu and it was unlikely that he would leave the arena alive, so he chose the most extreme course of action.


    Either mutual destruction or a shared demise.


    Within a distance of less than two meters, even if Han Yu¡¯s Longquan Sword pierced through Ling Chen¡¯s body, he wouldn¡¯t be able to avoid that sharp arrow¡¯s lethal blow.


    Seeing Ling Chen charging straight at him, the cold smile on Han Yu¡¯s face stiffened. All the things that everyone else could understand, how could he not? For a moment, a flicker of hesitation appeared in his eyes.


    Concerning his own life, he dared not gamble; it was too risky. What¡¯s more, he held a significant advantage and could have toyed with Ling Chen until death¡ªthere was no need to take such a risk.


    Thinking this, Han Yu¡¯s advancing footsteps paused slightly, and he shifted to the side, avoiding Ling Chen¡¯s head-on approach.


    He actually gave up!


    Everyone breathed a sigh of relief in unison, relieved that Ling Chen had narrowly escaped disaster for the time being.


    Sometime along the way, everyone began to worry about Ling Chen¡¯s safety. As for Han Yu, although the strength he demonstrated was astonishing, there were few who genuinely wanted to apud and cheer for him.


    At this moment, Ling Chen stood motionless in the center of the arena, his gaze following Han Yu¡¯s steps, constantly changing positions.


    Byparison, Han Yu seemed much more rxed, wandering around Ling Chen as if strolling leisurely in a garden. Suddenly, Han Yu explosively elerated mid-stride, like a gust of wind, and instantly closed the distance to Ling Chen.


    Seeing the flickering figure before him, Ling Chen didn¡¯t even think; he immediately aimed his arrow at the target. However, at that moment, the figure in front of him vanished with a swift shift, disappearing from sight. Before Ling Chen could react, a searing pain suddenly emanated from his arm.


    He turned to look and saw a new sword mark on his left arm, blood seeping through the sleeve and streaming down profusely.


    Turning back to Han Yu, he was already standing three meters away, his face cold, and a mocking smile ying on his lips.


    "I initially wanted to finish this quickly, but since you want to y, I¡¯ll keep youpany till the end." With that said, Han Yuunched another attack, pressing forward.


    Watching Han Yu¡¯s non-stop movement and shifting positions, a heavy feeling settled in Ling Chen¡¯s heart, a tinge of urgency showing on his otherwise calm face. Han Yu was fast, with nimble footing and movements swift as the wind. Every time Ling Chen locked onto a position, Han Yu was already at the next spot, making it impossible to predict his actions.


    When Han Yu approached again, Ling Chen hadn¡¯t yet pinpointed his direction when he felt another pang of pain in his right arm, and another blood mark appeared before his eyes.


    In an instant¡ª


    In less than two minutes, Ling Chen was covered incerations and bloodstains. Facing the ghost-like Han Yu, Ling Chen had no ability to resist, like a fish on a cutting board,pletely at the mercy of another.


    Blood flowed from Ling Chen¡¯s arms and legs, dripping down onto the stage, stark and ring, wrenching at the hearts of onlookers.


    As the duel progressed to this point, many people no longer wished to witness it. In everyone¡¯s minds, this had be a battle with no suspense.


    "Han Yu, if you want to kill him, then kill him. What¡¯s the point of this?"


    Han Yu nced at the person speaking in the stands and nodded, "Since everyone is impatient, let¡¯s end this here." Then, turning to look at Ling Chen in the center of the arena, he said with a mockingugh, "Do you still have the strength to draw your bow?"


    Ling Chen remained silent, his face paling from excessive blood loss. His limbs trembled slightly under the intense sting of his wounds, blood seeping through his fingertips, staining the bow¡¯s grip red.


    As Han Yu took steps toward Ling Chen, Qiu Yong and others in the audience rose from their seats.


    If they didn¡¯t intervene now, Ling Chen would truly be beyond saving.


    However, just as everyone was prepared to rescue Ling Chen from Han Yu¡¯s clutches, a piece of bright red cloth one meter wide, with unknown origins, suddenly appeared in everyone¡¯s line of sight.


    The red cloth flew directly onto the stage, passing between Ling Chen and Han Yu, acting as a distinct boundary separating the two.


    What¡¯s going on?


    Faced with this sudden turn of events, everyone was stunned, their faces full of confusion.

 Chapter 471 - 467: Accident on the Arena

    <h4>Chapter 471: Chapter 467: ident on the Arena</h4><h4></h4>


    At this moment, the number of red cloths increased, shooting towards the stage from all directions, almost enveloping the entire tform.


    At the same time, bright red cloths crisscrossed in midair, converging together, filling the entire venue with vivid colors, giving a surreal feeling.


    At this time, Zhou Qi, who was outside the tform, looked at the changes before him with furrowed brows, ready to shout orders. But before he could speak, a beautiful woman suddenly approached Zhou Qi and whispered a few words in his ear.


    Whatever she said, Elder Zhou¡¯s face instantly changed, bearing aplex expression.


    After the woman left, Zhou Qi shouted towards the noisy stands, "Everyone, please calm down. Take your seats and don¡¯t panic. Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion will handle this." After finishing his words, Zhou Qi turned to look for Han Yu and Ling Chen on the stage. However, the stage was surrounded by red cloths, and no one could be seen.


    "Ling Chen, Han Yu, respond if you can hear me."


    "I¡¯m here."


    "I am here too." Ling Chen¡¯s weak voice followed.


    "Both of you stay put. The martial artspetition is suspended. Without my permission, no one is to act rashly. Han Yu, did you hear me?"


    Han Yu replied indifferently, "Elder Zhou, don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m not in a hurry. Let¡¯s let him live a little longer."


    At this moment, in the center of the tform, surrounded by red cloths, Ling Chen sat down on the ground gasping for air. Since no one could see him, he didn¡¯t need to care so much.


    But, these mysteriously appearing red cloths baffled Ling Chen, with no clue as to what was happening.


    Just as he was pondering, the red cloth above Ling Chen suddenly split open. Before Ling Chen could react, a delicate jade hand reached through the split and grabbed his shoulder, lifting him off the ground.


    "Who..." Ling Chen¡¯s expression changed, about to rebuke, but a hand covered his mouth.


    Smelling the faint fragrance at the tip of his nose and feeling the smooth hand, Ling Chen instantly determined that it was a woman beside him.


    "Stay quiet."


    The familiar voice sounded, and Ling Chen turned his head only to see an exquisitely wless face before his eyes.


    "Porridge girl?"


    Recognizing the person, Ling Chen was momentarily stunned, asking with a look of surprise, "Did you do all this?"


    Porridge girl nodded gently, her beautiful eyes examining the injuries on Ling Chen¡¯s body. Her brows slightly furrowed, and her pale, pretty face showed clear concern.


    "Porridge girl, what are you doing?" Ling Chen curiously looked at her and asked.


    "Stop asking, I¡¯ll treat your wounds first." Saying this, porridge girl took out a porcin bottle from her pocket. She opened the lid, tilted the bottle towards Ling Chen¡¯s wound, and gently shook her wrist.


    As the white powder from the bottle sprinkled on the wound, Ling Chen felt a cool relief. It not only stopped the blood but also eased much of the pain.


    "What medicine is this? It¡¯s quite effective."


    "Golden Cicada Powder, an ancient Chinese medicine form."


    After speaking, porridge girl put away the bottle and looked at Ling Chen seriously, "You¡¯re no match for Han Yu."


    "I know." Ling Chen shrugged his shoulders. At this stage, he had no other options and could only brace himself. To live is luck; to die is fate.


    In his view, thetter was more likely, given the huge gap between him and Han Yu.


    Sensing the concern in porridge girl¡¯s eyes, Ling Chenughed wryly, "It doesn¡¯t matter. If ites to it, I¡¯ll just die."


    "No!" The porridge girl shook her head, speaking firmly, "You can¡¯t die, at least not now."


    Ling Chen grimaced and said, "Do you want me to admit defeat? You¡¯ve also seen Han Yu¡¯s attitude; he would never ept my surrender. By proposing a fight to the death, he intends to kill me. I thought I had the strength to fight him, but little did I know he had hidden his power so deeply."


    "I¡¯m not asking you to admit defeat."


    Hearing this, Ling Chen looked at the porridge girl in confusion and asked, "Then what do you..."


    "I know that unless one of you dies, this battle will not stop. Therefore, you must defeat him."


    "How can I win?" Ling Chen sighed, feeling helpless as he spoke, "Mere belief won¡¯t change anything."


    The porridge girl was silent, gazing at Ling Chen with luminous eyes glittering mysteriously. Suddenly, she changed the subject and asked, "I heard that the Inner Strength mental method you practice is the Prajnaparamita Sutra?"


    Ling Chen nodded, his look towards the porridge girl bearing a trace of surprise.


    "How did you know? I don¡¯t recall mentioning it to you."


    "I have my ways of finding out things. That...Prajnaparamita Sutra..." As she spoke, a faint blush crept across the porridge girl¡¯s pretty face, and her bright eyes filled with shyness, she hesitated, unsure of how to continue.


    Seeing her silence, Ling Chen couldn¡¯t help but press on, "What about the Prajnaparamita Sutra?"


    Forget it!


    Hearing Ling Chen¡¯s voice, the porridge girl bit her thin lips and sighed inwardly.


    He was going to find out sooner orter.


    With this in mind, the porridge girl nced at Ling Chen, whoy on the red cloth, and took out a pill from her pocket, presenting it to him while speaking indifferently, "Eat this."


    "This medicine...ugh..."


    Before Ling Chen could finish, the porridge girl had already forcibly stuffed the pill into his mouth.


    As soon as the pill entered his mouth, it was immediately swallowed with his saliva. Ling Chen stared at the porridge girl, dumbfounded, and asked, "What medicine did you give me?"


    No sooner had he spoken than Ling Chen felt his hands and feet go numb, as if he had lost all sensation, bing incredibly stiff, even unable to move his fingers. Noticing the change in his body, Ling Chen was instantly rmed.


    "Porridge girl, you..."


    "Don¡¯t talk."


    The porridge girl gestured for silence and then took out her handkerchief, gently covering Ling Chen¡¯s face and masking his eyes.


    At this moment, Ling Chen had a myriad of questions racing through his mind, clueless as to what the porridge girl was up to. Between drugging him and covering his face, her actions were shrouded in mystery, utterly baffling. Though he hadn¡¯t known the porridge girl for a long time, Ling Chen believed that she would never harm him.


    As he pondered, the porridge girl quietly unfastened the buttons of her clothes, slipping off her garment amidst the vivid red cloth.


    As her tops fell away, a snow-white body was suddenly revealed in full glory; her graceful figure, willowy waist, and a pair of slender and fair legs radiated an alluring charm.


    Through the veiled fabric, Ling Chen could vaguely make out the porridge girl¡¯s movements, and that wless, delicate body.


    For a moment, Ling Chen¡¯s mind went nk, and he waspletely entranced.


    What...what is she doing?


    Could it be...


    Lost in wild thoughts, the porridge girl¡¯s jade arms were already reaching towards Ling Chen. Tenderly and with a hint of intoxicating shyness, she began gently to unfasten Ling Chen¡¯s clothes.

 Chapter 472 - 468 Dedication

    <h4>Chapter 472: Chapter 468 Dedication</h4><h4></h4>


    At this moment, if Ling Chen still did not understand what porridge girl wanted to do, he would be unworthy of being a man.


    However, facing the actions of porridge girl, Ling Chen was not only shocked but even more puzzled. He couldn¡¯t understand why porridge girl would do such a thing. He remembered that when porridge girl was sparring with He Ziyun, she had told him that she was engaged.


    If she had a fianc¨¦, then why would she still do such a thing? Didn¡¯t she consider her fianc¨¦¡¯s feelings?


    "Porridge girl..."


    Ling Chen was about to speak, but porridge girl¡¯s finger had alreadynded on his lips. Without letting him say anything more, a warm body leaned against him, her impressive bosom pressing tightly against his chest, soft and silky.


    Porridge girl¡¯s face blushed, biting her thin lips, her arms soft as tender lotus roots wrapped lightly around Ling Chen, burying her cheeks in his chest, her eyes brimming with shyness.


    "Why?" Ling Chen swallowed, struggling against the temptation, but his body involuntarily reacted instinctively.


    Porridge girl¡¯s eyebrows lowered, a blush rising on her fair and beautiful face, enchanting and moving, a faint blush spreading over her soft body.


    Watching Ling Chen whose eyes were covered by a cloth strip, porridge girl leaned into his ear and whispered softly, "Don¡¯t ask anymore, you¡¯ll know one day."


    Apanied by a faint moan, their bodies intertwined closely, filled with the aura of spring.


    In the fiery red silk, like the festive candles in a wedding chamber, it witnessed the union of the newlyweds.


    ...


    At this moment, within the venue, everyone was looking at the area around the ring, and the red silks crisscrossed overhead, buzzing with discussions. No one knew exactly what had happened, only seeing members of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion under Zhou Qi¡¯s direction, encircling the ring tightly, preventing anyone from approaching.


    Meanwhile, in an inconspicuous corner of the venue, a masked woman lifted her head and gazed at the gently swaying red silk above, her beautiful eyes unwillingly shimmering with shyness and a hint of hidden bitterness.


    In the blink of an eye.


    A quarter of an hour had passed.


    Everyone was waiting patiently.


    Suddenly, the delicate woman who had appeared next to Zhou Qi reappeared. After a brief conversation, Zhou Qi waved his hand andmanded, "Take down the red silks."


    At themand, the members of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion promptly pulled down the red silks surrounding the ring. Soon, Han Yu and Ling Chen, who had been on the ring the whole time, reappeared before everyone¡¯s eyes.


    "Ladies and gentlemen, there was a little ident just now which the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion has resolved. Now, thepetition will continue."


    As Zhou Qi¡¯s voice fell, everyone¡¯s attention refocused onto Han Yu and Ling Chen. Regardless of the incident just now, what people cared about most was the result of thispetition.


    Han Yu held the Longquan Sword in one hand, his cold gaze fixed on Ling Chen across from him, a faint cold smile hooking at the corner of his mouth: "You should be content for having lived this long."


    Hearing this, Ling Chen nced up at Han Yu, remaining silent, his sharply contoured face showing no signs of emotional fluctuation, like a pool of dead water, filled with a deathly stillness.


    Switching his gaze, Ling Chen looked around, his obsidian-bright pupils shining withplex lights.


    She¡¯s gone!


    Porridge girl had left quietly without a word, which made him feel somewhat forlorn.


    Here and now, it felt like everything that had just urred was like a dream, wonderful, yet not real, his thoughts still immersed in that dream.


    "Be careful!"


    Suddenly, a shout from the stands startled Ling Chen awake. Looking up, he saw Han Yu, holding the Longquan Sword, charging towards him rapidly, closing in within two meters in the blink of an eye.


    Seeing the sharp tip of the sword approaching, Ling Chen lightly tapped his toes, swiftly retreating a few steps backward. Following that, he raised his right hand, drew a bow and aimed an arrow straight at the oing Han Yu.


    Hmph!


    Han Yu sneered, looking disdainfully at the longbow in Ling Chen¡¯s hands, showing no signs of retreat; instead, he quickened his pace.


    Three meters... two meters... As Han Yu kept closing in, Ling Chen still stood tall, maintaining his bow-drawing posture, unflinchingly staring at Han Yu.


    As Han Yu stepped within two meters of Ling Chen, the Longquan Sword he held aloft, plus the length of his arm, put the sword tip less than half a meter from Ling Chen¡¯s face.


    What is he doing?


    Seeing this scene, everyone present was stunned. In such a perilous situation, a matter of life and death was about to be decided, and yet Ling Chen still held his bow and arrow without any intention of dodging.


    Just as everyone was dumbfounded, Ling Chen¡¯s fingers suddenly released.


    Whoosh!


    The long-awaited arrow finally shot out.


    ng!


    Apanied by a crisp sound, the sharp arrow directly hit the tip of the Longquan Sword.


    At that moment, Han Yu, who held the Longquan Sword, had a change in expression. Looking at the slightly trembling de, his face showed a hint of shock.


    What surprised him was not Ling Chen¡¯s uracy, but the Inner Strength contained in the arrow. That force actually traveled through the de and transmitted to his palm, numbing it.


    Impossible!


    Han Yu couldn¡¯t believe it. He thought he had fully assessed Ling Chen¡¯s abilities; with injuries, it was impossible for Ling Chen to exert such powerful strength.


    While in shock, Ling Chen suddenly leaped up from the ground, swiftly closed the distance, and his steel fist thunderously shot out, bringing a roaring wind.


    Seeing the fist closing in, Han Yu immediately gathered his focus, staring intently at the fist, and took a small step back with both feet. Considering the distance between him and Ling Chen, this step would be enough to make Ling Chen¡¯s steel fist miss.


    Indeed!


    Ling Chen¡¯s steel fist stopped less than two inches away from Han Yu.


    "It¡¯s my turn now."


    Han Yu curled the corners of his mouth, and with a light flick of his wrist, the Longquan Sword swiftly sliced towards Ling Chen¡¯s arm.


    However, just then, a strong force suddenly burst out from Ling Chen¡¯s fist. It traveled through the air and fiercely struck Han Yu.


    Caught off guard, Han Yu¡¯s body jerked backward and he instantly flew out,nding awkwardly on the tform.


    Such an unexpected turn of events stunned everyone.


    Is this... the external release of Inner Strength?


    How is that possible!


    Just a moment ago under Han Yu¡¯s attack, Ling Chen seemed powerless and was covered in wounds. But in such a short time, Ling Chen¡¯s strength had erupted to this level, almost reaching the realm of externalizing Inner Strength.


    Could it be... like Han Yu, Ling Chen had been hiding his true strength all along?


    At this moment, the most emotionally fluctuating ones must be Qiu Yong and the others. Seeing Ling Chen suddenly grow stronger, everyone was both shocked and thrilled. Regardless of what changes had urred in Ling Chen, at least they saw a glimmer of hope.


    "How... How did you do this?" Han Yu incredulously looked at Ling Chen, his eyes flickering uncertainly.

 Chapter 473 - 469: The Number One Rookie

    <h4>Chapter 473: Chapter 469: The Number One Rookie</h4><h4></h4>


    "Wanna know? Beg me."


    Upon hearing Ling Chen¡¯s teasing words, Han Yu¡¯s expression suddenly turned cold.


    He dared to propose a deathmatch to Ling Chen because he was confident in his own strength. With his hidden prowess, he could easily annihte Ling Chen. But now, the situation was wildly beyond his expectations.


    Ling Chen¡¯s martial arts realm had actually reached the level of projecting inner strength externally, which dealt a great blow to his confidence.


    Who would have thought that this guy was concealing even more deeply than himself? From a sure win to a fifty-fifty situation, how could he not be worried?


    During his contemtion, watching Ling Chen approach step by step, Han Yu¡¯s eyes shed fiercely, his expression as somber as water.


    "Come on, continue."


    Ling Chen hooked his finger, gesturing Han Yu to make a move.


    "Don¡¯t be arrogant in front of me, you¡¯re not worthy." As the words fell, Han Yu let out a thunderous shout, pushed off the ground suddenly with both feet, and leaped up high like a great roc spreading its wings, rushing towards Ling Chen at breakneck speed.


    Seeing the Longquan Sword stabbing down from above, Ling Chen lightly moved his feet, shifting positions while dodging the long sword¡¯s attacks.


    After several strikes missed, Han Yu¡¯s face grew uglier and uglier. Without waiting for Ling Chen to counterattack, he advanced with his sword again, pressing step by step, not giving Ling Chen a chance to fight back.


    Seeing Ling Chen continuously retreating under Han Yu¡¯s onught, the crowd couldn¡¯t help but worry.


    Although Ling Chen¡¯s sudden burst of strength was eye-catching, he was at a disadvantage in terms of weaponry. And his arrows were all used up; he only had a longbow in hand, which was of no use. If he couldn¡¯t solve this problem, the risk Ling Chen was facing would undoubtedly be far greater.


    Just then, a scene that yed out on the stage made everyone stand up in unison, their faces showing disbelief and shock as they looked at Ling Chen.


    Under Han Yu¡¯s frenzied offensive, the originally disadvantaged Ling Chen suddenly seized the opportunity and used the bowstring of the longbow to entangle the de of the Longquan Sword.


    The Longquan Sword was sharp indeed, but the longbow in Ling Chen¡¯s hands was personally forged by the master artisan Guo Liang, even a simple bowstring was tempered through a thousand hammerings.


    "Release!"


    Ling Chen softly shouted and pulled hard on the longbow, forcibly yanking the Longquan Sword from Han Yu¡¯s hands.


    With the long sword snatched away, Han Yu¡¯s face instantly turned pale as he hurriedly closed in, trying to take back the Longquan Sword. However, Ling Chen, having finally seized the sword, was not about to give him the chance.


    Not allowing Han Yu toe close, Ling Chen twisted on the ball of his foot, unleashing a sweeping leg kick that forced Han Yu back several steps.


    It¡¯s over!


    Everyone gloated over Han Yu¡¯s predicament.


    Without the Longquan Sword, Han Yu¡¯s advantage had vanished. Everyone knew that Han Yu¡¯s greatest strengthy in his swordsmanship, not hand-to-handbat. On the other hand, Ling Chen, especially in the previous fights, such as the deathmatch with Yi Shuiyan, demonstrated his brutal and ruthless hand-to-hand skills, filled with malice and murderous intent.


    If it came down to just hand-to-handbat, Han Yu would likely be no match for Ling Chen.


    As everyone anticipated the turning of the tables, Ling Chen, with one hand holding the bow and the other wielding the Longquan Sword, looked at Han Yu with a calm gaze.


    "Come again!"


    Faced with Ling Chen¡¯s provocation, Han Yu stood at the edge of the stage with a darkened face, hesitating and lingering, not daring to make a move.


    Seeing this, Ling Chen took a big step forward and actively walked towards Han Yu.


    Seeing Ling Chen closing in step by step, Han Yu finally lost hisposure, retreating continuously around the edge of the tform.


    Suddenly, Han Yu clenched his teeth, turned around violently, and leaped off the tform, sprinting away from the event.


    "I concede defeat in today¡¯s battle. Ling Chen, mountains remain unchanged, rivers flow forever, remember this!"


    As Han Yu¡¯s words echoed throughout the venue, everyone present was stunned. They had not expected Han Yu to act so shamelessly, not only giving up the duel but also fleeing directly.


    Watching Han Yu¡¯s retreating figure, Ling Chen silently ced the Longquan Sword on his bow, drawing the bow fully.


    Whoosh!


    Apanied by a whooshing sound, the Longquan Sword shot out instantly.


    "Young Master, be careful!"


    The Han Family members who came with Han Yu saw Ling Chen¡¯s sudden move, their faces changed dramatically, and they quickly cried out in warning.


    By this time, Han Yu had no idea what was happening behind him. Hearing the voice of his family from the back, he instinctively turned around, only to see a sh of sword light.


    Before he could react, the sword light pierced directly through his chest, impaling his body.


    Looking at the Longquan Sword in his chest, Han Yu¡¯s face gradually turned pale. He lifted his head, looking nkly towards Ling Chen on the tform, his mouth twitching slightly as if he wanted to say something. However, before he could speak, his body fell straight down, eyes wide open, motionless on the ground.


    Dead?


    For a moment, the venue was dead silent. Although no one had much affection for Han Yu, the shock was undeniable when they saw him killed by Ling Chen.


    There had never been a death in the Heavenly Mechanism Great Ceremony before, but this session had undoubtedly broken precedent.


    "Ling Chen, how dare you kill our young master, I¡¯ll fight you to the death."


    Several Han Family members in the seating area red at Ling Chen, with hatred in their eyes, they rushed to the tform, determined to kill Ling Chen to avenge their young master.


    "Stop!" At this moment, Zhou Qi¡¯s cold voicemanded, "Han Yu¡¯s death was his own doing. Agreeing to a fight to the death, you should have anticipated this oue. Anyone who dares to disrupt the rules and seek private revenge against Ling Chen, don¡¯t me Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion for being merciless."


    With these words, the faces of the Han Family turned very ugly.


    Zhou Qi¡¯s intent was clear; they could not seek revenge against Ling Chen now or even after the Heavenly Mechanism Great Ceremony ended. Otherwise, it would be opposing the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion.


    They were well aware that Zhou Qi¡¯s sudden show of force had a lot to do with Han Yu¡¯s death. Had Han Yu lived, his future in martial arts would have been boundless, and the talent-valuing Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion would naturally have granted certain concessions. Now with Han Yu dead, there was no need for the pavilion to give any face to the Han Family.


    "Get down!"


    Hearing Zhou Qi¡¯s scolding, the Han Family members looked poisonously at Ling Chen, wishing they could y him on the spot. However, facing the intimidation from Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, the Han Family ultimately did not dare to act, sadly descending from the tform and removing Han Yu¡¯s body from the venue.


    After they left, Zhou Qi stepped onto the tform, looked around at the audience, and announced aloud, "I dere that Ling Chen is the victor of this battle; he will face Song Ge in the final duel..."


    "Elder Zhou."


    Song Ge rose from his seat, smiling as he said, "As everyone has seen the duel just now, I think there¡¯s no need to continue."


    Zhou Qi, with a surprised look, asked, "You¡¯re giving up?"


    "Indeed," Song Ge nodded, "First ce, Ling Chen truly deserves it."

 Chapter 474 - 470: Mr. Yun Crashes the Conference (Part 1)

    <h4>Chapter 474: Chapter 470: Mr. Yun Crashes the Conference (Part 1)</h4><h4></h4>


    "Alright then." Zhou Qi hesitated for a moment and said, "Since this is your decision, I respect your choice." As he finished speaking, Zhou Qi turned to look at Ling Chen and smiled, "Mr. Ling, congrattions on winning the championship of the rookiepetition in this Heavenly Mechanism Great Ceremony."


    Ling Chen smiled lightly, gratefully ncing at Song Ge. He was indeed surprised by Song Ge¡¯s voluntary forfeiture.


    "Ladies and gentlemen, the top three neers have been determined. First ce, Ling Chen. Second ce, Song Ge. Given Han Yu¡¯s death, this rookiepetition will only have the top two. ording to the rules of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, and the agreement between Ling Chen and Han Yu, the rewards for both the first and third ce will go to Ling Chen."


    Hearing this, everyone envied Ling Chen. One man receiving two generous awards was unprecedented.


    "Ling Chen."


    At this moment, Hu Fei, sitting next to Qiu Yong, waved at Ling Chen on the stage, a look of urgency on his face.


    "Elder Zhou, I¡¯ll be right back." After saying that, Ling Chen quickly returned to his seat and asked Hu Fei, "Fatty, what¡¯s wrong?"


    "There¡¯s been an incident."


    Hu Fei fiddled with theptop on hisp, whispering, "Remember I told you the other day that someone hacked into the ship¡¯sputer system? Just now, that person logged into the system again and shut down the ship¡¯s signal jamming device."


    "Did you find the person¡¯s location?"


    "Wait!" Hu Fei rapidly typed on the keyboard, bringing up a series of codes. After a moment, Hu Fei, who was intently staring at theputer screen, suddenly changed his expression, rubbing his eyes as if he doubted what he saw.


    Unable to restrain his impatience, Ling Chen urged, "Did you find it?"


    "Found it." Hu Fei nodded, but his tone was somewhat odd.


    "Where?"


    "The cockpit."


    "What?" Ling Chen was taken aback. The cockpit was staffed by personnel hired by Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion; an outsider would certainly be detected unless... Realizing the potential situation, Ling Chen felt uneasy.


    "Fatty, you and Zhou Jun hurry to the cockpit and check it out."


    "Okay." Hu Fei and Zhou Jun responded in agreement.


    However, just as they were about to get up and leave, a well-dressed, refined middle-aged man suddenly appeared outside the venue, followed by more than thirty people.


    Seeing the middle-aged man leading the group, Ling Chen¡¯s pupils constricted, his face showing a hint of shock.


    It was him.


    Mr. Yun!


    How could he appear here? Could it be... Recalling Hu Fei¡¯s words, Ling Chen¡¯splexion turned. Could it be that the cockpit was already under the control of Mr. Yun¡¯s men?


    At this moment, Mr. Yun, strolling leisurely, walked into the venue surrounded by his subordinates. Facing the gaze of everyone present, Mr. Yun said with a mild smile, "What a lively event. I heard that the Heavenly Mechanism Great Ceremony is a grand gathering in the Martial Arts of Huaxia, and indeed its reputation is well-deserved."


    Zhou Qi frowned at Mr. Yun and his followers, and said sternly, "Who are you?"


    "People call me Mr. Yun, and you may do the same."


    "Mr. Yun? Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion did not invite someone like you. How did you get on board?"


    "I have my ways." As he finished speaking, Mr. Yun nced over everyone present, his gaze finally settling on Ling Chen, his smile neither warm nor genuine, "Ling Chen, we meet again."


    Upon hearing this, everyone turned their eyes towards Ling Chen, not expecting them to know each other.


    Zhou Qi asked, "Ling Chen, do you know who he is?"


    "He is from the God Organization."


    God Organization!


    Zhou Qi¡¯s expression shifted, his aged eyes suddenly shing with sharpness and vignce as he looked at Mr. Yun.


    "Our Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion has always kept to itself, separate from the God Organization. What are you up to?"


    "Nothing much, I just want to make a deal with Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion and with everyone present."


    "Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion rejected your proposal many years ago, we have no interest in cooperating with you. Please take your people and leave immediately. Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion does not wee uninvited guests."


    Mr. Yun said with a smirk, "What if I don¡¯t leave?"


    "Then don¡¯t me me for being impolite. Guards!"


    At themand, Zhong Yang immediately arrived with more than a dozen members of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion.


    Seeing the other party ready to take action, Mr. Yun¡¯s subordinates immediately raised their weapons, aiming at the foreheads of Zhong Yang and his men. Zhong Yang instinctively stopped in his tracks, not daring to move forward.


    They were unarmed, how could they confront these people with force? Even with skill in martial arts, they dared not to act recklessly.


    Mr. Yunughed triumphantly, "Gentlemen, I advise you not to act recklessly, otherwise my little devices don¡¯t have eyes. If someone gets hurtter, don¡¯t me me for not warning you."


    Zhou Qi spoke coldly, "Are you bullying us because you think Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion has no one capable?"


    "No, no!" Mr. Yun shook his head, "I absolutely do not mean that. On the contrary, I know the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion is full of talented people. If it wasn¡¯t for this reason, I wouldn¡¯t have put so much effort intoing here to see all of you." He paused, then continued, "I admit, the virus incident a while ago was caused by me, but I had no intention of harming anyone. Even if Ling Chen hadn¡¯t found a solution, I would not have let you die."


    "What exactly do you want?"


    "It¡¯s simple, I want to cooperate. Additionally, let me make it clear that you would be working with me, not with the God Organization."


    Zhou Qi, frowning, said, "I don¡¯t see much difference between the two."


    "Of course, there¡¯s a difference, but you don¡¯t need to know right now." As he spoke, Mr. Yun looked at everyone present, his lips curling into a slight smile, "I know you are all unhappy with my previous actions, but no worries, I believe you will agree to my proposal."


    "Mr. Yun, do you think you can threaten us with these people?" Ling Chen spoke up.


    "No, I am well aware of everyone¡¯s abilities; these people are only here to ensure my safety, not to target you. However, let me be frank with you all, I have installed six bombs on this ship. If I detonate them, no matter how skilled you are, you won¡¯t be able to escape. So, I hope you consider carefully whether you want to live or be buried at sea. The choice is yours."


    The crowd was taken aback by these words, and the calm on their faces vanished in an instant.


    "Ling Chen."


    Hu Fei said quietly, "I just checked, and there are six unknown signals under the ship, which must be the bombs he mentioned."


    "Is there a way to disarm them?"


    "Those bombs are controlled by signals. They hacked into the ship¡¯s system to shut down the signal jamming device, to avoid interfering with the explosives¡¯ signals."

 Chapter 475 - 471 Mr. Yun Crashes the Conference (Part 2)

    <h4>Chapter 475: Chapter 471 Mr. Yun Crashes the Conference (Part 2)</h4><subtxt> "Fatty, is there a way to continue blocking the bomb signal?"


    "It¡¯s possible, but only if I can take control of the system on the ship to reactivate the signal blocking device," said Hu Fei, staring intently at hisptop screen with a troubled look. "However, they have already taken control of the system, and taking it back from them might take some time."


    Ling Chen nodded and said, "Go ahead and do it, and I¡¯ll try to buy you some time."


    In the midst of speaking, Zhou Qi¡¯s voice came from the stage, asking in a deep tone, "What kind of cooperation do you have in mind?"


    Mr. Yun replied with a faint smile, "I hope you can help me with a few matters. Once everything is settled, I will certainly not let you down. Whether you desire fame or profit, I¡¯ll do my utmost to satisfy all of you. How about that?"


    "Not interested."


    The voice emerged, and Mr. Yun turned to look at Ling Chen in the audience seating, saying with a mocking smile, "Ling Chen, I¡¯m afraid you don¡¯t have the luxury to refuse right now, unless you want to die here."


    "Mr. Yun, have you ever considered your daughter in your actions? If she learns what you¡¯ve done, her character suggests she will nevere to terms with it."


    Shaking his head, Mr. Yun retorted, "You don¡¯t need to pressure me with her, as I have never regretted choosing this path. Plus, I don¡¯t care whether she understands me or not." Turning to face Zhou Qi, Mr. Yun continued, "I¡¯ll give you three minutes to think. If you can¡¯t give me a satisfactory answer, don¡¯t me me for being ruthless."


    Hearing this, Ling Chen frowned silently, his gaze sweeping across the fully armed team members, pondering his options.


    Over thirty people, each armed with guns. Their positioning showed they were experiencedbatants, keeping Mr. Yun protected in the center, watching everyone on the stage. Any sudden movements would be immediately noticed.


    Capturing them all in a short span of time was a daunting task. Moreover, even if they subdued Mr. Yun, it would do nothing to resolve the current crisis. As long as the bomb remained active, their lives were in constant danger.


    Mr. Yun had likelye to terms with life and death by showing up in person.


    To fail was to perish.


    "Fatty, how¡¯s it going?" After much deliberation, Ling Chen could only ce his hope in Hu Fei. If the signal-blocking device could be reactivated, other concerns wouldn¡¯t matter as much.


    Hu Fei wiped the sweat from his forehead, his fingers flying across the keyboard. Suddenly, his expression changed, and he cursed, "Damn it."


    "I¡¯ve been discovered."


    "What?"


    "They¡¯ve found out that I¡¯m trying to take control of the system, and they¡¯ve taken the entire ship¡¯s system offline. I can¡¯t even log in now."


    "What should we do?"


    Hu Fei gave a wry smile and said, "No choice, unless we can get into the cockpit and reboot the system."


    After a moment of thought, Ling Chen turned to Zhou Jun and asked, "Are there any other exits in this hall?"


    "Yes," Zhou Jun replied, pointing towards the back. "That door there leads to the serving room. There¡¯s a freight elevator in the serving room that goes straight to the cargo hold."


    "I¡¯ll find a way to distract those men. You hurry to the cockpit," said Ling Chen, still somewhat uneasy. After all, the cockpit was under the control of Mr. Yun¡¯s men, who likely had heavy firepower. Zhou Jun and Hu Fei alone might not stand a chance. Thinking it over, Ling Chen couldn¡¯t help but turn his gaze towards Song Ge.


    Understanding his intention without a word, Song Ge nodded and said, "I¡¯ll go with them."


    "Be careful," Ling Chen responded.


    Then, Ling Chen stood up, flipped over the seating area, and headed straight towards Mr. Yun.


    "Stop!"


    Seeing Ling Chen approach, a fewbatants looked at him warily, aiming their guns at his forehead as they shouted sharply.


    Facing the dark muzzles, Ling Chen remained fearless and continued towards Mr. Yun.


    Bang!


    A crisp gunshot rang out, and a spark flew up right beside Ling Chen¡¯s foot.


    "If you dare to take one more step forward, the next bullet won¡¯t miss," the other party dered coldly.


    Ling Chen pointed to his forehead with a challenging expression and said, "If you dare, shoot here."


    "Enough!" Mr. Yun waved his hand to signal his men to hold their fire. He then looked at Ling Chen and said, "I don¡¯t want to hurt you, but don¡¯t push your luck. To me, your worth lies only in ensuring my daughter¡¯s safety. And you¡¯re not my only option. If you die, I will find someone else to protect my daughter, so you¡¯d better behave."


    "You keep mentioning your daughter. Have you ever thought about what will happen to her if your identity is exposed? Given your status, you must have a lot of enemies. And if she finds out what you¡¯ve been up to, she¡¯ll likely never forgive you. Also, don¡¯t tell me you don¡¯t care¡ªif you truly didn¡¯t, you wouldn¡¯t be going to great lengths to ensure her safety. You gave us three minutes to think, and now I will give you three minutes to consider your options. Either leave with your men, and I¡¯ll act as if nothing happened. Otherwise, if I leave here alive, I will surely tell her everything."


    Mr. Yun¡¯s face became stern as he said, "Are you threatening me?"


    "You can take it that way."


    "Fine," Mr. Yun replied, his tone icing over. "In that case, don¡¯t me me for not beingpassionate. Kill him!"


    At hismand, a team member quickly aimed at Ling Chen¡¯s forehead, his finger lightly squeezing the trigger.


    "Hey!"


    However, at that moment, anguid voice suddenly came from the satellite phone in Ling Chen¡¯s hand behind his back.


    Hearing that familiar voice, Mr. Yun¡¯s expression shifted, and he quickly pressed down the muzzle of the gun.


    Ling Chen grinned and brought the satellite phone in front of him, speaking casually, "Wanqing, do you know who I¡¯m with right now?"


    "Who?"


    "Mr. Yun. I just found out. Mr. Yun has another identity. Do you want to know what it is?"


    "What identity?"


    Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s voice came from the satellite phone, causing Mr. Yun¡¯splexion to turn sour as he coldly ordered, "Take his phone away."


    On hismand, twobatants rushed towards Ling Chen, reaching to snatch the satellite phone from his hand.


    Seeing their actions, a sharp gleam shed in Ling Chen¡¯s eyes, apanied by a chilly coldness.


    "Wanqing, I have something to do, I¡¯ll talk to youter."


    The moment the call ended, Ling Chen tossed the satellite phone straight at the face of one of the men. Then, without waiting for them to react, he quickly struck out with his fists,nding heavy, solid punches on both men.</subtxt>

 Chapter 476 - 472: Zhu Hong Reappears

    <h4>Chapter 476: Chapter 472: Zhu Hong Reappears</h4><h4></h4>


    Ling Chen, now sessfully promoted to the Dragon List, is unmatched in closebat. Even more than thirty people together are not his opponent, let alone two. Those two didn¡¯t even have the chance to shoot before Ling Chen easily subdued them. Moreover, all of this happened in the blink of an eye, not giving them a chance to react.


    "Stop!"


    When the crowd turned around and saw theirpanions subdued by Ling Chen, severalbat team members immediately rushed forward with their guns and shouted coldly: "Let them go now."


    If Ling Chen hadn¡¯t been blocked by hispanions, they would have shot without hesitation.


    "Rx, I won¡¯t harm them, but..." At this point, Ling Chen¡¯s lips curled into an intriguing smile.


    ng!


    A crisp sound came from the ground. Thebat team members looked down and saw a grenade rolling from Ling Chen¡¯s feet.


    "Get down!"


    The pupils of the men sharply contracted as they yelled and threw themselves to the ground.


    Boom!


    The floor immediately exploded, creating arge hole, with mes sttering everywhere, sending numerous wooden splinters flying. Fortunately, the explosion was more than ten meters away from the stands, so the st wave did not harm the spectators.


    Right at the moment of the explosion, Mr. Yun was quickly covered by his subordinates, thus avoiding any injuries. However, those closer to the explosion weren¡¯t so lucky; they were left wounded and disheveled by the wooden splinters.


    Before the crowd could recover from the st, two smoke grenades were tossed in, falling from the sky into the crowd. In an instant, thick white smoke enveloped everyone.


    In the midst of the dense smoke, Zhang Zhongfeng stood up from his seat, holding his longbow horizontally, his eyes half-closed. Meanwhile, Yang Chen pricked up his ears, listening attentively to the sounds in the smoke before rying the position to Zhang Zhongfeng.


    As the smoke gradually dissipated, three members of thebat squad raised their heads and hurriedly helped Mr. Yun to his feet.


    "Boss, are you alright?"


    Mr. Yun frowned, shook his head, and scanned the surroundings. When he saw over twenty dead bodies before him, his facial expression changed drastically.


    So many subordinates killed silently. Moreover, most of them had arrows stuck in their bodies.


    "Mr. Yun, your people are almost gone, aren¡¯t you going to surrender?" Zhou Qi asked coldly.


    At this, Mr. Yun suddenly smiled, pping his hands in appreciation: "Not bad, truly formidable. My choice was not wrong. If you join me, I can indeed be much stronger."


    Zhou Qi snorted lightly: "I advise you to stop dreaming. No one here will submit to you."


    Mr. Yun calmly said, "I dared toe here today already prepared to face life or death. If I can¡¯t seed, I¡¯m ready to die together. Having you as my funeralpanions would make my death worthwhile." After saying this, he nced at his watch, "You have one minute left to make a decision."


    While they were talking, Ling Chen scanned the seats and noticed that Song Ge, Zhou Jun, and Hu Fei had already disappeared.


    One minute, hoping they could make it in time.


    Meanwhile, the trio of Song Ge was in the cargo elevator heading to the cargo hold.


    With Zhou Jun who knew the area leading, they saved a lot of time and quickly headed for the cockpit.


    On the deck, as they ran, the three suddenly heard a buzzing sound from mid-air. Zhou Jun looked up and saw a helicopter flying towards them. Beneath the helicopter, somethingrge, about two meters tall and shining with metallic luster, was dangling from a rope.


    "What is that?" Zhou Jun murmured to himself.


    Song Ge nced and said in a serious tone, "Never mind that, we have more important things to do. I¡¯ll take care of those in the cockpit first, you guys hurry over." Saying this, Song Ge lightly tapped his toes and swiftly climbed up the side of the ship.


    In the venue, Ling Chen looked directly at Mr. Yun, surrounded by the members of thebat team, and asked, "You said earlier that this cooperation represents you personally, not the God Organization. What does that mean?"


    "Don¡¯t you think you ask too many questions?"


    Ling Chen shrugged and said, "Since we¡¯re all going to die, you might as well satisfy my curiosity before I die."


    Mr. Yun responded indifferently, "You don¡¯t need to know that."


    During their conversation, a person suddenly appeared at the entrance of the venue. To be precise, it was a person d in armor. The body, limbs, and head were all covered by armor tes, obscuring any real features, resembling a humanoid machine, stepping into the venue one stride at a time.


    As the humanoid machine entered the venue, everyone¡¯s attention was drawn to it.


    "Is this a new type of weapon developed by your God Organization?" Ling Chen asked, frowning.


    "No, he became like this, thanks to you."


    "He?" Ling Chen¡¯s mind stirred, thoughtfully looking at the humanoid machine, pausing after each word: "The ¡¯he¡¯ you mentioned, could it be..."


    "Ling Chen, we meet again."


    Before Ling Chen could finish speaking, a hoarse voice suddenly emanated from the humanoid machine. Even though the voice had changed significantly, Ling Chen felt a sense of familiarity.


    Thinking of the owner of the voice, Ling Chen¡¯s face slightly shifted, his tone filled with disbelief.


    "It¡¯s you? Zhu Hong!"


    How is this possible!


    Back then on that ind, the entire ind was obliterated by the explosion. Under such circumstances, the chances of escaping were almost nil, yet Zhu Hong had survived.


    He had assumed Zhu Hong was dead all this time. For this, he had always felt guilty every time he saw Zhu Xiaozhu, unsure how to face her.


    After a brief moment of stupefaction, Ling Chenposed himself and looked at the humanoid machine, saying, "Since you¡¯re alive, why not show your true face? Hiding in that armor, are you ashamed to be seen?"


    "You¡¯re right, he indeed has no face to show now," Mr. Yun added. "When I found him, his body was severely burned and badly damaged. Not only was his appearance ruined, but he also lost the ability to walk, so I had a special suit of armor made for him that he could survive with the help of the Life Support System inside."


    "Living like this, if it were me, I¡¯d rather die."


    "You¡¯re right," Zhu Hong said coldly. "I thought about dying, but until I¡¯ve exacted my revenge, no matter the cost, I will keep living."


    "Revenge?" Ling Chen narrowed his eyes and nodded lightly: "Alright, since you want revenge on me, I¡¯m ready to confront it to the end."

 Chapter 477 - 473 Zhou Qi’s Strength

    <h4>Chapter 477: Chapter 473 Zhou Qi¡¯s Strength</h4><h4></h4>


    "Revenge is only a matter of time, but I don¡¯t want you to die yet, that would be too easy for you. I want you to watch firsthand as your friends die one by one in front of you, to taste the pain and torment that I¡¯ve endured," Zhu Hong said through gritted teeth, his tone filled with immense hatred.


    Ling Chen furrowed his brows and said in a deep voice, "You¡¯re forcing me to kill you."


    Zhu Hong smirked coldly, "Do you think you have the ability to kill me now?"


    "Let¡¯s find out." As soon as he finished speaking, Ling Chen lightly tapped with the tip of his foot and charged straight towards Zhu Hong. When he got close, his fist tightened, Inner Strength converged, and he fiercelyunched a punch, hitting the armored surface.


    However, under Ling Chen¡¯s full-force blow, the thick armor surface only dented slightly and did not cause serious damage. This oue immediately surprised Ling Chen, thinking about how hard the armor was. He had originally thought it was just ayer of iron sheet, not expecting it to be this terrifyingly hard.


    Watching Ling Chen¡¯s astonished face, Zhu Hongughed triumphantly, "This armor is made from tank armor, did you really think your fists could break through its defense? Hah! Wishful thinking. And thanks to that exoskeleton armor, this armor is the ultimate weapon created based on it."


    ng!


    Right after Zhu Hong finished speaking, a sharp arrow suddenly flew from mid-air, striking the armor, prating three inches deep, and directly tearing through the armor¡¯s defense.


    Seeing this scene, the crowd couldn¡¯t help but exim and turned their gazes towards Zhang Zhongfeng.


    The fact that an arrow could prate the armor was truly unbelievable; the force needed to do so must have been immense.


    "It seems that your armor isn¡¯t much after all," Ling Chen said mockingly.


    Zhu Hong, frustrated and agitated, said, "Fine, I want to see how capable you all really are." After speaking, a gun barrel suddenly extended from the side of his mechanical arm and aimed at the eight entrics in the seating area.


    As the gun barrel slowly turned, a string of fire snakes instantly spat out, and bullets crazily shot towards the seating area.


    In the blink of an eye, the front rows of seats were filled with numerous dense bullet holes. Thankfully, just before Zhu Hong opened fire, Qiu Yong and the others had already dodged to the sides, crawling on the ground, avoiding being hit by bullets. However, although they narrowly escaped, the people sitting in the back rows were not so lucky; their bodies were instantly prated by bullets, blood flowing freely.


    "Stop!"


    Hearing Mr. Yun¡¯s voice, Zhu Hong stopped firing and sneered, "Who else wants to try?"


    "Very well!" Zhou Qi stared coldly at Mr. Yun, holding back his anger, "Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion originally did not want to engage in a conflict with you, but since you hold no regard for Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion and dare to act recklessly on our territory, don¡¯t me us for being impolite."


    As soon as he finished speaking, without waiting for Mr. Yun to respond, Zhou Qi suddenly shed, disappearing from his spot. By the time everyone realized what happened, they heard a loud ¡¯bang¡¯ near their ears.


    Immediately after, the humanoid armor Zhu Hong wore suddenly flew up, crashing heavily to the ground with a loud ng of metal.


    This sudden change immediately covered Ling Chen¡¯s face with shock. He had been standing right next to Zhu Hong, so he felt it most vividly. By his estimation, the armor on Zhu Hong weighed at least a thousand pounds, but in the light attack by Zhou Qi, it was directly blown away; such strength was certainly not something a Dragon List expert possessed.


    Could it be... Thinking of his spection, Ling Chen looked at Zhou Qi with a trace of awe in his eyes.


    Earthly List expert!


    The Zhou Qi in front of him was definitely an Earthly List expert.


    It makes sense, seeing as the Heavenly Mechanism Great Ceremony is such an important event, the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion would surely arrange for someone capable of keeping the peace to preside over it. No wonder that reckless Zhou Jun could act without a care, having a grandfather who is an Earthly List expert backing him, who would dare not show him some respect.


    Watching Zhu Hong climbing up from the ground, Ling Chen sneered secretly. This guy was asking for trouble, of all people to provoke, he had to provoke a master from the Earthly List.


    Seeing Zhu Hong stand up again, Zhou Qi snorted coldly and walked over again.


    "Stop!" Mr. Yun¡¯s face hardened, fearing the situation would spiral out of control, he quickly shouted aloud.


    Zhou Qi looked at him expressionlessly and said word by word, "I¡¯ll tell you, the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion has never been afraid of threats. Anyone who dares to do this has only two ends, either death or a death without a ce to be buried. You have already vited the taboo of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion. For people like you, Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion will neverpromise."


    Hearing this, Mr. Yun no longer had the pleasant demeanor he had earlier, and said sternly, "Do you want us to perish together, to exchange so many lives for mine?"


    "I can¡¯t decide for them; it¡¯s their business how they choose to act. Even if they are willing topromise with you, I have nothing more to say, I¡¯m just telling you the stance of Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion. No matter what the oue is today, you will face the furious retaliation of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion."


    "Well said." Ling Chen pped his hands and looked at Mr. Yun, whose face was ashen, "You probably didn¡¯t expect the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion to be so tough before you came, did you? Mr. Yun, I admit you are a capable man, but your tactics do not work on everyone; the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion won¡¯t buy your act. It¡¯s still not toote to surrender, don¡¯t wait until yourst card is yed before you regret."


    "What do you mean by that?"


    Ling Chen was about to speak, but at that moment, Zhou Jun walked in from outside the venue and gave Ling Chen an ¡¯OK¡¯ sign.


    Ling Chen grinned and turned to Mr. Yun, "Your trump card is nothing more than the bombs installed under the ship. How about this, I give you a chance to detonate the bombs."


    Mr. Yun frowned and said, "Are you forcing me?"


    Ling Chen shook his head and replied, "I¡¯m not forcing you, I just want to tell you that your trump card has been invalidated. If you don¡¯t believe it, you might as well try it."


    Mr. Yun¡¯s expression changed, and he immediately pulled out a walkie-talkie from his pocket.


    "Team three, respond."


    "I hear you, but I¡¯m not your team member; they¡¯re all lying on the ground, probably can¡¯t respond to you."


    Hu Fei¡¯s mocking voice came through the walkie-talkie, making Mr. Yun¡¯s expression turn extremely ugly.


    "You guys are tough, I admit defeat this time."


    Mr. Yun took a deep breath, threw the walkie-talkie on the ground, and said indifferently, "Since I¡¯m in your hands, kill or do whatever you want with me."


    Without saying another word, Zhou Qi immediately lifted his hand ready to strike towards Mr. Yun¡¯s neck.


    "Wait!"


    Seeing Zhou Qi¡¯s action, Ling Chen quickly intervened.


    "What, do you want to do it yourself?"


    "No. Elder Zhou, his identity is not simple, and he still has great use. Better hand him over to me for disposal."


    Mr. Yun, being a high-ranking member of the God Organization, certainly knew a lot of intelligence. Moreover, more importantly, he was, after all, Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s father; he couldn¡¯t just watch him die before his eyes.

 Chapter 478 - 474: The Cunning Mr. Yun

    <h4>Chapter 478: Chapter 474: The Cunning Mr. Yun</h4><h4></h4>


    "Do you intend to spare his life?"


    "Elder Zhou, rest assured, I will not let him threaten the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion again. After the ship docks, I will imprison him for life."


    Zhou Qi hesitated for a moment, then nodded and said, "Alright, for your sake, I¡¯ll spare his life today. Zhong Yang, take him away and confine him somewhere."


    "Yes!"


    After Zhong Yang escorted Mr. Yun away from the venue, Zhou Qi pointed to armored Zhu Hong and said, "This man must be handed over to the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion for disposal."


    "No problem."


    Zhu Hong had killed a guest invited by the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion; naturally, the pavilion would not let him go. Initially, I intended to deal with him personally, but now it seems there is no need. Even Zhu Hong himself probably did not expect things to turn out this way, thinking he was fully assured of his actions.


    As per tradition, it should have been a celebration after thepetition for neers. However, due to this unexpected incident, everyone lost the mood, so they quickly dispersed, leaving only a few members of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion to clean up the bodies at the scene.


    Back in his room, Yuan Yun sneered, "That Mr. Yun is really bold, daring to confront the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion directly. I really don¡¯t understand what he was thinking."


    Xia Yue chimed in, "What I find most surprising is Elder Zhou. He¡¯s actually a top expert on the Earthly List."


    While everyone was discussing vigorously, Qiu Yong saw Ling Chen sitting on the sofa, silent and deep in thought, and couldn¡¯t help asking, "Ling Cheng, what are you thinking about?"


    "Mr. Yun¡¯s actions this time were somewhat strange," Ling Chen thoughtfully said. "From his past actions, it¡¯s evident he is a cautious person and would not take risks lightly. This action doesn¡¯t seem to fit his style."


    Qiu Yong took over the conversation, saying, "Maybe he was too confident."


    "Perhaps," Ling Chen nodded, but a trace of doubt still lingered in his mind.


    Night fell.


    The night deepened, and past midnight, everyone had gone to their rooms to rest early.


    Ling Cheny on the bed, head on his arms, legs crossed, continuously swinging his toes.


    After much thought, Ling Chen felt no sleepiness at all and simply got up from the bed and walked straight out of the guest room.


    Leaving the room, Ling Chen took the elevator directly down to the cargo hold, where he saw Zhong Yang and several members of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion guarding an iron door.


    "Mr. Ling," Zhong Yang greeted with a smile and asked, "You¡¯re not sleeping thiste?"


    "I couldn¡¯t sleep, just taking a walk. Mr. Zhong, can I go in and see him?"


    "Elder Zhou instructed me that others may not, but there¡¯s no issue with you, Mr. Ling." With that, Zhong Yang signaled to his subordinates, who immediately unlocked the door.


    "Mr. Ling, if you need anything, just call me."


    "Thank you!"


    Entering the small room in the cargo hold, inside was a simple folding bed and an untouched dinner on the floor. Mr. Yun sat on the bed with his legs crossed, his eyes slightly closed, appearing as though he was dozing.


    "Looking for me sote, is there something you need?" Hearing the approaching footsteps, Mr. Yun opened his eyes and looked at Ling Chen.


    "I have some questions that keep me awake if I don¡¯t clear them up."


    "What would you like to know?"


    "Earlier today at the venue, you said the coborator this time was you, not the God Organization. Why? Since you are a senior executive of the God Organization, this operation should represent them. Could it be that you intend to go it alone, leaving the God Organization behind?"


    Mr. Yun, with a smile that was not quite a smile, said, "You¡¯re quite clever."


    "Now that we havee this far, aren¡¯t you going to say anything?"


    "Mr. Ling, do you think I lost?" Mr. Yun shook his head meaningfully, "If you think so, you are wrong. Regardless of the oue, I am the winner."


    A winner?


    Ling Chen furrowed his brow,pletely not understanding his meaning. In such a predicament, he couldn¡¯t see where Mr. Yun could possibly be winning.


    Mr. Yun seemed to perceive Ling Chen¡¯s thoughts, smiling and saying, "From your perspective, I might have lost. But from mine, I have won. Moreover, let me give you a heads-up: after the ship docks, you¡¯d better be careful and arrange for some people to meet you. Otherwise, you could be in big trouble."


    Upon hearing these words, the previously perplexed Ling Chen immediately understood.


    "You¡¯ve be a traitor."


    Mr. Yun smiled, said nothing, and simply closed his eyes, ignoring Ling Chen.


    Leaving the cargo hold, Ling Chen returned to his room alone and then picked up a satellite phone to dial a number.


    After talking with Mr. Yun for a few minutes, Ling Chen was sure of the situation. He could confirm that Mr. Yun had betrayed the God Organization. As for his reasons, only he would know.


    The God Organization must have discovered Mr. Yun¡¯s betrayal, hence forcing him to make this move.


    If the operation went smoothly and he sessfully negotiated a coboration with the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, Mr. Yun could use the pavilion¡¯s power to protect himself and make the God Organization wary of him. Even if the operation failed, he wouldn¡¯t have to worry about his life being threatened, as he had pre-calcted everything.


    As long as he was on this ship, given his rtionship with Nanrong Wanqing, he would definitely not stand by and watch him being killed. Moreover, Mr. Yun was aware that he would definitely hand him over to the Ghost Organization for custody. With the Ghost Organization¡¯s protection, he could also escape persecution from the God Organization. Thus, as Mr. Yun had said, no matter the oue, he was the winner.


    Having figured this out, Ling Chen couldn¡¯t help but admire Mr. Yun, who had calcted every move in advance, thus daring to appear without any hesitation.


    Just then, there was a sudden knock at the door.


    Ling Chen got up and opened the door, only to see Zhou Qi and Zhou Jun, the grandfather and grandson, standing outside.


    "Elder Zhou, why are you here? Pleasee in!"


    Once inside the room, Zhou Qi got straight to the point, "Ling Chen, we just received a message from someone iming to be from the God Organization."


    "What did the message say?"


    "They¡¯re demanding we immediately release Mr. Yun. Moreover, they¡¯ve sent a helicopter to pick him up."


    Trouble!


    Ling Chen silently cursed, surprised by the God Organization¡¯s swift action.


    "Elder Zhou, what are you nning to reply?"


    "I wanted to ask your opinion. After all, I¡¯ve handed him over to you, so it¡¯s your call on how to handle this."


    Ling Chen thought for a moment and said, "Elder Zhou, I definitely need to take him with me, but... I¡¯m worried about involving the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion."


    Zhou Qi waved his hand, "You don¡¯t need to worry about us; the God Organization wouldn¡¯t dare mess with us easily. Also, their talk was negotiation, not a forceful demand to hand him over. However, we can protect you on this ship, once off the boat..."


    Before Zhou Qi could finish, Ling Chen interrupted, "Elder Zhou, once off the ship, it bes my concern."


    "Alright, I¡¯ll get back to them as soon as possible."

 Chapter 479 - 475: Reunion with Tea Girl

    <h4>Chapter 479: Chapter 475: Reunion with Tea Girl</h4><h4></h4>


    "Right!" Zhou Qi suddenly shifted the topic and said, "There¡¯s one more thing I almost forgot. Mr. Ling, you were the champion of this year¡¯s neers¡¯petition. As a reward from the ceremony, you will be a member of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion. I wonder when you will have time. We can keep it simple, just go through the formalities for you and Mr. Song. Once you join the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, we all be one family. No matter what happens, the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion will provide you with protection, just like this time. If acting under the name of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, even the God Organization won¡¯t dare to touch you. Although the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion fears the God Organization, they also dare not lightly provoke us."


    Mr. Ling¡¯s eyes sparkled, this sounded quite good. If he had the backing of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, he could probably walk more confidently in the future, who would dare provoke him.


    "Elder Zhou, are there any other benefits to joining the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion?"


    "Benefits?" Zhou Qi said with a smile, "There are plenty of benefits. Since you were the champion of the neers, the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion will definitely cultivate you vigorously. Within a few years, your strength will significantly improve."


    "How will they cultivate me? Do I have to stay at the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion all the time?"


    "Of course. The Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion possesses the richest resources, where else could you go if not there."


    Hearing this, Mr. Ling hesitated. Being stuck in the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion all the time meant no freedom anymore. Thinking this, he asked, "Elder Zhou, after joining the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, am I not allowed to move freely?"


    "The Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion has its rules. Free movement is allowed, but most of the time you must stay in the Pavilion, unless your strength reaches a certain level, then you could be permitted to go out freely."


    "What level?"


    "It¡¯s best to be a master on the Earthly List. With your capabilities, as long as you cultivate diligently, you could break through your current limits and reach that rank within at most five years."


    Five years?


    Mr. Ling was startled. Spending five years in the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, given his temperament, he couldn¡¯t sit still for that long. Besides, the outside world was waiting for him; he didn¡¯t have so much time to waste in the Pavilion. In five years, by the time he became an Earthly List master, Nanrong Wanqing might have married someone else.


    "No, this won¡¯t work." Mr. Ling shook his head and said, "Elder Zhou, if that¡¯s the case, then I can¡¯t join the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion. Sorry, I still have many personal matters to attend to, and I probably don¡¯t have time to stay in the Pavilion."


    Zhou Jun, who was beside them, couldn¡¯t help but persuade, "Mr. Ling, this is a rare opportunity, you really shouldn¡¯t miss it. Think about it, after five years, when you be the youngest Earthly List master, how glorious that would be, right?"


    "What use is glory?" Mr. Ling said dismissively, "There are always higher skies beyond the skies, and other people beyond people. The Martial Arts world of Huaxia is full of hidden dragons and crouching tigers, you never know how many unknown masters are out there. Even if one¡¯s martial skills are strong, they will eventually be surpassed by others, and I don¡¯t want to be an obsessive martial artist. Besides, my personality isn¡¯t suitable. I¡¯d rather go back to my colorful world and be an ordinary person."


    "As you wish." Zhou Qi finally spoke, "This kind of thing depends on your own will; the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion won¡¯t coerce. Alright, if there¡¯s nothing else, then I¡¯ll go and respond to the people from the God Organization."


    As Zhou Qi and Zhou Jun turned to leave, Mr. Ling seemed to think of something and quickly called out to Zhou Qi.


    "Mr. Ling, is there anything else?"


    "Elder Zhou, you remember Dongfang Yu, right? Initially, your people from the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion saved him from our hands, and you promised us some convenience during the Heavenly Mechanism Great Ceremony. I won¡¯t argue about the convenience, but you from the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion should at least give us a reason, not let us suffer losses without knowing."


    "Dongfang Yu... I remember now, there indeed was such a matter. Sorry, if it weren¡¯t for your reminder, I almost forgot about it. The reason the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion intervened on behalf of Dongfang Yu is that he is a master on the Earthly List. Mr. Ling, in Huaxia¡¯s Martial Arts world, let alone the Heavenly List, even Earthly List masters are quite scarce. Therefore, as long as it¡¯s not too excessive, our Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion will extend some leniency and privileges to them, giving them a chance to reform. If they don¡¯t heed the advice of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion and continue to act recklessly, the Pavilion won¡¯t provide any further protection."


    Mr. Ling nodded, "Since you put it that way, I won¡¯t pursue it. But if Dongfang Yues to trouble us again..."


    "You have nothing to worry about. If he dares to harm you, you won¡¯t need to lift a finger; the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion will take care of it."


    "That¡¯sforting. Gentlemen, have a good journey, I won¡¯t see you out."


    The next day.


    Morning.


    When Mr. Ling got up, the port of Jinhai City was already in sight.


    Due to the event that urred yesterday, the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion decided to end this voyage early, sending everyone back tond to avoid further unexpected incidents. After all, the Heavenly Mechanism Great Ceremony was already finished, except for the final celebratory ceremony which wasn¡¯t held as usual, everything else went smoothly.


    After packing up, Mr. Ling went to Qiu Yong¡¯s room to greet him, then he headed alone to the deck.


    Standing in front of the cabin door marked with warning signs, Mr. Ling hesitated for a moment, and finally gathered the courage to push open the door.


    His main purpose here was not to meet the mysterious Tea Girl, but to inquire about the whereabouts of Porridge Girl. Since Porridge Girl left yesterday, he hadn¡¯t seen her again. Mr. Ling had searched almost the entire ship but found no trace of Porridge Girl. Thus, he pinned hisst hope here.


    That night, he had seen through the surveince video that Porridge Girl had entered and exited the room where Tea Girl resided. It was evident that the two women knew each other, and perhaps Tea Girl knew where Porridge Girl was.


    Entering the cabin, before Mr. Ling reached the door of Tea Girl¡¯s room, he saw a delicate-looking womaning towards him, blocking his way.


    Yesterday at the venue, Mr. Ling had seen this delicate-looking woman, knowing only that she was a member of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, but not her exact identity.


    "Mr. Ling, I¡¯m very sorry, but this area is not open to outsiders, please leave as soon as possible."


    "I¡¯m here to find the owner of that room. Could you please send a message for me, tell her I have something very important to discuss?"


    "Please wait a moment."


    Shortly after, the person came out of the room and said indifferently, "You may enter, but you have only five minutes."


    "Thank you!"


    Walking into the room, it was arranged just like thest time, with a curtain separating the middle. Behind the curtain, a delicate silhouette could be vaguely seen.


    "Have a seat."


    Tea Girl¡¯s pleasant voice came from behind the curtain.


    "What important matter do you have for me?"


    "You know someone called..." Mr. Ling was about to directly mention Porridge Girl, but then he thought that the name ¡¯Porridge Girl¡¯ was only his nickname for her, and Tea Girl might not know who he was talking about.


    He quickly changed his words: "The other night, a woman with a covered face came here, I need to know her whereabouts."


    This chapter is updated by freew(e)bnovel.(c)om

 Chapter 480 - 476: A Pile of Business Cards

    <h4>Chapter 480: Chapter 476: A Pile of Business Cards</h4><h4></h4>


    "Sorry, I¡¯m afraid I¡¯m going to disappoint you. I do indeed know that masked woman you mentioned, but before she left, she specifically instructed me not to reveal a single word if you came asking about her whereabouts. That was her request, and I must keep my promise."


    Ling Chen touched his nose and said helplessly, "Can you at least give me a hint?"


    Tea Girl replied indifferently, "That¡¯s not possible either. Apart from this question, I can consider other inquiries, so don¡¯t bother wasting your effort."


    Seeing that she refused to talk more about the porridge girl, Ling Chen had no choice but to change the topic: "Then tell me, what¡¯s her rtionship with your Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion?"


    "There¡¯s not much of a rtionship, just that her master has some connections with our Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion."


    "Her master?" Ling Chen¡¯s interest was piqued. In all the time he had known porridge girl, she had never mentioned her master. Considering how capable she was, her master must be a remarkable person.


    "Do you know who her master is?"


    "I do, but I won¡¯t tell you. It¡¯s better for her to tell you herself."


    This woman!


    Ling Chen was speechless, always so secretive about crucial matters as if it were some big secret.


    Seeing that Ling Chen remained silent, Tea Girl seemed to read his mind and said, "Some things are destined; you can¡¯t force them. I¡¯m not telling you because it¡¯s not yet time for you to know."


    After a pause, Tea Girl continued, "I have two things here for you, consider them a reward for helping the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion through its crisis." As she spoke, a file bag slid out from under the curtain andnded on the coffee table.


    Ling Chen picked up the file bag, about to open it, but heard Tea Girl say, "Look at it after you go back."


    "Then I won¡¯t be polite, bye! Hope to see you again." After speaking, Ling Chen got up and left the room.


    Stepping out of the cabin, Ling Chen stood on the deck, gazing at the approaching port, a faint smile ying on his lips. After so many days out, he could finally return.


    "Mr. Ling."


    In contemtion, several middle-aged men walked over side by side, smiling amicably and greeting Ling Chen, who politely responded.


    "Mr. Ling, this is my business card, please visit me if you get the chance, don¡¯t forget to call me so I can show you hospitality."


    "Mr. Ling, this is my business card, please keep it."


    "And mine..."


    With such enthusiasm, Ling Chen couldn¡¯t refuse and epted all the business cards offered to him. While receiving the cards, he nced at them casually and was surprised.


    These attendees of the Heavenly Mechanism Great Ceremony looked unremarkable, quite ordinary, but besides being skilled masters hiding their prowess, they all run their own businesses across the country, each one bearing the title of chairman.


    Wow!


    These days, even martial artists are turning into entrepreneurs.


    Perhaps because it was almost time to leave, many people specifically came over to thank Ling Chen. In less than half an hour, his pockets were stuffed with hundreds of business cards, his smile almost stiffening.


    It wasn¡¯t until the luxury cruise ship reached the port that Ling Chen was finally relieved.


    "Mr. Ling."


    At this moment, Zhou Qi and Zhou Jun appeared on the deck with Mr. Yun.


    "Elder Zhou." Ling Chen greeted.


    "I¡¯ll leave him in your care, remember to be extra careful after getting off the ship, don¡¯t let anything happen."


    Yuan Yun smiled and said, "Just rest assured, Zhou Qi, with us eight entrics here, anyone whoes looking for trouble is asking for it."


    Zhou Qi bowed with sped hands, "Gentlemen, then I won¡¯t see you off any further, have a safe journey, take care!"


    "Until next time."


    Just when Ling Chen was about to disembark, he suddenly remembered something and turned to ask Zhou Qi, "Elder Zhou, I almost forgot, wasn¡¯t there a prize for the first ce? I should be able to get something."


    Before Zhou Qi could reply, Zhou Jun couldn¡¯t help butugh, "Don¡¯t worry, you won¡¯t miss out on your prize. Because this ended quite abruptly, we didn¡¯t have time to prepare it; we will notify youter and take you to the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion to receive your prize."


    "Really?" Ling Chen grinned and nodded, "Alright, then I¡¯ll wait for your news."


    Although he couldn¡¯t join the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, visiting it would still be an interesting experience.


    "Hey! Elder Zhou, does that mean I¡¯ll meet the Pavilion Master there?"


    "The Pavilion Master? Haven¡¯t you already met her?" After saying that, Zhou Qiughed loudly, and together with Zhou Jun, left the deck.


    I¡¯ve met the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion Master?


    Ling Chen was a bit confused.


    When did this happen, and how did I not know?


    Could it be... Suddenly, a thought struck Ling Chen, and his mouth gaped open in surprise.


    No way, she is the Pavilion Master of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion.


    Damn! No wonder everything was so secretive, not willing to reveal her true identity; so that¡¯s why.


    Ling Chen sighed regretfully, realizing he should have interacted more with her had he known earlier. Ah! Such a good opportunity wasted.


    After disembarking, Ling Chen followed the footsteps of Qiu Yong and others, apanying Mr. Yun and Hu Fei to the port exit.


    At the gate, five ck Chevrolet SUVs drove up one by one and parked along the roadside. The leading Chevrolet¡¯s door opened, and a young man in a suit and sunsses jumped out.


    Seeing Ling Chen waiting at the exit, the young man¡¯s handsome face immediately brightened with a happy smile, and he shouted, "Tang Yuan."


    "Old Tang, you sure are punctual," Ling Chen greeted with a smile.


    "Got your callst night, the General immediately sent me with people toe here overnight, prepared to assist you," Tang Yuan said, then nced at Hu Fei beside him and joked with augh, "Fatty, long time no see, you¡¯ve gained more weight; be careful or no woman will fancy you."


    "Get lost, I don¡¯t care about women, as long as I have money," Hu Fei remained true to his nature.


    "Old Tang, is everything arranged on your end?"


    Speaking of business, Tang Yuan immediately stopped joking, his expression serious, "This time, I specifically transferred a squad of special forces from the military, over thirty people, all fully equipped. Additionally, I contacted the local police, and they will assist us all the way to ensure we reach the airport safely." Pointing to the five Chevrolets, Tang Yuan added, "All equipped with bulletproof ss, even rocketunchers can¡¯t prate."


    Ling Chen nodded. The more thorough the security preparations, the more reassured he felt, but still, he cautioned, "Just be careful, the people from the God Organization are not to be underestimated; they will also be fully prepared."


    "Don¡¯t worry, I know, let¡¯s get everyone on board."


    Mr. Yun was the key protection target this mission, for his safety, Ling Chen and Tang Yuan nked him on either side, riding in the same vehicle, while Qiu Yong and others took other vehicles.

 Chapter 481 - 477: Hunting the Traitor (Part One)

    <h4>Chapter 481: Chapter 477: Hunting the Traitor (Part One)</h4><h4></h4>


    At this moment, Hu Fei swung open the passenger door of the Chevrolet and plunked himself down.


    "What are you doing here?" Ling Chen looked at him with suspicion.


    Hu Fei chuckled: "I feel safer with you."


    "Get lost!" Ling Chen cursed with a smile: "You¡¯re not a woman. Why are you looking for a sense of security here? Old Tang, let¡¯s hit the road."


    Tang Yuan nodded, picked up the walkie-talkie, and began coordinating with the vehicles ahead.


    Five Chevrolet SUVs entered the road, gradually picking up speed. Through the window, Ling Chen saw that nearly every intersection they passed had police officers. The intersections would only resume normal traffic flow after their convoy had passed.


    Soon, the convoy maintained a speed of 120 miles per hour toward the airport.


    A speed of 120 miles per hour was the standard for mission execution; this way, they could immediately detect if anyone was following them.


    "Don¡¯t worry, God Organization¡¯s people won¡¯t make a move in the urban area," Mr. Yun, seated in the center, spoke up.


    Ling Chen nced at him and said indifferently, "For your life¡¯s sake, you¡¯d better pray that we reach the airport without trouble."


    "We can¡¯t hide forever. God Organization¡¯s people will find us sooner orter. It¡¯s up to you guys to handle them," Mr. Yun said, then looked up at the sunroof as if searching for something.


    Seeing his actions, Ling Chen and Tang Yuan exchanged nces and both looked up to the sky.


    "There!" Suddenly, Hu Fei sitting in the passenger seat pointed to the right side of the convoy and said, "See that? There¡¯s a drone over there."


    "Old Tang."


    Tang Yun immediately understood, handing over a pair of binocrs to Ling Chen. Ling Chen raised the binocrs to look into the distant sky. Indeed! A quadcopter drone hovered in the air, its camera aimed directly at the convoy¡¯s position, following their slow movement.


    "Old Tang, pass the word along, tell everyone to be on alert."


    "Understood."


    After putting away the binocrs, Ling Chen turned and asked, "Mr. Yun, you¡¯ve been with God Organization for so long, you must be very clear about their operations. What do you think they will do?"


    "Methods? Hmph! God Organization always resorts to any means necessary. As long as it serves their goal, they would do anything. You better just look out for yourselves."


    "Tang Yuan, three minutes before we leave the city and enter the airport expressway."


    Ling Chen nodded, his eyes shed a faint light as he looked ahead at the approaching tunnel.


    After passing through nearly a hundred-meter-long tunnel, the five Chevrolet SUVs finally entered the airport expressway at a sudden increase to 150 miles per hour.


    At this moment, through the hovering drone¡¯s camera, the live feed was transmitted into a mobilemunications vehicle.


    Watching the screens that appeared on herputer, a statuesque, seductively dressed beauty tapped lightly on the keyboard,ughing softly, "Target has entered the airport expressway, reaching the interception point in five minutes." After speaking, the long-legged beautyzily stretched and with a flirtatious look turned to the silent man behind her, her voice dripping with charm, "Captain, can I take a few days off after this mission?"


    "Let¡¯s talk after the mission," the man stared unwaveringly at the screen and suddenly ordered: "Rewind the footage to twenty seconds ago."


    "Captain, is there a problem?" the long-legged beauty asked, while rewinding the footage.


    The man watched the convoy entering the tunnel, silently counting numbers. When the convoy emerged from the other end, a barely perceptible cold smile appeared on his face.


    "Bring up the blueprints of the tunnel."


    "Yes."


    As the tunnel¡¯s structure diagram appeared on-screen, the man stood up and said, "Inform the people at the interception point to withdraw a squad and head to the tunnel to meet me immediately."


    The long-legged beauty asked in confusion, "Why?"


    The man earnestly exined, "They¡¯ve been maintaining a speed of 120 miles per hour, but the tunnel is less than a hundred meters long. I just calcted; they only needed about twenty-three or twenty-four seconds to pass through, but they took a few seconds longer. There¡¯s definitely a problem. Besides, you¡¯ve seen the tunnel¡¯s structure diagram. From there, one can go through the sewer and directly reach the subway. I suspect they¡¯re nning to split their forces and divert our attention."


    After a pause, the man continued, "Of course, these are just my guesses, which can¡¯t bepletely certain. In any case, we can¡¯t let our guard down. That Ling Chen is not simple. Whatever happens, we mustplete the task given from above. The traitor must die!"


    ...


    Meanwhile, in the gloomy sewer, Ling Chen carefully led Mr. Yun forward. The foul stench in the sewer caused both of them to cover their noses.


    "Ling Chen, do you think we can fool them this way?"


    "I¡¯m not them; how would I know?" Ling Chen turned back to look at Mr. Yun and asked: "I¡¯ve always been curious, with your status and position, why would you betray God Organization? There are only two of us here, you might as well tell me."


    Mr. Yun replied indifferently: "God Organization does not allow personal agendas. Everything must be for the core goals of the organization."


    "Do you have a personal agenda? Are you trying to usurp the throne and take control of God Organization?"


    Mr. Yun shook his head: "I don¡¯t have such big ambitions. Everything I¡¯ve done has been purely for myself and for Wanqing. Ling Chen, what you¡¯ve been targeting is the power I¡¯ve amassed in secret, not God Organization. Twenty years ago, I joined God Organization and after ten years, I became the manager of God Organization in Asia. Officially, I¡¯m a senior member of God Organization, but actually, among all the seniors, my position is the lowest."


    "Why?"


    "God Organization¡¯s focus has always been overseas, and it wasn¡¯t until I took over Asia that God Organization¡¯s influence began to slowly prate here. However, with decades of establishment overseas, their roots are deep and far beyondparison to Asia. A region¡¯s strength dictates the control and influence one has in God Organization. As the weakest branch of God Organization, my position naturally wouldn¡¯t be very high. Of course, this also has to do with my own actions. Over the years, I¡¯ve been secretly building my force and hid a lot from God Organization, which is why I¡¯ve never been promoted."


    Ling Chen frowned and asked, "You don¡¯t want to work for God Organization, so what do you want to do?"


    "I told you already, it¡¯s for myself and Wanqing. I joined God Organization to use their resources to expand my influence. Moreover, only by infiltrating their ranks can I conveniently conduct my investigations."

 Chapter 482 - 478: Hunting the Traitor (Part Two)

    <h4>Chapter 482: Chapter 478: Hunting the Traitor (Part Two)</h4><h4></h4>


    "An investigation?"


    Mr. Yun¡¯s words immediately piqued Ling Chen¡¯s interest, who asked, "Investigate what?"


    "You don¡¯t need to know. Ling Chen, there are many things in this world that seem unrted on the surface, but are actually intricately linked and closely connected. Some things you are better off not knowing. The more you know, the worse it is for you. If I were you, I would stay out of it and not attract trouble."


    Hearing Mr. Yun¡¯s caution, Ling Chen changed the topic and asked, "You¡¯ve been with the God Organization for so many years, you must know who the leader of the God Organization is."


    "He is Asian, that¡¯s the only information I¡¯ve managed to get over the past twenty-plus years. Besides that, I don¡¯t even know whether he¡¯s male or female, let alone seen him in person. He always appears as a virtual image in meetings, and even his voice has been altered. To my knowledge, no more than three people in the entire God Organization know the leader¡¯s identity."


    "How were you exposed this time?"


    "Because of you." Mr. Yun looked at Ling Chen and said, "Because of the obstacles you created, I failed to handle several matters assigned by the God Organization. The higher-ups are dissatisfied with me, thinking that my capabilities are limited and wanting to push me out of my position. Moreover, they have already started investigating me secretly. Once they discover the secrets I¡¯ve kept over the years, all my efforts will have been in vain; thus, I have no choice but to make ast stand."


    "Do they know your identity, including your rtionship with the Nanrong Family?" Ling Chen asked. This was critical¡ªif the God Organization knew that Nanrong Wanqing was Mr. Yun¡¯s daughter, they certainly wouldn¡¯t let the matter rest.


    "Don¡¯t worry about that. Before I joined the God Organization, I had already forged a new identity,pletely unrted to the Nanrong Family. If it wasn¡¯t to protect them, I wouldn¡¯t have started using the name ¡¯Mr. Yun.¡¯"


    "That¡¯s good." Ling Chen quietly sighed in relief.


    Walking along the sewer for a few hundred meters, Ling Chen pulled out his phone, looked at the distribution map on the screen, pointed to a passage on the right, and said, "Take this way, the subway station should be about four hundred meters away."


    Before long, they could hear the whooshing sound of the subway from beyond the sewer walls.


    Seeing the light appearing ahead, Ling Chen¡¯s eyes lit up, and he quickened his pace, urging Mr. Yun to keep up.


    The light was at the end of the sewer, next to a metal door. Ling Chen nced at it and his expression suddenly changed. Next to the metal door was a smashed lock. Judging from the remaining marks on the door, it seemed to have just happened. Moreover, there were footprints around the metal door.


    Could it be...


    Ling Chen was startled, and before he could express his concern, he heard a noise from behind.


    Without hesitating, Ling Chen quickly turned his head and saw two people suddenly jump out of the mud on both sides of the sewer, wielding knives, lunging towards Mr. Yun.


    "Watch out!" Ling Chen shouted, his body reacting instantly, moving in front of Mr. Yun. Before the two men could get closer, Ling Chen kicked out twice in session, sending the two men flying, who were attempting to assassinate Mr. Yun.


    "Run!"


    Ling Chen vigntly watched the surroundings, shielding Mr. Yun behind him, quickly retreating towards the metal door.


    "Nice skills."


    Suddenly, a cold voice echoed through the sewer.


    Hearing that voice, Mr. Yun¡¯splexion drastically changed, he said in a deep tone, "It¡¯s him!"


    "Do you know him?"


    "He¡¯s called the Magician, specifically responsible for eliminating traitors within the God Organization. No one targeted by him has ever survived."


    "Mr. Yun, since you know so much about me, how dare you betray the organization? You should know that no one who betrays the organization has ever escaped its pursuit. Given your high position within the organization, you must have dealt with many traitors; have their fates not taught you a lesson?"


    "Enough!" Ling Chen said impatiently, "Cut the chatter, as long as I¡¯m here, you can¡¯t harm a hair on his head."


    "Ling Chen, I know you are highly skilled. But even the most formidable person has weaknesses."


    Ling Chen frowned and scanned the surroundings of the sewer, hoping to locate the source of the voice. However, the voice shifted unpredictably from left to right, making it difficult to pinpoint.


    "Ling Chen, be careful. The reason he is called a magician is that his methods are bizarre and difficult to guard against."


    Hearing Mr. Yun¡¯s caution, Ling Chen nodded silently. He was not afraid of a direct confrontation, but he was worried about sneaky tricks.


    Looking around, Ling Chen pointed towards a corner next to the iron door. Mr. Yun immediately understood and retreated alone to the corner, pressing his back against the wall.


    With Ling Chen guarding in front, and a wall at the back, even if the magician¡¯s tactics were ingenious, it would be impossible to silently kill Mr. Yun.


    At this moment, the magician¡¯s voice had disappeared in the sewer, nowhere to be found.


    Ling Chen perked up his ears, listening intently to the movements on both sides. Some things can¡¯t be seen with eyes, but can be heard with ears.


    Suddenly, Ling Chen¡¯s slightly squinted eyes burst open, then he turned and looked at the mud on the ground. Immediately after, his right hand plunged into the mud.


    As he pulled his hand out of the mud, he was holding a colorful little snake.


    The Gabon Viper!


    Ling Chen¡¯s pupils shrank, his face colored with a hint of horror, and he quickly threw the viper against the wall and punched it squarely on the head. Under the impact of the Inner Strength, the viper¡¯s head exploded instantly, sttering blood everywhere.


    That was close!


    Ling Chen took a breath of relief. It was a Gabon Viper, one of the top ten deadliest snakes in the world, known for its camouge and potent venom. A bite would undoubtedly be fatal.


    The magician¡¯s skills were indeed superior, capable of controlling the viper. If it weren¡¯t for his keen hearing and quick reflexes, he might have already fallen victim to the attack.


    While pondering, a smoke suddenly surged through the sewer passage.


    Seeing the smoke approaching, Ling Chen immediately stepped back, shielding Mr. Yun behind him, to prevent the magician from taking advantage of an ambush.


    However, just then, a subway train suddenly roared past outside the wall, creating a tremendous noise.


    Seeing this, Ling Chen thought to himself that this was bad. The sound of the subwaypletely drowned out all other sounds in the sewer, making it impossible for even his keen hearing to distinguish anything.


    "Ling Chen."


    Mr. Yun¡¯s voice rang out, and Ling Chen instinctively replied, "What¡¯s up?"


    But as soon as he spoke, he immediately realized something was wrong. Mr. Yun was supposed to be behind him, yet the voice came from his side.


    In a sh of thought, a strong sense of crisis surged from the depths of Ling Chen¡¯s heart. Without hesitation, Ling Chen raised his steel fist and sted it out, his Inner Strength surging wildly.


    Eh?


    As the steel fist thundered, a look of surprise shed across Ling Chen¡¯s eyes.

 Chapter 483 - 479: First-Class Acting

    <h4>Chapter 483: Chapter 479: First-ss Acting</h4><h4></h4>


    The moment he threw his punch, Ling Chen clearly felt a touch feedback from his fist, as if it struck something, yet it was light andcked force. To protect Mr. Yun¡¯s safety, Ling Chen dared not strike rashly and had to stay put, lest the magician should attack again.


    Seconds and minutes passed by, the sound of the subway gradually faded, and the smog in the sewer also began to dissipate.


    Ling Chen looked intently and saw a piece of discarded clothing on the ground.


    So that¡¯s how it is!


    Ling Chen nodded inwardly, that punch just now must have hit the clothing. Unexpectedly, the magician had some skill, using the tactic of Golden Cicada to dodge his attack. Unfortunately, had that punch hit its target, the opponent would have been dealt with.


    Ling Chen was very confident in his current fighting abilities.


    Seeing that the magician didn¡¯t appear after a long time, Ling Chen gestured to Mr. Yun behind him, signaling him to leave through the iron gate.


    The sewer was too cramped, and if the opponent used weapons of mass destruction, it might endanger both their lives, so Ling Chen had to be cautious.


    However, as Mr. Yun walked up to the iron gate and pushed to leave, a loud ¡¯bang¡¯ suddenly came from outside the gate, with sparks flying and the pungent smell of gunpowder filling the air instantly. At the same time, Mr. Yun was blown back by the st, mming heavily into the wall, and then fell into the foul-smelling sludge, face down, motionless.


    "Mr. Yun!"


    Ling Chen¡¯s face changed drastically, he hurried over and lifted Mr. Yun from the mud.


    At this moment, Mr. Yun¡¯s eyes were tightly closed, breathless, covered in numerous wounds, a ghastly sight to behold.


    "Mr. Yun." Seeing his miserable state, Ling Chen felt a surge of urgency. It was all because he had been too careless, failing to notice the trapid by those people at the gate.


    If he had been the one to open the gate just now, probably it would not be Mr. Yun lying here.


    "Mr. Yun, wake up, you can¡¯t die now... Mr. Yun... Mr. Yun..."


    Ling Chen was pping his cheeks hard, trying to wake him. However, Mr. Yun showed no reaction at all, his head limply hanging in Ling Chen¡¯s arms, lifeless.


    "Damn it! You beasts, wait for me, I swear I won¡¯t stop until you are dead." Ling Chen roared angrily, his voice echoing in the sewer for a long time.


    Composing himself, Ling Chen picked up Mr. Yun¡¯s body, covered his face with a coat, and then walked through the sted iron gate, striding towards the subway station. Along the way, he made a phone call.


    Exiting the subway station, two police cars were already waiting by the side of the road for Ling Chen¡¯s arrival.


    Ling Chen sat in the back seat of the police car without uttering a word, and once the car started, he nced out of the window, then removed the coat covering Mr. Yun.


    "It¡¯s okay now, no need to pretend anymore."


    As soon as he spoke, Mr. Yun¡¯s tightly closed eyes immediately opened, showing a faint, weak smile and asked, "He didn¡¯t notice?"


    "Your acting was good, you should have fooled him." Ling Chen said with a smile.


    Mr. Yun replied weakly, "I really almost died."


    "Don¡¯t worry, you won¡¯t die, you¡¯re wearing a bulletproof vest, the explosion didn¡¯t hit your vitals."


    When Mr. Yun was blown away earlier, Ling Chen immediately rushed to his side and checked his pulse, knowing there was no danger to his life. But Mr. Yun¡¯s appearance was really tragic, looking utterly deceased, so Ling Chen took the chance to deceive the magician.


    Fortunately, Mr. Yun¡¯s cooperation was good, and the two performed a scene together. From the sewer all the way out, the magician never showed up, probably deceived into thinking Mr. Yun was dead.


    Half an hourter, escorted by police cars, Ling Chen, apanied by Mr. Yun, smoothly arrived at the Jin Hai City airport.


    On the airne, Tang Yuan, who had already received the notice, had prepared the medical team. Watching Mr. Yun being carried onto the stretcher, Ling Chen secretly breathed a sigh of relief. Regardless, he had managed to deliver Mr. Yun to the airport without incident.


    "Old Tang, I¡¯m leaving him in your care. Be extra careful."


    "Aren¡¯t youing back to Beijing with us?"


    Ling Chen shook his head and said, "No, I am only responsible for handing him over to you. You guys can handle the rest. Mr. Yun, being a high-ranking member of the God Organization, definitely has a lot of intelligence. This is a great opportunity for you guys."


    "If that¡¯s the case, then I won¡¯t keep you." Tang Yuan patted Ling Chen on the shoulder and said, "Wish you a safe journey."


    "You too."


    "Mr. Ling." At this moment, a medical staff member in a white coat came out and said, "The patient is asking for you. He has something to tell you."


    Ling Chen nced at Tang Yuan, then followed the medical staff member into the room.


    Lying in the bed and ready to receive treatment, Mr. Yun waved to Ling Chen, gesturing for him toe closer. Ling Chen got the hint and quickly moved closer to Mr. Yun.


    "Keep Wanqing safe; she... she is the key."


    The key?


    Ling Chen looked at Mr. Yun with a puzzled face and asked, "What key?"


    Hearing his question, Mr. Yun silently closed his eyes, evidently not wishing to answer.


    "Mr. Ling, please step out for a moment, we need to treat the patient."


    The medical staff¡¯s voice came through, and Ling Chen reluctantly left the room. He knew that if Mr. Yun didn¡¯t want to talk, no amount of coercion would work. Now he could only ce his hopes on the Ghost Organization to see how much they could extract from Mr. Yun.


    Leaving the special ne to Beijing, Ling Chen, apanied by Hu Fei and Qiu Yong among others, bought tickets for a flight to East Sea City and then waited in the departure lounge for boarding.


    "Big Brother, did you encounter any resistance on your way here?"


    "Just some small fry, all dealt with."


    After speaking, Qiu Yong changed the topic and said, "Ling Cheng, what are your ns when we return to East Sea City?"


    "Carry on with life as usual. Big Brother, do you have any ns?"


    Qiu Yong nodded and said, "We eight oddballs have always felt at home everywhere and rarely stay in one ce for long. We¡¯ve stayed in East Sea City this long only because of you, breaking our norm. Now that there¡¯s nothing pressing, we want to travel, visit some famous mountains and rivers."


    Ling Chen looked troubled and said, "Big Brother, I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t join you. You know, in East Sea City..."


    "It¡¯s okay! No need to exin." Xia Yueughed and interjected, "We know you¡¯ve got a lot on your te, so we didn¡¯t n to ask you to join us. Just letting you know. Without us to help you, take care of yourself."


    Yuan Yun added, "Xia Yue is right. Ling Cheng, if you run into any trouble, just give me a call. We¡¯ll definitelye back to help you."


    "Thank you, everyone!" Ling Chen expressed his gratitude.


    The eight oddballs, although diverse in temperament, were utterly sincere and selfless when it came to their own brothers.

 Chapter 484 - 480: Safe Return Home

    <h4>Chapter 484: Chapter 480: Safe Return Home</h4><h4></h4>


    At two o¡¯clock in the afternoon, the flight carrying Ling Chen finally arrived at East Sea International Airport.


    Stepping out of the airport, Qiu Yong and the others went straight back to their amodations to pack their luggage, ready to leave. Ling Chen had wanted to see them off, but Qiu Yong said that there would be plenty of opportunities in the future, and as they were all easy-going people, there was no need for such formalities.


    After seeing Qiu Yong and his group off in a taxi, Ling Chen patted Hu Fei on the shoulder and said, "Fatty, I owe you big time for this, thanks!"


    Ling Chen¡¯s thank you was heartfelt; if it weren¡¯t for Hu Fei¡¯s timely arrival, he would have been buried at sea by now.


    "Alright! No need for thanks, just remember what I¡¯ve done for you."


    "Right!" Ling Chen switched topics, asking, "What¡¯s going on with that Secret Society situation, any results yet?"


    "You mean the Snake King?" Hu Fei also looked puzzled when mentioning this, saying, "It¡¯s a strange situation. The Snake Kingined to the Secret Society about me, saying I vited the middleman¡¯s rules. ording to the rules, the Secret Society should investigate me, but months have passed and there¡¯s been no action, I¡¯m not sure if they¡¯ve forgotten about it."


    "What about the Snake King?" Ling Chen inquired, "Any news of him?"


    "Nothing. I¡¯ve been keeping an eye out for him, but these past few months, he hasn¡¯t appeared at all. I¡¯ve also asked other connections, and no one has any news of him ¨C the guy seems to have vanished into thin air."


    "Keep an eye out. I don¡¯t think he¡¯d give up that easily."


    "Got it, I¡¯m heading back then. We¡¯ll touch base when we have the chance."


    After watching Hu Fei leave, Ling Chen also took a taxi toward the headquarters of Hongyu Group. Nanrong Wanqing should be at the office by now.


    Sitting in the cab, Ling Chen was still thinking about the Snake King.


    Originally from what Kaelina had told him, the Snake King¡¯s real name was Nanrong Zhengqing, the brother to Nanrong Yong and son of Nanrong Gang, also the uncle of Nanrong Wanqing.


    Based on his guess, something unpleasant must have happened between the young brothers Nanrong Yong and Nanrong Gang, resulting in Nanrong Gang leaving the Nanrong Family, leading a lonely life, and ultimately dying in a foreignnd. Nanrong Zhengqing, as the son of Nanrong Gang, tried to assassinate Nanrong Wanqing multiple times, undoubtedly seeking vengeance for his father.


    Although the specifics of their grudges were unclear, from his perspective, these were old grievances of the previous generation, and it wasn¡¯t necessary to involve the next generation. Especially Nanrong Zhengqing, it was too much for him to harm his own niece.


    Regardless, Ling Chen had to capture Nanrong Zhengqing before he could strike again and ensure that he would not endanger Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s safety.


    Lost in thought, the taxi arrived at its destination.


    After getting out of the cab, Ling Chen, with a backpack slung over one shoulder, strode straight into thepany lobby.


    "Hey! Isn¡¯t that Ling? Tsk tsk! Ling, haven¡¯t seen you for more than ten days, where have you been gallivanting without saying hello to your brother?"


    Seeing Wei Jun approaching with a smile on his face, Ling Chen responded with augh, "Wei, I could never be as carefree as you. Look at how radiant you look, have you struck it lucky with love or hit the jackpot recently?"


    Wei Jun smiled proudly and said, "Can¡¯t say I struck the jackpot, but I did make a little fortune. How about it, I¡¯ll treat you tonight, take you out for some fun?"


    "No thanks, better to save that offer for someone else."


    Having hung around Wei Jun enough, Ling Chen knew exactly what the man was into; from gambling to women, everything but drugs. Ling Chen had been considering whether to keep his distance to avoid being led astray.


    "Wei, where¡¯s the chairman?"


    "She should be in her office. Are you looking for her?"


    Ling Chen nodded and said, "I¡¯ll go greet the chairman first, thene to your officeter."


    "Okay, I¡¯ll wait with tea ready."


    Taking the elevator to the top floor of thepany, he saw the secretary Wang Lan holding a cup of milk tea, wearing headphones, and watching theputer screen with relish,pletely unaware of Ling Chen¡¯s arrival.


    Ling Chen silently chuckled, stealthily moved behind her, and attempted to y a prank on her.


    However, when he got behind her chair, he realized that an erotic movie was ying on theputer screen. And this girl, fearing she¡¯d be caught, had minimized the video window.


    Getting closer, he could even hear the moaning and panting from the headphones.


    Tsk tsk!


    Who would have thought, this girl who usually seems so quiet and demure, has such a hobby.


    "Ah!"


    At that moment, Wang Lan caught sight of a reflection on her screen and was startled, almost spilling her milk tea.


    Seeing her frantically trying to close the video, Ling Chen suppressed hisughter and said with a straight face, "Lan, you¡¯re cking off during work hours. Be careful or the chairman might dock your pay."


    "Ling... Mr. Ling... I... um..." Wang Lan¡¯s cheeks blushed as she stammered, "When did you get here?"


    Ling Chen teased, "I¡¯ve been here since the couple in the video was switching positions."


    Hearing this, Wang Lan¡¯s face turned as red as an apple, both cute and tempting.


    Seeing her embarrassed and coy demeanor, Ling Chenughed heartily, "Alright, I¡¯ll stop teasing you. Honestly, are you longing for a man? It¡¯s about time at your age to find a boyfriend."


    Wang Lan, with her head down, said embarrassedly, "I have a boyfriend now."


    "Really? When did this happen? Last time I asked Wanqing, she said you were still single."


    Wang Lan said, blushing, "I just started dating him a few days ago."


    "No wonder..." Ling Chen said with a meaningful drawl, "Well, you keep on learning. I won¡¯t bother you. But as someone with experience, I think these things require more practice."


    "Mr. Ling!" Wang Lan was so embarrassed she wished she could vanish into thin air.


    "All right, all right, I¡¯ll stop," Ling Chen ceased his teasing and asked, "Is the chairman in the office?"


    "Yes. Do you want me to notify the chairman?"


    "No need, I¡¯ll go in myself." With that, Ling Chen walked towards the office. After a few steps, he turned back, whispered to her, "Lan, if someonees looking for the chairmanter, just say the chairman is busy." After speaking, he even winked at Wang Lan.


    "Got it." Wang Lan nodded with a red face, understanding Ling Chen¡¯s meaning.


    Pushing open the door to the chairman¡¯s office, Ling Chen peeked in to see Nanrong Wanqing sitting at the desk, busy with paperwork. Seeing that she hadn¡¯t noticed him, Ling Chen quietly shut the door and tiptoed over.


    It had been about ten days since hest saw her. Nanrong Wanqing was as beautiful as ever, with delicate features, silky smooth skin that made one yearn to bite into it. Below her fair neck, she wore a modest one-piece woolen sweater, whichpletely concealed any hint of allure at the neckline.

 Chapter 485 - 481 Ling Gengqiu (1)

    <h4>Chapter 485: Chapter 481 Ling Gengqiu (1)</h4><h4></h4>


    It¡¯s often said that focused individuals are the most charming, and indeed, that¡¯s no lie.


    Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s arms were resting on the desk, with her right hand holding a pen, scrutinizing each word in the document before her, diligently making annotations,pletely oblivious to Ling Chen standing by the side of the desk.


    Perhaps she had been reviewing for too long. After a few minutes, Nanrong Wanqing put the pen down and rubbed her somewhat sore arms, her gaze instinctively drifting upwards. Suddenly, her movements stiffened, and she stared dumbly at Ling Chen in front of her, taking a long while to react.


    Seeing her dazed appearance, Ling Chen broke into a grin and said, "What¡¯s the matter, not recognizing your own man after just over ten days?"


    Hearing the term ¡¯your own man,¡¯ Nanrong Wanqing couldn¡¯t help blushing, her pretty face turning as red as a freshly bloomed flower, bright and captivating.


    Ling Chen smiled as he walked over to Nanrong Wanqing, wrapped his arms around her neck, and drew her close into his embrace, whispering softly, "I missed you."


    "Mhm." Nestled against Ling Chen¡¯s broad chest, Nanrong Wanqing closed her eyes, basking in the warmth of his arms, and let out a soft hum through her nose.


    "Mhm what, you mean you didn¡¯t miss me?"


    Nanrong Wanqing answered bashfully, "I never said that."


    "So you did miss me? That sounds more like it. I thought I was the only one pining." Ling Chen chuckled, resting his head on Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s shoulder, cheek pressed against her smooth skin, inhaling the faint scent of her body, as his hands unconsciously began to wander downwards.


    "Stop it!"


    Catching sight of where Ling Chen¡¯s hands were reaching, Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s cheeks flushed with embarrassment, and she protested coquettishly, "Cut it out the moment you get back, and we¡¯re not even at home. What if someone saw us?"


    Ling Chen said with a mischievous smile, "Are you implying that at home, you¡¯d let me..."


    "Don¡¯t you dare say it." Nanrong Wanqing swatted away Ling Chen¡¯s hands, hugging her chest protectively as she voiced her flusteredint, her face still red, "We haven¡¯t seen each other for more than ten days, and you¡¯ve be more shameless. You must¡¯ve been up to no good while you were away."


    "Who says?" Ling Chen defended himself. He had aplished quite a few good deeds on his trip, having saved the lives of several hundred people on a ship. However, when it came to misdeeds, his thoughts immediately drifted to the ¡¯porridge girl.¡¯


    That woman had done so much for him, only to leave without a word, denying him the chance to express his gratitude. Every time he thought of it, a sense of guilt gnawed at him.


    Seeming to sense the shift in Ling Chen¡¯s mood, Nanrong Wanqing turned her head towards him, noticing the flicker in his eyes, and asked with concern, "What¡¯s wrong?"


    "Nothing." Ling Chen gave a slight smile, putting thoughts of the porridge girl temporarily aside. Since he didn¡¯t know her whereabouts, he decided to wait for a chance encounter with her in the future.


    "You¡¯ve just returned, why don¡¯t you rest for a bit? Once I finish with my work, we can go home together."


    Ling Chen nodded in agreement. For some reason, his heart felt exceptionally warm when Nanrong Wanqing mentioned ¡¯home.¡¯ Perhaps, having often drifted from ce to ce, being rootless and alone, he had developed an inexplicable yearning for home.


    Looking at Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s enchanting face, Ling Chen couldn¡¯t resist embracing her neck and leaning in for a kiss, savoring her cherry-like red lips.


    After a long moment, they parted lips.


    """"


    Meeting Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s autumn-water-like beautiful eyes, Ling Chen smiled and said, "Don¡¯t tire yourself out, make sure to rest."


    Nanrong Wanqing obediently nodded, "Understood."


    After leaving the office and seeing Ling Chene out, Wang Lan immediately lowered her head, seemingly afraid to look directly at Ling Chen, worried he would tease her about the earlier incident.


    Returning to the security department, Ling Chen greeted Zhong Wei and the others.


    Sitting in his office, Ling Chen leaned back in his chair, legs crossed, savoring the green tea Wei Jun had brewed while casually pulling a document envelope from his backpack.


    This envelope was handed to him by the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion Master when he disembarked, iming it contained two very important pieces of information.


    Opening the envelope, Ling Chen took out two documents. With his experience, he could tell at a nce that the documents were copies, each bearing the seal of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion and stamped with the word ¡¯treasured.¡¯


    Documents categorized as treasures by the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion were bound to be extraordinary.


    Ling Chen put down the tea cup, unable to wait any longer, and started to read one of the documents word by word.


    After spending more than ten minutes reading the document, Ling Chen¡¯s mood couldn¡¯t calm down for a long time. The document detailed the secret history of the Martial Arts world hundreds of years ago, to be exact, it was the legendary life of a martial artist. And this person was none other than the creator of the Prajnaparamita Sutra.


    Ling Gengqiu!


    That was the name of the man.


    Ling Chen chuckled to himself, never expecting this legendary figure to be his kinsman.


    ording to the records, Ling Gengqiu was born into a Martial Arts family. Not yet twenty, he was already among the top masters of the younger generation, unbeaten among his peers. However, Ling Gengqiu had the character of a prodigal son, handsome and unrestrained, unbound by family rules, often breaking them. After several warnings, Ling Gengqiu simply ran away from home to indulge in pleasure-seeking and live a carefree life.


    With his good looks and martial arts prowess, Ling Gengqiu naturally won the hearts of many women. But he was too fickle, never spending too much effort on any one woman, fleeing immediately after winning her over, leaving behind many resentful women.


    When Ling Gengqiu was in his forties, he finally met a woman who drove him mad with passion. But the woman was just in her twenties, much younger than him. Nheless, Ling Gengqiu did not care at all. When it came to the women he desired, no one could escape his grasp.


    With years of experience in the game of love, unsurprisingly, Ling Gengqiu seeded in capturing the woman¡¯s heart. Although they did not marry, they lived together and even had a child. Such behavior was uneptable by the norms of the time. When the Ling Family learned about this, they were furious, considering Ling Gengqiu¡¯s actions disorderly and a disgrace to the family name. Hence, in anger, the Ling Family Patriarch ordered Ling Gengqiu to be expelled from the family.


    To this, Ling Gengqiu was indifferent; having been away from home for many years, he had no deep feelings for the Ling Family.


    So, Ling Gengqiu spent a few peaceful years with his woman and child. However, as the saying goes, it¡¯s hard to change one¡¯s nature. Ling Gengqiu was not a man to settle down, so he secretly met with other women behind his own woman¡¯s back.


    Until one day, his woman identally discovered this and was infuriated.


    However, considering the years of affection, she chose to forgive Ling Gengqiu. But to her dismay, not only did Ling Gengqiu not reform, he escted his behavior, sometimes staying away from home for months at a time, whichpletely disheartened her.


    As it is often said: deep love begets deep resentment.


    A woman turned hateful from love is the most terrifying.

 Chapter 486 - 482: Ling Gengqiu (Part 2)

    <h4>Chapter 486: Chapter 482: Ling Gengqiu (Part 2)</h4><h4></h4>


    When Ling Gengqiu returned home after half a year of wandering, his woman, as usual, silently prepared a table full of food for him, including a pot of his favorite Daughter Wine.


    Ling Gengqiu mistook his woman¡¯s silence forpromise and forgiveness, never suspecting that she would poison his food and drink.


    Upon waking, Ling Gengqiu was terrified to discover that he had lost not only his manhood but his wife and child had also vanished without a trace.


    From then on, Ling Gengqiu lived in deep mncholy and eventually decided to be a monk, while his wife and child disappeared after that night, never to be heard from again.


    The Prajnaparamita Sutra was the Internal Cultivation Method Ling Gengqiu created during his monastic life.


    The document detailed Ling Gengqiu¡¯s licentious life as well as his profound martial arts skills. Despite his frivolous and unruly character, it was undeniable that he was a martial arts prodigy.


    Before his monastic life, there were few in the world who could match him.


    After examining the document, Ling Chen felt that the woman both ruined and made Ling Gengqiu.


    Had that woman not destroyed Ling Gengqiu¡¯s phndering ways, he would not have devoted himself to studying martial arts, nor would he have brought forth the Prajnaparamita Sutra. Furthermore, ording to the secret manuals found by Ling Chen, aside from martial arts, Ling Gengqiu was also adept in medicine, Buddhist philosophy, and astronomy, proving him to be a true genius.


    However, Ling Chen remembered the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion Master had once told him that Ling Gengqiu had fought a match with the Pavilion Master, with neither able to best the other, ending in a draw. Why wasn¡¯t this recorded in the document?


    With that in mind, Ling Chen carefully reviewed the document again. Soon, he noticed that thest section of the document seemed to have no conclusion, as if there should be more to follow, but the rest was missing. It was unclear whether the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion Master had printed one page too few or intentionally concealed the subsequent events.


    Regardless, Ling Gengqiu¡¯s life could indeed be called legendary. Merely by his affairs with so many women, he could evoke envy, jealousy, and hatred in countless men.


    Having put away the document, Ling Chen opened another, and his gaze was deeply captivated just by the introduction.


    After reading through the document in one breath, Ling Chen felt enlightened, understanding much all at once.


    So that¡¯s how it was.


    Ling Chen secretly smiled, feeling obliged to say that the two documents gifted to him by the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion Master were exceedingly precious and greatly beneficial, especially thest one, which would be of great help to his future martial arts cultivation.


    At five-thirty, Ling Chen packed his things and prepared to pick up Nanrong Wanqing. As he left the office and saw the off-duty crowd, his gaze suddenly brightened, a teasing smile curving at the corner of his mouth.


    He saw Wang Lan and Ji Beizhao walking hand in hand, chatting andughing as they left.


    Wang Lan had told him before that she had a boyfriend, but Ling Chen never expected it to be Ji Beizhao, which was quite the surprise. Ling Chen had dealt with Ji Beizhao a few times and knew that he was a man prone to shyness, sometimes blushing more easily than a woman. However, Ji Beizhao had a good character, was humble and honest, likely the homemaking type of man; it would be a good thing if Wang Lan ended up with him.


    By the time he returned to Wealthy Manor, it was already past six in the evening.


    It must have been Nanrong Wanqing who hadmunicated with Nanny Wang beforehand, as Nanny Wang had specially prepared a sumptuous dinner to wee Ling Chen¡¯s return. Not only that, but there were also two red candles and a bottle of red wine on the dining table. Under the dim lights, a romantic ambiance naturally emerged.


    Looking at the setup on the dining table, Ling Chen took Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s hand, his face adorned with a warm smile, and asked, "Did you prepare this?"


    With a shy nod, under the candlelight, Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s tender white cheeks seemed to bloom with two little red flowers, exquisitely charming.


    "Thank you! I should have been the one preparing this for you."


    Nanrong Wanqing smiled sweetly: "It¡¯s alright, next time it¡¯ll be your turn to prepare."


    As they were about to sit down and enjoy this delightful moment, a mood-shattering loud voice came from outside the door: "Chen, you¡¯re back!"


    With a darkened face, Ling Chen turned to look towards the entrance, only to see Nanrong Hao quickly running in, eximing joyfully, "Chen, I¡¯ve missed you so much."


    "Can¡¯t you pick another time to visit? Can¡¯t you see that people are having dinner here?" Ling Chen said irritably.


    Noticing the red candles on the table, Nanrong Hao immediately realized the situation and awkwardly chuckled, scratching his head and saying, "Uh... Sister, Chen, you two enjoy, I won¡¯t disturb you anymore."


    After saying this, Nanrong Hao didn¡¯t forget to give Ling Chen a thumbs-up and a knowing wink.


    "Scram now, and close the door behind you," Ling Chen said with a cursing smile. The great atmosphere was spoiled by this tactless guy.


    "Yes, yes," responded Nanrong Hao, chuckling and hurriedly backing out.


    Once Nanrong Hao had left, Ling Chen picked up a ss of red wine and made a toasting gesture through the air, looking at Nanrong Wanqing across the table and said, "This ss is to you, thank you for giving me the warmth of home. Before, I was homeless, wandering from ce to ce, not knowing where I would be tomorrow after today. Especially during the New Year¡¯s reunion dinners, seeing other families¡¯ joy, my heart was filled with envy. I¡¯ve always longed for my own home. But back then, home seemed like an unattainable existence to me. It was not until I met you that right here, right now, I had this feeling. During my time away, I was constantly thinking about you, wishing I could fly back to your side immediately. I think only when a person has something to care about can they feel the warmth of home. So, I want to thank you, for giving me what I¡¯ve always dreamed of."


    Nanrong Wanqing chuckled and said, "If that¡¯s something to be thankful for, then shouldn¡¯t I be thanking you as well. You know, I lost my parents when I was young, and it was my grandfather who raised me by himself. But because of Nanrong Hao, because of the responsibilities and pressures of the Nanrong family, I¡¯ve always been learning to be a strong person, to protect my family. It wasn¡¯t until I met you that I knew what it felt like to be cared for. As long as you are by my side, I can let go of all pretense and burden, and truly be myself."


    "As long as you are willing, I will protect you for a lifetime, that¡¯s my promise to you, and also..." Ling Chen¡¯s words abruptly stopped.


    "And also what?"


    Ling Chen shook his head with a smile, "It¡¯s nothing."


    He would not tell Nanrong Wanqing that he had once promised her father he would spare no effort to ensure her safety.


    "Wanqing, have you ever thought about what kind of man your father was?"


    "He..." Nanrong Wanqing swirled the red wine in her ss and spoke softly, "I don¡¯t know how to describe him, my understanding of him is limited to what Nanny Wang has told me. However, I hope that he was a man like you, brave enough to take responsibility."


    This chapter is updated by freew(e)bnovel.(c)om

 Chapter 487 - 483: Ghost Under Attack

    <h4>Chapter 487: Chapter 483: Ghost Under Attack</h4><h4></h4>


    Willing to take responsibility?


    After learning about Mr. Yun¡¯s actions, Ling Chen really didn¡¯t know how to judge him. Although Mr. Yun repeatedly said it was for himself and Nanrong Wanqing, he never revealed his true purpose.


    Ling Chen felt that Mr. Yun had set up such a big game, spent twenty years secretly building a huge force, and the things he wanted to do were definitely not simple.


    "Ling Chen, where¡¯s your father?"


    "Hm?" Ling Chen was momentarily stunned, looking up at Nanrong Wanqing, he absentmindedly said, "My father?"


    "I¡¯ve never heard you talk about your parents."


    "They..." Ling Chen said with a bitter smile, "To tell you the truth, I don¡¯t have much of an impression of either of them, I¡¯m not even sure if they¡¯re still alive. My childhood memories are very blurry. I only remember being born in a very lively family with many family members. But,ter, for some reason, my father took me and left. I spent very little time with my father, and when I was a bit older, he sent me to the army. Before he left, he told me he had a very important matter to handle, and that he woulde back for me after it was done. I¡¯ve waited many years for his promise, but he never appeared. Later, I lost heart and stopped expecting anything; after all, I got used to being on my own."


    Nanrong Wanqing asked curiously, "In your memory, what kind of person was your father?"


    "It¡¯s hard to say, ever since we left home, I never saw him smile again, he always looked preupied with worries, and sometimes it was hard for me to exchange even a few words with him over half a month."


    Nanrong Wanqing said, "Your dad must have had his troubles, and those things were very important to him."


    Ling Chen shrugged his shoulders, dismissively saying, "It doesn¡¯t matter. It¡¯s been so long, with or without him it¡¯s the same."


    Hearing this, Nanrong Wanqing said with a gentle smile, "Is it that all you men like to say things you don¡¯t mean, always wanting to show your strong side to others?"


    "Why do you say that?"


    "I¡¯ve been to your room. You¡¯ve always kept your father¡¯s photo there. That photo is very old, and the fact that you¡¯ve kept it in good condition shows that you care about him deep down. I understand how you feel, over time the expectations you have in your heart gradually turn into resentment. To put it bluntly, that¡¯s all childish behavior. It¡¯s not just you, sometimes I do the same, alwaysining about my parents, why they left and haven¡¯t been willing toe back to see me for over twenty years."


    Ling Chen looked meaningfully at Nanrong Wanqing, asking, "If you could see your father, what would you want to say to him?"


    Nanrong Wanqing thought for a moment, then gently shook her head, saying, "I don¡¯t know. I have imagined this scenario countless times in my mind, with hatred, resentment, but then I came to a realization. No parent wants to leave their own flesh and blood unless there¡¯s apelling reason. So, if I get the chance to see my parents, I would choose to forgive them."


    "It¡¯s good that you can think this way." Ling Chen smiled, not continuing the topic.


    When there¡¯s a chanceter on, he would tell Nanrong Wanqing about Mr. Yun¡¯s matter.


    After enjoying a candlelit dinner, Ling Chen and Nanrong Wanqing snuggled on the living room sofa. They turned on the TV but didn¡¯t watch much, more focused on chatting. However, at this moment, Ling Chen¡¯s attention was suddenly captivated by the scene being broadcast on the TV.


    "Dear viewers, this evening, a severe fire broke out at a manor in the northern suburbs of Beijing, apanied by multiple explosions during the incident. After hours of rescue efforts by firefighters, the ze was finally brought under control, but the number of casualties is still unclear and is currently being tallied. ording to official reports, the fire was caused by a gas leak..."


    "Ling Chen... Ling Chen..."


    Nanrong Wanqing called out a few times to bring Ling Chen back to his senses. She asked, puzzled, "What¡¯s wrong?"


    "Nothing... nothing." As he said that, Ling Chen got up from the sofa, adding as he walked away, "I¡¯m going to make a call in my room."


    Back in his bedroom, Ling Chen¡¯s expression turned grave in an instant; he hurriedly took out his phone and dialed Tang Yuan¡¯s number.


    The scene of the fire broadcast just now was precisely the location of Ghost Base; this was definitely not a coincidence. Ling Chen thought that God Organization had confirmed Mr. Yun¡¯s death, but now it seemed that things were not as smooth as he had imagined.


    "Beep... beep... beep..."


    The call to Tang Yuan connected, but no one answered for a while, which made Ling Chen anxious, worried that something had happened.


    "Hello!"


    Just as he was thinking, the call finally connected.


    "Old Tang, how are you, is everyone alright?"


    "You saw the news?" Tang Yuan¡¯s voice had a trace of weariness.


    "I just saw it. What¡¯s the situation there?"


    Tang Yuan sighed, saying, "It¡¯s a long story, if you have time, it¡¯s best toe over tomorrow, there are some things I can¡¯t say over the phone."


    "Okay, I will catch the morning flight to Beijing. Take extra care, don¡¯t let anything else happen."


    Coming out of the bedroom, Ling Chen looked at Nanrong Wanqing sitting on the sofa and said with a guilty face, "I have to go to Beijing tomorrow. Old Tang has run into some trouble there, I need to go help him."


    "Then it¡¯s perfect, I¡¯ll go with you."


    "You¡¯re going too?" Ling Chen was startled.


    "It¡¯s almost New Year, and the Beijing branch office is going to hold an annual meeting. How can I, as the chairman, be absent? The itinerary is all arranged, I was nning to go in a couple of days. Since you¡¯re in a hurry to go, I¡¯ll ask Lan to move the schedule forward."

 Chapter 488 - 484: Shocking Bad News

    <h4>Chapter 488: Chapter 484: Shocking Bad News</h4><h4></h4>


    The next morning.


    Before seven o¡¯clock, Ling Chen and Nanrong Wanqing boarded a private jet to Beijing. There were not many people apanying them, only Zhong Wei and Liang Zhao Hui.


    Half past eight.


    The nended on time at Beijing International Airport.


    Leaving the airport, Ling Chen first dropped Nanrong Wanqing off at the hotel, then hurried by car to the Ghost Base.


    When Ling Chen arrived at the manor, the once bustling estate had turned into ruins, with broken walls and rubble everywhere, the site scorched ck. Over a dozen firefighters were cleaning up and clearing the debris.


    Ling Chen frowned and took a quick survey of the surroundings. Then, he walked alone towards a detached vi two hundred meters away.


    There was more than one entrance to the Ghost Base; the manor was the main entrance, while the vi in front of him was an emergency exit. Arriving at the vi, Ling Chen pressed the doorbell.


    Soon after, the door opened, and a tired Tang Yuan appeared in front of Ling Chen.


    Seeing Ling Chen rush over, Tang Yuan squeezed out a faint smile and said, "You got here quite fast."


    "Cut the chit-chat, how is everyone doing? Are General and Mr. Han alright?" Ling Chen asked impatiently.


    "They¡¯re all fine, it¡¯s just that..." Tang Yuan¡¯s voice trailed off, as if choked, unable to utter another word, and he fell into silence.


    Ling Chen, unable to restrain himself, urged, "Just what? Come on, spit it out."


    With his head hung low, filled with sorrow, Tang Yuan¡¯s voice choked up as he said, "When the manor exploded, Uncle Mu and Mrs. Chen were in the room... they... they didn¡¯t make it out in time..."


    Hearing this, Ling Chen felt as if struck by lightning, nking out instantly and standing dumbfounded at the door for a long time, unable to snap back to reality.


    Tang Yuanposed himself, looked at the dazed Ling Chen, and said softly, "Tang Yuan..."


    "They... they¡¯re dead? No! That can¡¯t be. They can¡¯t be dead. Old Tang, you must be lying to me, right? Tell me, are you lying to me?" Ling Chen cried out, grabbing hold of Tang Yuan¡¯s cor, shouting hoarsely.


    "Tang Yuan, I wish I was lying to you, but..."


    Ling Chen, pale-faced, released his grip as if sapped of all strength, his legs weak, leaning helplessly against the door frame, the color of grief spilling uncontrobly from his eyes.


    "Uncle Mu, Mrs. Chen... why did it have to be you..."


    Ling Chen muttered to himself, tears streaming down uncontrobly. At this moment, all his strength had crumbled, leaving only boundless sorrow in his heart.


    Mu Zhiyuan and Chen Ping, a married couple, both retired secret agents of the Ghost Organization, were responsible for guarding the ess points of the Ghost Base and were the base¡¯s first line of defense.


    After Ling Chen joined the Ghost Organization, he often received care from Mu Zhiyuan and Chen Ping. This couple even treated him like their own family member, providing meticulous care. Before meeting Nanrong Wanqing, this couple gave Ling Chen his first taste of warmth, akin to a family.


    All members of the base knew that Ling Chen had a very close rtionship with the Mu couple, and referring to them as family was no exaggeration.


    Therefore, Tang Yuan was well aware of how devastating the death of the Mu couple was to Ling Chen, and the grief he bore was far greater than that of anyone else.


    "Tang Yuan, a person can¡¯te back to life after death; don¡¯t be too hard on yourself," Tang Yuanforted.


    Ling Chen wiped away his tears and looked up to ask, "Where have Uncle Mu¡¯s and others¡¯ bodies been kept?"


    "They are inside the base. The General knows that you had a deep rtionship with Uncle Mu and the others, so he wanted you to see them onest time."


    Ling Chen nodded, gathered his emotions, and followed Tang Yuan in a secret elevator to the underground base.


    Arriving at the base, Ling Chen noticed that the interior had been damaged to varying degrees, and there were still uncleaned bloodstains on the ground.


    "Old Tang, what happened here?"


    "We¡¯ll talk about itter."


    While speaking, Tang Yuan brought Ling Chen to the outside of a room and pointed to the door, "You go in by yourself; I¡¯ll wait for you outside."


    Pushing open the door, Ling Chen saw two bodies covered with white cloth lying on the bed, an overwhelming sadness filled him, and his eyes moistened.


    Standing in front of the corpses for a long time, Ling Chen¡¯s expression wasplex, filled with sorrow and rage. After a while, he slowly raised his right hand, his tone resolute as he spoke, "Uncle Mu, Mrs. Chen, rest assured, I will make the murderer pay this blood debt with their own blood."


    Coming out of the room, Ling Chen looked at Tang Yuan and asked, "Old Tang, tell me what exactly happened?"


    "Yesterday evening, the base was attacked by the God Organization. There were over thirty people, all agile, specially trained individuals, and they had also taken enhancement drugs. Less than a minute after the invasion began, Uncle Mu, who was responsible for the first line of defense, sounded the rm, but when the internal personnel tried to lock down the base, they found a system malfunction, unable to seal off the entrances and exits."


    "Traitor!" Ling Chen said coldly, clenching his teeth.


    "Exactly," Tang Yuan nodded and said, "Without an insider working with them, they couldn¡¯t have breached our defenses so easily, and moreover..."


    At this point, Tang Yuan¡¯s expression suddenly turned ugly.


    Ling Chen frowned and asked, "And what?"


    "There¡¯s more than one traitor." Tang Yuan let out a self-mockingugh, saying, "We always thought that Ghost Organization¡¯s security measures were very tight, but what happenedst night told us that Ghost had long been infiltrated by outsiders; we just didn¡¯t know."


    "Have the traitors been identified?"


    "One is Wu Jun, another is Yang Tao."


    "Them?" Ling Chen was shocked. He knew Wu Jun, a veteran within the Ghost Organization. As for Yang Tao, he was even more familiar. Back then, when Yang Tao¡¯s mission failed, he and Tang Yuan risked their lives to rescue him from Cyprus. He didn¡¯t expect him to be a traitor.


    Tang Yuan exined, "Wu Jun is an operative for the God Organization, but Yang Tao was bought by Mr. Yun. The primary responsibility for this attack on the Ghost Base lies with Wu Jun; Yang Tao isn¡¯t rted to this incident."


    "How was he exposed?"


    "Because of Mr. Yun. Mr. Yun was captured by the Ghost Organization, and Yang Tao worried that he would betray him, jeopardizing his future. So, he sneaked into the prison intending to kill Mr. Yun to eliminate the threat, but was discovered by the patrolling staff."


    "Where are they now?"


    Tang Yuan said helplessly, "Wu Jun fled with the people from the God Organization, and Yang Tao has been captured by us, but... Mr. Yun was severely injured and is currently undergoing emergency treatment, it¡¯s uncertain if he will survive."


    After speaking, Tang Yuan changed the topic, "Let¡¯s go, I¡¯ll take you to meet the General. Since its establishment, Ghost has never suffered such a severe blow, you can imagine how the General feels. Later, try to console him well."

 Chapter 489 - 485: The Ghosts Disband

    <h4>Chapter 489: Chapter 485: The Ghosts Disband</h4><h4></h4>


    Arriving at Qiao Zhen¡¯s office, Ling Chen saw Qiao Zhen standing with his back towards the desk, staring at a calligraphy painting on the wall. The painting bore four vigorous and bold brush strokes that read "a heavy responsibility and a long way to go!"


    Through the brush techniques, Ling Chen realized that the characters were identical to those he had seen outside Qingyun Martial Arts Hall, undoubtedly written by He Ziyun.


    Hearing the noise from behind, Qiao Zhen slowly turned around, facing Tang Yuan and Ling Chen walking toward him and sat down with a solemn expression.


    "Have you seen them?"


    Ling Chen knew the question was directed at him and immediately nodded.


    Qiao Zhen sighed deeply and said sorrowfully, "Old Mu and Chen have been the pirs of the Ghost Organization, dedicating their lives to it. Yet, they were betrayed by their own people, and I fear they rest uneasily even in death."


    "General, rest assured, I will not let the murderer of Uncle Mu and Mrs. Chen get away," Ling Chen promised earnestly.


    "I believe you will," Qiao Zhen said, visibly relieved.


    "General, how is the investigation into Wu Jun¡¯s matter going?"


    Qiao Zhen pointed at the documents on the desk, saying, "I¡¯ve reviewed all the missions Wu Jun has undertaken, and indeed, there are significant problems. ording to records, Wu Jun conducted ten missions rted to the God Organization. During the initial missions, he was missing for a day and returned with severe injuries. We assumed it was due to the dangerous nature of the missions and didn¡¯t think deeper. The Ghost Organization always adheres to the principle of trusting our people without doubt, and would not suspect our members easily. However, based on this incident, I believe that Wu Jun was unfortunately exposed during his initial contact with the God Organization and captured by them. Moreover, he must have reached an agreement with the God Organization to return alive. After that incident, every mission rted to the God Organization conducted by Wu Jun waspleted without errors, umting much merit. Due to his merits, his authority within the Ghost Organization has been increasing."


    "Just takest night¡¯s incident, for instance; less than ten people have the clearance to enter the central control room of the base; Wu Jun was one of them. If it wasn¡¯t for him sabotaging the defense system of the base, external enemies couldn¡¯t have possibly breached the Ghost Base. This shows that the God Organization has been secretly assisting Wu Jun, enhancing his position within the Ghost Organization."


    At this point, Qiao Zhen looked at Ling Chen and said, "Honestly, this crisis is indeed a major blow to the Ghost Organization, but I am actually very relieved."


    "Relieved?" Ling Chen asked in confusion, "General, why say this?"


    "You know that I am already of age. Although I wish to continue serving the country, my energy is limited, and I can¡¯t do as much. I originally wanted to groom you as my sessor, but you insisted on leaving, so I had to look for others. After I step down, Han Bing will take over my position, but his position will need someone else to fill. With Wu Jun¡¯s merits, capabilities, and experience, there¡¯s no one in the Ghost Organization more outstanding than him, naturally making him our consideration. Imagine, if Wu Jun became second inmand of the Ghost Organization, how much disaster would it bring in the future? Honestly, I can¡¯t imagine, so I am relieved that this crisis has surfaced all the traitors within the Ghost."


    Ling Chen silently nodded, Qiao Zhen¡¯s concerns were valid; indeed, if that were the case, the Ghost Organization would likely face destruction.


    "General, how do you n to handle this situation?"


    "I¡¯m still waiting for news. Han Bing is currently in Beijing reporting to the higher-ups. However, from what I know, this incident might bring great trouble to the Ghost."


    Ling Chen asked worriedly, "How severe?"


    "The Ghost... might be facing the risk of dissolution."


    Hearing this, the expressions on Ling Chen and Tang Yuan¡¯s faces changed abruptly, puzzled, they asked, "Why? The Ghost has achieved so much, has given so much blood and sweat for the country, why would it be disbanded?"


    "Because the higher-ups don¡¯t trust the Ghost," Qiao Zhen replied helplessly. "Only two traitors were found this time, which has deeply shocked the senior executives. They think, what if there are still traitors within the Ghost? They can¡¯t bear the loss and responsibility."


    Tang Yuan frowned and said displeasedly, "The Ghost has been established for so many years, we¡¯ve only encountered a crisis once, why wouldn¡¯t they trust us?"


    "It¡¯s simple," Ling Chen chimed in. "The Ghost has always been the most mysterious organization in the world, even less understood by the public than the God Organization. A problem within such an organization is not just severe but also deadly."


    "You¡¯re absolutely right," Qiao Zhen nodded. "That¡¯s the main reason for the higher-ups¡¯ concern. Actually, they¡¯ve already had a private phone call with me discussing the disbandment of the Ghost Organization. However, they will preserve the existence of Lonely Wolf. After all, those who join Lonely Wolf have all been personally vetted by me, totally trustworthy, with no issues in loyalty." He paused, then continued, "You two are insiders, so I might as well be frank with you, the higher-ups are giving Lonely Wolf a chance, considering my many years of service to the country. If Lonely Wolf encounters problems too, it will face the same fate as the Ghost."


    Ling Chen silently sighed, no one wanted to see such an oue.


    "General, after the Ghost is disbanded, how will the members of the Ghost be handled?"


    "There¡¯s still no conclusion, it will be known after consultations. However, they are all talents nurtured by the nation; even if the Ghost is disbanded, they won¡¯t be discharged. My guess is, they will probably be sent back to the military to act as instructors."


    Instructors?


    Ling Chen and Tang Yuan gave a wry smile. Instructors, that sounds respectable, but in reality, it meant sidelining them, not nning to use them actively.


    After serving the country for so many years, shedding blood and sweat, fighting to death, to meet such an end, it is truly not worth it for them.


    Seeing the thoughts of the two, Qiao Zhen said, "I know it¡¯s hard for you to ept, but we can¡¯t help it, our organization values trust; without trust, we have nothing. If you must me someone, all the responsibility should be on Wu Jun; he single-handedly destroyed the Ghost."


    Ling Chen furrowed his brow and spoke, "General, please help find Wu Jun. I will make sure he pays dearly."


    "He left with the people from the God Organization, and he probably won¡¯t show up for a while. I will have the Lonely Wolf keep an eye out for him and will inform you immediately once there is any discovery."


    "Thanks!" Having said that, Ling Chen turned the conversation and looked at Tang Yuan, asking, "Didn¡¯t you just say Mr. Yun had an ident? How is he, is it serious?"

 Chapter 490 - 486: Mr. Yun is Seriously Injured

    <h4>Chapter 490: Chapter 486: Mr. Yun is Seriously Injured</h4><h4></h4>


    "His situation is veryplicated." Tang Yuan replied: "His primary target is the God Organization, although we tried our best to ensure his safety, he still got shot."


    Hearing this, Ling Chen immediately became tense and hurriedly asked, "Is his life in danger?"


    Qiao Zhen interjected, "The bullet hit his head, we brought in the best doctors, and his life was saved, but... he has fallen into a deepa. ording to the attending physician, he might remain in this state indefinitely, bing a vegetative person, or he might suddenly wake up in a few months. Right now, no one can tell, we can only wait."


    "That¡¯s still good."


    Ling Chen secretly breathed a sigh of relief, at least Mr. Yun¡¯s life was preserved. As long as he is alive, there is hope.


    "General, how much intelligence did you extract from Mr. Yun?"


    Qiao Zhen said indifferently, "They are all dispensable pieces of intelligence. I originally wanted to make a deal with him, but before we could discuss it, this happened. However, from the reaction of the God Organization, it¡¯s evident that Mr. Yun definitely holds many important secrets, otherwise, the God Organization wouldn¡¯t spend such a huge cost to eliminate him."


    "Right!" At this moment, Ling Chen seemed to remember something, his eyes suddenly brightened, and he hurriedly said, "Mr. Yun mentioned to me that the mysterious leader of the God Organization is likely an Asian."


    "Asian?"


    Qiao Zhen and Tang Yuan exchanged nces, their expressions slightly changed, and they inquired, "He said an Asian? Could it be that person..."


    Before they could finish, Ling Chen had already understood their implication and nodded, agreeing, "My guess is the same as yours, I suspect that the Asian Mr. Yun mentioned is a native of Huaxia."


    Qiao Zhen thoughtfully said, "Within the Ghost Organization, there is a list containing all those posing potential threats, and half of them are Huaxia people. Whether our guess is true or not, it wouldn¡¯t hurt to check and see if those people are suspicious." After saying this, Qiao Zhen changed the topic and looked at Tang Yuan, "You go first and see how the cleanup outside is doing, I want to talk to Ling Chen alone."


    "Yes, General."


    Once Tang Yuan left the office, Qiao Zhen stood up from his office chair, hands behind his back, paced in front of Ling Chen, and asked, "Do you know the true identity of Mr. Yun?"


    Ling Chen nodded, "I do."


    Mr. Yun is Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s father, very few people know about this, Ling Chen has never told anyone else, including Qiao Zhen. Because he had his reservations, given his rtionship with Nanrong Wanqing, if Mr. Yun¡¯s true identity were revealed, to avoid suspicion, Qiao Zhen would definitely not allow him to be involved.


    Now that Mr. Yun has fallen into the hands of Ghost Organization, there¡¯s no need to keep concealing it any longer, it¡¯s better to just confess.


    Qiao Zhen spoke as if to himself, "Mr. Yun, originally named Nanrong Yuan, born in ¡¯68, forty-nine years old this year, disappeared twenty years ago, nothing heard ever since. He has a wife named Jiang Yue¡¯e, who is from the Jiang Family in Yangcheng, also disappeared, whereabouts unknown until today." After saying this, Qiao Zhen looked at Ling Chen and asked, "This family is quite interesting, having lived with the Nanrong family for so long, how much do you know about their affairs?"


    "General, to be honest, I am as curious as you. Mr. Yun... no, Nanrong Yuan, why Nanrong Yuan and Jiang Yue¡¯e suddenly disappeared, is a secret of the Nanrong and Jiang families, very few people know, even Wanqing doesn¡¯t know. However, judging from the timing, Nanrong Yuan probably joined the God Organization a few years after his disappearance. Additionally, his joining the God Organization seems to hold some unspeakable secrets, I¡¯ve tried to probe a few times, but he never wanted to reveal his real intentions."


    "Never mind, it¡¯s their private matter after all, I won¡¯t inquire further. However, be more cautious while you¡¯re at the Nanrong family, don¡¯t invite trouble."


    "I understand."


    "Alright, I¡¯ve said all I needed to, you can go back now. Tomorrow, I will hold a simple funeral for Old Mu and his wife, don¡¯t forget to attend."


    "Yes."


    Before leaving Ghost Base, Ling Chen made a special trip to visit Nanrong Yuan. Tang Yuan had mentioned that Nanrong Yuan was shot in the head, fortunately his life was spared as the bullet didn¡¯t hit any vital parts but was caught by the skull. Now, Nanrong Yuan is in a severea, no medical measures are effective, and all they can do is patiently wait for him to awaken.


    Back at the hotel, Ling Chen headed straight to Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s guest room and silently sat on the sofa, staring out the window at the towering skyscrapers in a daze.


    Just then, Nanrong Wanqing, who had juste out of the bathroom after a bath, wearing a bathrobe exposing her tender, fair shoulders and her delicate face still flushed from the steam, looking as adorable and enticing as a rosy apple, walked towards Ling Chen.


    However, Ling Chen didn¡¯t notice her approach, his eyes like ink staring into the distance as if frozen, unmoving for a long time.


    Seeing Ling Chen¡¯s dyed reaction, Nanrong Wanqing felt a bit disappointed. More than disappointment, she was puzzled and confused.


    Knowing Ling Chen as she did, in the past, if she had made such an advance, he would not have been able to resist, which was not the case now. Additionally, she had never seen Ling Chen this distracted, especially the look in his eyes, all the luster drowned in the ck of his pupils, devoid of any sparkle.


    "Ling Chen," she called softly.


    Hearing the voice of Nanrong Wanqing, Ling Chen finally snapped out of his daze, turned his head to look at Nanrong Wanqing beside him, his handsome face showing a forced smile.


    "Sorry, I was distracted just now."


    "What¡¯s wrong? You look unhappy, did something happen?" Nanrong Wanqing, adept at reading expressions, asked.


    Ling Chen hesitated for a moment, then asked, "Do... do you have time tomorrow?"


    "I have a meeting to attend."


    "Can you postpone it? I would like you to apany me to a funeral tomorrow."


    Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s expression changed slightly. No wonder Ling Chen was feeling low, it was because of this. After thinking for a moment, she lightly nodded her head, then picked up the phone from the coffee table, and said, "I¡¯ll call them to let them know."


    She didn¡¯t ask whose funeral it was, as smart as she was, she could tell from Ling Chen¡¯s mannerisms that the person who had died must have been very important to him.


    After making the call, Nanrong Wanqing went back to the bedroom to change clothes. At that moment, Ling Chen¡¯s cell phone rang.


    Ling Chen took out his phone, nced at the caller ID, and answered the call listlessly, asking, "Fatty, what¡¯s up?"


    "I¡¯ve found Snake King¡¯s whereabouts."

 Chapter 491 - 487: Funeral

    <h4>Chapter 491: Chapter 487: Funeral</h4><subtxt> "Are you sure?" Ling Chen¡¯s spirit lifted.


    "I found an alias once used by Snake King. Just half an hour ago, this alias appeared at Beijing International Airport."


    "He¡¯s alsoe to Beijing?" Ling Chen muttered to himself, "Could this be a coincidence... Fatso, I got it, thanks!"


    After hanging up the phone, Ling Chen pondered for a moment, then stood up and walked to the window, dialing a number on his cellphone.


    If Snake King hase for Nanrong Wanqing, this would be a perfect opportunity to capture him once and for all.


    The next day.


    At nine in the morning, Ling Chen drove with Nanrong Wanqing to a public cemetery in the suburbs of Beijing.


    The sky was unkind today, drizzling, and the gloomy weather mirrored Ling Chen¡¯s somber, mncholic mood.


    Entering the cemetery, Ling Chen held a ck umbre, walking quietly beside Nanrong Wanqing, his expression solemn. Soon, near a gravesite, stood several men in ck suits. Leading them were Qiao Zhen, Han Bing, and Tang Yuan, positioned on either side, standing straight with raindrops hanging from their hair and faces.


    "Take this."


    Ling Chen handed the ck umbre to Nanrong Wanqing and walked over to Tang Yuan, silently staring at the freshly erected tombstone.


    Looking at the two ck-and-white photos on the tombstone, Ling Chen felt as if something was blocking his heart, making him unbearably ufortable.


    "Salute!"


    Following Han Bing¡¯s light shout, everyone neatly gave a military salute.


    After the salute, Qiao Zhen took out two military medals from his pocket, ced them in front of the tombstone, and muttered, "Old Mu, rest assured, I will not let the murderer go unpunished. The blood debt must be repaid with blood."


    Having said that, Qiao Zhen stepped back, turned to Ling Chen, and said, "I have other things to attend to, you stay and apany them a bit longer."


    "I will."


    Tang Yuan patted Ling Chen on the shoulder, nodded at Nanrong Wanqing, and then left the cemetery with Qiao Zhen and the others.


    After they left, Ling Chen took Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s hand, walked up to the tombstone, and pointing at the two ck-and-white photos said, "This is Uncle Mu and Mrs. Chen. Though not rted by blood, they were like family to me. I am grateful for their care over the years. In my heart, they have always been my closest people. I originally wanted to take you to meet them sometime, but s, fate had other ns, and this tragedy happened."


    Hearing Ling Chen¡¯s words, Nanrong Wanqing finally understood why he had brought her to attend the funeral; it was undoubtedly a recognition of her status.


    Back in the car, Ling Chen drove Nanrong Wanqing straight back to the hotel. The death of the Mu couple was a huge blow to him. Although ustomed to life and death, it was the first time someone so close had passed away. Before his mood could clear, he wanted nothing more than to stay quiet and still.


    In the afternoon.


    Nanrong Wanqing greeted Ling Chen, then left the hotel apanied by Zhong Wei and Liang Zhao Hui, driving to the Beijing branch office.


    She had wanted Ling Chen to apany them, but considering he had just gone through a life and death separation, Nanrong Wanqing hoped he would rest well, so she didn¡¯t ask him toe.


    At that moment, the sky was still overcast with continuous cold wind howling. With the year-end approaching, the temperature in the north was bing colder. The frail Nanrong Wanqing, dressed in a wool coat and wrapped in a scarf, walked into thepany escorted by Zhong Wei.


    At that time, across the street from thepany, a modern sedan was parked. Inside the car, a middle-aged man held binocrs, watching Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s disappearing figure, his lips curling into a sinister smile. Then, he drove the car into thepany¡¯s underground parking lot.


    Two hours passed, and the annual summary meeting finally ended.


    "Chairman, there is apany g tonight, would you like to join us?" The branch manager keenly sent out an invitation.


    "No, thank you." Feeling tired, Nanrong Wanqing rubbed her temples and politely refused, "I have other matters to attend to, maybe next time." After saying this, Nanrong Wanqing turned to Zhong Wei and said, "Let¡¯s go back to the hotel."


    "Yes, Chairman." Zhong Wei nodded, and gave Liang Zhao Hui a look, signaling him to go get the car.


    A few minutester, a Mercedes sedan stopped at thepany¡¯s entrance.


    Zhong Wei, guarding beside Nanrong Wanqing, quickly walked to the rear seat of the car and opened the door. After Nanrong Wanqing got into the car, Zhong Wei closed the door and prepared to sit in the passenger seat.


    Click!


    But at this moment, a light noise suddenly came from the Mercedes.


    Zhong Wei was slightly startled, pulled the car door, and found that it was locked and could not be opened.


    Not good!


    In an instant, Zhong Wei realized what was happening, hurriedly raised his elbow, trying to break the car window. However, before he could break the window, the Mercedes had already started and quickly rushed onto the road, disappearing at the intersection in a blink of an eye.


    Zhong Wei hastily took out his cell phone and dialed Ling Chen¡¯s number.


    "Hello! Ling Chen, the chairman has been kidnapped, and Liang Zhao Hui is missing too... Okay, I¡¯ll go look for him first." Saying this, Zhong Wei quickly ran towards the underground parking garage.


    Soon after, in a corner of the underground parking garage, Zhong Wei found Liang Zhao Hui, who had suffered a severe head injury and had passed out. Fortunately, Liang Zhao Hui¡¯s injuries were not fatal, just bleeding a little.


    Holding his wound, Liang Zhao Hui asked, "Captain Zhong, what should we do now?"


    "Ling Chen told us not to panic, to go back and meet him at the hotel first."


    At this moment, the escaped Mercedes slowly drove into an open-air parking lot in the city.


    After parking the car, the driver in the front seat turned around, looked at Nanrong Wanqing in the back seat, and said with a cold smirk, "Finally caught you. You should remember who I am, right?"


    Nanrong Wanqing stared directly at him, her expression cold, "I remember, Snake King. You are an assassin, why didn¡¯t you just kill me directly? Why bother bringing me here?"


    "If it were before, I would have definitely killed you without hesitation, but I¡¯ve changed my mind now. Before you die, I must retrieve something that belongs to me from you."


    "What is it?"


    Snake King picked up a document bag from the co-driver¡¯s seat, threw it into Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s hands, and said, "Everything I want is in here, you just need to sign it."


    Hearing this, Nanrong Wanqing took out a few contracts from the document bag, nced through them, then looked up at Snake King with slightly furrowed brows, "You want me to transfer the shares of Hongyu Group?"


    "Hongyu Group was never yours to begin with; I¡¯m merely taking back what belongs to me... no, to be precise, what belongs to my father. Is there anything wrong with that?"


    Nanrong Wanqing casually threw the contracts onto the seat and said indifferently, "Sorry, I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t satisfy your request."


    Snake King¡¯s expression turned cold, and he viciously said, "You better not test my patience, otherwise Nanrong Hao and Nanrong Yong will both die."


    Unruffled, Nanrong Wanqing unwrapped her scarf and said indifferently, "I¡¯ve told you, I can¡¯t satisfy your request, because I am not Nanrong Wanqing."</subtxt>

 Chapter 492 - 488: Luring and Capturing the Snake King

    <h4>Chapter 492: Chapter 488: Luring and Capturing the Snake King</h4><h4></h4>


    Not Nanrong Wanqing?


    Snake King looked stunned, his gaze suddenly drawn to a part of the other person¡¯s body. As he clearly saw the protruding part, his face changed dramatically, and he quickly pushed the car door open. But before Snake King could run out of the car, the ¡¯Nanrong Wanqing¡¯ sitting in the back seat had already wrapped a scarf around his neck, firmly restraining him in the driver¡¯s seat.


    At the same time, the door of the Mercedes-Benz sedan was opened by someone from outside. Following that, Zhong Wei and Liang Zhao Hui pounced in like ferocious wolves, jointly overpowering Snake King and binding his hands with the ropes they carried.


    Within the cramped driver¡¯s seat, no matter how skilled Snake King was, he had no chance to escape from the three men. Soon, he was subdued by Zhong Wei and others, thrown into the backseat where both Zhong Wei and ¡¯Nanrong Wanqing¡¯ kept watch over him.


    "Who exactly are you?" Snake King red at ¡¯Nanrong Wanqing¡¯, his teeth gritted as he asked.


    Thetter pointed at his Adam¡¯s apple and replied seriously: "Of course I am a man."


    "Disguise Skills... Impressive!" Snake King snorted coldly. He saw the Adam¡¯s apple only after the other party removed the scarf and realized he had captured the wrong person. Unfortunately, his reaction was still a beat too slow to escape.


    At that moment, ¡¯Nanrong Wanqing¡¯ removed a thin, skin-like mask from his face and then took off the wig, revealing a masculine visage.


    Seeing the true face of the other, Zhong Wei raised his thumb and praised with a smile: "Amazing, if Ling Chen hadn¡¯t alerted me in advance, I wouldn¡¯t have been able to distinguish between the real and fake."


    The man before them was none other than Bai Huanjun, who had been missing for a long time.


    Initially, Bai Huanjun was injured and it was Ling Chen who had saved his life, and also given him two million. Later, fulfilling his promise, Bai Huanjun settled his affairs and returned to East Sea City as soon as possible.


    All along, Ling Chen had arranged for Bai Huanjun to stay near Nanrong Wanqing, secretly ensuring her safety. He would not show himself unless absolutely necessary.


    Learning that Snake King had arrived in Beijing, Ling Chen decided to use trickery, having Bai Huanjun impersonate Nanrong Wanqing to capture Snake King¡¯s attention. Ling Chen had seen Bai Huanjun¡¯s Disguise Skills, which were incredibly lifelike, making it difficult for even acquaintances to discern the truth.


    Of course, setting up this n wasn¡¯t guaranteed to entice Snake King, Ling Chen could only try to create opportunities and lure Snake King into action. This was also the main reason he didn¡¯t apany them. If he appeared beside Nanrong Wanqing, Snake King would likely be cautious and not dare to act rashly.


    Twenty minutester, the Mercedes-Benz sedan arrived at an abandoned warehouse in the suburbs.


    Zhong Wei and Liang Zhao Hui escorted Snake King out of the car, then followed behind Bai Huanjun into the warehouse.


    In the vast warehouse, thick dust covered everything, and there was a chair ced in the middle. Ling Chen stood with his hands behind his back, watching Zhong Wei¡¯s party approaching with a slight smile on his lips.


    "Snake King, long time no see."


    Snake King, with a cold face, silently watched Ling Chen, his icy and venomous gaze as if he wished he could carve Ling Chen up with a thousand cuts.


    "Sit down!"


    Zhong Wei uttered sharply, forcibly pushing Snake King into the chair, while Liang Zhao Hui immediately used zip ties to bind Snake King¡¯s hands and feet, rendering him immobile.


    "Just kill me, why waste time," Snake King said coldly.


    "Do you really want to die?"


    "Since I dared to be an assassin, do you think I¡¯d be afraid of death?"


    Hearing this, Ling Chen gave a slight smile and turned to signal with his eyes to Zhong Wei and the other two. Getting the message, they turned and exited the warehouse.


    After Zhong Wei and the others left, Ling Chen paced around Snake King and asked, "Should I call you Snake King or should I call you Nanrong Zhengqing?"


    The moment the four characters of ¡¯Nanrong Zhengqing¡¯ entered his ears, Snake King¡¯s ashen face instantly changed color. He violently raised his head, looking straight into Ling Chen¡¯s eyes, and asked with furrowed brows, "How do you know my true identity?"


    "There are no walls in the world that can keep out the wind. Truth be told, I didn¡¯t expect you to be so ruthless. Nanrong Wanqing is your niece, rted to you by blood, yet you have the heart to kill her."


    "We¡¯ve been brought down to this state by their family. Shouldn¡¯t I seek revenge?"


    Ling Chen shook his head and said, "Whatever feud your father had with Nanrong Yong, it was between the older generation. Wanqing knows nothing of these affairs, why trouble her?"


    "The debt should be repaid by Nanrong Yong and his son Nanrong Yuan. Unfortunately, Nanrong Yuan has been missing for many years. As the daughter of Nanrong Yuan, with her father gone, the debt should be repaid by her." Having said that, Snake King let out a coldugh and continued, "I¡¯ve already been more than fair to their family. ording to my n, I intended to kill Nanrong Wanqing and Nanrong Yong, leaving Nanrong Hao with a chance at life. Nanrong Hao is a male descendent of the Nanrong family, as long as he lives, the Nanrong family¡¯s line continues."


    "Heh! By the sound of it, should I praise you for your mercy?" Ling Chen mocked.


    Snake King replied coldly, "No matter what you say, I will not let my father die with his eyes closed." After saying that, he looked at Ling Chen and asked, "Do you even know what Nanrong Yong did to my father? If you don¡¯t, you¡¯re not qualified to judge me."


    Ling Chen waved his hand and replied, "I¡¯m not interested in the grudges of the older generation, it¡¯s none of my business. Moreover, you¡¯re right about one thing, I¡¯m not qualified to judge your rights and wrongs. From your perspective, you may think you¡¯ve done nothing wrong, but from where I stand, anyone who dares to harm a member of the Nanrong family is my enemy."


    "Then why don¡¯t you kill me now?"


    "No! I have no intention of killing you," Ling Chen said. "No matter what you¡¯ve been through, that doesn¡¯t change the fact that you¡¯re a part of the Nanrong family."


    Snake King asked with an unpleasant expression, "What do you want to do?"


    "I¡¯ll take you back to East Sea City and let Nanrong Yong deal with you. The affairs of the Nanrong family should be settled by the Nanrong family themselves. I, an outsider, shouldn¡¯t intervene."


    "Good, I¡¯d like to ask him face to face why he treated my father that way back then."


    After leaving the warehouse, Ling Chen looked at the three people, Zhong Wei and the others, waiting outside, and spoke, "Captain Zhong, you two follow me back."


    "What about the assassin inside? Should we call the police?"


    Ling Chen pointed at Bai Huanjun and said, "He will handle it, no need for you to worry." With that said, Ling Chen turned to Bai Huanjun, smiled slightly, and said, "I owe you this time. Thanks!"


    "No need to be polite, I¡¯d never go back on a promise."


    Ling Chen nodded and instructed, "Find a way to bring him back to East Sea City, lock him up somewhere for now, and we¡¯ll discuss the rest when I¡¯m back. Be careful on the way."


    "Understood."

 Chapter 493 - 489: Visiting the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion

    <h4>Chapter 493: Chapter 489: Visiting the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion</h4><h4></h4>


    On the way back to the hotel, Ling Chen suddenly received a call from an unknown number.


    The call connected, and Ling Chen greeted, only to hear a familiar voice on the other side: "Ling Chen, it¡¯s me."


    "Zhou Jun?" Ling Chen recognized the voice and asked with a smile, "What made you think of calling me?"


    "This time, it¡¯s on behalf of my old man; I specifically called you. Hey, are you free these days? Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion would like to invite you over as a guest and give you the reward we owe you."


    "That might be a bit inconvenient; I¡¯m in Beijing, maybe..."


    "You¡¯re in Beijing?" Zhou Junughed loudly: "That really is a coincidence."


    Ling Chen was slightly taken aback and said with a tone of surprise, "From what you¡¯re saying, could it be that the headquarters of Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion is in Beijing?"


    Zhou Junughed and replied: "Where else did you think it was? Since you¡¯re in Beijing, there¡¯s no better day than today. Where are you? I¡¯lle and pick you up."


    Ling Chen thought for a moment and then told Zhou Jun the address of his hotel.


    When Ling Chen arrived at the hotel, Zhou Jun was already waiting in the lobby for his arrival.


    "Ling Chen, it¡¯s been a few days. How have you been?"


    Although the two had not known each other for long, they had fought side by side, and both admired each other and deliberately befriended one another, thus their rtionship was quite good.


    "Just so-so, the usual."


    "Let¡¯s go. The old man is waiting for you there so he doesn¡¯t end up calling to rush us."


    Ling Chen nodded, gave a few instructions to Zhong Wei to ensure the safety of Nanrong Wanqing. Now that the Snake King was captured, Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s safety was temporarily secured even if Ling Chen was not by her side.


    As they exited the hotel¡¯s main entrance, a silver Porsche was parked by the roadside; Zhou Jun pulled out his car keys and walked over.


    Getting into the car, Ling Chen chuckled: "Does everyone in Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion have as much money as you?"


    Zhou Jun pursed his lips and said, "I¡¯m not bragging, but Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion never cares about money. We don¡¯t have sries here, only bonuses. Adding together the bonuses from holidays, let¡¯s not exaggerate, but one million is guaranteed."


    Ling Chen was somewhat surprised; he knew Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion was wealthy, but he didn¡¯t realize it was to this extent. But then again, considering Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion has a history of hundreds of years with profound heritage, it made sense they had umted substantial wealth.


    After a drive of more than ten minutes, Zhou Jun drove the Porsche into an underground parking garage.


    "Are we here?" Ling Chen looked at Zhou Jun, his face full of astonishment. He had thought the headquarters of Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion would be in a quiet ce in the suburbs. Yet here he was, in the bustling center of Beijing, the most vibrant part of the city.


    Zhou Junughed and retorted: "Where did you think the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion would be?"


    Ling Chen touched his nose and said, "I thought it would be in a very secretive ce."


    "There¡¯s an old saying, ¡¯The greatest secrets are hidden in in sight¡¯. The best way to avoid discovery is to blend in."


    In the meantime, the two walked side by side into the parking garage¡¯s elevator.


    This luxurious office building had sixty-six floors, and ording to Zhou Jun, it was entirely funded by Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion and had been standing for about a decade now. The headquarters of Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion was located on the top floor of this luxurious office building, covering an area of more than 2,000 square meters, while the rest of the floors were rented out. Just from this rental ie alone, the earnings were substantial.


    Ding!


    As the elevator doors opened, Ling Chen stepped out to see a spacious reception hall wherein several attractive young women in professional attire respectfully stood on both sides, their faces adorned with gentle smiles that made people feel veryfortable.


    Under Zhou Jun¡¯s lead, Ling Chen passed through the reception hall and went straight into the lounge. Along the way, Ling Chen¡¯s eyes never rested, carefully observing the surrounding environment.


    What amazed Ling Chen was that the headquarters of Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion weren¡¯t much different from a regrpany; each employee had an individual cubicle, and all work waspleted viaputers, a uniformly modern setup. If Zhou Jun hadn¡¯t stressed on it several times, Ling Chen wouldn¡¯t have believed that this ce was indeed Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion.


    Upon reaching the lounge, Zhou Qi was seen holding a tea cup, waiting inside.


    "Mr. Ling." Zhou Qi greeted with a smile, stood up, and approached Ling Chen with an extended hand: "Wee to Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion."


    "Elder Zhou." Ling Chen politely shook hands.


    "Mr. Ling, as Zhou Jun probably told you, the main reason for inviting you here is to deliver the reward we promised you. Zhou Jun, go fetch the items."


    "Alright!" Zhou Jun responded and left the lounge.


    "Mr. Ling, please have a seat."


    "Elder Zhou, no need to be so formal; I¡¯m friends with Zhou Jun, just call me Ling Chen."


    "That¡¯s fine." Zhou, smiling, nodded his head, then suddenly shifted the conversation: "Did you encounter any trouble on your way backst time?"


    "Ran into a bit of minor trouble, but it wasn¡¯t a big deal."


    "That¡¯s good. After you left, I knew the God Organization wouldn¡¯t give up easily, so I¡¯ve been worried about your safety. Seeing that you¡¯re alright, I can rest easy now."


    "Thank you for your concern, Elder Zhou." After saying this, Ling Chen couldn¡¯t help but ask: "Elder Zhou, is this ce really the headquarters of Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion?" Although Zhou Jun had confirmed it several times, Ling Chen was still somewhat disbelieving.


    "It is." Zhou Qi exined with a smile: "Previously, Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion was located in deep mountains and forests where transport andmunication were very inconvenient. With the advancement of the time, the Pavilion Master decided to keep up with the times, abolishing old rules and giving Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion aplete makeover. Thus, we built this new building, serving as the headquarters. All of Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion¡¯s documents were uploaded to the server, and the originals are preserved at Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion¡¯s old site."


    "The Pavilion Master of Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion..."


    "Of course, the Pavilion Master resides in the old location; it¡¯s the foundation of Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion¡¯s centuries-old inheritance and can¡¯t just be abandoned. Also, that old site is entwined with many of Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion¡¯s secrets, so it must be guarded."


    So that was the case!


    Having heard Zhou Qi¡¯s exnation, Ling Chen finally understood. Zhou Jun wasn¡¯t wrong, but this ce could only be considered the modern headquarters of Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion; the real main base was still at the original location.


    He had thought he might be able to visit Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion to broaden his horizons, but it seemed there would be no chance now.


    Lost in thought, Zhou Jun came in holding several exquisite wooden boxes.


    "Ling Chen, these are all Heavenly Mechanism Pills; four top-quality Heavenly Mechanism Pills plus one ordinary Heavenly Mechanism Pill. Take care of them." Zhou Jun said while handing a tablet to Ling Chen.


    "What¡¯s this for?" Ling Chen asked, puzzled.


    Elder Zhou said: "Your reward includes an Internal Cultivation Method; the tablet contains a directory, browse through it first and see if there¡¯s anything you¡¯re interested in."


    Hearing this, Ling Chen skimmed through it quickly, and his eyes widened more and more in amazement.

 Chapter 494 - 490: Visiting Guo Liang (Part 1)

    <h4>Chapter 494: Chapter 490: Visiting Guo Liang (Part 1)</h4><h4></h4>


    Within the tablet¡¯s directory, there were nearly a hundred different Internal Cultivation Methods, virtually epassing those of every sect and school, which was truly astonishing.


    For someone practicing martial arts, this was no less than a treasure trove. Ling Chen silently marveled; the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion truly deserved its reputation as a centuries-old power with such profound heritage, no wonder it was esteemed as the leader by all major sects.


    "Ling Chen, have you made your choice yet?"


    Hearing Zhou Qi¡¯s question, Ling Chen put down the tablet, looked at Zhou Qi, and said, "Elder Zhou, to be frank, I¡¯m not particrly interested in these Internal Cultivation Methods."


    He had already cultivated the Prajnaparamita Sutra; other Internal Cultivation Methods were simply superfluous for him and of no use. Moreover, the two sets of information given to him by the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion Master provided him with a deep understanding of the Prajnaparamita Sutra. Not to say that it was stronger than all other Internal Cultivation Methods, but at the very least it was no weaker than any of those listed in this catalog.


    "As expected!" Zhou Qi said with a smile: "The Pavilion Master once mentioned to me that you might not choose an Internal Cultivation Method, and it seems he was quite urate in his judgment. How about this, since you¡¯re not interested in these Internal Cultivation Methods, why don¡¯t you make a request? As long as it¡¯s reasonable, the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion won¡¯t refuse, and we¡¯ll consider it aspensation for your reward."


    "This..." Ling Chen scratched his head, not sure what to request. After thinking for a moment, his eyes lit up, and he made up his mind.


    "Elder Zhou, I know that the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion has powerful intelligence capabilities. Could you help me find someone?"


    "That¡¯s not a problem, but I need to ask clearly first, who are you looking for?"


    "Ling Kun." With that, Ling Chen took out his wallet from his pocket, fished out an old, yellowed photo, and handed it to Zhou Qi, saying, "This person, this is his photo from his youth, he should be around fifty years old now."


    Zhou Qi scrutinized the photo and asked, "May I ask, what is your rtionship with this man?"


    "He¡¯s my father, and I haven¡¯t heard from him for many years. Elder Zhou, I wonder if the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion could fulfill my request?" Ling Chen¡¯s tone carried a hint of hope.


    "We can." Zhou Qi nodded, "But I can¡¯t guarantee it one hundred percent."


    "That¡¯s fine, do the best you can."


    "In addition to this, the rewards from the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion also include a weapon personally forged by Master Guo Liang. When the timees, contact Master Guo Liang yourself, exin your requirements, and he will forge a weapon for you ording to your wishes."


    "Alright."


    Even if Zhou Qi hadn¡¯t mentioned it, Ling Chen would have sought out Guo Liang. Thest time at the Heavenly Mechanism Great Ceremony, Guo Liang mentioned to him that there was an unknown secret hidden in the Tianling de, and Ling Chen was keen to get a clear exnation from Guo Liang.


    "Elder Zhou." At this point, Ling Chen changed the subject and asked, "What has happened to Zhu Hong since you took himst time?"


    "He¡¯s not dead. However, he will have to pay for his actions for the rest of his life."


    Hearing this, Ling Chen tactfully refrained from asking further. Zhu Hong, having fallen into the hands of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, would likely not have an easy life ahead.


    After some casual conversation, Ling Chen left the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion headquarters with Zhou Jun¡¯spany.


    "Ling Chen, you¡¯re always wee to visit when you have the chance. I spend most of my time in Beijing."


    "Sure, I¡¯lle to find you when I¡¯m free."


    Ling Chen waved his hand and watched as Zhou Jun drove off, then he turned and entered the hotel.


    Back in his room, looking at the Heavenly Mechanism Pill inside the wooden box, Ling Chen¡¯s face showed a faint smile. Of all the rewards from the Heavenly Mechanism Great Ceremony, the most precious was undoubtedly the Heavenly Mechanism Pill, especially the four top-quality ones. If he were to put them out there, who knows how many people would be green with envy.


    Having stored everything properly, Ling Chen headed directly to Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s guest room.


    Upon entering, he saw Nanrong Wanqing had just finished a phone conference, sitting on the sofa resting.


    "Tired?" Ling Chen walked behind Nanrong Wanqing, asking with concern, his hands on her shoulders, gently kneading, helping to ease her fatigue.


    Nanrong Wanqing lifted her head, looking up at Ling Chen with the corners of her lips slightly raised, bearing a shallow smile, blissful and contented.


    "There¡¯s another meeting tomorrow, if all goes well, we can go home the day after."


    Ling Chen nodded and said, "No rush, you should rest well. I will take you to meet someone tonight."


    Night fell.


    After dinner, Ling Chen took Nanrong Wanqing out of the hotel, driving into the street.


    After more than half an hour of driving, Ling Chen arrived at his destination, an ancient Siheyuan. This Siheyuan, situated deep within the alley, had a history of at least a hundred years, quiet and serene, making it a perfect ce for retirement.


    Ling Chen took Nanrong Wanqing by the hand to the entrance, and gently knocked on the door.


    Thump, thump, thump!


    Not long after, the vermilion gate opened from the inside, and a young man around twenty peeked out, scrutinizing Ling Chen and Nanrong Wanqing politely, saying, "Who do you wish to see?"


    "Good day, I¡¯m here to see Mr. Guo. Could you please let him know that Ling Chen hase to visit?"


    "Ling Chen?" The young man¡¯s eyes lit up, his face brimming with an enthusiastic smile, said, "So you are Mr. Ling, pleasee in!" Saying so, the young man stepped aside to let Ling Chen and Nanrong Wanqing into the Siheyuan.


    "You recognize me?" Ling Chen followed the young man, asking as they walked.


    "My Master mentioned Mr. Ling to me, I heard that Mr. Ling is the champion of the new martial artspetition, so I remember it clearly."


    As they talked, the three of them arrived at the main hall of the Siheyuan.


    "Please take a seat. I will go and call my Master."


    After the young man left, Nanrong Wanqing asked with curiosity, "Ling Chen, what was thepetition he talked about just now?"


    "Oh, nothing much, just martial artists challenging each other." Ling Chen casually replied.


    Martial arts affairs were too extensive to exin in a moment. Nanrong Wanqing, unfamiliar with this circle, would not understand even if he exined.


    In the middle of their chat, the silver-haired Guo Liang, supported by his disciple, came walking in from the outside with faltering steps.


    "Mr. Guo!" Ling Chen promptly stood up, greeting politely.


    Guo Liangughed heartily, "Sit down, no need to be so formal here." With that, Guo Liang turned to look at Nanrong Wanqing, smiling kindly, "Ling Chen, who is thisdy?"


    "She¡¯s Nanrong Wanqing, my girlfriend."


    "Very good." Guo Liang nodded, smiling, "Truly a match of talent and beauty."


    Once everyone was seated, Guo Liang inquired, "Did youe to see me about making a weapon?"


    "That¡¯s not urgent. My main purpose for visiting is to inquire about the secret of the Tianling de."


    "I mentioned to youst time that the Tianling de was personally forged by my ancestors of the Guo Family. My ancestor was once entrusted to hide a secret within the weapon; as for what that secret is, probably no one knows except for my ancestor and that client."

 Chapter 495 - 491: Visiting Guo Liang (Part 2)

    <h4>Chapter 495: Chapter 491: Visiting Guo Liang (Part 2)</h4><h4></h4>


    "Mr. Guo, I have to be honest, ever since you mentioned this to mest time, I¡¯ve repeatedly studied the Tianling de but didn¡¯t find anything. Additionally, I¡¯ve scanned it with instruments, and there¡¯s nothing inside the de either."


    "I¡¯m not clear on that," Guo Liang said. "The one thing I am sure of is that there¡¯s definitely a secret hidden within the Tianling de. As for where they¡¯ve concealed it, that remains unknown. Ling Chen, the wisdom of the ancients far exceeds our imagination, you can¡¯t usemon logic to specte on their thinking."


    At this point, Guo Liang stood up and said, "Come, let me take you on a tour."


    Leaving the hall, Ling Chen and Nanrong Wanqing followed Guo Liang into a room next door locked with arge padlock.


    As they entered, Ling Chen saw the room neatly arranged with more than ten kinds of tools: Furnaces, bellows,rge anvils, and many hammers of various sizes¡ªall the forging tools needed in ancient times for ironworking were there.


    "These tools are all inherited from the Guo Family ancestors; they¡¯ve been here for hundreds of years, always kept dust-covered in this ce. That Tianling de was forged with these tools," introduced Guo Liang.


    Ling Chen asked with interest, "Mr. Guo, may I take a look around?"


    "Of course, no problem."


    With Guo Liang¡¯s permission, Ling Chen walked around the room, looking here and there, asionally touching things with his hands. Suddenly, he noticed in the corner of the room, there was a pile of rusty scrap iron sheets. These sheets were not ordinary, each one incredibly thin and etched with different shapes and lines, looking quite bizarre.


    "Mr. Guo, what are these used for?" Ling Chen asked.


    "These are what my ancestors left behind. ording to Guo Family records, our ancestors were not only skilled at forging weapons but also enjoyed engraving, especially micro-engraving, such as carving text and pictures on grains of rice; it was among his hobbies. Those iron scraps you see were used for practice."


    Skilled at engraving?


    At these words, Ling Chen¡¯s heart stirred, as if he had thought of something, and a sh of brightness passed through his eyes. However, he quickly concealed that sh.


    After the visit to the old tools, Ling Chen and Nanrong Wanqing followed Guo Liang back to the hall.


    After discussing the weapons that Ling Chen wanted to forge, it was already half-past nine in the evening. Seeing that it was gettingte, Ling Chen, not wanting to disturb Mr. Guo¡¯s rest, took his leave and stated that he would visit again when he was free.


    Upon leaving the Siheyuan, Ling Chen seemed unable to wait. The journey that usually took over half an hour waspleted in less than twenty minutes back to the hotel.


    Back in the room, seeing the busy Ling Chen, Nanrong Wanqing asked curiously, "What are you doing?"


    Ling Chen cracked a smile and said mysteriously, "You¡¯ll know soon."


    While talking, heid a piece of white paper t on the table and ced the ink he had just bought from the roadside next to the paper. After everything was ready, he took out the Tianling de, evenly coated its surface with ink, especially on the areas engraved with patterns.


    With the applicationplete, Ling Chen ced the Tianling de on the white paper and gently rolled it. Soon after, tiny characters began to appear on the paper.


    Indeed!


    Ling Chen was excited. It looked like his guess had been correct¡ªthe secrets of the Tianling de were all hidden here. It was fortunate he had visited Mr. Guo¡¯s home, otherwise, he never would have thought of this method.


    Looking at the hundreds of characters revealing themselves on the paper, Ling Chen immediately felt a headacheing on. These characters were smaller than flies, ancient text, and the ink made the script rather blurry, making it difficult to discern the content.


    "Wanqing,e take a look."


    Nanrong Wanqing leaned over the paper and studied it carefully, then shook her head and said, "The handwriting is too unclear."


    "Then never mind."


    Since he had found the secret of the Tianling de, he only needed to decipher these characters. When he returned to East Sea City, he would have Hu Fei use instruments to scan these characters.


    ...


    After staying in Beijing for another two days, waiting for Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s conference to end, the group took a private ne back to East Sea City.


    After resting at home for a day, life returned to normal.


    That day.


    After dropping Nanrong Wanqing off at the Hongyu Group headquarters, Ling Chen drove back to Wealthy Manor.


    He arrived outside of Nanrong Yong¡¯s study, knocked gently on the door, and after hearing a response, he pushed the door open and went in.


    Inside the study, Nanrong Yong was standing in front of a writing desk, his hand brandishing a brush, practicing calligraphy on rice paper.


    Seeing Ling Chene in, Nanrong Yong put down his brush and asked with a smile, "Weren¡¯t you apanying Wanqing to thepany?"


    "Elder, I have something to discuss with you."


    "Sit down and talk."


    After sitting down, Ling Chen cleared his throat and said, "Elder, when you asked me to investigate Nanrong Gang¡¯s matter, although results have been found, the situation is not as simple as we imagined. Nanrong Gang is dead, but he has a son."


    Hearing this, Nanrong Yong¡¯s expression changed slightly, and he asked eagerly, "Are you sure?"


    Ling Chen nodded and said, "Elder, do you remember the assassin Snake King who attempted to assassinate Wanqing a few months ago? He is Nanrong Gang¡¯s son, Nanrong Zhengqing."


    Nanrong Yong was stunned, his face turning red with rage, his eyes fiery as he said sternly, "Why would he attack his own niece so viciously?"


    "ording to him, he did it purely for revenge."


    "Revenge?" Nanrong Yong snorted coldly. "Against whom, me? If he wants revenge, he shoulde at me directly. Why involve Wanqing? He..." Before he finished his sentence, Nanrong Yong suddenly stopped and looked at Ling Chen. "You said you heard it from him, have you seen him?"


    "Not only have I seen him, two days ago in Beijing, he intended to harm Wanqing again, but he was captured by me and is now imprisoned in East Sea City. Elder, this is a feud within the Nanrong Family, so I wanted to ask for your opinion on what to do."


    Nanrong Yong pondered for a moment, then said, "First, take me to see him."


    "Alright."


    Leaving the Nanrong Family home, Ling Chen drove Nanrong Yong to an abandoned factory.


    As they got out of the car, they met Bai Huanjuning towards them.


    "How is he doing?"


    "Still quite meek."


    "You wait outside; we¡¯ll go talk to him."


    Inside the factory, they saw Snake King tied to a chair, his hands and feet restrained, with fast-food containers and water bottles scattered around.


    Perhaps hearing the footsteps of two people behind him, Snake King turned his head, his fierce eyes immediately locked onto Nanrong Yong.


    Nanrong Yong looked at Snake King and asked, "So you¡¯re my brother¡¯s son?"


    "Shut up!" Snake King said coldly. "You¡¯re not worthy to call my father ¡¯brother¡¯."

 Chapter 496 - 492: Nanrong’s Past

    <h4>Chapter 496: Chapter 492: Nanrong¡¯s Past</h4><h4></h4>


    Nanrong Yong waspletely indifferent to the Snake King¡¯s rage, saying lightly, "He is my elder brother, a fact that can¡¯t be changed by anyone. No matter how you deny it, you cannot negate our blood rtionship."


    He paused for a moment, not waiting for the Snake King to speak, Nanrong Yong continued, "Over the years, I have always thought that it was your father who secretly hired an assassin, intending to harm the Nanrong Family, but what I didn¡¯t expect was that he had long passed away, nor did I expect that he would have a son. Wanqing is your niece, how could you bear to have her killed?"


    The Snake King sneered, "Why don¡¯t you ask yourself why you treated my father so cruelly back then? I¡¯m merely repaying tooth for tooth, an eye for an eye."


    Nanrong Yong shook his head and said, "I think you¡¯ve misunderstood; I have never done anything to wrong your father. If anyone is to me, it¡¯s your father himself. His downfall was entirely of his own making. Unfortunately, he neither realized nor repented, but instead med everyone else entirely, never reflecting on whether he had done anything wrong."


    "Shut your mouth!" the Snake King said coldly, angrily shouting, "Don¡¯t you nder my father!"


    "I am merely stating the facts, not a single word of falsehood. If you don¡¯t believe me, there¡¯s nothing I can do. My father, who is also your grandfather, had some reputation locally. When your father and I grew up, the old man gave each of us a substantial amount of funds to start our own businesses. In addition, he set a rule that whoever could create the most wealth in the shortest amount of time would inherit the position of Family Head of the Nanrong Family."


    "Your father was capable, but he was too eager for quick sess and easily trusted others. In less than half a year, the funds he had were almost gone, either lost in failed investments or swindled by others. At the time, I took the money and contracted a pier. Although the profit wasn¡¯t much, it was at least steady. Your father, as the eldest son, couldn¡¯t bear to lose face in front of the old man, so he turned to me, hoping I could help him. Out of brotherly love, I gave him all my profits from the past six months, hoping he could start over."


    "Regrettably, your father couldn¡¯t change his impatient nature, always looking to make the biggest profit with the least money. Such businesses did exist, but they were all illegal activities. Later, under the guise of transportation, your father used my port for smuggling, and not only that, he also started to traffic drugs through the cargo ships. By the time I found out about this, it was toote; no matter how much I tried to dissuade him, he wouldn¡¯t listen. In the end, I had no choice, not wanting the reputation of the Nanrong Family to be tarnished by his actions, so I secretly informed the old man, telling him everything your father had done."


    "After learning of this, the old man was uncontrobly furious, and he personally reported it to the police. Your father was imprisoned for five years because of this. For this matter, your father utterly hated me and the old man, believing that we were the ones who had wronged him. Especially me¡ªhe thought I was jealous of him, afraid that he would take the position of Family Head from me, so I snitched to the old man and even instigated him to report to the police. It¡¯s undeniable that I am partly to me for not considering the potential consequences. But most of the responsibility still lies with your father. If it hadn¡¯t been for his delving into the illegal business, none of this would have happened."


    "Actually, your father didn¡¯t know that with the crimes he hadmitted at the time, he was facing at least twenty years. It was the old man and myself who ran about asking for favors, which reduced his sentence to five years. After he was released from prison, he didn¡¯t even enter his own home but left East Sea City immediately. Since then, I never saw your father again. Even when the old man passed away, he didn¡¯te back to see him onest time."


    "I know your father hated me, but I didn¡¯t expect him to pass that hatred onto you. Ling Chen, the cycle of vengeance has no end¡ªyes, I am responsible for what happened back then, but I have no regrets. If your father had continued down that path, once his crimes came to light, he would not merely face imprisonment, but execution. I don¡¯t expect you to understand, but I hope you can see the truth clearly and not be blinded by your father¡¯s selfish hatred."


    After hearing Nanrong Yong¡¯s words, the Snake King fell into silence.


    After a while, he finally spoke, "My father is dead, there can be no verification. How do I know what you¡¯re saying is true?"


    "I really have no proof, I just want you to know, no matter what happens, he will always be his elder brother, and you are my nephew, people of the Nanrong Family will never turn on each other."


    With that said, Nanrong Yong looked at Ling Chen and said, "Untie him."


    "Master..."


    "Let him go. I¡¯ve said everything I needed to say. If he¡¯s still deluded, still determined to take revenge for his father, there¡¯s nothing I can do." As he spoke, Nanrong Yong paused, then turned to the Snake King and said, "If you still wish to take revenge, juste at me, don¡¯t go after Wanqing anymore. She knows nothing about the past. I only hope that after I die, the grudges between our two families can finally end."


    Ling Chen silently untied the bindings around the Snake King, then stood beside Nanrong Yong, vigntly watching the Snake King in case he intended any harm to Nanrong Yong.


    The Snake King stood up, nced at Ling Chen, and asked, "Do you have a cell phone I could use?"


    Without much thought, Ling Chen took out his phone and threw it to the Snake King. The Snake King then walked to the other end of the warehouse, dialed a number, and was seen quietly talking to someone.


    Several minutester, the Snake King returned to Ling Chen and Nanrong Yong with an expressionless face, saying, "I believe what you just said."


    Hearing this, Ling Chen and Nanrong Yong looked at each other, puzzled by the sudden shift in the Snake King¡¯s attitude.


    "I just spoke to my mother on the phone and asked her about my father¡¯s past. What she told me was much the same as what you said. My mother was pregnant with me when my father divorced her, and then he left the country. Shortly after I was born, my mother remarried. All this time, I was led to believe that my stepfather was my biological father untilter when I found an old photo while going through my mother¡¯s belongings, and then I learned who my real father was. Perhaps for my sake, my mother never spoke ill of him; whenever she mentioned him, she praised his good qualities, and I never had any reason to doubt her."


    "One year, by sheer coincidence, I met someone and entered the profession of an assassin. Once I had enough ability, I started looking for my father¡¯s whereabouts. Persistence pays off. After three years, I finally found him. Unfortunately, by that time, he was gravely ill and near death. I stayed with him for three days until he died. While he was alive, he told me a lot about the Nanrong Family. He said that it was because of you that he ended up in such a hopeless situation, that you ruined him. Thus, I vowed over his corpse that I would avenge him."

 Chapter 497 - 493: Elder Cousin Brother

    <h4>Chapter 497: Chapter 493: Elder Cousin Brother</h4><h4></h4>


    "You¡¯re right, my father truly was a selfish man. If it weren¡¯t for you telling me the truth, I would probably still be in the dark, deceived and used by my father."


    Nanrong Yong sighed and said, "Regardless, he is your father after all. Besides, he¡¯s already gone. There¡¯s no need to hold a grudge against him anymore."


    Snake King nodded, about to say something. But at that moment, his expression abruptly changed, and he said in a deep voice, "Not good!"


    ...


    Hongyu Group headquarters.


    Nanrong Wanqing handed a document to Wang Lan and instructed, "Hurry and deliver this to Manager Chen."


    "Yes, Chairman."


    Leaving the office, Wang Lan was about to enter the elevator, but then she heard her cellphone ring in her pocket. She took it out, and a blissful smile instantly bloomed on her face when she saw the caller ID. She quickly answered the call.


    "Hello! Calling me during work hours, be careful that your manager doesn¡¯t find out and dock your pay... No, the Chairman asked me to deliver a document downstairs... Okay, then wait for me, I¡¯ll be over soon."


    A few minutester.


    The elevator doors opened, and Wang Lan returned to the office, followed by a young man¡ªit was Ji Beizhao.


    "Beizhao, why do you insist on speaking with the Chairman in person, is it something I cannot convey?" Wang Lan asked curiously.


    Ji Beizhao spoke with a grave tone, "This matter is of great importance; I¡¯d better tell her myself."


    As they spoke, the two arrived at the door to the Chairman¡¯s office.


    Knock, knock, knock!


    Hearing the knock, Nanrong Wanqing, who was dealing with documents at her desk, looked up and said, "Come in!"


    With the office door pushed open, Wang Lan walked in with Ji Beizhao following closely behind. Seeing the arrivals, Nanrong Wanqing put down her work and asked Wang Lan, "Who is this?"


    "Chairman, his name is Ji Beizhao, an employee from the marketing department. He says he has something important to report to you."


    Hearing this, Nanrong Wanqing scrutinized Ji Beizhao and said indifferently, "You should be clear about thepany¡¯s policies. I don¡¯t meet with staff below the Manager level, nor should employees bypass their superiors to report directly, unless there¡¯s an exceptional situation. Tell me, what¡¯s the important matter?"


    Ji Beizhao briskly walked to the desk and ced the folder he was carrying on it.


    "Chairman, please take a look at this first."


    Nanrong Wanqing nodded slightly, ready to open the folder to review it. But at this moment, the cellphone by theputer suddenly rang, showing Ling Chen¡¯s number on the caller ID.


    "Wait a moment," said Nanrong Wanqing to Ji Beizhao, gesturing with her hand as she picked up the phone. However, before she could answer the call, Ji Beizhao, who stood in front of the desk, suddenly lunged forward without a word, smacking the phone out of her hand to the ground.


    His unexpected action stunned Nanrong Wanqing momentarily. Behind her, Wang Lan¡¯s face changed dramatically; she did not expect her boyfriend to act so boldly and out of line.


    "Beizhao, what are you..."


    Before she could finish, Ji Beizhao let out a cold sneer, his eyes glinting menacingly as he leaped over the desk tond beside Nanrong Wanqing. Immediately after, he reached to his waist, and a sharp dagger was swiftly drawn, pressed against Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s delicate neck.


    Seeing this scene, Wang Lan¡¯s face turned ashen, her voice shaking as she said, "Be... Beizhao, what... what are you doing?"


    "Shut up!" Ji Beizhao shouted coldly.


    Nanrong Wanqing lifted her head, looking straight at Ji Beizhao with a calm demeanor, "Are you an Assassin?"


    "Assassin? If I were an assassin, you¡¯d be dead by now."


    "So what do you want?"


    "It¡¯s simple. Prepare a contract for me to transfer Hongyu Group¡¯s shares to me."


    "You think that¡¯s possible?" Nanrong Wanqing spoke, "Even if I agree, I don¡¯t have the authority. The shares of Hongyu Group aren¡¯t in my hands; they¡¯re all under my grandfather¡¯s name."


    Ji Beizhao frowned and was about to speak. However, at that moment, there was a ¡¯bang¡¯, and the office door was kicked open from the outside. Immediately, Zhong Wei and others rushed in, shouting, "Ji Beizhao, release the Chairman at once."


    Seeing Zhong Wei and his people closing in, Ji Beizhao¡¯s expression shifted slightly, and he hastily shouted, "Don¡¯te any closer, take one more step, and I¡¯ll kill her right away."


    As Ji Beizhao held the dagger tightly against Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s neck, Zhong Wei immediately spread his arms, signaling the others not to make any rash moves. Then, he took out his cellphone from his pocket, dialed a number, and put it on speaker.


    Du-du...


    The phone rang a few times before quickly being picked up, and a familiar voice followed, "Beizhao, stop this now, don¡¯t continue making mistakes."


    "Ling Chen?" Ji Beizhaoughed coldly, "It¡¯s toote for me to stop now, there¡¯s no turning back."


    "Beizhao, stop it, won¡¯t you listen to me anymore?"


    As a voice full of maism emanated from the phone, Ji Beizhao froze, incredulously saying, "Dad, you... you¡¯re still alive, I thought you..."


    "Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m fine. Listen to Ling Chen and release Nanrong Wanqing. We were wrong to me them for that incident."


    Hearing this, Ji Beizhao pleaded, "But..."


    "No buts. Release her now, won¡¯t you even listen to me?"


    Ji Beizhao hesitated for a moment, his eyes flickering as he looked at Nanrong Wanqing. After a while, he stepped back and threw the dagger to the ground.


    Seeing this, Zhong Wei and Liang Zhao Hui rushed forward, subduing Ji Beizhao who had given up resisting.


    "Beizhao..."


    Watching Ji Beizhao being led away, Wang Lan¡¯s color was drained from her face, and she mumbled as if she couldn¡¯t believe what had just unfolded.


    "I¡¯m sorry," Ji Beizhao said softly, his eyes filled with remorse.


    By the time Ji Beizhao was taken away, it hadn¡¯t been twenty minutes before Ling Chen and Nanrong Yong hurried back to the Hongyu Group headquarters.


    "Wanqing, are you alright?" Ling Chen rushed to the Chairman¡¯s office, deeply concerned.


    "I¡¯m fine. Ling Chen, who was that Ji Beizhao just now?"


    "He is..."


    "He¡¯s your cousin," Lian Zhao Hui cut in before Ling Chen could finish.


    "Cousin?" Nanrong Wanqing was taken aback, asking in confusion, "When did I get a cousin?"


    Nanrong Yong sighed softly, and said with mncholy, "It¡¯s a long story that dates back to my younger days."


    "Grandfather, Wanqing, you guys talk, I will go down to check on Beizhao."


    As Ling Chen turned to leave, Nanrong Yong quickly called out to him, saying, "Ling Chen, he was just misled and didn¡¯t truly mean to target the Nanrong Family. I hope you can help."


    Ling Chen nodded and said, "Grandfather, don¡¯t worry, I know what to do."


    Leaving the office, Ling Chen took the elevator straight to the security department.

 Chapter 498 - 494: Thawing Former Resentments

    <h4>Chapter 498: Chapter 494: Thawing Former Resentments</h4><h4></h4>


    In the security department¡¯s reception room, Ji Beizhao sat quietly on a chair, with Zhong Wei and Liang Zhao Hui standing guard on either side of him, watching him closely to prevent escape.


    Seeing Ling Chen enter, Zhong Wei nodded in greeting and asked, "Do you want me to call the police?"


    "No need," Ling Chen said. "Captain Zhong, you two step out for a bit, I have something to discuss with him alone."


    "Alright, we¡¯ll be outside if you need us." With that, Zhong Wei and Liang Zhao Hui stepped out of the reception room.


    Once they were gone, Ling Chen pulled up a chair and ced it in front of Ji Beizhao, saying, "I know all about you. To be honest, you yed your part well, even I was fooled. If not because of your father, you probably wouldn¡¯t have exposed your own identity."


    Ji Beizhao spoke up, "A few days ago in Beijing, he contacted me by phone, saying he was ready to make his move, but then I heard nothing for days. At that time, I knew something had happened to him."


    "So, you decided to go all in," Ling Chen shook his head andmented, "Lucky for you, your father understood your nature, knew you wouldn¡¯t just give up; otherwise, you could have caused a great disaster."


    "Enough with the nonsense. Just get to the point and tell me how you n to deal with me."


    "Based on your actions, I should turn you over to the police. However, the Nanrong Family has decided to let bygones be bygones, out of consideration for past rtions, and will not further pursue your wrongdoings." With that, Ling Chen pointed to the door of the reception room and said, "Go on, your father is waiting for you outside. Remember, don¡¯te around to disturb the Nanrong Family¡¯s life again."


    Hearing this, Ji Beizhao gave Ling Chen a deep look, and then, without a word, stood up and walked straight out.


    Watching Ji Beizhao¡¯s silhouette disappear at the door, Ling Chen let out a sigh of relief to himself¡ªfinally, it was over. It was a good thing that Snake King was sensible and had stopped Ji Beizhao in time; otherwise, with such a person lurking nearby, who knows what could have happened.


    Returning to the chairman¡¯s office, Nanrong Yong and Nanrong Wanqing were still talking. From the shocked expression on Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s face, it was clear she hade to understand the ins and outs of the affair.


    "Ling Chen, where is Ji Beizhao?" Nanrong Yong asked.


    "I let him go."


    Nanrong Yong nodded and said, "Let the past be the past. The Nanrong Family hasn¡¯t suffered any loss, and it¡¯s best if this matter is considered an internal conflict within the Nanrong Family and not publicized."


    During the conversation, a gentle knock sounded at the door. After receiving Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s permission, Wang Lan entered and handed a resignation letter to Nanrong Wanqing, her eyes red as she said, "Chairman, I¡¯m sorry."


    "What are you doing?"


    "It¡¯s all my fault," said Wang Lan ashamedly. "If I hadn¡¯t broken the rules and brought him up here, you wouldn¡¯t have been put in danger."


    "This has nothing to do with you; don¡¯t take it to heart. Besides, you were used by him, it¡¯s not your fault," Ling Chenforted.


    Nanrong Wanqing echoed, "Ling Chen is right, I don¡¯t me you, and I won¡¯t ept this letter of resignation. You go back and rest for a few days, ande back to work once you feel better."


    Holding back her tears, Wang Lan gratefully said, "Thank you, Chairman!"


    ...


    Night fell.


    After finishing work and having dinner with Nanrong Wanqing at home, Ling Chen was ready to head to the bedroom for a bath and rx his body.


    But upon entering the room, he saw Liu Kun and Hu Feiing in from outside.


    Seeing Hu Fei, Ling Chen was momentarily startled and immediately knew the reason for his visit. After thanking Liu Kun, he quickly pulled Hu Fei into his own room.


    "Chubby, have you cracked it?"


    Hu Fei put down his backpack, took out the Tianling de, and handed a piece of A4 paper filled with content to Ling Chen, saying, "I¡¯ve scanned the text on it, it¡¯s all in ssical Chinese, and given your level of education, I reckon you wouldn¡¯t understand, so I had someone trante it for you."


    Without heeding Hu Fei¡¯s teasing, Ling Chen eagerly took the A4 paper and read it intently.


    The ancient text engraved on the Tianling de was hundreds of words long, tranting into over a thousand words, filling the entire A4 paper.


    After reading the content on the paper, Ling Chen sat on the bed, staring nkly at the floor, his expression vacant for a long while withouting back to his senses.


    "Ling Chen, Ling Chen!"


    Hu Fei waved his hand in front of Ling Chen and, seeing no response, patted his shoulder, finally rousing him.


    "What are you dazing off about?"


    Ling Chen looked up, holding the piece of paper in his hand and asked Hu Fei, "Did you see the content on this?"


    "Nonsense, how could someone as curious as me not read it? But, though I read it, I didn¡¯t understand it, I don¡¯t know what it means. Hey! Can you exin it to me?"


    "Forget it." Ling Chen, forgoing his usual light-hearted demeanor, said seriously, "Besides you, has anyone else seen this?"


    "The person responsible for the trantion?" Hu Fei waved his hand, "Don¡¯t worry about that, I¡¯m always careful with my work. I was afraid of the content getting out, so I split it up and had several different people trante it. Except for you and me, no one knows the full content."


    "That¡¯s good then." Ling Chen nodded, got up, took out a lighter from the drawer, and burned the A4 paperpletely.


    "Chubby, do me a favor, grind off all the text engraved on the Tianling de, don¡¯t leave a single word."


    "Exactly what secret do these texts hold, and also, who is the Ling Gengqiu mentioned there?" asked Hu Fei, curious.


    "Don¡¯t ask. You wouldn¡¯t understand even if I told you."


    Seeing Ling Chen reluctant to say more, Hu Fei didn¡¯t bother to inquire further. After packing up, he left the Nanrong¡¯s.


    Once Hu Fei was gone, Ling Chen sat alone in the bedroom, staring at the ashes remaining in the trash can, frowning to himself. Never had he imagined that the Tianling de would hold such earth-shattering secrets.


    Moreover, this secret was rted to Ling Gengqiu from hundreds of years ago.


    Initially, from the materials given to him by the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion Master, Ling Chen had learned about Ling Gengqiu¡¯s life, including the origins of the Prajnaparamita Sutra. He had always thought Ling Gengqiu was just a fleeting genius in the martial world, never expecting the man¡¯s identity to be soplex.


    At this moment, all Ling Chen wanted was to find his father as soon as possible, or meet with the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion Master, to understand the full story.


    During his contemtion, the bedroom door was pushed open by Nanrong Wanqing.


    Seeing Ling Chen sitting on the bed, lost in thought, Nanrong Wanqing smiled faintly and asked, "What are you thinking about?"


    "Nothing."


    "Take this, answer the phone first."


    Seeing the phone that Nanrong Wanqing handed him, Ling Chen asked, "Who¡¯s calling?"


    "Su Lin."


    A smile spread across Ling Chen¡¯s face¡ªit was that girl.

 Chapter 499 - 495 Ling Family Secrets

    <h4>Chapter 499: Chapter 495 Ling Family Secrets</h4><h4></h4>


    Su Lin had been out for an apprenticeship for over half a month now; with that girl not at home, the home felt much colder than usual, and Ling Chen rather missed her. But that girl knew her own mobile number, why didn¡¯t she just call him directly instead of bothering Nanrong Wanqing?


    Picking up the phone, Ling Chen answered with a hello, only to hear Su Lin¡¯s sweet voice from the other end of the phone: "Future brother-inw, I¡¯m not at home. Are you and Wanqing enjoying your time alone together?"


    "That we are." Ling Chen replied with augh: "If it were up to me, you wouldn¡¯te back and disturb us at all."


    Hearing this, Nanrong Wanqing gave him a reproachful look.


    "You wish. Let me tell you, this youngdy will be back in a month. You¡¯d better cherish the time you have alone with Wanqing, and don¡¯t me me when I interrupt your duo¡¯s world."


    "Alright, just be safe out there."


    After a bit of idle chat, Su Lin seemed to have somethinge up suddenly on her end and had to hang up the phone.


    "Su Lin said she¡¯lle back in a month."


    "That¡¯s just around Chinese New Year; it¡¯s time toe home."


    Chinese New Year!


    A thought struck Ling Chen, had it not been for Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s reminder, he would have almost forgotten about it. Since his childhood, he had never really had a concept of celebrating the New Year. When he lived with his father, festivals were just like any other day, with simple meals and no distinctions. After joining Ghost, he was always performing tasks outside, never getting the chance to enjoy the festivities.


    Involuntarily, Ling Chen found himself looking forward to the uing festival.


    After taking a bath, Ling Chen watched an entertainment program in the living room with Nanrong Wanqing. At ten o¡¯clock, after escorting a sleepy Nanrong Wanqing back to her room, Ling Chen changed into fresh clothes and left the Nanrong house alone, wandering in the garden of Wealthy Manor.


    The night was as dark as ink, decorated with stars.


    Ling Chen strolled on the gstone path, his thoughts drifting to recent events, and a bitter smile appeared on his well-defined face.


    He had thought that after leaving Ghost, he could wave goodbye to his past life and return to normalcy, but some matters are hard to disentangle once involved. For him, leading an ordinary life had almost be a luxury.


    Moreover, the circumstances he was facing now plunged him into profound confusion, as if everything were veiled inyers of fog, obscuring the truth.


    While wandering, Ling Chen¡¯s gaze suddenlynded on a pavilion in the garden.


    Sitting with his back to a stone bench in the pavilion was a man. Due to the dense night, only his slender silhouette and dense hair were faintly visible, his simple suit outlined his form, and ording to Ling Chen¡¯s judgment, the man appeared to be in his forties or fifties.


    The man sat alone in the pavilion, with a jug of wine and two cups on the stone table, pouring and drinking by himself as if he hadn¡¯t noticed Ling Chen¡¯s presence.


    Ling Chen looked twice and guessed that the man was probably brooding over some troubles, thus drinking alone here. Thinking it over, Ling Chen decided to take a detour to avoid disturbing him.


    "Since you¡¯re here, why not join me for a drink?"


    The voice came from the pavilion. Before Ling Chen could react, a whooshing sound suddenly emerged.


    Ling Chen focused his eyes, his brows slightly raised; he quickly reached out and caught the iing object. Looking at the wine cup in his hand, its contents not spilled, Ling Chen¡¯s eyes narrowed with interest, sizing up the man in the pavilion.


    "Are you specifically waiting for me here?"


    "Is that important?" the man countered.


    "If you want to drink with me, at least tell me who you are."


    "These things are not important." The man in the suit said indifferently: "What¡¯s important is that I can answer the doubts in your heart."


    "How do you know I have doubts?"


    "Because I know you, whether it¡¯s your time with Ghost or the things you¡¯ve experienced in East Sea City, I know it all clear and clear. I believe you must have many questions in your mind. Since you left Ghost, you¡¯ve been living aimlessly, clueless about which direction to take."


    Ling Chen said with a smirk, "Do you know then?"


    "Your father once asked me to secretly watch over you and ensure your safety. His intentions were clear, hoping that after you left Ghost, you could live an ordinary human life, carefree for the rest of your life. Unfortunately, fate does not always follow one¡¯s wishes, and the more you try to avoid some things, the harder it is to stop them. Many troubles will find you even if you do not seek them out."


    Hearing this, Ling Chen¡¯s expression changed slightly, and he quickly walked towards the pavilion. However, before he could get close, the man in the suit waved hisrge hand, and the stone bench on the ground immediately flew up,nding in front of Ling Chen, blocking his path.


    "Don¡¯te closer, I do not wish to reveal my identity."


    Ling Chen stepped back two steps, impatiently asking, "Do you know my father?"


    "Of course. I came to find you at his behest. He knows you¡¯ve been using Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion¡¯s intelligence capabilities to find him, and due to some reasons, he cannot show himself right now, so he had me meet you instead. You can ask whatever questions you have, and I will try my best to answer them."


    Ling Chen paused for a moment and said, "Since you know my father, then you should be aware of my origin and background."


    "You mean... the Ling Family?" Upon hearing this, the man in the suit chuckled, adding, "Your father had predicted you would be curious about your own ancestry. Since you were young back then, he didn¡¯t tell you, but now that you are an adult, it¡¯s time to tell you the truth."


    "You were born into the Ling Family, a grand family that has been passed down for hundreds of years, with dozens of siblings. You and your father both belong to a coteral branch of the Ling Family, which for hundreds of years, has only had a single descendant per generation. Due to the actions of several of your ancestors, your line has not been well-liked in the Ling Family, often neglected. However, given that you both have the blood of the Ling Family, they have not done anything too outrageous to you or your father, until an incident more than a decade ago thatpletely severed rtions. After that incident, your father took you and left the Ling Family, moving far away."


    After listening to the man¡¯s words, Ling Chen couldn¡¯t help but say, "Can you rify? You¡¯re telling me so much it¡¯s like you¡¯re saying nothing."


    "You must already know about Ling Gengqiu."


    "I know about his deeds, all that happened hundreds of years ago."


    "Correct, but what you do not know is that Ling Gengqiu is actually your ancestor."


    "What?"


    Hearing this, Ling Chen waspletely shocked.


    "Back then, Ling Gengqiu was secretly poisoned by his wife, which led him to be a monk. After that, Ling Gengqiu¡¯s wife sent his only son to the Ling Family, then quietly disappeared, leaving no trace. Later, it was the Ling Family who raised Ling Gengqiu¡¯s child, which led to your line¡¯s existence."

 Chapter 500 - 496: Blacklist

    <h4>Chapter 500: Chapter 496: cklist</h4><h4></h4>


    So that¡¯s how it is!


    Ling Chen nodded to himself. Just a few days ago, he was evaluating Ling Gengqiu as a winner in life, having toyed with so many women throughout his days. Unexpectedly, he turned out to be his own ancestor, a transformation that was truly bewildering.


    "What happened afterwards?"


    "When Ling Gengqiu was alive, due to his indiscretions, he brought great shame to the Ling Family and caused a lot of trouble, which severely impacted them. Consequently, the Ling Family took a dim view of his descendants. Imagine, a child who¡¯s lost his parents and is all alone, growing up in such an environment, surrounded by cold eyes and subjected to people¡¯s scorn daily. If you were in his shoes, how long do you think you could endure? Therefore, it wasn¡¯t easy for our lineage... your lineage to survive."


    After a pause, the man in the suit continued: "Although the Ling Family has a martial arts heritage, as times progressed, the martial arts tradition gradually declined, and the Ling Family decided to abandon martial arts in favor of business. Fortunately, with their vast family fortune and rich heritage, it took them less than fifty years to build a business empire, bing the wealthiest in the south, at the pinnacle of their power."


    "No wonder I didn¡¯t see any members of the Ling Family at the Heavenly Mechanism Great Ceremony this time."


    "No, you¡¯re wrong. It¡¯s not that they don¡¯t participate, but that they disdain to do so. Even though the Ling Family has shifted from martial arts to business, they haven¡¯tpletely forsaken martial arts. Also, the Heavenly Mechanism Great Ceremony is just a grand event for the masters on the Dragon and Tiger List."


    Hearing this, Ling Chen was taken aback. The implication was clear¡ªthe Ling Family didn¡¯t participate in the Heavenly Mechanism Great Ceremony because they had already surpassed the Dragon and Tiger List in strength.


    Could it be... the Ling Family¡¯s power has reached the Earthly List?


    "Knowing this much about the Ling Family is enough for you. I advise you, don¡¯t think about tracing your ancestry or seeking affinity with the Ling Family. The rtionship between the Ling Family and your father has deteriorated over a decade ago. Between you and them, there¡¯s only enmity, not kinship. Do you hear me?"


    "Enmity?" Ling Chen asked, puzzled. "What enmity?"


    "That you don¡¯t need to know, nor do you need to intervene. Your father will take care of it himself. In short, don¡¯t provoke the Ling Family; they¡¯re not a force you can shake. The Hongyu Group is at best a huge enterprise dominating East Sea City, but the Ling Family owns the entire south. The difference between them is like night and day. To the Ling Family, the Nanrong Family is nothing. Besides, there¡¯s another matter."


    "What¡¯s that?"


    "It¡¯s about the God Organization. You¡¯ve dealt with the God Organization for so many years and should be well aware of their strength. However, I need to remind you that if you think the God Organization¡¯s strongest forces are overseas, then you are sorely mistaken. Many years ago, the God Organization began to infiltrate Huaxia, developing covertly. Around the world, their power in Huaxia is the strongest. Over the years, they have deceived you, making you believe that the God Organization¡¯s influence hasn¡¯t fully prated Huaxia, thus rxing your guard and shifting your focus abroad. In fact, all these are smokescreens set by the God Organization to facilitate their growth and expansion within Huaxia."


    Ling Chen frowned and said, "Since you know so much about the God Organization, how much do you know about their leadership?"


    "He¡¯s from Huaxia. That¡¯s all I can tell you for now; there are some things I haven¡¯t fully investigated, so I can¡¯t make arbitrary conclusions. The main reason I came to see you is to remind you that you¡¯ve been listed on the God Organization¡¯s cklist, and they perceive you as a target that must be eliminated."


    "Me?" Ling Chen was stunned and asked, "Why?"


    "The man in the suit replied, "Because you¡¯re too high-profile in your actions, having confronted the God Organization head-on several times, causing them significant losses. Besides that, there¡¯s another crucial reason¡ªMr. Yun, also known as Nanrong Yuan, Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s father."


    "What does he have to do with this?"


    The man in the suit sneered, "Do you really think the God Organization is oblivious to Nanrong Yuan¡¯s identity? That¡¯s just Nanrong Yuan being too clever by half, thinking he could deceive the agents of the God Organization. There¡¯s no absolute trust within the God Organization; everyone is scheming against each other. At least a dozen people around Nanrong Yuan are spies nted by the God Organization, constantly monitoring his every move. All his secrets are well known to the God Organization."


    "Then, if the God Organization is aware of Nanrong Yuan¡¯s intentions, why do they let him be?"


    "Like I said, the God Organization is good at creating smokescreens to blind everyone, including Nanrong Yuan, who is one such significant distraction. Initially, the God Organization intended to keep Nanrong Yuan around, but then they discovered that the power he was secretly building up had be uncontroble. From what I understand, the new technology Nanrong Yuan has mastered poses a serious threat to the God Organization, which is why they are determined to eliminate him, despite the cost. In fact, all the power and efforts Nanrong Yuan has umted will end up benefiting the God Organization. Once Nanrong Yuan is dead, they will easily take over those forces."


    After a moment of silence, the man in the suit continued, "I¡¯m not sure what new technology Nanrong Yuan has mastered, but the God Organization ces great importance on it. You¡¯ve had contact with Nanrong Yuan, and given your connection to Nanrong Wanqing, the God Organization believes it¡¯s highly likely that Nanrong Yuan would have shared that new technology with you."


    "So, that¡¯s why they put me on the cklist?"


    "Exactly."


    Injustice, what an injustice!


    Ling Chen sighed inwardly. Nanrong Yuan hadn¡¯t mentioned any new technology to him; he¡¯d only said... the key!


    That¡¯s right!


    Ling Chen suddenly realized. When Nanrong Yuan was injured, he had said something to him.


    Nanrong Wanqing is the key!


    At the time, he had been at a loss, unable to grasp the meaning of these words. Now thinking about it, there might be a connection between the two.


    Could it be... the new technology Nanrong Yuan mastered is in the hands of Nanrong Wanqing?


    As he pondered, the man in the suit at the pavilion slowly stood up, his back facing Ling Chen, and said, "I¡¯ve said all that needs to be said. Take care of yourself. Here¡¯s a phone with a number saved in it; if you need any information, you can call this number, and the person on the other end will try to help you."


    Seeing the man was about to leave, Ling Chen hurriedly called out to him, asking, "You know my father; can you tell me his contact information?"


    "There¡¯s no need for that. When your father wants to see you, he¡¯lle looking for you. Until then, just focus on keeping yourself alive. Oh, and... your father told me to pass along this message: he finds his future daughter-inw quite satisfactory. However, as the saying goes, ¡¯When flowers bloom, they should be picked at once; don¡¯t wait until there are no flowers and just empty branches to break.¡¯ The descendants of Ling Gengqiu, each one is a phnderer; hardly any of them has been faithful from start to finish, including your father. So, don¡¯t worry too much about what others think, just go with the flow. Ling Gengqiu used to say, a true man should drink the strongest liquor, enjoy thepany of the finest women¡ªthat¡¯s the only way to live a life without regrets. You might as well learn a thing or two from him."

 Chapter 501 - 497: Such Fast Speed

    <h4>Chapter 501: Chapter 497: Such Fast Speed</h4><h4></h4>


    Study Ling Gengqiu?


    Ling Chen touched his nose; he certainly had no such intentions. With Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s temperament, he had no idea what consequences would ensue if he dared to do so.


    "Right, about that... eh?" Before Ling Chen could finish speaking, he discovered that the man in the suit who had been in the pavilion had vanished without a trace, leaving behind only a mobile phone and a bottle of wine on the stone table.


    Such impressive speed!


    Ling Chen inwardly marveled at the feat. Before he could even react, the man had already disappeared into thin air.


    Walking into the pavilion, he picked up the mobile phone and scrolled through the saved phone numbers, then slipped the phone into his pocket and turned to head back to the Nanrong Family.


    Having learned so much important intelligence from the man in the suit, he needed to think carefully about how to guard against the God Organization.


    The next day.


    It was the rare asion of a Saturday, meaning no work, so Ling Chen slept in and didn¡¯t get up until eight o¡¯clock.


    After breakfast, he saw Nanrong Hao running over excitedly, grinning and saying, "Chen, do you have time today? Everyone wants to invite you out for a gathering."


    Ling Chen, holding a toothpick and picking at his teeth, eyed Nanrong Hao warily and said, "If it¡¯s to some shady ce, then don¡¯t call me. I¡¯m not interested. If your sister finds out, neither you nor I will have a good time."


    Nanrong Hao chuckled, "Chen, don¡¯t be like that, rx. I, your little nephew, definitely wouldn¡¯t set you up. This time, we want to invite you to join a celebration."


    "Celebrate what?"


    Nanrong Hao sold the suspense, mysteriously saying, "You¡¯ll find out when we get there."


    Ling Chen nodded half-convinced: "Alright then."


    When it was almost eleven o¡¯clock, Ling Chen followed Nanrong Hao out of the house, then drove towards the city center.


    After spending more than half an hour on the road, they finally arrived at a resplendent luxury restaurant. Even from thevish exterior decorations, it was clear that this ce was not cheap.


    Ling Chen shook his head, seriously criticizing, "You guys are getting more and more materialistic. You can¡¯t just squander money even if you have it; don¡¯t let wealth corrupt you."


    "Yes, yes, but since you, Chen, have joined us, we can¡¯t lose face, so we chose a slightly more upscale ce. Usually, we just grab a bite at roadside stalls."


    Hearing this, Ling Chen couldn¡¯t help butugh and curse, "Who would believe you."


    Entering the restaurant, with a server¡¯s guidance, Ling Chen and Nanrong Hao arrived at the top floor¡¯s panoramic suite, the most luxurious one in the establishment, offering sweeping views of the bustling city for a hundred meters around.


    Of course, the consumption of this suite was not low, priced at two thousand yuan per hour.


    When Ling Chen arrived, Jiang Hao, Zhao Zhengxiong, and Jiang Yunkai were all already seated, just waiting for the two of them.


    "Chen."


    "Chen."


    Seeing Ling Chen appear, everyone got up to greet him.


    "Alright, sit down, you guys. We¡¯re all friends here, no need for formalities."


    Saying this, Ling Chen took a seat beside Jiang Hao. Seeing everyone looking at him with smiles, Ling Chen touched his face and asked curiously, "Why are you all staring at me? Is there something on my face?"


    Jiang Hao said with a beaming smile, "Chen, we invited you here mainly to give you a surprise."


    "What surprise?"


    "We¡¯ve taken over North City District." Zhao Zhengxiong excitedly announced.


    "Really?" Ling Chen gave a thumbs-up and praised with a smile, "Well done."


    Nanrong Hao smiled, "It¡¯s all thanks to Hao, Xiong, and Kai, otherwise it wouldn¡¯t have been so smooth."


    Zhao Zhengxiong modestly said, "You can¡¯t say it like that. Everyone made efforts, and the merit belongs to us all."


    "Enough with the mutual praise. Tell me whats going on now," Ling Chen interjected. He had been busy attending the Heavenly Mechanism Great Ceremony recently, and afterwards went to Beijing. He knew nothing about the developments with Jiang Hao and the others.


    "Chen, here¡¯s the thing," Zhao Zhengxiong took a sip of tea to moisten his throat, and started exining, "Over in North City District, the people there were extensively engaged in illegal gambling and drug activities. After our report, the policeunched a rigorous crackdown, shut down many of their venues, and arrested a number of their mid-level backbones. We took advantage of their weakened state, quietly amassed our manpower, and directly took out their stronghold."


    Ling Chen nodded. He knew all too well that despite how effortlessly Zhao Zhengxiong put it, achieving this victory must have cost them a great deal of blood and losses.


    Surviving in this line of work meant genuinely risking one¡¯s life¡ªthere wasn¡¯t much room for trickery.


    "Chen, now that we control the turf of all six districts of East Sea City, we would like to hear your thoughts."


    Ling Chen looked at Jiang Hao, who posed the question, and instantly understood that this was probably the real reason they invited him. Now that Jiang Hao and the others had triumphed and seized such a big piece of cake, how to share it was the most critical issue. It was vital to strike the right bnce in who gets how much. If one couldn¡¯t maintain control, conflicts could easily arise among certain individuals.


    After pondering for a moment, Ling Chen asked, "What are your thoughts?"


    "This..."


    Jiang Hao and the others looked at each other, none speaking out at first.


    After a while, Jiang Yunkai spoke up, "I don¡¯t want a share of the turf. I don¡¯t have the energy to manage it either; running three securitypanies is already keeping me busy."


    Ling Chen gave a faint smile¡ªhe was well aware of Jiang Yunkai¡¯s nature. Yunkai was never that interested in this line of business andcked ambition, which made him the easiest to deal with.


    "I have no objection," Zhao Zhengxiong spoke first.


    "I also have no objection."


    Nanrong Hao said with a smile, "Chen, I¡¯ll listen to you."


    "That settles it then. Since none of you have any objections, let¡¯s decide this matter now," Ling Chen announced, ncing at the four present, and continued in a serious tone, "But before that, let me make one thing clear. Even though the territories are divided, we are still all on the same side. In the future, do not start conflicts with each other. If I find out anyone has broken the rules, don¡¯t expect me to be lenient. Just as I can lift you up, I can also pull you down. Moreover, no illegal activities are allowed on your turf."


    Jiang Hao and the others unanimously responded, "Chen, rest assured, we¡¯re all good brothers for life, and would never do anything to betray our own people."

 Chapter 502 - 498: The Pretty Boy (1)

    <h4>Chapter 502: Chapter 498: The Pretty Boy (1)</h4><h4></h4>


    "I hope so too, I don¡¯t want any unpleasantness among us either." Having said that, Ling Chen picked up his teacup and continued, "Since everyone is here, I have a favor to ask. I want you to firmly secure control over East Sea City¡¯s territories in the shortest time possible."


    Jiang Hao curiously asked, "Chen, why?"


    "I¡¯ve run into some trouble; someone is out to get me, and they¡¯re a force to be reckoned with. However, their influence hasn¡¯t extended to East Sea City yet. Before it does, I hope you can keep an eye out for any suspicious individuals making an appearance."


    Upon hearing this, Zhao Zhengxiong and the others exchanged nces, with a trace of unease flickering in their eyes.


    Seeing that no one spoke, Ling Chen continued, "I know this is a difficult task, but right now, you guys are the only ones I can count on, so..."


    "Chen," Nanrong Hao interrupted Ling Chen, adding, "We didn¡¯t say we¡¯re not going to help you. In fact, we¡¯ve been prepared for such a situation and have been nning for a long time."


    "What do you mean?"


    Jiang Hao said with a smile, "Chen, weren¡¯t you always wondering why we insisted on opening courierpanies? It¡¯s not just courier services, but also the taxi industry; we¡¯re involved in it all. Once we¡¯ve organized all the territories, half the city¡¯s taxipanies will be under our control. Both couriers and taxis interact with thergest number of people and are the quickest ways to acquire information. Our initial idea was to build aplete intelligence system. Each courierpany is an information outpost, with couriers specifically tasked with gathering intelligence, which is then filtered through multipleyers to retain valuable data. With this system, as long as it¡¯s in East Sea City, we can be the first to know about anything that happens."


    Ling Chen¡¯s eyes lit up as he listened to Jiang Hao¡¯s exnation. If it weren¡¯t for his normal sexual orientation, he would have felt like kissing Jiang Hao right then. This news was undoubtedly the best surprise for him; having his own source of intelligence would make many things much more convenient in the future.


    "Good job, well done," Ling Chen said with a grin, "I hadn¡¯t realized you had such foresight."


    Nanrong Hao bragged boastfully, "Of course, we¡¯re all people who handle big matters."


    "Chen," Zhao Zhengxiong chimed in from the side, "Even though we¡¯ve established a fairlyplete intelligence system, there¡¯s still a major issue we haven¡¯t solved."


    "What¡¯s the problem?"


    Zhao Zhengxiong said resignedly, "We¡¯re all rough and tumble guys. We can handle fighting and killing, but managing intelligence is really not our forte. We need to find someone meticulous and analytical to handle the intelligence."


    Ling Chen thought for a moment, and a name immediately popped into his mind.


    Hu Fei was in the intelligence business; he would be the perfect candidate to bring onboard. With that thought, Ling Chen smiled and said, "Don¡¯t worry about the candidate, I¡¯ve got it arranged."


    With the big matter settled, everyone enjoyed their meal immensely.


    During the meal, Ling Chen discreetly handed a regr Heavenly Mechanism Pill to Jiang Yunkai and exined its use, filling Yunkai with both excitement and gratitude.


    Ling Chen knew what Yunkai was after, so this regr Heavenly Mechanism Pill was undoubtedly the best reward for him.


    After a satisfying meal, Ling Chen helped the drunken Nanrong Hao out of the restaurant, following the others as they left.


    After throwing Nanrong Hao into the car, Ling Chen closed the car door and then walked over to Zhao Zhengxiong¡¯s newly bought BMW, gesturing to Zhao Zhengxiong who was in the driver¡¯s seat.


    After getting into the car, Zhao Zhengxiong, belching from fullness and with a flushed face, asked, "Chen, did you want to see me for something?"


    Ling Chen nodded and said, "There were things I couldn¡¯t discuss in front of everyone just now. Now that it¡¯s just the two of us, I want to have a serious talk with you." After saying that, Ling Chen looked meaningfully at Zhao Zhengxiong and asked, "Do you know why I agreed to let you divide the territories among yourselves?"


    Zhao Zhengxiong answered, "Well... Chen, I don¡¯t quite understand what you mean."


    "In both life and work, one should always look far ahead, that¡¯s what I think..."


    Five minutester.


    Ling Chen stepped out of the BMW, and in the driver¡¯s seat, Zhao Zhengxiong watched Ling Chen¡¯s departing figure with a solemn expression and ultra-clear eyes.


    ...


    In the blink of an eye, it had been a week since the return to East Sea City. These past days had been peaceful without any trouble from the God Organization, and Ling Chen had been enjoying a few rare days of tranquility.


    That day after work, Ling Chen got in the car with Nanrong Wanqing, preparing to drive back to Wealthy Manor. Halfway there, as she watched the traffic outside the window, Nanrong Wanqing suddenly said, "Let¡¯s take a detour to Huamei Mall."


    Ling Chen gave a slight smile, "Feeling like shopping today?"


    "You don¡¯t want to go?"


    "How could I not? You¡¯re the boss here, wherever you say we¡¯ll go." Saying this, Ling Chen nced at Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s voluptuous chest and wore a teasing smile on his face.


    Feeling the burning gaze from Ling Chen, Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s cheeks turned slightly red, and she lightly tapped his arm, her eyes reproachful as she said in both embarrassment and annoyance, "Don¡¯t stare rudely."


    Ling Chen leaned in close to Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s ear and whispered, "I hand-raised this myself, can¡¯t I even take a look?"


    Hearing this, Nanrong Wanqing instantly blushed even deeper, her face as red as an apple, endearingly cute and enchanting. If it weren¡¯t for Zhong Wei sitting in the front, she would have loved to give Ling Chen a good scolding.


    This damn guy is getting bolder and bolder, not considering the situation at all.


    Seeing Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s hand stretch toward his thigh, Ling Chen¡¯s face changed and he quickly sat up straight, looking forward with undistracted eyes, and said solemnly, "Captain Zhong, to Huamei."


    "Understood."


    The car turned into thene and after more than twenty minutes, the convoy finally arrived at the underground parking garage of Huamei Mall.


    Getting out of the car, Nanrong Wanqing turned and said, "You guys stay in the car, no need to follow. Having Ling Chen with me is enough."


    They took the elevator up, arriving directly at the top floor of the mall. This ce was lined with international luxury brands, and the clientele who shopped on this floor were all rich and prestigious.


    Stepping out of the elevator, Ling Chen wrapped his arm around Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s slender waist, strolling on the floor¡¯s mirror-smooth surface, perusing clothing and purses from various big-name brands.


    "Let¡¯s go check that out."


    Ling Chen turned his head to look in the direction Nanrong Wanqing was pointing to, and saw it was a boutique specializing in custom-made menswear. While the store was small, it had a steady flow of customers, some entering excitedly but leaving looking disappointed and dejected.


    "Are you buying clothes for me?" Ling Chen quickly caught on.


    Nanrong Wanqing retorted, "Is that a problem?"


    "No problem at all, but... I heard that brand¡¯s suits are pretty expensive, the cheapest starting from two hundred thousand."


    Nanrong Wanqing gave Ling Chen a look, without another word, pulled him towards the store.

 Chapter 503 - 499: Pretty Boy (2)

    <h4>Chapter 503: Chapter 499: Pretty Boy (2)</h4><h4></h4>


    The shop was small but fully equipped, with an endless queue of waiting customers.


    Most of the people whoe here to buy suits are from rich households or are sessful business people. As such, Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s arrival quickly drew everyone¡¯s attention, and the scene became quite noisy for a while.


    Especially when they saw Nanrong Wanqing confidently holding Ling Chen¡¯s arm as they entered, it triggered a lot of discussion and spection.


    Feeling everyone¡¯s unusual gazes converging on him, Ling Chen suddenly felt a bit ufortable. That feeling was like being a kept man, which was really annoying.


    Although he often jokingly says he doesn¡¯t mind being a kept man, that¡¯s just a joke. For a macho man with his personality, the idea of really bing a kept man would make him want to die.


    At this time, some people who knew Nanrong Wanqing approached one after another, greeting her. However, during their conversations, their gazes kept sizing up Ling Chen, as if they were very interested in his background.


    "Miss Nanrong, and this gentleman is?" Finally, someone asked about Ling Chen¡¯s identity.


    Nanrong Wanqing casually replied, "He¡¯s my boyfriend, Ling Chen."


    Upon receiving Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s straightforward response, a burst of gasps rose from the crowd, surprised by her candid admission.


    "So it¡¯s Mr. Ling." A middle-aged man smiled and extended his hand politely, greeting him. Then, he changed the subject,vishly praising, "Mr. Ling is truly a man of looks and talent, to have won Miss Nanrong¡¯s heart must mean you are quite capable. May I ask what high position Mr. Ling holds?"


    Hearing this, Nanrong Wanqing turned to look at Ling Chen, her pretty face adorned with a light smile.


    Ling Chen touched his nose and grinned, "Nothing high-profile, I¡¯m just a security guard scraping a living."


    "A security guard?"


    As soon as these words came out, everyone was stunned, their faces filled with surprise and disbelief.


    The middle-aged manughed a bit awkwardly, "I would not have guessed, Mr. Ling seems to enjoy joking."


    Ling Chen spread his hands and said, "I¡¯m not joking. I work as a security guard at Hongyu Group. If you don¡¯t believe me, feel free to ask her. She is the chairman of Hongyu Group, and she knows best."


    Seeing everyone looking at her, Nanrong Wanqing didn¡¯t say a word, just lightly nodded her head.


    It was actually true!


    Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s acknowledgment immediately set off a frenzy among everyone present. No one expected the chairman of the mighty Hongyu Group, a billionaire heiress, to actually have a security guard as a boyfriend.


    For a moment, everyone looked at Ling Chen with a mix ofplicated feelings in their eyes, including envy, jealousy, disdain, and contempt. Some even couldn¡¯t wait to take out their phones, eager to spread this sensational news to their friends.


    Watching their actions, Ling Chen inwardly gave a wry smile. Without a doubt, by tomorrow morning, he was bound to be a ¡¯celebrity.¡¯


    No helping it, Nanrong Wanqing was too well-known. As the golden flower of East Sea City, almost everyone was specting which talented young man could pluck this beautiful, thorny flower.


    If it had been a young man with status and background, it would probably not have been a surprise to anyone. After all, a matching social status is of utmost importance. But Nanrong Wanqing had to choose a "good-for-nothing" security guard, which was enough to make it a hot news topic.


    Faced with the whispered exchanges and pointing fingers of the crowd, Ling Chen gently tugged Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s arm, signaling her to leave quickly.


    "What¡¯s the rush? We haven¡¯t bought the clothes yet," Nanrong Wanqing said softly, seemingly unconcerned with the discussions around her.


    Ling Chen, resigned, could only wait in line with Nanrong Wanqing.


    After about half an hour, the tailor finally took their measurements, and they paid a hefty deposit, only waiting to pick up the suit in a few days.


    Under the gaze of the onlookers, Ling Chen took Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s hand and fled the shop.


    Seeing Ling Chen drenched in sweat, Nanrong Wanqing couldn¡¯t help butugh: "What are you so nervous about?"


    Ling Chen said sullenly: "Did you do it on purpose? Knowing there were acquaintances around, yet you still dragged me over."


    "Are you unhappy?" Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s words carried a hint of apology.


    "It¡¯s not that I¡¯m unhappy, it¡¯s just so sudden. I wasn¡¯t mentally prepared at all. Since you wanted to expose our rtionship, you should have at least given me a heads up. With this, who knows how many reporters might show up at Wealthy Manor¡¯s door tomorrow."


    "It¡¯s okay, at most they¡¯ll be a nuisance for a few days."


    After calming himself down, Ling Chen looked at Nanrong Wanqing somewhat puzzledly. He was not against Nanrong Wanqing making their rtionship public; since Nanrong Wanqing didn¡¯t care about it, as a man, he cared even less.


    Returning to the underground parking, Ling Chen, seeing Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s empty hands, couldn¡¯t help but ask: "Didn¡¯t youe to go shopping? Howe you didn¡¯t buy anything?"


    "Didn¡¯t I buy clothes for you?"


    Ling Chen was taken aback: "You came just to buy me clothes?"


    "Yep." Nanrong Wanqing said with a beaming smile: "What else did you think?"


    Ling Chen was a bit confused. There was nothing happening at home, so why buy a suit for him? Could it be that she was nning to bring him to some sort of gathering?


    With doubts, the two took a ride back to Wealthy Manor.


    At home, Ling Chen sneaked off to Nanrong Hao¡¯s vi alone, only to see Nanrong Hao sitting on the living room sofa, joystick in hand, engrossed in a video game. It was hard to imagine that the once idle yboy of a wealthy family had now be a prominent figure controlling two major districts.


    "Chen!"


    Seeing Ling Chen approaching, Nanrong Hao quickly greeted him with a smile: "Chen, take a seat. Want something to drink?"


    "No need for that trouble." With that, Ling Cheny down ungracefully on the sofa, legs crossed, hands propping his head, and looked at Nanrong Hao: "Get some people to block the entrance to the manor tomorrow, don¡¯t let the reporters in."


    "Chen, what happened?"


    "I just went shopping with your sister and our rtionship got exposed. I guess we won¡¯t have any peace for the next few days."


    "Really?" Nanrong Hao said with a happyugh: "That¡¯s good news. If my sister is willing to do this, it shows she¡¯smitted to you. Hey, speaking of which! Chen, what gift did you prepare for my sister?"


    "Gift?" Ling Chen looked puzzled and asked, "What gift?"


    Now it was Nanrong Hao¡¯s turn to be surprised: "Chen, you can¡¯t be unaware, can you? In a few days, it will be my sister¡¯s birthday, and there will be a birthday banquet. Didn¡¯t she tell you?"


    Birthday?


    So that¡¯s it!


    Ling Chen instantly realized why Nanrong Wanqing had taken him to get a tailor-made suit¡ªit was for this very reason.


    "If you hadn¡¯t mentioned it, I really wouldn¡¯t have known." Saying this, Ling Chen sat up and asked earnestly: "What does your sister usually like?"


    Nanrong Hao spread his hands and said: "How would I know." As soon as the words left his mouth, seeing Ling Chen¡¯s stern gaze, Nanrong Hao quickly exined: "Chen, I really don¡¯t know. My sister is always busy with work, and aside from work, I haven¡¯t seen her pursue other hobbies or interests."


    Seeing Ling Chen deep in thought, Nanrong Hao said with a smile: "Chen, you¡¯ve lived with my sister for so long, and she¡¯s your girlfriend, don¡¯t you know what she likes?"


    "Nonsense, of course, I know what she likes."

 Chapter 504 - 500 Kaelina Attacked

    <h4>Chapter 504: Chapter 500 Kaelina Attacked</h4><h4></h4>


    Ling Chen pointed to his own nose and said, "The one your sister likes is me."


    Uh... Nanrong Hao turned his head away, struggling to hold back hisughter.


    "What¡¯s wrong? Am I not speaking the truth?" Ling Chen red at Nanrong Hao.


    "No no no." Nanrong Hao hurriedly waved his hand and said, "Chen, you¡¯re not wrong, my sister does like you, but that¡¯s a different story. You can¡¯t just wrap yourself up as a gift for her, unless..." At this point, Nanrong Hao¡¯s face revealed a sly smile.


    "Unless what?" Ling Chen pressed on.


    Nanrong Hao leaned in close to Ling Chen¡¯s ear and whispered, "Unless you deliver yourself to her bed. My sister would definitely be satisfied."


    Hearing this, Ling Chen ¡¯smack¡¯, pped Nanrong Hao on the head, reprimanding him irritably, "Is my sister that kind of person?"


    Nanrong Hao rubbed his head, muttering, "I don¡¯t know about my sister, but you definitely are that kind of person."


    Ling Chen red at Nanrong Hao. It was pointless to ask him; not wanting to waste his breath, he simply got up and left the vi.


    Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s birthday, this was a big deal, and with it being a birthday banquet, there would definitely be many attendees. Being her boyfriend, if he didn¡¯t prepare a stunning gift, it wouldn¡¯t only let down Nanrong Wanqing, but it would also reflect poorly on himself.


    Sigh! No choice, all men are creatures that care about face.


    The next day.


    As expected by Ling Chen, the outside of Wealthy Manor was filled with reporters who hade to interview. Fortunately, Ling Chen had prepared early and had Nanrong Hao arrange manpower in advance to block all those reporters outside Wealthy Manor.


    However, even so, news about Nanrong Wanqing and her new boyfriend still flooded all major newspapers and news channels, even entertainment news covered it.


    The most attention-grabbing was still Ling Chen¡¯s identity.


    A mere security guard actually managing to win Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s favor amazed countless people, even the tale of a sparrow turning into a phoenix was applied to Ling Chen.


    And at this moment, the main character Ling Chen, wearing a face mask, was strolling alone in the mall, selecting a gift for Nanrong Wanqing.


    Rings, nes, bracelets, from tens of thousands to several hundred thousand, Ling Chen looked over each one, but none caught his fancy. In his view, it was not about how expensive the gift was, but its significance.


    With Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s wealth, even the most expensive gifts would be considered clich¨¦, and Ling Chen naturally didn¡¯t want to fall into that trap.


    In the blink of an eye, the morning passed.


    After wandering around for most of the day, Ling Chen found a seat in a fast-food restaurant across from the mall, ready to fill his stomach and continue shopping in the afternoon.


    While eating, Ling Chen suddenly felt a whiff of fragrance hit him. He looked up to see across his seat, a blonde girl wearing tight leather pants, draped in a coat, sexy and charming, her figure graceful, walking on high heels towards him, then sat down beside him.


    Ling Chen took a brief moment of surprise, then smiled, holding up his c cup and said, "Do you want something to eat? My treat."


    The blonde woman brushed her bangs from her shoulder and spoke indifferently, "I really admire you, still having the appetite to eat right now."


    "As eating is crucial for survival, as long as the sky hasn¡¯t fallen, one needs to eat; we can¡¯t starve ourselves. Tell me, what brings you to me?"


    "I think you should be clear on why I¡¯m seeking you out." Kaelina said, "Initially, I made an agreement with Ghost to cooperate and take on the God Organization together. However, a few days ago, I received a notice saying our cooperation is over, with no reason provided, just a unteral termination of the agreement. Since you¡¯re our go-between, of course I have toe to you for an exnation."


    "This matter is not Ghost¡¯s fault. Recently, Ghost had an unforeseen disaster and suffered a heavy blow. As far as I know, Ghost has received orders to disband. From now on, Ghost no longer exists in this world, and their ceasing of cooperation was also out of necessity."


    "Why?" Kaelina furrowed her brows.


    "Apart from the God Organization, do you think there could be any other reason? The God Organization had long infiltrated the inner workings of Ghost, but we had always been kept in the dark until just recently." With that said, Ling Chen pivoted the conversation and asked, "When you first proposed the cooperation, you told me that before Blood Wolf was killed, he gave you some documents containing secrets about the God Organization. That document was your only chip for cooperating with us. Now that Ghost has disbanded, what are you nning to do with that document?"


    Kaelina picked up a french fry, her bright red lips parting slightly to reveal her pearly white teeth, and the glint in her beautiful eyes betrayed the hesitation within her.


    After a moment, Kaelina nced at the crowded clientele of the fast-food restaurant, stood up, and said, "Meet me at the library downtown in half an hour."


    "Alright, I¡¯ll be there on time."


    Having finished eating, Ling Chen nced at the time and saw it was almost time, so he set out for the library.


    Upon reaching the library¡¯s entrance, Ling Chen was about to enter when an ambnce suddenly drove up from the roadside. Subsequently, several medical staff rushed towards the library with a stretcher at a brisk pace.


    Seeing the ambnce, Ling Chen couldn¡¯t help but feel an ominous premonition in his heart and hurriedly followed the medical team inside.


    On the third floor of the library, he saw a crowd gathered at the entrance, all talking amongst themselves, with no one daring to enter.


    Without thinking too much, Ling Chen swiftly pushed through the crowd and entered the library. In a short while, between two rows of bookshelves, he found Kaelina.


    Seeing the blood scattered on the ground and Kaelina lying in a pool of blood, Ling Chen¡¯s expression changed. He cursed silently to himself, rushed over in a panic, and cradled Kaelina in his arms to check her wounds.


    However, seeing Kaelina¡¯s abdomen bleeding profusely, Ling Chen¡¯s face instantly contorted with grimness.


    Whoever was behind this had very precise moves, clean and to the point, striking a vital area at once. Moreover, the assant intentionally didn¡¯t deliver a fatal blow right away, instead letting Kaelina slowly endure the tormenting pain until death. It has to be said, the perpetrator was incredibly ruthless.


    During his contemtion, Ling Chen nced around, his brow furrowing instantly.


    Kaelina was attacked in this ce, with no signs of struggle nearby, indicating the assant¡¯s action was very swift, leaving Kaelina with no chance to defend herself. To easily wound Blood Spider, ranked third on the assassin list, the perpetrator must be far from ordinary.


    "Kaelina, wake up!" Ling Chen gently patted Kaelina¡¯s cheek, hoping to rouse her.


    But Kaelina, having lost too much blood, had already sunk into aatose state, her face pale, and she could die at any moment.


    At this point, the medical team had swiftly arrived on-scene with a stretcher.


    "Sir, please move aside."


    Ling Chen nced at them and said sternly, "There¡¯s no time for the hospital, she needs immediate on-site treatment."

 Chapter 505 - 501: Five Thousand Years

    <h4>Chapter 505: Chapter 501: Five Thousand Years</h4><h4></h4>


    Before the medical staff could speak, Ling Chen had already torn open Kaelina¡¯s clothes, exposing the wound, a knife gash that was a full three inches wide. At this moment, fresh blood was ceaselessly pouring from the wound, staining Kaelina¡¯s abdomen red.


    "Give me a knife."


    Seeing Ling Chen¡¯s outstretched hand, the medical staff were momentarily stunned.


    "What are you dawdling for, it¡¯s a matter of life and death, hurry up," Ling Chen urged anxiously.


    Seeing that Kaelina was barely hanging on, looking as if she could die at any moment, the medical personnel finally snapped to attention. They quickly opened the medical kit and handed Ling Chen a scalpel. Following that, one of the medical staff ced an oxygen mask over Kaelina¡¯s face.


    Holding the scalpel, Ling Chen concentrated intently on the wound, then carefully made a few centimeter-long incisions at both ends of the wound, widening it.


    "Hemostats."


    As Ling Chen¡¯s words fell, a medical staffer immediately handed him the hemostatic forceps.


    Ling Chen frowned, trying several times in session but failing to locate the exact source of bleeding.


    "The light is too dim, I can¡¯t see clearly," Ling Chen said, turning his head to look around, hoping to find a more brightly lit area. At this time, he noticed that there were quite a few people at the entrance of the library using their cell phones to record.


    "Call those people over, have them turn on all the shlights on their phones."


    In no time, more than a dozen onlookers hurried over, focusing the lights of their phones on Kaelina¡¯s wound.


    With everyone¡¯s help, it didn¡¯t take long for Ling Chen to locate the source of the bleeding. After mping off the bleeding point, Ling Chen had the medical personnel do a simple treatment to stop the bleeding for now. Then, they lifted Kaelina onto a stretcher and transported her to the ambnce.


    There was blood stored on the ambnce. Given Kaelina¡¯s current condition, she just needed to replenish the blood she had lost to stabilize and get out of life-threatening danger.


    However, Ling Chen still felt uneasy letting Kaelina go to the hospital alone, so he followed the ambnce and left the library.


    No matter who the assant was, if they knew Kaelina was still alive, they certainly wouldn¡¯t let it go.


    Once at the hospital, after an hour of surgery, Kaelina was moved to the intensive care unit.


    Seeing the normal values disyed on the monitor, Ling Chen quietly breathed a sigh of relief, d to have saved Kaelina¡¯s life. It was fortunate that Kaelina¡¯s constitution was stronger than that of an average person, and that he had arrived in time. If it had been a few minutester, not even a deity could have saved her.


    As for the person who made the attempt on her life, the God Organization was the most likely suspect. They probably realized that Kaelina knew too much about their secrets, hence the ruthless attempt to eliminate her.


    Had Ling Chen not arrived in time, they would have seeded.


    "Sir."


    At that moment, a nurse walked in from outside the ward, handing Ling Chen a transparent stic bag.


    "This was found inside thatdy¡¯s clothes, you¡¯re her friend, please keep it safe for her."


    "Okay, thank you!"


    Once the nurse left, Ling Chen looked at the items in the transparent bag¡ªa cell phone, a wallet, some change, and a few receipts.


    Huh?


    Ling Chen suddenly noticed that among the receipts were several expired library borrowing vouchers. He had originally thought Kaelina had asked him to meet at the library as a convenient ce to talk, but now it seemed that Kaelina frequented that library.


    With that thought, Ling Chen took out the borrowing vouchers and examined them for a moment. He quickly noticed a problem.


    Each of these vouchers showed that Kaelina always borrowed the same book, "Five Thousand Years."


    Considering Kaelina¡¯s personality, she shouldn¡¯t be interested in this type of book.


    After pondering for a while, Ling Chen took out his cell phone and dialed a number.


    Before long, Jiang Yunkai arrived at the hospital with more than twenty suit-d security personnel.


    "Kai, help me keep an eye on her. Anyone approaching her must be personally vetted by you, including the doctors and nurses of this hospital," Ling Chen instructed.


    "Understood."


    Leaving the hospital, Ling Chen hurried back to the library. When he arrived, he saw several police cars parked outside.


    An attack at the library; the police would certainly not ignore it.


    Upon reaching the third floor of the library, he saw several uniformed officers busy searching the scene, questioning the library staff and witnesses.


    "Mr. Ling."


    Then, a policeman noticed Ling Chen¡¯s arrival and greeted him friendly.


    Ling Chen had cooperated with Xia Mutong on many cases and had frequented the police station, so many people there recognized him.


    Ling Chen smiled and waved his hand, asking, "Is Officer Xia here?"


    "Right there!"


    "Okay, got it, go on with your work, I won¡¯t disturb you." After speaking, Ling Chen scanned the people around him, quietly approached the bookshelf, searched for the call number, and found the book "Five Thousand Years" that Kaelina often borrowed.


    After flipping through it, Ling Chen didn¡¯t find anything unusual. However, knowing Kaelina, she wouldn¡¯t do anything meaningless. Thinking this, he sneakily hid the book under his clothes, then, pretending to be an innocent bystander, left the bookshelf area and walked straight towards the exit of the library.


    "Stop right there!"


    Just as he reached the door, Ling Chen heard a familiar voiceing from behind.


    This girl... he had intended to leave quietly, but still couldn¡¯t escape her sharp eyes.


    Turning around, Ling Chen looked at the stern-faced Xia Mutong and grinned, "Officer Xia, long time no see."


    "What are you here for?"


    "I wanted to borrow a book to read, but ran into you police conducting an investigation. Seems like I can onlye back next time... You go ahead with your work, I won¡¯t disturb you."


    "Borrow a book?" Xia Mutong scoffed, her tone icy, "I think you mean stealing a book."


    Hearing this, the smile on Ling Chen¡¯s face stiffened, and he said somewhat unnaturally, "Not at all. Officer Xia, please don¡¯t wrong me."


    Xia Mutong pointed at the surveince cameras installed in the corners and said with annoyance, "Don¡¯t think I don¡¯t know what you just did. Fess up, what¡¯s your rtionship with that wounded woman?"


    "Friends, just ordinary friends."


    "Really?" Xia Mutong¡¯s tone carried a trace of disbelief.


    "If you¡¯re her friend, why aren¡¯t you at the hospital with her, and instead back at the library? Could there be something here more important to you than your friend?" As she spoke, Xia Mutong reached out her hand in front of Ling Chen, saying, "Hand over that book, I want to see what kind of trick you¡¯re pulling."


    Ling Chen looked troubled and said, "Officer Xia,e on, we¡¯re all friends here, you..."


    "If you keep rambling, do you believe I¡¯ll take you back to the police station?"


    Hearing this, Ling Chen immediately shut his mouth. He knew Xia Mutong too well; she was someone who would definitely follow through with her words.


    "Officer Xia, I¡¯m not going to lie to you, the contents of this book are very important to me."


    Xia Mutong¡¯s eyes brightened, and she said with a half-smile, "That makes me even more curious."

 Chapter 506 - 502: Tracking the Killer

    <h4>Chapter 506: Chapter 502: Tracking the Killer</h4><h4></h4>


    Seeing Xia Mutong unwilling to let him go, Ling Chen couldn¡¯t help but give a bitter smile. If it weren¡¯t for Xia Mutong being able to find him at any time, he would have considered running away.


    Seeing Ling Chen¡¯s troubled face, for some reason, Xia Mutong felt incredibly annoyed. She had clearly seen through the surveince footage how Ling Chen saved the blondess, his anxiety and concern clearly showed that he knew the blonde, and that their rtionship was deep.


    Moreover, she couldn¡¯t help but think of the newspaper and news she saw this morning, which were filled with expos¨¦s about Nanrong Wanqing and Ling Chen¡¯s affair.


    The man in front of her, she didn¡¯t know what charm he had that attracted so many women.


    The more Xia Mutong thought about it, the angrier she became, her eyes almost spitting fire as she red straight at Ling Chen. She had helped him numerous times, yet he treated her like an outsider, unwilling to reveal anything. Thinking of this, besides being angry, she felt more sad and was beset by an indescribable emotion that was tough to bear.


    Sensing theplex emotion in Xia Mutong¡¯s eyes and the anger overtaking her exquisite face, Ling Chen cursed inwardly.


    This girl must be angry.


    Did I really do something to merit this?


    In the blink of an eye, Ling Chen, with a smile, said: "Officer Xia, I have an urgent matter. How about... how about I treat you to a meal next time?"


    Looking at Ling Chen¡¯s cautious face, Xia Mutong sighed inwardly. Forget it! He has nothing to do with her, why bother making a big deal out of it and ruining her mood.


    However, her face still wore a frosty ¡¯keep away¡¯ expression.


    "Follow me."


    "What for?" Ling Chen looked at Xia Mutong warily. She couldn¡¯t be giving up on soft tactics and nning to go hard, could she?


    As he pondered, he only heard Xia Mutong say angrily, "Just follow me, no need for so much nonsense." Saying that, Xia Mutong couldn¡¯t bother to deal with Ling Chen anymore and turned to walk back to the library.


    Dammit!


    This girl is really angry.


    Ling Chen was somewhat baffled, but his legs honestly followed Xia Mutong back. Not to mention the past rtionship he had with Xia Mutong, as a friend, he couldn¡¯t just walk away, especially when Xia Mutong was angry.


    Soon, the two arrived at the library¡¯s security room.


    Xia Mutong didn¡¯t even look at Ling Chen, she just gestured to the staff in front of theputer to pull up the surveince footage.


    Soon, under the skilled operation of the staff, theputer screen disyed a scene.


    The surveince footage showed the time two hours ago, which was when Kaelina was attacked. Ling Chen stared fixedly at the screen, watching Kaelina approach a bookshelf in the library alone, casually flipping through books and asionally checking her watch.


    Suddenly, a man in a down jacket and wearing a hood appeared in the surveince footage.


    The man¡¯s face was hidden by the hood, making it impossible to see his features, only revealing his slightly slender build. The man lingered in front of the nearby bookshelves for a few minutes, waiting until no one was around before quietly approaching Kaelina.


    When the man was about three meters away from Kaelina, she finally noticed him. However, at that moment, an unbelievable scene urred. In the surveince footage, the man¡¯s body suddenly turned into an afterimage, and almost imperceptibly, he sessfully carried out the attack and then swiftly left the library.


    Throughout the entire process, Kaelina didn¡¯t even have the chance to react, copsing into a pool of blood. Moreover, the man moved so fast that even his knife-wielding motion was unseen; the entire attack happened in a sh.


    "See that?" Xia Mutong turned to look at Ling Chen and asked.


    Ling Chen nodded, his expression growing solemn. No matter who the attacker was, he was clearly a master, and his strength was no less than those on the Dragon List; otherwise, not even the most skilled assassin could achieve this.


    "The killer is very professional, his route was entirely within the blind spots of the surveince cameras, and he kept his head down the entire time, making it impossible to see his face, so we can¡¯t ascertain his identity. You¡¯re more experienced, so I wanted to ask for your input, see if you have any good suggestions."


    Ling Chen thought for a moment and asked, "Have you checked the surveince outside the library?"


    "We did, but he disappeared right after leaving the library. The person is a professional, he wouldn¡¯t make such a rookie mistake."


    Ling Chen frowned secretly, this was a tricky situation. The killer was not only professional but also highly skilled; even if Xia Mutong and her team could track him down, they likely wouldn¡¯t capture him and could potentially lose many officers.


    "Officer Xia, I¡¯m sorry, it¡¯s not that I don¡¯t want to help, but I¡¯m also powerless. If you really want my suggestion, I rmend you send someone to the hospital to properly protect the victim. If the killer knows the victim isn¡¯t dead, he definitely won¡¯t let this go easily and will surely find a chance to attack again."


    "Do you want us to wait in ambush?"


    "That¡¯s the only way."


    Xia Mutong thought for a moment and reluctantly sighed, "That¡¯s all we can do." After saying that, she red at Ling Chen, and said not too kindly: "Why are you still standing here? Do you want me to send you out?"


    Hearing that, Ling Chen felt relieved and hurriedly left the library. Honestly, he was really worried that Xia Mutong would interrogate him about the secrets of that book.


    Sitting in the car back to the hospital, Ling Chen was still thinking about the killer. His suggestion to Xia Mutong to guard the hospital wasn¡¯t really to capture the killer, but for the safety of Xia Mutong and other police officers.


    The killer was a very dangerous character; once someone¡¯s strength reaches the Dragon List, ordinary people can hardly handle them.


    "Chen, want a cigarette?"


    Hearing the taxi driver¡¯s words, Ling Chen was slightly startled, then looked up at him and asked, "Do you know me?"


    The driver smiled in response, "Hao showed us Chen¡¯s photo, and he specifically told us to greet you warmly if we see you."


    "So you¡¯re one of Jiang Hao¡¯s men."


    Ling Chen suddenly understood. Jiang Hao had mentioned that they had bought up nearly half of the taxipanies in East Sea City to establish an information system; he didn¡¯t realize they had progressed this quickly.


    As he pondered, Ling Chen¡¯s attention was suddenly drawn to the dash cam installed in the taxi.


    "Guys, do all your cars have these installed?"


    "Yeah, it¡¯s apany-wide requirement. There are too many scammers these days; having a dash cam saves a lot of trouble."


    Got it!


    Ling Chen¡¯s eyes lit up, and a faint smile appeared on his lips. If he was lucky, perhaps they could really find the assant who attacked Kaelina.

 Chapter 507 - 503: Lucifer Experiment

    <h4>Chapter 507: Chapter 503: Lucifer Experiment</h4><h4></h4>


    After getting out of the car, Ling Chen thanked the driver, then took out his cell phone and dialed Hu Fei¡¯s number.


    After the call, Ling Chen had already arrived outside the hospital room where Kaelina was staying. Jiang Yunkai, following Ling Chen¡¯s instructions, had been standing guard inside the room, ensuring Kaelina¡¯s safety.


    Seeing Kaelina lying on the hospital bed, herplexion gradually improving, Ling Chen felt slightly relieved. Then, he went alone to the next room of the special care ward.


    After closing the door, Ling Chen eagerly took out the "Five Thousand Years" and began to examine it carefully. Kaelina had borrowed this book several times for a reason; perhaps secrets unknown to others were hidden inside.


    Minutes passed, and the eagle-eyed Ling Chen noticed that the book¡¯s cover was unusually thick with remnants of re-gluing at the edges. He found a small knife in the room and carefully cut along the edge. Once he made a slit in the cover, Ling Chen picked up the book and gently shook it a few times.


    Instantly, an SD card fell out from the opening.


    Sure enough!


    Ling Chen smiled to himself, it seemed his guess was correct; Kaelina had hidden secrets inside the book.


    This SD card waspatible with both cell phones andputers. Ling Chen immediately took out his mobile phone and inserted the SD card.


    Once the phone rebooted, he essed the files on the SD card, which included more than a dozen photos, some documents, and a video of several dozens of megabytes.


    Without a second thought, Ling Chen clicked on the video within the SD card.


    As the video yed, a miserable scream immediately came from the phone, almost startling Ling Chen. He hurriedly turned down the volume and watched the content of the video closely.


    This video appeared to be secretly filmed with a mobile phone, the camera was constantly shaking. In the footage, a man wearing just boxer shorts was tied to a machine, his arms and legs spread out in an X shape. His body was filled with various intravenous tubes, purple, blue, red¡ªseveral different colored liquids being infused into his body simultaneously.


    Dozens of seconds passed, and as the man screamed, his body started to mutate. His limbs became grotesquely swollen, his skin turned a terrible shade of purplish green as if countless things were squirming under the skin, a horrific sight to behold.


    Suddenly, with a loud ¡¯bang¡¯, the man¡¯s body instantly turned into a mist of blood, bursting violently, sttering blood all around.


    "Test subject number three failed, bring in number four," a voicemanded.


    As the sound came, the video ended there, and the rest of the footage was just chaotic light, nothing discernible.


    Ling Chen frowned. This video only recorded the experiment process of the God Organization; it was unclear which experiment. Overall, the intelligence value wasn¡¯t significant.


    Just as he thought this, a deep voice suddenly emerged in the video: "This is the ¡¯Lucifer¡¯ experiment of the God Organization. None of these subjects are ordinary¡ªthey all have immense strength. Up to now, twenty-five attempts have failed, and without exception, all the subjects perished. Once the experiment seeds, the God Organization will quickly establish a formidable force. Unless it¡¯s the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion from the mystical Easternnd, no one will be able to contend with them. To my knowledge, the God Organization has already begun to plot, preparing to eliminate the only threat to them."


    "Kaelina, although I am an assassin, at least I have humanity. The God Organization, on the other hand, is utterly inhumane. To achieve their goals, they use every cruel means possible. I¡¯m deeply involved and can¡¯t leave; the moment I harbor any disloyal intentions, they won¡¯t hesitate to kill me. To protect myself, I have no other choice. Kaelina, my only purpose in leaving these things behind is to seek redemption, to lighten the sins I¡¯vemitted. If I die, you can do whatever you want with this information."


    With these words, the video ended.


    Although the man didn¡¯t show his face, Ling Chen recognized that the voice was indeed Blood Wolf¡¯s.


    Reflecting on Blood Wolf¡¯s words, Ling Chen fell into deep thought.


    He didn¡¯t know when the video was recorded, but it contained many important pieces of intelligence. First was the experiment code-named Lucifer, and then the subjects of the experiment. Blood Wolf stated that none of these subjects were ordinary; they were strong individuals.


    Immensely strong... Suddenly, something urred to Ling Chen, and he hurriedly reyed the video.


    That was it!


    Ling Chen¡¯s brows furrowed tightly. The test subject in the video appeared to be Asian, potentially from Huaxia. In addition, from his observations, just from the exterior characteristics of the man, he should have undergone long-term training, and his physical condition was very good.


    If his guess was correct, these subjects might be martial artists, which is why Blood Wolf emphasized that they were individuals with immense strength in the video.


    An ordinary person, after taking the God Organization¡¯s enhancement drugs, could have their strength, speed, and reaction capacity instantly increased several times. If it were a martial arts expert, the power unleashed would be even more terrifying.


    With this thought, a chill ran down Ling Chen¡¯s spine.


    Blood Wolf also mentioned that only the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion from the mysterious Easternnd had the capability to contend with such forces. This suggested Ling Chen¡¯s guess was not unfounded.


    This was trouble!


    If the God Organization was nning to make a move against the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, he must notify them as soon as possible.


    After thinking it over, Ling Chenposed himself and continued to look through the other materials on the SD card.


    After spending over an hour, Ling Chen finally finished examining all the materials. It had to be said, these materials were precious, all stolen by Blood Wolf from within the God Organization at great risk.


    A few documents repeatedly mentioned the Lucifer experiment, but they did not specify what it entailed, only indirectly describing the horror of the Lucifer experiment.


    Right now, what Ling Chen urgently needed to ascertain was whether or not this so-called Lucifer experiment had been sessful.


    As he pondered, a gentle knock came from outside the door.


    Ling Chen got up to open the door and, seeing Jiang Yunkai standing there, asked, "What¡¯s up?"


    "The patient woke up; she wants to see you."


    Hearing this, Ling Chen hurriedly went to the special care ward. By the bedside, he saw Kaelina half-opening her eyes, still somewhat pale.


    Seeing Ling Chen appear by her side, Kaelina said weakly, "The book..."


    "I know, I have found that SD card. Kaelina, do you know when that video was recorded?"


    "A year ago."


    Good!


    Ling Chen sighed in relief inwardly. With one year passing, the God Organization¡¯s Lucifer experiment might not have been sessful yet.


    "How much do you know about Lucifer?" Despite knowing that Kaelina was weak, it was a matter of urgency, and Ling Chen had to ask.

 Chapter 508 - 504: The Identity of the Killer

    <h4>Chapter 508: Chapter 504: The Identity of the Killer</h4><h4></h4>


    "I... I know..."


    "What do you know?" Ling Chen asked eagerly.


    But as soon as the words left his mouth, he saw Kaelina close her eyes and fall back into a deep sleep.


    Seeing this, Ling Chen couldn¡¯t help but let out a wry smile. At times like this, he couldn¡¯t force Kaelina to say too much.


    Just then, Jiang Yunkai walked into the hospital room from outside and said, "Ling Chen, the police have arrived."


    "Got it."


    Leaving the hospital room, Ling Chen saw Xia Mutong standing in the corridor with more than a dozen police officers, each armed with a gun. It was clear that after watching the murderer¡¯s violent actions, Xia Mutong understood the danger and had made preparations in advance.


    "Officer Xia." Ling Chen stepped forward to greet him.


    Xia Mutong pointed at the security guards in suits and asked, "Are these people arranged by you?"


    "That¡¯s right."


    "Have them step back. From this point on, thatdy¡¯s safety is fully the responsibility of the police."


    "Okay." Ling Chen nodded and replied with a smile, "Then I¡¯ll leave it to all of you."


    With these armed police officers for protection, Kaelina should be safe. No matter how fierce the killer was, he would not be faster than bullets, especially with so many police officers around.


    On the way out of the hospital, Ling Chen noticed inclothes officers positioned all around the hospital¡¯s hallways and corridors; it seemed Xia Mutong had the whole hospital under surveince.


    "Kai, you take everyone back first. I¡¯ll contact you if there¡¯s any trouble."


    "Alright."


    After watching Jiang Yunkai and the others drive away, Ling Chen hailed a cab by himself, nning to return to Wealthy Manor.


    But just then, his cellphone rang in his pocket.


    "Hello! Fatty, got any leads?"


    "I¡¯m in the Old City,e quick."


    "I¡¯ll be there within half an hour."


    After hanging up, Ling Chen immediately took a cab to a courierpany located in the Old City, which was Jiang Hao¡¯s main intelligence station in Old City. All intelligence gathered would be processed here.


    After going through severalyers of security, Ling Chen walked into the office as if familiar with the ce. Hu Fei was sitting at a three-meter-wide desk, focusing on sixputer screens, typing rapidly on the keyboard.


    "Fatty, did you find the person?" Ling Chen leaned in and asked.


    Hu Fei pointed at one of the screens and said, "Following the method you provided, I had the taxipanies reach out to the drivers who picked up fares near the library at noon today, and I¡¯ve collected all the footage from their dash cams. And wouldn¡¯t you know it, your method actually worked. Look! A taxi just happened to pass by the library entrance at that time and caught this on camera."


    As he spoke, Hu Fei zoomed in on the footage, locking the cursor on a person.


    "You said before that the person was wearing a grey down jacket and a hood, and it should be this person here."


    Ling Chen stared at the image of the murderer on the screen, who blended into the crowd and disappeared into an alley in the blink of an eye.


    "Is that all?"


    "Don¡¯t rush it, keep watching." Hu Fei said, "I checked the map for that alley¡¯s exits and it connects directly to the street opposite. You reminded me that this individual is very professional in his actions, and since I consider myself somewhat of a professional as well, I theorized from a professional standpoint that the person would have changed his appearance as quickly as possible after entering the alley, including his clothes. As I expected, my men went to check the alley and, sure enough, they found a grey down jacket in a trash bin."


    Continuing, Hu Fei brought up another image, grinning and saying, "That guy thought he could disappear without a trace, but he still missed a step. Across from the exit of that alley, there was an ATM. This is footage from that ATM, take a look, this is the only person who came out of the alley at that time, and the timing matches perfectly."


    Watching the erged image on the screen, Ling Chen¡¯s mouth curled into a smile as he patted Hu Fei¡¯s shoulder, "Fatty, nicely done."


    With a look of pride, Hu Fei said, "Of course, who do you think you hired?" After a pause, his tone shifted, "But speaking of which, those few people you trained are pretty good, smart enough to use the courier and taxipanies to establish an intelligencework. If it weren¡¯t for the dash cam footage, we wouldn¡¯t have found the murderer so quickly."


    "Their ideas are good, but they are not professionals. Since you specialize in intelligence work and have experience, I brought you in this time in hopes that you could help refine it and prevent any leaks."


    "Don¡¯t worry, give me a month, and I¡¯ll have the intelligencework covering the whole East Sea City, but well..."


    Hearing Hu Fei¡¯s tone at the end of his sentence, Ling Chen could guess what he was going to say next without even thinking.


    "Ling Chen, clear debts make close friends. You brought me in for this job, so don¡¯t skimp on themission. Also, setting up the intelligencework is going to need a significant investment, you can¡¯t expect me to foot the bill."


    "Cut it out, you won¡¯t be left short. I¡¯ll call Jiang Hao in a bit, just ask him directly for whatever financing you need; he¡¯ll fully support you."


    Ling Chen knew the importance of intelligence and couldn¡¯t be stingy in this aspect; he was willing to spend whatever it took.


    After chatting for a bit more, Ling Chen got back to the point, "Fatty, can you help me find out where the killer is?"


    "I¡¯ve checked the person¡¯s background. His name is Jiang Xinwu, thirty-eight years old. Ten years ago, he invested in opening a Martial Arts Academy in a northern city, but for some reason, he suddenly disappeared without a trace, and even his family reported him missing, but he was never found. Yearster, the police concluded that Jiang Xinwu might be dead and stopped the search."


    Ten years ago...


    Ling Chen mulled over it for a moment and then said, "First, help me find out where this person is living. Also, look into how many people have gone missing across the country in the past ten years, and how many of those missing are martial artists. I don¡¯t need an exact figure, just an estimate."


    "Holy crap!"


    Hu Fei¡¯s eyes bulged as he eximed, "Are you trying to run me into the ground?"


    "Cut it out." Ling Chen joked, "Gross, who¡¯s trying to run you into the ground? That¡¯s a woman¡¯s job, and I¡¯m not about that."


    "No, it¡¯s just..." Hu Fei rushed, "Do you have any idea how many people go missing in the country every year? Trying to look that up like you suggested, I¡¯ll work myself to death. I won¡¯t do it, even if you kill me..."


    "One million."


    "Don¡¯t write checks you can¡¯t cash."


    "OK! No problem." Ling Chen grinned, understanding Fatty¡¯s character all too well - as long as there¡¯s money involved, everything is negotiable.


    "Alright then, get going if there¡¯s nothing else. Don¡¯t disturb me while I¡¯m working."


    Leaving the courierpany, Ling Chen strolled along the street, looking up at the darkening sky. It was almost evening.


    He had initially set out to pick a birthday gift for Nanrong Wanqing, but instead, he ran into all these troubles, which was really worrisome.


    "Ling Chen!"


    While pondering, a pleasant voice suddenly came from the side of the road.

 Chapter 509 - 505: Encounter with Leng Feifei (Part 1)

    <h4>Chapter 509: Chapter 505: Encounter with Leng Feifei (Part 1)</h4><h4></h4>


    Upon hearing that familiar voice, Ling Chen didn¡¯t need to look to guess who it was.


    Leng Feifei!


    Ling Chen turned his head and saw Leng Feifei standing across the street, waving at him.


    Perhaps due to the cold weather, Leng Feifei wrapped herself up like a zongzi, wearing a thick down jacket that extended to her knees, with a fluffy scarf around her neck, from which hung two pink pom-poms, adding a touch of cuteness and charm.


    Ling Chen smiled and waved back, then crossed the traffic and quickly made his way to Leng Feifei¡¯s side.


    After some time not seeing her, Leng Feifei looked the same as before, with a rosy, apple-shaped face that was irresistibly tempting, making one desire to take a bite. Though she was dressed warmly, it couldn¡¯t hide her proud figure, puffing up her down jacket, causing Ling Chen to take a few extra nces.


    "Feifei, what are you doing here?"


    "I¡¯m working."


    "Working?"


    Ling Chen instantly realized, Leng Feifei and Su Lin were in the same school year, both were senior students; Su Lin was interning, so naturally, Leng Feifei was no exception.


    However, because of Leng Feifei¡¯s experiences, she matured earlier than other students and had more work experience, directly skipping the internship phase and officially started working.


    "Where do you work?"


    "I¡¯m designing at an advertising agency over there, still on probation. After a month, based on my performance, they¡¯ll decide whether to hire me."


    "With your capabilities, it definitely won¡¯t be a problem."


    While talking, Ling Chen looked around and then pointed to a Starbucks not far away, "It¡¯s cold outside, let¡¯s sit inside."


    "Okay." Leng Feifei happily agreed.


    It was the peak of rush hour, Starbucks was full of people; Ling Chen and Leng Feifei were lucky to find seats that had just be avable.


    After they sat down, Ling Chen ordered two cups of cappino and casually asked, "Are you still living at school?"


    "No, I moved out a while ago. Thepany provides amodation, it¡¯s just around the Old City area, only a ten-minute walk. When you have time, you shoulde over and visit, I¡¯m usually there alone."


    Ling Chen smiled and said, "Don¡¯t just stay at home all the time, go out more when you have time, maybe you can find a boyfriend."


    Hearing this, Leng Feifei¡¯s face turned slightly red. She lowered her head to look at the coffee cup in front of her, gently stirring the foam on the surface with a small spoon, asionally stealing nces at Ling Chen with the corners of her eyes, her bright eyes filled with an unspeakable shyness.


    "Feifei!"


    At this moment, a familiar voice came from the door. Ling Chen and Leng Feifei turned to look and saw a group of young men and women in their twenties appearing in the Starbucks, smiling and greeting Leng Feifei.


    "Why are you guys here too?" Leng Feifei asked.


    "It¡¯s too cold outside, we came in for a hot drink, to warm up," replied a pretty girl, wearing a skirt with ck cotton stockings paired with a casual leather jacket and just a thin top inside, the neckline slightly open, revealing a fair neck.


    Dressed like that in this weather, no wonder she felt cold. Ling Chen shook his head internally; nowadays, women pursue beauty at too great a cost, he still preferred women who were more down-to-earth.


    "Feifei, who is this handsome guy?"


    As they spoke, the group of young men and women turned their attention to Ling Chen.


    One of them teased, "Feifei, we just asked you to join us for KTV and you refused. Turns out you were here meeting your boyfriend."


    "No, that¡¯s not it." Leng Feifei blushed and retorted, "He¡¯s my friend, Ling Chen. He has a girlfriend, so don¡¯t talk nonsense." Then, Leng Feifei introduced them to Ling Chen, "These are all my colleagues from thepany."


    Ling Chen politely said, "Hello."


    "Alright! Feifei has a handsome guy with her, let¡¯s not disturb their time together." A beautiful female colleague joked.


    "Hu Yan, Feifei just said Ling Chen is just a friend, stop teasing her. Since it¡¯s still early for KTV, let¡¯s sit down and have some drinks." A male colleague suggested.


    Hu Yan looked around at the fully upied seats and said helplessly, "All the seats are taken. Xu Dong, let¡¯s just leave."


    "Why leave? Look, Feifei has a few empty seats here. We are all friends here, squeezing in a bit is fine." After saying this, the male colleague named Xu Dong smiled at Ling Chen and asked, "Mr. Ling, you don¡¯t mind, do you?"


    "We are all Feifei¡¯s friends which make you my friends too. I¡¯m more than happy to wee you all. Please, take a seat." Ling Chen stood up to relinquish his seat and moved a few chairs from nearby, politely inviting everyone to sit down.


    Leng Feifei bowed her head, hiding her discontent while forcing a strained smile on her face.


    She wished to be alone with Ling Chen, but unfortunately, someone was being inconsiderate.


    With this thought, Leng Feifei nced at Xu Dong out of the corner of her eye, her beautiful eyes showing a hint of displeasure.


    She understood Xu Dong¡¯s intentions; since joining thepany, Xu Dong had shown some interest in her. Although he never explicitly stated his intentions, he had hinted at them many times, to which she always feigned ignorance. After all, she was new to thepany and did not want to disrupt the rtionship between colleagues by making things awkward.


    A smart person would know that this was a subtle way of rejecting him, but Xu Dong did not see it that way. In his mind, persistence would eventually lead to sess.


    Unfortunately, not all women felt the same.


    "Mr. Ling, what do you do?" Hu Yan, trying to avoid an awkward silence, proactively asked Ling Chen.


    Ling Chen replied with a light smile, "Security."


    Security?


    Hearing this, Hu Yan and the others exchanged nces, their eyes filled with wonder as they looked at Leng Feifei. From what they knew, Leng Feifei was a top student from a prestigious university; it was strange for her to be associated with someone in such a profession.


    In their eyes, security was a low-level job. For office workers like them, who enjoyed air-conditionedfort and worked in front ofputers, such low-level upations were generally looked down upon.


    Learning that Ling Chen worked as a security officer, Xu Dong¡¯s face revealed a faint smile of delight, relief, and disdain.


    "Mr. Ling, didn¡¯t you go to university? How did you end up in this line of work?"


    The moment Xu Dong made this remark, Leng Feifei immediately felt offended, as it was clearly an insult towards Ling Chen.


    Xu Dong could belittle anyone, but never in front of her, especially not Ling Chen. Ling Chen had not only helped her but also saved her several times. In her heart, Ling Chen¡¯s position was irreceable.


    Leng Feifei opened her mouth intending to retort, but heard Ling Chen saying, "I joined the army before, so I didn¡¯t have the chance to attend university."


    "That exins it," Xu Dong slightly lifted his lips and said with a smile, "These days, everyone needs technical talent. People like you who have military backgrounds, without any special skills, find it hard tond a good job. But being a security guard isn¡¯t bad, at least it¡¯s a stable job that can solve basic living needs, much better than those begging on the streets."

 Chapter 510 - 506: Encounter with Leng Feifei (Part 2)

    <h4>Chapter 510: Chapter 506: Encounter with Leng Feifei (Part 2)</h4><h4></h4>


    Xu Dong¡¯s remarks suddenly made the atmosphere among everyone a bit awkward, as they didn¡¯t know how to continue the conversation.


    Everyone, as colleagues who see each other day and night, naturally knew Xu Dong¡¯s intentions, but they didn¡¯t expect him to be so merciless. No one would be happy hearing those words.


    Seeing everyone silent and the conversation cooling down, Hu Yan forced a smile and changed the topic, saying, "Mr. Ling, your name sounds familiar to me."


    Ling Chen replied indifferently, "There are many people with the same name, nothing strange about that."


    "Hey! Ling Chen, how much do you make a month as a security guard?" Xu Dong spoke up, not even using ¡¯Mr.¡¯ anymore, directly addressing him by name.


    Hearing this, Hu Yan and others frowned. Even as colleagues, they felt Xu Dong was being too much. After all, Ling Chen is a friend of Leng Feifei, and one should respect the friend for their friend¡¯s sake. Disrespecting Ling Chen in front of everyone would surely not please Leng Feifei.


    After what happened today, does Xu Dong still think he can chase after Leng Feifei? It¡¯s like a fool¡¯s dream, they are lucky not to get pped.


    At this moment, Leng Feifei, who had been silent, couldn¡¯t listen anymore. Xu Dong repeatedly took the opportunity to humiliate Ling Chen, angering even the usually gentle Leng Feifei. She looked at Xu Dong with an angry face, opened her mouth to scold him, but before the words came out, a big hand suddenly reached out from under the table, gently patting the back of her hand.


    Leng Feifei turned to look at Ling Chen beside her, seeing him giving her a look, signaling her not to rush. Thinking of Ling Chen¡¯s capabilities, Leng Feifei forcefully suppressed her anger, swallowing the words she was about to say.


    Ling Chen looked at Xu Dong with a half-smile, stating, "My sry isn¡¯t high, certainly can¡¯tpare to a top talent like Mr. Xu."


    "There¡¯s truly noparison." Xu Dong replied unmodestly.


    "I suppose Mr. Xu¡¯s monthly sry must be quite high then."


    "Not much, just seven or eight thousand, barely managing a middle-ss lifestyle," Xu Dong said, unable to hide the smug look on his face.


    Ling Chen nodded, "Seven or eight thousand isn¡¯t much, but no worries, young people have room for improvement. Work hard, and maybe you could earn over ten thousand a month."


    Xu Dong was momentarily taken aback, as Ling Chen¡¯s tone made it seem as if Xu Dong was the security guard living at the societal bottom. Annoyed, Xu Dong scoffed, "Enough about me, how much do you earn a month?"


    "Not much, this much." Ling Chen held up two fingers.


    "Only two thousand?" Xu Dong looked disdainful.


    "You missed a zero."


    "Twenty thousand?"


    At this, not only Xu Dong, but even Hu Yan and others were stunned. A security guard earning that much? They must be kidding.


    Xu Dong derisively said, "Ling Chen, be realistic. If it¡¯s two thousand, say two thousand. iming twenty thousand when no one is mocking you here."


    Ling Chen shrugged, unconcerned, saying, "Whether you believe me or not is not my problem. Nowadays, many people think highly of themselves, thinking they¡¯re superior. In reality, to others, such people are merely clowns, not worth mentioning."


    Hearing this, Xu Dong¡¯s face turned ugly, clearly understanding Ling Chen¡¯s implication. Although not naming names, Ling Chen¡¯s words were obviously directed at him.


    "Hu Yan, I think we should leave. There¡¯s nothing good to talk about with this kind of person."


    Leng Feifei responded coldly, "I never asked you to stay. You¡¯re the one who insisted on staying."


    "You..." Xu Dong¡¯s face turned pale, surprised at Leng Feifei¡¯s blunt rejection.


    "What¡¯s wrong, did I say something incorrect? Ling Chen is much more capable than you. He just doesn¡¯t want to stoop to your level, yet you keepparing yourself to him, how childish."


    "Capability?" Xu Dong felt angry, scornfully looking at Ling Chen, scoffing, "What capabilities can a security guard have? Feifei, everyone in thepany knows I like you, I want to chase you, but now I realize, we¡¯re just not the same. Your standards are too low, actually seeing something in this kind of person."


    "You..." Leng Feifei was furious.


    "Feifei, don¡¯t bother arguing," Ling Chen said, cutting her off, "Why stoop to arguing with his sort." After saying that, he nced at Xu Dong, speaking indifferently, "Mr. Xu, you think highly of your capabilities?"


    "At least more than you."


    "Good, hope you won¡¯t regret this." Saying so, Ling Chen kicked the table over, making a loud ¡¯ng¡¯ sound.


    This move shocked Xu Dong and the others; they didn¡¯t understand what he was nning.


    As everyone was confused, a male store manager quickly came over, asking, "Sir, what¡¯s the matter?"


    Ling Chen said lightly, "I¡¯m here to cause trouble."


    The male manager smiled nervously, "Sir, is there some kind of misunderstanding?"


    "You don¡¯t understand my words. I said, I¡¯m here to cause trouble."


    The manager frowned slightly, "Friend, don¡¯t say I didn¡¯t warn you, this ce is not where you cause trouble. Doing this, you¡¯re just asking for trouble."


    Ling Chen waved his hand impatiently, "Less nonsense, call someone if you can. I know people from Old City all pay protection money."


    "This is self-inflicted." With that, the manager quickly pulled out his phone and stepped aside.


    "What are you doing?"


    Leng Feifei looked anxiously at Ling Chen, whispering, "I heard Old City is controlled by a gang with great influence. Even ourpany has to pay protection money on time, not daring to defy them."


    Ling Chen smiled slightly, giving her a reassuring look, "Don¡¯t worry, I know what I¡¯m doing."


    As they spoke, more than ten burly, muscr young men burst into the Starbucks.


    The leader shouted as he entered, "Which blind fool dares to cause trouble in Old City."


    Seeing the neers, the store manager quickly went up, pointing towards Ling Chen and whispering a few words.


    "Ling Chen, let¡¯s see how you wrap this up." Xu Dong stood by, arms crossed, looking forward to the scene.


    Just then, the leader and his menacing gang approached Ling Chen.


    Onlookers stepped aside, fearing being caught in any potential violence.


    However, after taking a good look at Ling Chen, the leader¡¯s expression subtly changed. Then, under everyone¡¯s gaze, he did something surprising.


    "Chen."


    The leader bowed, appearing extremely respectful.


    "Chen." The followers echoed in unison.


    Ling Chen smiled, saying, "We¡¯re all friends here, no need for such politeness."


    "Chen, what do you need us to do?"

 Chapter 511 - 507: Jiang Xinwu

    <h4>Chapter 511: Chapter 507: Jiang Xinwu</h4><h4></h4>


    Ling Chen nced at Xu Dong, whose face was full of surprise, and spoke, "Go to theirpany tomorrow and tell their boss that I take a strong dislike to this person. If he knows what¡¯s good for him, he should know what to do."


    "Understood."


    "Also, spread the word that as long as it¡¯s within East Sea City, anypany that dares to hire him cannot offer a sry higher than two thousand. If anyone dares to go against my wishes, don¡¯t me me for being unkind. Did you get that?"


    The young man replied, "Very clear."


    After listening to Ling Chen and the young man¡¯s conversation, Xu Dong¡¯s face turned pale in an instant. His mouth opened and closed a few times, but he couldn¡¯t utter a single word.


    "Feifei, let¡¯s go."


    Having dealt with the trivial matter, Ling Chen stood up and walked towards the door. When passing by Xu Dong, Ling Chen stopped and said, "Mr. Xu, since you¡¯re more capable than me, I believe you will surely find a satisfying job in East Sea City."


    Leaving Starbucks, the outside cold wind grew sharper. Ling Chen wrapped up his cor and looked at Leng Feifei, whose cheeks were red, and said with concern, "I¡¯ll take you home first."


    "It¡¯s not necessary, you go about your business. My home is nearby." After speaking, Leng Feifei bit her lip, her expression shy and bashful as she said, "Ling Chen, sorry for the incident just now, don¡¯t take it to heart."


    Ling Chen smiled lightly, "It¡¯s fine, I¡¯m not that narrow-minded."


    "I¡¯m going back then, let¡¯s chat again when you¡¯re free."


    "Okay."


    Watching Leng Feifei¡¯s retreating figure, Ling Chen did not linger long in the Old City District and took a car back to Wealthy Manor by himself.


    Upon arriving at the gates of the manor, he saw many reporters still outside, having stood there all day refusing to leave. With no other option, Ling Chen had to enter the Nanrong Family through the side gate of Wealthy Manor.


    It was already seven o¡¯clock in the evening when Ling Chen entered his home, and the fragrance of dinner instantly filled the air.


    Nanrong Wanqing, who came down from upstairs, saw Ling Chen return and asked, "Where have you been today? Haven¡¯t seen you all day."


    "A friend had an ident, and they called me to help."


    Nanrong Wanqing nodded and did not ask any further.


    The next day.


    Just after noon, when Ling Chen was about to take a nap, he received a phone call from Hu Fei, who said that he had some leads on the investigation he was asked to look into.


    Recognizing the gravity of the situation, Ling Chen immediately drove to the Old City District.


    At the courierpany, Ling Chen walked into the office and asked, "Fatty, got any results?"


    "You asked me to look into the cases of missing persons over the past ten years, right? I spent the whole night on it, and though I haven¡¯t finished looking through everything, I think there¡¯s no need to continue."


    "Why?"


    Hu Fei picked up a rough set of data he hadpiled, "I essed the database at the Ministry of Public Security and started looking back from ten years ago. I¡¯ve only gone through two years¡¯ worth of missing person cases so far. ording to my investigation, out of these missing persons, there are over a hundred martial artists from different regions and cities, and without exception, they all disappeared without a trace, as if they vanished into thin air."


    "So many martial artists missing in just two years can¡¯t be a coincidence. Moreover, whoever is behind this is very cautious. They only strike once in each city and will never do so again in nearby cities to avoid drawing suspicion from the authorities."


    After hearing Hu Fei¡¯s report, Ling Chen furrowed his brows. It seemed his guess was right; the experiment codenamed ¡¯Lucifer¡¯ was using martial artists as basic test subjects. If the transformation of the test subjects was sessful, their strength would increase significantly.


    No wonder Blood Wolf said in the video that only Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion had the power to stop this.


    A Tiger List expert undergoing the experiment could potentially approach the strength of a Dragon List expert. By extension, what level of power would an Earthly List expert reach if theypleted the experiment?


    At this thought, Ling Chen¡¯s back broke out in a cold sweat.


    "Fatty, have you found out anything about Jiang Xinwu¡¯s whereabouts?"


    "Not yet, that guy is hiding deep. Unless he shows himself, it¡¯s hard to pinpoint his location."


    "We must find a way to track him down."


    Ling Chen said. From the video left by Blood Wolf, it was evident that the Lucifer experiment had not made progress a year ago. But now, a yearter, with Jiang Xinwu reappearing in East Sea City as one of the missing persons, could it mean that the Lucifer experiment had seeded?


    This was crucial intelligence; he had to rify it.


    "By the way!"


    At this moment, Hu Fei seemed to recall something and handed a piece of information to Ling Chen, saying, "I¡¯ve done a deeper investigation on that Jiang Xinwu¡¯s information. His parents, as well as his closely acquainted friends from before, are all recorded in this document. Have a look, it might be useful to you."


    Hearing this, Ling Chen carefully flipped through the document. Soon, his gaze was arrested by a name on the paper.


    What a coincidence!


    "Fatty, you keep busy, I¡¯m going out to make a call."


    Leaving the office, Ling Chen walked alone to the balcony and took out his mobile phone to dial a number.


    Beep... beep...


    The call connected, and a hearty voice immediately came from the other end of the phone, "Ling Chen, howe you have time to call me today?"


    "Mr. Ye, there¡¯s something I¡¯d like to consult with you about."


    Ye Liangyong asked, "What¡¯s the matter?"


    "Do you know someone named Jiang Xinwu?"


    "Jiang Xinwu... yes, I know him, but that was a long time ago. Xinwu was a promising youngster, trained in martial arts from a young age, and had solid foundations. I met him at a local martial arts exchange and we hit it off, so we kept in touch. Later, I even invited him to my home as a guest. It¡¯s just unfortunate that Xinwu disappeared ten years ago and has been missing ever since. Sigh, after so many years, he¡¯s likely in grave danger."


    Ye Liangyong sighed, then curiously asked, "Ling Chen, why are you suddenly asking about him? Did you run into him?"


    "Jiang Xinwu is not dead; not only is he in East Sea City now, but he has also injured my friend. Luckily I arrived in time to save my friend¡¯s life."


    "That¡¯s impossible! Xinwu would never do such a thing."


    "Mr. Ye, you haven¡¯t seen him for ten years. People change, and moreover... I suspect he has something to do with the God Organization."


    "Are you sure?" Ye Liangyong asked gravely.


    "I only suspect it at the moment; there¡¯s no proof yet. Mr. Ye, when you knew Jiang Xinwu, how skilled was he?"


    "He was about on par with me. With his talent, as long as he worked hard, he could have advanced to the Tiger List in ten years."


    Tiger List...


    Ling Chen nodded to himself. Judging from the footage from that day, Jiang Xinwu¡¯s demonstrated ability was enough to contend with a Dragon List expert.


    It was evident; Jiang Xinwu¡¯s formidable strength after ten years could only be attained by unusual means.


    Could it be... the God Organization¡¯s Lucifer experiment had already seeded?

 Chapter 512 - 508 Intelligence from the Secret Society

    <h4>Chapter 512: Chapter 508 Intelligence from the Secret Society</h4><h4></h4>


    After chatting with Ye Liangyong, Ling Chen hung up the phone, turned around to return to his office, greeted Hu Fei, and then left the courierpany alone.


    Half an hourter, Ling Chen drove to the outside of Qingyun Martial Arts Hall.


    He felt it necessary to talk to He Ziyun about this matter; moreover, he had some intelligence to share with He Ziyun.


    Standing outside the gate, Ling Chen knocked on the door. Soon after, the gate opened, and Little Hua poked her head out. Seeing Ling Chen outside, she eximed with joy, "Big Brother!"


    Ling Chen smiled and intended to pat Little Hua¡¯s head, but remembering her true identity, his hand hanging in midair stiffened abruptly. He gave an awkward smile, subtly pulled his hand back to his pocket, and asked, "Is Mr. He in?"


    Pouting, Little Hua said with displeasure, "Big Brother, every time youe, it¡¯s to see my Master, you nevere just to see me."


    Ling Chen hastily corrected himself: "This time, I primarily came to see you and then to talk to Mr. He."


    Little Hua humphed twice, dissatisfied, "Since you came to see me, why didn¡¯t you bring me a gift? That¡¯s insincere."


    Uh...


    Ling Chen couldn¡¯t help but give a bitter smile; this little girl was quite demanding.


    "I forgot this time; I¡¯ll definitely make it up next time," Ling Chen promised.


    "You better not forget it next time," Little Hua replied, batting her huge, adorable, and charming eyes. If outsiders saw her, they might find it hard to believe that this seemingly five or six-year-old girl was actually in her twenties.


    Ever since learning the truth, whenever Little Hua acted coquettishly around him, Ling Chen felt somewhat unsure how to respond.


    Entering Qingyun Martial Arts Hall, Ling Chen casually asked, "Has Xiaozhue back recently?"


    "Xiaozhu has been quite busytely; she said she needs to stay with her master and doesn¡¯t have time toe back."


    Ling Chen nodded. The incident on the luxurious ship must have dealt a great blow to Shi Su; as Zhu Xiaozhu was her disciple, she needed to stay by her side and take good care of her.


    As they spoke, the two entered the main hall of the Martial Arts Hall.


    "Here you are!"


    He Ziyun nced at Ling Chen and pointed to a seat nearby, "Take a seat." Then turning to Little Hua, he said, "Girl, go brew two cups of tea for us."


    Obediently, Little Hua nodded and then turned to leave. Once she was out of sight, He Ziyun started, "Li¨¤ngyong just called me, he mentioned Jiang Xinwu¡¯s matter. Do you think it¡¯s rted to the God Organization?"


    "Mr. He, please look at this first," Ling Chen said as he handed his smartphone to He Ziyun, ying a video recorded by Blood Wolf from start to finish.


    After the video ended, Ling Chen put away his phone and said, "This Lucifer experiment is an important research project of the God Organization; they started over ten years ago. I had Hu Fei check for me, and starting ten years ago, every year dozens of martial artists in Huaxia mysteriously disappear without a trace. I suspect they were abducted by the God Organization as experimental subjects, and Jiang Xinwu is one of them. A few days ago, Jiang Xinwu appeared in East Sea City; I suspect that the Lucifer experiment has been sessful."


    He Ziyun¡¯s expression turned grave, "If that¡¯s the case, it indeed poses a troublesome issue."


    "Exactly!" Ling Chen changed the tone, "Mr. He, there is another very important matter. I received information from a reliable source that over these years, we have been deceived by people from the God Organization."


    "What do you mean?"


    "All this time, we thought the main forces of the God Organization were concentrated overseas, but that¡¯s not the case. The main force of the God Organization has long been rooted in Huaxia; this is their main base. For many years, they have used many smokescreens to confuse us. Unfortunately, they have indeed seeded in diverting our attention and made us overlook the most critical ce."


    "Are you sure?" He Ziyun¡¯s face slightly darkened, seriously saying, "This is no joking matter."


    "I believe the person who gave me the information wouldn¡¯t deceive me."


    He Ziyun pondered for a moment and then sighed, "It seems that we have all underestimated that mysterious leader of the God Organization. The most dangerous ce is the safest ce; we thought our defenses were strong enough to prevent the invasion of the God Organization, but we were careless. To put it precisely, we didn¡¯t lose to the God Organization, but to our own arrogance. Ling Chen, do you have any other intelligence about the God Organization?"


    "There¡¯s one thing: the mysterious leader of the God Organization can be confirmed as a person from Huaxia, but his identity is not very clear."


    He Ziyun chuckled, "If it was so easy to figure out the identity of the opponent, we wouldn¡¯t have been struggling against the God Organization for decades." After speaking, He Ziyun paused thoughtfully and asked, "Who gave you these pieces of information?"


    "I don¡¯t know; that person didn¡¯t tell me, but he imed to be a friend of my father."


    "Secret Society."


    "What?" Ling Chen didn¡¯t catch on for a moment.


    "That person who gave you the information must be from the Secret Society. When ites to the ability to gather intelligence, no organization in the world surpasses the Secret Society. If there¡¯s anyone who could understand the God Organization so thoroughly, it would only be the Secret Society. Ghost has always imed to be the world¡¯s most mysterious organization, but in reality, the truly mysterious ones are the Secret Society and the God Organization, as nobody knows where the main bases of the Secret Society and the God Organization are located, nor who the leaders of these mysterious organizations are." Saying this, He Ziyun sighed, "Since Ghost Base was invaded, all of Ghost¡¯s mysterious aura has been stripped away. I heard from Qiao Zhen that the higher-ups have officially issued an order to disband Ghost."


    "Mr. He..." Ling Chen opened his mouth, unsure of what to say.


    Ghost was an organization founded by He Ziyun; he was the creator of Ghost. Now that Ghost was disbanding, probably no one felt worse than him.


    He Ziyun gave a somewhat forced smile, "No organization can consistently endure; for me, the disbanding of Ghost was inevitable, I just didn¡¯t expect it toe so soon."


    "Mr. He, even though Ghost has disbanded, isn¡¯t there still Lonely Wolf? The members of Lonely Wolf were all selected from Ghost; in a way, Lonely Wolf is just a recement for Ghost, so you don¡¯t have to feel too sad."


    He Ziyun shook his head, "I¡¯m not sad about that; it¡¯s just that I feel it¡¯s unworthy for the members of Ghost. They have shed blood and sweat for the country for many years, but in the end, this is their fate. It¡¯s a pity."


    With that, He Ziyun perked up and said, "Let¡¯s not talk about this anymore and instead focus on how to deal with the God Organization. Based on what you just said, Jiang Xinwu should be a key figure."

 Chapter 513 - 509: Locking Down the Criminal

    <h4>Chapter 513: Chapter 509: Locking Down the Criminal</h4><h4></h4>


    "Correct." Ling Chen nodded, "I¡¯ve already had people searching for Jiang Xinwu¡¯s whereabouts. All the stations and airports in East Sea City are under close surveince, so he should not be able to leave. Moreover, I don¡¯t think he will leave East Sea City so quickly."


    "Why?"


    "I think his next target is likely me. The Secret Society informed me that I have been ced on God Organization¡¯s assassination list. They will try every possible means to kill me. So, Jiang Xinwu¡¯s presence in East Sea City probably has more than one target."


    He Ziyun asked worriedly, "If hees for you, can you handle it?"


    Ling Chen smiled slightly, "Mr. He, don¡¯t forget, I¡¯m the top of the Neer List, my self-preservation abilities are still strong."


    "That¡¯s true. But God Organization members are always cunning, they act solely to achieve their goals and never hesitate to be ruthless. If Jiang Xinwues for you, he certainly won¡¯t y by any rules."


    "I¡¯m aware of that. The so-called means are nothing but techniques of killing. It¡¯s still uncertain who would lose or win when ites to a showdown. Mr. He, my visit this time is mainly to remind you, God Organization is definitely nning something big. It¡¯s best if you alert the General and especially those above, have them prepare their defenses. My words carry little weight, they might not believe me, but it¡¯s different with you. You are, after all, the founder of Ghost, your words carry more weight and with the General and others supporting you in the background, those above will surely take it seriously."


    "I understand. Don¡¯t worry, I will get in touch with them."


    Leaving Qingyun Martial Arts Hall, Ling Chen got into his car and headed straight back to Wealthy Manor.


    ...


    In the blink of an eye, three days passed.


    That evening, Ling Chen, sitting in a Rolls-Royce with Nanrong Wanqing, watched the flowing traffic outside the window, his eyes revealing deep thought.


    "Ling Chen."


    Hearing Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s voice beside him, Ling Chen turned his head and asked, "What¡¯s the matter?"


    "The suit we orderedst time has been delivered. Try it on when you go backter. Also... there¡¯s a party tonight at Yulong Mansion. You¡¯ll apany me."


    "Okay." Ling Chen nodded.


    Although Nanrong Wanqing didn¡¯t say it explicitly, Ling Chen had already learned from Nanrong Hao that today was Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s birthday. However, what worried him was that he hadn¡¯t prepared a gift even now.


    These past few days, he had been so preupied with the gift that he hadn¡¯t gotten a good night¡¯s sleep. After all, this birthday party was extremely important, both for Nanrong Wanqing and for Ling Chen.


    That day at Huamei Mall, when Nanrong Wanqing publicly revealed her identity, it was just to set the stage for tonight¡¯s birthday party. Tonight, he would appear in an official setting as her boyfriend for the first time. Given Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s identity and status in East Sea City, such a move undoubtedly meant public recognition of him. If he failed to impress, it would inevitably lead to disappointment.


    In reality, Ling Chen knew very well that Nanrong Wanqing didn¡¯t care about the gift. But as a man, he certainly didn¡¯t want to be seen as a gigolo clinging to a wealthy woman. Therefore, his gift had to be dazzling, to astonish everyone.


    Back home, Ling Chen tried on the suit, which fit perfectly. Worth hundreds of thousands, as a bespoke item, both the materials and the craftsmanship were top-notch.


    The party was scheduled to start punctually at 8 o¡¯clock. Ling Chen checked the time; there was still an hour to go. Just enough time for dinner, a bath, and then head out.


    But then, his phone in the bedroom suddenly rang.


    Ling Chen nced at the iing number on the disy and hurriedly answered the call.


    "Hey! Ling Chen, get over here quickly." Hu Fei¡¯s voice came from the other end of the phone.


    "What happened?"


    "That Jiang Xinwu, there¡¯s news on him."


    "Can it wait?" Ling Chen was conflicted as he was about to leave for Yulong Mansion, and leaving now would certainly mean missing the party.


    "Wait? How can we wait, opportunitiese and go in an instant. I finally found out his whereabouts, if you dilly-dally, he might vanish. Enough talk, hurry up, I¡¯m waiting for you at the usual ce."


    Before Ling Chen could say more, Hu Fei had hung up the phone.


    This fatty... Ling Chen shook his head, feeling helpless.


    After careful consideration, Ling Chen decided to prioritize the more important issue. Jiang Xinwu was key in the fight against God Organization, and he had to find out more.


    Changing his clothes, Ling Chen left the bedroom, went upstairs to inform Nanrong Wanqing. He didn¡¯t mention where he was going, just said he had something urgent to attend to and asked her to head to Yulong Mansion first, assuring her that he would arrive on time.


    Nanrong Wanqing considerately didn¡¯t say much, only reminding him to be careful.


    Leaving Wealthy Manor, Ling Chen immediately drove to the Old City.


    At the courierpany¡¯s office, Hu Fei was already prepared, pulling Ling Chen directly into the car.


    Seated in the passenger seat, Hu Fei cradled aptop, typing on the keyboard, and said, "Let¡¯s go to Vanke Road."


    Vanke Road... such a familiar name!


    A thought struck Ling Chen. Wasn¡¯t that the road outside Wealthy Manor?


    "Fatty, is Jiang Xinwu hiding on Vanke Road?"


    "Half an hour ago, the surveince camera on Vanke Road caught Jiang Xinwu. Though it was just a profile shot, facial recognition software analysis says there¡¯s an eighty-five percent chance it¡¯s him."


    "Then it must be him."


    Saying this, Ling Chen started the engine and sped towards the destination.


    Along the way, Ling Chen took back roads to avoid traffic lights. In less than fifteen minutes, they arrived at Vanke Road.


    "There." Hu Fei pointed at a Western restaurant by the road through the car window, "The surveince caught Jiang Xinwu entering that ce. Don¡¯t know if he¡¯s still there now."


    "You wait in the car. I¡¯ll go take a look."


    Exiting the car, Ling Chen concealed the Tianling de he carried and stepped into the Western restaurant.


    It was dinner time and the restaurant was crowded with customers. Ling Chen entered, ncing around the hall in search of Jiang Xinwu. He had seen a photo of Jiang Xinwu from ten years ago, and even after a decade, his appearance wouldn¡¯t have changed much and would be easy to recognize.


    "Sir, how many are in your party?" A smiling waiter asked.


    "I¡¯m looking for my friend. By the way, do you have private rooms?"


    "Yes, they¡¯re on the second floor. Would you like me to take you there?"


    "No need to trouble yourself, I¡¯ll go up on my own."


    Not seeing Jiang Xinwu in the hall, Ling Chen figured the man might be in one of the private rooms. After dismissing the waiter, he climbed the stairs to the second floor.


    Walking down the corridor, he listened to the soundsing from behind the private room doors, eliminating them one by one as suspects.


    After a moment, Ling Chen stopped in front of the private room at the end of the corridor, his gaze fixed on the door, eyebrows slightly raised. Then, he reached for the Tianling de, took hold of the doorknob with his other hand, gently turned the lock, and prepared to enter.

 Chapter 514 - 510: Encounter in a Dead End

    <h4>Chapter 514: Chapter 510: Encounter in a Dead End</h4><h4></h4>


    However, the moment Ling Chen was about to push the door, his hand suddenly stiffened, and his eyes gradually became solemn. The Tianling de was already drawn halfway from his waist.


    Although the door to the private room wasn¡¯t opened yet, Ling Chen could sense that the person inside had also grasped the door handle at the same time he did. Moreover, not only did Ling Chen feel the presence of the other party, but the person inside must have also be aware of his presence. For a moment, both parties silently held onto the door handle, neither making a rash move.


    Ling Chen clenched the Tianling de tightly, his breathing slowly evening out as he listened intently to the soundsing from behind the door.


    Despite the barrier of a door, Ling Chen could faintly hear a breathing sound.


    Jiang Xinwu!


    It must be him behind the door.


    Just as Ling Chen was silently contemting his next move, a waiter delivering food happened to pass by. Seeing Ling Chen standing quietly at the door, motionless and with a grave expression, the waiter asked with concern, "Sir, do you need any help?"


    Ling Chen opened his mouth, about to send the waiter away. However, before he could speak, he suddenly heard a loud ¡¯bang¡¯ next to his ear, as a fist punched straight through the door panel, aiming a blow toward the outside.


    This sudden change caused Ling Chen¡¯splexion to shift slightly as he hastily retreated two steps back to avoid the punch. Immediately after, without waiting for Jiang Xinwu to rush out from the private room, Ling Chen swiftly closed in with a forceful kick to the door, kicking it open, and then charged in wielding the Tianling de.


    Eh?


    After entering the private room, Ling Chen was surprised to discover that the room was empty. And on the left side of the room, the anti-theft outside the window had been broken, revealing arge opening¡ªJiang Xinwu must have escaped through there.


    Without a moment to spare, Ling Chen crawled out through the anti-theft and leaped, jumping directly from the second-floor down to the ground.


    This was an alley located behind the Western restaurant, with two streets connected to its left and right sides. At this moment, Jiang Xinwu had long since vanished without a trace, and it was unclear which street he had fled down.


    Ling Chen frowned slightly, the alley paved with concrete offered no way to determine the direction based on footprints. After pondering for a moment, Ling Chen took out his cell phone and dialed Hu Fei¡¯s number.


    "Fatty, Jiang Xinwu has escaped. He should be nearby; help me look for him."


    "Received!"


    After hanging up the call, Ling Chen randomly chose a direction and went from the alley onto the street, observing the pedestrians on the roadside in hopes of discovering Jiang Xinwu¡¯s whereabouts.


    Several minutes passed, and there was still no news from Hu Fei¡¯s side, indicating that he was unable to find Jiang Xinwu on the surveince cameras either.


    What a pity!


    Ling Chen sighed inwardly; it wasn¡¯t easy to have located the target, only to let him escape.


    With no other choice, Ling Chen took out his cell phone, ready to tell Hu Fei to withdraw for now. But at that moment, a strong sense of crisis suddenly surged in his heart.


    Almost instinctively, Ling Chen swiftly turned his head to look behind him. And at that instant, he saw a dagger with a cold gleam thrusting straight at him, its speed incredibly fast.


    Not good!


    Ling Chen¡¯s pupils contracted as his body quickly dodged to the side, narrowly avoiding the dagger¡¯s attack. Had he been a second slower, his waist might have been pierced by the dagger.


    Seeing Ling Chen evade the sneak attack, the man wielding the knife was slightly taken aback. Without any hesitation, he immediately turned and sprinted toward an adjacent alley.


    Watching the silhouette of the fleeing figure, Ling Chen¡¯s lips curled into a slight smile, and he let out a soft chuckle.


    Let¡¯s see where you can run to!


    With that, Ling Chen stretched his legs and quickly pursued Jiang Xinwu.


    The small paths in the alley were intricate and crisscrossing. Ling Chen closely followed behind Jiang Xinwu, maintaining a distance of more than ten meters. Jiang Xinwu¡¯s choice of escape routes indicated that he was not familiar with this area and was blindly selecting his path.


    Several minutes passed, and Jiang Xinwu, who was in flight, suddenly stopped in his tracks, slightly furrowing his brow at the high wall in front of him.


    A dead end!


    Ling Chen, who was chasing from behind, saw this scene and immediately smirked.


    "Jiang Xinwu, surrender, you can¡¯t run away."


    Hearing Ling Chen¡¯s voice, Jiang Xinwu slowly turned around, facing Ling Chen with a calm demeanor and said deliberately, "Don¡¯t celebrate too soon. You should only speak after you manage to defeat me."


    Ling Chen drew out the Tianling de, leisurely saying, "Jiang Xinwu, I know you¡¯re now working for the God Organization. If you¡¯re willing to cooperate with us and provide intel about the God Organization, I can plead on your behalf to lessen your sentence."


    "Thanks for the kind offer, but I don¡¯t need it. I advise you to worry about yourself instead¡ªwhether you can walk out of here alive is still an uncertainty."


    Seeing Jiang Xinwu¡¯sposed and fearless appearance, Ling Chen felt a surge of doubt. This guy was not at all scared, either he had enough confidence in his own skills, or he had some backup.


    Thinking this, Ling Chen¡¯s expression suddenly changed, and he cursed inwardly.


    He had been so focused on finding Jiang Xinwu that he had overlooked something very important.


    If he remembered correctly, when he burst into the private room, there seemed to be three sets of tableware on the round table.


    Could it be... there wasn¡¯t just Jiang Xinwu in the private room at that time?


    As thoughts shed through his mind, a series of footsteps approached from behind.


    Ling Chen turned his head just in time to see two unfamiliar men walking toward him from the left and right, forming a triangr pincer with Jiang Xinwu.


    Just as he suspected!


    Ling Chen frowned slightly, realizing that there wasn¡¯t just one person, but three.


    Jiang Xinwu spoke with an indifferent tone, "Did you think I would face you alone? You¡¯re different from Kaelina; at best, she¡¯s just an assassin with some mediocre skills. But you¡¯re the top expert on the Neer List, I naturally can¡¯t treat you the same way as her - that would be far too disrespectful."


    Ling Chen smiled faintly, "So, should I thank you for taking me so seriously?"


    "Jiang Xinwu, stop wasting time with him, let¡¯s kill him quickly. The higher-ups are waiting for our report," urged a middle-aged man.


    Ling Chen sized up the two men and asked, "I haven¡¯t had the pleasure of knowing your names."


    "He Chen."


    "Huang He."


    Hearing these two names, Ling Chen immediately recalled the missing persons list Hu Fei had given him. He Chen and Huang He¡ªthese two names were indeed on the list; they were the people who had disappeared at the same time as Jiang Xinwu.


    Thinking, Ling Chen nced at his phone. It was already 7:40, and Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s birthday dinner would start in twenty minutes.


    Time was of the essence. He needed a quick resolution.


    Apanied by a streak of cold light, the de of the Tianling de shed out.


    "The three of you, I¡¯m in a hurry. Let¡¯s all fight together."


    As those words fell, Jiang Xinwu and the others exchanged nces, each drawing their weapons and slowly advancing towards Ling Chen.


    Sensing the palpable intent to kill emanating from them, Ling Chen stood still, his gaze sweeping over each of the three before finally locking onto Huang He.


    Among the three, only Huang He carried the most peculiar weapon¡ªarge pair of scissors as long as an arm with very sharp des. Moreover, among the three of them, Huang He was the most oppressive, likely being the strongest.

 Chapter 515 - 511: The Fierce Battle (Part 1)

    <h4>Chapter 515: Chapter 511: The Fierce Battle (Part 1)</h4><h4></h4>


    "Kill!"


    With a cold shout, Jiang Xinwu swung two one-foot-long des and leaped towards Ling Chen, striking from both sides. At the same time, He Chen and Huang Heunched their attacks from behind, pincering Ling Chen in a way that left him with no retreat.


    Seeing his escape route blocked, Ling Chen¡¯s eyebrows knitted slightly. With a light flick of his wrist, the Tianling de pierced through the air, meeting the oing assault from Jiang Xinwu.


    Surrounded by the three assants, he had to find a way to break through; once trapped, the danger to him would grow exponentially.


    ng!


    Apanied by a crisp ringing sound, the two des held tightly by Jiang Xinwu trembled, his hands numbed, and the weapons almost dropped to the ground.


    Seeing this, Jiang Xinwu¡¯s face immediately changed, and he shouted urgently, "The target¡¯s tough, be cautious!"


    Hearing Jiang Xinwu¡¯s cry, Ling Chen¡¯s eyebrows raised slightly, and the intensity in his eyes rxed a little. He had thought Jiang Xinwu¡¯s strength to be formidable, but after the recent exchange, he realized that Jiang Xinwu¡¯s prowess would rank around the eighth on the Dragon List at most, posing no threat.


    With an understanding of Jiang Xinwu¡¯s strength, Ling Chen immediately locked onto the direction for his escape, paying no heed to Huang He and He Chen closing in from behind, and charged directly at Jiang Xinwu.


    First to take down the weakest, then deal with the other two.


    In that moment of rapid thought, a whooshing sound suddenly came from above. Ling Chen looked up, only to see Huang He leap over him from above andnd steadily beside Jiang Xinwu.


    Then, Huang He turned around, and therge scissors in his hand sprung open, reaching straight for Ling Chen¡¯s head.


    Without time to think, Ling Chen immediately halted his forward rush. The edge of the Tianling de gently tapped the side of therge scissors. Instantly, Huang He¡¯s arms trembled slightly, and the scissors deviated from their course.


    "Indeed, the top expert of the Neer List does have some skill," Huang He said with a smile that didn¡¯t reach his eyes.


    "Thanks for thepliment!"


    "It¡¯s just a pity..."


    "What¡¯s the pity?"


    "The pity is that you won¡¯t survive tonight." Huang He sneered.


    Ling Chen replied indifferently, "Who lives and who dies is still uncertain, don¡¯t be so quick to conclude."


    "You will undoubtedly die tonight because too many people want you dead."


    As soon as the words fell, Ling Chen suddenly heard footstepsing from the alley. He turned his head and saw two middle-aged men and two old men walking side by side, appearing in his line of sight.


    When their eyes met, he immediately felt the venom and resentment emanating from their gaze.


    For a moment, Ling Chen had a bad premonition.


    "Who are they?"


    "People from the Han Family; I suppose you are no stranger to them."


    The Han Family!


    Ling Chen¡¯s mind raced, and he internally cursed, realizing the predicament.


    Back at the Heavenly Mechanism Great Ceremony, he fought a life-and-death battle with Han Yu, resulting in Han Yu¡¯s tragic death at his hands. The Han Family approaching him now was likely seeking revenge for Han Yu.


    "Ling Chen, I¡¯ve finally found you," the leading old man said coldly. "You killed my grandson, and today you¡¯ll pay with your life, without a proper burial ce."


    Ling Chen faced his opponent squarely and said, "The Han Family really has some guts, daring to collude with the God Organization. Don¡¯t say I didn¡¯t warn you, you are courting destruction."


    "It¡¯s none of your business what the Han Family does."


    Huang He boasted with a proud smile, "Ling Chen, all thanks to you. Without you, the Han Family would never have so readily epted our conditions. They knew you had the protection of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, so they didn¡¯t dare touch you. But with our God Organization backing them, what is the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion?"


    Hearing this, Ling Chen¡¯s heart sank to rock bottom. If it were just the three of them, he might have a chance to break out. But now, with the addition of the Han Family. Against seven, he truly had little confidence.


    Fatty!


    Thinking of Hu Fei, Ling Chen stealthily reached into his pocket and blindly pressed on his phone, trying to call Hu Fei for help.


    But at this moment, the sharp-eyed He Chen noticed his action and immediately roared. In an instant, Huang He, Jiang Xinwu, and others quickly moved their legs toward Ling Chen, preventing him from seeking help...


    Yulong Mansion.


    A Rolls-Royce pulled up at the entrance, Zhong Wei and Liang Zhao Hui got out first, and opened the rear car door.


    Then, Nanrong Wanqing gracefully stepped down from the car, dressed in a snow-white evening gown. For tonight¡¯s birthday party, she had deliberately worn a diamond-encrusted tinum tiara to match her pristine white dress, looking like a princess standing proudly among the flowers, drawing all eyes to her.


    Getting out of the car, Nanrong Wanqing walked up the steps with Zhong Wei and Liang Zhao Hui¡¯s escort. When she reached the entrance, she stopped, turned her head to look behind her with a trace of anxiety in her clear, beautiful eyes.


    The banquet was about to start, but Ling Chen hadn¡¯t appeared, which was a cause for concern. The banquet was not only for celebrating her birthday but more importantly, to formally reveal her rtionship with Ling Chen. Otherwise, she wouldn¡¯t have gone to the trouble of hosting such an event, inviting so many dignitaries.


    "Zhong Wei, give Ling Chen a call, ask him how much longer he¡¯ll be."


    "I understand, Chairman."


    Saying so, Zhong Wei took out his phone and dialed Ling Chen¡¯s number.


    A minute passed, Zhong Wei put down his phone and shook his head, "I called twice, no answer. Chairman, all the guests are here; perhaps you should go in first, Ling Chen might be on his way."


    "Alright then," Nanrong Wanqing nodded lightly.


    At that moment, in the deserted alley, Ling Chen stood at the corner, breathingboriously, his arm holding the Tianling de trembling slightly, his face pale.


    So strong!


    With the Han Family joining in, Ling Chen waspletely outmatched. Seven experts from the Dragon List, with Huang He¡¯s strength reaching the level of projecting Inner Strength outside his body; he alone was enough to match Ling Chen, not to mention the other six Dragon List level masters to assist.


    During his heavy breathing, the phone in his pocket rang again. Without thinking, he knew it was Nanrong Wanqing calling to hurry him.


    Sadly, he had no time to answer. Facing the encirclement of seven masters, he could not afford to be distracted.


    "Ling Chen, surrender, there¡¯s no need to struggle like a trapped beast, you can¡¯t escape. It¡¯s better to give up rather than wasting energy, perhaps I can grant you a swift end," Huang He said.


    Ling Chen breathed heavily, silently staring at his opponents.


    Suddenly, his eyes slowly closed, and his whole body seemed to rx, his breathing gradually steadied.


    Seeing Ling Chen¡¯s actions, Huang He sneered and gave a nce to Jiang Xinwu beside him. Thetter understood and, holding two sharp des, immediately walked forward.


    However, just as Jiang Xinwu was about to approach, Ling Chen¡¯s eyes suddenly snapped open, shining with a cold light that startled Jiang Xinwu, causing him to hastily retreat.

 Chapter 516 - 512: The Fierce Battle (Part 2)

    <h4>Chapter 516: Chapter 512: The Fierce Battle (Part 2)</h4><h4></h4>


    At this moment, Ling Chen¡¯s eyes emitted a cold and gloomy light, as if all emotional fluctuations were erased, leaving only a bone-chilling coldness, like a bloodthirsty and brutal beast lurking in the darkness.


    For some reason, gazing upon Ling Chen¡¯s bloodthirsty eyes, Huang He and the others felt an involuntary chill in their hearts. At their level, such emotions were rare. Yet, facing Ling Chen, this feeling waspletely uncontroble.


    "Stop wasting time, let¡¯s go together and kill him," He Chen said coldly.


    Instantly, Huang He wielding thatrge pair of scissors, took the lead, charging towards Ling Chen, the others followed closely, cornering Ling Chen against a wall, all kinds of weapons greeting his body.


    Seeing the various weapons attacking, Ling Chen¡¯s face showed no emotional fluctuation, his expression cold and indifferent, like an unmelting iceberg, chilling and bone-piercing.


    Suddenly, the still-standing Ling Chen finally reacted. His body leaned forward, rapidly advancing with his feet. Following that, his waist twisted, a nimble change of direction, slipping through the gaps between two weapons.


    "Where do you think you¡¯re going!" Jiang Xinwu roared, immediately moving to the back, blocking Ling Chen¡¯s retreat, his two des thrusting straight at Ling Chen¡¯s neck.


    As the des approached, Ling Chen did not dodge, but instead moved closer to the two des. However, as he closed in, the Tianling de, held horizontally in the air, aimed directly for Jiang Xinwu¡¯s vital spot.


    The de of the Tianling de was three feet long, while Jiang Xinwu¡¯s de was only one foot long. Inparison, even if the Tianling de pierced Jiang Xinwu¡¯s body, his de could not reach Ling Chen.


    Seeing the disadvantage, Jiang Xinwu knew his weapon was inferior and hastily retreated backward, avoiding a direct confrontation with Ling Chen.


    As he stepped back, four skilled members of the Han Family immediately filled his spot, sealing Ling Chen¡¯s escape route, continuing to trap him in the corner.


    Hiss!


    At that moment, Huang He¡¯srge scissors exerted force, taking advantage of Ling Chen being restrained by the Han Family, silently approaching from the side,unching a sneak attack and inflicting a wound on Ling Chen¡¯s thigh.


    In an instant, blood gushed from the wound, quickly staining his trouser leg red.


    However, Ling Chen seemed not to feel the pain in his leg, his movements were not affected at all, his attack speed even increased, making it hard to guard against.


    "Get out of the way!"


    In the melee, a member of the Han Family seized the opportunity, leaped forward, his long sword thrusting fiercely from the crowd, aiming straight for the back of Ling Chen¡¯s neck.


    Hearing the whooshing sound by his ear, Ling Chen instantly reacted, forcing He Chen and others back a couple of steps, then striking back with his sword.


    But before the Tianling de could hit its mark, arge pair of scissors suddenly extended, mping tightly onto the de, making the Tianling de immovable.


    Seeing this, that member of the Han Family sneered: "Ling Chen, meet your death!"


    As the opponent¡¯s long sword drew close, a sharp glint suddenly burst forth from the sinister gaze in Ling Chen¡¯s eyes. Immediately afterward, a scream was heard, and the Han Family member who had leapt towards him fell from mid-air, his chest bleeding profusely, his body twitching uncontrobly, soon bing unresponsive.


    Seeing one of their own killed, the other three Han Family members were instantly filled with shock and rage, their faces twisted with hatred as they madly rushed forward, wanting to tear Ling Chen to pieces.


    "Be careful!"


    Huang He slightly furrowed his brows, fearing something might happen to them, and quickly voiced a warning.


    Others might not know how that Han Family member died, but he was crystal clear about it. Although he had mped the Tianling de¡¯s edge with hisrge scissors, Ling Chen¡¯s Martial Arts level had reached a point where he could project Inner Strength externally. Just now, that Han Family person was pierced through the chest and killed instantly by the Inner Strength emitted from the tip of the de.


    Unfortunately, the Han Family members had already been overwhelmed by their rage, casting rationality aside. No one cared about Huang He¡¯s warning as they desperately sought to kill Ling Chen.


    Seeing three Han Family members charging towards him, Ling Chen, with a stern expression, flicked his wrist and retrieved the Tianling de from Huang He¡¯srge scissors. Immediately after, he pointed the de tip, and the handle of the Tianling de instantly extended, transforming from a sword into a long spear.


    The first Han Family member who rushed in didn¡¯t even react before he was pierced by the suddenly elongated de.


    Another person dead!


    At this, the other two Han Family members finally calmed down, hastily retreating, fearful of bing the next corpse.


    At this moment, Huang He gestured to everyone not to be hasty. The chaos just now had allowed Ling Chen to kill two people.


    "This guy is problematic, it feels like he has be a different person, have you noticed?"


    Hearing He Chen¡¯s question, Huang He didn¡¯t say a word, just nodded in acknowledgment. He too had noticed a significant change in Ling Chenpared to before.


    Jiang Xinwu frowned and snorted coldly, "We have so many people, are we still unable to handle him?"


    "Don¡¯t be too careless. This kid has been acknowledged by Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, he must not be simple. Leave the frontal engagement to me, and you guys look for opportunities from the sides," Huang He said.


    "Understood!"


    He Chen and the others nodded, then dispersed to both sides. At the same time, Huang He stepped forward alone, drawing Ling Chen¡¯s attention.


    "Go!"


    As his words fell, Huang He swung hisrge scissors, aiming straight for Ling Chen¡¯s head. However, a longer weapon has its advantages, and with the long spear in hand, Ling Chen simply pointed it and deflected Huang He¡¯s attack.


    Not waiting for Huang He to strike again, Ling Chen stepped forward aggressively, his long spear creating a multitude of spear shadows.


    Seeing that Ling Chen¡¯s focus was solely on Huang He, Jiang Xinwu and He Chen exchanged nces and immediatelyunched a surprise attack from the side. In a blink of an eye, the two men closed to within two meters around Ling Chen.


    Seeing hisrades engaging, Huang He slightly rxed, finally alleviating some pressure from the front.


    But just then, Huang He realized his miscalction.


    Facing the surprise attack from Jiang Xinwu and He Chen, Ling Chen didn¡¯t bother about them at all, not even distracted to counter their strikes, but instead focused all his energy on Huang He, intent on defeating him.


    This course of action resulted in several new wounds on Ling Chen¡¯s body. However, it seemed like Ling Chen felt no pain. Not only that, but after each injury, his speed and strength appeared to significantly increase.


    "Help me, quickly help me!"


    At that moment, Huang He, who was fighting directly against Ling Chen, cried out loudly, urgently asking Jiang Xinwu and He Chen for help.


    He had mistakenly thought Ling Chen would be distracted by Jiang Xinwu and He Chen¡¯s side attack, thus he had rxed his guard, only to find that Ling Chen paid no attention to them, instead increasing his attack¡¯s intensity.


    In a moment, his defense was precarious, possibly copsing at any moment.


    "Die!"


    Suddenly, Ling Chen roared explosively, his spear seeming to contain endless power, unstoppable, thrusting directly towards Huang He¡¯s throat.

 Chapter 517 - 513: The Fierce Battle (Part 2)

    <h4>Chapter 517: Chapter 513: The Fierce Battle (Part 2)</h4><h4></h4>


    Seeing the long spear thrusting towards him, Huang He¡¯s pupils constricted, and he quickly raised therge scissors in his hands, locking the de around the spearhead to halt its advance.


    Dangerous!


    Looking at the sharp spearhead less than two inches away from his throat, Huang He silently congratted himself.


    Just then, Jiang Xinwu, who had caught up from behind, swung two sharp des viciously towards Ling Chen¡¯s back.


    In an instant, both des plunged deep into Ling Chen¡¯s flesh, piercing right through his chest.


    Sess!


    Jiang Xinwu let out a loudugh, filled with pride. However, his smile did notst long before he was shocked by the scene before him.


    Far from copsing from his severe injuries, the cold severity in Ling Chen¡¯s eyes only intensified. With a single shove of his arm, the spearhead, originally locked by therge scissors, broke free from its restraints and thrust swiftly forward, piercing directly through Huang He¡¯s throat, with hot blood spattering everywhere.


    Huang He¡¯s eyes widened in disbelief as he looked at the spearhead, his mouth slightly agape as if he wanted to say something. But before hisst words could escape, his body fell straight down, devoid of life.


    Retracting his long spear, Ling Chen nced at Huang He¡¯s corpse and then shifted his gaze to Jiang Xinwu and the others.


    Feeling the icy chill radiating from Ling Chen¡¯s eyes, Jiang Xinwu felt a shiver crawl from the soles of his feet, involuntarily taking a step back.


    "How is this possible?" He wondered silently.


    To have received such grave injuries yet still be capable of killing; moreover, Ling Chen didn¡¯t seem to show a trace of weakness, as if he were someone brimming with vigor.


    Watching Ling Chen approach step by step, Jiang Xinwu and He Chen unconsciously stepped back, fear evident on their faces.


    Now that Huang He was dead, they trulycked confidence.


    "What are you two doing standing there? Hurry up and get him!"


    He Chen nced at the Han Family members beside him and urged them.


    "He¡¯s so badly injured, he couldn¡¯t possibly still have the strength," said a member of the Han Family, though the remark sounded more like selffort.


    "Go, kill him!"


    Thereupon, two members of the Han Family no longer hesitated; the more they did, the more unsettled they became.


    As they charged at him, Ling Chen flicked his wrist, and the long spear instantly transformed into a blur of shadows, piercing through the necks of the two men, giving them no chance to react.


    "Run!"


    Seeing the two Han Family members fall easily to Ling Chen¡¯s hands, Jiang Xinwu and He Chen no longer hesitated, immediately turning and running towards the alley¡¯s exit.


    However, just as they turned, a person suddenly flew overhead¡ªLing Chen. He lightly stepped on their shoulders with the tips of his feet, using the momentum to rise andnd steadily in front of them, blocking their escape route.


    Seeing this, He Chen and Jiang Xinwu¡¯splexions changed.


    "Split up!"


    Making a rapid decision, Jiang Xinwu bolted towards Ling Chen¡¯s left side. Simultaneously, He Chen moved his legs and ran straight to the right.


    As the two split up, Ling Chen, without a moment¡¯s thought, went straight for He Chen, pouncing on him like a hungry tiger, intercepting the fleeing He Chen.


    Bad luck!


    He Chen¡¯s expression shifted slightly, not expecting his luck to be so poor. Ling Chen didn¡¯t go after anyone else but targeted him instead.


    "Xinwu, save me!"


    Hearing He Chen¡¯s plea for help, Jiang Xinwu looked back. Seeing that He Chen was stopped by Ling Chen, he hesitated for a moment, then said in a deep voice, "You¡¯re on your own now."


    After speaking, without waiting for He Chen to speak again, Jiang Xinwu¡¯s figure had already disappeared at the entrance of the alley.


    Damn it!


    He Chen silently cursed, watching Ling Chen who was steadily approaching. He swallowed his spit and tried to cate, "Ling Chen, I was just following orders, I didn¡¯t want to kill you. If you let me go, we can talk things over, I can tell you about the secrets of the God Organization, and also... Eh..."


    Before he could finish speaking, the tip of the spear unmercifully pierced through He Chen¡¯s throat.


    As He Chen¡¯s body fell to the ground, Ling Chen put away his spear, leaving behind six corpses, and turned to walk outside.


    However, not far after stepping out, with a ¡¯thump¡¯, Ling Chen¡¯s body suddenly copsed on the ground, passing out.


    ...


    It was hard to tell how much time had passed when Ling Chen slowly regained consciousness in a daze.


    "Ling Chen, how do you feel, any better?"


    Hearing the familiar voice next to his ear, Ling Chen moved his lips weakly and asked, "Fatty, what time is it now?"


    "It¡¯s almost nine o¡¯clock."


    Nine o¡¯clock... shit! Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s birthday party started at eight, and he was already an hourte. Upon that realization, Ling Chen struggled to get up and said, "Hurry up and take me to Yulong Mansion."


    "Have you lost your mind!" Hu Fei red and said, "Do you realize how severe your injuries are? If you don¡¯t go to the hospital now, you might not even survive."


    Ling Chen waved his hand impatiently, "Cut the crap and hurry up, these injuries won¡¯t kill me."


    While talking, he tore open his shirt to reveal his chest wound, which had been simply bandaged. Fortunately, Jiang Xinwu¡¯s des had not stabbed through any vitals; otherwise, he would already be dead.


    "Fatty, how did you find me?"


    "I called you and no one answered. Worried that something happened to you, I had to use the phone signal to determine your location. It¡¯s a good thing your phone wasn¡¯t switched off; otherwise, I would¡¯ve been clueless. Hey, weren¡¯t you going to see Jiang Xinwu, what happened with those bodies?"


    "They were all sent by the God Organization to kill me, but unfortunately, Jiang Xinwu got away," Ling Chen said with a hint of regret.


    However, as much as he regretted it, he was even more relieved.


    It was lucky that Jiang Xinwu had escaped; otherwise, he would have killed Jiang Xinwu along with the others. By then, he wouldn¡¯t have left a single survivor.


    Back then, the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion Master had given him two pieces of information ¨C one was about Ling Gengqiu¡¯s life records, and the other was an introduction to the Prajnaparamita Sutra.


    The Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion Master had once said that the power of the Prajnaparamita Sutra was rted to feminine allure and killing. The killing she referred to wasn¡¯t the general sense of murder but reaching a selfless state of mind.


    In such a state, one could forget the pain and only retain the most primitive desire to kill. Moreover, the greater the pain endured inbat, the more it could stimte one¡¯s potential and disy even greater strength.


    Without this reliance, it would have been difficult for him to survive the siege of Huang He and the others today.


    This killing state was strong but somewhat uncontroble. Once entering this state, one would be indifferent to all rtionships, striking down anyone without hesitation.


    "Hey! Are you really going to Yulong Mansion?"


    "Stop talking nonsense, start the car. Oh! And call Haozi to go home and grab me a set of clean clothes."


    "You and your... barely holding onto life, and yet insisting on celebrating a woman¡¯s birthday, I¡¯m astounded by you."


    "Wait until you have a girlfriend, then you won¡¯t say such things. But with a face like yours, I guess not many women will fancy you."

 Chapter 518 - 514 Miss’s Birthday Banquet (Part 1)

    <h4>Chapter 518: Chapter 514 Miss¡¯s Birthday Banquet (Part 1)</h4><h4></h4>


    "Pfft!" Hu Fei said disdainfully, "Women these days are too materialistic, as long as you have money, what kind of woman can¡¯t you find? Fat Daddy here has nothing else in spades but cash, and believe it or not, with a pile of cash thrown down, countless women woulde begging to spend their lives with me."


    Hearing this, Ling Chen bursts into a smile, unreservedly retorting: "Just looking at you, I can tell you¡¯ve never been in love. What¡¯s so great about women who chase after material things? Besides, not every woman is a gold digger like you say. Look at me, when I first came to East Sea City, I didn¡¯t have a penny to my name, yet now... the richest woman in East Sea City has been conquered by me. So you see, it¡¯s not a question of money, but personal charm. If you had my handsome looks and charm, you would have been off the market a long time ago."


    Frustrated, Hu Fei retorted, "Don¡¯t get so smug with me, I really can¡¯t see how Nanrong Wanqing could fall for someone like you."


    "Alright, enough joking around. Let¡¯s talk business. Jiang Xinwu is still on the run, and we must find his whereabouts before he leaves East Sea City."


    "Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ve already given the orders, the intelligence department¡¯s members will be keeping an eye out at all times. The moment Jiang Xinwu shows up, we will definitely find him."


    While talking, Ling Chen, who was sitting in the passenger seat, took out his cellphone and started browsing through his contacts.


    Hu Fei nced over and asked casually: "Who are you nning to call?"


    "Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion. The people who ambushed me today included members of the God Organization and the Han Family. Since the Han Family is in cahoots with the God Organization, I must inform Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion to deal with them."


    The ability of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion to maintain its impartial standing in the Martial Arts world is not just due to its formidable power, but more importantly because it has always upheld justice in the Martial Arts world. The Han Family, being a martial arts family, has colluded with evil forces and vited the rules of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, who will certainly not turn a blind eye.


    ...


    Yulong Mansion.


    Nanrong Wanqing was holding a stem ss, the semi-transparent champagne swirling gently in the ss like crystal, a few droplets spilling onto her hand without her noticing. Her mind had already wandered far from the party.


    Mingling among the crowd, as the protagonist of tonight¡¯s banquet, wherever Nanrong Wanqing went, she would hear a string of blessings. Yet those blessings only elicited a forced smile from her.


    It was already nine o¡¯clock, and Ling Chen still hadn¡¯t appeared. His phone was unreachable too, which dampened her mood. Given her personality, she didn¡¯t need to hold a banquet at all. In previous years, she would stay at home, only spending her birthday with Nanrong Hao and Su Lin, humble yet cozy.


    This year, the main reason she held a birthday banquet and invited so many guests was for Ling Chen. She hoped to dere her rtionship with Ling Chen to everyone on such an important day. Yet, so much time had passed without seeing the man of the hour.


    What¡¯s more, several guests she bumped into just now had alluded to Ling Chen, curious as to why he wasn¡¯t present. In fact, a good portion of the attendees came for Ling Chen; they wanted to see the man who had won Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s favor for themselves.


    "Miss Nanrong."


    At that moment, a gentle voice sounded from her side.


    Nanrong Wanqing turned her head, looking at the person speaking. She slightly lifted her lips and raised the stem ss in her hand as a greeting.


    "Miss Nanrong, if I may ask so boldly, why has your malepanion not yet arrived after all this time?"


    Nanrong Wanqing replied indifferently, "He was dyed by some urgent matters and might bete."


    "Any urgent matter should not be more important than Miss Nanrong¡¯s birthday, unless..."


    Nanrong Wanqing looked directly at the person, asking, "What are you trying to say?"


    "Nothing, just... We are all specting, is Miss Nanrong doing this, perhaps, to shake off the pursuit of others?"


    "Pursuit? What do you mean?"


    "I know that Miss Nanrong¡¯s suitors are not few, and you must have grown tired of their harassment, which is why you made such a decision ¨C to find any man to pose as your partner temporarily, so as to let others give up hope. Otherwise, with Miss Nanrong¡¯s esteemed status, why would you choose a security guard as your boyfriend? That would beughable."


    As the two spoke, a number of the young guests around them pricked up their ears, eavesdropping on their conversation. They too wanted to know if Nanrong Wanqing really did what the other person suggested ¨C using a man as a decoy. If that was the case, they all still had a chance.


    Being a golden daughter of East Sea City and the chairwoman of Hongyu Group, whether it was her looks or her family background, she was a prime choice, and few men could resist her allure. Remember, when Nanrong Wanqing first took up the position of chairwoman, there were two secretaries arranged for her, one of whom was specifically responsible for dealing with the abundance of date invitations.


    In a single day, she would receive at least thirty to forty bouquets sent by men, as well as invitations, all of which were politely refused by Nanrong Wanqing. Over time, some gave up knowing it was hopeless, no longer harboring thoughts about Nanrong Wanqing. However, there were still some who refused to give up.


    It wasn¡¯t until Zhu Hong appeared a while ago that many suitors felt ashamed and left Nanrong Wanqing be for a time.


    Now, with Zhu Hong gone from East Sea City, those former suitors inevitably started getting ideas again. The primary reason everyone epted the invitation to today¡¯s birthday banquet was to catch a glimpse of this young man named Ling Chen, to see what outstanding qualities he had to win Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s heart.


    Nanrong Wanqing gazed at her interlocutor, her delicate eyebrows slightly furrowed and a hint of displeasure in her beautiful eyes.


    The man in front of her was Li Gang, also one of her many suitors and one of the most persistent. For three years, apart from holidays, there wasn¡¯t a day he didn¡¯t send her roses and a handwritten card, each with different words.


    Moreover, Li Gang¡¯s family was also not to be underestimated; they had a good reputation in East Sea City and were considered well-matched with the Nanrong Family.


    Because of his perseverance, his actions left a deep impression on Nanrong Wanqing.


    "Mr. Li, if we have to talk about matching social ranks when ites to love, wouldn¡¯t that defeat its purpose?"


    "It¡¯s true what you say, but we must be rational when ites to love, not overly sentimental. Miss Nanrong, you should consider more on behalf of the Nanrong Family and Hongyu Group. You need not only affection but also a support, someone who can share the burden with you. That Ling Chen, I don¡¯t think he has what it takes. So, I hope you will think it over and not make any rushed decisions."


    "Mr. Li, I appreciate your concern, but this is my private matter, and none of anyone else¡¯s business. I hope you enjoy your evening."


    Seeing that Nanrong Wanqing was about to leave, Li Gang hurriedly reached for her wrist and said, "Wanqing..."

 Chapter 519 - 515: The Young Lady’s Birthday Banquet (Part 2)

    <h4>Chapter 519: Chapter 515: The Young Lady¡¯s Birthday Banquet (Part 2)</h4><h4></h4>


    Before Li Gang could finish speaking, Nanrong Wanqing frowned, lightly shook her arm, and struggled free from Li Gang¡¯s grasp, saying with dissatisfaction, "Mr. Li, please respect yourself."


    "Sorry, Wanqing, I didn¡¯t mean anything else, I just wanted to tell you that I..."


    "What do you want to say? Just go ahead and let everyone hear it."


    The voice came through, and both Nanrong Wanqing and Li Gang were startled, turning their heads to look. In an instant, they saw Ling Chen approaching with confident strides, dressed in a sharp suit, his handsome face wearing a faint smile, apanied by Nanrong Hao.


    Seeing Ling Chen arrive, a smile finally appeared on Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s pretty face.


    "So, you are Ling Chen?" Li Gang looked at Ling Chen expressionlessly, his disdain evident in his words.


    "Yes, I am. And you are?"


    "Li Gang, General Manager of Dongyu Group, the Chairman is my father."


    "Oh!" Ling Chen nodded with a lifted lip, "So you¡¯re a second-generation rich."


    As he spoke, Ling Chen wrapped his arm around Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s slender waist, pulling her close to his body, and whispered in her ear, "Sorry to keep you waiting, something came up on my end that caused a dy."


    "It¡¯s okay." Nanrong Wanqing expressed her understanding.


    Watching their affectionate behavior, Li Gang¡¯s expression turned ugly, especially after hearing the phrase ¡¯second-generation rich,¡¯ which irked him.


    "I heard Mr. Ling works as a security guard at Hongyu Group?" Li Gang spoke up. When he mentioned ¡¯security guard,¡¯ he specifically raised his voice to make sure the surrounding people could hear clearly.


    Ling Chen smiled slightly: "I don¡¯t think that¡¯s a secret. Everyone here should be aware of it."


    Li Gang¡¯s smile was forced and unpleasant as he said, "Mr. Ling is really something, a mere security guard able to win Miss Nanrong¡¯s favor. A toad wanting to eat swan¡¯s meat, it seems that this saying isn¡¯t wrong."


    "Everyone is a person, there is no need to judge a person¡¯s worth by their upation. Although I am a security guard, at least I make a living with my own hands, unlike some people born with a golden key in their mouth, relying on their parents, not having to do anything, just enjoying the benefits."


    Upon hearing this, a dark shade shed in Li Gang¡¯s eyes, and his face fell. He could clearly understand the implication in Ling Chen¡¯s words, that a mere security guard dared mock him as a do-nothing rich second-generation, truly ignorant of how high the sky and how deep the earth is.


    Contemting, Li Gang quickly changed the subject, "Mr. Ling, today is Miss Nanrong¡¯s birthday. Everyone has prepared a gift. Since you are Miss Nanrong¡¯s boyfriend, I¡¯m sure your gift must be more precious than others. Why not show it to everyone, so we can all gain some insight?"


    Nanrong Wanqing said displeasedly, "Mr. Li, I have already received Ling Chen¡¯s gift, there is no need to disy it here. As long as I like it, that¡¯s all that matters."


    Li Gang scoffed, he didn¡¯t believe a word Nanrong Wanqing said. Either Ling Chen hadn¡¯t given a gift, or it was something embarrassing, that¡¯s why Nanrong Wanqing offered an excuse for him.


    "That¡¯s really a pity." Saying that, Li Gang took out a delicate box from his suit pocket and presented it to Nanrong Wanqing with both hands. Then, under everyone¡¯s gaze, he gently lifted the lid off.


    Instantly, a beautiful ne set with various colored diamonds came into everyone¡¯s view.


    "Miss Nanrong, this is a birthday gift I had custom-made for you, with a total of ny-nine diamonds. I hope you will like it."


    Seeing the gift Li Gang had prepared, an exmation of surprise arose unanimously from the guests.


    Ny-nine diamonds, not to mention the implied meaning, but the value alone was extraordinary. Indeed, as the heir of the Dongyu Group, his generosity was evident.


    Nanrong Wanqing didn¡¯t even take a second look and said indifferently, "Mr. Li, thank you for your gift, I appreciate the thought, but this gift is too precious, I cannot ept it. Please take it back."


    "That¡¯s not eptable, you can¡¯t just take back a gift that¡¯s been given. If Miss Nanrong doesn¡¯t like it, then just throw it away. I¡¯ll prepare another giftter to make up for it."


    With those words, Li Gang walked toward a nearby trash can, looking like he was about to throw the ne in his hand into it.


    Seeing his action, Nanrong Wanqing didn¡¯t say a word and showed no intention of stopping him.


    At this moment, Li Gang stood in front of the trash can. Seeing that Nanrong Wanqing still didn¡¯t speak up, he couldn¡¯t help feeling embarrassed. He had wanted to provoke Nanrong Wanqing, but she didn¡¯t say a word, leaving him no face.


    However, since he had already spoken, he had no choice but to throw the ne in his hand into the trash can with a heavy heart.


    Millions simply gone down the drain.


    Noticing the gloominess on Li Gang¡¯s face, Nanrong Hao couldn¡¯t help but snicker: "Chen, this guy is really dumb, putting on an act all the way to this point."


    Ling Chen shrugged and said, "He brought it upon himself. Who can he me?"


    "Hey! Chen, what gift did you prepare for my sister?" Nanrong Hao asked curiously.


    "You¡¯ll know in a bit."


    During the conversation, Li Gang returned to their group, still wearing a smile on his face as if the ne he had just thrown away wasn¡¯t his, acting as if nothing had happened.


    "Mr. Li, enjoy your time, we have other guests to entertain so we won¡¯t apany you any longer."


    Seeing Nanrong Wanqing about to leave, Li Gang suddenly became anxious. He had nned to show off in front of Nanrong Wanqing and overpower Ling Chen, but she didn¡¯t give him the chance.


    Before Li Gang could speak, a huge image suddenly appeared on the big screen in the banquet hall.


    As the sound from the image filled the room, everyone¡¯s attention was captured by the big screen.


    Nanrong Wanqing looked up at the big screen on the wall. The screen was showing a live broadcast from the local TV station with a cameraman sitting in a helicopter, filming the night view of East Sea City; the buzzing of the helicopter¡¯s rotor des was clearly audible.


    "What is this about?"


    "Did the banquet hall staff put on the wrong video?"


    For a moment, there was a flurry of spection.


    "Sis, I¡¯ll go find the manager and have him turn it off right away." Saying that, Nanrong Hao turned to leave.


    "Haozi, there¡¯s no need."


    Nanrong Hao looked at Ling Chen, puzzled. "Chen, why not?"


    Ling Chen chuckled slightly: "I arranged it." As he finished, he turned to Nanrong Wanqing by his side and said, "This is the birthday present I prepared for you. I hope you like it."


    A gift?


    Upon hearing Ling Chen¡¯s words, before Nanrong Wanqing could respond, Li Gang couldn¡¯t help but sneer: "Hiring some TV crew to shoot some night scenes as a gift? Mr. Ling, that reallycks sincerity."


    "Mr. Li, why the rush? This is just the beginning. Just watch, the real show is yet toe."


    As soon as Ling Chen spoke, everyone watched the big screen intently, looking forward to the climax of the event.

 Chapter 520 - 516: The Eldest Miss’s Birthday Banquet (Part 3)

    <h4>Chapter 520: Chapter 516: The Eldest Miss¡¯s Birthday Banquet (Part 3)</h4><h4></h4>


    Several minutester, the helicopter soared high into the sky, the camera capturing the entire splendid and bustling night view of East Sea City.


    At that moment, a striking red light suddenly appeared in everyone¡¯s view on the screen. Following that, the cluster of red light spread swiftly along the street like dominoes, forming a long frame hundreds of meters in length.


    Simultaneously, in the middle of the frame, countless groups of red lights lit up on the streets and then extended in various directions, eventually intertwining with each other. Seeing this magnificent scene, the guests could not help but exim in astonishment. However, everyone was still in the dark, not knowing the significance of these red lights.


    Just as everyone was puzzled, the helicopter ascended further. As the camera¡¯s shooting range increased, the lights on the street converged into a set of English letters, "i, love, y".


    At the same time, around those English letters, dazzling rays continuously flickered, forming a massive, spectacr frame.


    Seeing those letters form in an instant stunned everyone; they incredulously looked at Ling Chen, their eyes filled with admiration.


    This gift might seem simple, but among so many people present, probably none could have achieved it.


    Using the entire East Sea City as a canvas and the lights as ink is not something anyone could do. After tonight, the creativity of this gift will probably spread wildly nationwide.


    Ling Chen secretly smiled and turned his head to look at Nanrong Wanqing beside him, asking, "Do you like it?"


    Nanrong Wanqing gently nodded, her hands tightly clinging to Ling Chen¡¯s arm, her eyes brimming with excitement and thrill.


    What woman doesn¡¯t love romance? Ling Chen¡¯s gift undoubtedly hit women¡¯s soft spot.


    Seeing the smile on Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s face, Ling Chen breathed a sigh of relief, finally able to rx. For this gift, he had put a lot of thought into it, not only borrowing over a thousand people from Jiang Hao and Zhao Zhengxiong but also employing hundreds of taxis.


    For nning all these, he had hardly slept well for several days. Fortunately, Jiang Hao and the otherscked everything but manpower, otherwise, his n would have been difficult to aplish.


    Now, seeing Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s smile, Ling Chen felt all the hardship was worth it.


    In contemtion, Ling Chen nced at the stunned Li Gang, smiling and asking, "Mr. Li, how do you like my gift?"


    Hearing this, Li Gang finally came back from his shock, his face looking ugly.


    "Nothing special," Li Gang snorted disdainfully and turned to walk into the crowd.


    "Thank you!" Nanrong Wanqing said softly, "This is the best gift I¡¯ve ever received in my life."


    "A lifetime is still very long; who knows, there might be even more surprisester."


    Nanrong Wanqing sweetly smiled, saying, "I¡¯ll be waiting."


    ...


    At ten o¡¯clock in the evening, the birthday dinner finally ended.


    "Captain Zhong, you guys take Sister home first, Chen and I have some business to take care of."


    Nanrong Wanqing looked at Nanrong Hao suspiciously and asked, "Where are you going sote at night?"


    "That... well, it¡¯s a very important private matter. Sister, don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t abduct your future brother-inw," Nanrong Hao joked.


    Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s face slightly blushed as she cautioned, "Don¡¯t stay out toote."


    "Got it." With that, Nanrong Hao quickly pulled Ling Chen and walked outside.


    Watching their departing figures, Nanrong Wanqing noticed that Ling Chen¡¯s walking posture was a bit odd. Moreover, with each step he took, a faint red imprint was left on the ground.


    "Zhong Wei, what is that?"


    "I¡¯ll go check."


    Zhong Wei walked forward, touched the red imprint left on the ground, and then sniffed it. A familiar scent came to his nose, and his expression suddenly changed.


    It¡¯s no wonder Nanrong Hao dragged Ling Chen away, so that¡¯s what happened.


    "Chairman, it¡¯s nothing, it must be that Ling Chen¡¯s shoes got stained with alcohol. It¡¯s gettingte, let us take you back first."


    Outside Yulong Mansion, Nanrong Hao supported Ling Chen, and hurried to a car.


    Seeing the two of theme out, Hu Fei, who was sitting in the driver¡¯s seat, quickly got out of the car, helped open the door, and got Ling Chen into the back seat.


    At this moment, Ling Cheny in the back seat, weak all over, consciousness gradually bing hazy, already half-unconscious.


    "Hurry, to the hospital." Nanrong Hao urged anxiously.


    Hu Fei nodded, without a word, quickly started the engine, and drove towards the hospital.


    In less than half an hour, Hu Fei ran through more than ten red lights and finally got Ling Chen into the operating room.


    Looking at the red light on outside the operating room, Hu Fei muttered, "This guy really suffers for the sake of face; if he hade to the hospital earlier for treatment, it wouldn¡¯t have gotten this bad."


    "Chen went to great lengths for my sister¡¯s birthday; if it were you, you wouldn¡¯t miss it either."


    "Alright, alright, forget I said anything, I just hope he¡¯s okay."


    The surgerysted for more than an hour, and only then was Ling Chen moved to a special care ward. Lying in the hospital bed, Ling Chen looked pale and very weak, just having undergone surgery.


    Earlier at the dinner party, although the wound had been treated simply. However, standing with Nanrong Wanqing for so long and moving around caused the wound to rupture. Fortunately, they made it to the hospital in time, or he might have nearly lost his life.


    "Haozi, call your sister and tell her we¡¯re upied tonight, and we¡¯ll return tomorrow."


    "Chen, the doctor said your injuries are serious, you need to stay in the hospital for observation for at least a week."


    "Figure out a solution, just make sure your sister doesn¡¯t find out, to avoid her worrying."


    As they were speaking, the hospital room door was pushed open from the outside. Then, Xia Mutong walked in.


    "Officer Xia?"


    Seeing the visitor, Ling Chen was slightly startled, then remembered that the hospital he was in was where Kaelina was staying.


    "I just met Hu Fei outside, heard you were injured, so I came to see how you are."


    Ling Chen forced a slight smile: "Thank you for your concern, Officer Xia."


    Xia Mutong kept a stern face and said: "No need for thanks, tell me what really happened."


    "It¡¯s nothing, just identally got hit by a car." Ling Chen casually said.


    "Hmph! I knew you wouldn¡¯t confess honestly. I just went and asked the hospital, you were injured by a sharp weapon, clearly from a fight. I advise you not to y dumb with me, better exin clearly."


    Ling Chen internally grimaced, originally nning to brush it off with an excuse, not expecting Xia Mutong to consult the doctor.


    Just as he hesitated whether to tell the truth, Hu Fei suddenly rushed in from outside, excitedly shouting: "Ling Chen, I found the person, that guy is at... uh, Officer Xia, you¡¯re here too."


    Seeing Xia Mutong in the room, Hu Fei¡¯s expression shifted slightly, quickly correcting himself.


    "Go on, who did you find?"


    "This... I..." Hu Fei stammered, looking at Ling Chen, unsure what to say.


    "Fatso, tell her."


    Seeing Ling Chen speak up, Hu Fei immediately reported the situation about Jiang Xinwu.

 Chapter 521 - 517: Capturing Jiang Xinwu

    <h4>Chapter 521: Chapter 517: Capturing Jiang Xinwu</h4><h4></h4>


    After Hu Fei finished exining the situation in detail, Xia Mutong looked at Ling Chen irritably and said, "Since you already knew the suspect¡¯s information, why didn¡¯t you inform me?"


    Ling Chen replied helplessly, "I wasn¡¯t sure if it was him, so I dared not tell you."


    Xia Mutong said incredulously, "I don¡¯t believe you." Then pointing at Hu Fei, she said, "You,e with me."


    "Me?" Hu Fei was stunned.


    "Hurry up, I don¡¯t have time to waste here." As she finished speaking, Xia Mutong grabbed Hu Fei and dragged him out of the hospital room.


    After they left, Ling Chen asked Nanrong Hao to bring a cell phone and then called He Ziyun. Xia Mutong was going to arrest Jiang Xinwu, and he was worried. He asked He Ziyun to secretly follow her to prevent any mishaps.


    After hanging up the phone, Ling Cheny back with his hands behind his head, staring at the ceiling, lost in thought.


    The encounters tonight with Huang He, He Chen, and Jiang Xinwu, who were all missing persons from years ago, now choosing to pledge allegiance to the God Organization, seemed unbelievable. Does the God Organization really have such allure?


    Besides, one thing was certain: Jiang Xinwu and the others had sessfullypleted the Lucifer experiment.


    For now, he hoped that Xia Mutong could sessfully capture Jiang Xinwu and extract some valuable information from him.


    While pondering, Ling Chen felt sleepy and soon his head was foggy, and not long after, he fell into a deep sleep.


    ...


    "Chen."


    Hearing Nanrong Hao¡¯s voice, Ling Chen opened his eyes and rubbed them, questioning the figure beside his bed, "What¡¯s up?"


    Nanrong Hao handed the phone to Ling Chen and said, "It¡¯s Hu¡¯s call."


    Hu?


    A thought struck Ling Chen¡¯s mind, and he quickly took the phone and greeted, "Ling Chen, we¡¯ve settled things here."


    "Did you catch him?"


    "Thanks to Mr. He for helping, otherwise we might have lost even more men."


    "Were there many casualties?"


    "Two seriously injured, three lightly injured, but fortunately, no fatalities."


    "That¡¯s good." Ling Chen breathed a sigh of relief and asked, "Where is he being held?"


    "At the police station, I¡¯m here with Officer Xia. They¡¯re preparing to interrogate Jiang Xinwu, and I wanted to stay but Officer Xia kicked me out."


    "Stay there, I¡¯ll have someone contact you immediately. And don¡¯t let them interrogate Jiang Xinwu."


    "Okay, I¡¯ll try to stall them, hurry up."


    After hanging up the phone, Ling Chen immediately dialed General Qiao Zhen¡¯s number. Jiang Xinwu was a member of the God Organization, and he didn¡¯t want Jiang Xinwu to reveal any information about the God Organization to the local police. The existence of the God Organization has always been a secret, not to be disclosed to unauthorized personnel.


    After finishing his conversation with Qiao Zhen, Ling Chen struggled to sit up in bed and then directed Nanrong Hao, "Get my clothes."


    "Chen, what are you..."


    "Stop talking, just go."


    Unable to argue with Ling Chen, Nanrong Hao obediently followed his instructions. Taking advantage of the time Ling Chen was dressing, he ran to the hospital front desk to handle the discharge procedures for Ling Chen, to avoid wasting timeter.


    Leaving the hospital, Ling Chen got into the car and said, "Head to the police station immediately."


    Nanrong Hao started the car and asked with concern, "Chen, are your injuries okay?"


    "It¡¯s fine."


    The wounds had been stitched up, and although there was still some pain, he could endure it. The most important thing right now was Jiang Xinwu; everything else could be ignored.


    Half an hourter, Ling Chen smoothly arrived at the entrance of the police station.


    "Wait for me outside." Dropping these words, Ling Chen hurriedly pushed open the door, got out of the car, and rushed to the police station¡¯s office building alone.


    It wasn¡¯t Ling Chen¡¯s first time at the police station, and before long, he deftly found the interrogation room located on the third floor. Before he even entered, he saw two policemen locking Hu Fei¡¯s arms and dragging him out of the interrogation room.


    "Stop!"


    Ling Chen shouted loudly, rushing to stop the actions of the two policemen.


    Seeing Ling Chen appear, Hu Fei seemed to see a savior, urgently crying out, "Ling Chen, save me quickly, these guys are bastards, the orders have been issued from above, yet they dare to defy them."


    Hearing this, Ling Chen quickly stepped to the front of the interrogation room, pushed on the door, but found it locked and unable to open. Seeing this, Ling Chen frowned, directly kicked the door open with his foot, and then rushed in.


    Inside the interrogation room, Jiang Xinwu was handcuffed to a chair, his hands and feet bound by chains. Nearby, Xia Mutong and another male police officer were taking notes, preparing for the interrogation.


    "Ling Chen?"


    Seeing Ling Chen break in, Xia Mutong was slightly startled, her face immediately fell, and she asked with a furrowed brow, "What are you doing?"


    "I should be asking you that. What are you doing? Don¡¯t tell me you haven¡¯t received the orders from above, you have no right to interrogate this person. Officer Xia, what you are doing now is an abuse of power, and you should know the consequences if this gets escted."


    Xia Mutong tossed her head, her expression coldly said, "I don¡¯t know any orders, I only know this guy has injured several of my colleagues. No matter what, he must confess here."


    "No, I must take him away." Ling Chen said gravely, "Officer Xia, considering our friendship, I¡¯m giving you a heads-up, you better stay away from some matters, it¡¯s for your own good."


    Saying this, Ling Chen walked straight to the desk, extending his hand towards Xia Mutong and said, "Give me the handcuff keys."


    "No," Xia Mutong defiantly said, "Not unless you let me participate in his interrogation."


    "No."


    "You..."


    Xia Mutong was furious, her face turning red. When she had received the orders from above earlier, she became interested in Jiang Xinwu¡¯s identity. Since he was of such importance to the higher-ups, surely uncovering something significant was possible, and she also wanted to seek justice for her injured colleagues.


    But she hadn¡¯t expected Ling Chen to show up at this moment and be so upromising.


    Seeing that Xia Mutong was reluctant to release him, Ling Chen simply shifted his gaze to the other male police officer.


    He took out a credential from his wallet, ced it on the table, and said seriously, "I now order you, in my capacity as a special military envoy, to release him immediately."


    The male police officer took a look at the credential, his expression suddenly changed, and he quickly stood up saying, "Yes, sir."


    A special military envoy?


    Xia Mutong looked at Ling Chen in astonishment; she¡¯d always thought Ling Chen was just an ordinary civilian, a retired soldier. She never knew he had such a status.


    How much had this guy hidden from her?


    In thought, the male officer had already unlocked Jiang Xinwu¡¯s handcuffs, and obediently handed the suspect over to Ling Chen.


    "Officer Xia, I know you want to serve the people, but rules are rules, you must obey. I won¡¯t pursue this matter any further, but I hope it doesn¡¯t happen again."


    After speaking, Ling Chen escorted Jiang Xinwu out of the interrogation room.

 Chapter 522 - 518: Jiang Xinwu’s Intelligence

    <h4>Chapter 522: Chapter 518: Jiang Xinwu¡¯s Intelligence</h4><h4></h4>


    From the police station, Ling Chen and Hu Fei took Jiang Xinwu to Nanrong Hao¡¯s car.


    "Where to?" Hu Fei asked: "Shall we go to my ce? I have plenty of torture tools there, anything you need."


    "Forget it, what era are we in, still needing torture tools." Saying this, Ling Chen patted Nanrong Hao on the shoulder and said, "To Qingyun Martial Arts Hall."


    Nanrong Hao nodded without a word, immediately started the car, and drove towards Qingyun Martial Arts Hall.


    On the way, Jiang Xinwu was sandwiched between Ling Chen and Hu Fei, silent and expressionless, staring straight ahead as if he didn¡¯t feel the impending crisis, not worried about his safety at all.


    Upon arriving at Qingyun Martial Arts Hall, Ling Chen asked Nanrong Hao to go back first, to inform Nanrong Wanqing that he would be homete.


    After sending Nanrong Hao away, the three of them entered the Martial Arts Hall.


    Beforeing, Ling Chen had specifically informed He Ziyun. Somehow, He Ziyun managed to keep Little Hua quietly in the room, noting out to disturb them handling important matters.


    The group went to the warehouse at Qingyun Martial Arts Hall, Ling Chen nced around and picked out a dusty, worn chair from a pile of misceneous items for Jiang Xinwu to sit on.


    "What do you want to know?"


    Before Ling Chen could start the interrogation, Jiang Xinwu suddenly raised his head and took the initiative to speak.


    Ling Chen gestured towards He Ziyun beside him and said, "Let me introduce you first, this is Ye Liangyong¡¯s master. I know you and Mr. Ye are friends, for the sake of past rtionships, I hope you can confess honestly. As I know, you disappeared ten years ago, I want to know whether it was the God Organization people who kidnapped you, or you cooperated with them willingly."


    "Kidnapped."


    Ling Chen asked doubtfully, "Since you were kidnapped, why are you willingly working for the God Organization after ten years?"


    Before Jiang Xinwu could reply, He Ziyun jumped in, "His willingness to work for the God Organization is driven by benefits. As a martial artist, everyone seeks stronger power, and the God Organization just happens to meet his needs."


    "Pretty much." Jiang Xinwu didn¡¯t deny it.


    "I have a question, hope you can answer truthfully, what do you know about the Lucifer experiment?"


    "The Lucifer experiment is the top secret of the God Organization, it took over twenty years to sessfully develop. Anyone who undergoes the Lucifer experiment can increase their strength multiple times. However, the experiment has high risks and uncertainties, out of five people, at most only one seeds, the mortality rate is extremely high. To my knowledge, within less than a year, the number of deaths has reached over a hundred."


    "So it appears that you too have undergone the Lucifer experiment."


    "That¡¯s correct." Jiang Xinwu nodded straightforwardly, "Not just me, but also Huang He and He Chen whom you encountered before, are those who undertook and survived the Lucifer experiment."


    Ling Chen asked, "Is there any more detailed information?"


    "I¡¯m just an experiment subject, not a researcher, that¡¯s all I know."


    After hearing Jiang Xinwu¡¯s words, He Ziyun spoke, "Your willingness to cooperate with us is a good start, I believe you must know more about the God Organization than this. Later, I will take you to a ce where I hope you can cooperate well with our work."


    "Cooperate?"


    Jiang Xinwu sneered and said, "Who wants to cooperate with you?"


    "So you..."


    "Do you think I told you so much because I wanted to cooperate? Sorry, you might have misunderstood; I had no such intention. The reason I told you is because I am not afraid of letting you know. If the God Organization was worried about leaks, they would have taken measures long ago. Since you want to know about the Lucifer experiment insider information, I might as well tell you some secrets. People like us are merely the God Organization¡¯s pawns, easily receable by dozens, and not a pity if dead. The real masters are hidden in the dark, not making a move unless it is crucial. As far as I know, the people who undergo the Lucifer experiment are divided into three levels, people like us are at the lowest level. Being martial artists, you probably understand what I mean."


    Three levels!


    Jiang Xinwu¡¯s strength was enough to be listed on the Dragon List, yet he was ranked at the very bottom, could it be said that... the top two levels correspond to the Earthly List and Heavenly List? Thinking this, Ling Chen¡¯s face changed.


    Not just him, even He Ziyun was shocked.


    "How many people are there at the highest level?" He Ziyun asked.


    "How would I know that? I haven¡¯t got the clearance to touch that kind of secret. However, I heard that there are more than five people at the highest level."


    More than five people... Ling Chen and He Ziyun¡¯s faces suddenly looked quite grim.


    They were well aware of what this implied; if what Jiang Xinwu said was true, they would face big trouble.


    Ling Chen thought for a moment and then asked, "I heard that the God Organization wants to take action against the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, how much do you know about this?"


    Upon hearing this, Jiang Xinwu suddenly burst into a sinister smile.


    Seeing his inexplicable smile, Ling Chen slightly frowned and asked unhappily, "What are youughing at?"


    "Nothing, I just think you asked this question toote. If I¡¯m not wrong, the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion is currently facing a huge crisis."


    That¡¯s bad!


    A thought shed through Ling Chen¡¯s mind, could it be... could it be that the God Organization has already made a move against the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion?


    His thoughts racing, Ling Chen quickly pulled out his phone and dialed Zhou Jun¡¯s number.


    However, the call ended with a notification that the phone was switched off.


    When he contacted Zhou Junst night, the call went through, and moreover, Zhou Jun didn¡¯t sound like something was happening; could it be that the God Organization nned to strike against the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion today?


    "Ling Chen, if the God Organization targets the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, they will definitely use all their strength, and the probability for Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion is more likely to be dire," He Ziyun couldn¡¯t hide the worry in his eyes.


    "Mr. He, what do you think?"


    "If what he just said is all true, then the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion is a powerful ally against the God Organization, and they must not be allowed to fall into trouble. We must do our best and think of a way to stop the God Organization."


    "Mr. He, didn¡¯t you say you had previously visited the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, then you should know the exact location of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion."


    "I do."


    "We should hurry there, and see if we can prevent the God Organization¡¯s actions."


    "Alright." He Ziyun nodded, "I will immediately contact people in Beijing to dispatch support." After saying this, He Ziyun quickly left the warehouse.


    "Fatty, this person is left to you, keep a good eye on him, don¡¯t let him escape," Ling Chen instructed.


    "Don¡¯t worry, he won¡¯t get away. Hey! You all be careful, especially you, your wounds haven¡¯t healed yet, don¡¯t push yourself."


    "I¡¯ve got it."

 Chapter 523 - 519 Heading to the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion

    <h4>Chapter 523: Chapter 519 Heading to the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion</h4><h4></h4>


    An hourter, Ling Chen and He Ziyun had already boarded a temporarily arranged private jet, rushing towards the headquarters of Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion.


    They left at 8:30 AM and only arrived at the airport at 10:00 AM.


    After getting off the ne, Ling Chen and hispanion left the exit without stopping. Outside the airport, two SUVs were already parked at the entrance, waiting for their arrival.


    Just as Ling Chen was about to get into the car, his phone suddenly rang in his pocket.


    He took out the phone, nced at the number on the caller ID, and quickly answered the call.


    After the call, Ling Chen said to He Ziyun beside him, "Mr. He, let¡¯s wait, someone else ising."


    In less than five minutes, seven people came out of the airport exit one after another, including men, women, and children.


    Seeing them, Ling Chen quickly walked up to greet, waving his hand, "Big Brother."


    "Ling Cheng."


    The seven people who came out of the airport were none other than the eight entrics led by Qiu Yong.


    Ling Chen was aware of the urgency of the situation, knowing that he and He Ziyun alone were not enough to handle this crisis. Therefore, he had made ast-minute call to Qiu Yong to exin the situation and hoped for their assistance.


    Without hesitation, upon his brother¡¯s request, Qiu Yong agreed immediately.


    "Big Brother, time is pressing, let¡¯s talk in the car."


    "Okay."


    Once everyone was in the car, Ling Chen and He Ziyun made brief introductions. In fact, introductions were unnecessary as He Ziyun was already familiar with the reputation of the eight entrics. Moreover, they had encountered them in a fight before and knew each other.


    "Ling Cheng, is there no news from Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion?" Yuan Yun spoke up.


    He Ziyun continued, "Since God Organization hasunched an attack on Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, they would have certainly prepared in advance. All messages and signals will be blocked, not allowing Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion any chance to contact the outside."


    Qiu Yong frowned and said, "That sounds like the situation could be very bad."


    "No matter what, we should prepare for the worst," Ling Chen replied helplessly. At this point, there wasn¡¯t much they could do except worry. If it weren¡¯t for Jiang Xinwu passing on the information, they wouldn¡¯t have been aware of the situation at all.


    Ling Chen med himself internally. From the information left by Blood Wolf, this matter was mentioned, but he hadn¡¯t expected the God Organization to act so swiftly, leaving no time to inform Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion.


    In the heavy atmosphere, the two SUVs left the city area and headed towards the suburbs.


    ording to He Ziyun, on the outskirts of the city, there was a dense forest. Someone had bought the forest privately, and without permission, no one was allowed to enter the mountains.


    It was obvious that the mysterious buyer had to be Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion. Only a rich and influential organization like Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion could afford to buy an entire forest.


    When the two SUVs reached the edge of the forest, they couldn¡¯t continue any further. The road ahead was winding and rugged, full of stones and bushes, making it impossible for vehicles to pass, so everyone had to get out and walk.


    Entering the forest, the group followed He Ziyun for several hundred meters. Suddenly, He Ziyun, who was leading the way, stopped in his tracks, looking around with a hesitant gaze.


    Seeing this, Ling Chen couldn¡¯t help but ask, "Mr. He, what¡¯s wrong?"


    He Ziyun gave a bitter smile, "I forgot the way. Thest time I came to Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion was many years ago. Times have changed, and the surroundings have changed significantly, I can¡¯t recognize it."


    Hearing this, Ling Chen felt even more depressed. If they couldn¡¯t find the way, how could they assist Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion. After thinking for a moment, Ling Chen turned to Qiu Yong and the others and asked, "Big Brother, does anyone know the location of Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion?"


    "This..."


    Qiu Yong and the others looked at each other and shook their heads: "We¡¯ve never been to this ce."


    "Let¡¯s go deeper." He Ziyun paused briefly and said, "If I remember correctly, the base of Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion seems to be deep in the forest."


    "Let¡¯s go." Ling Chen took the lead, running swiftly through the dense foliage, racing against time.


    It was uncertain how far they had gone when Yang Chen, who was following behind, spoke up: "There¡¯s a noise."


    "Where?" Ling Chen knew Yang Chen¡¯s keen hearing would not be mistaken.


    Yang Chen stretched out his hand towards the east and whispered, "Footsteps, about six or seven people." He paused, then added, "Their steps are light; they must all be experts."


    "Let¡¯s go check it out, Ling Cheng, you and the seventh brother stay here." With that, Qiu Yong took big steps and quickly ran towards the east. He Ziyun and Yuan Yun followed closely behind.


    Watching the group disappear from sight, Ling Chen clenched his fists and waited for news.


    If it weren¡¯t for his injuries, he would have already followed them.


    Not long after, a sharp whistle came from not far away.


    Yang Chen looked up and said, "It¡¯s third brother¡¯s whistle."


    "Let¡¯s go, let¡¯s have a look."


    When Ling Chen and Qiu Yong and the others regrouped, they saw six bodies lying in the bushes, all killed with a single strike. Besides that, they left one survivor, a man in his thirties, dressed in a tight suit with more than ten hidden weapons attached to his waist. Between his two fingers, he was holding a flying knife. Unfortunately, before he could throw the knife, he was knocked unconscious.


    He Ziyun looked at the bodies on the ground and said in a solemn voice, "It seems that Jiang Xinwu¡¯s information was correct. God Organization has indeed made a move and used considerable force. Judging from the earlier skirmish, these men are all no weaker than those on the Dragon List."


    Qiu Yong concurred, "Luckily He was here, otherwise, just us alone would take much longer to deal with them."


    The implication was clear: it was praise for He Ziyun¡¯s strength.


    Ling Chen nced at the unconscious man, then walked over and kicked him twice.


    Soon, the unconscious man woke up.


    Before he could make any other move, Yuan Yun swiftly swung his arm, and a cold sh of the de instantly crippled the man¡¯s limbs without any mercy.


    Looking at the man, who was now showing a face full of pain, Ling Chen squatted down and asked, "Tell me, how many people did God Organization send to siege Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion this time?"


    The man clenched his teeth enduring the pain, his voice trembling as he said, "I... I don¡¯t know..."


    "It seems you don¡¯t want your life anymore." Ling Chen¡¯s tone grew colder.


    "You... killing me is useless, no one can save Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion now. Going there would only mean collecting their corpses for them."


    Hearing this, Ling Chen¡¯s expression subtly changed.


    Has Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion already been breached?


    Thinking this, Ling Chen¡¯s heart sank, he suddenly grabbed the man by the cor and said coldly, "I¡¯ll ask again, how many men did God Organization dispatch. If you don¡¯t tell me, do you believe I can make you endure the agony of being cut by a thousand knives?"


    Feeling the chilling aura emanating from Ling Chen¡¯s eyes, the man shivered uncontrobly.


    "There are more than a hundred people."


    More than a hundred people... Ling Chen was secretly shocked; he hadn¡¯t expected God Organization would send so many people, showing they were determined to seed this time.

 Chapter 524 - 520 Crisis at Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion (1)

    <h4>Chapter 524: Chapter 520 Crisis at Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion (1)</h4><h4></h4>


    "They are all skilled, why didn¡¯t you participate in the operation?" He Ziyun asked.


    The man honestly replied, "We are in charge of patrolling the surrounding area to prevent any unexpected situations."


    "Who ismanding the operation for the God Organization this time?" Ling Chen asked. For such a crucial matter concerning the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, the God Organization would definitely send senior executives to oversee the operation on site.


    "I... I¡¯m not sure, we have always been receiving orders via radio, never seen him in person. However, based on the ent, it should be a southern person."


    A southern person... Ling Chen¡¯s mind stirred, suggesting that the leader in charge of the operation was from Huaxia. If that was the case, it could mean serious trouble for them. Judging from the people killed, nearly all members of this operation were from Huaxia, which would make identifying the mysterious leader not an easy task.


    While mulling over this, a heavily ented male voice suddenly came from the man¡¯s radio: "Team three, how is everything on your end?"


    "That¡¯s him, we all follow hismands," the man said.


    Ling Chen pointed to the radio andmanded, "Tell him everything is normal here."


    The man dared not disobey, quickly picked up the radio, and responded to the other side.


    "Continue patrolling, and alert me immediately if anything happens." After that, the voice from the radio disappeared.


    Taking the radio, Ling Chen grabbed the man¡¯s cor, hoisted him off the ground, and said, "Take us to the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion."


    Seeing hisrades¡¯ corpses, the man remained silent, obediently leading Ling Chen and his group deep into the forest. Before long, Yang Chen could hear a lot of noisy soundsing from not far ahead.


    Ling Chen made a gesture for silence, signaling everyone to be quiet. Then, he crept forward alone, pushing aside some branches and leaves. Suddenly, he saw an ancient building standing majestically at the edge of a cliff.


    The interconnected buildings stretched as far as the eye could see, with dozens of buildings,rge enough to house a thousand people. Among these buildings, a tower several dozen meters tall stood out in the center, most conspicuous, with an ancient que hanging at the top, inscribed with the words "Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion" in bold, strong calligraphy that carried the remnants of history.


    This ce was the historical headquarters of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion.


    However, at this moment, the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion was surrounded by nearly a hundred people, with barbed wire set up around the perimeter, enclosing all the buildings.


    The range covered by the barbed wire revealed all buildings with their doors and windows shut tightly, no people in sight.


    That¡¯s good!


    Ling Chen breathed a sigh of relief. They hadn¡¯t arrived toote; the Pavilion might have been surrounded by followers of the God Organization, but it hadn¡¯t been breached yet.


    It made sense; the centuries-old Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion wasn¡¯t easily conquered.


    Observing the scene, Ling Chen noticed more than a dozen members of the God Organization moving bodies. They dragged the corpses to the cliff¡¯s edge and then threw them over.


    It seemed both sides had undergone several battles, but the God Organization had not breached the Pavilion¡¯s defenses, even losing quite a few operatives.


    After gathering the information, Ling Chen rxed slightly. It seemed the situation wasn¡¯t as dire as they had imagined. Moreover, the God Organization hadn¡¯t brought any heavy weapons, using only cold weapons instead.


    After all, this was Huaxia, and even the audacious God Organization wouldn¡¯t dare to brazenly use military equipment. Gunfire could attract the government¡¯s attention, jeopardizing their n to besiege the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion.


    "Ling Cheng, what should we do now?"


    Hearing Qiu Yong¡¯s voice, Ling Chenposed his thoughts and said, "From the current situation, it seems the God Organization will unlikely take down the Pavilion anytime soon. Moreover, they¡¯ve just lost quite a few men; they probably won¡¯t continue the assault immediately. If I weremanding this operation, I would surely try to secure a significant advantage."


    Xia Yue seemed to understand the deeper meaning of Ling Chen¡¯s words and added, "You mean... the God Organization will send reinforcements?"


    Ling Chen nodded and said, "They brought so many people but still couldn¡¯t take down the Pavilion; they will definitely send more forces. Also, I¡¯m concerned about whether the God Organization will deploy their mysterious top fighters."


    He Ziyun¡¯s pupils narrowed as he said in a deep voice, "Experts from the Heavenly List?"


    "ording to Jiang Xinwu¡¯s statement, after Lucifer¡¯s experiment seeded, the God Organization divided their members into three levels. Jiang Xinwu¡¯s strength is sufficient for the Dragon List, yet he is at the bottom, indicating that the God Organization likely has experts from the Heavenly List. Furthermore, Jiang Xinwu mentioned that there are more than five people qualified for the highest level, so we must bear this in mind."


    With that, Ling Chen paused, looked around at hispanions, and continued, "Although these are only our spections, what we need to consider is that the God Organization dares to wage open war against the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion because they must have some reliance."


    After hearing Ling Chen¡¯s analysis, everyone¡¯s expressions grew serious.


    Experts from the Heavenly List!


    This illustrious title had always been mentioned in conversations, but very few had actually seen an expert from the Heavenly List.


    If it were as Ling Chen suspected, the appearance of an expert from the Heavenly List would be a disaster for both them and the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion.


    He Ziyun pondered for a moment and said, "We must find a way to establish contact with the people of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion."


    Yuan Yun shook his head and said, "The perimeter of the Pavilion is guarded by people from the God Organization; we can¡¯t get past the barbed wire. Unless we wait until night to see if there¡¯s a chance to sneak in."


    "Mr. He, when will the reinforcements you contacted arrive?" Ling Chen asked.


    "They should be here soon, I told Qiao Zhen the address, and he will send people directly."


    "In that case, why don¡¯t we wait until everyone is here before taking action?"


    "That makes sense."


    However, less than half an hour had passed before Qiao Zhen¡¯s reinforcements could arrive, when Ling Chen noticed the God Organization beginning to prepare for a new offensive.


    Under the cover of dense jungle, Ling Chen observed the enemies nearby, his sharp gaze scanning over each individual, searching for the target person.


    The high-ranking official from the God Organization responsible for the operation was certainly hidden among the crowd, but the man was deeply concealed, and no suspicious targets had been identified yet.


    "Ling Cheng, look over there."


    At that moment, Yuan Yun¡¯s exmatory voice rang out.


    Ling Chen looked where he indicated and saw more than a dozen fully armed men carrying bulging backpacks, preparing to descend the cliff using ropes.


    Qiu Yong frowned slightly, puzzled, and said, "What are they up to?"


    Ling Chen thought for a moment, and his expression suddenly changed. Oh no, could it be... that¡¯s bad!

 Chapter 525 - 521 Crisis at Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion (2)

    <h4>Chapter 525: Chapter 521 Crisis at Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion (2)</h4><h4></h4>


    "No, we must stop them."


    Upon hearing the urgency in Ling Chen¡¯s voice, He Ziyun asked, "What happened?"


    "They want to use explosives to destroy the rocks beneath the cliff," Ling Chen said anxiously. The high-rise buildings of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion are established on top of the cliff, and blowing up the foundation stones below would cause the entire cluster of buildings to copse. By then, the God Organization could easily destroy the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion without lifting a finger.


    Qiu Yong said in a deep voice, "They are forcing the people of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion into a do-or-die battle."


    During the conversation, the door of a nearby high-rise suddenly opened. Following that, led by Zhou Qi, more than ten men appeared in everyone¡¯s view.


    Standing under the que of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, Zhou Qi coldly surveyed the surrounding enemies, his steel de emitting a fierce chill.


    "Those who offend the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion shall be killed without mercy!"


    With a light exhale, Zhou Qi lightly tapped with his foot and, covered by more than ten men, he quickly ran toward the cliff, apparently trying to stop those who were cing the bombs.


    "Stop them at all costs, don¡¯t let them get near."


    At this moment, a voice from the crowdmanded the members of the God Organization to quickly act, and a squad of more than twenty people rapidly assembled and headed toward the path where Zhou Qi and his men were moving.


    However, before the two groups could sh, from the cluster of high-rise buildings belonging to the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, suddenly, seventy to eighty people burst out, including men, women, elderly, and children, who furiously charged toward the enemies outside the wire fence.


    In the dense forest, Ling Chen hid in an inconspicuous spot, covertly observing the battlefield. Suddenly, a familiar figure caught his attention.


    Song Ge!


    Song Ge, wielding a sharp sword, moved like a dragon through the enemy¡¯s ranks, weaving in and out, and with every attack, he imed one to two lives.


    Under the frenzied counterattack by the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, the members of the God Organization kept retreating, powerless to resist, their formation gradually bing disordered and momentarily losing control.


    Seeing this situation, Ling Chen couldn¡¯t help but curl his lips in disdain, thinking these people were so formidable earlier, yet now they seem mediocre, wondering how they had managed to push the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion to such an extent before.


    Just then, a buzzing noise suddenly came from overhead.


    Ling Chen looked up to see several helicopters swiftly passing overhead towards the direction of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion.


    Reinforcements had arrived!


    Ling Chen¡¯s eyes brightened, as the old general¡¯s reinforcements had arrived quite timely.


    "Not right!"


    Seeing those helicopters, He Ziyun¡¯s brows furrowed slightly.


    "That doesn¡¯t look like military aircraft."


    As soon as his words fell, the door of a helicopter hovering low opened. Following that, a middle-aged man appeared at the door, and without any hesitation, he jumped down.


    A nearly ten-meter drop was effortless for the middle-aged man, whonded steadily in the midst of the crowd. Looking at the chaotic scene before him, the middle-aged man¡¯s face was slightly cold as he stepped towards the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion.


    However, the appearance of the middle-aged man had already attracted the attention of the disciples of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion. Before he could approach the high-rise of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, several youths quickly jumped out from the crowd, blocking the middle-aged man¡¯s path.


    "Kill!"


    With a light shout, several youths wielding weapons charged forward and shed towards the middle-aged man.


    Facing the attack from the disciples of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, the middle-aged man¡¯s expression remained unchanged, and he didn¡¯t stop his footsteps, continuing to move in a straight line. As the two sides were about to collide, the middle-aged man¡¯s speed suddenly increased, moving like a blur, and he slipped through the gaps between the bodies of the several youths.


    Along with his movement, the bodies of those young men seemed to be fixed in ce, standing stiffly on the spot without moving, their faces pale and ashen.


    Suddenly, a stream of blood burst from the bodies of those young men, with their heads and bodies instantaneously separated.


    Seeing this shocking scene, Ling Chen¡¯s expression froze, and it took him a while to react.


    Is this... is this still a human?


    He didn¡¯t even see the middle-aged man¡¯s movements clearly, only a blur, and those young men were beheaded. Moreover, the middle-aged man¡¯s hands were empty the whole time, not using any weapons.


    This terrifying strength, Ling Chen had never seen before.


    "Mr. He... Could he be..."


    "No, he isn¡¯t. It¡¯s rumored that masters from the Heavenly List kill invisibly, but that man was traceable, so his martial arts realm has not yet reached the Heavenly List. However, judging from his techniques just now, even if his strength is not at the level of the Heavenly List, it should not be far off. If I were to guess, that man¡¯s strength might be among the top three on the Earthly List."


    Top three of the Earthly List, that¡¯s no small matter.


    Ling Chen thought to himself. As far as he knew, He Ziyun¡¯s strength was ranked seventh on the Earthly List. Although both ranks belong to the Earthly List, each level is a significant divide, and the gap is huge. If He Ziyun¡¯s guess is correct, with the middle-aged man¡¯s martial arts realm, even three He Ziyuns together may not be a match for him.


    During these thoughts, the middle-aged man had already crossed multiple obstacles and smoothly entered the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion.


    At the same time, more than ten men sessively jumped from the other two helicopters and joined the melee.


    With their addition, the originally one-sided battle gradually tilted, and the offensive of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion Disciples began to beprehensively suppressed, retreating step by step.


    Ling Chen secretly marveled, those who had just joined the battle were all Earthly List experts, no wonder the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion couldn¡¯t hold them off.


    "Mr. He, Song, we probably can¡¯t wait any longer, that man has already entered the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, I am afraid something might happen."


    Qiu Yong nodded and said, "Ling Cheng, you go directly to the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion with Mr. He and the second brother, I and the others will stay to help deal with the outsiders."


    "Okay, everyone, be careful."


    At this time, in front of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, Song Ge and dozens of disciples were forcefully resisting the enemy¡¯s attack. After continuousbat, the de of the sword Song Ge held had already been stained with fresh blood.


    "Song, we can¡¯t hold on much longer," a disciple of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion urgently said.


    "We must hold on, no one is allowed to retreat."


    With a light shout, Song Ge flicked his wrist, and the de of his sword instantly pierced through an enemy¡¯s body.


    Pulling out the steel sword, Song Ge looked at the enemies madly attacking in front of him, eyebrows slightly raised, ready to continue into the fight. But at that moment, a sharp sense of crisis suddenly surged in his heart, as if targeted by a venomous snake.


    This is bad!


    Song¡¯s face slightly changed, and he quickly shifted his gaze. Instantly, he saw a man lunging from the crowd, wielding two steel des, chopping directly towards his head.


    An Earthly List expert!


    Feeling the aura emitted by the opponent, Song¡¯s pupils constricted, and he involuntarily stepped back.


    "Die!"


    The opponent coldly smiled, the two des carrying immense power, the sword force fierce and unstoppable, instantly transformed into a sky full of de lights, enveloping over Song¡¯s head.


    Under immense pressure, Song clenched his teeth, his eyes devoid of any fear, and bravely met the attack head-on.

 Chapter 526 - 522: Crisis at the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion (3)

    <h4>Chapter 526: Chapter 522: Crisis at the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion (3)</h4><h4></h4>


    However, just as the sword and de were about to collide, a stream of blood suddenly burst forth from the forehead of the Earthly List expert. Witnessing the arrow piercing through the adversary¡¯s forehead, Song Ge was slightly taken aback, his heart overwhelmed with shock.


    He originally thought he would meet his demise, yet such an unexpected turn of events urred.


    Arrows...


    Under the heavens, there is perhaps only one person capable of killing an Earthly List expert with a single arrow.


    The God of Archery, Zhang Zhongfeng.


    Could it be them?


    Song Ge looked up to see, not far away on a hill, Zhang Zhongfeng holding a bow in his left hand and cing an arrow with his right, aiming directly at those Earthly List experts.


    Next to him, Yuan Yun was wielding his steel de, joining Qiu Yong and others in the fray, valiantly cutting down the enemy.


    Seeing this scene, Song Ge¡¯s face rxed. With the Eight entrics showing up, Ling Chen must have arrived as well. With this thought, Song Ge¡¯s gaze shifted, quickly locating Ling Chen.


    Perhaps sensing Song Ge¡¯s gaze, Ling Chen turned his head and greeted Song Ge¡¯s look with a smile.


    "Ling Chen, keep up."


    At the urging of his second brother, Xu Ming, Ling Chen hastened his footsteps and quickly arrived at the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion¡¯s entrance.


    Entering the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, Ling Chen nced around to see several corpses on the ground, their heads separated from their bodies and blood flowing everywhere - clearly the work of the middle-aged man just now.


    This was Ling Chen¡¯s first visit to the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion; the architecture here had been preserved in its state from hundreds of years ago, which was apparent even inside the building. It was imbued with ancient charm, filled with an aura of antiquity everywhere.


    It¡¯s just a pity that this ancient ce had been defiled by blood.


    Under the guidance of He Ziyun, the trio kept moving deeper inside. Before long, they faintly heard screams echoing ahead.


    Without a word, He Ziyun immediately sped up, rushing towards the source of the sounds.


    Along the way, they discovered several grisly corpses. Ling Chen frowned silently at the cruelty of the assant¡¯s methods. As he was contemting, Ling Chen suddenly felt a gust of wind approaching from behind. Without time to think, he twisted his waist and swiftly turned to face the attacker.


    When the assant entered his field of vision, Ling Chen was startled for a moment, then said with a look of surprise, "You?"


    The ambush had not been carried out by a stranger, but by Dongfang Yu, whom the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion had previously rescued. Strange, Dongfang Yu was a dignified Earthly List expert; instead of confronting external enemies, what was he doing here?


    "Ling Chen?"


    Recognizing the neer, Dongfang Yu immediately withdrew and asked coldly, "What are you doing here?"


    "Spare me the nonsense, with things as they are, do you really think we¡¯re here for sightseeing?"


    Dongfang Yu replied coldly, "How am I supposed to know whether you are in league with those outside?"


    "You..."


    "Ling Chen?"


    Before Ling Chen could finish speaking, Zhou Jun emerged from a side door. Astonished at first sight of Ling Chen, Zhou Jun¡¯s handsome face soon broke into a smile as he patted Ling Chen¡¯s shoulder, saying, "Goodd, what brings you here?"


    "Heard there was danger at the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, so we came to have a look and lend a hand." After finishing, Ling Chen shifted his tone and pointed behind him, "Someone just went that way. The person is quite formidable. We better find him and prevent any harming to the Pavilion Master."


    Zhou Jun looked in the direction Ling Chen was pointing to and asked with a meaningful expression, "Are you sure that person went that way?"


    Ling Chen nodded and replied, "I saw it with my own eyes."


    "Then... let him be, don¡¯t bother with him."


    Hearing this, Ling Chen asked in confusion, "Why?"


    "That path only leads to one ce, and heading there would be signing his own death warrant. We don¡¯t need to worry about him."


    "That person¡¯s strength..."


    Zhou Jun waved his hand, interrupting Ling Chen, and said, "No matter how formidable he is, it¡¯s a dead end for him there. Come on, I¡¯ll take you to see the Pavilion Master first." As he spoke, Zhou Jun turned to Dongfang Yu, "Old Master, go on with your business."


    With Zhou Jun leading, Ling Chen and the two others quickly arrived at the tall tower standing at the center of the buildingplex.


    Following the stone stairs, Ling Chen trailed behind Zhou Jun, asking, "When did you get back? I was going to call you, but I couldn¡¯t get through."


    "Last night we received news that the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion was under attack; all personnel were ordered to return immediately. By the time we arrived, we realized the signals nearby were jammed and couldn¡¯t contact the outside world."


    "How significant are the Pavilion¡¯s losses?"


    "It¡¯s manageable; not many lives were lost, which isn¡¯t crippling for the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion. The God Organization came prepared this time, but sadly, they still underestimated the Pavilion. Hmph! Those self-important fools think we¡¯re easy to bully? At most, we¡¯re just ying with them now; if we really wanted to fight back, we would¡¯ve struck back long ago and not given them the chance to jump around. It¡¯s a rare asion that people are delivered right to your doorstep to be killed."


    "So that¡¯s how it is!"


    Ling Chen immediately understood; no wonder Dongfang Yu wasn¡¯t sent out. Thinking about the battle outside, he asked, "Isn¡¯t the Pavilion Master worried about their safety?"


    "This world is about survival of the fittest; the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion doesn¡¯t keep useless people. If they die, it¡¯s their fault for not mastering their skills. However, if they truly have talent, even in peril, someone will secretly help them; they won¡¯t be in life-threatening danger."


    As he spoke, Zhou Jun looked at Ling Chen and said, "Don¡¯t me the Pavilion Master for being harsh. The Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion hassted all these years not just because of its heritage. For a power tost, it must discard the dross and preserve the essence."


    Ling Chen nodded; he understood the rationale but felt some resistance deep down. The reality was always cruel.


    As they talked, they reached the top floor of the high tower.


    Zhou Jun approached the door and knocked. Shortly after, the door opened, revealing an elegant woman who instantly appeared before Ling Chen¡¯s eyes.


    Is it her?


    Ling Chen recognized her at first nce, the woman he had seen several times on the luxury cruise; she must be the close guard of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion Master.


    "Qin, could you please inform the Pavilion Master that Ling Chen has arrived?"


    "Just a moment!"


    The elegant woman returned after a short while and said, "The Pavilion Master¡¯s order: only Ling Chen is to enter, others wait outside."


    "This..." Ling Chen nced at He Ziyun and Xu Ming, hesitant.


    Xu Ming spoke up, "Little brother, go ahead, we¡¯ll wait for you."


    "Alright."

 Chapter 527 - 523: Meeting the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion Master Again

    <h4>Chapter 527: Chapter 523: Meeting the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion Master Again</h4><h4></h4>


    Upon entering the room, Ling Chen¡¯s gaze was immediately captured by the white gauze hanging within.


    The spacious and bright room was adorned with white gauze, embroidered with various exquisite patterns, splendid and breathtaking, intertwined into a beautiful scroll. Throughyers of gauze, indistinctly, one could see a person seated in the center of the room, precisely the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion Master.


    Ling Chen couldn¡¯t help but smile wryly, this Pavilion Master was still as mysterious as before, unwilling to show their true face.


    "We meet again," Ling Chen took the initiative to greet.


    "Thank you for traveling from afar to aid Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion," came a clear, pleasant voice, making Ling Chen feel refreshed and extremelyfortable.


    "Don¡¯t mention it, we sharemon goals and should assist each other." Saying this, Ling Chen sat down in the chair and asked, "Last time on the boat, why didn¡¯t you tell me directly that you are the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion Master?"


    "What difference would knowing make? Sometimes, it¡¯s better to remain ignorant about certain things."


    "True, but I still want to sincerely thank you. The two pieces of information you provided were of great help to me." As he spoke, Ling Chen¡¯s tone shifted, meaningfully asking, "I¡¯ve closely studied the information about Ling Gengqiu, and it seems there is a part omitted intentionally. Are you afraid I¡¯ll discover something?"


    "Ling Gengqiu has some grievances with Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion. There¡¯s no need for an outsider like you to know these things."


    Hearing this, Ling Chen shrugged his shoulders, suppressing his curiosity and not pursuing the topic further.


    At this moment, an elegantly dressed woman entered from outside, saying respectfully, "Pavilion Master, the enemy¡¯s offensive has been repelled."


    "Let everyone rest. God Organization will not give up easily."


    "Yes, Pavilion Master."


    Once the person left the room, Ling Chen spoke, "Pavilion Master, I¡¯vee here not only to help solve the crisis at Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion but also to discuss potential future cooperation. I wonder if you¡¯re interested?"


    "Let¡¯s hear it."


    "Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion has always secluded itself in the mountains, never getting involved in external conflicts. However, based on the intelligence I¡¯ve gathered, God Organization now sees Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion as a thorn in its side, determined to eliminate it. Once you are destroyed, God Organization can clear the path and continue expanding its power. Therefore, Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion cannot remain uninvolved."


    "You want Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion to join in the fight against God Organization?"


    "Exactly. You must be well aware of the situation outside. Over the years, God Organization has recruited numerous masters and, with their unique methods, they can quickly assemble an army with formidable martial power. In the whole of Huaxia, apart from Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, there¡¯s no other force that can match them."


    The Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion Master thought for a moment, then said, "Things are not as simple as you think. Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion has always maintained neutrality, never participating in any power struggles. It is because of this that Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion has preserved its legacy for so many years. Many choose Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion because it provides them a peaceful environment. Once we dere war, not only will it break the long-standing rules of Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, but I believe many people will also choose to leave."


    Ling Chen frowned and said, "Are you just going to watch as Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion is oppressed by others?"


    "For Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, the most beneficial approach is to negotiate, to try and end the conflict."


    Ling Chen, displeased, said, "I always thought Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion was a spirited organization, but it seems I¡¯ve overestimated you."


    "Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion follows the middle path. Especially in these times, surviving is the most crucial thing. Ling Chen, no matter how dissatisfied you are with Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, there¡¯s nothing that can be done about it. If you were in my position, I believe you would also make a cautious decision. After all, I have to consider not just myself, but also the future of tens of thousands."


    After hearing this, Ling Chen sneered and stood up, saying, "If that¡¯s what you think, then there¡¯s nothing left for us to discuss. However, I want to remind you, having fought against God Organization for so many years, I know very well what they are like. If Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion chooses to negotiate with an unscrupulous force like God Organization, I just want to say, from now on, Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion should stay out of the Martial Arts world and should also refrain from talking about ¡¯justice.¡¯ It¡¯s not that you aren¡¯t qualified, but that you don¡¯t deserve to."


    After saying these words, Ling Chen turned around and left the room, unwilling to stay even a moment longer.


    The attitude disyed by the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion Master not only disappointed him, but was utterly disheartening.


    Upon exiting the room, He Ziyun and Xu Ming, who had been waiting outside, came up and asked, "How did your talk go?"


    "Don¡¯t even mention it." Ling Chen spoke with obvious dissatisfaction. "We shouldn¡¯t havee here."


    "Why?"


    Ling Chen ryed the intentions expressed by the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion Master, and after hearing it, He Ziyun¡¯s aged face immediately fell.


    "The grand Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion is truly unworthy of its position and reputation in the Martial Arts world."


    "Forget it," Xu Ming interjected, "What they want to do is their business, we can¡¯t force them. Since we can¡¯t count on Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, we can only rely on ourselves."


    Zhou Jun quickly added, "Gentlemen, don¡¯t get angry just yet. I believe the Pavilion Master will make the right choice. Besides, she only mentioned negotiation; we don¡¯t know yet if God Organization is willing to negotiate. It might be that talks fail and we end up crossing swords after all."


    Ling Chen indifferently said, "Who knows what the future holds. Let¡¯s head back."


    "Wait!" Zhou Jun stopped Ling Chen¡¯s steps, saying, "It¡¯s a rare visit for you all toe to Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, and you¡¯ve given us great help, so please rest awhile."


    "No..."


    As Ling Chen was about to refuse, he saw Zhou Qiing over with a few people.


    "Ling Chen, don¡¯t decline the offer. Stay with us for a couple of days. You¡¯ve provided great help this time, and Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion will show proper hospitality."


    "Elder Zhou, I..."


    Zhou Qi interrupted Ling Chen, saying, "Come on! No more words. You, Zhou Jun, and Song Ge are friends. For the sake of friendship, can¡¯t you stay a bit longer?"


    Ling Chen was about to politely decline but heard He Ziyun whisper in his ear, "Stay for now. Later on, you can find another opportunity to talk with the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion Master and see if you can change her mind."


    Hearing this, Ling Chen hesitated for a moment, then nodded and said, "Alright then. Since Elder Zhou insists, I shall graciously ept."


    "That¡¯s more like it." Zhou Qi smiled, patted Ling Chen on the shoulder, and turned to Zhou Jun, "Arrange a room for Ling Chen and hispanions, and make sure they are well taken care of. Don¡¯t neglect our honored guests."


    "Understood," Zhou Jun replied cheerily.

 Chapter 528 - 524: Zhu Hong in the Cell

    <h4>Chapter 528: Chapter 524: Zhu Hong in the Cell</h4><h4></h4>


    Arriving at the room arranged by Zhou Jun, Ling Chen pulled open the window and looked outside, directly at the front gate of Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion. At that moment, dozens of corpses were lying outside the pavilion; members of the God Organization were in the midst of cleanup.


    The forceful attackunched by the God Organization moments ago had not achieved its intended effect, but instead had resulted in substantial losses.


    Ling Chen was somewhat puzzled by this. The God Organization came prepared and should have been fully ready. And yet, a whole day had passed with no progress. Was it that Lucifer from the God Organization wasn¡¯t as fearsome as imagined, or did they underestimate the strength of Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion?


    However, given the God Organization¡¯s intelligence capabilities, they should have had a good estimate of Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion¡¯s strength and not be entirely in the dark. The current situation was truly perplexing.


    Just as Ling Chen was lost in thought, the room¡¯s door was pushed open. Soon after, Song Ge, having changed his attire, walked in.


    "Big Brother Song." Ling Chen broke into a smile and stepped forward to greet him.


    "Ling, we meet again."


    "You two chat; I¡¯ll have someone prepare some drinks and dishes," Zhou Jun said.


    After Zhou Jun left, Ling Chen and Song Ge sat down and talked about recent happenings.


    "Big Brother Song, you¡¯ve been at Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion for quite some time now, how do you feel?"


    "It¡¯s barely passable," Song Ge replied. "Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion has many rules. Usually, I have to stay here for specialized training and almost never have time to go out."


    Ling Chen grinned and said, "Then you must be progressing quickly."


    "It¡¯s not bad. Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion indeed has a system for nurturing and advancing martial arts, but it¡¯s just too restrictive on freedom. With your personality, if you were to stay here for a month, I bet you wouldn¡¯t be able to stand it."


    "That¡¯s why I wisely chose not to join." Saying this, Ling Chen seemed to recall something and asked curiously, "Someone broke into Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion just now, and Zhou Jun told us not to interfere; why? Aren¡¯t they afraid something will happen?"


    "Are you referring to that Earthly List expert?" Song Ge smiled slightly: "I¡¯ve heard about it. Just when I wasing to find you, I happened to see his body being carried out."


    A body?


    Ling Chen was startled.


    "The ce he went to is off-limits within Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, an area we are generally prohibited from entering."


    Ling Chen pressed on, "What ce is that?"


    "Those who live there are elders of Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion; I¡¯ve heard it said that their average age is over a hundred years. They joined Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion when they were young and contributed much to it. When they got older, they remained in the pavilion to live out their days. Besides the Pavilion Master, they wouldn¡¯t meet anyone else. Not only are these elders Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion¡¯s most precious asset, but they are also itsst line of defense. Of course, unless Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion faces a critical life-or-death situation, these elders would not easily intervene. It is said among these elders exist experts from the Heavenly List, so for an Earthly List expert to venture there is simply seeking death."


    Experts from the Heavenly List!


    Whenever he heard the term ¡¯Heavenly List,¡¯ Ling Chen was immensely curious. It wasn¡¯t that he aspired to be a Heavenly List expert himself; rather, whenever someone mentioned Heavenly List experts, there was always a boundless yearning in their tone. Thus, he was very eager to witness firsthand how formidable a Heavenly List expert truly was.


    While they were talking, Zhou Jun came into the room carrying several bottles of wine and a few appetizers.


    After downing three sses of wine, Ling Chen looked at Zhou Jun and asked, "Is Zhu Hong imprisoned here?"


    "Do you want to see him?"


    "Is that possible?"


    Zhou Jun hesitated for a moment and then said, "ording to the rules of Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, outsiders are not allowed to meet prisoners privately. However, since you¡¯ve helped the pavilion this time, I¡¯ll speak to the elder about it, and perhaps an exception can be made for you to meet him."


    "Alright, I would appreciate that."


    ...


    An hourter.


    Led by Zhou Jun, Ling Chen arrived at a dark and damp cave. This cave, built at the base of Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, had a history of several hundred years and was used to imprison criminals or Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion Disciples who had vited the rules.


    The prison cells here were simplyrge holes dug out of stone with iron bars installed on the outside, rudimentary but very sturdy.


    Walking through the prison, a pungent foul odor immediately assaulted their noses. Ling Chen covered his nose and followed Zhou Jun all the way to the end of the jail.


    "Here we are."


    Zhou Jun pointed to thest cell and said, "He is locked in there. Do you want me to stay with you?"


    "No need, I want to talk to him alone."


    "Alright, I¡¯ll wait outside for you; just call me if needed." With that, Zhou Jun turned and left.


    When Zhou Jun was gone, Ling Chen approached the iron bars and peered into the gloomy cell, where he saw a person lying on a simple wooden bed against the wall, covered with a dirty cotton nket, huddled into a ball, shivering in the covers.


    Such cold weather, coupled with the dampness underground, made the temperature in the prison extremely low.


    Seeing Zhu Hong¡¯s pitiful living conditions akin to that of a beggar, Ling Chen involuntarily sighed. His sigh was not out of sympathy for Zhu Hong but for Zhu Xiaozhu. Zhu Hong¡¯s descent to his current plight was entirely of his own doing and he had no one else to me. If he had corrected his ways in time, he might have been redeemable. Unfortunately, having killed so many people, now no one could save him.


    "What are you doing here?"


    At that moment, a cold, hoarse voice came from within the covers.


    Ling Chen said indifferently, "Nothing much; just wanted to see how you were."


    "See how I am?" Zhu Hong sneered, his tone cold and unable to suppress the bitterness in his heart, he gritted his teeth and said, "You came to see me, surely to mock me, tough at my misfortune. Ling Chen, spare me your pretense of benevolence. If you think I¡¯ll beg you, you can forget it. Even if I die here, I won¡¯t beg you."


    "You¡¯re overthinking it. I never intended to let you out. If you do wrong, you must pay the price. I came just to tell you, no one will rescue you from here. Mr. Yun is in no position to help himself now, let alone you."


    "I don¡¯t need his help," Zhu Hong said coldly. "One day, I will escape from here, and when that timees... Hmph! Ling Chen, remember this, as long as I¡¯m alive, you will never have peace."


    Ling Chen shook his head and said, "Even now, you still don¡¯t repent. It seems you are beyond salvation. Well, take care; this will probably be thest time we meet."


    With that, Ling Chen said no more and turned to walk out of the prison.


    Listening to Ling Chen¡¯s footsteps fading away, Zhu Hong, curled up in the nket, suddenly threw it off, rushed to the bars, and revealed a terrifying face marred by burns. Then, with a grim expression and an exhaustive roar, he shouted, "Ling Chen, one day you will die by my hands. I will kill you and take back everything that¡¯s mine."

 Chapter 529 - 525 Little Hua is Missing

    <h4>Chapter 529: Chapter 525 Little Hua is Missing</h4><h4></h4>


    From prison back to his room, Ling Chen had barely sat down when he heard news from Zhou Jun that the God Organization¡¯s people had retreated.


    Pushing open the window, Ling Chen looked around only to see no trace of the members of the God Organization; their whereabouts unknown.


    "Ling Chen."


    He heard a voice, turned his head, and saw He Ziyun entering the room, asking, "Mr. He, what¡¯s up?"


    "The reinforcements sent by Qiao Zhen have already arrived and are resting in the woods. Do you want to go see them with me?"


    It turns out the reinforcement troops had arrived, no wonder the God Organization¡¯s people had retreated.


    This time, Qiao Zhen deeply understood the severity of the situation and thus dispatched quite a number of people, nearly a hundred all armed special forces, with Tang Yuan as the operation¡¯s overallmander.


    Unfortunately, before they arrived, the God Organization had already received advanced notice and retreated from the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion. Otherwise, this operation could havepletely wiped out the dispatched members of the God Organization.


    After meeting with Tang Yuan and because the crisis at the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion was resolved, Tang Yuan did not stay long and led his troops back to Beijing.


    ...


    In a blink of an eye, Ling Chen had stayed at the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion for two days. During this time, he wanted to find an opportunity to talk again with the Pavilion Master of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, hoping to persuade them to join in the fight against the God Organization. However, his every attempt to meet was refused.


    "Ling Chen, do you really have to leave? Since there¡¯s nothing pressing back home, why not stay a few more days?" Zhou Jun tried hard to keep him.


    "No. The crisis at the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion has just been resolved; I¡¯m sure you all have a lot to deal with. I won¡¯t disturb you any further. There will be other opportunities in the future when we can get together properly."


    Ling Chen was not unwilling to stay a few more days, but the attitude of the Pavilion Master of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion really annoyed him. The Pavilion Master, who managed the entire martial artsmunity and had countless experts at their disposal, was now being bullied yet thought of negotiating instead of retaliating, which wasughable.


    He also didn¡¯t understand how the former Pavilion Master thought when they chose a woman as the Pavilion Master, who is indecisive andcks daring and vigor. If it weren¡¯t for Zhou Jun and Song Ge, Ling Chen really wanted to scold her.


    After bidding farewell to Zhou Jun and others, Ling Chen and his group directly drove to the airport.


    "Big brother, are you and I returning to East Sea City together, or..."


    "We won¡¯t be going. Your fourth brother still has some private matters to attend to. Once we¡¯re done, we¡¯lle to find you."


    "Alright then, take care while you¡¯re out."


    After watching Qiu Yong and others¡¯ flight depart, Ling Chen and He Ziyun boarded the flight to East Sea City.


    ...


    Upon returning to East Sea City, Ling Chen dropped off He Ziyun at Qingyun Martial Arts Hall and then drove alone to Wealthy Manor.


    However, not long after Ling Chen had left by car, he received a call from He Ziyun.


    "Mr. He, what¡¯s up?"


    "Little Hua is missing." There was an urgency in He Ziyun¡¯s tone.


    "Missing?" Ling Chen¡¯s heart sank, feeling a sense of foreboding.


    "Mr. He, don¡¯t worry. Could it be that Little Hua went out?"


    "No way, her phone is still at home. I just checked her room, there are signs of an intruder."


    "Wait for me, I¡¯ming right over."


    After hanging up, Ling Chen hurriedly asked the driver to turn around and rush back to Qingyun Martial Arts Hall.


    In no time, Ling Chen rushed into the Martial Arts Hall and found He Ziyun in Little Hua¡¯s room.


    After meeting, Ling Chen nced at the bed, noticing the disheveled sheets and a pillow on the floor, alongside a shattered ss.


    Terrible! Could it be the people from the God Organization kidnapped Little Hua?


    He Ziyun said solemnly, "I had called Little Hua before boarding the ne, she was fine then."


    Ling Chen pondered silently; this meant Little Hua disappeared within thest three hours.


    Three hours... Such a duration, the kidnappers could have taken Little Hua far from East Sea City.


    What can we do now?


    "Mr. He..."


    He Ziyun stood there with a grave expression, silent, seemingly deep in thought. Momentster, He Ziyun said, "It must be the people from the God Organization who kidnapped Little Hua, only they would be interested in her identity." He sighed and med himself, "It¡¯s all my fault for leaving her alone at home."


    "Mr. He, it¡¯s not your fault. Besides, discussing it now is useless, let¡¯s quickly think of a way to get Little Hua back."


    He Ziyun forced a smile, "How to find her? The God Organization¡¯s bases are spread across the country; we have no clues at all, who knows where they might have taken her."


    Ling Chen thought for a moment, then his eyes suddenly lit up, saying, "Perhaps someone can provide us with clues."


    "Who?"


    "Jiang Xinwu."


    "You¡¯re right!" He Ziyun¡¯s spirits lifted, he said, "Call Hu Fei, have him bring Jiang Xinwu here immediately."


    "Alright."


    After calling Hu Fei, Ling Chen was about to put away his phone. However, his attention was drawn to a number in the phonebook.


    That mysterious man in a suit who had approached him earlier had left a phone number. If he ever needed assistance, he could call that number.


    Thinking this, Ling Chen stepped out of the room and dialed the number.


    Dial tone...


    After a few rings, the call connected, and a sweet voice came from the other end, "Mr. Ling, hello, what can I help you with?"


    Ling Chen got straight to the point and said, "A friend of mine has been kidnapped by the God Organization, I want to know where she¡¯s being held."


    "Mr. Ling, describe your friend¡¯s physical features to me, I will try my best to help you find her."


    "Okay, thanks!"


    After hanging up, he saw He Ziyun walking out of the room, expressionless, and saying, "Ling Chen, you go back first, I¡¯ll notify you when I have news."


    "It¡¯s okay, I..."


    "Go back. I want to interrogate Jiang Xinwu alone."


    Hearing this, Ling Chen immediately understood He Ziyun¡¯s intentions.


    "Alright then. Mr. He, call me directly if there¡¯s anything, I¡¯ll keep my phone on 24 hours." Pausing, Ling Chen reassured, "Don¡¯t feel too bad, the God Organization knows Little Hua¡¯s uniqueness; they won¡¯t harm her easily, we still have a chance to save her."


    "I know."


    Sensing the restrained anger in He Ziyun¡¯s eyes, Ling Chen sighed inwardly, it seemed Jiang Xinwu was about to suffer.


    Leaving Qingyun Martial Arts Hall, Ling Chen drove straight back to Wealthy Manor.


    Upon entering, Ling Chen saw the TV in the living room turned on, broadcasting entertainment news. On the sofay a person, d in a sleeping robe, with slightly exposed snowy white beautiful legs, indescribably enticing.


    Ling Chen¡¯s lips curled slightly as he quietly approached the sofa. Without waiting for the person to notice his presence, Ling Chen flipped over onto the sofa, pinning the person down, his hands expertly climbing onto those two sacred peaks of Jade Peak.


    However, as soon as he touched the peaks, Ling Chen immediately sensed something was amiss.


    Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s breasts didn¡¯t seem quite this big.

 Chapter 530 - 526: Rescuing Little Hua (1)

    <h4>Chapter 530: Chapter 526: Rescuing Little Hua (1)</h4><h4></h4>


    As Ling Chen was feeling puzzled, a shrieking scream suddenly came from below him. He focused his gaze and realized, lying beneath him was none other than Su Lin.


    At this moment, Su Lin was staring with wide eyes, looking at him in disbelief, frozen in ce, unmoving.


    Once he recognized her, Ling Chen was dumbstruck.


    How could it be this girl? Didn¡¯t she say over the phonest time that she wouldn¡¯t be back for another month?


    "You... you can get off me now." Su Lin red at Ling Chen, and seeing that he didn¡¯t move, her pretty face blushed red as she spoke with restrained annoyance.


    Reminded by her words, Ling Chen finally snapped back to reality, quickly scrambling off the sofa, awkwardly looking at Su Lin, saying, "That... I didn¡¯t know it was you, I thought it was..."


    As he was speaking, he saw Nanrong Wanqing walking down the staircase. Seeing Ling Chen return, a faint smile drifted across Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s face.


    "When did you get back? I was about to call you." As she spoke, Nanrong Wanqing moved to the living room, nced at Su Lin whose face was flushed red, and then at Ling Chen who looked uneasy, curiously asking, "What¡¯s going on with you two?"


    "Nothing, nothing at all." Ling Chen quickly waved his hands. Not letting Nanrong Wanqing press further, he shifted the topic, asking, "How long has Su Lin been back?"


    "She came back a couple of days ago."


    "I initially nned to take some time off to celebrate Wanqing¡¯s birthday, but there was a sudden issue, so it got dyed by two days. Hey! Where have you been these days? You weren¡¯t even seen around, not staying home to apany Wanqing. Is this how you act as a boyfriend?"


    Facing Su Lin¡¯s questioning, Ling Chen hurriedly exined, "I ran into some urgent matters, so I had to leave for a few days."


    "Alright!" Nanrong Wanqing chuckled softly, saying, "He¡¯s got his own things to handle; no need to me him. Oh, it¡¯s perfect timing for your return, Lin mentioned she wanted to go shopping at the mallter; you should join us."


    "OK!" When the girlfriend speaks, Ling Chen dared not refuse and immediately agreed.


    "You two sit for a while, I¡¯m going to change clothes."


    "I¡¯ll go too."


    Seeing the two head upstairs, Ling Chen went back to his bedroom alone, took a shower, and changed into clean clothes.


    Returning to the living room, he saw Su Lining down first. Still like always, the girl was wearing pure cotton stockings, showcasing her long beautiful legs openly, paired with a casual denim jacket, her long hair draped over her shoulders. Her delicate face lightly powdered, wearing eyeshadow, with pink lips exuding an endless allure, tempting one to take a bite.


    Tsk tsk!


    This girl... really is a seductress, killing without a trace of guilt.


    Seeing that Nanrong Wanqing hadn¡¯te down yet, Ling Chen, fearing that the earlier incident would cause awkwardness between them, took the initiative to ask, "What have you been doing during your internship?"


    "Archaeology." Su Lin said disinterestedly, "I thought archaeology would be interesting, but it turned out to be not fun at all, totally boring, just cleaning dirt every day, not even allowing me to go down and y around."


    "y? y what?"


    "Going into ancient tombs. The archaeological team discovered a group of ancient noble tombs in the mountains and dug there every day. With my limited experience and as an intern, they didn¡¯t allow me to enter the tombs, only to stay on the ground clearing the broken pots they excavated. I was utterly bored." Su Lin pouted her sexy red lips as she spoke.


    Hearing Su Lin¡¯s words, Ling Chen couldn¡¯tprehend why this woman would enjoy dealing with corpses, wasn¡¯t she afraid?


    Just thinking, he saw Su Lin nudge his arm, smiling yfully, saying, "Hey! I heard during Wanqing¡¯s birthday banquet, you prepared a very special birthday gift for her. Not bad, it¡¯s all over the inte, that video clip is spreading like wildfire."


    "It¡¯s not as good as you say, just average."


    "Don¡¯t be modest. Howe I never realized before? It turns out you¡¯re a romantic guy." A twinkle sparkled in Su Lin¡¯s eyes.


    Ling Chen grinned, "That just means your eyesight is poor, not appreciating me."


    Hearing this, Su Lin rolled her eyes at Ling Chen in a yful tone, "Someone like you, probably only Wanqing can appreciate."


    While they spoke, Nanrong Wanqing, having changed her clothes, came down the stairs.


    That afternoon, Ling Chen apanied the two women, earnestly ying the role of a porter around several major malls. Only when the evening fell did the two women contentedly return to Wealthy Manor.


    Just after getting home and before Ling Chen could rest, he received a call from Hu Fei: "Hey, Ling Chen, you bettere over quickly."


    "What happened?"


    "If you don¡¯te soon, Jiang Xinwu probably won¡¯tst much longer."


    Ling Chen was shocked; he had already guessed the reason He Ziyun had asked him to avoid the scene. At that time, He Ziyun was furious, so he didn¡¯t say much, letting He Ziyun cool off, but he didn¡¯t expect the other party to be so cruel.


    "Wait for me, I¡¯ming over right now."


    After hanging up, Ling Chen immediately drove towards Qingyun Martial Arts Hall.


    Arriving at the academy, Ling Chen went directly to the warehouse. Upon entering, he saw Jiang Xinwu half-dead, lying on the ground, covered in blood, barely breathing, not far from death.


    On the side, He Ziyun was coldly pulling Jiang Xinwu up, cing him on a chair, continuing to demand the whereabouts of Little Hua. Seeing Jiang Xinwu remain silent, He Ziyun did not hesitate and punched out, knocking Jiang Xinwu to the floor again.


    "Mr. He."


    Unable to watch any longer, Ling Chen quickly spoke up to intervene.


    He Ziyun nced at Ling Chen, frowning slightly, "Why are you here?"


    "Mr. He, I know you¡¯re worried about Little Hua¡¯s safety, but this approach won¡¯t help." Speaking of which, Ling Chen shifted the conversational tone, asking, "Did he provide any clues?"


    "He said he knows nothing."


    "I think he really might not know." Ling Chen said, "He¡¯s at most a henchman for the God Organization, ignorant of those secrets. Even if you kill him, it might not help save Little Hua. We should think of another way."


    "What way?"


    "I..." Just as Ling Chen was about to speak, his phone in his pocket suddenly rang.


    He pulled out his phone, nced at the caller ID, his eyes suddenly lit up, and he quickly answered the call.


    "Hello, Mr. Ling, we¡¯ve made some headway on the matter you entrusted to us."


    "Really?" Ling Chen¡¯s heart leapt, eager to know, "Where is she?"


    "In the sky."


    In the sky?


    Hearing this response, Ling Chen paused, it took a moment for him to react.


    "Do you mean on an airne?"


    "Yes. To be precise, it¡¯s supposed to be the God Organization¡¯s mobileb. As far as we know, the God Organization has a secretb built on an airne, usually in the air, making it hard to pinpoint its location."

 Chapter 531 - 527: Rescuing Little Hua (2)

    <h4>Chapter 531: Chapter 527: Rescuing Little Hua (2)</h4><h4></h4>


    "Since you were able to locate her whereabouts, you should be clear about the position of that airne."


    "ording to the intelligence we have, in twenty hours, that airne will make a fifteen-minute stop at an airport to refuel. Fifteen minutester, the airne will take off again, and no one knows where it will go. If Mr. Ling wishes to take action, you only have fifteen minutes to infiltrate that airne."


    Fifteen minutes!


    Ling Chen frowned inwardly; infiltrating the airport and blending into that airne within fifteen minutes was an extremely urgent timeline.


    "Send me the location of the airport and the model of that aircraft."


    "Sure. Mr. Ling, do you need any other assistance from us?"


    Ling Chen asked casually, "Any kind of assistance?"


    "Just give the word, and we will try our best to meet your needs."


    "Good, then thank you in advance!"


    After hanging up the phone, Ling Chen looked at the information that had been sent to his mobile phone, and said, "Mr. He, I¡¯ve found Little Hua¡¯s whereabouts, it¡¯s just..."


    "Just what?"


    Ling Chen shrugged helplessly and said, "I¡¯m afraid we have a long journey ahead."


    He had intended to stay at home for a few more days, taking the chance to spend more time with Nanrong Wanqing, but from the current situation, he probably didn¡¯t have time to linger in East Sea City for too long. Luckily, Su Lin had already returned home, and with Su Lin¡¯spany, Nanrong Wanqing wouldn¡¯t be too bored.


    "Mr. He, let¡¯s get ready. We set off at four o¡¯clock tomorrow morning."


    "Okay."


    ...


    The next day.


    Before dawn, after resting for a few hours, Ling Chen slung his backpack and left Wealthy Manor alone. In less than forty minutes, he arrived at the international airport of East Sea City by car.


    In the waiting hall of the airport, Ling Chen met He Ziyun, who had already arrived there to wait.


    He Ziyun carried simple belongings, one of which was wrapped in a long cloth, and without looking, one would know what was inside.


    The two went to Hangar Three, where a small Boeing passenger ne was parked inside, undergoing final checks.


    Once on the ne, an attendant with a delicate face came over and asked with a smile, "Would you two like some coffee?"


    "No need." Ling Chen waved his hand, sending her away.


    "Ling Chen, did you arrange this flight?"


    "Sort of."


    He had asked the woman on the phone to arrange this flight, and when he put forward the request, she had readily agreed.


    ...


    After more than ten hours of flight, the ne finallynded at a simple airport in the desert.


    From here, Ling Chen had to switch to driving to reach the destination. After all, the airne was too big a target and easily noticeable.


    The vehicles for this operation had all been prepared by the Secret Society. The driver was a middle-aged man, a native of Huaxia over forty years old, with a weathered face. Perhaps because he had spent years in the desert, his skin was often sunburned, making it somewhat dry.


    For reasons of secrecy or other reasons, the middle-aged man stated his name as Sang Ji.


    Sitting in the car, Ling Chen chatted with Sang Ji nonchntly, hoping to get some information about the Secret Society from him. However, Sang Ji was tight-lipped; whenever the topic rted to the Secret Society came up, he would keep his mouth shut, acting as though he heard nothing.


    After traveling for several hours, Ling Chen noticed armored vehicles passing by the roadside, as well as a group of armed militants carrying AK47s.


    ording to Sang Ji, the thousands of miles nearby were all desert, awless zone where many mercenaries and terrorist organizations rooted themselves and established strongholds to train soldiers. However, he mentioned that as long as one didn¡¯t provoke trouble with others, nobody would bother them.


    The God Organization had chosen to stay here precisely because there were no restrictions, and there was no need to worry about idents.


    Ling Chen looked at the time and discussed with He Ziyun in a low voice. Seeing that they had not yet reached their destination, he leaned back against the seatback and closed his eyes to rest, conserving energy for the uing operation.


    "Mr. Ling."


    In a drowsy state, Ling Chen heard Sang Ji¡¯s voice. He rubbed his eyes and yawned, looking at the pitch-dark sky outside, and asked, "Have we arrived?"


    Sang Ji pointed ahead and said, "Two more kilometers and we will reach our destination. The ne willnd in two hours."


    "Let¡¯s rest for a bit, no rush."


    "We can only rest for an hour at most; you must hurry over in advance. I¡¯ve investigated, and there is a mercenary base nearby, heavily guarded. Just infiltrating the base will take a substantial amount of time."


    "Okay."


    As the operation approached, Ling Chen filled his stomach and built up his energy. When the time was almost right, he and He Ziyun got off the car and walked toward the mercenary base.


    Before long, a base that resembled a military fort appeared within their view.


    The base was surrounded by barbed wire, covering thousands of square meters, with many tents erected inside, and a runway running through the middle of the base.


    Ling Chen carefully observed for a while and saw that each of the four corners of the base had watchtowers and searchlights, with three to four mercenaries on each tower and several patrols around.


    The airne was half an hour away from arrival. Ling Chen and He Ziyun decided to wait until the nended before taking action. With their capabilities, infiltrating the base was just a matter of minutes.


    After lying in wait near the base for several minutes, He Ziyun suddenly tapped Ling Chen on the shoulder and pointed to the sky, saying, "Here ites!"


    Ling Chen raised the binocrs and saw multiple dazzling lights twinkling in the night sky. Soon, arge passenger ne appeared in their line of sight, approaching from afar.


    Finally!


    The ne appeared unremarkable and even bore the logo of an airlinepany, but that was all for deception.


    As the nended on the runway, Ling Chen didn¡¯t say a word; he immediately packed up and moved towards the base.


    A barbed wire fence over two meters tall was no challenge for Ling Chen, and in no time, they quietly infiltrated the interior of the base.


    "Mr. He, there!"


    Ling Chen pointed, and He Ziyun immediately focused his attention on a fuel truck. Without much talking, He Ziyun understood Ling Chen¡¯s intention.


    Immediately, they carefully avoided the guards and stealthily approached the fuel truck.


    However, the area around the fuel truck was heavily guarded, and Ling Chen didn¡¯t dare to get too close to avoid detection. After waiting for a few minutes, the fuel truck finally started moving. As the truck passed by the roadside, Ling Chen and He Ziyun rushed forward from both sides, rolled on the ground, and slid right under the truck.


    Then, Ling Chen grabbed onto the truck¡¯s undercarriage with both hands, hanging mid-air, following the fuel truck¡¯s movement.


    Soon, the fuel truck reached the side of therge passenger ne.


    At this moment, the ne¡¯s cabin door opened, and two armed men came down, directing the mercenaries on the fuel truck to help refuel.

 Chapter 532 - 528: Leading You into the Urn

    <h4>Chapter 532: Chapter 528: Leading You into the Urn</h4><h4></h4>


    Ling Chen took a deep breath and, seeing that no one noticed him, quietly lowered his body to the ground, avoiding the guards¡¯ line of sight, and slipped in front of the aircraft¡¯snding gear. Above thending gear, there was a secret door leading to the interior of the airne, and Ling Chen, without much effort, sessfully snuck inside the aircraft.


    Not long after he entered the ne, He Ziyun followed closely from thending gear.


    "Let¡¯s split up and search."


    "Okay." Ling Chen nodded and reminded: "Mr. He, be careful."


    "You should worry more about yourself."


    Hearing this, Ling Chen couldn¡¯t help but touch his nose. It seemed true; He Ziyun was a top-ranked fighter from the Earthly List, much stronger than himself. What he really needed to be worried about was his own safety.


    ording to the n they had made, they intended to find Little Hua within fifteen minutes, take her off the ne, and then meet with Sang Ji who was waiting outside.


    Time was of the essence, and Ling Chen dared not dy. He quickly entered the cargo hold from the bottom of the ne. Once in the cargo hold, Ling Chen was startled by the contents inside. Everywhere he looked, there were weapons and chemical supplies, including many experimental devices.


    Snap!


    At that moment, the cargo hold door was suddenly opened, followed by a series of footsteps.


    Ling Chen had no time to think, and immediately hid behind the door. Suddenly, a fully-armed guard walked in.


    "Hey!" Ling Chen waved to greet him. As soon as the guard¡¯s gaze turned, he pounced fiercely, his fist smashing violently into the guard¡¯s nose. Blood sttered everywhere, the guard¡¯s nasal bridge was directly smashed, and he didn¡¯t even make a sound before copsing to the ground, unconscious.


    After dealing with the guard, Ling Chen searched the man¡¯s body, found a pass card and a wireless headset. After securing the items, Ling Chen moved the body to a discreet corner and then headed to the top level of the ne.


    This was the cargo hold; theboratory must be located in the core area of the ne.


    It must be said, the security on the ne was very tight, with identity recognition devices installed at each cabin door. Fortunately, Ling Chen had obtained a pass card, which allowed him unhindered ess.


    In less than five minutes, Ling Chen entered the top level of the airliner.


    As expected, theboratory was set up in the middle section of the ne, surrounded by transparent ss, creating a dust-free environment. However, although he had found theboratory, Ling Chen also encountered a significant problem.


    At the entrance of theboratory, there were six fully-armed guards. With his abilities, dealing with these men would not be a problem. However, taking such action would surely alert the others, increasing their vignce.


    Moreover, they were currently in a mercenary base, and revealing their identities would inevitably lead to being surrounded by hundreds of mercenaries. By then, no matter how skilled they were, escaping would be next to impossible.


    What to do?


    Faced with this situation, Ling Chen fell into deep thought, indecisive.


    He also wondered how Mr. He¡¯s search was going.


    While Ling Chen was contemting his next move, he suddenly felt the aircraft¡¯s body start to shake slightly.


    Oh no!


    Ling Chen¡¯s expression changed slightly; the ne was about to take off!


    He checked the time; only ten minutes had passed. ording to the information provided by the Secret Society, the other party was supposed to stay for fifteen minutes.


    Amidst his thoughts, a voice came from the headset: "Attention everyone, we just received orders to return to the base within two hours. Please prepare yourselves; the ne is taking off immediately."


    Ling Chen cursed under his breath, realizing it was impossible to get off the ne at this point.


    In the blink of an eye, Ling Chen gritted his teeth, making a silent decision in his mind.


    There was no other way now.


    As the ne ascended, Ling Chen, hiding in the shadows, locked his gaze on the security personnel in front of theboratory.


    Suddenly, a cold gleam shot out, instantly piercing the throat of a security guard. Before the others could react, Ling Chen sprang forward, grabbing the hilt of the Tianling de and pulling the de from the guard¡¯s throat, turning it towards the others.


    In just the blink of an eye, six security guards were killed without even a chance to resist.


    Following the death of the six guards, a piercing rm immediately sounded on the ne.


    Ling Chen nced at the surveince cameras hidden in the shadows, then withdrew his gaze and walked towards theboratory. The most important thing now was to find Little Hua, everything else was negligible.


    Da Da Da!


    At that moment, a burst of rapid gunfire came from the other end of theboratory. However, the gunfire did notst long before it turned into screams.


    Without a doubt, it must have been He Ziyun who made his move.


    Moving through theboratory, Ling Chen looked around for Little Hua, while being wary of any security personnel who might appear on the ne.


    "Ling Chen."


    After a while, He Ziyun approached from another direction of theboratory.


    "Mr. He, did you find Little Hua?"


    "No. Not just Little Hua, I didn¡¯t see anyone in theboratory at all."


    Not a single person?


    Ling Chen frowned secretly, could the information provided by the Secret Society be wrong?


    "Let¡¯s go to the cockpit," Ling Chen said. "The pilot must know where they are kept."


    As they spoke, the two hurriedly headed towards the front of the ne. However, as they were about to reach theboratory exit, the transparent ss doors at the exit suddenly closed, trapping them inside.


    Seeing this, Ling Chen didn¡¯t hesitate and raised his Tianling de, striking at the ss door.


    Dang!


    With a crisp sound, the edge of the Tianling de was bounced back, and the ss door was unmarked.


    This... Ling Chen was taken aback, looking at the ss door in disbelief.


    "Let me try," He Ziyun said in a deep voice.


    With that, He Ziyun held a three-foot sword, stepped in front of the ss door. Then, flicking his wrist, his eyes burst with sharpness, and he suddenly struck with his sword, releasing his Inner Strength, ferociously striking the ss door.


    However, the ss door remained intact, without a trace of damage.


    Just as Ling Chen was stunned, a voice suddenly emanated from theboratory¡¯s loudspeaker: "Gentlemen, don¡¯t waste your energy. Thisboratory was specially prepared for you; all the doors and windows are made of the hardest materials, you won¡¯t be able to destroy them."


    Hearing this, Ling Chen¡¯s face subtly changed.


    "Specially prepared for us? What does that mean?"


    "Mr. Ling, you are a smart man, surely you understand what this means? Everything was prearranged by us, the person you¡¯re looking for is not on this ne at all. But don¡¯t worry, I will take you to see her soon."


    Trapped?


    Ling Chen felt a sinking feeling, turning his head to look at He Ziyun beside him, he said: "Mr. He, I..."


    "You don¡¯t have to exin, I believe this is not your fault, it seems we were deceived by the information provided by the Secret Society."


    Ling Chen frowned, afraid it was more than just deception. The Secret Society¡¯s actionspletely betrayed them.

 Chapter 533 - 529: Experiment Base Number 2

    <h4>Chapter 533: Chapter 529: Experiment Base Number 2</h4><h4></h4>


    "Both of you, just stay inside peacefully and don¡¯t think about escaping." As the voice from the loudspeaker faded.


    Ling Chen¡¯s face looked somewhat unpleasant as he stared at the thick ss door. He had meticulously nned but hadn¡¯t anticipated this to be a trap. He didn¡¯t understand why the members of the Secret Society would do this. Since the mysterious man was acquainted with his father and they were friends, there was no reason he would betray him, unless... unless there were spies from the God Organization within the Secret Society.


    Sigh! Ling Chen exhaled, casting aside the clutter in his mind, no longer indulging in theseforting reasons.


    Now that he had fallen into the hands of the God Organization, thinking more was useless.


    More than two hourster, Ling Chen noticed that the airne was finally beginning to descend. Looking out the window, he saw a vast expanse of blue sea, endless and boundless.


    An ind!


    It seems that the people of the God Organization like using inds as their secret bases. Indeed, these inds located in the middle of the sea are most secretive and hard to locate.


    As they thought, therge passenger ne slowlynded on the runway.


    When the airne steadied and the cabin door opened, more than ten fully armed men, led by a man in his forties, a Caucasian with a full face of flesh, a beard, and a very sturdy build at a height of about 1.9 meters, appeared imposing.


    "Mr. Ling, Mr. He, please cooperate, put down your weapons, and don¡¯t make futile resistance."


    Facing over ten dark gun muzzles, Ling Chen shrugged his shoulders and without saying a word, directly threw his Tianling de on the ground.


    Once He Ziyun threw down his sword, the Caucasian man gestured to his subordinates. Soon, the ss door opened to either side.


    "Gentlemen, please raise your hands and turn around."


    With guns pointed at them, Ling Chen and He Ziyun dared not disobey and sincerely did as told. In such a cramped space, even if their skills were excellent, they couldn¡¯t ensure they¡¯d evade the bullets one hundred percent.


    Under the directions of the Caucasian man, two team members bound Ling Chen and He Ziyun¡¯s hands and feet with specially-made chains, restricting their movements.


    "Gentlemen,e with me."


    Following the Caucasian man, escorted by the others, Ling Chen disembarked from the ne, observing the surroundings with great attention.


    This ind wasrger than the one where they had previously rescued Nanrong Wanqing. The ind was filled with vegetation and at the very center, there was a towering mountain with rugged rocks. Besides, the keen-eyed Ling Chen also noticed several radar devices set around the mountain, hidden among the trees.


    Walking along, Ling Chen became increasingly rmed; this ind was definitely a major base of the God Organization. It was not only equipped with radar but also had many fortresses, all installed with heavy weaponry.


    Such a heavily defended base must certainly conceal many secrets.


    Before long, Ling Chen and He Ziyun reached the base of the mountain under the guidance of the Caucasian man, where there was a man-made tunnel withid tracks, and a rail vehicle big enough to fit more than twenty people was parked.


    Getting on, the rail car slowly started moving, traveling inward along the track. After moving forward more than ten meters, Ling Chen noticed that the rail car began to tilt slightly. It seemed that the secret base of the God Organization was built underground.


    The speed of the rail car wasn¡¯t very fast, moving at twenty kilometers per hour. Even so, it took just over a minute to reach the end of the tunnel.


    "Gentlemen, once you enter here, don¡¯t think about getting out again," the Caucasian man said with a coldugh. "There is only one entry and exit path, and the tunnel inside is equipped with cameras and Dark Posts. No one can escape."


    Ling Chen frowned tightly, remaining silent. He knew the Caucasian man wasn¡¯t lying; when he came in, he had checked the tunnel, which was full of traps. Without outside help, it would be difficult to escape this ce.


    At the end of the tunnel was a massive iron door. As the door, one foot thick, opened, Ling Chen felt a bright space open before his eyes, revealing a huge underground base.


    The Caucasian man scanned the stunned Ling Chen and said, "Wee both of you to the secondary experimental base of the God Organization."


    Passing through the iron door, Ling Chen and He Ziyun followed the Caucasian man, their eyes sweeping incessantly around, seeing hundreds of workers busy transporting goods. In one corner of the base, there were dozens ofrge shipping containers.


    It was hard to imagine how they managed to transport these items here.


    Ling Chen looked at the busy workers and asked, "Are these all the subordinates you recruited?"


    "No," the Caucasian man shook his head. "We rarely recruit externally, it¡¯s too dangerous, who knows if there could be spies among them. There are many homeless orphans in the world, we take them in, train them from a young age, and when they grow up, theye directly to the base to serve us. To them, we are like a big family, no one would betray us."


    "Training?" Ling Chen snorted lightly. "More like brainwashing."


    "Feel free to interpret it as you wish. You only need to know, these people are extremely loyal to the God Organization and will never defy our orders."


    "How many such bases does your God Organization have?" He Ziyun, who had not spoken till now, asked.


    "That¡¯s confidential, not convenient to disclose to outsiders. However, I feel you eventually won¡¯t be leaving this ce, so revealing this doesn¡¯t matter. The God Organization has two bases of this size; one is the main base, the other a backup base. The one you are in now is the backup."


    No wonder!


    Ling Chen silently nodded. This base must have taken decades to build. The God Organization pouring so much effort into it, it must be of vital importance.


    However, the more this was the case, the heavier Ling Chen¡¯s mood became. By telling them this information, it seemed they were not intended to leave alive. If this base were exposed, it would be a significant blow to the God Organization.


    At that moment, the personnel escorting from behind nudged Ling Chen, indicating for him to hurry up and walk ahead.


    Passing through a corridor, Ling Chen and He Ziyun were taken to two separate cells.


    "Gentlemen, take a rest first, recuperate well, as there¡¯s much more we¡¯ll need your help withter," said the Caucasian man, instructing his subordinates to close the cell doors before he and the others turned and left the cells.


    After they left, Ling Chen looked toward He Ziyun, who was in the adjacent cell, and asked, "Mr. He, what do you think they want to do?"


    "They kept our lives, probably to experiment on us, just..."


    "Just what?"


    "Don¡¯t you find it strange? Seeing how they behave toward us, they seem to value us highly. If they merely wanted us as experimental subjects, they wouldn¡¯t need to do this."

 Chapter 534 - 530: The Mysterious Person Who Helps in Secret

    <h4>Chapter 534: Chapter 530: The Mysterious Person Who Helps in Secret</h4><h4></h4>


    Ling Chen nodded, agreeing with He Ziyun¡¯s spection. The God Organization had already cultivated masters of the Earthly List and might even possess masters of the Heavenly List. It was unnecessary to focus on them; there had to be something amiss.


    Thinking it over, Ling Chen suddenly let out a bitterugh, pping his forehead. He didn¡¯t even know whether he could leave this ce alive, so why bother with these concerns? What good was knowing more if he was still doomed to die in the end? Instead of guessing the motives of the God Organization, it would be better to think of a way to escape from this damned ce.


    While pondering, he heard a light tapping noiseing from the cell next door. Looking through the ss window in the cell, Ling Chen turned and saw He Ziyun knocking on the wall of his cell.


    "Mr. He..."


    Before Ling Chen could finish his sentence, He Ziyun shook his head and said, "No use, these walls have steel tes inside them; brute force won¡¯t break them."


    Ling Chen shrugged his shoulders; he had suspected as much. Their captors wouldn¡¯t fear them trying to escape if they dared to lock them up here.


    Their only hope was if someone could rescue them from this ce.


    ...


    At this moment, far away in the Huaxia country.


    In a bright room, a middle-aged man in a suit, looking dashing, walked in from outside.


    "Mr. Ling."


    Seeing the visitor, the delicate girl working in front of theputer immediately stood up to greet him.


    "No need for formalities, take a seat," the middle-aged man said as he walked behind the girl. Looking at the content disyed on theputer screen, he asked, "Tell me about the situation over there."


    "Just as we predicted, Ling Chen and He Ziyun were both captured by the people of the God Organization."


    "That¡¯s good," the middle-aged man said, relieved, and nodded with a smile.


    "Mr. Ling..." The girl hesitated, looking as though she had something to say but stopping herself.


    "Speak your mind, there¡¯s no need to hold back in front of me."


    "Mr. Ling, is it really good to do this to Ling Chen? You didn¡¯t even give him a heads up, and directly let him fall into the most dangerous situation. What if... what if something bad happens to him? No matter what, he¡¯s still your..."


    "There¡¯s no need to worry about him," the middle-aged man interrupted the girl, saying, "I¡¯ve already made arrangements, the God Organization won¡¯t just kill them offhand. Moreover, everything that is happening now is within my n. As long as there are no deviations, their lives won¡¯t be in danger."


    The girl, still visibly anxious, said, "But... if he finds out that it was you who did that thing, I¡¯m afraid..."


    The middle-aged man smiled slightly, "Do you think I¡¯m too cruel, or perhaps I¡¯m too scheming, to even calcte against my own son? I¡¯ve always wanted to let him live an ordinary life, but unfortunately, things haven¡¯t turned out as I wished. Many matters are not under my control. Since he has already gotten involved in this, let him lend me a hand, I believe he won¡¯t refuse. Now let¡¯s not talk about this, keep a close watch on the moves of the God Organization and report to me at all times. I have someone to meet."


    "Yes, I understand."


    ...


    In the blink of an eye, two days passed, and Ling Chen and He Ziyun were still locked in their cells. Apart from the regr meals delivered thrice a day, no one else came to see them.


    "Mr. He, do you think they¡¯ve forgotten about us? It¡¯s been two days and not a single person hase to interrogate us."


    "Who knows what they are plotting." He Ziyun sat cross-legged on the ground, meditating with his eyes closed, not at all worried about what might happen next. At his age, he had learned to let go of many things. His only concern was the safety of Little Hua.


    Seeing that He Ziyun was reluctant to talk further, Ling Chen didn¡¯t speak either, sitting alone against the wall, quietly awaiting the unknown.


    At that moment, a young man came to the front of the cell and slid a tray of food through the slot at the bottom of the cell door.


    Ling Chen picked up the te and saw ck pepper steak, spaghetti, and a cup of juice on it. He couldn¡¯t help feeling sentimental. Though a prisoner, the treatment was pretty good, different dishes for every meal, and the taste was excellent,parable to a star chef¡¯s cooking skills.


    Taking the knife and fork, Ling Chen cut off a piece of the ck pepper beef and put it in his mouth, chewing slowly, savoring the tenderness and vor of the steak. This might be hisst meal. If he could enjoy it, he would¡ªthe point wasn¡¯t to die hungry.


    When the ck pepper steak was half-eaten, Ling Chen¡¯s gaze was suddenly drawn to something in the steak.


    "What is this?"


    Curious, Ling Chen quickly set down his knife and fork and pulled out the thing hidden inside the steak.


    A key!


    This... Ling Chen was momentarily taken aback, his eyes inevitably shifting to the cell door. Could this be... the key to the cell door?


    Thinking this, Ling Chen immediately stood up, walked to the door, reached his hand through the small window of the cell door, and inserted the key into the keyhole on the outside.


    Click!


    With a light sound, the cell door unlocked.


    It really was!


    Ling Chen¡¯s heart leaped with joy, and he ran to the next cell to release He Ziyun.


    Looking at the cell door key in Ling Chen¡¯s hand, He Ziyun asked with a mix of surprise and doubt, "Where did you get this key from?"


    "Found it inside the steak, it seems someone wants to help us escape secretly."


    "Who? This base is full of people from the God Organization. We know no one here; who would take such a big risk to help us?"


    "Could it be General¡¯s men?"


    "Impossible, Ghost and Lonely Wolf haven¡¯t infiltrated this deep; they don¡¯t even know about the existence of this base." After pondering for a moment, He Ziyun spoke gravely, "Regardless, we need to be cautious, in case it¡¯s a trap."


    "Understood."


    Leaving the cell, Ling Chen, using his memory of the route from that day, cautiously made his way out, ready to find an opportunity to escape the base with He Ziyun.


    However, they had not gone far when they stopped and dared not proceed any further.


    Around the corner in front, within a stretch of corridor less than twenty meters long, there were three 360-degree surveince cameras installed. Approaching them would surely alert the God Organization.


    Ling Chen frowned slightly. Besides this route, there was no other path unless they turned back. But that would only lead them deeper into the heart of the base, with no chance of escape.


    "Ling Chen."


    "What is it?"


    "When we came in, you saw it too; the guards outside are strict. We can¡¯t possibly sneak past the God Organization¡¯s surveince. The only way to leave here is one method."


    "What method?"


    "Capture the leader first."


    Hearing this, Ling Chen¡¯s eyes lit up, instantly grasping He Ziyun¡¯s idea. They would capture the one in charge here and then use that as leverage against the others. Though risky, it was still a n. Besides, they didn¡¯t have any other choice now.

 Chapter 535 - 531: Perils at Every Turn

    <h4>Chapter 535: Chapter 531: Perils at Every Turn</h4><h4></h4>


    Having made up their minds, Ling Chen and He Ziyun no longer hesitated and immediately ran in the opposite direction.


    No matter who was in charge here, they definitely lived in the core area of the base.


    Soon after, Ling Chen realized that entering the core area of the base was a difficult task. Along each corridor of the base, aside from the 360-degree surveince cameras, there were also personnel patrolling, covering almost every corner of the core area.


    Listening to the footsteps approaching, Ling Chen took a deep breath, made eye contact with He Ziyun, signaling him to get ready to take action and deal with the security guards nearby.


    He Ziyun nced over, locking all three security guards within his sight. Then, he lightly tapped his toes without making a sound, and like a sh of lightning, he disappeared around the corner.


    Before Ling Chen could make his move, by the time he reacted, the security guards were already down on the ground.


    "Let¡¯s go!"


    He Ziyun uttered sharply, not slowing his pace and continuing deeper into the area.


    At this moment, they could not afford any dys. By killing the three security guards, they were essentially telling the personnel of the God Organization that they had escaped from the cell. It wouldn¡¯t be long before the entire base would be searching for them. Therefore, the situation called for urgent actions.


    Beep! Beep! Beep!


    Indeed, as the guards were killed, a piercing rm immediately red throughout the base.


    As they moved, Ling Chen only heard a series of quick footsteps approaching from afar, appearing on their path.


    "There, catch them."


    "Break out!"


    Undeterred, He Ziyun surged forward. As he came closer, he sprang up like arge bird spreading its wings, swooping down from above directly into the crowd, wreaking havoc.


    Taking this opportunity, Ling Chen quickly nced out of the corner of his eye, then rolled on the ground to pick up a pistol that had fallen, quickly pulling the trigger.


    Bang! Bang!


    Several consecutive gunshots rang out, and with Ling Chen¡¯s precise shooting, the following security personnel were instantly neutralized.


    "Ling Chen, take this."


    He Ziyun threw an assault rifle to Ling Chen, then drew several knives from the bodies, urging Ling Chen to keep moving.


    ...


    In the control room of the base, a Caucasian man stood in front of over a dozen monitors with his arms crossed, issuing orders coldly, "Tell them to evacuate from the central area, close the channels to the central area, and prepare to release poison gas."


    "Yes."


    After speaking, the white man pointed to an aide beside him and said sternly, "Go check the cell; I want to know how they escaped."


    "Understood!"


    ...


    "Mr. He, the passage here is sealed." Ling Chen said, frowning. Just a moment ago, they had intended to enter through here, but before they could reach it, an automatic iron gate had fallen, closing off their path. Without the password, no one could open this gate.


    "Let¡¯s check other ces."


    During the conversation, they tried several other entrances in the corridor but, without exception, all were sealed.


    Ling Chen gave a bitter smile: "Mr. He, what should we do now?"


    He Ziyun was about to speak, but just then, a stream of green gas suddenly appeared from the ceiling, quickly spreading around.


    Seeing this, the expressions of Ling Chen and He Ziyun changed unavoidably.


    "It¡¯s poison gas!" Ling Chen quickly covered his nose and mouth, swiftly moving out of the range of the green gas. However, the source of green gas appeared in multiple ces, filling the area fast. Soon, the entire enclosed area would be enveloped in poison gas.


    At this critical moment, a door nearby suddenly opened.


    "Mr. He, over there." After saying this, Ling Chen hurriedly charged towards the doorway.


    Once the two of them passed through the door, it sealed shut again, blocking all the green gas. Ling Chen breathed a sigh of relief internally, thankful that the door was still operational; otherwise, he and He Ziyun would have perished inside.


    However, amidst the relief, Ling Chen was even more puzzled about who was helping them secretly. That door wouldn¡¯t have opened without reason; someone must have tampered with it.


    Recalling the cell key he had obtained earlier, Ling Chen¡¯s curiosity deepened, wondering who the mysterious person was.


    "Ling Chen, look at this."


    At that moment, He Ziyun pointed at the architecturalyout map on the wall and said, "We are here now, and right ahead is the residential area of the base. Anyone living in this area must hold significant status, and the person we¡¯re looking for is likely here."


    Ling Chen, holding the gun in his hand, smiled faintly: "Whether we can leave alive is still uncertain; if you ask me, killing one is enough, killing two is profitable. Let¡¯s just eliminate everyone living in this area, leaving no survivors."


    As he spoke, they heard a ¡¯click¡¯, and a door that was initially closed suddenly opened.


    Seeing this, Ling Chen¡¯s mind stirred, could it be the person who just helped them indicating the way?


    Thinking this, Ling Chen looked at He Ziyun and walked towards the door.


    Before long, Ling Chen was surprised to find that whenever they passed through a gate, the next one would automatically open. Although he did not know where the other party wanted to guide them, Ling Chen believed that they harbored no ill intentions towards them. Otherwise, there was no need to save them earlier.


    Bang!


    In the monitoring room, apanied by a gunshot, a technician¡¯s brain burst, dying instantly at the workstation.


    The Caucasian man put away his pistol, looking coldly at the silent staff around him, and said coldly, "Can anyone tell me why they were able to escape from the enclosed area, why our surveince failed, why someone tampered with the system without any of you noticing? The organization trains talents, not wastes; give me a satisfactory answer within fifteen minutes, or this person¡¯s fate will be yours."


    Hearing this, everyone¡¯s faces turned slightly pale.


    "Tea... Team leader, only someone with the right authority could log into the system, modify systemmands," a cautious staff member spoke.


    The white man sharply countered, "Are you suggesting that I am assisting their escape?"


    "No, not at all, I... There are only eight people in the base who have such authority. Maybe..."


    The white man pondered for a moment, then ordered, "Send someone to their residences immediately, bring them all here; I want to question them myself."


    "Yes."


    ...


    At this moment, guided by the mysterious helper, Ling Chen and He Ziyun arrived outside a room.


    "What is this ce?" Ling Chen pondered internally.


    As he was contemting, the room door suddenly opened, revealing a familiar face instantly within his view.


    As soon as Ling Chen clearly saw who it was, he was stunned on the spot, unable to recover for a long time.

 Chapter 536 - 532: Seeing Liu Xiyao Again

    <h4>Chapter 536: Chapter 532: Seeing Liu Xiyao Again</h4><h4></h4>


    It¡¯s her!


    Ling Chen never expected to encounter her here. In an instant, he realized that it was this elegant and luxurious woman who had provided the key to their cell and helped them avoid a disaster just now.


    Liu Xiyao!


    Ever since he learned about Liu Xiyao¡¯s connection with God Organization, Ling Chen had little contact with her, trying his best to avoid her. There was no helping it, every time he saw Liu Xiyao, Ling Chen was reminded of her betrayal. No matter how prominent her identity or how beautiful she was, Ling Chen wouldn¡¯t show her a friendly face.


    With his temperament, it was already very generous of him not to have killed Liu Xiyao.


    "Why are you here?" Ling Chen asked.


    "Don¡¯t ask so many questions now, hurry in," Liu Xiyao nced left and right down the corridor, and after making sure no one was around, she weed Ling Chen and He Ziyun into the room.


    After closing the door, Ling Chen looked around at the environment. Although this was an underground base, the conditions here were no worse than those of a five-star hotel. The luxury of the ce was indicative of Liu Xiyao¡¯s status and identity here.


    "Follow me," Liu Xiyao hurriedly led Ling Chen and the other into the next-door storeroom after they entered. She moved the piled-up items in the corner, revealing a square floor tile.


    At Liu Xiyao¡¯s gesture, Ling Chen lifted the floor tile. Suddenly, below was a narrow and enclosed space.


    "The people outside wille looking soon; you¡¯d better hurry and hide in here," Liu Xiyao urged anxiously.


    Ling Chen said helplessly, "Such a small ce can¡¯t fit two people." With that, he turned to He Ziyun, "Mr. He, you go in first; I¡¯ll find another ce."


    "You should go instead, I..."


    He Ziyun was about to refuse when he heard Liu Xiyao say, "Stop going back and forth. Old man, please go in, I will find another ce for Ling Chen to hide."


    Hearing this, He Ziyun didn¡¯t hesitate anymore and quickly jumped down. The space here was small, but there were porous venttion ducts installed inside. Even if the floor tile was closed, it wouldn¡¯t cause suffocation. Moreover, there was amp inside, as well aspressed biscuits and mineral water; food and drink were all avable. It was like a simple shelter.


    Once He Ziyun was ready, Ling Chen immediately put the floor tile and other items back in ce. This way, no one would be able to tell that there was a person hidden there.


    Leaving the storeroom, Ling Chen asked curiously, "How can you have such a ce here?"


    "When this base was first built, many factors were considered, including invasions from outside. If the base is destroyed and there¡¯s no chance to escape, we can hide inside and wait for rescue."


    So that was it!


    Ling Chen nodded, then asked, "You haven¡¯t answered my question yet. Howe you¡¯re here?"


    "Do you still remember what I told you before?"


    "I remember."


    Liu Xiyao had once told him that she was a bastard child and her father was a member of a significant family. Due to various reasons, she had suffered a great deal of humiliation. Later, she met a kind person who took her around different countries and raised her. That person¡¯s identity was a high-ranking official within God Organization.


    "Are you saying that person brought you here?"


    "I¡¯ve been here for several months now."


    No wonder!


    During this time in East Sea City, Ling Chen hadn¡¯t heard a single piece of news about Liu Xiyao; it turns out she had been brought here.


    As he pondered, Ling Chen had a thought and asked, "The person you mentioned, wouldn¡¯t happen to be the person in charge of this base, would they?"


    "He indeed is; I only found out this time. He never revealed his identity within the God Organization before."


    "Do you know where he is right now?"


    "He had to leave because of some business and might not return for a couple of days."


    "Aren¡¯t you afraid that he will punish you for helping me like this? The God Organization has always been ruthless towards those who betray them, never showing any mercy."


    Miss Liu sighed softly and said in a mncholy tone, "He saved me years ago and made me who I am, for which I am grateful. However, this gratitude is only towards him personally, not for his actions. I have never fully understood the doings of the God Organization and didn¡¯t wish to get too involved. But while staying at the base recently, I¡¯ve seen too many uneptable things. Although I hate to admit it, I can¡¯t sever my ties to the God Organization. Therefore, I hope to do something to make amends."


    "When you were captured the other day, I received the news and have been thinking of ways to rescue you. Luckily, that man trusts me enough to grant me significant authority. However, I fear I can¡¯t hide this for long; they will eventually trace it back to me."


    "Don¡¯t worry, as long as I can get away, I¡¯ll take you with me."


    While they were talking, a ¡¯thud thud thud¡¯ knocking sound came from outside the room.


    With a look of concern, Liu Xiyao said, "They¡¯vee looking; you¡¯d better find a ce to hide."


    Hide?


    Ling Chen looked around the room but found no suitable ce to conceal himself.


    As the knocking outside got increasingly urgent, Liu Xiyao, anxious, pulled Ling Chen into her own bedroom and then pointed at therge bed, "Hurry up and get in there, hide under the quilt."


    As she spoke, Liu Xiyao started to strip off her clothes.


    Seeing her actions, Ling Chen was momentarily stunned, his face filled with confusion as he watched her, not understanding her intentions.


    Feeling Ling Chen¡¯s gaze, Liu Xiyao¡¯s cheeks blushed a deep red. Feeling embarrassed, she quickly turned her body away, no longer facing Ling Chen directly.


    "Don¡¯t... don¡¯t look..." Liu Xiyao murmured softly.


    Though her body had been seen by Ling Chen before due to an ident, stripping in front of him now was different. No matter how worldly she may be, as a woman, she still felt the innate shyness stirring within her.


    With a light cough, Ling Chen forced himself to look away from her fairplexion. He then lifted the quilt, slid into it, and covered his body. However, even though he was concealed, the obvious rise in the quilt made it clear someone was underneath.


    At this moment, Liu Xiyao finished stripping down to a set of attractive lingerie and then took a nightgown from behind the door and put it on. Once done, she approached the door.


    Before opening the door, Liu Xiyao tousled her hair purposely, feigning the disheveled look of just having woken up.


    As the door opened, a Caucasian man stood outside, apanied by two of his men.


    "Miss Liu."


    Seeing Liu Xiyao¡¯s attire, the Caucasian man was taken aback for a moment, quickly lowering his eyes to the floor, unable to face her directly for fear of being impolite. He was well aware of this woman¡¯s status in that man¡¯s eyes; in the entire base, she was the one woman he dared not offend.

 Chapter 537 - 533 Escape Plan

    <h4>Chapter 537: Chapter 533 Escape n</h4><h4></h4>


    In the past, because someone gave Liu Xiyao a few extra nces in front of that person, he was killed. Since then, everyone knew the status of Liu Xiyao in that person¡¯s eyes, and no one dared to provoke her easily.


    "Louis, what do you want to see me for?"


    "Miss Liu, two prisoners have just escaped, and we are concerned about your safety, so we came to check on you."


    Liu Xiyao yawned, her demeanornguid and alluring as she said: "I have been sleeping the whole time; I know nothing of any escapees. If you wish to search, feel free. Just don¡¯t disturb my sleep."


    Having said that, Liu Xiyao turned around and walked back to the bedroom, casually closing the door behind her.


    Watching Liu Xiyao¡¯s departing figure, Louis signaled with his eyes to the two subordinates behind him, who immediately understood and quickly entered the room to search.


    A moment passed, and the two subordinates returned to Louis, shaking their heads, "We found nothing."


    "Have you checked everywhere?"


    "Everywhere, only..." one subordinate hesitated, his eyes ncing towards Liu Xiyao¡¯s bedroom.


    Louis immediately understood, he walked to the bedroom door, raised his right hand, and made a knocking gesture. However, after hesitating for a long time, his hand ultimately did not knock.


    "Forget it, there¡¯s no need to check here, Miss Liu probably has nothing to do with this. Let¡¯s go and check elsewhere," Louis said.


    At this moment, inside the spacious bedroom, Ling Chen was curled up in bed, surrounded by a faint fragrance that made him feel drowsy. Especially with the presence of a snow-white delicate body lying beside him, the temptation was immense, making him want to hold the beauty tight and sleep deeply.


    Lost in wild thoughts, he heard Louis¡¯s voice from outside the bedroom: "Miss Liu, we¡¯re heading back now. We apologize for the intrusion, and hope you won¡¯t be offended."


    Liu Xiyao did not respond, merely replying with azy nasal sound to their words.


    Only when the sound of the door closing echoed from outside did Liu Xiyao¡¯s tense face gradually rx. She took a deep breath, lifted the covers, and spoke softly, "Get up; they¡¯ve left."


    Watching Liu Xiyao get up and disperse the fragrance, Ling Chen couldn¡¯t help feeling a pang of regret. He wondered if it was due to his progression in the Prajnaparamita Sutra, as his resistance toward women seemed to be growing weaker. Just seeing any modestly pretty girl would provoke a reaction from his body, let alone an exceptional beauty like Liu Xiyao.


    Standing by the bedside, Liu Xiyao smoothed her bangs, wrapped her sleeping robe tightly around her, and looked at Ling Chen, who was still lying under the covers, asking, "Why aren¡¯t you getting up?"


    "Well..." Ling Chen replied with an awkward smile, "I was rather tired just now, I¡¯d like to lie down a little longer. Could you please get me a ss of water?"


    "Okay, just wait!" Liu Xiyao, unsuspecting, turned and left the bedroom.


    As he watched her leave, Ling Chen silently heaved a sigh of relief. If he didn¡¯t find an excuse to make Liu Xiyao leave, his bulging part might have embarrassed him.


    Once his body returned to normal, Ling Chen got out of bed, walked straight into the living room, and then released He Ziyun who was hiding in a storage room.


    "Liu, having stayed at this base for so long, you must know how to get out, right?"


    With a bitter smile, Liu Xiyao shook her head, "Leaving this ce is not as simple as you imagine. The base¡¯s security is extremely strict. It¡¯s easy toe in, but very difficult to get out. Anyone who wants to leave must be apanied by Louis; he is the only pass allowed here. Even I can¡¯t defy the rules they have set. It¡¯s too troubling, so I spend most of my time in my room and rarely go out."


    At that moment, Liu Xiyao seemed to remember something and added, "Right! Aside from the route you took toe here, there is another waterway for leaving. To my knowledge, arge entranceway has been carved out on the other side of the mountain, which has been turned into a port where all cargo shipse and go. Inside the base, there¡¯s a designated path that only leads to the port. However, there is a special guard post at the entrance to that path, and only personnel responsible for the port¡¯s cargo handling are allowed in."


    Hearing this, Ling Chen¡¯s mind stirred, asking, "Can you get a pass for that guard post?"


    "No use. Like I said, this base doesn¡¯t use passes. To prevent theft, they canceled all use of passes and ID cards. Here, each checkpoint uses the most primitive method¡ªfacial recognition. To my knowledge, the base employs over two hundred workers, more than forty researchers, and over a hundred security personnel, nearly five hundred in total. Members of each department are familiar with each other, and checkpoint officers have a deep impression of these workers. They use their eyes to verify identities before allowing passage. So, you basically can¡¯t fake it."


    After Liu Xiyao finished speaking, Ling Chen and He Ziyun exchanged a nce, both revealing a solemn look in their eyes.


    The God Organization¡¯s regard for this base far exceeded their expectations. If it really was as Liu Xiyao described, their chances of escaping were almost nil. As soon as they left this room, they would be instantly detected by the other side.


    While pondering, Liu Xiyao spoke again, "Actually, there is a way, but it¡¯s very risky."


    "Let¡¯s hear it."


    "I have ess to login to the system, and through that ess, I can shut down the entire system. Once the system is shut down, they will definitely reboot it, which takes three minutes. In short, we need to escape within those three minutes."


    "Three minutes..." Ling Chen pondered for a moment before saying, "That shouldn¡¯t be a big problem for us."


    "You¡¯re thinking too simplistically," He Ziyun interjected. "Don¡¯t forget the Lucifer experiment. Since this base is so important to the God Organization, do you think they won¡¯t have top experts stationed here? Once these experts appear, three minutes is nowhere near enough time for us to escape."


    Liu Xiyao interjected, "What I just mentioned is only the first step of escaping the base. The second step is to leave this ind. There are only two types of transportation on the ind avable for us to use: one is the airne, and the other is a ship."


    After some thought, Ling Chen said, "It shouldn¡¯t be too difficult to get a motorboat."


    "No use. Do you know our current location? As far as I know, the ind we are on is surrounded by hundreds of miles of ocean with nond in sight, just a few deste inds. We cannot possibly reachnd with just a motorboat unless it¡¯s arge cargo ship. Additionally, that airne only arrives at the ind at specific times to deliver supplies and doesn¡¯t stay long."


    Listening to Liu Xiyao¡¯s words, a profound sense of powerlessness surged within Ling Chen¡¯s heart.


    In that case, they had no chance of escape at all.

 Chapter 538 - 534 The Whereabouts of Little Hua

    <h4>Chapter 538: Chapter 534 The Whereabouts of Little Hua</h4><h4></h4>


    Liu Xiyao looked at the pensive Ling Chen and said, "In two more hours, that airne willnd on the ind. You better make a decision quickly. I¡¯m worried that after Louis reports to that person, he will revoke our privileges."


    Ling Chen turned to He Ziyun and asked, "Mr. He, do you have any suggestions?"


    "Since there are no other options, we can only take a risk. Ling Chen, when we act, you take Miss Liu and leave first."


    "What about you?"


    "I¡¯ll go look for Little Hua and try to take her with us. Also, I¡¯ll draw their attention to prevent you from getting ambushed."


    "That won¡¯t do." Without even thinking, Ling Chen immediately refused: "Mr. He, if we¡¯re leaving, we should leave together. How can we leave you alone to take risks?"


    "I¡¯m old, dying is just dying. It¡¯s different for you; you¡¯re still young and have a long future ahead. If my old life can exchange for both of your lives, then it¡¯s worth it."


    "Mr. He..."


    "Enough! Let¡¯s settle on that. We have two hours left; take the time to rest." After speaking, He Ziyun got up and walked into the guest room arranged by Liu Xiyao.


    After He Ziyun left, Ling Chen sat silently on the sofa, his eyebrows tightly furrowed, his eyes flickering with anger like Mo Che.


    If anything goes wrong this time, the Secret Society is undoubtedly to me. Without their betrayal, he and He Ziyun wouldn¡¯t have ended up in this situation.


    Taking a deep breath, Ling Chen calmed down and looked at Liu Xiyao beside him, asking, "Liu, I have a question. Who is that person you mentioned? What is his name?"


    "His name is Lin Guodong."


    "A Huaxia person?"


    "Yes, he should be over fifty this year, but he looks like he is in his thirties, quite young-looking."


    "Lin Guodong..." Ling Chen muttered the name, with no impression. He had always thought that besides Mr. Yun, the other high-level members of the God Organization were foreigners. But now, it seems this is not the case. To be in charge of this contingency base, his influence within the God Organization must rank within the top three.


    This is a big fish!


    If he can leave here alive, he must capture this guy.


    "Ling Chen, can I ask you a favor?" Liu Xiyao hesitated for a moment before asking.


    "Tell me, as long as I can do it, I will not refuse."


    "If... I mean, if one day Lin Jiadong is captured by you, I hope you can spare his life. No matter what, I owe him too much in this life. He was once married, and his daughter died from a strange illness at the age of five. He took me by his side mainly because I look like his daughter. Over the years, he has always treated me as his own daughter; I don¡¯t want him to get hurt. Ling Chen, I know my request is excessive, but..."


    "You don¡¯t have to say anymore," Ling Chen interrupted Liu Xiyao, saying, "Since you¡¯ve spoken, I¡¯ll try my best to spare his life."


    "Thank you!"


    "Thank me for what? Let¡¯s escape first."


    As they were talking, the phone in the room suddenly rang.


    Liu Xiyao nced at thendline on the cab, stood up, and picked up the receiver. Whatever the person on the other end said, Liu Xiyao¡¯s face slightly changed. After a while, she forced a smile and replied softly, "Okay, I understand."


    After hanging up, Liu Xiyao returned to Ling Chen¡¯s side and said with a bitter smile, "Our ns might need to change."


    "What happened?"


    "He just called, saying there is a very important transaction today, but he can¡¯t make it back in time, so he asked me to stand in for him, in one and a half hours."


    "A transaction?" Ling Chen asked, "What transaction?"


    "He didn¡¯t say; he just told me to go with Louis, and the guest will arrive in an hour."


    Ling Chen pondered for a moment, his lips suddenly curling up with a light smile.


    Liu Xiyao, puzzled, asked, "What are you smiling at?"


    "This is a rare opportunity for us. Since there are important guests, it will be easier for us to cause chaos. Moreover, the guest will certainlye by ne, which we can take advantage of." After that, Ling Chen changed the topic, "By the way! Do you have anymunication devices here? It would be convenient to contact us at that time."


    "No. All wireless signals inside the base are blocked, except for thendline phones, all othermunication devices are useless."


    "Is that so..." Ling Chen thought for a moment and then said, "You are more familiar with this ce than I am;ter, you help me draw a simple map, so I can find you."


    "In the base, there is a special guest reception room, they will definitely take the guests there," Liu Xiyao took out paper and pen, and while speaking, she drew the route to the guest reception room.


    ...


    An hourter, a small Boeing jet flew in from the sky and slowlynded on the runway of the ind.


    At that moment, at one end of the runway, Liu Xiyao, dressed in a flowing purple gown, wearing snowy white pearl earrings and a pendant, her skin fair as snow, exuded an ¨¦l¨¦gance and noble aura, giving off a stunning impression.


    Standing beside Liu Xiyao was a Caucasian man, none other than Louis.


    The two, one on the left and one on the right, quietly awaited the arrival of the guests, escorted by over a dozen security personnel.


    After a while, the cabin door opened, and a middle-aged man in a suit briskly walked down. Following him were three subordinates, two men and one woman, all around thirty years old, the woman wearing a mask, her specific age unclear.


    Seeing the middle-aged man approaching, Liu Xiyao greeted him with a warm smile and a polite greeting, "Mr. Tang, hello, wee to the ind."


    The middle-aged man returned the greeting with a gentle smile, slightly bowing in a gentlemanly manner, "You must be Miss Liu."


    "Mr. Tang, pleasee inside!"


    Without much ado, they took a track vehicle into the base.


    Once in the guest room, Liu Xiyao sat discreetly to the side, not saying much, but giving Louis the floor.


    "Mr. Tang, did you bring your goods?" asked Louis.


    The middle-aged man gave a faint smile, "Mr. Louis, this isn¡¯t my first time dealing with the God Organization, so I know it¡¯s sometimes wise to hold back. If I brought the goods directly, wouldn¡¯t that be a loss? Since it¡¯s a business, both sides need to respect integrity." As he spoke, the middle-aged man gestured, and the woman standing behind him immediately stepped forward, handing a tabletputer to Louis.


    Louis casually opened the video, and a girl around five or six years old appeared on the screen, curled up in a corner, hugging her knees, a pitiful sight.


    If Ling Chen were here, he would certainly recognize that the girl in the video was none other than Little Hua.

 Chapter 539 - 535 Mr. Tang

    <h4>Chapter 539: Chapter 535 Mr. Tang</h4><h4></h4>


    "Mr. Louis, this is the person you wanted, isn¡¯t it?" the middle-aged man asked with a smile.


    Louis nodded and said, "Exactly. Where is she, and when can I see her?"


    "Don¡¯t worry, she¡¯s in a very safe ce. After weplete the transaction, I will definitely hand her over to you. Mr. Louis, isn¡¯t it time for you to let me meet the person I want?"


    Louis put down the tablet he was holding and said, "Mr. Tang, I¡¯m very sorry!"


    "What do you mean?" The middle-aged man¡¯s smile froze slightly as he asked.


    "We had captured Ling Chen and another person, but there were some problems, which led to their escape. However, you don¡¯t need to worry. Though they have escaped, they are still within this base, and sooner orter we will find them. Before that, I hope you can give me a day or two, I will settle things as quickly as possible."


    The middle-aged man frowned and said displeasedly, "Mr. Louis, since the person isn¡¯t in your hands, you should have informed me in advance. Had I known earlier, I wouldn¡¯t have traveled all this way, wasting time."


    "Mr. Tang, please cool down. It¡¯s only a dy of a day or two, it won¡¯t take too much of your time. Besides, Mr. Lin has instructed me that he will try his best topensate for your loss in this matter."


    After pondering for a while, the middle-aged man asked, "When can I meet Mr. Lin?"


    "Mr. Lin has some personal matters to deal with, and he probably won¡¯t return for a few days. If Mr. Tang has the time, why not stay for a few more days? Once Mr. Lin is back, he will certainly take good care of you."


    Hearing this, the middle-aged man hesitated for a moment, then nodded, "Alright, I do have some matters I would like to discuss with Mr. Lin in person." After finishing his words, the middle-aged man changed the topic, "There¡¯s another matter, Mr. Louis, remember our agreement, I want Ling Chen and that person alive. If they die, don¡¯t me me for canceling our deal."


    "Mr. Tang, if I may be so bold to ask, do you have some personal grudge with Ling Chen?"


    "That¡¯s my personal affair, you¡¯re better off not knowing."


    "In that case, I won¡¯t ask anymore." After finishing speaking, Louis beckoned over a subordinate, instructing, "Take Mr. Tang to their amodation, remember to treat them well, do not neglect our honored guest."


    "Mr. Tang, this way, please!"


    After seeing the guest off, Liu Xiyao slowly rose to her feet and said, "If there¡¯s nothing else, I¡¯ll be leaving."


    "Miss Liu."


    Louis called out to Liu Xiyao who was about to leave, catching up to her, "Miss Liu, don¡¯t rush off. I have something to discuss with you, pleasee with me."


    Liu Xiyao nced at the clock on the wall, a trace of worry shing in her beautiful eyes. ording to their n, Ling Chen was about to take action in a minute or two. Leaving with Louis at this time would make it very difficult for her to meet up with Ling Chen.


    With these thoughts, Liu Xiyao felt at a loss for a moment.


    "Miss Liu, what¡¯s wrong? Do you have something even more important to do?" Louis asked with a meaningful tone.


    "No... nothing." Liu Xiyao, fearing arousing Louis¡¯s suspicion, said calmly, "Let¡¯s go. Let¡¯s get things done quickly, I still need to go back and rest."


    Meanwhile, in the room where Liu Xiyao was staying, Ling Chen was sitting on the sofa, fiddling with aptop. Theputer was already connected to the base¡¯s system; he just had to press the enter key to shut down the entire system.


    "Ling Chen, the time is almost up, we can start now," He Ziyun reminded him from the side.


    Ling Chen nodded and ced his finger on the enter key. However, just as he was about to shut down the system, a rustling noise suddenly came from the door.


    Someone!


    A thought crossed Ling Chen¡¯s mind¡ªcould it be Liu Xiyao? This idea was immediately dismissed by Ling Chen. Judging by the sounds outside, there was more than one person.


    Had their location been exposed?


    As thoughts raced in his head, Ling Chen quickly got up and dashed into the bedroom. Simultaneously, He Ziyun swiftly retreated to the utility room, leaving the door ajar, secretly watching the movements at the entrance.


    After a while, the door opened, and several fully armed men stepped inside.


    Ling Chen, hiding in the bedroom, heard the footsteps approaching closer and his brow furrowed instantly. The presence of these men at this moment suggested only two possibilities: either the enemy had started to suspect Liu Xiyao, or Liu Xiyao had betrayed them. In his heart, Ling Chen hoped it was the former possibility. But given Liu Xiyao¡¯s past actions, Ling Chen¡¯s mind swung with uncertainty.


    Backed against the wall, Ling Chen held his breath, listening intently to the steps of the opposition. Soon, a hand pushed open the bedroom door.


    The moment the door opened, Ling Chen, without saying a word, spun around and threw a punch, knocking the man down to the ground.


    At that moment, He Ziyun, hiding in the utility room, leaped into action. In the blink of an eye, the men in the living room had been taken down without firing a single shot.


    Looking at the several unconscious men on the floor, Ling Chen walked up, picked up the guns from the ground, and put several grenades into his pockets.


    Once everything was ready, Ling Chen checked the time and went straight to theputer, pressing the enter key.


    In an instant, the living room lights went out. But just a few secondster, the emergency lights came on.


    "Go!" He Ziyun said sternly.


    They had only three minutes; every second counted.


    As the system shut down, allputer-controlled doors in the base opened. Along the way, Ling Chen and He Ziyun had a clear path, heading swiftly towards the exit.


    "That¡¯s far enough, Ling Chen."


    Hearing He Ziyun¡¯s voice, Ling Chen nodded and cautioned, "Mr. He, be very careful."


    "You too."


    After speaking, He Ziyun tapped his toes lightly and dashed like a breeze down another corridor.


    As per their original n, He Ziyun would go to find Little Hua¡¯s whereabouts and meanwhile distract the enemies¡¯ attention to give Ling Chen ample time to escape.


    After seeing He Ziyun off, Ling Chen pulled out the crude map drawn by Liu Xiyao and located the reception room, then hurried over.


    Bang!


    Suddenly, a gunshot rang out, a bullet flew past Ling Chen¡¯s side, hit the wall, and sparked.


    Seeing the security personnel ahead blocking his way, Ling Chen didn¡¯t hesitate¡ªimmediately pulling a grenade from his pocket and tossing it forward.


    Boom!


    The explosion rocked the corridor, with fire and smoke billowing everywhere.


    Ling Chen, with a gun in hand, didn¡¯t stop for a second, continuing his race to the destination. For him, the pressing priority was to find Liu Xiyao and escape the base as quickly as possible.

 Chapter 540 - 536: Breaking Through the Encirclement

    <h4>Chapter 540: Chapter 536: Breaking Through the Encirclement</h4><h4></h4>


    At this moment, in a luxurious guest room within the base, the middle-aged man who called himself Mr. Tang slightly furrowed his brows, pacing back and forth in the living room with a tinge of worry in his eyes.


    Beside him, the young girl wearing a mask gazed at the doorway, her anxious feelings inly evident in her clear eyes.


    Just then, the door opened, and two men, one after the other, hurried in.


    Seeing the neers, the middle-aged man couldn¡¯t wait to ask, "What¡¯s the situation outside?"


    "We¡¯ve just checked; the base¡¯s systems have been shut down, and there¡¯s been a firefight in the residential area."


    "Is it Ling Chen?"


    The two men looked at each other and said, "Other than him, we can¡¯t think of anyone else."


    "This guy..." The middle-aged man felt somewhat helpless.


    "Master, what should we do now?" asked the girl with the mask. "With Ling Chen acting like this, our n is probably not going to work."


    After a moment of contemtion, the middle-aged man immediately made a decision: "Find Ling Chen, and let¡¯s all leave this ce together."


    ...


    At this point, Ling Chen had already reached the reception room following the simple map drawn by Liu Xiyao. However, the room was already empty, and Liu Xiyao was not there at all.


    Checking the time, there was less than two minutes left. Ling Chen was secretly anxious; time was limited, and Liu Xiyao¡¯s whereabouts were unknown, making it anybody¡¯s guess where to find her. For a moment, Ling Chen found himself caught between a rock and a hard ce.


    If he went to look for Liu Xiyao, there definitely wouldn¡¯t be enough time, and they would all get trapped in the base. Alternatively, he could try to find a way to escape by himself, leaving the ind first. After all, he knew the location of the ind and could contact Qiao Zhenter to send arge force to rescue the others.


    However, his only concern was whether He Ziyun and Liu Xiyao could hold out that long.


    As thoughts raced through his mind, Ling Chen gritted his teeth and made an instant decision.


    Leaving the reception room, Ling Chen hadn¡¯t gone far when he heard a flurry of hurried footstepsing from nearby. Without any time to think, he pressed himself against the wall, hiding his body. Soon after, he saw an armed team pass by him.


    Judging by the direction this team was heading in, they seemed to be nning to go to the area where He Ziyun was located. He Ziyun had said he would try to draw the enemy¡¯s attention, and it seemed he had seeded.


    As the team was about to move away, Ling Chen suddenly took a quick stride and swiftly pounced, hugging thest member of the team. Without letting the person speak, he covered their mouth firmly and dragged them into a corner.


    "If you don¡¯t want to die, you¡¯d better keep quiet," Ling Chen said in a cold voice, pointing his gun at the man¡¯s forehead.


    Seeing the personply, Ling Chen asked, "Tell me, where is Liu Xiyao?"


    "I don¡¯t know."


    At this response, Ling Chen¡¯s brows furrowed, his finger poised to pull the trigger. Seeing his action, the man was startled and quickly pleaded, "I... I really don¡¯t know."


    Ling Chen thought for a moment and simply changed the question: "Then where¡¯s Louis?"


    Liu Xiyao had disappeared, so she must be with Louis.


    "At a time like this, he should be in the Control Room."


    After finding out the location of the Control Room, Ling Chen nodded and said, "Since you¡¯ve cooperated, I¡¯ll spare your little life," and then he raised his hand high and smashed the butt of his gun into the back of the man¡¯s neck.


    With the information provided by the man, Ling Chen quickly made his way through the corridors. Along the way, he encountered many security personnel, all heading towards another district.


    What on earth had Mr. He done to attract everyone over there? Ling Chen wondered to himself.


    As he pondered, Ling Chen halted his steps, his gaze drawn to a firmly locked door.


    Finally found it!


    Seeing over twenty security personnel guarding the door, Ling Chen pulled out thest two grenades from his pocket and threw them over.


    "Grenades! Run!"


    As the grenades tumbled from mid-air, the dozens of security guards¡¯ faces instantly changed color as they dived towards the ground.


    Boom! Boom!


    In the midst of the loud explosions, the floor was instantly sted open with tworge holes. The shockwave from the grenades sent countless fragments flying, piercing into everyone¡¯s bodies.


    For a while, the scene was filled with agonizing cries, with limbs and severed arms everywhere, blood flooding the floor.


    Ling Chen walked past, giving a final shot to any severely wounded guards who were not yet dead, ending their lives.


    Standing in front of the Control Room¡¯s door, Ling Chen looked around and discovered that the door was controlled manually rather than electronically, requiring it to be opened from the inside. Moreover, the door was extremely solid, made of steel tes more than ten centimeters thick; even grenades might not be enough to st it open.


    At that moment, inside the Control Room, a security personnel anxiously reported, "Mr. Louis, we¡¯re under attack outside."


    Louis nced at the locked door and sneered coldly, "Don¡¯t bother with it. They won¡¯t breach our defenses." Then, turning to the busy operatives in front of theputers, he asked, "How much longer until the system reboots?"


    "Thirty seconds."


    "Good." Saying this, Louis looked toward Liu Xiyao beside him and with a half-mocking tone said, "Miss Liu, you haven¡¯t said a word this whole time. Judging by your expression, you seem worried about something."


    Liu Xiyao replied indifferently, "The base is under attack. Shouldn¡¯t I be worried?"


    "Do you really think that?"


    "What¡¯s that supposed to mean?" Liu Xiyao said displeased, "If you¡¯re suggesting something, juste out and say it. There¡¯s no need to beat around the bush."


    Louis withdrew his gaze and spoke with emphasis, "Mr. Lin instructed me that you are to stay with me at all times until he returns. Whether it¡¯s eating or sleeping, you must remain within my line of sight."


    Hearing this, Liu Xiyao¡¯splexion slightly changed, a hint of tension flickering in her beautiful eyes.


    "The system has rebooted."


    At this moment, an excited voice came from a worker in front of theputers.


    Louis nodded and methodically issuedmands: "Connect me to the surveince of Sector C. I want to know the situation there."


    "Yes."


    Within moments, several surveince feeds appeared on therge screen.


    In the footage, an old man was surrounded by dozens of security personnel. Despite the fierce gunfire, the old man moved agilely and with ease, not at all daunted by the bullets. It wasn¡¯t long before the old man found an opportunity to charge into the crowd, and in the blink of an eye, several guards were killed.


    Seeing this, Louis¡¯s expression turned sour.


    "Issue my order for everyone to fall back."


    Fall back?


    The worker hesitated and asked, "Are we giving up the defense of Sector C?"


    "Who said we¡¯re giving up." Louis said with a cold smile, "We¡¯ll leave him be; naturally, someone else will deal with him."


    "Yes." Without further hesitation, the worker carried out themunication and ryed the orders.

 Chapter 541 - 537 Wei Quan

    <h4>Chapter 541: Chapter 537 Wei Quan</h4><h4></h4>


    "Mr. Louis."


    At this moment, a staff member reported, "Mr. Tang has disappeared."


    "Disappeared?" Louis¡¯s expression changed slightly as he spoke in a deep tone, "What happened?"


    "I don¡¯t know. Their room is equipped with surveince cameras, I just checked, and there¡¯s nobody inside. Mr. Tang and his entourage have all vanished."


    Louis sneered to himself, "It seems those guys weren¡¯t sincere about working with us. Activate all surveince, we must find their whereabouts at all costs."


    "Yes."


    ...


    District C.


    He Ziyun watched the retreating security personnel, yet he couldn¡¯t rx. With his years of experience, he faintly sensed a whiff of unease.


    As he pondered, a series of crisp footsteps suddenly echoed in the corridor. He Ziyun looked up and saw a person appearing at the end of the passage. To be precise, it was a man in his forties. His stride was strong, his posture upright, and a sharp light shone in his eyes.


    As the man approached, He Ziyun immediately felt an overwhelming aura.


    A master!


    He Ziyun¡¯s pupils contracted slightly. The man before him was not just a master, but a master ranked on the Earthly List.


    No wonder those security guards had withdrawn, it turned out a master had been dispatched.


    "He Ziyun." The man spoke coldly, "I know you, ranked seventh on the Earthly List."


    "Who are you?"


    "Wei Quan."


    "As a Huaxia national, you assist the God Organization in targeting your own countrymen, don¡¯t you feel ashamed?"


    Wei Quan¡¯s lips curled slightly, his smile cold as he said, "I don¡¯t care about that. As long as I can be stronger, I¡¯m willing to do even the most shameful things. A year ago, I was just an obscure figure, unknown in the Martial Arts world. But today, a yearter, I¡¯ve be a master of the Earthly List. For me, this ce is and of fortune, it is where I was reborn."


    "People like you, even with high Martial Arts skills, are still the scum of the Martial Arts world."


    "Is that so? Well then, I shall see for myself who is the scum."


    As his words fell, Wei Quan sneered, suddenly leaning forward with the power of his legs. In an instant, he had closed in on He Ziyun, his fist hurtling towards the face.


    He Ziyun stepped back, his waist bending backwards, dodging Wei Quan¡¯s fist. Then, he shifted his feet lightly, moving to Wei Quan¡¯s side, his palm slightly raised and slowly pressing out. His movement seemed slow, but the Inner Strength it contained reached a terrifying level. Once hit, it would not necessarily kill, but could at least cause Wei Quan serious injury.


    Sensing the powerful force in the palm, Wei Quan¡¯s face changed in surprise. He tapped his feet rapidly, swiftly evading He Ziyun¡¯s attack range. As He Ziyun¡¯s Inner Strength dispersed in the air, Wei Quan once again closed the distance, throwing punches from left and right, channeling his Power into them and bringing about a gusting sound.


    Through their brief exchange, He Ziyun had gauged Wei Quan¡¯s strength, both of them evenly matched. Now, without avoiding any further, He Ziyun raised his palm, attacking with full force, ready to sh with Wei Quan¡¯s assault.


    But, at that moment, two fierce bursts of wind shot out suddenly from Wei Quan¡¯s sleeves, aiming straight for He Ziyun¡¯s face.


    This sudden change surprised He Ziyun.


    With less than a meter between them, it was impossible for He Ziyun, even with his swift reflexes, to avoid the attack from the sleeve arrows.


    Swoosh!


    In an instant, a deep cut appeared on He Ziyun¡¯s left cheek, his face instantly stained with fresh blood.


    "You are nothing more than this," Wei Quan said with a smirk of triumph.


    "Despicable!"


    "The victor is king; the vanquished is the bandit, what¡¯s wrong with being despicable?"


    After saying that, Wei Quan sneered coldly and pounced on He Ziyun once again.


    Watching the approaching Wei Quan, He Ziyun¡¯s face turned somewhat unsightly. To think that a high-ranking fighter from the Earthly List would resort to such vile tactics. It was truly difficult to guard against an opponent of equal strength using such means.


    Seeing He Ziyun retreating step by step, not daring to confront him head-on, Wei Quan couldn¡¯t help but scoff, "What¡¯s the matter? Scared?"


    After speaking, Wei Quan advanced his steps, ready to continue his aggression. But at this moment, a strong gust of wind suddenly struck from behind.


    "Who is it?"


    Wei Quan¡¯s heart skipped a beat, and he swiftly turned his head to look back. Instantly, he saw a fist rapidly erging in his field of vision.


    "How dare you!"


    Wei Quan roared furiously, quickly shifting his target and swiveled his waist, sweeping his leg in ash.


    As Wei Quan directed his attention behind him, He Ziyun didn¡¯t say a word, his toes lightly tapped the ground, quickly moving closer to Wei Quan and mmed his palm forcefully.


    Trapped between attacks from both front and back, even with Wei Quan¡¯s speed, there was no way to deal with assaults from both sides simultaneously.


    After a brief hesitation, Wei Quan quickly made a decision and focused his attention on He Ziyun. After all, being a powerhouse of the same caliber, the threat from his opponent was far greater than from others.


    Bang!


    Apanied by a muffled sound, a powerful punch smashed harshly onto Wei Quan¡¯s back.


    Instantaneously, Wei Quan¡¯s face turned pale as he felt his internal energy roiling, almost unable to refrain from spitting out blood.


    Strike while the enemy is sick, take their life!


    Seeing Wei Quan wounded, He Ziyun didn¡¯t hesitate at all, immediately intensifying his attack, his palms striking out in rapid session. Caught off guard, Wei Quan¡¯s chest was hit solidly by a palm, his body flying out and heavily crashing to the ground.


    "You... You¡¯re despicable!"


    Wei Quan endured the pain, shouted angrily with blood in his mouth.


    "The victor is king; the vanquished is the bandit, what¡¯s wrong with being despicable?" He Ziyun spoke, "Those words, they seem to be yours, right?"


    "Mr. He, why bother talking nonsense with him, just kill him quickly." Ling Chen urged from the side.


    Originally, Ling Chen wanted to find Liu Xiyao, but the main control room¡¯s door was tightly locked, and he alone had no way to open it. Moreover, the system had already restarted, and there was no point in him staying there. After some thought, he simply came to find He Ziyun to discuss their next move.


    After dealing with Wei Quan, He Ziyun looked at Ling Chen and asked, "What¡¯s your idea?"


    Ling Chen pointed towards the passage ahead and said, "Just now, Louis sent many people to besiege you. I suspect the reason he did this was not because he values you, but because he values the security of this area."


    Hearing this, He Ziyun¡¯s mind stirred, and he said with a hint of realization, "You mean..."


    "This area must be hiding the secrets of the God Organization. Given that we can¡¯t escape for the time being, in my opinion, we might as well look around."


    "That¡¯s a good idea." He Ziyun nodded, agreeing with Ling Chen¡¯s suggestion.


    The two then followed the passage to the end, where they came across arge door sealed with a yellow warning sign.


    "Wei Quan came out from here just now."


    Ling Chen looked around the door and noticed a biometric device that included both fingerprint and retinal recognition on the side.


    "Do you have a way to open this door?"


    Upon hearing He Ziyun¡¯s question, Ling Chen¡¯s gaze shifted and looked at Wei Quan¡¯s corpse, his eyes suddenly lighting up.

 Chapter 542 - 538 Lucifer’s Laboratory

    <h4>Chapter 542: Chapter 538 Lucifer¡¯s Laboratory</h4><h4></h4>


    Ling Chen dragged Wei Quan¡¯s corpse, cing his hand on the fingerprint scanner. After the scan, the red light instantly turned green. After passing the firstyer of authentication, Ling Chen pried open Wei Quan¡¯s eyelids and continued with the retina scan.


    After the dual identity verification wasplete, Ling Chen stared intently at the st-proof door, waiting for it to open. However, more than ten seconds passed without any reaction from the door.


    Could it be that this st-proof door requires additional identity verification? Ling Chen thought to himself.


    During his contemtion, there was a light ¡¯click¡¯ sound, and the st-proof door suddenly cracked open in the middle. Following that, the door slowly opened.


    Seeing this, Ling Chen breathed a sigh of relief.


    Finally, it¡¯s open.


    However, at this moment, in the main control room, Louis was watching Ling Chen and He Ziyun enter through the st-proof door via the surveince camera, a cold smile spilling over his lips.


    "Mr. Louis, is it really a good idea to let them in?" a staff member asked with concern.


    "What¡¯s there to be afraid of. Since they want to go in and have a look, let them go," Louis said unconcernedly. Little do Ling Chen and the others know, if it wasn¡¯t for him remotely operating in the main control room, inputting the final permissions, they would have never been able to enter.


    Such a core area of the base is not that easy to enter.


    At this moment, Ling Chen and He Ziyun were oblivious to what was happening in the main control room; their attention was captured by the equipment behind the st-proof door.


    Behind the st-proof door was a hugeboratory, filled with precision instruments and equipment. However, the most eye-catching was the circr machine in the center.


    The machine looked like a ring with a diameter of about two meters with a support on each side, mping the ring to the floor. On the surface of the ring were many tubr objects, likely infusion tubes, which were connected to various devices.


    Ling Chen noticed that the majority of the equipment in theb seemed to be serving that ring-shaped machine.


    He Ziyun looked at the machine intently and asked in confusion, "What is this machine?"


    "Mr. He, you¡¯ve seen this kind of machine before."


    Hearing Ling Chen¡¯s words, He Ziyun was surprised, "I¡¯ve seen it? Howe I don¡¯t recall..." Before he finished speaking, He Ziyun seemed to remember something, showing a sudden realization, and nodded slowly, "I remember now."


    Actually, Ling Chen was also curious about this machine when he first came in. But the more he looked at it, the more familiar it felt, as if he¡¯d seen it before. It wasn¡¯t until just now that he remembered this machine had appeared in the videos secretly recorded by Blood Wolf.


    This was exactly the equipment needed for Lucifer¡¯s experiments.


    Unexpectedly, they stumbled into such a secretive ce.


    Coming to aputer, Ling Chen pressed a few buttons to start the equipment. As dialog boxes popped up on theputer screen, Ling Chen began to browse through the files stored on theputer. Since he was there, he wanted to find data rted to the Lucifer experiments. If he could take this data with him, he could undoubtedly deal a heavy blow to the God Organization.


    However, after Ling Chen found a few hidden files, he discovered they were all locked and needed passwords to open. Although he knew a bit aboutputers, he wasn¡¯t capable of doing such technical work; it would have been easier if Hu Fei was here.


    Thinking this, Ling Chen moved behind theputer screen, following the monitor¡¯s cables to the wall.


    On the wall was a rectangr metal cab embedded in the wall. Many wires split from the bottom of the metal cab, neatly lined up together.


    ncing at the password lock on the metal cab, Ling Chen clenched his fist tightly and threw a punch at the surface of the cab.


    Bang!


    A crisp sound rang out, and Ling Chen instantly punched a fist-sized hole into the metal cab.


    In the surveince video, Louis looked at Ling Chen¡¯s actions with a bit of confusion, not understanding what Ling Chen was up to. He leaned closer to the surveince monitor, carefully watching Ling Chen¡¯s every move.


    When Louis saw Ling Chen forcefully pull something out of the metal cab, his expression finally changed.


    Damn! He nearly forgot about that crucial thing.


    "Contact the people in Zone C immediately, tell them to act at once, they must kill that man. Quick!"


    "Yes."


    At this time, Ling Chen, holding theputer hard drive he had just torn out, tucked it into his pocket. If there was a chance to leave this damned ce, he could ask Hu Fei for help to check the secret data stored on the hard drive.


    "Ling Chen."


    At this moment, He Ziyun¡¯s voice came from behind.


    Ling Chen, still focused on organizing theputer hard drive, asked without turning back, "Mr. He, what¡¯s wrong?"


    "Ling Chen!"


    He Ziyun¡¯s voice rose again, with a trace of gravity.


    Feeling a change in He Ziyun¡¯s tone, Ling Chen immediately turned around, opening his mouth to speak. But before he could say anything, his gaze was captivated.


    In front of He Ziyun, more than a dozen men had appeared out of nowhere, all in their thirties or forties, each with sharp eyes and a menacing aura.


    Seeing those people closing in, Ling Chen¡¯s heart sank, and he cursed internally.


    There was no need to think about it, these were definitely the Transformed People who had been strengthened through the Lucifer experiments.


    Indeed, how could such an important experimental site not be guarded by experts. They had been too careless; they should have expected this.


    As the dozen or so people surrounded them from all directions, Ling Chen immediately moved towards He Ziyun, backing against him to prevent any surprise attacks.


    "Ling Chen, I¡¯ll try to hold them off for as long as I can. You need to get away quickly."


    As He Ziyun¡¯s words fell, the st-proof door suddenly closed, sealing the only exit of theboratory.


    It¡¯s over!


    Ling Chen silently sneered to himself, as now not even thest hope of escape remained.


    "Kill them all, leave none alive."


    With those words, two men locked their gaze on Ling Chen.


    "Do you choose to end it yourself or shall we make the move?"


    Ling Chen shrugged, silently watching them.


    "Alright, I understand."


    The two men nodded, stepping towards Ling Chen. As they moved, their pace gradually quickened.


    As the two were about to approach within five meters of Ling Chen, who had been standing still, he suddenly reached toward his waist. Before anyone could react, two ¡¯bangs¡¯ rang out, and the two men fell to the ground, each with a hole in their forehead, blood pouring out.


    Seeing theirpanions dead, the others were stunned for a moment, taking a while to recover from the shock.


    "You... despicable!"


    The group red furiously at Ling Chen, their eyes sharp enough to tear him to pieces.


    Ling Chen looked at the gun in his hand and innocently said, "Why are you all looking at me? Is there a rule that says guns can¡¯t be used?"

 Chapter 543 - 539: No Escape

    <h4>Chapter 543: Chapter 539: No Escape</h4><h4></h4>


    Upon hearing Ling Chen¡¯s words, everyone fell silent, as if no one had said guns were off-limits.


    "You, as a martial artist, what skill is there in using a gun?" a man coldly shouted.


    Ling Chen chuckled and retorted, "So it¡¯s skillful for so many of you to bully the two of us?" As he spoke, he nced at the crowd and wryly said, "There are eleven of you left, and my gun should still have seven bullets. Whoever wants to taste a bullet, feel free toe at me."


    "Don¡¯t waste words with him, let¡¯s all go at him together; with so many of us, are we still afraid of him?"


    "Go!"


    However, although more than ten people shouted aggressively, not one dared to step forward, all somewhat wary of the gun in Ling Chen¡¯s hand.


    The two who were just gunned down were Dragon List experts. Though they ranked at the bottom, they were still Dragon List experts and didn¡¯t even have a chance to evade. With this lesson before them, the others were all somewhat frightened, fearing they would be the next to be gunned down.


    Seeing that no one dared to make a move, Ling Chen impatiently said, "Are you going to fight or not? I don¡¯t have time to dawdle with you. If you don¡¯t take action, then we¡¯re going to leave, okay?"


    Saying that, Ling Chen signaled He Ziyun with his eyes, and the two of them, back to back, slowly moved towards the st-proof door.


    A man coldly said, "This door has been locked tight; I¡¯d like to see where you can run."


    "I..." Ling Chen was about to speak, but before he could finish, a sudden loud ¡¯boom¡¯ came from outside the st-proof door. Apanied by the roar, the door vibrated violently.


    What¡¯s going on?


    Ling Chen looked at the st-proof door in surprise, inwardly puzzled.


    Just as he was astonished, the st-proof door was hit again, exploding outward from the outside, with both iron doors deformed, revealing a narrow gap. Although it was tight, it was just wide enough for an adult to squeeze through.


    "Mr. He, let¡¯s go!"


    After a brief moment of shock, Ling Chen quickly reacted, urging loudly.


    Hearing Ling Chen¡¯s shout, He Ziyun hesitated no longer and quickly ran toward the st-proof door.


    Seeing the two ready to escape, a group of masters did not dare to hesitate any longer, and they all started moving, racing towards Ling Chen and He Ziyun, trying to intercept them.


    As the opponents closed in, Ling Chen quickly nced using his peripheral vision, and with a flick of his wrist, he fired a shot.


    Bang!


    A man who was at the forefront instantly fell into a pool of blood, hit directly between the eyebrows, with deadly precision and without any deviation.


    Looking at the body on the ground, the corners of Ling Chen¡¯s mouth curved up into a proud smile. Although he hadn¡¯t used a gun for a long time, his marksmanship had not regressed; on the contrary, it was even more precise than before, which might be due to his increased strength, making his reactions and vision sharper.


    In the future, as long as he carried two guns, which Dragon List expert would dare to mess with him?


    One shot, one kill.


    As he was thinking this, he heard He Ziyun¡¯s voice from behind: "Ling Chen,e quickly."


    Ling Chen shifted his gaze and saw He Ziyun had already crawled through the st-proof door. Without another word, he immediately followed. At this time, the group of masters stood hesitantly, not daring to act rashly. After witnessing Ling Chen¡¯s precise shooting, it would be a lie to say they were not afraid.


    Seizing the opportunity, Ling Chen quickly squeezed through the gap in the st-proof door.


    After leaving theboratory, Ling Chen then realized that besides He Ziyun, there were two unfamiliar men with them. Curiously he asked, "Who are you?"


    "Don¡¯t ask so much now; this is not a ce to stay for long, let¡¯s hurry up and go," one of the men urged.


    Ling Chen asked, "Do you have a way to escape?"


    "Just follow us."


    After speaking, the two men no longer lingered and quickly headed towards the outside of the base.


    "Worthless! A bunch of worthless trash!"


    In the control room, Louis saw the performance of that group of experts through the surveince footage and got infuriated. So many skilled fighters, yet scared stiff by a mere gun, failing to subdue even two people. He really wondered why the organization had spent so much to train these wastes.


    "Mr. Louis, what should we do now?"


    Hearing the staff¡¯s question, Louis took a deep breath, trying to suppress the anger in his heart, and said solemnly, "Send everyone out, no matter the cost, they must not be allowed to escape the base." After he finished, he paused, then coldly added: "Tell those wastes that the God Organization has no use for useless people, if they can¡¯t capture them, then they should go to die."


    "Yes!"


    At this moment, Ling Chen and He Ziyun, following the two men, marched rapidly through the corridors. Before long, the group of four arrived at the site where the railcar was parked.


    Walking along the way, Ling Chen noticed something odd ¨C no one wasing to stop them, as if they were allowed to leave freely.


    "The railcar has been shut down; we can only walk out." one of the men dered after checking the railcar.


    "Let¡¯s go."


    Looking at the pitch-ck tunnel, Ling Chen did not hesitate and took off running. Once through this tunnel, it would mean seeing daylight again.


    However, they hadn¡¯t run a third of the distance when they saw a heavy gate, weighing a thousand kilograms, drop in front of them, sealing the entire tunnel.


    When he first entered, Ling Chen had heard Louis mention that the tunnel was rigged with many traps, making it impossible for anyone to escape. This thousand-kilogram gate must be one of the contingency measures.


    Faced with the heavy gate, Ling Chen turned his gaze to the two unfamiliar men, hoping they had a solution. However, they just shook their heads, making a gesture of helplessness.


    Ling Chen felt somewhat helpless; he had thought these two guys could lead them out.


    Just as he was contemting, two people suddenly rushed from behind in the tunnel. Turning his head, Ling Chen¡¯s expression became peculiar. The two, a man, and a woman, were wearing masks as if afraid of being recognized.


    Moreover, the woman¡¯s eyes dodged upon seeing him, as if she dared not meet his gaze. Even when she approached, she remained behind the suited man, never revealing herself.


    Strange!


    Ling Chen thought to himself that at a nce, the woman felt oddly familiar. However, he wasn¡¯t sure if his feeling was real.


    It was probably the Prajnaparamita Sutra from therge building at work.


    "Are you all in this together?"


    The suited man who had caught up nodded and asked, "We¡¯ve dealt with most of the pursuers, and no one should catch up for now. What¡¯s your situation?"


    No wonder the path was so smooth; they had been helping.


    Ling Chen immediately understood. Pointing at the heavy gate, he said, "This gate has sealed the tunnel; we can¡¯t get through."


    Hearing this, the suited man walked up to the gate, touched it, and seemed to be checking its thickness.


    "This gate is very sturdy. It¡¯s unlikely to open with just human strength."


    "What do we do then?"


    Just as Ling Chen finished speaking, Louis¡¯s voice came through the loudspeakers on both sides of the wall: "Gentlemen, I advise you to stop wasting your efforts. Just surrender peacefully, and maybe I can spare your lives."

 Chapter 544: Episode 540: The Irked Ling Chen

    <h4>Chapter 544: Episode 540: The Irked Ling Chen</h4><h4></h4>


    Ling Chen sighed inwardly, having spent so much effort and still unable to escape. The defenses of this base were too solid; there were no holes to exploit.


    Forget it!


    At this point, all he could do was a desperate attempt.


    Not just him, everyone else felt the same.


    At this moment, in the control room, Louis watched the people disyed on the surveince screen, a cold smile hooking at the corner of his mouth.


    "Send someone over now, arrest them all. Anyone who dares to resist, kill without mercy."


    "Yes!"


    A staff member responded and was about to ry Louis¡¯smand.


    But at that moment, Liu Xiyao, who had been standing to one side, suddenly charged at a security guard with his back turned to her. Before he could react, she snatched a pistol from his holster and aimed it at the people present.


    Seeing Liu Xiyao¡¯s actions, Louis coldly said, "Miss Liu, what are you doing? Put down your gun right now."


    "Sorry, Louis, I can¡¯t do that," Liu Xiyao said, then suddenly swung the gun around and pulled the trigger.


    Bang!


    The gunshot rang out, and the bullet went straight into the control room¡¯s server.


    Bang! Bang! Bang!


    Several sessive shots hammered home, destroying the control room¡¯s mainframe and servers, sparks flying;puter screens instantly turned blue and lost all images.


    A staff member urgently said, "Mr. Louis, the system has crashed."


    Louis¡¯s face darkened as he red at the gun-wielding Liu Xiyao andmanded coldly, "Miss Liu, you¡¯d better put down your gun now, or don¡¯t me me for not being courteous."


    As he finished, Louis drew his pistol, aiming it at Liu Xiyao¡¯s forehead. If Liu Xiyao dared to shoot again, he would not hesitate to pull the trigger.


    Facing the dark muzzle, Liu Xiyao didn¡¯t resist and obediently dropped the pistol she held.


    "Take her away, lock her in a cell first, and wait for Mr. Lin toe back and deal with her."


    Escorted by two security guards, Liu Xiyao left the control room without a word. She had done what she could; whether Ling Chen and the others could escape was now up to their luck.


    Meanwhile, Ling Chen and the others trapped behind the thousand jin gate were prepared for a desperate fight. However, minutes passed without seeing anyone, and instead, the heavy gate behind them opened.


    Without time to think, the group immediately ran towards the outside.


    Until they reached the tunnel entrance, they encountered no danger; it seemed as though all the tunnel¡¯s devices had stopped.


    Regardless, it was at least good news for them.


    "The ne¡¯s over there; you guys go ahead, we¡¯ll cover the rear," the man in the suit said.


    Ling Chen nodded and quickly followed the other two men towards the small Boeing ne. Once on board, one man hurried to the cockpit and notified the pilot to prepare for takeoff.


    Taking advantage of this moment, Ling Chen sat by the window, watching the men and women covering their retreat. After dealing with more than a dozen pursuers, they finally boarded the ne. At the same time, the ne¡¯s speed surged, leaving the security personnel who rushed out of the tunnel far behind. As the ne¡¯s nose lifted, its body swiftly climbed, and soon the aircraft entered the clouds.


    Safe atst, Ling Chen couldn¡¯t help but breathe a sigh of relief, finally allowing himself to rx.


    However, the thought of Liu Xiyao, still trapped in the base, made it impossible for him to feel happy. He had promised to take her with him when leaving, but in the end, he hadn¡¯t kept his promise.


    Thinking of the events that had just transpired, Ling Chen suspected Liu Xiyao might have been involved. Otherwise, why would the thousand jin gate open without reason? Moreover, with so many heavy weapons set up outside the base, all of which failed to fire, it was evident someone was helping them from the shadows to escape.


    While mulling it over, Ling Chen looked at the two men sitting opposite him and asked, "What about those two, where did they go?"


    "Mr. Tang? He¡¯s resting inside."


    "Isn¡¯t it time you tell me your identity now?"


    "We are members of the Secret Society."


    "The Secret Society?" Ling Chen¡¯s expression darkened as he stood up abruptly, saying coldly, "Is it you guys? Good, I was just about to settle the score with you."


    "Mr. Ling, please calm down. It¡¯s not what you think it is."


    "Are you saying the Secret Society didn¡¯t betray me?"


    One of the men exined, "Mr. Ling, you might have misunderstood. We never thought of betraying you. The reason we did this was solely to coordinate with our n."


    "n? What n."


    "It¡¯s like this." The man spoke patiently, "We knew all along about the two secret bases of the God Organization, but since the bases¡¯ locations are highly confidential, we had no way of finding out. We came up with this n to use you as bait to discover the base¡¯s location. You and Little Hua; you¡¯re both part of the n."


    Hearing this, He Ziyun suddenly raised his head and asked word by word, "Little Hua was taken by you?"


    "Yes... We didn¡¯t tell you because we feared you might leak the information and alert the God Organization. Knowing Little Hua¡¯s importance to the God Organization, we used her to negotiate, to pique their interest. ording to the n we originally set, we intended to use Little Hua to trade for you. This way, your safety would be assured."


    "What about Little Hua?" Ling Chen frowned and asked, "ording to your n, are you going to hand Little Hua over to the God Organization?"


    "This..." The man hesitated for a moment before saying, "We had two approaches. We demanded to go to this secret base to carry out the trade. If the God Organization didn¡¯t agree, then we nned to hand over Little Hua as agreed upon and get you back. You¡¯re a former agent with rich experience. As long as you¡¯ve been to that secret base, you should be able to identify its approximate location, which helps us find it. As for Little Hua, the God Organization values her, so she won¡¯t be at risk for her life in the short term; we have plenty of opportunities to rescue her."


    "On the other hand, if the God Organization agreed to our demands, then there¡¯s no need to hand over Little Hua to them since we would already know the location of the secret base. If you hadn¡¯t caused such amotion in the base, we wouldn¡¯t have exposed ourselves so easily. ording to the n, after today¡¯s meeting, we would leave first, then notify the Secret Society¡¯s field agents to strike at the secret base, getting you all out."


    Ling Chen sneered, "You people of the Secret Society are really something, keeping us all in the dark."


    In a grave tone, the man said, "Mr. Ling, we did this to deal a heavy blow to the God Organization, we hope you can understand."


    "Sorry! I am ayman, I understand but I¡¯m not pleased. What do you think of me, that I can be used at your will?"


    "Mr. Ling, no, listen to me..."


    "Shut up!" Ling Chen interrupted coldly.

 Chapter 545 - 541 Petty

    <h4>Chapter 545: Chapter 541 Petty</h4><h4></h4>


    "After the nends, hand over Little Hua immediately. If anything happens to her, none of you will live."


    The man hurriedly said, "Mr. Ling, rest assured, I can guarantee that Little Hua is very well and has not been mistreated." He paused for a moment and then continued, "I know that our n was not thorough enough this time, and I hope you will not take it to heart."


    "I hate being used by others the most in my life. Your Secret Society has investigated my background, so you should understand my character. This is the first and thest time; if anything simr happens again, don¡¯t me me for being ruthless. Now, you two had better disappear from my sight, I don¡¯t want to see you again."


    The two men looked at each other, shook their heads helplessly, and had to get up and leave.


    In the resting room at the rear cabin of the airne, a middle-aged man and a girl wearing a mask were sitting on the sofa, chatting softly.


    When his two subordinates entered, the middle-aged man asked, "Did you make things clear to them?"


    "Mr. Ling, I did tell them, but... Ling Chen seemed very unhappy. He said he doesn¡¯t like being used. I¡¯m worried that this operation might cause him to reject the Secret Society."


    The girl spoke up, "That¡¯s just the way Ling Chen is. Once he knows our identitiester, I believe he won¡¯t mind what happened before."


    "Mr. Ling, why don¡¯t you tell him your identities directly?"


    The middle-aged man shook his head and said, "It¡¯s not time yet." With a slight smile, he continued, "Wouldn¡¯t have thought the kid had quite a personality. Well, let him have his way for now, after all, we were in the wrong this time. As soon as we arrive, take Little Hua to him, then send the three of them back to East Sea City."


    "Yes!"


    ...


    Waking up from sleep, Ling Chen rubbed his eyes and looked out the window to find the airne had already reached the airport and was descending.


    Once the ne stopped in the hangar, Ling Chen and He Ziyun disembarked, only to see a Cadic slowly driving up. When the car came to a halt, a man dressed in a suit and wearing sunsses jumped off from the passenger side and reached out to open the back door.


    Then, Little Hua jumped out of the back seat.


    "Little Hua!"


    Ling Chen¡¯s eyes lit up and he hurriedly waved and called out.


    "Big Brother!"


    Seeing Ling Chen and He Ziyun, Little Hua¡¯s face burst into joyful smiles as she bounced over and hugged Ling Chen¡¯s arm affectionately.


    He Ziyun couldn¡¯t helpughing and said, "You girl, do you even remember I¡¯m your master?"


    "Master," Little Hua sweetly said, "you can rest assured, I haven¡¯t forgotten you."


    Ling Chen habitually stroked Little Hua¡¯s little head and asked with a smile, "They didn¡¯t give you a hard time, did they?"


    Hearing this, Little Hua pouted, her face full of grievance, "They locked me in a dark room and didn¡¯t give me anything to eat. I¡¯ve been hungry for days."


    "Is that so?" Ling Chen¡¯s expression turned cold, and he turned to look at the two men who had juste down from the ne, his sharp eyes like a freshly unsheathed de, revealing its edge.


    Feeling the murderous gaze from Ling Chen, the two men felt a chill down their spines as if a cold breeze had swept over them.


    "What¡¯s the matter... Mr. Ling?"


    "How could you have the face to ask me?" Ling Chen hummed coldly and suddenly raised his fist, smashing it into the man¡¯s nose. Immediately, blood gushed crazily from the nostrils, and the nose bridge was broken.


    The man screamed in pain, holding his bleeding nose with both hands, tears about to flow out.


    "Mr. Ling, what are you...?" The other man looked at Ling Chen, terrified, and involuntarily stepped back, fearing he might be the next victim.


    Ling Chen coldlymanded, "Didn¡¯t you say Little Hua would be well taken care of? But what I¡¯m hearing from her seems quite different from what you told me."


    "This... Mr. Ling, I assure you there¡¯s no such thing, could there be some misunderstanding?"


    "I don¡¯t believe it¡¯s a misunderstanding. She¡¯s right here; you can ask her if you don¡¯t believe me." After saying this, Ling Chen looked at Little Hua and said, "Tell them what you¡¯ve experienced these past few days." After finishing, Ling Chen winked at Little Hua without leaving a trace.


    Smart as Little Hua was, how could she not understand Ling Chen¡¯s intention, and she immediately began toin, "They locked me in a dark room and didn¡¯t give me any food."


    Ling Chen stared coldly at the man and hummed lightly, "Did you hear that?"


    The man hastily exined, "Misunderstanding, Mr. Ling, it must be a misunderstanding, I... ow!" Before he could finish, Ling Chen had kicked him in the abdomen, knocking him to the ground. With intense pain, the man¡¯s face turned pale, and sweat beaded on his forehead.


    "Remember, I won¡¯t pursue it this time, but there won¡¯t be another. Let¡¯s go!"


    After saying this, Ling Chen, holding Little Hua¡¯s hand, walked out of the hangar with He Ziyun.


    When Ling Chen and the others were gone, the middle-aged man and the girl came down from the ne.


    Looking at the sorry state of his two subordinates, the middle-aged man chuckled bitterly and asked, "Are you guys alright?"


    "Mr. Ling, he is making things up. We never mistreated the girl," one manined.


    "I know," the middle-aged man said helplessly, "He just wanted to find an excuse to vent his dissatisfaction. This kid, he really holds a grudge over the smallest things. Forget it, don¡¯t take it too personally, I apologize to you on his behalf."


    "Please don¡¯t say that, sir; we¡¯re not worthy of such an apology from you."


    "Alright, you two go and rest for a bit. There¡¯s still important business to handleter."


    Once the two men left, the middle-aged man turned to the girl beside him and said, "You should manage him better in the future and correct this bad habit of his."


    "Master, it¡¯s not like he¡¯s without anyone to discipline him."


    "Apart from you, I doubt anyone else could handle him."


    ...


    At three o¡¯clock in the afternoon, Ling Chen and his party finally arrived at East Sea International Airport.


    After taking He Ziyun and Little Hua to Qingyun Martial Arts Hall, Ling Chen didn¡¯t stay long and went straight to the Old City in a car.


    Arriving at the courierpany, Ling Chen saw Hu Fei busy working in the office. Besides Hu Fei, Ling Chen was surprised to find that the office now included several young and pretty women, all in their early twenties, with sweet appearances and graceful figures ¨C if not top ss, they were certainly among the best.


    "Fatty, what¡¯s this about?" Ling Chen asked.


    Grinning from ear to ear, Hu Fei said, "Didn¡¯t you promise mest time to let me recruit some people? Here they are."


    Hearing this, if not for the presence of thedies, Ling Chen truly wanted to give him the middle finger. This damn guy actually used the money to bring in so many women, it was unclear whether it was for work or for pleasure.


    Muttering a few words, Ling Chen pulled out a hard drive from his pocket, ced it in front of Hu Fei, and said, "Help me decrypt this and see what kind of data is inside."

 Chapter 546 - 542: Blood Dripping Device

    <h4>Chapter 546: Chapter 542: Blood Dripping Device</h4><h4></h4>


    Hu Fei picked up the hard drive, examined it briefly, then connected it to theputer and said, "Ladies, time to get to work."


    As soon as the words were out, a beauty immediately brought a freshly brewed coffee to Hu Fei. Two other beauties stood behind him on either side, gently massaging his shoulders, and another beauty with freshly washed grapes crouched beside him, feeding him the seedless and peeled grapes from time to time.


    Witnessing this scene, Ling Chen¡¯s eyes widened.


    This fatso... damn, he¡¯s treating himself like an emperor. He¡¯d never enjoyed such treatment in all his years.


    At this moment, Hu Fei¡¯s fingers danced on the keyboard, typing rapidly. After a while, he shook his head and said, "No good!"


    "Why not?"


    "The data on this hard drive are encrypted with something special; it¡¯s going to be pretty tough to crack. How about this, why don¡¯t you leave the hard drive with me, and I¡¯ll try to break into it?"


    Ling Chen asked uneasily, "Are you sure you can handle it?"


    Hu Fei replied discontentedly, "Do you even know who I am? Special encryption is only a bit of a hassle, it¡¯s not easy to stump me. Give me seven or eight days, and I¡¯ll contact you once I have results."


    "Alright then." After saying that, Ling Chen changed the topic, "Oh, one more thing, help me find someone, Lin Guodong, in his fifties, with a square face and a southern ent when he speaks."


    Lin Guodong, the person in charge of the second experimental base; this personal information was provided by Liu Xiyao. Assuming no idents urred, this intel should be enough to find data rted to Lin Guodong.


    "Got it, you head back and wait for my message," said Hu Fei.


    Ling Chen had wanted to stay a bit longer, but seeing Hu Fei¡¯s enjoyment, he really felt like punching him a few times. However, recalling that he needed Hu Fei¡¯s help, he repressed the urge, deciding out of sight, out of mind, and left the office.


    By the time he left the courierpany, it was already past four in the afternoon.


    Having been out of touch for several days, Nanrong Wanqing must be worried sick. Ling Chen hailed a taxi by the roadside and headed straight for Wealthy Manor.


    Once home, Ling Chen entered and saw the empty living room, then he remembered¡ªit was Wednesday, and Nanrong Wanqing would definitely be at work. He should¡¯ve gone directly to Hongyu Group instead ofing home.


    ng!


    While he was thinking, Ling Chen suddenly heard a crisp noise from the rooftop, as if something heavy had fallen to the ground.


    Is there someone else in the house?


    That¡¯s right, it must be that girl Su Lin at home.


    With that thought, Ling Chen walked up the stairs, arrived at Su Lin¡¯s bedroom door, and knocked.


    "Who¡¯s there?" Su Lin¡¯s voice came from inside the room.


    "It¡¯s me."


    "Wait a moment!"


    After about half a minute, the door finally opened, and a blushing Su Lin peeked through the crack, looking at Ling Chen outside and asking, "What do you want?"


    "Nothing, I just heard some noise from your room, so I came to check. Hey, are you okay? Why is your face as red as a monkey¡¯s buttocks? You weren¡¯t..." Ling Chen halted there, choosing not to continue.


    He still vividly remembered the incident of Su Lin¡¯s online purchase ofrge bananas. The girl was alone at home, probably couldn¡¯t bear the loneliness, so... Ling Chen smirked mischievously to himself.


    Seeing the bad smile on Ling Chen¡¯s face, Su Lin¡¯s pretty face turned even redder. Knowing well what the scoundrel was thinking, she fought back the embarrassment and said irritably, "Don¡¯t let your imagination run wild."


    "Who¡¯s fantasizing? We¡¯re all adults here; I can understand. Uh... you carry on, I won¡¯t disturb you," said Ling Chen as he turned around, ready to leave.


    "Stop right there!" Su Lin hastily called out to Ling Chen. She definitely didn¡¯t want Ling Chen¡¯s assumptions to cause any misunderstandings and damage her dylike¡¯ image.


    "What¡¯s up, is there something else?"


    "You..." Su Lin hesitated for a moment and then said, "Come in first."


    Into the room?


    Ling Chen was slightly stunned and asked cautiously, "Is it... appropriate for me to enter now?"


    Su Lin grew anxious and said angrily, "Ling Chen, if you... if you keep talking nonsense, do you believe I¡¯ll goin to Wanqing about you?"


    "Alright alright! I¡¯ming in, isn¡¯t that enough?" Ling Chen, speechless, had to follow Su Lin into the bedroom.


    Once inside the room, Ling Chen¡¯s gaze was immediately drawn to something on the floor.


    This is...


    Ling Chen¡¯s expression changed slightly, and he looked at Su Lin in surprise, asking, "Is this real or fake?"


    "It should... probably be real," Su Lin nced at the object, a hint of fear in her eyes.


    Seeing the reluctance on Su Lin¡¯s face, Ling Chen said helplessly, "You study archaeology; it¡¯s just a skull, is there a need to be so scared?"


    Saying this, Ling Chen picked up the skull that had fallen on the floor, and examined it closely in front of him.


    And sure enough, the skull was not only real but also seemed rather old.


    "Where did you find this thing?"


    "I was bored today, so I went to an auction. I saw an ancient weapon and thought it looked cool. Plus, it was cheap, so I simply bought it, nning to make it a collectible. Who knew... who would have guessed that a skull would suddenly fall out from it."


    "And why was your face all red when you opened the door?" Ling Chen asked curiously. Anyone who saw her like that just now would probably have the wrong idea.


    Su Lin pointed to some food on the table and exined, "When I left the house, I bought some southern specialties, not knowing they would be so spicy." Saying this, she red at Ling Chen with annoyance and chided, "You think everyone¡¯s mind is as dirty as yours, always thinking about unhealthy things."


    Ling Chen gave a small cough to cover his embarrassment and quickly changed the subject, "Uh... let¡¯s not talk about that. By the way, what weapon did you buy?"


    "There! In the box," Su Lin said, pointing to the cardboard box by the bed.


    Ling Chen walked over to the bed, lifted the lid off the box, and saw something that resembled the shape of antern, with several sharp des attached to the bottom, forming a lotus-like shape¡ªquite cool-looking.


    This is...


    Looking at the weapon in front of him, Ling Chen¡¯s mind stirred, and immediately a name came to him.


    The Blood Dripping Device!


    The legendary weapon specifically designed for beheading.


    No wonder there was a skull hidden inside; probably only the Blood Dripping Device could have done this.


    As he pondered, Ling Chen lifted the Blood Dripping Device out of the box and then carefully ced it on the table.


    The bottom of the Blood Dripping Device should have been sealed by the des, but Su Lin had triggered the mechanism, causing all the des toe apart, which led to the centuries-old skull falling out.

 Chapter 547 - 543 Strong Army Plan

    <h4>Chapter 547: Chapter 543 Strong Army n</h4><h4></h4>


    However, Ling Chen found it strange that since the Blood Dripping Device had be an auction item, it should have been inspected. Why did no one discover the skull inside? Could it be that the device¡¯s mechanism went unnoticed?


    After thinking for a while, Ling Chen cast aside the distracting thoughts in his mind and decided not to dwell on it any further. Some things are just like that, hard to figure out what exactly happened in between.


    Putting the skull aside, Ling Chen picked up the Blood Dripping Device and began to study it seriously. This was an ancient hidden weapon, and as far as he knew, very few of the Blood Dripping Devices that existed today were well-preserved.


    The Blood Dripping Device in front of him, both in terms of exterior appearance and internal structure, waspletely intact without a single crack, and could almost be described as perfect.


    "Eh! You just said this thing wasn¡¯t expensive, how much did you pay for it?"


    "Over seven hundred thousand. Someone bid over two hundred thousand, but I couldn¡¯t be bothered to haggle, so I just added five hundred thousand."


    Tsk tsk!


    Rich people are really different, so capricious.


    "What do you n to do with this thing, keep it at home as a collectible?"


    "I don¡¯t know, if you like it, I¡¯ll just give it to you." Perhaps because the skull had fallen out of it, Su Lin was less interested in it, even feeling a bit disgusted, and couldn¡¯t wait to get rid of it by handing it over to Ling Chen.


    "Alright, since you¡¯re so generous, I won¡¯t be polite." Ling Chen didn¡¯t refuse, packing the Blood Dripping Device into a cardboard box and also took the skull with him. From Su Lin¡¯s expression, it was clear she definitely wouldn¡¯t keep the skull in her room as an ornament.


    Back in his room, Ling Chen stuffed the skull into a cab and then started ying with the Blood Dripping Device.


    He had only seen this kind of hidden weapon on television before and was not very familiar with it, nor did he know how to operate it. After several attempts, he was unable to deploy the Blood Dripping Device. Its operation was difficult, and without extensive practice, it was hard to control its direction and force.


    Forget it! He would study it more when he had time in the future.


    By six o¡¯clock, apanied by Zhong Wei and others, Nanrong Wanqing finally returned.


    Having disappeared for several days without any news, Ling Chen naturally had to find an excuse. Fortunately, Nanrong Wanqing was quite familiar with his background, so she didn¡¯t ask too much, only reminded him to be careful outside and not to get into trouble.


    After dinner, Ling Chen sat with Nanrong Wanqing on the living room sofa, talked about love, expressed feelings, and also took some small advantages, which made Ling Chen quite happy.


    However, despite taking advantages, Ling Chen did not dare to be too presumptuous. It wasn¡¯t that Nanrong Wanqing was unwilling, but Ling Chen was afraid he couldn¡¯t control himself.


    Around ten o¡¯clock, Nanrong Wanqing, who had been at work all day, felt sleepy and directly cuddled into Ling Chen¡¯s arms and fell asleep.


    Looking at Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s delicate face and her skin pale as snow, Ling Chen couldn¡¯t help but lean in closer, inhaling her faint body fragrance and gently kissed her cheek.


    When Nanrong Wanqing was fast asleep, Ling Chen took her to the bedroom on the second floor, then returned to his own room, ready to have a good night¡¯s sleep.


    However, not long after hey down and was about to drift off, Ling Chen was awakened by the urgent ringing of his cellphone.


    Picking up the phone, Ling Chen nced at the caller ID and immediately answered, asking, "Fatty, calling me sote, could it be that you¡¯ve got some news?"


    "No news, I¡¯m calling to remind you, you¡¯re in big trouble."


    Hearing this, Ling Chen sat upright on his bed and asked, "What trouble?"


    "I¡¯ve just received intelligence that there have been a lot of suspicious people at East Sea City¡¯s airport and train stations. Additionally, an old acquaintance of yours has also arrived in East Sea City."


    "Old acquaintance? Who?"


    "Yi Shuiyan."


    "Is it him?" Ling Chen was startled and asked, "Do you know the purpose of his visit to East Sea City?"


    "You wouldn¡¯t guess it, just over ten minutes ago, Yi Shuiyan met with those suspicious people I mentioned, and that¡¯s why I¡¯m calling to remind you to be careful."


    "Besides this, is there any more specific intelligence?"


    "Those people are likely members of the God Organization. I¡¯ve just checked, and some of them are individuals who disappeared over a decade ago, with experiences matching those of Jiang Xinwu and others. Hey, I wonder if they could being for you?"


    "I¡¯m afraid so."


    Louis knew that he had taken the hard drive from theb, and if the information on it was especially important, the God Organization would definitely do everything possible to retrieve it.


    However, for Yi Shuiyan to be interacting with those people, could it be... Yi Shuiyan has also joined the God Organization? Since Yi Shuiyan is a disciple of the Dangyang Sect, if he has joined, perhaps the Dangyang Sect is also involved.


    If it was before, Ling Chen might not have considered this possibility. But, with the precedent set by the Han Family, Ling Chen thinks this kind of thing is very likely.


    With less than a month until the New Year, he had hoped for a peaceful celebration, but now it seemed this year might not be so quiet.


    "Fatty, keep an eye on those people, especially Yi Shuiyan. I need to know his every move."


    "You don¡¯t need to tell me; I¡¯ve already instructed my people to do so."


    Hanging up the phone, Ling Chen sighed and once againid back down to sleep.


    ...


    The next day.


    Ling Chen drove Nanrong Wanqing to herpany, then hurried to the West District of East Sea City.


    Upon reaching his destination, he parked the car by the roadside and walked alone into a nearby office building.


    Reaching the thirteenth floor of the office building, as soon as he stepped out of the elevator, he saw ¡¯Dongming Security Company¡¯ in golden letters, with an emblem representing thepany next to it.


    Seeing Ling Chen appear at thepany entrance, a receptionist immediately approached him with a gentle smile on her delicate face, asking, "Hello, sir, how may I help you?"


    "I¡¯m here to see Kai... oh no, I mean President Jiang. Tell him Ling Chen is here to see him for business."


    "Yes, Mr. Ling."


    After the receptionist hung up the phone, shortly after, Jiang Yunkai appeared at the entrance. Before approaching, he began to wave and greet.


    "What brings you here today?"


    "I came to discuss something with you."


    "Come, let¡¯s talk in my office."


    Once in the office, Jiang Yunkai handed Ling Chen a cup of freshly brewed tea and asked, "So, what¡¯s up?"


    "How many staff do the three securitypanies currently have?"


    "Over five hundred in total, but only fifty can be considered elite; the rest are just average. Why, do you need manpower?"


    Ling Chen nodded and said, "I might face some trouble soon, although I can ask others for help, I prefer to rely on my own strength rather than depend on outsiders. I still have a long road ahead, and I can¡¯t always depend on outsiders for help."


    "That makes sense. What¡¯s your n?"


    "I¡¯ve already got the people, what Ick now is equipment. No matter how inexperienced the person, as long as they¡¯re well-equipped, they can form a significant force. What do you think?"

 Chapter 548 - 544 Difficult Trade (1)

    <h4>Chapter 548: Chapter 544 Difficult Trade (1)</h4><h4></h4>


    "You are right about that, but the problem is, if we were to equip them with firearms, it would vite the country¡¯sws. You know full well that the country has very strict gun control, and there are no loopholes for you to exploit."


    "I am aware of that." Ling Chen gave a slight smile and said, "The weapons and equipment I¡¯m referring to are not firearms. We live in an era of advanced technology, our options are not limited to guns; there are many alternatives."


    Jiang Yunkai asked, "What do you suggest, then?"


    Ling Chen¡¯s lips curved upwards, his face bearing a hint of a mysterious smile as he spoke deliberately, "Exoskeleton armor."


    "Exoskeleton armor?" Jiang Yunkai replied, full of curiosity, "What is that?"


    "It¡¯s thetest cutting-edge technology which allows the wearer to multiply their abilities several times over in a short period. However, since the exoskeleton armor is ssified as a secret project by the state, we need to ensure the loyalty of our subordinates, which is the most important point. All members of the three securitypanies were handpicked and nurtured by you; you should know best in this regard."


    Jiang Yunkai nodded and said, "That shouldn¡¯t be a problem, I know who can be trusted."


    "That is for the best. Determine the personnel as soon as possible, then submit me a list."


    "Alright."


    After finalizing the n with Jiang Yunkai, Ling Chen did not stay long and left the securitypany on his own.


    Exoskeleton armor was a recent idea that Ling Chen hade up with. The intelligencework in East Sea City had been fully established, but intelligence alone was not enough; what he needed most at the moment was manpower. He had considered recruiting some experts, but given his circumstances, he doubted many would be willing to serve him. Thus, after much thought, Ling Chen settled on that exoskeleton armor.


    He had personally experienced the power of the exoskeleton armor. If he could use it to build a team, they would be more than capable of handling crises, and he himself would have an easier time.


    Although the technology for the exoskeleton armor was traded to the military, Nanrong Wanqing still retained the core technology of the exoskeleton armor. As long as they kept a low profile, he believed the military would not discover it. Besides, with the old General secretly looking out for him, there should not be any problem.


    On the way back, Ling Chen suddenly received a call from Tang Yuan.


    "Hello! Old Tang, how are things progressing on your end?"


    "Let¡¯s not even talk about it. By the time we got there, that base had been destroyed, not a soul was found, not even bodies. Someone must have been there before us."


    "Really?" Ling Chen was taken aback. The only people who knew about that secret base were he and the members of the Secret Society. If someone had gotten there ahead of them, it had to be the Secret Society.


    "You didn¡¯t find anything?" Ling Chen asked with reluctance.


    "Nothing. All indications are that the people from the base had evacuated a while back, even the equipment was gone."


    "Forget it! They probably knew their location had been exposed, so they left early. I¡¯ll let you know if there¡¯s newster. Oh, and one more thing, do you have any leads on Lin Guodong?"


    "Nothing so far. We¡¯ve searched the national archives, and there are many people named Lin Guodong, but their identities are all clean, without suspicion. I¡¯m beginning to wonder if Lin Guodong is a made-up name, it might not be his real name."


    "Maybe. Ok, let¡¯s not talk about that now, we¡¯ll be in touchter."


    After hanging up, Ling Chen drove his car, intending to go to the Old City to see Hu Fei and ask about Yi Shuiyan and others.


    But as he was driving, before he had entered the Old City area, Hu Fei called.


    "Ling Chen, where are you?" Hu Fei¡¯s voice had a tinge of urgency.


    "I was just about toe to you, what¡¯s up?"


    "You better hurry back to Hongyu Group, I just got word that those people are on their way there by car."


    Hongyu Group?


    Ling Chen was startled. What were they doing at Hongyu Group? Could it be they were looking for him?


    In a sh of insight, Ling Chen changed direction without another thought, speeding towards Hongyu Group.


    On the way, Ling Chen called Zhong Wei and ordered him to immediately gather a team to protect Nanrong Wanqing. He made his way as fast as he could, and a little over ten minutester, Ling Chen finally arrived at the Hongyu Group headquarters.


    Upon entering the elevator, Ling Chen held his phone and asked, "Fatty, where are those people now?"


    "Five minutes ago, they entered the underground parking lot but haven¡¯t been seen since. They¡¯re probably already in the building."


    "How many?"


    "Five. Have your security department connect their surveince system to thework, so I can remotely control the surveince throughout the entire building."


    "Got it, keep in touch, and inform me immediately if you spot them."


    In the midst of their conversation, Ling Chen took the elevator up to the top floor of Hongyu Group.


    Pushing open the door to the Chairman¡¯s office, he saw Captain Zhong and Liang Zhao Hui inside. After confirming Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s safety, Ling Chen secretly breathed a sigh of relief. However, the infiltrators who had entered the building had not been found yet, and the crisis was still at hand, allowing no room forcency.


    "What¡¯s going on, Ling Chen?" Nanrong Wanqing asked.


    "I received intel that there are several criminals inside the building, their purpose is not clear yet. For safety¡¯s sake, have all the staff in the building evacuated immediately."


    Nanrong Wanqing did not doubt Ling Chen¡¯s words and, without a second thought, immediately picked up the inte phone, instructing her secretary Wang Lan to ry the order.


    "Captain Zhong, have the vehicles ready to take the Chairman back first."


    "Understood."


    "Aren¡¯t youing back with us?"


    Looking into Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s eyes, which shone like brilliant stars, Ling Chen smiled faintly and said, "I¡¯ll return after handling the situation."


    "Alright then." Nanrong Wanqing advised him with concern, "Be careful yourself."


    Watching the convoy leave the parking lot through the ss windows, Ling Chen went directly to the security office, watching Wei Jun who was busy and asked, "Wei, have all thepany¡¯s employees left?"


    "Everyone¡¯s gone; I¡¯m arranging for the floor check to ensure no one is left behind."


    Ling Chen nodded and said, "After you finish checking, you should head home as well."


    "We¡¯re not standing guard?"


    "No need. The Chairman said all staff have the day off today."


    Wei Jun grinned and said, "That¡¯s good news. It¡¯s almost Chinese New Year; I can finally go out and buy some new year¡¯s goods for the house."


    Half an hourter, the entire building had been checked; Wei Jun said goodbye to Ling Chen and left for home.


    Once all the members of the security department were gone, Ling Chen was left alone to lock down the entire building.


    "Hello! Fatty, have you found those people?" Ling Chen called Hu Fei.


    "Wait a moment; I¡¯m still searching. There were so many employees leaving just now; I¡¯m not sure if those few people could have blended in with the crowd."

 Chapter 549 - 545 Difficult Trade (2)

    <h4>Chapter 549: Chapter 545 Difficult Trade (2)</h4><h4></h4>


    "You needn¡¯t worry about that; they¡¯re certainly still in this building," Ling Chen said.


    Before the employees left, they all swiped their cards, and there were security department members assisting in the inspection; if any strangers appeared, they would have known.


    "I couldn¡¯t find their whereabouts in the surveince, I guess they¡¯re hiding somewhere."


    "We need to find a way to force them out."


    Ling Chen pondered for a moment before turning back to the security room, picking up the walkie-talkie, and connecting to the building¡¯s PA system.


    "Now it¡¯s just you and me. Do you not even have the courage to face me?"


    For a moment, Ling Chen¡¯s voice echoed throughout the entire building.


    "I¡¯ll be waiting for you in the lobby on the first floor. I hope you won¡¯t make me wait too long." After speaking, Ling Chen put down the walkie-talkie and walked into the lobby.


    After waiting a few minutes, suddenly footsteps came from the security staircase of the lobby. Ling Chen turned to look, just as the door was pushed open by a hand. Following that, a young man in casual clothing and ordinary appearance walked out alone.


    Looking at the young man approaching, Ling Chen slightly raised the corner of his mouth and said with a faint smile, "You finally decided to show up. Where are the others?"


    "Just me is enough," the young man spoke, "Our target this time isn¡¯t you, so we have no interest in fighting you."


    "Not me?" Ling Chen narrowed his eyes and asked, "Then who is your target?"


    "Ling Chen, you¡¯re a smart man. Some things I don¡¯t need to spell out; I trust you can guess," the young man said, then his tone shifted yfully, "I heard Nanrong Wanqing is your girlfriend?"


    "Is there a problem?"


    "It¡¯s not that there¡¯s a problem, just that... I quite envy you."


    "Envious that I found a rich and beautiful girlfriend?"


    "No!" the young man said, "I just envy your luck with women. Ling Chen, you haven¡¯t forgotten about Liu Xiyao, have you? Unfortunately, you¡¯re safe now, but her fate is not as good as yours."


    Hearing this, Ling Chen¡¯s gaze hardened as he said in a deep voice, "What have you done to her?"


    "When in the base, Liu Xiyao betrayed Mr. Lin and let you escape; what do you think her treatment would be? You should know, the God Organization never shows mercy to traitors. I heard Mr. Lin has locked her up in a cell, nning to let his men enjoy her as a treat. Tsk tsk! Such a top-quality beauty, one would be willing to die ten years early for a taste. Don¡¯t you think so, Ling Chen?"


    Ling Chen¡¯s expression turned icy as he pressed, "Where is she now?"


    With a coldugh, the young man said, "Why should I tell you? How about this? Hand over Nanrong Wanqing, and I¡¯ll immediately have someone bring Liu Xiyao to you, unharmed. What do you say?"


    "Don¡¯t even think about it," Ling Chen tly refused the offer.


    "If that¡¯s the case, then we have nothing further to discuss," the young man said, pulling out his mobile phone from his pocket and pointing the screen at Ling Chen. Suddenly, Liu Xiyao appeared on the screen, dressed simply with what appeared to be whip marks all over her body, covered in numerous scars, looking pitifully heart-wrenching.


    At that moment, apart from Liu Xiyao, two muscr men with bare upper bodies also appeared in the video.


    Seeing the two men approaching, a look of fear immediately covered Liu Xiyao¡¯s face as she continuously stepped backwards, her back pressed against the wall as she said in a panicked voice, "What... what do you want to do?"


    "Miss Liu, don¡¯t worry, we won¡¯t do anything, justing over to have some fun with you," a man chuckled sinisterly.


    "No... don¡¯t!" Liu Xiyao shook her head, her beautiful eyes brimming with tears, pleading desperately, "Please, I beg you, let me go."


    "Sorry, Miss Liu, your words are useless to us, unless Mr. Lin is willing to let you go."


    Watching the two men closing in, ignoring Liu Xiyao¡¯s resistance as they grabbed her arms and forcefully pushed her to the ground, Ling Chen¡¯s rage boiled over as he roared, "Stop! Tell them to stop!"


    "Ah! How pitiful." The young man feigned sadness and sighed, "Miss Liu is risking her own safety to save you, but you do nothing to help. If she finds out, who knows if she will regret her initial decision."


    "Shut up!" Ling Chen¡¯s face was livid as he said, "Let her go, I can agree to anything except handing over Wanqing."


    "Nanrong Wanqing is the only condition, if you can¡¯t ept that, then we have nothing to discuss."


    Hearing Liu Xiyao¡¯s screams emanating from the phone, Ling Chen clenched his fists, veins throbbing on his forehead in anger, wishing he could kill the other party. Taking a deep breath, he struggled to control his fury and after a moment of contemtion, he finally made up his mind.


    "Fine, I agree to your terms, just get those people to stop now."


    "Haha!" The young manughed triumphantly, "Ling Chen, it seems you do have a conscience. Here¡¯s the deal, tomorrow night, I¡¯ll call you with the location, bring Nanrong Wanqing along, remember, just the two of you. If I find out you¡¯ve been tampering secretly, don¡¯t me me for being ruthless."


    "Let¡¯s go!" As the young man¡¯s words fell, four people sessively exited through the emergency passage.


    Watching them disappear from sight, Ling Chen frowned in puzzlement, somewhat perplexed. He originally thought that the God Organization sent these people to snatch the hard drive, but it now seemed that was not the case.


    He couldn¡¯t understand, was the God Organization not worried about the contents of the hard drive being leaked?


    And also, why did they kidnap Nanrong Wanqing? Could it be for... At this thought, something clicked in Ling Chen¡¯s mind, realizing the crucial point.


    Previously, Mr. Yun, who is Nanrong Yuan, had told him that Nanrong Wanqing was key. ording to him, Nanrong Yuan had developed a new technology that the God Organization feared, hence they were determined to eliminate him at any cost.


    Ling Chen had been specting, could the tip from Nanrong Yuan mean that his new technology was rted to Nanrong Wanqing?


    Now that the God Organization had decided to take action against Nanrong Wanqing, they must have grasped certain intelligence. Or perhaps, they already knew that Nanrong Wanqing was Mr. Yun¡¯s daughter.


    After pondering for a while, Ling Chen set aside these misceneous thoughts. For him, the most important thing now was to rescue Liu Xiyao. Given that Liu Xiyao was captured because of him, he couldn¡¯t stand idly by.


    Returning to Wealthy Manor, when Nanrong Wanqing saw Ling Chen entering, she stood up and walked over, asking, "Is everything alright with thepany?"


    Ling Chen managed a smile, "You can rest assured about my handling."


    Noticing Ling Chen¡¯s preupied appearance, the perceptive Nanrong Wanqing asked with concern, "What¡¯s wrong, are you troubled by something?"


    "There¡¯s nothing, maybe just too tired, I¡¯m going to take a shower first." After speaking, Ling Chen went into the bedroom alone.


    Closing the door, Ling Chen leaned against it. Thinking about the transaction the next night, he couldn¡¯t bring himself to feel happy.

 Chapter 550 - 546 Difficult Trade (3)

    <h4>Chapter 550: Chapter 546 Difficult Trade (3)</h4><h4></h4>


    The next day.


    Everything at Hongyu Group had returned to normal, with employees going about their business as usual. However, today, Nanrong Wanqing was the only one absent, iming illness and resting at home.


    In the evening.


    Ling Chen, who had been staying at home the entire time, finally received a phone call.


    "Okay, I got it, I¡¯ll be there on time."


    After hanging up, Ling Chen nced at Nanrong Wanqing beside him and asked, "Are you ready?"


    Nanrong Wanqing nodded gently, but her beautiful eyes couldn¡¯t hide the color of nervousness. Holding the corner of her dress, she asked, "What do I need to do when the timees?"


    Ling Chenforted her, "You don¡¯t have to do anything. Just peacefully stay by my side. Don¡¯t worry, with me protecting you, nothing will happen to you."


    Once Nanrong Wanqing was ready, Ling Chen took her and left the Nanrong Family home, driving out of Wealthy Manor together.


    They drove for over forty minutes until Ling Chen and Nanrong Wanqing arrived in the North City District of East Sea City. North City District was a development area still in progress in East Sea City, where many ces still retained their look from decades ago. Compared to other districts, the prosperity level of North City District was somewhat behind.


    By now, it was already past seven o¡¯clock.


    Ling Chen checked the time; there were about twenty minutes left until the agreed upon moment. At this time, his phone rang again, still from the same young man.


    After a few words of conversation, Ling Chen hung up the phone, looking somewhat displeased. Nanrong Wanqing, who was sitting in the passenger seat, asked, "What¡¯s wrong?"


    "They¡¯ve changed the location."


    "Where?"


    "Old City."


    In the blink of an eye, more than two hours had passed. Each time Ling Chen arrived at the agreed location, the other party would change the meeting address, causing Ling Chen to run around tirelessly.


    After switching locations three or four times, Ling Chen was starting to get impatient. He knew very well that the other party was doing this only to confirm if anyone was following them.


    When the other party made another call, before the man could speak, Ling Chen said, "Friend, my time is valuable. If you keep ying this game, I won¡¯t apany you any longer."


    "Don¡¯t be hasty, we¡¯ll be right across from you soon."


    Hearing this, Ling Chen immediately saw a car not far ahead blink its high beams. Then, putting away his phone, he turned to Nanrong Wanqing and instructed, "Later, you don¡¯t have to say anything, just do as I tell you."


    "I understand." Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s face was taut. Though she had Ling Chen by her side, she couldn¡¯t control the nervousness inside her heart.


    After getting out of the car, Ling Chen walked straight towards a Chevrolet off-road vehicle. Meanwhile, a person also got out of the car across from them; it was the young man they had seen yesterday at Hongyu Group.


    "Did you bring the person?"


    Ling Chen pointed to the Audi parked behind him and said, "She¡¯s in the car."


    "Good." The young man smiled and said, "I suppose you won¡¯t mind if I verify her identity."


    "Of course not. But have you forgotten something?"


    "You¡¯re referring to Miss Liu? Don¡¯t worry. After I receive Miss Nanrong, someone will naturally bring her to us."


    Ling Chen nodded, then turned and gestured to Nanrong Wanqing in the passenger seat. Soon, Nanrong Wanqing got out of the car and stood close beside Ling Chen.


    The young man looked over Nanrong Wanqing, his smile faint as he said, "Miss Nanrong, it¡¯s a pleasure to meet you. Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Liu Wei. If there are any offenses in a while, please don¡¯t take it to heart."


    Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s brow was slightly furrowed as she asked, "What are you trying to do?"


    "Nothing much, just verifying Miss Nanrong¡¯s identity. I wouldn¡¯t want any issuester on, getting scolded by the higher-ups." With that, Liu Wei waved his hand toward the Chevrolet off-road vehicle.


    Shortly after, a woman in her forties came over. At Liu Wei¡¯s signal, she approached Nanrong Wanqing and started inspecting her body closely, inevitably touching some sensitive areas.


    Even though the other party was a woman, Nanrong Wanqing still felt ufortable with her cheeks blushing slightly as she looked at Ling Chen and asked, "Didn¡¯t you say you were taking me out to meet someone, what are they doing?"


    Hearing this, Liu Wei asked with interest, "What, Ling Chen didn¡¯t tell you?"


    "Enough!" Ling Chen sharply ordered, "No need for you to prattle."


    Liu Wei spread his hands and simply stopped talking. After a moment, the middle-aged woman finished her inspection and nodded to Liu Wei to indicate there were no problems.


    "You¡¯ve confirmed her identity, now it¡¯s your turn." Finishing his words, Ling Chen turned his head to Nanrong Wanqing and said, "You go back to the car first."


    "I..."


    Nanrong Wanqing wanted to speak but was interrupted by Ling Chen.


    "Listen to me, don¡¯t ask so much, I¡¯ll exinter."


    Once Nanrong Wanqing returned to the car, Liu Wei said with augh, "Ling Chen, I really admire you. For another woman, you¡¯ve delivered your own. She seems to be unaware of the deal between you and me."


    "That¡¯s none of your concern. Where is she?"


    "Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m a man of my word, without fail."


    As he spoke, three people alighted from the Chevrolet off-road vehicle, one of whom was Liu Xiyao. Under the watch of two men, Liu Xiyao hobbled over, her legs appearing to be injured. Her fair face bore several fresh wounds.


    "The person you wanted is here, shall we make the exchange?"


    Seeing Liu Xiyao and confirming her identity, Ling Chen stepped aside, allowing the two men to pass by him and head towards the Audi car.


    After opening the door, the two men showed no sign of tenderness or mercy as they pulled Nanrong Wanqing out of the car. Ignoring her resistance, one of the men pulled out a syringe from his pocket and plunged the needle into Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s arm.


    In an instant, the struggling Nanrong Wanqing quickly calmed down, and as if losing all strength, she was dragged back to the off-road vehicle by the two men.


    "Alright, the deal is done; we should leave too. Ling Chen, Mr. Lin asked me to convey a message to you, as long as you don¡¯t oppose the God Organization in the future, we won¡¯t bother you. Conversely, if you¡¯re willing, we¡¯d very much like to be friends. Mr. Lin values a talent like you highly."


    Ling Chen replied indifferently, "Being friends is unnecessary, I can¡¯t afford to be involved. I just hope that you won¡¯t appear before me again." After speaking, Ling Chen supported Liu Xiyao, walking back step by step to the Audi car.


    Once in the car, Ling Chen immediately started the engine and drove away from the scene.


    Watching the Audi car drive away, Liu Wei sneered and then headed back to the off-road vehicle.


    "Head to the airport, call Mr. Lin and tell him that everything is progressing well. Also, inform the people at theb to get ready, we¡¯ll bring the person over in two hours."


    "Yes."

 Chapter 551 - 547: Capturing Liu Wei

    <h4>Chapter 551: Chapter 547: Capturing Liu Wei</h4><h4></h4>


    In the Audi, Liu Xiyao, sitting in the passenger seat, looked at the focused Ling Chen driving, hesitated to speak several times, but ultimately could not get the words out.


    "Just say what you want to say," Ling Chen finally spoke.


    Liu Xiyao opened her mouth, a look of disbelief on her face, "You... Did you really exchange me with Nanrong Wanqing?"


    Seeing her incredulous expression, Ling Chen couldn¡¯t help but chuckle, "You are sitting right here, isn¡¯t it obvious?"


    "No, I mean..."


    Before Liu Xiyao could finish, Ling Chen interrupted her question, "Do you think I would carelessly hand over my own woman?"


    "Then who was the woman you took just now?"


    "She is the genuine Wanqing."


    Hearing Ling Chen¡¯s answer, Liu Xiyao was immediately perplexed,pletely failing to grasp what Ling Chen meant.


    Noticing her puzzled face, Ling Chen turned around and said towards the back seat, "Wanqing, no need to hide anymore,e out."


    As his words fell, the back seat lifted from above. Soon after, Nanrong Wanqing emerged from beneath the seat with a smile on her face.


    Seeing Nanrong Wanqing suddenly appear, Liu Xiyao was dumbstruck and took quite a while to gather her wits.


    "You... Howe you¡¯re here, weren¡¯t you..."


    Nanrong Wanqing spoke with a smile, "I¡¯ve been in the car all the time."


    Liu Xiyao was entirely baffled, her mind seemed to short-circuit, astonishingly puzzled about what had just happened.


    Ling Chen exined, "Actually, there¡¯s nothing surprising, the person who initially underwent the inspection was indeed Wanqing herself, however, I arranged another person in the car. After Wanqing returned to the car, the two of them secretly swapped identities, and that Liu Wei had no clue at all."


    "Then who did they take away?"


    "A friend," Ling Chen replied. In fact, the person impersonating Nanrong Wanqing wasn¡¯t just anyone, it was Bai Huanjun. Bai Huanjun was an expert in Disguise Skills, and he had experience pretending to be Nanrong Wanqing before, making him the most suitable candidate.


    After driving for several kilometers, Ling Chen pulled the Audi off to the side of the road. Shortly after, a Range Rover slowly approached and stopped beside the Audi.


    "You go back first, I¡¯lle to find you after I¡¯ve settled things."


    "Be careful on your own," Nanrong Wanqing cautioned, worried.


    Ling Chen gave a slight smile and gave Nanrong Wanqing a reassuring look, indicating her not to worry.


    Liu Xiyao had been rescued, but Bai Huanjun was still in the hands of the enemy. He couldn¡¯t just ignore Bai Huanjun¡¯s safety, that would be too disloyal.


    Watching Nanrong Wanqing and Liu Xiyao get into the Range Rover, Ling Chen gave a hand gesture to Zhong Wei in the driver¡¯s seat, then turned around and drove onto the road.


    While driving, Ling Chen connected his phone to the car¡¯s Bluetooth and called Hu Fei.


    "Hello!"


    "Fatty, have you locked onto the target?"


    On the other end of the phone, Hu Feiughed proudly, "Rest assured, you doubt my work? I¡¯ve had someone on their tail all along. Those guys are very cunning, constantly changingnes out of fear of being followed. Hmph! As if these little tricks could fool me, thinking I¡¯ve been idle all these years. They surely won¡¯t expect that the dozen or so taxis behind them are our people. No matter how they change their route, they won¡¯t escape from my sight."


    "That¡¯s enough! Stop boasting, and just intercept them quickly."


    "Just a small matter; just you wait and see."


    After hanging up the call, Ling Chen immediately headed towards Bai Huanjun¡¯s location, following the information provided by Hu Fei.


    ...


    Meanwhile, inside the swiftly moving Chevrolet SUV, Liu Wei kept ncing at the rearview mirror, searching for any suspicious targets.


    However, aside from a few taxis that were constantly changing, there was no other vehicle tracking them. It was quite normal to have a high number of taxis as they were on the road to the airport.


    Assured that no one was following them, Liu Wei finally rxed, leaned against the passenger seatfortably, and closed his eyes to rest.


    Bang!


    But just at that moment, a loud crash suddenly came from the front, instantly awakening everyone inside the car.


    "What happened?" Liu Wei violently opened his eyes and looked through the window at the front.


    "It¡¯s a car ident," the driver said.


    Liu Wei slightly furrowed his brows, only to see a series of taxi cabs involved in a pile-up, blocking the entire road about twenty meters ahead. Cars could not pass at all. Moreover, all the cars were blocked by the taxis from behind, there was no way to back out; they were trapped in the middle of the road.


    "Such bad luck," Liu Wei cursed discontentedly.


    "You, go down and check. Get them to move the cars quickly, don¡¯t dy our schedule," Liu Wei ordered, pointing at one of his subordinates in the rear seat.


    At this moment, drivers from the surrounding cars had all disembarked and walked towards the site of the ident, pointing and discussing fervently,pletely surrounding the road.


    Several minutes passed, and an impatient Liu Wei cursed under his breath, "Why hasn¡¯t it cleared up? What is that guy doing, not a word from him for so long."


    Cursing, Liu Wei pushed open the car door and instructed the driver, "I¡¯m going to have a look. You guys keep a close watch on Miss Nanrong."


    "Yes, Mr. Liu."


    After getting out of the car, Liu Wei quickly walked towards the crowd. Pushing through the crowd, Liu Wei looked around for his subordinate. However, among the dozens of onlookers around, there was no sign of his subordinate, as if he had disappeared.


    Useless trash... Liu Wei scoffed coldly, then turned his attention to the several drivers who were pushing me onto each other, incessantly arguing.


    "Gentlemen," Liu Wei approached and said, "Can you please move your cars first? Don¡¯t obstruct others; we are in a hurry to get to the airport."


    "Mr. Liu, why the rush to the airport? Since you¡¯re in East Sea City, why not stay a few more days? It would be nice for me to y the gracious host."


    Suddenly, a familiar voice came from behind, immediately changing Liu Wei¡¯splexion. He whipped around, seeing Ling Chen, whose face was brimming with a yful smile. Liu Wei¡¯s pupils suddenly narrowed, eximing, "You... how did you..."


    Ling Chen spoke with a teasing smile, "You want to ask why I am here? Didn¡¯t you know that I have my informants throughout East Sea City? No matter where you run, you can¡¯t escape my eyes."


    Hearing this, Liu Wei¡¯s heart sank. He hurriedly rushed towards the Chevrolet SUV.


    However, before Liu Wei could squeeze through the crowd, Ling Chen¡¯s hand had alreadynded on his shoulder. Then, a burst of strong force passed through the hand, flipping him to the ground.


    At the same time, several men burst out from the crowd, tying up Liu Wei with ropes they had prepared earlier.


    "Take him and lock him up in the car."


    "Yes."


    The men dragged the struggling Liu Wei, pressed his head down, and shoved him into amercial vehicle parked by the road.


    Inside the car, Liu Wei realized that the subordinate he had sent out earlier was also tied up and thrown onto the vehicle.

 Chapter 552 - 548: Crisis of the Pavilion Master of Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion (1)

    <h4>Chapter 552: Chapter 548: Crisis of the Pavilion Master of Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion (1)</h4><h4></h4>


    Having dealt with Liu Wei, Ling Chen approached the Chevrolet SUV alone. Before he could open the door, Bai Huanjun, disguised as Nanrong Wanqing, stepped down from the vehicle first.


    Seeing the fresh blood on Bai Huanjun¡¯s hands, it was clear without asking that those guys in the car were definitely dead.


    "Hard work!"


    "No big deal, no need for formalities." Bai Huanjun smiled indifferently and said, "If there¡¯s nothing else, I¡¯ll head back first."


    "Rest well, I¡¯ll contact you in a couple of days."


    After Bai Huanjun left, Ling Chen instructed several of his subordinates at the scene to take care of the bodies in the Chevrolet. Then, he boarded the van with the others.


    Looking at Liu Wei, who was tied up tightly, Ling Chen¡¯s mouth curved into a smile and he asked, "Mr. Liu, you didn¡¯t expect us to meet again so soon, did you?"


    Liu Wei coldly said, "Ling Chen, I¡¯ve told you, as long as you don¡¯t oppose the God Organization, we wouldn¡¯t trouble you. Sadly, you didn¡¯t cherish the opportunity. Just wait, the God Organization will never let you go."


    "I¡¯ve had grievances with the God Organization not just for a day or two. Even if you spare me, I won¡¯t spare you. Tell me, who exactly is Lin Guodong?"


    "Ling Chen, I advise you to give up any illusions. I won¡¯t say a word."


    "Is that so?" Ling Chen smiled lightly and said, "Many people have been as defiant as you, but in the end, they all chose to cooperate. Liu Wei, if you are smart, you¡¯d better cooperate willingly and not suffer unnecessarily."


    Liu Wei sneered, "Bring whatever you have. If I get scared¡ªWhat are you doing?"


    Before he could finish speaking, Ling Chen took a sharp dagger from the driver, ying with it in his hand. Seeing the malicious smile curling on Ling Chen¡¯s lips, Liu Wei suddenly had a very bad feeling.


    "Liu Wei, don¡¯t me me for not giving you a chance." Ling Chen grinned, which made Liu Wei feel a shiver down his spine.


    At that moment, the van stopped beside a deste street. Once the vehicle halted, a young man sitting in the passenger seat handed Ling Chen a bottle of disinfectant alcohol. Immediately after, two men next to Ling Chen forced Liu Wei¡¯s arms and body down by folding down the back seats.


    Subsequently, one of the men, with a sinister smile, reached out to unbuckle Liu Wei¡¯s belt and pulled down his pants.


    Seeing the man¡¯s actions, Liu Wei¡¯s heart raced, and he couldn¡¯t help but shout, "Ling Chen, what... what are you trying to do?"


    "Nothing much, just offering you a free sex change surgery," Ling Chen said lightly. "However, my skills might not be that refined, so you¡¯ll have to endure the painter."


    Hearing this, Liu Wei¡¯s face instantly changed. Seeing the man now pulling down his underwear, Liu Wei immediately panicked and twisted his body frantically trying to break free. But his hands and feet were tied with ropes, and no matter how much he struggled, it was futile.


    "Stop... stop!"


    Seeing Ling Chen approaching with the dagger, the terrified Liu Wei hastily yelled, "No, I... I¡¯ll talk, isn¡¯t that enough?"


    Seeing him yield so quickly, Ling Chen felt somewhat disappointed. It was over before it even started; how boring.


    "Speak, how much do you know about Lin Guodong?"


    "Mr. Lin¡¯s identity is very secretive. I only know he¡¯s from the south," Liu Wei replied honestly.


    Southerner?


    Ling Chen was struck by a thought. Thest time he helped at the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, a high-level member of the God Organization in charge was also from the south. Could it be the same person?


    Thinking this, Ling Chen asked, "The recent attack on the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, was it led by Lin Guodong?"


    "Yes, I was also present then."


    "Then you must be very clear about the God Organization¡¯s ns."


    "That attack on the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion was just a probe, not an actual war with the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion. Mr. Lin only wanted to force the Pavilion Master topromise."


    "Compromise?" Ling Chen asked, puzzled. "Compromise what?"


    "Mr. Lin had dealt with the Pavilion Master several times before, showing intentions for cooperation, but was rejected by the Pavilion Master each time. Mr. Lin is adept at manipting people¡¯s hearts and predicting their thoughts, mostly urately. Hence, based on his understanding of the Pavilion Master, he devised that n. He knew that as long as the Pavilion Master wasn¡¯t pushed too far, they wouldn¡¯t easily resort to arms. On the contrary, the Pavilion Master would definitely initiate negotiation discussions themselves."


    "Every move of the Pavilion Master was actually anticipated by Mr. Lin. Before that, Mr. Lin had already set up a trap, ensuring that once the Pavilion Master shows up for the negotiations, she would never be able to return."


    Having listened to Liu Wei¡¯s words, Ling Chen¡¯s eyebrows knitted together and he asked, "Are you saying... the God Organization ns to kill the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion Master?"


    "Correct. Once the Pavilion Master dies, the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion will certainly fall into chaos, and it wouldn¡¯t take us much effort topletely take down the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion."


    "When will the negotiation between the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion and the God Organization take ce?"


    "They will meet tomorrow in Jinhai City. I am not very clear about the exact location; the higher-ups haven¡¯t informed me yet. However, as far as I know, the people from the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion have already arrived in Jinhai City tonight. While we are talking, they might already be facing a crisis."


    Without another word, Ling Chen immediately pulled out his phone and dialed Zhou Jun¡¯s number. If it was as Liu Wei said, he had to notify the Pavilion Master. However, the call went through to a shutdown tone.


    Shutdown?


    Ling Chen was inwardly anxious. Among the people he knew at the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, he only had Zhou Jun¡¯s number. After pondering for a while, Ling Chen found another phone number from his contacts and hesitated briefly before making the call.


    Soon, the call connected, and a sweet voice came through, "Mr. Lin, hello, how may I assist you?"


    "You all from the Secret Society should have many ways to contact the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, do me a favor and tell them that the meeting in Jinhai City is a trap set by the God Organization, and they must be cautious not to fall for it."


    "I understand. Mr. Lin, thank you for the warning."


    After hanging up, Ling Chen silently prayed, hoping it wasn¡¯t toote.


    Collecting his thoughts, Ling Chen looked at Liu Wei lying on the seat and asked, "Let¡¯s set aside the matters of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion for now. Why did you receive orders to capture Nanrong Wanqing and bring her back?"


    "Mr. Yun had mastered a new technology. Since Mr. Yun¡¯s death, we have captured all the people associated with him, but none knew where Mr. Yun hid that technology. Later, Mr. Lin learned about Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s rtionship with Mr. Yun, so he suspected that Mr. Yun might have entrusted that technology to his daughter for safekeeping."

 Chapter 553 - 549: The Crisis of the Pavilion Master of Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion (2)

    <h4>Chapter 553: Chapter 549: The Crisis of the Pavilion Master of Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion (2)</h4><h4></h4>


    "What kind of technology?" Ling Chen asked. He only knew that Nanrong Yuan mastered a technology, but he knew nothing about it. However, given that the God Organization was so interested in it, that technology must not be simple.


    Liu Wei said, "I¡¯ve heard Mr. Lin mention, if the God Organization gets hold of that critical technology, then the Lucifer experiment will be phased out, reced by even more advanced technology."


    Ling Chen was startled¡ªstronger than the Lucifer experiment? No wonder the God Organization was so keen.


    "Last time, when you were at the spare base, you stole theboratory¡¯s hard drive. Mr. Lin, knowing the risk of confidential information leakage, thus shifted the focus to that critical technology. Once it¡¯s in their hands, even if the Lucifer experiment is cracked, the God Organization need not worry."


    During the conversation, Ling Chen¡¯s cellphone rang. He nced at the iing number, saw it was from the Secret Society, and immediately answered the call.


    "Mr. Ling, we just made contact with the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, but unfortunately, the Pavilion Master of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion had already left for Jin Hai City. Additionally, they suddenly lost contact two hours ago; we now have no news at all."


    That¡¯s not good!


    Ling Chen frowned secretly; the Pavilion Master of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion losing contact could mean the God Organization had already acted.


    If that was indeed the case, the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion would face a grave crisis.


    The phone had just hung up, and before Ling Chen could put away his phone, it rang again, this time from an unknown number. Upon answering the call, he heard Song Ge¡¯s voice: "Hey! Ling."


    "Song?" Ling Chen asked, surprised, "How did you get my number?"


    "Just got it from the people at the Secret Society, the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion asked me to check with you, to see how much you know about the situation."


    "I¡¯ve captured a member of the God Organization, all the information came from his mouth. The God Organization set up a trap in Jin Hai City, deliberately luring the Pavilion Master there to eliminate her. Theck of contact on your end doesn¡¯t bode well," Ling Chen paused, then asked, "By the way! Song, who apanied the Pavilion Master to Jin Hai City?"


    "Zhou Qi and Zhou Jun went, and there are more than ten apanying personnel. Moreover, for the Pavilion Master¡¯s safety, a top-ranking Heavenly List expert is secretly protecting her. However, we now can¡¯t even locate that Heavenly List expert," Song Ge said, clearly worried.


    "Wait a moment, let me see if I can get more information, and then I¡¯ll notify you."


    "Okay. Ling, this is a critical matter, I hope you can help us."


    "Don¡¯t worry, I will."


    After hanging up, Ling Chen turned to Liu Wei and asked, "The Pavilion Master of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion is missing, do you have any way to determine her current location?"


    "The operations in Jin Hai City aren¡¯t my responsibility, asking me won¡¯t help."


    "But you are part of the God Organization, I think you should have ways to obtain information." As he spoke, Ling Chen fished out a cellphone from Liu Wei¡¯s pocket, indicating to the people nearby to untie Liu Wei.


    "I don¡¯t care how you do it, help me get information on the Pavilion Master of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion. If you can¡¯t do it, I¡¯ll keep this dagger for you."


    Liu Wei nced at the sharp dagger, his face turned exceptionally pale, and hesitated. He then picked up the cellphone, found a number, and dialed it.


    "Turn on the speakerphone." Ling Chen, cautious of Liu Wei¡¯s potential tricks, demanded he turn on the speakerphone to clearly hear their conversation.


    Soon, the call connected, and a cheerful voice rang out: "Hey! Liu, what¡¯s up for calling me at this time?"


    "My task here is done, and I¡¯m just bored, so I called to check in. Hey! Aren¡¯t you in charge of the operations in Jin Hai City? How¡¯s everything going?"


    "Don¡¯t even mention it. Although we captured a few people, the most crucial one ran away."


    "Are you talking about the Pavilion Master of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion?"


    "Who else could it be? But no big deal, I¡¯m leading my men to chase her. She¡¯s alone, she shouldn¡¯t be able to get far."


    "Then you carry on, I won¡¯t bother you. When you¡¯re back at the base, let¡¯s get together properly."


    "Definitely, definitely!"


    Having finished, Liu Wei hung up the phone and looked at Ling Chen, saying, "You heard it, besides the Pavilion Master of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, everyone else got captured."


    "Ask about their location."


    "No, that would make him suspicious."


    Hearing this, Ling Chen fell into deep thought. Zhou Qi and the others were caught, and whether they could save their lives was still uncertain. The Pavilion Master of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion was fleeing alone, it was hard to know if she could escape the hunt.


    After thinking, Ling Chen immediately called Song Ge back and shared the information he had learned.


    "Ling, don¡¯t hang up yet."


    "Okay."


    Holding the phone, Ling Chen could hear many people discussing strategies on the other end. After a while, Song Ge¡¯s voice came through again: "Ling, where are you?"


    "In East Sea City. What¡¯s up?"


    "East Sea City isn¡¯t too far from Jin Hai City, could you possibly..."


    Before Song Ge finished, Ling Chen understood his intention.


    "You want me to rush to Jin Hai City?"


    "Ling, I know this is a tough ask, but we have no choice. You know, it would take at least four to five hours to get to Jin Hai City from here, by which time it would be toote. But if you leave from East Sea City, it would take just over an hour at most. You¡¯re in the closest location, so we can only ask for your help. Rest assured, if you agree to help, the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion will not let you go unrewarded."


    "This..." Ling Chen hesitated, unsure whether to agree to their request.


    "Ling, for the sake of friendship, please help me?" Song Ge pleaded over the phone.


    Ling Chen sighed helplessly and replied, "Alright, I¡¯ll head over now. But let me be clear upfront, I¡¯ll go, but I can¡¯t guarantee anything."


    "I understand, just do your best."


    Putting away the phone, Ling Chen said, "You guys escort him to Hu Fei¡¯s ce, be careful on the road."


    "Chen, rest assured, nothing will go wrong."


    Stepping out of the business car, Ling Chen was about to close the door when something seemed to ur to him. He looked at Liu Wei sitting inside the car and asked, "Among the several people who came to East Sea City, besides you, there¡¯s someone named Yi Shuiyan; why haven¡¯t I seen him appear?"


    "Yi Shuiyan?" Liu Wei¡¯s expression shifted as he asked, "How do you know that I had contact with him?"


    "I¡¯ve said it before, the entire East Sea City is under my control; there¡¯s nothing I don¡¯t know about. Speak up, where is he?"


    "We just had a temporary meeting, discussing some cooperation matters. He said he needed to think it over, that he¡¯d give me an answer after some time."


    Ling Chen frowned and asked, "Is he representing himself or the Dangyang Sect behind him?"


    "Dangyang Sect."

 Chapter 554 - 550: The Ambition of the Dangyang Sect

    <h4>Chapter 554: Chapter 550: The Ambition of the Dangyang Sect</h4><h4></h4>


    Hmph!


    Truly so.


    With a cold snicker, Ling Chen realized that Yi Shuiyan was likely representing the Dangyang Sect this time to negotiate with the God Organization, discussing the conditions for both parties. It¡¯s baffling how a renowned and legitimate martial arts sect would collude with nefarious forces in secret. What was Dangyang Sect¡¯s Sect Leader Zhu Jin thinking?


    Aren¡¯t they afraid of trouble from the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion?


    Or is it that... Suddenly, an idea popped into Ling Chen¡¯s head.


    So that¡¯s how it is!


    Ling Chen instantaneously had an epiphany and grasped the crux of the matter. In fact, it had always been simple. The Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion had long been the leader within martial arts; no other force could surpass its influence.


    However, everyone has their own ambitions and desires, which are bound to inte and breed beyond control. Sadly, for many years the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion has dominated the scene, keeping even the most ambitious at bay, forever denying them their opportunity to rise.


    Therefore, the God Organization became an excellent opportunity. Just like what the God Organization is undertaking this time, if they can eliminate the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion Master sessfully and leverage the God Organization¡¯s formidable power to take down the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion. By then, the Dangyang Sect could use the momentum to ascend and take hold of the authoritative voice within the Huaxia martial arts world.


    Liu Wei had said earlier that Yi Shuiyan expressed he needed to consider further. This so-called consideration was nothing but waiting for an oue. As long as the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion Master is killed, the Dangyang Sect will surely dere their position immediately.


    As he closed the car door and watched the business van disappear from view, Ling Chen immediately called Nanrong Hao to send a good car over.


    From East Sea City to Jinhai City, there was a distance of over two hundred kilometers. If he took the expressway and drove fast enough, just over an hour would suffice to make it there.


    Before long, a beastly roar approached from a distance and swiftly arrived in front of Ling Chen.


    The car door opened, and Nanrong Hao emerged from the driver¡¯s seat, patting the car beside him with a grin, "Chen, you wanted a good car, so I brought it to you. What do you think, not bad right?"


    Ling Chen¡¯s eyes brightened as he smiled, "Your cousin is quite generous."


    The car in front of him was none other than Su Lin¡¯s Maserati.


    Nanrong Haoined, "My cousin thought I was borrowing the car and tly refused, but when she heard you needed it, she didn¡¯t hesitate to throw the keys to me. Such different treatment... I don¡¯t even know who¡¯s her real family anymore."


    "That¡¯s because your cousin trusts me. Enough! I¡¯ve got important things to deal with, you can take a taxi back on your own."


    Settling in the driver¡¯s seat, Ling Chen started the car and gently tapped the elerator. The front of the car surged forward, speeding off like a sh of lightning and vanishing at the end of the street.


    ...


    Jin Sea City.


    It was nearing midnight now. The streets were deserted, with scarcely a few silhouettes visible, save for the asional taxi whizzing by.


    At this hour, in a side alley by the street, a person curled up wearing a hood. In the dim light, their entire face was shrouded in shadows, indiscernible.


    However, in the quiet alley, one could hear the person¡¯s frantic breathing. After a while, a series of disordered footsteps came from the other end of the alley. As the sounds drew closer, the person quickly got up from the corner and hurried towards the exit of the alley.


    Out of the alleyway and under the streetmp light, one could see strands of hair hanging down from either side of the hood. Within the hood was a face so beautiful it was trembling. The paleplexion, a slightly raised nose, and lips soft as cherries were alluringly pink.


    Above them, a pair of clear and spirited eyes sparkled like stream water, as if all the spirit was contained within. Two fine eyebrows, damp with sweat from the forehead, quivered slightly with her panting.


    Hearing the footsteps behind her drawing closer, a hint of urgency flickered in her eyes as she looked around, hoping to find a ce to hide. However, apart from the alley she had juste from, there was only a straight street with no other way out.


    What to do now?


    Just then, a taxi sped towards her from a nearby intersection.


    Without a second thought, she rushed into the middle of the road and frantically waved her hands, signaling for the taxi to stop.


    Screech!


    Apanied by the piercing sound of a sudden brake, the taxi stopped less than two meters away from her. Immediately afterward, a head poked out from the driver¡¯s window and cursed without mercy: "Are you crazy? Do you have a death wish?"


    "Driver... I¡¯m sorry, could you give me a ride?" she approached and pleaded desperately.


    The driver was about to continue scolding her, but when he saw her stunningly beautiful face, the words died in his throat and the anger on his face was instantly reced by an enthusiastic smile.


    "Get in!"


    "Thank you!" she said gratefully.


    Once in the car, the driver asked, "Beauty, where to?"


    "I don¡¯t know."


    "You don¡¯t know?"


    "Just anywhere but here is fine."


    Hearing this, the driver grinned and said: "Well, that¡¯s easy to handle." With that, he started the car and drove on.


    As the taxi was about to reach the crossroads, more than ten men hurried out of the alley they were in before, searching the area for the woman.


    "There are two people in that taxi."


    A sharp-eyed man pointed towards the taxi at the intersection and shouted loudly.


    "Some of you stay here and see if she¡¯s hiding somewhere else, the reste with me to chase that taxi," a man quickly gave the order.


    Twenty minutes passed, and the taxi driver pulled over on a deserted street.


    "Beauty, we¡¯re here, forty-eight dors."


    Money?


    Her heart skipped a beat¡ªshe had no money on her. As the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion Master, she always had everything arranged for her; she didn¡¯t even need to carry money during outings - Zhou Jun would take care of it.


    "Driver, I... I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯ve forgotten to bring money. Could I owe you this time and pay you backter?"


    "No money?" Hearing her words, the driver¡¯s face immediately soured.


    "Beauty, we work hard for our living. You have the cheek to run up a tab for over forty bucks? If you didn¡¯t bring cash, surely you have a bank card on you. How about this, I¡¯ll take you to a nearby ATM, and you withdraw a couple hundred dors. How does that sound?"


    "I didn¡¯t bring my wallet, or... maybe you could give me your phone number, and I..."


    "That won¡¯t do." The driver outright rejected her suggestion, saying, "How would I know you won¡¯t just run off? I¡¯ve seen plenty like you, promising to pay next time, but once you get out of the car, you vanish into thin air. Where am I supposed to find you? Look, you must have something valuable on you. Leave it as coteral, and when you bring the money, we¡¯ll swap back. That way, no one loses out."


    "But... I really didn¡¯t bring anything with me."


    Dissatisfied, the driver said, "You dare to hail my car without bringing anything? I¡¯ve heard of people dining and dashing but never riding and running. Let me tell you this, if you don¡¯t pay me today, then don¡¯t think about getting out of the car." As he spoke, the driver locked all the car doors.

 Chapter 555 - 551 Su Mei (1)

    <h4>Chapter 555: Chapter 551 Su Mei (1)</h4><h4></h4>


    Seeing the driver¡¯s adamant attitude and his refusal to listen to any words, she couldn¡¯t help but feel anxious. As the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion Master, she had never suffered such treatment.


    At this moment, the driver in the cab eyed her with malicious intent, curling up a sinister smile at the corner of his mouth, and said, "Beautifuldy, I have a suggestion that could cover your cab fare."


    "What suggestion?"


    "You don¡¯t have any money, and you don¡¯t have anything valuable on you to pawn, but, a pretty girl like you has plenty of assets to offer, as long as you... hehe, you¡¯re smart, you should understand what I mean."


    Seeing the ferocity flicker in the driver¡¯s eyes, she clearly understood his intent and her pretty face instantly changed. Overwhelmed with shame and anger, she scolded, "Shameless!"


    "Shameless?" The driver sneered and said, "It¡¯s you who owes money in the first ce, any request I make is not excessive. Luckily for us, there isn¡¯t anyone around here, convenient for ¡¯handling our business¡¯." Saying so, the driver reached out toward her.


    "Stop!" Startled, she quickly ced her hands in front of her chest, leaning back to avoid his harassment.


    "Let me out."


    While calling out, she tried to pull the door locks to leave the taxi. But the doors were locked, and no matter how hard she tried, they wouldn¡¯t budge.


    At this time, the driver was leaning closer to her, almost pressing down on her body.


    Smelling the tobo reek from him, she panicked, iling her arms desperately trying to stop his actions.


    At this moment, she deeply regretted getting into this car. She would have rather been captured by the people from the God Organization than fallen into the hands of such a vile person.


    Regrettably, time cannot be rewound; at this moment, all she could do was resist by all means possible to avoid disgrace.


    "Come on, beautiful, don¡¯t be shy. It¡¯s the modern age, no need to be bashful. Rest assured, I¡¯ll make sure you experience unparalleled pleasure," the driver said, exhrated.


    Hiss!


    In the midst of speaking, the driver grabbed her clothing and violently tore it open.


    Looking at her disheveled attire, the driver could not help but swallow his saliva, his primal instincts raging, dying to overwhelm the beauty before him.


    "Don¡¯t..."


    She fiercely guarded her vital parts, tears filling her pleading eyes, desperately hoping he would stop. However, the driver¡¯s mind was already corrupted by evil thoughts, and the more she begged, the more excited he became.


    As she saw his body pressing down on her, she bit her lower lip and couldn¡¯t help but close her eyes, tears rolling slowly down her cheeks.


    ng!


    Just then, a crisp sound suddenly rang out, snapping both the man and woman in the car back to reality. Looking up, they saw the car window ss had been smashed at some unobserved moment.


    Before the driver could react, arge hand reached in through the broken window, grabbed the driver by the hair, and forcibly dragged him out through it.


    "What are you doing? Let go, let me go!" The driver shouted loudly, clinging to that hand.


    Apanied by a scoff, therge hand swung fiercely, tossing the driver onto the ground, followed by a fierce kick to his abdomen.


    Instantaneously, the driver screamed, his face turning pale as he clutched his belly, writhing in pain on the ground.


    "It¡¯s okay now,e out."


    Hearing the voice beside her, she looked up to see the man outside the car window, momentarily stunned, taking quite a while to recover.


    "What¡¯s wrong, do you want me to carry you out?"


    "You... how did you find me here?" she asked, full of confusion.


    "Don¡¯t ask so much for now, we need to hurry. Those people are about to catch up," Ling Chen said as he opened the car door, urging her into the adjacent Maserati.


    No sooner had they driven off than several Land Rovers quickly arrived and halted next to the taxi.


    Driving along the road, Ling Chen nced at the woman beside him from the corner of his eye, his gaze filled with amazement. Noticing his subtle movements, she couldn¡¯t help but speak, "Have you not looked enough?"


    Ling Chen grinned: "If I don¡¯t look properly now, I¡¯m afraid I might forget what you look liketer."


    Hearing this, she fully understood Ling Chen¡¯s implications, her face immediately showing a hint of embarrassment. Previously on that luxury cruise, Ling Chen had caught a glimpse of her true face. In order to prevent the disclosure of her identity, she secretly drugged the tea, induced Ling Chen to drink it, which caused him to forget her appearance.


    "We¡¯ve known each other for a while now; isn¡¯t it time you told me your real name?" Ling Chen asked.


    "My name is Su Mei."


    "So, you are Miss Su." Ling Chen nodded, finally knowing her name. When they had first met, he used ¡¯Tea Girl¡¯ as a substitute for her name.


    Su Mei curiously asked, "You still haven¡¯t told me, how did you find me?"


    "I have my ways," Ling Chen said. After he arrived in East Sea City, he had Liu Wei contact his friends in the city with a mobile phone, then Hu Fei used the phone¡¯s location services to lock on her position. This significantly narrowed down the search area.


    Moreover, when Liu Wei spoke with her over the phone, she unintentionally mentioned a taxi. Using this clue, Hu Fei utilized East Sea City¡¯s surveince system and quickly found the target.


    It was for this reason that Ling Chen was able to arrive in time when Su Mei was in danger.


    "Where are we heading now?"


    "I¡¯m taking you back to East Sea City. The people from the God Organization are still searching for you in East Sea City, it¡¯s not safe for you here. East Sea is my turf; I¡¯ll contact the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilionter and have them meet directly in East Sea City."


    Saying this, Ling Chen changed the subject and asked, "How were you attacked before? Song told me that there was a Heavenly List expert secretly protecting your safety; was he also subdued by the people of the God Organization?"


    "I don¡¯t know." Su Mei shook her head and said, "ording to the original n, we were going to stay in a hotel and then meet with the people from the God Organization the next day. But we ran into trouble shortly after we checked in. The hotel we stayed in was already under the control of the God Organization, from the inside out, everyone was their person. Elder Zhou and the rest didn¡¯t realize it in advance, so we walked into an ambush. By the time we reacted, most of our people had been captured. Later, thanks to the efforts of others, I was able to escape from the hotel. I intended to contact that Heavenly List expert, but he never appeared from beginning to end, I don¡¯t know if something happened to him."


    At the end of her words, Su Mei couldn¡¯t hide the worry in her eyes and said, "Elder Zhou and the others are still in the hands of the God Organization, their fates are uncertain. Ling Chen, can you help me save them?"

 Chapter 556 - 552 Su Mei (2)

    <h4>Chapter 556: Chapter 552 Su Mei (2)</h4><h4></h4>


    "Save them?" Ling Chen shook his head and said, "Miss Su, you can¡¯t even protect yourself now, you should take more care of yourself. I¡¯ve advised you long ago that this wouldn¡¯t have happened if you hadn¡¯t insisted on negotiating with the God Organization. All in all, you¡¯re just too naive. I¡¯ve dealt with the God Organization for so many years, I know them better than you do. In their eyes, there is never apromise, either submit or perish, there is no other choice."


    "I understand all that you¡¯re saying, it¡¯s just... sigh!" Su Mei sighed and said: "I just didn¡¯t want the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion to get involved in the strife. The Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion has been inherited for hundreds of years, it has some foundation, but I don¡¯t want it to be consumed so quickly."


    "In this era, the middle ground is long outdated. What you¡¯re doing will only hasten the downfall of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion. There¡¯s a saying that goes, ¡¯If you don¡¯t advance, you will fall back.¡¯ Seeking self-preservation will only speed up the decline of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion. The God Organization is targeting you precisely because only you are capable of threatening them. If you still think about coexisting peacefully with the God Organization, then everything is over."


    "You¡¯re right." Su Mei said with shame: "I was too naive. If it weren¡¯t for me, Elder Zhou and the others wouldn¡¯t have had this trouble."


    "Alright! You don¡¯t need to me yourself too much. It¡¯s not toote toe to your senses now. Elder Zhou and the others have only been captured, there¡¯s no immediate danger to their lives, don¡¯t worry too much. Once I¡¯ve taken you to a safe ce, I¡¯ll figure out a way to save them."


    While speaking, Ling Chen nced at Su Mei, seeing the exposed white skin on her chest, he quickly averted his gaze, not daring to look any further.


    "Right!" Ling Chen coughed lightly, trying to shift his attention, and asked: "As the Pavilion Master of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, how can you not handle even an ordinary person?"


    Su Mei countered with a question: "Who said that the Pavilion Master of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion has to learn martial arts?"


    "With no strength, how could they willingly support you as Pavilion Master?" Ling Chen was puzzled.


    "Why not. You ask that because you don¡¯t understand the rules of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion. The Pavilion Master of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion is not elected, but inherited from generation to generation."


    Upon hearing Su Mei¡¯s exnation, Ling Chen eximed in surprise: "From what you¡¯re saying, isn¡¯t the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion just like those martial arts family ns, only passing it down to their own people."


    "Exactly."


    Su Mei nodded and said: "The first Pavilion Master of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilionid down the rule that the position of Pavilion Master can only be passed to descendants, and if there are no heirs, the position can be passed to disciples. Thus, every Pavilion Master, when of age, gets married and has children, regardless of sex, they are appointed as the next Pavilion Master. I was frail and sickly when I was born, so my parents did not let me practice martial arts, but focused on various ssics, widely read books, learning how to manage the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion."


    "What if someone betrays you?" Ling Chen asked: "Without the power to deter the masses, who will follow you? There are so many members of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, I don¡¯t believe that every single one of them is loyal."


    "Because I have a backer, no one dares to harbor ill intentions."


    "What kind of backer?"


    "Although I haven¡¯t learned martial arts, both my parents are top-notch experts. With them backing me up, who would dare to mess around. Moreover, Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion venerates many elders, they uphold the rules of the Pavilion and are only loyal to the Pavilion Master. With them sitting at the helm, no one dares to challenge the authority of the Pavilion Master."


    So that¡¯s how it is.


    Ling Chen finally understood. With her mom and dad supporting her from behind, indeed nobody would dare to mess around, no wonder this woman could secure the position of Pavilion Master of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion¡ªthe Pavilion inherited family style.


    Su Mei was barely in her twenties, her parents were probably only in their fifties, not to mention behind her, on top of her parents¡¯ support, there might still be grandparents... Thinking of this, Ling Chen realized the hidden power behind this woman, it was too terrifying.


    "What do your parents think about your decision?" Ling Chen asked.


    "I don¡¯t know, I haven¡¯t asked them. After they passed the position of Pavilion Master to me, they went off to travel and seldom return, only if the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion is facing a life-and-death crisis would they intervene. Being a Pavilion Master, if I rely on others for help in everything, how can I grow?"


    That makes sense! Ling Chen nodded, agreeing with what Su Mei said.


    After driving for several kilometers, Ling Chen driving the Maserati was about to enter the highway section. However, just at that moment, several Land Rovers suddenly burst out from the intersection behind them, following closely behind them.


    This is bad!


    Ling Chen looked at those Land Rovers getting closer through the rearview mirror, thinking to himself that it was bad.


    Didn¡¯t expect those guys to be so fast.


    "Hold on!"


    As he spoke, Ling Chen floored the elerator, and the Maserati burst forward, the speed getting faster and faster, approaching 160 mph.


    As the Maserati sped up, the several Land Rovers behind immediately increased their speed, maintaining a distance of less than fifty meters, gradually closing in.


    On the streets of Jin Hai City, 160 mph was almost the limit, if he drove any faster, an ident could easily ur. Even for an experienced driver like Ling Chen, he wouldn¡¯t dare to drive too fast on roads full of crossroads.


    Seeing that the Land Rovers were getting closer in the rearview mirror, Ling Chen suddenly stepped on the brakes, controlled the car with a deft drift, and turned into an alley by the road.


    The few Land Rovers behind did not expect Ling Chen to change direction, they missed the moment and rushed past the entrance of the alley. By the time they turned around and came back, the Maserati had already disappeared.


    At this moment, inside the alley, Ling Chen and Su Mei sat in the driver and passenger seats, waiting patiently.


    Outside the car, Ling Chen covered the entire car with an old canvas found in the trash bin, to avoid being tracked by the God Organization.


    About ten minutester, seeing no activity around, Ling Chen got out of the car, lifted the canvas from the car, and drove the Maserati out of the alley again.


    Back on the open road, Ling Chen continued towards the highway entrance. Once on the highway, it would be easy to shake off the pursuers.


    1:30 am.


    Ling Chen finally arrived at the highway entrance driving the Maserati. Yet, before entering the toll booth, Ling Chen immediately stopped the car, frowning at both sides of the entrance.


    At the entrance, there were two Land Rovers parked on each side. Clearly, the people sitting in those cars were from the God Organization. The opponents had probably anticipated their escape through the highway and had arranged manpower to guard in advance.


    Four Land Rovers¡ªit would be undoubtedly difficult to break through their defense line.


    While pondering, Ling Chen saw the big lights of the four Land Rovers not far away light up; the dazzling beams converged, shining on the body of the Maserati. At the same time, those four Land Rovers gently pressed on the elerator,ing over slowly, forming a siege.

 Chapter 557 - 553: Mate Selection Criteria (1)

    <h4>Chapter 557: Chapter 553: Mate Selection Criteria (1)</h4><h4></h4>


    "What should we do?" Su Mei asked Ling Chen, who was in the driver¡¯s seat, with a hint of nervousness in her beautiful eyes.


    Ling Chen cocked his head to one side, the corners of his mouth lifting slightly in a smile before asking, "What are your standards for choosing a spouse?"


    "What?" Su Mei was taken aback, momentarily failing to grasp the situation.


    "Weren¡¯t you just saying that the Pavilion Masters of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion all marry and have children? So, you¡¯ll have to find a man in the future too. Since that¡¯s the case, you must have some standards for choosing a spouse, or... do you already have someone in mind?"


    Su Mei stared nkly at Ling Chen. At a time like this, he still had the mind to ask about this? Didn¡¯t he see the crisis before us?


    Just as she was thinking this, Su Mei suddenly felt the car lurch forward, speeding towards the four Range Rovers ahead. As the hood of the car was about to collide with the Range Rover, Su Mei¡¯s face turned pale, and she couldn¡¯t help but close her eyes, her hands gripping the armrests tightly.


    Screech!


    Apanied by a harsh sound of tires rubbing against the pavement, the Maserati executed a 180-degree spin on the spot, reversing the positions of the car¡¯s front and rear. Then, Ling Chen shifted gears with his right hand, pressing the elerator to the floor with the tip of his foot. Before the four pursuing Range Rovers could react, the Maserati had already burst forth, leaving them far behind in an instant.


    However, at this moment, a Range Rover suddenly charged out from a side street and mmed into the side of the Maserati with extreme force. Under the powerful impact, the Maserati flipped onto its side and continued to roll along the ground until it slid to a halt against a road column at the edge of the road, where it was trapped and slowly came to a stop.


    Groggy, Ling Chen shook his head, rubbing his throbbing forehead. He looked at Su Mei in the passenger seat and saw that she had fallen unconscious.


    "Miss Su, Miss Su..." Ling Chen called out several times, but Su Mei remained unresponsive, her head limply hanging over her right shoulder.


    At this moment, the sound of footsteps approached from afar, reaching Ling Chen¡¯s ears. Through the shattered car window, Ling Chen turned his head and saw more than a dozen men hastening over, less than twenty meters away.


    This is bad!


    Ling Chen frowned to himself, disregarding his own difort. He quickly kicked the deformed car door open, then dragged the unconscious Su Mei from the passenger seat onto himself, ready to escape from the car.


    However, Ling Chen suddenly noticed that just outside the car door was an incline by the roadside. With the pursuers closing in, there was no time to think. Clutching Su Mei¡¯s delicate body in his arms, he jumped out of the car and sprinted down the slope.


    The enemy was numerous and powerful, and although Ling Chen was not afraid of those men with his strength, the unconscious Su Mei by his side was a concern. Having to deal both with the pursuers and ensuring Su Mei¡¯s safety made it difficult to act freely. Instead of such a struggle, it was better to avoid the sharp edge for the time being and take Su Mei to a safe ce first.


    Moreover, there was another reason for Ling Chen¡¯s reluctance to fight. Su Mei had previously mentioned that there was an expert from the Heavenly List secretly protecting her. However, so much time had passed, and that expert had not yet appeared, which certainly indicated a problem. It may well be that among the pursuers there were other experts hidden. For this reason, he had to be as cautious as possible.


    The slope was over twenty meters high. After descending, there was no suitable ce to hide, the surroundings open and empty. Having no other choice for fear of being caught by the people following, Ling Chen had to continue running while holding Su Mei in his arms.


    Luckily, Ling Chen was in good physical condition. Despite the violent collision just now, he had only a mild headache and had not sustained any major injuries.


    After a few hundred meters, the trees on both sides became denser, with the asional house standing among them. With the cover of night, Ling Chen was able to put more distance between himself and the pursuers.


    At this time, Ling Chen saw a small western-style building not far away,plete with a courtyard behind it and surrounded by a wall.


    After hesitating for a moment, Ling Chen carried Su Mei on his back, with one hand supporting her rounded buttocks to prevent her from falling. Then, with a single leap, he grabbed the top of the surrounding wall with one hand, leveraging his body over it.


    Climbing over the wall, Ling Chen nced around at the environment; it was pitch-dark, a small sedan was parked in the center of the courtyard, its body covered with post-rain filth, seeming as if it hadn¡¯t been cleaned for a long time.


    Seeing this situation, Ling Chen walked to the back door of the small western-style house and rummaged through a pile of misceneous items to find two thin pieces of wire, which he used to pick the lock on the back door.


    After the door was opened, Ling Chen didn¡¯t switch on the lights, to avoid drawing the attention of the pursuing soldiers outside.


    He went straight to the living room, ced the unconscious Su Mei on the sofa, and then went upstairs alone to check every bedroom. As he had suspected, nobody was living in this small western-style house. If there had been someone, the small sedan in the courtyard wouldn¡¯t be so dirty that nobody cared to clean it.


    He finally found a ce to hide.


    Ling Chen took a deep breath, took a cup and filled it with water from the tap, and gulped it down. After wiping the water from the corner of his mouth, Ling Chen filled an electric kettle with water and ced it on the stove to boil.


    Taking this opportunity, Ling Chen checked Su Mei¡¯s physical condition. Thankfully, there was nothing seriously wrong.


    When the water boiled, he found a clean towel and wiped Su Mei¡¯s face with it. Perhaps feeling the warmth of the hot towel, the unconscious Su Mei moved slightly, her eyshes quivering gently.


    "Miss Su."


    Ling Chen called out softly. After a while, Su Mei slowly opened her eyes, rubbed her throbbing forehead, sat up from the sofa, and asked, "Where is this?"


    "Inside a civilian residence, don¡¯t worry, there¡¯s no one living in this house for now." With that said, Ling Chen stood up, brought over a cup of hot water, and offered it to Su Mei, "Have some water first."


    "Thank you!"


    "Nothing to thank me for." Ling Chen smiled slightly: "You rest for a bit, I¡¯m going to check outside."


    A few minutester, Ling Chen came back into the house and said, "The pursuers have gone past us, they did not discover our tracks."


    "What should we do next?"


    "There¡¯s a car outside, we¡¯ll drive awayter." As he spoke, Ling Chen looked at the time; it was already close to 3 o¡¯clock in the morning, and reinforcements from the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion should be arriving soon.


    "Why not stay here?" Su Mei asked, "Isn¡¯t this ce quite safe?"


    Ling Chen shook his head and exined, "Don¡¯t think of those people as fools. The surroundings here are too simple, there are only so many ces to hide. If they don¡¯t discover our whereabouts after a while, they will certainly suspect that we¡¯re hiding in a civilian house."


    "I didn¡¯t realize you had so much experience in this area."


    Ling Chenughed: "You should know what I did before. Without a trick or two, I¡¯d have lost my life long ago." As he said this, Ling Chen changed the subject with a smile, "You haven¡¯t answered the question I asked you before; isn¡¯t it time to tell me now?"

 Chapter 558 - 554 Choosing a Mate (2)

    <h4>Chapter 558: Chapter 554 Choosing a Mate (2)</h4><h4></h4>


    "What¡¯s the problem?"


    "Your criteria for choosing a spouse. You¡¯re already in your twenties; don¡¯t tell me you¡¯ve never thought about this." Ling Chen said with a smile: "Since there¡¯s no one else here, feel free to share. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll keep your secret and won¡¯t tell anyone else."


    Facing Ling Chen¡¯s gaze, Su Mei¡¯s cheeks immediately flushed with a faint blush, involuntarily turning her head away and shifting her eyes elsewhere. Her shy demeanor seemed to indicate she dared not look directly into Ling Chen¡¯s eyes.


    Seeing this, Ling Chen couldn¡¯t help but tease: "Why, are you feeling embarrassed?"


    "Who says I¡¯m embarrassed? I¡¯m worried you would be."


    "Me?" Ling Chen paused, pointing to his nose and chuckling: "How does this rte to me?"


    "Aren¡¯t you asking about my standards for choosing a spouse? My standards are simple: excellence. As the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion Master, I usually stay within Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion and rarely have time to go out. The men I know are limited to the Pavilion¡¯s members, so my choices are very limited. Hence, the Heavenly Mechanism Great Ceremony has be one of my criteria for selection. If a young and outstanding man wins first ce in the New Talent Competition, he will be considered a priority candidate."


    Hearing this, Ling Chen touched his nose, concealing his embarrassment. No wonder Su Mei was reluctant to borate; it turned out to be about him. He gave a light cough andughed to himself: "Then I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ll have to disappoint you. If we had met six months earlier, you might have had a chance."


    Su Mei¡¯s pretty face turned red, and with a huff, she gave Ling Chen a displeased nce: "Who fancies you."


    "If you don¡¯t fancy me, someone else will," Ling Chen retorted casually. Without waiting for Su Mei to speak, he stood up and said, "Enough joking around, it¡¯s about time we left."


    With that, Ling Chen led Su Mei to the courtyard and opened the door of the small car. He checked the vehicle after getting into the driver¡¯s seat. Lucky for them, there was half a tank of gas left, enough for their escape.


    Starting the car, Ling Chen slowly drove out of the courtyard, and after determining the direction, he immediately headed towards the road.


    There were people from the God Organization monitoring the highway entrance; they had to find another way to leave.


    After driving for more than ten minutes, Su Mei looked out of the car window and asked, "Where are we going?"


    "We can¡¯t take the highway, so we¡¯ll have to take the national road." After replying, Ling Chen put down his phone and said, "I just contacted Song. They are still on the ne and will probably arrive in about an hour."


    "One hour..." Su Mei nodded slightly, her tense expression visibly rxed. As long as they rendezvoused with the main force of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, her safety would be assured.


    "Ling Chen, we..."


    "Not good!"


    At that moment, before Su Mei could finish speaking, a cry of rm came from Ling Chen. Su Mei looked up and saw that a person had appeared on the road ahead out of nowhere, standing directly in the path of the fast-moving car, less than ten meters away.


    At this point, the car was traveling at the speed of 120 kilometers per hour, even with Ling Chen¡¯s quick reaction to hit the brakes in time, the inertia of the car¡¯s body would still hit the person. Moreover, at such a speed, if he were to forcefully turn the steering wheel, it would only cause the car to lose bnce and lead to an ident.


    As the car¡¯s hood was about to strike the person, Ling Chen¡¯s heart leaped to his throat, his hands tightly gripping the steering wheel, staring intently ahead.


    Suddenly, the person standing in front of the car did not appear to move, but in an instant, vanished without a trace.


    Screech!


    Apanied by a piercing sound of tire friction, the car finally came to a stop.


    Ling Chen took a deep breath, quickly shifted his gaze, and peered through the car window, scanning for traces of that person. However, there was no one around the car.


    Could it have been a trick of the eye?


    There had clearly been a figure standing in front of the car just moments ago.


    While still in shock, Ling Chen suddenly caught a glimpse of a figure shing before his eyes. Right then, in front of the sedan, another person appeared. Under the illumination of the headlights, Ling Chen finally made out the true face of the individual.


    An old man, beyond his seventieth year, with silver-white beard, a face full of wrinkles, and cloudy old eyes, looked like he was one foot in the grave. Yet, it was this very ordinary-looking elderly man that made Ling Chen¡¯s heart skip a beat.


    An inexplicable chill rose from the bottom of his heart for no apparent reason.


    This person... was dangerous!


    In the blink of an eye, Ling Chenbeled the elderly figure before him.


    Not only dangerous but extremely so.


    "Ling Chen, he..." Su Mei pointed at the old man, ready to ask a question, but before she could finish her sentence, she saw Ling Chen shifting into reverse, steering the sedan swiftly backward.


    However, the car had barely moved back two meters when the old man in front reached out his hand, grabbed the front bumper of the car. Before Ling Chen could react, the entire front of the vehicle was lifted, both front wheels off the ground.


    As a front-wheel-drive sedan, without the front two wheels, the car instantly lost its driving force and was unable to continue reversing.


    Impressive!


    Ling Chen watched the old man through the car window, a look of shock stered on his face.


    This sedan weighed at least a ton, and for the old man to lift its front end effortlessly was a testament to his formidable strength. Although there were many strongmen both domestically and internationally who could do it, this old man had done it with just one hand, without showing any sign of effort, his face not flushed, his breath not short. To achieve this level, the old man¡¯s strength should not be underestimated.


    "Get out of the car."


    After a moment of shock, Ling Chen made a swift decision.


    The space inside the car was cramped, leaving him unable to cope with any situation that might arise.


    Hearing Ling Chen¡¯smand, Su Mei didn¡¯t hesitate, hurriedly pushed open the car door, and prepared to get out from the passenger side. But at that moment, the old man at the front of the car suddenly exerted force, flipping the sedan upwards with a single hand. Instantly, the entire car flipped over in mid-air,pleting a three hundred and sixty-degree spin, thennded on the ground with a ¡¯bang.¡¯


    Ling Chen and Su Mei, who hadn¡¯t managed to get out in time, only felt their whole bodies jolt, shaking uncontrobly. Fortunately, they had both fastened their seat belts and were firmly strapped to their seats. However, Su Mei, not as physically strong as Ling Chen, felt dizziness and disorientation from the violent shaking.


    Seeing Su Mei¡¯s pale face, Ling Chen didn¡¯t have the luxury to think further, kicked open the car door, swiftly unfastened Su Mei¡¯s seat belt, and then dragged her out from the passenger side.


    Stepping away from the sedan, Ling Chen shielded Su Mei, his eyes alertly fixed on the old man, and he said in a deep voice, "Are you from the God Organization?"


    However, the old man didn¡¯t even nce at him, his gaze remained locked on Su Mei.


    "Hand her over, and I¡¯ll let you live," the old man said slowly, his voice hoarse, with a hint of cold and fierce murderous intent in his tone.


    Seeing the old man closing in step by step, Ling Chen furrowed his brows, turned to Su Mei, and said, "Miss Su, I¡¯ll hold him off in a moment; take the chance to run first."


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 Chapter 559 - 555 Mr. Ji

    <h4>Chapter 559: Chapter 555 Mr. Ji</h4><h4></h4>


    "That¡¯s for you?"


    "Don¡¯t worry about me, I..."


    "What¡¯s all this nonsense?"


    Before Ling Chen could finish speaking, the old man suddenly snapped coldly. As his words fell, Ling Chen¡¯s gaze shifted, only to see a flickering figure before his eyes. Immediately after, a gust of wind hit his face. Before he could react, the gust turned into a powerful force and struck him fiercely.


    Puff!


    In an instant, Ling Chen felt a sweetness in his throat, and blood spilled from his mouth. His legs lifted off the ground and he heavily crashed onto the floor.


    "Ling Chen!"


    Seeing this, Su Mei¡¯s face changed drastically. She hurried to Ling Chen¡¯s side and helped him up from the ground.


    "How are you?" Su Mei asked with concern.


    "I... I¡¯m fine." Ling Chen endured the pain in his chest and said with a pale face.


    Although he said he was fine, he was very aware of how severe his injuries were. At least three ribs had been broken at the front of his chest; at the moment, even a slight movement sent a fierce pain throughout his limbs.


    In one move!


    Ling Chen hadpletely lost his ability to resist.


    As a master on the Dragon List, probably only a master from the Earthly List could render him incapable of fighting back. Looking at the old man before him, Ling Chen¡¯s eyebrows were tightly knit, and he was out of ideas.


    This old man¡¯s strength was too formidable; he was no match for him. Even if he had not been injured, he wouldn¡¯t have been able to defeat him.


    At that moment, the old man slowly walked over, grabbed Su Mei¡¯s left shoulder, and yanked her to his side.


    "Miss Su." Ling Chen reached out, trying to snatch Su Mei back. However, before his fingertips could touch Su Mei, the old man kicked him away, causing him to fall to the ground.


    Blood, once again, flowed from his mouth.


    "Ling Chen!"


    Su Mei looked at Ling Chen with a pained expression and worry.


    "Let¡¯s go!" The old man snapped, holding Su Mei with one hand and lightly tapping the ground with his foot. In the blink of an eye, the two disappeared into the thick night, leaving no trace.


    After they left, Ling Cheny on the ground gasping for breath. Once the pain in his body eased slightly, he struggled to get up from the ground.


    Back in the car, despite his injuries, Ling Chen started the sedan and immediately chased in the direction where the old man had disappeared.


    No matter how skilled the old man was, he couldn¡¯t be faster than a car. Ling Chen took a deep breath, remained calm, organized his thoughts, and checked the roads on both sides.


    He was on a main road with no branch intersections. Judging by the direction the old man left in, he must have headed towards the downtown area.


    Thinking of this, Ling Chen took out his phone and called Hu Fei, nning to repeat an old trick by having Liu Wei make a call to his contacts to locate the old man. Logically deducing, the old man would definitely meet up with those people.


    In Jinhai City.


    In the underground parking lot of a five-star hotel, three Range Rover off-road vehicles were parked.


    Not long after, two people walked towards the entrance of the parking lot; one was an old man over seventy years old, and the other was Su Mei, who had previously been captured.


    Seeing the old man appear, a middle-aged man immediately stepped out of a Range Rover. He was holding a phone in his hand and walked while saying, "Hello! Liu, I still have things to handle, I¡¯ll talk to youter."


    As soon as he hung up, the middle-aged man quickly walked towards the old man.


    "Mr. Ji." The middle-aged man greeted respectfully.


    "The person is here, you can take her back and report in."


    "Yes, Mr. Ji, thank you for your hard work." Saying that, the middle-aged man took Su Mei from the old man¡¯s hands and asked, "By the way! Mr. Ji, wasn¡¯t there someone else with her, did you find him?"


    The old man disdainfully said, "He¡¯s a useless loser, why bother wasting thoughts on him."


    "Is he dead?"


    "He¡¯s not worthy of dying by my hands." With those words, the old man closed his mouth and turned to walk outside the car park.


    After seeing Mr. Ji leave, the middle-aged man hastily pushed Su Mei into the car.


    As three Range Rovers drove out of the underground parking lot, the middle-aged man instructed, "Head to the port."


    Halfway through their journey, Su Mei sitting in the backseat asked, "What did you do to them?"


    "Don¡¯t worry, they are all doing well, their lives are not in danger for now. But, this is under the condition that you cooperate with me..."


    Boom!


    Suddenly, a loud noise erupted as the Range Rover in the middle was instantly rammed into the roadside. The sedan that hit it had its frontpletely wrecked, and its windows shattered, scattering ss all around.


    Faced with this sudden turn of events, the Range Rovers in front and behind immediately stopped, and several men sprinted from their vehicles to check on the people inside.


    "Damn! Can¡¯t you fucking drive? Are you blind or what?" A man cursed at the sedan¡¯s driver while walking to the car door, he reached in to pull the driver out.


    But just as the car door opened, a hand suddenly reached out, grabbed the man¡¯s cor, and violently pulled him in. Instantly, the man¡¯s head hit the car door¡¯s top, knocking him unconscious.


    "Who is it?"


    Amidst the shouting of the surrounding men, Ling Chen quickly rushed down from the driver¡¯s seat and charged directly at the men near the Range Rover.


    In a short span, five men were down at Ling Chen¡¯s feet. Taking advantage of the dy before others could encircle him, Ling Chen hurriedly opened the door of the crashed Range Rover, nced inside, and saw that the two men in the front passenger and driver seats were unconscious, while the two men in the back responsible for guarding Su Mei were still groggy.


    Because those two men served as a human shield, Su Mei in the middle wasn¡¯t much affected.


    Seeing Ling Chen at the car door, Su Mei showed a hint of joy. Before she could speak, she heard Ling Chen say, "Stay seated and don¡¯t move."


    After giving instructions, Ling Chen pulled all the men in the back out, followed by the people in the driver and passenger seats, and threw them onto the ground. Without waiting for the others to catch up, Ling Chen quickly jumped into the driver¡¯s seat and restarted the Range Rover.


    Fortunately, the Range Rover¡¯s quality was solid. Despite enduring the collision, only the body¡¯s side skirt was slightly deformed, which did not affect driving.


    "Hold on!"


    As his words fell, Ling Chen floored the elerator, breaking through the crowd.


    "Miss Su, where is that old man who captured you?" Ling Chen asked.


    He must rify the situation about that old man, the greatest threat.


    "I¡¯m not sure; he left after handing me over to those people."


    That¡¯s a relief! Ling Chen quietly breathed a sigh of relief. However, as soon as he rxed, he immediately felt a sharp pain through his body. The wounds on his body had not yet recovered, and just now he had forcefully rescued Su Mei. Now the pain red again making him utterly ufortable, even his vision started to blur.

 Chapter 560 - 556 Heavenly List Expert

    <h4>Chapter 560: Chapter 556 Heavenly List Expert</h4><h4></h4>


    Seeing Ling Chen sway the Land Rover from side to side, Su Mei asked worriedly, "Ling Chen, how are you?"


    "I¡¯m... I¡¯m fine." Ling Chen saidboriously. Under intense pain, he bit down on his tongue tip forcefully, and immediately, his mind cleared up significantly. Taking a deep breath, Ling Chen looked at the rearview mirror, only to see another Land Rover quickly catching up from behind, speeding faster and faster.


    Seeing this, Ling Chen controlled his speed and gradually slowed down. Shortly after, the pursuing Land Rover quickly caught up and drove alongside his.


    As the two Land Rovers were side by side in a straight line, Ling Chen suddenly turned the steering wheel, veering the car sharply to the left.


    Bang!


    With a loud crash, the two vehicles collided fiercely. Under the impact controlled by Ling Chen in the Land Rover, the other vehicle slightly shifted to the side. Conveniently, there were several cars parked on the roadside, blocking the pursuing Land Rover¡¯s path which, unable to dodge timely, crashed into the rear of a parked car, billowing white smoke.


    Having shaken off the other Land Rover, Ling Chen finally breathed a sigh of relief. He then sped up and drove the Land Rover into a nearby open-air parking lot. After that, he abandoned the Land Rover and randomly stole another car in the parking lot, continuing the escape with Su Mei.


    Over ten minutester, feeling increasingly weak, Ling Chen had no choice but to stop the car on the roadside, then found a simple motel to rest for a while.


    When paying, the motel owner, seeing the beautiful like celestial Su Mei then looking at Ling Chen, revealed a meaningful smile in his eyes.


    "302." The motel owner handed the room key to Ling Chen and leaned closer to him, chuckling lowly, "That room has better soundproofing, you two can enjoy yourselves to the fullest."


    Although the motel owner spoke quietly, Su Mei still heard him clearly from the side, her pretty face blushing deeply, her eyes unable to hide her embarrassment.


    Ling Chen, uninterested in exining, quickly dragged Su Mei up the stairs.


    In room 302, Ling Chen sat on the bed leaning against the wall, panting heavily.


    "Here, drink some water first." Seeing Ling Chen¡¯s injury seemed severe, Su Mei quickly opened a bottle of mineral water provided in the room.


    After taking a few sips and soothing his throat, Ling Chen felt much morefortable, though the pain in his chest was still intense.


    "When will Song Ge and the others arrive?"


    Hearing Su Mei¡¯s question, Ling Chen shook his head, took out his mobile phone, and said, "You call him yourself. Give them our address and ask them to hurry over, I can¡¯t hold on much longer."


    Su Mei nodded, took the phone, and dialed Song Ge¡¯s number.


    Once the call connected, Su Mei spoke urgently, "Song Ge, it¡¯s me, you... what?" Not knowing what was said from the other end, Su Mei¡¯s face slightly changed.


    "Okay, I understand, be careful."


    After Su Mei hung up the call, Ling Chen asked, "What happened over there?"


    "They were attacked right as they left the airport." Su Mei couldn¡¯t hide her worry while saying this, "Song Ge told me that the attacker was an old man, likely the same one who injured you."


    Ling Chen frowned and said, "Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion sent so many experts over, can¡¯t they take down that old man?"


    Miss Su sighed, "I¡¯m afraid things are not as simple as you imagine. That old man... is a Heavenly List master!"


    What?


    Ling Chen¡¯s pupils shrank, his face revealing shock.


    Heavenly List master!


    No wonder Song Ge and the others were stopped; it turns out that old fellow is a Heavenly List master. Ling Chen secretly felt fortunate that when he encountered that old man previously, the man probably disdained killing him; otherwise, even ten lives wouldn¡¯t have been enough to survive.


    That said, the Heavenly List master secretly protecting Miss Su¡¯s safety must have been unable to help because of that old man.


    "Miss Su, are there no Heavenly List masters among the reinforcements sent by the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion?"


    "Do you think there are many Heavenly List masters in the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion? Aside from our own people, Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion only has two Heavenly List masters. One is solely responsible for my safety; the other stays in the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion to fend off foreign enemies." At this point, Su Mei suddenly changed the topic, continuing, "The old man who hurt you before, I think I know who he is."


    "You know his identity?"


    Su Mei nodded and said, "I¡¯ve heard people calling him Mr. Ji. Among the Heavenly List masters I know of, there is an old man surnamed Ji, whom I have never met; I can¡¯t believe he was recruited by the God Organization. If I remember correctly, his name should be Ji Gang, and he¡¯s already over eighty years old. Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion has always wanted to contact him to maintain good rtions, but he is elusive and has no fixed abode, so we have always been unable to reach him."


    Ling Chen was somewhat surprised, saying, "I thought he was a Heavenly List master ¡¯manufactured¡¯ through the Lucifer experiment; turns out he¡¯s real."


    "The Lucifer experiment I learned about is actually the development of one¡¯s own potential, guided by effective scientific technology,bined with medicinal enhancements, which instantly enhance one¡¯s strength multiple times. However, these ¡¯manufactured¡¯ Heavenly List masters, no matter how powerful they are, can¡¯t surpass those who break through limits by their cultivation. Moreover, everyone¡¯s potential has a limit; even if the experiment is sessful, it will greatly reduce their lifespan."


    "I see."


    While talking, Ling Chen suddenly felt a heaviness in his chest, barely catching his breath, and his face turned unsightly.


    Seeing his difort, Su Mei said, "We should still go to the hospital to check; your injury can¡¯t be neglected for too long."


    "No need." Ling Chen shook his head, "Going to the hospital could likely expose our whereabouts." With aputer expert Hu Fei by his side, God Organization surely doesn¡¯tck such experts.


    "How about... we call the police?" suggested Su Mei.


    "No." Ling Chen directly rejected Su Mei¡¯s suggestion. He knew too well the style of God Organization; even if they sought help from the police, God Organization would neither fear nor show mercy, only causing more innocent casualties.


    "You don¡¯t need to worry too much about me; I¡¯ll be fine with some rest. It¡¯s unlikely that the God Organization¡¯s people will find this ce anytime soon, and we can rest assured."


    Su Mei, with a worried expression, said, "I wonder how Elder Zhou and the others are faring?"


    "It¡¯s a pity we don¡¯t know their whereabouts; otherwise, we could think of a way to rescue them first."


    Hearing this, something seemed to ur to Su Mei, and she said, "The people who captured me previously said they were sending me to the port; could this be a clue?"


    The port?


    Ling Chen¡¯s mind stirred. Yes! Located by the sea, they must be nning to leave by boat.

 Chapter 561 - 557: Port Rescue (1)

    <h4>Chapter 561: Chapter 557: Port Rescue (1)</h4><h4></h4>


    "Stay here, I¡¯m going out for a bit," said Ling Chen as he got up, ready to leave.


    "What are you going to do?" Su Mei quickly caught up to Ling Chen, obstructing his path and asked.


    "Elder Zhou and the others must be trapped on the ship, I¡¯m going to scout out the situation and see if I can rescue them."


    "No! You¡¯re so severely injured and can barely take care of yourself, how can you go and rescue them? Don¡¯t end up risking your own life too."


    "It¡¯s okay, no need to worry about me. People from the God Organization know that the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion has sent reinforcements, most of their manpower must be intercepting Song Ge and the others, the manpower at the port should be less, this is a good opportunity, we cannot miss it."


    "But..." Su Mei still hesitated. Her hesitation mainly stemmed from her concern for Ling Chen¡¯s safety. He was covered in wounds, and she did not want his condition to worsen. As the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion Master, she had some knowledge in medicine and knew very well that as a martial artist, if one cannot control their injuries, the condition might worsen and possibly lead to long-termplications.


    "Right!"


    At that moment, Ling Chen seemed to remember something, hurriedly reaching into his pocket, rummaging left and right, and finally pulled out something wrapped in stic paper.


    "I have this."


    "What is that?" Su Mei asked curiously.


    Ling Chen smiled as he peeled off the stic wrapper, revealing a small white orb, immediately dispersing a faint fragrance throughout the room.


    "Heavenly Mechanism Pill!"


    As the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion Master, Su Mei would naturally recognize it.


    Ling Chen nodded, the pill in his hand was a quality Heavenly Mechanism Pill, obtained from the Heavenly Mechanism Great Ceremony. There are three types of Heavenly Mechanism Pills: ordinary, quality, and superior. However, only those who have reached the level of Dragon List could consume the quality Heavenly Mechanism Pills. Ling Chen, who was previously ranked in the Tiger List, had used an ordinary Heavenly Mechanism Pill before and found it effective, but he had never used the quality ones.


    After securing the first ce in the recent rookiepetition, the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion awarded him four quality Heavenly Mechanism Pills. He kept three at home and carried one all the time, just in case.


    He had just recalled that he still had one with him.


    "Heavenly Mechanism Pill isn¡¯t a healing medicinal pill, at most it can only alleviate your pain, not have much effect on the injuries," said Su Mei.


    "Alleviating the pain is enough." With that, not waiting for Su Mei to say anything more, Ling Chen swallowed the quality Heavenly Mechanism Pill.


    As soon as the pill entered his mouth, its effect began to work in his body. The quality Heavenly Mechanism Pill indeed had a much stronger effect than the ordinary ones. Soon, the pain in his chest was significantly alleviated.


    "Alright, I¡¯m fine now, I¡¯ll head out now," Ling Chen patted his chest, showed Su Mei an OK sign, and then turned towards the door. Reaching the doorway, Ling Chen pped his forehead, quickly turned around, took out his phone, and ced it in Su Mei¡¯s hand.


    "Keep the phone so we can easily stay in contact."


    "Then take care of yourself."


    "I know."


    After leaving the hotel, Ling Chen drove the stolen car straight to the Jinhai City port.


    In less than half an hour, Ling Chen arrived outside the port. He parked the car at the roadside, stood outside the gate, and nced around. Although it was already 4 a.m., many workers were still loading and unloading goods.


    It is normal for a major port to operate 24 hours with staff working shifts. Ling Chen observed for a while, but did not notice any suspicious individuals or questionable ships.


    Right then, Ling Chen slipped past the workers and quietly went into the port management center. While nobody was paying attention, he picked up a work uniform and put it on, ensuring that his identity would not be discovered.


    In the harbor, arge area is piled with containers. Ling Chen wore a work cap, pulled the brim down, and discreetly moved among the workers, searching for the whereabouts of Zhou Jun and hispanions.


    At this moment, arge group of workers were operating machinery, loading cargo onto a cargo ship, and more than tenrge containers were sessively transported to the ship.


    After spending more than ten minutes, Ling Chen walked a big round in the harbor. He searched every suspicious ce, but still came up empty-handed.


    Strange!


    Ling Chen frowned secretly, wondering if he hade to the wrong ce.


    Just as he was thinking, his eyes were suddenly drawn to several vehicles parked side by side not far away.


    Range Rover!


    It was indeed here!


    Ling Chen thought to himself. If he had any doubts before, he was sure now that Zhou Qi and his people must be detained somewhere in the harbor.


    However, apart from a cargo ship, there were more than ten fishing boats and several yachts around the port. He had checked the fishing boats and yachts and found no signs of anyone, all dark and deserted.


    Cargo ship!


    Ling Chen looked up at the cargo ship not far away and nodded secretly. Except for that ship, he had checked everywhere else. However, searching such arge ship might be problematic.


    After thinking for a while, Ling Chen blended in with the port workers, picked up a woven bag, and followed the team quickly onto the cargo ship.


    Once on the cargo ship, Ling Chen carefully observed the people around him. Soon, he identified several suspicious targets. Although these people were dressed in work clothes, they were not working. Instead, they stood around, monitoring the actions of others.


    Moreover, under their clothes around their waists, Ling Chen saw bulges, likely lethal weapons.


    Having identified the targets, Ling Chen pressed his cap down, lowered his head, and walked towards a man. Approaching him, Ling Chen nced around, noticed that no one was paying attention to them, and without hesitation, he took action, knocked the man down to the ground, covered his mouth, and dragged him behind a box.


    "If you don¡¯t want to die, you better cooperate with me." Ling Chen coldly threatened.


    "Tell me, where are all the people you¡¯ve captured?"


    The man quickly raised his hand and pointed to a stack of containers not far away.


    "Are you sure?"


    The man hastily nodded, indicating he was not lying.


    "You better not be lying to me; otherwise, I¡¯lle back for you."


    With that, Ling Chen raised his left hand, turned it into a knife-hand, and severely chopped at the man¡¯s neck, knocking him unconscious. To avoid detection, Ling Chen pulled a cloth from nearby and covered the man¡¯s body, hiding his tracks.


    He then continued to disguise as a worker on the cargo ship, walked through the busy crowd, and headed straight towards the containers.


    Upon reaching the area, Ling Chen walked past the containers, carefully listening to any noise inside.


    "Hey, what are you doing over there?"


    Suddenly, a man in charge of patrol noticed Ling Chen¡¯s actions and hurriedly called out reprehensively.

 Chapter 562 - 558 Port Search and Rescue (2)

    <h4>Chapter 562: Chapter 558 Port Search and Rescue (2)</h4><h4></h4>


    As the man shouted, everyone¡¯s attention instantly focused on Ling Chen.


    Darn it!


    Ling Chen cursed under his breath, that guy¡¯s eyes were too sharp.


    At this moment, he couldn¡¯t care about hiding his identity and yelled loudly, "Elder Zhou, where are you?"


    Right after his words, Ling Chen heard a ¡¯bang bang¡¯ noise. Following the sound, Ling Chen immediately locked his gaze on one of the containers.


    So they were all locked up in here.


    Before Ling Chen could release Zhou Qi and the others, the nearby duty personnel already rushed over, each reaching for their waists.


    Seeing those people preparing to draw weapons, Ling Chen immediately changed direction and dived towards a nearby metal box. Behind the metal box, Ling Chen nced inside and found it was filled with arge number of screws. These screws and nuts, specially made for the cargo ship, were veryrge and heavy.


    Looking at those screws and nuts, a glint appeared in Ling Chen¡¯s eyes. He casually picked up a few and threw them as hidden weapons. With the help of his wrist, all the screws hit the targets urately, knocking them to the ground.


    After continuously taking down five duty personnel, Ling Chen saw the deck was clear and immediately rushed to the container, ready to release Zhou Qi and the others.


    However, when he saw the locks hanging outside the container, his brows involuntarily furrowed.


    There were a total of three locks on the outside of the container, each as thick as a thumb, and it was impossible to break them by force alone. Seeing this, Ling Chen anxiously looked around, hoping to find tools to open the locks.


    At this moment, after the recent conflict, all the deck workers had escaped from the cargo ship, and no one was to be found. However, there were plenty of noisesing from outside the cargo ship, likely members of the God Organization.


    What to do now?


    Ling Chen thought hard to himself, having finally located Zhou Qi and the others, he couldn¡¯t just abandon them and escape alone. Amidst his contemtion, Ling Chen suddenly noticed the crane set up in the port, and his eyes lit up.


    There¡¯s a way!


    Without waiting for pursuers from outside the cargo ship to arrive, Ling Chen tapped his toes lightly, speeding swiftly, and leaped straight off the ship¡¯s deck,nding firmly on the ground. He then continued to run at full speed.


    Soon, he reached the base of the crane.


    With his agile skills, Ling Chen grabbed the supports with both hands and quickly made his way up. In less than ten seconds, he reached the crane¡¯s control booth, thirty meters high.


    Upon entering the booth, the operator inside looked at Ling Chen in surprise and said, "Who are you? Get down from here; this ce doesn¡¯t allow outsiders." As he spoke, the man tried to drive Ling Chen away.


    Watching the man¡¯s approaching hand, Ling Chen, without saying a word, swiftly grabbed the operator¡¯s wrist and gave it a gentle twist. Instantly, the worker let out a cry of pain.


    "Behave yourself, you better do exactly as I say," Ling Chenmanded while pointing at the deck of the cargo ship. "Get that container down for me."


    The operator, sweating coldly, said with difficulty, "This...this is against the rules."


    "Friend, you know best how high up we are here. If you identally fall, you¡¯ll lose your life. Your life is almost gone, and you¡¯re still worried about breaking the rules?"


    Upon hearing this, the operator felt a chill rise from the soles of his feet.


    "Don¡¯t...don¡¯t kill me, I¡¯ll do as you say."


    Under the control of the staff, the crane slowly operated, moving from mid-air above the deck of the cargo ship. Then, the iron hook hanging from the crane armtched onto both sides of the container, slowly pulling it up and moving it toward the port.


    Taking advantage of the moment when the staff were operating the crane, Ling Chen scanned the control room and saw a pile of tools in the corner, including a wire cutter.


    "Bring the container over here." As soon as he finished speaking, Ling Chen picked up the wire cutter, stepped outside the control room, and watched the slowly moving container.


    As soon as the container neared, Ling Chen immediately extended the wire cutter in his hand, cutting all three locks on the outside.


    As the doors of the container swung open, it revealed Zhou Qi, Zhou Jun, and over ten members of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, all bound tightly and with their movements restricted.


    "Elder Zhou."


    Ling Chen hurriedly jumped into the container, helping everyone to untie their ropes.


    "Ling Chen, how did you get here?" Zhou Qi asked, puzzled.


    "We¡¯ll talk about thatter. This is not a safe ce to stay, let¡¯s leave quickly." Saying this, Ling Chen walked out of the container, returned to the crane control room, and signaled to the staff member to lower the container to the ground.


    However, at that moment, Ling Chen, standing at a high vantage point, suddenly saw several Land Rovers approaching rapidly from outside the port gate. Besides that, the sharp-eyed Ling Chen also noticed a rapidly moving figure following behind the Land Rovers. Due to the high speed, he couldn¡¯t see clearly. But, knowing the skills that person possessed, he knew who it was.


    Ji Gang.


    A master from the Heavenly List!


    "They arrived so quickly." Ling Chen frowned secretly. In his expectation, Ji Gang and his men should be intercepting the reinforcements from the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion; they shouldn¡¯t have managed to return so quickly. But now, it seemed things weren¡¯t going as smoothly as he thought.


    Seeing that the people from the God Organization were about to arrive, Ling Chen rushed out of the control room and shouted to the people in the container, "Elder Zhou."


    "What¡¯s wrong?" Zhou Qi poked his head out and asked.


    "Quick, go that way," Ling Chen pointed in another direction of the port, urging them anxiously.


    "What about you?"


    "Don¡¯t worry about me. Go first, I¡¯ll meet up with youter. Hurry, if we don¡¯t go now, it¡¯ll be toote."


    Seeing Ling Chen¡¯s anxious face, Zhou Qi didn¡¯t dare to dy any longer. Without waiting for the container to touch the ground, he led the others to jump from nearly ten meters high and then sprint towards the direction Ling Chen had pointed.


    Seeing Zhou Qi and the others leaving, Ling Chen immediately returned to the control room, pushed aside the staff member, and operated the crane himself, moving the container towards those Land Rovers.


    When the leading Land Rover was about to pass right beneath the container, Ling Chen mmed the button down hard. Suddenly, the container hanging in mid-air fell directly, smashing the Land Rover t. Under such heavy pressure, there was no chance for anyone in the car to survive.


    As the first Land Rover was destroyed, the subsequent few Land Rovers, being too close to stop, collided into each other.


    Seeing this scenario, Ling Chen¡¯s lips curved in a slight smile, giving a soft chuckle.


    He had finally bought some time for Zhou Qi and the others to escape.


    "Nicely done."


    Ling Chen patted the staff member¡¯s shoulder, then quickly sprinted out of the control room. With Zhou Qi and the others gone, it was his turn to leave.


    However, as Ling Chen climbed down from the crane, preparing to flee the port, he saw a sh before his eyes, and an old man suddenly appeared in front of him.

 Chapter 563 - 559: The Fisherman

    <h4>Chapter 563: Chapter 559: The Fisherman</h4><h4></h4>


    Ji Gang!


    Ling Chen¡¯s pupils shrank, and he couldn¡¯t help but retreat. Facing a master from the Heavenly List, such a reaction was not shameful. Ling Chen knew well that he was vastly inferior to the old man before him. If he fought against him, he would undoubtedly die.


    Still a step toote!


    I should have fled earlier, but still, this old fellow caught me.


    "You really don¡¯t know what¡¯s good for you," Ji Gang said coldly. "I spared your life, and yet you daree here to cause trouble."


    "Elder Ji, right," Ling Chen said while looking at Ji Gang. "I can¡¯t understand, why would a distinguished expert from the Heavenly List join the God Organization and assist tyrants in their oppression? Didn¡¯t your Master teach you that martial artists should follow the righteous path?"


    "The righteous path?" Ji Gang scoffed dismissively and said, "What is the righteous path, and what is the path of evil¡ªit¡¯s not for you to define. As long as I have enough power, the path of evil can be the righteous path. Kid, I¡¯m over sixty years your senior; it¡¯s not your ce to lecture me. Opposing me is a death wish!"


    At the utterance of the word ¡¯death,¡¯ Ling Chen immediately felt an overwhelming presence rush towards him. Even before moving, the force was already exerted. Feeling the pressure emanating from Ji Gang, Ling Chen¡¯s throat felt as if it were being strangled, breathing became difficult, and his entire bearing waspletely suppressed, unable to lift his head.


    Of the thirty-six stratagems, retreating is the best.


    Flee!


    If I don¡¯t flee now, I really will lose my life here.


    Choosing his direction carefully, Ling Chen didn¡¯t hesitate¡ªhe immediately started sprinting with all his might.


    "Trying to escape?" Watching Ling Chen¡¯s retreating figure, Ji Gang let out a sneer, lightly tapped his toes, and chased after him with lightning speed.


    After a frantic rush of several dozen meters, Ling Chen was getting closer and closer to that cargo ship.


    Almost there!


    Hope was within reach, and Ling Chen¡¯s eyes gleamed brighter. The docks offered no means of escape except the sea. Once in the water, under the cover of the dark night, the other party wouldn¡¯t be able to find him.


    However, just when Ling Chen was less than five meters away from the water, a strong gust of wind suddenly swept towards him from behind. Ling Chen¡¯s heart sank. He didn¡¯t need to look back to know who it was. In that moment, he clenched his teeth and gathered all his strength into his legs, shooting forward at his top speed.


    But even though he was fast, Ji Gang was faster.


    Three meters... Two meters... As the distance closed, Ling Chen leaped into the air, arms raised high, fingers joined together, plunging straight towards the water. But at that moment, a powerful force brutally struck his back, and the potent Inner Strength prated his skin, instantly spreading throughout his body.


    Pff!


    A mouthful of fresh blood spewed out, and Ling Chen lost consciousness, plummeting into the pitch-ck sea. Apanied by a ssh, Ling Chen¡¯s figure immediately disappeared.


    ...


    Hotel.


    In room 302, Su Mei was holding a teacup, her brow furrowed with worry as she sat restlessly, waiting for news of Ling Chen.


    Knock knock knock!


    At that moment, a crisp knocking on the door could be heard. Su Mei quickly got up and walked to the door, opening it.


    "Ling..." Before she could finish, Su Mei swallowed back her words and instead said, "You¡¯ve finally arrived."


    "Pavilion Master, we apologize for our tardiness," Song Ge said with remorse.


    "It¡¯s okay, didn¡¯t you say you were attacked on the way? How is everything?"


    "Not too bad, we didn¡¯t suffer heavy losses. Pavilion Master, we should escort you away first."


    Su Mei nodded and asked, "Do you have any news about Ling Chen?"


    "Elder Zhou just made contact with Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion. They have escaped safely, but as for Ling Chen... there is still no news of him, and Elder Zhou didn¡¯t borate."


    Hearing this, a gleam appeared in Su Mei¡¯s beautiful eyes, and the worry in them diminished significantly. Zhou Qi and the others being rescued meant that Ling Chen¡¯s operation was sessful. Since Zhou Qi was alright, Ling Chen should have also escaped unharmed.


    "Let¡¯s go, let¡¯s meet up with Elder Zhou and the others first."


    "Yes, Pavilion Master."


    ...


    Ling Chen didn¡¯t know how long had passed when he groggily opened his eyes, struggling to sit up. However, as soon as he moved, a wave of severe pain swept through his entire body, causing him to involuntarily moan.


    Damn it!


    His limbs wouldn¡¯t obey him.


    Ling Chen vaguely remembered being hit hard by Ji Gang as he fell into the sea. But the fact he could still feel pain now meant that he had survived.


    Where is this?


    He struggled to turn his neck, surveying his surroundings. He found himself lying on a crude wooden bed, surrounded by mud walls cracking in many ces as if they would copse at any moment.


    The roof above was covered with thickyers of thatch, and many dried small fishes were hanging from the beams, filling the hut with a pungent fishy smell.


    Through the walls, Ling Chen could faintly hear the sound of waves crashing. If he wasn¡¯t mistaken, he must be by the sea, and the owner of this house was possibly a fisherman.


    As he pondered, a person walked into the cabin, an old man around seventy or eighty years old, with a gaunt face and a slender figure, wearing a conical hat, carrying a basket of fish in his left hand. Through the gaps in the basket, more than ten fresh fish could be seen.


    Perhaps sensing Ling Chen¡¯s gaze, the old man turned his head and said indifferently, "You¡¯ve finally woken up."


    "Old man, how long have I been unconscious?"


    "Two days," the old man replied. "Two days ago, while I was out fishing, I found you lying on the beach, so I rescued you. You¡¯re lucky to still be breathing; otherwise, not even a deity could have saved you."


    "Thank you!" Ling Chen expressed his gratitude. If it weren¡¯t for this old man, his life would have been long gone.


    "Old man, do you have a telephone here? I want to make a call to a friend."


    The old man gestured towards the room¡¯s furnishings and counterquestioned, "Do you think I have such a thing?"


    Ling Chen took a quick nce and realized that the room really didn¡¯t have any electrical appliances, not even amp; the lighting was done with old-fashioned kerosenemps.


    "Old man, if you don¡¯t have one, could you help me borrow one from someone else?" Ling Chen asked, not giving up hope.


    The old man shook his head and said, "I¡¯m the only one living in this ce, there are no outsiders, and I don¡¯t wish to interact with outsiders. You better just stay here peacefully until your injuries heal, then you can leave on your own."


    Ling Chen felt helpless and pleaded, "Old man, I really have an urgent matter. Please help me, I¡¯ll be sure to repay you generously after this is all settled."


    "Forget it, I have no interest in your gratitude," the old man paused, and before Ling Chen could say anything more, he continued, "Your injuries are very serious. You can¡¯t leave bed for five days, and even if you contact your friends, you¡¯ll still have to stay here for five days."


    Saying that, the old man walked over to an old wooden table, pulled out several bottles and jars from underneath, then took out a porcin bowl, poured contents from the bottles and jars, mixing them together.

 Chapter 564 - 560: Goddess Meets Goddess

    <h4>Chapter 564: Chapter 560: Goddess Meets Goddess</h4><h4></h4>


    Before long, a bowl of some unknown liquid was ready.


    The old man carried the porcin bowl to the bedside, propped up Ling Chen¡¯s neck with one hand, then brought the bowl to his lips and said, "Drink up, this stuff is good for your injuries."


    Ling Chen wrinkled his brow slightly at the pungent smell emanating from the bowl and asked, "What kind of medicine is this?"


    Although the old man before him had saved him, he didn¡¯t let his guard down. Being cautious never hurts, no matter the situation.


    "This is a traditional remedy; rest assured, I have no reason to harm you. If I wanted to harm you, why would I bother saving you? Just drink it quickly."


    Hearing this, Ling Chen thought it made sense, and without further hesitation, he braved the assault on his taste buds and downed the unknown medicinal liquid.


    As the medicine went down his throat, Ling Chen immediately felt his head grow heavy and he drifted off to sleep. It wasn¡¯t long before he fell into a deep slumber.


    Watching Ling Chen asleep, the old man mumbled to himself, "Lucky for you, you have a strong life force. You took the Heavenly Mechanism Pill and it kept you breathing; otherwise, you¡¯d be long gone."


    ...


    East Sea City.


    Wealthy Manor.


    At this moment, Nanrong Wanqing and Liu Xiyao were sitting in the living room, staring at the entrance, hoping that Ling Chen would appear in their line of sight the next second. However, having waited for two or three days, there was still no sign of Ling Chen returning.


    "Could he... could he have had an ident?" said Nanrong Wanqing, filled with anxiety.


    Ever since the night Ling Chen asked her and Liu Xiyao to return, she had lost contact with him, without a single piece of news. What worried her the most was whether Ling Chen had been captured by those people, or worse... There was another possibility, but she dared not even think it.


    At that moment, Nanrong Hao walked in from outside.


    Seeing Nanrong Hao, Nanrong Wanqing immediately couldn¡¯t sit still. She quickly got up to meet him, asking impatiently, "Did you find him?"


    Nanrong Hao shook his head and said, "I asked the guys, they said Chen went to Jin Sea City a few days ago and hasn¡¯t been heard from since."


    Liu Xiyao asked with confusion, "What¡¯s he doing in Jin Sea City?"


    "I¡¯m not too sure."


    "Nanrong Hao, call the police right now," said Nanrong Wanqing, after deep deliberation.


    "Call the police?" Nanrong Hao hesitated.


    "What are you dazed for, go and make the call now," Nanrong Wanqing urged.


    "Oh!" Once Sister had spoken, Nanrong Hao did not dare disobey and quickly took out his phone to dial the emergency number.


    "Wanqing, don¡¯t be too anxious," Su Lin, seeing the urgency on Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s face, couldn¡¯t help but console her, "You know how capable Ling Chen is. Anyone who confronts him is at a disadvantage, he won¡¯t be in trouble."


    Nanrong Wanqing sighed lightly and said, "I hope so, too, but it¡¯s been two or three days with no news at all, how can I not worry?"


    At this point, Nanrong Hao, who was standing by the window, put down his phone and said, "Sister, I¡¯ve made the call. The police will be here soon."


    Less than half an hourter, Xia Mutong, in a neat police uniform, came in with two subordinates.


    "Miss Nanrong," Xia Mutong greeted and asked, "Was it you who called in the report just now?"


    Anxious, Nanrong Wanqing got straight to the point, "Officer Xia, Ling Chen is missing, and I would like you to help me look for him."


    "Disappeared?" Xia Mutong slightly startled, doubting whether she had misheard.


    That scoundrel could actually disappear, what a strange urrence. Knowing Ling Chen as she did, she assumed the scoundrel must be so enthralled by someone¡¯s tender affections that he had forgotten to return.


    Her mind wandered for a moment before Xia Mutong dismissed the distractions, and spoke seriously, "Miss Nanrong, you say he is missing, what evidence do you have to prove this? Perhaps he¡¯s just gone out for fun and forgot to get in touch with you."


    "That¡¯s impossible, he¡¯s not that kind of person."


    Xia Mutong said with difficulty, "You can¡¯t provide any clues. I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s going to be hard for me to help you."


    "I..."


    "We don¡¯t need you to intervene in Ling Chen¡¯s affairs."


    Before Nanrong Wanqing could finish speaking, an agreeable voice came from the entrance. In an instant, everyone¡¯s attention was focused on the doorway.


    At the entrance of the room, a gracefully contoured woman walked in, her wrist adorned with an exquisite silver bracelet, a delicate ne of an unknown material around her soft neck, shining brightly with dazzling multicolored hues.


    Even though the woman¡¯s face was obscured by a thin veil, the elegant figure, the faint outline visible behind the veil, and the temperament she disyed in her bearing made it clear that this woman was exceptionally striking.


    Moreover, she was apanied by an elder and several men, who were vigntly guarding their surroundings.


    "Who are you?" As the owner of this vi, Nanrong Wanqing asked.


    "You may call me Su Mei," the woman replied indifferently.


    Xia Mutong scrutinized the other party and asked, "You just said to not intervene in Ling Chen¡¯s matters, what do you mean by that?"


    Su Mei replied unapologetically, "This is something your police can¡¯t handle, so it¡¯s better if you don¡¯t interfere, to avoid hindering us."


    Hearing that, Xia Mutong was inwardly furious. This woman had the audacity to belittle the police.


    "Miss Nanrong."


    Without hesitation, Su Mei walked up to Nanrong Wanqing, extending her hand and said, "This is our first formal meeting. I¡¯m very pleased to meet you."


    Looking at Su Mei¡¯s outstretched hand, Nanrong Wanqing asked, "Do you know me?"


    "I¡¯ve heard about you. Don¡¯t forget we have a mutual friend, Ling Chen."


    Ling Chen?


    For some reason, when Su Mei mentioned his name, Nanrong Wanqing felt a pang of difort. She sensed a whiff of hostility from this woman.


    However, thinking of the missing Ling Chen, Nanrong Wanqing immediately discarded the strange thoughts and asked, "Do you happen to know where Ling Chen is?"


    "I¡¯m not certain yet, but rest assured, I¡¯ll do everything I can to find him." After speaking, Su Mei scanned the onlookers and said, "I have matters to attend to, if you¡¯ll excuse me. Miss Nanrong, I believe we will have many more opportunities to meet in the future. Goodbye!"


    After the words fell, Su Mei, surrounded by Zhou Qi and the others, turned and left the living room.


    Watching Su Mei¡¯s departing figure, Su Lin spoke discontentedly, "Who is this woman? She has no manners at all, acting as if this is her own home. Coming and going as she pleases."


    "Forget it!" Nanrong Wanqing interjected, "It doesn¡¯t matter who she is, as long as she can help us find Ling Chen."


    "Miss Nanrong, rest assured, our police will certainly help you find Ling Chen," Xia Mutong spoke earnestly. Herpetitive nature was already piqued, Su Mei¡¯sments earlier had made her feel slighted, and she found it very ufortable.


    She was determined to see who could find Ling Chen first.

 Chapter 565 - 561 Su He

    <h4>Chapter 565: Chapter 561 Su He</h4><h4></h4>


    In the blink of an eye, three days had passed.


    These days, Ling Chen had been staying in the room, lying on the bed unable to move. The fisherman woulde daily at a fixed time to administer traditional remedies to treat his injuries.


    So many days had passed without a word from him, and he guessed that Nanrong Wanqing and the others were probably worried sick.


    With no other choice, Ling Chen sighed, knowing he shouldn¡¯t have given his cellphone to Su Mei; it would have been much better to keep it for his own use.


    Lost in his thoughts, the door of the room was pushed open, and the old fisherman walked in carrying a fish basket. Seeing Ling Chen looking at him, the old man spoke, "Would you like to go outside and sit for a while?"


    Ling Chen¡¯s eyes brightened, and he nodded eagerly. Having been cooped up in bed all these days, the opportunity to breathe some fresh air was more than wee.


    Immediately, the old man helped Ling Chen up from the bed, then supported his arm and slowly moved him outside. It had been several days, and this was Ling Chen¡¯s first time stepping out.


    Outside the house, there were several bamboo poles used for drying fish and clothes, and next to them, there was a wicker chair.


    Sitting on the wicker chair, the old man took a thick nket from one of the bamboo poles and covered Ling Chen with it to prevent him from catching cold. By now, it was nearing evening, the sky gradually darkening, and the sea breeze was howling, bringing a slight chill.


    "Thank you, Elder Su."


    After spending a few days together, Ling Chen had learned the old man¡¯s name was Su He, a fisherman who had lived in this ce for many years, leading a life almost isted from the world, self-sufficient, and seldom interacting with outsiders.


    Ling Chen admired him; if he were asked to live alone in such a ce for decades, he would rather die quickly.


    "Elder Su, don¡¯t you have children?"


    "I do."


    "Why don¡¯t you reunite with them? It¡¯s almost the New Year, and I believe your children would wish for the whole family to be together."


    "I am not particr about that," Su He said indifferently: "They have their lives, I have mine, and we do not interfere with each other. The hearts of people in this world are too chaotic nowadays; it¡¯s better to live quietly alone."


    Hearing this, Ling Chen seemed to understand something. Su He having lived in solitude for these many decades must have experienced some kind of setback in his youth, otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t have chosen this way of life.


    Looking around at the environment, lush greenery and facing the sea, it indeed was a great ce to retire.


    "How were you injured?"


    At this moment, Su He suddenly popped the question.


    "Well..." Ling Chen hesitated and then made up an excuse, "I identally fell into the sea when I was on a boat and got swept away by the waves." Saying this, he smiled and continued, gratefully: "I thought I was definitely going to die, but it seems that fate still takes care of me."


    Su He looked at him and said tly, "There¡¯s no need to lie in front of me; I know how the injury on your back was caused."


    "You know?" Ling Chen was taken aback, looking at Su He with a surprised face.


    "You were severely injured by someone using Inner Strength, and the person who did it is very powerful, likely a high-ranked expert from the Heavenly List. You survived not because fate took care of you, but because you had once consumed a Heavenly Mechanism Pill. The effects of the Heavenly Mechanism Pill lingered in your body, which is why you were able to save your life." After speaking, Su He looked at Ling Chen with a profound expression: "Since you were able to obtain a high-quality Heavenly Mechanism Pill, it seems you have a deep connection with the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion."


    Hearing Su He¡¯s words, Ling Chen was immensely shocked, the old man could deduce so much just from his injuries.


    Master!


    The word spontaneously popped into Ling Chen¡¯s mind.


    "Elder sir, you..."


    "You haven¡¯t answered my question yet, what¡¯s your rtionship with the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion?"


    Ling Chen thought for a moment and said, "I suppose we could be considered friends. I know the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion Master and have helped the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion out a few times with minor matters."


    "Was the Heavenly Mechanism Pill given to you by the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion?"


    "Not exactly, the Heavenly Mechanism Great Ceremony was just held recently."


    "The Heavenly Mechanism Great Ceremony?" Su He had an enlightened look and nodded, saying, "I almost forgot about the Heavenly Mechanism Great Ceremony. Given your age, you must have participated in the Neerpetition."


    "Indeed."


    "What ce did you achieve?"


    Ling Chen gave a slight smile: "I was fortunate enough to win first ce."


    Su He waved his hand and said, "Those who win first ce don¡¯t rely on luck. Well, to be young and already top of the Neer List shows you are a promising individual." He paused a moment, then suddenly changed the topic, asking, "You just mentioned that you know the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion Master?"


    "Yes, I believe I could be considered a friend in her eyes."


    "Friend?" Su He smirked and murmured to himself, "The Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion Master¡¯s age... she must be in her twenties by now, so that¡¯s the case... Hmph! What a fateful connection."


    Ling Chen, puzzled, asked, "Elder Su, what fate are you talking about?"


    "It¡¯s nothing." Su He changed the subject and asked, "Who injured you?"


    "Ji Gang."


    "Was it him?" Su He¡¯s expression changed slightly, an expression of astonishment appearing in his cloudy old eyes.


    "Elder Su, do you know Ji Gang?"


    "I¡¯ve heard of him." Su He seemed reluctant to say more, and before Ling Chen could speak again, he said, "Stay here and recover for the time being. Don¡¯t rush back. Once you¡¯ve healed, I have something to tell you."


    After saying this, Su He turned and walked back inside the house, leaving Ling Chen alone, gazing out at the sea in a daze.


    ...


    Two dayster, Ling Chen¡¯s injuries gradually healed. Though his back still ached a bit, it no longer affected his ability to walk.


    That day, as the sun rose, the sea shimmered under the glow of the dawn sky, radiantly fiery red.


    After finishing the breakfast prepared by Su He, Ling Chen followed him out of the house and onto a fishing boat by the seaside.


    Once on the boat, Su He gestured for Ling Chen to sit at the bow. Then, he rowed the oars, steering the fishing boat towards the middle of the sea.


    "Prajnaparamita Sutra is an extraordinary Internal Cultivation Method. Through the ages, besides Ling Gengqiu, you are the second person to practice this mental method. Since you are already familiar with the Prajnaparamita Sutra, I won¡¯t waste words. Today, I will tell you how to effectively enhance your strength."


    For the past two days, Ling Chen had disclosed nearly all his matters, except for his rtionships with several women; Su He was almost fully aware of his past experiences.


    "Elder Su, aren¡¯t there only two ways to enhance the Prajnaparamita Sutra?" Ling Chen said.


    The information given to him by Su Mei had mentioned that the most effective ways to enhance the Prajnaparamita Sutra were through ughter and lust, so he was curious about the method Su He mentioned.


    "That¡¯s correct, unless you want to be a womanizing yboy like Ling Gengqiu, or a ruthless killer who does not blink an eye? Those two methods are unorthodox. If it were me, I would never use those harmful methods to increase my power."


    "So, what should be done?"


    "The method I am going to teach you today is generally used by martial artists. However, I have added my own understanding and innovations to make it more efficient."

 Chapter 566 - 562: Teaching the Profession

    <h4>Chapter 566: Chapter 562: Teaching the Profession</h4><h4></h4>


    "What method?" Ling Chen asked humbly for guidance.


    During these past days of their acquaintance, although Su He had never revealed his true identity, Ling Chen secretly spected that this elder must be a hermit of great attainment. Otherwise, how could he have such an intricate grasp of so many secrets?


    Thinking it over, he felt his luck hadn¡¯t been too bad this time. Although he had suffered serious injuries, fortune often follows misfortune, letting him encounter a true master. If he could obtain guidance from him, perhaps it would enhance his strength.


    Su He spoke slowly and deliberately: "Every master¡¯s strength is rted to their potential. The greater the potential, the higher they can reach; the two are directly proportional. Therefore, it¡¯s less about the increase in strength and more about the development of potential. The God Organization understands this very well, so they pour all their efforts into developing potential, thereby strengthening their power. It¡¯s undeniable; the sess they have achieved is extraordinary. Through tireless effort, they are unmatched in this respect."


    "However, the development of potential needs to be progressive and not rushed. It¡¯s like a cup that was originally only able to hold one liter of water, but you insist on pouring in two liters. Unless you can change the size of the cup, pouring in more water is pointless. Simrly, our bodies are like a cup; we must continually expand its capacity to embrace myriad rivers and to reach the highest realm."


    "The reason why your Prajnaparamita Sutra has teaued is because you don¡¯t know the right method. Apart from killing and lust, you can¡¯t effectively cultivate this mental method. This is your biggest deficiency."


    Ling Chen asked earnestly, "Then what should I do?"


    "Watch closely."


    As his voice fell, Su He put down the oar in his hands, lightly tapped the tip of his foot, and his body skimmed out of the fishing boat like a great roc spreading its wings.


    Following that, his feet touched the sea¡¯s surface, light as a dragonfly skimming the water, causing gentle ripples.


    But what shocked Ling Chen the most was that Su He was now standing upright on the sea surface without any sign of sinking.


    Seeing this scene, Ling Chen felt his mind wasn¡¯t quiteprehending. This spectacle he¡¯d only seen in movies was now being yed out before him in reality.


    For a while, Ling Chen was immersed in shock and couldn¡¯te back to his senses.


    At this time, Su He gently lifted one leg and lightly tapped the sea surface, his body immediately zipping out, running swiftly around the fishing boat as if on t ground.


    After a moment, Su He bent one leg into a ¡¯Golden Rooster Standing on One Leg¡¯ pose, then pressed his whole body down, sitting cross-legged on the sea surface as if merging with the seawater, swaying with the wind.


    "Did you see?"


    Ling Chen nodded, finally waking from his astoundment.


    "Elder Su, how do you do that?"


    "Control. Once your realm reaches the Heavenly List, you will encounter such techniques. Why are masters in the Heavenly List strong? Because they are adept at controlling their own strength, turningplexity into simplicity. Speaking of this to you now is premature; this state of being can only be understood intuitively, not conveyed in words."


    "Elder Su, then please talk about something within my grasp."


    "Rest assured, I will teach you the correct way to develop potential. Besides that, I want you toprehend ¡¯Control¡¯."


    Hearing this, Ling Chen doubted if he heard correctly and hurriedly said, "Elder Su, didn¡¯t you just say that only masters in the Heavenly List could understand that level? I haven¡¯t even reached the Earthly List yet, how can Iprehend such a profound level?"


    Su He patiently exined, "ording to my understanding, ¡¯Control¡¯ is less a realm and more a technique. As long as it¡¯s a technique, there is a way to master it, the learning process may just be harder. In the next few days, focus solely on this; I will impart it to you as much as I can. As for how much you can grasp, that depends on your aptitude and fate."


    At this point, Su He changed the topic back, saying, "The development of human potential is stimted by external pressure. However, the key is to grasp the extent of this. As long as you can handle this well, your strength will steadily improve. Starting today, I will train you in two steps, one is the development of potential, and the other is the mastery of ¡¯Control¡¯. I hope you take it seriously."


    Ling Chen nodded with full confidence, "No problem."


    Ling Chen was very clear in his heart that this was a rare opportunity for him. It¡¯s not just any person that can meet a hermit. He too had gained a blessing through misfortune.


    Jin Hai City.


    Inside a presidential suite of a five-star hotel, Su Mei stood before the panoramic window, gazing at the towering high-rises outside, her beautiful eyes twinkling with a soft glow of anticipation and hope.


    Knock knock knock!


    At that moment, a crisp knocking sound came. The elegantdy standing behind Su Mei immediately walked to the door and opened it.


    "Elder Zhou." The elegantdy nodded to the elder, then stepped aside to wee him in.


    Zhou Qi quickly walked up behind Su Mei, slightly bowed and respectfully said, "Pavilion Master."


    Su Mei turned around to look at Zhou Qi, awaiting orders, and asked, "Elder Zhou, is there any news about Ling Chen?"


    "Not yet. I¡¯ve dispatched more people, searching around the port for Ling Chen¡¯s whereabouts, but..." Zhou Qi hesitated as if he had more to say.


    Su Mei frowned slightly and asked, "But what?"


    "Pavilion Master, that night Ling Chen told us to escape first and stayed behind by himself. It¡¯s been almost a week now without any news; no sign of him being alive, no body if dead, I feel... I feel that he might not have escaped that night."


    Hearing this, Su Mei¡¯s delicate face immediately turned a shade paler. She bit her lip and stared intently into Zhou Qi¡¯s eyes, uttering deliberately, "Are you trying to tell me that he... is dead?"


    With his head bowed, Zhou Qi said, "Pavilion Master, no one hopes for anything to happen to Ling Chen, but we must face reality. Moreover, you¡¯ve drawn so many people from the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion to Jin Hai City just to find someone unrted, and many within the Pavilion have someints about your actions."


    Su Mei¡¯s expression darkened, and she said coldly, "You better rify your words, what do you mean by someone unrted?"


    "Pavilion Master, to us, Ling Chen is a lifesaver, but in the eyes of others, they won¡¯t think so. Moreover, Ling Chen is not one of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion. With such a fuss being made over this, there¡¯s bound to be discontent."


    With a frosty face, Su Mei responded, "You tell those people, if anyone is dissatisfied, let theme to me personally. I want to see who has the courage. Elder Zhou, you pass down mymand, have the people continue to search. In short, we must see him alive, or find his body if he¡¯s dead. No one can leave Jin Hai City without finding Ling Chen. Also..."


    "Order the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion to activate all its intelligence capabilities and find every secret base of the God Organization in Huaxia. With tooth for tooth, eye for eye; since the God Organization wants to start a war, I¡¯ll see it through to the end."

 Chapter 567 - 563: Retaliation of the Two Great Powers

    <h4>Chapter 567: Chapter 563: Retaliation of the Two Great Powers</h4><h4></h4>


    Zhou Qi¡¯s heart tightened as he looked at Su Mei and asked, "Pavilion Master, are you really preparing to go to war?"


    "When they¡¯re bullying us to this point, if we continue to retreat, where will the face of Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion lie? Ling Chen is right; the God Organization will never rest content. Since that¡¯s the case, we might as well strike first."


    "Pavilion Master, going to war with the God Organization is no small matter. Don¡¯t you want to discuss it with the elders of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion?"


    "There¡¯s no need," Su Mei said indifferently. "I am the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion Master, my word is themand. Who dares to disobey? Elder Zhou, remember, I don¡¯t need others to give me advice when I do things."


    Feeling the cold frost in Su Mei¡¯s gaze, Zhou Qi quickly bowed with sped hands and respectfully responded, "Yes, I understand. Please rest assured, Pavilion Master, I will immediately ry the orders." Having said this, Zhou Qi turned and left the presidential suite.


    After he departed, the graceful woman who had been standing by Su Mei¡¯s side pulled out a continuously vibrating cell phone from her pocket, hurriedly answered the call, and passed it to Su Mei.


    Su Mei¡¯s furrowed brows slightly rxed after hearing whatever was said on the phone; she replied with an "I know" and then hung up.


    "Pavilion Master, what¡¯s happened?"


    "It¡¯s Elder Qin. He¡¯s finally sent a message," Su Mei let out a sigh of relief.


    Elder Qin was the Heavenly List expert who had been secretly protecting her. Having heard no word from him for an entire week, she feared he had met with an ident. The importance of a Heavenly List expert goes without saying; even for Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, a Heavenly List expert is an invaluable asset. So, knowing the Heavenly List master was unharmed, Su Mei could finally rx.


    "Pavilion Master, what exactly happened to Elder Qin? Why hasn¡¯t there been any news for so long?"


    "He was found by Ji Gang, and after a fierce battle, he was seriously injured by his opponent and nearly died. Luckily, he managed to escape and save his life. Due to the severity of his injuries, he had no time to contact us. He¡¯s been hiding and healing in a safe ce these days."


    Hearing this, the graceful woman expressed her shock: "Is Ji Gang really that powerful?"


    Su Mei nodded lightly and said, "Ji Gang was promoted to the Heavenly List more than thirty years ago, while Elder Qin has been in it for less than ten years, there¡¯s definitely a gap. Within Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, probably only that one person can deal with Ji Gang."


    "You¡¯re talking about him?" The graceful woman immediately guessed who Su Mei was referring to.


    Thinking of that one person, Su Mei couldn¡¯t help but sigh and said, "Let¡¯s not talk about this. As long as Elder Qin is fine, that¡¯s good enough."


    Now, only Ling Chen¡¯s safety remained a concern.


    After hesitating for a moment, Su Mei picked up the phone, scrolled through the contacts to find a number, and hesitated to dial out.


    Forget it!


    Sooner orter, she would have to face it.


    With that thought, Su Mei directly dialed the number.


    Beep... beep... After a while, the call connected, and a cool voice came through: "You¡¯re looking for me for something?"


    ...


    The Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion was extremely efficient at handling affairs. Following Su Mei¡¯s orders, in less than a day, the intelligence organization of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion had dug out over ten secret strongholds of the God Organization spread across the country.


    Overnight, all the strongholds had been subjected to devastating strikes.


    "Pavilion Master."


    Inside the presidential suite, Zhou Qi was reporting the results ofst night¡¯s battle.


    "All thirteen secret locations of the God Organization have been destroyed. Thirty-four people were killed, forty-one captured. I have assigned Zhou Jun to take charge of the interrogation of those people to see if we can dig up more information."


    "Very good." Su Mei nodded her head, affirming the actions taken.


    "By the way! Pavilion Master, there¡¯s another thing."


    "Go ahead."


    "Last night, during our operation, our people encountered another group. They had the same goal as us, to destroy the secret strongholds of the God Organization. However, those people were ruthless, not leaving a single survivor. I have notified the intelligence agency to investigate the origins of the other party."


    "There¡¯s no need to check. I know their identity. They are not our enemies, no need to worry."


    Curious, Zhou Qi asked, "Then who are they...?"


    "Secret Society," replied Su Mei.


    She had called the porridge girl yesterday to exin Ling Chen¡¯s situation. She was well aware of Ling Chen¡¯s background and his rtionship with the Secret Society. Now with Ling Chen¡¯s whereabouts unknown and his life or death uncertain, the Secret Society would surely take action.


    If Ling Chen were truly dead, the Secret Society would probablyunch a frenzied retaliation.


    Zhou Qi said in surprise, "The Secret Society has always been neutral. Why would they suddenly sh with the God Organization?"


    "That¡¯s not for you to worry about. Just do your part."


    "Understood."


    ...


    At this moment, on the calm sea surface, Ling Chen stood upright with concentration. However, in less than a second, his body immediately sank into the sea.


    After sshing around a few times, Ling Chen emerged from the surface, and looking at Su He on the fishing boat, said with a distressed face, "Elder Su, I can¡¯t do it."


    "It¡¯s not that you can¡¯t do it; you haven¡¯t grasped the correct method. I¡¯ve told you, when you control your Inner Strength, you must cast aside all distractions, be calm and serene, and integrate yourself with everything around you. Imagine yourself as part of the sea, not thinking about how to stand on its surface."


    Ling Chen gave a wry smile. After several days, he had failed countless times, having to soak in the icy seawater for at least a few hours every day. Even with his constitution, it was almost unbearable, and he had thought of giving up several times. Yet, when Su He became serious, he was even stricter than the strictest mentor, giving Ling Chen no chance to retreat and always forcing him to continue.


    After listening to Su He¡¯s guidance, Ling Chen had no choice but to climb back onto the boat and continue trying.


    At this moment, he was unaware that due to his disappearance, Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion and Secret Society, these two mysterious forces, had alreadyunched a furious retaliation against the God Organization.


    Taking a deep breath, Ling Chen cleared his mind of all distractions, stood at the bow of the boat with eyes slightly closed, feeling the cold sea breeze blow against him.


    Integration!


    Thinking of Su He¡¯s teachings, Ling Chen let go of his reservations, felt the raging sea breeze around him, listened to the surging waves, and then visualized these scenes in his mind, immersing himself in them.


    Gradually, he felt as if his body was light and airy, as if turning into a breeze, merging with the wind and drifting along with it.


    At that moment, he seemed to forget the existence of his body, allowing his consciousness to soar.


    After a moment passed, Ling Chen maintained steady breathing, quietly drawing up the Inner Strength from his Dantian, slowly channeling it through his body, finally gathering it in his legs.


    As Inner Strength gradually concentrated, Ling Chen stepped confidently off the bow of the fishing boat onto the sea surface without hesitation.


    The moment his feet touched the sea, his body suddenly sank down sharply.


    Ling Chen had experienced this feeling many times before, and every time at this moment, he couldn¡¯t help but panic, fearing he would sink into the water again.

 Chapter 568 - 564: The Identity of Su He

    <h4>Chapter 568: Chapter 564: The Identity of Su He</h4><h4></h4>


    However, with Su He¡¯s reminder and the lessons of the past few days, Ling Chen began to realize some key points. It was normal for his body to sink, but each time it was because of this reason that he would be flustered, leading to the failure of his attempts.


    Having learned from his mistakes, Ling Chen immediately made changes, letting his body sink without interfering, focusing solely on maintaining his ethereal state without thinking about anything.


    When his body had sunk a few centimeters, Ling Chen felt it suddenly stop, as if he had found his footing.


    Sess!


    Ling Chen felt a surge of joy in his heart.


    This excitement immediately disrupted the state he had barely managed to maintain, and his body lost control, sinking into the seawater once again.


    Emerging from the surface, Ling Chen looked at Su He on the fishing boat and said excitedly, "Elder Su, did you see that? I seeded."


    With a faint smile, Su He nodded in affirmation and said, "Not bad, although you only maintained it for one second, it¡¯s at least a good start. The progress you¡¯ve made in just a few days indicates that your aptitude is quite decent. Keep up the effort, as long as you can learn to control and use your own Inner Strength, your power will increase by several levels."


    "I owe it entirely to Elder Su¡¯s cultivation," Ling Chen expressed his gratitude.


    The morning¡¯s training ended, and Ling Chen took the fishing boat back to shore with Su He.


    The lunch was simple, a few roasted sweet potatoes, plus a few steamed fish and a wild vegetable. Su He¡¯s food was always self-sufficient, and although it wasn¡¯t luxurious, it was natural and had a unique vor.


    While eating, Ling Chen nibbled on a sweet potato, his eyes asionally ncing at Su He, his face contemtive.


    "Kid, what are you looking at me for?"


    Seeing his fidgeting noticed, Ling Chen awkwardly smiled and said, "Elder Su, if I may dare to ask, in the past..."


    Before Ling Chen could finish speaking, Su He immediately raised his hand to stop him.


    "Don¡¯t inquire about my past; anyhow, it¡¯s none of your business. Finish your food and take a good rest; we have special training this afternoon." With that said, Su He pulled out a dagger from his waist and cut a hot roasted sweet potato in half.


    Ling Chen¡¯s gaze unintentionally swept over the dagger and suddenly froze, unable to move for a long time.


    Noticing Ling Chen¡¯s action, Su He spoke dissatisfiedly, "Didn¡¯t I tell you to stop looking?"


    "It¡¯s not that... Elder Su, this..." Ling Chen stretched out his hand, pointing at the de of the dagger, a look of surprise on his face.


    There was a broken sword pattern engraved on the de of the dagger. Ling Chen was very familiar with this pattern; it was the unique symbol of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion.


    Su He carrying a dagger marked with the symbol of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion ¨C what did this imply? For a moment, Ling Chen spected on Su He¡¯s identity.


    He clearly remembered that when Su He had saved him, he had mentioned that he had survived because he had taken a Heavenly Mechanism Pill.


    But he only thought of Su He as a hermit and thus did not ponder why Su He knew he had taken the Heavenly Mechanism Pill. Now looking back, only someone very familiar with the Heavenly Mechanism Pill would know what medicine he had taken.


    The Heavenly Mechanism Pill, along with this dagger bearing the mark of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, suggested that Su He¡¯s identity might have a significant connection with the Pavilion.


    Su He unremarkably put the dagger away, his tone indifferent, "This was a gift from a good friend of mine who is with the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion; no need to make a fuss over it."


    Hearing this far-fetched exnation, Ling Chen nodded half-believingly and did not continue to press further. He knew that even if he kept on asking, he would not get any more information, and he might even anger Su He, thus losing more than he would gain. Hence, Ling Chen smartly chose to remain silent.


    ...


    Beijing.


    In a nondescript house located in the center of the city, a middle-aged man sat in a wicker chair by the window, holding a cup of coffee in his hand, gazing into the distance, enjoying the bustling view outside the window with great contentment.


    After a while, the door to the room opened, and a young man with amanding presence quickly walked in and then stood firm behind the wicker chair.


    "What is it?" the middle-aged man in the wicker chair asked.


    "Mr. Lin, the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion and the Secret Society have destroyed more than thirty of our secret bases, affecting over two hundred individuals. They were either taken away or killed; none were left behind. If those captured cannot withstand torture, our secret bases established in Huaxia will be increasingly exposed."


    The middle-aged man asked with keen interest, "I can understand the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion seeking revenge, but the Secret Society... We have no feud with them. We¡¯ve even cooperated a few times before. Why are they targeting us? Could it be that they have been won over by the Pavilion?"


    "I¡¯m not quite sure about the motives of the Secret Society. Mr. Lin, how do you n to handle this crisis?"


    "Crisis?" The middle-aged man chuckled lightly, his tone unconcerned, "This is hardly a crisis. It¡¯s merely minor disturbances from the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion and the Secret Society. Let them destroy those secret bases and take the people; after all, they¡¯re just insignificant small fries, no need to fret for them."


    "Yes, I understand what to do." After speaking, the young man turned to leave.


    "Wait!"


    Hearing the middle-aged man¡¯s voice from behind, the young man quickly turned back and asked, "Mr. Lin, do you have any further instructions?"


    "Last time I dispatched Liu Wei in charge of the operation in East Sea City, but now there¡¯s no sign of him, not even a message. I guess he¡¯s noting back. Mr. Yun¡¯s technological skills are crucial and of great use to us. Now that we have fallen out with the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, it¡¯s time to speed up the process. Send a few reliable people to East Sea City, and make sure to bring Nanrong Wanqing back."


    "Yes, I will attend to it immediately."


    "Also, has there been any response from the Dangyang Sect?"


    "Not yet. Our operation failed, and we couldn¡¯t eliminate the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion Master, so the Dangyang Sect is naturally hesitant to throw in their lot with us. Hmph! Human nature, I can understand. Unfortunately, they have forgotten whom they are dealing with. You,e here."


    The young man promptly brought his head closer to the middle-aged man.


    After a low-voiced conversation, the middle-aged man asked, "Did you get it all?"


    "Understood."


    "Good, do as I say, and it won¡¯t be long before the Dangyang Sect willingly joins us." Saying this, the middle-aged manughed with pride.


    ...


    In the blink of an eye, another three days passed, with only a week left until New Year.


    However, the Nanrong Family, which should have been immersed in the festive atmosphere, could not find joy.


    So many days have passed, and Ling Chen was still nowhere to be found. Even Nanrong Wanqing, who was firmly convinced that Ling Chen was still alive, couldn¡¯t help but shed tears every day, her eyes swelling with crying.


    "Wanqing,e out for a moment, someone is looking for you outside."

 Chapter 569 - 565 Wu Jun

    <h4>Chapter 569: Chapter 565 Wu Jun</h4><h4></h4>


    Hearing Su Lin¡¯s voice from outside the door, Nanrong Wanqing picked up a tissue, wiped away the remaining tears at the corners of her eyes, got up with red and swollen eyes, walked to the door, and opened it.


    "Wanqing..." Seeing Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s haggard look, Su Lin couldn¡¯t help but sigh softly, her face full of concern, consoling her, "Wanqing, don¡¯t be too sad. No news doesn¡¯t mean something has happened to Ling Chen. Maybe he¡¯s fine and just dyed because of some matters."


    Nanrong Wanqing nodded lightly and asked, "Who did you just say was looking for me?"


    "The person said he¡¯s a friend of Ling Chen."


    "Let¡¯s go,e with me to take a look."


    Arriving in the living room, they saw a man in his thirties sitting on the sofa, gentle and refined, with an exceptional demeanor.


    Upon seeing Nanrong Wanqinging downstairs with Su Lin, the man promptly stood up and said politely, "Miss Nanrong, hello!"


    Nanrong Wanqing examined him with a puzzled face and asked, "May I know who you are...?"


    The man smiled and replied, "My name is Wu Jun, I¡¯m a friend of Ling Chen."


    "Howe I¡¯ve never seen you before?"


    "Miss Nanrong, I don¡¯t know if Ling Chen has told you, but he used to serve the country in a secret military unit."


    Nanrong Wanqing nodded, "I¡¯ve heard about it."


    "I am his formerrade-in-arms, only recently discharged from service. It¡¯s normal that you haven¡¯t met me."


    "I do know one of hisrades-in-arms."


    Wu Jun smiled, "The one you¡¯re talking about must be Tang Yuan. Old Tang has been through life and death with Ling Chen for many years; their rtionship is the strongest."


    After listening to Wu Jun, Nanrong Wanqing felt more trust in his identity and asked, "Mr. Wu, why have youe to find me this time, if I may ask?"


    "Miss Nanrong, to tell the truth, I¡¯m here because of Ling Chen. I believe you¡¯re aware that Ling Chen has been missing for many days, and his life or death is uncertain. However, what I want to tell you is that he hasn¡¯t really disappeared."


    "Then where is he?" Nanrong Wanqing asked impatiently.


    "He..." Wu Jun hesitated and then said, "He¡¯s currently in a very dangerous situation, at risk of losing his life at any moment. I¡¯m here to see you at his request."


    Nanrong Wanqing became anxious, "What exactly happened to him?"


    "Recently, our organization called us old members back to carry out a very important secret mission. Although the mission waspleted, we suffered heavy casualties. Ling Chen got seriously injured trying to save his teammates. Doctors say his condition is very unstable, and it¡¯s hard to say whether he can pull through. Yesterday, when Ling Chen regained consciousness, he entrusted me to see you. Also, having heard the General speak of your rtionship, I thought perhaps your presence might help him."


    "Alright, I¡¯ll go with you." Nanrong Wanqing agreed without a second thought.


    Su Lin tugged at Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s sleeve and whispered, "Wanqing, don¡¯t be so hasty to agree. Everything he said just now is just his word; who knows if it¡¯s true or false."


    "He knows Tang Yuan and the General; I believe he¡¯s not lying."


    "That doesn¡¯t mean anything for sure. You better be careful not to fall for a trap."


    Upon hearing this, Nanrong Wanqing thought for a moment and then asked, "Mr. Wu, there are two very close contacts of Ling Chen in his former organization, do you know who they are?"


    "Mu Zhiyuan and Chen Ping." Wu Jun smiled and said, "Not only is Ling Chen close with them, but I also consider them family. We have all received much kindness from this couple, it¡¯s just a pity... Ah!" Wu Jun sighed, his expression turned sad, "Good people don¡¯t live long; they left us too soon."


    Nanrong Wanqing nodded, trusting Wu Jun¡¯s identity a bit more.


    "By the way! Mr. Wu, why didn¡¯t the General send Tang Yuan?"


    "During our secret mission, Tang Yuan was also unfortunately seriously injured. His condition is simr to Ling Chen¡¯s, and he is currently undergoing treatment at the base, still not conscious." After saying this, without waiting for Nanrong Wanqing to ask anything more, Wu Jun added, "Miss Nanrong, we¡¯re pressed for time. I hope you can apany me there as quickly as possible."


    "Wanqing..."


    Before Su Lin could finish speaking, Nanrong Wanqing had already stopped her with a look.


    "Mr. Wu, I¡¯ll go with you."


    Seeing that Nanrong Wanqing was insistent on going, Su Lin chimed in, "I¡¯lle too."


    Wu Jun shook his head and said, "Miss Su, I¡¯m very sorry, but I was ordered to only take Miss Nanrong. The ce has a high security level; it¡¯s a national military secret base. If it wasn¡¯t for considering Ling Chen¡¯s safety, we would never make an exception to bring Miss Nanrong there."


    "I understand." Nanrong Wanqing turned to look at Su Lin and said, "Don¡¯te, just stay at home peacefully."


    "But... but you be careful."


    "It¡¯s okay. Mr. Wu, let¡¯s hurry."


    "Alright." Wu Jun responded with a nod and took the lead towards the door.


    Watching Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s departing figure, Su Lin quickly took out her mobile phone and dialed a number.


    Leaving the Nanrong family, Wu Jun led Nanrong Wanqing to a Mercedes-Benz van.


    Apart from them, there was a male driver in his twenties in the van.


    As the Mercedes-Benz van started, it slowly drove out of Wealthy Manor and merged into the traffic flow.


    At this time, at the entrance of Wealthy Manor, two Land Rover vehicles followed behind the Mercedes-Benz van, maintaining a distance of more than thirty meters.


    Sitting in one of the cars, Nanrong Wanqing looked at the route the Mercedes-Benz van was taking and asked, "Where are we going? Aren¡¯t we going to the airport?"


    Wu Jun smiled, "Don¡¯t worry; we still have to go through some security measures."


    During the conversation, the Mercedes-Benz van drove directly into a nearby underground parking garage.


    "Follow them."


    Zhong Wei, sitting in the passenger seat, said.


    Liang Zhao Hui nodded and immediately followed the Mercedes-Benz van into the parking garage.


    Reaching the second level of the underground parking garage, Zhong Wei and Liang Zhao Hui searched for the position of the Mercedes-Benz van outside the car window.


    Before long, Liang Zhao Hui pointed to a Mercedes-Benz van not far away and said, "There!"


    "That¡¯s not it." Zhong Wei shook his head and pointed to another Mercedes-Benz van parked in the corner, "That one."


    When the two men clearly saw the license tes of those two Mercedes-Benz vans, their expressions suddenly changed. The license tes of the two Mercedes-Benz vans were exactly the same.


    "Captain Zhong, look, there¡¯s another one."


    Very quickly, Liang Zhao Hui with sharp eyes noticed that there were at least five Mercedes-Benz vans of the same model and with the same license tes in the underground parking garage.


    Damn it!


    Zhong Wei said gravely, "The chairman has been deceived!"


    Just as they spoke, they saw the Mercedes-Benz vans driving out one after another.


    "Zhong Wei, which car should we chase?" Liang Zhao Hui asked urgently.

 Chapter 570 - 567: Assistant

    <h4>Chapter 570: Chapter 567: Assistant</h4><h4></h4>


    Zhong Wei looked left and right but even he couldn¡¯t determine which Benz business van Nanrong Wanqing was sitting in. Watching those vans gradually driving away, Zhong Wei casually pointed and, following his intuition, said, "It should be that one."


    "Got it." Liang Zhao Hui immediately started the Land Rover, closely following the designated Benz business van.


    "Notify the second team to find a car and follow too."


    "Understood."


    This time, only two Land Rovers were sent out while the other party had five Benz business vans, so they could only choose two vans to tail. A forty percent chance isn¡¯t too great, but it¡¯s not too low either.


    As the cars pulled out of the parking lot, Zhong Wei and Liang Zhao Hui locked onto their target and followed the Benz business van to the downtown area. Since there were too many pedestrians around, the Benz business van had to stop on the roadside.


    After a while, the driver¡¯s door opened, and a man wearing a peaked cap jumped out of the vehicle and quickly melted into the crowd, disappearing in the blink of an eye.


    Zhong Wei didn¡¯t have time to think and hurriedly chased after him. Looking at the empty Benz business van, Zhong Wei muttered under his breath, "This is bad," and immediately picked up the walkie-talkie: "Calling the second team, have you got anything?"


    "Captain Zhong, the driver fled, and there¡¯s no one in the car."


    Hearing the news from the second team, Zhong Wei¡¯s face copsed.


    "Captain Zhong, what should we do?" Liang Zhao Hui rushed over and asked urgently.


    "Alert the police, lock down the airport."


    Before Zhong Wei had finished speaking, his phone started ringing. He took it out and saw an unknown caller ID, then immediately answered the call.


    "Hello, who¡¯s this?"


    "There¡¯s no need for you to bother with Miss Nanrong¡¯s matter, nor to call the police. We¡¯ll handle it."


    Zhong Wei said in a deep voice, "Who are you?"


    "Don¡¯t ask. Just stay at homefortably, and I¡¯ll ensure Miss Nanrong is safely returned home." Before Zhong Wei could ask anything more, the caller had already hung up.


    ...


    East Sea City.


    Old City.


    At this moment, Hu Fei sat in his office with thepany of numerous beautiful women, his fingers flying rapidly over the keyboard, enteringmand aftermand on theputer screen. With his actions, the surveince footage on the disy next to him kept changing, always locked onto a Benz business van.


    More than ten minutes went by when the Benz business van drove into a motel. After a moment, the Benz van disappeared and, instead, an Audi sedan drove out of the motel, slowly merging into the traffic.


    Seeing this, Hu Fei immediately picked up his mobile phone and dialed a number.


    "Hey! They¡¯ve switched cars; their current location is toward the suburban outskirts, possibly preparing to leave the city. Take down the license te number and follow them, but don¡¯t get noticed."


    "Why make it so troublesome? Just stop their car directly and rescue the person."


    "No!" Hu Fei said immediately, "Going there would only mean death. Don¡¯t make any rash moves for now."


    "That person is quite capable?" the person on the phone asked.


    "He was formerly a member of the Ghost Organization; he won¡¯t be that bad in any case, so it¡¯s better to be cautious. Ling Chen mentioned him to me before¡ªWu Jun, a traitor of the Ghost Organization, responsible for the death of manyrades. Ling Chen even asked mest time to help locate him. I never expected this guy to be so bold as to dare to run to the Nanrong Family. It¡¯s fortunate you called to inform me in time, or we¡¯d be in big trouble."


    "So what do we do now? I promised Ling Chen I would ensure Miss Nanrong¡¯s safety. Are you telling me to just do nothing?"


    "That¡¯s not what I mean. Ling Chen¡¯s whereabouts are unknown at the moment, and we can only rely on ourselves. You follow them first and see where they go. I¡¯ll try to think of a way to find more people to help."


    "Alright then."


    After hanging up the call, Hu Fei pushed the women aside and stood up from his office chair.


    ...


    "Do you want to ask me to go save Nanrong Wanqing?"


    "That¡¯s right." Hu Fei nodded and said, "We have people, but they are just street thugs. We can¡¯t ask them to sh with the people from God Organization. Apart from you, there aren¡¯t many others in East Sea City we can find. Last time Ling Chen saved you from death¡¯s door, you owe him one."


    "I didn¡¯t say I wouldn¡¯t help. When do we leave?"


    "Very soon. I¡¯ll contact a few more people, and we¡¯ll get going once everyone is here."


    "Okay."


    ...


    In the quiet alley, Hu Fei stood at the entrance, looking at a small restaurant not too far away with indecision, seemingly struggling to make up his mind.


    At that moment, a dark-skinned man walked out of the small restaurant. He was holding a trash bag, ready to take out the trash.


    "Mr. Hu?"


    The man noticed Hu Fei hesitating at the entrance of the alley and waved with a smile, then approached Hu Fei and asked, "Mr. Hu, why didn¡¯t youe inside? What are you doing just standing out here?"


    Hu Fei looked at the dark-skinned man before him, hesitated to speak, opened his mouth several times, but ultimately the words failed toe out.


    Seeing the troubled expression on Hu Fei¡¯s face, the dark-skinned man¡¯s smile faded, and he couldn¡¯t help asking, "Mr. Hu, what¡¯s the matter?"


    Hu Fei let out a helpless sigh and said, "Liu, I promised you before that I would help you leave behind your past life so you could lead a peaceful life like a normal person. But... I¡¯ve run into some trouble..."


    Hearing this, Boss Liu grinned and said, "Mr. Hu, thanks to you, I had the opportunity to be amon man. For me, you are my benefactor. Don¡¯t worry, whatever the trouble is, I will help you resolve it, even if it costs me my life."


    "Thank you!"


    "What¡¯s there to thank me for."


    ...


    Half a day passed.


    In front of the express delivery office in the Old City, a sedan car slowly parked by the roadside. Then the car door opened, and a tall, graceful, sexy and attractive blonde got out of the car and walked straight into the expresspany.


    Following the blonde¡¯s arrival, a taxi closely followed suit, stopping next to the expresspany.


    "Miss Kaelina, thank you foring over."


    In the spacious and bright office, Hu Fei expressed his thanks.


    Kaelina looked around and asked, "Didn¡¯t you say there were more people? Why is it just us two?"


    "Don¡¯t worry, they¡¯ll be here soon."


    No sooner had he finished speaking than the office door was pushed open, and a dark-skinned man strode in.


    Kaelina eyed the man, her beautiful eyes sparkling, and asked, "Hu Fei, who is this?"


    Hu Fei smiled and introduced, "His name is Liu Dongsheng, my friend. He owns a small restaurant in East Sea City. Miss Kaelina, my friend is a good cook; you should try his food sometime."


    Hearing that, Kaelina¡¯s gaze towards Liu Dongsheng became more interested.


    After some small talk, another person came in from outside.


    Hu Fei pointed at the neer and said, "This is Jiang Yunkai. Let¡¯s all get acquainted."

 Chapter 571 - 568 Yinan Village

    <h4>Chapter 571: Chapter 568 Yinan Vige</h4><h4></h4>


    "Just the four of us?"


    Hu Fei waved his hand and said, "Don¡¯t count me in. I can only provideputer assistance. Killing and rescuing people is something you need to handle."


    Kaelina frowned slightly and said, "How can just a few of us fight against the people from the God Organization? By the time we supposedly rescue someone, we might be dead without even seeing them."


    "Don¡¯t worry, I have already made arrangements. We¡¯re running out of time, let¡¯s discuss it on the way."


    Leaving the Old City area, Hu Fei led everyone into a car and drove straight to the airport.


    By the time the group arrived, a private ne was already prepared at the airport. It was provided by Hongyu Group. After a phone call with Nanrong Hao, everything was arranged immediately.


    As the ne ascended into the sky, Hu Fei opened hisptop carried with him and projected the screen onto the ne¡¯srge built-in disy.


    "Everyone here is a friend of Ling Chen. Currently, since Ling Chen is missing, rescuing Miss Nanrong relies solely on all of you. Let me first exin the situation to everyone."


    As he spoke, Hu Fei tapped on his keyboard, and immediately, an image appeared on therge screen.


    Looking at the image, everyone in the room exchanged puzzled nces.


    "Hu Fei, what¡¯s the situation with this vige?" Kaelina asked.


    "I¡¯ve done some investigation; this vige is called Yinan Vige, a southern vige with over a hundred years of history. ording to my intelligence, after Wu Jun took Miss Nanrong, they arrived at Yinan Vige by car. Wu Jun is a traitor of the Ghost Organization and now works for the God Organization. Wu Jun¡¯s presence in Yinan Vige suggests there¡¯s a big issue there. That¡¯s all I know for now; any other information will be provided once we arrive there."


    An hourter, Hu Fei led everyone out of the airport and by car to a town near Yinan Vige.


    Before the trip, Hu Fei had already booked a hotel. Although the hotels in the small town were simple, everyone was not picky.


    Upon entering the hotel, Hu Fei went directly to Room 109 and knocked on the door.


    The door opened, and a middle-aged man appeared in front of everyone.


    "Come in."


    Entering the room, Hu Fei put down his luggage, sat down on the sofa, and introduced the middle-aged man, "Let me introduce everyone, this is Bai Huanjun, a friend of Ling Chen, specifically responsible for covertly protecting Miss Nanrong. We were able to find Yinan Vige thanks to his help."


    After he finished, Hu Fei changed the topic and asked, "How¡¯s the situation in Yinan Vige, can you tell us?"


    "I¡¯m not very clear about the situation inside the vige. I tried to investigate, but I found that the surroundings are heavily guarded with many concealed sentries making it impossible to approach undetected. Also, I¡¯m most worried about the vigers of Yinan Vige. Before you arrived, I took a closer look, and although those vigers seem like ordinary people, the way they walk and their stature doesn¡¯t seem normal, leading me to suspect those vigers are disguised members of the God Organization."


    Hu Fei asked, "How many vigers does Yinan Vige have? Have you counted?"


    "I¡¯m not sure of the exact count, but definitely not less than a hundred people. Including the surrounding sentries, there could be around two hundred."


    As he spoke, Bai Huanjun spread a map on the table and continued, "The geographical location of Yinan Vige is very advantageous, situated by mountains and water, and there is arge bamboo forest nearby. This environment can hide a lot of things."


    Kaelina nced at the map and asked, "Have you checked that bamboo forest?"


    "No, the bamboo forest is installed with many motion-sensing devices. Any disturbance is immediately detected. I didn¡¯t dare to enter. But the stringent defense there indicates that there¡¯s something significant hidden within."


    Jiang Yunkai frowned and said, "If that¡¯s the case, it¡¯s not just about rescuing Miss Nanrong; even getting in is a problem."


    "No, there are ways," Liu Dongsheng, who had been silent up until now, spoke up.


    Seeing him speak, everyone eagerly asked, "What do you suggest?"


    Liu Dongsheng pointed at the map and said, "He just mentioned that Yinan Vige is by the mountains. Since it¡¯s by the mountains, we can approach from the other side of the mountain and directly infiltrate Yinan Vige from the mountaintop."


    Bai Huanjun speak in a grave tone, "That mountain peak is a hundred meters tall, steep, andpletely bare all around providing no cover at all, making it easy for the enemy to spot us."


    "That¡¯s not a problem," Liu Dongsheng confidently smiled and said, "Leave it to me. However, I need to go there first before we act."


    "No problem," Hu Fei nodded and said, "It¡¯s already nighttime, a perfect opportunity. Let Bai Huanjun apany you there. Since the enemy is numerous and powerful, direct confrontation is out of the question. First, we need to locate where Miss Nanrong is being held, then we can n the rescue."


    Under the pure moonlight, Yinan Vige was silent, all the houses darkened, unable to see any light, only the asional bark of a dog could be heard.


    "Miss Nanrong, I advise you to cooperate with us and tell us the information Mr. Yun left you. This way, you can avoid a lot of pain."


    In a brightly lit room, Wu Jun paced back and forth in front of Nanrong Wanqing with his hands behind his back.


    On the side, Nanrong Wanqingy on a bed, her hands and feet bound with belts, rendering her unable to move. Multiple thin wires connected her head to various devices.


    Hearing Wu Jun¡¯s question, Nanrong Wanqing, looking pale, said, "I don¡¯t know any information. Killing me would be futile. Yes, I know Mr. Yun, but I¡¯ve only met him once or twice, we¡¯re not close. Do you think he would share critical information with a stranger?"


    "Stranger?" Wu Junughed and looked at Nanrong Wanqing, "Miss Nanrong, are you really unaware or just pretending in front of me? Don¡¯t tell me you don¡¯t know Mr. Yun¡¯s real identity."


    Nanrong Wanqing tried to defend herself, "I only know he is called Mr. Yun, I know nothing else, you must have mistaken."


    Wu Jun shook his head and replied, "Don¡¯t worry, there¡¯s no mistake," he paused, continuing, "Since you im not to know Mr. Yun¡¯s identity, let me tell you then. ¡¯Mr. Yun¡¯ is just his pseudonym, his real name is Nanrong Yuan. Does that name sound familiar to you?"


    Nanrong Yuan!


    So he is...


    At this realization, Nanrong Wanqing looked dazedly at Wu Jun, her mind nk. This news was a bolt from the blue for her, making it hard to ept.


    All these years, she had been searching tirelessly for her father¡¯s whereabouts. But, what she didn¡¯t expect was that she had already met her father before.


    Why?


    Why did he lie to me?

 Chapter 572 - 569 Disadvantageous Start (1)

    <h4>Chapter 572: Chapter 569 Disadvantageous Start (1)</h4><h4></h4>


    Watching the stupefied expression on Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s face, Wu Jun said with a half-smile, "Miss Nanrong, do you now know the true identity of Mr. Yun?"


    Nanrong Wanqing slowly turned her head, and replied indifferently, "What does it change, knowing that? I still stand by what I said earlier, he gave me nothing. You might as well save your effort."


    Hearing this, Wu Jun frowned slightly, his eyes fixed on Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s clear and beautiful eyes. With his years of experience, Wanqing did not seem to be lying. While pondering, he nced again at the data disyed on the machine. Just as he deduced, the lie detector¡¯s readings were normal.


    Could they really have targeted the wrong person?


    Just as he was thinking, a person in a whiteb coat came in from outside. The individual walked straight up to Wu Jun and whispered a few words in his ear.


    Whatever was said, Wu Jun¡¯s eyes suddenly lit up.


    "If that¡¯s the case, I will leave her in your care." With that, Wu Jun turned and left the room.


    After Wu Jun had left, the person in the whiteb coat approached Nanrong Wanqing, took a syringe and a bottle of the drug from the table.


    Seeing the person roll up her sleeve, Nanrong Wanqing struggled desperately, asking anxiously, "What are you doing?"


    Without a word, the person in the whiteb coat plunged the needle into Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s body. As the drug from the syringe was injected into her, Nanrong Wanqing felt a wave of weakness wash over her, and her consciousness gradually blurred. Within two minutes, she had deeply fallen unconscious.


    ...


    At this moment.


    On a mountain surrounding Yinan Vige, two figures climbed rapidly under the cover of night.


    After a while, the two figures, one after the other, sessfully reached the summit of the mountain. From the top, they had a clear view of the entire Yinan Vige.


    Liu Dongsheng stood on the edge of the mountain peak, and after a few nces downward, he saw that one side of the mountain was as smooth and t as if cut by a knife, almost vertical to the ground, with no ce to leverage against.


    "I told you, it¡¯s impossible to descend from here," Bai Huanjun said.


    "There¡¯s nothing impossible," Liu Dongsheng replied ndly.


    After observing the surrounding environment, Liu Dongshengmitted several positions to memory and then returned to the hotel with Bai Huanjun.


    Around four o¡¯clock in the morning, Kaelina, Liu Dongsheng, Jiang Yunkai, and Bai Huanjun climbed the mountain again.


    Upon reaching the summit, Liu Dongsheng took off his backpack and pulled out a bundle of thin metal wire.


    "Crossbow."


    Without a word, Kaelina immediately handed over the crossbow she had just assembled.


    Liu Dongsheng connected the metal wire to the tail end of the arrow, then inserted the arrow into the crossbow. On the edge of the mountain peak, he raised the crossbow with both hands, aimed at a spot in the corner of Yinan Vige, and gently squeezed the trigger.


    Whoosh!


    With a whistling sound, the arrow shot out with the metal wire attached, flying directly from the mountaintop to the ground, piercing through the middle of a tree trunk.


    The range of a typical crossbow is at most a few dozen meters, but to meet their needs, Liu Dongsheng and the others had specially modified the crossbow to increase its tension, extending the range from a few dozen meters to over a hundred.


    After setting down the crossbow, Liu Dongsheng tugged on the metal wire, and seeing that it was sessfully secured to the tree trunk, everyone breathed a sigh of relief.


    "I¡¯ll go down first, wait for my signal."


    After speaking, Liu Dongsheng hooked a carabiner onto the metal wire, used it to bear his weight, and slid down directly.


    Two minutes passed, and the metal wire gave a slight shake. Seeing this, Kaelina and the others subsequently used the metal wire to leave the summit.


    Once on the ground, the four regrouped, and Liu Dongsheng put on his earpiece and established contact with Hu Fei outside Yinan Vige.


    "We¡¯ve entered."


    "Be careful."


    "Understood!"


    Liu Dongsheng pointed towards the east side of Yinan Vige and said, "Let¡¯s split up and search. If we¡¯re discovered, you know what to do."


    Kaelina and the others nodded. They had considered all possibilities before the action and formted corresponding strategies.


    After splitting up, Bai Huanjun quietly approached a house. He pushed the door and found it shut tight. He immediately pulled out a dagger from his waist and lightly scraped it through the door crack.


    With a soft noise, the door opened as if on cue.


    It was pitch-dark inside the room, hard to see even one¡¯s own fingers. Bai Huanjun controlled his breathing and moved lightly, trying his best to avoid making any sound that could reveal his presence.


    Upon entering, Bai Huanjun looked around, frowning instantly¡ªthe whole house was empty. However, the bedroom bedding was neatly folded, and the ce was spotless¡ªa clear sign that someone lived there.


    "Did you see anyone?"


    At that moment, Jiang Yunkai¡¯s voice came through the earpiece.


    "No."


    "Neither have I."


    "I checked two rooms, no one¡¯s there."


    Hearing everyone¡¯s response, silence fell in the earpiece.


    Bai Huanjun had observed during the daytime that there must be over a hundred people in the vige, but now not a single one was in sight¡ªan obviously abnormal situation.


    Right then, lights suddenly lit up in the pitch-ck room, illuminating everything.


    The abrupt change made Bai Huanjun¡¯s face turn pale. He spun around, looking at the door, only to hear a ¡¯bang¡¯¡ªthe door locked instantly.


    Following that, a green gas began to emanate from a corner of the room and quickly spread, engulfing the room in a blink of an eye.


    Bai Huanjun covered his nose with one hand and pressed the earpiece with the other, saying in a heavy voice, "Can anyone hear me?"


    However, not a single response came through the earpiece.


    Damn!


    A sense of dread sank in Bai Huanjun¡¯s heart¡ªhe had a bad feeling.


    No response meant that there was a good chance something had happened to the others.


    Without hesitation, Bai Huanjun hurried toward the door.


    Bang!


    With the impact of his body, the door burst open, and Bai Huanjun tumbled to the ground. Before he could get up, several burly men rushed over from both sides and pinned him to the floor.


    "Don¡¯t move!"


    Feeling the cold de of the dagger, Bai Huanjun didn¡¯t utter another word and gave up resisting.


    Ten minutester, the hood over Bai Huanjun¡¯s head was lifted, and the bright light immediately flooded his surroundings.


    Looking around, Bai Huanjun saw Liu Dongsheng and the others next to him. And Hu Fei was also captured, head drooping and looking dejected.


    "Ha ha! Having friends visit from afar is a delight. Wee, everyone."


    Laughter echoed as they looked up to see Wu Jun striding in from outside the door.


    Hu Fei furrowed his brow and asked, "How did you know we were here?"


    "That¡¯s a good question," Wu Jun said with a smug smile. "Did you really think no one knew of your whereabouts? Let me tell you the truth, we¡¯ve known you were here since you checked into the hotel."


    Hearing this, the faces of Hu Fei and the others turned sour.

 Chapter 573 - 570 Disadvantageous Start (2)

    <h4>Chapter 573: Chapter 570 Disadvantageous Start (2)</h4><h4></h4>


    "I underestimated you."


    Hu Fei helplessly shook his head. They had been careless, initially believing that the God Organization¡¯s influence was confined to Yinan Vige, but now it seemed the situation was not so simple, as even the surrounding towns were likely infiltrated by the God Organization. Hence, their presence was exposed as soon as they arrived.


    At this thought, an inexplicable horror filled Hu Fei¡¯s heart.


    The God Organization must have been operating in this locale for decades, otherwise, their influence wouldn¡¯t have prated so deeply.


    Wu Jun smiled and said, "It¡¯s not that you underestimated, it¡¯s that you do not understand the God Organization. Otherwise, you wouldn¡¯t have made such foolish decisions."


    "Where is Miss Nanrong being held?" Kaelina asked.


    Upon hearing this, Wu Jun sized up Kaelina with a yful smile: "Miss Kaelina, I think you should be more concerned about your own safety right now. You were lucky to escapest time because your life was spared by chance. If I were you, I¡¯d have found a deserted ce to hide long ago, unlike you, who actually came here seeking death."


    After speaking, Wu Jun¡¯s gaze swept over Bai Huanjun and Jiang Yunkai. When his eyesnded on Liu Dongsheng, he asked with interest, "I know the others, they have more or less some connections with Ling Chen. What about you? Why are you muddying the waters here?"


    Liu Dongsheng answered indifferently, "For friends."


    "Friends?" Wu Junughed out loud, "I too was once for my country, for my friends, but what did I end up with? Endless life-threatening missions only earned me some worthless medals that can¡¯t be shared with outsiders,pletely useless. I used to live for others, but now I¡¯ve learned to live for myself."


    "Enough talk. What are you nning to do with us?"


    Wu Jun nced at Kaelina who had spoken and said, "Originally, I nned to kill you directly, but you¡¯re lucky, we¡¯ve just discovered a new technology and need test subjects. You¡¯ll have the honor of witnessing the miracle."


    "Take them away and lock ¡¯em up."


    ...


    Sunrise, the dawn sky ame like fire.


    Ling Chen looked out at the distant sea level, took a deep breath, rxing his body and spirit, savoring the essence of nature.


    Right then, a ship appeared on the calm sea, slowly moving towards him.


    Ling Chen stood up, observing the gradually approaching ship, and quickly made his way towards it.


    Coast Guard boat!


    When Ling Chen recognized the symbol on the boat, his expression froze. Why would a Coast Guard boate to such a ce?


    As he wondered, Ling Chen suddenly noticed someone at the bow of the boat waving, faintly hearing a voice calling his name.


    Who could it be?


    Ling Chen looked intently, but the Coast Guard boat was too far away to clearly see the person¡¯s features, he could only tell by the voice that it was a woman.


    Due to the shallow coast, the Coast Guard boat couldn¡¯te closer and stopped dozens of meters away at sea. Shortly after, a motorboatunched from the Coast Guard boat and headed straight for shore.


    When the motorboat drew closer, Ling Chen could finally see who was on board.


    Xia Mutong.


    It was her!


    As the motorboat reached the shore, Ling Chen hurried forward, his face filled with surprise and eximed, "Officer Xia, what brings you here?"


    "It¡¯s to find you," Xia Mutong said with teary eyes.


    Since that day after meeting with Su Mei, Xia Mutong felt displeased by Su Mei¡¯s attitude and thus contacted the police in Jinhai City to ask them for assistance in searching for Ling Chen.


    Over the past few days, she had been searching along the coastline by boat. Hard work pays off; she finally found Ling Chen.


    Seeing Ling Chen safe and sound in front of her, Xia Mutong angrily asked, "You¡¯re fine, why didn¡¯t you return? Do you know how many people are worried about you?"


    Embarrassed, Ling Chen touched his nose and said, "I¡¯m sorry for making you worry."


    In fact, he had wanted to return to East Sea City long ago, but Su He wouldn¡¯t allow him to leave. Moreover, he rarely got the opportunity to be mentored by a master, and he wanted to learn more, which is why his return was dyed for so many days.


    "Officer Xia, did something happen that you came to find me?" Ling Chen asked.


    He felt it strange in his heart. He had thought of many possible people who woulde to find him but never expected Xia Mutong. Thus, he guessed if something might have happened in East Sea City.


    Xia Mutong said irritably, "Can¡¯t Ie to find you if there¡¯s nothing wrong?"


    "No, no, no," Ling Chen quickly waved his hand saying, "That¡¯s not what I meant."


    "Alright, you hurry up and pack up ande back with me. I got a message the day before yesterday, Miss Nanrong has disappeared."


    "What?" Ling Chen¡¯s expression changed.


    "Wait for me, I wille right away." After speaking, Ling Chen quickly rushed into the house.


    At that moment, Su He was inside the house, cleaning the fish that had just been caught. Seeing Ling Chen rushing in, without waiting for him to speak, Su He pointed to a bottle on the table and said, "That is the medicine I prepared for you. Take it three times a day, for two or three days. Your injuries won¡¯t cause major issues."


    "Elder Su..."


    "Enough, you don¡¯t need to say anything. Just go back, and don¡¯te looking for me anymore. I¡¯ve taught you all I can. Whether you canprehend it is up to you."


    "Elder Su, thank you!" Ling Chen said gratefully.


    Su He waved his hand, not saying much more, and continued with his tasks.


    Having secured the bottle, Ling Chen turned and walked to the door, then turned back, bowed deeply to Su He, and then pushed the door open and left.


    Back on the boat, Ling Chen borrowed Xia Mutong¡¯s phone to call Bai Huanjun. Bai Huanjun was responsible for secretly protecting Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s safety, and since she was missing, he should be the most informed.


    However, after dialing the number, there was no response for a long time.


    Ling Chen frowned, and then dialed Hu Fei¡¯s number. But the result was the same; all showed that the phones were turned off. After some thought, Ling Chen entered Nanrong Hao¡¯s phone number.


    "Hello! Haozi."


    "Chen?" Hearing Ling Chen¡¯s voice, Nanrong Hao immediately eximed excitedly, "Chen, we finally got news from you, we were almost worried to death."


    "Alright, never mind that, where is Wanqing?"


    "Big Sister disappeared; it¡¯s been several days with no news. Chen, you should hurry back, everything here is in chaos."


    "Don¡¯t panic, tell me clearly how exactly Wanqing disappeared."


    "I heard from my cousin that a man named Wu Jun came the other day. He said he was yourrade-in-arms. He told Big Sister that you had been seriously injured and it wasn¡¯t convenient for you toe back, and he would take Big Sister to see you. Worried about your safety, she didn¡¯t even think and just agreed to go with him."


    Wu Jun!


    Hearing this name, Ling Chen¡¯s pupils shrank, and a raging fury instantly surged from the bottom of his heart.

 Chapter 574 - 571 Changling City

    <h4>Chapter 574: Chapter 571 Changling City</h4><h4></h4>


    The traitor finally showed up.


    "Haozi, where¡¯s the fatty? Have you seen him?"


    "You mean Big Brother Hu? No, I went to the Old City to look for him. They said Brother Hu left two days ago, I don¡¯t know where he went. Oh, that¡¯s right! When Brother Hu left that day, there was also Kai and Miss Kaelina; there were five of them in total."


    Five people?


    Ling Chen was struck with a thought; Hu Fei must have gathered everyone including Kaelina probably to rescue Nanrong Wanqing. However, it¡¯s been two days without any news, something might have happened.


    "Haozi, are you really sure you don¡¯t know where they went?" Ling Chen asked, unwilling to give up.


    "I... Eh! I almost forgot, the day Brother Hu and the others left, they asked me to prepare a ne. Hold on, let me ask the pilot and see where they went that day."


    "Good, as soon as possible."


    When they reached the port, Ling Chen rushed anxiously towards the junction.


    "Ling Chen, where are you going?" Xia Mutong called out from behind.


    "Officer Xia, you go back first, I have something else to handle." Saying this, Ling Chen stopped a taxi and got straight in.


    "You..."


    Watching the taxi speeding away, Xia Mutong stomped her foot angrily and cursed: "Bastard."


    He himself had worked hard to find him, and he didn¡¯t even say thank you.


    Oh no!


    Suddenly, Xia Mutong¡¯s face changed slightly, remembering that her cell phone was still on Ling Chen. Thinking of the information stored in her phone, Xia Mutong¡¯s pretty face turned red.


    After more than half an hour¡¯s drive, Ling Chen finally arrived at the airport. Nanrong Hao had already called to inform him of the location where the nended, a city in the southern part of Huaxia.


    Boarding the ne, Ling Chen took out his phone and dialed a number from memory.


    "Hello!"


    The call connected, and a sweet voice immediately came through.


    "It¡¯s me."


    "Mr. Ling?" The person on the line eximed joyfully: "Great to hear from you. Where are you now?"


    "I¡¯m on a ne to Changling City. Do you have anyone in Changling City? I need help."


    "Please wait a moment; I will arrange something for you now." After a while, the woman on the phone said: "Mr. Ling, I¡¯ve sent the number to your phone. Once you arrive, contact this person directly, and he will provide you with all the help you need."


    "Good, thanks!"


    Two hourster.


    Changling City airport exit.


    Ling Chen walked out alone from the passage and looked around by the roadside, then took out his mobile phone, ready to make a call.


    But then, a hand suddenly rested on Ling Chen¡¯s shoulder from behind.


    Ling Chen sharply turned around, his fist clenched, ready to strike. However, when he saw the face of the person, he paused, looking surprised, and asked: "Why is it you?"


    The other person chuckled: "Why can¡¯t it be me?"


    Looking at Zhou Jun in front of him, Ling Chen asked: "Who else came from Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion?"


    "Quite a few people. Come on, I¡¯ll take you to meet them."


    Once in the car, Ling Chen, sitting in the passenger seat, asked with confusion: "How did you know I woulde here?"


    "The Secret Society notified us. We knew Nanrong Wanqing was missing, and your rushing to Changling City means you must have obtained some clues."


    Ling Chen shook his head and said: "Can¡¯t say there¡¯s a clue; I only know my friends came to Changling City and they all lost contact."


    "No worries, you¡¯ve greatly helped Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, and the Pavilion Master has already ordered to assist you fully in rescuing Miss Nanrong."


    "Thanks!"


    "We¡¯re brothers, no need for thanks."


    Soon, Zhou Jun drove to a five-star hotel in Changling City.


    Entering the presidential suite, Ling Chen immediately saw Su Mei standing by the window.


    "Miss Su?" Ling Chen was surprised; he hadn¡¯t expected her toe here personally.


    Su Mei slowly turned around, her beautiful eyes looking directly at Ling Chen, and smiled: "I thought something had happened to you."


    "I¡¯ve always been lucky."


    Saying this, Ling Chen also greeted Zhou Qi and Song Ge.


    "Miss Su, how much intelligence have you gathered?"


    "Not much, our intelligencework in Changling City is limited and we can¡¯t gather detailed information. But don¡¯t worry, someone else knows better."


    "Who?"


    As Ling Chen spoke, there was a knock on the door.


    "Speak of the devil."


    Zhou Jun quickly walked to the door and opened it. Instantly, a man in his thirties with a weathered face walked in.


    "Mr. Ling, hello, we meet again."


    Seeing the visitor, Ling Chen was slightly startled, and surprised he said: "Mr. Sang Ji? Weren¡¯t you abroad, when did youe back?"


    "The organization needed me, so they called me back."


    Hearing this, Ling Chen nced at Sang Ji and then at Su Mei, understanding suddenly. It seemed the Secret Society and Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion have a good rtionship. With two forces helping him this time, he felt much more confident.


    "Mr. Sang Ji, do you know where the territories of the God Organization are?"


    "That¡¯s exactly what I want to talk about, Mr. Ling, this operation might be troublesome. ording to the intelligence from our Secret Society, the God Organization has been establishing its influence in Changling City for many years, deeply rooted. Our Secret Society has always believed that the headquarters of the God Organization is actually established ind, but over the years, we have never identified the exact location. Untiling to Changling City, we were certain that this ce must be the core base of the God Organization."


    Ling Chen, unable to wait, asked: "Where is the base?"


    "We¡¯re not clear yet, but don¡¯t worry, the Secret Society has already sent people to gather intelligence. If nothing goes wrong, I believe we will find their location soon."


    Meanwhile, the hotel¡¯s internal phone rang suddenly.


    Zhou Qi picked up the receiver and greeted. It was unclear what was said, but Zhou Qi looked at Ling Chen with a strange expression and said: "It¡¯s for you."


    "For me?" Ling Chen walked over curiously and asked: "Who is it?"


    "Don¡¯t know, he just said for you to take the call."


    Ling Chen took the receiver and put it to his ear, saying: "This is Ling Chen, who is this?"


    "Little brother Ling, you remember me, huh."


    Hearing theughter from the other end of the phone, Ling Chen¡¯s face immediately turned cold, and he spoke deliberately: "Wu Jun, it¡¯s you!"


    "Haha! Looks like you still remember me."


    Ling Chen coldly said: "You killed Uncle Mu and Mrs. Chen; I will eventually settle this score with you."


    "Uncle Mu and Mrs. Chen were good people; I didn¡¯t want them to die either, but sometimes, to win, you must pay a price. Alright, Ling Chen, I didn¡¯t call to reminisce. I know you¡¯ve arrived in Changling City. If you want to save Nanrong Wanqing, you better do exactly as I say. Otherwise, you will only find her corpse."

 Chapter 575 - 572 Wu Jun’s Conditions

    <h4>Chapter 575: Chapter 572 Wu Jun¡¯s Conditions</h4><h4></h4>


    Ling Chen, suppressing the rage in his heart, gritted his teeth and said, "What do you want me to do?"


    Wu Jun said with a smile over the phone, "Don¡¯t rush. I hear you have quite a few friends with you. How about we find a time to meet? We can all sit down and have a chat. What do you think?"


    "You set the time and ce, I¡¯ll be there punctually."


    "Good, you¡¯re as straightforward as ever. That¡¯s settled then, wait for my notification."


    After finishing, Wu Jun hung up the phone.


    Putting down the receiver, Ling Chen looked at the people present and said in a deep voice, "It¡¯s Wu Jun, he knows we¡¯ve arrived in Changling City."


    Zhou Jun slightly frowned and asked, "What does he want?"


    "He¡¯s arranged to meet us. Not just me, all of us. Miss Su, Mr. Sang Ji, representing Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion and Secret Society respectively, it¡¯s up to you whether you go or not, I will not force you."


    Sang Ji, unconcerned, replied, "Since I¡¯vee, I won¡¯t leave empty-handed. Mr. Ling, rest assured, Secret Society hasmanded me to assist you fully. No matter the danger, I¡¯ll stand by your side."


    Ling Chen nodded, expressed his thanks, then turned his gaze to Su Mei, asking, "Miss Su, what does the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion think?"


    Su Mei opened her mouth, about to speak. However, before she could, Zhou Qi interjected, "The Pavilion Master¡¯s status is unlike others; she should not easily put herself at risk. Pavilion Master, in my view, you should return to Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion as soon as possible. We few are enough to handle things here in Changling City."


    "This..." Su Mei hesitated.


    "Miss Su, Elder Zhou is right, you are the Pavilion Master of Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion; it needs your presence. If something were to happen to you, it would be a devastating blow to Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion," Ling Chen said. "You should listen to Elder Zhou¡¯s advice and head back to the Pavilion."


    "Alright then." Seeing Ling Chen speak up, Su Mei nodded gently, no longer conflicted.


    Night fell.


    After sending off Su Mei, everyone went back to the hotel to wait for Wu Jun¡¯s message.


    When Ling Chen pushed open the door of his hotel room, he saw a note on the floor. He picked it up and examined it, his expression immediately darkening.


    It finally arrived!


    Nine o¡¯clock at night.


    Ling Chen, apanied by Sang Ji, Zhou Qi, Zhou Jun, and Song Ge, drove to a restaurant in Changling City.


    The restaurant was located in the bustling downtown area of Changling City, upying about a thousand square meters. Walking into the restaurant, Ling Chen led the way, only to find it eerily empty.


    "Ling Chen, are we at the wrong ce?"


    Hearing Zhou Jun¡¯s question, Ling Chen shook his head. The details on the note were clear; he couldn¡¯t have mistaken it.


    Just then, the sound of footsteps came from the staircase. Ling Chen looked up to see a man in a suit jogging down from upstairs.


    "Mr. Ling, wee, Mr. Wu is waiting for you upstairs." The suit-d man gestured them to follow him up to the second floor of the restaurant.


    When they reached the outside of a private room, Ling Chen pushed open the door and immediately saw Wu Jun sitting by a round table. He was alone in the room.


    Seeing an enemy inmed him with anger, and Ling Chen was no exception.


    Just thinking about the man in front of him, the killer of Mu Zhiyuan and Chen Ping, a cold glint burst from Ling Chen¡¯s eyes, itching to tear the man apart.


    However, considering Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s safety, Ling Chen had to suppress the hatred inside him and entered with an expressionless face.


    "Elder Ling, wee, wee," Wu Junughed heartily, rising to greet him warmly, "Come, everyone, take a seat. There¡¯s no one else here, no need to be formal."


    Ling Chen, without uttering a word, sat opposite Wu Jun and coldly asked, "Stop the pretense. Since I¡¯m here, let¡¯s talk straight, I don¡¯t have time to dawdle with you."


    Facing Ling Chen¡¯s icy words, Wu Jun¡¯s smile remained, saying, "Elder Ling, don¡¯t rush, we have plenty of time. First, try the red wine I prepared especially for you. This is a rare vintage from Lafite Vineyard, 1982; almost impossible to find on the market. I received it as a special reward from higher-ups for my distinguished service; I¡¯ve never had the heart to drink it. I wouldn¡¯t bring it out for anyone but you."


    Hearing this, a fierce look shed through Ling Chen¡¯s eyes.


    "Killing Uncle Mu and Mrs. Chen, forcing Ghost Organization to dissolve, is this what you call an achievement?"


    "Elder Ling, water flows downwards, people strive upwards, who doesn¡¯t seek better development? I dedicated over a decade to Ghost Organization and ended up with nothing."


    "That¡¯s just your excuse for betrayal."


    "Think whatever you want, but I¡¯m living well now, I can have many things just as I wish." Wu Jun turned his head towards Zhou Qi and others, his smile widening, "Elder Ling, I actually admire you, getting powers like Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion and Secret Society to willingly help you. But here, even if the General himself came, what could he do to us?"


    "Wu Jun, don¡¯t forget, this is Huaxia¡¯s territory."


    Wu Jun, smugly, said, "I know, and that¡¯s exactly why they won¡¯t dare to touch us here, unless they want to start a war."


    Sang Ji sternly said, "We didn¡¯te here to listen to your nonsense. Tell us, what will it take for you to release Miss Nanrong?"


    "Are you just here for Miss Nanrong? Elder Ling, don¡¯t you want to save your friends?"


    Hearing this, Ling Chen¡¯s expression suddenly changed.


    Just as expected!


    Hu Fei and the others had fallen into the hands of God Organization.


    "Where are they?"


    "Rx, they are alive and well for now, but I can¡¯t guarantee they will continue to be. If you want to save them, you¡¯ll need to pay a price."


    "What price?"


    Wu Jun picked up a document from a nearby chair and threw it before Ling Chen, saying, "Weck a rare material developed by Ghost Organization. After the organization was dissolved, everything was moved to a new base. I know you have a good rtionship with the General, so I¡¯m asking for your help. Just bring me these materials, and I will immediately release your friends."


    Ling Chen nced at the document, didn¡¯t even touch it, and directly said, "How can I trust your word? Do you really expect me to trust a traitor?"


    Wu Jun chuckled, pulled out a cell phone from his pocket, and ced it in front of Ling Chen.


    "I don¡¯t need your trust. This is a countdown. If you can¡¯t bring the materials back within the specified time, then sorry, you¡¯ll never see your friends again." After saying this, Wu Jun stood up and walked out of the private room.

 Chapter 576 - 573: The Present Differs from the Past

    <h4>Chapter 576: Chapter 573: The Present Differs from the Past</h4><h4></h4>


    Watching Wu Jun¡¯s retreating figure, Zhou Jun said coldly, "Why go through all that trouble? Just grab him and force him to reveal the whereabouts of those people."


    "No way," Zhou Qi shook his head and said, "Don¡¯t act too rashly. If he dares toe to meet us alone, he isn¡¯t afraid of us resorting to coercion."


    Sang Ji chimed in, "Capturing Wu Jun will aplish nothing." While speaking, he nced at the time disyed on his mobile phone¡ªforty-eight hours left.


    "Two days¡¯ time... Mr. Ling, do you have any ns?"


    Ling Chen said helplessly, "Hu Fei and his team total five people, plus Wanqing, making six of them all in the hands of the God Organization. We¡¯d better not act recklessly."


    "Are you prepared toply with his demands?"


    Ling Chen looked at Zhou Jun, who had spoken, and nodded, "There¡¯s no other way. They have the upper hand now, so I mustply." After a pause, Ling Chen continued, "Conveniently, I have to report the situation here to the old General and see how they n to handle it."


    "That¡¯s good," Sang Ji said, "If the government gets involved, maybe things will get handled more efficiently. Here¡¯s the n: you rush to Beijing, and we¡¯ll stay here waiting for you, meanwhile helping you gather information."


    "Thank you for your trouble."


    "Don¡¯t mention it."


    After the group had agreed, Ling Chen picked up the materials Wu Jun had left behind and immediately set off for the airport.


    At midnight, after a two-hour flight, the ne finallynded at the capital¡¯s international airport.


    Exiting the airport, a familiar figure came toward him, waving his hand in greeting.


    "Tang Yuan."


    "Old Tang."


    Ling Chen nodded at Tang Yuan; beforeing, he had already called him to pick him up.


    Since the Ghost Organization was infiltrated, the old General had ordered the relocation of the base, and its new location was unknown to him; Tang Yuan was needed to lead the way.


    After getting into the car, Tang Yuan started the engine and asked, "What brings you to Beijing at this hour?"


    "I¡¯ve run into some trouble¡ªtake me to see the old General first."


    "This..." Tang Yuan appeared somewhat troubled as he said, "Brother, it¡¯s not that I don¡¯t want to take you to the old General, but..."


    Ling Chen asked, puzzled, "What happened?"


    With a sigh, Tang Yuan said helplessly, "Times have changed. Our days aren¡¯t as good as before. Whether it was the Ghost or Lonely Wolf organization, the old General¡¯s word used to be themand; no one dared to object. But now, things are different. Recently, someone from above was appointed to supervise Lonely Wolf¡¯s operations. Officially, the old General is still in charge, but in reality, a lot of his power is restrained. Everything needs that person¡¯s approval before proceeding. So it¡¯s not just us feeling stifled¡ªeven the old General is. "


    "How does that rte to me seeing the old General?"


    "That person, sinceing to Lonely Wolf, has enforced many reforms, one of which is the security of the base. Unless you are a member of Lonely Wolf, no one is permitted to enter the base, the location must be kept confidential. Anyone who vites the rules is directly expelled and subject to military court punishment. Although everyone knows your rtionship with the old General, rules are rules, and since you¡¯ve retired, I can¡¯t take you to the base." Tang Yuan looked regretfully at Ling Chen and said, "Tang Yuan, I¡¯m sorry. It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t want to help you, but I truly can¡¯t."


    "So I can¡¯t see the old General?" Ling Chen frowned inwardly.


    Now he understood why Wu Jun had entrusted him with this task¡ªafter Lonely Wolf enhanced security, it was very difficult for the God Organization to infiltrate, hence they asked him to step in.


    "Even if we can¡¯t enter the base, I have informed the old General. He suggested we choose a ce to meet, and he wille to see you."


    "Alright then."


    Half an hourter, Ling Chen and Tang Yuan drove to the city and checked into a hotel.


    Not long after entering the room, they heard a knock on the door.


    Tang Yuan got up and opened the door, quickly stepping aside and saying, "General, Mr. Han, pleasee in."


    Seeing Qiao Zhen and Han Bing enter the room, Ling Chen approached and greeted them.


    Qiao Zhen patted Ling Chen¡¯s shoulder and said with a sigh, "Tang Yuan must have told you. Kid, I apologize. We can only meet outside now."


    "It¡¯s alright. General, Mr. Han, please take a seat."


    Once the four were seated, Han Bing asked, "Did youe to Beijing in a hurry because there¡¯s some important matter?"


    "General, frankly speaking, the situation is like this..." Ling Chen recounted everything sinctly, without any concealment.


    For Ling Chen, whether it was Qiao Zhen, Han Bing, or Tang Yuan, they were not just brothers or superiors and subordinates, but more like family. Therefore, he never concealed things from them.


    After listening to Ling Chen, Qiao Zhen took the materials from him and nced through. His expression slightly changed, and he passed the documents to Han Bing.


    Surprised by the contents recorded in the documents, Han Bing eximed, "They want this?"


    "Exactly, this is the material Wu Jun gave me. General, I¡¯ve looked over these documents on the ne. Is this material very rare?"


    Qiao Zhen nodded and said, "This material is called HZ1, a special fluid with high viscosity. Anything coated with ayer of HZ1 will have its defensive power enhanced, making it bulletproof to ordinary bullets. Additionally, this substance is highly breathable, so covering the entire body with it won¡¯t cause any harm. When we developed HZ1, it was intended to make bulletproof vests. Later, we found it was an overkill for such purposes and ssified HZ1 as a military secret, with ns to use it in the military field."


    Han Bing continued, "HZ1 is difficult to manufacture, hence the base has a very limited stock¡ªless than ten kilograms."


    "General, Mr. Han, you know I wouldn¡¯t ask for help without real need. I truly have no other option. If I can¡¯t meet Wu Jun¡¯s demand, Wanqing and my friends will be in mortal danger."


    Han Bing gave a wry smile and said, "It¡¯s not that we don¡¯t want to help you, in the past, we wouldn¡¯t hesitate at your request, but now it¡¯s different. All valuable items in the base are stored in the warehouse, which can only be essed when both the old General and the supervisor are present. We are willing to talk, but that person is not easily fooled. If we don¡¯t exin the reason, he will never agree to the private use of HZ1. "


    Ling Chen anxiously asked, "What shall we do then? General!" Ling Chen looked to Qiao Zhen for help.


    After pondering for a moment, Qiao Zhen said, "How about this: I¡¯ll talk to that person, exin the situation in Changling City and see what his ns are. If it really doesn¡¯t work out, I¡¯m willing to risk this General¡¯s title to help you. Anyway, I feel stifled as a General, I might as well retire and go home."

 Chapter 577 - 574: The Wanted Criminal

    <h4>Chapter 577: Chapter 574: The Wanted Criminal</h4><h4></h4>


    Ling Chen was well aware of the old General¡¯s temperament, he said so, which meant this matter was very likely under control.


    "General, Wu Jun only gave me forty-eight hours, so we have to hurry and can¡¯t dy for too long."


    "I know that, just stay here for now, I will arrange for Tang Yuan to contact you."


    After seeing off Qiao Zhen and his twopanions, Ling Chen stood alone at the windowsill, gazing at the night scene outside, his brows furrowed as he silently prayed for Nanrong Wanqing and Hu Fei.


    The night passed.


    Ling Chen sat in the room, having spent a sleepless night, he was still patiently waiting for news.


    At seven o¡¯clock in the morning, the ringtone of the cellphone on the desk suddenly sounded. ncing at the iing caller ID, Ling Chen hastily picked up the phone, eager to ask: "Old Tang, have you sorted it out?"


    "Something happened." A deep voice came from Tang Yuan on the phone.


    "What happened?" Ling Chen¡¯s heart jolted, he hurriedly asked, "What¡¯s going on?"


    "The General and Mr. Han have been captured."


    "What?"


    Hearing this, Ling Chen¡¯s face changed dramatically, he said in a deep voice, "Who dares to arrest them?"


    "Who else but that bastard, the General went backst night to negotiate with him, hoping the bastard would make things easier. Who knew the bastard was totally unmoved and even scolded the General, saying he shouldn¡¯t have protected you. Not only that, he suspected that you might have been bought by the God Organization like Wu Jun, insisting on sending someone to arrest you for interrogation. You know the General¡¯s temper, he couldn¡¯t hold back at the moment, he pulled out a gun and pointed it at that bastard¡¯s head, forcing him to open the warehouse door."


    "And what about you, are you okay?"


    "The General gave me the HZ1 and told me to bring it out for you. I¡¯m on my way to the hotel now, but the situation is a bit tricky, that bastard has sent quite a few people after me, I¡¯m afraid I won¡¯t be able to meet up with you."


    As Tang Yuan spoke, his voice suddenly became more rushed: "Tang Yuan, there¡¯s no time, hurry to the train station, we¡¯ll meet there."


    After speaking, before Ling Chen could say anything more, the phone was hung up.


    Time was of the essence, without time to think any further, Ling Chen quickly packed up and left the hotel.


    In less than twenty minutes, Ling Chen arrived outside the train station by taxi. Surveying the crowd amidst the bustle, his eyes roamed, searching for any sign of Tang Yuan.


    Suddenly, a shouting voice came from the crowd in front: "Stop, don¡¯t run!"


    Ling Chen¡¯s gaze shifted, only to see Tang Yuan pushing through the crowd, straining to break free, with at least a dozen men in suits following him.


    In the heat of the chase, Tang Yuan¡¯s eyes met Ling Chen¡¯s and, brightening, he rushed over with increased speed.


    The moment they met, Tang Yuan lightly reached into Ling Chen¡¯s pocket without any hesitation, brushing past him and continued racing forward.


    Those men in suits were only focused on Tang Yuan,pletely overlooking Ling Chen at their side.


    At this moment, Tang Yuan, who had struggled out from the crowd aimed for a dash toward the roadside. But he had not run far when he was tackled to the ground by several men in suits who had caught up from the side.


    "Let¡¯s see where you run now!"


    A suit-d man, panting heavily, fiercely kicked Tang Yuan¡¯s midsection. Unsatisfied, he delivered several more kicks.


    Seeing Tang Yuan being brutally kicked, Ling Chen¡¯s eyes instantly turned cold, his fists clenched, ready to step forward.


    However, as Tang Yuan was pulled up from the ground, he noticed Ling Chen¡¯s move and quickly gestured with his eyes for him to stop, gently shaking his head, signaling him not toe over.


    Ling Chen nced and then noticed that the bulges at the waists of these men in suits - they all carried weapons. Moreover, there was a gun pressed against Tang Yuan¡¯s back; if he were to act rashly, it could jeopardize Tang Yuan¡¯s life.


    Seeing those men in suits taking Tang Yuan away by car, Ling Chen could only watch helplessly, unable to do anything.


    The old General, Han Bing, and Tang Yuan could only be rescuedter when another opportunity arose.


    Walking into the train station, Ling Chen reached into his pocket and pulled out a key. The key had been sneakily ced in his pocket by Tang Yuan as he passed by him.


    404!


    Looking at the number marked on the key, Ling Chen quickly located the train station¡¯s storage locker and used the key to open the corresponding locker. Instantly, a ck backpack was revealed inside the locker.


    Unzipping the bag, as expected, inside was a transparent cylindrical container filled with HZ1.


    Shouldering the backpack, Ling Chen turned and left the train station, then hailed a cab to the airport at the roadside.


    With the item in hand, it was time to head back to Changling City.


    The cab moved along the road, with Ling Chen sitting in the back, watching the traffic flow outside the window, his gaze suddenly sharpened, and he thought to himself that something was not right.


    The cab had just passed the hotel where he had stayed the previous night, and he clearly saw several cars parked outside the hotel, with more than a dozen men in suits hurriedly entering the hotel.


    When those people captured Tang Yuan and didn¡¯t find the HZ1, they would definitely suspect him.


    This was trouble!


    As expected by Ling Chen, when he arrived at the airport, there were many more policemen outside, each holding a mobile phone, scrutinizing the surrounding crowd.


    It was clear enough that they had his photo disyed on their phones.


    The airport was locked down, and other ces were surely the same. The HZ1 was so important, they would undoubtedly spare no effort to search for his whereabouts.


    It looked like he could only leave bynd. Luckily, there was enough time, and a dy of a few hours was not a major issue.


    As he was thinking this, Ling Chen suddenly saw several Lincoln Sedans approaching the airport¡¯s intersection.


    When the Lincolns stopped, several airport security guards who had been waiting at the entrance immediately greeted them, surrounding the cars to prevent bystanders from getting close.


    As the car doors opened, Ling Chen was taken aback. To his surprise, the person who stepped out of the Lincoln was Tang Shiyun.


    In addition to Tang Shiyun, Zhu Yansong was present, followed by seven or eight assistants and entourage, carrying bothrge and small bags.


    He hadn¡¯t expected to encounter her here.


    Ling Chen¡¯s lips curved up slightly, and an idea quickly came to mind.


    He nced around, then made his way into the oing crowd. Moving through the crowd, he ended up with a duckbill cap and a scarf, both swiped from someone else.


    Having donned the scarf and cap, Ling Chen quickened his pace, heading straight towards the group where Tang Shiyun was.


    "Sir, I¡¯m sorry, but you cannot go through here," an airport security guard blocked Ling Chen, signaling him to leave.


    Ling Chen couldn¡¯t be bothered with him, and shouted loudly, "Girl!"


    Hearing that familiar address, Tang Shiyun, walking in the middle of the group, quickly turned her head, her face full of joy as she looked around, finally fixing her gaze on the waving Ling Chen.


    "Ling!"


    Tang Shiyun let out a joyousugh, her delicate face brimming with happiness.


    With Tang Shiyun speaking up, the security guard naturally did not dare stop Ling Chen any longer, immediately allowing him to pass.

 Chapter 578 - 575 Escape (1)

    <h4>Chapter 578: Chapter 575 Escape (1)</h4><h4></h4>


    "Ling," Tang Shiyun affectionately wrapped her arms around Ling Chen¡¯s arm and asked, "When did youe to Beijing?"


    "I arrived yesterday." As he spoke, Ling Chen looked around, watching the patrolling police to avoid revealing his identity.


    However, he overlooked one thing.


    Being with a highly sought-after celebrity, it¡¯s difficult not to attract attention. Seeing more and more people focusing on him, Ling Chen quickly said, "Are you taking a private jet or amercial flight back to East Sea City?"


    "Thepany arranged a private jet, why?"


    "Let¡¯s go, I¡¯ll go back with you."


    "Really?" Tang Shiyun said excitedly, "That¡¯s great."


    "Hurry up." Ling Chen, fearing his cover might be blown, urged Tang Shiyun to leave quickly.


    Having a major star by his side made everything convenient; they entered through the VIP lounge and then were driven directly to the boarding gate.


    After boarding the ne, Ling Chen put down his backpack and breathed a sigh of relief. Luckily, he ran into Tang Shiyun today; otherwise, it might have taken several more hours to reach Changling City.


    "Ling, what were you doing in Beijing?" Tang Shiyun asked curiously. "I haven¡¯t seen you for a while, and you weren¡¯t in East Sea City either."


    "I¡¯ve been busy elsewhere," Ling Chen answered casually.


    After chatting for over ten minutes, Ling Chen looked out the window and asked, "Why haven¡¯t we taken off yet?"


    "I don¡¯t know, it was supposed to depart at eight o¡¯clock, and it¡¯s already past time," Tang Shiyun was also puzzled.


    Zhu Yansong stood up and said, "I¡¯ll go ask the pilot."


    In a little while, Zhu Yansong returned to the cabin and said, "Mr. Ling, Tang, the flight is going to be dyed by half an hour."


    "Dyed?" Ling Chen¡¯s heart sank, immediately having a bad feeling. He hurriedly asked, "Mr. Zhu, what¡¯s the matter?"


    "Just now, the control tower ryed a message, all nes leaving Beijing are to be inspected, apparently to catch a fugitive. Ah! What a waste of time, how could there possibly be a fugitive on our ne?"


    Just as he thought!


    Ling Chen¡¯s heart thudded, it seemed that guy wouldn¡¯t rest until he caught him.


    What could he do now?


    Thinking for a moment, Ling Chen stood up from his seat and said to Tang Shiyun and Zhu Yansong, "Girl, Mr. Zhu, let¡¯s talk inside."


    There was a separate bedroom in the back of the airne, and once inside, Tang Shiyun asked, "Ling, what¡¯s going on; what¡¯s so important that we had toe here to talk?"


    Ling Chen confessed, "I won¡¯t hide it from you, the fugitive they¡¯re looking for is me."


    "You?"


    Hearing this, Tang Shiyun and Zhu Yansong were taken aback.


    "Ling, what... what¡¯s going on?" Tang Shiyun looked at Ling Chen, her face filled with disbelief. "How did you be a fugitive?"


    Ling Chen gave a wry smile and said, "It¡¯s a long story, I was trying to save someone. Anyway, I can¡¯t be found by those people, I hope you can help me."


    "Ling, don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t let those people take you away."


    "Mr. Zhu, what about you?" Ling Chen asked.


    He knew Tang Shiyun would stand by him, but he was unsure about Zhu Yansong.


    Zhu Yansong hesitated for a moment then spoke, "There are only friends on this airne, no fugitives."


    Ling Chen¡¯s lips slightly curled into a smile as he sighed in relief and nodded, "Thank you!"


    If Zhu Yansong had refused to cover for him, he would¡¯ve had to flee and find another way out of Beijing.


    Not long after, several men in suits appeared at the boarding gate.


    Upon entering the cabin, Zhu Yansong immediately stood up to greet them, smiling as he asked, "Gentlemen, is there anything I can help you with?"


    One man in a suit held out a cellphone, swung a photo in front of Zhu Yansong, and asked, "Have you seen this person?"


    Zhu Yansong scrutinized the photo carefully and then shook his head, saying, "Sorry, I don¡¯t recognize this person."


    The man in the suit looked at Zhu Yansong with a mixture of suspicion and disbelief, saying, "Since you don¡¯t recognize this person, surely you wouldn¡¯t mind us checking around, right?"


    "Of course not, it¡¯s just..." Zhu Yansong appeared somewhat troubled.


    "Just what?" the man in the suit frowned slightly.


    "Gentlemen, I mean no offense, but this ne is Miss Tang¡¯s private jet. She is resting in her room, and I hope you will not disturb her."


    "Miss Tang? Which Miss Tang?"


    "Could it be Tang Shiyun?" Another man in a suit took over, his face showing unhideable excitement.


    "Exactly, Miss Tang."


    "Enough talk, hurry up and search," the leading man in the suit impatiently waved his hand, gesturing for his subordinates to check the cockpit and the bathroom.


    "That... sir..."


    The man who was interested in Tang Shiyun patted Zhu Yansong on the shoulder and asked with a ttering smile, "Could you get me an autographed photo of Miss Tang? My daughter is a loyal fan of hers; I hope you can do me this favor."


    "Of course, no problem," Zhu Yansong smiled and said, "Please follow me."


    Instantly, the two men approached the bedroom and gently knocked on the door. After getting a response from Tang Shiyun, Zhu Yansong pushed the door open and went in.


    Before the man in the suit could enter, Tang Shiyun appeared at the doorway, blocking him outside.


    "Mr. Zhu, who is this gentleman?"


    "His daughter is your loyal fan, and he wants an autographed photo from you."


    The man in the suit earnestly said, "Miss Tang, I am often busy and rarely at home with my daughter. Next month is her birthday, so I¡¯d like to prepare a special gift for her. Please help me out."


    Hearing this, Tang Shiyun smiled and said, "Okay, please wait a moment."


    After speaking, Tang Shiyun returned to her room, rummaged through her luggage for a photo, then came back and signed her name in front of the man, adding a few words of blessings.


    "Is this okay?"


    "Yes, yes," the man in the suit nodded excitedly, full of gratitude. "Thank you, Miss Tang."


    "You¡¯re wee! If there¡¯s nothing else, I¡¯m going to rest now."


    "Alright, then I won¡¯t disturb Miss Tang any further."


    With that, the man in the suit turned and left the doorway.


    The leader saw that the man in the suit had returned and immediately asked, "Has that room been checked?"


    "It¡¯s been checked, only Miss Tang is there, no one else."


    "Boss, all clear, no fugitive found."


    "Then we should go."


    "Gentlemen, take care, I won¡¯t see you out."


    After seeing off the men in suits from the ne, Zhu Yansong finally breathed a sigh of relief and quickly returned to the outside of the bedroom, knocking on the door.


    "Mr. Ling, Tang, those people have left."


    Just after he spoke, Ling Chen came out from behind the door. He had been hiding there this whole time, and thanks to Tang Shiyun blocking that person at the doorway, his presence went unnoticed.

 Chapter 579 - 576: Escape (2)

    <h4>Chapter 579: Chapter 576: Escape (2)</h4><h4></h4>


    Fortunately, Zhu Yansong alerted the aircraft crew beforehand and kept them from turning him in.


    Thanks to everyone¡¯s help, he managed to escape capture this time.


    After clearing the suspicions, it wasn¡¯t long before the aircraft finally received the control tower¡¯s permission to take off.


    As the ne ascended, Ling Chen finally felt a weight lift off his chest.


    Returning to Beijing, he didn¡¯t expect to stir up so much trouble. To help him, the General, Han Bing, and Tang Yuan all broke the rules, and he didn¡¯t know what kind of punishment they would face.


    Although he had escaped from Beijing, the HZ1 was still on him; he couldn¡¯t shake off thebel of a fugitive for the time being.


    Ah! What a headache.


    Ling Chen sighed inwardly, Nanrong Wanqing and Hu Fei¡¯s fate were uncertain, still waiting for him to rescue them, and then this problem arose, truly troubling.


    "Ling, what are you thinking about?"


    Seeing Tang Shiyun bring her head closer, Ling Chen pulled his thoughts back and smiled, shaking his head, "Nothing."


    "That..." Tang Shiyun looked at Ling Chen, hesitating as if she wanted to say something.


    Ling Chen smiled slightly; he well understood what Tang Shiyun wanted to ask. However, even if he told Tang Shiyun, she wouldn¡¯t understand.


    "Don¡¯t worry about me, it¡¯s just a misunderstanding; I will prove my innocence soon."


    Hearing this, Tang Shiyun tactfully didn¡¯t ask further.


    "What have you been busy with recently in Beijing?" Ling Chen diverted the subject.


    "I attended several performances, and with the New Yearing up, everywhere is recording programs. I¡¯ve been running around outside every day this month, barely had any rest."


    "Don¡¯t tire yourself out too much, take care of your health," Ling Chen said with concern.


    Tang Shiyun helplessly said, "I know, but sometimes I can¡¯t help it. Before, I thought stars were morous, only now do I realize that the mour is superficial, and in reality, it¡¯s tough. After these two days, I n to go home and spend the New Year with my parents. Ling, why don¡¯t you join us?"


    "Me?" Ling Chen chuckled bitterly and politely declined: "I¡¯d better not. Your mom sees me like an enemy, if I went, your family wouldn¡¯t have a peaceful New Year."


    "That¡¯s true." Tang Shiyun sighed helplessly, pouting, "My mom is just like that, nobody can change her. Thankfully, she has toned it down a bit; she¡¯s not like she used to be."


    "Regardless, she is your mom, you should treat her well." After saying this, Ling Chen turned his head to look out the window at the blue sky and white clouds, his lips curving into a bitter smile.


    He had promised Nanrong Wanqing they would spend the New Year together at home; little did he know such a thing would happen.


    At the moment, all he could hope for was to safely rescue everyone.


    ...


    East Sea City.


    Criminal Investigation Headquarters.


    "Captain Xia."


    A uniformed male officer hurriedly ran into Xia Mutong¡¯s office, handing over a document and said, "Captain Xia, this is a new order we just received, instructing us to immediately lock down the airport and look for an escaped inmate."


    "An escaped inmate?" Xia Mutong asked without looking up: "Which escaped inmate?"


    ording to the superiors, the escaped inmate stole government property and is an extremely dangerous person. Two hours ago, this inmate escaped from Beijing, and the superiors believe he is likely toe to East Sea City."


    "What¡¯s the inmate¡¯s name?"


    "Ling Chen!"


    Upon hearing the name Ling Chen, Xia Mutong abruptly lifted her head and stared at her colleague, pausing between words to ask, "Who did you say? Say it again."


    "Ling Chen."


    After confirming the name of the fugitive again, Xia Mutong quickly flipped open the file. Seeing the familiar photo on it, Xia Mutong waspletely stunned.


    How did he be a wanted criminal in just a few days?


    Such an unreliable bastard! Xia Mutong thought to herself.


    "Captain Xia, the higher-ups want us to take action quickly, what do you think..."


    "Alright, I know. Notify everyone, head to the airport immediately," Xia Mutongmanded, suppressing the doubts in her heart.


    "Yes." The colleague saluted and immediately left the office.


    After he left, Xia Mutong thought for a moment, then picked up the phone on her desk and dialed her own mobile number.


    When she had broken up with Ling Chen, he still had her mobile phone. If nothing went wrong, this number should be able to reach Ling Chen.


    As the call connected, it immediately started ringing.


    Connected!


    A few secondster, the call was answered, and a familiar voice came through, "Hello! Who is this?"


    Hearing Ling Chen¡¯s voice, for some reason, Xia Mutong felt inexplicably irritated and spoke in a displeased tone, "Guess who."


    "It¡¯s Officer Xia," Ling Chen chuckled awkwardly and asked, "Officer Xia, do you need something from me? Oh, right! I¡¯m borrowing your phone for a few days, I¡¯ll return it when I get back."


    "Stop beating around the bush, what did you steal?"


    "I... how did you know?"


    Xia Mutong snorted softly, "How could I not know? Your warrant has already been sent to my desk. Ling, I¡¯m telling you, you¡¯d better surrender willingly, don¡¯t make mee and arrest you."


    "No way!" Ling Chen¡¯s tone suddenly became serious, "Officer Xia, once I settle my matters, I will definitelye to you and surrender. Until then, I hope you can help me."


    "Are you asking me to break the rules?"


    "You¡¯re in charge of the entire unit, they all follow your orders. Just turn a blind eye this time, I¡¯ll handle the rest."


    "Don¡¯t even think about it, I will never show favoritism. The moment you step into East Sea City, I¡¯ll definitely arrest you." With that said, without waiting for Ling Chen to say anything more, Xia Mutong immediately hung up the phone.


    Leaving the office, Xia Mutong went directly to the technical surveince department and handed over a note, "Track this mobile phone¡¯s signal and report its location to me at all times."


    "Yes, Captain Xia!"


    Ten minutester, the ne finallynded at East Sea City Airport.


    Ling Chen, blending in with Tang Shiyun¡¯s group, walked through the VIP entrance and reached the airport exit. Before he could exit the main door, Ling Chen saw more than a dozen policemen stationed at the door, checking each passing traveler.


    "Miss, you go ahead, I have something else to do."


    Tang Shiyun nced at the policemen at the door and immediately understood. Still, she couldn¡¯t help but say worriedly, "Ling, be careful."


    "I know. I¡¯ll visit you another day, goodbye!"


    Ling Chen waved his hand, then blended into the crowd and disappeared in an instant.


    The police were stationed at all exits of the airport, but this was no obstacle for Ling Chen. Soon, he found an opportunity, and while the police were not looking, he slipped away with the flow of people exiting the airport.


    Once outside the airport, Ling Chen stood by the roadside, raising his right hand, ready to hail a taxi.


    But at that moment, a hand suddenly reached out from behind and rested on his shoulder.

 Chapter 580 - 577: Hu Fei’s Backup Plan

    <h4>Chapter 580: Chapter 577: Hu Fei¡¯s Backup n</h4><h4></h4>


    Who?


    Ling Chen suddenly turned around, his gaze meeting a pretty face filled with a faint anger.


    Uh... Ling Chen was stunned for a moment, squeezing out an awkward smile, and said, "Officer Xia, what a coincidence." Saying this, Ling Chen¡¯s eyes darted around, checking his surroundings to prevent anyone from approaching.


    Xia Mutong red at Ling Chen and hummed softly, "Stop looking. There¡¯s no one else here, just you and me. If I wanted to catch you, you would have been surrounded by now."


    Hearing this, Ling Chen instantly realized. He was carrying Xia Mutong¡¯s phone, she must have located him through the phone signal.


    Seeing that Xia Mutong was alone without any subordinates, Ling Chen breathed a sigh of relief. From Xia Mutong¡¯s demeanor, it was clear she wasn¡¯t nning to arrest him.


    "What¡¯s in this backpack?" Xia Mutong asked. As she spoke, she reached out to snatch the backpack.


    Fortunately, Ling Chen was quick and clutched the backpack to his chest. Xia Mutong ended up grasping at air, and her ample chest bumped directly into Ling Chen¡¯s arm.


    Embarrassed, Ling Chen stepped back and said, "Officer Xia, we¡¯re all friends here, help me out."


    "You should at least let me know the reason."


    "This..." Ling Chen hesitated, then confessed the truth, "Wanqing is kidnapped, this thing can trade for her life."


    "Really?" Xia Mutong¡¯s expression loosened, and frowning, she asked, "Then why didn¡¯t you call the police?"


    "If calling the police was useful, I would have done it already. Officer Xia, I¡¯m short on time, I have to go; I¡¯lle back to you after I resolve this."


    Having said that, without waiting for Xia Mutong to respond, Ling Chen quickly dashed towards a taxi at the roadside and dived into it.


    Watching the taxi drive away, Xia Mutong stamped her foot in frustration and muttered to herself, "I¡¯ll see where you can escape to."


    Saying this, a hint of triumph shed in her eyes.


    Sitting in the taxi, Ling Chen turned off his phone to prevent Xia Mutong from tracking his signal again.


    Nowbeled as a wanted criminal, his ID was certainly of no use, and he couldn¡¯t travel by ne, car, or train. He had no choice but to drive to Changling City.


    Arriving at the Old City, Ling Chen used a public phone to call Jiang Hao. Soon after, Jiang Hao arrived in a car.


    "Chen."


    "Give me the car; you take a ride back."


    Jiang Hao stepped out of the driver¡¯s seat and seeing Ling Chen about to start the car and leave, he hurriedly said, "Chen, don¡¯t rush off."


    "You have something else?"


    "There seems to be a problem in Hu¡¯s office; I¡¯ve been trying to contact you, but your phone was unreachable."


    Ling Chen, puzzled, asked, "What¡¯s the problem?"


    "I¡¯m not sure; hisputer keeps showing some messages, and I don¡¯t understand this stuff. Hu has instructed us not to touch hisputer, so I dared not mess with it. Chen, maybe you should take a look?"


    Ling Chen found this strange; Hu Fei had been captured, so how could there be an issue with hisputer?


    After some thought, Ling Chen decided to go with Jiang Hao. Hu Fei¡¯s office wasn¡¯t far from there, and it wouldn¡¯t take much time.


    At a courierpany in the Old City, Ling Chen followed Jiang Hao to Hu Fei¡¯s office. As soon as he entered, he heard a continuous ¡¯beep¡¯ sound from theputer.


    "Chen, have a look, it has been beeping for days now."


    Ling Chen nodded, walked directly to theputer screen, and immediately, a dialog box popped up with options to ept or reject. Without a second thought, Ling Chen clicked ept.


    As the dialog box disappeared, a screen popped up in the center of the monitor, disying several shing red dots.


    "This is..."


    Ling Chen looked at the images disyed on theputer screen, his eyes suddenly brightened, and a faint smile appeared on his lips.


    This chubby guy... had a trick up his sleeve all along!


    "Jiang Hao, I¡¯m leaving first. Keep an eye on the screen for me, don¡¯t let anyone touch it, you hear?"


    "Understood, Chen."


    "Don¡¯t turn off your phone, I¡¯ll contact you at any time."


    Leaving the courierpany, Ling Chen drove alone toward the highway entrance.


    A night passed.


    After a journey of more than ten hours, Ling Chen finally drove into Changling City.


    Having not slept for two consecutive days and nights, he was extremely exhausted at this point. However, it was crucial time, he couldn¡¯t afford to be tired and hurriedly rushed to the hotel to meet with Sang Ji and others.


    "Elder Zhou, I¡¯ve brought the stuff."


    Ling Chen set down his backpack, panting as he spoke.


    Sang Ji shook his head, saying, "We mobilized a lot of intelligence resources, but the information we gathered is very limited, probably not much help to our operation."


    "That¡¯s not a problem; I know where the person is."


    "You know?" Zhou Jun looked at Ling Chen in surprise and asked, "Where are they?"


    Ling Chen brought over a map, spread it out in front of everyone, and then pointed to a location on it.


    "Yinan Vige."


    Zhou Qi and others looked at each other and asked, "Are you sure?"


    Ling Chen nodded firmly and said, "One hundred percent sure. Before Hu Fei was captured, he had taken precautions and carried a tracker on him. Through the tracker¡¯s signal, we can narrow the area down to fifty meters."


    Sang Ji pondered for a moment and said, "Yinan Vige is located on the outskirts of Changling City, even separated by a town. Since they are detained in Yinan Vige, it indicates that the ce is a core area of the God Organization. Otherwise, they wouldn¡¯t have sent the prisoners to such a far ce. I will immediately contact the Secret Society, let them mobilize all forces, and start a search in Yinan Vige to see if they can find any valuable clues."


    Ling Chen looked at the time and added, "There are seven hours left until the deadline set by Wu Jun. You guys better hurry. Also, be very careful, don¡¯t expose your tracks."


    "Don¡¯t worry, I know what to do."


    Zhou Qi, seeing the exhausted look on Ling Chen¡¯s face, couldn¡¯t help but say, "You¡¯ve worked hard too, take some rest first, I¡¯ll call you when it¡¯s time."


    "Alright, thanks."


    Lying on the bed, Ling Chen closed his eyes and soon, thunderous snores began to sound.


    The night deepened.


    Ten o¡¯clock.


    Ling Chen took a shower in the hotel bathroom, then, carrying the backpack with HZ1, went alone to the agreed location.


    It was still that same restaurant fromst time; when Ling Chen arrived, the restaurant¡¯s main hall was destely empty, not a person in sight.


    Ling Chen didn¡¯t hesitate, heading straight to an upstairs private room.


    Upon entering, he saw Wu Jun sitting by a round table, holding a wine ss, gently swirling the red liquid inside.


    Seeing Ling Chen striding in, Wu Jun greeted him with a radiant smile, "Ling, you¡¯re very punctual. Did you bring the goods?"


    Ling Chen threw his backpack onto the table and asked, "Here¡¯s the stuff, where¡¯s the person I asked for?"


    "Ling, I apologize, but there might be some changes to the conditions we had agreed upon previously."


    Hearing this, Ling Chen¡¯s face turned cold, and just as he was about to rebuke, he heard a burst of hurried footstepsing from outside the private room.

 Chapter 581 - 578: Falling into a Trap

    <h4>Chapter 581: Chapter 578: Falling into a Trap</h4><h4></h4>


    Before Ling Chen could react, there was a loud ¡¯bang¡¯ and the door of the private room was forcefully broken open. More than ten men in suits streamed in all holding guns and loudlymanded, "Nobody move!"


    Seeing who it was, Ling Chen felt a jolt of shock. Why is it them?


    Without time to think further, Ling Chen quickly turned his attention towards the backpack on the table. However, the backpack containing HZ1 had already disappeared without a trace. At the same time, near the window of the private room, Wu Jun was holding the backpack in one hand, punched through the window ss with his fist, and directly jumped out, vanishing instantly.


    "Stop!"


    Ling Chen inwardly cursed, hurriedly rushing forward, attempting to chase Wu Jun.


    Bang!


    Just then, a crisp gunshot suddenly rang out, the bullet whizzing past Ling Chen and striking the window sill.


    "Ling Chen, you better stay put honestly, otherwise don¡¯t me my bullets for being indiscriminate."


    Hearing the scolding from behind, Ling Chen furrowed his brows tightly, quickly contemting his strategies in his mind. After careful consideration, Ling Chen ultimately gave up on escaping. With so many people pointing guns at him, any movement could turn his body into a hive of bullets.


    Although he was confident in his own abilities, these men in suits were after all members of the Lonely Wolf. He had heard from Tang Yuan that ever since that supervisor joined the Lonely Wolf, there had been significant changes made to their structure.


    Aside from the original members personally selected by the General, that supervisor had recruited many experienced special forces from the army to join the Lonely Wolf as external members. Ling Chen was well aware of that person¡¯s methods.


    The Lonely Wolf was an organization built from scratch by the General, obedient only to the General himself. With that person joining Lonely Wolf midway, naturally, he had to build his own power to restrain the General andpete for the right to speak in Lonely Wolf.


    Thus, Ling Chen was clear on the capabilities of these men in suits. Though theirbat abilities might not match his, their shooting skills were absolutely impable, honed through rigorous training.


    "Arrest him."


    The sound of footsteps approached, and two men in suits immediately came forward, binding Ling Chen¡¯s hands behind his back.


    "Have you caught him?"


    At this moment, a voice came from the entrance of the private room. Ling Chen turned his head and saw a man in his forties, surrounded by several subordinates, walking towards him.


    The man had a square face, stern facial features, and his lips curved into a subtle, almost imperceptible cold smile, exuding a cunning appearance.


    "Officer, we have caught him, but we lost the item."


    Seeing the middle-aged man approaching, Ling Chen asked, "Who are you?"


    "Tang Guoxiong, currently in charge of overseeing the whole Lonely Wolf."


    Ling Chen raised his eyebrows, his gaze instantly sharp.


    So, this was the man the General spoke of.


    "Ling Chen, you colluded with Qiao Zhen and others to steal government property, you conspired with evil forces, I am now arresting you in the name of Lonely Wolf. You better cooperate nicely, do not resist. You were once a member of the Ghosts, so you should know the rules of Lonely Wolf. If you make any dangerous moves, I won¡¯t hesitate to kill you. Did you hear me?"


    Ling Chen, with a frown, said, "If it wasn¡¯t for you just now, Wu Jun would not have had the chance to escape, and HZ1 wouldn¡¯t have been taken by him."


    "Cut the nonsense, you are a wanted criminal now, you have no right to tell me what to do. Ling Chen, Qiao Zhen and the others are already in a dire situation themselves, you better fend for yourself, don¡¯t expect they wille to save you." After speaking, Tang Guoxiong waved his hand grandly, "Take him away."


    Leaving the restaurant, Ling Chen was roughly escorted by two men in suits to an SUV, then followed the convoy towards the east of Changling City.


    Twenty minutester, the convoy stopped outside arge courtyard.


    After getting out of the car, Ling Chen followed several men in suits closely, passing through arge gate and heading straight into the courtyard.


    Once in the courtyard, Ling Chen noticed that Tang Guoxiong had brought quite a number of people to Changling City. The surroundings of the yard were filled with various boxes, containing everything from electronic devices to military equipment.


    "What are you doing here?" Ling Chen asked.


    "Didn¡¯t you tell Qiao Zhen that God Organization has stationed its forces in Changling City? This time we intend topletely eradicate God Organization."


    Ling Chenughed mockingly and said, "With just these people?"


    "What, you look down on us?" Tang Guoxiong said confidently, "All of these are elites I have carefully selected., The fact Qiao Zhen couldn¡¯t do it doesn¡¯t mean I can¡¯t. He¡¯s getting old and was embarrassingly beaten by God Organization, it¡¯s time for someone else to take over."


    Seeing Tang Guoxiong¡¯s self-satisfied expression, Ling Chen scoffed, shaking his head, unwilling to respond to him.


    Ignoring Ling Chen¡¯s disdain, Tang Guoxiong smiled and said, "Just wait and see, it won¡¯t take three days before I eradicate the forces of God Organization. Go, lock him up first, and after I handle things here, we¡¯ll return to Beijing together."


    ...


    Sitting in a small dark room, Ling Chen looked at the tiny venttion duct the size of a fist overhead and sighed to himself.


    This was truly unexpected; Tang Guoxiong actually showed up with Lonely Wolf¡¯s men, probably all part of Wu Jun¡¯s conspiracy.


    Knowing he was a wanted man, he secretly disclosed information to Lonely Wolf, leading Tang Guoxiong and his team here.


    Now, instead of rescuing Nanrong Wanqing, he had inadvertently handed Wu Jun an advantage. What a loss.


    Moreover, the issues worrying Ling Chen now were more than just that.


    Given the intelligence capabilities of Secret Society and Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, they would eventually find out he was captured. Once they take action to rescue him, they will be confronting government agencies. Secret Society and Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion have always maintained a distance from the government, which is why the government turns a blind eye to them. If a conflict erupts between the three parties, Secret Society and Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion will undoubtedly end up worse off.


    Sigh! Such a headache.


    Bang!


    Just then, a sudden loud noise came from outside the room, like something hitting the wall.


    Immediately afterward, the footsteps outside the room gradually faded away and disappeared.


    What happened?


    Ling Chen got up and approached the door, pressing his ear against it to listen.


    After a while, he heard a faint breathing sound through the door. A few secondster, a ¡¯ng¡¯ sounded as if the chains outside the door were being unlocked.


    Ling Chen took two steps back, keeping his eyes fixed on the door.


    As the door was pushed open, a slender silhouette suddenly appeared in Ling Chen¡¯s line of sight.


    "Why is it you?"


    Recognizing the person¡¯s face, Ling Chen was immediately shocked. He had thought of many possibilities, but never expected it would be hering to rescue him.


    "What are you daydreaming about, hurry up and go."


    Hearing the urging from the other side, Ling Chen quickly came to his senses and hastened towards the door.

 Chapter 582 - 579: Xia Mutong’s Sudden Appearance

    <h4>Chapter 582: Chapter 579: Xia Mutong¡¯s Sudden Appearance</h4><h4></h4>


    Leaving the dark room, Ling Chen sees a wall next to the courtyard has been knocked down, with a vehicle stopped in the middle, and broken stone bricks piled up all over the ground.


    Beside the car door, there also lie two unconscious men in suits.


    "They..."


    "Don¡¯t worry, they are fine, just hit by anesthetic needles."


    Hearing this, Ling Chen breaths a sigh of relief. Luckily it was just anesthetic needles, not harming their lives; otherwise, things could have be very troublesome.


    Taking advantage of Tang Guoxiong and his people not yet returning, Ling Chen doesn¡¯t linger and quickly leaves the courtyard.


    Once inside the car, Ling Chen, looking at the woman in the driver¡¯s seat, asks curiously, "How did you know I was here?"


    The woman smiles smugly and says, "Do you remember when we bumped into each other at East Sea City airport? When I went to snatch your bag, I secretly ced a micro tracker in your pocket."


    Ling Chen is taken aback and quickly reaches into the pocket of his coat. Indeed, he finds a tracker the size of a fingernail.


    An oversight!


    Ling Chen shakes his head helplessly, only concerned about protecting the backpack in his hands; he didn¡¯t expect Xia Mutong to be so cunning as to nt a tracker on him unknowingly.


    "Do you even know who those people you just knocked out are?"


    "Not sure. Whatever kind of people they are, they don¡¯t look like the good kind."


    "You, oh you." Ling Chen chuckles bitterly, not knowing what to say to her; she dared to act rashly without even rifying the identities of those people.


    "Those are members of a special government department, lucky for you that you didn¡¯t reveal your identity, otherwise, you¡¯d be in big trouble."


    "Really?" Xia Mutong is startled and starts to panic, "Doesn¡¯t that mean I¡¯m a fugitive now?"


    Ling Chen nods solemnly, "Mhm."


    "That won¡¯t do, I have to send you back."


    Seeing Xia Mutong trying to get out of the car, Ling Chen hurriedly grabs her arm and says, "Hey! You¡¯re actually considering sending me back? Alright, alright, stop joking. Hurry up and take me to the hotel, I still have important matters to handle."


    "Are you going to rescue Miss Nanrong?"


    "Not just to rescue her, this situation is far more troublesome than I had expected." Ling Chen frowns, his face showing a rare serious expression.


    If it was just Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion and Secret Society involved, things would be much easier. But now, with Tang Guoxiong and Lonely Wolf joining in, it undoubtedlyplicates the situation.


    Tang Guoxiong doesn¡¯t understand the power of the God Organization at all. The people he¡¯s brought are at best cannon fodder, serving no real purpose.


    So, this mission isn¡¯t just about rescuing Nanrong Wanqing and Hu Fei and the others; it¡¯s also about stopping Tang Guoxiong, to prevent further loss.


    The car arrives at the hotel, and Ling Chen, taking two steps at a time, hurriedly brings Xia Mutong to the guest room.


    Knocking on the door, Sang Ji and the others see Ling Chen and can¡¯t help but ask in surprise, "How did you escape? We were still discussing how to rescue you."


    Ling Chen points to Xia Mutong standing beside him and says, "Thanks to Officer Xia¡¯s help." After speaking, Ling Chen walks into the room, looks at Zhou Qi and Zhou Jun, and asks, "Elder Zhou, where did Tang Guoxiong and his men run off to?"


    "We just got news that Tang Guoxiong took his men to a town near Changling City by car, which is the necessary route to Yinan Vige."


    Ling Chen says, somewhat perplexed, "How do they know God Organization¡¯s core forces are in Yinan Vige? Even your two intelligence organizations haven¡¯t found it, how could they?"


    Lonely Wolf¡¯s intelligence agency is inherited from the old Ghost¡¯s, so he is very clear about Lonely Wolf¡¯s intelligence capabilities, which cannot be stronger than Secret Society and Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion.


    If it¡¯s not information they gathered themselves, then someone intentionally let it slip to them.


    Realizing this, Ling Chen¡¯s expression suddenly changes.


    Not good!


    At this moment, Sang Ji and Zhou Qi alsoe to their senses and exim in unison, "It¡¯s a trap!"


    Ling Chen nods and says, "The God Organization must have given false information to Tang Guoxiong, luring them there, aiming to capture them all in one fell swoop."


    "If they are seeking death on their own, just let them be; why care about their fate?" Sang Ji states calmly, "It¡¯s actually better this way; with them drawing the God Organization¡¯s attention, our actions will be much easier."


    "No," Ling Chen rejects Sang Ji¡¯s words outright.


    Tang Guoxiong brought with him a force of thirty to forty people; it wouldn¡¯t be right to let them lose their lives for nothing.


    "Elder Zhou, we must rush to Yinan Vige immediately." After thoughtful consideration, Ling Chen quicklyes up with a strategy.


    Zhou Jun asks, "What do you n to do?"


    "Tang Guoxiong and we don¡¯t see eye to eye; if we directly intervene to help, not only will he not appreciate it, but he will also cause trouble for us. So, our only option is to employ a strategy of besieging Wei to rescue Zhao, and directly press on God Organization¡¯s core, making them too preupied to deal with Tang Guoxiong."


    Saying this, Ling Chen looks at Sang Ji and Zhou Qi, saying, "Gentlemen, we are short on manpower; all I can count on now is you. I hope..."


    "Don¡¯t worry." Before Ling Chen finishes speaking, Sang Ji immediately chimes in, "The orders I received are to assist you with all my might, any need you have, I will fulfill. As for manpower, don¡¯t worry, my people will be in position before the action starts."


    "Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion will do the same," Zhou Qi adds, "The Pavilion Master said that Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion owes you a favor. Whatever you want to do, we will help you without hesitation."


    "Thanks!"


    At that moment, off to the side, Xia Mutong is feeling utterly confused, having no idea what¡¯s going on.


    Secret Society? Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion? She¡¯s never even heard of such bizarre names.


    "Ling..."


    Just as she¡¯s about to speak up, Ling Chen suddenly turns around and says, "Officer Xia, stay here, don¡¯t go anywhere, I¡¯lle find you once everything¡¯s settled."


    With that, Ling Chen leaves the room with Zhou Qi and the others swiftly.


    Watching Ling Chen¡¯s fading silhouette disappear at the door, Xia Mutong is caught off guard. By the time shees to her senses, Ling Chen and the others are already gone.


    This jerk... Xia Mutong curses resentfully.


    She came all this way, only to be left behind again. Doesn¡¯t he think about who saved him just now?


    If she had known this would happen, she wouldn¡¯t have told Ling Chen about the tracker.


    Right!


    With a sudden realization, Xia Mutong¡¯s eyes light up.


    She repeatedly heard them mention Yinan Vige during the conversation; they must be heading to Yinan Vige.


    Thinking she can be shrugged off so easily, huh? No way.


    Xia Mutong smirks to herself and immediately runs out the door.


    ...


    After nearly an hour¡¯s drive, Ling Chen and the group finally arrive on the outskirts of Yinan Vige.


    Since the vicinity could all be within the God Organization¡¯s influence, Ling Chen proceeds with extreme caution. Before even reaching Yinan Vige territory, they abandon the car and approach the vige on foot.


    Soon, a quiet vige appears in their view.

 Chapter 583 - 580 The Battle of Yinan Village (1)

    <h4>Chapter 583: Chapter 580 The Battle of Yinan Vige (1)</h4><h4></h4>


    Ling Chen stood on a dirt slope, gazing at the vige, capturing every visible person and object. However, due to it beingte at night, Yinan Vige was utterly quiet, not a single light to be seen.


    He took out his phone, looked around, then pointed towards the north side of Yinan Vige and said: "ording to the signal carried by Hu Fei, their location is there, less than five hundred meters away from us."


    Sang Ji said, "God Organization tends to build their bases underground, which facilitates concealment from prying eyes."


    "You¡¯re right. However, the trackers on Hu Fei and his group are still transmitting signals, which means they are on the ground. If they were underground, the signal would probably be blocked."


    Zhou Jun nodded: "Ling Chen makes sense. Let¡¯s not dy. Now that we have located them, we should act immediately without wasting time."


    "When can your people all be here?"


    "They are already here," Sang Ji pointed to the nearby surroundings and said: "They are all ambushed around, ready to move as soon as we do."


    "We are ready too," Zhou Qi agreed.


    "Then let¡¯s go."


    With everything ready, Ling Chen no longer hesitated and immediately moved in the dark towards Yinan Vige.


    However, as soon as Ling Chen approached the outskirts of Yinan Vige, he heard a whizzing sound passing through the air, plunging straight into the bushes ahead.


    Apanied by a muffled grunt, Ling Chen fixed his eyes and saw a man falling in the bush, a dagger stuck in his neck, and blood gushing out.


    That was close!


    Ling Chen touched the cold sweat on his forehead, thankful for the timely discovery, or else their movements would have beenpletely exposed.


    He couldn¡¯t tell who the person who made the move was, but they were somehow able to detect the presence of the Dark Post.


    Having learned from this incident, Ling Chen immediately slowed his pace, vigntly observing his surroundings. There were definitely more than one Dark Post in this area.


    As expected, within a distance of just thirty meters, Ling Chen and Zhou Qi eliminated five Dark Posts, all cleverly hidden.


    With the help of members from the Secret Society and Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, the group steadily advanced, systematically eliminating the Dark Posts.


    In a blink of an eye, more than ten minutes had passed.


    At this point, Ling Chen was less than thirty meters away from the signal transmitted from Hu Fei.


    Looking around, there were only four houses within a thirty-meter radius, and Hu Fei and his group were certainly detained in one of them.


    Then, Ling Chen turned and signaled to Sang Ji and Zhou Qi.


    They immediately understood, and each chose a target, then slowly approached the houses.


    Ling Chen¡¯s target was a house of over a hundred square meters, with doors at the front and back,pletely dark inside, and nothing visible through the windows.


    After circling the house, Ling Chen directly went to the back door, listening closely for a while. After confirming there was no sound inside, he pulled out a dagger from his body, inserted the de into the door crack, and gently pried it up; the door immediately opened.


    Once inside the room, Ling Chen tiptoed forward. Because the room was too dark, with visibility under one meter, Ling Chen had to rely solely on his keen ears to analyze and judge.


    Suddenly, a red light spot appeared in Ling Chen¡¯s sight.


    Almost instantly, Ling Chen quickly lowered his body, rolling forward to take cover behind a row of sofas. The whole movement was swift and smooth, without any noise.


    After a while, Ling Chen slowly raised his head from behind the sofa, looking at the red light spot in the corner and muttered a silent word of thanks.


    Thankfully, he discovered it in time. Unexpectedly, this room was equipped with a motion detection device.


    The device was perfectly positioned, covering the entire house¡¯s entrances and the doors of each room, immediately detecting anyone appearing in this area.


    After a moment of contemtion, Ling Chen picked up a cushion from the sofa, aimed in the opposite direction, and tossed it with a swing of his arm.


    Suddenly, the cushion traced a parab through the air. As the monitoring device detected the cushion, the sensor immediately swiveled in its direction. Seizing the opportunity, Ling Chen powerfullyunched himself with his legs, sprinting like a cheetah into the adjacent room.


    By the time the monitoring device swung back, Ling Chen had already vanished from the living room.


    Entering the bedroom, Ling Chen leaned against the door, intending to catch his breath. However, upon seeing the surveince camera mounted on the opposite ceiling, a wry smile unwittingly spread across his lips.


    Despite all calctions, he hadn¡¯t anticipated another camera inside the room, pointed directly at the door, capturing his every move.


    Damn!


    Ling Chen cursed silently.


    Realizing he had been spotted, he didn¡¯t bother hiding anymore and began openly searching the room for Hu Fei and the others.


    He moved around the room¡¯s furnishings and soon, Ling Chen discovered a ring pull under the bed, attached to a square wooden board.


    Pulling the ring, Ling Chen used both hands to gradually lift it upwards. Immediately, a cell almost five meters deep appeared beneath, resembling a well shaft, its inner surfaces smooth with nowhere to grip. At the bottom, Hu Fei, Liu Dongsheng, and Kaelina were all imprisoned.


    "Ling Chen?"


    Seeing Ling Chen appear overhead, Hu Fei¡¯s eyes lit up as he urgently waved his hand and called out.


    "Hold on, I¡¯ll find something to help you guys climb up."


    After saying this, Ling Chen looked around, tore the bed sheet in half, tied them together, and let them fall from above.


    Once Hu Fei and the other two climbed up, Ling Chen asked, "Why only the three of you, where are the others?"


    Gasping for breath, Hu Fei replied, "Jiang Yunkai and Bai Huanjun were taken away; it¡¯s been almost two days with no word from them. We don¡¯t know if they are dead or alive."


    "What about Wanqing, have you seen her?"


    The three exchanged looks and all shook their heads.


    "Miss Nanrong must be imprisoned somewhere else."


    "Ling Chen, did youe alone?"


    Hearing Hu Fei¡¯s question, Ling Chen replied, "Secret Society and Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion both sent reinforcements." As he spoke, Ling Chen nced at Liu Dongsheng, his expression turning somewhat strange.


    "Boss Liu, why are you..."


    "Don¡¯t ask now, I called him here," Hu Fei interjected quickly, urging, "Ling Chen, we¡¯d better find the others soon. Wu Jun told us that he ns to use us as test subjects. I¡¯m worried about the safety of Jiang Yunkai and the others."


    "Test subjects?"


    A chill ran through Ling Chen, a bad premonition forming in his mind.


    "Ling Chen!"


    Just then, an urgent shout from Zhou Jun came from outside the house.


    Without a second thought, Ling Chen swiftly led Hu Fei and the others as they dashed out the front door.


    Seeing the three Zhou Qi outside, Ling Chen asked, "What¡¯s wrong?"


    "Our presence has been exposed, we¡¯re surrounded by enemies."


    Hearing this, Ling Chen¡¯s eyes turned icy, and with a chilling tone, hemanded, "Kill them all, spare no one!"

 Chapter 584 - 581 The Battle of Yinan Village (2)

    <h4>Chapter 584: Chapter 581 The Battle of Yinan Vige (2)</h4><h4></h4>


    "Ling Chen, the most crucial thing now is to find Miss Nanrong and the others. How about this, we split into three groups: one from the Secret Society, one from the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, and us. We¡¯ll expand the search area and save some time," Hu Fei suggested.


    Sang Ji nodded and said, "That¡¯s a good idea. Whoever finds the entrance first should immediately notify the others."


    Zhou Qi patted Ling Chen on the shoulder and admonished, "Take good care of yourselves and be careful."


    Watching Sang Ji and Zhou Qi leave, Ling Chen turned to Hu Fei and asked, "You¡¯ve been here longer than me and should be more familiar with the environment of Yinan Vige. Where should we start looking?"


    Liu Dongsheng pointed towards the nearby bamboo forest and said, "That ce is full of mechanisms. I suspect the entrance is inside there."


    "Let¡¯s go check it out," Ling Chen said without hesitation and immediately headed towards the bamboo forest.


    When they reached the edge of the forest, Ling Chen didn¡¯t think twice before plunging in, weaving through the dense foliage, searching for the entrance.


    As Liu Dongsheng had said, the bamboo forest was packed with motion-detecting devices; the security was extremely tight. Nobody would believe that there wasn¡¯t something amiss here.


    However, the bamboo forest was vast, and finding the entrance amidst it, though not quite like looking for a needle in a haystack, was not far off, and who knew how much time it would waste.


    As they moved, a gust of wind suddenly hit Ling Chen¡¯s ears. Almost instantly, Ling Chen shifted his feet and slightly turned his body, only to see a sharp dagger shing close to his clothes.


    Without waiting for the assant to retract, the quick-reacting Ling Chen swiftly locked the person¡¯s wrist, gently pulled, and immediately threw the person to the ground. Then, Ling Chen squatted and punched the person¡¯s face.


    Bang!


    Apanied by a muffled sound, the assant immediately passed out.


    "Ling Chen, are you alright?" Hu Fei who had caught up asked.


    Ling Chen shook his head and looked into the dark bamboo forest, his eyebrows unconsciously furrowing. Continuing this search was uncertain; perhaps the God Organization had already led Nanrong Wanqing and the others to escape through another exit.


    "Fatso, do you have a lighter on you?"


    "I do." Liu Dongsheng pulled a kerosene lighter from his pocket and tossed it to Ling Chen, asking, "Are you thinking of setting fire to the bamboo forest?"


    "You saw it too, there¡¯s definitely more than one Dark Post in this bamboo forest. Rather than waste time, it¡¯s better to burn it down and force those bastards out."


    With that said, Ling Chen walked straight to a pile of dry branches and ignited them. Fortunately, it had been clear weather recently; the branches were dry and highly mmable. Soon, the fire started spreading quickly through the entire bamboo forest.


    Watching the fierce mes rapidly expand and surge into the sky, Ling Chen turned and said, "Let¡¯s go."


    Leaving the bamboo forest, Ling Chen could only hear shouts of killing around, mainly concentrated in two directions. He wasn¡¯t worried about the safety of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion and the Secret Society; with their abilities, some small fry posed no threat to them.


    ...


    At this moment.


    In a spacious room, Wu Jun stood in front of severalrge screens, watching the mes rising into the sky, his expression extremely somber.


    "Mr. Wu, the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion and the Secret Society have both sent masters, and our ground troops may have difficulty resisting. Should we ask Mr. Lin for instructions to dispatch more people?"


    "What¡¯s the hurry," Wu Jun said coldly. "How¡¯s the situation at theboratory?"


    "The experiment is still continuing, with no results yet. Since it¡¯s the first time conducting such an experiment, it will take a longer time."


    "Tell them not to terminate the experiment without my orders. Also, keep a close watch on Nanrong Wanqing, she is an important bargaining chip."


    "Understood."


    After his subordinate left, Wu Jun picked up his cellphone, walked alone to the corner of the room, and dialed a number.


    At this time, outside the bamboo forest, Ling Chen stared intently at the firestorm, his face emotionless. In less than three minutes, more than ten people had escaped from the ze. Unfortunately, their bodies had already been consumed by the mes; even though they escaped the bamboo forest, they still could not escape death.


    Whoosh!


    Suddenly, a silhouette burst out of the raging mes at high speed, quickly approaching him in the blink of an eye.


    Ling Chen¡¯s pupils shrank; without time to think, he quickly pushed away the people around him and swiftly retreated.


    It was only after he had retreated more than ten meters that Ling Chen steadied himself and looked at the person who had emerged from the fire.


    Ji Gang!


    Recognizing the identity of the other person, Ling Chen¡¯s heart skipped a beat, and his frown deepened. It was this old man!


    "Your life is indeed tough," Ji Gang said coldly as he stared at Ling Chen. "I thought you were dead."


    "How could I be dead if you are not?" Ling Chen retorted unabashedly.


    "Humph!"


    With a cold snort, Ji Gang¡¯s body instantly disappeared from its spot, moving like a gust of wind, rapidly closing in on Ling Chen. In the blink of an eye, the distance of over ten meters between them had shrunk to two meters.


    So fast!


    Ling Chen backpedaled quickly, his eyes closely tracking Ji Gang, trying to lock onto his position. However, Ji Gang¡¯s speed was too fast, almost eluding his sight.


    "Die!"


    A cold shout came, and Ling Chen¡¯s body stiffened, instantly surrounded by an overpowering aura. He felt Ji Gang¡¯s shadow everywhere, momentarily stunned andpletely at a loss.


    Although he had received guidance from Su He, Ling Chen didn¡¯t believe that just a few days of training could close the gap with a Heavenly List master, which was clearly unrealistic.


    In a sh of thought, a cold, sharp light suddenly shot towards him,nding right next to Ling Chen¡¯s foot. At the same time, the pressure around Ling Chen greatly diminished, and he felt as if he had just taken a round trip through hell, covered in cold sweat.


    Taking a breath, Ling Chen looked at the sword embedded in the ground, a hint of surprise shing in his eyes.


    At that moment, Ji Gang stood with his hands behind him to the side, his sharp gaze sweeping around, and coldly spoke, "Qin Chuan, since you¡¯vee, why hide and not show yourself?"


    "Ji Gang, as a master of the Heavenly List, what ability is it to bully a youngster?"


    As the voice sounded, Ling Chen¡¯s sight unexpectedly included an old man, youthful yet with white hair, a face radiant with health, tall and muscr, dressed in a light blue Tang suit, giving an ethereal impression.


    Qin Chuan!


    A thought struck Ling Chen; this was the mysterious Heavenly List master from Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion tasked with ensuring Su Mei¡¯s safety.


    Ji Gang responded disdainfully, "A defeated subordinate, what right do you have to challenge me?"


    Unconcerned with Ji Gang¡¯s mockery, Qin Chuan calmly said, "I know your strength, so I do not intend to confront you directly. Today¡¯s battle doesn¡¯t concern us; I just need to hold you off." After speaking, Qin Chuan nced at Ling Chen and said, "Leave this ce to me, you go attend to your matters."

 Chapter 585 - 582: The Eldest Miss’s Old Illness Relapses

    <h4>Chapter 585: Chapter 582: The Eldest Miss¡¯s Old Illness Rpses</h4><h4></h4>


    Ling Chen sped his hands in salute to Qin Chuan, and without another word, immediately led Hu Fei and the others toward the bamboo forest.


    Just now, when Ji Gang emerged from the bamboo forest, Ling Chen had paid special attention to his location; the entrance should be around there.


    Taking advantage of the gradually subsiding fire around them, Ling Chen hurriedly rushed in, his eyes scanning around, asionally stepping on the ground to avoid missing any important clues.


    Before long, the observant Ling Chen noticed that the ground less than five meters in front of him showed signs of disturbance.


    He quickly approached it, wiped away the ash on the ground, and suddenly, a steel te two meters long and one meter wide was revealed before him.


    "This is the ce."


    Ling Chen nced around; there should have been surveince cameras here. However, due to the fire, those devices had already been destroyed.


    Taking out a dagger, Ling Chen inserted the de into the gap of the steel te and then tried to pry it open with all his strength. However, the steel te was too thick, and a single dagger was simply not enough to pry it open.


    Unfortunately, he had nothing else on him besides the dagger. If he had some explosives, it might be possible to try and st the steel te.


    "Mr. Ling, let me give it a try."


    Hearing Liu Dongsheng speak up, Ling Chen immediately got up and gave up his ce.


    Liu Dongsheng crouched down, tapped the surface of the steel te, then ced his ear against it, listening carefully for any sounds from inside.


    While Liu Dongsheng was busy, Ling Chen walked over to Hu Fei¡¯s side and asked quietly, "Fatty, isn¡¯t he the restaurant owner? How did you bring him here?"


    Hu Fei smiled proudly and said, "Not all of the friends I make are ordinary people. Just wait and see, his skills are quite something."


    During their conversation, Liu Dongsheng rolled up his sleeves, revealing his entire arm. Then, he ced his fingertips against his skin and gently pulled outwards. Instantly, a steel wire about ten centimeters long was drawn from underneath his skin.


    Seeing this sight, Ling Chen and Kaelina couldn¡¯t help but be startled.


    Someone had actually hidden things under their skin, this method was truly ruthless. Moreover, looking at Liu Dongsheng, it seemed to be amon practice for him, with no change in hisplexion.


    In addition to the steel wire hidden in his arm, Liu Dongsheng sessively pulled out four more wires from his calf and the back of his hand.


    He connected these special wires together and then inserted them into the gap in the middle of the steel te. After that, he again ced his ear against the steel te, using his right hand to maneuver the wires non-stop.


    It didn¡¯t take long to hear a light ¡¯click¡¯, and the gap in the middle of the steel te slowly began to move apart, revealing a spacious entrance.


    Ling Chen¡¯s eyes brightened; he hadn¡¯t expected Liu Dongsheng to actually manage to open the door.


    "How did you do that?" he asked curiously.


    "These steel tes have control devices inside them; you just need to find the right spot," replied Liu Dongsheng casually.


    Ling Chen knew, however, that to achieve this, one must have a wealth of experience and intimate knowledge of various control systems.


    It seemed that Hu Fei was right, the people he knew were no ordinary individuals.


    Having passed through that steel te entrance, Ling Chen and the others finally entered the base of the God Organization.


    Looking at theplexwork of passages inside the base, Ling Chen felt a bit of a headache, unsure of which way to go.


    "Let¡¯s check over there."


    At this moment, Hu Fei pointed ahead and quickly walked over.


    There were many rooms along both sides of the passage, with Hu Fei pushing each door as he passed, seemingly in search of something.


    Before long, Hu Fei¡¯s expression brightened, and he said with a smile, "Found it."


    Once inside the room, Ling Chen realized that what Hu Fei had been looking for was aputer.


    Opening theputer, Hu Fei moved the keyboard in front of him, eyes glued to the screen, fingers flying, he typed rapidly. Boxes popped up continuously on theputer screen as he worked.


    "Done!"


    A few minutester, Hu Fei smirked, his face full of pride.


    "How is it?"


    "I¡¯ve connected to the base¡¯s main system; I can ess all the surveince now." As he spoke, Hu Fei tapped a few keys, and immediately more than a dozen surveince feeds appeared on theputer screen.


    "Look, Miss Nanrong is locked up there." Kaelina pointed to one of the surveince screens.


    "Can you find Jiang Yunkai and the others?"


    "Wait a moment!" Hu Fei focused on the screen, quickly switching surveince feeds. After a while, he shook his head: "Can¡¯t find them, they might be locked up in an area not covered by surveince."


    Liu Dongsheng said gravely: "Wu Jun once said he was going to use us as test subjects, could those two..."


    "There¡¯s that possibility." Ling Chen interjected: "Here¡¯s the n: I¡¯ll go rescue Wanqing, Boss Liu, Kaelina, you two go look for Jiang Yunkai and Bai Huanjun. Fatty stays here, closely monitor their activities. After fifteen minutes, regardless of whether we¡¯ve found them or not, everyone meet back here. Any questions?"


    Liu Dongsheng and Kaelina nodded.


    "Be careful."


    After speaking, Ling Chen turned and left the room.


    Following the route provided by Hu Fei, Ling Chen went straight down the corridor, encountering several security doors. However, with Hu Fei¡¯s help, he hardly ran into any trouble.


    Soon, Ling Chen arrived at the area where Nanrong Wanqing was detained.


    Seeing the surveince camera in the corner, Ling Chen made a gesture, then leaned against the wall. A few secondster, under Hu Fei¡¯s remote control, the door immediately opened.


    As the door opened, Ling Chen¡¯s legs powered up, and he surged forward, quickly passing through the doorway.


    Before the guards inside could react, Ling Chen had already charged up close, his steel fists thundered out. In no time, several guards were knocked to the ground.


    "Ling Chen?"


    At this moment, Nanrong Wanqing, who was imprisoned in the cell, finally snapped back to reality, her face radiant with surprise as she saw Ling Chen, her beautiful eyes shimmering with excitement.


    "Are you alright?" Ling Chen asked with concern.


    Nanrong Wanqing shook her head.


    "Wait, I¡¯ll get you out first."


    Ling Chen searched the guards, found a key.


    When the cell door opened and Ling Chen saw Nanrong Wanqing sitting on the bed, he extended his hand to her and said, "Let¡¯s go, I¡¯ll take you out of here."


    Hearing this, Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s charming face immediately showed a trace of a bitter smile.


    "I... I can¡¯t move."


    Ling Chen was slightly taken aback, not understanding what she meant, and asked, "Are you injured?"


    "No, my legs are numb, it¡¯s like it¡¯s gone back to how it was before."


    "How could this be?" Ling Chen was shocked, puzzled. Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s legs had obviously been healed, why would this issue recur?


    "They seem to have conducted some kind of experiment on me, by the time I woke up it was already like this."


    Ling Chen¡¯s brow furrowed slightly,forting her: "Don¡¯t worry, it might just be temporary. I¡¯ll get you out first."


    With that, Ling Chen hoisted Nanrong Wanqing onto his back and strode outside.

 Chapter 586 - 583: A Move to Insult the Enemy

    <h4>Chapter 586: Chapter 583: A Move to Insult the Enemy</h4><h4></h4>


    However, just after leaving the cell, Ling Chen encountered several people blocking his path ahead.


    Seeing the man standing at the front, a sh of surprise crossed Ling Chen¡¯s eyes. But it soon turned cold, his gaze sharp and wild as that of a beast.


    "Yi Shuiyan." Ling Chen enunciated every syble of the other¡¯s name, "I really didn¡¯t expect to run into you here." After speaking, Ling Chen nced at the Dangyang Sect disciples behind Yi Shuiyan and said with a mocking smile, "So the Dangyang Sect is willing to ypdog for the God Organization. I¡¯m not at all surprised."


    "Ling Chen, cut the nonsense. It¡¯s not your ce to judge the actions of the Dangyang Sect," Yi Shuiyan said with a ferrous face. "I do admire your courage for barging in here, do you not fear death?"


    "Death?" Ling Chen said mockingly, "Yi Shuiyan, don¡¯t forget, you were defeated by me. To deal with you, one hand is enough."


    After saying this, Ling Chen, supporting Nanrong Wanqing with one hand, slowly stretched out his right hand, palm up, and curled a finger at Yi Shuiyan, making a provocative gesture.


    Seeing his action, Yi Shuiyan¡¯s face grew even uglier, his eyes filled with raging anger, as if he wished to brutally ughter Ling Chen.


    However, he wasn¡¯t hot-headed. He knew how to contain his anger, especially considering the lesson fromst time; he was well aware of Ling Chen¡¯s strength. Now, he indeed wasn¡¯t Ling Chen¡¯s match.


    "Do you think that just because you imed the top neer spot, you can look down on everyone?" Yi Shuiyan spoke coldly.


    Ling Chen shook his head and replied, "I¡¯ve never thought that. There are skies beyond skies, people beyond people. Huaxia is full of hidden dragons and crouching tigers; there are many more powerful than me. But right now, it¡¯s just you and me. In my eyes, you¡¯re someone I¡¯ve defeated before, is there a problem with that? If you want to turn things around, rely on your own skills and stop wasting time with words. I remember you used to be forthright; howe you¡¯ve be so nagging now? Could it be that after the Heavenly Mechanism Great Ceremony, you took a trip to Thand?"


    "Shut up!" Yi Shuiyan bellowed in anger, his barely constrained rage ring up again.


    "Enough talk. If you want to fight, let¡¯s get on with it. Don¡¯t waste my time," Ling Chen said impatiently. He had only fifteen minutes as agreed with Kaelina; if dyed further, he might not make it to the rendezvous point in time.


    "Disciple, since Mr. Ling wishes to fight, apany him for a few moves."


    At that moment, a voice suddenly came from behind Yi Shuiyan.


    Ling Chen focused his gaze, and his expression changed instantly.


    Zhu Jin!


    Sect Leader of the Dangyang Sect.


    He didn¡¯t expect this guy to be here too. Ling Chen inwardly voiced his rm. If it was just Yi Shuiyan, he wasn¡¯t afraid at all, but with Zhu Jin as well, things were gettingplicated.


    Although he hadn¡¯t fought Zhu Jin before, as the Sect Leader of the Dangyang Sect, he couldn¡¯t be that weak.


    Hearing his master speak, Yi Shuiyan¡¯s courage was greatly bolstered, and he immediately drew the steel de he carried, stepping towards Ling Chen.


    "Ling Chen..." Nanrong Wanqing looked at the approaching Yi Shuiyan, her beautiful eyes full of concern.


    Ling Chen gently patted her hand, reassuring her, "It¡¯s okay, I can handle this, trust me."


    With those words, Ling Chen ced Nanrong Wanqing in a corner of the corridor, against the wall. Then, he straightened his waist and strode forward to meet Yi Shuiyan.


    As they approached each other, Yi Shuiyan flicked his wrist, and the steel de, like a windmill, shed through the air, seemingly with the force of ten thousand acres, aimed straight at Ling Chen¡¯s head.


    As the de wind approached, Ling Chen did not dodge, his sharp eyes looking straight ahead, showing no intention of evasion.


    In the moment the de was about to strike, Ling Chen¡¯s fingers swiftly struck out, hitting the steel de dead center.


    The instant his fingertips touched the de, the steel knife was deflected as if it had been struck hard, springing away, and even Yi Shuiyan¡¯s arm was thrown off course.


    This sudden turn of events startled Yi Shuiyan, his face full of shock. He had never expected that his de, carrying his full strength, would be easily neutralized by Ling Chen with just two fingers.


    Could it be... in just a few short months, Ling Chen¡¯s abilities had advanced to the Earthly List?


    No, that¡¯s impossible!


    Yi Shuiyan stared nkly at Ling Chen, the steel knife in his hand hesitating to rise again.


    "Shuiyan!"


    Seeing his disciple¡¯s dazed expression, Zhu Jin couldn¡¯t help but yell out.


    Regaining his senses, Yi Shuiyan looked at Ling Chen in front of him and couldn¡¯t help but involuntarily step back, a hint of hesitation in his eyes.


    Feeling the gap between them, Yi Shuiyan had already lost the courage to make a move.


    At the Heavenly Mechanism Great Ceremony, under the watchful eyes of the public, he was defeated by Ling Chen.


    Now, he didn¡¯t want to experience another failure.


    For a martial artist, being defeated twice by the same person would undoubtedly cause a significant obstacle to his future cultivation.


    Yi Shuiyan knew this well, so he didn¡¯t dare to make a move lightly.


    "Useless." Zhu Jin snorted coldly, walked forward, and left Yi Shuiyan behind him.


    "Ling Chen, you think you¡¯re so great, then let me see for myself how capable you really are."


    Hearing this, Ling Chen¡¯s gaze slightly hardened. His body tensed up, and he stepped forward, positioning himself in front of Nanrong Wanqing.


    Back at the Heavenly Mechanism Great Ceremony, he had already seen the shamelessness of the Dangyang Sect. Therefore, he had to be on guard against Zhu Jin to prevent others from taking the opportunity to attack Nanrong Wanqing.


    Ling Chen was not very familiar with Zhu Jin¡¯s strength, but he had heard from Qiu Yong that Zhu Jin was also a high-ranking master on the Dragon List; as to which rank, he wasn¡¯t sure.


    However, to be the Sect Leader of the Dangyang Sect, his strength couldn¡¯t be toocking.


    In the blink of an eye, Ling Chen leaned slightly forward, with his shoulders facing Zhu Jin, ready to defend against any attacks.


    However, to Ling Chen¡¯s surprise, Zhu Jin did not immediately attack, but instead retreated two steps, increasing the distance between them.


    Seeing the other¡¯s action, Ling Chen was filled with confusion and puzzlement, not understanding what Zhu Jin was up to.


    Not only that, but Yi Shuiyan and the others originally behind Zhu Jin also retreated, as if they knew what was going to happen next.


    This scene caught Ling Chen¡¯s eyes, making him even more surprised. His gaze towards Zhu Jin carried a hint of caution and care.


    "Are you ready to take the hit?"


    Zhu Jin¡¯s voice came, Ling Chen remained silent, his expression stern, fully focused on his opponent, his right arm slightly leaning back. From this position, he could ensure he draws his dagger at the fastest speed.


    Observing Ling Chen¡¯s tense appearance, a sly smile suddenly appeared on Zhu Jin¡¯s face.


    At the moment the smile appeared, his long-brewed attack was finallyunched.

 Chapter 587 - 584 Battle with Zhu Jin

    <h4>Chapter 587: Chapter 584 Battle with Zhu Jin</h4><h4></h4>


    Generally speaking, all attacks have techniques to follow. Breaking techniques with techniques is amon practice for all Martial Arts practitioners.


    But when Zhu Jin made his move, there were no techniques.


    Or rather, his techniques were not techniques, but countless needles!


    Covering the sky and flying all over.


    Instantly filled the entire corridor.


    Watching the dense flying needles, Ling Chen¡¯s pupils suddenly constricted, and he involuntarily stepped back. However, when he thought about retreating, he remembered Nanrong Wanqing behind him.


    If he gave way, those flying needles would surely hit Nanrong Wanqing.


    At this moment, Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s legs were injured, rendering her unable to move, so he had to consider her safety.


    Thinking this, Ling Chen clenched his teeth, took a big step forward, and his Inner Strength burst forth.


    In a split second, the flying needles met an invisible wall, their speed instantly slowed. Seizing this opportunity, Ling Chen reached for his waist, quickly drew out his dagger, and blocked all the flying needles in front of him.


    Seeing this scene, Zhu Jin¡¯s face involuntarily changed.


    Inner Strength released externally!


    He almost forgot, Ling Chen¡¯s realm had already reached the level of releasing Inner Strength externally. However, his own realm had also reached the level of releasing Inner Strength, but controlling it precisely like Ling Chen was not something everyone could do. Even he could not easily do it.


    As the flying needles were deflected, Ling Chen didn¡¯t hesitate for a moment, lightly tapped his toes, and took the initiative to attack.


    Seeing Ling Chen charging at him, Zhu Jin flipped his palm up, and five flying needles instantly lodged between his fingertips. Then, with a flick of his wrist, at high speed, the five flying needles shot out instantly, heading straight for Ling Chen¡¯s face.


    As the flying needles approached, Ling Chen still maintained a straight line, showing no intent to change direction. Suddenly, in the midst of his charge, Ling Chen paused his step, twisted his waist, and made a 360-degree spin.


    With his movement, the five flying needles immediately flew past beside him. Not waiting for Zhu Jin to make another move, Ling Chen flipped his wrist, tightly gripping the dagger in his hand, and violently threw it out.


    At this moment, the distance between the two was less than three meters. With the force added, the speed of the dagger was like a sh of lightning, bringing a burst of piercing sound, heading straight for Zhu Jin¡¯s forehead.


    Hmph!


    Zhu Jin sneered, lightly shifted his feet, and agilely dodged the dagger¡¯s attack.


    However, as he dodged, Ling Chen seized the opportunity, quickly closing in. In just one step, Ling Chen had already pressed Zhu Jin within half a meter.


    sping his fist tightly, Ling Chen shouted loudly, with a punch fast as wind, carrying a whistling Qi Force, fiercely bombarding Zhu Jin.


    Due to the close distance, Zhu Jin had no time to dodge and had to endure it directly. Instantly, he raised one palm, his Inner Strength gathered and shed towards Ling Chen¡¯s steel fist.


    At the moment of contact between fist and palm, an abrupt ¡¯bang¡¯ sound erupted, Inner Strength burst forth, and their bodies, like two colliding balloons, immediately retreated.


    Watching the sh between the two, Yi Shuiyan¡¯s face suddenly changed.


    He was shocked to discover that his Master had actually been forced back four steps, whereas Ling Chen only three, immediately revealing the gap between them.


    Zhu Jin incredulously looked at Ling Chen, not hiding the shock in his eyes. His own strength was enough to rank in the top three of the Dragon List, and Ling Chen was so young yet able to surpass him.


    Back then, during the Heavenly Mechanism Great Ceremony, Ling Chen¡¯s strength had just entered the fifth rank of the Dragon List; in such a short time, his progress was unimaginably vast.


    At this moment, he finally understood why Yi Shuiyan dared not make a move lightly.


    Now, Yi Shuiyan indeed was no match for Ling Chen!


    "Shuiyan."


    Hearing the Master¡¯s call, Yi Shuiyan quickly walked to Zhu Jin¡¯s side and asked, "Master, what are your orders?"


    Zhu Jin nced at him and said nothing, but the coldness in his eyes conveyed everything.


    Before Yi Shuiyan could say anything else, suddenly, Zhu Jin pointed his toes and leaned slightly forward, his legs moving continuously, gliding over the ground like a dragonfly skimming the water, heading straight for Ling Chen.


    Just as Zhu Jin made his move, the previously motionless Yi Shuiyan suddenly drew his steel knife, its de sharp and fierce, heading straight for Nanrong Wanqing behind Ling Chen.


    Seeing Zhu Jin and Yi Shuiyan approaching from different directions, Ling Chen furrowed his brows. His sharp gaze wandered back and forth between the two, his expression hesitating, unsure whom to defend against.


    Guarding against Zhu Jin meant he could not protect Nanrong Wanqing. If he blocked Yi Shuiyan, he would definitely be attacked by Zhu Jin.


    For a moment, Ling Chen found himself in a dilemma.


    Zhu Jin!


    Yi Shuiyan!


    He could only choose one.


    In a sh of thought, Ling Chen pivoted on his feet, turned, and ran towards Nanrong Wanqing, pulling her up from the ground and carrying her on his back. This way, Yi Shuiyan and Zhu Jin could only target him alone.


    However, carrying Nanrong Wanqing made Ling Chen¡¯s movements very inconvenient.


    As the de came shing, Ling Chen moved his legs back and slightly leaned back, narrowly dodging Yi Shuiyan¡¯s assault.


    But the danger was far from over.


    As Yi Shuiyan withdrew his de, Zhu Jin seized the opportunity to close the distance, one palm facing up, the other holding more than ten flying needles, attacking consecutively, giving Ling Chen no chance to catch his breath.


    With the flesh palm approaching, Ling Chen didn¡¯t even think, and threw a punch, deflecting Zhu Jin¡¯s attack. But the real trouble was Zhu Jin¡¯s subsequent move.


    Seeing the flying needles about to be released, Ling Chen¡¯s eyes suddenly turned cold. Following that, he made a move that surprised everyone.


    Instead of waiting for the flying needles, Ling Chen threw Nanrong Wanqing up high with both hands. Then, he slid his feet and moved sideways to close distance with Zhu Jin, his fists like dragons emerging from the sea, fierce and powerful, aimed directly at Zhu Jin¡¯s vital points.


    At this range, even if Zhu Jin released the needles, he couldn¡¯t avoid Ling Chen¡¯s attack. It would at most result in mutual destruction.


    At this moment, Ling Chen had to gamble.


    As expected, Zhu Jin, concerned for his own safety, did not dare to fight Ling Chen directly. He quickly retreated, dodging Ling Chen¡¯s punches, moving out of his attack range.


    Seeing this, Ling Chen secretly breathed a sigh of relief and hurriedly caught the falling Nanrong Wanqing in his arms.


    "Attack together!"


    Seeing that thebined attack of the two did not threaten Ling Chen, Zhu Jin¡¯s face turned incredibly ugly, his eyes zing with anger.


    At this moment, he no longer cared about the rules of the Martial Arts world. As long as he could kill Ling Chen, nothing else mattered.


    As Zhu Jin¡¯s words fell, several observing Dangyang Sect disciples stepped forward, lined up, and joined the battle.


    Ling Chen furrowed his brows, his gaze slightly lifting and sweeping towards the surveince camera in the corner.


    "Attack!"


    Apanied by a light shout, Zhu Jin and the others did not hesitate and immediatelyunched an attack.

 Chapter 588 - 585: Protection Mechanism

    <h4>Chapter 588: Chapter 585: Protection Mechanism</h4><h4></h4>


    However, just as Zhu Jin and his men were about to make their move, a sudden ¡¯ng¡¯ sound came from the ground. Everyone turned their heads and saw a cylindrical fire extinguisher rolling on the ground. Moreover, the spray nozzle of the fire extinguisher had been opened, and a white gas burst out instantly, filling the entire corridor.


    Seeing this scene, Ling Chen felt a sense of relief and immediately ran forward with Nanrong Wanqing through the lingering smoke.


    Under the cover of the smoke, Zhu Jin and others could only hear the sound of footsteps nearby but could not see Ling Chen¡¯s figure.


    "Stop him, don¡¯t let him get away," Zhu Jin shouted loudly.


    However, by the time he shouted, Ling Chen had already escaped far away under the cover of the smoke.


    "Mr. Ling."


    After passing through the corridor, Ling Chen immediately heard a familiar voice beside him. He turned his head and saw Liu Dongsheng emerging from a corner.


    "Thanks!" Ling Chen said gratefully.


    "Don¡¯t mention it, Mr. Hu saw through the surveince that you were in danger, so he asked me toe and lend a hand."


    Ling Chen nodded and said, "Let¡¯s hurry, it would be troublesome if they catch up with us."


    As they moved, Ling Chen looked at Liu Dongsheng and asked, "Did you find Jiang Yunkai and the others?"


    Hearing this, Liu Dongsheng¡¯s face turned somewhat gloomy.


    "We found them, but we can¡¯t rescue them."


    "What happened?"


    "You¡¯ll see in a moment."


    While talking, the three of them hurried to the meeting room.


    At this moment, Kaelina and Hu Fei were in the room. Liu Dongsheng closed the room door, locked it, and then brought Ling Chen to Hu Fei¡¯s side.


    "Is Miss Nanrong alright?"


    "She¡¯s fine." As he spoke, Ling Chen ced Nanrong Wanqing on a chair nearby and asked, "Fatty, how are Jiang Yunkai and Bai Huanjun doing?"


    Hu Fei pointed to theputer screen and said, "You should see for yourself."


    Hearing that, Ling Chen immediately went to theputer and stared at the surveince footage on the screen.


    "There! I just found this," Hu Fei said, pointing to one of the screens.


    In that surveince image, Jiang Yunkai and Bai Huanjun were each lying on a bed, with their hands and feet bound by straps, immobilized. From their looks, they seemed to have been injected with anesthetic and were in a deep sleep.


    Next to the beds, several men in white coats were using various instruments on Jiang Yunkai and Bai Huanjun, asionally injecting them with some type of drug.


    Seeing this, Ling Chen knew something was wrong in his heart. It was clear that those in white coats were preparing to use them for experimentation.


    "Do you know their location?" Ling Chen asked.


    Hu Fei replied, "Miss Kaelina and Elder Liu found their location, but there are twoyers of ten-centimeter-thick st doors outside theboratory. Even a bomb would do no good. The only way is to take over the main control room of the base; otherwise, there¡¯s no other way."


    "Where¡¯s the main control room?"


    Without another word, Hu Fei pulled up a building n from theputer and marked the location of the main control.


    "This is the main control room, right in the center of the base. But that¡¯s not the biggest problem. I just reviewed the base configuration; this ce has a protective device installed."


    Ling Chen, puzzled, asked "What protective device?"


    "There¡¯s a safety protection system inside the base, once the base is under attack, it will trigger the defensive mechanism, sealing all passageways and isting the core area of the base. By then, no one will be able to get in or out. Moreover, I understand that thisyer of protection can withstand a nuclear explosion."


    "A nuclear explosion?" Everyone was taken aback.


    Hu Fei nodded and said, "It may be an exaggeration to say a nuclear explosion, but there¡¯s no doubt about its solidity. If you guys enter the area of the main control room, you¡¯ll likely be trapped inside."


    Ling Chen frowned and said, "Is there no way to prevent it?"


    "No, that protective system uses an independent control system, and it¡¯s not connected to anywork; I can¡¯t hack into it from here. If I¡¯m not wrong, the control system for that protective device must be in the main control room."


    Liu Dongsheng chimed in, "That means, if we can take over the main control room, we can lift the base¡¯s protective mechanism."


    "That¡¯s true, but the key question is, can you do it?"


    Hearing this, Ling Chen fell into thought.


    He had broken into numerous God Organization bases, but none had ever been equipped with this protective device. It was clear that this base was of great importance to the God Organization. Perhaps this was the main base of the God Organization.


    However, as Hu Fei said, whether they could take over the main control room was the key.


    With Zhu Jin and others in the base, aside from them, who could guarantee there were no other experts here? Among their group, only he was powerful enough to contend with Zhu Jin. Kaelina and Liu Dongsheng, although capable, were not martial artists.


    Thinking this, Ling Chen struggled to make a decision for a moment.


    If they abandoned Jiang Yunkai and Bai Huanjun, not caring about their lives or deaths, they would have a hundred percent certainty of leaving. However, abandoning friends was not something Ling Chen could do. Besides, they were captured while trying to help him. If he were to leave them behind, it might dishearten the others.


    His thoughts raced, and Ling Chen immediately made a decision.


    "Fatty, you guys take Wanqing and leave first."


    "And you?"


    "I¡¯m going to save Kai and the others."


    Hu Fei was stunned, his face full of surprise: "You alone? No! You must be crazy, it¡¯s pure suicide."


    "It¡¯s settled, don¡¯t worry about me; I know what to do. Kaelina, Boss Liu, ensure their safety, we¡¯ll meet outside." Having said that, Ling Chen left the room without waiting for Hu Fei to speak again.


    "This guy... always trying to act tough." Watching Ling Chen¡¯s retreating figure, Hu Fei shook his head helplessly.


    "Elder Liu, let¡¯s get moving."


    As he spoke, Hu Fei¡¯s fingers flew over the keyboard rapidly.


    Seeing his actions, Kaelina asked, "What are you doing?"


    "What else could I be doing? Of course, I¡¯m giving that guy onest hand. I¡¯ll shut down all the surveince systems of the base in a moment, and then nt a Trojan in the system. It will take them at least a few minutes to reboot the surveince. Although it¡¯s not much time, Ling Chen should be able to reach the main control room with his ability."


    Leaving the room, Ling Chen recalled the building n he had just seen and took another passage toward the core area of the base.


    Along the way, Ling Chen encountered almost no obstacles; it was surprisingly smooth.


    Before long, Ling Chen arrived in front of a st door. ording to theyout of the building n, the main control room was just behind this st door.


    Taking a deep breath, Ling Chen looked up and began to search for a way to enter the st door.

 Chapter 589 - 586: The Death of the Traitor

    <h4>Chapter 589: Chapter 586: The Death of the Traitor</h4><h4></h4>


    However, at this moment, with a ¡¯click¡¯ sound, the originally tightly closed explosion-proof door suddenly opened, leaving Ling Chen astonished.


    Ha! His luck was really good.


    He didn¡¯t know that if it weren¡¯t for the Trojan horse imnted by Hu Fei that disrupted the base¡¯s control system, this explosion-proof door would never have opened.


    After passing through the explosion-proof door, Ling Chen came straight to the outside of the main control room. Listening to the sounds inside, Ling Chen stretched his hand to push the door open a crack, then peeked inside.


    The main control room wasrge, with thirty or forty staff members. However, what caught Ling Chen¡¯s attention the most was Wu Jun.


    When enemies meet, their eyes ze with hatred.


    Upon seeing Wu Jun, Ling Chen immediately disregarded everyone else.


    Bang!


    Bursting through the door, Ling Chen strode forward, rapidly rushing towards Wu Jun.


    Hearing the noise at the door, Wu Jun turned his head, his face suddenly changing as he saw Ling Chen approaching quickly. He hastily retreated, his right hand reaching towards his waist, seemingly wanting to draw a weapon.


    However, his speed could never match Ling Chen¡¯s. In the blink of an eye, Ling Chen had already reached Wu Jun. Not waiting for Wu Jun to draw his weapon, Ling Chen reached out with one hand, grabbing Wu Jun by the cor, and fiercelyunched his steel fist, brutally hitting his abdomen.


    Puh!


    A mouthful of fresh blood spewed out, instantly turning Wu Jun¡¯s face pale. Seizing the moment, Ling Chen let go, grabbed both of Wu Jun¡¯s arms, and twisted gently. There were two ¡¯crack¡¯ sounds followed immediately by a scream of agony that echoed throughout the main control room.


    Wu Jun, with both arms broken, seemed to lose all strength and copsed directly to the ground, unable to even climb up.


    At this moment, the surrounding staff finally reacted. One of the staff quickly pulled a key hanging around his neck and inserted it into a device. Following that, he opened a transparent cover and forcefully mmed the red button beneath it.


    Suddenly, a series of sounds came from outside of the control room, as if some heavy objects had fallen.


    Ling Chen nced and immediately locked onto that red button. Instantly, he lightly tapped his toes, moving swiftly like a gust of wind, rushing over to seize the key controlling the protective device.


    However, before he could get close, a fierce gust of wind suddenly shot towards him from the side.


    Ling Chen nced out of the corner of his eye, his heart sinking instantly, and he immediately stopped his forward charge, leaning his body backwards, just in time to dodge the approaching steel knife.


    But this dy lost him a perfect opportunity. At this time, Zhu Jin and Yi Shuiyan had already hurriedlye close, blocking his path.


    "Ling Chen, surrender yourself, you can¡¯t escape," Zhu Jin said coldly.


    Ling Chen snorted lightly, picking up Wu Jun who was struggling on the ground with one hand.


    "Zhu Jin, you better step aside. Later, I can speak well on your behalf in front of Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, and spare you some pain."


    "Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion?" Zhu Jin scoffed disdainfully, "Do you think I still care about Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion? With the God Organization behind me, I will sooner orter destroy Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion and take its ce."


    "Just you?" Ling Chen found it amusing, shaking his head: "Greed overreaches itself, Zhu Jin, what capabilities and qualifications do you have to rece Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion? Even if you destroy the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, you are nothing more than apdog of the God Organization."


    "How dare you!" Yi Shuiyan yelled coldly.


    Ling Chen spoke indifferently, "Yi Shuiyan, I used to respect you as a real man, but now I realize, you¡¯re nothing more than a beast, not even sparing your own junior sister."


    Hearing this, Yi Shuiyan¡¯s face darkened instantly.


    "You... don¡¯t talk nonsense."


    "Is that so?" Ling Chen said with a mocking smile, "Whether I¡¯m talking nonsense, you know best in your heart."


    When he was on that luxurious cruise ship, Ling Chen had seen Qin Wu in utter despair. From her demeanor, it was evident that she had been vited by Yi Shuiyan against her will.


    Since then, Ling Chen had an even lower opinion of Yi Shuiyan.


    Listening to their conversation, Zhu Jin nced at his disciple and then refocused his attention on Ling Chen.


    "Ling Chen, there¡¯s no need to bring up the past. Release her quickly, and maybe I¡¯ll spare your life, allowing you to serve some purpose."


    "You want to use me as a test subject?"


    "Your two friends are undergoing the greatest experiment in history. If sessful, they will undergo a transformative change. They will not only not hate us, but will also be grateful to us, for we have given them a new life."


    "I think they would rather be ordinary people."


    "It¡¯s toote!"


    At that moment, Wu Jun, enduring pain, let out a coldugh, "Look over there, the experiment has already started, and you can¡¯t save your friends."


    Hearing this, Ling Chen¡¯s expression changed slightly, and he immediately turned his attention to the nearby screen. On the screen, Jiang Yunkai and Bai Huanjun were being injected with an unknown drug. As the drug took effect in their bodies, their skin immediately turned a strange color.


    At the same time, Jiang Yunkai and Bai Huanjun began convulsing simultaneously, foaming at the mouth, appearing very critical.


    Seeing this, Ling Chen¡¯s eyes zed with rage.


    "Release them immediately!"


    "The experiment has already begun, no one can stop it now. Give up that thought, Ling Chen," Wu Jun said with a smugugh.


    Ling Chen, gritting his teeth, coldly said, "If anything happens to them, none of you here will live."


    With those words, Ling Chen grabbed Wu Jun with one hand and rushed towards Zhu Jin and Yi Shuiyan, intent on seizing the key that controlled the security system.


    Hmph!


    Zhu Jin flicked his wrist, and more than ten flying needles shot out piercing through the air.


    Seeing the needles approaching, without thinking, Ling Chen immediately used Wu Jun as a shield. Instantly, all the needles pierced into Wu Jun¡¯s body.


    "No!"


    Wu Jun screamed in pain.


    As the needles entered his body, Wu Jun¡¯s skin quickly turned a pale purple. Clearly, the needles contained poison.


    Ling Chen had anticipated Zhu Jin would pull such a move, which is why he used Wu Jun as a human shield.


    "Forget about him, kill!" Zhu Jin, without regard for Wu Jun¡¯s safety,manded sternly.


    Hearing the Master¡¯s order, Yi Shuiyan didn¡¯t hesitate, flipping his wrist and bringing down his steel sword towards Ling Chen¡¯s head.


    Seeing this, Ling Chen exerted force with one hand, flinging Wu Jun¡¯s body directly at Yi Shuiyan¡¯s steel sword.


    In an instant, the Sword Force burst forth, splitting Wu Jun¡¯s body in two, blood sttering everywhere.


    Wu Jun probably never imagined he would die at the hands of his own people.


    Uncle Mu, Mrs. Chen, your revenge is finally avenged!


    Ling Chen silently recited, refocusing his attention on the key.


    However, just as he was about to make his move, suddenly, a loud ¡¯boom¡¯ came from outside the control room, and the floor even trembled slightly.

 Chapter 590 - 587: Mutation

    <h4>Chapter 590: Chapter 587: Mutation</h4><h4></h4>


    What¡¯s going on?


    With the sound of that explosion, everyone in the control room was stunned, looking at each other, clueless about what had just happened.


    Suddenly, the sharp-eyed Ling Chen noticed that the surveince feed monitoring theboratory had turned to static, while the other feeds were still functioning normally.


    Could it be... could it be that there¡¯s been an incident in theboratory?


    In the blink of an eye, Ling Chen nced around and saw that Zhu Jin and Yi Shuiyan were both distracted by the loud noise. He immediately moved his legs at a high speed, dashing between the gap of Zhu Jin and Yi Shuiyan, and pressed his hand on the red button.


    Before Zhu Jin and the others could react, Ling Chen quickly pulled out the key and then retreated swiftly.


    "Don¡¯t let him get away!"


    Zhu Jin shouted angrily, reaching out to grab Ling Chen.


    Hiss!


    Instantly, a rip appeared in Ling Chen¡¯s shirt. Noticing his shirt being pulled, Ling Chen flung his arms, quickly shedding his shirt and immediately rushed towards the exit of the control room.


    Upon leaving the control room, Ling Chen casually closed the main door behind him, blocking Zhu Jin and Yi Shuiyan¡¯s pursuit, and quickly fled outside.


    After crossing a passage, Ling Chen abruptly halted his rapid steps, frowning at the smoke filling the air in front of him.


    On both sides of the corridor, cracks had formed on the walls, the venttion duct had broken, and smoke billowed through the space. Moreover, faintly, one seemed to hear screams from the end of the corridor, creating a terrifying atmosphere.


    Could the explosion just now be rted to this ce?


    Ling Chen thought to himself.


    If he remembered correctly, this corridor should lead to theboratory. Perhaps an ident urred there, causing this mess.


    In a sh of thought, Ling Chen cautiously moved forward, paying attention to the changes in his surroundings.


    As he entered the smoke-covered area, the alert Ling Chen immediately noticed a pool of blood on the ground. The blood hadn¡¯t coagted yet; it must have been fresh. However, there were no bodies nearby.


    "Kai!"


    Ling Chen called out loudly, hoping to get a response from Jiang Yunkai and Bai Huanjun.


    But the surroundings were silent, dead silent.


    At this moment, the sound of hurried footsteps came from not far away. Ling Chen turned to look behind him, thinking to himself that this was not good¡ªZhu Jin and Yi Shuiyan had caught up.


    Without hesitation, Ling Chen quickened his pace, running straight ahead through the corridor.


    After about twenty meters, Ling Chen¡¯s expression suddenly turned sharp with a hint of amazement. He saw a person in a whiteb coat lying next to the corridor, drenched in blood, with disheveled hair, already dead. There was arge hole in their chest, through which blood was pouring out¡ªa fatal wound.


    Ling Chen observed for a moment, his face looking rather uneasy. The hole seemed to have been made with a blunt instrument, even the breastbone had caved in.


    And judging by the twisted expression on the person¡¯s face, they must have endured inhuman torture before death.


    What on earth happened here?


    Full of suspicion and confusion, Ling Chen didn¡¯t know who had killed these scientists, or why the methods were so brutal.


    While pondering, Ling Chen cocked his ear to listen, as the footsteps behind him gradually slowed down. Clearly, Zhu Jin and Yi Shuiyan had both noticed something off about this ce, which was why they did not dare to quicken their pace and chase after him.


    He let out a sigh of relief in his heart, Ling Chenposed himself, and continued walking forward.


    In the short distance of just over ten meters, Ling Chen saw one after another, six to seven corpses, including those of scientific researchers in white coats and security personnel in suits. Without exception, all of them had died horribly, with some having half of their heads smashed in, brains scattered all around.


    Seeing the sorry state of these dead, Ling Chen¡¯s heart couldn¡¯t help but leap to his throat, his gaze bing increasingly grave.


    Without a doubt, the deaths of these people were definitely man-made.


    As he walked on, Ling Chen arrived in front of a st-resistant door that had been broken open.


    Entering the st door, he saw a spaciousboratory inside. However, perhaps due to a short circuit, the lighting inside was flickering on and off, creating the kind of terrifying atmosphere one might find in a horror movie.


    Eh?


    At that moment, Ling Chen suddenly noticed that in the center of theboratory, there were two bedsid out with bloodstains on them. And at the corner opposite the beds, a surveince camera was installed. However, for some unclear reason, the surveince camera had been damaged.


    That¡¯s it!


    Ling Chen immediately remembered the scene he had seen on the security monitor. At that time, Jiang Yunkai and Bai Huanjun were both bound on the two beds, unable to move.


    Now, the staff in theboratory were all dead, with only Jiang Yunkai and Bai Huanjun missing. Could it be that they, too, had encountered some misfortune?


    No, that¡¯s not right! Ling Chen shook his head secretly. If Jiang Yunkai and others had faced danger, why weren¡¯t their bodies found?


    With this thought in mind, Ling Chen immediately left theboratory and walked straight along the corridor. He had not encountered Jiang Yunkai and Bai Huanjun on the way he hade, and with no one in theboratory, they should be ahead.


    While moving forward, it wasn¡¯t long before Ling Chen suddenly heard a rustling noiseing from up ahead. The sound was very strange, like the low growl of a wild animal, sending shivers down one¡¯s spine.


    Ling Chen took a deep breath, trying to tread as lightly as possible, and moved toward the corner ahead. As he got closer, the sound became clearer and clearer.


    At the end of the corner, Ling Chen reached for his waist, only to find that there was nothing there.


    He had almost forgotten that during the confrontation with Zhu Jin, he had thrown his dagger away.


    Without a weapon, Ling Chen had no choice but to steel his nerves, clenched his fists, and stealthily cast his gaze around the other end of the corner.


    Instantly, under the dim light, he saw two bloodied figures standing in front of the wall, their backs to him, shoulders twitching slightly, doing something unknown.


    Gazing at the two¡¯s silhouettes, Ling Chen carefully stepped closer, and softly called out, "Kai..."


    As soon as his voice sounded, without waiting for Ling Chen to call out Bai Huanjun¡¯s name, the two people standing in front of the wall turned around abruptly, their cold eyes fixed on Ling Chen, their beast-like, icy gaze causing Ling Chen¡¯s heart to skip a beat, and he couldn¡¯t help but take a couple of steps back.


    The two people in front of him were Jiang Yunkai and Bai Huanjun, but their conditions seemed somewhat peculiar.


    At this moment, they appeared to have lost their senses, their eyes cold and filled with a bloodthirsty desire, especially the intense murderous aura emanating from their bodies, chilling one to the bone.


    "Kai... it¡¯s me, don¡¯t you recognize me?"


    Ling Chen backed away while speaking. Unfortunately, Jiang Yunkai and Bai Huanjun seemed deaf to his words, showing no response at all.


    Growl!


    All of a sudden, a low growl came from their throats, their legs lightly sprung, and their bodies instantly soared more than two meters in the air, pouncing straight towards Ling Chen.

 Chapter 591 - 588: Unfilial Disciple

    <h4>Chapter 591: Chapter 588: Unfilial Disciple</h4><h4></h4>


    Damn!


    Ling Chen cursed under his breath, as those two actually started treating him as their prey.


    Without time to think further, Ling Chen swiftly kicked out at both Jiang Yunkai and Bai Huanjun, hoping to push them back and buy himself some time to escape.


    However, to his surprise, Jiang Yunkai and Bai Huanjun didn¡¯t dodge at all; they lunged straight at him,pletely disregarding his attack.


    Instantly, Ling Chen¡¯s kicksnded solidly on the two men.


    Huh!


    With the impact, Ling Chen¡¯s expression changed drastically. He was astonished to find that his strength hadn¡¯t managed to push Jiang Yunkai and Bai Huanjun back. Moreover, their bodies felt as hard as steel tes.


    He knew too well the capabilities of these two men; this was utterly impossible. Yet, they had just proven it possible.


    Fuck!


    What is going on here?


    Ling Chen¡¯s eyes widened in disbelief as he watched Jiang Yunkai and Bai Huanjun lunge at him again. Without time for further thought, he hurriedly ran back the way he came.


    However, Jiang Yunkai and hispanion closely followed, relentlessly pressuring him. Feeling the rapid breathing behind him, Ling Chen didn¡¯t dare to look back, using all his might to sprint desperately.


    Just then, Zhu Jin and Yi Shuiyan appeared in his line of sight.


    Seeing Ling Chen rushing over, Zhu Jin¡¯s eyes brightened, a cold smile ying on his lips.


    He had been looking for him and hadn¡¯t expected Ling Chen toe to him instead.


    "Disciple, act now, don¡¯t let him escape again!"


    Hearing the Master¡¯smand, Yi Shuiyan immediately drew his steel knife and was ready to strike. However, he quickly realized that Ling Chen didn¡¯t care about them at all; instead of slowing down, his speed was increasing even more.


    Those two people... Suddenly, Yi Shuiyan and Zhu Jin¡¯s expressions shifted slightly as they focused their gaze on Jiang Yunkai and Bai Huanjun.


    They knew very well about these two test subjects.


    However, what puzzled them was why Ling Chen looked so panicked.


    Just as they were pondering, Zhu Jin suddenly felt like he was being targeted by a wild beast. He nced over and saw Jiang Yunkai¡¯s bloodthirsty eyes, sinister and terrifying, which unconsciously sent chills from the soles of his feet.


    "Master..."


    Yi Shuiyan had barely spoken when they heard a low roar, followed by a shadow pouncing at them, knocking him to the ground.


    "Get off!"


    In a panic, Yi Shuiyan hastily waved his arms, positioning his steel knife across his chest to fend off Bai Huanjun. Then, bending his legs, he kicked fiercely upwards, sending Bai Huanjun flying away.


    Seizing the opportunity, Yi Shuiyan quickly stood up, turning his attention towards Zhu Jin. At that moment, Zhu Jin was entangled with Jiang Yunkai, busily countering his attacks.


    However, after a few exchanges, Zhu Jin felt as if all his moves were being stifled. Jiang Yunkai¡¯s body seemed as tough as a steel te, impervious to des and spears, and his own thrown needles had no effect whatsoever.


    More than that, Jiang Yunkai seemed to be devoid of pain receptors, unaffected by the severity of the attacks. Moreover, his strength could almost be described as terrifying. Even for someone of his level, it was disconcerting.


    At this moment, Zhu Jin and Yi Shuiyan finally understood why Ling Chen was running away. Faced with such mutated beings, they werepletely helpless, without a single solution at hand.


    Bastards!


    Zhu Jin and his disciple couldn¡¯t help but curse.


    Just now, when they were entangled by Jiang Yunkai and his partner, Ling Chen had already seized the opportunity to slip away. At this point, they had no idea where he had fled to, and it was impossible for them to catch up. Moreover, Jiang Yunkai and Bai Huanjun were constantly keeping them locked on, leaving no chance for them to attend to anything else.


    "Master, what should we do?"


    Yi Shuiyan stood behind Zhu Jin with a steel saber in one hand, looking at the menacing Jiang Yunkai and Bai Huanjun with a particrly ugly expression.


    Zhu Jin¡¯s gaze shifted, and he said in a deep voice, "You stay here to hold them off, I¡¯ll go after Ling Chen. Hang tight, I¡¯ll call for someone to support you immediately."


    Yi Shuiyan nodded and said, "Okay."


    As Yi Shuiyan¡¯s voice fell, Zhu Jin¡¯s expression suddenly changed, looking at his own body in disbelief. Unknown to him, Yi Shuiyan¡¯s steel saber had already pierced through his abdomen, covered in fresh blood.


    "Shuiyan, you..."


    Yi Shuiyan said with a cold smirk, "Master, you wanted to leave me here to die while you make your escape, huh! Did you really think I would be so easily deceived? You are the Master, you are my elder, you should be taking care of your disciple. Don¡¯t worry, after you die, I will make sure the Dangyang Sect flourishes and will not fail your expectations."


    "You..." Zhu Jin trembled, pointing at him with a deathly pale face, "You unfilial disciple, you dare to..."


    "Enough, save your breath; might as well conserve your energy, you might still have a chance to escape." After saying that, Yi Shuiyan turned around and chased in the direction that Ling Chen had left.


    Watching Yi Shuiyan¡¯s retreating figure, Zhu Jin tried to move his feet to follow, but the moment he moved, he aggravated the wound in his abdomen, causing unbearable pain.


    Roar!


    At this point, whether it was the smell of blood that provoked them or not, the eyes of Jiang Yunkai and Bai Huanjun became more ferocious, and they stepped closer towards Zhu Jin.


    "No... don¡¯t... don¡¯t kill me!"


    Zhu Jin staggered backward, with blood dripping through his fingertips, drop by drop, onto the ground.


    Roar!


    Amid the roar, Jiang Yunkai and Bai Huanjun simultaneously pounced, pinning Zhu Jin to the ground.


    For a moment, the entire corridor was filled with Zhu Jin¡¯s screams.


    ...


    Following the way back from the base, Ling Chen could only hear Liu Dongsheng¡¯s voice, "Mr. Ling, this way."


    Ling Chen quickly hastened his pace, making his way over in a few quick steps. After meeting with everyone, Hu Fei nced behind Ling Chen and asked, "Where are Kai and the others?"


    Ling Chen shook his head, helplessly saying, "I found them, but I couldn¡¯t bring them out."


    "Why?"


    "They... I¡¯m not sure what¡¯s happened to them, they¡¯re acting like wild beasts now,pletely lost to their own nature. I was lucky to have escaped in time; otherwise, I would have lost my life to them."


    "Forget it!" Hu Fei sighed and said, "Since it¡¯s like this, let¡¯s not worry about them for now. Oh, and I just received a message from Zhou Jun; he told us to evacuate as soon as possible."


    "What about them?"


    "The people from Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion and Secret Society will stay behind to cover our retreat. We don¡¯t need to worry about them."


    "Then let¡¯s go."


    Saying that, Ling Chen took Nanrong Wanqing from Kaelina¡¯s hands and quickly headed towards the outskirts of Yinan Vige.


    Reaching the parking spot, the group immediately got into the car, driving straight for Changling City.


    However, just as they were about to leave the vicinity of Yinan Vige, Ling Chen suddenly noticed several SUVs heading their way. Moreover, these vehicles were advancing in a fan-shaped formation, seemingly intending to block their path.

 Chapter 592 - 589: Rescuing Wanqing

    <h4>Chapter 592: Chapter 589: Rescuing Wanqing</h4><h4></h4>


    "That looks like... Tang Guoxiong¡¯s men." Hu Fei¡¯splexion changed, and he hurriedly called out, "Elder Liu, don¡¯t let them surround us, run now."


    Liu Dongsheng nodded and immediately shifted into reverse, pulling the car out from the encirclement of several off-road vehicles.


    However, Tang Guoxiong had no intention of letting them go and kept driving the off-road vehicles in pursuit, relentlessly chasing after them.


    Hu Fei could not help but curse, "Is that guy sick or something? Instead of going after the real bad guys, he¡¯s stubbornly targeting us."


    Ling Chen nced at the car window behind him and said, "I can¡¯t understand why those above would appoint such a person to watch over Lonely Wolf. He¡¯s ruined what was once a good organization."


    Hu Fei looked around and his eyes suddenly lit up, he said with a mischievous grin, "Ling Chen, I say... why don¡¯t we take this opportunity to get rid of him for good? No one will know. What do you think?"


    Upon hearing Hu Fei¡¯s suggestion, and you know what, Ling Chen was truly tempted for a moment.


    But that was it, just tempted. He quickly dismissed the idea in his mind.


    With so many members by Tang Guoxiong¡¯s side, eliminating the possibility of information leaking would require dealing with all of those men, something he definitely could not do.


    "Boss Liu, find a way to shake them off."


    "Okay." Liu Dongsheng responded with a nod, immediately flooring the elerator.


    Ling Chen was clear in his mind, if Tang Guoxiong knew he was in this car, he certainly wouldn¡¯t let the matter rest.


    Liu Dongsheng was an excellent driver, and with the winding narrow roads surrounding Yinan Vige that were in poor condition, it wasn¡¯t long before they had left those off-road vehicles far behind.


    A little over two hourster, the group drove back to a hotel in Changling City.


    Back in the hotel room, Ling Chen put Nanrong Wanqing on the bed and asked with concern, "How are you feeling, are you tired?"


    Nanrong Wanqing spoke softly, "I¡¯m fine, you¡¯ve been tired for so long, you should rest early."


    Ling Chen shook his head and said, "The people from Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion and Secret Society haven¡¯t returned yet, I need to wait for them." After speaking, Ling Chen looked at Nanrong Wanqing and asked, "During your time at the base, you really don¡¯t remember anything they did to you?"


    "I have no recollection."


    "Then forget it, you rest first, I¡¯ll go check the room next door."


    "Mm."


    Arriving at the room where Hu Fei and the others were staying, Ling Chen saw Liu Dongsheng and Kaelina, and everyone¡¯s expressions were rather grim. After all, although they had safely escaped back, Jiang Yunkai and Bai Huanjun were left behind at the base, their fate uncertain, and it was unclear what they would face.


    "Fatty."


    Ling Chen went up to Hu Fei, pointed at Liu Dongsheng resting on the sofa, and asked softly, "Who is he, really?"


    "Why do you ask that?"


    "Just curious."


    Hu Fei waved his hand and said, "You better not ask. I promised him I would never reveal his former identity."


    Seeing him say this, Ling Chen no longer pressed on.


    After waiting around in the room for about half an hour, Sang Ji, Zhou Qi, and Zhou Jun finally returned.


    Fortunately, although everyone looked tired, no one was injured, and it was an escape with their whole bodies.


    "Mr. Sang Ji, Elder Zhou, are all your people alright?" Ling Chen came forward and asked.


    The operation had relied heavily on the help of Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion and Secret Society. Without their involvement, diverting arge number of enemies above, he would not have been able to infiltrate the base so easily and rescue Nanrong Wanqing.


    "We¡¯re fine, just some minor injuries. Mr. Ling, has everyone been rescued?"


    "There are two friends who couldn¡¯t be brought out." With that, Ling Chen recounted the situations they had encountered inside the base.


    "Is that so?" Zhou Qi eximed in surprise.


    Zhou Jun curiously asked, "What kind of experiment could turn a person into that? If it¡¯s really like what you said, isn¡¯t that too twisted? Who would be able to stand against the God Organization in the future?"


    "That¡¯s what I¡¯m thinking too. However, I believe that even though the experiment is twisted, the God Organization hasn¡¯t fully mastered it yet. Otherwise, Jiang Yunkai and the others wouldn¡¯t have ended up in that condition."


    As they talked, Ling Chen thought of Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s father, Nanrong Yuan, who previously went by the alias Mr. Yun.


    Undoubtedly, Nanrong Yuan had used some method to hide all the secret information he had grasped within Nanrong Wanqing. The God Organization must have found rted information from her this time, which is why they were able to carry out such experiments.


    However, since Nanrong Yuan was shot and has been in aa since then, if he were to regain consciousness, he might be able to tell Ling Chen about the contents of those secrets.


    "Regardless, at least Miss Nanrong has been rescued," Zhou Qi said. "Mr. Ling, if there¡¯s nothing else, we should leave now. I still have to report the situation here to the Pavilion Master."


    "I will leave as well," said Sang Ji.


    "Okay." Ling Chen nodded, said with cupped hands, "I deeply appreciate everyone¡¯s efforts this time. My thanks can¡¯t be expressed in words. If there¡¯s anything you need help with in the future, just ask, and I won¡¯t refuse."


    "Don¡¯t mention it."


    After some pleasantries, Ling Chen escorted Sang Ji and the others out of the room.


    As soon as the door closed, Hu Fei immediately asked, "Why did you let them go? Kai and the others haven¡¯t been rescued yet. Are you really going to disregard their well-being?"


    Ling Chen replied helplessly, "You think I want to let them leave? They¡¯ve already done me a huge favor; I can¡¯t brazenly make more demands. Besides, to help rescue Wanqing, they even deployed a master from the Heavenly List. That they would do this much is already showing me great face. How could I have the nerve to ask them to stay?"


    Liu Dongsheng chimed in, "Mr. Ling is right."


    "What about Kai and the others?"


    "We can only rely on ourselves now. Furthermore, the situation with Jiang Yunkai and the others isplex. Even if they are rescued, it¡¯s pointless if they can¡¯t return to normal. In my view, we must take things slowly and not rush. Fatty, start by finding a way to gather some information."


    "Got it. I¡¯ll get on it right away."


    "Miss Kaelina, Elder Liu, after dawn tomorrow,e with me for another visit to Yinan Vige. With such a major incident tonight, the God Organization will certainly take some action. Perhaps we can find some clues at the scene."


    "Okay." Kaelina and Liu Dongsheng both agreed.


    After arranging everything, Ling Chen returned to his room alone.


    Inside the room, Nanrong Wanqing sat quietly on the bed, not resting and lost in thought.


    Hearing the door, Nanrong Wanqing lifted her head and saw Ling Chen walking towards her. She asked, "Did you already know who my father was?"


    Ling Chen was slightly taken aback, not expecting Nanrong Wanqing to ask such a question.


    Could it be... that she already knew Mr. Yun¡¯s true identity?


    This chapter is updated by freew(e)bnovel.(c)om

 Chapter 593 - 590: Returning to Yinan Village

    <h4>Chapter 593: Chapter 590: Returning to Yinan Vige</h4><h4></h4>


    "Wanqing, I..." Ling Chen looked at Nanrong Wanqing, unsure of what to say for a moment.


    "Why are you hiding it from me?"


    Faced with Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s questioning, Ling Chen pondered for a moment before saying, "Wanqing, it¡¯s not that I intended to keep it from you, it¡¯s just...some things I fear you can¡¯t ept right away. After all, these matters are tooplicated, you..."


    "What about me? He¡¯s my father; shouldn¡¯t I know about his affairs?"


    Seeing Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s growing agitation, Ling Chen took her small hand into hisrger one and said, "I know you¡¯ll be angry with me, and I don¡¯t want to say that I did this for your own good. From my perspective, doing this seemed like the best approach, but I never considered your feelings, which is my mistake."


    "My father...where is he? Can you take me to see him?"


    "This..." Ling Chen hesitated for a moment and then, shaking his head, said, "It¡¯s better not to see him for now. He was injuredst time and is still recovering. I¡¯ll take you to see him once he¡¯s all better."


    "Injured?" Nanrong Wanqing asked anxiously, "Is it serious?"


    "Don¡¯t worry, it¡¯s nothing major."


    Ling Chen did not dare tell Nanrong Wanqing the truth, for fear she would worry. Nanrong Yuan¡¯s condition was highly unstable at present, and there was a very real possibility he would be vegetative. Furthermore, Nanrong Yuan was being watched and supervised by Lonely Wolf. Previously, he could visit Nanrong Yuan at Lonely Wolf¡¯s convenience, but not anymore.


    Now that the old General had vited military rules, even Han Bing and Tang Yuan had been captured, and Lonely Wolf had be a force controlled solely by Tang Guoxiong. He could no longer enter as easily as before.


    "Ling Chen, tell me... why won¡¯t my dad acknowledge me?" Nanrong Wanqing lowered her head, ying with the hem of her clothes, her delicate face tinged with worry.


    Seeing her like this, Ling Chen fully understood her thoughts and reassured her, "Don¡¯t overthink it; I can tell you that your father has always cared about you. In his heart, he¡¯s always seen you as his cherished daughter; he told me this himself. It¡¯s just that for some personal reasons, he¡¯s afraid of implicating you, so he dares not acknowledge you."


    Hearing this, Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s frown rxed considerably.


    "Ling Chen, since you¡¯re so close to my dad, tell me, is he a good person or a bad person?"


    "This...I believe that whether he is good or bad, to you, he remains your father; that¡¯s an unchangeable fact. You don¡¯t need to think too much, just remember that he is your father." Before Nanrong Wanqing could say anything more, Ling Chen continued, "Alright, stop worrying so much. Get some rest now, we have a lot to do tomorrow."


    After getting Nanrong Wanqing to sleep, Ling Chen leaned back against the headboard, looking down at the sleeping Nanrong Wanqing cradled in his arms, his clear eyes filled with affection.


    Nanrong Yuan...such a headache!


    Ling Chen sighed internally. With what Nanrong Yuan had done, even if he didn¡¯t die, he would have to spend the rest of his life in jail.


    There was no way around it, consequences must follow mistakes.


    The next day.


    Early in the morning, Ling Chen drove Nanrong Wanqing to the airport in Changling City.


    At that moment, Nanrong Hao and Jiang Hao were both waiting at the airport. Last night, Ling Chen called Nanrong Haost-minute to have theme to Changling City early to take Nanrong Wanqing back home.


    There were still unresolved matters in Changling City, so Ling Chen had to stay. Currently, Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s legs were not mobile, and with no spare manpower to look after her, sending her back to East Sea City was the best choice.


    After meeting with Nanrong Hao and Jiang Hao at the airport, Ling Chen gave them a few words of caution. Only after watching them enter the departure gate did Ling Chen turn to leave, heading back to the hotel.


    Before eight o¡¯clock in the morning, Hu Fei and his group had already made preparations to depart.


    Hu Fei, adept atputer use, remained in the hotel to provide information support for Ling Chen and hispanions.


    Once again arriving outside Yinan Vige, Ling Chen parked the car and, along with Liu Dongsheng and Kaelina, walked towards a nearby hillside. Surveying thendscape, he took in the entire vige at a nce.


    Looking around, the traces ofst night¡¯s battle could still be seen throughout the vige, visible everywhere. However, there were no bodies to be seen, leaving one to wonder who had taken care of them. Furthermore, outside Yinan Vige, Ling Chen also spotted over ten patrolling men in suits, all members of the Lonely Wolf.


    Since Lonely Wolf¡¯s men were here, it meant that God Organization had already evacuated.


    After observing for a while, Ling Chen pointed to the burnt bamboo grove next to Yinan Vige and said, "Let¡¯s go in and take a look."


    "I¡¯ll stay outside," Kaelina suggested. "This way, I can notify you if there¡¯s any special situation."


    Ling Chen nodded and slid down the hillside. In no time, the two of them managed to avoid the patrolling men in suits and reached the entrance to the base.


    Afterst night¡¯s fire, the bamboo grove surrounding the entrance had been turned to ashes, with burned debris everywhere, concealing the entrance. Ling Chen took a quick look and mentally noted "good." Tang Guoxiong and his men probably hadn¡¯t discovered this base¡¯s location yet, as there were no signs of anyone entering or exiting.


    Lifting the steel te, Ling Chen took the lead and entered the base through the entrance.


    Walking through the quiet corridors, Ling Chen looked around carefully, not daring to be careless, not knowing if any danger remained.


    Along the way, Ling Chen encountered quite a few bodies, lying in all positions in the corridors, some still breathing faintly. However, as soon as Ling Chen lifted them up to ask questions, those people breathed theirst.


    "Mr. Ling, look over there."


    Suddenly, Liu Dongsheng noticed something and called out.


    Ling Chen turned his head and his expression changed immediately. To his surprise, he found a severely mutted corpse lying ahead. However, from the clothes and facial features, Ling Chen could still recognize the person¡¯s identity.


    Zhu Jin!


    Sect Leader of the Dangyang Sect.


    He was actually dead... Ling Chen was astonished.


    Looking at the ferocious wounds left on his body, they likely resulted from the attacks of Jiang Yunkai and Bai Huanjun.


    Eh!


    What¡¯s this?


    Suddenly, the sharp-eyed Ling Chen noticed a neat wound on Zhu Jin¡¯s abdomen, one that didn¡¯t seem to be caused by brute force, but by a sharp weapon.


    Judging by the size of the wound and the surrounding marks, Ling Chen unconsciously thought of the steel knife used by Yi Shuiyan, as the size of the wound matched the de perfectly.


    Moreover, with Ling Chen¡¯s medical experience, this wound was the fatal one. The other injuries were mostly inflicted after Zhu Jin died.


    Tsk tsk!


    Who would have thought that Zhu Jin was betrayed by his own disciple?


    Immediately, Ling Chen took out his cell phone and photographed Zhu Jin¡¯s body. Seeing his actions, Liu Dongsheng asked in confusion, "Mr. Ling, what are you doing?"


    "Collecting evidence," Ling Chen replied offhandedly.

 Chapter 594 - 591: Trapped in the Base

    <h4>Chapter 594: Chapter 591: Trapped in the Base</h4><h4></h4>


    After taking photos of the corpse, Ling Chen and Liu Dongsheng continued to move forward, first visiting the main control room and finding, as expected, that it was deserted with all hard drives destroyed and devices shut down.


    Having spent over half an hour, the two searched the entire base but found no clues, including the whereabouts of Jiang Yunkai and Bai Huanjun. However, this gave Ling Chen some relief.


    No bodies of Jiang Yunkai and Bai Huanjun were found in the base, which suggested they were still alive and had likely been taken away by the God Organization.


    Although Jiang Yunkai and Bai Huanjun had mutated, the God Organization also had a master from the Heavenly List, Ji Gang. Capturing Jiang Yunkai and the rest was not difficult with him involved.


    Watching Ling Chen searching everywhere, Liu Dongsheng asked, "Mr. Ling, what are you looking for?"


    "A secret passage," Ling Chen exined. "Last night when we left, Tang Guoxiong¡¯s people had just arrived, if the God Organization¡¯s people evacuated at that time, they would definitely run into Tang Guoxiong¡¯s men. However, as we¡¯ve seen, Tang Guoxiong¡¯s subordinates are all unharmed, untouched by any attacks, yet everyone from this base has vanished. It¡¯s clear, there must be a secret passage in this base leading somewhere else. If we can find the location of this passage, perhaps we can trace where Jiang Yunkai and the others have gone."


    Hearing this, Liu Dongsheng looked at the time and said, "It¡¯s still early, how about we split up and search, to save some time."


    Ling Chen nodded: "Sounds good, just be careful on your own."


    After separating from Liu Dongsheng, Ling Chen returned to the main control room. Looking at all the unused equipment, Ling Chen suddenly remembered the key he had snatched from the main control room the day before.


    Immediately, he searched his pocket, found the key, walked over to a device, inserted it, and gently turned it. Instantly, all theputers in the control room turned on and data went back online.


    Heh!


    Ling Chen smiled secretly to himself, surprised that this key had such a function to control all the equipment in the main control room.


    Little did he know, this key not only controlled the base¡¯s defense system but also activated the entire base¡¯s backup power supply, serving as a contingency measure.


    As the machinery all started up, Ling Chen took out his cellphone and dialed Hu Fei¡¯s number¡ªthis kind of thing still relied on Hu Fei.


    Following Hu Fei¡¯s instructions, Ling Chen set up thework, allowing Hu Fei to remotely control these devices. Once the connection was sessful, Ling Chen lifted his hands from the keyboard. Now, everything was under Hu Fei¡¯s control to see if he could find any useful clues.


    Minutes passed, and Hu Fei¡¯s voice came from the loudspeaker in the main control room: "Ling Chen, those guys erased all the data before they left, no useful information was found."


    "There should be an escape route in this base, can you help me find it?"


    "Hold on."


    A momentter, Hu Fei¡¯s voice came again: "I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ll have to disappoint you, I¡¯ve searched the entire facility of the base and there are no escape routes." He paused, then added, "I can be hundred percent certain."


    Impossible!


    Ling Chen internally frowned. With so many staff at this base, they couldn¡¯t have vanished into thin air; there must be another way out.


    "Fatty, please check again carefully, maybe you missed something," Ling Chen said unwillingly.


    "I¡¯ve checked it three times already."


    While talking, Ling Chen¡¯s cell phone suddenly rang.


    Taking out his phone, Ling Chen saw it was Kaelina calling¡ªhe quickly answered, asking, "What¡¯s wrong?"


    "Tang Guoxiong has arrived, he brought arge force and is now searching that bamboo forest."


    "Can we still get out?"


    "I¡¯m afraid there¡¯s no chance now, they¡¯ve already found the entrance to the base. You better find a ce to hide, they have more people and firepower, don¡¯t confront them directly."


    "Understood."


    After hanging up, Ling Chen immediately contacted Liu Dongsheng to have him get to the main control room quickly. When Liu Dongsheng arrived, Ling Chen watched through the surveince footage as Tang Guoxiong brought his people, and couldn¡¯t help but frown.


    It seemed Tang Guoxiong had requested local support, bringing several members of the Flying Tiger Team, all fully armed, together with the unregistered personnel of Lonely Wolf, totaling around forty to fifty people.


    "They are about to reach the main control room," Liu Dongsheng said in a solemn voice.


    Ling Chen nodded, hesitating for a moment, then put his hand on a red button and pressed it lightly downwards. In a sh, the entire base¡¯s defense system was reactivated, with thick explosion-proof doors descending and sealing all core areas of the base.


    "All set."


    Watching Tang Guoxiong and the others being blocked outside, Ling Chen breathed a sigh of relief. Regardless, at least they were temporarily safe.


    "Hey! Ling Chen, have you gone mad? The base¡¯s defense setup has been triggered, they can¡¯t get in, and you can¡¯t think of getting out either. Do you really want to be trapped in there forever?"


    Hearing Hu Fei¡¯s voiceing through, Ling Chen replied, "What else can we do? They¡¯re so many and well equipped, we can¡¯t just confront them head-on. This base should have plenty of food and water archived, don¡¯t worry about us. Oh! Fatty, contact Kaelina and see if she cane up with a n to lure Tang Guoxiong and his men away."


    "Okay."


    More than ten minutester, Hu Fei¡¯s voice came through the loudspeaker of the main control room again: "Ling Chen, things might have gottenplicated."


    "What happened?"


    "I¡¯ve just received a message from Miss Kaelina, the military has stationed in Yinan Vige."


    "The military?" Ling Chen¡¯s heart sank.


    "Fatty, how many people havee?"


    "I¡¯m not exactly sure, but Miss Kaelina said it¡¯s not less than two hundred people, even armored vehicles were brought in. Look, Ling Chen, you probably can¡¯t leave from there anymore."


    Ling Chen pondered for a moment and asked, "Is there any surveince connected to the outside here?"


    "Yes."


    As soon as Hu Fei finished speaking, a screen disyed a scene with more than ten military trucks slowly arriving and stopping around Yinan Vige. Then, soldiers in uniforms carrying weapons began jumping down from the trucks.


    As these soldiers arrived, everyone immediately got busy, setting up tents and establishing a temporarymand post. In just over ten minutes, Yinan Vige had turned into a temporary military zone, with strict guards and sentinels around.


    This is bad!


    Ling Chen frowned. With the military stationing in Yinan Vige, the base would definitely be tightly controlled, and by then, they wouldn¡¯t have any chance of leaving.


    "Ling Chen, what do we do now?"


    "Let Kaelina go back and meet up with you, make sure Tang Guoxiong doesn¡¯t find her. We¡¯ll stay here for now and see if there¡¯s any chance to escape."

 Chapter 595 - 592: Small Harvest

    <h4>Chapter 595: Chapter 592: Small Harvest</h4><h4></h4>


    Ling Chen was indeed a bit frustrated. He originally came to search for the whereabouts of Jiang Yunkai and Bai Huanjun, but who knew he would encounter such an incident, resulting in being trapped inside the base.


    "Ling Chen."


    Hearing Hu Fei¡¯s voice, Ling Chen asked, "What is it?"


    "The signal corps outside is searching for the base¡¯s channel. They probably want to talk to you. Should I patch the signal through?"


    "Go ahead, I want to hear what they have to say."


    It wasn¡¯t long before Tang Guoxiong¡¯s voice came through the loudspeaker of the control room: "Everyone inside,e out and surrender immediately, and I can ensure your safety."


    Ling Chen shook his head and smiled wryly, signaling Liu Dongsheng to respond. He had had dealings with Tang Guoxiong before, and the other party would definitely recognize his voice, so it was safer to let Liu Dongsheng do the talking.


    Taking the cue from Ling Chen, Liu Dongsheng said, "What if we refuse to surrender?"


    "Then you¡¯ll never get out."


    "No problem, if we can¡¯t get out, you can¡¯t get in either."


    "Fine, I will let you know what it¡¯s like to oppose me." After speaking, Tang Guoxiong angrily cut off themunication.


    "Boss Liu, let¡¯s rest for a while. It looks like we can¡¯t leave for the time being," Ling Chen said.


    Exiting the control room, Ling Chen walked around. As expected, in a spacious room, he found arge supply of water and food, enough tost them two or three months.


    After the activation of the base¡¯s defense system, the core areas were sealed off, including the control room, theboratory, and an equipment management room. Inside there were not only weapons but also a variety of equipment.


    As Ling Chen was browsing, his eyes suddenly lit up. Among the pile of equipment, he actually found the Tianling de. The God Organization had confiscated it back at the backup base, and he hadn¡¯t been able to retrieve it. He never expected them to transport the Tianling de here, a pleasant surprise indeed.


    Besides the Tianling de, he also found He Ziyun¡¯s steel sword.


    Finally, there was a suitable weapon at hand.


    After securing the Tianling de, Ling Chen, holding He Ziyun¡¯s steel sword, headed straight back to the control room.


    Just after taking a seat, Hu Fei¡¯s voice came through the speaker: "Ling Chen, we have a problem."


    "What¡¯s the problem?"


    "Someone has entered the system just now."


    Hearing this, Ling Chen sat up straight and asked, "Are you sure?"


    "There¡¯s no mistake," Hu Fei stated. "I¡¯ve taken over the entire base system and set up threeyers of firewalls. If someone was to break in, I would definitely notice. However, I just checked, and there is no trace of firewall intrusion."


    "Then how did the other party get into the system?"


    "If it was via remotework, they couldn¡¯t bypass the firewalls I set up unless they connected through the internalwork."


    "Internalwork?" A thought urred to Ling Chen, and he said, "You mean... there are other people inside this base aside from the two of us?"


    "Exactly."


    "Impossible." Liu Dongsheng chimed in, "We¡¯ve already searched and found no one. The base is only so big; we couldn¡¯t have missed anyone."


    "Nothing is absolute. It¡¯s best that you check again," Hu Fei reminded them.


    "Okay, I got it."


    Ending the call, Ling Chen and Liu Dongsheng searched again, leaving no corner unchecked. But after more than half an hour, they still found nothing. Not a person, not even a ghost shadow.


    "Mr. Ling, could Mr. Hu be mistaken?" Said Liu Dongsheng.


    Ling Chen thought for a moment and responded, "The fatty is always meticulous; he shouldn¡¯t make a mistake." As he spoke, a glint shed in Ling Chen¡¯s eyes, and he quickly returned to the control room.


    Seeing Ling Chen take down a fire ax from the wall, Liu Dongsheng asked puzzledly, "Mr. Ling, what are you doing?"


    Without a word, Ling Chen went straight to the side of the wire box in the control room, then raised the ax in his hand and chopped down fiercely.


    Bang!


    The cover of the wire box was immediately smashed by the ax, revealing all the wires inside.


    Ling Chen dropped the ax and crouched in front of the wire box, pulling out the wires one by one to differentiate them. Seizing the opportunity, he exined to Liu Dongsheng, "Hu Fei just mentioned that the intruder used the internalwork to enter the base¡¯s system. If it¡¯s an internalwork, it must be through a wired connection. All the lines in the control room converge here; if we can find the right cable, we can trace it back to the person who infiltrated the system."


    Liu Dongsheng pointed to the wires in the box and said, "These cables are buried in the walls, how are we supposed to find them?"


    "We have plenty of time, let¡¯s search slowly; there¡¯s no rush."


    For the next half-day, Ling Chen and Liu Dongsheng busied themselves sorting out the cables, looking for the ends of each one. Although those cables were buried in the walls, with the help of an ax, Ling Chen saved himself a lot of trouble.


    In one afternoon, Ling Chen cleared five cables, all of which were ruled out as suspects.


    "Mr. Ling, look at this."


    Hearing Liu Dongsheng¡¯s voice, Ling Chen approached the screen and raised his eyebrows slightly at the image on the monitor.


    In the surveince footage, Tang Guoxiong was seen leading more than a dozen soldiers, transporting a machine into the base. The machine was equipped with a huge drill bit, and by their demeanor, they were obviously nning to bore through the explosion-proof steel tes of the base.


    "Fatty, do you hear me?"


    "I¡¯m here, what¡¯s up?"


    "The machine they are using, is it possible for it to drill through the steel tes?"


    Hu Fei calcted for a moment on the other end and replied, "Sure, it can definitely drill through. But the protection devices in the base are made of special materials, very sturdy. By my estimate, they will need at least two to three days to get through."


    Ling Chen frowned; he was originally nning to hold out in a war of attrition against Tang Guoxiong. It seemed now that their time was very limited.


    ...


    For the next two days, Ling Chen and Liu Dongsheng were busy trying to find that person who had infiltrated the system.


    After several consecutive ax chops, a crack immediately opened in the wall. Liu Dongsheng grabbed the cable and pulled with force, dragging it out from inside the wall.


    "Mr. Ling, there seems to be something wrong with the arrangement of this cable."


    Ling Chen nodded; he also noticed the issue. This cable stretched towards the end of the corridor, where there was no room, just a wall. Installing a cable here seemed quite superfluous.


    After two days of hard work, there was finally some yield.


    The two of them dug along the cable all the way forward. At the end of the corridor, the cable suddenly changed direction, heading straight down underground.


    Seeing this, Ling Chen¡¯s gaze brightened, and he said with a smile, "Boss Liu, it seems my guess was not wrong. There is a secret passage hidden inside this base; those people must have escaped through here."

 Chapter 596 - 593: The True Base

    <h4>Chapter 596: Chapter 593: The True Base</h4><h4></h4>


    Having located the spot, Ling Chen and Liu Dongsheng searched the vicinity but found no mechanisms; even when they chopped at the walls with an axe, no hidden devices appeared.


    Seeing this, Ling Chen spat on his hands and rubbed them together, then said to Liu Dongsheng: "Boss Liu, let¡¯s not waste our energy searching anymore; let¡¯s just go in forcefully."


    Liu Dongsheng nodded, ran to a nearby spot, grabbed a fire axe, and joined Ling Chen in action. In no time, the floor was riddled with countless cracks.


    As the cracks grew, the floor began to cave in.


    ng!


    Suddenly, a crisp sound reached Ling Chen¡¯s ears. Hearing it, Ling Chen and Liu Dongsheng immediately stopped chopping and crouched down on the floor, peering inside. Instantly, they saw a thick steel te under the floor. With such a thick steel te equipped at the bottom of the floor, it was hard for anyone to believe there wasn¡¯t something amiss.


    "Ling Chen!"


    At this moment, Hu Fei¡¯s voice came through the speakers in the passage: "How are things on your side?"


    Ling Chen smiled and said, "We should have found the secret passage of the God Organization."


    "You better hurry up; Tang Guoxiong and his group will be able to drill through the st-proof steel te in at most an hour."


    Hearing Hu Fei¡¯s reminder, Ling Chen dropped the axe in his hand and said to Liu Dongsheng, "Boss Liu, you wait here, I¡¯ll be right back." After saying this, Ling Chen quickly ran to the equipment storage room at the base.


    Fortunately, the base had a lot of stored equipment of various kinds. In no time, Ling Chen found some suitable weapons and hurried back to Liu Dongsheng.


    "Detonating caps, fuses, bullets..." Liu Dongsheng took them one by one and said, "Mr. Ling, let me handle this."


    Ling Chen looked at Liu Dongsheng with some surprise; he had initially wanted to do it himself, but Liu Dongsheng was eager to take over. Ling Chen had searched the entire equipment storage room earlier and hadn¡¯t found any stic explosives, so they had to make a temporary one.


    Now, Liu Dongsheng pulled the bullets out of their casings and slowly poured out the gunpowder, a little adding up. Then, he found some suitable steel pipes, poured the gunpowder into them, and then connected the fuses and detonating caps properly. His calm andposed demeanor clearly showed his extensive experience.


    In less than half an hour, four bombs were made.


    Liu Dongsheng ced each of the bombs in the four corners of the steel te, and once everything was set up, the two immediately retreated to more than twenty meters away.


    Boom!


    A loud explosion followed, and the ground was immediately engulfed in mes. Even at twenty meters away, Ling Chen could still feel the st of the explosion.


    As the mes dissipated and the passage filled with thick smoke, the air was tainted with the acrid smell of gunpowder.


    Ling Chen and Liu Dongsheng quickly approached the sunken floor, only to see that the steel te at the bottom had blown open a hole. Though the hole wasn¡¯trge, it was just big enough to fit an adult.


    "I¡¯ll go down first." After speaking, Ling Chen carefully squeezed through the gap and jumped down.


    Ten secondster, having received Ling Chen¡¯s signal, Liu Dongsheng immediately followed.


    After passing through the gap, Liu Dongsheng walked up to Ling Chen, nced around at the surroundings, and asked, "Mr. Ling, is this ce..."


    Before Liu Dongsheng could finish, Ling Chen shot him a deep look, corners of his mouth carrying a faint smile, and said with an underlying meaning, "Boss Liu, we might have hit the jackpot."


    "Hit the jackpot?" Liu Dongsheng was stunned for a moment, not immediately grasping Ling Chen¡¯s implication.


    Ling Chen pointed to the passages ahead and behind, as well as the walls on both sides, and said, "I originally thought this ce was an escape tunnel for the base, but now it seems, this ce is probably more than just that. Look at these walls, all built with steel tes, whether the ground or other ces, all meticulouslyid out. If this were merely an escape route, would there be a need to make it this borate?"


    "You mean..." Liu Dongsheng suddenly seemed to realize something, his eyes shing with surprise.


    "Below here is the true base of the God Organization; the surface is just a disguise," said Ling Chen.


    Truthfully, Ling Chen admired the people of the God Organization for being able to construct such a massive building beneath this. It must have taken an enormous amount of manpower and resources. If they hadn¡¯t stumbled upon this ce by mistake, no one would have suspected that the real base was actually hidden below. No wonder they had not discovered where those people had gone before; it turned out they had all run down here.


    "Boss Liu, let¡¯s be careful."


    Liu Dongsheng nodded, and followed Ling Chen as they walked forward into the passageway.


    After about several tens of meters, arge door appeared at the end of the passage. Liu Dongsheng nced at it several times, then suddenly stopped, saying, "I remember this ce."


    Hearing this, Ling Chen expressed surprise: "You remember?"


    "If I¡¯m not mistaken, our current location should be underneath that mountain."


    Mountain?


    Upon Liu Dongsheng¡¯s reminder, Ling Chen immediately recalled. Yinan Vige was built against a mountain, and that mountain peak was right underneath them.


    To think they¡¯d built the base inside a mountain.


    Ling Chen inwardly clicked his tongue, gaining a deeper understanding of the vast power of the God Organization.


    Arriving at the door, Liu Dongsheng knocked here and there, then pulled out several pieces of wire, inserting them through the door¡¯s gap. It wasn¡¯t long before a soft sound came from inside the door. Immediately after, Liu Dongsheng stuck his hands into the door gap and forcefully pushed both sides, causing the door to open immediately.


    Passing through the door, Ling Chen and Liu Dongsheng stood in a spacious, brightly-lit corridor, their eyes showing a trace of astonishment as they looked at the transparent ss on both sides.


    Behind that transparent ss stood numerous containers, each about two meters tall, filled with a light yellow liquid. Within the liquid, soaked various oddly shaped people, mostly deformed, giving off a rather disgusting feel.


    "What is this?" Liu Dongsheng asked.


    "These are probably failed experiments," Ling Chen frowned, puzzled why the people of the God Organization would ce these things at the entrance. Could the head of this base be a pervert?


    In the midst of his rapid thoughts, Ling Chen suddenly heard footsteps not far away.


    Without a moment¡¯s hesitation, Ling Chen and Liu Dongsheng quickly ran to a corner, concealing their tracks. Before long, several men and women in white coats passed by. Each was holding a document, walking and chatting, discussing something with excited expressions.


    Watching these people walk away, Ling Chen stood up, looking at the backs of those in white coats, his face disying a serious expression.


    When those people had passed by moments ago, Ling Chen had faintly heard the content of their conversation, which seemed to be rted to Jiang Yunkai and Bai Huanjun. It was evident that both Jiang Yunkai and Bai Huanjun had been brought here.

 Chapter 597 - 594: False Identity

    <h4>Chapter 597: Chapter 594: False Identity</h4><h4></h4>


    Looking at Ling Chen, who was deep in thought and silent, Liu Dongsheng asked, "Mr. Ling, what should we do next?"


    "Jiang Yunkai and his group are all here; we¡¯ve found the right ce, but..." At this point, a trace of worry appeared in Ling Chen¡¯s clear pupils.


    "But what?"


    "Boss Liu, you don¡¯t need toe in with meter. Tang Guoxiong and his people will soon destroy the protection devices above the base. It won¡¯t be long before they discover this ce. Find a safe ce to hide, and once Tang Guoxiong enters here, look for an opportunity to escape."


    "What about you?"


    "I¡¯ll stay behind to see if there¡¯s any chance to rescue Jiang Yunkai and Bai Huanjun."


    Liu Dongsheng shook his head and said, "How can that be eptable?"


    Ling Chen patted Liu Dongsheng¡¯s shoulder and seriously said, "Boss Liu, you¡¯ve already been a great help to me. There¡¯s no need for you to take risks with me. Follow my arrangement; if things be impossible, I¡¯ll find a way to escape."


    It wasn¡¯t that Ling Chen looked down on Liu Dongsheng¡¯s abilities, but rather he was considering Liu Dongsheng¡¯s safety. Since this was God Organization¡¯s main base, Ji Gang and the members of the Dangyang Sect surely were here. The Dangyang Sect was one thing, but the main concern was Ji Gang. With a master from the Heavenly List present, Ling Chen wasn¡¯t very confident. Hence, he didn¡¯t want to drag Liu Dongsheng into a risky situation.


    "Alright then."


    Seeing that Ling Chen was adamant, Liu Dongsheng didn¡¯t insist, but he cautioned, "Be careful yourself."


    After Liu Dongsheng left the way they came, Ling Chen immediately walked towards the direction of the several people in whiteb coats. Passing through a door, he stealthily slipped into an unupied office. Seeing several whiteb coats hanging on the wall, he casually pulled one on, then put on a face mask and picked up a file folder to carry in his hand.


    After disguising himself, Ling Chen opened the door and continued walking further inside.


    Before long, Ling Chen saw an elevator not far away. Since the main base was built inside the mountain, it definitely had more than one floor.


    However, there were two security guards by the elevator; to enter, one must pass their identity check.


    As the distance between him and the two security guards closed, Ling Chen looked around, constantly thinking of a n in his mind. Suddenly, his sharp eyes noticed a surveince camera beside the elevator. If he were to use force, it would definitely expose his movements.


    Havinge this far, turning back now would only arouse suspicion from the two guards.


    Sure enough, when Ling Chen arrived at the elevator entrance, the two security guards immediately reached out to stop him, signaling for him to take off his mask for inspection.


    Ling Chen nced at the surveince camera in the corner, feeling hesitant for the moment. If he took action by force, once his movements were exposed, he would definitely be pursued by Ji Gang.


    Just as Ling Chen was at a loss, a piercing rm suddenly rang out in the base.


    What¡¯s going on?


    Before Ling Chen could react, a voice sounded through the base¡¯s broadcast, "All scientific personnel, please immediately proceed to the third-floorboratory, I repeat, all scientific personnel, please immediately proceed to the third-floorboratory."


    Apanied by the urgent voice, a burst of footsteps came from afar, quickly approaching from behind.


    Ling Chen turned to look and saw three or four scientific personnel in whiteb coats hastily arriving at the elevator entrance, pressing the elevator button directly.


    "Zhang He, what are you standing there for? Hurry up and get in."


    One of the scientists in a whiteb coat saw Ling Chen standing there dumbfounded and couldn¡¯t help but urge him.


    Zhang He?


    Hearing this unfamiliar name, Ling Chen was slightly startled. However, in just a second, he recovered from his stupor. The whiteb coat he was wearing had an ID badge attached to it, which had the name ¡¯Zhang He¡¯ written on it prominently.


    Immediately, Ling Chen swiftly responded and squeezed past the two security guards into the elevator. Perhaps due to the emergency situation, the two security guards only gave Ling Chen a nce without hindering him.


    As the elevator doors closed, Ling Chen secretly breathed a sigh of relief, happy that his luck held and his identity wasn¡¯t exposed.


    Inside the elevator, several researchers were discussing the possible emergency situation, but Ling Chen remained silent, afraid that speaking up would give his identity away.


    "Zhang He, why aren¡¯t you saying anything?"


    Despite that, Ling Chen¡¯s odd behavior still drew the attention of the others.


    Seeing everyone¡¯s gaze on him, Ling Chen deliberately lowered his voice, disguising his tone: "I¡¯ve caught a cold, my throat is a bit sore."


    "Take care of yourself," one of the researchers kindly advised. "After we finish up here, make sure to get some rest. Don¡¯t wear yourself down."


    Ling Chen nodded and fell silent again.


    Ding!


    As the elevator reached its destination, Ling Chen followed behind the group, moving toward theboratory with careful steps.


    However, when the group arrived at the entrance to theboratory, they were stopped by several security guards.


    "Wait outside for now. The situation inside is very dangerous. We¡¯ll let you in after we¡¯ve handled it."


    During this exchange, more than ten fully armed security guards arrived at theboratory entrance and filed in. Ling Chen noticed that instead of lethal weapons, the guards were all carrying stun batons.


    After the guards entered theboratory, before long there were intermittent ¡¯thump, thump¡¯ sounds as if something was smashing against the walls.


    The chaossted for about ten minutes before theboratory gradually quieted down.


    At that moment, a few guards reached out through their wireless earpieces for updates and immediately opened theboratory door, rushing in. Soon after, they were seen carrying several horrifically mutted bodies out of theboratory.


    Ling Chen nced at them, frowning slightly¡ªthe bodies were those of the same security personnel who had entered theb with stun batons. Their deaths were extremely gruesome, covered in blood, some with their heads blown apart, indicating just how terrible the situation inside must have been.


    "Alright, you can go in now."


    Given permission by the security personnel, Ling Chen immediately followed the group in white coats into theboratory.


    Upon entering, his gaze was immediately drawn to Jiang Yunkai and Bai Huanjun.


    Just as he expected, they were indeed trapped here.


    At this moment, both Jiang Yunkai and Bai Huanjun had their hands and feet tied up with ropes, secured to the ground. However, due to their immense strength, they were continuously struggling,pelling the security guards to asionally shock them with stun batons, attempting to keep them subdued.


    "Zhang He, quickly administer the sedatives to them, and don¡¯t be stingy with the dosage."


    Hearing the voice of one of the researchers, Ling Chen didn¡¯t say another word, and swiftly went to the medicine cab, taking out two bottles of sedative and syringes.


    Fortunately, he had learned some medical skills before, so he was familiar with these simple procedures, and thus, no one suspected his identity.


    After administering the sedatives, Jiang Yunkai and Bai Huanjun finally calmed down and fell into a deep sleep.

 Chapter 598 - 595: Return to the Long Province

    <h4>Chapter 598: Chapter 595: Return to the Long Province</h4><h4></h4>


    With the help of several security personnel, everyone moved Jiang Yunkai and Bai Huanjun back onto the bed. They were originally secured with belts, but considering their abnormal strength, chains were used instead to tightly bind their hands and feet to prevent them from breaking free again.


    "Alright, there¡¯s nothing for you here now."


    A person in a whiteb coat waved their hand, signaling for all the security personnel in theboratory to withdraw.


    When only a few researchers remained in theboratory, Ling Chen visibly rxed. He nced at the others and asked, "What exactly is going on with these two?"


    "They are the first batch of test subjects. The experiment was still in its preliminary exploration phase and wasn¡¯t fully sessful, but the higher-ups insisted on trying it out, which resulted in creating two monsters. However, although their minds are greatly affected, their bodies hold significant research value. As long as we identify the cause of their mutations and make improvements, we can perfect our experimental procedures and produce sessful test subjects."


    After listening to one of the researchers, Ling Chen nodded slightly, then inquired, "Is there a chance they can revert to their original state?"


    That was the real concern for him; he didn¡¯t want his friends to remain monsters forever.


    "This will require further research; we can¡¯te to a conclusion just yet. However, as long as we find the cause, any mutant can be restored to their original state." The researcher then said, "Zhang He, don¡¯t ask too many questions for now, draw some blood samples from them and run some tests, and show me the resultster."


    "Alright." Ling Chenplied, drawing several milliliters of fresh blood from Jiang Yunkai and Bai Huanjun as instructed.


    After pretending to be busy for a while, Ling Chen walked straight to theboratory door and stepped out.


    "What are you doing?" asked a security officer outside.


    Ling Chen pointed towards the nearby restroom without saying a word. Seeing this, the security let him pass and Ling Chen proceeded to the restroom.


    Once inside the empty restroom, Ling Chen took off his mask and washed his face with cold water.


    Although he had used Zhang He¡¯s identity to deceive many, that identity wouldn¡¯tst long. As soon as the real Zhang He showed up, he would be immediately exposed, which is why he hurried out of theboratory to avoid being surrounded.


    Having located Jiang Yunkai and Bai Huanjun, he now just needed to find an escape route to rescue them.


    While pondering, Ling Chen took out his cellphone and checked the time; half an hour had passed. With the efficiency of Tang Guoxiong and his team, they should soon discover this main base.


    Once they arrived and diverted the attention of Ji Gang and the base¡¯s security personnel, he would be able to take action.


    Thinking this, Ling Chen found Hu Fei¡¯s phone number and dialed it. However, it seemed that the main base had blocked the signal, and his cellphone could not connect.


    Nevermind!


    He put away his phone and found a stall in the restroom where he could calmly wait for the right moment.


    ...


    Ten minutes passed in the blink of an eye.


    People came and went in the restroom, but no one noticed Ling Chen hiding in the stall.


    Bang!


    Suddenly, a loud noise came from below.


    Following that, the main base¡¯s rms red brightly, and a piercing sound filled the air.


    They¡¯re finally here!


    Sitting on the toilet seat, Ling Chen¡¯s eyes brightened, and he got up and walked to the restroom entrance, sneakily peering outside.


    At that moment, outside theboratory, several anxious security personnel were urging the researchers to evacuate quickly. Soon, the researchers in whiteb coats were seen pushing the beds carrying Jiang Yunkai and Bai Huanjun out of theboratory. Under the escort of several security officers, the group hurried towards the freight elevator.


    Trying to leave?


    Ling Chen¡¯s lips curled up into a faint smile. Immediately, he put his mask back on, quickly followed them, and rushed into the freight elevator.


    "Is it you again?"


    At this moment, one of the researchers pointed at Ling Chen and started shouting, "It¡¯s him impersonating Zhang He."


    "You¡¯re pretending to be me? Quick, arrest him."


    Hearing the shouts, Ling Chen finally noticed the presence of a strange man. So that was Zhang He!


    Seeing several security officers rushing towards him, Ling Chen didn¡¯t hesitate and swung his fists forcefully. It took less than ten seconds to take down all the security inside the freight elevator.


    In an instant, the researchers looked at Ling Chen fearfully, huddling in a corner, their faces pale, and not daring to move an inch.


    "Everyone stay put, and you might just spare your lives."


    As he finished speaking, the freight elevator reached the bottom floor. As the doors opened, Ling Chen gestured for the researchers to move Jiang Yunkai and Bai Huanjun out of the elevator, saying, "You should know the evacuation route, lead the way. And remember, don¡¯t try any tricks."


    The researchers meeklyplied, not daring to say a word, and hurriedly moved ahead through the hallway.


    With the researchers leading the way, Ling Chen saved a lot of time and hassle. After a few minutes in the corridor, the group arrived at a garage.


    Ling Chen scanned the area and walked directly to a Jeep Grand Cherokee. He opened the door, found the keys were still in the ignition, and the fuel tank was full.


    "Put them in the back seat."


    Under Ling Chen¡¯s direction, the researchers promptly moved Jiang Yunkai and Bai Huanjun into the car.


    "You!" Ling Chen pointed at the man called Zhang He and said, "You sit in the passenger seat."


    "Me?"


    "That¡¯s right, you. Less talking, hurry up and get in."


    Hearing Ling Chen¡¯s impatient urging, Zhang He dared not hesitate and reluctantly sat in the passenger seat.


    "You guys find your own way to escape."


    After speaking, Ling Chen got into the car, started the engine, and drove straight ahead. With Zhang He directing the way, Ling Chen didn¡¯t take long to sessfully escape the main base and arrived a kilometer north of Yinan Vige.


    There was a wild forest here, and the main base¡¯s escape tunnel was built inside it.


    Upon leaving the tunnel, Ling Chen took out his phone and called Liu Dongsheng to check on the situation on his side. Fortunately, just as he had arranged, Liu Dongsheng had slipped away when Tang Guoxiong led a raid on the main base.


    After hanging up, Ling Chen parked the car behind a hillside. After waiting for a few minutes, Liu Dongsheng quickly ran over from behind the hillside, opened the passenger door, and dragged Zhang He out.


    Once in the car, Liu Dongsheng nced at the back seat where Jiang Yunkai and Bai Huanjun were lying, his eyes brightened, and his previously furrowed brows finally rxed.


    "Let¡¯s go."


    Ling Chen nodded and immediately drove the SUV towards Changling City.


    Although the mission encountered some dys, overall, it was smooth, and fortunately, no one was lost. However, the situation with Tang Guoxiong was uncertain.

 Chapter 599 - 596: Pang Jiuling’s Phone Call

    <h4>Chapter 599: Chapter 596: Pang Jiuling¡¯s Phone Call</h4><h4></h4>


    Returning to Changling City, Ling Chen brought Liu Dongsheng, Hu Fei, and Kaelina to meet up, and the four of them switched to a single vehicle, taking Jiang Yunkai and Bai Huanjun with them as they headed along the highway towards East Sea City.


    Before departing, Ling Chen specifically instructed Hu Fei to prepare arge quantity of sedatives to prevent Jiang Yunkai and Bai Huanjun from regaining consciousness during the trip. With their current clouded minds, if they were to wake up, it was unknown how much trouble they could cause.


    After more than ten hours of driving, Ling Chen and hispanions finally reached East Sea City.


    Without regard for their fatigue, Ling Chen drove straight to the Old City area. When they arrived at the courierpany, Jiang Hao had already been waiting with his men at the entrance.


    After getting out of the car, everyone helped to carry Jiang Yunkai and Bai Huanjun down, passing through the courierpany, all the way to the backyard.


    "Jiang Hao, have you prepared everything I asked you to?" Ling Chen inquired.


    "Chen, rest assured. After receiving your call yesterday, I arranged for people to dig a big pit overnight. It¡¯s been lined with soundproof panels and should suffice for temporary use," Jiang Hao assured.


    Ling Chen nodded; he had confidence in Jiang Hao¡¯s ability to get things done.


    In the center of the courtyard was a two-meter wide hole, with adder ced inside. Around the hole, there were piles of freshly dug earth.


    With the help of Liu Dongsheng and Kaelina, Ling Chen gradually moved Jiang Yunkai and Bai Huanjun into the hole. At the bottom of the hole was a roughly thirty-square-meter space, the floor covered with wooden boards, and soundproof panels erected all around, creating a closed-off room.


    In one corner of the room, there were two makeshift beds put together.


    Ling Chen ced Jiang Yunkai and Bai Huanjun on the beds, then used thick chains to bind their hands and feet, securing them to the beds.


    "Fatso, you¡¯re going to have to work hard for a bit, keep a close watch on them and don¡¯t let them cause any trouble," Ling Chen instructed.


    His greatest concern at the moment was Jiang Yunkai and Bai Huanjun; he¡¯d already witnessed their destructive capabilities. Precisely for this reason, he had Jiang Hao dig out a dungeon underground, specifically to confine them.


    "Don¡¯t worry, leave it to me, nothing will go wrong," Hu Fei patted his chest, giving his word.


    After a pause, Hu Fei changed the subject, asking, "Ling Chen, it¡¯s not a long-term solution to just keep them locked up. We should think of a way to handle this."


    "I¡¯m aware of that. We¡¯ll keep them locked up for a few days, then I¡¯ll contact some people toe and help," Ling Chen replied.


    Coming out from the dungeon, Ling Chen wiped the sweat from his forehead and said, "These past few days have been tough on everyone, get some rest. Jiang Hao, seal up the hole, and you personally watch over it for me. This is no joking matter, no cking off."


    "Chen, I understand," Jiang Hao responded.


    Leaving the courierpany, Ling Chen did not go anywhere else, but instead, directly drove back to Wealthy Manor.


    Entering the vi, Ling Chen saw that there was no one in the living room, so he went upstairs to the bedroom. As expected, both Su Lin and Nanrong Hao were in Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s bedroom.


    "Wanqing."


    Looking at Nanrong Wanqing, who was half-reclining on the bed, Ling Chen felt an immense sense of heartache. He had thought that Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s legs hadpletely recovered, but unexpectedly the old injury had rpsed. It was all his fault for not being able to protect her, letting her suffer so much for no reason.


    Feeling the guilt in Ling Chen¡¯s eyes, Nanrong Wanqing extended her hand and gently ced it on the back of his, softly saying, "It¡¯s okay, I¡¯ve long been ustomed to this kind of life."


    "No, as long as I am here, I will not allow anything to happen to you. You should use that exoskeleton armor first..." As the words left his mouth, Ling Chen immediately realized that the exoskeleton armor specially made for Nanrong Wanqing had already been discarded at the base of the God Organization.


    "Su Lin, stay at home with Wanqing these next few days, don¡¯t go to thepany for now," Ling Chen instructed. "I¡¯ll figure out a way to get another set of exoskeleton armor."


    Nanrong Wanqing asked worriedly, "Will they give it to us?"


    Ling Chen replied with a smile, "Of course, they will. Don¡¯t forget, we¡¯ve signed a contract with them."


    In reality, he only said this tofort Nanrong Wanqing. If Lonely Wolf or the old General were still in charge, everything would be negotiable, but now it was Tang Guoxiong¡¯s world. Moreover, he was a wanted criminal at the moment¡ªshould he show himself, Tang Guoxiong would definitely arrest him without mercy.


    Aftering out of the room, Ling Chen sat on the sofa in the living room, pondering over the next steps in his n.


    A trip to Beijing was definitely on the cards, not only for the old General, Han Bing, and Tang Yuan, but also for that exoskeleton armor. He had once discussed with Jiang Yunkai about setting up a special force, equipping everyone with exoskeleton armor.


    However, while he possessed the technology to make the exoskeleton armor, hecked the materials and could only ¡¯borrow¡¯ some from Lonely Wolf.


    "Chen."


    At that moment, Nanrong Hao ran down from upstairs, holding his phone and said, "Someone is looking for you."


    "Looking for me?"


    Ling Chen took the phone, greeted with a "hello," and asked, "Who¡¯s this?"


    "It¡¯s me."


    Hearing the familiar voice, Ling Chen immediately recognized the person on the other end.


    Pang Jiulin, his former instructor at Phantom Special Forces, whoter joined Lonely Wolf. When he went to Cyprus for a mission a while back, it was in cooperation with Pang Jiulin.


    "Instructor Pang, how did you know Nanrong Hao¡¯s number?"


    "Your phone was unreachable, so I had to try other means to contact you. Anyway, that¡¯s not important right now¡ªyou better leave Nanrong Family as soon as possible. Tang Guoxiong has sent members of Lonely Wolf to look for you."


    "Where are you now?"


    "I¡¯ve just arrived in Yinan Vige. The situation here is quite serious. Tang Guoxiong has led people into a conflict with the God Organization, and the casualties are heavy. All members of Lonely Wolf have been called back. However, based on thetest information I got, key members of the God Organization have already evacuated, only some small fish were caught. Tang Guoxiong is ordering a search of the base."


    "I¡¯ve just got home, how did he know I¡¯m back in East Sea City?"


    "Tang Guoxiong is cunning and deceitful, he has long nted spies in East Sea City. Anyway, be careful. Times have changed; Lonely Wolf has now be his sole domain, with no one to restrain him. And I¡¯ve heard Tang Guoxiong has a strong backer; probably no one can touch him. The only way to bring him down is to find solid evidence."


    Evidence...


    Hearing Pang Jiulin¡¯s words, Ling Chen started to scheme.


    "Ling Chen, there¡¯s one more thing. Nanrong Yuan has woken up."


    "Woken up?" Ling Chen asked eagerly, "When did this happen?"


    "Yesterday. If it weren¡¯t for the situation in Yinan Vige, Tang Guoxiong would have already rushed back."


    "Right! Instructor Pang, how are the old General and the others?" This was the question Ling Chen cared most about.


    "The old General, Mr. Han, as well as Tang Yuan are all detained. Considering the old General¡¯s merits, they don¡¯t n to punish him; at most, they¡¯ll discharge him from military service and let him retire at home. But Mr. Han and Tang Yuan aren¡¯t so lucky, especially Tang Yuan. He secretly transported government property, which is a severe crime, and Tang Guoxiong probably won¡¯t let him off easily."

 Chapter 600 - 597: A Bad Idea

    <h4>Chapter 600: Chapter 597: A Bad Idea</h4><h4></h4>


    Ling Chen said in a low voice, "With so many old members of Lonewolf, isn¡¯t there anyone pleading for Old Tang?"


    "s!" Pang Jiulin let out a sigh and said, "Everyone who could have spoken has done so, but Tang Guoxiong doesn¡¯t buy it. Not only can no one plead for him, but if anyone speaks too much, it might arouse Tang Guoxiong¡¯s suspicion, making him think we¡¯re in cahoots with Tang Yuan."


    "Where are they being held now?"


    "Lonewolf Base."


    "Instructor Pang, I know your rules that no one is allowed to reveal any information about the Lonewolf Base to outsiders, but given our past rtionship, could you do me a favor?"


    "This..." Pang Jiulin said helplessly, "Ling Chen, it¡¯s not that I don¡¯t want to help you, but... I hope you can understand my difficulty."


    "I understand. Instructor Pang, anyway, thank you for the reminder."


    "Be careful yourself. Tang Guoxiong is looking for us, I¡¯m going to hang up."


    After hanging up the phone, Ling Chen threw the mobile phone to Nanrong Hao and then returned to the bedroom alone.


    It¡¯s not that he mes Pang Jiulin for not willing to help. As Pang Jiulin said, he was in danger himself within Lonewolf and nobody dared to make a mistake, for fear of giving Tang Guoxiong a handle.


    Thinking of Pang Jiulin¡¯s reminder, Ling Chen dared not take it lightly. His own status as a fugitive had not yet been cleared, and if he continued to stay at the Nanrong Family, he might implicate Nanrong Wanqing. He quickly packed a few clothes, greeted Nanrong Hao, and left Wealthy Manor with a backpack on his shoulders.


    For Ling Chen, as long as he was in East Sea City, he was not worried about not having a ce to stay.


    Just one phone call, and Jiang Hao and Zhao Zhengxiong would arrange everything properly.


    Leaving the Nanrong Family as expected, just like Pang Jiulin had said, Tang Guoxiong had arranged many spies. Along the way, there were at least two groups of people secretly tailing him, monitoring his whereabouts.


    After spending about an hour continuously switching buses and subways, walking through crowded ces, he finally managed to shake off the tails behind him.


    It wasn¡¯t long before Ling Chen returned to the courierpany in the Old City.


    Entering Hu Fei¡¯s office, he saw Hu Fei concentrating on theputer screen, carefully going through some files. What was rare was that there were no beauties apanying him today; the spacious office was silent, with only him in it.


    "Chubster."


    Hu Fei looked up at Ling Chen who came in and said, "You¡¯vee at the right time,e over here, and I¡¯ll show you something."


    Ling Chen walked over and asked, "What have you found?"


    Hu Fei, pointing at the content on the screen, said, "The hard drive you found from the backup base, I¡¯ve cracked it. This is all the confidential information stored inside. I just went through it, and most of it is rted to the Lucifer experiment. With this data, we could replicate the Lucifer experiment¡¯s method and create Enhanced People."


    "Forget about that," Ling Chen said with little interest. He didn¡¯t want to do unthinkable things like the God Organization.


    "I know you¡¯re not interested, so I¡¯m just mentioning it, don¡¯t take it to heart. However, that¡¯s not the main point I want to say."


    "What is it then?" Ling Chen looked curious.


    "I found a document among these secret files. It seems that, although the Lucifer experiment is deemed sessful in our eyes, to the God Organization, it¡¯s considered a failure."


    "A failure?"


    Hearing this, Ling Chen was a bit confused and asked, "Why would it be a failure?"


    "This is what I don¡¯t understand either. The Lucifer experiment can enhance a person¡¯s potential by several times, creating countless experts. From anyone¡¯s point of view, this is a sessful and significant experiment. Yet, the God Organization deemed it a failure, indicating only one thing."


    A light seemed to dawn upon Ling Chen as he captured a glimmer of insight and said, "The result of that experiment is not what the God Organization wanted."


    "Exactly, that¡¯s also how I understand it," nodded Hu Fei.


    "What do they want then?"


    "For a long time, few people have known the God Organization¡¯s true purpose. Apart from that mysterious leader, few are clear. However, the God Organization has suffered a significant setback this time. Their main base, which took years to build, was destroyed. Although the key members escaped, years of effort was ruined, which I believe would not please that mysterious leader. Given the God Organization¡¯s modus operandi, I doubt they will concede easily."


    "You¡¯re saying... they¡¯ll seek retaliation?"


    "Very likely. You¡¯re well aware of the power of the God Organization. If they decide to retaliate against the government or society, the resulting damage would not be small."


    Ling Chen pondered for a moment and said, "That¡¯s just right, as long as they dare to make a move, the more strength they reveal, the more we can take this opportunity to clip their wings."


    "Hah!" Hu Fei scoffed mercilessly, "Clip their wings? With just you? Don¡¯t expect us to help you. You had the support of an old General previously, but now even Lonewolf is your enemy. What do you have to fight the God Organization with?"


    "Well, there¡¯s also the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion and the Secret Society. I get along well with them. As long as I make them see reason, I believe they won¡¯t stand by idly."


    "That¡¯s not certain, they were willing to help out this time, mostly as a return for your favors. Besides, you must remember, the conflict between the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion and the God Organization is a matter between two great powers, it has nothing to do with you. In other words, the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion is the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, you are you; don¡¯t expect the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion to fully support you. In their eyes, at best, you might be a friend, but it¡¯s very difficult to be a partner, as you don¡¯t have the standing to be on equal footing with them."


    Hearing this, Ling Chen couldn¡¯t help but nod. Undeniably, what Hu Fei said made a lot of sense.


    "Hey! Ling Chen, I do have a good suggestion. As long as you seize the opportunity, the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion will definitely stand firmly behind you," Hu Fei chuckled slyly.


    Seeing his cunning look, Ling Chen asked warily, "What suggestion?"


    "The Pavilion Master of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion is a woman, and a great beauty at that, and she seems quite concerned about you. As long as you two... you know what I mean, I don¡¯t have to spell it out. By then, when two families be one, and you¡¯re the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion Master¡¯s son-inw, how could the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion not stand up for you. Right?"


    "Get lost!" cursed Ling Chen angrily, "Alwaysing up with such rotten ideas."


    Hu Fei shook his head helplessly and said, "How is this a rotten idea? It¡¯s killing two birds with one stone: getting the girl and gaining support from the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion. It¡¯s a pity I¡¯m not Miss Su¡¯s type, otherwise, I would have devoted myself already."


    "Forget it, I¡¯m not going to argue with you. I¡¯m staying here tonight, go find a hotel for yourself."


    While they were talking, the office door was pushed open by Jiang Hao.


    "Chen, there is a visitor outside looking for you."

 Chapter 601 - 598: The Furious He Ziyun

    <h4>Chapter 601: Chapter 598: The Furious He Ziyun</h4><h4></h4>


    "Guest?"


    Ling Chen paused, what guest.


    Right! Ling Chen immediately remembered who hade. He had almost forgotten that it was he who made the call, just not expecting the other party to arrive so quickly.


    Leaving the office, Ling Chen hurried to the reception room. Pushing the door open, he saw Zhu Xiaozhu sitting in a chair at first nce.


    Zhu Xiaozhu had not changed much after several days, still as stunning as before.


    Today, Zhu Xiaozhu was dressed simply, in a beige coat and light-colored jeans, her long hair cascading over her shoulders, ck and soft, highlighting her fair skin. Her autumn-water-like eyes seemed to contain all the spirit. Her thin cherry lips exuded a beauty of gentleness and virtue.


    "Xiaozhu."


    Ling Chen smiled slightly and greeted her.


    Seeing Ling Chen approaching, the corners of Zhu Xiaozhu¡¯s lips unconsciously curled into a beautiful arc.


    "How have you been recently? Is everything alright with your master?" Ling Chen asked.


    Back at the Heavenly Mechanism Great Ceremony, Shi Su had stolen his credit and shamelessly humiliated him, which resulted in a loss of face and he was too embarrassed to show his face. Since that night, Zhu Xiaozhu had left the luxury ship with Shi Su, and had not been seen for some time.


    Zhu Xiaozhu nodded lightly and said, "Alright, my master... is also fairly well."


    "I thought it would be a few days before you arrived."


    "You said there was urgent business and needed my help, so I took a flight from Beijing overnight." At this, Zhu Xiaozhu asked, "What¡¯s the matter?"


    "Come with me."


    Leaving the reception room, Ling Chen took Zhu Xiaozhu directly to the courierpany¡¯s backyard. Opening the dungeon hatch, Ling Chen leaped down from the edge of the hole.


    Entering the dungeon, Zhu Xiaozhu¡¯s face was filled with surprise and confusion at the sight of Jiang Yunkai and Bai Huanjun lying unconscious on the beds.


    "What happened to them?"


    "I injected them with a sedative; only by doing this can we prevent them from harming others." After a pause, Ling Chen briefly exined the situation of Jiang Yunkai and Bai Huanjun, omitting the intervening events.


    "Mutations?"


    Zhu Xiaozhu was taken aback, curiosity shing in her beautiful eyes, and she walked directly to Jiang Yunkai¡¯s side, cing her hand on his pulse.


    "The pulse is stable, no different from a normal person," Zhu Xiaozhu murmured to herself.


    Ling Chen chimed in, "I¡¯ve checked all that and there¡¯s nothing unusual. I was thinking, since you know many medical authorities, maybe you could help them recover normally."


    Zhu Xiaozhu thought for a moment, then said, "How about this: I¡¯ll take some blood and cell samples to my friend for analysis first, and after we have the results, we can n ordingly."


    "You¡¯re the expert in this area; I¡¯ll leave the arrangements to you."


    Although Ling Chen knew a bit of medicine himself, he was well aware of his own limitations, so it was still better to find someone reliable to help. All things considered, Zhu Xiaozhu seemed to be the only option.


    After extracting the blood and cell samples, Ling Chen escorted Zhu Xiaozhu to the courierpany¡¯s entrance and asked, "Are you staying at Qingyun Martial Arts Hall?"


    "Yes! I¡¯ve told Mr. He, I¡¯m going to stay there tonight."


    Hearing Zhu Xiaozhu mention He Ziyun, Ling Chen couldn¡¯t help but p his forehead.


    Seeing his gesture, Zhu Xiaozhu asked curiously, "What¡¯s the matter?"


    "Nothing, let¡¯s go, I¡¯ll take you to the Martial Arts Academy."


    With that, Ling Chen borrowed Jiang Hao¡¯s car keys and drove Zhu Xiaozhu directly towards the direction of Qingyun Martial Arts Hall.


    When the two arrived at the Martial Arts Academy, it was already past ten o¡¯clock at night.


    Little Hua had already gone to sleep, only He Ziyun was still in the hall, reading by the light of amp.


    "Mr. He."


    "Why have youe sote?"


    "I¡¯ve brought something for you." Ling Chen smiled faintly and presented the precious sword from the Han Dynasty with both hands to He Ziyun.


    "This is..."


    He Ziyun suddenly stood up, his cloudy old eyes shining with brilliance, and hurriedly took the precious sword, caressing the scabbard dearly.


    "How did you find it?"


    "I¡¯ve found the main base of the God Organization, and the weapons we lostst time were all thrown in their warehouse."


    "Oh?" He Ziyun¡¯s interest was immediately piqued, and he asked eagerly, "What have you achieved?"


    "Don¡¯t mention it." Ling Chen sighed and recounted the events that had urred in Yinan Vige, including the experiences of the old General and his group.


    After listening, He Ziyun¡¯s face turned frighteningly somber, the cold light in his old eyes bursting forth, carrying a chill as biting as the December wind. Vaguely, there was even a hint of murderous intent.


    "Good, very good!"


    He Ziyun spoke with deliberate emphasis: "I must meet this Tang Guoxiong and see what he¡¯s capable of. Even though I¡¯ve been out of the Ghost organization for many years, this old skeleton of mine can still be of some use."


    Hearing this, a thrill shot through Ling Chen¡¯s heart. His purpose ining to the Qingyun Martial Arts Hall was to ask He Ziyun toe out of retirement. Although retired for many years, He Ziyun¡¯s identity was significant; he was well acquainted with many high-ranking officials and a national hero with considerable influence. As long as he was willing to act, matters would be much easier to handle.


    "Ling Chen, just go ahead with this matter, I will bear all the consequences for you."


    "Understood. I heard from Instructor Pang that Nanrong Yuan has regained consciousness, Tang Guoxiong will definitely return to Beijing, and I will rush over as soon as possible."


    "The sooner the better. In any case, we can¡¯t let anything happen to Qiao Zhen and the others."


    "I know."


    ...


    After leaving the Qingyun Martial Arts Hall, Ling Chen got into his car and took out his phone to dial a number. After the call, looking at his phone, Xia Mutong¡¯s image involuntarily popped into his mind.


    Xia Mutong was also in Changling City two days ago, but when they returned to East Sea City, she was nowhere to be seen. He guessed she probably got bored there and came back earlier. That girl didn¡¯t even notify him.


    In any case, Xia Mutong had given him considerable help in Changling City. He should invite her out for a meal to show his appreciation when he got the chance.


    Since it was midnight, there was little traffic, and the streets were very clear.


    Ling Chen drove the car, listening to the songs ying on the car radio, heading towards the Old City.


    However, at that moment, three Buick cars suddenly sped out from a crossroads, one leading and two following, boxing in Ling Chen¡¯s Volkswagen in the middle, with nowhere for him to escape.


    These guys... just won¡¯t give up haunting me!


    Ling Chen frowned, having thought he had already shaken them off, only to be found by them so quickly.


    Bang!


    With a loud noise, the Buick driving behind elerated fiercely and mmed hard into the rear of the Volkswagen.


    Instantly, hit by the collision, the Volkswagen swayed uncontrobly. Seeing this, Ling Chen quickly straightened the steering wheel, trying to stabilize the car. But the Buick car did not give any chance and rammed again.


    In a sh, the Volkswagen was thrown sideways and hit the roadside guardrail, with a loud ¡¯bang¡¯, the body of the car was instantly deformed.

 Chapter 602 - 599: Entering Lonely Wolf

    <h4>Chapter 602: Chapter 599: Entering Lonely Wolf</h4><h4></h4>


    As the three Buick cars stopped, six or seven men in suits got out and carefully approached the Volkswagen to check the situation inside.


    In the driver¡¯s seat, Ling Chen¡¯s head rested on the steering wheel, his forehead bruised from a severe impact, and his cheeks still bore scratch marks from which blood profusely flowed, dripping down his neck.


    "He¡¯s passed out."


    One of the men in suits sighed in relief and gestured to hispanion to pry open the deformed car door, then they dragged Ling Chen out of the driver¡¯s seat and transferred him to a Buick car.


    ...


    It was unknown how long had passed when the groggy Ling Chen finally came to. He opened his eyes and struggled to sit up, looking around to observe his surroundings.


    This was a small dark room, less than ten square meters, with an iron door at the entrance that featured a service window in the middle, but it was now closed. The room was pitch-ck and dimly lit, but fortunately, Ling Chen¡¯s vision was good enough to see clearly.


    He moved his arms and legs, noticing that his wrists and ankles were shackled with heavy chains. One end of each chain was connected to a wall fixture, and they were only two meters long, just enough to reach the iron door.


    It seemed he had been detained at the Lonewolf Base.


    In the darkness, Ling Chen¡¯s mouth curled into a faint smile. Regardless, his n had been quite sessful.


    Pang Jiulin refused to disclose the location of the Lonewolf Base, so Ling Chen had thought it over¡ªif he couldn¡¯t figure out the exact location of the base, he might as well let the Lonewolf people bring him in. After all, he was a wanted criminal, and Tang Guoxiong was eager to capture him.


    Previously in East Sea City, it would not have been so easy for the Lonewolf people to catch him if he hadn¡¯t made a phone call with specific arrangements.


    Pulling on the chain he held, Ling Chen turned his left hand over, then pinched the skin with his fingertips. With a motion of his arm, a thin wire was extracted from under the skin. This trick he learned from Liu Dongsheng: hiding a wire underneath the skin where nobody would notice.


    When deciding to execute his n, he had already made thorough preparations.


    With the wire in hand, Ling Chen located the keyhole of the chain lock, inserting the wire and gently maneuvering it. Shortly after, the lock clicked softly, and the lock opened. After unlocking the handcuffs, he used the same method to unlock the shackles on his feet as well.


    Now free, Ling Chen stood up from the bed, walked over to the iron door, and pressed his ear against it to listen carefully to the sounds outside.


    Despite the barrier of the iron door, Ling Chen could still hear breathing, indicating someone was guarding the door.


    Just one person... Ling Chen felt relieved and nodded silently.


    If there were multiple guards, it might be troublesome, but one guard... that made things much easier.


    Immediately, Ling Chen took a couple of steps back, then forcefully kicked the iron door. Instantly, the door made a loud ¡¯ng¡¯ and trembled slightly. Ling Chen did not pause, continuously kicking the door, creating sufficient noise.


    Finally, after a minute or two, the guard outside became impatient, pulled open the door¡¯s service window, and looked down into the dark room shouting, "Behave yourself."


    However, as the guard¡¯s head appeared outside the window, Ling Chen swiftly extended his arms through the window, tightly gripped the man¡¯s neck, and forcefully pulled back, pinning him against the iron door.


    For a moment, only hoarse screams could be heard from the guard as he frantically struggled, trying to break free from Ling Chen¡¯s grip. Unfortunately, facing a prominent fighter on the Dragon List, he was no match.


    "Hand over the keys," Ling Chen leaned in and said coldly.


    The moment the words fell, seeing that the guard remained indifferent, Ling Chen increased the force in his hands a bit more.


    "Hand over the keys in exchange for your life, isn¡¯t that worth it?" Ling Chen coaxed.


    No one doesn¡¯t cherish their own life, even the members of Lonewolf cherish life. Finally, unable to endure the pain, the guard reached towards his waist, unclipped the keys, and handed them to Ling Chen.


    After receiving the keys, Ling Chen pulled the man¡¯s hands toward him, causing the back of the man¡¯s head to smash against the iron door, knocking him out cold.


    As he escaped from the dark room, Ling Chen nced at the corridors on both sides, and stepped toward the left. Lonewolf Base was different from the previous Ghost Base; it was his first time here, and he had no understanding of the environment, so he could only try his luck.


    However, Ling Chen hadn¡¯t gone far when he heard a voiceing from one of the dark rooms.


    Someone?


    Ling Chen approached, knocked on the iron door, and asked, "Who¡¯s in there?"


    "Is that you, Tang Yuan?"


    Hearing the voice from the dark room, Ling Chen¡¯s spirits lifted, and he quickly took out the keys to unlock the iron door.


    Indeed, the person imprisoned inside was Tang Yuan.


    "Old Tang!" Ling Chen eximed with a smile: "I finally found you."


    "Forget about catching up, let¡¯s get this thing off me first," Tang Yuan pointed towards the chains on his wrists and feet with his mouth.


    A few days had passed, and Tang Yuan¡¯s face looked somewhat haggard, but his eyes were bright and gleaming with energy. Judging by his bruised face, it seemed he had endured brutal torture.


    "Old Tang, are you okay?" Ling Chen asked with concern. If it weren¡¯t for him, Tang Yuan wouldn¡¯t have had to suffer this way.


    Feeling Ling Chen¡¯s guilty gaze, Tang Yuan nonchntly patted his shoulder, smiling, "Do I look like I¡¯m in trouble? Come on, stop looking at me that way; although we are close, I¡¯m not into that sort of thing."


    "Get out of here."


    After joking for a moment, Ling Chen put on a serious face and asked, "Old Tang, where are Mr. Han and the General? Where are they?"


    "Mr. Han was imprisoned next to me but was taken away yesterday and hasn¡¯t returned since; as for the General... I don¡¯t know his whereabouts, he wasn¡¯t imprisoned with us. The General¡¯s identity is different from ours; even if he did something wrong, Tang Guoxiong wouldn¡¯t dare treat him as amon prisoner."


    "You¡¯re more familiar with this ce, what should we do next?"


    Tang Yuan thought for a moment and then said, "Let¡¯s go find Mr. Han first. Tang Guoxiong is a vicious bastard, and I¡¯m afraid he might brutally torture Mr. Han. I can withstand it, but Mr. Han can¡¯t endure that kind of torture."


    Ling Chen nodded: "You lead the way, I¡¯ll follow."


    Leaving the cell, Ling Chen closely followed behind Tang Yuan, heading directly toward the secure passageway. Along the way, the observant Ling Chen noticed that there were few surveince cameras in the base, with only a few important junctions equipped with cameras, which undoubtedly made their operation more convenient.


    After hearing Tang Yuan¡¯s exnation, Ling Chen learned that since the base was newly constructed, security measures had not yet fully covered the area. It was precisely because of this that they had so many loopholes to exploit.

 Chapter 603 - 600 Scapegoat

    <h4>Chapter 603: Chapter 600 Scapegoat</h4><h4></h4>


    With Tang Yuan, a person familiar with the environment, leading the way, Ling Chen and hispanion saved a lot of time. Not long after, they arrived at the second floor of the base. ording to Tang Yuan, the interrogation room was located here.


    Previously, in the basement cells, there weren¡¯t many people around, just a few guards, easy to avoid. However, the second floor of the base was different; the hallways were bustling with office workers in suits, among which were formal members of Lonely Wolf, many of whom Ling Chen and Tang Yuan knewrades they had fought alongside.


    Hiding in a corner, they waited until a group of office workers nearby had left, then Ling Chen and Tang Yuan hastened their steps, darting toward the interrogation room.


    However, before they reached the door of the interrogation room, Ling Chen, with his keen hearing, detected the sound of footstepsing from around the corner ahead.


    Without time to think, Tang Yuan shoved open the closest room door and pulled Ling Chen inside.


    Upon entering, the room fell immediately silent, all eyes fixated on Ling Chen and Tang Yuan.


    Seeing the few people inside smoking, Ling Chen and Tang Yuan¡¯s faces were instantly filled with embarrassment, momentarily unsure of what to do.


    "Uh..." After being startled for a moment, Ling Chen forced a stiff smile on his face and raised his hand, saying, "Long time no see."


    Hearing his greeting, the few people in the room looked at each other, a hint of amusement in their eyes. Then, they continued to smoke and chat, ignoring Ling Chen and Tang Yuan altogether.


    Seeing this, Ling Chen felt a warmth in his heart and his tension eased considerably.


    Luckily, the few people in the room were former members of the Ghosts,ter promoted to Lonely Wolf by the Old General. They were all acquaintances. By acting this way, they were undoubtedly helping them indirectly.


    "Tang Yuan, the people outside have gone."


    Ling Chen nodded and turned to leave. But at that moment, he heard someone whisper from behind, "Be careful of Tang Guoxiong."


    Hearing this, Ling Chen¡¯s brow furrowed.


    Of course, he knew to be wary of Tang Guoxiong, but his formerrade¡¯s particr warning suggested that the situation was not so simple.


    Leaving the room, Ling Chen and Tang Yuan hurried to the front of the interrogation room and pushed the door open to enter.


    Upon entering the interrogation room, Ling Chen didn¡¯t have time to check the situation before he was stunned by the scene before him.


    In the interrogation room, Han Bing was tied to a chair, wearing a special device with his right hand raised, holding a gun pointed directly at his own head. Due to the constraints of the special device, his position was forcefully fixed, and he had no way to struggle free.


    What¡¯s more, his finger was on the trigger, and with a slight pull of a string by someone else, his finger would pull the trigger, sending a bullet into his own brain.


    All of this was no doubt set up to fake a suicide scene!


    How cruel!


    Seeing this, Ling Chen was furious, his pupils instantly recing the rage with icy coldness.


    "Bastards!" Ling Chen shouted thunderously, immediately rushing forward, knocking down two men in suits on the side.


    "Mr. Han."


    Tang Yuan hurriedly went to Han Bing¡¯s side and began to remove the special device from his body.


    "Ling Chen, Tang Yuan... you¡¯ve arrived just in the nick of time. If you were anyter, my life..." Here, Han Bing¡¯splexion was pale, and he was clearly still frightened.


    Ling Chen frowned and asked, "Mr. Han, what exactly happened? You just vited Lonely Wolf¡¯s rules, there¡¯s no need to kill you, right?"


    Han Bing sighed and said, "Tang Guoxiong wants a scapegoat."


    "Scapegoat?" Ling Chen and Tang Yuan exchanged a nce, full of confusion as they asked, "What do you mean?"


    Han Bing exined, "Although they found the main base of the God Organization this time, they got nothing out of it and instead lost a lot of personnel. When the higher-ups found out about this, they were furious, believing that the leadercked leadership ability, not only missing a good opportunity but also causing so many deaths and injuries. You should know that the leader of this operation was Tang Guoxiong himself. If he¡¯s held ountable, not only will he lose his current position, but he will also be held responsible and investigated. So, he needs someone to take the fall for him."


    "Elder Han is staunch and with his General title, Tang Guoxiong doesn¡¯t dare touch him lightly, so he had to choose me as the scapegoat. They wanted to forge my suicide scene, and then im that I led poorly, causing the death of so many colleagues, so I swallowed a bullet. This way, all the me would be on me, and they would be off the hook."


    After hearing Han Bing¡¯s words, Ling Chen couldn¡¯t help clenching his fists, veins on his forehead throbbing, wishing he could find Tang Guoxiong right now and tear that bastard to pieces.


    To dare use such a treacherous method, calling him scum would be apliment.


    "Mr. Han, where is Elder Han?"


    "I don¡¯t know, Elder Han is personally detained by Tang Guoxiong, only he knows Elder Han¡¯s whereabouts. Ling Chen, you better be cautious, don¡¯t act rashly without solid evidence," Han Bing warned.


    Tang Yuan spoke up, "Mr. Han, don¡¯t you count as a witness?"


    Han Bing said with a bitter smile, "What good am I? Don¡¯t forget, I¡¯m currently deemed guilty. If I step forward to testify, it will be ineffective and Tang Guoxiong could bite back, iming I am framing him. In short, to topple Tang Guoxiong, we must find evidence."


    Evidence!


    Ling Chen shook his head silently to himself, easy to say, but someone as cunning as Tang Guoxiong wouldn¡¯t easily reveal anything.


    "Old Tang, take Mr. Han to a safe ce first."


    Tang Yuan said helplessly, "The base is full of Tang Guoxiong¡¯s people, there¡¯s no such thing as a safe ce."


    Hearing this, Ling Chen thought for a moment, and a sh of inspiration struck him.


    "Follow me."


    After leaving the interrogation room, Ling Chen took Han Bing back to the same room they had mistakenly entered before.


    Seeing Ling Chen and Tang Yuan return and even bringing Han Bing with them, several members of Lonely Wolf were dumbfounded.


    "Ling Chen, what are you doing?"


    "Gentlemen, for old times¡¯ sake, do me a favor and let Mr. Hany low here. Once Old Tang and I get things settled, we¡¯lle back for Mr. Han."


    "This... This is a bit troublesome, isn¡¯t it?" Everyone seemed a bit troubled.


    Tang Yuan red, disgruntled, "We¡¯rerades who¡¯ve been through life and death together. Now that Elder Han and Mr. Han are in trouble, are you really unwilling to help out even a little? Don¡¯t forget how Elder Han has treated you, are you all a bunch of ingrates?"


    After being rebuked by Tang Yuan, several Lonely Wolf members blushed and nodded, "Alright then, leave Mr. Han here, we¡¯ll do our best."

 Chapter 604 - 601: Tough Measures

    <h4>Chapter 604: Chapter 601: Tough Measures</h4><h4></h4>


    After tending to Han Bing, Ling Chen and Tang Yuan expressed their thanks and then left the room.


    "Old Tang, where is Tang Guoxiong¡¯s office located?"


    "The very top floor. Why, are you thinking of going straight to him?" Tang Yuan shook his head and said, "I advise you to drop that idea. Tang Guoxiong is more cautious than any of us. Outside his office, there are designated people responsible for security, and they are all armed. When Tang Guoxiong took over, no one was allowed to enter the top floor without his orders."


    "Carrying weapons inside the base?" Ling Chen seemed surprised.


    Tang Yuan shrugged and said, "Tang Guoxiong knows that Lonely Wolf was established by the General himself. He¡¯s worried about internal dissatisfaction towards him, hence such security measures to protect himself. Not to mention, do you know how many people he has transferred from the military to join Lonely Wolf? Over two hundred, and all are special forces, battle-hardened and experienced. He intends to use this force to secure his position in Lonely Wolf and rece the General¡¯s influence."


    "Fear nothing," Ling Chen said nonchntly. "I¡¯ve already informed Mr. He, and he told me to just go for it and that he would bear all consequences."


    "Really?" Tang Yuan¡¯s eyes lit up and he grinned, saying, "Since Mr. He¡¯s got our back, then we need not worry too much. Good, I¡¯ve suffered enough from him recently; I need to give him a good thrashingter. Come on, I¡¯ll take you to his office."


    With those words, the two went straight to the elevator and stepped inside.


    As the elevator reached the top floor of the base, Ling Chen leaned against the elevator¡¯s side wall, watching as the elevator doors slowly opened without stepping out immediately.


    At that moment, a man in a suit peeked into the elevator from outside, intending to check the inside. Seeing Ling Chen and Tang Yuan hiding, his expression suddenly changed, and he hastily reached for his waist and opened his mouth to shout.


    However, Ling Chen reacted faster. Before he could yell, Ling Chen, with quick reflexes, threw a punch that harshlynded on the man¡¯s cheek, forcibly silencing him.


    Pfft!


    Apanied by a spray of fresh blood, the suited man fell rigidly at the elevator entrance, unconscious, with the elevator doors opening and closing, pressing against his body.


    Stepping out of the elevator, Ling Chen nced down the corridor, over forty meters long. In this forty-meter-long corridor, there were more than thirty men in suits.


    At that moment, those suited men had already noticed Ling Chen¡¯s appearance, each moving towards the sides of the walls, seeking cover.


    Hearing the sound of bullets being chambered, Ling Chen raised his eyebrows and his expression turned stern as he said in a low voice, "Old Tang, stay inside, I¡¯ll handle this."


    As soon as he finished speaking, Ling Chen tapped his toe and his body shot forward like a gust of wind, moving so fast that only a blur could be seen when he reached full speed.


    Bang!


    The crisp sound of a gunshot rang out. Sitting in his office, Tang Guoxiong immediately jumped up from his chair and asked the staff beside him, "What¡¯s happening?"


    The staffer picked up the internal phone, asked a few questions, and hurriedly replied, "It¡¯s Ling Chen, he¡¯s stormed up here."


    With a dark expression, Tang Guoxiong said, "Wasn¡¯t he locked up? How did they let him escape? Hmph! Truly a bunch of good-for-nothing trash. Pass my orders, whether it¡¯s Ling Chen or anyone aiding him, kill on sight, no one spared." After a pause, he changed his tone and asked, "What about the matter with Han Bing? It¡¯s been so long, why haven¡¯t I received any news?"


    "Yes, I¡¯ll call right now to ask about the situation."


    "No need to ask."


    With that said, a hand pushed open the office door.


    Seeing Ling Chen walking in vigorously, Tang Guoxiong was startled and quickly pulled open the desk drawer, ready to grab a gun. However, before he could pick up the gun, he heard a ¡¯bang¡¯. A bullet instantly flew past his arm and into the wall behind him.


    "Tang Yuan?"


    Seeing who the shooter was, Tang Guoxiong¡¯s face immediately turned extremely unsightly.


    "Tang Guoxiong, I advise you to behave yourself, don¡¯t make any rash moves, or the next bullet won¡¯t miss," Tang Yuan walked through the door, speaking as he moved.


    "You... you..." Tang Guoxiong pointed at Ling Chen and Tang Yuan, with a fierce face he cried out: "Do you know what you¡¯re doing? This is a national secret agency, you dare to openly oppose me, this is mutiny. Someone! Someone, arrest them!"


    "Enough, stop shouting, save your saliva," Ling Chen said indifferently, "Don¡¯t count on those people outside."


    What?


    Hearing this, Tang Guoxiong¡¯s face was full of horror.


    He had arranged more than thirty people outside his office, each armed. From the first gunshot to Ling Chen entering, how much time had passed? Could it be that he has taken care of all the security?


    Is he even human?


    Ling Chen nced at the stunned Tang Guoxiong, then casually walked to the front of the desk and sat down, crossing his legs and said: "Don¡¯t worry, they are all fine, they¡¯ll just be bedridden for a few days. But just because they¡¯re fine doesn¡¯t mean you are. Tang Guoxiong, Lonely Wolf was originally the backbone of resistance against God Organization, yet you¡¯ve turned it into a mess, do you admit your guilt?"


    Tang Guoxiong sneered and said, "What crime have Imitted? The guilty ones are you. Ling Chen, don¡¯t me me for not reminding you, I am the appointed leader of Lonely Wolf by the authorities. If you dare touch a hair on my head, none of you will have a good end."


    "Is that so?" Ling Chen said with a smirk, "I¡¯ve heard that you¡¯ve lost quite a few operatives in this operation, and the higher-ups are very much doubting your capabilities. So you sought a scapegoat to have Mr. Han take the me for you, didn¡¯t you?"


    Tang Guoxiong narrowed his eyes, and said coldly, "Ling Chen, don¡¯t nder people, there¡¯s no such thing."


    "You are a man with a status, only in charge of giving orders, but someone has to deliver these orders for you, right?" As he finished, Ling Chen, ignoring Tang Guoxiong¡¯s sudden change of color, turned his gaze to another man in the office and said, "You are his close aide, you must know the most about his deeds. Just cooperate with us and turn state¡¯s witness, and I can plea for your sentence to be reduced or exempted."


    The man waved his hands quickly, "I haven¡¯t..."


    "Don¡¯t rush to answer me," Ling Chen slowly said, "Friend, I advise you to think this through, this has to do with your future. Let me put it this way, whether you admit it or not, Tang Guoxiong is doomed today. If you¡¯re smart, you¡¯ll take this opportunity, don¡¯t regret it when it¡¯s toote."


    "Ling Chen!" Tang Guoxiong couldn¡¯t sit still anymore, he shouted angrily, "You dare to threaten my people."


    "So what? If you are capable, you can threaten me too."


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 605 - 602 Trial

    <h4>Chapter 605: Chapter 602 Trial</h4><h4></h4>


    "You..."


    Before Tang Guoxiong could finish speaking, Ling Chen, impatient, waved his hand and interrupted him, saying, "Old Tang, take him down. Let me have a good chat with this friend."


    Tang Yuan nodded, pointed a gun at Tang Guoxiong, and gestured for him to walk outside.


    With the ck muzzle pointed at him, Tang Guoxiong, no matter how courageous, didn¡¯t dare disobey and had to obediently leave the office.


    After Tang Guoxiong and Tang Yuan left, Ling Chen got up, walked to the coffee machine, ground some coffee beans, and then brewed himself a steaming cup of coffee.


    Watching Ling Chen leisurely making his coffee, the man felt somewhat uneasy, neither sitting nor standing, feeling as though there were needles on his seat.


    Holding the coffee, Ling Chen savored it by himself, showing no intention of chatting with the man.


    "Um... Mr. Ling..."


    Finally, the man, feeling the oppressive atmosphere, couldn¡¯t help but speak.


    Ling Chen, with a nted nce, looked at him and asked, "What is it?"


    The man, trying to ingratiate himself, said, "Mr. Ling, I... I don¡¯t know much, everything was ordered by Tang Guoxiong, it has nothing to do with me."


    "And so?"


    "I¡¯m willing to turn state¡¯s evidence and help you testify against Tang Guoxiong. I know clearly about the matter of him making Han Bing take the fall; it was all orders delivered by me, and moreover..."


    "That¡¯s enough." Ling Chen waved his hand and said, "I don¡¯t want to know so many details, nor am I interested. You should save those words for the higher-ups."


    After speaking, Ling Chen put down his coffee cup, stood up, and walked to his desk, casually flipping through the items on it. Soon, a maic card caught Ling Chen¡¯s attention.


    He picked up the maic card and asked, "What¡¯s this?"


    "That¡¯s Tang Guoxiong¡¯s identity card, which grants ess to any area within the base."


    Hearing this, a sharp glint shed in Ling Chen¡¯s eyes as he subtly pocketed the maic card and then turned to leave the office.


    With Tang Guoxiong¡¯s subordinate as a witness, even the formidable backing behind Tang Guoxiong couldn¡¯t reverse the situation. But this time, it still turned out to be a win for Tang Guoxiong. Given Ling Chen¡¯s temperament, he really wanted to kill that bastard and avenge the General and Han Bing. However, some matters must follow legal protocols, and personal punishment must be avoided, or it would eventually bring harm to oneself.


    Considering Tang Guoxiong¡¯swork, Ling Chen could foresee his end. Lonely Wolf certainly couldn¡¯t stay, and even if he went to prison, it wouldn¡¯t be for long.


    Reaching the second floor of the base, Tang Yuan was escorting Tang Guoxiong in the interrogation room, quietly waiting for Ling Chen¡¯s arrival.


    "Old Tang, have you found out where the General is?"


    "I asked. The General isn¡¯t in the base; he was taken to the military headquarters for interrogation."


    Military headquarters?


    At least, he wasn¡¯t in Tang Guoxiong¡¯s hands.


    "Old Tang, keep an eye on him. I¡¯ll contact Mr. He to wrap things up here."


    "Alright."


    After leaving the interrogation room, Ling Chen found a cell phone and called He Ziyun to inform him of the situation. Fortunately, after meeting with He Ziyun the night before, He Ziyun had arrived in Beijing the next day and was currently in a high-level meeting discussing the matters concerning Lonely Wolf.


    After hanging up the phone, Ling Chen did not return directly to the interrogation room but instead went alone to the third floor of the base.


    The third floor of the base was vital withbs and storage, shielded by several thick steel doors. However, this was no issue for Ling Chen. He took out the maic card he had found in Tang Guoxiong¡¯s office, swiped it gently on the reader, and the tightly closed door immediately opened.


    After passing through three doors, Ling Chen finally entered the storage area of the base. Following the signs posted inside the warehouse, it took only a few minutes for Ling Chen to find several heavy boxes.


    Upon opening the boxes, he saw that they neatly housed more than a dozen square metallic objects, emitting a faint luster.


    Atst, they were found!


    A glimmer of joy appeared on Ling Chen¡¯s face; these were the materials needed to make exoskeleton armor. However, the materials were too numerous and cumbersome to carry. He could not realistically walk out with several boxes to Lonewolf Base without raising suspicion.


    After much deliberation, Ling Chen found some bags nearby and stuffed all the metallic materials into them.


    After he had packed everything, Ling Chen dragged the bags out of the storeroom, securely closed the gates, and then found a rtively safe room to temporarily store the materials. He nned to transport themter when the opportunity arose.


    He Ziyun arrived quickly, and besides him, about forty or fifty military personnel came.


    Watching Tang Guoxiong being escorted from the interrogation room, He Ziyun sneered coldly, and without saying anything, pped Tang Guoxiong squarely across the face.


    p!


    Apanied by a loud p, Tang Guoxiong¡¯s left cheek immediately swelled up, and blood trickled down from the corners of his mouth. Had He Ziyun not controlled his strength, that p could have been fatal.


    "Take him away. Do not let him appear before me again," He Ziyun said coldly.


    With a resentful re at He Ziyun, Tang Guoxiong spat out a mouthful of bloody saliva and was escorted away by several military personnel.


    Once they had left, Ling Chen asked, "Mr. He, what about the general? Why didn¡¯t you bring him back?"


    He Ziyun sighed and shook his head, "Couldn¡¯t bring him back."


    "What do you mean by that?"


    "Rules are rules. With Qiao Zhen assisting you in stealing government property, he has breached military regtions. No matter what Tang Guoxiong has done, it does not change the fact that Qiao Zhen vited the rules. I just came from there; the military has already judged him. He¡¯ll retain his general title but retire from active duty. He won¡¯t lead Lonewolf anymore."


    Ling Chen was shocked and quickly asked, "Then who will take charge of Lonewolf?"


    "It¡¯s not clear yet, but they asked for my opinion, and I suggested they choose someone from the inside. After all, only Lonewolf¡¯s own people understand it best and won¡¯t mess things up like Tang Guoxiong did."


    That¡¯s good!


    Ling Chen nodded; there were very few people at Lonewolf Base qualified to rece the old general, and they were all trustworthy people. Whoever it was, they would be more reliable than Tang Guoxiong.


    "Ling Chen, if you don¡¯t have anything else, you can go with me."


    Hearing He Ziyun speak, Ling Chen hesitated for a moment and said, "Mr. He, I haven¡¯t caught up with the brothers for a long time. You go ahead, and I¡¯lle to find youter."


    "The choice is yours," He Ziyun wasn¡¯t insistent.


    After sending off He Ziyun, Ling Chen immediately found Old Tang and pulled him into the room where he stored the metallic materials.


    "Old Tang, we are brothers; you have to help me this time."


    Old Tang asked suspiciously, "What is it?"


    Ling Chen chuckled mischievously, rummaged through a corner, and pulled out severalrge bags, then started taking out the metallic materials.


    "This is..." Old Tang¡¯s face changed, surprised, he said: "You¡¯re stealing?"

 Chapter 606 - 603: Financial Difficulties

    <h4>Chapter 606: Chapter 603: Financial Difficulties</h4><h4></h4>


    "What theft? Don¡¯t put it so harshly, I call it ¡¯borrowing¡¯," Ling Chen emphasized.


    "What¡¯s the difference?"


    "You don¡¯t have to return what you steal; borrowed items have to be returned. Alright, stop asking so many questions; this thing is very important to me. We¡¯re brothers, please do me a favor and help me get this stuff out."


    Tang Yuan, rubbing his forehead, said helplessly, "You kid... I don¡¯t even know what to say about you. Fine, fine, fine, it¡¯s my bad luck to have a brother like you. Let¡¯s hurry and go before we¡¯re discovered."


    Ling Chen grinned, he knew Tang Yuan would help.


    With Tang Yuan leading the way, it didn¡¯t take long for Ling Chen to arrive at another exit of the base with severalrge bags, where a few Lonewolf special off-road vehicles were parked.


    Leaving the Lonewolf Base, Ling Chen sat in the car, looking back at the base¡¯s exterior, finally knowing where this new base was located.


    In the suburbs of Beijing, there was a military camp, and the Lonewolf Base was built behind the camp. With so many soldiers for protection, the defense of the base was impregnable, nearly impossible for God Organization to threaten unless they wanted to fight a tough battle.


    "Drop me off here."


    Tang Yuan drove the car into Beijing city and pointed to the taxi parked not far away, saying, "You better be careful, kid. Don¡¯t let anyone discover you; I don¡¯t want to take the fall for you again."


    "Rest assured with my work. Thanks!"


    After saying this, Ling Chen cheerfully transferred the severalrge bags of metal materials from the off-road vehicle to the taxi. This metal material definitely couldn¡¯t pass the airport security check; it had to be transported back via the highway.


    Without dy, Ling Chen called He Ziyun, mentioning only that he had urgent matters to attend to in East Sea City and didn¡¯t have time to meet. He Ziyun didn¡¯t suspect anything, told him to take care, and then ended the call.


    ...


    A dayter, Ling Chen arrived back in East Sea City.


    Traveling day and night, the exhausted Ling Chen didn¡¯t even bother to eat upon reaching the Old City area and headed straight for the couch. In less than ten seconds, his snores filled the entire room.


    He slept until the next morning when hefortably stretched and left the office.


    Just out the door, Ling Chen saw a beautiful figure in his sight.


    "Xiaozhu?"


    Ling Chen¡¯s lips curled into a smile as he quickened his pace and cheerfully asked, "When did you get here?"


    "Just arrived."


    While speaking, Zhu Xiaozhu set down her suitcase on the table, opened the lid, and handed two reports to Ling Chen, saying, "These are the test reports of your two friends; take a look for yourself."


    Ling Chen waved his hand and said, "I won¡¯t look at them; I don¡¯t understand all those technical terms. Just tell me the situation directly."


    "The test results are the same as your guess. Both of your friends¡¯ blood and cells have undergone varying degrees of mutation, which is very rare in medical history. Although there have been cell mutations before, those were within controble limits."


    "You¡¯re saying their mutations are uncontroble?"


    Zhu Xiaozhu nodded gently and said, "That¡¯s roughly the meaning. Their bodies¡¯ cells have a miraculous self-healing capability; damaged cells heal rapidly. Others might need ten days or half a month to recover from injuries; they only need a few hours or even minutes. Such cases have never appeared before from ancient times to today. I personally feel they¡¯ve stepped beyond the realm of normal humans."


    Hearing Zhu Xiaozhu¡¯s serious tone, Ling Chen couldn¡¯t help but worry about the safety of Jiang Yunkai and Bai Huanjun, asking, "Do they still have a chance to recover?"


    "It¡¯s difficult. Even if they can return to their former state, it¡¯s a massive and lengthy task. We must thoroughly research their bodies first, then devise strategies and create the appropriate drugs. It might take a year or ten; nobody can promise. Moreover, even if someone is willing to participate in this research, it would require a substantial amount of funding."


    Ling Chen frowned. Funds and time were things hecked. Could it be that there was really no hope for Jiang Yunkai and Bai Huanjun?


    As he pondered, he listened to Zhu Xiaozhu asking, "Ling Chen, what exactly did your two friends go through to end up like this? If you know the cause, perhaps it could reduce our research time."


    The cause...


    Hearing this, Ling Chen smacked his forehead. Darn! He had almost forgotten; there was a very important thing he didn¡¯t do during his trip to Beijing, which was to meet Nanrong Yuan. He had been so focused on quickly transporting the metal materials back that he had neglected this matter.


    If he could meet Nanrong Yuan, perhaps he could tell the cause.


    At this thought, Ling Chen immediately took out his phone from his pocket and dialed He Ziyun¡¯s number.


    This matter still required He Ziyun¡¯s help.


    After exining for a while, Ling Chen was almost out of breath, but He Ziyun finally agreed to help and would temporarily transfer Nanrong Yuan to East Sea City. However, Nanrong Yuan was a major criminal; transferring him from Beijing to East Sea City would require a lot of procedures and probably take three or four days.


    Regardless, as long as Nanrong Yuan could be brought to East Sea City, that was enough.


    In this matter, Ling Chen had his own personal motives; he hoped to take this opportunity to let Nanrong Wanqing meet with her father and fulfill one of her wishes.


    After discussing Jiang Yunkai and Bai Huanjun¡¯s matter with Zhu Xiaozhu, since Zhu Xiaozhu had other urgent matters and couldn¡¯t stay long, Ling Chen had to see her out and set a time for their next meeting.


    Now that Tang Guoxiong had been captured, the warrant for Ling Chen had been revoked, and he no longer had to worry about anyone harming him.


    Having been away from home for a few days, Ling Chen originally wanted to check on Wealthy Manor, but he was too busy with urgent matters and had to put off going home for another time.


    ...


    "Chubby, I¡¯ve given you the data, how is it, any problems?"


    In the office, Ling Chen was eating steaming hot instant noodles while looking at Hu Fei busy in front of theputer.


    Hu Fei gave an ¡¯OK¡¯ gesture and said, "No problem, the data is very detailed. As long as we follow the process and add the metal materials you brought back from Beijing, I¡¯m 90% confident we can produce exoskeleton armor, but..."


    "Alright!" Ling Chen immediately gestured for Hu Fei to stop and said, "I know what you want; I¡¯ve already talked to Jiang Hao and the others. If you need money, just ask them."


    "I¡¯ve estimated that we need at least thirty million to set up a production line for exoskeleton armor, and that¡¯s excludingbor costs."


    "That much?" Ling Chen was stunned. He thought a few million would do, but it turned out to cost ten times more.


    "Nonsense, what do you think! We must purchase high-end precision equipment to make exoskeleton armor, and if it weren¡¯t for my connections and rtions, thirty million wouldn¡¯t be enough even at current market prices."

 Chapter 607 - 604: The Fastest Way to Make Money

    <h4>Chapter 607: Chapter 604: The Fastest Way to Make Money</h4><h4></h4>


    Thirty million!


    Ling Chen was truly shocked by this figure.


    If it were just a few million, he wouldn¡¯t care at all. Jiang Hao and his crew had controlled the underworld in East Sea City for some time now, and pulling together a few million was easily feasible. However, thirty million was equivalent to all of Jiang Hao¡¯s current assets.


    Whether it was Jiang Hao or Zhao Zhengxiong, they operated many storefronts and needed arge amount of capital for turnover. It was already not easy to pull out a few million, so thirty million was undoubtedly a challenging problem.


    ording to Hu Fei, the thirty million was only for the cost of purchasing equipment, and it did not even includebor and venue costs. If all were counted together, it might be about forty million.


    Ling Chen touched his nose, staring nkly at the instant noodles in front of him.


    Thirty million, where to get that!


    There was not no solution, as long as he asked Nanrong Wanqing for help, she would definitely not refuse. However, unless absolutely necessary, Ling Chen did not want to seek help from Nanrong Wanqing for this matter, as it would only make him appear ipetent as a man.


    "Fatso, you¡¯re always full of bad ideas, do you have any good solutions?" After a lot of thinking, Ling Chen finally had to ask Hu Fei for help. This guy had wide connections and might be able to find a way to make money quickly.


    Hu Fei¡¯s eyes lit up, and he chuckled: "I do have a way to make money. We can start tonight, and if all goes well, we should be able to gather thirty to forty million by tomorrow."


    "Really?" Ling Chen¡¯s eyes lit up, and he asked impatiently, "What way?" As the words came out, he suddenly became wary and looked at Hu Fei, saying, "You¡¯re not suggesting anything illegal, are you? I must say in advance, I won¡¯t touch anything illegal, that¡¯s my bottom line."


    "Come on! Everyone knows you¡¯re a righteous person," Hu Fei retorted sarcastically, then switched back to the main topic, "There are many ways to make money, but if we are talking about the fastest and most convenient, there¡¯s only one way, gambling!"


    "Gambling?" Ling Chen immediately shook his head, "No, that¡¯s not possible, I¡¯ve emphasized to you, we can¡¯t do anything illegal."


    "Hey hey!" Hu Fei expressed his displeasure, "Gambling also varies between illegal and legal. In our country Huaxia, there are many legally protected forms of gambling, like the lottery and sports betting, which are actually a form of gambling just under a nicer name."


    Hearing this, Ling Chen showed interest and asked, "Do you have a way to guarantee winning?"


    "That¡¯s not the case, gambling is purely about luck, unless you cheat. Many ces offer horse betting, sports betting, and there are legitimate casinos; I think we can give those a try. With your abilities, winning a few million shouldn¡¯t be a problem. It¡¯s a decent option, you should consider it. From what I know, there¡¯s a luxury cruise ship around East Sea City¡¯s coastal area that primarily focuses on gambling and is frequented by the wealthy. This luxury cruise ship will dock at the port at five o¡¯clock in the afternoon and depart at six-thirty, returning to the port the next morning. There¡¯s still time now, if you¡¯re going, you need to prepare early."


    Ling Chen didn¡¯t hesitate much and agreed quickly. As long as it wasn¡¯t illegal, earning money through a legitimate casino was indeed an option.


    "Hey! Fatso, lend me some of your bank savings. If I win tonight, I¡¯ll return it to you with interest."


    "Come on! Why don¡¯t you ask Jiang Hao and them for money? That¡¯s all my hard-earned money, what if you lose?" Hu Fei was clearly reluctant.


    This guy... Ling Chen shook his head helplessly. When it came to money, this fatso just transformed into a different person.


    "Cut the crap, just prepare five million, and you¡¯lle with me." After saying that, without waiting for Hu Fei to refuse, Ling Chen had already picked up his instant noodles and left the office.


    Afternoon.


    Three o¡¯clock.


    Ling Chen, dressed in a crisp suit and apanied by Hu Fei, drove to the port of East Sea City.


    Just as Hu Fei mentioned, a luxury cruise ship was docked at the port, with luxury cars parked, and men in suits with apanyingdies streaming continuously, boarding the cruise ship.


    Ling Chen and Hu Fei arrived at the boarding ramp, ready to board. However, they were stopped by a staff member.


    "Gentlemen, you seem unfamiliar, is this your first time here?" The staff member asked politely, with a smile.


    "That¡¯s right."


    "Are you gentlemen familiar with our rules?"


    Ling Chen puzzled, asked, "There are rules?"


    "Of course, we only ept clients introduced by acquaintances, do you gentlemen have a referral?"


    Ling Chen turned his head to look at Hu Fei, why hadn¡¯t he mentioned this. Hu Fei innocently shook his head, indicating he wasn¡¯t aware either.


    "Can¡¯t you make an exception?" Ling Chen asked hopelessly.


    "Sorry, these are the rules, we don¡¯t have the authority to make exceptions, please understand."


    Just as he said that, Ling Chen sighed quietly, thinking his idea of getting rich through gambling might not work out.


    "Let them on, I¡¯ll vouch for them."


    Just then, a hearty voice came from behind.


    Ling Chen and Hu Fei turned their heads, looking at the middle-aged man who spoke, a smile immediately appearing on their faces.


    "President Yang, long time no see," Ling Chen greeted with a smile, quickly moving forward.


    The middle-aged man in front of them was none other than Yang Chengfeng, the chairman of Silver Star Entertainment. Ling Chen had met him a few times; though not very close, at least they weren¡¯t strangers.


    "Mr. Ling, it has indeed been a while since west met, I¡¯ve been waiting for you to visit me," Yang Chengfeng said politely.


    "I¡¯ll definitelye and bother you next time. President Yang, are you a regr here?"


    "I suppose, the pressure is too much sometimes, I asionallye here to rx. Mr. Ling, I haven¡¯t seen you here before, howe you suddenly became interested today?"


    Ling Chen casually replied, "Just bored, so I came to y with a friend."


    "Let¡¯s go, it¡¯s rare to meet friends. I¡¯ll cover tonight¡¯s expenses... however, I¡¯m not shouldering the gambling, haha!"


    Amidughter, the three of them stepped onto the luxury cruise.


    Since it was a luxury cruise, it naturally lived up to the ¡¯luxury¡¯ name. Upon entering the lobby, it immediately dazzled visitors, much like a splendid pce, with crystal chandeliers, marble floors, and gold walls as reflective as mirrors, everywhere exuding luxury. No wonder this ce was popr among the wealthy, it truly was a ce to unt one¡¯s status.


    Ling Chen took a ss of champagne from a passing waiter and followed Yang Chengfeng around, exploring the types of gambling avable.


    Being a major casino, it epassed almost every type of gambling, a feast for the eyes.


    "Mr. Ling, which type are you interested in?"


    Ling Chen looked around, then pointed to a gambling table not far away, saying, "I¡¯ll y the simplest one."


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 608 - 605: Losing Control in Anger (1)

    <h4>Chapter 608: Chapter 605: Losing Control in Anger (1)</h4><subtxt> Ling Chen chose the ckjack table, a rtively simple gambling game that mainly relies on luck, with not much skill involved.


    "Fatty." Ling Chen patted Hu Fei on the shoulder and said, "Go get me two million in chips."


    With a face full of resentment, Hu Fei nced at Ling Chen. Out of consideration for Yang Chengfeng who was still beside them, he suppressed his heartache, didn¡¯t say a word, and obediently ran to the chip exchange to get two million in chips.


    Seeing Ling Chen exchange so much in chips at once, Yang Chengfeng couldn¡¯t help but advise, "Mr. Ling, small bets make for good fun, but big bets harm the body. It¡¯s fine to y, but there¡¯s no need to bet so big."


    "President Yang, what¡¯s the usual bet size here?"


    "It depends on the person. There are ones in thousands, tens of thousands, andmonly in hundreds of thousands. If it¡¯s winning or losing over a million, then you have to go to the VIP room. There, the minimum bet starts at a million, with no ceiling. As long as you have money, you can bet as big as you want. However, to y in the VIP room, you must receive an invitation from the host. My usual betting is around several hundred thousand, I¡¯ve never been to the VIP room, and I¡¯m not interested in burning money in that kind of ce."


    After hearing Yang Chengfeng¡¯s exnation, Ling Chen immediately lost interest in the game before him. Winning or losing just tens of thousands, when would that be enough to gather forty million? Since he was here, he had to bet big.


    Hu Fei could understand Ling Chen¡¯s thoughts and said, "Try your luck first, and if it¡¯s not working out, I¡¯ll take over."


    "Alright then." Ling Chen nced at the just-started betting round on the table, and casually threw down a chip. Fifty thousand!


    The dealer dealt the cards, one face-up and one face-down.


    The face-up card was a King, and the face-down card was a seven, totaling seventeen points. Although not yet twenty-one, it was not far off, neither good nor bad.


    ckjack is about who has the total value of cards nearest to twenty-one, and going over means busting out, losing straight away.


    After dealing two cards, Ling Chen, as the yer, could choose to draw more cards or not. After some thought, he decided to pass, not taking any more cards. Seventeen points was already quite high; now it was just a matter of what the dealer had.


    When no one else wanted more cards, the dealer began to reveal his hand: a ten, a three, and another seven, totaling twenty points, higher than all the other yers at the table.


    In less than two or three minutes, fifty thousand was gone, causing Hu Fei, who was watching, to feel incredibly pained.


    In less than half an hour, Ling Chen yed five rounds, losing each and every one without a single win, whittling down the two million in chips by two to three hundred thousand.


    "Why don¡¯t I take over, your luck is awful." Hu Fei couldn¡¯t stand to watch anymore; at this rate, two million wouldn¡¯t be enough to lose.


    "Enough, stop nagging. If you didn¡¯t talk so much, would I lose?" Ling Chen responded, clearly irritated.


    With that said, not waiting for Hu Fei to say anything more, Ling Chen, clutching the remaining chips, headed straight for the one hundred thousand betting table.


    He threw down two hundred thousand in chips without even blinking and immediately asked the dealer to deal the cards.


    However, even after changing tables, Ling Chen¡¯s luck didn¡¯t turn, and he continued to lose. In less than half an hour, the chips had dwindled by four-fifths.


    Looking at the mere thirty thousand chips he had left, Ling Chen gritted his teeth and threw them all onto the table.


    "Don¡¯t do it..."


    "Shut up!" Ling Chen snapped at Hu Fei.


    Damn it! His luck today was truly terrible. He¡¯de here aiming to win money, but kept losing instead; even the usuallyposed Ling Chen couldn¡¯t help but get anxious.


    Hu Fei held no hope for Ling Chen¡¯s rash move, staring intently at Ling Chen¡¯s hand. A nine and a seven, totaling sixteen points, a very small chance of winning.


    Ling Chen swept a nce at the calm croupier and said in a deep voice, "Deal again!"


    The croupier smiled faintly and passed a card over to Ling Chen. The card was revealed¡ªa Queen. That made twenty-six points, busted. Two million all lost in an instant.


    "Damn!" Ling Chen raised his fist and hammered down hard on the table, cursing, "I just can¡¯t believe I can¡¯t win even a single hand today. Go, get me another three million."


    Hu Fei couldn¡¯t help but advise, "Maybe you shouldn¡¯t, your luck today..."


    Before he could finish speaking, Ling Chen suddenly raised his foot and kicked fiercely at Hu Fei while cursing angrily, "Just go when I tell you to. What¡¯s with all the nonsense? If you keep whining, do you believe I¡¯ll p you?"


    For a moment, the attention of everyone in the casino was drawn by Ling Chen¡¯s voice. Everyone looked over, pointing and discussing animatedly.


    Seeing Ling Chen red-eyed from his losses and picking a fight with his friend, Yang Chengfeng hurriedly said, "Mr. Ling, it¡¯s just for fun, no need to get angry. You¡¯ve been ying for so long; you must be tired. How about we sit at the bar for a while, and have a drink to quench your thirst?"


    "I¡¯m not going!" Ling Chen raised his arm and brushed Yang Chengfeng¡¯s hand away, pointing at Hu Fei and continuing to scold, "I¡¯m giving you one minute to bring me ten million in chips. If you give me any more lip, don¡¯t me me for turning on you. President Yang, how much I lose is my business, it¡¯s not for you to worry about."


    Hearing this, Yang Chengfeng¡¯s expression stiffened, surprised by Ling Chen¡¯sck of courtesy.


    At this moment, Hu Fei patted the spot where Ling Chen had kicked him and, with a dark expression, walked over to the chip exchange. Shortly after, ten million in chips were delivered to Ling Chen.


    "Another round!"


    Ling Chen shouted at the croupier, directly tossing down a million in chips.


    "This..."


    The croupier said embarrassedly, "Sir, the maximum bet for this table is five hundred thousand. We can¡¯t take a million."


    "Damn! What are you trying to say? Say that again." Ling Chen bellowed, face flushed with anger, "I¡¯ve got plenty of money. I¡¯ll bet as much as I want. If you can¡¯t handle it, then don¡¯t run a casino here and just get the hell out."


    After being berated by Ling Chen, the croupier¡¯s face turned quite sour. He had seen gamblers lose their cool before, but never one socking in manners.


    At this point, the other gamblers around were watching themotion with interest, wondering how the casino would handle it.


    "President Yang."


    At that moment, a genial middle-aged man approached with a smile,ing up to Yang Chengfeng.


    "Manager Luo."


    Recognizing the neer, Yang Chengfeng immediately identified him as the person in charge of the casino, Luo Haiou.


    "President Yang, I¡¯ve been told by the staff that the gentleman is a friend you brought?"


    Yang Chengfeng nodded with an embarrassed look, apologetically saying, "Manager Luo, I¡¯m really sorry. My friend has a bit of a temper, I hope you can forgive him."


    "It¡¯s okay," Luo Haiou said with a smile, "I¡¯ve seen many guests like him. President Yang, your friend looks familiar; I feel like I¡¯ve seen him somewhere. Could you introduce me?"


    "He¡¯s Ling Chen, he works for the Hongyu Group."


    "Ling Chen..." Luo Haiou muttered to himself, a glint of recognition shing in his eyes, as the smile on his face grew even brighter.


    "Is he the boyfriend of Miss Nanrong, the Chairman of the Hongyu Group, Ling Chen?"</subtxt>

 Chapter 609 - 606: Losing Red-Eyed (2)

    <h4>Chapter 609: Chapter 606: Losing Red-Eyed (2)</h4><h4></h4>


    "Yes," Yang Chengfeng nodded and asked, "Manager Luo, you also know him?"


    "Of course I do. Miss Nanrong is so famous, who hasn¡¯t heard of her boyfriend? It¡¯s just that I never had the chance to meet him." After saying this, Luo Haiou looked at Ling Chen, who was still arguing with the dealer, took a few steps forward, and smiled, "Mr. Ling."


    Ling Chen turned around, looked at Luo Haiou who was speaking, and said displeasingly, "Who are you? Move aside, don¡¯t disturb me from gambling."


    Luo Haiou didn¡¯t mind Ling Chen¡¯s tone at all, and said amiably, "Mr. Ling, the maximum bet at this table cannot exceed five hundred thousand. There¡¯s no need to make it hard for him. How about this, if you want to gamble big, I can take you to the VIP room, how does that sound?"


    "VIP room? What ce is that?"


    "The minimum stake there is one million, as long as you have the money, you can bet as much as you want," Luo Haiou said with a smile.


    "Money?" Ling Chen snorted lightly, "Do I look like someone whocks money?"


    Hearing the dialogue between Ling Chen and Luo Haiou, Yang Chengfeng¡¯s expression became a bit strange. He had clearly exined the rules of the VIP room to Ling Chen, why would he pretend not to know in front of Luo Haiou, could it be that he... Suddenly, Yang Chengfeng seemed to understand something.


    Luo Haiou said with a smile, "Of course Mr. Ling doesn¡¯tck money. This way, please, let me take you to the VIP room." After speaking, Luo Haiou turned his head to look at Yang Chengfeng and asked, "President Yang, do you have any interest in joining for fun?"


    "ying is out of the question, but to see and learn is possible."


    "Then pleasee along."


    Under Luo Haiou¡¯s lead, Ling Chen, Yang Chengfeng, and Hu Fei arrived at the luxurious cruise ship¡¯s VIP room. The so-called VIP room was actually not much different in decoration¡ªjust that the stakes were higher than outside. Moreover, there weren¡¯t many gambling tables here, only five in total. After all, not many people were eligible to gamble here.


    Upon entering the VIP room, Ling Chen nced around casually, and his gaze was immediately captured by a young man in a suit.


    Li Gang!


    Ling Chen narrowed his eyes, a faint smile ying at the corners of his mouth. Although he had met this man only once, he had a deep impression of him. During Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s birthday banquet, Li Gang had tried to embarrass him several times. If he remembered correctly, this guy seemed to be the son of the chairman of Dongyu Group, a wealthy second-generation, very rich.


    While Ling Chen was sizing up Li Gang, thetter also felt his gaze, slowly raised his head, and met Ling Chen¡¯s eyes. Eyes locked, Li Gang¡¯s expression darkened, and a cold glint shed in his eyes. After staring each other down for a few moments, Li Gang concealed his expression and continued ying cards without betraying anything.


    "Mr. Ling, the minimum bet here is one million, no upper limit, you can enjoy to your heart¡¯s content. If you need any help, just speak up, and I will try my best to meet your needs," Luo Haiou said with a smile.


    Ling Chen waved his hand impatiently, "Alright, I know." After saying that, he walked straight to a nearby gambling table. Hu Fei nced at Yang Chengfeng and hurriedly followed.


    Standing in front of the table, it was still ckjack.


    "Ling Chen, let¡¯s try a different game," Hu Fei whispered, "You¡¯re not lucky with this, you¡¯ve already lost several million outside and haven¡¯t won a single hand."


    Although he spoke softly, it was loud enough for everyone around the table to hear. For a moment, everyone turned to look at Ling Chen, their eyes filled with intense interest.


    "Why so much nonsense, get back up where you fell down. I refuse to believe that I can¡¯t win even one hand tonight." After speaking, Ling Chen directly threw two million worth of chips.


    "Deal."


    Two cards were dealt to him, Ling Chen looked at the face-up card, Old K, then held his breath, both nervous and anticipant, as he flipped over the face-down card.


    It was a Queen of Hearts!


    The two cards together added up to exactly twenty, infuriatingly close to twenty-one.


    Seeing this hand, Ling Chen couldn¡¯t help but grin with confidence. Hearing Ling Chen¡¯s smugughter, the surrounding gamblers couldn¡¯t resist shaking their heads and snickering to themselves.


    This kid really doesn¡¯t know how to y cards; even if he gets a good hand, he shouldn¡¯t show it off. Otherwise, if the dealer notices, it would only decrease his winnings substantially.


    Sure enough. Watching the radiant smile on Ling Chen¡¯s face, the dealer with an expressionless face flipped over his hole card and subtly furrowed his brow. Clearly, the number on that hole card was less than ideal.


    "Reveal!" Seeing no one else wanted a card, Ling Chen immediately called out, then eagerly flipped over his two cards for everyone to see.


    "Twenty." Ling Chen said with a grin, "Anyone have more than me?"


    The other idle yers didn¡¯t show much reaction, having anticipated Ling Chen¡¯s cards. It wasn¡¯t twenty-one, but it was still very good.


    "Reveal your cards, what are you waiting for?"


    Seeing the dealer hesitating to reveal his card, Ling Chen urged him immediately. Suddenly, everyone¡¯s attention focused on the dealer¡¯s hole card.


    The dealer¡¯s face-up card was a ten; if his hole card was a face card, then he would tie with Ling Chen.


    Feeling everyone¡¯s gaze, the dealer, expressionless, suddenly smiled, reaching out and flipping over his hole card.


    Ace of Spades!


    In an instant, the smile on Ling Chen¡¯s face froze and Hu Fei beside him started sweating profusely, continuously wiping his forehead with his sleeve.


    In ckjack, an Ace can either count as one or eleven, without any restrictions, and one can freely choose the value. Therefore, with this Ace and the ten, the dealer scored exactly twenty-one, decisively beating Ling Chen.


    Furthermore, by hitting twenty-one, the bet doubles. Ling Chen had ced two million, so he owed the dealer four million, instantly losing half of his ten million chips.


    "Dammit!" Ling Chen cursed unhappily, "Go again! Bet bigger this time." Saying so, he threw all six million onto the betting table.


    "Are you crazy!" Hu Fei¡¯s eyes widened in disbelief as he looked at Ling Chen. This guy just bet all his remaining chips.


    "Deal."


    Ling Chen ignored Hu Fei, his gaze fixed intently on the cards dealt to him, fingers tapping lightly on the table surface to ease his inner tension.


    Dozens of seconds passed.


    Ling Chen flipped his cards: twenty-two points, busted. In just two rounds, he had lost all ten million.


    "Damn it, I don¡¯t believe this bad luck." Ling Chen grabbed at his hair, his face flushed red as he said, "Go get me another twenty million."


    Hu Fei said with a troubled face, "We... didn¡¯t bring that much money."


    Ling Chen annoyed, "Don¡¯t you even have a card on you?"


    "How would I know you¡¯d lose this much?"


    Hearing this, Ling Chen couldn¡¯t be bothered with Hu Fei anymore and turned his head to Yang Chengfeng, saying, "President Yang, can you help me out? Lend me a few million first. I¡¯ll pay you back after we get off the boat."

 Chapter 610 - 607: Won a Game

    <h4>Chapter 610: Chapter 607: Won a Game</h4><h4></h4>


    "This..." Yang Chengfeng hesitated for a moment, unable to read Ling Chen¡¯s intentions, so he dared not agree casually.


    At this moment, Luo Haiou came over from the side and said with a smile, "Mr. Ling, if you didn¡¯t bring that much money, it¡¯s okay, we can provide some loan."


    Ling Chen¡¯s eyes lit up, and he asked, "How much can I borrow?"


    "With Ling Chen¡¯s status, naturally, as much as you want, but, we need to issue an IOU."


    "Okay, give me eighty million first."


    "No problem." Luo Haiou agreed very readily, immediately had someone bring over eighty million in chips, and handed over the prepared IOU for Ling Chen to sign and put his thumbprint on.


    Ling Chen didn¡¯t say anything further, he signed his name directly and pressed his red thumbprint. Afterpleting the IOU, carrying a tray with eighty million chips, he squeezed back to the gambling table, ready to throw a five million chip onto the table.


    Seeing this, Hu Fei hurriedly grabbed Ling Chen¡¯s arm and said with a pained expression, "Don¡¯t bet so much at once, your luck isn¡¯t good now, start with less, don¡¯t lose it all in one go."


    After hearing this, Ling Chen seemed to think it made sense, and he reduced the chips from five million to two million.


    However, in three consecutive rounds, Ling Chen lost them all, not winning even once.


    The gamblers around shook their heads secretly, with a look of staring at a fool on their faces. Knowing his own bad luck and still continuing to bet, and betting more and more, this is nothing if not foolish. Anyone with a bit of intelligence and self-control would not do this.


    At that moment, only to see Li Gang make his way through the crowd, he leaned on the gambling table and said with augh, "Mr. Ling, since you are in such a mood tonight, how about I join you for a game?"


    Ling Chen nced at Li Gang, and asked indifferently, "How do you want to y?"


    "Just the two of us alone bet, others can bet freely on either of us, how¡¯s that?" Li Gang looked provocatively at Ling Chen. He had seen Ling Chen continuously losing and he also heard that Ling Chen hadn¡¯t won a single game outside, having very bad luck. It just so happened that he had lost several tens of millions himself, and if he could win the chips from Ling Chen¡¯s hands, it would indeed make up for his losses.


    "Fine." Ling Chen agreed without thinking.


    Seeing Ling Chen agree so readily, Li Gang cautioned, "Let¡¯s get it straight first, no one is allowed to default on their debtster."


    "Don¡¯t worry, if anyone is going to default, it would be you, not me," said Ling Chen, as he pointed at the clock on the wall and continued, "It¡¯s eight o¡¯clock in the evening now, let¡¯s y till ten. Until the game ends, no one can withdraw. Do you have the guts?"


    Li Gang was slightly stunned, not expecting Ling Chen to set that condition.


    "Hmph!" Ling Chen scoffed disdainfully, "If you don¡¯t have the guts, just get lost, stop embarrassing yourself in front of me."


    Upon hearing this, Li Gang frowned, stood upright, and said coldly, "Let¡¯s do it, I¡¯m not afraid of you."


    "Good, deal the cards."


    As soon as his words fell, more than ten gamblers immediately pushed their chips towards Li Gang. All these people knew about Ling Chen¡¯s bad luck and thought of trying their luck to make a few million.


    Fortunately, everyone was just trying out, the bets ced weren¡¯trge, only a million or two each. Together with Li Gang¡¯s own stake, the total bets on the table were eighteen million. If Ling Chen lost, he would have to pay out eighteen million at a one-to-one rate. Conversely, if he won, he could take all eighteen million.


    The profit was huge, but the risk was equally great.


    Two minutes passed.


    The chips in Ling Chen¡¯s tray were reduced to less than forty million, having lost over thirty million in just two rounds.


    Seeing Ling Chen¡¯s money was so easy to earn, the surrounding onlookers couldn¡¯t help it and sessively ced their bets on Li Gang¡¯s side.


    In the blink of an eye, the bet in front of Li Gang had reached over 40 million.


    This scene caught the eye of Luo Haiou, who immediately called an underling and whispered something into his ear. Soon, the underling was waiting nearby with chips and IOUs. If Ling Chen lost this round, these chips and IOUs would be sent over immediately.


    After all, with Nanrong Wanqing backing Ling Chen, Luo Haiou wasn¡¯t worried about Ling Chen defaulting on his debts.


    "Open! Open! Open!"


    At this moment, everyone held their breath, intently watching the face-down card in Li Gang¡¯s hand. As the corner of the card was flipped, a picture card was revealed.


    Twenty points!


    Seeing this score, everyone rxed. Now there was nothing to do but wait to collect the money.


    Ling Chen, with a solemn expression, picked up the face-down card on the table, pressing it into his palm, and gently lifted a corner with his thumb. Hu Fei, with a tense expression, leaned in trying to get a clear view of the card. However, before he could even see it, Ling Chen pressed the card back down to the table.


    "I don¡¯t want a card."


    Hearing Ling Chen speak, Li Gang smiled and said, "I don¡¯t want one either." With that, he flipped over his face-down card andugh proudly: "Twenty points, time to collect the money."


    Luo Haiou nced at Li Gang¡¯s card, a slight smile curling at the corners of his mouth, and he winked at his underling to pass over the chips that were prepared ahead of time.


    However, as the underling approached the table and was about to speak, Ling Chen suddenly grinned andughed: "Twenty points is high, but unfortunately, I have just a bit more than you."


    With that, Ling Chen flipped over his card underneath.


    A King and an Ace, exactly twenty-one points.


    The bet doubled, and the 40 million in front of Li Gang instantly increased to 90 million.


    With just one hand, Ling Chen not only recouped all his losses but also won several million more.


    Looking at the twenty-one points on the gambling table, Li Gang¡¯s face instantly turned sour. Not only him, but the other gamblers were also stunned. What was thought to be a guaranteed win was turned around by Ling Chen.


    However, although Ling Chen won this hand, nobody felt regretful. After all, they had won two to three hundred million just a while ago, and now it was as if they were simply returning it to him. There was still plenty of time and opportunities to turn the tables.


    As the game started again, there were still over 30 million in bets in front of Li Gang.


    Adjusting his state, Li Gang pulled out a cigarette, lit it, and said to the dealer, "Deal."


    One face-up card and one face-down card, three and nine, making twelve points in total¡ªtoo low for a strong chance to win. Holding his cards, Li Gang looked around at the people beside him, as if asking whether to continue drawing cards or not.


    "Draw."


    Almost everyone shouted in unison.


    Li Gang nodded and signaled the dealer, who promptly delivered a card to him.


    However, as soon as the card was revealed, Li Gang¡¯s eyes widened and his face became extremely ugly.


    It was a King!


    Direct bust.


    Seeing this, Li Gang forced himself to stay calm, looking at Ling Chen across the gambling table. If Ling Chen also bust, then it would be a tie for everyone.

 Chapter 611 - 608: Mr. Li Asking for Trouble

    <h4>Chapter 611: Chapter 608: Mr. Li Asking for Trouble</h4><h4></h4>


    However, the greater the hope, the greater the disappointment often is.


    Ling Chen revealed his hidden cards, totaling eighteen points. Though not high, it was enough to beat Li Gang.


    In a blink, Ling Chen¡¯s te weed another thirty-plus million.


    Looking at the chips piling up in front of him, a smile blossomed on Ling Chen¡¯s face. It seemed Hu Fei was right; this really was the fastest way to make money. In such a short time, not only had he made the needed forty million, but he also had several million surplus, enough to assemble a production line.


    "Let¡¯s continue," said Ling Chen with a smile as he nced at Li Gang.


    "Don¡¯t be smug, thosest two rounds were just dumb luck," Li Gang said coldly.


    But even if it was dumb luck, it was still luck. And ckjack is all about luck. Seeing Ling Chen win two rounds in a row, the people following his bets had halved, leaving only over ten million in front of Li Gang.


    Of course, that was not the point. Witnessing Ling Chen¡¯s luck in the first two rounds, some gamblers began to try their luck by cing their bets on Ling Chen. Before long, there were nearly ten million in bets in front of Ling Chen.


    Seeing those chips, Li Gang¡¯s forehead involuntarily broke out into a cold sweat. At this point, how could he not be tense? If he lost this round, he would be down over ten million¡ªthat was no small sum.


    Li Gang took a deep breath, turned over the hidden cards in his hand, and said, "Neen points."


    "Sorry, but it¡¯s twenty-one again." Ling Chen flipped over his cards with a grin.


    In that instant, Li Gang seemed to freezepletely, watching Ling Chen¡¯s points in disbelief, his mouth agape, unable to utter a word.


    Twenty-one points meant he had to pay double the bet, nearly thirty million.


    Looking at the less than ten million in chips he had, Li Gang¡¯s face turned very unsightly. At this time, a staff member brought over a tray of chips and a promissory note to Li Gang. This was originally prepared for Ling Chen, but now it was used on Li Gang.


    With no other choice, the cash-strapped Li Gang had to sign the note, taking the eighty million in chips to clear his debts, still left with over fifty million in hand, enough to y a few more rounds.


    However, in less than half an hour, Ling Chen¡¯s luck only seemed to improve, not having lost a single hand. Gamblers who were initially betting on Li Gang all switched sides to Ling Chen.


    In a mere half-hour, Luo Haiou had ordered his men to deliver money to Li Gang twice, reaching over a hundred million, all on credit.


    Li Gang wiped the sweat from his forehead and checked the time. There was still more than an hour until ten o¡¯clock. If this continued, God knows how much he would lose. Even worse, the bets on Ling Chen were getting bigger and bigger, with almost every round wagering sixty to seventy million.


    Just two more wins and he could clear all his debts!


    Li Gang thought to himself.


    "Another round!" Li Gang gritted his teeth in determination and told the dealer to continue dealing cards.


    But once again, the scales of good fortune tipped in favor of Ling Chen. Not only did he win, but he also hit twenty-one points.


    At this moment, everyone was overjoyed. ying a game and cashing in hundreds of millions¡ªit¡¯s not something that happens every day.


    "Manager Luo, he¡¯s already borrowed almost three hundred million; are we still going to lend to him?" asked an underling in a low voice.


    "What¡¯s there to fear," Luo Haiou responded lightly, "Don¡¯t you know Mr. Li is the son of Dongyu Group¡¯s chairman? Dongyu Group is worth over ten billion; this bit of money is nothing. Keep lending, as much as he wants, we¡¯re not afraid he won¡¯t pay it back."


    At this time, Hu Fei, surrounded by mountains of chips, could not stop grinning. With so much money, not just one, but three production lines wouldn¡¯t be a problem.


    Ling Chen, with a hand on his nose, watched the unaffected Li Gang with a smile and asked, "Mr. Li, what¡¯s wrong? Not ying anymore? It¡¯s still early, just after nine o¡¯clock, don¡¯t forget our agreement."


    Heated upon hearing Ling Chen¡¯s mocking words, Li Gang suddenly looked up, pointed at Ling Chen, and yelled, "You¡¯re cheating."


    "Cheating?" Ling Chen was momentarily taken aback, but his smile grew wider as he replied, "Mr. Li, you can eat anything you want, but you can¡¯t just say anything. Which eye saw me cheating? Besides, with so many people around me, they would¡¯ve noticed if I were cheating."


    "That¡¯s right. Mr. Li, when you lose, you lose. The Li Family isn¡¯t short on money; don¡¯t lose your integrity too," someone immediately echoed from behind Ling Chen.


    With one person taking the lead, naturally, there followed a second. They had all made money thanks to Ling Chen, so of course, they sided with him¡ªwho would be foolish enough to help Li Gang? That would be utterly self-defeating.


    As the crowd began to berate him with variousments, Li Gang, holding back his rage, barked with a dark face: "If he isn¡¯t cheating, how could he possibly win every round? Even if his luck is good, it can¡¯t be to this extent." After speaking, Li Gang turned to Luo Haiou and said, "Manager Luo, you¡¯re the one in charge here, make a fair judgment. Do you think that¡¯s likely?"


    Luo Haiou said with a smile, "Gambling naturally involves winning and losing. I¡¯ve been watching you two gamble just now. Although my gambling skills are average, I¡¯m confident in my eyesight, and if anyone dares to cheat in front of me, they absolutely can¡¯t get past me. Mr. Li, I assure you, Mr. Ling has not cheated unless his cheating skills are so advanced they¡¯ve gone beyond what my eyes can detect."


    Li Gang, not willing to concede, shouted, "If he¡¯s that skilled, wouldn¡¯t that mean I¡¯m at a disadvantage?"


    "There¡¯s nothing that can be done about that. If Mr. Ling¡¯s cheating has reached that profound level, then you have to ept your loss. Oh, right! Mr. Li, I forgot to remind you that it was you who suggested betting, not Mr. Ling. Since you¡¯ve said it, you can¡¯t go back on your word. There¡¯s still an hour until ten o¡¯clock; you can keep ying. If you need money, just tell me. With Dongyu Group¡¯s wealth, it wouldn¡¯t be a problem to loan you ten billion."


    "No, I¡¯m done ying. It¡¯s clear you¡¯re just after my money," Li Gang took two steps back, vigorously shaking his head, and shouted angrily, "I¡¯m telling you, I¡¯m not that easy to deceive." After saying this, Li Gang flung his sleeves and walked out indignantly.


    "Mr. Li, where are you going?" Luo Haiou advanced two steps, blocking Li Gang¡¯s path, his smile unwavering. But those familiar with Luo Haiou knew that Li Gang was about to be in trouble.


    Li Gang, frowning, said, "Get out of my way, Luo, I want to get off this boat."


    "Mr. Li, we value integrity on this gambling boat. If you break your promise, you¡¯ll be added to the list of unwee guests."


    "Tch!" Li Gang scoffed, his face full of disdain as he said, "You think I care about ying here? Move! Don¡¯t block my way like a dog in the manger."

 Chapter 612 - 609: Making a Fortune

    <h4>Chapter 612: Chapter 609: Making a Fortune</h4><h4></h4>


    For Li Gang¡¯s insults, Luo Haiou didn¡¯t take them seriously; with a fake smile, he said, "Mr. Li, you can leave, but pay off the debt note from earlier first, then we can be clear."


    Seeing Luo Haiou¡¯s subordinate handing over five debt notes, Li Gang¡¯s face changed, and he snatched those notes, about to tear them. However, seeing his action, Luo Haiou swiftly grabbed Li Gang¡¯s wrist and twisted it gently.


    Crack!


    Apanied by a crisp sound, Li Gang¡¯s right arm was instantly dislocated.


    Ah!


    Amidst the screams, Li Gang¡¯s face turned pale, and he was in so much pain that tears were about to flow. As a wealthy second-generation, he had never experienced such pain from childhood to adulthood.


    Luo Haiou snorted softly, let go of his hand, and Li Gang¡¯s body immediately copsed to the ground.


    "Mr. Li, if you don¡¯t find a way to settle the debt tonight, don¡¯t think about leaving this ship," Luo Haiou said coldly, leaving no room for negotiation.


    "Drag him away, and release him only when the money is transferred."


    Several staff members didn¡¯t hesitate and immediately picked Li Gang up from the ground and dragged him out of the VIP hall.


    Watching Li Gang¡¯s screams disappear outside the VIP hall, Ling Chen looked at Luo Haiou in surprise; he didn¡¯t expect this guy to be a martial artist. Moreover, given the speed of Luo Haiou¡¯s actions, his skills were clearly strong. It¡¯s really surprising that a manager of a gambling ship had such capabilities.


    "Mr. Ling, everyone, I apologize for earlier, and thank you for your understanding," Luo Haiou said with a smiling face and a pleasant tone.


    Ling Chen politely said, "Not at all, we should be thanking Manager Luo for your help."


    "Mr. Ling, pleasee this way, I¡¯ll take you to exchange the chips."


    "Thanks!"


    After exchanging the chips, Ling Chen realized that during his bet with Li Gang earlier, he had won more than one hundred million. It hadn¡¯t taken long, yet arge sum of money had been credited to his ount. However, this was all thanks to Li Gang. If it weren¡¯t for his proposal to bet, letting others ce their bets even with his good techniques, he wouldn¡¯t have been able to win such arge amount of money so quickly.


    Of course, Hu Fei was the happiest. This guy is just a money lover, especially when it¡¯s such arge sum.


    "Mr. Ling, your chips have been exchanged into cash and deposited into your bank ount. Please check your phone."


    "No need." Ling Chen said with a smile: "I trust Manager Luo wouldn¡¯t deceive me."


    "Mr. Ling, if you don¡¯t want to continue gambling, I can arrange a guest room for you to rest overnight, and the ship will be docked early tomorrow morning."


    "Can¡¯t we leave now?"


    Ling Chen didn¡¯t really want to stay on this luxury cruise ship; since his goal had already been achieved, staying any longer would be a waste of time.


    Luo Haiou smiled slightly: "If Mr. Ling wants to return, I can prepare a speedboat for you."


    "That would be great, thank you."


    "Mr. Ling, please keep this well, if you ever want toe back, just show this card, and our staff will surely take good care of you."


    Ling Chen nced at the VIP card handed by Luo Haiou, didn¡¯t refuse, and simply pocketed it. Whether he would return in the future didn¡¯t matter; he would keep it just in case.


    Not long after, Ling Chen, Hu Fei, and Yang Chengfeng boarded the speedboat prepared by Luo Haiou, and headed straight for the port of East Sea City.


    "Mr. Ling, what was today¡¯s performance all about?" With no outsiders present, Yang Chengfeng spoke much more freely. Plus, he had also made a fair amount of money by betting with Ling Chen. Although it was only a few million, it was still a happy asion.


    Winning money makes everyone happy.


    "President Yang, you really can¡¯t escape your keen observation," Ling Chen said with a smile.


    Previously on the luxurious cruise, both he and Hu Fei were acting. Of course, he didn¡¯t inform Hu Fei beforehand; it was a spontaneous decision. Luckily, Hu Fei was smart enough to quickly catch on and cooperated with him in the act.


    Their initial quarrel was just to draw people¡¯s attention; subsequently, Luo Haiou being attracted was also within expectations. Later, when they entered the VIP room, Ling Chen deliberately showed weakness, losing every round just to arouse others¡¯ greed, making them think that his money was easy to win.


    As for Li Gang¡¯s proposal, that was unexpected. However, it yed right into Ling Chen¡¯s hands, making his earnings even easier.


    "Mr. Ling," Yang Chengfeng hesitated and then couldn¡¯t help but ask, "Is your luck really that good, to win every time?"


    Hearing this, Ling Chen smiled without responding.


    Luck?


    He was here to make money; relying solely on luck would have likely left him broke long ago. Without some tricks, how could he have been so sessful?


    As an expert on the Dragon List, secretly switching cards was a skill everyone should have. As long as one¡¯s hand speed and some concealment techniques were good enough, no one could detect it. Although Luo Haiou was also skilled, fortunately, his capabilities were far from matching his own, so there was no need to worry about being exposed.


    "President Yang, who owns that gambling boat?"


    Yang Chengfeng shook his head and said, "I really don¡¯t know, the gambling boat has been operating for a long time. All I know is that Luo Haiou is the manager; as for the shadowy owner behind the scenes, no one has ever seen him."


    While they talked, the motorboat was already approaching the port of East Sea City.


    Yang Chengfeng had apany car for pick up and drop off, while Ling Chen drove himself. After saying goodbye to each other, Ling Chen and Hu Fei immediately took a car back to the Old City.


    Upon entering the office, Hu Fei immediately sat down at theputer, eagerly opened his ount, and gawked at the eight-figure sum,ughing foolishly.


    "Fatty, transfer ten million out as repayment for my previous debt; use the rest to purchase equipment. Remember, this matter cannot be dyed, it must be handled quickly, I urgently need that equipment."


    "Don¡¯t worry, I know." After saying that, Hu Fei happily transferred ten million to his own ount.


    After sleeping in the courierpany for one night, early the next morning, Ling Chen drove back to Wealthy Manor alone.


    Now that his arrest warrant had been withdrawn, he no longer had to worry about Lonely Wolf¡¯s people harming him.


    Upon entering the vi, there was no one in the living room. Ling Chen called out twice, but neither Nanrong Wanqing nor Su Lin responded.


    Strange, why is there no one at home, where have they all gone?


    Ling Chen thought to himself, noticing even Nanny Wang was nowhere to be seen.


    Right away, Ling Chen went to the vi next door where Nanrong Hao lived. He knocked on the door and saw Nanrong Hao leaning against the sofa, feet up on the coffee table, holding a game controller and ying video games.


    "Chen?"


    Seeing Ling Chen enter, Nanrong Hao dropped his controller, stood up with a face full of surprise.


    "When did youe back?"


    "Just entered. By the way, where are your sister and the others, why is there no one?"


    Nanrong Hao said in surprise, "Chen, don¡¯t you know?"


    "What should I know?"


    "Oh!" Nanrong Hao pped his forehead and said with an embarrassed smile, "I nearly forgot, you weren¡¯t at home these past few days, you might not know about this."

 Chapter 613 - 610: Technology Transfer

    <h4>Chapter 613: Chapter 610: Technology Transfer</h4><h4></h4>


    Ling Chen looked at Nanrong Hao with a puzzled expression and asked, "What¡¯s the matter? Make it clear."


    "They¡¯ve all gone to thepany. I heard from my cousin that it seems a very important guest has arrived at thepany, and they got there yesterday. Since yesterday until now, both sister and cousin have stayed at thepany and haven¡¯te back."


    Upon hearing this, Ling Chen thought it odd. What could be so important that neither of them has gone back home.


    "I¡¯ll go to thepany to check on them. Do you want toe with me?"


    "Let¡¯s go, I¡¯ll drive."


    Leaving the Nanrong residence, Ling Chen and Nanrong Hao got into the car and drove straight out of Wealthy Manor towards the headquarters of Hongyu Group.


    In about half an hour, the two arrived at the underground parking garage.


    Ding!


    The elevator doors opened, and Ling Chen, with Nanrong Hao, arrived at thepany¡¯s top floor, only to find the office desk by the wall empty. Usually, Wang Lan works there, but today is not Sunday, nor is it mealtime yet¡ªWang Lan was unexpectedly missing, with no clue where she might have gone.


    As they pondered, the two approached the CEO¡¯s office door and reached out to push it open. However, at that moment, the door of the office was opened from the inside.


    "Mr. Ling, Mr. Nanrong!"


    Ling Chen looked at Wang Lan inside the door, cracked a slight smile, and said, "I thought you had taken the day off. Is the CEO and Miss Su in there?"


    "Miss Su is tending to matters with the guest; the CEO is resting in the room," replied Wang Lan, stifling a yawn and rubbing her dark circles, "We¡¯ve all been busy overnight and hardly slept. Miss Su is worried about the CEO¡¯s health, so she let her rest first."


    Ling Chen curiously asked, "What guest?"


    It must be a significant matter if they were busy all night.


    Wang Lan shook her head, "I don¡¯t know who that person is, but the CEO is being very polite to them, not daring to offend at all. Moreover, that person is so rude, acting as if this ce belongs to them, bossing people around without any disregard for the CEO."


    Hearing Wang Lan¡¯sints, Ling Chen grew even more curious about the guest¡¯s identity. Who could it be that even Nanrong Wanqing would show deference to and not dare to offend?


    After a moment of thought, Ling Chen said, "Haozi, you wait outside for a bit; I¡¯ll go in and check on your sister."


    With that, Ling Chen pushed the door open and went into the office, heading straight for the private rest area at the back. Upon opening the room¡¯s door, he saw Nanrong Wanqing lying on the single bed, covered with a thin nket, beside which a wheelchair was ced.


    ording to Wang Lan, Nanrong Wanqing had not been resting for long and was already deep asleep, indicating she must have been extremely tired the night before.


    Ling Chen walked on tiptoe to the bedside and admired the delicate features of Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s beautiful face. The sleeping Nanrong Wanqing looked just like a three-year-old child, with rosy cheeks like tempting red apples, inciting the desire to take a bite.


    Listening to her faint breathing, Ling Chen pulled the nket up a bit to cover her exposed body and then took a few fleece coats out of the wardrobe toy over the nket, preventing Nanrong Wanqing from catching a cold.


    Originally, he wanted to ask Nanrong Wanqing for a clear exnation, but seeing that she was already asleep, Ling Chen didn¡¯t have the heart to disturb her. After a night of hard work, she deserved a good rest.


    Leaving the rest area, Ling Chen stepped outside the office and asked, "Lan, where did Miss Su take the guest?"


    "It seems like they went to the finance office."


    Ling Chen nodded, then called Nanrong Hao and went straight to the elevator to the floor where the finance office was located.


    Before entering the finance office, Ling Chen saw Su Lin through the transparent ss of the finance office. At that moment, Su Lin was talking non-stop beside two middle-aged men in suits and leather shoes. Nearby, several finance staff members were typing on their keyboards, printing documents.


    Nanrong Hao took the lead, pushed open the door of the finance office, and weed Ling Chen in.


    "Ling Chen?"


    Seeing Ling Chen¡¯s arrival, Su Lin was a bit surprised and hurried over, asking, "What brings you here?"


    "I heard you¡¯ve been busy all night and haven¡¯t gone home, so I brought Haozi to check on you." After speaking, Ling Chen¡¯s gaze shifted, sizing up the two men in suits. At that moment, they were also observing him, their eyes revealing a sharpness.


    "Who are these two?"


    "They are from the military."


    The military?


    Ling Chen was taken aback, a hint of surprise shing in his Mo Che-like pupils. What were military people doing here?


    With thoughts racing, Ling Chen strode forward and asked, "Gentlemen, which department do you belong to?"


    One of the men in suits looked down his nose at Ling Chen with an air of arrogance, responding indifferently, "What¡¯s it to you?"


    "The chairman of Hongyu Group is my future wife, so tell me, does it concern me?"


    "So, you are that Ling Chen."


    "You know me?"


    "Not personally, but when we came here, we were instructed that if we encounter you, to convey a message: don¡¯t meddle in things you shouldn¡¯t. We are handling national affairs. If you do something harmful to the national interest, don¡¯t me us for not being polite."


    "National interest?"


    Ling Chen frowned and looked back at Su Lin, asking, "What are they trying to do?"


    Su Lin didn¡¯t say anything, just handed a document to Ling Chen. After skimming it for a moment, Ling Chen¡¯s face fell. He turned back sharply to face the two men in suits, his tone growing colder as he said, "This is your so-called national interest? This looks more like robbery to me."


    Originally, under Ling Chen¡¯s intermediation, Hongyu Group and the military had signed a contract to share exoskeleton armor technology. ording to the contract, the military allowed Hongyu Group to build a military factory to produce exoskeleton armors for military equipment. However, for some reasons, Nanrong Wanqing abandoned the idea of establishing the military factory and instead transferred the production rights to the military, with Hongyu Group only responsible for collecting a certain profit each year.


    But the document Su Lin had just given to Ling Chen was a transfer contract. Hongyu Group was transferring all the rights to use and produce the exoskeleton armor technology to the military, essentially letting the military buy out this technological patent in one go. If the military¡¯s price was reasonable, Ling Chen would have no objections. But the problem was that the price on the transfer contract was just a few billion. Given the advanced nature of the exoskeleton armor technology, this price was practically daylight robbery.


    "No, I cannot ept this."


    One of the men in suits coldly said, "Ling Chen, whether you ept it or not doesn¡¯t matter to me. What¡¯s key is that Miss Nanrong has already agreed."


    Agreed?


    Ling Chen looked at Su Lin baffled, asking, "Is this true?"


    Su Lin nodded helplessly and said, "Wanqing did indeed agree." As she spoke, Su Lin nced at the two men in suits, leaned slightly forward, and whispered faintly, "Originally Wanqing didn¡¯t agree, but I don¡¯t know what they said, and she actually epted."

 Chapter 614 - 611 Military Threats

    <h4>Chapter 614: Chapter 611 Military Threats</h4><h4></h4>


    "Do you know what they told Wanqing?"


    "I¡¯m not sure, they sent me away at that time. Later, I went to ask Wanqing, but she didn¡¯t mention a word about it, and there was nothing I could do."


    Ling Chen frowned secretly and his gaze towards the two men in suits turned very unfriendly, with a faint glint of cold light in the depths of his eyes.


    Threat!


    These two bastards must have threatened Nanrong Wanqing to force herpliance with their demands.


    Feeling the chill in Ling Chen¡¯s eyes, one of the older men in suits spoke up sharply, "Ling Chen, don¡¯t forget your previous identity. As a soldier, even though you are now retired, you should still prioritize national interests."


    Ling Chen said indifferently, "I have neverpromised national interests, but if it really was the intention of the nation, I believe they wouldn¡¯t be so stingy. Wanqing has agreed to your terms, but as long as the contract hasn¡¯t been signed, nothing is final. Haozi!"


    "Chen, what do you need?"


    "Take them to the reception room, get Wei to send a few people over, make sure to keep a close watch on these two. Without my permission, no one is allowed to let them go." After speaking, Ling Chen turned and walked towards the finance office.


    Watching Ling Chen¡¯s departing figure, the two men in suits looked at each other with somewhat ugly expressions, and in the depths of their eyes, there was a hint of panic.


    "Ling Chen, stop right there!"


    However, Ling Chen seemed deaf to their rebukes and mmed the door shut with a ¡¯bang¡¯.


    Back in the chairman¡¯s office, Ling Chen didn¡¯t want to disturb Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s rest, but he couldn¡¯t let her unknowingly transfer the exoskeleton armor technology at a throwaway price. Over the years, Nanrong Wanqing had invested enormous sums of money in this technology; even several billion in transfer fees wouldn¡¯t cover the costs.


    "Wanqing." Ling Chen gently pushed her, whispering her name in her ear.


    In a daze, Nanrong Wanqing fluttered her eyshes, her eyes glittering like stars slowly opened, and seeing Ling Chen¡¯s distinctively featured face, her sleepiness vanished mostly at once, and she sat up in bed, eximing with surprise, "You¡¯re back!"


    Ling Chen nodded and asked, "Let¡¯s not talk about that first. I heard from Su Lin that you¡¯re nning to undersell the patent rights for the exoskeleton technology?"


    "They are from the military..."


    Hearing this, before Nanrong Wanqing could continue, Ling Chen waved his hand and said, "What about the military? Does being in the military justify cheating and deceiving? If we¡¯re doing business, we should be sincere. Whatever the price should be, it should at least not cause us to lose money. You have been the chairman for so many years, don¡¯t you understand this?"


    Nanrong Wanqing said softly, "It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t understand, it¡¯s just..."


    "Just what?"


    Nanrong Wanqing hesitated for a moment, then shook her head, "Nothing."


    But her hesitating expression couldn¡¯t escape Ling Chen¡¯s eyes. Seeing that she was reluctant to speak, he said, "Su Lin told me that those two men had a private conversation with you, what exactly did they say to you?"


    "I can¡¯t say."


    "Why? Is there something you can¡¯t say in front of me?"


    "No, I didn¡¯t mean that," Nanrong Wanqing said anxiously, "Just don¡¯t ask, I¡¯ve already agreed to it. Besides, whether it¡¯s several billion or tens of billions, for Hongyu Group, it¡¯s just a drop in the bucket, the amount doesn¡¯t matter."


    "That¡¯s uneptable."


    Ling Chen could see that there was definitely a problem with this situation, but Nanrong Wanqing refused to say. Clearly, whatever made her do this was not simple.


    Threat!


    A thought shed through Ling Chen¡¯s mind. It must have been those two men threatening Nanrong Wanqing, making her fearful and unwilling to disclose it to him.


    Thinking this, a wave of nameless anger surged in Ling Chen¡¯s heart.


    Damn it! Having spent so many years with the Ghosts, I was part of the military, and now they¡¯re bullying me? Do they really think I don¡¯t have a temper?


    "Wanqing." Ling Chen looked directly into Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s eyes, pausing on every word, "Tell me the truth, what exactly did they say to you?"


    "I..."


    Before Nanrong Wanqing could finish, Ling Chen cut her off, saying sternly, "Just remember, no matter what they said, it¡¯s not enough to threaten you or me."


    After speaking, Ling Chen watched Nanrong Wanqing, quietly waiting for her to speak.


    After a while, Nanrong Wanqing, deep in thought, finally chose to be honest.


    "They came to me and said, if I didn¡¯t agree to their demands, they would have you arrested."


    "Arrest me?" Ling Chen felt amused and asked, "Did they mention why?"


    "They said you were guilty of murder. Recently, many bodies were discovered in East Sea City, and apparently, they¡¯re all rted to you. They told me they have sufficient evidence to prove that you killed those people."


    Hearing this, Ling Chen immediately understood.


    Recently, the God Organization had repeatedly sent people to cause trouble, all of whom he had dealt with. Murder, he indeed hadmitted, but those he killed were deserving of their fate. Previously, with the old general¡¯s protection, even aftermitting murder, no one dared to touch him. Now that the old general had stepped back, it seemed someone was using this as an excuse to trouble him.


    Who could it be?


    Ling Chen thought to himself. He knew most of the high-ranking officials in the military, although he hadn¡¯t interacted much with them, he at least had a rough understanding; there was no reason for those people to trouble him.


    After thinking, Ling Chen took out his phone and directly called Tang Yuan.


    "I wasn¡¯t aware of this; I haven¡¯t even heard about it," Tang Yuan expressed surprise over the phone after learning of the situation.


    "Tang Yuan, are you sure those two are people sent by the military?"


    "That shouldn¡¯t be a problem. I checked their IDs; they are all genuine. With my eye for detail, if the credentials were fake, I could spot them instantly; there¡¯s no way they could deceive me."


    "That¡¯s strange then; we didn¡¯t receive any news on our end. Besides, the coboration with Hongyu Group was initiated by the Ghosts, and although Ghosts have disbanded, Lonely Wolf is still around. If there¡¯s any negotiation to be done, it should be Lonely Wolf taking the initiative, not some military personnel acting on their own. Hang on, let me go find Mr. Han; he was the person who negotiated initially, he might know the situation."


    "Alright, hurry up, let me know once you find out anything."


    After hanging up the phone, Ling Chen looked at Nanrong Wanqing and said, "Don¡¯t worry about this matter; just rest here peacefully, I¡¯ll handle it."


    Nanrong Wanqing, concerned, said, "Try not to conflict with them, I don¡¯t want you to get into trouble."


    "There¡¯s no need to worry for me. Those two guys... huh! They¡¯re not worthy enough to conflict with me."

 Chapter 615 - 612 Where Did It Go

    <h4>Chapter 615: Chapter 612 Where Did It Go</h4><h4></h4>


    After leaving the rest room, Ling Chen went straight to the reception room. Upon entering, he saw the two men in suits whispering to each other at the long table under the supervision of Wei Jun and others, discussing something unknown.


    When they saw Ling Chen entering, the two men in suits immediately looked up, their faces disying their displeasure at his arrival.


    "Ling Chen, we are military officials. By arbitrarily restricting our freedom, we canpletely sue you, you..."


    "Shut up!" Ling Chen snapped coldly. After speaking, he gestured with his eyes to Wei Jun and Nanrong Hao to take the people out first.


    Once they left, Ling Chen brought a chair over and sat down in front of the two men in suits. He asked, "Speak, who exactly instructed you to do this? Don¡¯t give me any talk of national interest, those lies might deceive others, but not me."


    The slightly older man in a suit frowned and said, "Ling Chen, what kind of attitude is this? Don¡¯t think that just because you spent a few days in the military before, you can act recklessly in front of us. I¡¯m telling you, you¡¯d better be polite, otherwise don¡¯t me us for not being courteous."


    "Is that so?" Ling Chen¡¯s mouth curled into a half-smile as he looked at them both, saying, "In that case, I¡¯d like to see what exactly you n to do to me."


    "You..." The man¡¯s face darkened as he suddenly stood up and red at Ling Chen, as if he was about to reach out and grab Ling Chen¡¯s cor. However, before his hand touched Ling Chen, hispanion stopped him. Thepanion grabbed his hand and shook his head at him, indicating he should not act rashly.


    With hispanion¡¯s reminder, the man seemed to realize something and his gaze shifted towards Ling Chen, now tinted with a hint of fear.


    Seeing the other party sit down again, Ling Chen said with a hint of disappointment, "I thought you guys were more capable than that." Before Ling Chen could speak again, a pleasant ringtone suddenly rang out from his pocket.


    Pulling out his phone, Ling Chen looked at the iing caller ID and immediately smiled. Standing up from the chair, he walked over to the window of the reception room and answered the call.


    "Tang Yuan, I just inquired with Mr. Han."


    "What¡¯s the situation?"


    "The military highmand didn¡¯t make this decision and did not send anyone to East Sea City to talk to Miss Nanrong."


    Hearing this, Ling Chen¡¯s frown deepened and he said, "But I¡¯ve checked their IDs and documents; they¡¯re all real."


    "I looked into it for you. Those two you mentioned, one is called Wang Tong and the other, Tang Wei, have worked in the military office for many years. They took leave the other day, iming they were going home to visit family."


    "Going home turns out to being to East Sea City? Heh! How interesting."


    "Tang Yuan, this matter is probably not simple. Those two are just cannon fodder; the real mastermind must be someone else. I think, to get their hands on legitimate documents, there must be a person of immense power and influence backing them."


    "Old Tang, you¡¯re not suggesting..."


    "You should understand what I mean."


    "Got it."


    In a sh, Ling Chen understood what Tang Yuan was implying.


    God Organization!


    Ling Chen was all too aware of the capabilities of the God Organization. In other countries, the organization¡¯s influence had already prated both military and political spheres, but only Huaxia had been covertly on guard, hence avoiding infiltration so far. However, considering the current situation, Ling Chen couldn¡¯t help but suspect that the mastermind behind all this might be the God Organization.


    What puzzled Ling Chen, however, was that by doing this, the God Organization would expose itself. Besides, the God Organization already had the technology for exoskeleton armor, so why go through all this trouble? It didn¡¯t make sense.


    Thinking it over, Ling Chen nced at the two men in suits and asked, "How should we deal with these two guys?"


    "I¡¯ve notified the police. Leave it to them, and you don¡¯t have to worry about it. When it¡¯s time, they will be brought back for Lonely Wolf to interrogate."


    "Okay." After that, Ling Chen suddenly remembered something and asked, "By the way! One more thing, has the leader of Lonely Wolf been chosen yet?"


    "Not yet, a few candidates have been selected, but they need to pass the scrutiny of the higher-ups."


    "Mr. Han must be on the list, right?"


    "No," Tang Yuan replied with a hint of resignation. "Mr. Han didn¡¯t make any major mistakesst time in helping you, but there was still a misstep. Considering this, the upper echelons revoked his candidacy. I guess he might continue as the second-inmand."


    Ling Chen sighed, "I let him down."


    "Stop worrying about it, Mr. Han doesn¡¯t me you. He was willing to help you. Alright, that¡¯s it for now, I have other matters. We¡¯ll talkter."


    After ending the call, Ling Chen put his phone back into his pocket and turned to leave the reception room.


    "Ling Chen!"


    Wang Tong and Tang Wei, seeing Ling Chen ignore them and leave directly, couldn¡¯t help but call out. However, Ling Chen didn¡¯t stop at all, and as the door closed, their voices were left behind inside the room.


    Since Tang Yuan had already rified the truth, there was no need for him to waste further words on these two men.


    Back at the lobby of the Hongyu Group headquarters, Ling Chen saw several policemen arriving from outside. Tang Yuan was efficient; he must have informed the police even before giving him a call.


    Seeing the leading policeman walking towards him, Ling Chen greeted him with a smile.


    Ling Chen had been to the police station quite a few times, and the policeman in front of him often apanied Xia Mutong, so he recognized him.


    "Officer Xiao, why are you leading the team today? Where¡¯s Officer Xia?"


    "I don¡¯t know, we haven¡¯t seen Captain Xia for quite a few days."


    "Not seen her?" Ling Chen¡¯s expression changed abruptly, asking, "What do you mean, didn¡¯t she go to work?"


    "No, I¡¯ve tried contacting Captain Xia everywhere, but she hasn¡¯t shown up, and nobody¡¯s at home, don¡¯t know where she went. Captain Xia has been on duty for many years and has never taken leave. Suddenly disappearing like this, everyone¡¯s worried."


    This was new!


    Ling Chen frowned, thinking... had Xia Mutong not returned to East Sea City after their trip to Changling City? If that were the case, then where did she go? Surely, someone like her couldn¡¯t just get lost.


    This thought caused Ling Chen to be concerned.


    It had been a week since he came back from Changling City, which meant Xia Mutong had been missing for a week.


    "Officer Xiao, as far as I know, Officer Xia went to Changling City a while ago. Maybe you should check with colleagues there and see if you can find any clues."


    "Changling City? Okay, I got it!"


    Returning to the chairman¡¯s office, Ling Chen¡¯s mind was still preupied with Xia Mutong¡¯s matter. Xia Mutong had helped him a great deal; if anything happened to her, he would be to me.


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 616 - 613 Genetic Mutation

    <h4>Chapter 616: Chapter 613 Gic Mutation</h4><h4></h4>


    "Ling Chen, what about those two people?"


    Upon hearing Su Lin¡¯s inquiry, Ling Chen snapped back to reality and casually said, "Those two were swindlers and have already been taken away by the police."


    "Swindlers?"


    Ling Chen nodded, "Enough about them. You¡¯ve been busy all night, better get some rest."


    As he spoke, his phone rang again from his pocket.


    Looking at the iing caller ID, Ling Chen¡¯s eyes brightened as he quickly answered, "Mr. He, have you returned? Good, I understand, I¡¯ll be there shortly."


    After hanging up the phone, Ling Chen turned to Nanrong Hao and said, "Haozi, take care of your sister, I need to step out for an urgent matter."


    With those words, Ling Chen hurriedly ran out of the office and took the elevator straight to the underground parking garage.


    Half an hourter, Ling Chen drove quickly to Qingyun Martial Arts Hall.


    Upon entering, he saw several fully armed men in suits walking around the spacious courtyard, securing the entirety of the Martial Arts Hall tightly.


    As Ling Chen appeared, the suited men scrutinized him and after ensuring there was no threat, they let him pass.


    Entering the main hall, Ling Chen looked at He Ziyun, sitting there, and asked, "Mr. He, what¡¯s the deal with those men outside?"


    "They are here to protect Nanrong Yuan. Although I was allowed to bring Nanrong Yuan to East Sea City, he¡¯s a high-risk criminal and they don¡¯t fully trust the security here, thus they sent protection. Let¡¯s not worry about them for now,e with me, I¡¯ll take you to meet Nanrong Yuan."


    Following Mr. He, soon Ling Chen found himself outside a room. Observing the security stationed at the door, he thought to himself how seriously they were taking Nanrong Yuan¡¯s security, which likely meant Nanrong Yuan would struggle to regain his freedom.


    Entering the room, Ling Chen nced around and his gaze instantlynded on Nanrong Yuan.


    At the moment, Nanrong Yuany on a bed covered with a thick nket, looking somewhat pale with an IV needle in his hand.


    Around his head, a bandage was wrapped, indicating his injuries weren¡¯t fully healed.


    "Mr.... Mr. Nanrong," Ling Chen almost called him Mr. Yun, but quickly corrected himself after remembering Nanrong Yuan¡¯s true identity.


    "Take a seat," said Nanrong Yuan, pointing to a chair nearby. Though he looked weak, he appeared to be in good spirits.


    "How¡¯s Wanqing?"


    "She¡¯s fine."


    Nanrong Yuan smiled in relief, "That¡¯s good to hear. I was told by Mr. He that it was you who requested to transfer me from Beijing to East Sea City?"


    "Yes, there¡¯s something I need to consult you about."


    "Go ahead."


    "When you defected from the God Organization, it was because they discovered you had developed a new technology and wanted to seize it for themselves."


    "That¡¯s right."


    "Where did you hide that technology¡¯s data? Is it on Wanqing?" Ling Chen asked, looking at Nanrong Yuan.


    Nanrong Yuan nodded, "I¡¯ve warned you before, Wanqing is the key, and I think you might have guessed it." He paused, then continued, "Do you remember, a few months ago, I tricked Wanqing onto that ind and injected her with a serum that cured her legs?"


    "I remember."


    "Actually, by that time, I had already mastered that new technology. For safety, while Wanqing was unconscious, I had someone imnt that technology into her body. This way, as long as my identity remained hidden, no one would discover the new technology."


    "Unfortunately, you miscalcted," Ling Chen remarked.


    Hearing this, Nanrong Yuan¡¯s expression changed, and he straightened up from his reclined position.


    "What do you mean?"


    "Not long ago, the God Organization captured Wanqing and conducted some sort of experimentation on her. By the time I rescued her, her legs had reverted to their original state. Not only that, but the God Organization also conducted a new experiment on two of my friends, causing them to lose their minds and turn into terrifying killing machines. So, I believe the God Organization must have obtained the data of that new technology. You are most familiar with it since it was developed by your team."


    Nanrong Yuan pondered for a while and then said somberly, "If that¡¯s the case, you might be in great danger. Although the technology is powerful, it still has its ws. Of course, these ws are only in terms of what my technology could perfect. The God Organization is different; they¡¯ve been researching this area for decades and are far more experienced, with far superior facilities and team. Given enough time, they could perfect that new technology."


    "After all this discussion, you haven¡¯t told us what this new technology is used for."


    "Gic mutation."


    Gic mutation?


    Ling Chen and Mr. He exchanged nces, both filled with shock.


    "Human weakness mainly arises from gic issues. If genes are enhanced, it unlocks limitless possibilities. However, gene fusion has always been an insurmountable challenge that few have seeded in oveing. Untilst year, my research team discovered a molecule that could neutralize human genes with other genes, achieving a breakthrough in gene fusion."


    Continuing, Nanrong Yuan picked up a cup of tea, took a sip, and went on, "To put it simply, human genes and animal genes are difficult to merge, but after searching millions of organisms, we finally found a special gene variant in a deep-sea worm. This gene could act as a neutralizer, perfectlybining the two types of genes. As genes are fortified, human physical capabilities can be significantly enhanced. Now do you understand the key point of this new technology?"


    Ling Chen nodded, his expression turning grave.


    "Mr. Nanrong, if someone undergoes this gic mutation experiment, can they ever revert to their original state?"


    "This... I cannot be certain. When this new technology was first developed, I conducted a few experiments. Although the subjects sessfully underwent gic mutation, all of them died during our attempts to reverse the procedure, so I cannot guarantee recovery."


    "From what you¡¯re saying, does that mean my two friends are beyond help?"


    "I can¡¯t give a definitive answer. However, I personally believe that if anyone could reverse the experiment, it might only be possible by the God Organization."


    The God Organization again!


    Ling Chen frowned, considering his and the God Organization¡¯s rtionship, they were unlikely to help him.


    What a troublesome matter.


    In contemtion, he suddenly heard Nanrong Yuan ask, "Ling Chen, about Wanqing now..."


    "She already knows about your identity."


    Upon hearing this, Nanrong Yuan¡¯s face changed instantly, and he asked nervously, "Then... did she say anything?"


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


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 Chapter 617 - 614: Strange Incoming Call

    <h4>Chapter 617: Chapter 614: Strange Iing Call</h4><h4></h4>


    Facing Nanrong Yuan¡¯s expectant gaze, Ling Chen was at a loss for words momentarily.


    "Mr. Nanrong, you and Wanqing are father and daughter. Regardless of whether she can understand your actions, I believe she will forgive you," Ling Chen considered his words for a moment before speaking.


    "Then... when can I see her?"


    "Don¡¯t worry, when the timees, I¡¯ll naturally bring her to you." As he said this, Ling Chen¡¯s tone shifted, asking, "Mr. Nanrong, what other intelligence do you have about the God Organization?"


    Nanrong Yuan thought for a while, then shook his head and said, "That¡¯s all, I¡¯ve said everything I know. But the God Organization is cunning with many hideouts, especially that mysterious leader, whose real identity no one has discovered to this day. Without finding him, it would be difficult topletely eradicate the God Organization."


    "However, apart from knowing that this mysterious leader is Huaxian, we have no other information. Even with numerous intelligence agencies at our disposal, we don¡¯t know where to begin." After speaking, Ling Chen seemed to think of something, his eyes suddenly brightening, and he hurriedly asked, "Right! There¡¯s one more thing. There is a very important high-ranking member of the God Organization named Lin Guodong. Do you remember him?"


    "Lin Guodong?" Nanrong Yuan nodded, "I know him, I¡¯ve spoken with him a few times on the phone. You¡¯re right, among the high-ranking members of the God Organization, he¡¯s indeed an important member. Back when I was with the God Organization, unless there were particrly important matters, generally, it was he who represented the leader in presiding over phone conferences."


    "If that¡¯s the case, then you should know what he looks like," Ling Chen pressed further.


    "He¡¯s about one meter seventy-five tall, has a southern ent, about forty years old, with very fair skin..."


    Listening to Nanrong Yuan¡¯s description, Ling Chen hurriedly cut him off, saying, "Wait a moment, I¡¯m going to call someone over."


    Half an hourter, Hu Fei arrived at Qingyun Martial Arts Hall, clutching aptop.


    With Nanrong Yuan¡¯s description, Hu Fei started to model and simte on theputer. In about ten minutes or so, Hu Fei had constructed a rough facial model.


    Ling Chen, unable to wait, picked up theptop and held it in front of Nanrong Yuan, asking, "Is this the man?"


    Nanrong Yuan examined it closely for a moment and nodded, "That¡¯s about right, it¡¯s him."


    "Fatty."


    "Got it, I¡¯ll handle it." Hu Fei took theptop, expertly tapping on the keyboard, uploading the portrait to the matching system, searching for the man¡¯s identity.


    "How soon can we get a result?" Ling Chen appeared somewhat anxious. Finally having a lead on Lin Guodong, he was eager to arrest the other party. If he could deal with Lin Guodong, it might be possible to capture the entire core high-ranking members of the God Organization, including that mysterious leader.


    "That¡¯s hard to say, I¡¯ve already essed the Ministry of Public Security¡¯s system. To locate that person among all the nationwide records might take a long time. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll let you know as soon as we have results."


    Because Nanrong Yuan¡¯s injuries had not yet fully healed, Ling Chen didn¡¯t linger too long. After rifying Lin Guodong¡¯s appearance, he left the room with Hu Fei and He Ziyun.


    "Mr. He, you are going to be quite busytely."


    "It¡¯s no trouble, no one dares to cause trouble here anyway."


    "If there¡¯s nothing else, we will be on our way back."


    "Alright, be safe on the road."


    Uponing out of the Qingyun Martial Arts Hall, Hu Fei, sitting in the passenger seat, looked at Ling Chen and asked, "The God Organization has always believed that Nanrong Yuan is dead. If they find out he¡¯s still alive, will they take action?"


    "No. Nanrong Yuan has told us everything he knows, and that new technology has also fallen into the hands of the God Organization. They don¡¯t need to go through more trouble. What I¡¯m concerned about now isn¡¯t Nanrong Yuan¡¯s safety, but rather..." Thinking about what could happen when Nanrong Wanqing meets Nanrong Hao, Ling Chen suddenly grew worried.


    After dropping Hu Fei off in the Old City, Ling Chen called Nanrong Hao and found out that Nanrong Wanqing had returned home. He immediately drove towards Wealthy Manor.


    Back at the Nanrong Family¡¯s home, Ling Chen felt an involuntary twinge of pain inside as he saw Nanrong Wanqing seated in a wheelchair.


    He had already urged Hu Fei to quickly set up the production line and start manufacturing the exoskeleton armor.


    "What were you just doing?" Seeing Ling Chen return, Nanrong Wanqing asked.


    "I had some things to take care of."


    Ling Chen hesitated for a moment but still did not mention Nanrong Yuan. Given all the events that had unfolded recently, it was best to give Nanrong Wanqing a chance to recuperate, waiting for the right moment to tell her this news.


    ...


    A day went by.


    The next day.


    At eight o¡¯clock in the morning, just as Ling Chen had woken up, he received a call from a stranger.


    "Ling Chen?"


    "Yes. Who is this?"


    "One hour from now, I¡¯ll be waiting for you at East Sea City¡¯s port. Remember,e alone."


    After the call disconnected, with the tone sounding through the line, Ling Chen sat up from his bed and frowned as he looked at the unfamiliar number. The voice on the phone was very unfamiliar, definitely not someone he knew.


    Thinking it over, Ling Chen dialed the number back. However, the line indicated that the user had already powered off their phone.


    Whatever, I¡¯ll check it out first.


    It was still early, and after washing up, Ling Chen had breakfast with the early-rising Nanrong Wanqing. About half an hour before the appointed time, he left alone by car.


    East Sea City port.


    It was now nine o¡¯clock in the morning, and the port was a bustling hub of activity, crowded with people. Ling Chen, wearing a baseball cap he¡¯d just bought on the side of the road, weaved through the crowd, his sharp gaze sweeping around, searching for any suspicious targets.


    Several minutes passed, and Ling Chen checked his phone for the time. An hour on the dot. Just as he was about to put his phone away, the screen suddenly disyed an iing call ¨C it was that same unfamiliar number.


    After answering, Ling Chen got straight to the point: "Who are you?"


    "The address is in your pocket. See you there." With that, the other party hung up again.


    In my pocket?


    Ling Chen was startled and quickly reached into the pocket of his jacket. Indeed, there was a boat ticket inside.


    Impressive!


    Looking at the boat ticket in his hand, Ling Chen¡¯s expression turned serious. He hadn¡¯t noticed anyone approaching him while moving through the crowd, which meant the other party was very quick, quick enough to escape his detection.


    Considering this, Ling Chen became even more cautious.


    The ticket showed a time of ten minutes past eight. After waiting a few minutes at the port, Ling Chen saw a boat slowly approaching the shore.


    After boarding the boat, Ling Chen nced around before taking a seat.


    Not long after, when the tour boat was full, it left the port, heading into the blue ocean.


    "Nice weather today."


    Suddenly, a voice came from behind Ling Chen.


    Without thinking, Ling Chen instinctively turned to look back, but before his gaze could settle on the person¡¯s face, he was stopped by the other party.


    "Don¡¯t move!"

 Chapter 618 - 615: Suspect

    <h4>Chapter 618: Chapter 615: Suspect</h4><subtxt> Ling Chen isn¡¯t the type to simply listen to what others say. Even though the man had spoken, Ling Chen still turned his neck, trying to get a clear look at the person behind him. However, just as Ling Chen¡¯s gaze was about to meet the man¡¯s face, he suddenly felt a gust of strong wind sweep across his face.


    Then, the brim of his t cap was pressed down, blocking his line of sight.


    "I advise you to listen to me, do not look at my face. Otherwise, our conversation ends here."


    The man¡¯s voice came again.


    A thought crossed Ling Chen¡¯s mind, and through this voice, he instantly thought of the man¡¯s identity.


    Thest time he was wandering around Wealthy Manor, Ling Chen unexpectedly met a middle-aged man in the garden who imed to be a friend of his father and also a member of the Secret Society. He never expected it to be him.


    Now sure of the man¡¯s identity, Ling Chen finally rxed a bit.


    "If you wanted to meet me, a phone call would have sufficed. Why go through all this trouble?" Ling Chen asked, puzzled.


    "The circumstances are different now, the situation at the Secret Society is quite dangerous."


    "Dangerous? What¡¯s going on?"


    "God Organization has started targeting the Secret Societyprehensively. These few days have been a disaster for the Secret Society, with over sixty percent of its bases destroyed. Hundreds have either been killed or injured, effectively crippling both arms of the Secret Society. This danger isn¡¯t limited to the rank and file¡ª even the higher-ups are constantly at risk."


    Hearing this, Ling Chen spoke in a deep voice, "Someone¡¯s tracking you?"


    "Correct. God Organization has already dispatched additional manpower to find my whereabouts, and you know the person too¡ª Ji Gang."


    Ji Gang!


    Ling Chen¡¯s expression changed; dispatching a top ranker of the Heavenly List to hunt someone meant this person had a very high status within the Secret Society.


    Could it be...? Suddenly, a thought popped into Ling Chen¡¯s mind.


    "What¡¯s the reason you wanted to meet? Is it because you want my help?"


    "With just you alone, what help could you offer?" the man indifferently said, "I asked you here mainly to share some confidential information with you. This information concerns not only you but also God Organization. I am concerned I may not survive this crisis, so I had to find an outsider to pass on these secrets, to prevent my long years of effort from being wasted."


    Ling Chen nodded, "Speak, I¡¯m listening."


    "First about God Organization, I think you should know, decades ago, God Organization was defeated by a ghost, their leader killed, causing their forces to scatter across the world, barely surviving. But not many know how the originally weakened God Organization managed to rise again. ording to what I know, more than twenty years ago, remnants of God Organization in Huaxia formed apany to mask their real identities. Later, they met someone. When that person learned about God Organization, he showed great interest and agreed to fund the rebuilding of God Organization."


    "It was because of that person¡¯s involvement that God Organization¡¯s remnants regrouped and progressively regained strength until today. However, that person acted very cautiously, fully aware of God Organization¡¯s background, thus he protected his own identity well. Once God Organization grew sufficiently, that person arranged for all members who knew his identity to be killed, leaving behind only a few loyal subordinates. Since then, that person has retreated from the public eye, and apart from a very few, no one else knows of his identity."


    Ling Chen couldn¡¯t help but ask, "Who is that person?"


    "With over a billion people in Huaxia, finding that person without any clue is undoubtedly difficult. However, after over a decade of investigation, I¡¯ve found some traces. You know the magnitude of God Organization, reviving such a force requires substantial funds. This funding is certainly not just a few billion ¡ª even arge conglomerate like Hongyu Group wouldn¡¯t have the means to finance God Organization. Therefore, the financier not only has money but is extremely wealthy. Through this point, the scope can be narrowed down significantly."


    "I carefully investigated the people on the Huaxia billionaire list and found one particrly suspicious."


    "Who?"


    "Strictly speaking, it¡¯s not one person, but a family. This family is deeply connected to you ¡ª the Ling Family."


    "The Ling Family?" Ling Chen¡¯s pupils shrank, he asked incredulously: "Are you sure?"


    "Can¡¯t say with one hundred percent certainty, but at least sixty percent. Because of this, over the years I have focused my investigation on the Ling Family."


    "What findings did you have?"


    "I once told you, the Ling Family were originally a Martial Arts family andter switched to business, developing into the leading enterprise in the south in just a few decades, with assets spread across all cities in the south and very substantial funds. Compared to the Ling Family, Hongyu Group is nothing, not even half its equal. The Ling Family¡¯s business developed rapidly, but starting twenty years ago, their growth suddenly slowed down. I spoke to an employee who served in Ling Family¡¯s corporation back then; he told me that at that time, the Ling Family hadid out many business ns involving another few hundred billion in funds. But for some reason, the ns that were already finalized were all overturned, nearly all ns were shelved."


    "I wonder if it might be that the Ling Family used that money to fund God Organization, thus having to halt business ns to alleviate financial pressures."


    Hearing the man¡¯s analysis, Ling Chen nodded and said, "What you said does make sense, but it¡¯s just a guess, there¡¯s no evidence to prove it."


    "I know. It¡¯s just one part, and there are many aspects that corroborate my suspicions. Hence, among all those I¡¯ve investigated, the Ling Family carries the greatest suspicion. As I said, I can¡¯t be one hundred percent certain, but there¡¯s sixty percent confidence."


    "Are you telling me this because you want me to continue investigating the Ling Family?"


    "No. The reason I¡¯m telling you this is quite the opposite, I¡¯m warning you to avoid dealing with the Ling Family in the future. If I didn¡¯t tell you the reason, you wouldn¡¯t believe it."


    Ling Chen was stunned and frowned, "Then am I supposed to ignore everything?"


    "That¡¯s right. Some things are better left untouched, someone else will handle them. I know a bit about the things you¡¯ve done in East Sea City. From now on, don¡¯t put yourself in danger; just mind your own business. So long as you keep tight control over East Sea City, God Organization won¡¯t easily provoke you. They have more important issues to deal with than targeting you."


    Hearing this, Ling Chen couldn¡¯t help but ask, "You knew?"</subtxt>

 Chapter 619 - 616 Research Base

    <h4>Chapter 619: Chapter 616 Research Base</h4><h4></h4>


    "What do you know?" The man retorted.


    "God Organization has already obtained the new technology from Nanrong Yuan and is currently conducting experiments. My two friends are victims." Saying this, Ling Chen recounted the experiences of Jiang Yunkai and Bai Huanjun.


    "Is that so?" The man¡¯s tone instantly became grave.


    "Where are those two friends of yours?"


    "I¡¯ve already had them brought to East Sea City. ording to my friend, their condition is quite troublesome, and recovery seems difficult unless there is sufficient financial and facility support."


    "I can help you with the funds and equipment." As he spoke, Ling Chen immediately felt something extra in his pocket. He reached into his pocket and found an additional bank card.


    "Although there isn¡¯t a lot of money in here, it should suffice for your research. Moreover, Secret Society has a research base in East Sea City. I will have it evacuated and let you use it."


    Ling Chen was grateful, but he couldn¡¯t help but ask, "Why are you helping me?"


    "Because your father was a friend of mine. If I don¡¯t help you, then who will? Remember, be very careful. You¡¯ve destroyed both the primary and backup bases of God Organization, resulting in huge losses. If you pressure them too hard, be wary of their retaliation."


    "I understand." After a pause, Ling Chen added, "What about Secret Society? If you have such good rtions with Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, why not seek their help?"


    "There is a cooperative rtionship between Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion and Secret Society, but we can¡¯t rely on Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion for this matter. God Organization has already set their sights on us, we can¡¯t just hide in Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion. Moreover, they have already offered their help; I can¡¯t ask for too much. Alright, I¡¯ve said all I need to, take care of yourself."


    "Hey!"


    Ling Chen hurriedly turned around, wanting to stop the man. However, when he turned back, he found nobody behind him, the man had disappeared.


    He¡¯s escaped again!


    Ling Chen sighed resignedly. He still had many questions to ask, but the man had left so quickly.


    Returning to the port, Ling Chen got into his car and phoned Hu Fei. After giving his instructions, Ling Chen recalled the man¡¯s words as he drove towards his destination.


    At noon.


    A truck slowly drove along the road, stopping outside a five-story building in the city center of East Sea City.


    This building was a residential building, quite old with faded walls and several cracks scattered throughout.


    As the truck stabilized, two people, Jiang Hao and Hu Fei, jumped down from the driver and passenger seats, respectively. They approached the rear of the truck, opened the cargo bay, and then climbed up to bring down two stretchers.


    The stretchers were carried to the entrance of the residential building. With a beep, the iron door immediately opened. Following Jiang Hao and Hu Fei inside, the iron door shut once again.


    "Everything went smoothly? No one tailing us?"


    At that moment, Ling Chen appeared from nowhere, took over the stretcher from Hu Fei, and asked.


    "You can count on me." After saying this, Hu Fei looked around curiously and asked, "Ling Chen, what ce is this?"


    "A research base provided by the Secret Society."


    As they spoke, the three of them carried the two stretchers straight upstairs. On the second floor, Ling Chen stood in front of a door, lifted a corner of the Buddha painting on it. Suddenly, a metal cylinder slowly extended from behind the painting.


    Ling Chen brought his eye close for a retinal scan, and immediately a numeric keypad popped out in the middle of the door.


    After entering a long string of passwords, the tightly shut door finally opened.


    Entering the room, Jiang Hao and Hu Fei were instantly dazzled and shocked.


    This... Hu Fei stared nkly around, too surprised to even speak.


    Watching their stunned expressions, Ling Chen grinned. He had reacted the same way when he had first arrived.


    From the outside, this was a five-story residential building. But in reality, the inside of the building was an integrated whole, the exterior merely serving to deceive others.


    The building, covering thousands of square meters, was filled with various kinds of facilities, from medical to military equipment, and was very well-resourced.


    "Great ce!" Hu Fei eximed, dropped the stretcher, looked around excitedly, his face full of thrill.


    "Ha ha!"


    Hu Feiughed, pping Ling Chen on the shoulder, and said, "After hanging around for so long, we finally have a decent base."


    "Enough! Don¡¯t get too excited yet. I¡¯ve told you, this research base is lent to us by the Secret Society and will need to be returned eventually."


    "Think they¡¯d want it back once it¡¯s in our hands? No way. Since you have good rtions with the Secret Society, just let them gift this ce to you."


    Without waiting for Ling Chen to speak, Hu Fei had already rushed to the main control room of the base and started up the mainputer.


    Looking at the list disyed on the big screen, Hu Feiughed joyfully: "Not bad, the folks from the Secret Society are quite generous, they left us quite a few good things."


    "Here, this is for you." Ling Chen threw a bank card at Hu Fei.


    "What is this?"


    "Funds provided by the Secret Society. I¡¯ve checked it; not much, just 230 million. Considering Kai and their condition, it¡¯s unclear how long their recovery might take. You¡¯ll need to be frugal and not spend it all at once."


    Hu Fei¡¯s eyes gleamed as he nodded, "Don¡¯t worry, don¡¯t worry."


    "I am worried about your money-loving ways, that¡¯s why I mentioned it twice," Ling Chen said gruffly.


    "Chen, should I bring more people to secure this ce?" asked Jiang Hao.


    Hearing Jiang Hao¡¯s question, Ling Chen shook his head, "No need. The location of this research base is very secret, and it¡¯s difficult for ordinary people to find. Plus, the more people know about it, the less secure it bes. I¡¯ve considered this; this research base will be our main headquarters in the future, and we must ensure its safety and secrecy. Unless absolutely trustworthy, it¡¯s best not to let anyone else know."


    "Alright, I¡¯ll call Xiong and Haoziter and have theme over for a visit."


    "No." Ling Chen stopped him: "Just call Haozi, don¡¯t call anyone else."


    Jiang Hao paused, puzzled, and asked, "Why not invite Xiong, he..."


    Before Jiang Hao could finish, Ling Chen red at him, discontentedly saying: "Just do as you are told, why ask so many questions. Remember what I said, don¡¯t tell anyone about this ce without my permission."


    "Okay." Although full of questions, Jiang Hao didn¡¯t dare to ask further because of Ling Chen¡¯s firm words, and justplied.


    "Fatty, go ahead and get busy, someone willeter to take over the research of Kai and Bai Huanjun."


    After finishing the instructions, Ling Chen left the research base alone, ready to drive back to Wealthy Manor. However, just as he got into the car, Ling Chen received a phone call. After listening for a few moments, his expression suddenly changed drastically, and his eyes emitted an intense brilliance.


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 Chapter 620 - 617: News about Xia Mutong

    <h4>Chapter 620: Chapter 617: News about Xia Mutong</h4><h4></h4>


    "If you dare to touch a single hair on her head, don¡¯t me me for being impolite." Ling Chen gritted his teeth and said.


    "Do you think I care about your threats? Ling Chen, you overestimate yourself. In my eyes, you are nothing but a pawn that still has some usefulness. In conclusion, I have made my conditions clear, whether you can fulfill them is up to you. That¡¯s all I have to say, as for what to do... think it through carefully. Don¡¯t forget, you don¡¯t have much time."


    The person on the phone finished speaking and immediately hung up.


    Putting down his phone, Ling Chen¡¯s face turned extremely livid, rage burning in Mo Che¡¯s pupils.


    After a while, Ling Chen took a deep breath, slowly calming the rage in his heart, his gaze regaining itsposure.


    These past few days, his worries had finally be reality.


    Last time in Changling City, he thought Xia Mutong had returned, but didn¡¯t expect that she had sneaked off to Yinan Vige alone. Unfortunately, on the way there, she encountered members of the God Organization who were evacuating and was captured.


    He didn¡¯t know how the God Organization knew about his rtionship with Xia Mutong, but they even called to threaten him.


    After pondering for a moment, Ling Chen started the car and returned directly to Wealthy Manor.


    ...


    Three days passed in the blink of an eye.


    During these days, Ling Chen had not a moment to rest, spending all day at the research base, busy with this and that. After three days of hard work, the production line for the exoskeleton armor was finallypleted. Simultaneously, the research personnel hired by Hu Fei had also arrived and started working.


    For safety and confidentiality, Hu Fei used his connections to recruit seven or eight researchers from abroad. To attract these people, Hu Fei offered a very generouspensation. If not for the money, those researchers would never have crossed the ocean toe here.


    Besides the exoskeleton armor production line being operational, Zhu Xiaozhu¡¯s medical research team had also started working.


    Zhu Xiaozhu¡¯swork was vast, and responding to Ling Chen¡¯s request, not only did she personally get involved, but she also invited several authorities from the medical field. Their goal was clear: to help Jiang Yunkai and Bai Huanjun recover.


    In addition to this, Ling Chen centralized the intelligence agency at the research base, with Hu Fei responsible for overseeing and coordinating.


    Although a broad intelligence system was established in East Sea City, due to various reasons, this system was somewhat loose and could not be tightly connected. This time, Ling Chen, coborating with Hu Fei, selected suitable personnel for intelligence work, expanding the team and perfecting the entire intelligence system.


    Medical research, technology equipment production, intelligence system¡ªthese three areas were nearly established, marking a slight leap forward, significantly enhancing the overall strength.


    After a day of testing and various adjustments, the first set of exoskeleton armor was finally produced.


    Ling Chen donned it and tested it for himself; it was quite good, not much different from the exoskeleton armor previously made by Ghost. This set of exoskeleton armor was not equipped with a weapon system because it was meant for Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s use, so it didn¡¯t need to be soplicated.


    "Miss Kaelina, you¡¯ll have a hard time ahead."


    Before leaving the research base, Ling Chen found Kaelina and expressed his gratitude.


    Since Jiang Yunkai and Bai Huanjun had both lost control and were unconscious, there weren¡¯t many capable people around Ling Chen. Therefore, to make up for the shortage of manpower, Ling Chen invited Kaelina in the name of friendship, hoping she would help manage the security of the research base and ensure everyone¡¯s safety.


    More than one trantionestimated:"You don¡¯t need to be so polite; remember, I¡¯m not helping for free."


    Hearing this, Ling Chen cracked a smile and nodded, saying, "Don¡¯t worry, you won¡¯t be shortchanged."


    Leaving the research base, Ling Chen hastily rushed back to Wealthy Manor and delivered the set of exoskeleton armor to the Nanrong Family.


    Seeing Nanrong Wanqing standing up again, Ling Chen finally breathed a sigh of relief. Although he couldn¡¯tpletely cure Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s legs, Ling Chen wasn¡¯t in a hurry. Since Nanrong Yuan had a way to treat Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s condition with a strengthening serum, Ling Chen was sure he could find another way.


    The night fell!


    After taking a bath, Ling Chen sat on the living room sofa in loose pajamas, apanying Nanrong Wanqing by her side, holding her hand, watching the entertainment program on TV.


    "Ling Chen."


    Hearing Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s voice, Ling Chen turned his head, looked at her delicate face, and asked, "What¡¯s wrong?"


    Nanrong Wanqing blinked her beautiful eyes, looking worried, and said, "I don¡¯t know why, but I¡¯ve been feeling restlesstely, like something big is going to happen."


    Ling Chen smiled faintly, gently patting her soft hand,forting her, "You¡¯re overthinking. I know some unpleasant things have happened recently, but don¡¯t worry, all that¡¯s behind us now, no one will threaten you in the future."


    After finishing his words, Ling Chen pointed at Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s eyes and said, "Look at you, even bags under your eyes are almost showing. You must have been worrying too much, not resting well. How about..."


    Seeing Ling Chen¡¯s speech dragging on, Nanrong Wanqing curiously asked, "How about what?"


    Ling Chen blinked, leaned closer, and chuckled, "How about I stay with you tonight? That way, you won¡¯t have the mind to think about other things."


    Teased by Ling Chen, a rush of blush rose on Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s pretty face, as radiant and enchanting as flowers. Enduring the shyness, she lightly pounded Ling Chen¡¯s arm, reprimanding him, "You¡¯re never serious, having known each other for so long, yet you¡¯re still as bad as before."


    Ling Chen grinned and said, "Why be so serious. Besides, what era are we living in now? Being honest only makes one suffer, only being bad has a future, how about we go to your room and discuss in-depth just how bad I am?"


    "I don¡¯t want to." Saying so, Nanrong Wanqing pulled her hand from Ling Chen¡¯s, intentionally leaning away, her face blushing as she said, "Stay away from me in the future, I don¡¯t talk to bad people."


    "No matter, I¡¯ll do the talking." Ling Chen, wearing a mischievous smile, closed in again, ignoring Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s struggles, and hugged her petite body tight into his arms.


    "Protes... Mmm!"


    Before she could finish her sentence, Nanrong Wanqing felt her lips invaded by a passionate heat.


    Feeling Ling Chen¡¯s tenderness and passion, Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s body instantly yielded, falling into Ling Chen¡¯s hands, letting him caress as he pleased.


    Mmm...


    A series of soul-stirring moans resounded, like sparks igniting Ling Chen¡¯s passion.

 Chapter 621 - 618: Battle in the Darkness

    <h4>Chapter 621: Chapter 618: Battle in the Darkness</h4><h4></h4>


    At this moment, Ling Chen and Nanrong Wanqing were both immersed in a sea of desire, forgetting everything around them. Even when Su Lin appeared at the staircase entrance, neither of them took notice.


    Looking at the intimate scene between Ling Chen and Nanrong Wanqing, Su Lin felt her pretty face turn red, her beautiful eyes filled with shame that she couldn¡¯t hide.


    These two... if you¡¯re going to be affectionate, at least go to your own room. How can they just make out in the living room as if nobody else is around? Don¡¯t they care about being seen by others? Su Lin thought to herself.


    Then, faint moans began to reach her, causing Su Lin, who had never been with anyone, to feel hot all over, even her breathing became rapid. She, who had only ever watched little movies, had never seen such a real scene before.


    At this moment, Ling Chen, who wasying on top of Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s delicate body, seemed to notice Su Lin¡¯s presence. A nce from the corner of his eye, and the blushing Su Lin immediately came into his view.


    This girl... Ling Chen felt a bit embarrassed in his heart, not knowing when she had appeared. Could she not at least have made some noise?


    A few seconds passed, and seeing Su Lin still standing motionless at the staircase entrance, not intending to leave but rather watching them with interest, Ling Chen began to feel ufortable, losing the pleasure he had just now.


    Immediately, Ling Chen, while holding Nanrong Wanqing in his embrace, tilted his body, his gaze passing over the sofa and directly meeting Su Lin¡¯s at the staircase entrance, he blinked gently.


    Seeing Ling Chen¡¯s action, Su Lin was momentarily taken aback. The next second, she immediately realized the teasing look in Ling Chen¡¯s eyes, and her cheeks instantly zed with heat, burning intensely.


    Bastard!


    Su Lin cursed inwardly and dared not stay any longer, hurrying back to the second floor.


    Finally, she¡¯s gone!


    Ling Chen smiled secretly to himself, this girl really didn¡¯t know the mood. She clearly saw him and Nanrong Wanqing being affectionate, yet she did not avoid them, instead watching with great interest. Well, the girl is in her twenties, it was the age of springtime yearnings.


    While he was pondering, a buzzing vibration suddenly came from the coffee table.


    Nanrong Wanqing opened her eyes and looked at the mobile phone on the coffee table, asking, "Is that for you?"


    Ling Chen nodded, reluctantly letting go of Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s delicate body, and picked up the phone. After ncing at the content of the text message, Ling Chen¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly, and he stood up and said, "I need to step out for a bit, I¡¯ll be backter."


    "Be careful."


    "I know." With that, Ling Chen put the phone in his pocket, leaned forward, cupped Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s face with both hands, and gave a light peck on the corner of her lips, softly saying, "Rest early, don¡¯t stay up toote."


    After leaving the Nanrong family¡¯s house, Ling Chen drove down the road, then made a call to Hu Fei.


    "Hey! Fatty, have you confirmed the target?"


    "Rx, it¡¯s definitely the right one, do you want me to send a few more people to assist you?"


    "No need, I can handle it myself."


    After the call, Ling Chen drove straight to a residential area in North City District of East Sea City.


    North City District was one of the more economically backward districts in East Sea City, and the residential district Ling Chen was looking at was actually a slum area in East Sea City, with old houses from decades ago, all run down, not even one decent building, even worse than the Old City.


    Most people living in this ce were migrant workers. Because the rent here was rtively cheap, only a hundred or two hundred RMB a month. Therefore, there were more mixed characters here than in the Old City, with all kinds of people.


    When Ling Chen arrived, it was already 9:30 at night.


    At this time, most people had already rested, with only a few setting up folding tables on the road, bottles of beer with a dish of peanuts, and a group of young men ying poker, with five and ten RMB notes on the table.


    As he walked into the slum area, Ling Chen¡¯s appearance immediately attracted a lot of attention. In this kind of ce, Ling Chen, with his clean attire, clearly stood out.


    Entering the poor district, a young man leaning against the wall immediately approached and walked up to Ling Chen.


    "Chen."


    Ling Chen nodded and asked, "Where is the person?"


    The youth pointed and said, "Go this way, after fifty meters there¡¯s an alleyway. Enter, take a left, and it¡¯s the third house where the person lives."


    "I got it. You go back first. No matter what happenster, don¡¯t interfere."


    "Understood."


    Now, East Sea City was under the control of Jiang Hao, Zhao Zhengxiong, and Nanrong Hao¡¯s forces, including this poor residential area where informants were ced everywhere. If they wanted to find someone, it was almost effortless.


    Following the route provided by the youth, Ling Chen wove through the poor district. Before long, he arrived at an old and dpidated door.


    If the intelligence was correct, the person he was looking for should be inside.


    Standing at the doorway, Ling Chen did not act rashly, but instead, he pressed his ear to the door, listening for any movement inside. After a few minutes, the room remained deadly quiet, without a sound.


    Seeing this, Ling Chen took out a piece of wire from his pocket and gently inserted it into the keyhole. After fiddling for a bit, the door lock clicked open.


    He pushed open a crack of the door, Ling Chen peered inside, but the room was pitch-ck, too dark to see anything clearly.


    Hesitating, Ling Chen heightened his alertness and cautiously pushed the door open, stepping into the room.


    Upon entering the room, Ling Chen noticed that because all the window panes were cracked, they were patched with newspaper, preventing any outside light froming in. The room was devoid of light, forcing him to rely on his acute hearing to make judgments.


    The rooms in the poor district were all small, with a bedroom, a living room, and apact kitchen and bathroom.


    Ling Chen crossed through a narrow doorway and arrived in the living room, searching for the whereabouts of his target.


    Squeak!


    Suddenly, a sound came. In the dark, Ling Chen identally bumped into a chair.


    With that noise, a fierce gust of wind appeared out of nowhere, striking towards Ling Chen¡¯s back.


    Fortunately, Ling Chen was prepared. The moment the gust hit, he quickly turned around, stepping back with his legs, as his steely fist forcefully shot out.


    Bang!


    Immediately, it seemed like Ling Chen¡¯s fist was caught by a palm, emitting a muffled sound.


    As fist met palm, Ling Chen felt a surge of powerful force, pushing his body backward.


    Impressive!


    With just one move, Ling Chen could tell the strength of his opponent was formidable, and not at all inferior to himself.


    What rotten luck¡ªwhat he thought was a simple task turned out to involve a skilled opponent. There was no time for further thought; his opponent pressed on relentlessly, every palm strike deadly.


    Ling Chen did not dare to be careless. He used his ears to discern the sound of the wind, judging the position of his opponent¡¯s moves.


    In a blink, the two had exchanged over a dozen moves.


    In the darkness, Ling Chen furrowed his brows, his fists continuously swinging, fending off the opponent¡¯s attacks, while his mind raced to think of a strategy.


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 Chapter 622 - 619 Got Beaten Up

    <h4>Chapter 622: Chapter 619 Got Beaten Up</h4><h4></h4>


    Bang!


    Suddenly, Ling Chen felt a sharp pain in his chest as the opponent¡¯s palm harshly struck him. A powerful force surged, lifting Ling Chen¡¯s legs off the ground and throwing him backward against the wall, then crashing heavily onto the floor.


    Before Ling Chen could recover from the pain, a hand swiftly reached out, grabbed his cor, and tossed his body into mid-air.


    Bang! Bang!


    Two palms struck in session, hitting Ling Chen in the back again. Fortunately, he didn¡¯tnd on the ground this time but on a sofa, where the foam cushioned the blow, preventing additional injuries. However, after two severe impacts, Ling Chen felt as though his bones were about to fall apart, and he had no strength left.


    Damn it!


    Ling Chen cursed silently. Who on earth was this person, and why were they so formidable? He had thought he could handle the opponent, but instead, he found himself easily subdued without a chance to fight back.


    No matter who the opponent was, they were definitely a master from the Earthly List, Ling Chen thought to himself.


    If it had been a master from the Dragon List, even if he couldn¡¯t win, he wouldn¡¯t have been defeated so quickly. Moreover, since he had learned a little about ¡¯control¡¯ techniques from Su He, even if the number one from the Dragon List appeared before him, he still had a fighting chance.


    Gasping for breath, Ling Chen heard footsteps approaching again and immediately shouted, "Stop!"


    As soon as he spoke, the footsteps actually stopped.


    "Um... friend, let¡¯s talk this through. We¡¯re all civilized people, there¡¯s no need for violence. I think there might be some misunderstanding."


    "Misunderstanding? Are you not here to kill me?"


    "No, no, no." Ling Chen quickly denied: "I just heard that a suspicious person had arrived here, so I came to check it out. Oh, I forgot to introduce myself; I am a police officer, currently in pursuit of a fugitive."


    "Police have such good skills? Who are you trying to fool?"


    Hearing this, Ling Chen was about to respond. But upon reflecting, he suddenly felt something was off. The voice sounded strange, and there was even a hint of a faint smile.


    "Who... who are you?"


    As he finished speaking, the lights in the living room immediately turned on.


    Under the light, stood a refined and beautiful woman with soft long hair draped over her shoulders, a melon-seed face, fair skin, sparkling eyes like stars, and thin lips slightly curving up with a faint smile.


    Seeing the stunning woman who appeared before him, Ling Chen¡¯s expression was momentarily stunned, and it took him a while toe back to his senses.


    "You... porridge girl?" Ling Chen abruptly sat up from the sofa. However, this abrupt movement immediately aggravated his injuries, causing him to grimace in pain.


    Seeing Ling Chen¡¯s pale face, the porridge girl looked at him with a touch of pity and quickly walked over, speaking with a coquettish tone, "Don¡¯t move, let me check on you."


    "Porridge girl, what are you doing here?"


    "I have my reasons for being here, but you, what are you doing here? Don¡¯t tell me you really came to kill me?"


    "I wouldn¡¯t dare." Ling Chen protested, "If I knew it was you, I would havee in openly, not sneaking around like this." As he spoke, Ling Chen changed the subject and asked, "By the way! Where have you beentely? I¡¯ve been looking everywhere for you."


    The porridge girl flicked her head and looked at the wall, "What do you want from me?"


    "I was looking for you..." Before he could finish speaking, Ling Chen suddenly froze, unsure how to respond to the question. Since the Heavenly Mechanism Great Ceremony ended, he hadn¡¯t seen porridge girl again. All along, he had been pondering how he would face her if they met again. After all, something had happened between them during the Heavenly Mechanism Great Ceremony.


    Seeing Ling Chen hesitating, a faint dimness shed in porridge girl¡¯s eyes.


    Unfortunately, Ling Chen did not notice the change in her expression.


    "Okay, let¡¯s not talk about this." Porridge girl said, "Tell me, what are you doing here?"


    Hearing this, Ling Chen sighed, and said helplessly: "God Organization has captured Xia Mutong. They called me, saying that their enemies had infiltrated East Sea City and asked for my help to deal with them. If Iplete the task, they will release Xia Mutong."


    "You should know, with God Organization¡¯s way of doing things, even if you do it, they won¡¯t easily let people go."


    "I understand that. But as long as there is a glimmer of hope, I can¡¯t give up." After a pause, Ling Chen said, "I think I know why they want me to handle it. East Sea City is under my control, and if God Organization¡¯s people enter East Sea City, they will not escape my eyes. With the grudges I hold against them, I won¡¯t let them run amok in East Sea City, so they use Xia Mutong to threaten me."


    "It¡¯s good that you are aware of it."


    "What about you?"


    "I am here for refuge. Didn¡¯t Master contact you? You should know about the crisis that Secret Society is currently facing."


    Ling Chen was startled and said in surprise, "You are a member of Secret Society? That person is your Master?"


    Porridge girl nodded, "A few days ago, I lost contact with Master. I tried every method, but there has been no news from him, and I suspect he might have encountered misfortune. After all, the person hunting him is Ji Gang, a Heavenly List master. Although Master is powerful, he is no match for Ji Gang. Since losing contact with Master, God Organization has locked their main target on me. These past few days, to escape God Organization¡¯s pursuit, I have been fleeing and finally hid in East Sea City."


    "Since you are in East Sea City, why didn¡¯t youe to find me?" Ling Chen frowned, with a hint of reproach.


    "I didn¡¯t want to trouble you. Moreover, since God Organization is after me, I didn¡¯t want to involve you."


    Ling Chen said unhappily, "You¡¯re being too distant with that. You are my friend, no matter how difficult it is, I will help you."


    "You can¡¯t even defeat me, how can you help me?" Porridge girl replied indifferently, "I can protect myself, you don¡¯t need to worry."


    Hearing this, Ling Chen didn¡¯t know how to respond. Although he was not convinced, porridge girl was not wrong. After all, she was a Earthly List master, and he, merely a Dragon List master, was powerless.


    After thinking for a moment, Ling Chen said, "Let¡¯s do this, follow my arrangement and stay in East Sea City for now. As long as you are within the jurisdiction of East Sea City, God Organization¡¯s people can¡¯t touch you. If they dare toe, I will make sure they regret it."


    Porridge girl hesitated for a moment, then nodded, "Okay then."


    "Let¡¯s go, I¡¯ll take you to the research base first, it¡¯s safer there." Saying this, Ling Chen stood up, ready to leave.


    However, as soon as his legs stood up, he felt his knees weaken and copsed back onto the sofa.


    Feeling the soreness and pain throughout his body, Ling Chen couldn¡¯t help but give a bitter smile and said, "You really went hard just now."


    "How can you me me, I thought you were an assassin, of course I had to hit hard."


    "What should we do now?"


    "You have internal injuries, it¡¯s best not to move around for ten days or half a month."


    Ling Chen shook his head and said, "That won¡¯t do, I don¡¯t have that much time to waste." After saying this, and seeminglying up with something, he looked up at porridge girl with a mischievous smile and said, "You caused this injury, you should take responsibility."

 Chapter 623 - 620 Primal

    <h4>Chapter 623: Chapter 620 Primal</h4><h4></h4>


    "I¡¯m responsible?" The Porridge Girl was taken aback and didn¡¯t catch on immediately. But seeing the mischievous smile tugging at Ling Chen¡¯s lips, she was instantly reminded of the incident during the Heavenly Mechanism Great Ceremony.


    Back then, Ling Chen was dueling with Han Yu, seriously wounded and unable to continue the fight. At that moment, she gave him her ¡¯first time¡¯, and through Ling Chen¡¯s cultivation of the Prajnaparamita Sutra, his injuries healed rapidly, and his skills increased tremendously.


    Now, as Ling Chen mentioned the word ¡¯responsible¡¯, coupled with his meaningful look, The Porridge Girl couldn¡¯t help but recall that intimate moment. Even the usually calm and collected her felt ripples stirring in her heart, and a faint blush crept onto her fair cheeks.


    Seeing The Porridge Girl not speaking, Ling Chen couldn¡¯t help but touch his nose. Feeling the awkwardness in the air, he let out a dryugh and quickly changed the subject, saying, "Um... do you mind helping me out?"


    With her face still flushed, The Porridge Girl nodded gently and supported Ling Chen¡¯s arm with both hands, walking him out step by step.


    Back in the car, Ling Chen, enduring the pain in his body, started the vehicle, and headed straight for the research facility.


    On the way, The Porridge Girl, looking at Ling Chen focusing on driving, couldn¡¯t help but say, "Actually..." However, after two words, hesitation flooded her eyes, and she did not continue.


    "Actually what?" Ling Chen turned his head, curious.


    Facing Ling Chen¡¯s gaze, The Porridge Girl, with her head lowered as if struggling to meet his eyes and her face reddened, said, "Actually, the Prajnaparamita Sutra only works the first time. After the first time, its effects aren¡¯t very noticeable."


    The first time?


    Ling Chen was stunned for a moment, then immediately understood The Porridge Girl¡¯s meaning.


    So that¡¯s how it is... Ling Chen came to a realization. He had thought that every intimate encounter would increase his strength; he didn¡¯t expect there to be a limit.


    Sigh!


    Ling Chen sighed in frustration, feeling somewhat disappointed. He had hoped to use this as a pretext to advance his rtionship with The Porridge Girl. Now it seemed that even this one excuse was gone.


    By the time they returned to the research facility it was already midnight. Apart from Hu Fei, who was still busy working through the night like an owl, everyone else had already rested.


    There were dozens of bedrooms inside the research facility, specifically provided for the staff.


    "I¡¯ll arrange a room for you."


    "No need, I know where the rooms are," The Porridge Girl declined Ling Chen¡¯s offer, saying, "Don¡¯t forget, I¡¯m a member of the Secret Society, and I¡¯m more familiar with this research facility than you are. You should head back to rest soon, don¡¯t let your injuries worsen."


    The Porridge Girl¡¯s reminder would have been fine, but it made Ling Chen suddenly aware of the soreness and weakness throughout his body.


    After watching The Porridge Girl leave, Ling Chen immediately ran towards Hu Fei¡¯s office, intending to spend the night there. But before he could reach the office door, Ling Chen¡¯s legs suddenly gave out, and his body plunged forward, falling t on the ground, his forehead turning blue from the impact.


    Damn!


    Ling Chen couldn¡¯t help but curse.


    Just then, the door of a nearby room opened, and Zhu Xiaozhu, dressed in pajamas, stepped out, looking down at Ling Chen sprawled on the ground with a puzzled expression, "What are you doing here?"


    "Xiaozhu, good evening," Ling Chen said, forcing his head up and greeting Zhu Xiaozhu with a strained smile despite her astonished face.


    Then, he propped himself up with his hands on the ground, trying to muster all his strength to rise. However, just as his arms pushed halfway up, a sour swelling sensation struck him.


    Bang!


    With a muffled thud, Ling Chen¡¯s body once again made intimate contact with the ground.


    "Ling Chen!"


    Seeing this, Zhu Xiaozhu was immediately startled and hastily helped Ling Chen up from the ground.


    "Let¡¯s go sit in my room."


    After entering Zhu Xiaozhu¡¯s room, Ling Chen was supported to sit on the bed, leaning against the headboard. At this moment, Ling Chen didn¡¯t even want to move, feeling soreness and swelling all over his body, and even lifting his fingers seemed incredibly strenuous.


    Is the gap between a Dragon List expert and an Earthly List expert really thatrge? Ling Chen thought to himself.


    "Ling Chen, what¡¯s happened to you?"


    Hearing Zhu Xiaozhu¡¯s concerned inquiry, Ling Chen forced a smile and said, "It¡¯s nothing, I¡¯m probably just a bit too tired recently. A few days¡¯ rest should do the trick."


    "Let me have a look." Saying this, Zhu Xiaozhu ced her hand on Ling Chen¡¯s pulse to check his condition.


    After a while, Zhu Xiaozhu said, "Your condition is a bit troubling. Did you get into a fight with someone before?"


    "How did you know?" As soon as he spoke, Ling Chen knew he had asked a redundant question. Although Zhu Xiaozhu didn¡¯t understand martial arts, she had studied medicine with Shi Su for many years. Shi Su came from a family with a strong background in traditional Chinese medicine, and had many dealings with martial arts families. Consequently, Zhu Xiaozhu was definitely knowledgeable about internal injuries.


    There was no hiding it from her.


    "You..." Zhu Xiaozhu nced at Ling Chen, her beautiful eyes carrying a trace of me, and said, "You¡¯re an adult now, yet you still don¡¯t know how to take care of yourself. Who was it that hurt you so badly?"


    Ling Chen touched his nose and showed a silly smile, since he couldn¡¯t possibly tell Zhu Xiaozhu that the person who injured him lived within the research base.


    "Wait here, I¡¯ll get you some medicine."


    With those words, Zhu Xiaozhu bent over to rummage through her luggage under the bed. However, she didn¡¯t notice that when she bent over, the most attractive scene for a man was inadvertently revealed right before Ling Chen¡¯s eyes.


    Ling Chen felt a warmth in his nose, almost to the point of bleeding. He secretly swallowed and tried to look away. However, it was as if he was maically drawn to the scene, involuntarily swallowing again and again.


    At this time, Zhu Xiaozhu was still searching under the bed,pletely unaware of Ling Chen¡¯s reaction.


    "I¡¯ve found it... I..."


    Zhu Xiaozhu raised her head with a smile, ready to speak. However, her gaze just happened to fall on Ling Chen¡¯s face. After a moment of stunned silence, her pretty face turned red ¡¯whoosh¡¯, her beautiful eyes filled with barely concealed shyness.


    Seeing Zhu Xiaozhu¡¯s blushing face, Ling Chen felt a heat in his heart, unable to control himself, and longing to pounce on the beautiful girl in front of him.


    "Ling..."


    Her voice broke out, and as those cherry-like tender lips full of temptation opened, the rity in Ling Chen¡¯s eyes was swallowed in an instant, leaving only the most primal instincts of a primate.


    Before Zhu Xiaozhu could finish speaking, Ling Chen let out a tiger roar, supported Zhu Xiaozhu¡¯s delicate body with his hands, and pushed her down, his entire body pressing onto her.


    "Don¡¯t, don¡¯t do this... Ling Chen... Stop!"


    In panic, Zhu Xiaozhu frantically waved her hands, trying to struggle out from under Ling Chen. But no matter how hard she struggled, she couldn¡¯t break free from Ling Chen¡¯s hold.


    Wuu wuu!


    Suddenly, seizing the moment, Ling Chen plunged his head forward and kissed Zhu Xiaozhu fiercely.

 Chapter 624 - 621: The Whereabouts of Lin Guodong

    <h4>Chapter 624: Chapter 621: The Whereabouts of Lin Guodong</h4><h4></h4>


    This moment, Zhu Xiaozhu¡¯s mind seemed to explode, and she instantly went nk,pletely losing her ability to think.


    From childhood to adulthood, she had never felt this way before, nor had any person of the opposite gender touched her body. That feeling, indescribable yet beautiful, wanting to resist but also reluctant, powerless to resist, left her feeble all over.


    ******


    However, at this critical moment, a ringtone of a cell phone suddenly sounded, instantly pulling the two immersed in bliss back to reality.


    Under the bright lights, Zhu Xiaozhu¡¯s pretty face instantly turned crimson like she was on fire. Especially when her eyes met Ling Chen¡¯s unwilling gaze, she felt exceedingly shy. Without time to think further, she quickly turned her head away, fixing her disheveled clothes.


    At this moment, the cell phone continued to ring incessantly. Zhu Xiaozhu picked up her phone, looked at the number disyed, and said with her head lowered, "It¡¯s a call from my family."


    "That... I... I¡¯ll step out first." Ling Chen, feeling somewhat awkward, climbed up from the bed, daring not to take another nce at Zhu Xiaozhu, and hurriedly escaped the room.


    Bang!


    The door closed, and Ling Chen leaned against the wall, unable to help but exhale. Damn! Almost lost control again, he thought distressedly. If not for that timely phone call, he might have already proceeded with Zhu Xiaozhu.


    Sigh, what a pity, such a good opportunity missed.


    Inside the room, Zhu Xiaozhu regted her breathing, her hand covering her flushed cheek, answered the call and asked, "Dad, what¡¯s the reason for calling sote?"


    Whatever the person on the other end said, Zhu Xiaozhu¡¯splexion suddenly changed, she asked in disbelief, "You... are you serious? ...Yes, I understand... Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll figure out a way."


    After hanging up, Zhu Xiaozhu looked up towards the door, her beautiful eyes shimmering withplexity.


    Leaving the room, Ling Chen headed straight to Hu Fei¡¯s office. Nowadays, Hu Fei was considered a big boss in one department. Besides himself, he had over twenty people in charge of intelligence work. Intelligence work was continuous, hence personnel were on duty 24 hours.


    Arriving at the office, Ling Chen poured two sses of in water to cool himself down. Then, holding a teacup, he approached Hu Fei¡¯s busy desk and asked, "What are you busy with sote?"


    Hu Fei nced up at Ling Chen and said with a smug smile, "I¡¯ve got some great news for you, I found him."


    "Found him?" Ling Chen didn¡¯t catch on immediately and curiously asked, "Found what?"


    "Lin Guodong. Remember thest time at Qingyun Martial Arts Hall, Nanrong Yuan provided Lin Guodong¡¯s appearance? I uploaded his photo into the Ministry of Public Security¡¯s system for matching, and finally got results."


    Hearing this, Ling Chen¡¯s eyes brightened, excitedly saying, "Really?"


    Hu Fei said nothing and started typing on the keyboard. Soon, theputer screen disyed a middle-aged man¡¯s details.


    "Look, this person¡¯s real name is Lin Jiawei, a Southerner, previously engaged in overseas trade, has a criminal record for fraud and extortion, then suddenly disappeared for more than ten years. I think he must have joined the God Organization more than ten years ago and gradually became a high-ranking member."


    Ling Chen nodded, "Climbing to such high ranks in over ten years, he must be really capable."


    "Nonsense. The financial frauds he did require brains; without intelligence, such schemes couldn¡¯t be pulled off. Also, I checked his other details; he¡¯d been married once but divorcedter, no children, both parents deceased, no siblings. However, he does have a grandfather over ny years old living in East Sea City. More interestingly, his grandfather has no social security or pension, yet lives a luxurious life in a vi served by three housemaids and a dedicated medical team, certainly someone financially supports him."


    "It seems Lin Jiawei still has some filial piety."


    "That¡¯s beside the point," Hu Fei continued smilingly, "I checked Lin Jiawei¡¯s entry and exit records; he returns to East Sea City at the beginning of every month, stays for two or three days, then leaves. ording to the records, each visit is to see his grandfather."


    Ling Chen nced at the calendar; today was exactly March 2nd.


    "So you mean he will be back these next few days?"


    "Exactly, I¡¯m currently checking the entry records. As soon as he shows up at East Sea International Airport, I¡¯ll definitely spot him."


    "Great, looks like we¡¯re finally making headway. Fatty, keep an eye out, and notify me immediately if there¡¯s any news. And, give me his grandfather¡¯s address; I¡¯ll spare some time tomorrow to check out the surroundings. No matter what, we must capture Lin Jiawei; we can¡¯t let him escape."

 Chapter 625 - 622: Capturing Lin Jiawei

    <h4>Chapter 625: Chapter 622: Capturing Lin Jiawei</h4><h4></h4>


    The next day.


    After a night¡¯s rest, Ling Chen woke up feeling sore in his lower back, a condition that seemed worse than the night before. He shook his head helplessly, realizing that the porridge girl was right; with the injuries he had sustained, it would probably take at least ten days to a half month to fully recover.


    Coming out of Hu Fei¡¯s office, Ling Chen yawned, preparing to go to the restroom to relieve himself. Walking down the hallway, he happened to encounter Zhu Xiaozhuing towards him. Their eyes met, and Zhu Xiaozhu¡¯s pretty face turned red in an instant. She quickly lowered her head, not daring to meet Ling Chen¡¯s gaze.


    "Xiaozhu..." To avoid prolonging the awkwardness, Ling Chen opened his mouth to greet her. After all, he was in the wrongst night. As a man, he should be more magnanimous, apologizeter, and ask for forgiveness.


    But before he could finish speaking, Zhu Xiaozhu walked right past him without saying a word, not even a nce.


    Seeing this, Ling Chen touched his nose and let out a bitter chuckle to himself, understanding that Zhu Xiaozhu was too shy to face him. Forget it! He would wait a couple of days for her mood to improve before apologizing.


    As he listened to the fading footsteps, the bowing Zhu Xiaozhu suddenly turned her head, looking at the receding figure of Ling Chen with sparkling eyes, clearly deep in thought.


    There was still plenty of time. Ling Chen made the time to meet with porridge girl, then drove off from the research base. Apanying him was Kaelina.


    Traveling along the road for roughly forty minutes or so, Ling Chen and Kaelina finally reached their destination - a manor on the outskirts of East Sea City.


    Through the car window, Ling Chen, seated in the driver¡¯s seat, observed for a moment, then nodded to himself, "Here we are."


    "Should I go, or will you?" Kaelina asked.


    Hearing Kaelina¡¯s question, Ling Chen replied, "Let¡¯s split up. You take care of the outside, and I¡¯ll handle that three-story building." After that, Ling Chen picked up a backpack from the backseat and got out of the car.


    The manor wasn¡¯t veryrge, covering only a bit over five hundred square meters. However, owning such a manor in East Sea City would cost at least tens of millions, which showed that Lin Jiawei was quite filial to his grandfather.


    Ling Chen went around the manor¡¯s perimeter wall until he noticed there were no security cameras inside, which somewhat reassured him. Then, he climbed over the wall from a corner andnded steadily on thewn.


    At this point, it was half-past eight in the morning, yet there was no one outside the small building. Ling Chen approached the building quietly, with his backpack slung over his shoulder, then climbed up the pipe step by step.


    Before long, Ling Chen had smoothly reached the second-floor balcony.


    Looking through the window ss, Ling Chen checked to make sure no one was inside. Once certain, he gently pushed open the door and slipped in.


    This bedroom seemed to be uninhabited, with all its furniture covered with dust cloths. Putting the backpack down, Ling Chen took out a pinhole camera and installed it in a corner of the wall.


    "OK!"


    Hearing Hu Fei¡¯s voice through the earpiece, Ling Chen walked to the door, listened for any noise outside, then cracked the door open to check the corridor conditions. Instantly, he saw two maids carrying breakfast and toiletries enter a bedroom some ten meters away.


    That must be the master¡¯s room.


    As soon as the maids entered, Ling Chen darted out, installing pinhole cameras in various hidden spots to monitor every move within the rooms.


    All told, it took about ten minutes to install more than twenty pinhole cameras Ling Chen had brought, covering the entire house under their surveince.


    "Kaelina, how are things on your end?"


    "All set."


    Receiving Kaelina¡¯s response, Ling Chen breathed a sigh of relief and said, "Time to go!"


    Back in the car, Kaelina asked, "Are you sure Hu Fei¡¯s information is reliable?"


    Ling Chen, full of confidence, smiled and said, "The fat guy might not be good at other things, but his intel in this area is absolutely solid. Don¡¯t worry, ording to his predictions, Lin Jiawei will return in these two days. All we need to do is set up our. When the timees, we¡¯ll capture him all at once. As long as we get Lin Jiawei, we might even be able to follow the trail and directly pull out that mysterious leader."


    Hearing this, Kaelina said indifferently, "It¡¯d be great if things will go as smoothly as you say."


    Ling Chen¡¯s lips curled up in a half-smile but said nothing more. Regardless, Lin Jiawei must be captured. This was not only for himself but also for Xia Mutong. Now that Xia Mutong was still in the hands of the God Organization, capturing Lin Jiawei could enable them to exchange him for Xia Mutong.


    ...


    In the blink of an eye.


    Two days passed.


    East Sea International Airport.


    Ling Chen, the porridge girl, and Kaelina sat in an Audi, their eyes fixed on the airport exit, searching for the target.


    "The fatso just sent a message; Lin Jiawei has entered the country and could show up at any moment. Everyone, keep your eyes peeled and don¡¯t miss him."


    "That one, do you think it¡¯s him?"


    Right after Ling Chen finished speaking, Kaelina immediately pointed out of the car window. Following the direction of her finger, Ling Chen picked up the binocrs he carried and saw Lin Jiawei, in a suit, emerging from the airport surrounded by four bodyguards with impressive builds, carrying a suitcase.


    As he reached the roadside, two Mercedes-Benz SUVs promptly came. Once Lin Jiawei and his entourage got into the cars, Ling Chen started the Audi and followed behind the two vehicles as they all left the airport.


    Since the opposing security personnel were professionals, Ling Chen did not dare to follow too closely, fearing that he would expose his whereabouts. Throughout the journey, he kept a distance of tens of meters, using the other vehicles on the road as cover, to hide his tracks.


    However, upon entering the ring road, the two Mercedes suddenly elerated, their speed instantly exceeding a hundred miles per hour.


    Ling Chen frowned and abandoned the idea of continuing the chase. The other party¡¯s purpose for speeding up was clearly to prevent being followed; if he sped up to keep up, it would be tantamount to exposing his own trail.


    Since they knew where Lin Jiawei was headed, there was no need to hurry too much.


    Before long, Ling Chen drove up once again to the manor in the suburbs.


    Looking at the two Mercedes parked at the entrance, Ling Chen picked up his binocrs to observe the situation.


    "Two guards at the entrance, Kaelina, I¡¯ll leave them to you. Porridge girl and I will go directly in through the window, capture Lin Jiawei quickly, and without dy, head back to the car to regroup."


    "Understood!"


    After making their ns, Ling Chen and the porridge girl got out of the car and went to the spot where Ling Chen had sneaked into the manorst time. After checking the time, Ling Chen nodded to the porridge girl, then leapt onto the wall.


    As the two of them began their operation, Kaelina had already approached from the other side of the manor, swiftly charging towards the two guards at the entrance.


    As the third-ranked assassin on the assassin list, Kaelina, holding a dagger, showed no mercy and thrust directly at the vital points of the two guards.


    However, the moment the dagger was swung, one of the guards raised his hand to block, and with a ¡¯ng¡¯ of a crisp sound, the dagger was immediately deflected. Then, that guard threw a punch with the speed of the wind, fiercely hammering it towards Kaelina, sending her flying in an instant.

 Chapter 626 - 623 Lin Jiawei

    <h4>Chapter 626: Chapter 623 Lin Jiawei</h4><h4></h4>


    Ling Chen and porridge girl just climbed over the wall and happened to see this scene, and were immediately stunned.


    Kaelina, after all, is ranked third on the assassin list, and although her strength is not as good as those on the Tiger List or Dragon List, her killing skills are absolutely top-notch. However, the unremarkable-looking security guard punched Kaelina and sent her flying, which clearly showed the strength of the opponent.


    Could it be a master from the Tiger List or Dragon List?


    In a sh of thought, Ling Chen felt this possibility was very likely. After all, Lin Jiawei¡¯s identity and status were there, being an important figure in the God Organization, there definitely would be masters around him.


    At this moment, Kaelina, lying on the ground, covered her chest and palely stood up from the ground. Facing the approaching security personnel, Kaelina nced at the dagger not far away, her expression slightly grave.


    No good!


    Ling Chen silently cursed, realizing that Kaelina could be in mortal danger given the strength of the security personnel.


    "I¡¯ll go help her." As soon as he finished speaking, Ling Chen tapped lightly with his toes, elerating instantly to his maximum speed. Like a gust of wind, he took three steps in two strides, quickly rushing towards Kaelina. However, as Ling Chen was about to reach her, another security guard outside the door noticed his approach and immediately stepped in front of him, blocking his path.


    "Get out of the way!" Ling Chen shouted loudly, his fist clenched with steel, whistling through the air, and he ferociously struck out, aiming directly at the man¡¯s face.


    Seeing Ling Chen make a move, the security personnel stood still, not dodging at all. As the steel fist approached, the security personnel suddenly raised his fist and shed head-on with Ling Chen.


    When the fists collided, Ling Chen felt a powerful force surge through the back of his hand, causing his body to step back instantly.


    Huh?


    After a brief exchange, there was a hint of surprise in Ling Chen¡¯s eyes as he looked at the opponent.


    When their fists had made contact, Ling Chen noticed something odd¡ªhis fist seemed to have hit something hard, not the opponent¡¯s fist.


    Upon closer inspection, Ling Chen immediately realized what was going on.


    He had thought these security personnel were masters, but it seemed that was not the case. These two security personnel were simply equipped with exoskeleton armor enhancing their strength and speed, which allowed them to unexpectedly defeat Kaelina.


    With this realization, Ling Chen rxed. As long as they were not masters, he was not concerned about just an exoskeleton armor.


    "Another go!"


    With a roar, Ling Chen thrust his legs, leaping high, like a roc spreading its wings, striking directly at the opponent¡¯s head.


    Hmph!


    The security personnel sneered, tapped the ground with one foot, and his body shot up two meters high, jumping even higher than Ling Chen. Seeing this, Ling Chen¡¯s expression remained unchanged, his clenched steel fist smashed down again.


    Bang!


    Apanied by a dull sound, as Ling Chen¡¯s steel fist was about to make contact with the opponent¡¯s body, a burst of dark force suddenly exploded, violently impacting the body of the opponent, directly knocking him flying. The security personnel, losing his bnce, had not even time to react and heavily fell to the ground.


    Without waiting for the opponent to rise, Ling Chen leaned forward, his toes forcefully propelled him forward, and he rapidly closed in like a cheetah, his elbow swiftly smashing down directly on the opponent¡¯s forehead.


    Pff!


    A spurt of fresh blood sprayed out, and that security personnel immediately fell to the ground, unconscious.


    However, although one security guard was dealt with, Kaelina was now in a dire situation, held by the cor and lifted mid-air by the other security guard. Moreover, from the sleeve of that guard, a dagger had emerged unknowingly, stabbing straight towards Kaelina¡¯s heart.


    "If it had hit her, Kaelina would have definitely lost her life."


    Without time to think further, Ling Chen quickly scanned the area; his body rolled forward, single-handedly picked up the dagger that had fallen to the ground, and, with a quick flick of his wrist, threw the dagger.


    In an instant, the dagger passed through the back of the security personnel¡¯s head, piercing through the forehead, and blood gushed out.


    Seeing the man fall, Ling Chen quickly rushed forward, steadying Kaelina who was about to fall.


    "Are you all right?"


    Looking into Ling Chen¡¯s concerned eyes, Kaelina gently shook her head and said, "I¡¯m fine, but I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t participate in the next part of the mission."


    "It¡¯s okay, we can handle it. You go back to the car and rest, and we¡¯lle to meet you after we¡¯ve captured Lin Jiawei."


    "Be careful on your own!"


    Watching Kaelina leave, Ling Chen turned and walked to the door, reaching out to push it open. However, at that moment, Hu Fei¡¯s urgent voice came through the earpiece: "Don¡¯t go in!"


    Ling Chen slowed his movement and asked, "What happened?"


    "Porridge girl is in trouble."


    "In trouble?" Ling Chen was shocked. He knew the strength of porridge girl best; as one of the top figures on the Earthly List, could she really be in danger? With this thought, Ling Chen pressed the earpiece, and called, "Porridge girl, respond if you hear me."


    But after several calls, there was no response through the earpiece.


    When he had intervened to save Kaelina, porridge girl had already broken through the window and entered the building. Several minutes had now passed without any noise from inside, he had thought that porridge girl had seeded. Now, it seemed that the situation was probably not optimistic.


    "Fatty, what¡¯s the situation inside?"


    Before Hu Fei could reply, Ling Chen heard a voice from inside the building: "Ling Chen,e in. I know you¡¯re outside. If you don¡¯t want your friend to get hurt, it¡¯s best not to y any tricks."


    "Don¡¯t go in!"


    Hearing Hu Fei¡¯s warning, Ling Chen frowned, speaking in a stern tone: "No, porridge girl¡¯s safety is at stake, I must go in." With this, not waiting for Hu Fei to speak again, Ling Chen pushed open the door and strode in.


    In the spacious and bright living room, Lin Jiawei was sitting on the sofa with his legs crossed, holding a cup of tea in his hand, a faint smile on his face, watching Ling Chen enter.


    Behind Lin Jiawei stood two security personnel in suits, their eyes sharp, expression stern, following Ling Chen¡¯s moves closely to prevent any sudden action.


    "Mr. Ling, I¡¯ve long heard your reputation, and now we finally meet," Lin Jiawei said with a smile, gesturing to the sofa opposite him in a polite manner: "The guest hase, please have a seat!"


    Ling Chen surveyed his surroundings calmly, and asked, "Where¡¯s my friend?"


    "Don¡¯t worry, she¡¯s not in immediate danger, but her safety depends on how much you cooperate with me."


    Hearing this, Ling Chen nodded, and walked over to sit down on the sofa. At the same time, a housekeeper came over and ced a cup of tea on the coffee table in front of Ling Chen.


    "Mr. Ling, I believe you are clear about my identity, so I won¡¯t introduce myself."


    "Lin Jiawei, alias Lin Guodong, a high-ranking member of the God Organization."


    Lin Jiawei chuckled, waving his hand, "No, you are mistaken."

 Chapter 627 - 624: Chips

    <h4>Chapter 627: Chapter 624: Chips</h4><h4></h4>


    "Wrong? Where is it wrong? Are you not the person I¡¯m looking for?"


    "I don¡¯t want to deceive you, but you really got the wrong person. My name is Lin Jiawei, I¡¯ve never used an alias or changed my name. However, the Lin Guodong you mentioned does exist, and he is indeed a high-up in the God Organization."


    Ling Chen was puzzled and asked with a baffled face: "Then why..."


    Lin Jiawei said cheerfully: "You want to ask why you ended up finding me? Actually, it¡¯s very simple, Mr. Ling, since you know that Lin Guodong is an important high-up of the God Organization, do you think he would be so easily found by you? Now that you are here, I won¡¯t hide it anymore. Let me tell you the truth, actually I am Lin Guodong¡¯s body double. If Lin Guodong needs to make a personal appearance somewhere, I rece him. In this way, anybody tracking Lin Guodong will end up on me. To put it simply, this is a defense mechanism, I¡¯m just a target to attract the enemy¡¯s attention. If someone wants to harm Lin Guodong, they will trace the lead to this ce, and then it¡¯s up to us to handle them. What I didn¡¯t expect was that the person who found this ce would be you."


    Having said this, Lin Jiawei looked at Ling Chen with a meaningful smile: "Mr. Ling, you are an experienced agent, do you really think you can easily catch an important figure of the God Organization? If it were so, then you would be too na?ve."


    Hearing this, Ling Chen frowned and asked: "What do you want?"


    Lin Jiawei, as if he hadn¡¯t heard Ling Chen¡¯s question, went on saying: "Mr. Ling, you see, you don¡¯t have any direct grievances with our God Organization, so why oppose us. Putting yourself in danger each time, do you find this interesting? In my opinion, why don¡¯t we bury the hatchet, from now on you take your sunny path, I¡¯ll cross my log bridge, we don¡¯t cross each other¡¯s paths and live peacefully."


    "I also want to live a peaceful life, but you shouldn¡¯t haveid hands on someone close to me."


    "Are you talking about Nanrong Wanqing?" Lin Jiawei shook his head and said: "Mr. Ling, I think you might be mistaken, our confrontation with Nanrong Wanqing is because of Nanrong Yuan. A daughter paying off her father¡¯s debts, if we must me someone, it can only be Nanrong Yuan who dragged his own daughter down."


    Ling Chen coldly said: "You should know, she is my woman, if you touch her, it¡¯s the same as opposing me."


    "Alright!" Lin Jiawei put down the teacup in his hand and, with his legs crossed, said: "Mr. Ling, let¡¯s talk about something serious."


    "What serious matter?"


    "Both of your friends are in my hands, if you want to save them... let¡¯s make a deal."


    Hearing this, a heavy feeling sank in Ling Chen¡¯s heart, immediately giving him a bad feeling.


    "Mr. Ling, you must be very familiar with the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, I know you are good friends with the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion Master,st time you risked your life to save her, tsk tsk tsk, such loyalty is truly rare."


    As soon as Lin Jiawei uttered these words, Ling Chen¡¯s face changed instantly, and he said in a deep voice: "You want me to help you against the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion?"


    "Correct." Lin Jiawei seriously said: "The Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion is the only existence that the God Organization is wary of. For many years, the God Organization has been trying to infiltrate the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion. Regrettably, the Pavilion is too cautious, and our people are either hardly able to get in, or are exposed by the Pavilion not long after. Since Mr. Ling is friends with the Pavilion, you are our best candidate."


    Ling Chen, squinting his eyes and smiling on the surface but not smiling inside, said: "Lin Jiawei, have you lost your mind? Since you know the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion and I are friends, you still want my help?"


    Lin Jiawei said indifferently: "Mr. Ling, I believe you are a person who valuesmitment and loyalty. Would you really allow your two friends to die for you?"


    At that point, Lin Jiawei made a hand gesture to his security personnel behind him.


    Thetter understood, immediately brought over a tabletputer, and ced it in front of Ling Chen. As the screen lit up, an image immediately appeared before Ling Chen¡¯s eyes.


    Seeing the person in the image, Ling Chen¡¯s gaze sharpened, an icy intent suddenly bursting forth.


    In the image, Xia Mutongy on an iron bed, bound by straps on her hands and feet, even her mouth was gagged, rendering her silent. Beside her, two men in whiteb coats stood by, holding syringes filled with purple liquid as if waiting for something.


    "Lin Jiawei, you..."


    Lin Jiawei smiled slightly: "Mr. Ling, don¡¯t rush to get angry, listen to me finish speaking slowly. You should know, we recently acquired a new technology, but at the moment, it¡¯s still in the refinement stage. Before the technology is perfected, we still need a lot of test subjects, and your friends happen to be suitable candidates. I have given them a heads-up that at ten o¡¯clock they will inject the drug promptly. Now, there are eight minutes left until ten o¡¯clock, you can think it over slowly. I believe you will make the correct choice."


    "Are you threatening me?" Ling Chen looked at Lin Jiawei, his eyes brimming with a frosty coldness.


    "Mr. Ling, how can this be a threat? I am clearly negotiating with you." Saying that, Lin Jiawei took out a bottle containing blue liquid from his pocket and ced it on the coffee table.


    "What is this?"


    "This is a toxin developed by the God Organization, rest assured, this toxin will only make people lose their strength, it¡¯s not fatal. Just pour this toxin into the drinking water of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, then coordinate with us from the inside out, by then, we can easily settle the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion. Mr. Ling, I¡¯ve figured out the method for you, what do you say, have you considered it clearly?"


    Ling Chen frowned, silent, his eyes shing with indecisiveness.


    "Of course, Mr. Ling, I¡¯m just making a suggestion, how specifically you do it is your business. I don¡¯t question the process, only the oue."


    After speaking, Lin Jiawei seemed to remember something and said: "Mr. Ling, how much do you know about the Yangxin Pavilion of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion?"


    "Yangxin Pavilion?" Ling Chen paused, then came to an understanding immediately. Zhou Jun once mentioned the Yangxin Pavilion to him. Yangxin Pavilion is where elderly people are enshrined, mostly consisting of elders living there in retirement. They are highly skilled, an importantponent of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion.


    "The biggest obstacle of the God Organization is Yangxin Pavilion. Without solving those people, it¡¯s difficult to destroy the Pavilion. Therefore, Yangxin Pavilion will be your primary target. Just incapacitate them, and it will be easy to settle the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion. By then, not only will I release your friends, but I will also consider you a friend of the God Organization and offer you certain assistance."


    Ling Chen said indifferently: "Do you think I care?"


    "Mr. Ling, regardless of whether you care or not, time is almost up, have you decided?"


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 Chapter 628 - 625: Difficult Choices

    <h4>Chapter 628: Chapter 625: Difficult Choices</h4><h4></h4>


    Watching the time inch closer to ten o¡¯clock, Ling Chen couldn¡¯t help but clench his fists tightly, intently watching Xia Mutong on the screen, with eyes filled with hesitation.


    If he didn¡¯t agree, both Xia Mutong and the porridge girl would die. Or, he could make a desperate attempt to rescue the porridge girl, sacrificing Xia Mutong in exchange for the safety of Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion. But in doing so, his conscience would be troubled for life.


    Both the porridge girl and Xia Mutong were women who had been involved with him. Just on this point alone, he could not disregard their life and death. As Ling Chen was deep in thought, Hu Fei¡¯s voice suddenly came through the earpiece: "Found the porridge girl. She¡¯s in a room on the second floor to the left, but... I think the chances of rescuing her are slim. There¡¯s an old man watching over her, he¡¯s the one who subdued the porridge girl just now."


    Hearing this, Ling Chen¡¯s heart sank, and he immediately abandoned the second n.


    Even the porridge girl was no match for that person, let alone himself.


    "Mr. Ling, you have one minute left. Have you made up your mind?"


    As Lin Jiawei¡¯s voice rang out, Ling Chen looked up, met his gaze, and nodded: "Fine, I agree with you."


    "Haha!" Lin Jiaweiughed and pped his hands: "I knew Mr. Ling wouldn¡¯t disappoint me. Very good, then I¡¯ll ce my hopes in Mr. Ling." As the words ended, a security staff member brought over a ck briefcase and ced it in front of Ling Chen.


    "Mr. Ling, take good care of this. It contains the equipment you¡¯ll need. Oh, and one more thing! Let me remind you, don¡¯t y any tricks on me. If you dare to deceive me, I assure you I will use all of God Organization¡¯s power against all the friends you know, including Nanrong Wanqing. So you better keep it in mind, and make no mistake."


    After hearing the other person¡¯s words, Ling Chen secured the bottle with the blue liquid and then picked up the ck briefcase, leaving without a word.


    Back in the car, Kaelina, sitting in the passenger seat, couldn¡¯t help but ask when she saw Ling Chene back alone: "Where¡¯s your friend?"


    Ling Chen shook his head and opened the ck briefcase by himself. Suddenly, aplete set ofmunication equipment wasid out in the case.


    "Where did thise from?"


    In the face of Kaelina¡¯s question, Ling Chen simply replied: "I just made a deal." With that said, Ling Chen pressed the earpiece and spoke: "Fatty, keep an eye on those people for twenty-four hours; I want to know their every move."


    "Understood."


    Leaving the manor, the two of them headed straight back to the research base. On the way, Kaelina didn¡¯t ask anything more. Just by looking at Ling Chen¡¯s grim expression, she could guess what had happened. At times like this, it was better to let him have some quiet time.


    Arriving at the research base, Ling Chen greeted Kaelina before heading straight to Hu Fei¡¯s office.


    The moment he entered the door, Ling Chen immediately called out: "Fatty, how¡¯s it going?"


    "Everyone¡¯s still in the house, not a single person has left."


    Ling Chen approached theputer screen and said, "Bring up the surveince footage of the porridge girl."


    Without a word, Hu Fei¡¯s hands rattled across the keyboard. Soon enough, an image appeared on the screen.


    In the footage, the porridge girl was bound with her hands behind her back, thrown in the corner of the room. Besides her, there was an old man in the room. But as Ling Chen got a clear look at the man¡¯s face, his expression suddenly changed.


    Ji Gang!


    It¡¯s this old fellow again. Wasn¡¯t he after the Secret Society? Why is he here? Could it be... the mysterious man who had spoken to himst time had been killed by Ji Gang?


    After thinking for a while, Ling Chen pushed the distracting thoughts aside and said, "Fatty, you have a widework, is there any way you can help me find Xia Mutong¡¯s location?"


    "Find her?" Hu Fei was stunned for a moment, then said with a bitter smile, "I¡¯m no god, how would I know where she¡¯s being held? Besides, mywork is all about the Assassin business. I can hire Assassins, but finding people is not something I can do. If you ask me, it¡¯s better to find someone familiar with God Organization."


    A reliable person!


    Ling Chen frowned, and several names shed through his mind in an instant. Nanrong Yuan and Liu Xiyao had deep connections with God Organization. But he had already asked them, and Nanrong Yuan and Liu Xiyao had told him all they could, without providing any clues.


    If he couldn¡¯t find Xia Mutong¡¯s location, then he could only follow Lin Jiawei¡¯s orders to scheme against Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion.


    On one side was his woman, and on the other were his friends.


    The thought of having to choose between them gave Ling Chen an immense headache; he simply did not know what to do.


    After a moment of thought, Ling Chen pulled out his phone and dialed the exclusive number given to him by the Secret Society. However, though the call connected, no one answered. It seemed the porridge girl was right, the Secret Society had been under such severe pressure from God Organization recently, that most members had gone into hiding to save their lives.


    "Ling Chen, look."


    While he was deep in thought, Hu Fei suddenly tugged on Ling Chen¡¯s sleeve, pointing at the screen and saying, "He seems to have realized something."


    Ling Chen looked up to see Lin Jiawei appearing on the surveince footage, his mouth opening and closing as if he was saying something.


    "Turn up the volume."


    Soon, Lin Jiawei¡¯s voice came clearly from the speaker: "Mr. Ling, I forgot to tell you, this matter needs to be done quickly. It¡¯s been dyed for too long, and we don¡¯t have that much time to waste. To give you more motivation, I¡¯ve decided to give you a deadline, ten days. If you can¡¯t achieve the goal within ten days, then don¡¯t me me for being rude."


    As Lin Jiawei¡¯s voice faded, all the surveince screens turned to gray and white.


    "The signal¡¯s cut off," Hu Fei said helplessly.


    "Send someone over, we can¡¯t let them escape our sight."


    Leaving the office, Ling Chen walked to the outside of theb. Through the ss, he saw Zhu Xiaozhu discussing with several medical professors about the conditions of Jiang Yunkai and Bai Huanjun.


    It had been several days since they started their research, and Zhu Xiaozhu and her team still hadn¡¯t made any progress. Although Ling Chen understood, he still couldn¡¯t help but worry.


    At that moment, Zhu Xiaozhu in theb seemed to notice Ling Chen¡¯s gaze and looked back at him.


    Ling Chen waved his hand and squeezed out a faint smile. However, to his surprise, Zhu Xiaozhu looked away immediately after a nce, showing no expression at all on her face.


    This indifferent reaction made Ling Chen freeze.


    What¡¯s wrong?


    Although he was wrong that night, Zhu Xiaozhu¡¯s character shouldn¡¯t be like this, he thought. Reflecting on the past few days, Zhu Xiaozhu¡¯s behavior had been somewhat abnormal, feeling as if she¡¯d changed into a different person, with no exnation.


    Never mind!


    After some thought, Ling Chen shook his head and temporarily set aside Zhu Xiaozhu¡¯s attitude. Right now, he needed to focus on the problems at hand.

 Chapter 629 - 626: Indirect Intimacy

    <h4>Chapter 629: Chapter 626: Indirect Intimacy</h4><h4></h4>


    "Ling Chen, what are you nning to do?"


    In the spacious office, having learned of the situation, Hu Fei asked.


    Ling Chen shook his head and sighed softly, "I really don¡¯t know what to do. Both sides are my friends; I can¡¯t hurt either of them. Lin Jiawei only gave me ten days, if I don¡¯t figure out a solution quickly, both porridge girl and Xia Mutong will be in danger."


    "If only we could find Xia Mutong¡¯s location."


    "It¡¯s useless," Ling Chen said with a bitter smile, "Even if we rescue Xia Mutong, we still have porridge girl. She¡¯s currently being watched by Ji Gang. No one can rescue her from his clutches unless..."


    "Unless what?"


    "Unless we can find a Heavenly List master to help. But, while there are many experts in the world, very few are on the Heavenly List. Even if we find one, they might not be willing to help... Wait!" At this point, Ling Chen¡¯s eyes suddenly lit up, bursting with a sharp glint.


    Feeling the change in Ling Chen¡¯s gaze, Hu Fei asked, "What is it, got an idea?"


    Ling Chen¡¯s lips curved slightly, revealing a faint smile, and he nodded, "I think I know who to seek out. Fatty, drop everything else these days and help me pinpoint Xia Mutong¡¯s whereabouts. If all else fails, we may just have to forcefully intervene to rescue them."


    "What about you?" Hu Fei asked, "Are you still going to Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion?"


    "I definitely need to go. I¡¯m watching Lin Jiawei, and he¡¯s also having someone watch me. If I do nothing, it would definitely arouse his suspicion. So, no matter what, I must go to Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion. Help me book a flight ticketter, I¡¯ll be leaving tomorrow morning."


    "A flight to Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion?"


    "No, I¡¯m heading to Jinhai City first, then from there to Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion."


    Jinhai City?


    Hu Fei looked at Ling Chen skeptically, not understanding why he wanted to go to Jinhai City.


    ...


    The next afternoon.


    Departing from Jinhai City Airport and after more than two hours of flight, Ling Chen finally arrived at his destination.


    Exiting the airport, a Cadic was already parked by the roadside waiting. As the car door opened, Zhou Jun hopped out from the driver¡¯s seat and hurriedly weed Ling Chen with a warm hug.


    "Ling Chen, good to see you again."


    "Thanks for driving all the way out here to pick me up."


    "No need for formalities among brothers. Come on, get in the car. I¡¯ll take you to get something to eat first, then we head back to Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion."


    After enjoying a hearty dinner, Ling Chen and Zhou Jun directly drove to the forested area where Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion was located.


    Since Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion was in a remote location surrounded by woods, the vehicle couldn¡¯t proceed further, and they had to continue on foot.


    Walking through the dense woods, Ling Chen chatted sporadically with Zhou Jun. Along the way, Ling Chen clearly noticed that the security had tightened, with dark posts everywhere. It seemed that since thest attack by the God Organization, Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion had enhanced their defenses.


    After about a half-hour walk, Ling Chen and Zhou Jun finally arrived at Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion. By now, it was already past eight in the evening.


    Seemingly aware of Ling Chen¡¯s arrival, Song Ge had already been waiting at the entrance. Naturally, greetings were exchanged between friends.


    "Ling, I¡¯ll take you to meet the Pavilion Master first."


    "Okay."


    Zhou Jun joined in, "Then you go ahead with that, I¡¯ll help Ling Chen arrange his room. See youter."


    Following beside Song Ge, the two matched their steps and soon arrived outside the room where the Pavilion Master lived.


    "Ling, go ahead, I¡¯ll wait for you outside."


    Ling Chen nodded, he and Su Mei were old acquaintances, there was no need for such courtesy. With that, he pushed open the door and strode into the room.


    In the elegantly ancient room, with ayer of dark wooden flooring that creaked underfoot. The south-facing window was slightly open, revealing a sliver of a gap, through which a cool evening breeze passed, wandering around the spacious room, bringing a hint of chilliness.


    Ling Chen turned his head and focused his gaze towards the curtain in the center of the room. Indistinctly, he could barely make out the silhouette of a person emerging from behind it. Moreover, a rich aroma of tea drifted from behind the curtain, mingling in the air and permeating the entire room, invigorating one¡¯s spirit.


    "Miss Su, long time no see," Ling Chen said with a smile as he approached the curtain.


    "Please sit down!"


    Su Mei¡¯s gentle voice came through, with a lightugh. Clearly, she was very weing of Ling Chen¡¯s visit.


    Ling Chen nced at the curtain blocking his view, his right hand hesitated for a moment, but ultimately he couldn¡¯t resist and lifted the curtain, fixing it to one side. Instantly, Su Mei¡¯s beautiful face came into his view.


    "You!" Su Mei looked at Ling Chen somewhat irritably, her tone tinged with a hint of reproach: "How bold of you, no one has ever dared to lift this curtain before."


    Ling Chen chuckled, "Miss Su, we are old friends who have been through life and death together, why stand on ceremony? Besides, I¡¯m not ustomed to speaking to someone with a curtain in between. It¡¯s so inconvenient." Saying this, Ling Chen made himselffortable sitting next to the coffee table.


    Without waiting for Su Mei to speak, Ling Chen casually picked up a cup of tea and took a detailed sip, shaking his head hemented, "Hmm, not bad, tastes better than thest time. Seems like your skills have improved."


    However, it seemed Su Mei didn¡¯t hear Ling Chen¡¯spliment, as her beautiful eyes stared intently at the teacup, her fair and delicate face unconsciously flushing with a hint of pink.


    Noticing the change in Su Mei¡¯s expression, Ling Chen curiously said, "Miss Su, what¡¯s wrong? It¡¯s just a cup of tea, wasn¡¯t it made for me to drink?"


    "You..." Su Mei red at Ling Chen, swallowing back the words that reached her lips.


    That cup of tea was originally brewed for her own drinking, she had only taken a small sip and hadn¡¯t finished, yet Ling Chen had drunk it all. Most importantly, the bastard had drunk exactly where her lips had touched.


    Indirect kiss!


    The thought alone turned Su Mei¡¯s cheeks even redder, a trace of shyness shing through her beautiful eyes. Thinking that as a woman, she couldn¡¯t bring this up directly, as it would only embarrass her.


    Then, she quickly changed the subject, "If you think it¡¯s good, feel free to drink more."


    "Sure, sure." Ling Chen took the kettle without any hesitation and filled his cup. He had eaten something greasy outside with Zhou Jun earlier and was a little thirsty, so this was the perfect chance to quench his thirst.


    "What brings you to Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion this time?" Su Mei shifted the topic, asking, "You¡¯re not here to seek my help again, are you?"


    "Look at you saying that, as if my purpose here is only to seek help. We are friends after all, Zhou Jun and Song are my friends too, can¡¯t Ie to see my friends?"


    Su Mei gazed deeply at Ling Chen and said, "I don¡¯t think your intentions are that simple."


    "Alright, I know I can¡¯t hide it from you." Ling Chen said helplessly: "You must have heard about the issues with the Secret Society, I¡¯m here for that."

 Chapter 630 - 627: Night Talk

    <h4>Chapter 630: Chapter 627: Night Talk</h4><h4></h4>


    "Howe, has the God Organization threatened you again?"


    "That¡¯s not the case. Recently, the God Organization hasunched a cleansing operation against the Secret Society, destroying many of their strongholds and causing heavy casualties. Even the higher-ups of the Secret Society have lost contact,pletely silent. As far as I know, the God Organization sent Ji Gang to hunt down the high-ranking members of the Secret Society. With a master from the Heavenly List taking action, I¡¯m afraid those people will have a hard time escaping."


    Su Mei nodded and said, "I am aware of this. ording to intelligence from Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, the power of the Secret Society has shrunk by at least half. This is indeed a heavy blow to them. At present, there are almost no active members of the Secret Society, they have all gone underground. I have tried to contact the high-ranking members of the Secret Society, and as you said, all of them have gone silent, their lives are probably in great danger."


    "Why has the Secret Society, a major world force, suffered such a severe setback this time?"


    "You only are aware of the situation in Huaxia, butpletely ignorant about what¡¯s happening abroad. For the sake of the Secret Society, the God Organization employed a lot of power this time, including their infiltration within governments worldwide. The reason why the Secret Society suffered such heavy losses is mainly due to covert operations by individuals within governments of various countries, utilizing governmental power to suppress the Secret Society, which led to the massive losses."


    Governmental power?


    Ling Chen was surprised. So, that was it, no wonder! The members of the God Organization lurking within government agencies are the most terrifying.


    "If the Secret Society falls, the next target the God Organization will deal with is surely our Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion."


    Hearing Su Mei¡¯s words, Ling Chen felt a jolt in his heart and quickly covered up the difort in his eyes, pretending to be serious as he asked, "Why are you so certain?"


    "Do I even need to think about it? If there is any other power in this world that could threaten the God Organization, it would only be Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion. Furthermore, the God Organization has repeatedly tried to kill me, it shows that they are determined to destroy Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion. However, Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion is not as easy to deal with as the Secret Society. Just like you said, the forces of the Secret Society are spread all over the world, and the God Organization only needs the power of various governments to easily destroy it. But it¡¯s different for Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion; there is only one Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, based in Huaxia, and the God Organization¡¯s influence has not yet prated the interior of Huaxia, so we don¡¯t have to worry about the God Organization using governmental power against us."


    Su Mei spoke confidently: "If it¡¯s just the God Organization, don¡¯t expect them to easily break through Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion. Our heritage of several hundred years relies not merely on luck."


    "Let¡¯s hope so!"


    "What, you don¡¯t have confidence in us?"


    Ling Chenughed: "Not at all, I have full confidence in Miss Su. Besides, even if I weren¡¯t confident in you, I have absolute faith in those elders from Yangxin Pavilion."


    "That¡¯s true. Their presence is what has maintained Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion¡¯s status for a century. Alright, you have been tired from the journey, you should head back to your room to rest. We can talk about anything else tomorrow."


    "Okay, then I won¡¯t disturb you anymore."


    Coming out of the room, Song Ge, who was waiting outside, took Ling Chen to the guest room arranged by Zhou Jun.


    As soon as he entered the room, Ling Chen smelled a strong fragrance of wine.


    In the center of the room stood a wooden table, with several side dishes for drinking set out, and two jars of wine next to it, the aroma of which was emanating from there.


    Song Ge said with a smile: "Zhou Jun, you are quite good at arranging things."


    "Of course." Zhou Jun smiled proudly: "These two jars of wine are pinched from my old man, twenty years of pure brewing, he usually doesn¡¯t care to drink it much, but today he let me bring them here. Come on, let¡¯s not stand around, sit, tonight the three of us brothers won¡¯t call it quits until we¡¯re drunk."


    A night passed.


    The next day, Ling Chen licked his lips as he woke up from his sleep. Touching his slightly throbbing head, he chuckled bitterly at the mess on the table fromst night¡¯s drinking. They had gone through two urns of wine, and he couldn¡¯t even remember when he passed out. Getting up to pour a cup of tea, Ling Chen walked to the window, pushed it open to look outside and saw more than twenty youths with long swords on their backs, standing in two rows on a nearby hill, listening intently to their instructor¡¯s guidance.


    On another side, several middle-aged men, bare-chested, stood in front of wooden posts, their muscr bodies vigorously striking the posts, sweat flying like rain.


    Further in the distance, some elderly men were sitting cross-legged, seemingly practicing Internal Cultivation Methods.


    Seeing this scene, Ling Chen couldn¡¯t help but feel moved. It was worthy of Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, the cream of the crop in Martial Arts. Just this diligence alone was enough to maintain the Pavilion¡¯s transcendent status in Martial Arts, irreceable.


    Closing the window, Ling Chen locked the door and then opened the backpack he had brought with him, taking out a briefcase.


    Looking at the variousmunication equipment arranged inside the briefcase, he casually picked up a wireless receiver and switched it on. At once, a row of red lights appeared on the top of the receiver, shing continuously.


    After a while, the red light disappeared, turning into a green one, indicating that the signal was sessfully connected.


    Putting on the headset, Ling Chen spoke softly, "Pheasant Hawk calling."


    "Eagle received, all normal."


    After testing themunication equipment, Ling Chen put the wireless receiver and headset back into the briefcase.


    The person outside responsible for receiving signals was a member of the God Organization. Because Lin Jiawei was worried Ling Chen would be deceitful, he required that Ling Chen checks in once a day to report on the progress of his activities.


    Leaving the room, Ling Chen walked straight to the martial arts training field outside Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion. On the way, he happened to meet Zhou Jun who was on his way to find him. Seeing Zhou Jun¡¯s disgruntled expression, Ling Chen couldn¡¯t help butugh and ask, "What¡¯s wrong, who provoked you?"


    Zhou Jun replied gloomily, "It¡¯s that old man at home. It was just his two urns of wine, did he need to give me an earful? He doesn¡¯t think about the fact that I am his own grandson. After a hundred years, he will still need me to take care of hisst rites."


    "That¡¯s enough! Getting a scolding isn¡¯t too bad, at least he didn¡¯t hit you. Come on, join me for a stroll."


    Arriving at the training field, Ling Chen looked at the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion members diligently practicing martial arts and asked, "Where¡¯s Song?"


    "He¡¯s over there. Come, I¡¯ll take you to see him."


    Crossing two hills, Ling Chen stopped and looked up at Song Ge standing on the peak of the mountain. Song Ge held his sword one-handed, his posture straight as an arrow, dressed in white, fluttering in the breeze.


    Suddenly, Song Ge flicked his wrist, and the longsword became as agile as a Spirit Snake, an extension of his arm, naturally flexible. Combined with his nimble body and footsteps, he seemed to merge with the wind around him, ethereal and elegant, a pleasure to watch.


    Bang!


    At that moment, Song Ge changed his sword move, his arm slicing forward, and a stone weighing over a hundred pounds was instantly split into two, rolling down the hill.


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 Chapter 631 - 628: Disciple of Yangxin Pavilion

    <h4>Chapter 631: Chapter 628: Disciple of Yangxin Pavilion</h4><h4></h4>


    Seeing this scene, Ling Chen waspletely stunned.


    So impressive!


    Ling Chen¡¯s eyes widened in disbelief watching Song Ge, this... this progress is too rapid.


    If that sword had touched the stone, Ling Chen wouldn¡¯t have been surprised. The key point is that Song Ge used his Inner Strength to split the stone in half, and that¡¯s a significant difference. Back at the beginning of the Heavenly Mechanism Great Ceremony, Song Ge hadn¡¯t even reached the level of emitting Inner Strength, and now he could effortlessly use it to split the stone.


    Tsk, tsk! Ling Chen couldn¡¯t help but admire.


    As expected of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, they really do excel at nurturing talents.


    "Song, you¡¯re amazing, probably no one in the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion has made faster progress than you."


    At this moment, a voice drifted over from the side. Only then did Ling Chen notice that on the mountaintop, aside from Song Ge, there were two other people, both around twenty-something and very young.


    "Not at all." Song Ge said modestly, "My progress has been slow." As he spoke, Song Ge noticed Ling Chen and Zhou Jun down the hill, immediately greeted them and brought the twopanions over.


    "Ling, you awake?" Song Ge said with a smile, "Last night you were the drunkest of us all, looks like you need to work on your alcohol tolerance."


    "Song, who is this?" The two young men sized up Ling Chen and asked.


    "This is Ling Chen whom I¡¯ve mentioned to you before, he¡¯s much more impressive than me." Song Ge introduced, "Ling, let me introduce you. These two are Liang Zheng and Song Yi, friends I¡¯ve made in the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion. Don¡¯t be fooled by their young age, they¡¯re both far from simple. Had they participated in the Heavenly Mechanism Great Ceremony, it would have been difficult for us to rank."


    Liang Zhengughed, "Song is being too modest, we¡¯re not that impressive." Then, turning to Ling Chen, he bowed with sped hands, "So you are Ling Chen, I¡¯ve long admired your reputation."


    "You¡¯re too kind." Ling Chen returned the courtesy.


    "Ling Chen, Song just said you¡¯re even more impressive than him, why not show us a few moves? Liang Zheng and I are also curious to see how amazing the top of the Neer List really is."


    The speaker was Song Yi, his appearance was ordinary, but there was a trace of arrogance between his brows. It seemed like he didn¡¯t ept what Song Ge had said.


    "Alright, Song Yi, Ling has just woken up from his drunkenness, don¡¯t trouble him. There will be plenty of opportunities for you to see for yourselfter," Song Ge said with a smile, intending to defuse the situation for Ling Chen.


    "Really?" Song Yi looked at Ling Chen with a meaningful and half-smiling expression, "If that¡¯s really the case, we won¡¯t insist, to avoid someone losing faceter."


    "Hey! Watch how you speak." Zhou Jun immediately expressed his discontent, reproaching, "Mr. Song, didn¡¯t your Master teach you how to speak politely? You show no manners at all."


    Song Yi nced at Zhou Jun and replied coolly, "What my Master teaches me is his business, why do you care so much? If you have issues, go find my Master."


    "You..."


    "Alright, let¡¯s stop here, we are all friends, no need to get angry," Ling Chen hastened to intercede for fear that Zhou Jun would cause displeasure because of him.


    <sub>f.re(e) w.e(b)nov el.c.om</sub>


    "Song, you guys go ahead with your business, Zhou Jun and I will take a stroll elsewhere. It¡¯s rare to visit the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, I should broaden my horizons." Finishing, Ling Chen took Zhou Jun and prepared to leave.


    "At least you are aware of your own limitations, knowing that youck knowledge."


    Hearing Song Yi¡¯s voiceing from behind, Ling Chen¡¯s brows involuntarily furrowed. This young man named Song was quite rude considering Ling Chen hadn¡¯t provoked him in any way. Even for someone with a non-confrontational nature, this was starting to irk him.


    At this point, even Song Ge found it hard to listen, saying lightly, "Song Yi, Ling Chen is my friend, speak with some courtesy."


    Song Yi shrugged, "Alright, consider I haven¡¯t said anything just now."


    Liang Zheng, trying to smooth things over, said with a smile, "Song, you¡¯re not unaware of Song Yi¡¯s personality, he¡¯s just straightforward and speaks his mind. Ling Chen, please don¡¯t take it to heart."


    "Don¡¯t worry, Ling¡¯s tolerance is greater than yours, he won¡¯t stoop to your level," Zhou Jun coldly interjected, then led Ling Chen away towards the practice field, not wanting to stay a minute longer.


    "Ling!"


    Just as they returned to the practice field, Song Ge hurried over from behind, looking apologetic, "Ling, I¡¯m really sorry about earlier, I apologize on behalf of Song Yi."


    Ling Chen smiled indifferently, "It¡¯s nothing, do I look like the nitpicky type?" He then changed the subject, asking curiously, "Song, who were those two just now?"


    "They are from the Yangxin Pavilion."


    Yangxin Pavilion?


    Ling Chen¡¯s mind was stirred, and he asked in surprise, "Isn¡¯t the Yangxin Pavilion a ce for the elderly, howe those two are so young, do they have the qualifications to enter the Yangxin Pavilion?"


    Zhou Jun added, "You don¡¯t understand. The Yangxin Pavilion indeed is a ce for the elderly, however, which of those old folks doesn¡¯t wish to pass on their lifetime of Martial Arts? So they choose exceptionally talented individuals to take on as personal disciples. Liang Zheng, Song Yi, they were both found by those old folks and have lived in the Yangxin Pavilion from a young age, learning martial arts from their Masters. Although I don¡¯t really like their arrogance, I have to admit, their abilities are indeed strong. Aside from Liang Zheng and Song Yi, the Yangxin Pavilion has many more like them."


    "If they are so strong, why didn¡¯t they participate in the Heavenly Mechanism Great Ceremony?"


    Song Ge exined, "They¡¯re already part of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion once inside Yangxin Pavilion. The Heavenly Mechanism Great Ceremony is hosted by the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, and it would look silly for its own members to participate. But, I wasn¡¯t wrong in what I said before. If they had participated in the Heavenly Mechanism Great Ceremony, the rankings on the Neer List would have needed a big overhaul."


    Upon hearing this, Ling Chen inquired in astonishment, "Are they really that formidable? They look about my age."


    Zhou Jun shook his head, "You can¡¯t judge by age alone. You should consider that they have been raised from childhood by masters from the Earthly List and the Heavenly List. Not to mention, the weakest sparring partners they have had are masters from the Earthly List. With such upbringing, do you think they¡¯ll be weak?"


    "That makes sense." After saying that, Ling Chen nced at Zhou Jun, "The way you talk, I feel like you don¡¯t really get along with them."


    "That¡¯s normal," Song Ge added, "People from the Yangxin Pavilion have always been quite arrogant, Liang Zheng and Song Yi are considered better among them. I¡¯ve also interacted with others from the Yangxin Pavilion, and to be honest, I can¡¯t stand their arrogance. Moreover, with the backup from the group of old folks in the Yangxin Pavilion, no one dares to offend them. Except for the Pavilion Master who has some deterrent power, they usually walk around the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion openly and without fear, not caring about anyone. Because of this, there aren¡¯t many of the same age in the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion who like to associate with them."

 Chapter 632 - 629 Tong Nan (1)

    <h4>Chapter 632: Chapter 629 Tong Nan (1)</h4><h4></h4>


    After listening to Song Ge and Zhou Jun¡¯s exnation, Ling Chen gained a deeper understanding of Yangxin Pavilion. He originally thought that Yangxin Pavilion was just an ordinary ce for the elderly, but he didn¡¯t expect it to have so manyplexities. From Zhou Jun¡¯s attitude, it was clear that he didn¡¯t have a favorable impression of the disciples produced by Yangxin Pavilion.


    "Song, your martial arts skills have really improved quickly. In such a short time, you¡¯ve already reached the level of projecting Inner Strength externally." Ling Chen changed the subject, avoiding further discussion about Yangxin Pavilion.


    "I have to admit, my progress isrgely thanks to Liang Zheng and Song Yi."


    Ling Chen, puzzled, asked, "What do they have to do with your progress?"


    "Don¡¯tugh at me for saying this, but if it weren¡¯t for Liang Zheng¡¯s guidance, avoiding many misguided paths, I probably wouldn¡¯t have reached this level."


    Hearing this, Ling Chen¡¯s expression changed slightly. Liang Zheng and Song Yi, both appearing young, were capable of advising Song Ge, which indicated their formidable strength. Could it be that... the disciples from Yangxin Pavilion were really that impressive?


    With this thought, Ling Chen couldn¡¯t help but ask, "Song, the Liang Zheng and Song Yi you just mentioned, have they reached the level of the Earthly List?"


    "Not quite," Song Ge shook his head and said, "Their overall strength barely ranks in the top three of the Dragon List; they still have some distance from reaching the Earthly List." Ling Chen gasped in astonishment upon hearing this.


    Now he finally understood what that meant.


    If the disciples of Yangxin Pavilion participated in the Heavenly Mechanism Great Ceremony, the rankings on the Neer List would likely bepletely overturned.


    Initially, Ling Chen didn¡¯t want to continue discussing Yangxin Pavilion, but Song Ge¡¯s words piqued his interest again.


    "Song, do all disciples from Yangxin Pavilion have strength like that of Liang Zheng?"


    "No."


    That¡¯s a relief! Ling Chen secretly breathed a sigh of relief, thinking that all disciples from Yangxin Pavilion were as exceptional as Liang Zheng and Song Yi. However, this thought was immediately crushed by Song Ge¡¯s next words.


    "Among the disciples of Yangxin Pavilion, Liang Zheng and Song Yi¡¯s strength ranks at the bottom because they joined Yangxin Pavilionter, so their Martial Arts skills are somewhat lower than others. From what I know, almost all other disciples are on the Earthly List."


    Uh...


    After hearing Song Ge¡¯s words, Ling Chen was momentarily stunned. All were on the Earthly List? Damn! Had the standards for being a master lowered so much these days?


    At this moment, Ling Chen finally understood why Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion ced so much importance on the existence of Yangxin Pavilion. Even the word "abnormal" was not sufficient to describe it.


    "How many disciples does Yangxin Pavilion have?"


    "Not many, only seven or eight."


    Ling Chen was somewhat surprised and asked, "So few?" He had thought there would be at least ten or twenty disciples in Yangxin Pavilion.


    Zhou Jun chimed in, "Did you think Martial Arts prodigies were easy to find? Finding seven or eight is already quite difficult. Since there aren¡¯t many prodigies with excellent talents, the elderly folks in Yangxin Pavilion often shed fiercely over recruiting disciples, leading to many conflicts. Later, it was the previous Pavilion Master who stepped in and resolved the conflicts of Yangxin Pavilion. Since then, the elderly have agreed that two or three of them will teach a disciple together. Simply put, the disciples trained by Yangxin Pavilion are an amalgamation of strengths from various experts."


    So that was it!


    Ling Chen nodded. It¡¯s difficult not to be formidable when several masters simultaneously train a single talent.


    As he spoke, Ling Chen¡¯s gaze was suddenly drawn by a young man not far away. In one corner of the martial arts field, a young man aged around twenty-seven or twenty-eight stood tall and straight, like a javelin, hands behind his back, his eyes gazing slightly upwards at a 45-degree angle towards the blue sky.


    The mountain breeze brushed gently over his forehead¡¯s hair, coupled with his handsome face and elegant demeanor, he looked extremely suave.


    "Damn!" Zhou Jun cursed unhappily, "That guy from Yangxin Pavilion is showing off again."


    "Do you know him?"


    "His name is Tong Nan, a disciple of Yangxin Pavilion, the most handsome among them. He alwayses out to show himself off and charm the women of Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion. That guy is simply a scoundrel. Countless women in our Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion have willingly been deceived by him, even if they are desertedter, they still have no regrets, just like those crazy fans outside," Zhou Jun¡¯s tone was harsh, clearly disliking Tong Nan.


    "So he¡¯s a yboy."


    While murmuring to himself, the nearby Tong Nan suddenly turned his head, observing leaves swept up by the mountain wind into the air. His right hand extended from behind and rose into the air, his wrist subtly rotating.


    In an instant, the floating leaves, like lostmbs finding their way, unexpectedly changed direction in mid-air, flying towards Tong Nan and swirling around him with the breeze.


    Ling Chen was stunned, watching agape. He had only seen such scenes in martial arts movies. He never imagined someone could really do it, and it was quite incredible.


    Soon, Tong Nan¡¯s performance captivated the attention of the people around. Some young women in their twenties excitedly and adoringly gathered around Tong Nan, while other men looked on scornfully and jealously.


    Suddenly, the leaves swirling around Tong Nan congregated to form the shape of a rose.


    Seeing the glowing eyes of those women, Tong Nan¡¯s lips curved into a light smirk, and he gently snapped his fingers. Instantly, the leaves scattered and were swept back into the air by the mountain breeze.


    "Dammit, why doesn¡¯t lightning strike that bastard dead," Zhou Jun cursed irritably.


    "Calm down, he hasn¡¯t provoked you."


    As soon as Ling Chen spoke, beside him, Song Ge subtly tugged at his sleeve. Ling Chen turned his head, puzzled at Song Ge, not understanding his gesture.


    In a low voice, Song Ge said, "Previously, Zhou Jun fancied a girl and wanted to pursue her, but she was captivated by Tong Nan and was even deceived into giving herself to him, so..."


    Realizing the situation now.


    Ling Chen suddenly understood. No wonder Zhou Jun was so disdainful of Tong Nan; it was because of this reason.


    "Song, Tong Nan is quite formidable; he must be an expert from the Earthly List."


    Song Ge nodded and replied, "Indeed. However, the technique he just disyed isn¡¯t very impressive. Once someone reaches the Earthly List, their control over Inner Strength improves significantly. As long as you learn to control your own Inner Strength well, you can easily do it."


    Control?


    A thought struck Ling Chen; that was exactly the technique Song He had taught him.


    Although he had already encountered these skills, he had never tried to use Inner Strength to control the direction of leaves like Tong Nan had. If given the chance, it might be worth a try. Although it¡¯s a bit showy, it¡¯s still good for impressing others.

 Chapter 633 - 630 Tong Nan (2)

    <h4>Chapter 633: Chapter 630 Tong Nan (2)</h4><h4></h4>


    "Tong, hitting on girls again?"


    At this moment, a teasing voice came over.


    Tong Nan turned his head to look and a faint smile appeared at the corner of his mouth as he waved and greeted, "Liang Zheng, if you two are jealous, just say it. How about it, want me to introduce a few women to you? Look at you, grown men and still virgins, isn¡¯t that losing face for us guys? How about I arrange something tonight and let you fully evolve into men?"


    Song Yi waved his hand and said, "Tong, I¡¯m afraid I¡¯m not blessed to enjoy that. You know that I practice Child Skill. Master has instructed that I can break anything, only not lust."


    "Well then, forget about it. Seems you won¡¯t enjoy the pleasures of being a man. How about you, Liang Zheng, any interest?"


    Liang Zheng smiled and said, "Tong, you enjoy it yourself; I prefer to find my own."


    "Fine! Then pretend I never said anything just now."


    During their conversation, the three had gathered together, speaking in lower and lower voices, with the content of their discussion unknown. However, their gazes asionally drifted to Ling Chen, apanied by various gestures.


    "Ling Chen, let¡¯s go." Zhou Jun grabbed Ling Chen, ready to leave.


    However, they hadn¡¯t gone far when they heard Tong Nan¡¯s voice again: "Zhou Jun, where are you going? It¡¯s rare to see you at the martial arts field, why not stay and have some fun?"


    With the sound of footsteps approaching, Ling Chen turned to see Tong Nan, Liang Zheng, and Song Yi walking over together.


    "Ling Chen, right?" Tong Nan sized up Ling Chen, a yful smile curling at the edge of his mouth.


    Ling Chen looked at Tong Nan unflinchingly and asked, "What¡¯s the matter?"


    "I just heard from Song Yi that you are the one ranked first in the Neer List, able to manifest Inner Strength externally at such a young age. You seem to have good aptitude, so I¡¯m rather interested in getting to know you."


    "Now you know me, don¡¯t you?"


    "I do know you, but... I¡¯m more interested to see just how powerful you are, and to find out if the first ce on the Neer List is really well-deserved."


    As Tong Nan spoke, Zhou Jun immediately furrowed his brows, saying gravely, "Tong Nan, Ling Chen is a guest of Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion; don¡¯t be too rude."


    "So what? Zhou Jun, don¡¯t forget where we are - this is Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion. Since we are all martial artists, what¡¯s wrong with making friends through martial arts? Or are you saying... you don¡¯t dare?" Tong Nan¡¯s gaze shifted to Ling Chen, with hisst sentence clearly directed at him.


    Faced with Tong Nan¡¯s challenging look, Ling Chen¡¯s expression was as still as water, watching the other silently without any intention of speaking.


    Song Yi chimed in with a malicious smile, "Ling Chen, you¡¯re the first on the Neer List; don¡¯t you even have that bit of courage? If this gets out, aren¡¯t you afraid of beingughed at?"


    "Song Yi."


    Song Ge frowned, speaking discontentedly, "Ling Chen is my friend; I hope you can show some respect."


    "Song, I didn¡¯t hit him or insult him, how is that being disrespectful? Besides, he¡¯s your friend, but I am also your friend; you can¡¯t be too biased."


    Song Ge responded seriously, "If it weren¡¯t for Ling Chen¡¯s help, I wouldn¡¯t have been able to enter Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion. So if I have to choose between the two of you, sorry, I won¡¯t stand by and watch someone being disrespectful to him."


    Hearing this, Song Yi sneered, "In that case, it seems we can no longer be friends."


    "I don¡¯t need a friend like that anyway." Ling Chen said indifferently, "Friends should be as close as brothers, not trouble each other like you do."


    Song Yi¡¯s expression turned cold, and he snorted lightly, "Ling Chen, save your breath, just give me a straight answer; do you dare or not? If you don¡¯t, then get out of Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion quick, and stop making a fool of yourself here."


    Ling Chen nced at Tong Nan and the others and said, "Guys, I don¡¯t recall having offended you, so why keep targeting me and purposely troubling me? Do I look that easy to bully?"


    Zhou Jun remarked scornfully, "Everyone in Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion of our age has already been bullied by them; of course, they won¡¯t give up the chance to change targets. Yangxin Pavilion¡¯s people are better, they just unt their Master¡¯s reputation all day without having to do anything."


    This remark caused Liang Zheng¡¯s face to change slightly as he said coldly, "Zhou Jun, watch your words, don¡¯t make things unpleasant for yourself."


    "Am I wrong? Since you entered Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, aside from enjoying its resources, what have you done for the Pavilion? Ling Chen may not be one of Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion¡¯s own, but he has helped the Pavilion a great deal, even risking his life to save the Pavilion Master. On that ount alone, none of youpare, and now you even have the nerve to bother him; frankly, being part of Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, I am ashamed on your behalf."


    After being verballyshed by Zhou Jun, Song Yi became enraged and scolded, "Zhou Jun, you..."


    "Enough!" Tong Nan said curtly, his eyes flickering with a smile yet not quite smiling as he looked at Ling Chen, "I don¡¯t like to force others. If you¡¯re not interested in a spar, just say so, I promise I won¡¯t make it difficult for you."


    At this moment, the others in the martial arts field seemed to have caught the scent of gunpowder between the two groups, and they gathered around with interest to watch the excitement, making variousments.


    "Isn¡¯t that Ling Chen the first of the Neer List? He should be quite capable, why not just agree quickly?"


    "You really have no clue, can a person on the Neer Listpare with a disciple from Yangxin Pavilion? Anyone from Yangxin Pavilion could handle the contenders of the Neer List easily. Ling Chen has the good sense, that¡¯s why he dares not ept the challenge."


    Hearing the surroundingmentary, both Zhou Jun and Song Ge¡¯s faces turned unsightly. Both simultaneously looked at Ling Chen, waiting for his decision.


    "You¡¯re an expert on the Earthly List, and I haven¡¯t even made it to the top three on the Dragon List; do you think such a spar would be interesting?"


    Tong Nanughed, "Don¡¯t worry, it won¡¯t be me moving against you, you¡¯re not yet qualified for me to take action." Saying this, Tong Nan nced at Liang Zheng and Song Yi, then pointed at Song Yi, "Let it be him. Youpare yourself with Song Yi; he is one of the weakest in Yangxin Pavilion. How about that?"


    "I have no issue," Song Yi grinned, "Just afraid Ling Chen won¡¯t be generous enough to teach."


    Under everyone¡¯s gaze, Ling Chen hesitated for a moment, then nodded, "Alright, since everyone is so interested, then I shall try. But let¡¯s be clear, since it¡¯s a spar, we should stop at the first touch, don¡¯t be too hard on each other."


    The moment these words were uttered, the onlookers¡¯ impression of Ling Chen lowered a few notches. Speaking such words before the fight had even begun clearly showed ack of confidence in himself. Defeated before the battle, without a move made, he had already lost in momentum.


    "Ling, be careful," Song Ge warned, "Song Yi¡¯s strength may not yet be on the Earthly List, but it¡¯s not far off. Plus, he practices Child Skill, which makes him strong in actualbat. Don¡¯t take it lightly."


    "I know."

 Chapter 634 - 631: Sparring (1)

    <h4>Chapter 634: Chapter 631: Sparring (1)</h4><h4></h4>


    As the crowd retreated, Ling Chen took off his coat, handed it to Zhou Jun, and then strode to the center of the martial arts field, staring directly at Song Yi opposite him.


    When the two were about to sh, nobody noticed that, not far from the martial arts field, in a room, Su Mei stood in front of a window, quietly observing the situation on the field.


    "Pavilion Master, should I step in to stop them? You know the disciples of Yangxin Pavilion better than anyone; they are heavy-handed and I¡¯m worried they might hurt Ling Chen," Zhou Qi, who was standing behind Su Mei, said.


    "It¡¯s toote to stop them now. If you step in at this point, everyone would know that Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion is protecting Ling Chen, which could inevitably lead to dissatisfaction among the disciples of Yangxin Pavilion."


    "But... the discipline of the disciples of Yangxin Pavilion is deteriorating. They even dare to provoke a guest of Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion. If we don¡¯t intervene, I fear they will be even more unruly. Pavilion Master, as you know, within Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, aside from you, people like Tong Nan don¡¯t take anyone seriously. Because of this, many within the pavilion are displeased, believing that you are showing too much favoritism towards the people of Yangxin Pavilion."


    "So what can be done?" Su Mei sighed lightly, her tone revealing a hint of helplessness, "Elder Zhou, you¡¯re not unaware that Yangxin Pavilion is the most crucial part of Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion. Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion has stood tall in the world of Martial Arts for hundreds of years without falling because Yangxin Pavilion has deterred our enemies. In the past, with grandfather around, the people of Yangxin Pavilion behaved properly. Now that grandfather is gone, it¡¯s inevitable that they¡¯re less restrained. Regardless, as long as the people of Yangxin Pavilion are utterly loyal to Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, in other matters, we should mostly let them have their way."


    "What about this sparring match?"


    "Let¡¯s watch for now. If Ling Chen is in danger, then you can intervene."


    "Yes, I understand."


    At this very moment, on the martial arts field, Song Yi crooked his finger at Ling Chen, tauntingly said, "You¡¯re the guest, I¡¯ll let you make the first move. Come on, use all your strength, don¡¯t worry about hurting me."


    Ling Chen nodded, rolled up his sleeves, and greeted with a fist salute, "Please enlighten me!"


    As soon as he finished speaking, Ling Chen¡¯s eyes instantly became sharp, bursting with energy, and he charged towards Song Yi like a gust of wind.


    In the blink of an eye, Ling Chen had closed in within five steps of Song Yi.


    Watching Ling Chen rapidly approach, Song Yi¡¯s lips curled slightly, his expression unchanging,pletely disregarding Ling Chen¡¯s attack. When close enough, Ling Chen raised his iron fist with ferocious momentum, directly aiming for Song Yi¡¯s face.


    However, before his fist could extend halfway, without even hitting Song Yi¡¯s body, a palm suddenly struck, instantly enveloping Ling Chen¡¯s fist, blocking its force.


    Seeing this, Ling Chen stepped back, ready to withdraw his fist, but to his surprise, he found that his punch was immovable in Song Yi¡¯s palm and could not advance or retreat.


    Such formidable strength!


    Ling Chen was startled and instantly stepped back, pushing off the ground to pull his fist free.


    "Is that all you¡¯ve got?" Song Yi shook his head with ack of interest, "I thought you were more formidable. It seems that the title of number one on the Neer List is rather inted. Come on, continue, put some more effort into it, I¡¯m not that weak."


    Hearing Song Yi¡¯s mockery, the surrounding crowd shook their heads. Ling Chen¡¯s attack had no pressure at all, and he was simply no match for Song Yi. Moreover, from beginning to end, Song Yi stood in his original ce without moving an inch.


    Outside the martial arts field, Zhou Jun looked at Ling Chen anxiously, his face full of nervousness.


    "s! They shouldn¡¯t have been allowed to spar. If I had known, I would have taken Ling Chen away directly."


    "Let¡¯s not worry yet," Song Ge said reassuringly. "Ling Chen¡¯s strength is not that weak. Even if he can¡¯t win, he won¡¯t be defeated so quickly. Moreover, Ling is a guest of Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, and Song Yi, no matter how bold, wouldn¡¯t dare to openly harm him, unless he wants to bear the wrath of the Pavilion Master."


    Watching Song Yi¡¯s easy posture, Ling Chen rubbed his wrists and swung his fists a couple of times. Then, he made a move that surprised everyone.


    Without a running start or eleration, he walked step by step toward Song Yi and stopped right in front of him. Now, the distance between the two was less than half a meter, close enough to touch each other with an outstretched hand.


    Seeing Ling Chen¡¯s unusual behavior, a look of doubt shed in Song Yi¡¯s eyes, having no idea what Ling Chen was nning to do.


    Suddenly, Ling Chen, who had been standing still, threw a steel-hard punch straight ahead without any fancy movements - a punch as simple as could be.


    As the punch approached, Song Yi, without a word, reached out his hand again, trying to envelop Ling Chen¡¯s fist.


    However, the moment the fist and palm met, Song Yi¡¯s entire arm shook violently, and his right shoulder involuntarily skewed backward, as if unable to bear the power from Ling Chen¡¯s punch.


    How could this be?


    Song Yi looked at Ling Chen in disbelief, his face filled with shock.


    During their previous exchange, the power of Ling Chen¡¯s punch had been very weak. Even if Ling Chen had been probing, his strength could not possibly have increased so much in an instant.


    In a split second, Song Yi quickly gathered his thoughts, channeling his Inner Strength, and sent his entire arm forward to counter Ling Chen¡¯s punch.


    For a moment, Ling Chen¡¯s fist and Song Yi¡¯s palm were tightly connected, shing solidly against each other, moving back and forth on either side.


    Witnessing this scene, the onlookers were instantly startled.


    Although there was nopetition in martial techniques, the current spar was even more dangerous, a pureparison of Inner Strength.


    Undoubtedly, both Ling Chen and Song Yi had reached the level of externalizing their Inner Strength. But thepetition of Inner Strength isn¡¯t just about the level; it¡¯s also about the umtion. The stronger one¡¯s strength, the more robust and abundant the Inner Strength.


    Among the disciples of Yangxin Pavilion, Song Yi¡¯s strength might be the weakest, but he was still ranked among the top three on the Dragon List. Compared to him, Ling Chen was at least a few levels behind. After all, Ling Chen¡¯s overall strength had always been hovering around the fifth rank on the Tiger List without any improvement.


    "Overestimating himself," Tong Nan scoffed, looking at Ling Chen with a hint of disdain.


    To actuallypare Inner Strength with Song Yi was like asking for trouble. Leaving aside how strong Song Yi was, he had been cultivating Child Skill since childhood, never once breaking the practice for over twenty years. His Inner Strength was solid and stable, not something ordinary people could match. Even Liang Zheng, whose strength surpassed Song Yi¡¯s, might not be guaranteed a win in a contest of Inner Strength alone.


    "Tong Nan."


    At this point, Zhou Jun quickly walked up to Tong Nan and said in a grave voice, "Stop them immediately. A misunderstanding of Inner Strength can cause serious injuries easily. You were the one who proposed this sparring session. If anything happens to Ling Chen, how will you exin it to the Pavilion Master?"


    Hearing these words, Tong Nan frowned slightly.


    There were others he could disregard, but the Pavilion Master... he truly dared not offend.


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 635 - 632: Sparring (2)

    <h4>Chapter 635: Chapter 632: Sparring (2)</h4>


    Thinking of the possible consequences, Tong Nan nodded and stepped toward the martial arts field.


    But at this moment, a sudden exmation burst out from the spectators: "Look, Song Yi can¡¯t hold on any longer."


    Upon hearing this, everyone¡¯s gaze immediately focused on Song Yi. Indeed, at this moment, Song Yi¡¯s face was slightly pale, his shoulders trembling slightly as if he was shivering. From his appearance, he obviously couldn¡¯t hold out much longer.


    View the correct content at fre.ewe(bn)ovel.c om


    Byparison, although Ling Chen seemed a bit short of breath, he was in a much better state than Song Yi, his eyes sharp and clear with no sign of defeat.


    Seeing this, Tong Nan¡¯s expression couldn¡¯t help but change.


    This guy... such strong Inner Strength! Just from this alone, his martial arts cultivation is definitely not weak. Has he been hiding his true capabilities all along?


    As these thoughts raced through his mind, a light shout came from the martial arts field: "Let go!"


    As the voice fell, a meaty palm fiercely struck out, hitting right in the middle of Ling Chen and Song Yi¡¯s interlocked hands. Disrupted by the blow, both Ling Chen and Song Yi immediately took several steps back, disengaging frombat.


    Ling Chen gasped for breath and looked at the person who had intervened: "Elder Zhou!"


    Zhou Qi nced at Ling Chen, then turned his gaze coldly towards Song Yi and reprimanded sharply: "Song Yi, you are a member of Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion. Is this how you treat a guest?"


    Song Yi tried to defend himself: "I..."


    "Enough!" Zhou Qi waved his hand impatiently: "I do not wish to hear your excuses. The Pavilion Master has ordered you to reflect on your actions. You are not to leave Yangxin Pavilion for three days. Do you hear me?"


    Seeing Zhou Qi invoking the Pavilion Master¡¯s name, Song Yi immediately wilted like an eggnt hit by frost.


    "Yes, I understand."


    "Elder Zhou, Song Yi was just exchanging pointers with Ling Chen, making friends through martial arts. There¡¯s no need for punishment, right?" Tong Nan suggested with a smile, hoping that Zhou Qi would be lenient and retract the punishment for Song Yi.


    Zhou Qi replied coolly: "These are the Pavilion Master¡¯s direct orders. I am merely the messenger. If you have any objections, you may take them up with the Pavilion Master." After a pause, Zhou Qi added: "Tong Nan, you¡¯re one of the senior disciples of Yangxin Pavilion. You had better think carefully before you act, so as not to cause trouble for the Pavilion Master."


    "Elder Zhou, rest assured, I know my limits." With that, Tong Nan turned to Ling Chen and cupped his hands: "Ling Chen, if there has been any discourtesy, I ask for your forgiveness."


    "You¡¯re taking it too seriously. As you said earlier, it ismon for those in the Martial Arts to spar and exchange pointers. If there is a chance, I would still like to ask for your guidance."


    Hearing this, a sharp cold light shed in Tong Nan¡¯s eyes as he replied with a smile: "I believe there will be an opportunity. Elder Zhou, since you¡¯re here, you go on with your work. I¡¯m going back to see my Master."


    Watching Tong Nan and Liang Zheng leave, Zhou Jun and Song Ge hurried to Ling Chen¡¯s side, asking with concern: "How are you, are you alright?"


    Ling Chen patted his chest and said with a smile: "What could be wrong with me? I¡¯m perfectly fine."


    fre(e)webnove.l.c.om


    "You... you are too bold. To actuallypete in Inner Strength with Song Yi, don¡¯t you know how dangerous that is?" Zhou Qi scolded, but despite the me, there was a hint of admiration in his voice. He was startled earlier when he saw Ling Chen and Song Yipeting in Inner Strength. Such a contest was no joke; the slightest carelessness could lead to a serious injury, and one might even lose all their martial power. That¡¯s why Su Mei had hurriedly called him to intervene.


    Ling Chen said sheepishly: "Elder Zhou, I¡¯ve caused you concern. I will be more cautious next time."


    Relieved to see Ling Chen unharmed, Zhou Jun and Song Ge suddenly became interested and asked eagerly: "We all thought you would lose, but you actually won against that boy Song Yi. How did you manage it?"


    "There¡¯s nothing to ask about. Inner Strengthparisons don¡¯t involve any trickery. It¡¯s entirely a test of one¡¯s own strength. Ling Chen¡¯s victory over Song Yi only proves that he is stronger."


    Upon hearing Zhou Qi¡¯s words, Ling Chen nodded, seemingly agreeing with him.


    In truth, he knew best. When it really came down to sheer strength, it was difficult for him to defeat Song Yi. The reason he won was entirely due to Su He¡¯s guidance.


    Although there were no tricks in an Inner Strength contest, if one mastered the art of ¡¯Control,¡¯ they could maximize the power of their Inner Strength. For instance, during the contest with Song Yi, thetter had been bluntly channeling his Inner Strength outward, trying to overpower him in one go.


    However, Ling Chen was very clever. Knowing that his Inner Strength was inferior to Song Yi¡¯s, he condensed his own Inner Strength to counteract his opponent. In doing so, not only did he enhance the power of his Inner Strength, but he also conserved what would otherwise be wastefully expended Inner Strength.


    That¡¯s why Song Yi¡¯s Inner Strength depleted too quickly and couldn¡¯tst as long as his.


    In essence, Song Yi didn¡¯t lose to him, but to his own pride.


    After leaving the martial arts arena, Ling Chen and the others followed Elder Zhou back to their room.


    Sitting on the bed and feeling a bit tired, Ling Chen rested for a while. After all, he had exhausted so much Inner Strength that he felt weakened.


    It wasn¡¯t until lunchtime that Ling Chen finally recuperated.


    ...


    Time flew by in the blink of an eye.


    Ling Chen had already been at Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion for three days.


    During these three days, Zhou Jun and Song Ge visited Ling Chen¡¯s room every day, sharing drinks, chatting, or strolling around, which was rather leisurely.


    However, when the night was deep and quiet, Ling Chen wasn¡¯t that leisurely anymore.


    Thesest few days, the contact from the God Organization had begun to inquire about the progress of the operation. If he did not make any progress soon, the safety of Xia Mutong and porridge girl would be difficult to ensure.


    Looking at the blue bottle in his hand, Ling Chen, resting his head on one hand, pondered some strategies.


    Lin Jiawei had said that as long as he poured the liquid from the blue bottle into the drinking water of Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, it would render everyone there powerless. Then, with an inside-outside coordinated attack, they could eliminate everyone from the Pavilion.


    But as easy as it sounds, it was extremely difficult to aplish.


    During his time with Zhou Jun, Ling Chen had gleaned quite a bit of information indirectly. The food and water of Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion were separate from Yangxin Pavilion. Moreover, the Pavilion was very strict about managing their kitchen, not allowing unrted or external personnel to enter the sensitive area.


    Ling Chen had originally wanted Zhou Jun to take him on a tour of the kitchen, but Zhou Jun had told him that not even he was qualified to enter the kitchen, let alone bring someone else.


    If it were Elder Zhou, then it might be possible, as he was the steward of Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, in charge of managing many affairs, including logistical work.


    What a problem!


    Ling Chen sighed helplessly, not knowing what to do.


    Lin Jiawei had only given him ten days, and one-third had already passed. If there was no progress, he could forget about ever seeing Xia Mutong and porridge girl again.

 Chapter 636 - 633: Snatching a Disciple (1)

    <h4>Chapter 636: Chapter 633: Snatching a Disciple (1)</h4>


    Headache!


    Ling Chen stared nkly at the ceiling, his face etched with a bitter smile.


    Caught between a rock and a hard ce, he didn¡¯t know what to do. He took out his phone and dialed Hu Fei¡¯s number.


    After a brief exchange, Ling Chen hung up the phone, disappointed. As he expected, there was still no trace of Xia Mutong. Despite Hu Fei¡¯s best efforts, the God Organization was too cunning; not a single clue could be found. Hu Fei was now like a headless fly, scurrying everywhere, gathering information.


    Lost in thought, Ling Chen felt sleep creeping up on him and unknowingly drifted off in bed.


    ...


    He woke up in a daze.


    Ling Chen rubbed his bleary eyes and yawned as he sat up in bed. Just as his feet touched the floor, he heard a series of ¡¯thump thump thump¡¯ knocks on the door.


    "Who is it?" Ling asked, muttering to himself, "Can¡¯t they let one be at peace so early in the morning?"


    "Ling, it¡¯s me, open up quickly."


    Hearing it was Song Ge¡¯s voice, Ling Chen immediately got up and opened the door. Looking at Song Ge standing outside, Ling Chen asked, "Song, what¡¯s the matter? Why the early visit?"


    Without a word, Song Ge grabbed Ling Chen¡¯s hand and pulled him outside, saying as they walked, "Come with me to Yangxin Pavilion quickly."


    "Yangxin Pavilion?"


    Ling Chen was suddenly taken aback and stopped in his tracks, asking curiously, "Song, why go to Yangxin Pavilion all of a sudden? Could it be..." Suddenly, a possibility crossed Ling Chen¡¯s mind, and he frowned, "Could it be that Song Yi¡¯s Master wants to seek revenge on me?"


    "Song Yi¡¯s Master is correct, but it¡¯s not for revenge. As for the specific reason, I¡¯m not too clear myself. All I know is, I¡¯ve just received amand to take you to Yangxin Pavilion immediately. Oh, and themand was delivered by someone sent by the Pavilion Master personally."


    Su Mei?


    Ling Chen let out a sigh of relief. Since the order came from Su Mei, it probably wouldn¡¯t be dangerous.


    Exiting the room, Ling Chen asked Song Ge, "Song, do you know why the Yangxin Pavilion wants to see me?"


    "How would I know that? The Pavilion Master sent someone early this morning to find me and bring you to Yangxin Pavilion; she didn¡¯t tell me the specifics. However, my guess is that it might have something to do with the martial arts sparring you had with Song Yi that day."


    Sparring... Ling Chen frowned to himself, feeling uneasy about the sudden summons from Yangxin Pavilion.


    While he pondered, they arrived at the towering structures behind the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion.


    Having passed through a long and narrow passage, the scenery before Ling Chen suddenly cleared, revealing a spacious Siheyuan, covering an area of over a thousand square meters. The courtyard was not only bright and airy but also nted with numerous trees, flowers, and nts that were lush and bursting with vitality.


    What surprised Ling Chen the most was that he saw many flowers that should only grow in other seasons, blooming despite it being early spring.


    "Song, is this Yangxin Pavilion?"


    View the correct content at fr\eewe.bn(o)v\el.c(o)m


    Song Ge nodded and said, "This is where the elders of Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion retire. However, only some of them live here."


    "And the others?"


    "There are also some powerful seniors who live in seclusion in the surrounding mountains and forests; they don¡¯t like to interact with people much, so they choose to live alone. Additionally, although those elders retire in Yangxin Pavilion, they don¡¯t stay there all the time. Most of them are roaming outside and only asionallye back for a visit."


    As the words fell, Song Ge pointed to a house not far away and said, "That¡¯s where Master Song Yi lives. Let¡¯s go in and pay our respects first."


    Under the guidance of Song Ge, Ling Chen followed in his footsteps and made his way directly to the front door.


    Knock, knock, knock!


    Apanied by a series of crisp knocking sounds, the door was opened from the inside. Ling Chen fixed his gaze and discovered that the one opening the door was none other than Song Yi, whom he had defeated the other day.


    Upon seeing Ling Chen, Song Yi¡¯splexion immediately turned a bit unsightly, and he stood at the door without moving.


    "Disciple, is it Ling Chen who hase? Don¡¯t just stand there; invite the guest in quickly."


    Someone inside spoke up, and Song Yi, not daring to dy any longer, quickly stepped aside and made a ¡¯please¡¯ gesture with his hand.


    Stepping into the room, Ling Chen¡¯s gaze was immediately drawn to an old man by the window. The elder was dressed in a light blue robe, extremely thin for the still-chilly early spring, but he seemed unaffected by the cold outside, hisplexion ruddy and spirited.


    As they approached, Song Ge bowed slightly, and with utmost respect, greeted, "Elder Huang."


    Ling Chen did not neglect to show his respect and followed with a bow. Song Ge had already informed him beforehand about the name of Song Yi¡¯s master.


    Huang Zheng. Although he appeared to be only in his sixties, he was actually over ny years old.


    After exchanging greetings, Huang Zheng¡¯s sharp gaze passed over Song Ge andnded on Ling Chen. After a thoughtful look, Huang Zheng slowly spoke, "You are Ling Chen?"


    Just as Ling Chen was about to respond, he felt a sudden fierce gust of wind assault him, pressing in on his face in an instant.


    Ling Chen was not the only one caught off guard by this abrupt development; even Song Ge and Song Yi beside him were not able to react in time. They only saw a blurred shadow sweep past, and then, Ling Chen¡¯s body moved from its original spot, retreating several steps until his back was pressed against the wall.


    Looking at the fist that had stopped in front of his face, Ling Chen secretly swallowed his saliva, a drop of cold sweat rolling down from his forehead.


    "Elder Huang... what is this..."


    The first to recover, Song Ge hurriedly ran over to Ling Chen¡¯s side and was about to plead, only to see Elder Huang suddenly lower his fist, saying, "You are quite strong, but you still fall short of defeating Song Yi."


    With that, Elder Huang turned back to his chair.


    Ling Chen wiped the sweat off his forehead and said to Elder Huang, "Elder Huang, I..."


    "There¡¯s no need to exin, I believe you didn¡¯t resort to any tricks. With Tong Nan watching from the sidelines, if you had used any tricks, he would have most certainly spotted them. Rest assured, I didn¡¯t summon you here for any other reason; I am simply interested in you and wanted to meet you."


    Hearing this, Ling Chen breathed a sigh of relief. He had thought that Elder Huang was looking for trouble with him, but it turned out to be a test of his strength.


    "Disciple, go and bring a few chairs over; don¡¯t keep the guests standing."


    "Yes."


    Song Yi obediently replied and quickly brought chairs over to Ling Chen and Song Ge.


    After both were seated, Elder Huang looked at Ling Chen and asked, "Who is your master?"


    "I don¡¯t have a master."


    "Oh?" Elder Huang said with interest, "So young and without a master, yet you have cultivated your martial arts to this realm; it seems you have good potential. Song Yi, did you hear that? Your potential is excellent, but potential is just a basic foundation and doesn¡¯t represent much; it doesn¡¯t mean you¡¯ll definitely be an expert in the future. Although your progress over the years has been good, there¡¯s still much room for improvement. The reason why you haven¡¯t fully tapped into your potential is that you¡¯re too confident in your own talent, causing you to becent."


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 637 - 634: Snatching Disciples (2)

    <h4>Chapter 637: Chapter 634: Snatching Disciples (2)</h4><h4></h4>


    After hearing his Master¡¯s teaching, Song Yi lowered his head with an expression of being taught, and said, "Master, rest assured, I will definitely bear in mind your instruction."


    "Alright, you may leave now, I want to chat with Ling Chen and the others."


    "Yes." Song Yi nodded, turned, and left the room.


    Once Song Yi had left, Huang Zheng looked at Ling Chen and said, "Song Yi is my disciple, normally there¡¯s nothing that can¡¯t be said in front of him. But his character is too proud, so I sent him away."


    "Elder Huang, what is it you wish to say?" Ling Chen asked curiously.


    "I would like to take you as my disciple, are you interested?"


    Ling Chen was immediately taken aback upon hearing this, not expecting Huang Zheng to make such a request. Song Ge¡¯s eyes lit up excitedly at Ling Chen¡¯s side. Though Elder Huang was not the most formidable figure in the Yangxin Pavilion, he was still a top expert on the Earthly List with very strong abilities. Bing his disciple was bound to be extremely beneficial.


    Seeing Ling Chen not responding, Huang Zheng asked, "Well, don¡¯t you wish to ept?"


    "That..." Ling Chen touched his nose, hesitating, "Elder Huang, it¡¯s an honor to be acknowledged by you, it¡¯s just... I currently have no intention of taking a master."


    Upon hearing this, Huang Zheng¡¯s face immediately darkened, and he frowned, "By the sound of it, are you looking down on me?"


    "No, no, no!" Ling Chen, afraid of a misunderstanding, quickly waved his hands, "I absolutely did not mean that. Elder Huang, being respected and held in high esteem in the Yangxin Pavilion, your willingness to take me as your disciple is an honor for me. But I genuinely don¡¯t have such thoughts right now. You might not be fully aware of my current situation. I have too many things to deal with and no time to stay at the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion. If you don¡¯t believe me, you can ask Song Ge; he knows my situation best."


    Although Song Ge did not understand why Ling Chen was refusing Huang Zheng, he still helped exin, "Elder Huang, Ling Chen indeed has a lot of things he is busy with. When Ling Chen became the top of the Neer List, he originally had the chance to join the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, but he refused because he was unable to leave other duties. The Pavilion Master is aware of this too and thus did notpel him. Otherwise, with how much the Pavilion Master values talented individuals, he wouldn¡¯t have easily let him go."


    Hearing both of their statements, Huang Zheng¡¯s temper settled down a bit, he nodded and said, "Well then, I won¡¯t press the matter. However, I could take you as a registered disciple for now, and when you have timeter on, you can stay at Yangxin Pavilion and receive my guidance. What do you say, is that too much to ask?"


    Ling Chen inwardly sighed with resignation. Not too much? It is indeed too much!


    He had already refused, yet the other party was not willing to let go. Could it be that Elder Huang truly values him that much?


    At that moment, not only did Ling Chen feel it was inappropriate, but so did Song Ge. What Elder Huang said was clearly putting someone in a difficult position.


    Just as Ling Chen was unsure how to reply, the door outside suddenly was pushed open violently. Following steady footsteps, a silver-haired elder appeared within Ling Chen¡¯s line of sight.


    Seeing the elder¡¯s arrival, Huang Zheng¡¯s old face changed, and he barked sharply, "Liang Tian, what are you doing here? Did I agree to let you in?"


    The elder named Liang Tian waved his hand dismissively and coldly said, "Huang, you old man are no good, we agreed to meet together, yet you secretly invited him alone, what¡¯s the meaning of this, are you trying to take all for yourself?"


    "What do you mean ¡¯take all for myself¡¯?" Huang Zheng stood up from his chair, raising his voice, "Liang Tian, this is my home, mind yournguage."


    "You don¡¯t respect our decision, yet you expect me to respect you? No way! Let me tell you, you already have a disciple, don¡¯t even think about Ling Chen."


    After saying that, Liang Tian turned his gaze toward Ling Chen, grabbed his arm, and started walking out.


    "Liang Tian, let go of me!"


    Elder Huang¡¯s voice turned icy as he strode forward, blocking the path of Liang Tian and Ling Chen.


    "Let go!"


    The fierce wind of the punch approached, and Liang Tian¡¯s gaze turned cold as he struck back with a palm, shing hard against Huang Zheng¡¯s steel fist.


    Bang!


    Apanied by a muffled sound, Huang Zheng and Liang Tian¡¯s bodies instantly split apart, each retreating five steps. Hit by the impact of both their internal energies, Ling Chen¡¯s body was sent flying uncontrobly, fortunately, Song Ge was behind him to prevent him from crashing into the wall.


    Seeing that Liang Tian and Huang Zheng were about to go at it, Ling Chen and Song Ge hurriedly stepped back, fearing the implications of their sh. After all, a fight between Earthly List experts is nothing like one between Dragon List masters. The slightest carelessness could result in them getting severely wounded by the stray Qi Force.


    "Stop, all of you!"


    Just then, a low and slightly enraged voice came from outside.


    Hearing that voice, Huang Zheng and Liang Tian, who were about to make their move, immediately stopped and turned their attention towards the door.


    Seeing Huang Zheng and the other man walk out, Ling Chen and Song Ge exchanged nces before quickly following their steps, simultaneously leaving the room.


    Outside, a person stood in the spacious courtyard, or more precisely, a young man.


    Ling Chen examined the youth, who seemed to be in his twenties, with handsome features, fair skin, and fine bangs draped over his forehead, exuding an air of elegance.


    However, what surprised Ling Chen the most was the change in Huang Zheng and Liang Tian¡¯s demeanor upon the youth¡¯s arrival; their eyes even held a trace of wariness when they looked at him.


    How strange!


    Huang Zheng and Liang Tian, as Earthly List masters, why would they be wary of a young man? Could he be an important figure from Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion? But he had been dealing with the Pavilion for so long and had never seen this person before.


    View the correct content at fr\eewe.bno vel.c(o)m


    "Song, who is he?" Ling Chen nudged Song Ge with his shoulder and asked.


    Song Ge shook his head in confusion and replied, "I don¡¯t know, I¡¯ve never seen him before."


    "Huang Zheng, Liang Tian, you¡¯re practically veterans of Yangxin Pavilion. Don¡¯t you even have this much self-control? If outsiders saw this, they¡¯d think the people in Yangxin Pavilion can¡¯t get along. I hope you take this as a warning and that there won¡¯t be a next time."


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    Huang Zheng nodded, showing no intention of arguing.


    Watching the youth turn to leave, Ling Chen felt incredibly surprised. What kind of background did this youth have to make Huang Zheng bow his head?


    Once the youth disappeared from sight, Huang Zheng and Liang Tian exchanged nces and each snorted lightly.


    "Ling Chen,e with me." Liang Tian waved at Ling Chen, signaling for him to follow.


    "Listen, Ling Chen, don¡¯t me me for warning you, but if you dare go with him, I won¡¯t be polite with you in the future," Huang Zheng added.


    "Don¡¯t be afraid of him, if he dares to touch you, I¡¯ll back you up."


    "You think you¡¯re capable of that?"


    As he listened to their back-and-forth, Ling Chen¡¯s face was filled with a bitter smile, unsure of what he should do.

 Chapter 638 - 635: Lin Jiawei’s Coercion

    <h4>Chapter 638: Chapter 635: Lin Jiawei¡¯s Coercion</h4>


    Just as Ling Chen was feeling conflicted, Zhou Qi suddenly walked over, politely performing a ceremonial gesture towards Huang Zheng and Liang Tian.


    "Zhou Qi, what are you doing here?" Huang Zheng asked with furrowed brows.


    "Apologies, gentlemen, the Pavilion Master urgently needs to see Mr. Ling. Whatever matters you have can be discussedter," Zhou Qi said and then turned to Ling Chen, "Mr. Ling, please follow me."


    Ling Chen had already wanted to leave, and now with Zhou Qi¡¯s help, he was no longer concerned with anything else. He quickly sped his hands towards Huang Zheng and Liang Tian, and then hurriedly followed Zhou Qi.


    After leaving Yangxin Pavilion, Ling Chen let out a breath and said, "Elder Zhou, thanks a lot just now. Oh, what did Miss Su want with me?"


    "It¡¯s nothing," Zhou Qi said with a smile. "The Pavilion Master knew what Huang Zheng and his group wanted with you. Since Huang Zheng is a veteran of Yangxin Pavilion, the Pavilion Master couldn¡¯t outright refuse him and had to show some respect. Moreover, she guessed you wouldn¡¯t easily agree to Huang Zheng¡¯s request, fearing you couldn¡¯t extricate yourself and thus sent me to help."


    "It¡¯s Miss Su who understands me," Ling Chen grinned and then asked, "Ah, Elder Zhou, there¡¯s something I¡¯ve been wondering. Why are they so eager to take me as a disciple? Am I really that popr?"


    "Of course, a martial arts student with outstanding talent is popr. But besides your talent, there seems to be another very important reason."


    "What¡¯s the reason?" Ling Chen pressed further.


    "I¡¯m not too sure about that," Zhou Qi shook his head. "That¡¯s something internal to Yangxin Pavilion. I don¡¯t know much about it; probably only the Pavilion Master is aware. If you¡¯re interested, you might want to ask her, though whether she¡¯ll tell you, I don¡¯t know."


    "Elder Zhou," Song Ge intervened. "We saw a young man in Yangxin Pavilion just now, both Huang Zheng and Liang Tian seemed wary of him. What is his story? I¡¯ve been with Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion for such a long time, yet I¡¯ve never seen him."


    "Youth? I don¡¯t know about that, no outsider other than the Pavilion Master usually meddling with Yangxin Pavilion affairs. Even with my significant role in Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, without the Pavilion Master¡¯s permission, I¡¯m not even qualified to step into Yangxin Pavilion casually. What I do know is that Yangxin Pavilion houses hidden dragons and crouching tigers, masters are numerous, many whom you might think inconspicuous might have been top masters ruling the martial world."


    "Okay! If there¡¯s nothing else, I¡¯m going to be busy," Zhou Qi finished and left.


    Following Zhou Qi¡¯s departure, Ling Chen and Song Ge didn¡¯t linger outside and headed straight back to their room.


    Yangxin Pavilion!


    Standing before the window, Ling Chen looked out at the martial arts training ground, his brows tightly furrowed. After today¡¯s experience in Yangxin Pavilion, the challenges he faced had grown even more difficult.


    Huang Zheng, Liang Tian, and that mysterious youth, all were masters among masters. Let alone poisoning, just sneaking into Yangxin Pavilion would likely result in being discovered very quickly. Thus, the mission given by Lin Jiawei proved near impossible toplete.


    Sigh! Thinking about the difficulties, Ling Chen couldn¡¯t help but let out a helpless sigh, his mind a mess.


    View the correct content at we.bnv\el.cm


    Just six more days, if Hu Fei doesn¡¯t have any leads by then, he dared not think of the consequences.


    Although both porridge girl and Xia Mutong were closely linked to him, the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion still had so many lives at stake. He couldn¡¯t just sacrifice so many lives for two, it wouldn¡¯t be worth it. More importantly, once Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion was destroyed, the God Organization would be unstoppable, without anyone to prevent them thereafter.


    During these days, Ling Chen had thought it through clearly. If when the deadline came and he still couldn¡¯t rescue porridge girl and Xia Mutong, then he would have no choice but to abandon them.


    Regrettably, although he was extremely unwilling, at this critical moment, he had to make the right decision.


    While pondering, the ringtone of Ling Chen¡¯s cell phone suddenly erupted.


    He took out his phone and nced at the caller ID showing an unfamiliar number, a sense of foreboding sinking in his heart. This call wasn¡¯t ordinary; it was a video call. As the ringtone continued incessantly, Ling Chen stretched his hand and pressed the answer button.


    Instantly, the phone screen disyed an image.


    "Mr. Ling."


    In the video, Lin Jiawei sat on a leather sofa, d in a bathrobe, holding a teacup in his hand, his face still wearing a serene smile.


    "Do you need something from me?"


    "I¡¯ve been informed by my subordinates, it¡¯s been four days and there¡¯s still no headway from your side. What, you¡¯ve changed your mind?"


    "No, I just haven¡¯t found the right moment yet. Rest assured, since I¡¯ve promised you, I won¡¯t go back on my word. There¡¯s still a six-day deadline, what¡¯s the rush?"


    "Of course I¡¯m anxious. After pondering, I thought of a good method to motivate you," Lin Jiawei said with a smile. However, Ling Chen detected a sense of unease from his smile.


    "What are you nning to do?" Ling Chen asked in a deep voice.


    "Just watch." As Lin Jiawei¡¯s words fell, the video screen immediately switched to another scene.


    Ling Chen was very familiar with the scene; it was theboratory where Xia Mutong had been trapped.


    At this moment, two security personnel were seen gripping Xia Mutong¡¯s arms, dragging her into theboratory, then securing her body to the iron bed with belts.


    Subsequently, several researchers in white coats entered, gathered around Xia Mutong, and began injecting her with drugs.


    Seeing this, Ling Chen¡¯s face turned ashen, and he shouted urgently, "Stop! You said you¡¯d give me ten days, you can¡¯t go back on your word."


    "Mr. Ling, it¡¯s not that I want to renege, but you¡¯ve been too passive. I think this will quicken your pace. The experiment has started, you better pray for your friend, that she survives. If not, I¡¯ll send her corpse to your doorstep for you to handle."


    After finishing, the video screen disappeared instantly, along with Lin Jiawei¡¯s voice.


    "Bastard!"


    Smack!


    Ling Chen cursed angrily, smashing the phone onto the ground, the fragile casing instantly shattering.


    Thump thump thump!


    Just as Ling Chen was enduring such torment, a knocking sounded from the door.


    "Who is it?" Ling Chen managed to control his raging emotions as he inquired.


    "It¡¯s me."


    "Miss Su?"


    Recognizing it was Su Mei¡¯s voice, Ling Chen quickly walked to the door and opened it.


    "Miss Su, what brings you here?"


    In just a few seconds, Ling Chen¡¯s expression had returned to calm, his lips curling into a faint smile, as if nothing had happened.


    free\we\bnov(e)(l)


    "Come in, have a seat," Ling Chen warmly weed Su Mei into the room.


    Upon entering, Su Mei walked over to the window, nced at the yet to be cleared shards of the cellphone on the floor, and then turned her gaze to Ling Chen, stating, "I know."

 Chapter 639 - 636: Coming Clean

    <h4>Chapter 639: Chapter 636: Coming Clean</h4>


    "Know?" Ling Chen was startled and asked, "What do you know?"


    Miss Su spoke deliberately, "The real purpose of your visit to Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion."


    Hearing this, Ling Chen¡¯s face changed slightly, and he said with a forced smile, "Miss Su, are you mistaken? What purpose could I have? I came purely to pay a visit and see friends, nothing more."


    "Really?" Su Mei shook her head gently and said, "I know you too well, as well as the matters around you. You¡¯ve stayed in the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion for four days without any sign of leaving, so I felt something was off. A busy person like you, how could you afford to waste time here? Besides, your woman is still in East Sea City; would you really be willing to leave her for so long? So, after much thought, I can only conclude that you must have a covert purpose foring to the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion."


    "To verify my guess, I deliberately sent people to investigate in East Sea City, and the results confirmed my spection." At this point, Su Mei looked deeply into Ling Chen¡¯s eyes and asked, "Am I wrong?"


    Ling Chen gave a wry smile. Since Su Mei had already investigated clearly, there was no point in hiding it any longer.


    "Indeed, I came to the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion with a purpose."


    Correct content is on


    "Speak, I¡¯m listening."


    Thereupon, Ling Chen detailed the threats he received from Lin Jiawei. By now, there was no need to keep secrets.


    Looking at the blue bottle handed over by Ling Chen, Su Mei raised her head and asked, "When were you nning to make your move?"


    "I had no intention of taking action. I¡¯ve thought it through these past two days; it¡¯s not worth sacrificing so many for just two lives. The reason I came to the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion was simply to buy time, allowing Hu Fei ample opportunity to find Xia Mutong, but s..."


    Thinking of the scene he had just witnessed, Ling Chen sighed and shook his head, "It¡¯s already toote."


    "Miss Su, this time it¡¯s my fault. However you choose to deal with me, I have noints."


    Su Mei replied indifferently, "Didn¡¯t you notice I came alone? If I really wanted to settle ounts with you, more than just myself would havee. Fine! Let¡¯s not discuss other matters for now. I understand your character and know you had no ill intentions, so I won¡¯t pursue this matter any further." She paused, then her tone shifted, "Now that Xia Mutong has been used as a test subject, there is still the porridge girl in Lin Jiawei¡¯s hands. You know her whereabouts; I will help you rescue her."


    "If only it were that easy. The one who took the porridge girl is Ji Gang, a master from the Heavenly List. You should be very familiar with him."


    "Him again?"


    Su Mei frowned slightly, a hint of difficulty surfacing on her delicate face.


    "Miss Su, with so many experts in Yangxin Pavilion, can¡¯t you ask a master from the Heavenly List to take on Ji Gang?"


    "It¡¯s not so simple," Su Mei said, "Do you think a master from the Heavenly List can be easily summoned? I¡¯ve told you before, unless the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion faces a life-or-death crisis, the people from Yangxin Pavilion will not just take action. The most important reason our ancestors set this rule was to prevent us from overly relying on the masters from Yangxin Pavilion, thereby neglecting our own cultivation. Besides, the master from the Heavenly List of Yangxin Pavilion is currently not avable and cannot be contacted. So, you have to rely on yourself for this matter; at most, I can assist you from the sidelines."


    "But..." Ling Chen started to speak but was interrupted by a ¡¯beeping¡¯ sounding from under the bed.


    Su Mei looked under the bed and asked, "What¡¯s that noise?"


    Without a word, Ling Chen walked to the side of the bed, bent down and took out the ck briefcase hidden underneath. Opening the lid, the ¡¯beeping¡¯ sound came from a wireless receiver.


    Ling Chen nced at Su Mei, then connected the headset to the external speaker. As themunication signal connected, Lin Jiawei¡¯s voice immediately came through the speaker, "Mr. Ling, I couldn¡¯t reach you by phone just now; I figured you must¡¯ve smashed it, so I switched to radiomunication. First off, I have good news for you: your friend is still alive. The experiment isn¡¯t exactly a sess, but it hasn¡¯t failed either. She remains useful to us, so her life is not in danger for now."


    "What do you want?"


    "Nothing much, just a reminder toplete your task quickly and not to disappoint me again. Also, regardless of any other ideas you may have, it¡¯s best to abandon them early. Your friend is under Elder Ji¡¯s watch 24/7, and no matter how many experts you call in for the rescue, Elder Ji can eliminate your friend in an instant. So, I advise you, don¡¯t do anything foolish."


    "Yangxin Pavilion has too many experts; I can¡¯t even get close."


    "That¡¯s your problem, find a way to deal with it. I believe, with your abilities, it shouldn¡¯t be a big issue. Alright, I¡¯ve said what I needed to say, hope you take it to heart."


    After that, the wireless receiver¡¯s signal immediately cut off.


    "What¡¯s your n?" Su Mei asked.


    Ling Chen shook his head, his mind full of Lin Jiawei¡¯s words. Xia Mutong not being dead was a small constion. However, it seemed that after the experiment, Xia Mutong might have be someone like Jiang Yunkai and Bai Huanjun.


    "Miss Su, the person from the God Organization responsible for contacting me must be near the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion. Can you help me find them?"


    "That¡¯s no problem, give me a day," Su Mei said and then turned to leave the room.


    Once Su Mei had left, Ling Chen reached into his pocket and took out a bottle containing blue liquid. This bottle was identical to the one he had just given to Su Mei.


    Sorry, Miss Su!


    Ling Chen thought to himself with a stern look, his eyes bing resolute.


    ...


    Night fell!


    Around one o¡¯clock in the morning, Ling Chen, who had been feigning sleep on the bed, opened his eyes, swiftly sat up, slung the prepared shoulder bag on his back, and quickly moved to the window.


    He opened the window, surveyed the outside, and jumped straight out,nding on the ground four meters below.


    Seeing no one around, Ling Chen kept low, blending into the shadows to avoid detection. It wasn¡¯t long before he arrived at the entrance to Yangxin Pavilion.


    Because he hade here with Song Ge during the day, Ling Chen remembered clearly that two Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion Disciples were guarding the entrance. If he wanted to sneak into Yangxin Pavilion, he had to get past them.


    Looking at the two Disciples, Ling Chen took out a simple small crossbow from his bag and loaded it with an anaesthetic dart.


    After preparing, Ling Chen picked up a stone from the ground and threw it toward the distance.


    Crack!


    A slight crisp sound immediately drew the attention of the two guards.


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 Chapter 640 - 637: Secretly Drugging

    <h4>Chapter 640: Chapter 637: Secretly Drugging</h4>


    "What was that sound?"


    "I don¡¯t know, I didn¡¯t see anyone pass by; maybe we heard wrong."


    "No, better to be careful. We shouldn¡¯t let anything go wrong. You know the Pavilion Master¡¯s temper; if something goes wrong, we¡¯ll both pay dearly."


    "Alright then, you go take a look, and I¡¯ll stay here."


    After the exchange, a Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion Disciple left his post and headed straight towards the source of the noise.


    Seeing the other party attracted, Ling Chen smiled in relief and quickly detoured from the side. The stone he had thrown was in a position neither too close nor too far, just right to avoid the line of sight of another guard.


    Taking advantage of the guard¡¯s inattention, Ling Chen suddenly sprang from behind, drew close swiftly, and knocked the man to the ground with a heavy hand-chop to the back of his neck. Instantly, a muffled grunt was heard, and the man immediately passed out unconscious.


    Ling Chen quickly dragged the man¡¯s body and moved him to a dark corner. Then, he pulled out a pre-loaded small crossbow and aimed it at the entrance¡¯s guard.


    Whoosh!


    The tranquilizer dart shot out and struck the guard¡¯s arm urately. These supplies were provided by Lin Jiawei; the tranquilizer developed by the God Organization was exceptionally effective. In less than a second, the guard copsed on the ground, without a chance to even make a sound.


    Having silently dealt with two guards, Ling Chen quietly sighed in relief, swiftly crossed the passage, and entered the Yangxin Pavilion.


    The night was thick, without stars or moon, with a cold mountain breeze howling through the midway, sweeping up countless broken grass and leaves, swirling in the air.


    Returning to the Yangxin Pavilion, Ling Chen covered his face with a prepared bandanna, then cautiously moved through the spacious courtyard, heading towards the rear.


    Generally, the kitchen would be built in an inconspicuous location. Ling Chen¡¯s mission was simple: find the Yangxin Pavilion¡¯s kitchen and dissolve the drug from the blue bottle into the drinking water.


    Once the people in Yangxin Pavilion consume the drugged water, no matter how powerful, they would have to surrender obediently.


    Since many masters resided within the Yangxin Pavilion, Ling Chen dared not be negligent, careful not to make even the slightest sound, treading as lightly as possible. In less than ten minutes, he finally figured out the location of the kitchen.


    The kitchen was unlocked, Ling Chen gently pushed open the door, peeked inside to make sure there was no one around and then stepped inside, leaving the door slightly ajar.


    He turned on the shlight he carried, surveyed the kitchen¡¯s surroundings¡ªit was very basic, still using the old firewood stove. A corner was piled with lots of firewood, and some pots and pans neatly arranged on the stove, while air-dried fish hung from the beams.


    Water... Ling Chen looked around, his gaze suddenly brightened, and he quickly walked to arge tank full of water.


    The water in the tank was clear, presumably the drinking water used in the kitchen for cooking. Without hesitation, Ling Chen immediately took out the blue bottle from his pocket and poured all the blue drug into the tank. Once mixed into the water, the blue drug quickly became colorless and tasteless, showing no signs of contamination.


    "Finally done!"


    After stowing the empty bottle, Ling Chen didn¡¯t linger and turned to walk outside. But, as he reached the door, ready to push it open, he suddenly heard snoringing from above.


    The unexpected noise instantly changed Ling Chen¡¯s expression as he looked up. Immediately, he saw a vague figure lying on the beam. The figure had been obscured by the beam before, which was why he hadn¡¯t noticed it.


    Not making noise earlier norter but precisely at this moment, Ling Chen found it hard to believe it was a coincidence.


    Under his gaze, the person on the beam suddenly stretched, yawned, and sat up. Watching the other¡¯s actions, Ling Chen showed no intention of fleeing, but stood still on the spot. This is Yangxin Pavilion, a ce full of experts, and heaven knows how formidable the person on the beam is. Under the current circumstances, it is best to respond to changes by remaining unchanged.


    In his thoughts, the person on the beam reached for a wine gourd at his waist, pulled out the stopper, and began pouring it into his mouth. After gulping down several mouthfuls, the person contentedly put the wine gourd down.


    "Young brother, would you like to have a drink?"


    Hearing the person address him, Ling Chen casually replied, "No, thanks!"


    As his words fell, the person on the beam flipped over and directlynded on the ground. As he approached, Ling Chen finally got a clear view of the other¡¯s face.


    Sleazy!


    If one had to summarize the other¡¯s appearance and demeanor in one word, it would only be sleazy.


    "Who are you?" asked Ling Chen.


    "Young brother, I should be the one asking you that. Why aren¡¯t you sleeping at home in the middle of the night, and running to the kitchen instead? Are you hungry and came looking for food? Eh! Your features look unfamiliar; you must not be from Yangxin Pavilion."


    "No."


    "Not from Yangxin Pavilion, yet daring toe here, don¡¯t you know the rules of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion? What you are doing could lead to questioning. Young brother, you look young; you should avoid taking the wrong path and try to follow the right one."


    "I walk my path as I wish, I don¡¯t need your guidance. If there¡¯s nothing else, I will be leaving." After saying that, Ling Chen took a few steps back, then turned and ran towards the outside of the kitchen.


    After escaping more than twenty meters and seeing no footsteps following him, Ling Chen slightly rxed.


    "Young brother, since we are so fated, why not stay and have a drink with me to pass the tedious time."


    At this moment, the old man¡¯s voice came again, startling Ling Chen. He was horrified to find that the old man had somehow gotten in front of him, holding the wine gourd and smiling at him.


    "Old man, I¡¯m not really interested in drinking, please find someone else."


    With those words, Ling Chen quickened his pace, trying to bypass the man.


    Hearing this, the old man just chuckled to himself, took another drink, seemingly not noticing Ling Chen passing by.


    Seeing that the exit of Yangxin Pavilion was getting closer, Ling Chen immediately sped up, rushing past and returning to the entrance he previously came through.


    I finally shook him off!


    Ling Chen thought to himself. However, just as this thought appeared, he heard a familiarughter near his ears. Turning his head, he saw the old man with the wine gourd leaning against the wall, grinning wickedly.


    Seeing this, Ling Chen furrowed his brows.


    The old man, who could surpass him silently, definitely should not be underestimated in strength, and was probably not much less formidable than Huang Zheng and the others. He was just unlucky to encounter such a person in the kitchen.


    "Old man, what exactly do you want?"


    Since he couldn¡¯t escape, Ling Chen resigned himself and looked at the other man, asking squarely.


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 Chapter 641 - 638 Action Exposed

    <h4>Chapter 641: Chapter 638 Action Exposed</h4>


    "Little brother, I should be the one asking you this. Sneaking into Yangxin Pavilion in the dead of night and poisoning the drinking water in the kitchen¡ªwhat exactly are you trying to do?"


    The counter question left Ling Chen speechless, unsure of how to respond.


    Since he had been caught red-handed, there was no use in trying to escape. With this thought, Ling Chen gritted his teeth and decided to make a move, leaping towards the elderly man. As he drew near, Ling Chen clenched his steel fist, ready to strike.


    However, just as their bodies were about to collide, Ling Chen suddenly changed his tactic. His fist abruptly opened, scattering a handful of white powder straight towards the old man¡¯s face. At such a close distance, there was no way the old man could evade it.


    Seeing this, the corners of Ling Chen¡¯s mouth lifted slightly, with a sly smile. The white powder had a potent sedative effect; just a small whiff was enough to knock out an elephant for over ten hours. Surely, no person could withstand its power.


    Yet, Ling Chen had underestimated the old man¡¯s abilities. Faced with the oing white powder, the old man showed no intention of dodging; instead, he gently blew a breath of air in front of him. In an instant, the white powder that was supposed to hit the old man changed its course, flying back towards Ling Chen.


    Caught off guard, Ling Chen was engulfed by the white powder in a sh. Before he could react, he had already inhaled a small amount of the powder.


    Instantly, a heavy drowsiness overwhelmed him. Ling Chen didn¡¯t manage to speak a word before he passed out.


    ...


    It was unclear how much time had passed when a groggy Ling Chen finally woke from his slumber.


    He rubbed his throbbing forehead, sat up from the damp ground, and looked around with a bitter smile on his face.


    It was the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion¡¯s prison.


    He had been here once before, to see Zhu Hong, but had never imagined that one day he would be the one locked up.


    "Ling Chen, bet you didn¡¯t see thising. Humph!"


    At that moment, a cold snort sounded. Turning his head, Ling Chen saw that across from his cell was the one holding Zhu Hong. Having not seen him for a long time, the once handsome and devil-may-care Zhu Hong now looked like a beggar, disheveled with dirt all over his face, barely recognizablepared to before.


    Unfazed by Zhu Hong¡¯s mockery, Ling Chen responded carelessly, "Everyone has their down times. Don¡¯t worry, it won¡¯t be long before I leave. As for you... Don¡¯t even dream of seeing the sunlight outside ever again."


    "No!" Zhu Hong clutched the iron bars, his face twisted ferociously as he yelled at Ling Chen, "You just wait, I will get out of this damned ce one day, and when I do, I swear I¡¯ll kill you myself. I won¡¯t spare a single person rted to you."


    "Are you even willing to not spare Wanqing?"


    "Wanqing... Wanqing..." Hearing Ling Chen mention Nanrong Wanqing, Zhu Hong¡¯s face instantly went nk. But itsted only for a moment before his eyes were again filled with deep hatred.


    "If it weren¡¯t for you, Wanqing would have been with me by now."


    "Give me a break! Even without me, Wanqing wouldn¡¯t choose you."


    "Shut up!" Zhu Hong shouted in anger: "You have no right to judge me."


    "I say, have you had enough of arguing? Can you keep it down and not disturb the other prisoners?"


    The voice rang out, and Ling Chen immediately turned his gaze towards the entrance of the cell. He saw Zhou Jun and Song Ge walking in side by side.


    When they reached the cells, Ling Chen touched his nose and said with a face full of apology, "I¡¯m sorry!"


    "That¡¯s enough, don¡¯t apologize to us." Zhou Jun waved his hand and said, "I believe in your character and that you wouldn¡¯t do such a thing without reason. Since you¡¯ve decided to do it, there must be your own difficulties."


    Hearing this, Ling Chen curiously asked, "Do you know what I did?"


    Song Ge continued, "Last night, you sneaked into Yangxin Pavilion, and secretly poisoned the kitchen there. The news has spread; there are hardly a few in Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion who don¡¯t know."


    With that, Song Ge handed a food container to Ling Chen, "You¡¯ve been unconscious so long, you must be starving. Eat something quickly to fill your stomach, you¡¯ll have a tough timeter."


    Ling Chen took out a bowl of white rice from the food container and devoured it with a few dishes of appetizers. It had been hours since he had eaten anything, and the white powder had made him extremely hungry.


    Having finished the bowl of rice, Ling Chen looked up at Song Ge and Zhou Jun and asked, "How are they nning to deal with me?"


    Zhou Jun shrugged and said, "How would we know, but the Pavilion Master will probably interrogate youter. You better prepare in advance and think about how to respond. Although you and the Pavilion Master are friends, you are suspected of plotting against the people of Yangxin Pavilion this time, the crime is too serious. Even if the Pavilion Master wants to protect you, she must consider Yangxin Pavilion. After all, as Pavilion Master, her primary concern is how tomand respect."


    Ling Chen nodded and said, "I understand. Zhou Jun, have you asked Elder Zhou whether he has revealed any news to you?"


    "No, my old man is tight-lipped. I specifically went to ask him when I came, but I didn¡¯t get any news. However, I heard him say that the Pavilion Master is very angry because of this affair."


    It was to be expected; after all, he had deceived her.


    After the meal, not long after Song Ge and Zhou Jun left, several Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion Disciples led by Zhou Qi came to the cell and took Ling Chen out.


    On the way, Zhou Qi kept a stern face and didn¡¯t say a word, which gave Ling Chen a bad premonition.


    Soon, the group arrived at a spacious room. As soon as he entered, Ling Chen saw that the room was filled with people. In addition to Su Mei, Huang Zheng and Liang Tian from Yangxin Pavilion, as well as Song Yi and Liang Zheng, were all there, each one staring coldly at Ling Chen.


    Standing in the center of everyone, Ling Chen sped his fists and bowed to everyone.


    Huh?


    At that moment, Ling Chen suddenly noticed that the old man who had caught himst night was not there.


    "Ling Chen, do you admit your guilt?" Su Mei spoke sharply, ring at Ling Chen.


    "I stand by my actions; there¡¯s nothing more to say."


    "You..." Su Mei¡¯s brows furrowed deep, filled with ire. This guy, he won¡¯t even defend himself, at least giving her a reason to mitigate his sentence.


    "Speak, why did you do this?" Huang Zheng asked coldly.


    Ling Chen replied indifferently, "I have already told Miss Su the reason, and she must have mentioned it to you; there¡¯s no need to ask again."


    Huang Zheng snorted, "Ling Chen, mind your attitude. Since the Pavilion Master has agreed to help you, why did you still resort to poisoning in secret? You im to be a friend of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, but do your actions honor the word ¡¯friend¡¯?"


    "Elder Huang, don¡¯t waste your breath. I¡¯ve said everything I have to say, and here I am. Whatever you decide to do with me, I won¡¯tin," Ling Chen stated resolutely.


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 Chapter 642 - 639: Caning Punishment

    <h4>Chapter 642: Chapter 639: Caning Punishment</h4>


    "Hmph!" Huang Zheng sneered and said, "Ling Chen, don¡¯t think that just because you saved the Pavilion Master you can avoid punishment. Let me tell you, Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion has always been clear about rewards and punishments. Your actions have already vited the major taboos of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion. Not killing you would hardly quell the anger of the Pavilion."


    "Kill me?" Ling Chen was taken aback and looked towards Huang Zheng with a hint of sternness in his eyes. He hadn¡¯t offended him, so why target him? Could it be because he refused his request to be his disciple yesterday? If so, Huang Zheng is certainly narrow-minded.


    "Huang Zheng, stop always shouting about fighting and killing. The Pavilion Master hasn¡¯t even spoken, what are you rushing for?" Liang Tian spoke unhurriedly: "Although Ling Chen is at fault, he was also pushed to the brink. If anyone else were in his situation, I believe they would find it hard to make a choice."


    Hearing this, Su Mei asked, "So, what does Elder Liang suggest we do with Ling Chen?"


    "Mercy beyond thew. Ling Chen¡¯s mistake isn¡¯t a major one. Haven¡¯t you all checked? The poison he used isn¡¯t lethal. It¡¯s evident that he didn¡¯t intend to harm us, and considering his reasons, I think lenient treatment is possible."


    Huang Zheng frowned and said, "Liang Tian, just letting him off like this, isn¡¯t it too frivolous? Don¡¯t think I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re scheming, I¡¯m telling you, don¡¯t even think about it!"


    "Old Huang, you¡¯re at this age, yet so petty, just because Ling Chen refused you. Over such a trivial matter, you actually hold a grudge and seek to put him to death, you¡¯ve lived all these years in vain," Liang Tian unhesitatingly fired back.


    "Enough, Liang Tian, stop making excuses for him. Don¡¯t forget, you¡¯re also from Yangxin Pavilion, since when did Yangxin Pavilion¡¯s people start speaking for outsiders?"


    "I¡¯m just speaking based on the facts, stop being unreasonable."


    As their argument grew louder, Su Mei began to speak with a headache, "Both of you, please say less."


    Seeing the Pavilion Master had spoken, Huang Zheng and Liang Tian both obediently shut their mouths.


    "Ling Chen, I consider you a friend, but what you did has disappointed me. Considering you¡¯ve once helped Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, I won¡¯t make things difficult for you. Fiftyshings and expel from Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, don¡¯te back here again, you¡¯re not wee."


    Upon hearing Su Mei¡¯s judgment, Liang Tian was visibly disappointed. He shook his head with a sigh and then stood up and left.


    Watching Liang Tian¡¯s departing figure, Huang Zheng¡¯s mouth curled into a smirk of triumph, saying, "Pavilion Master, do you want Song Yi to help you execute?"


    "No need to trouble Elder Huang, let Zhou Jun and Song Ge handle this matter."


    "How could that be?" Song Yi interjected. "Zhou Jun and Song Ge are friends of Ling Chen. What if they go easy on him?"


    Su Mei swept a nce at Song Yi, clearly displeased. She had appointed Zhou Jun to carry out the punishment hoping that Ling Chen would suffer less pain, anyone smart should understand her intentions and give her some respect. But the disciples of Huang Zheng were being deliberately contrary, which naturally upset her.


    "In that case... Zhou Qi, just pick someone to execute the punishment." As she spoke, and seeing Song Yi about to protest again, Su Mei immediately said, "Take Ling Chen to the martial training ground for the punishment, if anyone is concerned, they can go and see." After speaking, without waiting for Huang Zheng and Song Yi to say anything else, Su Mei had already gotten up and left.


    "Ling Chen, let¡¯s go!"


    Under Zhou Qi¡¯s escort, Ling Chen was taken to the martial training ground by several Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion Disciples.


    At this time, the training ground was crowded with many people busy practicing martial arts. Seeing Ling Chen being escorted over, they were instantly drawn over, whispering to each other, their gazes towards Ling Chen filled with peculiar expressions.


    "Kneel down!" a Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion Disciple barked, and pushed Ling Chen, signaling him to immediately kneel on the ground.


    Ling Chen frowned, turned his head to look at the disciple, his gaze sharp and chilling.


    "You..." sensing the chill in Ling Chen¡¯s eyes, the words of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion Disciple were immediately swallowed back, not daring to scold any further.


    "Enough!" Zhou Qi waved his hand and said, "Don¡¯t make it hard for him, he¡¯s not from the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, there¡¯s no need to adhere to so many rules, just let him stand."


    As he finished speaking, Zhou Qi extended a hand and pointed into the crowd, saying, "You,e out."


    Although puzzled, the man dutifully walked up to Zhou Qi and respectfully asked, "Elder Zhou, what are your instructions?"


    Zhou Qi casually threw a wooden staff as thick as an arm into the man¡¯s hands, then pointed at Ling Chen¡¯s back and said, "You will carry out the flogging."


    "Yes."


    Without another word, the man took themand, immediately went behind Ling Chen, and swung the wooden staff up high, whipping it fiercely down on Ling Chen¡¯s back.


    Thwack!


    With a muffled thud, Ling Chen¡¯s body slightly shuddered, and his fists clenched involuntarily.


    Thwack! Thwack! Thwack!


    After several blows, the veins on Ling Chen¡¯s forehead were exposed and his entire face twisted in agony and ferocity, his legs beginning to tremble uncontrobly.


    Watching Ling Chen¡¯s agonized expression, Zhou Jun and Song Ge felt pity and turned their heads away, unable to continue watching.


    Su Mei had sentenced Ling Chen to fiftyshes; now, not even ten had passed and the pain was already unbearable. If all fiftyshes werepleted, even if Ling Chen survived, severe injuries were inevitable.


    "Hmph!" In the crowd, Huang Zheng coldly smiled and said while watching the punished Ling Chen, "I kindly wanted to take you as my disciple, but s... you bring it upon yourself. Disciple, keep a close watch, I¡¯m heading back now."


    "Yes, Master," Song Yi nodded, respectfully seeing Huang Zheng off.


    Thwack...!


    In the blink of an eye, half of the flogging was done. Ling Chen gritted his teeth, forcing himself not to cry out in pain. Nevertheless, blood still trickled from the corner of his mouth, dripping drop by drop onto the ground.


    At this moment, Ling Chen felt as if his back was almost numb, the pain unbearable, his legs nearly unable to support his body any longer. If he wasn¡¯t holding his breath, he would have already copsed.


    So cruel!


    Ling Chen cursed inwardly, not knowing where Zhou Qi found such a person who exerted that much strength in his blows. After this beating, he feared half his life might be gone.


    On the eastern side of the practice field, Su Mei stood quietly by the window, watching Ling Chen being punished, her delicate teeth biting lightly, and her eyes filled with concern.


    Sigh!


    With a soft sigh, Su Mei withdrew her gaze and closed the window gently.


    Pfft!


    When the flogging reached its end, Ling Chen¡¯s body could no longer bear it, a mouthful of fresh blood spurted out, and his entire body fell limp to the ground, motionless as if dead.


    Seeing this, Zhou Jun and Song Ge were greatly rmed and rushed over, calling out Ling Chen¡¯s name loudly.

 Chapter 643 - 640: Desiring to Impute Guilt

    <h4>Chapter 643: Chapter 640: Desiring to Impute Guilt</h4>


    "Ling Chen."


    Zhou Jun called out as he and Song Ge helped Ling Chen to his feet. Looking at Ling Chen, who was spitting blood and pale as a sheet, Zhou Jun turned his head back and red fiercely at the executioner, saying sternly, "He¡¯s on hisst legs. I need to take him for treatment."


    "The punishment isn¡¯t over; how can it just end like this?" Song Yi spoke up from the crowd.


    Zhou Jun snorted coldly: "If we continue, he¡¯ll nearly be beaten to death." As he spoke, Zhou Jun looked at his grandfather, calling out in dissatisfaction, "Old man, do you really want to kill him?"


    Zhou Qi waved his hand and said, "Take him away."


    Hearing this, Song Ge quickly lifted Ling Chen and hurried toward the room.


    With the punishment over, the onlookers on the training ground also gradually dispersed. Song Yi shook his head and returned alone to the Yangxin Pavilion to report the situation to Huang Zheng.


    ...


    "It hurts... it hurts, gently, gently..."


    Come nightfall, Ling Cheny sprawled on the bed, crying out as if possessed, his handsome face contorted with pain.


    Beside the bed, Zhou Jun and Song Ge held disinfectant alcohol, gently wiping the wounds on Ling Chen¡¯s back, then applying ointment and wrapping them with bandages.


    Although the fifty strokes were notpleted, the forty-odd strokes had left Ling Chen in very bad shape. His back was a mass of scars, and the bedsheet was stained red with blood ¨C an unbearable sight.


    "Bear with it," Zhou Jun said.


    "Dammit! It¡¯s not you feeling the pain, you¡¯re speaking too lightly," Ling Chen retorted in dissatisfaction.


    "Who can you me other than yourself? You went looking for trouble, so you deserve to be hurt."


    Ling Chen turned his head back and asked Zhou Jun and Song Ge, "Didn¡¯t Miss Su order to kick me out of Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion? Why am I still here?"


    Song Ge replied, "You were injured like this, if we didn¡¯t bring you back, you would have died out there already. Besides, the Pavilion Master was just talking; do you really think she would be so heartless as to throw you out into the forests alone?"


    Ling Chen grinned, "I knew it. You guys really are friends."


    After bandaging the wound, Zhou Jun put down the alcohol cotton and said seriously, "Ling Chen, don¡¯t me us for speaking out, but what you did this time was indeed wrong. Even the people of Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion wouldn¡¯t dare to intrude into Yangxin Pavilion like you did. The Pavilion Master has already shown you a great deal of face by sparing your life."


    "I know."


    As they were speaking, the door to the room was suddenly kicked open. Immediately afterward, Zhou Qi burst in furiously with several people.


    Seeing Zhou Qi¡¯s murderous expression, Ling Chen and the others were taken aback, not knowing what had happened.


    "Old man, what¡¯s going on?" Zhou Jun stepped forward quickly, wanting to find out what the trouble was.


    "Get out of the way!" Zhou Qi pushed Zhou Jun aside without any sympathy, walking straight to the bedside and ring angrily at Ling Chen whoy on the bed, demanding in a deep voice, "Ling Chen, confess honestly! Where did you hide that item?"


    "Item?" Ling Chen asked, puzzled. "What item?"


    Zhou Qi said coldly, "You¡¯re still trying to y dumb with me? You should know best what that thing is. That item has always been kept in Yangxin Pavilion; it was there just yesterday, but today it¡¯s gone. Besides you, the outsider, no one else has entered Yangxin Pavilion. Tell me, if not you, then who could it be?"


    "This..." Ling Chen was at a loss for words. Although he had sneaked into Yangxin Pavilionst night, he did nothing but poison the food in the kitchen; he didn¡¯t go anywhere else, let alone knew what thing Zhou Qi was referring to.


    However, seeing how anxious Zhou Qi looked, that thing must be very important. Otherwise, it wouldn¡¯t have been stored in Yangxin Pavilion, guarded by so many experts.


    "Ling Chen, I¡¯ll ask you onest time¡ªwill you hand it over or not?" Zhou Qi demanded sternly.


    With a bitter smile, Ling Chen said, "Elder Zhou, I really didn¡¯t lie to you. I don¡¯t even know what that thing you mentioned is. What¡¯s more, after I was capturedst night, I was locked up in a cell, and sinceing out, I¡¯ve always been surrounded by people. If that thing were on me, you would have found and taken it by now."


    "Enough!" Zhou Qi waved his hand in impatience, "Quit making excuses. Since you refuse to hand it over, don¡¯t me me for whates next. Guards, lock him up."


    "Elder..."


    Seeing several Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion Disciples forcibly dragging the injured Ling Chen off the bed, Zhou Jun couldn¡¯t help but be anxious, opening his mouth to plead with Zhou Qi. But before he could finish, Zhou Qi swept a sharp nce over him, instantly causing Zhou Jun to swallow his words.


    "Zhou Jun, you two listen to me, this is not a trivial matter. From now on, without my permission, you are not allowed to see Ling Chen. Take him away!"


    As Ling Chen was dragged out of the room, Zhou Jun and Song Ge stood by helplessly,pletely at a loss. They had thought everything was over, but who could have expected such a turn of events? Although they didn¡¯t understand what Ling Chen had taken from Yangxin Pavilion, from Zhou Qi¡¯s expression, it was evident that the matter was much more serious than just trespassing into Yangxin Pavilion.


    After a moment¡¯s hesitation, Zhou Jun and Song Ge finally gave up any thoughts of helping. With Zhou Qi in a fury, it was wiser not to provoke him any further.


    And so, Ling Chen, who had just had his wounds bandaged, was once again thrown into the cell.


    Due to his injuries, Ling Cheny on the bed, immobilized. He wanted to rest, but Zhou Qi did not give him the chance; several guards stationed themselves in the cell, interrogating him non-stop about the whereabouts of the item.


    With no other choice, Ling Chen let out a wry smile and simply closed his eyes, ignoring whatever they were saying as if he hadn¡¯t heard it at all.


    After over ten hours of interrogation, not only was Ling Chen exhausted, but Zhou Qi and the others were tired as well. Eventually, they left a few men to watch over Ling Chen and the rest went to rest.


    "Ling Chen, what exactly did you do to bring such anger from heaven and resentment from people?"


    Zhu Hong¡¯s mocking voice came from the opposite cell, carrying a schadenfreude chuckle.


    Ling Chen nced at Zhu Hong and couldn¡¯t be bothered to even acknowledge him, simplyying down on the bed and falling asleep.


    For two consecutive days, except for eating and less than three to four hours of sleep each day, Ling Chen spent almost all his time facing a barrage of interrogations.


    During this time, Zhou Jun and Song Ge never showed up.


    Finally, after two days of interrogation, Zhou Qi seemed to have tired as well and began to relent in his pressing of Ling Chen. Weighed down by the exhaustion of the past days,bined with his own injuries, it didn¡¯t take long for Ling Chen to fall into a deep sleep.


    ...


    "Ling Chen, Ling Chen... wake up!"


    After an indeterminate amount of time, upon hearing the familiar voice in his ears, Ling Chen drowsily opened his eyes and instantly became alert, quickly sitting up on the bed at the sight of Zhou Jun and Song Ge standing outside the cell.


    However, his sudden movement was too intense and aggravated his wounds, causing him pain and making him grimace.


    "You should stay lying down," said Song Ge concernedly. "Your injuries haven¡¯t healed; don¡¯t get up."

 Chapter 644 - 641: Lure the Snake out of the Hole (1)

    <h4>Chapter 644: Chapter 641: Lure the Snake out of the Hole (1)</h4>


    "No problem." Despite saying this, Ling Chen still obedientlyy on the bed and asked Zhou Jun and hispanion, "How did you guys get here? Didn¡¯t Elder Zhou restrict you from visiting me?"


    Zhou Jun opened the prison door and followed Song Ge inside, saying, "It¡¯s already been two days. Song Ge and I have begged many times, but the old man tly refused us. Today, I got the idea to say that your wound needed changing, so he finally let use to see you. Hey, don¡¯t move, let Song Ge check your injury."


    Ling Chen nodded. Resting his head on his hands, he asked, "How has Miss Su reacted?"


    "I¡¯m not sure. I haven¡¯t seen the Pavilion Master in a few days; everyone has been busy searching for something."


    Hearing this, Ling Chen asked with a puzzled expression, "Searching for something?"


    "Yes. They suspect you stole something very important from the Yangxin Pavilion, but you had nothing on you and never left the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion. So, the Pavilion Master and others specte you must have hidden it somewhere. Thesest two days, every corner of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion has been searched, but nothing has been found. Well, just between us, can you tell me where you hid it?"


    Ling Chen replied helplessly, "Asking me is no use, I truly don¡¯t know. Besides, do I look like the type who would do something and not admit it? Hey, tell me, what exactly did the Yangxin Pavilion lose?"


    Song Ge and Zhou Jun looked at each other and both shook their heads, saying, "We don¡¯t know. It must be very important to the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion. I¡¯ve tried to indirectly ask Elder Zhou, although he never said directly, from his few words, I suspect it¡¯s an old artifact from the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, possibly hundreds of years old. There¡¯s been a lot of rumors these days about it. Some say it¡¯s rted to the survival of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, but that seems exaggerated; there aren¡¯t many reliable sources."


    After thinking for a while, Ling Chen said, "Could you two do me a favor and tell Miss Su that I really didn¡¯t steal anything from the Yangxin Pavilion, it must have been someone else who framed me?"


    "That... Alright, I¡¯ll pass the message, but whether the Pavilion Master believes it or not is up to her; I can¡¯t guarantee anything," Zhou Jun replied.


    Night fell.


    The gloomy cell was silent, all the prisoners were in deep sleep.


    Bang!


    Suddenly, a light noise echoed. Alert, Ling Chen immediately looked up towards the entrance of the prison cell. Instantly, he saw two guards at the entrance copse to the ground without making a sound.


    Looking at the blood holes remaining on the necks of the two guards, Ling Chen¡¯s brow furrowed immediately.


    Such ruthless tactics, they didn¡¯t leave anyone alive!


    In his thoughts, several dark figures quickly rushed in from outside, heading straight for Ling Chen¡¯s cell.


    ng!


    Apanied by a crisp sound and sparks flying, the lock of the cell was instantly chopped open. Immediately after, those figures walked into the cell in a few strides, lifting Ling Chen from the bed.


    "What are you doing?"


    Ling Chen struggled fiercely, but his severe back wound made him too weak to resist. Soon, he was easily subdued by those men.


    Taking this opportunity, Ling Chen observed these people; their faces were unfamiliar, he had never seen them before.


    "Mr. Ling, I want to ask you about something, and I hope you will tell me the truth," a man asked.


    Ling Chen calmly responded, "What is it?"


    "Where is the item you stole from the Yangxin Pavilion? Tell me the location. As long as I find that item, I will immediately take you away from here."


    "So, it¡¯s about that item."


    "Who are you?"


    At this time, prisoners incarcerated in other cells had been awoken by the noise, each of them pleading, "Friend, please, let us go."


    Frowning, the man nced at them and said coldly, "So noisy. Kill them all, leave no survivors, lest they expose our identitiester."


    "Yes!"


    Two subordinates responded, casually pulling out two daggers and throwing them fiercely.


    Apanied by two screams, the neighboring cell¡¯s prisoners were instantly killed on the spot.


    Seeing a man with a dagger approaching, Zhu Hong¡¯s face changed drastically, and he hastily backed away, leaning against the wall and begging bitterly, "Don¡¯t, don¡¯t kill me, please... I... I¡¯m from the God Organization, I¡¯ll pay whatever it takes just to get out."


    Hearing the words ¡¯God Organization¡¯, the man¡¯s movements slowed, and he looked at Zhu Hong skeptically, "You are from the God Organization?"


    "Yes, yes," Zhu Hong hurriedly responded, "please don¡¯t kill me."


    "Boss, this kid says he¡¯s from the God Organization, should we..."


    Hearing his subordinate¡¯s report, the man pondered for a few seconds and said, "Let him go. Let him fend for himself. At least we would have helped him. Whether he can escape or not is up to his own fate."


    Having said that, the man turned to Ling Chen and pressed, "Mr. Ling, we don¡¯t have much time, you¡¯d better answer my question quickly."


    "I..."


    Ling Chen was about to speak, but before he could, he heard a rush of footsteps suddenlying from the entrance of the cell.


    "Boss, it¡¯s bad, Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion¡¯s people areing!"


    "Take the people and leave."


    As he spoke, the man, regardless of the injuries on Ling Chen¡¯s body, grabbed his arm and rushed towards the exit.


    However, after taking only a few steps, the man suddenly felt a surge of strength in Ling Chen¡¯s arm, making him unable to pull. Surprised, the man turned around and saw Ling Chen¡¯s mouth slightly curved up, carrying a faint mocking smile.


    "What are you..."


    A sense of foreboding sank in the man¡¯s heart instantly.


    "After so much effort and waiting for so long, I finally lured you out," Ling Chen said with a proud smile.


    In the midst of his speaking, Zhou Qi had already led people rushing into the cell from outside.


    "Break out."


    The man calmly issued the order. The hand that held Ling Chen¡¯s arm casually loosened, and he pulled out a dagger from his waist, aiming to strike Ling Chen¡¯s head.


    As the de approached, Ling Chen leaned back at the waist, nimbly dodging the dagger¡¯s attack. Then, he stepped forward rapidly, closing the distance to the man, and his steel fist thundered out, smashing heavily into the opponent and sending him flying.


    At this moment, the two factions shed together, the scene was extremely chaotic.


    Ling Chen moved to the side, quietly watching the battle. With Zhou Qi and his men intervening, these people had no chance to retaliate. In less than three minutes, the men who had infiltrated the cell were all subdued, kneeling in a row on the ground.


    (Today updating with 4 Chapters, seeking rmendations, favorites, monthly tickets, rewards, andments, if motivation is sufficient, will continue the burst of updates for you over the next few days.)

 Chapter 645 - 642: Luring the Snake out of Its Hole (2)

    <h4>Chapter 645: Chapter 642: Luring the Snake out of Its Hole (2)</h4>


    "Mr. Ling, are you alright?"


    Zhou Qi walked up to Ling Chen, asking with concern.


    Ling Chen grinned: "I¡¯m fine. Elder Zhou, you guys arrived quite timely."


    "I was waiting outside the whole time for them to appear. After receiving the message, I immediately brought people over."


    Ling Chen nodded, looked at those men who had been captured and said, "These should all be members of the God Organization. Interrogate them well; there might be other aplices."


    "You don¡¯t need to worry about that. The Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion has a legacy of hundreds of years; we have ways to make them talk." Mentioning this, Zhou Qi was brimming with confidence.


    "Bring them! Take them all away, I¡¯ll conduct the interrogation personally." After that, Zhou Qi looked at Ling Chen and said, "Mr. Ling, you¡¯ve also worked hard, go back and rest for a bit. I¡¯ve already talked to Zhou Jun, thatd, to prepare fine wine and dishes in your room."


    "Alright." Ling Chen smiled. The food in the cell these past few days really wasn¡¯t great, so an improvement wasn¡¯t bad. However, as he walked towards the exit, his expression suddenly changed, and he quickly turned back to look at the cell.


    "Mr. Ling, what¡¯s going on?" Noticing the change in Ling Chen¡¯s expression, Zhou Qi asked.


    "Where¡¯s Zhu Hong? Did anyone see him just now?"


    "Zhu Hong?" Zhou Qi shook his head: "I didn¡¯t notice him. Wait, let me call someone to look around."


    However, after several minutes passed, they had searched the entire prison and still hadn¡¯t found Zhu Hong; the man seemed to have vanished.


    Not good!


    Ling Chen frowned inwardly. Surely during the melee just now, because the scene was too chaotic, Zhu Hong must have taken the opportunity to escape.


    "Mr. Ling, don¡¯t worry. This is the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion. Even if Zhu Hong has escaped, it¡¯s impossible for him to get out of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion. Give me some time; I will definitely catch him again."


    "Alright, thank you for your effort."


    Since Zhou Qi had given his assurance, Ling Chen wasn¡¯t so worried anymore. After all, this was the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, heavily guarded, and Zhu Hong had no martial skills, so he wouldn¡¯t have much chance to escape.


    Leaving the cell, Ling Chen returned to the guest room where he had previously stayed.


    Upon entering, a fragrant aroma of wine wafted into Ling Chen¡¯s nose. Looking at the wine and dishes on the table, Ling Chen said with a smile, "Thank you for the hard work."


    Zhou Jun waved his hand: "What hard work did we have? The kitchen prepared this. However, you did wrong this time; you even fooled us. Come on, nothing else said, first punish yourself with three cups of wine."


    Ling Chen didn¡¯t refuse, and gulped down three cups of wine in session. Wiping the wine stains from his mouth corner, Ling Chen said, "Both of you don¡¯t me me, I had no choice this time. The fewer people who know, the less likely to reveal any ws."


    Hearing this, Song Ge curiously asked, "Ling, what exactly happened? Tell us about it."


    "Actually, it¡¯s nothing much. It was just a n agreed upon with Miss Su. Not many people knew about this n, other than me and Miss Su, just Elder Zhou knew."


    Thereupon, Ling Chen recounted the execution of the n.


    That evening, when he sneaked into the Yangxin Pavilion to drug the food, it had all been nned. Including the items reported missing from the Yangxin Pavilion, all were fabricated lies. The purpose of this scheme was to draw out the moles of the God Organization.


    Beforeing to the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, Lin Jiawei had said that the Pavilion was very careful in its affairs, hence the God Organization could not infiltrate it. Ling Chen never believed such words. So he knew clearly that if he did not resolve the moles hidden inside the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, whatever he did would be inconvenient. Most importantly, if someone secretly informed Lin Jiawei, then he would have been working in vain.


    Therefore, he came up with this n to invent an item of great importance to the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion and then spread it internally. In this way, the God Organization would certainly be interested in the item he "stole". As for what happened afterward, it all unfolded step by step, exactly as nned.


    After listening to Ling Chen¡¯s exnation, Zhou Jun asked, "Does that mean your injuries were also fake?"


    Ling Chen shook his head: "The injuries are real; they¡¯re just not that severe. Even though it¡¯s a y, it still needs to look convincing to be believed."


    "Regardless, we owe you a great deal this time. Without you, we wouldn¡¯t have realized that the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion actually harbored so many moles from the God Organization."


    Song Ge agreed, "This just provided the opportunity to catch all those spies in one swoop. Ling, you became a hero of our Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion again; I wonder how the Pavilion Master will reward you."


    "Ah! What a pity." Zhou Jun looked at Ling Chen and sighed.


    Holding his wine cup, Ling Chen asked, "Pity what?"


    "If you were single, I could¡¯ve introduced you to the Pavilion Master by my old man. Look, the two of you aren¡¯t far apart in age and both are outstanding; it would be ¡¯talented man and beautifuldy¡¯, a match made in heaven. Song Ge, don¡¯t you think I¡¯m right?"


    "Absolutely right!" Song Geughed heartily. "Ling, why don¡¯t you reconsider?"


    "Enough! You two, stop teasing me. Come on, drink!"


    After the wine feast ended, it was already past one in the morning.


    A drunken Ling Chen saw Zhou Jun and Song Ge out, then directly copsed onto the bed and fell asleep.


    The next day.


    Early in the morning, having taken a shower, Ling Chen changed into clean clothes and left the room on his own.


    Just after he closed the room door, Ling Chen saw Zhou Qi approaching from not far away.


    "Elder Zhou, good morning!" Ling Chen waved and greeted.


    "Mr. Ling, some troubling matter hase up." Zhou Qi¡¯s face looked somewhat serious.


    Ling Chen withdrew his smile and quickly asked, "What happened?"


    "I had people search all night and still couldn¡¯t find any trace of Zhu Hong. I have no idea where he might have escaped to."


    "Did you search the entire Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion?"


    Zhou Qi nodded, "We¡¯ve searched every possible ce."


    Having searched everywhere... Ling Chen¡¯s eyes darted and asked,"Did you check the Yangxin Pavilion?"


    "Yangxin Pavilion? He shouldn¡¯t have escaped there. There are guards at the entrance to the Yangxin Pavilion; with his abilities, it¡¯s simply impossible for him to enter that ce."


    "Nothing is absolutely certain in this world. Regardless, it¡¯s best to check."


    "Well, I¡¯ll go ask the Pavilion Master for instructions, see what she thinks. Without the Pavilion Master¡¯s nod, I can¡¯t take people to the Yangxin Pavilion. By the way! Mr. Ling, if you¡¯re free, why don¡¯t you apany me? The Pavilion Master wishes to see you too."


    "Alright."


    Following Zhou Qi, soon, Ling Chen arrived at the room where Su Mei resided.


    As they entered, a faint aroma of tea immediately greeted them.


    Zhou Qi strode forward, bowed with fist in hand beyond the curtain, "I pay respects to the Pavilion Master!"


    "Miss Su."


    "Mr. Ling, please have a seat!"


    Once Ling Chen sat down, a cup of fragrant tea was passed from beneath the curtain and ced in front of him.


    "Mr. Ling, please enjoy the tea."


    "Thank you!"

 Chapter 646 - 643 Zhu Hong Missing (1)

    <h4>Chapter 646: Chapter 643 Zhu Hong Missing (1)</h4>


    "Ling Chen, thanks to your help this time, we from the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion have resolved a looming crisis. On behalf of everyone here, I thank you," Su Mei sincerely expressed her gratitude.


    "Don¡¯t mention it; helping you means helping myself. Since we are friends, we should indeed help each other." As he said this, Ling Chen raised his head and looked at Zhou Qi next to him, asking, "Elder Zhou, have those people confessed yet? Besides them, are there any other spies?"


    "I interrogated them all night using various methods and finally forced them to reveal the identities of all the spies and their contact codes with the outsiders."


    "That¡¯s good." Ling Chen smiled and nodded, then asked, "By the way, Miss Su,st time I told you that outside the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, there is a contact person from the God Organization assigned to connect with me. Have you found them?"


    "I found them a long time ago. However, following your advice, I¡¯ve had someone secretly monitor them without making a move."


    "Good, once we¡¯ve handled everything, it will be their turn."


    "Pavilion Master," Zhou Qi began, "there¡¯s one more thing. Last night during the chaos, Zhu Hong managed to escape, and so far, we haven¡¯t located him. Mr. Ling suggested we should check the Yangxin Pavilion, what do you think?"


    "Yangxin Pavilion? Zhu Hong is just an ordinary person; he shouldn¡¯t have the capability to enter Yangxin Pavilion. Ling Chen, aren¡¯t you overestimating him?"


    "Better safe than sorry. Since Zhu Hong hasn¡¯t left the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, he must still be here. Besides, Yangxin Pavilion isn¡¯t very big; it won¡¯t take much time."


    After pondering for a moment, Su Mei agreed, "Alright then. Zhou Qi, take a few men and check Yangxin Pavilion."


    "Miss Su, if it¡¯s convenient, how about I go instead? Elder Zhou was busy all night and hasn¡¯t rested yet; I¡¯m worried about him. How about letting Zhou Jun and Song go with me?"


    "Alright, try not to cause any trouble."


    Ling Chen grinned, "Don¡¯t worry, a straight shooter like me would never stir up trouble."


    "I¡¯m not worried about you, but the people at Yangxin Pavilion. You sawst time, Huang Zheng was very hostile towards you."


    "No worries, he¡¯s not the one in charge here, he can¡¯t possibly kill me." After saying that, Ling Chen stood up and said, "Miss Su, if there¡¯s nothing else, I¡¯ll get going."


    Leaving the room, Ling Chen met up with Zhou Jun and Song Ge, and Zhou Qi assigned ten more people to their group. They immediately headed towards Yangxin Pavilion.


    With Su Mei¡¯s clearance pass, Ling Chen and hispanions faced no obstacles and entered Yangxin Pavilion with ease.


    At that moment, in the spacious courtyard of Yangxin Pavilion, Song Yi and Liang Zheng were practicing martial arts routines to loosen up their bodies. Seeing Ling Chen appear at the entrance of the courtyard, Song Yi¡¯s expression darkened immediately and he stepped forward, saying, "Ling Chen, this is Yangxin Pavilion; you can¡¯t juste and go as you please, get out now."


    Song Ge furrowed his brows and spoke in a low voice, "Song Yi, watch yournguage."


    "What does mynguage have to do with you? What right do you have to lecture me?" Song Yi snorted lightly, "If you consider Ling Chen a friend but not us, why should I give you face? Get lost, I get annoyed just by seeing you."


    "You..."


    Song Ge¡¯s face turned angry, and just as he was about to retort, Ling Chen put a hand on his shoulder and shook his head at him, signaling him not to be impulsive.


    "Song, let¡¯s go back."


    "Go back?" Song Ge and Zhou Jun were puzzled and asked, "Ling Chen, aren¡¯t we supposed to..."


    Ling Chen spread his hands, a look of helplessness on his face, "What other choice do we have? If the Pavilion Master askster, we¡¯ll say that Song Yi blocked us and even told us to get out. Alright, let¡¯s move quickly and not linger here to annoy anyone."


    After saying that, Ling Chen turned to leave.


    Song Ge and Zhou Jun exchanged a nce, clearly understanding Ling Chen¡¯s intention. The two smiled secretly and quickly followed Ling Chen¡¯s steps.


    Seeing Ling Chen and the others about to leave, Song Yi¡¯s expression changed and he hurriedly called out, "Wait... wait a minute!"


    Ling Chen turned back, looking at Song Yi, "What is it now?"


    Song Yi awkwardly asked, "You just said that you were here on the Pavilion Master¡¯s orders?"


    "Yes, any problem with that? You know the rules of Yangxin Pavilion better than anyone. Without the Pavilion Master¡¯s orders, do you think we could just waltz in here?" As he finished speaking, Ling Chen took his gaze off Song Yi and continued to walk away.


    "Stop right there!"


    Ling Chen stopped in his tracks, impatiently saying, "Look, what do you want? You just told us to get out, and now you¡¯re not letting us leave. What are you thinking? Do you think we¡¯re easy to bully? Damn it, get a grip."


    Faced with Ling Chen¡¯s scolding, Song Yi immediately felt ufortable and his expression turned very sour. If it were any other time, he would have already started a fight. But remembering that Ling Chen carried amand from Su Mei, he had to suppress his anger and said coldly, "Since it¡¯s the Pavilion Master¡¯smand, then you may enter."


    "Heh!" Ling Chen sneered, "Song Yi, you just told us to get out, and now you¡¯re telling us to stay. Do you really think we¡¯re that easily bullied, at your beck and call? Do you think I, Ling Chen, am that kind of person?"


    Song Yi held back his anger, each word punctuated with effort: "Then what do you want?"


    Ling Chen looked up at the sky, talking to himself, "I wonder who it was that just told us to get out, and now won¡¯t even apologize. Sigh! These days, there are too many proud people, always thinking they¡¯re above everyone else."


    "Ling Chen, you..."


    "Alright, everyone, let¡¯s say less."


    At that moment, Liang Zheng came over to mediate.


    "Ling Chen, Song Yi didn¡¯t mean to trouble you; he was just joking. Don¡¯t take it to heart. If it really won¡¯t do, I¡¯ll apologize on his behalf."


    Ling Chen nced at Song Yi, who was barely concealing his anger, and shrugged, "Fine, since Liang has spoken, I must give this face."


    Liang Zheng gave a slight smile, "Thank you! The Pavilion Master¡¯s business is urgent, gentlemen, don¡¯t dy any longer, pleasee in."


    Walking into the spacious courtyard, Ling Chen looked around and instructed, "Search every room. Remember, keep your eyes wide open."


    Hearing this, Liang Zheng¡¯s expression changed and he quickly said, "Ling Chen, what are you doing? Elder Huang and Elder Liang live here. You dare to search their rooms?"


    "Oh!"


    Ling Chen pped his forehead and apologized with an embarrassed smile, "Sorry, thanks for reminding me. Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t disturb the two elders, at most we¡¯ll check the other rooms. Liang, would you please inform the two elders, so there won¡¯t be any unnecessary misunderstandingster."


    "Wait! You can search if you want, I won¡¯t stop you, but you should at least tell me the reason. How am I supposed to exin to Elder Huang and the others?"


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 647 - 644 Zhu Hong Missing (2)

    <h4>Chapter 647: Chapter 644 Zhu Hong Missing (2)</h4>


    "Last night, a prisoner escaped from his cell. We¡¯ve searched everywhere outside and haven¡¯t found any trace of him. We suspect he must have fled to the Yangxin Pavilion."


    After hearing this, Liang Zheng hadn¡¯t spoken yet when Song Yi already sneered, "Ling Chen, do you know where you are? This is the Yangxin Pavilion. There are experts everywhere. Isn¡¯t it suicide for that prisoner to run here?"


    Zhou Jun then interjected, "This is the Pavilion Master¡¯s order. If you have any objections, go find the Pavilion Master instead of wasting words with us." As he finished speaking, Zhou Jun directed his men, saying, "Don¡¯t just stand there wasting time, go and search quickly."


    Song Yi frowned, wanting to say something else, but before he could, he was stopped by Liang Zheng. The two stepped aside, watching Zhou Jun¡¯s team search everywhere. More than ten minutes passed, and different voices emerged from the rooms: "Nothing found!"


    Nothing found?


    Ling Chen was surprised, his face showing a hint of confusion. Could it be that Zhu Hong really just vanished into thin air? Impossible! Zhu Hong didn¡¯t even know basic fighting skills, let alone have the ability to escape.


    While pondering, Zhou Jun came up close to Ling Chen and pointed not far away, whispering, "Should we check over there?"


    Following the direction of Zhou Jun¡¯s pointing, Ling Chen nced over and saw a door in the middle of the surrounding wall of the courtyard, its destination unknown.


    "Where does that lead?"


    "You don¡¯t think this courtyard is all there is to the Yangxin Pavilion, do you?" Zhou Jun said, "Yangxin Pavilion is much bigger than you think. This courtyard is only a small part of it. Past that door, there¡¯s a valley and Lin Zi connected to it. That area all belongs to Yangxin Pavilion."


    "Is that so?" On hearing this, Ling Chen¡¯s eyes lit up. He had thought this courtyard was all there was to the Yangxin Pavilion, but he remembered now. That day when he came to visit Huang Zheng, he had encountered a mysterious young man here. Although the young man was young, he was highly regarded by Huang Zheng and Liang Tian.


    If he remembered correctly, that young man had walked towards that door when he left.


    With this thought, Ling Chen nodded and said, "Don¡¯t leave any stone unturned." With that, he took the lead and strode towards the door.


    Seeing Ling Chen leading everyone towards the door, Liang Zheng¡¯s expression finally changed. He quickly stepped forward, blocking their path.


    Ling Chen stopped and asked, "What are you doing?"


    Liang Zheng spoke sternly, "Ling Chen, you¡¯d better stop while you¡¯re ahead. Not just anyone can enter that door."


    "Why? You need to give us a reason. Otherwise, you¡¯re interfering with the Pavilion Master¡¯s orders."


    "Behind that door is a crucial area of the Yangxin Pavilion, which even we don¡¯t dare enter lightly, let alone you. Ling Chen, don¡¯t me me for not warning you; if you stir up any trouble, we won¡¯t take responsibility."


    Hearing this, Ling Chen turned to Zhou Jun and asked, "What do you think?"


    After all, he was an outsider, and Zhou Jun was from the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion. It was still necessary to seek his opinion on this matter.


    Zhou Jun replied indifferently, "The Pavilion Master said to thoroughly search the Yangxin Pavilion. Liang Zheng, should I exin to you what ¡¯thoroughly¡¯ means?"


    "You..." Liang Zheng was momentarily speechless, unsure how to proceed.


    "Alright!" Liang Zheng huffed and moved aside, saying, "Since you are determined to search, then go ahead, but remember, whatever you stir up has nothing to do with us. Song Yi, let¡¯s go!"


    After Liang Zheng and Song Yi left, Zhou Jun quickly elerated his steps to the door and pushed it open.


    "Ling Chen, hurry!"


    Prompted by Zhou Jun, Ling Chen and Song Ge, along with their group, approached the door, ready to step inside.


    "Wait!" Suddenly, Zhou Jun seemed to remember something and pointed at the more than ten followers trailing behind, instructing, "Wait here at the door; the three of us will go in."


    As they passed through the door, Ling Chen spoke, "Why not bring them along?"


    Zhou Jun chuckled, "Not to hide it from you, but the chance of Zhu Honging here is very low, almost none."


    Ling Chen and Song Ge, confused, asked, "Then why persist?"


    "Didn¡¯t Liang Zheng just say? Behind that door is the real crucial area of the Yangxin Pavilion. I¡¯ve been in the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion for so many years, I¡¯ve always known this ce existed, but never had the chance to visit it. It¡¯s a rare opportunity, so I must take a look."


    "You, rascal..." Song Ge smiled helplessly and said, "Taking advantage of your position for personal gain, if your granddad finds out, he¡¯s probably going to lecture you again."


    "What is there to be afraid of." Zhou Jun said nonchntly, "Isn¡¯t it just following the Pavilion Master¡¯s order? At most, I¡¯ll get scolded a few times."


    While talking, the three men crossed a narrow mountain path and arrived at a lush grasnd. Ling Chen looked around, feeling an instant sense of openness, surrounded by lush green trees and a clearke.


    Around theke, several thatched cottages were covered, with many potted nts nted outside, all fenced in.


    Ling Chen looked around and hesitantly said, "Maybe we should go back, so as not to disturb others."


    "No worries, if anyone asks, we¡¯ll just say we are acting under the Pavilion Master¡¯s orders." Zhou Jun said and marched towards the thatched cottages.


    Reaching the front of the cottages, Zhou Jun was just about to knock when, before his hand could touch the door, he saw it being opened from the inside.


    Following this, a seventeen- or eighteen-year-old boy walked out, looking warily at Ling Chen and the others, and asked in a displeased tone, "Who are you?"


    Zhou Jun, with a cating smile, said, "We are from the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, here under the Pavilion Master¡¯s orders to search for an escapee. Young fellow, have you seen any strangers around here recently?"


    Pointing at Zhou Jun, the boy said, "Except for you few strangers, no one else has been here." After a pause, the boy continued, "You should hurry back. The people here don¡¯t like being disturbed, and if you run into some of those with foul tempers, you¡¯re going to be in trouble."


    With that, the boy turned and went back inside the house.


    Watching the door close again, Ling Chen shrugged and said, "Let¡¯s go back, then, before we stir up trouble and cause problems for Miss Su."


    "Just..." Zhou Jun¡¯s mouth opened, just about to speak, but before he could finish, all three heard a loud ¡¯bang.¡¯


    Ling Chen¡¯s gaze shifted, following the direction of the sound. He frowned slightly. Judging by the sound, it shouldn¡¯t be too far from them.


    Just then, the boy who had just gone inside suddenly rushed out of the house, not sparing them a nce, and quickly headed towards the source of the sound.


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 648 - 655: The Oddball

    <h4>Chapter 648: Chapter 655: The Oddball</h4>


    Watching the youth walk away, Ling Chen nced at Zhou Jun and Song Ge beside him, and curiosity gleamed in all three pairs of eyes in unison.


    "Let¡¯s go and see." Zhou Jun was the first to speak. As soon as he said this, he immediately started moving his legs, following closely behind the youth.


    Immediately, the three men sprinted in the direction the youth had left. In no time, they charged into a dense forest.


    "There he is!" With keen eyes, Song Ge pointed, and the youth¡¯s figure immediately appeared in their sight.


    After pursuing for over a hundred meters, Ling Chen and hispanions finally stopped, their eyes widened in astonishment at the scene before them.


    In the middle of the forest, there was a mountain peak over twenty meters high. At the foot of the mountain, stood a disheveled and unkempt figure. The person was covered in ragged clothes that made him look worse off than a beggar, his face filthy, as if it hadn¡¯t been washed in ages.


    However, what was most astonishing wasn¡¯t this, but the fact that his limbs were bound with chains as thick as arms, the other ends of the four chains each connected to the mountain.


    A prisoner!


    Upon seeing this, the word immediately came to Ling Chen¡¯s mind. However, what he didn¡¯t understand was what serious crimes this strange person must havemitted to be treated in such a way.


    "That chain looks like it¡¯s about to break."


    Hearing Song Ge¡¯s words, Ling Chen fixed his gaze and indeed! One of the chains, where it connected to the mountain, was full of cracks and could break away from the mountain at any moment.


    At this moment, the strange person seemed to go into a frenzy, roaring desperately and constantly moving his limbs, pulling hard on the chains.


    "Keep it down."


    The youth by the side uttered a softmand, his wrist flicking gently, and several steel needles flew out in an instant, closing in on the strange person. However, at that moment, the strange person¡¯s right arm suddenly exerted force, violently pulling the chain out from the mountain.


    Subsequently, he swung the chains, knocking all of the iing steel needles away.


    How impressive!


    Seeing this, Ling Chen¡¯s expression changed slightly, shock coloring his pupils like Mo Che¡¯s.


    Seeing the chains on the strange man¡¯s right arm break free, the youth¡¯s face instantly turned solemn, and he immediately moved back. Because the chain was ten meters long, it posed a threat to the youth. He didn¡¯t stop retreating until he was out of the chain¡¯s range, then he stared coldly at the strange person.


    "If you don¡¯t want to die, you¡¯d better step back."


    Hearing the youth¡¯s warning, Ling Chen and hispanions hastily backed away.


    At this moment, the strange person swung the chain in his hand, smashing it forcefully against the mountain surface, trying to crack the parts of the mountain where the chains were embedded and free his left hand and both legs.


    Seeing more and more cracks forming on the mountain surface, the youth became anxious. He pulled from his bosom with both hands, and ten steel needles immediately appeared at his fingertips.


    Apanied by a whistling sound, the ten steel needles shot out in an instant.


    However, the ten steel needles did not pose any threat to the strange person. With a swing of the chains, all the needles were knocked down, falling to the ground.


    "What you¡¯re doing is useless," Ling Chen offered helpfully.


    "What¡¯s your bright idea then?" the youth retorted with irritability.


    "We¡¯ll help you."


    "Help me?" Upon hearing this, the youth gave Ling Chen a strange look and said, "He¡¯s no ordinary person. You¡¯d better stay back, lest you end up losing your lives."


    Seeing the youth speak so dismissively, Zhou Jun felt irritated and snorted, "If a brat like you dares to confront him, what should we be afraid of?" With that said, and without waiting for the youth to respond, Zhou Jun lightly tapped the ground with his toes and charged straight at the monster.


    As Zhou Jun approached, the monster let out a fierce roar and swung a chain as thick as an arm violently towards Zhou Jun. Watching the chaining at him, Zhou Jun¡¯s face instantly turned pale. Although the chain hadn¡¯t hit yet, just the strong wind it created was enough to tell Zhou Jun that the force behind it was beyond his ability to contend with.


    For a moment, Zhou Jun¡¯s forward momentum slowed as he instinctively started to back away. But he had alreadye within five meters of the monster, and with the chaining in close, there was no chance to escape.


    "Be careful!"


    Ling Chen and Song Ge, seeing that the situation was dire, didn¡¯t dare to dy any longer and rushed over to provide assistance.


    With a jingling sword-cry, Song Ge reached to his waist and drew out a soft sword with a chilling glint.


    Just as the chain was about to hit, Song Ge suddenly increased his speed, thrusting his hand forward and entangling the chain with the body of the soft sword, halting its momentum.


    However, even though Zhou Jun was saved, the monster took advantage of the situation and swung the chain again. Before Song Ge could extricate himself, the chain wound around his arm, pulling his body over.


    Seeing this, Ling Chen didn¡¯t hesitate. He instantly increased his speed to the maximum, took three steps as if they were two, and quickly reached Song Ge¡¯s side, grabbing the chain and pulling it back with all his might.


    "What are you waiting for,e and help!"


    Hearing Ling Chen¡¯s shout, the stunned Zhou Jun finally snapped out of it and urgently grabbed the chain, joining the efforts of the three of them to withstand the monster¡¯s force.


    "Hold on!"


    Seeing Ling Chen and the others restraining the chain, the youth¡¯s eyes lit up. Once again, he pulled out several steel needles from within his clothes and flung them at the monster.


    But as the youth made his move, Ling Chen felt the force on the chain suddenly surge. Before they could react, an immense force traveled through the chain, pulling all three of them over.


    At that moment, the chain was still wound around Song Ge¡¯s right arm. As the monster swung its arm, it used the chain to control Song Ge¡¯s body in a sweeping motion. In an instant, the steel needles the youth had thrown were all blocked by Song Ge¡¯s body.


    Not good!


    "Brother Song!" Ling Chen¡¯s expression changed as he caught a glimpse of the steel needles that had fallen to the ground out of the corner of his eye.


    In midair, Ling Chen flipped his body and reached down with his hand, tightly grasping the steel needles. Then, he nced at Zhou Jun behind him, pushed off from his shoulders for leverage, and with increased speed, hurled himself directly towards the monster.


    At that time, the monster¡¯s attention was still on Song Ge, not expecting Ling Chen to suddenly speed up. By the time it realized, Ling Chen was already close, wrapping his arms around the monster¡¯s head.


    Before the monster could resist, Ling Chen raised his right arm high and forcefully thrust the steel needles in his fingertips into the creature¡¯s body.


    Ah!


    As the steel needles prated the body, the monster let out a loud scream. Suddenly, Ling Chen felt a powerful burst of Inner Strength exploding from inside out, knocking his body flying away and making him crash heavily to the ground. The pain was so intense that he grimaced and was unable to stand up for quite some time.


    "Ling Chen!"


    Zhou Jun hurried over, asking with concern, "Are you alright?"


    (Continuing with 4 more updates, continuing to ask for rmendation tickets and other support)

 Chapter 649 - 656 Yang Zhe

    <h4>Chapter 649: Chapter 656 Yang Zhe</h4>


    Ling Chen spat out a mouthful of blood-stained saliva and, with Zhou Jun¡¯s help, he stood up again.


    Gasping for breath, Ling Chen once again fixed his gaze on the strange man. By now, the strange man seemed to have lost his strength and suddenly knelt on the ground, his head weakly tilting to one side. After a while, his body leaned forward and he fell to the ground, motionless.


    Seeing this, the few people present all breathed a sigh of relief simultaneously.


    "Song, how are you? Are you hurt?" Ling Chen and Zhou Jun hurried to Song Ge¡¯s side, attempting to help him up. However, Song Gey on the ground, eyes tightly shut, as if he had fallen into aa.


    "Don¡¯t worry about him; he¡¯s just been struck by steel needles and passed out. He¡¯ll be fine once he wakes up."


    At that moment, the voice of a young man came over, bringing a sense of calm to Ling Chen¡¯s tense mood.


    Looking at the motionless strange man, Ling Chen curiously asked, "Who is this person, and why was he locked up here?"


    The young man replied indifferently, "It¡¯s better not to ask about things that you shouldn¡¯t know." Pausing for a moment, the young man looked at Ling Chen and said, "Anyway, thanks for your help this time. If you hadn¡¯t stabbed the steel needles into him in time, things would probably have gotten out of hand. My name is Yang Zhe, and yours?"


    "Ling Chen."


    "Ling Chen?" Yang Zhe thought for a moment, then said, "That name sounds familiar; I seem to have heard it somewhere."


    "He is the top-ranked neer on the Neer List this year. You must have heard about him," Zhou Jun reminded.


    "Oh, right!" Yang Zhe nodded and added, "Now that you mention it, I remember. Tong Nan mentioned you to me a few days ago. Not bad, looks like you¡¯re not as ipetent as Tong Nan described."


    Ipetent?


    Ling Chen touched his nose, guessing that Tong Nan must have spoken very poorly of him, otherwise Yang Zhe wouldn¡¯t have described him as ipetent.


    "Come on, let¡¯s go to my ce and treat your injuries first."


    Returning to the thatched cottage by theke, Ling Chen sat on a wooden chair, observing the interior decorations.


    The decor inside the house was simple, exuding a rustic charm. On the way back earlier, Ling Chen had talked with Yang Zhe and gained a preliminary understanding of him.


    Yang Zhe¡¯s identity was the same as Tong Nan¡¯s; they were both disciples of high-ranking elders from Yangxin Pavilion. However, Yang Zhe was more low-key and spent most of his time in secluded cultivation in Yangxin Pavilion, rarely appearing in others¡¯ sight. Therefore, even Zhou Jun didn¡¯t know about him.


    After treating the wounds, Ling Chen casually asked, "Yang Zhe, where is your master?"


    "My master has traveled far away and it will probably be a while before he returns," Yang Zhe said, looking at Ling Chen. "This time, I owe you a favor. When my master returns, I will definitely tell him everything."


    "No need to be so polite; I am also a friend of Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, and it was only right for me to help." Ling Chen then remembered the strange man he had seen earlier and couldn¡¯t help asking, "Who exactly is that person? Can you share a bit of information to satisfy my curiosity?"


    "Well..." Yang Zhe hesitated for a moment and then said, "I can¡¯t reveal his identity. What I can tell you is, he is a criminal from Yangxin Pavilion who has made a grave mistake."


    After hearing this, Ling Chen was somewhat speechless. This statement was as good as saying nothing.


    Forget it! Since it¡¯s a secret of Yangxin Pavilion, as an outsider, it¡¯s better not to inquire too deeply to avoid resentment.


    After resting for a while, Ling Chen got up and bid his farewell. Since Song Ge had been struck by steel needles dipped in a strong anesthetic, it would be a while before he woke up, so Zhou Jun had to carry him back.


    Following the same path back to the courtyard, Ling Chen didn¡¯t stay long and left Yangxin Pavilion directly with hispanions.


    Having checked all the ces he could, and given Zhu Hong was nowhere to be found, he likely had hidden somewhere else. However, as big as Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion was, the ce had been thoroughly searched by Zhou Qi¡¯s men, yet Zhu Hong¡¯s whereabouts were still undetected. Where exactly could that guy be hiding?


    ...


    In the room.


    Ling Chen calcted the time; there were still three days left until the deadline set by Lin Jiawei. Currently, the whereabouts of Xia Mutong were unknown, and moreover, she had been transformed by experiments conducted by God Organization, which might make it quite difficult to rescue her in the short term. As for Xia Mutong¡¯s safety, Ling Chen was not too worried. Since she had undergone experimental transformations, she surely held research value for God Organization. Before that, God Organization would definitely not harm her.


    So right now, there was only one person he needed to rescue, and that was porridge girl.


    ording to the informationÌṩ provided by Hu Fei, Lin Jiawei and his group had always been staying in a manor on the outskirts of East Sea City and hadn¡¯t left yet. Therefore, as long as he could find a master strong enough to contend with Ji Gang, he should be able to rescue porridge girl.


    While he was pondering, there came a ¡¯dong dong dong¡¯ knocking at the door.


    Ling Chen got up and opened the door, only to see Su Mei and Zhou Qi standing outside.


    "Miss Su, Elder Zhou, what brings you both here?" he invited warmly.


    Once the three of them were seated, Zhou Qi spoke, "Mr. Ling, we have received a message from God Organization."


    "A message?"


    "God Organization¡¯s spies infiltrated within Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion have been cleared out by us, including their means of contact with God Organization. Last night, after I had finished interrogating them, I sent out a message using their unique method of contact. Just a moment ago, God Organization finally responded."


    "Really?" Ling Chen perked up and eagerly asked, "What¡¯s the message?"


    "I told the people from God Organization that they have obtained that item from you. The message from God Organization stated that they would send someone to meet outside Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion. I am thinking about seizing this opportunity to trace the vine to find the melon."


    Ling Chen nodded and said, "We can do that. However, I probably won¡¯t be able to help with this, as porridge girl is still in Lin Jiawei¡¯s hands. I must find a way to rescue her."


    "By yourself?" Su Mei interjected, "You¡¯ve also said that porridge girl is guarded by Ji Gang, and there is a master from Heavenly List watching over; what do you have to contend with him?"


    "No worries, I have my ways. Moreover, I am currently pressed for time. Although Lin Jiawei gave me ten days, he must already be aware of my capture, and I estimate that he won¡¯t continue to waste time on me. So, the longer it drags on, the less secure her safety bes."


    "This..." Su Mei pondered for a moment before speaking, "Should I ask someone to help you?"


    Hearing this, Ling Chenughed and said, "What, are you nning to ask a master from the Heavenly List to assist me?"


    "A few days ago, a respected elder just returned from traveling abroad; perhaps I can ask for his help. How about this: you go back to East Sea City first, and I¡¯ll have him meet up with you there."


    Ling Chen¡¯s eyes lit up as he gratefully looked at Su Mei and said, "Then I¡¯ll have to trouble you, Miss Su."

 Chapter 650 - 657: Zhu Xiaozhu’s Transformation

    <h4>Chapter 650: Chapter 657: Zhu Xiaozhu¡¯s Transformation</h4>


    Initially, Ling Chen intended to ask Su He to deal with Ji Gang, but now that Su Mei was willing to offer her help, he was naturally happy to ept it. Of course, he was well aware that Su Mei¡¯s willingness to provide assistance this time mainly stemmed from his help in resolving a potential crisis for the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion. Otherwise, even if their rtionship was good, Su Mei would not have gone out of her way to seek the help of a master from the Heavenly List.


    "Right!" Ling Chen changed the subject and said: "Miss Su, regarding Zhu Hong..."


    Before Ling Chen could finish his sentence, Zhou Qi, who stood beside him, chimed in: "Mr. Ling, rest assured, I will keep this matter in mind. As long as Zhu Hong is still in the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, I will make sure to capture him."


    "Alright, I¡¯ll leave it to you."


    After seeing off Su Mei and Zhou Qi, Ling Chen immediately started packing his luggage, preparing to return to East Sea City.


    Upon hearing that Ling Chen was leaving, Zhou Jun rushed over with the newly awakened Song Ge, apanying Ling Chen to the gate of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion.


    "Ling, do visit us whenever you have the time in the future."


    "Don¡¯t worry, there will be plenty of opportunities."


    After bidding farewell to Song Ge and the other, Ling Chen shouldered his backpack and walked towards the woods outside the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion.


    Passing through the woods, a vehicle arranged by Su Mei was already waiting to take Ling Chen to the airport.


    By the time Ling Chen returned to East Sea City, it was already evening. After leaving the airport, Jiang Hao, who had received a call, was already waiting outside in his car.


    Once in the car, Ling Chen, massaging his sore arm, asked: "How¡¯s everything been recently? All good?"


    "Not bad, just that..." Jiang Hao hesitated, seeming to be holding something back.


    "Just what?" Ling Chen pressed: "Speak up, don¡¯t beat around the bush, why are you acting like a woman?"


    "The base is more or less normal, it¡¯s just that Miss Zhu¡¯s medicalboratory has had a few idents, fortunately without any casualties."


    A sense of concern weighed on Ling Chen¡¯s heart as he asked: "What kind of idents?"


    "I¡¯m not sure about that; I don¡¯t know much about theirb. I¡¯ve only heard they were mistakes made by Miss Zhu herself. Luckily, they were discovered in time each time, preventing major damage."


    Zhu Xiaozhu...


    Ling Chen furrowed his brows. He had noticed during hisst visit to the research base that Zhu Xiaozhu seemed distracted while working, but he had not realized the situation was so serious that it even impacted her job. It seemed he would need to find some time to have a good talk with her after going back.


    Upon arriving at the research base, Ling Chen set down his luggage and first went to see Hu Fei to inquire about the situation, then he headed alone to the medicalboratory. However, he was told by others that Zhu Xiaozhu hadn¡¯t been working for the past few days and was recuperating in her room due to an illness.


    "Sick?"


    Ling Chen hurried to the door of Zhu Xiaozhu¡¯s room and knocked.


    "Who is it?"


    Upon hearing Zhu Xiaozhu¡¯s voice from inside the room, Ling Chen opened his mouth and replied: "It¡¯s me. Xiaozhu, I heard you¡¯re not feeling well, I came to see you. Can you open the door?"


    After a few seconds of silence, Zhu Xiaozhu¡¯s voice rose again: "I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m not really in a state to meet anyone right now, you... you shoulde back another day."


    Not in a state to meet? Could it be because... that time of the month arrived?


    Realizing this, Ling Chen promptly understood and responded: "Alright then, you get some rest. Call me if you need anything."


    Hearing the retreating footsteps outside, Zhu Xiaozhu, sitting on her bed, bit her thin lips, holding a photo in her hands that she looked at over and over again. Shining tears shimmered in her eyes, finally converging into a stream that trickled down from her eyes.


    "What should I do... What exactly should I do..." Zhu Xiaozhu murmured to herself, sobbing softly with tears falling drop by drop, soaking the bedsheet.


    At this moment, Ling Chen waspletely unaware of Zhu Xiaozhu¡¯s situation. After leaving Zhu Xiaozhu¡¯s room, he had returned to Hu Fei¡¯s office to work on the strategy for rescuing porridge girl.


    "Fatty, are you sure they haven¡¯t left that manor?"


    "Our people are all around the manor, under uninterrupted surveince twenty-four hours a day. Since you left, no one has entered or left the manor."


    "What if there¡¯s a secret passage inside the manor, considering how cunning the people from God Organization are?"


    Hu Fei spread his hands and said, "If that¡¯s the case, then there¡¯s nothing I can do about it. However, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s very likely." As he spoke, Hu Fei tapped a few keys on the keyboard and pulled up a map.


    "Look, this is theyout of the buildings around the manor. There are only three houses within a hundred meters of the manor. When I arranged for the surveince, I considered your concern, so I included the nearby houses as surveince targets, and no suspicious individuals have appeared so far."


    "That¡¯s good then." Ling Chen nodded his head. He was quite confident in Hu Fei¡¯s work.


    "Oh, right!"


    During the conversation, Hu Fei seemed to think of something, his face lit up with excitement as he jumped out of his chair.


    "Quick,e with me, I¡¯ll show you something."


    Ling Chen looked at Hu Fei, puzzled, wondering what had made him so excited.


    Following Hu Fei to the technical production workshop of the research base, upon entering, Ling Chen was immediately captivated by the equipment neatly lined up along the wall.


    Exoskeleton armor!


    No wonder Hu Fei was so excited; it turned out that the exoskeleton armor had been produced.


    Hu Fei proudly said, "See that? While you were away these past few days, I had the team work overtime to produce twenty sets of exoskeleton armor. Hey! Don¡¯t underestimate these exoskeleton armors. They are different from previous ones; I had them modified to include a number of weapon devices."


    Ling Chen asked curiously, "What kind of weapons?"


    Hu Fei chuckled and said mysteriously, "You¡¯ll find out when the timees. I have already picked twenty people from the candidates you rmended and had them start training in advance. Just give me another day or two, and I will get them ustomed to the performance of the exoskeleton armor, formingbat capability."


    Saying this, Hu Fei couldn¡¯t help but get sentimental, "Having put in so much effort, we finally have our own armed force."


    Ling Chen pped Hu Fei on the shoulder and smiled, "That¡¯srgely thanks to you; you deserve the most credit."


    His words were sincere - without Hu Fei¡¯s connections to bring in production equipment and so many scientific researchers, Ling Chen alone could never have managed all this.


    In the midst of their conversation, a pleasant ringtone from a phone came from Ling Chen¡¯s pocket.


    He took out his phone, nced at the caller ID, and instructed, "Fatty, train them quickly. I will need to put them to use in the next couple of days."


    After speaking, he walked away to answer the phone by himself.


    "Ling Chen."


    "Miss Su, do you need me for something?"


    "The expert from Heavenly List has already set off for East Sea City. He is expected to arrive tonight. I¡¯ll trouble you to meet him at the airport."


    That was quick!


    Ling Chen silently smiled to himself and promised, "No problem, I will make sure to give our distinguished guest the proper wee."

 Chapter 651 - 656: Alcohol Immortal

    <h4>Chapter 651: Chapter 656: Alcohol Immortal</h4>


    It was still early, so Ling Chen took the opportunity to swing by Wealthy Manor. After being away for a few days, he needed to check in at home to keep Nanrong Wanqing and the others from worrying.


    Upon arriving home, he coincidentally ran into Nanrong Wanqing just as she was getting off work.


    However, aside from Nanrong Wanqing, he didn¡¯t see Su Lin at home. Upon asking, he learned that Su Lin had gone for an internship and it was unclear when she would return.


    "Have you been very busytely, noting back for a whole week?"


    On the living room sofa, Nanrong Wanqingy in Ling Chen¡¯s arms, hugging his waist with an intimate gesture. With Su Lin not at home, they didn¡¯t need to be as cautious.


    Ling Chen gently stroked Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s silky hair and said softly, "I¡¯ve been pretty busy with a lot of thingstely, but it will be over soon."


    "Because of the God Organization?"


    Upon hearing Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s question, Ling Chen hesitated for a moment but ultimately nodded. He didn¡¯t want to lie to Nanrong Wanqing about this matter since she would eventually find out about it. Rather than making strenuous exnationster, it was better to tell the truth now.


    Getting an answer from Ling Chen, Nanrong Wanqing lifted her head from his chest, her expression filled with concern, "Can¡¯t you just back out of this fight with them? I know everyone from the God Organization are bad people, but even if you don¡¯t act, there will naturally be others who will deal with them. Besides, you aren¡¯t alone now, you should think about the people around you. What would I do if something happened to you, have you ever considered my feelings?"


    "Alright!" Ling Chenforted her: "Don¡¯t worry, I know how to take care of myself, nothing will happen."


    After a pause, Ling Chen continued, "There are things I can ignore, but I¡¯m already involved in this matter, and it¡¯s not so easy to extricate myself. Moreover, we¡¯ve put in so much effort and finally made it this far. It would be too regrettable to give up now. This battle isn¡¯t just for me, it¡¯s for thousands of people. As long as the God Organization still exists, we are all in danger. Perhaps you don¡¯t know, but there are many behind me who will also be in danger if I withdraw. At this critical moment, I cannot abandon them. As a man, I must be brave enough to take on my responsibilities. Do you really want your man to be a coward?"


    "No, that¡¯s not what I mean, I just..."


    "No need to say further." Ling Chen pressed his finger against Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s lips, and said with a smile: "Anyway, I promise you, I will never put myself in danger."


    Having said that, he lifted his finger and moved his lips closer, capturing Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s lips with his own.


    ...


    At eleven o¡¯clock at night.


    Ling Chen sat in the driver¡¯s seat of an Audi sedan, looking at the time disyed in the car, then shifting his gaze towards the exit of the airport.


    ording to the flight information provided by Su Mei, the person should have arrived.


    Just as he was thinking, arge number of passengers appeared at the airport exit.


    Ling Chen pushed open the car door, stood beside the Audi sedan, and scanned the crowd, searching for the figure of the Heavenly List expert.


    As the number of passengers exiting dwindled, the person Ling Chen was waiting for still didn¡¯t show up.


    Strange, why haven¡¯t theye out?


    While pondering, a faint aroma of alcohol suddenly drifted into Ling Chen¡¯s nose. He sniffed around and immediately realized that the scent was emanating from inside the car.


    Startled, Ling Chen quickly leaned into the driver¡¯s cabin, and instantly, he saw an old man who had appeared in the back seat of the Audi sedan.


    "Is it you?"


    Upon recognizing the person¡¯s features, Ling Chen was immediately taken aback. The old man in the car was the same one who had captured him a few days ago at Yangxin Pavilion. Back then, he had been wondering who the old man was, and it turned out that he was a Heavenly List expert.


    Tsk, no wonder. He had been standing outside for half a day and had not noticed how the other had slipped into the car. The fact that the old man had eluded his vignce was a testament to his skill.


    At this moment, the old man was sitting in the car, holding a wine gourd, savoring his drink with relish.


    Ling Chen got into the car and with a smile greeted, "Elder, we meet again. I¡¯ve offended youst time, please be magnanimous and don¡¯t take it to heart."


    The old man waved his hand and said, "Forget it, there¡¯s no need to apologize to me, I¡¯m not holding a grudge. The girl Su Lin has already told me about that night¡¯s events, you did well. It was thanks to you that we could expose those rascals from the God Organization."


    "Elder, may I have the honor to know your name?"


    "I¡¯m Du Kang, people have nicknamed me Alcohol Immortal."


    Du Kang? Isn¡¯t that the name of a liquor? No wonder he¡¯s called Alcohol Immortal, probably a person devoted to his drink.


    "Elder Du, are you hungry? How about I take you for a bite to eat first?"


    Du Kang took a swig, then shook his gourd a few times and with a sigh said, "No more wine."


    Hearing this, Ling Chen clearly understood Du Kang¡¯s meaning and quickly started the car, while taking out his phone to dial Jiang Hao¡¯s number.


    After more than half an hour, Ling Chen brought Du Kang to a restaurant in the Old City area.


    It was almost midnight, and the restaurant at this hour had already closed. However, with Jiang Hao¡¯s intervention, nothing was a problem.


    Entering the private room, the dishes and drinks were already prepared and steaming hot. A few bottles of Moutai were also ced on the table.


    "Elder Du, please take a seat!"


    Ling Chen brought Elder Du to his seat attentively and then opened a bottle of Moutai, filling a small cup and offering it to Elder Du. Looking at the small cup in front of him, Du Kang nced at Ling Chen and then at the Moutai bottle in his hand, hesitating to pick up the cup.


    Ling Chen was puzzled and hurriedly asked, "Elder Du, is this wine not to your taste?"


    "The wine is fine, it¡¯s just this cup..."


    Hearing this, Ling Chen instantly understood and immediately exchanged the small cup for a big bowl, directly pouring a bowl of wine.


    Looking at the brimming bowl of wine, a satisfied smile finally appeared on Elder Du¡¯s aged face, as he praised, "Young man, you catch on quick." With that, Du Kang picked up the bowl of wine and downed it in one gulp, tilting the bowl upside down.


    Seeing the bottom of the bowl, Ling Chen immediately poured another full bowl.


    "Alright, no need to be so formal, I, this old man, am not particr about this, you take a seat too, join me for a few drinks."


    "Yes."


    Ling Chen sat beside him, originally wanting a small cup, but with Elder Du¡¯s gaze on him, he immediately switched to a big bowl as well.


    "Elder Du, I raise this bowl to you, thank you for your assistance."


    "You helped the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, and I¡¯m helping you, it¡¯s only right." Saying this, Du Kang looked at Ling Chen and asked, "How much do you know about Ji Gang?"


    Ling Chen shook his head and replied, "Not very much."


    The mention of Ji Gang brought a tinge of nostalgia to Du Kang¡¯s eyes.


    "Speaking of which, Ji Gang can be considered an old friend of mine too. It¡¯s just a shame... s, fate is unpredictable, I never expected that we would end up as enemies in the end."


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 652 - 657: Reminiscing the Past

    <h4>Chapter 652: Chapter 657: Reminiscing the Past</h4>


    Ling Chen looked at Du Kang in surprise, not understanding why he would say that.


    "Master Du, did you know Ji Gang before?"


    Du Kang nodded and said, "Back in the days when I was young, I traveled to learn from various esteemed masters. When I went to visit a reclusive expert, I found someone kneeling at the doorstep; it was Ji Gang. Ji Gang hoped that the reclusive expert would take him as a disciple and teach him advanced Martial Arts. But the reclusive expert was unwilling as he felt Ji Gang¡¯s temperament was unsuitable for inheriting his Martial Arts. Ji Gang, however, was not someone who gave up easily; he knelt outside the reclusive expert¡¯s door without eating or drinking for ten full days, eventually fainting from exhaustion."


    "I happened to be there at that time and couldn¡¯t bear to see him perish, so I healed his body. From then on, he was immensely grateful to me and treated me as a friend. However, good times didn¡¯tst long. At that time, the reclusive expert actually took an interest in me, saying he wanted to pass on all his knowledge to me. For Ji Gang, this was a heavy blow. Although he didn¡¯t say it, I could distinctly feel his alienation. Shortly afterwards, Ji Gang took his leave, stating he wanted to continue traveling and learn from different masters. He proposed that once both of us had made aplishments in our martial arts, we wouldpare our skills and see who was superior."


    "After Ji Gang left, I stayed with my master to practice Martial Arts, and before I knew it, over twenty years had passed. I was over forty when Ipleted my martial arts training and never saw Ji Gang during that period. However, when I traveled in the Martial Arts world, I heard many rumors about Ji Gang. After bing a disciple of his master, he immediately challenged the Sect Leaders of various sects, nearly undefeated; even some reclusive experts were no match for him. However, Ji Gang was very ruthless; anyone who lost to him either had an arm severed or their Martial Arts crippled, without exception."


    "Because of this, people in the Martial Arts world were extremely fearful of Ji Gang, especially those with high martial arts skills, for fear that Ji Gang woulde to challenge them. For a time, Ji Gang became a terrifying figure. Although I hadn¡¯t seen him in decades, I thought perhaps based on our old friendship, I could persuade Ji Gang to change. It wasn¡¯t long before I found Ji Gang through friends in the Martial Arts world and tried to talk him round. Yet, I was too na?ve. I thought Ji Gang was still the same person from those years ago. I didn¡¯t realize that more than twenty years were enough to change a person¡¯s heart and temperament."


    "When I tried to persuade Ji Gang, he proposed a challenge, wanting to test his skills against mine. If I won, he would listen to my advice and no longer harm lives easily. Out ofpassion, I agreed to his request, trying my best to persuade him towards goodness."


    Du Kang then took a swig of his drink, sighing heavily, "Unfortunately... I underestimated Ji Gang¡¯s strength, or, perhaps, I ced too much trust in our old friendship. In that battle, I held back and didn¡¯t use my full strength. But Ji Gang showed no mercy at all. Eventually, at the hundred and thirtieth move, I was provoked and adopted a mutually destructive technique. However, at thest moment of executing the move, I still chose to hold back. What I didn¡¯t expect was that Ji Gang did not hold back and instead seized the opportunity to severely injure me, nearly costing me my life."


    "Since then, I¡¯ve realized that Ji Gang had long since ceased to be the brotherly Ji Gang I knew; he hadpletely changed. Fortuitously, at that time, I was severely injured yet saved by passing disciples of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, and that saved my life. However, due to my serious injuries, I was left with a hidden condition that requires alcohol to suppress. That¡¯s why I¡¯m known as the Alcohol Immortal."


    After listening to Du Kang¡¯s story, Ling Chen said solemnly, "I didn¡¯t expect Ji Gang to be so sinister and ruthless."


    "It¡¯s a case of knowing the face but not the heart; I misjudged him and paid a painful price. Therefore, my willingness to help you this time is partly to repay your kindness to the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, and partly to settle past grievances."


    After a pause, Du Kang continued, "Ji Gang is a very proud person; no matter what it is, he always wants to be the best. For that goal, he is willing to pay any price. I guess that¡¯s why he agreed to work with the God Organization."


    "For what? To be the number one?"


    Du Kang nodded and said, "To my knowledge, Ji Gang once lost badly to someone. After that, he vanished, his whereabouts unknown. It was around that time that he joined the God Organization."


    Ling Chen curiously asked, "Who did he lose to?"


    "That person... even if I told you, you wouldn¡¯t know; for you right now, that person is too far away. However, I can tell you that this person ranks in the top five on the Heavenly List."


    Hearing this, Ling Chen instinctively gasped.


    Top five masters on the Heavenly List!


    Indeed, such people were unreachable for him.


    "Master Du," Ling Chen changed the subject and asked, "What is your rank on the Heavenly List?"


    "Me? I¡¯m simr to Ji Gang, at the bottom. Huaxia has hidden dragons and crouching tigers. A few years ago, there were less than five people on the Heavenly List, but now, it¡¯s already full. This shows how many masters are hidden in Huaxia. In my view, the number of masters on the Heavenly List is definitely more than the ten listed; many just don¡¯t wish toe forward. Ling Chen, you are still young, and there¡¯s great potential ahead of you; as long as you dedicate yourself to practice, a ce on the Heavenly List will eventually have your name."


    Ling Chen hurriedly waved his hand and said, "Master Du, please don¡¯t say that. I¡¯m not ambitious; as long as I canfortably enjoy life, that¡¯s enough. Someone like me is better off staying in the mundane world."


    Du Kang took a sip of his drink and chuckled, shaking his head, "Many things are not for you to decide. Maybe you don¡¯t want to do something, but reality forces you to."


    "Let¡¯s talk about that when the timees. Master Du,e, have a drink!"


    After downing two bowls of Moutai, a flush appeared on Ling Chen¡¯s face, and his eyes grew slightly tipsy.


    Seeing Ling Chen¡¯s condition, Elder Du smiled slightly, "You can¡¯t handle your drink well; you need more practice."


    "That¡¯s true. You¡¯re the Alcohol Immortal, I can hardlypare to you. I can barely handle one bottle of this drink, no more." Upon saying that, Ling Chen suddenly remembered something. Taking advantage of his slight inebriation, he asked, "Elder Du, there¡¯s something I¡¯d like to know. The other day when I went to the Yangxin Pavilion, why did Huang Zheng and Liang Tian rush to take me as their disciple?"


    Du Kang smiled significantly and said, "They rushed to take you as a disciple for their benefit. As for what kind of benefits... you are not a member of the Yangxin Pavilion, so it¡¯s not appropriate for me to tell you. Let¡¯s not talk about it! You didn¡¯t agree to their requests after all, so it¡¯s better not to know about these things. Besides, it¡¯s better you¡¯re not involved, lest you lose your lifeter."

 Chapter 653 - 658 Guidance from a Heavenly List Expert

    <h4>Chapter 653: Chapter 658 Guidance from a Heavenly List Expert</h4>


    "Lost my life?" Ling Chen was stunned and asked in surprise, "Is it that serious?"


    Elder Du solemnly said, "Although Yangxin Pavilion is a part of Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, theplexity of Yangxin Pavilion far surpasses that of Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion. Never underestimate Yangxin Pavilion, there aren¡¯t many people, but the internal strife is extremely severe and very few people truly spend their elderly years there. As the saying goes, the sea of knowledge is boundless, and so is martial arts. With effort, improvement is endless. Especially for older people, they wish even more to reach a higher level and enhance their cultivation."


    "Why?" Ling Chen asked, puzzled, "They are already in their eighties or nies, why do they need to be so fierce? They won¡¯t live much longer anyway."


    Hearing this, Elder Du couldn¡¯t help butugh, shaking his head and saying, "Saying this only shows that you don¡¯t yet understand real masters. When you reach that level, you will naturally understand the reasons." He paused, then without waiting for Ling Chen to speak again, Elder Du changed the subject, "Young man, you have good potential, and if you were under the guidance of a famous master, your progress would be even faster."


    Ling Chen touched his nose and said, "Elder Du, do you mean... I should take Huang Zheng and the others as my masters?"


    "Not at all. I spoke of a famous master, not people like Huang Zheng and Liang Tian. They are eager to take you as their disciple not for your sake, but for their own. If you really take them as your masters, once they get what they want, they will kick you away or carelessly teach you a few martial arts techniques and send you off. Young man, reality is cruel, sometimes don¡¯t think people are so good."


    "Then where should I go to find a famous master?" As soon as the words left his mouth, Ling Chen¡¯s gaze immediately locked onto Elder Du. This old man in front of him was a top ranked master on the Heavenly List, iparably stronger than Huang Zheng and the others¡ªif he isn¡¯t a great master, who is?


    Elder Du intentionally mentioned a famous master, could it be he was thinking... As these thoughts shed through his mind, a fiery look suddenly surged in Ling Chen¡¯s dark pupils. If he could be a disciple of a Heavenly List master, wouldn¡¯t he be able to stride across the world?


    Thinking this, the burning desire in Ling Chen¡¯s eyes grew even stronger, he was almost ready to immediately kneel down in front of Elder Du and kowtow three times to acknowledge him as his master.


    "Um..." Ling Chen suppressed his inner excitement and cautiously asked, "Elder Du, do you already have disciples?"


    "Yes," Elder Du nodded and said, "He is my closed-door disciple." As the words fell, Elder Du seemed to guess what Ling Chen was about to say next and continued, "I only n to take one disciple in this lifetime. It¡¯s hard for me, I¡¯m getting old and don¡¯t have the energy like before."


    Upon hearing this, Ling Chen felt extremely disappointed. He had thought Elder Du was considering taking him as a disciple¡ªs, he was excited for nothing.


    Seeing the look of disappointment in Ling Chen¡¯s eyes, Elder Du put down the wine bowl in his hand and said with a smile, "You are a good young man. If it were ten or so years earlier, I would definitely take you as my disciple, but now I really can¡¯t. Firstly, I don¡¯t have enough energy and secondly, I¡¯ve bezy. If I took you, I would only dy your future¡ªbut..."


    Hearing thest two words, Ling Chen¡¯s eyes brightened, and he hastily asked, "Elder Du, but what?"


    "Although I can¡¯t take you as my disciple, that doesn¡¯t mean I can¡¯t give you some guidance. Today is our second meeting and we clearly have some fate. Since that¡¯s the case, I might as well teach you a Martial Arts Heart Method I created myself."


    "Really?" Ling Chen was overjoyed and immediately stood up from his seat, ready to kneel in front of Elder Du. But just as he was about to kneel, Elder Du waved his hand and two chopsticks shot out from the table, precisely supporting Ling Chen¡¯s legs and preventing his knees from touching the ground.


    Ling Chen was stunned and asked Elder Du, "Elder Du, what is this?"


    "I¡¯m just giving you a bit of guidance, no need for such grand gestures."


    "This..."


    "Don¡¯t be indecisive." Du Kang said with some impatience. "If you dare to kneel down, then I¡¯ll take back my words."


    "Yes, I understand." Ling Chen, fearing that Du Kang would change his mind, quickly stood up and sat back down in the chair, adopting an attentive posture as he looked at Du Kang, waiting for his guidance.


    "My Martial Arts Heart Method is not a conventional mental method. To be precise, it should be considered a unique cultivation technique. Because I was severely injured by Ji Gang, I developed a hidden ailment and had to rely on drinking alcohol daily for treatment. Over time, I devised a mental method that could temporarily stimte the body¡¯s potential and unleash powerful attack strength. However, this method must be used in conjunction with strong alcohol, the stronger the alcohol, the better the effect." Du Kang took a small gourd from his waist and said, "This is purely brewed liquor, very strong. Do you want to try it?"


    Ling Chen nodded and immediately passed his own drinking bowl forward. However, Du Kang smiled and pushed the bowl away, substituting it with a small cup, filling only half of it.


    "This liquor isn¡¯t something your Moutai canpare to. One bowl of this, and you probably wouldn¡¯t be able to handle it. Come on, try it!"


    Ling Chen took the cup with both hands, tilted his head back, and drank the strong liquor in one gulp.


    The liquor passed through his throat, instantly turning into a fierce fire burning inside him, his internal organs felt as turbulent as a flipping river, an indescribably ufortable taste. Moreover, once the liquor reached his stomach, Ling Chen felt his whole body turn red, with heat emanating outward as if he was in a sea of fire. His head felt dizzy, and he just wanted to copse and sleep.


    After several minutes, Ling Chen¡¯s condition began to improve, and hisplexion gradually returned to normal.


    "How do you feel?"


    Looking at the smile on Du Kang¡¯s face, Ling Chen grimaced and said, "Elder Du, your liquor... It¡¯s indescribable, too powerful. If I were to drink more, I probably wouldn¡¯t be able to go back tonight."


    "I told you, you can¡¯t hold your liquor. If you want to learn this heart method, you must improve your drinking capacity. Drink more when you have the chance to strengthen your body¡¯s resistance to alcohol. Only then can you use this method flexibly."


    Saying this, Du Kang handed the small gourd to Ling Chen, saying, "Consider this gourd of liquor a weing gift, use it sparingly and don¡¯t waste it. If you want more in the future, you can find me at the Yangxin Pavilion; I have brewed quite a bit. Since it¡¯s not convenient to carry a lot when going out, I only bring this little to use for emergencies."


    "I understand. Elder Du, I¡¯m grateful for your guidance."


    "You¡¯re wee. Now, let¡¯s continue drinking!"


    They continued drinking until 2 AM, after which Du Kang left satisfied.


    When he returned to the hotel, Ling Chen,pletely inebriated, was toozy to go back, and directly booked a room for himself. Once inside, the aftereffects of the alcohol surged up, and he felt as though he was floating when he walked, seeing numerous double visions. He didn¡¯t even bother to shower; he immediately copsed onto the bed.


    In no time, he fell into a deep sleep.

 Chapter 654 - 659: Rescuing the Porridge Girl (1)

    <h4>Chapter 654: Chapter 659: Rescuing the Porridge Girl (1)</h4>


    The next day.


    Ling Chen, hungover, didn¡¯t wake up until 10 o¡¯clock in the morning.


    Upon checking the time upon awakening, Ling Chen¡¯s face changed, and he immediately jumped out of bed and hurried out of the room.


    Leaving the hotel, Ling Chen got into his car and, while starting the engine, he took out his mobile phone, ready to dial Hu Fei¡¯s number. However, when he took out his phone, Ling Chen found that there were more than ten missed calls, all from Hu Fei, from 7 o¡¯clock in the morning until just now.


    It must have been that little cup of Du Kang¡¯s wine that caused the trouble.


    Ling Chen thought helplessly. He wasn¡¯t a stranger to getting drunk before, but he had never missed hearing his phone ring like this time.


    He dialed Hu Fei¡¯s number, and it only rang once before being picked up.


    "Hey! Where did you run off to? I¡¯ve practically smashed my phone calling you and still no answer," Hu Fei berated him.


    "Ah, drinking and its troubles. Let¡¯s not talk about it. Tell me, what¡¯s the emergency for looking for me?"


    "There¡¯s been trouble at the manor. A few cars suddenly arrived this morning, all entering the manor, and they haven¡¯t left since. I¡¯m worried that Lin Jiawei and his people might be nning to leave East Sea City."


    Hearing this, Ling Chen¡¯s heart rxed. If that was the case, there wasn¡¯t as much reason to worry about Porridge Girl¡¯s safety. If Lin Jiawei wanted to leave East Sea City, he would surely use Porridge Girl as a hostage. So, her safety was temporarily ensured.


    "Fatso, you gather people and head over immediately, I¡¯ll join you in a moment."


    After hanging up, Ling Chen stopped the car and went back to the hotel, nning to call Du Kang for help. However, upon reaching Du Kang¡¯s room, he found itpletely empty, the sheets in perfect order without a single sign of having been slept in.


    Where is he?


    Ling Chen stared nkly, full of surprise. He had definitely booked a room for Du Kangst night and had seen him enter, yet there was no sign of him after just one night. Besides, Du Kang had speciallye to East Sea City to help; if he was leaving, he should at least have said goodbye.


    Ah! What a nuisance.


    Ling Chen, anxious, ran his fingers through his hair and hurried back out of the hotel. With Du Kang missing, he had to find another way.


    Half an hourter, outside a manor in the suburbs of East Sea City, Ling Chen drove his Audi rapidly to the scene. Without even taking the time to close the car door properly, he quickly dashed into a box truck parked by the roadside.


    Inside the truck, Hu Fei and a few other staff members sat in front ofputers, monitoring the surroundings of the manor.


    "Fatso, how is it, have they left yet?" Ling Chen asked urgently.


    "Don¡¯t rush. They haven¡¯t left; they¡¯re all still inside the manor. I sent people over but there¡¯s someone guarding all around the manor. I was afraid of revealing their location, so I didn¡¯t dare let them get too close." As he said this, Hu Fei nced behind Ling Chen and asked, "Why are you alone? Didn¡¯t you say you were bringing backup?"


    Mentioning the backup, a bitter smile appeared on Ling Chen¡¯s face. Du Kang had vanished without a trace, and he didn¡¯t even know where to look for him,cking even a phone number to contact.


    "Never mind the backup; it¡¯s the same whether hees or not. In any case, we need to figure out a way to rescue Porridge Girl." After saying this, Ling Chen looked at the surveince footage on theputer screens, observing the situation around the manor.


    Not long after, the gate of the manor slowly opened, and a Cadic took the lead driving out.


    "They¡¯re leaving!"


    Ling Chen¡¯s heart sank and he said, "We need to find a way to stop them."


    "Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ve been prepared for a while now. I won¡¯t let them escape East Sea City."


    As the first Cadic drove out, it was closely followed by three more Cadics, forming a convoy that sped towards the airport at eighty miles per hour. Hu Fei kept his eyes fixed on the screen, holding a walkie-talkie in his hand.


    As the four Cadics were about to reach the intersection, Hu Fei immediately issuedmands through a walkie-talkie: "Take action!"


    At thatmand, seen through surveince footage, seven or eight vehicles suddenly burst out from all around the crossroads, blocking the Cadics¡¯ driving route. At the same time, several other vehicles came from behind, cutting off their way of retreat.


    With over a dozen cars coborating, all four Cadics were trapped inside, unable to leave.


    "Drive there immediately."


    As Hu Fei¡¯s voice fell, the box truck immediately started moving towards the location of the Cadics.


    "That¡¯s odd."


    Watching the four Cadics on the surveince screen, Ling Chen frowned slightly, feeling a bad hunch.


    "What¡¯s odd?"


    Ling Chen pointed at the monitor and said, "It¡¯s been so long and not a single person has gotten out of the cars. Don¡¯t you find that strange? They should be getting out immediately since they are surrounded, not staying inside." After finishing, Ling Chen spoke gravely, "Fatty, notify everyone to stay alert and tell the people at the manor not to evacuate for now. I¡¯m worried the enemy is trying to draw the tiger away from the mountain."


    "Understood!"


    Soon, the box truck arrived close to the four Cadics.


    Ling Chen pushed open the rear doors of the truck, jumped onto the road, and observed the four Cadics from behind the vehicle. Until now, there was still no sign of movement from the cars.


    Seeing this, Hu Fei issued orders through the walkie-talkie. Two men in western suits got out of a vehicle and cautiously approached one of the Cadics.


    When they got closer, one of the men in suits picked up an iron rod and fiercely smashed it against the car window ss.


    ng!


    With a crisp sound, the window ss shattered instantly. However, at the very moment the ss broke, a dagger suddenly flew out from inside the car, striking the man in the suit directly in the body.


    Seeing this scene, Ling Chen¡¯s face changed abruptly, his body leaned forward quickly, ready to take action for the rescue. However, before he could move, Hu Fei suddenly grabbed his shoulder and shook his head at him, indicating not to move rashly.


    Ling Chen looked at Hu Fei, puzzled, then turned his attention back to the man in the suit.


    Though hit by the dagger, the man in the suit didn¡¯t seem to be in life-threatening danger. He calmly grasped the hilt of the dagger and pulled the de out from his body. The tip of the de had no blood on it, clearly not having prated his flesh.


    "No need to worry about them. I made ample preparations before we came."


    Hearing Hu Fei speak, Ling Chen nodded and then felt relieved.


    At that moment, the man in the suit threw the dagger onto the ground and called out to the people inside the car, "All of you, get out!"


    As his voice faded, the doors of the Cadic finally opened. With the passenger side man descending from the car, Ling Chen¡¯s gaze sharply focused.


    Yi Shuiyan!


    It was him.


    He didn¡¯t expect this guy had actuallye to East Sea City.


    "Be careful!"


    Ling Chen shouted loudly, without hesitation, he quickly started rushing over.


    Even though the men Hu Fei brought were equipped with exoskeleton armor, Yi Shuiyan was no ordinary person¡ªhis strength was such that the exoskeleton armor wouldn¡¯t be much of a deterrent.

 Chapter 655 - 660: Rescuing the Porridge Girl (2)

    <h4>Chapter 655: Chapter 660: Rescuing the Porridge Girl (2)</h4>


    Watching Ling Chen suddenly burst out, a cold light shed in Yi Shuiyan¡¯s eyes. He quickly stepped back to avoid Ling Chen¡¯s assault.


    "Kill them all; leave no one behind!"


    Following Yi Shuiyan¡¯smand, three to four people rushed out of each Cadic, charging toward the men in suits. Seeing this, Hu Fei, who had been watching, sneered and shouted into the inte: "Catch those you can, kill the rest ¨C no need for pleasantries."


    As his words fell, more than a dozen men in suits stepped out of the cars. Together with the two from before, there were exactly twenty.


    "Let¡¯s all charge together and finish those bastards off," Hu Fei bellowed.


    At this moment, Ling Chen¡¯s gaze was fixed on Yi Shuiyan, relentlessly pursuing him. He had let Yi Shuiyan escape in the secret basest time, failing to resolve him. This rare encounter today meant Ling Chen couldn¡¯t easily let go.


    Yi Shuiyan swiftly turned around, brandishing his steel knife and forcing Ling Chen back a few steps.


    "Ling Chen, don¡¯t think you can escape today."


    Hearing this, Ling Chen smiled and replied, "Yi Shuiyan, look around ¨C who exactly can¡¯t escape today, me or you?"


    Yi Shuiyan snorted dismissively, "Do you really think your ragtag bunch can stop us?"


    While speaking, Ling Chen nced around and his pupils shrank. At this moment, he finally understood why Yi Shuiyan was so confident.


    The men Yi Shuiyan brought with him were all Dangyang Sect disciples, each proficient in Martial Arts, unlike ordinary security personnel.


    "Ling Chen, don¡¯t forget, your friend is still in our hands. If you don¡¯t want her to die, you¡¯d better surrender obediently."


    "If you want me to surrender, then let¡¯s see if you¡¯ve got the ability," Ling Chen said. His toes lightly touched the ground, instantly increasing his speed like a gust of wind, pressing Yi Shuiyan in the blink of an eye with a fierce punch that roared out.


    Yi Shuiyan quickly raised his steel knife in defense against Ling Chen¡¯s heavy punch.


    As the fist neared, Ling Chen noticed a sinister smile appearing on Yi Shuiyan¡¯s lips.


    This is bad!


    In a sh, a sense of imminent danger surged in Ling Chen¡¯s heart.


    Without hesitation, he aborted his attack and retreated. As he pulled back, two piercing gusts of wind suddenly attacked, targeting his vital points.


    Fortunately, Ling Chen had sensed the imminent danger early enough to dodge swiftly, thus avoiding injury.


    Having evaded the threat, Ling Chen scanned the area and spotted two middle-aged men, each around fifty, burly with cropped hair, muscles bulging, exuding power.


    Seeing the gravity surfacing on Ling Chen¡¯s face, Yi Shuiyanughed proudly, "Ling Chen, let me introduce you to our Dangyang Sect¡¯s protectors, Wei Bo and Gan Chutian."


    Protectors?


    A heaviness settled in Ling Chen¡¯s heart, his gaze towards the two men growing colder.


    Although they had not yet shed, the aura emanating from the two men indicated that their strength was formidable, likely among the high-ranked masters on the Dragon List.


    As Ling Chen pondered, Yi Shuiyan, Wei Bo, and Gan Chutian closed in step by step, attacking from three different directions, entrapping Ling Chen in the center.


    Feeling the sharp knife wind slicing the air, Ling Chen leaned back, his right leg lifting high in front, kicking precisely at Yi Shuiyan¡¯s wrist, neutralizing the steel knife¡¯s threat.


    At this moment, Wei Bo and Gan Chutian both charged from behind, on either side, with a punch and a palm strike, one external and the other internal, one forceful and one gentle, two different powers violently assailing him.


    Ling Chen turned his head and saw the rapidly approaching enemies, his eyes full of sternness.


    At this point, Wei Bo and Gan Chutian were less than half a meter away from Ling Chen. It was already toote to dodge; the only option was to sh head-on.


    Without hesitation, Ling Chen twisted his body, his hands clenched into steel fists, and he fiercely smashed towards the two men.


    Bang! Bang!


    Apanied by muffled sounds, the three men backed away from each other. However,pared to Wei Bo and Gan Chutian, Ling Chen took five steps back before he could stabilize his footing.


    How strong!


    Ling Chen was shocked, his face filled with astonishment as he looked at Wei Bo and Gan Chutian.


    He had originally thought that these two protectors from the Dangyang Sect were at most masters from the Dragon List, but he had not expected them to be even more formidable than Zhu Jin, the former Sect Leader of Dangyang Sect.


    Seeing Ling Chen at a disadvantage, Yi Shuiyan smiled even more triumphantly,ughing loudly, "Ling Chen, didn¡¯t expect that, did you? I don¡¯t mind telling you, these two protectors are the anchors of our Dangyang Sect. Even my master is respectful in their presence. You think you can handle them... huh! Protectors, on mymand, kill Ling Chen."


    "Yes, Sect Leader."


    Sect Leader? What Sect Leader?


    Ling Chen was momentarily stunned, then immediately realized. The Sect Leader they referred to was none other than Yi Shuiyan. It made sense, after all, with the death of the former Sect Leader Zhu Jin, the Dangyang Sect must have chosen a new leader.


    As Zhu Jin¡¯s direct disciple and a key figure in the Dangyang Sect, aside from being rather young, Yi Shuiyan was indeed the most suitable candidate for Sect Leader.


    No wonder this guy was so confident; he had brought the elite masters of the Dangyang Sect.


    At this moment, the twenty men in suits brought by Hu Fei were engaged in a fierce battle with the disciples of the Dangyang Sect.


    In terms of sheer skill, the twenty security guards trained by Jiang Yunkai were naturally no match for the disciples of the Dangyang Sect. However, with the help of the exoskeleton armor made by Hu Fei, their strength was amplified several times over, making them rival the Dangyang Sect¡¯s disciples in both strength and speed.


    Moreover, thanks to the unique features of the exoskeleton armor, Hu Fei¡¯s men not only avoided defeat but gained the upper hand.


    "Go, smash those bastards."


    Not far away, Hu Fei shouted loudly, cheering on his men.


    "You guys, take care of that fatso." A Dangyang Sect disciple, unable to bear it any longer, directed several Junior Brothers to shift their focus to Hu Fei.


    Seeing them charge over, a tremor went through the fat on Hu Fei¡¯s face, and he hurriedly ran towards the back. However, his bulky figure was far too slowpared to the Dangyang Sect disciples.


    In no time, Hu Fei was caught up by the disciples of the Dangyang Sect, with no escape routes left.


    Seeing the steel sword thrusting towards his head, Hu Fei was frightened, his face turning pale as he desperately pleaded, "Don¡¯t, don¡¯t kill me... I..."


    ng!


    Suddenly, a crisp sound rang out, and the steel sword snapped in two, with the tip falling to the ground.


    Seeing this scene, the Dangyang Sect disciples were stunned, staring dumbfounded at Hu Fei, their faces filled with disbelief.

 Chapter 656 - 661: Rescue Porridge Girl (3)

    <h4>Chapter 656: Chapter 661: Rescue Porridge Girl (3)</h4>


    Facing their shocked stares, Hu Fei let out a smug chuckle, lifted his head proudly, and crooked his finger at several Dangyang Sect disciples, provocatively saying, "Come on, if you¡¯ve got the guts, keeping at me. Like I¡¯m scared of you guys."


    Upon hearing this, the faces of those Dangyang Sect disciples immediately turned exceedingly grim, and they said in a deep voice: "Let¡¯s all attack together; I refuse to believe this fat pig is that incredible."


    As soon as these words were spoken, everyone flicked their wrists, and their long swords thrust straight at Hu Fei¡¯s vital points. The three long swords converged from above, below, and straight ahead, almost leaving Hu Fei no room to fight back. Plus, Hu Fei was just an ordinary person and didn¡¯t know martial arts. Seeing the three long swordsing at him, he had no idea how to dodge and could only watch helplessly as the sword tips drew closer.


    But at that moment, an eerie smile suddenly appeared on Hu Fei¡¯s chubby face.


    Seeing that smile, for some reason, the Dangyang Sect disciples suddenly felt an intense unease.


    Boom!


    Suddenly, there was a loud bang from Hu Fei¡¯s body, like fireworks exploding, and thick smoke billowed from his arms, instantly shrouding his figure.


    With the appearance of the smoke, the Dangyang Sect disciples immediately lost sight of Hu Fei in their vision.


    Where is he?


    Just as they were bewildered, arge suddenly fell from above, trapping all of them inside it. Taken by surprise, the Dangyang Sect disciples immediately struggled. However, the more they thrashed, the tighter the wound around them, making it impossible to escape.


    "Hehe!" A smugugh came, drawing the attention of the Dangyang Sect disciples straight to Hu Fei.


    At this time, Hu Fei walked out from the other side, a wicked grin on his plump face, and said: "Little guys, you really thought you could bully me that easily?" With that, he pulled open his cor and revealed the exoskeleton armor he was wearing underneath, proudlyughing and boasting, "I knew it wasn¡¯t safe, so I prepared a suit of exoskeleton armor for myself. Come on, let¡¯s see how powerful this suit is."


    After speaking, Hu Fei lifted his right arm towards the Dangyang Sect disciples caught in the.


    In an instant, several cold glints flew out, piercing through the bodies of those Dangyang Sect disciples.


    Looking at the Dangyang Sect disciples who fell to the ground and couldn¡¯t get up, Hu Fei snorted haughtily, raised his head proudly, and turned to walk towards the battle that was still unresolved.


    More than ten minutes had passed, and the battle between the two sides had reached a fever pitch. Both sides suffered injuries, but Hu Fei¡¯s side had gained a slight advantage. Although they didn¡¯t kill many, they captured quite a few Dangyang Sect disciples.


    Hu Fei surveyed the battlefield, his mouth brimming with a joyous smile. This exoskeleton armor, after his modifications, had several added features. One of them, the fis, was an unexpected piece of equipment. This fis was made from a special material that was both light and soft, yet extremely tough and hard to cut with ordinary swords.


    Earlier, it was with this fis that they had captured quite a few Dangyang Sect disciples.


    "Boss."


    At this moment, a young man hurriedly jumped down from a box truck, saying anxiously, "Boss, something¡¯s wrong."


    Hu Fei turned his head to look at the young man, displeased, and said, "What are you making a fuss for?"


    "Boss, there¡¯s movement at the mansion."


    "What?" Hu Fei¡¯s expression changed, and he rushed into the box truck, staring at the surveince footage on theputer screen.


    At this moment, a Mercedes-Benz sedan drove out of the mansion and elerated in the opposite direction.


    "Damn it!" Hu Fei said solemnly, "They¡¯re trying to escape. Quick, drive and catch up, tell the people near the mansion to block that car; don¡¯t let them get away."


    Having said that, Hu Fei quickly jumped into the vehicle, and yelled towards Ling Chen who was still inbat: "Ling Chen, Lin Jiawei is trying to escape."


    Hearing Hu Fei¡¯s shout, Ling Chen abruptly turned his head and looked towards the waving Hu Fei, his brow instantly furrowing.


    Lin Jiawei is trying to escape!


    His guess was right; Yi Shuiyan and the others¡¯ appearance was merely to distract their target, and then to draw the tiger away from the mountain, allowing Lin Jiawei to escape from East Sea City with ease.


    Thinking of this, Ling Chen nced at Wei Bo and Gan Chutian who were closing in, lightly tapped his toes, and vaulted over their heads, stepping on the roof of a Cadic and rushing towards Hu Fei¡¯s position.


    "Quick, drive."


    At this moment, Hu Fei, sitting in the passenger seat, urged loudly.


    The driver didn¡¯t dare to dy, quickly turned the van around, stepped on the elerator, and drove rapidly towards the direction of the manor.


    At this time, Ling Chen had already pushed his speed to the limit, weaving through the crowd. Seeing the van gaining speed, Ling Chen gathered all his strength into his legs, and with a powerful push, his hands immediatelytched onto the tailgate of the van.


    "Don¡¯t run!"


    Yi Shuiyan and the other two, seeing Ling Chen speeding away, hurriedly quickened their steps to follow closely behind.


    "Drive faster, even faster..."


    Hu Fei, looking through the rear-view mirror at the pursuing Yi Shuiyan, Wei Bo, and Gan Chutian, kept urging.


    As the van¡¯s speed increased, the distance between it and Yi Shuiyan¡¯s trio quickly widened.


    Seeing this situation, Ling Chen, hanging off the van¡¯s rear door, let out a sigh of relief, having finally shaken off those guys.


    The three from Yi Shuiyan were indeed formidable, but although Ling Chen couldn¡¯t handle them, they also couldn¡¯t injure him.


    Two minutester, the van finally arrived outside the manor. However, the manor¡¯s gates were wide open, already devoid of people.


    "They¡¯re up ahead."


    The passenger, Hu Fei, pointed forward and shouted loudly.


    Ling Chen looked up and only saw a Mercedes sedan parked in the middle of the road, blocked by two other vehicles. However, around the cary seven or eight people, covered in blood, either lifeless or passed out.


    At this moment, in the midst of those seven or eight people, a man with his hands behind his back, sporting a mocking smile, looked down at the people at his feet, then turned and walked towards the Mercedes.


    Seeing the man¡¯s face, Ling Chen¡¯s eyebrows raised, and an inexplicable sense of crisis filled his heart.


    He did not recognize the man, but just one nce was enough to send a shiver up from the soles of his feet.


    This person... must be no ordinary individual!


    As Ling Chen observed the man, thetter also noticed the approaching van.


    Seeing the van nearly reaching him, Ling Chen patted the cargo hold, then ran over the top of the van, leapt to the ground, and looked at the strange man.


    "Ling Chen?" The other party looked at Ling Chen, a smirk ying at the corners of his mouth.


    "Who are you?"


    "Lin Tong."


    "Lin Tong?" Hearing the other person¡¯s self-introduction, Ling Chen frowned, filled with doubt.


    Another Lin... Howe the God Organization has so many people surnamed Lin.


    By now, being closer, Ling Chen could roughly make out Lin Tong¡¯s age¡ªabout twenty-seven or twenty-eight, still a young and handsome youth.


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 657 - 662: Rescuing the Porridge Girl (4)

    <h4>Chapter 657: Chapter 662: Rescuing the Porridge Girl (4)</h4>


    "Where is porridge girl, hand her over."


    Mr. Lin pointed at the Mercedes-Benz and said indifferently, "The person you¡¯re looking for is inside the car, but it depends on whether you have the ability to take her away." As he spoke, Mr. Lin¡¯s tone shifted, looking meaningfully at Ling Chen, "I¡¯ve heard about you for a long time. They say you¡¯re skilled, ranking first on the Neer List. I¡¯ve always wanted to find an opportunity to test my skills against yours, but there was never a chance. Now that you¡¯re here, let¡¯s see how capable you are."


    With that, Mr. Lin raised his hand and beckoned Ling Chen with a finger, his face full of provocation.


    Ling Chen frowned slightly at Mr. Lin¡¯s mocking smile, turned his head to look at Hu Fei inside the van, and gestured for him to retreat, signaling him to leave quickly.


    Not to mention how formidable Mr. Lin was, there was also Ji Gang, a master from the Heavenly List in that Mercedes. Ling Chen knew Hu Fei and the others staying there would only increase their peril.


    Hu Fei was quite cooperative; upon seeing Ling Chen¡¯s gesture, he immediately urged the driver to reverse.


    However, a ¡¯ng ng¡¯ sound suddenly came from above the vehicle. Before Hu Fei could react, Yi Shuiyan leaped down from the front of the vehicle,nding behind Ling Chen. Along with him, Wei Bo and Gan Chutian also followed. With their addition, Ling Chen was immediately besieged by four men, plunging into an extremely dangerous situation.


    Seeing this, Hu Fei, seated in the passenger seat, could not help but worry about Ling Chen¡¯s safety.


    "Ling Chen, I¡¯d like to see where you could flee today," Yi Shuiyan said with a coldugh.


    Facing the four menacing men, Ling Chen was calm and collected, though the pressure on him surged. Dealing with just Mr. Lin was already uncertain, let alone now with the addition of Yi Shuiyan and the other two, he was undoubtedly in a perilous situation.


    "Mr. Lin, if you don¡¯t mind, why not let us handle Ling Chen?" Yi Shuiyan spoke politely, his tone very courteous yet with a hint of respect. Clearly, Mr. Lin had a not-so-low status in the God Organization. Otherwise, with Yi Shuiyan¡¯s arrogance, he would never use such a respectful title for a peer.


    Mr. Lin indifferently said, "I did want to see the skills of the top ranker on the Neer List, but since you want to make a move, I shall let you."


    "Ling Chen, you murdered the Sect Leader of Dangyang Sect. Today, I must kill you to avenge the Sect Leader."


    Hearing Wei Bo¡¯s ice-cold voice, Ling Chen was momentarily stunned, then turned to look at him, "I¡¯m saying, could you have made a mistake? Zhu Jin wasn¡¯t killed by me. He was already dead when I found him. If you wish to frame someone, you need evidence. Don¡¯t nder me randomly."


    Gan Chutian snorted, "Could he be wrong? Ling Chen, I didn¡¯t expect you to be such a despicable, shameless wretch, daring to act but not own up, still making excuses at this point. When you killed Zhu Jin, Shuiyan saw it all with his own eyes. He is Zhu Jin¡¯s Direct Disciple, would he lie?"


    Yi Shuiyan?


    Ling Chen was startled, his gaze filled with astonishment as he looked at Yi Shuiyan, who was actually pinning the murder of Zhu Jin on him.


    In the blink of an eye, Ling Chen nced at Wei Bo and Gan Chutian, asking, "Are you two here to avenge Zhu Jin?"


    "That¡¯s right! You killed our Sect Leader, and that makes you the enemy of Dangyang Sect. If we don¡¯t kill you, how can Dangyang Sect continue to hold a ce in the Martial Arts world?"


    "That¡¯s trulyughable," Ling Chen shook his head and said, "Dangyang Sect is already colluding with the God Organization, and yet you still care about your reputation in the Martial Arts world. I really don¡¯t know where you get your courage from."


    As his words fell, seeing Gan Chutian preparing to speak again, Ling Chen waved his hand dismissively, speaking with impatience, "Enough! Quit your thering. I don¡¯t know what Yi Shuiyan told you, but what I can tell you is that Zhu Jin wasn¡¯t killed by me; on the contrary, Zhu Jin died at the hands of his most cherished disciple."


    "Nonsense!" Yi Shuiyan bellowed angrily: "Ling Chen, how dare you nder me."


    With a sneer, Ling Chen said, "nder? Have I ndered you? Yi Shuiyan, do you really think that your deeds are unknown to others? That day at the base, after you killed Zhu Jin, you left his body there and just walked away. But you probably didn¡¯t expect that I would find Zhu Jin¡¯s body. I examined his body and discovered a fatal wound in his abdomen, pierced by a steel knife. At that time, only you were with Zhu Jin. Besides you wielding a steel knife, who else could it be?" As he said this, Ling Chen looked at Wei Bo and Gan Chutian and continued, "I knew Yi Shuiyan would not admit it, so I took the liberty of photographing Zhu Jin¡¯s body, intending to keep it as evidence. If you don¡¯t believe me, I can show you the photos."


    Yi Shuiyan¡¯s face darkened as he said, "Ling Chen, you think we would believe your tall tales? What can a photo prove? With current technology, any kind of photo can be fabricated. Protectors, don¡¯t believe his words, he¡¯s trying to sow discord."


    "Enough!" Lin Tong said coldly from the side: "If you¡¯re going to fight, just get on with it. I don¡¯t have time to waste with you."


    Hearing this, Yi Shuiyan said no more, wielding the steel knife in his hand and quickly charging at Ling Chen, raising the knife over his head and striking down towards him.


    However, just at that moment, the door of the Mercedes car suddenly swung open. Right after, porridge girl was seen stepping out from the back seat.


    Seeing porridge girl emerge, Ling Chen let out a breath of relief and hurried to greet her, calling out her name. Yet, before he reached the Mercedes sedan, he stopped in his tracks, his gaze intense as he saw Ji Gang following behind porridge girl.


    Lin Tong looked at Ji Gang in surprise and asked, "Mr. Ji, why did youe down? Don¡¯t worry, leave this to us to handle."


    Ji Gang nced around, seemingly indifferent to Lin Tong¡¯s words, and spoke to himself, "Since you¡¯re here, there¡¯s no need to hide. Come on out."


    As his voice faded, a faint scent of alcohol suddenly permeated the air, drifting towards everyone present.


    Smelling the rich fragrance of the liquor, Ling Chen¡¯s spirits were lifted, and he excitedly scanned the surroundings.


    Du Kang!


    It was Du Kang who had arrived.


    Ling Chen quietly breathed a sigh of relief; he thought Du Kang had disappeared, but unexpectedly, he would appear at this critical moment.


    "Old Man Ji, long time no see."


    That familiar voice rose, and Ling Chen looked up to see Du Kang sitting on top of a wall, holding a liquor gourd in his hand. His wrinkled face was flushed, and the corners of his mouth still had traces of wine spills.


    "Elder Du!"


    Hearing Ling Chen¡¯s shout, Du Kang smiled and nodded, saying, "Sorry about that, I had somethinge upst night, I saw that you were sleeping deeply, so I didn¡¯t wake you up."


    After finishing his words, Du Kang looked at Ji Gang and said, "Old Man Ji, do you still remember this old friend of mine?"


    With an expressionless face, Ji Gang replied, "Du Kang, so many years without meeting, hope you¡¯ve been well."


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 658 - 663: Rescue Porridge Girl (5)

    <h4>Chapter 658: Chapter 663: Rescue Porridge Girl (5)</h4>


    Du Kang swayed the wine gourd in his hand and said, "Thanks to you, I¡¯ve lived so many years without dying."


    "What are you doing here today? Could it be that you want to stick up for that kid?" Ji Gang coldly said.


    "Old Man Ji, for the sake of our past friendship, do me a favor and let the girl go. If you¡¯ve got issues, direct them at me."


    "You?" Ji Gang sneered coldly. "Du Kang, this is a personal grudge between the God Organization and Ling Chen. The Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion better not meddle. Otherwise, don¡¯t me me for being rude."


    Du Kang smiled faintly, vaulted over the surrounding wall, and strode towards Ji Gang, saying as he walked, "Do you think I¡¯d be scared? Besides, the grievances between the God Organization and the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion are there for all to see. It¡¯s only right for me toe and stir up trouble."


    "Hmph! It seems today¡¯s battle is inevitable. Good, it¡¯s been many years since we¡¯ve crossed hands. I want to see how much you¡¯ve progressed in these years." With that, Ji Gang pushed the porridge girl towards Lin Tong who was nearby, instructing, "Keep a close watch on her. If she dares resist, kill her on the spot."


    As soon as he finished speaking, Ji Gang¡¯s toes lightly touched the ground, and his body instantly vanished from the spot.


    "Du Kang, since you want to fight, thene with me."


    Looking towards the direction where Ji Gang¡¯s voice came from, Du Kang didn¡¯t say another word, leaned forward, and quickly chased after. Before leaving, Du Kang nced at Ling Chen. Although he said nothing, his concern was evident in his gaze.


    As Du Kang and Ji Gang left, Ling Chen involuntarily took a deep breath. Du Kang had sessfully drawn Ji Gang away; his mission was nowplete. It was time for him to take care of the rest.


    "Do you feel disappointed?"


    Hearing Lin Tong¡¯s mocking voice, Ling Chen asked puzzledly, "Why should I be disappointed?"


    "You specifically invited Du Kang here, hoping he could help rescue your friend, right? But now, whether he¡¯s here or not, it¡¯s the same. Even if Mr. Ji isn¡¯t here, don¡¯t think you can take someone away from me." As he spoke, Lin Tong¡¯s eyes shifted to Yi Shuiyan beside him and said, "I¡¯ll give you a chance. Kill Ling Chen. As long as he dies, I¡¯ll groom you in the future, turning the Dangyang Sect into a leading figure in the martial arts world of Huaxia."


    With these words, Yi Shuiyan¡¯s eyes suddenly lit up, exuding an intense sharpness.


    "Mr. Lin, rest assured, today I will definitely spill Ling Chen¡¯s blood right here."


    Yi Shuiyan gripped the steel knife firmly, his eyes brimming with immense confidence. Of course, this confidencergely came from the presence of Wei Bo and Gan Chutian beside him. Without these two, he had no assurance of defeating Ling Chen.


    "Ling Chen, run, don¡¯t worry about me!"


    Seeing Yi Shuiyan and the two others closing in on Ling Chen, the restrained porridge girl couldn¡¯t help speaking out, her beautiful eyes filled with worry. She didn¡¯t want anything to happen to Ling Chen. If he died trying to save her, she would never forgive herself.


    Ling Chen nced at the porridge girl nearby, his lips slightly curling into a faint smile, and he gently nodded, saying, "Don¡¯t worry about me, I¡¯ll be fine."


    "All right, no more wasting time. I¡¯m in a hurry."


    Upon hearing Lin Jiawei¡¯s voice emanating from the Mercedes sedan, Yi Shuiyan didn¡¯t hesitate anymore. With a tap of his foot, he gripped the knife handle with both hands, raised the steel knife high above his head, and swung it straight at Ling Chen¡¯s head.


    At the same time, Wei Bo and Gan Chutian, one on each side, closely followed Yi Shuiyan inunching their attacks.


    Facing the attack from three sides, Ling Chen stood quietly in ce, his back straight as a javelin, his dark pupils calm and indifferent, showing no trace of fear.


    "Kill!"


    With a light shout, Ling Chen clenched his fists, unstoppable as a bamboo split, charging directly towards Yi Shuiyan.


    However, at that moment, something suddenly flew through the air, aimed straight for the top of Yi Shuiyan¡¯s head.


    This sudden change instantly drew everyone¡¯s attention. Yi Shuiyan looked up, his face showing a hint of confusion as he tried to determine whether the object posed a threat. Just then, with a slight sound, the object split in the middle, turning into a made of fishtail silk and falling towards Yi Shuiyan¡¯s head from above.


    Seeing this, Yi Shuiyan¡¯s face changed abruptly, and he quickly turned to escape to the left. However, the, with a coverage area of five meters, left Yi Shuiyan no chance to escape in such a short time.


    As expected, as the fell, Yi Shuiyan¡¯s entire body was wrapped in it. Moreover, the strands of the wereced with sharp, tiny fish hooks.


    In an instant, Yi Shuiyan¡¯s body was caught by the fish hooks, the tightly adhering to his body, rendering him unable to break free.


    If it was just one hook it would be bearable, but the agony from dozens of hooksbined was beyond what an ordinary person could endure.


    Ah!


    Feeling the pain, Yi Shuiyan roared, his hands rapidly rising, wielding a steel knife to split the entire in two. Although the was made of special material resistant to des, Yi Shuiyan, a high-ranked person on the Dragon List, could ovee it with his powerful Inner Strength, challenging the durability of the.


    However, as he broke free from the, the fish hooks detached from his body, leaving behind numerous wounds, blood streaming, hardly a spot on his body left unscarred.


    Driven by the pain, Yi Shuiyan¡¯s face contorted even more ferociously, wishing he could disembowel Ling Chen immediately, perhaps only that might quell the hatred in his heart.


    Seeing Yi Shuiyan¡¯s furious gaze, Ling Chen immediately waved his hand and pointed to Hu Fei not far away, saying, "Don¡¯t me me, it was him who made the move, it has nothing to do with me."


    Hearing this, Yi Shuiyan¡¯s head turned, his cold gaze instantly locking onto Hu Fei.


    Hu Fei secretly spat, his chubby face bearing a stiff smile, he gradually stepped back, trying to escape Yi Shuiyan¡¯s icy stare.


    "I¡¯ll kill you!"


    Unable to control his rage, Yi Shuiyan roared, brandishing his steel knives and striding forward, rapidly rushing towards Hu Fei, intending to ughter him under his de.


    However, before Yi Shuiyan could get close to Hu Fei, a figure suddenly shed by, instantly blocking his path.


    "Your opponent is me, as long as I¡¯m alive, you won¡¯t touch a hair on him." After saying this, Ling Chen looked back and said to Hu Fei, "What are you stunned for, hurry and go."


    Hu Fei nodded, dropping a ¡¯be careful yourself¡¯, and immediately ran to the passenger side of the box truck, urging the driver to start the vehicle and leave.


    Hu Fei had already left, but worrying about Ling Chen being left behind alone, he returned the way he came, hoping to offer Ling Chen some help.


    Seeing the box truck drive away, Yi Shuiyan finally couldn¡¯t contain his fury any longer, raising his knife and shing towards Ling Chen.

 Chapter 659 - 664 Fierce Battle with Lin Tong (1)

    <h4>Chapter 659: Chapter 664 Fierce Battle with Lin Tong (1)</h4>


    Seeing the steel knife chopping down, Ling Chen didn¡¯t dodge or avoid; he stretched both hands forward, palms meeting the de of the steel knife. Almost in an instant, Ling Chen¡¯s hands mped down on the steel knife. Then, he led with both hands, using softness to counter hardness, his Inner Strength pouring through his palms into the de, gently pushing it aside.


    Suddenly, driven by the force¡¯s inertia, Yi Shuiyan staggered, his body leaning forward, almost falling to the ground.


    "Be careful!"


    Suddenly, Wei Bo¡¯s voice came from behind. Yi Shuiyan quickly turned his head, only to see Ling Chenunching a kick, fiercely striking his buttocks. Impacted by that strong force, the just-stabilized Yi Shuiyan was immediately sent flying, crashing heavily to the ground, his forehead bruising with purple and blue.


    Seeing Ling Chen mock and humiliate the new Sect Leader of Dangyang Sect in such a manner, Wei Bo and Gan Chutian immediately became enraged.


    Seeing the two charge at him, Ling Chen nced over, noticing the steel knife falling from Yi Shuiyan¡¯s hand, casually picking it up and chopping it towards Wei Bo¡¯s body.


    A sharp knife edge approached, and Wei Bo¡¯s face changed with shock, not daring to sh directly, he swiftly retreated to avoid the fatal steel knife.


    Having repelled Wei Bo, Ling Chen twisted his wrist, the de edge quickly changing position, targeting Gan Chutian to his right.


    Watching the steel knife cleave towards him, Gan Chutian had no intention of evading; instead, he stretched out both hands, striking from both sides, attempting to mp the de just as Ling Chen had done before.


    As Gan Chutian¡¯s palms touched the de, Ling Chen felt a subtle forceing through, immediately interrupting the momentum of the knife chop. Seeing this, Ling Chen flipped his wrist, the de rotating, slipping away from Gan Chutian¡¯s grip.


    At that moment, the de edge was mere centimeters from Gan Chutian, with no obstruction, the steel knife drove forward forcefully, chopping down fiercely.


    As the de drew closer, Gan Chutian¡¯s face finally changed. If this strikended, he would definitely not escape unscathed.


    Drawing on his rich experience, the moment the de fell, Gan Chutian forcibly twisted his torso, his upper body swaying slightly. Instantly, blood sttered, the sharp de edge directly cut into Gan Chutian¡¯s shoulder, severing his entire right arm.


    Ah!


    Apanied by a painful scream, Gan Chutian fell to the ground, clutching the site of his severed limb, his face pale, his forehead beaded with cold sweat, enduring the pain without crying out loud.


    Seeing this scene, Wei Bo was instantly horrified, rushing over in a flurry to help Gan Chutian up from the ground and then shielded him behind his back to prevent Ling Chen from taking Gan Chutian¡¯s life.


    "Ling... Ling Chen, you... remember this, today¡¯s vengeance of a severed arm, I will surely repay a hundredfold another day," Gan Chutian said through gritted teeth.


    Ling Chen shrugged, replying indifferently, "Suit yourself, I have no shortage of enemies, one more won¡¯t make a difference. But if you daree again, it won¡¯t be just losing an arm, and next time don¡¯t forget to prepare a coffin for yourself."


    "You..."


    "Enough!" Lin Tong, who had been watching from the side, spoke up sharply: "A bunch of good-for-nothings, utterly useless, can¡¯t even kill a greenhorn, looks like I have to handle this myself."


    Saying this, Lin Tong pushed the porridge girl toward Wei Bo, giving a coldmand, "Take good care of her. If you can¡¯t even watch a person, I¡¯ll kill you first, then him."


    Watching Lin Tong approaching, Ling Chen¡¯s expression became grave. Although he did not know Lin Tong¡¯s true strength, the imposing aura emanating from Lin Tong felt very familiar; it was the presence that only high-ranking Earthly List experts possessed.


    Throughout this period, with Su He¡¯s guidance, although there has not been a significant increase in Ling Chen¡¯s power, his control over techniques has be much more skilled. Relying on his control of Inner Strength, below the Earthly List, there was hardly any expert he was not daring enough to confront, just like Wei Bo and Gan Chutian earlier. These two were Dragon List masters, and their strength was not much weaker than Zhu Jin¡¯s. Despite that, the two of them joined forces but still could not kill Ling Chen; instead, Ling Chen severed Gan Chutian¡¯s right arm.


    However, there is only a one-word difference between the Dragon and Earthly Lists, but the gap in strength is as wide as the difference between clouds and mud, apletely different realm. Moreover, Ling Chen seemed tock any experience in crossing hands with experts from the Earthly List.


    "Ling Chen, be careful of his fingers, make sure you don¡¯t let him touch you."


    At that moment, Porridge Girl¡¯s voice reached Ling Chen¡¯s ears.


    Upon hearing Porridge Girl¡¯s warning, Ling Chen immediately focused his attention on Lin Tong¡¯s ten fingers.


    Indeed, Lin Tong¡¯s fingers looked ordinary, but they were actually somewhat abnormal. The fingers of a normal person would be the same color as their skin, but Lin Tong¡¯s fingers exuded a faint ink-like darkness. If it were not for the Porridge Girl¡¯s reminder, he would not have noticed this detail at all.


    Not to be touched by Lin Tong¡¯s fingers.


    Thinking of Porridge Girl¡¯s words, a hint of doubt appeared in Ling Chen¡¯s heart, not understanding the meaning behind her words.


    Seeing Ling Chen deep in thought, Porridge Girl spoke again, "The martial arts he cultivates is... Ah!"


    Her words were cut off mid-sentence when a sudden cry of pain escaped her, blood spewing from her mouth.


    As Porridge Girl was speaking, Wei Bonded a palm on her back, interrupting her.


    "You¡¯d better shut up," Wei Bo said coldly.


    Lin Tong cast an approving nce at Wei Bo, then shifted his gaze back to Ling Chen, saying, "For our fight to proceed fairly, it would be best if she speaks less, don¡¯t you agree?"


    "Fair?" Ling Chen snorted lightly, "To speak of fairness with me, a grand Earthly List expert. I always thought I had thick skin, but it seems yours is even thicker. Enough! Cut the crap, if you¡¯re going to fight, then make your move. I don¡¯t have so much time to waste with you."


    Lin Tong nodded, stepping closer to Ling Chen, step by step. When they were less than five meters apart, Lin Tong stopped, looked up and stared straight at Ling Chen¡¯s face, not moving an inch.


    Seeing the other¡¯s actions, Ling Chen didn¡¯t dare to be careless, his body slightly tilted, turning to the right side, his right hand gripping the hilt of his steel knife, ready to strike at any moment.


    After staring at each other for more than ten seconds, the motionless Lin Tong finally stretched out his hand.


    Looking at those five fingers tinged with an ink-like darkness, a sense of heaviness fell upon Ling Chen¡¯s heart, feeling extremely uneasy as if he had detected a whiff of danger.


    Porridge Girl¡¯s several mentions of Lin Tong¡¯s fingers suggested that his cultivated martial arts were rted to his fingers. If he could just guard against those fingers during the uing exchange, he might be safer.


    A gust of wind blew by, and Ling Chen only saw a flickering shadow, as Lin Tong appeared instantly in front of him. Before Ling Chen could react, Lin Tong¡¯s index finger was already thrusting toward his face, rapidly erging in his pupils.


    Just as that finger was about to make contact, the steel knife in Ling Chen¡¯s hand finally moved.


    With the slicing of the knife¡¯s wind, it ferociously chopped down towards Lin Tong¡¯s right arm.

 Chapter 660 - 665: Fierce Battle with Lin Tong (2)

    <h4>Chapter 660: Chapter 665: Fierce Battle with Lin Tong (2)</h4>


    Lin Tong¡¯s fingers were fast, but Ling Chen¡¯s steel saber wasn¡¯t slow either.


    If Lin Tong didn¡¯t withdraw his hand, even if he managed to hit Ling Chen¡¯s body, his own arm would be ruined. A high-ranked martial artist of the Earthly List would certainly not risk his body carelessly.


    As expected!


    Seeing the steel saber chop down, Lin Tong immediately pulled back his fingers and stepped back, increasing the distance between the two.


    However, Ling Chen did not let go of such a good opportunity. As Lin Tong retreated, he strode forward, lifting the steel saber high above his head and shing down towards Lin Tong¡¯s crown.


    Feeling the strong gust of winding towards him, Lin Tong took another step backward.


    Yet, what Lin Tong overlooked was a very important point. Ling Chen¡¯s strength had already reached the stage where Inner Strength could be projected outward. Even with a gap as narrow as the width of a finger, the concentrated Qi Force could still inflict injury on Lin Tong¡¯s body.


    Hiss!


    Suddenly, Lin Tong¡¯s chest was riven by a sharp Qi Force, leaving a ten-centimeter-long rip in his clothes with a red mark clearly visible on his skin.


    Unfortunately, Ling Chen¡¯s Power was still a littlecking; otherwise, even if the blow wouldn¡¯t take Lin Tong¡¯s life, it could have severely wounded him.


    Seeing the torn cloth on his chest, Lin Tong¡¯s face immediately revealed a cold and harsh expression, his eyes bursting with a chilling coldness and a surging intent to kill.


    "Good! You do have some skills. It looks like I need to take this seriously."


    With these words, Lin Tong tapped the ground with one foot and leaped high from his position, swooping down like a great roc spreading its wings, his index finger aiming straight for Ling Chen¡¯s brow.


    The same move again!


    Ling Chen flicked his wrist, and the sharp edge of the saber swiftly cut through the air, targeting Lin Tong¡¯s arm. He realized Lin Tong¡¯s deadliest technique was nothing but his ten fingers. As long as he could restrict those fingers, he would prevent Lin Tong from getting close. The rest... he could only hope Du Kang would prevail.


    First, he needed to hold Lin Tong at bay. As long as Du Kang defeated Ji Gang and returned to reinforce him, all difficulties could be smoothly resolved. However, what Ling Chen currently worried about was whether Du Kang could win at all.


    In the midst of his contemtion, Lin Tong¡¯s figure had already closed in. Ling Chen did not back down, brandishing his steel saber and bringing it down with a fierce wind.


    However, just then, Lin Tong suddenly changed his tactic, lightly tapping the de with his index finger. In a sh, Ling Chen felt a powerful force strike the saber, causing his wrist to uncontrolledly deviate to the side, narrowly missing Lin Tong¡¯s body.


    This move from Lin Tong took Ling Chen by surprise; he had not expected the other¡¯s fingers to contain such formidable strength.


    At this moment, there was no time for further thought. Lin Tong¡¯s fingers kept tapping the de, the force transmitting through the saber into Ling Chen¡¯s wrist, making his whole arm feel numb.


    Seeing this, Ling Chen decided to let go of the saber with his right hand. As he made this movement, he also twisted his waist. Before the steel saber hit the ground, his left hand had already caught the hilt, and following the rotation of his waist, the saber swung like a giant windmill, viciously aiming for Lin Tong¡¯s neck.


    If this strikended, Lin Tong¡¯s head would surely be severed from his body.


    Confronted by Lin Tong¡¯s formidable strength, Ling Chen did not hold back at all, exerting his full strength, with all his Power converging on his left arm.


    Just when the de of the steel saber was less than two centimeters from Lin Tong¡¯s neck, the de suddenly came to a halt.


    Ling Chen looked intently, his face instantly turning pale.


    Ling Chen could only stare in disbelief as Lin Tong¡¯s fingers actually managed to grip the de of the sword.


    This... Ling Chen¡¯s face was filled with disbelief as he gazed at Lin Tong¡¯s two fingers.


    This is way too freakish!


    He could actually use two fingers to block his steel sword; were these even human fingers? Though Lin Tong was an Earthly List master, his strength was only at the bottom among those ranked on the Earthly List, and the gap between them wasn¡¯t this terrifying.


    At that moment, Ling Chen finally understood why the porridge girl had warned him to be wary of his fingers. This fellow¡¯s ten fingers must have undergone many years of arduous training to possess such formidable strength.


    While contemting, Lin Tong flicked his fingers, instantly causing Ling Chen¡¯s arm to be stretched out, and his body involuntarily pulled towards Lin Tong. Being dragged by that force, Ling Chen had no choice but to let go of his steel sword and jump back to avoid being hit by Lin Tong¡¯s fingers.


    However, having lost his steel sword, Ling Chen¡¯s position undoubtedly became more perilous.


    Hmph!


    Lin Tong sneered, casually tossing the steel sword behind him, and then began walking toward Ling Chen.


    Facing Ling Chen, who was now without his steel sword, Lin Tong didn¡¯t seem the least bit cautious, moving with a light step,pletely undeterred by Ling Chen¡¯s presence.


    As Lin Tong kept advancing step by step, Ling Chen had no choice but to retreat, quickly considering his options.


    "Ling Chen!"


    Suddenly, a familiar voice rang out. Ling Chen turned to look and saw Yi Shuiyan, who had somehow risen from the ground, picked up his steel sword, and swung it down.


    However, Yi Shuiyan¡¯s attack was not aimed at Ling Chen, but at the porridge girl, who was under Wei Bo¡¯s control.


    Seeing the sharp de about to fall on porridge girl¡¯s body, Ling Chen¡¯s expression changed drastically, he promptly shouted, "Don¡¯t!" As he spoke, he lightly tapped his toes on the ground, instantly elerating to his maximum speed, and charged towards where porridge girl was.


    But before Ling Chen could run a few meters, a powerful force suddenly struck.


    Feeling the fierce wind of the attack, Ling Chen turned his gaze just in time to see Lin Tong quickly close the distance, step behind him in a few strides, and jabbed his finger, hitting the middle of his back.


    In a split second, Ling Chen felt all his strength drain away, a painful sensation wracked his spine, feeling as though it couldn¡¯t support his body, and he copsed to the ground with a ¡¯bang¡¯, unable to get up.


    "You... you attacked me by surprise!"


    Ling Chen clenched his jaw and gasped for air, struggling to prop himself up with his hands, attempting to stand again. However, each movement brought intense pain to his spine, as if it had snapped in half.


    Not only that, but a numbing sensation began to spread over his entire body, even his hands and feet began to disobey him.


    Seeing Ling Chen unable to rise from the ground, his face pale, Yi Shuiyan immediately withdrew his steel sword.


    "Ling Chen!"


    The porridge girl anxiously looked at Ling Chen, her beautiful eyes filled with concern. If her arms and legs hadn¡¯t been tied up, she would have rushed to his aid immediately.


    Hearing the porridge girl¡¯s voice, Ling Chen opened his mouth to respond, but as the words reached his lips, he realized that the numbing sensation also affected his mouth, and he couldn¡¯t utter a single word.


    "Ling Chen, how does it feel? Is it not veryfortable?" Lin Tong yed with his fingers, lifting the corners of his mouth with a smile: "I forgot to tell you, the technique I¡¯ve cultivated is called Five Poison Finger, which requires me to immerse my fingers in poison constantly over the years. Eventually, the poison permeates the blood and bes one with it. Whenever I wish, I can transfer the poison from my fingers into anyone¡¯s body."

 Chapter 661 - 666: Fierce Battle with Lin Tong (3)

    <h4>Chapter 661: Chapter 666: Fierce Battle with Lin Tong (3)</h4>


    Poison!


    No wonder, Ling Chen frowned inwardly, realizing that the tingling numbness must be due to the venom spreading throughout his body via his bloodstream.


    At this moment, he feltpletely drained of strength in his body, his limbs gradually weakened, and he couldn¡¯t even hold himself upright.


    Before, porridge girl had reminded him to be wary of Lin Tong¡¯s fingers, presumably warning him against Lin Tong¡¯s poisonous attack. Unfortunately, it was toote to understand this now. Faintly, he felt the pain in his spine growing increasingly intense.


    Lin Tong nced at Ling Chen, who was lying on the ground, then pointed at Yi Shuiyan not far away, saying, "You were so eager to kill him, weren¡¯t you? I¡¯ll give you this chance. Cut off his head."


    Upon hearing these words, Yi Shuiyan¡¯s eyes lit up, and he hurriedly approached Ling Chen with his steel knife in hand.


    "Ling Chen, I¡¯ve told you long ago, opposing me will bring you to a bad end. This day next year will be your memorial day."


    With that said, Yi Shuiyan raised the steel knife in his hand, ready to sever Ling Chen¡¯s neck with a single blow.


    But at that moment, a scoffingugh suddenly came from the ground. Yi Shuiyan frowned, looking at theughing Ling Chen, and said coldly, "What¡¯s there tough at when death is upon you?"


    "Nothing much, I¡¯m justughing at the fact that there are shameless people like you in this world. Lin Tong, just moments ago, I¡¯m not sure who was iming they wanted a fair fight with me, only to resort to such a despicable ambush. Is this your idea of fairness? And you..." Ling Chen struggled to lift his head, looking at Yi Shuiyan, "You¡¯ve been defeated by me before; without the help of others, what capacity do you have to beat me? I always thought I had thick skin, but I never expected to meet two people even more shameless than myself."


    "Shut up!"


    Yi Shuiyan retorted coldly, "The winner bes the king, the loser the bandit. To lose is to lose; means are also a skill. If you had any tricks up your sleeve, you should have used them."


    Ling Chen nodded weakly and said, "Alright, since you say so, then I..."


    Before he could finish speaking, Ling Chen, who was lying on the ground, suddenly threw his head back, and unexpectedly, a small alcohol gourd appeared in his hand. As the liquid from the gourd poured into his mouth, Ling Chen¡¯s body instantly turned red as if his skin was being roasted by fire.


    Seeing the changes urring to Ling Chen, Yi Shuiyan¡¯s expression changed dramatically. Without another word, he immediately swung his steel knife down at Ling Chen.


    However, the moment the steel knife was about to strike, Ling Chen suddenly rolled on the ground, narrowly dodging the de.


    Before Yi Shuiyan could strike again, Ling Chen sprang up from the ground like a carp leaping over a dragon gate, standing quickly, his face flushed red as he red at Yi Shuiyan, breathing heavily through his nose, appearing like a furious beast ready to tear apart the prey before it.


    "What are you waiting for, attack now!"


    Hearing Lin Tong¡¯s reprimand, Yi Shuiyan immediately snapped back to his senses and charged towards Ling Chen.


    Facing the oing steel knife, Ling Chen roared, and his fist shot out, carrying fierce momentum, and smashed fiercely onto the de.


    ng!


    Apanied by a sharp ng, the steel knife flew out of Yi Shuiyan¡¯s hands,nding on the ground.


    Not only Yi Shuiyan but also Lin Tong were taken aback by this scene. Ling Chen was clearly seriously wounded and poisoned, which should have made him weak. Yet, his disy of strength seemed to have significantly increased.


    At this moment, Ling Chen clenched his fist, his eyes wide with rage, steam continuously exhaling from his nostrils.


    Last night, when drinking with Du Kang, Du Kang had him try a few sips of strong liquor, causing him difort throughout his body until he slept through to dawn. And just now, he had guzzled severalrge gulps. At this moment, the strong liquor was churning in his stomach like a fierce ze, burning his body furiously, as if even his blood had turned scalding hot.


    Originally weak and powerless limbs, under the zing fire¡¯s burning, seemed to be injected with infinite strength, body bursting with energy.


    Taking a deep breath, Ling Chen forcibly maintained his cool head, looking straight at Yi Shuiyan and Lin Tong before him.


    The fiery liquorbined with the mental method taught by Du Kang, Ling Chen¡¯s potential burst forth in an instant. However, time was limited, he had to act quickly, to finish the business before he passed out drunk.


    With a tiger¡¯s roar, Ling Chen strode forward, his iron fist raised high, hurling a simple straight punch towards Yi Shuiyan.


    Seeing Ling Chen charging, Yi Shuiyan was just about to guard. However, before he could act, he saw a figure sh past, Ling Chen¡¯s icy gaze already close at hand.


    Bang!


    Without waiting for Yi Shuiyan to react, Ling Chen¡¯s iron fist had already driven straight in, mming heavily into his chest.


    Crack!


    Gurgle!


    Struck heavily, Yi Shuiyan felt a sweetness in his throat, a mouthful of fresh blood spewed from his mouth. At the same time, a crisp cracking sound was heard; under Ling Chen¡¯s punch, several of Yi Shuiyan¡¯s ribs were broken.


    Watching Yi Shuiyan¡¯s body fly out, Lin Tong¡¯s face finally showed a slight change. As a master of the Earthly List, he could feel that Ling Chen¡¯s strength had greatly improved from before.


    Smelling the strong aroma of liquor from that little gourd, Lin Tong frowned slightly. Was it because of the drink?


    Yet, he had never heard of alcohol enhancing one¡¯s strength before; it was utterly inconceivable.


    While pondering, Ling Chen¡¯s gaze had already locked onto Lin Tong.


    Facing the sharpness and chill in Ling Chen¡¯s eyes, Lin Tong gave a cold hum, stepping forward quickly, pointing a finger towards Ling Chen¡¯s vital points.


    Without the slightest hesitation, Ling Chen lifted his iron fist to meet Lin Tong¡¯s index finger head-on.


    Fist and finger shed, both men¡¯s Inner Strength and power erupted instantly, colliding wildly.


    Seeing Ling Chen standing firmly on the spot, not budging, a look of surprise shed in Lin Tong¡¯s eyes. He had originally wanted to test how much Ling Chen¡¯s strength had improved, but from the current situation, Ling Chen now had the power topete with him.


    While Lin Tong was in shock, Ling Chen suddenly roared. The power contained in his iron fist surged fiercely, actually pushing Lin Tong back two steps.


    Seizing the advantage, Ling Chen stepped forward, his iron fist swinging continuously, punch after punch without mercy, as power poured out relentlessly.


    Faced with Ling Chen¡¯s storm-like offensive, Lin Tong was left with only the power to parry, without a chance to counterattack.


    How was this possible?


    After resisting more than a dozen moves, Lin Tong looked at Ling Chen with a touch of shock in his gaze. Lin Tong¡¯s fingers contained poison, and with each exchange, he had been infusing the toxin through Ling Chen¡¯s skin into his body. Yet, so much time had passed, and there was no sign of Ling Chen being poisoned, instead, he was fighting more vigorously.


    Having lost the effect of his greatest reliance, and unable to suppress Ling Chen with strength, he would eventually be defeated if this continued.


    With that in mind, Lin Tong couldn¡¯t help but cast his gaze towards the little gourd of liquor lying forgotten on the ground.


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 662 - 667: Ling Chen Poisoned

    <h4>Chapter 662: Chapter 667: Ling Chen Poisoned</h4>


    Lin Tong had no idea that at this moment, Ling Chen was like a zing fire, which suppressed the poison that had seeped into his body. Alcohol was known to disinfect, let alone the strong liquor brewed by Du Kang.


    At this time, Ling Chen seized the opportunity and threw a fierce punch, instantly breaking through Lin Tong¡¯s defense. His iron fist charged straight in, heavily bombarding Lin Tong¡¯s left shoulder. Hit by the punch, Lin Tong¡¯s body immediately swayed, losing his footing.


    Seizing this chance, Ling Chen lifted his leg high and delivered a sweeping kick, sending Lin Tong¡¯s body flying out.


    However, when Lin Tongnded from midair, hended right in front of the small liquor gourd.


    Without waiting for Ling Chen to catch up, Lin Tong reached for the small gourd, pulled out the stopper, and guzzled it down his throat.


    Seeing Lin Tong¡¯s actions, Ling Chen was startled. This guy... he¡¯s actually stealing my drink!


    After standing stunned for a few seconds, Ling Chen simply abandoned the idea of making a move, standing still and watching for Lin Tong¡¯s reaction.


    Before long, after tossing the empty gourd on the ground, Lin Tong red at Ling Chen across from him, his nostrils ring with heavy breaths.


    "Now it¡¯s my turn," Lin Tong sneered coldly, his face twisting into a savage grin.


    Hearing this, Ling Chen took two steps back, gazing meaningfully at Lin Tong, a yful smile on his lips.


    As Lin Tong stepped forward, ready to make a move, hisplexion suddenly changed, his originally pale cheeks instantly turning crimson.


    "No... what¡¯s going on?" Lin Tong frantically wed at his chest, a look of intense difort on his face, as if millions of ants were gnawing at his flesh. After struggling for a moment, Lin Tong suddenly copsed to the ground, rolling back and forth, emitting painful howls, his clothes already torn to shreds by his hands.


    "So hot... so hot... water... I need water..."


    Seeing Lin Tong¡¯s painful state, Ling Chen shook his head lightly. Such overestimation of oneself, to down all the liquor from the small gourd¡ªI myself wouldn¡¯t dare to do it. Most importantly, I have the mental method taught by Du Kang to help control the liquor¡¯s effects on the body. Lin Tong, not having learned the method and drinking so much, couldn¡¯t possibly withstand such torment even if he were a master of the Earthly List.


    At this time, Wei Bo, who was responsible for watching over Porridge Girl, saw Lin Tong¡¯s agonized expression and his writhing on the ground. He hurriedly came to his side and helped him up.


    "Water... I need water!" Lin Tong yelled, eyes bloodshot as he grasped Wei Bo¡¯s arms.


    "Yes, yes, I¡¯ll get water right away."


    Wei Bo quickly acknowledged and then hurried to a Mercedes-Benz car to fetch a bottle of mineral water, handing it to Lin Tong.


    As soon as the cap was off, Lin Tong tilted his head back and in a matter of seconds downed the entire bottle of water. However, he had underestimated the potency of the strong liquor. Even after drinking water, the fiery liquor was still burning inside him like mes, unstoppable.


    While Wei Bo¡¯s attention was on Lin Tong, Ling Chen quickly went to Porridge Girl¡¯s side and undid her restraints.


    "Quick, I..."


    Before he could finish speaking, Ling Chen suddenly felt his head grow heavy and lost consciousness, copsing into Porridge Girl¡¯s arms.


    "Ling Chen! Ling Chen, wake up!"


    Porridge Girl anxiously looked at Ling Chen, gently shaking his body and calling his name. But at this moment, Ling Chen appeared to be unconscious, showing no reaction as hey in her embrace.


    Seeing this, Porridge Girl reluctantly gazed at Lin Tong and Lin Jiawei inside the Mercedes-Benz, then turned to leave with Ling Chen.


    If it weren¡¯t for Ling Chen suddenly falling unconscious, Porridge Girl would not have let Lin Tong and Lin Jiawei off easily.


    She had not run far when porridge girl saw a box truck parked on the side of the road. She hurriedly carried Ling Chen over, forcefully knocking on the rear door of the cargo area.


    Sitting in the passenger seat, Hu Fei leapt out of the vehicle upon seeing the two of them, and asked looking at the unconscious Ling Chen, "What happened to him?"


    "Not sure yet, quickly take us back."


    Hu Fei nodded, hastily helped Ling Chen into the vehicle, and urged the driver to head to the research base.


    In less than half an hour, the box truck finally arrived at the destination.


    By now, the medical team, having been notified earlier, was already prepared. As soon as Ling Chen arrived, he was immediately carried into the medical room on a stretcher.


    In the medical room filled with the smell of disinfectant, Zhu Xiaozhu, wearing a neat whiteb coat, looked at Ling Chen lying on the hospital bed, and aplex expression fleetingly crossed her beautiful eyes.


    "Miss Zhu, can we start now?"


    Hearing the voice of a colleague nearby, Zhu Xiaozhu nodded, reached out to check Ling Chen¡¯s eyes, and then examined his pulse.


    "He has been poisoned," Zhu Xiaozhu said with certainty, "Prepare to draw blood for testing."


    "Understood!"


    After more than an hour of busyness, Ling Chen¡¯s physical condition gradually came under control and he was transferred from the medical room to a hospital ward.


    "Miss Zhu, how is his condition?"


    Porridge girl stood by Ling Chen¡¯s side and asked Zhu Xiaozhu.


    Zhu Xiaozhu lifted her head, sizing up porridge girl in front of her and then withdrew her gaze. She had noticed the existence of porridge girl when Ling Chen was brought back earlier. However, at that time, she had been upied with saving Ling Chen and did not have the mind to think too much, only remembering that in yet stunning face.


    At this moment, there was no one else in the ward besides the two of them. Zhu Xiaozhu couldn¡¯t help but take a few more nces, thinking to herself, wondering what the rtionship between this woman and Ling Chen was. The concern revealed in porridge girl¡¯s words suggested that her rtionship with Ling Chen was probably more than just friends.


    With this thought, Zhu Xiaozhu sighed softly, a hint of mncholy shing in her beautiful eyes.


    "Miss Zhu..."


    Seeing that Zhu Xiaozhu did not respond for a while, porridge girl spoke up again.


    "Rest assured, his condition is temporarily stable, there is no serious harm to his body, he¡¯ll be fine after a few days¡¯ rest." After finishing speaking, Zhu Xiaozhu looked at porridge girl and asked, "Are you Ling Chen¡¯s friend? Howe I¡¯ve never seen you before?"


    "I don¡¯t associate with him much," porridge girl replied lightly. Being a woman herself, porridge girl could naturally see Zhu Xiaozhu¡¯s concern for Ling Chen. However, her thoughts on this matter were not like other women¡¯s, she wouldn¡¯t overthink.


    "Zhu Xiaozhu, since Ling Chen is all right, I¡¯ll leave him in your care. I¡¯ve got things to do, I¡¯lle back in a couple of days."


    "Okay."


    Once porridge girl left the ward, Zhu Xiaozhu locked the door and then took out a medical box from the side, preparing a syringe and a vial of medicinal liquid.


    Taking advantage of Ling Chen still being unconscious, Zhu Xiaozhu rolled up the sleeve of Ling Chen¡¯s shirt, filled the syringe with the medicinal liquid, and injected it into Ling Chen¡¯s arm.


    As the medicine entered Ling Chen¡¯s bloodstream, Zhu Xiaozhu pulled out the syringe, wiped the sweat from her forehead, and murmured to the unconscious Ling Chen, "Don¡¯t me me..."

 Chapter 663 - 668: Southern Ling Family (1)

    <h4>Chapter 663: Chapter 668: Southern Ling Family (1)</h4>


    In the blink of an eye, two days had passed.


    Ling Chen, who had been in aa, had already woken up. Apart from some physical weakness, he was mostly fine.


    "Ling Chen." Hu Fei¡¯s voice rang out, and the door to the ward was pushed open. Seeing Hu Fei hurry over, Ling Chen put down the newspaper in his hand and asked, "What¡¯s the matter?"


    Hu Fei handed a cellphone to Ling Chen, saying, "There¡¯s a call from the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion."


    Hearing ¡¯Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion¡¯, Ling Chen immediately took the cellphone and, after a greeting, asked, "Who is it?"


    "It¡¯s me."


    The familiar, pleasant voice came through the phone, and Ling Chen¡¯s lips curled into a slight smile as he replied, "Ah, it¡¯s Miss Su."


    "How¡¯s your health?"


    "Much better. By the way, Miss Su, has Elder Du returned?"


    "He came back yesterday. Don¡¯t worry, he¡¯s fine. He asked me to tell you that Ji Gang¡¯s strength has be even more terrifying than before, even he isn¡¯t fully confident in dealing with Ji Gang. You should be more careful in the future and try your best to avoid any contact with Ji Gang."


    "I understand." Ling Chen then changed the subject, asking: "Miss Su, how are things on your end?"


    "You mean the God Organization? We followed the clues provided by the traitors within, tracked down, and destroyed one of their secret bases. You might find it hard to believe that this secret base was located less than two kilometers from the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion. We searched the ce, and it was full of intelligence about the Pavilion. From my estimation, that base had been in operation for about five years. Luckily, we discovered its existence, otherwise, the intelligence of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion might have been stolen by the God Organization."


    "In any case, it¡¯s good that we stopped them in time."


    "Alright, I have nothing else, you rest well and we¡¯ll keep in touch when there¡¯s time."


    "Okay."


    After hanging up, Ling Chen tossed the cellphone back to Hu Fei and asked, "What about porridge girl, has she not returned yet?"


    Hu Fei shook his head and said, "Haven¡¯t seen her around these past two days, don¡¯t know where she went."


    "Forget it! She knows how to take care of herself." After saying this, Ling Chen recalled the incident that day and asked, "Where are Ling Jiawei and the others?"


    "They¡¯ve already left East Sea City. Although you seriously injured Lin Tong and Yi Shuiyan, Ji Gang arrived in time and took them away. My men couldn¡¯t stop him. However, we did catch quite a few disciples from the Dangyang Sect."


    "Call Old Tang and hand those from Dangyang Sect over to him for disposal. Those people are just cannon fodder, not worth much." Saying this, Ling Chen appeared pensive, then spoke, "Fatty, don¡¯t you think there¡¯s something odd here?"


    "Odd in what way?"


    "Think about it, a Lin Guodong, a Lin Jiawei, and now a Lin Tong, all these people share the surname Lin and hold high positions in the God Organization. Don¡¯t you find that strange?"


    "It¡¯s just amon surname, nothing to fuss over. I think you¡¯re overthinking."


    "No!" said Ling Chen sternly, "My instincts are very urate, there¡¯s definitely something off here." The certainty in Ling Chen came mainly from the intelligence provided by that mysterious man from the Secret Society.


    That mysterious man had suggested that he suspected the southern Ling Family was the hidden hand behind the God Organization. Though Ling and Lin have different characters, their pronunciations are simr, raising the possibility that those surnamed Lin are actually from the Ling Family, using ¡¯Lin¡¯ as a cover to avoid detection.


    With this thought in mind, Ling Chen couldn¡¯t help but ponder further.


    "Fatty, how much do you know about the southern Ling Family?"


    "The southern Ling Family?" Hu Fei pondered and said, "I¡¯ve heard of the Ling Family, but don¡¯t know much about them. They are legitimate businessmen, not involved in our kind of business, so I¡¯m not interested in them."


    "Do me a favor, try to dig up everything you can on the Ling Family, especially their family members¡¯ identities."


    "What are you trying to do?" Hu Fei asked confusedly, "You should be investigating the God Organization, not these irrelevant people. It¡¯s time-consuming andbor-intensive. If I were you¡ª"


    "Enough!" Ling Chen interrupted impatiently, snapping, "Just do as I¡¯ve asked, stop with all the nonsense. Hurry up!"


    When Hu Fei left, Ling Chen suddenly remembered the little liquor gourd, and couldn¡¯t help but feel a bit distressed.


    Du Kang had given him some strong liquor to drink, and after only a few sips, it was all wasted by Lin Tong. After experiencing the strength of the liquor, Ling Chen knew how good it was. Unfortunately, there was none left. He couldn¡¯t exactly shamelessly go to the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion again to ask Du Kang for more.


    ...


    The next day.


    Ling Chen sat on the hospital bed, flipping through a file.


    This document, recently delivered by Hu Fei, contained information about the southern Ling Family, including the identities of all its members.


    It had to be said, the Ling Family was indeed arge family n, numbering dozens of people, and the enterprises they ran were spread across the nation, particrly in the southern regions; almost every city had a piece of Ling Family property. Compared to the Ling Family, the Nanrong Family paled inparison.


    After reviewing the material, Ling Chen picked up his phone and called Hu Fei.


    When Hu Fei arrived at the ward, Ling Chen looked at him and asked, "The document you gave me mentions that there are more than fifty people in the Ling Family, but I¡¯ve looked through the identity information just now, and there are only forty-three. What about the other seven?"


    "You¡¯re asking about that? I¡¯ve checked it out, the other seven are all dead. Some died from cancer, others in car idents, and it¡¯s been many years, hence no identity information avable for them."


    Ling Chen thought for a moment and then said, "Give me the data on those seven people."


    "Wait a minute!"


    With that, Hu Fei quickly left the ward, and soon returned, carrying aptop.


    In less than a minute, aplete file appeared on theputer screen.


    "Here! These are the seven deceased people."


    Looking at the identity information disyed on the screen, Ling Chen¡¯s eyes narrowed sharply, as he pointed to the data of two young men and said, "Fatty, take a look for yourself."


    Hearing this, Hu Fei immediately leaned his round face close to theputer screen.


    "Ling Guodong... Ling Jiawei... how can this be possible?"


    "Still think it¡¯s a coincidence?"


    "But, they¡¯ve been dead for almost twenty years."


    "In our line of work, as long as we want to, we can arrange an ident anytime to make everyone believe a person is dead. It seems the information that man gave me is correct. The southern Ling Family is likely the covert backer for the God Organization, their substantial funds brought the God Organization back from the ashes. Ling Guodong, Ling Jiawei, the Ling Family arranged for them to die just so they could focus on managing the God Organization. Moreover, even if anyone traces it back to the Ling Family, they can shirk responsibility using the same pretext."

 Chapter 664 - 669: Ling Family of the South (2)

    <h4>Chapter 664: Chapter 669: Ling Family of the South (2)</h4>


    Hu Fei pointed to the photo of Ling Jiawei on theputer screen and said, "Don¡¯t you think there¡¯s a big discrepancy between Lin Jiawei¡¯s appearance and this photo?" As soon as he spoke, without waiting for Ling Chen to chime in, Hu Fei immediately put on a sudden realization expression and said, "Alright, no need to exin, I know, he must have had stic surgery."


    "You still ask even though you know."


    "Hey! Seriously though, what are you going to do if the Ling Family really is the mastermind behind the God Organization?"


    Ling Chen retorted, "What am I supposed to do? What does that have to do with me?"


    "How can it not be rted? Aren¡¯t you also a member of the Ling Family? Even though you were expelled by the Ling Family as a child, your surname is still Ling. You can¡¯t change this blood rtion. Can you really bear toy a hand on them?"


    Ling Chen shrugged and said, "I don¡¯t think as much as you do. Like you said, I was expelled by the Ling Family since I was young and I have no familial ties with them. Besides, if the Ling Family really is the mastermind behind the God Organization, just think about all the bad things they¡¯ve done over the years, how many innocent people they¡¯ve killed. Even if my rtionship with them were close, I couldn¡¯t cover for them. Everything has its price, let alone the heinous acts they¡¯vemitted."


    "Alright!" Hu Fei nodded and said, "I¡¯m just giving you a heads up. Since you¡¯ve thought it through, let¡¯s pretend I didn¡¯t say anything. Tell me, what are your ns next?"


    "I don¡¯t know." Ling Chen was somewhat troubled.


    He did want to delve deeper into investigating the Ling Family, but the mysterious man from the Secret Society had warned him not to meddle with the Ling Family¡¯s affairs lightly. Otherwise, he might get burnt.


    Thus, Ling Chen was unsure whether to continue probing further. Apart from the warning from the mysterious man, there was another very important reason - his own power. At present, his power had just started to take shape, with very few people he could mobilize. If he shed with the Ling Family at such a time, the power he had painstakingly built might be destroyed.


    Considering these two key factors, Ling Chen said, "For now, just keep an eye on the Ling Family and don¡¯t act rashly. Although we have some leads, they can¡¯t serve as evidence. It¡¯d be best to gather more evidence. When the timees, we can join forces with the people from Lonely Wolf to move in."


    "Why not leak this information to Lonely Wolf first and let them investigate in secret while we watch from the sidelines. With the people from Lonely Wolf stirring things up, the Ling Family might expose more ws."


    Hearing this, Ling Chen¡¯s eyes lit up, and he replied with a smile, "That¡¯s a good idea. Okay, I¡¯ll give Old Tang a callter and fill him in on the situation."


    After Hu Fei left the hospital room, Ling Chen picked up his phone and dialed Tang Yuan¡¯s number.


    "Hello! Tang Yuan, what¡¯s up?" The call connected, and Tang Yuan¡¯s voice immediately came through to Ling Chen.


    "Old Tang, you¡¯ve been busytely and haven¡¯t called me."


    "You know how it is, the old General has retired, Lonely Wolf is being reformed, and I¡¯m swamped every day. I don¡¯t have time to call you. Oh, right! I almost forgot to tell you, the orders from above are in; the new leader of Lonely Wolf has been selected."


    "Who?" Ling Chen eagerly asked. Even though he had left the organization, he was still very concerned about the appointment of the new leader, as it had implications for his own interests. If the new leader was unfamiliar with him, it would be difficult for him to cooperate with Lonely Wolf in the future.


    Tang Yuan said with augh, "Tang Yuan, I have good news for you. The new leader of Lonely Wolf is not only very familiar with you but also has a very good rtionship with you."


    "Very familiar... could it be..."


    "It¡¯s Pang Jiulin, Instructor Pang. He has been appointed as the new leader of Lonely Wolf."


    Just as expected!


    Ling Chen felt a sense of relief, and a happy smile spread across his sharp features. Tang Yuan had mentioned before that because Han Bing had made a mistake, his promotion was canceled and someone experienced within Lonely Wolf would be chosen to seed as the leader.


    Pang Jiulin had been the instructor of Phantom and had been with Lonely Wolf the longest. His experience was naturally unquestionable, and he knew the organization¡¯s internal affairs best, indeed a suitable candidate.


    "Old Tang, convey a message to Instructor Pang for me. Tell him I¡¯m currently indisposed. Next time I¡¯m free, I¡¯ll definitely visit Beijing to offer my congrattions in person."


    "Okay, I¡¯m waiting for you." After he finished, Tang Yuan suddenly changed the topic, "Hey! You didn¡¯t call me just to chit-chat, did you?"


    "There¡¯s something I need to talk to you about..." Right then, Ling Chen filled Tang Yuan in on the situation with the Ling Family in the south.


    "The Ling Family... I know them. Their family-operated enterprises are very famous nationwide, and they have good rtionships with the government. It might be difficult to investigate them."


    "You¡¯re from the Lonely Wolf, I believe this kind of trouble won¡¯t be too much for you."


    "Alright! I got it. I¡¯ll report this to Instructor Pang and see what ns he has."


    After some small talk, Ling Chen hung up the phone, tossed it aside, stretchedzily, and prepared to lie down for a short nap.


    But at that moment, a burst of urgent ringtone suddenly rang out.


    Seeing the iing call number on the phone screen, Ling Chen immediately picked up the phone and answered.


    "Hello! Big Brother."


    "Ling Cheng."


    Hearing Qiu Yong¡¯s deep voice from the other end of the phone, Ling Chen immediately had a bad feeling. Since thest time they parted, he had kept in touch with Qiu Yong and the others. Qiu Yong said they were dealing with some private affairs, but he didn¡¯t borate on what exactly they were, and Ling Chen didn¡¯t ask further.


    In all the time he had known Qiu Yong, he had never heard him speak with such a tone.


    "Big Brother, what¡¯s wrong? Has something happened?"


    "There¡¯s been a bit of trouble. Are you free right now?"


    "Yes." Although he hadn¡¯t fully recovered, Ling Chen wouldn¡¯t refuse once Qiu Yong made the request.


    "We¡¯re all in Jinhai City, and we can¡¯t get away right now. You¡¯d better hurry over. And by the way, don¡¯t you have a friend who¡¯s good at medicine? Bring them along. Your Tang Yuan is seriously injured and must be treated as soon as possible."


    Yuan Yun got injured?


    Ling Chen was shocked, and without asking for details, he quickly got out of bed, put on his clothes, and dashed out of the ward.


    "Xiaozhu!"


    In the medicalboratory, seeing Ling Chen rushing in, Zhu Xiaozhu reproachfully said, "Your body hasn¡¯t recovered yet. Why aren¡¯t you lying in bed? What are you doing here?"


    "There¡¯s no time to exin." Ling Chen grabbed Zhu Xiaozhu¡¯s wrist and said while walking, "There¡¯s an emergency. I need your help."


    Zhu Xiaozhu, who hadn¡¯t even had time to change out of her whiteb coat, was pulled out by Ling Chen.


    Leaving the research base, Ling Chen took Zhu Xiaozhu to a car and headed straight for the airport. To save time, Ling Chen also made a call to Nanrong Hao, asking him to arrange a ne.


    Seeing the anxiety on Ling Chen¡¯s face, Zhu Xiaozhu asked in confusion, "What happened?"


    Ling Chen shook his head and remained silent, focusing on the traffic ahead with a tight frown. He knew very well that if Qiu Yong was calling him for help, the situation must be extremely urgent.


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 Chapter 665 - 670: Crime Scene

    <h4>Chapter 665: Chapter 670: Crime Scene</h4>


    On the ne, Ling Chen and Zhu Xiaozhu sat in luxury seats, looking out at the runway through the window, neither of them speaking.


    Seeing the troubled expression on Ling Chen¡¯s face, Zhu Xiaozhu opened her mouth several times intending to speak but hesitated and ultimately chose to remain silent, not wanting to disturb Ling Chen¡¯s thoughts.


    As the ne ascended, Ling Chen took out his phone from his pocket and dialed Qiu Yong¡¯s number.


    However, the phone rang a few times then was abruptly hung up. On redialing, the system indicated that the number could not be reached.


    After trying several times without sess, the worry in Ling Chen¡¯s eyes deepened.


    Could something have happened?


    While pondering, Ling Chen turned his gaze towards Zhu Xiaozhu. Since boarding the ne, Zhu Xiaozhu had been silent, fidgeting with her fingers, seemingly preupied with something. Considering her unusual behavior at worktely, Ling Chen asked with concern, "Xiaozhu, what¡¯s been going on with youtely? You seem a bit distracted."


    "Me?" Zhu Xiaozhu looked up, her autumn-water-like beautiful eyes staring straight into Ling Chen¡¯s. Their eyes met, and Zhu Xiaozhu couldn¡¯t help turning her head away to avoid his gaze, softly saying, "I¡¯m fine, I might just be a bit tired recently."


    "Don¡¯t wear yourself out. After we¡¯re done with things in Jinhai City, take a few days off to visit your parents in Beijing and rest."


    "No need, I¡¯m fine," Zhu Xiaozhu replied. "The experiment has reached a critical stage; leaving now would waste everyone¡¯s efforts so far."


    Ling Chen nodded and said, "Alright, just take care of yourself, I don¡¯t want anything bad happening to you."


    ...


    After about an hour of flying, the ne finallynded at Jinhai City Airport.


    Coming out of the exit, Ling Chen and Zhu Xiaozhu took a taxi and headed towards their destination. In less than twenty minutes, the two arrived at a five-star hotel called Splendor.


    Entering the hotel lobby, Ling Chen quickly approached the reception and asked, "Hello, could you tell me the room number for Qiu Yong?"


    "4078."


    "Okay, thank you!"


    After expressing his thanks, Ling Chen, holding Zhu Xiaozhu¡¯s slender wrist, took the elevator directly to the hotel¡¯s fourth floor.


    4078, this is it!


    Ling Chen knocked on the door and waited over ten seconds, but there was not a stir inside, not even a response.


    Strange!


    Ling Chen frowned secretly. This was clearly Qiu Yong¡¯s room, why was there no one? Recalling the earlier unresponsive phone call, a sense of unease suddenly surged in Ling Chen¡¯s heart. Could something really have happened?


    With this thought, Ling Chen didn¡¯t think much before forcefully kicking the door open.


    Entering the hotel room, Ling Chen looked around the spacious living room, only to see a conspicuous pool of dried blood on the sofa, indicating it had been there for a while. Additionally, several teacups were ced on the coffee table, suggesting that Qiu Yong and others were in this room back then.


    From the time Qiu Yong called to when Ling Chen arrived at the hotel, only two hours had passed. They must have encountered something in this interval which led to their disappearance without leaving any trace.


    At this moment, Zhu Xiaozhu walked to the sofa, closely examining the blood stain, and said, "Ling Chen, this blood stain must have been left about five hours ago."


    "Xiaozhu, stay here while I check the security room."


    As he spoke, Ling Chen quickly dashed out of the room towards the elevator. The five-star hotel had many surveince cameras installed, including in the elevators, security corridors, and various entrances and exits of the hotel, which might help discover the whereabouts of Qiu Yong and others.


    However, when Ling Chen reached the hotel lobby, he saw several police cars parked at the hotel entrance, with over a dozen uniformed police officersing and going, along with several forensic and medical staff carrying stretchers out of the hotel.


    Seeing the body bags on the stretchers, Ling Chen¡¯s heart sank. Four stretchers, four bodies, it looked like there were even more bodies yet to be taken out.


    Could it be...


    Thinking of that possibility, Ling Chen hurriedly rushed towards where the police were gathered.


    "Sir, sir, this is a crime scene, outsiders are not allowed in, hey..."


    Ignoring the police¡¯s obstruction, Ling Chen forcefully barged into the scene. Suddenly, he saw a room filled with security equipment sttered with blood, with a body lying on the floor and another on a chair, seemingly employees of the security room judging by their attire.


    Seeing this, Ling Chen breathed a sigh of relief. He initially thought the deceased were Qiu Yong and the others, which had startled him.


    However, the presence of so many bodies still weighed heavily on Ling Chen¡¯s mood.


    He had intended to review the surveince footage to find where Qiu Yong and others might be, but now all the personnel responsible for the surveince equipment had been killed, clearly no coincidence.


    Whoever was responsible definitely did not want anyone to discover their identity. No need for further investigation to know, those surveince devices must have already been stopped.


    "Sir, please leave immediately!"


    Hearing the police¡¯s warning, Ling Chen nodded and then turned to leave.


    But at that moment, Ling Chen¡¯s gaze inadvertently fell on one of the bodies. Looking at that body, Ling Chen couldn¡¯t take his eyes off.


    Seeing Ling Chen standing motionless at the crime scene for too long, a police officer finally lost his patience and pushed Ling Chen¡¯s shoulder, trying to ¡¯escort¡¯ him out. However, Ling Chen was immovable like a rock, regardless of how hard the police pushed, he remained firmly standing there.


    "You guys... go grab the body bags."


    In the midst of the scene, a forensic in a white coat was examining the bodies, directing the police while leaning closely to observe the marks on the skin surfaces.


    Huh?


    Suddenly, the forensic seemed to notice something, pushed up the sses on her nose and leaned even closer.


    "What caused this wound?" the forensic muttered to herself, a tone of confusion in her voice.


    "That¡¯s from a finger poking a blood hole."


    At the sound, the forensic turned her head, looking at Ling Chen in surprise, and said, "A finger? How is that possible!"


    As the forensic turned her head, Ling Chen¡¯s expression briefly stiffened, surprised to see that the forensic was a young woman, around twenty-five years old, with a ponytail, a fairplexion, wearing ck sses, giving off the impression of an intellectual beauty.


    Ling Chen broke free from the surrounding police, walked up beside the body, and asked, "May I examine the wound?"


    "Who are you?"

 Chapter 666 - 671 Searching for Clues

    <h4>Chapter 666: Chapter 671 Searching for Clues</h4>


    "Miss Zhong, he is..."


    Before the nearby police officer finished speaking, Ling Chen interrupted, "It doesn¡¯t matter who I am, what matters is that I can help you."


    Hearing this, Miss Zhong looked at Ling Chen with skepticism and nodded slightly, "Alright then. Since you¡¯re so confident, tell me why you think this wound was caused by a finger."


    Ling Chen squatted down, looked at the bloody hole above the corpse¡¯s forehead, then picked up a glove and gently pressed it on the corpse¡¯s arm.


    Indeed!


    After confirming his idea, Ling Chen¡¯s face immediately fell, and a gleam shone in his eyes.


    "Hey! I¡¯m talking to you, did you hear me?"


    Miss Zhong¡¯s displeased voice rang out. Ling Chen snapped back to reality, stood up, and said, "Sorry, I might have been mistaken. You go ahead with your work; I won¡¯t disturb you anymore." Then, without waiting for Miss Zhong to speak again, Ling Chen turned and left the crime scene.


    Watching Ling Chen¡¯s retreating figure, Miss Zhong frowned and continued to focus on the body.


    Standing in the elevator heading to the fourth floor of the hotel, Ling Chen¡¯s mind was filled with the name ¡¯Lin Tong.¡¯


    From the wound on the body, it could be deduced that the person was killed by someone poking through the skull with a finger. While any martial artist could do it, Ling Chen also noticed another piece of evidence ¨C the body¡¯s rigidity progressed unusually quickly. Based on his observations and discussions with the police at the scene, these people had died no more than two hours earlier, yet the body was already stiff.


    Having previously sparred with Lin Tong, Ling Chen was familiar with Lin Tong¡¯s capabilities. It wasn¡¯t just his ten fingers that were formidable, but also the poison contained within them. During his days of recuperation, Ling Chen had specifically asked Zhu Xiaozhu about the poison, so he understood quite well. The victim must have stiffened so quickly due to the poison.


    Ling Chen silently frowned.


    Unexpectedly, Qiu Yong and his group got involved with Lin Tong.


    Lin Tong had left East Sea City just a few days ago, probably arriving in Jin Hai City at that time. However, what Ling Chen was most curious about was what exactly Qiu Yong and his group had done to get involved with the God Organization.


    As he pondered, Ling Chen headed straight back to the hotel room where Qiu Yong was staying.


    Inside the room, Zhu Xiaozhu stood in front of the floor-to-ceiling window, her ample chest heaving, her pretty face pale, as if she had been frightened.


    Noticing her unusual behavior, Ling Chen quickly walked over and asked with concern, "What¡¯s wrong?"


    Zhu Xiaozhu didn¡¯t speak but just pointed towards the bathroom.


    The bathroom?


    Ling Chen walked to the bathroom door and gently pushed it open. Instantly, a strong smell of blood wafted out. Holding his breath, Ling Chen frowned as he looked at the bathtub inside, his expression solemn.


    Inside the snowy white bathtub was filled with fresh red blood, and a corpse was soaking in it. The corpse was facing up, and the wound on its neck was clearly visible.


    Thank goodness!


    After recognizing the face of the corpse, Ling Chen breathed a sigh of relief. The deceased was a stranger, not one of the members from the notorious Eight entrics. Looking at the dagger that had fallen on the floor, it seemed likely that this person had attempted to attack someone in the bathroom but was killed instead.


    From the traces of the wound, it might be Xia Yue, known for her swift throat-slitting technique with a sword.


    After pondering for a moment, Ling Chen lifted the corpse out of the bathtub and searched its pockets, hoping to find some valuable clues.


    Right now, the whereabouts of Qiu Yong and his group were unknown; perhaps this deceased could provide some clues.


    Soon, Ling Chen found a wet receipt in the breast pocket of the deceased¡¯s suit. Although it had been soaked in water for a long time, the handwriting was still barely legible.


    Fruit Paradise Supermarket?


    Looking at therge characters at the top, Ling Chen immediately understood the purpose of the receipt.


    Leaving the bathroom, Ling Chen closed the room door, concealing the smell of blood, then pulled out his cell phone and dialed Hu Fei¡¯s number.


    "Hey! Fatty, check for me how many Fruit Paradise Supermarkets there are in Jin Hai City, and tell me their locations."


    In less than five minutes, Hu Fei had news.


    "I checked, the supermarket you mentioned is the only one in the whole of Jin Hai City, and it just opened not long ago."


    "Send me the address."


    After hanging up, Ling Chen immediately left the hotel with Zhu Xiaozhu.


    "Ling Chen, where are we going?"


    Ling Chen stood by the roadside, looked around the area, and pointed to a nearby hotel, "You go there and book a room, take a rest."


    "What about you?"


    "I¡¯m going to look for my friends. You saw what happened just now; they might be in trouble, and I must find them."


    Since this matter was now rted to the God Organization, it was unsafe for Zhu Xiaozhu to be involved, to avoid any danger.


    "Be careful," Zhu Xiaozhu cautioned.


    "You know what I¡¯m capable of," Ling Chen smiled broadly, giving Zhu Xiaozhu a reassuring look.


    After watching Zhu Xiaozhu enter a hotel, Ling Chen hailed a taxi on the roadside and hurried to his destination.


    Before long, Ling Chen arrived outside the Fruit Paradise Supermarket. After getting off the taxi, he observed the surrounding environment, his face turning slightly grim.


    The supermarket was located in the downtown area, surrounded by high-rise buildings. He only knew a rough location but had no clue where those people specifically were. Finding their whereabouts from so many office buildings seemed harder than reaching the sky.


    Pulling out the water-soaked receipt from his pocket, Ling Chen held it up to the sunlight, trying to read the blurred writing.


    After examining it for a few moments and with some good luck, Ling Chen finally found a clue on the receipt.


    Below the receipt were some numbers, probably indicating the time of purchase. ording to the time disyed, that person was at the supermarket buying something at nine o¡¯clock in the morning.


    Knowing the time, Ling Chen looked up at the supermarket¡¯s entrance and exit, each was equipped with a surveince camera.


    Then, turning his gaze to the roadside, Ling Chen¡¯s lips curved up. The downtown area was convenient for everything; every street was installed with surveince cameras.


    Right away, Ling Chen went to a nearby library, found aputer, and then called Hu Fei.


    Hacking into the surveince system was a piece of cake for Hu Fei; soon, with Hu Fei¡¯s remote assistance, Ling Chen¡¯sputer screen disyed an image. To be precise, it was that morning¡¯s surveince footage, which Hu Fei had retrieved from the system.


    Ling Chen adjusted the surveince footage to around nine o¡¯clock in the morning, carefully observing the people entering and exiting the supermarket.


    At 9:03 AM, a man in a suit was finally spotted by Ling Chen.


    That¡¯s him!


    Ling Chen¡¯s eyes brightened, finally having found you.


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 Chapter 667 - 672 Wansheng Company

    <h4>Chapter 667: Chapter 672 Wansheng Company</h4>


    "Hey, Fatty, it¡¯s this guy. I leave the rest to you, help me find out where he¡¯s been."


    "OK, no problem!"


    After hanging up the phone, about ten minutester, Ling Chen¡¯s cellphone rang.


    "Found it, Building No. 113 on Fumin Road. I¡¯ve only collected this much information, you¡¯ll have to figure out the rest on your own."


    "Got it, thanks for the hard work."


    Having pinpointed the ces the man had visited, Ling Chen immediately headed to Fumin Road. Fumin Road wasn¡¯t far from that fruit supermarket; it figured that person wouldn¡¯t go too far to shop.


    Building No. 113 on Fumin Road.


    Ling Chen stood in front of the luxurious office building, looking up at the rooftop, a trace of bitterness showing on his face.


    Damn!


    This office building had at least eighty floors. He only knew that the man had entered this building, but he had no clue specific which floor. If he had to search from bottom to top, who knew how much time it would take?


    After thinking it over, Ling Chen decided to give Hu Fei a call. Since Hu Fei could ess the external surveince footage, presumably, the building¡¯s surveince wouldn¡¯t be a problem. However, after Ling Chen shared his thoughts, he received a helpless response from Hu Fei.


    "If it were anywhere else I wouldn¡¯t have an issue, but with that building, I really can¡¯t do anything."


    Hearing the helplessness in Hu Fei¡¯s tone, Ling Chen asked in confusion: "What happened?"


    "The building¡¯s security system is very advanced, with several firewalls. I had tried before you mentioned it, and I¡¯ve not even breached the first firewall before being detected. If I¡¯m not wrong, those responsible for the security of that building are hackers not inferior to me."


    A thought shed through Ling Chen¡¯s mind, such stringent defenses on this building, could it be an important asset of the God Organization?


    With that thought, Ling Chen said, "Alright, let¡¯s not talk about this now; I¡¯m going in to have a look."


    Putting away his phone, Ling Chen bought a pair of sunsses and a baseball cap on the roadside, covering his face. Once everything was ready, he walked towards the building.


    No choice, the God Organization knew all about him; if he didn¡¯t disguise himself, he might be discovered the moment he walked in.


    Entering the office building, the employees working there hurried about, each busy with their own tasks. In a corner of the lobby, there was a sign with the floor numbers indicated for eachpany.


    Ling Chen walked up to the sign and looked from top to bottom. Suddenly, his eyes were drawn to the name of one of thepanies.


    Wansheng Financial Co., Ltd.


    Found it!


    Looking at that name, Ling Chen thought silently, yet his face showed no joy; instead, his eyes grew more solemn.


    Not long ago, Ling Chen had asked Hu Fei to investigate the Ling Family¡¯s information in the south. In that information, the name Wansheng Company was prominently listed. ording to the records, Wansheng Company was a subsidiary of the Ling Family, spread across the country.


    If that person was an employee of Wansheng Company, that was enough to prove the close rtionship between the Ling Family and the God Organization.


    Seventy-third floor!


    Looking at the floor where Wansheng Company was located, Ling Chen went straight to the elevator. Entering it, and seeing the row of floor buttons, Ling Chen was just about to press seventy-three. However, after pressing, he realized the seventy-third floor and higher required a card to operate.


    It seems thispany¡¯s security is very well-managed.


    No choice, Ling Chen had to take the elevator to the seventy-second floor of the building.


    The elevator was not an option, but the emergency stairwell was.


    Following the stairwell, Ling Chen quickly reached the entrance corridor on the seventy-third floor.


    However, what frustrated Ling Chen was that the door to the stairwell was locked. Not only that, but the door on the seventy-third floor was unlike the others; it was made of a thick, heavy steel te. Unless he had a key to unlock it, any attempt to force it would only alert the adversaries.


    After pondering for a moment, Ling Chen decided to continue upward, not believing he wouldn¡¯t find a breakthrough.


    Yet, before he reached the seventy-fourth floor, Ling Chen cursed and retreated.


    Damn it!


    He inwardly cursed. There was a surveince camera installed on the stairs above; without Hu Fei¡¯s help, he couldn¡¯t possibly get past it.


    With both routes blocked, Ling Chen was stuck, unable to go further up or down, finding no way to enter.


    Such a headache!


    Ling Chen squatted in the stairwell, pondering his next move. Knowing thepany¡¯s security, sneaking in would not be easy.


    Storming in... as soon as this thought emerged, Ling Chen immediately dismissed it. It wasn¡¯t that he was scared, but he had reservations. If Lin Tong was also there, it would be tough to gain the upper hand, especially since all the strong liquor Du Kang had given him had already been used up.


    Just as Ling Chen was engrossed in strategizing, a harsh rm suddenly sounded from the other side of the security door.


    What¡¯s going on?


    Stunned, Ling Chen quickly stood up from the stairwell. As he was rising, before he could even react, he saw the security door in front of him being pushed open from the inside. Several men in suits rushed out quickly, followed by over twenty employees.


    Seeing these people suddenly appearing, Ling Chen was slightly taken aback and took a moment to grasp the situation. The men in suits were also stunned.


    However, after a brief pause, the men in suits quickly recovered, pulled out batons from their waists, and swung them at Ling Chen.


    "Scram!"


    With a shout, Ling Chen swept a kick, knocking down two of the men in suits instantly. Then, with a flick of his foot, like a tiger entering a flock of sheep, he quickly subdued the rest of the men in suits.


    After taking care of the security, Ling Chen nced at the employees who looked terrified and waved his hand, "Get lost quickly, don¡¯t get in the way here."


    Hearing this, the employees ran towards the stairwell as if they had been granted amnesty.


    Seizing the opportunity, Ling Chen passed through the security door and quickly entered Wansheng Company.


    As he entered, Ling Chen looked up and noticed several internal elevators within thepany. The outeryer of the elevators was transparent, clearly revealing the inside of the elevators.


    At that moment, in one of the elevators going up slowly, stood a person. Although the distance was quite far, Ling Chen still recognized her identity.


    Porridge girl!


    It was her.


    Ling Chen was greatly surprised. Since porridge girl had left a few days ago, he had lost all contact with her and didn¡¯t know where she had gone. Unexpectedly, she hade to this city and even found this ce.


    What was she doing here?


    With curiosity, Ling Chen waved at porridge girl inside the elevator and shouted her name loudly hoping to catch her attention.


    However, as her elevator rose higher and with the soundproof ss in the way, she couldn¡¯t hear Ling Chen¡¯s voice.


    Seeing porridge girl reach the top floor in the elevator, without a second thought, Ling Chen rushed towards another elevator.


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 Chapter 668 - 673: The Disappearance of Ling Kun

    <h4>Chapter 668: Chapter 673: The Disappearance of Ling Kun</h4>


    Ling Chen had just stepped into the elevator when he heard a ¡¯bang¡¯ from above, sounding like ss being shattered.


    Then, apanied by a miserable scream, a man fell from high up and hit the ground hard, his brain matter bursting out, a sight too horrific to behold.


    It must have been the work of Porridge Girl!


    Worried about Porridge Girl¡¯s safety, Ling Chen quickly pressed the button for the top floor and hurried up in the elevator.


    Ding!


    The crisp ringtone sounded as the elevator doors slowly opened. Not waiting for the doors to fully open, an impatient Ling Chen squeezed through the gap, searching for Porridge Girl.


    Along the way, he saw several security personnel in suits lying on the ground. Not only that, through the suits worn by these security personnel, Ling Chen noticed they all wore exoskeleton armor. Unfortunately for them, they encountered Porridge Girl. No matter how strong the exoskeleton armor was, it was useless against a master from the Earthly List.


    Following the trail of the fallen security personnel, it didn¡¯t take Ling Chen long to locate Porridge Girl.


    At this moment, Porridge Girl had made her way to the office at the end of the corridor. Faintly, miserable screams could be hearding from inside.


    Ling Chen quickly approached the door, and before he even entered, he heard Porridge Girl¡¯s indifferent voice from inside: "Speak up, where is the person being held?"


    Huh?


    Ling Chen was taken aback, could it be that Porridge Girl was also looking for Qiu Yong and the others?


    As he pondered, an unfamiliar voice followed: "I... I really don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about, miss, there must be some misunderstanding, we are a legitimatepany, we¡¯ve never done anything bad."


    "Hmph! Do you think I would believe your lies? If you are a legitimatepany, then why are your security personnel equipped with exoskeleton armor? Let me tell you, stop beating around the bush, if you dare to lie again, I¡¯ll immediately cripple this arm of yours."


    "This... I... Miss, who exactly are you looking for?"


    "Ling Kun!"


    Upon hearing this name, Ling Chen outside the door was stunned.


    Ling Kun, wasn¡¯t that his own father¡¯s name? So Porridge Girl came for him. But how did Porridge Girl know his father? And although he had known Porridge Girl for a long time, she had never mentioned this matter to him.


    "Miss, I really don¡¯t know any Ling Kun, even if you kill me it¡¯s useless, I¡¯m just the person in charge of Tianhai City, I don¡¯t know about anything else." The man pleaded bitterly.


    Porridge Girl coldly said: "Still trying to deceive me? I have already checked; more than ten days ago, Ling Kun was brought to Tianhai City by you guys, since you are the person in charge, how can you not be aware of this matter? It seems like you don¡¯t want this arm anymore."


    "No, no, I... I remember now. More than ten days ago, I received an order from above, saying that an important prisoner would be passing through Tianhai City and to provide full cooperation. When they arrived, I was just responsible for ensuring their safe amodation and supplies, other than that, I know nothing, they didn¡¯t even reveal the prisoner¡¯s identity to me. However, the team escorting the prisoner consisted of top figures from the organization, I think that prisoner is indeed the person you¡¯re looking for."


    "Where are they now?"


    "They left a long time ago, they only stayed in Tianhai City for three days."


    "Do you know where they went?"


    "How would I know that? However, they drove a container truck, heading south from Tianhai City. Miss, that¡¯s all I know, please spare me."


    Porridge Girl coldly spoke: "People from the God Organization deserve to die, and so do you."


    "Stop!"


    In the office, Porridge Girl was holding a stranger by the neck with one hand, and raising her other hand in a chopping motion, ready to strike the man¡¯s vital spot.


    However, at this critical moment, Ling Chen, who had been eavesdropping outside, finally made his appearance and stopped Porridge Girl¡¯s action.


    Seeing the suddenly appearing Ling Chen, Porridge Girl¡¯s expression stiffened, she asked in surprise, "You... how are you here?"


    Ling Chen walked straight up to her, pointing to the stranger, he said: "Let him go first, I have something to ask him."


    Seeing Ling Chen intervene, Porridge Girl reluctantlyplied, releasing the man¡¯s neck and shoving him to the ground.


    "I ask you, where is Lin Tongren?"


    "You mean Mr. Lin? I know this, he¡¯s in the underground parking lot." Pausing, the man continued: "This building¡¯s underground parking has three floors officially, but there¡¯s actually a fourth floor, that¡¯s our base."


    "Did you previously capture several people?"


    The man honestly replied, "Yes!"


    "Good." Ling Chen nodded, saying: "Considering your cooperation, I¡¯ll spare your life."


    Hearing this, Porridge Girl hurriedly said, "Lin..."


    However, before she could finish speaking, she saw Ling Chen¡¯s fist moving swiftly, striking the man¡¯s head. Apanied by a muffled groan, the man¡¯s eyes turned bloodshot instantly, and he fell to the ground unconscious.


    Looking at the man passed out, Ling Chen retracted his fist and said indifferently, "Sparing your life doesn¡¯t mean letting you go, spend the rest of your half-life lying in a bed, and don¡¯t do so much evil in your next life."


    With that said, Ling Chen turned his head, looking at Porridge Girl who was about to speak, and firmly said: "I think we need to have a serious talk."


    "Ling Chen, when... When did you get here?"


    Ling Chen said meaningfully: "When you mentioned the name ¡¯Ling Kun¡¯, since you know Ling Kun, you should know my rtionship with him. I don¡¯t have time to question you now, but after I sort this out, I hope you can give me a reasonable exnation."


    After finishing his words, without waiting for Porridge Girl to speak again, Ling Chen had already left the office.


    He retraced his steps back to the first floor of the building, and Ling Chen, along with Porridge Girl, took the elevator to the third floor of the underground parking lot.


    Looking at the parking lot filled with cars, Ling Chen followed the signs, filtering them one by one. In about five minutes, Ling Chen and Porridge Girl stood in front of a dusty Mercedes-Benz.


    Looking at the license te of the Mercedes-Benz, Ling Chen said, "This is the car the man just mentioned."


    Approaching the car door, Ling Chen swung a punch, directly shattering the car window, then unlocked the car door and bent down to crawl into the driver¡¯s seat.


    It didn¡¯t take much time for Ling Chen to find a button on the Mercedes-Benz¡¯s center console, which he lightly pressed with his fingertip.


    Instantly, a small keypad popped out from the top of the center console.


    After entering the password provided by the man, the Mercedes-Benz¡¯s four wheels immediately started moving, slowly backing away.


    As the Mercedes-Benz moved away from the parking spot, a steel te with a pull handle appeared on the ground.


    "I¡¯ll go in first."


    Porridge Girl took the initiative to speak.


    Ling Chen did not refuse her suggestion. Porridge Girl was stronger than him, and if there was danger below, she would be more capable of handling it.

 Chapter 669 - 674: Another Battle with Lin Tong

    <h4>Chapter 669: Chapter 674: Another Battle with Lin Tong</h4>


    Ling Chen single-handedly lifted the ring, opening the secret door on the ground. As soon as a one-meter-wide entrance was revealed, the porridge girl jumped in without a second thought. Roughly five secondster, the voice of the porridge girl came up from below.


    Confirming it was safe, Ling Chen immediately followed by leaping into the entrance. Below the entrance was a spacious corridor, at the end of which there was a door topped with a hidden miniature surveince camera. After a nce at the monitor, Ling Chen and the porridge girl walked to the door with no regard for the surveince, not even considering it an issue.


    It¡¯s not that they weren¡¯t concerned about exposing their tracks; rather, their movements had long been exposed, so there was no need to hide.


    Hu Fei had warned Ling Chen earlier that the building¡¯s security system was operated by top-notch hackers, so their actions on the top floor must have been known to the other party.


    Upon reaching the door, without Ling Chen doing anything, the door surprisingly opened automatically.


    Ling Chen pushed the door open and entered expressionlessly. Presumably, Lin Tong knew he couldn¡¯t stop them, so he let them through.


    As he passed through the door, Ling Chen immediately saw more than a dozen security personnel, and in the middle of the crowd stood Lin Tong.


    As Ling Chen and the porridge girl approached, Lin Tong said with a sardonic smile, "Ling Chen, you really surprise me. I didn¡¯t expect you to find this ce."


    "Cut the crap, where are they?"


    "Who?" As soon as Lin Tong finished speaking, he patted his forehead, pretending to have just realized, and said with a smile, "You mean them?"


    During the conversation, a light suddenly shone behind Lin Tong. Then, several figures hanging in mid-air appeared in Ling Chen¡¯s view.


    Looking up, a chilling coldness burst in Ling Chen¡¯s pupils.


    Those hanging in mid-air were none other than Qiu Yong and his group. Qiu Yong, Xu Ming, Zhang Zhongfeng, Xia Yue, Yang Chen, Wei Jiahao -- the six people were riddled with injuries, hands bound by ropes, suspended mid-air, each of them pale-faced and weak.


    At a nce, Ling Chen¡¯s heart sank, and he shouted coldly, "What about one more person, what have you done to him?"


    He was most concerned about whether the third brother Yuan Yun was safe; the rest was not seen among the group.


    "You mean that guy named Yuan Yun?" Lin Tong said carelessly, "He¡¯s a burden, so I took care of him."


    Upon hearing this, a towering rage burst from the bottom of Ling Chen¡¯s heart, his eyes seemed consumed by raging mes, tinted with a hint of blood-red.


    "You... killed him?" Ling Chen bit down on his teeth, word by word.


    "Killed him, so what?" Lin Tong lifted his head, his expression proudly, "The God Organization kills as it wishes. Ling Chen, if you¡¯re upset, feel free to seek revenge on me. Though, I doubt you have the capability."


    Ling Chen¡¯s eyebrows rose, and he clenched his steel fists, shouting angrily, "I¡¯ll kill you!"


    As the words left his mouth, Ling Chen¡¯s toes lightly touched the ground, instantly transforming into a blur, charging toward Lin Tong across from him. Seeing Ling Chen make his move, the porridge girl, fearing he might slip up, hurriedly followed, ready to back him up. After all, Lin Tong was a master from the Earthly List, far beyond Ling Chen¡¯s capability, and she had to be prepared.


    Ah!


    However, just as the two were about to confront Lin Tong up close, a scream suddenly came from behind Lin Tong.


    Ling Chen looked up and his face changed instantly, stopping in his tracks. At that moment, Yang Chen, who had been hanging in the air, suddenly plummeted down, crashing heavily to the ground, spewing blood from his mouth. Then the rope tied to his hands slowly retracted, hoisting Yang Chen¡¯s body up again.


    Lin Tong looked at Ling Chen smugly, "Ling Chen, you best not act recklessly; otherwise, they¡¯ll only suffer more unnecessary pain."


    Ling Chen¡¯s face was cold as he gritted his teeth and asked, "What exactly do you want?"


    Lin Tong turned around and pointed at Qiu Yong, who was suspended in mid-air, and said, "Actually, what I want is very simple. As long as he tells me the things I want to know, I can let you all go immediately."


    "Don¡¯t even think about it!" Qiu Yong said coldly: "Ling Cheng, don¡¯t worry about us, take your friends and leave first. Even in death, we won¡¯t say another word."


    Hearing this, Ling Chen felt uneasy. What exactly did Qiu Yong and the others know to attract such attention from the God Organization?


    While pondering, porridge girl gently tugged at the corner of Ling Chen¡¯s clothes.


    Ling Chen turned his head and looked at porridge girl with a questioning look in his eyes, not understanding what she was trying to convey.


    Seeing Ling Chen¡¯s gaze, porridge girl motioned with her mouth towards the security personnel on both sides, then subtly pointed towards the wall on the left.


    Ling Chen looked intently and immediately grasped porridge girl¡¯s meaning. There was a distribution box mounted on the left wall, and if they could damage it, everyone would be plunged into darkness. This would be the best opportunity to make a move. However, they would have only a very brief window of time.


    Ling Chen had noticed that emergency lights were installed all around, which would turn on as soon as the power went out. He estimated that he and porridge girl would have at most five seconds.


    "Go!"


    With a light exhtion, Ling Chen did not hesitate to pounce towards the security personnel on both sides. At the same time, porridge girl grabbed the nearest object and hurled it directly at the distribution box.


    Bang!


    As the distribution box was smashed, a burst of electric light immediately emitted from inside the box.


    In an instant, the surroundings plummeted into darkness.


    Before Lin Tong could react, a series of screams rose and fell around them.


    One second... Two seconds... Three seconds...


    In the pitch-ck environment, it wasn¡¯t until the fourth second that the emergency lights finally turned on, providing a glimmer of light to everyone.


    Only then did Lin Tong realize that the dozen or so security personnel by his side had already fallen to the ground, unconscious, while Ling Chen and porridge girl had disappeared without a trace.


    "Big brother, be careful!"


    Hearing Ling Chen¡¯s voice, Lin Tong quickly turned to look behind him, and suddenly saw Ling Chen and porridge girl rescuing Qiu Yong and the others.


    With a swoosh, a sharp dagger cut through the ropes, and the suspended Qiu Yong immediately fell down. Ling Chen reached out with both hands, steadily catching Qiu Yong¡¯s body, and then ced him on the ground.


    In the blink of an eye, Xia Yue and Xu Ming were sessively rescued, leaving only Zhang Zhongfeng, Yang Chen, and Wei Jiahao still hanging by the ropes.


    "Don¡¯t even dream of saving people from my grasp!"


    Lin Tong¡¯s brows furrowed slightly, and with a light shout, he rushed towards Ling Chen trying to intervene. However, porridge girl had been watching his movements. Seeing him charging forward, porridge girl immediately stepped up, blocking Lin Tong¡¯s path.


    "Ling Chen, you go save them, I¡¯ll deal with him."

 Chapter 670 - 675: Mysterious Opponent (1)

    <h4>Chapter 670: Chapter 675: Mysterious Opponent (1)</h4>


    Seeing porridge girl blocking the way, Lin Tong¡¯s expression slightly changed. He was very aware of porridge girl¡¯s strength. Although both of them were ranked high on the Earthly List, porridge girl was much more formidable than him. In a one-on-one situation, he had no confidence in defeating porridge girl.


    Seeing Lin Tong steadily retreating, porridge girl opened her mouth and said, "What, don¡¯t dare to make a move?"


    Lin Tong snorted lightly, "I admit I am not your opponent, but don¡¯t get too arrogant. Just because I can¡¯t defeat you doesn¡¯t mean nobody else can." As soon as his words fell, a metallic friction sound suddenly came from around, as if an iron cage had been opened.


    Just when porridge girl was observing her surroundings, a sudden gust of wind approached from behind. As an Earthly List expert, porridge girl¡¯s reaction was very quick. Sensing the gust, she immediately turned around and struck a palm backwards.


    But her palm hit nothing, nothing was struck. Focusing her gaze, porridge girl discovered there was no one behind her.


    Such speedy maneuvers!


    After experiencing the opponent¡¯s maneuvers, a trace of seriousness shed through porridge girl¡¯s beautiful eyes. She was certain that someone had appeared behind her just now, but in less than a second, that person had vanished from in front of her.


    Could this strength be...maybe from one of the top five masters of the Earthly List?


    Thinking of this, porridge girl couldn¡¯t help but feel a bit worried. She knew her own abilities well. Though she was slightly stronger than Lin Tong, her strength was at most ranked sixth on the Earthly List, not high enough to enter the top five. Just like the Dragon List, the fifth spot on the Earthly List was a watershed. Once crossed, it was a different realm.


    At this moment, porridge girl only heard the whistling of wind beside her ears, but her eyes could not lock onto the target at all.


    There was no way; the opponent was simply too fast, eyes alone could not keep up with them.


    "Rescue aplished, let¡¯s go!"


    Hearing Ling Chen¡¯s voice from beside her, porridge girl nodded and was ready to rush out, paving the way for Ling Chen.


    However, just at that moment, a fierce gust of wind struck head-on, instantly closing in on porridge girl.


    Sensing the sudden crisis, porridge girl¡¯s pupils shrank and she stepped back, raising both palms with Inner Strength infused, pushing swiftly forward.


    "Be careful, that person has a knife."


    Suddenly, Yang Chen next to Ling Chen shouted.


    Hearing Yang Chen¡¯s warning, porridge girl¡¯s face changed slightly and she immediately withdrew her palms. Using this opportunity, her gaze swept around, and a cold and harsh glint abruptly met her eyes.


    Indeed!


    porridge girl breathed a sigh of relief, grateful for Yang Chen¡¯s timely reminder, otherwise, her palm strike would surely have hit that curved de. Even with her strong abilities, her flesh and blood body couldn¡¯t sh with a knife, especially since she did not practice Cross Training in Hard Qi Gong.


    Missing with the knife swing, the person did not hesitate at all, quickly withdrawing and continued to move around the group, seeking an opportunity to attack.


    "You all go first; I¡¯ll cover the back."


    As porridge girl¡¯s voice rang out, Ling Chen turned his head towards Qiu Yong, preparing to lead everyone away, but Qiu Yong shook his head and said, "Third brother has not been found yet, we must rescue him."


    Third brother?


    Ling Chen was shocked; he thought that Yuan Yun had been killed by Lin Tong.


    "Big brother, where is third brother?"


    "He should still be here. He was severely injured earlier. After Lin Tong brought us here, he passed out, and I don¡¯t know where Lin Tong has ced him."


    "Alright, you all wait here; I¡¯ll go look for him."


    "Be careful."


    Ling Chen nodded and turned around to walk towards the back. Not far behind him was a door leading to the rear of the stronghold where Yuan Yun was likely abandoned. Passing through the door, Ling Chen surveyed the surroundings, searching for Yuan Yun¡¯s whereabouts while staying alert for danger.


    To save time, Ling Chen walked swiftly, and soon, he reached the deepest part of the stronghold.


    Huh?


    At that moment, Ling Chen¡¯s sharp eyes were drawn to some traces of blood on the ground.


    Following the trail of blood, Ling Chen quickly found a tightly closed door. He kicked the door open and a strong smell of blood immediately hit his nostrils. Ling Chen nced at the dark environment inside the room and reached out to flip the light switch on the wall.


    As the room lit up, piles of debris immediately came into view around him.


    In those piles, therey a person covered in blood, motionless. Ling Chen¡¯s expression changed slightly, and he hurried over to lift the person up from the ground.


    Indeed, it was Yuan Yun!


    "Brother... Brother!" Ling Chen called out loudly to Yuan Yun, but Yuan Yun didn¡¯t respond at all, as if he were dead.


    Seeing this, Ling Chen quickly checked Yuan Yun¡¯s breathing. Thankfully, he was still breathing, albeit very weakly, barely hanging on. Without immediate medical treatment, Yuan Yun¡¯s life was at risk.


    Without a second to lose, Ling Chen quickly picked up Yuan Yun and hurried out of the room. However, just a few steps out, Ling Chen caught a glimpse of a few items discarded in the corner of the debris room from the corner of his eye.


    A minute passed.


    "Big brother, I¡¯ve found Brother Three."


    Seeing Ling Chen holding Yuan Yun and rushing towards them from behind, Qiu Yong and the others breathed a sigh of relief.


    "Big brother, these were in there," said Ling Chen as he handed over several weapons. These were the personal weapons of Zhang Zhongfeng, Xia Yue, Yuan Yun, and others, clearly confiscated when they were captured and thrown into the debris room. Fortunately, he had spotted them just in time.


    Taking the weapons from Ling Chen, Qiu Yong turned to porridge girl and said solemnly, "Ling Cheng, things don¡¯t look good; your friend seems to be no match for that person."


    Hearing this, Ling Chen immediately turned his gaze towards porridge girl.


    At that moment, porridge girl had a clear wound on her left arm from which blood was profusely flowing, staining her sleeve red.


    That someone could injure porridge girl suggested that this person was extraordinarily skilled.


    "Huh... Where¡¯s Lin Tong?" Ling Chen suddenly noticed that Lin Tong was nowhere to be seen.


    "I haven¡¯t seen him; he probably ran away," replied Qiu Yong.


    Better that he¡¯s gone!


    Ling Chen thought to himself that if there were one more Lin Tong, things could get even moreplicated.


    "Big brother, you all take care of Brother Three for now; I¡¯m going to help porridge girl."


    Qiu Yong tossed the steel knife that Yuan Yun used and said, "Take this; you might need it."


    With the steel knife in hand, Ling Chen felt more confident. He quickened his pace to reach porridge girl and asked with concern, "Are you alright?"


    "Just a minor injury, it¡¯s nothing," she paused before adding, "Be careful, that person¡¯s speed is incredibly fast, I¡¯ve never seen anyone able to move at that level before."


    "Could it be a Heavenly List master?"


    "No. If it were a Heavenly List master, they wouldn¡¯t need to resort to such tactics; they would have killed us straight away."

 Chapter 671 - 676: Mysterious Opponent (2)

    <h4>Chapter 671: Chapter 676: Mysterious Opponent (2)</h4>


    "Ling Cheng, to the left."


    Upon hearing Yang Chen¡¯s reminder, Ling Chen didn¡¯t think, he just shed to the left. In an instant, a gust of wind swept by, as though nothing had ever been there, leaving not a single trace.


    So fast!


    Having experienced the opponent¡¯s speed firsthand, Ling Chen suddenly felt a ridiculous sensation; he thought his opponent didn¡¯t seem human. Otherwise, it wouldn¡¯t be possible for a human to have such speed, unless the opponent had surpassed human limits, but that was almost impossible.


    Moreover, under the surrounding emergency lights, both he and porridge girl couldn¡¯t even see what the opponent looked like, which was incredibly unbelievable.


    In thought, Zhang Zhongfeng observed the surroundings and then pulled an arrow from his quiver, cing it on the bowstring.


    Whizz!


    The arrow flew through the air, instantly destroying an emergency light.


    Seeing Zhang Zhongfeng¡¯s action, Ling Chen immediately understood his intention. The person¡¯s speed was too fast; under the illumination of the surrounding lights, they were nothing but living targets for the opponent to aim at. Thus, plunging everyone into darkness was the only way to have a chance to deal with the foe.


    Following Zhang Zhongfeng shooting out all the surrounding emergency lights, darkness enveloped the area, and the sound of the person moving could be heard.


    In the pitch-ck environment, Ling Chen held his steel knife, closed his eyes, and listened carefully to the sounds around him. Having Yang Chen on their side undoubtedly gave them an advantage.


    "Ling Cheng, be careful, that person has circled behind us."


    Hearing Yang Chen¡¯s voice, Ling Chen and porridge girl quickly moved closer to Qiu Yong and the others.


    This person was quite cunning, knowing that porridge girl was highly skilled and with Ling Chen helping, hence he avoided attacking directly and instead started targeting Yang Chen and the others. Although Qiu Yong and his team were strong, they were all injured and not as formidable as before, easily exposing ws. Once targeted by that person, it could spell trouble.


    "Left."


    Upon Yang Chen¡¯s warning, the sound of slicing air immediately followed. Zhang Zhongfeng reacted swiftly, drawing and shooting his bow the moment he heard the warning.


    This kind of blind shooting, only a master could achieve with ease, was a piece of cake for Zhang Zhongfeng.


    ng!


    As the arrow was shot, a clear ringing sound immediately entered everyone¡¯s ears. Followed by a ¡¯bang¡¯, it seemed like something had hit the wall. Locking onto the direction from which the sound emanated, Ling Chen and porridge girl didn¡¯t hesitate and quickly pursued.


    However, by the time they arrived, they didn¡¯t find anyone. The person¡¯s reaction was very quick; they had already fled.


    "Ling Chen, look."


    Porridge girl pointed at the wall, indicating.


    Ling Chen nced over and noticed a fresh trace of blood on the wall surface. The bloodstain was fresh, likely left just moments ago ¨C it seemed Zhang Zhongfeng¡¯s arrow had hit the person, but it was unknown which part was hit or how severe the injury was.


    ng!


    As they retreated, Ling Chen¡¯s foot seemed to have hit a metal object, emitting a crisp sound. Bending down, Ling Chen picked up the item by his feet, discovering it to be a curved knife.


    "This must be the weapon the person was using just now."


    Hearing porridge girl¡¯s words, Ling Chen nodded. The curved knife had a clear mark on its surface, presumably caused by the arrow hit.


    Now that the person had lost their weapon and was injured, the situation was increasingly favorable for them.


    Back with the group, Ling Chen scanned the surroundings and said, "Let¡¯s go, that person won¡¯t dare to strike again."


    With that, the group cautiously moved towards the exit.


    As expected, the injured person did not appear again, and it was unknown where they had escaped to.


    Passing through the door they had entered earlier, Ling Chen finally led Qiu Yong and the others away from God Organization¡¯s stronghold.


    Back the same way, it was not long before everyone returned to the underground parking lot.


    "Ling Chen, what about this secret base?"


    "Forget about it." Ling Chen said, "I will call my friendster, and let them handle this ce." After saying that, Ling Chen looked at the dying Yuan Yun and said in a deep voice, "Right now, the most important thing is Sange¡¯s life. Let¡¯s go, I called a friend who is good at medicine, and he is waiting for us in Jinhaishi."


    "Okay."


    In order to save time, Ling Chen directly stole a van in the parking lot and then took everyone to the hotel where Zhu Xiaozhu was staying.


    When they reached the hotel, Ling Chen saw two policemen escorting Zhu Xiaozhu out of the hotel and into a police car, which then drove onto the road.


    Seeing this scene, Ling Chen was stunned.


    What¡¯s going on?


    Zhu Xiaozhu was actually taken away by the police.


    "Ling Chen, wasn¡¯t that your friend just now?" porridge girl asked.


    Ling Chen nodded, then started the car and chased after the police car.


    Seeing Ling Chen driving up in front of the police car, blocking its path, porridge girl couldn¡¯t help asking, "What are you trying to do?"


    "Sange¡¯s injuries cannot be dyed; we must get him treated immediately."


    "You want to snatch people?"


    "What else do you think we can do? Do you have any other ideas?"


    Porridge girl responded helplessly, "Don¡¯t you have friends in the government? Just have them make a call. Why be so reckless? Don¡¯t create more troubleter."


    Ling Chen thought about it and felt that porridge girl¡¯s suggestion made sense. If he really tried to snatch people, even if there was no crime, it could turn into having one.


    The call was connected, and after Ling Chen exined the situation to Tang Yuan, thetter agreed immediately without any hesitation.


    In less than five minutes, the police car behind them stopped. Subsequently, a policeman got out with Zhu Xiaozhu and walked her to the front of the van driven by Ling Chen.


    "Are you Mr. Ling?"


    "Yes, I am."


    "Hello, Mr. Ling, I was instructed from above to hand the prisoner over to you."


    "Thank you!"


    Ling Chen, without much idle talk, immediately opened the car door and let Zhu Xiaozhu get in.


    "Xiaozhu, this is my Sange, his injuries are severe, please check him quickly," Ling Chen urged anxiously.


    Zhu Xiaozhu nodded gently, then checked Yuan Yun¡¯s pulse.


    Seeing Zhu Xiaozhu¡¯s slightly furrowed brow, Ling Chen, unable to contain his anxiety, asked, "How is my Sange¡¯s condition?"


    "It¡¯s not good. His injuries are severe, and he has missed the best time for treatment. Honestly, if it wasn¡¯t for his physique being much stronger than an average person, with his injuries, he would¡¯ve been dead by now; surviving this long is already quite remarkable."


    Qiu Yong spoke solemnly, "Is there still a way to treat him?"


    "At this point, I can¡¯t do anything, and even if we search the whole world for doctors, there is no guarantee they could save him, but... I do have an idea that might be worth trying."


    Hearing this, Ling Chen quickly asked, "What idea? Tell us, no matter how difficult, we will find a way to solve it."


    Zhu Xiaozhu looked up at Ling Chen, hesitated for a while, then with light lips parted, she uttered four words: "God Organization!"

 Chapter 672 - 677: Method of Saving Lives

    <h4>Chapter 672: Chapter 677: Method of Saving Lives</h4>


    "God Organization?" Ling Chen and Qiu Yong looked at each other, their faces showing a hint of surprise. They had thought Zhu Xiaozhu would have some good methods, but her idea turned out to involve the God Organization. Could the God Organization save Yuan Yun?


    "Xiaozhu, exin clearly, what does this have to do with the God Organization?"


    "The strengthening drug developed by the God Organization contains a special ingredient, which is also the key to sessfully making the drug. If we can obtain that ingredient, we can create a special medicine that will enhance your third brother¡¯s vital signs and then proceed with treatment."


    Ling Chen breathed a sigh of relief and said with a slight smile, "That¡¯s simple enough. I¡¯ve confiscated a lot of the strengthening drugs developed by the God Organization before. We just need to separate that ingredient from the drugs."


    Zhu Xiaozhu shook her head and said, "It¡¯s not that simple. Once the ingredient is made into the strengthening drug, itpletely merges with the otherponents and is very difficult to separate. Moreover, even if you can separate it, the amount is very limited and won¡¯t be enough for your third brother¡¯s needs. It would be best to find that ingredient on its own."


    Hearing this, everyone fell into silence.


    Zhu Xiaozhu¡¯s words struck like a bolt from the blue, severely impacting everyone¡¯s hearts. Yuan Yun¡¯s life was hanging by a thread; where would they have the time to search for that drug ingredient? By the time they found it, Yuan Yun would probably be long gone.


    Seemingly sensing the helplessness and sorrow in everyone¡¯s eyes, Zhu Xiaozhu spoke, "Everyone, don¡¯t despair just yet; it¡¯s not time for that. His condition is indeed very dangerous, but with my medical skills, I can barely keep him alive for two or three days. However, remember, if there¡¯s no progress within three days, then there truly is no hope for him."


    Three days!


    A me of hope ignited in Ling Chen¡¯s heart.


    Three days, though not much, was a rare opportunity.


    "Alright, give us three days¡¯ time; no matter the cost, we¡¯ll find what you¡¯re asking for," Qiu Yong dered decisively.


    Zhu Xiaozhu nodded slightly and said to Ling Chen, "Take us to Jinhai City People¡¯s Hospital. I know people there. We¡¯ll take your third brother there to stay for a few days. I also need to use their medical equipment to keep him alive."


    "Sure."


    Ling Chen agreed and immediately drove the van towards the hospital.


    On the way, Ling Chen chatted idly with Zhu Xiaozhu and only then did he understand why she was taken away by the police. When they previously went to Qiu Yong¡¯s residence, a body was found there. Later, after the police arrived and conducted their investigation, they eventually locked onto the two of them as suspects.


    No choice about it, as they were thest to leave the room. Because Zhu Xiaozhu had used her ID to check into another hotel, the police quickly came knocking. It was also fortunate that Ling Chen arrived in time and asked Tang Yuan for help, or Zhu Xiaozhu would have been taken away. Otherwise, it would have been troublesome.


    ...


    Two hourster, after Zhu Xiaozhu had settled Yuan Yun, Ling Chen stepped out of the ward only to see Qiu Yong and the others huddled together, discussing something.


    "Big brother, what are you guys discussing?" Ling Chen asked.


    Qiu Yong nced at Ling Chen and said, "Ling Cheng, you, Xia Yue, Ling Kun, and Lin Tong stay at the hospital to look after third brother. Although we¡¯ve escaped, we can¡¯t guarantee that Hu Fei won¡¯te looking, so you guys stay here to protect him. The three of us will try to find the thing Miss Zhu asked for."


    "No!" Ling Chen shook his head, saying earnestly, "They can stay, but I must go with you. I¡¯m more familiar with the God Organization than you are, and besides, do you know where to find that drug ingredient?"


    "This..." Qiu Yong, Xu Ming, and Zhang Zhongfeng looked at each other, none able to provide an answer.


    "Big brother, we only have three days, we can¡¯t just blindly rely on luck."


    "Alright." Qiu Yong nodded, "Since you have a way, then youe with us. The others will stay at the hospital."


    Xia Yue advised with concern, "Big brother, be careful. I know you all want to save third brother, but if we lose anyone else because of this, I don¡¯t think third brother would be happy even if he were saved."


    "I know that. Let¡¯s not dy any longer; let¡¯s get going."


    However, just as Ling Chen was about to leave, he suddenly realized something¡ªthe porridge girl was missing. She was with them just nowing to the hospital, but in the blink of an eye, she was gone?


    After asking Xia Yue and the others, everyone indicated they hadn¡¯t seen the porridge girl. After arriving at the hospital, everyone was preupied with Yuan Yun and hadn¡¯t paid attention to the porridge girl.


    Sigh!


    Ling Chen sighed helplessly. That woman was really... he didn¡¯t even know how to describe her. She should at least say goodbye before she leaves, alwaysing and going without a trace, truly disconcerting.


    Thinking it over, Ling Chen guessed that the porridge girl probably avoided them because she feared being asked about Ling Kun.


    Forget it! Yuan Yun¡¯s issue was more important. He¡¯ll find the porridge girl and ask for rification next time.


    Leaving the hospital, Ling Chen and the others got back into the van.


    "Ling Cheng, you¡¯re the most familiar with the God Organization, where do you think we should look?"


    Hearing Zhang Zhongfeng¡¯s question, Ling Chen replied, "Only the God Organization¡¯s research facilities would store that drug ingredient; those outposts are unlikely to have it, so our search is much narrowed down."


    After saying that, Ling Chen took out his phone and called Hu Fei. After giving instructions, Ling Chen drove the car to the opposite side of the road, towards a caf¨¦, and then led Qiu Yong and the others inside.


    Sitting in a booth, Ling Chen ordered four cups of coffee from the waitress and started fiddling with his phone, staying silent.


    "Ling Cheng," an impatient Qiu Yong couldn¡¯t help asking, "Isn¡¯t it that we¡¯re supposed to look for the God Organization¡¯s research facilities? What are we doing here? Don¡¯t forget, we only have three days, we can¡¯t afford to waste them."


    "Big brother, rest assured, I know what I¡¯m doing, I won¡¯t dy serious matters. The research facilities established by the God Organization in Huaxia are very covert; blindly searching will only waste time and energy. I¡¯ve already exined everything to Hu Fei, he knows what to do. Believe me, it won¡¯t take long before we get urate information."


    Seeing Ling Chen looking very confident, Qiu Yong and the others had to suppress their curiosity and anxiety, waiting patiently.


    After finishing a cup of coffee, Ling Chen put down his phone and looked across the booth at Qiu Yong, asking, "Big brother, there¡¯s something I forgot to ask you."


    "What is it?"


    "Thest time we spoke on the phone, you told me that you were dealing with some personal affairs. Since it was a personal matter, how did you get involved with the God Organization?"


    Qiu Yong gave a wry smile and said, "It¡¯s a long story."


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 Chapter 673 - 678: The Reason

    <h4>Chapter 673: Chapter 678: The Reason</h4>


    "Our trip to Jinhai City this time is mainly to deal with your third brother¡¯s personal affairs. Your third brother has a friend in Jinhai City, also an old friend of many years. Aside from us brothers and sisters, he is his only friend. Some time ago, his friend called him, saying he had run into a bit of trouble and was hoping your third brother could help him out. At the time, your third brother agreed without hesitation. Originally, he wanted toe to Jinhai City alone to handle the trouble, but we were all idle at the time, so we might as well apany him over. Who knew..."


    At this point, Qiu Yong sighed lightly.


    Xu Ming continued, "Your third brother¡¯s friend is called Tian Lang, who is also over forty years old. He learned martial arts in the past, which is why he became acquainted with your third brother. However, after getting married and having children, he neglected his martial arts and lived the life of an ordinary person. I¡¯ve heard your third brother mention Tian Lang before; he¡¯s a good man who values personal loyalty. Aftering to Jinhai City, due to his extraordinary skills, he was spotted by apany and became a highly-paid security personnel, specifically responsible for protecting an important figure, traveling everywhere on business trips."


    "You might not believe it, but that important figure is actually a high-ranking member of the God Organization; the corporate executive role is just his cover identity. Because of your third brother, Tian Lang had some understanding of the God Organization. On one asion, Tian Lang overheard the conversation between that high-ranking official and others, which involved a lot of confidential information about the God Organization. Amongst that information, there was a piece that was particrly critical, rted to thetest research experiment of the God Organization."


    Could it be... gic mutation?


    Ling Chen was startled and hurriedly asked, "Second brother, what¡¯s the rtion?"


    "The God Organization has made a breakthrough in theirtest research, and all the rted materials are stored in a USB drive by that high-ranking official. Tian Lang, a martial artist, knows how to discern right from wrong. He was clear that the information was very important. Thus, he took the chance when the high-ranking official was unguarded and secretly stole the USB drive. Unfortunately, less than half an hour after his departure, the theft was discovered. The God Organization sent people everywhere to find his whereabouts, determined to take back the USB drive from him."


    "Tian Lang has his own family in Jinhai City. To avoid involving his wife and children, he fled with his family. It was at that time he contacted your third brother, seeking help. However, by the time we arrived in Jinhai City, Tian Lang had already suffered several attacks. Not only was he badly wounded himself, but his wife and children also met with tragedy. When we found Tian Lang hiding, he was already at death¡¯s door. Despite his severe injuries, the death of his family hit him the hardest, leaving him no desire to live on. Just before he passed, Tian Lang spent a few minutes alone with your third brother, taking hisst breath. Besides your third brother, no one knows where he hid the USB drive. Originally, we intended to retrieve the USB drive and then call you to hand over the information to you. However, before we had the chance to retrieve it, we were discovered by members of the God Organization, led by Lin Tong and that mysterious expert."


    With the end of the exnation, Zhang Zhongfeng said, "With our collective strength as brothers, even with the Earthly List experts, we wouldn¡¯t fear them. But they had too many people and resorted to a lot of despicable means, making them hard to guard against. Because of this, our third brother was seriously injured in the fight and almost lost his life. At that time, we forcibly broke through with our third brother, shaking off the pursuers, and temporarily settled in that hotel. Due to the severity of our third brother¡¯s injuries, our eldest brother called you for help, urging you to rush to Jinhai City as soon as possible."


    "However, not long after our eldest brother made the call, our location was exposed. Knowing it would be difficult to prevail by force, they used a kind of colorless and odorless knockout drug in the drinking water served by the hotel staff, as well as in the venttion ducts of the room. It was our own carelessness, coupled with extreme fatigue at the time, that prevented us from noticing. By the time we realized, it was toote, we had no strength to resist the people from the God Organization, and were ultimately captured by them. Lin Tong kept pressing us about the whereabouts of the USB drive, but aside from our third brother himself, we had no idea where it was. If you hadn¡¯t arrived in time, we would have likely never seen daylight again."


    After listening to the ount of Qiu Yong and the others, Ling Chen nodded his head, gaining a general understanding of the situation. If he could get his hands on the confidential information in that USB drive rted to thetest research by the God Organization, it might be of great help to Jiang Yunkai and Bai Huanjun¡¯s recovery.


    At that thought, Ling Chen¡¯s eyes suddenly became determined.


    No matter what, Yuan Yun¡¯s life must be saved.


    In the midst of his thoughts, the phone on the table suddenly rang. Ling Chen nced at it, saw it was Hu Fei calling, and immediately answered, "Fatty, how¡¯s it going? Did you find anything?"


    "You wouldn¡¯t believe it, but following your method, I really found a few ces. I just checked, and the research base closest to Jinhai City is in Zhongyang City, north of Jinhai City. By ne, it would take at most two hours to get there."


    "Alright, I got it. Send me the exact location in a bit."


    After hanging up the phone, Ling Chen looked up at Qiu Yong and the others, and smiled faintly, "Eldest brother, found it."


    "Where?"


    "Zhongyang City, I¡¯ll get the ne ready immediately."


    Previously, Ling Chen arrived in Jinhai City on a private jet from Hongyu Group with Zhu Xiaozhu. That jet was currently on standby at the airport, which could save a lot of time.


    After making a call to get the ne ready for flight, Ling Chen drove the van straight towards the airport.


    Upon arrival, after less than half an hour¡¯s wait, the ne obtained control tower clearance and took off for Zhonghai City.


    Zhonghai City is more than eight hundred kilometers away from Jinhai City, and the ne is the most effective and convenient means of transportation. After nearly two hours of flight, the ne finallynded at the airport in Zhonghai City.


    Before disembarking, Ling Chen greeted the pilots and told them to stay on the ne and on standby. As soon as they found the medicine ingredients needed by Zhu Xiaozhu, they would immediately start the journey back to Jinhai City.


    It was now after nine o¡¯clock in the evening.


    The spacious streets were bustling with traffic, and the night scene was dazzling, a spectacle of prosperity and excitement.


    "Ling Cheng, where are we heading now?" Qiu Yong asked.


    "Wait a moment, let me check."


    Saying that, Ling Chen picked up his phone to check the address Hu Fei had sent. Then, he hailed a taxi on the roadside and got in with Qiu Yong and the others.


    "Master, please go to Beijiang Road."


    "Okay!"


    The taxi driver nodded, and without another word, started the car and headed toward the destination.

 Chapter 674 - 679 Zhongyang City

    <h4>Chapter 674: Chapter 679 Zhongyang City</h4>


    Zhongyang City.


    This is a first-tier city. Although not as bustling as East Sea City, it is one of the top metropolises in the nation, easily ranking within the top five. Sitting in the taxi, Qiu Yong looked at Ling Chen in the passenger seat and asked, "Ling Cheng, how did you know that the God Organization¡¯s research base was in Zhongyang City?"


    Ling Chen smiled slightly and exined, "Actually, it¡¯s quite simple. If it were before, I really wouldn¡¯t have any way to know, but now it¡¯s different. At least now we know that the God Organization has significant ties with the southern Ling Family. Therefore, we just need to investigate the industries of the Ling Family and then randomly check ording to the type of industries. By doing so, we can easily pinpoint the location of the research base."


    During the conversation, the taxi slowly stopped at the roadside.


    "Everyone, we¡¯ve arrived!"


    "Thanks, driver." Ling Chen paid the fare and led Qiu Yong and the other two to a building nearby.


    Qiu Yong examined the building in front of them and asked, "Ling Chen, is this the ce?"


    Ling Chen nodded and answered, "This building is a research institute owned by the Ling Family, dedicated to developing chemical drugs for the family¡¯s factories. It¡¯s an official research institute. However, that¡¯s just the public im. In reality, it is a secret research base for the God Organization."


    Zhang Zhongfeng curiously asked, "How are you so sure that this ce is a secret research base for the God Organization?"


    Ling Chen confidently smiled and said, "I had Hu Fei check¡ªthe purchase list of this research institute includes many items that aren¡¯t rted to chemical products. Moreover, the institute publicly ims to have over twenty research staff, yet the amount of food they purchase daily is enough for sixty to seventy people, which is definitely abnormal."


    Upon hearing this, Qiu Yong and hispanions instantly understood.


    "It¡¯s quitete; there probably aren¡¯t many people working inside the research institute right now. It¡¯s the best time to make a move," Qiu Yong said. Then looking at Zhang Zhongfeng, he added, "Fourth Brother, find a high spot when we get inside and block the enemy, and cover our retreat."


    "Understood."


    "Second Brother, Sixth Brother."


    "Big Brother, yourmand."


    "In a moment, the two of you find the drug ingredients Miss Zhu wants, and I¡¯ll distract the enemy. You guys need to move quickly and try to resolve this within half an hour."


    Xu Ming and Ling Chen responded in unison, "Okay."


    After everything was ready, the four of them climbed over the fence outside the research institute and entered the spacious courtyard.


    On one side of the courtyard was a sturdy gate. Next to the gate was an electronic keypad on the wall. Ling Chen looked at it for a moment and quickly approached the device, immediately ripping off the cover with his hands.


    Looking at the red and blue wires inside, Ling Chen quickly picked up a red wire and connected it to a blue one. The moment the two wires touched, a sh of electric light sparkled. Fortunately, Ling Chen reacted promptly and let go, preventing an electric shock.


    As the keypad was disabled, the tightly shut gates slowly moved apart, revealing a spacious entrance.


    Without hesitation, Zhang Zhongfeng drew his bow and arrow, quickly stepping in to inspect the area behind the gate to guard against any enemies.


    "Clear!"


    Upon hearing Zhang Zhongfeng¡¯s voice from inside, Ling Chen and the others immediately entered.


    They moved through the gate and, aided by the dim lighting, Ling Chen observed the surroundings, noting the empty corridors on either side, devoid of anyone.


    Strange!


    Why is there not even a single security personnel here? Ling Chen frowned internally. Hu Fei had told him that this research institute was always operational and wasn¡¯t ever abandoned. If that was the case, why was it empty?


    "Big Brother, be careful, this ce feels a bit odd."


    Qiu Yong nodded, his voice grave, "I also sensed something amiss." He then gestured, and Xu Ming followed him, heading toward the corridor ahead.


    Ling Chen followed behind with Zhang Zhongfeng covering the rear.


    The four walked over twenty meters, seeing through the transparent ss various machines and equipment. Suddenly, Ling Chen stopped in his tracks, staring at a piece of equipment behind the ss, his eyebrows deeply furrowed.


    Seeing Ling Chen standing still, Zhang Zhongfeng inquired, "Ling Cheng, what¡¯s wrong?"


    Ling Chen pointed at the instruments and the iron bed behind the ss, pausing between words, "I¡¯ve seen this ce."


    "Seen it?" Qiu Yong and Xu Ming turned their heads, looking at Ling Chen, "Ling Cheng, have you been here before?"


    Ling Chen shook his head and said, "I haven¡¯t been here, but I saw this ce in an image."


    Originally, when he was in Lin Jiawei¡¯s manor, Lin Jiawei had shown him Xia Mutong¡¯s situation through a tablet using remote video. This ce was exactly where Xia Mutong had stayed in the video.


    This indicated that Xia Mutong was definitely brought here, and the experimentspleted at this research institute took ce.


    Calcting the time, this research base was still operational within half a month, but now it¡¯s empty, which is really baffling.


    "Ling Cheng, there¡¯s a door over there. Let¡¯s go check it out."


    Hearing Xu Ming¡¯s voice, Ling Chen nodded and quickly walked towards the ss door nearby.


    As he opened the door, Ling Chen hadn¡¯t even stepped in when he suddenly stepped back, his expression turning somewhat grim. Noticing his unusual behavior, Qiu Yong quickly asked, "Ling Cheng, what¡¯s going on?"


    Ling Chen pointed at the ss door, his brows furrowed, "People have died here, and many of them."


    Hearing this, Qiu Yong and the others exchanged nces, a hint of shock in their eyes.


    Standing at the doorway, smelling the stench of decay emanating from behind the ss door, Qiu Yong nodded, "This strong decay smell, the people inside must have been dead for at least half a month."


    "Let¡¯s go in and take a look."


    "Be careful."


    Entering theb behind the ss, Ling Chen hadn¡¯t walked far when he heard a ng underfoot as if he had stepped on something round.


    Ling Chen looked down and saw a shlight on the floor. He bent down to pick it up and turned it on, a bright beam of light immediately shooting out.


    With the shlight in hand, Ling Chen shone it around and saw several bodies lying on the floor not far from him; their mouths wide open, eyes bulging, as if they had been greatly terrified before death.


    "Ling Cheng, shine the light on me; I¡¯m going to check their bodies."


    After saying that, Qiu Yong walked over to the bodies and carefully examined them.


    "Ling Cheng, look, their chest cavities have been pierced by a blunt object," Qiu Yong said, puzzled. "Looking at the marks around the wounds, it seems it wasn¡¯t some heavy blunt object."


    "It was an arm."


    "An arm?"


    Qiu Yong and the others lifted their heads, puzzled, looking at Ling Chen, "You mean... they were pierced through by someone¡¯s arm?"

 Chapter 675 - 680: The Mutated Xia Mutong (1)

    <h4>Chapter 675: Chapter 680: The Mutated Xia Mutong (1)</h4>


    Ling Chen nodded and said, "That¡¯s right, I¡¯ve seen simr corpses before. They were all killed by someone thrusting an arm directly through their bodies, dying in a very tragic state."


    Xu Ming chimed in, "Being able to prate a body with an arm indicates that the person has incredible strength. I have no idea who it could be, using such a brutal method."


    "I think I know who it is," Ling Chen said somberly.


    "You know?" Qiu Yong looked at Ling Chen in surprise and asked, "How do you know?"


    Ling Chen shook his head to himself without picking up on Qiu Yong¡¯s question. He was clear in his mind that the one who killed these people was very likely Xia Mutong. Back when they were in the main base of the God Organization, Jiang Yunkai and Bai Huanjun, after undergoing experimental transformations, had exhibited such patterns.


    Therefore, Ling Chen was very familiar with this kind of situation. Back then, Xia Mutong had undergone experiments here, and the urrence of this situation indicated that Xia Mutong had likely lost Control, hence the idental harm to so many people.


    As he was pondering, a noise suddenly came from outside.


    "What¡¯s going on?"


    Qiu Yong and the others were rmed and hurriedly ran out the ss door, looking towards the entrance they hade in through.


    At this moment, three Land Rover off-road vehicles drove in from outside the research institute and stopped outside the entrance.


    As the doors of the off-road vehicles opened, more than a dozen fully armed men stepped down one after the other, each equipped with tranquilizer guns, night vision goggles, and some special capturing tools.


    Hearing the footsteps getting closer, Ling Chen said, "Zhang Zhongfeng, someone¡¯sing."


    Qiu Yong pointed to a dark corner opposite in haste and said urgently, "Go, let¡¯s hide over there first."


    The four had barely concealed themselves when they saw a man leading the group, holding a tranquilizer gun and cautiously approaching the research institute. Ling Chen looked over and furrowed his brows slightly.


    The sharp-eyed Ling Chen noticed that there were mini cameras mounted on the helmets of those men; whoever was on the other end of the camera could clearly see the situation inside the research institute.


    In no time, the group of over a dozen men had all entered theboratory behind the ss door.


    Seeing the cautious inspection of those men, a hint of confusion appeared in Ling Chen¡¯s eyes.


    Wasn¡¯t this ce supposed to be empty? Why would the God Organization still send people here, could it be that they are searching for something? However, looking at their cautious behavior, they did not seem to be searching for things.


    Tranquilizers...s... Observing the equipment those people carried, Ling Chen had a thought that immediately came to mind.


    Judging by the equipment they¡¯re using, they must be targeting a person.


    Could it be... Xia Mutong is still hiding in this research base? Otherwise, why would the people sent by the God Organization be using tranquilizer guns?


    Thinking of this, Ling Chen grew more certain of his spection. If Xia Mutong was still here, he must take Xia Mutong away no matter what.


    "Zhang Zhongfeng, you guys stay here; I¡¯ll go take a look."


    "Ling Cheng, you..." Before Qiu Yong could finish, Ling Chen had already run out of the hiding spot, following behind those men, observing the surroundings.


    Ah!


    Suddenly, a miserable cry rang out, and by the time everyone reacted, they saw a person not far away falling down, with a ferocious blood hole in his chest, blood pouring out from it.


    "Everyone be careful, that person has appeared."


    With a shout, everyone became on high alert, cautiously watching their surroundings.


    At this time, Ling Chen, hiding in the shadows, looked around and listened to the movements, hoping to pinpoint the location of Xia Mutong.


    However, after Xia Mutong killed a person, there was no further appearance and no telling where he had gone.


    Just then, a gust of wind attacked from above. By the time Ling Chen noticed, a man in the crowd vanished in an instant. Ling Chen furrowed his brow, looked up, and then heard a ¡¯bang¡¯ as the missing man fell from the sky.


    "Dead!"


    Seeing their deadrade, a group of men panicked, quickly huddling together back-to-back, holding their breath and focusing, intensely watching their surroundings, raising their tranquilizer guns, ready to pull the trigger at any moment.


    Suddenly, a shadow flew past the wall. Several frightened men immediately aimed their tranquilizer guns in that direction, firing multiple darts. But all the tranquilizer darts hit the wall,pletely missing the target.


    While everyone was searching for the target, another gust of wind attacked again, instantly rushing into the crowd.


    Hearing the cries of shock and screams in the crowd, Ling Chen no longer hesitated and immediately rushed over at full speed, throwing the two nearest people out. Then, he clenched his fist and threw a powerful punch towards the shadow in the crowd.


    Perhaps sensing the fierce wind, the shadow quickly turned its head, staring into Ling Chen¡¯s eyes.


    Their eyes met, and a heavy feeling settled in Ling Chen¡¯s heart. His guess was correct ¨C the person in front of him was indeed Xia Mutong.


    "Officer Xia!"


    Before Ling Chen could finish speaking, he saw Xia Mutong raise her hands, palm striking ruthlessly towards his body.


    Although Xia Mutong¡¯s palms had not yet connected with his body, the wind was ominous, and Ling Chen could feel the terrifying power contained within those palms.


    There was no time to think; Ling Chen hastily backed away.


    He wasn¡¯t afraid of Xia Mutong but was concerned that a direct confrontation would result in her arms getting injured.


    "Who are you?"


    At this point, everyone¡¯s gaze turned to Ling Chen, and they all shouted in chorus.


    Ling Chen nced back and locked eyes with a man¡¯s helmet-mounted camera.


    "Ling Chen, it¡¯s Ling Chen, kill him!"


    Amidst the man¡¯s shouting, everyone collectively raised their tranquilizer guns, aiming at Ling Chen. However, while they locked on to Ling Chen, they neglected the presence of Xia Mutong.


    Ah!


    A dreadful scream rang out as Xia Mutong¡¯s arm pierced through the back of a man, her hands covered in blood, looking ferocious and terrifying, especially under the enveloping dim light, adding ayer of horror.


    The screams of their fallenrade immediately drew the others¡¯ attention. Seizing the opportunity, Ling Chen tapped lightly with his toes, disappearing from everyone¡¯s sight in an instant.


    "Quick, catch Ling Chen, don¡¯t let him escape... ugh!"


    Before he could finish speaking, a sharp arrow suddenly flew in, piercing the man¡¯s throat.


    As the arrow was shot, Qiu Yong and Xu Ming rushed in from outside the ss door, pouncing on the members of the God Organization.


    With Ling Chen¡¯s cooperation, it didn¡¯t take long for the four of them to take down all the members sent by the God Organization.


    "Big brother, stop her!"


    After dealing with the people from the God Organization, Ling Chen immediately focused his attention on Xia Mutong.


    "No problem."


    Qiu Yong responded, leading Xu Ming and Zhang Zhongfeng to encircle Xia Mutong from different directions.


    "Big brother, second brother, fourth brother, be careful, don¡¯t hurt her." Ling Chen reminded them.


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    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 676 - 681: The Mutated Xia Mutong (2)

    <h4>Chapter 676: Chapter 681: The Mutated Xia Mutong (2)</h4>


    "Ling Cheng, if I¡¯m not mistaken, this person seems to be your friend," right?"


    Hearing Zhang Zhongfeng¡¯s question, Ling Chen nodded and said, "She underwent an experiment by the God Organization, and now she has lost her mind and doesn¡¯t remember who I am. I must take her away and restore her to her former self."


    "We can all go at her together. There¡¯s no way she can handle so many of us alone."


    As soon as Qiu Yong finished speaking, Ling Chen and his twopanions immediately charged towards Xia Mutong.


    In order not to hurt Xia Mutong, Ling Chen didn¡¯t dare to attack too harshly. Getting closer, Ling Chen turned his fist into a palm, marshaled his Inner Strength, and struck towards Xia Mutong¡¯s neck.


    Feeling the force of the blow closing in, Xia Mutong abruptly turned her head and pped out a palm, meeting Ling Chen¡¯s attack.


    However, before Xia Mutong¡¯s palm could touch Ling Chen, she stumbled on her feet and fell to the ground.


    Seeing this, Ling Chen leaned forward, opened his arms, and caught the falling Xia Mutong in his embrace.


    Before Xia Mutong could struggle, the quick-reacting Xu Ming swiftly picked up an anesthesia gun from the ground and shot it into Xia Mutong¡¯s back. As the tranquilizer dart entered her body, Xia Mutong, who had been struggling fiercely, instantly lost her strength and went limp in Ling Chen¡¯s arms.


    Looking at the unconscious Xia Mutong, Ling Chen removed the tranquilizer dart from her back, clicking his tongue in wonder, "This tranquilizer dart really works well."


    Considering Xia Mutong¡¯s current condition, to be able to take her down with a single shot, it seems the dose in this tranquilizer dart is quite potent.


    Lifting Xia Mutong¡¯s body, Ling Chen ced her to one side and instructed Qiu Yong and the others to watch over her. Then, Ling Chen alone ventured deeper into theboratory and found the medicinalponents needed by Zhu Xiaozhu in the storeroom.


    Once he had what he needed, Ling Chen, carrying Xia Mutong, prepared to leave with thepanionship of Qiu Yong and his two friends. But at that moment, the ringing of a cell phone suddenly echoed through theboratory.


    Ling Chen turned his head and looked at the ringing cell phone on the ground, his brow slightly furrowed.


    Seeing Ling Chen walking towards the phone, Qiu Yong said, "Ling Cheng, you..."


    Ling Chen waved his hand and replied, "Big brother, it¡¯s nothing, just a phone call. Probably someone from the God Organization."


    Saying that, he picked up the phone from the ground and epted the call.


    "Hello! Mr. Ling, how are you?"


    Hearing the unfamiliar voiceing from the other end of the phone, Ling Chen asked, "Who are you?"


    "Mr. Ling, don¡¯t you recognize me? Oh right, even though you¡¯ve been searching for me, you¡¯ve never seen me. Mr. Ling, my name is Lin Guodong, I think you should have heard this name."


    Lin Guodong?


    Ling Chen was startled¡ªit was actually him.


    This was, in fact, the first time he had formally spoken with Lin Guodong over the phone.


    "Speak, what do you want?"


    "It¡¯s nothing much, Mr. Ling. I just want to make a deal with you, and also to give you a word of advice."


    "A deal?" Ling Chen said with augh that was not augh, "Do you think I would make a deal with you? And what gives you the right to give me advice?"


    "The woman in your hands is very useful to me. Hand her over to me, and I can offer you some benefits."


    Ling Chen let out a coldugh and said, "Lin Guodong, do you think I care about your benefits? Besides, I am well aware of the nature of your God Organization. Enough, Lin Guodong, spare me the nonsense, I¡¯m definitely taking Xia Mutong with me. If you have any intentions, juste at me."


    "Ling Chen, I think you¡¯re looking for death!" Lin Guodong¡¯s tone grew colder, and he snorted lightly, "You¡¯ve opposed my God Organization time and time again, killed so many of my men, and ruined our ns several times. I¡¯ve tolerated you again and again, but you¡¯ve be more and more ruthless. If that¡¯s the case, then you can¡¯t me me for being impolite."


    "Tolerating me?" Hearing these words, Ling Chen had a realization, as if understanding something.


    Could it be... Lin Guodong already knows my identity, and that¡¯s why he has been tolerating me? Otherwise, why would he say such things?


    "Ling Chen, I¡¯m giving you onest chance. Are you going to hand her over or not?"


    "I¡¯ve said, don¡¯t even think about it."


    "Fine." Lin Guodong said coldly, "If that¡¯s the case, then don¡¯t me me for not being courteous."


    With that, Lin Guodong hung up the phone.


    Discarding his phone, Ling Chen picked up Xia Mutong and quickly followed behind Qiu Yong, leaving the research base together.


    Outside there was a Land Rover off-road vehicle left by the God Organization. Once in the car, Ling Chen settled Xia Mutong in ce and then drove towards the airport.


    On the road, Ling Chen called the pilot aboard the ne and asked them to prepare for takeoff at any moment.


    By the time they all arrived at the airport, the ne was ready for them.


    After nearly two hours of flight, Ling Chen and the others finally returned to Jinhai City.


    Leaving the airport, Ling Chen hurried along, taking Xia Mutong and Qiu Yong to the hospital.


    "You¡¯re back?"


    Zhu Xiaozhu appeared somewhat surprised to see Ling Chen walking in from outside the ward. Though she had allowed Ling Chen three days, she didn¡¯t believe he could manage it in such a short time. But now, it had only been one day, and Ling Chen had already returned with the item, which was unbelievable to her.


    "Xiaozhu, look, is this the right thing?"


    Ling Chen handed over the medication he had obtained to Zhu Xiaozhu and asked.


    "Yes, that¡¯s it," Zhu Xiaozhu nodded after smelling the substance, "You guys stay with your third brother for a while, and I¡¯ll get the medication ready."


    Seeing Zhu Xiaozhu leave, Ling Chen quickly walked over to the bed and looked at Yuan Yun, who was still unconscious, muttering to himself, "Third brother, don¡¯t worry, you¡¯ll be well soon."


    Then, Ling Chen turned to Xia Yue in the room and asked, "Fifth sister, did my friende back while I was away?"


    "Friend? You mean the woman called ¡¯porridge girl¡¯?" Xia Yue shook her head, "I haven¡¯t seen her."


    Never mind!


    Ling Chen sighed helplessly.


    Since the ¡¯porridge girl¡¯ was intentionally avoiding him, it seemed it would be difficult to see her for the time being.


    About half an hourter, Zhu Xiaozhu returned with a bottle of medicine.


    "Is it ready?"


    Zhu Xiaozhu nodded, "The medication is fine. After injecting it into your third brother, he just needs to rest for a few days and undergo treatment with other traditional Chinese medicines, and then he¡¯ll recover."


    "Good, I¡¯ll be troubling you."


    While speaking, Zhu Xiaozhu drew the medication from the bottle into a syringe and then injected it into Yuan Yun¡¯s body.


    As the medication was injected, the medical devices connected to Yuan Yun immediately reacted. Watching the rising data, Ling Chen¡¯s heart, that was in his throat, finally settled.


    Vital signs stable, it seems Yuan Yun was out of danger.


    "Xiaozhu, you¡¯ve worked hard these past few days." Ling Chen said with gratitude.


    Zhu Xiaozhu smiled slightly, "Don¡¯t mention it, it¡¯s only right to help out between friends." She paused and then changed the subject, "Ling Chen, when do we go back?"


    Ling Chen thought for a moment, "Tomorrow."


    Now that Xia Mutong was still with him, he had to rush her back to the research base as soon as possible to avoid another out-of-control situation.


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 Chapter 677 - 682 The Importance of Xia Mutong

    <h4>Chapter 677: Chapter 682 The Importance of Xia Mutong</h4>


    After a night¡¯s rest, Yuan Yun¡¯s condition had significantly improved.


    Ling Chen, who had kept watch in the hospital room all night, was relieved to see that Yuan Yun was out of danger and, after greeting Qiu Yong, he confidently left the hospital.


    Taking Xia Mutong with him, Ling Chen and Zhu Xiaozhu boarded a ne to East Sea City. During the journey, to prevent Xia Mutong from waking up again, Ling Chen continually administered anesthetics and sedatives, keeping her unconscious throughout.


    Looking at the groggy Xia Mutong who waspletely unaware, Zhu Xiaozhu asked puzzledly: "Ling Chen, what¡¯s wrong with her?"


    Ling Chen sighed, smiled bitterly, and said: "Her situation is the same as Jiang Yunkai and the others; her body has undergone special modifications, losing rationality. This time, when searching for something, I stumbled upon her. It took tremendous effort to bring her back." Continuing, Ling Chen asked, "By the way! How is your medical research going, any progress?"


    "There have been developments, but not significant results; further research is still needed. However, based on the information we currently have, if all goes well, we should be able to find a solution within half a year."


    Half a year!


    Ling Chen frowned. In his opinion, finding a solution within two months would be ideal; half a year was too long. After all, he had to consider the God Organization. With the current pace of the God Organization¡¯s development, who knew what the situation would be like in another half a year.


    "When my third brother wakes up, I¡¯ll have him send over thetest research data from the God Organization. Maybe you could gain a lot of experience from it and speed up your research."


    "Okay," Zhu Xiaozhu gently nodded. After speaking, she looked up at Ling Chen, her eyes sparkling, lips parting slightly, her demeanor hesitant.


    Ling Chen noticed the hesitation in Zhu Xiaozhu¡¯s eyes and couldn¡¯t help asking: "What¡¯s wrong?"


    "I... no, it¡¯s nothing," Zhu Xiaozhu said, lowering her head, seemingly unable to meet Ling Chen¡¯s gaze.


    Seeing Zhu Xiaozhu acting this way, Ling Chen didn¡¯t believe she had nothing to say; she was just too nervous to say it. Thereupon, he spoke up: "It¡¯s just the two of us here, just say what you want. Besides, with our rtionship, is there really anything you feel ufortable saying?"


    Hearing this, the scene of their intimate night shed through Zhu Xiaozhu¡¯s mind uncontrobly. Her delicate face instantly blushed deeply, turning red like an enticing apple, evoking the desire to take a bite.


    "You..."


    Ling Chen wanted to continue speaking, but before he could finish, he saw Zhu Xiaozhu stand up from her seat, her face flushed as she said, "I¡¯m going to the restroom."


    Watching Zhu Xiaozhu walk away, Ling Chen felt somewhat helpless. Lately, he couldn¡¯t figure out why but felt that Zhu Xiaozhu¡¯s behavior was somewhat strange. Every time he asked her about it, she was reluctant to borate. He couldn¡¯t force her and was left with no alternative.


    As the nended at East Sea City Airport, a car had already arrived at the apron to pick them up.


    "Jiang Hao, has everything been alright in the past few days while I was away?"


    Jiang Hao, driving the car, nodded and said, "No worries, with Boss Hu around, what could go wrong?"


    Back at the research base, Ling Chen carried Xia Mutong to the medical researchb and ced her on a specially designed bed, securing her limbs to prevent any issues.


    After finishing up, Ling Chen moved his somewhat sore shoulders and said to Zhu Xiaozhu standing by, "You should go rest first, there will be a lot more for you to take care ofter."


    "Then... I¡¯ll head back to my room."


    After escorting Zhu Xiaozhu back to her room, Ling Chen received a call from Qiu Yong, who reported that Yuan Yun had woken up and disclosed the whereabouts of the USB drive. It had been sent via courier to East Sea City and was expected to arrive tomorrow.


    Returning to theb, Ling Chen stood by the bedside, gazing at the unconscious Xia Mutong, his face showing a trace of deep contemtion.


    During this return, Lin Guodong had called, demanding the handover of Xia Mutong. When Ling Chen had previously rescued Jiang Yunkai and Bai Huanjun, the God Organization had never reacted so strongly. However, the fact that Lin Guodong, a key figure in the God Organization, personally called to demand her suggested that Xia Mutong was extremely important in Lin Guodong¡¯s eyes.


    Yet, Ling Chen couldn¡¯t understand why Lin Guodong ced such high importance on Xia Mutong. Could it be that after the experiments, Xia Mutong¡¯s body had undergone unique changes, making her more valuable for research than even Jiang Yunkai and the others?


    It seemed he needed to urge Zhu Xiaozhu to expedite the research on Xia Mutong¡¯s body as soon as they received the information from Yuan Yun, in order to discover the underlying reasons.


    After organizing everything at the research base, Ling Chen drove alone back to Wealthy Manor.


    It was still noon when Ling Chen arrived at the Nanrong Family¡¯s residence, just in time to find Nanrong Wanqing eating. Since Su Lin had gone out for an internship, the vast dining room was upied only by Nanrong Wanqing herself.


    "Wanqing."


    Hearing Ling Chen¡¯s voice, Nanrong Wanqing put down her chopsticks, looked up at Ling Chen walking through the door, and a smile of excitement immediately surfaced on her stunning face. She quickly rose to greet him, grabbing Ling Chen¡¯s hands and said, "You¡¯re finally back. Have you eaten? Join me?"


    Ling Chen smiled and nodded, sitting beside Nanrong Wanqing at the dining table, and asked, "Has it been busy at thepanytely?"


    "It¡¯s not too busy now. Thepany is on the right track, and with several professional managers helping, I actually have it much easier. Usually, I just listen to reports. If there¡¯s nothing else, I stay at home. But... it¡¯s too quiet at home. Su Lin used to keep mepany and chat with me, and now even she is gone, and you are often not at home, leaving me all alone..."


    Hearing this, Ling Chen held Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s hands and apologetically said, "I¡¯m sorry, I know I¡¯ve been neglecting youtely. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll make more time to be with you from now on." Pausing briefly, he continued, "If I¡¯m not at home, let Haozi keep youpany more often, or invite some of your friends over so you¡¯re not always alone in your room."


    Nanrong Wanqing gave a bitter smile and said, "I would like to, but I can¡¯t think of many friends in East Sea City that I get along with."


    "If you don¡¯t have friends, go make some. When I have time, I¡¯ll apany you to some social gatherings. Isn¡¯t itmon in high society to make friends through banquets?"


    "Forget it," Nanrong Wanqingcklusterly replied, "I¡¯m not interested, and you¡¯ve seen for yourself what those high society people are like. To be honest, I don¡¯t really like them. I prefer staying at home alone rather than dealing with their hypocrisy."


    At this point, Nanrong Wanqing, seemingly interested, asked, "What have you been busy with recently? Why not take me along to see?"


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 Chapter 678 - 683: Taking the Young Miss on a Tour of the Base

    <h4>Chapter 678: Chapter 683: Taking the Young Miss on a Tour of the Base</h4>


    "Show me around?" Ling Chen was taken aback, not expecting Wanqing to make such a request.


    "What¡¯s wrong?" Seeing Ling Chen hesitant, Wanqing asked with some disappointment, "You don¡¯t want to?"


    "No, it¡¯s not that I don¡¯t want to, it¡¯s just..." Ling Chen touched his nose, unsure of how to continue. After a moment of thought and facing Wanqing¡¯s expectant gaze, Ling Chen said, "You know I¡¯ve been fighting against the God Organization all along, it¡¯s better for you to see less of these things."


    "Do you think I¡¯m the kind of woman who gets weak at the sight of blood?" Wanqing said dissatisfiedly, "Besides, we¡¯ve been through so much recently, I¡¯m used to dangerous situations. Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t interfere with your business, I just want to see what you are doing."


    "This..." Ling Chen thought for a moment and thenpromised, "Alright, I¡¯ll take you for a tour, just to keep you at ease. Come on, let¡¯s eat first, rest for a bit, then I¡¯ll take you around the base."


    "Base?"


    "Yes!" Ling Chen said with a smile, "I¡¯ve secretly prepared a research base, serving as the headquarters in East Sea City, specifically tobat the God Organization. Alright, don¡¯t ask too much now, you¡¯ll know when we get there."


    After lunch, Ling Chen apanied Wanqing to rest at home for a while, then they drove to the research base.


    Upon entering the gate, Wanqing entered the research base and was immediately stunned by the environment inside. She paused for a moment, then looking at Ling Chen, she said, "This base, you..."


    Ling Chen smiled and knowing what Wanqing wanted to ask, replied: "It was given to me by a friend of my father. Otherwise, how could I manage to do so on my own?"


    "Your father¡¯s friend?" Wanqing asked in surprise, "Haven¡¯t you not seen your father for many years? How do you know that person was your father¡¯s friend?"


    "It¡¯s a long story, but his identity is probably no false. Thanks to his help, I had the ce and sufficient funds to build my power." When saying this, Ling Chen thought again of porridge girl. The porridge girl seemed to know a lot about his father, unfortunately, she quietly left to avoid him, without any news.


    Shaking off his thoughts, Ling Chen took Wanqing around the base.


    Currently, the base had basically been remodeled, consisting of four major departments. One being the intelligence department, one theboratory, one exoskeleton armor production area, and one a warehouse for resource storage.


    These four core areas constituted the current research base.


    During this period, Ling Chen had been busy dealing with other matters, and everything in the base was personally handled by Hu Fei. Thanks to Hu Fei¡¯s help, Ling Chen had been quite rxed.


    Arriving at the intelligence department, Ling Chen pushed open the office door, only to see Hu Fei sitting at his desk, staring at theputer screen while eating roast chicken and c, with greasy hands everywhere.


    Hearing the sound of the door, Hu Fei looked up from the delicious chicken, saw Ling Chen and Wanqinging towards him, and his round fat face suddenly showed a hint of surprise.


    "Miss Nanrong..."


    Hu Fei struggled to swallow the chicken in his mouth, quickly put down the chicken leg, grabbed some napkins to hastily wipe his hands and mouth, then got up with a smile to greet them.


    "Miss Nanrong, what brings you here?"


    Although the question was directed at Wanqing, Hu Fei¡¯s gaze was fixed on Ling Chen.


    Wanqing¡¯s presence at the research base must have been approved by Ling Chen. However, he did not understand why Ling Chen would bring Wanqing here.


    "Mr. Hu, hello, Ling Chen brought me over for a tour, to see around. I haven¡¯t disturbed your work, have I?"


    "No no no." Hu Fei waved his hand and said, "I¡¯ve been so busytely that I¡¯ve lost several pounds, just now taking the chance to gain it back."


    Hearing this, Ling Chen mercilessly teased, "Fatso, don¡¯t me me for not warning you, if you keep eating like this, sooner orter you¡¯ll be disliked by all women."


    "Get out, I have money, every woman willinglyes to me. Enough of this! I won¡¯t argue with you anymore, you apany Miss Nanrong around, I still have work to do."


    "Okay then, enjoy your meal."


    After that, Ling Chen left the office with Wanqing and headed directly towards the medicalboratory.


    However, just as they were about to reach theboratory, something suddenly urred to Ling Chen, and he quickly paused.


    Seeing Ling Chen halted, Wanqing, who was walking ahead, paused and asked, "Why aren¡¯t we going anymore?"


    "Well..." Ling Chen scratched his head, hesitant to say, "There¡¯s something I need to tell you in advance, but you have to promise not to get angry."


    "What could make me angry?" Wanqing looked puzzled at Ling Chen, asking, "Unless you¡¯ve done something to upset me?"


    "No no, I wouldn¡¯t dare."


    Hearing this, Wanqing gave Ling Chen a disdainful look and said impatiently, "You dare to do a lot, I see. Just say it, I¡¯ll try not to get angry."


    "It¡¯s... it¡¯s Xiaozhu." Ling Chen said cautiously, "She¡¯s here as well."


    Wanqing and Zhu Xiaozhu were not on good terms, Ling Chen had known this for a long time. However, he never knew the reason, nor did he dare to ask. Moreover, concerning this matter, both Wanqing and Zhu Xiaozhu kept their silence, unwilling to speak.


    Now, knowing Zhu Xiaozhu was working in the medicalboratory, Ling Chen wondered how Wanqing would react. So, he thought it was better to rify things in advance to avoid any unhappinesster.


    One was his future woman, and one his friend; Ling Chen did not want any conflict between them.


    "Zhu Xiaozhu?"


    As Wanqing heard Zhu Xiaozhu¡¯s name, her expression instantly became a bit unnatural.


    "What is she doing here?"


    Ling Chen exined, "You know, Xiaozhu majored in medicine, and there were some issues here that needed her help, so I invited her over." He paused, looked at the time, then said, "Xiaozhu should be working in theboratory now, maybe... maybe we should see somewhere else?"


    Given their rtionship, Ling Chen thought it best to avoid their meeting, as he would be the one caught in the middle otherwise.


    Hearing Ling Chen¡¯s suggestion, Wanqing¡¯s lips curled into a slight smile, her words heavy with implication, "Why, are you afraid we¡¯ll end up fighting if we meet?"


    "It¡¯s not that, just..."


    Before Ling Chen could finish, Wanqing cut in, "Since it¡¯s not that, what are you afraid of? Let¡¯s go!"


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 Chapter 679: Base 684 had an accident

    <h4>Chapter 679: Base 684 had an ident</h4>


    Seeing Nanrong Wanqing stepping forward, Ling Chen, unable to persuade her, hurriedly followed her steps towards theboratory. Upon reaching theboratory door, Ling Chen stretched out his hand in front of Nanrong Wanqing and whispered, "Do you really want to go in?"


    Nanrong Wanqing replied discontentedly, "Do you really not trust me?"


    Ling Chen smirked bitterly to himself, now somewhat regretting it. If he had known this would happen, he should not have brought Nanrong Wanqing to the research base. This was only causing himself trouble.


    Thinking it over, Ling Chen dropped his hand which had been blocking Nanrong Wanqing, voluntarily helped her open the door, and weed her into theboratory.


    Ling Chen had thought it through; instead of preventing Nanrong Wanqing from meeting Zhu Xiaozhu and avoiding conflict, it would be better to let them have a chance to talk and possibly resolve their grudges.


    With this thought, Ling Chen entered theboratory, ready to introduce the situation inside to Nanrong Wanqing. However, at this moment, Nanrong Wanqing stretched out her hand, sping Ling Chen¡¯s arm affectionately.


    Ling Chen was slightly taken aback by Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s action, and then he realized its meaning; apart from a bitter smile, he could express nothing.


    "Ling..."


    At that moment, Zhu Xiaozhu walked into theboratory from the outside. Seeing Ling Chen¡¯s back, she started to speak out of habit. However, as soon as she spoke, she saw Ling Chen and Nanrong Wanqing turn around.


    When Zhu Xiaozhu¡¯s gaze fell on Nanrong Wanqing, her facial expression changed slightly, but it onlysted a moment before she regained her usualposure, with no signs of emotional fluctuation in her calm eyes.


    "So Miss Nanrong is also here," Zhu Xiaozhu said expressionlessly, her tone indiscernible.


    Nanrong Wanqing gave a light smile. "Miss Zhu, long time no see."


    "It has been a long time indeed. After so many years, Miss Nanrong hasn¡¯t changed at all."


    "I haven¡¯t changed much, but Miss Zhu... I¡¯ve heard Miss Zhu is a nationally renowned traditional Chinese medicine doctor, with superb medical skills, congrattions."


    "Don¡¯t tter me, I¡¯m nowhere close to Miss Nanrong. Your Hongyu Group in East Sea City is second to none, iparable to anyone. Compared to you, my achievements are nothing."


    Hearing the two of them exchanging pleasantries back and forth, Ling Chen couldn¡¯t help but feel uneasy for some reason. Complimenting is justplimenting, but the words between these two women felt terribly awkward, more like they were insulting rather than praising each other.


    Seeing that the two women seemed ready to continue, Ling Chen subtly coughed, quickly interrupting their conversation, and said with a smile, "Wanqing, Xiaozhu has work to keep busy with; let¡¯s not disturb them."


    Upon hearing Ling Chen speak, Nanrong Wanqing, who was about to continue speaking, reluctantly swallowed her words.


    "Xiaozhu, you go ahead with your work, we won¡¯t disturb you anymore." After saying this, Ling Chen, holding Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s hand, walked straight toward the exit of theboratory.


    However, before the two reached the door, suddenly an unusual noise emanated from within theboratory.


    "What happened?"


    Ling Chen quickly turned around, looking through the ss at the busy people inside theboratory, and asked.


    "There¡¯s a malfunction."


    At this moment, one of the researchers stuck his head out from theboratory and shouted loudly towards the doorway.


    Seeing the urgency, Zhu Xiaozhu hurriedly rushed over. However, just as Zhu Xiaozhu entered theboratory, she heard a loud ¡¯bang¡¯ and a white smoke crazily burst out, instantly spreading and enveloping the entire transparentboratory.


    Seeing Zhu Xiaozhu and other researchers engulfed in white smoke, unable to see anyone, Ling Chen became anxious. Without saying much, he quickly pushed Nanrong Wanqing outside the door, then locked the door and rushed into Zhu Xiaozhu¡¯sboratory.


    Upon entering theboratory, a pungent smell hit him, and Ling Chen held his breath, shouting loudly, hoping to attract the attention of others with his voice.


    "Mr. Ling, I¡¯m here."


    Hearing everyone calling out one by one, reporting their locations, Ling Chen immediately rushed over and safely led them out of theboratory.


    One... two... Ling Chen counted the researchers rescued, his eyebrows immediately furrowing.


    All theboratory researchers except for Zhu Xiaozhu were here.


    Xiaozhu... Ling Chen turned his head to look at theboratory engulfed in white smoke and rushed in again, calling Zhu Xiaozhu¡¯s name loudly. But Zhu Xiaozhu did not respond.


    Ling Chen persistently called out, searching for Zhu Xiaozhu in theboratory. However, due to the heavy white smoke, the visibility was extremely low, almost impossible to see half a meter ahead.


    Moreover, the white smoke was getting denser andpletely uncontrolled. In less than a few minutes, nothing could be seen in theboratory except the smoke.


    At this moment, Kaelina and Hu Fei, having heard the news, rushed to the outside of theboratory.


    "What are you guys standing around for, hurry up and go help," Hu Fei shouted to his subordinates.


    "Forget it, let theme back," Kaelina said, "The situation inside isplicated, it¡¯s better if I go in."


    Watching Kaelina disappear into the thick white smoke, Hu Fei turned to the few researchers and asked, "What happened in theboratory?"


    "Um..." The researchers looked at each other, not knowing how to respond.


    Seeing this, Hu Fei impatiently said: "So many people, and no one knows anything? At least tell me the reason, so I know how to handle it."


    "Mr. Hu, we were just conducting a body examination for Miss Xia, but I don¡¯t know why, the testing equipment malfunctioned and wentpletely out of control, leading to a system crash. Besides that equipment, other devices were also damaged to varying degrees."


    After listening to a researcher¡¯s exnation, Hu Fei pointed to the white smoke filling theb and asked, "And what is that?"


    "That¡¯s an aerosolized anesthetic, specifically used to anesthetize the subjects. The amount of anesthetic isn¡¯t very high, being in there for a short time won¡¯t affect anyone, but with the continuous spray out of the aerosolized anesthetic, the concentration will only get higher, and the effect on the body will be significant. Mr. Ling and Miss Zhu are still inside, ording to the current situation, if they can¡¯t get out in a minute, they are likely to be affected by the anesthetic and pass outpletely."


    Hearing this, Hu Fei immediately summoned a subordinate and gave him a few orders.


    After the subordinate left, Hu Fei suddenly remembered something and asked, "You mentioned earlier, before the ident happened, you were examining Miss Xia¡¯s body?"


    "Yes."


    "So... is she still inside theboratory?"


    "That¡¯s right. She is restrained on the bed, there should be no problem. Besides, since the concentration of the aerosolized anesthetic is getting higher in theboratory, there¡¯s no way she could wake up."

 Chapter 680 - 685: Trapped in the Laboratory (1)

    <h4>Chapter 680: Chapter 685: Trapped in the Laboratory (1)</h4>


    At this moment, inside theboratory, Ling Chen spread his arms and cautiously felt the objects around him, step by step, he moved forward, calling out Zhu Xiaozhu¡¯s name.


    However, theb was very spacious, and visibility was extremely low due to white smoke enveloping the area. Two minutes passed, but Ling Chen still couldn¡¯t find Zhu Xiaozhu.


    At that time, smelling the pungent odor, Ling Chen suddenly felt something unusual with his body, feeling drowsy and unable to muster his energy. He shook his head and muttered to himself in surprise, wondering why he now felt unwell despite being fine just moments ago.


    While he was pondering, he heard Hu Fei¡¯s voiceing from theb¡¯s loudspeaker: "Ling Chen, be careful¡ªthe white smoke is aerosolized anesthetic. The greater the amount sprayed, the higher the concentration. It can easily cause people topse into unconsciousness. Be very careful not to get affected."


    Upon hearing Hu Fei¡¯s warning, Ling Chen finally understood.


    So the white smoke contained the effects of the anesthetic, no wonder he was feeling unwell.


    "Ling Chen, wait a moment, I¡¯ve already sent someone with a gas mask for you."


    As soon as Hu Fei¡¯s voice faded, Ling Chen heard footsteps approaching from his left.


    "Who¡¯s that?" Ling Chen asked, heading towards the direction of the footsteps while reaching out his hand, "Hand it over to me."


    However, as soon as he finished speaking, he heard the footsteps stop. For a long while, there was no response from the person in the white smoke. Seeing this, Ling Chen opened his mouth, ready to speak again. But before he could say anything, he heard a voice not far away, "Mr. Ling, where are you? I¡¯ve brought the gas mask."


    Hearing that voice, Ling Chen¡¯s expression changed abruptly. He had thought the footsteps earlier were from Hu Fei¡¯s subordinate, but now it seemed that was not the case.


    With thoughts racing through his mind, Ling Chen quickly stepped back twice, staring intently at the white smoke before him, he demanded firmly, "Who are you? Speak!"


    But no matter how Ling Chen called out, the other party remained silent.


    At this point, something dawned on Ling Chen, he hastily asked, "Fatty, besides me and Zhu Xiaozhu, is there anyone else in theb?"


    "Uh... oh right, there¡¯s also Miss Xia. When the incident happened in theb, the researchers were conducting a physical examination on her."


    "Xia Mutong?" Ling Chen was startled, could it be that person just now was... As this thought crossed his mind, Ling Chen urgentlymanded, "Everyone get out, immediately!"


    "Hey! Ling Chen, what¡¯s going on?" Hu Fei asked anxiously.


    Before Ling Chen could respond, someone suddenly burst out of the white smoke like lightning, rushing swiftly towards him. When the figure got close, Ling Chen finally confirmed that the silent person was indeed Xia Mutong.


    Damn it!


    Cursing under his breath, Ling Chen yelled, "Fatty, didn¡¯t those idiots inject any anesthetic during the examination?"


    "They did indeed."


    "Mr. Ling, we administered ten milliliters of anesthetic."


    Hearing the voice of a researcher over the loudspeaker, Ling Chen couldn¡¯t help but curse, "Only ten milliliters? You idiots, I..." but then he didn¡¯t know how to continue.


    It seemed that this incident wasn¡¯t anyone else¡¯s fault. Xia Mutong had only been brought in today, and he hadn¡¯t had a chance to instruct those researchers. Xia Mutong¡¯s condition was different from Jiang Yunkai and Bai Huanjun; she required a higher dosage of the anesthetic, so the normal dose was insufficient.


    The researchers must have neglected the fact, leading to an insufficient dosage of the injection, which is why Xia Mutong woke up midway through.


    Without time to think further, Ling Chen stepped back, blending into the white smoke, disappearing in an instant. Avoiding Xia Mutong¡¯s attack, Ling Chen hurriedly ran towards the back. Currently, the white smoke enveloped the surroundings; he couldn¡¯t see Xia Mutong, and Xia Mutong couldn¡¯t spot him either.


    However, this situation wouldn¡¯tst for long. The white smoke contained anesthetic vaporized into the air, and if he kept breathing it in, he would definitely pass out.


    Therefore, he had to find Zhu Xiaozhu and leave with her while he was still able to stay conscious.


    "Fatty, lock down theb."


    "Lockdown?" Hu Fei said in surprise, "Are you crazy? If theb is locked down, no one can get in or out, you and Miss Zhu will be trapped inside, do you..."


    "Enough, stop wasting time, just do as I say," Ling Chen urged impatiently.


    Thinking of Nanrong Wanqing and everyone else outside theb, Ling Chen had no choice but to make this decision. If Xia Mutong escaped from theb, who knows how much damage would be caused; it would put everyone¡¯s life at risk. After careful consideration, locking down theb was the best course of action.


    Under Ling Chen¡¯s pressing, Hu Fei had no choice but to activate the lockdown procedure for theboratory.


    For a moment, all the ss doors and windows around theboratory were separated with thick steel tes.


    Looking at the locked-downboratory, Nanrong Wanqing outside expressed anxiously, "Ling Chen hasn¡¯te out, are you just going to leave him?"


    Hu Fei, feeling helpless, said, "There¡¯s no choice, it was Ling Chen¡¯s decision, we can only follow suit. Moreover, Miss Xia has woken up, if we let her escape, the consequences would be unimaginable."


    "Miss Xia? Who is that?"


    "Xia Mutong, Miss Nanrong should know her."


    "Her?" Nanrong Wanqing nodded lightly, "I know her, but what danger can she pose?"


    "Miss Nanrong, the matter is a long story, now¡¯s not the time to exin." Having said that, Hu Fei led the people to the office, connected to theboratory¡¯s monitoring system through theputer, and checked the situation inside theb. Unfortunately, too much white smoke billowed in theb, which hindered the surveince cameras¡¯ view distance, making it impossible to locate Ling Chen.


    With no other recourse, Hu Fei had to turn theb¡¯s audio receiver to the maximum, to receive signals from inside and thus determine whether Ling Chen was safe.


    But after a few minutes, theboratory was silent, without a sound.


    "What¡¯s happening, why is there no movement at all after such a long time?" Nanrong Wanqing asked, fraught with concern.


    "Don¡¯t worry, I am aware of Ling Chen¡¯s capabilities; he won¡¯t easily get into trouble," Hu Fei responded.


    "That... Mr. Hu, could it be that Mr. Ling has been affected by the anesthetic, so..."


    Hearing the researcher¡¯s spection, Hu Fei frowned slightly and said, "You¡¯re saying he passed out?"


    "It¡¯s a possibility."


    Kaelina spoke gravely, "How about letting me lead a team inside to find Ling Chen and Miss Zhu?"


    "This..." Hu Fei hesitated indecisively, uncertain whether to send people in or not.

 Chapter 681 - 686: Trapped in the Laboratory (2)

    <h4>Chapter 681: Chapter 686: Trapped in the Laboratory (2)</h4>


    Just as Hu Fei hesitated, a faint noise suddenly emanated from the loudspeaker, sounding like something had fallen to the ground.


    Then, following a few ¡¯bang bang¡¯ sounds, Ling Chen¡¯s roar instantly erupted.


    "Not good!" Kaelina said worriedly: "Ling Chen must have encountered danger." Saying this, Kaelina turned around and dashed out of the office, ready to rush to theboratory to rescue Ling Chen.


    "Don¡¯t be hasty." Compared to Kaelina¡¯s anxiety, Hu Fei was moreposed. He pressed the inte and asked, "Ling Chen, how¡¯s the situation on your end, do you need our support?"


    "No need, just make sure theb is sealed off, don¡¯t worry about the rest."


    Ling Chen¡¯s voice came through the speaker, immediately relieving everyone.


    Hu Fei thought for a moment, then said to Kaelina at the door: "You take a team over there first, stay outside theb, and if Ling Chen needs support, I¡¯ll notify you right away."


    "Okay."


    ...


    At this moment, in the sealedboratory, Ling Chen held his breath, swiftly navigating through the white smoke, evading Xia Mutong¡¯s pursuit. His voice had betrayed his location while he was responding to Hu Fei just now. Now, with Xia Mutong relentlessly chasing after him, he had to escape quickly and find a safe ce to hide.


    After a moment of pursuit, with Ling Chen¡¯s efforts, Xia Mutong eventually lost his trail and aimlessly wandered in theboratory, searching for Ling Chen¡¯s whereabouts.


    Meanwhile, Ling Chen hid behind a machine in theb, silently strategizing.


    Although theb was enveloped in dense white smoke, Ling Chen was very familiar with the experiment¡¯syout. Right now, he could roughly deduce his position through his reliance on that machine.


    If he remembered correctly, the ce where Xia Mutong had been lying was less than twenty meters away from him, where there should be anesthetics. If he could inject the anesthetics into Xia Mutong¡¯s body, she would fall into a deep sleep. In this way, both he and Zhu Xiaozhu could escape the danger.


    Thinking this, Ling Chen did not hesitate, discerned the direction, and immediately moved towards the location of the anesthetics.


    After carefully advancing more than ten meters, Ling Chen¡¯s outstretched hands finally touched a mobile cab ced with medical equipment. Besides medical equipment, there were many bottles and jars of drugs, including anesthetics.


    Picking up the anesthetics, Ling Chen found a syringe and drew twenty milliliters of the anesthetic into it, to ensure there was enough to sedate Xia Mutong.


    Hiding the syringe in the palm of his hand, Ling Chen moved to a position against the wall and gently tapped it, waiting for Xia Mutong to appear.


    Over ten secondster, a gust of wind moved from far to near, heading in Ling Chen¡¯s direction. Ling Chen listened attentively; Xia Mutong¡¯s footsteps were soft, yet they didn¡¯t escape his ears.


    As the footsteps rapidly approached, Ling Chen held the syringe in his hand and stared intently at the white smoke.


    "Ling Chen!"


    However, at this very moment, Zhu Xiaozhu¡¯s anxious voice suddenly came through the white smoke.


    Xiaozhu... Ling Chen cursed silently; it was bad timing for Zhu Xiaozhu to make a noise. Now, all he could do was pray that Xia Mutong had not been lured by Zhu Xiaozhu.


    But as seconds passed, Xia Mutong never appeared in Ling Chen¡¯s field of vision.


    "No, no, don¡¯t, who are you... let go of me."


    Suddenly, Zhu Xiaozhu¡¯s panicked voice arose, making Ling Chen¡¯s heart skip a beat.


    Not good!


    Xia Mutong had actually abandoned her to find Zhu Xiaozhu.


    The situation was critical. Without a moment¡¯s hesitation, Ling Chen dashed toward the direction of the voice.


    Upon approaching, Ling Chen nced over and saw Xia Mutong holding Zhu Xiaozhu¡¯s neck with one hand, pinning her entire body against the wall. Under the force of Xia Mutong¡¯s arm, Zhu Xiaozhu¡¯s body was lifted, her feet off the ground, face flushed red, desperately pping Xia Mutong¡¯s arm, trying to break free from her grip.


    Unfortunately, Zhu Xiaozhu¡¯s strength was no match for Xia Mutong¡¯s.


    Seeing Zhu Xiaozhu about to give in, Ling Chen rushed forward, ready to assist and rescue her. But at this moment, Zhu Xiaozhu, out of nowhere, pulled out several acupuncture needles and drove them fiercely into Xia Mutong¡¯s shoulder.


    Instantly, Xia Mutong¡¯s arm seemed to lose function, dangling limply and powerlessly.


    Seeing this, Ling Chen¡¯s eyes lit up. Xia Mutong¡¯s one arm was now disabled, presenting a perfect opportunity. Seizing the moment, Ling Chen pounced from behind, one hand choking Xia Mutong¡¯s neck while the other hand raised a syringe, forcefully stabbing toward her neck.


    However, before the syringe¡¯s needle could touch Xia Mutong¡¯s skin, Ling Chen felt his body being flung with immense force, almost airborne, with only his left hand still tightly choking Xia Mutong¡¯s neck.


    Tsk tsk! What incredible strength.


    Ling Chen was somewhat surprised. He had always known Xia Mutong was exceptionally strong, but this was astonishingly so.


    As Xia Mutong¡¯s other hand reached backward, trying to grab his cor to fling him off, Ling Chen hurriedly pressed close to her body, and directly injected the syringe into her neck. As all the anesthetic from the syringe was injected, Ling Chen finally sighed in relief and let go, preparing to step down.


    However, before Ling Chen¡¯s feet could touch the ground, a strong hand suddenly reached out, firmly grasping his wrist, and with a shoulder throw, flung him toward the opposing wall.


    Bam!


    With a muffled sound, Ling Chen¡¯s body mmed into the wall and then dropped to the floor, grimacing in pain.


    "Ling Chen, be careful!"


    At this moment, Zhu Xiaozhu¡¯s scream filled the air. Ling Chen looked up to see Xia Mutong¡¯s hand reaching for him again, easily lifting him off the ground and forcefully pressing him against the wall.


    Facing Xia Mutong, who was incapacitated in one arm, Ling Chen remembered those who had perished at her hands and felt a wave of relief. It was fortunate that Xia Mutong¡¯s other hand was out ofmission; otherwise, his body might have acquired a new bloody hole by now.


    Just as Ling Chen was preparing to struggle and fight back, he felt the strength in Xia Mutong¡¯s hand gradually waning, her eyelids flickering as if she could no longer muster any strength.


    That was close!


    Ling Chen exhaled a breath of air¡ªit seemed the anesthetic was taking effect.


    As Xia Mutong¡¯s body slumped to the ground, Ling Chen copsed on the floor and shouted towards the ceiling: "Fatty, it¡¯s time toe in and clean up."


    The words had barely left his mouth when the sound of ¡¯ck ck¡¯ was heard, and all the steel tes around theboratory lifted. Immediately after, Kaelina led a team of people rushing in.

 Chapter 682 - 687: Microchip

    <h4>Chapter 682: Chapter 687: Microchip</h4>


    "Ling Chen, how are you guys doing?"


    Seeing Kaelina rushing over, Ling Chen smiled and waved his hand: "I¡¯m fine." Saying this, he stood up with the help of Kaelina.


    "Ling Chen..."


    Upon seeing Zhu Xiaozhu approaching from the side, Ling Chen smiled slightly, about to speak, but he noticed a severe bruise on Zhu Xiaozhu¡¯s forehead, as if she had sustained a violent impact.


    "What happened to you?" Ling Chen asked with concern.


    "It¡¯s nothing. I identally tripped when the ident happened earlier, and my forehead hit the floor, knocking me unconscious," Zhu Xiaozhu exined, touching the swollen bruise, "It¡¯s just a minor injury, it¡¯s no big deal."


    "Even minor injuries are still injuries. Kaelina, take Xiaozhu and have her wound treated first."


    "Okay. Miss Zhu, pleasee with me."


    After watching Kaelina and Zhu Xiaozhu leave, Ling Chen turned his gaze to Xia Mutong lying on the ground and heaved a silent sigh.


    He had felt Xia Mutong¡¯s power earlier and found that she was indeed different from Jiang Yunkai and others; at least in terms of strength, Xia Mutong was much stronger than Jiang Yunkai and Bai Huanjun. This indicated that the God Organization had made significant breakthroughs and progress in the experiments on gic mutations. At the moment, Ling Chen only hoped to get that USB drive quickly, to find out what important breakthroughs the God Organization had made recently.


    While contemting, two research staff hurried to theboratory, directing everyone to carefully lift Xia Mutong onto the stretcher.


    Ling Chen, standing aside, quietly watched, not disturbing their work. However, as they prepared to take Xia Mutong out of theboratory, Ling Chen suddenly noticed something unusual about her head¡ªit seemed like there was blood flowing out.


    He hadn¡¯t injured Xia Mutong during their bout, and he hadn¡¯t touched her head, so she shouldn¡¯t be wounded.


    "Wait!"


    Hearing Ling Chen speak, the two research staff immediately stopped and turned to ask: "Mr. Ling, is there something wrong?"


    Ling Chen walked up to the stretcher, parted Xia Mutong¡¯s hair with his hand, and suddenly saw a ten-centimeter-long scar on the top of her head. The scar was stitched up, and judging from the marks, it should be about ten days old and mostly healed. However, it may have been inadvertently touched earlier, causing a slight rupture and blood to seep out.


    Ling Chen looked at the two research staff and asked: "Didn¡¯t you notice this scar when you checked her body before?"


    "No. We didn¡¯t have the chance to perform a full medical exam on her before the ident happened."


    "Okay, you guys go check it out now, take a good look at this scar," Ling Chen said.


    He had some understanding of gic mutation experiments; such experiments mainly relied on drug injections and typically didn¡¯t require surgery on the subject¡¯s body. Moreover, the head is the most critical part of the human body, where even a slight negligence can lead to serious consequences. Therefore, Ling Chen urgently wanted to know why the God Organization had made such a long scar on Xia Mutong¡¯s head.


    When theboratory was cleaned up and after a short rest, Zhu Xiaozhu hurried to theboratory to join the examination of Xia Mutong.


    Because the matter was significant, Ling Chen was not in the mood to apany Nanrong Wanqing wandering elsewhere, so he stayed outside theboratory, quietly watching the busy research staff, waiting for the results.


    "Ling Chen, Miss Xia won¡¯t be in danger, right?" Nanrong Wanqing asked worriedly.


    Just now, Ling Chen had shared with Nanrong Wanqing what had happened to Xia Mutong. Although he omitted many details, it was enough to help Xia Mutong understand the situation.


    "I don¡¯t know," Ling Chen said with a wry smile, hoping that Xia Mutong would not be in trouble. However, the current situation was really hard to say. After all, Xia Mutong had undergone the gic mutation experiment, which could have a significant impact on her body, and whether she could recover was still uncertain.


    Time ticked by, and it was already an hour and a halfter.


    At this moment, Zhu Xiaozhu and several research staff were still in theboratory, checking Xia Mutong¡¯s body. If it were any other inspection, it wouldn¡¯t have taken this much time, but now they needed to conduct aprehensive examination of Xia Mutong¡¯s head. The process was veryplicated, not only requiring the use of a lot of medical equipment but also needing to reopen the scar on Xia Mutong¡¯s head to check the condition inside.


    Approximately two hours passed, and Zhu Xiaozhu, standing by Xia Mutong¡¯s side, took off her whiteb coat and tossed her bloodied medical gloves to one side, then headed outside theboratory.


    As soon as Zhu Xiaozhu came out, Ling Chen and the others quickly went up to meet her and asked, "Xiaozhu, how is she?"


    Zhu Xiaozhu sighed softly and said, "Miss Xia¡¯s condition is moreplicated than we imagined. To be honest, I admire the people of the God Organization; they actually managed to perform such a difficult surgery, which is really remarkable."


    "Alright! Just say it, what¡¯s the situation?" Ling Chen urged impatiently.


    "Her pain nerves have been removed, meaning no matter how much pain she suffers, she won¡¯t be able to feel it. Also, we found a microchip in her head."


    Ling Chen¡¯s expression changed slightly, asking in surprise, "A microchip?"


    "That¡¯s right," Zhu Xiaozhu nodded and said, "We checked carefully, the microchip has its own power supply, able to work continuously for half a year. Additionally, the microchip is connected to Miss Xia¡¯s main nerves, and we haven¡¯t dared to act rashly. Otherwise, one wrong move could lead to brain death."


    Hearing this, Ling Chen frowned and asked, "Do you know what that microchip does?"


    "I¡¯m not sure, all I can confirm is that the microchip has signal transmission capability. As to what type of signal it is, I don¡¯t know; you would need an expert in that field."


    An expert?


    Ling Chen¡¯s gaze shifted, immediately locking onto Hu Fei.


    "Fatso, what are you waiting for? Grab your equipment and go over there."


    "Got it," Hu Fei responded, hurriedly retrieving hisputer from the office and calling someone to bring two precise devices, arranged around Xia Mutong.


    Within ten minutes, Hu Fei lifted his gaze from theputer screen, looked up at Ling Chen, and said, "Miss Zhu is right; the microchip in Miss Xia¡¯s head is indeed transmitting signals. However, the signal is specially encrypted, and we haven¡¯t been able to crack it yet."


    "This is your area of expertise, no matter what methods you use, you must crack the signal," Ling Chen stated. Then, turning to the research staff in theboratory, he instructed, "Everyone, it¡¯ll be tough for the next few days. We need a 24-hour rotating shift until this matter is dealt with. I won¡¯t let you down after it¡¯s over."


    "Mr. Ling, rest assured, we will do our utmost."


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 683 - 688: Childhood Memories

    <h4>Chapter 683: Chapter 688: Childhood Memories</h4>


    Leaving the research base, Ling Chen took Nanrong Wanqing back to the car and slowly drove onto the road.


    Throughout the journey, Nanrong Wanqing barely spoke, maintaining silence. Seeing this, Ling Chen couldn¡¯t help but ask, "What¡¯s the matter?"


    "It¡¯s nothing," Nanrong Wanqing replied indifferently. "I was just thinking, if it had been me back then, maybe I would be the one who could help you now, not Zhu Xiaozhu."


    Hearing this inexplicable remark, Ling Chen asked in surprise, "What do you mean?"


    "Have you always been curious about why the rtionship between me and Zhu Xiaozhu isn¡¯t very friendly?"


    Ling Chen nodded, this had indeed piqued his curiosity. Unfortunately, whether it was Nanrong Wanqing or Zhu Xiaozhu, neither of them had ever been willing to speak out. Now that Nanrong Wanqing brought it up, could it be that she was preparing to tell him the reason?


    Thinking this, Ling Chen immediately shut his mouth, adopting a posture of listening attentively.


    "You should know that the Nanrong family has a good rtionship with the Zhu Family. When we were little, since our parents weren¡¯t around, my grandfather would be worried about me staying at home alone and getting sick, so every year he would send me to stay with the Zhu Family in Beijing for a while to have Zhu Hong and Zhu Xiaozhu keep mepany. When I was five or six years old, my rtionship with Xiaozhu was very good, like real sisters. As we grew older, our rtionship got even better. However, something happened at that time. It was also then that our rtionship began to crack."


    "What happened?"


    "Xiaozhu was bright and talented, and we both were very gifted. Back then, Shi Su of the Shi Family wanted to take a disciple and specifically approached the Zhu Family. She was impressed by Xiaozhu¡¯s talents and wanted to take her on as a disciple. Coincidentally, I was at the Zhu family¡¯s house at that time. Shi Su originally came looking for Xiaozhu, but that day Xiaozhu happened to be out, and I was the only one ying in the courtyard. Shi Su had never seen Xiaozhu and mistook me for her, and so she struck up a conversation with me."


    "Perhaps my disyed talents swayed Shi Su, and she immediately expressed the wish to take me as her disciple. I had heard of Shi Su¡¯s great name; to call her the number one divine healer in Huaxia wouldn¡¯t be an overstatement, and bing her disciple was naturally a good thing, so I epted her offer. However, I rified my identity to her at the time and told her I was not Xiaozhu. Originally, Shi Su nned to take Xiaozhu as her direct disciple, but because of me, Xiaozhu missed that opportunity."


    Saying this, Nanrong Wanqing gave a bitter smile and continued, "It¡¯s also because I was too young at the time, what could a child of a few years old think of? I was simply amazed by Shi Su¡¯s abilities and wanted to learn something from her, not caring about the consequences. As for the matter of Shi Su taking a disciple, Xiaozhu had already received the news and was eagerly waiting for it. You¡¯ve known Xiaozhu for so long, you should understand her; she isn¡¯t interested in many things, only passionate about medicine. Unfortunately, because of me, she missed the opportunity."


    Ling Chen asked, "If both of you were so exceptional, why didn¡¯t Shi Su simply take you both as disciples?"


    "Whether it is me or anyone else, a master will only take one direct disciple. Although they are both disciples, only the direct disciple is the true heir. Moreover, teaching a direct disciple requires a lot of energy, especially in the field of medicine, which is moreplex than martial arts. Martial arts training is about the master leading you through the door, but the cultivation depends on the individual. However, medicine is different, it requires continuous guidance and teaching, so most famous doctors usually have only one disciple as a direct sessor."


    "It was because of this that my rtionship with Xiaozhu cracked. Since then, she has never contacted me proactively, and because I was busy learning from my master, I didn¡¯t have energy to spare to think too much."


    "So, what happened afterwards?"


    "Afterwards... You can probably guess without my saying. After all, I¡¯m from the Nanrong family and will eventually have to take on the burden of managing the Hongyu Group. My grandfather would never permit me to study medicine. However, to satisfy me, he still let me follow Shi Su for a year. A yearter, my grandfather went to the Shi Family to take me back, initially Master was unwilling, but after some persuasion and at a significant cost, she finally agreed to terminate the master-disciple rtionship with me. From that moment on, I focused on learning enterprise management and never touched medicine again. Many years have passed, and I¡¯vepletely forgotten everything about it."


    "Later, I heard that Shi Su eventually did take Xiaozhu as her direct disciple. At that time, I made a call to Xiaozhu, wanting to congratte her and apologize in passing. But, Xiaozhu never picked up my calls, perhaps she was still mad at me. It is precisely because of this that from then on, our rtionship became like that of strangers."


    After listening to Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s ount, Ling Chen felt somewhat puzzled. From what he knew about Zhu Xiaozhu, she was not someone who easily bore grudges; there could be other reasons.


    "Wanqing, since you want to reconcile with Xiaozhu, why do you always have to confront her every time you meet?"


    "That...," Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s face turned slightly red, and she said softly, "If I tell you, you can¡¯t get angry."


    "Don¡¯t worry, do I seem like that kind of petty person?"


    "Back then, I had a childhood friendship with Zhu Hong, but when he left Huaxia, he didn¡¯t even call me, as if he had vanished all of a sudden. At that time, Xiaozhu was at home too. If she really regarded me as a friend, she would definitely have informed me. But she didn¡¯t say a word, and I endured years of unrequited love."


    With that, Nanrong Wanqing spoke sheepishly, "I really wasn¡¯t generous in dealing with this, ming others for no reason. Perhaps, it was because I cared too much at the time, so I..."


    "That¡¯s enough, you don¡¯t need to continue, I understand," Ling Chen said with a smile. "Everyone has their foolish moments, especially women in love. However, hearing all this, I think the misunderstanding between you and Xiaozhu isn¡¯t that serious. The reason you¡¯ve ended up like this is nothing more than pride¡ªyou both do not want to be the first to lower your head, which has led to this stalemate. How about this: when we have time, I¡¯ll arrange for both of you to meet and have a good chat, hoping to clear up the misunderstanding."


    "Do as you please," replied Nanrong Wanqing indifferently.


    "What, you don¡¯t want to reconcile with her?"


    "It¡¯s not that, it¡¯s just... every time I see Xiaozhu, she reminds me of Zhu Hong, and I feel a bit ufortable." Having said that, Nanrong Wanqing looked at Ling Chen and asked, "Do you know about Zhu Hong¡¯s current situation?"


    "I¡¯m not sure, I haven¡¯t heard from him in a long time," Ling Chen answered nonchntly.


    But this was not a brush-off; he really did not know. Back when he was at the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, Zhu Hong had suddenly disappeared and has been unheard from ever since; it was unknown whether he was alive or dead.

 Chapter 684 - 689 Base Defense (1)

    <h4>Chapter 684: Chapter 689 Base Defense (1)</h4>


    The next day.


    The USB drive sent by Qiu Yong and his team finally arrived.


    At nine o¡¯clock in the morning, Ling Chen rushed to the research base to check the secret information stored in that USB drive.


    After nearly two hours, Hu Fei finally cracked the password on the USB drive and downloaded all the information to theputer.


    Having reviewed the secret information, the expressions on Ling Chen and Hu Fei¡¯s faces both turned somewhat grim. Through these secrets, they gained a deep understanding of the God Organization¡¯s achievements in gene mutation experiments.


    "No wonder those guys imnted a microchip in Miss Xia¡¯s head, so this was the reason," Hu Fei said.


    Ling Chen nodded with furrowed brows. Through the secret documents, Ling Chen finally understood that the main purpose of the God Organization imnting a microchip in Xia Mutong¡¯s head was to control her actions. The human brain is made up of veryplex parts, and if something goes wrong, it can lead to a vegetative state. However, the God Organization used high-tech means to nt microchips, using this method to control a person¡¯s thoughts and actions, turning them into loyal ves who obey orders without question.


    Moreover, the most important part was that the microchip contained a self-destruct function. Although the destructive power of the self-destruct wasn¡¯t veryrge, the fact that the microchip was located in the head meant that even a small explosion was enough to destroy brain tissue and cause death.


    The God Organization did this merely to add an extrayer of security to prevent any idents.


    "Ling Chen!" While he was pondering, Hu Fei¡¯s rmed voice suddenly rang in his ears.


    "What¡¯s wrong?"


    Hu Fei raised his head with a grave expression and said, "We¡¯ve overlooked a very serious problem. That microchip has the ability to send and receive signals. When Miss Xia first arrived, we didn¡¯t discover the microchip in her head, so the signal has been continuously transmitting. As long as the God Organization locks onto the signal, they can easily find her location."


    Hearing this, Ling Chen¡¯s face changed slightly, and he said in a deep voice, "You mean... our research base¡¯s location has been exposed?"


    "Exactly, there¡¯s a good possibility of that. Ling Chen, we better enhance our defenses quickly to guard against the people from the God Organization. I remember you said before that Lin Guodong had called you, asking you to hand over Miss Xia. From this, it can be seen that Lin Guodong values Miss Xia highly and is very likely to send people to rescue her."


    Ling Chen thought for a moment, then asked, "How strong is the research base¡¯s defense force?"


    "There are fifty exoskeleton armors ready from the production department that can form abat force. But we have very few real experts, aside from Kaelina, there¡¯s only you. This might be our biggest weakness. Hey! Don¡¯t you know so many top fighters? Why not ask a few toe and preside over the situation."


    "Don¡¯t worry about it. I¡¯ll make a call to my brother and ask them toe help. Along with the base¡¯s defense force, we should be enough to deal with the God Organization." After pausing for a moment, Ling Chen shifted the topic and said, "From today on, closely monitor the surroundings of the base. Also, all the stations, bus stops, keep an eye on them. As soon as you spot any suspicious people entering East Sea City, notify me immediately."


    "Understood!"


    After discussing with Hu Fei, Ling Chen left the office and called Qiu Yong and the others to exin the situation. Qiu Yong was very straightforward; without any hesitation, he immediately agreed to his request, saying that he would catch a flight to East Sea City tonight.


    After pondering deeply, Ling Chen also made a call to He Ziyun. Regardless, since He Ziyun is an Earthly List master, if he helped, he could provide additional defensive power to the base.


    Leaving the office, Ling Chen directly went to theboratory. Seeing the busy researchers, Ling Chen found Zhu Xiaozhu and gave her the copy of the secret data that Hu Fei had made. That document contained detailed records of the God Organization¡¯s gene mutation experiments, which might be of great help to Zhu Xiaozhu and her colleagues.


    Watching Zhu Xiaozhu turn to leave, Ling Chen hesitated for a moment before calling out, "Xiaozhu."


    Zhu Xiaozhu turned her head and asked, "What¡¯s wrong, is there anything else?"


    "That..." The words reached his lips, but Ling Chen gave a slight smile and said, "It¡¯s nothing. It¡¯s just that things might get unstable these next few days. You tell your colleagues to stay inside the base as much as possible, and if there¡¯s no need, try not to go out. If you must leave, remember to let Hu Fei know and have someone apany you, don¡¯t go out alone."


    "Okay, I got it. If there¡¯s nothing else, I¡¯ll go back to work."


    After watching Zhu Xiaozhu leave, Ling Chen let out a sigh. He had originally wanted to talk to Zhu Xiaozhu about the matters concerning Nanrong Wanqing, but then he thought it might not be the right time. So he decided to postpone the discussion and talk about it when he had more time.


    Night fell.


    Around ten o¡¯clock at night, Ling Chen drove and parked outside the airport, waiting for Qiu Yong and his team to arrive.


    Looking at the time, they should be arriving soon.


    While he was thinking, a group of travelers came out of the airport. Ling Chen got out of the car and looked up. His gaze immediately settled on the figure of Qiu Yong and his sevenpanions at the exit.


    As Yuan Yun was still notpletely healed from his injuries, he was in a wheelchair, with Xia Yue pushing from behind.


    "Big brother!"


    Ling Chen smiled and waved his hand, quickly approaching them.


    After a few words of greeting, Ling Chen said, "Brother, let¡¯s get in the car first. I¡¯ll take you to the base to rest."


    After speaking, Ling Chen was about to head off, but at that moment, he suddenly felt a faint gaze cast from not far away.


    Out of curiosity, he turned and nced back. Instantly, a familiar face appeared in his sight. Upon recognizing the person, Ling Chen¡¯s expression turned, and a sharp glint burst forth from his Mo Che-like pupils, his fist unconsciously clenching.


    Noticing something was amiss with Ling Chen, Qiu Yong couldn¡¯t help but ask, "Cheng, what¡¯s wrong?"


    Seeing Ling Chen staring intently at the airport exit, everyone turned their heads to follow his gaze.


    Next to the airport exit, a middle-aged man in a suit stood with his hands behind his back, wearing an ambiguous smile as he looked directly at Ling Chen. Behind him were more than a dozen men, varying ages from early twenties to over sixty, each with a stern face and sharp gaze, all staring at Ling Chen and his group.


    "Cheng, who are they?"


    Looking at the suited man, Ling Chen said with a heavy voice, "He is Lin Jiawei, a man from the God Organization, and those people behind him must be members of the God Organization."


    Hearing this, Xia Yue snorted lightly, "Well, this is quite a coincidence, meeting them here. Cheng, isn¡¯t this why you asked us toe, to deal with them? In that case, why not just settle it here."


    Just as she finished speaking, Lin Jiawei walked over with his men and stopped in front of Ling Chen, a smile brimming on his face, "Mr. Ling, we meet again."

 Chapter 685 - 690 Base Defense (2)

    <h4>Chapter 685: Chapter 690 Base Defense (2)</h4>


    Ling Chen said indifferently, "Lin Jiawei, you¡¯ve got some nerve showing up in East Sea City."


    Lin Jiawei shrugged helplessly and said, "What can I do? Lin Guodong personally called you, hoping you could help out and hand over Miss Xia, but you refused. So, we had no choice but to make a trip here to take Miss Xia back."


    As expected!


    Ling Chen frowned secretly. It seemed Hu Fei was right; with the signal transmitted by the microchip, the God Organization could easily track Xia Mutong¡¯s location. He had intended to keep the research base¡¯s secret a bit longer, but now, despite all the precautions, the base was exposed.


    "Lin Jiawei, even if you know where she is, what then? Do you think I will just stand by and watch her be taken away by you?"


    Lin Jiawei smiled and said, "Of course not. Ling Chen, I know East Sea City is your turf, and your people are everywhere around here. As soon as we step into East Sea City, we can¡¯t escape your watchful eyes. That¡¯s why I came straight from the airport in full view. Since hiding is useless, why bother concealing our movements?"


    At this point, Lin Jiawei looked around at the people nearby and said, "This is a public ce, Ling Chen, do you dare to make a move against us here?"


    Hearing this, Ling Chen¡¯s expression turned ugly. Lin Jiawei was right; he really didn¡¯t dare to act in front of so many people, for if innocents were harmed, he would not be able to shirk responsibility.


    "Lin Jiawei, don¡¯t be too smug. As long as you¡¯re on my turf, don¡¯t even think about causing trouble."


    "Alright, let¡¯s wait and see who gets thestugh."


    After saying this, Lin Jiawei got into one of the three Land Rovers parked by the road with his followers.


    Watching the three Land Rovers drive away, Ling Chen and Qiu Yong quickly got into their car.


    "Hey! Fatty, I just ran into Lin Jiawei at the airport. He brought quite a few people. Keep an eye on him for me."


    After giving the instructions, Ling Chen immediately started the car and headed towards the research base. Although he had anticipated that the God Organization would take action, he didn¡¯t expect them to act this fast. And this time, Lin Jiawei¡¯s visit to East Sea City was clearly well-prepared.


    He knew his movements would be exposed, so he didn¡¯t bother with subterfuge and directly entered East Sea City. He was so confident because of the group he brought with him.


    "Big brother, did you recognize any of the people Lin Jiawei brought?"


    "I haven¡¯t seen them before, but judging by their walking, they seem to be professionals. Ling Cheng, we might have a tough fight on our hands."


    Ling Chen nodded, and before he could say more, his phone suddenly rang. It was Hu Fei calling.


    After answering the phone, Ling Chen asked, "Fatty, what¡¯s up?"


    "Where are you guys?" Hu Fei asked anxiously, "You just had me keep an eye on Lin Jiawei. My men followed them, and it turns out, they didn¡¯t go to any hotel or any other ce, but directly towards the base. They¡¯ll be at the base in no more than five minutes. You¡¯d better hurry."


    "What?" Ling Chen was shocked. Lin Jiawei had just gotten off the ne and had already started his operation, which was totally unexpected.


    "Alright, I got it. Have Kaelina prepare the base¡¯s defenses; we¡¯re heading back right now."


    After hanging up, Ling Chen floored the elerator, driving the Mercedes van rapidly towards the direction of the base.


    At that moment, outside the research base.


    The three Land Rovers slowly drove up and parked by the road. Lin Jiawei got out of the car first, looked up at the residential building not far away, and sneered, "This is quite a good hiding spot." Then, he gestured with his hand, and more than ten followers immediately rushed towards the building.


    In less than two minutes, one of the followers came back and reported, "Mr. Lin, we¡¯ve checked, there are two entrances and exits."


    "Block the ce off, don¡¯t let anyone out, I want them all trapped inside," Lin Jiawei said, before turning the conversation, asking, "Have all the others arrived?"


    "They are on their way, expected to arrive in three minutes."


    "Very good!" Lin Jiawei smiled and nodded his head. Then, he pointed to the coffee shop across the street and said, "I¡¯ll sit there for a while. Hurry up with your tasks, and notify me once you find the person."


    "Understood."


    Not long after Lin Jiawei left, several vans arrived one after the other outside the residential building. Soon, the entire building was surrounded by over thirty men in suits.


    At this moment, it was already 11 p.m., the streets were sparsely popted and eerily quiet, with few people noticing what was happening here.


    "Go!"


    ...


    In the research base, Hu Fei was intently staring at theputer screen, his eyes moving back and forth among more than ten surveince screens, observing the situation of the intruders.


    "Attention, someone has infiltrated the roof! Repeat, someone has infiltrated the roof!"


    Hu Fei, holding a walkie-talkie, shouted loudly, alerting the defense personnel inside the base.


    "Received!" Soon, Kaelina¡¯s voice came through the walkie-talkie, responding to Hu Fei¡¯s warning.


    "Liu, take some people to the north side of the base, there are a few people damaging the entrance."


    "Understood, I¡¯m on my way."


    The response came from Liu Dongsheng, who had been specifically asked by Hu Fei toe help secure the base.


    Bang!


    Suddenly, with a loud noise, a thick plume of smoke instantly surged into the base.


    In the choking smoke, Liu Dongsheng, responsible for guarding the north side of the base, quickly covered his nose with his sleeve, tightly clutching a dagger in one hand, his eyes fixed on the movements in the smoke. Before long, a dark figure appeared in the smoke and without a second thought, Liu Dongsheng swiftly pounced forward, plunging the dagger into the neck of the figure.


    In an instant, blood spurted out wildly, soaking Liu Dongsheng¡¯s clothes in red.


    After dealing with one intruder, Liu Dongsheng did not pause, immediately rolling on the ground, using the smoke as cover to move to another spot, waiting for the next opportunity to strike.


    ng ng!


    Suddenly, a crisp noise emanated from the ground, sounding like some metallic object had fallen. Liu Dongsheng, covering his nose, looked intently only to see several cylindrical objects rolling towards him.


    As they neared, Liu Dongsheng¡¯s pupils constricted, he quickly turned his head away, eyes tightly shut, shouting, "Watch out, sh!"


    Right after his words fell, several loud ¡¯bangs¡¯ were heard, and blinding bright lights burst forth instantaneously. Some of the slower-reacting defensive personnel were caught off guard, covering their eyes, incessantly crying out in pain.


    "Kill them, leave none alive!"


    Hearing the cold voiceing through the smoke, Liu Dongsheng internally cursed. The group he brought had at least six or seven people affected by the sh, temporarily blinded, and if he left them unattended, they were doomed.

 Chapter 686 - 691 Base Defense (3)

    <h4>Chapter 686: Chapter 691 Base Defense (3)</h4>


    Seeing the situation, Liu Dongsheng didn¡¯t think too much, his feet slid, and he charged into the smoke again, his dagger aiming straight at the leading man.


    ng!


    However, before the tip of the dagger could touch the man, it was blocked by something hard. As the smoke dispersed, it was seen that the man¡¯s palm had firmly grasped the dagger, showing no fear of its sharpness.


    "Trying to kill me? Get lost!"


    The man looked down on Liu Dongsheng with disdain, scoffed, and simply bent the dagger, kicking towards Liu Dongsheng¡¯s body. Seeing the man¡¯s move, Liu Dongsheng¡¯s steps, in sync with his waist, lightly turned, quickly moving to the right side of his opponent, swinging a fierce punch, hitting the man¡¯s shoulder hard.


    But after taking the heavy hit, the man¡¯s body merely shuddered, not moving at all.


    "Think you can hurt me with that little force?"


    Facing the man¡¯s challenging gaze, Liu Dongsheng¡¯s eyebrows twitched, and he instantly understood.


    Exoskeleton armor!


    Hu Fei had warned him before to be careful of this kind of equipment. A person wearing exoskeleton armor would have greatly enhanced strength, speed, and reflexes. Not only that, but exoskeleton armor could also strengthen the body¡¯s defensive power.


    The man in front of him must be wearing exoskeleton armor, which was why he could resist the hits.


    With this in mind, Liu Dongsheng retracted his fist, didn¡¯t step back, and swung his fist again, aiming directly at the man¡¯s chest.


    Watching the swiftly approaching fist, the man sneered, not attempting to dodge at all. Instead, he puffed out his chest without any sign of resistance, his eyes full of contempt.


    Just as the fist was about tond, the corners of Liu Dongsheng¡¯s mouth lifted slightly, suddenly revealing a faint smile.


    Seeing that smile, for some reason, the man felt a sense of crisis in his heart. But by the time he reacted, it was already toote. Liu Dongsheng¡¯s fist fell heavily, with a strong force, directly knocking the man¡¯s body flying backward, crashing into his approachingpanions, both copsing to the ground in a tangle.


    Hmph!


    Liu Dongsheng chuckled, rolling up his sleeves to reveal a set of exoskeleton armor, and said, "Did you think that only your God Organization would be equipped with this gear?"


    With those words, Liu Dongsheng raised his arms, and dozens of thin needles shot out from his sleeves, instantly piercing through several men who were attacking him head-on. In an instant, the ground was filled with sounds of screams and moans.


    "Liu, how is it, the armor I gave you isn¡¯t too shabby, right?"


    Hu Fei¡¯s smugughter came from the earpiece, and Liu Dongsheng replied with a smile, "Indeed, it¡¯s not bad."


    "That¡¯s the exoskeleton armor I specially designed for myself, not only well-made but also equipped with a lot of gadgets, those bastards can¡¯tpare to me. Alright, I¡¯ll stop talking now, guard the north entrance of the base well; I¡¯m going to help Kaelina."


    Right now, the only two capable experts in the base were Kaelina and Liu Dongsheng. However, to be exact, neither Kaelina nor Liu Dongsheng could be considered true experts; they were just assassins skilled in the art of killing.


    Fortunately, there were fifty members equipped with exoskeleton armor in the base, and with their cooperation, they were barely able to keep the enemies outside the doors.


    "Mr. Yu, the defense inside the base is too strong; our people can¡¯t break through."


    Outside the base, a man in a suit reported to a slightly older middle-aged man.


    "Hmph! A bunch of useless trash. Ling Chen and his group aren¡¯t here, and you can¡¯t even deal with a rabble. I really don¡¯t know what the God Organization is feeding you all for. Alright, tell your men to withdraw. Leave the rest to us. If Ling Chen and his group arriveter, try to stop them. Remember, even at the cost of your lives, you must block them. Don¡¯t let them step into the base before the mission is sessful. Did you hear me?"


    "Yes!"


    ...


    "Sixth Brother, how much longer until we arrive?"


    "Almost there!" Ling Chen looked at the severalrge trucks ahead on the road, his brow furrowed tight as he continuously honked the horn, hoping the trucks would clear the way.


    If it weren¡¯t for these trucks blocking the way earlier, he would have already reached the base by now.


    Shit!


    Seeing that the trucks were not giving way, Ling Chen silently cursed and floored the gas pedal, squeezing through the gap between two of the trucks.


    As Ling Chen¡¯s menacing Mercedes-Benz van rushed forward, the drivers of the two trucks panicked and hit the brakes. Seizing the moment, Ling Chen pushed the van to its speed limit and quickly passed through.


    Thank goodness for his courage¡ªthere was only space for one car between the two trucks. If not for his superb driving skills, he might have mmed into the side of a truck by now.


    Looking at the time, Ling Chen¡¯s heart sank. It took over twenty minutes on the road back from the airport, and he didn¡¯t know what the situation was like at the base.


    Thinking of this, Ling Chen picked up his phone and dialed Hu Fei¡¯s number.


    The call had just connected when Hu Fei¡¯s anxious voice came through: "Hey! Ling Chen, how much longer till you get here? If you don¡¯te back soon, we¡¯re all done for."


    "Has the defensive line been breached?"


    "God Organization has deployed over ten experts; our people simply can¡¯t hold them off. They¡¯ve broken into the base. I¡¯ve moved everyone outside theb to see if we can buy some time."


    "I..."


    Bang!


    Before Ling Chen could finish speaking, he felt a violent shake in the car, which nearly veered off the road and crashed into the curb.


    What¡¯s going on?


    Ling Chen internally sensed trouble and quickly nced at the rearview mirrors on both sides. To his shock, two Range Rover off-road vehicles had appeared out of nowhere, tailing them closely. It was one of these Range Rovers that had hit the tail of their car and nearly caused an ident.


    "It¡¯s from God Organization," Qiu Yong, who was sitting in the passenger seat, said gravely.


    Ling Chen furrowed his brows slightly. It seemed like Lin Jiawei¡¯s n was very meticulous. Knowing that he would rush back to the base from the airport, they set up a mid-way ambush to dy him.


    "Hey! Ling Chen, how much longer?"


    Hearing Hu Fei¡¯s urging voice, Ling Chen replied, "Hold on, I¡¯ve encountered some issue here. I¡¯ll talk to youter."


    After saying this, he didn¡¯t wait for Hu Fei to respond and hung up the phone.


    "Zhang Zhongfeng, I need your help."


    Sitting in the back seat, Zhang Zhongfeng nodded silently, picked up his longbow, and turned to face the rear. At the same time, Ling Chen pressed a switch, and the tailgate of the Mercedes-Benz van immediately opened.


    With the tailgate no longer in the way, Zhang Zhongfeng¡¯s vision became much clearer. He raised the longbow, notched an arrow onto the bowstring, and aimed at the front window of one of the Range Rovers.


    Just then, the Range Rover suddenly elerated, aiming to strike the rear of the van again and cause it to go off the road.


    However, in the nick of time, Zhang Zhongfeng¡¯s fingers rxed slightly, and the sharp arrow shot out, soaring towards that Range Rover.

 Chapter 687 - 692: The True Face of Liu Dongsheng

    <h4>Chapter 687: Chapter 692: The True Face of Liu Dongsheng</h4>


    Arrow God shoots, never missing his mark.


    As the arrowunched, it immediately hit the front windshield of the Land Rover, striking directly at the driver¡¯s seat. Then, the Land Rover suddenly swerved to the side of the road as if it had lost control, brutally crashing into the barrier with a loud ¡¯bang¡¯, the front of the vehicle instantly deformed and thick white smoke billowed from under the hood.


    Having dealt with one Land Rover, another vehicle seemed more cautious, not daring toe closer, quickly slowing down, maintaining a distance of twenty to thirty meters, closely following behind.


    However, they still overlooked Zhang Zhongfeng¡¯s skills.


    The reason he is called the Arrow God is that he can do what others can¡¯t.


    Drawing the bow fully, Zhang Zhongfeng once again ced an arrow on the bowstring, focusing on the ever-shifting Land Rover through one eye.


    Whoosh!


    The arrow cleaved through the air, and the next second, only a ¡¯bang¡¯ was heard as the Land Rover instantaneously flipped onto its side, rolling over the ground for more than ten meters before it finally stopped.


    Both Land Rovers were taken care of, and Ling Chen breathed a sigh of relief. Lucky that Zhang Zhongfeng was in the car, otherwise just those two Land Rovers would have taken up a lot of time.


    At the base,


    Hu Fei had already gathered everyone outside theboratory, following the confrontation, only about twenty people remained, adding in Kaelina and Liu Dongsheng, there were fewer than thirtybatants.


    Hu Fei cowered in his office, locking the door tightly, his expression grave as he stared at theputer screen.


    "Attack!"


    At themand, a man in his thirties grabbed two sharp axes and charged into the crowd.


    Seeing the two heavy axes, everyone felt a chill and did not dare to confront directly, hastily retreating. Seeing this, Liu Dongsheng and Kaelina exchanged nces, quickly moved forward together and simultaneouslyunched a counterattack, blocking the man¡¯s assault.


    The man did not step back after the failed strike; he swung the two axes straight down towards the heads of Liu Dongsheng and Kaelina. The axes weighed dozens of pounds, but in the man¡¯s hands, they were as light as feathers, effortlessly handled.


    However, Liu Dongsheng and Kaelina could feel the fierce force of the wind generated by the axes. Before the axes even reached them, two streams of Inner Strength had already closed in, sharp like des, inflicting intense pain on their skin.


    "Retreat quickly!"


    Seeing the dire situation, Kaelina urgently shouted.


    Liu Dongsheng did not hesitate, promptly pulling back just enough to dodge the sharp axes.


    But, although they avoided the heavy axes, they could not escape the fierce force of the wind. Looking closely, Liu Dongsheng was shocked to see that his clothes had been shed open, precisely by that condensed Inner Strength.


    Impressive!


    Liu Dongsheng and Kaelina exchanged looks, their eyes filled with fear.


    True master, this was a real master!


    Had they not been aided by the exoskeleton armor just now, they might have really lost their lives.


    Seeing this, Liu Dongsheng furrowed his brows deeply, his expression somber, and he nced back at the others and spoke in a deep voice: "All of you, go inside."


    Hearing this, more than twenty subordinates hurriedly opened therge door of theboratory and squeezed into theb.


    "You go inside too."


    Kaelina was stunned, thinking she had heard wrongly, and looked at Liu Dongsheng: "You want me to go in?"


    Liu Dongsheng nodded: "Go ahead, I¡¯ll handle everything here by myself."


    "Hey! Liu, are you crazy? Why are you trying to act tough at this time?"


    Hu Fei¡¯s voice came through the earphone, carrying a hint of worry and anxiety.


    "Don¡¯t worry about me," Liu Dongsheng replied indifferently. "I know what I¡¯m doing, Mr. Hu, have you forgotten who I am?"


    Hu Fei anxiously said, "You... that was all in the past, and it¡¯s been so many years now, you now..."


    "It¡¯s okay, trust me. Mr. Hu, you know my character. Since I have promised to help you, I will definitely keep my word. Thank you for your care all these years!"


    With that, before Kaelina could react, Liu Dongsheng grabbed her hand, pushed her into theb, and closed the door behind her.


    Turning around, Liu Dongsheng faced the man holding two axes, took off his coat, and then removed the exoskeleton armor he was wearing and threw it aside.


    Seeing Liu Dongsheng¡¯s actions on the surveince footage, Hu Fei¡¯s expression finally changed.


    It¡¯s over!


    That guy is doomed!


    Ah, Hu Fei shook his head helplessly, after so many years...


    At that moment, watching the bare-torsoed Liu Dongsheng, the man sneered, "What, need to perform some kind of ritual before you die?"


    Liu Dongsheng remained silent, turning around and throwing his clothes on the ground.


    However, as Liu Dongsheng turned, the man noticed a tattoo on his back, resembling a ferocious tiger descending the mountain. But, this tiger was blood-red with emerald-green eyes, exuding a chilling and fierce aura that was extraordinarily terrifying.


    Hmph!


    The man sneered disdainfully at Liu Dongsheng, looking down on him and said arrogantly, "Hurry up and make a move, I don¡¯t have all day to waste with you."


    Liu Dongsheng seemed as if he hadn¡¯t heard the man¡¯s words, standing quietly on the spot, his gaze fixed on the man in front of him, his hands slowly reaching into his pockets.


    When he took his arms out again, everyone noticed that Liu Dongsheng¡¯s fingers were each fitted with a sharp object, resembling long ws, cold and sharp, emanating a faint chill.


    Seeing Liu Dongsheng¡¯s ten fingers, along with the tattoo on his back, Kaelina in theb suddenly seemed to realize something, her eyes widening in disbelief as she stared at Liu Dongsheng, her eyes filled with incredulity.


    "Come, let¡¯s see how capable you are," the man waved the axe in his hand, a provocative look on his face.


    Liu Dongsheng¡¯s lips curled slightly, carrying a hint of a cold smile. Yet, for some reason, both his smile and his eyes exuded a bloodthirsty ferocity, like a fierce tiger weaving through the forest, eyeing his prey, ready to tear it apart.


    "Kill!"


    Seeing Liu Dongsheng not making a move, the man grew impatient, raised his axe, and charged towards Liu Dongsheng, aiming a strike at his head. If this blownded, Liu Dongsheng¡¯s body would likely be split in half.


    Just as the axe was about to hit, the still Liu Dongsheng suddenly bent down, using both his hands and feet, and swiftly moved to the side. Before the man could react, Liu Dongsheng had already disappeared from his sight.


    Where is he?


    The man¡¯s expression changed slightly, hurriedly turning his gaze behind him.


    Indeed! Liu Dongsheng was standing about two meters behind him, staring at him coldly. Moreover, Liu Dongsheng¡¯s pose was quite strange, with his hands and feet all on the ground, almost like an animal.

 Chapter 688 - 693: Blocking the Enemy

    <h4>Chapter 688: Chapter 693: Blocking the Enemy</h4>


    Seeing Liu Dongsheng¡¯s eerie actions, everyone widened their eyes in surprise.


    The man held two axes, his bushy eyebrows slightly knitted. Even though he had been somewhat negligent earlier, the speed exhibited by Liu Dongsheng had caught him off guard. As an expert from the Dragon List, he couldn¡¯t believe he let his opponent slip away¡ªit surely wasn¡¯t just coincidence.


    At this moment, Liu Dongsheng¡¯s limbs touched the ground, slowly moving around the man, his gaze fixed intently on his target, like a beast lurking in the shadows, exuding a chilling aura, always ready to pounce and bite his prey to death.


    Ling Chen...


    Watching Liu Dongsheng¡¯s expressions, for some reason, Kaelina, who was in theb, couldn¡¯t help but think of Ling Chen. She had spent so much time with him and had fought alongside him. She had felt the same chilling cold emanating from him.


    As an Assassin, she knew what such an aura meant.


    It was a special killer instinct, only cultivated through countless dangers at the edge of life and death, after ying countless people. Moreover, the aura emanating from Liu Dongsheng was much stronger than that of Ling Chen, which meant Liu Dongsheng had encountered death far more times.


    Terrifying!


    Even though there were many people present, most of them experts, they were still surprised by the aura emanating from Liu Dongsheng.


    Facing Liu Dongsheng¡¯s gradually blood-red eyes, a chill surged through the man¡¯s feet.


    "Xu Yong, what are you waiting for? Kill him quickly; don¡¯t waste time."


    Hearing hispanion¡¯s urging, Xu Yong no longer dyed. He swung the two axes in his hands and quickly rushed forward, aiming a powerful blow at Liu Dongsheng¡¯s head.


    Seeing Xu Yong¡¯s attack, Liu Dongsheng supported himself with his hands on the ground, suddenly exerting force, his body shot up, and he pounced towards Xu Yong. Simultaneously, Liu Dongsheng extended his hands, his fingers equipped with sharp spikes, resembling vicious ws.


    Facing Liu Dongsheng¡¯s leap, Xu Yong immediately changed his move¡ªboth axes swept horizontally from left and right aiming fiercely at Liu Dongsheng¡¯s wrists, attempting to sever thempletely.


    At this critical moment, Liu Dongsheng¡¯s body suddenly leaned back, his hair narrowly escaping the axes¡¯ des. Dodging the axes, Liu Dongsheng didn¡¯t pause for a moment and continued rushing forward. In the blink of an eye, Liu Dongsheng was already close to Xu Yong, swinging his ws fiercely.


    Swish!


    In an instant, several sh marks appeared on Xu Yong¡¯s chest, blood dripping profusely.


    Landing a hit, Liu Dongsheng did not pursue further but instead performed a backflip, instantly escaping Xu Yong¡¯s range of attack and maintaining a distance of three meters.


    Though it seemed slow, the speed disyed by Liu Dongsheng had surprised everyone present. All the experts watched Liu Dongsheng stupefied, their eyes filled with unconcealed amazement.


    They could sense that Liu Dongsheng was not a martial artist, but his speed surpassed many skilled fighters. Xu Yong was after all an expert of the Dragon List, yet Liu Dongsheng had not only matched him but even managed to wound him, a feat that astonishingly impressed everyone.


    In front of the surveince screen, Hu Fei¡¯s eyes closely followed Liu Dongsheng, moving with him. Hu Fei was well aware of Liu Dongsheng¡¯s true identity, and at this moment, his face showed little concern.


    In theb, Kaelina kept her eyes fixed on Liu Dongsheng, never shifting her focus away.


    Previously, during their joint operations, she had been guessing Liu Dongsheng¡¯s identity, but nothing about his abilities had seemed particrly extraordinary. However, now, seeing the tiger tattoo on Liu Dongsheng¡¯s back, she finally remembered that person who once had a glorious past.


    Never did I expect, in my lifetime, to see him and witness his elegance.


    At this moment, Xu Yong, injured by Liu Dongsheng, had an iron-blue face; it seemed like mes could spurt from his chilling gaze, fuelled by rage.


    "Good, very good!" Xu Yong clenched his twin axes and gritted his teeth, saying, "You¡¯re quite skillful. I want to see how long you canst."


    As his words fell, Xu Yong surged forward, quickly closing the distance to Liu Dongsheng. His ax swung fiercely, whistling through the air. The powerful force burst forth in an instant, giving one the impression of a Powerful sh.


    Feeling the intense pressure all around him, Liu Dongsheng¡¯s eyes narrowed and without hesitation, he swiftly sidestepped, dodging the axes of Xu Yong.


    Not giving Xu Yong a chance to change his tactic, Liu Dongsheng slid his foot and passed underneath Xu Yong in an extremely bizarre posture. Xu Yong only saw a flickering figure before he could capture Liu Dongsheng¡¯s form, and the other had disappeared from his view.


    The next second, a sharp pain surged, nearly making Xu Yong cry out loud.


    Turning around, everyone looked at Xu Yong¡¯s blood-soaked back, involuntarily gasping. They had not expected Xu Yong to be outmaneuvered by Liu Dongsheng again, resulting in severe injuries.


    "Damn it, I¡¯ll ughter you!"


    Xu Yong roared furiously, ring deadly at Liu Dongsheng. He violently threw his heavy axes directly at Liu Dongsheng.


    However, spotting the iing axes, Liu Dongsheng didn¡¯t seem bothered. He moved nimbly, stepping away from the spot before the axes reached, easily dodging Xu Yong¡¯s attack.


    At the same time, Liu Dongsheng tipped his toe, swiftly advancing like a gust of wind, reaching Xu Yong again with a swipe of his w.


    Blood spattered, and new wounds were added to Xu Yong¡¯s body.


    Although witnessing Liu Dongsheng¡¯s attacks nearing, Xu Yong¡¯s defensive moves were somehow always a beat too slow to effectively defend himself.


    Observing Xu Yong¡¯s progressively slowing movements, the experts watching frowned.


    "Big brother, it seems Xu Yong..."


    The slightly older man nodded and said, "That guy¡¯s w must contain poison. Xu Yong¡¯s slowed speed is surely due to the toxin. Enough! Stop wasting time. All of you, attack together, make it quick, don¡¯t keep Mr. Lin waiting."


    "Yes!"


    As soon as the voice fell, seven or eight men stepped forward, each wielding a weapon, and charged towards Liu Dongsheng.


    Seeing these people attacking, Liu Dongsheng¡¯s expression instantly turned solemn, his eyes flickering coldly, radiating a bloodthirsty glow.


    "Kill him!"


    At thatmand, several men immediately quickened their pace. In a few strides, they reached Liu Dongsheng and their sharp swords and knives thrust towards him.


    Facing the group¡¯s offense, Liu Dongsheng suddenly let out a tiger¡¯s roar, leaping high from the ground, instantly dodging the siege. Following that, he deftly tapped the shoulder of one of the men with the tip of his foot, breaking through the encirclement.

 Chapter 689 - 694: Helping Hand

    <h4>Chapter 689: Chapter 694: Helping Hand</h4>


    Liu Dongsheng was smart, or rather, hisbat experience was extremely rich. Facing the siege of many, he knew he was no match and chose not to fight head-on but to maintain a distance, moving within the confined space, keeping everyone tethered outside theb, buying time for reinforcements to arrive.


    Suddenly, Liu Dongsheng fiercely lunged forward, targeting Xu Yong who was not far away.


    By the time the others reacted, it was already toote. With his impressive speed, Liu Dongsheng instantly rushed in front of Xu Yong. At this moment, Xu Yong seemed to be frozen, standing there stiffly, every movement immensely difficult. Facing Liu Dongsheng¡¯s attack, he was utterly unable to resist.


    In a sh, Liu Dongsheng pounced, coiling his legs around Xu Yong¡¯s waist and his arms crossed, locking onto Xu Yong¡¯s neck, ten sharp spikes all embedding into Xu Yong¡¯s skin.


    Seeing this, everyone was shocked, not expecting Liu Dongsheng to target Xu Yong.


    "Stop!"


    Sensing the intense killing intent in Liu Dongsheng¡¯s eyes, a man hurriedly shouted, trying to stop him.


    Unfortunately, as he was shouting, Liu Dongsheng¡¯s hands slightly moved, and warm blood immediately sprayed from Xu Yong¡¯s neck.


    By the time Liu Dongsheng moved away, Xu Yong fell forward rigidly, copsing into a pool of blood, utterly dead.


    Seeing theirpanion killed, fury appeared on the faces of the others, their eyes coldly fixed on Liu Dongsheng, closing in step by step, determined to kill him on the spot to avenge their fallenrade.


    "Kill him!"


    A man, gritting his teeth, waved a steel sword with a sword energy that tore through the air, fiercely aiming a strike at the top of Liu Dongsheng¡¯s head.


    At the same time, several men simultaneouslyunched attacks from four different directions towards Liu Dongsheng,pletely sealing off his escape routes. Seeing this, Liu Dongsheng touched the ground with his hands and feet, using the strength of his limbs to suddenly leap up, trying to leap over everyone¡¯s heads and break out as he did before.


    However, having learned from what just happened, this time, his adversaries were prepared.


    As Liu Dongsheng jumped, one man had already leapt up, a long knife tight in his hand, cleaving towards the flying Liu Dongsheng.


    Seeing the de nearing, Liu Dongsheng¡¯s pupils shrank, urgently twisting his waist, stopping his forward motion. Then, he released all his strength, letting his body fall downward.


    Just as hepleted this movement, the long knife carrying a fierce momentum, shed past the front of Liu Dongsheng¡¯s chest, nearly grazing his skin.


    However, while he avoided that dangerous strike, several others were waiting below for Liu Dongsheng. Before his body even hit the ground, a meaty palm suddenly extended and harshly struck Liu Dongsheng¡¯s body. A surge of Inner Strength burst forth, instantly sending Liu Dongsheng flying, crashing heavily against theboratory¡¯s ss window.


    Fortunately, theb¡¯s windows were bulletproof, tough in material, and did not break.


    "Mr. Hu, quickly seal theb." Liu Dongsheng said gravely.


    Hearing Liu Dongsheng¡¯s voice, Hu Fei frowned, his fingers hovering over the keyboard keys, his eyes filled with hesitation, unsure whether to press them or not.


    "Find the person, now." the older manmanded.


    "Yes!"


    Several responded at once, immediately walking towards theb entrance, with two especially rushing towards Liu Dongsheng, prepared to end his life.


    Having suffered a heavy blow, Liu Dongsheng¡¯s body was greatly affected. At this moment, moving was somewhat difficult for him, his legs trembling, barely able to stand steadily, needing to support himself against the wall to weakly move.


    Watching the two men approach, Liu Dongsheng took a deep breath, clenched his teeth firmly, his expression resolute, prepared for a final showdown.


    "Prepare to die!"


    As soon as he spoke, the two men immediately charged towards Liu Dongsheng, their sharp swords aiming directly at his vital points.


    However, at this critical moment, a fierce gust of Inner Strength suddenly flew between the two men. Before anyone else could react, both men were seen with a fresh cut on their necks.


    Immediately after, with two ¡¯bang bang¡¯ sounds, the men fell to the ground, lifeless.


    This sudden turn of events shocked everyone present, staring in horror at the two dead men. Everything had happened too quickly, and no one had noticed or seen clearly who had made the move.


    "Who is it?"


    People looked around, searching for the person who had intervened.


    "Are you looking for me?"


    Suddenly, a faint voice was heard, immediately drawing everyone¡¯s attention.


    Unbeknownst to them, an old man had appeared among the crowd, holding an unsheathed steel sword, his face gaunt, forehead slightly raised, exuding a calm and steady aura.


    The crowd scrutinized the old man and asked coldly, "Who are you?"


    "He Ziyun."


    He Ziyun?


    Hearing the man introduce himself, everyone present was startled, their expressions drastically changing.


    He Ziyun... Wasn¡¯t he the sixth-ranked master on the Earthly List?


    Thinking of the term ¡¯Earthly List master,¡¯ a hint of fear shed in the eyes of several men, who quickly stepped back.


    "Are you He Ziyun?" The slightly older man stared coldly at He Ziyun and snorted, "This is God Organization¡¯s business, it¡¯s best if an outsider like you doesn¡¯t interfere!"


    He Ziyun smiled faintly, "When did I ever say I was an outsider? God Organization... Don¡¯t you know that my greatest enemy in life is the God Organization?" Pausing for a moment, He Ziyun turned to the man and changed his tone slightly, "I¡¯ve heard of you, if I¡¯m not mistaken, you are Huang Qianqiu ranked eigth on the Earthly List."


    "Yes, I am Huang Qianqiu." The man nodded unabashedly.


    "As a master of the Earthly List, yet you choose to oppress the weak and willingly serve the God Organization, this is truly disappointing," He Ziyun shook his head and sighed lightly.


    Huang Qianqiu, unconcerned, responded, "So what? A wise man submits to circumstances. The God Organization gives me what I want, and I am happy to serve them. If you can satisfy me, I would serve you too."


    "Enough! Since that¡¯s the case, there¡¯s no need for further words." He Ziyun held the steel sword with one hand, and with the other hand stretched out slightly forward chest level, and said to Huang Qianqiu, "If you want to harm them, you¡¯ll have to get past me first."


    Hearing this, Huang Qianqiu furrowed his brow and said solemnly, "He Ziyun, I know your skills are superior to mine, but that doesn¡¯t mean you can defeat me. Don¡¯t forget, I am now a member of the God Organization, and my means are not limited to mere martial arts."


    (Sorry for the special circumstances, updating two parts now, will add more in the afternoon)

 Chapter 690 - 695 Huang Qianqiu

    <h4>Chapter 690: Chapter 695 Huang Qianqiu</h4>


    "Methods?" He Ziyun gently shook his head, utterly unmoved by Huang Qianqiu¡¯s words, and continued on his own: "The methods of the God Organization are nothing new, rarely anything innovative. If you really have that ability, I would actually like to see what benefits you have gotten from the God Organization."


    With those words, He Ziyun raised his hand and curled his fingers towards Huang Qianqiu, signaling him to make a move.


    Faced with He Ziyun¡¯s contempt and provocation, Huang Qianqiu snorted coldly, his hands abruptly swung. Immediately, with a whooshing sound, a long chain appeared in each of his hands.


    The two chains were about three meters long, with a spherical iron ball at the end, roughly the size of a fist. The surface of the iron balls was covered with many protruding edges, possessing great lethal power. If someone were hit by them, there was almost no chance of survival.


    Seeing the weapon in Huang Qianqiu¡¯s hands, He Ziyun¡¯s expression remained unchanged, fearless, staring unwaveringly at Huang Qianqiu, with no intention of drawing his sword from its sheath.


    "Kill!"


    With a cold shout, Huang Qianqiu¡¯s toes pointed, his body slightly leaning forward, his speed instantly increased, charging towards He Ziyun. In the charge, his hands swung the chains like windmills, spinning rapidly with great momentum.


    As the two nearly approached, Huang Qianqiu flung one chain forward, the iron ball at the end fiercely smashing towards the motionless He Ziyun.


    Seeing the iron ball flying towards him, He Ziyun still showed no intention of dodging, standing quietly in ce, his gaze fixed on the iron ball. As the forceful wind neared, just as the iron ball was about tond, He Ziyun stretched out his right hand, his wrist flicked lightly, and the sword sheath struck out swiftly, urately, and fiercely, hitting the iron ball and knocking it off its trajectory. Immediately, the iron ball veered aside, falling beside He Ziyun and smashing into the ground, creating a hole.


    Failing in his attack, Huang Qianqiu¡¯s expression remained unchanged as he swung both arms continuously, controlling both chains to strike simultaneously, targeting He Ziyun¡¯s vital points.


    Though the chains were more than three meters long and weighed about a hundred kilograms, Huang Qianqiu manipted them effortlessly. Moreover, the chains moved like Spirit Snakes, quick in action, mostly in the air with only brief touches to the ground.


    This showed that without strong Inner Strength support, it would be difficult for Huang Qianqiu to achieve this.


    After a round of rapid attacks, He Ziyun still stood quietly in the original ce, stable as a rock, immovable. No matter how strong Huang Qianqiu¡¯s offensive was, he couldn¡¯t force He Ziyun to retreat half a step.


    Just by this, the disparity between the two was clear.


    ng!


    A clear ringing sound emerged, He Ziyun once again swung his sword sheath, neutralizing the attack of the iron ball.


    "Huang Qianqiu, is this all you¡¯ve got? If so, it¡¯s truly disappointing."


    Hearing these words, Huang Qianqiu¡¯s face suddenly turned extremely unsightly. Being the leader of this operation, with everyone watching, if he didn¡¯t demonstrate some real skill, how could he establish himself in the God Organization and earn others¡¯ respect?


    With this in mind, Huang Qianqiu¡¯s expression turned cold, his hands swiftly joined together, connecting the ends of the two chains to form oneplete lock chain.


    Now holding a nearly seven-meter-long lock chain, Huang Qianqiu roared and stepped forward, the lock chain raised over his head, spinning rapidly in his hands like a long stick, creating a whooshing sound of wind.


    Thepanions around watching stepped back to avoid, fearing being hit by the lock chain.


    Seeing the end of the chain getting closer, now less than five meters away, He Ziyun¡¯s right hand finally touched the sword handle, making a gesture of drawing the sword.


    Seeing He Ziyun¡¯s movement, Huang Qianqiu¡¯s lips slightly curled with a cold smile, his hands suddenly rxed. Instantly, the lock chain still spinning at high speed, flew towards He Ziyun on its own.


    Rise!


    As the chain was about to make contact with his body, He Ziyun exerted force under his feet and leaped upwards fiercely. His body instantly shot up more than two meters, jumping right over the chain from above, and thennded steadily on the ground.


    At this moment, there were no chains between He Ziyun and Huang Qianqiu, and the distance between them was less than four meters. Without a second thought, He Ziyun immediately closed the distance. In the blink of an eye, he had forced his way to Huang Qianqiu¡¯s vicinity.


    At this time, He Ziyun¡¯s sword-holding hand slightly lifted, drawing out a section of the steel sword¡¯s de. However, before he could fully unsheathe his sword, a gust of wind suddenly attacked from behind.


    Sensing the change behind him, He Ziyun¡¯s eyebrows slightly furrowed, and he tilted his head to the side, ncing backward with the corner of his eye.


    Suddenly, he saw that the long chain was actually flying back towards him.


    Seeing this, a hint of undeniable surprise appeared in He Ziyun¡¯s eyes. The chain had clearly flown out, and now it was flying back; this was utterly impossible.


    With Huang Qianqiu¡¯s skills or Inner Strength, it was impossible to achieve this feat.


    But, the current situation left no time for He Ziyun to ponder.


    With a flick of his wrist, apanied by a crisp ringing of the sword, the sharp steel sword finally came out of its sheath, and he reflexively thrust backward, striking the iron ball at the end of the chain.


    However, unexpectedly, when the sword tip touched the iron ball, there was a loud ¡¯boom¡¯, and the iron ball exploded in the middle, sending iron fragments and thick smoke scattering in all directions.


    Watching the iron fragments flying towards him, He Ziyun¡¯s aged face finally showed a trace of change.


    Without time to think, he immediately drew back, his right hand swiftly creating several sword flourishes, defending tightly in front of him, preventing the iron fragments from breaking through his defense.


    "Be careful!"


    Just then, Liu Dongsheng¡¯s urgent voice suddenly sounded from behind.


    Hearing the reminder, He Ziyun¡¯s mind shifted, and he instantly realized the situation. He turned around and thrust his sword towards Huang Qianqiu behind him.


    He had been busy defending against the iron fragments and had no time to pay attention to Huang Qianqiu at his back.


    However, although He Ziyun¡¯s reaction was quick, his speed was still a beat too slow. Before his steel sword could hit his opponent, he himself would surely be struck first.


    "Get out of the way!"


    Suddenly, a figure shed from the side, forcefully mming into He Ziyun¡¯s nk, knocking him from his spot. At the same time, Huang Qianqiu¡¯s attack ferociously came down, hitting the figure squarely.


    With a muffled grunt, the figure immediately flew out and crashed against the thick wall.


    With the danger averted, He Ziyun nced around and realized the person who hade to his rescue was none other than Liu Dongsheng, whom he had just saved.


    With impressive speed, Liu Dongsheng forcefully intervened in the fight between two Earthly List experts, taking the hit for He Ziyun. But, as an Earthly List expert, Huang Qianqiu¡¯s strike was far more powerful than ordinary people could withstand.


    After falling from the wall, Liu Dongsheng immediately fell unconscious, lying motionlessly on the ground.


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 691 - 696: Kill with One Arrow

    <h4>Chapter 691: Chapter 696: Kill with One Arrow</h4>


    Seeing Liu Dongsheng injured, He Ziyun didn¡¯t miss this grand opportunity. As Huang Qianqiu was in a momentary daze, He Ziyun flicked his steel sword, creating a sonorous ring, and swiftly stabbed toward Huang Qianqiu.


    Swoosh!


    Huang Qianqiu, who hadn¡¯t reacted in time, hurriedly stepped back to dodge the steel sword¡¯s attack. But before he could fully evade, the sword¡¯s edge still grazed his arm, slicing a long wound in his sleeve and causing blood to flow freely, dripping from his fingertips onto the ground.


    "You..." Feeling the pain in his arm, Huang Qianqiu¡¯s face drastically changed. He quickly covered the wound with his hand, and retreated speedily until he was back within his own people¡¯s formation.


    He Ziyun gave a light snort, advanced a few steps, and said coldly, "Huang Qianqiu, are these the tactics you¡¯ve learned from God Organization? I thought you would have something impressive, but it turns out it¡¯s all just despicable moves. Truly a disgrace to martial artists."


    Hearing He Ziyun¡¯s rebuke, Huang Qianqiu¡¯s face turned a mix of green and red, and he roared with humiliation, "Attack! What are you nking out for?"


    As his voice fell, several men from behind rushed forward and surrounded He Ziyun.


    Taking advantage of He Ziyun being entangled with those men, Kaelina stealthily slipped out of theboratory, quickly ran to Liu Dongsheng¡¯s side, lifted him from the ground, and then hurried back into theb.


    "Miss Zhu, please take a look at him for us."


    "Put him down."


    Once Liu Dongsheng was lying on the bed, Zhu Xiaozhu ced her hand on his pulse, then checked his body.


    "Don¡¯t worry, although the injuries are a bit severe, there¡¯s no life-threatening danger. I¡¯ll have someone give him a few shots, and after some rest, it won¡¯t be long before he wakes up."


    "Thank you!"


    Liu Dongsheng was safe for the moment, allowing Kaelina to breathe a sigh of relief. She then turned her gaze to theboratory¡¯s ss window. At this moment, He Ziyun was fighting several men singlehandedly. Not only was he not showing signs of defeat, but he was also bing more valiant as the fight went on, suppressing all the Dragon List experts.


    Seeing He Ziyun easily battling several experts, Huang Qianqiu¡¯s expression involuntarily changed. At this moment, he finally understood why he had been so easily defeated by his opponent. ording to his knowledge, He Ziyun¡¯s strength was ranked sixth on the Earthly List, but from the power He Ziyun had shown, it was evident that he had already entered the top five.


    Although there is not arge gap between fifth and sixth, the difference in strength between the two is like heaven and earth. Everyone knows, whether it¡¯s the Dragon List, the Earthly List, or the Heavenly List, being in the top five is a watershed that represents breaking through limits to reach another level.


    Now, He Ziyun had broken through that level, reaching a higher realm.


    No wonder, if He Ziyun¡¯s strength was still at the sixth ce of the Earthly List, he couldn¡¯t have been defeated so easily.


    Huang Qianqiu frowned tightly, originally thinking that the manpower he brought would be sufficient to deal with all scenarios. What he didn¡¯t expect was a high-ranking Earthly List master popping up halfway and throwing a wrench in their ns.


    With He Ziyun present,pleting their mission would be very difficult. If they continued, they were likely to lose more men.


    Thinking this, Huang Qianqiu said while backing away, "Everyone, retreat immediately."


    Hearing hismand, those who were entangled with He Ziyun didn¡¯t hesitate, immediately withdrawing from the battle and running toward the outside. But just as Huang Qianqiu was preparing to lead his people to escape from the base, suddenly came the sound of ¡¯whoosh,¡¯ a noise of something cutting through the air.


    Right after that, everyone saw Huang Qianqiu at the front halting his steps, his body rigidly falling backward.


    When Huang Qianqiu fell to the ground, everyone saw that there was an arrow lodged in his forehead.


    For a moment, everyone stood there in shock, frozen in ce, at a loss. No one expected that a grand master of the Earthly List would die like this.


    Arrows...


    Upon seeing that arrow, everyone¡¯s mind immediately conjured up one person.


    The Archer God, Zhang Zhongfeng!


    Only the Archer God could, with just a longbow and a single arrow, kill a top expert from the Earthly List.


    With this thought, everyone anxiously looked around, each feeling precarious, their palms drenched in sweat, fearing they would be the Archer God¡¯s next target.


    "Those who don¡¯t want to die better surrender now, don¡¯t say I didn¡¯t give you a chance."


    At this time, an indifferent voice reached everyone¡¯s ears. Looking towards the source, they saw Ling Chen leading Qiu Yong and others walking from the base entrance.


    "Th... The Eight entrics..."


    Upon recognizing the neers, the experts sent by the God Organization instantly lost their courage to fight; one by one, they lowered their heads, consciously throwing their weapons onto the ground, and surrendered without resistance.


    The Eight entrics!


    As members of the Martial Artsmunity, there were few who hadn¡¯t heard of the notorious Eight entrics. Now that their only reliance, Huang Qianqiu, was dead, how could they, on their own, muster the courage to fight the Eight entrics? That would undoubtedly be a death wish. Surrendering might still leave them with a sliver of a chance to save their lives.


    Seeing those people genuinely giving up resistance, Ling Chen nodded and snapped his fingers, "Little Eight, tie them all up."


    "Roger that!" Wei Jiahao grinned and pulled out several ropes, dashing over to them.


    With several experts from the Dragon List surrendering, the rest of God Organization¡¯s members naturally did not dare to resist anymore.


    Once everyone was controlled, Ling Chen walked over to He Ziyun with Qiu Yong and others, smiling, "Mr. He, we owe you a lot for showing up just in time today. Thank you!"


    He Ziyun waved his hand, "No need for thanks, it¡¯s what I should do."


    After speaking, He Ziyun greeted each of the Eight entrics in turn.


    At this moment, with the danger averted, Kaelina and others walked out from theboratory.


    Seeing those subdued members of God Organization, Ling Chen raised an eyebrow and asked, "Where¡¯s Lin Jiawei? Didn¡¯t that guye along?"


    Kaelina shook her head, "We didn¡¯t see him; he should still be outside."


    "We¡¯ve dealt with the people outside, but didn¡¯t find any trace of Lin Jiawei." Saying this, Ling Chen sighed helplessly, "He escaped again, I thought we could catch a big fish this time."


    "Ling Chen, how do you n to deal with these people?"


    "Interrogate them first to see if we can get some useful information. I¡¯ll contact the government¡¯s special department tomorrow and hand these people over to them. Then it¡¯s up to them to decide whether to kill or detain them, it¡¯s none of our business." Pausing for a moment, Ling Chen looked at Kaelina, "You¡¯ve had it rough this time."


    "It wasn¡¯t tough on me; the truly hard work was done by someone else. If it wasn¡¯t for Liu Dongsheng lending a hand, the base would probably have been overrun already."


    "That¡¯s right." He Ziyun nodded in agreement, "That guy named Liu Dongsheng even saved my life. I don¡¯t know how he¡¯s doing now. Ling Chen, I didn¡¯t expect that you had secretly hidden a master here."


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


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 Chapter 692 - 697: Ghost Tiger (1)

    <h4>Chapter 692: Chapter 697: Ghost Tiger (1)</h4>


    "Expert?" Ling Chen asked in confusion, "What expert?" As soon as he finished speaking, Ling Chen suddenly realized something and eximed in surprise: "Are you talking about Liu Dongsheng as the expert?"


    Seeing He Ziyun and Kaelina both nodding, Ling Chen grew even more puzzled. He had fought side by side with Liu Dongsheng, and while it was undeniable that Liu Dongsheng had skills, they were far from reaching the level of a true expert. Moreover, Liu Dongsheng did not show any signs of being a martial artist.


    Therefore, he couldn¡¯t understand why even He Ziyun would consider Liu Dongsheng an expert.


    As he was pondering, he heard He Ziyun say: "Liu Dongsheng even managed to kill an expert from the Dragon List. Isn¡¯t that enough to be considered an expert?"


    Killed a Dragon List expert?


    Upon hearing this news, not only Ling Chen but also Qiu Yong and the others showed a hint of curiosity, and asked interestedly, "Mr. He, could it be that Liu Dongsheng is an expert who has the strength of the Dragon List but has yet to be included on it?"


    "I can¡¯t be sure," replied He Ziyun. "Liu Dongsheng doesn¡¯t seem like someone who has trained in martial arts, but his skills are indeed impressive. Frankly, I really want to know how he does it. If he hadn¡¯t passed out, I would have liked to ask him myself."


    Seeing everyone¡¯s keen interest in Liu Dongsheng¡¯s identity, Ling Chen said, "Wanting to know who he is isn¡¯t difficult, just call over Hu Fei and ask him. He knows the most about Mr. Liu¡¯s background."


    Speak of the devil, and he shall appear!


    As they were talking, they saw Hu Fei briskly heading towards theb.


    "Hey! Fatty, why are you running so fast?" Ling Chen called out.


    Hu Fei didn¡¯t turn back, as if he hadn¡¯t heard Ling Chen¡¯s call, and directly rushed into theb. Seeing this, Ling Chen simply took Qiu Yong and the others to theb as well.


    In theb, Liu Dongsheng was lying on a bed with Zhu Xiaozhu and several other medical researchers treating him.


    After asking a few questions, Hu Fei learned that Liu Dongsheng¡¯s condition was not life-threatening, which relieved him quite a bit.


    "Fatty," approaching closer, Ling Chen looked at the bedridden Liu Dongsheng and asked: "Who exactly is he? You¡¯ve never mentioned him to me before."


    "He..." Hu Fei hesitated, seeming reluctant to reveal Liu Dongsheng¡¯s real identity.


    "You don¡¯t need to keep hiding it for him," intervened Kaelina. "I think I already know who he is." Looking at Ling Chen, she said, "If I mention his name, I believe you must have heard of it."


    Hearing this, Hu Fei chuckled wryly and said: "You¡¯re an assassin, and I knew I couldn¡¯t fool your eyes. Well, since you¡¯ve already guessed his identity, there¡¯s no point in hiding it from you anymore. Liu Dongsheng is his real name, that¡¯s true, but he used to have a nickname, called ¡¯Ghost Tiger.¡¯ Anyone who¡¯s been in this line of work should have heard this nickname."


    Ghost Tiger?


    At this revtion, the expressions of everyone present changed simultaneously.


    It¡¯s actually Ghost Tiger!


    Ling Chen widened his eyes in disbelief as he looked at the unconscious Liu Dongsheng. He had never expected that this unimpressive looking man was actually a world-famous assassin!


    "It¡¯s hard to believe he is actually Ghost Tiger," said Xu Ming with a tsk.


    A surprised Ling Chen asked, "Second Brother, you¡¯ve heard of him too?"


    Xu Ming nodded and said, "Heard of him, yes. That was many years ago. I was just over twenty years old then, probably around his age. At that time, I was just a rookie, while he was already a top-tier world-known assassin."


    Considering this, Ling Chen thought that made sense. Xu Ming and Liu Dongsheng were about the same age, both in their forties or fifties.


    Ghost Tiger! Once the number one on the assassin list. If Blood Wolf is a legend of the assassin world, then Ghost Tiger is the myth of the assassin world. There were so many stories about Ghost Tiger circting in the assassinmunity, and almost every assassin idolized him as their role model and goal.


    Ghost Tiger became the number one assassin in the world before he was even twenty. Ling Chen knew he had killed his fair share of people over the years, butpared to Ghost Tiger, it was likeparing a minor magician to a grand sorcerer with noparison. It was said that by the age of twenty, the number of people who died by Ghost Tiger¡¯s hands had already exceeded three hundred.


    Ghost Tiger was famous for his brutality, ruthlessness, and extraordinary skills.


    The nickname ¡¯Ghost Tiger¡¯ perfectly represented his personality.


    ¡¯Ghost¡¯ described his speed, ghostly and elusive, making him hard to grasp. ¡¯Tiger¡¯ described his ferocity. Facing an enemy, Ghost Tiger showed no mercy, cutting down all, leaving no survivors. However, Ghost Tiger had one principle: he did not kill women and children.


    Sometimes, to deal with a powerful leader, other assassins might opt for assassination, first devising a meticulous n and then executing it. But Ghost Tiger wouldn¡¯t bother with suchplexities; he liked to keep things straightforward and brutal, directly storming into the enemy¡¯s headquarters, ying gods if they blocked his path, and Buddha if they stood in his way. Anyone who dared to hinder his mission had to die.


    Over the next twenty years, Ghost Tiger undertook hundreds, if not thousands, of missions. So, in terms of killing, no one could surpass Ghost Tiger.


    In those days, governments from various countries tried to capture Ghost Tiger, an international fugitive, dispatching countless manpower and resources. But without exception, not only did they allow Ghost Tiger to escape easily, but they also suffered heavy casualties.


    "Ghost Tiger¡¯s skills are incredibly formidable; I have no idea where he learned them from," Qiu Yong remarked.


    Continuing, Qiu Yong adjusted his words and said, "There are some things you might not have heard of. Initially, governments from various countries couldn¡¯t handle Ghost Tiger and had to reluctantly seek help from the Huaxia government, hoping that Huaxia could dispatch some true experts to assist in capturing Ghost Tiger. After all, everyone knew that Huaxia was the real dwelling ce of hidden dragons and crouching tigers, filled with numerous experts. At that time, the Huaxia government agreed to this request and selected a few experts from the Martial Arts world, one of whom was my old friend, who told me about this."


    "At first, the n went very smoothly. They tracked down Ghost Tiger¡¯s whereabouts, secretly followed him, and when Ghost Tiger reached a secluded ce, several experts attacked simultaneously, surrounding him, ready to capture him. You know, the experts from Huaxia are extremely proud when they step outside their country. At that time, those experts didn¡¯t take Ghost Tiger seriously at all, considering him merely an assassin who knew some killing tricks but not martial arts. However, exactly because of this reason, those experts were disastrously defeated by Ghost Tiger, and only my friend barely escaped with his life. Unfortunately, although he survived, both his legs were crippled, confining him to a wheelchair for life."


    Taking a deep breath, Qiu Yong let out a sigh, seemingly feeling sorry for his old friend.

 Chapter 693 - 698: Ghost Tiger (2)

    <h4>Chapter 693: Chapter 698: Ghost Tiger (2)</h4>


    So there¡¯s more to the story.


    Ling Chen nodded to himself, realizing that if it weren¡¯t for Qiu Yong bringing it up, nobody would have known about this past.


    Ghost Tiger had been in the game for over twenty years, with countless kills and innumerable opponents defeated, firmly holding the top spot on the assassin list, and nobody could shake his standing in the assassinmunity. Back then, Ghost Tiger could be described as the emperor of the assassin world. Both the assassin and mercenarymunities viewed him as an unbeatable myth.


    But when Ghost Tiger was in his thirties, for some unknown reason, he suddenly vanished without a trace. Many had looked for clues of Ghost Tiger¡¯s whereabouts but found none, and in the end, they had no choice but to let the matter drop. Rumors circted that Ghost Tiger had been killed in revenge by an enemy, and others said he had been on a ne that had a bomb installed, blowing it out of the sky. Even someone as skilled as Ghost Tiger couldn¡¯t possibly have survived a ne crash. In short, there were many rumors about Ghost Tiger.


    Since then, Ghost Tiger had be a myth in the assassin world.


    Ling Chen still vividly remembered that just a few years after Ghost Tiger¡¯s disappearance, he had started his own career as a "ghost", hence missing the chance to witness Ghost Tiger¡¯s elegance.


    Following Ghost Tiger¡¯s disappearance, Blood Wolf, who had always been second on the assassin list, was moved up to the first position, while Ghost Tiger was subsequently demoted to second. The reason Ghost Tiger was still kept on the assassin list ranking was partly as a sign of respect from his peers, and partly because many assassins still held out hope that Ghost Tiger would return to the Martial Arts World.


    However, nobody would have expected that the once illustrious number one on the assassin list would be a restaurant owner, taking up the chef¡¯s knife himself¡ªan astonishing turn of events.


    Looking at Hu Fei with displeasure, Ling Chen said, "You... you¡¯ve been hiding such a renowned master and didn¡¯t even tell me. If it weren¡¯t for what happened this time, were you nning on keeping it a secret from me forever?"


    Hu Fei helplessly replied, "How can you me me? Liu specifically instructed me to never reveal his identity. If people found out that Ghost Tiger was still alive, especially here in East Sea City, who knows how many enemies woulde knocking on his door."


    Hearing this, Ling Chen nodded. Hu Fei had a point; after all, Ghost Tiger¡¯s identity was significant. If word got out, even Hu Fei could be implicated. Nevertheless, Ling Chen was curious and asked, "Fatso, how did you get involved with him?"


    "That¡¯s a long story. I was one of the early starters in this business, learning from a senior for several years, and so I started my own gig at sixteen. Coincidentally, my very first business deal was with Liu. He contacted me back then, hoping I could help him change his name, conceal his identity, and find a ce where no one would ever find him. At that time, I didn¡¯t know Liu was Ghost Tiger, and I thought, since it¡¯s my first deal, I must do it right."


    "At first, I set Liu up on an ind nation abroad, but it didn¡¯t take long for people to show up, pressuring me to give up Liu¡¯s whereabouts. You know, in our line of work, reputation is everything. Eventually, when I was cornered with no choice left, I had to call Liu for help. I still remember that night, if Liu hadn¡¯t arrived in time, I would¡¯ve been dead. It was also that night when Liu confessed his identity to me, hoping I could help him."


    "I asked him why he needed my help when there were many more capable people in the industry. He told me he wanted someone clean, a newbie, because those veterans had tooplex awork of connections that could easily blow his cover. Since then, I¡¯ve moved Liu around to several ces, finally settling in East Sea City, where I helped him open a small restaurant. As for what happened after, you know the story."


    After listening to Hu Fei¡¯s tale, Ling Chen asked, "Did he ever tell you why he chose to retire?"


    "He said he had killed too many people, became numb, tired; he felt more like a beast than a human. So, he wanted to change his lifestyle, live like a normal person," Hu Fei added, "At least that¡¯s what he told me."


    Qiu Yong interjected, "Even if he has some unspeakable secret, he wouldn¡¯t disclose it. Let it go! Anyway, he did us a huge favor this time; both morally and emotionally, we ought to thank him properly."


    "You¡¯re right." Ling Chen looked around at everyone present and said, "Guys, you¡¯re all my friends. I hope you¡¯ll keep what was just said in mind and not spread it around. I think he wouldn¡¯t want his identity exposed. Otherwise, it would lead to a lot of troubleter on."


    Everyone echoed in agreement, "Don¡¯t worry, we won¡¯t talk."


    Having discussed Liu Dongsheng¡¯s identity issue, Ling Chen shifted his focus to the recent loss. Thankfully, with the help of Liu Dongsheng and He Ziyun, the casualties among the base personnel were kept to less than ten. However, the death of those security officers still weighed heavy on Ling Chen¡¯s heart.


    After all, these security officers were former thugs, who, under the training of Jiang Yunkai, had grown step by step into their roles. Later on, the base selected dozens of the finest among them and entrusted them with important duties within the base.


    When selecting these security officers, Ling Chen had considered many factors. Facing off against the God Organization, casualties were inevitable. So, he had specifically instructed Jiang Yunkai to make things clear to everyone involved.


    As a result, most of the security officers chosen by Jiang Yunkai were orphans with no parents. In this way, if they were unfortunately killed in action, there¡¯d be no family concerns. Of course, in terms of sry and benefits, Ling Chen was very generous to the base¡¯s security officers, offering them what they couldn¡¯t get elsewhere.


    People risk their lives for your cause; they deserve ample rewards. Ling Chen was very willing in this respect, as he¡¯d been through it himself.


    After spending the whole night cleaning up the base, Ling Chen was toozy to return to Wealthy Manor and chose to sleep over at the base.


    It wasn¡¯t until noon that Hu Fei knocked on his door to wake him.


    Rubbing his sleepy eyes, Ling Chen opened the door and, while yawning, looked at Hu Fei standing outside and asked, "Fatso, what¡¯s up? Are you waking me up for lunch?"


    "Eat, eat, eat, that¡¯s all you ever think about. Hurry up ande with me, we¡¯ve made a big breakthrough this time."


    "Breakthrough?" Ling Chen shook off his grogginess and quickly asked, "What kind of breakthrough?"


    With a mischievous grin, Hu Fei said, "Stop asking so many questions. Juste with me."


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 694 - 699: Lin Jiawei Captured

    <h4>Chapter 694: Chapter 699: Lin Jiawei Captured</h4>


    Seeing Hu Fei hurriedly walking out, Ling Chen didn¡¯t have time to think further and, without even washing his face, quickly followed him.


    Soon, the two arrived at the base¡¯s solitary interrogation room. Pushing open the door, Ling Chen looked at the man sitting on the chair, his expression instantly froze, and for a long while, he couldn¡¯t recover his senses.


    Hu Fei, with a smile creasing his eyes, patted Ling Chen¡¯s shoulder and grinned, "How about that, the catch is big enough, isn¡¯t it?"


    Ling Chen pointed at the man on the chair, his face full of surprise as he asked, "How did you find him?"


    "Humph! This guy thought he could escape from East Sea City, not realizing whose territory East Sea City is. With the intelligencework I¡¯ve operated here for so long, he seriously thought he could run away, what a fool¡¯s dream." Hu Fei said proudly: "Early this morning, this guy made contact with someone, trying to leave by boat from the port. But what he didn¡¯t know was that the port is filled with our people. As soon as he showed up, he was spotted by my men, then directly stuffed into the trunk of a car, and brought here."


    "Is that so?" Ling Chen smiled, looking at the man in the chair and said, "Lin Jiawei, you didn¡¯t expect to end up in my hands after all that, did you?"


    The person tied to the chair was no other than Lin Jiawei, who was in charge ofst night¡¯s operation.


    During the attackst night, he was sitting in a caf¨¦ across the street monitoring the situation. When he saw the operation had failed, he slipped away at once and contacted members of the God Organization to secretly extract him from East Sea City. Unfortunately for him, he was caught at the port before he could even board a ship.


    "Fatty, well done. This is a great merit for you." Having said that, Ling Chen brought over a chair, ced it in front of Lin Jiawei, and started speaking, "Mr. Lin, first it¡¯s thirty years east of the river, then thirty years west of the river. You didn¡¯t expect you¡¯d have such a day, did you?"


    Lin Jiawei snorted coldly, "Ling Chen, don¡¯t celebrate too early. What can you do with me captured? You dream if you think you¡¯ll get even half a word out of my mouth. You might as well just kill me quickly and save everyone¡¯s time."


    "No rush, no rush." Ling Chen said with a smile, "You should know my background. Back in the days with the Phantom, I¡¯ve dealt with many like you, always believing their mouths were tough and wouldn¡¯t say anything. But, with just a little technique from my side, regardless of who it is, they would all obediently cooperate with me." After a pause, Ling Chen continued, "I know you are with the God Organization, and they must have trained you in case you were caught to avoid leaking secrets. But have you thought about it, I¡¯ve been dealing with the God Organization for so many years, do you think I have no way to deal with you?"


    Hearing this, Lin Jiawei wasn¡¯t moved in the slightest and coldly said, "At most, I¡¯m just a mid-level manager in the God Organization, I don¡¯t know many secrets. You won¡¯t get much from me anyway."


    "Mid-level manager?" Ling Chen shook his head and muttered to himself, "Lin Jiawei, you sell yourself short. I can assert with certainty that your position in the God Organization is not low, it is actually very high."


    Lin Jiawei let out a coldugh and asked, "On what grounds do you believe that?"


    Ling Chen stared into Lin Jiawei¡¯s eyes, saying word for word, "It¡¯s precisely because you are with the Ling Family. Lin Jiawei, being a smart man, you should understand my meaning."


    With these words, Lin Jiawei¡¯splexion finally changed, revealing a hint of shock. Noticing Ling Chen¡¯s mocking smile, Lin Jiawei turned his head away, casting his gaze on the wall, and said in a deep voice, "I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about, this Ling Family you mention, I¡¯ve never even heard of it."


    "Alright, no need to deny it. Although I don¡¯t have much information right now, it¡¯s sufficient to prove the connection between your Ling Family and the God Organization. To be honest, even if I split my head thinking about it, I wouldn¡¯t have imagined that the God Organization was secretly funded by the Ling Family. I can¡¯t figure out why your family would do such a thing, with so many industries already, in Huaxia there are few who canpete with your wealth and power. Isn¡¯t it good enough to be the peaceful emperor of the south? Why stir up so much trouble, harming so many people, do you folks in the Ling Family have any conscience at all?"


    Lin Jiawei replied calmly, "That¡¯s all in your head, I won¡¯t acknowledge your words."


    Ling Chen waved his hand, "I didn¡¯t expect you to admit it anyway, but no matter, the evidence I have on hand is already enough to prove what I just said. Once I hand this evidence over to the government, your Ling Family can just wait for your downfall."


    "Suit yourself." Lin Jiawei seemed unfazed, the surprise in his eyes had long been reced with calm, without a ripple to be seen.


    "Lin Jiawei, I advise you to cooperate a little, it will be good for your future. If the judge asks, I can still plead for you, lighten your sentence, so you might see the sun again within your lifetime."


    "Cut it out! Ling Chen, I¡¯m not a three-year-old kid. Do you think I¡¯d fall for that? Don¡¯t waste your time trying to wheedle information out of me, I¡¯m not buying it. If you want to take action, just cut to the chase, stop beating around the bush. I¡¯d love to see what you can possibly do to make me speak."


    Seeing Lin Jiawei¡¯s indifferent demeanor, Hu Fei said unhappily, "You¡¯re really asking for trouble. Alright then, wait and see, I¡¯ll make you regret it."


    With that, Hu Fei turned and walked out of the interrogation room.


    Seeing Hu Fei leave, Ling Chen looked at Lin Jiawei, then stood up and followed Hu Fei.


    Once outside the interrogation room, Ling Chen called out to Hu Fei, "Where are you going?"


    "That guy named Lin is so arrogant, he needs a proper lesson. Just wait, I¡¯m going to get some tools."


    "Alright, you don¡¯t need to be busy with that now, it¡¯s not the time to take action."


    "Why not?"


    "We have him in our hands; we can act at any time. But the most important thing now is not this, it¡¯s something else."


    Hu Fei asked, puzzled, "What could be more important than this?"


    Ling Chen said in a serious tone, "Now that we¡¯ve captured Lin Jiawei, if his position in the God Organization is as high as I say, they will surely not let it go. I¡¯m worried they will attack the base likest night. The location of this research base is already exposed, and our situation is very unsafe, therefore, you will have to work hard for a while, find a way to strengthen the base¡¯s defenses, and make sure that a simr incident doesn¡¯t happen."


    "That does make some sense, but... do you really think Lin Jiawei holds a high position in the God Organization?"


    Ling Chen nodded, "Didn¡¯t you check the informationst time? Since Lin Jiawei is with the Ling Family, they will not let their kin be sacrificed in vain. Besides, I think there are not only problems with this Lin Jiawei, but also very big ones."

 Chapter 695 - 700: The Banquet

    <h4>Chapter 695: Chapter 700: The Banquet</h4>


    "A big problem?" Hu Fei asked confusedly, "Where is the problem? I didn¡¯t sense it."


    Ling Chen shook his head and said, "I can¡¯t articte it clearly at the moment, but it¡¯s a kind of intuition. Think about it, when Lin Jiawei kidnapped the porridge girl, Ji Gang, an expert from the Heavenly List, was also present. If Lin Jiawei¡¯s status in the God Organization wasn¡¯t high, why would they dispatch an expert from the Heavenly List to apany him? That¡¯s one thing. Another point is, thest time Lin Jiawei came to East Sea City, Ji Gang was with him; clearly they were aware that I am not easy to handle, so they sent someone who could hold the fort. But what about this time? Lin Jiawei wanted toe to the base to rescue people, and though he brought a good number of men, there weren¡¯t that many real experts with him. Last time, he was protected by an expert from the Heavenly List, but this time he only had a bottom-ranking expert from the Earthly List. Isn¡¯t the discrepancy too big? That¡¯s why I¡¯m wondering if there might be an issue."


    After listening to Ling Chen¡¯s spection, Hu Fei nodded convincingly and said, "If you put it that way, indeed there seems to be a problem. All right, what do you suggest we do? I¡¯ll follow your lead."


    Ling Chen thought for a moment, then said, "Don¡¯t act against Lin Jiawei for now, let¡¯s see how the God Organization reacts."


    "Not act against him?"


    "Correct, we¡¯ll detain him for the time being and monitor his movements 24 hours a day, and decide what to do after observing for a few days."


    "Okay then." Hu Fei was somewhat reluctant but still followed Ling Chen¡¯s arrangements. Watching Ling Chen turn and walk to the interrogation room, Hu Fei suddenly called out to him, asking, "I say, you are also from the Ling Family. In terms of rtions, Lin Jiawei is your elder, you wouldn¡¯t be thinking of going easy on him, would you?"


    Ling Chen didn¡¯t turn his head back and waved his hand, "Rest assured, we¡¯ve discussed this long ago. If necessary, I will personally deal with him."


    "That¡¯s good."


    Returning to his room, Ling Cheny on the bed, staring nkly at the ceiling, his expression somewhat vacant.


    Back then, that mysterious man told him about the Ling Family and the God Organization¡¯s affairs and repeatedly warned him not to get involved lightly. Presumably, he was considering his identity. After all, no matter how much he denied it, he could never change the blood rtionship he had with the Ling Family.


    When that time came, would he truly be able to steel his heart and deal with everyone from the Ling Family?


    Thinking of this, Ling Chen couldn¡¯t help but feel a headache. He patted his forehead, sat up from the bed, and decided not to think about those annoying matters.


    ...


    In the blink of an eye, a week had passed.


    During these days, Ling Chen stayed at the research base to prevent further attacks from the God Organization. However, to Ling Chen and Hu Fei¡¯s surprise, the God Organization did not make any moves and did not even send someone to contact them to negotiate the release of hostages.


    Ling Chen became even more puzzled by the indifferent attitude shown by the God Organization. Could it be... Lin Jiawei was right, and the God Organization really decided to abandon him as a pawn?


    Amidst his thoughts, a ringtone came from his pocket.


    Ling Chen took out his phone, nced at the caller ID, and immediately answered the call, saying, "Hello! Wanqing, is there something you need?"


    "Are you busy? Do you have time tonight?"


    "I¡¯m not busy. What¡¯s up?"


    "I¡¯ve just secured a big business deal, and the other party has organized a dinner. They invited me, and I couldn¡¯t refuse, so I was thinking of bringing you along. Can you..."


    "No problem." Without waiting for Nanrong Wanqing to finish, Ling Chen immediately agreed. He would naturally not refuse when his girlfriend asked for hispany. Besides, there was nothing to attend to at the research base and no need to stay there all the time.


    "Wait for me at thepany. I¡¯ll pick you up after work."


    After setting a time, Ling Chen hung up the call and checked the time; it was already five o¡¯clock in the afternoon, with half an hour left until Nanrong Wanqing finished work. To save time, Ling Chen said goodbye to Hu Fei and then drove off to Hongyu Group.


    Arriving at the CEO¡¯s office on the top floor of the group, Nanrong Wanqing was already prepared.


    Although she was attending a dinner, Nanrong Wanqing hadn¡¯t dressed up specially, still wearing her usual simple attire. However, even the simplicity seemed exquisite on Nanrong Wanqing, highlighting an exceptional temperament.


    Her fair skin gleamed like snow, and her delicate face and features seemed sculpted by an artist, wless and captivating, like a freshly bloomed exquisite flower, exuding endless charm and fragrance.


    Seeing Ling Chen appear at the office door, Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s lips curled into a slight smile. She quickly walked over to Ling Chen, naturally took his arm, and then headed to the elevator.


    On the way, Ling Chen asked, "What big deal did you close today?" He knew well that for Nanrong Wanqing to call it a ¡¯big deal,¡¯ it must not be simple, at least involving billions.


    Sure enough, as soon as she mentioned the business deal, an excited smile appeared on Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s pink cheeks as she replied, "Argepany has just moved into East Sea City, and they want to develop here. Though they have substantial funds, theyck the necessary connections, so they want to coborate with our Hongyu Group, using our resources to help them open channels. I¡¯ve calcted that if this coboration is sessful, Hongyu Group¡¯s annual profits could increase by a few percentage points, which is a significant uplift for the group."


    Hearing this, Ling Chen said with a smile, "That sounds great. Oh! What kind ofpany are they?"


    "They are mainly into pharmaceuticals, besides medical equipment and rted essories. They have been in this field for many years, rich in experience, with coborations with many domestic hospitals. However, their business has always been in the south, and now expanding to East Sea City, they wish to expand their business empire. I¡¯ve thought it through, although Hongyu Group is good, it¡¯s only famous in East Sea City. Looking nationwide, there are too many localrge enterprises like Hongyu Group. To spur the growth of Hongyu Group, we must expand. Fortunately, our Hongyu Group has never touched the southern market of Huaxia, so with this opportunity, I can use their channels to try to develop in the south. It¡¯s a win-win situation for both parties."


    Ling Chen nodded, "You¡¯re better at business than I am, you decide."


    As they conversed, they left the Hongyu Group headquarters side by side and stepped into Ling Chen¡¯s Audi car.


    "Where are we going for dinner?"


    "Head to Hundred Garden, I¡¯ve been there once, go that way."


    Following Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s direction, Ling Chen started the car and drove straight to the destination.


    In the evening, at a quarter past six, Ling Chen and Nanrong Wanqing smoothly arrived at Hundred Garden.

 Chapter 696 - 701 Hundred Garden

    <h4>Chapter 696: Chapter 701 Hundred Garden</h4>


    Hundred Garden is a garden-style restaurant located in a bustling area with an elegant environment. All the buildings in the restaurant are constructed of bamboo, and interspersed among them are artificial mountains and flowing water, giving diners the feeling of being amidst nature.


    In East Sea City, dining at this restaurant is quite expensive. If it weren¡¯t for the fortunate association with Nanrong Wanqing, Ling Chen himself would have been unwilling to spend money here a hundred times over. He already has a research base to sustain and is stretched thin with financial needs everywhere; he simply doesn¡¯t have the extra money to splurge.


    Arriving at the private room reserved by the other party, Ling Chen opened the door, ushered Nanrong Wanqing in, and then followed closely behind her into the room.


    At this moment, two middle-aged men in their forties or fifties sat in the room, dressed in tailored suits with shiny hair and friendly smiles on their faces that made one feel very at ease.


    Seeing Nanrong Wanqing enter the room with Ling Chen, the two men stood up politely and greeted, "Chairman Nanrong, you finally arrived. Please, have a seat!" As he spoke, one of the men eagerly pulled out a chair and invited Nanrong Wanqing to sit down.


    "There¡¯s no need for such courtesy between us. Since the cooperation deal is settled, we are friends from now on," Nanrong Wanqing responded with polite remarks.


    "Indeed, indeed." In the midst of their conversation, the two men finally shifted their gaze to Ling Chen, scrutinizing him before one of them asked with a smile, "Miss Nanrong, may I ask, who is this gentleman?"


    "My name is Ling Chen," he introduced himself, reaching out his hand, "Wanqing is my girlfriend."


    "So, this is Mr. Ling." The middle-aged man shook Ling Chen¡¯s right hand, his smile growing even brighter, "Mr. Ling, it¡¯s a pleasure to finally meet you."


    Hearing this, Nanrong Wanqing nced at Ling Chen with surprise and asked, "Do you two know each other from before?"


    Ling Chen shook his head, looking puzzled at the middle-aged man. He was certain he had never seen this man before, so he did not understand the meaning behind his words. With thoughts racing, Ling Chen spoke, "Sir, I think you have mistaken me for someone else; I do not seem to recall knowing you."


    The smile on the middle-aged man¡¯s face remained unchanged as he replied, "What, Mr. Ling doesn¡¯t recognize my voice?" Without waiting for Ling Chen to speak, the man continued, "Never mind! After all, we¡¯ve only spoken over the phone once, so it¡¯s normal for Mr. Ling not to remember me. Let me introduce myself ¨C my surname is Lin, full name Lin Guodong. Now, do you have any impression?"


    Lin Guodong?


    Ling Chen¡¯s expression shifted abruptly, and he swiftly withdrew his hand from Lin Guodong¡¯s grasp, his eyes narrowed with hostility, then he quickly moved to Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s side and shielded her behind him.


    "So, it¡¯s you!" Ling Chen furrowed his brows and said with a stern voice, "Lin Guodong, you¡¯ve got some nerve showing up here. Aren¡¯t you afraid I¡¯ll kill you?"


    Lin Guodong remained seated calmly, smiling as he replied, "Mr. Ling, there¡¯s no need to panic. Ie with no ill intentions this time, just a simple wish to meet you. Also, there is something I would like to discuss with you in earnest. Come, have a seat, don¡¯t stand there." Saying that, Lin Guodong pressed a button on the table. Shortly after, a waiter entered the room.


    "Good evening, may I assist you with anything?"


    "The dishes can be served now, and bring another bottle of red wine."


    "Yes, please wait a moment."


    After the waiter left, Ling Chen nced at Lin Guodong and the other middle-aged man and asked, "What are you really up to?"


    "Nothing really. I just want to have a talk with you. Mr. Ling, please feel at ease. I assure you, nothing untoward will happen tonight. Whether or not wee to an agreement, after a satisfying meal, we will go our separate ways, with no troubles between us."


    "Do you think that¡¯s possible? I¡¯ve been looking for you for so long, and now you¡¯ve delivered yourself to me. Do you really think I¡¯ll let you walk away easily?"


    Lin Guodong smiled faintly: "Mr. Ling, you were once deceived by Lin Jiawei. How can you be sure that I am indeed Lin Guodong? Perhaps I am a stand-in, just like Lin Jiawei. If I were you, I wouldn¡¯t act recklessly until I was certain. Otherwise, it would be no good for anyone."


    Hearing this, Ling Chen fell into hesitation. What Lin Guodong said was not false; although the person imed to be Lin Guodong, he could not be sure. Moreover, he did not know if there were any other God Organization members inside Hundred Garden. Of course, there was also the most important figure, Ji Gang. If it were indeed Lin Guodong in person, Ji Gang would surely provide covert protection to prevent any danger to Lin Guodong.


    With these thoughts, Ling Chen pressed down his internal impulse and took a seat next to Nanrong Wanqing.


    At this moment, Nanrong Wanqing was entirely confused by the dialogue between Ling Chen and Lin Guodong. It was supposed to be her attending this dinner, but as things stood, she was not the protagonist of this meal, Ling Chen was.


    "Ling Chen, who is he?" Nanrong Wanqing couldn¡¯t contain her curiosity and asked.


    "Definitely not a good person. Be carefulter, and if anything happens, just run outside. I will ensure your safety," Ling Chen replied, slipping his hand into his pocket and stealthily took out his cell phone, then brought up the camera function.


    At that moment, the waiter pushed the door open and came in with the food cart. As a variety of delicious dishes were set on the table, Ling Chen cautiously lifted his cell phone¡¯s camera above and surreptitiously took a photo of Lin Guodong¡¯s face.


    With the photo captured, Ling Chen immediatelyposed two text messages and sent them out.


    "Mr. Ling, here¡¯s to an infrequent meeting. Let¡¯s have a toast."


    Seeing Lin Guodong raising his ss, Ling Chen put away his phone and responded indifferently, "No need for that. I¡¯m not in the mood for wine today. Let¡¯s talk business instead, to avoid wasting everyone¡¯s time."


    "Alright," Lin Guodong nodded and said, "Since Mr. Ling is so forthright, I¡¯ll get straight to the point ¨C I think... you should know what I want."


    "Lin Jiawei," Ling Chen uttered three words.


    "Exactly. I know that Lin Jiawei is in your hands, and I hope you can return him to me."


    "And if I say no?"


    "Then I have no other choice but to prepare a coffin for him. However, Mr. Ling, I hope you think it through. Even if you don¡¯t consider for yourself, think of yourdy. We are now in a partnership with Hongyu Group, contracts have been signed, and we will inevitably deal with each other in the future. If something were to happen then, don¡¯t me me for not having warned you."


    Ling Chen¡¯s face darkened as he retorted sharply, "Are you threatening me?"


    "No, no, that¡¯s not what I mean. I just want to give you a friendly reminder. Besides, if Chairman Nanrong breaks the contract, there would be a substantial penalty fee to pay. Mr. Ling, you wouldn¡¯t want yourdy to suffer losses for nothing, would you?"

 Chapter 697 - 702 Ling Kun’s Whereabouts

    <h4>Chapter 697: Chapter 702 Ling Kun¡¯s Whereabouts</h4>


    Ling Chen furrowed his brow and said in a deep voice, "Lin Guodong, if you think you can use this matter to threaten me, then I advise you to give up that idea. Don¡¯t forget, your background is not clean, and I can have someone take you away at any time and make sure you never escape from prison for the rest of your life."


    Lin Guodong, unbothered, smiled and said: "Ling Chen, do you think I really care about that? I know you have some leads, but those leads are evidence to you, yet they mean nothing to me, they don¡¯t pose any threat to me. Of course, if you want to y, then I will y along, let¡¯s see who has thestugh."


    After speaking, Lin Guodong sipped some red wine, then stood up from his chair, patted the shoulder of the middle-aged man next to him, and said, "Mr. Ling, I¡¯ve said my piece, I¡¯ll give you one day to consider it. If you agree to my offer and release Lin Jiawei, I guarantee your woman won¡¯t be harmed in the slightest. Otherwise, you will bear the consequences."


    After finishing his statement, Lin Guodong put down his wine ss and turned to walk outside.


    Seeing Lin Guodong approaching the room¡¯s entrance, Ling Chen shifted his body, hesitating and contemting whether to make a move. Just then, Ling Chen felt a buzzing from his pocket¡ªa text message alert.


    Pulling out his phone, Ling Chen nced at the message and his eyebrows raised instantly.


    "What¡¯s the matter?" Nanrong Wanqing beside him asked.


    "It¡¯s nothing," Ling Chen replied, then put his phone back in his pocket, withdrawing his gaze from Lin Guodong¡¯s departing figure, no longer focusing on him.


    After they left, Ling Chen didn¡¯t stay much longer, taking Nanrong Wanqing with him and heading straight to the research base.


    Upon their arrival, already informed by a phone call, Hu Fei was waiting at the entrance. Seeing Ling Chen holding Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s hand, Hu Fei hurried over and eagerly asked, "How did it go, did you catch Lin Guodong?"


    Ling Chen shook his head and said, "It¡¯s no use catching him; he¡¯s not the real Lin Guodong, just a representative."


    "Are you sure?"


    "Absolutely sure."


    Previously at Hundred Garden, Ling Chen had secretly taken a front-face photo of the man and then sent it to Liu Xiyao. If anyone knew Lin Guodong well, it was Liu Xiyao, so he asked for her help. It was Liu Xiyao¡¯s reply confirming the man¡¯s identity that made Ling Chen lose interest in him.


    Regathering his thoughts, Ling Chen changed the subject and asked, "How¡¯s the matter I asked you to handle going?"


    "Elder Qiu and the others are already interrogating Lin Jiawei. Do you want toe and watch?"


    "Sure..." As soon as the word left his mouth, Ling Chen realized it was inappropriate and quickly cut himself off, looking at Nanrong Wanqing and saying, "You go with the fatty for a while, have some food, I¡¯ll join you home once I finish here."


    Without a word, Nanrong Wanqing nodded obediently and followed Hu Fei to his office to rest.


    After seeing the two of them off, Ling Chen rushed alone to the interrogation room. Upon entering, he immediately smelled blood. Looking intently, he saw Lin Jiawei with blood all over his mouth, tied to a chair. Blood was streaming from the corner of his mouth and staining his shirt red.


    "Ling Cheng, you¡¯re back!" Qiu Yong nodded at Ling Chen and said, "This guy is stubborn as hell, won¡¯t open his mouth. I was afraid of threatening his life, so I didn¡¯t dare to be too harsh. Now that you¡¯re back, I¡¯ll leave it to you to handle."


    Hearing this, Ling Chen walked up to Lin Jiawei, looking at him with admiration and said, "I admit, I underestimated you."


    Lin Jiawei ¡¯ptui¡¯ spit out a mouthful of bloody saliva, his mouth corners slightly raised, coldly chuckled and said, "You¡¯ve never thought highly of me, so how could you now underestimate me. Ling Chen, use whatever methods you have, if I beg even once for mercy, then I am not Lin Jiawei."


    "You were never Lin Jiawei to begin with, your real name is Ling Jiawei." After saying this, Ling Chen reached out to grab a few tissues from the table, helping Ling Jiawei to wipe clean the blood stains around his mouth, and said, "Just now, Lin Guodong sent someone to negotiate with me, giving me a day to hand you over."


    "Really?" Lin Jiawei said with a half-smiling expression, "And will you agree?"


    "I could let you go, but... you¡¯ll have to answer me a few questions first. Lin Jiawei, I believe there¡¯s no one in this world who is not afraid of death. Since there¡¯s a chance to continue living, why would you refuse?"


    After contemting for a moment, Lin Jiawei asked, "What do you want to know?"


    "Ling Kun!" Ling Chen pronounced two words, saying, "As far as I know, a man named Ling Kun was captured by your group, passed through Jinhai City recently, I don¡¯t know where he was taken, and I want to know his whereabouts."


    "So you are looking for your father." Lin Jiawei revealed an expression of sudden realization, grinning cynically and said, "Your father is really heartless, tossed you aside, let you fend for yourself, regardless of your life or death... now that he¡¯s in trouble, why should you risk your life for him?"


    "That¡¯s my concern, not yours. Tell me, where is he?"


    "If you want to save him, I advise you to give up that thought. To tell you the truth, your father is in Ji Gang¡¯s hands, if you have the ability, go kill Ji Gang. However, I don¡¯t think you can do that, at most, you¡¯ll just lose another life."


    Ji Gang?


    Ling Chen was startled and quickly asked, "How did he end up in Ji Gang¡¯s hands?"


    "Because your father is very capable, except for Ji Gang, very few can subdue him. Thus, leaving him in Ji Gang¡¯s custody is the safest option." Pausing for a moment, Lin Jiawei continued, "Don¡¯t say I didn¡¯t warn you, if you want to save your father, better to hurry. Once he loses his usefulness, Ji Gang will definitely kill him mercilessly."


    Hearing this, Ling Chen¡¯s face changed slightly, he grabbed Lin Jiawei¡¯s cor and demanded, "Quick, tell me, where is he?"


    "How would I know that? Ji Gang directly takes orders from the highest leader of God Organization,


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    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 698 - 703: Nine Elements Pill

    <h4>Chapter 698: Chapter 703: Nine Elements Pill</h4>


    After hearing Lin Jiawei¡¯s words, Ling Chen was slightly stunned. It seemed that, ording to Lin Jiawei, there was another type of Heavenly Mechanism Pill in addition to the three kinds he knew of.


    Thinking of this, Ling Chen couldn¡¯t help but shift his gaze towards Qiu Yong and the others. They were rtively familiar with the matters of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion and must have heard about this.


    However, Qiu Yong and the others looked at each other, all shaking their heads, indicating they had no knowledge of the matter.


    "Could it be... that the rumor is true?"


    At this moment, everyone just heard Xu Ming muttering to himself, standing alone in the corner.


    Ling Chen, curious, asked, "Second Brother, what rumor are you speaking of?"


    "I once had dealings with an expert from the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, and during that time, I identally heard him mention something about the Heavenly Mechanism Pill," Xu Ming paused slightly, then continued, "The Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion indeed only has three types of Heavenly Mechanism Pills: ordinary, fine, and top-grade, each with its own level. However, there is one exception, and that is the existence of the Pill King."


    "The Pill King?" Hearing this unfamiliar term, Ling Chen and the others were taken aback, as it was the first time they were hearing about the Pill King.


    Compared to Ling Chen and the others¡¯ surprise, Lin Jiawei seemed much calmer, as if he felt no curiosity.


    "Second Brother, please continue," urged Qiu Yong.


    "Yes!" Xu Ming nodded and said, "Pill King is a nickname; its urate name should be Nine Elements Pill. The Nine Elements Pill is not intentionally crafted by the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion; this pill is about chance."


    Xia Yue, curious, asked, "What kind of chance?"


    "When the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion refines top-grade Heavenly Mechanism Pills, if more medicinal herbs are added, there¡¯s a certain chance that a Nine Elements Pill will be produced from the pill concoction. However, this probability is extremely low, less than one percent. Therefore, the Nine Elements Pill is incredibly precious and listed as the most valuable treasure of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, seldom used. It is said that despite many years since the establishment of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, the number of Nine Elements Pills can be counted on one¡¯s fingers. Because this is an internal secret of the Pavilion, very few people outside know about it."


    After hearing Xu Ming¡¯s exnation, Wei Jiahao asked, "Second Brother, if it is a secret, why would someone from the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion tell you?"


    "I said, it was by chance," Xu Ming exined, "After I met that person, we chatted casually for a bit and then had a few drinks together. Who knew that person couldn¡¯t hold his liquor well, and after just a few bottles, he waspletely drunk, rambling on and on, including the matter of the Nine Elements Pill."


    "I see."


    While everyone appeared to understand, they all knew clearly that Xu Ming¡¯s story was obviously made up.


    No matter how careless the people of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion were, they wouldn¡¯t easily reveal their secrets to outsiders. Since Xu Ming was unwilling to borate, it wasn¡¯t good to press further.


    "Correct!" Lin Jiawei, who had been silent until now, said, "What he said is right; Ji Gang wants the Nine Elements Pill. Ling Chen, if you can get your hands on the Nine Elements Pill, I can help you reach out to Ji Gang at that time. I believe that as long as you use the Nine Elements Pill for a trade, Ji Gang will definitely agree to exchange Ling Kun."


    Nine Elements Pill...


    Ling Chen frowned silently. Since the Nine Elements Pill was so important to the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, it was unlikely that they would easily give it to him. Even though his rtionship with the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion Master Su Mei was good, it wasn¡¯t to the extent where she would hand over such a valuable pill.


    After much consideration, Ling Chen couldn¡¯t think of a suitable approach for the time being.


    "Sixth Brother, why bother with all this trouble, just directly exchange him for your father," Xia Yue suggested.


    Hearing this, Lin Jiawei couldn¡¯t help but smile and shook his head, saying self-assuredly, "If you really want to do that, then I advise you to drop the idea. Compared to Ling Kun, I¡¯m essentially worthless. Exchanging someone worthless for someone valuable, do you think the God Organization would make such a foolish decision?" Lin Jiawei looked at Ling Chen and said, "Trust me, apart from the Nine Elements Pill, Ji Gang will not agree to any trade with you. Instead of wasting time with me, you¡¯d be better off thinking about how to get the Nine Elements Pill. Since you have a good rtionship with the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, I think you¡¯ll be able to find a solution."


    "Alright, I have answered your question, is there anything else you want to know?"


    "Lin Guodong," said Ling Chen. "I want to know everything about him."


    "Sorry, I can¡¯t answer that for you."


    "Y-... "


    Before Ling Chen could finish, Lin Jiawei had already cut him off, continuing, "It¡¯s not that I refuse to tell you, but that I don¡¯t know. No one knows the whereabouts of Lin Guodong, including myself, so there¡¯s no point in wasting time here with me. I¡¯ve said before, you won¡¯t get anything out of me, because I simply don¡¯t know, and asking is futile."


    Watching Lin Jiawei speak, Ling Chen wasn¡¯t sure whether he was telling the truth or lying.


    "Do you have any other questions?"


    Ling Chen shook his head; at this moment, his thoughts were on the Nine Elements Pill, worried about his father¡¯s safety. As for other matters, he really wasn¡¯t in the mood to think about them.


    "Big Brother, let¡¯s go out first, andter have Fatty take him to the cell," Ling Chen said as he stepped towards the exit of the interrogation room.


    However, before he could reach the door, Lin Jiawei called out, "Hey! Ling Chen, I¡¯ve told you everything, are you going to let me go or not?"


    "I¡¯ll consider it first."


    Lin Jiawei let out a snort ofughter, "Still considering? Since when did you, such a decisive person, be so indecisive?"


    Ling Chen didn¡¯t bother responding to him and left the interrogation room.


    Outside, seeing Ling Chen immersed in thought and not speaking, Qiu Yong couldn¡¯t help but ask, "Sixth Brother, you¡¯re not seriously thinking of letting him go, are you?"


    Ling Chen nodded and replied, "There¡¯s no other way, even if I can bear the loss to Wanqing, I can¡¯t stand by and watch my father be in danger. Moreover, my father is in the hands of Ji Gang, a master on the Heavenly List; what could I possibly use to fight against him?"


    "But... do you think the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion will hand over the Nine Elements Pill to you?" asked Xia Yue, still worried.


    Ling Chen gave a wry smile. Honestly, he had absolutely no confidence, and could even imagine Su Mei refusing him. But since it was up to him to decide, he had to think of a way, and perhaps there might be other routes to explore.


    "Big Brother, don¡¯t worry about this; I will handle it."


    This time, the usually silent Xu Ming said, "If you really intend to ask the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion for the Nine Elements Pill, why don¡¯t we apany you? At the very least, the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion should give us some consideration."


    "That¡¯s right, Second Brother has a point," Qiu Yong patted Ling Chen on the shoulder and said, "Sixth Brother, since we¡¯re all brothers, rest assured, we¡¯ll do our utmost to help rescue your father."


    "Thank you, Big Brother."


    "What¡¯s there to thank among brothers? Alright, that¡¯s settled then, just let us know when you decide to go to the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion."

 Chapter 699 - 704: Reunion with Su He (1)

    <h4>Chapter 699: Chapter 704: Reunion with Su He (1)</h4>


    After handling Lin Jiawei¡¯s affairs, Ling Chen took Nanrong Wanqing directly back to Wealthy Manor.


    On the way back, Ling Chen drove in silence, his thoughts having flown to who-knows-where. Sensing Ling Chen¡¯s unusual demeanor, Nanrong Wanqing hesitated several times, but ultimately resisted the impulse to ask what was on his mind.


    Upon reaching the Nanrong Family home, Ling Chen escorted Nanrong Wanqing back to her room, then turned around preparing to leave. Seeing him about to take his leave, Nanrong Wanqing grabbed his hand and asked, "You¡¯ve been distracted ever since we returned. Are you troubled by something?"


    Ling Chen put on a strained smile and said, "No, I¡¯m just a bit tired these past few days."


    Nanrong Wanqing didn¡¯t believe his words at all. Having spent so much time with Ling Chen, she knew him too well. Normally, once Ling Chen entered her room, he wouldn¡¯t leave so quickly and would certainly hold her tenderly for a while. But today¡¯s Ling Chen waspletely different from usual. It was evident that not only was he preupied, but his concerns were also significant.


    "Is it because of something rted to the God Organization?"


    Ling Chen nodded and said, "Don¡¯t worry, I will handle everything properly." After a pause, he changed the topic, "By the way, I might leave East Sea City for a while after tomorrow. There are some urgent matters to attend to, and I don¡¯t have time to dy." Saying this, Ling Chen, worried that Nanrong Wanqing would be anxious, quickly added, "Rest assured, I¡¯m just meeting a few friends, there will be no danger."


    "No matter where you go, just be careful. I don¡¯t want anything to happen to you," Nanrong Wanqing urged with much concern.


    "I know! It¡¯s gettingte. You should rest soon and don¡¯t stay up toote. You still have to go to work tomorrow."


    ...


    Returning to his own bedroom, Ling Cheny on his bed with themp on, hands cushioning his head, pondering how to get the Nine Elements Pill from Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion.


    While deep in thought, Ling Chen¡¯s gaze was suddenly drawn to a skull ced on the decorative cab.


    The skull was positioned directly across from the foot of the bed, its dark hollow eye sockets seemingly staring at him, exuding an inexplicably eerie feeling.


    Despite Ling Chen¡¯s great skill and courage, the skull¡¯s gaze made him feel uneasy. He got up from the bed, walked to the decorative cab beside the wall, and reached out to take the skull down.


    This skull wasn¡¯t merely a decoration, but an actual human skull. Once, Su Lin, who majored in archaeology, attended an auction and purchased an antique weapon, the Blood Dripping Device. This skull was hidden inside the Blood Dripping Device, and it startled Su Lin when she first acquired it.


    Looking at the skull in his hands, Ling Chen couldn¡¯t help but wonder about the identity of this person. He pondered why someone¡¯s head was severed using the Blood Dripping Device.


    Blood Dripping Device...


    Thinking of this ancient weapon, Ling Chen turned his head and locked his gaze onto the Blood Dripping Device.


    Recently, Ling Chen had been too busy to study this ancient weapon. Regarding the Blood Dripping Device, he had only looked up some information online and didn¡¯t know much about it.


    The Blood Dripping Device was a peculiar weapon, used in ancient times specifically for beheading people, extremely brutal. Once it enveloped someone¡¯s head, the victim would almost certainly be decapitated. Therefore, it wasn¡¯t just a weapon but also a murderous tool.


    Ling Chen put down the skull and held the Blood Dripping Device with both hands, inspecting it thoroughly. At the tip of the Blood Dripping Device was a thin chain, about ten meters long, which could be wound around the wrist, making it highly flexible and convenient to use.


    After fiddling with it for a while, Ling Chen discovered a subtle mechanism at the tip of the Blood Dripping Device. By activating the mechanism, one could retract the device, making it convenient to carry on the waist or in hand.


    Moreover, once the mechanism was mastered, using the device was simple: just control the mechanism and toss it lightly, and the Blood Dripping Device would unfold instantly, assuming itsplete weapon form.


    After several attempts, Ling Chen found it increasingly amusing, and it made him forget about his previous headache-inducing issues.


    However, mastering the use of the Blood Dripping Device was not easy¡ªit required a perfectbination of wrist movements, arm strength, and force. Any slight deviation could cause the Blood Dripping Device to miss its target.


    To train his precision, Ling Chen ced the skull five meters away on the ground and, holding the Blood Dripping Device in one hand, gently threw it towards the skull. Unfortunately, after several attempts, the device kept falling beside the skull instead of urately covering it.


    However, after a few failures, Ling Chen gradually learned to control the strength and technique.


    Thankfully, Su He once guided Ling Chen on the skill of ¡¯control¡¯, so he mastered the control of force quite quickly. After more than two hours of trying, Ling Chen understood the key to using the Blood Dripping Device.


    At around five meters distance, although he couldn¡¯t guarantee one-hundred percent uracy, he could at least ensure about eighty percent, which was rapid progress.


    However, when he extended the distance to six meters, Ling Chen¡¯s uracy dropped to twenty percent, not even half.


    "So that¡¯s how it is," Ling Chen murmured to himself, nodding thoughtfully.


    To urately control the Blood Dripping Device, not only did one need the coordination of technique and strength, but also strong enough Inner Strength to support it. The longer the distance, the harder the control. With Ling Chen¡¯s current ability, it wasn¡¯t difficult to manage within five meters, but beyond that, the difficulty increased dramatically.


    It seems I still need to improve my Inner Strength cultivation, Ling Chen thought to himself.


    Indeed, ever since learning the skill ¡¯control¡¯, his mastery over Inner Strength had greatly improved, and even when facing opponents slightly stronger than himself, he could remain unbeatable.


    However, technique was just technique, and the enhancement of one¡¯s own strength was what truly mattered. It seemed that he still needed to intensify his training to join the ranks of the high-level fighters on the Earthly List sooner.


    Had this been in the past, Ling Chen certainly wouldn¡¯t have such motivation. In his eyes, practicing martial arts was merely for fun, no concern for strength or weakness, without excessive pursuit. But after experiencing so many events recently, Ling Chen felt hisck of power more and more. If only he were stronger, he could handle crises with greater ease.


    Heavenly List top fighters...


    Sigh!


    Thinking of Ji Gang, Ling Chen couldn¡¯t help but let out a sigh.


    Initially, to rescue the porridge girl, Ling Chen specifically made a trip to Jinhai City, seeking out the reclusive Su He, hoping thetter could lend a hand. However, Su He directly refused his request, indicating he would no longer emerge from retirement.


    It was because of this that Ling Chen had to seek help from Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion.


    Thinking of his uing visit to Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, a thought crossed Ling Chen¡¯s mind, and he once again entertained the idea of seeking out Su He.


    If... perhaps there was indeed a chance of sess.

 Chapter 700 - 705: Reunion with Su He (2)

    <h4>Chapter 700: Chapter 705: Reunion with Su He (2)</h4>


    The next day.


    Ling Chen woke up from the bed, and not long after having breakfast, he received a call from Hu Fei, Lin Jiawei had been released.


    Ling Chen had already made his decisionst night, so he was not surprised. Although Hu Fei said that someone had been secretly sent to follow him, Ling Chen did not hold much hope.


    "Right! Ling Chen, when Lin Jiawei left, he left a phone number, he asked me to pass it on to you. Remember to contact him using that number after you get the Nine Elements Pill."


    "Got it." Saying this, Ling Chen changed the topic, instructing, "Help me tell my big brother to go to the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion first, I will make haste to meet up with them."


    "You are not going with them?"


    "No, I still have an important matter to handle, I¡¯ll head there afterward."


    After hanging up the phone, Ling Chen and Zhong Wei escorted Nanrong Wanqing to the Hongyu Group headquarters. After saying goodbye to Nanrong Wanqing, Ling Chen drove to the airport alone. By then, Hongyu Group¡¯s private jet was already arranged and waiting for Ling Chen to board.


    After an hour-long flight, the ne safelynded at Jinhai City Airport.


    Leaving the airport, Ling Chen rented a car nearby and spent approximately two hours on the road before finally arriving at Su He¡¯s secluded residence.


    Looking at the dpidated wooden cabin, Ling Chen quickly walked to the door, knocked, but no one responded inside.


    Pushing open the door, unsurprisingly, the cabin was empty. At this time, Su He probably went out to sea fishing.


    Living here, with wilderness all around and not even a power line, let alone electronics and mobile phones, Ling Chen had no way to contact anyone else. No other choice, Ling Chen sat outside the house, gazing at the rolling waves, patiently waiting for Su He¡¯s return.


    By dusk, after waiting for several hours, Ling Chen finally saw a fishing boat approaching from the sea.


    When Su He¡¯s gaunt face came into view, Ling Chen quickly stood up and waved to him.


    "Elder Su."


    As the fishing boat reached the shore, Ling Chen smiled and went up to help Su He with his fish basket and fishing, and also helped drag the boat ashore.


    Su He, unceremoniously, drank water and sat aside to rest.


    Only after Ling Chen finished the chores did Su He speak, "What brings you here this time? I remember I made it very clearst time that I would not leave my seclusion unless it¡¯s something special. If you want me to help you, I advise you to dismiss that thought."


    Ling Chen hurriedly replied, "Elder Su, you misunderstand, I indeed came to ask for your help, but I¡¯m not asking you toe out of retirement."


    Hearing this, Su He¡¯s expression slightly softened, "If that¡¯s the case, I might consider it. Tell me, what do you need help with?"


    "It¡¯s like this." Ling Chen cleared his throat and seriously said, "Elder Su, you must be aware of the Nine Elements Pill."


    At the mention of the Nine Elements Pill, a hint of surprise shed across Su He¡¯s calm face. He put down the water bottle, looked up at Ling Chen, and asked neutrally, "How do you know about the Nine Elements Pill?"


    "It was mentioned by a friend of mine. Elder Su, although you don¡¯t want to talk about your past, I understand that there must be a history between you and the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion. Hence, I hope you can help me see if there¡¯s a way to obtain the Nine Elements Pill."


    "You want the Nine Elements Pill?" Su He shook his head and said, "I advise you to let go of that thought, it¡¯s impossible. Not just any outsider, even the key members within the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion can¡¯t easily obtain the Nine Elements Pill. Kid, regardless of how you learned about the Nine Elements Pill, you should give up early on."


    Seeing Su He present a stance that leaves no room for negotiation, Ling Chen was forced to speak the truth.


    "Save your father?"


    Ling Chen nodded and said, "Elder Su, not to hide it from you, the Pavilion Master of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion is also my friend, I wouldn¡¯t have asked this if it wasn¡¯t for something extremely important. There¡¯s no other way this time, my father has fallen into Ji Gang¡¯s hands, other than the Nine Elements Pill, there¡¯s nothing else that can exchange for my father¡¯s release. Elder Su, he¡¯s my father, I can¡¯t just watch him die, no matter the cost, I must ensure his safety."


    "This..." Su He pondered for a moment and said, "Since you know that only a Heavenly List expert can consume the Nine Elements Pill, then you should be even more aware that once you give the Nine Elements Pill to Ji Gang, it will greatly enhance his strength. At that time, the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion will certainly face threats from Ji Gang. You¡¯re only thinking about your father, have you considered the consequences?"


    "As for the consequences, those are matters forter, I can¡¯t even save my father now, how can I think about other things." Saying this, Ling Chen suddenly knelt to the ground, kowtowed to Su He, and earnestly said, "Elder Su, I¡¯ve never asked anything from you, I hope you can help me this time. If there¡¯s ever a day you need me, whether through hell or high water, I will not refuse."


    Looking at Ling Chen¡¯s hopeful face, Su He sighed helplessly and said, "Well, since you put it that way, I¡¯ll help you this time. However, I must rify, even though I¡¯ll help you, whether you can achieve it still depends on your own ability."


    Ling Chen was overjoyed and said, "Thank you, Elder Su!"


    "Don¡¯t thank me just yet, wait until you sessfully obtain the Nine Elements Pill." Saying this, Su He stood up and walked into the house. After a while, Su He returned, approached Ling Chen, and handed over a finely crafted dagger engraved with the character ¡¯He,¡¯ saying, "Take this dagger to the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, if I remember correctly, soon there will be a grand event at the Yangxin Pavilion, that will be your only chance to obtain the Nine Elements Pill. With this dagger, they won¡¯t stop you from attending."


    Ling Chen held the dagger with both hands and gratefully said, "Thank you, Elder Su."


    "Remember! Don¡¯t reveal any information about me to anyone asking, including my current whereabouts. If you dare say an extra word, don¡¯t me me for turning my back on past kindness," Su He instructed.


    "Yes, Elder Su, rest assured, I won¡¯t say a word."


    "Good, it¡¯s gettingte, you can make do for the night here, and head to the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion tomorrow. Before you go, I still have some things to exin to you."


    As night fell!


    The darkness engulfed the sea, with only the rumbling sound of the waves, surging powerfully, ceaselessly beating against the shore.


    Outside the cabin, Ling Chen and Su He sat in front of the bonfire, under the light of the mes, enjoying the freshly roasted sea fish.


    Ling Chen took a bite of the crispy on the outside, tender on the inside sea fish and asked, "Elder Su, what else do you need to exin?"


    "The grand event at Yangxin Pavilion... I won¡¯t borate on that, you¡¯ll naturally understand when you get there. What I need to tell you is, everyone participating in that event is from Yangxin Pavilion, and everyone will stop at nothing to defeat their opponents and win the final victory, so you must be careful."

 Chapter 701 - 706: Reunion with Su He (3)

    <h4>Chapter 701: Chapter 706: Reunion with Su He (3)</h4>


    "Elder Su, are you saying that everyone from the Yangxin Pavilion will attend that grand event?"


    Su He nodded and said: "That¡¯s correct. You know about the Yangxin Pavilion, and I believe you have some understanding of it. Let me put it this way, people from the Yangxin Pavilion mostly wander outside and seldom return to the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion. However, when this grand event begins, everyone will rush back. The level of this event is much higher than the Heavenly Mechanism Great Ceremony. Once you are there, no matter who you deal with, you have to be cautious, keep several steps ahead, and be careful not to be deceived."


    "I understand that. I will pay extra attention."


    "Alright!" At this moment, Su He put down the fish bones in his hand, stood up from the wooden stump chair, and then walked to the edge of the wide beach, pointing at Ling Chen and said: "You,e here."


    Ling Chen dared not dy and quickly stepped over to Su He¡¯s side, asking, "Elder Su, what instructions do you have?"


    "In the Martial Arts world, your skills among your peers are not bad. But that¡¯s in the absence of the Yangxin Pavilion. Once you¡¯re in the Yangxin Pavilion, you will meet many people of your age, or even younger, whose strengths are not a bit weaker than yours. If you want to win, relying solely on your current strength and techniques I¡¯ve taught you ispletely insufficient, you must improve yourself in a short time."


    "Elder Su, what should I do?"


    "I have never taken a disciple in my life, and I intended to take all that I¡¯ve learned into the grave. However, considering you will be participating in that grand event, I will make an exception once, and impart to you a few moves. After all, once you¡¯re there, you will represent me, not just yourself. Even if you don¡¯t bring honor to yourself, you can¡¯t embarrass me."


    Hearing these words, Ling Chen felt a secret thrill - to have a Heavenly List master pass on his skills was not something everyone got to enjoy.


    "Elder Su, rest assured, I will certainly not disgrace you."


    "Youngster, first thing I want to remind you is, in the Yangxin Pavilion, you might face many challengers, and then, your opponents will mostly be Earthly List masters. You cannot treat them the way you treat Dragon List masters. There¡¯s a very clear difference between Dragon List masters and Earthly List masters, and that is Hua Realm."


    "Hua Realm?" Ling Chen asked curiously: "Elder Su, what is that?"


    "The so-called Hua Realm is actually a kind of power. The Inner Strength cultivated by Tiger List masters and Dragon List masters, but Earthly List masters call it Hua Realm. After entering the Earthly List, the power gradually changes. It¡¯s not just a quantitative change, but also a qualitative leap. In short, Hua Realm is stronger than Inner Strength, it extends further, and has more lethality. Dragon List masters, at most, can release their Inner Strength to a distance of about two fingers. A bit stronger and it¡¯s three fingers at most. But Earthly List masters are different; they can release their Hua Realm over half a meter. Facing such an opponent, you won¡¯t even have the chance to get close before being repelled by their Hua Realm."


    Half a meter? Hearing Su He¡¯s rification, Ling Chen was somewhat surprised; the gap seemed too big.


    However, when he had fought with Lin Tong some time ago, why didn¡¯t he encounter such a situation? At that time Lin Tong was also an Earthly List master, but his Hua Realm was far from being as formidable as what Su He described.


    Thinking of this, Ling Chen couldn¡¯t help but express his doubts.


    "The problem you mentioned is actually quite simple." Su He patiently exined: "That person named Lin Tong must have just broken through the bottleneck and hasn¡¯t mastered the use of Hua Realm yet. Once he masters the differences between Hua Realm and Inner Strength, he will be able to perfectly utilize his power." After saying this, Su He changed the subject: "Alright, let¡¯s not talk about that for now, as time is limited, I don¡¯t have so much time to go into details with you. Watch carefully now, I will only do it three times. Learn what you can."


    Hearing this, Ling Chen immediately sat down cross-legged on the ground, intently watching Su He, not daring to miss any detail.


    ...


    Time trickled by, and in the blink of an eye, the morning sun slowly rose from the sea level, gradually dispersing the pitch-ck night.


    At this time, on the beach, Su He stood with his hands on his back, facing the sea. As the morning sun gradually rose, Su He slowly turned his head, looked at the meditating Ling Chen and said, "You can reflect on it by yourself, I¡¯m going to rest now, and you don¡¯t need to say goodbye to meter." After speaking, Su He went back inside the house.


    After an unknown amount of time, Ling Chen finally opened his eyes, stood up facing the sea breeze that carried a hint of seaweed-smell, and looked up at the zing sun overhead, secretly astonished at how long he had been in meditation.


    Recalling Su He¡¯s instructions from the morning, Ling Chen didn¡¯t disturb Su He again and Instead returned to where he parked, and drove towards the airport.


    He had agreed to meet with Qiu Yong and others at the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion today, and if he didn¡¯t set off soon, he would probably bete.


    Luckily, with the Hongyu Group¡¯s private jet, when evening fell, Ling Chen sessfully arrived at the mountains and forests outside the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion.


    Just as he stepped into the forest, Ling Chen hadn¡¯t walked far when he heard rustling sounds all around. Ever since undergoing special training with Yang Chen, Ling Chen¡¯s ears had be much sharper.


    Quickly judging the situation, Ling Chen identified the footsteps of four or five people. There would only be so many people here if they were members of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion. To avoid misunderstandings, Ling Chen called out loudly: "Everyone, I am Ling Chen, a friend of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion."


    As soon as his voice fell, Ling Chen saw a young man walking out from under the dense foliage nearby.


    The young man came over to Ling Chen, looked him up and down, then greeted him with a fist and palm salute and a smile: "It turns out to be Mr. Ling. Elder Qiu and the others already mentioned that you woulde backter. Mr. Ling, please this way, I¡¯ll take you there."


    Ling Chen politely returned the salute and slightly smiled: "Thank you for the trouble."


    Once at the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, Zhou Jun and Song Ge, who had already received the news, stood at the entrance. Seeing Ling Chen approaching, both of them had smiles on their faces and quickly greeted him.


    "Ling," Song Ge waved his hand and took the initiative to call out.


    Friends meeting was a happy moment. After exchanging a few pleasantries, Zhou Jun pulled Ling Chen aside and asked: "Hey! Tell me the truth, what are you doing at the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion this time?"


    "Why do you ask that?"


    "If you wereing alone, I wouldn¡¯t think much of it, but you guys are showing up at the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion as the "Eight entrics," it¡¯s definitely not just a friendly visit. Spill it, what¡¯s the big deal? Let your brothers know first."


    Ling Chen waved his hand and said: "Don¡¯t ask me, I can¡¯t help you, I¡¯m just here to tag along, the specifics should be asked of my elder brother. Stop being so curious, let¡¯s go, first take me to see my elder brother."


    Seeing that Ling Chen was reluctant to speak, Zhou Jun shrugged helplessly, not good to keep questioning, and had to lead Ling Chen to the room where Qiu Yong and others were.

 Chapter 702 - 707: Seeing Du Kang Again (1)

    <h4>Chapter 702: Chapter 707: Seeing Du Kang Again (1)</h4>


    After meeting with Qiu Yong and the others, Ling Chen made small talk and did not mention the purpose of his trip to Jinhai City at all. It wasn¡¯t that he didn¡¯t trust Qiu Yong, but Song Ge and Zhou Jun were also present, and it was better not to let them hear.


    Although Ling Chen still didn¡¯t know exactly what rtionship Su He had with the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, being as clever as he was, even if Su He didn¡¯t say anything, Ling Chen could guess a thing or two. Su He¡¯s position in the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion wasn¡¯t just high, it was extremely high.


    At this moment, someone walked towards the door and stepped into the room.


    Seeing the neer, Ling Chen hurriedly sped his fists and slightly bowed, saying, "Elder Zhou."


    Zhou Qi nodded and took the initiative to greet Qiu Yong and the others. Even though Zhou Qi held a high position in the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, the other party was after all among the Eight entrics, and even if the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion Master Su Mei were here, she wouldn¡¯t dare be negligent.


    "Ladies and gentlemen, the Pavilion Master invites you!"


    Hearing this, Yang Chen smiled and said, "Brother Six, your charm is really great. We didn¡¯t even see the Pavilion Master when we came yesterday, but the moment you arrive, you immediately receive a summons. It seems that our faces are not as big as yours."


    "That¡¯s right, of all of us here, only Brother Six is the youngest and most capable, and handsome and dashing, naturally earning others¡¯ favor," Xia Yue added.


    Ling Chen touched his nose helplessly and said with a bitter smile, "Enough! You two stop teasing me."


    "Everyone, recently the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion has an important matter to deal with, so the Pavilion Master has been very busy and couldn¡¯t receive everyone immediately. Please forgive us and don¡¯t take it to heart," Zhou Qi exined.


    "It¡¯s okay," Qiu Yong said indifferently, "We were just joking, nothing serious. Elder Zhou doesn¡¯t need to apologize. Since the Pavilion Master has summoned us, let¡¯s hurry on, so we don¡¯t keep her waiting."


    Walking to the top floor of the Pavilion Master¡¯s tower where the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion Master resides, Qiu Yong, as the leader of the Eight entrics, was the first to step in.


    Upon entering the room, a graceful figure could vaguely be seen behind the curtain.


    With both hands sped in salute, Qiu Yong greeted, "Qiu Yong and the Eight entrics pay their respects to the Pavilion Master."


    "Please, Elder Qiu, have a seat!"


    "Thank you!"


    After everyone sat down, Su Mei, sitting behind the curtain, asked, "Elder Qiu, may I know what brings the Eight entrics to the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion this time?"


    "Well..." Qiu Yong nced at Ling Chen with the corner of his eye and said with a smile, "It¡¯s nothing much, just wanted to ask the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion for a favor. My younger brother was seriously injured recently, was at death¡¯s doorstep, and although he has improved somewhat, his health isn¡¯t fully recovered. I worry about residual health issues, thus I came to ask the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion for a Heavenly Mechanism Pill. I wonder if the Pavilion Master could make an exception and help?"


    "Elder Qiu, it¡¯s not that I don¡¯t want to help you, but Ling Chen received many rewards during the Heavenly Mechanism Great Ceremony, including several Heavenly Mechanism Pills. Surely they haven¡¯t all been used up?"


    "If we still had some, we wouldn¡¯t have had to ask the Pavilion Master for help."


    "If it were anyone else, the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion wouldn¡¯t easily give out the Heavenly Mechanism Pill, but since Elder Qiu has spoken, the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion must show some respect. Zhou Qi, go fetch a Heavenly Mechanism Pill."


    "Yes," Zhou Qi responded and then turned and walked out of the room.


    "Elder Qiu, the Eight entrics rarely visit the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, so since you¡¯re here, why not stay a few more days and let us extend our hospitality," Su Mei warmly invited.


    With a mild smile, Qiu Yong replied, "Since the Pavilion Master has invited, how could I refuse? It would be my pleasure to stay."


    In a short while, Zhou Qi brought a high-quality Heavenly Mechanism Pill and handed it to Qiu Yong. Once the item was received, Qiu Yong led everyone to thank Su Mei and then turned to leave the room.


    Before Ling Chen could leave the room, suddenly, Su Mei¡¯s voice came from behind the curtain, "Mr. Ling, please wait a moment."


    Qiu Yong turned back and looked at Ling Chen with a meaningful expression, saying, "Then we¡¯ll head back to our room first. You can have a good talk with the Pavilion Master."


    Ling Chen nodded and watched as Qiu Yong and the others left before he returned to the room and asked the figure behind the curtain, "Miss Su, did you need something?"


    "Elder Zhou, you may leave as well, let us talk alone."


    "Yes!" Zhou Qi nodded slightly and followed in the footsteps of Qiu Yong and others, leaving the room.


    Once there were no others in the room, Su Mei lifted the curtain and walked out from behind it, graceful and elegant.


    It¡¯s been a while since Ling Chenst saw her, and Su Mei seemed somewhat tired, probably due tock of rest, not as spirited as before.


    "Miss Su, have you been busytely? You don¡¯t seem to look very well," Ling Chen asked with concern.


    "There are many things to handle at the Yangxin Pavilion, and although I as the Pavilion Master have many people tomand, this matter must be handled personally by me, thus I¡¯ve been more tired than usual, but it¡¯s nothing. It¡¯ll be fine after a few days."


    Hearing this, Ling Chen immediately understood. There was no need to guess; Su Mei was surely preparing for the grand event at the Yangxin Pavilion.


    "Ling Chen, did you reallye to the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion only for a Heavenly Mechanism Pill?"


    Facing Su Mei¡¯s inquiry, Ling Chen smiled slightly, "Of course. Why, do you not believe me?"


    "It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t believe you, but... if it was just for this, I feel you wouldn¡¯t make such a fuss, even bringing the Eight entrics personally to the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion. Actually, given your rtionship with the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, if you had just spoken up, I would have definitely not refused, so I am curious to know if you might have other motives."


    "I won¡¯t hide it from you, I indeed have another purpose. Miss Su, I was wondering if Elder Du is at the Yangxin Pavilion?"


    "Du Kang?" Su Mei nodded and replied, "Since he helped youst time, he has been staying at Yangxin Pavilion. What, you want to see him?"


    "Correct. I want to thank him and also discuss some matters with him. Miss Su, I wonder if you could help me with this?"


    "This..." Su Mei hesitated and said, "It¡¯s not that I¡¯m unwilling to help you, but the rules of the Yangxin Pavilion are many, and also, Elder Du doesn¡¯t really want to be disturbed, I¡¯m not sure if he would be willing to meet you. How about this, let me ask and see what he thinks."


    "That would be much appreciated."


    After some more casual talk, Ling Chen took his leave from the room.


    His earlier mention of visiting Du Kang was just a pretext and did not reveal his true purpose, simply following Su He¡¯s instructions. Before his arrival, Su He had advised him not to reveal the dagger hastily, but to first find Du Kang and have him apany him to the grand event to assess the situation.


    Because this grand event involved a showdown between masters, Su He hoped that after seeing the capabilities of the opponents, he could carefully consider everything before deciding whether to participate or not.


    Once back in his room, Ling Chen stood by the window, stretched leisurely, and quietly awaited Su Mei¡¯s news.

 Chapter 703 - 708: Seeing Du Kang Again (2)

    <h4>Chapter 703: Chapter 708: Seeing Du Kang Again (2)</h4>


    Arriving at Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, a round of drinks was inevitable. With Song Ge and Zhou Jun apanying, they drank until midnight, all three of them drunk and staggering, unable to walk steadily, so they had to spend the night in Ling Chen¡¯s room.


    The next day.


    When Ling Chen woke up, he heard a knocking sound outside the door. Probably disturbed by the knocking, Zhou Jun and Song Ge woke up and got up to open the door.


    As soon as the door opened, before Zhou Jun could react, he felt a pain in his head. He covered the sore spot, looked up, and saw Zhou Qi standing at the door, looking displeased, and gently scolded, "You rascal, how much wine have you stolen this time?"


    Zhou Jun retorted dissatisfiedly, "It¡¯s just a few bottles of wine, old man, do you really need to be so stingy?"


    During this, Ling Chen quickly approached, sped his fists, and said, "Elder Zhou, are you here to find me or..."


    Upon seeing Ling Chen, Zhou Qi immediately turned his attention away from Zhou Jun, saying, "Mr. Ling, the Pavilion Master just sent a message for me to take you to Yangxin Pavilion. Get ready, I¡¯ll wait for you outside in ten minutes."


    Curious, Zhou Jun asked, "What are you doing going to Yangxin Pavilion? Hey! Old man, we¡¯re bored anyway, why don¡¯t you take us along?"


    Zhou Qi replied irritably, "Both of you just stay put; I¡¯ll settle ounts with you when I return."


    After Zhou Qi left, Zhou Jun and Song Ge looked at Ling Chen curiously, wondering what he was going to do at Yangxin Pavilion. Ling Chen naturally wouldn¡¯t reveal his purpose. It was not that he didn¡¯t trust Zhou Jun and Song Ge, but some matters are better kept known to as few people as possible.


    After washing up, Ling Chen came outside alone. At that moment, Zhou Qi was quietly waiting for his arrival. After meeting up, Zhou Qi, without another word, immediately led Ling Chen towards Yangxin Pavilion.


    Along the way, Ling Chen noticed that the number of guards outside Yangxin Pavilion had increased considerably; previously, there were only two at the entrance, but now there were six. Moreover, upon entering Yangxin Pavilion, Zhou Qi had to show the Pavilion Master¡¯s token, or they wouldn¡¯t be allowed entry.


    Upon reaching the spacious Siheyuan, as soon as he entered through the gates, Ling Chen heard noisy chatter. In therge courtyard, there were several children, about six or seven years old, ying. Besides the children, Ling Chen also saw Song Yi.


    Perhaps sensing Ling Chen¡¯s gaze, Song Yi turned back and saw Ling Chen, his face immediately darkened, he snorted, then turned his gaze away.


    "Elder Zhou, I remember there weren¡¯t so many peoplest time I came, why..."


    "There is a grand event being held at Yangxin Pavilion this time, all the roaming people have returned, these kids are the disciples collected by various masters."


    Upon hearing Zhou Qi¡¯s exnation, Ling Chen finally understood.


    They passed through the Siheyuan, and Ling Chen entered the back mountain of Yangxin Pavilion, which truly held importance; many masters resided here.


    On the way, Ling Chen saw many unfamiliar faces. Due to years of martial training, even though these people had ages around seventy or eighty, they appeared only in their sixties, looking quite youthful.


    Regarding Ling Chen¡¯s arrival, not many truly noticed him; most just nced at him and then went about their own business.


    After walking for about ten minutes, Ling Chen finally reached Du Kang¡¯s residence. There was a simple thatched cottage, spanning over a hundred square meters, with dozens of liquor jars ced outside. Even from afar, a rich alcohol aroma was detectable.


    Arriving outside the cottage, Zhou Qi slightly bowed with sped hands, respectfully saying, "Elder Du, Ling Chen is here."


    As soon as he finished speaking, a young man about twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old with an ordinary appearance and a stern demeanor stepped out of the cottage. He nced at Zhou Qi and said indifferently, "Hand him over to me, you can go back."


    "Yes!"


    Zhou Qi, without a word more, turned around and left the way he came.


    After Zhou Qi left, the young man shifted his gaze to Ling Chen. After looking him over, he said, "Come with me."


    Ling Chen nodded, following the young man¡¯s pace into the cottage.


    Inside the spacious and bright house, Du Kang was sitting by the window, leaning on a rattan chair, gently rocking, holding a gourd of wine, drinking asionally, very leisurely, humming an indistinguishable tune, looking quite content.


    Seeing Du Kang, Ling Chen quickly approached, respectfully performed a salute, and greeted, "Elder Du, sorry to disturb you."


    Du Kang, with half-closed eyes and a smirk, watched Ling Chen and said, "Have a seat; no need for formalities here." After speaking, Du Kang nced at the young man beside him, saying, "Come, let me introduce you, this is my disciple, his name is Yang Tao, he has been with me since he was four, it¡¯s been over twenty years now."


    Ling Chen immediately sped his fists and called out ¡¯Brother Yang.¡¯


    Yang Tao maintained his indifferent demeanor, not saying a word, just nodded slightly, then went into his room to mind his own business.


    "Don¡¯t mind him; that kid is just like that, not much for talking." Du Kang paused, then changing his tone, asked, "So, what brings you here this time?"


    Without hesitation, Ling Chen took out the dagger given to him by Su He and held it up to Elder Du.


    "Elder Du, please have a look."


    Du Kang took the dagger, drew it from its sheath, and seeing the ¡¯He¡¯ character engraved on the de, his expression slightly stunned, he suddenly stood up from the rattan chair, his murky old eyes gleaming sharply.


    "This item... where did you get this?"


    "Elder Du, since you recognize this dagger, you must know who it originally belonged to."


    "Old Su... it really is you... after all these years, you finally show yourself," Du Kang murmured, slowly sitting back down in the rattan chair.


    After pondering for a while, Du Kang looked at Ling Chen and asked, "Do you know who gave him this dagger?"


    "I don¡¯t know; Elder Su never mentioned it to me."


    "It was I who gave it to him. No wonder that old fellow would have you bring it to me; he knows I recognize this dagger." Saying this, Du Kang sheathed the dagger, handed it back to Ling Chen, and asked, "How is that old man doing?"


    "Elder Su is doing well, however... Elder Su repeatedly instructed me not to disclose his whereabouts, so..."


    "All right, I understand, don¡¯t worry, since he does not want others to know his whereabouts, I won¡¯t bother to ask. If he had you bring this dagger to me, he must need my help for something. Tell me, what is it? Considering that old man¡¯s sake, I¡¯ll help if I can."


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 Chapter 704 - 709 Yang Tao

    <h4>Chapter 704: Chapter 709 Yang Tao</h4>


    "I know that the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion will hold a grand event in the next few days, and I wish to participate."


    "You?" Upon hearing this, even the alwaysposed Du Kang was startled, and with a face full of surprise, looked at Ling Chen and said, "Was it that old man who asked you to participate?"


    "No. I pleaded with Elder Su to give me this opportunity." Ling Chen paused for a moment before continuing, "I want the Nine Elements Pill."


    Du Kang leaned forward from his rattan chair and said earnestly, "Honestly, I don¡¯t know why he agreed to your request to attend such an event, but what I want to tell you is that wanting the Nine Elements Pill is pure folly; it¡¯s simply impossible."


    "Why?" Ling Chen asked with a face full of confusion.


    "Because you¡¯re too weak; going there would be suicide. Do you know that almost everyone participating in this event is a master from the Earthly List? What do you have topete against those people with? I won¡¯t deny your talent and potential, but some things cannot be changed by courage and audacity alone. The event at Yangxin Pavilion is a contest of one hundred percent strength, not luck."


    Du Kang opened his mouth and said, "Elder Du, I know you have my best interests at heart, but I have no choice. As long as I can obtain the Nine Elements Pill, no matter the risk, I¡¯m willing to take it. I only hope that you can help me this once."


    "You!" Du Kang sighed helplessly, "Why won¡¯t you listen to my advice? That old man too; he actually agreed to let you participate in this event¡ªit¡¯s not helping you, it¡¯s harming you."


    With that, Du Kang stood up from the rattan chair, turned his head towards the inner room, and called out, "Apprentice,e out for a bit."


    Once Yang Tao came out from the room, Du Kang looked at Ling Chen and said, "The two of you,e with me."


    Leaving the thatched cottage, Du Kang led Ling Chen and Yang Tao to a spacious open area and said, "You two, spar here."


    Spar?


    Ling Chen was shocked; he hadn¡¯t expected Du Kang to make such a request.


    Du Kang nced at Ling Chen and said, "You want to participate in that event, right? Fine, I¡¯ll give you a chance. If you canst one minute against my disciple without being defeated, I¡¯ll help you out. If you can¡¯t, then you better go back early and not lose your life here." Having said this, Du Kang turned to his own disciple and instructed, "Use only your left hand."


    "Understood." Yang Tao nodded, then fetched a rope from outside the house, tied it around his right wrist, wrapped it around his waist, and firmly restricted his right hand.


    "Come on!"


    Looking at Yang Tao¡¯s expressionless face, Ling Chen slightly furrowed his brow. He wasn¡¯t sure how strong Yang Tao¡¯s abilities were, but as a disciple trained by a master from the Heavenly List, he couldn¡¯t be that weak. Although Yang Tao was limited to using only his left hand, Ling Chen was aware that Du Kang¡¯s instructions meant he had full confidence in his disciple.


    "One minute," Du Kang said, holding his wine gourd and stepping aside, "Begin. Ling Chen, you may use any method at your disposal."


    Hearing this, Ling Chen didn¡¯t dare to be careless. He drew out the Tianling de. With a flick of the mechanism, a sharp de immediately sprang out, turning into a steel sword.


    Steel sword in hand, Ling Chen stood up straight, his body slightly tilted, his sharp gaze fixed on Yang Tao, looking for the right moment to strike.


    In the blink of an eye, more than ten seconds passed, and seeing Ling Chen had not yet made a move, the still Yang Tao suddenly stepped forward and dashed straight toward Ling Chen.


    Yang Tao¡¯s pace wasn¡¯t fast, and Ling Chen could pinpoint his location urately. As Yang Tao closed in, Ling Chen hesitated no longer. With a flick of his wrist, he thrust his steel sword straight at Yang Tao¡¯s forehead. The sword seemed light and effortless, seemingly without force, but the sword tip was condensed with a magnificent Inner Strength. The sword¡¯s edge was sharp, piercing through the air in an instant.


    Just as the sword tip was about to hit the target, the straight-advancing Yang Tao suddenly leaned backward, then pivoted on his feet, quickly changing position and dodging the sharp sword tip.


    Having missed his strike, Ling Chen swiftly withdrew, avoiding giving Yang Tao the chance to close in. However, at that moment, Ling Chen suddenly felt a surge of powerful energy, like a wall of air, sharply hitting his right shoulder. His retreating steps not quite stable, he was pushed aside by that force.


    Seeing this, Ling Chen quivered his long sword and lightly tapped it against the ground, leveraging that force to prop up his body.


    Simultaneously, Ling Chen¡¯s peripheral vision caught a glimpse of Yang Tao less than a meter away.


    Hua Realm!


    Ling Chen inwardly frowned; he had been hit by the Hua Realm energy unique to the masters of the Earthly List. The Hua Realm was more formidable than Inner Strength, able to harm a person from about a meter away. Just now, his only thought had been not to let Yang Tao get close, but he had forgotten this detail.


    Right now, only twenty-something seconds had passed since Du Kang¡¯s one-minute mark, but after that brief exchange, Ling Chen had already realized Yang Tao¡¯s strength. Indeed, a master of the Earthly List who was proficient in the Hua Realm was not easy to deal with.


    Half a minute left!


    Ling Chen closely watched the advancing Yang Tao, rapidly contemting his strategy.


    Suddenly, a gust of wind rushed at his face. In the blink of an eye, Yang Tao, who had been three meters away, charged forward, now less than a meter from Ling Chen.


    Seeing this, Ling Chen was shocked and quickly retreated, trying to increase the distance between them. But Yang Tao was very fast, like a swift breeze, relentlessly pursuing him.


    Feeling the fierce Hua Realm energy, Ling Chen¡¯s pupils contracted, and with a shake of his hand, he threw the steel sword he was holding, its sharp tip aimed straight at Yang Tao¡¯s face.


    Forced by the steel sword, Yang Tao had no choice but to withdraw and cease his assault. Then he twisted at the waist, raised his right leg, and kicked the flying steel sword away,nding it more than ten meters away.


    Seeing the Tianling de lost, Ling Chen didn¡¯t even think before he lightly tapped with the tip of his foot, quickly moving in the opposite direction of Yang Tao.


    "Trying to escape?" Yang Tao snorted softly, instantly elerating and chasing right behind Ling Chen. In less than ten seconds, the distance between them had already narrowed.


    Ling Chen knew well that once Yang Tao got within a meter, he would inevitably be attacked by his Hua Realm energy.


    As he was considering his options, Ling Chen¡¯s gaze was suddenly drawn to the dozen or so wine jars ced outside the straw hut. An idea shed through his mind, and the corner of his mouth lifted slightly.


    Immediately, he increased his speed toward the wine jars outside the straw hut. Upon reaching them, he lifted a wine jar and swung it toward the pursuing Yang Tao.


    As the wine jar fell from above his head, Yang Tao¡¯s expression changed. Instead of dodging, he reached out with both hands, steadily catching the wine jar, and then set it aside. His demeanor suggested he was particrly careful not to damage the jar.


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 Chapter 705 - 710: The Cunning Ling Chen

    <h4>Chapter 705: Chapter 710: The Cunning Ling Chen</h4>


    Noticing Yang Tao¡¯s actions, Ling Chen was instantly overjoyed; he had finally pinpointed Yang Tao¡¯s weakness. With this thought, Ling Chen paid no heed to the iron blue face of Du Kang next to him and kept lifting up the wine jars, smashing them towards Yang Tao.


    In order to ensure the wine jars remained intact, Yang Tao had no choice but to concentrate all his energy on them, to prevent them from being damaged and the wine spilling onto the ground.


    This repetition continued until Ling Chen suddenly turned his head and looked at Du Kang not far away: "Elder Du, has a minute passed?"


    Du Kang looked at Ling Chen displeasedly, then said to Yang Tao, "Alright, stop it both of you."


    Hearing this, Ling Chen breathed a sigh of relief as if he¡¯d been exonerated. Thankfully, he found a method Yang Tao dreaded; otherwise, if he really had tost a minute under Yang Tao¡¯s hands, he likely couldn¡¯t have managed.


    Seeing Ling Chen¡¯s smug face, Du Kang said unhappily, "You still have the face to smile, using such treacherous tactics. If it weren¡¯t for Yang Tao being concerned about the wine I brewed, you would have failed already."


    Ling Chen touched his nose and replied sheepishly, "That... Elder Du, didn¡¯t you say earlier that any means could be used, so I..."


    "Enough! Even if you passed, if you¡¯re seeking death, I won¡¯t stop you. That¡¯s it then, go back first ande find me here in two days. The grand event won¡¯t start for another three days. Rest well these next two days, adjust your condition, and don¡¯t disgrace Old Su when the timees."


    "Yes, I¡¯ll take my leave then." With that said, Ling Chen turned to face the approaching Yang Tao, cupped his fists, and said, "Big Brother Yang, my apologies for earlier. Please don¡¯t take it to heart¡ªI¡¯ll invite you for a drink next time to make amends."


    Yang Tao¡¯s expression was indifferent, and it was unclear whether he had taken Ling Chen¡¯s words to heart.


    Leaving the Yangxin Pavilion, Ling Chen headed straight for his room. Seeing his beaming face, Qiu Yong knew things must have gone really smoothly, so he did not inquire further.


    Returning to his room, Ling Chen kept Elder Du¡¯s instructions in mind, to rest well for the next two days and be in good spirits before the grand event began. Just as Elder Du said, at that time, he would not just be representing himself, but also Su He. Su He had also mentioned this to him.


    To maintain his condition, Ling Chen rejected invitations for drinks from Zhou Jun and Song Ge, spending all his time in his room, meditating in silence.


    ...


    A day passed by.


    While in meditation in his room, Ling Chen suddenly heard a ¡¯dong dong dong¡¯ knocking at the door.


    "Who is it?" Ling Chen asked aloud.


    However, there was no response from outside the door. Ling Chen found it odd and asked again, but still, no one responded.


    "Who could it be so early in the morning?" Ling Chen muttered to himself, climbing off the bed and walking towards the door.


    Opening the door, Ling Chen looked outside only to discover that no one was there. Although he didn¡¯t see anyone, he found a small paper note on the ground.


    Heh! Ling Chen secretly smirked, finding it interesting. He didn¡¯t know who it was, but they were ying such tricks.


    Despite his thoughts, Ling Chen still picked up the note.


    "Meet at the north gate in half an hour."


    Looking at the content on the paper, Ling Chen grew curious. He wondered who had left the note, doing so secretly¡ªcould they not have directlye to his room to talk? As Ling Chen pondered, he took another few looks at the note and noticed that the handwriting was very elegant, likely that of a woman.


    A woman?


    Within the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, Ling Chen only knew one woman, Su Mei. Other than Su Mei, who else would secretly arrange a meeting with him?


    Never mind! Ling Chen shook his head, not bothering to think about it anymore. He would just go to the appointment when the time came. After all, this was the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion; surely no one would dare harm him here.


    After sitting in his room for a while, estimating that it was almost time, Ling Chen tidied up a bit and then headed alone towards the north gate of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion.


    Having toured around the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion with Zhou Jun before, Ling Chen was quite familiar with its surroundings. The north gate was another exit of the pavilion, but it had been sealed off with stones many years ago, and many trees had been nted around it. Now, the north gate had essentially be a garden.


    When he arrived in the garden, Ling Chen searched for any traces of other people. However, even after waiting a few minutes, no one appeared.


    The agreed time had long passed, yet the person had not shown up. Could it be that he had been fooled? This thought made Ling Chen feel indignant, so instead of waiting any longer, he turned around to leave.


    But just after taking a few steps, a faint voice suddenly reached Ling Chen¡¯s ears. He quickly turned around and looked behind him, only to see an elegant figure stepping on the fallen leaves, walking towards him gracefully.


    Seeing who it was, Ling Chen was shocked and eximed, "Porridge girl?"


    He never expected that the person who had arranged to meet him would be the Porridge girl.


    "How... How could it be you?" Ling Chen asked in surprise.


    "I just arrived at the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion and happened to see that Qiu Yong and Xu Ming from the Eight Odd Men were also here. I thought you might be here too, so I checked, and sure enough, you were, so I called you out."


    "Aren¡¯t you friends with the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion Master? Since you have a friendly rtionship with the pavilion, why all the secrecy? Why not just say what you have to say directly in my room?"


    The Porridge girl shook her head and said, "I can¡¯t do that. The people of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion still don¡¯t know I¡¯m here; I sneaked in."


    Hearing this, Ling Chen was taken aback and asked puzzledly, "Why?"


    "I don¡¯t want people to know I¡¯vee to the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion. I have an important task this time that may cause a falling out with the pavilion, so it¡¯s better to avoid contact with them as much as possible."


    A falling out?


    Ling Chen was shocked; the Porridge girl was actually saying such a thing. Could it be she was preparing to do something detrimental to the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion?


    Seeing Ling Chen open his mouth, the Porridge girl beat him to the punch and said, "Don¡¯t ask. It¡¯s my business, and it has nothing to do with you. You¡¯d better not get involved to avoid getting dragged into it."


    "If you didn¡¯t want to involve me, then you shouldn¡¯t have called me here and told me so much."


    "I know. But I thought it through carefully¡ªthis matter is too dangerous, and there might not be another chance to see you. So, there are some things I must tell you. I believe you must also have many questions you want to ask me. If I don¡¯t tell you now, I¡¯m afraid there won¡¯t be another opportunity."


    Hearing how grave the Porridge girl¡¯s tone was, Ling Chen said solemnly, "What exactly do you want to do?"


    The Porridge girl sighed softly, shook her head, and said, "Don¡¯t ask; even if you do, I won¡¯t tell." She paused for a moment and then changed the subject, "Aren¡¯t you curious about what happened to Ling Kun?"

 Chapter 706 - 711: The True Identity of the Secret Leader

    <h4>Chapter 706: Chapter 711: The True Identity of the Secret Leader</h4>


    "Not bad, I really want to know, how do you know my father, and what is your rtionship with him?"


    "Actually... I not only know your father, but I am also very close to him."


    Close?


    Hearing this word, Ling Chen was slightly startled and did not react for a moment. Noticing Ling Chen¡¯s strange gaze, porridge girl realized her choice of words was inappropriate and quickly corrected herself: "No, don¡¯t misunderstand, I mean, your father is my Master, that¡¯s why our rtionship is quite close."


    "He is your Master?" Ling Chen was suddenly taken aback. He had never imagined that there was such a rtionship between his father and porridge girl.


    "Yes. I don¡¯t want to keep it from you, you have actually met your father a long time ago, do you remember? Many times a man iming to be from the Secret Society hase to see you, he is your father."


    "What?" Ling Chen widened his eyes, somewhat unable to believe it all. That mysterious man from the Secret Society who imed to be his father¡¯s friend was actually his father.


    Why... knowing that he had waited for him for so many years, and now being so close, why couldn¡¯t he acknowledge him? Thinking of this, Ling Chen felt a mix of emotions, and it was an unpleasant feeling.


    Seeing the change in Ling Chen¡¯s eyes, porridge girl spoke, "Don¡¯t think too much, Master doesn¡¯t disregard you, on the contrary, he values you so much that he hid his identity and refused to acknowledge you. Unfortunately, he originally wanted you to lead an ordinary life, but you still got involved. Master once said, when everything is resolved, he wille to meet you. But ns can¡¯t keep up with changes, the actions of the Secret Society provoked the fierce retaliation of the God Organization, and even the experts of the Heavenly List were dispatched, which led to Master being captured."


    "You can¡¯t be telling me that my father is the mysterious leader of the Secret Society?"


    Porridge girl nodded and said: "Yes. Although to the inner circle he imed to be a close follower of the leader, in reality, he is the true controller of the Secret Society, and he did so merely to conceal his identity."


    So that¡¯s how it is!


    At this moment, Ling Chen finally understood the things he had been puzzled by before. He had wondered why the Secret Society suddenly agreed to help him unconditionally, it turned out to be because of his father. Including thest time Ling Kun found him and talked about the matters rted to the southern Ling Family. Ling Kun didn¡¯t want him to get involved, as he wanted him to stay away from the family struggles.


    Thinking it over, Ling Chen looked at porridge girl and asked: "Do you know where my father is?"


    Porridge girl hesitated for a moment, then slowly shook her head and said: "Not sure yet."


    "Really?" Ling Chen stared into porridge girl¡¯s eyes.


    Facing Ling Chen¡¯s gaze, porridge girl appeared somewhat ufortable, slightly turned her head away, and said, "I have no reason to lie to you."


    "Well then, you..."


    "I¡¯ve said everything I needed to, don¡¯t ask any further, I still have very important things to do. If I seed this time, it won¡¯t be long before I can reunite you with your father." After saying this, without waiting for Ling Chen to say anything else, porridge girl already ran towards the garden outside, and in a blink, she was out of sight.


    Watching the disappearing back of porridge girl, Ling Chen sighed silently.


    He could see that porridge girl was deceiving him just now. Porridge girl certainly knew Ling Kun¡¯s whereabouts but chose not to tell him. Unfortunately, what porridge girl didn¡¯t know was that he had long known his father was in the hands of Ji Gang.


    Back in his room, Ling Chen¡¯s mind was still pondering the conversation with porridge girl. That mysterious man was actually his father, he originally thought that his father had forgotten about him, but it turns out he had always been watching his every move from the shadows.


    Father...rest assured, no matter the cost, I will definitely rescue you.


    ...


    Into the night.


    In Yangxin Pavilion, a dark shadow swiftly passed over the ground, heading straight for the deep parts of the valley.


    Upon reaching the valley, the shadow looked all around, seemingly in search of something. However, just at that moment, an elderly voice suddenly came from a tree branch: "Young girl, stop looking, you won¡¯t find it."


    "Who¡¯s there?" The shadow was startled and quickly looked up at the branches above. Instantly, an old man could be seen lying on a thick branch, holding a wine gourd with one hand, his face flushed, and a hint of drunkenness in his eyes.


    "You don¡¯t need to know who I am. You just need to know that you won¡¯t find anything in Yangxin Pavilion. Hurry up and leave, while the others haven¡¯t discovered you yet. This ce is Yangxin Pavilion, not the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion. If others catch you here, the consequences won¡¯t be pleasant. We never show mercy to those who trespass into Yangxin Pavilion."


    "You..."


    "Stop stalling, go on, don¡¯t make it hard for this old man or for Ling Chen."


    "Ling Chen?"


    "Yes, he already guessed your purpose foring here, so he sent me a message, hoping I could help, to stop you. If you insist on taking action in Yangxin Pavilion, you¡¯d be disregarding his kindness." After speaking, Du Kang jumped down from the branch, took a couple of sips of wine, then strode towards the thatched hut, saying as he walked: "Go on, don¡¯t linger here. Since you¡¯ve managed to get in, presumably you can also get out. I won¡¯t see you off."


    Watching Du Kang¡¯s figure gradually moving away, porridge girl¡¯s expression suddenly became immenselyplicated.


    Could it be... Ling Chen knew about her purpose foring to the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion?


    ...


    The next morning, Ling Chen got up early, went to the windowsill, and stretched while looking out at the training field.


    Two days had passed, and today was the day to meet Du Kang at Yangxin Pavilion.


    Taking advantage of the early hour, Ling Chen went alone to the training field to loosen up his muscles.


    A day¡¯s n starts with the morning; at this time, the training field was filled with martial artists practicing. Ling Chen chose a rtively high spot, swung a few punches to loosen up his body, then drew the Tianling de, practicing from swordy to swordsmanship, and only stopped when he was drenched in sweat.


    "Yo! Isn¡¯t this Ling Chen, the first on the Neer List?"


    At that moment, a mocking voice came from not too far away.


    Ling Chen looked up and saw that the speaker was none other than Tong Nan. Ling Chen had met Tong Nan once during hisst visit to the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion and knew him to be a yboy, so the impression was deep.


    After ncing at Tong Nan, Ling Chen shifted his gaze beyond him to Song Yi and Liang Zheng standing behind.


    Liang Zheng remained his usual indifferent self. In contrast, Song Yi¡¯s eyes held a trace of darkness toward Ling Chen, probably because he had lost to Ling Chen in a spar and was subsequently scolded by his master, Huang Zheng, which made Song Yi quite hostile towards Ling Chen.


    Seeing the three approaching, Ling Chen slightly furrowed his brow, then sheathed the Tianling de and turned to leave.

 Chapter 707 - 712 Insulted (1)

    <h4>Chapter 707: Chapter 712 Insulted (1)</h4>


    Seeing Ling Chen about to leave, Liang Zheng called out: "Ling Chen, where are you going? It¡¯s rare for old friends to meet, why not stay longer? Are you afraid of us?"


    Ling Chen turned his head back, and said indifferently: "Please mind your words. We¡¯re not even close to being old friends, not even friends at all."


    Hearing this, Song Yi sneered sarcastically: "Liang, he doesn¡¯t want to be friends with us, why bother offering warmth only to receive coldness in return?"


    "Is that so?" Tong Nan chimed in from the side: "I really don¡¯t know what makes him think he can look down on us, just because he is first on the Neer List?"


    Listening to their mocking words, Ling Chen was toozy to argue and started walking down the hillside.


    However, just as Ling Chen was about to leave, he saw someone approaching from the opposite direction.


    Porridge girl?


    Ling Chen paused slightly, a faint smile appearing at the corner of his mouth. Porridge girl¡¯s appearance here meant that her actionst night was unsessful. When porridge girl left, he had guessed her purpose foring to the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion might be the same as his, for the Nine Elements Pill. Otherwise, she wouldn¡¯t have left without telling him.


    Therefore, he had made a point to greet Du Kang, hoping he could help so porridge girl wouldn¡¯t get into trouble. Although porridge girl was strong, being an Earthly List expert, Yangxin Pavilion was full of masters and it was easy for her to get into trouble.


    At this moment, seeing porridge girl appear openly in the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, Ling Chen knew that she had abandoned her previous n.


    "You¡¯re here!" Ling Chen smiled and quickly went up to meet her.


    Porridge girl looked at Ling Chen irritably and asked: "Was it you who had someone block mest night?"


    Ling Chen nodded and said: "It was for your own good. Whatever you nned to do, with the masters from the Yangxin Pavilion around, it wouldn¡¯t have been easy to seed. Do you know who stopped youst night? His name is Du Kang, a Heavenly List expert from Yangxin Pavilion. Luckily, I have a good rtionship with him, otherwise if someone else found you, you wouldn¡¯t have been so fortunate."


    "Heavenly List expert?" Porridge girl looked startled, her eyes on Ling Chen filled with a curious glint.


    "Why are you looking at me like that?"


    "After being out of touch for a while, your circle of friends has grown wider, even knowing a Heavenly List expert."


    Ling Chenughed and said: "That¡¯s because of my good character, everyone wants to be friends with me."


    "Look at how pleased you are." Porridge girl, her nose tilted up, huffed lightly and said: "It¡¯s a good thing for you to make connections with a Heavenly List expert; he might be able to help you a lot in the future."


    During their conversation, Tong Nan and the other two had noticed porridge girl¡¯s appearance.


    Suddenly seeing a refined and beautiful woman appear, Tong Nan and the others were instantly captivated. Although they had seen beauties at the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, the only top-notch beauty was Miss Su. As Miss Su was the Pavilion Master of Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, they could only admire her from a distance, not daring to entertain any disrespectful thoughts.


    However, the beauty before them was equally elegant and beautiful as Miss Su.


    Watching porridge girl talk with Ling Chen, both Song Yi and Liang Zheng had a look of admiration in their eyes. They usually stayed in the Yangxin Pavilion and rarely went out, so they had little chance to meet beauties. Inparison, the yboy Tong Nan was more thrilled.


    He had almost had his fill with the women of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, and it was rare for any to spark his interest. But now a top-notch beauty suddenly appeared, how could he not be moved?


    "Do you two know who that woman is?"


    Song Yi and Liang Zheng shook their heads and said: "We¡¯ve never seen her before. Tong, you know we mostly stay in Yangxin Pavilion and seldom visit Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion. She¡¯s likely a guest there, maybe... maybe I should go ask around and find out her identity for you."


    Tong Nan waved his hand and said: "No need for that, just go up and ask directly."


    Hearing this, Liang Zheng quickly said: "Tong, everyone is aware of your charm, but... what if she is an important guest of the Pavilion Master? This casual approach might displease the Pavilion Master."


    "What¡¯s there to be afraid of?" Tong Nan casually said: "So what if it¡¯s impolite? Don¡¯t forget, we are from Yangxin Pavilion. Although the Pavilion Master has the authority to manage the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, if she wants to punish someone from Yangxin Pavilion, she needs the consent of several elders from Yangxin Pavilion. Besides, you know the Pavilion Master is often lenient towards us; even if we make a small mistake, I believe the Pavilion Master won¡¯t fuss over it. Alright, if you two don¡¯t have the guts to go, then stay here. I¡¯ll go by myself."


    With that, Tong Nan walked towards Ling Chen and porridge girl.


    Seeing Tong Nan¡¯s actions, Song Yi and Liang Zheng exchanged a nce, nodded slightly, and followed Tong Nan¡¯s footsteps.


    "Have you met Miss Su?"


    "I have," porridge girl said. "I just went to greet her and n to stay in the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion for a few days. I heard someone say you were training here, so I came to find you."


    "Let¡¯s go, it¡¯s gettingte, let¡¯s go have breakfast."


    Porridge girl agreed, and was about to follow Ling Chen down the hillside when suddenly she heard Tong Nan¡¯s voice from behind: "Beauty, please wait a moment!"


    Porridge girl turned around, sizing up the quickly approaching Tong Nan, her eyebrows slightly raised, her eyes showing a hint of displeasure, and asked: "Do you need something?"


    As he approached, Tong Nan unabashedly admired porridge girl¡¯s beauty, then mboyantly flipped his bangs, a charming smile appearing on his lips, and said: "Beauty, let me introduce myself first. My name is Tong Nan, a disciple of Yangxin Pavilion. May I know how to address the beauty?"


    Seeing Tong Nan¡¯s frivolous demeanor, porridge girl coldly said: "Sorry, I have no interest in telling my name to a stranger. Ling Chen, let¡¯s go!"


    As porridge girl moved to leave, Tong Nan quickly stepped in front of the two, blocking their way.


    Ling Chen furrowed his brow and asked, "Tong Nan, what are you trying to do?"


    "Ling Chen, shut up, this has nothing to do with you, get lost and don¡¯t interfere with my business," Tong Nan said irritably.


    "Tong Nan, she is my friend, you better not have any intentions towards her. Otherwise, don¡¯t me me for being rude," Ling Chen warned.


    "Ha!" Tong Nan sneered contemptuously, "Is that a reminder or a threat? If it¡¯s a threat, I¡¯m afraid you are not qualified."


    Behind them, Song Yi chimed in: "Ling Chen, don¡¯t think just because you defeated me once you can strut around here. Tong Nan is a genuine Earthly List expert, he could squash you with one hand. I advise you to leave as far as you can and stop making a fool of yourself here."

 Chapter 708 - 713: Humiliation (2)

    <h4>Chapter 708: Chapter 713: Humiliation (2)</h4>


    "Shut up, all of you!" The Porridge Girl, seeing Tong Nan and Song Yi mocking Ling Chen, could no longer stand it and shouted, "If any of you dares to insult him again, don¡¯t me me for being merciless."


    Tsk, tsk!


    Tong Nan shook his head with a smile, looking at Ling Chen with a face full of mockery: "I thought you were so formidable, but it turns out you¡¯re just a coward who needs a woman to stand up for you, what a disgrace to men."


    "Exactly." Song Yi and Liang Zheng echoed in agreement.


    "Enough!"


    Hearing them continuously mocking Ling Chen, the Porridge Girl appeared very angry, her delicate face covered in frost.


    Feeling the Porridge Girl¡¯s anger, Tong Nan immediately became more restrained, and with a smile said, "Beauty, you¡¯ve misunderstood. We were just joking with Ling Chen, we¡¯re actually all friends."


    "Tong Nan, you might as well stop trying to self-aggrandize, who is your friend?"


    Just then, a voice came their way. Ling Chen and the others looked up to see Zhou Jun and Song Ge walking towards them; the speaker was none other than Zhou Jun.


    As he got closer, Zhou Jun swept a cold nce at Tong Nan and Song Yi, and snorted, "The people from Yangxin Pavilion are bing more and more presumptuous, even daring to flirt with the Pavilion Master¡¯s honored guests. Just wait, I will report this incident to the Pavilion Master exactly as it happened."


    Tong Nan snorted indifferently, said arrogantly, "Zhou Jun, if you want to snitch, go ahead and do it. If I¡¯m scared, I¡¯m not Tong Nan. But, don¡¯t say I didn¡¯t warn you. I am a disciple of Yangxin Pavilion, even if the Pavilion Master wants to punish me, she¡¯d have to see if my Master agrees."


    "What of Yangxin Pavilion? It¡¯s still under themand of the Pavilion Master. Do you dare to disobey her orders? Tong Nan, don¡¯t think that just because you are a disciple of Yangxin Pavilion, you can act recklessly in Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion. I¡¯m telling you, if you keep this up, you will eventually face severe punishment."


    "So what if I rely on Yangxin Pavilion? At least I count on my aptitude and abilities, unlike some people who neither have the aptitude nor the skill, and only get by with their old man¡¯s position in Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion."


    Although Tong Nan did not name names, everyone knew he was talking about Zhou Jun.


    Upon hearing this, Zhou Jun became infuriated, his face blotchy red with rage as he shouted, "Tong Nan, what do you want exactly? Let me tell you, stop being so arrogant here."


    Tong Nanughed disdainfully, "I am arrogant, and what can you do about it? You can¡¯t beat me in a fight, nor can youpete with my background. What do you have to evenpare with me? Zhou Jun, I know you¡¯re irritated by me. Is it because I¡¯ve been with the woman you like? To tell you the truth, you do have some taste. Despite her usual demure appearance like ady, she¡¯s quite wild in bed, which I quite enjoyed. Oh, right! I dumped her not long ago, so if you go to her now, I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll wee you. I have already trained her well, her skills in bed are outstanding, you¡¯ll be able to enjoy her right away, how wonderful!"


    With those words, Tong Nanughed loudly.


    "Tong Nan!" Zhou Jun gritted his teeth, both fists clenched, crackling sounds emitting from them, wishing he could punch Tong Nan to the ground.


    "What, not happy?" Tong Nan sneered, shaking his head, "What can you do about it, dare to take action against me?"


    Upon hearing this, Zhou Jun could no longer restrain his rage and shouted, "Bastard, I¡¯ll kill you!" With that, Zhou Jun grabbed the steel sword from Song Ge¡¯s hand and thrust it towards Tong Nan¡¯s vital spots.


    Seeing this, Song Yi and Liang Zheng shouted in unison, "Zhou Jun, you dare!"


    As Zhou Jun made his move, Ling Chen nced at the indifferent Tong Nan, who stood still and watched Zhou Jun with a smirk, a cold smile on his lips, and a fleeting glimpse of murderous intent in his eyes.


    Not good!


    Ling Chen¡¯s heart startled, mentally cursing the situation. It looked like Tong Nan was waiting to take a harsh action against Zhou Jun.


    Not to mention that Tong Nan had the backing of Yangxin Pavilion and wasn¡¯t afraid of being med, what¡¯s more, Zhou Jun was the first to strike, and if something happened to Zhou Jun, Tong Nan could use the excuse of self-defense to absolve himself of responsibility.


    Thinking of this, Ling Chen¡¯s toes tapped the ground, and he rushed forward, grabbing Zhou Jun from behind by the shoulders, pulling him back.


    With his strike interrupted, Zhou Jun immediately turned his gaze to Ling Chen, frowning, "Ling Chen, what are you doing?"


    "Don¡¯t be impulsive, even if you won¡¯t consider Tong Nan, you should consider yourself. Listen to me, now is not the time to cause trouble, let¡¯s go back first." Saying this, Ling Chen signaled Song Ge with his eyes.


    Thetter immediately understood, hurriedly walking to Zhou Jun¡¯s side and tugging at his arm, "Listen to Ling Chen, let¡¯s go."


    Under thebined efforts of Ling Chen and Song Ge, Zhou Jun was forcibly dragged away.


    Watching the departing trio of Ling Chen, Tong Nan called out with augh, "Zhou Jun, if you want to let off some steam, go find the woman you like, she¡¯s the best at relieving a man¡¯s needs."


    Hearing this, Zhou Jun¡¯s face turned pale, and if not for Ling Chen¡¯s firm grip, he probably would have run back.


    Back in the room, Zhou Jun angrily opened a bottle of wine, taking severalrge gulps. Seeing this, Ling Chen hurried to stop him, lest he get drunk in one go.


    "Alright, alright, stop being so angry," Ling Chen advised, "It¡¯s all in the past, no need to hold grudges against her."


    Song Ge spoke up indignantly, "That Tong Nan is really out of line, relying on his status as a disciple of Yangxin Pavilion, he doesn¡¯t take us seriously at all. No way, I must tell the Pavilion Master, she needs to avenge this humiliation on your behalf."


    Zhou Jun sighed and shook his head, "Forget it! Don¡¯t you know the delicate rtionship between the Pavilion Master and Yangxin Pavilion? Even though the Pavilion Master is in control of Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, she always shows great respect to the elders of Yangxin Pavilion, and rarely conflicts with the people of Yangxin Pavilion. So, even if I report this incident to the Pavilion Master, she won¡¯t say much, at most she¡¯ll downy this issue."


    Song Ge thought about it and sighed softly.


    "It¡¯s nobody¡¯s fault but my own for not being strong enough, if I were stronger, I wouldn¡¯t have to endure this humiliation."


    Seeing Zhou Jun looking dejected, Ling Chen patted his shoulder and said, "Enough, stop thinking about it. People like Tong Nan will eventually get theireuppance."


    As they talked, they suddenly heard a knock at the door.


    "You guys sit tight, I¡¯ll get the door." With that, Ling Chen went to the door and opened it, to see a young man around twenty-eight or twenty-nine years old standing outside.


    "Big Brother Yang?"


    Seeing the visitor, Ling Chen was momentarily stunned, then promptly stepped aside to wee him in.


    "Big Brother Yang, pleasee in!"

 Chapter 709 - 714: Valley

    <h4>Chapter 709: Chapter 714: Valley</h4>


    "I¡¯m not going in." Yang Tao spoke up: "I¡¯m here to let you know, Master asked me to find you and told you toe over, he has something to say to you."


    "Elder Du?" Ling Chen quickly nodded: "Okay, I¡¯lle with you right now." As he finished speaking, Ling Chen turned back to give Porridge Girl a gesture and then followed Yang Tao to Yangxin Pavilion.


    Arriving at Yangxin Pavilion, Ling Chen walked into the thatched hut and saw Du Kang leaning against the wall, holding a liquor gourd, drinking mouthfuls of alcohol. When Du Kang saw Ling Chene in, he wiped the liquor from the corner of his mouth and said, "Kid, you finally arrived. Didn¡¯t I tell you toe over in a couple of days? What took you so long?"


    With a smile, Ling Chen replied, "Elder Du, isn¡¯t it just morning? I haven¡¯t even had the chance to eat breakfast."


    "Enough! Don¡¯t bother eating now, let¡¯s go, we¡¯re short on time."


    Hearing this, Ling Chen curiously asked, "Elder Du, where are we going?"


    "You¡¯ll know when we get there." With that, Du Kang said no more and headed straight out of the hut.


    Following Du Kang¡¯s lead, Ling Chen and Yang Tao kept pace behind him, walking deeper into Yangxin Pavilion. This was Ling Chen¡¯s first timeing to this ce, and to his surprise, he discovered that the depths of Yangxin Pavilion were actually a valley.


    Furthermore, the valley was very deep, extending hundreds of meters inward. As Ling Chen walked, he observed the environment on both sides of the valley¡ªthere were many houses built on the surrounding hill slopes. Some houses were spaced tens of meters apart, while others were constructed on the peaks or precarious edges.


    However, those houses were quite old, weathered by years of wind and rain, now dpidated and in disarray.


    Noticing Ling Chen sizing up the houses, Du Kang began to exin, "These houses were once inhabited by the forebears of Yangxin Pavilion, all with histories of several hundreds of years. Only this ce where we are now can be truly called Yangxin Pavilion. Later, because the pavilion was filled with the elderly, the Pavilion Master decided to expand Yangxin Pavilion, epassing the outside area into the territory of Yangxin Pavilion."


    "Afterward, this area became a ce tomemorate the predecessors of Yangxin Pavilion, and since then, no one has lived here anymore."


    After listening to Du Kang¡¯s exnation, Ling Chen asked, "Elder Du, then why have wee here?"


    "Of course, there¡¯s something to be done."


    As they spoke, Ling Chen suddenly heard a cacophony of noisesing from deep within the valley.


    Not far ahead, Ling Chen looked and saw that not too far away, arge group of people had gathered¡ªSong Yi, Liang Zheng, and also Tong Nan, all of them were there, including the elders of Yangxin Pavilion and the experts of the Earthly List like Huang Zheng and Liang Tian.


    Roughly counting, there were at least thirty or forty people, more than half were elderly, while the other half consisted of young people and little children.


    Seeing this, Ling Chen¡¯s interest grew even more. It was not his first time at Yangxin Pavilion, but this was the first time he had seen so many people gathered.


    No wonder Su He had told him that whenever this grand event was held, the wandering elders of Yangxin Pavilion would return.


    "Come this way."


    Ling Chen was eager to move forward, to join the crowd and soak up the excitement, but suddenly Du Kang spoke up, leading Ling Chen and Yang Tao up a different path onto the hillside. At the top of the hillside there was a dpidated pavilion; although the structure was old, the spot offered a great view, allowing one to see everything below clearly.


    Du Kang settled himself in the pavilion, opened the liquor gourd, and started drinking on his own. Yang Tao, as usual, stayed put respectfully behind Du Kang.


    Ling Chen, however, was restless, all the more so now that everything around him piqued his interest.


    Standing on the hillside, Ling Chen watched the crowd below. He saw them gathering in groups, talking animatedly, but it was unclear what they were discussing. At the same time, even more people were arriving from outside the valley. In less than half an hour, the number of people in the valley had grown to fifty or sixty. Still, the young people and children made up the majority, with only a dozen or so older people present.


    However, even having just over a dozen was already quite remarkable.


    After all, apart from Yangxin Pavilion, there is nowhere else that can support so many high-level experts.


    It seems that everyone has almost arrived, as the crowd suddenly became quiet and all turned to look in one direction of the valley.


    Ling Chen noticed that there was a wooden hut in that direction, with its door tightly closed, and it was unknown whether there was anyone living inside.


    Just as he was thinking about it, the door of the wooden hut was abruptly pushed open. And then, a young man walked out from inside. As the young man drew closer, Ling Chen finally saw the other party¡¯s face clearly, and his heart couldn¡¯t help but be surprised.


    It¡¯s him!


    During hisst visit to the Yangxin Pavilion, Huang Zheng and Liang Tian had a big fight overpeting to take him as their apprentice. It was this young man who suddenly appeared, stopped their conflict, and even scolded them.


    Ling Chen remembered clearly, facing the young man¡¯s rebuke, Huang Zheng and Liang Tian didn¡¯t dare to utter any superfluous word, as if they were extremely fearful of the young man.


    Therefore, Ling Chen was very curious about the identity of this young man. What kind of person could make Huang Zheng and Liang Tian feel so wary?


    While he was contemting, the young man had already reached the crowd.


    As Ling Chen was observing the young man, he saw a surprising scene. Huang Zheng and the others bowed their bodies, actually paying respects to the young man. And it seemed as if the young man took such gestures asmonce.


    After everyone had finished paying their respects, the young man walked through the crowd to a stone tform not far away, then took out a wooden box from his person and ced it on top of the tform.


    A wooden box?


    Ling Chen looked at the exquisite wooden box, and couldn¡¯t help but wonder what was inside.


    "Elder Du." Ling Chen turned his head to look at Du Kang in the pavilion and asked, "What is in that wooden box?"


    "Inside there is the Nine Elements Pill."


    Nine Elements Pill!


    Ling Chen¡¯s eyes lit up and refocused his attention on the wooden box. At this moment, not just him, everyone in the valley had their eager gazes locked on the wooden box.


    The Nine Elements Pill is inside there...


    Ling Chen thought to himself, really wanting to rush over immediately and snatch the wooden box into his hands.


    After cing the wooden box down, the young man didn¡¯t say a word, and directly returned to the hut. After watching the young man depart, the other people in the valley gathered around the stone tform, examining the wooden box and chattering amongst themselves. Yet, from beginning to end, no one dared to touch the wooden box.


    Before long, everyone departed one after another, and the valley was instantly devoid of people.


    They left?


    Ling Chen watched the wooden box with a look of confusion on his face.


    Since the wooden box contained the Nine Elements Pill, why did everyone act so strangely?


    "Alright, stop looking, let¡¯s go."


    Hearing Du Kang¡¯s wordsing from behind, Ling Chen turned his head to ask, "Elder Du, are we leaving just like this?"

 Chapter 710 - 715: The Disappearance of Zhou Jun (1)

    <h4>Chapter 710: Chapter 715: The Disappearance of Zhou Jun (1)</h4>


    "Not going back and still staying here for what?" Du Kang replied indifferently, then started walking down the hillside.


    Seeing the two of them gradually walking away, Ling Chen dared not dally and quickly followed their pace, asking, "Elder Du, what¡¯s the matter after all? Since the Nine Elements Pill is there, why does everyone need to leave? Also, who was that young man just now?"


    Du Kang swayed the wine gourd in his hand and shook his head, saying, "You kid, always with so many questions. If the Nine Elements Pill is not brought out, how can this major event continue? The Nine Elements Pill from the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion is managed by them. In the past, when such major events were held, the ceremonies were very grand. However, over the years, if things can be simplified, they are. Besides, everyone has lost interest in those so-called ceremonies, so they just show up to express the importance of the event. Only after the Nine Elements Pill is taken out can the event continue."


    "What about that young man?" Ling Chen pressed on. He always felt that the young man¡¯s identity was very mysterious; otherwise, why would masters like Huang Zheng and Liang Zheng show such respect for him? Could it be that the young man¡¯s strength was even greater than theirs?


    Ling Chen found this hard to believe from the bottom of his heart. Regardless of how excellent that young man¡¯s talents were, Huang Zheng and the others were, after all, masters who had studied for seventy or eighty years, not to bepared with ordinary people. Therefore, Ling Chen thought there might be another possibility.


    That young man must have a master behind him.


    Du Kang had mentioned before that this valley was the original site of Yangxin Pavilion. After extending Yangxin Pavilion, the valley was gradually abandoned, bing a piece of history for the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, no longer inhabited. However, the young man lived in the deepest part of the valley, which probably had extraordinary significance.


    "You mean that young man?" Du Kang seemed to be talking to himself, murmuring, "That person... it¡¯s better for you to know less." After a pause, without waiting for Ling Chen to speak again, Du Kang suddenly changed the subject, asking, "Did you see all those people who came just now?"


    Ling Chen nodded.


    "Your opponents are among those people, but there are four that you should pay special attention to. Later, I¡¯ll have Yang Tao tell you, and also give you some advice, so you know what to watch out for, to avoid being unable tost even a minute in the ring, which would be too embarrassing."


    "Yes, I¡¯ll trouble Brother Yangter."


    On the way back, Ling Chen looked at the green woods on both sides of the road, and suddenly a thought came to mind.


    "Elder Du..."


    Hearing Ling Chen speak, Du Kang red with impatience and said, "Why do you have so many questions, kid? Spit it out, what is it now?"


    "Well... it¡¯s like this..."


    Some time ago, Ling Chen, along with Zhou Jun and Song Ge, hade to Yangxin Pavilion to search for Zhu Hong¡¯s whereabouts and had by chance met a young man of simr age to himself, Yang Zhe. At that time, they followed Yang Zhe into a forest and discovered a prisoner chained up within. The prisoner had broken free of one arm, and the situation was urgent. Fortunately, they helped Yang Zhe control the prisoner. However, when they asked about itter, Yang Zhe remained silent about the prisoner¡¯s matter.


    Since Elder Du was a Heavenly List master, he must be well-informed about the affairs of Yangxin Pavilion.


    After listening to Ling Chen¡¯s story, Du Kang suddenly stopped walking, staring straight into Ling Chen¡¯s eyes and asked, "You¡¯ve seen that person?"


    "Yes. Elder Du, that person is..."


    "Okay!" Before Ling Chen could finish speaking, Du Kang interrupted him with a wave, saying sternly, "Don¡¯t ask anymore about this matter, and, what you saw that day, pretend you didn¡¯t see it, it¡¯s better forgotten, and don¡¯t mention it in front of others. Otherwise, you might bring trouble upon yourself."


    Seeing how serious Du Kang was, Ling Chen immediately shut his mouth. But the more mysterious Du Kang acted, the more curious Ling Chen¡¯s heart grew. Unfortunately, he was an outsider, and the secrets of Yangxin Pavilion would probably not be shared with him.


    Returning to Du Kang¡¯s residence, Yang Tao, following Du Kang¡¯s instructions, gave Ling Chen a rough idea of the situation.


    When leaving, Du Kang suddenly asked, "I heard that all eight of your odd fellows havee?"


    "They have."


    "Then do this, when youe over tomorrow, remember to bring all the eight odd fellows along, if anyone stops you, tell them it¡¯s my order."


    Ling Chen was slightly startled, puzzled, and asked, "Elder Du, why do you want them toe?"


    Since the event was organized by Yangxin Pavilion, it was not likely to be open to outsiders, yet Du Kang specifically allowed Qiu Yong and the others to attend, which Ling Chen found strange.


    "I¡¯m having theme just to act as witnesses, not forcing you to go to your death. If something happens to you, they can be the proof, so it doesn¡¯t bring trouble for me and the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion."


    Uh...


    Hearing this, Ling Chen secretly smiled bitterly to himself. He thought there was some other reason, but it turned out to be this. It was clear that Du Kang did not have much faith in him. But he understood; after all, a Dragon List masterpeting against Earthly List masters, no one would hold much hope.


    Leaving Yangxin Pavilion, Ling Chen went straight to his room.


    The martial artspetition would start tomorrow, and today was thest day. He must rest well, conserve his energy, and prepare fully for tomorrow.


    After dinner, Ling Chen made a phone call to Nanrong Wanqing, chatting on the phone for over half an hour until the sound of Song Ge¡¯s voice came from outside the door, prompting Ling Chen to hang up.


    Opening the door, and seeing Song with an anxious face, Ling Chen asked, "Big Brother Song, what¡¯s the rush?"


    "Have you seen Zhou Jun? I¡¯ve looked everywhere for him and can¡¯t find him. I don¡¯t know where he¡¯s gone."


    "Zhou Jun? Aren¡¯t you usually together?"


    "This morning after you left, Zhou Jun went back by himself. I wanted to call him for lunch, but he was nowhere to be found. Elder Zhou said he hasn¡¯t seen Zhou Jun all day. I¡¯m worried... maybe he was upset this morning, and so..."


    Ling Chen shook his head and said, "No, Zhou Jun is not that kind of person. People trained by Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion don¡¯t have such weak mental strength. Don¡¯t worry, maybe he has something to do. Let¡¯s wait a bit longer; if he really doesn¡¯te back, we¡¯ll tell Elder Zhou to have someone search for him."


    Song Ge sighed lightly and nodded, "That¡¯s all we can do."


    ...


    In the blink of an eye, it was already midnight. Under the shroud of darkness, the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion fell into silence, quiet as a whisper, with only the sound of the mountain wind brushing over the rooftops and whistling through the mountain gaps.


    Inside his room, Ling Chen nced at the time, frowning slightly. Thiste and Zhou Jun had yet to return, Ling Chen couldn¡¯t help but worry.


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 Chapter 711 - 716: The Disappearance of Zhou Jun (2)

    <h4>Chapter 711: Chapter 716: The Disappearance of Zhou Jun (2)</h4>


    "Ling Chen, it¡¯s sote already. Zhou Jun still hasn¡¯te back. Should we go and inform Elder Zhou?"


    Hearing Song Ge speak, Ling Chen nodded and replied, "We should tell Elder Zhou. If Zhou Jun had somethinge up, he would¡¯ve let us know in advance and wouldn¡¯t just disappear without reason. I think he must¡¯ve run into some trouble."


    Immediately, the two of them left the room and hurried to where Zhou Qi was residing.


    Upon entering the house, Ling Chen got straight to the point and told Zhou Qi about Zhou Jun¡¯s disappearance. After listening, Zhou Qi frowned and said, "I was just wondering where that kid had gotten off to, not showing his face the whole day and not back even thiste." After speaking, Zhou Qi asked, "Mr. Ling, you just mentioned that there was a conflict between you and Tong Nan this morning?"


    "It was just a verbal altercation. Zhou Jun was very angry at the time and couldn¡¯t help but start a fight, but we stopped him. Aftering back, I gave him some advice, and then I had to go to Yangxin Pavilion. ording to Song, Zhou Jun was missing by noon."


    Zhou Qi nodded and said, "Alright, I¡¯ve got it. You don¡¯t have to worry about it; I¡¯ll immediately send someone to find him. As long as he¡¯s still in Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, we¡¯ll definitely find his whereabouts."


    "He¡¯s definitely in Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion." Song Ge chimed in. "I asked the guards responsible for the pavilion¡¯s entrances and exits, and they haven¡¯t seen Zhou Jun enter or leave today." Saying this, Song Ge looked worried and added, "I¡¯m wondering, could he have gone to Yangxin Pavilion to take revenge on Tong Nan?"


    "That won¡¯t happen," Zhou Qi said. "Zhou Jun is my grandson. He¡¯s not that kind of person. Despite seeming clueless and as if he doesn¡¯t take anything seriously, he knows what¡¯s important and what to do and not to do. Tong Nan is from Yangxin Pavilion, and Zhou Jun is well aware of the delicate rtionship between the Pavilion Master and Yangxin Pavilion, so he would never do anything to make it difficult for the Pavilion Master."


    Ling Chen muttered to himself, "Then where could he have gone?"


    "Stop worrying about this matter; I¡¯ll find him." After saying that, Zhou Qi strode out of the room, beginning to summon his subordinates to search for Zhou Jun.


    Although Zhou Qi told Ling Chen and his group to go back, Ling Chen and Song Ge were concerned for Zhou Jun¡¯s safety and did not wish to leave, instead following Zhou Qi out.


    Soon, Zhou Qi gathered more than twenty Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion Disciples and began a systematic search of Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion. Ling Chen and Song closely followed the team, checking each room one by one.


    Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion had two high-rise buildings that were specifically for the living quarters of Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion Disciples, amodating around two hundred people with over one hundred rooms. To search through all these rooms would take a considerable amount of time.


    Fortunately, all those residing in this building were male, and with their cooperation, the search effort went smoothly. In less than an hour, they had finished with one building and found no trace of Zhou Jun.


    "Elder Zhou, shall we check over there?" Song Ge pointed to the high-rise building opposite them and asked.


    "Over there..." Zhou Qi looked hesitant. After all, that building was inhabited by women, and it was strictly forbidden for men to enter. If Zhou Qi brought arge group of men over there, he expected it would provoke manyints.


    He didn¡¯t care much, but the impact wouldn¡¯t be good.


    While pondering, Song Ge spoke up, "Elder Zhou, don¡¯t hesitate. Zhou Jun¡¯s safety is more important. Even if the Pavilion Master finds out, she would surely understand Elder Zhou¡¯s feelings and wouldn¡¯t me you."


    "This..." Zhou Qi thought for a moment, his eyes suddenly filled with determination, and he nodded, "Okay then, Song, you go over first and give notice, to avoid any misunderstandingster."


    "Yes." Song Ge saluted with his hands clenched in a fist and immediately retreated.


    Ten minutes passed, and Zhou Qi arrived with arge group of people at the bottom of that building.


    Seeing Zhou Qi with a stern face, the two female Disciples responsible for guarding the entrance did not dare to hinder him. They stepped aside and weed Zhou Qi in.


    "Start the search from the first floor, and remember, don¡¯t be too reckless," Zhou Qi instructed.


    "Yes!"


    The crowd responded in unison, scattering in all directions.


    Song Ge and Ling Chen followed behind Zhou Qi, ascended the staircase to the second floor, and then stood at the stairwell, waiting for the results of the other¡¯s searches.


    It was at that moment, from one of the rooms on the second floor, that a sharp scream suddenly erupted. Then there was a loud ¡¯bang¡¯ ¨C the door was kicked open from the inside, and a woman with disheveled clothes and hair burst out, crying for help while running towards Zhou Qi and the others.


    As the woman approached, Ling Chen finally saw her clearly. She was rather attractive, with delicate features, long ck hair, and bright eyes. However, at this moment, her cheeks were marked with tear stains, and her eyes were filled with swirling tears. Furthermore, her blouse seemed to be torn, exposing arge area of her fair skin. With her movement, her ample bosom bounced enticingly.


    As the woman came closer, Zhou Qi¡¯s expression turned extremely sour. He stepped forward to block the woman andmanded coldly, "Stop!"


    "Elder Zhou!"


    There was a ¡¯thud¡¯ as the woman suddenly knelt down, clutched at Zhou Qi¡¯s right leg, and wept, "Elder Zhou, save me, please save me."


    Zhou Qi snorted andmanded, "Let go!" With that, he shook his right foot, forcefully freeing her hands.


    Ling Chen found Zhou Qi¡¯s reaction peculiar. He had spent a fair amount of time with Zhou Qi but had never seen him act so callously. Given the woman¡¯s pitiful state, anyone would be moved topassion. Yet Zhou Qi not only disyed no concern; he even kicked her away, which seemedpletely unjustifiable.


    Song Ge, seemingly aware of Ling Chen¡¯s puzzled look, moved closer and spoke softly, "That woman was once a love interest of Zhou Jun."


    "So it¡¯s her!" Ling Chen was startled and suddenly understood. No wonder Zhou Qi showed disdain for the woman; that exined it.


    However, seeing the woman¡¯s disheveled appearance, as if she had been vited, Ling Chen¡¯s expression turned grave.


    Could it be that...


    While contemting, he heard a Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion Disciple¡¯s voice, "Elder Zhou, we¡¯ve found Zhou Jun."


    Ling Chen¡¯s gaze followed, noticing the Disciple standing outside a room ¨C the same room the woman had run out of.


    This isn¡¯t good!


    For some reason, a very bad feeling crept into Ling Chen¡¯s heart, and he hurriedly rushed towards the room.


    Once at the door, Ling Chen looked inside, his expression instantly shifting to shock, frozen as he stared at Zhou Jun in the room, momentarily at a loss for words.


    "Ling Chen, what¡¯s wrong?"


    As the questionnded, Song Ge rushed over from behind and cast his gaze inside the room, his face, much like Ling Chen¡¯s, suddenly became nk.


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 Chapter 712 - 717: The Disappearance of Zhou Jun (3)

    <h4>Chapter 712: Chapter 717: The Disappearance of Zhou Jun (3)</h4>


    In the room, Zhou Juny on the bed, his bodypletely bare, covered by a nket from the waist down. Clothes were scattered on the floor beside the bed, along with several empty wine bottles, filling the room with the smell of alcohol. At this moment, Zhou Jun¡¯s eyes were closed, snoring loudly like thunder, having fallen into a deep sleep,pletely unaware of the noise outside.


    "This..." Song Ge looked at Ling Chen, then at the others, his face bewildered: "Ling, what should we do now?"


    Hearing Song Ge speak, Ling Chen finally reacted, hastily asking the others at the door to leave, only keeping himself and Song Ge, then closing the door. He hurried to Zhou Jun¡¯s side and shook him.


    "Zhou Jun, wake up! Come on, wake up!"


    But no matter how Ling Chen and Song Ge shouted, Zhou Jun did not respond, clearly having drunk himself to unconsciousness.


    Seeing this, Ling Chen had no choice but to pull Zhou Jun up from the bed and pped him across the face.


    After several ps, the sleeping Zhou Jun finally woke up. He rubbed his eyes, looked at Ling Chen and Song Ge all groggy, and yawned continuously, asking: "Ling Chen, what... why are you guys... here?"


    Song Ge spoke gravely, "Zhou Jun, you better wake up fast, this isn¡¯t the time to sleep."


    Ling Chen added, "Do you remember what happened earlier?"


    "I... I seem to... have been drinking..." Saying this, Zhou Jun turned his head to look around, his expression slightly changing as he eximed in surprise: "How... how am I here, where is this?"


    Seeing the look of surprise on Zhou Jun¡¯s face, Ling Chen and Song Ge exchanged nces, sensing a hint of trouble from each other¡¯s eyes.


    Ling Chen turned back, his expression solemn, "Zhou Jun, this is no joke; think carefully, what exactly happened earlier? Could it be... did you... with a woman..."


    "Woman?" Zhou Jun asked puzzled: "What woman? Ling Chen, what exactly are you talking about?"


    "Ah!" Song Ge sighed and said, "Zhou Jun, don¡¯t you remember whose room this is? This is Zhu Ying¡¯s ce, haven¡¯t you been here before? Howe you don¡¯t have any recollection?"


    Zhu Ying?


    Zhou Jun¡¯s expression changed, he quickly looked around, and eximed in surprise, "How... how did I end up in her room? I clearly remember drinking alone outside, and then... then..." As he spoke, a look of confusion appeared on Zhou Jun¡¯s face, as if he was struggling to recall what had happened during the day.


    "Right! I remember when I was drinking, I bumped into Zhu Ying, we had a small chat, and then... we drank a few drinks together..."


    Song Ge pressed, "And then what?"


    Zhou Jun shook his head, "I forgot what happened after that. When I woke up, I saw you guys, if you hadn¡¯t told me, I wouldn¡¯t have known this was Zhu Ying¡¯s room."


    "You..." Just as Ling Chen was about to speak, a ¡¯bang¡¯ sounded, and the room¡¯s door was kicked open from the outside. Right after, Zhou Qi appeared at the door with a livid face and strode in.


    Seeing his grandfather appear, Zhou Jun was suddenly shocked, hurriedly got up from the bed. However, just as he moved, he realized he was wearing nothing, his face instantly blushing red, quickly covered his vital parts with a nket, looking awkwardly at Ling Chen and Song Ge, stammering, "You... I... how did I..."


    Ling Chen opened his mouth, but the words at his lips were swallowed back. At this point, saying anything was useless. Many people had seen Zhou Jun¡¯s state, and with Zhu Ying¡¯s recent disheveled appearance, there was no need to ask further; everyone already understood what had happened.


    Once this matter spreads, it will not only cause Zhou Jun to lose face but also leave Elder Zhou with no ce to show his face. When the timees, not just Zhou Jun, but Elder Zhou won¡¯t be able to stay at the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion anymore.


    Harsh, too harsh!


    Ling Chen frowned secretly, no need to say, the incident clearly involved someone plotting behind the scenes. As for who it was, he couldn¡¯t determine yet, however, even if he didn¡¯t know, Zhu Ying surely did.


    At this moment, Elder Zhou walked to the bedside, looked at Zhou Jun lying on the bed, his face not looking natural, and snorted lightly, saying nothing more than, "Dress up,e back with me."


    After saying that, Elder Zhou turned around and left the room. Ling Chen and Song Ge exchanged nces, then followed Elder Zhou¡¯s steps, leaving the room together.


    Outside the room, Zhu Ying was draped in a coat, leaning against the wall with her hands covering her face, sobbing non-stop, surrounded by several women, probably friends living next to her,forting her.


    However, no matter what they said, Zhu Ying kept crying non-stop, screaming about seeking justice from the Pavilion Master.


    "Enough, stop crying!"


    Elder Zhou said impatiently, "I will investigate this matter clearly and will eventually give you justice."


    "No, Elder Zhou, it¡¯s not that I don¡¯t trust you, but Zhou Jun is your grandson, after dishonoring me like this, aren¡¯t you going to cover up for him?"


    "You..." Elder Zhou¡¯s face turned cold, his fists clenched, feeling an urge to throw a punch. He took a deep breath, his anger subsiding slightly, and said coldly, "Since you are seeking justice from the Pavilion Master, go ahead then." With that, Elder Zhou waved his sleeve and strode towards the outside of the building.


    Not long after Elder Zhou had left, Zhou Jun came out of the room.


    As soon as Zhou Jun appeared, Zhu Ying immediately burst into tears, rushed over and yelled fiercely, "You bastard, you ruined my innocence, I must kill you today!"


    Seeing Zhu Ying¡¯s impulsive action, Ling Chen frowned, immediately stepped in front of her, caught her wrist gently, and just a slight pull made Zhu Ying lose her bnce, suddenly swaying to the side and leaning against the wall.


    "Song, you take Zhou Jun away first."


    "Alright." Song Ge responded, immediately pulling Zhou Jun away.


    "Wait! I..." Zhou Jun wanted to exin, but before he could speak, Song Ge had already dragged him away.


    Only after Song Ge and Zhou Jun had left did Ling Chen let go of Zhu Ying, his expression stern, "I¡¯m telling you, don¡¯t think I¡¯m unaware of the tricks you¡¯re ying. It would be wise for you not to stick to this matter any longer, and also, tell the people behind you, if they dare touch a single hair on Zhou Jun again, don¡¯t me me for being unkind."


    Zhu Ying was stunned for a moment, then scoffed, "Are you threatening me? Ling Chen, I know you, what right does an outsider have to interfere in my matters? Moreover, I advise you not to meddle in affairs that aren¡¯t yours, otherwise, you might not know who will end up unlucky."


    "Fine, we¡¯ll see about that."


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 Chapter 713 - 718 Resignation

    <h4>Chapter 713: Chapter 718 Resignation</h4>


    Catching up with Zhou Jun and Song Ge, Ling Chen and his twopanions went straight back to their room. Upon entering, they saw Zhou Qi sitting in a chair, his face gloomy, fists clenched, and bulging veins visible on his forehead. Clearly, the events from before had left him very angry. At this moment, he was forcefully suppressing his rage, preventing himself from exploding.


    Seeing his grandfather so angry, Zhou Jun hesitated for a moment, then approached Zhou Qi and said with his head bowed: "Grandfather, I... I am sorry for letting you down."


    Zhou Qi looked up at his grandson, took a deep breath, and a hint of disappointment shed in his eyes. After a while, he sighed softly and shook his head: "Forget it, I know you were framed this time. Besides, what has happened has already urred, and it¡¯s useless to me you now. Let¡¯s think more about how to ovee this difficult situation."


    "Elder Zhou, who do you think is behind the framing of Zhou Jun?" Song Ge asked.


    "How should I know? I¡¯ve been serving the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion for so many years, always diligent withoutint, never making enemies with anyone. I can¡¯t think of anyone who would target me," Zhou Qi replied, ncing at Zhou Jun. "This incident must be rted to you. Think about who you have offended to have provoked someone¡¯s revenge."


    "It must be Tong Nan!" Ling Chen said in a grave tone. "We had a conflict with Tong Nan this morning; it must be his way of retaliating. And that Zhu Ying used to have dealings with Tong Nan. Given their rtion, it is likely that Tong Nan directed her from behind the scenes, plotting for Zhu Ying to frame Zhou Jun."


    Pausing, Ling Chen continued: "Tong Nan is a very cautious man. If we confront him directly, he will definitely wash his hands of this affair. Plus, we have no evidence, so we can do nothing to him. However, we can start with Zhu Ying. No matter what, she is a woman after all, and if we apply certain methods, I doubt she would remain silent."


    Zhou Qi waved his hand dismissively: "You all are oversimplifying the matter. Even as we speak now, Zhu Ying must have gone to plead with the Pavilion Master. Even if the Pavilion Master believes us, too many people saw Zhou Jun in Zhu Ying¡¯s room, and... the most important point is that Zhou Jun did have rtions with that woman. With that connection, no matter how Zhou Jun defends himself, it¡¯s useless."


    "This..."


    Ling Chen and Song Ge nced at Zhou Jun and were suddenly at a loss for words, unsure of what to say.


    When they encountered Zhu Ying before, not only was she dressed in disarray, with various signs of tearing on her clothing. Additionally, the observant Ling Chen noticed that Zhu Ying had many bruises on her body. All these pieces of evidence were sufficient to prove that Zhu Ying¡¯s body had been forcefully vited, not of her own volition. Thus, with just this point alone, as long as Zhu Ying insisted that she was forced by Zhou Jun, Zhou Jun would have no defense.


    Thinking to this point, Ling Chen couldn¡¯t help but sigh. Zhou Qi was right; this matter was indeed difficult to handle.


    As he was thinking, a ¡¯knock knock knock¡¯ came from outside the door.


    Song Ge got up and opened the door, only to see a Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion Disciple standing outside. He cupped his fists towards Zhou Qi and said: "Elder Zhou, the Pavilion Master requests your and Zhou Jun¡¯s presence."


    "I understand. You may leave now," Zhou Qi dismissed him, then stood up and said: "Let¡¯s go. What is inevitable will eventuallye, we can¡¯t escape it."


    Ling Chen asked: "Elder Zhou, do you want us to apany you?"


    "No need. This is our own family affair; you need not interfere. Besides, at this point, having more people is useless," Zhou Qi replied as he straightened his clothes, then strode out.


    Watching Zhou Qi leave, Ling Chen patted Zhou Jun on the shoulder and said: "Go on, no matter the oue, we will support you from behind."


    Zhou Jun nodded, said nothing, and followed Zhou Qi¡¯s steps, leaving the room together.


    "Sigh." After seeing off Zhou Qi and Zhou Jun, Song Ge sighed helplessly and said: "I really didn¡¯t expect such a thing to happen. Tong Nan is too ruthless; as a disciple of the Yangxin Pavilion, to plot and frame one of his own."


    Ling Chen frowned and said: "Don¡¯t think too much for now. Elder Zhou has served the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion for many years; he has been through hardships even if not meritorious. I believe Miss Su won¡¯t forget past favors. Whatever we say now is useless; let¡¯s just calmly await the oue."


    It was now two o¡¯clock in the morning, and there was a grand event at the Yangxin Pavilion to attend tomorrow. They should have been resting properly, conserving their energy, but the events that had transpired left Ling Chen in no mood to think of anything else.


    After about half an hour, footsteps sounded from outside, and Ling Chen quickly opened the door. As expected, it was Zhou Qi and Zhou Jun who returned.


    "Elder Zhou, what was the oue?" Ling Chen and Song Ge asked eagerly.


    Zhou Jun, head lowered, silently walked into the room, then sat down alone on a chair, his face full of loss and regret.


    Zhou Qi sighed softly and said: "Considering the many years I¡¯ve served the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, the Pavilion Master has decided not to pursue Zhou Jun¡¯s mistake. As for Zhu Ying... the Pavilion Master will find a way to appease her, providing somepensation."


    Hearing this, Ling Chen and Song Ge simultaneously breathed a sigh of relief, thankful that nothing worse had happened.


    "All right, don¡¯t just sit there, hurry back and pack your things," Zhou Qi said to Zhou Jun.


    "Pack?" Song Ge asked, puzzled: "Elder Zhou, why packing?"


    Zhou Qi replied indifferently: "I have already tendered my resignation to the Pavilion Master. We will leave Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion tomorrow morning and henceforth will have no further association with it."


    "What?"


    Ling Chen was shocked and asked: "Elder Zhou, didn¡¯t you say the Pavilion Master is not going to pursue the matter? Why..."


    "The Pavilion Master may not be pursuing the matter, but having this scandal spread, where would we still have the face to stay at the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion? This is the best course of action. Before the matter blows up, it¡¯s better to handle it as soon as possible, so as not to make it difficult for the Pavilion Master." Zhou Qi paused then looked at Ling Chen and Song Ge: "Don¡¯t feel upset on our behalf; this is already the best oue. Having friends like you is fortunate for Zhou Jun. Besides, leaving the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, we can live freely outside without so many restrictions, which can actually be more rxing."


    Although Zhou Qi spoke casually, Ling Chen could feel the helplessness and reluctance in his words. He knew that Zhou Qi had spent decades in the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, almost dedicating his entire life to it. For Zhou Qi, the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion was his home. Now faced with such a situation, his heart must be ufortable.


    "Zhou Jun, let¡¯s go."


    Zhou Jun nodded, stood up, and looked at Ling Chen and Song Ge. His handsome face forced a smile and he said: "Don¡¯t worry about me, I¡¯m fine. Ling Chen, if I ever go to East Sea City, I¡¯ll definitely look you up. You¡¯ll have to treat me well then."

 Chapter 714 - 719: The Grand Gathering of Heavenly Secrets (1)

    <h4>Chapter 714: Chapter 719: The Grand Gathering of Heavenly Secrets (1)</h4>


    After Zhou Qi and Zhou Jun left, the one who found it hardest to let go was Song Ge. Ever since he joined the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, he spent every day with Zhou Jun, and the two of them had a great rtionship. Moreover, unlike Ling Chen, he was a man of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion and had to abide by its rules. With Zhou Jun gone, he feared there would be few chances to see him again. So, witnessing his friend being treated unfairly was undoubtedly the most distressing for him.


    Ling Chen patted Song Ge¡¯s shoulder andforted him, "Big Brother Song, don¡¯t overthink it. What¡¯s done is done; we can only look on the bright side."


    "I know, it¡¯s just that... sigh, forget it. The more I talk about it, the angrier I get. Ling, it¡¯s gettingte, and you should rest. I won¡¯t disturb you any further." With that, Song Ge stepped out and left the room.


    ...


    The next day.


    Ling Chen woke up early in the morning, ready to see Zhou Qi and Zhou Jun off. But upon reaching Zhou Jun¡¯s room, he only saw several members of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion cleaning out the room. He hastened to the door and peeked inside, only to find that the room¡¯s contents had been cleared out.


    Seeing this, Ling Chen stopped a young man who wasing out and asked, "Where is Zhou Jun?"


    The other man took a look at Ling Chen and said, "Don¡¯t you know? They left the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilionst night."


    Last night?


    Ling Chen was startled, not expecting Zhou Qi and Zhou Jun to leave without saying goodbye. After a moment of thought, he understood. Zhou Jun had caused quite a scandal, losing all face; it made sense that Zhou Qi would not wait until daylight to leave.


    At that thought, Ling Chen sighed. He had wanted to see them off, but now it appeared he would have to seek Zhou Jun out in the future. Fortunately, he still had Zhou Jun¡¯s contact information, so he wasn¡¯t worried about not being able to find him.


    As Ling Chen was leaving, he ran into Song Ge, who, like him, hade to send off Zhou Qi and Zhou Jun. Hearing that the two had already left the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion early, Song Ge¡¯s mood seemed somewhat downcast.


    "Big Brother Song, don¡¯t be too sad. There will always be a chance to meet in the future. I still have things to do, so let¡¯s not chat now. I¡¯lle find you when I return tonight."


    After separating from Song Ge, Ling Chen went straight to Qiu Yong and others¡¯ room and called everyone together. Yesterday, Elder Du had instructed him to bring the eight entrics with him.


    Walking towards the Yangxin Pavilion, Wei Jiahao excitedly said, "I¡¯ve long heard Big Brother mention the Yangxin Pavilion of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, saying it¡¯s the most mysterious ce. Who would have thought we¡¯d get the chance to see it today?"


    Qiu Yong smiled and nodded, "I never expected it either. I heard entry to the Yangxin Pavilion is forbidden to outsiders, and even members of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion have no right to enter unless they have the Pavilion Master¡¯s permission. We¡¯re fortunate to have a chance to broaden our horizons thanks to Ling Cheng."


    Listening to everyone¡¯s conversation, the smile on Ling Chen¡¯s face seemed somewhat strained. Their visit to the Yangxin Pavilion wasn¡¯t for sightseeing, but to witness his contest. If anything were to happen to him during the contest, with Qiu Yong and the others as witnesses, the me would not fall on the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion. It must be said, Elder Du really knows how to consider the Pavilion¡¯s interests.


    Upon arriving at the Yangxin Pavilion, Ling Chen led Qiu Yong and the others directly to Elder Du¡¯s residence.


    Coincidentally, just as they arrived, Elder Du and Yang Tao came out of the house, Elder Du holding a wine gourd, seemingly ready to set off for the grand event.


    "Elder Du!" Ling Chen quickened his pace, greeted Elder Du with a fist and palm salute, and then greeted ¡¯Big Brother Yang¡¯.


    Qiu Yong and the others hurried to catch up, with respectful salutes. Beforeing, Ling Chen had briefed them about Elder Du¡¯s status, so everyone was careful not to make a faux pas.


    Elder Du nodded and said, "There¡¯s no need to be so formal with me; this old man doesn¡¯t care for such worldly courtesy. Ling Chen, it¡¯s about time, let¡¯s hurry up and get going. We don¡¯t want to bete and miss the drawing for the lots."


    Thereupon, the group followed behind Elder Du and Yang Tao, making their way to the valley of the Yangxin Pavilion.


    Upon entering the valley, Ling Chen immediately noticed that today¡¯s setup was very different from yesterday. When he came yesterday, the valley was empty with only a few decrepit houses, but today, there were many disciples of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, all fully armed, stationed in various parts of the valley.


    On the slopes on both sides of the valley, there were dozens of gs nted, each bearing the unique broken sword emblem of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion.


    The deeper they went, the livelier it became; almost everyone with status in the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion hade.


    Moreover, there was a fighting ring set up at the very depths of the valley. The ring was square, with a diameter of twenty meters, very spacious, and on both sides, there were racks of weapons, all kinds¡ªswords, spears, halberds, and more¡ªeach emitting a chilling gleam, razor-sharp.


    Following behind Elder Du, Ling Chen and Qiu Yong smoothly made their way into the valley.


    At this moment, the area surrounding the ring was crowded, mostly with people from the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion and Yangxin Pavilion. Ling Chen noticed that on a hillside not far from the ring, a tform had been erected, with over a dozen people sitting on it, including Huang Zheng and Liang Tian. The others were all around seventy or eighty years old, presumably the elders and reclusive experts of the Yangxin Pavilion.


    As a master of the Heavenly List, Elder Du¡¯s arrival immediately drew everyone¡¯s attention, with people respectfully saluting and then moving to the sides to make way.


    "All right!" Elder Du turned his head back and said to Yang Tao and Ling Chen, "You guys stay here; I¡¯ll go up and greet those old fellows. Ling Chen, be carefulter, and if you have any questions, ask Yang Tao; he¡¯ll tell you what to do."


    "Yes."


    Watching Elder Du leave, Yuan Yun asked curiously, "Ling Cheng, what did Elder Du mean by being careful?"


    "It¡¯s nothing." Ling Chen replied evasively, "Third Brother, it¡¯s not often wee here; let¡¯s go around and look first."


    No sooner had his voice faded than a sarcastic voice reached them, "Yo! Isn¡¯t this Ling Chen, the number one on the Neer List? When did you join our Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion?"


    Ling Chen turned his head, following the voice, and saw Tong Nan walking towards him with Song Yi and Liang Zheng.


    Seeing the sneering look on Tong Nan¡¯s face, Ling Chen¡¯s eyebrows twitched, and a cold harshness shed through his pupils, reminiscent of Mo Che.


    Approaching, Song Yi looked at Ling Chen¡¯s left and right and asked with a half-smile, "Ling Chen, aren¡¯t you usually seen running around with that kid Zhou Jun? Howe we only see you today and not him?"


    Sure enough!


    Ling Chen narrowed his eyes; he had always suspected that Zhou Jun¡¯s incident might have been engineered by Tong Nan and his cohorts. Now, it seemed highly likely that they were the masterminds behind it.

 Chapter 715 - 720: The Grand Gathering of Heavenly Secrets (2)

    <h4>Chapter 715: Chapter 720: The Grand Gathering of Heavenly Secrets (2)</h4>


    However, although Ling Chen knew it was their doing, he was frustrated by theck of evidence.


    After thinking for a moment, Ling Chen spoke up: "Song Yi, don¡¯t think I don¡¯t know what you¡¯ve done. Remember this: Zhou Jun is my friend, and you schemed against him. I will settle this ount with you sooner orter."


    "With just you?" Song Yi sneered and said, "You..."


    "Enough!" Before Song Yi could finish his words, Tong Nan suddenly cut him off and looked at Ling Chen, "Ling Chen, I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about, nor do I know what happened to Zhou Jun. In any case, don¡¯t pin everything on us, or else don¡¯t me me for using you of defamation. Let¡¯s go!" With that, Tong Nan waved his hand and left with Song Yi and Liang Zheng, disappearing into the crowd.


    "Do you have a grudge against them?" Yang Tao asked from the side.


    Ling Chen shook his head: "I have no grudge with them, but they framed my friend and forced him out of Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion."


    "No matter if you have a grudge with them or not, just don¡¯t involve us. We¡¯re not your talisman, nor your backing. Also, you must know the rules of Yangxin Pavilion; people from Yangxin Pavilion absolutely must not fight amongst themselves, or they will face severe punishment. Whether it¡¯s us disciples or the masters, everyone must follow this rule."


    After hearing this, Ling Chen nodded slightly: "I understand."


    Yang Tao¡¯s meaning was clear, he did not want Ling Chen to use Du Kang¡¯s name to pressure others. But even if Yang Tao didn¡¯t mention it, he wouldn¡¯t do such a thing anyway. Bullying others by unting power was not his style; if he was going to bully someone, it would be based on his own capabilities.


    "Ling Cheng, were those people from Yangxin Pavilion just now? They seemed pretty arrogant."


    Ling Chen nced at Xia Yue who had spoken and nodded with a smile: "Can the people of Yangxin Pavilion not be arrogant? They do have the capital to be."


    Xu Ming said indifferently: "Others may have the capital to be arrogant, but so do you. There¡¯s no need to take their attitude to heart too much."


    Hearing this, Ling Chen felt somewhat puzzled. For a long time, Xu Ming had always been low-key, but the words he said today were anything but low-key, in fact, quite the opposite. Ling Chen was very curious about what kind of capital he supposedly had.


    While deep in thought, the bustling crowd gradually quieted down, and everyone¡¯s gaze turned to the stage.


    Ling Chen looked intently and saw Su Mei, escorted by an old man, gracefully ascend the tform. She then stood at the center, her beautiful eyes like water, scanning the people below. When her gaze brushed across Ling Chen, it paused ever so slightly, revealing a hint of surprise as if she found it strange that Ling Chen was here.


    Shifting her gaze away, Su Mei¡¯s lips parted slightly as she spoke, her voice as clear and melodious as that of an oriole.


    "Everyone, today is the once-in-a-decade grand event of Yangxin Pavilion. There are hardly any outsiders here, and I believe you all understand the significance of this gathering, so I won¡¯t waste more time. Next, I will announce the rules: disciples of Yangxin Pavilion who wish to participate in the martial arts tournament must be at least eighteen years old and have strength equal to or above that of the Dragon List. Participants must not exceed thirty-five years of age. Only those Yangxin Pavilion disciples who meet these requirements may participate in the uing matches. Moreover, the tournament will primarily consist of one-on-one duels, with the winners advancing to the next round. Considering that we are all disciples of Yangxin Pavilion, it is inevitable that injuries will ur during thepetition, so I hope everyone will be careful, stop at the right moment, and absolutely not intentionally harm the lives of others. If anyone is found to have vited the rules, no matter their identity or background, they will be expelled from Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion. Alright! I have said all that needs to be said, the tournament now officially begins."


    As soon as Su Mei left the stage, the quiet crowd once again erupted into a buzz of conversation. Everyone was discussing spiritedly, with lots ofmotion and noise.


    "Ling Chen!"


    At that moment, Ling Chen heard a voiceing from behind. He turned his head and saw Porridge Girl walking towards him.


    "Eh!" Ling Chen asked in surprise: "How did you get here?"


    Porridge girl gave Ling Chen an annoyed nce and said softly, "If you cane, why can¡¯t I?" After a pause, porridge girl still exined, "It was Su Mei who brought me here. She was afraid I¡¯d be bored, so she brought me over to have a look. What about you? Did Su Mei specially allow you toe? Why didn¡¯t I hear her mention it?"


    "She doesn¡¯t know I¡¯m here."


    As they spoke, Ling Chen felt a sharp and unrelenting gaze sweeping over him again and again, prompting him to nce over with the corner of his eye.


    Immediately, he saw Tong Nan at the edge of the crowd, tilting his head and shooting asional nces this way, looking very displeased.


    It¡¯s him again!


    Ling Chen frowned, guessing that Tong Nan was upset to see him staying with porridge girl. No, he had to keep a closer watch on porridge girl. He wasn¡¯t worried about Tong Nan swooping in to charm her away but was concerned that Tong Nan would resort to dirty tricks.


    Having learned from what happened with Zhou Jun, he had to be cautious.


    Just then, the crowd around them suddenly parted. Following that, Su Mei approached, apanied by an elderly man.


    "Ling Chen, how did you end up here?"


    "It was Elder Du who brought me here."


    "Elder Du?" Su Mei nced towards Elder Du Kang on the hilltop stands, a hint of curiosity in her beautiful eyes. Curiosity aside, she didn¡¯t ask further but said, "Since you¡¯re here, why note and sit with me? After all, you are guests, and Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion will surely not neglect honored guests."


    Ling Chen nodded, not refusing Su Mei¡¯s invitation, and followed her to a side of the arena. By this time, chairs had already been arranged in a row, waiting for Su Mei to take a seat.


    Once everyone was seated, tea was promptly served, with very attentive service.


    At this moment, a young man emerged from the crowd and strode towards the arena. Upon reaching the arena, the young man folded his hands into fists, bowed to the crowd below as a courtesy, then straightened up, standing tall in the center of the arena, looking straight ahead, silently waiting.


    Yang Zhe?


    Recognizing the young man, Ling Chen was immediately aware of his identity, not expecting him to be the first one taking the stage.


    It was him!


    At this point, the crowd below the arena was abuzz with discussion, seemingly very surprised by Yang Zhe¡¯s appearance. Everyone had thought that the first to enter the arena would be high-ranking Dragon List fighters like Song Yi or Liang Zheng who had yet to step onto the Earthly List, not expecting a heavy hitter to be the first to challenge.


    Ling Chen was also surprised, although he had only met Yang Zhe once. However, from what he had heard from Yang Tao, Ling Chen knew quite a bit about Yang Zhe. Yang Zhe and Yang Tao were brothers, with Yang Tao being the older and Yang Zhe the younger. Both of them were actually quite talented, which is why Du Kang brought them to Yangxin Pavilion and took them on as disciples.


    However, since Elder Du¡¯s time was limited and he only wanted a single direct disciple, Yang Zhe was ced under the tutge of another master in Yangxin Pavilion.


    As far as Ling Chen knew, Yang Zhe¡¯s abilities were close to that of Yang Tao¡¯s, both being Earthly List masters and remarkably formidable among their peers.

 Chapter 716 - 721: The Grand Gathering of the Heavenly Secrets (3)

    <h4>Chapter 716: Chapter 721: The Grand Gathering of the Heavenly Secrets (3)</h4>


    Several minutes had passed, and it was dead silent below the arena, with no one stepping up to the challenge. It seemed that everyone was aware of Yang Zhe¡¯s prowess and no one of his age wished to cross hands with him.


    In the blink of an eye, ten minutes had gone by. Su Mei, seated on her chair, saw that still no one hade forward and thus stood up and said, "If no one is willing to step up and challenge, then this round will automatically advance Yang Zhe to the next one."


    Upon hearing this, the crowd below started buzzing with discussions, looking at Yang Zhe with great envy. Advancing to the next round without lifting a finger was not an opportunity that came by for everyone.


    After Yang Zhe stepped down, someone immediately leaped onto the arena, cupped his hands towards the crowd, and bowed in greeting. This person had barely been on the stage for a few seconds before several others eagerly jumped onto the arena.


    Ling Chen nced around; these young people were all around twenty years old, quite young.


    He guessed that these individuals were very close in strength, which is why they were eager to take the stage. Besides that, Ling Chen also noticed that among the crowd, Song Yi and Liang Zheng near Tong Nan appeared to be itching to go but seemed hesitant. After a moment of deliberation, they ultimately gave up the thought of going on stage.


    "Yang," Ling Chen turned to Yang Tao beside him and asked, "There¡¯s a big gap in strength among the disciples of Yangxin Pavilion. If a Dragon List master stepped up, wouldn¡¯t they be afraid of an Earthly List master taking advantage?"


    "Even though there¡¯s no rule prohibiting it, nobody would do such a thing. Whoever it is, they¡¯d have to consider their own and their master¡¯s face. An Earthly List master bullying a Dragon List master is something no one can afford to lose face over. Remember, thispetition is not just about the disciples; it¡¯s a struggle between masters. It¡¯s just that the masters are old and their skills are formidable, and using them could easily lead to disputes, so they have their disciplespete on their behalf instead," Yang Tao exined in a low voice, adding, "Now you should understand why the Master is so worried about you. In fact, his concern isn¡¯t really for your safety but for Elder Su¡¯s reputation. Elder Su holds high prestige in Yangxin Pavilion, and nobody dares to disobey him, not even other masters."


    Ling Chen nodded. He had suspected that Su He¡¯s standing in Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion was high, but he hadn¡¯t realized it was that high.


    As he pondered, the arena had cleared out the extras, leaving only twopetitors.


    After a few nces, Ling Chen lost interest in the match. Both contestants were Dragon List masters, and it was indeed rare for someone around twenty to make it to the Dragon List. However, this was Yangxin Pavilion after all, where everyone was a talented individual. What¡¯s more, Ling Chen¡¯s strength was not inferior, capable of matching the top three of the Dragon List, so he was not very keen on watching a duel between Dragon List masters.


    The matchsted for about four or five minutes until, by a narrow margin, a winner was determined.


    Including Yang Zhe just now, a total of two people had smoothly advanced to the next round. Before Ling Chen could react, he saw several individuals rushing towards the arena, including Song Yi and Liang Zheng.


    Seeing others a step quicker than himself, Song Yi huffed softly. With a tap of his toe on the ground for leverage, his body swiftly flew towards the arena. At the same time, he twisted his waist,unching a sideways kick at a young man beside him.


    Caught off guard by Song Yi¡¯s sudden attack, the youth had no time to dodge and was immediately kicked, sent falling towards the ground below the arena.


    Seeing this, the others didn¡¯t hesitate andunched attacks on their nearbypetitors.


    Instantly, a melee broke out among the crowd, even before they had stepped onto the arena.


    Ling Chen was startled and looked at Yang Tao with a puzzled face, asking, "Yang, what are they doing?"


    "There¡¯s no need to make a big fuss; this is quite normal," Yang Tao replied indifferently, "Only eight people can advance to the next round, and the spots are limited. If one misses the chance, there¡¯s no hope left. It doesn¡¯t matter who it is or how powerful your background is; if you miss your chance, there¡¯s no remedy. This is just the beginning. Theter it gets, the more intense thepetition. To fight for the right topete on stage, you have to prove you¡¯ve got what it takes."


    After hearing this, Ling Chen understood the reason behind it.


    "Yang, when do you n to make your move?" he asked.


    "There¡¯s no hurry; let the others have a go first," Yang Tao paused, then changing the subject, he said, "Ling Chen, if you want to take action, you¡¯d better seize the opportunity soon and not dy any further. As thepetition intensifiester on, especially against Earthly List masters, it will be much harder for you to win by then."


    "I understand."


    With Yang Tao¡¯s reminder, Ling Chen turned his full attention to the arena, quietly waiting for the right moment.


    Both Song Yi and Liang Zheng had the strength to rank within the top three of the Dragon List and were only a step away from the Earthly List. Naturally, no one else stood a chance when they made a move. Before long, Song Yi had firmly taken his ce on the arena, alongside another young man.


    Looking at Song Yi¡¯s opponent, Ling Chen couldn¡¯t help but frown. These two guys were too cunning!


    Such a tactic.


    When the crowd had mored for a chance to get on stage, Song Yi and Liang Zheng must have conspired together. Song Yi went for the opportunity to get on stage, while Liang Zheng took care of the rest. However, while he was helping out, he purposefully let one youth go, allowing him to get onto the arena easily.


    At that moment, the audience below the arena shook their heads, knowing that Song Yi¡¯s opponent was weak and stood no chance of winning.


    Ling Chen shook his head inwardly; this was tant cheating. But since Su Mei didn¡¯t object, even if he had an opinion, it was useless.


    The duel ended in less than two minutes, and unsurprisingly, Song Yi won with ease, advancing to the next round.


    There were now three people who had advanced, leaving five spots remaining.


    After much thought, Ling Chen set his sights on Liang Zheng. His strength wasparable to Liang Zheng¡¯s, and if Liang Zheng took the stage, Ling Chen could give it a try. Although he couldn¡¯t im a hundred percent certainty of victory, at least he held a seventy percent chance.


    As he pondered, a loud ¡¯ng¡¯ suddenly rang from the crowd, instantly drawing everyone¡¯s attention.


    However, it was at this moment that Liang Zheng and another youth from the crowd leaped onto the arena together. By the time the others reacted, both were already securely standing on the stage.


    Damn!


    Ling Chen couldn¡¯t help but curse, "That¡¯s too despicable, using such methods." Turning to Yang Tao with indignation, he asked, "Yang, aren¡¯t they going to do anything about this?"


    "How to intervene? They¡¯re using fair and open measures, not underhanded tricks. Besides, martial arts contests are not just about strength, but also wit. Sometimes, a clever mind is far more important than pure power."

 Chapter 717 - 722: The Grand Gathering of Heavenly Secrets (4)

    <h4>Chapter 717: Chapter 722: The Grand Gathering of Heavenly Secrets (4)</h4>


    Ling Chen was speechless; he hadn¡¯t expected such a trick could be employed. However, he did admire Liang Zheng for deceiving everyone with such a method, easily seizing the opportunity topete on stage.


    "Yang, what¡¯s the deal with that young man?" Ling Chen asked, pointing to Liang Zheng¡¯s opponent.


    "They had conspired beforehand," Yang Tao exined. "There are many elders in Yangxin Pavilion, and some of their disciples, due to their young age or lesser talents, don¡¯t make much progress in strength. Therefore, certain individuals with ulterior motives seek them out for cooperation. This way they not only curry favors but also reap some benefits. Why not do it? Just wait and see. In no more than thirty moves, they will determine the winner."


    After hearing this, Ling Chen turned his gaze towards the stage, watching Liang Zheng and his opponent exchange blows. As Yang Tao had said, although their moves seemed sharp, they were actually feigned, with no intention of causing harm. As the thirtieth move approached, the young man made a slight mistake, allowing Liang Zheng to seize the opportunity and knock him to the ground.


    "Liang Zheng wins!" announced the emotionless referee overseeing the match.


    Liang Zheng, unconcerned by the whispers from the crowd below, left the stage with a broad smile on his face and gave Song Yi a high five in celebration.


    With Liang Zheng and Song Yi both advancing, only five spots remained, and thepetition grew increasingly fierce.


    At that moment, a figure walked out from the crowd and headed straight to the stage. Upon seeing the man standing at the center of the stage, the crowd suddenly fell silent. Not only that, but even those preparing topete halted in their tracks, not daring to step forward.


    Ling Chen looked up and sized up the neer. The young man was about the same age as Yang Tao, around twenty-eight or twenty-nine, with a tall figure of about one meter eighty and a well-proportioned body, with harmonious muscles on his arms and legs. Moreover, his facial features were not bad. Although he wasn¡¯t particrly handsome, he exuded a martial bearing, like an unsheathed sword, brilliance revealed.


    Several minutes passed, and no one approached the stage, seemingly overwhelmed by the man¡¯s presence, they remained obediently in the crowd, looking at each other.


    Seeing this, the referee at the edge of the stage took a couple of steps forward, opened his mouth ready to dere the result. However, just at that moment, Yang Tao, who had been sitting beside Ling Chen, suddenly stood up and strode towards the stage.


    Seeing Yang Tao¡¯s appearance, the words of the judge were immediately swallowed back, and he stepped aside.


    Meanwhile, the young man on the stage watched Yang Tao with a subtly smiling face. As Yang Tao climbed onto the stage, the young man said, "I thought you wouldn¡¯te up."


    "I just didn¡¯t want to disappoint you," Yang Tao replied indifferently. "Wang Hao, a battle between us was inevitable sooner orter. Rather than wait, let¡¯s settle it now. I¡¯m curious to see your progress after two years of seclusion."


    Wang Hao?


    A thought struck Ling Chen. So this was Wang Hao. Yang Tao had previously mentioned the disciples of Yangxin Pavilion to Ling Chen, especially highlighting those with strong abilities, including Wang Hao. ording to Yang Tao, Wang Hao was very powerful. Among the many disciples, he was one of the best. Even Yang Tao admitted he was no match for him.


    Yang Tao had once told him that he had sparred with Wang Hao two years ago and lost after 240 moves. Since then, Wang Hao had been in seclusion, and only emerged today. After two years of solitude, it was unknown how much Wang Hao¡¯s abilities had improved.


    "Mr. Du, do you think your disciple has a good chance of winning?" asked an elder in a nearby spectator stand.


    Du Kang tilted his head back and took a couple of drinks, saying to himself, "How would I know? That kid Wang Hao has been in seclusion for two years, but given his talent and aptitude, his progress shouldn¡¯t be small after two years of dedicated seclusion. Honestly, Wang Hao is indeed an exceptional talent. At just over twenty years old, he¡¯s been able to endure the loneliness and boredom of seclusion for two years, something not all of us old folks could endure with such focus." At this point, Du Kang shook his head and sighed lightly, "It¡¯s just a pity, if Old Man Wei were still alive, perhaps he could have nurtured a top expert."


    Hearing Du Kang mention ¡¯Old Man Wei¡¯, several other elders present sighed collectively, their expressions nostalgic.


    "That¡¯s true. Old Man Wei died too early, but fortunately, before his death, he passed on all of his knowledge to Wang Hao. If someone could offer guidance, Wang Hao would avoid many detours. Eh! Mr. Du, are you interested in taking Wang Hao under your wing to nurture him? You are a master of the Heavenly List; among us all, probably only you are qualified to instruct Wang Hao."


    Du Kang waved his hand and said, "Forget it, dealing with Yang Tao is enough trouble for me. If I took on Wang Hao as well, my legs would be tied to Yangxin Pavilion. You all know I like to roam around when I¡¯m free. If any of you are interested, you might as well take Wang Hao and nurture him."


    The crowd said in unison, "Let¡¯s forget it. Handing over a talent like Wang Hao to us would be a waste." At this, an elder suddenly spoke up, "If Elder Su were still around, he could have taken Wang Hao under his wing."


    Upon mentioning Elder Su, the crowd immediately agreed, "That¡¯s correct, it¡¯s a shame Elder Su left Yangxin Pavilion many years ago, and now we don¡¯t even know where he is. If we could find him, it would be great to let him take on Wang Hao as a disciple."


    Hearing this, a meaningful smile appeared on Du Kang¡¯s face, and his cloudy eyes swept towards Ling Chen¡¯s direction.


    At this moment, everyone¡¯s eyes were focused on Yang Tao and Wang Hao.


    The mountain breeze blew, lifting the corners of their clothes, making a rustling sound.


    "Please!"


    "Please!"


    As the words fell, Yang Tao¡¯s gaze instantly sharpened, his toes tapped the ground, and his body surged forward with a fist aimed at Wang Hao¡¯s face.


    However, midway through the punch, Yang Tao suddenly changed his move, twisting his waist from front to side, his fists turning into palms, striking high and middle simultaneously, while his right leg rose, sweeping towards Wang Hao¡¯s lower body.


    All three attacks wereunched at once, forceful and fierce, with a howling wind.


    Facing Yang Tao¡¯s assault, Wang Hao¡¯s expression remained unchanged, still as calm as a mild breeze. Suddenly, without any discernible movement, his body drifted backwards, like a falling leaf, dodging all of Yang¡¯s attacks.


    Seeing the move Wang Hao executed, everyone, whether below the stage or in the spectator stands, was taken aback.


    This movement technique... could it be that he had already mastered the Shattered Leaf Step?

 Chapter 718 - 723: The Grand Gathering of the Heavenly Secrets (5)

    <h4>Chapter 718: Chapter 723: The Grand Gathering of the Heavenly Secrets (5)</h4>


    Shattered Leaf Step?


    Upon hearing the exmations from Qiu Yong and the others, Ling Chen curiously asked, "Big brother, do you know what Shattered Leaf Step is?"


    Qiu Yong nodded and said, "Shattered Leaf Step is a movement technique that primarily relies on the coordination of Inner Strength and stepping techniques. Anyone who masters this movement technique will move like a drifting leaf, very light and incredibly fast, making it hard for others to anticipate. This movement technique is also considered an Absolute Skill in the Martial Arts world. I didn¡¯t expect it to appear on this young man. Tsk tsk! Worthy of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, none of its people are simple."


    After hearing Qiu Yong¡¯s exnation, Ling Chen¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly, shing a faint gleam, his thoughts unreadable.


    "Shattered Leaf Step, who would¡¯ve thought Wang Hao has already learned Old Man Wei¡¯s Absolute Skill. Mr. Du, it seems your disciple is in trouble," an old man chuckled maliciously.


    Du Kang nced at him, his expression indifferent, unbothered.


    "So what? Consider it an opportunity to learn. I brought him here to gain experience, not for the Nine Elements Pill. If he loses to Wang Hao, it might actually be a good thing. It would serve as motivation for him to push harder and progress. As for you, your disciple Tong Nan, I¡¯ve heard quite a bit about him. Young and frivolous, flirting around, without any true learning. Continuing this way, he¡¯ll eventually be surpassed by the other disciples of Yangxin Pavilion."


    "Hmph! Du Kang, I will handle my disciple myself, no need for your nonsense."


    "Alright! Both of you, enough with the talk," interjected several old men nearby, quickly trying to keep the peace fearing they might start arguing.


    At this moment, after witnessing Wang Hao¡¯s performance of the movement technique, Yang Tao¡¯s expression turned serious. His eyes locked on Wang Hao¡¯s legs, he advanced step by step, his punches and palm strikes aiming high, middle, and low simultaneously.


    However, no matter how fierce Yang Tao¡¯s attacks were, Wang Hao remained calm, seemingly unaffected by any threat.


    With the agility of Shattered Leaf Step, Wang Hao controlled his body like a floating leaf, moving around the tform, always maintaining a distance from Yang. Under these circumstances, Yang, despite his strength, couldn¡¯t utilize it effectively.


    After a few minutes of stalemate, Yang Tao finally stopped, quietly standing in a corner of the tform, he looked at Wang Hao and said, "How long will this continue? Since it¡¯s a spar, can¡¯t you fight me openly?"


    Wang Hao slightly smiled, shook his head and replied, "No, I don¡¯t think there¡¯s a need to continue."


    Yang Tao, frowning, asked, "Why?"


    "Shattered Leaf Step is just one of the techniques I¡¯ve mastered, and it¡¯s the least of them. If you can¡¯t even counter Shattered Leaf Step, I see no point in continuing. You can¡¯t defeat me."


    Hearing this, Yang Tao¡¯s face shifted, a trace of reluctance in his eyes.


    "Disciple,e down," Elder Du¡¯s voice came from the stands: "He¡¯s right, you¡¯re far from being his match."


    Upon the Master¡¯s call, Yang Tao hesitated no more, silently gave Wang Hao a fist salute, and then turned to leave, walking back to Ling Chen¡¯s side.


    Watching Yang Tao¡¯s expressionless face, Ling Chen opened his mouth, unsure of what to say.


    He had expected a fierce battle between Yang Tao and Wang Hao, yet it ended so swiftly without Yang Tao showcasing his strength. Even Du Kang had spoken up; was Wang Hao¡¯s strength really that formidable?


    "Wang Hao, advances to the next round."


    As the referee¡¯s words fell, Wang Hao stepped off the tform, didn¡¯t even pause, and directly left the valley, disappearing in a blink.


    "Big brother Yang..." Ling Chen hesitated, still couldn¡¯t help calling out.


    "There¡¯s no need to console me," Yang Tao replied: "I¡¯m fine, as a martial artist, one must learn to ept defeat. If one can¡¯t even ept this, then they won¡¯t get far. You should think about yourself. With Wang Hao advanced, there are only four spots left. If you don¡¯t act fast, you¡¯ll miss your chance."


    During the conversation, numerous people rushed to the arena stage. There were exactly six people.


    Originally, the n was to dismiss four people, but at this moment, Su Mei suddenly signaled the referee with her eyes. Thetter immediately understood and announced, "Alright! Since there aren¡¯t many people joining anymore, you six canpete together to save some time."


    Hearing the referee¡¯s words, Ling Chen was stunned for a moment; he had thought it would be one-by-one, and was not expecting six people topete together. With this arrangement, three slots were taken directly, and after ounting for the earlier slots, only one remained.


    Ling Chen touched his nose in frustration and chuckled bitterly to himself. He had nned for numerous scenarios, but he hadn¡¯t anticipated this one. Now, what should he do?


    Watching the six contestants on the stage, Ling Chen was speechless; those people were all Dragon List experts, yet their skills were still not as strong as his.


    The not-so-strong disciples from Yangxin Pavilion were all participating; who could he challengeter?


    During his contemtion, the six contestants on the stage eventually had their oue decided.


    Only one slot was left!


    As the six people left the stage, someone suddenly leaped from the crowd, sprinting towards the arena. At this moment, Ling Chen couldn¡¯t care less who it was, as he instantly sprang from his seat and dashed to the edge of the arena at full speed.


    Seeing Ling Chen¡¯s actions, Su Mei and others were simultaneously stunned.


    What was he trying to do?


    Before anyone could recover, Ling Chen had already leapt onto the stage.


    "Is it you?" Seeing Ling Chen opposite him, Tong Nan frowned slightly and said coldly, "Ling Chen, did you drink too muchst night? Only Yangxin Pavilion disciples are eligible to participate in thispetition; why are you meddling here? Get down quickly and stop embarrassing yourself."


    "Ling Cheng, what are you doing,e back!"


    Yuan Yun¡¯s shouting reached him from behind, but as if he hadn¡¯t heard, Ling Chen kept his gaze fixed on Tong Nan, moving step by step and staring directly at him.


    Seeing that Ling Chen showed no signs of leaving, the referee on the stage quickly approached and coldly demanded, "Aren¡¯t you leaving yet? Must I force you down?"


    "Why would you have the right to force me down?"


    "Simply because you are not a disciple of Yangxin Pavilion."


    Ling Chen looked at the referee and responded, "Who says I¡¯m not?"


    Upon hearing that, not only Tong Nan on the stage, but everyone else who hadn¡¯t known (excluding Du Kang and Yang Tao), were stunned, looking at Ling Chen in surprise.


    He¡¯s a Yangxin Pavilion disciple?


    When did this happen?


    Instantly, everyone¡¯s attention turned towards the stands. Could it be that some elder had taken Ling Chen as a disciple?


    Under everyone¡¯s watchful eyes, Du Kang stood up from his chair and walked directly to the edge of the stands.


    Seeing Du Kang rise, everyone was shocked¡ª it was Du Kang!


    Tong Nan looked at Ling Chen with displeasure, thinking that this guy really had unbelievable luck to have been taken as a disciple by Du Kang.


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 Chapter 719 - 724: Battle with Tong Nan (1)

    <h4>Chapter 719: Chapter 724: Battle with Tong Nan (1)</h4>


    Cough cough... Du Kang lightly coughed twice, cleared his throat, and said: "Well... I can testify for Ling Chen. He is indeed not wrong; he is a disciple of Yangxin Pavilion."


    "Elder Du, you¡¯re being rather unscrupulous now. You just said that you only epted Yang Tao as a disciple, and now, howe..."


    Before the elder beside him could finish his sentence, Du Kang cut him off and said: "Listen to me first. Although Ling Chen is a disciple of Yangxin Pavilion, he is not my disciple."


    "Elder Du, if he¡¯s not your disciple, then whose disciple could he be? No one here has taken him as a disciple."


    Just as an elder finished speaking, Huang Zheng coldly said: "Mr. Du, don¡¯t try to fool us. Initially, I thought highly of that kid and wanted to ept him as a disciple, but he was utterly unwilling. Now you suddenly say that he is a disciple of Yangxin Pavilion but not yours, how do you expect us to believe that?"


    Swirling his wine gourd in hand, Du Kang smiled and said: "What, you don¡¯t even believe my words now?" Saying this, Du Kang looked towards the people below and continued: "I¡¯ll not deceive you all; not only is Ling Chen¡¯s master an elder of Yangxin Pavilion, but he is also the most senior among them."


    "Elder Du, who exactly are you talking about?" the crowd below asked curiously.


    Smiling, Du Kang uttered two words: "Su He!"


    Su He?


    Upon hearing this name, the people present were momentarily stunned.


    Su He, a name that surely no one was unaware of. Present were either disciples and elders of Yangxin Pavilion or important figures of Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, and each one had a profound memory of the name Su He.


    Amongst the crowd, Su Mei was the most shocked. When Du Kang mentioned the name ¡¯Su He,¡¯ Su Mei even doubted her own ears, wondering if she had heard wrongly.


    Su He, a name that had not graced her ears for a long time. If not for Du Kang¡¯s mention today, she would have nearly forgotten this man who was once most important to her.


    Su He... He turned out to be Grandpa¡¯s disciple!


    Since Grandpa left Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, there had been no news of him for many years, and now, atst, she knew his whereabouts. Remembering the past, Su Mei felt her eyes brimming with tears; the next thing she knew, a tear rolled down her cheek.


    After a while, someone finally regained theirposure, looked at Du Kang, and asked: "Elder Du, Elder Su has been gone for so many years now, you can¡¯t just be joking about this."


    ncing at the speaker, Liang Tian, Du Kang replied: "Elder Liang, what¡¯s the matter, you don¡¯t believe my words?"


    "Elder Du, it¡¯s not that I don¡¯t believe you, but your words are frankly hard to believe. I wanted to take Ling Chen as a disciple not long ago, and he said in person that he had not yet taken a master. It¡¯s only been so short a time, and now you suddenly say he is Elder Su¡¯s disciple, do you think we can believe that?"


    "It doesn¡¯t matter if you don¡¯t believe it, as long as the Pavilion Master believes it." With that said, Du Kang pulled out a dagger from his body, flicked his wrist, and threw it towards Su Mei down the slope. Seeing the dagger falling, the elder next to Su Mei immediately caught it, then handed it to Su Mei.


    "This dagger is Elder Su¡¯s token, and I have confirmed it. Everyone present, surely no one is clearer than the Pavilion Master whether Elder Su¡¯s token is genuine or not, so it¡¯s fair to let her verify. Pavilion Master, please take a good look, whether this dagger really belongs to Elder Su."


    Su Mei nodded lightly, carefully examining the dagger in her hand. Then, she took a deep breath to calm her excitement and said: "Elder Du is right, this dagger is indeed my grandfather¡¯s token, which he always carried with him, rarely parting from it. Since this dagger has appeared in Ling Chen¡¯s hands, I believe he has not lied."


    Grandpa?


    Hearing this, Ling Chen was taken aback. Su He was Su Mei¡¯s grandfather? That meant he was... the former Pavilion Master of Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion?


    Ling Chen was stunned, not expecting Su He to have such an identity, and he never mentioned it before.


    At this moment, after Su Mei¡¯s confirmation, everyone¡¯s gaze towards Ling Chen instantly changed.


    The disciple of Su He... This identity was not simple. Given Su He¡¯s status, whether in terms of identity or position, his disciple could walk unhindered in both Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion and Yangxin Pavilion.


    Tong Nan, with a displeased expression, stared at Ling Chen, a hint of wariness shing in his eyes. He had thought that Ling Chen was an outsider who could be bullied at will, but who knew, this fellow had such a formidable background and backing.


    Su He!


    Thinking of the elder who once ruled over Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion and Yangxin Pavilion, Tong Nan could not help but shiver uncontrobly.


    Over the years, after Su Mei took the position of Pavilion Master, while Yangxin Pavilion outwardly respected her, in reality, some of the elders did not take her seriously. The reason they were so respectful and attentive to Su Mei was because of Su He¡¯s presence. They might disrespect Su Mei, but they couldn¡¯t disrespect Su He; at least eighty percent of the elders in Yangxin Pavilion had received his favor.


    For this reason, when Su Mei affirmed Ling Chen¡¯s identity, the way they looked at him changed.


    Facing everyone¡¯s stares, Ling Chen cast aside the stray thoughts in his mind and looked straight at Tong Nan across from him, speaking indifferently: "Since I am a disciple of Yangxin Pavilion, I wonder if I am eligible to participate in the uingpetition?"


    "Of course." Before Tong Nan could reply, the judge next to him had already nodded in recognition.


    "Hmph!" Tong Nan sneered with disdain, saying: "So what if you are Elder Su¡¯s disciple? If you¡¯re on the stage, you have to rely on your own skills, not your background. Your strength is merely on the Dragon List, what qualifications do you have to fight me? Fine, since you seek humiliation, I¡¯ll apany you all the way."


    "Tong Nan, you plotted against Zhou Jun and forced him to leave Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, I will settle this ount with you."


    Hearing this, Tong Nan sneered and said nothing further, immediately striding with both legs towards Ling Chen.


    As Tong Nan closed in swiftly, Ling Chen did not think twice; he immediately turned and retreated, sprinting towards the edge of the tform. After a short while, Ling Chen reached a rack of weapons.


    With the strong wind from behind approaching, Ling Chen extended his hand, grabbed a Yanyue de, and swung around rapidly. Holding the de high with both hands, he chopped powerfully toward Tong Nan¡¯s head.


    Faced with the iing Yanyue de, Tong Nan¡¯s pupils shrank, and he quickly stopped, then dodged to the side.


    Instantly, the Yanyue de passed closely by Tong Nan¡¯s side and crashed heavily onto the ground, carving out a long crack.


    After the failed strike, Ling Chen did not hesitate; his hands shook, and he gripped the Yanyue de firmly, lifting it slightly upwards. The de spun, sweeping horizontally, and aiming straight for Tong Nan¡¯s neck.


    As the saying goes, an inch longer is an inch stronger. The Yanyue de in Ling Chen¡¯s hands was nearly two meters long, leaving Tong Nan no chance to close in, forcing him to retreat again and again.


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 Chapter 720 - 725: Battle with Tong Nan (2)

    <h4>Chapter 720: Chapter 725: Battle with Tong Nan (2)</h4>


    Using the Yanyue de, a weapon with a long handle, was an intentional choice by Ling Chen. Tong Nan was a master of the Earthly List, and every master on the Earthly List was proficient in the Hua Realm, capable of injuring someone from a distance of one meter without physical contact. Therefore, Ling Chen had to use a long weapon to increase the distance between them, preventing Tong Nan from getting the chance to close in.


    Wielding the Yanyue de, Ling Chen whipped it around with a windstorm-like ferocity, the harsh de edge forcing Tong Nan closer and closer. In just a short while, Tong Nan was pushed to the edge of the arena. One more step, and he would tumble off. Seeing this, Tong Nan snorted coldly, his toes thrusting forcefully off the ground; he leaped over the iing Yanyue de andnded in front of a rack of weapons.


    By the time Ling Chen reacted, Tong Nan had already picked up two scimitars.


    "I¡¯d like to see just how long you can hold on," Tong Nan sneered menacingly, his legs coordinating with his waist to leap high off the ground. Mid-air, Tong Nan twisted his waist, initiating a spin that brought his body around, the scimitars in his hands extended straight out like a whirligig, chopping down one stroke after another.


    Facing the fierce whirlwind of de edges, Ling Chen retreated swiftly, raising the Yanyue de overhead, using its long handle to fend off the scimitar attacks.


    ng ng!


    For a moment, the two scimitars continuously chopped down on the shaft of the Yanyue de, emitting sharp, clear sounds, each strike faster and more ruthless than thest. In the blink of an eye, Tong Nan wielded the scimitars, delivering over twenty sessive chops, each packed with immense power, forcing Ling Chen to retreat step by step, unable to even stand steadily.


    Most fortunate was that the shaft of the Yanyue de was made of pure steel, incredibly sturdy. If it were just an ordinary wooden one, it would have likely snapped long ago.


    Seeing that Tong Nan had no intention of stopping, Ling Chen suddenly sensed trouble. At this moment, he was less than two meters from the edge of the arena, and if this continued, Tong Nan would eventually force him off. However, Tong Nan¡¯s strength was far superior to his own, so if Ling Chen couldn¡¯t find a way to neutralize the attacks, defeat was only a matter of time.


    "s, what a pity!"


    At this time, the crowd watching below shook their heads and sighed quietly upon seeing Ling Chen at a disadvantage. They were not worried about Ling Chen¡¯s precarious situation, but rather felt it was a shame for Su He. Even though Ling Chen was Su He¡¯s disciple, his strength was too weak, not even reaching the realm of the Earthly List. Regardless of how adept his techniques were, the gap in strength was there and not something that techniques couldpensate for.


    Moreover, Tong Nan was not a novice on the Earthly List. With his current strength, he could be ranked at least ninth on the Earthly List, having long mastered the use of the Hua Realm. Therefore, after witnessing Ling Chen¡¯s capabilities, the crowd did not have high hopes for him.


    "Tch! Elder Su may be formidable, but his eye for choosing disciples is truly poor. I don¡¯t understand what he¡¯s thinking, taking in Ling Chen as a disciple and allowing him toe to the Yangxin Pavilion. Could it be that Elder Su isn¡¯t worried about Ling Chenpletely ruining his reputation?"


    Up in the stands, Huang Zheng jeered sarcastically.


    Du Kang covered the wine gourd in his hand and spoke indifferently, "Elder Su¡¯s realm is not something you canpare to. Besides, do you think he cares about those superficial honors? Since he dared to bring Ling Chen here, it shows that he doesn¡¯t care about others¡¯ opinions." Pausing for a moment, Du Kang continued, "In fact, Elder Su¡¯s purpose in bringing Ling Chen here was not topete for the Nine Elements Pill, but to train his own disciple, to give him the opportunity to spar with masters of the Earthly List. As martial artists, it is only through asional defeats that one can make greater progress."


    Hearing these words, Liang Tian replied with a smirk that was neither friendly nor sincere, "Elder Du, are you referring to your disciple Yang Tao? To be honest, I rather admire you. A loss is a loss; why bother looking for so many excuses? We¡¯ve all known each other for so long, and no one willugh at you. Don¡¯t you think?"


    "Making a joke about me?" Du Kang shook his head and smiled: "Do you think I care? Elder Liang, you should talk less. If you ask me, you should hurry up and find yourself a disciple, so as not to have no one to seed your skills."


    Having said that, Du Kang looked at Ling Chen and Tong Nan fighting on the stage, and said no more. In fact, his reason for saying so much just now wasn¡¯t to save face for himself, but to preserve Elder Su¡¯s dignity.


    Ling Chen is a master from the Dragon List, while Tong Nan is from the Earthly List. The gap in their abilities is evident to anyone. Even Du Kang himself didn¡¯t have much confidence in Ling Chen. Hence, by saying all those words beforehand, if Ling Chen were to lose, it would also save some face for Elder Su.


    At this moment, Ling Chen was in a precarious position on the stage, less than half a meter from the edge, at any moment in danger of falling off.


    Seeing this situation, Ling Chen suddenly pushed off with his legs and leaped backwards. Upon seeing his move, everyone was stunned. The spot where Ling Chen was positioned was already at the very edge of the stage, and this leap seemed to take him out of the bounds of the stage. Could it be... that Ling Chen knew he was no match for Tong Nan and chose to give up?


    Just when everyone was puzzled, Ling Chen, who had jumped out of the stage, suddenly swung the Yanyue de in his hand and stabbed fiercely forward, the sharp tip directly piercing into the floor of the stage. Immediately after, he gripped the pole with both hands, vigorously rotated his body, and leaped onto the other side of the stage. Then hended steadily, sessfully avoiding Tong Nan¡¯s line of attack.


    *Tsk, tsk!*


    Everyone silently nodded, praising Ling Chen¡¯s adaptability. They had thought he was about to give up, but didn¡¯t expect him to use such a method to dodge Tong Nan¡¯s offensive and seize a sliver of opportunity for himself.


    "Hmph!" Tong Nan gave a coldugh, his eyes cynically fixed on Ling Chen as he said contemptuously, "You can avoid the first day, but not the fifteenth. Ling Chen, you might as well give up gracefully, don¡¯t waste your energy, you are no match for me."


    Ling Chen flicked his wrist, raising the Yanyue de slightly, its de pointing straight at Tong Nan, his expression indifferent, as if he hadn¡¯t heard Tong Nan¡¯s words.


    Seeing Ling Chen unmoved, Tong Nan¡¯s expression cooled, and he shouted, "Get down from here!"


    The instant the words fell, Tong Nan¡¯s toes touched the ground repeatedly, moving at a breakneck speed, like a rushing gust of wind, and in a moment, he was right in front of Ling Chen, his curved de chopping straight down at Ling Chen¡¯s head.


    The de wind neared, and Ling Chen still stood his ground, not moving an inch, like a solid rock, unswayed by the blustering wind and rain.


    Two meters... one meter... half a meter...


    Watching the curved de rapidly erge before his eyes, Ling Chen, who stood still, suddenly jumped up from his spot. At the same time, he loosened his grip on the Yanyue de, letting it drop to the ground with a ¡¯ng¡¯ sound.


    Without the weight of the Yanyue de, Ling Chen¡¯s body instantly jumped over a meter high. Before Tong Nan could change his move, Ling Chen¡¯s toes tapped on the de of the curved sword, using it to push himself up again, his body rising to a height of two meters.


    Upon reaching the highest point, Ling Chen twisted his waist, his head and feet immediately swapped positions, and his fists came thundering down from the sky, aiming straight for Tong Nan¡¯s head.

 Chapter 721 - 726: Battle with Tong Nan (3)

    <h4>Chapter 721: Chapter 726: Battle with Tong Nan (3)</h4>


    Seeing Ling Chen¡¯s actions, everyone watching couldn¡¯t help but be stunned, not understanding what Ling Chen was up to. Such a move would not only be ineffective but would also expose all of his vital points, and any opponent with experience and strength could easily break it.


    Ling Chen¡¯s actions were tantamount to seeking death.


    At this moment, Tong Nan looked up at Ling Chen, his mouth curving up slightly with a cold smile.


    What an ignorant fool, using such a tactic against himself, does he really think he, an Earthly List expert, is just for show?


    As thoughts raced through his mind, Ling Chen was already upon him. Although the fists had not yet fallen, Tong Nan could already feel the power contained in those steel fists.


    Without giving it much thought, the moment those steel fists were about to fall, Tong Nan flicked his wrists, and both sabers struck upwards, aimed at Ling Chen¡¯s arms. If Ling Chen didn¡¯t retract his move, then both of his arms would be severed by the sabers.


    In this situation, Ling Chen had no chance to choose, he could only dodge unless he wanted to be disabled.


    However, just when everyone thought that Ling Chen was sure to lose, he suddenly opened his fists in mid-air, transforming them into palms, and reached out towards the two sabers.


    Catching a saber with the bare hands?


    Seeing Ling Chen¡¯s movement, everyone was shocked, not expecting that Ling Chen would possess such skill.


    That was too audacious. To catch a saber with bare hands, unless one had utter confidence in their strength, or their strength overwhelmed the opponent otherwise, no one would dare to use this tactic lightly. Ling Chen was just a Dragon List expert, facing an Earthly List expert and using this move, how could it not shock them?


    This was being too overconfident, did he actually think Earthly List experts were made of paper, so easy to deal with?


    Whether it was the crowd watching from below, or Du Kang watching from the stands, none could contain their astonishment and stood up, their faces growing extremely grave. If Ling Chen made the slightest mistake, his hands would be ruined.


    At this moment, facing Ling Chen¡¯s approaching hands, Tong Nan¡¯s eyes flickered with a sinister shade.


    Actually wanting to catch his de with bare hands, it was either overconfidence or utter stupidity. In his heart, Ling Chen was undoubtedly thetter. This was just perfect! Tong Nan quietly snickered¡ª since the rules of the duel stated that the opponent must not be harmed, he was worrying about how he couldn¡¯t properly teach Ling Chen a lesson. Now that Ling Chen was presenting himself, how could he miss such a good opportunity?


    Immediately, Tong Nan increased the force in his wrists, the two sabers like two sharp gusts of wind, chopping toward Ling Chen¡¯s hands.


    However, just as the sabers¡¯ des were about to touch Ling Chen¡¯s hands, Ling Chen¡¯s wrists quivered ever so slightly, surprisingly sliding down along the des of the sabers. Sparks flew simultaneously. Before the crowd could react, Ling Chen¡¯s hands had already reached the hilts of the sabers.


    This sudden change shocked Tong Nan on the spot. But at this moment, whatever he did was toote.


    Ling Chen¡¯s hands gripped firmly onto his wrists, followed by a forceful twist. Instantaneously, intense pain shot through, causing Tong Nan¡¯s hands to lose strength instantly, and with two ¡¯ng¡¯ sounds, both sabers fell to the ground.


    Seeing this, everyone was dumbfounded, each one looking at Ling Chen in disbelief. What had just happened was too fast; they hadn¡¯t seen it too clearly, but the oue right before their eyes made it all seem incredibly unbelievable.


    While everyone was still in shock and had not yet reacted, they heard a loud ¡¯ah¡¯, a scream emanated from Tong Nan¡¯s mouth.


    Staring intently, they saw Tong Nan ¡¯bang¡¯ onto the floor with a thud.


    The turn of events was so sudden that everyone hadn¡¯t quitee to their senses yet. Just moments ago, they saw Ling Chen disarm Tong Nan¡¯s twin sabers, but didn¡¯t see clearly how Ling Chen brought Tong Nan down.


    At this moment, Tong Nan quickly got up from the ground, looking at Ling Chen with a face full of shock and anger, and shouted: "You cheated!"


    "Who cheated?" Ling Chen responded indifferently: "Tong Nan, don¡¯t nder me, show some evidence if you dare."


    Tong Nan pointed at Ling Chen¡¯s hands and roared angrily: "You better fess up, what¡¯s with your hands? How could I have lost the advantage if you weren¡¯t ying dirty?"


    "Hmph!" Ling Chen sneered and said: "Tong Nan, what you¡¯re saying is, if you lose to me, it must be because I cheated? What kind of logic is that?"


    "Cut the crap, if you dare, show your hands to everyone."


    Upon hearing this, Ling Chen said nothing more, directly raising his hands over his head, then facing the palms towards the audience below.


    "Everyone, look carefully."


    The crowd looked and noticed that Ling Chen¡¯s hands were covered with ayer of material as thin as cicada¡¯s wings, resembling gloves, which were so transparent that it was difficult to notice something on his hands if one didn¡¯t look closely.


    "You¡¯re still trying to y innocent, everyone sees it, Ling Chen cheated," Tong Nan said with a triumphant smile.


    Ling Chen took off the gloves from his hands and said: "I believe there were no rules against using weapons in this duel, nor against using special weapons." As he spoke, Ling Chen looked up towards the elderly in the stands: "Elders, you all know the Yangxin Pavilion well, and are most familiar with Elder Su, so you should recognize what these are."


    Hearing this, Du Kang seemed to recall something, and said: "I remember now, Elder Su indeed had a pair of silk gloves, made from special silk that is impervious to water and fire, very tough, and can withstand the sharpness of swords. In his youth, Elder Su often used those silk gloves, which could be considered a special weapon. Ling Chen is Elder Su¡¯s disciple, and it¡¯s not against the rules for Elder Su to pass on his weapon to his disciple. Tong Nan, if your own skills are insufficient, don¡¯t me others for cheating."


    "I..." Tong Nan was momentarily taken aback, his face turning beet red with embarrassment and anger: "You¡¯re covering up for him."


    Du Kang¡¯s expression darkened, his tone growing colder: "I am judging the situation as it is, you dare say I¡¯m covering up for him? Fine, you ask the others here, see if they also think I¡¯m covering up for Ling Chen."


    Tong Nan nced at the others, then looked at his own master. However, his master shook his head, showing no intention of speaking up to help.


    It was perfectly natural for a master to pass knowledge to his disciple. Besides, this grand event was essentially about the disciples representing their masters to test their skills against one another. If anyone was to be med, it could only be his own master for not having anything to pass on.


    "Tong Nan, if you don¡¯t wish to continue, then give up on your own, don¡¯t waste everyone else¡¯s time."


    At this moment, the referee spoke up.


    Tong Nan clenched his teeth, his face ashen as he looked at Ling Chen and coldly said: "Fine, I want to see just how many tricks you have left." With those words, Tong Nan turned around, went to the weapon rack, took a long sword, then turned back to the center of the arena, staring at Ling Chen, and said through gritted teeth: "Let¡¯s go again!"

 Chapter 722 - 727: The Last Spot

    <h4>Chapter 722: Chapter 727: The Last Spot</h4>


    The long sword thrust forward, carrying a fierce gale, the de not yet close, but the Qi Force already pressing towards Ling Chen¡¯s face.


    Feeling the Qi Force hurtling towards him, Ling Chen reached towards his waist and, in a sh, drew the Tianling de, which transformed into a three-foot green gleam. With a ¡¯ng¡¯, he deflected the de. Immediately thereafter, Ling Chen lightly tapped his toes on the floor twice in session, and his body soared forward.


    Seeing Ling Chen charging towards him, Tong Nan was just about to thrust his sword forward. However, as his gazended on Ling Chen¡¯s hands, his movements involuntarily dyed, and he immediately abandoned the idea of attacking and swiftly retreated to avoid Ling Chen¡¯s offensive.


    With Tong Nan retreating, Ling Chen immediately pressed forward, relentlessly closing in, giving Tong Nan no chance to catch his breath. To Ling Chen, now was the best opportunity. His recent attack had been forceful, enough to affect Tong Nan¡¯s wrist. It was evident from Tong Nan¡¯s earlier swordy that the flexibility of his wrist had greatly diminished, and his strength was not as previously.


    Therefore, with this advantage, it would be a missed opportunity not to press the attack.


    Facing Ling Chen¡¯s fierce onught, Tong Nan tried to muster a counterattack several times, but regrettably, due to the injuries to his hands, his performance was affected. His sessive attempts to counter were defused by Ling Chen, and he still couldn¡¯t alter the situation in the arena.


    At this moment, Ling Chen, in mid-attack, suddenly elerated his footsteps, surged forward, and with the three-foot green peak in his hand thrusting straight ahead, the Inner Strength condensed. If this strike seeded, it would end the duel.


    However, an Earthly List expert was ultimately an Earthly List expert.


    As the sword tip advanced, Tong Nan flicked his wrist, cing his long sword horizontally in front of his chest.


    ng!


    With a crisp sound, Ling Chen¡¯s sword tip struck right on Tong Nan¡¯s de. Under the force applied, Tong Nan¡¯s de slightly bent inward, the back of the de almost touching his chest clothing.


    "Scram!" Tong Nan roared explosively.


    Suddenly, the bent de snapped forward, not only deflecting the steel sword but also sending Ling Chen¡¯s body flying,nding at the edge of the tform, nearly colliding with the weapons rack behind him.


    At this moment, Tong Nan, who had been at a disadvantage, was already seething with rage. Having struck a blow, he did not hesitate and immediatelyunched an offensive, rapidly rushing towards Ling Chen.


    Watching Tong Nan charge, Ling Chen¡¯s expression remained unchanged, his sharp eyes still retaining calmness. Suddenly, he reached back with his left hand and actually picked up a longbow from the weapons rack. Next, he slightly tilted his body, ced the steel sword atop the bowstring, gathered the strength in his right arm, pulled the bow to its full arc, with the sharp sword tip aiming straight at Tong Nan.


    Seeing Ling Chen¡¯s move, Su Mei, Qiu Yong, and the others involuntarily clenched their fists, their eyes filled with anticipation.


    They had all participated in the Heavenly Mechanism Great Ceremony. In the final battle of the ceremony, it was with this move that Ling Chen shot and killed Han Yu. Now, he was using the same trick again, and it was uncertain whether it would have a startling effect.


    Byparison, Tong Nan did not take Ling Chen¡¯s move to heart. He had not participated in the Heavenly Mechanism Great Ceremony and naturally did not know about the past event. Moreover, in his view, given Ling Chen¡¯s young age, it was impossible for him to be proficient in so many weapons. Besides, everyone can shoot arrows, but truly skilled archers are few and far between, as archery¡¯s technical demands far exceed those of other weapons.


    Ten meters... Nine meters...


    Tong Nan was getting closer and closer, the murderous intent in his eyes growing stronger and stronger.


    Six meters!


    When Tong Nan closed in to a distance of six meters, Ling Chen¡¯s two fingers finally released the bowstring. In a sh, a ¡¯thwack¡¯ sound was heard from the bowstring, and the three-foot green peak instantly shot out, at a speed so fast it was nearly invisible to the naked eye.


    Feeling the extremely sharp gust of wind, the color of Tong Nan¡¯s face involuntarily changed.


    Fast! urate! Ruthless!


    Tong Nan never expected Ling Chen¡¯s archery skills to reach such a level. Without time to think more, his long sword swiftly changed moves, stabbing forward as his whole body erupted with Hua Realm power.


    ng!


    A crisp sound rang out, and both long swords were knocked flying, dropping onto the floor.


    Impossible!


    Tong Nan was shocked. The swordunched by the arrow not only knocked his own sword from his hand but also left his arm feeling slightly numb.


    Such strong power.


    Before Tong Nan could think further, a surge of intense pain suddenly came from his chest. At the same time, a powerful force rushed at him, pushing his body several steps back.


    By the time Tong Nan realized what had happened, he discovered an additional arrow lying on the ground. However, this arrow had no head; its tip had been removed. If it hadn¡¯t been so, the arrow just now would likely have pierced through his body.


    Looking up, Tong Nan stared at Ling Chen standing in front of the weapons rack, his face instantly turning ashen and ugly. The missing part of the arrow was in Ling Chen¡¯s hand.


    At this moment, the audience below, after a brief moment of stupor, finally came back to their senses, pping and cheering, their noisy voices rising and falling, boiling in the ears of Ling Chen and Tong Nan.


    He actually won!


    Such an oue was likely beyond anyone¡¯s expectations. Before this, everyone thought Ling Chen was bound to lose. After all, a Dragon List expertpeting with an Earthly List expert, without a miracle, victory was impossible.


    But Ling Chen had done it, which was indeed shocking.


    At this time, the referee nced at Tong Nan, who was standing there dumbstruck, and loudly proimed: "Ling Chen wins, advancing to the next round."


    "No!"


    Hearing the referee¡¯s verdict, Tong Nan finally snapped back to reality, shouting urgently: "I haven¡¯t lost, I can still continue!"


    The referee snorted lightly and, pointing at the arrow on the floor, said sternly: "If Ling Chen hadn¡¯t removed the arrowhead, you¡¯d be a corpse by now. Instead of being grateful for his mercy, you refuse to admit defeat. Even if you don¡¯t care about your own face, think about your master¡¯s dignity."


    "I..."


    "Enough!" Before Tong Nan could say anything else, an old man in the stands spoke up: "A loss is a loss; why make so many excuses? Go down now; stop making a fool of yourself up there."


    Being reprimanded by his Master in front of everyone, Tong Nan¡¯s face turned both green and red. He no longer dared to stay any longer, hurrying down from the stage.


    Once off the stage, Liang Zheng and Song Yi immediately came up to him. However, seeing Tong Nan grinding his teeth in anger, they instantly swallowed their words, not daring to say another word, afraid of further upsetting Tong Nan.


    Turning his head, Tong Nan cast a resentful nce at Ling Chen, then quickly walked towards the outer edge of the crowd. Losing to a Dragon List expert and being publicly reprimanded by his master, he had lost all face and had no desire to stay. He didn¡¯t want to be aughing stock.


    Watching Tong Nan¡¯s retreating figure, Ling Chen let out a long breath.


    It¡¯s finally over.


    Thank goodness, it was all thanks to Su He¡¯s guidance; otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t have been able to win so easily.

 Chapter 723 - 728: The Mysterious Xu Ming

    <h4>Chapter 723: Chapter 728: The Mysterious Xu Ming</h4>


    Su He summoned Ling Chen to attend the grand event at the Yangxin Pavilion, naturally he wouldn¡¯t do so without saying anything and simply have hime over for nothing; that would merely be a waste of time.


    Su He was very clear, he knew that Ling Chen¡¯s opponents were all masters from the Earthly List, so he informed him in advance of the matters to pay attention to. For instance, how to maintain a certain distance from the Earthly List experts, preventing them from using their Hua Realm techniques to harm him, and how to cope with potential crises. All these details were thoroughly exined. If it were not for Su He tutoring him with all he might, even if Ling Chen could defeat Tong Nan by employing all means, he would still have to pay a hefty price.


    After descending from the arena, before Ling Chen could walk to his seat, Su Mei had already rushed over, clutching Ling Chen¡¯s hands urgently and asking, "Where is my grandfather?"


    "This..." Ling Chen hesitated, his face showing uncertainty as he looked at Su Mei, unsure of how to broach the subject.


    Seeing that Ling Chen was not speaking, Su Mei couldn¡¯t help urging him, "Just say it, where exactly is he?"


    Ling Chen sighed softly and said helplessly, "Miss Su, it¡¯s not that I¡¯m unwilling to tell you, but... Elder Su instructed me not to disclose his whereabouts to anyone. So, I¡¯m very sorry."


    "You..." Su Mei furrowed her brows, her dissatisfaction evident as she said, "We are friends, aren¡¯t you able to tell me? He¡¯s my grandfather, I have the right to know where he is. Ling Chen, please, for the sake of our friendship, I beg you to tell me."


    Ling Chen responded with a bitter smile, "Miss Su, it¡¯s really not that I don¡¯t want to tell you, but to tell you the truth, Elder Su repeatedly warned me before I came here. Moreover, he also said that even if I told you of his whereabouts, you wouldn¡¯t be able to see him. The moment he finds out someone from the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion is nearby, he would immediately leave. By then, it wouldn¡¯t just be you who can¡¯t see him, even I wouldn¡¯t have the chance to meet him again. Miss Su, please do me a favor and don¡¯t make it difficult for me."


    Hearing this, Su Mei still wanted to speak. But before she could, an elder nearby said, "Pavilion Master, since Elder Su does not wish to be found, you shouldn¡¯t press the matter. Besides, if Elder Su had wanted to return, he would havee back to the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion long ago, how could there be no word from him for over a decade?"


    "But..." Su Mei was still rather unreconciled.


    "Alright then." After thinking it over, Su Mei changed her tune, "If my grandfather doesn¡¯t want to see us, then I won¡¯t force him. However, Ling Chen, can you do me a favor and ry a few words to my grandfather for me?"


    Ling Chen nodded, "That¡¯s no problem."


    "Let¡¯s leave it at this then," the old man next to Su Mei said, "Pavilion Master, Mr. Ling has just finished his martial arts match and must be tired, it¡¯s best to let him rest earlier."


    "That¡¯s fine," Although Su Mei had innumerable questions for Ling Chen, out of consideration for the many people present, she had to suppress the excitement in her heart and said, "You rest well for now, I wille find you tonight."


    Watching Su Mei leave, Ling Chen then returned to Qiu Yong and the others.


    "Ling Cheng, how could you just rush up there without saying a word? You had us worried to death," Xia Yue scolded, looking at Ling Chen.


    Ling Chen, feeling a bit embarrassed, touched his nose and said, "Sister Five, I was wrong this time. I didn¡¯t tell you all because I was afraid you would stop me and not allow me to participate."


    Qiu Yong asked, "Ling Cheng, what is going on? When did you be a disciple of the Yangxin Pavilion, and who is this Elder Su? How did he be your master? I¡¯ve never heard you mention him before."


    "Elder Su¡¯s full name is Su He. He was once the Old Pavilion Master of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, the current Pavilion Master¡¯s grandfather. After Elder Su retired, he stayed at the Yangxin Pavilion to nurture talents for the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion. Later, for some unknown reason, Elder Su suddenly left the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion and vanished into seclusion. For many years, there has been no news of Elder Su, and everyone in the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion is specting whether Elder Su knew his end was near and thus left the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion," exined Xu Ming.


    Hearing Xu Ming¡¯s words, Ling Chen curiously asked, "Why would everyone think that way?"


    "Elder Su held very high prestige within the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion. To tell you the truth, because the current Pavilion Master is a woman andcks knowledge in martial arts, it would be difficult for her to control the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion without support. Furthermore, the Yangxin Pavilion is filled with powerful elders. To make them obediently follow orders, do you think Su Mei can aplish that alone? The reason Su Mei is able to sit securely in the position of Pavilion Master with so many people¡¯s support isrgely due to Elder Su¡¯s presence. No one knows when Elder Su might return, so with Elder Su looming above everyone, no one dares to make reckless moves."


    "So that¡¯s how it is." Ling Chen suddenly understood and was surprised to realize how high Elder Su¡¯s status was within the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion. Even after leaving for over a decade, the people here still held him in awe.


    Tsk tsk!


    His own luck was indeed not bad; by a fluke, he had garnered Su He¡¯s favor. Now with this¡ªstatus, his standing in the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion would only rise; no one would dare to look down on him.


    In deep thought, he heard the referee above the arena say, "Alright! Today¡¯s martial artspetition ends here, and the next round of matches will take ce in two days. Please prepare ordingly. Absence from thepetition will be considered an automatic forfeiture."


    "Ling Cheng, let¡¯s go!"


    "Wait!" Speaking, Ling Chen looked up at Du Kang in the stands, and seeing him approaching with Yang Tao, he quickly greeted them, cupping his fists and saying, "Elder Du, thank you for your help earlier."


    Du Kang waved his hand, "You needn¡¯t thank me, I merely spoke the truth. You did well, I thought you might not even make it past the first round. However, while you may have won today¡¯s match, the day after tomorrow¡¯spetition will be even more perilous, so be careful."


    "Yes, I understand."


    ...


    Leaving the Yangxin Pavilion, Ling Chen and Qiu Yong among others returned to their rooms and discussed the recentpetition. Seizing the opportunity, Ling Chen also revealed his goals. Only then did everyone realize that Ling Chen intended to win the Nine Elements Pill through this method.


    "You do have a chance to win the Nine Elements Pill this way, but..." Xu Ming shook his head and said, "I¡¯ve known about this major event at the Yangxin Pavilion for decades, and the reason I didn¡¯t tell you before is that I didn¡¯t want you to participate¡ªit¡¯s too dangerous."


    Hearing this, Ling Chen looked curiously at Xu Ming, "Second Brother, you seem to know quite a lot about the Yangxin Pavilion and the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion."


    Once these words were spoken, everyone¡¯s gaze fell on Xu Ming. Not just Ling Chen, they all were eager to know the reason. However, upon mentioning this matter, Xu Ming immediately shut his mouth and said nothing as if he didn¡¯t want to answer Ling Chen¡¯s question.


    Seeing this, the others felt it inappropriate to press further, so they shifted the topic and talked about the uing martial artspetition instead.

 Chapter 724 - 729 Methods

    <h4>Chapter 724: Chapter 729 Methods</h4>


    "Ling Cheng, you don¡¯t need to worry too much about the uing martial artspetition. As long as luck is on your side, you should be able to pass smoothly."


    "Exactly, our fifth sister is right." Yuan Yun echoed, "Among the eight people advancing this time, other than you, only Wang Hao and Yang Zhe are masters from the Earthly List; the others are all from the Dragon List. As long as you have a bit of luck and don¡¯t encounter them, advancing to the top four should be no issue."


    "Things are not as simple as you imagine." At this point, Xu Ming spoke up again, "There¡¯s something you all must understand. Whether it¡¯s Yang Zhe or any other Yangxin Pavilion disciple participating in thepetition, they are representing their own masters. Simply put, it¡¯s their masters who wish to obtain the Nine Elements Pill. However, some are well aware of their disciples¡¯ strength and know victory is unlikely. Therefore, they might resort to certain measures."


    "Measures? What kind of measures?"


    Xu Ming said indifferently, "Other than not taking your life, any and all means will be used, so you need to be careful. Try not to go out these next couple of days. We¡¯ll leave one or two people with you to prevent any unforeseen incidents."


    "That... Elder Brother, it can¡¯t be as serious as you say, right? If they really resort to such measures, wouldn¡¯t the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion intervene?" Ling Chen asked.


    "Why should they intervene?" Xu Ming pointed at his own head and said, "Remember, a clever mind is sometimes more important than strength. Yangxin Pavilion doesn¡¯t just cultivate martial artists; they want talent¡ªthose with both martial arts prowess and an exceptional mind."


    "I understand." Ling Chen nodded, "Elder Brother, rest assured, I will protect myself."


    During their conversation, a series of ¡¯thump thump thump¡¯ knocking sounds came from outside the room.


    Wei Jiahao stood up to open the door. Seeing the visitor, he quickly stepped aside and shouted into the room, "Ling Cheng, the Pavilion Master is here."


    Seeing Su Mei walk in alone with graceful steps, Qiu Yong and the others instantly understood that she was there to see Ling Chen. They stood up and said, "Pavilion Master, you can talkfortably, we won¡¯t disturb you."


    Su Mei expressed her thanks and, after everyone left, she took a seat in front of Ling Chen and got straight to the point, "I want to know my grandfather¡¯s current situation, can you tell me?"


    "Your grandfather is doing very well, livingfortably. You don¡¯t need to worry about him." After Ling Chen spoke briefly, he turned the conversation, "Miss Su, why did Elder Su suddenly leave Yangxin Pavilion years ago, his whereabouts unknown? As his granddaughter, you must understand more about this matter."


    Su Mei shook her head and sighed softly, "Honestly, I¡¯m not very clear about why he suddenly left. He didn¡¯t say a word to me when he left and just disappeared. If it weren¡¯t for Elder Du realizing he wasn¡¯t in Yangxin Pavilion, I wouldn¡¯t have known he was gone. At that time, Elder Du and I guessed that it could be because my grandfather¡¯s time was near, so he left the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion silently. He knew that if he died, the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion would be hard to manage. Thus, by dying outside, he could ensure that the pavilion would continue as before. For many years, I had thought that my grandfather was deceased. If it weren¡¯t for you bringing news of him today, I..." Her voice trailed off as her eyes filled with tears, overwhelmed with emotions, and unable to speak further.


    Ling Chen quickly pulled out a tissue from the table and handed it to Su Mei,forting her, "Don¡¯t think too much, I believe Elder Su had his reasons for leaving. And he doesn¡¯t seem like a heartless person; he must have had his own difficulties. You are his granddaughter; he will surely meet you sooner orter."


    "I... I¡¯m not thinking too much..." Su Mei said softly as she wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes, "I just want my grandfather to know that I have always tried hard not to disappoint him over the years."


    "Don¡¯t worry, the next time I see Elder Su, I will definitely tell him."


    Under Ling Chen¡¯s persuasion, Su Mei gradually stopped crying. She put down the tissue and looked at Ling Chen, "I¡¯m not sure why my grandfather asked you to participate in thepetition. I don¡¯t want to know too much; I just want to remind you that thispetition is not just about strength but also about tactics. As long as it doesn¡¯t result in death, the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion won¡¯t impose many restrictions. So you have to be very careful."


    "I know." Ling Chen responded with a smile. Xu Ming had already warned him, and now Su Mei reminded him again; it seemed he really needed to be cautious.


    After sending off Su Mei, Ling Chen returned to the living room alone, taking out a pair of silken gloves from his pocket. Paired with the Tianling de, they made for an excellentbination. If he encountered an opponent stronger than himself, he would have to rely on the techniques taught by Su He.


    The day was still young.


    Although he had been through several bouts, it was still a while before lunch. However, remembering the cautions from Xu Ming and Su Mei, Ling Chen, who had originally wanted to stroll outside, decided to abandon the idea and stay quietly in his room.


    At lunchtime, a Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion Disciple brought him his meal as usual.


    Perhaps because of thepetition, today¡¯s meal was much better than the previous few days. Looking at thevish lunch, Ling Chen felt an increase in appetite. Since he was alone in the room, he saw no need for courtesy. He filled his bowl with rice and was about to eat arge shrimp when Song Ge¡¯s voice suddenly came from outside.


    "Song." Upon opening the door and seeing Song Ge standing at the threshold, Ling Chen weed him in with a smile, "Song, have you eaten?"


    "Not yet. I came to see you this morning but you weren¡¯t here, so I thought I¡¯de by again at noon."


    "I had something to attend to this morning so I was away. Come on in, the meals are ready, let¡¯s eat together."


    Song Ge helped himself, and the two sat down and began to eat, alternating bites with sips of wine. Before long, two bottles of wine were empty. Looking at the bottle in his hand, Song Ge¡¯s expression turned mncholy.


    Seeing his demeanor, Ling Chen didn¡¯t need to ask to know what was on his mind. These two bottles of wine were leftovers brought by Zhou Qist time. They were kept in his room, intending to drink them the next time they had the chance. Now, the wine remained, but the person was gone, with no indication of where Zhou Qi had taken Zhou Jun.


    Thinking this, Ling Chen sighed softly to himself.


    After a satisfying meal, Song Ge, burping contentedly, stood up and said, "Ling, I¡¯ve got other matters to attend to, so I won¡¯t keep youpany. I¡¯lle over again in the evening."


    "Sure, take your time, I won¡¯t see you out."


    Song Ge waved his hand and then strode towards the door. But before he reached it, his legs suddenly gave way, and his body lurched forward; with a ¡¯thump¡¯, he copsed onto the floor.


    "Song?"


    Ling Chen was startled and rushed to Song Ge¡¯s side, helping him up from the floor and calling his name. However, Song Ge seemed to have fallen into aa; his eyes were tightly shut, showing no reaction at all.


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 Chapter 725 - 730 Xiangrun Pill

    <h4>Chapter 725: Chapter 730 Xiangrun Pill</h4>


    Seeing Song Ge in such a state, Ling Chen was startled and quickly reached out to check Song Ge¡¯s nose. Feeling Song Ge¡¯s faint breathing, Ling Chen rxed slightly. Good, there was breathing! Immediately after, Ling Chen checked Song Ge¡¯s pulse. The pulse was steady but weak, a clear sign of poisoning.


    Poisoned?


    Ling Chen frowned slightly and turned to look at the uneaten food. Song Ge was fine when he arrived, but had passed out after the meal, which clearly pointed to an issue with the food. Hmph! This is the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, and someone dared to poison his food here, that was truly ruthless. Fortunately, the poison used was not life-threatening.


    Thest time Ling Chen came to the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, he had attempted to poison the food himself. However, based on what he knew, the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion took logistics very seriously, prohibiting anyone other than designated logistics personnel from entering the logistics area. Therefore, someone who could poison his food must not have a simple identity.


    Could this be the warning that Xu Ming and Su Mei urged him to be careful about?


    Ling Chen¡¯s thoughts stirred, and he immediately connected this incident with the current martial artspetition. Apart from this reason, he couldn¡¯t think of anyone else who would target him like this.


    Thereupon, Ling Chen carried the unconscious Song Ge to the bed, then went out to call Qiu Yong and the others over.


    Seeing Song Ge on the bed, the expressions on Qiu Yong and the rest appeared somewhat ugly. Yuan Yun snorted coldly: "Those bastards are really bold, daring to poison the food. This won¡¯t do, I have to confront someone from the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion about this. Ling Cheng, wait for me, I¡¯ll be right back." As soon as he finished speaking, Yuan Yun left the room ignoring Ling Chen¡¯s attempts to persuade him otherwise.


    Seeing Yuan Yun leave, Ling Chen shook his head helplessly, shifting his attention to Qiu Yong, Xu Ming, and the others.


    Xu Ming patted Ling Chen on the shoulder and said indifferently, "Now you see, they will stop at nothing to win, and will go to any lengths. This incident is just a probe; more dangerous things are yet toe."


    "Elder brother, won¡¯t the people of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion intervene?"


    "Don¡¯t be too naive. As long as it doesn¡¯t result in loss of life, no one will step in. Besides, your identity is different now. Because of Elder Su, you have be an official member of the Yangxin Pavilion, and hence, part of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion. As such, you need to y by the rules of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion."


    Hearing this, Ling Chen felt annoyed but powerless. Indeed, as Xu Ming said, he was now a part of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion.


    While pondering, Ling Chen suddenly thought of something strange and asked, "By the way! Elder brother, if the food was poisoned, and both Song and I ate it, why did only he pass out while nothing happened to me?"


    Once Ling Chen raised this point, Qiu Yong and the others realized they had almost overlooked this matter.


    Indeed! If Song Ge passed out, why was Ling Chenpletely unaffected? This seemed a bit abnormal.


    While everyone was confused, Yuan Yun walked in with Su Mei.


    "Pavilion Master!" Qiu Yong promptly greeted her respectfully with a bow of his fists.


    Su Mei nodded lightly and said, "Everyone, I am already aware of the situation and am very sorry. However, the rules of the Yangxin Pavilion martialpetition are as they are: as long as it¡¯s not fatal, any means can be freely employed¡ªit depends on your own capability. So, until the final winner emerges, we can do nothing." Having said this, Su Mei looked at Ling Chen with surprise and asked, "Song Ge was poisoned, why are you unharmed?"


    Ling Chen touched his nose and replied, "I don¡¯t know."


    Su Mei pondered briefly, a glint of rity in her beautiful eyes, and she murmured, "Could it be because of..."


    "Miss Su, do you know the reason?" Ling Chen¡¯s eyes lit up as he quickly asked.


    "It might be rted to the Xiangrun Pill from the Shi Family."


    Xiangrun Pill?


    Ling Chen was puzzled. Of course, he knew what the Xiangrun Pill was. Qiu Yong had mentioned to him that the Heavenly Mechanism Pill from the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion was a pill that all martial artists covet. Besides the Heavenly Mechanism Pill, there was also the Xiangrun Pill. The Xiangrun Pill, a secret medicine of the traditional Chinese medicine family, the Shi Family, was scarce in quantity. In the Martial Arts world, only the Xiangrun Pill could stand shoulder to shoulder with the ordinary Heavenly Mechanism Pill. Of course, this was only inparison to the moremon Heavenly Mechanism Pill.


    Compared to the supreme Heavenly Mechanism Pill or the Nine Elements Pill, the Xiangrun Pill was far inferior.


    With this in mind, Ling Chen curiously asked, "Miss Su, I indeed know about the Xiangrun Pill. However, I have never taken the Xiangrun Pill, so why would I..."


    Before Ling Chen could finish speaking, Su Mei interrupted him: "You have taken it, just without your knowledge. During the Heavenly Mechanism Great Ceremony, you were injured before thepetition, and Zhu Xiaozhu was worried about your health, so she asked Shi Su for a Xiangrun Pill. I¡¯m not sure how she managed to trick you into taking it without your notice, but what I can confirm is that you definitely have taken it. The Shi Family¡¯s Xiangrun Pill is different from the Heavenly Mechanism Pill of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion; the Heavenly Mechanism Pill improves physique, expands meridians, and makes cultivating easier, whereas the Xiangrun Pill strengthens the physique and enhances the body¡¯s resistance. Anyone who has taken the Xiangrun Pill is impervious tomon poisons."


    After a pause, Su Mei continued, "Regardless, someone poisoning the food also reflects negligence in our Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion¡¯s management. Our Pavilion has always attached great importance to logistics, and this incident isrgely due to Elder Zhou¡¯s departure. Previously, Elder Zhou was responsible for all affairs of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, including logistics. Now that he has left, I haven¡¯t yet found someone to rece him, which allowed for thispse to ur. Rest assured, when we return, I will urge those below to pay more attention to prevent simr incidents."


    Ling Chen nodded and said, "Good, as long as Miss Su has given her word, I don¡¯t want to worry about not being able to eat in peace."


    "Ling Chen, although I am the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion Master, I want to remind you as a friend once again, never becent."


    Ling Chen nodded and replied, "I understand."


    He had initially thought that Su Mei and Xu Ming¡¯s warnings were just a reminder to be more vignt, but now he realized the true danger. If he hadn¡¯t taken the Xiangrun Pill, he might have ended up like Song Ge, unconscious for days. If that had happened, missing thepetition in two days¡¯ time would have been a major loss.


    After taking Song Ge back to his room, Ling Chen, apanied by Qiu Yong and others, head to the martial arts training field. With so many apanying him, he didn¡¯t have to worry about anyone trying to harm him stealthily.


    Standing on the hillside, Ling Chen looked into the distance, with Su Mei¡¯s words still echoing in his mind.


    Zhu Xiaozhu!


    She had given him the Xiangrun Pill from the Shi Family to take.


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 Chapter 726 - 731: Forest

    <h4>Chapter 726: Chapter 731: Forest</h4>


    If it weren¡¯t for Su Mei telling him about this, he would still be kept in the dark.


    Naturally, Ling Chen knew the preciousness of the Xiangrun Pill, and he was surprised by Zhu Xiaozhu¡¯s actions.


    It seems that unconsciously, he owed Zhu Xiaozhu a huge favor.


    "Sixth brother."


    At this moment, Yuan Yun¡¯s voice came from behind. Ling Chen turned his head and asked, "Third brother, what¡¯s up?"


    Yuan Yun stretched out his hand and pointed to a distance, saying, "Look over there."


    Ling Chen raised his head and looked afar, only to see a person outside the forest about dozens of meters away. To be precise, it was a woman.


    Zhu Ying!


    Ling Chen vaguely recognized the facial contours of the woman, and a sharp look immediately shed through the pupils akin to Mo Che¡¯s.


    It was her!


    At this moment, Zhu Ying was sneaking around the outside of the forest, continuously looking around, seemingly worried about being discovered. Probably because Ling Chen and the others were standing on a slope, which was rtively higher in terrain and blocked Zhu Ying¡¯s line of sight, she hadn¡¯t noticed their presence.


    After a while, seeing no one nearby, Zhu Ying dived into the woods.


    Watching Zhu Ying¡¯s cautious demeanor, Ling Chen greeted everyone and then quickly followed her. He wanted to see what Zhu Ying was up to.


    Upon reaching the edge of the forest, Ling Chen lightened his footsteps and walked into the woods. Navigating through the dense forest for about thirty meters, Ling Chen heard rustling sounds entering his ears.


    "What¡¯s that sound?"


    Ling Chen murmured to himself and carefully approached the direction from where the sound came. Soon, the giggling and tempting moaning became clearer.


    Damn it! Ling Chen¡¯s eyes widened in shock as he stared ahead in the forest.


    These two are too daring to engage in such an indecent act here. Needless to say, that woman must be Zhu Ying. Probably afraid that her voice would be heard, Zhu Ying was desperately controlling her breaths, but asionally, bursts of indecent moans could still be heard.


    It seems Tong Nan¡¯s words the other day were not wrong; Zhu Ying indeed was no good, though she had some beauty and grace, her private life was too indiscordant ¨C Ling Chen wondered how Zhou Jun could fall for such a woman.


    However,pared to this, Ling Chen was more interested in the man.


    Could it be Tong Nan? Ling Chen thought. Zhu Ying had spent some time with Tong Nan, devoted to himpletely, and it was Tong Nan who instructed the plot to frame Zhou Junst time. Honestly, Ling Chen quite admired Zhu Ying as a woman; she was infatuated with Tong Nan, yet willingly let her body be possessed by others, something not everyone was capable of.


    To avoid being noticed by the two people in the forest, Ling Chen carefully lightened his steps as he moved forward.


    Fortunately, Ling Chen was lucky and found a perfect spot. Through a few crossed branches, Ling Chen clearly saw that ten meters ahead, Zhu Ying was sticking her buttocks out with both hands propped against the tree, her face flushed, and her shirt buttons undone, revealing a white expanse of her chest.


    Behind Zhu Ying stood a young man. Seeing this young man¡¯s appearance, Ling Chen was taken aback.


    He thought it would be Tong Nan, but it turned out to be Song Yi.


    At this moment, the two were indulging their primal urges in the secluded forest,pletely unaware of the outsider spectating.


    After watching for a bit, Ling Chen immediately withdrew his gaze. As a virile young man, he feared he couldn¡¯t handle too much of such sight. Moreover, besides looking, he dared not listen either. No way around it, for Zhu Ying¡¯s moaning and gasping were too tempting, just like the female protagonists in adult movies, always able to stir up a man¡¯s deepest desires.


    After a few minutes, the couple in the forest finally stopped.


    Ling Chen turned his head, only to see Zhu Ying and Song Yi had already dressed. The two embraced and sat on the ground in an affectionate mien. If Zhou Jun saw this scene, he would probably be enraged to death.


    "My dear."


    Hearing Song Yi¡¯s nickname for Zhu Ying, Ling Chen felt utterly nauseated. Unexpectedly, this usually haughty young manpletely changed his demeanor in front of a woman.


    "You say, our affair won¡¯t be known to Big Brother Tong, right?"


    Zhu Ying spoke softly: "What if he knows? It doesn¡¯t matter since he never took me seriously. I was too foolish before, thinking he would love me forever, but Iter realized he just wanted to y with me. Only you are truly sincere to me."


    "Of course." Song Yi embraced Zhu Ying tightly, eliciting a coquettishint from her.


    "Hey! What¡¯s Tong Nan doing today? Usually, you are always together, why aren¡¯t you with him today?"


    "Don¡¯t mention it." Song Yi sneered: "Tong Nan has always been arrogant, but this time he has experienced a big loss, losing in a martial contest to Ling Chen. A renowned Earthly List master actually lost to a Dragon List master, and once this news spreads, Tong Nan¡¯s face will be utterly disgraced; how could he face anyone afterwards?"


    "Really?" Zhu Ying asked curiously: "Is that Ling Chen really so formidable?"


    "I¡¯m not sure about his prowess, but he indeed has some tricks up his sleeve. Most importantly, he¡¯s Elder Su¡¯s disciple, which is no ordinary status. Just with this identity, he can walk sideways at Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion without any issues, even the Pavilion Master has to give him some respect." Song Yi sighed and continued: "I didn¡¯t know Ling Chen had such a background before, and had offended him several times, I don¡¯t know if he would take it to heart. With his current status, if he plots revenge against me, I would be helpless."


    "Forget it!" After thinking, Song Yi shook his head and said: "Let Tong Nan deal with him."


    "Tong Nan? Didn¡¯t you say he lost the contest?"


    "Yes, he lost the contest, but there are many rules in Yangxin Pavilion. During the contest period, you can use any means as long as it doesn¡¯t result in a fatality. Tong Nan lost to Ling Chen and waspletely humiliated, turning into aughingstock. Given his temper, do you think he can bear it? Just now, I went to see Tong Nan with Liang Zheng, as far as I know, he seems to be plotting something, preparing to make a move against Ling Chen. Good, let those two fight it out. Anyway, I¡¯ll just watch from the sidelines, not getting involved."


    Listening to Song Yi¡¯s words, Zhu Ying¡¯s eyes flickered and she asked: "Is Ling Chen¡¯s identity really that impressive?"


    "Absolutely, why would I lie to you. Alright, enough about him, while I¡¯ve regained some energy, let¡¯s have another round."


    As he spoke, Song Yi pounced like a tiger, pinning Zhu Ying¡¯s delicate body to the ground again, tugging at her clothes.

 Chapter 727 - 732: Tong Nan’s Revenge

    <h4>Chapter 727: Chapter 732: Tong Nan¡¯s Revenge</h4>


    Seeing the return of spring in the woods, Ling Chen no longer had any interest in watching.


    Stepping out of Lin Zi, Ling Chen went straight back to join Qiu Yong and the others, then they all headed back to their room.


    After dinner, Qiu Yong took the others back to their own guest rooms, only leaving Yuan Yun and Wei Jiahao behind to apany Ling Chen, to prevent any covert harming to him.


    Standing by the window, Ling Chen looked out into the night, his thoughts unconsciously drifting towards East Sea City, flying to Nanrong Wanqing.


    Indeed, he had been quite busy this period, with hardly any time to spend with Nanrong Wanqing. Plus, with Su Lin away on an internship, only Nanrong Wanqing was at home with no one by her side, leaving him unsure if she was faring well.


    "Brother Six, it¡¯s gettingte, you should get some rest."


    Hearing the voice of Wei Jiahao from behind, Ling Chen gave a soft reply, then closed the window and turned back into the room.


    Deep into the night.


    Silence enveloped everything, Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion seemed shrouded in a mysterious veil; all lights were extinguished, leaving not a single gleam.


    However, at this time, a dark shadow swept across the night sky, rushing toward a nearby building. In the blink of an eye, the shadow had reached the base of the building. Following that, without any apparent movement, the shadow ascended the wall, moving swiftly upward like a gecko.


    Within a few seconds, the shadow stopped outside a window.


    At the window, it seemed like the shadow¡¯s hand suddenly held a dagger, gently probing through the crevice of the window. Instantly, the tightly shut window opened. The shadow pulled open a window and shed inside, blending into the darkness once more.


    In the pitch-ck room, where one couldn¡¯t see their own hand, the shadowpletely merged with the surrounding darkness, its precise location indistinct. Only a faint sound of breathing could be vaguely heard.


    Bang!


    Suddenly, a loud noise erupted in the room. Following that, ¡¯thud thud¡¯ sounds as if something heavy had struck the walls and then fell from mid-air, heavily hitting the floor.


    At the instant the noise rang out, the previously dark room was instantly flooded with light. Ling Chen stood casually by the bed, looking down at the man at the bottom of the wall, his expression impassive.


    Although the man was dressed in night clothes with his face covered, Ling Chen could identify him just by the resentful gaze in his eyes.


    Tong Nan!


    It could be no one else but him.


    After overhearing the conversation between Song Yi and Zhu Ying today, Ling Chen had exercised extra caution. Since Tong Nan intended to harm him, of course, he had to be careful not to let him seed easily.


    So, under Ling Chen¡¯s vignce, as soon as Tong Nan entered the room, he was discovered, but Ling Chen didn¡¯t make a sound. Instead, he quietly waited for Tong Nan to approach, ready to take the opportunity to kick him.


    At this moment, Tong Nan quickly scrambled up from the ground, his eyes filled with resentment as he stared at Ling Chen. Suddenly, with a flick of his wrist, a dagger appeared out of nowhere, and he charged directly at Ling Chen.


    In a sh, Tong Nan had closed the distance to within five meters of Ling Chen, his sharp dagger aiming straight for Ling Chen¡¯s vital spots. His movements suggested he intended to put Ling Chen to death.


    As Tong Nan closed in, Ling Chen showed no sign of making a move, instead standing quietly in ce, appearing as if he didn¡¯t take Tong Nan seriously at all.


    Just as the dagger was about to pierce Ling Chen, a powerful gust of wind surged, descending from the heavens, aimed directly at the top of Tong Nan¡¯s head.


    Feeling that piercing knife wind, Tong Nan¡¯s pupils shrank violently as he quickly looked up. In an instant, he saw Yuan Yun holding a steel knife with an aggressive momentum.


    After recognizing the person who came, Tong Nan¡¯s expression finally changed. He was not afraid of a mere Ling Chen, but the person in front of him was the master of knife-wielding among the eight entrics¡ªthis was not someone he could afford to underestimate.


    His mind racing, Tong Nan hastily withdrew his move, then rolled on the spot to dodge Yuan Yun¡¯s attack.


    Forget it!


    Seeing that Ling Chen had backup, Tong Nan immediately abandoned his n of action, pushed off with his legs, and rushed toward the window.


    Bang!


    However, when Tong Nan¡¯s head collided with the window, not only did it fail to break open, but he was also bounced back andnded on the ground with a thud.


    This sudden turn of events made Tong Nan freeze.


    How could this be?


    He couldn¡¯t understand how it was that everything was fine when he came in, but now he couldn¡¯t get out.


    While pondering, he heard Ling Chen¡¯s voiceing from nearby: "Tong Nan, don¡¯t think about escaping. Surrender now. I anticipated that you wouldn¡¯t give up easily and woulde to trouble me, so I had my Ling Cheng make a small modification to the room¡ªdoors and windows you can only enter, not leave."


    Hearing this, Tong Nan¡¯s face immediately turned exceedingly ugly.


    Without waiting for Tong Nan to get up, there was a ¡¯bang¡¯ as the room¡¯s door was knocked open from the outside.


    Watching Qiu Yong and others enter one after another, Tong Nan immediately gave up resisting. No matter how powerful he was, he didn¡¯t have the ability to contend with the eight entrics.


    "Hmph!" Xia Yue red at Tong Nan with fury and said softly, "You¡¯ve really got some nerve, daring to secretly attack my Ling Cheng."


    "No, I didn¡¯t," Tong Nan hurriedly defended. This was no joking matter. If they misunderstood that he intended to harm Ling Chen, Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion would not turn a blind eye; they would definitely punish him severely.


    "Enough, stop the nonsense. Come on, let¡¯s go and reason with the Pavilion Master. I am curious to see how you¡¯ll argue your case."


    Xia Yue grabbed Tong Nan from the floor and began to drag him away. However, at that moment, a fierce look suddenly shed in Tong Nan¡¯s eyes, he grabbed Xia Yue¡¯s wrist, slightly turned his body, and his right arm immediately locked around Xia Yue¡¯s neck.


    This turn of events happened so quickly that everyone failed to react in time.


    Seeing Xia Yue controlled by Tong Nan, Ling Chen¡¯s brow furrowed, and he coldly ordered, "Tong Nan, release her immediately."


    "I can let her go, but you must let me go. How about it, Ling Chen, that¡¯s a fair trade, right?"


    Yuan Yun snorted coldly, holding the steel knife in one hand and striding in front of Tong Nan. He spoke deliberately, "I advise you¡¯d better release her. If you dare harm a single hair on her, I can assure you, no matter who your master is or how powerful your background is, I will surely dismember you a thousand times over."


    "I..."


    "You don¡¯t need to doubt my words. If you don¡¯t believe me, feel free to try."


    Feeling the deadly look in Yuan Yun¡¯s eyes, Tong Nan¡¯s face suddenly became ufortable, and he quickly retreated with Xia Yue. However, Xu Ming had already seen through Tong Nan¡¯s intentions, and he blocked the doorway first, preventing any chance of escape.


    "Just release her; there¡¯s no way you can run."

 Chapter 728 - 733: The Decision of the Top Four (1)

    <h4>Chapter 728: Chapter 733: The Decision of the Top Four (1)</h4>


    Facing the advancing Ling Chen and others, Tong Nan, holding Xia Yue hostage, retreated to the corner of the room. His arm tightly choked Xia Yue¡¯s neck as he shouted loudly, "Everyone back off!"


    Ling Chen¡¯s face was stern as he coldly said, "Tong Nan, admit defeat. You can¡¯t escape our grasp. If you must me someone, me your own arrogance, daring to sneak into my room alone at night to harm me. Did you really think I was that easy to bully? Let me tell you, I knew you woulde, so I was prepared in advance."


    Tong Nan frowned and asked, "You knew I woulde for you?"


    "Of course. All thanks to your friends who secretly sent messages to me, otherwise, you might have seeded by now."


    "My friends?" Tong Nan was momentarily stunned and shook his head, "I don¡¯t have friends."


    Ling Chen retorted, "Aren¡¯t those two who frequently follow you around your friends?"


    Hearing this, Tong Nan¡¯s expression suddenly changed as he coldly said, "You mean those two... Who exactly is it?"


    "Sorry, I can¡¯t tell you exactly who, and moreover, I don¡¯t think you have a chance to seek revenge. Tong Nan, don¡¯t forget, you lost to me in yesterday¡¯s martial arts match, hence, you¡¯ve lost your qualifications. I know contestants can use any means to defeat their opponents, but that only applies to those who are qualified, and you¡¯re not. Hence, your actions have seriously vited the rules. What do you think the Pavilion Master will do if she finds out?"


    "I..." Tong Nan opened his mouth but didn¡¯t know how to speak. Ling Chen was right. Once the Pavilion Master learns he did not follow the rules, she surely wouldn¡¯t let him off easily. Even if he was a disciple of Yangxin Pavilion, things might get difficult for him.


    With this in mind, Tong Nan nced at the window nearby, still holding Xia Yue, and slowly shifted towards it.


    As he neared the window, Tong Nan used his peripheral vision to inspect it and saw that both sides of the frame were fitted with springs ¨C mechanisms that sealed the window from the inside, allowing entry but not exit.


    Then, suddenly, Tong Nan pushed Xia Yue forward and lunged toward the window. Waving his dagger swiftly, he knocked down all the springs. Immediately following, before the people could react, Tong Nan leaped out the window and disappeared into the darkness.


    Ling Chen walked to the windowsill and looked at the now absent Tong Nan, his lips curled slightly with a faint smile.


    "Third Brother, thank you!"


    "No need to be polite." Yuan Yun said with a smile, "When you gave me that look, I knew what to do. However, I just don¡¯t understand why, after finally catching that kid, you let him go again?"


    "Let them fight among themselves," Ling Chen stated.


    Just now, Ling Chen had told Tong Nan that the betrayal was reported by two of his close friends. Since only Song Yi and Liang Zheng had been constantly following Tong Nan, undoubtedly, Tong Nan would suspect them. Then, Tong Nan would inevitably go looking for trouble with Song Yi and Liang Zheng. Using Tong Nan to teach those two a lesson was undeniably the right choice.


    "Alright, everyone head back. It¡¯s gettingte, and we shouldn¡¯t dy our rest."


    ...


    The next day.


    Early in the morning, Ling Chen, along with Qiu Yong and others, returned to Yangxin Pavilion.


    Stepping into the valley of Yangxin Pavilion, there were already numerous people waiting around the arena. Ling Chen¡¯s arrival immediately drew lots of attention. Being a disciple of Su He, this identity alone was enough to pique everyone¡¯s interest.


    As Ling Chen approached, many people from the crowd came forward, wearing friendly smiles, and actively greeted Ling Chen.


    As the saying goes, one does not p a smiling face. Ling Chen had no choice but to squeeze out a smile and greeted them back.


    After a round of greetings, Ling Chen felt his face almost stiffening.


    When it was nearly eight o¡¯clock, Du Kang and others leisurely arrived and seated themselves in the stands, awaiting the start of the martial artspetition.


    Shortly after the arrival of Du Kang and the others, Su Mei, apanied by an elderly man and several Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion Disciples, arrived in the valley.


    "Ladies and gentlemen!"


    It was still the same referee as the day before. He stepped onto the stage, greeted everyone with a bowed fist, and then began, "Today is the quarterfinals. Winning one match today means advancing a significant step toward the final victory. However, I must emphasize here, no matter who the opponent is or whatever grievances you have had before, once you step onto the stage, you must abide by the rules and not randomly injure your opponent. Otherwise, don¡¯t me me for being unkind. Now, no more idle talk, everyone please hurry up. I invite the top eight contestants toe on stage to draw lots to decide their opponents."


    Hearing this, Ling Chen stepped onto the stage. Other than him, Wang Hao, Yang Zhe, and others sessively went up.


    Once everyone was on the stage, Ling Chen swept his gaze around and found that Song Yi and Liang Zheng were not present. Odd, where had these two guys gone? Didn¡¯t they know today was the semifinals?


    While pondering, he suddenly saw someone quickly approaching from a distance. Ling Chen looked up, and his expression instantly stiffened ¨C wasn¡¯t that... Liang Zheng?


    However, Liang Zheng¡¯s appearance was quite aughable sight. At that moment, Liang Zheng, with a bruised face and messy hair, looked like a beggar, even sporting several cut wounds on his mouth.


    Seeing this, the crowd took a few more nces, full of curiosity.


    Liang Zheng seemed like he had just been beaten up.


    When the breathless Liang Zheng got on stage, the referee frowned and asked, "Liang Zheng, what happened to you?"


    "It¡¯s... it¡¯s nothing," Liang Zheng said with his head bowed down, "I identally trippedst night."


    However, such a low-skilled lie wasn¡¯t believed by anyone. One could tell from Liang Zheng¡¯s wounds that he had definitely been beaten up; he was just too embarrassed to admit it.


    Holding back augh, Ling Chen turned his head away. It was obvious that Liang Zheng had been troubled by Tong Nan.


    The referee snorted lightly, obviously not convinced by Liang Zheng¡¯s words. However, he did not pursue further, only asking, "What about Song Yi? Why hasn¡¯t he arrived yet? Aren¡¯t you usually always together?"


    Hearing this, Liang Zheng¡¯s eyes flickered, not daring to meet the referee¡¯s gaze, and he said in a low voice, "I...I don¡¯t know, I haven¡¯t seen him."


    "Then never mind. Since the time has already passed and he has not shown up, let¡¯s consider him to have forfeited. Now, there are still seven people left on the stage. I won¡¯t waste words ¨C among you seven, one person will get a bye, directly advancing to the semifinals."


    Upon hearing this, the eyes of Ling Chen and others lit up. This was unexpected but weing news - it remained to be seen who would be so fortunate.


    While speaking, the referee handed over a bamboo tube to everyone, containing eight bamboo sticks marked with corresponding numbers. Whoever drew the same number would be opponents.

 Chapter 729 - 734: Battle of the Top Four (2)

    <h4>Chapter 729: Chapter 734: Battle of the Top Four (2)</h4>


    Ling Chen was the first to draw lots, and without much nce, he directly pulled out a bamboo stick. At the bottom of the stick, there was a number, three.


    He hoped to draw a bye. Ling Chen thought to himself, to advance to the semi-finals without doing anything was a stroke of effortless good luck he certainly wanted.


    Soon, all seven people had finished drawing. As everyone revealed their numbers, Ling Chen¡¯s expression immediately changed.


    He had hoped for some good luck, but his opponent turned out to be Yang Zhe!


    Not only that, the strongest contender, Wang Hao, had drawn a bye.


    Damn! Ling Chen couldn¡¯t help but curse silently, feelingpletely out of luck. It would have been one thing to draw a Dragon List master as an opponent, but he ended up drawing a master from the Earthly List, which was horribly unlucky.


    "Ling Chen versus Yang Zhe."


    When the referee announced the pairings, the audience around the stage was immediately shocked, showing various expressions.


    "This Ling Chen is really unlucky, drawing Yang Zhe. It looks like he¡¯s stopping at the semi-finals today."


    "Yes, although he defeated Tong Nan the other day, Tong Nan and Yang Zhe arepletely different levels."


    In the ranking of Earthly List masters, each level has a big difference. Tong Nan¡¯s strength at best ranked ninth in the Earthly List, but Yang Zhe¡¯s strength was between eighth and seventh, much stronger than Tong Nan. Besides, during the day of the contest between Tong Nan and Ling Chen, many people noticed that Tong Nan lost partly because he underestimated his opponent and made mistakes. Additionally, it was Ling Chen¡¯s first battle; no one knew his tactics back then, but today was different, people had a general understanding of his methods and would naturally guard against him.


    Therefore, if Ling Chen still wanted to win with those techniques, it would be very difficult.


    At this moment, after the judge¡¯s arrangement, the match between Ling Chen and Yang Zhe was scheduled to be thest one.


    After stepping down, Ling Chen returned to Qiu Yong and the others with a wry smile on his face.


    Yuan Yun sighed, patted Ling Chen¡¯s shoulder, andforted, "Ling Cheng, don¡¯t think too much, just do your best."


    "If it really doesn¡¯t work out, you might as well forfeit." At this moment, porridge girl came over and said, "I just asked Su Mei, that Yang Zhe¡¯s strength is very strong, ranked in the top three within Yangxin Pavilion, except for Wang Hao and Yang Tao, he is the most formidable. Everyone would understand if you forfeit against such an opponent, no one wouldugh at you."


    Hearing porridge girl¡¯s suggestion, Ling Chen shook his head lightly. Although he knew she meant well, he couldn¡¯t give up easily. This opportunity was hard-won; he couldn¡¯t let it pass so easily. Otherwise, not only would he despise himself, but Su He would also be disappointed.


    During this visit to Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, even though Su He did not indicate anything, Ling Chen could see that Su He had great expectations for him and hoped he would achieve a good result.


    Furthermore, to step back ten thousand steps, even if he really wasn¡¯t a match, it would be good topete against an Earthly List master to enhance his realbat experience against powerful fighters.


    Amid these thoughts, he saw Yang Tao not far away, gesturing for him toe over.


    Ling Chen quickly ran to him and asked, "Yang, what¡¯s wrong?"


    "Nothing much, Master asked me to remind you of a few things, and I also have some words to tell you. When you confront Yang Zhe, if you want to beat him, you must pay attention to one key point."


    "Key point?" Ling Chen asked curiously, "What key point?"


    "Yang Zhe has a habit when he spars with others, listen carefully..." Saying this, Yang Tao leaned in close to Ling Chen and whispered a few words. Finally, Yang Tao raised his head and said, "Yang Zhe is my biological brother, I know him best, so don¡¯t doubt what I¡¯ve told you."


    Ling Chen was momentarily stunned and asked, "Yang, since you are brothers, why would you still..."


    "It¡¯s nothing." Yang Tao said indifferently, "Although we are brothers, this time we are not fighting for brothers, but for our respective masters. Master told me that the Nine Elements Pill is very important to you, it could save your father¡¯s life. So, I will help if I can, but whether you can obtain the Nine Elements Pill depends on your own skills and fortune."


    "Thank you!"


    Ling Chen thanked him, and then turned back to join Qiu Yong and the others, quietly waiting for his turn to enter the arena.


    There were two fights ahead of Ling Chen, both featuring Dragon List masters, with not much to watch, nobody was really interested.


    The first fight featured Liang Zheng on the stage. As expected, perhaps due to injury, he, being the strongest among the Dragon List masters, surprisingly lost to a slightly lesser opponent, missing out on the semi-finals.


    As the second fight was about to end, Ling Chen stood up from his seat, starting to warm up for his uing battle.


    In less than five minutes, the two Dragon List masters on the stage decided the winner and, including the bye drawn by Wang Hao, three out of four semi-finalists were determined. Now, it all depended on the showdown between Ling Chen and Yang Zhe to see who would secure thest semi-final spot.


    "Ling Cheng, go ahead, no matter the result, just do your best," Qiu Yong said.


    Ling Chen nodded, took a deep breath, and then stepped onto the stage.


    Looking at Yang Zhe standing opposite, Ling Chen sped his hands together, smiled slightly, and said, "Yang, I didn¡¯t expect us to meet here."


    "Last time, thanks to your help, a disaster was averted. However, favors aside, I won¡¯t go easy this time in our match; let¡¯s fight fairly. If you want to win, show your true skills."


    "Of course!"


    "The third fight, Ling Chen versus Yang Zhe, begins!"


    As the judge¡¯s words fell, Ling Chen, without a second thought, turned around and dashed to the weapon rack behind him, taking down a longbow and a quiver of arrows, which he slung across his waist.


    However, just as Ling Chen picked up his weapons, a gust of wind hurriedly approached from behind with tremendous speed.


    Faced with the imminent threat, Ling Chen, without thinking, spun around, left hand gripping the bow, right hand pulling an arrow, slightly drawing the bowstring, and shooting out a sharp arrow directly at Yang Zhe¡¯s body.


    Due to the hasty action, Ling Chen¡¯s arrow didn¡¯t have much force, and its speed wasn¡¯t at its peak either. However, Ling Chen¡¯s intent with this arrow was not to wound Yang Zhe, but to force him back.


    Sure enough, seeing the arrowing, Yang Zhe¡¯s forward charge abruptly stopped, he leaned his torso slightly back, and the arrow whizzed by, barely missing his upper body.


    Seizing the moment, Ling Chen moved his legs quickly, rushing to the other side of the stage, creating distance between them.


    Whoosh!


    As Yang Zhe adjusted his position, Ling Chen did not hesitate and shot another arrow.

 Chapter 730 - 735: Battle of the Top Four (3)

    <h4>Chapter 730: Chapter 735: Battle of the Top Four (3)</h4>


    The arrows pierced the sky, flying so swiftly that the naked eye could almost not catch them.


    However, for a master of the Earthly List, they did not pose much of a threat.


    Three consecutive arrows were shot, and Yang Zhe easily dodged each, unscathed. They only forced him to keep his distance, hovering on the edge of the arena, unable to get near Ling Chen.


    Yet, the arrows in Ling Chen¡¯s quiver were ultimately limited. After shooting several arrows in session, his quiver was already half empty.


    Now the fight had only just begun for less than a minute. At this rate, Ling Chen¡¯s arrows would soon be exhausted.


    "This isn¡¯t looking good." The spectators shook their heads one after another, not very optimistic about Ling Chen. The same move again? Did Ling Chen really think Yang Zhe was the same kind of opponent as Tong Nan? Besides, in this kind of one-on-one fight, the role of the bow and arrow was minuscule unless it was at a very close range or if there was a good opportunity.


    However, Yang Zhe was well aware of this and always maintained a safe distance, minimizing the threat of the arrows.


    At this moment, Ling Chen nocked an arrow to his bow. The arrow followed Yang Zhe¡¯s movements, always aimed at his body.


    Seeing Ling Chen hesitant to release the arrow, Yang Zhe took the opportunity to swiftly close the distance, preparing tounch an attack. But just as he was about to get close, a ¡¯whoosh¡¯ sound was heard as the sharp arrow finally flew out, forcing Yang Zhe to retreat several steps.


    Thus, the cycle repeated. Under Yang Zhe¡¯s continuous probing, Ling Chen¡¯s arrows were rapidly depleting.


    Two minutester, Ling Chen was left holding hisst arrow.


    "You have one arrow left. Do you think it can change anything?" Yang Zhe said indifferently.


    Hearing this, the corner of Ling Chen¡¯s mouth lifted in a smile as he replied, "How do you know it won¡¯t have any effect?" As he spoke, Ling Chen¡¯s fingers loosened, and the arrow immediately shot forth.


    As the arrow approached, Yang Zhe¡¯s body shifted slightly, allowing the arrow to whiz past his right shoulder. However, at that moment, Yang Zhe suddenly sensed a sh of a figure before his eyes, and Ling Chen¡¯s body instantly appeared in front of him.


    "Take this!"


    Ling Chen eximed softly, his fistden with formidable power, thundering out.


    Facing the heavy punch, Yang Zhe¡¯s face still maintained its calm. As the fist neared, Yang Zhe touched it lightly with his finger, pointing upward from below, right on Ling Chen¡¯s wrist.


    Instantly, Ling Chen felt the strength in his fist halved.


    Such precise technique!


    Ling Chen¡¯s pupils contracted. Without time to think further, he immediately pulled back to retreat. Yang Zhe¡¯s simple touch had uratelynded on a soft spot on the wrist, capable of dissipating the force.


    As Ling Chen retreated, Yang Zhe immediately pressed forward, closely following Ling Chen¡¯s footsteps, pressing step by step, his sharp palm strike heading straight for Ling Chen¡¯s chest.


    Seeing this, Ling Chen frowned. Yang Zhe was pressing too close; if he kept retreating, he would inevitably fall off the arena.


    No good, he had to find a way to avoid Yang Zhe¡¯s offensive.


    In the split second of his rapidly turning thoughts, Ling Chen suddenly stopped his retreat, his body falling stiffly backward.


    Seeing this, the onlooking crowd couldn¡¯t help but be startled. What was going on? Had he been hit?


    But as the crowd watched in bewilderment, the fallen Ling Chen quickly rolled to the side, dodging Yang Zhe¡¯s attack. Although the evasive move seemed somewhat extravagant, it had, in any case, allowed him to avoid disaster.


    Failing to connect with his strike, Yang Zhe immediately withdrew and turned, darting towards Ling Chen¡¯s location.


    Ling Chen didn¡¯t dare to linger; if Yang Zhe stuck to him, he would surely lose. He immediately took long strides, rushing towards the weapons rack again.


    What on earth is this guy trying to do?


    Everyone thought to themselves. From the beginning of the fight until now, everyone felt that Ling Chen was just dying, showing no intention of engaging.


    Just as he was thinking, everyone was stunned once again by the weapon Ling Chen had chosen.


    A shield?


    Ling Chen actually chose a shield.


    After a brief moment of surprise, everyone immediately realized why Ling Chen had chosen the shield.


    Yang Zhe was an Earthly List expert, proficient in the Hua Realm, and in this aspect alone, Ling Chen could notpare with Yang Zhe. Thus, choosing a shield was a very correct decision. In this way, he could use the shield¡¯s sturdiness to fend off attacks from the Hua Realm.


    At this moment, seeing Ling Chen holding the shield in front of him, Yang Zhe immediately changed his direction and rushed to the weapon rack beside the arena, then pulled out a broad-backed sword over a meter in length.


    Without even trying it out, one could tell from the shape and material of the sword that it was very heavy, at least weighing around a hundred pounds or so.


    Choosing such a heavy weapon to counter a shield was undoubtedly a good choice. Because Ling Chen was not very strong, and his power was lesser than Yang Zhe¡¯s. Therefore, if used well, this broad-backed sword could easily break through the shield¡¯s defense.


    ng!


    Apanied by a crisp sound, Yang Zhe held the broad-backed sword in one hand and chopped it onto the surface of the shield.


    Immediately, Ling Chen¡¯s body slightly shook, and he staggered backward for two or three meters before steadying his stance.


    Feeling the numbness in both arms, Ling Chen secretly felt rmed, not expecting the sword to contain such formidable power. If Yang Zhe were to strike twice more like that, he wouldn¡¯t have the strength to hold onto the shield.


    "Come again!"


    Seeing Yang Zhe charging forward with the sword raised once more, Ling Chen quickly retreated, then raised the shield in his hand high, blocking the onught of the broad-backed sword.


    ng! ng! ng!


    This time, Yang Zhe held nothing back, his strength, speed, and frequency of sword strikes had all tripled.


    After three shes, Ling Chen felt as if he was hit by a strong force, and in an instant, he was sent flying from the ground, crashing onto the floor along with the shield.


    "How formidable!"


    Seeing Yang Zhe¡¯s moves, the crowd eximed one after another.


    "It¡¯s no wonder he¡¯s among the top three disciples in Yangxin Pavilion, his strength truly is extraordinary. Ling Chen, being a Dragon List expert, simply has no chance of defeating Yang Zhe."


    "That¡¯s right, this battle already has no suspense; it¡¯s just a matter of how long Ling Chen canst against Yang Zhe."


    "Going by this trend, the fight will end in at most two minutes."


    "I don¡¯t see it that way; no matter what, Ling Chen is a disciple trained by Elder Su. Even if he is somewhatcking, he can¡¯t be too bad. Let¡¯s not jump to conclusions, and just watch how it unfolds. Maybe Ling Chen has other techniques to turn the tide."


    Amidst the discussion of the crowd, Ling Chen struggled to get up from the ground.


    Taking a deep breath, he eased the pain inside his body and once again lifted the shield, looking at Yang Zhe on the other side, and slowly walked over.


    "Stop hiding."


    At this time, a sudden sentence came out of Yang Zhe¡¯s mouth.


    "What?" Ling Chen didn¡¯t catch on for a moment and casually replied.


    "You are a disciple of Elder Su, I don¡¯t believe this is all you¡¯ve got. Use whatever techniques you have; otherwise, I¡¯m afraid you won¡¯t have the chanceter."


    Hearing this, Ling Chen shrugged his shoulders and said with a resigned smile, "You seem to know me quite well."


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 731 - 736: Battle of the Top Four (4)

    <h4>Chapter 731: Chapter 736: Battle of the Top Four (4)</h4>


    At this moment, everyone was watching Ling Chen and Yang Zhe on stage, patiently waiting for the oue.


    The recent bout of fighting had clearly put Ling Chen at a disadvantage; now, everyone was anticipating and wanting to know whether Ling Chen had any other tricks up his sleeve. A disciple of the esteemed Elder Su should not only be capable of this much.


    In a moment of thought, Ling Chen tightened his grip on the shield in his hand and reached toward his waist to draw the Tianling de, resembling an ancient warrior as he held the shield in front of him, assuming a defensive posture.


    Observing Ling Chen¡¯s actions, Yang Zhe lifted his broad-backed saber and slightly shook his head. He had expected Ling Chen to have some new tricks, but it turned out to be the same old techniques, which was somewhat disappointing.


    Seeing Yang Zhe stepping forward with his saber in hand, Ling Chen fearlessly pushed his shield forward. It appeared as if he had forgotten the embarrassments of being attacked just before.


    "Rise!"


    With a light shout, Yang Zhe leaped high off the ground, raising the saber above his head with both hands, with a fierce momentum he executed the Powerful sh, aiming directly at Ling Chen¡¯s head.


    The de edge was not yet close, but the chilling Sword Force had already swept over, like a strong gale blowing past, causing a stinging pain on one¡¯s cheeks.


    Ling Chen squinted his eyes slightly, lifting the shield in his left hand a bit while bending his knees, ready to bear the brunt of Yang Zhe¡¯s heavy blow.


    ng!


    In the midst of a crisp sound, Ling Chen¡¯s body abruptly sank downward, feeling as if the weight on the shield was immense, nearly causing him to sit down on the ground. Fortunately, he used the Tianling de in his right hand to prop against the floor just in time to barely stabilize his body, preventing a fall.


    Although he had managed to block the attack, it was not an easy feat for Ling Chen. Anyone who had to withstand such a heavy hit would not find it easy, let alone when the difference in strength between Ling Chen and Yang Zhe was so significant. At this moment, as the de came crashing down, Ling Chen¡¯s left arm was nearly numb, trembling slightly, and even holding up the shield seemed strenuous.


    Seeing Ling Chen¡¯s awkward state, the onlookers shook their heads in silence; shing head-on with Yang Zhe was simply seeking death.


    From the current state of the battle, as long as nothing unexpected happened, the ultimate victor of this duel should be Wang Hao.


    As long as Yang Zhe wins this match, he would advance to the top four, where there would be two experts from the Earthly List and two from the Tiger List. The final winner would undoubtedly be chosen from among the two Earthly List experts. Although both Wang Hao and Yang Zhe were among the top three disciples in the Yangxin Pavilion, Wang Hao was recognized as the first, while Yang Zhe was only in the third ce. Moreover, Wang Hao had secluded himself for two years and his strength had greatly increased, probably surpassing both Yang Tao and Yang Zhe by a wide margin.


    Based on this reasoning, it was likely that no one among the Yangxin Pavilion disciples could defeat Wang Hao.


    However, nothing in this world is absolute.


    In terms of strength, Wang Hao¡¯s prowess was unquestionable. But for this reason, the Yangxin Pavilion had an unwritten rule: apart from theparison of strength,petitors¡¯ tactics were also to be considered. On the tform, perhaps no one could match Wang Hao, but off the tform, it was another story. Maybe someone would y dirty, injuring or crippling Wang Hao, preventing him frompeting. Then, the ultimate victor would definitely be someone else.


    Therefore, even though they saw that Ling Chen¡¯s strength was not on par with Yang Zhe¡¯s, everyone still surrounded the tform, eagerly watching without any intention of leaving.


    For everyone understood that the oue of this kind of duel was full of variables; no one knew what would happen next.


    ng!


    At this moment, another crisp sound echoed.


    With the sound, everyone immediately turned their gaze toward the stage. Under the heavy strike from Yang Zhe, Ling Chen, holding his shield aloft, took several steps back, nearly tumbling off the edge of the tform.


    Two consecutive strikes had almost shattered Ling Chen¡¯s defenses. Not only that, but even the surface of the shield bore two deep marks from the shes of the broad-backed saber. If the shield hadn¡¯t been sturdy enough, it could have been split in two by Yang Zhe¡¯s Sword Force.


    At this moment, Ling Chen took a deep breath, slowly straightened up and looked at Yang Zhe, his eyebrows furrowing slightly.


    It seemed he had somewhat underestimated Yang Zhe¡¯s strength. Beforeing, Su He had advised him that if he faced an opponent stronger than himself, he should try to use stillness to control movement and deplete the opponent¡¯s physical strength. Sooner orter, the opponent would reveal a weak spot. That¡¯s when his chance to counterattack woulde.


    However, it¡¯s been so long, and not only had Yang Zhe¡¯s stamina not declined in the slightest, but he also seemed to be getting stronger as the battle went on. On the contrary, it was he who, after continuous fighting, found his physical strength rapidly depleting. If this continued, he would eventually be defeated without any chance of turning defeat into victory.


    In the midst of his contemtion, Yang Zhe charged forward with a broadsword in hand once again.


    Seeing this, Ling Chen, without thinking, swung his arm violently, and the shield in his hand flew out like a frisbee, striking straight towards Yang Zhe¡¯s forehead.


    As the shield neared, Yang Zhe¡¯s wrist flicked and with a heavy sh of the broadsword, which weighed a hundred catties, he instantly knocked the shield to the ground.


    Then, without slowing down, Yang Zhe dashed in a straight line and quickly closed in on Ling Chen. The broadsword was raised high, the de sharp as lightning, aiming to cleave Ling Chen¡¯s head.


    The great sword moved with incredible speed, almost reaching its peak. Ling Chen didn¡¯t even have time to lift his head and only saw a blur sh by as the fierce sword force nearly skinned his face raw.


    At that moment, without enough time for his brain to react, Ling Chen instinctively raised the Tianling de to forcefully block the attack of the great sword.


    ng!


    Sword and broadsword collided, and Ling Chen felt a weakness in his arm and numbness in his tiger¡¯s mouth, as the Tianling de fell to the ground with a tter.


    However, Yang Zhe¡¯s broadsword continued its relentless trajectory, plunging straight for Ling Chen¡¯s chest.


    The decisive moment had arrived!


    Witnessing this scene, everyone held their breath, silently awaiting the oue.


    Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, the edge of the great sword finally fell, steadily bracing against Ling Chen¡¯s right shoulder.


    Eh?


    The onlookers below the stage were momentarily stunned; they had thought the battle was decided, but didn¡¯t expect such a turn of events.


    Although Yang Zhe¡¯s great sword had fallen, it didn¡¯t strike Ling Chen¡¯s vital points. Instead, Ling Chen caught the de of the broadsword between his hands.


    Only then did everyone remember that Ling Chen wore a pair of silk gloves, tough in texture, capable of withstanding the damage of des and swords. It was also thanks to those silk gloves that Ling Chen managed to turn danger into safety, withstanding Yang Zhe¡¯s attack at the veryst moment.


    Looking at the de in Ling Chen¡¯s hands, Yang Zhe¡¯s face darkened slightly, his toes tapped lightly, and his right leg shot up instantaneously, delivering a fierce kick toward Ling Chen.


    Bang!


    Taking the blow of Yang Zhe¡¯s flying kick, Ling Chen¡¯s body immediately soared into the air, crashing heavily onto the floor.


    Puh!


    Ling Chen opened his mouth, spitting out a mouthful of fresh blood, and his body seemed to lose all its strength, lying limply on the ground, not getting up for a long while.


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    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 732 - 737: Battle of the Top Four (5)

    <h4>Chapter 732: Chapter 737: Battle of the Top Four (5)</h4>


    "Ling Chen!"


    "Ling Cheng!"


    Seeing Ling Chen injured and lying on the ground, Qiu Yong, along with porridge girl, all stood up from their chairs, their faces filled with worry and concern as they watched Ling Chen, their brows slightly furrowed.


    "Big brother, Ling Cheng seems to be in critical condition, we should let him step down," Xia Yue said anxiously.


    Qiu Yong nodded, quickly walked over to Su Mei, and whispered in her ear. After he finished speaking, Su Mei acknowledged with a nod and then looked up to give a signal to the referee on the stage.


    Thetter immediately understood and raised his right arm high, dering loudly, "I announce that this duel..."


    "Wait!" Before the referee could finish, Ling Chen¡¯s voice rose from the ground: "I... I can still go on." As he spoke, Ling Chen slowly stood up from the ground. However, his legs were weak, and his body was wobbly, as if he might fall at any moment.


    Seeing this, Yang Zhe put down the broad-backed saber he was holding and said, "Don¡¯t stand up, you¡¯re already hurt. Just admit defeat and go get treated. Considering that you helped mest time, I don¡¯t want to hurt you."


    Ling Chen shook his head and said, "Thank you for your kindness, but I can still hold on."


    Hold on?


    Yang Zhe frowned and said, "How can you hold on like this? Ling Chen, let me be clear, I will not go easy on you. If you insist, don¡¯t me me for being ruthless."


    Ling Chen forced a slight smile and said faintly, "No need to hold back, I wouldn¡¯t want to win unfairly."


    With that, Ling Chen took a deep breath to ease his body¡¯s pain. Then, he raised his fists and nodded at Yang Zhe, saying, "Come on!"


    Ah!


    Seeing Ling Chen prepare to continue fighting, Qiu Yong couldn¡¯t help but sigh softly.


    "Forget it! Since he still wants to continue, let him persist a while longer. Pavilion Master, if..."


    Before Qiu Yong could finish, Su Mei interrupted, "Don¡¯t worry, I know what to do. If Ling Chen can¡¯t hold on, I¡¯ll have the referee announce the result. Besides, Yang Zhe knows Ling Chen, he won¡¯t go too hard."


    Bang! Bang!


    Just as the two were talking, suddenly two loud noises came from the stage. When Qiu Yong and Su Mei looked over, they saw Ling Chen lying on the floor, clutching his chest, his body writhing, his face full of pain.


    Seeing Ling Chen in such agony, porridge girl felt the most unbearable. Biting her thin lips, her gaze hesitant, she stepped forward a little, intending to go to the stage to rescue Ling Chen.


    However, before she could move, Su Mei seemed to see through her intentions, stepping in front of her to block her path.


    "What are you doing?"


    "Don¡¯t do anything foolish. The rules of Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion can¡¯t be broken arbitrarily. Bringing you here was already an exception; don¡¯t make it difficult for me."


    Hearing this, porridge girl sighed helplessly and had to suppress her urge to intervene, quietly watching Ling Chen on the stage.


    At this moment, under the watchful and sighing eyes of the crowd, Ling Chen struggled to his feet, looked straight at Yang Zhe, and said in a weak voice, "Again, I can still hold on."


    "Ling Chen!" the referee said sternly, "You¡¯re already like this, don¡¯t keep acting tough. Just admit defeat and don¡¯t dy the treatment."


    "No." Ling Chen gently shook his head, his hands once again clenched into fists.


    "I..." Yang Zhe lowered the broad sword in his hands, just about to try and persuade him, but before he could say anything, Ling Chen suddenly sped up, charging towards Yang Zhe. He closed the distance in an instant and was immediately in front of Yang Zhe.


    Throwing a steel fist, Yang Zhe slightly sidestepped, effortlessly dodging Ling Chen¡¯s attack. At this moment, after a round of exchanges, Yang Zhe still maintained a full spirit in contrast to the repeatedly injured Ling Chen, whose speed and strength were far inferior to Yang Zhe¡¯s.


    Ling Chen threw several punches in quick session, but each one was deftly dodged by Yang Zhe, posing no threat at all.


    Just as Ling Chen was about to throw another punch, the nimble and quick Yang Zhe swiftly made his move, urately locking onto Ling Chen¡¯s wrist. Without waiting for Ling Chen to react, Yang Zhe violently flung him, and Ling Chen¡¯s body immediately soared into the air, heavily crashing onto the floor.


    Pu!


    Blood spurted out, and Ling Chen¡¯s face instantly turned pale, losing the strength even to stand.


    "Dere him defeated immediately!" Porridge girl and Qiu Yong said almost in unison.


    Su Mei nodded, making a gesture to the referee on the tform.


    However, the keen Ling Chen noticed the small exchange between Su Mei and the referee and immediately, enduring the pain, got up from the floor. Next, Ling Chen gathered his breath and quickly rushed towards Yang Zhe.


    At this moment, even the referee couldn¡¯t dere Ling Chen defeated. As long as the martial contest hadn¡¯t ended, he had no authority to intervene in the match between Ling Chen and Yang Zhe.


    Seeing Ling Chen running swiftly towards him, Yang Zhe sighed. Although he admired Ling Chen¡¯s perseverance, admiration aside, he felt no sympathy and also had no interest in wasting more time on the tform.


    At that moment, Yang Zhe flipped his wrist, turning the de of the broadsword towards the handle, striking directly at Ling Chen¡¯s chest.


    However, just then, Ling Chen noticed Yang Zhe¡¯s sagging eyebrows and eyes, his own gaze suddenly brightened, bursting with an unmistakable sharpness.


    Feeling the sparkling sharpness in Ling Chen¡¯s eyes, Yang Zhe instantly felt a pang in his heart, a bad premonition.


    But it was toote, just as the handle was about to hit Ling Chen, Ling Chen¡¯s feet suddenly turned, swiftly rotating his body, and moved to Yang Zhe¡¯s left side.


    So fast!


    Yang Zhe¡¯s face showed shock, and before he could react, Ling Chen¡¯s iron fist fiercely struck out, targeting Yang Zhe¡¯s waist.


    The punch of iron met flesh, and Yang Zhe¡¯s face immediately changed, his steps shuffling back several times in pain, his face contorted in agony, cold sweat dripping from his forehead onto the ground.


    Seizing this moment, Ling Chen bent down, his right hand scooping up the Tianling de that had fallen onto the floor, and stabbed towards Yang Zhe.


    By the time Yang Zhe reacted, the sharp tip of the sword was already at his front, unavoidable.


    Seeing such a result, everyone was stunned, and it took a while for them to regain their senses.


    Ling Chen had actually turned the tables.


    This was something that nobody had anticipated.


    Yang Zhe was clearly at an advantage, yet just by taking a punch from Ling Chen, he ended up in this state, which was really baffling.


    Could it be that Yang Zhe was deliberately losing?


    Considering this, everyone felt that this possibility was very high. Apart from this exnation, they couldn¡¯t find any other.


    "Brother Yang, admit defeat!"


    Ling Chen retracted the Tianling de and cupped his fists towards Yang Zhe.


    Yang Zhe wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and, with furrowed brows, asked, "How did you know?"


    "I..."


    "Forget it! You don¡¯t need to say it, I know already, it must be him who told you." Saying this, Yang Zhe gave a bitter smile and shook his head, "It¡¯s not your fault, I only have myself to me for being so careless."

 Chapter 733 - 738: Battle of the Top Four (6)

    <h4>Chapter 733: Chapter 738: Battle of the Top Four (6)</h4>


    As Yang Zhe stepped off the arena, the referee finally came to his senses and announced, "Ling Chen wins this match!"


    "Now that all four semi-final spots have been taken, everyone please go back and rest well. We¡¯ll have the final matches in three days."


    After the referee¡¯s words, Ling Chen breathed a sigh of relief and began to walk down from the stage. However, just as he stepped off, he felt dizzy and copsed to the ground.


    It¡¯s unknown how long passed before the groggy Ling Chen finally woke up.


    "Ling Cheng, you¡¯re finally awake." Hearing Xia Yue¡¯s voice beside his ear, Ling Chen slowly turned his head to see a concerned Xia Yue and smiled weakly: "Sister Xia."


    Seeing that Ling Chen was not in serious trouble, Xia Yue scolded him lightly, "You, I don¡¯t even know what to say to you. Clearly unable to hold on, yet you were stubbornly resisting. Do you know how worried we were?"


    Ling Chen replied sheepishly, "Well... Sister Xia, I did win, didn¡¯t I?"


    "You did win, but you almost lost your life. Alright, rest up now; you need to heal. In a couple of days, you still have to fight in the final."


    While they were talking, Qiu Yong and others walked in from outside. Seeing Ling Chen awake, Qiu Yong hurried to the bedside to ask about his condition.


    Upon hearing that Ling Chen¡¯s injuries were not severe, Qiu Yong breathed a sigh of relief and said, "Ling Cheng, I must say, you were too careless yesterday. If it wasn¡¯t for your good luck, how could you have won so easily?"


    Hearing this, Wei Jiahao at the sideughed, "Ling Cheng, you¡¯re too cunning. Pretending to be injured in front of Yang Zhe and then ambushing him when he was off guard. You should hear the rumors outside; they¡¯re all saying you¡¯re too deceitful."


    Ling Chen touched his nose and gave a wry smile.


    He had no choice yesterday. He knew his skills were far inferior to Yang Zhe¡¯s. If he hadn¡¯t employed some strategy, there was no way he could have defeated Yang Zhe. Moreover, before the match, Yang Tao had told Ling Chen about Yang Zhe¡¯s weak spot¡ªhis waist. Previously, Yang Zhe had injured his waist by ident, resulting in a lingering weakness.


    All along, aside from Yang Tao, hardly anyone knew about this weakness of Yang Zhe.


    Yang Tao telling this to Ling Chen was essentially handing him a chance at victory.


    Thus, during the match with Yang Zhe, Ling Chen had pretended to be seriously injured to lower Yang Zhe¡¯s guard. When Yang Zhe became less cautious, Ling Chen seized the moment to strike his weak spot severely.


    That was the reason he managed to win by a fluke.


    However, his body wasn¡¯tpletely without injuries. After all, Yang Zhe, a top contender of the Earthly List, didn¡¯t hold back his blows. If not for that, Ling Chen wouldn¡¯t have passed out after stepping down from the stage.


    "Big Brother, is Yang Zhe¡¯s injury serious?" Ling Chen asked, "Although I won against Yang Zhe, it was an unorthodox victory. To be honest, I even feel quite embarrassed. Big Brother, I¡¯m not in a position to visit him right now. Could you help me pay him a visit?"


    "Sure, no problem. I¡¯ll take everyone to see himter. You just rest at home." As Qiu Yong spoke, he suddenly changed the subject, "Ling Cheng, have you considered it? In a few days, you¡¯ll have to fight in thest match. Besides you, there will also be Wang Hao. We¡¯ve inquired about him; he¡¯s not easy to deal with. He¡¯s the strongest amongst the disciples of Yangxin Pavilion. Even Elder Du¡¯s disciple, Yang Tao, wasn¡¯t his match, let alone you. Your victory over Yang Zhe was mainly due to luck, but Wang Hao is different. If you can¡¯t defeat him, don¡¯t even think about obtaining the Nine Elements Pill. I¡¯ve discussed it with the others, and our decision is to forfeit this match."


    "Forfeit?" Ling Chen sat up in bed abruptly, looking at Qiu Yong, "Big Brother, I¡¯vee so far, how can you ask me to give up?"


    Qiu Yong responded, "Ling Cheng, I¡¯ve thought it through carefully. Instead of facing Wang Hao, it might be better to steal the Nine Elements Pill."


    "Steal?" Ling Chen was taken aback, not expecting Qiu Yong to make such a suggestion.


    "Exactly," Yuan Yun nodded and said, "I¡¯ve checked; the box containing the Nine Elements Pill is ced in the valley, unguarded. As long as we¡¯re careful, we can definitely steal it. Then, we can n carefully and take the pill out to save your father."


    Ling Chen immediately shook his head, "No, absolutely not. Big Brother, if we do this, even if we can temporarily deceive the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, they will eventually find out. They¡¯d definitely cause trouble for us. Moreover, we have such a good rtionship with Miss Su; it wouldn¡¯t be right to do this to her."


    After a pause, without waiting for Qiu Yong to say anything more, Ling Chen continued, "Big Brother, let¡¯s drop it. Don¡¯t think too much. Besides, if we are to win, let¡¯s win fair and square. I don¡¯t want to do things stealthily."


    "Alright." Seeing that Ling Chen was unwilling, Qiu Yong didn¡¯t insist and nodded, "Since you¡¯ve decided, I won¡¯t say more. Xia Yue, please take good care of Ling Cheng. We¡¯re going to see Yang Zhe."


    Having slept for a day and night, Ling Chen really couldn¡¯t sleep anymore. He half-sat on the bed, looking at the martial arts training field outside the window, deep in thought.


    Just then, Porridge Girl entered the room from outside. Seeing Ling Chen lost in thought, she parted her lips gently and asked, "What are you thinking about?"


    Hearing Porridge Girl¡¯s voice, Ling Chen came back to his senses, turned his head to look at her delicate face, and smiled faintly, "Nothing much, just thinking about the uing match in a few days."


    "Are you worried about your opponent?"


    Ling Chen nodded lightly, "Wang Hao is a formidable figure. I¡¯m considering how to defeat him."


    "Stop thinking about it, you can¡¯t beat him."


    Ling Chen gave a bitter smile, "Why do you have no confidence in me at all?"


    "It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t have confidence, but I know Wang Hao well. Although I¡¯ve never fought with him, I¡¯ve seen his strength firsthand. Among his peers, there¡¯s hardly anyone as formidable as he is. I, myself, am not weak and advanced to the Earthly List at a young age. However,pared to Wang Hao, I still fall far short. Previously, I considered Wang Hao a rival, hoping to surpass him one day. Butter, I realized that the gap between me and him is too great; it¡¯s unlikely I¡¯ll surpass him anytime soon."


    Hearing this, Porridge Girl looked seriously at Ling Chen and advised, "Take my advice, don¡¯t take the risk. If you face him, you won¡¯t stand a chance."


    "But if I don¡¯t get the Nine Elements Pill, how can I save my father?" Without waiting for Porridge Girl to say more, Ling Chen suddenly smiled and said, "Alright, don¡¯t mention my worries. Regardless, I have to try."

 Chapter 734 - 739: Forbidden Area of Heavenly Secrets

    <h4>Chapter 734: Chapter 739: Forbidden Area of Heavenly Secrets</h4>


    The finalpetition is only three days away, and since Ling Chen was unconscious for a day, he only has two days left to recover from his injuries. Although the injuries are not severe, it is clearly impossible to recover to the best condition within two days. Even with Shi Su here, who is reputed to be the best in medical skills, it probably cannot be done.


    In order to maintain the best condition on the day of thepetition, Ling Chen didn¡¯t go anywhere, and hey in bed peacefully under the care of Xia Yue and porridge girl, quietly recuperating for the uingpetition.


    Having stayed in the room for two days, Ling Chen felt a bit stuffy and wanted to go out for a walk, but porridge girl and Qiu Yong wouldn¡¯t let him, insisting he stay in bed and not even set foot on the floor. Fortunately, he had porridge girl by his side; otherwise, he would be truly bored.


    "One more day until thepetition, just bear with it," porridge girl said.


    Ling Chen, leaning on the pillow helplessly, held a bowl of clear porridge, along with a few snacks from Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, and casually had his dinner.


    After Ling Chen finished eating, porridge girl took the empty bowl from his hand and asked while cleaning up, "How do you feel about your recovery, can you perform the day after tomorrow?"


    "I can perform, but it might be difficult to recover one hundred percent," Ling Chen said truthfully.


    Actually, Ling Chen was more worried about his physical condition than anyone else. After all, his opponent was Wang Hao, and if he couldn¡¯t maintain his best condition, even with many tricks up his sleeve, he wouldn¡¯t be able to defeat Wang Hao.


    ...


    Nightfall.


    The night is deep, the area outside the room is silent, only the mountain wind breezes through the woods, bringing a rustling sound of the branches.


    Ling Chen opened his eyes, yawned, and then sat up in bed. Turning on the light, he looked around and found that there was no one else in the room, not even porridge girl.


    No one around, perfect!


    Ling Chen smiled to himself, got out of bed, changed into clean clothes, and walked out of the room alone.


    These two days were either spent eating or sleeping, making up for a week¡¯s worth of sleep, and now at eleven o¡¯clock at night, Ling Chen wasn¡¯t sleepy at all. He hadn¡¯t left the house in two days, taking the chance while unmonitored to go out for a walk and breathe some fresh air.


    Although Xu Ming and Su Mei had warned him to be careful outside, Ling Chen wasn¡¯t overly worried. Everyone knew he was recuperating in his room with specialized care; sneaking out now, he guessed no one would know, and he believed being cautious wouldn¡¯t attract trouble.


    Besides, if anyone dared try anything, he wouldn¡¯t mind teaching them a lesson. In his eyes, except for Wang Hao, the other two opponents were not worth mentioning.


    Additionally, Wang Hao¡¯s presence was a very important reason. Even if those people covertly used means against him, they would be useless as long as Wang Hao, the strongest, was still around. So, if they really wanted to target someone, it would definitely be against Wang Hao, not him.


    Walking on a dim and unlighted path, Ling Chen strolled leisurely with his hands behind his back, the slightly cool mountain breeze brushing by, dispelling some of the stiffness from lying down too long.


    It was nearly midnight now, many of the buildings at Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion had turned off their lights, dark as pitch, only a few streetmps by the road were still on, providing Ling Chen with some light.


    While walking, Ling Chen suddenly noticed a light appearing in the distant woods.


    Strange!


    At this time, why was there light in the woods? Could there be someone there?


    Ling Chen thought to himself. Even the patrol members of Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion wouldn¡¯t light such brightmps in the woods. Reaching the edge of the woods, Ling Chen looked into it for a while, but due to the dense foliage, he could only see faint lights projecting through the leaves and could not see the situation clearly.


    After looking around outside the woods for a few moments, driven by curiosity, Ling Chen stepped toward the woods.


    When Ling Chen entered the forest, a gentle mountain breeze brushed past, moving the branches and leaves in the forest. Suddenly, a stone stele appeared at the edge of the forest, engraved with the words ¡¯Forbidden Area¡¯. Because it had been obscured by branches and leaves, Ling Chen hadn¡¯t noticed it earlier.


    Walking deeper into the forest, Ling Chen carefully moved forward. Before long, he was surprised to find that the temperature increased the further he walked inward. Not only that, there seemed to be streams of steam wafting through the woods.


    What ce is this?


    Ling Chen murmured to himself. As he quickened his pace, an elegant wooden hut appeared in his sight.


    The billowing steam was rising from outside the wooden hut. Approaching it, Ling Chen looked up and realized that there was actually a hot spring outside the wooden house.


    Wow!


    Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion is indeed impressive, to have created a hot spring in this ce. Clearly, given the location and surroundings of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, it was unlikely to have natural hot springs; this one must have been artificially made.


    He also didn¡¯t know what was added to that hot spring, but there was a faint fragrance in the steam, making one feel refreshed all over.


    At that moment, Ling Chen heard the sound of sshing watering to his ears.


    There¡¯s the sound of water?


    Could someone be bathing in the hot spring?


    Unable to suppress his curiosity, Ling Chen couldn¡¯t help but walk a few steps forward. Due to the dense branches and leaves ahead, his line of sight was obstructed, so he had to stand on tiptoe and peek in the direction of the hot spring.


    Suddenly, he saw a fair body soaking in the steaming hot spring.


    That is... Ling Chen froze, his eyes widening several times.


    Su Mei?


    It was actually Su Mei!


    At this moment, Su Mei waspletely naked in the hot spring, her smooth shoulders covered by a thin silk scarf. Within the rising steam, Su Mei¡¯s pretty face blushed slightly, exuding an alluring charm.


    Ling Chen swallowed his saliva, his eyes fixated on Su Mei, unwilling to look away for even a moment.


    In the warm hot spring water, Su Mei stretched out her fair arms, picked up the silk scarf on her shoulders, and gently wiped her body. As the scarf left her body, the round and full contours of her breasts immediately became visible.


    Usually, Ling Chen saw Su Mei in clothes, but this was the first time he had seen her bare in the hot spring. It must be said, Su Mei¡¯s body was absolutely top-notch, with well-defined curves, as fair as snow.


    At that time, Su Mei stood up from the hot spring water, like a goddess emerging, iparably beautiful.


    Seeing Su Mei¡¯s beautiful body fully revealed, Ling Chen was instantly mesmerized, his eyes unable to blink as he admired her full breasts and her waist as slender as willow.


    This girl really has an incredible figure.


    While pondering, Su Mei, draped in the silk scarf, walked out of the hot spring water and headed straight for the wooden hut.


    Watching Su Mei enter the house, Ling Chen immediately followed. However, as the door was closed, Ling Chen could only get close to the window and gently pushed open a crack in the window.


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 735 - 740: Fortune Arrives

    <h4>Chapter 735: Chapter 740: Fortune Arrives</h4>


    At this moment, inside the wooden hut, Su Mei, with her back to the window, had her smooth, pink back facing the slit in the window where Ling Chen was peeping.


    Su Mei stretched out her hand to pick up an intimate garment from the bed and put it on, thus hiding the splendid view.


    Ah! What a pity.


    Ling Chen shook his head secretly, wishing he could have enjoyed the view a little longer, but it seemed that opportunity was gone.


    Seeing Su Mei dressed, turning toward the door to leave, Ling Chen dared not linger any longer and hurriedly ran towards the woods behind him, quickly escaping and returning to the edge of the woods.


    Shortly after Ling Chen left, Su Mei walked out of the woods, heading straight to her residence.


    It was only then that he noticed a stone stele standing outside the woods, inscribed with the words ¡¯Forbidden Area¡¯.


    So that ce was Su Mei¡¯s hot springs, no wonder it was dered a forbidden area. Ling Chen remembered Su Mei once said that there was a Heavenly List expert secretly protecting her nearby, which is probably why the expert didn¡¯t follow her due to inconvenience. This, in turn, gave Ling Chen the chance to peep.


    However, even though he saw, Ling Chen felt extremely ufortable. His whole body felt heated and restless.


    Damn it! Ling Chen cursed silently; it was that Prajnaparamita Sutra again, this mental method was too troublesome.


    Forget it... Ling Chen shook his head and turned towards his room. Better to rush home and take a cold shower to cool down.


    Back in his room, as soon as Ling Chen entered, he saw porridge girl sitting at the head of the bed, one hand supporting her forehead and her beautiful eyes slightly closed, as if she had fallen asleep.


    Seeing porridge girl¡¯s tired appearance, Ling Chen felt a heartache. These past few days, she had been bustling about to take care of him, hardly resting at all. She had worked hard.


    Immediately, Ling Chen lightened his footsteps, walked behind porridge girl, gently picked up her delicate body, and prepared toy her on the bed.


    But as soon as Ling Chen lifted porridge girl, the slumbering girl instantly woke up, her face wary, her whole body¡¯s strength gathered. However, once she recognized it was Ling Chen, she immediately rxed her grip and reprimanded him, "Where did you go just now? I¡¯ve been looking for you for ages."


    "I... it¡¯s nothing," Ling Chen smiled bitterly and turned to see porridge girl¡¯s stunningly beautiful face, and the small me that had just died in his heart was instantly reignited. He embraced porridge girl in one swoop, and herplexion changed, her cheeks flushing a deep red, but she did not resist. In her heart, this man had long be her own.


    The night passed without a word.


    ...


    Early the next morning.


    Knock knock knock! Knock knock knock!


    "Little Sixth Brother."


    The knocking sound arose, apanied by Xia Yue¡¯s calling.


    Lying on the bed, Ling Chen suddenly opened his eyes and quickly sat up.


    "Little Sixth Brother, are you up yet? Open the door."


    Hearing Xia Yue¡¯s voice, Ling Chen quickly replied, "Fifth Sister, wait a moment, I¡¯ll be right there." As he spoke, Ling Chen turned his head to look at porridge girl under the covers, whispering, "Quick, get up, my Fifth Sister is here."


    Porridge girl, her face red, covered her chest with the quilt, fumbling around with one hand for her clothes, and asked, "My... my clothes?"


    "How would I know."


    "How could you not know?" Porridge girl gave Ling Chen an annoyed re and said, "Last night... was it not you who threw them all?" Her voice unintentionally softened as she spoke, her face turning red like it was on fire.


    Ling Chen picked up a few pieces of clothing from the ground and handed them to porridge girl, touching his nose and said, "Forget about it for now, just put on a couple of pieces and we¡¯ll deal with Fifth Sister first."


    In less than a minute, the two were dressed in outer garments. Then, Ling Cheny back on the bed as usual with the quilt covering him, while porridge girl stood up and walked towards the door.


    Opening the door, Xia Yue who was standing at the doorway saw porridge girl, and seemed somewhat surprised, saying, "I thought Little Sixth Brother was alone in the room; it turns out you are here too. Just now, you guys..."


    "Sorry, I was just in the restroom, and Ling Chen was lying in bed, so it took a bit of time. Sister Yue, pleasee in!"


    Xia Yue nodded, did not continue to inquire, and walked straight into the room.


    However, once inside the room, Xia Yue sniffed with her nose as if she sensed something unusual and looked at Ling Chen and porridge girl with a strange gaze.


    Ling Chen smiled and sat up from the bed, asking, "Fifth Sister, looking for me so early, is there something?"


    Xia Yue gave Ling Chen a look and said, "There¡¯s not really anything, it¡¯s just that I wanted to tell you, there was a bit of an identst night."


    "ident?" Ling Chen asked curiously, "What ident?"


    "I just heard while I was outside, some people were talking that there was trouble at Yangxin Pavilion. Someone tried to use underhand methods against Wang Hao, but not only did they fail, they got a taste of their own medicine. There were originally four people in the semifinals, but because two of them were injuredst night, there will only be you and Wang Hao left for tomorrow¡¯s martialpetition. Little Sixth Brother, congrattions, you¡¯ve advanced directly to the finals."


    Hearing this, Ling Chen couldn¡¯t help but grin, not expecting such good fortune. The lesspetitors, the better¡ªless time and hassle.


    It seemed his guess was correct. If someone wanted to y dirty, they would definitely target Wang Hao, not him.


    "Ling Chen, Sister Yue, you two chat, I¡¯m going to prepare breakfast for Ling Chen," said porridge girl from the side, then she left the room.


    Once porridge girl had gone, Xia Yue poked Ling Chen on the forehead with her finger, chiding without good humor, "You really do have quite the romantic luck."

 Chapter 736 - 741: The Astute Xia Yue

    <h4>Chapter 736: Chapter 741: The Astute Xia Yue</h4>


    Blessings of beauty?


    Ling Chen¡¯s heart skipped a beat. Could it be that Xia Yue had discovered something? No, he couldn¡¯t admit it. With that thought, Ling Chen feigned ignorance and said, "Sister Five, what are you talking about? I don¡¯t understand what you mean."


    Xia Yue snorted lightly, "You¡¯re still pretending? Don¡¯t think I don¡¯t know, this room is full of scents. Can¡¯t you open a window and let it air out? Lucky for you, it¡¯s me who came; if someone else had walked in, how embarrassed would you be."


    Scents? Ling Chen was startled and looked at Xia Yue in surprise, murmuring, "Sister Five, how could you..."


    Xia Yue smiled smugly and said, "You really think Sister Five knows nothing? Alright, you don¡¯t need to be embarrassed in front of me. Love between a man and a woman is normal. However, you should take care of your body. Your injuries haven¡¯t fully healed yet, and if you continue indulging without restraint, beware that your condition will worsen. Ok! I won¡¯t tease you anymore. You must be tired from staying up all night without much rest. I¡¯ll leave now ande back with Brother Song and the others to see you in the afternoon."


    Watching Xia Yue leave, Ling Chen touched his nose and let out a wry smile to himself.


    He had always thought of Xia Yue as a very innocent person, but he hadn¡¯t expected her to be so open, actually discerning what had taken cest night from the room¡¯s scents.


    However, even though he had visitors five timesst night, Ling Chen didn¡¯t feel tired at all; on the contrary, he was brimming with vitality. Both his injuries and his spirit had returned to peak condition.


    The Prajnaparamita Sutra truly deserved its reputation as a top-notch mental method, actually being able to improve one¡¯s constitution through acts of intimacy.


    Back during the Heavenly Mechanism Great Ceremony, the porridge girl had taken the initiative to offer herself to him, enabling him to defeat Han Yu and take the top spot on the Neer List. This time, it was the porridge girl again. After giving it some thought, Ling Chen always felt that he owed her too much.


    Lost in thought, he saw the porridge girl enter with a rich breakfast.


    "Come, eat something."


    Taking the bowl of clear porridge handed over by the porridge girl, Ling Chen spoke, "I remember, the first time I met you, you also made a bowl of clear porridge for me."


    "That happened so long ago, why bring it up?" The porridge girl seemed indifferent.


    Ling Chen looked up at her delicate face and said, "It¡¯s just that I feel sorry for you. You... you give so much for me, but I have nothing to offer you, I..."


    Before Ling Chen could finish speaking, the porridge girl suddenly put her hand over his lips and said, "You don¡¯t need to say these things. I told you once before that I¡¯ve had a fianc¨¦ for a long time. Actually, that fianc¨¦ I mentioned was you. This marriage was arranged by the Master from the beginning, from when I was very young. The Master told me that in the future, I would marry his son. So, ever since then, I¡¯ve kept the Master¡¯s words in mind. No matter what happens, I am your woman for life."


    After a pause, the porridge girl continued, "Actually, you don¡¯t need to feel too troubled. We are both from the Martial Arts world; we don¡¯t have so many constraints and formalities. As long as you treat me well, that¡¯s enough for me, without needing an official status."


    Hearing this, Ling Chen felt a touch of emotion stirring within him.


    If there was a woman willing to give everything for him without wanting anything in return, what reason would he have not to treat her well?


    "Porridge girl, I..."


    "Alright, stop there," the porridge girl interrupted Ling Chen, smiling and saying, "Hurry up and eat your breakfast. It won¡¯t taste good when it¡¯s cold."


    With less than a day left before the fight with Wang Hao, Ling Chen dared not ck off. He spent the entire day sitting in his room, keeping himself in the best possible condition.


    The next day.


    Early in the morning, as Ling Chen and the porridge girl, along with Qiu Yong and others, just arrived at the valley of Yangxin Pavilion, they saw a huge crowd. The area around the tform was packed with nearly a hundred people.


    "Ling."


    At that moment, a familiar voice was heard. Ling Chen looked up and saw Song Ge running out from amongst the crowd and quickly approaching him.


    "Brother Song?" Ling Chen looked at Song Ge in surprise, asking, "Brother Song, what brings you here?"


    To his knowledge, the battle at Yangxin Pavilion was only open to its disciples and the high-ranking members of Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, yet Song Ge had made an unexpected appearance.


    Song Ge said with a smile, "It was the Pavilion Master¡¯s decision. She made an exception and allowed the elite disciples of Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion toe and observe your fight with Wang Hao. You know as well as I do, a duel between experts is a rare urrence. The Pavilion Master wanted us to broaden our horizons and learn some experience from it."


    At this point, Song Ge patted Ling Chen on the shoulder and asked, "Ling, how are you feeling about today¡¯s fight? Any confidence?"


    "Brother Song, you know what kind of person that Wang Hao is¡ªhe¡¯s recognized as the number one at Yangxin Pavilion, with powerful strength and also a master on the Earthly List. What do you think my chances are of winning against him?"


    "Not big," Song Ge said honestly.


    Ling Chen shrugged helplessly, "Then why do you ask if I¡¯m confident?"


    Song Geughed heartily, "Ling, I might not know others well, but I have faith in you. Go for it, aim to beat Wang Hao. In the future, you should not only be the first on the Neer List but also aim to be the top at Yangxin Pavilion. I believe in you, brother."


    While speaking, everyone arrived at the seats.


    After exchanging greetings with Su Mei, they all took their seats, quietly waiting for the martial contest to begin.


    "Ling Chen."


    A voice called out, and Ling Chen looked back to see Yang Tao and Yang Zhe had appeared behind him at some point.


    "Brother Yang!"


    Ling Chen greeted him with a smile, then turned to Yang Zhe with a cupped-fist salute, saying with an apologetic face, "Brother Yang, I¡¯m really sorry about the other day. I hope you won¡¯t take it to heart."


    Yang Zhe waved his hand and said, "No worries, I was too careless that day, it wasn¡¯t your fault." Then, changing the subject, Yang Zhe asked, "Ling Chen, can you give us an insight? How confident are you in today¡¯s match against Wang Hao?"


    Ling Chen shook his head and said, "Honestly, I don¡¯t even have a ten percent chance. The difference between Wang Hao and me is clear, it¡¯s not something that can bepensated for with just tactics."


    "Knowing that, are you still nning to continue?"


    "There¡¯s no choice, I¡¯vee this far, I can¡¯t back out at thest minute; it¡¯s not my style. Besides, I really want to see just how powerful that Wang Hao is."


    "Alright, in any case, just be careful."


    "Wang Hao, it¡¯s Wang Hao who has arrived!"


    With a burst of excited shouting in the crowd, everyone¡¯s attention was drawn to the approaching Wang Hao.


    Under everyone¡¯s gaze, Wang Hao, hands behind his back, walked with his head held high and a steady gait, not ncing aside and seemingly oblivious to the surrounding chatter.


    Watching Wang Hao step onto the tform, Ling Chen withdrew his gaze and turned to Yang Tao and Yang Zhe with a smile, "Gentlemen, I¡¯ll go first."


    "Wait!"


    Yang Tao stopped Ling Chen, who was about to leave, and handed him something, saying, "Take this with you, it might be of use to you."


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 737 - 742: The Number One Disciple of Yangxin Pavilion

    <h4>Chapter 737: Chapter 742: The Number One Disciple of Yangxin Pavilion</h4>


    After securing the items handed by Yang Tao, Ling Chen looked up at Wang Hao on the stage, took a deep breath, and then walked towards the stage.


    Today¡¯s martial artspetition was the final match, and the winner would be the ultimate victor, receiving the Nine Elements Pill as a prize.


    Therefore, this match was not arranged with a referee; the numerous onlooking audience members sufficed as watchers. Besides, as long as no lives were taken, there were hardly any strict rules and limitations.


    Upon reaching the stage, Ling Chen stood at a corner and directly faced Wang Hao, cupping his hands in a greeting.


    However, Wang Hao paid him no heed and said indifferently, "If I were you, I would surrender proactively. This match is meaningless, why waste everyone¡¯s time?"


    Hearing this, Ling Chen smiled and was not angered. He knew that Wang Hao was stating a fact, not mocking or despising him; after all, there was a vast disparity in strength between them. From Wang Hao¡¯s perspective, he had little interest in this match.


    "Wang, everyone says you¡¯re the top disciple in Yangxin Pavilion. Regardless of winning or losing, I¡¯d like to learn from you."


    "If you want to learn from me, that¡¯s fine, but I have a condition. As long as you can agree to it, even if you have other conditions, I can satisfy them."


    "Oh?" Ling Chen looked at Wang Hao skeptically, could there really be such a good deal?


    In a swift moment of thought, Ling Chen asked, "What is your condition?"


    "Simple. After this match, I want you to introduce me to Elder Su, and also, I¡¯d like to present the Nine Elements Pill to Elder Su as a token of meeting."


    "Elder Su?" Ling Chen¡¯s heart stirred, a trace of astonishment shing in his eyes. Wang Hao was quite generous, easily willing to give away the Nine Elements Pill. Could it be that he¡¯s seeking Elder Su¡¯s help for something?


    While he pondered, Wang Hao followed up saying, "My master died early, and all these years, I¡¯ve cultivated alone with no guidance, which has slowed my progress."


    Hearing this, Ling Chen understood Wang Hao¡¯s intention¡ªhe wanted Su He to take him as a disciple.


    "Wang, there are so many experts in Yangxin Pavilion; surely, someone can teach you?"


    Wang Hao¡¯s expression remained untouched as he said, "There are indeed many masters in Yangxin Pavilion, but not a single one qualifies to be my master."


    These words caused an uproar in the crowd, everyone gaped at Wang Hao, shocked that he would dare to say such a thing and offend all the elders of Yangxin Pavilion.


    From the nearby stands, Huang Zheng, staring at Wang Hao on the stage, snorted coldly, "This Wang Hao truly doesn¡¯t know the immensity of heaven and earth, to speak such words."


    Liang Tian, standing next to him, chimed in, "This kid is too arrogant. Confidence is good, but overconfidence turns into arrogance."


    "What do you think, Elder Du?" someone asked.


    Leaning back in his chair and holding a gourd of wine, Du Kang shook the liquid gently, squinted his eyes, and spoke with a smile that was not quite a smile, "Wang Hao¡¯s words may be boastful, but he¡¯s not wrong. How many of you here dare to take him as a disciple? Huang Zheng, your strength is ranked in the top three on the Earthly List; but Wang Hao¡¯s strength is at least around sixth on the Earthly List, not much less than yours. He¡¯s under thirty this year; you¡¯re over eighty. If you take him as your disciple, it won¡¯t be long before he surpasses you. So, I think he¡¯s right, you really aren¡¯t qualified to be his master, and neither are the rest of us."


    An old man chuckled, "Elder Du, you are a master on the Heavenly List, do you alsock the qualification to be his master?"


    "I truly am not qualified," Du Kang replied. "Have you thought about who Wang Hao¡¯s former master was? In Yangxin Pavilion, only Old Man Wei was second to Su He, and even stronger than me. Wang Hao has already obtained the true transmission from Old Man Wei, and learned skills superior to mine; what qualifications do I have left to teach him? Now that Old Man Wei is gone, Wang Hao, seeking a master, would naturally seek those who are even stronger. I suppose only Elder Su from Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion qualifies."


    During the conversation, Liang Tian intervened, "What do you guys think, how long can Ling Chenst against Wang Hao?"


    "It¡¯s hard to say. From the match with Yang Zhe on the other side, it¡¯s apparent that Ling Chen¡¯s abilities are average, but he is very cunning and good at employing strategies. Plus, he¡¯s skilled in archery, which might stall for some time."


    "Archery?" Huang Zheng snorted coldly, "How effective can his archery be, no matter how skilled? Is Wang Hao really that easy to handle? Just wait and see, Ling Chen¡¯s archery will be effortlessly countered by Wang Hao. Once Wang Hao executes the Shattered Leaf Step, he can easily defeat Ling Chen and take first ce."


    Now, on the spacious arena, Ling Chen stood quietly, gazing straight ahead. Wang Hao¡¯s recent words had truly startled him.


    Wang Hao was indeed a man of bold talent and courage, daring to utter such words in front of so many elders from Yangxin Pavilion. Did he not fear offending those elders?


    During his contemtion, Wang Hao opposite him spoke, "Ling Chen, I¡¯ve made my request, what do you think?"


    Ling Chen touched his nose and said, "Wang, after thinking it over, it seems I¡¯m at a disadvantage."


    "No!" Wang Hao shook his head and said, "Don¡¯t you want to witness my skills? As long as you meet my demand, I can y with you for a bit and broaden your horizons."


    "What if I refuse?"


    Upon hearing this, Wang Hao raised a finger and proudly stated, "One move! I will defeat you in one move."


    Heh!


    Ling Chen couldn¡¯t help butugh. Wang Hao¡¯s confidence was indeed swollen to the extreme, bordering on arrogance. It seemed as if having the opportunity to duel with him was a great honor.


    Forget it!


    Half a sentence more is wasted when there¡¯s no interest in conversation. Ling Chen had no interest in further talk with Wang Hao.


    "Wang, with so many onlookers below, let¡¯s not waste time. Let¡¯s decide it quickly. I¡¯m curious to see how you n to defeat me within one move."


    "Alright." Wang Hao nodded, "Since you¡¯re looking for trouble, don¡¯t me me for being unkind."


    As his words fell, Wang Hao turned and walked back, stopping only when he reached the edge of the arena. Then he turned back around, locking his gaze firmly on Ling Chen.


    "Begin!"


    With Wang Hao¡¯s voice, Ling Chen¡¯s eyes instantly sharpened, like a hungry wolf, fixating disastrously on Wang Hao, watching his every move.


    At that moment, the stationary Wang Hao suddenly leaned forward. Then, his footsteps spread out in an odd pattern, swiftly approaching Ling Chen.


    Wang Hao¡¯s footsteps were extremely bizarre, seemingly not even touching the ground, like a leaf lightly drifting over the surface, moving at a rapid pace, and in a blink, he was close in front of Ling Chen.

 Chapter 738 - 743 Nine Yang Qiankun Step

    <h4>Chapter 738: Chapter 743 Nine Yang Qiankun Step</h4>


    Shattered Leaf Step!


    Seeing Wang Hao deploy the Shattered Leaf Step once again, several elders in the stands stood up, looked on intently, watching Wang Hao¡¯s footwork without even blinking, afraid of missing any detail.


    The Shattered Leaf Step was once the Absolute Skill of Wang Hao¡¯s Master in the Martial Arts world, and his movement technique was extremely formidable. Anyone who mastered the Shattered Leaf Step moved as lightly as a leaf, as if a gentle breeze was passing by, with great speed. It was highly effective both in offense and defense.


    Now, with Wang Hao¡¯s Master having passed away, he was probably the only one in the whole world who was proficient in the Shattered Leaf Step.


    At this moment, Wang Hao disyed the exquisite Shattered Leaf Step in its entirety, moving so swiftly that he seemed like a falling leaf carried by the light wind, closing in on Ling Chen in an instant.


    Noticing the racing shadow in front of him, Ling Chen didn¡¯t even have time to think, and almost instinctively threw a punch, targeting that figure.


    However, before Ling Chen¡¯s fist could make contact with Wang Hao, the figure swayed again and disappeared right in front of Ling Chen. By the time Ling Chen realized what was happening, the figure had already appeared on his left side.


    Feeling the sharp breeze of the approaching strike, Ling Chen¡¯splexion immediately changed, with no opportunity to dodge or defend.


    Seeing this, everyone sighed for Ling Chen. They had thought Ling Chen could at least hold on for a minute or two, but from the current situation, it seemed he couldn¡¯t even withstand one move from Wang Hao.


    It appeared that the difference in strength between the two was too vast; Ling Chen just couldn¡¯t afford to drag on the fight.


    Sitting in the stands, Du Kang shook his head slightly, sighing inwardly. He had done all he could to help, but strength was not something that could be easilypensated for. Although he had lost the match, Du Kang felt that Ling Chen making it this far was already quite impressive.


    "Look quickly!"


    Just when everyone thought that Ling Chen was certain to lose, a sudden exmation erupted from the crowd.


    People looked intently and saw Ling Chen had stepped aside, about a meter away from where Wang Hao was, perfectly evading Wang Hao¡¯s attack.


    How did this happen?


    Everyone stared at Ling Chen, their faces filled with disbelief.


    They all clearly saw that Ling Chen was close to Wang Hao, with no chance to dodge and no way to counterattack; he had to withstand Wang Hao¡¯s attack with his body. Thus, at the moment Wang Hao made his move, they were all convinced Ling Chen was done for. Yet, the situation before them defied everyone¡¯s expectations.


    Not only was Ling Chen unharmed, he had calmly avoided Wang Hao¡¯s attack.


    How on earth did he manage to do that? Just now, everyone was only watching Wang Hao and not a single person paid attention to Ling Chen¡¯s actions.


    At this very moment, Wang Hao on the stage, just like everyone else, seemed somewhat stunned. The battle he thought he was sure to win had somehow been dodged by Ling Chen.


    Of course, this wasn¡¯t the most important thing¡ªthe most critical part was that he hadn¡¯t seen clearly how Ling Chen had managed to evade.


    In the stands, an elder rubbed his eyes, staring at Ling Chen on the stage, and asked, "Did anyone see clearly just now? How did that Ling Chen dodge the attack?"


    Hearing this, several elders shook their heads in turn, indicating they didn¡¯t see it.


    "You..."


    "Wang, what happened to the promised ¡¯one move¡¯?"


    Before Wang Hao could finish, Ling Chen had already taken over the conversation.


    Hmph!


    Wang Hao¡¯s eyes turned icy, as he once again moved his feet and quickly pressed towards Ling Chen, his heavy palm violently shooting out with the intention of knocking Ling Chen to the ground.


    However, as with the earlier situation, before Wang Hao¡¯s attack couldnd, Ling Chen had already vanished from his original position. By the time Wang Hao realized it, Ling Chen had reappeared a meter away, watching him with an amused smile.


    If one could say that the first time was a coincidence, then the recurrence of the same situation definitely ruled out coincidence. Ling Chen must have used some technique to evade his attack.


    "So that¡¯s how it is."


    At this moment, up in the stands, Du Kang shifted his gaze away from Ling Chen and leaned back in his seat, taking a sip of wine. His wrinkled face bore a meaningful smile.


    Seeing this, a group of elders couldn¡¯t help but inquire, "Elder Du, have you discerned something? Please share with us."


    Swirling the wine gourd in his hand, Du Kang replied with augh, "Actually... it¡¯s very simple. While Old Man Wei¡¯s Shattered Leaf Step is indeed an Absolute Skill, there are countless Martial Arts in this world, and it¡¯s not limited to just the Shattered Leaf Step. Gentlemen, surely you must have heard of the Nine Yang Qiankun Step."


    Nine Yang Qiankun Step?


    At these words, the elders in the stands were astounded.


    Liang Tian stared nkly at Du Kang and said, "Elder Du, you¡¯re not joking, are you? Is that really the Nine Yang Qiankun Step? To my knowledge, wasn¡¯t that Martial Art lost? How did Ling Chen manage to learn it?"


    "Previously, no one had discovered it, so it was considered lost, but Elder Su was fortunate enough to find the cultivation manual for the Nine Yang Qiankun Step. I¡¯ve watched him practice it before, which is why the memory is so vivid. It¡¯s not strange for Ling Chen, being Apprentice to Elder Su, to know the Nine Yang Qiankun Step."


    Tsk Tsk!


    Everyone couldn¡¯t help but marvel in admiration, not expecting Ling Chen to have learned the Nine Yang Qiankun Step.


    Within the Martial Arts world, notable movement techniques can be counted on one¡¯s fingers, and the Shattered Leaf Step is one of them. However, the fame of the Nine Yang Qiankun Step is even greater than that of the Shattered Leaf Step, said to be a very ancient Martial Art.


    Watching Ling Chen freely moving around on the stage, Huang Zheng snorted coldly, his tone filled with envy, "That kid¡¯s luck is really good, even managing to learn such a lost Martial Art."


    At this moment, Wang Hao¡¯s expression grew uglier. Not only had Ling Chen evaded his attacks time and again, but he hadn¡¯t even grazed the hem of Ling Chen¡¯s clothing.


    As a prominent figure on the Earthly List whose strength far surpassed that of Ling Chen, it was truly humiliating for him to not even touch a corner of Ling Chen¡¯s clothes. Especially since he had imed earlier that he would finish Ling Chen off with one strike, and yet after so many attempts, Ling Chen remained active on the arena.


    Under the watchful eyes of the public, he was on the verge of losing facepletely.


    "Wang, why don¡¯t you continue?" Seeing Wang Haoe to a halt, his face ashen, Ling Chen couldn¡¯t help but speak up.


    Wang Hao nced at Ling Chen¡¯s feet and asked in a deep voice, "What technique did you use just now?"


    "Just a movement technique. Why, is it only you, Wang, who is allowed to be skilled at movement techniques, and not me?"


    "Good, I really want to see if it¡¯s your skill that¡¯s formidable, or if mine is superior." As soon as he finished speaking, Wang Hao¡¯s feet subtly shifted, and his body chased after Ling Chen once again.


    As Wang Hao closed in, Ling Chen dared not hesitate and immediately ran backwards. His steps were small, but with every stride, the directions were different, unpredictable left and right, seemingly random yet full of profound mysteries.


    Furthermore, every step he took perfectly avoided Wang Hao¡¯s pursuit.


    For a while, Ling Chen and Wang Hao continued a cat-and-mouse chase on the stage, neither able to gain the upper hand over the other.

 Chapter 739 - 744 The Terrifying Wang Hao

    <h4>Chapter 739: Chapter 744 The Terrifying Wang Hao</h4>


    "I didn¡¯t expect that Ling Chen actually had some skills."


    "Yes! Even Wang Hao couldn¡¯t catch up to him, it seems he had been hiding his true strength in the previous two matches."


    "That¡¯s right, if he had used this movement technique earlier, dealing with Tong Nan and Yang Zhe would have been much easier."


    Watching the changes on the stage, the crowd beneath was abuzz with conversation.


    "It¡¯s just a movement technique, what¡¯s so great about that?" someone in the crowd said: "Even if Ling Chen¡¯s movement technique is formidable, the strength difference is still there. Just wait and see, Ling Chen won¡¯tst long."


    At this moment, Ling Chen was swiftly moving across the stage, dodging Wang Hao¡¯s pursuit. The two ran around the ring for tens of meters, and Ling Chen started feeling his breath bing unsteady.


    Although Su He had taught him the Nine Yang Qiankun Step, his strength was after all much weaker than Wang Hao¡¯s; it was difficult to keep it up for long.


    The most important thing was that the Nine Yang Qiankun Step was powerful, but it also consumed a great deal of Inner Strength, each step draining a significant amount of it. In this regard, Ling Chen was at an even greater disadvantage.


    Therefore, if this continued, once he ran out of stamina, Ling Chen¡¯s defeat was inevitable.


    No, he had to find a way to turn the tables.


    In a sh of thought, Ling Chen, who was charging forward, came to a sudden halt. Then twisting his waist, his right hand brushed over his waist. As the Tianling de came into his hand, Ling Chen turned and thrust backward, directly towards Wang Hao¡¯s forehead.


    Seeing the sharp point of the sword thrusting towards him, Wang Hao hastily stopped, lightly tapped on the floor with his foot, and immediately retreated, avoiding the sword thrust.


    After the missed strike, Ling Chen did not continue to pursue but retreated backward, widening the distance between them.


    Retreating to the weapons rack, Ling Chen put away the Tianling de, and took down a bow and arrows from the rack.


    Seeing Ling Chen¡¯s actions, the crowd nodded silently. As expected, Ling Chen had chosen the bow and arrows. However, it was uncertain whether Ling Chen¡¯s archery would pose a threat to Wang Hao.


    Just as the crowd was pondering, Ling Chen raised the longbow in his hands, and ced a sharp arrow on the bowstring.


    "You think you can deal with me using archery?" Wang Hao¡¯s mouth curled slightly, clearly not taking Ling Chen¡¯s tactics seriously.


    At that moment, Ling Chen raised the longbow, aiming the arrowhead at Wang Hao¡¯s forehead, following the movement of his body¡¯s direction.


    Suddenly, Ling Chen¡¯s arrowhead sharply turned to the side, and the arrow was shot instantly.


    Seeing this, the crowd was taken aback for a moment. Ling Chen didn¡¯t aim at Wang Hao but shot the arrow next to him.


    Everyone had seen Ling Chen¡¯s archery before, he wouldn¡¯t make such a rudimentary mistake.


    But then, why did he do that?


    As everyone was filled with doubt, Ling Chen fired several more arrows, all of them flying past Wang Hao¡¯s body and sticking into the floor.


    Wang Hao frowned slightly, looking at the few arrows in the floor with a flicker of confusion in his eyes. Like everyone else, he didn¡¯t understand what Ling Chen was trying to do.


    Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, Ling Chen suddenly put down the bow and arrows, then sped up, running rapidly around Wang Hao.


    As Ling Chen ran, Wang Hao, standing in the middle of the ring, suddenly felt his whole body tighten, as if his hands and feet were bound, unable to move.


    What...


    Seeing this, everyone was shocked.


    Wang Hao looked down and realized that there was a fine thread on his body. He had only been concerned with watching the arrows before, and hadn¡¯t noticed that the ends of the arrows were connected to fine threads.


    At this moment, entangled by silk threads, Wang Hao¡¯s body was tightly restrained, standing motionless there.


    Taking advantage of this opportunity, Ling Chen once again drew out the Tianling de from his waist and thrust it towards the trapped Wang Hao.


    As the tip of the sword approached, Wang Hao¡¯s brow furrowed, and he suddenly stomped on the floor with both feet. Instantly, Wang Hao¡¯s body leapt upward. As he jumped, the silk threads were all stretched taut. Not only that, but the arrows that were embedded in the floor were also pulled out, springing up with his body.


    With a thrust into the air, Ling Chen, without hesitation, tapped the ground with the tips of his toes, and instantly changed the direction of his sword strike, pursuing Wang Hao above him.


    However, before the sword tip could pierce Wang Hao¡¯s body, Ling Chen felt the Tianling de in his hand tighten. Looking up, Ling Chen was surprised to find that the tip of the Tianling de was actually caught between Wang Hao¡¯s two feet.


    Before Ling Chen could react, Wang Hao twisted his waist and lightly stepped twice on the de with his toes.


    Suddenly, Ling Chen felt a strong force transmitted through the de, and the Tianling de was immediately knocked aside.


    With the threat of the Tianling de gone, Wang Hao finallynded on the ground, hastily retreated a few steps, all the way to the edge of the arena.


    "Not bad!" Wang Hao looked at Ling Chen and said: "It¡¯s a good move, but such a low-level trick is useless against me." With these words, Wang Hao swayed his body, and his entire Hua Realm strength burst forth, instantly breaking the silk threads that were entwined around him.


    Impressive!


    Ling Chen¡¯s heart sank. He thought he could catch him off guard, but he did not expect Wang Hao¡¯s strength to be so formidable that he could not be trapped.


    This move was devised by him, because he was clear in his mind that it would be very difficult to threaten Wang Hao with just archery. Therefore, only through special means could Wang Hao be restrained. Unfortunately, he still underestimated Wang Hao¡¯s strength.


    Those silk threads were obtained with great difficulty, and they were very strong, able to withstand hundreds of kilograms in weight despite their fineness. However, under the powerful Hua Realm force of Wang Hao, those silk threads broke in an instant, showing how formidable Wang Hao¡¯s strength was.


    "Your tricks must be exhausted by now, now it¡¯s my turn."


    As soon as these words fell, Wang Hao tapped the ground with his toes, and the Shattered Leaf Step was unfolded again, like a gust of wind, pressing down on Ling Chen instantly.


    Seeing Wang Hao rushing at him, Ling Chen, without even thinking, raised the Tianling de horizontally and stabbed it towards Wang Hao¡¯s chest. If Wang Hao continued to approach at the same speed, his body would eventually be prated by the Tianling de.


    However, just as Wang Hao was about toe close, he bent his knees sharply and leaped high, instantly clearing over Ling Chen¡¯s head.


    Not good!


    Ling Chen was secretly rmed, and he hurriedly executed the Nine Yang Qiankun Step to stay far away, not giving Wang Hao the chance to get close.


    But just as Ling Chen¡¯s body moved away and before he could stabilize his stance, he felt a gust of wind hitting him.


    Eh?


    With a quick nce from the corner of his eye, Ling Chen only saw a figure shing by. Before he could react, a strong force suddenly pounded down, directly sending his body flying.


    Thud!


    A mouthful of fresh blood spurted out, and Ling Chen fell heavily on the floor, feeling extremely painful all over.


    So fast!


    Ling Chen clenched his teeth tightly, his face pale, looking at Wang Hao with a hint of shock in his eyes.


    This guy... had actually been holding back his true strength.


    From Wang Hao¡¯s previous move, it was clear that his strength had increased by thirty percentpared to before. Of course, part of the reason was himself.


    The continuous battles had exhausted his strength too much, and he couldn¡¯t keep up with Wang Hao¡¯s pace any longer.


    What should be done now?

 Chapter 740 - 745: The Final Showdown (1)

    <h4>Chapter 740: Chapter 745: The Final Showdown (1)</h4>


    "Give up."


    Wang Hao advanced step by step, his expression indifferent, as he spoke to Ling Chen.


    Ling Chen frowned slightly, his pupils sparkling with a sharp light like Mo Che¡¯s. The full force of Wang Hao¡¯s power was immense, and Ling Chen even wondered if Wang Hao¡¯s strength had already reached the fifth rank of the Earthly List.


    If that were true, no matter how determined Ling Chen was, he couldn¡¯t possibly defeat Wang Hao.


    "Elder Du, considering the strength Wang Hao has just disyed, could it be he has already...?"


    "Not yet," Du Kang shook his head and said: "Wang Hao¡¯s strength might be very close to the fifth rank of the Earthly List, but he hasn¡¯t crossed that step. Otherwise, once his realm reached the fifth of the Earthly List, with Ling Chen¡¯s current strength, even if he had the Nine Yang Qiankun Step to protect him, he wouldn¡¯t have been able to hold on for this long. However, no matter what, with Wang Hao¡¯s hidden strength emerging, Ling Chen¡¯s situation is likely to be very dangerous."


    During this conversation, Ling Chen on the stage locked his brows tightly, rapidly pondering strategies in his mind.


    This won¡¯t do!


    At this rate, he would be defeated by Wang Hao within a minute. He had to think of a way to turn the situation around.


    As he was considering his options, Wang Hao, seeing that Ling Chen had yet to react, simply ceased talking and, with a tip of his toe, his body immediately surged forward.


    With the Shattered Leaf Step unfolded, Wang Hao¡¯s feet seemed to tread on air, his speed lightning-fast, as if blown by the wind, he instantly closed in on Ling Chen.


    He unleashed a palm strike that appeared light and breezy, yet contained immensely powerful force.


    In that moment, Ling Chen felt the fierce wind against his face, the power carried by the meaty palm was like an imposing mountain standing before him, exerting a great pressure that made even breathing difficult.


    With no time to think, Ling Chen quickly crossed his arms in front of his chest, forcefully blocking Wang Hao¡¯s attack.


    As soon as Wang Hao¡¯s palm made contact with Ling Chen, the robust Hua Realm force erupted violently, condensing into a strong burst of energy that instantly sent Ling Chen flying backward.


    Wang Hao¡¯s blow was nearly full force with no restraint.


    Reeling from the attack, Ling Chen was flung several meters away, plummeting towards the edge of the stage.


    Seeing Ling Chen¡¯s body about to leave the bounds of the stage, the crowd around involuntarily sighed.


    Lost!


    As long as Ling Chen¡¯s body hit the ground outside the stage, this duel would bepletely lost. Indeed, Wang Hao is still Wang Hao, the strongest among the disciples of Yangxin Pavilion, and not even the disciple of Su He could defeat him.


    However, it was no easy feat for Ling Chen, with the strength of someone on the Dragon List, tost so long against Wang Hao.


    Yet, just when everyone thought Ling Chen was certain to lose, they suddenly saw him in mid-air taking a deep breath, twisting his waist, shooting downwards with a fierce glint of cold light shing in his hand.


    It was the Tianling de!


    Realizing the weapon in Ling Chen¡¯s hand, the crowd immediately gasped.


    At that moment, Ling Chen holding the Tianling de, raised his arm high, the tip of the de gently touching the ground. The de, bearing his entire body weight, immediately bent. Using the flexibility of the de, Ling Chen¡¯s falling body finally came to a halt.


    Following that, Ling Chen flicked his wrist, and the bent de sprang back in an instant, propelling his body upwards over two meters high. In mid-air, Ling Chen swiftly turned his body, flying back towards the stage.


    However, Wang Hao had already noticed Ling Chen¡¯s movement. Seeing him attempting to get back on stage, Wang Hao didn¡¯t utter another word. He immediately stepped forward, lifted his leg high, and kicked fiercely at Ling Chen.


    Bang!


    Amidst the muffled sound, Ling Chen¡¯s body lost control once again, flying off the stage.


    Seeing this, Ling Chen bore the pain from the kick, and with a flick of his hand, the Tianling de transformed in an instant from a sword tip into a steel rod.


    As the steel rod hit the ground, Ling Chen grabbed it with both hands, twisted his waist, and spun in the air, flying over Wang Hao¡¯s head andnded firmly on the stage.


    The onlookers all breathed a sigh of relief at this sight.


    That was close!


    Had it not been for Ling Chen¡¯s skills, he would have been defeated already. However, even though Ling Chen had dodged this disaster, the crowd still didn¡¯t have high hopes for him. At this point, Ling Chen hadpletely fallen into a disadvantage and had lost the qualification to continue the fight against Wang Hao.


    Even if Ling Chen forcibly stayed on the stage, it would only be lingering on in defeat, merely dying the inevitable, which wouldn¡¯t benefit him at all. In the end, he would not only be defeated by Wang Hao but also end up wounded all over. It really wasn¡¯t worth it.


    "No way!" Yuan Yun said with a frown: "Ling Cheng can¡¯t get any advantage if this continues. Big Brother, I think we should quickly get Ling Cheng down from there. If this goes on, something bad will happen sooner orter."


    "Right." Xia Yue echoed with worry on her face: "Let¡¯s concede the match voluntarily."


    Qiu Yong shook his head and said in a deep voice: "Ling Cheng has his own perseverance, and besides, it¡¯s him who¡¯s fighting on the stage; he knows his situation best. We shouldn¡¯t make decisions for him without his consent. Moreover, there are rules in thepetition that forbid deliberate harm to someone else¡¯s life, so at most, Ling Cheng will only get injured and won¡¯t be in life-threatening danger. Let¡¯s just wait and see the situation before we act."


    In the midst of speaking, the situation on the stage underwent another change.


    Under Wang Hao¡¯s fierce assault, Ling Chen waspletely unable to defend himself, several times knocked down to the ground, even his Tianling de was struck away.


    Without the assistance of the Tianling de, Ling Chen, armed only with his bare hands, was even more powerless. In less than half a minute, Ling Chen had already spewed out two mouthfuls of blood, his face pale as paper, panting heavily, his legs trembled slightly, as if his body was about to give out.


    Below the stage, porridge girl bit her thin lips, her beautiful eyes shifting away, unwilling to watch Ling Chen getting hurt any longer.


    Her gaze flickered, and porridge girl quickly locked her sight onto a stone tform not far away. An exquisite wooden box was ced there; the Nine Elements Pill was inside that box.


    As long as she could get her hands on that Nine Elements Pill, she could save her master.


    Thinking of this, porridge girl clenched her fists, a hint of hesitation shing in her beautiful eyes.


    Now that everyone¡¯s attention was focused on Ling Chen and Wang Hao, if she yed her cards right, she could take the Nine Elements Pill while no one was paying attention. But getting hold of it was the easy part; getting the pill out was going to be extremely difficult.


    Especially those old men in the stands, if they made a move, she definitely wouldn¡¯t be able to escape. She had to think of a way to distract them.


    Boom!


    While porridge girl was contemting, another loud noise came from the stage. Ling Chen¡¯s body was seen falling heavily from over two meters in the air, his mouth vomiting blood incessantly, his handsome features twisted in pain.


    "Ling Chen!"


    "Ling Cheng!"


    Seeing Ling Chen lying on the ground, struggling in pain, porridge girl, Su Mei, and others like Qiu Yong all changed their expressions, their eyes full of concern as they watched Ling Chen.


    Wang Hao stood with one hand behind him, body straight, looking down at Ling Chen, and spoke indifferently: "Give up. You¡¯re no match for me!"

 Chapter 741 - 746: The Final Showdown (2)

    <h4>Chapter 741: Chapter 746: The Final Showdown (2)</h4>


    Ling Chen wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, gasping for air heavily, trying to alleviate the pain in his body.


    When his breath became smooth, Ling Chen stared straight at Wang Hao in front of him, with a flicker in his eye, seemingly deep in thought. In fact, there was no need for him to suffer so much. As long as he agreed to Wang Hao¡¯s terms and admitted defeat willingly, he could easily obtain the Nine Elements Pill and then rescue his father, Ling Kun, from Ji Gang¡¯s grasp.


    Before the start of the martial artspetition, Wang Hao had mentioned asking Ling Chen to deliver the Nine Elements Pill to Su He as a gift for bing his disciple. Whether Su He would agree was another matter. By then, Ling Chen couldpletely take the Nine Elements Pill to save his father.


    However, Ling Chen couldn¡¯t bring himself to do such a thing, nor did he want to ept someone else¡¯s kindness for nothing.


    Su He allowing him to attend the grand event at Yangxin Pavilion and giving him the opportunity topete for the Nine Elements Pill was already extremely challenging, and he didn¡¯t want to trouble Su He further. Besides, there was another important reason; he did not wish to lose face for himself and Su He.


    Even if he was to lose, he would do so with dignity. Furthermore, the contempt in Wang Hao¡¯s tone and demeanor irked Ling Chen. From Wang Hao¡¯s words and behavior, Ling Chen could feel that even though Wang Hao was polite, he didn¡¯t take him seriously at all.


    Of course, as a high-ranking fighter on the Earthly List, Wang Hao indeed had the right to look down on him.


    But as a peer, Ling Chen could not stand being underestimated. Hence, even if he didn¡¯t fight for Su He¡¯s honor today, he would fight for his own.


    "Still want to continue?" Wang Hao looked at Ling Chen, who remained silent, and shook his head: "Your strength is far inferior to mine, even if I fought you with one hand tied, you still couldn¡¯t beat me. As you are now, you¡¯re not qualified to be my opponent."


    Upon hearing this, Ling Chen struggled to lift the corners of his mouth into a faint smile as he struggled to stand up from the ground, then patted the dust off his clothes with his hand.


    Seeing the smile bloom on Ling Chen¡¯s handsome face, everyone was stunned, their expressions filled with puzzlement.


    Has the guy been knocked silly by Wang Hao? To still be able to smile at a time like this, could it be due to the verbal blows from Wang Hao that heughed out of sheer rage?


    While everyone was specting, Wang Hao slightly furrowed his brows and directly asked: "What are youughing at?"


    "Nothing much. Can¡¯t one even smile? Regardless, it¡¯s always better to smile than to cry, right?"


    "You still refuse to admit defeat?"


    "It¡¯s too early to admit defeat now."


    As he spoke, Ling Chen reached into his clothes and pulled out a small wine gourd.


    Wine gourd?


    The crowd scrutinized the wine gourd in Ling Chen¡¯s hands, slightly taken aback. Then, as if someone had sparked a thought, their gazes shifted from Ling Chen to Du Kang in the stands.


    Everyone knew that Du Kang was virtually never without his wine gourd; now that Ling Chen pulled out a wine gourd, it led everyone to subconsciously associate it with Du Kang. Could it be... Ling Chen still had a trick up his sleeve?


    While they pondered, they saw Ling Chen on the stage uncork the wine gourd and drink directly from it, taking huge gulps.


    It didn¡¯t take long for all the wine in the gourd to be consumed.


    Ling Chen tossed away the empty wine gourd, his pale face instantly flushing red, with steam rising from his head.


    Uh!


    Probably from drinking too much, Ling Chen let out a burp, his face flush with drunkenness, his feet seemingly losing strength, and his body swaying from side to side.


    This is... Seeing the change in Ling Chen, the crowd seemed to have guessed something, their eyes filled with surprise.


    Su Mei, Yang Zhe, Yang Tao, Du Kang, and the others looked at Ling Chen with his red face from drinking and their expressions changed slightly; they all stood up, a hint of concern in their brows.


    "This kid...why did he drink it all at once?" Du Kang muttered to himself.


    Before thepetition began, Du Kang mentioned that this fight was very dangerous for Ling Chen. If he did not use some tricks, Ling Chen probably wouldn¡¯tst long. Thus, he had Yang Tao give Ling Chen a gourd filled with specially made strong liquor to keep as a contingency.


    However, the amount of strong liquor in that gourd was not small; it was enough for three uses, yet Ling Chen drank it all in one go.


    This strong liquor was brewed by Du Kang himself, and he was very aware of its effects. Being drunk all at once by Ling Chen, it was uncertain whether his body could withstand it.


    s! This kid... really is too impulsive.


    At this moment, as the alcoholic strength surged, Ling Chen felt a rush of heat in his body, boiling hot as if there was a raging me burning inside him, every part of his body ached unbearably.


    Damn!


    It seems he drank too much.


    Ling Chen gave a self-mocking smile.


    He thought that the gourd Yang Tao gave him was just one serving, but only after drinking did he realize it was definitely more than that. Now, the zing fire was causing his internal organs immense pain, and he wished he could just find some water to drink to relieve the difort.


    But there was no water to drink at this time, and with no other choice, Ling Chen could only rely on his willpower to endure it fiercely.


    Although his body suffered unbearable pain from the burning, it was not without benefits. He had been injured consecutively by Wang Hao, and his whole body was in unbearable pain. But now, under the influence of the strong liquor, despite feeling ufortable, he no longer felt any pain, as if all the pain had been erased from his body.


    Ling Chen was clear in his heart, the pain hadn¡¯t disappeared; it was merely suppressed by the alcohol and he simply couldn¡¯t feel it.


    At this moment, everyone¡¯s eyes were wide open, staring at Ling Chen on the stage with his face flushed red.


    This is... This is Du Kang¡¯s secret technique!


    Anyone with a bit of insight recognized it immediately.


    For a time, everyone¡¯s gaze collectively turned to Du Kang. They all knew, Du Kang only had one official disciple, Yang Tao, and would never teach his skills to outsiders, let alone his secret techniques.


    However, Ling Chen was not only Su He¡¯s disciple, but he also enjoyed the special care of Du Kang, a kind of treatment not just anyone could have.


    With the support of two Heavenly List masters behind him, Ling Chen¡¯s fortune was indeed considerable.


    Wang Hao stared at Ling Chen¡¯s crimson face, his brows unconsciously furrowed, and his expression revealed a trace of cold severity.


    He couldn¡¯t understand, what virtues and abilities did this guy possess, that he could receive the favor of two Heavenly List masters. In terms of talent, aptitude, and strength, in what way was he inferior to Ling Chen. Not to mention Ling Chen, among the many disciples of Yangxin Pavilion, which one couldpare to him.


    But why, why couldn¡¯t such an outstanding individual like him gain the favor of others.


    Thinking of this, Wang Hao felt a surge of anger rising from the bottom of his heart.


    Today, he would let everyone know that he, Wang Hao, was the most outstanding, the most formidable talent, and only he deserved the favor of the Heavenly List masters.


    "Not good!"


    Although far away, Du Kang¡¯s eyes sharpened. From Wang Hao¡¯s expression, he could tell the other had be angry.

 Chapter 742 - 747: The Final Showdown (3)

    <h4>Chapter 742: Chapter 747: The Final Showdown (3)</h4>


    This is the final bout, without the many rules of the previous advancement matches. In order to fight for the ultimate victory, everyone will disy their full strengths, applying all their skills. At that time, idental injuries are inevitable.


    Therefore, the rules for thest battle are rtively simple, as long as the opponent¡¯s life is not endangered. So when Du Kang saw the angry expression on Wang Hao¡¯s face, he knew Ling Chen was in trouble.


    During the previous bouts, although Wang Hao had used all his strength, he still held back a little, not injuring Ling Chen too severely. But judging from the current situation, Ling Chen is probably not going to have an easy time.


    In the midst of his thoughts, Wang Hao took a step forward on the stage and charged towards Ling Chen.


    With the Shattered Leaf Step unfolding, Wang Hao¡¯s body, swept by a gust of breeze, instantly closed the distance to Ling Chen. His open palm turned into a fist and mmed hard towards Ling Chen¡¯s chest.


    As the fist wind neared, Ling Chen¡¯s face turned red as he bellowed out loud, his breath hot, and he smashed his steel-like fist hard to meet Wang Hao¡¯s fist.


    Bang!


    The two fists collided heavily, immediately emitting a dull thud. What followed was Ling Chen retreating two or three steps backwards before he stabilized his footing.


    Tsk, tsk!


    Seeing this scene, everyone couldn¡¯t help but exim in surprise. He actually withstood it, truly unbelievable.


    The situation just now was still crystal clear in everyone¡¯s mind; Ling Chen waspletely no match for Wang Hao and had been driven to a desperate situation. However, after using Du Kang¡¯s unique secret technique, Ling Chen¡¯s strength surprisingly increased so much, truly shocking.


    "It¡¯s still not enough."


    Below the stage, Yang Tao watched Ling Chen engaging inbat and said, "Even though Ling Chen has drunk all the strong liquor from the gourd, his strengthpared to Wang Hao still has a significant gap."


    Yang Zhe added, "I actually admire him quite a bit. Despite drinking so much, not only is he fine, but he can also keep up. Big brother, I¡¯m afraid even you can¡¯tpare to this."


    Yang Tao nodded, "Correct, if it were me, having drunk so much strong spirits, I would have probably copsed on the ground by now. Ling Chen¡¯s strength is weaker than mine, but he can persist for so long, it¡¯s really not an easy task. It seems his physical stamina is better than all of ours."


    As the two were conversing, the situation on the stage gradually began to change.


    Originally at a disadvantage, Ling Chen seized the opportunity tounch a relentless assault, giving Wang Hao no chance to counterattack.


    Ling Chen was very clear in his heart that Du Kang¡¯s unique secret technique had a time limit; if he couldn¡¯t finish the fight quickly, once the effects of the liquor wore off, he would be powerless to resist.


    Therefore, Ling Chen dared not waste time, his fierce punches erupted violently, one punch followed by another, mming hard towards Wang Hao.


    Combining the Nine Yang Qiankun Step, Ling Chen¡¯s movement technique was very exquisite, and each of his steps managed to restrain Wang Hao, rendering thetter¡¯s Shattered Leaf Step ineffective.


    Faced with Ling Chen¡¯s ferocious onught, Wang Hao moved left and right, dodging everywhere. Relying on his strong strength and rich experience, Wang Hao managed to evade the attacks at the most critical moment each time.


    Suddenly, just as he threw a punch, Ling Chen abruptly stopped his advance and held back his offensive.


    Seeing Ling Chen¡¯s actions, Wang Hao was slightly taken aback, temporarily unable to react, not knowing what Ling Chen intended to do. That punch was clearly thrown, but then it was pulled back. What exactly did he want to do?


    Just as Wang Hao was puzzled, Ling Chen stepped back several paces, opening up the distance between them.


    Seeing this situation, not only Wang Hao but also everyone around was looking at Ling Chen with puzzlement, not knowing what he was up to.


    Under everyone¡¯s gaze, Ling Chen turned his head, his eyes sweeping over the crowd one by one, his eyebrows tightly furrowed as if searching for something, his expression carrying a trace of strangeness and doubt.


    Seeing that Ling Chen wasn¡¯t focusing on him, Wang Hao¡¯s face suddenly darkened. A proper martial contest, yet this guy unexpectedly retracted his move midway. Worse still, judging by his current demeanor, he seemedpletely dismissive of Wang Hao, instead turning his attention to others.


    "Ling Chen!" Wang Hao called out with a light shout, his toes lightly tapping the ground.


    Since Ling Chen had given up the initiative, it was time for him to seize it back.


    In a blur of motion, Wang Hao¡¯s body had already closed the distance to Ling Chen. One could see his palm and fist, high and low,unching an attack from two different angles, aiming straight for Ling Chen¡¯s face and abdomen.


    With the wind of the force brushing against his face, Ling Chen quickly redirected his gaze from the crowd to Wang Hao, then step back to avoid Wang Hao¡¯s strikes, seeking to reorganize his own offensive.


    However, Wang Hao seemed to have anticipated Ling Chen¡¯s reaction. Leaning his body forward, he closed in a little more, his fist and palm striking together with ferocious force, brutally hammering into Ling Chen¡¯s abdomen and his neck.


    Struck hard, Ling Chen immediately flew backward and ¡¯thumped¡¯ onto the floor.


    The pain in his abdomen was excruciating, but Ling Chen could still barely tolerate it. It was the pain in his neck that was most severe, making even breathing difficult, almost suffocating him.


    Seeing the areas where Wang Hao struck, the onlookers frowned and started murmuring.


    "Wasn¡¯t Wang Hao too ruthless, attacking Ling Chen¡¯s vital points like that?"


    "Indeed, although the rules of the contest allow for anything that doesn¡¯t endanger life, still targeting someone¡¯s vitals is... Wang Hao is so much stronger than Ling Chen, yet he resorts to such tactics, it¡¯s just... sigh!"


    Hearing the discussions below, Wang Hao¡¯s face looked somewhat unsightly.


    He chose to target Ling Chen¡¯s neck because he found him annoying and unbeatable in a prolonged fight, so he used this ruthless move to render Ling Chen incapable of continuing the fight. Besides, he had already shown mercy; if he hadn¡¯t pulled his punch, thatst move would have been enough to kill Ling Chen.


    "Big Brother, what happened to Ling Cheng just now?" Xia Yue turned to look at Qiu Yong and asked with concern.


    Qiu Yong shook his head and said, "I¡¯m not quite sure either. If Ling Chen hadn¡¯t suddenly been distracted, Wang Hao¡¯s move would never have seeded."


    "Ling Cheng had been staring at the crowd just now, seemingly searching for someone," Yuan Yun recalled Ling Chen¡¯s demeanor just before and spoke up.


    "Looking for someone?" Qiu Yong asked puzzledly, "We¡¯re all here, whom else is he searching for?"


    "How would I know that? You¡¯d probably have to ask him yourself to find out."


    At this moment, Ling Chen was lying on the floor, rubbing his neck and gasping heavily, his flushed face gradually improving.


    When the pain in his neck had subsided somewhat, Ling Chen got up from the ground, looking straight at Wang Hao across from him, then once again cast his gaze towards the crowd below, his eyes filled with confusion.


    Just now, when Ling Chen was shing with Wang Hao, it seemed like he had seen someone. Because his thoughts and attention had been focused on Wang Hao, Ling Chen didn¡¯t get a clear look.


    But with just that silhouette, Ling Chen trusted his eyes¡ªhe couldn¡¯t possibly be mistaken.


    It must be him!

 Chapter 743 - 748: The Final Showdown (4)

    <h4>Chapter 743: Chapter 748: The Final Showdown (4)</h4>


    Ling Chen had always thought that he had disappeared, or encountered some unforeseen ident, his fate between life and death unknown. But to his surprise, that guy was actually still alive. Not only was he alive, but he also showed up in the Yangxin Pavilion, making a tant appearance among the crowd.


    He had grown bolder after not seeing him for a while.


    Zhu Hong!


    After searching for so long, you finally show yourself.


    Ling Chen thought to himself. Yes, the silhouette he just saw in the crowd belonged to Zhu Hong. Having known Zhu Hong for so long, he trusted that he couldn¡¯t have been mistaken. Especially that asional nce thrown by Zhu Hong, from which he sensed a trace of resentment and a chilling murderous intent.


    It was him!


    If it weren¡¯t for Zhu Hong catching his attention just now, how could he have exposed a w and given Wang Hao an opportunity.


    Gritting his teeth, Ling Chen endured the pain in his body and took a deep breath. Unconsciously, Ling Chen cast his peripheral vision towards the crowd, hoping to spot Zhu Hong again.


    However, Zhu Hong might have realized that he had been spotted, and now concealed himself, leaving no trace to be found.


    It seems I can only wait until thepetition ends to find a way to locate Zhu Hong.


    In the midst of his contemtion, a series of footsteps approached from the distance, swiftly closing in.


    That¡¯s not good!


    Ling Chen turned his head, only to catch a glimpse of a figure shing by. Immediately after, a strong momentum bore down on him, and a pair of palms had already reached in front of him.


    Without time to think, Ling Chen quickly arched his back backwards, and a pair of hands charged with Hua Realm energy just passed over him. Not waiting for Wang Hao to strike again, Ling Chen propped his hands on the ground and swiftly lifted his legs, kicking Wang Hao¡¯s arms and neutralizing his attack.


    Seizing this chance, Ling Chen stepped back repeatedly until he reached the edge of the tform before finally stopping.


    It¡¯s no good... Realizing his own condition, Ling Chen thought to himself that this was bad. Even though he had finished all the strong liquor from his sk, the effects were gradually diminishing at this moment and he didn¡¯t know how much longer he could hold on.


    Continuing like this, defeat was just a matter of time.


    What to do?


    Ling Chen thought to himself. Whether it was the Nine Yang Qiankun Step or other techniques he had mastered, he had nearly exhausted them all by this moment and he didn¡¯t know what else could be used to defeat his opponent.


    Could it be... that he really had to take that step?


    Remembering what Su He had told him before, Ling Chen¡¯s expression turned solemn, his eyes flickering with hesitation.


    As Ling Chen was lost in indecision, Wang Hao from the opposite side of the tform began to walk towards him.


    Seeing the opponent drawing closer, step by step, Ling Chen bit down on his teeth, his flickering gaze became resolute in an instant.


    All in!


    Havinge this far, there was nothing he wasn¡¯t prepared to part with. Whether it was life or death, getting his hands on the Nine Elements Pill was his top priority.


    His mind raced, and Ling Chen had already made a decision.


    Coming face to face with Ling Chen¡¯s determined eyes, for some reason, Wang Hao felt his steps hesitate slightly, and a strange feeling arose in his heart, as if the Ling Chen before him had transformed into apletely different person.


    And most importantly, the Ling Chen in front of him actually gave him a sense of danger. Even though Ling Chen had used quite a few tricks since the start of their fight, he had never felt this way before.


    Danger?


    Wang Hao squinted his eyes slightly and frowned, looking at Ling Chen with a face full of wonder and suspicion, trying to identify where that dangerous aura was emanating from.


    However, from head to toe, Wang Hao didn¡¯t discover anything amiss.


    At this moment, the distance between Ling Chen and Wang Hao was no more than four meters, and as they drew closer, Wang Hao¡¯s sense of crisis intensified.


    One step... Two steps... As Wang Hao moved, Ling Chen remained motionless in his original spot, his sharp gaze locked onto Wang Hao¡¯s figure as if frozen in ce.


    Approaching closer, Wang Hao nced at the Tianling de thaty on the ground and felt slightly relieved. Without the Tianling de in hand, what could Ling Chen possibly do, even if he had great skills? Could he really defeat him with bare hands?


    Hmph! Daydreamers.


    Let alone the absence of the Tianling de, even if Ling Chen were a bit stronger, Wang Hao would not fear him in the least. The disparity in their strengths was clear, and considering the severe injury Ling Chen had just suffered, what techniques could he possibly have left?


    With this thought, Wang Haopletely rxed his tense mood. He had certainly worried too much; at this point, Ling Chen had reached an impasse and couldn¡¯t possibly have any ways to counter him. If he had any formidable techniques, he would have used them by now.


    As this idea surfaced in his mind, Wang Hao no longer hesitated. In an instant, he lightly tapped the tip of his foot, executing the Shattered Leaf Step as swift as a breeze, closing in on Ling Chen in the blink of an eye. At such a close distance, Wang Hao could even hear Ling Chen¡¯s breathing.


    However, the very moment Wang Hao made his move, Ling Chen suddenly acted.


    Under everyone¡¯s gaze, Ling Chen neither dodged nor defended against Wang Hao¡¯s attack but instead met Wang Hao¡¯s palms with his body.


    Seeing this, all the onlookers were stunned.


    What is this kid trying to do?


    Using his body to resist Wang Hao¡¯s attack, how was this different from seeking death?


    At that moment, Porridge Girl, Yang Tao, Yang Zhe, and Qiu Yong, among others, all stood up with looks of astonishment,pletely clueless as to what Ling Chen intended.


    On the tform, faced with Ling Chen¡¯s seemingly self-destructive action, Wang Hao was slightly taken aback; among all the possibilities he had considered in the split second he attacked, he never expected Ling Chen to choose this method.


    Wang Hao didn¡¯t understand; even if Ling Chen wanted to give up, there was no need for this¡ªhe could have just admitted defeat directly.


    During these thoughts, Wang Hao¡¯s palms had already struck Ling Chen¡¯s chest.


    Spurt!


    A mouthful of fresh blood was spat out, and Ling Chen¡¯s face instantly turned pale. Under the powerful force of Wang Hao¡¯s palms, Ling Chen¡¯s body was sent flying.


    It¡¯s over!


    Wang Hao withdrew his gaze from Ling Chen and exhaled lightly.


    Ling Chen had taken the full force of his two palms; even if he were stronger, there was no chance for him to stand up again.


    At this thought, Wang Hao turned his head to look at the crowd below the stage, standing straight and tall, ready to ept the adoring and admiring gazes of the crowd.


    However, just at that moment, a burst of surprised exmations erupted from the crowd, all turning their gazes toward something beside Wang Hao.


    What¡¯s happening?


    Wang Hao was puzzled, not understanding the crowd¡¯s reaction, and quickly turned his head. Suddenly, he saw something flying through the air towards his head.


    The object was moving quickly, and Wang Hao realized it toote to react in time.


    In an instant, the swirling object from the airnded sharply, perfectly covering Wang Hao¡¯s entire head.


    Feeling his vision being obstructed, Wang Hao was taken aback and hastily removed the object from his head, throwing it far away below the tform.


    At the same time, a ¡¯bang¡¯ was heard as Ling Chen¡¯s body finally hit the ground, spitting out another mouthful of fresh blood.


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 744 - 749: The Final Victor (1)

    <h4>Chapter 744: Chapter 749: The Final Victor (1)</h4>


    Seeing Ling Chen fall outside the boundary of the arena, everyone¡¯s heart finally sank with him.


    Ling Chen was out, and the martial artspetition was finally over. Although Ling Chen lost, the looks in people¡¯s eyes were filled with appreciation. For a mere practitioner on the Dragon List to endure for so long against Wang Hao was no easy feat.


    Indeed worthy of being Su He¡¯s disciple, it was indeed remarkable. If it were someone else, they probably wouldn¡¯t havested half as long.


    "Ling Cheng!"


    "Ling Chen!"


    At this moment, porridge girl and Qiu Yong and others hurried over, helping Ling Chen up from the ground. Seeing his pale face and his breath weak as threads, porridge girl¡¯s beautiful eyes brimmed with crystalline tears, hurt by the situation, her little hand gently stroking Ling Chen¡¯s cheek, she chided him with concern, "You¡¯re too stubborn, you should have conceded earlier. Why push yourself to this extent?"


    Ling Chen slightly raised the corners of his mouth, managing to squeeze out a wry smile, "It¡¯s okay, I¡¯m not going to die."


    "Ling Chen, are you okay?"


    At this time, Su Mei, apanied by an elder, walked over from the side, her tone worried.


    Ling Chen shook his head lightly, replying: "I¡¯m fine."


    "That¡¯s good to hear." After finishing her sentence, Su Mei looked up at Wang Hao on the stage, then continued, "I¡¯ll announce the results soon, and afterwards, I¡¯ll have the best doctor from Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion take a look at you."


    With that said, Su Mei stepped onto the stage.


    Watching Su Mei step up to the stage, Qiu Yong and a few others helped Ling Chen stand. However, because his injuries were too severe, Ling Chen couldn¡¯t muster any strength. He couldn¡¯t even speak loudly, let alone stand.


    "Hmph! To think of defeating Wang Hao, how utterly delusional."


    Suddenly, a mocking voice came from the crowd.


    Porridge girl frowned, following the direction of the voice, only to see the words were from Tong Nan; how he got there, no one knew.


    Xia Yue retorted discontentedly, "At least my Ling Cheng had the qualifications to challenge Wang Hao, while you didn¡¯t even have that. I don¡¯t know who was defeated by my Ling Cheng, and now you have the face to criticize him. I always thought my Ling Cheng had a thick skin, but you¡¯re even more audacious. At least my Ling Cheng has some shame, while you have none at all."


    Upon hearing this, Ling Chen almost couldn¡¯t resistughing aloud. How had he failed to notice before that Xia Yue had such a way with words, skillfully insulting someone without using a single swear word.


    Tong Nan snorted coldly, "Had I not been careless, he would not have gained an advantage."


    "You might as well shut up; we¡¯re not interested in squabbling with a defeated underling."


    As Xia Yue¡¯s words fell, before Tong Nan could speak again, Wang Hao¡¯s voice suddenly came from the stage: "Ling Chen, what I said before still stands. As long as you deliver the Nine Elements Pill to Elder Su and exin my intentions, I can offer you some benefits. If you don¡¯t want the benefits, that¡¯s fine too. Consider it a favor you can call in whenever you need help in the future. What do you say?"


    These words stirred a buzz of discussions among the crowd.


    Although Wang Hao wasn¡¯t an elder of Yangxin Pavilion, everyone was well aware of his strength; receiving a favor from him could be considered quite an opportunity. There seemed to be no reason for Ling Chen to refuse such an offer.


    As Wang Hao¡¯s words reached Ling Chen, he touched his nose, silent for a long while, making everyone wonder what he was thinking about.


    Seeing Ling Chen¡¯s dyed response, Wang Hao calmly spoke, "Take your time to think it over, and let me know once you¡¯ve decided."


    "That¡¯s enough!"


    At this moment, Su Mei, standing beside Wang Hao, spoke up. She nced over the crowd below the stage and dered, "Today¡¯spetition concludes here, and there¡¯s no need for me to announce the oue, as everyone has already witnessed it. As per tradition, the victor has the rights to dispose of the Nine Elements Pill. Now, please bear witness."


    After saying that, the elder beside her passed the exquisite wooden box to Su Mei.


    "Wang Hao, this is the Nine Elements Pill. You are aware of its value without me needing to borate, I trust you will use it wisely." Having spoken, Su Mei held up the wooden box with both hands and presented it in front of Wang Hao.


    "Thank you, Pavilion Master!"


    Wang Hao bowed with a fist, ready to take the wooden box.


    "Hold on!"


    But, just at that moment, a voice suddenly came from the crowd.


    Everyone turned to look and saw Du Kang, followed by a few elders from Yangxin Pavilion, quickly approaching from the stands.


    "Elder Du, do you have something to say?"


    Du Kang nced at Su Mei and said, "Pavilion Master, please wait a moment." Then, ignoring the crowd¡¯s baffled looks, he walked directly to the left side of the arena and picked something up from the ground.


    Everyone noticed that Du Kang was holding the very object Ling Chen had thrown, which waster tossed off the stage by Wang Hao.


    Watching Du Kang closely inspect the item in his hands, everyone¡¯s curiosity piqued; they also wanted to know what it was and why Ling Chen had thrown it at thest moment.


    Amidst the confusion, Du Kang lifted his head, looked at Su Mei on the stage, and stated, "Pavilion Master, you might need to revise the oue."


    These words shocked everyone present.


    Revise the result of thepetition?


    Could it be... that Wang Hao wasn¡¯t the winner? But everyone had clearly seen that Ling Chen was knocked out of the arena by Wang Hao andnded outside. ording to the rules of thepetition, those who leave the boundaries of the arena are immediately deemed to have lost.


    Su Mei, puzzled, asked Elder Du, "Elder Du, everyone saw, the winner is Wang Hao, why do you...?"


    "I say this because I have my reasons." With that, Du Kang lifted the item in his hand and lightly waved it in front of everyone, saying, "I think most of you are unfamiliar with this item, it¡¯s no wonder, as this hidden weapon has been lost for many years, known to very few. Today is a rare opportunity, so let me enlighten you. This weapon¡¯s name is the Blood Dripping Device, and I¡¯m sure the name is not alien to those present, though it¡¯s rarely seen."


    The Blood Dripping Device?


    Upon hearing Du Kang¡¯s exnation, everyone was taken aback. They had heard of the infamous Blood Dripping Device but had never seen one.


    It was said to be an extremely vicious weapon, used to take people¡¯s lives, and had been abandoned many years ago. No one expected to see it again today.


    "Just now, everyone saw that Wang Hao¡¯s head was covered by the Blood Dripping Device; if it weren¡¯t for Ling Chen¡¯s mercy, Wang Hao¡¯s head would have been severed. Therefore, the winner of thispetition isn¡¯t Wang Hao but Ling Chen. Does anyone disagree?"


    With even Elder Du speaking up like that, no one else had any objections, although some looked at Wang Hao with pity. In such a short time, he had fallen from grace, a true loss of face.

 Chapter 745 - 750: The Final Winner (2)

    <h4>Chapter 745: Chapter 750: The Final Winner (2)</h4>


    At this moment, Wang Hao standing on the stage appeared to have frozen, hisplexion turning exceptionally unsightly. What was supposed to be a sure victory had taken an unexpected turn, and the decision that he had lost was something he found impossible to ept.


    As the foremost disciple of Yangxin Pavilion, Wang Hao had always been a proud individual, possessing an ego slightly stronger than others.


    Consequently, when he heard Elder Du Kang revise the oue of the match, he felt as though he was about to lose facepletely, unable to leave the stage with dignity.


    Blood Dripping Device... Wang Hao clenched his teeth in secret!


    No, he had not lost to Ling Chen, but rather to a hidden weapon he had never seen before.


    Under Elder Du Kang¡¯s correction, Su Mei immediately amended the result of the match, taking back the Nine Elements Pill which was originally about to be passed to Wang Hao.


    "I apologize for the earlier misjudgment, and here I express my regret to everyone. Now, please wee the ultimate victor, Ling Chen, to the stage." As she spoke, a joyous smile bloomed on Su Mei¡¯s delicate and lovely face.


    Her mood had been like that of Qiu Yong and the others before, feeling pity for Ling Chen. If possible, she had wished for Ling Chen to win, not Wang Hao. Now, events had taken a dramatic turn, and her wishes had surprisinglye true.


    "Big brother, please help me to the stage, I can¡¯t walk anymore," Ling Chen said helplessly.


    Qiu Yong nodded without a word and walked straight up to the stage, taking the Nine Elements Pill from Su Mei¡¯s hand.


    Yuan Yun patted Ling Chen on the shoulder with augh, eximing excitedly, "Ling Cheng, your efforts haven¡¯t been in vain, you¡¯ve finally got it."


    Ling Chen grinned and wanted to say something more, but before he could speak, he felt a wave of exhaustion and his head became heavy; he directly fainted into the arms of the porridge girl.


    ...


    Who knows how much time had passed, but Ling Chen finally woke up from his deep slumber.


    Looking around the environment, Ling Chen knew he was lying in the guest room. He propped himself up with his hands on the bed, wanting to sit up, but as soon as he tried to exert pressure with his arms, he felt an all-over weakness and copsed back onto the bed.


    Pain!


    Ling Chen took in a sharp breath. He had been fine during the day of thepetition, but now he felt an unbearable pain in every part of his body, as if each move pricked him with thousands of needles.


    Even with his tolerance for pain, he found it nearly unbearable, almost crying out in agony.


    Upon careful consideration, although he¡¯d often been injured during this period, none were as serious as this time.


    Based on his own experience, he estimated that he would need at least a month to fully recover.


    Just as he was thinking this, the door to the room was pushed open from the outside, followed by the sound of approaching footsteps. Ling Chen turned his head to look, only to see Qiu Yong and the others walking in one after the other.


    "Big brother, second brother..." Ling Chen mustered up his spirits and greeted them one by one.


    "Ling Cheng, how are you feeling?" Xia Yue asked with concern.


    Ling Chen replied with a wry smile, "I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ll have to stay in bed for a while."


    "You, oh you..." Qiu Yong said, "This time you were too reckless. In pursuit of victory, you almost gave up your life. It was not worth it at all; you are not allowed to do this again."


    "Big brother, you¡¯re well aware that what I¡¯m doing is to save our father. As long as he can return safely, I¡¯m willing to pay any price." Having said this, Ling Chen nced at the others and asked, "By the way, big brother, where¡¯s porridge girl? Why didn¡¯t shee with you?"


    "She left Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion yesterday."


    Left?


    Ling Chen was taken aback. Given how concerned porridge girl was with his own condition, it was impossible for her to leave without taking his health into ount.


    With this in mind, Ling Chen anxiously asked, "Big brother, why did she leave?"


    "She said she was going to save your father," Yuan Yun chimed in from beside him. "You¡¯ve been unconscious, and she was worried that it could cause too much dy, so she decided to take the Nine Elements Pill and trade it for your father¡¯s safety herself."


    "What?"


    Ling Chen was shocked. He hadn¡¯t expected porridge girl to undertake the task of finding Ji Gang and trading with him for the Nine Elements Pill all on her own.


    "Big brother, how could you let her go alone?" Ling Chen expressed his concern. What kind of person was Ji Gang? With porridge girl going by herself, who knows what tricks Ji Gang might y? He¡¯s a top expert on the Heavenly List. What would happen if he really yed some kind of trick, what could porridge girl do?


    "What could I do? Besides, her worries aren¡¯t unfounded. We¡¯ve been out for so long, and there¡¯s been no word from God Organization. Who knows whether Ling Kun is still safe. So, rather than worrying here, it¡¯s better to exchange your father back with the Nine Elements Pill sooner."


    Xia Yue interjected, "Ling Cheng, you don¡¯t need to worry too much. Porridge girl isn¡¯t going there alone."


    "Oh?" Ling Chen asked, "Who else is with her?"


    "Yang Tao and Yang Zhe went with her. Elder Du knew you needed the Nine Elements Pill to save your father, and he was worried that porridge girl might encounter trouble on her own, so he sent the Yang brothers to apany her. This way, she has some support, so you don¡¯t need to worry too much."


    Hearing this, Ling Cheng finally breathed a sigh of relief. Both Yang Tao and Yang Zhe were high-ranking experts on the Earthly List. With the two of them apanying her, porridge girl¡¯s mission would undoubtedly be much easier.


    "Big brother, how long have I been unconscious?" Ling Chen shifted the topic and asked.


    "Almost two days now. Lucky for us, we managed to get a Heavenly Mechanism Pill from Master Su that day. We dissolved the Heavenly Mechanism Pill into water and fed it to you, which helped your body recover. Otherwise, you probably would have been unconscious for more than three days. These past few days, many people havee to visit you, but we turned them all away."


    "Who came?" Ling Chen asked curiously.


    He didn¡¯t know many people in Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, so he wondered who would visit him.


    "Just some opportunistic types," Yuan Yun snorted. "You defeated Wang Hao, bing the top among the disciples of Yangxin Pavilion, and you¡¯re Elder Su¡¯s disciple. Coupled with the favor you¡¯ve received from Elder Du, just those points alone are enough reason for people to ingratiate themselves with you."


    With that, Yuan Yun couldn¡¯t help butugh and say, "Ling Cheng, you¡¯ve made it now. With your status, your position isn¡¯t at all inferior to Master Su¡¯s. In the future, you¡¯ll have to take good care of your big brothers."


    Ling Cheng replied with a slight smile, knowing Yuan Yun¡¯s words were said in jest, so he didn¡¯t take them to heart.


    Suddenly, Ling Cheng¡¯s heart skipped a beat, remembering something. His smile vanished instantly, and he said in a grave tone, "Big brother, I saw Zhu Hong that day."


    "Who?"


    Everyone was momentarily stunned, looking at Ling Cheng in surprise.


    "You¡¯re talking about that Zhu Hong?" Xu Ming was the first to recover, frowning slightly as he said, "Last time Zhou Qi and his people turned the entire Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion upside-down and still couldn¡¯t find any trace of Zhu Hong. Everyone thought he had an ident..."


    "No." Ling Chen interrupted Xu Ming, stating, "He¡¯s fine, and he¡¯s within Yangxin Pavilion. Although I didn¡¯t see him very clearly that day, I¡¯m certain it was him; there¡¯s no mistake. I¡¯m wondering, Elder Zhou and his men searched thoroughly; there¡¯s no way they should have missed Zhu Hong. The reason they came up empty-handed must be that someone is secretly protecting Zhu Hong, allowing him to escape harm."

 Chapter 746 - 751: Who is the Killer?

    <h4>Chapter 746: Chapter 751: Who is the Killer?</h4>


    After hearing Ling Chen¡¯s guess, Xu Ming spoke gravely: "Do you think someone in Yangxin Pavilion is protecting Zhu Hong? Have you considered that since Zhu Hong is a member of the God Organization, whoever that person is, why would they do this? Isn¡¯t that openly opposing the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion? To put it seriously, this act is no different from being a traitor. Moreover, Zhu Hong appeared in Yangxin Pavilion, so the person you suspect must also be from Yangxin Pavilion. Do you realize what this means?"


    After Xu Ming finished speaking, Ling Chen realized the gravity of the situation. Yangxin Pavilion has always been a strong support for the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion; without Yangxin Pavilion, the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion wouldn¡¯t be as powerful. Thus, if even Yangxin Pavilion had internal issues, this was no trivial matter.


    Qiu Yong slightly furrowed his brow and said: "Second brother, Six Masters, since the problem is so serious, do you think we should tell Master Su?"


    Ling Chen nodded and said: "Definitely, we have to tell her. How about this, big brother, please ask Miss Su toe here, it would be better for me to discuss this matter with her."


    "Alright, wait here then, I¡¯ll go find her now."


    Qiu Yong quickly left, and Su Mei arrived swiftly too. To facilitate the conversation between Ling Chen and Su Mei, Qiu Yong and others respectfully left the room after greeting Su Mei, leaving only Ling Chen and Su Mei in the room.


    Once everyone had left, Su Mei, looking at Ling Chen lying on the bed, asked curiously: "What is this about?"


    "Miss Su, please sit down, I have something to tell you."


    Su Mei, without suspicion, sat down at the bedside, waiting for Ling Chen to speak.


    Right away, Ling Chen thoroughly exined the situation regarding Zhu Hong, including what he discovered during the martial contest that day.


    After listening, Su Mei¡¯s expression turned solemn. She looked at Ling Chen with a rarely serious tone and said, "Ling Chen, this is no joking matter. Are you sure you saw correctly?"


    "I can be one hundred percent sure, absolutely no mistake."


    "If that¡¯s the case, the situation is more troublesome than you think." Su Mei pondered for a moment and then said, "Keep this matter quiet for now; I will speak to Elder Du. He¡¯s a senior member in Yangxin Pavilion with a high status among the elders; these internal matters should only be investigated discreetly by him."


    "Alright then." Ling Chen subtly nodded and continued: "Zhu Hong appearing in Yangxin Pavilion is definitely not a simple matter, I hope you can treat it seriously."


    "I know." Saying this, Su Mei stood up and said, "You haven¡¯t recovered from your injuries yet. Don¡¯t go anywhere for now, just stay here peacefully and heal. Leave when you are better."


    After watching Su Mei leave, Ling Chen quietlyy on the bed, staring at the ceiling, lost in thought.


    For some reason, ever since he saw Zhu Hong appearing in Yangxin Pavilion, Ling Chen had felt uneasy, always fearing that something bad would happen. Knowing Zhu Hong for so long, he was well aware of Zhu Hong¡¯s character and tactics; that guy would definitely not stay quietly in Yangxin Pavilion.


    Sigh!


    Thinking over and over, Ling Chen sighed gently.


    There were too many issues to resolve at the moment, not to mention Zhu Hong, even the matters involving the porridge girl and his own father were giving him a headache.


    ...


    In the blink of an eye, three days had passed.


    "Okay, okay, I understand, don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll be back in a few days. Alright, you go ahead."


    After hanging up the phone, Ling Chen set his mobile phone aside, calcting the time.


    During the call with Nanrong Wanqing, Ling Chen realized that he had been away for too long this time. Including these days of recuperation, it had been nearly ten days since he left home, no wonder Nanrong Wanqing was worried and had specifically called to check on him.


    After several days of rest, Ling Chen¡¯s injuries had somewhat healed, but it was just a slight improvement. He estimated that a full recovery would probably take a month.


    However, Ling Chen wasn¡¯t worried about his own physical condition; his concern was about porridge girl and Zhu Hong¡¯s situation.


    It had been three days, and there was still no news from porridge girl, and there was no movement from Yangxin Pavilion either; he did not know whether Su Mei had taken any action.


    Thud thud thud!


    While thinking, a series of urgent knocks suddenly came from the door. Ling Chen turned his head to see Wei Jiahao running inside hurriedly, and he spoke anxiously, "Ling Cheng, you better go outside and check."


    "What happened?"


    "That... I... Ah! You better see it for yourself. I don¡¯t know how to exin it."


    Seeing Wei Jiahao¡¯s anxious expression, Ling Chen didn¡¯t ask any further. He quickly got out of bed and hurried towards the door.


    "Hey! Ling Cheng, slow down, be careful not to trip." Wei Jiahao, worried about Ling Chen¡¯s health, quickly followed his pace.


    Exiting the room, Ling Chen followed Wei Jiahao and arrived at a mountain next to the training field.


    Upon reaching there, he saw the area densely packed with people, including Su Mei, Du Kang, Qiu Yong, and other elderly people hest met in Yangxin Pavilion; they were almost all present.


    What¡¯s going on?


    Ling Chen muttered to himself in surprise.


    Immediately, Ling Chen, with Wei Jiahao¡¯s help, pushed through the crowd to get deeper inside. Reaching the center of the people, Ling Chen looked intently, and his expression suddenly changed, revealing a look of shock in his eyes.


    How could this happen?


    Ling Chen looked on in surprise and was momentarily at a loss for words.


    In the center of the crowd, therey two people, Tong Nan and Song Yi. At that moment, both of them were already dead, the blood flowing from their seven orifices, their death seems very tragic.


    They... died!


    Ling Chen couldn¡¯t imagine that Tong Nan and Song Yi had died. These were not ordinary Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion Disciples. They were disciples from Yangxin Pavilion, one a master from the Earthly List, and the other ranked among the top three in the Dragon List, both with formidable self-defense capabilities.


    The appearance of the two indicated they had been murdered.


    At this time, Song Yi¡¯s master, Huang Zheng, was squatting in front of the corpses, his face gloomy, examining the conditions of the two bodies.


    After a while, Huang Zheng stood up from the ground, turned his head to look at Su Mei and Du Kang, and said gravely, "Both of them were attacked from behind. The attacker had average strength but was adept and cunning, and the palm technique was extremely toxic. Both Tong Nan and Song Yi were poisoned and died after being hit by the attacker¡¯s palm technique."


    "Poisoned?"


    Huang Zheng nodded and said, "The assant¡¯s palms must have contained lethal poison. Otherwise, with Tong Nan and Song Yi¡¯s capabilities, it is impossible that they couldn¡¯t even struggle before being killed outright."


    After hearing Huang Zheng¡¯s analysis, Su Mei asked, "Elder Huang, when did they die?"


    "Based on my experience, it should have beentest night."


    "Late at night?" Du Kang slightly furrowed his brows and asked, "Why would theye here sote at night?"


    Huang Zheng nced at his disciple¡¯s corpses and said coldly, "That is something we would need to ask them to know."

 Chapter 747 - 752 Tang Yan

    <h4>Chapter 747: Chapter 752 Tang Yan</h4>


    "Pavilion Master, someone dared tomit murder within the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion and even killed a disciple of Yangxin Pavilion. We must thoroughly investigate this matter and find the murderer who killed my disciple," Huang Zheng said with an ashen face, gritting his teeth.


    He had spent so much effort and time training a direct disciple, only for them to be killed, how could his heart be at ease?


    Su Mei nodded, promising: "Elder Huang, rest assured, Song Yi and Tong Nan are both members of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion. As the Pavilion Master, I will not ignore this. I assure you, I will investigate this matter thoroughly and find the murderer."


    In the midst of speaking, an elderly man hastily rushed over, rudely pushing through the crowd to reach the corpse.


    Looking at Tong Nan lying on the ground, a deep sorrow suddenly surfaced on the thin face of the old man. His lips quivering, mumbling something iprehensible, his wrinkled hands shakily lifted and slowly reached out to touch Tong Nan¡¯s cold cheek, his cloudy old eyes filled with grief.


    "My dear disciple...you...how could you just..." As he spoke, the old man began to sob like a child.


    Seeing the old man¡¯s devastated appearance, Ling Chen tapped a Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion disciple standing nearby on the shoulder and quietly asked, "Who is that man?"


    The Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion disciple looked at Ling Chen in surprise and said, "You don¡¯t know him? He¡¯s Tang Yan, Tong Nan¡¯s Master." The disciple nced around and then leaned close to Ling Chen¡¯s ear, whispering, "Let me tell you a secret, although Tang Yan always ims Tong Nan as his disciple, there are many rumors within the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion saying Tong Nan is actually Tang Yan¡¯s biological son."


    "What?" Ling Chen widened his eyes in disbelief at the old man.


    Biological son!


    This news was staggering.


    "Hey! Is that information urate? Tang Yan looks like he¡¯s in his eighties or nies. Tong Nan should be his grandson, right? Could you be mistaken?"


    The Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion disciple shook his head and said, "Impossible, I can¡¯t be wrong, everyone talks about it. I heard that Tang Yan found a young woman to live with for two years. Later, Tang Yan brought an infant, not yet a year old, back to the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion. Hey! If you look closely, don¡¯t you find a resemnce between Tang Yan and Tong Nan?"


    Hearing this, Ling Chen turned his gaze toward Tang Yan¡¯s aged face, examining it closely. Indeed, there were some simrities between Tong Nan and him.


    Moreover, Tang Yan¡¯s utterly heartbroken expression starkly contrasted with Huang Zheng¡¯s. While both had lost disciples, Huang Zheng merely disyed anger, but Tang Yan showed the pain of a white-haired person sending off a ck-haired one, which inevitably made one specte further.


    If what the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion disciple said was true, Ling Chen actually felt some sympathy for Tang Yan. To have a childte in life, only for this tragic oue to ur, was indeed pitiable.


    "Elder Tang, please don¡¯t be too heartbroken," Su Mei spoke tofort him.


    Tang Yan shook his head, his eyes brimming with tears as he firmly looked at Tong Nan¡¯s corpse and said, "Disciple, rest assured, your Master will definitely find the murderer and tear him to pieces. Just wait!"


    After saying this, Tang Yan stood up and turned to leave.


    Seeing this, Su Mei hurriedly called out, "Elder Tang, please calm down first, I..."


    Without letting Su Mei finish speaking, Tang Yan suddenly turned back, staring into Su Mei¡¯s tearful eyes, and said fiercely, "Calm down? How can you ask me to calm down when my disciple has died? I raised him from childhood, like my own son, and now he¡¯s gone, I..."


    "Tang Yan, mind your words," Du Kang interjected, "Show some respect in front of the Pavilion Master, it wasn¡¯t her who harmed Tong Nan."


    Seeing Du Kang speak up, Tang Yan immediately shut his mouth. He could afford to disrespect Su Mei, but not Du Kang, who was a senior from Yangxin Pavilion and held a much higher position.


    "Pavilion Master, I apologize for any offense just now, I¡¯ll take my leave now!" After saying this, Tang Yan gave a fist salute to Su Mei, then turned and walked out through the crowd.


    Watching Tang Yan¡¯s departing figure, Su Mei sighed lightly and said, "Alright, everyone disperses. Elder Du, please have someone preserve the bodies of Tong Nan and Song Yi well. We¡¯ll choose a good day for their burial."


    "Understood," Du Kang nodded, then signaled to several young men who immediately understood and hurriedly carried away the bodies of Tong Nan and Song Yi towards the ice storage of Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion.


    As the crowd dispersed, Ling Chen also returned to the guest room with Qiu Yong and others.


    Upon entering the room, Xia Yue sat in a chair, expressing, "I really didn¡¯t expect Tong Nan to be dead. Eh, who do you think could have done it?"


    Hearing this, everyone instinctively turned their gaze to Ling Chen. Sensing this, Ling Chen quickly realized what everyone meant.


    "You mean...the perpetrator is from the God Organization?"


    Qiu Yong nodded, "The God Organization is everyone¡¯s enemy, and besides, the only ones capable ofmitting a murder in the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion are likely from the God Organization."


    Ling Chen pondered and said, "The God Organization is indeed a suspect, but I don¡¯t think it was their people. Think about it, the defense of Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion is extremely tight, if someone infiltrated, it¡¯s impossible that no one noticed."


    "If the God Organization deployed a Heavenly List expert, then it¡¯s not impossible. Tong Nan was a Heavenly List expert yet was killed with a single strike, showing that the murderer is very powerful," Yuan Yun added. "Moreover, for a Heavenly List expert to infiltrate Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion would be a straightforward task."


    "No!" Ling Chen shook his head, "Third brother, your guess isn¡¯t impossible, but the God Organization doesn¡¯t have that many Heavenly List experts. Do you think Heavenly List experts are somon? Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion has been around for centuries and has only a few Heavenly List experts. It¡¯s already tough for the God Organization to get Ji Gang¡¯s help. Moreover, why would the God Organization send a Heavenly List expert to the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion? Just for nothing?"


    With that, Ling Chen paused, then continued, "I think that the murderer might actually be from the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, or rather... from Yangxin Pavilion."


    Upon hearing this, Qiu Yong and the others were shocked, and eximed in surprise, "Ling Cheng, do you think there¡¯s a traitor in Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion? But didn¡¯t you help the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion rid itself of the God Organizations¡¯ spiesst time?"


    "Big brother, the murderer may not necessarily be a spy from the God Organization, but might have other motivations. In any case, this matter is not simple. I¡¯m even considering if it could be connected to Zhu Hong."

 Chapter 748 - 753 Tang Yan’s Revenge

    <h4>Chapter 748: Chapter 753 Tang Yan¡¯s Revenge</h4>


    Zhu Hong?


    Xia Yue curiously said: "Ling Cheng, how could you suspect Zhu Hong? Zhu Hong is just an ordinary person. Do you think he has the ability to kill Tong Nan and Song Yi? Let alone those two, anyone from the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion could easily handle him."


    Ling Chen touched his nose and replied, "I¡¯m just suspicious, I haven¡¯t confirmed anything. Just take it as a casual remark; it¡¯s not to be taken seriously."


    During the conversation, a sudden ¡¯bang bang bang¡¯ knocking sound came from the door.


    "I¡¯ll go and open the door."


    Wei Jiahao stood up and quickly walked towards the door. However, before Wei Jiahao could open it, a ¡¯thud¡¯ was heard, and the door was violently kicked open, sending the door and its frame flying straight toward Wei Jiahao¡¯s body.


    This sudden turn of events startled everyone. Fortunately, Wei Jiahao¡¯s martial arts foundation was solid. Seeing the flying dooring at him, he clenched his fists tightly, like twin dragons soaring from the sea, and fiercely sted the door apart, splitting it in two.


    "Who is it?"


    Qiu Yong quickly stood up and focused on the door, only to see a person entering. It was Tang Yan, whom they had seen before.


    At this moment, Tang Yan¡¯s face was filled with rage, his eyes cold and murderous, holding a steel sword in his hand, he charged in fiercely and red at Qiu Yong and the others, shouting, "Who is Ling Chen? Show yourself!"


    Ling Chen slightly furrowed his brows and looked at Tang Yan, asking, "I am Ling Chen. Elder Tang, what is this about?"


    "What is this about?" Tang Yan stared at Ling Chen¡¯s face, grinding his teeth angrily, "You dare ask me what I¡¯m here for. Ling, you killed my disciple; now surrender your life!"


    As the words fell, Tang Yan flicked his wrist and lightly tapped with his toes, instantly turning into a gust of wind and closing in on Ling Chen, thrusting his sword towards Ling Chen¡¯s forehead.


    If the thrustnded, Ling Chen would stand no chance of survival.


    Seeing the de approaching, Ling Chen¡¯s eyes widened, and his back was covered in cold sweat. Because his injuries had not yet recovered, even though he wanted to dodge, his body could not keep up with his reaction.


    "Stop!"


    Seeing Ling Chen in danger, Qiu Yong shouted thunderously, taking three steps in two, quickly rushed to Ling Chen¡¯s side, and threw a fierce punch that hit right at the body of the steel sword.


    Struck by Qiu Yong¡¯s punch, the trajectory of Tang Yan¡¯s sword immediately deviated, stabbing towards Ling Chen¡¯s cheek instead.


    Seeing this, Ling Chen quickly turned his head to the side. In an instant, the sword¡¯s tip grazed his left cheek, leaving a long, bloody mark.


    Had Ling Chen not reacted in time, that sword would have pierced through his cheek.


    But feeling the cold of the sword¡¯s edge, Ling Chen was still shocked, breaking out in a cold sweat instantly, and he was stunned, taking a moment to recover.


    Seeing Ling Chen injured, Qiu Yong and the others were immediately infuriated.


    This Tang Yan,pletely unreasonable,unched an attack as soon as he entered, with lethal moves aiming to kill Ling Chen on the spot. As one of the "Eight entric Masters," they could not tolerate such treatment.


    Failing with the first strike, Tang Yan continued stepping rapidly, bypassing Qiu Yong¡¯s block, moving to Ling Chen¡¯s side, and preparing to continue his assault.


    However, before Tang Yan could strike, the other people in the room had already reacted, rushing to Ling Chen¡¯s side and joining forces to block Tang Yan¡¯s attack.


    "Seventh Brother, Eighth Brother, take good care of our Ling Cheng. Leave this old guy to us to deal with," Yuan Yun waved his steel de and stood in line with Qiu Yong and Xu Ming, protecting Ling Chen behind them.


    Tang Yan assessed Qiu Yong, who was leading the group, and coldly said, "Qiu Yong, I know you. Out of consideration for your age, I won¡¯t make things difficult for you all. Just hand Ling Chen over to me, and I¡¯ll let you go immediately."


    Qiu Yong sneered and replied, "Tang Yan, you really overrate yourself. Do you think youmand such respect? We are the Eight entric Masters, united as one. If you want to harm a hair on my Ling Cheng, then prepare to join your disciple in the underworld."


    Hearing these words, Tang Yan sneered disdainfully, "Just with you? Fine, since you¡¯re seeking death, I¡¯ll grant your wish."


    As soon as he finished speaking, Tang Yan flicked his wrist and with a series of crisp sword ngs, his steel sword shot out, thrusting straight towards Qiu Yong.


    But before Tang Yan could close in on Qiu Yong, a fierce gust of wind suddenly shot over, aiming directly at Tang Yan¡¯s face.


    Feeling the lethal gust, Tang Yan¡¯s face immediately changed color as he hurriedly backed away, lightly waving the steel sword in front of him.


    ng!


    With a clear sound, Tang Yan¡¯s steel sword trembled violently.


    At the same time, an arrow fell from the sky,nding right beside Tang Yan¡¯s foot.


    Looking up, Zhang Zhongfeng was seen standing in the corner of the room, maintaining a rtive distance, holding a longbow in hand and still clutching another arrow.


    The Archer God, Zhang Zhongfeng!


    Tang Yan¡¯s pupils tightened slightly, and his old face instantly turned ugly.


    Among the eight entrics, the most famous was undoubtedly Zhang Zhongfeng.


    Archer God Zhang Zhongfeng, the only one capable of killing Earthly List experts with bow and arrow. Within a certain range, Zhang Zhongfeng was almost the nightmare of Earthly List experts.


    This is bad!


    Tang Yan frowned, he had been too impulsive earlier, only focusing on taking Ling Chen¡¯s life and had forgotten about the presence of Zhang Zhongfeng.


    While pondering, Yuan Yun and Xia Yue rushed over from both sides, with a knife and a sword, their attacks sharp and direct, aiming for Tang Yan¡¯s vital points.


    "Scram!"


    Tang Yan barked coldly, his steel sword swinging fiercely, shing horizontally to force Yuan Yun and Xia Yue back. However, before his sword could fully swing, he heard a ¡¯ng,¡¯ and Tang Yan¡¯s steel sword was struck by an arrow again. The de had not yet swung out before being knocked back by the arrow.


    With his swordsmanship disrupted, Tang Yan couldn¡¯t make a new move in time as Yuan Yun and Xia Yue closed in, attacking respectively from the middle and upper routes.


    Seeing the knife and sword approaching, Tang Yan did not dare to take them lightly and quickly retreated a few steps, wielding his steel sword to parry Yuan Yun¡¯s attack.


    However, although Yuan Yun¡¯s steel knife was repelled, Xia Yue¡¯s Mother-Child Sword remained sharp, thrusting straight towards Tang Yan¡¯s eyes.


    Xia Yue¡¯s expression was cold, showing no intention of holding back.


    Hmph!


    As the sword edge approached, Tang Yan twisted his waist, raising his hand in a countermove, and flicked lightly with his fingers, hitting the de squarely.


    With a ¡¯ting,¡¯ Xia Yue¡¯s Mother-Child Sword was immediately deflected.


    But Tang Yan still overlooked one thing¡ªXia Yue was using a Mother-Child Sword. Although the long sword was deflected, the short sword hidden in Xia Yue¡¯s palm went unnoticed.


    Before Tang Yan could react, he felt a pain in his arm. His sleeve was shed, skin cut open, and blood flowed out gurglingly through the wound, instantly staining the sleeve red.


    Pain flooding in, Tang Yan¡¯s old face changed color in an instant, his eyes filled with murderous intent, fierce and threatening.


    "Seeking death!"

 Chapter 749 - 754: The Unrevealed Xu Ming (1)

    <h4>Chapter 749: Chapter 754: The Unrevealed Xu Ming (1)</h4>


    Tang Yan roared angrily, swung his steel sword without minding Qiu Yong and Yuan Yun beside him, and directlyunched an attack towards Xia Yue.


    Xia Yue¡¯s reaction was not slow either. When Tang Yan struck, she had already retreated, hoping to widen the distance between them. However, Xia Yue still underestimated Tang Yan¡¯s strength. After all, Tang Yan was no ordinary high-ranking martial artist on the Earthly List.


    Among the elders of the Yangxin Pavilion, Tang Yan was slightly stronger than Huang Zheng, Liang Tian, and others. There were only a handful of martial artists on the Earthly List who could defeat Tang Yan.


    At this moment, although Tang Yan was still about a meter away from Xia Yue, the momentum of his steel sword was fierce, and his energy was condensed and sharp. Within a meter, Xia Yue had no chance of dodging.


    "Little Sister!"


    Seeing Xia Yue in danger, Qiu Yong and Yuan Yun couldn¡¯t help but shout out and leaped towards Tang Yan to intercept his attack. However, Tang Yan was too fast, and even their reaction came toote.


    In a corner of the room, Zhang Zhongfeng had long ced an arrow on the bowstring, with the sharp tip locked on Tang Yan, ready to save Xia Yue at the critical moment.


    However, before Zhang Zhongfeng could shoot his arrow, he suddenly saw a figure sh before his eyes, blocking Tang Yan in his line of sight.


    Who?


    Zhang Zhongfeng frowned slightly. Having lost his target, he couldn¡¯t lock his arrow on Tang Yan to rescue Xia Ye. In a split second, Zhang Zhongfeng quickly shifted position with his longbow, searching for a favorable perspective.


    ng!


    But at this moment, a crisp sound suddenly rang out in the room. Then, before everyone could react, they saw Tang Yan¡¯s body flying out, heavily crashing into the wall along with the steel sword falling to the ground.


    This...


    Seeing this scene, everyone present was stunned, looking incredulously at the person who had intervened.


    It was Xu Ming!


    The person who had suddenly appeared, rescued Xia Yue, and repelled Tang Yan was Xu Ming.


    Tsk tsk!


    Ling Chen silently marveled, his handsome face unable to conceal a look of shock.


    Xu Ming ranked second among the eight entrics, mainly due to his age and seniority. Although Ling Chen had spent a considerable amount of time with Xu Ming, he seldom saw Xu Ming make a move and was unclear about the extent of his strength. Moreover, Ling Chen had learned from Qiu Yong and others that Xu Ming was the most mysterious among them because no one knew his origins or what he had experienced in the past.


    Now, faced with a high-ranking martial artist on the Earthly List like Tang Yan, Xu Ming actually managed to repel him, which was indeed surprising to Ling Chen and the others.


    For a long while, the other six entrics didn¡¯t react. Since Yang Chen, who was seventh, was blind and could only hear sounds without seeing what happened, he was not as visually shocked as Ling Chen and the others.


    At this moment, Tang Yan picked himself up from the ground and, looking at Xu Ming in front of him, his face alternated between green and red, a mix of shame and anger with a tinge of shock within.


    "You... who are you?"


    Finally, Tang Yan chose to speak rather than continue the attack. Having received a blow from Xu Ming just now, he had deeply felt Xu Ming¡¯s strength.


    Although he had been caught off guard by Xu Ming, the power Xu Ming disyed still made him wary. It wasn¡¯t a question of whether Xu Ming was stronger than him, but he was certainly no weaker.


    "You are not worthy to know who I am," Xu Ming said coldly.


    "Fine." Tang Yan nodded, nced over at Ling Chen standing behind Xu Ming, then refocused his gaze on Xu Ming and said, "Today I¡¯ll give you face and let it slide. However, Ling Chen killed my disciple and I will never let this go. Unless you have the ability to stay by his side all the time, no matter where he flees, I will not forgive him."


    "I..." Ling Chen opened his mouth, ready to retort, but before he could speak, Xu Ming cut him off, saying solemnly, "Tang Yan, don¡¯t think I wouldn¡¯t dare to touch you just because of your age. I¡¯ll tell you, stop acting entitled because of your seniority. Ling Chen didn¡¯t kill Tong Nan; he¡¯s been bed-ridden these past few days and hasn¡¯t recovered from his injuries. Forget killing Tong Nan, in his current condition, he couldn¡¯t even kill a dog, let alone a person. I don¡¯t know who told you Ling Chen killed Tong Nan, and I¡¯m not interested in investigating. In any case, we, the Eight entrics, always take responsibility for our actions. If it really was our doing, we would definitely admit it."


    Hearing this, Tang Yan¡¯s gaze flickered, clearly contemting something.


    After a pause, Tang Yan spoke, "For now, I will believe what you said. When I return, I will find out the truth of this matter."


    Having said this, Tang Yan turned and prepared to leave.


    However, before Tang Yan could reach the door, Xu Ming suddenly stepped forward to block his path.


    Facing Xu Ming who was blocking his way, Tang Yan¡¯s face turned cold, barely containing his fury, he asked, "What more do you want?"


    "Tang Yan, do you really think the Eight entrics are so easily bullied, that you cane and go as you please? You used my Sixth Brother of murdering your disciple without any cause and sought revenge at our doorstep, attacking without exnation. If we didn¡¯t have some ability, my Sixth Brother would already be dead under your sword. You can leave, but first, you must apologize to my Sixth Brother. Only if he forgives you, can you go."


    At these words, Tang Yan¡¯s face underwent a change, his eyes turning icily cold, and through gritted teeth he said, "Don¡¯t be too presumptuous. I am telling you, I am not afraid of you. If it reallyes to blows, it¡¯s not clear yet who will be the deer brought down."


    "Oh!" Xu Ming said unabashedly, "If you dare to start a fight, then we will apany you to the end. But before we start, let me be clear: we, the Eight entrics, are united in attack and retreat. Either you take on all eight of us, or all eight of us will fight you alone. The choice is yours."


    "You..." Tang Yan was at a loss for words. He had seen shameless, but never this shameless.


    If it were just Xu Ming alone, Tang Yan might have the courage to sh with him. But facing the Eight entrics alone was beyond his courage. It wasn¡¯t just about how formidable Xu Ming was; there was also the Archer God Zhang Zhongfeng. Apart from these two, Qiu Yong, Yuan Yun, Xia Yue, and others were not to be trifled with. The eight of them together could easily take his life.


    Yet, for him, a respected elder of the Yangxin Pavilion and a prominent figure of the Earthly List, to apologize to a junior was unthinkable. Where would he put his face after this?


    Moreover, if word of this got out, it would likely be aughing stock for the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion.


    With these thoughts, Tang Yan found himself hesitating.


    After a brief moment, seeing Tang Yan¡¯s dyed response, Xu Ming urged, "Have you made up your mind yet?"


    As his voice fell, Tang Yan raised his head, swept a nce over Xu Ming and the others like Qiu Yong. The next second, without waiting for the crowd to react, he suddenly sped up and dashed towards the door.

 Chapter 750 - 755: The Unrevealed Xu Ming (2)

    <h4>Chapter 750: Chapter 755: The Unrevealed Xu Ming (2)</h4>


    Trying to escape?


    Xu Ming snorted lightly, his toes lightly tapping as if he were stepping on a gust of wind, and in an instant, he rushed to the doorway, blocking Tang Yan¡¯s path and intercepting him at the door.


    Confronted with Xu Ming, who suddenly appeared before him, Tang Yan didn¡¯t utter a word and immediately pped out a palm strike aimed straight at Xu Ming¡¯s chest.


    The fierce palm wind came hurtling through, and Xu Ming had no intention of retreating. Instead, he threw out a punch, which met Tang Yan¡¯s palm with a solid hit.


    Fist meeting palm, the two were momentarily separated, and neither gained the upper hand.


    Seeing his path blocked, Tang Yan did not give up but continued tounch attacks, attempting to push Xu Ming back. However, just then, a sharp arrow broke through the air and dissolved Tang Yan¡¯s offensive once again.


    Time after time, with the coordination of Xu Ming and others, not only did Tang Yan fail to get closer to the doorway, but he was also forced back several steps.


    "Attack together!" Qiu Yong gave a light shout, readying Yuan Yun and Xia Yue tounch an attack from behind and join Xu Ming in a pincer movement to take down Tang Yan.


    However, just as they were about to make their move, a loud shout suddenly came from the doorway: "Stop!"


    At the sound, Tang Yan¡¯s tense old face instantly rxed, and he withdrew his hands, secretly sighing in relief.


    Atst!


    Tang Yan secretly rejoiced. The reason he had refused Xu Ming¡¯s demand and fought back was to draw attention. As long as someone from the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion intervened, he could retreat unscathed and save face.


    Following the shout, Qiu Yong and the others quickly turned their attention toward the doorway. Suddenly, they saw Su Mei arriving quickly, escorted by several Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion Disciples.


    Seeing the disordered scene inside the room, Su Mei¡¯s brows slightly furrowed. ncing at Tang Yan and the others on the scene, she asked indifferently, "What happened?"


    Qiu Yong gave a fist salute and said, "Master Su, you should ask him about this matter." Qiu Yong pointed at Tang Yan and continued, "Without provocation, he burst into our room, didn¡¯t say a word, and started ranting about killing Ling Chen to avenge his disciple. If it hadn¡¯t been for our presence, he might have seeded. Master Su, to speak unpleasantly, we are also considered guests of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion. Is this your way of hospitality?"


    Hearing this, Su Mei turned to Tang Yan and asked, "Elder Tang, I hope you can give me and everyone present an exnation."


    Seeing that Master Su had spoken, Tang Yan, despite his unwillingness, had to respond: "Master, this is a misunderstanding. I heard that Tong Nan had a conflict with Ling Chen a while ago, and besides that, he hasn¡¯t made enemies with anyone else, so I thought..."


    "You thought it was Ling Chen who killed your disciple?" Su Mei said discontentedly, "Elder Tang, you are too hasty. Perhaps Ling Chen had a verbal conflict with Tong Nan, but I am very clear about Ling Chen¡¯s character; he would never do such a thing. Also, Elder Tang, I would like to remind you that your disciple was not as good as you think, his poprity in the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion was not great. It wouldn¡¯t havee to this if you, as a Master, hadn¡¯t spoiled and indulged him, backing him up from behind. You should reflect on yourself instead of venting your anger on others."


    After a pause, Su Mei waved her hand and said, "Alright, let¡¯s end the matter here today. I hope there won¡¯t be a next time."


    "Yes, Master," Tang Yan replied, about to step outside.


    But before Tang Yan could reach the doorway, Xu Ming once again stepped forward to block his path.


    Tang Yan¡¯s expression darkened as he coldly demanded, "What else do you want?"


    Xu Ming said dismissively, "What do you think I want? Did you really think my words earlier were just for show? It¡¯s simple, two choicesy before you: apologize and admit your wrong, or... we cripple your arms. Choose for yourself. But don¡¯t even think about stepping out the door without our permission."


    "How dare you!" Tang Yan bellowed in anger, "Don¡¯t forget, this is the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, and the Pavilion Master is right here. It¡¯s not your turn to call the shots. All of you, get lost; otherwise, don¡¯t me me for being rude."


    "Is that so?" Xu Ming remained unfazed by Tang Yan¡¯s fury, and retorted, "If you think you¡¯re capable, then try to break past me. Just don¡¯t say I didn¡¯t warn you, if you make a move, it won¡¯t be as simple as just crippling your arms."


    Seeing the two stand their ground, Master Su became anxious and hurriedly spoke up, "Elder Tang, gentlemen, today¡¯s matter was indeed an impulse on Elder Tang¡¯s part. Please give me face and let it go. If there are any offenses, I, on behalf of Elder Tang, apologize to everyone here."


    Xu Ming nced at Master Su and replied, "Master Su, it¡¯s not that I don¡¯t respect you, but this man is too arrogant. If he doesn¡¯t learn his lesson, he¡¯ll think that no one can control him. So, if there¡¯s any offense today, I apologize in advance to Master Su and hope you don¡¯t take it the wrong way."


    "Correct!" Qiu Yong, with his head held high, said sternly, "We, the eight entrics, always stick together. No one can bully us. Besides, this matter doesn¡¯t concern Master Su, you don¡¯t need to meddle. I¡¯d really like to see how powerful the Earthly List experts of Yangxin Pavilion are." With those words, Qiu Yong stepped forward, pressuring Tang Yan even more closely.


    Meanwhile, Yuan Yun and Xia Yue followed suit and sealed off all of Tang Yan¡¯s escape routes, leaving him trapped.


    Witnessing this, Tang Yan¡¯s face turned extremely gloomy, his murky old eyes flickering with cold light, staring intently at Xu Ming.


    Seeing the impending sh and readying for a fight, Master Su quickly turned to Ling Chen with a pleading look, hoping for his help.


    Tang Yan hade for Ling Chen, and from beginning to end, Ling Chen had not spoken a word. If he would let Tang Yan go, Qiu Yong and the others might not persist in fighting.


    Feeling Master Su¡¯s gaze, Ling Chen nced at her, hesitated briefly, then withdrew his gaze as if he didn¡¯t understand what Master Su meant.


    It wasn¡¯t that Ling Chen didn¡¯t understand Master Su¡¯s intention; he just didn¡¯t want to act on it. He knew clearly that Qiu Yong and Xu Ming were standing up for him. If he intervened now and stopped Qiu Yong and others, it would be a disservice to his brothers.


    Moreover, Tang Yan¡¯s attitude had greatly displeased him. Such a self-righteous old man definitely needed to be taught a harsh lesson.


    Seeing that Ling Chen did not speak, Master Su had no choice but to instruct her subordinates to quickly fetch reinforcements.


    "Big brother!"


    At that moment, Ling Chen¡¯s voice rang out.


    Qiu Yong asked, "Ling Cheng, what is it?"


    Ling Chen looked at Tang Yan with a smirk and said, "This old man hasn¡¯t said a word for so long; it seems he doesn¡¯t intend to apologize. In that case, there¡¯s no need for us to waste time with him."

 Chapter 751 - 756: Teach a Lesson

    <h4>Chapter 751: Chapter 756: Teach a Lesson</h4>


    As soon as Ling Chen¡¯s words fell, Qiu Yong and the others immediately understood and, without waiting for Su Mei to speak up and stop them, they all struck at once, charging towards Tang Yan with the intent to teach him a lesson.


    If Tang Yan were only facing Xu Ming alone, he might dare to fight back. But facing thebined forces of the eight oddities, Tang Yan had no courage to sh with them head-on.


    Seeing the crowd charging at him, Tang Yan¡¯s legs kicked against the wall behind him twice, and his body suddenly leaped high, vaulting over Xu Ming¡¯s head and heading straight for the door.


    However, just as Tang Yan was about tond at the door, he suddenly felt a tight grip on his right ankle.


    Startled, he quickly looked down and saw Xu Ming had grabbed his right foot with his right hand. Without waiting for Tang Yan to react, Xu Ming¡¯s right arm violently pulled, flinging Tang Yan¡¯s body against the wall with great force.


    "Still trying to escape?" Xu Ming snorted lightly, took three steps in quick session which seemed like two, and instantly closed in on Tang Yan, grabbing his cor and yanking him up from the ground.


    Just as Tang Yan tried to resist, a sharp arrow suddenly struck him, hitting the corbone of his right shoulder and piercing from front to back.


    In an instant, blood gushed forth, staining his clothes crimson.


    Injured by the arrow, the Hua Realm energy that Tang Yan had just gathered was immediately scattered. At the same time, Xu Ming clenched his fist and quicklyunched a punch forward, sending Tang Yan flying once again.


    Thud!


    A spurt of fresh blood, and Tang Yan¡¯s face instantly turned pale.


    "Elder Tang!"


    Seeing Tang Yan in such a state, Su Mei¡¯s delicate face was filled with concern, unsure of what to do next.


    "Ling Chen!" After some thought, Su Mei could only seek help from Ling Chen. At this moment, except for Ling Chen, no one else could stop Qiu Yong and the others.


    If Ling Chen continued to ignore her after she spoke again, it would be too unkind.


    "Miss Su, this is a private matter between us and Tang Yan, you¡¯d better stay out of it."


    As he spoke, Tang Yan suffered another heavy blow from Qiu Yong, spewing blood and lying on the ground, unable to get up for a while. It was clear that he had sustained severe injuries.


    At this moment, Yuan Yun and Xia Yue arrived together, swords and knives in hand, shing down towards Tang Yan¡¯s body from above.


    "Stop!"


    At this critical moment, a loud shout suddenly rang out. Following that, two whooshing sounds were heard.


    ng ng!


    With two crisp sounds, the swords and knives in Yuan Yun and Xia Yue¡¯s hands were knocked aside, avoiding Tang Yan¡¯s body.


    Everyone looked up to see Du Kang rushing over from outside. It was his timely intervention that spared Tang Yan from further injury.


    "Everyone, stop!" Du Kang said with furrowed brows, stepping forward.


    Xu Ming hesitated for a moment, nodded at Qiu Yong beside him, and then stepped back.


    Looking at Tang Yan lying on the ground covered in blood, Du Kang¡¯s eyes shed with surprise. He had rushed over in a hurry when he received the notification, fearing that Qiu Yong and the others woulde to harm. As an elder of the Yangxin Pavilion, Du Kang was well aware of Tang Yan¡¯s strength; thebined power of the eight oddities was still not enough to deal with Tang Yan.


    What he didn¡¯t expect was for Tang Yan to end up in such a tragic state, while Qiu Yong and the others were unscathed.


    While contemting, Du Kang looked up at Qiu Yong and said, "Gentlemen, no matter what happened just now, I hope you can all give this old man some face and not continue this further."


    "Elder Du has spoken, and we will certainly grant this face," Qiu Yong replied.


    When a martial arts expert from the Heavenly List speaks, one cannot fail to give face. Moreover, Ling Chen has a good rtionship with Du Kang, so it would be inappropriate to make things difficult for Ling Chen.


    "Elder Tang."


    At this moment, Ling Chen approached Tang Yan and asked, "I would really like to know, who told you that I had a conflict with Tong Nan?"


    Tang Yan bit his lip, snorted coldly, and seemed as if he hadn¡¯t heard what was said.


    Seeing that Tang Yan refused to respond, Du Kang said in a stern voice, "Tang Yan, answer when you are asked a question."


    With Du Kang giving the order, Tang Yan did not dare to disobey, regardless of how much he might resent it.


    "It was Liang Zheng who told me."


    "Liang Zheng?" Ling Chen nodded to himself; so it was that person, no wonder. His rtionship with Liang Zheng was not good, and because of him, Liang Zheng had been taught a lesson by Tong Nanst time. Liang Zheng probably held a grudge in his heart, so he told Tang Yan, trying to use Tang Yan¡¯s hand to teach him a lesson.


    Unfortunately, Tang Yan never expected that the strength of the Eight entrics would be so strong. It was really a case of losing a wife and an army.


    "Alright, I have no more questions to ask. Elder Tang, remember, it was not I who killed your disciple. I have no interest in taking his life, and I ask that you do not disturb us in the future. This time Elder Du has intervened, but if there is a next time, don¡¯t me us for not being polite."


    Hearing these words, Su Mei let out a sigh of relief and quickly went to Tang Yan¡¯s side, reaching out to help him up.


    "Elder Tang..."


    "Get out of my way!" Tang Yan shouted coldly, pushing Su Mei¡¯s hand away, struggling to stand up from the ground.


    Looking at the Eight entrics present, Tang Yan clenched his teeth and said coldly, "Very well, remember this, Eight entrics. I won¡¯t forget this debt." After saying that, Tang Yan, holding his wound, quickly walked out of the room.


    After Tang Yan left, Du Kang curiously looked at Qiu Yong and the others, "Everyone, Tang Yan has been quite offensive just now, I hope you don¡¯t take it to heart."


    "Ling Chen, you should rest well. I¡¯lle back to see youter." Su Mei, thinking of Tang Yan¡¯s injury, didn¡¯t dare to stay longer, and left these words behind as she led a few disciples of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion to follow Tang Yan¡¯s steps.


    Seeing Su Mei and people like Du Kang leaving, Ling Chen took a deep breath and unconsciously turned his gaze towards Xu Ming. It was not just him; Qiu Yong and others also focused their attention on Xu Ming with a trace of curiosity and shock.


    Everyone had clearly seen that Xu Ming had easily defeated Tang Yan. Just this fact was enough to testify to Xu Ming¡¯s great strength.


    From Ling Chen¡¯s experience, Xu Ming¡¯s strength was probably extremely close to that of a martial arts expert from the Heavenly List.


    Tsks! Who would have thought... that a grandmaster of such caliber was hiding right by my side.


    Under everyone¡¯s gaze, Xu Ming spoke indifferently, "What are you all looking at me for?"


    Wei Jiahao was the first toe to his senses and said with a grin, "Second Brother, you¡¯re truly awesome. Howe I¡¯ve never seen you..."


    "Enough!" Xu Ming cut Wei Jiahao off, saying, "Knowing this is enough. There¡¯s no need to ask further. Even if you did ask, I wouldn¡¯t tell you." After a pause, he added, "When the timees, I will naturally tell you all."


    Hearing this, everyone had no choice but to suppress their curiosity.


    Each of the Eight entrics has an unknown past; if one didn¡¯t wish to disclose it, nobody would pursue the matter.


    "Alright, Ling Cheng, you rest well. We¡¯re going out to take a look. Ling Hu, and Ling Ba, along with Sister Wu, you stay in the room, just in case people like Tang Yane back to make trouble."


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 752 - 757: The Return Journey (1)

    <h4>Chapter 752: Chapter 757: The Return Journey (1)</h4>


    After resting for a day, early the next morning, Ling Chen got up and deliberated, thinking about leaving Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion and rushing back to East Sea City.


    This trip had already taken quite a bit of time, nearly half a month, and Nanrong Wanqing had called several times. Moreover, too many things had happened at the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, and Ling Chen really did not want to get involved and waste time.


    After much consideration, it still seemed best to leave such matters to Su Mei and Du Kang to handle. After all, he was an outsider, and there was no need for him to meddle unnecessarily.


    "Ling Cheng." Wei Jiahao, while yawning, walked in from outside, holding breakfast in one hand.


    Ever since the poisoning incident, Ling Chen¡¯s meals were taken care of by Wei Jiahao, who borrowed the kitchen facilities and ingredients from the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion.


    "Ling Cheng, where are the others?"


    "They went out early in the morning to stroll around and said they¡¯d be back soon. Ling Cheng, did you need to see them?"


    Ling Chen nodded and said, "I was thinking, we¡¯ve been at the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion for quite some time now, it¡¯s about time we head back."


    Wei Jiahaoughed and said, "Actually, the others were also discussing when to leave. They stayed a few more days because they were concerned about your injuries not being fully healed."


    Ling Chen patted his chest and replied, "My injuries are not a big issue anymore. Go and tell them that we¡¯re leaving today, let¡¯s not dy any further. Besides, with all the troubles at the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion now, we wouldn¡¯t want to get dragged into it."


    "Alright!" Wei Jiahao responded. "Ling Cheng, you eat your breakfast first, I¡¯ll go call the others." After speaking, Wei Jiahao ced the prepared breakfast on the bedside, then turned and walked out of the room.


    After eating two meat sandwiches, Ling Chen patted his belly and got ready to get out of bed and move around. Although his injuries were notpletely healed, walking wasn¡¯t affected as long as he did not engage in strenuous activities, and moving around asionally was not a big deal.


    Just as Ling Chen began to stretch his limbs, he saw Wei Jiahao rush into the room from outside the door, yelling loudly, "Ling Cheng, something bad has happened!"


    Ling Chen was startled and quickly asked, "What happened? Did someone die again?"


    "No, no one died. It¡¯s the others... they¡¯ve been surrounded by people from Yangxin Pavilion," Wei Jiahao said, panting.


    "What?" Ling Chen was stunned; Qiu Yong and the others were actually surrounded by people from Yangxin Pavilion.


    What are those people from Yangxin Pavilion trying to do?


    Without time to think further, Ling Chen hurriedly ran outside.


    Leaving the residence, Wei Jiahao led Ling Chen to an empty space near the martial arts training ground. From a distance, one could see several elderly men surrounding Qiu Yong and the others, including Huang Zheng and Liang Tian. Tang Yan was the only one missing.


    Presumably, since Tang Yan was injured yesterday, he was still recovering today, so he did not show up.


    As they approached, everyone noticed Ling Chen¡¯s arrival and gave him a look. Yuan Yun reproachfully said, "Ling Cheng, you knew your brother was still unwell, why did you bring him here?"


    Ling Chen swept a nce at Huang Zheng and others, frowning and asked, "What¡¯s going on here?"


    "It¡¯s nothing, just heard that there¡¯s a great master among the eight entrics, so we wanted to see for ourselves." Huang Zheng replied, but his indifferent tone felt quite ufortable.


    "See for ourselves?" Ling Chen said with a forced smile, "Is this how Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion tests people¡¯s skills? Regardless, we are guests of the Pavilion, don¡¯t you think this is quite disgraceful?"


    Liang Tian said lightly, "Ling Chen, don¡¯t say that. We are all from the martial arts world, and it¡¯s normal to make friends through martial arts."


    "If it had been someone else saying this, I might have believed it, but as for you two... sorry, I really don¡¯t buy it. Elder Huang, Elder Liang, if you do not want to make it difficult for Master Su, let us pass quickly and stop troubling us." Pausing, Ling Chen continued, "Such a big incident just happened at the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, and instead of looking for the perpetrator, you¡¯re busy making friends through martial arts, I really don¡¯t know what you are thinking."


    Scolded by Ling Chen, the faces of Huang Zheng and others did not look good.


    "Ling Chen, you, a youngd, what right do you have to lecture us."


    "Alright, if you think I have no right to lecture you, then I will go consult Elder Du to see if he permits such actions. If that still doesn¡¯t work, I¡¯ll ask my Master and see what he thinks."


    Hearing this, the eyes of Huang Zheng and others flickered, and for a long while, they couldn¡¯t say a word.


    Seeing their indecisive looks, Ling Chen secretly smiled. As expected, these old fellows were indeed fearful of Su He; just by mentioning Su He, they immediately becamepliant.


    It seems having a robust backer is essential for handling matters.


    "Fine, let¡¯s leave it at this for now, we¡¯ll have another chance to consult in the future." With that, Huang Zheng and the others nced at Xu Ming, then turned and walked towards Yangxin Pavilion.


    When they left, Ling Chen quickly walked over to Qiu Yong and the others, and asked with concern, "Big brother, they didn¡¯t mistreat you, did they?"


    "No issue."


    "Big brother, it seems we really should leave Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion soon," Xu Ming began to speak.


    Hearing this, Qiu Yong asked, "What¡¯s up, little brother?"


    "Big brother, when those people came to find us, it certainly wasn¡¯t just to make friends through martial arts, but rather to test us."


    "Test?" Xia Yue asked, puzzled, "Little brother, test us for what?"


    "Don¡¯t ask about it, just trust me, let¡¯s leave before they take any other measures."


    Hearing this, Ling Chen looked meaningfully at Xu Ming, seemingly understanding something.


    Without a doubt, the ¡¯test¡¯ Xu Ming referred to must be targeting himself. Based on Ling Chen¡¯s assumption, Xu Ming probably had some secrets he didn¡¯t want exposed, which is why he wanted to leave so quickly.


    Regardless, he also wanted to return to East Sea City soon, which coincidentally aligned with Xu Ming¡¯s suggestion.


    Right away, Ling Chen spoke up, "Big brother, recently, the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion hasn¡¯t been peaceful. I think we should leave soon to avoid attracting trouble."


    "Alright." Qiu Yong nodded slightly, "Since you all say so, let¡¯s go. Little sister, you go pack up with Ling Cheng, and I¡¯ll go say farewell to Master Su with the others. We¡¯ll meet at the entranceter."


    "Understood."


    Learning that Qiu Yong and the others were leaving, Su Mei seemed somewhat surprised, originally thinking they would stay a bit longer, not expecting them to choose this time to leave.


    "Elder Qiu, it¡¯s rare for you to visit, why not stay a few more days. Besides, Ling Chen¡¯s injuries have not yet healed, why not stay a little longer until his injuries get better before leaving."

 Chapter 753 - 758: Return Journey (2)

    <h4>Chapter 753: Chapter 758: Return Journey (2)</h4>


    "Master Su, we have been troubling you for quite a while, and besides, Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion has more important matters to attend to, so we won¡¯t hinder your work anymore. Whenever we are free in the future, we, the Eight Oddities, wille to bother Master Su again."


    Seeing that Qiu Yong had made up his mind to leave, Su Mei found it inappropriate to ask them to stay any longer and could only say, "Very well, Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion has indeed not been very peaceful recently, and I have too many things to handle that I can¡¯t take care of you all." Saying this, Su Mei turned to Ling Chen and said, "Mr. Ling, please remember the words I told you before."


    "Miss Su, rest assured, I will never forget them."


    Pausing for a moment, Ling Chen seemed to recall something and asked, "Oh! Miss Su, there¡¯s one more thing, is there any progress on Zhu Hong¡¯s side?"


    "I have already asked Elder Du to investigate, but there is still no news. Mr. Ling, I want to confirm again, are you sure you didn¡¯t see it wrong that day?"


    "No." Ling Chen was one hundred percent certain, "I trust my eyes, I would never make a mistake."


    "Good, since you are so sure, I will definitely urge Elder Du to thoroughly search. If I find out Zhu Hong¡¯s whereabouts, I will inform you immediately."


    "Thank you for that."


    After bidding farewell to Su Mei, Ling Chen and Qiu Yong and the others headed directly to the gate of Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion. Wei Jiahao and Xia Yue had already packed up and were waiting at the doorway for everyone to arrive.


    Leaving Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, Ling Chen¡¯s group headed straight for the airport.


    After more than two hours of flight, the flight carrying everyone finallynded at East Sea International Airport.


    Breathing in the fresh air outside, Ling Chen looked up at the distant skyscrapers, his lips curving slightly into a faint smile.


    After being away for so many days, I¡¯m finally back!


    "Big brother, where are you guys nning to go?"


    "We¡¯re heading to Siheyuan first to rest and recuperate for a few days, as forter... we¡¯ll see then, it¡¯s not decided yet."


    "Alright, I¡¯ll leave then if there¡¯s nothing else. I¡¯lle visit you at Siheyuan when I have time."


    Hearing this, Yuan Yun jokingly said, "Ling Cheng, can¡¯t wait to see your future wife, huh? Ah! Not to criticise you, but Ling Cheng, a man should aim high and not always stay nestled in a woman¡¯s embrace, that¡¯s too unambitious."


    Xia Yue shot Yuan Yun a re and scoffed, "Ling Cheng is much more ambitious than you are, at least he has many women, and you? You don¡¯t even have one and yet have the cheek to criticize others."


    "Hey! Ling Cheng, I didn¡¯t know you were so popr with women. Alright, if there are more beauties next time, don¡¯t forget to introduce me. I don¡¯t have any other demands, just as long as her temperament is better than your fifth sister¡¯s."


    "What do you mean by that?" Xia Yue, hands on her hips, said irritably, "Are you indirectlyining about my bad temper?"


    Yuan Yun, with an expression that said ¡¯you finally get it¡¯, looked at Xia Yue, and before he could speak, he provoked a fierce beating from her.


    "Alright! You two stop messing around." Qiu Yong said with augh, "Ling Cheng, you go back first, we¡¯ll keep in touch by phone."


    After waving goodbye to Qiu Yong and the others, Ling Chen hailed a taxi on the roadside and headed straight for the Nanrong Family.


    Today is Saturday, Hongyu Group is off work, Nanrong Wanqing should be at home resting.


    Sitting in the taxi, Ling Chen watched the traffic sh by outside the window, feeling a growing anxiety in his heart.


    It¡¯s been so many days, and there¡¯s still no news from porridge girl and Yang Tao. I don¡¯t know if they are safe or if they¡¯ve encountered any danger.


    ...


    Wealthy Manor, No. 118.


    Stepping out of the taxi, Ling Chen pushed open the gate and strode in.


    Passing through the mansion, Ling Chen saw Nanrong Yong sitting on a rattan chair on the balcony, facing away from him, swaying to and fro with Beijing opera ying beside him, utterly leisurely.


    "Old master."


    Ling Chen took the initiative to greet him, but whether it was because the opera was too loud or some other reason, Nanrong Yong didn¡¯t seem to hear him and didn¡¯t respond, still squinting his eyes.


    Worried that Nanrong Yong was resting, Ling Chen didn¡¯t go over to disturb him but went directly to the vi where Nanrong Wanqing lived.


    Inside the spacious and bright living room, Nanrong Wanqing was dressed in loose home clothing, her long snowy legs exposed and curled up on the sofa, holding a fashion magazine in her hands and intently flipping through it. Her delicate, wless face was pale and smooth, like that of a baby, her finely arched eyebrows exuding endless charm and allure.


    The central air conditioning was on in the living room, so despite it being early spring, the room remained warm and felt not the slightest chill.


    Looking at Nanrong Wanqing on the sofa, Ling Chen¡¯s gaze slid from her beautiful face down to her long, white legs.


    On either side of her thighs were secured with several slender braces.


    Exoskeleton armor!


    Ling Chen inwardly sighed; Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s legs were his biggest concern, as he had yet to find a solution and could only temporarily use the exoskeleton armor to restore her ability to walk.


    Every time he saw those legs, Ling Chen felt incredibly guilty, thinking himself ipetent for failing to cure Nanrong Wanqing.


    Although he had mastered quite a few medical skills, those were only good for minor injuries and ailments; they were powerless with this kind of problem.


    While thinking, Nanrong Wanqing noticed Ling Chen¡¯s presence and shifted her beautiful eyes from the magazine towards the vi¡¯s entrance.


    Gazing at the not-so-far Ling Chen, Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s charming face bloomed like a resplendent flower, a sweet smile instantly appearing on both cheeks.


    Facing Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s joyous eyes, Ling Chen opened his arms and said with a smile, "What are you spacing out for,e over and give me a hug."


    Hearing this, Nanrong Wanqing was about to get up, but then it seemed she thought of something, her leaning body suddenly fell back, her faint smilepletely withdrawn, expressionless.


    Then, she turned her head, lightly huffed, and picked up the magazine again, engrossed as if treating Ling Chen as air.


    Well, well!


    Ling Chen was amused, this girl had actually learned to sulk.


    Cough, cough!


    Ling Chen coughed lightly twice, trying to catch Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s attention. However, shepletely ignored his presence, no matter what sound he made, she remained unmoved.


    Seeing this situation, Ling Chen sighed helplessly and muttered to himself, "Sigh! Coming home and not even a person to wee me, might as well go find Fatty for a drink."


    Saying this, Ling Chen turned around, and pretended he was going to walk out.


    Nanrong Wanqing secretly peeked to see if Ling Chen was really leaving. When she looked up, she found that the entrance to the living room was empty; Ling Chen had already disappeared.


    This jerk!


    Nanrong Wanqing pursed her sexy lips, angrily throwing the magazine on the couch, her face full of displeasure.


    How could he just walk away like that, such a jerk. If he dares toe back, she would definitely make him pay.

 Chapter 754 - 759: Crisis at Home

    <h4>Chapter 754: Chapter 759: Crisis at Home</h4>


    "My beautifuldy, what¡¯s bothering you?"


    Just as Nanrong Wanqing was thinking about how to deal with Ling Chen, thetter suddenly appeared from behind the sofa, startling her so much that she almost bounced off the couch.


    It was only when she saw it was Ling Chen, Nanrong Wanqing went from worry to joy, and looked at him reproachfully, "I thought you had left. Why did youe back? Hmph! If you¡¯re leaving, then go far away and stop being an eyesore here."


    Listening to Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s petnt words, Ling Chen found it amusing. In all the time he had known her, he had never seen her exhibit such girlish behavior, nothing like her usual tough woman persona. If outsiders saw this, they would likely be shocked by her demeanor.


    "There, there!" Ling Chen said with augh, hugging Nanrong Wanqing from behind the sofa, "Don¡¯t be mad anymore. I¡¯m back now, aren¡¯t I?"


    Nanrong Wanqing grumpily said, "If you take so long toe back next time you go out, I will definitely lock the door and not let you in."


    "Yes, yes, I promise I¡¯ll rush back as soon as I can," Ling Chen cooed, not knowing how many sweet words and promises he made before a smile finally appeared on Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s face.


    Sitting side by side on the sofa, Ling Chen held Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s slender waist with one hand and gently stroked her thigh with the other. Although Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s legs were numb, years of maintenance meant her skin was still delicate and stic, feeling very pleasant to the touch.


    Seeing Ling Chen¡¯s suggestive actions, even though she couldn¡¯t feel them, a blush still spread over the beautiful face of Nanrong Wanqing, and she buried her whole head into Ling Chen¡¯s arms, her shy demeanor rendering him momentarily speechless.


    The two enjoyed a warm moment in the living room, and asionally, Nanrong Wanqing would ask him about his experiences in recent times, which Ling Chen casually brushed off.


    Nanrong Wanqing was aware of the God Organization, but she had little knowledge of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion issues, and Ling Chen preferred not to discuss it. After all, in the eyes of ordinary people, the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion belonged to another world, difficult for the average person to grasp.


    "How has everything been at home recently?"


    "It¡¯s been okay, just too boring without anyone to talk to," Nanrong Wanqing said, ying with her hair.


    Ling Chen smiled, saying, "Weren¡¯t you often alone before as well?"


    "You said it yourself, that was before. I used to be ustomed to the solitude at home, but now I¡¯m used to having you by my side. Alone at home, I always feel like something is missing." As she spoke, Nanrong Wanqing looked up at Ling Chen¡¯s handsome face, asking, "If you have to travel far in the future, can you bring me along?"


    "If I take you away, who will manage the Hongyu Group?"


    "The Hongyu Group is already on the right track, it doesn¡¯t need me watching over it every day. Besides, now that Nanrong Hao is there, I don¡¯t need to worry too much."


    "Haozi?" Ling Chen asked in surprise. "Has he taken over thepany?"


    "Not yet, he¡¯s still in his internship phase. First, let him familiarize himself with the business of thepany, and after a few years of training, when he is ready to handle things independently, then I will let him take overpletely. The Hongyu Group is a bigpany; bing the chairman takes at least a few years."


    Ling Chen smiled and said, "Can that kid sit still?"


    "Don¡¯t even mention it, I feel he has changed a lotpared to before. Now he is very serious and responsible in his work. Honestly, if it weren¡¯t for your help, I wouldn¡¯t know how to change him. You didn¡¯t see how happy grandpa has been these past few days. Hearing that Nanrong Hao is finally focusing on thepany, grandpa praised him for being sensible and said that it¡¯s all thanks to you, insisting on rewarding you greatly."


    "Reward me? How will he reward me?" Ling Chen¡¯s eyes darted as he brought his lips close to Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s earlobe and whispered, "Does it mean marrying you to me?" While speaking, Ling Chen intentionally or unintentionally touched Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s tender ear.


    Instantly, Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s pretty face turned exceedingly red, her bright eyes filled with a spring-like allure, making Ling Chen utterly captivated.


    If it weren¡¯t broad daylight, and fearing being seen, Ling Chen really wanted to do something naughty.


    "When I just came back, I saw the old man sitting alone on the balcony, probably asleep, and he didn¡¯t hear me when I greeted him," Ling Chen changed the topicood.


    "You mentioned Grandpa?" Nanrong Wanqing lifted her head, looking puzzled at Ling Chen, "Are you sure you weren¡¯t mistaken? Grandpa¡¯s illness rpsed in thest few days, and he hasn¡¯t been feeling well, so he¡¯s been lying in bed with Uncle Liu by his side. I told Uncle Liu not to let him get out of bed until his health improved."


    Saying this, Nanrong Wanqing put on her shoes and quickly walked towards the outside.


    "Hey! Wanqing, don¡¯t be so anxious, maybe your grandpa just wanted to get some sun..." Before he finished his sentence, Ling Chen closed his mouth.


    The weather today is quite cool; there isn¡¯t any sun.


    Seeing Nanrong Wanqing running towards the main house, Ling Chen hurriedly followed her to the room where Nanrong Yong lived.


    Thump, thump, thump!


    He knocked on the door, but it seemed like nobody responded inside.


    "Wasn¡¯t Uncle Liu supposed to be watching Grandpa? Where did he run off to?" Nanrong Wanqing muttered while pushing the door open.


    As the door opened a crack, Ling Chen seemed to sense something, his face changed drastically, and he quickly grabbed Nanrong Wanqing who was about to enter, speaking in a low tone, "Stay outside, don¡¯t go in yet."


    Seeing Ling Chen¡¯s serious expression, Nanrong Wanqing couldn¡¯t help but get worried and hurriedly asked, "What happened?"


    Without a word, Ling Chen stepped up to the crack of the door, grabbed the doorknob, and gently pushed it inwards. His movements were slow; as the door opened, his gaze swept through the gap, taking in everything inside the room.


    Liu Kun?


    Suddenly, the sharp-sighted Ling Chen noticed someone lying in the corner of the room¡ªthe Nanrong Family¡¯s butler, Liu Kun.


    Without a moment to think, Ling Chen lightly tapped his toes and quickly dashed into the room.


    At this moment, apart from Liu Kun lying on the floor and Nanrong Yong sitting on the balcony, there was no one else in the room.


    Ling Chen rushed to Liu Kun¡¯s side and checked his breathing.


    Thankfully!


    Liu Kun had only fainted and was not in life-threatening danger.


    "Grandpa!"


    At that moment, a scream came from the balcony.


    Ling Chen turned his head to look, only to see Nanrong Wanqing lying on top of Nanrong Yong¡¯s body, her face full of sorrow, crying loudly, tears falling like broken raindrops onto the floor.


    "Wanqing..."


    Ling Chen was shocked and hurriedly rushed to the side of Nanrong Wanqing and Nanrong Yong.


    Looking at Nanrong Yong sitting in the wicker chair, Ling Chen internally expressed concern. At this moment, Nanrong Yong¡¯s old face was deathly pale, his breath was faint, clearly showing signs of nearing his end.


    His gaze shifting, Ling Chen suddenly noticed something next to Nanrong Yong, his pupils abruptly sharpening.


    What a ruthless move!

 Chapter 755 - 760: Nanrong Yong in Danger

    <h4>Chapter 755: Chapter 760: Nanrong Yong in Danger</h4>


    Ling Chen frowned tightly, watching Nanrong Yong who remained unconscious, and a harsh glint shed through his Mo Che-like eyes.


    On Nanrong Yong¡¯s wrist, a cut had been made by someone, and blood gushed out from it, dripping onto the ground, almost entirely surrounding the rattan chair with fresh blood.


    "Grandfather! Grandfather!"


    Nanrong Wanqing cried out loudly for her grandfather, tears unstoppably streamed from her eyes, sliding down her cheeks to the ground, blending with the blood.


    "Wanqing, calm down first."


    Ling Chen gently patted Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s shoulder and then checked Nanrong Yong¡¯s injuries. Fortunately, they had discovered it in time. Had it been a few minutester, even a deity would have difficulty saving Nanrong Yong¡¯s life.


    Nevertheless, Nanrong Yong¡¯s condition was far from optimistic. Originally afflicted with illness and weak constitutionally, coupled with his advanced age and significantly reduced resistance, it was already very difficult for him to retain a breath of life after losing so much blood.


    Relying on his years of experience, Ling Chen lifted Nanrong Yong¡¯s wrist, tore two strips of fabric from his clothing, and wound them tightly around the wound to temporarily stop the bleeding. Then, Ling Chen picked up Nanrong Yong¡¯s body, moved him from the balcony to the bedroom, and gentlyid him on the bed.


    Looking at Nanrong Wanqing who was standing beside, dazed and clueless, Ling Chen said, "Don¡¯t just stand there, hurry up and get someone to prepare saline solution."


    "Oh!" Nanrong Wanqing hurriedly responded and rushed out of the room.


    At this moment, Nanrong Yong was barely breathing, showing almost no signs of life.


    No, this won¡¯t do!


    Ling Chen inwardly frowned. If things continued this way, Nanrong Yong would inevitably die. He had to quickly find a way to transfuse blood.


    But time was pressing, where could he find a suitable source of blood instantly? The time it would take could be wasteful. By then, it was likely that Nanrong Yong would be finished.


    There¡¯s no other way... Ling Chen thought for a moment, ced his palm on Nanrong Yong¡¯s heart, and began to channel his Inner Strength, sending it through the palm of his hand into Nanrong Yong¡¯s body, struggling to maintain his life.


    Since Nanrong Yong¡¯s body was greatly weakened and severely injured, Ling Chen dared not employ his Inner Strength too fiercely, fearing that Nanrong Yong couldn¡¯t withstand it, and that ruptured blood vessels would lead to death - that would be counterproductive. Therefore, Ling Chen¡¯s movements were extremely careful, always maintaining a steady rhythm.


    Moreover, his own injuries had not healed, and his Inner Strength was limited; he had to use it sparingly.


    Minutes passed, and Ling Chen¡¯s forehead began to be covered with sweat, his breathing growing more and more rapid.


    Why hasn¡¯t shee back yet?


    Ling Chen asionally looked towards the bedroom door, growing secretly anxious. So much time had passed, and Nanrong Wanqing still hadn¡¯t returned, and he didn¡¯t know where she had gone.


    Now, Nanrong Yong¡¯s body had weakened to an extreme. Once Ling Chen withdrew his Inner Strength, Nanrong Yong would undoubtedly die, unable to hold on for even a second. However, the most pressing issue was that Ling Chen himself wouldn¡¯t be able to hold on much longer in his current state.


    If Nanrong Wanqing doesn¡¯t show up soon, let alone Nanrong Yong, even Ling Chen himself would be in danger.


    Just as he thought this, suddenly there came a series of urgent footsteps outside the door. Then, Nanrong Wanqing appeared, apanied by several doctors in white coats rushing in from the outside.


    "Quick, quick!"


    Under Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s urging, several doctors hastily opened their portable medical kits, taking out saline solution, as well as some emergency-specific drugs and equipment, and began to administer aid to Nanrong Yong.


    After a minute of resuscitation efforts, Ling Chen, who had been continuously channeling Inner Strength, finally copsed, his legs giving out beneath him as he fell to the ground, gasping for air, hisplexion deathly pale and his lips devoid of any color, as if he had been seriously ill.


    "Ling Chen!"


    Seeing Ling Chen in such a weakened state, Nanrong Wanqing was startled and rushed to his side, helping him to sit down.


    "How are you?" Nanrong Wanqing asked worriedly.


    "I¡¯m fine," Ling Chen replied weakly. Although he said this, Ling Chen knew his condition the clearest. Overexerting his Inner Strength had caused severe depletion to his body. At this moment, he was devoid of any strength, his body aching and feeling indescribably ufortable.


    Taking a deep breath, Ling Chen looked at the doctors who were busy with their work, only to see them hang several bags of blood at the bedside from their medical kits to begin a blood transfusion for Nanrong Yong.


    In less than a few minutes, Nanrong Yong¡¯s paleplexion finally showed some improvement.


    "Wanqing, where did you find these people?" Ling Chen curiously asked.


    Nanrong Wanqing had only been away for a few minutes, yet she had not only brought doctors but also prepared blood packs, and at an incredibly fast pace.


    "These are private doctors hired by the Nanrong Family. Because grandpa¡¯s health is poor, he needs to undergo regr check-ups, so we¡¯ve rented a vi in Wealthy Manor for them to live in, so they are avable at a moment¡¯s notice. I was terrified earlier and forgot to notify them. Thankfully, they didn¡¯te toote, or else..." Saying this, Nanrong Wanqing also felt a wave of relief.


    "Ling Chen, who do you think is so malicious to harm my grandfather?"


    Ling Chen shook his head, finding the situation strange as well. Nanrong Yong didn¡¯t have many enemies, save for members of Nanrong Gang¡¯s family from the past. Moreover, the grudges with the Nanrong Gang¡¯s family had already been cleared and were not pursued further. If not them, who else could it be?


    While contemting, Ling Chen saw a doctor in a white coat approach and say, "Miss Nanrong, the old master¡¯s condition is temporarily stable now. However, the old master¡¯s body is too weak; we will need to observe him for a few more days."


    "Alright, then I¡¯ll be troubling you all."


    "Miss Nanrong, you are too polite; this is what we should do." After speaking, the doctor looked at Ling Chen with interest and said, "To be honest, if Mr. Ling hadn¡¯t lent a hand just now, even if we had arrived, it would have been toote. I¡¯m quite curious to know what method Mr. Ling used to sustain the old master¡¯s life?"


    Ling Chen wanted to wave his hand dismissively, but his arms felt as heavy as if filled with molten lead¡ªso heavy that they seemed impossible to lift.


    After a brief response, Ling Chen let Nanrong Wanqing help him out of the bedroom.


    Upon returning to his own room, the moment Ling Cheny down on the bed, he fell into a deep sleep without uttering another word.


    ...


    In a research base in East Sea City.


    Hu Fei, with arms akimbo, sauntered through the production workshop, inspecting the output of exoskeleton armor.


    Just then, Kaelina hurried over from outside and said, "Fatty, there¡¯s been progress in theboratory."


    "Really?" Hu Fei¡¯s eyes lit up, and without saying another word, he hurried toward theboratory.


    Arriving outside theboratory, Hu Fei peered through the bulletproof ss to look inside; he saw Jiang Yunkai and Bai Huanjun lying on the beds, continuously struggling and distorting their faces with pain as if enduring inhuman suffering.

 Chapter 756 - 761: Incident at the Research Base (1)

    <h4>Chapter 756: Chapter 761: Incident at the Research Base (1)</h4>


    Seeing this scene, Hu Fei immediately pushed open theboratory door and asked the busy researchers, "How are they doing?"


    "Right now, the situation isn¡¯t very clear; let¡¯s talk about itter."


    Zhu Xiaozhu dropped a sentence and continued to stare at the instrument in front of her, her expression tight and highly focused.


    Hu Fei moved closer, examining the data on the instrument with a curious expression.


    "Miss Zhu, what do these numbers mean? And this... what does this waveform indicate?"


    Hearing Hu Fei¡¯s question, Zhu Xiaozhu gave him an annoyed look and impatiently said, "Can you please leave quickly and stop hindering us here?"


    After being reproached by Zhu Xiaozhu, Hu Fei obediently shut his mouth and honestly exited theboratory.


    Looking at the situation in theb, Hu Fei thought for a while and then took out his phone and dialed Ling Chen¡¯s number directly.


    However, although the call connected, no one answered.


    Strange!


    Hu Fei shook his head, muttering to himself, "Why isn¡¯t anyone answering the phone? That guy should have already returned."


    Just as he was thinking, Hu Fei¡¯s view suddenly went dark, and the entire research facility plunged into darkness.


    "What¡¯s happening?"


    "Everyone, don¡¯t panic; the backup power will kick in soon."


    Hu Fei had barely finished speaking when the facility¡¯s backup power immediately started up, instantly restoring the light.


    Seeing all the instruments in theb running normally again, Hu Fei breathed a sigh of relief and turned to Kaelina beside him, "Go check quickly what caused the power cut."


    Kaelina nodded and immediately rushed toward the electrical room.


    Upon reaching the door to the electrical room, Kaelina pushed the door open and quickly stepped inside. However, the moment her right foot crossed the threshold, she felt a gust of wind rushing toward her, pressing close in an instant.


    Before Kaelina could react, a powerful force suddenly struck, heavilynding on her.


    Puh!


    Instantly, Kaelina spat out a mouthful of blood; her body flew backward, crashing into the wall and she fainted.


    As Kaelina fainted, a person walked out of the corner of the electrical room, looked at Kaelina with a coldugh, and then started walking out. Before exiting, that person also made sure to close the room¡¯s door tightly.


    "Hey, hey! How is everything on your end?"


    Outside theboratory, Hu Fei was holding a walkie-talkie, maintainingmunication with various departments, inquiring whether everything was normal after the power outage.


    After receiving replies from various departments, Hu Fei finally felt relieved and continued to focus on theb.


    At this moment, Zhu Xiaozhu and other researchers were not affected by the power outage; they werepletely absorbed in monitoring the instruments, paying attention to the physical changes of Jiang Yunkai and Bai Huanjun, and recording them one by one.


    Watching everyone busy, Hu Fei picked up the walkie-talkie, intending to send someone to check on Kaelina. So much time had passed, and there was still no sign of Kaelina returning. The electrical box room wasn¡¯t that far away; it shouldn¡¯t take this much time, unless...


    However, before Hu Fei could speak, his attention was captivated by something in theb.


    At that moment, a dark shadow suddenly appeared in a dark corner of theb. Although it was not very clear, Hu Fei was certain that it was definitely a person.


    One... two... three...


    Hu Fei swallowed nervously, counting the researchers present in theb.


    Five people, no one missing. In that case, why was there an extra shadow? Could it be...


    Thinking this, Hu Fei¡¯s eyes widened suddenly, and he hurriedly shouted, "Quick! Come out!"


    Hearing Hu Fei¡¯s cry, Zhu Xiaozhu and the others were taken aback for a moment, each wearing a puzzled look, wondering what had happened, and staring strangely at Hu Fei, not understanding what was going on.


    Just as they were stunned, a cold light suddenly shed under the light.


    Following that, they saw blood sttering everywhere as a head flew up, crossed the air, and then fell to the ground under everyone¡¯s gaze.


    After a brief moment of shock, Zhu Xiaozhu and the others finally came to their senses. A chorus of screams filled theb as they each frantically ran towards the exit.


    Hu Fei quickly pulled open the door of theb, loudly urging, "Hurry up and get out!"


    However, that dark shadow relentlessly followed right behind everyone. Before they could escape, thest two researchers in the line were decapitated, their headspletely severed, gruesomely bloody.


    "Someone, quick, help!"


    Seeing this, Hu Fei shouted into the inte, hoping the guards at the research base would immediately arrive.


    However, distant water cannot put out a nearby fire. By the time Zhu Xiaozhu reached the door of theb, excluding her, the four other researchers had all tragically died by that person¡¯s hand.


    Seeing Zhu Xiaozhu escape, Hu Fei immediately closed theb door and pressed the nearby password lock.


    Click!


    A soft sound, and theb door was immediately locked, trapping the assassin inside.


    "Miss Zhu, quick, you go first, I¡¯ll hold them off here."


    Zhu Xiaozhu nodded and hurriedly ran towards the outside of the research base.


    Bang!


    Not long after Zhu Xiaozhu left, a loud noise was heard as the bulletproof ss of theb was shattered by someone inside, cracks spreading everywhere.


    Seeing this, Hu Fei widened his eyes, incredulously staring at the person.


    Is this... even human?


    To shatter bulletproof ss with just fists.


    A master!


    This person must be a master like Ling Chen.


    Recognizing the opponent¡¯s skill, where would Hu Fei dare to stay, he quickly turned and chased in the direction Zhu Xiaozhu had left.


    Against such a master, it¡¯s better to run first.


    Upon reaching the entrance of the research base, Hu Fei suddenly stopped, staring nkly at the ground.


    At that moment, at both sides of the base entrance,y several bodies. Hu Fei knew these people; they were specifically responsible for the security of the base¡¯s entrance. Not only were they dead, but their deaths were extremely gruesome, throats slit, no mercy shown.


    Who on earth is so ruthlessly brutal!


    Hu Fei, deviating from his usual carefree demeanor, frowned at the bodies, silently pondering.


    Suddenly, Hu Fei seemed to think of something and hurried outside. Once outside the research base, his expression drastically changed.


    Outside the base was a parking lot where everyone usually parked their cars. He had instructed Zhu Xiaozhu to leave, but her car hadn¡¯t driven away, could it be...


    A chill ran down Hu Fei¡¯s spine, fearing that something might have happened to Zhu Xiaozhu.


    At that moment, more than ten guards responsible for the security of the base quickly arrived, loudly calling Hu Fei¡¯s name.


    "Quick, go look for Miss Zhu." Hu Fei hurriedly said.


    "Yes."


    Everyone responded and immediately dispersed outside the base, searching for Zhu Xiaozhu.


    More than ten minutes passed, and as Hu Fei waited at the door, he saw his subordinates gradually returning and hurriedly approached asking, "Did you find her?"


    "Mr. Hu, we¡¯ve searched all around, Zhu Xiaozhu is nowhere to be found."

 Chapter 757 - 762: Incident at the Research Base (2)

    <h4>Chapter 757: Chapter 762: Incident at the Research Base (2)</h4>


    "Didn¡¯t find Zhu Xiaozhu?" After listening to his subordinates¡¯ report, Hu Fei¡¯s face suddenly turned extremely ugly.


    This is bad!


    Hu Fei muttered to himself that this was not a good sign. He knew the rtionship between Zhu Xiaozhu and Ling Chen the best. Now that Zhu Xiaozhu had disappeared, Ling Chen would be so anxious if he found out.


    With that in mind, Hu Fei turned around, looked at the entrance of the base, and said in a deep voice, "Let¡¯s go, follow me in, and I¡¯m going to see who dares to act wild on my turf."


    ...


    The next afternoon.


    Ling Chen finally woke up from his deep slumber.


    Touching his still slightly swollen forehead, Ling Chen slowly sat up, leaning against the headboard.


    Sigh!


    Yesterday really took a toll on my body, making me sleep for so long.


    Hearing his stomach rumble, Ling Chen touched his belly, pushing himself up wanting to find something to eat in the kitchen. However, before his feet even touched the ground, he saw Nanrong Wanqing walking in through the door.


    Seeing Ling Chen awake, Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s expression immediately rxed a lot, and she said with a light smile, "You¡¯re finally awake. I thought you were nning to sleep till evening."


    Ling Chen looked at the y pot in Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s hands and asked, "Wanqing, what¡¯s this?"


    "Your body is too weak, so I simmered chicken soup all morning just to nourish you."


    Ling Chen asked in surprise, "You made this?"


    "Yes!" Nanrong Wanqing said shyly, "I have never cooked before, and it¡¯s always been Nanny Wang taking care of my diet. This is also my first time cooking for a man."


    "Is that so?" Ling Chen smiled broadly, "It¡¯s rare for you to cook, then I must taste it well."


    As he spoke, Ling Chen took the bowl that Nanrong Wanqing handed over and sniffed it right under his nose.


    It smells pretty good.


    Under Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s expectant gaze, Ling Chen held the soup bowl with both hands and took a sip of the chicken soup.


    As soon as the soup hit his mouth, Ling Chen¡¯s face changed instantly, holding the soup bowl without reacting for a long time, his eyes flickering uncertainly.


    "How is it, is it tasty?"


    Ling Chen looked at Nanrong Wanqing and squeezed out a smile uglier than crying, "Good, the taste is nice, and for a first-time cooking, this is already quite an achievement."


    "Really?" Hearing this, Nanrong Wanqing beamed with joy, her face full of happiness, "Since you think it¡¯s not bad, then finish it all. I¡¯ve still got half a pot simmering in the kitchen."


    What?


    There¡¯s half a pot more?


    Ling Chen secretlymented, this is like asking for my life. I can hardly swallow this bowl of soup, let alone a whole pot. If I were to finish that pot, I probably wouldn¡¯t survive.


    Sigh!


    It seems that some people are just not cut out for cooking.


    As he was thinking, a ringtone from a cellphone started ringing beside the bed. Ling Chen picked up the phone and saw there were more than twenty missed calls, all from Hu Fei, including the one currentlying in.


    So many calls overnight, it must be something extremely important.


    Ling Chen answered the phone and greeted, "Fatty, what¡¯s the urgent matter you have for me?"


    "You, you finally decided to answer your phone. Come back quickly, there¡¯s trouble at the base."


    "Trouble?" Ling Chen was startled and asked hastily, "What happened?"


    "Sigh! Don¡¯t ask, juste quickly. This time it¡¯s really serious."


    Seeing Hu Fei speaking so gravely, Ling Chen immediately hung up the phone and started running outside.


    "Ling Chen, you... you haven¡¯t finished your chicken soup, hey..."


    Regretfully, Ling Chen had already run out of the bedroom and didn¡¯t hear Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s cries. Even if he had, he would pretend not to.


    After leaving the Nanrong family house, Ling Chen drove his car straight to the research facility.


    More than half an hourter, when Ling Chen arrived at the research facility, Hu Fei had been waiting outside already.


    Seeing Ling Chen getting out of the car, Hu Fei hurriedly went up to wee him.


    "You¡¯re finally here."


    "Tell me, what¡¯s happened?"


    Hu Fei said with a look of despair, "There are dead people... A lot of people are dead..."


    "What?" Ling Chen¡¯s face slightly changed as he asked, "Can you be more specific?"


    Hu Fei sighed and said, "Follow me, you¡¯ll see for yourself."


    Following Hu Fei into the facility, Ling Chen¡¯s gaze immediately sharpened, bristling with cold intensity.


    At the entrance of the facility, more than twenty bodiesy side by side, each covered with a white cloth, the surface stained with a lot of blood.


    "Fatty, how did so many people die?" Ling Chen asked with furrowed brows.


    "Last night, the facility was attacked. The assants were all experts, very very formidable experts. No one here was their match; everyone was like fish on a chopping board, ruthlessly in, including several research scientists from theboratory. Except for Miss Zhu, the others were killed, decapitated."


    Hearing this, Ling Chen¡¯splexion turned exceedingly grim.


    Those research scientists were all recruited by Zhu Xiaozhu upon his request, all renowned experts, and now they were all dead. How was he supposed to exin this to the families of those scientists?


    "Fatty, how about Xiaozhu?"


    "She..." Hu Fei¡¯s eyes shifted to change the topic, "Right! Jiang Yunkai and the others are missing."


    "What? Could it be they¡¯ve all been abducted?"


    "No." Hu Fei shook his head and said, "They did not take Jiang Yunkai and the other two, simply let them go. However, they took away all the research materials belonging to Zhu Xiaozhu and the others."


    Strange!


    Ling Chen thought to himself.


    Those guys didn¡¯t want Jiang Yunkai, but took the materials. What are they trying to do?


    Could it be the God Organization again? After thinking it over, it seems like there is no other suspect but the God Organization.


    "Ling Chen, do you want to go see Kaelina? She¡¯s been seriously injured and is now resting in her room."


    "Let¡¯s check on her."


    Upon arriving at Kaelina¡¯s room, Kaelina was seen lying in bed, covered with a nket, her face still somewhat pale, looking extremely weak, without any energy.


    "Miss Kaelina, how do you feel? Are you okay?" Ling Chen asked with a concerned look as he stood beside the bed.


    "I¡¯m fine."


    "Kaelina, tell Ling Chen about what happenedst night."


    Hearing Hu Fei speak, Kaelina nodded her head and recounted roughly what had urred.


    "Ling Chen, the opponents were incredibly powerful; I had no chance to fight back. I think, besides the God Organization, no other force could have such strong subordinates."


    "I understand." Ling Chen replied, "You rest well, and don¡¯t worry about anything else."


    After leaving the room, Ling Chen looked at Hu Fei and asked, "Fatty, aren¡¯t you in charge of the intelligence system? Howe there was no news at all about the God Organization¡¯s peopleing to East Sea City?"


    Hu Fei said with a wry smile, "I really didn¡¯t know. Besides, who knew the God Organization would bring out so many new faces."


    "Never mind! Make sure to properly handle the aftermath for the deceased." After that, Ling Chen walked out.


    "Hey! Where are you going?"


    "Don¡¯t worry about me, just do your job."


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 758 - 763: Zhu Hong Appears

    <h4>Chapter 758: Chapter 763: Zhu Hong Appears</h4>


    Walking on the spacious street, Ling Chen sighed inwardly as he looked at the ebb and flow of people around him.


    There had been too many affairstely, so many that he was nearly breathless. After returning from Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, he thought he could have a good rest, rx for a while, and nurse his injuries. However, first there was the incident with Nanrong Yong, followed by the attack on the research base. Could this series of events be the God Organization¡¯s retaliation?


    If that was the case, it was time for him to take some measures.


    ...


    Nightfall.


    In a bright vi in East Sea City, Zhu Xiaozhu sat on a leather sofa, staring steadfastly at a young man lounging opposite her with his leg over the other, amidst a coffee tableden with an assortment of gourmet delicacies and an expensive bottle of red wine that she hadn¡¯t touched.


    The young man looked at Zhu Xiaozhu with a smile that was not quite a smile and said, "Miss Zhu, this dinner was meticulously prepared for you. Show a little appreciation and try a bite, at least. Otherwise, I¡¯d be in trouble if you went hungry."


    Zhu Xiaozhu met his gaze and responded, "Who exactly are you, and why have you captured me?"


    "No, no, no." The young man hurriedly corrected, "Miss Zhu, you¡¯ve got it wrong. We didn¡¯t capture you; we invited you here. Think about it, if you were a prisoner, would you be treated this well? We consider you a distinguished guest."


    "If I¡¯m a distinguished guest, then why is my freedom restricted?"


    "Because the master has not yet arrived, so you cannot leave for the time being. Trust me, Miss Zhu, you will definitely want to meet the master when he arrives."


    As the words fell, the sound of car tires approached from outside the vi.


    The young man smirked slightly, stood up, and said, "Zhu Xiaozhu, the person has arrived; I will leave you two to meet." With that, the young man headed straight to the second floor of the vi.


    Once the young man had left, the vi¡¯s main door was pushed open from outside. Following that, a dapper man in a sharply-tailored suit with effortless charm walked in.


    The man was in his twenties, with the corners of his mouth slightly raised, carrying a sinister smile, exuding an indescribable charisma that naturally drew people into his smile.


    However, besides his mouth and eyes, the rest of the man¡¯s face was covered by a silver mask.


    Seeing the man approaching, Zhu Xiaozhu¡¯s beautiful eyes filled with astonishment as she quickly stood from the sofa.


    "Little sister, long time no see," the man said, his lips curving into a smile.


    "You... are you... my brother?" Zhu Xiaozhu stood frozen in shock, unable to recover from her surprise.


    "It¡¯s me."


    "Brother, how did you be like this? Why are you wearing a mask?"


    "You don¡¯t need to ask about that for now; you¡¯ll know in due course."


    With that, Zhu Hong smiled slightly at Zhu Xiaozhu¡¯s dazed expression, then stepped forward, took her delicate hand, and sat down beside her on the sofa.


    Then, Zhu Hong picked up a ss of red wine from the coffee table, poured himself a drink, and gently swirled it in his ss, every gesture exuding a different charisma than before.


    After momentarilying to her senses, Zhu Xiaozhu blurted out, "Brother, I heard from my family that you were imprisoned by Ling Chen. Why are you here?"


    Previously, Zhu Xiaozhu had received a phone call from her family saying that Zhu Hong had gotten into trouble and was being held in a highly secret ce by Ling Chen.


    Since then, Zhu Xiaozhu¡¯s mood had been dejected, torn between her biological brother and the man she fancied. Yet, these two hade to this pass, leaving her at a loss for what to do.


    After a torturous inner conflict, Zhu Xiaozhu had made up her mind to rescue her brother. She had nearly nned everything, just waiting for the right moment to act. But to her surprise, before she could make her move, Zhu Hong had returned.


    Could it be... the family¡¯s information was mistaken?


    Lost in thought, Zhu Hong began to speak, "The news your family told you was not wrong. Ling Chen indeed imprisoned me, and it was in a very remote ce. But I was lucky, I escaped from the prison. Afterwards, I met a benefactor. Without him, I wouldn¡¯t be here today."


    Hearing this, Zhu Xiaozhu seemed to realize something, and her face suddenly took on an ufortable expression.


    "Brother, so everything that happenedst night was orchestrated by you?"


    Zhu Hong nodded and said, "Ling Chen has gone too far, imprisoning me for so long and subjecting me to harsh interrogation. My actions are only for revenge. Little sister, you can¡¯t imagine the suffering your brother has endured, so there¡¯s no point in trying to persuade me. Before I escaped, I swore an oath. If I ever got out, I would make Ling Chen pay back a hundredfold. I know you and Ling Chen are on good terms, but I hope you won¡¯t be deceived by him. He¡¯s a hypocrite, one way in front of others, and another behind their backs. Sister, trust me, better to cut ties with Ling Chen from now on."


    "Brother, I..."


    Before Zhu Xiaozhu could finish, Zhu Hong waved his hand and said, "Sister, no more. Your brother won¡¯t harm you." Pause for a moment, and then Zhu Hong added, "Recently, things might get unstable in East Sea City, you should head back to Beijing and stay with mom and dad for a while. Once things here are settled, I¡¯lle to find you."


    With that, Zhu Hong sipped his red wine, stood up from the sofa, and headed toward the door.


    "Brother, where are you going?" Zhu Xiaozhu asked, taking a few steps after him.


    "I still have some things to take care of. Have a good rest, my friend will send you back to Beijing tomorrow. Until I return, he will always be by your side, protecting you."


    "Brother, Brother!"


    Zhu Xiaozhu wanted to say more, but Zhu Hong had already left the vi.


    Watching Zhu Hong¡¯s retreating figure, Zhu Xiaozhu¡¯s eyes were filled withplex emotions.


    She knew all too well the intention behind Zhu Hong having someone follow her; it was merely to have someone watch over her and prevent her from contacting Ling Chen again.


    Ling Chen...


    Thinking of Zhu Hong¡¯s earlier words, Zhu Xiaozhu began to worry.


    Whether it was Zhu Hong or Ling Chen, they both held significant ces in her heart. Whoever got into trouble, it would be difficult for her.


    Now, with Zhu Hong seeking revenge on Ling Chen, a fierce battle between the two seemed inevitable.


    This wouldn¡¯t do!


    With her lips slightly bitten, Zhu Xiaozhu fished her phone out of her pocket and found Ling Chen¡¯s phone number.


    Yet, as she was about to dial, she hesitated again. If she informed Ling Chen, giving him time to prepare, it could be her own biological brother, Zhu Hong, who would be at a disadvantage.


    What to do?


    For the moment, Zhu Xiaozhu fell into deep contemtion, unsure of the right course of action.


    Meanwhile, on the second floor of the vi, the young man looked down at the pensive Zhu Xiaozhu, his lips slightly curving, revealing a cold smile.

 Chapter 759 - 764: Old Friends Reunite

    <h4>Chapter 759: Chapter 764: Old Friends Reunite</h4>


    "Fatty, how has the aftermath of those people been handled?"


    In the research base, Ling Chen sat in the office inquiring about Hu Fei¡¯s situation.


    "Everything¡¯s arranged, no problems there. However, we are facing quite a few issues now. Thest card you gave me had enough funds, so money is not a worry, but we are short on staff. Jiang Yunkai had finally trained a group of elite, but after two incidents, some died, some got injured, and there aren¡¯t many left who can be used. Although we can hire people from outside, loyalty is a big issue."


    Hearing Hu Fei¡¯s words, Ling Chen helplessly scratched his head, recognizing these were indeed major issues. If he couldn¡¯t find a solution, the security of the research base couldn¡¯t be ensured, putting everyone at risk.


    Human resources... Ling Chen sighed bitterly, realizing his foundation was still too shallow, unlike the Secret Society and Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion that had rich heritage, nevercking in funding or manpower.


    Thinking it over, Ling Chen said, "Fatty, can you tally up how many people in the base we can actually utilize?"


    "Sure."


    After Hu Fei had left, a pleasant ringtone sounded from Ling Chen¡¯s pocket.


    Pulling out his cellphone and seeing the caller ID, Ling Chen quickly answered the call, smiling, "Zhou Jun, what brought you to call me today?"


    "I¡¯m in East Sea City now, this is your territory, of course I have to call you. Eh! Have you returned? If you¡¯re free, shouldn¡¯t you y the good host?"


    "Of course, no problem." Ling Chen replied with a smile, "Where are you? I¡¯lle pick you up."


    After arranging the time and ce with Zhou Jun, Ling Chen immediately drove towards the destination.


    Soon, Ling Chen arrived at a teahouse in East Sea City. Entering the private room, he saw both Zhou Jun and Zhou Qi leisurely sipping tea while sitting on solid wood chairs.


    "Elder Zhou." Ling Chen greeted.


    "Here you are." Zhou Qi gestured to the chair beside him, "Sit down."


    Ling Chen nodded and sat next to Zhou Jun.


    "You¡¯re injured?" Zhou Qi examined Ling Chen, noticing his pallor, and couldn¡¯t help asking further.


    "I got a minor injury at the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, it¡¯s nothing serious." After finishing, Ling Chen changed the subject, "Elder Zhou, what brings you to East Sea City?"


    "Ai, don¡¯t ask." Before Zhou Qi could respond, Zhou Jun took over, saying, "After leaving the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, we wandered around with nowhere to settle, so we came to East Sea City to see if there were any opportunities for work."


    Hearing this, an idea struck Ling Chen, he suggested, "Elder Zhou, if you don¡¯t mind, I actually have a job offer for you."


    "You have a job for us?" Zhou Jun asked with interest, "Ling Chen, not bad, thinking of being our boss. Tell me, what¡¯s the job?"


    "It¡¯s still your old expertise."


    Zhou Qi used to be an overall manager at the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, handling all kinds of tasks, not only capable but also very experienced. If he could help manage the research base, it would definitely lighten the load.


    Moreover, the most important point is that Zhou Qi is also an Earthly List expert.


    Having an Earthly List master stationed at the research base would provide resistance even if enemies attacked.


    Hearing Ling Chen¡¯s proposal, Zhou Jun looked at Zhou Qi and said, "Old man, what do you think? Now that we can¡¯t go back to the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, we grandsons have to find a ce that provides food and shelter. Ling Chen is an old friend, it¡¯s all work wherever you go, why not help him?"


    Zhou Qi responded calmly, "I trust Mr. Ling¡¯s character, you decide."


    "Really?" Ling Chen¡¯s expression lit up with joy.


    Great!


    Winning over Zhou Qi was undoubtedly a strong addition to his side.


    "By the way!"


    At that moment, Ling Chen seemed to remember something and said, "Elder Zhou, Zhou Jun, I need to tell you something. Before I returned from the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, there was a big incident there, both Tong Nan and Song Yi are dead."


    "Dead?" Zhou Qi and Zhou Jun were taken aback, quickly asking, "They both belonged to Yangxin Pavilion, how could they die, who killed them?"


    "I¡¯m not sure," Ling Chen shook his head, "Miss Su and the others are still investigating, with no progress yet."


    "Forget it!" Zhou Qi sighed lightly, "We are no longer people of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, let them handle their own affairs. Mr. Ling, since we have decided to work for you, please arrange a ce for us to live."


    "No problem, there¡¯s plenty of room in the base. I¡¯ll take you there now."


    Back at the base, Ling Chen asked Hu Fei to gather everyone and formally introduced Zhou Qi and Zhou Jun to them.


    "Fatty, you¡¯ve met Elder Zhou, moving forward let Elder Zhou handle the base¡¯s affairs, that way you can rx a bit and focus on intelligence work."


    "Sure, no problem." Hu Fei grinned, easily agreeing.


    "I have been so busy recently, Elder Zhou, I¡¯m relying on you now." After finishing, Hu Fei changed the subject, "By the way! Ling Chen, when you left earlier, your elder brother and the others arrived, they are now resting in the reception room."


    "Is that so? Elder Zhou,e, I¡¯ll take you to meet my elder brothers."


    "You guys go ahead, I have other things to do." Hu Fei said, "Xia Mutong, Jiang Yunkai, and Bai Huanjun are still unounted for. If we let them stay outside, who knows what trouble they might cause."


    "Okay, go on, inform me immediately if you get any news about them."


    "Don¡¯t worry about my work."


    ...


    Due to various matters at the base, Ling Chen had been staying in the base, helping with the work.


    Now, with Zhou Qi joining, and others like Qiu Yonging to help, the security of the research base was temporarily not a problem.


    Early in the morning, Ling Chen yawned as he walked out of his room, appearing unawake.


    Perhaps because his body had not yet recovered, Ling Chen had been very sleepy recently, feeling like he could never wake up and wanted to linger in bed longer.


    "Ling Chen."


    At that moment, Hu Fei quickly ran over from not too far away.


    "What is it?"


    "I found Miss Zhu."


    "Really?" Ling Chen¡¯s eyes lit up.


    The other day, Hu Fei had already told Ling Chen about Zhu Xiaozhu¡¯s disappearance, and these past few days, Ling Chen was constantly worried about Zhu Xiaozhu¡¯s safety. Now hearing there was news about her, how could he not be thrilled?


    "Hurry, where is she?"


    "Beijing."


    "Beijing?" Ling Chen paused, puzzled, "How did she end up in Beijing?"


    "I¡¯m not sure, but what I can confirm is that Zhu Xiaozhu has returned to her home in Beijing."

 Chapter 760 - 765: Weird Incidents One After Another

    <h4>Chapter 760: Chapter 765: Weird Incidents One After Another</h4>


    Gone back?


    Ling Chen muttered to himself, feeling puzzled. ording to Hu Fei, Zhu Xiaozhu was kidnapped by the people who attacked the base that night. If so, why would Zhu Xiaozhu show up at her home in Beijing? Could it be that she had escaped from the clutches of those viins?


    But if that were the case, Zhu Xiaozhu should have made a phone call to let him know she was safe, to make him worry less.


    Weird, really weird!


    After thinking for a moment, Ling Chen asked, "Fatty, when did Xiaozhu get home?"


    "ording to our investigation, she arrived in Beijing yesterday. Ling Chen, do you think this is a bit strange? If Miss Zhu was kidnapped, why would she be released, and why didn¡¯t they even notify us? Hey, Ling Chen, you have such a good rtionship with Zhu Xiaozhu, why don¡¯t you give her a call to ask about her situation, see what exactly she went through that night, and find out if she knows who took her."


    Ling Chen nodded and said, "Alright, I will contact her now."


    Saying this, Ling Chen took out his mobile phone and dialed Zhu Xiaozhu¡¯s number.


    However, as soon as the phone connected, the system¡¯s automated message indicated that the device was powered off.


    It was actually off!


    Ling Chen was slightly taken aback. Zhu Xiaozhu had returned to Beijing and even turned off her mobile phone; what on earth was going on?


    "Fatty, help me check thoroughly to see what has happened with Xiaozhu. It would be best if you could send someone to Beijing, meet Xiaozhu, and ask her clearly."


    "Okay, I¡¯ll arrange that right away."


    Once Hu Fei left, Ling Chen, having lost any urge to sleep, headed toward theboratory.


    But at this moment, Ling Chen suddenly received a call from Nanrong Wanqing.


    The call connected, and Ling Chen asked, "Wanqing, what¡¯s the matter?"


    "Nanrong Hao hasn¡¯te home for two days. No one answers his phone, and people at thepany say that Nanrong Hao left two days ago, whereabouts unknown, and he didn¡¯t return home either. I¡¯m a bit worried about him. You know his friends better than I do, can you help me inquire?"


    "Okay, wait for me; I¡¯ll ask around for you." After a pause, Ling Chen reassured, "Wanqing, don¡¯t worry too much, Haozi is an adult, he knows how to protect himself."


    After hanging up, Ling Chen made calls to Jiang Hao and Zhao Zhengxiong separately to inquire about Nanrong Hao¡¯s whereabouts. However, apart from Zhao Zhengxiong¡¯s call going through, no one answered Jiang Hao¡¯s phone, which also indicated that the user had powered off.


    Why are they all off?


    Ling Chen frowned slightly. First Zhu Xiaozhu, then Nanrong Hao, and now Jiang Hao as well; on the same day, all three individuals had their phones turned off. This was probably not as simple as a coincidence.


    Thinking this, Ling Chen hurried to Hu Fei¡¯s office.


    "Fatty, help me look for Haozi and Jiang Hao, see if there¡¯s any way you can contact them. Both these guys have their phones turned off, and who knows where they¡¯ve run off to."


    Hu Fei was stunned for a moment, then dismissively said, "I think you¡¯re worrying for nothing. Haozi and Jiang Hao¡¯s character is clear to you, these two birds of a feather probably found a beauty in some bathhouse and are too engrossed to remember home."


    "No, I think it¡¯s not that simple," Ling Chen said. "Jiang Hao and Haozi are not kids. They can tell what¡¯s important. Even if they enjoy ying around, they wouldn¡¯t put their phones off."


    Seeing how seriously Ling Chen was taking it, Hu Fei nodded and said, "Alright then, I¡¯ll ask their subordinates for you. They should know where Jiang Hao and Haozi are."


    Saying this, Hu Fei picked up the phone from his desk and dialed several numbers.


    After a round of calls, Hu Fei¡¯s expression was no longer as rxed as before.


    "Ling Chen, I¡¯m afraid your guess might be correct. Jiang Hao and Haozi have been missing for two days, and not even their subordinates know their whereabouts."


    "Find them!" Ling Chen said firmly. "You must find a way to locate the two of them."


    "Dammit," Hu Fei cursed. "It must be those bastards from the God Organization at work again."


    "Not necessarily."


    "Who else could it be? Do you have any other enemies?"


    "I know very well who the God Organization is. They wouldn¡¯t waste time on small fry. If the God Organization really made a move, they would directly target me, not waste energy on others. Fatty, no matter what, you must find a way to locate them. I don¡¯t want anything to happen to them."


    With that, Ling Chen seemed to recall something, and quickly added, "Right! Remember to call Xiong and tell him to rush to the base immediately."


    "Have hime to the base?" Hu Fei was puzzled and asked, "Why? I remember you said before that the secrets of the research base could only be told to Nanrong Hao and Jiang Hao, and you couldn¡¯t let Zhao Zhengxiong know."


    "That was before; the current situation has changed. Now that Jiang Hao and Nanrong Hao are in trouble, we can¡¯t assure that those people won¡¯t target Zhao Zhengxiong. Right now, only the base is the safest ce. That¡¯s enough! Don¡¯t ask so much, just notify him quickly. I have other matters to attend to; I¡¯ll contact youter."


    Leaving the office, Ling Chen quickly walked towards the outside of the base.


    With Nanrong Hao missing and Nanrong Yong seriously injured and unconscious, only Nanrong Wanqing was left at home, and he must go back and check on her.


    Reaching the exit of the base, Ling Chen stopped and asked Xu Ming, who was standing at the gate, "Brother, why are you here?"


    "Your body hasn¡¯t fully recovered, and in the past few days, you forcibly used your Inner Strength on top of your injuries, leaving you without even the ability to protect yourself. Big Brother is worried about you encountering danger outside, so he asked me to follow you to ensure your safety."


    Hearing this, Ling Chen felt a warm feeling in his heart.


    Although the members of the eight entrics each have a past they do not speak of, and no one knows the details of the others, it did not prevent them from having a close rtionship.


    Even someone like Xu Ming took the word ¡¯loyalty¡¯ very seriously.


    Leaving the base, Ling Chen drove, taking Xu Ming with him towards Wealthy Manor.


    On the road, Ling Chen drove the sedan with focus, while Xu Ming, sitting in the passenger seat, looked expressionless out of the window, seemingly deep in thought.


    "We are being followed."


    Suddenly, the usually silent Xu Ming blurted out a sentence.


    Being followed?


    Ling Chen was shocked and looked up at the rear-view mirror. However, he did not see any vehicle following them. With his extensive experience and professional habits, if someone was following them in secret, they would not escape his eyes.


    Therefore, Ling Chen was quite perplexed, not understanding why Xu Ming would say this. Could it be that he was mistaken?


    As he pondered, Xu Ming seemed to have read Ling Chen¡¯s thoughts and said, "There are many ways to follow someone, not limited to just the few you know of."


    With that, Xu Ming rolled down the car window, pointed his hand upward towards the sky, and said, "The one following us is up there."


    Up there?


    Ling Chen quickly stuck his head out of the car window to look at the car roof. Suddenly, he saw arge bird circling mid-air, constantly flying around the sedan.

 Chapter 761 - 766: Hawk and Falcon

    <h4>Chapter 761: Chapter 766: Hawk and Falcon</h4>


    Is this...a giant bird?


    Ling Chen isn¡¯t very familiar with this type of bird; the only word thates to mind is "giant bird."


    Xu Ming nced at Ling Chen and corrected him: "That¡¯s not just a giant bird, that¡¯s a falcon, a very rare bird. It is said that this kind of bird is highly intelligent. After spending time with its trainer, it can be even more obedient than a dog."


    Ling Chen responded in surprise, "Second Brother, are you saying that someone is using falcons to surveil us? Who do you think it could be?"


    Having spent many years with the phantom forces, Ling Chen considered himself very experienced, proficient in all manners of tracking and counter-tracking techniques. However, tracking with birds was something he had only heard of in films and had never seen in reality until today.


    "There are one or two people I know who can control such birds, and they are not simple characters. Moreover, it¡¯s difficult to determine the person behind this just by a falcon. In ancient times, because there were nomunication tools like mobile phones, training falcons to deliver messages and spy on enemies was the mostmon method. However, as times have changed, this method has been gradually abandoned, and only a few people still cherish this old technique."


    After giving it some thought, Xu Ming continued, "My guess is that the person behind this falcon is probably an expert."


    "Second Brother, why do you think so?"


    "Falcons are not ordinary birds; rather, they are extremely fierce raptors. The falcon above us is twice asrge as a normal falcon and much more ferocious and brave. Generally, raptors of this size are usually wild, and if it were merely trained, it would be difficult to raise it to such a size. Thus, taming such a wild raptor is not something ordinary people can aplish."


    After hearing Xu Ming¡¯s exnation, Ling Chen understood a bit more about the falcon hovering above.


    "It seems the God Organization really values me, even dispatching such strange people," Ling Chen said self-deprecatingly.


    "It¡¯s still hard to say if they are from the God Organization. Just be careful."


    Ling Chen nodded and continued driving towards Wealthy Manor.


    ...


    Research base.


    Shortly after Ling Chen left, Zhao Zhengxiong drove to the base.


    After getting out of his car and seeing Hu Fei waiting at the door, Zhao Zhengxiong greeted him with a smile, asking, "Brother Hu, what does Chen want from me, meeting in such a ce?"


    Hu Fei nced behind Zhao Zhengxiong and asked, "No one else came with you, right?"


    "No. You told me toe alone and not to bring anyone else."


    "That¡¯s good,e with me." After speaking, Hu Fei turned and walked into the base.


    Following Hu Fei, Zhao Zhengxiong directly entered the inner part of the research base. Observing the spacious and well-arranged space within the base, even a boss like Zhao Zhengxiong couldn¡¯t help but exim.


    "Brother Hu, what is this ce?"


    "This is Ling Chen¡¯s research base, our headquarters. This morning, we received news that both Jiang Hao and Nanrong Hao have lost contact and disappeared. We were worried that someone might target you, so we brought you here. Stay here until the crisis is over and don¡¯t go out unnecessarily to avoid any incidents."


    Zhao Zhengxiong looked worried as he said, "No wonder, I¡¯ve been wanting to invite Jiang Hao and the others for a drink these past two days, but no one answered their phones. I thought they had both gone off on their own to have fun. Hey! Where is Chen?"


    "He¡¯s out on an errand. I¡¯ll have someone arrange a room for you to stay here." Pausing for a moment, Hu Fei pointed around and said, "I still have other things to handle, so feel free to look around and I¡¯lle find youter."


    "Alright."


    After Hu Fei left, Zhao Zhengxiong wandered alone within the base.


    Being a local boss, although he had many subordinates, he was ultimately just a good street gang leader and had never seen such an advanced base before.


    As he walked through, several busy base staff members nodded and greeted Zhao Zhengxiong as they passed by. These staff members initially followed Zhao Zhengxiong and Jiang Hao, and wereter selected by Jiang Yunkai to join the securitypany. After rigorous training, these people became the security and staff of the research base.


    Therefore, they all recognized Zhao Zhengxiong.


    "Brother Xiong."


    "Brother Xiong."


    "Brother Xiong, it¡¯s been a long time since we¡¯ve seen you."


    Hearing a staff member¡¯s words, Zhao Zhengxiong, curious, asked, "So, you¡¯ve been here for a long time?"


    "Yes! It¡¯s been several months now. Before, we only saw Hao and Haozi, never saw you."


    Another staff member chimed in, "Brother Xiong is busy managing so many ces, a very busy man indeed, and doesn¡¯t have time toe here to wander around." Concluding, the staff member looked at Zhao Zhengxiong with a smile, "Brother Xiong, you go ahead and explore, we still have work to do so we won¡¯t disturb you."


    Watching the two staff members leave, Zhao Zhengxiong¡¯s smile turned somewhat stiff, with aplex expression flickering in his eyes.


    From their words, he could tell that this research base had been established for some time, but he had not received any notifications about it. Inparison, Jiang Hao and Nanrong Hao had already known about it.


    Why?


    Zhao Zhengxiong thought to himself. Why did Ling Chen disclose the secrets of this research base to Jiang Hao and Nanrong Hao but not to him? Was it because he wasn¡¯t trusted?


    Even though he was eventually brought here, Zhao Zhengxiong still felt quite ufortable, feeling excluded.


    Zhao Zhengxiong was a meticulously thoughtful person and could guess the reason behind Ling Chen¡¯s actions.


    The rtionship between Nanrong Wanqing and Ling Chen was clear; Nanrong Hao wouldter be Ling Chen¡¯s brother-inw, naturally a trustworthy person. Jiang Hao was personally groomed by Ling Chen, unquestionably loyal to a fault. Thus, it made sense for Ling Chen to trust these two.


    However, understanding aside, thinking about this situation still left Zhao Zhengxiong feeling unhappy.


    "Hey! Brother Xiong, there you are."


    Then, hearing Hu Fei¡¯s voiceing from behind, Zhao Zhengxiong turned around, forcing a smile and asked, "Brother Hu, have you finished your work?"


    "Almost done. Now I have subordinates tomand, don¡¯t need to do everything myself like before. Come, I¡¯ll take you to your room."


    "Thank you, that would be helpful."


    ...


    Wealthy Manor.


    After arriving at the Nanrong family home, Ling Chen and Xu Ming immediately rushed to Nanrong Yong¡¯s bedroom.


    In the spacious and bright bedroom, Nanrong Wanqing and several caretakers were by the bedside, attending to theatose Nanrong Yong.


    "Ling Chen."


    Seeing Ling Chen return, Nanrong Wanqing quickly stood up and asked, "Did you find my brother?"

 Chapter 762 - 767 Luring the Tiger Away from the Mountain

    <h4>Chapter 762: Chapter 767 Luring the Tiger Away from the Mountain</h4>


    "There¡¯s no news yet, but don¡¯t worry too much, I will definitely find him."


    After saying this, Ling Chen looked at Nanrong Yong lying on the bed and asked, "How is the old master¡¯s condition?"


    "His condition has stabilized, but the doctor said that Grandpa¡¯s body is extremely weak and he¡¯s fallen into a deepa. It¡¯s uncertain when he might wake up¡ªit could be days or years; no one can be sure. The doctor suggested that we, as family members, should spend time with Grandpa when we can, talk to him, chat with him, as it might help his condition. I¡¯ve been calling Nanrong Hao these past few days wanting him toe back and stay with Grandpa, but I couldn¡¯t get a hold of him, so I came to you for help."


    "No worries, Haozi is not a three-year-old child, he knows what he¡¯s doing."


    "Ling Cheng!"


    At this moment, Xu Ming, who had been silent all along, suddenly cast his gaze outside the bedroom window and quickly walked to the windowsill to look outside.


    After a brief moment of daze, Ling Chen immediately realized what was happening and hurried over to Xu Ming¡¯s side. He looked out at the emptywn and asked, "Brother Xu, what¡¯s wrong?"


    "Just now that eagle-hawk appeared again, but it vanished in the blink of an eye. I suspect that the person controlling the eagle-hawk is nearby, and they have taken it back."


    "What should we do?"


    Xu Ming thought for a moment and said, "You stay in the room with them, I¡¯ll go outside and take a look. Maybe I can find the owner of that eagle-hawk."


    "Alright. Brother Xu, be careful."


    "Don¡¯t worry about me." Saying that, Xu Ming pushed open the window, propped his hand on the sill, and leaped down, instantly disappearing from view.


    Watching Xu Ming disappear, Nanrong Wanqing and the two maids in the room were all stunned.


    "Ling Chen, he... how did he just jump down?" Nanrong Wanqing asked in shock.


    This bedroom is on the third floor of the vi, a good few meters above the ground. Wasn¡¯t he afraid of getting hurt?


    "It¡¯s alright, Brother Xu¡¯s martial arts skills are incredible, this is nothing to him." Saying this, Ling Chen closed the window and turned back to Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s side.


    A few minutes passed.


    Ling Chen paced back and forth in the room, waiting for news from Xu Ming.


    Bang!


    Suddenly, a loud noise came from downstairs. Ling Chen¡¯s heart skipped a beat. He hurried to the outside of the bedroom and looked down the staircase, shouting loudly, "Uncle Liu!"


    Liu Kun had been down at the bottom of the stairs, so if something had happened, he would surely know.


    Ling Chen called out several times, but there was no response from downstairs. Seeing this, Ling Chen slightly furrowed his brow and thought to himself, "Nothing bad could have happened, right?"


    With this thought, Ling Chen lightly tapped his toes and vaulted over the stair railing. After a few jumps, he had descended from the third floor to the living room on the first floor.


    Upon reaching the living room, Ling Chen saw Liu Kun being held by a man with a grip on his throat, rendering him unable to speak. In the other hand of the man, he held a sharp dagger, currently raised above his head, ready to strike at Liu Kun¡¯s vital point.


    With Liu Kun¡¯s life at stake, Ling Chen didn¡¯t have time to think; he quickly lifted his foot with a flying kick at themp beside him.


    Struck by his kick, themp that was ced on the coffee table instantly flew out, hurtling towards the dagger in the man¡¯s hand.


    With a ¡¯ng¡¯ sound, the dagger was knocked out of hand, making a clear noise as it fell.


    Seizing the moment, Ling Chen¡¯s body tilted, and he swiftly charged towards the man, his steel fist pounding fiercely towards the opponent¡¯s face.


    Seeing the fierceness of Ling Chen¡¯s punch, the man seemed to be somewhat wary, not daring to take it head-on. He quickly let go of Liu Kun and stepped back to avoid Ling Chen¡¯s attack.


    "Mr. Ling." Liu Kun, clutching his painful neck and gasping for breath, said: "This man suddenly barged in, I..."


    "Enough!" Ling Chen cut off Liu Kun¡¯s words, saying: "Stop talking, Wanqing and the old master are upstairs. Go protect them; leave this guy to me."


    "Alright, be careful yourself." With that, Liu Kun hurriedly rushed toward the stairs, heading straight for the third floor of the vi.


    Once Liu Kun left, Ling Chen stared at the strange man before him, his dark eyes emitting a sharp gleam.


    This man was around thirty-odd years old, with an average appearance that wouldn¡¯t stand out in a crowd, unlikely to attract any attention.


    "Are you from the God Organization?" Ling Chen asked.


    The man looked at Ling Chen without saying a word, as if he hadn¡¯t heard the question, with a cold and murderous look in his eyes.


    "Ling Chen, I heard you were seriously injured at the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion. I wonder if you still have the strength to defeat me."


    Hearing this, Ling Chen¡¯s heart sank, inwardly cursing. This guy actually knew he was injured.


    Not only was he seriously injured now, but his body was also seriously overdrawn. The kick he had just performed was done with all his might. He had managed to rescue Liu Kun from the man¡¯s clutches by bluffing, but if it came to a real fight, he was as good as paper-thin, easily punctured.


    He had wanted to scare the other party into fleeing without a fight, but it seemed that strategy was no longer working.


    Damn!


    Who the hell was this guy and how did he know so much about him? It was a pity that Xu Ming had gone to find the man who controlled the hawks, with no telling when he¡¯de back. If Xu Ming didn¡¯t arrive in time, Ling Chen might be in mortal danger.


    As thoughts raced through his mind, Ling Chen grabbed a chair next to him and flung it at the man. Immediately after, he turned around and ran swiftly towards the outside of the vi. He couldn¡¯t worry about other things now; both Nanrong Wanqing and Nanrong Yong were inside the vi, and he absolutely couldn¡¯t let the opponent harm them.


    For now, he could only do his best to lure the man away from the vi.


    Bursting through the vi¡¯s front door, Ling Chen nced back only to find that the man had not followed.


    Damn it!


    The guy wasn¡¯t fooled.


    This was bad¡ªthe man not chasing after him would definitely be bad news for Nanrong Wanqing and the others. With this thought, Ling Chen sighed and quickly turned around, running back into the vi.


    When he reached the living room, just as he expected, the man had already vanished. At the same time, a scream came from the third floor of the vi. The voice seemed to be Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s.


    Without a second thought, worried for the safety of Nanrong Wanqing and the others, Ling Chen immediately rushed upstairs.


    As he entered the bedroom, he saw Liu Kun lying on the ground, clutching his chest, blood streaming from the corners of his mouth, hisplexion deathly pale. In another corner of the room, two housemaids cowered, shriveling in fear, their faces terror-stricken.


    Scanning the room, Ling Chen¡¯s heart skipped a beat.


    The bedroom window was wide open, Liu Kun and the others were there, but Nanrong Wanqing was nowhere to be seen; presumably, she had been snatched away by the man from before.


    "Ling Chen..." Liu Kun shakily lifted a hand, pointing out the window, stammering: "Hurry... follow..."


    "Uncle Liu, rest up; I¡¯ll go save Wanqing."

 Chapter 763 - 768: Taming Master

    <h4>Chapter 763: Chapter 768: Taming Master</h4>


    Standing before the window, Ling Chen looked down from his high vantage point only to see the man from before carrying Nanrong Wanqing and hurrying away from Wealthy Manor.


    It won¡¯t do!


    He can¡¯t be allowed to escape. Ling Chen eyed the several-meter-high floor, a hint of hesitance shing in his eyes. Given his current state, jumping from such a height would likely mean he couldn¡¯t protect himself from harm. But taking the stairs would waste too much time. By the time he got down, that man would have probably already fled with Nanrong Wanqing.


    Biting his teeth, Ling Chen finally made up his mind, leaped from the third-floor bedroom, andnded directly on the ground.


    As his legs touched the ground, Ling Chen¡¯s body immediately leaned forward and rolled to dissipate the force of the fall. Despite shedding much of the force, Ling Chen¡¯s body was too weak to bear such an impact.


    Puh!


    A mouthful of fresh blood spurted out, and Ling Chen¡¯splexion instantly turned as pale as paper, his legs so weak that he couldn¡¯t even stand up, let alone chase after Nanrong Wanqing.


    Watching as Nanrong Wanqing disappeared from his line of sight, Ling Chen¡¯s eyes were filled with unwillingness.


    "Sixth Brother."


    After a while, Xu Ming rushed over from the other side of the vi and hurried to Ling Chen¡¯s side.


    "How are you?"


    Ling Chen rubbed his legs and smiled wryly as he shook his head.


    "Second Brother, did you find the person controlling the hawk and falcon?"


    "I found him, but he managed to escape."


    "He escaped?" Ling Chen was taken aback. With Xu Ming¡¯s strength, how could he let the other party get away? Could it be that person¡¯s strength surpassed Xu Ming¡¯s?


    Xu Ming seemed to see through Ling Chen¡¯s thoughts and said, "I know that person, I¡¯ll exin the details to youter. Let¡¯s get you inside first."


    Back in the living room, Ling Chen leaned against the sofa, took a couple of sips of water, and immediately felt much better.


    Once the pain from his injuries had somewhat subsided, Ling Chen looked at Xu Ming beside him and asked, "Second Brother, who is that person?"


    "You mean the one controlling the hawk and falcon? His name is Song Mingzhe, also a man of the martial arts world. However, he is considered an odd figure within it. His martial arts are not very strong, just passable, but his ability to tame birds and beasts is very impressive. Within the martial artsmunity, there are few who can match him."


    Xu Ming said, "I¡¯ve heard that Song Mingzhe was abandoned in the mountains at birth and grew up among wild beasts, which is why sometimes his temperament resembles that of a wild animal. It wasn¡¯t until he was over ten years old that he was discovered and brought into modern society. However, because Song Mingzhe¡¯s temperament was too wild, he struggled to fit in. Not long after, he ran back to the mountains. Since then, he has lived there among the wild beasts. Over twenty years ago, I met Song Mingzhe once when he mistook me for an enemy and ventured into his territory, so we had a confrontation. I had no intention of hurting him, so I left immediately."


    At this point, Xu Ming suddenly shifted the topic, "I¡¯ve been suspecting whether God Organization is behind this attack on you. Now that Song Mingzhe is here, I think I can be sure."


    "Sure of what?"


    "Sure that it¡¯s not God Organization who moved against you, but someone else."


    Curious, Ling Chen asked, "If it¡¯s not God Organization, then who could it be? Second Brother, apart from God Organization, I can¡¯t think of anyone who holds a grudge against me."


    "Who the mastermind behind this incident is, I¡¯m not quite clear. Someone like Song Mingzhe can¡¯t be bought by God Organization. Given his character, he wouldn¡¯t serve God Organization." After this, Xu Ming seemed to think of something and sank into deep thought.


    "Second Brother, what are you thinking about?"


    "I¡¯m thinking..."


    Xu Ming hadn¡¯t finished speaking when a ringing tone came from Ling Chen¡¯s pocket.


    Pulling out his phone, Ling Chen looked at the caller ID, his gaze suddenly sharpening.


    Nanrong Hao!


    It was Nanrong Hao¡¯s number.


    The phone connected, and Ling Chen put it to his ear, saying, "Speak. Who are you?"


    "Mr. Ling, I¡¯m impressed. You¡¯re quite clever to know I¡¯m not Nanrong Hao."


    Ling Chen said coldly, "Quit the nonsense, tell me who you are and what you want."


    "I¡¯ll give you an address; I expect to see you in one hour. Remember, just you alone. If I find out anyone else is following, don¡¯t me me for not being polite."


    After that, the caller hung up.


    Putting down the phone, Ling Chen frowned at Xu Ming, saying, "They asked me toe to a ce, and they want me alone."


    Xu Ming nodded and responded, "With Song Mingzhe around, they¡¯d detect even if I followed you. Sixth Brother, what are you nning to do?"


    "Nanrong Hao, Wanqing, Jiang Hao, they¡¯re all in their hands, I have to go."


    "The way these people are acting, they¡¯re clearly targeting you. With your current condition, if you go, it¡¯s certain death."


    Ling Chen smiled faintly, "Everyone dies eventually. I came to terms with this a long time ago. If I can trade my life for the lives of those three, it would be a worthwhile transaction."


    "You... sigh!" Xu Ming sighed lightly, "In that case, I won¡¯t stop you. Unfortunately, I can¡¯t be of help to you."


    "Second Brother, it¡¯s okay, I can handle it myself."


    With that said, Ling Chen checked the time. The other party only gave him an hour, and the location was quite far. If he didn¡¯t set out now, Ling Chen worried he¡¯d miss the appointment.


    Then, without further concern for his physical weakness, Ling Chen got up and walked out of the vi.


    "Sixth Brother, wait!"


    Seeing Ling Chen leaving, Xu Ming seemed to remember something and quickly caught up with Ling Chen, cing his hand on his shoulder.


    "Sixth Brother, don¡¯t be in a rush, I have something to tell you."


    ...


    An hourter.


    Outside an abandoned warehouse in the West District of East Sea City, an Audi sedan slowly drove near.


    As the car stopped by the roadside, Ling Chen stepped out from the driver¡¯s side.


    Gazing at the nearby abandoned warehouse, Ling Chen took a deep breath and then stepped toward it.


    Upon reaching the warehouse entrance, before Ling Chen could knock, the tightly closed door suddenly slid open. A disheveled young man walked out, looking at Ling Chen with a smirk.


    Ling Chen gave the man a nce and asked, "Are you the one on the phone?"


    "That¡¯s me. Ling Chen, I¡¯ve long admired your reputation. Number one on the Neer List, number one among the disciples of Yangxin Pavilion, tsk tsk! I¡¯m really curious, how did a Dragon List master like you manage it?"


    "That doesn¡¯t seem like your business. Where are they, the people I¡¯m looking for?"


    "They¡¯re all inside." Saying that, the young man nced behind Ling Chen, and upon seeing no one following, he turned and walked into the warehouse.


    "Come with me!"


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 764 - 769: Enemies Blush in Anger When They Meet

    <h4>Chapter 764: Chapter 769: Enemies Blush in Anger When They Meet</h4>


    Entering the abandoned warehouse, the door behind him closed tightly again. Ling Chen was on alert, his sharp eyes scanning the surroundings from time to time. However, what puzzled him was that in the vast abandoned warehouse, apart from the young man before him, there was no sign of anyone else.


    After advancing a short distance, Ling Chen followed the young man to the outside of a dpidated office. Through the cracked windows and doors, the observant Ling Chen saw that Nanrong Hao, Jiang Hao, and Nanrong Wanqing were all held captive inside.


    Thank goodness!


    Ling Chen quietly breathed a sigh of relief. From the looks of it, everyone, including Nanrong Wanqing, was unharmed. However, probably because Nanrong Hao and Jiang Hao had been locked up for a longer time, with insufficient food and sleep, they appeared dispirited, with bags under their eyes.


    "The people you¡¯re looking for are in there." The young man stood at the doorway, showing no intention of entering.


    Ling Chen looked at him and said deliberately, "Let them go. You¡¯ve gone to all this trouble just to target me. Now that I¡¯m here, they¡¯re no longer involved in this matter."


    Hearing this, the young man smiled smugly and said, "Ling Chen, don¡¯t be naive. It¡¯s not that simple. Besides, I¡¯m just following orders and don¡¯t have the authority to make that decision. If you want to save them, you¡¯d better talk to the person who can call the shots."


    "Who?" Ling Chen frowned and asked.


    Right after his question, the sound of wheels gliding could be heard from the warehouse door.


    Ling Chen turned to look, and saw the door being pushed open from the outside, as several figures appeared at the entrance.


    The young man¡¯s lips curled into a smile and he said, "Speak of the devil and he shall appear. Ling Chen, the person you¡¯re looking for has arrived."


    Watching the people at the door drawing closer, Ling Chen¡¯s eyes suddenly became fierce.


    Among the several people opposite him, a strangely dressed man wearing a mask that only revealed his mouth and eyes, was leading. His tall figure and the slight upturn of his lips gave him an intriguing air, even without seeing his full face.


    When the masked man approached, Ling Chen asked, "Did you capture my friends? Why?"


    "Why?" The masked man chuckled, his eyes flickering with a cold glint, as his icy voice slowly said, "Ling Chen, don¡¯t you remember who I am?"


    Hearing the familiar voice, Ling Chen could no longer maintain hisposure. His eyes widened in shock as he stared at the masked man.


    "You... it¡¯s you!"


    Ling Chen¡¯s pupils contracted, and with a burst of chilling light, he swiftly moved forward, charging towards Zhu Hong.


    "Get lost!"


    As Ling Chen approached, a man standing behind Zhu Hong shouted. Immediately after, a figure swiftly moved in front of Zhu Hong, shielding him.


    After protecting Zhu Hong, the man raised his fist and struck out.


    Both fists collided, and Ling Chen felt his entire arm go numb, unable to muster any strength, and his body became limp. He stumbled backward, barely managing to steady himself after several steps.


    This guy...


    Ling Chen sized up the man who had thrown the punch, frowning secretly. The man¡¯s strength was not very formidable, at best ranked fifth on the Dragon List. Yet even so, in Ling Chen¡¯s current state, he was no match for him.


    At this moment, Zhu Hong looked at Ling Chen with a smile and said, "Didn¡¯t expect this, did you? That you too would face this day."


    Ling Chen shook his sore arm, and undaunted, said, "Zhu Hong, to be honest, I¡¯m really curious about how exactly you managed to escape from the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion."


    During the previous period, Ling Chen entrusted Su Mei and others to thoroughly search for Zhu Hong¡¯s whereabouts within the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, but there was no progress. At that time, when he waspeting in martial arts with Wang Hao, he clearly saw Zhu Hong appear among the crowd, yet Du Kang and the others searched the entire Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion and could not find Zhu Hong.


    Now, Zhu Hong was appearing before him, how could he not be surprised?


    The defenses of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion were rigorous, and anyone entering or exiting had to undergo strict inspections, yet Zhu Hong coulde and go freely within the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, which was truly puzzling.


    In addition, what Ling Chen found most iprehensible was the people around Zhu Hong. In such a short amount of time, how could Zhu Hong have gathered so many experts, including the animal-taming expert mentioned by Xu Ming, Song Mingzhe?


    Zhu Hong was not a martial artist andpletely ignorant in martial arts, so why would these people obey his orders?


    Considering all these, Ling Chen was filled with doubts.


    Zhu Hong raised his head, looking at Ling Chen with a nting gaze and said, "I think you¡¯ve used the wrong word. Ling Chen, to tell you the truth, I don¡¯t need to run away. For me, as long as I want, I can return to the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion at any time, and I can do so openly and honorably, without anyone daring to do anything to me."


    Hearing Zhu Hong¡¯s confident tone, Ling Chen¡¯s first reaction was that it was impossible.


    "Zhu Hong, do you think I would believe you?"


    "Whether you believe it or not is your business, but what I¡¯m telling you is the truth." Saying this, Zhu Hong seemed to remember something and suddenlyughed.


    "Ling Chen, I heard you have a good master, and now you are also a disciple of the Yangxin Pavilion. That being said, we can be considered as senior and junior brothers."


    "Senior and junior brothers? What do you mean?"


    Zhu Hong smiled and said, "Your master is an old man of the Yangxin Pavilion, and my master is the same."


    "What?" Ling Chen eximed in surprise, asking, "Who is your master?"


    "I¡¯m not afraid to tell you, my master is Liang Tian."


    Him!


    Ling Chen¡¯s heart sank. He never expected that Zhu Hong¡¯s master would turn out to be Liang Tian.


    No, that¡¯s not right... Zhu Hong doesn¡¯t know martial arts, so why would Liang Tian take him as a disciple? As these thoughts churned in his mind, Zhu Hong seemed to see through Ling Chen¡¯s thoughts and said, "Although I don¡¯t understand martial arts, my master said I have excellent aptitude and an extraordinarily suitable constitution for practicing martial arts, which is why he made an exception to ept me as a disciple."


    Hah!


    Ling Chen sneered, thinking Liang Tian must be crazy for disciples, even epting someone like Zhu Hong.


    Yes, that¡¯s it!


    Ling Chen suddenly remembered something. At the grand event held by the Yangxin Pavilion this time, besides Liang Tian, every elder of the Yangxin Pavilion had disciples participating. It was probably because of this reason that Liang Tian was urgently eager to find a disciple to cultivate.


    However, martial arts practice must start from a young age; only byying a solid foundation can one seek a higher realm. Zhu Hong was already of such an age, even if he were taken in as a disciple, what could he do?


    Forget it!


    Ling Chen shook his head, dismissing the misceneous thoughts in his mind. Regardless, that was Liang Tian¡¯s own business and had nothing to do with him.


    However, Su Mei had previously sent people to search for Zhu Hong¡¯s whereabouts, so Liang Tian must have known about it. Knowing Zhu Hong was a criminal of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion and still taking him as a disciple, wasn¡¯t that openly opposing Su Mei?


    If there was a chance, he must tell Su Mei and Du Kang about this matter.

 Chapter 765 - 770 Malicious Revenge (1)

    <h4>Chapter 765: Chapter 770 Malicious Revenge (1)</h4>


    No wonder, under the protection of Liang Tian, no matter how Du Kang and his people search, they can¡¯t find Zhu Hong.


    Thinking this, Ling Chen nced at the men beside Zhu Hong and asked, "You are Liang Tian¡¯s disciple, then where did you find these people?"


    "That¡¯s none of your business." With those words, Zhu Hong looked through the transparent door and windows at the three people, Nanrong Wanqing included, in the dpidated office, and with a slight smile, coldly said, "Ling Chen, you¡¯ve caused me such misery and even ruined my face. How should we settle this score?"


    "Since you¡¯ve lured me here, you must have made up your mind, so why bother talking nonsense with me?"


    "Haha!" Zhu Hongughed heartily, "Ling Chen, you really are clever. You¡¯re right, I¡¯ve thought it through. From the moment I was imprisoned in the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, I was determined that once I left that hellish ce, I would make you suffer a fate worse than death. Although we haven¡¯t known each other for long, I know you well enough; you value loyalty and righteousness, which is your weakness. Hence, just by letting you watch your friends die right before your eyes..."


    "You dare!" Ling Chen¡¯splexion changed, he coldly shouted, "Zhu Hong, I am your enemy, why hurt the innocent? Let them go. Come at me if you dare."


    Zhu Hong shook his head, "That would be too boring. If we¡¯re going to y, let¡¯s enjoy ourselves fully." With that, Zhu Hong disregarded Ling Chen¡¯s angry stare and walked towards the dusty office.


    In the dusty office, Nanrong Wanqing, Nanrong Hao, and Jiang Hao wereying on the ground, all in a deep sleep,pletely unaware of Zhu Hong¡¯s arrival.


    Seeing Zhu Hong enter the office, Ling Chen quickly followed, fearing he might harm Nanrong Wanqing and others. He stood in front of Nanrong Wanqing and said in a deep voice, "Zhu Hong, setting aside Jiang Hao, Wanqing and Nanrong Hao are your childhood friends. Moreover, Wanqing is your childhood sweetheart, how can you bear to hurt them?"


    "Friends?" Zhu Hong scoffed, "From the moment my face was destroyed, I have had no friends. As for Wanqing..." when mentioning Nanrong Wanqing, Zhu Hong¡¯s tone slightly paused, and he coldly said, "I devoted myself to her, wanting to marry her, to give her the best life. Unfortunately, she was blinded, actually choosing you. Since she won¡¯t ept me, why should I be kind to her? Don¡¯t worry, Wanqing is the woman I love most in this life, no matter what, I will not harm her life."


    "What do you want then?"


    "What do you think I will do?" Zhu Hong nced at the sleeping Nanrong Wanqing, his gaze greedy, and with a smirk stated, "Since I can¡¯t have her heart, having her body wouldn¡¯t be too bad."


    Hearing this, Ling Chen was shocked and immediately shouted, "Zhu Hong, if you dare do such a thing, I will never let you go, even in death."


    Zhu Hong sneered, sarcastically saying, "Ling Chen, you better worry about yourself first. Oh, by the way! You like Wanqing a lot, don¡¯t you? I just got a very interesting idea. What do you say, watching me turn the clouds over with Wanqingter on, while you enjoy the show?"


    "You..." Ling Chen clenched his teeth, his toes lightly tapping, and his body instantly rushed forward, his fist flying towards Zhu Hong¡¯s face.


    Ling Chen knew very well that Zhu Hong meant what he said. If Nanrong Wanqing really was humiliated, given her character, she definitely would not want to live. So, the only thing he could do was kill Zhu Hong as soon as possible.


    However, although Zhu Hong had no martial arts skills, the several men beside him were masters.


    Seeing Ling Chen approach, the several men acted without a word, grabbing his arms from both sides and pinning his body against the wall.


    The two men acted together, making Ling Chen¡¯s body seem glued to the wall, unable to move. No matter how he struggled, he could not break free from the men¡¯s shackles.


    Seeing Ling Chen restrained, Zhu Hong chuckled to himself, then gave a young man beside him a look.


    Thetter immediately understood, took a small bottle from his pocket, and walked over to Jiang Hao, holding the bottle under his nose. What was in the bottle was unknown, but merely smelling it Jiang Hao immediately woke up from his deep sleep.


    "This... where is this?" Looking around at the unfamiliar surroundings, Jiang Hao was momentarily disoriented, his face full of confusion.


    "Um..."


    Beside him, Nanrong Hao touched his forehead, sitting up from the ground.


    "Hey! Brother Chen?"


    Seeing Ling Chen present, Nanrong Hao and Jiang Hao¡¯s faces immediately lit up. However, when they clearly saw Ling Chen¡¯s situation, their smiles quickly faded, their eyes showing a hint of surprise.


    "Chen, who are you... who are you people? Let Chen go quickly!"


    Jiang Hao noticed the other people in the office and immediately got up from the ground, shouting loudly.


    While speaking, Jiang Hao ran towards Ling Chen, trying to rescue Ling Chen from the hands of those two men.


    However, before Jiang Hao could get there, a young man standing beside suddenly flew up a kick and sent Jiang Hao flying out.


    Puh!


    A mouthful of fresh blood spilled, and Jiang Hao, clutching his stomach, rolled continuously on the ground, his face full of pain.


    "Hao!"


    Nanrong Hao was shocked and was about to run over when he realized that his sister was lying nearby.


    "Sister?" Nanrong Hao hurriedly picked up Nanrong Wanqing and called out her name loudly.


    "Haozi!" Ling Chen said sternly, "Protect your sister well, and don¡¯t let Zhu Hong harm her."


    "Zhu Hong?" Nanrong Hao was stunned for a moment, looked at the people present, and asked, "Chen, are you confused? Zhu Hong isn¡¯t here."


    "That one wearing the mask is Zhu Hong; he wants to harm your sister."


    Hearing this, Nanrong Hao immediately cast his gaze towards the masked man, saying in surprise, "You... you are Zhu Hong?"


    "Nanrong Hao, long time no see."


    "Zhu Hong, what do you want?"


    Zhu Hong coldly smiled and said, "Don¡¯t worry, I don¡¯t want much, just your life."


    "You..."


    Before Nanrong Hao could finish speaking, Zhu Hong directly interrupted him and said, "Chu Huaiyang, what are you waiting for? Get moving."


    The young man named Chu Huaiyang nodded, quickly walked towards Nanrong Wanqing.


    "Don¡¯te over!"


    Nanrong Hao quickly stood up, posing to strike.


    Chu Huaiyang sneered, not taking Nanrong Hao seriously at all, and continued moving firmly.


    Ah!


    Nanrong Hao shouted loudly and swung his fist towards Chu Huaiyang¡¯s head.


    Seeing Nanrong Hao approaching, Chu Huaiyang scoffed with disdain and kicked out fiercely, hitting Nanrong Hao¡¯s abdomen and sending him flying.


    Easily dispatching Nanrong Hao, Chu Huaiyang squatted next to Nanrong Wanqing, then reached his hand into his pocket.

 Chapter 766 - 771 Malicious Revenge (2)

    <h4>Chapter 766: Chapter 771 Malicious Revenge (2)</h4>


    Seeing Chu Huaiyang pulling out a bag of powder from his pocket, Ling Chen¡¯s eyes immediately became sharp.


    "What do you want to do?" Ling Chen shouted.


    Just now, Chu Huaiyang had used a bottle to wake up Nanrong Hao and Jiang Hao, but when it came to Nanrong Wanqing, he took out a bag of powder. Remembering what Zhu Hong said, that powder was definitely not something good.


    Unfortunately, no matter how loudly Ling Chen shouted, it was useless. His body was bound by two men, unable to move at all, let alone stop Chu Huaiyang.


    Seeing Chu Huaiyang pour the powder into Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s mouth, Ling Chen¡¯s eyes reddened as he struggled desperately.


    "Well done." Seeing Nanrong Wanqing swallow the powder, Zhu Hong couldn¡¯t help but smile triumphantly.


    "Ling Chen, just wait, the show will start soon."


    While he was speaking, a sharp scream suddenly came from outside the warehouse.


    Hearing that scream, Chu Huaiyang abruptly raised his head, looked at the broken window, and coldly said, "That¡¯s Uncle Song¡¯s hawk calling; there must be someone outside."


    "Ling Chen!" Zhu Hong looked at Ling Chen coldly, gritting his teeth, "I warned you toe alone and not to bring any help. It seems you didn¡¯t heed my advice."


    Ling Chen¡¯s expression shifted slightly as he shook his head, "No, I didn¡¯t deceive you. It really was just me. Their lives are in your hands; I wouldn¡¯t dare to act recklessly."


    "Fine, I¡¯ll trust you for now. Chu Huaiyang, let¡¯s go and check it out. You two, keep a good watch on them. If you let them escape, prepare to face death."


    After speaking, Zhu Hong and Chu Huaiyang quickly headed out of the warehouse.


    "Chen, Haozi..." Jiang Hao, enduring the pain in his body, slowly crawled on the ground.


    Ling Chen looked at the two men beside him, slightly frowning and quickly thinking of a strategy. Now that Zhu Hong and Chu Huaiyang were gone, it was the best opportunity to escape.


    However, though the timing was right, he didn¡¯t have any strength, and the two men in front of him were high-ranking experts from the Dragon List. In his current state, it was impossible to defeat them.


    At that moment, Ling Chen suddenly felt the gazes of Jiang Hao and Nanrong Hao on him.


    Their eyes met, and without verbalmunication, they immediately understood each other¡¯s intentions.


    "Run!"


    Lying on the ground, Nanrong Hao suddenly shouted and leaped up from the ground, then rushed towards the direction of the warehouse door.


    "Trying to escape? Get back here!"


    One man, seeing Nanrong Hao attempting to escape, immediately let go of Ling Chen and quickly chased after him. In just two or three steps, the man caught up to Nanrong Hao and locked his shoulders.


    Before Nanrong Hao could escape five meters, he stumbled and fell directly onto the ground, his forehead hitting a stone, instantly bleeding profusely.


    Hmph!


    The man picked up Nanrong Hao by the cor from behind, like a cat lifting a mouse, and threw him back to where he was.


    "Behave yourself." After speaking, the man lifted his foot and fiercely stomped on Nanrong Hao¡¯s calf. Instantly, Nanrong Hao let out a miserable cry of pain, his face as pale as paper.


    After dealing with Nanrong Hao, the man walked over to Jiang Hao and stomped down.


    Although they didn¡¯t cripple Nanrong Hao and Jiang Hao¡¯s right legs, that kick was enough to cause serious injuries to their right legs, making it impossible for them to stand up again any time soon.


    Seeing that both Jiang Hao were unable to get up, Ling Chen¡¯s face turned much uglier.


    He had originally hoped that Jiang Hao and Nanrong Hao could lend a hand, but now there was no hope at all.


    Sigh!


    Ling Chen sighed lightly, it seemed that they were doomed this time.


    Honestly, Ling Chen wasn¡¯t afraid of death, since he had embarked on this path, he had been prepared. However, what he feared was Nanrong Wanqing being humiliated. If he had to watch Nanrong Wanqing being bullied by Zhu Hong, that feeling might be more unbearable than death.


    At this moment, outside the warehouse, Zhu Hong and Chu Huaiyang were looking up into the sky, seemingly searching for something.


    After a while, an eagle falcon swooped down from the sky and hovered at a height of over twenty meters, asionally emitting sharp cries.


    "There are people approaching us, and not just one."


    Hearing a deep voiceing from beside them, Zhu Hong and Chu Huaiyang turned their heads to look. Not far from them, a middle-aged man was striding toward them.


    The middle-aged man was between forty and fifty years old, his cold, expressionless face resembling an ageless iceberg, exuding a chilling aura.


    Besides his memorable cold face, the middle-aged man¡¯s height was also exceptional, standing at about one meter ny, inherently imposing a suffocating sense of oppression.


    Seeing the middle-aged man approaching, Zhu Hong spoke, "Uncle Song, do you know who they are?"


    "No need to look to know, Ling Chen is a member of the Eight entrics, and they never abandon theirrades. They must havee to rescue Ling Chen."


    "Hmph!" Zhu Hong sneered, "I knew he wouldn¡¯t be sopliant. But, it¡¯s good that they¡¯vee. If they hadn¡¯t shown up, wouldn¡¯t my meticulous arrangements have been in vain? Uncle Song, can you handle them?"


    "It might be a bit troublesome," Song Mingzhe said, "I¡¯m not afraid of the others, but I am worried about Zhang Zhongfeng. He is recognized in the Martial Arts as the Archer God, my eagle falcon can hardly gain an advantage against him. Besides Zhang Zhongfeng, there is also Xu Ming among the Eight entrics, whose identity is quite mysterious and he has powerful hidden strength, this man must be guarded against."


    "Enough!" Zhu Hong snapped impatiently, "I don¡¯t care about the details, in any case, I¡¯ve arranged everything, and if we can¡¯t capture them all in one go, it will just show that you¡¯re ipetent. Uncle Song, do your best, don¡¯t disappoint my Master."


    Hearing Zhu Hong mention the word ¡¯Master¡¯, a slight change finally appeared on Song Mingzhe¡¯s icy face.


    "I will handle them."


    After saying this, Song Mingzhe put his hand to his mouth and whistled. The falcon hovering in mid-air immediately soared into the sky and disappeared in an instant.


    At this moment, in the office of the abandoned warehouse, Ling Chen hung his head low,pletely giving up resistance.


    However, at that moment, a faint moan suddenly reached Ling Chen¡¯s ears.


    Wanqing?


    A thought crossed Ling Chen¡¯s mind, and he quickly lifted his head to look toward Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s position. Indeed, the previously unconscious Nanrong Wanqing finally woke up.


    She was holding her forehead with one hand, slowly standing up from the ground as if she hadn¡¯t fully awakened yet.


    "Ling... Ling Chen..."


    Seeing Ling Chen not far away, Nanrong Wanqing whispered and took a step towards him.


    As soon as she stepped forward, Nanrong Wanqing felt her legs give out, and she copsed to the ground once again. Meanwhile, her pretty face gradually flushed, and her breathing became rapid.

 Chapter 767 - 772: Battle with Chu Huaiyang (1)

    <h4>Chapter 767: Chapter 772: Battle with Chu Huaiyang (1)</h4>


    Wanqing...


    Seeing Nanrong Wanqing waking up, Ling Chen couldn¡¯t help but worry. The sight in front of him, especially her red cheeks and confused gaze, made one feel that something was off.


    "Wanqing!" Ling Chen shouted Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s name loudly, hoping to catch her attention.


    However, Nanrong Wanqing seemed not to hear Ling Chen¡¯s shouts, appearing dazed as she slowly stood up from the ground.


    "Sister... Sister!" Nanrong Hao, enduring his pain, was struggling to crawl on the ground with his hands, trying to reach Nanrong Wanqing.


    But at that moment, Nanrong Wanqing suddenly held her head, moaning in pain.


    Seeing Nanrong Wanqing in such a state, Ling Chen immediately panicked, wanting to rush to her side but was restrained by the two men, rendering him helpless.


    "Haozi!"


    Hearing Ling Chen¡¯s voice, Nanrong Hao immediately understood, gritting his teeth andboriously crawling towards Nanrong Wanqing.


    "It¡¯s hot...so hot...I¡¯m so hot..."


    Nanrong Wanqing gently stroked her cheeks, her moaning voice bing increasingly clear, her bright beautiful eyespletely devoid of sense, filled with lust.


    Seeing this, Ling Chen couldn¡¯t help but curse silently.


    The powder that Chu Huaiyang had fed Nanrong Wanqing was indeed no good thing¡ªit was an aphrodisiac.


    Moreover, from the way Nanrong Wanqing was acting, it seemed she had taken a strong dose.


    Zhu Hong!


    Ling Chen clenched his teeth, feeling an immense rage inside. This bastard...too cruel, using such despicable means on Nanrong Wanqing.


    Tsk tsk!


    Watching Nanrong Wanqing exude a charming demeanor, the two men nearby couldn¡¯t help but praise.


    "This chick is really something."


    "I heard this chick is a renowned beauty in East Sea City, it really is not an empty reputation. Too bad for us, if only we were so lucky..." Upon saying this, the manughed greedily, his eyes full of desire.


    "Forget it, don¡¯t even think about it, this is the woman Zhu Hong wants. But, well, maybe after Zhu Hong is done with this chick, we might get a taste," one man said.


    Listening to the conversation of the two men, Ling Chen felt extraordinarily angry, wishing he could smash both of them with a single punch.


    At this moment, under the influence of the strong aphrodisiac, Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s actions became increasingly bold and provocative, unbearable for any man to withstand her alluring demeanor.


    The two men standing beside Ling Chen stared intently at Nanrong Wanqing, their desire growing more intense, and Ling Chen could even clearly hear them swallowing their saliva.


    Faced with Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s enticing appearance, even the usually resolute Ling Chen felt stirred by a wicked fire.


    At this moment, outside the abandoned warehouse, Zhu Hong and Chu Huaiyang stood shoulder to shoulder, closely watching their surroundings, on guard for the enemy¡¯s appearance.


    Suddenly, a whooshing sound struck. Immediately after, a blurred figure shot from a distance, rapidly approaching Zhu Hong and aiming straight for his forehead.


    At this critical juncture, Chu Huaiyang, who had been closely guarding Zhu Hong, fiercely grabbed Zhu Hong¡¯s shoulder and pushed him aside forcefully. Instantly, Zhu Hong¡¯s body leaned forward, and the sharp arrow just missed the edge of Zhu Hong¡¯s clothes, embedding itself into the wall of the abandoned warehouse.


    Looking at the trembling arrow, Chu Huaiyang secretly heaved a sigh of relief, a hint of wariness shing in his eyes.


    "That was close." Chu Huaiyang looked at Zhu Hong and said, "Fortunately, Zhang Zhongfeng was quite far away. If he had been any closer, you would have been dead."


    Zhu Hong said in a deep voice, "Is that Zhang Zhongfeng really that powerful? Are his arrows stronger than guns?"


    "Do you think the title of ¡¯Archery God¡¯ was given to him for nothing?" Chu Huaiyang replied indifferently, "Huaxia is vast, filled with hidden dragons and crouching tigers. There are countless experts, but there is only one recognized as the Archery God, Zhang Zhongfeng. At the right distance, almost no one can escape his arrows, not even the experts on the Earthly List."


    Chu Huaiyang pointed towards the abandoned warehouse behind him and said, "You better go inside quickly. Now that the Eight entrics have arrived, there will definitely be a fierce fight soon. You are his disciple, and I need to ensure your safety. Otherwise, if something happens to you, how will I exin when I return?"


    Hearing this, Zhu Hong didn¡¯t hesitate and walked straight toward the abandoned warehouse.


    He had already experienced Zhang Zhongfeng¡¯s arrow just now and, considering his own safety, it was better to hide quickly to avoid being identally injuredter.


    Returning to the abandoned warehouse, Zhu Hong walked and thought. The potent medicine Chu Huaiyang had administered to Nanrong Wanqing should be taking effect. Perfect timing, while Chu Huaiyang is dealing with the Eight entrics, I should take care of my own matters.


    Thinking of taking revenge on Ling Chen, Zhu Hong couldn¡¯t help but lift the corners of his mouth and smiled proudly.


    Huh?


    When he reached the dpidated office, Zhu Hong pushed open the door, and his gaze instantly sharpened. To his surprise, there were only two people left in the office, his two subordinates.


    At this moment, the two meny on the ground, their necks broken, with traces of blood still at the corners of their mouths.


    Dead...


    Seeing the two bodies, Zhu Hong was greatly shocked and quickly looked around. No, this can¡¯t be possible!


    Zhu Hong muttered to himself internally. Ling Chen was seriously injured and subdued, and both Nanrong Hao and Jiang Hao were ordinary people; they didn¡¯t have the capability to kill two Dragon List experts.


    Amid his contemtion, Zhu Hong suddenly heard footstepsing from behind.


    Not good!


    Zhu Hong swiftly turned his head, looking behind him. In an instant, he saw Ling Chen approaching, hands behind his back and a detached expression, step by step.


    "You..." Seeing Ling Chen approaching, Zhu Hong was momentarily stunned. It was only when Ling Chen had approached within ten meters that Zhu Hong finally reacted and said in shock, "You... how could you..."


    Ling Chen spoke indifferently, "Are you asking why I could escape?"


    "Although those two subordinates of mine were not very powerful, they were still Dragon List experts. You were obviously severely injured; how could you have killed them? Could it be..."


    At this point, Zhu Hong seemed to realize something, his pupils suddenly constricted, and he said coldly, "Could it be that you have been deceiving me all this time? That you weren¡¯t actually injured and everything was just an act you put on?"


    Ling Chen shook his head and said, "No, you¡¯re wrong. I was indeed injured, and quite severely. However, heaven always looks after the good people, so someone like me who is a good person cannot die just yet."


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 768 - 773: Battle with Chu Huaiyang (2)

    <h4>Chapter 768: Chapter 773: Battle with Chu Huaiyang (2)</h4>


    "No, this is impossible." Zhu Hong stepped back, his gaze towards Ling Chen filled with a hint of fear.


    He had originally wanted to take revenge on Ling Chen, but he had never expected the situation to escte like this. Could this guy really be favored by heaven? No, that couldn¡¯t be it. Ling Chen must have some unknown tricks up his sleeve, which is why he managed to kill his two subordinates.


    Unable!


    Wrinkling his brows, Zhu Hong knew that without Chu Huaiyang by his side, he was no match for Ling Chen alone.


    In a split second, Zhu Hong suddenly raised his hand, his wrist flicking lightly and several streaks of cold light shot out, aimed directly at Ling Chen¡¯s vital points.


    Watching the iing cold light, Ling Chen snorted softly, his body unmoved. He merely waved his arm, and without any apparent movement, the streaks of cold light were knocked to the ground, creating a ¡¯ng ng¡¯ sound.


    Darts!


    Ling Chen nced at them, then withdrew his gaze and continued to stare at Zhu Hong.


    Seeing Ling Chen easily knock down the darts, Zhu Hong gritted his teeth and stretched both hands into his pockets. Then, with both hands, he fired over a dozen more darts.


    After throwing the darts, Zhu Hong didn¡¯t wait for Ling Chen to catch up and immediately turned around to run towards the exit of the abandoned warehouse.


    He couldn¡¯t handle Ling Chen alone; now he could only ask for Chu Huaiyang¡¯s help. Only by quickly meeting up with Chu Huaiyang could he have a chance to save his life.


    "Trying to flee?" Ling Chen squinted his eyes and murmured, "I¡¯d like to see where you can run."


    With that, Ling Chen moved his legs and chased after the fleeing Zhu Hong like an arrow leaving the bowstring.


    Turning his head, Zhu Hong saw Ling Chen getting closer and used every ounce of his strength, screaming Chu Huaiyang¡¯s name.


    Finally, just as Ling Chen was about to catch up with Zhu Hong, Chu Huaiyang finally heard Zhu Hong¡¯s cries for help and appeared at the entrance of the warehouse.


    Seeing Ling Chen closely pursuing Zhu Hong, Chu Huaiyang¡¯s expression slightly changed, and he quickly rushed towards Zhu Hong.


    The moment Ling Chen threw a punch towards Zhu Hong¡¯s back, Chu Huaiyang finally reached Zhu Hong and threw a palm strike.


    Their fists and palm collided, and Chu Huaiyang¡¯s expression immediately darkened, his body retreating several steps. In contrast, Ling Chen stood firm like a resilient pine, unshaken.


    Seeing this, Chu Huaiyang was shocked, reacting just like Zhu Hong earlier.


    This guy... He was seriously injured just a moment ago, powerless, unable to deal with two Dragon List masters, yet now he could withstand his own attack. Although he used less than seventy percent of his strength, it wasn¡¯t easy.


    Facing Chu Huaiyang¡¯s astonishment and confusion, Ling Chen spoke, "To be a master of the Earthly List at such a young age, the person behind you must be extraordinary. I¡¯m curious why such a promising young man like you would serve Zhu Hong; don¡¯t you feel aggrieved?"


    "Cut the nonsense," Chu Huaiyang coldly shouted: "Ling Chen, with me here, don¡¯t think you can escape."


    "Chu Huaiyang, instead of talking so much, just kill him," said Zhu Hong. "He killed those two men."


    Killed?


    Chu Huaiyang nced at Ling Chen in surprise, and nodded lightly, saying, "If that¡¯s the case, let me see what you¡¯ve got."


    With that, Chu Huaiyang lightly tapped his toes, and swiftly charged at Ling Chen.


    Chu Huaiyang was very fast, closing the distance in a blink of an eye, a palm strike aimed at Ling Chen¡¯s chest.


    Even though the flesh palm hadn¡¯t yet closed in, Ling Chen had already felt a powerful force.


    Hua Realm!


    Ling Chen¡¯s eyes brightened, a cold light flickering. He then clenched his fingers tightly, instantly forming a fist, and fiercely struck out.


    Bang!


    In an instant, Chu Huaiyang, who was charging forward, flew out before he could approach, and heavily fell to the ground, his face pale.


    Seeing this, Zhu Hong, who was watching from the side, was momentarily stunned.


    Was he... defeated?


    Faced with this sudden turn of events, Zhu Hong froze for a moment, his face showing disbelief as he looked at Ling Chen.


    Chu Huaiyang was different from those two Dragon List experts; he was an Earthly List expert, yet he was sent flying by Ling Chen with a single punch, such a change was too great.


    Back when Ling Chen waspeting in the Yangxin Pavilion, Zhu Hong had secretly watched. At that time, Ling Chen was also a Dragon List expert, and although he could defeat an Earthly List expert, it took a lot of effort. However, when facing Chu Huaiyang now, he did it effortlessly, easily sending Chu Huaiyang flying.


    At this moment, Ling Chen raised his hand and beckoned Chu Huaiyang with a finger.


    "Come, continue, let me see the might of an Earthly List expert."


    Hearing this, Chu Huaiyang immediately got up from the ground and stared coldly at Ling Chen. Faced with Ling Chen¡¯s provocation, Chu Huaiyang felt a nameless rage boiling inside him.


    This guy... is too arrogant!


    "Die!"


    With a furious shout, Chu Huaiyang charged again, both palms striking towards Ling Chen.


    As Chu Huaiyang approached, Ling Chen didn¡¯t move at all; instead, he fixed his gaze on Chu Huaiyang.


    Three meters... Two meters... One meter...


    When Chu Huaiyang was within one meter, Ling Chen suddenly raised his steel fist and struck the air.


    Instantly, there was a ¡¯pu¡¯ sound, and Chu Huaiyang spat out a mouthful of fresh blood, his body flying out again.


    Seeing Chu Huaiyang being hurled away two times, Zhu Hong¡¯s pupils involuntarily shrank.


    Hua Realm... It¡¯s the Hua Realm!


    He had clearly seen Ling Chen using the Hua Realm to send Chu Huaiyang flying within a meter.


    This could only be done by an Earthly List or Heavenly List expert. Ling Chen used to be a Dragon List expert, and now deploying Hua Realm indicated that he had advanced to the Earthly List, bing a genuine Earthly List expert.


    How... How is this possible?


    Zhu Hong found it incredible; just a short while ago, Ling Chen had suffered severe injuries, but now he had sessfully advanced to be an Earthly List expert. It was hard to imagine what Ling Chen had gone through just before.


    While Zhu Hong was still dazed, Chu Huaiyang struggled to stand up from the ground and hurriedly came to Zhu Hong¡¯s side, grabbing his arm and speaking gravely, "What are you dazed for, let¡¯s go!"


    Hearing Chu Huaiyang¡¯s reminder, Zhu Hong finally snapped into action and hurriedly ran towards the outside of the abandoned warehouse.


    "Where do you think you¡¯re going!"


    Ling Chen called out lightly, quickly following them. He wouldn¡¯t easily let go of this opportunity to capture Zhu Hong. No matter what, he had to catch Zhu Hong this time and settle matters with him.


    However, before Ling Chen could catch up, a figure suddenly shed in front of him. As Ling Chen focused, he stopped in his tracks and spoke, "Chu Huaiyang, this is a grudge between me and Zhu Hong, I advise you not to interfere."


    Chu Huaiyang shook his head, saying, "I don¡¯t want to meddle, but I have no choice. He can¡¯t have an ident; if he does, my life won¡¯t be spared either."


    "Why?"


    "Because..." Chu Huaiyang opened his mouth, but it seemed like he had some unspeakable secrets, abruptly changing the topic, "Forget it! It¡¯s better for you not to know about such matters."


    (Still one Chapter, around 12 o¡¯clock)

 Chapter 769 - 774: Battle with Chu Huaiyang (3)

    <h4>Chapter 769: Chapter 774: Battle with Chu Huaiyang (3)</h4>


    "Feel free to speak," said Ling Chen.


    His heart was filled with curiosity; Zhu Hong¡¯s appearance this time was too unusual. Zhu Hong used to be an ordinary person, at most a low-level manager in the God Organization. But now, Zhu Hong hadpletely changed, surrounded by so many masters for protection; not only the masters from the Dragon List but even those from the Earthly List were deployed.


    Thus, Ling Chen really wanted to figure out what exactly Zhu Hong had experienced to have transformed this way.


    "Do you want to know?" Chu Huaiyang looked at Ling Chen, asking with a deep and meaningful tone.


    Ling Chen nodded, saying, "Tell me, and perhaps I might let you off."


    "Since you want to know, I can tell you. However, you also have to tell me something."


    "What is it?"


    "I am really curious why your strength..."


    "Why it suddenly increased?" Ling Chen suddenlyughed as he spoke, "I have you to thank for that."


    "Me?" Chu Huaiyang was puzzled as he looked at Ling Chen, not understanding what he meant. Having been outside the warehouse this whole time without any contact with Ling Chen, how could it be rted to him?


    Amid his contemtion, Ling Chen continued, "It¡¯s because of the medicinal powder you gave Wanqing."


    Hearing this, Chu Huaiyang was even more bewildered. The potent medicine he gave to Nanrong Wanqing was only effective on her; what did this have to do with Ling Chen?


    Observing Chu Huaiyang¡¯s confused appearance, the corners of Ling Chen¡¯s mouth slightly lifted as he chuckled to himself.


    His words were indeed not wrong, the sudden increase in his strength waspletely due to Chu Huaiyang.


    After Nanrong Wanqing had taken the potent medicine, she had inadvertently disyed all her charm. At that moment, seeing Wanqing, Ling Chen felt his evil desires being stirred.


    Under the effect of the Prajnaparamita Sutra, a strong evil fire zed wildly within him. When the fire grew intense enough, there was a reaction in the Dantian, and the Prajnaparamita Sutra began to operate automatically.


    The stronger the fire, the faster the Prajnaparamita Sutra ran, and it eventually broke through the bottleneck.


    Honestly, even Ling Chen had not anticipated this.


    As his strength broke through the bottleneck, elevating him to the ranks of the Earthly List masters, Ling Chen instantly freed himself from binds and effortlessly killed the two masters from the Dragon List. It was because of this that he could catch Chu Huaiyang off guard and defeat him.


    However, even if he exined this, Chu Huaiyang would likely not believe it.


    Therefore, Ling Chen thought for a moment and found some random pretext to brush Chu Huaiyang off.


    "I have said what I needed to say, now isn¡¯t it your turn?"


    "I willingly serve Zhu Hong not for any other reason but mainly because of his Master."


    "Master?" Ling Chen was startled, a hint of confusion flickering in his eyes. Zhu Hong had mentioned his Master before, named Liang Tian. So, he could not understand how a Liang Tian could have such great influence and power to mobilize so many people to protect Zhu Hong.


    If Liang Tian had such great power, why would he condescend to stay in Yangxin Pavilion? He could simply establish his own sect, why should he follow orders from the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion and serve others.


    "Exactly who is this Liang Tian?" Ling Chen asked.


    Since Chu Huaiyang seemed to know so much, he surely must be well-acquainted with Liang Tian.


    Hearing Ling Chen¡¯s inquiry, Chu Huaiyang shook his head and said, "Sorry, that¡¯s all I can tell you." After saying that, Chu Huaiyang nced at the warehouse door. By now, Zhu Hong had already escaped without a trace.


    "Ling Chen, you¡¯re lucky today. You¡¯d better be careful, Zhu Hong won¡¯t let things go so easily." After saying this, Chu Huaiyang didn¡¯t linger any longer and quickly ran outside.


    Watching Chu Huaiyang¡¯s figure getting farther away, Ling Chen did not attempt to stop him. He had already promised Chu Huaiyang that as long as he told him the reason, he would let him go. Moreover, he could tell that Chu Huaiyang served Zhu Hong unwillingly.


    Liang Tian... who exactly are you?


    Just as he was thinking, several figures suddenly appeared at the warehouse door. Seeing the person in the lead, Ling Chen quickly waved his hand and called out, "Third brother, I¡¯m here."


    "Sixth brother." Once Yuan Yun saw Ling Chen, he immediately ran over to him, looking and feeling here and there with a concerned expression, asking, "Sixth brother, that kid Zhu Hong didn¡¯t harm you, right?"


    Ling Chen grinned and said, "Third brother, do I look like someone who¡¯s been troubled?" After speaking, Ling Chen changed the topic and asked, "Third brother, where are the others?"


    "They are still outside. I didn¡¯t expect Zhu Hong to arrange so many people, wanting to ambush us. But, he underestimated the strength of the ¡¯Eight entrics.¡¯ Hmph! With Second Brother there, these little fish stand no chance. Eh, Sixth Brother, howe it¡¯s only you here, are the others alright?"


    "No worries, just some minor injuries."


    Then, Ling Chen quickly took Yuan Yun to a corner of the abandoned warehouse. After moving a pile of misceneous items, they saw Nanrong Hao, Jiang Hao, and Nanrong Wanqing all hiding behind.


    While Nanrong Hao and Jiang Hao were still conscious, Nanrong Wanqing had once again fallen into unconsciousness. Unable to help it, as Nanrong Wanqing had taken a strong medicine, Ling Chen had to knock her out and performed simple treatment. At this moment, the effects of the medicine were not yet clear, and Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s pretty face was still flushed red, breathing hurriedly, requiring immediate treatment.


    Immediately, Ling Chen picked up the delicate body of Nanrong Wanqing and said, "Third brother, do me a favor, take these two out."


    "Okay."


    Yuan Yun nodded, supported Nanrong Hao and Jiang Hao with both hands, and then led them outside.


    Uponing out of the warehouse, Ling Chen looked around and saw Qiu Yong and others rushing over.


    "Big brother, Second brother..." Ling Chen greeted each of them.


    "Big brother, are those people taken care of?" Yuan Yun asked.


    Qiu Yong shook his head and sighed, "Only got a few small fish, the big ones got away. Zhu Hong has too many capable protectors, we couldn¡¯t handle him."


    "Never mind!" Ling Chen nced at Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s flushed face and said, "Let¡¯s not worry about that now, rescuing people is more important."


    ...


    Half an hourter, Nanrong Wanqing, Nanrong Hao, and Jiang Hao were all sent to the hospital.


    While the three were receiving treatment, Ling Chen and Qiu Yong and others sat outside, patiently waiting, while discussing the recent events.


    After hearing the information from Chu Huaiyang that Ling Chen shared, Qiu Yong frowned and said, "Liang Tian? I didn¡¯t expect it to be him."


    "Hmph! That old man is indeed no good. Big brother, let¡¯s go to Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion immediately and settle the score with that old man."


    Qiu Yong nced at Yuan Yun who was speaking and said, "Don¡¯t be impulsive just yet." After saying that, Qiu Yong turned back to Ling Chen and asked, "Sixth brother, what are your thoughts?"


    "I..."


    Before Ling Chen could finish speaking, Xu Ming, who was beside him, said, "This matter might not be as simple as you all think."

 Chapter 770 - 775 Song Mingzhe’s Past

    <h4>Chapter 770: Chapter 775 Song Mingzhe¡¯s Past</h4>


    Seeing Xu Ming¡¯s insinuating manner, Ling Chen couldn¡¯t help but ask, "Second Brother, could it be that you know the inside story?"


    Xu Ming shook his head and replied, "It¡¯s not exactly insider information, it¡¯s just... I¡¯m more familiar with Song Mingzhe as a person, so I might know a bit more than you do."


    Pausing for a moment, Xu Ming continued, "As far as I know, Song Mingzhe was not alone. Many years ago, his situation was much like ours with the Eight entrics. He also had a group of brothers. These people were very much like us, each with unique skills. However, there was one difference¡ªthey were morally ambiguous, acting solely on personal preferences without reservations, which attracted quite a few enemies in the martial arts world."


    "It is said that many enemies sought them out, but unfortunately, none of them were a match for Song Mingzhe and his group. Therefore, not a single one seeking revenge ever came back alive. Over those years, the number of people who died at their hands was significant."


    "What happened after that?" Xia Yue asked curiously.


    "After that..." Xu Ming looked up out the window and said, "Something happenedter that forced Song Mingzhe and his group to disband. I¡¯m not very clear on the specifics, I¡¯ve only heard bits and pieces. It seems they offended someone significant, someone with backing from a top-ranked expert of the Heavenly List. Because of this, Song Mingzhe and his group paid a heavy price. I¡¯m not sure what happened afterward, but I heard they disbanded and each went their own ways."


    Hearing this, Qiu Yong said solemnly, "Second Brother, are you suggesting that Song Mingzhe and his group have gotten back together?"


    "I can¡¯t be sure of that. But Song Mingzhe is a reclusive character, never mingling with others. Moreover, he has always listened to only one person, which is his initial Boss," Xu Ming exined. "If someone could persuade Song Mingzhe toe out of retirement, it would definitely be his Boss, no one else, and definitely not from God Organization."


    Confused, Ling Chen asked, "Second Brother, not only has Song Mingzhee out of seclusion, but he is also handling affairs for Zhu Hong. Why is that? Chu Huaiyang told me it¡¯s all because of Zhu Hong¡¯s Master. But, Zhu Hong himself told me his Master is Liang Tian. Could that old fellow really have such influence tomand Song Mingzhe? Or is it possible... that Liang Tian is Song Mingzhe¡¯s Boss?"


    "No," Xu Ming outright denied Ling Chen¡¯s spection, "Liang Tian has been in Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion since he was young. He used to work under Su He, and when he got older, he was granted the eligibility to retire in Yangxin Pavilion. So, it¡¯s impossible for him to be Song Mingzhe¡¯s Boss." Xu Ming then changed the subject and said, "Anyway, this matter is highly unusual and must be thoroughly investigated soon. Ling Cheng, you have a good rtionship with Master Su. Please, reach out to her and exin the situation, to help rify the truth. If Zhu Hong truly is relying on Liang Tian¡¯s support to do wrong, he must be dealt with severely."


    Ling Chen nodded and said, "Okay, I¡¯ll call Miss Su right away."


    After speaking, Ling Chen stood up and walked to the window to pull out his cell phone.


    Once the call was made, a doctor in a white coat walked out of the emergency room.


    "Doctor," Ling Chen hurried over and asked impatiently, "How is my girlfriend doing?"


    "Don¡¯t worry, her condition has been stabilized now," the doctor answered, then reproachfully looked at Ling Chen and lectured, "Young man, it¡¯s just¡ªI have to say, youngsters should have fun, but don¡¯t overdo it. Luckily, she was brought in in time. If it had been anyter, even if her life had been saved, she would have be a vegetable. Remember to be careful in the future."


    "Yes, yes," Ling Chen replied awkwardly, unable to retort.


    "Doctor, can I go in to see her now?"


    "She needs to rest now, try not to disturb her. She needs to stay in the hospital for observation these few days, and she can be discharged once her body has fully recovered."


    "Okay," Ling Chen didn¡¯t dare to be negligent concerning Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s health.


    In the hospital room.


    Nanrong Wanqingy weakly on the hospital bed, looking pale andpletely listless.


    Ling Chen sat by the bed with a cup of hot water, gently helping her sit up. After sipping water a few times, Nanrong Wanqing¡¯splexion seemed slightly better, but she still sounded breathless when she spoke.


    "Ling Chen, what... what exactly happened to me, what happened earlier?"


    From the time Nanrong Wanqing was captured until she was drugged with a strong aphrodisiac, she had been semi-conscious. Under the effect of the aphrodisiac, she lost her reasonpletely and had no memory of what she had done.


    "Nothing much," Ling Chen smiled faintly and said, "Just a small incident, don¡¯t worry, it¡¯s all settled now. The doctor has instructed that you stay in the hospital and rest well for a few days, and we¡¯ll go back once you¡¯ve recovered."


    Ling Chen wasn¡¯t ready to tell Nanrong Wanqing about Zhu Hong yet, to avoid her worrying unnecessarily.


    "By the way! I¡¯ve found Nanrong Hao, that kid has been causing trouble outside for a few days, don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll discipline him well when I get back."


    "Forget it, as long as he¡¯s okay," Nanrong Wanqing rubbed her temples and said tiredly, "I¡¯m a bit sleepy."


    "Then you better rest up, I¡¯lle see youter."


    Watching Nanrong Wanqing fall asleep, Ling Chen got up and left the room, then entered the adjacent room.


    In the spacious and bright hospital room, Nanrong Hao and Jiang Hao were each lying on a bed, both of their right legs wrapped in thick sters.


    Fortunately, their right legs were only fractured, not broken, otherwise both of them would have be cripples.


    "Chen Bro."


    "Chen Bro."


    Seeing Ling Chen enter, Nanrong Hao and Jiang Hao both greeted him.


    "Chen Bro, has Zhu Hong been caught?" Nanrong Hao asked. Mentioning Zhu Hong, he looked furious, as if he couldn¡¯t wait to p Zhu Hong right then.


    That bastard, daring to mistreat his sister.


    "He got away. Haozi, Jiang Hao, you two be careful from now on. Zhu Hong is hell-bent on taking revenge on me; he might still target you. Never go out alone, always try to have more people with you," Ling Chen earnestly instructed. "Also, keep this incident from Wanqing. I don¡¯t want her to worry."


    "Chen Bro, don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t mention a word in front of Sister."


    "That¡¯s good. Alright then, you guys rest up, I¡¯ve got some things to handle." With that, Ling Chen turned and left the hospital room.


    Zhu Hong might still be in East Sea City. Ling Chen wanted to ask Hu Fei for help, to see if he could find that guy.

 Chapter 771 - 776: Expelled from the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion

    <h4>Chapter 771: Chapter 776: Expelled from the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion</h4>


    Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion.


    Liang Tian came alone to Su Mei¡¯s living quarters, and upon pushing open the door, he saw not only Pavilion Master Su Mei but also Du Kang and others, all of whom were staring at him. For some reason, Liang Tian suddenly had a bad feeling.


    "Pavilion Master." Liang Tian sped his hands and bowed to Su Mei as a form of greeting.


    "Elder Liang, please have a seat." Su Mei indicated the chair next to her and said.


    Liang Tian said with a half-smile, "Pavilion Master, let¡¯s skip the sitting." After finishing his words, Liang Tian turned his head to look at Du Kang and asked, "Elder Du, you¡¯ve called me here, but I don¡¯t know what for. I have matters to attend toter and can¡¯t stay long. If you have anything to say, please speak directly to avoid wasting my time."


    "Liang Tian." Du Kang¡¯s face was stern, and he sharply called out, not showing the slightest bit of courtesy. As the most senior elder of Yangxin Pavilion, Du Kang saw no need to save face for Liang Tian.


    Hearing Du Kang¡¯s rebuke, Liang Tian¡¯s brows furrowed slightly, and a flicker of foreboding crossed his murky old eyes.


    "Elder Du, if you have something to say, just say it. Why stare at me like that?"


    "Liang Tian, do you still not recognize your wrongs?"


    "Elder Du, be clear with your words. What wrong have I done, that even I myself am unaware of?" Liang Tian defiantly met Du Kang¡¯s stern gaze.


    "Humph! At this point, you still don¡¯t realize your fault. Liang Tian, considering your long service in Yangxin Pavilion, I gave you a chance today. But if you continue in this vein, concealing the truth, don¡¯t me me for being rude. Tell us, what exactly have you done wrong?"


    Seeing Du Kang¡¯s exasperated demeanor, Liang Tian¡¯s heart skipped a beat, and hisplexion showed a subtle change.


    "Could it be... No way?" Liang Tian thought to himself. Nobody knew about that matter except himself; he hadn¡¯t breathed a word of it to anyone else. How did Du Kang find out?


    As thoughts raced through his mind, Liang Tian steeled his resolve and said, "Elder Du, Pavilion Master, if you have something to say, just say it. Don¡¯t beat around the bush, I don¡¯t have time to y charades with you here."


    "Fine, since you¡¯ve said so, I¡¯d like to see how you exin yourself. Liang Tian, you should be familiar with Zhu Hong, right?"


    Zhu Hong?


    A heavy feeling settled in Liang Tian¡¯s heart, and he inwardly cursed at the bad turn of events. Indeed, it was about that matter.


    Seeing Liang Tian¡¯s silence, Du Kang said gravely, "You clearly knew Zhu Hong was a fugitive we were searching for, yet you protected him in secret, helping him escape our pursuit. Liang Tian, do you realize that by doing so, you are opposing Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion? As an elder of Yangxin Pavilion, tomit such an act, you truly disappoint me."


    "No, I haven¡¯t..." Liang Tian hurriedly defended himself, "Elder Du, this is nder. I have never done such a thing. Besides, what evidence do you have?"


    "Evidence?" Du Kang said with displeasure. "At this point, you still refuse to repent. Well, if you want evidence, then I¡¯ll tell you. After Zhu Hong left Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, he went to seek revenge on Ling Chen alone, and he confessed this himself. Liang Tian, I¡¯d like to see how you¡¯ll wriggle out of this."


    "I..." Liang Tian was rendered speechless for a moment.


    At this point, Su Mei spoke up, "ording to Ling Chen, Zhu Hong is not alone; he has many capable people with him. Moreover, he repeatedly told Ling Chen that all of this was arranged by his master. Elder Liang, the matter hase to this point; do you still intend to keep hiding? It¡¯s better to confess than to be stubborn. If you are willing to exin everything, maybe we can show leniency and forgive past actions. But if you remain obdurate, then don¡¯t me me for disregarding past feelings."


    Hearing Su Mei¡¯s serious words, Liang Tian hesitated for a moment and then said, "Pavilion Master, you just said that I sheltered Zhu Hong; I admit to that. Indeed, I came across Zhu Hong hiding in Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion one night. Despite his age, he has quite a potential. I thought to myself, I need a disciple, so why not take him as one and nurture him well. Hence, I deceived those who came searching for Zhu Hong and protected him."


    "And then what?"


    "Elder Du, I admit to that, but I have no connection to the other matters you mentioned."


    "What do you mean?" asked Du Kang sternly.


    "After I took Zhu Hong as my disciple, the youngster was initially well-behaved, but after a few days, he suddenly disappeared. I searched everywhere for him to no avail, throughout Yangxin Pavilion. Therefore, his actions ever since have nothing to do with me."


    Hearing this, Du Kang couldn¡¯t help but m the table and rise up, ring at Liang Tian with fury and snorting, "Liang Tian oh Liang Tian, despite being an ancient figure of Yangxin Pavilion, have you forgotten our rules? Yangxin Pavilion has always forbidden outsiders from entering, yet you dared to harbor a fugitive of Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion within its walls. Do you realize the trouble you¡¯ve invited?"


    Du Kang continued, "This... Elder Du, I¡¯ve recognized my mistake. Besides, this was a minor issue," Liang Tian replied dismissively. "After all, Zhu Hong didn¡¯t cause any major trouble."


    "If he did cause major trouble, then everything would be toote. Liang Tian, you¡¯re not young anymore, yet you stillmit such foolish acts. You¡¯ve not only disappointed me, but I¡¯m sure Elder Su would be even more disappointed when he learns of this. He nurtured you himself and allowed you into Yangxin Pavilion, but you¡¯ve repaid his kindness with such actions."


    "I..." Hearing Du Kang mention Su He, Liang Tian¡¯s face showed a look of shame. He opened his mouth but found no words to say.


    "Enough, I don¡¯t want to talk about this anymore. Pavilion Master, you are the steward of Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion; this matter is for you to handle."


    Su Mei nodded gently and looked at Liang Tian, "Elder Liang, in light of your actions that have gravely vited the rules of both Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion and Yangxin Pavilion, as of today, you are no longer a part of Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion."


    Hearing this, Liang Tian¡¯s face instantly changed as he hurriedly said, "Pavilion Master, you can¡¯t do this. I¡¯m an elder of Yangxin Pavilion, you..."


    "You what?" Du Kang cut him off sharply. "If you truly considered yourself part of Yangxin Pavilion, you wouldn¡¯t have done things that betray Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion. Liang Tian, I¡¯ve given you chances before, but unfortunately, you¡¯ve repeatedly denied and concealed the truth, refusing to admit your faults. If this is the case, then this is the best punishment for you. Say no more, just leave. From now onwards, Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion has nothing to do with you."


    "Pavilion Master..." Liang Tian looked at Su Mei with a face full of pleading, hoping she would reconsider.


    Su Mei sighed lightly and said, "Elder Liang, take care on your way; I won¡¯t see you out." Having said that, Su Mei stood up and walked straight out of the room.

 Chapter 772 - 777: The Missing Experimental Subject

    <h4>Chapter 772: Chapter 777: The Missing Experimental Subject</h4>


    Watching Su Mei leave, along with Du Kang who was unwilling to deal with himself, Liang Tian gritted his teeth and said coldly, "Fine, since you all want to drive me away, I¡¯ll just leave. Du Kang, remember this day. It¡¯s you who are sending me away, so don¡¯te begging me to returnter."


    With those words, Liang Tian walked out without looking back.


    After Liang Tian had left, Du Kang shook his head, sighed, and then took steps to exit the room.


    At this moment, outside the room, Su Mei stood alone in front of a window, looking out at the practice field, her brows slightly furrowed, evidently pondering over something.


    "Pavilion Master."


    Hearing Du Kang¡¯s voice from behind, Su Mei turned around and asked, "Elder Du, do you think Liang Tian¡¯s words are credible?"


    "Although Liang Tian made a mistake in this matter, he is still trustworthy in other aspects. After all, he is an old member of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, having devoted decades to the pavilion with little contact with the outside world, so I believe his words are credible. However, I am quite curious about where Zhu Hong went after leaving Liang Tian, and what could have caused such a significant change in him. It¡¯s really unbelievable."


    "Elder Du, how much do you know about Song Mingzhe?"


    "I can¡¯t say I know much about him, but I¡¯ve heard of him and am aware of his abilities. Truly, Song Mingzhe is also considered a remarkable talent of his generation. Pavilion Master, why don¡¯t you assign more people to conduct a thorough search of the Yangxin Pavilion and see if any clues can be found?"


    "Alright."


    ...


    East Sea City.


    In the research base, Ling Chen sat in Hu Fei¡¯s office, looking at the bustling Hu Fei and asked, "Fatty, have you found anything yet?"


    "Not yet, Zhu Hong has not shown up, and I have no idea where he is hiding. He might have already left East Sea City by now."


    "Not necessarily." Ling Chen shook his head, "Zhu Hong¡¯s main purpose foring back this time was to seek revenge against me. He won¡¯t give up easily before achieving his goal. Besides, you know Zhu Hong, a person who will stop at nothing to reach his goals. We need to stay vignt to make sure nothing like that happens again."


    "Don¡¯t worry, I know what to do." As he said this, Hu Fei looked up, his tone turning, "Hey! Ling Chen, seriously, ever since Elder Zhou arrived, everything at the base has been managed orderly. He truly deserves his reputation as the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion¡¯s professional butler. I used to be so busy with trivial matters that I was almost out of my wits, but now with Elder Zhou here, I don¡¯t have to worry about anything."


    "Of course," Ling Chen said with a smile, "It¡¯s already a great favor that someone with Elder Zhou¡¯s abilities is willing to work with us. Fatty, you should treat Elder Zhou well in the future and not neglect him."


    "Do you even need to tell me that?" Hu Fei gave Ling Chen a disgruntled look and said, "I¡¯m almost treating him like a grandfather now."


    "Alright then!" After a brief bit ofughter, Ling Chen got serious and asked, "By the way, Fatty, is there any news about Xia Mutong and the others?"


    "No, I¡¯ve sent people everywhere to look for them, but they haven¡¯t shown up at all. I¡¯m a bit worried that they might have fallen into someone else¡¯s hands."


    At this point, Hu Fei continued seriously, "On the day our base was attacked, the experiment was in a critical phase, andter the research was interrupted due to the death of the scientists. But, what I¡¯m not sure about is whether the experiment was sessful at all, and whether Xia Mutong, Jiang Yunkai, and Bai Huanjun have returned to normal. If they are still violent, they will continue tomit crimes after leaving the research base. Yet, so much time has passed, and they haven¡¯t appeared, nor has there been any report in the news."


    "That¡¯s strange," Ling Chen frowned slightly. So much time had gone by, and thepleteck of news was quite abnormal. He wondered what could have happened to the three of them.


    After pondering for a while, Ling Chen temporarily set aside this problem and asked, "Fatty, is Zhao Zhengxiong still at the base?"


    "Yes, he is. The crisis is not yet over, so I didn¡¯t dare to send him away. Why, do you want to see him?"


    Ling Chen waved his hand and said, "No need, I was just asking. Since Zhu Hong has escaped, he probably won¡¯t dare to make a move anytime soon. Later, tell Zhao Zhengxiong to go back. After all, he¡¯s a busy man, and we shouldn¡¯t hold up his important work."


    "Okay, I got it."


    Leaving the office, Ling Chen came face to face with Zhou Qi, who was walking toward him, and quickly greeted him.


    "Ling Chen, Zhou Jun told me you were attacked. Are you alright?"


    Feeling Zhou Qi¡¯s concern, Ling Chen smiled and said, "Elder Zhou, I¡¯m fine. Not only am I fine, but this incident has also turned out to be a blessing in disguise, allowing me to sessfully advance to the ranks of the Earthly List masters."


    "Oh?" Zhou Qi¡¯s eyes brightened, and he looked at Ling Chen with an approving gaze, nodding, "Not bad, I wasn¡¯t wrong about you. To enter the Earthly List at such a young age is truly a rare feat. I¡¯ve been on the Earthly List for many years, and although my strength isn¡¯t great, I do have a wealth of experience. If you ever have any questions in the future, feel free to ask me, and I¡¯ll do my best to help you."


    "I¡¯ll thank you in advance."


    After chatting briefly with Zhou Qi, Ling Chen didn¡¯t linger at the base. Driving away from the base, he didn¡¯t go straight back to Wealthy Manor or the hospital, but instead headed to Qingyun Martial Arts Hall.


    There were too many things to take care oftely, and he hadn¡¯t had much time to visit He Ziyun at Qingyun Martial Arts Hall. Besides that, there was another important guest at the hall he wanted to see.


    Arriving outside Qingyun Martial Arts Hall, Ling Chen got out of the car and walked directly to the vermilion gate, lightly knocking on the door.


    Before long, the door opened from the inside, and a small head peeked out, looking at Ling Chen who was standing outside.


    "Little Hua."


    Seeing those round ck eyes and the little goat horn braid on top of her head, Ling Chen¡¯s mouth broke into a wide smile. He hadn¡¯t seen the girl for a while, but she was still the same.


    "Come here, Little Hua, let big brother give you a hug."


    Saying this, Ling Chen stretched out his hand, ready to pick up Little Hua.


    However, before his hand reached her, the Little Hua at the door immediately stepped back, avoiding Ling Chen¡¯s gesture. Following that, the little girl pouted, huffed a little, turned around, and walked back, showing indifference to Ling Chen¡¯s arrival.


    Heh!


    ying hard to get.


    Ling Chenughed helplessly. Despite looking only five or six years old, Little Hua was actually over twenty, a full-fledged adult. If it weren¡¯t for He Ziyun telling Ling Chen, he never would have taken Little Hua for a whimsically cute little girl.


    "Hey! Little girl."


    Ling Chen hastened his steps, catching up with Little Hua as she walked on, grabbed her arm, and asked, "Little girl, who¡¯s been bothering you again? Come on, tell big brother, and I¡¯ll stand up for you."


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 Chapter 773 - 778: Back-to-School Seminar

    <h4>Chapter 773: Chapter 778: Back-to-School Seminar</h4>


    Little Hua pouted and said discontentedly, "Other than you, who else would dare to provoke me?"


    "Me?" Ling Chen pointed at his nose, asking in puzzlement, "My little grandaunt, how did I provoke you? I haven¡¯t been to Qingyun Martial Arts Hall for a long time. Hey, I¡¯m telling you, don¡¯t wrong me."


    "Hmph!" Little Hua turned up her nose and couldn¡¯t be bothered with Ling Chen, she headed straight towards her bedroom.


    "Hey, little girl..." Ling Chen quickly followed, but saw Little Hua suddenly turn around, extend her palm in front of him and said coquettishly, "Girls¡¯ bedroom, men stop here. You¡¯re not allowed to follow me inside, otherwise, I¡¯ll cry harassment."


    Hearing that, Ling Chen gave a wry smile. She¡¯s clearly a grown adult over twenty, yet insists on acting like a child, without any change in her tone or demeanor.


    Looking at the closed door, Ling Chen shook his head helplessly. Actually, there was no need to ask; he knew why Little Hua was angry - it must be because of Zhu Xiaozhu.


    The issue with Zhu Xiaozhu was tooplicated, and Ling Chen didn¡¯t want to overthink it; the more he thought, the more his head hurt. It was better to just let things take their course. Besides, now with Zhu Hong acting as a mediator, it would be better for him and Zhu Xiaozhu to reduce contact.


    Arriving at the Martial Arts Academy¡¯s main hall, he saw He Ziyun sitting in the central seat, holding an invitation deep in thought, not even noticing Ling Chen entering. Only when Ling Chen greeted him did He Ziyune back to senses and turned his gaze to Ling Chen.


    "When did youe back?"


    "I¡¯ve been back for quite a few days. Recently I¡¯ve been resting at home, and with some incidents happening, so I haven¡¯t been around to visit you."


    As he spoke, Ling Chen nced at the invitation in He Ziyun¡¯s hand, and curiously asked, "Mr. He, what¡¯s this?"


    He Ziyun handed the invitation to Ling Chen, saying, "Take a look for yourself."


    Ling Chen took the invitation and was immediately captivated by the first line of the content.


    Respectfully inviting Mr. He Ziyun to Beijing for the Martial Arts Conference.


    Martial Arts Conference?


    This was the first time Ling Chen had heard of this name. He looked at He Ziyun and asked, "Mr. He, what kind of event is this Martial Arts Conference?"


    "I¡¯ve told you before, the Heavenly Mechanism Great Ceremony hosted by Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion is for the Tiger List and Dragon List experts, while the Martial Arts Conference is an exclusive gathering for Earthly List masters. Now, to keep up with the times, it¡¯s renamed the Martial Arts Conference."


    So that¡¯s it! Ling Chen nodded, thinking to himself that the name indeed had a prestigious ring to it.


    "Mr. He, are you going to attend?"


    "Nothing much else to do, might as well go for a walk. Maybe I¡¯ll encounter a few real masters and exchange martial skills."


    "Real masters? Mr. He, what do you mean by that? Aren¡¯t all Earthly List experts considered real?"


    "It¡¯s not about being real or fake. The Martial Arts Conference covers a wide range, not just Earthly List experts, but also Dragon List, Tiger List, and some unaffiliated martial practitioners. I¡¯ve been a couple of times before, and it was quite lively. If you¡¯re interested, you might as welle with me to see for yourself."


    Ling Chen nced at the date on the invitation; the Martial Arts Conference was scheduled to take ce in a month, giving him ample time. If he could settle all his affairs within a month, he could indeed apany He Ziyun to Beijing.


    "Mr. He, let¡¯s talk about it when the timees. If I¡¯m free, I will definitely apany you."


    After a pause, Ling Chen changed the subject and asked, "By the way, Mr. He, how is Nanrong Yuan doing recently?"


    "No need to worry about him, his body is recovering and there is no major issue. Just a little more rest and his injuries should fully heal."


    "That¡¯s good to hear. Mr. He, thanks for your trouble these past days."


    Since transferring Nanrong Yuan to East Sea Cityst time, he had been staying at Qingyun Martial Arts Hall, with Lonely Wolf¡¯s people in charge of guarding him. Lonely Wolf¡¯s side had wanted to move Nanrong Yuan back and send him to a secret prison in Beijing. However, Ling Chen still wanted to find an opportunity for Nanrong Wanqing and Nanrong Yuan to meet.


    After all, no matter what, they were father and daughter. Therefore, Ling Chen specially pleaded with He Ziyun to allow Nanrong Yuan to stay at Qingyun Martial Arts Hall a bit longer.


    He had intended to have Nanrong Wanqing meet Nanrong Yuan earlier, but unfortunately, there hadn¡¯t been a chance, so it was postponed. Currently, Nanrong Wanqing was still recuperating in the hospital and it wasn¡¯t the right time, so they had to wait longer.


    Having stayed at Qingyun Martial Arts Hall for a while, Ling Chen then bid his farewell and returned to the hospital.


    ...


    In the blink of an eye, three days passed.


    On this day, Nanrong Wanqing finally got permission from the doctor to be discharged and go home.


    Back at Wealthy Manor, before Ling Chen had a chance to sit down, he received a call from Hu Fei, who said he had discovered the whereabouts of Xia Mutong and others.


    These past days, in order to find Xia Mutong, Jiang Yunkai, and Bai Huanjun, Ling Chen had used countless resources, with manpower almost covering all of East Sea City. Now atst, there was news of them.


    Without dy, Ling Chen told Nanrong Wanqing, promptly drove to the research base.


    "Fatty."


    Ling Chen pushed open the office door, and before entering, his voice had reached Hu Fei¡¯s ears.


    "Hurry over here." Hu Fei waved to Ling Chen.


    Ling Chen marched quickly to theputer, looked at the screen in front of him, and asked, "Fatty, how is it, where are they?"


    "Half an hour ago, our people sent news saying they¡¯d found Jiang Yunkai, and they¡¯re now bringing him here."


    "Bringing him here?" Ling Chen was taken aback, surprisedly said, "Jiang Yunkai is not in his right mind now, he¡¯s extremely dangerous, how could you let them bring him over?"


    "Don¡¯t worry," Hu Fei said with a smile, "When they found Jiang Yunkai, he was indeed delirious, but at that time, Yunkai was digging through a trash can, just like a beggar, hardly a threat."


    "Digging through a trash can?" Ling Chen was taken aback. How could Jiang Yunkai have fallen to such a state?


    "By the way, Fatty, other than Jiang Yunkai, have Xia Mutong and Bai Huanjun been found?"


    "No sightings of them yet, but since we¡¯ve found Kai, finding the other two shouldn¡¯t be hard. Don¡¯t be too anxious, take it slowly. As long as they haven¡¯t left East Sea City, we¡¯ll definitely locate them."


    As they were talking, a young man rushed into the office and said, "Big Brother Hu, Chen, Kai has been brought back."


    Hearing this, Ling Chen and Hu Fei quickly headed outside.


    At the entrance of the research base, they saw four or five youths carrying Jiang Yunkai, bringing him into a room.


    Looking at Jiang Yunkai lying t on the bed, moaning incessantly, Ling Chen slightly frowned. After some time without seeing him, he didn¡¯t expect Jiang Yunkai to have be like this, with ragged clothes, looking even worse than a beggar.


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 Chapter 774 - 779: Father and Son Meet

    <h4>Chapter 774: Chapter 779: Father and Son Meet</h4>


    How did ite to this?


    Ling Chen muttered in surprise. Before undergoing the experiment, Jiang Yunkai waspletely a killing machine, devoid of any emotions. Now, he¡¯s changed into this state; could it be that he has lost his memory?


    "Kai." Ling Chen approached Jiang Yunkai, calling his name.


    "Eat... I want to eat... eat..." Jiang Yunkai mumbled hazily, his speech slurred and he seemed to have lost his sanity.


    Ling Chen sighed helplessly and said, "Fatty, have someone prepare some food." After speaking, Ling Chen ced his hand on Jiang Yunkai¡¯s pulse to check his physical condition.


    After a while, Ling Chen raised his hand and touched his nose.


    Strange!


    Jiang Yunkai¡¯s bodily functions were all normal,cking any abnormalities. If so, why has he changed like this? Could it be due to issues with the experiment that caused brain damage?


    Thinking of this, Ling Chen couldn¡¯t help but worry. If the brain was damaged, his medical skills would not be able to detect it. Moreover, the brain is the most mysterious part of the human body. Once there is a problem with the brain, it is very likely to lead to dementia, as shown in Jiang Yunkai¡¯s current behavior.


    "Fatty, quickly have someone take Kai to the hospital," Ling Chen said sternly.


    "Alright, I¡¯ll arrange for someone immediately."


    "You stay here, continue to look for the whereabouts of others; I¡¯ll apany Kai to the hospital."


    "Remember to inform me once there¡¯s a result, to put my mind at ease."


    Leaving the research base, Ling Chen took Jiang Yunkai to the car and drove straight to the hospital.


    Upon arriving at the hospital, afterpleting the procedures, Jiang Yunkai was taken by a doctor to the equipment room.


    After waiting outside for a moment, the doctor in charge came out of the equipment room and asked Ling Chen, "Are you the patient¡¯s rtive?"


    "No, he¡¯s my friend. Doctor, how is his condition?"


    "His condition is rather strange. I¡¯ve checked his brain, and there isn¡¯t anything unusual. However, his consciousness is unclear, and I don¡¯t know what caused it. How about this, let your friend stay in the hospital, andter I can ask a few brain specialists to examine him thoroughly to see what exactly is wrong with your friend."


    Ling Chen thought for a moment, then nodded, "That sounds good. However, I have a request..."


    Ling Chen¡¯s request was actually very simple; Jiang Yunkai must be arranged in a private room, and he wanted his own people to guard him. Jiang Yunkai was too dangerous, and even though his consciousness was unclear now, there was still the possibility that he might harm someone. It¡¯s better to be safe than sorry.


    After settling Jiang Yunkai, Ling Chen left a few people there, then drove back to the research base alone.


    On the way back to the research base, Ling Chen suddenly received a phone call. The number disyed was an unknown call, from East Sea City.


    Upon answering, Ling Chen greeted, and was about to inquire when he heard a voice from the other end of the phone: "Ling Chen?"


    "It¡¯s me, who are you?"


    "I¡¯m Yang Tao."


    "Yang Tao?" Ling Chen was startled, then quickly realized and said: "Yang, are you also in East Sea City?" After finishing his question, Ling Chen suddenly remembered something. Initially, Yang Tao and his brother Yang Zhe had apanied Porridge Girl to find Ji Gang for a swap, and so much time had passed without any news from the three of them, it was unknown if they had seeded.


    Now that Yang Tao called, could it be that they already have a result?


    Thinking of this, Ling Chen immediately asked, "Yang, have you... have you swapped the person back?"


    "Ling Chen, let¡¯s not talk about this for now,e quickly to Yunshui Hotel, room 302, we are waiting for you here."


    "Okay, I¡¯ll be right there."


    After hanging up the phone, Ling Chen found the address of Yunshui Hotel on the mobile map and drove there.


    Yunshui Hotel.


    Ling Chen took the elevator to the third floor of the hotel and found room 302. After knocking, the door was quickly opened by Yang Tao.


    "Brother Yang."


    Yang Tao nodded, nced out into the corridor, and seeing that no one was around, he weed Ling Chen inside.


    Seeing Yang Tao acting so cautiously, Ling Chen felt something was odd and asked as they walked, "Brother Yang, what¡¯s wrong?"


    "Ji Gang is searching everywhere for us, it¡¯s better to be careful."


    "Ji Gang?" Ling Chen was shocked. Ji Gang was actually in East Sea City and searching for Yang Tao and the others.


    Inside the room, porridge girl and Yang Zhe were both there, sitting on the sofa looking somewhat weak, as if they had suffered internal injuries.


    "Brother Yang." Ling Chen greeted Yang Zhe, then quickly went to porridge girl¡¯s side, asking with concern, "How are you? Are you okay?"


    Porridge girl gently shook her head, whispering, "It¡¯s just some minor injuries, nothing serious."


    "Then..." Ling Chen initially wanted to ask if they had managed to bring back his father, but seeing the severity of their injuries, he guessed that their mission had not been sessful and decided not to ask.


    Porridge girl looked up at Ling Chen and softly said, "Don¡¯t worry, Master has been rescued, he¡¯s in the bedroom over there."


    "Really?" Ling Chen¡¯s eyes lit up. He looked towards the neighboring bedroom, his eyes filled with anticipation and excitement.


    After so many years, he was finally going to see his father. Thinking about this, Ling Chen¡¯s excitement grew, almost wishing to burst into the room immediately.


    Taking a deep breath, Ling Chen approached the bedroom door, grasped the handle, and gently turned it, pushing the door open.


    "Dad..."


    The long-missed word slipped from his mouth, and Ling Chen felt a sting at the corners of his eyes. It had been so many years since he was an ignorant young boy, and now he stood as a man who had faced numerous dangers, relying on luck and his own efforts to get through.


    Now about to meet his father, Ling Chen felt he had so many things to tell Ling Kun.


    However, when the bedroom door opened, Ling Chen only saw a middle-aged man lying on the bed, his father Ling Kun.


    At that moment, Ling Kuny quietly on the bed, motionless, akin to a dead man, devoid of any signs of life.


    "Dad..."


    Ling Chen paused, hurried to the bedside, and called out his name.


    "Dad, you..."


    "Stop calling."


    Before Ling Chen could finish, porridge girl¡¯s voice came from the doorway. Ling Chen turned to look at her, anxiously asking, "What happened to my dad?"


    Porridge girl bit her lip and stammered, "When we escaped from Ji Gang, Master took a blow from him to buy us time, and ended up seriously injured and fell into aa. It¡¯s been many days, and he hasn¡¯t woken up yet."


    "Why didn¡¯t you take him to the hospital?"


    Porridge girl sighed, "We wanted to, but Ji Gang has been tracking us. We can¡¯t stay put; we have to keep moving. We¡¯ve been moving around a lot these days, only arriving in East Sea City today."

 Chapter 775 - 780: Escaping After Switching People with a Fake Pill

    <h4>Chapter 775: Chapter 780: Escaping After Switching People with a Fake Pill</h4>


    Ling Chen said in a deep voice, "Could it be that Ji Gang, that old bastard, didn¡¯t keep his promise, took the Nine Elements Pill, and still wants to keep you here?"


    "That¡¯s not it. Actually... actually, we used a stratagem, using a fake Nine Elements Pill to exchange our Master back from Ji Gang. Later, Ji Gang saw through our trick, so he tracked us relentlessly, and we had no choice but to run everywhere."


    "You deceived Ji Gang?" Ling Chen asked in surprise.


    Ji Gang is no ordinary person; he is a master of the Heavenly List. It¡¯s daring of them to deceive Ji Gang like that. However, Ling Chen still found it odd that if they could deceive Ji Gang with their stratagem, why did they still use the Nine Elements Pill to exchange for Ling Kun? That seemed redundant.


    Thinking of this, Ling Chen couldn¡¯t help but voice the doubt in his mind.


    "It¡¯s because we had the real Nine Elements Pill that we were able to deceive Ji Gang. After Ji Gang¡¯s people verified the Nine Elements Pill, we secretly swapped it with a fake one. By the time Ji Gang realized, we had already escaped with the Master. However, we didn¡¯t expect Ji Gang to find out so quickly; we didn¡¯t even have the chance to escape. If it wasn¡¯t for the Master sacrificing himself at the critical moment, we all would have died by Ji Gang¡¯s hand."


    "You... Ah, you took too many risks."


    Porridge girl said guiltily, "We didn¡¯t want the Nine Elements Pill to fall into Ji Gang¡¯s hands, so this was the only way. Ji Gang is already a master of the Heavenly List; if he obtained the Nine Elements Pill, who could stand against him in the future."


    "Let it be!"


    It¡¯s toote to say anything now. Ling Chen shook his head and looked at Ling Kun on the bed, asking, "How is my father¡¯s condition?"


    "Master is severely injured and is in critical danger. At thest moment, he used a special technique to put himself into a state of suspended animation. In this way, the consumption of his body functions can be minimized, which prolongs his life."


    "When will he recover?"


    "I don¡¯t know. However, Master¡¯s body will gradually recover, and once his injuries are sufficiently healed, he will naturally wake up."


    Ling Chen smiled bitterly, "So, no one knows when my father will wake up."


    "You don¡¯t need to worry too much. I know Master¡¯s capabilities the best, he will wake up sooner orter, there won¡¯t be any issues. I called you here to find a safe ce for Master to recuperate properly."


    Hearing this, Ling Chen immediately thought of the research base. However, as soon as this idea appeared, Ling Chen denied it. Although the research base is a good choice, its defensive power is weak, with not many experts present. If Ji Gang were toe, his father would definitely be in danger.


    "Ling Chen, do you have any good ces?"


    "This..." Ling Chen touched his head, suddenly, he seemed to think of something, his eyes lighting up.


    I got it!


    "I know where to take my dad."


    "Where?"


    Ling Chen opened his mouth about to speak. But, thinking of Yang Tao and Yang Zhe outside the bedroom, Ling Chen immediately lowered his voice and said, "Elder Su¡¯s ce."


    Hearing the word ¡¯Elder Su¡¯, porridge girl immediately understood Ling Chen¡¯s intention, nodding and saying, "If Elder Su can really shelter Master, that would indeed be a good choice."


    "Alright, no time to dy, I will immediately arrange for someone to take my father to Elder Su¡¯s ce." Saying this, Ling Chen paused, then changed the topic and asked, "If I leave, what will you do?"


    "Yang Tao and his brother will return to the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion. There are so many experts there, even Ji Gang with all his abilities wouldn¡¯t dare to cause trouble at the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion. As for me... don¡¯t worry about me, I can disappear on my own. Ling Chen, don¡¯t worry about anything else, just settle Master first. After everything with Master is settled,e find me."


    "Okay, take care."


    Leaving the room, Ling Chen carried Ling Kun on his back, covered him with a bedsheet, and directly took the elevator down to the hotel lobby.


    Upon reaching the parking lot outside, a Mercedes-Benz van was parked by the road.


    "Chen, over here."


    Jiang Hao sat in the driver¡¯s cabin of the van, waved at Ling Chen, and hurriedly got out of the vehicle to greet him. Seeing Ling Kun on Ling Chen¡¯s back, Jiang Hao curiously asked, "Chen, who is this?"


    "Don¡¯t ask too many questions, just open the car door."


    Jiang Hao dared not go against Ling Chen¡¯s words and quickly opened the rear door of the Mercedes-Benz van.


    Although Ling Chen himself drove a car, that car was too small and not suitable for long distances, that¡¯s why he had Jiang Hao prepare a spacious van.


    The seats in the back of the van had been folded down to make a bed.


    Ling Chen ced Ling Kun on the makeshift bed, then got into the driver¡¯s seat.


    "Chen, aren¡¯t you going to let mee with you?"


    "No need." Saying that, Ling Chen threw his car keys to Jiang Hao, instructing, "Help me drive the car back to Wealthy Manor."


    "Got it, Chen."


    Driving alone, Ling Chen headed straight onto the highway towards Jinhai City.


    After about a day¡¯s drive, Ling Chen finally arrived in Jinhai City. However, Su He lived on the outskirts of Jinhai City by the sea, which was still a few hours away.


    Having driven all day, Ling Chen was incredibly tired. He yawned, parked the car on the roadside, checked on Ling Kun in the back, and then walked to a nearby fast-food restaurant.


    He bought two hamburgers, nibbling on one as he walked back to the Mercedes-Benz van.


    But just leaving the fast-food restaurant, Ling Chen discovered that the Mercedes-Benz van parked by the roadside had disappeared.


    Where¡¯s the car?


    Ling Chen paused in shock, not caring about the hamburger in his hand anymore, he quickly threw the hamburger on the ground and hurried to the roadside.


    Looking around, there was no sign of the Mercedes-Benz van. Ling Chen grew anxious inside; the area was mostly crossroads, and it was unclear in which direction the van had gone.


    Damn it!


    Ling Chen cursed inwardly. Who would do such a thing, stealing the van while he wasn¡¯t paying attention.


    Could it be Ji Gang?


    No way.


    Ling Chen furrowed his brow. He had been rushing to Jinhai City with Ling Kun without any stops; it was impossible for Ji Gang to have received the news so quickly. And even if Ji Gang knew, he couldn¡¯t have gotten here that fast.


    Who could it be then?


    Right!


    Surveince footage.


    This area was full of crossroads, each equipped with surveince cameras. If someone had stolen the Mercedes-Benz van, it should be captured by the cameras.


    With a n in mind, Ling Chen immediately pulled out his phone and called Tang Yuan.


    Tang Yuan¡¯s current status was not simple; he worked for a special department. With his help, checking the surveince footage should be much more convenient.


    The call connected, and before Ling Chen could speak, he heard Tang Yuan¡¯s voice from the other end of the phone, "Tang Yuan, what a coincidence. I was just about to call you."


    "Did you need something from me?"


    "Of course, and it¡¯s actually good news."


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 Chapter 776 - 781 Tang Guoxiong’s Revenge (1)

    <h4>Chapter 776: Chapter 781 Tang Guoxiong¡¯s Revenge (1)</h4>


    "Tang Yuan said cheerfully on the other end of the phone, ¡¯Brother, I¡¯ve upgraded.¡¯"


    "Oh? What¡¯s your position now?"


    "I am now Colonel Pang¡¯s deputy, and also a core member of Lonely Wolf. Han Bing, Jiulin, and I, as veterans of Ghosts, now control Lonely Wolf. It won¡¯t be long before we bring back the glory days of Ghosts."


    Glory?


    Ling Chen bitterly smiled to himself. The glory of Ghosts had long be a thing of the past, and as for Lonely Wolf, its glory had yet to start and was unlikely to arrive.


    In fact, upon learning of Jiulin¡¯s military rank, he knew that the mysterious organization Lonely Wolf was no longer a priority for the higher-ups.


    In the past, both Ghosts and Lonely Wolf were managed by General Qiao Zhen. Not only was Qiao Zhen experienced, but he was also a general, a high rank given due to the high value ced on the development of Ghosts and Lonely Wolf. Now, the general has retired, looked after by the state, and with Ghosts dissolved, only Lonely Wolf remains.


    Jiulin was once an instructor for Ghosts and is experienced; now chosen as the new leader of Lonely Wolf, he was only given the rank of Colonel. This is arge gappared to Qiao Zhen. Of course, Jiulin having rtively less tenure in the military division, couldn¡¯t be directly given a general¡¯s rank¡ªthat would be too frivolous. However, considering Jiulin¡¯s age and rich experience, along with his contributions to the country, he definitely deserved a general¡¯s rank.


    By doing this, the higher-ups undoubtedly aimed to weaken the influence and privileges of Lonely Wolf.


    At this rate, it wouldn¡¯t be long before the higher-ups find a recement for Lonely Wolf, turning it into an expendable asset, possibly even following in the footsteps of Ghosts.


    Tang Yuan wasn¡¯t foolish; he must be aware of such issues.


    Seeing Ling Chen remain silent over the phone, Tang Yuan seemed to guess what he was thinking, and said with augh, "I know what you¡¯re thinking. The higher-ups used to value Ghosts and Lonely Wolf, or rather they recognized General Qiao Zhen. They trusted the General and his capabilities, which is why they werefortable delegating powers to Ghosts and Lonely Wolf. Colonel Pang has just taken over the leadership of Lonely Wolf, and although the General knows him, the higher-ups aren¡¯t fully aware of his capabilities, so they wouldn¡¯t delegate all powers to him just yet. As long as we produce results, I believe Lonely Wolf will gradually grow."


    Ling Chen silently nodded, agreeing with Tang Yuan¡¯s reasoning. Everything is difficult at the start; he hoped that Jiulin and Tang Yuan could work together to strengthen and expand Lonely Wolf.


    "Old Tang, did you contact me just for this?"


    "No, there¡¯s another matter," Tang Yuan¡¯s tone suddenly grew serious.


    "Ling Chen, be careful these days, someone might harm you."


    "Who?"


    "Do you remember Tang Guoxiong?"


    "Of course." How could Ling Chen forget Tang Guoxiong? Initially, the higher-ups had sent Tang Guoxiong into Lonely Wolf to participate in all its operations. Indeed, everyone understood that Tang Guoxiong¡¯s purpose in joining Lonely Wolf was to monitor it and limit the General¡¯s power.


    Later, when the General and Tang Yuan tried to help themselves, breaking Lonely Wolf¡¯s regtions, Tang Guoxiong captured them. For this, Tang Guoxiong repeatedly opposed them, seizing their achievements. Not long ago, Ling Chen had managed to get He Ziyun out of retirement and then used a little strategy to make Tang Guoxiong suffer a major setback, resulting in his imprisonment.


    Thinking back, this was only a matter of months ago. Given Tang Guoxiong¡¯s offenses, he should have been imprisoned for some time, not likely to be released soon.


    "Tang Guoxiong has been released from prison early."


    Hearing what Tang Yuan said, Ling Chen was surprised, "How could this be?"


    "Tang Guoxiong has connections and a background, with someone secretly pulling strings for him, enabling his early release. From what I know, Tang Guoxiong has already left Beijing, his whereabouts unknown. However, I know that Tang Guoxiong has had contact with some unscrupulous individuals, I worry he might seek revenge on you, so I wanted to warn you to be careful."


    Ling Chen looked at the spot where the Mercedes-Benz business van had just parked, his eyebrows slightly furrowing.


    He had been wondering who could have stolen that business van. Now, hearing about Tang Guoxiong from Tang Yuan, could it have been him?


    Thinking this, Ling Chen immediately shared the events that had happened with Tang Yuan.


    "Is that so? Wait for me, I¡¯ll make a call to the traffic department in Jinhai City and ask if they have any surveince footage." After saying this, Tang Yuan immediately hung up.


    Less than two minutester, Tang Yuan called back.


    "Tang Yuan, I¡¯m afraid your guess was right; it was Tang Guoxiong."


    Ling Chen urgently asked, "Did the surveince video catch it?"


    "It did catch it, but the record is now gone. I just called to inquire with the traffic department, and they told me that just a few minutes ago, someone went to the traffic department and deleted a segment of the footage. The person showed credentials from a special government department, so the traffic leaders didn¡¯t dare stop it. Given such authority, that person must have government backing, so besides Tang Guoxiong, I can¡¯t think of anyone else."


    "It must be him." Ling Chen said in a deep voice. Although he had many enemies, they all came from the God Organization and Martial Arts world, with no ties to the government. Since the individual showed credentials from a special government department, it was undoubtedly Tang Guoxiong.


    This bastard... He had spared him once, and he dared to cause trouble over him? Did he really think he had no temper?


    "Old Tang, Tang Guoxiong and his group must still be in Jinhai City, help me think of a way to find their whereabouts."


    No choice, as Ling Kun was still in that Mercedes-Benz business van, and it concerned the safety of his father, Ling Chen couldn¡¯t help but worry.


    "Wait for me, I¡¯ll immediately use Lonely Wolf¡¯s resources to help you search."


    After hanging up the phone, Ling Chen put away his cell phone and turned his head to survey the surrounding area. Although Tang Guoxiong had someone destroy the surveince footage at the traffic department, that was only traffic management footage. The area was filled with hotels, fast food restaurants, and coffee shops; there definitely were other surveince cameras that could have captured the location of the Mercedes-Benz business van.


    At that moment, Ling Chen began to inspect the nearby shops one by one to see which shop¡¯s surveince might have caught the position of the Mercedes-Benz business van.


    However, just then, a ck Mercedes sedan slowly drove up and stopped next to Ling Chen.


    The car window rolled down, and a man in his thirties, dressed in a suit, leaned out from inside the car and said, "Mr. Ling, if you want to find someone, it¡¯s best to get in the car."

 Chapter 777 - 782 Tang Guoxiong’s Revenge (2)

    <h4>Chapter 777: Chapter 782 Tang Guoxiong¡¯s Revenge (2)</h4>


    Ling Chen stared at the middle-aged man and said in a deep voice, "Was it you who stole my car?"


    "Mr. Ling, since you know, why bother asking so much? If you don¡¯t want anything to happen to the person in the car, you¡¯d better get in quickly and not waste any more time."


    Hearing this, Ling Chen, without another word, quickly opened the car door and sat in the back seat.


    Another middle-aged man was also in the back seat. Seeing Ling Chen get in, a sharp dagger suddenly appeared in the man¡¯s hand, pressing against Ling Chen¡¯s waist while his other hand reached out in front of Ling Chen, saying, "Mr. Ling, please cooperate and hand over your phone and any weapons."


    Ling Chen tossed his phone into the man¡¯s hand and said indifferently, "I have no weapons, just this phone."


    The middle-aged man searched him suspiciously until he was sure Ling Chen carried no weapons, then gestured to the driver. Understanding the cue, the driver immediately started the car and drove onto the road.


    Throughout the trip, the two middle-aged men did not speak, no matter what Ling Chen said, they never responded.


    Seeing this situation, Ling Chen simply shut his mouth. Since he couldn¡¯t get any information, he did not want to waste his breath.


    After driving for over twenty minutes, the car finally entered the underground parking garage of a mall. The parking garage was still under construction and not yetpleted, with barriers blocking the entrance. Seeing the Mercedes sedan approaching, a man in a suit hurriedly moved the barriers aside. After the car passed, he quickly reced them to prevent other vehicles from entering by mistake.


    Entering the underground parking garage, Ling Chen turned to look out the car window. Soon, he saw a Mercedes-Benz business van, the very one he had driven from East Sea City.


    Next to the Mercedes-Benz van, two other sedans were parked, and a few middle-aged men in suits stood nearby. Observing their formation, Ling Chen immediately focused on one of the sedans.


    With Ling Chen¡¯s abundant experience, a mere nce was enough for him to deduce that those middle-aged men were protecting that sedan. So, he was certain that an important person was sitting in that sedan, perhaps his target, Tang Guoxiong.


    The sedan stopped, and the middle-aged man in the back seat pushed Ling Chen¡¯s shoulder and barked, "Get out!"


    Ling Chen didn¡¯t resist and obediently pushed the car door and stepped out.


    As soon as his feet touched the ground, two men immediately came up outside the car, grabbing Ling Chen¡¯s shoulders to prevent him from escaping.


    "Gentlemen, there¡¯s no need to use so much force. We¡¯re already here; where do you think I can escape to?" After speaking, Ling Chen raised his head and looked at the sedan not far away, and said, "Call your boss out."


    As soon as these words fell, the car door of the opposite sedan was opened by a man in a suit. Immediately after, a middle-aged man in a crisp suit alighted from the back seat.


    Recognizing the man, Ling Chen inwardly eximed, sure enough. He was right, the person who hijacked the Mercedes-Benz business van was indeed Tang Guoxiong.


    Tang Guoxiong adjusted his tie and walked briskly toward Ling Chen, eying the trapped Ling Chen with a cold gaze, a hint of triumph shing across his face.


    "Ling Chen, you never expected to fall into my hands so quickly, did you? I¡¯ve said before, I will never let you go."


    Ling Chen said indifferently, "I admit you have powerful connections, to be released from prison in just a few months. However, you made one mistake."


    "What is it?"


    Ling Chen didn¡¯t directly answer Tang Guoxiong but looked at the Mercedes-Benz business van and asked, "What about the person in that car? Where is he?"


    Tang Guoxiong sneered, "You mean that vegetative person? I have no interest in him; he¡¯s still lying in the van. Don¡¯t worry, after I deal with you, I¡¯ll inform the hospital to take care of him, so you can rest easy on your way."


    While they were talking, a middle-aged man beside Ling Chen drew a dagger from his waist. He just waited for Tang Guoxiong¡¯s order to stab Ling Chen without hesitation.


    "Tang Guoxiong, as I said before, you made a mistakeing after me for revenge."


    As soon as the words were out, Tang Guoxiong hadn¡¯t even reacted when they heard two cries of pain; the two men supervising Ling Chen both copsed to the ground, and even more, Ling Chen had snatched the dagger from the other man¡¯s hand.


    From beginning to end, no one in the crowd had seen Ling Chen¡¯s move clearly before his twopanions were down.


    Facing the stunned crowd, Ling Chen was very calm, looking yfully at Tang Guoxiong and said, "You really thought I¡¯m so easy to bully? To actually catch me and bring me here." Saying this, Ling Chen looked around and nodded to himself, "This ce is good, no one to disturb, no cameras, it¡¯s a perfect spot to settle things."


    Seeing Ling Chen approaching step by step, Tang Guoxiong hurriedly retreated a few steps and coldly shouted, "Ling Chen, don¡¯t be arrogant in front of me. I know you were a member of the Ghosts, and highly skilled. Since I know your details, do you think I came unprepared? Mr. Qin, it¡¯s your turn to make a move."


    Following Tang Guoxiong¡¯s gaze, they saw a person stepping down from that sedan.


    To be exact, it was a young man whose features were passable, probably about the same age as Ling Chen, carrying an air of arrogance as if everyone was below him.


    Ling Chen sized up the young man, who was also looking at him, but his gaze was full of disdain, not taking Ling Chen seriously at all.


    When the young man approached, Ling Chen asked with a sneer, "Are you the person Tang Guoxiong hired to deal with me?"


    "Indeed. Remember my name, Qin Gang. When you report to the King of Hellter, you¡¯ll know who killed you."


    Hearing this, Ling Chen couldn¡¯t help butugh. The youth was truly boastful. He didn¡¯t deny that there were many skilled masters among the young, but certainly not this young man. Besides, recognized young masters like Wang Hao had been defeated by him, who else could he fear?


    "Alright, since you want to kill me, let me see what you are capable of," said Ling Chen, hooking his finger, signaling Qin Gang to make a move.


    Qin Gang nced sidelong at Ling Chen,pletely ignoring Ling Chen¡¯s provocation, and coldly said, "I¡¯ll let you make the first move; otherwise, I¡¯m afraid you won¡¯t even have the chance."


    Ling Chen chuckled. He had seen arrogant people before, but never someone as arrogant as this. This guy really thought of himself as a Heavenly List expert.


    In a sh of thought, Ling Chen nodded and said, "Alright, since you insist that I make the first move, I¡¯llply."


    With those words, Ling Chen slowly walked up to Qin Gang and held out a finger.

 Chapter 778 - 783: Those Who Offend Me Shall Die

    <h4>Chapter 778: Chapter 783: Those Who Offend Me Shall Die</h4>


    Seeing Ling Chen extend a finger, Qin Gang instantly red up in a fury and roared angrily, "Ling, are you looking down on me, I....."


    Before Qin Gang could finish speaking, Ling Chen suddenly pointed out with his finger. His fingertip hadn¡¯t even touched Qin Gang when thetter¡¯s body was already flying out, heavily striking the windshield of a sedan with a loud crash, the ss fracturing instantly.


    Seeing this scene, everyone was stunned, their faces full of shock as they looked at Ling Chen.


    Is this... even human? He hadn¡¯t even touched Qin Gang, yet he sent him flying. This was beyond theirprehension.


    Indeed, apart from martial artists, how could ordinary people understand Inner Strength and Hua Realm?


    "Inner Strength... you... you know Inner Strength..."


    At this moment, Qin Gang finally recovered from his shock, looking towards Ling Chen with a face full of fear, hastily climbing up from the shattered window.


    Ling Chen cracked a smile, "So you do recognize good stuff."


    "You are... you¡¯re a top fighter from the Tiger List..." Qin Gang swallowed his saliva, step by step retreating backward, eyes full of fear.


    Tiger List?


    Ling Chen smiled and said nothing. His strength had already sessfully advanced to the Earthly List; the Tiger List was long in the past for him. However, such things weren¡¯t necessary to unt.


    "Qin Gang, remember this and grow some sense. Don¡¯t act invincible just because you¡¯ve learned a bit of martial arts. There are always people beyond people, and heavens beyond heavens. It¡¯s better to keep a low profile. Alright, while I¡¯m still in a good mood, scram."


    Hearing these words, Qin Gang, like a man reprieved from death, didn¡¯t say anything more, and hurriedly ran towards the parking lot exit, no longer caring about the presence of Tang Guoxiong and the others.


    Watching Qin Gang throw himself out and escape, Tang Guoxiong felt an urge to explode with anger.


    Useless, truly useless. He had gone through a lot of connections and spent a considerable sum to employ Qin Gang through others. When he firstid eyes on Qin Gang, he also doubted thetter¡¯s ability. After all, the man was too young; it was uncertain if he had the capability to deal with Ling Chen. Therefore, he specifically asked Qin Gang to demonstrate his skills in public.


    After seeing Qin Gang effortlessly break a ten-centimeter thick stone b with his bare hands, Tang Guoxiong finally felt at ease, convinced that he had hired a real expert. These past days, to take good care of Qin Gang, whatever requirements he had, he fulfilled them all, treating him with good liquor, good meat, and good women.


    Now look what happened. That guy actually disregarded his employer¡¯s safety and ran for his life alone.


    Could Ling Chen really be that formidable? Thinking of this, Tang Guoxiong¡¯s gaze towards Ling Chen carried a hint of gravity. If he had known earlier that the guy was so good at fighting, he should have hired a few more experts.


    "Tang Guoxiong,e on and bring out whatever tricks you have." Ling Chen stood with his hands behind his back, looking at Tang Guoxiong and said.


    "Ling Chen, don¡¯t get toocent, I don¡¯t believe all my men together can¡¯t take you down." Having said that, Tang Guoxiong shouted at his subordinates: "What are you standing around for, hurry up and do it, kill him!"


    However, the over ten suit-d men that Tang Guoxiong had brought all stayed frozen in ce, not daring to make a move. After witnessing Ling Chen¡¯s skills, who among them would have the guts to confront him¡ªthat would be seeking death.


    Seeing no one made a move, Ling Chen said with a smile, "Gentlemen, I have no grudge against you, so I don¡¯t want to hurt you. How about this, leave this ce before I take action. As for what happened here, pretend it never happened. Any objections?"


    "Who dares to leave!" Hearing Ling Chen persuading his men to leave, Tang Guoxiong became anxious, shouting loudly, "Don¡¯t forget, you¡¯ve all taken my money. Taking someone¡¯s money to do their bidding; that¡¯s your rule."


    "So these are the help you¡¯ve hired with money." Ling Chenughed and said, "That makes things easier. Gentlemen, feel free to leave, keep the money, and I can assure you, he won¡¯t be able to chase you down for it in the future."


    As these words came out, everyone exchanged nces, a flicker of eagerness in their eyes.


    "Mr. Tang, sorry about this, but money is good, and if we are dead, no amount of money would be of any use. We¡¯re leaving first. When you return, we¡¯ll be sure to give the money back to you." One of the men said and then immediately drove away from the parking lot.


    "Don¡¯t... you¡¯re not allowed to go..." Watching his hired help leave one by one, Tang Guoxiong became panicked, hurriedly chasing after them, trying to keep them from leaving.


    "Tang Guoxiong, weren¡¯t you going to deal with me? Where are you going now?"


    Ling Chen strode in front of Tang Guoxiong, blocking his way, watching him with a mocking smile.


    "Ling... Ling Chen..."


    Tang Guoxiong stepped back, swallowing his saliva nervously, and said with a forced smile, "Ling Chen, it¡¯s a misunderstanding... just a misunderstanding, I didn¡¯t mean to hurt you. I just wanted to scare you, to blow off steam. How about this, let me go, and from now on, we won¡¯t cross paths again, I won¡¯t trouble you anymore, what do you think?"


    Ling Chen shook his head and said, "Not so good. Tang Guoxiong, I know your true colors all too well. The moment I let you go, sooner orter, you¡¯ll seek revenge. So, I prefer to be decisive and nip the threat in the bud."


    Hearing this, Tang Guoxiong¡¯s face turned white. Damn it, if only I had known this guy was so tough to deal with, I would have brought a gun for protection. I thought with so many people here, taking down Ling Chen wouldn¡¯t be an issue, who knew they were all a bunch of ingrates, totally useless.


    "Ling Chen, if you let me go, I¡¯ll agree to any conditions."


    "Sorry, I don¡¯t ept."


    With that, Ling Chen nced at the exit of the underground parking lot. Those hired by Tang Guoxiong had already driven away. The vast parking lot was left with only him and Tang Guoxiong.


    "Tang Guoxiong, remember this, reincarnate as an honest person in your next life." After speaking, without waiting for Tang Guoxiong to react, Ling Chen swung his iron fist and ruthlessly smashed it above Tang Guoxiong¡¯s ear.


    Instantly, Tang Guoxiong¡¯s eyes filled with blood, and he toppled to the ground, lifeless.


    Looking at Tang Guoxiong¡¯s corpse, Ling Chen huffed lightly and muttered, "Still thinking of seeking revenge against me, what do you count for?"


    Returning next to the Mercedes-Benz van, Ling Chen opened the rear door, only to see Ling Kun still lying on that makeshift bed. Fortunately, Tang Guoxiong did not harm his father.


    At that moment, Ling Chen sat in the driver¡¯s seat and drove the car out of the underground parking lot.


    Not long after leaving the parking lot, Ling Chen bought a disposable phone from the roadside and called Tang Yuan. His own phone was destroyed and could no longer be used.


    After exining the situation to Tang Yuan, Tang Yuan replied, "I know, you don¡¯t need to worry about this. I¡¯ll arrange for someone to take care of itter."


    "Then I¡¯ll be troubling you."


    "What are we brothers for? You go on with your things, and we¡¯ll keep in touch when you¡¯re free."

 Chapter 779 - 784 Chen Quan

    <h4>Chapter 779: Chapter 784 Chen Quan</h4>


    Several hourster, Ling Chen finally drove to the seaside where Su He resided.


    It was still the same standalone cabin. At this time, night had fallen, and clusters of waves hit the shore, bringing the continual sounds of the surf.


    Looking at the dim yellow light inside the cabin, Ling Chen parked the car, then, carrying Ling Kun, walked towards the cabin. As he approached the door without having to knock, he saw Su He, showing signs of age, open the door and appear at the entrance.


    Su He took a nce at the unconscious Ling Kun and asked, "Who is he?"


    "Elder Su, this is my father, Ling Kun."


    "Come in."


    Once inside, Ling Chen gently ced Ling Kun on the bed and took the nket from Su He to cover Ling Kun, to prevent him from catching cold.


    "What happened to him?" Su He inquired.


    "My father was injured by Ji Gang." Ling Chen then recounted what porridge girl had told him. After hearing the story, a look of surprise shed across the old man¡¯s face. Before Ling Chen could finish, Su He walked over to Ling Kun, lifted his eyelids, and checked his body.


    After Su Hepleted a full-body check of Ling Kun, the surprise on his face intensified. Noticing Su He¡¯s changing expression, Ling Chen asked, "Elder Su, what¡¯s wrong with my father?"


    "Nothing." Su He shook his head, somewhat astonished, "Ling Chen, your father is quite remarkable."


    "Remarkable? Elder Su, what do you mean?"


    "Looking at your father¡¯s age, he¡¯s not very old, probably around his forties or fifties, but he has a high martial arts realm. It¡¯s challenging to make it to the Heavenly List at such a young age."


    "Heavenly List?" Ling Chen was startled, staring incredulously at Ling Kun lying on the bed. He never imagined his father was a martial arts master on the Heavenly List. He thought to himself that having a Heavenly List master as his backer, who would dare to bully him?


    However, the thought of his still-unconscious father brought on worry.


    "Elder Su, how do you know my father is a master of the Heavenly List?"


    "Based on the life-preserving techniques he¡¯s currently using." Su He exined, "This life-preserving method is actually called the Turtle Breath Skill, which is very simr to a type of yoga from India. In simple terms, it puts one in a peculiar state, reducing all bodily functions to a minimum. You can think of it as a type of suspended animation. In this state, the body slowly recovers automatically, though it takes quite a while. Generally, only those on the brink of death would use this method. Also, only a master of the Heavenly List could aplish this. So, just by this alone, I can confirm your father is a master of the Heavenly List."


    "Since my father is a master of the Heavenly List, how could he be so severely injured by Ji Gang?"


    "The masters of the Heavenly List are also ranked. Your father is not very old, and I assume he has only recently made it onto the list, so he¡¯s no match for Ji Gang." After saying this, Su He shifted topics and asked, "Bringing your father here, do you intend for him to stay?"


    Ling Chen nodded and said, "Elder Su, as you know, I have many enemies right now. Given my father¡¯s condition, if he stayed by my side, I wouldn¡¯t have the strength to protect him. Therefore, I hope you can help, and let my father stay here to recuperate for a while."


    "Alright," Su He agreed. "Since I live here alone and have nothing much to do, he can stay. Based on my estimates, given his current state, it will probably take a few months for him to wake up. Why don¡¯t youe back and check in a couple of months?"


    "Elder Su, I thank you."


    Su He waved his hand, "No need to thank me. You did well at the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion this time, and you didn¡¯t embarrass me."


    Hearing these words, Ling Chen, surprised, said, "Elder Su, how did you know about my performance at the Yangxin Pavilion..."


    "I have my ways," Su He said indifferently. "I know of Wang Hao; he generally ranks first among the disciples at the Yangxin Pavilion, with hardly anyone being his match. That you managed to ovee him was indeed beyond my expectations. Although it was a bit of a fluke, it¡¯s stillmendable that you achieved it. Kid, keep working hard, and someday you¡¯ll be the true number one among Yangxin Pavilion¡¯s disciples."


    Thinking of the Yangxin Pavilion, Ling Chen immediately remembered the rtionship between Liang Tian and Zhu Hong.


    "Elder Su, there is something..." Ling Chen then spoke of the events that had urred a few days ago. He wouldn¡¯t have mentioned it to anyone else, but he had heard from Su Mei that, when Su He was still the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion Master, Liang Tian was one of his subordinates, brought up by Su He himself. To some extent, Liang Tian could be considered Su He¡¯s confidant. Therefore, with Liang Tian having reached this point, it was a matter Ling Chen felt he had to discuss with Su He.


    As expected, upon hearing what Ling Chen had to say, even the usuallyposed Su He couldn¡¯t help but frown.


    "To think such a thing happened." Su He said solemnly, "Even though he was trained by me, if he has done wrong, then he must pay the price." After pausing, Su He changed the subject and spoke, "Regarding Song Mingzhe you mentioned, I do know a thing or two. Your elder brother is correct. Before the ¡¯Eight entrics¡¯ became famous, there was indeed another group, and Song Mingzhe was one of them. Besides Song Mingzhe, there were four others, making up a total of five people, and Song Mingzhe ranked third in their group."


    "Elder Su, then you should know who Song Mingzhe¡¯s elder brother is."


    "Not only do I know," Su He said with a smile, his smile carrying a deeper meaning, "Song Mingzhe¡¯s elder brother is named Chen Quan, a formidable man who became a master of the Earthly List in his thirties. Furthermore, among the masters of the Earthly List, he ranked within the top three. At that time, his status was quite impressive. Back then, Chen Quan and his fourpanions roamed the Martial Arts world, each with their unique talents. Below the Heavenly List, they were nearly unbeatable. Had they continued, their fame may have surpassed that of the ¡¯Eight entrics¡¯. Unfortunately, before their reputation spread, a significant incident urred."


    "At that time, Chen Quan and his group had a conflict with a master of the Heavenly List, resulting in them being humiliated. Chen Quan was a man of strong self-esteem, and after being humiliated by a master of the Heavenly List, he was determined to seek revenge. However, defeating a master of the Heavenly List is not an easy task. Years passed, and although Chen Quan¡¯s strength improved, he was still far from reaching the level of the Heavenly List. Consequently, Chen Quan resorted to deviant means and forcefully elevated his abilities."


    "It must be said that Chen Quan did indeed seed. In just a few short years, he graduated to a master of the Heavenly List. Upon bing one, Chen Quan immediately sought out that particr master of the Heavenly List for revenge. After much hardship, Chen Quan finally managed to kill that master of the Heavenly List and avenged himself."

 Chapter 780 - 785: Past Events of Su He

    <h4>Chapter 780: Chapter 785: Past Events of Su He</h4>


    "However, although Chen Quan sessfully avenged himself, the crooked path he took was ultimately not the right way. Not long after his revenge, he unfortunately went mad during his martial arts practice, losing his sanity. Despite his madness, Chen Quan¡¯s strength was undeniable, and there were few who could stand against him. After losing his reason, he went on a killing spree, and many innocent people perished at his hands. Song Mingzhe and the others could not stop Chen Quan, and to avoid being harmed by him, they had no choice but to flee."


    "At that time, I was still in Yangxin Pavilion. After learning about this, I immediately went to find Chen Quan and brought him to Yangxin Pavilion, where I imprisoned him."


    Imprisoned?


    Upon hearing this, Ling Chen seemed to recall something, and a chill ran through his heart. During his time in Yangxin Pavilion, he had seen a man whose hands and feet were bound by chains, restricting his freedom. Moreover, the man¡¯s demeanor seemed to have lost all sanity.


    Could it be... that the person Elder Su mentioned was Chen Quan?


    Seeing Ling Chen¡¯s dazed expression, Elder Su asked, "What are you thinking about?"


    "Elder Su, has Chen Quan been kept in Yangxin Pavilion all this time?"


    "Indeed. Why, have you seen him?"


    Ling Chen nodded and recounted the events of hisst visit. After listening, Elder Su nodded and said, "That person is Chen Quan. However, there are not many in Yangxin Pavilion who know of his identity, only that he was captured by me,mitted heinous crimes, and was sentenced to life imprisonment."


    "Elder Su..." Ling Chen frowned and said, "From what you said, did Song Mingzhe and the otherse out of hiding because of Chen Quan?"


    "Of course, it¡¯s rted. If there is anyone in this world who could persuade Song Mingzhe and the others to act, it would only be Chen Quan. I suspect that this Zhu Hong you mentioned might have formed a connection with Chen Quan, otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t have been able to obtain the aid of Song Mingzhe and the others."


    Ling Chen narrowed his eyes, a cold glint shing through his Mo Che-like pupils. Zhu Hong had stayed in Yangxin Pavilion for a long time, and since Chen Quan was also imprisoned there, it¡¯s very likely they had encountered each other. Humph! Zhu Hong was indeed lucky to have gained the aid of Chen Quan.


    However, Chen Quan¡¯s willingness to help Zhu Hong must not have been without conditions. These two cunning individuals must have reached some sort of agreement.


    No!


    This matter had to be reported to Su Mei as quickly as possible, to find a way to stop Chen Quan from escaping, and especially to prevent him from bing a backbone for Zhu Hong.


    As he was reflecting, Elder Su suddenly said, "It¡¯s getting veryte today, you might as well stay here for the night and head back tomorrow."


    "Alright."


    ...


    The night was dense, the moonlight like water, casting upon the undting waves and transforming into speckles of silver light, which reflected in Ling Chen¡¯s dark eyes.


    Outside by the fireside, Ling Chen held a long stick, roasting the fresh fish Elder Su had caught from the sea, and asked, "Elder Su, why did you suddenly leave Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion ande here to live in seclusion?"


    Sitting beside him, Elder Su answered without even looking up, "Did Su Mei tell you?"


    Ling Chen nodded and said, "Elder Su, Miss Su is very worried about you, she hopes to see you."


    Elder Su sighed lightly, "What¡¯s there to see? I¡¯ve grown ustomed to freedom alone. If I really had to go back to Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, I¡¯d probably find it unbearable."


    "Elder Su, why did you leave Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion in the first ce? I¡¯ve heard quite a few rumors..."


    Before Ling Chen could finish speaking, Elder Su chuckled and continued, "Is there a rumor saying I left because my end was near, so I found a secluded ce to avoid affecting the management of Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion?" Laughing louder, Elder Su nodded and said, "Actually, the rumors weren¡¯t wrong; at that time, I indeed believed my end was near. Having resigned from the position of Pavilion Master, I stayed in Yangxin Pavilion. Because of my presence, Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion remained stable. I knew that if I were gone, Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion would definitely face problems. Given its size and the many people involved, it was inevitable that some would harbor ill intentions. To prevent such an incident, I chose to leave Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion. That way, no one would know if I was dead or alive, and they would always be wary."


    "And what happenedter?" Ling Chen asked with interest.


    "Later... as you can see, I¡¯m still alive," said Elder Su. "Originally, I thought my time was nearly up, so I moved to this quiet ce, hoping to pass away peacefully. What I didn¡¯t expect was that living amidst nature unexpectedly allowed me toprehend a higher realm. With the improvement of my realm, my health gradually recovered, bing better and better until now. Since then, I¡¯ve simply settled down here. Moreover, the disputes within Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion are too many, and I don¡¯t want to get involved anymore. Ling Chen, you don¡¯t need to worry about me; if it¡¯s really time for me to appear, I will naturally show up."


    "Ling Chen, you still have a long road ahead; think more for yourself." Saying this, Elder Su stood up and said, "It¡¯s gettingte, get some rest early."


    ...


    The next day.


    Ling Chen bid farewell to Elder Su and drove directly to the airport in Jinhai City, returning to East Sea City.


    Back in East Sea City, Ling Chen went to see Nanrong Wanqing. After a few days of rest, Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s health had improved significantly.


    "By the way! Lin just called me, she will be back in a few days, and you can help me pick her up at the airport then."


    "Alright, no problem."


    Ling Chen readily agreed. After being away for so long, the youngdy was finallying back.


    After visiting Nanrong Wanqing, Ling Chen went straight to the hospital¡¯s special care ward. He had instructed that the area around the special care ward be heavily guarded, and anyone approaching had to go through multiple checks. For Jiang Yunkai¡¯s safety, Ling Chen had gone to great lengths.


    Entering the special care ward, Ling Chen saw Jiang Yunkai, who had already fallen asleep on the bed. At the bedside, Hu Fei sat in a chair, his head propped on his hands, snoring gradually starting and drool leaking out.


    Ling Chen approached and pushed Hu Fei¡¯s shoulder, calling out, "Fatty, wake up."


    Rubbing his sleepy eyes and yawning, Hu Fei asked, "What time is it?"


    "It¡¯s almost time for lunch. Tired, are you?"


    "Of course I¡¯m tired," Hu Feiined grumpily. "Last night, Kai went crazy. The doctors and I struggled to subdue him until this morning before I finally got a chance to rest."


    Hearing this, Ling Chen asked worriedly, "He didn¡¯t hurt anyone, did he?"


    Hu Fei shook his head and said, "No, he didn¡¯t. Hey! Do you think the experiment is working? If it were before, he probably would have killed us by now."


    "I¡¯m not a doctor, how would I know that."

 Chapter 781 - 786: Meeting Liu Xiyao Again

    <h4>Chapter 781: Chapter 786: Meeting Liu Xiyao Again</h4>


    "Fatty, didn¡¯t I ask you to send someone to check on Xiaozhu? Any progress?"


    "Forget about it," Hu Fei said with a look of dejection. "I sent a few people to Beijing, but none of them even caught a glimpse of Miss Zhu. We found the Zhu Family, but they said Miss Zhu wasn¡¯t there and didn¡¯t know where she went. What else could we do but wait in Beijing?"


    "If that¡¯s the case, then let it be," said Ling Chen helplessly. In fact, he was well aware deep down that Zhu Xiaozhu was definitely at home, just unwilling to meet them.


    It seemed he would have to deal with this personally. Coincidentally, He Ziyun was going to Beijing for a martial arts seminar soon. He had been unsure about attending, but now he thought, why not go to Beijing to broaden his horizons and at the same time try to find Zhu Xiaozhu and see if he could rify things with her.


    "Fatty, don¡¯t forget to continue the search for Xia Mutong and Bai Huanjun. With Kai looking the way he is now, their situations might not be much different."


    "You don¡¯t need to remind me, I¡¯m keeping it in mind."


    After waiting in the special care ward for a bit and seeing that Jiang Yunkai wouldn¡¯t wake up anytime soon, Ling Chen greeted Hu Fei and left.


    With Hu Fei in charge of the situation regarding Xia Mutong and Bai Huanjun, Ling Chen was at ease. What worried him most now was Zhu Hong.


    Since Zhu Hong had escaped, there had been no sign of him, and Ling Chen had no idea where he might have fled to. So long as Zhu Hong wasn¡¯t dealt with, Ling Chen couldn¡¯t rest easy.


    After leaving the hospital, Ling Chen opened the car door, sat in the driver¡¯s seat, and prepared to drive away.


    At that moment, a person suddenly appeared in the rearview mirror.


    Ling Chen was slightly startled and hurriedly turned his head to look back. When he saw who it was, his guard immediately dropped.


    He sighed and said with a wry smile, "If you¡¯reing, juste; why scare me?"


    "I was afraid Ji Gang might be tracking me, so I had to hide secretly in the car. Ling Chen, is everything settled with Master?"


    "Don¡¯t worry, my father is with Elder Su. With Elder Su¡¯s protection, he¡¯ll be fine."


    "That¡¯s good." The porridge girl handed a small, exquisite wooden box to Ling Chen and said, "Here, I¡¯m giving this back to you."


    Ling Chen didn¡¯t need to look to know what was in the wooden box.


    The Nine Elements Pill!


    It was a treasure that he had acquired with great difficulty. Taking the wooden box, Ling Chen opened the lid, and a faint fragrance immediately wafted out from inside.


    After a nce at the Nine Elements Pill in the box, Ling Chen put the lid back on and ced it in the car¡¯s armrestpartment.


    Although the Nine Elements Pill was a valuable item, only experts on the Heavenly List could use it. He had only just entered the ranks of the Earthly List and wasn¡¯t qualified to take the Nine Elements Pill, so this valuable item would have to wait.


    Starting the car, Ling Chen drove onto the road and asked, "What are you nning on doing next?"


    "Hide for a while and avoid Ji Gang. Ji Gang suffered a big loss this time; he won¡¯t let it go easily. You should also be careful. If Ji Gang can¡¯t find us, he might take his anger out on you."


    Ling Chen nodded and said, "I know."


    Ji Gang was an expert on the Heavenly List, so Ling Chen took the porridge girl¡¯s reminder seriously. Indeed, if Ji Gang came looking, he really didn¡¯t know what to do.


    Forget it! He¡¯d deal with that when the time came.


    "Why don¡¯t you hide at the base for a while? The defenses there are tight, and Elder Zhou and my big brother are there too. In case something happens, it¡¯s good to have support."


    "No need, I have a ce to go. Besides, I still have some stuff to take care of. I¡¯lle to East Sea City to find you after this period passes."


    "Alright then, be careful out there," Ling Chen said, not insisting. He knew full well the independent nature of the porridge girl; of all the women he knew, she was the most self-reliant. Even Nanrong Wanqing seemed inferior inparison.


    Moreover, the porridge girl was used to having her way. Imposing too many restrictions would only make her unhappy.


    "Hey! In a while, there¡¯s going to be a martial arts seminar in Beijing. You¡¯re an Earthly List expert; want to go check it out?"


    The porridge girl gently shook her head and said, "I have no interest in such seminars, forget it. Why, do you want to go?"


    "I happen to have some things to take care of in Beijing, so why not go and see."


    "Let¡¯s talk about itter, then. If I get the chance, maybe I¡¯ll drop by." Having said that, the porridge girl pointed outside the car window and said, "Stop the car there."


    Ling Chen parked the car at the side of the road, and just as he turned to speak, he found that the porridge girl had already disappeared without a trace.


    This girl... Ling Chen chuckled wryly. She was real quick; he hadn¡¯t even noticed her leave.


    Starting the car again, Ling Chen checked the time and then drove towards Wealthy Manor.


    On the way, Ling Chen suddenly heard his mobile phone ringing in his pocket. He pulled out the phone, an on-off burner phone he had bought in Jinhae City. Without even looking at the caller ID, Ling Chen knew who was calling. He only used this phone to contact Old Tang, and no one else knew the number.


    After answering the phone, Ling Chen asked, "Old Tang, do you need me for something?"


    "Tang Yuan, I¡¯ve taken care of Tang Guoxiong¡¯s matter. From now on, he¡¯ll vanish from this world, and no one will be able to find him."


    Ling Chen smiled and replied, "I trust your work."


    "That¡¯s all, then. I need to catch a ne soon, so I¡¯ll leave it here."


    "Catching a ne? Where are you headed?"


    "There¡¯s a very important matter that I need to handle..." Tang Yuan seemed to hesitate on the other end of the phone, then continued, "This matter is rted to the God Organization. I¡¯ll contact you once I have an update."


    "Okay, take care."


    After hanging up, Ling Chen drove up to the entrance of Wealthy Manor, preparing to enter the residential area. But just then, his gaze was suddenly drawn to a person at the entrance of themunity.


    He stopped the car and looked at the other person through the window, wondering to himself why she hade here.


    Ling Chen rolled down the electric window and called out to her, "Liu Xiyao."


    Hearing Ling Chen¡¯s call, Liu Xiyao, who was standing at the entrance, looked back and hurried over.


    After not seeing her for a while, Liu Xiyao was still the same, her stunning beauty and aura of nobility and elegance surrounding her like a finedy with every graceful step she took.


    As Liu Xiyao approached, Ling Chen asked, "Why are you standing here? Why not go to the Nanrong Family?"


    Liu Xiyao shook her head, biting her thin lips and said, "I don¡¯t want to disturb the Nanrong Family. Do you have time? I have something I want to talk to you about."


    Ling Chen looked around and pointed to a coffee shop not far away, "Let¡¯s sit over there."


    The coffee shop had a serene atmosphere with soothing music floating through the hall.


    Ling Chen, holding a cup of ck coffee, began, "Speak, what did you need to see me for?"

 Chapter 782 - 787 Traitor (1)

    <h4>Chapter 782: Chapter 787 Traitor (1)</h4>


    Liu Xiyao hesitated for a moment before she said, "Do you still remember the Liu Family I once mentioned to you?"


    Liu Family... Ling Chen thought back for a moment and gently nodded his head. It was when he had first gotten to know Liu Xiyao that she had told him about the Liu Family and the grievances between her and them.


    Liu Xiyao¡¯s father was a member of the Liu Family, but her mother was a woman without status. Back then, it was because Liu Xiyao¡¯s father had an affair that Liu Xiyao was born.


    Unfortunately, that man from the Liu Family was too cowardly and ipetent, not only unable to provide Liu Xiyao and her mother a wealthy and peaceful life, but their existence also brought them bullying from the Liu Family. In the end, Liu Xiyao¡¯s mother suffered torture and humiliation and died tragically at the hands of the Liu Family.


    Later, had Liu Xiyao not fled early on, she might have met the same fate as her mother.


    After escaping from the Liu Family, Liu Xiyao wandered alone. It was during that time that she met Lin Guodong, was adopted by him, and henceforth followed Lin Guodong around. Over the years, Liu Xiyao had always been looking for opportunities to take revenge on the Liu Family, to avenge her mother.


    Now, Liu Xiyao hade to him, could it be that she wanted to ask for his help in dealing with the Liu Family?


    As he pondered, he heard Liu Xiyao say, "Ling Chen, I might have underestimated the Liu Family. All these years, the Liu Family has been growing, their power bing ever stronger. I had drawn up a n to take revenge for my mother, but before the n could be carried out, it was discovered by the people of the Liu Family. Moreover, I don¡¯t know through what channels they found out that it was me masterminding it. In the past, with the God Organization backing me, I didn¡¯t need to worry about the Liu Family¡¯s retaliation, but now things are different, I can only rely on my own strength to confront the Liu Family. Ling Chen, mying to you has no other purpose, I just want to ask for your help to settle this grudge and my past."


    "Right now?"


    "Not at the moment," Liu Xiyao shook her head and said, "But, as far as I know, the Liu Family is already preparing to send someone to East Sea City. Although I could escape to any ce in the world to avoid them, I don¡¯t want to do that. After so many years of grudges, it¡¯s time to put an end to it. Ling Chen, you promised me once that you would definitely help me."


    As she spoke, Liu Xiyao lowered her head, somewhat ashamed, "I admit, I have indeed wronged you before, but that was a long time ago. Also, if it weren¡¯t for Lin Guodong¡¯s help back then, I might have already died. Regardless of what wrongs he has done, to me, he is my lifesaver. Besides, to save you, I had already betrayed him. I think, what I have done should be enough to make up for my mistakes."


    Looking at Liu Xiyao¡¯s anxious expression, Ling Chen sighed lightly and said, "Yao, I indeed med you before, but those are all things of the past, whatever you did before, I no longer hold it against you, so you don¡¯t need to take it too seriously." He paused, then continued, "I have always kept the Liu Family matter in mind, so you can rest assured, if the Liu Family dares to target you, just let me know, I will definitely help you solve this issue."


    "Really?" Hearing this, Liu Xiyao¡¯s eyebrows instantly rxed, and she nodded with a lightugh, "Thank you!"


    "You¡¯re wee."


    "I won¡¯t disturb you further, I¡¯ll contact you by phone if there is anything."


    "Okay." Saying that, Ling Chen stood up, escorted Liu Xiyao to the door of the cafe, and said, "Did youe here alone? Let me drive you back."


    "That¡¯s too much trouble, I..."


    "It¡¯s no trouble at all, I¡¯m not busy anyway. Let¡¯s go, my car is over there."


    Having gotten into the car, Ling Chen started the vehicle and drove straight to where Liu Xiyao lived.


    Liu Xiyao was still living in the same old ce, that women¡¯s club Ling Chen had first visited with Su Lin. It took about half an hour on the road, and Ling Chen drove to the entrance of the women¡¯s club.


    "Do you want toe upstairs for a while?" Liu Xiyao politely invited.


    "No, I¡¯lle over some other day when I¡¯m free."


    "Alright then, take care on the road." With that, Liu Xiyao waved to Ling Chen, then turned and walked towards the women¡¯s club.


    Watching Liu Xiyao¡¯s retreating figure disappear through the door, Ling Chen released the brake and drove straight onto the road.


    Ding!


    A crisp bell rang as the elevator doors slowly opened. Right after, Liu Xiyao stepped out of the elevator and walked towards her bedroom.


    Arriving at the bedroom door, Liu Xiyao pulled out a card from her purse and gently swiped it on the reader at the door. With a beep, the bedroom door immediately opened.


    Pushing open the door, Liu Xiyao walked into the bedroom. However, the moment she crossed the threshold, arge hand suddenly reached out from behind the door, covering her mouth tightly and preventing her from making any sound.


    This sudden change startled Liu Xiyao. After a brief moment of shock, she finally realized what was happening. She desperately waved her hands, struggling to break free from the tight grip.


    But then, a deep voice came from beside her ear: "Xiyao, long time no see."


    Hearing that voice, Liu Xiyao froze for a moment and immediately ceased resisting, looking in surprise towards the sofa in the bedroom. At this moment, a middle-aged man in a suit was sitting on the sofa. He appeared to be about fifty, with a refined facial expression and a slight smile that gave off a gentle aura.


    However, that smile somehow made Liu Xiyao feel frightened. She knew this man all too well¡ªthe wider his smile, the angrier he was.


    "Uncle Lin..." Liu Xiyao opened her mouth, barely managing to utter a few words.


    "Xiyao, you still remember me," the middle-aged man said as he slowly stood up from the sofa, walked over to Liu Xiyao, and examined her beautiful face, his eyes shing with a stern look.


    "Xiyao, do you know how much pain you¡¯ve caused me? I treated you like my own daughter, raised you from a young age, allowing you to enjoy a grand lifestyle. And what did you do? You betrayed me for someone irrelevant to us. Having been by my side for so many years, you should know my character well, and you should know the fate of traitors. Did you think... that I haven¡¯te looking for you just to let you off?"


    Liu Xiyao bit her thin lip and lowered her head, saying, "Uncle Lin, I¡¯m sorry, I... I was wrong."


    "If you knew you were wrong, then why didn¡¯t youe to me? And instead, you have been avoiding me everywhere. If I hadn¡¯te looking for you today, would you have avoided me forever?"


    "No, I..."


    SLAP!


    Before Liu Xiyao could finish speaking, Lin Guodong suddenly lifted his hand and harshly pped Liu Xiyao¡¯s cheek. Instantly, a red handprint appeared on Liu Xiyao¡¯s left cheek.


    "Knowing your mistake yet not correcting it, Xiyao, you¡¯ve deeply disappointed me."


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 783 - 788: Traitor (2)

    <h4>Chapter 783: Chapter 788: Traitor (2)</h4>


    Liu Xiyao clutched her cheek tightly, tears streaming down like broken strings of pearls, falling from the corners of her eyes.


    "Speak up," Lin Guodong stared at Liu Xiyao¡¯s pretty face and coldlymanded, "I told you to speak; didn¡¯t you hear me?"


    Liu Xiyao gently bit her lip, her gaze cast down, staring at the smooth floor, silent, not knowing what to say.


    Seeing Liu Xiyao remained silent, Lin Guodong suddenly reached out, pinched the corner of Liu Xiyao¡¯s mouth, lifted her head, and coldly looked into her beautiful eyes, saying word by word, "What, nothing to say now? Hmph!"


    With that said, Lin Guodong flung his hand, and Liu Xiyao¡¯s body immediately lost bnce, careening forward and toppling to the floor before the sofa.


    "Since you don¡¯t want to talk, then don¡¯t. You should be clear about what happens to traitors." With these words, Lin Guodong gestured with a wave of his hand, and a young man who had been standing in the corner immediately came over and asked, "Uncle Lin, any instructions?"


    Lin Guodong pointed at Liu Xiyao and said coldly, "Lin Tong, this woman is yours now, you can do as you please with her."


    "Yes," Lin Tong nodded, looking excitedly at Liu Xiyao, who was curled up in the corner of the sofa, a sh of lust in his eyes.


    Not to mention anything else, Liu Xiyao was an exceptional beauty. Being able to have some tender moments with such a beauty was indeed a great fortune in life.


    "Uncle Lin, then I won¡¯t hold back." With these words, Lin Tong charged towards Liu Xiyao, ignoring her struggle and resistance, picked her up from the floor, tossed her onto the soft sofa, and then pressed his body upon her.


    "No... don¡¯t! I beg you, please don¡¯t... Uncle Lin, I really realize my mistake, let me go... let me go please..." Liu Xiyao desperately tried to push Lin Tong¡¯s body away with both hands, pleading bitterly.


    But Lin Guodong remained unmoved, quietly sitting in his chair, coldly watching everything unfold.


    At that moment, Lin Tong, who was on top of Liu Xiyao, suddenly stopped his motions, then shifted his body aside and reached downwards.


    "What¡¯s this?" Lin Tong said as he pulled out the object that had been under Liu Xiyao.


    A cell phone?


    Lin Tong¡¯s eyebrows furrowed slightly. He nced at Liu Xiyao, then pressed a button on the phone. The phone screen lit up, disying that a call had been made, but now it was disconnected.


    Looking at the call log on the phone, Lin Tong¡¯s expression changed abruptly, he coldly shouted, "You..."


    Bang!


    Before Lin Tong could finish speaking, a loud crash came from the entrance. Immediately afterward, the tightly shut door was violently kicked open. Lin Tong turned his head, and before he could see who it was, felt a blur of movement in front of him, someone closing in swiftly.


    Lin Tong¡¯s mouth opened, but before he could speak, a surge of great force suddenly came, grabbed his shoulder, and flung him out, crashing hard against the wall.


    "Who is it?"


    Lin Guodong stood up sharply, staring at the newly arrived person.


    "Lin Guodong, we finally meet," the person said.


    Hearing this, Lin Guodong focused his gaze on the neer, his expression turning grave.


    Ling Chen!


    "So it is you," said Lin Guodong with a smirk that was not quite a smile, "You are indeed bold, daring toe here all alone." After speaking, Lin Guodong turned his gaze to Liu Xiyao and said coldly, "Do you think that with him helping you, you have nothing to fear?"


    "No, no, it¡¯s not that, I..."


    Liu Xiyao¡¯s words were cut off as Ling Chen interjected, "Alright, stop threatening her. What kind of ability is it for a grown man to threaten a woman? If you have any tricks up your sleeve,e at me. I¡¯ll take them."


    "You?" Lin Guodong said disdainfully, "You think you¡¯re worthy?"


    "We¡¯ll know if I¡¯m worthy once we try."


    "Lin Tong, kill him."


    As soon as Lin Guodong gave the order, Lin Tong immediately charged forward, positioning himself in front of Lin Guodong, his gaze coldly fixed on Ling Chen: "Ling, you escapedst time, I won¡¯t let you get away again."


    "Save it, less talk, more action. Speak when you¡¯ve got the skills." With that, Ling Chen beckoned with his fingers, his face full of provocation, "Come on, let¡¯s see your recent progress."


    "Seeking death!" Lin Tong bellowed as he lightly tapped his toes, thrust his body forward with force, and struck out with a palm towards Ling Chen.


    However, before Lin Tong could get close, Ling Chen, who was protecting Liu Xiyao, suddenly raised his steel fist and hurled out a fierce punch.


    The powerful punch boomed in the air, exploding upon contact, and sent Lin Tong flying straight into the wall with a bang.


    Puh!


    Blood spurted out, turning Lin Tong¡¯s face instantly pale.


    "You..." Lin Tong, with the aid of the wall, slowly stood up, his eyes incredulous as he looked at Ling Chen and said in astonishment, "Your strength..."


    Ling Chen spoke indifferently, "Did you think you¡¯re the only Earthly List expert in this world?"


    Hearing the term "Earthly List," Lin Guodong¡¯s brows slightly wrinkled. As a high-ranking member of the God Organization, he certainly knew what an Earthly List expert meant. The God Organization had nock of Earthly List experts, so he was very aware of their prowess.


    His visit to East Sea City this time was meant to be a quiet one; he had intended to see Liu Xiyao and settle matters with this traitor. Therefore, he only brought Lin Tong and a few subordinates, not too many experts, because in his view, dealing with a Liu Xiyao did not require many people.


    Unfortunately, he hadn¡¯t expected Ling Chen to suddenly appear.


    Seeing Lin Tong was no match for Ling Chen, Lin Guodong made a snap decision andmanded, "Retreat!"


    As soon as he spoke, two men in suits guarding Lin Guodong reached into their pockets. Before Ling Chen could react, two ¡¯bangs¡¯ were heard. It was unclear what the men in suits had thrown on the floor, but suddenly the spacious bedroom was engulfed in smoke, filled with a stinging smell so harsh they could hardly keep their eyes open.


    "Xiyao."


    Ling Chen had intended to pursue Lin Guodong, but thinking of Liu Xiyao behind him, he had no choice but to stop and turn back to her side, picking her up by the waist and quickly rushing out of the bedroom.


    Once he had brought Liu Xiyao to the corridor, Ling Chen immediately headed for the staircase. Upon reaching the exterior of the women¡¯s club, the roar of an engine reached his ears. Looking up, he saw a Mercedes sedan swiftly driving towards the road, soon blending into the traffic and disappearing from sight.


    Without wasting a moment, Ling Chen took out his cellphone and called Hu Fei.


    "Fatty, write down this license te number... notify everyone immediately to search for this car throughout the city."


    After giving the instructions, Ling Chen took the elevator back up to the floor where Liu Xiyao lived.


    Seeing Liu Xiyao leaning against the wall, Ling Chen quickly approached her, asking with concern, "Xiyao, are you alright?"

 Chapter 784 - 789 Ambush and Interception

    <h4>Chapter 784: Chapter 789 Ambush and Interception</h4>


    Liu Xiyao gently shook her head and said, "I¡¯m alright. Ling Chen, what about them... Where are they?"


    "They got away, but don¡¯t worry, Xiyao. As long as they¡¯re still in East Sea City, I can definitely find them." Ling Chen paused and then continued, "Xiyao, now that the God Organization has started to retaliate against you, staying here might be dangerous. How about this? I¡¯ll arrange a ce for you to stay for the time being. You can move back here after the danger has passed. How does that sound?"


    "But..." Liu Xiyao seemed hesitant.


    "Yao, no buts. Your safety is at stake, you can¡¯t take this lightly. That¡¯s it, no more discussion. Let¡¯s go, hurry up and pack your things, I¡¯ll take you there."


    While Liu Xiyao was packing her luggage, Ling Chen took the opportunity to make a few phone calls.


    Lin Guodong actually appeared in East Sea City, which was a rare opportunity. If they could catch Lin Guodong, it would be much easier to deal with the God Organization in the future.


    After making simple arrangements, Liu Xiyao had finished packing.


    Ling Chen drove her to the research base straight away.


    At the moment, the research base was undoubtedly the safest ce. Not only was Zhou Qi there, but Qiu Yong and others were also present. With these experts working together, even a top expert from the Heavenly List would have difficulty causing trouble.


    After settling Liu Xiyao in, Ling Chen hurried to the office. As soon as he entered, he called out, "Fatty, how¡¯s the search going, did you find them?"


    Hu Fei pointed at theputer screen and said, "We¡¯ve locked their location through surveince. They¡¯re still driving on the road, and judging by their route, it seems they¡¯re trying to leave East Sea City by car."


    "What about our people?"


    "They¡¯re already on the move. I sent out five cars to intercept them. Oh, right, didn¡¯t you say there were experts in that car? I took the initiative and sent out all eight entric fighters."


    Ling Chen patted Hu Fei on the shoulder and gave him a thumbs up. "Well done. If we catch Lin Guodong this time, you¡¯ll be credited for a major contribution."


    As he spoke, Ling Chen looked at the disy screen. In the surveince footage, a Mercedes-Benz sedan was racing down the road at nearly 100 miles an hour, constantly overtaking other vehicles.


    Ling Chen checked the map; Lin Guodong and his team, based on their current route, had about ten kilometers to go before they could reach the highway and leave East Sea City.


    Ten kilometers... More than enough!


    Ling Chen thought to himself that the people Hu Fei had dispatched were quick. Two of the cars were almost at the highway entrance, and the other three were heading towards Lin Guodong¡¯s location, preparing to intercept them on the road.


    "Fatty, tell everyone to be careful. Lin Guodong is a high-ranking member of the God Organization, and he definitely has more than just a few people with him. It¡¯s possible that more experts are on their way there."


    "Understood."


    "Alright, I¡¯ll leave it to you here. I¡¯m heading over now to help out."


    With those words, Ling Chen quickly left the office. Apart from the research base, Ling Chen got into an Audi and drove straight towards the highway.


    Time ticked by second by second as Ling Chen drove the Audi at an increasing speed. Under his control, the car¡¯s speed approached 120 miles an hour, racing through the traffic like a swift bolt of lightning.


    "Ling Chen."


    Soon, Hu Fei¡¯s voice came through the car¡¯s Bluetooth connection.


    "Fatty, what¡¯s the situation there?"


    "You were spot on. I just spotted three suspicious vehicles in the surveince, heading towards Lin Guodong, probably to rendezvous with them."


    "How far are our people from them?"


    "Less than two kilometers."


    "Notify them to intercept those three suspicious vehicles at full force; they must not be allowed to meet up with Lin Guodong."


    "That Lin Guodong..."


    "Don¡¯t worry about him, have someone guard the highway exits, I¡¯ll take care of intercepting Lin Guodong."


    After saying that, Ling Chen stepped on the gas pedal all the way down, and the Audi sedan¡¯s front shot out instantly.


    Minutes passed, and Ling Chen nced at the GPS map on the car¡¯s disy. Based on the information from Hu Fei, he was still four kilometers away from Lin Guodong¡¯s location. With his current speed, it would take less than two minutes to catch sight of the Mercedes-Benz sedan Lin Guodong was in.


    Screech!


    With a harsh braking sound, the Audi executed a beautiful drift, sliding past the crossroad.


    Suddenly, Ling Chen¡¯s field of vision captured a Mercedes-Benz speeding rapidly.


    I¡¯ve finally caught up with you!


    The corners of Ling Chen¡¯s mouth lifted slightly, with a hint of triumphant smile. Lin Guodong, let¡¯s see where you can run now.


    At this moment, inside the Mercedes-Benz.


    Lin Tong, sitting in the passenger seat, looked into the rearview mirror and said with an ashen face, "Uncle Lin, someone is catching up to us."


    "Who?"


    Lin Tong stuck his head out the window and took a careful look, his expression changed instantly, and he said coldly, "It¡¯s Ling Chen."


    "Hmph! That kid really is like a persistent ghost, following us all the way here. How long will it take for our people to get here?"


    "I don¡¯t know, I¡¯ll make a call." After speaking, Lin Tong took out his phone and dialed a number.


    After a brief conversation, Lin Tong said with an ugly expression, "Uncle Lin, our men have been intercepted; they can¡¯t make it here."


    Hearing this, Mr. Lin in the backseat immediately fell into deep thought.


    As the Audi was getting closer and closer to the Mercedes, Lin Tong asked urgently, "Uncle Lin, what should we do now?"


    "What do you want me to say? Who should I ask?" Lin Guodong said coldly, "We¡¯ve made a mistake this time; we didn¡¯t expect Ling Chen toe out of nowhere."


    Lin Tong gritted his teeth and said, "It¡¯s all because of that woman Liu Xiyao. If it weren¡¯t for her, we wouldn¡¯t have so much trouble."


    "Enough! It¡¯s happened, what¡¯s the use of saying so much now." Lin Guodong thought for a while and then spoke, "Get off the overpass over there, don¡¯t get on the highway. Since Ling Chen knows we are here, he will definitely have someone intercept us at the highway entrance. Drive faster for now, just to buy some time, and I¡¯ll think of a way for everything else."


    Saying this, Lin Guodong pulled out his phone from his pocket and browsed through his contacts.


    In a moment, Lin Guodong seemed to have thought of a n, and the frown on his face rxed.


    A call was made, and soon a man¡¯s voice came through, "Mr. Lin, what are your orders?"


    "I have a task for you, get on it right now. Remember, don¡¯t disappoint me again."


    "Rest assured, Mr. Lin, I willplete the task even if it costs me my life."


    After a brief conversation, Lin Guodong put down his phone and turned to Lin Tong, "Circle around this area. Since Ling Chen wants to follow, let him follow."


    "Understood."


    ...


    "Ling Chen, the people in those three cars have been stopped. What¡¯s the progress on your side?"


    After hearing Hu Fei¡¯s report, Ling Chen replied, "It will be done soon." After saying that, he lightly pressed on the elerator, and the Audi increased speed instantly, pressing closely towards the Mercedes-Benz.

 Chapter 785 - 790 Car Accident

    <h4>Chapter 785: Chapter 790 Car ident</h4>


    Just at this moment, the speeding Mercedes ahead suddenly slowed down. Soon, the Audi driven by Ling Chen was driving side by side with the Mercedes.


    Rolling down the window, Ling Chen looked at the Mercedes to his left, his eyebrows furrowing slightly. They were actually slowing down, what were they trying to do? As he pondered, the rear window of the Mercedes suddenly opened. Immediately afterwards, Lin Guodong stuck his head out of the window and, looking at Ling Chen who was driving, said indifferently, "I advise you to hurry back to the Nanrong family. If you¡¯re anyter, I¡¯m afraid you won¡¯t be able to see them again."


    Hearing this, Ling Chen¡¯s expression suddenly changed.


    Nanrong family... Ling Chen cursed inwardly, this bastard was truly cunning. He clearly understood Lin Guodong¡¯s intention, the man was trying to use the safety of the Nanrong family to threaten him.


    "You¡¯re despicable!"


    Lin Guodongughed and said, "Ling Chen, you think you canpete with me? You¡¯re still too na?ve." After speaking, Lin Guodong patted the driver¡¯s shoulder, who understood and immediately elerated, speeding past Ling Chen¡¯s Audi.


    Watching the Mercedes getting farther and farther away, Ling Chen clenched his teeth, his face full of unwillingness.


    Wait for me!


    Ling Chen muttered to himself and then mmed on the brakes fiercely, turning the car around and entering a side road.


    "Uncle Lin, your trick really worked." Lin Tong, sitting in the passenger seat, couldn¡¯t help butugh as he saw the Audi disappearing in the rearview mirror.


    Lin Guodong proudly said, "As long as you know his weakness, dealing with him is easy."


    "Uncle Lin is really Uncle Lin, you... oh no!"


    Before Lin Tong could finish his sentence, he saw a vehicle charging out from a junction, his pupils instantly constricting in panic.


    Bang!


    A loud crash sounded as the Mercedes was heavily hit, instantly distorting its shape. From the impact at the front, the Mercedes kept rolling on the ground and then hit a roadside stone pir, the body of the car violently shaking again.


    The car door opened, Ling Chen unbuckled his seatbelt, rubbing his somewhat dizzy head, and slowly stepped out.


    Taking a deep breath and waiting until his dizziness somewhat subsided, Ling Chen quickly approached the Mercedes and pulled open the deformed door. Instantly, Lin Guodong in the back seat fell to the ground, his eyes tightly shut, already unconscious.


    Lifting Lin Guodong¡¯s body, Ling Chen walked to the roadside, gged down a taxi, and then threw Lin Guodong in.


    The most important person in that car was Lin Guodong. As long as he could capture Lin Guodong, he didn¡¯t need to care about the others.


    After telling the driver the destination, Ling Chen leaned back in his seat, slowly exhaling. Despite being fully prepared, the crash had still caused him significant trauma, with asional headaches.


    Presumably, it was a mild concussion from the collision.


    ncing at Lin Guodong next to him, Ling Chen¡¯s lips slightly curled up. No matter what, he had finally caught the bastard.


    The taxi drove on the road, bumping a few times, causing the unconscious Lin Guodong to gradually wake up.


    "Awake?"


    Hearing Ling Chen¡¯s voice, Lin Guodong abruptly raised his head, looking at Ling Chen next to him, his eyes immediately sharpened.


    Without waiting for Lin Guodong¡¯s next move, Ling Chen grabbed his hands and used the car¡¯s rear seatbelt to tie them behind his back, rendering him immobile.


    "Why, I thought you left?" Lin Guodong frowned deeply and coldly eximed.


    "Leave? Go where!" Ling Chen chuckled lightly: "Lin Guodong, did you really think such despicable methods could work against me? Once something happens for the first time, it won¡¯t happen a second. A while ago, Wanqing was attacked and kidnapped, so I took extra precautions. I deployed people secretly at the Nanrong Family home to ensure their safety. My departure was just to mislead you, to let your guard down. You are a high-ranking member of the God Organization, a rare opportunity like this is not something I would miss. Lin Guodong, you might as well admit defeat."


    "Just with you catching me?" Lin Guodong sneered: "Ling Chen, you are too naive."


    Bang!


    As Lin Guodong¡¯s voice fell, a loud sound came from the taxi¡¯s front windshield. Ling Chen focused and saw that the middle of the windshield had a hole, with the surrounding ss shattered as if something had hit it.


    At the same time, Ling Chen noticed that the driver slumped his head, with both arms dangling powerlessly.


    This is bad!


    Ling Chen was startled and quickly leaned forward. Instantly, he saw a hole in the taxi driver¡¯s forehead from which blood gushed, staining his face red.


    Not only that, it seemed as if the driver¡¯s head had been prated, the object that killed him embedded into the back of the seat.


    Such powerful strength! Ling Chen inwardly marveled; whoever was behind this, having the strength to prate the taxi¡¯s windshield and then a person¡¯s head, was definitely not something a normal martial artist could possess.


    As these thoughts passed through his mind, Ling Chen looked up towards the front window, his face immediately darkening.


    There, just a few dozen meters away from the taxi, stood an elderly man. His posture was straight like a strong pine tree, standing steadfastly, lofty and proud, looking directly at the swiftly approaching taxi, without any intention to move away.


    Ji Gang!


    Ling Chen¡¯s pupils constricted, not having expected Ji Gang to be the one acting. The old man could not have chosen a more inconvenient time to appear.


    Seeing that the taxi was about to collide with Ji Gang, without a moment to think, Ling Chen hurriedly grabbed the steering wheel, violently turning it left and steering towards a corner on the left side, avoiding Ji Gang directly.


    Ling Chen knew clearly, with a formidable figure from the Heavenly List like Ji Gang around, even if he drove the car straight at him, it would be suicide.


    So, all he could do was escape as far as possible.


    "Ling Chen, just surrender. With Mr. Ji here, where can you even run to?"


    "Shut up!"


    Ling Chen shouted lightly, quickly moved the driver¡¯s corpse aside, then squeezed himself from the back seat to the driver¡¯s position. At this moment, Ji Gang had already chased from behind, closing the distance to less than ten meters.


    Ling Chen clenched his teeth and mmed the elerator down to the floor. In an instant, the taxi, which had been moving steadily, shot forward, widening the gap from Ji Gang.


    Watching the increasingly distant Ji Gang in the rear-view mirror, Ling Chen didn¡¯t rx in the slightest. He knew escaping from Ji Gang wouldn¡¯t be easy.


    Driving along the road for a few kilometers, as Ling Chen expected, Ji Gang suddenly emerged from a small alley beside the road, lunging directly towards the taxi.


    Fortunately, Ling Chen reacted quickly enough to change the direction of the taxi, avoiding being hit by Ji Gang.

 Chapter 786 - 791 Chasing Lin Guodong

    <h4>Chapter 786: Chapter 791 Chasing Lin Guodong</h4>


    No good, I need to find a straight road.


    Ling Chen thought to himself. They were currently located on the outer ring of East Sea City, where the roads were twisty and numerous. Although he was driving, being on a winding road was too time-consuming. In contrast, Ji Gang was sprinting straight, making it easy for him to catch up.


    After driving a few more kilometers, Ling Chen checked the road ahead and frowned. There was a traffic jam!


    He had to get through the intersection ahead to enter the highway. Once on the straight road, even with Ji Gang¡¯s impressive skills, he wouldn¡¯t be able to catch up. But the highway entrance was blocked, and it looked like it might take over ten minutes to clear. Staying put meant Ji Gang would catch up eventually.


    With that thought, Ling Chen swiftly backed the taxi out to avoid getting trapped by the cars behind.


    As soon as the taxi squeezed out of the congested traffic, Ling Chen saw Ji Gang¡¯s figure appearing not far away.


    Ling Chen shifted gears and stepped on the elerator; the taxi shot forward, leaving Ji Gang far behind. But after driving not much further, another bend appeared.


    Damn!


    Ling Chen cursed silently. This wouldn¡¯t work; he had to figure out a way to shake off Ji Gang.


    Just then, his cell phone rang. It was Hu Fei calling, probably to ask about the progress on Ling Chen¡¯s end.


    As soon as the call connected, Hu Fei¡¯s voice came through: "Hey! Ling Chen, have you caught Lin Guodong?"


    "We caught him, but that old bastard Ji Gang showed up."


    "What?" Hu Fei asked in surprise. "What are you going to do?"


    "How would I know what to do? Stop asking so many questions, I¡¯ll figure out how to shake off Ji Gang." Hanging up the phone, Ling Chen looked back at the road ahead searching for routes.


    However, just at that moment, someone suddenly jumped down from a bridge overhead¡ªit was Ji Gang.


    At this moment, Ji Gangnded just five meters away from the taxi, and Ling Chen hardly had time to react. Before the taxi could stop, Ji Gang leapt forward directly onto the taxi¡¯s roof.


    Seeing this, Ling Chen remarked inwardly that this was bad news, and immediately drove the taxi at full speed. Then, turning at the intersection ahead, Ling Chen stepped on the elerator, using his heel on the brake to make the taxi drift perfectly around the corner.


    With the inertia from the body drift, Ling Chen tried to shake Ji Gang off the roof.


    But his n was too naive. A master of the Heavenly List wasn¡¯t so easy to deal with.


    No matter how Ling Chen tried to control the swaying of the car, Ji Gang remained untroubled atop, clinging to the roof as if glued there.


    Bang!


    Suddenly, a loud noise reached Ling Chen¡¯s ears. He looked up only to see a fist punching through the roof, heading straight for his head.


    In that split second, Ling Chen quickly tilted his head to the side, narrowly avoiding Ji Gang¡¯s fist.


    With the punch missing, Ji Gang stretched out both hands and forcibly pried open the taxi¡¯s metal roof. Seeing Ji Gang¡¯s grim old face appearing through the crack overhead, Ling Chen became frantic.


    If he let Ji Gang get inside from the top, he was done for.


    "Ling Chen, I advise you to stop the car and quit your futile resistance."


    Hearing Lin Guodong¡¯s voiceing from the back seat, Ling Chen furrowed his brows, rapidly contemting his next move.


    At this moment, the taxi reached a downhill section of the road, where there were few vehicles ahead and the road was very spacious.


    Ling Chen nced twice and immediately had an idea. He put the car in neutral and let the taxi coast down the slope. Then, he unbuckled his seatbelt, crawled from the driver¡¯s seat to the back seat, and flung the rear door open.


    Seeing Ling Chen¡¯s actions, Lin Guodong had an ominous premonition and urgently shouted, "Ling Chen, what are you doing?"


    Ling Chen didn¡¯t say a word and couldn¡¯t be bothered with Lin Guodong, he simply pushed his upper body out of the car door.


    "Lin, consider yourself lucky this time, I won¡¯t let you off next time." After saying that, Ling Chen kicked Lin Guodong off the speeding taxi.


    Propelled by inertia, Lin Guodong who was kicked off the car rolled continuously on the ground, tumbling over ten meters beforeing to a stop, quietly lying there with scratches all over his body and face, bloodied.


    "Old Man Ji, I¡¯ve returned your man to you, hurry up and get lost!" Ling Chen shouted towards the roof of the car.


    Ji Gang huffed coldly, showing no intention of leaving, continuing to pry the car¡¯s roof metal.


    "Old Man Ji, if you don¡¯t leave now, Lin is going to die."


    "I can kill you just as well."


    Bang! Bang!


    Just as Ji Gang finished speaking, a series of collision noises came from behind the taxi.


    Turning their heads, they saw several sedans and vans had rear-ended each other, causing a chain of collisions. Vehicles behind couldn¡¯t avoid in time and crashed into each other.


    Probably because the vehicles ahead swerved to avoid Lin Guodong lying on the ground, changingnes, while the vehicles behind had their view blocked, so they didn¡¯t see Lin Guodong in time. By the time they reacted, it was toote; they had to m on their emergency brakes, leading to the pile-up.


    As more and more vehicles crashed together, the stopped vehicles in front were slowly pushed forward by the impact from behind, their tires about to roll over Lin Guodong¡¯s head.


    Seeing this, Ji Gang didn¡¯t dare dy any longer, he quickly jumped down from the roof, rushed to where Lin Guodong was, and rescued him from under the tires.


    Seizing this opportunity, Ling Chen had already fled far away driving the taxi.


    Since a driver had died, Ling Chen worried that getting investigated would be too troublesome, so he parked the taxi outside a nearby police station and quietly slipped away.


    Before leaving, he noted down the taxi driver¡¯s identity information, nning to have Hu Fei give somepensation to the driver¡¯s familyter. After all, the driver had died because of him, and it was only right and reasonable for him to take responsibility.


    Back at the research base.


    Hearing that Ling Chen had returned, Hu Fei and Qiu Yong and others hurried over, wanting to witness Lin Guodong¡¯s true face.


    Seeing Ling Chen enter alone, empty-handed, Hu Fei couldn¡¯t help asking, "Where¡¯s that bastard Lin, didn¡¯t you capture him?"


    Ling Chen shook his head, his face showing helplessness as he said, "Don¡¯t mention it, that old scoundrel Ji Gang rescued him."


    "It¡¯s okay." Qiu Yong patted Ling Chen on the shoulder,forting him, "It¡¯s great that you managed to escape safely from Ji Gang¡¯s hands."


    "Ah, it¡¯s a pity, missing this opportunity, I don¡¯t know when we¡¯ll encounter him again." Hu Fei sighed.


    "Fatty, don¡¯t worry, there will be plenty of opportunities in the future." Saying this, Ling Chen took out a cell phone from his pocket and tossed it to Hu Fei.

 Chapter 787 - 792: Threats and Cooperation

    <h4>Chapter 787: Chapter 792: Threats and Cooperation</h4>


    Hu Fei scrutinized the cellphone in his hand and asked, "Whose phone is this?"


    Ling Chen grinned, "I confiscated it from Lin Guodong. Though we didn¡¯t capture him, we did gain something. Lin Guodong is a high-ranking member of the God Organization; there¡¯s surely a lot of information on his phone. Hurry and transfer all the data from the phone to see if there are any important intelligence."


    "Alright, I¡¯ll handle it now." Saying this, Hu Fei took the phone and excitedly darted into his office.


    "Ling Cheng, there¡¯s one more thing," Qiu Yong said. "We just received news from the Nanrong family. Do you know whom Lin Guodong sent over?"


    "Who?"


    "Yi Shuiyan."


    "Is it him?" Ling Chen was somewhat surprised. Yi Shuiyan hadn¡¯t appeared for a while, and his several attempts to confront him had all failed, suggesting that his situation within the God Organization was less than favorable.


    "Big brother, Wanqing and the others are alright, aren¡¯t they?"


    "Don¡¯t worry, they¡¯re all fine. Yi Shuiyan only brought one or two people with him. Although he is skilled, you¡¯ve stationed many people near the Nanrong family, all equipped with exoskeleton armor. Even if Yi Shuiyan is formidable, it¡¯s hard for one to fight against many. Unfortunately, we couldn¡¯t capture him."


    "Let it be!" Ling Chen dismissively said, "He got away, but there will be other opportunities."


    For Ling Chen, Yi Shuiyan was no longer a concern. In his view, the current Yi Shuiyan was just a minor annoyance without any threat. Even if Yi Shuiyan had be the new Sect Leader of the Dangyang Sect, it wouldn¡¯t make a difference. If Yi Shuiyan continued to involve himself with the God Organization, he would eventually lead the Dangyang Sect to ruin.


    "Big brother, we¡¯ve been battling the God Organization for so long, and this time we finally got the upper hand. Lin Guodong is a significant figure within the God Organization, second only to that mysterious leader. Now that he has revealed himself, we should take this opportunity to strike while the iron is hot and wipe out the high ranks of the God Organization, leaving their mysterious leader isted."


    Qiu Yong nodded and replied, "You can do as you see fit. Big brother and the others will support you unconditionally. It¡¯s better to deal with a menace like the God Organization sooner rather thanter."


    ...


    At this moment, in a dirty alleyway in East Sea City, there stood a dpidated, rusty gate.


    From behind the tightly shut gate, roars of anger could be intermittently heard.


    Inside that damp and dark room, Lin Guodongy on a bed, his body wrapped with bandages all over.


    Beside him, Lin Tong stood with his head lowered, silently by the bedside, hardly daring to breathe. He knew that Lin Guodong was currently furious, and it was better to speak less to avoid trouble.


    "Ling Chen." Lin Guodong clenched the bedsheets and coldly said, "Remember this, I won¡¯t rest until I kill you." After a pause, he turned to Lin Tong and asked, "How many of our people are still avable?"


    "Uncle Lin, apart from the two of us, the other members were captured by the eight odd characters."


    "Hmph! A bunch of useless trash. What about Elder Ji? Where is he?"


    "I don¡¯t know." Lin Tong shook his head, saying, "After Elder Ji brought you here, he mentioned he had matters to attend to and left first. Elder Ji told me to convey a message, advising you to rest well here and that he would take us away from East Sea City in a couple of days."


    "Two days... I can¡¯t wait that long. Never mind, I¡¯ll call Lin Jiawei to arrange for people toe over quickly. We were just unlucky this time; we intended to eliminate a traitor, but Ling Chen unexpectedly showed up."


    Each time Lin Guodong mentioned Ling Chen, he gritted his teeth with hatred.


    "Where¡¯s my phone?" Lin Guodong searched all his pockets but couldn¡¯t find his phone.


    Seeing Lin Guodong¡¯s gaze turn towards him, Lin Tong quickly said, "Uncle Lin, I didn¡¯t touch your phone."


    "How strange, I clearly ced my phone in¡ª" Before Lin Guodong could finish, he suddenly heard a ¡¯bang¡¯ at the door, as if something had hit it.


    "Lin Tong, go and check."


    "Yes." Lin Tong responded and hurried towards the door.


    However, no sooner had Lin Tong been out of Lin Guodong¡¯s sight for three seconds, Lin Tong¡¯s body flew from the direction of the door and violently crashed into the wall, blood pouring from his mouth.


    Seeing this scene, Lin Guodong¡¯s eyebrows furrowed, and he coolly looked towards the door.


    "Who¡¯s there?"


    "Mr. Lin, don¡¯t be nervous, I¡¯m not here to cause trouble." As the voice sounded, a young man wearing a silver mask and a neatly pressed suit walked in from outside.


    Lin Guodong scrutinized the man and asked in a grave tone, "Who are you?"


    "Let me introduce myself first. My name¡¯s Zhu Hong."


    "Zhu Hong? I don¡¯t know you."


    Zhu Hong smiled slightly, unconcerned, and said, "Mr. Lin is a big shot in the God Organization, how could you possibly know a small fry like me. Actually, I used to be a member of the God Organization, working under Mr. Yun."


    "Mr. Yun?" Lin Guodong sneered, "You mean that traitor? Alright, stop beating around the bush and speak inly."


    "Fine, I like Mr. Lin¡¯s straightforwardness." Saying this, Zhu Hong casually fetched a chair and ced it beside the bed. After sitting down, he slowly started, "Mr. Lin, as I said, I used to be a member of the God Organization, so I have a special fondness for it. Unfortunately, I followed the wrong person because of Mr. Yun, and that made me an enemy of the God Organization. I¡¯m here today just to clear up a misunderstanding."


    Hearing this, Lin Guodong, with a half-smiling expression, said, "You mean... you still want to work for the God Organization? If that¡¯s the case, I can authorize you to stay within the God Organization."


    "No, no, no." Zhu Hongughed and waved his hand, "Mr. Lin, times have changed. Besides, you cannot offer what I desire. After experiencing so much, I¡¯ve deeply realized one thing¡ªeverything must be fought for by oneself, not to be expected from others."


    "What do you want then?"


    "Simple. Cooperation!"


    "Cooperation?"


    "Exactly." Zhu Hong nodded, "Mr. Lin, Ling Chen is my enemy, and he¡¯s also a major threat to the God Organization. Aside from this, I believe there are many areas where we could coborate."


    Lin Guodong responded coolly, "Do you think you¡¯re qualified to coborate with me?"


    Zhu Hong smiled faintly, "Mr. Lin, you¡¯re right, I might not be qualified, but I have enough bargaining chips."


    "What bargaining chips?"


    Hearing this, Zhu Hong didn¡¯t reply but just quietly looked at Lin Guodong, smiling silently.


    Feeling the profound meaning in Zhu Hong¡¯s gaze, Lin Guodong immediately understood his implication and said in a heavy tone, "Are you threatening me?"


    "Mr. Lin, I didn¡¯t say that."

 Chapter 788 - 793 Breaking the Cellphone Password

    <h4>Chapter 788: Chapter 793 Breaking the Cellphone Password</h4>


    Lin Guodong looked at Zhu Hong¡¯s sinister smile and his face involuntarily cooled down.


    "Mr. Lin, have you thought it through?" Zhu Hong asked with a smile, "Do you choose to cooperate with me, or..." He deliberately paused here. He was well aware that there was no need to say some things out loud; the other party could understand what he meant.


    "Zhu Hong, you sure have some nerve," Lin Guodong said solemnly, "I have lived for so many years, and there have been few people who dare to threaten me. Alright, Zhu Hong, since you¡¯re so bold, then I¡¯ll give you a chance. Three days¡ªI¡¯ll give you three days. If you can bring me Ling Chen¡¯s head, I will cooperate with you. How about it?"


    "Three days?" Zhu Hong shook his head and said, "Mr. Lin, I¡¯m not trying to bolster someone else¡¯s courage while diminishing my own prestige, but to speak the truth, not to mention three days, even if you gave me ten days, I might not be able to kill Ling Chen. Mr. Lin, you¡¯re a wise man as well, and you should know that Ling Chen is not easy to deal with now. With so many helpers around him, unless a Heavenly List expert takes action, we simply can¡¯t touch him."


    "Mr. Lin, you¡¯re not unaware of Ling Chen¡¯s capabilities. If he was so easy to deal with, how would you have ended up in such a plight?"


    Hearing the mockery in Zhu Hong¡¯s words, Lin Guodong¡¯s expression turned even uglier.


    Without waiting for Lin Guodong to say anything, Zhu Hong continued: "Mr. Lin, how about this, I¡¯ll find another way to prove my sincerity in wanting to cooperate."


    "What way?"


    "The God Organization has never tolerated traitors. I¡¯ll help you deal with a traitor; how about that?"


    "Who are you talking about? Liu Xiyao? There¡¯s no need for you to take action against that woman; I will take care of her myself."


    "No, I¡¯m not talking about her, but someone else," Zhu Hong said with a smile, "Nanrong Yuan, also known as Mr. Yun. Mr. Lin, you must be familiar with him."


    Lin Guodong frowned and said, "Isn¡¯t he dead?"


    "He¡¯s not dead. Not only is he not dead, but he is also currently in East Sea City, recuperating in the Qingyun Martial Arts Hall, protected by the old man He Ziyun."


    He¡¯s actually not dead... Lin Guodong pondered for a moment, then nodded and said, "Fine, since you say so, I¡¯ll give you a chance. Kill Nanrong Yuan and, besides that, bring me the little girl from Qingyun Martial Arts Hall. Remember, I want that little girl to appear before me unharmed. If you can¡¯t do it, then our cooperative talks are off."


    "No problem," Zhu Hong responded with a smile, "Mr. Lin, rest assured, I will definitely not disappoint you." After speaking, Zhu Hong stood up from the chair and said, "Mr. Lin, then I won¡¯t disturb your rest, give me a few days. After I handle things, I¡¯ll find you."


    "I won¡¯t stay here for too long; will you be able to find me then?"


    Zhu Hong confidently smiled and said, "Mr. Lin, you don¡¯t need to worry about that. Don¡¯t forget how I managed to find you now." With that said, Zhu Hong gave Chu Huaiyang a wink and then walked out.


    ...


    Research base.


    At this moment, Ling Chen was in the bedroom, apanying Liu Xiyao who had just moved in. Having just been through that ordeal, Liu Xiyao¡¯s mood had certainly notpletely recovered. Having someone to talk to and offer some guidance could lift her spirits quite a bit.


    "Sister Xiyao, don¡¯t think too much. Just stay here peacefully, and when it¡¯s safe, I¡¯ll send you back."


    Liu Xiyao nodded gently and said with gratitude, "Thank you!"


    "Don¡¯t mention it." Ling Chen smiled slightly and handed a cup of hot tea that had already been poured to Liu Xiyao.


    Just then, a ¡¯knock knock knock¡¯ came from the door. Followed by Wei Jiahao¡¯s voiceing from outside, "Ling Cheng, are you there?"


    "Coming!" Ling Chen stood up and said to Liu Xiyao, "You rest first, I¡¯lle to see youter."


    Leaving the bedroom, Ling Chen asked, "What¡¯s up, brother eight? You looking for me?"


    "Big Brother Hu wants you to hurry over; it looks like there¡¯s some big discovery, and the others have already gone," Wei Jiahao said.


    "Really?" Ling Chen¡¯s eyes lit up, and without asking further, he quickly followed Wei Jiahao to Hu Fei¡¯s office.


    Pushing the door open, Hu Fei, excitedly sitting in front of theputer, waved and said, "Ling Chen,e over here."


    "What¡¯s up? Any findings?" Ling Chen leaned over to theputer screen and asked.


    "I¡¯ve just copied all the data from the cell phone. It was password protected, but it wasn¡¯t hard to crack," Hu Fei said as his ten fingers kept tapping the keyboard. Soon, a folder with many documents appeared on theputer screen, with each document recorded by a number and no text noted.


    "Lin Guodong¡¯s cell phone stored quite a bit of data, all specially encrypted, so what you see is either numbers or gibberish. But as long as the encryption is cracked, all the documents will be disyed," Hu Fei said, hitting a few keys on his shoulder.


    Instantly, the document numbers changed all at once to text.


    Ling Chen skimmed through them, expressing surprise, "Why are these all names?"


    Hu Fei nodded and said, "Exactly, these are the contacts in the address book, including names and even numbers. If someone can be Lin Guodong¡¯s contact, they mustn¡¯t be ordinary people. We can use these phone numbers to pinpoint their locations and then capture them all."


    With that, Hu Fei grinned, squinting his eyes, "As long as we capture these people, disbanding the God Organization is only a matter of time. Ling Chen, what do you think?"


    "Well done." Ling Chen did not skimp on his praise.


    After thinking, Ling Chen continued to say, "Fatty, find the locations of all these people, including each person¡¯s information. Remember, we need to hurry, because if Lin Guodong finds out his phone is missing, he will definitely take measures. It¡¯s rare to have such a good opportunity; we can¡¯t miss it. Sess depends on you, Fatty. Don¡¯t let us down."


    "Understood, I¡¯m on it right away," Hu Fei said, and immediately busied himself in front of theputer.


    "Ling Cheng, leave the things here to us. You go and contact Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion to sort things out," Qiu Yong said.


    "That¡¯s fine."


    Ling Chen knew what Qiu Yong was referring to. During his time in Jinhai City, Ling Chen learned from Su He about Chen Quan¡¯s existence. Now, with Zhu Hong¡¯s appearance, there was a significant rtion with Chen Quan. Therefore, to deal with Zhu Hong, Ling Chen had to first handle the backing behind him. Without the help of people like Song Mingzhe and Chu Huaiyang, what pride could Zhu Hong have?


    Leaving the office, Ling Chen took out his cell phone from his pocket and directly dialed Su Mei¡¯s number.


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 789 - 794: Enduring in Silence

    <h4>Chapter 789: Chapter 794: Enduring in Silence</h4>


    Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion.


    After hanging up the phone with Ling Chen, Su Mei left her room and, apanied by several confidants, promptly made her way to Yangxin Pavilion.


    When Su Mei arrived, Du Kang, having received the notification, was already there.


    "Pavilion Master," greeted Du Kang, "What is the matter that you needed to see me for?"


    "Elder Du, back in the day, my grandfather captured someone and locked him up in Yangxin Pavilion for many years now, which ismon knowledge. However, apart from my grandfather, it seems no one knows the true identity of this person."


    Du Kang nodded, "That¡¯s correct. I once asked your grandfather about it. He only mentioned that the person hadmitted heinous crimes, practiced deviant martial arts, and harmed many innocents. Out ofpassion, instead of executing the Assassin, your grandfather chose to imprison him in Yangxin Pavilion with the hope that he would end his remaining years here."


    "Not too long ago, Ling Chen called me, revealing the identity of that person. He is Chen Quan, the elder brother of Song Mingzhe, and thus, Zhu Hong¡¯s current backer. Zhu Hong¡¯s support from Song Mingzhe and others is all because of him. Elder Du, you may recall when we confronted Liang Tian, he feigned ignorance. Moreover, he told us that after he took Zhu Hong as a disciple, Zhu Hong disappeared and his whereabouts were unknown. Now it seems likely that Zhu Hong encountered Chen Quan here in Yangxin Pavilion, which is how he got his help."


    "This is news to me," Du Kang said with some surprise. "As far as I know, when your grandfather first captured that man, he had lost his senses due to demonic cultivation backfiring; he didn¡¯t even know who he was. Over the years, I¡¯ve asionally checked on him. He hadpletely lost his reason. Not to mention carrying a normal conversation, he couldn¡¯t even speak clearly."


    "Chen Quan might have just been pretending in order to deceive us, to avoid raising any suspicion. Elder Du, all this is spection. In my opinion, let¡¯s go and see for ourselves. Once we see the person, all will be clear."


    "Alright, let¡¯s go."


    Led by Du Kang, the group went straight to the ce where Chen Quan was imprisoned.


    Before long, they arrived at a peak located in the middle of the forest. The peak was not tall, being only about twenty meters from the base to the summit; calling it a peak seemed somewhat exaggerated. Below the peak, four chains thick as arms were embedded into the mountain, with the other ends tied to a strange man.


    This man was dressed in rags, with disheveled hair, and his body and face were filthy. It was impossible to see his features or discern his age.


    As the group approached, the strange man instantly went mad like a crazed dog that had lost its Control, mouth agape and emitting a terrifying, strident sound from his throat.


    Du Kang and Su Mei observed him from a distance, maintaining about five or six meters between them and not getting too close.


    "Pavilion Master, step back a bit. You guys, ensure the Pavilion Master¡¯s safety." After instructing, Du Kang then stepped in front of the strange man. This action immediately provoked a fierce roar from the man. If not for the chains restraining him, he would have pounced on Du Kang.


    "Chen Quan, stop the act." Du Kang spoke indifferently. "I know your identity, as well as the tricks you¡¯ve been ying with Zhu Hong, so it¡¯s better for us to speak frankly." After a pause, he continued, "To be honest, I am quite impressed with you. You¡¯ve restored your sanity many years ago, yet you¡¯ve been feigning madness and stupidity before us all this time; it can¡¯t have been easy."


    Upon hearing these words, Chen Quan mped his once wide-open mouth shut, his murky eyes shing a sharp coldness; they were not the eyes of someone who had lost his rity of mind.


    "You¡¯ve all found out?" Chen Quan lifted the corners of his mouth, perhaps due to years of silence, his voice sounded somewhat raspy.


    Seeing that Chen Quan could converse normally, Du Kang shifted slightly, extending his right hand forward, ready to strike at any moment. Should Chen Quan make any unruly movement, Du Kang would show no mercy.


    After all, Chen Quan¡¯s limbs were bound in chains, and with Du Kang¡¯s Heavenly List strength, it shouldn¡¯t be difficult to deal with Chen Quan.


    Noticing Du Kang¡¯s actions, Chen Quan¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly, and a peculiar smile seemed to form on his face. However, his visage was so filthy that his skin tone was obscured, making the smile hard to detect.


    "Chen Quan, what exactly is the deal you made with Zhu Hong? Why are you helping him?" Du Kang asked.


    "Zhu Hong?" Chen Quan chuckled coldly. "Are you referring to my Registered Disciple? He is going to be my disciple, so naturally, I must help him. Don¡¯t think too little of him; indeed, he has proven to be somewhat useful. Without his assistance, I wouldn¡¯t have had the opportunity to escape from here."


    "Escape?" Du Kang looked around, shaking the wine gourd in his hand as he spoke, "Aren¡¯t you still trapped here?"


    Chen Quanughed heartily. "I was nning to stay a bit longer since there aren¡¯t many ces left suitable for martial arts practice that are as tranquil as this. But since you¡¯ve discovered me, there¡¯s no further reason for me to remain."


    As soon as his words ended, Chen Quan violently raised his arms, and his whole body shook. In an instant, ¡¯ng ng¡¯ resounded as the chains binding his limbs abruptly snapped.


    Seeing this, Du Kang¡¯s face turned pale with shock.


    Such formidable martial arts!


    Du Kang was inwardly astounded. Those chains were as thick as an arm, yet Chen Quan had easily broken free from them, which was not something an average expert could achieve.


    Yes!


    Du Kang suddenly remembered something. Though Su He did not reveal Chen Quan¡¯s identity back then, he did mention the deeds Chen Quanmitted. ording to Su He, Chen Quan delved into deviant martial arts in order to seek revenge on a Heavenly List expert. Therefore, one must not regard Chen Quan as an ordinary expert; he must be treated as a Heavenly List master.


    Moreover, Chen Quan had been locked up here for many years, and since regaining his sanity, he likely had been secretly practicing martial arts. It was evident that his skills were now stronger than before.


    With this in mind, Du Kang turned and called out, "Quickly take the Pavilion Master away from here."


    After speaking, Du Kang lightly tapped his toes on the ground, leaning forward, rushing toward Chen Quan.


    Before reaching his target, a formidable aura burst forth from Du Kang¡¯s body, pressing down on Chen Quan like a towering mountain.


    Feeling the pressure from Du Kang, Chen Quan sneered, grabbing a chain from the ground and flinging it with a strong arm swing.


    Suddenly, the other end of the chain was violently yanked out of the mountain, hurtling towards Du Kang, who was charging forward.


    Seeing this, Du Kang stopped his advance, spinning on his toes and swiftly moving aside, narrowly avoiding the chain¡¯s assault.


    Without giving Du Kang another chance to react, Chen Quan swiftly retreated and ran straight towards the forest outside.

 Chapter 790 - 795: Heavenly Mechanism Order

    <h4>Chapter 790: Chapter 795: Heavenly Mechanism Order</h4>


    "Halt!" Du Kang bellowed, swiftly following behind Chen Quan, in hot pursuit to prevent thetter from escaping.


    Seeing Du Kang and Chen Quan¡¯s figures growing distant, Su Mei urgently said, "Notify everyone immediately, Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion must be on full alert, we absolutely cannot allow that person to escape."


    "Yes, Pavilion Master." Her subordinate responded and then hurriedly ran out.


    At this moment, inside the Yangxin Pavilion, Chen Quan was taking big strides, frantically dashing about. Ever since he was imprisoned in Yangxin Pavilion by Su He, he had been confined under that mountain peak, never having walked inside Yangxin Pavilion, let alone being familiar with itsyout. Therefore, although he had now freed himself from the shackles of his chains, he didn¡¯t know where to exit and could only blindly crash around in search of an escape.


    "Chen Quan, you..." Du Kang¡¯s mouth was agape, about to rebuke, when he suddenly saw Chen Quan, who was sprinting ahead, whirl around and deliver a pair of fleshy palms with lightning speed directly towards Du Kang¡¯s face.


    Without time to think, Du Kang raised his palms to meet the attack.


    When the four palms met, a burst of tremendous power instantly erupted. Hit by the two surges of force, Du Kang trembled and his footsteps involuntarily retreated two paces. Looking at Chen Quan, after delivering his blow, he didn¡¯t pause for a moment and continued to turn and dash forward, his speed incredibly fast, opening a distance of over ten meters in the blink of an eye.


    Du Kang frowned slightly, pressing forward with each step, not daring to be careless. He had seen Chen Quan¡¯s strength; the man¡¯s martial skills were likely not inferior to his own. If it truly came to a fight, the oue would be difficult to predict. No! Du Kang thought to himself, I must find a way to keep Chen Quan within Yangxin Pavilion and prevent his escape.


    Just then, two figures suddenly appeared in front of Chen Quan. One was Huang Zheng, and the other was also an elder from Yangxin Pavilion.


    "Stop him!"


    Seeing Huang Zheng and the other approaching, Du Kang immediately pointed at the fleeing Chen Quan, shouting loudly. However, just as the words left his mouth, Du Kang suddenly thought of something and quickly amended, "Move aside, everyone move!"


    Unfortunately, Du Kang¡¯s words were still a step toote. Huang Zheng and the other elder had already rushed forward, preparing to jointly stop Chen Quan.


    Seeing Huang Zheng and the others closing in, Chen Quan let out a coldugh, a cruel coldness shing in his eyes.


    "Die!"


    With a cold shout, the sprinting Chen Quan suddenly exerted force, slipping through like a swift gust of wind, instantly closing in on Huang Zheng and the other elder. Before they could react, Chen Quan¡¯s fleshy palm had already made contact with the elder¡¯s chest.


    Puh!


    In an instant, a spurt of fresh blood sprayed out, and the elder¡¯s body flew backward, crashing heavily to the ground. Although clothed, one could still discern that his chest had caved in, and his breathing became increasingly difficult and rapid, his face showing a pallor of pain and suffering.


    Seeing this scene, Huang Zheng, who was about to intercept, was shocked into stillness, his actions slowing as he lost his focus.


    "Be careful!"


    At that moment, Du Kang, who was chasing from behind, quickly arrived at the scene. Seeing Du Kang reach out to help, Chen Quan without a word abandoned Huang Zheng and made his swift departure.


    "Mr. Luo." After a brief moment of stupor, Huang Zheng finally snapped out of his shock and hurried over to the injured elder, examining his wounds. However, the elder¡¯s condition made Huang Zheng¡¯s expression extremely grim.


    "How is he?" Du Kang asked in a solemn voice.


    Huang Zheng shook his head and sighed, "His injuries are too severe, there¡¯s no saving him."


    Hearing this, Du Kang¡¯s eyes suddenly narrowed, radiating a cold light with a hint of resentment.


    It¡¯s all my fault!


    Du Kang silently med himself, knowing full well Chen Quan¡¯s strength and yet still allowing Huang Zheng and the others to intervene.


    "Huang Zheng, don¡¯t worry about him for now, notify everyone immediately to evacuate. Also, have Elder Qine over to help right away," Du Kang instructed. Elder Qin was another high-ranked expert on the Heavenly List in the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, specifically responsible for ensuring Su Mei¡¯s safety when she was away from the Pavilion. On regr days within the Pavilion, he was in seclusion at his residence.


    "I understand."


    After Huang Zheng left, Du Kang did not linger and continued to pursue in the direction where Chen Quan had fled.


    Along the way, Du Kang saw several bodies, all killed by Chen Quan with a single deadly strike, showing no mercy. Moreover, Chen Quan seemed to have found the direction of the exit of Yangxin Pavilion, as inferred from the bodies along the way; he was about to escape from Yangxin Pavilion soon.


    Emerging from the Yangxin Pavilion, Du Kang looked around and heard screamsing from not far away.


    Damn it!


    Du Kang¡¯s face sank immediately, and he chased toward the direction of the sounds. When he arrived, he saw more than a dozen Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion Disciples ughtered on the ground, their blood flowing from all orifices.


    Such ruthless methods... Seeing this scene, Du Kang¡¯s aging face grew even darker.


    "Elder Du, Elder Du..." At this time, a few Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion Disciples ran towards him in a sorry state, loudly calling Du Kang¡¯s name.


    "What happened?"


    "Eld... Elder Du, that man... that man has killed many of our brothers and has already pushed to the exit, no one can stop him, please think of something quickly."


    Hearing this, a sense of powerlessness surged up in Du Kang¡¯s heart. If he couldn¡¯t stop Chen Quan in the Yangxin Pavilion, it would be even less possible now.


    Forget it... Du Kang sighed inwardly, it seems impossible to stop him.


    "Go, have everyone retreat, stop blocking him, let him go," Du Kang said helplessly. By this stage, even if support from the Yangxin Pavilion arrived, it would be toote.


    Ten minutester.


    In the deliberation hall of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, everyone gathered together, all with their heads down, faces grim, silent.


    After a while, Su Mei, seated in the main ce, finally spoke: "Elder Du, how many people did we lose this time, have the numbers been tallied up?"


    "Twenty-one dead, not a single one injured."


    Hearing this, other people in the room gasped in shock.


    Such ruthless methods!


    "Pavilion Master." Du Kang stood up, taking the initiative to admit his fault: "I underestimated Chen Quan this time, leading to such heavy losses for the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, I ask the Pavilion Master to penalize me."


    "Elder Du, please don¡¯t talk like that, you are not to me for this matter. If anyone is to me, it¡¯s Chen Quan for being too cunning." After a pause, Su Mei shifted her tone: "Since it has already happened, let¡¯s not focus on whose responsibility it is, but rather think about how topensate."


    Huang Zheng said coldly, "This man surnamed Chen dares to kill our Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion Disciples, we absolutely cannot let him off easily. Pavilion Master, in my opinion, it¡¯s time to use the Heavenly Mechanism Order."


    The Heavenly Mechanism Order?


    Upon hearing these three words, shock spread across the faces of everyone present.


    Everyone was a veteran of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion and knew well what the Heavenly Mechanism Order implied. In the hundreds of years since the founding of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, the Heavenly Mechanism Order had only been used three times.


    "Pavilion Master, please consider carefully, the Heavenly Mechanism Order is no trifling matter."

 Chapter 791 - 796: All the Experts Emerge

    <h4>Chapter 791: Chapter 796: All the Experts Emerge</h4>


    Heavenly Mechanism Order!


    Anyone from the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion knows full well what the Heavenly Mechanism Order signifies. If there¡¯s one thing that proves the status of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion in the Martial Arts world, it is undoubtedly the Heavenly Mechanism Order.


    Whenever the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion Master issues a Heavenly Mechanism Order, it means that the entire Martial Arts world must cooperate and execute it. Moreover, whoever helps the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion achieve its goals will receive a generous reward. Due to the significance of the Heavenly Mechanism Order, it has been used only three times in the history of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion that spans hundreds of years.


    All those present were veterans of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion. They were very clear about the impact that the issuance of a Heavenly Mechanism Order would have on the Martial Arts world¡ªit was no small matter.


    "Pavilion Master," Du Kang pondered for a moment before saying, "Chen Quan is indeed a serious nuisance, but to hastily use the Heavenly Mechanism Order seems a bit impulsive. In my opinion, it¡¯s not yet time to deploy the Heavenly Mechanism Order. We might as well dy a bit. Besides, this matter is an internal affair of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, there¡¯s no need to mobilize arge force. As the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, having so many masters but being unable to handle a Heavenly List expert¡ªif word of this spreads, it would probably invite ridicule from outsiders."


    After listening to Du Kang¡¯s analysis, Su Mei gently nodded her head and said, "Elder Du speaks wisely, now is not the time. Moreover, Chen Quan has only just escaped, and we haven¡¯t taken any measures yet. To immediately resort to the Heavenly Mechanism Order would be far too childish." Speaking up to this point, Su Mei paused for a thought, then changed the direction of the conversation, "How about this, Elder Du? I entrust this matter entirely to you. No matter how many people or resources you need, the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion will provide them unconditionally. I hope you can capture Chen Quan back as quickly as possible."


    "Rest assured, Pavilion Master, I shall not disappoint," Du Kang replied, but then hesitated, "However..."


    "However, what? Speak freely, Elder Du."


    "I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ll need Qin Chuan¡¯s help."


    As soon as these words were spoken, the people present exchanged nces, stirring a buzz of discussion.


    Qin Chuan was no ordinary individual; he was another Heavenly List expert from Yangxin Pavilion, specifically responsible for protecting the Pavilion Master in secret.


    Frowning, Huang Zheng said, "Elder Du, Chen Quan is a Heavenly List expert, but so are you. Moreover, you have all the resources of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion at your disposal. Are you saying you can¡¯t handle Chen Quan alone? Sending two Heavenly List experts to capture Chen Quan, isn¡¯t that a bit of a waste? Don¡¯t forget, Elder Du, you are the number one master of Yangxin Pavilion. You shouldn¡¯t diminish your own reputation at a time like this."


    "That¡¯s true," someone chimed in. "Elder Qin is specifically responsible for the Pavilion Master¡¯s safety; how could he leave so easily? If there¡¯s no one from the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion in charge, what will we do if something goes wrong?"


    Du Kang nced at Huang Zheng and spoke indifferently, "I am asking for Qin Chuan¡¯s help because I know my limits. There are countless experts in the world. What does being the number one in Yangxin Pavilion really mean? When Chen Quan escaped, I crossed hands with him. His strength is not the slightest bit inferior to mine. I might be able to injure him in a confrontation, but capturing him will not be easy. With Qin Chuan¡¯s assistance, our chances are much greater."


    After a pause, Du Kang retorted, "Yangxin Pavilion has so many masters. Surely, even without the two of us, you can hold down the fort?"


    "I..."


    Huang Zheng wanted to say more, but Su Mei cut him off before he could finish, "Let¡¯s all quiet down and proceed as Elder Du suggested. The most critical task right now is to capture Chen Quan. Other matters can wait. Elder Du, we shall impose on you for this effort."


    "As a member of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, it is my duty to serve the Pavilion." Du Kang looked around at the people present and continued, "During the time when Qin Chuan and I are not here, there is another matter I need you to attend to. You are all well aware of the deaths of Tong Nan and Song Yi. It¡¯s been so long without progress, and I hope you will put more effort into this and find the murderer behind the scenes as soon as possible."


    Huang Zheng snorted lightly, "Do we still need to search? It was definitely Chen Quan¡¯s doing."


    "No, it wasn¡¯t him. The real killer is someone else." Du Kang stated, "I was following Chen Quan the whole time when he escaped. From the route he took, it¡¯s evident that he isn¡¯t familiar with theyout of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion. If Tong Nan and Song Yi were killed by Chen Quan, he would have had a clear understanding of the Pavilion¡¯s geography. Furthermore, Tong Nan and Song Yi were killed by a very insidious palm technique, but Chen Quan doesn¡¯t seem like someone who has cultivated such a skill. Huang Zheng, Song Yi was your disciple. Don¡¯t you, as a Master, want to avenge your student and find the real culprit?"


    Hearing this, Huang Zheng bowed his head, remaining silent as if not knowing how to rebut.


    "Alright, let¡¯s leave it at that," Su Mei stood up and said, "If there¡¯s nothing else, everyone can go back."


    Following Su Mei out of the council hall, Du Kang swung the sk in his hands, his face full of heavy thoughts. Su Mei turned to look at him and asked, "Elder Du, Chen Quan was imprisoned for so many years and never caused trouble. Yang Zhe was in charge of watching him. Why has he be so strong now?"


    "There was no trouble before because we¡¯ve been injecting Chen Quan with a drug that lowers bodily functions, making one weak. Every once in a while, Yang Zhe would inject Chen Quan with it. So, for all these years, Chen Quan has remained weak, his capabilities at mostparable to an Earthly List expert. I think the reason Chen Quan was able to break free of his chains and escape the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion this time is mainly because of Zhu Hong¡¯s assistance. Zhu Hong must have found a way to make that drug ineffective, which is why Chen Quan was able to recover."


    "Chen Quan is indeed cunning. If it weren¡¯t for Ling Chen informing us, we might have kept Chen Quan in Yangxin Pavilion indefinitely. By doing so, we would undeniably be harboring a ticking time bomb within the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, posing a threat at any moment. Hold on!" Du Kang shifted the topic, "Don¡¯t forget to give Ling Chen a heads up, let him know about Chen Quan¡¯s escape. Now that Chen Quan has left the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, he will surely seek out Song Mingzhe and others."


    "Do you think Chen Quan will go to East Sea City?"


    "It¡¯s not a matter of thinking, he definitely will. Inform Ling Chen to be alert. Qin Chuan and I will head over as soon as possible."


    "Alright."


    ...


    East Sea City.


    Ling Chen, holding a cell phone, walked out of the bedroom with a serious expression and hurried to the office where Hu Fei was.


    Upon entering and seeing Ling Chen¡¯s serious demeanor, Hu Fei, busy in front of theputer, joked, "What¡¯s the matter? Has someone bullied you?"


    Ling Chen shook his head and said, "I just received a call from Su Mei. Chen Quan has escaped from the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion. And, Chen Quan is very likely toe to East Sea City. Fatty, have someone keep an eye out. It would be best if we could find Chen Quan¡¯s whereabouts."


    Hu Fei gave a bitter smile and said, "You make it sound so easy. How am I supposed to find him? The man has been gone for decades, without even a single frontal photo. Where am I supposed to start looking?"


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 792 - 797 Truly Just a Misunderstanding (1)

    <h4>Chapter 792: Chapter 797 Truly Just a Misunderstanding (1)</h4>


    Ling Chen was also stunned, right! He didn¡¯t even know what Chen Quan looked like. How could he find him? He vaguely remembered that when he first met Chen Quan at Yangxin Pavilion, the man was filthy, worse than a beggar, his face covered in dirt, making his features indiscernible.


    When he spoke with Su Mei on the phone just now, Su Mei said nothing, probably she too didn¡¯t know what Chen Quan looked like.


    "Hey! Fatty, how¡¯s that matter going?" Ling Chen asked. He referred to the information extracted from Lin Guodong¡¯s cellphone, Hu Fei was locating people throughmunication data, and it was unknown whether there had been any progress.


    Hu Fei nodded and said, "Your arrival is timely, I was just about to find you." As he spoke, Hu Fei handed a printed document into Ling Chen¡¯s hands.


    "These are the confirmed names so far, nine people in total, four domestically and five abroad, all scattered in different ces." After saying this, Hu Fei paused and gestured for Ling Chen to look at the list of names.


    Ling Chen casually flipped through it and the more he looked, the more shocked he became. On Hu Fei¡¯s list, several were people from Huaxia frequently seen on TV news.


    "Fatty, these people..."


    Hu Fei grinned and said, "Yep, they are all connected to the God Organization. To be honest, if I hadn¡¯t verified it myself, I wouldn¡¯t believe it. Look, which of these isn¡¯t a billionaire? They are all well-known and sessful entrepreneurs, phnthropists domestically, but they still have dealings with the God Organization, which is truly unbelievable. Ling Chen, have you ever thought about why these people would have connections with the God Organization?"


    Ling Chen shrugged and said, "How would I know? I¡¯m not them. Alright, stop guessing. Now that the targets are locked, bring them back immediately." He paused and added, "Remember, bring them back ¡¯secretly¡¯, make sure no one knows, especially don¡¯t expose our identities. I don¡¯t want to invite a mountain of trouble."


    "Rest assured, I¡¯m the best at this kind of thing," Hu Fei said, thumping his chest in assurance.


    "That¡¯s best." Ling Chen¡¯s worries were not unfounded. Everyone on the list was a renowned businessperson, a billionaire, and moreover, they all had rtionships with the government. Wealthy people generally take their personal security very seriously, with protection standards almostparable to those of government or even national leaders, surrounded by experts.


    Therefore, capturing these individuals without startling them would indeed not be an easy task.


    "Fatty, if it really doesn¡¯t work out, let the big brother help."


    Hu Fei waved his hand, "No need to bother them, I¡¯ve already had suitable candidates."


    "Is that so? Then it¡¯s..." Ling Chen initially wanted to ask Hu Fei who he had chosen. But before he finished, Ling Chen realized who Hu Fei was referring to. There was no one else who Hu Fei would trust so confidently and be so self-assured about, other than Liu Dongsheng.


    Liu Dongsheng, the world¡¯s renowned king of killers back in the day, Blood Tiger. With him taking action, it was indeed foolproof.


    Knowing Hu Fei¡¯s choice, Ling Chen finally breathed a sigh of relief.


    "Alright, you go on with your work, I won¡¯t disturb you."


    After leaving the office, Ling Chen went back to his bedroom alone. Since learning about Chen Quan from Su Mei, Ling Chen had been unable to calm down.


    Zhu Hong saw him as a thorn in his side, wishing he could kill him immediately. If Chen Quan came to East Sea City, with Chen Quan¡¯s help, Zhu Hong would certainly be unrestrained. What was more, Chen Quan was a master of the Heavenly List, while he, albeit surrounded by masters from the Earthly List, did not have even a single master from the Heavenly List, which was undoubtedly a fatal weakness.


    Thinking of this, Ling Chen felt an immense headache, uncertain of what to do.


    While he was contemting, there came a ¡¯knock knock knock¡¯ at the door.


    "Pleasee in."


    As the sound of his voice fell, the bedroom door was pushed open from the outside. Before the person entered, Ling Chen already smelled a faint fragrance and couldn¡¯t help but stand up from his chair.


    Seeing the personing in, the corners of Ling Chen¡¯s mouth lifted slightly, and he greeted with a smile, "Xiyao, what brings you here?"


    "It¡¯s dinner time, and today I specifically cooked some dishes for you."


    "Really?" Ling Chen rubbed his hands together, looking at the several dishes that looked and smelled appetizing, and immediately gave a thumbs up, praising: "Xiyao, your cooking skills are impressive."


    Liu Xiyao gave a faint smile, "You haven¡¯t even tasted it yet, how do you know it¡¯s good? You can¡¯t judge something just by its appearance."


    Hearing this, Ling Chen¡¯s eyes sneakily nced at Liu Xiyao¡¯s towering chest and said with a grin, "I usually look at the inside, just like with you, Xiyao."


    "Like me?" Liu Xiyao asked puzzled, "What about me?"


    "Nothing... nothing," Ling Chen chuckled, quickly ending that topic, and reached out to grab some chopsticks, "Xiyao, you haven¡¯t eaten yet, right? Come, let¡¯s eat together, don¡¯t let these dishes go to waste."


    Liu Xiyao was well-prepared, not only bringing food but also a bottle of liquor.


    "I wanted to prepare a bottle of red wine, but all we had in the base was liquor, so you¡¯ll just have to make do with this."


    "That¡¯s fine," Ling Chen said with a smile. "If I had to choose, I¡¯d rather drink liquor. Red wine is for those with taste, someone crude like me feels morefortable with liquor." Saying this, Ling Chen picked up two cups and asked, "Xiyao, do you want to try?"


    "This..." Liu Xiyao hesitated, then nodded, "Okay, just a little bit, not too much, I can¡¯t handle much alcohol."


    "The alcohol content isn¡¯t high, it¡¯s fine." As Ling Chen spoke, he poured half a ss for Liu Xiyao.


    Although it was liquor, the quality was not bad, and it felt very smooth on the pte without any burning sensation. Before they knew it, the bottle was already empty.


    After thest ss was finished, Ling Chen put down his cup and looked at Liu Xiyao, who was sitting across from him, appearing slightly stunned.


    At this moment, Liu Xiyao¡¯s half-filled cup had also been nearly emptied, and probably because of the effects of alcohol, her pretty face was exceptionally red, her eyes looked dazed, and her body was swaying, seemingly unable to sit steadily.


    "Xiyao," Ling Chen, fearing that Liu Xiyao might fall, quickly walked over, held her tender shoulders, and steadied her body.


    "Xiyao, are you alright?"


    Liu Xiyao touched her forehead and gently shook her head, "I¡¯m fine, just a bit dizzy." As she spoke, Liu Xiyao braced herself on the table, trying to stand up from the chair.


    However, before she could fully stand, her body tilted to the side. If Ling Chen hadn¡¯t been holding her, she might have copsed on the floor.


    Seeing her drunken state, Ling Chen inwardly gave a wry smile, surprised that Liu Xiyao¡¯s tolerance for alcohol was so poor.

 Chapter 793 - 798: Really Just a Misunderstanding (2)

    <h4>Chapter 793: Chapter 798: Really Just a Misunderstanding (2)</h4>


    "Xiyao, you better not get up, just sit and rest for a while," Ling Chen said with concern.


    It was uncertain whether Liu Xiyao had heard him clearly, but she wrapped her delicate arms around Ling Chen¡¯s neck, hanging almost her entire weight on his neck, her body pressing tightly against his.


    Feeling the warmth of Liu Xiyao¡¯s body and her faint scent, Ling Chen couldn¡¯t help but swallow.


    This woman... Does she not realize how attractive she is? Unless one is a eunuch, it¡¯s probably impossible for any man to resist Liu Xiyao¡¯s charm.


    "Xiyao, Xiyao..."


    Ling Chen called her name several times, but Liu Xiyao did not respond at all; her tempting red lips slightly parted, exhaling a fragrant breeze.


    Seeing this, Ling Chen could only silently smile wryly. Judging by Liu Xiyao¡¯s condition, the half ss of white wine hadpletely intoxicated her; she was beyond awakening.


    Forget it! Better to take her back to her room. With that thought, Ling Chen lifted Liu Xiyao by the waist and stepped towards the bedroom door. However, he hesitated when he reached the door. Carrying Liu Xiyao to her room like this, he was sure to be seen by others.


    Liu Xiyao, in her current state, could lead to misunderstandings if seen by others. Although Ling Chen had a thick skin, he had to consider Liu Xiyao¡¯s reputation.


    After considering it, Ling Chen decided to carry Liu Xiyao back to his own bed instead. No one knew she was in his room anyway, so letting her sleep here wouldn¡¯t be a problem; he could take her back when she woke up.


    After cing Liu Xiyao on the bed, Ling Chen carefully covered her with the nket, to prevent her from catching a cold.


    Having tidied up the bowls and chopsticks, Ling Chen sat on the armchair, quietly observing Liu Xiyao on the bed, his eyes carrying a hint of admiration.


    Although Liu Xiyao grew up with Lin Guodong, Ling Chen had to admit that he had indeed raised her well. No matter the asion, Liu Xiyao always came across as a woman of taste and grace. And with her devilish figure and stunning looks, she truly was the dream girl for any normal man.


    It was a pity, if Liu Xiyao hadn¡¯t gone through all of this, she might have found a man who loved her and lived a happy life. But reality is often cruel. If he hadn¡¯t arrived in time that day, she would have probably suffered untold humiliation.


    Lin Guodong... Just thinking of that man made Ling Chen¡¯s eyes narrow.


    ording to the information from Hu Fei, Lin Guodong should still be in East Sea City, only hiding somewhere unknown. Currently wounded and unable to move much, he would definitely find a secretive ce to recover.


    Recovery!


    Suddenly, as though struck by a thought, a bright light shed in Ling Chen¡¯s eyes.


    Since Lin Guodong needed to heal, he would certainly purchase medical supplies. With Lin Guodong¡¯s status, he would not dare to visit a hospital, much less show himself openly; he would definitely have someone at his side to buy the medicine.


    Thinking it through, all of Lin Guodong¡¯s men who came to East Sea City had been captured, except for Lin Tong; there was hardly anyone left at Lin Guodong¡¯s side to order around.


    Maybe it was worth a try; he might just stumble upon an unexpected discovery.


    Without dy, Ling Chen left the bedroom and hurried to Hu Fei¡¯s office to share his thoughts.


    Just at that moment, a sedan slowly approached the research facility¡¯s exterior.


    The car door opened, and Nanrong Hao was the first to jump out, then considerately opened the rear door, ushering a woman out.


    "Sister, take it easy."


    "My body has already recovered, there¡¯s no need to be so concerned. Let¡¯s go!"


    Entering the research facility, with Nanrong Hao leading the way, the two of them passed through unobstructed, asionally greeted by people acknowledging Nanrong Hao.


    "Sister, where are we going? Shall we go directly to Chen, or..."


    "Ling Chen should be in his bedroom, let¡¯s check his room first."


    "Okay!" Nanrong Hao responded and led Nanrong Wanqing straight to the door of the room where Ling Chen was staying.


    Knock knock knock!


    Nanrong Hao knocked on the door, but there was no response from inside the room.


    After waiting a while and seeing no reaction from inside the room, Nanrong Wanqing turned and said, "He might not be in the room."


    "Sister, why don¡¯t you wait in Chen¡¯s room? I¡¯ll go find Chen; he should be in Hu¡¯s office."


    "But the door is locked."


    Nanrong Hao smirked and said, "That¡¯s not a problem. All the rooms in the base have keypad locks, and except for the more important ces, the rest have the same keycode." Saying this, Nanrong Hao stretched out his hand and pressed a six-digit code on the electronic keypad lock next to the door.


    Click!


    With a soft click, the door lock popped open instantly.


    "Go ahead, you can leave now, don¡¯t worry about me." After saying this, Nanrong Wanqing pushed the door open and walked in.


    However, once inside the room, before Nanrong Wanqing could even find a ce to sit down, her eyes were instantly drawn to the beauty on the bed. At that moment, Liu Xiyao was lying in the nket with her clothes thrown messily aside, minimal garments covering her devilish curves, coupled with her high school aura and snow-like jade skin, any man here would probably have been stimted to nosebleed by the scene before his eyes.


    Watching Liu Xiyaofortably asleep on the bed, Nanrong Wanqing was taken aback for a moment, her pretty face gradually turned pale, her lips tightly biting, andplex emotions flickered in her beautiful eyes.


    How... How could she be here?


    This was Ling Chen¡¯s room, and with Liu Xiyao undressed like this, could it be that they... Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s face turned even paler at the thought, with clear tears swirling in her eyes.


    "No... It can¡¯t be..."


    Nanrong Wanqing shook her head in disbelief at the sight. Although she didn¡¯t want to believe it, everything was real; she couldn¡¯t lie to herself.


    At this time, in Hu Fei¡¯s office, Ling Chen was still discussing matters with Hu Fei.


    Hearing the door noise, Ling Chen turned around and asked, "Haozi, why are you here?"


    "Just hanging around, so I came to have a look. Oh, and Chen, my sister came along too."


    "Your sister?" Ling Chen was puzzled; Nanrong Wanqing had actuallye to the base.


    "Where is your sister? Why isn¡¯t she with you?"


    "We went to your room to find you just now, but you weren¡¯t there, so I let Sister wait in your room, and then I came to look for you. Chen, you..."


    "What?" Ling Chen was startled, hastily interrupting Nanrong Hao and asking, "Your sister is in my room?"


    "Yeah. What¡¯s wrong?"


    Damn it!


    Ling Chen cursed inwardly, knowing that if Nanrong Wanqing saw Liu Xiyao sleeping in his room, she might jump to all sorts of wrong conclusions. Without time to think it over, Ling Chen rushed out the door, heading straight to his bedroom.


    As he approached the bedroom door, Ling Chen looked up to see Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s pale face and two lines of tears rushing out of the bedroom.


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


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 Chapter 794 - 799 Truly Just a Misunderstanding (3)

    <h4>Chapter 794: Chapter 799 Truly Just a Misunderstanding (3)</h4>


    "Wanqing..."


    Ling Chen felt a rush of urgency in his heart and called out Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s name, quickly advancing towards her. Upon getting closer, Ling Chen hurriedly said, "Wanqing, listen to my exnation, I..."


    p!


    Before Ling Chen could finish his sentence, a loud p had alreadynded on his cheek.


    This scene was caught by Nanrong Hao and Hu Fei, who had hurried over from behind. Both were shocked. They never expected Nanrong Wanqing to p Ling Chen hard across the face without a hint of mercy.


    After a brief moment of stunned silence, Nanrong Hao was the first to regain hisposure. He looked at Ling Chen, then at his sister, opened his mouth to say something, but Nanrong Wanqing didn¡¯t give him the chance to speak. Before he could utter a word, Nanrong Wanqing, with tears in her eyes, covered her face and rushed out.


    Watching the retreating back of Nanrong Wanqing, Ling Chen hurriedly took a few steps to chase after her, wanting to grab Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s hand. However, after running a few steps, Ling Chen stopped.


    Nanrong Wanqing was furious; if he went after her now, not only would he be unable to calm Nanrong Wanqing down, but it would also make her even angrier. It would be better to let her cool off for a bit. Thinking this, Ling Chen signaled Nanrong Hao with his eyes and said, "What are you waiting for? Hurry up and follow her, make sure nothing happens to your sister."


    "Oh." Nanrong Hao hurriedly responded and quickly followed after Nanrong Wanqing.


    Seeing Nanrong Hao and Nanrong Wanqing disappear from view, Ling Chen couldn¡¯t help but sigh deeply, his face full of helplessness.


    "Hey!" At that moment, Hu Fei leaned in close to Ling Chen, asking curiously, "What happened between you and Miss Nanrong? Why would you two have a conflict all of a sudden?"


    Ling Chen replied with a wry smile, "Just now, sister Xiyao had a bit to drink in my room, and seeing that she was quite drunk, I let her rest there. After she fell asleep, I went over to your ce, but then Wanqing came by. She must have seen sister Xiyao sleeping on my bed, so she misunderstood."


    "It¡¯s such a trivial matter, and that¡¯s what caused all this trouble?" Hu Fei said helplessly, "Miss Nanrong really has too little tolerance. It¡¯s not like anything inappropriate happened; why get so angry?" After speaking, Hu Fei turned and walked to the door of Ling Chen¡¯s bedroom, peeking inside.


    After one look, Hu Fei was stunned on the spot, his eyes wide open like car lights.


    "Fatty... Fatty..." Ling Chen called out twice, seeing Hu Fei¡¯s dazed look, and out of curiosity, walked over.


    At the doorway, Ling Chen followed Hu Fei¡¯s gaze into the room, and was immediately stunned by the scene before him.


    How could this be? Ling Chen¡¯s expression became nk as he stared at Liu Xiyao on the bed, his mind suddenly in aplete nk. At this moment, he finally understood why Nanrong Wanqing was so furious. Any woman who saw this situation would think the worst.


    Oh, no!


    Ling Chen couldn¡¯t help but let out a long sigh, looking up to the sky. Liu Xiyao was clearly lying on the bed; how could things have turned out like this?


    "Fatty! Fatty!" Ling Chen patted Hu Fei¡¯s head, and finally, he snapped back to reality, wiping the drool from the corner of his mouth, and asked, "What?"


    "Still looking? Aren¡¯t you afraid of getting styes?" Ling Chen scolded lightly, annoyed, "Let¡¯s go, we¡¯ll head back to the office." Saying this, Ling Chen closed the bedroom door, then pushed Hu Fei towards the office.


    "Hey! Ling Chen, I didn¡¯t expect that you really had a way with women, managing to hook up with Miss Liu. Tsk tsk! You really enjoy thedies¡¯ favor. But I¡¯m not going to praise you; having Nanrong Wanqing is already enough, yet you¡¯re still out there flirting around, you¡¯re just too greedy."


    After hearing Hu Fei¡¯s constant nagging, Ling Chen raised his fist, giving him a threatening look, and said, "I¡¯ve already said it was a misunderstanding. If you dare to spout nonsense again, do you believe I¡¯ll knock your head off and use it as a ball to kick? Starting now, don¡¯t bring up this matter again, or don¡¯t me me for being impolite."


    "Alright, alright, I won¡¯t talk about it anymore." Hu Fei immediately raised his hands in surrender.


    Returning to the office, Ling Chen slumped onto the couch, listlessly pondering how to exin things to Nanrong Wanqing. Just thinking about it killed his mood.


    Over an hour passed, and after an anxious wait, Nanrong Hao finally made a phone call.


    "Hello! Haozi, how¡¯s your sister doing?"


    "Chen, I advise you not toe back these next few days, just stay at the base for a while. Sister is really angry right now. I tried to exin to her, but she wouldn¡¯t listen to a word I said and even kicked me out. Sigh, I¡¯m really out of options. Uhm... Chen, don¡¯t worry too much, I know my sister¡¯s temper the best, it¡¯ll be fine in a few days. Once she calms down, I¡¯ll help you exin everything. Remember, don¡¯te home for the next few days."


    Ling Chen helplessly replied, "Alright then, you stay at home for the next few days, take good care of your sister."


    After hanging up the phone, Ling Chen leaned back against the couch, rubbing his forehead, then stood up and walked over to theputer, looking at Hu Fei busy at work, he said, "I¡¯m going to rest a bit, let me know if there¡¯s any news."


    "Got it."


    Standing outside the bedroom, Ling Chen hesitated, recalling that Liu Xiyao was still asleep inside. He had already caused a misunderstanding, and if he were to enter now and someone bumped into him, that would look really bad.


    After a moment of thought, Ling Chen let go of the doorknob and turned around, intending to make do with Yuan Yun¡¯s room. Just as he walked out a few steps, he suddenly heard a noise from behind him.


    Looking back, he saw Liu Xiyao standing at the door. Their eyes met, and Liu Xiyao¡¯s pretty face instantly blushed, as if draped in ayer of rosy clouds. She slightly turned her head away, as if she dared not look directly into Ling Chen¡¯s eyes.


    "Uh... are you awake?" Ling Chen opened his mouth, asking.


    Liu Xiyao softly nodded, then in a voice as fine as a mosquito¡¯s hum, she asked, "Just now... were you in the room the whole time or..."


    Hearing this, Ling Chen immediately understood what Liu Xiyao meant, and quickly responded, "After you fell asleep, I went out, and only just came back."


    "Is that so?" Liu Xiyao seemed to breathe a sigh of relief, and herplexion gradually returned to normal.


    "Sorry just now, I thought I was in my own room, so I..." Realizing something, Liu Xiyao abruptly stopped herself, saying, "If there¡¯s nothing else, I¡¯ll head back now, I won¡¯t disturb your rest."


    After saying that, without waiting for Ling Chen to reply, Liu Xiyao had already left.


    Returning to his own room, Ling Chen looked at the bed and couldn¡¯t help but let out a faint smile.


    Now he finally understood why Nanrong Wanqing came in and saw that scene; it was all because a drunken Liu Xiyao mistook this ce for her own room, and so took off her clothes.


    With this thought, Ling Chen couldn¡¯t help but let his mind wander.


    Could it be... that Liu Xiyao normally likes to sleep naked?

 Chapter 795 - 800 Ultimate Purpose

    <h4>Chapter 795: Chapter 800 Ultimate Purpose</h4>


    Tsk tsk! Who would have thought Liu Xiyao had such a proclivity? Had I known this earlier, I wouldn¡¯t have left just now. Maybe I could have had the chance to appreciate Liu Xiyao¡¯s graceful figure.


    Sigh! Ling Chen patted his forehead, what was he even thinking about? If that really happened, he would be caught red-handed by Nanrong Wanqing. By then, he would have no excuse for his behavior.


    Shaking his head, he cast aside the thoughts in his mind, and Ling Cheny t on the bed, breathing in the lingering scent of Liu Xiyao on the sheets. Unconsciously, Ling Chen drifted off to sleep.


    He had no idea how long he had slept when he groggily woke up. Picking up his mobile phone to check the time, he found it was still early, only two in the morning, and he had slept for almost five or six hours.


    Having slept for so long, he felt wide awake. Ling Chen got up to wash his face, then left the room alone and headed to Hu Fei¡¯s office. He wasn¡¯t sure if Hu Fei was asleep at this hour.


    Arriving at the office, Ling Chen pushed open the door and heard only the sound of snoringing from the sofa. Turning his head, he saw Hu Fei lying on the sofa under a nket, sleeping soundly.


    Although Hu Fei was asleep, hisputer was not turned off, and the monitor screen was still on. With nothing better to do, Ling Chen walked over to theputer, sat down, and casually tapped a few keys on the keyboard.


    Instantly, several folders popped up on theputer screen. However, they were all password-protected and inessible. Ling Chen typed in a password with more than ten digits, then pressed the enter key, and the encrypted folders immediately opened up.


    These were confidential files personally guarded by Hu Fei, the password known only to him aside from Ling Chen himself.


    Entering the folders, Ling Chen opened several documents one by one, carefully scrutinizing the information within. After going through several documents consecutively, something seemed to dawn on him. His brows unconsciously furrowed, and his eyes held a hint of surprise.


    ...


    Early the next day.


    After a night¡¯s sleep, Hu Fei finally woke up. Sitting up from the sofa and stretching with a yawn, he heard the sound of keyboard tapping beside him. Focusing his eyes, Hu Fei saw Ling Chen in front of theputer, intently staring at the screen,pletely unaware that he had awoken.


    "Hey! What are you doing?" Hu Fei rubbed his eyes, got up, and walked over to Ling Chen, then nced at theputer screen.


    Seeing the information Ling Chen was looking through, Hu Fei asked with confusion, "Why are you looking at these things? Didn¡¯t I show them to you yesterday?"


    Without even raising his head, Ling Chen said, "I¡¯ve been researching it all night. I think I know why those billionaires are connected to the God Organization."


    "Oh?" Hu Fei asked curiously, "What¡¯s the reason?"


    Typing on the keyboard, Ling Chen pulled up dozens of photos, all minimized on one screen. Then pointing at the first one, he said, "Take a look. This man is named Yang He, over seventy years old now, and a well-known billionaire in the country. Reportedly, his personal assets exceed twenty billion, and he owns a chain of stores nationwide. Of course, that¡¯s not the main point. Take a good look; these pictures are all gathered from the inte. Over the past two years, Yang He has appeared at many different events, and every appearance was captured by journalists."


    At this point, Ling Chen erged two of the photos and asked, "Fatty, take a close look. Do you notice any differences between these two photos?"


    Hu Fei leaned closer to theputer screen and examined the images. After a while, he nodded and said, "You¡¯re right, there is a difference. These two photos seem to show him looking younger in one and older in another. Hey, did you get the wrong pictures? They should be from the same timeframe."


    "No mistake, these are from the same period, and the time difference between the two photos is only half a year."


    "Half a year?" Hu Fei eximed in surprise, bewildered, "How could there be such a big difference in such a short time? That¡¯spletely irrational. Even with good maintenance, one couldn¡¯t possibly look years younger all at once."


    "That¡¯s exactly the issue," Ling Chen said. "I collected many photos; these pictures are enough to illustrate a lot of issues. Look at this one; this is a photo of Yang He from two years ago. Back then, he was already very old, needing assistance to walk. But look at him now, this old man walks briskly, and even has two young and beautiful girls by his side."


    Hearing this, Hu Fei immediately stopped joking around and said gravely, "Are you implying that this old man is gradually bing younger?"


    "Yes." Ling Chen nodded. "We¡¯ve had quite a few dealings with the God Organization, and we¡¯re all too aware of their capabilities. They¡¯ve always focused on drug research and human experimentation, starting with simple strength-enhancing serums all the way to the Lucifer project, all aimed at enhancing human physical functions. The Lucifer project can instantly amplify a person¡¯s constitution by several times, which holds epoch-making significance for any power or nation. However, to the God Organization, the Lucifer project was an unsessful experiment. Remember how we discussed it before? Even the Lucifer experiment didn¡¯t meet the standard for the God Organization, so what are they really after? I think now we can draw a conclusion."


    "The ultimate goal of the God Organization should be to research reversing aging and breaking the limitations of age," Hu Fei concluded atst.


    "Exactly." Ling Chen nodded. Saying this, he couldn¡¯t help but take a deep breath. Reversing aging is the dream of many scientists, but a dream is just a dream, impossible to achieve. Yet, the God Organization is gradually turning this dream into reality.


    This can be seen from Yang He¡¯s case.


    Tsk Tsk!


    If the God Organization could indeed develop a method to make people younger, it would be a remarkable achievement for humanity.


    "Ling Chen, the God Organization¡¯s ambitions are indeed grand. Hey, if Yang He became younger, does it mean the God Organization¡¯s research has seeded?"


    "That¡¯s hard to say. By the way! Didn¡¯t you instruct Liu Dongsheng to take action? How is it going?"


    "He¡¯s already on it. The first target is Yang He. I¡¯ve checked; he will attend a ribbon-cutting ceremony in East Sea City in the next two days, and his newpany is officially opening soon, inviting many socialites. Miss Nanrong is a well-known figure in East Sea City; she must have received an invitation too. Do you want to go with her to check it out?"


    "Forget it!" Ling Chen shook his head. Nanrong Wanqing was angry at the moment and didn¡¯t want to see him. There was no need to provoke her now. Since Liu Dongsheng was already in action, it was better for him to stay put at the base.


    "Fatty, tell Liu Dongsheng to act quickly. Also, he must be cautious. Since Yang He is linked with the God Organization, there¡¯s no guarantee he does not have God Organization¡¯s people around him."


    "Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll remind him of that."


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 Chapter 796 - 801: Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony

    <h4>Chapter 796: Chapter 801: Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony</h4>


    The second day.


    Located in the bustling Central District of East Sea City, celebrities from all walks of life gathered to celebrate the opening of a branch office of the Yang Group.


    At ten o¡¯clock in the morning, a luxury office building was surrounded by various expensive cars, such as Porsches, Rolls-Royces, Ferraris, and Maybachs. Thebined price of these cars alone was an astonishing figure.


    On the red carpet in front of the office building, numerous well-dressed gentlemen with their femalepanions walked by, greeting the reporters on both sides of the carpet from time to time.


    Yang He had a big reputation domestically, with total assets ranking in the top ten in the country. Therefore, for the opening of his branch office, many people came uninvited, even flying in from all over the country to East Sea City, just to show their support for Yang He. In addition to celebrities from all industries, even the government sent special representatives to offer congrattions, which shows how much face Yang He had.


    Around the reporters, many onlookers were squeezing together,yer inside and outside, and the crowd kept growing. After all, many prominent socialites were present, people who usually only appeared on television, and it was a good thing for them to have a chance to see these figures up close.


    At the moment, in the crowd, Ling Chen was wearing a duckbill cap, watching the VIPsing and going on the red carpet, his gaze searching for Yang He¡¯s figure in front of the office building. However, as the host of this ribbon-cutting ceremony, Yang He seemed not to have arrived yet, and everyone was waiting for his arrival.


    The guests who arrived early gathered in groups, chatting sporadically, with their eyes asionally ncing towards the end of the red carpet, waiting for Yang He¡¯s appearance.


    As the host had not yet arrived, Ling Chen was not very interested in those socialites, so he turned his attention to the security of the event. It must be said that as a nationally renowned tycoon, Yang He¡¯s security arrangements were very much in ce, not inferior even to that of national leaders.


    On both sides of the red carpet, there were more than a dozen security personnel in suits, wearing earpieces. These security personnel were strong and burly; even when wearing suits, their robust muscles were evident. Moreover, there were bulges around their waists. ording to national regtions, security personnel were not allowed to carry guns, so they must be carrying stun guns.


    In addition to these visible security personnel, there were also many inclothes security personnel hiding in the crowd. Ling Chen took a quick nce and spotted several undercover agents; it was unclear exactly how many there were, but certainly not a few.


    The security is well in ce, Ling Chen thought to himself. Yang He¡¯s security team were no rookies, but experienced veterans. Beforeing here, Ling Chen had investigated the information. Because Yang He had good rtions with the government, the security personnel around him were all retired special forces soldiers. Comparing retired soldiers to retired special forces is not a fairparison. One is a strictly trained soldier, the other is someone who has survived numerous battles and live-fire conflicts, thetter obviously being much stronger.


    Such a strong security team, coupled with a tight organization, it was unknown whether Liu Dongsheng would be able to seed smoothly.


    Although Ling Chen had entrusted Liu Dongsheng to take full responsibility, this operation was not simple, involving the God Organization. Furthermore, with so many social elites present, the risk factor was quite high. After consideration, Ling Chen was still somewhat uneasy, so he came to observe the situation.


    If anything unexpected happened to Liu Dongsheng, he would be able to assist secretly, to avoid any mishap.


    "Look, it¡¯s Miss Nanrong."


    At this moment, a burst of exmations erupted from the crowd.


    Ling Chen looked up and saw a Rolls-Royce stopping at the end of the red carpet. Following that, Zhong Wei and Liang Zhao Hui got out of the car, opened the door, and escorted Nanrong Wanqing towards the office building.


    However, after stepping onto the red carpet, one of the security staff suddenly stopped Zhong Wei and Liang Zhao Hui who apanied her, and said something to them. From the expression on Zhong Wei¡¯s face, he obviously was reluctant. After a standoff for a while, Nanrong Wanqing seemed to choose topromise, and Zhong Wei and Liang Zhao Hui had no choice but to retreat to the car and leave with it.


    Ling Chen understood the actions of the security guard. The guests attending this ribbon-cutting ceremony were all social elites; each was wealthy and powerful, with numerous bodyguards. If every person brought one or two bodyguards inside, the nature of the gathering would change, and it would turn into a gathering of bodyguards.


    Besides, with the capabilities of Yang He¡¯s security team, they were more than capable of ensuring the safety of these distinguished guests.


    As Nanrong Wanqing stepped onto the red carpet, Ling Chen¡¯s gaze kept following her steps.


    Perhaps to attend today¡¯s ribbon-cutting ceremony, Nanrong Wanqing had made a special effort to dress up. She was no longer in a in white dress but wore a teal one-piece instead, looking dignified and elegant, with exceptional poise.


    As a golden flower of East Sea City, Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s arrival naturally attracted the attention of everyone present, with some men even actively walking over to greet her.


    Facing the attentions of many men, Nanrong Wanqing always maintained a smile, greeting each with grace and poise.


    After waiting a few minutes, as it was almost half-past ten, a stretched Mercedes slowly arrived and stopped in front of the red carpet.


    "Mr. Yang senior has arrived; that¡¯s his private car."


    Hearing the words from the crowd, Ling Chen nced twice, a touch of surprise in his heart. Elder Yang was obviously very concerned about his safety; even the Mercedes was specially made, with all bulletproof windows. Although the materials used for the car body and tires were unknown, they must be anything but ordinary.


    At that moment, the doors of the Mercedes had not yet opened, and the VIPs who had been chatting together had already gathered in front of the car, scrambling to open the door for Elder Yang.


    However, before they could get close to the Mercedes, they were blocked by a few burly security guards.


    "Please make way." The security personnel were very polite, not rudely pushing the guests aside but forming a human wall, separating the VIPs from the Mercedes.


    As everyone watched, the door of the Mercedes finally opened, and an old man wearing a hat stepped out.


    Seeing the appearance of the old man, everyone was taken aback.


    What... What¡¯s going on? Wasn¡¯t Yang He supposed to be in the car? How had it be an unfamiliar old man?


    Just as everyone was astonished, another inconspicuous BMW drove from behind and stopped beside the Mercedes. The car door opened, and a thin, spirited old man got out. Despite his advanced age, he was dressed very fashionably in casual clothes, followed by a beautiful woman in a plunging neckline.


    "Mr. Yang senior."


    Seeing the neer, everyone¡¯s faces brightened, and they hurried up to greet him enthusiastically.


    "Good, good, hello everyone." Yang He waved his hand at the crowd, a broad smile on his face.


    However, seeing this scene, Ling Chen furrowed his brow.

 Chapter 797 - 802: The Hijacking Operation (1)

    <h4>Chapter 797: Chapter 802: The Hijacking Operation (1)</h4>


    Last night, Ling Chen spent the whole night looking up information online, all rted to Yang He, including several video records.


    In those videos, Yang He always rode in this car, without ever changing vehicles. But this time, for the ribbon-cutting ceremony, he had arrived in a BMW sedan, not in his usual car. Moreover, the person sitting in that Mercedes wore a hat and deliberately covered their face when getting out of the car. It was clear that Yang He had made these arrangements to prevent assassination attempts.


    If someone were to harm the elderly man getting out of the Mercedes at that moment, Yang He would surely escape immediately in the BMW sedan.


    Yang He suddenly bing so cautious must be for aplex reason, perhaps he already knew of a threat against him and thus took precautions in advance.


    Thinking of this, Ling Chen couldn¡¯t help but start worrying about Liu Dongsheng. He then stepped out of the crowd and took out his phone to make a call to Hu Fei.


    The call connected, and Ling Chen asked, "Fatty, try reaching Liu Dongsheng and tell him to hold off on any actions for now. I¡¯ve just scoped out the situation, and Yang He might be on guard, I¡¯m afraid he might set a trap. For Liu Dongsheng¡¯s safety, it¡¯s best to cancel the operation and find another opportunity to strike."


    "Alright, you wait, I¡¯ll contact him."


    However, not long after hanging up, Hu Fei called back.


    "Hello! Ling Chen, his phone is off, I can¡¯t reach him, what do we do now?" Hu Fei¡¯s tone was tinged with urgency.


    Ling Chen inwardly cursed the situation. He should have thought of this earlier; Liu Dongsheng would definitely switch off his phone before taking action to avoid mistakes during the operation. He never carried a phone during past deployments.


    Looking at the dense crowd surrounding him, Ling Chen didn¡¯t know what to do. With so many people around, who knew where Liu Dongsheng was hiding. With his extensive experience, if he didn¡¯t show himself intentionally, it would likely be impossible for anyone to spot him.


    In a sh of thought, Ling Chen made up his mind.


    "Fatty, get Kaelina toe over immediately," and after a pause, he added, "Right, tell her to bring all her equipment."


    "Got it."


    After ending the call, Ling Chen turned to look at Nanrong Wanqing among the VIPs. At that moment, Nanrong Wanqing stood quietly to the side, her face expressionless, out of ce amidst the surroundingughter and chatter. Hesitating for a moment, Ling Chen picked up his phone and dialed Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s number.


    Once Liu Dongsheng made his move, it would inevitably cause chaos among the crowd. It was better to give Nanrong Wanqing a heads-up to prevent anything from happening to her.


    The call went through, and Ling Chen¡¯s gaze pierced through theyers of people, watching Nanrong Wanqing who was not far away. She took out her phone, nced at the screen, then hung up directly.


    Listening to the system prompt tone from the phone, Ling Chen gave a wry smile. After a day, the girl was still as fiery as ever.


    He dialed again, but Nanrong Wanqing still hung up on him. By the next try, the system already indicated that her phone was turned off.


    Sigh!


    With a helpless shake of his head, Ling Chen decided to let it be. It was okay! He would just pay more attention to Nanrong Wanqingter.


    At this moment, surrounded by a crowd of guests, Yang He brought the young and beautiful girl, chatting andughing, walking along the red carpet towards the office building. At the same time, a lively sound of gongs and drums came from outside the crowd. Ling Chen turned his head to look, and saw a lion dance troupe and a drum team, making a joyful ruckus as they approached.


    Tsk tsk! Quite the grand disy, even hiring a lion dance troupe. It makes sense, though, given Yang He¡¯s advanced age; these old folks love to celebrate with these traditional methods. As the two lions from the lion dance troupe hopped and weaved through the crowd, the attention of the onlookers was captivated by their spectacr performance.


    At that point, the two lions, carrying a pair of couplets in their mouths and stepping on stilts, jumped higher and higher. When they reached the highest point, they rxed their jaws and the bright red couplets immediately fell down. The performance reached its climax, and the sounds of the gongs and drums grew louder.


    Just as everyone was in high spirits, one of the lions standing on a high stilt suddenly leaped down, charging directly towards Yang He, who wasn¡¯t far away.


    Seeing this, the security guards who had been stationed close to Yang He immediately stepped forward, forming a human wall, ready to intercept the lion. However, just as the lion was about to rush close, it suddenly leaped upwards; performing a flip in midair, it unexpectedly jumped right over the heads of the security guards.


    By the time the crowd realized what was happening, the lion had already closed in on Yang He.


    "Mr. Yang!"


    Seeing this scene, everyone present was shocked, their voices rising in rm.


    Bang!


    Suddenly, a long leg kicked out from nowhere, striking hard on the lion¡¯s head. In an instant, the lion¡¯s head was sent flying, and the person who had been hidden inside the lion was finally revealed.


    Ling Chen fixed his gaze, and his tense expression rxed slightly. Thankfully, the person¡¯s face was covered with a mask, hiding their features so that no one could recognize them. However, judging by the person¡¯s physique and the speed at which they struck, it was clearly Liu Dongsheng.


    It was unexpected that he would hide inside the lion. Unfortunately, if it hadn¡¯t been for that big leg that shot out unexpectedly, Liu Dongsheng¡¯s attack would likely have seeded. With his skills, it would have been easy for Liu Dongsheng to escape in the chaos, should he manage to take down Yang He.


    The old fox Yang He was indeed well-prepared.


    Ling Chen frowned slightly and kept his eyes closely on the beautiful woman next to Yang He. The person who hadshed out was none other than the young woman. Initially thought to be just a pretty vase, she turned out to be skilled, managing to thwart Liu Dongsheng¡¯s ambush.


    At this moment, the surrounding security personnel had all reacted, rapidly rushing towards Liu Dongsheng, surrounding him tightly, leaving no way out.


    "Who are you, daring to harm Elder Yang? I advise you to surrender quietly, don¡¯t resist needlessly," a security officer called out coldly.


    Liu Dongsheng scanned the security guards around him, his eyes brimming with a chilling intent to kill.


    After a few seconds of standoff, Liu Dongsheng suddenly leaned forward and charged straight towards the nearest security guard. In the blink of an eye, he was upon the guard. Before the guard could react, Liu Dongsheng¡¯s fist had already smashed out, instantly sending the guard flying.


    As Liu Dongsheng broke out of the encirclement, the crowd immediately shouted.


    "Quick, don¡¯t let him get away!"


    "Escort Elder Yang out of here immediately!"


    Amid the shouting, several security guards surrounded Yang He, pressing down on his head, and swiftly retreated.

 Chapter 798 - 803: The Hijacking Operation (2)

    <h4>Chapter 798: Chapter 803: The Hijacking Operation (2)</h4>


    Hmph!


    Liu Dongsheng sneered coldly, instantly boosting his speed to the utmost limit, swooping like a gust of wind, and in the blink of an eye, he was less than two meters from Yang He.


    But at this moment, a fierce gust of wind surged abruptly towards him.


    Sensing the looming crisis in his heart, Liu Dongsheng¡¯s pupils contracted slightly, his peripheral vision scanning swiftly, his gaze immediately locking onto that young and beautiful woman.


    It¡¯s her again!


    If it weren¡¯t for this woman, he would have seeded earlier. Now, being intercepted by her again, the murderous intent in Liu Dongsheng¡¯s eyes grew even stronger.


    "Die!" With a thunderous shout, Liu Dongsheng leapt up from where he stood, soaring nearly two meters above the ground, towering over the woman¡¯s height.


    At the apex of his jump, Liu Dongsheng spread his arms wide akin to a roc spreading its wings, rapidly swooping down, striking directly towards the top of the woman¡¯s head.


    Faced with Liu Dongsheng¡¯s fierce onught, the woman was unafraid, her gaze resoluteness itself. Just as Liu Dongsheng was about to close in on her, the woman swiftly extended her arms, a sharp military spike falling out of each sleeve. Wielding the two spikes, she quickly raised her arms, aiming them at Liu Dongsheng¡¯s legs.


    However, at that very moment, the woman¡¯s expression abruptly changed, her gaze hastily shifting to her left. This slight movement caused her raised arms to hesitate, missing Liu Dongsheng¡¯s attack. Seizing the opportunity, Liu Dongsheng twisted his waist, his legs spinning like a top, instantly deflecting the woman¡¯s arms and ruthlessly stomping on her head.


    Subjected to such a potent attack, the woman¡¯s knees buckled, and she immediately copsed to the ground, blood spurting from her mouth.


    Biting her teeth, the woman struggled to stand, but the severe blow to her head left her sense of bncepletelypromised. Just as she managed to rise, her body swayed and she copsed again.


    If someone were to take a closer look at this time, they would see a pool of blood staining the woman¡¯s waist, seeping through her clothes.


    Now it should be no problem.


    Ling Chen, hidden in the crowd, thought to himself. While Liu Dongsheng was exchanging blows with the woman, he had covertly lent a hand by throwing a small stone. Although it was just an ordinary stone, powered by the Hua Realm, the stone¡¯s force was no less potent than that of a sharp hidden weapon.


    It was this very stone that had pierced through the woman¡¯s waist, slowing her movements. That is why Liu Dongsheng was able to seed so effortlessly.


    Having dealt with the intercepting woman, Liu Dongsheng looked up sharply, his piercing gaze instantly locking onto Yang He. At this moment, under the protection of security personnel, Yang He was running towards a Mercedes car, less than twenty meters away.


    Having fixed his target, Liu Dongsheng stepped forward, like a fierce tiger breaking out of its cage, immediately pouncing forward. In a few leaps, Liu Dongsheng closed in on Yang He. In an instant, Liu Dongsheng descended upon them like a tiger among sheep, knocking away two security personnel with a single encounter.


    Seeing this, Ling Chen breathed a slight sigh of relief. With Liu Dongsheng¡¯s strength, those security personnel posed no threat to him. As long as he could control Yang He, Ling Chen could easily abduct him with assistance from the shadows.


    Amidst these thoughts, Ling Chen suddenly noticed a man beside him raising a long tubr weapon, aiming it at Liu Dongsheng who was still inbat.


    Not good!


    Ling Chen¡¯s expression changed, not expecting these inclothes agents hidden in the crowd to have another trick up their sleeve. Without waiting for Ling Chen to intervene, the long tubr weapon made a ¡¯bang¡¯, and arge instantly flew out, enveloping Liu Dongsheng and several security personnel all at once.


    Bang! Bang!


    At the same time, noises were simrlying from another part of the crowd. Severalrges fell one after another, trapping Liu Dongsheng within them.


    Theserges seemed to be sticky, as they clung to Liu Dongsheng¡¯s body once they touched him, making it impossible to shake them off. The more Liu Dongsheng struggled, the more entangled he became, to the point where he could barely move.


    Seeing this, Ling Chen was taken aback. He knew the strength of Liu Dongsheng well, and yet even he couldn¡¯t tear through thoses. It was clear that Yang He had made thorough preparations for his own safety.


    At that moment, seeing Liu Dongsheng trapped by thes, several security personnel quickly pulled out stun guns from their waists and shot continuously at Liu Dongsheng¡¯s body. Struck by the strong electrical attack, Liu Dongsheng¡¯s body immediately convulsed, veins bulging on his forehead, with all his muscles tensing up.


    This won¡¯t do! Ling Chen thought to himself. If this continued, Liu Dongsheng would eventually be captured by them.


    In the blink of an eye, Ling Chen tore a piece of cloth from his clothing and covered his face. Then, with a tap of his toes, he charged toward the undercover officers in the crowd.


    With a ¡¯bang¡¯, Ling Chen threw a punch, and an undercover officer fell to the ground instantly. Ling Chen nced at the long-barreled weapon in the other¡¯s hand, and an idea struck him; he immediately picked it up.


    Taking aim, Ling Chen bent his finger and lightly squeezed the trigger, and anotherrge shot out, enveloping the fleeing Yang He.


    "Let¡¯s see where you can run now," Ling Chen smirked.


    Taking advantage of Yang He being temporarily trapped, Ling Chen immediately dashed out of the crowd, charging towards the security personnel surrounding Liu Dongsheng.


    With Ling Chen¡¯s current strength, these security personnel were no challenge for him. In no time at all, several security officers were knocked down.


    "Liu!" Ling Chen called out loudly.


    Hearing Ling Chen¡¯s shout, Liu Dongsheng, caught in the, momentarily froze, then quickly recognized who hade.


    "Wait, I¡¯m here to help you." As the words fell, Ling Chen reached for his waist, and the Tianling de appeared in his hand in an instant. With the sharp de revealed, Ling Chen flicked his wrist, and several consecutive shes cut through thes, which, despite their tough material, couldn¡¯t withstand the sharpness of the Tianling de and were instantly severed.


    "You take the lead and get people out of here; I¡¯ll cover the rear."


    Liu Dongsheng nodded without a word and ran straight towards Yang He.


    At that moment, the several security personnel around Yang He were busy trying to rescue him from the and could not afford to be distracted. By the time Liu Dongsheng arrived, they had not yet reacted.


    Watching his subordinates being subdued, Yang He¡¯splexion changed drastically as he eximed, "What are you..."


    Thest word "people" had not yet left his mouth when Liu Dongsheng¡¯s fist knocked Yang He unconscious.


    Carrying the unconscious Yang He, Liu Dongsheng did not even look at Ling Chen and hurried straight through the crowd. He knew very well that Ling Chen was much more powerful than himself and need not worry about his safety.


    However, just as Liu Dongsheng was preparing to take Yang He and flee the scene, more than ten police cars quickly arrived, stopping at the roadside and surrounding the scene. Immediately afterward, more than twenty fully armed police officers, carrying riot shields and batons, marched forward, forming a solid wall of people.


    Seeing this, Liu Dongsheng couldn¡¯t help but stop in his tracks, hesitating whether to continue forward.


    "Nobody move!"


    A high-ranking police officer with a megaphone shouted loudly: "Hand over the hostage."

 Chapter 799 - 804: The Hijacking Operation (3)

    <h4>Chapter 799: Chapter 804: The Hijacking Operation (3)</h4>


    As soon as the voice fell, a gust of wind suddenly brushed past Liu Dongsheng. By the time Liu Dongsheng reacted, there was a loud ¡¯bang¡¯, as if something heavy had viciously struck the row of riot shields, causing several shields to shatter.


    With the impact of that force, several fully armed police officers were knocked to the ground.


    "Run!" Ling Chen shouted lightly.


    Hearing Ling Chen¡¯s voice, Liu Dongsheng no longer hesitated, immediately lifting Yang He and rushing outside. With Ling Chen holding back the police, they had no time to care about Liu Dongsheng. Moreover, since Liu Dongsheng was fast, these police officers couldn¡¯t catch up with him just by running.


    Watching Liu Dongsheng disappear from sight, Ling Chen secretly breathed a sigh of relief. As long as Liu Dongsheng had run away, he could calmly retreat.


    "Catch him! Do not let him escape,"manded the senior officer in charge, his face turning livid. With a wave of his hand, the police waiting behind all charged forward, surrounding Ling Chen in multipleyers.


    "Don¡¯t move! Move again and I will shoot."


    Several police officers, holding pistols, shouted loudly.


    Ling Chen was slightly startled, his toes lightly tapping a riot shield, borrowing force to jump up, intending to leap over the heads of the police officers.


    However, just then, arge suddenly flew from the front, rapidly closing in on his body.


    Damn!


    Ling Chen cursed softly to himself, his hand holding the Tianling de sliced repeatedly, cutting the in half. However, despite breaking the, Ling Chen had exhausted his momentum and had to fall from mid-air. Unfortunately, hisnding spot was right in the middle of the group of police.


    As soon as his feet touched the ground, several thick riot shields immediately pressed in from all directions, tightly pinning Ling Chen¡¯s body.


    Seeing this situation, Ling Chen¡¯s expression involuntarily changed. His body suddenly shook, his Hua Realm power burst forth, instantly pushing the shields apart. However, the shields were only pushed open by a dozen centimeters and quickly pressed back again, restraining Ling Chen¡¯s body.


    This is bad!


    Ling Chen let out a worried thought. As the police were numerous and densely packed, even if he was strong, he couldn¡¯t possibly fight against dozens of them alone.


    "Don¡¯t move!"


    At this time, several pistols were extended from the crowd, their dark muzzles all pointed at Ling Chen¡¯s forehead.


    "Humph! Now let¡¯s see where you can escape to," the officer inmand sneered with satisfaction. "Take off his mask for me; I want to see his true face."


    Hearing thatmand, Ling Chen¡¯s eyes narrowed. Once his identity is exposed, things would get tricky.


    Just as Ling Chen had no n, something suddenly flew into the crowd from mid-air. In an instant, smoke erupted, carrying a pungent odor.


    In a short while, the surrounding area of more than twenty meters was enveloped in thick smoke, obscuring even the outlines of people.


    Seeing this sudden change, Ling Chen immediatelyughed. Without thinking, he knew who arrived¡ªit must have been Kaelina who reached the scene.


    Taking advantage of the smokescreen, Ling Chen took a deep breath, then held his breath, his Hua Realm power bursting forth once more, pushing the surrounding riot shields away again. Following that, Ling Chen tapped his toes on a riot shield, using it to spring up.


    Having evaded the police cordon, Ling Chen looked around, unsure of which direction to go. The smoke was too thick around him, making it impossible to distinguish any directions.


    Forget it!


    Ling Chen couldn¡¯t be bothered to distinguish the direction, so he randomly picked one and quickly ran towards it. After moving forward for more than ten meters, the smoke ahead began to thin. Ling Chen nced around and saw the intersection was not far away. Fortunately, he hadn¡¯t taken the wrong direction.


    After running all the way, once he left the area where the police were located, Ling Chen darted into a small alley and immediately vanished.


    ...


    Half an hourter.


    Research Base.


    As soon as Ling Chen came back, he rushed straight to the interrogation room. Outside the interrogation room, he saw Liu Dongsheng sitting on a bench in the corridor, his dark face showing signs of fatigue.


    "Mr. Liu, are you alright?"


    "It¡¯s nothing." Liu Dongsheng stood up and said, "Mr. Ling, thank you for lending a hand."


    Ling Chen smiled and waved his hand, "Don¡¯t mention it. You¡¯re tired, go rest now."


    Liu Dongsheng could return safely,rgely thanks to Ling Chen¡¯s assistance. Otherwise, the woman by Yang He¡¯s side alone would have been a handful for Liu Dongsheng. Although Ling Chen had not fought with that woman, he could tell that her skills were no less than those ranked on the Dragon List. Unfortunately, with Ling Chen, an Earthly List expert present, she couldn¡¯t fully demonstrate her abilities.


    Having such a master by Yang He¡¯s side must have been arranged by the God Organization.


    After Liu Dongsheng left, Ling Chen walked to the front of the interrogation room, ready to push the door and enter. But at that moment, the ringtone of a cell phone emanated from his pocket.


    Taking out his phone, Ling Chen looked at the iing call number, saw it was Nanrong Wanqing calling, and immediately answered the phone.


    "Hello! Wanqing, is there something you need?"


    "Was that person you just now?"


    Ling Chen chuckled and feigned ignorance, "What you mean by it was me, I don¡¯t understand what you¡¯re talking about."


    "Humph! Don¡¯t try to fool me, I¡¯m not unaware. Why did you capture Yang He? Do you know who he is? This will bring you a lot of trouble."


    In her tone over the phone, Nanrong Wanqing sounded a bit agitated, but Ling Chen knew she was concerned about him, worried that he might be in trouble.


    After thinking for a moment, Ling Chen sobered, "Wanqing, I know what I¡¯m doing. You might not understand now, but you will in the future. I have more things to take care of right now, can¡¯t talk more."


    With that said, without waiting for Nanrong Wanqing to say anything more, Ling Chen hung up the phone.


    Walking into the interrogation room, Ling Chen saw at a nce that Yang He was sitting on a chair, his face showing anger and asionally cursing. Beside him, Hu Fei was standing with his arms crossed, looking impatiently at Yang He.


    "Fatty, did you get anything out of him?"


    "Forget it, this old guy is quite stubborn, he won¡¯t confess a word. Hmph, if it weren¡¯t for his age, I would have hit him already," said Hu Fei resentfully.


    Yang He looked at Ling Chen and said coldly, "Do you know who I am? I¡¯m telling you, it¡¯s better to release me now, otherwise, you won¡¯t end well."


    "Elder Yang, please calm down," Ling Chen moved a chair in front of Yang He and sat down, "We mean no harm, we just want to ask you some questions. As long as you tell the truth, I can assure you, we won¡¯t hurt you at all." He paused, then continued, "However, if you refuse to cooperate with us, don¡¯t me me for being rude. Although I am a civilized person who respects elders and loves youngers, I always adopt uncivilized methods for those who are uncooperative, so think it over carefully."


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 800 - 805: Astronomical Figures

    <h4>Chapter 800: Chapter 805: Astronomical Figures</h4>


    After hearing what Ling Chen had to say, Yang He fell into silence, bowing his head, as if lost in thought.


    A whileter, seeing that Yang He hadn¡¯t spoken, Ling Chen slightly furrowed his brows, a trace of menace shing in his eyes.


    This old man really was stubborn. Even at this point, he had yet to say a word. Did he really have such integrity that he was not afraid of death? Or did he think that with the backing of the God Organization, there was nothing to fear?


    "Fatty." Ling Chen thought for a moment and then spoke, "Since Elder Yang is unwilling to speak, why don¡¯t you have a good ¡¯discussion¡¯ with him?" Ling Chen stressed the word "discussion" significantly.


    Hu Fei raised the corner of his mouth, immediately understanding Ling Chen¡¯s meaning, and nodded with a sneer, "Alright!"


    Just as Hu Fei was about to move, Yang He, who had been silent and looking down, suddenly lifted his head and asked Ling Chen, "What do you want to know?"


    "What I want is simple: your rtionship with the God Organization, and how long you¡¯ve been cooperating with them."


    "It¡¯s been quite a few years. When I was only sixty years old, the God Organization approached me to cooperate. At that time, I was rather robust but had contracted a disease that made my hands and feet unresponsive. ording to the doctors, in a few years or perhaps a decade, I could potentially suffer from a stroke and be paralyzed. Back then, the person who came to me provided me with a medicine for trial use. Incredibly, the medicine treated and eradicated my disease. After that, I began my cooperation with the God Organization. Our cooperation was straightforward¡ªI provided funds to support the research projects of the God Organization. On sessful research, we would be the first batch to enjoy the special drugs."


    "As my health gradually declined, the God Organization¡¯s research finally made a breakthrough. Every month, they would administer the medicine to me on a regr schedule. After a year, the medicine finally took effect. Though my appearance didn¡¯t change, my body began to regain its youth. From the time I started taking the medicine until now, it has been six years. Over these years, I haven¡¯t fallen ill at all; not only is my bodily function better than before, but my physical strength is also much stronger than that of young people. The people from the God Organization said that as long as I continue to use this medicine, living past a hundred years old would be a breeze. However..."


    "However, what?" Ling Chen asked.


    "However, the God Organization¡¯s demands became increasingly greater, as did the funding consumed. Just recently, I provided them with one billion US dors."


    One billion US dors?


    Ling Chen was taken aback¡ªit was by no means a small amount. However, for an old man, if spending so much could keep him young, it might be worth it.


    "Besides you, who else is like you?"


    "I¡¯m not sure about the specifics," Yang He said, "but I know there are quite a few people like me. Moreover, I¡¯ve introduced one or two people to the God Organization."


    "Introduced?"


    "Yes. There are many wealthy people nowadays, some like me, with assets well-known to everyone¡ªwe¡¯re publicly known as billionaires. But there are also many invisible tycoons, with assets worth tens of billions, yet they live low-key lives, with few people aware of their existence, including the God Organization. It¡¯s impossible for the God Organization to find them without our introduction. However, if they want to cooperate with the God Organization, they must first show their sincerity; one billion US dors is just the admission fee. After the God Organization reviews their qualifications, they will decide whether to continue the cooperation."


    "Once a rtionship with the God Organization is established, they assign someone to protect our safety. This protection is around the clock, never leaving our side. In reality, we understand that this is less about protection and more akin to surveince. As the number of coborators grows, the God Organization surely fears that their secrets may be exposed."


    Hu Fei asked, "You¡¯re willing to ept this?"


    "At first, I was a bit resistant, but I got used to it. Besides, the God Organization is quite reasonable¡ªthey assigned us young and beautiful women. We can make any request we want, and those women will fulfill all our desires. What¡¯s not to like?"


    After a pause, Elder Yang continued, "To my knowledge, the God Organization has recently intensified its research efforts; the funds consumed are tenfold what they were before. They say that once the research seeds, we will no longer need to receive injections regrly; a one-time use of their medicine can make the body instantly decades younger. While the appearance won¡¯t change, with today¡¯s advanced technology, as long as you have money, making this face look younger is easy. However, the God Organization has stated that once the medicine is sessfully researched, it won¡¯t be given for free but rather must be bought. For those of us who have been funding them continuously, the price will be cheaper, just one hundred million US dors. For others, the price would be at least five hundred million."


    After listening to Yang He¡¯s story, Ling Chen couldn¡¯t help but admire the God Organization¡¯s money-making methods.


    ording to Yang He, once the God Organization¡¯stest medicine is researched sessfully, the potential revenue is unimaginable. There are so many wealthy people in the world, numerous individuals who can afford five hundred million US dors¡ªif a thousand people buy, it amounts to an ie of five hundred billion US dors, an astronomical figure.


    Thinking of this, Ling Chen felt somewhat perplexed. What did the God Organization need so much money for? That amount of money could allow the God Organization to buy a country.


    Shaking his head, Ling Chen pushed these chaotic thoughts aside and asked, "Mr. Yang, do you want to live?"


    Having said that, and without waiting for Yang He to speak, Ling Chen continued, "Forget I asked that question; Elder Yang would spend so much to stay young, obviously you wouldn¡¯t be willing to die. Since that¡¯s the case, I have a proposition¡ªwould Elder Yang be willing to consider it?"


    "What proposition?"


    "It¡¯s simple. If Elder Yang helps expose the existence of the God Organization and their deeds, I¡¯ll let you go immediately. How about it?"


    "No way!" Yang He didn¡¯t even consider it and shook his head instantly, "Don¡¯t even think about it¡ªI¡¯ll never agree to it. If I really did that, not only would I be in danger, but even my family members would be implicated. You¡¯ve said it yourself¡ªif I cooperate with you properly, you would let me go. I¡¯ve told you everything I know; why don¡¯t you keep your word?"


    With patience, Ling Chen said, "Mr. Yang, do you understand what the God Organization has done? Maybe you¡¯ve only enjoyed the results from the God Organization and aren¡¯t aware of how those results were achieved. But let me tell you, for their so-called research, the God Organization has killed who knows how many people. For those who have died, you are responsible too; your money funded the God Organization¡¯s activities."

 Chapter 801 - 806: SWAT Deployed

    <h4>Chapter 801: Chapter 806: SWAT Deployed</h4>


    "Well... How do I know if what you¡¯re saying is true or false? The God Organization is just a secret medical research group, not nearly as ruthless as you¡¯re iming. Besides, why should I believe you based solely on your words? You could be holding a grudge against the God Organization and want to use me to smear them. I¡¯m telling you, no matter what, I won¡¯t betray the God Organization. If you don¡¯t let me go, you¡¯ll be the ones at a disadvantage."


    Upon hearing this, Ling Chen¡¯s heart was stirred, and he asked with meaningful intent, "How do you know we¡¯ll be at a disadvantage? Could it be that you know something we don¡¯t?"


    "I... No, it¡¯s nothing," Yang He stammered, his eyes flickering uncertainly.


    Seeing Yang He¡¯s demeanor, Ling Chen didn¡¯t need to guess to know that the old man was hiding something and clearly not revealing everything.


    "Mr. Yang, you¡¯d better tell us what you know, otherwise, I can¡¯t guarantee that I..."


    Bam!


    Before Ling Chen could finish speaking, he heard the door of the interrogation room being forcefully opened. Turning his head, he saw Kaelina at the entrance with a somber expression, saying in a deep voice, "You two need toe, something has happened."


    "Fatty, have someone take him away and watch him closely." After giving these instructions, Ling Chen followed Kaelina out of the interrogation room and headed straight to themand center of the base.


    In the office, Kaelina pointed at the disy screen hanging on the wall, saying, "Look."


    Ling Chen nced at it, and his brow furrowed instantly. On the surveince footage, more than a dozen police cars were parked outside the research base, even squad cars from the special police were deployed. A heavily armed SWAT unit had already arrived at the entrance, seemingly installing explosive devices, ready to storm in at any moment.


    Seeing this, Ling Chen asked in a deep voice, "What¡¯s going on?"


    Kaelina shook her head and replied, "I don¡¯t know. These police cars appeared out of nowhere. I checked earlier, and they have surrounded the research base, leaving no way out. Ling Chen, what do we do now? Are we really going to sh with them?"


    Ling Chen pondered for a moment and said, "Don¡¯t worry about it for now. Kaelina, take some people to the entrance; no matter what, you mustn¡¯t let them break in. Also, and this is crucial, don¡¯t cause them any harm; just make sure to drive them back."


    "Alright, I¡¯ll take care of it immediately."


    After Kaelina left, Ling Chen took out his phone and dialed a number.


    Soon, the call connected, and Tang Yuan¡¯s voice came through, "Hello! Tang Yuan, did you capture Yang He?"


    "How do you know?" Ling Chen was somewhat surprised. This had just happened, yet Tang Yuan already knew about it.


    Tang Yuan replied urgently, "How could I not know? The top brass called to notify us, telling us to be prepared in case we need to take over. Ah, you really need to understand what you¡¯re doing. You know perfectly well what kind of person Yang He is and the extensivework he has among the higher-ups, yet you decided to capture him. You¡¯re asking for trouble."


    Upon hearing this, Ling Chen finally realized the gravity of the situation.


    "Old Tang, the reason I captured Yang He is because he¡¯s involved with the God Organization, and he admitted it himself. You should quickly discuss with Instructor Pang and get in touch with the leaders above to exin the situation. Have them withdraw immediately; I don¡¯t want to cause unnecessary troubleter."


    "Yang He is involved with the God Organization?" Tang Yuan was taken aback. After a pause, he continued, "Even if Yang He is really involved with the God Organization, you shouldn¡¯t have acted this way, at least not publicly. You have to realize, you¡¯re no longer a government agent and have no authority to arrest and detain criminals yourself. Even if Colonel Pang steps in, he can¡¯t clear your name. You¡¯vemitted a serious offense. Most importantly, this matter has caused an uproar, with the leadership at the top paying close attention; it¡¯s difficult to resolve peacefully."


    "What should I do then?" Ling Chen asked, "Do you have any suggestions?"


    "If you ask me, I only have one solution: Surrender and confess voluntarily. If you don¡¯t want to do this, then you can only flee. Escape overseas, find a secluded ce to hide for a few years, and return when the storm blows over. However, this means you¡¯ll be a wanted criminal domestically forever."


    "What¡¯s your suggestion then?"


    "Voluntary surrender," Tang Yuan said earnestly. "Let Colonel Pang and the old General go to bat for you, along with Mr. He. Even if you¡¯vemitted a crime, as long as it¡¯s not unforgivable, I believe the leaders above will show leniency and not punish you severely, just lock you up for a few months at most. This isn¡¯t a joke, Tang Yuan; you need to think it through."


    "Alright, I understand." After saying this, Ling Chen¡¯s tone shifted, and he asked, "By the way, Old Tang, do you know who leaked the information? How did they know Yang He was in my hands?"


    "As far as I know, it seems they received an anonymous call."


    Ling Chen nodded silently; that anonymous call was undoubtedly from the God Organization. Unexpectedly, those guys were smart enough to use the government¡¯s power to pressure him.


    After hanging up, Ling Chen pondered for a moment. Just then, Hu Fei walked in from outside, saying, "Ling Chen, Yang He is taken care of. What should we do next?"


    "Fatty, did you record all the information Yang He confessed to just now?"


    "The interrogation room footage has recorded everything. Why, do you need it?"


    "Make several copies of that footage for me. I¡¯m going to surrender with Yang He in a moment. You all stay in the base and don¡¯t leave. I caused this situation, and I should bear the consequences alone; there¡¯s no need to involve you guys."


    "Are you crazy!" Hu Fei eximed, "Turning yourself in at a time like this. I say, just fight them; who knows what punishment they¡¯ll use if you admit guilt."


    Ling Chen waved his hand, saying, "Enough, stop talking; my mind is made up. This is final. In the time I¡¯m not here, work hard to keep this research base running."


    Seeing Ling Chen¡¯s determined gaze, Hu Fei knew it was futile to persuade him, so he stopped saying anything else.


    "Since you¡¯ve made your decision, I won¡¯t try to talk you out of it, as long as you know what you¡¯re doing."


    "Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll be fine; just a bit of hardship at worst." As he spoke, Ling Chen nced at the SWAT team preparing to break in and said, "Bring Yang He over, let¡¯s not waste time."


    Hu Fei nodded, then turned to leave the office.

 Chapter 802 - 807: Prisoner Ling Chen

    <h4>Chapter 802: Chapter 807: Prisoner Ling Chen</h4>


    Not long after, Hu Fei handed Yang He over to Ling Chen.


    Seeing Ling Chen leading Yang He outside, Hu Fei opened his mouth, trying to say something, but in the end, he didn¡¯t speak. All his words turned into a soft sigh.


    After watching Ling Chen and the others leave, Hu Fei picked up the inte, turned on the full-frequency broadcast, and ryed Ling Chen¡¯s orders to every corner of the base.


    At the entrance of the research base, Kaelina saw Ling Chen and Yang He approaching and hurried over, asking, "What are you going to do? Do you know the consequences of doing this?"


    Ling Chen smiled slightly, "I know. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll be fine. I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll have to trouble you and Fatty before I get back." After speaking, Ling Chen signaled a nearby staff member to open the gate.


    "You all better step aside, so you won¡¯t get involved when the timees." With those words, Ling Chen escorted Yang He and strode outside.


    As soon as he exited the door, more than a dozen barrels of submachine guns were all aimed at Ling Chen¡¯s body.


    "Put your hands up!"


    At the sound of the other¡¯s reprimand, Ling Chen pushed Yang He forward, then sped his hands over his head and squatted on the ground. Soon, two special police officers rushed up, kicked Ling Chen to the ground, and handcuffed him.


    "Take the prisoner away, the rest follow me inside."


    The special police officer in charge made a gesture, holding a gun and preparing to enter the base. But suddenly, his inte chimed in.


    "All units, attention, everyone fall back. Repeat, fall back."


    "Let¡¯s go, back!"


    At this time, outside the research base, as soon as Yang He was released, several leaders came over to greet him warmly. Then, apanied by several leaders, Yang He boarded a sedan and drove off.


    As the chief culprit in this incident, after Ling Chen got into the car, he was re-bound hand and foot with reinforced chains, guarded throughout by four fully armed special police officers with loaded guns. If Ling Chen made any unruly moves, they would mercilessly shoot.


    Ling Chen was well aware of the nature of the special police unit; they wouldn¡¯t show any mercy while carrying out their tasks, so he sat still and obediently.


    More than half an hourter, Ling Chen turned to look out the car window, frowning slightly, and asked, "Where are we going?"


    Unfortunately, none of the others responded to him. Instead, they coldly scolded, "Shut up!"


    Ling Chen shrugged helplessly and had to obediently close his mouth, refraining from further inquiry. However, he was certain that these people hadn¡¯t taken him to the police station; otherwise, they would have arrived a long time ago.


    Another half hour passed, and Ling Chen finally realized where they were taking him.


    At this moment, their vehicle reached the airport. With the special pass in hand, they proceeded smoothly, driving straight into the airport hangar.


    Getting out of the car, Ling Chen looked up to see a small Boeing aircraft ready for takeoff.


    Outside the ne¡¯s entrance, several middle-aged men in suits stood there with solemn expressions, their waists bulging, clearly carrying firearms.


    After a brief negotiation between the two sides and the signing of documents, Ling Chen was handed over to the men in suits, who would take over his custody.


    Sitting on the ne, Ling Chen¡¯s hands and feet were fixed to the seat, unable to move, with four men in suits sitting around him, watching him closely.


    "Who are you?" Ling Chen asked. Judging by their attire, they seemed to be from a special government department. However, as far as he knew, apart from the Lonely Wolf, the government didn¡¯t seem to have any other special departments.


    However, in response to Ling Chen¡¯s inquiry, the suited men remained silent and said not a word.


    Upon seeing this, Ling Chen smiled wryly and stopped speaking, leaning back against the seat to feign sleep.


    After more than an hour of flying, the ne finallynded at the airport.


    Looking at the environment outside the window, Ling Chen finally understood where they were.


    Beijing!


    They actually transported him to Beijing. What on earth are those people thinking? Do they intend to use him in person?


    By now, He Ziyun and the old General should have been informed. They would undoubtedly take action and find a way to rescue him at the earliest opportunity.


    After disembarking from the ne, two Cadic SUVs were already waiting in the hangar.


    Once in the car, a suited man pulled out a ck hood and ced it over Ling Chen¡¯s head,pletely obstructing his vision.


    This move made Ling Chen uneasy. He didn¡¯t know where they nned to take him, and the whole situation was so mysterious.


    Sitting in the car, after about an hour, Ling Chen realized that the SUV¡¯s chassis suddenly became bumpy and the road was very uneven, full of potholes and muddy puddles. Moreover, it was extremely quiet around, with no sound of people or vehicles.


    Recalling his knowledge of Beijing, Ling Chen could be sure he had never been to a ce like this before.


    ...


    Beijing.


    Lonely Wolf Headquarters.


    "Colonel Pang." Tang Yuan hurriedly walked into the office, looking at Pang Jiulin seated behind the desk, and said, "Colonel Pang, do you have any news about Ling Chen?"


    Pang Jiulin looked up and asked, "What¡¯s wrong?"


    "I contacted the people over in East Sea City, trying to inquire about Ling Chen¡¯s situation, but they said they don¡¯t know."


    "Don¡¯t know?" Pang Jiulin frowned and asked, "What do you mean? They arrested him, how can they not know?"


    "ording to them, they already transferred the prisoner."


    Hearing this, Pang Jiulin abruptly stood up, speaking in a serious tone, "Transferred to whom? I haven¡¯t received any news here."


    "They im it¡¯s a special government department, people from Beijing." Tang Yuan¡¯s face didn¡¯t look good.


    "How can there be so many special government departments, apart from us, Lonely Wolf, who else dares to call themselves a special department?" After speaking, Pang Jiulin pondered for a moment, then picked up the phone on the desk and dialed a number.


    After asking a few questions, Pang Jiulin¡¯s expression suddenly turned grim.


    When he hung up the phone, Tang Yuan hurriedly asked, "Colonel Pang, did you find out about Ling Chen¡¯s whereabouts?"


    Pang Jiulin shook his head, with a look of frustration, saying, "I just asked the leaders above, and they said not to worry about this matter anymore, they have other ns."


    Hearing this, Tang Yuan couldn¡¯t help but be anxious.


    "What do you mean by ¡¯other ns¡¯? Didn¡¯t we agree before that the people from Lonely Wolf would be responsible for guarding Ling Chen? We would restrict his movements until the verdict. Why did they suddenly change their mind?"


    "I heard that Yang He used his connections in the high ranks of the government, so they made ast-minute decision and are not nning to be lenient with Ling Chen."


    "Damn it!" Tang Yuan couldn¡¯t help but curse.


    "Yang He is connected to the God Organization, we¡¯ve already reported this matter. Why are those bastards still listening to Yang He? Are they out of their minds?"

 Chapter 803 - 808: Yan City Prison (1)

    <h4>Chapter 803: Chapter 808: Yan City Prison (1)</h4>


    Pang Jiulin sighed, "We are just soldiers at the bottom, we can¡¯t make decisions, the higher-ups have their reasons for acting this way. Tang Yuan, don¡¯t forget that we¡¯re soldiers, and a soldier¡¯s duty is to obey orders. Alright, don¡¯t worry about this matter for now, I will keep following up and try to transfer Ling Chen to Lonely Wolf."


    Tang Yuan furrowed his brow, "That old guy Yang He is well-connected in the government, I¡¯m worried he¡¯ll retaliate against Ling Chen. Colonel Pang, Ling Chen was once a student you personally trained, and you are the closest to him, you must find a way to help him."


    "I know. You go ahead, I¡¯ll call the old General to see if he has any good ideas."


    As he spoke, Pang Jiulin picked up the phone, poised to dial Qiao Zhen¡¯s number. But before he could dial, the office door swung open from the outside.


    Straight away, Qiao Zhen came striding in with a crisp military uniform. Though over sixty, Qiao Zhen still looked sharp-eyed and energetic, without a trace of frailty.


    Following Qiao Zhen was another person, Lonely Wolf¡¯s second-inmand, Han Bing.


    Qiao Zhen¡¯s sudden appearance startled Pang Jiulin and Tang Yuan, who hurried over to greet him, "General, what brings you here?"


    "Ling Chen, that brat has gotten into trouble, can I sit still?"


    Pang Jiulin quickly said, "General, the situation is this..."


    "Enough!" Qiao Zhen waved his hand, stopping Pang Jiulin, "You don¡¯t need to say more, Han Bing has already reported the situation to me. This matter clearly has God Organization stirring trouble behind the scenes. If it weren¡¯t for God Organization anonymously informing the government, how could they know Yang He was in Ling Chen¡¯s hands? Although Ling Chen¡¯s actions this time were poorly considered, from our perspective, he wasn¡¯t wrong, just impulsive. He should¡¯ve consulted us beforehand and then acted; it would at least give us a reason to im it was Lonely Wolf authorized. The situation isplicated now because Ling Chen acted privately as a civilian, clearly viting thew."


    Tang Yuan anxiously spoke, "General, you are the most experienced, please speak to the higher-ups to transfer Ling Chen to Lonely Wolf."


    "It¡¯s no use." Qiao Zhen shook his head gravely, looking at Han Bing and the three present, he spoke solemnly: "Beforeing here, I¡¯ve already contacted high-ranking leadership. I tried to leverage my old face to plead for leniency on Ling Chen and hand him over to Lonely Wolf for mild punishment. But the tone from above was very firm, without a shred of negotiation, directly rejecting my request. I¡¯ve utilized severalworks, just to find out Ling Chen¡¯s current whereabouts."


    Hearing this, Tang Yuan worriedly asked, "How is he now?"


    "Precisely because Ling Chen is in a very dangerous situation, I came to discuss countermeasures with you." Qiao Zhen enunciated every word, "As far as I know, Ling Chen is currently detained at Yan City Prison."


    "What?"


    At these words, Pang Jiulin and the others were shocked.


    Yan City Prison!


    That¡¯s no ce for anyone. Yan City Prison has a history of eighty or ny years, built in the early 20th century. Because the surrounding environment is harsh and remote, it¡¯s specifically used for detaining death row inmates and highly dangerous criminals.


    Anyone familiar with Yan City Prison refers to it as a ce more brutal than hell.


    Typically, anyone who enters Yan City Prison doesn¡¯t dream ofing out alive. Everyone present, including Ling Chen who was incarcerated there, has dealt with Yan City Prison.


    Back in the day, when the ghost was still around, they captured many criminals and sent them to Yan City Prison. It can be said, Yan City Prison holds many of Ling Chen¡¯s enemies. So, if Ling Chen is detained there, one can imagine the level of danger. No wonder the General hurried here, he must realize Ling Chen¡¯s predicament and wants to rescue him quickly.


    Tang Yuan pondered and asked, "General, wasn¡¯t Ling Chen close with Mr. He? Mr. He knows many big figures, can¡¯t he intervene either?"


    "I contacted Mr. He long ago; he told me he called those big figures, but those guys either didn¡¯t answer or made excuses to dodge, not a single one willing to help."


    "Why?" Pang Jiulin asked angrily, "Ling Chen hasn¡¯tmitted a major crime, and Yang He is connected to God Organization, doesn¡¯t he bear any guilt? Why does the higher-up protect Yang He and severely punish Ling Chen for him? Are they colluding?"


    "Watch your mouth!" Han Bing chastised lightly, "Jiulin, you can¡¯t talk like that."


    Hearing Han Bing¡¯s rebuke, Pang Jiulin¡¯s face turned embarrassed, but his eyes still showed unwillingness and doubt.


    Qiao Zhen nced at Pang Jiulin and said, "Regarding this matter... I¡¯m aware of a bit. The reason is actually very simple, it all boils down to money. You guys should know who Yang He is, not only is he wealthy, but extremely wealthy. From the news I just received, Yang He has already reached an agreement with the higher-ups, willing to donaterge sums to improve living conditions in impoverished areas. The country is currently developing, financially stretched thin, someone willing to help for free is naturally good. Think about it, dealing with Ling Chen can improve the economy of a region, benefiting tens of thousands, these are political achievements. As a political mastermind, they understand such achievements are future capital for promotion, so they easily make a choice."


    After a pause, Qiao Zhen continued, "Besides this, there might be another reason. Everyone knows about Tang Guoxiong, after he was released, he went looking for trouble with Ling Chen, but ended up dealt with by Ling Chen. Likely the people behind Tang Guoxiong have anticipated his fate, so they secretly stoked the mes for the higher-ups to charge Ling Chen."


    "General, does that mean Ling Chen¡¯s situation is very dangerous?" Pang Jiulin said worriedly, "With so many people wanting to deal with Ling Chen, and higher-ups consenting, how can we save him?"


    "Let¡¯s not be hasty, you all know Ling Chen¡¯s skills, although he¡¯s been imprisoned in Yan City Prison, he won¡¯t be in danger for a while. Even if dangeres, his abilities can manage it. I¡¯m now worried about those people plotting in secret, scheming against Ling Chen."


    After saying this, Qiao Zhen pondered for a moment, "Jiulin, you¡¯ve dealt with the Prison Director of Yan City Prison. Why don¡¯t you contact him, ask for help to watch over Ling Chen."


    "Alright, I¡¯ll call him right away."

 Chapter 804 - 809: Yan City Prison (2)

    <h4>Chapter 804: Chapter 809: Yan City Prison (2)</h4>


    Yan City Prison.


    After getting off the Cadic SUV, Ling Chen was escorted forward by several people. With a hood over his head, Ling Chen¡¯s vision was obstructed, unable to see anything of his surroundings.


    After walking for a short distance, Ling Chen suddenly felt a chill rising from his feet, a piercing coldness engulfing his body.


    Prison!


    Feeling this coldness, Ling Chen immediately realized where he was. Only inside a prison would one feel such bone-chilling cold.


    Ha! How interesting, they actually brought him into a prison, were they nning to hold him captive for a long time?


    While pondering this, a push from behind made Ling Chen stumble forward a few steps. Immediately after, he heard a ¡¯ng,¡¯ like the sound of an iron door closing.


    "Alright, take off the hood."


    Upon hearing the voice, Ling Chen raised his hands and removed the hood. As light returned to his eyes, he looked around, seeing only an iron door and cold walls on the remaining three sides. There were many sprinkler heads on the ceiling.


    Before Ling Chen could react, a spray of water suddenly came out from the sprinkler head above, drenching his body instantly.


    "Ling Chen, you should know the rules of the prison. Hurry up and take off your clothes for a proper shower, so we can arrange your new amodationter."


    Seeing the suited men outside the iron door, Ling Chen shrugged and without resistance, took off his clothes and pants, and rinsed his body.


    With his skills, he could escape anytime if he resisted. However, Tang Yuan had told him over the phone to endure for a while and not be too impatient. He Ziyun and the old General would help him operate at a higher level to try for a lighter sentence. By then, he would be released after just a few months.


    So, to avoid causing trouble for the old General, Ling Chen chose to obey obediently.


    After his shower, Ling Chen changed into a clean prison uniform as required. From the moment he put on the prison uniform, his name here ceased to be Ling Chen but rather number 33438.


    Looking at the gray prison uniform on his body, Ling Chen gave a helpless, bitter smile. To think he used to send numerous serious offenders to prison, and now it hade to this.


    Under the custody of those suited men, Ling Chen was assigned to a cell.


    The cell was a double room, and beside Ling Chen, there was another person living in it. The other person was a typical muscr man, standing at a height of about one meter, very robust, with fists as big as cooking pots, exerting an intense pressure.


    Once the cell door closed, the muscr man immediately strode to Ling Chen, looking down at him and said in a big brother¡¯s tone, "You¡¯re the neer?"


    Ling Chen slightly raised the corners of his mouth, nodded with a smile, and said, "My name is Ling Chen, may I have your name?"


    "What are you talking? Since you¡¯re new here, you should follow the rules."


    "Rules?" Ling Chen asked with a half-smile, "What rules?"


    "Kneel down and call me grandpa, then kowtow to me three times. Remember, in this room I¡¯m the boss, and you have to listen to me in everything. Got it?"


    "Really? So...how should I serve you now?"


    "Start with a shoulder rub for me." As he said this, the muscr man sat on the bed, patting his shoulder, indicating for Ling Chen toe over.


    "No problem." Ling Chen smiled and walked behind the muscr man, cing his hands on his shoulders and began to gently knead. After a while, the muscr man¡¯s face started changing, growing paler, and his body began to tremble uncontrobly.


    "Bro... brother..." The muscr man swallowed his saliva and said with a trembling voice, "You... I..."


    Ling Chen asked with a smile, "Buddy, how¡¯s my technique and strength?"


    "Enough... enough..." The muscr man pleaded almost in tears.


    "Alright." Ling Chen released his hands and sat down beside him, looking at the muscr man, "Buddy, who¡¯s in charge here from now on?"


    The muscr man, rubbing his shoulder, wiped the cold sweat from his forehead with one hand and said fearfully, "You, you are."


    "Good, then I¡¯ll reluctantly ept. Here, give me a back massage." Ling Chenfortably sat with his legs crossed, wishing for a cup of tea just then.


    After chatting a bit, Ling Chen learned that this was Yan City Prison and also discovered the muscr man¡¯s name was Qin Genglong, who had just turned thirty and had been imprisoned for seven years.


    "Yan City Prison..." Ling Chen raised an eyebrow, thinking to himself that this was not good.


    He only thought he was imprisoned, not realizing he was in Yan City Prison. He knew Yan City Prison too well; back when he served Ghost, he had sent numerous serious offenders to this prison. Those offenders were either ruthless murderers or leaders of international crime organizations. In Yan City Prison, probably about ten percent of the serious offenders were arrested by Ling Chen.


    If those guys knew he was imprisoned here, who knew what they would do to him.


    "Qin Genglong, what crime did youmit to end up here?" Ling Chen asked.


    Yan City Prison, Ling Chen knew too well. Some serious criminals who should be sentenced to death but still had value would be imprisoned in Yan City Prison for life.


    So, Ling Chen was curious, what kind of crime had Qin Genglongmitted to end up here.


    Being imprisoned for seven years meant he was imprisoned at 23. Looking at Qin Genglong, he didn¡¯t seem like a vicious person; on the contrary, he had an honest face.


    "Um..." Qin Genglong scratched his head and said embarrassedly, "I was framed by a friend."


    "So you¡¯re an honest man, huh?"


    Being framed by a friend suggested Qin Genglong really fit the phrase ¡¯simple-minded, well-developed limbs.¡¯


    "What crime did you get convicted for?"


    "Arson."


    "Arson?" Ling Chen asked puzzled, "But arson alone wouldn¡¯t get you imprisoned here, right?"


    "More than a dozen people died." At this, Qin Genglong lowered his head, looking very sorrowful.


    Sigh!


    Ling Chen sighed softly.


    No wonder he ended up in Yan City Prison, if not for Qin Genglong¡¯s... he would probably have been sentenced to death long ago.


    "Buddy, you seem honest enough, you should stick with me from now on."


    "Stick with you? Why would I stick with you? What¡¯s the benefit?" Qin Genglong patted his chest and said, "I¡¯ve done quite well here already."


    Ling Chen said with a smile, "Stick with me, and I can get you out of here someday."


    Upon hearing this, Qin Genglong¡¯s eyes lit up, looking at Ling Chen with anticipation and asked half-believingly, "Really?"


    "Of course it¡¯s true, it depends if you want to stick with me."

 Chapter 805 - 810: Qin Genglong

    <h4>Chapter 805: Chapter 810: Qin Genglong</h4>


    "Okay, as long as you can get me out of prison, I¡¯ll listen to you from now on," Qin Genglong promised.


    "Good, then it¡¯s a deal." Ling Chen smiled happily. His luck was really good; he had just arrived at Yan City Prison and already recruited someone.


    The reason he wanted Qin Genglong to follow him was because he valued Qin Genglong¡¯s skills. When he was massaging Qin Genglong¡¯s shoulders earlier, he had only used about ten to twenty percent of his strength. In his perspective, as an Earthly List expert, his strength was much greater than ordinary people¡¯s. Even though Qin Genglong¡¯s physique was much stronger than usual, he shouldn¡¯t have been able to withstand even twenty percent of his strength.


    But unexpectedly, twenty percent strength had no effect on Qin Genglong. So, Ling Chen gradually increased his power. However, even when he used his full strength, Qin Genglong still showed no reaction. It wasn¡¯t until Ling Chen resorted to using Hua Realm that Qin Genglong finally showed some response.


    This indicated that Qin Genglong was a skilled fighter, and an expert in cross training.


    It was precisely because of Qin Genglong¡¯s special abilities that he wasn¡¯t sentenced to death but instead was confined to Yan City Prison. Otherwise, Qin Genglong would have been executed long ago.


    Recruiting a skilled fighter madeing to Yan City Prison worthwhile.


    After understanding the situation of Yan City Prison from Qin Genglong, Ling Chen stood up and walked to the cell door, ncing outside, seeing two men in suits standing at the door.


    Tsk tsk! These guys are really taking care of me, guarding outside at all times. I¡¯ve already been locked up here, are they still afraid I¡¯ll escape?


    Even though Ling Chen was an Earthly List expert, he was self-aware. With his abilities alone, it was tough to escape from custody. Yan City Prison housed extremely dangerous felons, and to prevent their escape, the prison facilities were specially modified. The doors, windows, and walls were made of hard materials that couldn¡¯t be destroyed even by small amounts of stic explosives.


    Moreover, outside the prison were five-meter-high barbed-wire fences, which were electrified, and the prison was surrounded by watchtowers with armed guards on duty 24/7.


    Additionally, from the cell to the outside of the prison, one had to pass through over ten checkpoints, withyers of inspections and confirmations. Just this alone made it nearly impossible to escape Yan City Prison.


    Moreover, Yan City Prison had a unique feature. Unlike other prisons managed by the government, Yan City Prison was fully managed by a securitypany, from administration to security, it was all taken over by a private enterprise. In simple terms, the government entrusted the prison to a private securitypany and paid an annual fee.


    Of course, the securitypany only had management rights, not rights to dispose of the prisoners.


    The reason for this setup was that a special ce like Yan City Prison shouldn¡¯t exist under direct government oversight, as it would likely cause negative influences, so this arrangement avoided many issues.


    ...


    At this moment, in the prison office.


    A middle-aged man in a suit put down the phone in his hand, looked at the man opposite him, and smiled, "Guess who called me?"


    "Who?"


    "Pang Jiulin, the new leader of Lonely Wolf. He specifically called to ask me to take care of Ling Chen."


    "So what are you going to do?"


    The middle-aged manughed heartily, "Rest assured, I will take good care of him." When he said "take care," there was a hint of deeper meaning in his tone.


    "That¡¯s good, I trust you won¡¯t let me down. Alright, if there¡¯s nothing else, I¡¯ll be going. Here¡¯s a little something, and thank you for your hard work in the future." With that, the man opposite handed over a bank card, cing it on the desk.


    The middle-aged man nced at the bank card, and his smile became even brighter.


    "Safe journey, then I won¡¯t see you out."


    ...


    Another day passed.


    Having spent a day in Yan City Prison, Ling Chen adapted quite a bit to life there. Not only did he adapt, but he also found that life in prison wasn¡¯t bad, quitefortable in fact. Firstly, the food was good, every meal had three meat dishes and one vegetable, and there was nothing to do all day, no work needed.


    Eat and sleep, with nothing else to worry about, it was pretty good. It was probably because he had just been confined and the prison staff hadn¡¯t yet taken him out for exercise.


    At that moment, the cell door opened, and Qin Genglong walked in from outside, sitting heavily on the bed, making the iron bed creak.


    Ling Chen used his hands to pillow his head and asked, "Old Qin, what were you doing outside?"


    "I don¡¯t know what¡¯s up today, but the prison staff kepting to ask me about you."


    "Oh?" Ling Chen sat up, curiously asking, "What did they ask?"


    "What else? Just the basics. If they asked anythingplicated, I wouldn¡¯t know. Hey, Ling Chen, I didn¡¯t expect it, but you¡¯re quite famous. You¡¯ve only been here a day, and so many people are asking about you. Did you do something sensational outside?"


    "No such thing." Ling Chen replied casually, but inside, he was puzzled.


    So many people asking about him, it seemed his identity had been exposed. Otherwise, no one would be paying attention to him.


    Dammit! They¡¯re all up to no good.


    His previous identity was highly ssified, but now it was no secret at all. Who the hell leaked his information?


    Thinking for a moment, Ling Chen asked, "Old Qin, aside from you, are there any other skilled fighters in this prison?"


    "Skilled fighters?" Qin Genglong thought for a moment and nodded, "Yes, quite a few, but I don¡¯t know how powerful they are."


    "Why don¡¯t you know? Haven¡¯t you sparred with them?"


    Qin Genglong shook his head, "No, they don¡¯t know I know martial arts. They just think I¡¯m thick-skinned and rugged, so they don¡¯t bother fighting me. Ling Chen, why are you asking? Do you want to spar with them?"


    "I¡¯m not interested, just asking to get a sense of things, to avoid troubleing my way." After a pause, Ling Chen continued, "Old Qin, next time you go out for exercise, you¡¯d better not stay with me. I don¡¯t want to drag you into anything."


    "Does someone want to deal with you?" Although Qin Genglong was honest, he wasn¡¯t stupid, hearing the underlying message in Ling Chen¡¯s words.


    Ling Chen nodded, "Many of the prisoners in this facility were put here by me. Naturally, they¡¯re not friendly towards me."


    "No problem." Qin Genglong patted his chest and said, "If anyone bullies you, I¡¯ll stand up for you. If something happens to you, who will get me out of this prisonter?"


    Ling Chen grinned; so that was why Qin Genglong cared.


    "Rest assured, I won¡¯t go back on my word about getting you out, but it¡¯ll take some time."

 Chapter 806 - 811: Seeking Revenge (1)

    <h4>Chapter 806: Chapter 811: Seeking Revenge (1)</h4>


    "Good evening, viewers. ording to thetest reports, the incident that urred yesterday in East Sea City has been resolved following further investigation by reporters. It is reported that billionaire Yang He was attacked by unidentified individuals while attending the ribbon-cutting ceremony of a branch office and was unfortunately captured with an unknown whereabouts. Later, the police received an anonymous tip-off, and dozens of police officers and special police were deployed to surround the kidnappers¡¯ base. After half an hour of standoff, the kidnappers ultimately chose to surrender, and Yang He left the scene immediately upon being rescued."


    "Based on investigations from various sources by reporters, the mastermind behind this kidnapping is named Ling Chen, a retired soldier currently working at the Hongyu Group, responsible for Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s security. As for the grudges between Ling Chen and Yang He, and what drove him to do this, everything is still under investigation. Our station will continue to follow the progress of the case..."


    Watching the news report, Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s face turned extremely unpleasant.


    "Alright, alright, I¡¯ve already said there¡¯s no time."


    Beside her, Nanrong Hao impatiently shouted into his phone a couple of times, then hung up.


    "What¡¯s wrong?"


    Upon hearing Sister¡¯s inquiry, Nanrong Hao responded with a displeased face, "It¡¯s still those reporters, all wanting to interview our Nanrong family and inquire about Chen¡¯s matters." After speaking, Nanrong Hao noticed the worry on Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s face and couldn¡¯t help butfort her, "Sister, you don¡¯t need to worry too much. Chen is so capable, surely he won¡¯t have any problems."


    Nanrong Wanqing sighed and said, "You¡¯re speaking lightly. I had someone inquire, Ling Chen isn¡¯t in East Sea City right now; he was sent directly to Beijing after being captured yesterday, allegedly to be dealt with there. Just think, even those high officials from Beijing are rmed, how could this matter end well?"


    "This..." Nanrong Hao opened his mouth, not knowing what to say.


    "Sister, then what do you think we should do?" Nanrong Hao was also a bit worried, afraid that Ling Chen might face trouble.


    Nanrong Wanqing pondered for a while, then said, "Lin ising back tomorrow, maybe... only she can help."


    ...


    The next day.


    Yan City Prison.


    Ling Chen had just woken up when he heard a ng at the door of his cell.


    Rubbing his sleepy eyes, Ling Chen looked up and saw a security guard tapping the iron bars with his stun baton, shouting, "Stop sleeping, get up quickly, it¡¯s time for outdoor time." After speaking, the security guard specifically pointed at Ling Chen and said, "Youe too."


    Hearing this, Ling Chen¡¯s lips curled slightly. Finally, it was his turn?


    After a simple wash, Ling Chen followed Qin Genglong out of the cell, trailing the security guard closely. In a short while, the three arrived at a wide yground.


    "You¡¯re new here, don¡¯t say I didn¡¯t warn you, the best is to be honest here. If you dare cause trouble, don¡¯t me me for being rude." The security guard threw down a harsh word, then turned and went back.


    At this moment, there were already dozens of people on the yground, gathered in groups, smoking and exercising, leisurely. Not only that, Ling Chen even spotted one or two young and beautiful girls apanying a tattooed man, showing intimate gestures.


    Seeing the appearance and dress of those two girls, they didn¡¯t look like prisoners here.


    Strange, why would this ce allow women toe? Ling Chen was a bit puzzled, looking at Qin Genglong he asked, "What¡¯s up with those women?"


    Qin Genglong replied, "They are sent by the prison, specifically to serve those prisoners."


    "Really?" Ling Chen said in surprise, "There are such good treatments inside the prison?"


    "This treatment is good, but not everyone gets to enjoy it." Qin Genglong exined, "This prison is wholly managed by a private securitypany, the government never interferes. Many capable people are held in the prison; if they do nothing, it¡¯s a waste of resources. So the prison management regrly selects a few people from the prison to help them with some private work. Anyone who sessfullypletes a task can make a request, women, drugs, almost anything except freedom."


    Hearing this, Ling Chen frowned and asked, "Doesn¡¯t the government know about this?"


    "What can they do, even if they know? As long as some benefits are given, who is going to meddle for no reason? In Yan City Prison, this is already a public secret. If you have the skills, you can live here like heaven."


    Ling Chen nodded, humorously quipping, "Your skills are so good, why not improve your living conditions?"


    Qin Genglong shook his head, "I¡¯m not interested in that, besides, do you think the business they¡¯re doing is any good?"


    While talking, a man led seven or eight subordinates from a distance. Meanwhile, more than ten people appeared behind Ling Chen. Looking at the leaders in front and behind, Ling Chen¡¯s lips slightly curled up, gently shaking his head.


    What shoulde will alwayse, these guys finally showed up.


    "Ling Chen, long time no see." The speaker was a bald man, stout but not as tall as Qin Genglong, with a five-centimeter scar on his face, like a centipede, looking exceedingly sinister.


    "Hmph! I thought I¡¯d never see you in this life, but unexpectedly, fate brought you right before me." The bald man red at Ling Chen with resentment, pointing to the scar on his cheek, "You should still remember this scar, all thanks to you."


    Ling Chen¡¯s expression remained unchanged, smiling as he looked at the bald man, "Huang Bai, haven¡¯t seen you for a few years, you seem to be living quite well here."


    Huang Bai was formerly a technical theft and murder criminal. His methods were extremely clever, and his most famous deed was consecutively stealing vaults from three banks in one night, totaling over two billion, killing ten security guards during the theft. Since then, he fled abroad, living a carefree life.


    Later, Ling Chen was ordered by superiors, taking a week to locate Huang Bai¡¯s whereabouts, then captured him back, holding him in Yan City Prison.


    "Ling Chen, you truly have skills, even at this moment you can stillugh." Huang Bai said coldly.


    "Why waste words with him, just kill him directly." A man behind spoke up.


    Ling Chen turned back to nce at the opposite, smiling as he said, "Luo Yuan, you¡¯re still alive."


    Luo Yuan is the leader of an international crime syndicate, now also in his forties, full of viciousness. Before being caught, he orchestrated several major crimes worldwide, bing an international fugitive,ter fell into Ling Chen¡¯s hands along with his organization beingpletely dismantled, the hatred between them ran deep.


    "You¡¯re not dead, why would I be dead. Ling Chen, you killed so many of my brothers back then, today I want you to pay with your life." Saying this, Luo Yuan waved hisrge hand, and the dozen subordinates behind him immediately surrounded Ling Chen, several secretly taking out daggers from their sleeves, step by step closing in on Ling Chen.


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 807 - 812: Seeking Revenge (2)

    <h4>Chapter 807: Chapter 812: Seeking Revenge (2)</h4>


    "Stop it, all of you!"


    Seeing this scene, Qin Genglong gave a light shout and strode forward to stand in front of Ling Chen, shielding him behind himself.


    "As long as I¡¯m here, no one is allowed to touch him."


    Seeing Qin Genglong stand up for Ling Chen, Huang Bai and Luo Yuan¡¯s faces immediately turned grim, and they coldly said, "Qin, this isn¡¯t your business here. You¡¯d better not butt in, or I¡¯ll ughter you along with him."


    Qin Genglong lifted his head and said without changing his expression, "If you think you can, go ahead and try."


    Hearing this, Luo Yuan raised his eyebrows and gritted his teeth, "Fine, since you¡¯re looking for death, I¡¯ll grant you the wish. Take him down." As soon as the words fell, Luo Yuan signaled to his men with a look.


    Immediately, a man holding a dagger rushed towards Qin Genglong, waving the sharp de in his hand, aiming straight for Qin Genglong¡¯s chest.


    Under the watchful eyes of everyone, Qin Genglong stood there motionless, allowing the dagger to strike. When the dagger¡¯s tip hit his chest, everyone expected to see blood. However, surprisingly, the dagger did not prate Qin Genglong¡¯s body. Instead, it seemed to have struck something hard.


    "Hmph! Didn¡¯t you eat? Not even the slightest bit of strength."


    Saying this, Qin Genglong swung out a p, snatching the dagger into his hand. Then, with a pull from both hands, the hard dagger snapped into two pieces.


    For a moment, everyone on the scene was left dumbfounded, staring at Qin Genglong in shock.


    Is this... is this even human?


    He could withstand a dagger without it piercing his body, and he could break a dagger with his bare hands. More importantly, Qin Genglong was only wearing a tight vest, showing off his solid muscles, with no bulletproof vest or simr protective gear inside.


    "You..."


    After a brief moment of being stunned, Huang Bai and Luo Yuan finally came to their senses, their faces filled with astonishment as they looked at Qin Genglong. They never expected Qin Genglong to be so formidable, able to fend off a dagger attack with his muscles alone.


    "You two, get out of here quickly, and don¡¯te back to bother Ling Chen again, or else don¡¯t me my fists for being ruthless."


    Huang Bai gave a cold nce at Ling Chen beside him, hesitated for a moment, then nodded and said coldly, "Fine, Ling Chen, you¡¯re lucky today to have someone standing up for you. I¡¯ll let you live a few more days. Let¡¯s go!"


    Seeing Huang Bai leave, Luo Yuan didn¡¯t stay long either, leaving behind a few fierce words and taking his men with him.


    "Old Qin, you didn¡¯t need to stand up for me just now. This is my private matter; I can handle it myself."


    "It¡¯s nothing; these guys only bully the weak and fear the strong. Just let them see some strength, and they¡¯ll be more obedient in the future."


    Obedient?


    Ling Chenughed and shook his head. Qin Genglong didn¡¯t understand these people. They were typical desperados, ruthless and relentless until they achieve their goals. Although they were scared away today, they¡¯ll definitely find another chance to act.


    But, never mind, it¡¯s rare for Qin Genglong to show such goodwill; I can¡¯t not appreciate it.


    At this time, in the monitoring room of Yan City Prison, a middle-aged man stood with his hands behind his back, in front of a monitor, watching the footage with a smile and talking to himself, "I never thought that big guy had such skills. No wonder I never noticed before... It seems I must make good use of him."


    After speaking, the middle-aged man waved, calling a staff member over.


    "Prison Director, what are your orders?"


    The middle-aged man pointed at Qin Genglong in the surveince footage and said, "Bring this person to me. I have a task for him."


    "Yes."


    As recreation time ended, Ling Chen and Qin Genglong returned to their cell to enjoy breakfast and then a good sleep.


    Just as the two sat down, they saw two security personnel in suits appear outside the cell.


    "You,e out." One of the security personnel pointed at Qin Genglong.


    "What¡¯s going on?"


    "Cut the crap; the Prison Director wants to see you."


    "Old Qin, go ahead and be careful," Ling Chen reminded. Even if they didn¡¯t say anything, Ling Chen could guess that the Prison Director was asking for Qin Genglong because of him. Whether that was good or bad, he wasn¡¯t sure.


    However, as far as he was concerned, the Prison Director at Yan City Prison shouldn¡¯t make things difficult for him. While he was with Phantom, they had cooperated with Yan City Prison many times, sending many prisoners there, so they¡¯ve had a lot of dealings.


    Now that I¡¯m locked up in Yan City Prison, Tang Yuan and the others are sure to get the news. To avoid unfair treatment in prison, they will definitely talk to the Prison Director at Yan City Prison.


    After Qin Genglong left with the two security personnel, Ling Chen folded his hands under his head,y on the bed for a while, waiting for breakfast to be delivered. However, more than half an hour passed and no breakfast appeared.


    Strange, isn¡¯t breakfast at eight-thirty? It¡¯s almost nine-thirty, so why hasn¡¯t anyone brought food?


    This wait just extended until noon. Like the situation in the morning, lunchtime came and went with no food delivered. No matter how much Ling Chen shouted and protested, no one paid him any attention.


    By this point, Ling Chen knew that this was a deliberate attempt to not feed him, leaving him hungry.


    Also, it¡¯s been so long, and Qin Genglong still hasn¡¯t returned. There must be a problem.


    Hmph!


    Ling Chen smirked, with a hint of chill in his smile. Initially, he thought the Prison Director at Yan City Prison would take care of him, but now it seems that was nothing more than wishful thinking.


    Fine, in that case, I have to see how you n to treat me.


    ...


    Beijing.


    Lonely Wolf Headquarters.


    "Mr. He, General, that¡¯s the situation. With the intelligence we have now, we can¡¯t convict Yang He. Although Yang He funded the God Organization, as long as he denies knowing its nature, we can¡¯t arrest him. Besides, Yang He¡¯swork is extensive, and to convict him, we need approval from above. You¡¯ve seen the attitudes of those higher-ups¡ªit¡¯s obviously impossible."


    Pang Jiulin analyzed while speaking helplessly.


    "What should we do then?" Tang Yuan asked.


    "I don¡¯t know either." Pang Jiulin shook his head and sighed, "ording to what we thought before, if the evidence werepelling enough to prove the close rtionship between Yang He and the God Organization, we could convict Yang He. In that case, even if Ling Chen made a mistake, it would just be a minor one, and he¡¯d be released after a few months. But from the current situation, this approach simply won¡¯t work."


    Saying this, Pang Jiulin nced at He Ziyun and Qiao Zhen, his eyes flickering as if hesitating about something.


    Noticing Pang Jiulin¡¯s change in expression, He Ziyun spoke up, "Just say whatever you have in mind, there¡¯s no outsider here."


    "Yes. I received a call from above earlier, advising me to focus on other matters and not to worry about Ling Chen¡¯s situation anymore."

 Chapter 808 - 813: Seeking Revenge (3)

    <h4>Chapter 808: Chapter 813: Seeking Revenge (3)</h4>


    "Hmph!" Qiao Zhen said displeased, "They are determined to abandon Ling Chen. Those people don¡¯t even consider how much Ling Chen has contributed to the country over the years. Now, just for some money and a bit of political achievement, they can even sacrifice a national hero. They¡¯re truly cold-blooded."


    "Alright, we¡¯re not young anymore, why get upset? You¡¯ve been in politics for decades; you should understand their faces," He Ziyun said calmly. "Since they have already given up on Ling Chen, we can¡¯t rely on them. You guys know Yan City Prison better, tell me, is there a way to get Ling Chen out from there?"


    Pausing for a moment, He Ziyun added, "Remember, the action must be legal."


    Legal?


    Hearing this, Pang Jiulin and the others couldn¡¯t help but be stunned.


    If the higher-ups don¡¯t approve, how can they act legally?


    "Don¡¯t rush, take your time to think, we¡¯ll definitelye up with a way." After finishing, He Ziyun stood up from his chair and turned to walk outside.


    Seeing He Ziyun leaving, Qiao Zhen hastily asked, "Oldmander, where are you going?"


    "The eight odd men have already arrived in Beijing, they¡¯re nning to rescue Ling Chen from the prison, I must stop them to prevent chaos."


    Watching He Ziyun¡¯s retreating figure, Tang Yuan¡¯s eyes suddenly lit up. It seemed he thought of a good idea and quickly shared his thoughts.


    After hearing Tang Yuan¡¯s n, Pang Jiulin looked at him in surprise andughed, "Tang Yuan, howe I never realized before that you¡¯re so smart, thinking up such a crafty idea." Having said that, Pang Jiulin turned his head to Qiao Zhen and asked, "Old General, what do you think of this n?"


    Qiao Zhen considered for a moment, then nodded, "It¡¯s a good n, but we need to find the right opportunity. Here¡¯s what we can do, you two pay more attention, and I¡¯ll go with Mr. He to contact some old friends to see if they can help."


    "Alright."


    ...


    Nightfall.


    Ling Chen had just fallen asleep when he heard some noiseing from outside the cell. Shortly after, the cell door opened, and Qin Genglong walked in looking exhausted. Not only that, but his body was wrapped in numerous bandages, with fresh blood seeping through, particrly noticeable.


    "Old Qin!" Ling Chen was surprised, quickly getting up to support Qin Genglong and helping him to sit by the bed.


    Seeing Qin Genglong covered in injuries, Ling Chen asked in shock, "What happened to you, who hurt you?"


    Qin Genglongy half-quiet on the bed for a while before he spoke, "I left Yan City Prison today."


    "What?"


    "Besides me, there were a few other prisoners, we teamed up toplete a task assigned by the Prison Director."


    Task?


    Ling Chen¡¯s heart sank, instantly understanding.


    Yan City Prison¡¯s management must have selected Qin Genglong for an outside task after seeing his performance on the field.


    "What kind of task left you so injured?" Ling Chen asked.


    Given Qin Genglong¡¯s skills, it¡¯s hard for ordinary people to hurt him, so Ling Chen was curious about who exactly injured him.


    "A master, a very formidable master," Qin Genglong said in a deep voice.


    "And you guys..."


    "Failed, we couldn¡¯t catch him. Four of us went, three died, and only I came back alive."


    "Could it be an expert from the Earthly List?" Only an expert from the Earthly List could injure Qin Genglong. Although experts from the Heavenly List also have such capabilities, if it was a Heavenly List expert, Qin Genglong couldn¡¯t possibly return alive.


    "Old Qin, do you know why the Prison Director wanted you to capture that master?"


    Qin Genglong shook his head and said, "I don¡¯t know, the Prison Director didn¡¯t say the reason, just told us toplete the task. If the task was sessfullypleted, we would be richly rewarded."


    Upon hearing this, Ling Chen frowned slightly. Although Yan City Prison was managed by a private securitypany, utilizing prison inmates for their services undoubtedly vited thew.


    However, what Ling Chen couldn¡¯t understand was, what was the purpose behind their actions?


    Thinking it over, he looked at Qin Genglong, who appeared very weak, patted his shoulder, and said, "You should rest first, heal your wounds."


    The night passed.


    Early the next morning, when Ling Chen woke up, Qin Genglong was still sleeping. Perhaps his body was too exhausted, and with severe injuries, Qin Genglong was sleeping deeply, unaffected by the surrounding noise, until the prison¡¯s security personnel appeared outside the cell to wake him.


    After getting up in the morning, there would be a half-hour of outdoor time.


    Ling Chen supported Qin Genglong¡¯s arm to the yground, intending to find a ce to sit for a while.


    Gurgle!


    Hearing the sound from Ling Chen¡¯s stomach, Qin Genglongughed innocently, "Hungry? Don¡¯t worry, there¡¯ll be foodter."


    Ling Chen smiled bitterly to himself, he hadn¡¯t eaten for a day and a night. The director of Yan City Prison was clearly targeting him, refusing to give him food, using this method to torment him.


    Ling Chen had seen the director of Yan City Prison before. On the surface, he appeared to be a gentleman, gentle and amiable, very polite. However, to be the director of Yan City Prison and tame so many tough characters, he was definitely not a simple person.


    As for grievances, Ling Chen had never had any personal feud with him, at most some work-rted interactions, with no private dealings. That guy treating him this way was certainly under someone¡¯s orders. Ling Chen wasn¡¯t interested in knowing who, nor did he want to waste energy thinking about it.


    After all, he had plenty of enemies, it didn¡¯t matter who it was.


    As he thought about this, two people approached from a distance, the same Huang Bai and Luo Yuan who were scared away by Qin Genglong yesterday. These two looked conceited, gazing at Ling Chen as if he were a dead man, with no fear in their eyes,pletely ignoring Qin Genglong beside them.


    "Ling Chen, get over here," Huang Baimanded coldly.


    Ling Chen crossed his legs, touched his nose with one hand, and asked, "What do you want, didn¡¯t get enough fun yesterday?"


    Luo Yuan raised his head, looking arrogant, said, "Ling Chen, don¡¯t think just because you have that big guy protecting you, we can¡¯t do anything to you. I¡¯m telling you, we¡¯ve brought a real master today. If you don¡¯t want to suffer, kneel and kowtow a few times, then wash your neck clean and deliver it to us obediently. That way, you can avoid a lot of pain."


    "A master?" Ling Chen said with a smirk, "Alright, I want to see who this master you¡¯ve invited is."


    As soon as the words fell, Luo Yuan and Huang Bai both stepped aside. Following this, a middle-aged man in his forties walked out from behind them, his steps steady, exuding an imposing aura.


    Watching the middle-aged man approaching step by step, Ling Chen couldn¡¯t help but raise his eyebrows.


    Judging by the man¡¯s steps and the aura emanating from his every move, this person was undoubtedly a genuine expert.

 Chapter 809 - 814: Qingyang Society (1)

    <h4>Chapter 809: Chapter 814: Qingyang Society (1)</h4>


    However, to Ling Chen¡¯s surprise, that person didn¡¯t look at him upon approaching but rather at Qin Genglong beside him. The middle-aged man nced twice and spoke arrogantly, "You¡¯re the Qin Genglong who excels in Cross Training, right? I¡¯ve heard your strength is formidable, and your muscles have reached a level where they are impervious to des and bullets."


    Saying this, the middle-aged man sped his fists in a formal gesture and said earnestly, "My name is Luo Haicheng, I belong to no sect or school, and I practice family-inherited martial arts. I ask for your guidance." As he finished speaking, Luo Haicheng took a few steps back and made a single-handed gesture of invitation, beckoning Qin Genglong to step forward.


    "I¡¯m not afraid of you." Qin Genglong snorted and quickly stood up, stepping forward to ept the challenge.


    "Old Qin, don¡¯t go." Before Qin Genglong could approach Luo Haicheng, Ling Chen¡¯s hand had alreadynded on his shoulder, stopping his movement.


    "Your injuries haven¡¯t healed, so take a good rest. I¡¯ll handle this person."


    After finishing speaking, Ling Chen took a few steps forward, bypassing Qin Genglong, and stood in front of Luo Haicheng, gazing directly at him. Ling Chen slightly raised the corners of his mouth with a faint smile and said, "Mr. Luo, right? Since Mr. Luo wants to experience my skills, I¡¯ll y with you."


    "Just you?" Luo Haicheng looked at Ling Chen with disdain and said contemptuously, "Do you qualify?"


    Ling Chen raised a hand, his smile unchanged, and said, "Qualified or not, I don¡¯t know. Why not give it a try, Mr. Luo?"


    "Mr. Luo, stop wasting words with him, just take him down, just leave him alive for us," Huang Bai said coldly from behind.


    "Alright then, since you¡¯re seeking death, I¡¯ll fulfill your wish." Pausing for a moment, Luo Haicheng continued, "I¡¯m older than you, so I¡¯ll let you strike first, lest you use me of bullying."


    Upon hearing this, Ling Chen smiled and nodded, "Okay, since Mr. Luo is so courteous, I won¡¯t stand on ceremony." As soon as his words fell, Ling Chen didn¡¯t hesitate; he gently tapped the ground with his toe. Instantly, his body shot out like a cannonball, directly rushing toward Luo Haicheng.


    Facing Ling Chen¡¯s rapid approach, Luo Haicheng was momentarily dazed, not expecting Ling Chen¡¯s speed, leaving him no time to prepare.


    Thankfully, Luo Haicheng¡¯s own skills were not weak. After a momentary daze, he quickly reacted, pushing his hands forward.


    The fists and palms met, and due to the hasty defense, Luo Haicheng¡¯s preparation was inadequate. The explosive force of the punch erupted, and Luo Haicheng¡¯s body immediately lost bnce, retreating with staggered steps.


    Only after retreating three or four steps did Luo Haicheng manage to stop, looking at Ling Chen with disbelief.


    Ling Chen smiled slightly, beckoning with his finger, "Mr. Luo, what are you daydreaming about?"


    The moment he spoke, Luo Haicheng immediately snapped back to his senses, all contempt in his eyes vanished, his expression gradually turning serious. He nodded solemnly and said, "Well done, I underestimated you. Considering your strength alone, you¡¯re worthy to be my opponent. Come on, I will take this seriously."


    Feeling Luo Haicheng¡¯s sharp gaze, Ling Chen¡¯s smile instantly faded, his waist slightly twisting, right shoulder facing forward.


    Suddenly, dust rose from beneath Luo Haicheng¡¯s feet. Then, Luo Haicheng¡¯s body shot forward like an arrow, rapidly closing the distance. In the blink of an eye, the five-meter distance shrunk to one meter.


    Seeing those fleshy palms approaching, Ling Chen felt a gust of wind blow across his face, slightly swaying his hair at the forehead.


    As the palm wind approached, Ling Chen didn¡¯t opt for a counterattack, instead waiting for Luo Haicheng¡¯s palms to reach in front. Once they were within ten centimeters, Ling Chen¡¯s right shoulder gently nudged upwards, impacting Luo Haicheng¡¯s wrist, instantly deflecting the iing arm.


    The palm wind skewed, passing over Ling Chen¡¯s head, missing the target.


    After the failed strike, Luo Haicheng didn¡¯t hesitate, immediately withdrawing without giving Ling Chen a chance to counterattack. As he retreated to a safe distance, Luo Haicheng didn¡¯t continue his offensive but circled around Ling Chen, seeking an opportunity to strike.


    Seeing this, Ling Chen stood still, eyes firmly fixed on Luo Haicheng, gradually moving with his steps.


    When Luo Haicheng circled to Ling Chen¡¯s back, his formerlyteral movement suddenly tilted forward, sending his palm wind swiftly through the air.


    However, Ling Chen¡¯s body maintained a state of high vignce. As he sensed the encroaching danger, his body immediately reacted. Instantly, Ling Chen¡¯s feet twisted on the ground, his waist coordinating with his steps toggled left and right, his body seemingly transformed into a residual shadow, elusive to the naked eye.


    Nine Yang Qiankun Step!


    This was the apex movement technique Su He had initially taught to Ling Chen.


    Nine Yang Qiankun Step, treading on the universe, stepping in the starry river. The body like a breeze, traceless and shadowless.


    Luo Haicheng, preparing to attack, merely saw an illusion of the figure before him, Ling Chen¡¯s body suddenly disappearing.


    "Where is he?" Luo Haicheng couldn¡¯t help but be startled, eyes widened, quickly scanning around him, searching for Ling Chen¡¯s whereabouts.


    "Are you looking for me?" At that moment, Ling Chen¡¯s voice came from behind Luo Haicheng.


    As the voice resounded, without thinking, Luo Haicheng immediately executed a spin kick towards his rear. But as he turned around, he found nothing there. Meanwhile, a hand extended over, gently patting Luo Haicheng¡¯s shoulder.


    "Mr. Luo, I¡¯m over here."


    Hearing this, Luo Haicheng¡¯s pupils contracted, quickly turning his head. Sure enough, he saw Ling Chen standing behind him with a smiling face. Before Luo Haicheng could react, a steel fist suddenly swung over, striking his shoulder with force. The immense power surged, instantly forcing him to retreat several steps.


    "Mr. Luo, do you want to continue?" Ling Chen looked directly into Luo Haicheng¡¯s eyes, smiling.


    Luo Haicheng opened his mouth, his expression fluctuating. After hesitating for a while, he withdrew his fleshy palms and sighed, dejected, "I lost."


    In this prolonged exchange, he had been on the offensive throughout yet hadn¡¯t even touched the hem of Ling Chen¡¯s clothes. Moreover, having witnessed Ling Chen¡¯s elusive movement technique, continuing to fight would be a waste of time better to concede outright.


    "Ling Chen, I¡¯ve practiced martial arts for many years and encountered numerous masters, but I must say, achieving such heights at your age is rare indeed. I lost today¡¯s duel, rest assured, I won¡¯t trouble you. Though my skills arecking, I still adhere to Martial Arts Ethics." After speaking, Luo Haicheng turned to look at Huang Bai and Luo Yuan, and coldly said, "I don¡¯t care what grudges lie between you, from now on, no one is allowed to trouble Ling Chen. Otherwise, Qingyang Society will not let you off. Do you hear me?"

 Chapter 810 - 815: Qingyang Society (Part 2)

    <h4>Chapter 810: Chapter 815: Qingyang Society (Part 2)</h4>


    As soon as the words "Qingyang Society" were uttered, the faces of Huang Bai and Luo Yuan immediately changed. The two exchanged a nce and saw a hint of fear in each other¡¯s eyes.


    Looking at Ling Chen, who was smiling benignly nearby, although they were unwilling, they were more afraid of the Qingyang Society.


    Seeing that they hadn¡¯t spoken for a long time, Luo Haicheng¡¯s tone involuntarily turned cold, and he said lightly, "What¡¯s the matter? Didn¡¯t you hear what I said, or do you want to go against my Qingyang Society?"


    "No, no, no," Huang Bai and Luo Yuan quickly waved their hands and said with ttering smiles, "Mr. Luo, since you¡¯ve spoken, how dare we not listen? Rest assured, we will definitely not cause any trouble for Ling Chen."


    "It¡¯d better be so. If I find out that you go back on your word and y tricks behind the scenes, don¡¯t me us for being impolite. Alright, all of you leave, don¡¯t be an eyesore here."


    "Yes." Huang Bai and the others responded and immediately turned to leave.


    After they left, Ling Chen looked at Luo Haicheng and asked, "Mr. Luo, may I ask, the Qingyang Society you mentioned just now is..."


    "It¡¯s them, take them down."


    At this moment, before Ling Chen finished speaking, he saw more than a dozen men in suits holding riot shields and electric batons quickly run over, surrounding Ling Chen and Luo Haicheng in the center.


    Luo Haicheng shouted coldly, "What are you doing?"


    "Mr. Luo, don¡¯t get angry. You vited the prison rules first, they are just following the rules, don¡¯t make it difficult for them." A voice came, and two men in suits retreated to both sides, making way. Immediately afterward, a man in a striped suit walked over with his hands behind his back, a spring-breeze-like smile on his face, nodded slightly at Ling Chen, and said, "Mr. Ling, it¡¯s been a long time. I didn¡¯t expect we would meet again here."


    Upon seeing the personing, Ling Chen¡¯s eyes narrowed involuntarily, shing with a cold light. However, Ling Chen concealed it well. After taking a look at the other party, he raised the corner of his mouth slightly, with a faint smile, and said, "Yu Peng, it has been a long time, you¡¯re still the same, haven¡¯t changed a bit."


    Yu Peng, was the prison director of Yan City Prison.


    Back then, due to work, Ling Chen had once met Yu Peng, so he had some impression of this person.


    "Mr. Ling, you and I can be considered old friends. I am truly sorry; I have been too busy these days and should have visited you earlier. Fortunately, I have some free time today, so I came over to say hello. Considering our past cooperation, feel free to let me know if you have any requests, and I will try to satisfy you."


    Hearing this, Ling Chen said with a skin-deep smile, "You¡¯re too kind, but I have no requests, just hope to stay quietly for a while, best if no one bothers me." After pausing, Ling Chen continued, "Yu Peng, you¡¯ve known me for quite a while, you know better than anyone what I used to do, so... we¡¯d better coexist peacefully, don¡¯t you think?"


    "Mr. Ling, you¡¯re right, but..." Yu Peng changed his tone and said, "The prison has its rules. No matter who breaks them, they should pay the corresponding price. Mr. Ling, although I am the prison director of Yan City Prison, I have always been fair and just in action and will never abuse power for personal gain. The rules of Yan City Prison are very clear; private fighting among prisoners is prohibited. But you knowingly broke the rules. If I don¡¯t punish it severely, how could I manage other prisoners in the future?"


    After speaking, Yu Peng waved his hand, and two men in suits immediately stepped forward to grasp Ling Chen¡¯s arms firmly.


    Ling Chen frowned and said, "Yu Peng, you... Ah!" Before he could finish his sentence, Ling Chen¡¯s expression changed drastically; his words turned into a cry of pain, his body following with convulsions, his legs going limp, without the strength to stand.


    "Take him away."


    "Yes."


    Under the pull of the two men in suits, Ling Chen gave up resisting and let them drag him. After being struck by the specially enhanced electric baton, his whole body was in a paralyzed state, unable to gather any strength, with sore and swollen muscles, indescribably ufortable.


    After watching Ling Chen get dragged away, Yu Peng turned his head to look at Luo Haicheng and said, "Mr. Luo, you are a person of the Qingyang Society. Today, I¡¯m giving your Qingyang Society face by not pursuing your fault. I hope you don¡¯t make the same mistake again, hurry back."


    An hourter, Ling Chen was thrown back into the cell.


    Seeing Ling Chen lying on the ground, Qin Genglong ran over quickly, helped Ling Chen up, and asked with a concerned expression, "Ling, how are you?"


    Ling Chen opened his mouth slightly and said weakly, "It¡¯s okay, just... help me to the bed first."


    Once he got onto the bed, Ling Chen endured the pain in his body and took off his top. Instantly, his back was covered with scars, like it had been whipped, bloody and mangled.


    Seeing the bloody wounds, Qin Genglong¡¯s expression changed immediately, and he asked angrily, "Who did this?"


    Ling Chen weakly waved his hand and said, "Forget it, it¡¯s all in the past, no need to bring it up any more." Although he said that, Ling Chen was cursing in his heart.


    Yu Peng, that bastard, dared to treat me like this, not only starving me but also daring to use torture. What benefits did that bastard receive to torture me like this?


    Yu, just you wait, sooner orter you¡¯ll pay for this.


    Due to the severe injuries, Ling Chen soon fell into a deep sleep after lying on the bed.


    This sleepsted until the next morning, and he was awakened by the sound of someone knocking on the cell. Ling Chen opened his eyes, endured the pain in his back, and struggled to sit up, propping himself up on the bed with his hands.


    "Get up quickly, stop dawdling."


    Qin Genglong, who had long been awake, said discontentedly, "Ling Chen has suffered such severe injuries, why send him out for exercise? He should rest well in the room."


    The security outside sneered and said, "Who do you think you are? When is it your turn to give orders here? If you don¡¯t want trouble, shut your mouth obediently. You have two minutes to get ready. If anyone dawdles, don¡¯t me me for being rude."


    "These bastards..." Qin Genglong cursed indignantly, "Really want to kill them."


    "Forget it, don¡¯t get angry, no need to argue with people like them. Old Qin, do me a favor and help me up."


    Coming out of the cell, Ling Chen and Qin Genglong supported each other and followed the prison security to the exercise field.


    "Ling Chen,e, sit over here."


    Sitting on the bench, Ling Chen didn¡¯t dare lean back against the seat, fearing touching the wounds. Those bastards went all out without restraint, doing whatever it took.


    "Hey, Old Qin, I have something to ask you."


    "What¡¯s up?"


    "Do you know what the Qingyang Society is?" Ling Chen asked curiously. Yesterday, when dealing with Luo Haicheng, the other party mentioned the Qingyang Society. Moreover, seeing the expressions of Huang Bai and Luo Yuan at that time, they seemed to be very afraid of the Qingyang Society, so Ling Chen wanted to know what exactly was the background of that Qingyang Society.

 Chapter 811 - 816: Qingyang Society (Part 3)

    <h4>Chapter 811: Chapter 816: Qingyang Society (Part 3)</h4>


    "So you were asking about the Qingyang Society." Qin Genglong said, "The Qingyang Society is a faction within Yan City Prison, made up of prisoners. There are many factions in Yan City Prison, all formed spontaneously by the inmates, and the Qingyang Society is thergest group. Besides Qingyang Society, there¡¯s another faction that can rival it, which is Hongmen. The name Hongmen might not be unfamiliar to you; in the martial arts world, Hongmen is an old faction with a history spanning hundreds of years. Of course, the Hongmen in Yan City Prison is not the legitimate Hongmen, it hasn¡¯t been acknowledged; it¡¯s just a name the prisoners chose themselves. This is because the leader of Hongmen used to be a disciple of Hongmen, so that¡¯s where the namees from."


    "I see." Ling Chen nodded and asked, "Old Qin, what differences are there between Qingyang Society and Hongmen?"


    "Not much difference. Both of these factions are made up of experts. If anyone wants to bluff their way in, they¡¯d better give up that idea. Members of Qingyang Society and Hongmen aren¡¯t many, but each one is a true expert, just like Luo Haicheng, who fought you yesterday; he¡¯s from Qingyang Society. How was it? His strength isn¡¯t weak, right?"


    "Not bad at all."


    Luo Haicheng¡¯s strength indeed was notcking. In his forties, he¡¯s already an expert on the Earthly List. However, in terms of techniques, Luo Haicheng is still a bit inferior to Ling Chen.


    "Most of the Qingyang Society members are rather casual, not bound by many rules. But Hongmen is different; Hongmen has a lot of rules, all passed down from before, so Hongmen¡¯s members are people with more traditional mindsets. These two factions have not had few conflicts, often sparring with each other. The Prison Director can¡¯t be bothered to manage them. As long as no one dies, they can do what they like."


    At this point, Qin Genglong paused and said, "Among the people who went on the mission with me yesterday, besides myself, the others were from Qingyang Society and Hongmen, all experts on the Dragon List. The Prison Director is afraid that these two major forces might lose experts due to fights, so he forbids any deaths being caused."


    "Old Qin, besides Qingyang Society and Hongmen, is there any other notable faction in Yan City Prison?"


    "There is one more, and that¡¯s Metropolis."


    "Metropolis?" Ling Chen was slightly stunned. The name sounded somewhat peculiar.


    Qin Genglong nodded and said, "It¡¯s called Metropolis because this factionprises all sorts of people, including leaders of international criminal groups, top assassins, and many skilled professionals. You can almost find any talent you want in Metropolis."


    "Really?" Ling Chen¡¯s eyes lit up. He didn¡¯t expect Yan City Prison to be such a hub of talent. Unfortunately, those guys are locked up because theymitted serious crimes; otherwise, they could be recruited into one¡¯s own faction. With these talents¡¯ help, dealing with the God Organization in the future would be much easier.


    "Old Qin, have you interacted with people from these three major factions?"


    "Never dealt with them. I¡¯ve always been alone, trying to avoid conflicts with others. These three factions were only mentioned by other prisoners; I¡¯ve nevere into contact with them."


    Hearing this, Ling Chen looked around the yground and asked, "Where are the people from the three major factions?"


    "There are none of them here," Qin Genglong said. "Qingyang Society, Hongmen, and Metropolis each have their own areas of activity. Didn¡¯t I tell you? As long as you help Yu Peng achieve his goals, you can make demands. Everything they have now is earned by themselves."


    Just then, a person suddenly walked over from not far away. Ling Chen looked up and saw that it was Luo Haicheng, who he fought with yesterday.


    Why has hee? Ling Chen was somewhat puzzled. Didn¡¯t Luo Haicheng say that he wouldn¡¯te looking for trouble? Could it be that he saw Ling Chen was injured and came to take advantage?


    While pondering, Luo Haicheng had already approached, sped his hands, and said, "Mr. Ling, hello, once again we meet."


    "Mr. Luo, what brings you to me today?"


    "It¡¯s like this, our society¡¯s president would like to invite Mr. Ling over for a meeting, if Mr. Ling would grace us with your presence," Luo Haicheng said politely.


    So that¡¯s what it¡¯s about. Ling Chen smiled to himself, guessing it was because he won against Luo Haicheng in the spar yesterday, which caught Qingyang Society¡¯s attention.


    As long as it¡¯s not to cause trouble, it¡¯s fine.


    "Such a small matter shouldn¡¯t trouble Mr. Luo toe personally; it¡¯s really unnecessary."


    Luo Haicheng was delighted and asked, "So does that mean Mr. Ling agrees?"


    "Of course not..."


    "Mr. Ling."


    Just then, before Ling Chen could finish his sentence, he heard a voiceing. Turning around, he saw two men walking over, one behind the other.


    Once they reached him, they both spoke, "Mr. Ling, our Hongmen Sect Leader invites you toe over. He wants to meet you."


    "Mr. Ling, I¡¯m the Vice President of Metropolis. Our President has prepared avish breakfast and hopes to invite Mr. Ling and Mr. Qin to join us."


    Hearing them introduce themselves, Ling Chen was slightly taken aback. Qingyang Society, Hongmen, and Metropolis ¡ª the three major forces of Yan City Prison all came to invite him, making him feel quite overwhelmed.


    Faced with these three invitations, Ling Chen wasn¡¯t sure how to choose for a moment. No matter which one he picked, he¡¯d certainly offend the other two. Thinking of this, Ling Chen felt a bit troubled; it was indeed a bothersome matter.


    After thinking it over, Ling Chen nudged Qin Genglong next to him with his elbow and quietly asked, "Old Qin, what do you think I should do?"


    "This..." In this situation, Qin Genglong was also at a loss and didn¡¯t know what advice to give.


    Seeing that Ling Chen hadn¡¯t spoken for a long time, Luo Haicheng couldn¡¯t help but say, "Mr. Ling, our president is still waiting."


    Ling Chen nced at Luo Haicheng, then at the other two men, his expression indecisive.


    "Mr. Ling," Luo Haicheng urged again.


    "In that case..." Ling Chen looked at thest man who arrived and said, "Since Metropolis¡¯ President is so courteous, it would be rude not to ept."


    Seeing Ling Chen agree to Metropolis, Luo Haicheng and the other man were stunned.


    Especially Luo Haicheng, who couldn¡¯t have expected Ling Chen to reject him and ept Metropolis¡¯ invitation.


    "Mr. Ling, I..." Luo Haicheng wanted to say something to try and persuade him, but before he could finish, Ling Chen cut him off: "Mr. Luo, I¡¯m very sorry. Please tell the president of Qingyang Society that I¡¯ll visit them when I have time."


    The main reason Ling Chen rejected Qingyang Society and Hongmen was theirck of sincerity. Look at Metropolis; not only did they send a Vice President to invite him, but they also prepared avish breakfast. Most importantly, they invited not just him but also Qin Genglong. This alone was enough for Ling Chen to make a decision.

 Chapter 812 - 817: Genius of the Criminal Underworld (Part 1)

    <h4>Chapter 812: Chapter 817: Genius of the Criminal Underworld (Part 1)</h4>


    Of course, besides the sincerity demonstrated by the Metropolis, there was another important reason, though Ling Chen was reluctant to admit it.


    Having not eaten for two days, Ling Chen was truly hungry, and even a man made of iron would not withstand the torment of hunger. So when he heard the words ¡¯breakfast¡¯, his subconscious naturally inclined towards the people of the Metropolis.


    If Luo Haicheng and the others knew Ling Chen chose the Metropolis for a breakfast, they would probably regret it to death.


    Seeing Ling Chen and Qin Genglong leave with the Metropolis¡¯s Vice President, Luo Haicheng and hispanion¡¯s expressions were somewhat unsightly. Once Ling Chen and his group went far away, they didn¡¯t linger either and hurried back to their territory to report to their boss.


    Beside the yground¡¯s wall, there was an iron gate guarded by two burly men. After Ling Chen and the others passed through the gate, they found a spacious warehouse behind it. However, this warehouse had clearly been modified, with plywood dividing it into several rooms of various sizes. They were currently in the warehouse¡¯s gym, which was fully equipped with fitness gear.


    Moreover, at one corner of the wall, there was even a simple swimming pool where a few bikini-d, sexy beauties satughing and frolicking, drawing many male gazes.


    Wow!


    Ling Chen couldn¡¯t help but sigh in amazement. This wasn¡¯t a prison; it was obviously a ce of pleasure.


    "Mr. Ling, Mr. Qin, this way, please. Our Chairman is already waiting for you." Led by the Metropolis¡¯s Vice President, Ling Chen and Qin Genglong entered a rather tasteful room.


    The room had excellent lighting, bright and spacious,plete with a television and other household equipment. In the middle was a leather sofa on whichy a beautifully dressed, scantily-d woman, holding a teddy bear, puffing leisurely on a cigarette, oblivious to everything around her.


    Ling Chen nced at the woman, then shifted his gaze to a middle-aged man.


    The middle-aged man sat at a dining table filled with a sumptuous breakfast, holding a cigar, his chest bare, his body corpulent, with a finger-thick gold ne very conspicuous around his neck. Besides the ne, each of his ten fingers wore a different shaped gold ring, presenting a typical nouveau riche appearance, irresistibly amusing.


    Ling Chen stifled hisughter, scrutinizing the man¡¯s face. Once he discerned the man¡¯s features, the amusement in his eyes transformed into surprise, and he eximed, "It¡¯s you?"


    "Ling Chen, long time no see. Did you forget about me?" The middle-aged man grinned, his gold tooth particrly noticeable.


    "Forget you? That¡¯s a joke. Couldn¡¯t afford to forget you even if I forgot everyone else." Saying this, Ling Chen unabashedly sat down, inviting Qin Genglong to join him, and started munching on a piece of bread from the table.


    Qin Genglong was also famished, having starved alongside Ling Chen. Spotting food, he dropped any semnce of decorum, quickly devouring an egg and sandwich, and instantly drained a steaming cup of milk.


    Seeing the two devouring like ravenous wolves, the beauty lying on the sofa mocked with augh, "Guolun, where did you find these two starving ghosts?"


    Upon hearing this, the middle-aged man¡¯s expression immediately chilled, and he casually tossed the lit cigar, cursing, "Did I ask you to speak? Damn it, these two are my brothers. Look at yourself before insulting them. Scram, as far away as possible, and don¡¯t let me see you again."


    Scolded by the man, the woman¡¯s pretty face instantly whitened with fright, hurriedly rising from the sofa, fearfully saying, "Sorry... I¡¯m sorry, I was wrong."


    The middle-aged man impatiently cursed, "Didn¡¯t I tell you to get lost? Do I have to resort to violence?"


    "No... please don¡¯t!" The woman dared not linger any longer, quickly fleeing from the room.


    Once the woman left, the middle-aged man reignited a cigar, took two puffs, and said apologetically, "Ling Chen, don¡¯t mind her. She¡¯s clueless. I¡¯ll deal with herter."


    "Forget about it!" Ling Chen swallowed a bite of bread, took a sip of freshly squeezed lemonade, and said, "I say, how did a guy like you end up here?"


    "Got caught, that¡¯s all. Originally nned to pull off something big domestically and then enjoy life abroad, but the helpers I found weren¡¯t reliable, leaked the n, and when I acted, ambushes were everywhere. Ultimately, I had no choice but to surrender to save my life. Hey! I¡¯m quite curious, how did you end up in this sort of ce?"


    "Don¡¯t mention it, it¡¯s all a heartache." Saying this, Ling Chen looked at Qin Genglong and said, "Old Qin, let me introduce you. This is Tang Guolun, the most infamous figure in the crime syndicate, con artist, thief, escape artist, FBI criminal consultant... What else... I¡¯ve forgotten. Generally, this guy has a lot of titles, the best among criminals."


    Upon hearing Ling Chen¡¯s introduction, the rather dim-witted Qin Genglong became even more perplexed.


    "Ling Chen, if he¡¯s a criminal, how did he be a criminal consultant?"


    Ling Chen chuckled and said, "That merely proves his extraordinary skills."


    The saying goes, in thirty-six professions, leaders emerge from each one. Every profession has its geniuses, and Tang Guolun belongs to the genius category in the crime world. Tang Guolunmits crimes with style and principles, having boundaries¡ªno killing, avoiding low-skill crimes, favoring challenges.


    Tang Guolun, a Chinese American, began his career at eighteen, using a cheap printer and aputer to fabricate one hundred thousand dors, sessfully fooling bank staff. Since then, his criminal road escted unchecked. His most famous act involved impersonating a U.S. Federal Bureau emissary,mandeering an FBI branch to assist him in clearing out a bank¡¯s vault. Afterward, the FBI agents even escorted him and his loot onto a ne, waving farewell.


    So, it¡¯s said that there¡¯s nothing Tang Guolun wouldn¡¯t dare to do; only depends on whether he has interest to do it. As for this audacious fellow, the FBI gritted their teeth in frustration but could do nothing. A rabbit¡¯s warren is cunning, yet Tang Guolun¡¯s deceit surpasses a rabbit¡¯s, leaving no one capable of catching him. Initially, the FBI established a team specifically to capture him, but after several years, achieved no progress. Helplessly, they abandoned pursuing Tang Guolun.


    However, astonishing everyone, once the FBI ceased pursuing Tang Guolun, he unexpectedly turned up solo at the FBI headquarters to surrender. Naturally, that¡¯s not the main point. The main point is that shortly after his capture, Tang Guolun not only obtained immunity in America but transformed into an FBI appointed specialist, a criminal consultant.

 Chapter 813 - 818: Genius of the Criminal Underworld (Part 2)

    <h4>Chapter 813: Chapter 818: Genius of the Criminal Underworld (Part 2)</h4>


    During the year Tang Guolun served, the FBI made astonishing gains. Five of the top ten international fugitives were captured, and countless criminal organizations and terrorists were taken down. That year, the global crime rate hit a new low. Everyone knew that with Tang Guolun¡¯s support, nobody dared to cross Lord Tai Sui, as that would be a death wish.


    Therefore, when Tang Guolun decided to leave the FBI, the Director personally tried to persuade him to stay, but unfortunately, Tang Guolun was resolute in his decision to leave, and no one could hold him back. In his own words, "I¡¯ve grown tired of the cat-and-mouse game; there¡¯s no challenge in it, so being the mouse is more interesting."


    Of course, that¡¯s not all there is to Tang Guolun¡¯s story. Once, a friend of Tang Guolun¡¯s was unfortunately caught while acting alone and was imprisoned in a high-security prison, sentenced to life.


    Tang Guolun was a man of loyalty and couldn¡¯t just stand by when his friend was in trouble. So, he voluntarily turned himself in and was ced in the same prison.


    It took about ten days, and Tang Guolun sessfully broke out with his friend. The prison administration had no idea how they managed to escape.


    That incident sparked a new interest in Tang Guolun: prison breaks. Every sessful escape gave him a sense of satisfaction and aplishment. Over the years, Tang Guolun traveled to prisons worldwide, even sparking bets in the crime world on how long it would take him to escape.


    Eventually, as Tang Guolun¡¯s fame grew, prison management sought him out, inviting him to stay for a while to help find ws and loopholes in their security systems. Thus, he earned the title: Escape Expert.


    Tang Guolun is now over forty, having spent more than twenty years in the world of crime. In the crime world, Tang Guolun is undoubtedly a legendary figure.


    A few years ago, when Ling Chen was with the Ghost Organization, he received an assassination mission. The target was the leader of an international crime force, who had too many enemies and was afraid of retaliation, so he voluntarily went to prison, bribing the prison staff. To kill the target, one had to enter the prison.


    At that time, Ling Chen faked his identity as a murderer and intentionally got caught, sessfully entering the prison where the target was.


    It was then that Ling Chen unexpectedly encountered Tang Guolun. As fate would have it, they were ced in the same cell. Ling Chen, knowing the identity of this renowned criminal mastermind, immediately recognized him. Though their time together wasn¡¯t long, they were both prominent figures in the crime and espionage world, naturally appreciating each other¡¯s talents. With Ling Chen¡¯s deliberate efforts, they gradually built friendship and trust.


    After more than half a month, Ling Chen saw an opportunity and smoothlypleted the mission. After assassinating the target, and with Tang Guolun¡¯s help, they escaped from the prison and went their separate ways. Surprisingly, Ling Chen hadn¡¯t heard from Tang Guolun in years, only to find out he was in Yan City Prison.


    "Boss Tang, you said you were caught during an operation. Others might believe that, but knowing you, I find it impossible." Ling Chen said with a smile, "Everyone knows you¡¯re meticulous and won¡¯t easily coborate with others unless you trust thempletely. Come on, we¡¯re old friends, can¡¯t you tell me what¡¯s really going on?"


    Tang Guolunughed heartily, "I knew I couldn¡¯t fool you. Alright, since you want to know, I¡¯m not afraid to tell you¡ªI was tricked!"


    "Tricked?" Ling Chen asked, slightly taken aback, "What do you mean?"


    "More than a year ago, Yan City Prison¡¯s Prison Director, Yu Peng, contacted me, hoping I¡¯d help him check out Yan City Prison¡¯s security system for vulnerabilities. You know me, I relish high-level challenges. After researching Yan City Prison, I learned it was a government-contracted private secret prison, and I got interested. Our agreement was if I couldn¡¯t sessfully escape within two months, it would show Yan City Prison had top-notch defenses with no ws. At that point, Yan City Prison would release me. But after I entered the prison, I discovered that bastard Yu Peng tricked me; he didn¡¯t follow the contract terms and had people watching my every move, making escape impossible."


    At this point, Tang Guolun appeared quite angry and couldn¡¯t help but curse.


    "Tsk tsk!" Ling Chen shook his head, surprised by Yu Peng¡¯s despicable plot to deceive Tang Guolun into entering Yan City Prison.


    Previously, when Tang Guolun signed contracts with prisons, the management wouldn¡¯t reveal his real identity to the staff, treating him like a regr prisoner. But Yu Peng monitoring constantly was clearly special treatment, making escape impossible for anyone.


    "So, you¡¯ve been stuck here in this godforsaken ce for a year?"


    "Yes. I¡¯m nearly bored to death; luckily you came, so I have somepany."


    "Forget that, I¡¯m not staying here to keep youpany. Wait, if I can get out, I¡¯ll take you with me."


    "Alright, I¡¯ll hold you to that. I¡¯m pinning my hopes on you. Damn it, once I¡¯m out, I¡¯ll make Yu Peng regret messing with me for the rest of his life."


    "Tell me, Boss Tang, why did Yu Peng lure you here? Do you have some value to him?"


    Tang Guolun replied irritably, "That bastard coerced and tempted me to help him n operations¡ªmurder, theft, arrests, all sorts of dirty deeds. Damn it, if you ask me, that bastard deserves to be locked up more than anyone. Compared to him, I feel like I¡¯m a saint."


    Upon hearing this, Ling Chen grew even more curious and asked, "What exactly does Yu Peng want?"


    "How should I know? I¡¯m not a worm in his belly. Anyway, that guy¡¯s definitely not a good person." Tang Guolun then changed the subject, "Did people from Qingyang Society and Hongmen invite you?"


    "Yeah, if not for hearing you were treating me to breakfast, I would have already gone with Qingyang Society¡¯s people."


    "Stay away from Qingyang Society and Hongmen; those guys onlypete for power without any ambition or goals. They¡¯re too unmotivated." Tang Guolun expressed his strong disapproval of those two factions.

 Chapter 814 - 819: Genius of the Criminal Underworld (Part 3)

    <h4>Chapter 814: Chapter 819: Genius of the Criminal Underworld (Part 3)</h4>


    "They have so many experts, and only by uniting do they have at least a fifty percent chance of oveing the prison security. Unfortunately, they¡¯re all afraid of dying, and no one wants to stick their neck out. If I had that many experts, I would have acted long ago, rather than wait until now."


    "People have their own concerns, you can¡¯t force it. Hey, Boss Tang, I heard when I came that there are quite a few talents in Metropolis."


    Tang Guolun grinned, looking smug, and said, "You don¡¯t say, the moment I mention my name, people are scrambling to crowd around me, insisting on bing my subordinates. What can I do? Sometimes, having too much fame isn¡¯t a good thing. You know, I¡¯ve always preferred to keep a low profile."


    "Come on!" Ling Chen pouted, unrelentingly hitting back, "Stop trying to glorify yourself, like we don¡¯t know who always has to show off online after every crime, as if you¡¯re afraid people might not know it was you who did it."


    Tang Guolun can be pretty sneaky sometimes. After every big job, he leaves a message on the forum, teasing and mocking the victims. Well, each of his actions is very secretive; if he didn¡¯t do this, no one would probably know it was him. Thus, every time Tang Guolunmitted a crime, he would dominate the headlines for a week. I heard that this guy has a special hobby - collecting front-page news rted to himself, cutting them all out, and then pasting them on his wall to admire every day.


    Only someone extremely narcissistic would do something like this.


    After Ling Chen exposed his old secrets, Tang Guolun didn¡¯t mind,ughing as he said, "It¡¯s good that you know, no need to say it out loud. But honestly, I do have quite a few talents under me, and I¡¯m thinking, when I leave, I must recruit them and form a top-notch crime syndicate, then see who canpete with me."


    Ling Chen said somewhat regretfully, "Actually, I also want to recruit the talents under you into my team."


    "What? Are you nning to go solo?"


    "Not really, although I¡¯m not working for the government anymore, I¡¯ve gotten into even bigger trouble. Boss Tang, you should have heard of the God Organization."


    Upon hearing the words ¡¯God Organization¡¯, Tang Guolun¡¯s expression immediately changed. He quickly put away his joking demeanor and said seriously, "You¡¯re up against the God Organization? Sigh, why did you get involved with those guys? They¡¯re heartless bastards, calling them jerks is giving them too much credit."


    "From how you¡¯re talking, have you had dealings with them?"


    "The people from the God Organization approached me before. They said they appreciated my abilities and hoped I could work for them. As you know, I¡¯m used to working alone and don¡¯t like being bound to someone else. Plus, I heard some things about the God Organization and had a poor impression of their deeds, so I directly refused. Who knew those guys wouldn¡¯t let it go, and when I disagreed, they tried to take me by force. Fortunately, I had some skills and escaped from them. To avoid being found, I hid in a safe house for a while and dared not show my face. After some time, when I came out, I found out that the God Organization had captured several of my friends to find me, tortured them, and eventually killed them, even their families weren¡¯t spared."


    As he spoke of this, Tang Guolun¡¯s eyes reddened slightly.


    "I already had few friends, and they all died because of me. This matter has always been buried in my heart, and every time I think of it, I¡¯m extremely distressed. Back then, I scoured the world for the God Organization, wanting to avenge my friends, but the God Organization people were too cunning, and there was very little useful intelligence. After a few years, I had no choice but to give up. Ling Chen, if you¡¯re going to war with the God Organization, I¡¯ll support you fully, as a revenge for my friends."


    Tang Guolun¡¯s tone was very firm.


    "Alright then, if you¡¯re willing to help, you¡¯re more than wee. However, it¡¯s a bit early to talk about this now; let¡¯s first find a way to get out of here."


    "What are you nning to do?"


    Ling Chen shook his head and said, "I don¡¯t have a n at the moment. Friends outside are helping to make moves; let¡¯s see if they have a way to get me out."


    "If you¡¯re counting on the people outside to help you, I advise you to give up early," Tang Guolun said, "Once a person is inside Yan City Prison, no one can leave freely unless you have enormous government backing. But if you had such connections, you wouldn¡¯t have been locked up. Brother, listen to me, if you want to leave this hellhole, we need to rely on ourselves."


    Ling Chen thought for a moment and asked, "What do you suggest?"


    "To escape from here, we must rely on two forces. One is the Qingyang Society, and the other is Hongmen. Without their help, it will be very difficult to seed." Pausing briefly, Tang Guolun continued, "As you can see, I¡¯m basically a cripple now. The moment I leave this gate, I¡¯ll be monitored and won¡¯t be able to do anything. Qingyang Society and Hongmen have many experts, and only bybining everyone¡¯s strength can we break through Yan City Prison¡¯s defense and encirclement."


    "No other way?"


    "No. I¡¯ve nned countless actions in my mind because we have few weapons at hand and can utilize very little. The security of Yan City Prison is at a high altitude, making it difficult to deal with them; this requires the help of experts. Only by uniting with the people of Qingyang Society and Hongmen will we have enough manpower toplete the operation."


    "Haven¡¯t you discussed it with the people of Qingyang Society and Hongmen?"


    "Of course I have. I once arranged a meeting with their bosses, and not two dayster, the defense of Yan City Prison doubled; even those responsible for watching me went from two to five. So I can be sure that Yu Peng has definitely nted an insider among us. Otherwise, why would he strengthen the guards for no reason?"


    "Do you think the insider is someone from Qingyang Society or Hongmen?"


    "It must be because at that time I was the only one who knew the n, and I didn¡¯t tell anyone around me. Ever since that incident, even the people from Qingyang Society and Hongmen have be cautious. Later, I tried to arrange meetings with them twice, but they both refused. Brother, since the people from Qingyang Society and Hongmen have reached out to you, it means they highly regard your skills. You can use this opportunity to talk to them, exin our n, and see if they are willing to help."


    Ling Chen pondered for a while and nodded, "Alright, as long as there¡¯s an opportunity, I¡¯ll definitely bring it up with them."


    After breakfast, Ling Chen chatted with Tang Guolun and then got up to leave.


    However, as soon as he left Tang Guolun¡¯s territory, Ling Chen saw two prison guards walking towards him.


    "Mr. Ling, pleasee with us, our Prison Director wants to see you."

 Chapter 815 - 820: Safety Measures

    <h4>Chapter 815: Chapter 820: Safety Measures</h4>


    Ling Chen looked at the two security personnel and said lightly, "Why doesn¡¯t Yu Penge to see me himself."


    "Stop wasting time." One security personnel said briskly, "Ling Chen, you¡¯d bettere with us quietly. Don¡¯t cause trouble for yourself." As he spoke, he gave a signal to hispanion, who understood and immediately took something out and walked toward Ling Chen.


    Beside them, Qin Genglong noticed the item in the opponent¡¯s hand and his expression turned ugly immediately. Without further ado, he stepped forward and blocked Ling Chen, saying deeply, "What are you trying to do?"


    "Qin, I advise you not to meddle."


    Ling Chen frowned, ready to speak. But at that moment, he suddenly felt a strong sense of danger rising from his heart. His gaze shifted, and he saw a reflection of sunlighting from a corner of the watchtower on the yground.


    Seeing that ring light, Ling Chen¡¯s eyes narrowed immediately. As a former top agent, Ling Chen knew exactly what that sunlight meant, it was the glint from a sniper rifle¡¯s scope. At this moment, both his and Qin Genglong¡¯s foreheads were likely aimed at by a sniper rifle.


    Although Qin Genglong¡¯s Cross Training skills were formidable, they couldn¡¯t withstand bullet shots. Furthermore, there¡¯s no need to sh with Yu Peng right now.


    "Old Qin." Ling Chen called Qin Genglong, saying, "You go back first, I¡¯ll go over with them and take a look."


    Qin Genglong said urgently, "Ling Chen, they..."


    Before Qin Genglong could finish, Ling Chen waved his hand to stop him and said, "Alright, leave it like this, I won¡¯t be in any trouble."


    Qin Genglong reluctantly shook his head and left on his own. After he left, one security personnel approached Ling Chen and ced an iron ring-shaped object around his neck. With a crisp ¡¯click,¡¯ the iron ring locked instantly, and a green light in the center lit up.


    Wearing that iron ring, Ling Chen felt difort around his neck and found it difficult to turn.


    "What is this thing?" he asked.


    "Safety measures." The security personnel replied sinctly and then escorted Ling Chen towards the Prison Director¡¯s office.


    From the yground to the Prison Director¡¯s office, they needed to pass through ten checkpoints, each guarded by several fully armed security personnel. Besides the security, the ten explosion-proof doors were the focus. Ling Chen had previously visited Yan City Prison¡¯s facilities when escorting criminals. Beneath Yan City Prison, there was a control center, the core area of the prison.


    All the explosion-proof doors and external facilities in the prison were fully controlled by the control center; no one else could open them individually. Moreover, each explosion-proof door had a surveince camera installed at the top. Control center staff would confirm identities through the surveince footage before opening the explosion-proof doors. Ling Chen had delved into several secret bases while dealing with the God Organization, but he had to admit, Yan City Prison¡¯s defense and security system was no less than the secret bases of the God Organization; in fact, it surpassed them in many respects.


    No wonder Tang Guolun suggested that to escape Yan City Prison, one must unite the strength of the Qingyang Society and Hongmen.


    Thinking this, under the escort of the two security personnel, Ling Chen passed through theyers of checkpoints and entered the Prison Director¡¯s office. Walking in, he saw Yu Peng holding a cup of tea, sitting with crossed legs in a chair by the window, gazing outside with a slightly mysterious smile on his face.


    Hearing footsteps, Yu Peng turned to look at Ling Chen and smiled, "Mr. Ling, please sit!"


    Ling Chen stood in ce, motionless, saying, "If you have something to say, just say it. I¡¯m in a hurry to go back and rest, I don¡¯t have time to waste here."


    "Since Mr. Ling is willing to stand, I won¡¯t insist." After a pause, Yu Peng continued, "Mr. Ling, how was breakfast earlier? How did Tang Guolun treat you?"


    "Not bad, at least better than you."


    "Mr. Ling, I won¡¯t speak in riddles and I don¡¯t like beating around the bush, so it¡¯s better to say things directly. Tang Guolun is someone I value greatly, I don¡¯t want anything to happen to him." As he mentioned ¡¯anything,¡¯ Yu Peng deliberately emphasized his tone.


    "Tang Guolun is a criminal, and it¡¯s better for criminals to stay in prison. So, no matter what he said to you just now, I hope you won¡¯t take it to heart and live your life honestly without getting involved in things you shouldn¡¯t, unless you want trouble to find you."


    Ling Chen squinted his eyes and asked expressionlessly, "Are you warning me or threatening me?"


    Yu Pengughed and said, "Don¡¯t overthink it, Mr. Ling. It¡¯s just a friendly reminder between friends. If I were you, I would definitely remember it."


    "Yu Peng, I don¡¯t know what you intend to do, nor am I interested, but I must say, you shouldn¡¯t have summoned me here, nor should you meet with me under minimal security. If I wanted to, I could kill you at any time."


    "Is that so?" Yu Pengughed indifferently and said, "Then why haven¡¯t you acted yet? Is there something holding you back? Mr. Ling, to be honest, I know what you¡¯re thinking. But I must tell you, if you¡¯re counting on those people outside to save you, you¡¯d better give up. Once in Yan City Prison, no one can leave freely. Also... do you really think I¡¯d invite you to meet without any precautions?" With that, Yu Peng took a mini remote controller from his pocket and gently pressed it.


    Immediately, the iron ring around Ling Chen¡¯s neck changed from green light to red.


    "Mr. Ling, this is a product developed by Yan City Prison, specifically designed to restrain dangerous criminals like you. It contains a mini bomb inside, not much, but enough to blow off your head, so I advise you to stay calm and not seek trouble. Alright, that¡¯s enough for today, I have things to do, take him to the infirmary."


    Ling Chen frowned slightly and asked, "Why are we going to the infirmary?"


    "You¡¯ll know once you get there." After speaking, Yu Peng waved his hand to indicate his subordinates to take Ling Chen out of the office.


    Upon arriving at the infirmary, a doctor in a white coat was already prepared, waiting for Ling Chen¡¯s arrival.


    "You, lie on the bed." The doctor pointed to a bed beside him and said.


    Ling Chen remained unmoved, ncing at the workbench beside the bed, where a set of surgical instruments was ced. Seeing those instruments, Ling Chen¡¯s gaze slightly sharpened. He knew a bit about medicine, and the instruments the doctor was using were meant for surgery. Damn, what exactly does that bastard Yu Peng want to do?


    Seeing Ling Chen standing there without moving for a long time, the two security personnel nudged Ling Chen¡¯s shoulder, their eyes signaling him to hurry up andply.


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 816 - 821: Tracking Chip

    <h4>Chapter 816: Chapter 821: Tracking Chip</h4>


    Ling Chen had no choice; his life was in their hands, so he had toply obediently.


    Lying on the bed, two security personnel, following the doctor¡¯s instructions, tied Ling Chen¡¯s hands and feet with leather straps, securing him firmly to the iron bed. Then, the doctor took out a syringe and thrust it into Ling Chen¡¯s arm. As the medicine from the syringe was injected into his body, Ling Chen immediately felt a wave of drowsiness oveing him.


    Before long, Ling Chen fell into a deep sleep.


    It was unclear how much time had passed. When Ling Chen awoke again, he found himself lying on a bed in a cell, with Qin Genglong sitting nearby, gulping down some water.


    "Old Qin." Feeling weak all over, Ling Chen climbed up from the bed, leaning against the wall, and asked feebly, "When did I get back?"


    "Two hours ago, they brought you back," Qin Genglong replied. "You¡¯re finally awake; I was worried sick just now. Hey, what did they do to you?"


    Upon hearing this, Ling Chen rubbed his temples, trying hard to recall what had happened earlier. However, after being injected with the anesthetic, he lost consciousness and didn¡¯t know anything, nor what the doctor had done to him.


    Just then, Ling Chen suddenly felt a swelling pain in his right calf. Lifting the sheet, Ling Chen rolled up his pant leg. Instantly, he saw a two-centimeter-long cut on his calf, already sewn up with stitches.


    What is this?


    Ling Chen frowned, touching the wound with his hand, and then pressed it gently. To his surprise, he felt a hard object inside the wound.


    Damn! Ling Chen cursed silently; what the hell did that guy do to me?


    "Old Qin, do you have something sharp that I can borrow?"


    Qin Genglong nced at Ling Chen¡¯s wound and shook his head, saying, "I¡¯d advise against it. They imnted a tracking chip in you to locate your position. If you take it out, they¡¯ll immediately find out and put another one back in, so it¡¯s not worth the effort."


    A tracking chip?


    Ling Chen¡¯s heart sank. With this, his whereabouts would be under Yu Peng¡¯s control.


    While thinking, Qin Genglong raised his right leg onto the bed¡¯s edge, then rolled up his pant leg, pointing to an already healed scar: "It¡¯s not just you; any prisoner who enters Yan City Prison gets a tracking chip imnted. So escaping from here is almost impossible. If you dare get close to the st doors, the prison¡¯s security staff will be alerted immediately."


    "What do we do, then? Can¡¯t it be taken out?"


    "It can be taken out, but it¡¯s very troublesome. As soon as there¡¯s any oversight, the prison staff will notice. There was once a prisoner in the prison who tried to remove the tracking chip, but as soon as he took it out, the security staff caught him and beat him up. I heard he was a technical criminal, and even he couldn¡¯t sessfully remove the chip. It¡¯s hopeless for us." At this point, Qin Genglong couldn¡¯t help but ask, "Ling Chen, didn¡¯t you say your friend outside is helping you? How long will it take to get you out?"


    Ling Chen shook his head and said, "I don¡¯t know."


    If it were a day ago, Ling Chen might have had a lot of confidence. However, since having a conversation with Yu Peng, Ling Chen really couldn¡¯t be sure anymore. In this damned ce with no contact with the outside world, if only he could reach Tang Yuan or Pang Jiulin, he could tell them his situation and have them think of a way to save him.


    Sigh!


    Thinking of this, Ling Chen sighed helplessly, not knowing what to do.


    ...


    Beijing.


    Lonely Wolf Headquarters.


    In the spacious and bright office, Pang Jiulin, Han Bing, Qiao Zhen, and He Ziyun sat on the sofa. All four of them looked a bit gloomy, not saying a word, and the brewed tea remained untouched and had already gone cold.


    "This is the situation," Qiao Zhen said, with a stern face, "There¡¯s no way for the higher-ups to help us, so we can only rely on our own strength to rescue Ling Chen."


    "But..." Pang Jiulin said with a bitter smile, "General, you said before that we must use legitimate means to rescue Ling Chen. Now the higher-ups won¡¯t approve, so what do we have to rescue him with?"


    He Ziyun spoke up, "Didn¡¯t Tang Yuan suggest a n before? I think it¡¯s a good idea; we can give it a try."


    "That thing is already in progress, but we can¡¯t be entirely sure; we¡¯ll just have to hope for the best. Even if it seeds, it¡¯ll take a long time. I¡¯m worried about Ling Chen¡¯s safety in Yan City Prison for that long," Pang Jiulin said.


    "Didn¡¯t you already talk to the Prison Director at Yan City Prison? With him looking after Ling Chen, there shouldn¡¯t be any issues. Besides, Ling Chen is very capable himself, so we don¡¯t need to worry about him. Let¡¯s focus our efforts elsewhere,"


    Just as He Ziyun finished speaking, Tang Yuan rushed into the office in a hurry, urgently saying, "General, Commander, Colonel Pang, there¡¯s been an incident."


    Han Bing scolded impatiently, "What happened to make you so flustered? You¡¯re a grown man and haven¡¯t learned anyposure. Speak clearly, what happened?"


    "There¡¯s been a problem in East Sea City. I just got the news that all the agents guarding Nanrong Yuan are dead. Besides Nanrong Yuan, even the little girl at the Martial Arts Academy is missing."


    "What?"


    Upon hearing this news, even the calm He Ziyun couldn¡¯t help but stand up, his expression changing drastically.


    "Do we know who did it?"


    "Not clear yet. I¡¯ve already sent people to Qingyun Martial Arts Hall to see if there are any traces at the scene. General, should I go to East Sea City?"


    "I¡¯ll go back with you." With that, He Ziyun started walking out of the office.


    Watching He Ziyun leave, Qiao Zhen opened his mouth, initially wanting to persuade He Ziyun. But considering how much this oldmander cared about the little girl, Qiao Zhen eventually chose to stay silent.


    "Tang Yuan, make sure to stick with themander and try to get the people back."


    "Yes, General."


    After He Ziyun and Tang Yuan left, Qiao Zhen pondered for a while, then turned to Pang Jiulin and said, "Jiulin, maybe you should make some time to visit Yan City Prison, meet with Ling Chen, and have him wait patiently there. Don¡¯t rush things; no matter what, we¡¯ll think of a way to get him out. Also, it¡¯s better to greet Yu Peng in person to avoid him not taking it seriously."


    "Understood, I¡¯ll go right away."


    Having received the General¡¯s instructions, Pang Jiulin didn¡¯t dare dy for a moment, immediately arranging for a vehicle and heading straight to Yan City Prison.

 Chapter 817 - 822: Times Have Changed

    <h4>Chapter 817: Chapter 822: Times Have Changed</h4>


    "What is this ce?"


    In the pitch-ck room, a middle-aged man got up from the floor, looked at his surroundings, and murmured to himself.


    "You¡¯re finally awake."


    At this moment, a child¡¯s voice came from the corner. The middle-aged man quickly turned his gaze towards the corner, and in the darkness, he faintly saw a small silhouette.


    "You are... you are Little Hua?" Thinking for a moment, the middle-aged man immediately recognized the other person¡¯s identity through the voice. He had been recovering at the Qingyun Martial Arts Hall for quite some time and had seen Little Hua often, so they weren¡¯t strangers.


    "Little Hua, how are you, are you alright?" Nanrong Yuan asked with concern. To him, Little Hua was just a child, and it was only right to show some concern.


    "I¡¯m alright for now, but I can¡¯t say the same forter. Hey! Do you know who brought us here?"


    "I was asleep at the time, so I don¡¯t know what happened outside, but..." Nanrong Yuan wanted to continue, but he suddenly realized that Little Hua was just a child, so why was he saying this to her.


    Just as Nanrong Yuan was specting who the culprit might be, the door of the room was opened from the outside, and a beam of light immediately illuminated the room. Upon seeing the surroundings, Nanrong Yuan¡¯s expression changed slightly, realizing he was being held inside a container, which exined theplete darkness.


    Recovering from his daze, Nanrong Yuan looked at the man walking in from outside and frowned, "Who are you, and why did you capture us?"


    The neer scrutinized Nanrong Yuan, suddenly grinned, and said with a cold smile, "Mr. Yun, it hasn¡¯t been long, and you¡¯ve already forgotten me?"


    Upon hearing the voice, Nanrong Yuan was taken aback, and incredulously said, "You... you¡¯re Zhu Hong!"


    "Yes, it¡¯s me." Zhu Hong smiled and walked right up to Nanrong Yuan, saying, "Surprised, aren¡¯t you? I¡¯m still alive. Unfortunately, while I¡¯m alive, this body is ruined, all thanks to you."


    "What does this have to do with me? You were severely injured in the explosion, burnt beyond recognition, with 90% of your body covered in burns. If I hadn¡¯t done my best to save you, you would¡¯ve been already dead."


    "Yes, you¡¯re right, you saved my life. But you overdosed my body with strengthening drugs, leaving itpletely ruined. Even if I wanted stic surgery, it¡¯s impossible now. From now on, I can only live behind this mask ¡ª isn¡¯t that your fault?"


    Nanrong Yuan defended, "If it weren¡¯t for the strengthening drug, you wouldn¡¯t havested. Zhu Hong, I¡¯ve always treated you as family, and it pains me to see you like this. But what¡¯s done is done, and I¡¯m powerless."


    At this point, Nanrong Yuan looked at the silver mask on Zhu Hong¡¯s face and asked, "Did you bring me here just for revenge?"


    "No! What you just said is right, what¡¯s done is done, and killing you won¡¯t change anything. I¡¯ve brought you here for coboration."


    "Coboration? What coboration? I have nothing left; how can I help you?"


    Zhu Hongughed sinisterly, "You still have one valuable thing that can help me ¡ª your life. I¡¯ve reached an agreement with the God Organization that if I bring them a traitor like you, they¡¯ll give me a chance to cooperate with them. I helped you back then, working tirelessly for you, and now it¡¯s your turn to repay me."


    "You want to coborate with the God Organization?" Nanrong Yuan¡¯s expression changed slightly, shaking his head, "No, absolutely not! Zhu Hong, don¡¯t cooperate with the God Organization, it¡¯ll ruin you. Trust me, there¡¯s no benefit in working with them."


    "Hmph! And weren¡¯t you the same back then, choosing to cooperate with them? What right do you have to preach to me now?"


    "Back then, I was seeking revenge and had no choice but to join forces with the God Organization. If there had been another path, I wouldn¡¯t have taken this road. Zhu Hong, I¡¯ve always seen you as family and wouldn¡¯t lie to you. Please listen to me, don¡¯t get involved with the God Organization."


    "Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s toote to say that? And besides, if you could cooperate with the God Organization for revenge, why can¡¯t I? I¡¯ll tell you this ¨C times have changed, and I now have the means to coborate with the God Organization. Even Lin Guodong has to be polite when speaking to me."


    Hearing this, Nanrong Yuan sighed, knowing Zhu Hong wouldn¡¯t listen, and decided not to persuade him further.


    "Alright, since you won¡¯t listen, there¡¯s nothing I can do. For the sake of our past rtionship, I hope you can do me a favor."


    "Speak."


    "I¡¯ll do whatever you ask, even if you want my life. I only ask you to let the little girl go; she¡¯s innocent."


    Zhu Hong squinted, nced at Little Hua curled up in the corner, and said mockingly, "I didn¡¯t expect you to be so kind-hearted, willing to trade your life for someone else¡¯s safety. Unfortunately, I can satisfy any request except this one. The little girl is someone Lin Guodong specifically named; I must deliver her to him." Pausing, Zhu Hong said meaningfully, "You were once a high-ranking member of the God Organization ¨C you should know the use of this little girl."


    "Zhu Hong, you..."


    "Enough!" Zhu Hong interrupted Nanrong Yuan impatiently, waving his hand, "No need to say more; I¡¯m not interested in wasting words with you. Someone, take them away."


    As soon as he finished speaking, Chu Huaiyang immediately approached with two subordinates.


    "Take these two to Lin Guodong; remember, don¡¯t mess this up," Zhu Hong instructed.


    "I understand." Chu Huaiyang nodded, then gestured for the two subordinates to take Nanrong Yuan and Little Hua away.


    ...


    Yan City Prison.


    Under the guidance of a security officer, Ling Chen was brought into a private visiting room.


    As soon as he entered, Pang Jiulin, wearing a suit, approached, grasping Ling Chen¡¯s shoulders with both hands andughing, "I finally get to see you."


    "Instructor Pang." Ling Chen smiled slightly and asked, "What brings you to the prison?"


    "The old General is concerned about you, so he sent me to check on you. How are you holding up, not too tough?"


    "Colonel Pang, what are you saying, as if I¡¯d dare treat Mr. Ling poorly? Rest assured, he eats well and lives well here, and when you see him next time, I¡¯ll have him plump and well-fed."


    Ling Chen¡¯s gaze shifted as he looked at Yu Peng sitting in the visiting room, frowning slightly, a sharp, cold glint shing in his eyes.

 Chapter 818 - 823: Delivering a Message

    <h4>Chapter 818: Chapter 823: Delivering a Message</h4>


    Pang Jiulin said with a smile, "Ling Chen, you should be familiar with the Prison Director of Yan City Prison. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ve already spoken to him. During this time, he will treat you well and won¡¯t let you suffer. You can rest assured and stay here until I and the old General handle things properly and then surely bring you out of here."


    Ling Chen nodded and turned to Yu Peng, "Can I have a word with Instructor Pang alone?"


    "This..." Yu Peng nced around, looking somewhat embarrassed as he said, "That¡¯s a bit against the rules, isn¡¯t it?"


    "Yu Peng, we¡¯re not strangers here. Can¡¯t you just make an exception?"


    Seeing that Pang Jiulin had spoken, Yu Peng smiled slightly, stood up, and said, "Don¡¯t mention it. Since Mr. Pang has already spoken, how dare I not listen? Alright, I¡¯ll give you ten minutes. I¡¯lle backter." Having said that, Yu Peng strode out. As he passed by Ling Chen, he paused for a moment and nced at Ling Chen with an intriguing smile, saying, "Mr. Ling, don¡¯t rush, speak slowly."


    Watching Yu Peng disappear at the door, Ling Chen and Pang Jiulin went over to the sofa and sat down. Ling Chen asked, "Instructor Pang, how confident are you about my situation?"


    "It¡¯s hard to say for now. Just rest assured, we¡¯ll find a way to get you out no matter what."


    Ling Chen¡¯s heart sank hearing this. He could easily discern the underlying meaning of Pang Jiulin¡¯s words, that they were notpletely confident in getting him out, thus using such words to cate him.


    "Instructor Pang, we¡¯re not outsiders here. Let¡¯s be frank, how confident are you in rescuing me?"


    "This..." Pang Jiulin hesitated for a moment and said, "Ling Chen, don¡¯t worry about this matter. Listen to me, stay here calmly and don¡¯t overthink it. Besides, your current identity is different; you kidnapped Yang He and are now a prisoner. Unless this identity is cleared, even if we manage to help you escape prison, you¡¯ll be a wanted criminal by the government. So, we need to find a legal way to rescue you."


    "Legal?" Ling Chen gave a bitter smile and shook his head, "Unless you can prove Yang He has connections with the God Organization to clear my name. But, you¡¯ve been quiet for so long, indicating this path isn¡¯t feasible. Moreover, the old General and Mr. He must have used their connections, yet no reaction from above, shows their influence is also ineffectual."


    "You have quite a clear view." Pang Jiulin said somewhat helplessly. Initially wanting to keep it hidden, he didn¡¯t expect Ling Chen had already figured everything out.


    "Although this situation is quite troublesome, don¡¯t give up easily. There¡¯s always hope. Moreover, there¡¯s one more thing..." Pang Jiulin opened his mouth, his eyes briefly showing hesitation. After a moment of pause, he waved his hand and said, "Never mind, it¡¯s nothing significant, a small matter, you don¡¯t need to know."


    Originally nning to tell Ling Chen about Nanrong Yuan¡¯s matter, he reconsidered and thought it unnecessary. Ling Chen is currently in prison, with his own problems unsolved, knowing more wouldn¡¯t help and would only increase worry.


    "By the way! Your big brother and others have arrived in Beijing a while ago. They intended to rescue you, but the oldmander advised against it, thinking it wouldn¡¯t help. The situation is alreadyplicated; their involvement would only make things messier."


    "Big brother and the others came too?"


    Ling Chen felt a wave of emotion upon hearing this. The Eight Strange People always share blessings and difficulties, standing united. The fact that Qiu Yong and others arrived in Beijing promptly showed how they valued this brotherhood.


    After thinking for a moment, Ling Chen spoke, "Instructor Pang, since my big brother is in Beijing, could you convey a message to them for me?"


    "No problem. What would you like me to convey?"


    "Tell my big brother that I¡¯m doing well and not to worry. Also, I miss third brother and n to be a yboy like him."


    "Just those words, nothing else?"


    "That¡¯s all. Instructor Pang, make sure to deliver my words to them urately."


    "Rest assured, I won¡¯t forget." Pang Jiulin got up and said, "It¡¯ste, I should go back. There¡¯s plenty for me to handle over at Lonely Wolf. Ling Chen, if you have any issues, you can tell Yu Peng to pass them on. I¡¯ve spoken to him; he¡¯ll help you convey them."


    "I know. Instructor Pang, if you have business to attend, go ahead."


    "Alright." Pang Jiulin patted Ling Chen¡¯s shoulder, looking at him with an encouraging gaze, "Where there¡¯s a will, there¡¯s a way. Don¡¯t worry, there¡¯ll always be a solution."


    As Pang Jiulin left, Yu Peng reentered, smilingly saying, "Mr. Ling, well done. You haven¡¯t disappointed me, you¡¯re indeed a man of loyalty and righteousness."


    Ling Chen said coolly, "May I return now?"


    "Of course, no problem." Saying so, Yu Peng smiled, making a gesture of ¡¯please¡¯.


    Returning to his cell, Ling Chen didn¡¯t wait long before seeing Qin Genglong brought back by two security personnel.


    "Old Qin, how are you, alright?" Ling Chen asked with concern.


    Earlier, upon knowing Pang Jiulin wanted to see him, Ling Chen was quite excited. However, Yu Peng suddenly had Qin Genglong seized, threatening him not to disclose Ling Chen¡¯s experiences in Yan City Prison to Pang Jiulin. Otherwise, Qin Genglong would surely die. To save Qin Genglong¡¯s life, Ling Chen had no choice but to hide the truth.


    "I¡¯m fine." Qin Genglong looked at Ling Chen with gratitude, saying sincerely, "Thank you!" He understood that Ling Chen didn¡¯t have to endure such grievance for his sake.


    Ling Chen smiled slightly, "No need to be polite. We¡¯re now brothers in hardship, helping each other is what we should do." Pausing for a moment, Ling Chen changed the topic, "Old Qin, do you know the president of Qingyang Society and the Sect Leader of Hongmen? I want to meet them."


    "What? Are you considering Tang Guolun¡¯s suggestion to conspire with them to escape?"


    Ling Chen shook his head and said, "It¡¯s too early to talk about that. Yu Peng warned me to be honest and not to stir trouble. If I¡¯m too conspicuous, he¡¯ll be suspicious. Old Qin, the best approach now is to find someone convenient to ry messages. If I personally meet with Qingyang Society and Hongmen¡¯s people, Yu Peng will surely notice."


    "That might be somewhat difficult." Qin Genglong thought for a while and said, "Tang Guolun might have a way. How about I go ask him for you?"


    "That¡¯s fine, such matters are inconvenient for me to handle myself, so I¡¯ll trouble you."


    "No problem."

 Chapter 819 - 824: The Death of Nanrong Yuan (Part 1)

    <h4>Chapter 819: Chapter 824: The Death of Nanrong Yuan (Part 1)</h4>


    East Sea City.


    Qingyun Martial Arts Hall.


    When He Ziyun and Tang Yuan arrived, they saw several bodies covered with white cloths in the spacious courtyard, and several Lonely Wolf agents were investigating the scene, collecting evidence and traces.


    "Major Tang."


    Seeing Tang Yuan approaching, an agent quickly came up to him and saluted.


    Tang Yuan nodded toward him, asking, "What¡¯s the situation? Tell us about it."


    "Seven people are dead, all killed with a single blow. Based on preliminary assessment, the assant is highly skilled, killing them before the guards could react. Moreover, we checked the scene and found no useful clues, and even the surveince cameras inside the room were previously destroyed."


    While speaking, He Ziyun, expressionless, walked to the bodies and uncovered the white cloths. Observing the wounds on the bodies, He Ziyun¡¯s pupils slightly narrowed, a sharp gleam shing through his eyes.


    "Tang Yuan."


    Hearing the old superior¡¯s call, Tang Yuan quickly approached He Ziyun, asking, "Old Superior, do you have any instructions?"


    "Tell your men to withdraw, no need to gather evidence."


    "Why?"


    "The killer is a master, and dealing with such a master is beyond your Lonely Wolf. Enough, don¡¯t ask more, I will handle this myself, you don¡¯t need to worry."


    The old superior had spoken, so how could Tang Yuan not obey? He immediately withdrew all personnel, also arranging for the bodies to be moved away.


    "Old Superior, do you think the murderer was targeting Nanrong Yuan or you?"


    He Ziyun shook his head and said, "It¡¯s still unclear for now. However, if they were targeting me, they would definitely contact me and use hostages to threaten me." With that, He Ziyun pondered for a moment and then said, "You go to Ling Chen¡¯s research base and ask Hu Fei if he has any clues. Hu Fei¡¯s intelligence system covers the entire East Sea City, maybe he can help find something valuable."


    "Okay, I¡¯ll head over immediately."


    Upon arriving at the research base, Hu Fei, who received prior notice, was already waiting outside. This was also Tang Yuan¡¯s first visit to Ling Chen¡¯s research base. Led by Hu Fei, Tang Yuan entered the base with curiosity.


    Looking at the advanced equipment and personnel inside the research base, Tang Yuan kept eximing, "Wow! I really didn¡¯t expect, in just a few months, that kid Tang Yuan managed to build such an empire."


    "It¡¯s all thanks to his old... cough! Thanks to the Secret Society¡¯s support."


    The fact that Ling Chen¡¯s father was the leader of the Secret Society was known to Hu Fei and others. Moreover, Ling Chen specifically instructed them not to mention this to outsiders to avoid unnecessary trouble. After all, the Secret Society, after operating for many years, also had quite a few enemies. If people knew about the connection between Ling Chen and Ling Kun, it might bring trouble to Ling Chen.


    Although Ling Chen wasn¡¯t afraid, it was best to avoid unnecessary issues. So, Hu Fei quickly changed his words, not revealing the rtionship between Ling Chen and Ling Kun. Actually, Hu Fei knew that Ling Chen and Tang Yuan had a special rtionship, but it¡¯s best for Ling Chen to say such things himself.


    "Fatty Hu, do you know about the incident at Qingyun Martial Arts Hall?"


    "I¡¯ve already received the news," Hu Fei nodded and said, "I heard the martial arts hall was attacked, and both Nanrong Yuan and Little Hua were kidnapped. Many people died." After saying that, Hu Fei looked at Tang Yuan and said, "Those who died were your people, right?"


    "Yes! They were agents responsible for guarding Nanrong Yuan, seven in total, all killed with no survivors left. The old superior told me that your intelligence system in East Sea City is quiteprehensive, so he sent me to ask if you have discovered anything."


    "If you¡¯re looking for clues from me, I have none; the matter at the martial arts hall only came to my attention after it happened. However, I have instructed my people to retrieve the surrounding surveince footage and the dashcam recordings of passing taxis to see if anythinges up."


    As they spoke, the two had arrived at the base¡¯s control center. Seeing the room filled with over a dozen screens, with more than ten staff members typing away atputers, searching for valuable clues.


    Hu Fei walked up behind one of the staff and asked, "What¡¯s the progress?"


    "Just got to ten percent."


    "It¡¯s been hours, and only ten percent?" Hu Fei said discontentedly, "Your efficiency is way too low." Finishing, Hu Fei shook his head helplessly and looked at Tang Yuan beside him, saying, "Can¡¯t help it, they¡¯re all amateurs; finding professional talent these days is really tough."


    With that, Hu Fei urged, "Hurry up, stop cking off, whoever finds a clue first will be handsomely rewarded."


    Upon hearing this, the staff present had no reaction at all. Everyone knew how stingy their technical supervisor was, with typical rewards only a few hundred bucks, which hardly motivated anyone.


    At this point, the phone in the control center rang. After picking up, a staff member immediately ran to Hu Fei, whispering a few words into his ear.


    Whatever was said, Hu Fei¡¯s face instantly turned grim.


    Noticing the change in Hu Fei¡¯s expression, Tang Yuan asked, "Fatty, what¡¯s wrong?"


    "They found Nanrong Yuan," Hu Fei said solemnly.


    "Really?" Tang Yuan was overjoyed, ready to celebrate but then saw Hu Fei¡¯s grave expression, realizing things might not be simple.


    "Fatty, Nanrong Yuan, he..."


    "He¡¯s dead!" Hu Fei replied, "What they found was his corpse."


    "What? Dead?" Tang Yuan was taken aback, never expecting such an oue.


    "Then... what about Little Hua?" Tang Yuan remembered the little girl taken with Nanrong Yuan and couldn¡¯t help worrying.


    "No sign of Little Hua¡¯s body at the moment; presumably, they only killed Nanrong Yuan. Come on, let¡¯s go over and take a look together."


    "Okay."


    Leaving the research base, Hu Fei and Tang Yuan drove to where Nanrong Yuan¡¯s body was found.


    It was at a harbor in East Sea City, and upon arrival, Hu Fei immediately recognized it as territory under the jurisdiction of the Hongyu Group. Both were aware of the rtionship between Nanrong Yuan and Nanrong Wanqing; does his death here carry a deeper meaning?


    Entering the harbor, Tang Yuan and Hu Fei quickly moved to the crowded area at the front. As they arrived, they looked up and saw a hoisting crane used for transporting goods, with a rope hanging down, tied to Nanrong Yuan¡¯s neck.


    Seeing the lifeless, scarred body of Nanrong Yuan, Tang Yuan immediately furrowed his brow. Judging by the state of the body, Nanrong Yuan likely endured inhuman torture before his death.

 Chapter 820 - 825: The Death of Nanrong Yuan (Part 2)

    <h4>Chapter 820: Chapter 825: The Death of Nanrong Yuan (Part 2)</h4>


    In less than half an hour, the reinforcements called by Tang Yuan arrived at the scene, sealing off the entire dock and then lowering Nanrong Yuan from the rope.


    Looking at Nanrong Yuan¡¯s corpse lying on the ground, Hu Fei said with a grim expression, "Those bastards are really ruthless."


    Tang Yuan squatted down and examined Nanrong Yuan¡¯s body, saying in a deep voice, "The wounds on his body are all new, and he has also been soaked in saltwater. However, that¡¯s not the main cause of his death." As he spoke, Tang Yuan turned Nanrong Yuan¡¯s body over, revealing his back covered with scars, each wound deep enough to expose bone.


    "What caused this?"


    "I¡¯m not sure. Whatever it was, Nanrong Yuan must have suffered brutal torture before his death. Only someone with deep hatred toward him could do something so inhumane."


    "Nanrong Yuan used to work for the God Organization, he probably has many enemies."


    "No!" Tang Yuan shook his head and said, "In the eyes of outsiders, Nanrong Yuan is already dead. It¡¯s impossible for anyone to know he¡¯s alive."


    "Could it be the God Organization?" Hu Fei voiced his suspicion, exining, "Nanrong Yuan was a traitor to the God Organization, and they never show mercy to traitors. Besides, the God Organization once sent people to kidnap that little girl from Qingyun Martial Arts Hall. Now, with Little Hua also missing, it¡¯s enough to show who¡¯s behind this."


    "Possibly." Saying this, Tang Yuan stood up and nced at several dock workers not far away, saying, "Let¡¯s go ask them. They work at the dock, maybe someone saw something."


    However, after questioning a few people, none of them knew anything. ording to the dock workers¡¯ descriptions, they were working when suddenly, in the blink of an eye, they found Nanrong Yuan¡¯s corpse hanging from the crane¡¯s boom, the whole process taking at most ten seconds. At the time of Nanrong Yuan¡¯s appearance, no one saw any outsiders enter the dock.


    "That¡¯s strange." Tang Yuan frowned, puzzled.


    "No need to think, it must be done by experts." Hu Fei said. He had been following Ling Chen for a long time and was well acquainted with martial arts experts; there were several Earthly List masters at their base.


    "Brother Hu! Brother Tang!"


    In the middle of the conversation, a voice came from not far away. Hu Fei and Tang Yuan turned to see Nanrong Hao in thepany of a field staff member, walking quickly towards them.


    "Haozi?" Hu Fei was taken aback, asking, "Why are you here?" As soon as he spoke, Hu Fei realized he asked too much. This dock was the asset of Hongyu Group, and with a corpse discovered here, the people from Hongyu Group were bound toe and figure things out.


    "Mr. Nanrong." Tang Yuan took a step forward, blocking Nanrong Hao¡¯s view with his body to prevent him from seeing Nanrong Yuan¡¯s corpse. At the same time, Tang Yuan gave Hu Fei a knowing nce, which he immediately understood, quicklying to the corpse to cover it with a white cloth.


    Nanrong Yuan was Nanrong Hao¡¯s biological father. With his father dead, letting Nanrong Hao know would be a shock. Though Nanrong Yuan left when Nanrong Hao was very young, and he had never met his father, Nanrong Hao definitely saw photos of Nanrong Yuan and knew what he looked like. If he saw the corpse, he would recognize Nanrong Yuan¡¯s identity at once.


    At the moment, it¡¯s best not to let Nanrong Hao know.


    "Brother Tang, I heard someone died here. I happened to be on my way to thepany, so I came to have a look. Have you figured out who the deceased is?"


    "Don¡¯t worry, it¡¯s not a dock worker, probably someone who couldn¡¯t think straight andmitted suicide here. Mr. Nanrong, we will handle it properly, it won¡¯t affect Hongyu Group, rest assured."


    Upon hearing this, Nanrong Hao nodded and said, "Alright. In that case, I won¡¯t disturb your work. I have some matters at thepany; I¡¯ll excuse myself." After saying this, Nanrong Hao looked at Hu Fei and waved his hand, saying, "Brother Hu, I¡¯m leaving. You... eh! By the way, Brother Hu, why aren¡¯t you staying at the base but running over here?"


    "I..." Hu Fei opened his mouth but couldn¡¯t find an excuse to evade.


    Nanrong Hao looked at Hu Fei with curiosity. He was in the same group as Hu Fei and knew him well. If it weren¡¯t for something important, Hu Fei wouldn¡¯t easily make a move.


    Thinking of this, Nanrong Hao couldn¡¯t help but cast his gaze at the corpse covered by the white cloth. Then, he looked at the crane¡¯s boom and said, "Brother Tang, the crane¡¯s boom is over twenty meters high. Who would randomly go up there tomit suicide? That doesn¡¯t seem right; are you just brushing me off?"


    After speaking, Nanrong Hao pointed at the corpse under the white cloth and asked, "Who is the deceased? Has their identity been identified?"


    Seeing Nanrong Hao seeing through his words, Tang Yuan had no choice but to say, "Mr. Nanrong, my apologies, the deceased¡¯s identity is quite secretive. They are a witness we are protecting and cannot be disclosed to the public for now."


    "Then why can Brother Hu know, but I can¡¯t? Aren¡¯t I on the same side as Brother Hu?" Nanrong Hao felt something was off. He was quite a figure at the base and was usually not kept in the dark about anything. On the contrary, Hu Fei sometimes consulted him on important matters.


    Now, Hu Fei knew something was being kept from him, which made Nanrong Hao not only curious but also puzzled.


    "Mr. Nanrong..."


    Tang Yuan was about to speak, but before he could finish, Nanrong Hao was already walking towards the corpse.


    "Haozi, don¡¯t!"


    Hu Fei, fearing Nanrong Hao discovered the deceased¡¯s identity, quickly used his body to block him, saying, "This person has nothing to do with you, nothing to see. Come on, don¡¯t waste your time here, go ahead and do your work."


    "Brother Hu, it¡¯s just a dead person, what¡¯s wrong with taking a look?" Nanrong Hao said unhappily, "If Ling Chen were here, he definitely wouldn¡¯t hide it from me."


    Helplessly, Hu Fei said, "Don¡¯t bring Ling Chen to pressure me. Didn¡¯t Elder Tang just say that this person¡¯s identity is confidential and can¡¯t be revealed to too many people? Anyway, this matter doesn¡¯t concern you, so don¡¯t get involved."


    "I..."


    BANG!


    Just as Nanrong Hao spoke, a sudden gunshot rang in everyone¡¯s ears.


    Upon hearing the gunshot, Tang Yuan¡¯s face changed immediately, he quickly shouted, "Take cover!"


    Hu Fei didn¡¯t think twice and immediately pulled Nanrong Hao down to the ground.


    "You guys, guard the scene well; the rest follow me." Tang Yuan rapidly issued orders.


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 Chapter 821 - 826: He Is Your Father

    <h4>Chapter 821: Chapter 826: He Is Your Father</h4>


    As field operatives of the Lonely Wolf, they are all specially trained talent. Upon hearing Tang Yuan¡¯s orders, everyone immediately responded. Apart from leaving four field operatives to protect Hu Fei and Nanrong Hao, the others quickly followed Tang Yuan toward the direction of the gunfire.


    When the group arrived, they only saw a field operative lying on the ground, with a pistol and an empty shell scattered next to him.


    Tang Yuan nced over and noticed a new wound on the operative¡¯s neck, with blood flowing endlessly. His eyes were wide open, clearly indicating that he had died.


    "Search for me, the killer must still be nearby," Tang Yuan said in a deep voice.


    "Yes."


    Watching the team members disperse, Tang Yuan did not leave directly but instead checked the surroundings. Suddenly, he noticed a container not far away was half-open. Immediately, Tang Yuan walked to the container and cautiously pushed the door open. Instantly, a pungent smell of blood wafted out from inside.


    When both doors of the container were fully opened, light from outside illuminated the dim container.


    ncing around, he saw the floor of the container was covered with bloodstains, and a rope hung from the top, stained red with blood. Nearby, there was a table with various torture instruments arranged.


    Thinking of the scars on Nanrong Yuan¡¯s wrists, Tang Yuan immediately concluded that this was where Nanrong Yuan had been tortured. By just looking at the bloodstains on the ground, one could imagine the immense suffering Nanrong Yuan experienced at that time.


    After examining the situation inside the container and finding no valuable clues, Tang Yuan turned and left. Just as he stepped out, he heard a distress call from his subordinates over the radio: "Enemy spotted to the east, I repeat, enemy spotted to the east, everyone... ah!"


    Before the words were even finished, a scream reced the voice.


    Tang Yuan¡¯s face darkened, and he quickly took out the radio, saying, "Everyone, head to the east immediately." Saying this, he quickened his pace and rushed toward the east side of the dock.


    Soon, a figure appeared in Tang Yuan¡¯s sight. The figure seemed to be carrying someone, leaping swiftly over the top of the containers, disappearing several meters away in the blink of an eye.


    "Stop!" Tang Yuan yelled, agilely climbing to the top of the container and reaching for his waist, preparing to draw his gun and aim.


    However, before Tang Yuan could draw his pistol, the man fleeing ahead suddenly turned his head, his wrist flicked, and a piercing sound of air instantly approached. Driven by years of experience and sensing extreme danger, Tang Yuan instinctively rolled to the ground.


    ng! ng!


    The sound of two sharp clinks was heard, and when Tang Yuan turned back to look, he saw two small daggers pinned to the spot where he had just stood. Had he not reacted quickly, those daggers might have pierced his body.


    That was close! Tang Yuan wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, secretly feeling lucky.


    At this moment, when he looked back at the man, the figure had already vanished, with no clue of where he had gone.


    On the other side of the dock, Hu Fei and Nanrong Hao were lying on the ground under the protection of several field operatives, waiting for the crisis to be resolved.


    At this moment, lying on the ground, Nanrong Hao nced around, finally locking his eyes on the corpse less than two meters away. However, since the body was covered with a white cloth, he couldn¡¯t see the face clearly, only the general outline of the body.


    Suddenly, a sea breeze carrying the smell of the ocean blew by, gently lifting a corner of the white cloth. From Nanrong Hao¡¯s perspective, he just happened to see half of the face of the corpse.


    This person... seems familiar?


    After a brief nce, doubts filled Nanrong Hao¡¯s mind. He was certain that, even with just half a face visible, the body gave him an inexplicably familiar feeling.


    I definitely know the deceased!


    For some reason, a strong sense of certainty filled Nanrong Hao¡¯s heart. The more he felt this way, the more he wanted to uncover the identity of the deceased. After hesitating for a moment, Nanrong Hao nced at Hu Fei beside him, abruptly got up from the ground, and dashed towards the corpse.


    "Haozi!"


    Hu Fei was startled, but unfortunately, by the time he reacted, it was already toote. Nanrong Hao had already rushed close to the corpse and lifted the white cloth with his hand.


    Staring at the corpse lying on the ground, Nanrong Hao¡¯s pupils contracted instantly, showing apletely dazed expression, with no light in his eyes, utterly stupefied.


    "Haozi, Haozi!"


    Hu Fei hastily arrived at Nanrong Hao¡¯s side, snatched the white cloth from his hands, covered the corpse again, and then pulled Nanrong Hao aside.


    Throughout, Nanrong Hao did not show any resistance, staring nkly, as if he had lost his senses, with his face somewhat pale.


    "Hu... Hu, I... have I... have I seen it wrong?" Nanrong Hao parted his lips, murmuring, "That person... why do they look like my... father?"


    Hu Fei reassured, "You¡¯re overthinking it, that isn¡¯t your father at all. Many people in the world look alike; maybe they just look simr, don¡¯t worry about it."


    "No, it¡¯s impossible, no one could look that much alike." As he spoke, Nanrong Hao seemed to go crazy, shaking off Hu Fei, and took big steps toward the corpse.


    "Haozi, what are you doing,e back!"


    Fearing that Nanrong Hao would be further agitated, Hu Fei quickly grabbed his arm, refusing to let go.


    "Hu, let me go. Since you say he¡¯s not my father, then let me see clearly," Nanrong Hao shouted with red eyes.


    With a body full of fat, Hu Fei was no match for the martial-trained Nanrong Hao. With a slight exertion, Nanrong Hao immediately shook off Hu Fei¡¯s hands. Seeing this, Hu Fei promptly yelled at the field operatives, "What are you standing there for, stop him now."


    Upon hearing Hu Fei¡¯s shout, the field operatives dared not dy, quickly catching up with Nanrong Hao, holding his shoulders and pinning him to the ground. Despite struggling desperately, Nanrong Hao could not move under thebined effort of two people.


    After struggling for a while, Nanrong Hao seemed to lose all strength, going limp on the ground, his eyes fixed on the corpse, eyes full of redness.


    "Sigh!" Hu Fei sighed helplessly, walking to Nanrong Hao¡¯s side and said, "Haozi, stop looking, let me take you back."


    Nanrong Hao shook his head, looking up at Hu Fei¡¯s eyes, and said word by word, "Hu, tell me the truth, who is that person, is he my father or not?"


    "He¡¯s not..."


    Hu Fei was about to deny it, but feeling the pain and hope in Nanrong Hao¡¯s gaze, Hu Fei relented, softly nodding, "At this point, I won¡¯t hide it from you anymore. Indeed, he is Nanrong Yuan, your father who has been missing for years."


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 Chapter 822 - 827: I Want Revenge

    <h4>Chapter 822: Chapter 827: I Want Revenge</h4>


    "Dad... he really is my dad..." After receiving confirmation from Hu Fei, Nanrong Hao¡¯s face turned pale in an instant, mumbling to himself with a look of deep sorrow.


    "Haozi, death is irretrievable, don¡¯t be too sad." Hu Fei sighed, not knowing how tofort Nanrong Hao.


    "Let me go."


    Upon hearing this, the two field personnel cast their eyes toward Hu Fei. Seeing thetter nod in approval, they immediately withdrew their hands from Nanrong Hao¡¯s shoulders. After they left, Nanrong Hao stood up on his own, his body weak, staggering toward Nanrong Yuan¡¯s corpse before falling to his knees with a thud.


    "Dad!"


    After a long time, Nanrong Hao let out a hoarse scream as if releasing all the pent-up emotions in his heart at that moment.


    Watching Nanrong Hao weep uncontrobly over the body, Hu Fei sighed softly and stood quietly by the side without offering words offort. He had spent a fair amount of time with Nanrong Hao and knew a bit about his situation. Hu Fei was aware that when Nanrong Hao was born, his parents had left home and hadn¡¯t returned for over twenty years.


    Nanrong Hao grew up never having called ¡¯Mom and Dad¡¯ ¡ª something ordinary for others was a luxury for him.


    Now, though he finally uttered ¡¯Dad¡¯, satisfying a lifelong regret, the pity was that Nanrong Yuan had passed away, and he could never feel the presence of fatherly love.


    At that moment, Tang Yuan returned with his men. Seeing the tearful Nanrong Hao, Tang Yuan was slightly taken aback, looking at Hu Fei with confusion, unsure of what had transpired.


    Hu Fei perfectly understood Tang Yuan¡¯s intentions. At first, neither wanted Nanrong Hao to know about Nanrong Yuan¡¯s identity. But, just now, Hu Fei suddenly realized something important. Concealing Nanrong Yuan¡¯s death would undoubtedly be cruel to Nanrong Hao.


    As a son, not being able to fulfill filial duties in life shouldn¡¯t mean depriving him of the right to do so after death. Throughout history, filial pietyes first. Since Nanrong Yuan hadn¡¯t been around his children in life, having his son send him off after death somewhatpensated for regrets.


    Half an hourter, perhaps tired from crying or overwhelmed by emotions and shock, Nanrong Hao fell to the ground unconscious.


    Hu Fei said helplessly, "First, find someone to take him back to the base, and also have Nanrong Yuan¡¯s body ced at the base."


    Tang Yuan nodded and said, "That¡¯s the only thing we can do now." Pausing, Tang Yuan continued, "I just saw Little Hua being taken away by someone. This person is very skilled, and I couldn¡¯t catch up."


    "Forget it! This matter won¡¯t be settled quickly anyway. I¡¯ll check when I return; as long as those guys are still in East Sea City, they¡¯ll have to show themselves sooner orter."


    ...


    Waking up, Nanrong Hao sat up groggily, uncertain how much time had passed, looking at the surrounding environment.


    "Awake?" A voice came through, and Nanrong Hao turned his head to find Hu Fei walking over with a cup of water, handing it to him.


    Taking the cup, Nanrong Hao nkly stared at the tea inside, motionless, clearly exhibiting sorrow in his eyes. Seeing his grief-stricken appearance, Hu Fei patted his shoulder andforted, "I know this incident has dealt a heavy blow to you, but remember, you¡¯re a man of the Nanrong Family. Your father is gone, but the future of the Nanrong Family relies on you to uphold it. A man can shed tears but cannot despair nor show weakness."


    "Hu," Nanrong Hao raised his head and asked Hu Fei, "How did my father die?"


    "Based on our investigation, he suffered abuse and torture before death, likely due to revenge from past enemies. Haozi, you might not know much about your father¡¯s matters; I don¡¯t want to say too much now. In short, I hope you¡¯ll do me a favor ¡ª don¡¯t tell your sister about your father¡¯s matter for now. Whatever the case, wait until Ling Chenes back to deal with it."


    Nanrong Hao understood Hu Fei¡¯s implication ¡ª if Sister found out, she¡¯d likely be hit harder than himself.


    "Hu, about my dad¡¯s body..."


    "Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ve arranged everything. His body will stay in a crystal coffin without issues. Haozi, stay at the base for these two days; don¡¯t go back. If your sister sees you like this, she might overthink."


    "I understand." With that, Nanrong Hao asked, "Hu, any progress on the killer?"


    "Not at the moment. I¡¯ve ordered my men to gather clues. If you have any ideas?"


    Nanrong Hao clenched the teacup in his hand and said through gritted teeth, "An eye for an eye, blood for blood. They¡¯ve killed my father, and as his son, I can¡¯t just do nothing."


    "I understand your feelings; revenge is natural. However, you must heed my words and not act impulsively to avoid failure or risking your own life ¡ª do you get it?"


    Nanrong Hao nodded firmly, saying, "Rest assured, Hu ¡ª as long as I can avenge him, I¡¯ll listen to whatever you say."


    "That¡¯s best. Rest well; I have other matters to attend to, and I¡¯ll check on youter." Finishing, Hu Fei left the room.


    Upon reaching the control center of the base, Tang Yuan was seen standing before over a dozen surveince monitors, repeatedly watching the disyed footage, hoping to find useful clues.


    "How¡¯s it going, any discoveries?"


    Hearing Hu Fei¡¯s voice, Tang Yuan spoke to a staff member beside him. Thetter immediately understood and quickly disyed an image on the screen.


    Hu Fei looked carefully at the very blurry image, apparently taken from surveince footage. Because it was night and the camera was distant, the rity was less than ideal.


    Nheless, upon careful inspection, the number of people in the image could be discerned ¡ª four males in total.


    "I investigated the docks; recent surveince footage was destroyed and deleted, and the data can¡¯t be recovered. This image was found from a surveince camera several meters from the docks, and it¡¯s the only photo showing suspects."


    "The photo is too blurry; nothing is clear." With that, Hu Fei moved to theputer, opened a photo restoration software, and imported the picture into the software.


    After more than ten minutes of effort, the blurry image gradually grew clearer. Although still somewhat vague, the faces¡¯ outlines became distinguishable.


    Upon seeing the silvery mask in the picture, Hu Fei¡¯s eyes immediately lit up.


    "It¡¯s Zhu Hong!"

 Chapter 823 - 828: Challenging the School

    <h4>Chapter 823: Chapter 828: Challenging the School</h4>


    Tang Yuan leaned close to Hu Fei, looking at the processed images, and asked, "One of them is Zhu Hong, who are the other three?"


    "Ling Chen mentioned these people to me before; the other ones should be Chu Huaiyang, Song Mingzhe, as for thest one..." Hu Fei thought for a moment, suddenly a sh of insight crossed his mind, "I know who it is, it¡¯s gotta be Chen Quan. Ling Chen said Zhu Hong has a master named Chen Quan, who¡¯sing to East Sea City, and told me to watch out for him. Zhu Hong, Chen Quan, Chu Huaiyang, Song Mingzhe, I¡¯m sure it¡¯s these four."


    "So, it¡¯s them who kidnapped Nanrong Yuan and Little Hua?"


    "They showed up at the dock in the middle of the night, could that be a coincidence?" Hu Fei said, "I¡¯ll add more men to search for them thoroughly. You¡¯re a government agent, it¡¯s best if you can use government resources to seal the airport, train station, and all entrance roads to East Sea City. By all means, we can¡¯t let them escape East Sea City."


    "Alright, I¡¯ll contact the local government immediately for their cooperation." With that, Tang Yuan took out his phone, walked to the side, and dialed a number.


    ...


    Yan City Prison.


    Ling Chen sat in the cell, leaning against the wall, eyes slightly closed, quietly waiting for any news.


    Not long after, Qin Genglong was escorted in by the prison guards. Hearing the footsteps, Ling Chen opened his eyes, looked at Qin Genglong, and asked, "Well? Any news?"


    Qin Genglong shook his head, his face filled with frustration, "I¡¯ve conveyed your intentions, but the Qingyang Society and Hongmen replied, saying no matter what you want to do, they¡¯re not interested in participating."


    Upon hearing this, Ling Chen couldn¡¯t help but smile, "Is it because I rejected their invitation that day, so they find me unpleasant?"


    "Probably so. Ling Chen, since they¡¯re unwilling to associate with you, what are you going to do?"


    "Simple. We¡¯re all martial artists, so we¡¯ll do things ording to the rules." With that, Ling Chen stretchedzily on the bed, "Old Qin, don¡¯t think too much. Just rest and build your strength, you¡¯ll need it soon."


    Two days passed swiftly.


    During these days, Ling Chen stayed obediently in prison, following orders and rules, causing no trouble and avoiding giving Yu Peng a chance to make a mess. After a few days of rest, his injuries were mostly healed. As for Qin Genglong, it¡¯s needless to say. Qin Genglong primarily practices Cross Training, which strengthens the body the higher the level, so his external injuries didn¡¯t bother him much and healed within a day or two.


    ng! ng!


    Early in the morning, guards knocked on the cell door with batons, indicating that it was time for yard time.


    Leaving the cell, Ling Chen and Qin Genglong went to the yard for some free activities. After a moment, Ling Chen gave Qin Genglong a signal, and thetter understood, immediately leading Ling Chen to the other side of the yard. Reaching the fence edge, Qin Genglong pointed at a guarded iron gate not far away, "That¡¯s it."


    Ling Chen nodded, without another word, and walked straight toward the iron gate.


    At the entrance, a muscr man in a tight tank top blocked Ling Chen with his hand, speaking harshly, "This is private property, get lost!"


    "I¡¯m here to see your boss, ry for me that Ling Chen has business with him."


    "You¡¯re Ling Chen?" The man looked Ling Chen up and down, impatiently waved his hand, "Our boss already said anyone can see him, except you. If you know what¡¯s good for you, leave before causing trouble." Saying this, the man extended his right hand, trying to shove Ling Chen away.


    Seeing the right hand approaching, Ling Chen raised an eyebrow, swiftly grabbed the man¡¯s wrist, and with a sharp twist, the man, weighing over a hundred pounds, immediately fell to the ground, groaning in pain, his forehead scraped and bleeding.


    "Ling Chen!" The man yelled angrily, "You dare provoke Hongmen, I see you must be tired of living." With that, he raised his arm, swinging his fist directly towards Ling Chen¡¯s face.


    "Off you go."


    The fist hadn¡¯t touched Ling Chen when Qin Genglong blocked it. Without giving the man a chance to counter, Qin Genglong swung his fist, knocking the man down directly.


    ncing at the unconscious man, Ling Chen smiled faintly, then pushed open the iron gate and walked in.


    Simr to the Metropolitan¡¯s territory, Hongmen also has an independent activity area. However, unlike Metropolitan, Hongmen¡¯s area leans more towards a Martial Arts Academy style, with the floor covered in solid wood and surrounded by screens with weapons racks beside them, fully equipped with swords, guns, axes, everything.


    Currently, over ten men in white martial arts uniforms stood in the middle of the wooden floor in pairs, practicing their skills, with two middle-aged men nearby offering guidance.


    Seeing Ling Chen and Qin Genglonging, the two middle-aged men immediately called the practitioners to stop, then led them to approach Ling Chen, coldly asking, "Who are you, don¡¯t you know Hongmen¡¯s rules?"


    Ling Chen chuckled nonchntly, "I know your rules, that¡¯s why I came uninvited." Pausing, Ling Chen continued, "I heard Hongmen values rules the most, and is quite strict, so I came to learn how skilled Hongmen experts truly are."


    Hearing this, the faces of the two middle-aged men changed, sternly saying, "Do you want to challenge us?"


    "Exactly. What, does Hongmen not have the courage?"


    One middle-aged man sized up Ling Chen, then nced at Qin Genglong beside him, "I know him. Heard Qin Genglong has been close to someely, if I¡¯m not mistaken, you¡¯re the one who defeated Luo Haicheng."


    "It¡¯s me!"


    "Ling Chen, you have quite the nerve toe to our Hongmen¡¯s territory to challenge. Do you really think just the two of you can beat our Hongmen experts?"


    Ling Chen shrugged, "You¡¯ll know if you try. I¡¯m here to challenge, not to waste words with you. If you¡¯re not afraid, bring out your Hongmen experts."


    "Hmph! Ling Chen, you¡¯re too audacious, do you really think Hongmen iscking people? Fine, since you want to challenge us, we¡¯ll grant you, as long as you don¡¯t end up crying and begging for mercy."


    With that, one middle-aged man quickly headed inside.


    Not long after, an old man slowly walked out, surrounded by several middle-aged men. The old man, around sixty years old with grey hair, a goatee, a lean face, wearing loose traditional clothing, walked with vigor.


    Seeing the old man, Ling Chen squinted his eyes, a sharp gleam shed from his pupils.

 Chapter 824 - 829: Hongmen Master (1)

    <h4>Chapter 824: Chapter 829: Hongmen Master (1)</h4>


    Wu Zhaofeng.


    Hongmen Master!


    Looking at the spirited old man, Ling Chen immediately recognized the other¡¯s identity. Beforeing, Ling Chen had already learned about the Hongmen Master from Qin Genglong.


    Wu Zhaofeng walked to the front of the crowd, looking Ling Chen up and down, and said indifferently: "A few days ago, I heard that a young man defeated Luo Haicheng. I didn¡¯t really believe it. Although Luo Haicheng¡¯s strength isn¡¯t very formidable, he¡¯s still passable. For you to defeat him at such a young age shows that you have some skill. However, having skill is one thing, but youck judgment. To dare toe onto my Hongmen¡¯s territory and cause trouble, do you really think no one in Hongmen can handle you? Young man, let me give you a piece of advice: Confidence is good, but too much confidence is arrogance and will eventually be your downfall."


    Ling Chen slightly curled his lips in a smile, maintaining his expression, and said: "Mr. Wu is right. However, staying in this prison is too boring, so I wanted to find something to do. We¡¯re all martial artists here, and it would be best if we could spar in martial arts. Unfortunately, Mr. Wu¡¯s standards are too high to consider me worth noticing. I originally wanted to pay a visit, but you refused me. Since that¡¯s the case, I could onlye in this way."


    As he said this, Ling Chen paused, then continued: "Mr. Wu, I¡¯ve heard of Hongmen¡¯s reputation. It¡¯s a long-established force in the Martial Arts world. This visit to Yan City Prison was unexpected, but to encounter Hongmen is a delightful surprise. It¡¯s just that..."


    "Just what? Speak inly and don¡¯t hem and haw." Wu Zhaofeng said coldly.


    Ling Chen grinned: "I¡¯m just not sure whether Mr. Wu truly has the credentials to uphold the name of ¡¯Hongmen¡¯."


    Upon hearing this, Wu Zhaofeng¡¯s old face darkened, and he eyed Ling Chen gloomily, saying coldly: "You mean... I¡¯m not worthy of the ¡¯Hongmen¡¯ title?"


    "I can¡¯t say just yet, but after we cross hands, we¡¯ll see if you¡¯re worthy or not. Mr. Wu, would you care to instruct me?" Ling Chen raised his hand with a ¡¯please¡¯ gesture.


    "Humph!" Wu Zhaofeng disdainfully averted his gaze, saying, "I am the Master of Hongmen. What right do you, a junior, have to challenge me? Hongmen is all about rules. ording to the rules of the Martial Arts world, youe to challenge, and I am obliged to respond. Likewise, if you wish to challenge me, you must first defeat my disciples as per the rules, to qualify as my opponent. If you can¡¯t, then you¡¯d better leave here quickly and stop disgracing yourself on my Hongmen¡¯s turf."


    "Old Man Wu, aren¡¯t you being a bit overbearing, pitting one against dozens of yours, there¡¯s no fairness in that." Qin Genglong said discontentedly.


    "He¡¯s the one challenging, I¡¯m not forcing him. If hecks the guts, he should stop ying the hero in front of me." Wu Zhaofeng said with arms behind his back, ncing sideways at the ceiling as if waiting for Ling Chen¡¯s decision.


    Under everyone¡¯s gaze, Ling Chen smiled, fearless, and said: "Since I dared to challenge, I¡¯m naturally brave enough to keep going. But Mr. Wu, don¡¯t me me for not warning you in advance. You can go by your rules, but I won¡¯t hold back. If your subordinates get hurtter, don¡¯t me me for being ruthless."


    Wu Zhaofeng sneered: "Is that a threat?"


    "Don¡¯t joke, how would I dare threaten you? Just a friendly reminder. If you¡¯re concerned about your men, you might as well ept my challenge."


    "Dream on!" Wu Zhaofeng waved his hand, lightlymanding: "If you want to challenge me, let¡¯s see if you have the skill." With a pause, Wu Zhaofeng turned his words: "Ling Chen, don¡¯t say I didn¡¯t warn you. My men won¡¯t show any mercy, so you¡¯d better take care of yourself and not end up leaving your life here."


    "If that¡¯s the case, then it¡¯s simply myck of skill." With that, Ling Chen gestured to Qin Genglong, signaling him to step back.


    Subsequently, Ling Chen casually walked to the center of the arena. Looking at the row of standing Hongmen members, he sped his hands with a smile and said: "Gentlemen, please grant me your guidance!"


    "Go, kill him!"


    At themand, more than a dozen men in the front row rushed up, surrounding Ling Chen. Immediately, one of the middle-aged men stepped forward, pressuring Ling Chen, both of his palms aiming straight for Ling Chen¡¯s chest.


    Seeing the middle-aged man make a move, Ling Chen dared not to be careless. Earlier, when Wu Zhaofeng showed up, he had already taken notice. Two middle-aged men were with Wu Zhaofeng, their expressions stern, their presence steady, their eyes revealing a sharp glint¡ªclearly not ordinary experts.


    At this moment, Wu Zhaofeng had only dispatched one of them, likely to gauge Ling Chen¡¯s abilities.


    With a quick turn of thought, Ling Chen¡¯s foot slid, instantly executing the Nine Yang Qiankun Step. In an instant, the middle-aged man felt only a blur as Ling Chen disappeared before his eyes.


    Simultaneously, cries of pain echoed around him. The middle-aged man turned to see that of the more than ten men who had joined the fray, nearly half were down, faces pale, moaning incessantly. Judging by this, they were mostly incapacitated.


    Seeing this scene, both Wu Zhaofeng and the other middle-aged man¡¯s expressions turned a bit grim. Especially Wu Zhaofeng, who was closely observing Ling Chen¡¯s movement technique, trying to follow his steps. However, believing himself capable by virtue of his strength and experience to urately anticipate Ling Chen¡¯s movement technique, after several attempts, he found it was no simple task.


    Ling Chen¡¯s footwork was unpredictable; suddenly left, then right, sometimes fast, then slow, without finding any pattern within it.


    For a moment, Wu Zhaofeng¡¯s gaze grew increasingly serious.


    Watching more and more subordinates fall to the ground, Wu Zhaofeng could no longer hold his patience, saying to the middle-aged man beside him: "Go help, be sure to watch out for his movement technique."


    The middle-aged man nodded, said nothing more, tapped lightly with his toes, and instantly sped up, joining the fray.


    By this time, Ling Chen had already dealt with Hongmen¡¯s small fry that had been sent out, leaving only two middle-aged men in the arena.


    Two Earthly List experts!


    Ling Chen¡¯s lips curled slightly, his eyes sweeping over the opponent, Mo Che-like pupils revealing a sharp edge.


    Although Ling Chen had often fought with experts before, facing off against two Earthly List experts at the same time was a first. As he pondered, the two middle-aged men exchanged nces, then stepped to the side of the weapon rack, drawing a steel saber and a long spear from it.


    Having chosen their weapons, one middle-aged man pointed to the weapon rack and said: "You can choose the weapon you¡¯re best at, don¡¯t me us for bullying youter."


    "Can I use weapons?" Ling Chen¡¯s eyes brightened, and the smile on his face grew even more radiant.

 Chapter 825 - 830: Hongmen Master (Part 2)

    <h4>Chapter 825: Chapter 830: Hongmen Master (Part 2)</h4>


    Seeing Ling Chen¡¯s meaningful smile, for some reason, the two middle-aged men felt choosing weapons for the duel might have been a mistake.


    Walking to the weapon rack, Ling Chen nced briefly, then took down a longbow, secured the quiver on his back, and moved to the center of the arena.


    A bow and arrows?


    Faced with Ling Chen¡¯s choice of weapon, not only were the two middle-aged men confused, but even Wu Zhaofeng was puzzled. In duels among masters, one would choose conventional weapons like swords, spears, and staffs; who would choose a bow and arrows? Across the current Martial Arts world, bows and arrows have almost been discarded.


    After all, the existence of bows and arrows primarily served ancient warfare as ranged weapons; now with guns and cannons invented, few would use bows and arrows.


    "Ling Chen, are you sure you¡¯ve made your choice?" a middle-aged man asked.


    Ling Chen nodded with a smile, saying, "This will do. Gentlemen, time is precious, let¡¯s not waste it and start quickly." With that said, Ling Chen¡¯s gaze passed over the two middle-aged men and looked at Wu Zhaofeng behind them, saying, "Mr. Wu, you¡¯re quite aged, you¡¯d better warm up first, it will soon be your turn."


    Wu Zhaofeng snorted coldly, "Defeat those two first, then we¡¯ll talk."


    "Alright." As he spoke, Ling Chen pulled an arrow from the quiver, ced it on the longbow, the arrowhead pointed downwards, with sharp eyes fixed on the two middle-aged men.


    "Go!"


    With a low shout, the two middle-aged men rushed swiftly from left and right. In the blink of an eye, they closed in on Ling Chen, spear leading the way, steel knife following, both weapons exuding a fierce killing intent.


    Ling Chen¡¯s smile disappeared, deploying the Nine Yang Qiankun Step again, his body like a ghost, instantly vanished before the two middle-aged men.


    The spear stabbed into the air, and the two middle-aged men immediately shifted their gaze, searching for Ling Chen¡¯s figure.


    However, at this moment, the sound of something piercing through the air suddenly attacked. Recognizing the sound, the two middle-aged men immediately turned their heads backward. Instantly, a sharp arrow came flying.


    "Watch out!"


    A middle-aged man¡¯s pupils constricted as he hurriedly raised the steel knife in his hand.


    ng!


    A crisp sound was heard, the steel arrowhead directly hit the de of the steel knife, then bounced to the ground. However, although the arrow was blocked, the middle-aged man¡¯s arm felt slightly sore and swollen.


    Such strong power!


    The middle-aged man looked at Ling Chen with a face full of surprise.


    While he was in a daze, the other middle-aged man lightly shouted, "Surround him!"


    Hearing the reminder from hispanion, the middle-aged man immediately came back to his senses, quickly grabbing his steel knife and rushing towards Ling Chen. Ling Chen¡¯s archery was formidable, but as long as they closed the distance, no matter how precise his archery was, he wouldn¡¯t be able to wield it properly.


    Their thinking was clever, but they overlooked one thing. Ling Chen¡¯s archery was personally taught by the Arrow God, Zhang Zhongfeng. Although Ling Chen hadn¡¯t been learning for long, Zhang Zhongfeng had earnestly taught and imparted all his skills and experience. Even the most foolish person would have a certain degree of mastery.


    Moreover, there¡¯s a significant reason why Zhang Zhongfeng is called the Arrow God, which is his ability to shoot and kill Earthly List masters.


    The world¡¯s masters are divided into four levels: Tiger List, Dragon List, Earthly List, and Heavenly List. Any martial artist not listed is considered third-rate, and there are a ton of such people. Among martial artists, Heavenly List masters are the most powerful, followed by Earthly List masters. Although the Earthly List is not as elite as the Heavenly List, within Huaxia¡¯s over one billion poption, those qualified to make it into the Earthly List are extremely few, difficult to find even among ten thousand.


    Therefore, being able to shoot and kill an Earthly List master with a longbow, Zhang Zhongfeng is revered as the Arrow God, which is the main reason for his fame.


    Ling Chen¡¯s archery, taught by Zhang Zhongfeng, is impable in both skill and experience. Coupled with Ling Chen¡¯s talent and diligence, it is safe to say that apart from Zhang Zhongfeng, probably few can match Ling Chen¡¯s archery skills now.


    Seeing the two middle-aged men quickly closing in, Ling Chen remained expressionless, calmly pulling out five arrows from his quiver.


    Whoosh! Whoosh!


    Two consecutive arrows were shot, each flying towards the two middle-aged men.


    With the arrowsing at them, the two middle-aged men dared not be careless. They quickly moved their feet to deviate from the arrows¡¯ trajectory, trying to escape the threat. However, at this moment, another whoosh sounded in the air.


    On a closer look, before the first two arrows hit the ground, Ling Chen had already shot two more arrows. Moreover, what was puzzling was that Ling Chen¡¯s target was not the two middle-aged men, but the two arrows shot earlier.


    Under Ling Chen¡¯s precise archery, the two arrows respectively struck the tails of the earlier arrows. Affected by the external force, the two earlier arrows immediately deviated from their trajectory, slightly shifting to streak towards the positions of the two middle-aged men.


    This sudden change caught everyone off guard. The two middle-aged men had never expected such an extraordinary archery technique.


    The two arrows moved so fast that the two middle-aged men had no time to react. They thought they had avoided the arrows¡¯ attack, not realizing Ling Chen had this other trick up his sleeve. Moreover, the arrows were too close to their positions. Even if they realized it, their bodies couldn¡¯t keep up with their brains¡¯ reactions.


    In an instant, two arrows flew past the sides of the two middle-aged men, causing sshes of blood to erupt.


    The arrowsnded, and the two middle-aged men each covered their arms, yet blood seeped through their fingers, quickly staining their sleeves.


    Seeing the opponents injured, Ling Chen put away the longbow, smiling and asking, "Want more?"


    On hearing this, the two middle-aged men looked at each other, faces turning pale as iron.


    "The oue is still undecided, continue!" one of the middle-aged men gritted his teeth and said. With that, he raised his steel knife, poised tounch an attack.


    Seeing his actions, Ling Chen gave a faint smile and said, "I thought you people were all about rules, turns out Hongmen people have no shame, losing but not admitting it."


    "Who lost?" the knife-wielding middle-aged man coldly retorted, "You only injured us. As long as we have a breath left, there¡¯s no end to the fight."


    "Tsk tsk!" Ling Chen clicked his tongue in resignation, saying, "If I hadn¡¯t held back just now, do you think that arrow would have merely injured you? If I were a bit harsher, you¡¯d have lost your life already." With that said, Ling Chen turned to Wu Zhaofeng and asked, "Mr. Wu, do you think I¡¯m right?"


    Wu Zhaofeng furrowed his brow tightly, his gaze looking at Ling Chen uncertainly, not sure what to think. After a while, Wu Zhaofeng asked, "Who did you learn your archery from?"


    "Why do you ask this, does it have anything to do with the oue?"

 Chapter 826 - 831: Hongmen Master (Part 3)

    <h4>Chapter 826: Chapter 831: Hongmen Master (Part 3)</h4>


    "I¡¯m just curious and wanted to ask." Wu Zhaofeng said, "In my mind, the best archer in the world is none other than the god of archery, Zhang Zhongfeng. But considering your age, you can¡¯t possibly be him."


    Ling Chen grinned, "I wouldn¡¯t have guessed you have some insight."


    Upon hearing this, Wu Zhaofeng¡¯s eyes narrowed, and he said in a deep voice, "Does that mean I¡¯m right, and Zhang Zhongfeng is your master?"


    "No. My archery skills were indeed taught by Zhang Zhongfeng, but he is not my master; he is my fourth brother."


    "Fourth brother?" Wu Zhaofeng muttered to himself, and whether he thought of something, his face suddenly changed, and he said with surprise, "Could it be... you are one of the Eight Peculiar Men?"


    "That¡¯s correct." Ling Chen nodded with a smile.


    "I see." With that, Wu Zhaofeng took a step forward to stand in front of Ling Chen. Seeing him approach, Ling Chen unconsciously took two steps back, adopting a defensive posture, his gaze wary of the other.


    "No need to be nervous." Wu Zhaofeng said, "I¡¯m not here to fight you." As he finished speaking, before Ling Chen could respond, Wu Zhaofeng suddenly cupped his hands and bowed to Ling Chen.


    Seeing Wu Zhaofeng¡¯s actions, Ling Chen was slightly taken aback and asked, puzzled, "Mr. Wu, what are you doing?"


    "Mr. Ling, a moment ago, I didn¡¯t know your connection to the Eight Peculiar Men. I apologize if I was disrespectful, and please don¡¯t take it to heart."


    Upon hearing this, Ling Chen became even more confused. From Wu Zhaofeng¡¯s tone, it seemed like he was acquainted with members of the Eight Peculiar Men. However, in all the time he¡¯d been with them, Qiu Yong and the others had never mentioned Wu Zhaofeng¡¯s name to him.


    Seeing Ling Chen¡¯s confused look, Wu Zhaofeng seemed to understand his thoughts and said, "Mr. Ling, my acquaintance with the Eight Peculiar Men is from many years ago, so you probably wouldn¡¯t have heard of it. Come, please, let¡¯s discuss it slowly." With that, Wu Zhaofeng turned to his subordinates and said, "Take them to get their wounds treated and brew a good pot of tea."


    Following Wu Zhaofeng to the back hall, Ling Chen and Qin Genglong sat on the sofa and asked, "Mr. Wu, do you know my eldest brother and the others?"


    Wu Zhaofeng nodded, "You could say I know them, but it¡¯s been so long they might not even remember me. Here¡¯s what happened..." Wu Zhaofeng then recounted the events from those years.


    After listening, Ling Chen finally understood that Wu Zhaofeng and the Eight Peculiar Men shared such a past.


    This matter dates back to more than a decade ago, when the Eight Peculiar Men were not the same eight people they are today. After all, Xia Yue, Ling Chen, Yang Chen, and Wei Jiahao were all still young, just children over ten years ago, unlikely to have any connection to the Eight Peculiar Men.


    At that time, out of the Eight Peculiar Men, only Qiu Yong, Xu Ming, Zhang Zhongfeng, and another man who has since died were present. Besides them, there were four others, all collectively known as the Eight Peculiar Men.


    In Wu Zhaofeng¡¯s words, he was a member of Hongmen back then. Later, due to causing trouble outside and attracting the retaliation of other factions, Hongmen didn¡¯t want to get involved in this mess, so they heartlessly expelled Wu Zhaofeng, leaving him to fend for himself.


    Without Hongmen¡¯s protection, Wu Zhaofeng found himself in dire straits, frequently pursued and nearly killed by his enemies. Until one day, after being relentlessly hunted for a month, Wu Zhaofeng was utterly exhausted, with wounds all over his body. Just as he sought a safe haven to rest, he was discovered by his enemies, who set up an ambush and trapped him.


    At the time, Wu Zhaofeng¡¯s strength had not yet reached the Earthly List level, and with injuries, he was no match for the numerous foes.


    In such a situation, Wu Zhaofeng was filled with despair, deciding to give up resisting and quietly await his end. But just then, Qiu Yong and others, passing by, happened to stumble upon the scene.


    As the saying goes, ¡¯A sense of justice demanded action,¡¯ Qiu Yong and the others did not stand idly by as Wu Zhaofeng faced death but chose to intervene, rescuing him from his enemies. Wu Zhaofeng was incredibly grateful at the time, determined to repay the life-saving kindness. But Qiu Yong dismissed it, telling him not to worry about it.


    Since then, Wu Zhaofeng had never seen Qiu Yong again, let alone had the chance to repay him.


    Ling Chen understood that for someone like Wu Zhaofeng, who held onto tradition, the concept of gratitude was significant. Otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t have changed his attitude so dramatically, treating him as an honored guest.


    "Mr. Ling, I owe my life to your eldest brother¡¯s intervention back then. Unfortunately, as so many years have passed, I¡¯ve never really had the chance to repay him."


    "Mr. Wu, I know my eldest brother¡¯s character well. He¡¯s not the type to help others for the sake of repayment, so you needn¡¯t worry too much about it."


    "That¡¯s not right." Wu Zhaofeng waved his hand and said, "A grace must be repaid; that¡¯s the rule passed down by the elders. Mr. Ling, I wonder if you could help me find a way to meet your eldest brother?"


    Ling Chen replied with a wry smile, "Mr. Wu, as you can see, we¡¯re currently imprisoned in Yan City Prison. It¡¯s not a matter of going out; we can¡¯t even meet anyone. Unless we can get out of here, otherwise, it¡¯s not just you, even I can¡¯t see my brother."


    "That might be a bit troublesome." Wu Zhaofeng said with a frown, "Yu Peng is a cunning person and won¡¯t easily let us go. To get out of here, there¡¯s only one way."


    "What way?" Ling Chen asked with interest.


    Wu Zhaofeng lowered his voice and cautiously uttered two words, "Escape n."


    Hearing the words ¡¯escape n,¡¯ Ling Chen¡¯s eyes brightened immediately. However, he did not show his inner thoughts on his face, instead putting on a troubled expression and saying, "Mr. Wu, I¡¯ve heard that Yan City Prison is heavily guarded with many checkpoints. How could we possibly escape?"


    "If it were others, their chances would be slim, but if it¡¯s me, though I can¡¯t guarantee a hundred percent sess, I¡¯m more than fifty percent confident."


    "Really?" Ling Chen asked, half in doubt, "Mr. Wu, why?"


    "Well... Mr. Ling, since you¡¯re Qiu Yong¡¯s brother, I won¡¯t hide it from you. To be honest, if you want to survive in Yan City Prison, you have to do some things that aren¡¯t well-received. There¡¯s no other way; the prison is like this. If you don¡¯t find a way to stand your ground, someone will eventually cause you trouble. So, I made some secret dealings with Yu Peng."


    "What kind of dealings?"


    "I act as his ears, helping him gather intelligence about the prison. For instance, if someone is plotting a n to break out, I must report it to Yu Peng. After the matter is settled, Yu Peng will give me some benefits as a reward."


    Tsk, tsk!


    Ling Chen suddenly understood. The other day, while casually chatting with Tang Guolun, Tang mentioned that Qingyang Society and Hongmen had Yu Peng¡¯s mole. Unexpectedly, that informant turned out to be Wu Zhaofeng.

 Chapter 827 - 832: An Unexpected Gain

    <h4>Chapter 827: Chapter 832: An Unexpected Gain</h4>


    Seeing that Ling Chen had an expression of realization, Wu Zhaofeng sighed and said, "I know doing this goes against the martial artist¡¯s ethics, but I have no choice. Sometimes, to survive, many things have to bepromised. I¡¯m not expecting anything else from you, just hoping you can understand. At my age, ending up trapped in prison is a miserable fate, all I can ask for is to make my life a bit easier and live a few more years."


    Ling Chen curiously asked, "Mr. Wu, may I ask what led to you being captured and brought to prison?"


    "Me?" When this matter was mentioned, Wu Zhaofeng seemed full of anger, gritting his teeth as he said, "I was not arrested formitting a crime, but was forcibly brought here."


    "Forcibly brought here?" Ling Chen was slightly startled, feeling a bit surprised by Wu Zhaofeng¡¯s words. As far as he knew, it seemed that those imprisoned in Yan City Prison were all there because of severe legal vitions that warranted the death penalty. However, because some prisoners had special skills, they were imprisoned for life in Yan City Prison. If needed, they could be called upon to serve the government at any time.


    If they did well, there was a certain chance of a sentence reduction. Hence, Ling Chen didn¡¯t quite understand what Wu Zhaofeng meant.


    "Do you think Yu Peng is a good person? He desires power and wealth, and to have all this, he would stop at nothing. To have more people at his disposal, he sends people to capture experts everywhere and use various means to control them. The two who fought with you earlier were captured by Yu Peng¡¯s men just like me. In fact, besides us, many innocent people were captured before and ended up sacrificing their lives for Yu Peng¡¯s ambitions." Speaking of this, Wu Zhaofeng was both indignant and helpless.


    Hearing this, Ling Chen became even more perplexed. He asked, "Mr. Wu, since you all hate Yu Peng so much, why don¡¯t you unite? As far as I know, the president of the Metropolitan tried to coborate with you all,bining your strength to escape together."


    "I know about that, and I was the one who leaked the information to Yu Peng, revealing Tang Guolun¡¯s intentions to him, which led to Tang Guolun¡¯s n failing." Wu Zhaofeng said, "Mr. Ling, you simplify things too much. Do you really think Yu Peng is that easy to deal with? I¡¯ve mentioned earlier, we were all forcibly brought here. The people who could capture us are certainly not weaker than us in strength."


    Ling Chen patted his forehead, almost forgetting about this matter.


    "Mr. Wu, do you know how many powerful experts Yu Peng has under him?"


    "If you want to meet those people, it¡¯s simple, just go to Qingyang Society. The president of Qingyang Society is Yu Peng¡¯s loyalckey, and we were captured by people from Qingyang Society."


    "Qingyang Society?" Ling Chen was taken aback.


    "The people of Qingyang Society are real criminals. Outside, they bully the weak, and each has multiple lives on their hands. Because of their simr evil nature, they have gathered together, forming the Qingyang Society. Speaking of, Qingyang Society should be the oldest faction in Yan City Prison, while Hongmen and the Metropolitan are emerging forces establishedter. To win over Qingyang Society, Yu Peng offered them many benefits, essentially fulfilling any of their demands. Additionally, Yu Peng granted Qingyang Society a special privilege¡ªonce they capture someone, they can leave Yan City Prison and enjoy a few days outside."


    "Is there such a thing?"


    "Not many people know about this, only a few from Hongmen do. Initially, the president of Qingyang Society approached me, asking me to join him. Think about it, he was the one who captured me, in my eyes, he¡¯s my enemy, so how could he expect me to follow him? Because of this, I found out about the shady dealings."


    After a pause, Wu Zhaofeng continued, "Mr. Ling, there are many people in Qingyang Society, with four experts on the Earthly List, and three each on the Dragon List and Tiger List. Together, these people pose a significant threat. If we can¡¯t deal with them, we can forget about escaping."


    Ling Chen had heard Qin Genglong mention Qingyang Society¡¯s president, named Liu Kui, a man in his fifties. Ling Chen had seen him from a distance once or twice, but never interacted.


    "Mr. Wu, how is Liu Kui¡¯s strength?"


    "Stronger than me. He should be considered the most formidable person among us." Wu Zhaofeng asked, "Mr. Ling, do you have any thoughts?"


    Ling Chen smiled slightly, "Mr. Wu, as you can see, I¡¯m still young. I don¡¯t want to waste my whole life in prison. Mr. Wu, since you have a rtionship with my big brother, I want to ask you to do me a favor, keep this secret for me, and don¡¯t let Yu Peng know."


    "Rest assured, I won¡¯t speak out of turn. Moreover, if you truly have the ability to escape, I hope you can take me with you; I don¡¯t want to rot in here for life either." After speaking, Wu Zhaofeng suddenly asked, "Mr. Ling, may I ask, why did youe to my ce to challenge, surely not without reason to cause me trouble, right?"


    "Well..." Ling Chen rubbed his nose, smiling awkwardly, "Actually, it was nothing much, I just wanted to experience Mr. Wu¡¯s skills."


    Wu Zhaofeng gave Ling Chen a deep look, knowing he was brushing him off. Since Ling Chen was unwilling to say, he tactfully didn¡¯t ask more. After chatting for a short while, Ling Chen left with Qin Genglong.


    Returning to the cell, Qin Genglong curiously asked, "Ling Chen, what exactly did you go to Hongmen for? It couldn¡¯t really have been to witness Wu Zhaofeng¡¯s skill, right?"


    Ling Chen smiled and said, "Of course not." The reason he went to Hongmen to challenge was quite simple: he wanted to see if there was an opportunity to cooperate with Hongmen. After talking with Pang Jiulin that day, Ling Chen lost his optimistic attitude. He was well aware that there was probably little chance of him being released. Therefore, to escape, he had to rely on himself.


    After thinking it over, Ling Chen decided to follow Tang Guolun¡¯s advice, starting with Hongmen and Qingyang Society. As long as he could persuade them to help, the chances of escaping would undoubtedly increase.


    After talking with Wu Zhaofeng this time, Ling Chen felt it was a nice, unexpected gain. Since Qingyang Society was Yu Peng¡¯s people, there was no need to look for them anymore.


    Now, he just needed to notify Tang Guolun, formte a n, and then find the right time to act.


    ...


    In the blink of an eye, two days passed.


    After a few days of recuperation, the injury on Ling Chen¡¯s back had almost fully healed.


    As night fell, a prison security officer slid a te of dinner under the cell door.


    Ling Chen nced at it, got up, picked up the te, and began eating voraciously.


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 828 - 833: Prison Break (Part 1)

    <h4>Chapter 828: Chapter 833: Prison Break (Part 1)</h4>


    After going hungry for a few days, Yu Peng no longer used such lowly methods to torture Ling Chen; three meals a day were delivered on time. However,pared to others, the food in their cell was not just a level worse. As Qin Genglong put it, even pigs wouldn¡¯t eat this stuff, let alone people.


    Although the food was terrible, Ling Chen wasn¡¯t picky; as long as he could fill his stomach, it was enough. He had eaten worse things than this during his time surviving in the wild. Besides, without food, where would he get the strength to do anything?


    After finishing dinner, Ling Chen nced at Qin Genglong, who was half-lying on the bed, and then looked at the sky outside.


    Almost time!


    In a sh of thought, Ling Chen got up, walked to the head of Qin Genglong¡¯s bed, and kicked hard at the foot of the bed. The beds in the prison were all wooden, unable to withstand Ling Chen¡¯s kicks. Instantly, with a ¡¯bang,¡¯ the bed foot snapped, and Qin Genglong, lying on the bed, nearly rolled onto the ground.


    "What are you doing?" Qin Genglong was slightly stunned by Ling Chen¡¯s sudden kick. Once he realized, he loudly questioned.


    Ling Chen shrugged and said nothing, lifting his right leg and sweeping it across in a roundhouse kick aimed at Qin Genglong¡¯s neck.


    Seeing Ling Chen¡¯s silent attack, Qin Genglong instantly became furious, swinging his steel fists and blocking Ling Chen¡¯s kick. Before Ling Chen could strike again, Qin Genglong advanced, his fist the size of a y potunching consecutive attacks at Ling Chen¡¯s body.


    Bang!


    With Ling Chen¡¯s agile footwork, Qin Genglong¡¯s attacks were easily neutralized. One punch hit the wall, causing the paint to fall off and revealing the steel structure inside.


    Perhaps the noise in the cell was too loud, so two security personnel outside poked their heads in and called out, "What¡¯s going on? Behave yourselves."


    But Ling Chen and Qin Genglong ignored the shouting, engaged in an intense back-and-forthbat.


    Seeing this, one security guard immediately took out a radio to contact the prison¡¯s control center. In less than two minutes, a fully armed security team arrived outside the cell, each holding a riot shield and a specially made high-voltage stun baton.


    "Open the door!"


    At the order, the security personnel quickly opened the cell door. Then, four or five guards holding riot shields and stun batons rushed into the cell.


    "Stop right now!"


    However, as soon as the words fell, a loud bang was heard. Qin Genglong, who was originally attacking Ling Chen, suddenly turned and punched the riot shield. With Qin Genglong¡¯s immense power, the security guard holding the riot shield was sent flying, crashing into hispanions behind.


    In an instant, four or five people fell together. Without waiting for them to get up, Ling Chen swiftly rushed over, stomping hard on the riot shield, impacting the bodies of several security guards. Taking advantage of this moment, Ling Chen grabbed a stun baton. In just two or three moves, the fully armed security personnel were all foaming at the mouth and fell unconscious.


    Having dealt with the security outside the cell, Ling Chen gave Qin Genglong a look. Thetter understood immediately and followed Ling Chen, running out of the cell.


    However, they had just left the cell for less than half a minute when a piercing rm rang throughout the prison.


    Ling Chen nced at the surveince camera not far away, a slight smile forming at the corner of his mouth. He had anticipated this; with so many cameras in the prison, his actions could not escape the eyes of the prison staff.


    At this time, Yu Peng, who was watching theputer in the office, changed his expression upon hearing the rm, and quickly walked out of the office.


    "Prison Director." Just then, a prison staff member hurried over.


    "What happened?"


    "There¡¯s a jailbreak; it¡¯s Ling Chen and Qin Genglong. They¡¯ve injured several security personnel."


    "Ling Chen?" Yu Peng snorted coldly and said, "He really can¡¯t stay still, wanting to get out so soon. Notify everyone to raise the prison¡¯s alert level, fully arm all personnel. If Ling Chen resists, kill him directly."


    "Yes."


    After issuing the order, Yu Peng immediately moved to the control center.


    At this moment, Ling Chen and Qin Genglong had reached the prison¡¯s sports field. Only by crossing the field could they reach the prison¡¯s exit. However, the route through the field, although short, was the most dangerous. There were four watchtowers around the field, each equipped with guards carrying sniper rifles. A moment of carelessness could result in being shot dead.


    Qin Genglong hid beside a pir, looking at the brightly lit field, and asked, "Ling Chen, what do we do now?"


    "Don¡¯t rush." Ling Chen calmly surveyed the surroundings and said, "Wait a little longer. I believe he won¡¯t break his promise."


    Just as he finished speaking, Ling Chen saw the iron gate at one end of the field suddenly open. A middle-aged man, leading over a dozen people, quickly ran out, spreading around the field.


    Seeing this, Ling Chen¡¯s eyes lit up, and he smiled slightly, "Here theye! Old Qin, wait here, I¡¯ll be right back." With that, Ling Chen lightly tapped his toes and shot out like an arrow, heading straight for the middle-aged man¡¯s position.


    As the two approached, the middle-aged man tossed an object wrapped in cloth over to Ling Chen.


    Bang!


    At the same time, a gunshot rang out. Ling Chen turned to see the bulletnding just less than two centimeters from his heel. So close! Ling Chen thought with relief; a moment slower, and that shot might have taken his life.


    With the package in hand, Ling Chen quickly unwrapped the cloth. Inside was a longbow and over a dozen arrows.


    Before the gunshots could resume, Ling Chen promptly drew the bow and nocked an arrow, aiming at the guard on top of a watchtower.


    Whoosh!


    The arrow whizzed through the air, instantly piercing a guard¡¯s body.


    After sessfully hitting one target, Ling Chen didn¡¯t hesitate, immediately targeting the other watchtower guards, shooting while running. In no time, all the guards on the watchtowers were dealt with.


    Sigh!


    Ling Chen exhaled deeply, finally havingpleted the first step of the prison break.


    "Mr. Ling." At this time, Wu Zhaofeng arrived with two of his subordinates.


    "Mr. Wu."


    Seeing the neers, Ling Chen grinned and pointed at the four watchtowers around, saying, "The guards are all taken care of."


    "No time to lose, let¡¯s hurry, or it¡¯ll be a problem if the Qingyang Society catches up."


    Ling Chen nodded, fully aware of Wu Zhaofeng¡¯s concern, as the Qingyang Society was indeed the most troublesome adversary.


    "Old Qin, you lead the way, I¡¯ll cover the rear."


    "Got it."


    Qin Genglong responded and immediately led everyone across the sports field, heading towards the prison¡¯s exit.

 Chapter 829 - 834: Prison Break (2)

    <h4>Chapter 829: Chapter 834: Prison Break (2)</h4>


    Shortly after Qin Genglong and the others left, Ling Chen quickly walked to another iron gate on the yground and knocked on it.


    As the iron gate opened, Tang Guolun poked his head out and asked, "How about it, is it safe now?"


    "With me here, you can rest assured. Hurry up and let¡¯s go, there¡¯s no time to waste."


    "Alright."


    Tang Guolun nodded and called out to the people behind him. Immediately, more than twenty men and women followed him out from the iron gate.


    Seeing so many people, Ling Chen couldn¡¯t help but be stunned and hurriedly pulled Tang Guolun aside, whispering, "Didn¡¯t I tell you to bring as few people as possible, preferably none? With so many people, how can we escape?"


    Tang Guolun replied helplessly, "I didn¡¯t have a choice. Initially, I only nned to take four or five people, but then I thought, this one is talented, so is that one, and I couldn¡¯t bear to leave anyone behind. In the end, it added up to this number. You know I¡¯m a person who values talent, and watching them waste their lives here, I really can¡¯t stand it."


    Ling Chen was speechless at such words. These people brought by Tang Guolun were all criminals; are they really going to rescue them?


    As Ling Chen hesitated, urgent footsteps sounded from not far away. Needless to say, it must be the prison security guards.


    Never mind! If we keep stalling like this, no one will get out.


    "Boss Tang, have your people behave and don¡¯t cause trouble for me," Ling Chen warned.


    "Don¡¯t worry, with me here, they¡¯ll be sure to behave."


    "Alright, let¡¯s go then."


    Passing through the yground, Ling Chen and his group entered the corridors inside the prison. They hadn¡¯t gone far before they saw Qin Genglong and Wu Zhaofeng hiding in a corner.


    "Old Qin, Mr. Wu, what¡¯s going on?" Ling Chen quickly caught up and asked.


    Qin Genglong pointed to the corner and said, "See for yourself."


    Upon hearing this, Ling Chen immediately looked out from the corner. Instantly, about twenty meters away, he saw a checkpoint with security guards holding riot shields, forming a solid defense line. Behind the line, several guards held assault rifles, aiming at the corner. If anyone appeared, bullets would mercilessly pierce their body.


    "Ling Chen."


    Just then, Yu Peng¡¯s voice echoed throughout the prison: "I advise you to surrender quickly and stop resisting pointlessly. I have sealed the whole prison, and you can¡¯t escape."


    "Really?" Ling Chen smiled faintly, looking at the surveince camera at the corner, said, "Yu Peng, things depend on people. At thest moment, you¡¯d better not jump to conclusions."


    Yu Peng coldly shouted, "Ling Chen, I¡¯ve already shown you lots of respect. If you dare to take one more step, I¡¯ll immediately order to fire. By then, not only you but everyone won¡¯t leave alive."


    "You want to kill me? Let¡¯s see if you have the ability."


    As soon as he finished speaking, Ling Chen lunged forward, lightly drawing his longbow. With a ¡¯whoosh,¡¯ an arrow shot out, directly hitting the wrist of a gun-holding man.


    Seeing this scene on the surveince camera, Yu Peng said coldly, "Ling Chen, I admit your archery is great, but how many arrows do you have left? Do you think you can kill all the people in my prison with those few arrows?"


    "You haven¡¯t tried, so how do you know I can¡¯t do it? Yu Peng, don¡¯t underestimate people."


    After finishing speaking, Ling Chen lunged forward again, firing another arrow, urately causing another security guard to lose the ability to hold his gun.


    After consecutively bringing down two security guards, the remaining ones dared not show their heads, hiding behind the riot shields. Seeing this, Ling Chen smiled to himself, his body suddenly darting out from the corner, fast as lightning.


    By the time the guards behind the shields reacted, Ling Chen had already charged in front of them.


    In the blink of an eye, several security guards were all put down, groaning constantly on the ground.


    "Old Qin, take these riot shields; they mighte in handyter." With that, Ling Chen picked up an assault rifle from the ground, looked at the surveince camera on the wall, and grinned, "Yu Peng, thanks for the weapon."


    "Bastard!"


    In the control center, Yu Peng angrily threw the walkie-talkie on the ground, shouting at the staff beside him, "Notify everyone not to use guns. Also, send Liu Kui and his people immediately to support; we must stop Ling Chen."


    With the help of riot shields, they advanced all the way, encountering almost no resistance and easily breaking through four checkpoints. However, Ling Chen knew that sessfully escaping Yan City Prison would still take time. Moreover, the further they went, the more difficult it would be. Yu Peng had been operating Yan City Prison for quite some time, and he surely had backup ns.


    Bam! Bam!


    Apanied by the nging of metal, Qin Genglong said dejectedly, "No way, this door is too sturdy; it can¡¯t be smashed open."


    Hearing this, Ling Chen couldn¡¯t help casting his gaze towards Wu Zhaofeng. Without Ling Chen speaking, Wu Zhaofeng understood his intention. Immediately, Wu Zhaofeng walked to the armored door, took a deep breath, and raised his palms to his chest.


    Suddenly, Wu Zhaofeng let out a light shout, his palms fiercely struck the armored door.


    But despite Wu Zhaofeng¡¯s full exertion, the armored door didn¡¯t budge, not even leaving a trace.


    It didn¡¯t break?


    Ling Chen was taken aback¡ªWu Zhaofeng had the highest martial arts among them, and even he couldn¡¯t break the armored door, so he definitely couldn¡¯t do it.


    This truly was troublesome.


    "Ling Chen, why don¡¯t you let us handle this." At this moment, Tang Guolun walked over with a man.


    "Can you do it?" Ling Chen asked, half-believingly.


    "Are you kidding? This isn¡¯t difficult at all." Tang Guolun replied confidently, "These armored doors are controlled by the control center¡¯sputer system. As long as you find the wiring, you can easily crack it." Saying this, Tang Guolun gave the man beside him a look, who immediately walked to the armored door and used a homemade dagger to pry open the box beside the door.


    Watching the man¡¯s actions, Ling Chen whispered, "Boss Tang, are you really sure?"


    "Rest assured," Tang Guolun patted his chest, promising, "Don¡¯t forget, Yu Peng lured me into the prison under the guise of hiring me, hoping I could find vulnerabilities in the prison. Beforeing, naturally, I did some homework, like understanding Yan City Prison¡¯s security systems and facilities. If I wasn¡¯t prepared, did you really think I¡¯d agree to Yu Peng so easily?"


    Hearing this, Ling Chen was much relieved.


    Click!


    In less than two minutes, there was a soft sound, and the armored door slowly opened from the middle.


    It¡¯s done!


    Ling Chen¡¯s eyes lit up, and he stepped forward. However, as soon as he passed through the armored door, Ling Chen¡¯s expression turned serious, looking ahead.

 Chapter 830 - 835: Prison Break (3)

    <h4>Chapter 830: Chapter 835: Prison Break (3)</h4>


    Seeing Ling Chen stop, Qin Genglong, who was catching up from behind, asked, "What¡¯s wrong?" As soon as he spoke, Qin Genglong realized the reason.


    At this moment, there were ten people standing in front of them. Leading them was a burly middle-aged man, about as tall as Qin Genglong. His muscr arms were particrly noticeable, giving an impression of immense strength. Surrounding the middle-aged man were nine men, each with sharp eyes and an extraordinary presence.


    Master fighters!


    And they¡¯re all master fighters!


    Ling Chen frowned tightly, his sharp gaze scanning each of the men before finally locking onto the burly man. There was no need to ask; this must be Liu Kui, the president of the Qingyang Society. Next to Liu Kui, Ling Chen also noticed Luo Haicheng.


    Four Earthly List fighters, three Dragon List fighters, and three Tiger List fighters. These were all the strengths of the Qingyang Society. Wu Zhaofeng had mentioned this before, so Ling Chen remembered clearly.


    To prevent their prison escape, the Qingyang Society had mobilized all their forces.


    Trouble, it¡¯s not just trouble, it¡¯s huge trouble. Ling Chen understood very well that with just their strength, it would be challenging to defeat Liu Kui and the others. Although Wu Zhaofeng¡¯s subordinates included two Earthly List fighters, making four in total, enough to deal with the four Earthly List fighters of Qingyang Society. But the key issue was that Qingyang Society still had six more master fighters, while Ling Chen only had Qin Genglong by his side.


    Qin Genglong¡¯s martial arts were not weak, but facing six at once waspletely impossible.


    For a moment, Ling Chen fell into deep thought, the light in his eyes flickering uncertainly.


    "Old Man Wu, you really have the nerve to help these scoundrels escape prison. Have you forgotten how well the Prison Director has treated you all these years? He has never done you any wrong. Do you think you¡¯re being fair to him?" It was Liu Kui who spoke. He stared coldly at Wu Zhaofeng in the crowd, his gaze revealing a touch of chilliness.


    "Liu Kui, stop spewing nonsense. If it weren¡¯t for you capturing me back then, I wouldn¡¯t have suffered like this," Wu Zhaofeng replied coldly. "You conspire together,mit countless crimes, and one day you¡¯ll pay for it all."


    "Pay for it?" Liu Kuiughed heartily. "Old Man Wu, I¡¯ve killed so many people¡ªmen, women, the elderly, even children. Their blood is on my hands. So what? Haven¡¯t I lived well, enjoying food and fun,cking nothing? Compared to you, Old Man Wu, I¡¯m living quite the carefree life."


    Upon hearing Liu Kui¡¯s words, Ling Chen raised his eyebrows slightly, a sharp light shing in his Mo Che-like pupils.


    For martial artists, martial arts ethics are paramount, but this person before them ughtered innocents, sparing not even children. This was not a man, but something worse than a beast.


    Ling Chen felt very angry; he¡¯d never seen such shamelessness before. To kill and then brag about it as if it were an achievement.


    "Enough!" Ling Chen shouted coldly. "Liu Kui, shut up. As a martial artist, it¡¯s inconceivable that scum like you could emerge within the Martial Arts world."


    Hearing Ling Chen¡¯s rebuke, Liu Kui turned his gaze to Ling Chen, sizing him up with a mocking smile. "So, you¡¯re the Ling Chen Luo Haicheng mentioned? Just skin and bones, I can¡¯t see what¡¯s so impressive about you. Whatever, I¡¯m toozy to waste words with you. One word¡ªsurrender now, or... heh heh!"


    Liu Kui¡¯s mouth curled into a sinister grin. "Or I¡¯ll kill you all, your choice."


    "Alright, let¡¯s see if you have what it takes," said Ling Chen as he took a step forward, staring directly at Liu Kui, tightening the longbow in his hands.


    Seeing Ling Chen face Liu Kui directly, Wu Zhaofeng couldn¡¯t help but remind from behind, "Ling Chen, be careful, this guy¡¯s skin is thick, not easy to deal with."


    Wu Zhaofeng¡¯s words reached his ears, although he didn¡¯t exin, Ling Chen understood the meaning behind them. Just judging from Liu Kui¡¯s build, it¡¯s likely that the martial arts he practiced were simr to those of Qin Genglong, belonging to the type of external martial arts.


    Ling Chen initially trained in external martial arts, so he knew very well how difficult this skill is to master. Back then, Ling Chen¡¯s external martial arts reached their peak, but the peak did not imply his external skills were extraordinarily powerful; rather, it meant his body could only develop to such an extent.


    Typically, those who train in external martial arts must possess innate factors, like Qin Genglong and Liu Kui, who are naturally strong and are very suited for the external martial arts path. Someone like Ling Chen, on the other hand, is more suited to inner strength.


    Having experience, Ling Chen knew how difficult it was to practice external martial arts, especially to an extraordinary level; it was even more challenging. For Liu Kui to cultivate external martial arts to the Earthly List realm showed he indeed had extraordinary talents.


    "You?" Liu Kui looked at the eager Ling Chen, his eyes nting, a hint of disdain on his lips as he waved his fingers, saying, "Just because you defeated Luo Haicheng doesn¡¯t mean you¡¯re qualified to fight me." As he finished, Liu Kui¡¯s gaze passed over Ling Chen, fixing on Wu Zhaofeng behind him, challenging him, "Old Man Wu, I was the one who got you locked up in the first ce. I know you¡¯re indignant, practicing hard in prison all the time. What? Don¡¯t you want revenge, to regain face from me?"


    Wu Zhaofeng moved his lips, intending to say something. But at this moment, Ling Chen looked back at him. From Ling Chen¡¯s eyes, Wu Zhaofeng understood the message he wanted to convey. Thereupon, Wu Zhaofeng closed his mouth, silently watching Liu Kui, ignoring his provocationpletely.


    Seeing this, Liu Kui nodded. "Fine, since you want this kid to die, I¡¯ll fulfill that wish." Saying this, Liu Kui beckoned at Ling Chen, "Come on, let me see what you¡¯re capable of."


    "You¡¯ll find out," said Ling Chen as he raised the longbow in his hand, drew an arrow, and aimed it at Liu Kui¡¯s brow.


    Seeing Ling Chen¡¯s gesture, Liu Kui sneered, "Trying to use a bow and arrow against me? You must be..."


    Whoosh!


    Before Liu Kui could finish his sentence, Ling Chen had already released the bowstring. Instantly, the sharp arrow sliced through the air, turning into a phantom shadow, directly targeting Liu Kui¡¯s vital point.


    Feeling the fierce wind, Liu Kui¡¯s expression changed slightly. Without any hesitation, he quickly tilted his head to the side. However, at such a close range, the power of Ling Chen¡¯s arrow was tremendous, not something easily dodged.


    Immediately, Liu Kui felt a pang in his ear as the arrow whizzed by above his right ear, leaving a scarlet wound.


    Luckily, Liu Kui¡¯s reactions were quick enough. Any slower, the arrow might have pierced his skull, killing him instantly.


    "Ah!"


    Just as everyone thought the arrow had missed, a sudden scream came from behind Liu Kui.

 Chapter 831 - 836: Prison Break (Part 4)

    <h4>Chapter 831: Chapter 836: Prison Break (Part 4)</h4>


    The crowd focused their gaze and immediately took a start. Although Ling Chen¡¯s arrow didn¡¯t hit Liu Kui, one of Liu Kui¡¯s men behind him fell victim.


    That person happened to be standing right behind Liu Kui, and when Liu Kui dodged aside, the arrow went straight into the person¡¯s forehead, killing him on the spot.


    This sudden incident caught everyone off guard; they never imagined that guy would just die so absurdly.


    After a brief pause, Wu Zhaofeng¡¯s old face broke into a wide grin, and he began tough heartily.


    "How unexpected, really unexpected, Liu Kui! I mentioned earlier, those whomit many misdeeds will eventually face retribution. It¡¯s not that it won¡¯te; it¡¯s just a matter of time. Your subordinate did so many evil deeds, and finally met his fate. Just watch, your retribution won¡¯t be far behind."


    "Shut your mouth!" Liu Kui roared through clenched teeth, his face a livid shade.


    This hasn¡¯t even started, and already a master from the Earthly List on his side is dead, and in such a humiliating way, how could he not be angry.


    "Fine, very well! You¡¯ve got guts to kill my man; today, you will die beyond a doubt."


    Ling Chen¡¯s lips curled slightly as he looked at the furious Liu Kui, unable to suppressughter. That arrow was originally meant for Liu Kui, but unexpectedly killed the Earthly List master behind him instead, a truly fortunate ident. Now, from a disadvantageous position, they had suddenly turned the tables.


    "Mr. Wu, leave Liu Kui to me. You take care of the others, no problem, right?"


    "Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t let you down," Wu Zhaofeng assured, patting his chest. Earlier, he really wasn¡¯t confident because it was a case of the few against the many. But now it was different; with one Earthly List master dead on Liu Kui¡¯s side, plus Liu Kui only having three Earthly List masters, while they had four, the advantage was clear.


    More importantly, Ling Chen was employing the strategy of the Tian Ji horse race. By confronting Liu Kui himself, Wu Zhaofeng was free to act. Wu Zhaofeng¡¯s strength was second only to Liu Kui, so having him engage the other two Earthly List masters was more than sufficient.


    As Ling Chen stepped closer, Liu Kui waved to the group behind him andmanded coldly, "Kill them all, leave no one behind."


    "Liu Kui, maybe you should take care of yourself first." As the words fell, Ling Chen drew his bow instantly and fired an arrow straight at Liu Kui.


    However, Liu Kui was already prepared; the moment Ling Chen raised his hand to shoot, Liu Kui made a quick move to dodge, shifting slightly aside so the arrow whisked past him closely. This time, everyone learned their lesson and moved out from behind Liu Kui to avoid being identally struck again.


    "You¡¯re courting death!" Without waiting for Ling Chen to draw his bow again, Liu Kui shouted and charged towards Ling Chen with a fist like a casserole pot, aiming straight for Ling Chen¡¯s head.


    Seeing Liu Kui¡¯s fist approaching, Ling Chen¡¯s lips slightly curved with a hint of a faint smile, showing no fear, as if Liu Kui¡¯s attack was nothing to him. Just as the fist was about toe down, Liu Kui suddenly saw a blur, and Ling Chen, who had been standing still, vanished from his view.


    Where did he go?


    Liu Kui was startled and quickly turned his gaze around, searching for Ling Chen¡¯s whereabouts.


    "Looking for me? I¡¯m right here."


    Upon hearing Ling Chen¡¯s voice from beside him, Liu Kui immediately turned his head to his left. Indeed, Ling Chen had somehow moved to his side.


    Facing Liu Kui¡¯s astonished gaze, Ling Chen smiled warmly at him. Liu Kui¡¯s strength was formidable, but opponents like Liu Kui, with arge build, naturally moved slowerpared to slimmer adversaries. Moreover, Ling Chen was adept at the Nine Yang Qiankun Step. With this remarkable movement technique, Ling Chen could easily evade Liu Kui¡¯s attacks.


    If he had no confidence at all, Ling Chen wouldn¡¯t dare engage.


    Compared to Ling Chen, the battle over at Wu Zhaofeng and Qin Genglong¡¯s side was even more rxed. Losing an Earthly List master, Wu Zhaofeng and the others felt no pressure at all; the situation was almost one-sided with Liu Kui¡¯s subordinates utterly unable to retaliate.


    However, just at this moment, dozens of security personnel dressed in suits suddenly burst through the front and rear pathways of the prison, surrounding everyone in the center. Leading them was Yu Peng.


    "Ling Chen, you can¡¯t escape, surrender now and stop wasting your resistance."


    Ling Chen nced at the security personnel armed with riot shields and stun batons and said calmly, "Yu Peng, even your strongest men couldn¡¯t stop me; do you think these people can?"


    Yu Peng raised his head, smugly stating, "Ling Chen, I have already reported this matter to the government; reinforcements are on the way and will arrive soon. Once therger force gets here, let¡¯s see how you n to escape."


    Upon hearing this, Ling Chen¡¯s expression slightly changed; this was not good news. If the government reinforcements truly arrived, it would be trouble for them.


    "No, we must escape quickly."


    With this thought, Ling Chen suddenly shouted, holding the longbow horizontally in his hand, aiming directly at Liu Kui opposite him. Having witnessed the power of the arrows before, Liu Kui was not careless; he quickly moved towards the security personnel beside him, lifting a riot shield in his hand to protect his vital parts.


    ng!


    Apanied by a crisp sound, the arrowhead fiercely hit the riot shield, then bounced off and fell to the ground.


    This strike missed, and Ling Chen immediately reached for the quiver on his back, wanting to use the arrows to pressure the opponent, buying time for hispanions. However, as Ling Chen touched the quiver, he found it empty¡ªhe had used up all his arrows. Seeing this, Ling Chen¡¯s heart sank momentarily.


    The arrows Wu Zhaofeng provided were limited, and though he had been frugal along the way, they were still insufficient.


    Seeing Ling Chen¡¯s dazed appearance, Liu Kui couldn¡¯t help but burst intoughter, "Ling Chen, now without arrows, let¡¯s see what skills you have left." Saying this, Liu Kui threw the riot shield aside and stepped towards Ling Chen.


    "Mr. Ling, be careful!"


    Wu Zhaofeng, fearing for Ling Chen¡¯s safety, swiftly withdrew from the battle and stood protectively beside Ling Chen, warily watching Liu Kui.


    "Mr. Wu, I¡¯m fine; don¡¯t worry about me." As Ling Chen spoke, it was as if he sensed something, his eyes scanning the surrounding crowd. Suddenly, a faint brightness shed in the depths of his gaze.


    As Liu Kui stepped closer, Ling Chen once again raised the longbow in his hand, aiming directly at Liu Kui who was advancing forward.


    "Hahaha!" Liu Kuiughed wildly, "Ling Chen, are you out of your mind? You have a bow but no arrows, what are you nning to shoot me with?"


    Ling Chen¡¯s lips curled slightly, indifferent to Liu Kui¡¯s taunts, and he spoke meaningfully, "Who said you can¡¯t shoot an arrow without an arrow?"

 Chapter 832 - 837: Prison Break (Part 5)

    <h4>Chapter 832: Chapter 837: Prison Break (Part 5)</h4>


    "Alright, since you¡¯re so capable, let me see for myself and broaden my horizons."


    "No problem." Ling Chen pulled back the bowstring by himself. With a soft ¡¯thud¡¯, a security guard standing beside Liu Kui fell to the ground. Upon closer inspection, the guard¡¯s right shoulder was pierced by an arrow, bleeding profusely.


    Everyone was stunned by this scene, staring at Ling Chen in disbelief, frozen for a moment. Liu Kui, who had mocked Ling Chen earlier, widened his eyes as if he¡¯d seen a ghost, a trace of horror flickering in his eyes.


    "No, that¡¯s impossible!" Liu Kui took two steps back, muttering, "You can¡¯t possibly do that."


    Ling Chen smiled and said, "Liu Kui, seeing is believing. Now do you finally believe me?"


    With that, Ling Chen once again raised his longbow, aiming at Liu Kui¡¯s body.


    Feeling the sharpness in Ling Chen¡¯s eyes, Liu Kui¡¯s expression changed, hastily retreating backward until he was safely behind the group of security guards.


    "Liu Kui, weren¡¯t you quite capable? Why have you turned into a turtle hiding now, not daring to face me?"


    Hearing Ling Chen¡¯s taunting tone, Liu Kui opened his mouth but didn¡¯t know what to say. Although he wanted to stand out, he had to admit Ling Chen¡¯s skill had indeed unsettled him.


    Seeing Liu Kui cowering behind the riot shield, Ling Chen chuckled to himself, then shifted the longbow¡¯s aim towards the crowd where Yu Peng stood.


    Seeing the longbow aimed at him, Yu Peng jumped in fright, quickly ducking behind hisrades, not daring to show his face.


    "Ha!" Ling Chen chuckled softly, "Do you really think hiding behind them will make you safe from me?"


    With those words, Ling Chen¡¯s right arm moved repeatedly, creating several ¡¯thud thud¡¯ sounds as the bowstring vibrated. Five empty arrows were released, and five security guards behind the riot shield fell simultaneously, each one hit in the shoulder. Although not life-threatening, they were incapacitated.


    Watching those fallen security guards, Wu Zhaofeng was utterly shocked standing beside Ling Chen. Having witnessed Ling Chen¡¯s every move, he was certain that there were no arrows on Ling Chen¡¯s bow. However, he couldn¡¯t fathom how Ling Chen managed to strike people with empty shots.


    "Mr. Wu, what are you standing there for, hurry and lead everyone out," Ling Chen quietly reminded him.


    Hearing Ling Chen¡¯s voice, Wu Zhaofeng snapped out of his shock and quickly led the group towards the prison exit.


    "Stop them, don¡¯t let them escape," Yu Peng urgently shouted.


    The security personnel were about to take action, but upon seeing Ling Chen raising his longbow, they hesitated, their steps uncertain. They had clearly seen Ling Chen¡¯s disy earlier; even the riot shield couldn¡¯t block him. Anyone who dared step forward must be courting death. They were only working at the prison for a livelihood, without needing to risk their lives.


    Realizing his men were not following orders, Yu Peng became furious, shouting, "Are you all deaf? I told you to stop them!" After that, Yu Peng turned his gaze towards Liu Kui hiding in the crowd and said, "Why are you just standing there? Don¡¯t forget why I called you here. If they escape, you¡¯ll bepletely responsible."


    At these words, Liu Kui¡¯s face darkened, eyes shifting uncertainly between Ling Chen and the longbow in his hand.


    Suddenly, Liu Kui¡¯s expression turned cold. He grabbed a security guard nearby and threw him towards Ling Chen, attempting to use the man¡¯s body to block Ling Chen¡¯s vision.


    But before Liu Kui could retract his raised arm, an arrow suddenly shot through the air, piercing his right arm. Feeling the pain, Liu Kui¡¯s expression changed drastically, quickly retracting his arm. Staring at the arrow lodged in his arm, a trace of suspicion shed in his eyes.


    Suddenly realizing something, Liu Kui shouted loudly, "It¡¯s not you!"


    Hearing Liu Kui¡¯s outburst, Ling Chen asked, "What¡¯s that supposed to mean?"


    Pulling out the arrow from his arm, Liu Kui said coldly, "This isn¡¯t the kind of arrow you just used. It¡¯s impossible for someone like you to exist in this world, so I¡¯m sure there¡¯s another person nearby."


    "Is that so?" Ling Chen grinned, "Liu Kui, it seems you¡¯re not too dumb after all. You¡¯ve finally figured it out. You¡¯re right. It wasn¡¯t me who just shot the arrow." With that, Ling Chen tossed the longbow to the ground and called out, "Zhang Zhongfeng,e out!"


    As soon as Ling Chen¡¯s words fell, Zhang Zhongfeng emerged from a corner of the wall nearby. Behind him were three others: Qiu Yong, Xu Ming, and Yuan Yun.


    Seeing them, Liu Kui frowned and asked, "Who are you people?"


    "Liu Kui, you¡¯re just ignorant then. Haven¡¯t you heard of the legendary archer Zhang Zhongfeng?" Ling Chen said with a smug smile.


    "Archer God... Zhang Zhongfeng..." Liu Kui¡¯s lips moved, and a look of shock swept over his stern face, causing him to instinctively step back a few steps. Clearly, he had heard of Zhang Zhongfeng¡¯s reputation and knew of the archer god¡¯s prowess.


    "Qiu..." Seeing Qiu Yong approaching, Wu Zhaofeng¡¯s expression turned excited. After so many years, he finally saw his savior.


    Qiu Yong nced at Wu Zhaofeng, noting his unusual expression, and couldn¡¯t help but feel puzzled. However, he was more concerned about Ling Chen¡¯s safety. He walked past Wu Zhaofeng and the others to Ling Chen¡¯s side, and asked with concern, "Ling Cheng, are you okay?"


    Ling Chen smiled slightly, "I¡¯m fine. Big Brother, you all arrived just in time."


    "Indeed, we were lying in wait outside the prison after receiving your message, waiting for the right moment to act." With those words, Qiu Yong scanned the surrounding security personnel, saying calmly, "I¡¯m taking my brother with me. Anyone want to stop us?"


    Upon hearing this, everyone exchanged nces, but no one dared step forward.


    Qiu Yong nodded in satisfaction, "Very good. Ling Cheng, let¡¯s go."


    "Wait a moment!"


    "What is it?"


    "Take those two with us." Ling Chen pointed at Yu Peng and Liu Kui, who were hiding in the crowd.


    "I¡¯ll do it." Without a moment¡¯s hesitation, Xu Ming responded to Ling Chen¡¯s request. In an instant, he vanished from his spot.


    Shortly after, two muffled groans of pain were heard. When Xu Ming returned, he held a person in each hand, Yu Peng and Liu Kui, both unconscious.


    "Can we go now?"


    Ling Chen gave a thumbs up, praising without reservation, "Second Brother, you¡¯re amazing."


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 833 - 838: Evidence of Guilt

    <h4>Chapter 833: Chapter 838: Evidence of Guilt</h4>


    With Qiu Yong and others paving the way, and Yu Peng and Liu Kui falling into Xu Ming¡¯s hands, who dared to block their escape?


    "Wait!" As they passed by Yu Peng¡¯s office, Tang Guolun suddenly halted the group, saying, "Ling Chen, hold on a moment, I¡¯ll go in and take a look." After speaking, Tang Guolun quickly walked towards Yu Peng¡¯s office. As he was about to open the door, he suddenly remembered something, turned around, and pointed at the unconscious Yu Peng, saying, "Leave him here."


    Afraid of wasting time, Ling Chen instructed Qiu Yong to lead the others out first. He himself dragged Yu Peng by the cor and apanied Tang Guolun into the office.


    Ling Chen had been to Yu Peng¡¯s office once before. Upon entering, he saw Tang Guolun walking straight to Yu Peng¡¯s desk. Reaching the desk, Tang Guolun sat in the office chair, turned on theputer, and a window immediately appeared on the screen requiring a password for login.


    Watching Tang Guolun type away furiously, Ling Chen couldn¡¯t help but ask, "Boss Tang, can you do this or not? We don¡¯t have much time."


    Tang Guolun silently stared at the code rolling on the screen, seemingly oblivious to Ling Chen¡¯s words. Two minutes passed, and a slight smile of satisfaction spread across Tang Guolun¡¯s face.


    "Ling Chen, see this? Just as I thought, this guy used prisoners to pursue his own interests, illegally profiting from it. Look, here¡¯s the record of his earnings. During his administration of Yan City Prison, he made eighty million US dors in total. Hmph! Who knows how much he¡¯ll umte by the time he retires as Prison Director."


    Upon hearing this, Ling Chen curiously asked, "What exactly did he do?"


    Tang Guolun flipped through the records, saying with derision, "This guy epted ndestine contracts, assassinated targets¡ªhe¡¯d do almost anything as long as it paid." With that, Tang Guolun found a USB stick in the desk drawer, plugged it into theputer, and copied all the information onto it.


    Once the transfer wasplete, Tang Guolun tossed the USB to Ling Chen, saying, "All this is evidence of Yu Peng¡¯s crimes. I¡¯m entrusting it to you; it mighte in handy for you someday."


    Ling Chen nodded, securely tucking the USB away. Seeing that Tang Guolun was still busy at theputer with no intention of leaving, he couldn¡¯t help but ask, "Is there something else?"


    Tang Guolun replied without looking up, "Haven¡¯t you forgotten that we all have microtracking chips imnted? If we don¡¯t disable these trackers, they¡¯ll find us no matter where we escape to." Pausing, Tang Guolun exined, "Yu Peng¡¯sputer is connected to the control center system. With Yu Peng¡¯s authorization, thisputer can take over all functions of the control center."


    As he spoke, Tang Guolun pointed at the unconscious Yu Peng and then at the fingerprint scanner next to theputer.


    Seeing the gesture, Ling Chen immediately understood Tang Guolun¡¯s intention. He quickly picked up Yu Peng¡¯s thumb and ced it on the fingerprint scanner.


    Beep!


    As the red light on the fingerprint scanner turned green, a special interface immediately appeared on theputer screen.


    Tang Guolun focused intently on the screen, his hands flying over the keyboard. Soon, all the lights in Yan City Prison went out, leaving only theputer that Tang Guolun was using powered.


    "OK! It¡¯s done." After working for several minutes, Tang Guolun grinned and said, "Let¡¯s go. We¡¯ve bypassed the control center¡¯s authority, no one can stop us now."


    With that, Tang Guolun strode towards the office door.


    After walking for two or three minutes, Ling Chen, surprised, discovered that the prison¡¯s checkpoints were all inactive. Apart from a few emergency lights illuminating the corridors, everything else was engulfed in darkness; all facilities were paralyzed.


    Before long, Ling Chen and two others smoothly exited Yan City Prison without encountering a single obstacle.


    Outside the prison, Ling Chen quickly spotted Wei Jiahao standing by the roadside, anxiously waiting for them.


    "Brother Eight!" Ling Chen waved and called out to Wei Jiahao not far away.


    "Brother Six." Wei Jiahao¡¯s face lit up with joy. He hurried over, urging, "Brother Six, we need to go now. I just got a call from Brother Three¡ªthe prison reinforcements are on their way, they¡¯ll arrive in a minute."


    "Got it."


    Just after Ling Chen and his group had left, three military transport trucks arrived at the Yan City Prison entrance. At this moment, Yan City Prison¡¯s electrical system was severed, plunging all facilities into chaos.


    Consequently, prisoners from Yan City Prison werepletely out of control, frantically escaping to the outside.


    Fortunately, the reinforcements arrived promptly, securing the prison exit before the prisoners could escape and rounding them all up without letting anyone slip away.


    An hourter.


    In a Martial Arts Academy located in Beijing, Ling Chen met with Qiu Yong, Wu Zhaofeng, and others.


    "Big Brother!" Ling Chen greeted everyone one by one.


    Yuan Yun patted Ling Chen on the shoulder and chuckled, "You kid finally made it out. Your big brother and I didn¡¯t know what to do. When we first heard you were locked up in Yan City Prison, we just wanted to bust you out immediately. Then Mr. He found us and advised patience, not to be impulsive. He said they had a way to get you out. So, we stayed put in Beijing awaiting word. Eventually, a guy named Pang Jiulin approached us, saying he had a message from you. Once we learned the message, we knew you were in danger."


    Ling Chen grinned, "You were spot on, Brother Three."


    The message Ling Chen sent via Pang Jiulin was simple; outsiders wouldn¡¯t understand the gravity of it. Ling Chen purposefully mentioned ¡¯Brother Three¡¯ in that message¡ªa reference not to Yuan Yun, but to his old Brother Three who perished at the hands of the God Organization. It was his Brother Three¡¯s death that allowed Ling Chen the chance to join the Eight Wonders.


    Thus, Ling Chen intentionally brought up Brother Three to signal Qiu Yong and the others that he was in dire straits, his life was constantly in danger.


    This is why Qiu Yong and the team remained hidden outside Yan City prison, awaiting the right moment for rescue.


    When Yan City Prison¡¯s rms sounded, Qiu Yong understood that the timing was perfect. With their skills, secretly infiltrating Yan City Prison was a cinch.


    "Brother Six," Xu Ming, who had remained silent, spoke up, "I actually understand why Mr. He didn¡¯t want us to save you. You¡¯re a convict, and what we did amounts to a jailbreak¡ªin the eyes of thew, we¡¯ve allmitted a crime. Mr. He considered this factor, which is why he restrained us from acting. Now that you¡¯ve been rescued, what¡¯s your n moving forward?"


    "I¡¯m not sure yet."


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 Chapter 834 - 839: Divide and Scatter (Part 1)

    <h4>Chapter 834: Chapter 839: Divide and Scatter (Part 1)</h4>


    Ling Chen felt a bit helpless. He understood Xu Ming¡¯s point: because of him, the Eight Oddities had all be criminals. Of course, Xu Ming¡¯s words were not meant to me Ling Chen or use him of implicating everyone, but rather to hope that he had a n to deal with the current situation.


    Ling Chen thought for a moment and asked, "Big brother, where is this ce?"


    "Martial Arts Academy," Qiu Yong replied. "It was opened by an old friend of mine, and it¡¯s been closed for many years, unused and abandoned here. I¡¯ve thought it over, and this ce is quite secluded, with few residents, making it a suitable hideout. Until you figure out our next move, we can stay here for a while."


    "That works." Ling Chen nodded. For now, this was the only option.


    ...


    "What did you say?"


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    In the office of the Lonely Wolf¡¯s headquarters, Qiao Zhen abruptly stood up from his chair, looking incredulously at Pang Jiulin. Frowning, he asked, "Are you sure this information is true?"


    "General, it¡¯s absolutely true. I¡¯ve confirmed it multiple times," Pang Jiulin said with a bittersweet smile. "Ling Chen not only escaped, but he also kidnapped the Prison Director of Yan City Prison. Additionally, he assisted other prisoners in breaking out sessfully. ording to the current numbers, more than thirty prisoners broke out, led by Ling Chen."


    "Sigh!" Qiao Zhen sighed heavily and said in a low voice, "Didn¡¯t I tell you to remind that kid Ling Chen to stay put in Yan City Prison and not do anything? Why didn¡¯t he listen? Did you fail to convey my instructions clearly?"


    "No, I was very clear. I told him we would do everything possible to get him out. Who knew he couldn¡¯t hold out for a few days and just escaped. General, what do we do now? We spoke so highly of him to our superiors, and now that Ling Chen has escaped, they¡¯re going to me us. They might even suspect us of secretly aiding Ling Chen in escaping from Yan City Prison."


    "Indeed." Qiao Zhen nodded and said, "That¡¯s quite likely. Jiulin, you¡¯re the new leader of Lonely Wolf, and the superiors will definitelye to you. You must find a way to handle this well, and ensure that this matter doesn¡¯t affect Lonely Wolf."


    "Don¡¯t worry, General. I won¡¯t let Lonely Wolf be affected."


    As soon as the words left his mouth, the phone on the desk rang.


    At Qiao Zhen¡¯s signal, Pang Jiulin took a deep breath and picked up the phone, answering with a greeting.


    As soon as he spoke, angry scolding came from the other end. It was an admonishing superior, and Pang Jiulin didn¡¯t dare to retort, so he listened obediently. After a few minutes, Pang Jiulin let out a bitter smile and put down the phone helplessly.


    "How was it?" Qiao Zhen asked solemnly, "What did the higher-ups say?"


    Pang Jiulin sighed, "General, I¡¯m afraid Lonely Wolf is in big trouble this time. The higher-ups have issued a clear order to catch Ling Chen and rescue Yu Peng within ten days. If we fail to do so within the time limit, they will dissolve Lonely Wolf without any room for negotiation."


    "Did they really say that?"


    Pang Jiulin nodded and asked, "General, what should we do now?"


    "Hmph!" Qiao Zhen couldn¡¯t help but curse, "That brat Ling Chen is just a headache for me. I¡¯ve retired, and he still can¡¯t let me have some peace. Anyway! Jiulin, don¡¯t worry about anything else. Just follow the superiors¡¯ orders faithfully, mobilize all members of Lonely Wolf, and have them participate in the operation to capture Ling Chen. Remember, he must be captured alive, not a scratch on him. Do you hear me?"


    "Rest assured, General. Even if you didn¡¯t tell me, I wouldn¡¯t harm Ling Chen."


    "Once I catch that brat, wait to see how I deal with him."


    ...


    A night passed.


    The next morning, Ling Chen woke up from the floor of the bedroom, looking at the sunlight streaming in through the window, and got up to go outside.


    Although this Martial Arts Academy had been abandoned for many years, it was quite spacious, especially with a few hundred square meters of the courtyard out back that was once used for students to practice martial arts. The Academy had many rooms, but since no one had lived there for years, the rooms were very messy.


    However, given their current status as fugitives, there were no such concerns; as long as they could sleep soundly, it was enough.


    Arriving at the courtyard, Ling Chen saw Tang Guolun was already up, jogging alone and exercising.


    "Boss Tang." Ling Chen waved his hand, calling out from afar.


    Seeing Ling Chen approaching, Tang Guolun stopped running, panting, and wiped the sweat from his forehead with his clothes, smiling, "Why are you up so early?"


    "I¡¯m used to it. Besides, given the current situation, how could I sleep soundly?"


    "That¡¯s true. So, have you thought it over? Do you have a good n?"


    "Not yet. Based on my years of experience in special government departments, the government has certainly received word and is conducting a city-wide search for us. The airport, train stations, highways, these ces are probably under blockade; we cannot get near them."


    "You¡¯re right." Tang Guolun agreed, "Beijing is the capital of Huaxia, with higher security levels than other cities. If it were just one or two people, we might be able to sneak out using local resources, but we have three or four dozen people. We can¡¯t all leave together without splitting up and going our separate ways."


    "That¡¯s what I thought too, so I wanted to discuss it with you." Ling Chen said, hesitating for a moment, as if he was about to say something but stopped.


    Noticing Ling Chen¡¯s odd expression, Tang Guolun asked, "What do you want to say? We¡¯ve been through hardships together; there¡¯s nothing we can¡¯t talk about."


    "Alright," Ling Chen nodded. "Boss Tang, since you put it that way, don¡¯t me me for being blunt. Boss Tang, the dozen or so people you brought out this time are all criminals, different from us. We were framed, but they are true criminals. By taking them out of prison, aren¡¯t you..."


    Before Ling Chen could finish, Tang Guolun couldn¡¯t help but chuckle. He cut Ling Chen off, saying, "I understand what you¡¯re getting at. You don¡¯t want true criminals to wreak havoc on society again. But I assure you, they are absolutely eligible to leave Yan City Prison with me." Pausing, Tang Guolun continued earnestly, "Ling Chen, although I¡¯m a criminal, my nature isn¡¯t bad. And you should know me; I¡¯ve never done anything harmful to society. Among the criminals I brought, each was carefully selected. Also, you might not know this, but they are victims in a way too, not really criminals."


    Hearing this, Ling Chen asked puzzledly, "Boss Tang, what do you mean? Are they not criminals?"

 Chapter 835 - 840: Divide and Disperse (Part 2)

    <h4>Chapter 835: Chapter 840: Divide and Disperse (Part 2)</h4>


    "No. They are indeed criminals, and they were imprisoned because of their crimes. But you must understand, their crimes were theft andputer fraud; they nevermitted murder. Given their offenses, a few years of imprisonment would suffice. However, Yu Peng, to satisfy his own desires and have more people at his disposal, spared no effort to transfer them from various prisons to Yan City Prison. Once there, they stayed for years, even decades, with no chance of release. To my knowledge, among the dozen or so prisoners I brought out, seven had already served their sentences, but Yu Peng kept finding excuses to extend their terms, preventing them from getting out. So tell me, was it wrong for me to bring them out?"


    After hearing Tang Guolun¡¯s words, Ling Chen knew there was no need to continue the topic.


    Perhaps those prisoners were wrong, but the real culprit was Yu Peng, who secretly manipted everything and harmed innocent people.


    Thinking of this, Ling Chen shifted his focus and said, "Boss Tang, there¡¯s something I¡¯d like to ask you. When you were in prison, you told me that your friends were killed by people from the God Organization and you wanted to avenge them. I wonder if this is truly your heartfelt wish or... if you just said it casually."


    "That¡¯s my heartfelt desire." Tang Guolun said earnestly, "I once swore that if given the chance, I would certainly avenge them. You should know that I am a person who always follows through on my words."


    After a pause, Tang Guolun asked, "Are you asking me these questions because you want to coborate with me?"


    "Yes." Ling Chen nodded and said, "I mentioned before that I¡¯ve been fighting against the God Organization. Unfortunately, my strength is too weak, and the God Organization has been established for decades with solid foundations. It¡¯s difficult for me alone to take them down, so I hope to join forces with some like-minded people to fight against the God Organization."


    Actually, since escaping from Yan City Prison, Ling Chen had been worried. Although Tang Guolun previously promised to help him, they had now escaped the prison and were free. With Tang Guolun¡¯s skills, if he wants to leave Beijing, he could do so at any time, going wherever he likes without being found.


    Because of this, Ling Chen wanted to ascertain whether Tang Guolun genuinely intended to help him.


    "Ling Chen, I know what you¡¯re worried about. Rest assured, I never go back on my promises. Also, I enjoy challenges, and taking down the God Organization is a good choice."


    Upon hearing this, Ling Chen smiled slightly, feeling much more at ease.


    After chatting with Tang Guolun for a while, Ling Chen saw Yuan Yun climb over the wall from outside, carrying dozens of buns and soy milk in stic bags.


    "Ling Cheng, got up early, huh? Hungry? Come, try these freshly steamed buns." After speaking, Yuan Yun nced at Tang Guolun beside him and invited him with a smile, "Join us!"


    While having breakfast, Ling Chen asked, "Third Brother, did you notice anything when you went out to buy breakfast?"


    "The entire city is on lockdown, and the police force in all ces has doubled. Additionally, the police are conducting a phased search of various areas in Beijing. I¡¯ve discovered that it¡¯s impossible to leave Beijing now unless we disperse."


    Ling Chen and Tang Guolun exchanged a nce, a faint smile in their eyes.


    "Third Brother, just as we thought. That¡¯s exactly what we¡¯re thinking. If we leave together, we¡¯ll be too conspicuous; the only way is to break up into smaller groups. However, what I¡¯m concerned about now isn¡¯t anything else, but whether those people can escape on their own after splitting up."


    "You absolutely don¡¯t have to worry about that." Tang Guolun waved confidently and said, "I won¡¯t dare make promises about other things, but I can absolutely guarantee that they have the ability to escape Beijing. Ling Chen, my eye for people has never been wrong. Moreover, if they were incapable, why would I put so much effort into helping them escape?"


    "Alright! Since that¡¯s the case, let¡¯s not waste any more time and act quickly." Ling Chen immediately made a decision.


    With a n in ce, arranging the other matters was easier. Once everyone was up, Tang Guolun gave a brief exnation to the prisoners he brought out and asked, "By the way! Ling Chen, where should we meet after leaving Beijing?"


    Ling Chen thought for a while and replied, "Let¡¯s go to East Sea City. Then I¡¯ll give you a contact number, and once you arrive in East Sea City, you can call those numbers, and someone will naturally wee you."


    "Alright, it¡¯s settled then. We¡¯ll meet in East Sea City."


    After sending off Tang Guolun and his group, there were still about a dozen people left in the Martial Arts Academy. Besides the Eight Monsters, there were Wu Zhaofeng and his people.


    "Qiu, where are you nning to go?" Wu Zhaofeng asked.


    "Ling Cheng just said it, we¡¯re going back to East Sea City. Wu, if you have other ces to go, there¡¯s no need to follow us. Now that you¡¯re free, you can go wherever you like in the future."


    "How can that be?" Wu Zhaofeng shook his head and said, "I haven¡¯t repaid the debt of saving my life, and besides, I¡¯m now all alone without even a home, so where else can I go? Qiu, if you don¡¯t mind, let me follow you."


    Qiu Yong politely declined, "We Eight Monsters have always been used to being free-spirited and don¡¯t like having people follow us. Wu, if you don¡¯t have another ce to go, then go to East Sea City. Ling Cheng has some resources over there, and he needs people right now, so you might as well go help out. It¡¯ll make it easier for us to meet in the future."


    "Well..." Wu Zhaofeng hesitated a bit. He wasn¡¯t keen on being dependent on others.


    "Forget it!" After thinking for a while, Wu Zhaofeng said, "Being in prison for so many years, I want to wander around a bit as well. And when I get a chance, I¡¯ll definitely visit East Sea City to meet you all."


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    "Alright, then we¡¯ll meet again if fate allows." Qiu Yong sped his fists.


    After Wu Zhaofeng and his group left, Xia Yue couldn¡¯t help but say, "Big Brother, why didn¡¯t you persuade him to stay? If those three Earthly List experts could join Ling Cheng¡¯s forces, wouldn¡¯t that be a fantastic boost."


    "Since he¡¯s unwilling, why force him? Anyway, let¡¯s not talk about this." After speaking, Qiu Yong turned to Ling Chen and asked, "Ling Cheng, are we leaving Beijing together or separately?"


    "It¡¯s safer to act separately, as we¡¯re too conspicuous together."


    "Alright. I¡¯ll go first; let¡¯s meet in East Sea City."


    Once Qiu Yong left, Xu Ming and the others also started to depart. Before long, the huge Martial Arts Academy was left with only Ling Chen and the imprisoned Yu Peng and Liu Kui.


    Better deal with those two first before leaving.


    Ling Chen deliberated for a moment, then turned and headed inside the house.

 Chapter 836 - 841: The Plan to Leave Beijing

    <h4>Chapter 836: Chapter 841: The n to Leave Beijing</h4>


    Inside the room, Yu Peng and Liu Kui were tied with their hands behind their backs, their mouths stuffed with rags, only able to make ¡¯mmph mmph¡¯ sounds. Seeing Ling Chen approach, their cries grew louder. Ling Chen walked up to them and casually removed the rag from Yu Peng¡¯s mouth. Immediately, regaining his ability to speak, he shouted, "Ling Chen, let¡¯s talk this over. If you let me go, I¡¯ll give you as much money as you want."


    "Money?" Ling Chen smiled indifferently and said, "Yu Peng, do you really think I¡¯m that shallow? Money isn¡¯t everything, at least not in front of me. You¡¯ve done so many bad things, it¡¯s time you faced retribution." Saying this, Ling Chen nced at Liu Kui with a cold tone, "You¡¯re the same."


    With that, Ling Chen lifted Yu Peng from the ground and pushed him towards the door.


    Seeing himself left behind, Liu Kui couldn¡¯t help but ¡¯mmph mmph¡¯ in an attempt to get Ling Chen¡¯s attention.


    Hearing Liu Kui¡¯s cries, Ling Chen turned his head and looked at Liu Kui, who was filled with a pleading expression, and coldly said, "Liu Kui, you¡¯ve got so much blood on your hands, it¡¯s time you got what you deserve. If you want to me anyone, me yourself for your evil deeds." After speaking, no matter how loud Liu Kui¡¯s voice became, Ling Chen remained unmoved, taking Yu Peng with him as he left.


    Ling Chen had long thought about how to deal with Liu Kui. This Martial Arts Academy had been abandoned for years, and almost no one came here, so he decided to let Liu Kui fend for himself. As for Yu Peng, he still had other uses, and couldn¡¯t be allowed to die just yet.


    After leaving the Martial Arts Academy, Ling Chen looked at a small path not far away and patiently waited.


    After a few minutes, an unremarkable modern car slowly drove up the path and parked beside Ling Chen.


    The car door opened, and a middle-aged man in a suit got out from the driver¡¯s seat. Seeing the person, Ling Chen¡¯s lips curled into a smile as he greeted him, "Mr. Ye, long time no see."


    The middle-aged man wasn¡¯t anyone else but Ye Liangyong, a disciple of He Ziyun. Ye Liangyong was a businessman with his own enterprises in Beijing. Ling Chen thought over and over, and it seemed like Ye Liangyong was the only one in Beijing who could help him now.


    "Ling Chen, what¡¯s going on with you? Breaking out of prison like that, do you know how much trouble you¡¯ve caused for Master and the others?"


    Hearing this, Ling Chen asked in surprise, "Mr. Ye, how did you know about this?"


    "How could I not know." Ye Liangyong replied impatiently, "Master has been staying in Beijing recently, living at my house, so I know everything about you. I understand you faced a lot of injustice this time, but you can¡¯t act recklessly, it¡¯ll only cause trouble for everyone. As far as I know, the higher-ups have already given Lonely Wolf the final order: if they can¡¯t capture you and rescue Yu Peng within ten days, Lonely Wolf will be disbanded."


    "What?" Ling Chen was taken aback, not expecting such severe consequences.


    "Mr. Ye, you¡¯re right, this was indeed my fault. I didn¡¯t consider others." Ling Chen said apologetically. In fact, before deciding to break out, he had thought about many things, but this incident was beyond his expectations, and he didn¡¯t expect the higher-ups to be so furious, taking it out on Lonely Wolf.


    "Alright! It¡¯s already happened, talking about it won¡¯t change anything. Ling Chen, I just want to know: what do you n to do next? Continue running? Lonely Wolf has orders to capture you, and if you resist, they¡¯ll face the risk of being disbanded."


    "Mr. Ye, since Mr. He is staying with you, does he know I contacted you?"


    "He doesn¡¯t know yet, I didn¡¯t tell him. You¡¯re aware of Master¡¯s temperament. If he knows your location, he¡¯ll definitelye to see you. So, I wanted to ask you face to face about your ns before deciding whether to tell Master."


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    "That¡¯s good." Ling Chen secretly breathed a sigh of relief, genuinely afraid Ye Liangyong would reveal his whereabouts to He Ziyun. As it stood, he wasn¡¯t prepared to meet He Ziyun yet.


    "Mr. Ye." Ling Chen pointed to Yu Peng beside him, and said, "His name is Yu Peng, the Prison Director of Yan City Prison. I suppose he¡¯s the one the higher-ups are looking for."


    "Correct. So, are you nning to hand him over to me, so I can give him to Lonely Wolf for them toplete their mission?"


    "No." Ling Chen took a USB drive from his pocket and handed it to Ye Liangyong, instructing, "Mr. Ye, please hand Yu Peng and this USB drive to Mr. He. Once he sees what¡¯s inside, he¡¯ll naturally understand why I chose to break out."


    The USB contained all the evidence of Yu Peng¡¯s past crimes, copied from Yu Peng¡¯sputer by Tang Guolun. With this evidence, Yu Peng could be sentenced to death. Ling Chen wanted the higher-ups to know the kind of person they were trying to save.


    After watching Ye Liangyong drive away, Ling Chen set off alone, heading to the city center of Beijing.


    As Yuan Yun mentioned, there were two or three times more police in Beijing than before, frequently patrolling the roads and checking passing vehicles.


    Watching the patrolling police stop and go in the distance, Ling Chen walked on the sidewalk and bought a baseball cap at a shop to cover his face, to avoid being recognized by the passing officers.


    Ling Chen¡¯s purpose on this trip was clear: to find a way to leave Beijing as soon as possible. Having lived in Beijing for many years, he knew the city well. In addition, Ling Chen also knew a few of the city¡¯s underground figures. To leave Beijing, all he needed was to contact them for help. These people had connections on both sides of thew, with extensiveworks.


    While walking, Ling Chen¡¯s attention was suddenly caught by a row of tables and chairs on the street. Around those tables and chairs, dozens of citizens gathered, while on the other side of the tables sat several doctors in white coats.


    Free clinic? Seeing the banner behind the doctors, Ling Chen smirked. No wonder there were so many people; the doctors were offering free consultations.


    Scanning the area, Ling Chen¡¯s gaze instantly froze on one of the doctors.


    "Xiaozhu!"


    Ling Chen was taken aback, not expecting to see Zhu Xiaozhu in such a ce.


    It seemed Zhu Xiaozhu¡¯s medical skills were well-known in Beijing, attracting many patients who came for her. Of the five doctors participating in the free clinic, only Zhu Xiaozhu had a long line, while the others in front had only three or four people, or none at all.


    For some time, Ling Chen hadn¡¯t seen Zhu Xiaozhu, and she was still the same as before. Her beautiful, watery eyes; delicate, smooth face; and cherry-like, attractive red lips maintained a friendly smile, making people unconsciously want to approach her.


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 837 - 842: Free Clinic (1)

    <h4>Chapter 837: Chapter 842: Free Clinic (1)</h4>


    Perfect timing!


    Ling Chen thought to himself. He originally wanted to meet with Zhu Xiaozhu to ask about Zhu Hong. Unfortunately, too many things had happened recently, leaving him no energy to see Zhu Xiaozhu. Now that he encountered her on the road, he definitely wouldn¡¯t miss such a good opportunity.


    At the moment, Ling Chen pressed the brim of his baseball cap and quickly walked to the back of the volunteer medical team, quietly waiting.


    It took a full two hours or so before more than thirty patients in front were finally done. Ling Chen nced behind him, it was almost lunchtime, and the people behind him didn¡¯t decrease but instead increased, more and more.


    When it was Ling Chen¡¯s turn, Zhu Xiaozhu suddenly stood up, looked at everyone with a tired expression, and apologized with a smile: "Everyone, I¡¯m sorry, I need to have lunch. I¡¯ll continue to diagnose everyone after I take a break." After saying this, Zhu Xiaozhu turned around and headed towards the medical vehicle behind her.


    However, at this moment, a few rowdy young men suddenly squeezed out from the crowd and walked straight to the row of tables and chairs.


    "Hey! If you want to see a doctor, you have to stand in line, you can¡¯t just cut in line, how can you have no manners at all."


    "What are you talking about?" A young man with dyed red hair turned around and red at the speaker, sneering: "Do I still need to queue? Do you know who I am? Let me tell you, I control this area, you better behave yourself, if anyone dares to say one more word, you won¡¯t just see a doctor, I¡¯ll send you straight to the hospital."


    "What are you doing?" Seeing this scene not far away, Zhu Xiaozhu quickly ran back, scolding those young men.


    "Yo!"


    Seeing Zhu Xiaozhu running towards them, the eyes of those young men lit up instantly, feeling amazed.


    <fn1044> ??? ????? ???????s ??? ?????s??? ?? F?ndNovel</fn1044>


    "Tsk tsk! Didn¡¯t expect such a beauty here. Guys, we¡¯re pretty lucky." As he spoke, a young man smiled, hands in pockets, swaggering over to Zhu Xiaozhu, saying with a smile: "Beautiful, how about giving us some face and have some fun with us?"


    "How dare you!" Zhu Xiaozhu, with a stern face, lightly scolded, "This is a volunteer medical base, you are not allowed to cause trouble here, leave immediately."


    "Alright, as long as you agree to leave with us, we¡¯ll leave at once."


    Hearing this, Zhu Xiaozhu angrily said: "If you don¡¯t leave, I¡¯ll call the police." Saying this, Zhu Xiaozhu took out her phone from her pocket, ready to dial the police.


    Seeing Zhu Xiaozhu¡¯s move, the young man immediately rushed forward and kicked the phone out of her hand.


    "Girl, don¡¯t be disrespectful; I¡¯ve already given you face. Either you obedientlye with us, or we¡¯ll take you, your choice."


    "Stop it, all of you!" At this moment, an angry voice came from behind.


    The young man and Zhu Xiaozhu turned to look, only to see several men in the queueing forward with angry faces and saying: "Kid, don¡¯t disrespect Doctor Zhu, get lost and stop causing trouble here."


    "Yo! Are you guys trying to y hero in front of me?" The red-haired youth coldly smiled: "Let¡¯s see what you¡¯re capable of."


    As he finished speaking, the red-haired youth waved his hand. Instantly, more than twenty young men squeezed out from the surrounding crowd, all gathered around the red-haired youth, ring at those men.


    Seeing so many people suddenly appear around them, the few men who intended to stand up immediately backed down, quickly fleeing the crowd for fear of retaliation.


    At this moment, seeing the red-haired youth¡¯s behavior, some concerned people in the crowd had already called the police, hoping to seek police assistance.


    However, it seemed the red-haired youth had noticed everyone¡¯s small movements. He signaled to his men with his eyes. A group of his men immediately understood and started dragging Zhu Xiaozhu away.


    "No, let me go!" Zhu Xiaozhu struggled desperately, but unfortunately, she was too weak topete with the young men and could only let them drag her away.


    The few doctors who came with Zhu Xiaozhu for the volunteer medical service saw this scene and hurried over to help. However, with just a re from the red-haired youth, the doctors immediately froze, honestly standing still, not daring to move. They were doctors, not ready to fight these thugs.


    Not to mention whether they could win, they were also outnumbered.


    Seeing Zhu Xiaozhu being taken away, everyone was as anxious as ants on a hot pot, not knowing what to do.


    "Hey buddy, let it go!"


    Just then, a hand rested on the shoulder of the red-haired youth from behind.


    The red-haired youth turned sharply, only to see a young man wearing a baseball cap standing behind him. Because the man intentionally kept his head down, the young man¡¯s appearance was unclear.


    "Kid, are you trying to butt in too?" The red-haired youth said displeased: "Get lost before I get angry."


    "No respect?"


    "Damn! Who the hell are you, why should I respect you, you... Ouch!" The red-haired youth¡¯s words changed to a scream as his face contorted, almost crying.


    "Please, please, let go, quickly let go." The red-haired youth desperately grabbed the other¡¯s arm, trying to move the arm off his shoulder. But no matter how hard he tried, the other person remained unmoved, his arm as solid as an iron bar, immensely strong.


    "Kid, what are you doing, quickly release our boss."


    Seeing the red-haired youth suffer, the others hurriedly charged forward, surrounding the young man.


    Seeing the hostile-eyed young men, Ling Chen smirked slightly, said nonchntly: "You want me to let him go? Let¡¯s see if you have the ability."


    Once he said this, several young men immediately waved their fists, ready to knock Ling Chen down. But what kind of person is Ling Chen, could he possibly take these punks seriously?


    Before those punks even got close, Ling Chen¡¯s body shook, Hua Realm exploded. Instantly, those few who were waving their fists copsed, clutching their stomachs and crying out in pain.


    "What¡¯s going on?"


    Looking at theirpanions on the ground, the others were stunned. They clearly saw that their brothers hadn¡¯t touched Ling Chen yet ended up downed and injured, it was too mysterious.


    As everyone was dumbfounded, Ling Chen slightly raised his head, his eyes sweeping over the punks present. Feeling the fierce look, inexplicably, a chill ran down everyone¡¯s spine.


    "Get lost, all of you." Ling Chenmanded coldly. After saying that, he released his hand, swiping his arm sideways, and the red-haired youth¡¯s body was thrown out, heavilynding on the ground.


    "Boss, boss!"


    A few punks hurriedly rushed forward, helping the red-haired youth up from the ground.

 Chapter 838 - 843: Free Clinic (Part 2)

    <h4>Chapter 838: Chapter 843: Free Clinic (Part 2)</h4>


    "Who... who are you?" the red-haired young man pointed at Ling Chen and asked through gritted teeth.


    "It¡¯s better if you don¡¯t know, anyway, I¡¯m someone you can¡¯t afford to mess with." Ling Chen replied indifferently, then shifted his gaze away, ignoring the red-haired guy and his hooligans.


    "Fine, remember this, anyone who crosses me, Red Hair, won¡¯t have a good end." The red-haired young man spat out a threat, then immediately scurried away with his subordinates.


    Red Hair?


    Ling Chen chuckled to himself, never expecting that guy to be nicknamed Red Hair¡ªit¡¯s quite fitting.


    "Excuse me, sir." While he was lost in thought, a gentle voice came from the side. Just by hearing the voice, Ling Chen knew who it was without even looking.


    Zhu Xiaozhu!


    Seeing no response from Ling Chen, Zhu Xiaozhu smiled gently and said, "Sir, thank you for stepping in to help just now."


    "Exactly. If it weren¡¯t for this gentleman¡¯s skills, Doctor Zhu might have been in big trouble. Hmph! Those thugs are despicable, it¡¯s best if they all get locked up." A doctor beside her said angrily.


    "Sir?" Zhu Xiaozhu looked at Ling Chen¡¯s back. Seeing that he hadn¡¯t turned around, she couldn¡¯t help but feel curious. A beautiful woman like her taking the initiative to thank him, yet he showed no reaction¡ªcould it be that he doesn¡¯t like beautiful women?


    After hesitating for a moment, Zhu Xiaozhu spoke again, "Sir, thank you for helping me earlier."


    "No need to be polite. We are friends, helping each other is what we should do." With that, Ling Chen turned around, raised his head to meet Zhu Xiaozhu¡¯s beautiful eyes, and a faint smile appeared at the corner of his mouth.


    Seeing the familiar face suddenly appear before her, Zhu Xiaozhu was momentarily stunned, not regaining her senses for quite a while.


    "You... Ling Chen, what... what are you doing here?"


    Zhu Xiaozhu asked in surprise when she came to her senses.


    "I happened to be passing by, so I came to see you." Ling Chen smiled slightly, "It¡¯s been some time since west met, hasn¡¯t it? Ever since you returned to Beijing, you haven¡¯t visited East Sea City."


    "I..."


    <fnd38f> The source of th?s content is find?novel</fnd38f>


    Zhu Xiaozhu opened her mouth but didn¡¯t know what to say. Moreover, facing Ling Chen¡¯s gaze, Zhu Xiaozhu felt panicked inside, her eyes flickering uncertainly, daring not to meet Ling Chen¡¯s eyes directly.


    "What? Can¡¯t even bear to look at me now?"


    "No, I..." Zhu Xiaozhu was about to exin, but at that moment, Ling Chen¡¯s pupils contracted slightly, and he grabbed Zhu Xiaozhu¡¯s hand, leading her to the side of the road.


    "Ling Chen, where are you taking me?" Zhu Xiaozhu asked in confusion.


    Ling Chen didn¡¯t answer. Instead, he quickened his pace and escorted Zhu Xiaozhu to a nearby milk tea shop.


    Just as the two entered, several police officers arrived at the free clinic site. While chatting with Zhu Xiaozhu earlier, Ling Chen noticed their presence, so he took Zhu Xiaozhu away to avoid encountering them.


    Sitting in the milk tea shop, Ling Chen ordered two drinks and then removed the baseball cap from his head.


    "Ling Chen, what are you doing in Beijing this time?"


    Hearing Zhu Xiaozhu¡¯s inquiry, Ling Chen smiled and replied, "Nothing much, just handling some personal matters." After a pause, Ling Chen changed the topic, "Xiaozhu, I think you should know why I¡¯m looking for you."


    Zhu Xiaozhu nodded gently, a somewhat helpless smile on her face, "I knew it long ago, no matter how I hide from you, you¡¯d find me eventually. Ling Chen, actually, you don¡¯t need to say it, I already know what you want to ask."


    "Since that¡¯s the case, you must have a lot to say to me."


    "Last time in East Sea City, my elder brother found me and told me many things. Ling Chen, I know about the enmity between you and my brother; I¡¯m not counting on you two to give up hatred, because I know very well that it¡¯s a difficult decision for anyone. However, from my standpoint, one is my biological brother, the other is my friend¡ªno matter who gets hurt, I won¡¯t feel good. So, after thinking for a long time, rather than being painfully caught in the middle between you two, it¡¯s better to step away and let whatever happens be your concern, not mine. The only thing I can do is shed a few tears at your funerals."


    "Xiaozhu..."


    "Don¡¯t ask anymore, if you want to know about my brother, I¡¯m sorry, I know nothing. After we metst time, I haven¡¯t seen him again, nor has he contacted me. I have no idea where he is or what he¡¯s doing now." Saying this, Zhu Xiaozhu looked up at Ling Chen, with a face full of pleading, "Ling Chen, please, stop looking for me. I don¡¯t want to experience that kind of pain again."


    Hearing this, Ling Chen said full of apology, "I¡¯m sorry, it¡¯s my fault for not considering your feelings. Alright, if you don¡¯t want to see me again, I won¡¯t bother you."


    With that, Ling Chen stood up from his seat and walked towards the milk tea shop¡¯s exit.


    Watching Ling Chen leave, Zhu Xiaozhu bit her thin lips lightly, her beautiful eyes shimmering with tears. Back then, she regarded Ling Chen as the most important man in her life. Besides Ling Chen, only her father and her brother could upy such an important position in her heart.


    But now, the two most important men in her life are at odds with each other¡ªhow could she not be heartbroken?


    So, rather than being saddened and shedding tears for them, it¡¯s better to not see or hear anything.


    After leaving the milk tea shop, Ling Chen looked around, then walked along the sidewalk. He hadn¡¯t walked much before he suddenly saw a busing down the road, stopping at the roadside.


    Ling Chen intended to walk past the bus, but when he noticed the words on the side of the bus, he immediately halted his steps.


    Martial Arts Symposium?


    Ling Chen¡¯s heart stirred. Some time ago, he saw the invitation for the Martial Arts Symposium at He Ziyun¡¯s ce. He promised He Ziyun that if he had the time, he would definitely check it out. Unfortunately, with so many things happening, he almost forgot about it.


    While pondering, the bus door opened, and more than twenty passengers got off one after another.


    Ling Chen took notice that among these passengers, there were men and women, young and old. Although they appeared ordinary on the surface, Ling Chen¡¯s eyes were keener than an average person¡¯s, and he could tell that these people were not ordinary.


    Moreover, he also detected the presence of several skilled individuals among them.


    In fact, recognizing a skilled person is simple enough. Steps, aura, demeanor, eyes, plus a bit of intuition¡ªwith these elements, while not 100% urate, you¡¯re pretty close.


    Unexpectedly, this Martial Arts Symposium seems quite interesting. Ling Chen hesitated for a moment, then nced in the direction where the group was heading.


    About a hundred meters away from the bus, there was a cluster of vis, and a red banner was hung at the entrance with the gilded words "Martial Arts Symposium."


    So the Martial Arts Symposium is being held here.


    Ling Chen¡¯s lips curled into a slight smile; since he¡¯s already here, why not go and check it out? After all, it wouldn¡¯t take much time.


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 839 - 844: Martial Arts Symposium (1)

    <h4>Chapter 839: Chapter 844: Martial Arts Symposium (1)</h4>


    After making a decision, Ling Chen immediately followed behind the group and headed towards the nearby vi cluster.


    This vi cluster is considered a high-end residential area, surrounded by three-meter-high walls. To enter the vi area, you must pass through an iron gate. However, there¡¯s a guard outside the gate. Moreover, everyone entering the vi area must present an invitation letter.


    Only those whose identities have been verified can enter smoothly. Ling Chen saw this from a distance and immediately stopped.


    He didn¡¯t have an invitation letter, and if he went in rashly, he would definitely be escorted out by the guards at the door. After thinking it over, Ling Chen decided to give up entering through the main entrance and instead came to the outer wall several tens of meters away from the main gate.


    After checking left and right to confirm no one else was present, Ling Chen lightly tapped with his toes, his legs suddenly exerted force, and soared high from the ground. When he reached a height of two meters and his momentum waned, Ling Chen¡¯s toes lightly stepped on the wall repeatedly, leveraging the wall¡¯s sticity to rise further.


    Next, he grabbed the top of the wall with both hands, lightly exerted his arms, and deftly flipped over the wall.


    Once inside the vi cluster, Ling Chen dusted off the dirt on his body, pretending as if nothing had happened, and walked along the main path.


    At this moment, twenty to thirty guests were walking along the tree-lined road. Seizing his chance, Ling Chen shed smoothly from the surrounding greenery to the middle of the road, blending naturally into the crowd.


    No one noticed this outsider who joined halfway.


    In the vi cluster, Ling Chen saw many men and women in suits with smiling faces. They were enthusiastically serving tea and fruit to passing distinguished guests. Ling Chen, unreserved, grabbed tea with his left hand, fruit with his right, eating and walking.


    Following the crowd a little further, Ling Chen arrived at a luxurious hall.


    The hall was several hundred square meters, the floor was tiled with marble, the walls decorated with light golden wallpaper, and several golden chandeliers added to the sumptuous and impressive atmosphere.


    Ling Chen shook his head silently, too opulent. He reflected on past Martial Arts Tournaments, where locations were simple, withrge bowls of liquor and big guys, bustling and lively, unlike the current borate practices. Nowadays, everyone is exceedingly polite, afraid of offending others. Moreover, people are very conscious of their reputation, always boasting as if afraid others won¡¯t know how impressive they are.


    Ling Chen had little interest in the courtesy of the people in Martial Arts; he found a quiet spot, then sat down on a sofa.


    Just as he settled, Ling Chen saw a woman walking his way. The woman seemed around twenty-three or twenty-four years old, very elegant looking, with a round face, fair skin, her hair cascading down her back, a few delicate bangs swaying gently with her steps.


    The woman approached, her bright eyes sweeping lightly over Ling Chen before retracting her gaze, sitting down on the sofa next to him.


    When the woman sat down, Ling Chen immediately smelled a strong fragrance in the air and couldn¡¯t help but nce at her.


    The woman looked quite delicate, but the perfume on her seemed unsuitable, too overpowering. For women, being a bit more elegantly modest is best; why make it so morous like those women in special professions?


    "What are you looking at?" The woman seemed to notice Ling Chen¡¯s gaze and snapped coldly, "Never seen a beauty?"


    Ling Chen shrugged, immediately diverting his eyes from the woman. Was it necessary to get upset over a couple of nces? This woman was too petty. Besides, he¡¯d seen plenty of stunning beauties; this woman wasn¡¯t really one in his eyes.


    After sitting for a short while, the number of guests in the reception hall increased, nearly a hundred people. Some acquaintances gathered in threes and fives, smiling, discussing this Martial Arts symposium. Ling Chen listened but didn¡¯t hear anything useful.


    At this time, a few men walked from the distance. Judging by their direction, they seemed headed towards the woman. Ling Chen nced with his peripheral vision, and sure enough, upon their appearance, the woman¡¯s brow furrowed slightly, showing a touch of displeasure. Nevertheless, she remained seated, without any intention of leaving.


    When the men approached, they bowed respectfully to the woman, smiling, "Young Lady."


    "What do you want?" The woman responded indifferently, apparently displeased with their visit.


    A crew-cut man smiled apologetically, "Young Lady, when you ran away from home this time, the Master was very worried. He hopes you can return soon, lest he gets upset."


    The woman said impatiently, "So what if he¡¯s upset? Let him be upset. I specifically came to attend the Martial Arts symposium, and I won¡¯t leave before it ends. Lei Jiang, stop wasting your breath on me, go back and don¡¯t bother me here."


    Upon hearing this, the man named Lei Jiang immediately restrained his smile, solemnly stating, "Young Lady, since you refuse to go back with us, don¡¯t me us for the offense."


    The woman¡¯s bright eyes blinked, ring at Lei Jiang, "Do you intend toy hands on me?"


    "Sorry, Young Lady, the Master orders that you must be taken back no matter what. He said he knows your purpose in attending the Martial Arts symposium. Under no circumstances will he allow you to see that person again."


    "Who¡¯s in charge here, you or me?" The woman couldn¡¯t help but roar, "Since you call me Young Lady, then spare me the nonsense and get out of my sight. I don¡¯t want to see you anymore." With that, the woman turned her head away, not even looking at the men.


    At this moment, the woman¡¯s loud voice attracted the attention of numerous guests, who began whispering among themselves.


    Feeling everyone¡¯s gaze, the woman flicked her head, coldly saying, "What are you looking at? For your information, my name is Tong Ye. You better stay cautious."


    Upon hearing the name ¡¯Tong Ye,¡¯ everyone present immediately changed their expressions, hurriedly retracting their gaze, ignoring what was happening, pretending they hadn¡¯t seen anything.


    Tong Ye?


    Ling Chen silently contemted this name. In his memory, he had never heard it before. However, judging by everyone¡¯s reaction, this woman named Tong Ye seemed to have quite a background. Otherwise, why would everyone be so fearful of her?


    As he pondered, the man named Lei Jiang spoke, "Young Lady, we¡¯re acting on orders, hoping you won¡¯t make it difficult for us. Also, the Master has issued a strict order that regardless, you must be taken back."<fn8f8c> ???? ????s? ???????s ?? f?ndnovel</fn8f8c>


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 840 - 845: Martial Arts Symposium (2)

    <h4>Chapter 840: Chapter 845: Martial Arts Symposium (2)</h4>


    "Fine!" Tong Ye suddenly jumped up from the sofa, pointed at Lei Jiang¡¯s nose, and snorted, "Is it that my words no longer matter? Well, since you¡¯re all people my dad hired, and he¡¯s the one who pays you, naturally you only follow his orders. Alright, in that case, let me see what you¡¯re capable of. Lei Jiang, I know you have some skills, but I¡¯ve never had a chance to experience them. Today, I¡¯ll give it a go."


    As soon as she finished speaking, without waiting for Lei Jiang to respond, Tong Ye¡¯s wrist flicked slightly, and several sleeve arrows immediately flew out of her sleeve, shooting straight towards Lei Jiang¡¯s face.


    Tsk tsk!


    <fnd874> Fresh chapters posted on Find~Novel</fnd874>


    Upon seeing this scene, Ling Chen couldn¡¯t help but shake his head. This woman was really ruthless, aiming straight for the vital points. The opponent, after all, was one of their own, how could she use such a vicious method? Besides, sleeve arrows are hidden weapons, not martial arts skills.


    As the sleeve arrows approached, Lei Jiang¡¯s standing still body suddenly swayed from side to side. In the blink of an eye, he easily dodged several sleeve arrows. Immediately after, before Tong Ye could make another move, Lei Jiang¡¯s feet paced rapidly, resembling a swift wind, quickly rushing towards Tong Ye.


    Not bad!


    Ling Chen nodded quietly to himself, impressed by Lei Jiang¡¯s skills. Lei Jiang¡¯s skill might not be very high, but his movement technique was exceptionally clever. Ling Chen considered his eyesight pretty good, not even a fly could escape his notice. However, when Lei Jiang dodged the sleeve arrows just now, even he couldn¡¯t clearly see the opponent¡¯s movements, indicating that Lei Jiang was truly skilled.


    In a moment¡¯s thought, Lei Jiang had already edged close to Tong Ye, reaching out to grab her shoulder, intending to subdue her. However, just as Lei Jiang¡¯s hand was about to touch Tong Ye, she suddenly swung her arm, making a strange move.


    With Tong Ye¡¯s action, two small arrows, each about ten centimeters long, suddenly shot out from her waist, aimed directly at Lei Jiang¡¯s body.


    Not good! Seeing this situation, Ling Chen¡¯s heart sank, a sense of dread filling him.


    He didn¡¯t expect that there were hidden weapons at Tong Ye¡¯s waist, and at such close range, even if Lei Jiang¡¯s skills were high, it would be impossible to dodge the attack of those two arrows.


    Ling Chen frowned slightly, silently sighing in his heart, unable to help but shift his gaze away. He knew that at such a distance, Lei Jiang was undoubtedly doomed. Not to mention Lei Jiang, even if it were him, it would be difficult to avoid the attack of those two arrows.


    ng ng!


    However, at this moment, two crisp sounds suddenly reached Ling Chen¡¯s ears.


    "Let go of me!"


    Hearing Tong Ye¡¯s embarrassed and annoyed voice, Ling Chen turned his head in surprise, looking back at Lei Jiang and Tong Ye. At this moment, Lei Jiang had one hand grabbing Tong Ye¡¯s shoulder and the other twisting her arm, making her unable to move.


    Not hurt? Ling Chen was astonished, thinking Lei Jiang was surely dead, but unexpectedly, he waspletely unharmed. While contemting, Ling Chen noticed that two arrows had fallen by Tong Ye¡¯s feet, the very hidden weapons that almost took Lei Jiang¡¯s life just now.


    "Let go of me, didn¡¯t you hear?"


    Tong Ye shouted loudly, struggling desperately with both hands, trying to break free from Lei Jiang¡¯s restraint, but Lei Jiang showed no intention of letting go, speaking calmly, "Miss, stop being capricious,e back with me."


    Tong Ye snorted softly, defiantly asking, "How did you dodge those two arrows just now? Why weren¡¯t you hurt?"


    Hearing this, Lei Jiang smiled slightly, unbuttoned his suit, and then took out a thin steel te from under his shirt. The area of that steel te was notrge, but just enough to protect the abdomen.


    Seeing the steel te in Lei Jiang¡¯s hand, Ling Chen immediately understood. It turned out he had hidden a steel te in his clothes beforehand, no wonder the arrows couldn¡¯t prate. Ha! This guy really had foresight, knowing to be prepared in advance.


    "Miss, I know your skills. To put it bluntly, that¡¯s not really martial arts, but some vicious hidden weapons. True Martial Arts practitioners despise using such things. You keep saying that person is good to you, teaching you real skills, but in reality, he¡¯s just using some dirty tricks to cate you. Continuing to use such malicious hidden weapons will do you no good." After a pause, Lei Jiang continued, "The master has already informed me about your hidden weapons long ago, so I was prepared in advance. Your hidden weapons are useless against me. I advise you to obedientlye back with me."


    "No, I just won¡¯t go back." Tong Ye said with a displeased expression, "The previous fight doesn¡¯t count, my dad told you all my details, if he hadn¡¯t, you wouldn¡¯t have beaten me."


    "Miss is right, if it weren¡¯t for the master¡¯s reminder, I would have been a dead man by now. Does miss think killing is an amusing thing?"


    "No, I just..."


    "Tong Ye?"


    Just then, an surprised voice suddenly came over.


    Looking carefully, they saw a handsome young man striding over, his face filled with joy.


    "Qin Dong!"


    Upon seeing the neer, Tong Ye¡¯s expression immediately shifted from worry to joy, excitedly shouting, "Qin Dong,e and save me, someone is bullying me."


    The young man named Qin Dong approached, seeing Tong Ye subdued by Lei Jiang, frowned slightly and said, "Friend, what are you doing? A grown man bullying a weak woman, what kind of hero does that make?"


    Lei Jiang nced at him, expressionless, "You¡¯re Qin Dong? Just in time, my master asked me to deliver a message to you: stay away from our miss, and don¡¯t approach her again. Otherwise, don¡¯t me me for being impolite."


    "Miss?" Qin Dong nced at Lei Jiang, with a smirk, "So you¡¯re with the Tong Family. However, this is a personal matter between Tong Ye and me, not something for a servant like you to meddle in. Even if her dad has issues with me, he should tell me personally."


    "Qin Dong, don¡¯t refuse the toast only to drink the forfeit," Lei Jiang warned.


    Qin Dong smirked, "That¡¯ll depend if you have the ability." As soon as he finished speaking, his expression suddenly changed, and he looked at Tong Ye with soft eyes, "Don¡¯t be afraid, I¡¯ll get you out right away."


    Tong Ye nodded excitedly, "Teach them a lesson for me."


    "Come on!" Qin Dong beckoned to Lei Jiang provocatively, "Let me see what you¡¯re capable of."


    Facing Qin Dong¡¯s provocation, Lei Jiang, without a word, handed over Tong Ye to hispanion for safekeeping, then stepped forward towards Qin Dong, cupping his hands, "Please, enlighten me!"


    Before he could finish saying ¡¯enlighten¡¯, Qin Dong suddenly took action, moving with lightning speed, instantly closing in on Lei Jiang, striking with a palm.


    Seeing Qin Dong¡¯s move, Ling Chen¡¯s pupils slightly contracted.


    A Dragon List expert!


    Though Qin Dong was young, his strength was not to be underestimated, having already reached the level of the Dragon List.

 Chapter 841 - 846: Martial Arts Symposium (3)

    <h4>Chapter 841: Chapter 846: Martial Arts Symposium (3)</h4>


    Lei Jiang is in danger!


    Ling Chen thought to himself. Ling Chen had already witnessed Lei Jiang¡¯s skills earlier. Although impressive, they were still somewhatckingpared to the masters on the Dragon List. No matter how formidable Lei Jiang¡¯s methods were, they couldn¡¯t make up for the disparity in strength between them.


    After all, not everyone can be like Ling Chen, possessing so many advanced techniques. With just the Nine Yang Qiankun Step, Ling Chen can surpass many masters.


    At this moment, facing Qin Dong¡¯s attack, Lei Jiang¡¯s eyes narrowed, and he retreated rapidly, trying to distance himself from Qin Dong.


    But just as Lei Jiang prepared to step back, a bright sh streaked by. By the time he reacted, a soft sword had already wrapped around his waist.


    Oh no!


    Lei Jiang¡¯s expression changed, but before he could respond, he saw Qin Dong¡¯s lips curl into a smug smile, and his wrist jerked sharply. Under the pull of the soft sword, Lei Jiang¡¯s body instantly spun 360 degrees in mid-air, thennded heavily on the floor, making a ¡¯bang¡¯ sound.


    Looking at Lei Jiang on the ground, Qin Dong withdrew the soft sword into his belt, shook his head disdainfully, and said, "I thought you were formidable, turns out you¡¯re so vulnerable. You¡¯d better go home and train for a few more years and stop embarrassing yourself."


    "You¡¯re despicable!"


    Several men who hade with Lei Jiang shouted angrily.


    "Despicable?" Qin Dongughed indifferently, "Where am I despicable? As a person of the Martial Arts, don¡¯t you know the dangerous nature of the Martial Arts World? Alright! I¡¯mzy to talk nonsense with you, hurry and release the person, don¡¯t force me to act."


    "Did you all hear that." Tong Ye said proudly, "Release me quickly, or you¡¯ll regret it?"


    Hearing this, the men looked at each other and, unwillingly, released Tong Ye. Among them, Lei Jiang was the strongest, and since Lei Jiang couldn¡¯t stand against Qin Dong, let alone the others.


    Once free, Tong Ye immediately rushed toward Qin Dong, directly embracing him with affection and said, "Qin Dong, I knew you wouldn¡¯t abandon me; you would definitely appear when I need you the most."


    Qin Dong lightly tapped Tong Ye¡¯s nose, smiled, and said, "I promised to protect you well. It¡¯s a promise I won¡¯t break."


    Tong Ye nodded, her eyes glowing with happiness.


    "Let¡¯s go."


    After speaking, Tong Ye held Qin Dong¡¯s hand, and they walked into the crowd side by side.


    At this time, a few men hurried to Lei Jiang¡¯s side and helped him up from the ground.


    "Jiang, are you okay?"


    "I..." Lei Jiang opened his mouth, ready to respond. But before he could speak, his legs suddenly gave way, and he copsed directly on the ground, his face full of pain.


    "Jiang! Jiang!" The men became anxious and asked him with concern, "How are you?"


    Lei Jiang didn¡¯t speak but pointed to his legs. Only then did they notice that Lei Jiang¡¯s ankles were stained with blood. At this moment, the blood was seeping through his shoes and socks, trickling onto the floor.


    "Jiang, I¡¯ll help you up first." One of the men grabbed Lei Jiang¡¯s arm, trying to lift him.


    "Don¡¯t move him."


    Upon hearing this voice, the men looked up, seeing a handsome young man walking over. They had noticed the young man¡¯s presence when Tong Ye arrived, but had dismissed him.


    "Why can¡¯t we move him?" Lei Jiang¡¯spanion asked.


    Ling Chen didn¡¯t reply but squatted down and examined Lei Jiang¡¯s injuries. Seeing the conspicuous wounds, Ling Chen¡¯s eyes shed with severity.


    So ruthless!


    These wounds were all caused by Qin Dong. Just when Lei Jiangnded, Qin Dong quickly struck, shing twice across Lei Jiang¡¯s ankles. The speed was so fast that no one noticed Qin Dong¡¯s subtle action; even Lei Jiang probably didn¡¯t feel it.


    A soft sword is very thin, with a de about the thickness of paper, and if the speed is fast enough, even when injured, one might not immediately feel it.


    Qin Dong had already defeated Lei Jiang and still used such despicable means to injure him. Fortunately, Ling Chen was present; otherwise, trying to help Lei Jiang sit up could elerate the blood loss and endanger his life.


    "Fortunately." After inspecting the injuries, Ling Chen nodded, "You¡¯re quite lucky. If it had been a bit deeper, it would have injured your tendons. Then, you¡¯d never be able to practice martial arts in your life."


    Upon hearing this, Lei Jiang looked pale and quickly asked, "Friend, now then..."


    Ling Chen smiled slightly, "Don¡¯t worry, it¡¯s not serious, just rest for a while, and you¡¯ll be fine." Saying this, Ling Chen tore two pieces of cloth from his clothes and wrapped them around Lei Jiang¡¯s wounds.


    "Alright, take him back." Ling Chen stood up.


    Lei Jiang looked at Ling Chen gratefully and said, "Friend, thank you for saving me. How may I address you?"


    "It¡¯s just a fleeting encounter, no need to ask so much. Hurry home and rest, I should be going." After speaking, Ling Chen waved at Lei Jiang, and then walked toward the crowd.


    After strolling in the hall for a while, Ling Chen drank a few sses of champagne and ate some of the host¡¯s sumptuous food to fill his stomach.


    Sated, Ling Chen was considering finding a quiet ce to sit, but at this moment, a group of about ten people walked into the hall entrance, mostly elderly men in their sixties and seventies, with only one or two middle-aged men.


    However, the most surprising thing was that among them, there was actually a young man about twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old.


    Ling Chen saw the noisy hall suddenly quiet down, couldn¡¯t help but look over at the hall entrance. When he noticed the young man trailing the group, his expression changed slightly, showing a hint of surprise.


    It¡¯s him!


    Unexpectedly meeting him here.


    As he pondered this, the young man at the back of the group seemed to sense Ling Chen¡¯s gaze and nced in his direction.


    As their eyes met, the young man¡¯s expression clearly showed a hint of surprise. Then, he called a staff member to his side, whispered a few words, and detached himself from the group, heading straight towards Ling Chen¡¯s position.


    <fndcae> Fresh chapters posted on f?ndnovel</fndcae>


    Seeing the other approaching, Ling Chen immediately stood up to greet him, smiling, saying, "What a coincidence, I didn¡¯t expect to meet you here."


    "I didn¡¯t expect it either." The young man replied coolly, "What are you doing here?"


    "Didn¡¯t you see? I¡¯m here for the conference."


    "With your skills, you should be on the host¡¯s VIP list, why are you in such a ce? It¡¯s full of low-level masters, unworthy of your status."


    Ling Chen shrugged, smiling indifferently, "I don¡¯t think my status is that remarkable. I¡¯m just here to join the fun, it doesn¡¯t matter."

 Chapter 842 - 847: Wang Hao’s Hostility

    <h4>Chapter 842: Chapter 847: Wang Hao¡¯s Hostility</h4>


    The young man said, "Do you want me to talk to the organizers and let you go in with me?"


    Ling Chen waved his hand and said, "That won¡¯t be necessary. I¡¯m just here to take a look, broaden my horizons, and I¡¯ll leave after wandering around for a bit."


    "Alright then." The young man nodded and said, "Since you don¡¯t want toe with me, I won¡¯t force you. However, I must remind you, if you want to broaden your horizons, you can only go inside. Outside are just some low-level martial arts practitioners; following them won¡¯t teach you much. Also, you¡¯re an Earthly List expert, so instead of wasting time here, you¡¯d be better off befriending other Earthly List experts, which will greatly benefit your martial arts progress."


    "No problem, you go ahead. I¡¯ll just look around." After saying that, Ling Chen changed his tone and asked with a smile, "Honestly, I didn¡¯t expect to see you here. I thought people from the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion wouldn¡¯t lower themselves to attend such gatherings."


    The appearance of Wang Hao indeed surprised Ling Chen. Wang Hao is considered the top of the younger generation in the Yangxin Pavilion. Although he lost to Ling Chen in thestpetition, Ling Chen had a lot of tricks up his sleeve. In terms of real strength, Wang Hao is much stronger than Ling Chen.


    "If it were another gathering, I certainly wouldn¡¯t attend. But the martial arts seminar is different. The initiator of this gathering is quite influential and is regarded as a senior figure with high esteem and prestige in the martial arts world. In terms of seniority, he is on par with your Master Elder Su. Moreover, the martial arts seminar is an open gathering, attended by figures from all walks of life. Of course, the most important point is that many Earthly List experts wille to attend the martial arts seminar. Over time, the martial arts seminar has be synonymous with a gathering of Earthly List experts." Wang Hao exined.


    "I see. Alright, since you have other things to do, you should go ahead. Let¡¯s meet upter if there¡¯s time."


    Wang Hao nced at Ling Chen and asked again, "Are you sure you don¡¯t want toe with me?"


    "No." Ling Chen shook his head.


    <fn9512> This text is hosted at fin?novel</fn9512>


    Although Ling Chen had crossed paths with Wang Hao, they weren¡¯t exactly friends, so he didn¡¯t want to follow Wang Hao. Moreover, he could sense Wang Hao¡¯s hostility towards him. As for why Wang Hao was hostile, Ling Chen was aware of some reasons, mostly rted to Su He.


    Back at the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, Du Kang had mentioned Wang Hao to Ling Chen. Among the young disciples in the Yangxin Pavilion, Wang Hao was the most gifted, bing an Earthly List expert before the age of thirty. Moreover, Wang Hao¡¯s rank hovered between fifth and sixth on the Earthly List. Few could achieve this at such an age.


    Of course, a wise mentor produces outstanding pupils. Wang Hao¡¯s achievements were inseparable from his master¡¯s guidance. ording to Du Kang, Wang Hao¡¯s master was of the same generation as Su He, and their strengths were nearly equal, both being Heavenly List experts. However, Wang Hao¡¯s master passed away a few years ago due to health issues.


    Therefore, to continue improving himself, Wang Hao needed guidance from a master. Throughout the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, besides Su He, no one else qualified to be his master. However, Su He took Ling Chen as a disciple, which undoubtedly unsettled Wang Hao. This is why Wang Hao harbored hostility towards Ling Chen.


    "Alright. Since you don¡¯t want toe with me, I won¡¯t force you." After saying that, Wang Hao turned around and left the hall with his group.


    After seeing Wang Hao and his group leave, Ling Chen looked around, hesitating about where to go. Wang Hao had made it clear that the focus of this martial arts seminar was the interaction andmunication among the Earthly List experts. But, without connections, one could only follow these low-level martial arts practitioners.


    Should I just forget about it? Ling Chen thought to himself.


    Just as Ling Chen was about to leave, a hand suddenly reached out from behind andnded on Ling Chen¡¯s shoulder.


    Ling Chen quickly turned around, only to see an old face appearing in front of him.


    "Mr. He?" Ling Chen was slightly startled, looking at He Ziyun in surprise, not expecting to encounter him here.


    This is bad. I originally wanted to avoid He Ziyun, but ended up meeting him here. In a sh of thought, Ling Chen scratched his head and said with an embarrassed smile, "Mr. He, what brings you here?"


    He Ziyun kept a stern face and said, "If you cane here, why can¡¯t I? Don¡¯t forget, I hold an invitation." After saying that, He Ziyun pointed to a corner not far away and said, "Come with me; I have something to tell you."


    Ling Chen had no choice but to obediently follow behind He Ziyun. Once they reached the corner, He Ziyun turned to Ling Chen and said, "I know all about Yu Peng¡¯s incident. Although your actions this time weren¡¯t quite right, you did a good job with Yu Peng¡¯s matter, at least helping to silence those above. Jiulin has already presented Yu Peng¡¯s evidence to the higher-ups. After seeing it, they collectively chose to stay silent and decided to deal with this escape incident lightly without making it public. However, although the higher-ups won¡¯t hold Lonely Wolf ountable, your charges are still not cleared. Jiulin tried to plead on your behalf, hoping for leniency from the higher-ups, but they are very clear: you must be detained."


    Upon hearing this, Ling Chen said with a wry smile, "So I still have to carry thebel of a criminal?"


    "A criminal, indeed, but at least you¡¯re not in any danger now. Moreover, the task of capturing you is entirely up to Lonely Wolf. They can act whenever they want."


    "Is that so?" Ling Chen¡¯s mouth curled into a smile, and he nodded, "That¡¯s good."


    The implication from He Ziyun was clear: Lonely Wolf would catch him if they wanted, or leave him be if not. Therefore, he was safe for now.


    "Also, those who broke out of prison with you, the higher-ups have clearly instructed that they must be apprehended again. I don¡¯t care what deals you have with them. In any case, tell them to be cautious and not roam around freely. They need to stay put."


    "Mr. He, rest assured, I guarantee they won¡¯t cause any more trouble. If they do, you don¡¯t need to get involved; I¡¯ll personally take them back to prison." Speaking up to here, Ling Chen changed the subject and asked, "Mr. He, what brought you here today?"


    "Because of your matter, these past few days have been hectic. I originally didn¡¯t n to attend this martial arts seminar, but Yu Peng¡¯s confession turned the situation around, coupled with the organizers¡¯ persistent invitations, so I decided toe and take a look." Pausing for a moment, He Ziyun continued, "Didn¡¯t you sayst time that you wanted to gain experience by following me? Since you¡¯re here,e along with me."


    "Alright!" Ling Chen replied with a smile.


    "Let¡¯s go, over there."


    Under He Ziyun¡¯s guidance, Ling Chen reached the entrance on one side of the hall. After showing their invitation, the reception staff immediately weed He Ziyun and Ling Chen in and arranged for someone to transport them by electric cart to their temporary residence.

 Chapter 843 - 848: The Qin Brothers

    <h4>Chapter 843: Chapter 848: The Qin Brothers</h4>


    The organizers were undeniably extravagant, arranging high-end vis for the guests. Not only were these spacesrge andvishly furnished, but they were also fully equipped with everything one could possibly need. Moreover, each vi¡¯s exterior wasplemented by two maids and a private chef.


    Sitting in the spacious andmanding living room, Ling Chen crossed his legs, munching on sunflower seeds, and asked, "Mr. He, can I ask you something? Do you know someone named Tong Ye?"


    "Tong Ye?" He Ziyun thought for a moment and shook his head, saying, "I don¡¯t know her. Why do you ask?"


    "Oh, it¡¯s nothing, I¡¯m just a bit curious about her identity." With that, Ling Chen recounted the events that took ce in the hall earlier.


    After listening, He Ziyun said, "If that¡¯s the case, I think I know who you¡¯re talking about. In the Martial Arts world, there¡¯s only one family with thest name Tong that holds significant influence. The Tong Ye you mentioned, her father should be Tong Jian, an eminent figure in the Martial Arts world. However, the reason the Tong family is so renowned is mainly because of Tong Ye¡¯s grandfather, who is a senior figure in the Martial Arts world, not any less esteemed than your Master Su He. The Martial Arts conference was his initiative."


    "So that¡¯s how it is." Ling Chen finally understood. No wonder everyone was in awe of Tong Ye; it turns out she has such a prestigious background.


    About an hour into their stay at the vi, event staff arrived to invite He Ziyun and Ling Chen to the venue.


    The venue was at the center of a cluster of vis. After chatting with the weing staff, Ling Chen gained an initial understanding of the Martial Arts conference.


    The Martial Arts conference was divided into two venues: a main venue, dedicated specifically to experts on the Earthly List, and a secondary venue for other martial arts enthusiasts.


    Upon arrival, Ling Chen apanied He Ziyun through the main entrance, where over twenty people were seated inside. Everyone was quietly sitting in their seats, either meditating with closed eyes, looking at their phones, or savoring fragrant tea, without any interaction throughout.


    This quiet atmosphere created an oppressive feeling, making one feel very uneasy.


    At this moment, the arrival of Ling Chen and He Ziyun caught the attention of many. However, everyone just nced at them briefly and then diverted their eyes back to what they were doing, except for Wang Hao, who took another look at Ling Chen.


    He Ziyun silently pointed to a nearby sofa, and Ling Chen immediately understood, following and sitting down. Soon, a staff member of the event brought fruit and fragrant tea, then respectfully stepped aside, waiting for any requests from the guests.


    A few minutes passed, and the restless Ling Chen nced around, couldn¡¯t help but lower his voice, and asked He Ziyun beside him, "Mr. He, why is no one talking? Is there some rule about this?"


    He Ziyun smiled faintly, "It¡¯s not about rules; it¡¯s just that everyone prefers a ce of quiet and stillness."


    Just then, a few more people appeared at the entrance of the venue, walked in chatting andughing, their loud voices breaking the tranquility of the ce instantly.


    Ling Chen looked closely and recognized Tong Ye among them, whom he had met once before. In addition to Tong Ye, there was also a young man named Qin Dong. The two were holding hands, looking intimate, with happy smiles on their faces. Behind them followed another young man.


    Seeing the young man¡¯s appearance, Ling Chen¡¯s expression slightly tensed. Then, a smile with an underlying meaning appeared on his lips.


    It was actually him!


    Ling Chen thought to himself. That young man was none other than Qin Gang, the one Tang Guoxiong had summoned to deal with him. At that time, Tang Guoxiong wanted to use Qin Gang to kill him, but he was easily dealt with by Ling Chen.


    Considering that Qin Gang was a martial arts practitioner, Ling Chen had spared his life and let him go, not expecting him to know Qin Dong. Qin Dong, Qin Gang... They didn¡¯t seem far apart in age; could they be brothers?


    With that thought, Ling Chen¡¯s gaze alternated between Qin Gang and Qin Dong. The two bore some resemnce to each other; they must be brothers.


    While Ling Chen was observing Qin Gang, thetter seemed to feel Ling Chen¡¯s gaze on him and couldn¡¯t help but look back at Ling Chen. Seeing Ling Chen¡¯s amused expression, Qin Gang¡¯s pupils slightly contracted, his face immediately turning cold.


    Retracting his gaze, Qin Gang patted Qin Dong on the shoulder in front of him. When Qin Dong turned back, Qin Gang pointed to the ce where Ling Chen was and whispered a few words. No one knew what Qin Gang said, but Qin Dong instantly locked his eyes on Ling Chen.


    Soon afterwards, Qin Dong, apanied by Qin Gang and Tong Ye, began to stride towards Ling Chen.


    Standing in front, Qin Dong looked down on the seated Ling Chen and spoke, "Are you Ling Chen?"


    <fn94b2> The source of th?s content is f?ndnovel</fn94b2>


    "That¡¯s me. Do you need something from me?"


    "I¡¯ve heard that you and my brother have a bit of a grudge. As his elder brother, I¡¯d like to help mediate."


    "Mediate?" Ling Chen asked with a smirk, "How do you n to mediate? Also, let me rify, I have no grudge against your brother. He was hired to bother me and was defeated because he couldn¡¯t match my skills. If anyone should call it to ount, it should be me against him."


    "Is that so?" Qin Dong replied with a cold smile, "Do you think you¡¯re in a position to call us to ount?"


    "Why not?" Ling Chen countered, "Is it because the girl you¡¯re with has a significant background that you think you can disregard anyone?" He shook his head and said with a tone of teaching, "Young man, don¡¯t be too arrogant; it¡¯s better to be a bit lower profile, just in case you offend someone you shouldn¡¯t."


    Hearing this, Qin Dongughed haughtily, "Unfortunately, there¡¯s no one here I don¡¯t dare offend. Even if there were, it definitely wouldn¡¯t include you."


    "If that¡¯s the case, then try to mess with me." Ling Chen looked Qin Dong straight in the eye, showing no fear of the provocation.


    A Dragon List expert actually dared to provoke him so brazenly, truly ignorant of his own fortune.


    "Qin Dong, that¡¯s enough. This is a public ce, be mindful of the impact, don¡¯t go too far."


    At this moment, a hoarse voice came from nearby. Upon hearing it, Qin Dong immediately retracted the sinister look in his eyes and nodded with a smile, "Master, rest assured, I¡¯m just teasing this brother a bit, no harm intended. Let¡¯s go, younger brother!"


    "Brother, this guy..."


    Before Qin Gang finished his words, Qin Dong shot him a nce and softly scolded, "What¡¯s the rush? It¡¯s not like there¡¯s no opportunity." With that, Qin Dong turned to Ling Chen and raised his middle finger, "Kid, mark my words; I¡¯ll settle this score with youter."


    Ling Chen shrugged, pretending not to hear the threat.


    When Qin Dong and Qin Gang had walked away, Ling Chen¡¯s gaze followed them, observing as the three of them sat beside an old man, the very one who had just verbally restrained Qin Dong.

 Chapter 844 - 849: Unity of Heaven and Man

    <h4>Chapter 844: Chapter 849: Unity of Heaven and Man</h4>


    "Mr. He, do you recognize the old man over there?" Ling Chen asked curiously.


    He Ziyun nced over and said, "I know him. That person is Heavenly Mechanism Jijiang, a top martial artist ranked in the top five on the Earthly List. He¡¯s very powerful. From what I overheard of your conversation with his disciple, do you have a grudge against them?"


    "Not really." Ling Chen recounted the incident where Tang Guoxiong tried to sabotage him, saying, "He¡¯s a defeated opponent yet still dares to cause me trouble. If they really dare toe, just watch how I¡¯ll deal with them."


    "It¡¯s better to be cautious. Although I haven¡¯t had dealings with Heavenly Mechanism Jijiang, I know he¡¯s very protective and indulges his disciples a lot. This has led to his disciples developing arrogant and overbearing attitudes."


    Ling Chen confidently smiled, "That¡¯s because he hasn¡¯t faced a tough opponent." At this point, Ling Chen changed the topic, "Hey, Mr. He, what exactly does this Martial Arts Conference do? Are we just supposed to sit here?"


    "Don¡¯t worry, you¡¯ll find out soon enough. In short, the focus of the Martial Arts Conference is not on ¡¯discussion,¡¯ but on ¡¯martial arts.¡¯


    As they spoke, a sharply dressed man with slicked-back hair entered from the entrance and walked straight to the center of the venue. Once the middle-aged man stood still, he cupped his fists with both hands and bowed to the surrounding guests, his face full of amiable smiles.


    <fna974> N?w ?ovel chapt?rs are published on F¦Énd£Îovel</fna974>


    "Ladies and gentlemen, it¡¯s time again for the triennial Martial Arts Conference. Besides some familiar faces, we also have many new faces, especially the arrival of Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion¡¯s Wang Hao. As the youngest top talent on the Earthly List, I¡¯m thrilled to have invited him to attend. Young talents like Wang Hao are beneficial to martial arts in Huaxia, ensuring the future of martial arts. We old-timers no longer need to worry about the decline of martial arts."


    Upon hearing the host¡¯s praise for Wang Hao, Qin Dong, sitting next to Heavenly Mechanism Jijiang, snorted disdainfully, "What¡¯s so great about it? When I reach his age, my achievements will surely surpass his."


    Qin Dong¡¯s words immediately attracted the attention of many. Heavenly Mechanism Jijiang nced at the silent Wang Hao and slightly frowned, then signaled his disciple to keep quiet with his eyes. In such a setting, some words could be spoken, while others couldn¡¯t. Wang Hao is from Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, with a background so vast that no one present could rival it.


    Although Heavenly Mechanism Jijiang spoils his disciples, he knows the importance of not offending Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, as it is not a trifling matter.


    Sensing his master¡¯s discontent, Qin Dong obediently closed his mouth and said no more. The host in the center pretended not to hear Qin Dong¡¯s words,ughed heartily, and continued, "Since there are many new faces participating in this conference, I¡¯ll reiterate the rules. First, no private fights are allowed during the conference. However, as martial artists, it¡¯s understandable to itch to test one¡¯s skills. So, both parties can spar, but they cannot engage in duels to the death, nor can they deliberately injure one another under the guise of sparring. Anyone found viting will be immediately disqualified and cklisted. Our organizers will have no further dealings with them."


    Pausing briefly, the middle-aged man continued, "Second, as fellow martial artists, having enmities and grievances is normal. Therefore, if there¡¯s some score to settle, you can go to the underground arena where there are no rule restrictions. Once you¡¯re in the ring, anything goes. Everyone present should be well aware of this, so I won¡¯t borate further."


    "Third, as usual, you¡¯ll have five days to prepare. After five days, I will send you to the designated location. So, use these five days to prepare well and recharge so as not to miss the opportunity when the timees. That¡¯s all I have to say. If anyone has any questions, feel free to ask now, and I will help rify."


    "No questions. Since there¡¯s nothing else, can I leave?" a middle-aged man asked.


    "Of course. If everyone has no more questions, you can head back to your vis. When the timees, I¡¯ll send someone to notify you."


    Hearing this, the crowd stood up one after another and began to walk out of the venue.


    Leaving the venue, Ling Chen and He Ziyun walked shoulder to shoulder on the tree-lined street.


    "Mr. He, the man mentioned a five-day deadline. What does that mean?"


    "Five dayster, there will be apetition. But instead of calling it apetition, it¡¯s more of a gamble."


    "A gamble?" Ling Chen was puzzled and asked, "What do you mean?"


    "You won¡¯t understand even if I exin now. You¡¯ll naturally understand when the timees." Finishing, He Ziyun asked, "What do you n to do in these few days?"


    Ling Chen shook his head and said, "I¡¯m not sure yet. I originally nned to return to East Sea City, but since there¡¯s a turn for the better in Beijing, I don¡¯t need to be so anxious. I¡¯ll stay for a few days and return to East Sea City after the Martial Arts Conference ends."


    At this point, Ling Chen nced around and said seriously, "Mr. He, no news of Little Hua yet?"


    "No." Mentioning Little Hua, He Ziyun¡¯s expression immediately turned grave.


    "I¡¯ve already asked them to help look, but there¡¯s no clue yet. The only thing that can be confirmed is that Little Hua is in the hands of the God Organization."


    "Since she¡¯s with the God Organization, Little Hua shouldn¡¯t be in any mortal danger," Ling Chen said. The God Organization¡¯s desire for Little Hua isn¡¯t new; they had tried to capture her many times before, only to be thwarted by Ling Chen.


    Therefore, Little Hua has significant value to the God Organization, and due to this value, the God Organization wouldn¡¯t harm her lightly.


    However, the God Organization is known for its unscrupulous ways, so for Little Hua¡¯s safety, it¡¯s best to rescue her as soon as possible.


    As they spoke, the two had already returned to the vi.


    ...


    One night passed.


    The next morning, Ling Chen opened his eyes, rubbed his sleepy eyes, got out of bed, and walked to the window ledge of the third-floor bedroom, pushing open the window.


    Looking at the green nts outside, Ling Chen took a few deep breaths of fresh air and prepared to go to the bathroom. But at that moment, Ling Chen¡¯s gaze was drawn to a figure on the roof of the opposite vi.


    An old man lived in the vi opposite, frail and about eighty or ny years old. At this moment, the old man stood on the rooftop, squatting in a horse stance and slowly moving his hands as if drawing circles in the air.


    Although the old man¡¯s movements were very slow, Ling Chen¡¯s eyes were wide open, his eyes filled with envy.


    Unity of Heaven and Man!


    It was surprisingly the realm of Unity of Heaven and Man.


    Ling Chen had only ever heard people mention the realm of Unity of Heaven and Man but had never seen it with his own eyes. And now, what the old man was disying was precisely the highest realm of Unity of Heaven and Man.

 Chapter 845 - 850: Overestimating Oneself

    <h4>Chapter 845: Chapter 850: Overestimating Oneself</h4>


    Unity of Heaven and Man!


    A realm that countless martial arts practitioners dream of, yet the old man had reached it.


    A Heavenly List expert! Ling Chen looked at the other party in astonishment. Anyone who could achieve this was definitely a Heavenly List expert.


    Tsk tsk, I really didn¡¯t expect to see a Heavenly List expert in a ce like this. Ling Chen thought about the Earthly List experts he saw at the venue yesterday; none seemed to be the old man opposite.


    Ling Chen couldn¡¯t help but feel curious. As a dignified Heavenly List expert, why would the old mane here? Is he also here to attend the martial arts seminar? No, the seminar is a gathering for Earthly List experts, isn¡¯t it?


    In thought, Ling Chen suddenly sensed a sharp gaze upon him. Looking up, he saw the old man on the terrace had already retracted his stance, his old eyes fixed on the window where Ling Chen was.


    Uh... Ling Chen scratched his head a bit embarrassedly, smiled apologetically at the old man, and hurriedly closed the window.


    After all, spying on someone practicing is a major taboo.


    The main purpose of attending the martial arts seminar this time was to expand his horizons and gain knowledge, and he didn¡¯t expect to achieve this goal so quickly. All along, he had only heard of the Unity of Heaven and Man from Du Kang and others, but had never seen it. This time, he was truly enlightened.


    Unity of Heaven and Man!


    Leaning against the wall, Ling Chen recalled the realm of that old man. However, he quickly realized that the naturally formed realm was indescribable and impossible to recreate in his mind.


    Coming out of the bedroom, Ling Chen found He Ziyun, who had already gotten up, and said urgently, "Mr. He, I just saw a Heavenly List expert."


    "A Heavenly List expert?" He Ziyun was taken aback and asked, "Where?"


    "Right in the vi opposite. That person has reached the realm of Unity of Heaven and Man. No one but a Heavenly List expert can do that."


    Hearing this, He Ziyun quickly walked to the window, pulled open the heavy curtains, and looked at the vi opposite. Unfortunately, the doors and windows of that vi were tightly closed, and nothing could be seen.


    "Mr. He, why don¡¯t we go pay a visit?" Ling Chen suggested.


    He Ziyun hesitated for a while, then shook his head and said, "Better not. Since they are a Heavenly List expert, it might not be appropriate for us to bother them. Besides, if that Heavenly List expert is here, they will definitely appear at the seminar¡¯s venue if they wish to reveal themselves."


    "Alright then." Ling Chen felt a bit disappointed. Originally wanting to meet the Heavenly List expert, he now had to give up.


    After breakfast, Ling Chen and He Ziyun did not leave but stayed in the vi, quietly enjoying peaceful moments.


    At noon, Ling Chen received a call from Hu Fei, saying that Tang Guolun and others had arrived in East Sea City and checked into the base smoothly.


    "Fatty, treat them well. They¡¯re all here to help you..."


    "Alright!" Hu Fei chuckled. "You don¡¯t need to tell me that. Tang Guolun is a genius in the crime world, and I¡¯ve heard of his name for a long time, just never had the chance to meet. And the people he brought are truly impressive, top talents in various crime industries, versed in many skills. With their help, the work at the base has improved several times over."


    "That¡¯s good! There¡¯s still some business left unhandled here in Beijing, so it¡¯ll be a few days before I can return. Let everyone know not to worry about me."


    "Got it. Take care of yourself out there."


    Hanging up the phone, Ling Chen returned to his bedroom alone, cracked open the window slightly, ced a chair in front of it, held tea in one hand and a newspaper in the other, and rxedly enjoyed the afternoon. asionally, he nced at the vi opposite, checking if that mysterious Heavenly List expert would appear again.


    Unfortunately, the mysterious expert did not show up all afternoon.


    After enjoying a seafood feast, Ling Chen greeted He Ziyun, then left the vi alone and strolled along the quiet garden path.


    Now, it was early spring, with a gentle and slightly cool evening breeze.


    Amidst the swaying branches, Ling Chen walked through the woods, enjoying the faint floral fragrance, feeling incrediblyfortable.


    But then, a discordant voice suddenly came from the woods: "Ling Chen, you finally came out. I thought you¡¯d keep hiding in the vi."


    Hearing the voice, Ling Chen looked up, only to see Qin Dong, Qin Gang, and Tong Ye emerging from the trees.


    Seeing the yful smile on Qin Dong¡¯s face, Ling Chen shook his head helplessly. This guy really just wouldn¡¯t let it go, even secretly watching him.


    "Qin Dong, are you here to cause trouble?"


    "No, no, you¡¯ve got it wrong. I¡¯m not here to cause trouble, but to teach you a lesson. Of course, if you¡¯re scared, I might consider letting you off, but... it¡¯ll depend on your performance."


    "A word of advice: you¡¯d better not block my way. I¡¯m in a good mood today and don¡¯t want any trouble," Ling Chen said expressionlessly, then started walking forward.


    Seeing Ling Chen was about to leave, Qin Gang immediately reached out to block his way, sneering, "Ling Chen, where do you think you¡¯re going? What, are you scared?"


    Ling Chen nodded earnestly and said, "You¡¯re right, I am scared¡ªscared I won¡¯t be able to hold back and might end up killing you all."


    "Just you?" Qin Dong looked at Ling Chen with disdain, snorted, and said, "Not to belittle you, but while you may have bested my brother, in my eyes, you amount to this." Qin Dong raised a little finger and said, "I don¡¯t even need to use full force. I can easily take you down with one hand. If you don¡¯t believe it, feel free to try."


    "Alright." Ling Chen sighed. He originally didn¡¯t want to sh with Qin Dong and his group, but since they were relentless, there was no need for courtesy.


    "Come!" Ling Chen beckoned with his finger towards Qin Dong, saying, "If you¡¯re going to make a move, hurry up. I don¡¯t have time to waste with you guys."


    "Hmph! Courting death."


    Qin Dong snorted coldly, lightly tapped the ground with his foot, and his body shot towards Ling Chen.


    Bang!


    Before Qin Dong could get close to Ling Chen, there was a muffled sound, and Qin Dong¡¯s body was immediately sent flying back, hitting a big tree heavily, causing the branches and leaves to shake and fall.


    Pfft!


    Spitting out a mouthful of blood, Qin Dong¡¯s face turned deathly pale, unable to even stand.


    "Brother Qin."


    "Brother!"


    <fn9bc2> ??? ????? ???????s ??? ?????s??? ?? find?novel</fn9bc2>


    Qin Gang and Tong Ye were shocked, rushing to Qin Dong¡¯s side, supporting him from the ground. Tong Ye asked worriedly, "Brother Qin, are you alright?"


    "I¡¯m fine." Qin Dong gritted his teeth, enduring the pain in his body, and with Qin Gang¡¯s support, barely stood up. If Tong Ye weren¡¯t present, he would¡¯ve preferred not to move. But now he couldn¡¯t help it; he couldn¡¯t lose face in front of his woman.

 Chapter 846 - 851: Shameless

    <h4>Chapter 846: Chapter 851: Shameless</h4>


    "Ling Chen!" Qin Dong frowned, looking coldly at Ling Chen across from him, and said, "Your strength is not bad, I underestimated it earlier. But don¡¯t be too happy too soon; I was only using fifty percent of my strength. If I use my full strength, you wouldn¡¯t be my match at all."


    "Is that so?" Ling Chen looked at Qin Dong with a half-smile. He had seen shameless people before, but never someone so shameless. Clearly defeated, yet still clinging to pride. Ling Chen pped his hands and said, "Qin Dong, if you¡¯re not convinced, then let¡¯s go again. Come!" Ling Chen beckoned provocatively with a finger.


    Seeing this, Qin Dong couldn¡¯t help but feel a bit intimidated. During their exchange just now, he hadn¡¯t even touched Ling Chen¡¯s body before being sted away by a strong force. This showed that Ling Chen¡¯s strength was formidable. Qin Dong was a Dragon List expert and ranked within the top five, yet Ling Chen could easily defeat him, indicating that Ling Chen¡¯s strength could rank in the top three of the Dragon List, or perhaps even higher.


    Damn! Truly a troublesome opponent.


    While thinking, Qin Dong nced at Qin Gang beside him and gestured with his eyes. As Qin Dong¡¯s biological brother, Qin Gang naturally understood his brother¡¯s meaning. His heart stirred, and he immediately said, "Big brother, didn¡¯t Master say he had something important to discuss with you? Let¡¯s let him off today and not dy Master¡¯s important matters."


    Qin Dong nodded and said in a deep voice, "Ling Chen, if it weren¡¯t for other matters today, I would certainlypete with you. You just wait; sooner orter, I¡¯ll deal with you. Tong Ye, Qin Gang, let¡¯s go!"


    Watching Qin Dong and the others swiftly leave, Ling Chen chuckled lightly. This Qin Dong truly is a shameless person. Oh well, just a petty person, no need to waste energy on him.


    However, Qin Dong¡¯s appearance made Ling Chen lose interest in continuing to stroll around, so he simply returned to the vi alone.


    Three days passed in the blink of an eye.


    During these days, Ling Chen stayed within the viplex and didn¡¯t go out. Every morning, he would wake up on time and stand by the window, watching the rooftop of the vi across the way. Just as he expected, in the early morning, the mysterious Heavenly List expert would practice martial arts on the rooftop.


    However, what Ling Chen felt regret about was that since that day, the elderly man had not disyed the Unity of Heaven and Man realm again. Originally, Ling Chen wanted to experience more of the Unity of Heaven and Man realm to gain some inspiration and understanding, but now he could only give up.


    That morning, after seven o¡¯clock, the old man stopped practicing martial arts and returned to the vi alone.


    Seeing the person leave, Ling Chen also prepared to go downstairs for breakfast. But just as he was drawing the curtains, he suddenly saw someone approaching the vi across the street.


    Wang Hao?


    Ling Chen was taken aback. Why is he here?


    Even more surprising to Ling Chen was that Wang Hao actually knocked on the door of the opposite vi. Not only that, the person who greeted Wang Hao was the old man who had just been practicing martial arts on the rooftop.


    Seeing Wang Hao respectfully greet the other, Ling Chen couldn¡¯t help but be curious. Could Wang Hao know that old man?


    After Wang Hao met with the old man, the two entered the room. Although Ling Chen desperately wanted to know what they were talking about, eavesdropping was something he couldn¡¯t bring himself to do. Moreover, with a formidable Heavenly List expert inside, he likely couldn¡¯t keep his presence hidden from them.


    Thinking it over, Ling Chen had no choice but to give up on the idea.


    During breakfast, Ling Chen was still thinking about the meeting between Wang Hao and the old man. For some reason, he felt the purpose of Wang Hao visiting the old man wasn¡¯t simple.


    Unfortunately, his rtionship with Wang Hao was mediocre, not even enough to call them friends; otherwise, he might have asked more about it.


    <fnd572> For more chapters visit find?novel</fnd572>


    He Ziyun, sitting nearby, seemed to sense Ling Chen¡¯s thoughts and asked, "What are you thinking? Not a word from you early in the morning, it doesn¡¯t seem like your style."


    "It¡¯s nothing." Ling Chen paused and then described what he had just seen.


    "Wang Hao? The disciple from Yangxin Pavilion you mentioned?" He Ziyun asked curiously, "Could he know that old man? Right! Didn¡¯t you say Wang Hao¡¯s Master is a Heavenly List expert? Maybe the old man is an old friend of his Master, and he¡¯s simply visiting a senior this time. Come on, don¡¯t think too much about it; it¡¯s just a trivial matter."


    "No!" Ling Chen shook his head. He always felt that the matter wasn¡¯t simple.


    Oh well, it¡¯s useless to overthink it; I should wait for an opportunity to figure it out in the future.


    During the martial arts seminar, the host had clearly said that everyone had only five days for preparation.


    Those five days passed quickly, almost in a blink of an eye.


    Tomorrow is the highlight of the martial arts seminar. Yet, until now, Ling Chen still doesn¡¯t know what the main event will be.


    The next morning, Ling Chen came to the rooftop, standing alone on the edge, eyes sharply watching the mountains in the distance.


    "What are you looking at?"


    Suddenly, an old voice reached Ling Chen¡¯s ears.


    Ling Chen turned and saw that it was the old man from the vi across the way who spoke. At this moment, the old man stood on the rooftop, wearing a loose-fitting white practice suit, with kind brows and eyes, a faint smile on his face, giving off a peaceful feeling.


    The words reached Ling Chen¡¯s ears, and he couldn¡¯t help but be amazed. The distance between the two vis was about thirty meters, yet the old man¡¯s voice came through clearly, as if they were speaking face to face.


    As expected of someone who has reached the Unity of Heaven and Man realm, truly impressive!


    "Senior." Ling Chen sped his fists in a polite gesture.


    "You¡¯re the one who¡¯s been secretly watching my martial arts practice these days, aren¡¯t you?"


    Hearing this, Ling Chen felt his face heat up and embarrassedly scratched his head. For these past few days, he had been hiding behind the window watching the old man practice, thinking that with the window and curtain as cover, he wouldn¡¯t be discovered. Little did he expect he was unable to hide it.


    "Senior, I didn¡¯t mean any harm, just... just that I¡¯ve never seen the Unity of Heaven and Man realm before, and I was curious, so I couldn¡¯t help but take a few more looks. I hope you don¡¯t mind."


    The old man smiled slightly, "Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m not that petty. Watching a few times won¡¯t lose anything. However, with your current strength, even if you see the Unity of Heaven and Man realm, you won¡¯t be able to grasp its mysteries. You need to rank at the top three of the Earthly List to touch the threshold of Unity of Heaven and Man. But remember, such a profound realm can only be achieved through destiny and opportunity."


    "Destiny and opportunity?"


    "Indeed." The old man nodded, "After reaching the Heavenly List, it¡¯s no longer about talent and aptitude; it¡¯s destiny that ys the crucial role. Young man, being so young and already among the ranks of Earthly List experts shows your great talent. In another decade or so, you might have the chance to encounter the Unity of Heaven and Man realm."

 Chapter 847 - 852: High-Stakes Gamble

    <h4>Chapter 847: Chapter 852: High-Stakes Gamble</h4>


    "Hopefully so." Ling Chen smiled and asked, "Elder, I haven¡¯t had the chance to ask your name, how should I address you?"


    The elder said casually, "You and I haven¡¯t even been acquaintances, why bother asking names? Besides, once the martial arts symposium is over, you¡¯ll leave here, and we won¡¯t have another chance to meet."


    <fn6adf> The source of th?s content is F?nd-Novel</fn6adf>


    Ling Chen felt a bit helpless; he had hoped to get acquainted with the elder and build some rapport, but was directly rejected.


    Thinking for a moment, Ling Chen changed the topic and asked, "Elder, do you know Wang Hao?"


    Upon hearing Ling Chen mention Wang Hao¡¯s name, the elder looked at Ling Chen in surprise and asked, "Do you know him?"


    "I know him, we met once when I was at the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion."


    "I¡¯m an old friend of Wang Hao¡¯s Master, he came specifically to visit me this time."


    Indeed!


    It seems He Ziyun guessed right; Wang Hao¡¯s Master is indeed old acquaintances with the elder.


    "Alright, young man, I have other matters to attend toter, so I won¡¯t chat more with you." With that, the elder turned around and walked back into the vi.


    Just as the elder left, He Ziyun appeared on the rooftop.


    "What are you doing here? I¡¯ve called you several times."


    "I didn¡¯t hear earlier. Mr. He, are you looking for me?"


    "It¡¯s about time, the organizers¡¯ staff have arrived, let¡¯s go, don¡¯t waste time."


    "Alright."


    Coming down from the rooftop, they saw two staff members in suits already waiting at the door. Upon seeing Ling Chen and He Ziyun approaching, one staff member extended his hand in a ¡¯please¡¯ gesture, then led them towards the vi¡¯s center.


    Soon, Ling Chen and He Ziyun arrived outside the venue as before. At this moment, several electric cars were parked outside, each carrying a few people.


    Under the staff¡¯s arrangement, He Ziyun and Ling Chen got into thest electric car.


    As minutes passed, the experts attending the martial arts symposium arrived one after another, boarded the electric cars, all inplete silence, none spoke, their expressions a bit solemn.


    Once everyone was there, the electric cars began to move slowly, heading straight out of the vi. However, after a few minutes, Ling Chen noticed that the direction the electric cars were driving was not towards the vi¡¯s main entrance but another exit. To be precise, it wasn¡¯t considered an exit, but rather a road leading to the back mountain.


    Idle chatting with He Ziyun, Ling Chen learned that the group of mountains he saw in the morning was the private property of the vi group, essentially their back garden. However, it was the first time Ling Chen had seen such arge back garden.


    He couldn¡¯t help but acknowledge that the vi group¡¯s owner was very wealthy. Otherwise, they wouldn¡¯t have been able to buy such a vastnd in the prime real estate of Beijing.


    After about twenty minutes of driving, the electric cars finally reached their destination.


    Getting off, Ling Chen scanned his surroundings, noticing not far away was arge forest, the trees towering, some even reaching over twenty meters tall. The branches and leaves intertwined densely, like a thick canopy, covering the forest¡¯s toppletely.


    "Alright! Everyone, please gather over here."


    Hearing the supervisor¡¯s words, Ling Chen followed He Ziyun to where everyone was congregating.


    "Everyone, some of you have attended the martial arts symposium before, and some are participating for the first time; therefore, let me rify the rules first. Each of you must submit an item to the organizers before the beginning, as this symposium¡¯s victory token. The winner will receive the prize offered by everyone. In addition to that, we¡¯ll offer the winner generous rewards. We ask everyone to strive for first ce."


    "Rewards?" Ling Chen was slightly startled and immediately understood the organizer¡¯s meaning. No wonder He Ziyun said earlier, the true essence of the martial arts symposium was essentially a gamble.


    Using the term gamble to describe the martial arts symposium was very urate. Before it starts, everyone puts up chips, and the ultimate winner takes all.


    "Alright, if no one has objections, please present your prepared tokens and hand them to our organizers for safekeeping."


    "Mr. He." Ling Chen quietly asked, "Does everyone have to participate?"


    "No need," He Ziyun said, "only those on the Earthly List have the qualification to participate. Of course, the organizers do notpel you to participate, it¡¯s entirely up to you." As he spoke, He Ziyun pulled out a silk bag from his pocket and handed it to Ling Chen, "Here, take it."


    "What¡¯s this?" Ling Chen asked, puzzled.


    "This is for you," He Ziyun said, "I won¡¯t participate in this martial arts symposium, I¡¯ve attended several times before. To be honest, the process is very tough; at my age, these old bones aren¡¯t suitable for this high-intensity activity anymore. So it¡¯s more fitting for you. You just got promoted on the Earthly List not long ago, consider it a challenge."


    "Me?" Ling Chen was startled, not expecting He Ziyun to propose such a request.


    "Well..." Ling Chen rubbed his nose, appearing somewhat hesitant. Beforeing here, he thought it was a simple gathering, not realizing it would involve sparring, and with Earthly List experts no less.


    "Alright, stop hesitating, go ahead. As I said, it¡¯s just a challenge, don¡¯t be too pressured."


    Hearing this, Ling Chen nodded, "Fine then, I¡¯ll give it a try." With that, Ling Chen picked up the silk bag and asked, "Mr. He, what¡¯s inside?"


    "Naturally something good. If it¡¯s not valuable, even if you dare to present it, the organizers wouldn¡¯t ept it. There¡¯s a long-standing rule that each participant¡¯s token must hold a certain value. If what you bring is insufficient, you won¡¯t qualify topete. What I¡¯m giving you isn¡¯t very precious, but it¡¯s decent, and there won¡¯t be any issue."


    Ling Chen acknowledged, walked to the event supervisor, and handed over the silk bag.


    The supervisor didn¡¯t even nce at it, passing it directly to the few people behind, who Ling Chen had noticed were specifically evaluating and assessing the items provided by everyone.


    When the item from the silk bag was taken out, Ling Chen¡¯s expression turned a bit puzzled. He had to admit, he had never seen what was inside the silk bag before; it looked quite unique, resembling a stamp, and seemed to have some age.


    Could it be an antique?


    With this thought, Ling Chen looked at the items others offered, almost everything was there¡ªpaintings, antiques, jade, and even martial arts mental methods and martial arts manuals.


    Moreover, some people provided multiple items because the value wasn¡¯t enough,pensating with quantity for theck of quality.


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 848 - 853: Earthly List Showdown (1)

    <h4>Chapter 848: Chapter 853: Earthly List Showdown (1)</h4>


    Once everyone¡¯s belongings were provided, the organizer immediately tallied the participants. Nearly twenty Earthly List experts arrived at the seminar this time, but only thirteen decided to partake in the contest. Among them, the youngest was Ling Chen, followed by Wang Hao. Besides these two, the rest were either in their fifties or sixties.


    "I thought you really weren¡¯t interested," Wang Hao spoke coldly, looking at Ling Chen passing by.


    <fn94f6> Newest update provided by find¡¤novel</fn94f6>


    Ling Chen stopped, shrugged, and said, "I initially didn¡¯t want to join the fun, but Mr. He insisted. When an elder speaks, I can¡¯t refuse, right? Wang Hao, I ask for your mercyter."


    "If you¡¯ve chosen topete, then let¡¯s rely on our skills," Wang Hao said, walking away.


    Watching Wang Hao¡¯s departing figure, Ling Chen shook his head helplessly. If Wang Hao had hidden his hostility well before, he was now tantly showing it.


    Ling Chen sighed lightly; Wang Hao¡¯s hostility was undoubtedly a big trouble.


    Returning to He Ziyun¡¯s side, Ling Chen stood for a while, watching the organizer approach and announce, "Sorry to keep everyone waiting. The number of participants is confirmed at thirteen. These thirteen willpete for the championship of this Martial Arts seminar. Before we start the contest, let me say something upfront. You can fight during the match, but do not take lives. Remember, that¡¯s the most crucial point. If anyone breaks this rule, we won¡¯t spare them. Alright! Enough talking, let me announce the rules."


    "The conteststs three days, with the range limited to this back mountain. We¡¯ve hidden an object somewhere in the back mountain, a jade artifact. Whoever brings it out after three days will be the final winner. Again, no matter what means you use, make sure not to take lives. If there are no objections, let¡¯s begin."


    With that, the organizer pointed to the forest entrance.


    Immediately, seven or eight Earthly List experts started running into the forest, eager not to fall behind.


    "Mr. He."


    "Go ahead, be careful. Winning isn¡¯t crucial, just take it as training."


    "Got it, I understand." Ling Chen nodded, then dashed towards the forest without another word.


    Once inside the forest, Ling Chen chose a path that differed from the others and ventured deeper into the forest.


    The aim of this contest was clear: protect oneself and find the hidden object. Surviving for three days with the item means victory.


    Forest warfare wasn¡¯t unfamiliar to Ling Chen. As a former agent, he held extensive field experience. However, the opponents this time differed greatly, being top experts, not elite soldiers.


    Thus, Ling Chen had to be extremely cautious.


    Deep in the forest, Ling Chen surveyed the surroundings. Besides trees, there were tall, tangled grasses good for hiding. After assessing the area, Ling Chen made a decision.


    To confront Earthly List experts, he must act unexpectedly. Sadly, among the thirteen experts, his skill ranked poorest and was at the bottom. Despite having the Nine Yang Qiankun Step, surrounded by experts, thorough preparation was essential.


    Spending two hours preparing alone, near noon, feeling hungry, Ling Chen picked a few wild fruits from nearby trees. Fortunately, the forest was vast, with abundant fruits. The sweet taste meant no worry about hunger for three days. A pond nearby provided water, albeit not very clean, but drinkable.


    At this moment, Ling Cheny on a tree branch ten meters high, resting his head on one hand while eating fruit with the other.


    After a while, hurried footsteps approached from the north. Hearing them, Ling Chen sat up, using dense leaves to hide his spot while looking down.


    Soon, he spotted a middle-aged man in his forties running swiftly, panting. Moreover, the man seemed injured, with one arm bleeding, staining his sleeve.


    Ling Chen was silently amazed by how intense their conflicts were, to be wounded so soon.


    Ling Chen didn¡¯t understand why it had to be so serious; losing wasn¡¯t a big deal. Was it worth being so miserable for the reward?


    As he pondered, the middle-aged man suddenly shouted ¡¯Ah¡¯. His body flipped, legs up, head down, flying off the ground, suspended in mid-air.


    Observing closely, his ankle was tied with a grass rope, swinging like a pendulum.


    Seeing the trapped man, Ling Chen smirked, chuckling. Luck was on his side as someone fell into his trap so quickly. He had spent several hours setting traps around him; any close approach would trigger them.


    Regainingposure, the trapped man twisted his wrist slightly, severing the rope with Hua Realm in an instant. Yet, as hended, thick wood logs suddenly fell from surrounding trees, hitting his body heavily.


    Caught off guard, the wood struck the man¡¯s back, making him vomit blood and fall, unable to rise for a long time.


    Seizing the opportunity, Ling Chen jumped off the tree, rushing to the man¡¯s side.


    With Ling Chen nearing, the man struggled but couldn¡¯t rise, his severe back injury causing immobility. He could only lie down.


    Ling Chen apologized with a smile, "Sorry about that."


    Defeated, the man replied dejectedly, "I lost."

 Chapter 849 - 854: Earthly List Showdown (Part 2)

    <h4>Chapter 849: Chapter 854: Earthly List Showdown (Part 2)</h4>


    When he heard the middle-aged man say these three words, Ling Chen smiled slightly and nodded: "You should hurry back and heal your injuries." Saying this, Ling Chen took out his cell phone and dialed a pre-stored number.


    After Ling Chen left, within ten minutes, a helicopter flew overhead. Several medical personnel quickly arrived at the scene and transported the injured middle-aged man away with the helicopter.


    Ling Chen watched all of this quietly from a nearby spot. Before entering the forest, everyone was informed of a phone number, the emergency contact number. Naturally, in this region, apart from that number, no other numbers could be dialed. Previously, the organizers had already implemented a signal block over this area, and everything was strictly controlled.


    Thirteen people, now one is settled, leaving twelve... Ling Cheny on the tree trunk, secretly contemting.


    No, there should be eleven left, can¡¯t count himself in there.


    Three days to defeat the others, and then find that object to achieve victory. Or, directly find the item hidden by the organizers, guard it well for three days, to prevent it from being stolen by others, and still easily im victory. Comparatively, thetter is easier. Although Ling Chen is confident, he¡¯s not arrogant enough to defeat the other eleven Earthly List masters. So, after contemting, the option that suits him best is thetter - find the object.


    Ling Chen¡¯s idea is simple: since he has participated in thepetition, he should go all out, aiming for the final victory. If he¡¯s just here to y and broaden his knowledge, why spend so much effort.


    <fn6ec4> This content belongs to Find¡ïNovel</fn6ec4>


    Thinking of this, Ling Chen silently made a decision in his heart.


    Resting for a moment at noon, Ling Chen began to get busy. The first task was to understand the surrounding environment and terrain, then divide the area. This forest is vast, and even walking there for a day might not cover it all. To search for the item more efficiently, he must first divide the area to avoid troubleter.


    With a bit of preparation, Ling Chen set off alone. When moving within the forest, the most feared thing is getting the direction wrong, because the branches and leaves are too dense, covering the toppletely, blocking the view of the sun, making it hard to distinguish direction if onecks experience.


    Luckily, Ling Chen is experienced in such matters, and soon enough, he returned to the route he had initially entered.


    Following his pre-determined n, Ling Chen rushed along the edge of the forest, marking the routes and areas, and mapped them onto his clothes.


    To draw a rough map of the forest, Ling Chen spent almost half a day. When everything was finished, it was already evening.


    Night fell, and the forest was pitch dark, stretching out a hand would render one unable to see fingers. Returning to the initial area, Ling Chen climbed onto a tree trunk andy sideways. Though faint moonlight filtered through the branches and leaves, the light was too dim, making it impossible to see the surrounding environment, let alone the map drawn on his clothes.


    "Seven people..." Ling Chen murmured. This afternoon, while examining the surrounding terrain, Ling Chen encountered seven Earthly List masters along the way. For safety¡¯s sake, he didn¡¯t disturb them but quietly slipped away past them.


    However, Ling Chen still marked their approximate locations on the map to avoid meeting themter.


    In such a dark and lightless environment, no actions could be taken, so he had to wait for daylight. Thus, Ling Chen ate a few wild fruits and, with both hands resting behind his head, fell into a deep sleep on the tree trunk.


    The night was dense, and Ling Chen didn¡¯t know how long he¡¯d been asleep when he suddenly heard a rustling sound nearby.


    Opening his eyes, Ling Chen carefully observed the surroundings, ears pricked up, listening intently to nearby sounds. Soon, he detected the footsteps of three people.


    Three people?


    Ling Chen slightly frowned. Judging from the footsteps, those three seemed to be together. Isn¡¯t thispetition supposed to be a solo battle?


    While pondering, the footsteps came closer, judging from the sound, they were less than twenty meters from his position.


    Not good!


    Ling Chen realized something was wrong and quickly sat up from the tree trunk. Due to the darkness, nothing below could be seen; he could only predict their position by sound.


    As the footsteps approached, Ling Chen¡¯s heart involuntarily jumped.


    Suddenly, a scream pierced through the night¡¯s silence, followed by shouts from several men: "Who¡¯s there? Come out!"


    "Old Gong, be careful, we¡¯reing to save you."


    Indeed!


    Ling Chen smiled bitterly; those people fell into his trap. If the opponent were just one person, he wouldn¡¯t be worried, one person dealt with one person. But the problem is there are three of them; even if someone steps into the trap, he can¡¯t handle them. Furthermore, once they find the trap, they¡¯ll certainly suspect someone nearby.


    "Wu Yue, you help Old Gong, I¡¯ll scout nearby to see who¡¯s up to tricks."


    Hearing their conversation, Ling Chen couldn¡¯t help worrying. He was right above them, hoping not to be discovered.


    At this moment, Ling Chen didn¡¯t dare to move at all. No choice, they¡¯re all Earthly List masters; at such a close distance, any sound he makes will be discovered by them. So what he can do now is silently pray.


    As time ticked away, the three Earthly List masters thoroughly searched the surroundings, finding nothing.


    Ling Chen sat on the tree trunk, listening closely to their conversations. After a while, he realized their voices were getting smaller and fainter, like a mosquito¡¯s hum, unable to be heard clearly.


    What are they talking about? Ling Chen frowned secretly; he had a bad premonition.


    Suddenly, the sound of swaying leaves was heard, surprising Ling Chen. Looking attentively, he saw two figures swiftly climbing up the tree trunk, reaching the top in the blink of an eye.


    Not good!


    Without time to think, Ling Chen immediately got up from the branches and jumped down.


    "Where are you running to!"


    The man named Wu Yue shouted, moving as fast as a rabbit, aiming at the direction Ling Chen fled, and immediately chased after him.


    At once, four people, three chasing one, ran rapidly through the forest.


    Hearing the footsteps behind getting closer, Ling Chen inwardly cursed. What can he do now? The skills of the three were evidently no worse, otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t be unable to shake them off with his Nine Yang Qiankun Step.


    No way!


    If things continue like this, he¡¯ll inevitably be surrounded by them eventually. Thinking of this, Ling Chen tapped his toes lightly, legs springing up, and in a blink, he climbed onto a tree.


    Standing on a sturdy branch, Ling Chen was as light as a swallow, running swiftly. With dense foliage blocking, the distance from the three behind was temporarily extended a bit.

 Chapter 850 - 855: Earthly List Showdown (Part 3)

    <h4>Chapter 850: Chapter 855: Earthly List Showdown (Part 3)</h4>


    However, Ling Chen didn¡¯t dare to take it lightly, carefully stepping on the branches as he moved forward, leaping from one tree to another.


    Because it was nighttime, the light in the forest was too dim, and nothing could be seen clearly, so Ling Chen walked very cautiously with each step.


    After a few minutes had passed, Ling Chen suddenly felt his footing soften; because he couldn¡¯t see clearly, he had stepped on a fragile branch. In an instant, he heard a ¡¯crack¡¯, and the branch broke instantly, causing Ling Chen¡¯s body to plummet down.


    Bam!


    Falling from a height of seven or eight meters, Ling Chen¡¯s backnded heavily on the ground with a dull thud.


    Damn! Feeling the pain in his back, Ling Chen cursed under his breath, hurriedly climbing up from the ground and running quickly forward. At this moment, he couldn¡¯t afford any dy. Once those three people caught up, he would be in trouble.


    As he thought about it, the sound of footsteps behind him came again. Ling Chen gritted his teeth, enduring the pain in his back, and rushed forward swiftly.


    Just then, a voice suddenly rang out not far ahead: "Who? Come out!"


    Upon hearing that sudden voice, Ling Chen was slightly startled. He had unexpectedly encountered another person. Without time to think, Ling Chen leapt into the nearby bushes and instantly disappeared.


    Ling Chen had just hidden himself when he heard the footsteps of those three people approaching.


    "Stop!" A soft shout rang out, Wu Yue voiced coldly: "Let¡¯s see where you think you can escape to now."


    "Who are you?" The man replying had a voice full of vigor, showing no intention of fleeing.


    "It¡¯s me." When that old voice sounded, there was immediately a gasp from the opposite side: "Gong Xiong, is it you?"


    As the words fell, the other party didn¡¯t even think and turned to flee. Clearly, the man was well aware of Gong Xiong¡¯s prowess. Judging from his panicked behavior, it was clear he had a great deal of fear toward Gong Xiong.


    "Hmph! Still want to run?" Gong Xiong sneered, his foot slipped, and his body vanished like a phantom.


    In just a few breaths, a ¡¯bang¡¯ sounded from ahead. Following closely, the man¡¯s pleading voice was heard: "Old Gong, I have no grievance with you, please let me go."


    "Let you go? Don¡¯t forget, we are opponents now, why should I let you go?"


    Upon hearing this, the man said unwillingly: "If that¡¯s the case, then I¡¯ll concede."


    "It¡¯s not up to you." Gong Xiong replied with a sneer.


    "Gong Xiong, what do you want? Do you intend to kill me? Don¡¯t forget, the organizers have rules, you can¡¯t take someone¡¯s life."


    "Shut up! Stop using the organizers¡¯ rules against me. I don¡¯t follow them." After a pause, Gong Xiong continued: "If you want to survive, I can give you a chance. Follow me and when I win, I¡¯ll set you free. At that time, I won¡¯t skimp on your benefits. How about it?"


    "This..."


    "What, unwilling?" Gong Xiong¡¯s tone carried a hint of coldness.


    "Alright then, I¡¯ll help you this once. But I hope you keep your word."


    "Very good. A wise man knows when to give in. You¡¯re a smart one. So now, take this thing."


    "What is it?"


    "Don¡¯t worry, this won¡¯t take your life, it¡¯s just an additional guarantee. Although you promised to help me, how do I know you won¡¯t run away halfway? I don¡¯t have time to build trust with you now, so it¡¯s better to use unorthodox means."


    Because Gong Xiong and the others were quite far away, plus the light was too dim, Ling Chen couldn¡¯t see anything, he could only hear their conversation. The man obviously followed Gong Xiong¡¯s suggestion, and before long, Gong Xiong said: "Alright, let¡¯s go."


    Listening to the footsteps gradually fade away, Ling Chen secretly let out a sigh of relief. Fortunately, due to the sudden appearance of that person, he hadn¡¯t been discovered. However, after this incident, Ling Chen realized that thepetition between the Earthly List masters was even more cruel than he had imagined.


    Actually using unorthodox means topel someone to work for them.


    Yet, Ling Chen clearly remembered that before entering Lin Zi, the organizer¡¯s representative had said that as long as you don¡¯t harm someone¡¯s life, any means could be used.


    Indeed!


    If they could recruit others to join, it would surely be much more convenient.


    It¡¯s just that among the Earthly List masters in thispetition, he didn¡¯t know anyone besides Wang Hao. And even for Wang Hao, he didn¡¯t have any trust at all, so how could he coborate with them?


    After pondering for a while, Ling Chen shook his head. Forget it! Let¡¯s not think about it now, better find a safe ce to rest for a while, and wait until daylight.


    The next morning.


    Ling Chen was awakened by the chirping of birds in the forest. Rubbing his sleepy eyes, Ling Chen stretched out, and jumped down from the branch.


    <fnc871> ?????? ???? find?novel</fnc871>


    After finding a few wild fruits nearby to fill his stomach, Ling Chen began searching for the items hidden by the organizers. Yesterday, he spent most of the day drawing a rough map of Lin Zi. Today, he would investigate area by area.


    Looking at the map he had drawn, Ling Chen locked onto one of the areas. That ce was not too far from him, only a half-hour walk away.


    Worried that someone might suddenly appear around him, Ling Chen moved very cautiously, stepping lightly to avoid making any noise.


    After forty minutes, Ling Chen finally reached the area. Looking around, it was surrounded by lush trees, one after another, a thickyer of branches and leaves covered the ground, creaking underfoot.


    Surveying the surroundings, Ling Chen suddenly noticed a very sturdy tree not far away, the trunk diameter was nearly a meter, even two of him couldn¡¯t wrap around it.


    Once beside the tree, Ling Chen scrutinized it for a few moments. Suddenly, his gaze was drawn to a crack at the top of the tree.


    The crack was about a meter long, with the midpoint being half a meter wide.


    Apart from this, Ling Chen also found some fine scratches on the bark surface.


    This is...


    Ling Chen squinted his eyes, a glimmer of light shed in them. These traces left on the bark were very new, likely made within thest two days. Moreover, those marks seemed to have been ground out by something.


    Could it be such a coincidence?


    At that thought, Ling Chen embraced the tree trunk and rapidly climbed upwards. Soon, he reached the vicinity of the crack. Looking inside from the outside, Ling Chen¡¯s gaze brightened instantly.


    Within the crack, there was a yellow cloth package, half a meter high.


    Haha!


    Ling Chen couldn¡¯t help butugh with delight; he truly found what he was seeking effortlessly, never expecting that the item was hidden right here.


    Coincidence!


    Such a stroke of luck.


    The others spent so much effort searching, but he obtained it without lifting a finger.


    Wasting no time, Ling Chen promptly retrieved the yellow cloth package from the crack.


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 851 - 856: The Mysterious Assailant

    <h4>Chapter 851: Chapter 856: The Mysterious Assant</h4>


    As soon as a sense of crisis emerged, Ling Chen didn¡¯t hesitate and immediately fell to the ground. Instantly, the thick piece of wood flew over Ling Chen¡¯s body,nding heavily on the ground.


    After avoiding the sneak attack, Ling Chen immediately turned to look at the forest behind him. However, he saw nothing except the rustling leaves.


    Trying to escape? Ling Chen raised an eyebrow and headed straight towards the forest. Entering the forest, Ling Chen¡¯s eyes searched around for a suspicious target. However, it seemed that the assant had already fled far away and was not nearby. Although he couldn¡¯t find the person¡¯s whereabouts, Ling Chen discovered several shallow footprints on the ground.


    It seems my intuition was correct!


    Ling Chen thought to himself. Not only was someone secretly following him, but they were also trying to harm him. However, what puzzled Ling Chen was who the attacker was and why they were targeting him. Upon reflection, among the more than ten participants in thispetition, none had a grudge against him. If that¡¯s the case, why would someone attempt to assassinate him?


    As his mind raced, Ling Chen involuntarily thought of the deceased person he found earlier. Could the killer and the attacker be the same person?


    If so, then the killer¡¯s motive is worth investigating.


    After pondering for a moment, Ling Chen, unwilling to give up, searched the area again, but still found nothing. Forget it! Since he couldn¡¯t find anything, there was no need to waste time.


    However, Ling Chen didn¡¯t forget to call the organizers to inform them. Someone attempted murder during thepetition, and this had to be reported to the organizers for them to take action.


    "Mr. Ling, we¡¯ve received your report. Please wait, someone will contact youter," said the staff on the other end before cutting off the call.


    Listening to the busy tone on the phone, Ling Chen was annoyed. In such a situation, the organizers¡¯ attitude was so perfunctory that it was hard to believe.


    After a briefint, Ling Chen made a decision to himself. He participated in thispetition on He Ziyun¡¯s suggestion, hoping to gain some experience. But now that his life was in danger, he couldn¡¯t treat it lightly anymore. If there was real danger, he would withdraw immediately to ensure his safety.


    After all, no one would want to lose their life in such a senseless conflict.


    After leaving the area where he was ambushed, Ling Chen hurried towards the northern part of the forest. With less than a day and a half left, he hoped to give it a shot and see if there was a chance to be the ultimate victor. Meanwhile, Ling Chen did not forget about the attacker earlier. Throughout his journey, Ling Chen remained vignt, listening intently to the sounds around him.


    As time ticked away, by evening, Ling Chen saw the night was falling, so he found a rtively safe ce to sit and rest, nning his next move once he regained his strength.


    However, Ling Chen clearly underestimated the determination of the others to win.


    Even at night, the other Earthly List experts participating in thepetition were not idle, still making their final efforts towards victory.


    Ling Cheny on a tree branch, originally nning to get a good night¡¯s sleep. In the hour hey down, he heard three groups of people pass by the area. Moreover, the footsteps were hurried, as if rushing for something.


    His innate curiosity got the best of Ling Chen, and he couldn¡¯t help but sit up, gazing into the distance. Vaguely, he could see some firelight appearing.


    A lot of people!


    Ling Chen slightly furrowed his brows, and from the firelight, he could tell that many people had already gathered there. With so many people gathered together, something big must be happening.


    Thinking of this, Ling Chen decided to go and take a look, even if just to satisfy his curiosity.


    Climbing down the tree, Ling Chen rushed towards the direction of the firelight non-stop. After more than ten minutes, ten or so people appeared in Ling Chen¡¯s sight. Counting them, there weren¡¯t too many or too few, exactly ten people.


    There were thirteen participants in total, but at the start of thepetition, Ling Chen had easily eliminated one contestant. During the day, he found a corpse. So, counting all the people and himself, there were eleven left.


    At this moment, within Ling Chen¡¯s line of sight, all ten people were present. Moreover, from their formation, it seemed that they were divided into four factions.


    <fnb8f3> N?w ?ovel chapt?rs are published on FindN0vel</fnb8f3>


    Gong Xiong¡¯s side had four people, Wang Hao was alone, Qin Gang¡¯s master, Heavenly Mechanism Jijiang, had three people, and the remaining two elderly men formed a team.


    Among these four factions, in terms of overall strength, Gong Xiong¡¯s group was the strongest, Heavenly Mechanism Jijiang¡¯s was second, then the two elderly men, and finally thest was Wang Hao. Of course, the rankings were because Ling Chen hadn¡¯t shown up. Otherwise, the one with the weakest strength would surely be him.


    There was no other way, as these experts had been on the Earthly List for many years, while Ling Chen had just entered it, and could barely rank as the tenth on the Earthly List.


    Ling Chen looked at the four groups of people, scanning them for a few moments before turning his gaze to the center of the groups. There, Ling Chen saw a golden shining statue. The statue was likely gold-ted on the surface, making it particrly eye-catching under the light of the fire.


    Seeing everyone¡¯s tense expressions, Ling Chen¡¯s heart moved. Could that golden statue be the final item?


    Thinking of this, Ling Chen couldn¡¯t help but lock his gaze on Wang Hao. If anyone present stood the best chance of finding this golden statue, it would undoubtedly be Wang Hao. Because Wang Hao had found the most statues and gathered the most information.


    Ling Chen had previously examined the statue he found. At the base of the statue, he found a number. ording to his hypothesis, each statue should have a key number at its base. If these numbers were arranged, they would form an urate coordinate.


    Wang Hao had the most numbers, and even if there was a small part missing, it wouldn¡¯t be a problem for him. With his intelligence, using other parameters, he could probably deduce the approximate location.


    No wonder everyone was drawn here; it turned out they had found the most crucial item.


    Looking at the golden statue that no one dared to touch, Ling Chen smiled to himself. The others were wary of each other and no one wanted to make the first move. They knew that whoever moved first would immediately be the target of others, leading to attacks from all sides. This was not a wise approach.


    Seeing them hesitate one by one, unwilling to act, Ling Chen couldn¡¯t help but find it boring. At this point, why waste time? He was still waiting to watch the drama unfold. A chaotic battle among Earthly List experts would definitely be a rare spectacle.


    As he contemted, Ling Chen suddenly heard Wang Hao speak, "Everyone, I found the item first."


    "So what?" Heavenly Mechanism Jijiang said coldly, "The organizers didn¡¯t specify that whoever finds it first gets it. Respect is given to the strong; whoever has the harder fists will im this item."

 Chapter 852 - 857: Bullying with Power

    <h4>Chapter 852: Chapter 857: Bullying with Power</h4>


    Wang Hao looked at Tian Ji Jiang with a faint smile, saying lightly, "You¡¯re quite right, but let me remind you. In my eyes, you don¡¯t qualify as a true formidable foe." As he said this, Wang Hao swept his gaze over everyone present and announced, "Let mey it out clearly from the start, if anyone dares to fight me for this item, don¡¯t me me for being harsh."


    Hearing this, Gong Xiong sneered, "Wang Hao, are you trying to intimidate us by unting the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion?"


    "No matter what you think. In short, I must take this item with me." With that, Wang Hao flicked his wrist, and a soft sword coiled around his waist instantly appeared in his hand.


    Seeing Wang Hao¡¯s determined stance, everyone exchanged nces, their expressions somewhat grim. If it were just Wang Hao, they wouldn¡¯t be afraid at all. But the involvement of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion made them reconsider the consequences.


    Moreover, judging by Wang Hao¡¯s tone, he was determined to get the item, and whoever dared topete with him might be retaliated against by the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion afterward. Furthermore, they were all Earthly List experts, fully aware of Wang Hao¡¯s status in the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion. Being so young and already on the Earthly List, he must be a key protege of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion. It¡¯s best not to provoke such a person.


    "Wang Hao!" Tian Ji Jiang shouted coldly, "If you have the skills, speak with strength. Bullying others by relying on the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion? What kind of hero does that make you?"


    "I remember the hosts said that as long as we don¡¯t take lives, any means are allowed, without restrictions. So tell me, did I misunderstand that, or did you all notprehend it?"


    As soon as he said this, everyone suddenly fell silent, not knowing how to retort.


    Indeed, the hosts didn¡¯t restrict means. If you had the capability, you could also use your background to intimidate opponents. But the problem is, no matter how powerful their background was, it couldn¡¯t surpass the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion.


    For a moment, Gong Xiong and others hesitated, unable to make a decision regarding Wang Hao. For them, winning would indeed be great. But to offend the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion for victory was clearly an unwise choice.


    Seeing the crowd still not making a move, Ling Chen touched his nose, a cold gleam in his eyes reminiscent of Mo Che.


    If he hadn¡¯t seen it himself, Ling Chen would find it hard to believe that Wang Hao would bully to win; it really wasn¡¯t his style. To be honest, Ling Chen disdained Wang Hao¡¯s actions. Since he participated topete, he should win with his own skills, so why resort to such tactics? It¡¯s disgraceful.


    "Very well!" Seeing no one obstructing him, Wang Hao slightly curled his lips and walked straight towards the golden statue in the center of the arena.


    Seeing Wang Hao embrace the golden statue and stride away, everyone couldn¡¯t help but take a few steps forward. But just then, Wang Hao swiftly turned around, forcing the crowd that had pursued him to retreat.


    "Everyone, consider this a favor I owe today. If there¡¯s a chance in the future, I¡¯ll repay it doubly."


    <fnd323> The rightful source is f?ndnovel</fnd323>


    Hearing this, everyone¡¯s expressions softened significantly, and the sharpness in their eyes gradually faded. If Wang Hao had left with the item without saying anything, everyone would certainly feel displeased. But with Wang Hao¡¯s words, they felt much more at ease.


    What is the most esteemed trait among martial artists? It¡¯s nothing more than the word ¡¯favor.¡¯


    Of course, this ¡¯favor¡¯ also depends on the recipient. Wang Hao was from the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion and was a prominent figure among the new generation in the Pavilion, with limitless potential in the future. Maintaining good rtions with Wang Hao makes it easy to leverage the mighty tree that is the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion.


    Watching Wang Hao¡¯s departing figure, Gong Xiong said, "Wang Hao, considering what you just said, I¡¯ll give you face this time and won¡¯t make things difficult for you. Hope you keep your word and don¡¯t forget what you said tonight."


    "Everyone can rest assured, I never go back on my word."


    With that, Wang Hao had already left far away, disappearing from everyone¡¯s sight.


    Tsk, tsk!


    He actually diffused everything with just a few words. Ling Chen quietly clicked his tongue. Initially expecting a grand brawl, he felt somewhat disappointed that it ended just like that.


    However, it also reflected the formidable reputation of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion.


    Now, with everyone willingly handing over victory, what meaning does thispetition have anymore? Thinking of this, Ling Chen shrugged, suddenly losing interest.


    Though Ling Chen also wanted to give it a try and strive for the final victory, it no longer held any significance. The item was in Wang Hao¡¯s hands, and Ling Chen knew Wang Hao¡¯s strength well. Last time at the Yangxin Pavilion, Ling Chen was lucky enough to beat Wang Hao,rgely due to the Blood Dripping Device.


    At the moment, without the Blood Dripping Device, even without the Tianling de by his side or any other means of support, how could he fight Wang Hao? Besides, Wang Hao was, after all, from the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, and since he was on good terms with them, there was no need to oppose Wang Hao.


    Forget it, forget it!


    Just treat it as wasting three days, experiencing the outdoor life anew.


    Thinking of this, Ling Chen stretched, moving back to his temporary bed. With things wrapped up, he just needed a good sleep and then would meet with the hosts the next day.


    The next day.


    After waking up, Ling Chen saw the time was about right, so he headed alone to the meeting point.


    On the way, Ling Chen encountered Gong Xiong and others. Everyone had received Wang Hao¡¯s assurance the night before and had already voluntarily given up thepetition.


    Soon, Ling Chen saw Wang Hao with the golden statue on his back. However, Wang Hao merely nced at Ling Chen without a word, walking straight past him.


    After walking for about half an hour, Ling Chen and the others finally arrived at the assembly point. But to Ling Chen¡¯s surprise, apart from them, there was no sign of the hosts.


    Strange!


    The host¡¯s representative clearly said to meet here in three days, yet there¡¯s not a soul in sight. Could they have gotten it wrong? But even if he misheard, it¡¯s unlikely that everyone else did.


    Thinking of this, Ling Chen took out his phone from his pocket, intending to call the hosts to inquire.


    "The phone can¡¯t be connected."


    As Ling Chen was about to dial, he heard others around him say.


    "I tried too, no one from the host¡¯s side is answering."


    "How is this possible? Didn¡¯t they say we¡¯d meet here? Even if the location was to change, they should have sent someone to inform us in advance," an elderly manined.


    Ling Chen put away his phone and looked around. When they came, they had taken several electric carts, but now not even one could be seen.


    Something is off about this situation.


    Ling Chen thought to himself. There¡¯s a saying that unusual things often have hidden reasons. Based on his years of experience, Ling Chen felt something was wrong. The hosts couldn¡¯t be this irresponsible. Also, even if the hosts didn¡¯t care, He Ziyun would never leave him. Yet now, even He Ziyun was missing, which certainly indicated trouble.

 Chapter 853 - 858: Encountering the Supernatural

    <h4>Chapter 853: Chapter 858: Encountering the Supernatural</h4>


    "Let¡¯s go. Since we can¡¯t contact the organizers, we might as well walk back directly." Someone realized something was off and immediately suggested.


    The group had no choice; without electric cars, they could only rely on their own two legs. Riding the electric car didn¡¯t make it seem as if the back mountain was far from the vi cluster, but walking would take at least over forty minutes. Fortunately, everyone practiced martial arts, possessing exceptional skills and physical strength. For ordinary people, it might take an hour and a half to cover the distance.


    As they got closer to the vi cluster, everyone quickened their pace, arriving one after the other at the entrance of the vi cluster. Upon arrival, Ling Chen discovered that all the entrances and exits of the vi cluster were sealed, the gates locked, and there was not a single security guard in the security room.


    Ling Chen clearly remembered that when they left, at least three security guards were responsible for watching this entrance and exit, but at this moment there was no one, not even the gate was left unsealed.


    Could something really have happened?


    Thinking of this, the uneasiness in Ling Chen¡¯s heart grew stronger.


    Watching the others climb over the gate, Ling Chen couldn¡¯t help but remind, "Everyone, be careful, there¡¯s something strange going on."


    "What are you afraid of," Heavenly Mechanism Jijiang replied indifferently, "We have so many experts here, even if something happens, we¡¯re not afraid." After saying that, he disregarded Ling Chen¡¯s warning and walked straight in.


    Seeing the group heading towards the vi cluster, Ling Chen sighed helplessly. He was just kindly reminding everyone to avoid dangerter, but they took his good intentions for granted.


    Trailing behind the group, Ling Chen walked step by step to the vi where he stayed.


    At the vi entrance, Ling Chen looked at the closed door, knocked, but there was no response from inside.


    An empty room?


    Ling Chen frowned slightly, looking at the other vis. The situation was the same; it seemed as if all the vis had been emptied, not a single person in sight.


    Apart from the guests staying in the vis, each vi was equipped with two attendants and a chef, who were supposed to be present at all times. It was impossible for them all to vanish.


    After more than ten minutes, the scattered group gathered together again.


    "I searched everywhere on my side, not a single person."


    "Same here, seems like we¡¯ve seen everything, not even a shadow."


    "It¡¯s really bizarre. In just a few days, where did everyone run off to?"


    "Something¡¯s wrong!" Heavenly Mechanism Jijiang looked at the group and said solemnly, "Something must have happened. I instructed my disciples to stay obediently in the vi and wait for my return. My disciples have never disobeyed my words, but when I went to the vi just now, there wasn¡¯t a single person. Also, it seems our phone signals are jammed. Except for the vi cluster¡¯s phones, we can¡¯t get through to any other calls."


    Hearing this, Ling Chen immediately took out his phone and tried to call Hu Fei¡¯s number. But, just as Heavenly Mechanism Jijiang mentioned, the system prompted that the call could not be connected. However, when he dialed He Ziyun¡¯s number, the call went through, but no one answered.


    Gong Xiong said coldly, "Can anyone tell me what exactly is happening here?"


    "Old Gong, isn¡¯t that just nonsense? If we knew, it would be better. Right now, everyone is in the dark, not knowing what¡¯s happening."


    "Everyone," Ling Chen nced at the people present and spoke, "What Master Tian said just now is correct. Something certainly happened to the organizers and our people. However, their phones can be reached, which means they are still in the vi cluster, just temporarily we are unaware of their whereabouts."


    Hearing this, Gong Xiong asked, "Then what do you suggest we do?"


    "Whether there are any grudges in our hearts or not, it¡¯s best for us to work together now, not to panic. Whoever the opponent is, if they could quietly control the entire vi area, it means they are formidable. If I¡¯m not wrong, our every move should be under their surveince right now."


    "You mean someone is monitoring us? Where!"


    Ling Chen pointed to the surveince cameras around them and said, "Since those people have controlled the vi area, they must have also taken over the entire security system. If we want to take action, it¡¯s best to first blind their eyes, so they can¡¯t see us. I suggest..."


    "Enough!" At this moment, Wang Hao, who had been silent, suddenly interrupted and said, "Everyone, the situation is very clear now. We have been invaded by unknown enemies, and our friends and others have fallen into their hands. Only by uniting our strength and joining forces do we have a chance to rescue them. Currently, we have eleven people in total. Listen to my n: two people form a group and try to destroy the monitoring in the vi area. In fifteen minutes, gather back here. Any objections?"


    "No problem. There¡¯s no time to lose; let¡¯s act swiftly."


    As they spoke, the group quickly divided into teams, two people per team. However, since there were only eleven people, someone was bound to be left out. Unfortunately, that person was Ling Chen.


    Watching everyone disperse without anyone paying attention to him, Ling Chen touched his nose andughed indifferently.


    It seemed they thought he was too young and weak, so no one wanted to team up with him.


    <fnf784> The source of th?s content is Find~Novel</fnf784>


    However, Ling Chen wasn¡¯t angry about this, but rather about Wang Hao. He was speaking just fine, but that guy forcibly took over his speech, acting like he was the leader here. Such rude behavior annoyed Ling Chen.


    Fine!


    Since no one wanted to coborate with him, he wasn¡¯t going to bother doing the hard work either.


    Looking around, Ling Chen¡¯s gaze immediately locked on a vi not far away. That vi was next to his, the residence of the mysterious old man. Ling Chen had previously found it strange that the old man¡¯s capabilities had reached the state of Unity of Heaven and Man. If an external enemy invaded, the old man should be able to handle it with his skills.


    Thinking of this, Ling Chen quickened his pace and headed straight for that vi.


    Arriving at the vi¡¯s entrance, Ling Chen knocked on the door and found it ajar, not locked from the inside.


    Pushing the door open, Ling Chen cautiously stepped in, eyes vignt, listening for any movements around. Entering the living room, Ling Chen¡¯s face suddenly changed.


    The spacious and bright living room was inplete disarray, a scene of devastation, with tables and chairs smashed, wood fragments scattered all over.


    Seeing this, Ling Chen immediately retreated to the kitchen adjacent to the living room, picking up two knives on the fly. From the traces on the scene, it was clear that there had been a fight here. Not only that, but both sides were very strong, resulting in cracks all over the walls and doors.


    After checking the first floor of the vi, Ling Chen found no suspicious characters. So, he continued up the stairs to the second floor.


    Thud!


    Just at that moment, a light noise suddenly came from a bedroom on the second floor.


    Ling Chen¡¯s gaze narrowed slightly, gripping the knives tighter, then quickly stepped to the bedroom¡¯s door.

 Chapter 854 - 859: The Chef

    <h4>Chapter 854: Chapter 859: The Chef</h4>


    Hearing the suspicious sounds from the bedroom, Ling Chen instantly became alert, gripping two knives as he cautiously approached the bedroom door. Listening to the noisesing from inside, he took a deep breath, grasped the doorknob with one hand, and gently pushed the door open.


    As the door swung open, Ling Chen swiftly charged in, rolled on the ground, and dashed to the window, pressing his back against it, and quickly scanning the room. Surprisingly, there was no one in the spacious room.


    Something¡¯s not right! Ling Chen slightly furrowed his brows. He definitely heard sounds from inside when he was outside.


    Could I have heard wrong?


    Impossible. Ling Chen deeply trusted his ears. Especially after undergoing special training with Yang Chen, his hearing became incredibly sharp; he couldn¡¯t have misheard.


    In that moment, Ling Chen focused his gaze on the wardrobe in the room. The wardrobe was two meters tall and three meters wide, enough to hide several people.


    After pondering for a moment, Ling Chen spoke, "Come out, I know you¡¯re hiding in there."


    His words dropped, yet there was still no movement inside the wardrobe, not a single sound. Seeing this, Ling Chen said in a stern voice, "Noting out, huh? In that case, don¡¯t me me for being rude." With that, Ling Chen flicked his wrist, and the knife in his hand flew out, embedding itself in the wardrobe door with the tip piercing through.


    "This is just a warning. I¡¯ll count to three. If you don¡¯t appear, my next knife won¡¯t miss."


    "No, don¡¯t kill me!"


    Just as Ling Chen finished speaking, he heard a plea from inside the wardrobe. Soon after, the wardrobe door opened, and a pale-faced man in a chef¡¯s outfit emerged, looking fearfully at Ling Chen.


    "I... I don¡¯t know anything. Please, don¡¯t kill me, spare my life," the man pleaded as he dropped to his knees with a thud.


    Examining the man¡¯s attire, Ling Chen asked, "Are you a chef?"


    "Yes, yes," the man replied hastily. "I am the exclusive chef for this vi, only know how to cook."


    Ling Chen nodded. The man¡¯s expression didn¡¯t seem fake, and his chef¡¯s clothes were stained with oil. His hands, too, were calloused from handling kitchen knives. From these observations, the man shouldn¡¯t be lying.


    After confirming the chef¡¯s identity, Ling Chen sheathed his knife and asked, "Since you¡¯re the vi¡¯s chef, you should know what happened here. Tell me everything you saw and heard."


    "Yes." The chef didn¡¯t dare to dy and honestly recounted the events.


    After listening to the chef¡¯s ount, Ling Chen frowned even more deeply.


    Who would have thought, really unexpected, that those guys would resort to such despicable means.


    Justst night, the entire vi was attacked by men in ck. The assaultsted from midnight until three in the morning.


    <fnb32a> ??? ????? ???????s ??? ?????s??? ?? find(?)ovel</fnb32a>


    At that moment, the chef got up for ate-night bathroom break and narrowly escaped being captured. Moreover, he witnessed two masters dueling in the living room.


    Thinking about the mysterious old man¡¯s strength, Ling Chen couldn¡¯t help but feel curious about who had the credentials to confront that enigmatic elder. If nothing else, that person must have been a Heavenly List master.


    Quickly processing his thoughts, Ling Chen asked, "You said earlier that the intruder was defeated?"


    "Yes," the chef quickly replied. "That intruder was indeed formidable, but even he wasn¡¯t a match for the old master. The fight had barely begun when the old master injured him. Initially, the old master wanted to apprehend him, but unfortunately, those people captured the old master¡¯s granddaughter at a critical moment. Concerned for his granddaughter¡¯s safety, the old master had no choice but toply and leave with them."


    "Granddaughter?" Ling Chen asked. "Does the old master really have a granddaughter? Do you know who she is?"


    "Of course I know. The old master¡¯s granddaughter is named Tong Ye."


    "It¡¯s her?" Ling Chen was instantly surprised. He was well aware of who Tong Ye was but hadn¡¯t expected her to be the granddaughter of that mysterious elder.


    Right!


    He Ziyun had previously told him that the Martial Arts symposium was initiated by Tong Ye¡¯s grandfather. Moreover, her grandfather held a high status in the Martial Arts World, parallel to Su He. No wonder the elder could achieve Unity of Heaven and Man; he had a distinguished background.


    However, what Ling Chen couldn¡¯t understand was why someone would do such a thing.


    "Do you know where they¡¯re being held?"


    "I¡¯m not sure," the chef said. "After the incident, I stayed hidden in the bedroom, fearing to go out, so I don¡¯t know much about outside events."


    Upon hearing this, Ling Chen pondered a moment before continuing to ask, "I believe they¡¯re still in the vi area. Since you¡¯re the chef here, you¡¯re probably familiar with the surroundings. Let me ask you, is there a hidden, spacious area here?"


    "A hidden ce..." The chef scratched his head, thinking. After a while, he seemed to recall something and quickly said, "I know a ce. It¡¯s the vi area¡¯s warehouse, built in the basement. The space there isrge, with everything stored there."


    "Tell me the location."


    "Alright."


    Leaving the vi, Ling Chen went alone to the rendezvous point. By then, the team sent to disable the surveince cameras had returned in session, gathering to discuss the rescue strategy.


    Not long after, Wang Hao and another middle-aged man returned as well.


    "Wang Hao, we¡¯ve destroyed all the vi¡¯s surveince cameras. They can¡¯t monitor us. What do you think we should do now?"


    Before Wang Hao could speak, an elder interjected, "I say, we should call the police and let them handle it."


    "Agreed, I think so too. Times have changed. It¡¯s not the time for individual heroics. Besides, if they have guns, what then? Are we going to block bullets with our bodies?" someone in the crowd chimed in.


    "Hmph! As practitioners of Martial Arts, if we can¡¯t even resolve this, relying on others, then all our skills go to waste. Matters of the Martial Arts World should be settled within. Since they¡¯ve dared to act recklessly, let¡¯s confront them and see what they truly are capable of."


    Seeing the group in disagreement, Wang Hao nced around at the crowd, and slowly spoke, "Alright, everyone, quiet down and listen to me for a moment."


    With Wang Hao speaking, the crowd immediately fell silent, focusing their attention on him. He continued, "There¡¯s no need to argue over this. Why not consider both options?"


    "Wang Hao, what do you mean?"

 Chapter 855 - 860: Exclusion

    <h4>Chapter 855: Chapter 860: Exclusion</h4>


    "It¡¯s simple, we can send someone outside to call the police. Before the police arrive, why don¡¯t we try and see if we can rescue those people? What does everyone think?"


    "Not bad. I think this suggestion is very good." As soon as Wang Hao finished speaking, someone immediately agreed.


    "I think so too. But who do you think is suitable to call the police?"


    Wang Hao smiled slightly and scanned the people with his eyes, finally locking onto Ling Chen.


    Feeling Wang Hao¡¯s gaze, Ling Chen frowned slightly. Could it be that this guy wants me to go out and call the police? While pondering, he heard Wang Hao say, "There¡¯s no danger in calling the police, so why not let the weakest among us go, everyone agree?"


    "Okay."


    Everyone nodded and then focused their eyes on Ling Chen. Among these people, Ling Chen was the youngest. In their view, even though Ling Chen¡¯s strength had reached the Earthly List, he was still considered the weakest among them. So, letting Ling Chen call the police was undoubtedly the best choice.


    Ling Chen touched his nose, shrugged, and said, "Since everyone has nominated me, I¡¯ll go and call the police." After a pause, Ling Chen continued, "Another thing, I just found a survivor in the vi over there. ording to the clues he provided, others might be locked in the underground warehouse in the northeast of the vi area. If you want to rescue them, you can go and have a look there."


    Wang Hao said unhappily, "Why didn¡¯t you tell us such important information earlier?"


    "Didn¡¯t I just say?" Ling Chen replied, "I was just suspecting they were locked in the warehouse, you guys..."


    "Enough!" Before Ling Chen could finish, Wang Hao impatiently cut him off, "Don¡¯t worry about these things, we know what to do. You just focus on your part. Everyone, let¡¯s go!"


    With that, Wang Hao led the group straight to the northeast of the vi area.


    Watching Wang Hao and others leave, Ling Chen smiled to himself. Not letting him go, he was just as happy not to. There was bound to be a fight. However, what bothered Ling Chen the most was Wang Hao¡¯s attitude. That guy acted so bossy, as if he really thought of himself as the leader, requiring everyone to follow his arrangements.


    If it weren¡¯t for Ling Chen¡¯s suggestion and information, Wang Hao wouldn¡¯t have made those arrangements.


    Forget it! Why bother with someone like him?


    Adjusting his mood, Ling Chen immediately headed out of the vi. Since the surveince cameras in the vi had been destroyed, Ling Chen wasn¡¯t afraid of being secretly watched. Not long after, he reached the vi¡¯s exit.


    Seeing the sealed gate, Ling Chen climbed over the nearby wall. Reaching the closest road, Ling Chen took out his phone and dialed the emergency number. Indeed, after leaving the vi¡¯s shielded area, the phone could be used normally.


    After calling the police, Ling Chen put away his phone and turned back towards the vi area. No way could he ignore He Ziyun¡¯s uncertain whereabouts; he couldn¡¯t remain indifferent while knowing He Ziyun might be in danger.


    At this moment, outside the vi¡¯s warehouse, Wang Hao and the others hid on both sides of the corridor, observing the surroundings of the warehouse.


    After a while, Wang Hao gestured to Gong Xiong and others nearby. Immediately, the group split into two teams and swiftly approached the warehouse door.


    The warehouse door was made of steel tes, locked with arge lock from the outside. However, they noticed that the iron lock had been destroyed and discarded casually on the ground.


    <fn206e> This content belongs to Find_Novel(.</fn206e>


    "Everyone, be careful." Wang Hao instructed, then suddenly kicked the iron door open and rushed inside.


    Simultaneously, Gong Xiong, Heavenly Mechanism Jijiang, and others followed closely, rushing into the warehouse together.


    However, the moment they entered the warehouse, blinding lights suddenly shone upon them. Instantly, everyone raised their hands to block the light, instinctively closing their eyes, not daring to face the ring lights directly.


    "Ladies and gentlemen, I advise you to be smart and surrender quietly without making futile resistance."


    As the voice sounded, Wang Hao¡¯s expression changed slightly, he shouted coldly, "Who are you?" As he spoke, he struggled to open his eyes to see the speaker. But under the blinding light, Wang Hao¡¯s vision was hindered, everything was blurry, and only a vague human silhouette could barely be made out.


    Gritting his teeth, Wang Hao tapped his toe lightly, and his body instantly rushed forward.


    Bang!


    Suddenly, a gust of wind hit, and before Wang Hao could react, he felt a pain in his abdomen, and his body flew backward,nding heavily on the ground.


    From start to finish, Wang Hao never found the attacker¡¯s whereabouts. Not only him, but even the others didn¡¯t notice. The blinding lights were too intense, with visibility less than a meter.


    "Ladies and gentlemen, I suggest you be more sensible and stop resisting." The voice rang out again.


    Gong Xiong snorted coldly, shouted, "What¡¯s with the chatter, just take them out."


    As Gong Xiong¡¯s words fell, without hesitation, everyone dashed towards the edge of the light, trying to escape the intense beams.


    "Hmph! A bunch of clueless folks, since you asked for it, don¡¯t me us for being rude. Fire!"


    At themand, a series of ¡¯whoosh whoosh¡¯ sounds cut through the air from above.


    Before anyone could see clearly what it was, they felt as though their bodies were pierced by arrows, the pain was excruciating. Moreover, as the pain spread, they found their limbs inexplicably weak, unable to even stand.


    In the blink of an eye, seven or eight people had fallen to the ground, leaving only a few with stronger abilities struggling to hold out. However, they didn¡¯tst long before copsing, unable to move.


    Once everyone had lost their ability to move, the ring lights were finally turned off, and everyone¡¯s vision gradually recovered.


    At that moment, around the warehouse, dozens of people were squatting ¡ª chefs of the vi, waitstaff, event organizers, security, and others who hade for the martial arts seminar.


    Everyone¡¯s hands were bound behind their backs, feet tied with ropes, and mouths gagged, unable to speak.


    Seeing this scene, Wang Hao¡¯s face turned incredibly grim. They originally intended to rescue these people, but instead, ended up trapping themselves.


    He never imagined the opponent would use this strategy against them.


    Miscalction! A huge miscalction!


    If only he had known, he wouldn¡¯t have led everyone rushing in so hastily, unprepared.


    However, rather than calling it a miscalction, it was more about Wang Hao¡¯s ownck of capability. Even though Wang Hao was powerful, his experience in this area was zero, iparable to Ling Chen.

 Chapter 856 - 861: Falling Into the Trap

    <h4>Chapter 856: Chapter 861: Falling Into the Trap</h4>


    "I¡¯ve warned you all long ago, surrender obediently, but you just wouldn¡¯t listen and insisted on bringing this upon yourselves."


    The voice came through, and everyone turned to look. The speaker was an old man with white hair and a small patch of silver beard. At this moment, the old man stood with his hands behind his back, looking coldly at Wang Hao and the others.


    "You are..." Gong Xiong scrutinized the old man, a trace of doubt shing in his eyes. After pondering for a while, Gong Xiong seemed to recall something, his face suddenly changed, surprised, "I remember now, you¡¯re Ji Gang!"


    Ji Gang sneered and said, "I didn¡¯t realize there are people among you who recognize me. Since you know my identity, you¡¯d better behave, don¡¯t force me to do it myself." After speaking, Ji Gang waved hisrge hand and lightlymanded, "Tie them all up."


    "Yes."


    A few men responded and quickly walked towards the group with ropes in their hands.


    Before long, Wang Hao and his team were tightly bound with ropes and tossed into the corner of the warehouse.


    Hmph!


    Gong Xiong looked coldly at Wang Hao, though his mouth was gagged, it did not prevent him from expressing his discontent in other ways. Besides Gong Xiong, others also looked at Wang Hao with a face full ofints.


    Wang Hao was the organizer of the operation. Since problems urred, Wang Hao naturally had to take primary responsibility. If it weren¡¯t for his hasty decision to act, they wouldn¡¯t have easily fallen into the trap.


    Facing the dissatisfied gazes of everyone, Wang Hao lowered his head, pretending not to see, pondering something alone.


    At this moment, outside the warehouse, Ling Chen stood at the tightly closed door, nced at the fallen iron lock on the ground, and immediately stepped back, hiding in the corner.


    So much time has passed, and there¡¯s been no movement inside the warehouse, indicating that Wang Hao and the others might be in trouble.


    Under such circumstances, entering through the front door of the warehouse is absolutely inadvisable; it would only make oneself a live target. Plus, who knows what kind of traps might be behind the door.


    Ling Chen, with his richbat experience, knew well that without absolute certainty or at least fifty percent confidence, it was best not to act rashly. Doing so would only put oneself in danger.


    After pondering for a moment, Ling Chen¡¯s eyes lit up; he quickly left the entrance of the underground warehouse.


    Returning to the surface, Ling Chen looked around, memorizing the surrounding environment, then carefully examined the nearbywn.


    There had to be venttion systems in the underground warehouse; since it was built underground, the other end of the vent must be on the surface.


    After searching for over ten minutes, Ling Chen finally found one of the venttion outlets. He removed the cover, measured the width of the vent. It wasn¡¯t very wide but barely enough to amodate a small-bodied adult.


    Ling Chen¡¯s physique was standard, this vent was just right for him to squeeze through. Although it was a bit tight, there was no other way; this was the only entrance apart from the main door, he had to go in from here.


    Creeping into the vent, Ling Chen¡¯s chest and back were tightly pressed against the upper and lower surfaces of the duct, his hands constantly reaching forward, propelling his body forward.


    The venttion duct was over ten meters long, Ling Chen crawled for a full five minutes. The space was too narrow, making it hard to stretch; and he didn¡¯t want to make noise, letting those in the warehouse hear.


    When Ling Chen crawled to the other end of the duct, his forehead was already covered with sweat.


    Taking a breath, Ling Chen looked down through the vent cover, seeing more than a dozen people tied with ropes, sitting against the wall, motionless.


    Because the cover was only so big, Ling Chen¡¯s sight was limited, he could only see this many people.


    Lying in the duct, Ling Chen adjusted his breathing while listening to the sounds inside the warehouse. After a few minutes, he gently lifted the cover of the vent, then poked his head out.


    Seeing Ling Chen¡¯s head emerge from the vent, the people below were instantly startled.


    Ling Chen, fearing they might speak up and expose his position, hurriedly made a silent gesture, signaling everyone not to speak.


    After that, Ling Chen cautiously jumped down from the vent, closed the cover again to avoid detection.


    ncing around and making sure no enemies wereing, Ling Chen quickly walked to a man¡¯s side and removed the gag from his mouth.


    "Hey man, where are the others?"


    "They¡¯re all on the other side of the warehouse."


    Ling Chen nodded and asked, "Do you know how many enemies there are?"


    "I don¡¯t know, but I saw over twenty people."


    "Over twenty?" Ling Chen thought to himself. This number might not beplete, there are at least seventy or eighty people in the vi, to control all these, at least fifty people should be mobilized.


    "You guys stay here for now, I¡¯ll go check over there." Pausing for a moment, Ling Chen reassured, "Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ve already called the police, they¡¯ll definitely safely get you all out."


    "Thank you!" The man said gratefully.


    Ling Chen smiled slightly, patting the man¡¯s shoulder, "Don¡¯t thank me now, wait until you¡¯re rescued then thank me." With that, Ling Chen again stuffed the rag back into the man¡¯s mouth.


    The warehouse was massive, covering a thousand square meters, segmented into several areas, used for storing different items.


    ording to what the man said earlier, the others should be held next door.


    Soon, two fully armed men appeared in Ling Chen¡¯s sight.


    Seeing their gear, Ling Chen¡¯s heart sank.


    <fn0d2e> Latest content published on find{n}ovel</fn0d2e>


    God Organization!


    He was too familiar with the attire of the God Organization, he certainly wouldn¡¯t mistake it. Probably only a force like God Organization could control an entire vi area.


    Now it was trouble.


    Ling Chen secretly cursed. If it¡¯s the God Organization, surely there are experts with them. Moreover, there¡¯s certainly a Heavenly List expert among them.


    Ji Gang!


    Besides him, Ling Chen couldn¡¯t think of anyone else.


    If he encounters Ji Gang here, he¡¯s done for. No way around it, the guy¡¯s a genuine Heavenly List expert, what could he, an Earthly List specialist, use to fight him?


    Right!


    A sudden idea struck Ling Chen¡¯s mind.


    Weren¡¯t they using Tong Ye to threaten Tong Ye¡¯s grandfather? Since that¡¯s the case, they should be here too. As long as he could rescue Tong Ye¡¯s grandfather, he¡¯d have a strong ally. By then, he wouldn¡¯t have to fear Ji Gang at all.


    Thinking of this, Ling Chen quietly retreated to the side, observing the patrol movements of the two guards.


    After a few minutes, seizing the moment when the two guards were inattentive, Ling Chen silently slid to their rear. Before they could react, Ling Chen struck swiftly, punching hard.


    Suddenly, there were two muffled grunts, both guards fell to the ground, unconscious.


    After dealing with the guards, Ling Chen dared not dy, hurriedly dragged them aside, then used debris from the warehouse to conceal their bodies, to prevent discovery.

 Chapter 857 - 862: Heavenly List Elder (1)

    <h4>Chapter 857: Chapter 862: Heavenly List Elder (1)</h4>


    Putting on the uniform of the enemy guard, Ling Chen tried his best to cover his face to avoid being recognized by the people of the God Organization. There was no choice, he was quite the ¡¯celebrity¡¯ in the God Organization, probably not many who didn¡¯t know him.


    With a guard¡¯s uniform, Ling Chen¡¯s movements became much more convenient, at least he could move around the warehouse openly. Others noticed his presence, just nced casually, not taking much time for a closer look. After wandering in the warehouse for a while, Ling Chen found a small, separate room.


    <fn0911> Official source is find{n}ovel</fn0911>


    Two people were guarding outside the small room, although he couldn¡¯t get close, Ling Chen could still hear the voicesing from inside, as if two or three people were talking, but it was not very clear due to the distance.


    Having just wandered around the warehouse area and found no sign of Tong Ye¡¯s grandfather¡¯s whereabouts, he figured he was likely confined inside that room.


    At that moment, Ling Chen found a concealed ce and quietly observed. After about five minutes, the door to the small room was pushed open from the inside. Immediately, an old man walked out from within.


    Seeing the person, Ling Chen reflexively shrunk back a little.


    Ji Gang!


    It really was that guy.


    Since Ji Gang came out of the small room, ten to one, Tong Ye¡¯s grandfather was inside. Watching as Ji Gang left, Ling Chen was about to head towards the small room. With Ji Gang gone, it was the best opportunity to make a move. After a few steps, Ling Chen¡¯s steps halted slightly, a sh of hesitation flickered in his bright pupils.


    After two or three seconds, Ling Chen, who was originally heading towards the small room, suddenly chose to give up the action, retreating back to his original position.


    Ling Chen just realized that even if he rescued Tong Ye¡¯s grandfather, it would be of no use. As long as Tong Ye was still in the hands of the God Organization, her grandfather would be threatened. Therefore, before rescuing Tong Ye¡¯s grandfather, he must rescue Tong Ye first.


    However, Ling Chen had searched the warehouse and didn¡¯t find any trace of Tong Ye, nor did he know where the God Organization had confined her.


    Forget it! Let¡¯s search once more, maybe something was overlooked earlier.


    Thinking of this, Ling Chen turned and left, continuing to search for Tong Ye¡¯s whereabouts in the warehouse.


    As he searched, suddenly, a man walked out from not far away, waved at Ling Chen, and urged, "You, quicklye here."


    Ling Chen was slightly stunned and instinctively prepared to leave, but he quickly realized that he was currently impersonating a member of the God Organization. If he left, it would certainly arouse the other¡¯s suspicion.


    "What are you still dawdling for,e over quickly." Seeing Ling Chen not responding for a long time, the man couldn¡¯t help but urge again.


    "Coming!" Ling Chen replied in a low voice.


    Uponing closer, the man nced at Ling Chen, not examining him closely. Moreover, Ling Chen deliberately lowered his head, making it unclear.


    "Follow me."


    With that, the man led Ling Chen directly towards the north wall of the warehouse. When Ling Chen was almost at the north wall, he suddenly noticed many boxes stacked in front,yer uponyer, like a wall, partitioning off an independent space. So there was this ce, how did I not notice it before?


    As he thought, Ling Chen followed the man behind the boxes and saw a small space with a chair, on which sat a person; it was Tong Ye. At this moment, Tong Ye was tied to the chair with her hands behind her back, with a guard specifically responsible for monitoring her.


    The man pointed at Tong Ye and instructed, "You two take her out, there¡¯s a car waiting outside."


    "Understood."


    Ling Chen nodded in agreement, secretlyughing. What a windfall, he was just thinking of finding Tong Ye, and unexpectedly she fell into hisp so readily.


    At that moment, with the cooperation of another guard, Ling Chen escorted Tong Ye out of the warehouse.


    Not long after, the three of them made their way through to the outside of the warehouse unimpeded. Upon reaching the surface, Ling Chen immediately saw a Mercedes-Benz van parked by the roadside.


    Seeing Ling Chen and the others approaching, the door of the van was immediately opened, and a man in a suit jumped out from the back seat, indicating towards the car, "Put her in."


    Upon reaching the Mercedes-Benz van, Ling Chen nced inside; apart from the man in the suit, there was only a driver. Just three people, easy to handle.


    Once everyone was in the vehicle, the door shut, and the body of the Mercedes-Benz van suddenly shook. After more than ten seconds, it finally calmed down. Then, the engine roared to life, and it quickly dashed towards the vi gate.


    Five minutester.


    A person came rushing outside the warehouse door, directly crashing open the tightly shut door, then copsed to the ground.


    Seeing the fully armed man lying on the ground, with bloodstains, the few guards at the door immediately rushed over and asked, "What happened?"


    The man raised his trembling hand, pointed outside, and weakly said, "Outside... outside someone... hijacking..." After speaking, the man tilted his head and fainted on the ground, unconscious.


    "Quick, notify the top, we¡¯re under attack outside."


    "Understood!" A guard quickly took out a walkie-talkie, reporting the situation to the top.


    In a short while, more than twenty fully armed guards formed two teams, hurriedly heading out of the warehouse.


    As the footsteps gradually faded away, the previously unnoticed fainted man slowly lifted his head, nced around, then smiled lightly to himself, getting up from the ground.


    Those guys are really easy to fool, believing just one or two random words. Ling Chen thought to himself.


    Now, with half of the guards in the warehouse dispatched, it became much easier for Ling Chen to move. It wasn¡¯t long before Ling Chen found He Ziyun, who was trapped among the crowd.


    "Ling Chen?" He Ziyun was surprised, not expecting to see Ling Chen here.


    "Mr. He, don¡¯t ask too much right now." Saying this, Ling Chen cut the ropes binding He Ziyun with a dagger, then handed the dagger to him, instructing, "Wait for the right moment, let everyone else free, I have other matters to attend to, I¡¯ll leave this to you."


    After giving his instructions, Ling Chen didn¡¯t stay longer, immediately heading to the other side of the warehouse. His time was extremely tight; though he managed to lure away half of the guards, it wouldn¡¯t dy for too long, he needed toplete his task quickly.


    In no time, Ling Chen found Wang Hao, Gong Xiong, and the others trapped in a corner. These were the Earthly List masters; he would need their help quite a bitter, he had to rescue them first.


    Seeing the fully armed Ling Chen, everyone was slightly stunned, looking at Ling Chen in surprise, "How are you here?"


    "I was worried about you all, so I came back after calling the police." As he exined, Ling Chen untied the ropes on everyone.


    "Everyone, stay here for now, don¡¯t rush to leave, wait for my signal to make a move." Ling Chen seriously instructed them.

 Chapter 858 - 863: Heavenly List Elder (2)

    <h4>Chapter 858: Chapter 863: Heavenly List Elder (2)</h4>


    Wang Hao nced at Ling Chen and asked indifferently, "What are we waiting for? We¡¯re all here, why not charge out together?"


    "Charge out?" Ling Chen retorted angrily, "Wang Hao, do you think you¡¯re that capable? Fine, if you¡¯re so confident in yourself, then leave Ji Gang outside to you. As long as you can hold Ji Gang back, I¡¯ll follow you without hesitating."


    Upon hearing this, Wang Hao¡¯s expression changed slightly, and he swallowed the words that were about toe out of his mouth. Although he believed his own skills weren¡¯t weak, facing a master from the Heavenly List was still beyond his courage.


    "Enough!" At this moment, Gong Xiong spoke up from the side, "Everyone listen to Ling Chen, I think he¡¯s more reliable." As he said this, Gong Xiong shot an unpleasant look at Wang Hao, clearly unhappy with Wang Hao¡¯s previous actions.


    Feeling the discontent in Gong Xiong¡¯s gaze, Wang Hao frowned slightly, a hint of coldness shing in his eyes, and his look towards Ling Chen became more hostile.


    "I¡¯m going first. Remember, wait for my signal."


    After splitting up with Gong Xiong and the others, Ling Chen returned to the outside of the small house again. Waiting quietly for a moment, seeing that Ji Gang didn¡¯t appear, Ling Chen picked up the electric baton in his hand and quickly walked towards the small house¡¯s door.


    "Stop!" The two guards at the door saw Ling Chen approaching, immediately reached out to stop him, and asked in a deep voice, "What are you doing?"


    Ling Chen nced over them, and without another word, directly swung the electric baton in his hand over.


    Bam! Bam!


    Two muffled sounds, and the two guards at the door immediately fell to the ground unconscious.


    After dealing with the guards, Ling Chen quickly pushed open the small room¡¯s door and rushed inside.


    Just as Ling Chen had anticipated, on a single folding bed inside the roomy an old man, Tong Ye¡¯s grandfather. However, the old man had his eyes tightly shut and his breathing was steady, as if in a deep sleep. Next to the folding bed was an IV stand with several fluid bottles hanging from it, all fluids converging through conduits and flowing into the old man¡¯s body.


    Looking at those bottles of fluid, Ling Chen didn¡¯t think twice, and directly pulled the conduits out from the old man¡¯s body.


    "Old man." Ling Chen lightly patted the old man¡¯s cheek and called out a few times by his ear, but the old man seemed unconscious, with no reaction.


    Ling Chen had no choice, so he decided to use a bit more force, patting the old man¡¯s cheeks with a loud smack. After a while, seeing the old man still unresponsive, Ling Chen sighed helplessly, had to help the old man up from the bed, then carried him on his back and strode towards the outside.


    Since the elderly man couldn¡¯t wake up now, he¡¯d have to take him away first to avoid being discovered by Ji Gangter.


    However, things oftene as you fear. Just as Ling Chen stepped out of the door, he saw Ji Gang leading several followersing over from a distance.


    As their eyes met, Ji Gang¡¯s gaze instantly turned cold and he shouted, "Ling, you¡¯ve got a lot of nerve to dare cause trouble here. Men, capture him for me!"


    With thismand, the several men behind Ji Gang immediately took action, swiftly closing in on Ling Chen, who was immediately enveloped byyers of encirclement, with nowhere to retreat.


    "Ling Chen, I advise you to surrender willingly, don¡¯t make it difficult for yourself."


    Hearing this, Ling Chen frowned slightly, his gaze sweeping over each of the men.


    He wasn¡¯t afraid of these guys; it was just that with Ji Gang supervising nearby, even if he dealt with these small fries, he wouldn¡¯t be able to break through Ji Gang¡¯s defenses.


    Troublesome!


    What should I do now?


    While pondering, one of the men swung a fist and rushed forward, the fierce punch force bursting forth, straight towards Ling Chen¡¯s face.


    How formidable!


    Ling Chen¡¯s pupils contracted slightly, he hurriedly retreated two steps, avoiding the blow of the opponent¡¯s fist.


    The man in front of him had strength that definitely rivaled a master from the Earthly List, no wonder he was sent to subdue him, it turned out this guy was also a master.


    In a quick turn of thought, Ling Chen dared not think more, the Nine Yang Qiankun Step was instantly executed, his body light as a swallow, stepping over stars, dodging the attacks of many with agile footwork.


    <fnd68d> Official source is ?ovelFind</fnd68d>


    Relying on the flexibility of the Nine Yang Qiankun Step, Ling Chen narrowly escaped danger several times, without being hit by enemies.


    Watching Ling Chen¡¯s movement technique, Ji Gang, who was observing from the side, frowned slightly, a sharp look shing in his eyes.


    "Stop it, all of you!"


    Upon hearing Ji Gang¡¯s shout, the men immediately stopped, pushing aside to erge the encirclement.


    "Ling Chen, let me ask you, what¡¯s your rtionship with Su He?"


    "Why should I tell you?"


    "Hmph! Not going to say, huh? No problem, even if you don¡¯t say, I can guess. The Nine Yang Qiankun Step is Su He¡¯s exclusive Absolute Skill, never passed on except to his direct disciples. Ling Chen, I never thought Su He would be your master. I always thought that old Su He was dead. Tell me, where is Su He?"


    "You want to know where my master is? Fine, as long as you let us go, I¡¯ll tell you right away. How about that?"


    "Ling Chen!" Ji Gang said coldly, "I see you¡¯re refusing a toast only to be forced to drink a forfeit. Alright, since you refuse to listen to reason, don¡¯t me me for being impolite." With that, Ji Gang gestured and said in a deep voice, "Remember, don¡¯t kill him, he is of great use to me."


    "Yes!"


    The men nodded, without hesitation, they attacked again, pressing closer and instantlypressing Ling Chen¡¯s space to within a meter.


    Having seen Ling Chen¡¯s Nine Yang Qiankun Step, the men cooperated very tactically, deliberately forming an encirclement, sealing all around, squeezing Ling Chen¡¯s activity space little by little, so his Nine Yang Qiankun Step couldn¡¯t be fully utilized.


    Sensing the opponent¡¯s strategy, Ling Chen felt bad. If this continued, he would inevitably be caught by them. More importantly, he was carrying Tong Ye¡¯s grandfather on his back, which was restricting his movement and speed, stopping him from executing his skills fully.


    No way, I must find a breakthrough to escape.


    The thought had just arisen when Ling Chen felt strong force attacking from his back. Instantly, he staggered forward, losing control of his body.


    Bam!


    With an elderly man on his back, Ling Chen¡¯s bnce immediately faltered, causing him to crash heavily to the ground, along with the elderly man rolling down.


    ncing at the unconscious old man, Ling Chen secretly rejoiced. Luckily, if the elderly man hadn¡¯t taken the blow for him just now, he would surely have been injured.


    "Capture him."


    Hearing the approaching footsteps, Ling Chen quickly flipped up from the ground, dashed to the old man¡¯s side, and heaved the man back onto his back, then rushed towards the warehouse door.


    "Still trying to escape?"


    Ji Gang snorted coldly, flicked his wrist slightly and several streaks of cold light shot out, straight at Ling Chen.


    ```

 Chapter 859 - 864: Heavenly List Elder (3)

    <h4>Chapter 859: Chapter 864: Heavenly List Elder (3)</h4>


    The sound of something cutting through the air reached Ling Chen, and he turned his head to see several shes of cold light immediately appear in his vision. At the same time, several men who had been pursuing him leapt forward at lightning speed, and in the blink of an eye, they were right behind Ling Chen,unching punches and strikes at him.


    Faced with such a dense barrage of attacks, Ling Chen was momentarily stunned, standing in ce dumbfounded, unable to think of a tactic. With so many attacks, no matter how he responded, he would still be hit by others.


    It¡¯s over!


    This was the only thought in Ling Chen¡¯s mind.


    At this critical moment, Ling Chen suddenly felt an overwhelming and irresistible force surge towards him. Before he could react, that force propelled his body far away, allowing him to narrowly avoid those attacks.


    Immediately after, with a light shout, all the men who had leapt towards him were blown away,nding heavily on the ground.


    At this moment, Ling Chen, who hade to his senses, looked intently to see the elder, who had been unconscious earlier, standing steadily on the ground, his posture as upright as an indomitable pine tree.


    Finally awake!


    Ling Chen secretly sighed in relief. Fortunately, the elder woke up in time; otherwise, he would have surely fallen into Ji Gang¡¯s hands.


    Seeing the elder intervene, Ji Gang¡¯s pupils contracted, and he looked coldly at the elder, saying, "Tong Zhentian, don¡¯t forget your granddaughter is still in my hands. If you dare to hurt anyone again, don¡¯t me me for being rude to your granddaughter."


    Hearing this, Tong Zhentian frowned slightly, his elderly eyes flickering with hesitation.


    "Elder Tong, don¡¯t listen to him," Ling Chen quickly spoke up, "Miss Tong Ye is very safe now. I¡¯ve already rescued her to a safe ce."


    Tong Zhentian¡¯s eyes lit up, and he asked, "You¡¯re not lying to me?"


    "Elder Tong, I wouldn¡¯t dare make up something like this. If you don¡¯t believe me, let them bring your granddaughter out for you to see."


    Upon hearing this, Tong Zhentian immediately locked his gaze on Ji Gang, saying in a deep voice, "You wanted to use my granddaughter to threaten me, didn¡¯t you? Fine, then bring her out for me to see. As long as I confirm her safety, I promise to follow your arrangements and won¡¯t harm your subordinates."


    Ji Gang bit his teeth and looked at Ling Chen, saying, "Kid, remember this; I will settle this score with you sooner orter."


    His words virtually admitted that Tong Ye was not in his hands.


    "Let¡¯s go!" Ji Gang waved arge hand, preparing to retreat with his men.


    "Go? Ji Gang, where do you n to run?" Tong Zhentian snorted coldly, "As a Heavenly List expert, you resort to such despicable means to threaten me and collude with evil forces like the God Organization. You are the kind of Martial Arts scum everyone wants to kill. Today, you will leave your life here."


    As soon as he finished speaking, Tong Zhentian lightly tapped his toes, and his body vanished like a gust of wind.


    Ling Chen¡¯s eyes followed Tong Zhentian, but aside from a blurry figure, he couldn¡¯t keep up with Tong Zhentian¡¯s pace at all.


    Fast, so fast! The speed Tong Zhentian disyed had surpassed human limits.


    Is this the extraordinary realm achieved after reaching Unity of Heaven and Man? Ling Chen was full of envy.


    After a brief moment of daze, Ling Chen snapped back to reality. He almost forgot that He Ziyun and Gong Xiong were still waiting for his signal.


    Immediately, Ling Chen shouted, "Everyone, attack together. Don¡¯t let a single one escape."


    As Ling Chen¡¯s voice spread through the warehouse, He Ziyun and the others broke free from their ropes and began to release the other captives.


    More and more experts joined the battle, and the members of the God Organization were no match. In no time, dozens of God Organization members werepletely controlled.


    "Mr. He."


    Ling Chen knocked out a guard with one punch and hurried to He Ziyun¡¯s side, asking, "How is the situation on your side?"


    "Very smooth. By the way, where¡¯s Ji Gang?"


    "Elder Tong is dealing with..."


    "He ran away."


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    Before Ling Chen could finish speaking, Tong Zhentian¡¯s voice came from behind. Ling Chen turned around, looking at Tong Zhentian approaching, and asked in surprise, "Elder Tong, how did you let him escape?"


    "Ji Gang is a Heavenly List master, very powerful. If I were at my peak, I might have been able to subdue him, but my body is quite weak now. If I forced myself to act, not only would I fail to catch him, but I might also get injured myself. We¡¯ll let him go this time, and find an opportunity to deal with himter."


    As he spoke, Wang Hao and Gong Xiong, along with others, arrived.


    Seeing Tong Zhentian there, Wang Hao immediately stepped forward and saluted, respectfully calling, "Elder Tong."


    Tong Zhentian nodded and asked, "Is everyone alright?"


    "No problem, we have the God Organization members under control," Wang Hao replied.


    "We really owe it to Ling Chen for helping us escape this disaster," Gong Xiong chimed in. "Ling, thank you so much."


    After Gong Xiong spoke, others also expressed gratitude. They knew that if it weren¡¯t for Ling Chen¡¯s timely intervention, they wouldn¡¯t have been able to escape.


    Tong Zhentian chuckled and said, "Ling Chen¡¯s contribution is indeed substantial. He also rescued me, and thanks to him, my granddaughter was also saved."


    Hearing everyone¡¯s generous praise for Ling Chen, Wang Hao¡¯s expression turned a bit sour.


    He nced around at everyone present and said dismissively, "Everyone, let¡¯s not rush to thank him. This might be a ploy by the God Organization."


    "A ploy?" Everyone was slightly puzzled and asked, "Wang Hao, what do you mean by that?"


    This guy... Ling Chen looked at Wang Hao with a face full of dissatisfaction. How does this guy always seem to undermine him at critical moments? Could it be he can¡¯t stand to see him do well?


    While pondering, everyone heard Wang Hao speak, "Let me make a few points first. First, the location of the warehouse was provided to us by Ling Chen, but when we entered, we fell into traps and ambushes, leading to our capture. Think carefully, isn¡¯t that suspicious? Also, the warehouse has only one main entrance, so why was it that we were ambushed, but he wasn¡¯t? Moreover, he managed to rescue all of us single-handedly. Ling Chen is merely an Earthly List expert, and their side has plenty of Earthly and Heavenly List experts. How could he have the ability to pull this off?"


    "So you think Ling Chen is secretly colluding with the God Organization?" He Ziyun chimed in.


    Wang Hao said ndly, "Given these suspicions, I have to be cautious. As the saying goes, ¡¯the heart of a man is evil.¡¯ It¡¯s better we remain vignt."


    "Hmph!" Gong Xiong said coldly, "I think you¡¯re just driven by jealousy, which is why you¡¯re ndering Ling Chen. Wang Hao, don¡¯t me me for being blunt, but everything that happened before was arranged by you. If you weren¡¯t so reckless, how would we have fallen into the trap? If you ask me, you shouldn¡¯t me others for this; you can only me yourself for not being as capable as others. To be honest, I regret listening to you. If Ling Chen had made the arrangements, perhaps we would have already rescued everyone smoothly."

 Chapter 860 - 865: Unique Master Technique (Part 1)

    <h4>Chapter 860: Chapter 865: Unique Master Technique (Part 1)</h4>


    Gong Xiong¡¯s words made Wang Hao¡¯s face turn extremely unpleasant. He never expected that Gong Xiong would speak so bluntly, not giving him a shred of dignity.


    Regarding Gong Xiong¡¯s words, Wang Hao was most clear in his heart. Indeed, he was very jealous of Ling Chen. He originally wanted to be the one to save everyone, but in the end, Ling Chen took it from him. How could he feel good about it?


    Not only top experts from the Earthly List attended the martial arts conference this time, but also many martial artists. If he could gain favor from these people, it would undoubtedly enhance his status and influence in the martial arts world.


    He left the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion and came to the martial arts conference for two ultimate purposes, one of which was simply to mix in and make himself known, toy the groundwork for his future rise.


    As for the other purpose, that was to find a mentor.


    Tong Zhentian is a top expert from the Heavenly List and the only one who canpare with Su He. Since Su He took Ling Chen as a disciple, he had to think of another way, and Tong Zhentian was undoubtedly the best choice.


    "Alright." At this time, Tong Zhentian timely spoke, "Wang Hao just wants to be a bit cautious. I believe he has no ill intentions, so let¡¯s not overthink."


    Hearing Tong Zhentian speak for Wang Hao, everyone wisely shut their mouths. Wang Hao lifted his head and gave Tong Zhentian a grateful look.


    "However..." Tong Zhentian paused, then said with a smile, "I¡¯ve seen what Ling Chen has done with my own eyes. I believe he¡¯s innocent with the God Organization. No matter what, Ling Chen is our savior this time. Everyone should properly thank him."


    Gong Xiong nodded in agreement, saying, "Elder Tong has finally said a fair word." With that, Gong Xiong cupped his fists toward Ling Chen and said, "Brother Ling, if there¡¯s anything I did to offend you, please forgive me and don¡¯t take it to heart."


    "No worries." Ling Chen¡¯s lips curved slightly as he smiled and said, "We are all people from the martial arts world. Helping each other is what we should do." Then, Ling Chen turned to look at Tong Zhentian, "Elder Tong, I¡¯ve settled Miss Tong Ye in a safe ce. Let me take you to her now."


    "Alright, I appreciate it." Tong Zhentian was most worried about his granddaughter. If it weren¡¯t for Tong Ye, how could he be coerced by the God Organization?


    A group of people left the warehouse, and Wang Hao, following Ling Chen who was surrounded by a crowd ahead, furrowed his brows, his expression extremely grim. He was stronger than Ling Chen, butst time at the Yangxin Pavilion¡¯s martial arts ring, he lost to Ling Chen. And this time, he lost to Ling Chen again. For the young elites of the Yangxin Pavilion, the youngest expert on the Earthly List, Wang Hao¡¯s self-esteem was stronger than anyone else¡¯s. Moreover, he had an inherentlypetitive nature. The repeated failures left him feeling severely shaken.


    Just wait!


    Wang Hao clenched his fists, secretly gritting his teeth as he looked at Ling Chen ahead. Sooner orter, I will surpass you.


    Leaving the warehouse, the organizer¡¯s representative led everyone back to the venue, while Ling Chen led Tong Zhentian to where Tong Ye was hiding. As the saying goes, the most dangerous ce is the safest, Ling Chen didn¡¯t let Tong Ye escape far but arranged for her to stay in the bathroom of a vi area.


    "Grandpa!"


    Seeing Tong Zhentian appear at the door, Tong Ye immediately burst into tears, rushing forward with open arms to tightly hug Tong Zhentian¡¯s neck.


    "Alright, alright!" Tong Zhentian gently patted Tong Ye¡¯s back,forting her, "It¡¯s all over."


    Tong Ye wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes, looking at her grandfather and asking, "Grandpa, what about those bad people?"


    "Rest assured, they¡¯ve all been caught." Saying this, Tong Zhentian pointed at Ling Chen beside him, "You should quickly thank Ling Chen. If it weren¡¯t for his help, neither your grandpa nor you would have escaped."


    Tong Ye obediently responded and looked at Ling Chen with gratitude in her eyes.


    Looking at Tong Ye¡¯s obedient appearance, Ling Chen smiled slightly. Just a few days ago, when he first met this youngdy, she was so arrogant, like a proud peacock. Now, she showed no sign of being spoiled and behaved gently and obediently beside Tong Zhentian.


    "Elder Tong, let¡¯s go back."


    "Alright."


    When the three of them returned to the venue, several police cars drove up outside the vi area, sealing off the warehouse sitepletely.


    Not long after, several military transport trucks drove up and stopped directly at the warehouse entrance. Immediately after, a fully armed special forces unit entered the warehouse, escorting all the prisoners inside onto the vehicles.


    Ling Chen stood at the venue entrance, watching from afar. This incident involved the God Organization, and the police were unable to handle it. So Ling Chen called Pang Jiulin, informing him of the situation and requesting his help. Those captured members of the God Organization would be sent directly to the military district for strict interrogation.


    An hourter, as the military trucks left, Ling Chen turned and returned to the venue.


    At this moment, in the center of the venue, the organizer¡¯s representative walked boldly onto the stage and said in a loud voice, "Everyone, please quiet down for a moment, I have something to announce."


    Upon hearing this, the noisy venue immediately quieted down, focusing their attention on the organizer.


    "Everybody, first and foremost, on behalf of the organizer, I express a sincere apology to everyone here. If it weren¡¯t for ourck of precaution, this incident wouldn¡¯t have happened, endangering everyone¡¯s personal safety. Here, on behalf of the organizer, I promise that from now on, we will strengthen our vignce to prevent such incidents from happening again. We hope everyone present will continue to support us." Pausing, the organizer¡¯s representative continued, "Besides, I must particrly thank one individual. Even if I don¡¯t say it, I believe everyone knows who it is. That¡¯s right, it¡¯s Ling Chen, Mr. Ling. When our lives were at risk, it was Mr. Ling who stood up bravely, disregarding his own danger, saving everyone. Here, on behalf of the organizer, I express sincere thanks to Mr. Ling. Additionally, we have prepared a small gift."


    As the words fell, a man in a suit immediately brought a delicate box in front of Ling Chen.


    "This... this isn¡¯t really necessary, is it?" Ling Chen touched his nose and said, "I only did what should be done; there¡¯s no need to be so courteous."


    "Mr. Ling, this is just a token of our appreciation, please don¡¯t refuse."


    "Ling Chen, don¡¯t be modest, ept it," Tong Zhentian said from the side.


    Seeing Tong Zhentian speak, Ling Chen no longer acted coyly; he smiled, received the box in his hand, and nodded, "Then I thank everyone."


    "Alright!" The organizer¡¯s representative changed the subject, "Everyone, now let¡¯s get back on track."<fn0ee4> Fresh chapters posted on find?novel</fn0ee4>


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 Chapter 861 - 866: Unique Master Technique (2)

    <h4>Chapter 861: Chapter 866: Unique Master Technique (2)</h4>


    "Although there were some unexpected events at this martial arts conference, as I understand, thepetition has already determined a winner. Therefore, as the host, we should proceed ording to the rules. Now, let¡¯s invite the winner to the stage."


    With the conclusion of the host¡¯s words, Wang Hao walked up with the golden statue.


    "Mr. Wang." The host smiled at Wang Hao, sping his hands in congrattions: "Congrattions on bing the winner of this martial arts conference. Is there anything you¡¯d like to say?" The host gestured, indicating for Wang Hao to say a few words publicly.


    Wang Hao stepped to the front of the stage, opened his mouth to deliver a few words of victory appreciation. However, he quickly noticed that few people in the audience were paying attention to him; instead, they surrounded Ling Chen, chattering animatedly. As the main character of this victory, Wang Hao was utterly sidelined.


    Seeing this scene, Wang Hao felt extremely displeased, his expression exceedingly unpleasant. He had initially wanted to say a few words, but now had no desire at all.


    "Mr. Wang, do you have anything you¡¯d like to say?" Seeing Wang Hao hesitate, the host couldn¡¯t help but urge him.


    "Hmph!" Wang Hao flicked his sleeve, coldly stating, "I have nothing to say." With that, not waiting for the other party to respond, Wang Hao directly walked off the stage. At that moment, he felt like a clown. Rather than continue to make a fool of himself on stage, it was better to leave quickly, to avoid total embarrassment.


    Wang Hao¡¯s departure did not attract much attention; even the organizers merely sighed helplessly without much retention. In fact, they also understood that with Ling Chen¡¯s contributions before them, no one cared about anyone else, much less who the winner was.


    Moreover, in every aspect, Ling Chen¡¯s actions this time indeed outshined Wang Hao a lot more. Not only did he save everyone, but more importantly, he saved Tong Zhentian.


    Amid the crowd¡¯s thanks, Ling Chen¡¯s mouth was almost numb from smiling. Fortunately, with Tong Zhentian¡¯s helpter, Ling Chen managed to escape the fervor and return to the vi.


    After resting for a while, seeing it was gettingte, Ling Chen decided to stay there for the night and set off for East Sea City the next day.


    Not having seen Nanrong Wanqing for a while, he missed her terribly. Moreover, with such major events happening without any news, he couldn¡¯t imagine how worried Nanrong Wanqing must be.


    "Mr. He."


    "What¡¯s up?"


    "I¡¯m going out for a while; I¡¯ll be back shortly."


    "Do you need me to apany you?"


    "No need." Ling Chen waved with a smile: "I¡¯m just going to pay a formal visit to Elder Tong. Since I¡¯m leaving tomorrow, it¡¯s only right to say farewell."


    "Alright then." He Ziyun nodded: "Tong Zhentian is a veteran in the martial arts, remarkably skilled, and a master on the Heavenly List. It¡¯s beneficial for you to maintain a good rtionship with him."


    Leaving the vi, Ling Chen took the quiet path to Tong Zhentian¡¯s vi. Because the vi Tong Zhentian previously lived in was destroyed and in ruins, he had moved to another ce a bit of a distance from where Ling Chen was staying.


    As Ling Chen approached the vi, he suddenly saw someone walking out of the entrance; it was Wang Hao. Seeing Wang Hao¡¯s gloomy and depressed demeanor, Ling Chen couldn¡¯t help but be curious.


    What¡¯s going on?


    While pondering, Wang Hao seemed to notice Ling Chen approaching and his gaze instantly turned icy cold.


    When the two met, Wang Hao stopped in his tracks, staring straight into Ling Chen¡¯s eyes, speaking coldly, "I find you truly an obstacle on my path forward."


    Hearing this, Ling Chen was slightly stunned, not understanding what Wang Hao meant.


    "Ling Chen, don¡¯t be too pleased with yourself. Just you wait. Even without their help, I¡¯ll surpass you sooner orter." After speaking, Wang Hao snorted coldly and strode away.


    Watching Wang Hao¡¯s back as he left, Ling Chen was very puzzled. He hadn¡¯t provoked him, so why speak such harsh words?


    Crazy!


    Ling Chen muttered to himself, then walked to the vi¡¯s entrance and knocked on the door.


    Before long, the door opened, and Tong Ye, dressed refreshingly, appeared inside. Seeing Ling Chen outside, Tong Ye¡¯s lips curled slightly as she smiled: "You¡¯re here! Pleasee in."


    "Thank you! Miss Tong, is Elder Tong here?"


    "My grandfather¡¯s inside; he was just talking about you. I didn¡¯t expect you to arrive so soon."


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    He was talking about me?


    With curiosity, Ling Chen entered the living room, only to see Tong Zhentian dressed in loose training clothes, sitting on the sofa, holding a cup of fragrant tea, watching a Peking opera on TV, humming a tune.


    "Elder Tong." Ling Chen stepped forward, sped his hands, and respectfully saluted.


    "You¡¯re here!" Tong Zhentian looked at Ling Chen with a full smile, gesturing to the seat beside him: "Have a seat."


    Ling Chen nodded and sat down next to Tong Zhentian. As soon as he sat down, Tong Ye brought over a freshly brewed cup of tea.


    "Xiao Ye, go upstairs first. I have something to talk about with Ling Chen."


    "Yes." Tong Ye obediently responded, then turned and walked up the stairs.


    After Tong Ye left, Tong Zhentian turned off the TV and looked at Ling Chen: "You should have seen Wang Hao just now when you came over."


    "Yes." Ling Chen didn¡¯t ask further. He knew that things that shouldn¡¯t be asked should be left unasked. If Tong Zhentian wanted to tell him, he would do so without being prompted.


    "Wang Hao¡¯s master and I were old acquaintances, with decades of friendship. Unfortunately, his master left this world early, leaving Wang Hao alone at Yangxin Pavilion. Wang Hao is quite talented and has good aptitude; within just over twenty years, he became a master on the Earthly List. Across the world, no one can match him." Saying this, Tong Zhentian nced at Ling Chen beside him, suddenly realizing something, and tapped his forehead with augh: "Look at me, almost forgot about you. I take back what I just said; besides you, no one can match him."


    Ling Chen humbly smiled: "I¡¯m not as good as you say."


    "I heard from Wang Hao that during a martial arts contest at Yangxin Pavilion, you once defeated him?"


    "Yes. But that was just luck; truly, in terms of strength, I¡¯m not as good as him."


    "Although your strength is still behind his, in many other aspects, you surpass him greatly." After a pause, Tong Zhentian continued: "Do you know the main reason Wang Hao participated in this martial arts conference?"


    "Isn¡¯t it to connect with more Earthly List masters?"


    "No." Tong Zhentian shook his head: "His purpose is actually straightforward, to seek a master, to take me as his master. That day, Wang Hao came to me, expressed his intention, and in consideration of old friendship, I neither refused nor agreed to him, but instead gave him a test. If he could win among the Earthly List masters, I would give him a chance, to ept him as a registered disciple."

 Chapter 862 - 867: Unique Master Technique (3)

    <h4>Chapter 862: Chapter 867: Unique Master Technique (3)</h4>


    "And what was the oue?" Ling Chen asked.


    "There¡¯s no need for me to say the oue, I believe you can guess it. Indeed, Wang Hao fulfilled his promise and achieved final victory. However, from this sudden event, I saw many shorings in Wang Hao. Ling Chen, you must know, the level of martial arts is not the standard to measure a person. Truly powerful individuals are strong mentally, not relying on external forces. Wang Hao has stayed at the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion for years, practicing diligently, rarely going out. Because of this, he has many deficiencies in several aspects, including personal character. Therefore, when he came to me earlier to fulfill the agreement, I rejected him. Of course, considering his master¡¯s face, I gave him a book of mental methods for him to ponder on his own, which can be regarded as me making an effort."


    So that¡¯s how it is!


    Ling Chen nodded to himself. No wonder when he saw Wang Hao earlier, he had a stern face and hurled harsh words at him, it turned out to be because he was rejected by Tong Zhentian.


    If it were before, Ling Chen might have felt some sympathy for him. But now, Ling Chen does not think he deserves any sympathy at all. Previously, Wang Hao targeted him everywhere, causing him a lot of difort.


    "Elder Tong," Ling Chen pondered for a moment, shifting the topic away from Wang Hao, and asked, "Do you know Su He, Elder Su?"


    "You mean Su He?" Tong Zhentian looked at Ling Chen with interest and said, "You know him? Su He, like Wang Hao¡¯s master, is considered an old friend of mine. Unfortunately, Su He has beenpletely silent for years, I¡¯m afraid he..."


    "Elder Su is still alive." Without waiting for Tong Zhentian to finish speaking, Ling Chen interjected.


    "Alive?" Tong Zhentian¡¯s eyes lit up, and he eagerly asked, "Are you sure?"


    Ling Chen nodded and said, "Elder Tong, frankly speaking, Elder Su is not exactly my master. Although we don¡¯t have the title of master and disciple, we are practically that, many of my skills are taught by him."


    "Then why didn¡¯t hee to see me?"


    "Back then, Elder Su thought his days were numbered, so he chose to leave the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion to find a ce to quietly wait for his end. However, what Elder Su didn¡¯t expect was that after he let go of everything, he actuallyprehended a higher realm of martial arts. Since then, Elder Su has been living in seclusion by the sea, never returning to the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion again."


    Hearing this, Tong Zhentian couldn¡¯t help but burst intoughter, "I never would have thought, I assumed that old man had long passed away, but it turns out he¡¯s still alive. Good, good! Splendid." Tong Zhentian¡¯s tone was very excited, he stood up and walked to the cab, taking out a bottle of wine.


    "Come, Ling Chen, have a couple of drinks with me."


    Ling Chen smiled faintly, he could tell that Tong Zhentian was very pleased to learn that Su He was still alive. It was evident that the friendship between these two was not ordinary.


    After three cups of wine, Tong Zhentian became more talkative.


    "Ling Chen, a person shouldn¡¯t be petty-minded; it¡¯s essential to have magnanimity. In this regard, Wang Hao is somewhatcking, which is the main reason I refused to take him as my disciple. But you¡¯re different, unpretentious, mature, and steady, being able to achieve this at your age is indeed not easy. In my opinion, although your skill isn¡¯t on par with Wang Hao¡¯s, you excel far beyond him. Remember, skill can slowly be stronger, but a person¡¯s character is key¡ªit is hard to change one¡¯s nature."


    While speaking, Tong Zhentian lifted the wine bottle, filled a cup for Ling Chen, and asked, "Did Old Su teach you the Nine Yang Qiankun Step?"


    "Elder Su taught me."


    "Is that so?" Tong Zhentian smiled and said, "It seems Old Su truly considers you his direct disciple. You know, Old Su and all of us here, each has his own exclusive technique, Old Su¡¯s unique skill is the Nine Yang Qiankun Step, Wang Hao¡¯s master¡¯s exclusive technique is the Shattered Leaf Step, and... oh, there¡¯s also Du Kang from the Yangxin Pavilion, his exclusive technique is his wine." Mentioning Du Kang, Tong Zhentian spoke with interest, "That old guy ims to be the Alcohol Immortal, able to drink a thousand cups without getting drunk, using his self-made wine paired with his exclusive mental method, it¡¯s quite extraordinary. If you get a chance, you can experience it."


    Hearing this, Ling Chen said with a contained smile, "Elder Tong, no need to experience that, honestly, I also know Elder Du¡¯s exclusive technique."


    "You know it too?" Tong Zhentian paused, looking at Ling Chen in disbelief, and asked, "You¡¯re not pulling my leg, are you?"


    "Elder Tong, what are you saying, how could I dare to pull your leg? When I was at the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, I identally met Elder Du, andter when he took a liking to me, he taught me his exclusive technique."


    "Ha-ha! You¡¯re really lucky, monopolizing the techniques of two Heavenly List masters. Ah, what am I supposed to do about this."


    Ling Chen asked puzzled, "Elder Tong, what do you mean by that?"


    "Even if you didn¡¯te to see me tonight, I would have gone to find you," Tong Zhentian said, "You saved me, and also saved my granddaughter, this favor is so great I can¡¯t repay it. So, after thinking it over, I¡¯ve decided to return part of the favor."


    "Oh?" Ling Chen¡¯s eyes gleamed with curiosity, "How does Elder Tong n to repay?"


    Tong Zhentian paused for each word and said, "With my exclusive technique."


    Seeing Ling Chen in a daze, Tong Zhentian continued, "Don¡¯t underestimate my exclusive technique,pared to Old Su¡¯s Nine Yang Qiankun Step, it¡¯s not inferior in any way."


    Hearing this, Ling Chen, once having regained his senses, quickly waved his hands and said, "Not at all, Elder Tong, you misunderstood me, I didn¡¯t mean to look down on it, I just... I just don¡¯t know how to describe my feelings."


    When Tong Zhentian expressed his intention to teach him the exclusive technique, Ling Chen was truly shocked. He felt his luck was too good, even encountering such a rare stroke of luck.


    An exclusive technique of a Heavenly List master is enough to drive countless people crazy.


    Ling Chen, restraining the joy in his heart, cautiously asked, "Elder Tong, you... you really want to do this?"


    "Of course." Tong Zhentian said carelessly, "An exclusive technique, after all, is a skill, and it¡¯s bound to be passed on to others sooner orter; I can¡¯t take it to the grave. For years, I¡¯ve been searching for a suitable apprentice to cultivate as a direct disciple. Unfortunately, such talents are too few. If you didn¡¯t have a master, I would definitely take you as my direct disciple. But you are a disciple of Old Su, I can¡¯t take what¡¯s already imed. After thinking it over, I decided to pass the exclusive technique to you."


    "Thank you, Elder Tong!" Ling Chen quickly stood up, ¡¯thud¡¯ went to his knees respectfully, and kowtowed three times.


    <fnfecd> Th?s chapter is updated by F?nd-Novel</fnfecd>


    Tong Zhentian did not stop Ling Chen¡¯s actions, only smiled contentedly.


    "Alright, get up."


    Ling Chen nodded, got up, and stood beside Tong Zhentian.


    "Follow me."


    With that said, Tong Zhentian led Ling Chen straight to the rooftop of the vi.

 Chapter 863 - 868: Stolen Equipment (Part 1)

    <h4>Chapter 863: Chapter 868: Stolen Equipment (Part 1)</h4>


    The night was deep.


    Tonight, in East Sea City, there were no stars or moon, a cool breeze lightly brushing through the air, gently swaying the branches just sprouting with new buds, creating a rustling sound.


    This is the main production base of the Hongyu Group, located in the outskirts of East Sea City, covering a factory area of several thousand square meters. The Hongyu Group¡¯s business almost covers all industries, with lucrative ventures in many fields. In this main production base, there is processing, manufacturing, and finished product packaging, mainly focusing on electronic and electrical manufacturing.


    At this time, it was already past eleven in the evening, and the workers in the production base had long fallen asleep. The surrounding dormitory buildings were all plunged into darkness, except for a few security personnel with shlights patrolling back and forth, surveying the surroundings.


    "Master, this is the ce."


    Outside the production base, a few people came at an unknown time. Leading them was an old man who appeared to be around sixty years old, with a lean and frail physique, giving off an impression of being scrawny like a stick. Beside the old man were three others, and if Ling Chen were here, he would immediately recognize their identities.


    Wearing a silver mask was Zhu Hong, Chu Huaiyang, and another, Song Mingzhe. The appearance of these three at the same time left no doubt about the old man¡¯s identity¡ªit was Chen Quan, who had escaped from the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion not long ago.


    Under the support of Zhu Hong and the others, Chen Quan looked at the production base not far away and asked, "Disciple, are you sure this ce has what we¡¯re looking for?"


    "Master, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ve already thoroughly checked everything. The equipment at this production base is veryprehensive, and there are many things we can utilize," Zhu Hong replied confidently.


    "Alright then. This matter is in your hands. I¡¯ll wait outside, but don¡¯t take too long."


    "Yes!" Zhu Hong responded and immediately signaled to Chu Huaiyang and Song Mingzhe beside him to follow him into the production base.


    Watching Zhu Hong and the others¡¯ silhouettes disappear into the darkness, Chen Quan walked to the side by himself, leaning against a tree trunk with his arms folded, looking rxed.


    After being trapped in the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion for so many years, he was finally freed, feelingpletely at ease. Especially when he thought about the things he was going to do next, a cold smile appeared on his thin face.


    "After wasting so many years, it¡¯s time to make up for what I¡¯ve lost."


    An hourter, the gate of the production base slowly opened. A cargo truck then drove out from inside the base and parked next to Chen Quan. The window rolled down, and Zhu Hong poked his head out from the driver¡¯s seat, saying, "Master, it¡¯s all done, get in the car."


    "Very good." Chen Quan nodded with a smile and said, "It¡¯s time for the second step."


    ...


    Early the next morning.


    Ling Chen and He Ziyun left the vi and directly headed to Beijing Airport, then took the 10 o¡¯clock flight to East Sea City.


    By noon, Ling Chen and hispanion walked out of the airport terminal, where a Mercedes-Benz was already parked on the roadside, waiting for their arrival.


    "Chen!"


    Seeing Jiang Hao running towards them, Ling Chen smiled slightly, "Sorry for making youe all this way."


    "Chen, what are you talking about? It¡¯s no trouble at all," Jiang Hao said as he greeted He Ziyun and invited them into the car.


    As the Mercedes-Benz drove along the road, Ling Chen looked at the endless stream of people outside the car window and asked, "Jiang Hao, has everything been peacefultely?"


    "Chen, to be honest, things haven¡¯t been going too well recently."


    "What happened?"


    <fnd15e> ???? ????s? ???????s ?? findnovel</fnd15e>


    Jiang Hao opened his mouth, his expression somewhat hesitant, looking like he wanted to speak but stopped. Noticing Jiang Hao¡¯s change in expression, Ling Chen said, "Just say it."


    "Chen, it¡¯s about Xiong," Jiang Hao hesitated for a moment, finally speaking up, "Xiong hasn¡¯t been acting normallytely. When we first took over East Sea City, didn¡¯t we divide the territories clearly? Everything was fine at first, everybody was just taking care of their own areas without crossing boundaries. However, ever since Haozi returned to manage the Hongyu Group, things started to change. Because Haozi will take over the management of the Hongyu Group, he won¡¯t have time or energy to handle his territory, so he handed it over to us to help manage. I discussed this with Xiong, and we divided Haozi¡¯s territory between us, each managing half without interference."


    "If everything was clear, why was there conflict?" Ling Chen asked.


    Jiang Hao smiled bitterly and said, "It was all fine at first, but then Xiong¡¯s men suddenly came to my territory to cause trouble on purpose, taking away a lot of my business. Moreover, his men even spread the word that Haozi¡¯s former territory now belongs to Xiong. When I found out about this, I immediately called Xiong. He told me he was very busy and not aware of the matter but promised to investigate and give me an exnation. However, several days have passed, and there¡¯s no movement from Xiong. His men keep causing trouble for me every day. Chen, we¡¯re all brothers; I don¡¯t want any unpleasantness, so I¡¯ve been enduring to avoid conflict with Xiong. But what he¡¯s doing is quite hical. I¡¯ve called him several times, but it¡¯s always his assistant answering, with all sorts of excuses, refusing to let me speak to Xiong directly. Chen, what do you think I should do about this?"


    "Okay, I got it. Don¡¯t worry, Xiong probably isn¡¯t that kind of person; maybe there¡¯s some misunderstanding."


    "Chen, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a misunderstanding. I¡¯m wondering if it¡¯s because of your different treatment that made Xiong upset, and that¡¯s why he¡¯s doing this."


    "Different treatment?" Ling Chen looked at Jiang Hao in confusion and asked, "What do you mean by that?"


    "Chen, have you forgotten? When the research base was set up, you instructed us only to inform me and Haozi about it, but not Xiong. Later, when you told Xiong to go to the research base for refuge, he surely must have heard some rumors, feeling upset, thinking you trust me and Haozi more, and consider him an outsider. Chen, honestly, I¡¯ve never understood why you keep your guard up against Xiong, who has been with us from the beginning. His loyalty should be unquestionable, why would you keep something from him?"


    Ling Chen thought for a moment and said, "I have my reasons. Okay, don¡¯t trouble yourself with this; I¡¯ll find an opportunity to speak with Xiong to clear up the misunderstanding."


    As they spoke, the Mercedes-Benz had already arrived outside the research base.


    Getting out of the car, Ling Chen led He Ziyun and Jiang Hao through the gate and straight towards the control center of the base.


    Upon reaching the control center, Hu Fei saw Ling Chen and the others arriving and grinned, "You finally decided toe back."

 Chapter 864 - 869: Equipment Theft (2)

    <h4>Chapter 864: Chapter 869: Equipment Theft (2)</h4>


    "Hey, have those people who camest time settled in?" Ling Chen asked.


    "You mean them?" Hu Fei pointed to the busy staff in the control center and chuckled, "Ling Chen, I have to say, you¡¯ve finally done something right."


    Hearing this, Ling Chen asked in confusion, "What¡¯s up?"


    "Those people you brought in this time are real talents, far better than those I used to hire. After working for so long, I finally feel like a leader. I used to have to do everything myself, but now, with their help, I don¡¯t have to do anything. Just one word from me, and they take care of everything. Hey! Why don¡¯t you think of some way to recruit more talent?"


    "Give it a rest!" Ling Chen replied irritably, "I¡¯m not a recruitment agency. Be content with the help you¡¯ve got." After saying that, Ling Chen asked, "By the way, where¡¯s Boss Tang?"


    "Probably sleeping in his room. You don¡¯t need to worry about him; he¡¯s living the good life." With that, Hu Fei pointed to the big screen and said, "You¡¯vee at the right time. Something big happenedst night rted to the Hongyu Group."


    At the mention of ¡¯Hongyu Group¡¯, Ling Chen¡¯s heart sank immediately, and he hurriedly asked, "What happened to Wanqing?"


    "Rx, Miss Nanrong is fine. The incident urred at Hongyu Group¡¯s production base." Saying this, Hu Fei pressed a key, and a news report immediately started ying on the big screen.


    "This is this morning¡¯s news. In the early hours ofst night, the Hongyu Group¡¯s production base was breached by outsiders; one security guard was killed, three were injured, and five are in critical condition at the hospital. Besides the attack on the security guards, many high-tech pieces of equipment at the production base were stolen."


    "Theft?" Ling Chen sighed with relief and asked, "So the production base was only burrized."


    "If it were just a burry, we wouldn¡¯t need to be so tense. The issue is, the stolen equipment is all high-tech production equipment. ording to our intelligence, Hongyu Group recently imported several advanced machines from abroad, specifically for manufacturing high-precision electronic chips. Such advanced equipment is rare; only five sets exist domestically, and Hongyu Group owns one set. I roughly estimated that on the international market, the total value of those advanced machines is 200 million US dors."


    "That expensive?" Ling Chen was shocked and puzzled, "Do you think those killers and thieves were after money, or was there another motive?"


    "This morning, I sent people to the scene for investigation. Based on the evidence we¡¯ve gathered, the burrs were highly professional and skilled. Additionally, we found some unusual wounds on the victims." As Hu Fei spoke, he typed on the keyboard. Soon, a close-up photo of a wound appeared on the big screen.


    Ling Chen carefully examined the photo, a strange expression shing across his face.


    This wound... It doesn¡¯t seem man-made, plus there¡¯s a neat row of teeth marks surrounding it.


    "It looks like something bit the person."


    "Exactly," Hu Fei nodded, "I thought the same. I took an imprint of the bite marks and, using 3D modeling technology, created a rough model. Comparing this model with online searches, we discovered the wounds on the guards were caused by a kind of fierce animal."


    "A fierce animal?" Ling Chen was slightly stunned and asked, "This is East Sea City. There¡¯s no forest nearby. Where did a beaste from?"


    "That, I don¡¯t know. ording to the investigation, we are 100% sure that the beast was a leopard. Given all these factors, that¡¯s why I said the equipment thieves were not simple."


    A leopard, could it be... Song Mingzhe?


    A name suddenly popped into Ling Chen¡¯s mind. There¡¯s no way a beast could wander near East Sea City unless someone is controlling a leopard tomit crimes. Among those Ling Chen knows, only Song Mingzhe has such an ability.


    Also, as far as he knows, Song Mingzhe has been in East Sea City recently, so he¡¯s highly suspicious. If this incident involves Song Mingzhe, it surely touches upon Zhu Hong and Chen Quan.


    What exactly are they nning? Ling Chen pondered with a slight frown.


    <fn669b> Checktest chapters at Find1Novel</fn669b>


    "Ling Chen, Ling Chen!" Hu Fei called several times, asking, "What are you thinking?"


    Ling Chen looked up at Hu Fei and asked in return, "Have you checked for Zhu Hong¡¯s whereaboutstely?"


    "Are you kidding? Not only have I checked, but I¡¯ve also assembled a team specifically for Zhu Hong¡¯s case. But that kid is very cunning. It¡¯s been so long, and we haven¡¯t found a trace of him; no idea where he¡¯s hiding." After saying this, Hu Fei suddenly reacted and asked, "You mention Zhu Hong now; could it be that the Hongyu Group incident is rted to him?"


    Ling Chen nodded, "I think he is implicated. Hu Fei, gather some information on those high-tech devices and see what they can do. Zhu Hong went to so much trouble to steal those devices; his purpose must be significant."


    "Alright, I understand. I¡¯ll arrange for someone to investigate right away."


    "Notify me immediately if you have any news. I have something to do; I¡¯m heading out now."


    "Where to?"


    Ling Chen pointed to the news broadcast on the big screen and left the control center without another word.


    After leaving the research base, Ling Chen drove his Mercedes directly to the Hongyu Group¡¯s production base. Since the production base is on the outskirts of East Sea City, he had a long drive ahead. It took him over half an hour on the road before he arrived outside the production base.


    Getting out of the car, Ling Chen surveyed the scene and saw a Rolls-Royce and several Land Rovers parked outside the production base, alongside several police cars.


    Just as expected!


    Ling Chen nodded silently, recognizing the Rolls-Royce as Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s ride. With such a significant incident at Hongyu Group, Nanrong Wanqing, as the chairwoman, would surely be here to offer her sympathies.


    After walking through the gate and several dozen meters inside, he saw a yellow police tape set up not far away with a few officers collecting evidence within its perimeter.


    Ling Chen noticed a human outline sketched onto the ground within the police line, likely the posture of a casualty when found.


    After a nce, Ling Chen turned to leave. Just then, a familiar voice called out, "Ling Chen!"


    Turning around, Ling Chen saw Liang Zhao Hui in a suit quickly approaching, waving a greeting.


    "Liang," Ling Chen¡¯s lips curled into a subtle smile, his handsome face showing faint warmth as he strode forward to meet him.

 Chapter 865 - 870: An Unusual Visitor

    <h4>Chapter 865: Chapter 870: An Unusual Visitor</h4>


    "Ling Chen, you¡¯ve finally returned. I haven¡¯t seen you for so long; I thought you had resigned." Liang Zhao Hui patted Ling Chen¡¯s shoulder and said, "Let¡¯s go. The Chairman and the manager are over there getting a briefing. Let¡¯s go and take a look together."


    Ling Chen nodded. The Chairman Liang Zhao Hui mentioned was Nanrong Wanqing, and the manager referred to Nanrong Hao. Nanrong Hao was now in charge of managing the family business and needed a suitable position. Because his experience was too shallow to oversee everything, Nanrong Wanqing initially arranged for him to serve as a manager, with ns to gradually elevate his status within the Hongyu Group as he gained experience.


    Inside the office building of the production base, Ling Chen and Liang Zhao Hui arrived outside the reception room on the second floor. Before entering, they heard the sound of cryinging from inside.


    Ling Chen nced inside through the door and saw more than a dozen men and women of different ages sitting in the reception room, wiping tears from their eyes, faces full of grief.


    No need to ask; it was clear these were the families of the victims.


    "Everyone, we are all saddened by such an event, but we must remember that the dead cannot be brought back. We hope you will stay strong through your grief. Please rest assured that Hongyu Group will work together with the police to capture the perpetrator and punish them severely. Additionally, Hongyu Group will do everything in its power to handle the arrangements for the deceased employees."


    It was Nanrong Wanqing speaking. Facing so many families, as the Chairman of Hongyu Group, she had to make a statement to reassure them.


    "Nanrong Hao, do your best tofort everyone. I¡¯m going to check with the police about the situation." With that, Nanrong Wanqing walked alone towards the exit of the reception room.


    At the door, Nanrong Wanqing suddenly stopped, her clear, beautiful eyes fixing on Ling Chen standing outside, unable toe to her senses for quite some time.


    Their eyes met, and Ling Chen¡¯s gaze lingered on Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s exquisite face, feeling a wave of sadness rise in his heart. She had lost quite a bit of weightpared to thest time they met. Her tired and haggard appearance was evident in her eyes.


    "Wanqing!"


    <fn39c8> This text is hosted at Find[?]ovel</fn39c8>


    After a moment of silent exchange, Ling Chen softly called out Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s name.


    Hearing the familiar voice at her ear, Nanrong Wanqing bit her thin lip gently, her bright eyes welling up with tears.


    "You¡¯ve returned?"


    Ling Chen nodded lightly and smiled, "I¡¯m back!"


    Standing nearby, Liang Zhao Hui nced at Ling Chen, then at Nanrong Wanqing, and quickly made an exit, attempting to avoid disturbing the two.


    After Liang Zhao Hui left, Nanrong Wanqing turned and walked towards the balcony behind the reception room, leaning on the railing, gazing into the distance. Ling Chen followed her, and looking at Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s slender back, he couldn¡¯t help but step forward and wrap his arms around her waist from behind, softly saying, "I¡¯m sorry for making you worry during this time."


    Feeling the warmth of Ling Chen¡¯srge hands, Nanrong Wanqing turned around, gazed directly into Ling Chen¡¯s eyes, and softly said, "As long as you returned safely, I don¡¯t care about anything else." After speaking, she couldn¡¯t help but ask, "Weren¡¯t you imprisoned? Why were you released?"


    "It¡¯s a long story; I¡¯ll exin in detail when there¡¯s time. By the way, you shouldn¡¯t get involved with what¡¯s happening at the production base this time. I¡¯ll take care of it for you."


    Upon hearing this, Nanrong Wanqing asked, "Do you know who was behind it?"


    "More or less, although there¡¯s no evidence, I have my guesses. However, at this point, I¡¯m still not sure about their whereabouts and purposes. Wanqing, try to stay home these days and reduce going out. I¡¯m worried about your safety."


    "My safety? Why?"


    "Have you forgotten Zhu Hong? You¡¯re more aware than anyone of how he feels about you. But everything Zhu Hong owned was destroyed by us. Considering his character, do you think he would let it go? As far as I know, Zhu Hong has stayed in East Sea City and never left. For the sake of your safety, it¡¯s better to follow my arrangements."


    "With you by my side, I¡¯m not afraid of anything."


    "Sister."


    As they spoke, Nanrong Hao came over from the reception room. Upon seeing Ling Chen and Nanrong Wanqing embracing, Nanrong Hao was slightly stunned, quickly closed his eyes, and turned around, saying, "Brother Chen, I didn¡¯t know you were back. Don¡¯t be mad; I didn¡¯t see anything. Ahem! I still have things to do, so I¡¯ll leave now. You two carry on."


    Hearing her brother¡¯s teasing, Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s face turned red, and she quickly pushed Ling Chen¡¯s hands away, asking, "Enough, don¡¯t leave! Tell me, what do you need?"


    Nanrong Hao awkwardly smiled and said, "Sister, I just spoke with the families. Hongyu Group will provide some assistance, thirty thousand per family, and two million for the families of the deceased. What do you think?"


    "Add an additional ten thousand per family, and especially for the families of the deceased, add one million more. After all, no amount of money can bring back a life."


    "Alright, I know what to do."


    After handling thepensation for the families, Ling Chen took Nanrong Wanqing back to the Rolls-Royce, and under the escort of several Range Rovers, they drove straight to Wealthy Manor.


    Returning to the Nanrong Family, Ling Chen first went to visit Nanrong Yong. Some time ago, Nanrong Yong was attacked and nearly lost his life. Fortunately, he was saved just in time to preserve his aged life. ording to Nanrong Wanqing, Nanrong Yong was in aa for almost a month before waking up.


    "Old man, how¡¯s your health?"


    "I¡¯m fine." Nanrong Yong waved his hand and asked, "Ling Chen, I haven¡¯t seen you around recently. What have you been up to?"


    "Just had some private matters to take care of in Beijing. I just got back today."


    Nanrong Yong sighed and said, "You¡¯re all adults now; you have your own thoughts about many things. At my age, there are things I¡¯d like to manage, but I can¡¯t. Also, after experiencing so much, I¡¯vee to terms with things. I don¡¯t expect my descendants to achieve great things; being safe and sound is enough. Ling Chen, I know you are capable. Please take care of Wanqing and Nanrong Hao for me; make sure nothing happens to them."


    "Don¡¯t worry, old man. If anyone wants to harm them, they¡¯ll have to cross over my dead body first."


    After chatting leisurely with Nanrong Yong, Ling Chen returned to the vi where Nanrong Wanqing lived.


    In the spacious living room, Nanrong Wanqing, having changed into loungewear, was sitting on the sofa, revealing her fair little feet, holding a remote, watching the news on TV.


    Seeing her rxed state, Ling Chen smiled slightly and walked over.


    However, before Ling Chen could sit down, Liu Kun strode in from outside, looking troubled.


    "Mr. Ling, Miss."


    "Uncle Liu."


    Noticing Liu Kun¡¯s expression, Ling Chen asked, "Uncle Liu, what¡¯s happened?"


    "There¡¯s a guest outside who says they want to see you two."


    "A guest?" Ling Chen and Nanrong Wanqing exchanged nces and asked, "Do you know who it is?"


    "He said his name is Zhu Hong."


    (Sorry, due to special circumstances today, I came backte to write, which is why the update took so long.)

 Chapter 866 - 871: I Want Your Blood (Part 1)

    <h4>Chapter 866: Chapter 871: I Want Your Blood (Part 1)</h4>


    Zhu Hong is here?


    <fn58da> Latest content published on fin?novel</fn58da>


    Ling Chen was momentarily stunned, his eyes instantly turning sharp. Hmph! That guy¡¯s guts are really big; I was just fretting over not being able to find him, and here he is, walking right into my trap.


    However, despite Zhu Hong walking in of his own ord, Ling Chen didn¡¯t feel pleased. Instead, he was a bit worried. He knew Zhu Hong¡¯s character too well; if he wasn¡¯t absolutely confident, Zhu Hong would never show up in front of him so easily. This time, bying to the Nanrong Family, Zhu Hong certainly wasn¡¯t afraid of being caught by him.


    After thinking for a moment, Nanrong Wanqing asked, seeing Ling Chen¡¯s dyed response, "Ling Chen, what should we do? Should we see him?"


    "See him!" Ling Chen replied indifferently. "Guests are guests, and we can¡¯t just chase them away. Uncle Liu, would you kindly invite him in?"


    "Okay." Liu Kun nodded and turned to leave the living room.


    After Liu Kun left, Nanrong Wanqing hesitated and asked, "Should I avoid him?"


    "It¡¯s up to you. If you don¡¯t want to see him, you can go upstairs first ande down after he¡¯s gone." Ling Chen knew the rtionship between Nanrong Wanqing and Zhu Hong, having grown up together like childhood sweethearts. Once upon a time, Nanrong Wanqing was deeply in love with Zhu Hong. If it weren¡¯t for the too many bad deeds Zhu Hongmitted and the emergence of Ling Chen, perhaps it would be Zhu Hong apanying her now instead of Ling Chen.


    After much hesitation, Nanrong Wanqing eventually chose to avoid the meeting. In her eyes, the current Zhu Hong was no longer the one who cared for her and thought of her in everything like he did in the past.


    Especially since thest time when Zhu Hong sent people to kidnap her and attempted to harm her, she utterly lost hope in him. Now, it was better to avoid seeing him at all.


    After Nanrong Wanqing left, Ling Chen had just taken a seat when he saw Liu Kun leading Zhu Hong into the vi from outside.


    "Uncle Liu, you can go back to your work now."


    "Alright." Liu Kun acknowledged and turned to leave the vi, gently closing the door behind him.


    "Guests are guests, have a seat!" Ling Chen looked at the silver-masked Zhu Hong and gestured to the nearby sofa.


    Seeing Ling Chen¡¯s calm demeanor, Zhu Hong couldn¡¯t help butugh, "What, you don¡¯t n to catch me right here and now? Even if you don¡¯t say, I know you wish you could teach me a hard lesson."


    "Exactly." Ling Chen unreservedly nodded, "If I could, not only would I beat you up, I¡¯d finish you off for doing those unspeakable acts."


    Zhu Hongughed upward, walked to the sofa at his own pace, then poured himself a full ss of tea from the teapot on the coffee table. He then held the teacup in one hand, gently swirled it, blew the tea leaves floating on top, and took a small sip.


    With his throat moistened by a mouthful of strong tea, Zhu Hong chuckled and said, "I admit I¡¯ve done many bad things and killed many people. But for you to describe me as utterly heartless might be overstating it. I¡¯m bad, but not that bad. Besides,pared to you, I¡¯m far behind. Ling Chen, don¡¯t think I don¡¯t know about your past. From what I know, you¡¯ve killed far more people than I have."


    "I have killed people, but only those who deserved to die. Moreover, I never imed to be a good person. Lay no me on those who don¡¯t trouble me, but if someone crosses me, I will repay them tenfold. That¡¯s my principle. But you, you¡¯ve ughtered so many innocent people. Didn¡¯t you ever consider their families?"


    Zhu Hong waved dismissively, "If you concern yourself with every small consideration, how can you achieve great things? Those who achieve greatness don¡¯t worry about trifles. Throughout history, how many heroes and kings have built their empires on heaps of corpses. So what if some people die? As long as I seed, history will be written by me. Ling Chen, being a smart person, you should understand. Nobody cares what means you use; if you achieve your goals, you¡¯re the victor in everyone¡¯s eyes."


    Ling Chen retorted, "It¡¯s the age ofw now; you¡¯re not above thew." Here, Ling Chen paused with a chuckle, "Why am I telling you this, preaching to the deaf? Zhu Hong, regardless of what path you wish to take, it¡¯s none of my business. I¡¯m not someone overflowing with a sense of justice, sticking my nose into others¡¯ affairs. If I could, I¡¯d rather be traveling with my woman, enjoying drinks, snackingte at night, and asionally flirting with beauties. But you shouldn¡¯t repeatedly provoke me, causing me trouble. If you threaten my interests, don¡¯t me me for being unkind."


    "What do you intend to do?" Zhu Hong asked, gazing at Ling Chen with an enigmatic smile. "I¡¯m right here, why not catch me?"


    "Are you the kind to willingly walk into a trap?" Ling Chen, with a nk expression, replied, "I¡¯ve long figured it out. If you dare toe looking for me, you must be certain there¡¯s no way I can touch you. Given that, why should I waste time? Speak, why have youe to see me?"


    Zhu Hongughed heartily, "As I said, you¡¯re smart. Fair enough, since you have this awareness, let¡¯s be frank."


    As the words fell, Zhu Hong¡¯sughter abruptly stopped, his eyes emanating a chilling intent.


    "I came to ask for something from you."


    "What?"


    "I want your blood."


    Blood?


    Hearing Zhu Hong¡¯s request, Ling Chen was momentarily stunned, filled with questions. He had expected Zhu Hong to make an unreasonable demand, but not that it would be for his blood.


    "What do you want my blood for?"


    "I have my purposes. Don¡¯t worry, I know the rules. As long as you¡¯re willing, I can offer you something valuable in exchange."


    Ling Chen¡¯s eyes shed as he calmly said, "And if I refuse?"


    "Don¡¯t rush to refuse," Zhu Hong smiled knowingly, "Once you know my terms, I doubt you¡¯ll say no."


    "Alright, let¡¯s hear it."


    "No need to speak further; once you¡¯ve seen this, you¡¯ll understand." With that, Zhu Hong took a photograph from his suit pocket and ced it on the coffee table.


    As he looked at the photo¡¯s content, Ling Chen¡¯s pupils slightly contracted, giving off a chilling murderous aura.


    "I almost forgot, it was you who killed Nanrong Yuan back then and also took Little Hua."


    "Don¡¯t be angry. Ling Chen, you know who Nanrong Yuan was. Unfortunately, Wanqing has been kept in the dark. How sad would she be if she knew her father was killed." At this point, Zhu Hong changed the subject, "Of course, I¡¯m not using this to threaten you; I know it¡¯s useless against you. No matter how long this is concealed, Wanqing will find out eventually. But do you not care about this little girl¡¯s safety?"


    "Where is she?" Ling Chen asked in a deep voice.

 Chapter 867 - 872: I Want Your Blood (Part 2)

    <h4>Chapter 867: Chapter 872: I Want Your Blood (Part 2)</h4>


    "Rest assured, she¡¯s very safe right now, in a ce where no one can find or harm her. But if too much time passes, I can¡¯t guarantee her safety. So if you want to save her, you better act quickly; don¡¯t wait until she¡¯s dead toe begging me."


    "Oh, right!" Zhu Hong swirled the teacup in his hand and smiled slightly, "I need to remind you first. I¡¯m not giving that little girl to you because she¡¯s not in my possession, nor do I have the ability to snatch her from those people. So I can only provide you with information, tell you her specific location. As for what to do, that¡¯s up to you and has nothing to do with me."


    Upon hearing this, Ling Chen immediately fell into deep thought.


    There¡¯s no denying that Zhu Hong¡¯s offer is very tempting. But the problem is that the one making the offer is Zhu Hong. If it were someone else, Ling Chen might believe it, but he simply cannot trust Zhu Hong.


    He knows Zhu Hong too well; this guy would never let him seed so easily, and it might be full of traps. Besides, the most crucial point is that Ling Chen worries that risking his life might end up with fake information. If that were the case, he¡¯d suffer a massive loss.


    Moreover, given Zhu Hong¡¯s personality, he¡¯s very likely to do such a thing.


    Just as Ling Chen was hesitating, Zhu Hong leisurely said, "What, such a simple thing requires so much thought? It seems that woman doesn¡¯t hold much weight in your heart."


    Hearing this, Ling Chen frowned slightly, staring silently at Zhu Hong, his eyes flickering. After a while, Ling Chen asked, "What do you want my blood for?"


    Ling Chen found this very strange. He had been through all sorts of requests and deals but never exchanged his own blood. So he really wanted to figure out Zhu Hong¡¯s true intentions.


    Zhu Hong put down his teacup and said, "Don¡¯t you think you¡¯re asking too many questions? In short, I¡¯ve stated my terms, whether you agree or not is your business. However, don¡¯t me me for not warning you; should you dy further, I can¡¯t guarantee that little girl will still be alive."


    With that, Zhu Hong stood up on his own, leaving a note with a phone number, and walked straight out of the vi.


    Watching Zhu Hong¡¯s departing figure, Ling Chen squinted his eyes, remaining silent.


    Justst night, Zhu Hong had stolen a set of cutting-edge equipment worth over a hundred million from the production base of Hongyu Group. Today, hees up proposing a trade for Ling Chen¡¯s blood. Connecting these events, Ling Chen felt that Zhu Hong¡¯s motives were not simple, which was the main reason for Ling Chen¡¯s hesitation in making a decision.


    One must always be vignt, especially with someone like Zhu Hong; he must be cautious and careful.


    Not long after Zhu Hong left, Nanrong Wanqing came down from upstairs.


    Seeing Ling Chen dazed on the sofa, Nanrong Wanqing asked, "What are you thinking about?"


    Hearing Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s voice beside him, Ling Chen immediately snapped back to reality.


    "Nothing," Ling Chen replied lightly.


    "What did Zhu Hong want from you just now?" Nanrong Wanqing asked curiously.


    "What else could someone like him want, other than trying to get some benefits from me." At this point, without waiting for Nanrong Wanqing to ask further, Ling Chen cut her off, saying, "Don¡¯t worry about it. I¡¯ll handle Zhu Hong¡¯s matter."


    In the blink of an eye, it had been three days since returning to East Sea City.


    ording to the message from Beijing, Ling Chen¡¯s matter was temporarily suppressed, and the senior government officials wouldn¡¯t pursue it intentionally. However, Pang Jiulin reminded Ling Chen that it¡¯s better to keep a low profile during this time.


    For the past few days, Ling Chen stayed at home and saw that billionaire Yang He several times on TV. That old guy was donating money and goods everywhere under the guise of a phnthropist, building schools, setting up factories, providing jobs, and bing a frequent guest of governments in various regions.


    Ling Chen felt speechless about this. ording to his temperament, people like Yang He, who secretly fund the God Organization, should be thrown into jail and pay the price. Unfortunately, there are too manypromises in today¡¯s society, and many things can¡¯t be done ording to his ideas and wishes.


    Sitting on the vi¡¯s rooftop terrace, Ling Chen crossed his legs, gazing at the distant skyscrapers, idly twirling a piece of paper in his hand, his eyes slightly focused, reflecting a trace of sharpness.


    <fn734e> Original content can be found at f?ndnovel</fn734e>


    Ling Chen had long memorized the phone number on the note, but he hadn¡¯t dialed it yet.


    These few days, Ling Chen had been uncertain, not knowing what to do. After thinking it over, he didn¡¯t tell He Ziyun about this matter. He knew He Ziyun¡¯s temperament too well. Having raised Little Hua since childhood, their rtionship was extraordinary. If He Ziyun knew about this, there was no guarantee he wouldn¡¯t act impulsively.


    Is he really going to do this?


    After pondering for a while, Ling Chen muttered to himself, his Mo Che-like pupils reflecting a hint of hesitation.


    Forget it!


    No matter what, he had to take a gamble.


    With a rapid shift of thoughts, Ling Chen took out his phone, intending to dial the number on the note.


    But just then, before Ling Chen could dial, his phone rang with a pleasant ringtone.


    Seeing the iing number disyed on the phone¡¯s screen, Ling Chen immediately answered the call and asked, "What¡¯s the matter?" After he finished speaking, it was unclear what the other party said, but Ling Chen¡¯s eyes gradually lit up, and he quickly said, "Got it. Wait for me, I¡¯m heading to the hospital right now."


    As he arrived by car at the City People¡¯s Hospital, Ling Chen rushed straight to the special care unit.


    Outside the ward, Hu Fei, who had been waiting there for some time, quickly came forward. Before Hu Fei could speak, Ling Chen eagerly asked, "Where are they?"


    Hu Fei pointed to two adjoining special care wards and said, "Inside, the doctors are examining them. Don¡¯t worry, I just asked the doctors, and their bodies are fine."


    "That¡¯s good." Ling Chen breathed a sigh of relief and asked, "Where did you find them?"


    "At a private sanatorium in East Sea City. I inquired, and at the time, Xia Mutong and Bai Huanjun both fainted outside the sanatorium, and were taken in by them. However, that sanatorium was not a legitimate ce. Instead, it operated under the guise of charity, but was, in fact, an organ trafficking organization. Seeing Xia Mutong and Bai Huanjun unconscious and disoriented, they had the idea of removing their organs for sale. Fortunately, the police discovered them in time, raided their base, and rescued the two of them."


    "The two of them are quite lucky." Ling Chen smiled slightly. No wonder they had been unable to find Xia Mutong and Bai Huanjun for so long; they had been controlled by someone.

 Chapter 868 - 873: Old Friend Escapes from Danger

    <h4>Chapter 868: Chapter 873: Old Friend Escapes from Danger</h4>


    It wasn¡¯t long before the doctor from the special care ward came out. Ling Chen and Hu Fei rushed over, eagerly asking, "Doctor, how¡¯s my friend¡¯s condition?"


    "The body is generally fine, but one of them has severe brain injury and is still in aa. When she¡¯ll wake up depends on her fate."


    "And the other?"


    "His body¡¯s recovering quite fast, and he¡¯s fully conscious. You can go in and see him. But, don¡¯t talk too long. He just recovered and needs time to rest."


    "Okay, thank you, doctor."


    After inquiring about the patient¡¯s condition, Ling Chen and Hu Fei quickly walked into the special care ward.


    At this moment, in the special care ward, Bai Huanjuny on the bed, eyes open. Aside from looking a bit weak, he didn¡¯t seem like a critically ill patient.


    Seeing Ling Chen enter from outside, Bai Huanjun¡¯s eyes lit up slightly as he struggled to sit up on the bed.


    "Don¡¯t move!" Ling Chen hurriedly stopped Bai Huanjun, saying, "Your body hasn¡¯t fully recovered, just lie still for now, don¡¯t move around."


    "No worries." Bai Huanjun smiled nonchntly. "I¡¯ve been lying here so long, my body¡¯s almost rusted."


    Hu Fei walked to the bedside, patting Bai Huanjun¡¯s shoulder, andughingly said, "Buddy, you¡¯re really lucky to be alive. If the cops hadn¡¯t arrived in time, your body might have been hollowed out by now."


    "Great misfortune followed by great fortune. By the way, how¡¯s Officer Xia and Jiang Yunkai¡¯s condition?"


    "They haven¡¯t recovered as well as you. The doctor said it¡¯ll probably take some time for them to wake up." Saying that, Ling Chen pulled up a chair next to the bed, looking at Bai Huanjun, and asked, "Do you remember what happened before?"


    Bai Huanjun thought for a moment and nodded, "I do have some impressions, but it¡¯s not very clear."


    After a pause, Bai Huanjun suddenly thought of something, mysteriously nced at the closed door, then leaned towards Ling Chen, saying, "I feel like the effects of the God Organization¡¯s experiment on me have been permanently retained."


    Hearing this, Ling Chen was slightly stunned and incredulously asked, "Are you sure?"


    "Of course, I¡¯ve tested it." Bai Huanjun said, "But, my body is still a bit weak now, and I can¡¯t fully exert that kind of power, but I can feel that the power is hidden in my body."


    Ling Chen and Hu Fei exchanged nces, a hint of surprise in their eyes.


    Originally, they thought the God Organization¡¯s experiments were temporary, and once Bai Huanjun¡¯s body recovered, the violent power in him wouldpletely disappear. But now, it seems that¡¯s not the case; the power has been permanently retained.


    Looking at Ling Chen¡¯s shocked expression, Bai Huanjun said, "That¡¯s not the most crucial issue. The most important part is that previously, that power affected the mind, turning one into a bloodthirsty beast. But now it¡¯s different, I can control that power while staying lucid. When I was confined in the sanatorium earlier, if those bastards hadn¡¯t injected me with anesthesia every day, I would have dealt with them a long time ago."


    Ling Chen said thoughtfully, "In that case, the powers of Xia Mutong and Jiang Yunkai will also be retained."


    "I don¡¯t know about that. Although all three of us went through the God Organization¡¯s experimental modifications, the final result depends on individual constitution. But, since I can retain mine, their issue shouldn¡¯t be significant."


    "Forget it! Let¡¯s not discuss this for now; the most important thing is everyone¡¯s safe. You should rest well in the hospital for now; there are many things to be busy with at the base. Work can wait until you recover."


    After saying that, Ling Chen got up, preparing to leave the ward. But just then, a thought seemed to cross his mind, and his eyes suddenly lit up.


    Upon leaving the ward, Ling Chen went directly to the neighboring special care ward.


    At this moment, lying in the spacious and bright ward was a woman, none other than the long unseen Xia Mutong.


    Looking at Xia Mutong¡¯s somewhat pale cheeks, Ling Chen sighed inwardly. In his heart, he felt a sense of debt and guilt towards Xia Mutong.


    Xia Mutong was originally an ordinary police officer, but because of him, she got involved with the God Organization and almost lost her life.


    If possible, Ling Chen truly wished she hadn¡¯t gotten involved in this mess.


    "Rest well, I¡¯lle to see you again." Ling Chen said to himself, then turned and left the special care ward.


    As Ling Chen stepped out of the door, Xia Mutong¡¯s eyshes fluttered slightly, but soon returned to stillness.


    Returning to the Nanrong Family, after greeting Nanrong Wanqing, Ling Chen went directly into his bedroom.


    Taking out the phone and the phone number Zhu Hong had left behind, Ling Chen didn¡¯t think much and dialed the number directly.


    Beep, beep...


    As the ringing came from the other end, the phone was finally picked up after a few seconds.


    "Ling Chen, you finally called. Although it¡¯s a few dayste, it¡¯s about the time I expected."


    "You¡¯re that sure I¡¯d contact you?"


    "Of course. You know me, and I know you. I know you¡¯re a sentimental person and wouldn¡¯t leave your friends in danger. Well then! Since you¡¯re calling, it means you¡¯ve epted my terms. Alright, I¡¯ll contact you again at 3 p.m. tomorrow. Come to meet me then. Remember,e alone."


    "No problem, I¡¯ll wait for your message." After saying this, Ling Chen hung up the phone.


    The next day.


    After having lunch at the Hongyu Group, Ling Chen sauntered into Nanrong Hao¡¯s office and stayed until a little past two. As the clock on the wall pointed to 3 p.m., Ling Chen¡¯s phone in his pocket rang precisely on time.


    Taking out his phone and looking at the caller ID, Ling Chen answered without hesitation, asking, "Where?"


    "380 Sunset Street, someone will take you to meet me when you arrive."


    "Alright, I¡¯m heading over now."


    Hanging up the phone, Ling Chen quickly left Nanrong Hao¡¯s office and drove to the destination.


    Sunset Street!


    In less than half an hour, Ling Chen reached the location provided by Zhu Hong. Following the address, Ling Chen soon found 380, which was a small grocery store, no more than twenty square meters, with various goods piled inside.


    Standing at the entrance of the grocery store, Ling Chen nced around, scanning the surrounding crowd for suspicious individuals. After a moment, a modernmercial vehicle slowly drove up from the roadside and stopped beside Ling Chen.


    The door opened, and a man poked his head out, scrutinizing Ling Chen before tossing out two words, "Get in!"


    <fne68b> This text is hosted at F¦Énd£Îovel</fne68b>


    Without asking questions, Ling Chen obediently followed the man¡¯s instructions.


    Once inside the car, a man in the vehicle put a ck hood over Ling Chen¡¯s head, blocking his sight.


    In an instant, Ling Chen¡¯s vision was engulfed in darkness.

 Chapter 869 - 874: Joy Valley (Part 1)

    <h4>Chapter 869: Chapter 874: Joy Valley (Part 1)</h4>


    Although his eyes were blindfolded, it didn¡¯t hinder Ling Chen from remembering the route. As a former agent, Ling Chen possessed a wealth of formidable experience.


    Beforeing to the appointment, Ling Chen had studied the map of this area, memorizing the general routes. So, even with his eyes covered, he could still judge his location by the speed of the vehicle.


    Sitting in the car, the man¡¯s hands kept busy, continuously searching Ling Chen, all electronic devices including his phone were found and thrown out of the car window.


    The car drove on the road. By Ling Chen¡¯s estimation, it traveled for more than half an hour before gradually slowing down, eventually stopping at a quiet spot.


    Ling Chen listened closely and found that the sound of car horns was far away. They should be in a rather secluded area.


    In the midst of his thoughts, the car door was opened, and the man reached out, pulling Ling Chen off the car. Then, under the man¡¯s guidance, Ling Chen stumbled forward, step by step, in darkness. After walking for several minutes, he heard the sound of a door opening, followed by a series of footsteps.


    Soon, Ling Chen sensed five or six people breathing around him.


    "Take the head cover off."


    The voicemanded, and the blindfold on Ling Chen¡¯s head was immediately removed. The bright lights dazzled him, and he slightly tilted his head. Once his eyes adjusted to the brightness, he looked around and saw Zhu Hong and Chu Huaiyang standing before him. Beside them stood several middle-aged men inb coats.


    "You finally came." Zhu Hong smiled at Ling Chen and said, "If you hesitated for another two or three days, I would have left. By then, even if you want to save the girl, it would be impossible."


    "Cut the nonsense." Ling Chen coldly replied, "I¡¯vee as promised, now it¡¯s your turn to fulfill your promise."


    "Don¡¯t rush. Before I tell you the intelligence, you must first undergo a check and provide some samples." As Zhu Hong spoke, he waved his hand, and several men inb coats stepped forward with medical kits, rolling up Ling Chen¡¯s sleeves, then pulling out a syringe from their kits and piercing it into Ling Chen¡¯s vein.


    As the doctor worked, the syringe filled with blood, almost reaching two hundred milliliters.


    After collecting the blood, Ling Chen pressed on the needle mark and asked, "I¡¯ve given you what you want. Is it time to hand over the intelligence now?"


    "Of course," Zhu Hong smiled and said, "I am a man of my word." With the words, Zhu Hong pulled a piece of paper from his pocket, handed it to Ling Chen, and said, "The person you¡¯re looking for is here. However, as far as I know, it¡¯s just a temporary base. If you don¡¯t hurry, the girl may be moved. So, if you want to save her, don¡¯t waste time."


    Ling Chen nced at the address on the paper, turned around, and walked out without a word.


    Watching Ling Chen leave, Chu Huaiyang beside him asked, "Do you really intend to let him go? Now that he¡¯s alone, if we join forces, there¡¯s at least a seventy percent chance we can keep him here."


    "No need." Zhu Hong waved his hand with a meaningful smile, "Someone else will deal with him for us. Why waste effort and manpower on him?" After speaking, Zhu Hong looked at the men inb coats and said, "Hurry up and process Ling Chen¡¯s blood into serum to use in experiments."


    "Yes, Mr. Zhu, we will start immediately."


    ...


    Research base.


    Ling Chen passed the paper with the address in hand to Hu Fei, instructing, "Fatty, help me check this address and see where it¡¯s located."


    <fnb1fa> Updates are released by f?ndnovel</fnb1fa>


    Hu Fei made an OK gesture and immediately handed the paper to the nearby staff. While waiting for the result, Hu Fei looked at Ling Chen and said, "There¡¯s news about the batch of advanced equipment stolen from the Hongyu Group. Do you remember the experimental equipment we saw at the God Organization earlier? Although the equipment Zhu Hong stole slightly differs from the experimental equipment, it can be easily modified for experimental use. I think Zhu Hong¡¯s primary purpose for stealing that equipment is to set up ab."


    Ling Chen nodded, saying, "Last time Zhu Hong sent people to attack the research base, released Xia Mutong and the others, killed several researchers, and stole our experimental data. Zhu Hong was a member of the God Organization before, serving under Nanrong Yuan, and should be very knowledgeable about human experiments. With our data and his experience, he can likely replicate the Lucifer experiment of the God Organization."


    "So Zhu Hong is recruiting allies."


    "Exactly," Ling Chen said, "When Zhu Hong approached me that day, from his words, I sensed his ambition." Pausing, Ling Chen continued, "I can actually understand Zhu Hong. Now that he¡¯s disfigured, lost everything, including his beloved woman, people like him typically have extreme ideas after psychological trauma. Zhu Hong is just that; the more he suffers, the stronger his desire to prove himself. Therefore, he wants to achieve great things, to make everyone look at him differently. Before achieving his goal, Zhu Hong will use all means. More importantly, Zhu Hong is no longer alone; he has help from experts like Chu Huaiyang, Song Mingzhe, and Chen Quan, making him more formidable."


    "Then what should we do?" Hu Fei asked, "We can¡¯t just let him develop. Otherwise, sooner orter he¡¯ll be a threat to us."


    As they spoke, Hu Fei¡¯s phone rang. He pulled it out, answered the call directly, and asked, "What¡¯s the result?... Okay, I understand."


    Ending the call, Hu Fei said helplessly, "We searched the location you provided and found the ce where you met Zhu Hong, but it¡¯s empty. I¡¯ll have someone retrieve nearby surveince footageter, to see if we can find any clues."


    "I wouldn¡¯t put too much hope in it. Zhu Hong is a very smart man, especially after experiencing so many events, he¡¯s more cautious than before and won¡¯t leave traces easily. However, as long as Zhu Hong is still in East Sea City, we can¡¯t let our guard down. Fatty, for advice on this matter, you¡¯d better consult Boss Tang. He was formerly an FBI consultant for crime and understands criminal psychology well. He might help us find Zhu Hong."


    "Sure, I¡¯ll consult himter." Hu Fei grinned, "Thanks for reminding me, I nearly forgot. Boss Tang is a professional, with his help, we¡¯ll certainly seed."

 Chapter 870 - 875: Joy Valley (2)

    <h4>Chapter 870: Chapter 875: Joy Valley (2)</h4>


    Before long, the staff at the control center found the address Zhu Hong provided.


    Hu Fei leaned towards theputer screen, staring at the disyed information, and said with a furrowed brow, "This ce... feels odd."


    "What¡¯s odd about it?" Ling Chen asked curiously.


    "The address Zhu Hong provided shows that the temporary base is located in an amusement park in East Sea City."


    "Joy Valley?" Ling Chen was slightly taken aback. He certainly knew what Joy Valley was; simply put, it was arge amusement park.


    This is going to be troublesome!


    Ling Chen secretly thought. Joy Valley is a ce for fun, with many visitors every day, especially lots of children. It¡¯s not convenient to act with a temporary base set up in such a ce.


    "Ling Chen, how do we search? That amusement park is huge, and the visitors are numerous. We don¡¯t have enough manpower. Even if we disperse all the visitors inside, we alone can¡¯t conduct a search."


    Upon hearing Hu Fei¡¯s words, Ling Chen pondered for a moment. The issue Hu Fei raised was indeed a significant problem; if it couldn¡¯t be solved, it would be like searching for a needle in a haystack.


    Thinking over and over, a sh of inspiration suddenly crossed Ling Chen¡¯s mind. Right! Since we don¡¯t have enough manpower, why not borrow some people to help?


    "Fatty,e here." Ling Chen beckoned to Hu Fei and then whispered a few words in his ear.


    After listening to Ling Chen¡¯s n, Hu Fei¡¯s eyes lit up, and a crafty smile appeared on his round face as he chuckled, "Ling Chen, I didn¡¯t expect you to be so cunning,ing up with such a n. Okay, you just wait, I¡¯ll arrange for someone to handle it."


    Ling Chen reminded, "Remember, be cautious, very cautious. Don¡¯t hurt anyone. I don¡¯t want to be wanted as a terrorist."


    "Rest assured, don¡¯t you trust my work?" Hu Fei said confidently.


    ...


    Joy Valley.


    It¡¯s afternoon on a Sunday, and Joy Valley is crowded with childrening to y. The park is divided into children¡¯s and adult¡¯s areas, covering tens of thousands, with dozens of amusement facilities and projects, attracting thousands of guests every day.


    At this moment, at the entrance of Joy Valley, people were gathering densely, shoulder to shoulder, waiting in line to buy tickets and enter the park.


    <fn787e> ?????? ???? ?ovelFind</fn787e>


    However, right at this moment, a sudden loud ¡¯bang¡¯ echoed from within Joy Valley. Immediately, mes soared into the sky, thick smoke billowed, and a raging fire erupted in the northeast direction of the park, engulfing a wooden cabin in an instant.


    As the explosion sounded, Joy Valley¡¯s rm bells rang loudly, and all the tourists, with the help of staff, orderly rushed towards the emergency exits.


    In less than half an hour, the entire Joy Valley was cleared of tourists. Meanwhile, two fire trucks and more than a dozen police cars arrived at the scene, sealing all entrances and exits of Joy Valley, prohibiting idle individuals from entering or leaving.


    Thanks to the firefighters¡¯ efforts, it didn¡¯t take long for the fire in Joy Valley to be extinguished. Once the firefighting personnel left, several inclothes detectives quickly began investigating the fire scene.


    Ten minutes passed, and a detective responsible for on-site inspection changed his expression slightly and hurriedly took out his phone, dialing his superior¡¯s number.


    "Hello! Chief, it¡¯s me. I just found remnants of explosives at the fire scene, including stic bombponents. I suspect this fire wasn¡¯t idental but deliberately caused by someone nting explosives in Joy Valley. Chief, these are military-grade bombs; ordinary people wouldn¡¯t have ess... Yes, I understand. I¡¯ll immediately contact various branches and have them dispatch personnel to reinforce us."


    At this moment, in the KFC restaurant opposite Joy Valley, Ling Chen, Hu Fei, and Tang Guolun sat at a window-side table, munching on fried chicken legs while observing the situation at Joy Valley.


    "They¡¯re here!"


    Hu Fei pointed at a dozen police cars driving up the road, including city SWAT¡¯s specialized armored vehicles, all arriving at Joy Valley.


    Ling Chen scanned them briefly, nodded, and said, "The police reinforcements should be all here. Let them search first to help us scout the path, and we¡¯ll act once night falls."


    "All the personnel are arranged." Tang Guolun chimed in: "Kaelina, Liu Dongsheng, you, and me, just the four of us. Joy Valley is under police control. We can¡¯t dispatch too many people to avoid getting caught by the police, or it¡¯ll be troublesome."


    "That¡¯s enough!" Ling Chen replied. They are all people capable of handling things alone; with them acting, the issue shouldn¡¯t be too big.


    Time slowly passed, and in the blink of an eye, nightfall arrived, enveloping the entire Joy Valley in moonlight.


    To facilitate the police¡¯s search work, all the lights in Joy Valley were turned on. Suddenly, the entire park was brightly lit, as if it were daytime.


    Due to the fire that urred during the day, coupled with the high attention from the police, many reporters sensed something unusual. Therefore, starting in the afternoon, TV stations had been sending reporters and interview trucks to Joy Valley, surrounding the entrances and exits, waiting for thetest news.


    After eating and drinking, Ling Chen, Tang Guolun, Liu Dongsheng, and Kaelina arrived at the northern side of Joy Valley. There stood a more than five meters high wall, and due to its height, no one could breach it, so the police did not arrange guards here.


    Ling Chen looked up and then took a rope with a grappling hook from the car, throwing it forcefully upwards.


    Soon, the grappling hook was firmly fixed at the top of the wall. With the help of the rope, Ling Chen and the other three sessfully entered Joy Valley in no time.


    "ording to the n we made earlier, we¡¯ll split into groups of two and act separately." After speaking, Ling Chen signaled to Kaelina, and the two quickly headed towards the east side of Joy Valley.


    Joy Valley is divided into four areas: adult area, children¡¯s area, water activities area, and the visitor center. The four areas are located in the four directions of Joy Valley. To facilitate the search and save time, Ling Chen and Tang Guolun agreed that each would be responsible for two areas.


    In no time, Ling Chen and Kaelina reached the adult area of Joy Valley. This area featured thrilling and exciting amusement projects: roller coasters, pirate ships, pendulum rides... and more.


    Looking around, Ling Chen rubbed his nose, feeling a bit of a headache. The facilities here are too many, and the area isrge; it might take two to three hours to searchpletely.


    Ling Chen greatly admired those guys for setting up a temporary base in such a ce. If not for the intelligence Zhu Hong provided, Ling Chen wouldn¡¯t have guessed it even after breaking his head.


    While musing, Kaelina spoke up, "I¡¯ll go check that side; you handle this side. Keep in touch at all times; inform me immediately if anything happens."


    "Alright, be careful yourself."

 Chapter 871 - 876: Joy Valley (3)

    <h4>Chapter 871: Chapter 876: Joy Valley (3)</h4>


    In the blink of an eye, two hours passed.


    Although so much time had passed, Ling Chen had onlypleted half of the search in the adult zone. At this rate, it would take at least four to five hours to check the entire area.


    "Boss Tang." Ling Chen called Tang Guolun on the earpiece, asking, "Have you found anything on your side?"


    "Not yet, there are too many police here. We can¡¯t act overtly, and progress is slow. Let¡¯s wait for a while. We¡¯ll search again with Liu once they withdraw."


    "Alright." After finishing the call with Tang Guolun, Ling Chen switched channels and asked, "Fatty, have you got it done yet?"


    "Just finished." Hu Fei¡¯s voice came through the earpiece, "I breached Joy Valley¡¯s firewall and hacked into their security system. All surveince is under my control, but I haven¡¯t found anything. Don¡¯t pin your hopes on me." Pausing briefly, Hu Fei continued, "Ling Chen, since it¡¯s a temporary base, it must be hidden."


    "I know that. The problem is we can¡¯t find the entrance; it¡¯s all just talk until then. Hey, Fatty, look for the architectural ns of Joy Valley. Maybe you¡¯ll find something."


    "Okay, I¡¯ll give it a try."


    After several hours of searching, it was already midnight, and the police in Joy Valley had withdrawn to rest, leaving only a few to guard the scene, preventing anyone from breaking in.


    Without the interference of the police, Ling Chen and the crew¡¯s efficiency increased significantly. However, despite the convenience, the four still came up empty-handed.


    <fn5875> N?w ?ovel chapt?rs are published on </fn5875>


    Near one in the morning, after working for several hours, Ling Chen felt his stomach growling, nearly faint from hunger.


    Damn, if I had known this would take so long, I would¡¯ve packed some fast food from KFC as a midnight snack!


    Watching Kaelina beside him, she also looked tired. The two of them leaned against the wall, resting and regaining their strength.


    "Let¡¯s go, let¡¯s check over there." Ling Chen pointed ahead, saying.


    Kaelina asked in confusion, "Didn¡¯t we already search there? Why go back?"


    "Why so many questions, just follow me." With that, Ling Chen couldn¡¯t be bothered to exin and swiftly walked ahead. Though perplexed, Kaelina followed behind him.


    Not too far away, Ling Chen and Kaelina arrived at a closed convenience store.


    Seeing the tightly shut rolling door, Kaelina paused for a moment, instantly understanding Ling Chen¡¯s intent.


    "Keep watch for me, I¡¯ll get this door open." With that, Ling Chen pulled out a small dagger from his pocket and inserted it into the keyhole of the rolling door, fiddling with it gently.


    Click!


    With a soft snap, the rolling door¡¯s lock yielded.


    Ling Chen¡¯s lips curled into a slight smile as he quickly lifted the rolling door, gesturing for Kaelina to hurry inside.


    Once the two entered the convenience store, Ling Chen closed the rolling door and casually flipped the switch on the wall. Instantly, an array of goods was illuminated before Ling Chen¡¯s eyes.


    "Bread!" Ling Chen¡¯s eyes lit up, and without any formality, he leaped over the counter, grabbing cold sandwiches and sausage to devour ravenously.


    "Want some?" Ling Chen offered the bread to Kaelina.


    Watching Ling Chen eat heartily, Kaelina couldn¡¯t help but chuckle. Thinking he had discovered something, he had actually brought her to find food. By the way he was wolfing down the food, it seemed he was famished.


    Still, after such a longbor, she was indeed hungry. Without hesitation, Kaelina epted the bread, grabbed a bottle of milk, and sat at the table to enjoy her meal quietly.


    After scarfing down several pieces of bread and sausage, Ling Chen finally felt his stomach was full. However, after chugging several bottles of soda, he was feeling an urgent need to relieve himself. With Kaelina around, he was a bit shy to mention it directly, so he said, "You sit tight, I¡¯ll go check the back."


    With that, Ling Chen briskly walked to the back of the convenience store.


    Finding a restroom, Ling Chen unzipped his pants. As the sound of flowing water emerged, a sense of relief appeared on Ling Chen¡¯s face.


    Patting his full stomach, Ling Chen walked out of the restroom, heading straight for the front of the store. Now that his stomach was full, it was time to get back to business.


    As he was about to rejoin Kaelina, Ling Chen¡¯s sharp eyes suddenly caught sight of a movable metal te on the floor in the middle of the convenience store.


    As a meticulous person, Ling Chen wouldn¡¯t overlook any detail. He immediately crouched down, grasped the handle of the metal te with one hand, and lifted it with effort. Once the te was removed, a strong sour smell emanated.


    Below this... it feels like a warehouse. Because of the food stored here, that¡¯s why there¡¯s this strange smell.


    After giving it a thought, Ling Chen called Kaelina over. After a few instructions, Ling Chen jumped down alone.


    The small warehouse was equipped with a light bulb, and as Ling Chen flicked the switch, the pitch-dark warehouse was suddenly illuminated. Standing among a pile of boxes containing food, he looked around carefully, not missing any detail.


    A few minutes passed before Kaelina, waiting above, asked, "So, did you find anything?"


    "No, just some food supplies."


    "Let¡¯s go. It¡¯s normal for a convenience store to have a warehouse, nothing strange."


    Ling Chen acknowledged and casually turned off the light before nning to join Kaelina. However, as he was leaving, his gaze was suddenly drawn to a shing red light.


    In the corner of the warehouse, Ling Chen noticed a faint red glow, subtly blinking. If one didn¡¯t look closely, it could easily be missed.


    "Hold on, I think I¡¯ve found something."


    Speaking, Ling Chen turned the light back on and quickly walked to the corner of the warehouse. As he got closer, Ling Chen finally discerned what the red light was.


    It was an infrared sensor. Anything passing by would trigger the sensor immediately.


    If it were just an ordinary warehouse, there¡¯d be no need for such an instation.


    There¡¯s something fishy!


    An excited smile crept onto Ling Chen¡¯s face as he promptly called Kaelina down.


    "Look," Ling Chen pointed at the infrared sensor and said, "There¡¯s definitely something wrong here."


    Kaelina nced around at the stacked boxes and said, "Move these things away and check. Maybe the entrance is here."


    Ling Chen nodded, and without another word, immediately shifted the boxes, clearing the entire corner of the warehouse. During the move, while holding two boxes, Ling Chen suddenly froze, his expression dazed.


    Noticing Ling Chen¡¯s change of expression, Kaelina asked, "What¡¯s up with you?"


    Ling Chen opened his mouth, frowning, "Tell me... since this ce has an infrared sensor, it must¡¯ve detected us when we arrived. Why has nobodye for us?"

 Chapter 872 - 877: Smoke Trap (1)

    <h4>Chapter 872: Chapter 877: Smoke Trap (1)</h4>


    By the time Ling Chen realized the possible danger, it was already toote.


    Before the two could react, Ling Chen and Kaelina suddenly felt the floor beneath them give way sharply, and then, their bodies dropped instantly.


    Bang! Bang!


    With two dull thuds, Ling Chen and Kaelina simultaneously fell to the ground from mid-air,ing into intimate contact with the floor.


    Damn it!


    Ling Chen cursed under his breath, ignoring the pain in his body, and quickly got up from the ground, observing the surroundings. His face changed slightly at a nce.


    At this moment, he and Kaelina were trapped in a transparent cage. The cage was sealed all around with ss, with only a few finger-sized vents at the top.


    "Kaelina." Ling Chen nced at Kaelina, who was lying on the ground with a painful expression, and his heart sank immediately. He hurriedly supported her up and asked concernedly, "How are you, are you okay?"


    Kaelina didn¡¯t speak, but the cold sweat on her forehead showed that her body had sustained severe injuries upon falling from above.


    After all, from the top to the ground was about seven or eight meters high. Ling Chen, being an expert on the Earthly List, didn¡¯t have a problem with this height given his skills. But Kaelina was different. She was an assassin, not an expert. Falling from such a height, injury was inevitable.


    "Boss Tang, Boss Tang!" Ling Chen pressed the button of his earpiece, calling out Tang Guolun¡¯s name. However, apart from a ¡¯zzz¡¯ static sound, there was nothing else.


    "Fatty, can you hear me, Fatty!"


    However, neither Tang Guolun nor Hu Fei responded.


    It¡¯s over!


    Not being able to contact anyone outside and with Kaelina injured, their situation was undoubtedly very dangerous.


    Just then, lights outside the ss suddenly turned on, and the surroundings became exceptionally bright in an instant.


    Ling Chen looked up and saw an explosion-proof door being opened by someone. Then, a few middle-aged men in suits walked in from outside.


    Seeing the leading middle-aged man, Ling Chen¡¯s pupils contracted slightly, and he said in a deep voice, "It¡¯s you!"


    "Ling Chen, we meet again." The middle-aged man said with a sly smile, his hands folded behind his back.


    Lin Guodong!


    Ling Chen frowned secretly. He had initially thought this guy had fled East Sea City, but it turned out he had been hiding here all along.


    "Ling Chen, you really have some skills, to be able to find this ce." Lin Guodong said with a smile, "I have to admit, you are indeed impressive. Unfortunately, I knew you woulde, so I prepared in advance. How about it, all these are prepared for you, are you satisfied?"


    "You knew I woulde?"


    "Of course." Lin Guodong nodded and said, "The address Zhu Hong gave you was real, but it was given to him by me. Oh, I forgot to tell you, Zhu Hong is now in a cooperative rtionship with the God Organization. You are a huge threat to both the God Organization and him, so we had no choice but to find a way to take you out first."


    After a pause, Lin Guodong continued, "East Sea City is a big piece of rich meat, but unfortunately, the underground forces of East Sea City are all in your hands. This has greatly hindered our development. Once you¡¯re dead, without you as the pir, the underground forces of East Sea City will eventually be destroyed. By then, let¡¯s see who dares to stop the God Organization from advancing into East Sea City."


    With Lin Guodong¡¯s words, a faint green mist suddenly emanated in the ss space where Ling Chen and Kaelina were.


    The green mist emerged from all corners of the ss, instantly covering Ling Chen¡¯s head. Seeing the swirling green mist, Ling Chen¡¯s face immediately turned solemn. It was obvious that these green mists were poisonous.


    "Ling Chen, just enjoy the treatment I prepared for you." Lin Guodong saidcently, "Having a beauty apany you to death, you¡¯re not at a loss." After finishing, Lin Guodong turned around with his men and walked out.


    As the explosion-proof door closed, Ling Chen pounded the ss hard, trying to break it. However, these were specially made thickened bulletproof ss, extremely hard, and it was difficult for Ling Chen to break through with his fist. Feeling the pungent odor at his nose, Ling Chen looked up at the top, where the green mist was slowly descending.


    At this rate, in about three to four minutes, the entire ss space would be shrouded in green mist.


    The odor entered his nose, and Ling Chen immediately felt a bit of a headache, even Kaelina in front of him became blurry.


    Damn it!


    Ling Chen gritted his teeth, forced himself to stay conscious, held his breath, then tore a piece of fabric from his clothes, wrapping it over Kaelina¡¯s nose and mouth, lest she identally inhale the poison gas.


    Although the green mist was temporarily isted, Ling Chen couldn¡¯t hold on for long. With his breath-holding skills, he could onlyst about a minute.


    No, he must find a way to escape from here.


    Ling Chen thought to himself. However, he couldn¡¯t contact Tang Guolun and Hu Fei. In this critical moment, apart from relying on himself, no one else could be relied upon.


    In the blink of an eye, Ling Chen clenched his fists, exerting all his strength, and mmed fiercely at the bulletproof ss in front of him.


    Bang!


    His fist hit the ss, immediately bouncing back, all strength lost.


    Failed with one strike, Ling Chen did not stop, continuing to punch the bulletproof ss. At this moment, the only way out for both of them was to smash the ss. There was no other way.


    "Ling Chen..."


    At this moment, Kaelina¡¯s weak voice came through. Ling Chen turned his head to see Kaelina lying on the ground, holding the piece of fabric forcefully over her nose and mouth. However, due to her injuries and the indirect effects of the poison gas, Kaelina¡¯s body weakened further, her face pale as paper, on the verge of copse at any moment.


    Seeing Kaelina about to faint, Ling Chen couldn¡¯t help feeling anxious.


    At this moment, the green mist was gradually approaching downwards, leaving them less and less space to move.


    "Hold on a while longer, we¡¯ll be out soon." Ling Chen said. In fact, he wasn¡¯t even sure if this was tofort her or to encourage her.


    Time was of the essence, and Ling Chen didn¡¯t waste his energy on Kaelina. Staring at the bulletproof ss in front, Ling Chen held his breath, gradually rxing his tense body, spreading his legs slightly, letting his hands hang naturally, like the starting move in Tai Chi.


    Ten seconds with his eyes closed, Ling Chen¡¯s eyes suddenly opened, a sharp light bursting out.


    Roar!


    With a loud yell, Ling Chen raised his right hand, shaping it into a Phoenix Eye Fist stance. Staring fixedly at a point in front of him, he smashed forward with all his might.


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    Bang!


    With a crisp sound, minute cracks unexpectedly appeared on the bulletproof ss in front of him.


    Seeing the change in the bulletproof ss, Ling Chen¡¯s eyes immediately brightened.

 Chapter 873 - 878: Smoke Trap (2)

    <h4>Chapter 873: Chapter 878: Smoke Trap (2)</h4>


    Unexpectedly, this move actually worked.


    Ling Chen was secretly delighted. Seeing Kaelina growing weaker, Ling Chen didn¡¯t have time to think more andunched the Phoenix Eye Fist again, instantly shattering the hard bulletproof ss.


    Breaking the surface with a single point! This was the key technique Ling Chen used. He concentrated all his strength on the Phoenix Eye Fist, aiming at one single point. Of course, although he borrowed the technique of breaking the surface with a point, Ling Chen¡¯s ability to destroy bulletproof ss also depended on other skills.


    Thanks a lot, Elder Tong!


    Ling Chen inwardly expressed gratitude, quickly picking up the semi-conscious Kaelina and rushed out.


    At this moment, a piercing rm sounded from nearby. Ling Chen nced at the surveince camera in the corner and frowned slightly; Lin Guodong must have already known about his escape.


    Right now, Ling Chen couldn¡¯t care less; he kicked open the explosion-proof door and dashed out.


    Outside the room, Ling Chen scanned his surroundings and saw an exceptionally spacious underground space without partitions, all equipment, and office furniture were ced together.


    On the right, severalputers were lined up, disying surveince footage of the surroundings on the screens.


    "There he is! Quick, stop him!"


    The surrounding security personnel spotted Ling Chen and immediately focused on him. Within a moment, seven or eight guards armed with electric batons rushed over, surrounding Ling Chen and Kaelina.


    "Where¡¯s Lin Guodong?" Ling Chen swept his eyes over the security personnel and asked.


    "Charge, kill him!"


    The guards ignored Ling Chen¡¯s question and swung their batons straight at Ling Chen¡¯s head.


    "Get lost!"


    Ling Chen shouted lightly, holding Kaelina¡¯s soft body, and moved swiftly between the guards. Before they could react, Ling Chen kicked two guards flying into theirpanions.


    With the guards settled, Ling Chen¡¯s gaze swept across the room and locked onto Lin Guodong nearby.


    Feeling Ling Chen¡¯s gaze, Lin Guodong¡¯s pupils shrank. He hurriedly instructed his men to protect him as they left.


    Seeing Lin Guodong fleeing towards the exit, guarded by more than ten security personnel, Ling Chen didn¡¯t hesitate and chased after them, holding Kaelina. However, he hadn¡¯t chased far when Ling Chen suddenly stopped and turned to look at the nearby surveince screens.


    On one of the screens, Ling Chen discovered Little Hua¡¯s whereabouts.


    After hesitating a moment, Ling Chen sighed helplessly. There was no choice; Little Hua¡¯s safety was paramount. Lin Guodong would have to be let go for now. Ling Chen then turned and ran in the opposite direction.


    It didn¡¯t take long for Ling Chen to find Little Hua, who was locked in a room.


    The small room was filled with the pungent smell of disinfectant. In the center was a bed on which Little Huay quietly, wearing loose white clothes, eyes closed, and limbs fastened to the bed with belts, unable to move.


    Ling Chen noticed a surgical tray beside the bed with various surgical instruments and ubeled medicine bottles.


    Reaching the bed, Ling Chen gentlyid Kaelina down, then touched Little Hua¡¯s cheek gently and called softly: "Little Hua, wake up, it¡¯s me."


    But no matter how Ling Chen called, Little Hua did not respond. Even after he patted her cheek, he couldn¡¯t wake her.


    Seeing this, Ling Chen thought for a moment and decided to lift Little Hua from the bed. Little Hua¡¯s small frame made her lightweight, carrying her and Kaelina should be manageable.


    However, as Little Hua¡¯s body was lifted, Ling Chen¡¯s expression suddenly changed. He was shocked to see that Little Hua¡¯s shirt was stained red with blood.


    Seeing the bright bloodstains, Ling Chen dared not move Little Hua¡¯s body any further and hurriedly lifted her shirt. Immediately, he saw a ten-centimeter-long wound on Little Hua¡¯s abdomen. Although it had been stitched up, fresh blood was still seeping from it.


    These bastards!


    Ling Chen gritted his teeth, a sh of anger in his eyes. Judging by Little Hua¡¯s wound, the surgery must have just taken ce. Ling Chen didn¡¯t know what Lin Guodong and his team intended but treating Little Hua this way was outrageous.


    No wonder Little Hua hadn¡¯t woken up yet; she was likely injected with anesthetics, and now remainedatose since the drug¡¯s effects hadn¡¯t worn off.


    If Little Hua hadn¡¯t undergone surgery, Ling Chen could just carry her away. But that¡¯s not an option now; freshly operated Little Hua was very weak. Taking her with them might affect the wound.


    There had to be another way.


    With rapid thoughts racing, Ling Chen cast a nce at Kaelina.


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    "How are you holding up, can you still manage?"


    Kaelina smiled bitterly and pointed at her left leg: "I can¡¯t feel this leg for now."


    "I have an idea, hang in there!"


    Saying that, Ling Chen quickly walked to a medicine cab in the corner, opened the door, and checked the bottles inside carefully. Soon, he returned to Kaelina with a bottle and syringe.


    Watching Ling Chen¡¯s actions, Kaelina asked: "What¡¯s this?"


    "Adrenaline, this should help you hold out until we get outside." With that, Ling Chen injected the syringe into Kaelina¡¯s body.


    As the adrenaline was fully administered, Kaelina¡¯s previous weakness vanished; she became energetic as if she had endless strength.


    "Let¡¯s go!"


    Leaving the room, Ling Chen led the way with Kaelina pushing a metal bed, Little Hua on it as they quickly made their escape.


    At this moment, the temporary stronghold was deserted. While Ling Chen rescued Little Hua, everyone else had executed an evacuation process. Seeing the empty underground base, Ling Chen pressed on, picking up speed towards the exit with Kaelina and Little Hua in tow.


    The temporary base was marked with signs indicating the safety path. Ling Chen wasted little time and followed them to the exit.


    The base¡¯s emergency exit was located in Joy Valley¡¯s storage room. Upon exiting, Ling Chen immediately heard Hu Fei¡¯s voice through the earpiece: "Ling Chen, can you hear me? Say something."


    "I hear you." Ling Chen replied.


    "Where did you go? I¡¯ve been trying to contact you forever; I thought something happened to you."


    "I found the temporary stronghold. Little Hua¡¯s with me. Hurry and notify Boss Tang to get over here and meet up with me."


    "I already did. I thought something happened to you just now, so I had Boss Tang and Liu head towards you. Get in touch with them; they should be there."


    "Got it!"


    Finishing up with Hu Fei, Ling Chen turned to Kaelina behind him: "You go find the fat guy and settle Little Hua."

 Chapter 874 - 879: Pursuing Lin Guodong

    <h4>Chapter 874: Chapter 879: Pursuing Lin Guodong</h4>


    "And what about you?"


    "Lin Guodong just escaped, he shouldn¡¯t have gone far, maybe we can catch up with him."


    "Alright then, be careful." With that, Kaelina pushed the bed and quickly left.


    After Kaelina left, Ling Chen contacted Tang Guolun and Liu Dongsheng through the headset. Before long, the three of them met up.


    "Ling Chen, there are police officers on duty outside Joy Valley, so if anyone leaves Joy Valley, the police will definitely notice. But I just took a look, there¡¯s no movement outside Joy Valley," Tang Guolun said. "The God Organization has so many people, if they are trying to escape from Joy Valley, they can¡¯t just disappear silently, there will definitely be some traces left behind."


    "Boss Tang, what do you think?"


    "I think..." Tang Guolun¡¯s eyes flickered, and he said, "A cunning rabbit has three burrows, let alone people from the God Organization. Although you found their temporary base, how can you ensure the God Organization has only one temporary base here? Joy Valley is vast, with many hidden ces, maybe they¡¯ve built other bases."


    Hearing Tang Guolun¡¯s analysis, Ling Chen nodded, thinking it made some sense. Although rescuing Little Hua took some time, it wasn¡¯t too long. When he came out of the temporary base via the safety passage, Lin Guodong and the others were all gone without a trace, which was really strange.


    Due to today¡¯s explosion incident, the police have been highly attentive, dispatching many officers to be on duty evente at night. Both inside and outside, Joy Valley is crawling with police. If Lin Guodong had escaped with arge group, it would surely have alerted the police. Furthermore, Hu Fei had already infiltrated Joy Valley¡¯s security system and could monitor the situation in Joy Valley in real-time.


    Ling Chen asked Hu Fei, but there was nothing found on the surveince. It¡¯s impossible for Lin Guodong and the others to just vanish without a cause. From this, it¡¯s apparent that Tang Guolun¡¯s deduction is highly probable.


    After pondering for a moment, Ling Chen looked back at the utility room. He had just escaped from there.


    "Ling Chen!" At this point, Liu Dongsheng pointed to the surveince camera not far away and said, "That camera is aimed right at the utility room. Ask Mr. Hu to bring up the surveince footage and see if anything was overlooked."


    In less than two minutes, Hu Fei had already sent back the information, and the camera had not captured anyone.


    "That¡¯s impossible!" Ling Chen frowned. He clearly saw Lin Guodong escape through the safety passage, how could he not see anyone, unless he had some invisibility trick?


    "That¡¯s it!"


    While thinking, a sudden inspiration shed across Ling Chen¡¯s mind.


    Just because the surveince didn¡¯t capture Lin Guodong doesn¡¯t mean Lin Guodong had a way to avoid the cameras. From another perspective, it¡¯s very likely Lin Guodong never left the utility room, which is why the cameras didn¡¯t capture him.


    If that¡¯s the case... Thinking of this, Ling Chen immediately ran towards the utility room.


    Tang Guolun and Liu Dongsheng exchanged nces and quickly followed Ling Chen¡¯s footsteps.


    Entering the utility room, Ling Chen flipped the switch on the wall. Under the dim light, the piled-up items in the utility room came into view.


    On the floor of the utility room, there was a movable wooden nk, the ce where Ling Chen had juste out from. Besides that hidden safety exit, the room was filled with brooms, dustpans, and some bulging canvas bags all piled along the wall.


    While Ling Chen was searching the utility room, Tang Guolun squatted beside the safety exit, looking at the wooden nk with great interest.


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    After a while, seeing Tang Guolun squatting there without moving, Ling Chen couldn¡¯t resist asking, "Boss Tang, what are you looking at?"


    Tang Guolun snapped his fingers and smiled, "No need to search, I know how they left."


    Hearing this, Ling Chen quickly asked, "You know?"


    Tang Guolun pointed to the movable wooden nk on the floor and said, "The key actually lies in this wooden nk. You just came out of here, right?"


    Ling Chen nodded.


    "Good." Tang Guolun smiled slightly, and casually lifted the wooden nk, gently moving it aside. Instantly, the exit Ling Chen had previouslye through was covered by the nk, and another exit appeared beside it.


    Seeing this, Ling Chen was momentarily stunned, his eyes a bit vacant.


    "Boss Tang, this is..."


    "It¡¯s a rtively simple magic trick," Tang Guolun exined. "There are actually two passages below this wooden nk, but if you don¡¯t know the principle, you would treat it as a single safety exit and wouldn¡¯t think otherwise. I must say, the person who designed this is very clever, but it¡¯s unfortunate they met me. I¡¯ve encountered simr mechanisms abroad before, but this one is more sophisticated and not easy to detect."


    Hearing this, Ling Chen¡¯s mouth curled into a grin; he gave a thumbs-up and praised without reservation, "Boss Tang, you¡¯re amazing."


    "Alright! Stop with the ttery, hurry up and pursue them."


    Ling Chen responded and immediately jumped into the passage.


    Indeed!


    Looking at the surrounding environment of the passage, Ling Chen thought to himself, this ce is entirely different from the previous safety passage.


    Following the passage forward, after about forty meters, Ling Chen heard a conversation up ahead. Right then, Ling Chen gestured to Tang Guolun and Liu Dongsheng behind him to slow their pace.


    As the conversation grew clearer, Ling Chen took a deep breath, his toes lightly tapping the ground, his body shot forward like an arrow released from a bow.


    In an instant, three security personnel guarding outside the passage appeared in Ling Chen¡¯s view.


    The three security personnel were caught off guard, utterly stunned, with a dazed look on their faces.


    Taking advantage of the moment, Ling Chen didn¡¯t utter a word, striking swiftly. In the blink of an eye, all three security personnel fell to the ground without making a sound, rendered unconscious.


    "Clear!"


    Upon hearing Ling Chen¡¯s voice, Tang Guolun and Liu Dongsheng immediately stepped out of the passage.


    ncing at the security personnel on the ground, Tang Guolun asked, "Ling Chen, do you have a n?"


    "When I rushed into the temporary base earlier, I didn¡¯t notice any strong fighters around Lin Guodong. Just the three of us should be able to handle it. Boss Tang, you focus on controlling theputer. Boss Liu, help contain the security personnel and prevent them from bothering me. As for Lin Guodong... leave him to me," Ling Chen arranged. This was an excellent opportunity for him. Previously, Ji Gang was protecting Lin Guodong, making it impossible for him to make a move. But this time, with Ji Gang absent, let¡¯s see who can safeguard Lin Guodong.


    With everything ready, Ling Chen took the lead, passing through an anti-explosion door, and his gaze was immediately drawn to Lin Guodong, who stood in front of theputer. At this moment, Lin Guodong was gesturing at the screen, saying something unknown. However, judging by his wide, delighted grin, he was evidently pleased about something.


    Hmph!


    Wait and see, soon you¡¯ll be crying!

 Chapter 875 - 880: Pursuing Lin Guodong (Part 2)

    <h4>Chapter 875: Chapter 880: Pursuing Lin Guodong (Part 2)</h4>


    "Go!"


    As Ling Chen¡¯s words fell, Tang Guolun and Liu Dongsheng immediately took action, rushing towards different targets.


    With their movement initiated, Ling Chen¡¯s gaze was fixed on Lin Guodong. This time, he must capture Lin Guodong.


    At this moment, Lin Guodong stood in front of theputer, looking at the data disyed on the screen, his face full of smiles. After years of research, he finally achieved a breakthrough from Little Hua. How could he not be excited? He had already nned to celebrate tonight and raise a ss to the future of the God Organization.


    Ah!


    But suddenly, a piercing scream disrupted Lin Guodong¡¯s thoughts. His smile vanished, and he quickly turned to look in the direction of the sound. Immediately, he saw a middle-aged man swinging two electric batons wildly amidst the crowd. In just a few moments, seven or eight security personnel had fallen to the ground.


    This guy... Lin Guodong¡¯s expression changed slightly, staring at the man in surprise.


    How could he appear here?


    While Lin Guodong was momentarily stunned, a ¡¯bang¡¯ was heard, and a security guard flew from nearby,nding right at his feet. Seeing this, Lin Guodong¡¯s face dramatically changed.


    Ling Chen!


    Watching the young man walk toward him step by step, Lin Guodong¡¯s pupils contracted slightly, and he involuntarily stepped back, speaking in a low voice, "How are you here?"


    "Lin Guodong, I have to admit, you¡¯re smart and very cunning. You almost deceived me. Unfortunately, you nned thoroughly but didn¡¯t expect Elder Tang to see through your tricks," Ling Chen said calmly. "Surrender; you can¡¯t escape now. Without Ji Gang by your side, let¡¯s see who can save you today."


    Upon hearing this, Lin Guodong¡¯s expression became extremely unpleasant. This time, he thought the cooperation with Zhu Hong wouldn¡¯t go wrong. As long as Ling Chen fell into the trap, he would surely die. However, he still miscalcted, not expecting Ling Chen to escape.


    What surprised him even more was that Ling Chen discovered this ce¡¯s existence.


    If he could, Lin Guodong would have arranged for Ji Gang to protect him, but Ji Gang was recently busy with other matters and had no time to apany him. Moreover, he had great confidence in this temporary base¡¯s secrecy. Located within Joy Valley, there were tourists everywhere above, and even if discovered, he could use them to ensure his safety.


    However, before taking action, Ling Chen deliberately triggered the security rm in Joy Valley, causing all the tourists to be evacuated and surrounded by police.


    At present, without Ji Gang¡¯s protection and no tourists to use as leverage, Lin Guodong instantly sensed a strong sense of crisis.


    No!


    Lin Guodong gritted his teeth secretly. He had worked hard to achieve a breakthrough, and if caught now, everything would be over.


    Thinking of this, Lin Guodong grabbed the water cup on the table and hurled it fiercely at Ling Chen. As the water spilled out, Lin Guodong quickly turned and ran away.


    "Stop him!"


    After hearing Lin Guodong¡¯smand, a few security personnel responsible for close protection knew they couldn¡¯t defeat Ling Chen but had no choice, rushing forward despite their fear, trying to block Ling Chen¡¯s path.


    Seeing the group charging forward, Ling Chen¡¯s lips curved slightly. With a gentle tap of his toe, his speed instantly unfolded. The security personnel hadn¡¯t reacted yet and felt as if someone stepped on their shoulders. When they came to their senses, they found Ling Chen already flying over their heads, stepping on their shoulders.


    Hearing footsteps getting closer behind him, Lin Guodong turned to see Ling Chen swiftly approaching, only about ten meters away.


    Seeing this, Lin Guodong¡¯s hand reached for his waist. Immediately, he flicked his wrist, and a cold gleam shot towards Ling Chen¡¯s forehead. As the cold gleam approached, Ling Chen twisted his waist, his body slightly tilting to the side. The cold gleam instantly flew past him, hitting a security guard behind him.


    Dagger!


    Tilting his head, Ling Chen nced and saw a sharp dagger embedded in the security guard¡¯s chest. The dagger had hit the man¡¯s vital point, causing instant death.


    Can¡¯t believe this guy has some skills. Ling Chen thought to himself.


    While pondering, Lin Guodong had already reached a st-proof door. He ced his right hand on the fingerprint scanner on the wall, and as the red light turned green, the thick st-proof door opened immediately.


    Not good!


    Seeing the st-proof door about to close, Ling Chen¡¯s expression slightly tensed, and he focused all his strength on his legs, pushing off forcefully. In an instant, his body leaned forward slightly, reaching extreme speed, rushing to the st-proof door.


    As the st-proof door still had a gap, Ling Chen extended his hand and quickly wedged his phone into the gap. Instantly, the moving st-proof door stopped.


    Though the phone blocked the door closing, the st-proof door weighs a hundred pounds. A fragile phone couldn¡¯tst against it. In less than two seconds, the phone was crushed by the st-proof door, making the gap smaller and smaller.


    Without hesitation, Ling Chen quickly stuck his fingers into the gap and pushed hard against the st-proof door.


    With the explosion of his strength, the st-proof door slowly moved to the side, inch by inch. When the gap was more than ten centimeters wide, Ling Chen swiftly pushed his body through the gap.


    Bang!


    Just as Ling Chen passed through, losing his force to stop it, the st-proof door closed, blocking all pursuing security personnel behind it.


    Fortunately, my speed was fast enough.


    Ling Chen wiped the sweat from his forehead, not wasting time resting. He immediately pursued the direction Lin Guodong fled. There was only one safety passage behind the st-proof door, saving Ling Chen a lot of time.


    Soon, Lin Guodong¡¯s figure appeared in Ling Chen¡¯s sight.


    "Stop, don¡¯t run!"


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    Ling Chen shouted, increasing his speed again, catching up with Lin Guodong in just a few strides.


    Hearing Ling Chen¡¯s footsteps getting closer, the fleeing Lin Guodong suddenly turned, swinging his arm at Ling Chen.


    Ling Chen initially wanted to take the hit directly, but seeing the de in Lin Guodong¡¯s hand, he changed his mind, quickly retreating to avoid the de¡¯s attack range.


    Stopping, Ling Chen took a deep breath, looked directly at Lin Guodong, and said, "Stop running; you¡¯re at a dead end."


    Lin Guodong gripped the half-foot de tightly and replied coldly, "Never conclude easily until thest moment. How do you know I can¡¯t escape? Ling Chen, do you really think I¡¯m afraid of you?"


    Ling Chen nced at the de, curling his finger, "Come, let me see what else you got."

 Chapter 876 - 881: Pursuing Lin Guodong (Part 3)

    <h4>Chapter 876: Chapter 881: Pursuing Lin Guodong (Part 3)</h4>


    Lin Guodong gripped the half-foot long de, his eyes coldly fixed on Ling Chen as he circled slowly around him, seemingly searching for an opportunity to strike.


    Suddenly, Lin Guodong leaned forward, moving at lightning speed, and in the blink of an eye, he was in front of Ling Chen, thrusting the de towards a vital point.


    From the moment Lin Guodong moved, Ling Chen¡¯s gaze remained locked on him, watching his every move. At this moment, as the de approached, Ling Chen¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly, showing a hint of surprise.


    What speed!


    Before this, Lin Guodong had never demonstrated his martial skills. However, just from that single move¡¯s speed, Ling Chen could be one hundred percent certain that Lin Guodong¡¯s skills were not only formidable but also very strong.


    No wonder this guy didn¡¯t show any fear when facing me alone; turns out, he has such strong abilities. It seems that he has always been hiding his strength, only revealing it at a critical moment.


    With the de closing in, Ling Chen had no time to think. He slightly sidestepped, quickly evading Lin Guodong¡¯s attack. Immediately after, Ling Chen spun around,unching a steel fist fiercely towards the air.


    Though his fist didn¡¯t make contact with Lin Guodong, Ling Chen, being an Earthly List expert, unleashed Hua Realm energy throughout his body, capable of harming someone from a distance with ease.


    However, contrary to Ling Chen¡¯s expectations, as the Hua Realm energy burst forth, Lin Guodong¡¯s wrist flicked, sweeping the de to effortlessly neutralize his energy.


    Earthly List expert!


    Ling Chen¡¯s pupils shrank, filled with astonishment as he looked at Lin Guodong.


    He knew Lin Guodong had trained in martial arts and was very strong, but he didn¡¯t expect him to be an Earthly List expert. Moreover, Lin Guodong¡¯s ease in neutralizing his Hua Realm energy indicated that his realm was far above his own.


    An Earthly List expert¡¯s Hua Realm energy increases step by step as their realm advances, with more energy being utilized as the realm reaches higher levels.


    Feeling the shock in Ling Chen¡¯s eyes, Lin Guodong¡¯s lips curled into a cold smile, "Did you think I was easy to bully? If that¡¯s what you thought, I¡¯m sorry to disappoint you."


    Ling Chen nodded, replying, "I admit I underestimated you. Well, the Ling Family was once a Martial Arts family, so how could you, as part of it, not know kung fu?"


    With that, Ling Chen stepped forward, steel fists clenched, assuming a defensive stance.


    "Come, let me experience just how formidable the Ling Family truly is."


    Upon hearing these words, Lin Guodong looked at Ling Chen meaningfully and said, "You know quite a lot. Since you know, I won¡¯t hide it anymore. Yes, I¡¯m from the Ling Family. But Ling Chen, don¡¯t forget your own identity; you¡¯re also part of the Ling Family. As a member of the Ling Family, will you really oppose your own people?"


    "I bear the name Ling, but don¡¯t lump me in with the Ling Family. In my memory, the Ling Family has nothing to do with me. To me, you¡¯re just a bunch of strangers. Even if I acknowledge a blood rtion with you, so what? Do you think I¡¯d go along with you?"


    "Forget it!" Lin Guodong waved dismissively, "I know I can¡¯t persuade you. If I could have brought you to our camp, I would have done so long ago. I¡¯m telling you this for no other reason than to remind you¡ªif you don¡¯t consider our Ling Family, think about yourself and your parents."


    "My parents?" Ling Chen¡¯s expression changed slightly, with a hint of doubt in his ink-ck pupils.


    He knew about his father Ling Kun, but from childhood to adulthood, his father never mentioned his mother. Even if he asked, his father always found excuses to avoid the topic.


    Seeing Ling Chen¡¯s puzzled expression, Lin Guodong couldn¡¯t help butugh.


    "What, your father never mentioned your mother at all? I suppose not¡ªthat kind of thing he wouldn¡¯t tell you. But if you beg me, maybe I¡¯ll be merciful enough to tell you."


    "Shut up!" Ling Chen coldly snapped, "Even if I wanted to know, I wouldn¡¯t ask you. Lin Guodong, don¡¯t waste your breath¡ªlet¡¯s fight!"


    <fnb818> This text is hosted at Find[?]ovel</fnb818>


    "Fine, since you¡¯re seeking death, I¡¯ll grant it to you."


    With those words, Lin Guodong stepped forward boldly, raising his arm to hack towards the top of Ling Chen¡¯s head with the sound of wind being sliced.


    As the de neared, Ling Chen shifted left and right, continuously changing positions.


    Noticing Ling Chen¡¯s movements, Lin Guodong¡¯s arm holding the de paused slightly, his eyes tightly tracking Ling Chen, trying to predict his movements and position. At that moment, Ling Chen slipped, disappearing instantly from Lin Guodong¡¯s view.


    Nine Yang Qiankun Step!


    With the movement technique unfolding, Ling Chen¡¯s body was like a nimble eel, swiftly moving around Lin Guodong, repeatedly approaching closely tounch a surprise attack. However, Ling Chen somewhat underestimated Lin Guodong¡¯s prowess. Each time he got close, Lin Guodong seemed to have heightened senses, urately judging his position, forcing him to retreat fruitlessly.


    "Nine Yang Qiankun Step?" Lin Guodong sneered, the toneced with disdain.


    "You know?" Ling Chen felt curious; Lin Guodong could actually recognize his movement technique.


    "Why wouldn¡¯t I know? The Nine Yang Qiankun Step is a martial arts Absolute Skill from hundreds of years ago, passed down through generations. Until a century ago, the master who possessed the Nine Yang Qiankun Step hadn¡¯t found an heir and met an untimely death. Since then, the Nine Yang Qiankun Step was lost. However, it was lost only in name; a copy of the manual remains in the martial arts circles. Coincidentally, an ancestor of the Ling Family was fortunate enough to obtain a copy of the Nine Yang Qiankun Step manual. Although it waster taken by others, the Ling Family had already made a copy and retained it. Any Ling Family member is entitled to practice this skill. So don¡¯t think that you and Su He are the only ones in this world who know the Nine Yang Qiankun Step."


    Upon hearing this, Ling Chen was once again taken aback.


    Lin Guodong actually knows the Nine Yang Qiankun Step! Moreover, from what Lin Guodong said, there are quite a few in the Ling Family who know it.


    Seeing Ling Chen¡¯s stunned expression, Lin Guodong smiled arrogantly, "Ling Chen, don¡¯t underestimate the Ling Family. The Ling Family possesses things far beyond your imagination. What is the Nine Yang Qiankun Step? The Ling Family has plenty of martial arts manuals. If you ever get the chance to visit the Ling Family, the things there would keep you awake for three days and nights."


    "Rest assured, I¡¯ll visit the Ling Family sooner orter, but not as a guest¡ªI¡¯ll be there to raid and pige."


    "For that, you¡¯ll have to have the capabilities," Lin Guodong spoke as he swung his arm, bringing the de around to threaten Ling Chen¡¯s neck from behind.


    "Begone!"


    With a light shout, Ling Chen swept his right leg horizontally, kicking away Lin Guodong¡¯s hand holding the de. Using this opportunity, Ling Chen tapped the ground with his toes, closing in on Lin Guodong in an instant andunching both fists simultaneously like a dragon searching the sea.

 Chapter 877 - 882: Pursuing Lin Guodong (Part 4)

    <h4>Chapter 877: Chapter 882: Pursuing Lin Guodong (Part 4)</h4>


    Seeing Ling Chen¡¯s fistsing at him, Lin Guodong swayed his feet, instantly dodging under Ling Chen¡¯s punches.


    Nine Yang Qiankun Step!


    Ling Chen¡¯s expression slightly changed; this guy really wasn¡¯t lying, he indeed knew the Nine Yang Qiankun Step. Moreover, from Lin Guodong¡¯s familiarity in executing it, it was evident he had practiced it for a long time.


    In that instant, both of them disyed the Nine Yang Qiankun Step to the fullest, only shadows of the two were seen maneuvering around in the confined space, constantly changing positions.


    Moments passed, Ling Chen and Lin Guodong finally stopped, both panting heavily as they looked at one another.


    Continuously using the Nine Yang Qiankun Step, even for two Earthly List masters, was a bit unbearable.


    "It seems... neither of us can defeat the other." Lin Guodong gasped, weakly looking at Ling Chen said, "Today, I can¡¯t kill you, and you can¡¯t catch me either."


    "Is that so?" Ling Chen rested his hands on his knees, said, "Don¡¯t conclude too early before thest moment."


    Earlier, during the exchange with Lin Guodong, Ling Chen already felt that Lin Guodong¡¯s strength was indeed slightly superior. However, Lin Guodong, being a high-ranking member of the God Organization, might rarely make a move easily and thereforecksbat experience. With rich experience, Ling Chen barelypensated for the gap between them.


    As a result, after such a long exchange, neither had imed victory.


    "Ling Chen, why persist so? The God Organization originally had no enmity with you; it was you who insisted on getting involved. If it weren¡¯t for your meddling, you could now enjoy the stability of an ordinary person."


    "I have considered that question too, I suppose... maybe I am just born with a troublesome fate. Alright, chat time is over, let¡¯s move." With that said, Ling Chen mustered his energy, striding toward Lin Guodong.


    But just at this time, Lin Guodong suddenly pulled something out from his pocket, aiming it at Ling Chen¡¯s body.


    Seeing that box the size of a mobile phone, Ling Chen¡¯s heart sank. For some reason, a strong sense of unease surged within him. For a moment, Ling Chen halted his steps, standing still while gazing directly at the box.


    "I told you." Lin Guodong sneered, "Don¡¯t underestimate the Ling Family. Humph! What is the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilionpared to the Ling Family¡¯s collection? Have you seen what I¡¯m holding? This is the most renowned secret weapon in Martial Arts from hundreds of years ago, the Soul Chasing Needle! Don¡¯t be fooled by its small size, inside it hides a hundred and eighty steel needles, even a Heavenly List master might not dodge them. The Ling Family has a rich heritage, but there is only one of this secret weapon, which I took for self-defense just in case. Ling Chen, dying under the Soul Chasing Needle, you should feel honored."


    Upon hearing this, Ling Chen¡¯s expression instantly turned solemn, eyes unblinking as he stared at the secret weapon, rapidly contemting a countermeasure in his mind.


    "It¡¯s time to end all of this. Ling Chen, don¡¯t me me, in terms of family generation, you should call me uncle. Unfortunately, you are too much of a hindrance. Only by eliminating you, can the God Organization continue to develop. Rest assured, it won¡¯t be long before I send your parents underground to reunite with you."


    With that, Lin Guodong¡¯s finger went to the trigger of the secret weapon, ready to press the mechanism.


    Seeing Lin Guodong¡¯s action, Ling Chen¡¯s pupils contracted, and without daring to think further, he hurriedly turned around and dashed away.


    Ah!


    Just as Ling Chen was about to run away, a scream came from behind him.


    After a brief pause, Ling Chen immediately turned to look back. Instantly, he saw Lin Guodong clutching his right wrist, face full of pain, the secret weapon had dropped to the ground.


    Not waiting for Lin Guodong to retrieve the secret weapon, Ling Chen took a few quick steps and swiftly dashed forward, snatching the secret weapon away.


    "Ling Chen, are you alright?"


    At this moment, Liu Dongsheng hurriedly approached, asking with concern.


    It was Liu Dongsheng who arrived in time and used a stun baton to knock the secret weapon out of Lin Guodong¡¯s hand. If he hadn¡¯t intervened at the critical moment, Ling Chen¡¯s body would probably have been pierced by the steel needles.


    "I¡¯m fine." Ling Chen secretly let out a breath, feeling a sense of having survived a disaster.


    "Thanks, Boss Liu!"


    "No need to be polite." Liu Dongsheng nonchntly said. As he finished speaking, he pointed at Lin Guodong, asking, "What do you n to do with him?"


    "Take him back first, I still have many questions to ask him."


    "Alright, leave him to me, you go meet up with Elder Tang."


    Ling Chen nodded, chopped Lin Guodong on the neck, instantly knocking him out. Lin Guodong may be a master on the Earthly List, so entrusting him to Liu Dongsheng for safekeeping, Ling Chen wasn¡¯tpletely reassured. Hence, it¡¯s better to knock him out.


    Having dealt with Lin Guodong, Ling Chen retraced his steps, soon finding Tang Guolun busy in front of theputer.


    "Boss Tang." Ling Chen went forward and greeted.


    "You¡¯re here!" Tang Guolun nced at Ling Chen approaching, then continued to focus on theputer screen, while saying, "Ling, we¡¯ve got a big gain this time."


    "Really?" Upon hearing this, Ling Chen curiously leaned over, asking, "What big gain?"


    Tang Guolun pointed at the documents and data on the screen, saying, "I think we¡¯ve found the most critical secret of the God Organization." With that, Tang Guolun grabbed a host from the table, simply and roughly dismantling the hard drive, saying, "All the files inside are encrypted, can¡¯t crack them all for now, we will study them gradually after getting back. In conclusion, I¡¯m quite sure we¡¯ve grasped the lifeline of the God Organization."


    "Great!" Ling Chen was a bit excited. After struggling against the God Organization for so long, they finally had a big gain, not having wasted so much effort.


    "Here, keep this thing safe." Tang Guolun tossed the hard drive to Ling Chen, letting him keep it.


    Even though it was just a slight gesture, Ling Chen gained a bit more trust in Tang Guolun.


    With the hard drive secured, Ling Chen looked around, the security and staff were all tied up by Liu Dongsheng, squatting in the corner, not daring to move.


    <fn1c80> The rightful source is f?i?n?d?n?o?v?e?l?</fn1c80>


    "Boss Tang, has the signal been restored here?"


    "I¡¯ve lifted the signal blocking device, we canmunicate with the outside now."


    At that moment, Ling Chen used an earpiece to contact Hu Fei outside, instructing him to find a way to guide the police here. With so many prisoners, the three couldn¡¯t handle them all. Besides, they were just some minor fry, no value, better leave them for the police to deal with.


    After Ling Chen and the others left with Lin Guodong, the police soon found the temporary base with Hu Fei¡¯s secret assistance.


    With things developing to this stage, Ling Chen no longer needed to stay, the police were sufficient to clean up the aftermath.


    Returning to the research base, it was already four in the morning.


    Not pausing to rest, Ling Chen directly brought Lin Guodong to the interrogation room.

 Chapter 878 - 883: Interrogation (1)

    <h4>Chapter 878: Chapter 883: Interrogation (1)</h4>


    After waking up Lin Guodong, Ling Chen ced a chair in front of him, rested his hands on the backrest, and stared directly into Lin Guodong¡¯s eyes, asking, "I don¡¯t need to tell you; I believe you¡¯re already aware of your current situation. So, you have only two choices now: either cooperate obediently and tell us all the intelligence rted to the God Organization, or I¡¯ll beat you first and then get the information I want out of your mouth."


    Lin Guodong looked at Ling Chen without fear, his lips slightly curled in a half-smile, and said, "I don¡¯t want to choose either of those. Is there a third option?"


    "Lin Guodong!" Ling Chen¡¯s tone instantly rose eight degrees, saying, "Don¡¯t think I¡¯m joking with you. Let me tell you, if you don¡¯t rify everything, you¡¯ll never have a good day again."


    Pausing for a moment, Ling Chen continued, "Since you know my previous job nature, you should be aware that I¡¯m quite experienced with interrogation techniques, so you¡¯d better not force me. Otherwise, the one to suffer will be you."


    Hearing this, Lin Guodong replied indifferently, "Ling Chen, I¡¯m a senior member of the God Organization, involved in all kinds of things. No matter what you want to know, I can tell you. But the problem is, I don¡¯t want to disclose these secrets to you."


    "You..."


    Before Ling Chen could finish speaking, Lin Guodong continued, "You don¡¯t have to force me or use those methods to threaten me. As a senior member of the God Organization, I¡¯ve alreadye to terms with my fate. For me, there are only two choices: death or life, that¡¯s all. So, you don¡¯t need to waste words here, just kill me."


    Ling Chen frowned slightly and said, "You¡¯re really not afraid of death?"


    Lin Guodongughed and said, "Afraid? Who isn¡¯t afraid of death? But any grand scheme requires sacrifice. As a Ling Family member, if I don¡¯t even have this awareness, then it¡¯s a waste of the Ling Family¡¯s teachings and training." After speaking, Lin Guodong changed the topic and looked at Ling Chen, "Ling Chen, I¡¯ll say it again, you¡¯re talented. As long as you face your identity and cooperate with the Ling Family, joining forces, I can assure you, the rewards will exceed your expectations very soon."


    "Enough!" Ling Chen said impatiently, "Don¡¯t bother me with these. Let me tell you, I don¡¯t have ambitions as big as yours. For me, a in life is already enough. To be honest, sometimes I can¡¯t understand, the Ling Family is big and influential, with money, power, and prestige; why not enjoy a stable life and instead fund the God Organization? Isn¡¯t everything you have now sufficient?"


    "You¡¯re wrong." Lin Guodong countered, "Whether money or power, those are superficial things, the Ling Family disdains those. Many years ago, the Ling Family stopped pursuing those things you¡¯ve mentioned. Our goals are far greater; actually, before the Ling Family took over the God Organization, we had already rified the family¡¯s objective. Funding the God Organization and bringing its power under control was merely to speed up achieving the goal."


    "What¡¯s the goal?" Ling Chen immediately asked.


    Faced with Ling Chen¡¯s inquiry, Lin Guodong smiled without speaking.


    Seeing the other party remain silent, Ling Chen sneered slightly and said, "Even if you don¡¯t say it, I can guess."


    "Really?" Lin Guodong asked meaningfully, "Then tell me, what do you think the God Organization¡¯s ultimate goal is?"


    "I¡¯ve watched videos of Yang He and those people, and their transactions with the God Organization. Over the years, Yang He and others have been secretly funding the God Organization. In return, the God Organization regrly provides them with a kind of medicine. That medicine can dy human aging and make people younger and younger. I must admit, you¡¯re quite a team, being able to develop this medicine. If it were a medical invention, you¡¯d be worthy of a Nobel Prize, shocking the world. Unfortunately, your sess is built on the lives of countless people."


    After listening to Ling Chen¡¯s words, Lin Guodong chuckled softly and said, "Do you think that¡¯s the God Organization¡¯s ultimate goal? If that¡¯s what you think, then I can only say, you don¡¯t understand the God Organization, and you don¡¯t understand the Ling Family."


    "No matter." Ling Chen said indifferently, "Sooner orter, when all those encrypted documents are decrypted, even if you don¡¯t say it, I can figure out your purpose."


    "Please go ahead." Lin Guodong said carelessly, "However, I¡¯d like to make a small request. Since you don¡¯t intend to kill me, please prepare breakfast for me with bread and eggs, plus a ss of milk. I want steak for lunch, and Chinese cuisine for dinner. Besides these, the amodation must have air conditioning, and must be clean. I¡¯m a clean freak; if the room isn¡¯t clean, I won¡¯t be able to sleep."


    "Ha!" Ling Chen said coldly, "Your requests aren¡¯t many. Unfortunately, I can¡¯t satisfy a single one." With that, Ling Chen didn¡¯t bother with Lin Guodong anymore and got up to walk out of the interrogation room.


    "Wait!"


    Hearing Lin Guodong¡¯s voicee from behind, Ling Chen turned around and asked, "Do you have any other requests?"


    "Not really, just wanted to remind you not to forget those requests because you¡¯ll need them soon."


    "Alright, I¡¯ll remember them. But I¡¯ll remind you as well, this is not the God Organization, nor the Ling Family, you¡¯d better behave and not force me to take action against you." After speaking, Ling Chen left the interrogation room without looking back.


    "Fatty!"


    Hu Fei, who had been waiting outside the door, quickly approached Ling Chen and asked, "What happened?"


    "Take him down and treat him well." When saying ¡¯treat,¡¯ Ling Chen emphasized the tone.


    "Got it!" Hu Fei rubbed his hands, a sinister smile on his lips.


    <fn6c2d> Th? link to the orig?n of this information r?sts ?n F¦Énd£Îovel</fn6c2d>


    Leaving the interrogation room, Ling Chen went straight to the control center.


    At this moment, it was already past five in the morning, but the staff at the control center were still working overtime; none of them were resting.


    In front of threeputers ced side by side, three technicians were striking the keyboards, eyes fixed on the screens, a stream of code flowing from their fingertips.


    Behind the three, Tang Guolun was watching the screens seriously, asionally giving pointers for the technicians to make corrections.


    "Boss Tang."


    Ling Chen walked up to Tang Guolun and asked, "How¡¯s it going? Have those encrypted documents been decrypted yet?"


    "It¡¯s somewhat tricky." Tang Guolun said, "These encrypted documents use a special encryption method, for instance, inputting specific words or phrases is the only way to make sense of the gibberish. Otherwise, it might take a long time and still not seed."

 Chapter 879 - 884: Interrogation (2)

    <h4>Chapter 879: Chapter 884: Interrogation (2)</h4>


    No wonder Lin Guodong seemed so confident earlier; he already knew that without specific characters and words, they couldn¡¯t decrypt the encrypted documents at all.


    No way!


    The encrypted documents must be unlocked, Ling Chen thought to himself. This is his best chance to ess the secrets of the God Organization; once these documents are cracked, all of the God Organization¡¯s secrets will beid bare before him. He cannot afford to miss such a good opportunity.


    As he pondered, Tang Guolun looked at Ling Chen and said, "I suggest you still go find Lin Guodong. As long as we can get the keywords from him, we can unlock the contents of the documents."


    "I would like to," Ling Chen smiled wryly and said, "I spoke with Lin Guodong in the interrogation room earlier, but that guy has a tight mouth; nothing can be gleaned from him. I think even torture wouldn¡¯t be useful. Lin Guodong is dead set on not speaking, and he¡¯s prepared to die."


    "Is that so?" Tang Guolun thought for a moment and said, "Then let me try talking to him; maybe it¡¯ll yield unexpected results."


    "That works too." Ling Chen nodded. Tang Guolun used to be an FBI crime consultant and understands criminal psychology best. Switching him in to talk to Lin Guodong might yield more intelligence.


    After Tang Guolun left, Ling Chen continued staying in the control center, watching the content disyed on the threeputer screens.


    The hard drive taken from the temporary base contains many confidential files, with over two hundred folders. Each folder represents a confidential operation of the God Organization.


    Among these files, the folderbeled ¡¯Top Secret¡¯ attracted Ling Chen the most. Unfortunately, as Tang Guolun said earlier, these files are encrypted specially; only specific keywords can open them.


    Half an hourter, Tang Guolun walked in from outside. Seeing his helpless expression, Ling Chen knew it was hopeless.


    "You were right; that guy is indeed tough to deal with, immune to persuasion; nothing works. I say just stop wasting words with him and serve him some real torture; let¡¯s see how long he can withstand it."


    Just then, a staff member in the control center stood up and spoke into the microphone, "Mr. Ling, someone is looking for you."


    "Who?"


    Ling Chen asked and quickly walked to the staff, taking the microphone.


    "Hello! Who is this?"


    As soon as Ling Chen¡¯s words came out, he heard a heartyugh from the other end of the line: "Ling Chen, long time no see, do you remember me?"


    The voice triggered a person in Ling Chen¡¯s mind immediately.


    "Lin Jiawei! It¡¯s you? How did you know the phone number here?"


    "It¡¯s not difficult for the God Organization," Lin Jiaweiughed and said, "Ling Chen, I think you should know the purpose of my call. Lin Guodong was captured by you, so I just wanted to make a call to see if you¡¯re willing to negotiate."


    "You want to rescue him?" Ling Chen sneered inwardly but kept his tone serious.


    "First, let me hear the terms you offer. If they are suitable, perhaps I¡¯ll consider them."


    "As long as you release Lin Guodong, East Sea City will be under your control in the future. No matter what happens, the God Organization will neither meddle in East Sea City nor send anyone into your territory. Furthermore, the God Organization is willing to pay a ransom of one billion US dors to secure Lin Guodong¡¯s freedom and safety."


    Upon hearing these generous terms, Ling Chen was secretly amazed. The God Organization is indeedvish, actually willing to spend one billion US dors to save Lin Guodong. However, this indirectly exins Lin Guodong¡¯s standing within the God Organization.


    "Ling Chen, how about it? Are you satisfied with the terms we offered?"


    "The terms are good, but they haven¡¯t reached a satisfactory level for me. How about you go back and discuss it further?"


    "Ling Chen, I advise you not to push too hard; one billion US dors is already a lot. Also, I must remind you not to assume that just because you captured Lin Guodong, you hold the advantage. It¡¯s true that Lin Guodong is a senior in the God Organization, but not indispensable. In short, his value is only worth one billion US dors; if you don¡¯t ept it, we have nothing to discuss. Moreover, there¡¯s something you should know: there are ten teams waiting around East Sea City¡¯s surrounding area. If the negotiation copses, we¡¯ll immediately take action. So, whether for yourself or for others, you better think it over carefully."


    <fnd33f> Latest content published on find~novel</fnd33f>


    "No need to consider," Ling Chen said indifferently, "I still hold that you haven¡¯t offered satisfactory terms. If you truly have the intent, then have your bosse and talk to me. Except for him, I won¡¯t ept any negotiations. Well, I¡¯ve said what I needed to say; how you decide is your business. If you n to strike, I¡¯m up for the fight."


    After speaking, Ling Chen hung up the phone before Lin Jiawei could say anything else.


    "Who was on the call?" Tang Guolun asked.


    "Lin Jiawei, someone from the God Organization. They want to negotiate with me to release Lin Guodong." Pausing for a moment, Ling Chen smiled slightly and said, "They are quite generous, offering terms worth one billion US dors."


    "Really?" Tang Guolun¡¯s eyes lit up, asking, "Why didn¡¯t you agree?"


    Ling Chen waved his hand and said, "Why rush? The initiative is in our hands now, so why hurry to strike a deal with them? Let¡¯s wait a bit longer, until we¡¯vepletely extracted Lin Guodong¡¯s secrets, then it won¡¯t be toote to negotiate."


    "Two birds with one stone!" Tang Guolun grinned and said, "You¡¯re quite sneaky."


    "Isn¡¯t negotiation like doing business? We have to be sly. Alright, Boss Tang, you continue with your work; I won¡¯t disturb you." With that, Ling Chen stepped out of the control center.


    Meanwhile, in a luxurious vi in East Sea City.


    "How¡¯s it going? Any progress?"


    The question came from Zhu Hong. Beside him stood several men in whiteb coats, all gathered around a pile of ssware, carefully observing the data disyed on theputer screen, furrowing their brows slightly as if the data wasn¡¯t satisfying.


    "Mr. Zhu, are you sure Ling Chen¡¯s blood is effective? We¡¯ve conducted several experiments already, but the results are the same,pletely useless."


    "Could it be... you made a mistake?" one of the bolder men asked.


    "Impossible!" Zhu Hong said coldly, "Ling Chen¡¯s blood can perfectly fuse with the enhancement agent; I saw it with my own eyes, absolutely no mistake. The issue must be errors in your experimental process leading to this situation. I¡¯m telling you, don¡¯t make excuses to cover up your mistakes. From now on, I¡¯ll keep a close eye on you. I want to see who made the mistake, you or me."


    "Yes." Nobody dared to contradict Zhu Hong¡¯s words, and the group of men hurriedly tidied up their things, beginning the experiment anew.

 Chapter 880 - 885: The Mysterious Leader

    <h4>Chapter 880: Chapter 885: The Mysterious Leader</h4>


    Research Base.


    Ling Chen pushed open the door to a bedroom and stepped inside.


    Seeing the man lying on the bed, Ling Chen smiled slightly and asked, "How is it, feeling better?"


    "Much better." Seeing Ling Chen approaching, Bai Huanjun quickly sat up, leaning against the wall at the head of the bed, and said, "It¡¯s still morefortable back here; the hospital was too unbearable."


    <fn7787> For original chapters go to find?novel</fn7787>


    "Last time was tough for you." Ling Chen said, sitting at the bedside, "Your body hadn¡¯t recovered yet, and I still had you take the risk to meet on my behalf."


    "Why these polite words." Bai Huanjun chimed in, "Even if we¡¯re not friends, we¡¯re in a working rtionship. Don¡¯t forget, it was you who gave me two million at the start to help me through hard times, which I have always remembered. Plus, when I was at the hospital, you saved me. If one were to calcte, I owe you much more than money, even my life is something you gave. So, there¡¯s no need for such polite words in the future."


    "Okay, I won¡¯t say it." Ling Chen replied with a smile: "However, I must correct you on one thing. It is not an employer-employee rtionship between us, and I have never seen you as my subordinate. In my eyes, you are my friend."


    A couple of days ago, the person who went to meet Zhu Hong was not really Ling Chen himself but Bai Huanjun in disguise.


    Ling Chen knew very well that Zhu Hong wanted his blood for some reason. That guy is very cunning and must not be allowed to seed. So, Ling Chen thought it over and realized that only having Bai Huanjun impersonate him could foil Zhu Hong¡¯s ns.


    "Alright, you get some rest first; I have other things to take care of, I¡¯ll leave now, ande see you when I have time."


    Saying that, Ling Chen got up and walked out of the bedroom.


    Returning to his room, Ling Cheny on the bed and yawned. He had stayed up all night to capture Lin Guodong, and now as he rxed, he felt extremely tired, wanting only to have a good sleep.


    However, just as Ling Chen was about to rest, there was a ¡¯knock knock knock¡¯ at the door from outside the room.


    "Who is it?" Ling Chen asked irritably.


    "It¡¯s me, open up quickly."


    Upon hearing Hu Fei¡¯s urging voice, Ling Chen feared something urgent might have happened and hurriedly got up from bed, quickly walking to the door.


    Opening the door, he saw Hu Fei standing outside and asked, "What happened?"


    Hu Fei handed the phone in his hand to Ling Chen and said, "A call, for you. Hey, where¡¯s your phone? They said they couldn¡¯t reach your phone, so they called mine to find you."


    "Phone?"


    Only then did Ling Chen remember that when he was chasing Lin Guodong, in order to prevent the st door from closing, he had wedged his phone in the door crack, and it ended up being crushed by the door.


    Taking the phone Hu Fei handed over, Ling Chen answered, "This is Ling Chen, who¡¯s calling?"


    "Have you forgotten? Didn¡¯t you ask me to call you just now?" A woman¡¯s voice came from the other end.


    Ling Chen thought hard; this woman¡¯s voice was very unfamiliar; he felt he hadn¡¯t heard it before. Additionally, he was puzzled when he had made contact with this woman and why she said it was him who asked her to call.


    With a quick turn of thought, Ling Chen asked, "Who exactly are you? I don¡¯t seem to know you."


    "Ling Chen, you really have a short memory. Have you forgotten that when Lin Jiawei spoke with you on the phone, you mentioned something?"


    Upon hearing the reminder, Ling Chen¡¯s expression changed instantly.


    Could it be... this woman is the mysterious leader of the God Organization?


    But how could it be a woman?


    He remembered that Nanrong Yuan had said that the mysterious leader of the God Organization was a man and a Huaxia national.


    Listening to this woman¡¯s voice, it was very standard Mandarin, so it¡¯s likely she is from Huaxia. However, this information differed significantly from what Nanrong Yuan provided, turning from a man to a woman.


    Seeing Ling Chen not speaking for a while, the person on the other end said, "What, didn¡¯t you want to talk to me? Why aren¡¯t you saying a word?"


    Ling Chen collected himself and replied immediately, "You¡¯re mistaken; it¡¯s not that I don¡¯t want to speak, it¡¯s that I was waiting for you to speak. Don¡¯t you all want to make a deal with me? In that case, you should state your terms, and I¡¯ll see if I¡¯m satisfied."


    "Ling Chen, I advise you to be content, don¡¯t push your luck. Ten billion US dors is not a small amount. I offered this price not because Lin Guodong is associated with the God Organization but because of his rtionship with me. If you think you can threaten us by using Lin Guodong, you¡¯re sorely mistaken. Let me tell you, not a penny more than ten billion US dors, and you must make a decision immediately. If you can¡¯t make a decision before I hang up, our transaction ends here, and Lin Guodong is at your disposal; we don¡¯t care if he lives or dies."


    Wow!


    Impressive, this woman is indeed impressive.


    Ling Chen silently apuded. Just now, he was wondering what made this woman capable of being the leader of the God Organization. But after hearing her words, Ling Chen felt she was quite formidable. Whether in rhetoric, strategy, or grasping people¡¯s minds, she was very seasoned.


    Deserving of being the leader of the God Organization, she indeed has a way.


    However, even though that woman is powerful, Ling Chen wouldn¡¯t admit defeat so quickly either.


    "Well, have you thought it through?"


    Upon hearing the woman¡¯s voice again, Ling Chen said calmly, "Alright, since you all don¡¯t care about Lin Guodong¡¯s life or death, I might as well say it directly; your ten billion US dors aren¡¯t worth my attention. You haven¡¯t even checked who Ling Chen¡¯s woman is; do I look like someone who¡¯s short of money?"


    After speaking, Ling Chen didn¡¯t give the other party a chance to reply and directly hung up the phone.


    Seeing Ling Chen¡¯s move, the eavesdropping Hu Fei at the side hastily said, "Why did you hang up on her? That¡¯s ten billion US dors. Have a proper talk; why be so impulsive?"


    Ling Chen shot Hu Fei a re and said irritably, "Can you stop being obsessed with money? This is the art of negotiation, do you understand? That woman wanted to threaten me? She thought I¡¯d be scared of her canceling the transaction and losing ten billion US dors for nothing. So why not show her with my actions that I don¡¯t care? Just wait and see, within three minutes, she will definitely call back."


    "You are the wind, I am the sand, entangled and lingering... to the ends of the earth..."


    Just as Ling Chen finished speaking, the phone started ringing again. Listening to this clich¨¦d old song, Ling Chen disdainfully nced at Hu Fei, wondering what era was it that he¡¯d still use such a song as a ringtone.


    Hu Fei red back at Ling Chen, meaning do you mind?


    When the ringtone reached thirteen rings, Hu Fei anxiously pointed at the phone, urging Ling Chen to quickly answer it.


    Ling Chen smiled slightly, unhurriedly answered the call, and said, "Hello! Who is this?"


    "It¡¯s me. Mr. Ling, I apologize for my earlier words. I must admit, you are a worthy opponent to take seriously. So, let¡¯s have a serious talk."

 Chapter 881 - 886: Lin Qiqi

    <h4>Chapter 881: Chapter 886: Lin Qiqi</h4>


    Seeing the other party speaking calmly, Ling Chen smiled slightly and said, "Can we have a good chat now? I thought you wouldn¡¯t call me again. Okay, since you want to talk properly, I¡¯ll apany you, but..."


    "But what?"


    "Nothing, we¡¯ve been talking for so long, and I still don¡¯t know your name."


    "Ling Chen, I know what you mean. However, even if I tell you my name, it couldn¡¯t be true, so why bother asking."


    "True enough." Ling Chen smiled faintly, "At least tell me how I should address you. Are we going to keep using ¡¯you¡¯ and ¡¯I¡¯ tomunicate?"


    "You can call me Lin Qiqi."


    "Lin Qiqi?" Ling Chen¡¯s eyes brightened, and he asked, "Could it be that you¡¯re also from the Ling Family?" As soon as he spoke, without waiting for Lin Qiqi to reply, Ling Chen continued to smile, "I think I¡¯ve asked too many questions. The God Organization is funded by the Ling Family, so the leader is naturally a member of the Ling Family. However, I really didn¡¯t expect that the Ling Family would have a woman running the show. May I ask, how old are you this year?"


    "Twenty-two," Lin Qiqi replied. "I know why you¡¯re asking my age, but I want to tell you, although you have the Ling Family¡¯s blood, the Ling Family has long expelled you and your father. So you don¡¯t need to try to establish a connection with me. I will never call you ¡¯brother¡¯."


    Ling Chenughed heartily, "Rest assured, I never thought of calling you ¡¯Little Sister Lin¡¯ because you¡¯re not that kind of timid woman."


    "Alright!" Lin Qiqi interrupted Ling Chen, saying, "Let¡¯s get back to business. Let¡¯s discuss Lin Guodong¡¯s situation. Tell me, what will it take for you to release him?"


    "Me? To be honest, I didn¡¯t expect this. Miss Lin, you should be aware of Lin Guodong¡¯s status within your God Organization. He is the organization¡¯s number two, second only to you. I went to great lengths to catch such a big fish. If you were in my position, would you let him go so easily?"


    "Since it¡¯s a transaction, it¡¯s nothing more than an exchange of chips. As long as you can name your conditions, I will figure out a way to meet them. But, as I said before, don¡¯t go too far. Otherwise, I¡¯d rather abandon Lin Guodong than let you seed."


    "Alright," Ling Chen replied with a smile. "If you put it that way, then I won¡¯t waste words. As long as Lin Guodong cooperates, once I get what I want, I¡¯ll naturally release him. Of course, not a cent less than ten billion US dors. Miss Lin, these are my terms; can you meet them?"


    After hearing this, there was silence on the other end of the phone for a long time, as if considering whether to ept. A few minutester, Lin Qiqi¡¯s voice came through the phone again, "Okay, no problem, I can meet your demands. The secrets of the God Organization will eventually be public knowledge, so if you¡¯re so curious, you might as well satisfy your curiosity first."


    "So straightforward." Ling Chenughed. However, despite hisughter, Ling Chen secretly admired Lin Qiqi. This woman is not simple! She actually agreed to such terms.


    To achieve this, one must have great confidence in oneself or in the God Organization.


    "Ling Chen, I¡¯ll call again in five minutes. Let Lin Guodong listen in."


    "Alright, no problem."


    After hanging up the phone, Ling Chen turned to Hu Fei and said, "Lin Qiqi, go check on this woman and see if there are any records of her." After a pause, Ling Chen continued, "Check the members of the Ling Family to see if there¡¯s a woman in her early twenties."


    Hu Fei nodded and said, "I¡¯ll get right on it. By the way, don¡¯t forget about the ten billion US dors."


    "Alright!" Ling Chen said helplessly. This guy, whenever money is involved, he immediately gets fixated on it.


    Five minutes passed, and Ling Chen stood in the cell where Lin Guodong was held, holding a phone, waiting for Lin Qiqi¡¯s call. After a while, the phone rang punctually.


    When the call connected, Ling Chen put it on speaker and said, "Miss Lin, we¡¯re all here, you can speak now."


    "Uncle Lin?"


    Hearing Lin Qiqi¡¯s voice, Lin Guodong¡¯s previously unmoved expression finally showed a trace of change.


    "Miss..." Before he could finish, Lin Guodong nced at Ling Chen beside him and swallowed the rest of his words.


    "Uncle Lin, don¡¯t worry, we will rescue you. You just need to cooperate with Mr. Ling, tell him what he wants to know, and he will send you back." With that, Lin Qiqi continued, "Mr. Ling, are you satisfied with what I¡¯ve done?"


    "Satisfied, very satisfied." Ling Chen said with a smile, "I didn¡¯t expect Miss Lin to be so straightforward. If all negotiation partners were like Miss Lin, that would be wonderful."


    Lin Qiqi snorted lightly on the other end of the phone and said, "Ling Chen, I¡¯ve done what I should. Don¡¯t forget your promise to me. If you dare harm a hair on Uncle Lin¡¯s head, don¡¯t me me for being ruthless."


    "Rest assured, he will live very well here. By the time I send him back, he might have gained a few pounds. Miss Lin, prepare the ten billion US dors; I¡¯ll be visiting you soon." With that, Ling Chen directly hung up the call.


    Putting away the phone, Ling Chen looked at Lin Guodong and said, "Mr. Lin, you¡¯re quite lucky; the God Organization is going to such lengths to protect you. They must value you greatly. Don¡¯t worry, I remember all the requests you made before, and I¡¯ll immediately have someone prepare afortable room for you, plus your three meals a day will be delivered promptly."


    "I¡¯ve told you before, but you just didn¡¯t take my words to heart." Lin Guodong replied lightly.


    "Alright, Mr. Lin, I¡¯ve met all your requests, so shouldn¡¯t you reciprocate now? Please remind me so I can decrypt those encrypted documents."


    ...


    A few minutester, Ling Chen rushed to the control center excitedly, shouting loudly, "Got it!"


    <fn6934> Updates are released by findnovel</fn6934>


    "What?" Tang Guolun and Hu Fei turned their heads in unison.


    "The password... I got the password." As he spoke, Ling Chen squeezed to theputer and typed the keywords Lin Guodong had given him into the designated fields.


    As he pressed the Enter key, the previously chaotic gibberish immediately organized into neat lines. Soon, the gibberish disappeared and transformed into a document file.


    Looking at the folder marked ¡¯Top Secret,¡¯ Ling Chen double-clicked to open it, browsing quickly.


    Tsk tsk!


    No wonder it¡¯s ssified as top secret, the information and secrets it contains are unprecedented to Ling Chen, with some materials even beyond his understanding.

 Chapter 882 - 887: Top Secret Files

    <h4>Chapter 882: Chapter 887: Top Secret Files</h4>


    "Fatty!"


    Upon hearing Ling Chen¡¯s shout, Hu Fei immediately understood. He quickly drove away the technicians sitting in front of theputer and sat down with Tang Guolun.


    "Fatty, search and list all the most important secret documents of the God Organization," Ling Chen said.


    Without hesitation, Hu Fei¡¯s fingers flew across the keyboard. Before long, a hidden document appeared before the three of them.


    "This is the one," Hu Fei said. "This document is set to hidden mode; it should contain the most crucial information."


    Ling Chen took a deep breath and, with a nervous yet excited heart, said, "Open it and take a look."


    Hu Fei hit the enter key, and as the document opened, its contents were immediately disyed. The three leaned in closer to theputer screen, carefully reading the information within. The more they read, the stranger their expressions became. Especially Ling Chen, whose eyes showed a hint of shock, his mouth slightly open, unable to utter a word for a while.


    "This... how is this possible?"


    Tang Guolun was the first to react. He copsed onto a chair, staring at theputer screen, murmuring to himself, eyes filled with disbelief.


    "Unbelievable," Hu Fei muttered to himself. "Could such a supernatural person really exist in this world? Ling Chen... that¡¯s right!" Hu Fei suddenly turned his head to look at Ling Chen and asked, "If I¡¯m not wrong, isn¡¯t this person your ancestor?"


    Ling Chen nodded, "That¡¯s right."


    The ancestor Hu Fei mentioned was none other than Ling Gengqiu, the traitor of the Ling Family from centuries ago. Although Ling Gengqiu was a martial arts prodigy, his character left much to be desired, attracting the enmity of many. Eventually, the Ling Family expelled him. However, after his disappearance, the Ling Family, reminiscing about old times, took in Ling Gengqiu¡¯s descendants.


    <fn5bce> Fresh chapters posted on F¦Énd£Îovel</fn5bce>


    Ling Chen belongs to this lineage of Ling Gengqiu.


    Unexpected... truly unexpected, that his ancestor harbored such secrets.


    "No, such a thing cannot be true." Tang Guolun snapped out of his daze and said, "Ling Chen, such things are impossible. I¡¯ve seen a lot in my time, but I¡¯ve never heard of anything like this. Even if it existed, it would only be in ancient legends."


    Hu Fei concurred, "I think the same way. Ling Chen, to be frank, this is too bizarre for anyone to believe. Moreover, I personally think that the Ling Family probably fabricated this illusion to create an unattainable goal to attract more people to join them. Think about it, whether in ancient or modern times, haven¡¯t we seen plenty of simr urrences? Those cults concoct stories to deceive outsiders, then brainwash them to make them believe."


    "Exactly, Hu Fei makes a valid point," Tang Guolun agreed. "It must be so. Otherwise, such things do not exist in this world."


    Listening to their exchange, Ling Chen quickly waved his hand, "Alright, alright! Enough from you two. I never said I believed the contents above. Like you, I was just startled by those documents; it doesn¡¯t mean I actually believe those things."


    After a pause, Ling Chen added, "However, there¡¯s something about this situation that strikes me as odd: the Ling Family took over the God Organization mainly to use its power to achieve their own goals. So, they wouldn¡¯t need to fake something in such a top-secret document."


    "Not necessarily," Hu Fei said, "When you were on the call with Lin Qiqi just now, she agreed to all your demands straightforwardly. This indicates that Lin Qiqi isn¡¯t afraid of you uncovering these secrets. Think about it: if it were fake, would you be scared if it were you?"


    "Well..." Ling Chen pondered, finding some truth in it. Indeed, Lin Qiqi¡¯s straightforwardness puzzled him. When he made those demands earlier, he didn¡¯t expect her to agree so easily, assuming there would be negotiations. But her indifferent attitude was truly suspicious.


    "Enough!" Ling Chen dered. "Let¡¯s stop discussing this matter. Fatty, archive this document and, both of you, sift through its contents to see if there¡¯s any usable intelligence. Help me organize a report once you¡¯re done, and I¡¯ll submit it to Lonely Wolf."


    "No problem, looks like we¡¯ll be burning the midnight oil tonight."


    "No worries," Tang Guolun said enthusiastically. "These are secret documents from the God Organization. Others can¡¯t read them even if they want to. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll read everything before going to sleep."


    "Alright, it¡¯s up to you two. I have other matters to attend to, so I¡¯m heading out first."


    After exiting the control center, Ling Chen didn¡¯t return to his room but instead visited the room where Lin Guodong was held.


    Fulfilling his promise, Lin Guodong had been moved from his previous cell to afortable bedroom. Upon entering, Ling Chen saw Lin Guodong sitting at the dining table, savoring a delicious breakfast.


    Since Lin Guodong was a master on the Earthly List, Ling Chen was cautious of any sudden attack, so he had Hu Fei bind Lin Guodong with two chains, restricting his movement. Aside from this bedroom, Lin Guodong couldn¡¯t go anywhere.


    When Ling Chen arrived, Lin Guodong had just finished his breakfast. Seeing him put down his knife and fork, Ling Chen walked forward and took a seat opposite him.


    Leisurely, Lin Guodong took a cigar and prepared to light it.


    "Let me,"


    Ling Chen smiled slightly, picked up the lighter from the table, and helped light Lin Guodong¡¯s cigar.


    Exhaling a puff of smoke, Lin Guodong looked at Ling Chen meaningfully and asked, "Youe here showing goodwill. Is there something you need from me?"


    "I do have something to discuss, but it¡¯s not asking for a favor," Ling Chen replied, leaning back against his chair and crossing his legs. "Didn¡¯t Miss Lin instruct you? Whatever I want to know, you have to tell me. Mr. Lin, you haven¡¯t forgotten, have you?"


    "Of course not. Go ahead, ask what you want to know. I guarantee to tell you everything I know."


    "Even if I didn¡¯t say, I¡¯m sure you could guess."


    Lin Guodong smiled and said, "You want to ask about your parents, right?"


    "Yes," Ling Chen nodded.


    He knew a bit about his father, but nothing about his mother. Over the years, his father never mentioned anything about her, not even showing him a photo of her.


    So, in Ling Chen¡¯s heart, his mother always remained a mysterious figure.

 Chapter 883 - 888: Parents’ Hidden Past

    <h4>Chapter 883: Chapter 888: Parents¡¯ Hidden Past</h4>


    "How much do you know about your parents?" Lin Guodong asked.


    "Absolutely nothing," replied Ling Chen sincerely. Though his father single-handedly raised him when he was young, he didn¡¯t understand much about many things during his teenage years. After all, a child¡¯s world is rather simple. When he grew up and developed the ability to think independently, his father sent him to the army, saying it was to train him.


    Who would have thought that this training wouldst several years? During this time, his father seemed to vanish, leaving no trace, not a single word. It wasn¡¯t until recently that Ling Chen managed to save his father from Ji Gang. Unfortunately, Ling Kun was severely injured and fell into a hibernation-like state. Unless his wounds healed, he wouldn¡¯t wake up anytime soon.


    To ensure Ling Kun¡¯s safety, Ling Chen sent him to Su He¡¯s secluded residence. With Su He, a master from the Heavenly List, keeping an eye on him, Ling Kun¡¯s safety would be guaranteed.


    "Alright! Since you don¡¯t know anything, I¡¯ll start from the very beginning. However, this story is long, so you¡¯ll need patience to hear it through."


    After pausing for a moment, Lin Guodong began leisurely, "This matter has to be traced back over twenty years. At that time, your father was considered a branch of the Ling Family. By generational rank, your father should belong to the direct line. However, due to your ancestor Ling Gengqiu¡¯s circumstances, your line was ostracized, pushed out from the direct line, and became a branch of the Ling Family. For long, your branch¡¯s status in the Ling Family was low, akin to those designated to do odd jobs for the family. However, this situation slowly changed after your father was born."


    "Your father, Ling Kun, was a martial prodigy. In our generation, no one could surpass him. Within just over a decade, Ling Kun¡¯s power had reached the Earthly List level. Even you cannotpare with your father. Due to your father¡¯s extraordinary talent, the Ling Family members of his age were very unconvinced and schemed against your father, attempting to ruin him. Unfortunately for them, your father wasn¡¯t the type to be bullied. Those who troubled him were all taught a lesson by him."


    "Initially, the Ling Family Patriarch protected those people. However, as your father¡¯s talent was gradually discovered, the Patriarch finally realized that an exceptional figure had emerged from the Ling Family. From that time on, Ling Kun received treatment like the direct lineage of the family. He was no longer required to perform tasks that ordinary people could manage. The Ling Family provided him with a dedicated training area and invested a huge amount of resources in him. Because of this, Ling Kun¡¯s power soared, leaving his peers far behind. Even those slightly older than Ling Kun couldn¡¯t match him."


    At this point, Lin Guodong paused slightly before continuing, "The pity is that your branch suffered too many years of ostracism; even if he was exceptionally talented, the Patriarch¡¯s attention to him had limits. Otherwise, someone like your father would surely have been the Patriarch¡¯s best sessor. Initially, your father worked for the Ling Family, solving numerouspetitors and enemies for them. As you know, by then, the Ling Family had shifted from martial pursuits tomerce, facing many rivals. For many years, the Ling Family thrived in business, primarily because they had scavengers to resolve their troubles. Your father yed the role of secretly eliminating problems. At just over twenty, he had already tainted his hands with much blood."


    "However,ter, during one mission, your father slipped up."


    "Why is that?" Ling Chen asked, "Was it because his enemy was very strong?"


    "No, it wasn¡¯t," Lin Guodong said, "The reason your father slipped up is because he encountered your mother."


    Upon hearing this, Ling Chen perked up, listening intently to Lin Guodong. After all this time, his mother finally made an appearance.


    <fn452f> Chapters first released on FindN0vel</fn452f>


    "At that moment, your father was ordered to eliminate an opponent. But when he arrived, he found that his target was a young, beautiful woman. From this point, I don¡¯t need to say more; you can already guess¡ªyet another clich¨¦d love story."


    Ling Chen was somewhat dissatisfied with Lin Guodong¡¯s portrayal. After all, these were his parents, described dismissively as a clich¨¦.


    "I won¡¯t detail the events. Simply put, your father fell for your mother and abandoned his mission for her. Later, he even sought out the Patriarch to ept punishment, pleading for leniency, hoping he would spare your mother. However, this act angered the Patriarch. He needed a loyal dog to bite for him, not someone with independent thoughts. Consequently, the Patriarch harshly punished your father and gave a death order: your mother had to be killed. If he couldn¡¯t do it, someone else would be assigned."


    "You can imagine how painful it was for your father then. But ultimately, your father was a person, not a dog, so he made his choice¡ªbetrayed the Ling Family for your mother. To evade the Patriarch, your father took your mother and fled far away, seeking a ce the Ling Family could not reach, intending to live a peaceful life."


    "About a year or twoter, you had been born. Your parents lived an ordinary life in a remote town, mundane yet happy. However, a couple of yearster, the Ling Family still found your father. But they didn¡¯te to settle ounts with your parents; they came seeking your father¡¯s help. The Ling Family, in pursuit of theirmercial empire, had made too many enemies. When these enemies united, they became a formidable force."


    "At that time, the Ling Family faced an unprecedented crisis. To avert it and return the Ling Family to its rightful path, the Patriarch finally thought of your father. He knew only your father could help the Ling Family out of this predicament. Thus, he sent people to find your father and asked for his return to aid the Ling Family. The Patriarch even promised that your father¡¯s past actions would be written off, the Ling Family wouldn¡¯t pursue it, and they¡¯d even ept your mother. After much hesitation, your father decided to return to the Ling Family. After all, he was very grateful. Without the Ling Family¡¯s nurturing, he wouldn¡¯t have grown so quickly."


    "Things went smoothly; once your father returned to the Ling Family, their crisis was quickly resolved. At that time, the Patriarch realized your father was a crucial asset to the Ling Family that must be retained. So, the Patriarch offered numerous benefits to persuade your father to bring your mother and you back to the Ling Family."


    "Nevertheless, the Ling Family remained the same; it wouldn¡¯t change for just one person, and the Patriarch¡¯s manner toward your father was no different."

 Chapter 884 - 889: Parental Secrets (2)

    <h4>Chapter 884: Chapter 889: Parental Secrets (2)</h4>


    "Your father is sometimes too naive. He thought that after the Family Patriarch invited him back to the Ling Family, his attitude would change and he wouldn¡¯t be forced to do things he didn¡¯t want to do. However, things turned out contrary to his wishes. Not only did the Family Head continue to exploit your father¡¯s talents, but he also intensified his actions and set his sights on your mother. I mentioned before that your mother was once the helm of a business empire, distinguished by her family background, and, at a young age, had be the leader of the family business. Like your father, she was immensely talented. If the Ling Family¡¯smercial ventures were to expand, they must resolve or absorb your mother¡¯s family industry. After careful consideration, the Family Head opted for thetter."


    "Initially, the Family Head discussed with your father, hoping to coborate with your mother so that the two family businesses could work together for mutual benefit. However, the Ling Family Patriarch made an unreasonable demand. He wanted your mother to relinquish her family business management rights for the Ling Family to control it. From then on, your mother¡¯s family would no longer be involved in the operation and management of the business, only receiving annual dividends. Such an approach, in any family, would be uneptable; it equates to handing over one¡¯s industry to another."


    "Due to this matter, your parents deeply realized the Family Head¡¯s wicked ambitions. Hence, they discussed leaving the Ling Family and returning to your mother¡¯s family. After all, your mother¡¯s family was also influential, and with your father¡¯s protection, the Ling Family wouldn¡¯t dare act rashly. However, their n was inadvertently discovered by the Family Head. Your mother was like a piece of delicious meat, and the Family Head would not easily let her escape. So, using an excuse to send your father away temporarily, the Family Head waited until only you and your mother were at home before sending people to find your mother, applying both pressure and coercion, attempting to force her to ept the Ling Family¡¯s proposal and abandon the management rights of her family¡¯s industry."


    "However, the Family Head underestimated your mother¡¯s firmness. No matter what conditions the Ling Family offered, how they threatened her, your mother was unmoved, insisting on waiting for your father¡¯s return. But your father was dyed by matters and couldn¡¯te back for a while. After several attempts to persuade and seeing nopromise from your mother, the Family Head finally lost patience and directly made her disappear."


    "Disappear?" Ling Chen suddenly stood up, looking sternly at Lin Guodong, and said in a deep voice, "Are you trying to tell me that the Ling Family Patriarch killed my mother back then?"


    Lin Guodong gestured for Ling Chen to calm down. After Ling Chen sat back down, Lin Guodong continued, "I didn¡¯t say your mother was killed, only that she ¡¯disappeared.¡¯ There are many ways to make someone disappear, and it doesn¡¯t necessarily mean killing them. In short, from that day forward, your mother never appeared in the Ling Family, and besides the Family Patriarch, no one knows her whereabouts."


    "So what happened in the end?" Ling Chen asked eagerly, "Didn¡¯t my father go back to the Ling Family and look for my mother? Would he give up?"


    <fn571a> Find the newest release on find?novel</fn571a>


    "Of course, he wouldn¡¯t. Your father was a person of deep affection and righteousness, and the person involved was your mother. Upon returning home and not seeing your mother, he immediately flew into a rage and confronted the Family Head. However, the Family Head had anticipated your father¡¯s dissatisfaction and had already devised a n. He falsely imed that your mother was harassed by several young men of the Ling Family and, in anger, left the Ling Family, not returning for days without known whereabouts. Your father, at that time, did not doubt and believed the Family Head¡¯s words. Your mother was young and beautiful, a rare beauty of her time; there was indeed no descendant in the Ling Family who could match her beauty. So, ever since your mother moved into the Ling Family, there were people who ogled at her beauty. Therefore, when the Family Head said so, your father believed it."


    "Your father, in anger, found those cousins who usually spoke improperly to your mother and questioned them about her whereabouts. But they didn¡¯t do the thing, and naturally, they refused to admit it, leading to conflict between the two sides. Later, in anger, your fathershed out and directly ughtered those cousins. This incident shocked everyone in the Ling Family, and the Family Head never expected your father to act so impulsively. Havingmitted such a mistake, the Ling Family wouldn¡¯t tolerate you father and son any longer. Although the Family Head wanted to keep your father and let him continue to serve, due to the pressure from others in the Ling Family, he had to expel you father and son from the Ling Family."


    "As far as I know, after you two left the Ling Family, your father did not give up looking for your mother. However, after several years passed, there was no news of your mother. Not only that, even your mother¡¯s family regarded your father coldly. In their view, it was entirely because of your father that their daughter suffered grievances and became missing. Because of this, they directly kicked you and your father out of the family and severed ties with you. To be honest, your father is quite a pitiable person; he did so much and ended up this way, dragging you down with him."


    "Then what about my mother? Where is she?" Ling Chen pursued the question.


    "I just told you I don¡¯t know. Besides the Ling Family Patriarch, no one knows her whereabouts. However, if you wish to find your mother, I advise you to give up, as it¡¯s been so many years, and she¡¯s surely not in the Ling Family anymore. Although I don¡¯t want to admit it in front of you, reality is often harsh; your mother should be..." At this point, Lin Guodong stopped, choosing not to continue. His meaning was clear, given Ling Chen¡¯s identity, he didn¡¯t want to be explicit, as it would be hurtful.


    Ling Chen looked down, his gazeplex on the floor, silent for a long time.


    After a moment, Ling Chen raised his head and looked directly at Lin Guodong, saying, "So, my mother was killed by the Ling Family?"


    "Perhaps, but I can¡¯t be certain of that. In any case, I¡¯m only telling you what happened back then; how you interpret it is your choice."


    Upon hearing this, Ling Chen asked, "Why do you know so much about this matter?"


    "Because I was involved back then. As I mentioned earlier, your parents initially lived in seclusion in a small town, andter it was the Ling Family who sent people to invite him back, and I was the one they sent. That¡¯s why I¡¯m more aware of your parents¡¯ matters." Pausing briefly, Lin Guodong continued, "In a way, within the whole Ling Family, my rtionship with your father could be considered close; otherwise, the Family Head wouldn¡¯t have appointed me to invite your father."


    "Understood. But don¡¯t expect this rtionship to make me let you go; business is business."


    "I know, and I won¡¯t ask you to let me go."

 Chapter 885 - 890: Parental Secrets (3)

    <h4>Chapter 885: Chapter 890: Parental Secrets (3)</h4>


    "I¡¯ve said everything that needs to be said. Is there anything else you want to know?" Mr. Lin lifted the steaming coffee and asked.


    "There¡¯s one more thing." Ling Chen said, "Since you know so much about my mother, you should know who she is, her name, and... are my grandparents still alive?"


    "Your mother¡¯s surname is Yang, her name is Yang Qingling. The Yang Family is also a prominent family in the south, running arge enterprise with businesses across the country. However, twenty years ago, shortly after you and your father were expelled from the Ling Family, the Yang Family sold all their assets at a low price to the Ling Family. As for your grandfather and grandmother, after selling their family estate, they chose to emigrate and have since settled abroad. I¡¯m not sure exactly where. If you want to find them, I suggest you check with the immigration office; you might find some clues rted to them."


    "I will." With that, Ling Chen shifted the topic, asking, "Is the head of the Ling Family from back then still alive?"


    Mr. Lin looked at Ling Chen, half smiling, and asked back, "Why? Are you thinking of seeking revenge? If that¡¯s what you have in mind, I advise you to forget about it. Over a decade ago, he died due to a serious illness and unsessful rescue attempts. Now, even his bones would have turned to dust."


    "Dead?" Ling Chen frowned slightly and said, "The Ling Family took over the God Organization, with so many medical resources at their disposal, and yet you couldn¡¯t even save someone with a severe illness?"


    <fnc32e> N?w ?ovel chapt?rs are published on find?novel</fnc32e>


    "Things aren¡¯t as simple as you think. The God Organization does indeed have many medical resources, but when the Ling Family initially took over the God Organization, it was a mess, with too many issues to handle. The Ling Family spent a lot of effort and resources to gradually get the God Organization on the right track. Only in thest decade or so has the Ling Family focused on research and development. The enhancement drugs you see and other products are results of these years of research. If the family head had held on for a few more years, he might have survived with the God Organization¡¯s special medicine."


    "Alright, I won¡¯t ask about these things for now, but there is one thing you must seriously tell me." Ling Chen looked directly into Mr. Lin¡¯s eyes, speaking deliberately.


    Feeling Ling Chen¡¯s seriousness, Mr. Lin suddenlyughed and asked, "Have you looked at that top-secret document?"


    "Correct!" Ling Chen nodded and said, "What I want to know is, are the contents of that top-secret document true or false?"


    "I guessed as much." Mr. Lin smiled and said, "Anyone who reads its contents would probably have doubts like you. However, I have no say in this matter."


    "Why?"


    "Although that document is top secret, among the core members within the Ling Family, this is no secret. Ling Chen, do you think that because I¡¯m a high-ranking official in the God Organization, I must know all the secrets?" Without waiting for Ling Chen to reply, Mr. Lin continued, "If that¡¯s what you think, then you¡¯re gravely mistaken. I¡¯m a high-ranking official in the God Organization, but that doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯m a high-ranking member within the Ling Family. I can tell you that within the Ling Family, I¡¯m merely a peripheral figure, never reaching the core. So, the real secrets can only be essed by core members of the Ling Family. Take the very topic you¡¯re asking about, for instance; I¡¯m qualified to know about this document, but not about whether it¡¯s true or false ¡ª that is the inner core secret of the Ling Family."


    "You¡¯ve been with the Ling Family for so many years and served the God Organization for so long, even if no one told you, you should have heard some rumors."


    "If you¡¯re asking like that, then I can only say... there¡¯s a mix of truth and exaggeration. The content recorded in that top-secret document has both real and exaggerated parts. However, you should know from reading the document that even if part of it is true, it would be enough to shock the world. Ling Chen, take my advice, you¡¯ve seen the top-secret document, but please don¡¯t spread it freely. Otherwise, be careful not to burn yourself."


    "Are you giving me a reminder or a warning?"


    "Both." Mr. Lin said, "You should understand now why Miss Lin let you know the contents of that top-secret document. It¡¯s not that she doesn¡¯t care, but that she¡¯s not afraid, because she knows. Even if you disseminate the contents of that document, no one would believe it; instead, they¡¯d treat you as a madman, because the contents are too astounding, and modern scientific views would never believe such things could happen."


    Pausing slightly, Mr. Lin continued in a guiding tone, "Ling Chen, to speak frankly, you are very much like your father. Only, you act with more principles than your father. Of course, this isn¡¯t your father¡¯s fault. If not for the family head¡¯s training back then, your father wouldn¡¯t have turned out that way. Nevertheless, both of you are exceptionally talented, being top experts at such a young age, which is very rare. The Ling Familycks vision; they foolishly kept a genius out. If they hadn¡¯t expelled you and your father back then, in three or four decades, the Ling Family would have had two more experts on the Heavenly List. Compete against your mother¡¯s family industry; two experts on the Heavenly List are much more valuable. So unfortunate, really!"


    "There¡¯s nothing unfortunate about it, as long as the Ling Family continues to be obstinate and oppressive, eventually they¡¯ll end up deserted by everyone. Just wait and see, the good days for the Ling Family are about to end."


    "You underestimate the Ling Family. I told you before, the Ling Family is not merely amercial family. Over the years, the Ling Family has developed rapidly, with hidden power that is incredibly terrifying. Once you start a war against the Ling Family, you¡¯ll be the one at a disadvantage."


    "There¡¯s nothing certain in this world. Mr. Lin, I know you have great confidence in the Ling Family, otherwise, you wouldn¡¯t have said so much to me. But I want to tell you, where there¡¯s a will, there¡¯s a way. The Ling Family has done too many wrong things, and if people learn that the Ling Family is secretly controlling the God Organization, how many enemies do you think will seek revenge?"


    "You can try. Anyway, I¡¯ve said all that needs to be said."


    "Alright." Ling Chen stood up and said, "Then take your rest, and I won¡¯t disturb you anymore. In a couple of days, I¡¯ll contact Miss Lin to have someone pick you up."


    After saying this, Ling Chen didn¡¯t linger any longer and turned to leave the room.


    Returning to the control center, looking at the busy Hu Fei and Tang Guolun, Ling Chen asked, "Fatty, did you find out who that Lin Qiqi really is?"


    Without turning his head, Hu Fei stared at the document on theputer screen and said, "I¡¯ve checked, there¡¯s no such name. Additionally, I¡¯ve carefully checked all the members of the Ling Family and didn¡¯t find a woman of a simr age. I suspect she has hidden her identity."

 Chapter 886 - 891: Brotherly Conflict

    <h4>Chapter 886: Chapter 891: Brotherly Conflict</h4>


    "Then forget it," said Ling Chen. He didn¡¯t have much hope for this matter.


    "Fatty, there are two more people, help me check them out. They settled abroad twenty years ago, and I don¡¯t know which country they live in now. You have a widework of contacts in this area, so find them for me as soon as possible."


    "Sure, no problem."


    After listening to Ling Chen¡¯s description of the two, Hu Fei asked curiously, "Who are they?"


    "They are my grandparents." As he spoke, Ling Chen appeared somewhat downcast. Besides his father, he had other rtives. However, for so many years, he never had the chance to contact them, let alone acknowledge them; it¡¯s undoubtedly a painful thing. And whenever his grandparents were mentioned, Ling Chen immediately thought of his mother whom he had never met.


    He had lived for more than twenty years and never had the chance to call someone ¡¯Mom.¡¯


    "Grandparents?" Hu Fei and Tang Guolun were taken aback, not expecting those two to be Ling Chen¡¯s rtives.


    "Ling Chen, since when did you have grandparents, and why have I never heard you mention them before?" Hu Fei asked.


    "I just found out from Lin Guodong. Alright, don¡¯t ask anymore, I don¡¯t know much myself. Once I find my grandparents, I have a lot to ask them." Finishing his words, Ling Chen greeted Hu Fei and Tang Guolun, then started walking out of the control center.


    After a sleepless night, Ling Chen, who was initially a bit sleepy, wanted to rest. But after learning about his parents from Lin Guodong, all thoughts of sleep vanished, and he kept thinking about his mother.


    Leaving the research base, Ling Chen drove a Mercedes directly towards Hongyu Group.


    Today is Tuesday, a normal working day, so at this time, Nanrong Wanqing should be at thepany.


    After more than thirty minutes on the road, Ling Chen arrived at the destination. Parking the car in the underground lot, he walked alone into the elevator, reaching the top floor of Hongyu Group.


    "Chen!"


    Just as he stepped out of the elevator, Ling Chen heard Nanrong Hao¡¯s voiceing from the side. Turning his head, he saw Nanrong Hao quickly walking over, adjusting the tie around his neck as he approached.


    "Haozi, where are you going?"


    <fnd37b> This text is hosted at find¡¤novel</fnd37b>


    "I..." Nanrong Hao started to reply but then seemed to think better of it and changed his words: "Nothing much, just hungry, heading out to grab something to eat. Chen, you¡¯re here to see Sister, right? She¡¯s in her office; you can go straight there." With that, Nanrong Hao quickly stepped into the elevator, waved goodbye to Ling Chen with a smile.


    As the elevator doors slowly closed, Ling Chen scrutinized Nanrong Hao inside the elevator. Suddenly, he reached out and ced his hand in the center of the doors. Instantly, sensing something, the elevator doors opened.


    Seeing Ling Chen¡¯s action, Nanrong Hao paused in surprise and asked, "Chen, what are you doing?"


    Ling Chen replied lightly, "I should be the one asking you. What are you up to, trying to deceive me, thinking I¡¯m so easy to fool?" Without waiting for Nanrong Hao to respond, Ling Chen stepped into the elevator and asked, "Spill it, what¡¯s really going on?"


    "Well..." Nanrong Hao appeared hesitant, as if on the verge of speaking but holding back.


    "Are you going to tell me or not?" Ling Chen asked impatiently, "If you don¡¯t, don¡¯t me me for being rude." As he spoke, Ling Chen raised his hand, posing as if ready to hit.


    "No, no!" Nanrong Hao quickly raised his hands, stopping Ling Chen¡¯s action.


    "So, will you tell me?"


    "Alright, I¡¯ll tell you. Hao called me, asking me to handle some matters." Nanrong Hao said with a wry smile.


    "Jiang Hao?" Ling Chen¡¯s eyes moved, and he asked, "What did he ask you to do? From the way you looked, it seemed like you were going to fight someone. I warn you, be honest, and don¡¯t try to fool me."


    "Well..." Nanrong Hao said with difficulty, "Chen, this actually involves Xiong, and I... I¡¯m not sure how to say it."


    Xiong?


    Zhao Zhengxiong!


    Ling Chen¡¯s heart skipped a beat, immediately recalling what Jiang Hao had mentioned a few days ago. Jiang Hao had said that Zhao Zhengxiong had been acting restlesslytely. Since Nanrong Hao was taking over Hongyu Group and had no time to manage his own territory, he handed it over to Zhao Zhengxiong and Jiang Hao for assistance in management.


    Jiang Hao and Zhao Zhengxiong had agreed that each would manage half of the territory. Yet for some reason, Zhao Zhengxiong¡¯s men repeatedly went to Jiang Hao¡¯s territory to cause trouble, even taking over the ces Jiang Hao managed.


    Jiang Hao, out of brotherhood, suppressed his anger and frustration, not wanting to cause trouble for Zhao Zhengxiong, hoping they could sit down and resolve the issue. After all, with so many subordinates, Zhao Zhengxiong couldn¡¯t personally oversee everything. Jiang Hao was concerned that Zhao Zhengxiong¡¯s men were acting without orders. However, despite arranging several meetings and making countless calls, he couldn¡¯t reach Zhao Zhengxiong.


    At this point, Jiang Hao realized the obvious: Zhao Zhengxiong was behind this, aiming to seize all the territories.


    When Jiang Hao mentioned this issue to Ling Chen the other day, Ling Chen said he would talk to Zhao Zhengxiong. But, preupied with more pressing matters, Ling Chen didn¡¯t pay much attention. Seeing Nanrong Hao so agitated today, Ling Chen realized the conflicts between them had deepened. If not resolved quickly, it might lead to serious trouble.


    Thinking of this, Ling Chen patted Nanrong Hao¡¯s shoulder and said, "Okay, don¡¯t get too worked up; I¡¯ll go with you and handle this matter."


    "Really?" Nanrong Hao¡¯s eyes lit up as he grinned, "Chen, it¡¯s best if you step in, but..."


    "But what?"


    "Chen, Hao, Xiong, and I are brothers who fought together. I hope this matter doesn¡¯t cause distress for everyone. If we meet, you had better..."


    Before Nanrong Hao could finish, Ling Chen understood what he meant and nodded, "Don¡¯t worry, I know what I¡¯m doing. Besides, this isn¡¯t my first encounter with Xiong. I know what kind of person I am. Let¡¯s not linger, let¡¯s go, don¡¯t keep Jiang Hao waiting."


    Taking the elevator to the underground parking lot, Ling Chen got into Nanrong Hao¡¯s Audi and headed straight to the agreed location.


    After half an hour, Nanrong Hao drove the Audi to a bustlingmercial street.


    Getting out of the car, Ling Chen surveyed his surroundings, taking in the immediate environment.


    If he remembered correctly, this used to be Nanrong Hao¡¯s territory.


    As he pondered, Ling Chen¡¯s attention was drawn to amotion not far away.

 Chapter 887 - 892: Brotherly Conflict (Part 1)

    <h4>Chapter 887: Chapter 892: Brotherly Conflict (Part 1)</h4>


    Ling Chen focused his gaze and saw two groups of people gathered outside a luxurious restaurant, loudly cursing at each other and attracting attention from many bystanders. Judging by their attire and demeanor, it was clear they were gang members.


    "Haozi." Ling Chen nced at Nanrong Hao beside him and asked, "Who are those people?"


    Nanrong Hao took a look and said, "I know them. They¡¯re subordinates of Xiong and Hao, kind of small leaders. Xiong¡¯s recent actions have upset a lot of people, which is why the two sides are in conflict."


    "Haozi!"


    As they spoke, several vans pulled up by the roadside. The doors opened, and over twenty young, robust men jumped out, calling Nanrong Hao¡¯s name as they hurried over.


    "Chen!"


    When they got closer and saw Ling Chen was there too, they all lowered their heads respectfully to greet him. These were subordinates trained by Nanrong Hao, who managed his territory in the past. Everyone knew well that, officially, Nanrong Hao, Jiang Hao, and Zhao Zhengxiong were the bosses of different districts. But in reality, Ling Chen was the true power behind the throne.


    It could be said that the status the three had today was all due to Ling Chen¡¯s support.


    Nanrong Hao looked at his subordinates and asked, "Did everyone bring their gear?"


    "Haozi, don¡¯t worry. We wouldn¡¯t dare forget what you told us to do. Everything is in the cars, ready to use at any time," a bald subordinate replied.


    "Gear?" Ling Chen frowned slightly and looked at Nanrong Hao disapprovingly, "Why did you have them bring gear? Are you seriously considering a big showdown with Zhao Zhengxiong¡¯s men here? If you do that, how are we supposed to resolve this conflict?"


    Nanrong Hao scratched his head, "Chen, I¡¯m just pressed. Zhao Zhengxiong is being an asshole, clearly trying to bully Hao and swallow my territory. I¡¯ve warned him several times, but he¡¯s ignored me. Isn¡¯t he forcing my hand? I¡¯ve thought it through. If we can¡¯t settle things today, Zhao Zhengxiong can¡¯t me his brother for not going easy on him."


    "Enough!" Ling Chen waved his hand and said, "I¡¯m here to prevent conflict, acting as a mediator. I¡¯ll say this upfront: without mymand, no one is allowed to act on their own today. Got it?"


    Ling Chen nced at everyone present, his gaze carrying a warning.


    Feeling Ling Chen¡¯s sharp eyes, everyone lowered their heads, not daring to meet his gaze.


    "Let¡¯s go." With that, Ling Chen started walking towards the restaurant.


    Outside the restaurant, the two groups were getting more aggressive. Words were no longer enough to vent their anger, and they were on the verge of physical confrontation.


    "Stop it, all of you!"


    At this moment, a loud shout came, quickly silencing the two groups who turned to look.


    "It¡¯s Haozi... No, Chen too, Chen is here!"


    Seeing Ling Chen behind Nanrong Hao, they all stopped their shouting and became quiet instantly. However, not everyone was so well-behaved. In the crowd, a few young men looked at Ling Chen with disdain.


    As Ling Chen passed in front of them, these young men snorted, openly showing their contempt.


    Hearing their snorts, Ling Chen stopped and scanned each of them with a yful smile. "You guys seem pretty unhappy with me?"


    "So what if I¡¯m unhappy?" One young man raised his head arrogantly, "Why should I give a damn about you? You¡¯re not my boss. Everyone talks about how great you are, Ling Chen, but I think you¡¯re nothing special. Compared to our boss, who are you anyway? I advise you to turn back early, don¡¯t stick your nose into this mess."


    "Shut up!" Nanrong Hao coldly scolded, "Who do you think you are? Even your boss wouldn¡¯t dare disrespect Chen like that. Who gave a small fry like you the guts to talk like that?"


    The young man sneered, "No need to tell you, our boss gave us this courage. Our boss said he used to cut him some ck out of old ties. But now, it¡¯s different. Our boss shows him respect, and he doesn¡¯t return the favor. What¡¯s the point of brotherhood then?"


    "You..."


    Nanrong Hao was about to speak but was stopped by Ling Chen.


    Looking at the young man in front of him, Ling Chen asked slowly, "Did your boss really say that?"


    "That¡¯s right!"


    "Did your boss also tell you who once knelt before me, begging for my help and a chance? Did he tell you who gave him everything he has now? Let me tell you, without me, Ling Chen, your boss is nothing. If it weren¡¯t for my soft heart and willingness to help him because he was sincere, Zhao Zhengxiong wouldn¡¯t even know which trash heap he¡¯s living in now. If you don¡¯t believe it, feel free to ask your boss and see if I¡¯m wrong."


    Pausing for a moment, Ling Chen surveyed the crowd around him, speaking in a deep voice, "I¡¯ve always been loyal and caring to my friends and brothers. I keep them in my heart, sharing hardships and joys together. However, for those who betray us, I won¡¯t show mercy. Remember this: I¡¯m saying it here today, anyone who dares to betray our family, I¡¯ll make them lose everything in no time."


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    "Now, everyone disperse. Don¡¯t stand around and make a spectacle. Ignore my words, and don¡¯t me me for being rude." Finishing his statement, Ling Chen couldn¡¯t be bothered with these small gangsters any longer and walked into the restaurant.


    "Chen, you heard them." Nanrong Hao followed closely, grumbling, "Listen to what they¡¯re saying. It¡¯s clear Zhao Zhengxiong wants to oppose us, doesn¡¯t even respect you, and talks like this to his men. I think Zhao Zhengxiong is already preparing to war with us."


    "Enough!" Ling Chen gave Nanrong Hao a look, "Without confirmation, don¡¯t jump to conclusions. We¡¯ll confront Zhao Zhengxiongter to see what he¡¯s nning."


    Talking, the two reached the third floor of the restaurant.


    For today¡¯s banquet, Jiang Hao and the others rented out the entire restaurant, allowing only their people inside, no outsiders.


    "Chen! Haozi!"


    Outside the private room on the third floor, seeing Ling Chen and Nanrong Hao arriving, Jiang Hao quickly stepped forward, "Chen, you finally made it."


    "Jiang Hao, where¡¯s Zhao Zhengxiong? Is he here yet?" Ling Chen asked.

 Chapter 888 - 893: Brothers at Odds (2)

    <h4>Chapter 888: Chapter 893: Brothers at Odds (2)</h4>


    "What do you mean, ¡¯arrive¡¯? He never nned toe." Jiang Hao said irritably, "That bastard never intended to meet us and sent his trusted aide to honor the appointment instead. I see now that Zhao Zhengxiong is afraid to see you because he¡¯s worried you¡¯ll cause trouble for him."


    "Hmph!" Nanrong Hao said with irritation, "Look, I knew it, Zhao Zhengxiong has already turned traitor and doesn¡¯t even regard Chen anymore. That bastard thinks his wings have grown, so he wants to break away and establish his own faction. Chen, there¡¯s nothing more to say about such betrayal and disregard for brotherhood. Let¡¯s just go head-to-head with him and see whose fist is stronger."


    Ling Chen thought for a moment and said, "Don¡¯t get upset yet. Since Zhao Zhengxiong sent a representative, let¡¯s talk with him and see what Zhao Zhengxiong means." With that, Ling Chen pushed open the private room door and strode inside.


    The spacious and bright private room had a round table with six grand chairs around it, very courteous and luxurious.


    Sitting in one of the grand chairs was a middle-aged man in a suit, with a leather bag beside him, impably dressed, showing no trace of a thug¡¯s demeanor.


    "Chen, he¡¯s called Yan Tao, a confidant of Zhao Zhengxiong, and essentially the second inmand," Jiang Hao whispered.


    Ling Chen nodded, sizing up Yan Tao, and walked over.


    Seeing Ling Chen approach, Yan Tao quickly stood up from the grand chair, eagerly extending his hand, "You must be Chen. I¡¯ve long admired Chen¡¯s reputation but never had the chance to meet; today I finally see Chen in person, truly impressive."


    <fn187b> The rightful source is find?novel</fn187b>


    Ling Chen said with a yful smile, "You are Zhao Zhengxiong¡¯s second inmand; I¡¯m not sure if your skills match your eloquence."


    Yan Tao was slightly taken aback but quickly understood Ling Chen¡¯s meaning, smiling as he said, "Chen, you¡¯re joking. Speaking of skills, how dare Ipare myself with you? In simple terms, I¡¯m just a working man trying to earn a living, but Chen, you¡¯re an entrepreneur; the difference between the two is vast."


    "Alright!" Ling Chen replied, "You don¡¯t need to say those ttering words; I¡¯m not interested in them. Guests are guests, have a seat."


    "Alright." Yan Tao responded, waiting until Ling Chen and Jiang Hao were seated before slowly sitting down, very polite.


    "There are no outsiders here; Zhao Zhengxiong sent you as his representative to meet me, so I assume a decision has been made. Tell me, what does he want?" Ling Chen wasted no time and got straight to the point.


    Yan Tao smiled faintly, "Chen, Xiong didn¡¯t refuse toe see you; he¡¯s just caught up with some urgent matters and couldn¡¯t make it, so he asked me toe for him. Hope you can understand."


    "Is that so?" Ling Chen chuckled, "Xiong is quite a busy person; he used to hang out at nightclubs, very free, but now he¡¯s so busy he can¡¯t even spare time for a meal. Apparently, he¡¯s handling quite a lot."


    Then, not waiting for Yan Tao to speak further, Ling Chen leaned forward slightly, cing his hands on the table, "As I said, I don¡¯t like beating around the bush. Do I have to forcefully teach you a lesson before you¡¯ll speak honestly?"


    Hearing this, Yan Tao¡¯s face looked somewhat ufortable, but he still forced a smile, "Chen, I..."


    Ling Chen interrupted Yan Tao, raising a finger, "Think carefully before you speak; I will only give you one chance."


    "Well..." Yan Tao hesitated a bit before slowly speaking, "Chen, since you put it that way, I won¡¯t beat around the bush. Xiong¡¯s intention is clear; he wants to go solo in the future."


    "Go solo?" Ling Chen tapped his fingers on the table, asking, "Then he should give me a reason."


    "He feels that you don¡¯t trust him. Regarding this matter, I don¡¯t know much, but Xiong told me to say that you would understand what he means."


    "I see."


    Ling Chen certainly understood Zhao Zhengxiong¡¯s intention. When the research base was established, Ling Chen only told Nanrong Hao and Jiang Hao about the base, deliberately excluding Zhao Zhengxiong. Later, when Zhao Zhengxiong found out about this, he was surely ufortable.


    When Ling Chen made this decision, he had his reasons. Nanrong Hao is his future brother-inw, Jiang Hao is someone he personally trained; there¡¯s no doubt that they are the people he trusts the most. Inparison, although Zhao Zhengxiong calls them brothers, Ling Chen felt he needed to be tested further to truly know if he was worth full trust.


    Maybe he was being overly cautious, but as the old saying goes, it¡¯s necessary to guard against others, and the importance of the research base is self-evident; a bit of caution does no harm.


    Unfortunately, Ling Chen considered too much but overlooked Zhao Zhengxiong¡¯s feelings. To be honest, he did bear some responsibility in this matter.


    However, even if he was wrong, Zhao Zhengxiong should not have done such a thing.


    Zhao Zhengxiong should think about who helped him originally and who took him in. Without Ling Chen¡¯s help and support, Zhao Zhengxiong could not have reached where he is today.


    As thoughts quickly shifted through his mind, Ling Chen spoke, "Yan Tao, go back and tell Zhao Zhengxiong that maybe I¡¯ve done something wrong, but I¡¯ve never harmed him, nor thought of taking away his territory and power. If he still considers us brothers, then let¡¯s sit down and talk to clear up the misunderstanding. If he¡¯s determined to go solo, I¡¯ll say it upfront: East Sea City is my territory, and I won¡¯t allow any rebellious forces to exist here. So, if he dares to do this, don¡¯t me me for not remembering old friendships."


    "Chen..."


    "Enough!"


    Ling Chen waved his hand, interrupting Yan Tao.


    "I¡¯ve said all I need to say; you don¡¯t need to waste your breath. One day, I give Zhao Zhengxiong one day to respond; if I don¡¯t get his reply, then he doesn¡¯t need to respond at all. At that point, he has two choices: leave East Sea City or go to war."


    After finishing, Ling Chen stood up from the grand chair and walked straight out of the private room.


    Upon exiting the room, Jiang Hao and Nanrong Hao followed closely behind Ling Chen, asking, "Chen, do you think Zhao Zhengxiong willpromise?"


    Ling Chen shrugged and said, "I¡¯m not him, how would I know what he¡¯d choose." After a pause, Ling Chen continued, "Jiang Hao, better be prepared these couple of days, regardless of Zhao Zhengxiong¡¯s choice, we must n for the worst, and never let our guard down. Zhao Zhengxiong has been with us for years; he knows you all very well. Moreover, he clearly understands what tactics we have."


    Jiang Hao nodded, "Chen, don¡¯t worry, I know what to do."


    "Chen, what about me?"


    Ling Chen nced at Nanrong Hao and said, "You don¡¯t need to do anything, just go back to work at Hongyu Group honestly. Jiang Hao has our support; there shouldn¡¯t be any problem."

 Chapter 889 - 894: Lin Qiqi

    <h4>Chapter 889: Chapter 894: Lin Qiqi</h4>


    "Oh." Nanrong Hao was somewhat reluctant. Such a big deal, and Ling Chen kept himself out of it; he must feel dissatisfied. After all, he¡¯s been a brother fighting alongside everyone. Zhao Zhengxiong doing such a thing, his anger is imaginable. Given his current temperament, he¡¯d love nothing more than to drag Zhao Zhengxiong out and give him a good beating.


    Ling Chen saw Nanrong Hao¡¯s sullen expression and naturally understood what he was thinking.


    "Alright!" Ling Chen patted Nanrong Hao¡¯s shoulder and said, "You don¡¯t have to feel ufortable. How about this, don¡¯t you have a bunch of subordinates? Have them ready to support Jiang Hao. If Jiang Hao can¡¯t handle it, then you step in to help."


    Hearing this, Nanrong Hao¡¯s eyes lit up, and he said with a smile, "Sure, no problem."


    Returning to Hongyu Group, Nanrong Hao went to his office alone, while Ling Chen went to the chairman¡¯s office and gently knocked on the door. After receiving permission, Ling Chen pushed the door open and looked around, only to see Nanrong Wanqing sitting at the desk, twirling a pen in her hand, her eyes fixed on theputer screen, focused on something.


    Hearing footsteps at the door, Nanrong Wanqing turned her head and looked at Ling Chen approaching her, a faint smile immediately appeared on her delicate face, and she quickly stood up to greet him.


    "When did youe back?"


    "I¡¯ve been busy in East Sea City these past few days, and since nothing¡¯s going on today, I thought I¡¯de by to see you. So, what are you busy with?"


    "Not much, just received an invitation from apany out of town, asking me to attend a banquet tomorrow night."


    "An out-of-townpany?" Ling Chen jokingly asked, "Whichpany has enough sway to invite you?"


    Nanrong Wanqing rolled her eyes at Ling Chen and said coquettishly, "They¡¯re willing to invite me, which means they¡¯re giving me face. You have no idea, thepany that invited me this time is one of the most famous domestic enterprises. Compared to them, our Hongyu Group is just child¡¯s y."


    "Is that so?" Ling Chen asked with interest, "Whichpany?"


    "Wanheng Group, its industry spans the entire South, and it¡¯s one of the top enterprises in the country. Our Hongyu Group is at best a leader in East Sea City, but they are a leading representative of the entire southern part of Huaxia."


    "Wanheng?" Ling Chen was startled, a cold and intense light shed in his eyes.


    He had never had contact with thispany before, but the name left a deep impression on him.


    Wanheng Group is precisely the family business of the Ling Family.


    The Ling Family¡¯s reach is really far; they¡¯ve even extended it to East Sea City.


    Seeing Ling Chen standing there dazed and silent, Nanrong Wanqing curiously asked, "What¡¯s wrong with you?"


    Upon hearing Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s question, Ling Chen snapped back to reality and forced a smile, saying, "Nothing. By the way, I¡¯ve heard of Wanheng Group, it¡¯s a very prestigious domesticpany. Since they¡¯re hosting a banquet in East Sea City, could it be that they¡¯re nning to seek development here?"


    "That should be the case," Nanrong Wanqing said, "I heard that Wanheng Group has been surveying the East Sea City market for some time, hence the banquet; the timing seems about right. If you¡¯re interested, you coulde with me. Anyway, everyone has to bring a male or femalepanion."


    "Do you know who the host is this time?"


    "The person has thest name Ling and is called Ling Shen. He¡¯s the manager of the market expansion department at Wanheng Group."


    "Ling Shen?" Ling Chen murmured to himself, silently repeating the name. After pondering a while, Ling Chen replied with a smile, "Alright, I¡¯lle to pick you up at home tomorrow night."


    The Ling Family¡¯s grand banquet in East Sea City surely was not for a simple purpose.


    Humph!


    The Ling Family has so many weak points in my hands; it¡¯s time to take action now.


    Leaving Hongyu Group, Ling Chen drove straight to the research base.


    As soon as he reached the control center, Ling Chen found Hu Fei and asked, "Fatty, how¡¯s the evidence collection against the Ling Family going?"


    Hu Fei pulled out a thick document from the drawer and said, "These are the evidence I¡¯vepiled, enough to directly link the God Organization with the Ling Family. There¡¯s still a portion of data we haven¡¯t finished examining in the hard drive we retrievedst time; I¡¯m sure we can find more evidence."


    Ling Chen took the document, nced over it carefully, then put it down and said, "Make me an electronic copy of the documents, right away. I need it urgentlyter."


    "Got it."


    In less than five minutes, Ling Chen left the control center with a USB drive.


    Back in his room, Ling Chen turned on hisptop, plugged in the USB drive, and sent all the files to Tang Yuan¡¯s email.


    With this evidence, Lonely Wolf could make a move against the Ling Family.


    Having done all this, Ling Chen leaned back in his chair, eyes slightly closed. Before long, a faint snoring sound filled the room.


    Knock, knock, knock!


    Hearing the knocking outside the door, Ling Chen rubbed his bleary eyes and quickly got up from his chair.


    Looking at the clock on the wall, Ling Chen was amazed. It¡¯s ten o¡¯clock at night; he¡¯d slept for that long. Then again, having worked all through the night and not rested all day, his umted fatigue made sleep irresistible.


    Opening the door, and seeing Hu Fei standing outside, Ling Chen asked, "What¡¯s up?"


    "You ask me what¡¯s up, I should be asking you what¡¯s up. I called several times and no one answered, so I had toe over myself."


    Ling Chen yawned and said, "Too tired, identally overslept. Just tell me, what¡¯s the matter?"


    "There¡¯s a guest outside."


    "Guest?" Ling Chen was taken aback; this research base had never had guests. Since Hu Fei used the term ¡¯guest,¡¯ it meant the person wasn¡¯t one of their own.


    "It¡¯s someone from the God Organization," Hu Fei said.


    Hearing this, Ling Chen raised an eyebrow and said solemnly, "What are they here for?"


    "Not sure yet, but from their looks, it seems they aren¡¯t here to cause trouble. Anyway, don¡¯t ask me, they¡¯re specifically asking to see you."


    "Come, let¡¯s go and take a look together."


    Soon, Ling Chen and Hu Fei arrived at the research base¡¯s reception room.


    As they entered, Ling Chen immediately saw a young woman sitting on the sofa. Her face was wrapped in a scarf, covering everything below her eyes, revealing only a pair of starry and beautiful eyes, and her white and smooth neck.


    The woman seemed to be in her twenties, with a bob cut dyed in a slight yellow, dressed simply in casual wear paired with light blue jeans, looking every inch a young beauty in her prime.


    Behind the woman stood an elderly man.


    Ling Chen observed for a couple of seconds, feeling that the elderly man¡¯s face was entirely unfamiliar, having never seen him before. However, although the elderly man appeared ordinary, Ling Chen felt an intense sense of danger from him.


    Turning back his gaze, Ling Chen looked at the woman and asked, "Who are you?"


    The woman blinked her eyes and softly replied, "I¡¯m Lin Qiqi."<fnf311> Get full chapters from find{n}ovel</fnf311>

 Chapter 890 - 895: Butcher Chen (Part 1)

    <h4>Chapter 890: Chapter 895: Butcher Chen (Part 1)</h4>


    "Lin Qiqi?" Ling Chen¡¯s face showed surprise as he looked at the woman before him. To be honest, he never expected that the mysterious leader of the God Organization would be so young. Moreover, she dared toe here in person.


    "Surprised?" Lin Qiqi looked at Ling Chen¡¯s stunned expression and said calmly, "I originally wanted Lin Jiawei toe over, but after thinking about it, I decided that it¡¯s more sincere if Ie in person. Besides, haven¡¯t you always wanted to meet me?"


    After a brief moment of stupor, Ling Chen finally regained hisposure, and his gaze gradually returned to calm. He smiled faintly and took a step to sit beside Lin Qiqi.


    "Miss Lin, I¡¯m quite surprised. I didn¡¯t expect you toe in person."


    "It¡¯s been two days already," Lin Qiqi said. "You should know everything you want to know by now. I¡¯m here to take Uncle Lin back."


    "Take him back?" Ling Chen nced at the old man behind Lin Qiqi and said, "Miss Lin, it¡¯s only been two days. Isn¡¯t it too quick? You don¡¯t need to worry about Mr. Lin¡¯s safety. He has good food and amodation here. Besides, I have a lot I want to discuss with him. How about letting him stay for another ten days or so?"


    "No way." Lin Qiqi¡¯s tone was firm, leaving no room for negotiation.


    "I must take him with me today." As she spoke, Lin Qiqi took out a bank card from her bag and ced it on the coffee table in front of Ling Chen, saying, "ording to our deal, this card contains one billion US Dors. You take the money, hand over the person, and we¡¯ll be even. As for the grudges between you and the God Organization, we¡¯ll settle themter."


    Upon hearing this, Ling Chen couldn¡¯t help butugh, "Miss Lin, are you always this domineering? Or is it that you¡¯ve been in control of the God Organization for too long, ustomed to having everyoneply with your words, thinking everyone should obey you?"


    Lin Qiqi frowned slightly, her bright eyes shing with a cold look.


    "Ling Chen, don¡¯t refuse a toast only to be forced to drink a forfeit. I¡¯ve already given you face. If it weren¡¯t for your blood rtionship with the Ling Family, I would have taken action long ago."


    "Tsk tsk! Should I then thank you for sparing me?" Ling Chen said with a mocking smile, "Miss Lin, you¡¯d better not forget that I hold the advantage now, not you. You want me to release Lin Guodong; you should be the one asking for a favor. Is this how you ask for something? Throwing this money at me like charity. Miss Lin, if it were you, would you feelfortable in your heart?"


    Suppressing her anger, Lin Qiqi impatiently asked, "What exactly do you want?"


    "It¡¯s not about what I want; it¡¯s that I don¡¯t see your sincerity. Miss Lin, this is not a marketce, so I don¡¯t adhere to the ¡¯customer is king¡¯ principle. If you want to take him away, you better treat me with some respect, at least say something nice. You¡¯ve been dealing with me long enough to understand my character. I¡¯m Ling Chen; I¡¯m susceptible to good words. As long as you say a few pleasant things, maybe I¡¯ll be in a good mood and release him right away."


    "Are you threatening me?" Lin Qiqi said through gritted teeth.


    <fnc6d4> Th?s chapter is updated by find(?)ovel</fnc6d4>


    Ling Chen shrugged, "You¡¯re the leader of the God Organization; how dare I threaten you."


    Hearing Ling Chen¡¯s mocking tone, Lin Qiqi stared into his eyes, saying nothing for a long while. Ling Chen, unafraid, met her gaze, with a faint smile constantly on his lips.


    After a moment, Lin Qiqi extended her hand into her bag again, took out another bank card, and ced it on the coffee table in front of Ling Chen.


    "There are another five billion US Dors here, totaling fifteen billion US Dors. I think you should be satisfied now. Ling Chen, this is my final offer. Don¡¯t push your luck."


    Looking at the two bank cardsid in front of him, the smile on Ling Chen¡¯s lips became even brighter.


    "Miss Lin is quite generous."


    "Can you let him go now?" Lin Qiqi asked.


    Ling Chen grinned, "Since Miss Lin is so generous, it would be unreasonable for me to make things difficult any longer. Wait here, and I¡¯ll bring Mr. Lin over right away." Saying this, Ling Chen put the two bank cards into his pocket and left the meeting room.


    Arriving at the control center, Ling Chen handed the two bank cards to Hu Fei, asking him to verify whether the amount in the cards was correct.


    A few minutes passed, and Hu Fei excitedly said, "No problem, a total of fifteen billion US Dors, not a penny missing." After speaking, Hu Fei looked at Ling Chen and urged, "I say, why don¡¯t we squeeze them for more money since the God Organization is loaded."


    "Enough already!" Tang Guolun, standing nearby, said, "ept the good fortune while itsts, don¡¯t push them too hard. We¡¯ve gained an extra five billion US Dors; isn¡¯t that enough for you?"


    Ling Chen teased, "This guy is never satisfied; he never thinks there¡¯s too much money."


    "That¡¯s right, money is something the more, the better."


    "Alright, stop chatting idly, let me take Lin Guodong over first."


    At this moment, in the meeting room, Lin Qiqi picked up the teacup on the coffee table and sipped her tea leisurely. After a while, she took a cell phone out of her bag and opened an app. Instantly, two red dots appeared on the app, blinking.


    "Sir Chen, thank you for your effort," Lin Qiqi handed the phone to the old man behind her and said.


    "Yes," the old man responded, saying little, as he immediately took the phone and briskly walked out of the meeting room.


    As the meeting room door opened, two security guards stationed outside immediately came up to block the old man¡¯s path, saying, "Sorry! Mr. Ling has ordered that you must stay inside and not leave at will."


    The old man¡¯s eyes turned cold, and without a word, he lunged forward suddenly, striking like lightning. In the blink of an eye, the two security guardsy in a pool of blood, their life and death unknown.


    After dealing with the two security guards, the old man looked at the red dots disyed on the phone and quickly walked toward the front of the passage.


    Beep Beep!


    At this moment, Ling Chen was already outside the room where Lin Guodong was held, preparing to take him out. Upon hearing the rm suddenly ring across the base, Ling Chen¡¯s expression shifted slightly, and he quickly took out his phone.


    Before Ling Chen could dial, Hu Fei¡¯s call had alreadye through.


    "Hey! Fatty, what¡¯s going on?"


    "Damn, that old guy is heading for the control center, and no one can stop him."


    Old guy?


    A thought struck Ling Chen¡¯s mind, immediately linking it to the old man behind Lin Qiqi.


    Not good!


    With Hu Fei and Tang Guolun in the control center, if that old man broke through, Hu Fei and the others would definitely be in danger.


    Thinking of this, Ling Chen hurried to the control center.


    In the long corridor, the old man walked forward withrge strides, leaving several corpses of the base¡¯s security personnel behind him. No one could stop him along the way.


    "Stop!"


    At this moment, a cold shout came from behind the old man.

 Chapter 891 - 896: Butcher Chen (Part 2)

    <h4>Chapter 891: Chapter 896: Butcher Chen (Part 2)</h4>


    Hearing the shout, the old man stopped in his tracks, slowly turned around, and looked behind him.


    At the end of the passage, seven people had appeared at some point, and the one leading them was none other than Qiu Yong.


    The Eight entrics!


    Seeing Qiu Yong and the others appear, a sharp cold light shed in the old man¡¯s cloudy eyes. He sneered and said, "The Eight entrics, I¡¯ve heard of you all for a long time, but haven¡¯t had the chance to meet you. Today, I¡¯ve finally gotten to see you."


    Qiu Yong sized up the old man and asked, "Who are you?"


    "My surname is Chen, Chen Guanghe, but everyone likes to call me Butcher Chen."


    "Butcher Chen?" Hearing the name, Qiu Yong and the others¡¯ expressions changed slightly.


    "So you are Butcher Chen." Yuan Yun looked at the man with a frown and said in a deep voice. Perhaps not many knew the name Chen Guanghe, but the nickname Butcher Chen was infamous in the martial world.


    Anyone who could be called a butcher was someone who killed without mercy. Chen Guanghe was especially so, with an uncountable number of victims. Moreover, Chen Guanghe¡¯s methods were extremely vicious; he spared neither women, children, nor the elderly, showing no humanity.


    It was said that when Chen Guanghe was young, he was an assassin, and by a twist of fate, he became the disciple of a master. Since then, Chen Guanghe made a name for himself in the Martial Arts world. It was unexpected that this guy got recruited by the God Organization.


    Knowing Chen Guanghe¡¯s identity, Qiu Yong and others appeared somewhat solemn.


    Chen Guanghe not only bore the title of butcher, but he also had another title, the top martial artist of the Earthly List. Out of the top ten on the Earthly List, Chen Guanghe was way ahead, holding the top spot for years without anyone discing him, a testament to his strength.


    "Come!" Chen Guanghe looked at Qiu Yong and the others, curled his finger with a disdainful expression, and said, "I have things to rush off to, so if you want to make a move, do it quickly and stop wasting my time."


    Feeling the contempt in his tone, Wei Jiahao let out a snort, "Don¡¯t be arrogant; today, we the Eight entrics are going to rid the world of your evil, you old dog."


    "Go!"


    With a light shout, Yuan Yun was the first to attack. The steel de was raised high, and as Yuan Yun¡¯s body swiftly closed in, it was upon Chen Guanghe in the blink of an eye.


    Then, with a flick of his wrist, the steel de came down with fierce force, heading straight for the top of Chen Guanghe¡¯s head.


    As the steel de came at him, Chen Guanghe didn¡¯t even raise an eye, directly extending two fingers to sp the de¡¯s edge.


    In an instant, Yuan Yun felt his arm grow heavy, as if the de was embedded in stone, unable to move, unable to be drawn back.


    "Not bad for technique, but s... too weak."


    Chen Guanghe mocked coldly. After speaking, he flicked a finger, sending a strong force onto the de. A sharp ¡¯ng¡¯ rang out, and Yuan Yun staggered back, nearly losing his bnce and falling. Fortunately, Qiu Yong arrived in time to support Yuan Yun¡¯s waist, helping him steady his footing.


    However, looking at Yuan Yun¡¯s slightly trembling arm, it was clear that Chen Guanghe¡¯s strike had affected him.


    "Elder brother, be careful!" Yuan Yun whispered as a reminder, "That old man¡¯s strength is formidable."


    Qiu Yong nodded and then gestured to everyone. Seeing his action, the others immediately understood and spread out, surrounding Chen Guanghe, eyes ring, ready to strike at any moment.


    Seeing this, Chen Guanghe sneered indifferently, "Stop wasting time and just attack."


    Qiu Yong¡¯s gaze sharpened, lightly tapping the ground with his toes, arms slightly spread, rushing towards Chen Guanghe like a mad bull.


    As Qiu Yong made his move, Xia Yue, Xu Ming, Yuan Yun, and Zhang Zhongfeng immediately followed closely behind, their techniques unleashed.


    Facing the oing crowd, Chen Guanghe stood with arms lowered, looking calm andposed, motionless.


    Bang!


    Suddenly, a muffled sound rang out. Before everyone could respond, a strong force came rushing at them, pushing them back several meters.


    Once everyone steadied themselves, Qiu Yong and the others exchanged nces, eyes full of confusion, unaware of what had just happened.


    However, among them, only Xu Ming¡¯s eyes showed a trace of seriousness and surprise.


    "What¡¯s the matter?" Chen Guanghe coldly taunted, "Are the Eight entrics unable to even get close to me?"


    "Hmph! Old Chen, don¡¯t get too pleased. Watch how I defeat you." Saying this, Yuan Yun raised a steel de, about to strike.


    "Third brother, stop!"


    Before Yuan Yun could advance, Xu Ming suddenly intervened, halting him.


    Yuan Yun looked at Xu Ming, puzzled, "Second brother, what is it?"


    "You all are no match for him." Xu Ming stated word by word, "He is no longer just the top martial artist of the Earthly List. Now, he is a Heavenly List expert."


    Heavenly List?


    These words left everyone shocked.


    It turned out that Chen Guanghe¡¯s strength had reached the level of the Heavenly List, no wonder they were pushed back by some mysterious force before even getting close.


    Seeing everyone¡¯s astonished expressions, Chen Guangheughed heartily, "Indeed, there¡¯s finally someone who gets it."


    "You are indeed a Heavenly List expert, but not a true one." Xu Ming remained unaffected by theughter, responding calmly, "If I¡¯m not mistaken, you forcefully awakened your potential through the God Organization¡¯s experiment, increasing your strength to the Heavenly List level. In terms of rank, you¡¯re still Earthly List."


    Hearing this, Chen Guanghe put away his smile, looking sharply at Xu Ming, and asked with deep meaning, "Who are you?"


    "You don¡¯t need to know who I am, nor do you have the right to ask that question." At this, Xu Ming withdrew his gaze from Chen Guanghe, turning to Zhang Zhongfeng, "Do you want to go one step further?"


    Xu Ming¡¯s sudden words left Zhang Zhongfeng momentarily stunned, not understanding their meaning.


    "You are the God of Arrows. Below the Heavenly List, there¡¯s no one you can¡¯t kill. But you haven¡¯t yet shot down a Heavenly List expert. Do you want to fulfill that wish today?"


    After hearing Xu Ming¡¯s words, Zhang Zhongfeng¡¯s eyes suddenly lit up.


    Shooting down a Heavenly List expert!


    This would be an unprecedented feat.


    As the God of Arrows, Zhang Zhongfeng had always felt unsatisfied, believing there was further room for improvement in his archery. And that improvement was to shoot down a Heavenly List expert. Unfortunately, there were too few Heavenly List experts, hard toe by, and their power was too great for him to be confident.


    But now, Xu Ming¡¯s suggestion instilled in him a sense of unwarranted confidence.


    Maybe today he would have the opportunity to achieve this feat.


    "Come!"


    <fnad7f> Newest update provided by F?nd-Novel</fnad7f>


    Zhang Zhongfeng softly uttered a word. Though it was just one word, it was imbued with intense desire.


    "Alright!"

 Chapter 892 - 897: Butcher Chen (Part 3)

    <h4>Chapter 892: Chapter 897: Butcher Chen (Part 3)</h4>


    Xu Ming¡¯s reply was simple, but for some reason, his words instilled great confidence in Zhang Zhongfeng.


    Hearing the two of them discussing as if he didn¡¯t matter at all, Chen Guanghe¡¯s expression turned somewhat grim.


    "Do you think you can kill me with just a few of you? Hmph! Overestimating yourselves. Fine, I shall see what you¡¯ve got."


    Xu Ming nced back at Chen Guanghe, his eyes calm, like the tranquil sea, without a ripple.


    "Elder brother, you all stay out of this, leave him to me and Fourth Brother."


    Qiu Yong hesitated for a moment, feeling a bit worried. He admitted that his second brother was quite mysterious, but Chen Guanghe was now a master on the Heavenly List, not easy to deal with. How could he be at ease with only Xu Ming and Zhang Zhongfeng facing him?


    Seeing Qiu Yong¡¯s dyed reaction, Xu Ming looked into his eyes and said seriously, "Elder brother, trust me."


    "Alright!" Qiu Yong nodded lightly, reminding, "Be careful." After speaking, Qiu Yong immediately led the others to step aside, so as not to hinder Xu Ming.


    Once the crowd retreated, Zhang Zhongfeng grasped his bow and arrow, stepping back twenty meters. This distance was his optimal shooting range, where he could unleash his archery skills to the fullest.


    "Come on." Xu Ming stared directly at Chen Guanghe across from him and said, "Let me see what you¡¯re made of."


    "Since you wish to die, I shall grant you your wish." With those words, Chen Guanghe chose to attack first.


    A gust of wind swept by, and Chen Guanghe¡¯s body instantly appeared close to Xu Ming. For a moment, afterimages flickered, and Xu Ming couldn¡¯t even see Chen Guanghe¡¯s fists and palms clearly, only feeling gusts of wind approaching.


    "Die!"


    Chen Guanghe shouted, intending to kill Xu Ming in one blow. However, as his palms swung forward, Chen Guanghe¡¯s expression immediately shifted from disdain to shock.


    He was astonished to find that his palms struck nothing but air.


    Where did he go?


    Chen Guanghe was startled, quickly shifting his gaze elsewhere to search for Xu Ming.


    "Are you looking for me?"


    The voice came, and Chen Guanghe was once again taken aback, hurriedly stepping back.


    Looking at Xu Ming standing in front of him, Chen Guanghe¡¯s wrinkled old face was filled with shock.


    "No, this is impossible!" Chen Guanghe eximed in disbelief, "This isn¡¯t martial arts, tell me, what kind of trick are you using."


    At this moment, not only Chen Guanghe, but even Qiu Yong and the others watching were astonished, finding it somewhat unbelievable.


    Just now, when Chen Guanghe attacked, Xu Ming had clearly vanished from in front of him. But for some reason, when Chen Guanghe looked for Xu Ming, he reappeared in the same ce, as if he had never moved.


    If Xu Ming¡¯s speed was so extreme that it couldn¡¯t be caught by the naked eye, that would be too exaggerated.


    Even a master on the Heavenly List couldn¡¯t be invisible. No matter how fast a person was, they would leave behind an afterimage. However, Xu Ming just seemed to disappear without a trace, not even leaving an afterimage, which was unbelievably abnormal.


    It was precisely because of this that Chen Guanghe believed Xu Ming was using some trick rather than martial arts.


    Facing Chen Guanghe¡¯s doubt, Xu Ming calmly said, "Why do you care so much? As long as I can defeat you, that¡¯s enough."


    "You..."


    Chen Guanghe was momentarily speechless. Indeed, this wasn¡¯t a fair duel with rules and customs, as long as he could kill his opponent, that¡¯s all that mattered.


    "I don¡¯t believe your martial arts are that good."


    Gritting his teeth, Chen Guanghe, refusing to ept it, attacked again. Yet, the same situation urred again. When Chen Guanghe attacked, Xu Ming¡¯s body seemed to be transparent, disappearing from sight. But when Chen Guanghe¡¯s attack finished, Xu Ming was once again in the same spot, this miraculous scene left everyone present in awe.


    Wei Jiahao wiped his eyes vigorously, looking at Xu Ming standing in the center, and eximed, "Second Brother is too amazing!"


    Qiu Yong and Yuan Yun exchanged nces, surprised beyond words. Since knowing him, they knew Xu Ming was mysterious, but they hadn¡¯t expected Xu Ming to be this formidable.


    This was no longer human; even the most powerful master couldn¡¯t achieve that.


    If Chen Guanghe had not yet been dealt with, everyone would have already been asking Xu Ming to exin.


    Again and again, this was clearly no coincidence.


    Chen Guanghe took a few steps back, looking at Xu Ming in disbelief, a flicker of hesitation shed through his eyes. Even as a master on the Heavenly List, at this moment, he felt somewhat afraid.


    He had killed so many people and faced countless masters, but had never encountered such a bizarre situation.


    Thinking quickly, Chen Guanghe suddenly sprang forth, heading straight for Qiu Yong at the edge of the field. Since he couldn¡¯t kill Xu Ming, he would start with the others. He didn¡¯t believe it, could Qiu Yong be like Xu Ming as well.


    Whoosh!


    At that moment, a sound pierced through the air, instantly arriving near Chen Guanghe.


    <fn4891> This content belongs to find¡¤novel</fn4891>


    Feeling the sharp gust of wind, Chen Guanghe¡¯s expression changed slightly, hurriedly stopping to avoid the arrow¡¯s attack.


    Dammit!


    He had been focused on the others and forgot about the archer watching intently from nearby.


    Before Chen Guanghe could attack again, Zhang Zhongfeng¡¯s second arrow had already been shot, forcing Chen Guanghe to continually retreat.


    As he stepped back, a warning shed in Chen Guanghe¡¯s mind. In a sh, Chen Guanghe quickly turned, punching towards his back.


    However, just at that moment, an excruciating pain suddenly shot through his chest.


    Upon closer inspection, Chen Guanghe was horrified to find an arrow had pierced through his back, its sharp tip protruding, with half the arrow remaining embedded in his body.


    Danger!


    Chen Guanghe¡¯s pupils contracted, not caring about anything else, he hurriedly rolled on the ground, avoiding the pincer attack from front and back.


    While he¡¯s down!


    Such an opportunity, Qiu Yong and the others could not let go. To prevent Chen Guanghe¡¯s escape, Qiu Yong and several others rushed forward, forming a human wall to block Chen Guanghe¡¯s escape route.


    "You... Pfft!"


    Before Chen Guanghe could finish speaking, he spat out a mouthful of blood, his body uncontrobly falling forward with a ¡¯thud.¡¯


    Looking at Xu Ming beside him, Chen Guanghe¡¯s face was pale. Without Xu Ming¡¯s ambush, he might have had a chance to escape, but now, hope seemed very slim.


    "Fourth Brother, he¡¯s yours now."


    Hearing Xu Ming¡¯s voice, Zhang Zhongfeng slowly raised his bow, drawing it fully, his sharp gaze fixed on Chen Guanghe.


    Even though they were more than twenty meters apart, Chen Guanghe could still feel the chill of the arrow.


    No time to think, Chen Guanghe forced himself through the pain, swiftly springing up from the ground, rushing in the opposite direction.

 Chapter 893 - 898: Realm (1)

    <h4>Chapter 893: Chapter 898: Realm (1)</h4>


    Seeing Chen Guanghe escape, Xu Ming and the others did not pursue, but stood quietly in ce waiting.


    Twenty meters away, Zhang Zhongfeng held a bow and arrow, his sharp gaze locked onto Chen Guanghe, slowly adjusting the position of the arrow as his target moved.


    A few seconds passed, and the motionless Zhang Zhongfeng finally released his fingers.


    Whoosh!


    In an instant, the arrow tore through the air, leaving the bowstring, and shot toward Chen Guanghe¡¯s back.


    After shooting one arrow, Zhang Zhongfeng did not stop but reached for another arrow from the quiver at his waist, stringing it onto the bowstring again.


    Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!


    In the blink of an eye, Zhang Zhongfeng shot ten arrows in session. In the entire world, besides the Archer God Zhang Zhongfeng, there was likely no one else who could shoot ten continuous arrows in such a short time.


    Feeling the wind rushing from behind, the fleeing Chen Guanghe quickly turned around and saw the swiftly flying arrows. He hurriedly moved his feet, constantly changing positions, afraid of being hit by the arrows.


    Seeing Chen Guanghe¡¯s actions, everyone¡¯s hearts were in their throats, unsure if Zhang Zhongfeng¡¯s archery would sessfully kill Chen Guanghe.


    However, in contrast, only Xu Ming had an imperceptible smile in his eyes.


    "Ah!"


    Suddenly, everyone heard a miserable cry. They looked closely and saw thest arrow urately hit Chen Guanghe¡¯s body, piercing through his chest once again.


    Immediately, blood gushed from the wound, quickly dyeing his clothes red.


    Hit by two arrows, both prative wounds, caused great impact on Chen Guanghe¡¯s body, his steps became staggered, swaying, ready to fall at any moment.


    At this moment, Zhang Zhongfeng put away the bow and arrows in his hand, staring indifferently at Chen Guanghe not far away.


    After persevering for over ten seconds, Chen Guanghe finally couldn¡¯t hold on, copsing to the ground with a thud, unconscious.


    "Fourth brother, well done!" Wei Jiahao said excitedly.


    Qiu Yong nodded, his eyes showing a hint of pride.


    Shooting a Heavenly List expert, it¡¯s not something everyone can do. Even though Chen Guanghe was injured at the time, the arrow is dead, the person is alive. For a Heavenly List expert, dodging arrow attacks should be easy. They canpletely predict and move in advance before the arrows arrive.


    Therefore, Zhang Zhongfeng¡¯s ability to kill a Heavenly List expert with a bow is definitely something to be proud of.


    "Excellent!" Xu Ming patted Zhang Zhongfeng¡¯s shoulder and rarely smiled: "From today on, you deserve the title of Archer God."


    Zhang Zhongfeng modestly said, "Thanks to second brother¡¯s help."


    "It¡¯s not my credit. Others can¡¯t understand your ten arrows, but I know your archery has indeed reached an extraordinary level. Given time, you will definitely reach a higher realm."


    Hearing this, Zhang Zhongfeng looked at Xu Ming with a brighter gaze.


    The ten arrows Zhang Zhongfeng shot just now weren¡¯t just simple arrows; from beginning to end, each of them was not simple, because all ten were shot through predictions.


    Chen Guanghe was a Heavenly List expert, mere simple archery wouldn¡¯t suffice against him. So from the first arrow, predictions have to be made in advance. Simply put, every move Chen Guanghe made was directly or indirectly influenced by the arrows, changing his position.


    Chen Guanghe might think he dodged the arrows¡¯ attack, but he didn¡¯t know that his every step was within Zhang Zhongfeng¡¯s expectations. Or rather, Zhang Zhongfeng designed the dodging route for Chen Guanghe, every step within his precise prediction.


    Thus, when Zhang Zhongfeng shot ten arrows consecutively, he had everything predicted in advance, waiting for Chen Guanghe to step into the trap he set, making it veryplex.


    Ling Chen¡¯s archery was personally taught by Zhang Zhongfeng, but Ling Chen could at most predict three arrows in advance. This shows the distance between the two.


    The Archer God, is ultimately still the Archer God!


    The reason Zhang Zhongfeng looked at Xu Ming with newfound respect is that, among the people present, aside from Xu Ming, no one saw the profound skill in those ten arrows.


    "Big brother, look."


    At this moment, hearing Wei Jiahao¡¯s voice, everyone turned to look and saw Chen Guanghe, lying on the ground, struggling to prop his hands up, trying to stand again. However, after several attempts, Chen Guanghe still couldn¡¯t get up.


    Under everyone¡¯s gaze, Xu Ming strode to Chen Guanghe¡¯s side.


    Feeling someone in front of him, Chen Guangheboriously raised his head, looked at Xu Ming¡¯s expressionless face, and said with a pale face: "How...how did you do it?"


    Hearing Chen Guanghe¡¯s question, Xu Ming squatted in front of him, leaned his head toward his ear, and whispered a few words. No one knew what Xu Ming said, but Chen Guanghe¡¯s eyes were full of shock.


    "Remember, in your next life, don¡¯t harm others again." Finished, Xu Ming stood up and walked back to the side of Qiu Yong and others.


    "Big brother!"


    At this moment, Ling Chen hurriedly came from the other end of the corridor.


    Seeing Chen Guanghe lying motionless on the ground, Ling Chen was slightly taken aback and quickly asked, "Big brother, are you alright?"


    Qiu Yong pointed at Chen Guanghe not far away with a smile and said: "He¡¯s the one in trouble, not us. Rest assured, we¡¯re all very well."


    "Indeed." Xia Yue chimed in: "Thanks to second brother¡¯s intervention, otherwise, we might have died at the hands of a Heavenly List expert."


    Heavenly List expert?


    Ling Chen was shocked. Was Xia Yue referring to the person lying there as a Heavenly List expert? However, that¡¯s not the most surprising thing to Ling Chen. With Qiu Yong and their strength, managing to kill a Heavenly List expert was beyond belief.


    "Second brother, how did you do it just now?" Wei Jiahao asked with interest.


    Upon hearing Wei Jiahao speak, everyone¡¯s eyes focused on Xu Ming, expecting his exnation. Ling Chen, having just arrived, was not very clear about what happened. Thankfully, Xia Yue briefly described the events, allowing Ling Chen to understand the situation.


    Even a Heavenly List expert couldn¡¯t touch Xu Ming¡¯s clothes; that¡¯s just too exaggerated!


    Ling Chen curiously looked at Xu Ming, also wanting to know how he did it.


    Faced with everyone¡¯s confusion, Xu Ming calmly said, "It¡¯s nothing, just a difference in realm."


    Realm?


    <fna433> ??? ????? ???????s ??? ?????s??? ?? find¡¤novel</fna433>


    After hearing Xu Ming¡¯s exnation, Ling Chen and others felt utterly confounded. This exnation was effectively no exnation; how can just the word ¡¯realm¡¯ indicate any problem?


    Seeing Xu Ming unwilling to borate further, everyone sensibly did not ask again. Everyone has their own secrets, and since Xu Ming doesn¡¯t want to divulge, there¡¯s no need to force it. Besides, which member of the Eight entric had no secrets of their own?

 Chapter 894 - 899: Realm (2)

    <h4>Chapter 894: Chapter 899: Realm (2)</h4>


    At this moment, Ling Chen couldn¡¯t worry about asking further questions, as there were other matters waiting for him to handle.


    Ling Chen had already recognized that Chen Guanghe; he was the old man who hade along with Lin Qiqi.


    Hmph!


    Ling Chen frowned secretly, a hint of sharpness in his eyes. That woman... truly ruthless. Despite everything being arranged in advance, she changed her mind at thest minute, causing him to lose many people.


    Since you are ruthless, don¡¯t me me for being unkind.


    Immediately, Ling Chen hurried towards the meeting room. Soon, when Ling Chen arrived, he saw that Hu Fei, Tang Guolun, and others had already reached the meeting room and subdued Lin Qiqi.


    Looking at Lin Qiqi surrounded by security personnel, Ling Chen walked straight up. Without waiting for Lin Qiqi to speak, a crisp ¡¯p¡¯ was heard, and the veil Lin Qiqi was wearing immediately fell off, revealing a delicate face. However, a bright red handprint appeared on her fair cheek.


    Lin Qiqi touched the swollen area, ring at Ling Chen, and suppressed her anger, saying, "You... you dare to hit me?"


    "Why wouldn¡¯t I dare? If I could, I¡¯d bury you with me." Ling Chen said coldly, "Listen to me carefully, this is my territory, and no one can act recklessly here. If you want to y tricks, you better be mentally prepared. Fatty, lock her up. Without my permission, no one is allowed to approach her, and definitely do not give her any food."


    Hearing this, Lin Qiqi swallowed her anger and said, "Ling Chen, let¡¯s talk this over. What happened earlier was just a misunderstanding."


    "Misunderstanding?" Ling Chen sneered, "You had Chen Guanghe wreak havoc at my base, is that a misunderstanding?"


    "Ling Chen, I checked just now," Hu Fei took out those two bank cards and said, "These two cards have miniature chips on them, capable of emitting signals within 500 meters. She likely intended to use these cards to locate us."


    Ling Chen fully understood Lin Qiqi¡¯s intention. As long as she destroyed the control center and captured people like Hu Fei, she would have room to negotiate. By then, not only could she demand back the 1.5 billion US Dors, but she could also use the hostages to exchange for Lin Guodong.


    Unfortunately, Lin Qiqi¡¯s n was well-thought-out, but her sole mistake was the Eight Oddities. She probably didn¡¯t expect Zhang Zhongfeng and Xu Ming to join forces to kill a Heavenly List expert.


    "Ling Chen!" Seeing two security personnel escorting her out, Lin Qiqi became anxious and quickly said, "I am willing to pay for what happened just now, whatever conditions you set."


    "Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s a bitte to say that now?" With those words, Ling Chen waved his hand, not bothering to waste more words with Lin Qiqi, and directly let the security personnel take her away.


    After Lin Qiqi was taken away, Hu Fei breathed a sigh of relief, grinning as he said, "This is great, we now have the number one and number two of the God Organization in our hands. It won¡¯t be long before we can slowly eradicate the God Organization¡¯s influence until it ispletely eliminated."


    "Don¡¯t celebrate too early," Ling Chen said, "So what if we¡¯ve captured Lin Qiqi and Lin Guodong? Do you really think we can destroy the God Organization? I¡¯ve talked with Lin Guodong, and though he and Lin Qiqi are the heads of the God Organization, the actual power is still held by the core members of the Ling Family. So even without Lin Qiqi and Lin Guodong, the God Organization will continue to operate as usual."


    "No matter what, with both of them in our hands, we have at least gained the upper hand," Tang Guolun chimed in.


    "Something about this seems odd to me," Ling Chen thought for a moment and said, "Lin Guodong is the number two of the God Organization, yet the one protecting him is Ji Gang. Lin Qiqi, as the leader, only has Chen Guanghe for protection. Don¡¯t you find it strange? Ji Gang is a genuine Heavenly List expert, far more formidable than those like Chen Guanghe, who forcibly evoke their potential through experiments. Why would they ce their strongest expert with Lin Guodong? Any other organization leader wouldn¡¯t make such a decision."


    "What you say indeed makes sense." Hu Fei agreed, "But... maybe Lin Qiqi cares a lot about Lin Guodong¡¯s safety, so she assigns the expert to him. After all, Lin Qiqi has always remained hidden and doesn¡¯t need to show up often. Moreover, you¡¯ve seen the rtionship between Lin Qiqi and Lin Guodong. To rescue Lin Guodong, Lin Qiqi didn¡¯t hesitate to risk herself and came directly to our territory. It shows she values Lin Guodong immensely."


    Ling Chen pondered for a moment, frowning, "No matter what, I still feel there¡¯s something odd... forget it! Let¡¯s not dwell on it for now. Fatty, Boss Tang, since you guys stay at the base often, make sure to keep a close watch on these two, don¡¯t let them escape. Also, from today, strengthen the base¡¯s defense level. With Lin Qiqi and Lin Guodong captured, the God Organization might take action."


    "Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll be watching them at all times." Hu Fei replied.


    Leaving the meeting room, they saw Qiu Yong and others approaching.


    "Sixth Brother, is everything handled?" Yuan Yun asked.


    Ling Chen nodded and said, "Almost done. Third Brother, you¡¯ve all worked hard, go rest for now."


    Speaking, the group headed straight towards the base¡¯s residence.


    On the way, Ling Chen noticed Xu Minggging behind alone, so he slowed down to walk beside Xu Ming.


    <fn8270> Newest update provided by find?novel</fn8270>


    "Second Brother."


    Xu Ming looked up, nced at Ling Chen, and asked unemotionally, "What¡¯s the matter?"


    "Uh..." Ling Chen touched his nose and said, "Second Brother, before, you mentioned ¡¯realm¡¯ to me. I didn¡¯t quite understand what you meant. If it¡¯s convenient for you, could you exin it to me?"


    "You want to understand the realm?" Xu Ming smiled and said, "The realm is a very mysterious thing, difficult to describe in words. For a simple analogy, we often talk about Earthly List experts whose strength gradually increases with the enhancement of their realm. However, Earthly List experts can¡¯t truly perceive the existence of the realm; only Heavenly List experts can tangibly experience the changes that the realm brings. That level... I don¡¯t know how to describe it either. Let¡¯s just say, once one¡¯s strength reaches the Heavenly List, the realm bes the most crucial existence. However, the realm cannot be improved through training, but only through personal insight."


    Hearing this, Ling Chen asked in surprise, "Second Brother, does that mean your realm is higher than Chen Guanghe¡¯s?"


    "Yes, you could say that."


    "Then... doesn¡¯t that mean..."


    Before Ling Chen could finish, Xu Ming interjected, "Don¡¯t overthink it, I¡¯m still not considered a Heavenly List expert yet."


    "Why?" Ling Chen asked, puzzled, "Your realm is higher than Chen Guanghe¡¯s, and he¡¯s a Heavenly List expert. Why aren¡¯t you one?"


    Xu Ming exined, "It¡¯s a long story, I¡¯ll tell you sometime in the future."

 Chapter 895 - 900: The Banquet

    <h4>Chapter 895: Chapter 900: The Banquet</h4>


    After sending Qiu Yong and others back to their rooms, Ling Chen remembered his appointment with Nanrong Wanqing and didn¡¯t dare to waste time at the base. He immediately drove to Hongyu Group.


    At the end of the workday, Ling Chen apanied Nanrong Wanqing in a Rolls-Royce, heading straight to Wealthy Manor.


    Back at the Nanrong Family, to attend tonight¡¯s banquet, Nanrong Wanqing had specially ordered an evening dress. Ling Chen wasn¡¯t as particr, simply changing into a suit and sitting in the living room, waiting for Nanrong Wanqing to get ready.


    At that moment, Nanrong Hao walked in from outside. Seeing only Ling Chen in the living room, Nanrong Hao hurried to his side and whispered, "Brother Chen, Zhao Zhengxiong has sent a reply."


    "Really?" Ling Chen asked, "What did he say?"


    Calcting the time, the deadline of a day was almost up, Zhao Zhengxiong should indeed be responding.


    Nanrong Hao said in a deep voice, "He didn¡¯t say anything, just had people smash several of Hao¡¯s venues. Hao just called me, saying more than twenty people were sent to the hospital. Moreover, those venues are now controlled by Zhao Zhengxiong¡¯s men. Brother Chen, Zhao Zhengxiong is determined to oppose us. I say there¡¯s no need to endure any longer, let¡¯s directly take action against him."


    "Zhao Zhengxiong does have some guts, daring to challenge me." Ling Chen pondered for a moment, then instructed, "Haozi, tell Jiang Hao that since Zhao Zhengxiong isn¡¯t considering our past ties, we don¡¯t need to hold back anymore. Starting today, have people sweep all of Zhao Zhengxiong¡¯s venues. I want to see just how strong Zhao Zhengxiong¡¯s wings are."


    After a pause, Ling Chen continued, "Haozi, let Jiang Hao first explore Zhao Zhengxiong¡¯s background. You don¡¯t get involved for now, if Jiang Hao can¡¯t handle it, then you step in to help."


    "Alright, I¡¯ll head out then." After speaking, Nanrong Hao quickly walked towards the door.


    "Haozi."


    Before Nanrong Hao left, Ling Chen suddenly stopped him, saying, "Remember, don¡¯t go overboard, fight if necessary, but don¡¯t cause any fatalities. I don¡¯t want anything happening to you."


    "Don¡¯t worry, Brother Chen, it¡¯s not the first time we¡¯ve done this."


    Watching Nanrong Hao leave, Ling Chen thought for a moment, then took out his newly bought phone from his pocket and dialed a number.


    At 7:30 in the evening, Nanrong Wanqing, holding Ling Chen¡¯s arm, left the Nanrong Family and headed by Rolls-Royce to the location of the banquet.


    To emphasize her importance towards this banquet, Nanrong Wanqing dressedvishly, donning a snow-white evening gown exposing her shoulders slightly, with a bright pearl gemstone around her neck, highlighting her fair skin.


    Her smooth hair flowed down her shoulders, with a decorative clip on the top bun, gleaming and dazzling under the lights.


    Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s beauty doesn¡¯t need much description. Everyone in East Sea City knows she is a flower of East Sea City, unmatched in beauty.


    Usually, Nanrong Wanqing dresses elegantly. Even so, her charm is undeniable. Tonight, Nanrong Wanqing specifically dressed up, with light makeup making her even more radiant and breathtakingly beautiful.


    Eight o¡¯clock.


    Ling Chen and Nanrong Wanqing arrived at the venue on time.


    The apanying security personnel were only Zhong Wei and Liang Zhao Hui since Ling Chen was apanying Nanrong Wanqing, so extensive security wasn¡¯t necessary.


    Getting out of the car, Ling Chen looked around, slightly amazed by the luxurious banquet.


    The Ling Family chose the private estate for the banquet location, and for tonight¡¯s event, they had started renovating it a half month ago, aiming for perfection.


    In the past, upper society usually chose Yulong Mansion for nighttime events; it¡¯s universally recognized as a grand venue. But the Ling Family¡¯s renovated private estate surpasses Yulong Mansion in luxury, filled with opulence everywhere.


    No wonder they¡¯re wealthy!


    Ling Chen thought to himself. Across Huaxia, it¡¯s unlikely anyone is wealthier than the Ling Family. Over the years, through the God Organization, the Ling Family has amassed a hidden fortune.


    Although Ling Chen hasn¡¯t precisely calcted, from the confidential documents he obtained, it¡¯s guessable this wealth adds up to a staggering figure.


    Whenever thinking of this, Ling Chen feels that 1.5 billion US Dors was too little.


    In contemtion, Ling Chen walked with Nanrong Wanqing towards the private estate.


    After presenting their invitation and after repeated confirmations by door security, Ling Chen and Nanrong Wanqing were finally weed inside by a server.


    Due to the banquet¡¯s restrictions on security escorts, Zhong Wei and Liang Zhao Hui couldn¡¯t enter together. Fortunately, the host had considered this issue, constructing a temporary lounge outside the estate in advance, where dedicated staff would attend to these security personnel.


    Entering the estate, Ling Chen followed Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s steps, observing the surrounding environment.


    After all, this is the Ling Family¡¯s territory, he needed to be cautious.


    As they walked, guests asionally approached Nanrong Wanqing to greet her, being the chairman of Hongyu Group and the flower of East Sea City, her reputation was undoubtedly significant. Some guests unfamiliar with Nanrong Wanqing were drawn by her fame to greet her and hoped to make her acquaintance.


    "Miss Nanrong, hello, we meet again."


    At this moment, a voice sounded from the crowd.


    Ling Chen focused his gaze, and his expression immediately changed. The speaker was none other than that old fellow Yang He.


    Unexpectedly, he also came to attend tonight¡¯s banquet.


    Of course, Yang He, having links with the God Organization, would definitely be here for the Ling Family¡¯s banquet.


    Seeing Yang He appear, Nanrong Wanqing smiled slightly, courteously greeting, "Mr. Yang, long time no see. You¡¯re still as hale as ever."


    "I¡¯m lucky. If it wasn¡¯t for narrowly escaping once, I¡¯m afraid this old life wouldn¡¯t havested. Mr. Ling, don¡¯t you agree?"


    Yang He switched the conversation to Ling Chen, a glint in his old eyes.


    Ling Chen replied neutrally, "That¡¯s unfortunate, wouldn¡¯t it be better if you were dead? You¡¯d suffer a lot less afterward."


    Hearing Ling Chen¡¯s retort, Yang He¡¯s eyebrows furrowed slightly, sneering, "Rest assured, even if you die, I¡¯d still live well and for a long time."


    "Really? But as far as I know, your good days are numbered. Old Man Yang, there¡¯s an old saying, revenge wille eventually. Just wait!"


    "You..." Yang He cooled, about to speak in anger. But before his words emerged, a burst of heartyughter reached their ears.


    "Mr. Yang, Mr. Ling, Miss Nanrong, what are you discussing?"


    Following the voice, Ling Chen saw a middle-aged man in a suit stride over.


    Seeing this man, Yang He¡¯s old face immediately brightened with a smile, "Ling Shen, you¡¯re finally out."


    Ling Shen!


    Ling Chen squinted, realizing he was the host of tonight¡¯s banquet.<fn23fb> N?w ?ovel chapt?rs are published on find{n}ovel</fn23fb>

 Chapter 896 - 901: Banquet (2)

    <h4>Chapter 896: Chapter 901: Banquet (2)</h4>


    Ling Chen still remembers that Nanrong Wanqing said Ling Shen is the manager of the market expansion department at Wanheng Group, considered among the upper management there.


    However, only Ling Chen is clear that neither Ling Shen, nor Lin Qiqi and Lin Guodong, who were previously caught, are central members of the Ling Family. In other words, they are not direct descendants of the Ling Family.


    From Lin Guodong¡¯s words, Ling Chen gleaned a lot of information, including some about the current head of the Ling Family.


    The core members of the Ling Family are very secretive and rarely make appearances. Furthermore, they spend most of their time living abroad and usually handle the Ling Family¡¯s affairs remotely.


    As for the matters that require public appearances, they¡¯re handled by branch members of the Ling Family.


    In a word, the core members of the Ling Family are good at protecting themselves and would never put themselves in harm¡¯s way.


    Therefore, in Ling Chen¡¯s eyes, this Ling Shen is at most a small fry, not even worth his interestpared to Lin Qiqi and Lin Guodong. His main purpose for attending the reception with Nanrong Wanqing this time is to figure out the Ling Family¡¯s ns.


    "Mr. Ling, hello, it¡¯s a pleasure to meet you." Nanrong Wanqing proactively extended her hand.


    With a smile, Ling Shen shook Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s small hand and said, "Miss Nanrong is the figurehead of East Sea City. I¡¯ve long heard of your illustrious reputation, and today I finally have the chance to see you in person. You truly live up to your name."


    "You¡¯re too kind, Mr. Ling."


    After some polite exchanges, Ling Shen turned his gaze towards Ling Chen, sizing him up. The smile on his face was no longer as warm as before, but rather carried a hint of coldness.


    "Mr. Ling, I¡¯ve heard quite a bit about your exploits."


    Ling Chen replied nonchntly, "You¡¯d better listen less about me to avoid getting yourself involved. Moreover, I want to remind you that East Sea City is not an easy ce to be. You¡¯d better leave soon, or I can¡¯t guarantee your safety here."


    Hearing these inexplicable words, a hint of confusion flickered in Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s beautiful eyes. There was no way around it, as Ling Chen¡¯s words were so heavilyden with hostility that anyone could hear it.


    Ling Shenughed heartily, "Mr. Ling, you don¡¯t have to worry about my safety. If I dare toe here, I¡¯m not afraid of anyone scheming against me. Right, Mr. Yang?"


    Yang He echoed, "That¡¯s right. This is East Sea City, and some people had better gauge their abilities before taking action, lest they suffer double losses."


    "Do the two of you think I would be afraid?" Ling Chen said with a light smile, "If I were afraid, how would I dare y along with you for so long? You two should start contemting your exit strategies. I¡¯m afraid your good times areing to an end." With that, Ling Chen stopped wasting words and turned to Nanrong Wanqing beside him, "Shall we go?"


    Watching Ling Chen¡¯s distant figure, Yang He snorted coldly, gritting his teeth as he said, "This bastard... I¡¯ll deal with him sooner orter."


    "Alright! Mr. Yang, no need to get angry over someone like that. Ling Chen is just a small fry; he can¡¯t stir up much of a storm. Let¡¯s go, we have plenty of distinguished guests to attend to tonight, and we shouldn¡¯t neglect them."


    Among the crowd, Nanrong Wanqing noticed Ling Chen walking silently with a contemtive look and couldn¡¯t help but curiously ask, "Do you know that Ling Shen?"


    Ling Chen smiled, "Why do you ask?"


    "I heard your conversation just now. It felt like you have some kind of grudge, and your enmity doesn¡¯t seem small either."


    "You could say that," Ling Chen replied casually, "It¡¯s from a long time ago. Anyway, you¡¯re better off not coborating with anyone from the Ling Family. They¡¯re a pack of wolves that devour people without even leaving bones."


    Nanrong Wanqing said discontentedly, "If you had told me this earlier, I wouldn¡¯t havee to this reception tonight. Wanheng Group is a well-known big enterprise in the country. If we could cooperate with them, Hongyu Group wouldn¡¯t be limited to East Sea City anymore, and might have a chance to be a national enterprise. However, since you have a grudge against them, there¡¯s no need for me to waste energy on them anymore."


    Upon hearing this, Ling Chen smiled slightly and said, "There are plenty of opportunities around. Under your leadership, Hongyu Group will surely be a renowned enterprise in time."


    "Ling Chen?"


    As they were talking, Ling Chen suddenly heard a familiar voiceing from the crowd.


    Turning around, Ling Chen was surprised to find a charming beauty gracefully walking towards him.


    Leng Feifei?


    Seeing who it was, Ling Chen was shocked, not expecting to meet her in a ce like this. Truth be told, it had been a long time since hest saw Leng Feifei.


    Time had passed, yet Leng Feifei was still the same as ever. Her figure was neither too thin nor too plump, with a face as charming as an egg, fair-skinned like a snow lotus on a snow mountain, exuding a pure glow.


    Leng Feifei donned a gray evening gown tonight, with one shoulder slightly exposed and a white petal embroidered on the strap of her right shoulder, making her appear even more elegant and gracious.


    <fn8721> ?? ??? ???? ?? ???? ???? ???????s, ????s? ??s?? F¦ÉndNovel</fn8721>


    However, the most eye-catching part was the ample bosom in front of Leng Feifei, pressing against the fabric with a tempting allure, adding to her feminine and seductive charm.


    Inhaling the faint fragrance emanating from Leng Feifei, Ling Chen finally came to his senses, smiling as he asked, "Feifei, long time no see. What brings you here?"


    Leng Feifei nced at Nanrong Wanqing beside Ling Chen, smiling softly in greeting. After a pause, she replied, "I came here with mypany¡¯s leadership."


    "I see!"


    Ling Chen immediately understood. Indeed, having such a distinctive beauty like Leng Feifei by one¡¯s side is something to be proud of, and her boss certainly knows how to utilize resources.


    "Feifei, how have you beentely? How¡¯s work?"


    "Not bad, my boss and colleagues take good care of me." With that, Leng Feifei looked at Nanrong Wanqing, smiling as she said, "Miss Nanrong, hello, nice to meet you. I forgot to introduce myself, I¡¯m Leng Feifei, just graduated from East Sea University and a fellow alum of your brother."


    "Hello." Nanrong Wanqing responded with a polite greeting. After speaking, she pointed towards the crowd nearby and said, "Ling Chen, I¡¯m going over there to greet some friends, take your time chatting."


    "Okay."


    Watching Nanrong Wanqing leave, Ling Chen couldn¡¯t help but smile. He knew that with her present, Leng Feifei felt a bit constrained while speaking, so she voluntarily left to create space for the two of them. One must admit that Nanrong Wanqing is quite adept at handling situations.


    "Feifei, let¡¯s go over there and sit."


    Leng Feifei agreed and followed Ling Chen to the northeast corner of the estate, where a row of sofas was ced and the coffee table was filled with an abundance of fruits and cold dishes.


    Looking at the livelywn, Ling Chen casually picked up an apple, taking a bite as he asked, "Have you gotten a boyfriend recently?"

 Chapter 897 - 902: Cocktail Party (Part 3)

    <h4>Chapter 897: Chapter 902: Cocktail Party (Part 3)</h4>


    Hearing Ling Chen¡¯s abrupt question, Leng Feifei¡¯s pretty face blushed slightly, and she said irritably, "I¡¯m still young, why would I need a boyfriend?"


    "Hey! That¡¯s not how it should be said. I know you¡¯re an independent woman, but eventually, you need a man to lean on." Ling Chen paused, then smiled and said, "I mean no offense. I¡¯m just casually asking. You¡¯re such a beautiful woman, isn¡¯t there anyone in thepany pursuing you?"


    "Don¡¯t mention those pursuers, they¡¯re like flies buzzing around me all day. It¡¯s driving me crazy."


    "There¡¯s nothing you can do, you¡¯re too outstanding. Moreover, don¡¯t you know how many people want to be the center of attention like you are, and yet you disdain it."


    Leng Feifei asked irritably, "Are all you men so superficial, only caring about appearances?"


    "Who says that?" Ling Chen immediately corrected her, "Appearance is important, but inner qualities matter more, just like me. I¡¯m both handsome and a good person. Unfortunately, there are too few good men like me."


    "You, a good man!" Leng Feifei gave Ling Chen a disdainful look and said, "If you were a good man, you wouldn¡¯t have gone this long without even a phone call. It¡¯s been months, and I was wondering if you¡¯d forgotten about me as a friend."


    "I¡¯ve just been too busy." Ling Chen smiled sheepishly.


    As they were talking, a man in his thirties walked out from the crowd and greeted Leng Feifei. Then, he turned to look at Ling Chen, sized him up, and asked, "Feifei, who¡¯s this?"


    "This is Ling Chen, my friend." After saying this, Leng Feifei looked at Ling Chen and said, "Let me introduce you, this is Song Wen, an executive at ourpany who has just returned from advanced studies overseas."


    Ling Chen smiled faintly and politely extended his hand, "Mr. Song, you¡¯re truly young and talented to have be apany executive at such a young age."


    "Not at all!" Song Wen humbly replied, "I was just lucky to be noticed by argepany." He paused, and before Ling Chen could say anything further, Song Wen looked at Leng Feifei and said, "Feifei, let me introduce you to a few friends. They¡¯re all elites in the business sector."


    "Well..." Leng Feifei hesitated for a moment, then tactfully declined, "Mr. Song, maybe you should go first. It¡¯s been a long time since I¡¯ve had a chance to chat with Ling Chen. How about I join you once you¡¯re done?"


    Upon hearing this, a trace of displeasure shed in Song Wen¡¯s eyes. The reason he brought Leng Feifei was to show off in front of his friends, letting them see how beautiful hispanion was.


    As a man, who doesn¡¯t have a bit of vanity, wishing to be surrounded by beautiful women? Although there were many pretty women in thepany, there was none like the exquisite beauty of Leng Feifei. That¡¯s why he brought her here.


    Now, Leng Feifei meant to stay with another man, which made him ufortable.


    Ling Chen was perceptive and had noticed the change in Song Wen¡¯s expression. Ling Chen could easily guess Song Wen¡¯s thoughts. Men generally care about face, and Leng Feifei, being new to the workforce, might not think through thingspletely, acting on her whims.


    However, such actions might affect her workce future. After all, Song Wen was her superior, and if she upset him, Song Wen might make her life difficult at thepany. With this in mind, Ling Chen said, "Feifei, why don¡¯t you go with Mr. Song first? I have things to do as well, let¡¯s chat after I¡¯m done."


    Hearing Ling Chen¡¯s suggestion, Leng Feifei, albeit reluctantly, stood up obediently.


    Seeing Leng Feifei return to his side, Song Wen finally put away his displeasure.


    "Let¡¯s go!" Song Wen took the initiative to hold Leng Feifei¡¯s hand, not sparing Ling Chen another nce, and headed directly towards the crowd. To Song Wen, there was no need to be particrly polite to Leng Feifei¡¯s friends.


    After all, Leng Feifei was just a small employee, and as Ling Chen was her friend, he likely wasn¡¯t someone of significant stature either. As for why Ling Chen was attending such a high-ss cocktail party, Song Wen didn¡¯t care.


    Watching Leng Feifei and Song Wen¡¯s departing backs, Ling Chen smiled helplessly. This guy... so rude. Even though he helped him, there wasn¡¯t even a word of ¡¯thank you.¡¯


    Sitting on the sofa for a while, Ling Chen watched the peopleing and going, then got up and picked up an orange, heading directly towards the central vi of the estate.


    Later, Ling Chen took out a pair of ck-framed sses from his pocket and ced them on his eyes.


    "Hey! Fatty, can you hear me?"


    "Loud and clear," soon came Hu Fei¡¯s voice through the earpiece.


    "Begin scanning."


    "Got it."


    At this moment, in the control center of the research base, Hu Fei and Tang Guolun stood in front of the big screen, watching the footage intently.


    The screen disyed a live broadcast of the cocktail party, yet the broadcast wasn¡¯t the only thing; numerous red boxes appeared, identifying each guest. On one side of the screen, detailed information of every scanned guest was shown.


    "Brother Hu, look at the information of this person," a technician pointed at the screen and said, "This person is listed as missing on the Ministry of Public Security¡¯s list, and has been missing for over a decade."


    "Missing?" Hu Fei nced at the information, quickly picked up the radio, and said, "Ling Chen, be careful, they¡¯ve arranged many undercover security personnel hidden in the crowd."


    "Are they ordinary security personnel or experts?"


    "Experts! Do you remember the God Organization¡¯s Lucifer experiment? The God Organization captured many martial artists and enhanced their potential and strength through the Lucifer experiment. Those captured were marked as missing, and the security mixed in the crowd are exactly those missing persons."


    "Got it, continue to keep an eye out, and see if there are any important figures from the Ling Family."


    At that moment, Ling Chen had already reached outside the vi entrance.


    <fn50c4> Fresh chapters posted on FindN0vel</fn50c4>


    Seeing the two security personnel at the door, Ling Chen immediately stopped and detoured to the back of the vi. Although there were patrolling security personnel at the back of the vi as well, they weren¡¯t stationed at fixed posts, giving Ling Chen an opportunity to sneak in.


    Taking advantage of not being spotted, Ling Chen lightly tapped on tiptoe and quickly climbed up the vi¡¯s exterior wall. Before long, Ling Chen sessfully reached the second-floor balcony of the vi.


    Standing on the balcony, Ling Chen gently pushed the ss door, finding it locked from the inside.


    In the moment, Ling Chen took out a bank card from his pocket, inserted it into the gap of the ss door, and slid it gently once fully inserted, unlocking the ss door immediately.

 Chapter 898 - 903: Banquet (4)

    <h4>Chapter 898: Chapter 903: Banquet (4)</h4>


    Pushing the ss door open, Ling Chen stood outside, listening carefully. Only after making sure no one was in the room did he walk in.


    The room wasn¡¯t veryrge, and with the lights off, it appeared somewhat dim. Fortunately, the brightly lit vi outside provided a faint glow, giving Ling Chen just enough light to barely make out the room¡¯s furnishings.


    Scanning around twice, Ling Chen noticed ayer of dust on the furniture and floor, indicating the ce hadn¡¯t been upied for some time.


    He remembered Nanrong Wanqing mentioning that this private estate was recently purchased by Wanheng Group to host this particr banquet. Therefore, it was normal for no one to be living there.


    Leaving the room, Ling Chen nced down the empty corridor and cautiously moved forward, continuing to check other rooms.


    However, he hadn¡¯t gone far before he suddenly stopped, looking up toward a room on the left.


    There was a sound!


    Ling Chen moved to the doorway, pressing his ear against the door to listen carefully. Sure enough, not only were there sounds, but quite a few people were inside the room.


    In a sh of thought, Ling Chen gripped the door handle, gently turning it and silently pushed the door open a crack. Instantly, he saw the spacious room illuminated, with severalputers ced against the wall, where a few staff members were watching surveince footage on the screens.


    On the other side of the room, several security personnel in suits sat, ying with electric batons in their hands.


    Eight people!


    After confirming the number of people in the room, Ling Chen briefly contemted and formted a n in his mind. Immediately, Ling Chen burst the door open, quickly charging inside. Before everyone could react, Ling Chen had already reached the security personnel.


    With his hand raised in a chopping motion, Ling Chen shed down consecutively, instantly knocking out the four security guards.


    After a brief moment of shock, the staff members sitting in front of theputers finally reacted. Unfortunately, before they could call for help, an electric baton struck them, and they passed out from the shock.


    <fn7ffd> This update is avable on f?ndnovel</fn7ffd>


    From start to finish, it took less than four seconds, an exceptionally fast pace.


    Looking at the eight men sprawled on the ground, Ling Chen quickly walked to the door, closing and locking it to prevent others from entering.


    Once everything was settled, Ling Chen returned to theputers, observing the surveince footage disyed on the screens.


    Tsk tsk!


    These guys did a pretty thorough job with security, cing surveince cameras all over the estate, leaving almost no blind spots. Luckily, he had noticed a hidden camera when he sneaked in, so he wasn¡¯t detected.


    Huh?


    At this moment, Ling Chen¡¯s attention was suddenly drawn to a scene on the screen. In that scene, seven or eight men in suits were seated around a circr table, discussing something unknown.


    Among those men, most were elderly, around sixty or seventy, with some middle-aged men in their fifties. However, Ling Chen was most concerned about Ling Shen and Yang He. Both were sitting at the table¡¯s edge, smiling and appearing very pleased.


    "Fatty, did you see that?"


    "I saw it."


    "Check out the information on those people. If they¡¯re hanging out with Yang He, they¡¯re probably not good people."


    "We¡¯re checking, wait a bit."


    As they spoke, a voice suddenly came through the inte next to Ling Chen: "Calling the main station! Calling the main station! If you receive this, please respond."


    Hearing the voice, Ling Chen frowned, hesitating on whether to reply.


    Listening to the continuous prompting from the inte, Ling Chen, fearing exposure of his location, reluctantly picked up the inte and replied, "Received!"


    "What are you guys doing, no one has responded for so long." Hearing theint from the other side, Ling Chen lowered his voice and said, "There was a slight signal issue just now, couldn¡¯t hear clearly. It¡¯s back to normal now. Go ahead, what¡¯s up?"


    "Help me find Ling Chen¡¯s whereabouts. Mr. Ling instructed me to keep an eye on him. I just saw him in the crowd, but then he disappeared in the blink of an eye. Help me find him."


    "Wait a moment, let me check."


    Ah, they were looking for him. Ling Chen thought to himself, Ling Shen must be worried about him causing trouble, so he had people secretly monitoring him. After over ten seconds, Ling Chen picked up the inte and said, "Found him, he¡¯s in the restroom."


    "Got it, continue keeping an eye on him, and report his whereabouts to me constantly."


    "Understood."


    Ending the call, Ling Chen put down the inte and secretly breathed a sigh of relief.


    Lucky enough, they hadn¡¯t realized he was an imposter.


    "Fatty, have you found anything yet?"


    "I found it." Hu Fei¡¯s voice came through the earpiece: "Besides Ling Shen and Yang He, the others are all wealthy tycoons, either entrepreneurs or heirs to major families, each with power and influence."


    "Wealthy people?" Ling Chen¡¯s heart sank. The God Organization gathered all these people together, could it be for... yes!


    It must be that.


    Ling Chen secretly thought. Like Yang He, they were all here to sponsor the God Organization. Those in the images were all quite old, and looking closely, they seemed to be sick,cking energy.


    These guys probably wanted to follow Yang He¡¯s example and fund the God Organization to obtain their drugs for improving their physique.


    Hmph!


    "Fatty, I¡¯ll open the remote port, and you handle the security system here."


    "No problem."


    After activating the closed remote port in the system, Ling Chen quickly went out, heading directly toward the room where Ling Shen was.


    Ling Shen¡¯s group was on the vi¡¯s top floor, with guards at the stairway. To avoid rming anyone, Ling Chen didn¡¯t take the stairs but slipped out of the room¡¯s window, climbing up the outer wall.


    In no time, Ling Chen reached the vi¡¯s top floor.


    "Ling Chen."


    Hearing Hu Fei¡¯s voice, Ling Chen asked, "What is it?"


    "They left."


    "Left? Who left?"


    "Ling Shen and Yang He. The two of them went downstairs, leaving only the others in the room. You¡¯d better act quickly; I¡¯m afraid they¡¯ll notice the control room¡¯s been breached."


    "Understood."


    Ending the call, Ling Chen climbed back through the window, directly heading toward the room. Seeing two security personnel outside the door, Ling Chen didn¡¯t pause, swiftly rushing over and knocking them out with two consecutive punches.


    Pushing the door open, those people seen earlier on the surveince screen appeared before Ling Chen.


    At this moment, everyone¡¯s attention in the room turned to Ling Chen¡¯s sudden intrusion, and they couldn¡¯t help but freeze, asking in unison, "Who are you?"


    "Me?" Ling Chen smiled slightly, casually locking the door from the inside, then approached the group with a grin, saying, "I¡¯m here to collect a debt."

 Chapter 899 - 904: Extortion (1)

    <h4>Chapter 899: Chapter 904: Extortion (1)</h4>


    Before anyone present could speak, Ling Chen sat in the chair with his legs crossed and said with a half-smile, "Everyone, I know you¡¯re all wealthy individuals, and I¡¯m very clear about the purpose of your presence here. So, why don¡¯t we just cut to the chase?"


    <fn2f14> Th? link to the orig?n of this information r?sts ?n F?ndNovel</fn2f14>


    "Who exactly are you?" An elderly man in a tunic suit suddenly stood up, ring at Ling Chen, "I¡¯m only here to negotiate with Mr. Ling and Mr. Yang. You better get out of here immediately and stop interfering with us."


    Ling Chen smiled slightly, "My surname is Ling, so I am also Mr. Ling. Come on, sir, at your age, you shouldn¡¯t get so worked up. Let¡¯s sit down and talk properly."


    The old man brushed his sleeve, "I have nothing to discuss with you, leave!"


    Upon hearing this, Ling Chen¡¯s smile gradually froze, and a cold, fierce glint shed in his Mo Che-like pupils.


    "Everyone, I am being polite and talking to you with respect, but that doesn¡¯t mean you can act recklessly in front of me. Let me remind you, I¡¯ve already killed seven or eight people just beforeing in, and in my eyes, human life is akin to an ant¡¯s. So, I advise you to watch your tone. If you get on my bad side, you might just end uping here with no way out. Got it?"


    As soon as these words were spoken, the people present looked at each other, a hint of hesitation and worry in their eyes.


    "You!" Ling Chen raised his hand, pointing to the standing elderly man, "Sit down obediently and stop putting on airs in front of me. I¡¯m a civilized person, respecting the old and cherishing the young is my virtue; don¡¯t force me to abandon my virtues temporarily."


    Facing Ling Chen¡¯s gaze, the old man couldn¡¯t help but feel a chill rise in his heart, and he inadvertently sat down.


    Once everyone had shut their mouths, Ling Chen said, "I know why you¡¯re all here, mainly to exchange money for health and youth. From your perspective, I can understand, but youck awareness of the God Organization. Your money supporting them will only indirectly cause more innocent deaths and injuries. So, after I leaveter, you all should return from where you came from and act as if tonight never happened. Any questions?"


    A middle-aged man responded, "It¡¯s our money. How we spend it is our business. Who are you to decide for us?"


    "You¡¯re right." Ling Chen grinned, "I indeed don¡¯t have the right to decide for you, so I¡¯m merely suggesting. I¡¯ve remembered each of you here, and I¡¯ll have people monitor you 24/7. If I find out any of you are coborating with the God Organization, funding them, well, sorry, I¡¯ll have to resort to some improper means. By then, don¡¯t me me for not giving you a heads-up."


    After a pause, Ling Chen continued, "Also, I know what you¡¯re thinking right now. Are you nning to approach Ling Shen and Yang He for help after I leave? If so, I implore you to save your time and effort. To be honest, the God Organization is my opponent, and I am a thorn in their side too. Unfortunately, they haven¡¯t been able to do anything about me. If they were truly able to deal with me, I wouldn¡¯t be sitting here chatting with you now."


    After hearing Ling Chen¡¯s speech, everyone present had their heads down, each deep in thought, not knowing what was on their minds.


    "Hey! Ling Chen, you better hurry up. Ling Shen is on his way to the surveince room with people. Your whereabouts will soon be exposed."


    At this moment, Hu Fei¡¯s voice came through the earpiece.


    "Well, everyone, I¡¯ve said what needed to be said. Now, I¡¯d like to ask for your help." With that, Ling Chen took a piece of paper from his pocket and ced it in the center of the round table, "You have money to fund the God Organization, meaning you¡¯re not short of money. However, I am desperately short, especially fighting against forces like the God Organization, which drains a lot of funds. So, I¡¯m pleading with you to donate some money, consider it a good deed. How about it?"


    Hearing Ling Chen¡¯s request, everyone was stunned for a moment, wondering if they had misheard.


    He was threatening them and still asking for donations? Such shamelessness was indeed rare.


    Seeing the angry res, Ling Chen awkwardly smiled and said, "Come on, donate whatever you can; after all, you¡¯re all rich people. One or two hundred million US dors is just a drop in the bucket for you."


    One or two hundred million? And US dors!


    Everyone¡¯s eyes widened. If it weren¡¯t for Ling Chen¡¯s threat of retaliation, they would have probably jumped up and given him a good beating.


    This is outright robbery.


    At first, he said to donate as much as you want, but that ¡¯amount¡¯ instantly turned into one or two hundred million US dors. Even though they were wealthy, billionaire magnates, one or two hundred million US dors was not a small amount.


    Not everyone among them was a super-rich magnate; each had around five hundred million US dors in assets. The initial amount to cooperate with the God Organization was at least five hundred million US dors.


    Now Ling Chen was asking for two hundred million all of a sudden, how were they supposed to ept that?


    While everyone hesitated, Ling Chen pointed at the same old man from before and said, "Sir, while it¡¯s one or two hundred million for others, for you maybe it could be slightly more, let¡¯s say around four hundred million US dors."


    "Why?" The elderly man couldn¡¯t help but roar.


    Ling Chen shrugged, "Who told you to be wealthier than the others?"


    After saying that, before the elderly man could explode in anger, Ling Chen pulled a dagger from his belt, casually ying with it in his hand. As everyone¡¯s attention fixated on his hand, Ling Chen moved his fingers, and with a crisp ¡¯ng,¡¯ the dagger abruptly snapped into two pieces, falling to the ground.


    Seeing this moment, everyone present was stunned, eyes full of shock and fear.


    If those two fingers stabbed into their body, it¡¯d make a big hole.


    Ling Chen touched his nose and said helplessly, "The quality of this dagger is just too poor." After speaking, he looked up at the people around the round table and grinned, "What are you all staring at me for? I¡¯m about to leave, so please transfer the money quickly. The longer you dy, the worse it is for you."


    At this moment, everyone resigned themselves to fate. Ling Chen¡¯s silent threat was acknowledged by all, and everyone was afraid, even the short-tempered elderly man had quieted down.


    Before long, a middle-aged man pulled out his phone from his pocket, entered the bank ount number from the note. Seeing someone take the lead, others followed suit, using their phones to transfer funds into the designated ount.


    "It¡¯s done." A man turned his phone screen towards Ling Chen, showing the ¡¯transfer sessful¡¯ message.

 Chapter 900 - 905: Extortion (2)

    <h4>Chapter 900: Chapter 905: Extortion (2)</h4>


    "Fatty, has the money arrived?" Ling Chen asked, holding down the earpiece.


    Soon, Hu Fei¡¯s excited voice came through the earpiece: "A total of 1.5 billion US dors, all credited. Haha! We¡¯re rich now."


    "OK!" Ling Chen smiled slightly, stood up, and said to everyone present, "Thanks for your cooperation and support. Once I deal with the God Organization, you¡¯ll all get credit. Well, I¡¯m in a hurry. I¡¯ll see you again when there¡¯s a chance."


    <fncad5> Content originallyes from f?i?n?d?n?o?v?e?l?</fncad5>


    After speaking, Ling Chen didn¡¯t pause, quickly walked to the room¡¯s window, smashed the ss, and jumped out directly.


    Bang!


    Just as Ling Chen left, Ling Shen and Yang He immediately rushed into the room.


    Seeing the shattered ss window, Ling Shen sprinted to it, leaned out to look. But, besides the darkwn, he found nothing.


    "Go down and search, we must not let him escape."


    Upon hearing Ling Shen¡¯s order, the security personnel who followed quickly ran out.


    Returning to the round table, Ling Shen looked at the note left on the table and said in a deep voice, "What¡¯s this?"


    Immediately, several wealthy people who had been extorted rushed toin, detailing the events.


    "Bastard!" After listening, Ling Shen couldn¡¯t help but curse angrily.


    "Mr. Yang, stay here with them, I¡¯m going out for a bit."


    At this moment, at the manor¡¯s cocktail party, Ling Chen was humming a tune, hands in the pockets of his suit pants, strolling leisurely.


    Just recently, effortlessly getting 1.5 billion US dors was something that could make him happy for days.


    "Mr. Song,e on, let¡¯s have another drink!"


    "And Miss Leng, you join too."


    Walking among the crowd, Ling Chen heard a lively sound. Turning his head, he saw several men in their thirties gathered around a table with several bottles of foreign wine ced on it, two of which were already empty.


    Among the guests, Ling Chen also saw Leng Feifei and Song Wen. However, when he noticed Leng Feifei¡¯s appearance, he couldn¡¯t help but frown.


    At the moment, Leng Feifei¡¯s cheeks were flushed, clearly showing signs of not being able to handle her drink. However, facing Leng Feifei¡¯s slightly drunken state, the men next to her showed no intention of stopping, continuing to persuade her to drink. Especially Song Wen on the side, who was the most enthusiastic in urging.


    Moreover, the wine sses handed to Leng Feifei were all full, while others only had symbolic half-full sses.


    Seeing this scene, Ling Chen immediately felt displeased.


    Damn!


    Is this how you bully women?


    At this time, looking at the full ss handed to her, Leng Feifei refused politely, "I really can¡¯t drink anymore."


    "Hey! This is wine personally toasted by President Wu. If you don¡¯t drink, you¡¯re disrespecting President Wu."


    "Exactly," someone immediately echoed, "You drank the wine toasted by Mr. Chen, if you don¡¯t drink President Wu¡¯s wine, aren¡¯t you looking down on President Wu?"


    "No, it¡¯s not," Leng Feifei quickly waved her hand, exining, "I really can¡¯t drink anymore. If I have two more sses, I guess I will be drunk." After finishing, Leng Feifei cast a pleading nce at Song Wen, hoping he would help her push the wine away.


    "Feifei," Song Wen leaned close to Leng Feifei¡¯s ear and whispered, "President Wu and they are allpany¡¯s coborators and big clients, we can¡¯t offend them. As long as you apany them well with the drinks, make good rtions, any future projects will definitelye to you to discuss. This has a big advantage for your future position improvement in thepany."


    "This..." Leng Feifei looked a bit hesitant.


    "Drink it," Song Wen continued to coax, "If you get drunkter, I¡¯ll take you home."


    Hearing Song Wen¡¯s persuasion, Leng Feifei lightly bit her thin lips, reached out and took the wine ss handed by President Wu.


    Seeing her move, the people around the table immediatelyughed and cheered loudly, "Great, that¡¯s the spirit of a heroine. Come, cheers!"


    During the conversation, Song Wen and the other men exchanged a knowing look, full of smug smiles.


    "President Wu, please look out for us in the future." After speaking, Leng Feifei lifted the wine ss, ready to drink the foreign wine in the cup.


    But at this moment, a hand suddenly reached over from behind, blocking Leng Feifei¡¯s wine ss.


    "Don¡¯t drink."


    The voice came, Leng Feifei turned her head, looking at Ling Chen standing behind her, surprised, "Why are you here?"


    "Just passing by." Ling Chen replied casually, took Leng Feifei¡¯s wine ss, and said, "Everyone, I¡¯m sorry, my friend can¡¯t handle alcohol, I¡¯ll drink this ss on her behalf."


    "Wait a minute!" Before Ling Chen could drink the wine, a man immediately stopped Ling Chen¡¯s action, unhappily saying, "This wine can¡¯t be drank on behalf easily, Mr. Song hasn¡¯t spoken, you don¡¯t seem qualified."


    "Feifei is my friend, I have the duty to protect her safety." Pausing, Ling Chen nced at everyone present and said, "We¡¯re all men, I understand your intentions. Let me advise you, no matter what you intend, just don¡¯t target my friend. Otherwise, don¡¯t me me for being rude."


    "Rude!" Song Wen frowned and said, "Ling Chen, we¡¯re just simply drinking and chatting, getting closer, don¡¯t think so badly of us. These arepany clients, if you offend them all, how can we do business in the future? I don¡¯t care about your rtionship with Feifei, but, you need to apologize now."


    "What if I don¡¯t apologize?"


    "Then you¡¯ll implicate your friend. Feifei finally found a job, you don¡¯t want her to get fired, right?"


    "Ling Chen." Leng Feifei feared conflict between the two sides, quickly grabbed Ling Chen¡¯s hand, and said, "It¡¯s okay, I can handle one or two drinks."


    "Do you really think they¡¯ll let you off?" Ling Chen said helplessly, "Youck social experience. They keep urging you to drink, obviously wanting to take advantage of you. If you really get drunk, then they can do as they please. Feifei, you know people¡¯s faces, not their hearts. Do you think they care about your career?"


    "I..."


    "Alright!" Before Leng Feifei finished her sentence, Ling Chen interrupted, "You don¡¯t need to say anymore, I¡¯ll handle this for you."


    "Mr. Song, right." Ling Chen looked at Song Wen and said, "Do you know what ¡¯beast in human clothing¡¯ means? People like you are the best exnation of ¡¯beast in human clothing¡¯."


    Hearing this, Song Wen couldn¡¯t sit still, abruptly stood up, pointed at Ling Chen¡¯s nose, and said, "You dare insult me?"


    "So what if I insult you? I think not only do you deserve insults, but also a beating. Put your hand down, I hate people pointing at my nose when talking. Also, you and your cronies have to apologize to Feifei right away."


    "Hmph! Apologize to us, what are you?!" The others at the table shouted.

 Chapter 901 - 906: Extortion (3)

    <h4>Chapter 901: Chapter 906: Extortion (3)</h4>


    "If you don¡¯t want to apologize, that¡¯s fine too." Ling Chen pointed at the bottles of foreign wine on the table and said, "Each of you takes a bottle, and as long as you drink it all in one go, I¡¯ll let what happened earlier slide."


    "Ha!" Song Wen sneered, looked at Ling Chen, and said, "Do you even know who we are? We..."


    "Shut your damn mouth," Ling Chen said impatiently. "I don¡¯t care who you are. Even if you were the King himself, if you don¡¯t do as I say today, I¡¯ll deal with you all the same."


    Song Wen, defiant and unconvinced, challenged, "Go ahead and try it if you dare."


    Smack!


    Just as Song Wen finished speaking, a loud p echoed immediately.


    Instantly, Song Wen, pped hard, lost his bnce and staggered towards the table, knocking it over entirely and spilling wine all over himself, in apletely embarrassing state.


    Seeing Song Wen suffer, the others quickly shouted, "Security, security!"


    At this moment, the ruckus they caused had attracted the attention and gaze of all the guests present. With the help of his friends, Song Wen stood up again. Seeing the surrounding guests pointing and smiling at him, Song Wen felt utterly humiliated.


    As apany executive, when had he ever lost so much face, especially in full view of everyone?


    The attendees at this gathering were all influential figures, and now that he was knocked to the ground in front of so many people, he figured he¡¯d be theughing stock once the event was over.


    Thinking of this, Song Wen felt increasingly angry, losing his rationality to his fury, and directly grabbed a wine bottle from the ground, aiming to smash it onto Ling Chen¡¯s head.


    Seeing Song Wening at him, Ling Chen extended his leg and kicked a nearby stool.


    Immediately, the stool, impacted by the force, slid forward, just in front of Song Wen.


    Unprepared, Song Wen¡¯s legs bumped into the stool, causing him to lose bnce once again and topple to the ground, as the bottle in his hand flew out,nding right back on his own head.


    With a loud ¡¯ng,¡¯ the bottle shattered instantly, blood mixed with wine flowing out of his hair.


    Song Wen¡¯s pitiful state caused the onlookers to burst into fits ofughter.


    "Ling Chen!"


    Shame mixed with rage made Song Wen shout, preparing to lunge at Ling Chen.


    "Stop!"


    At this time, several security personnel rushed out from the crowd, pinning Song Wen to the ground once again. A few others charged towards Ling Chen, attempting to restrain him as well.


    Nheless, before any of those security personnel could touch Ling Chen, he easily dealt with them. Though the security personnel at the event were not weak, Ling Chen was now a different person than before. As a master on the Earthly List, these small fry were not a challenge.


    Seeing Ling Chen¡¯s capabilities, the other security personnel immediately held back, not daring to continue.


    "Ling Chen!"


    As the two sides were in a standoff, Ling Shen quickly emerged from the crowd, ring at Ling Chen and said, "Arrest him for me."


    "Wait a minute!" Ling Chen raised his hand to stop the security officers, smirking as he said, "Mr. Ling, what are you doing? I didn¡¯t offend you, did I? Is this how Wanheng Group treats its guests?"


    Ling Shen said coldly, "Ling Chen, you know very well what you¡¯ve done. Don¡¯t expect me to let you go."


    Hearing this, Ling Chen chuckled and said, "What did I do? I¡¯ve been here since the start of the event and haven¡¯t gone anywhere. Mr. Ling, even if you want to frame me, at leaste up with some story. We¡¯re in a society ruled byw, where evidence is key for everything. ndering me like this, I could sue you for defamation."


    "You..." Ling Shen was momentarily speechless.


    He couldn¡¯t possibly recount what had just urred in front of so many people. Thinking about it, Ling Shen took a deep breath, trying his best to calm himself down.


    "Ling Chen, we both know what¡¯s going on. Hand over what you took just now, and I won¡¯t give you a hard time tonight. If not, you won¡¯t be able to walk out of here."


    "Oh? Is Mr. Ling nning to restrict my personal freedom by force? Fine, this is your turf, you do as you wish. But don¡¯t me me for not warning you¡ªbefore doing anything, you¡¯d better weigh your own capabilities and see if you have what it takes to keep me here."


    Hearing this, Ling Shen frowned slightly.


    He understood Ling Chen¡¯s situation very well. It was precisely because he knew enough that he was a bit hesitant.


    Even though he brought a lot of personnel, these people probably couldn¡¯t do much against Ling Chen. Besides, he was the host of the night¡¯s event; causing a scene and having a conflict with a guest would inevitably lead to negative consequences.


    After thinking it over, Ling Shen made his decision.


    "Ling Chen, you may have your way this time. You wait, I will settle this score with you eventually." With that, Ling Shen waved his hand and left with his security team.


    Watching Ling Shen and his group head back to the vi, Ling Chen smiled faintly, unfazed by Ling Shen¡¯s threats.


    This was East Sea City, his turf, and he didn¡¯t take the likes of Ling Shen seriously.


    As he mused, a cry of pain diverted Ling Chen¡¯s attention.


    <fn9d60> ???s ??????? ?s ?????? ?? FindN0vel</fn9d60>


    Turning around, he saw Song Wen, again being supported by a few friends as he stood up. The security wasn¡¯t as lenient as Ling Chen just was; at this moment, Song Wen was bruised and battered, looking utterly disheveled.


    "Mr. Song, are you okay?" a concerned friend asked.


    "Get out of my way!"


    Song Wen pushed the person aside, ring angrily at Ling Chen, gritting his teeth as he said, "Ling Chen, mark my words, I..."


    "Mark what?"


    Before Song Wen could finish, Nanrong Wanqing emerged from the crowd and asked indifferently, "Ling Chen is my boyfriend. If you have any issues, bring them to Hongyu Group."


    Upon hearing this, Song Wen was stunned for a moment, unable to recover for a long time.


    "Miss... Miss Nanrong..." Song Wen stared nkly at Nanrong Wanqing, his anger-clouded mind clearing up instantly.


    He swallowed, mulling over Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s words, a sense of trepidation setting in.


    Boyfriend...


    This bastard was actually Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s boyfriend!


    Now it was truly over for him.


    Song Wen¡¯s face turned pale; who would have thought Ling Chen had such a strong backing?


    "Um... Mr. Ling, it was wrong of us just now. You are magnanimous; please don¡¯t hold it against us."


    At this point, those who had joined in to pressure Ling Chen were terrified by his identity and quickly came forward to apologize.


    Ling Chen ignored them, gazing straight at Song Wen and said, "Mr. Song, didn¡¯t you say you wanted to fire my friend? In that case, I¡¯ll resign on her behalf. Feifei, let¡¯s go."

 Chapter 902 - 907: Street Fight (1)

    <h4>Chapter 902: Chapter 907: Street Fight (1)</h4>


    Watching Ling Chen and Leng Feifei leaving, Song Wen finally panicked, hurriedly rushing in front of Ling Chen to block his way.


    "What are you doing?" Ling Chen looked at Song Wen coldly and asked.


    <fnd2a3> Chapters first released on FindN0vel</fnd2a3>


    "Ling... Mr. Ling." Song Wen forced out a smile uglier than crying, pleading, "It was my fault just now, please be the bigger person and don¡¯t hold it against me." After a pause, he continued, "What I said earlier was out of anger, I didn¡¯t truly mean to fire Feifei. She¡¯s an excellent employee of ourpany, I couldn¡¯t bear to let her go."


    At this moment, Song Wen was truly scared. If he really dismissed Leng Feifei, he could foresee what would happen tomorrow.


    By then, thepany¡¯s board would definitely have a talk with him, urging him to submit his resignation voluntarily. Not only that, the board would personally bring Leng Feifei back.


    After all, Leng Feifei was connected with the Hongyu Group. In East Sea City, nopany could ignore the existence of Hongyu Group.


    Ling Chen snorted softly, "Words spoken are like water spilled; do you think you can just take it back at will? Mr. Song, this is East Sea City. You¡¯re just a smallpany executive, don¡¯t take yourself too seriously. Feifei won¡¯t be returning to work at yourpany, so give up on that idea."


    Saying this, without caring about Song Wen¡¯s pitiful pleas, Ling Chen took Nanrong Wanqing and Leng Feifei straight out of the manor.


    But just as the three of them reached the entrance of the manor, ready to get into the car, they suddenly saw seven or eight minivans driving up from the opposite side of the street.


    Once those minivans parked by the road, as the doors slid open, dozens of young men jumped out, each holding a newspaper. Seeing the appearance of those youths, Ling Chen frowned slightly.


    Judging by their looks, it was obvious they were gangsters, and their newspapers were rolled with machetes and iron rods. Just judging from their stance, it was clear they were there for a brawl.


    Just then, from the other end of the road, several more minivans and a few sedans arrived. The cars stopped, and a young man stepped out from the lead sedan. Upon seeing this person, Ling Chen was taken aback.


    Jiang Hao!


    What a coincidence, to run into Jiang Hao leading his men against Zhao Zhengxiong¡¯s people. After all, this private manor¡¯s location was quite secluded, with few residents around ¡ª an excellent ce for a fight.


    As the two sides, numbering in dozens, gradually approached, Ling Chen hurriedly pulled Nanrong Wanqing and Leng Feifei back, to avoid being identally injured by either side.


    "Damn!" Jiang Hao spat out the cigarette hanging from his lips in anger and cursed, "Where¡¯s that bastard Zhao Zhengxiong? He can smash my ce but can¡¯t show his face?"


    "Our boss said, for someone like you, he doesn¡¯t need toe himself. Jiang Hao, out of past respect, our boss asked me to convey that if you join him, he will still treat you like a brother."


    "Get lost!" Jiang Hao said coldly, "If he truly saw me as a brother, he wouldn¡¯t have done things to betray me. Enough talk, today I will teach you a lesson so you know who the real boss of East Sea City is."


    "Brothers, attack!"


    As Jiang Hao finished speaking, the dozens of youths behind him immediately brandished their machetes and steel rods, charging crazily at the other side.


    When the two gangs collided, the sounds of metal nging and pained cries echoed continuously.


    At this time, security personnel from the private manor swiftly mobilized, surrounding the manor to protect it, ensuring the brawlers didn¡¯t affect the guests.


    This time, attendees of the banquet were all people of status and position, and they had never witnessed such arge street brawl before. After a brief panic, seeing there was no danger, everyone took out their phones with interest, filming the street fight scene.


    "Ling Chen." Nanrong Wanqing tugged on Ling Chen¡¯s sleeve, pointing at Jiang Hao in the melee, and said, "Isn¡¯t that your friend?"


    "Yes, his name is Jiang Hao. You¡¯ve seen him before."


    "Aren¡¯t you going to help him? What if something happens?" Nanrong Wanqing was somewhat worried.


    Ling Chen smiled faintly, "Don¡¯t worry, it¡¯s nothing. He¡¯s someone who earns his living this way. If he can¡¯t handle such a small trouble, how can he be the boss?"


    As they spoke, the fight became more and more intense, with more people falling to the ground, either shed by machetes or their heads smashed by steel rods. The scene was chaotic, full of screams and blood.


    Some onlooking women couldn¡¯t help but look away, unable to face the gruesome scene.


    The number of people on both sides was simr, and they had all undergone simr training, withparable skills. After over ten minutes, more than half of thebatants on both sides were injured, significantly reducing theirbat strength.


    Woo-woo-woo!


    At this moment, the sound of police sirens pierced through the night sky, reaching the ears of everyone.


    Ling Chen turned his head to look, seeing over ten police cars with shing red and blue lights swiftly approaching from both ends of the street, preparing to pin down all the brawlers in the middle.


    "The police are here, run!"


    Seeing the police cars, Jiang Hao didn¡¯t dare dy, quickly calling his men, ignoring their vehicles, and hurriedly fleeing towards the street corner and alleys. In no time, only dozens of severely injured brawlers who couldn¡¯t escape were left on the street.


    "Arrest them all, take them back."


    Hearing a familiar voice rise from the crowd, Ling Chen was slightly stunned. He focused his gaze and saw Xia Mutong, wearing a neat police uniform, standing among a group of officers, directing the arrests.


    When did she wake up?


    Ling Chen was somewhat surprised. Thest time he saw Xia Mutong, she was still lying unconscious in a hospital ward. It hadn¡¯t been long, and not only had she woken up, but she also returned to work at the police station.


    That fat guy, why didn¡¯t he tell me about this?


    Pondering this, Ling Chen sensed a sharp gaze cast from a distance. He looked up and saw Xia Mutong among the crowd, staring at him with a grim expression.


    "Officer Xia." Ling Chen immediately forced a smile, waved at Xia Mutong, and after greeting, he whispered a few words to Nanrong Wanqing beside him, then stepped forward, heading towards Xia Mutong.


    Once up close, Ling Chen smiled and asked, "Officer Xia, long time no see. Have you fully recovered?"


    Xia Mutong snorted, her face expressionless, "You don¡¯t need to worry about that. Let me ask you, what happened just now?"


    "What do you mean what happened, Officer Xia? I don¡¯t understand what you¡¯re talking about."


    "Ling Chen, don¡¯t try to fool me. Those who fought just now were all your people. Do you think I don¡¯t know?"

 Chapter 903 - 908: Street Fight (2)

    <h4>Chapter 903: Chapter 908: Street Fight (2)</h4>


    "Officer Xia, don¡¯t get me wrong, those guys just now have nothing to do with me," Ling Chen exined. "Yes, that¡¯s right, I used to hang out with them for a while, but Iter went on the straight and narrow. I can assure you this matter has nothing to do with me."


    "Do you think I¡¯d believe you? Everyone knows the underground forces in East Sea City are controlled by three people: Zhao Zhengxiong, Jiang Hao, and Nanrong Hao. But all three of them were cultivated by you; you¡¯re their true boss. Ling Chen, I¡¯m telling you, you must give me an exnation for this matter."


    Ling Chen spread his hands, speaking helplessly, "Officer Xia, I really have nothing to say. If you really don¡¯t believe me, there¡¯s nothing I can do about it. You might as well take me in." Saying this, Ling Chen stretched his hands out in front of Xia Mutong, indicating for her to handcuff him.


    "You..." Seeing Ling Chen¡¯s shameless demeanor, Xia Mutong couldn¡¯t help but feel a surge of anger.


    This bastard, it¡¯s been a while, and he¡¯s still the same as before, with not a bit of change.


    Just as Xia Mutong was fuming, a policeman hurried over and whispered a few words into her ear.


    Whatever the officer said, it made Xia Mutong¡¯s gaze towards Ling Chen change subtly.


    "Alright, I got it, go ahead and take care of your work."


    After the officer left, Xia Mutong gestured to Ling Chen, indicating for him to follow her. Before long, the two stopped under a streetlight on the road, where there were few people around, and only then did Xia Mutong begin to speak, her tone much softer than before.


    "I just got out of the hospital today and haven¡¯t been back at the precinct long, so I¡¯m not clear on what¡¯s happened recently. My colleague just told me Zhao Zhengxiong and Jiang Hao have had a conflict, attacking each other¡¯s turf repeatedly. You¡¯re their boss, so I want to ask, what¡¯s really going on here?"


    Ling Chen shrugged, and with a wry smile said, "I¡¯m telling the truth; I did bring them out, helped them secure their positions. But I rarely get involved in their affairs. The reason for this conflict is because they aren¡¯t getting along, Zhao Zhengxiong wants to make it on his own and be the sole boss of East Sea City. Jiang Hao couldn¡¯t take it, so he fought back."


    "The shes between them have already severely impacted public security, and the higher-ups have issued orders that no matter what, this behavior must be stopped. You¡¯re closest to them; I hope you can persuade them to cut it out as soon as possible. Otherwise, if those in charge lose patience, actions will certainly be taken. At that point, neither of your friends will have an easy time."


    "Officer Xia, I understand what you¡¯re saying, but the problem is, Zhao Zhengxiong won¡¯t listen to me; no matter what I say, he won¡¯t hear it. As for Jiang Hao, his territory was taken by Zhao Zhengxiong, and so many of his people were hurt. If it were you, would you be reconciled? If he doesn¡¯t fight back, what would those under him think of him?" Ling Chen sighed at this point and said, "Officer Xia, even people like them who are bosses have their difficulties, and I hope you can understand."


    "Understand?" Xia Mutong retorted, "You want me to understand them, then why don¡¯t they try understanding our work? Anyway, I¡¯mying it out there; I¡¯ll give you one day to get them to cease hostilities, or don¡¯t me me for not being polite."


    "Alright, I¡¯ll do my best to persuade them, but I can¡¯t guarantee anything." Finished speaking, Ling Chen shifted topics and asked, "Officer Xia, how¡¯s your health?"


    Feeling Ling Chen¡¯s concern, Xia Mutong¡¯s gaze softened slightly.


    "The doctor said my body is fine, except..."


    "Except what?"


    Xia Mutong nced around and then leaned her head closer to Ling Chen. Suddenly, a faint scent enveloped him, making Ling Chen take a few extra breaths.


    Seeing Ling Chen¡¯s frivolous behavior, Xia Mutong¡¯s face blushed slightly, giving him a reproachful re.


    Ling Chen rubbed his nose, awkwardly smiled, and quickly changed the subject, "You haven¡¯t said, except what?"


    "I¡¯ve lost a fragment of my memory, and I can¡¯t remember no matter how hard I try. I just recall leaving East Sea City with you, then being captured. As for what happened during that time, I really don¡¯t know, and I have no memory of how I got back to East Sea City. Besides that, there¡¯s another rather serious issue."


    "What issue?"


    "I..." Xia Mutong opened her mouth, hesitating to continue.


    "What¡¯s the matter?" Ling Chen pressed.


    <fn8edf> Readplete version only at find?novel</fn8edf>


    "Come with me." With that, Xia Mutong led Ling Chen into an alley beside the street.


    The alley was deserted and cold, with no one around, only a few bags of garbage piled in the corner, emitting a pungent smell.


    Xia Mutong looked around the alley and saw a steel rod on the ground not far away, probably left by those fleeing thugs earlier.


    Picking up the steel rod, Xia Mutong measured it in her hands, then grasped both ends with her hands, applying slight force.


    In an instant, the wrist-thick steel rod was bent as if it were nothing. Yet, from Xia Mutong¡¯s rxed demeanor, it seemed effortless.


    "See that?" Xia Mutong looked at the shocked Ling Chen and said, "After I woke up this time, I discovered my strength has be terrifying. Today, when I was opening the car door, I identally ripped it right off, and people looked at me like I was a monster."


    Could it be that the enhanced potion had thoroughly merged with her body?


    Ling Chen thought secretly. He knew well what Xia Mutong had gone through. Not long ago, Xia Mutong was captured by the God Organization and forcibly taken to theirb. After experimental modification, significant changes urred in Xia Mutong¡¯s body; both her strength and speed became incredibly fearsome.


    Because of this, after retrieving Xia Mutong from the God Organization, he immediately organized a medical team to study her body, hoping to restore her to her former self.


    Now, Xia Mutong has regained both her body and consciousness, but that terrifying strength remains. Whether it¡¯s a blessing or a curse, he¡¯s still unsure.


    Seeing Ling Chen deep in thought and silent for a long time, Xia Mutong couldn¡¯t help but ask, "Is something wrong with my body?"


    Ling Chen thought for a moment and said, "There shouldn¡¯t be any major issues for now. Here¡¯s what we¡¯ll do: keep an eye on your health, and if anything feels off, call me immediately, and I¡¯ll figure out a way to help you."


    "Alright, I suppose that¡¯s all we can do for now."


    After chatting, Ling Chen reminded her a few more times before leaving the alley, heading straight back to Nanrong Wanqing and Leng Feifei.

 Chapter 904 - 909: Base Construction

    <h4>Chapter 904: Chapter 909: Base Construction</h4>


    "What were you guys talking about just now?"


    Sitting in the Rolls-Royce, Nanrong Wanqing asked curiously.


    "Nothing much, Officer Xia knows Jiang Hao is my friend, so she wanted me to advise him not to disturb social order in the future." Ling Chen brushed it off and then looked at Leng Feifei inside the car and said, "Feifei, go to thepany tomorrow and handle your resignation paperwork. Don¡¯t work there anymore to avoid trouble from others in the future."


    "But..." Leng Feifei hesitated.


    "Miss Leng, if you don¡¯t mind, you could consider working at Hongyu Group." Nanrong Wanqing suggested.


    "Go to Hongyu Group?" Leng Feifei was slightly surprised, not expecting Nanrong Wanqing to extend such an invitation.


    "I... I¡¯m not sure if that¡¯s a good idea; I just graduated and my experience is limited. I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t handle it."


    Nanrong Wanqing chuckled lightly and said, "Don¡¯t worry. My invitation for you to work at Hongyu Group isn¡¯t about opening the back door. Plus, I am opposed to using connections. As long as you have the skills, Hongyu Group wees all talent. Conveniently, there¡¯s a recruitment event in a few days at Hongyu Group. You shoulde and give it a try then."


    "Feifei, Wanqing has already asked. Why don¡¯t you give it a shot?"


    "Alright then." With Ling Chen¡¯s encouragement, Leng Feifei finally agreed.


    After dropping Leng Feifei off at home, Ling Chen and Nanrong Wanqing drove back to Wealthy Manor.


    Back home, Ling Chen sank into the sofa, feelingpletely exhausted. Seeing his worn-out look, Nanrong Wanqing knelt beside him, wrapping her arms around his neck, and asked with concern, "What¡¯s wrong? Are you very tired?"


    "No." Ling Chen forced a smile and said, "It¡¯s just that there¡¯s too much going on, my head can¡¯t keep up."


    "Take a break, don¡¯t push yourself too hard."


    Feeling Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s embrace, Ling Chen took a deep breath, inhaling her faint scent, filling his heart with happiness. Yet, he sighed softly, lost in thought. Nanrong Wanqing, perceiving his unease, asked with concern, "What¡¯s on your mind?"


    "I¡¯m sorry!" Ling Chen looked at Nanrong Wanqing with shame and said, "I promised you I would heal your legs, yet I haven¡¯t been able to do so."


    "It¡¯s okay." Nanrong Wanqing smiled gently and said, "As long as you¡¯re with me, even if my legs never recover, I¡¯m content. Just don¡¯t dislike me."


    "How could I ever dislike you?" Ling Chen pulled Nanrong Wanqing into his embrace, softly saying, "Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll never let you down."


    After a moment of closeness with Nanrong Wanqing, Ling Chen noticed the time and escorted her to her room, coaxing her to sleep, and then quietly returning to the living room. He took his phone out of his pocket and called Hu Fei.


    "Hey! Ling Chen, you bettere over quickly."


    <fn9aaf> ?????? ???? F¦ÉndNovel</fn9aaf>


    "What¡¯s going on? Something happened?"


    "It¡¯s nothing major, just something I want to discuss with you."


    "Alright. Wait for me, I¡¯m on my way."


    Leaving Wealthy Manor, Ling Chen drove alone to the research base.


    Arriving at the control center, Hu Fei and Tang Guolun were sitting at a desk, engaged in a loud conversation.


    "What¡¯s happening here?" Ling Chen interrupted their discussion and asked.


    "Ling Chen, just in time." Hu Fei pulled Ling Chen to the desk and said, "We¡¯ve hit a jackpot this time¡ªthirty billion US Dors in ie, enough for us to upgrade the base¡¯s facilities and defenses by several tiers. I¡¯ve been discussing it with Boss Tang, and I feel that since we have money, we should improve the base construction, but Boss Tang thinks it¡¯s unnecessary to waste money on this base."


    "So, you two are arguing about this?"


    Tang Guolun chimed in, "It¡¯s not really arguing, just discussing. Ling Chen, since this base has been exposed, we don¡¯t need to put too much effort here. Instead of enhancing defenses here, we might as well choose another ce and set up a new base."


    After a pause, Tang Guolun continued, "This research base is located in the city center. If we sh with the God Organization, there¡¯s no guarantee innocent people won¡¯t be affected. Plus, our operations would be inconvenienced. So, I think we should pick a secretive location for a new base."


    "That¡¯s true, but rebuilding a base would be costly. Even if we have money now, we can¡¯t afford to be wasteful." Hu Fei said.


    After hearing their opinions, Ling Chen couldn¡¯t help but smile. He understood Hu Fei¡¯s mindset¡ªhe was a typical miser, afraid of spending it all.

 Chapter 905 - 910: Journey Abroad to Find Family (1)

    <h4>Chapter 905: Chapter 910: Journey Abroad to Find Family (1)</h4>


    "Boss Tang, if we were to build a new base, how much would it cost?"


    Tang Guolun estimated for a moment and said, "It¡¯s hard to say. If it¡¯s a base of this size, including infrastructure and hardware, it might take a few hundred million US Dors. Add in defense equipment and security systems, and the total could be around seven hundred million US Dors."


    "Seven hundred million US Dors, tut tut! Ling Chen, listen carefully. If you do it like he said, then a third of the money will be gone. We¡¯re in a development phase, and there are many ces that need money. Spending like this, even thirty billion US Dors won¡¯tst long."


    "Alright!" Ling Chen said helplessly, "Say a few words less, will you?" After a pause in thought, Ling Chen said, "Alright, Fatty, take out one billion US Dors from that fund and give it to Boss Tang for the construction of the new base."


    "What?" Hu Fei stared widely at Ling Chen, doubting his ears.


    "Fatty, Boss Tang is right. This base has already been exposed, and our every move might be under the surveince of the God Organization. Also, the base being located in the city poses too much risk, so I think Boss Tang¡¯s suggestion is good. Besides, this base was a gift from the Secret Society, so technically, it¡¯s not really our territory." Saying this, Ling Chen patted Hu Fei¡¯s shoulder and added, "Fatty, stop worrying about the money. We didn¡¯t have money before either, and now we have billionsing in easily. As long as we find the way to make money, are you worried about not having money to spend in the future?"


    Hearing this, Hu Fei¡¯s eyes lit up, and he grinned, "Are you nning to extort those rich people again?"


    "If they can fund the God Organization, why can¡¯t they fund us? Alright, it¡¯s settled then. Fatty, you should work closely with Boss Tang, and quickly choose a location for the new base and start construction as soon as possible."


    "No problem." Hu Fei and Tang Guolun responded in unison.


    "By the way!" As if remembering something, Hu Fei said, "Ling Chen, I found the two people you asked me to findst time."


    "Really?" Ling Chen asked promptly, "Where are they?"


    Hu Fei opened a desk drawer and took out a file, handing it to Ling Chen, "Your grandparents¡¯ information is in here. If you want to see them, the address is in there."


    Hearing this, Ling Chen took the file, showing some excitement. After all these years, he finally found news about his family.


    Taking a deep breath, Ling Chen calmed himself and said, "Fatty, Boss Tang, I¡¯ll leave things here to you for now; I might be gone for a few days."


    "Understood." Hu Fei nodded, "Go without worries."


    Leaving the research base, Ling Chen returned directly to the Wealthy Manor.


    Sitting in the bedroom, Ling Chen flipped through the two files in his hand, unable to calm his mind for a long time.


    A sleepless night.


    Early the next morning, Ling Chen stepped out of the bedroom, only to see a neatly dressed Nanrong Wanqinging down from the second floor. At this moment, Nanny Wang had already prepared breakfast.


    Eating millet porridge, Nanrong Wanqing noticed Ling Chen¡¯s different demeanor. Since morning, they hadn¡¯t said more than three sentences to each other. Normally, Ling Chen would be chattering endlessly.


    "What¡¯s wrong with you?" Nanrong Wanqing asked with concern. Her intuition told her that Ling Chen had something weighing heavily on his mind.


    "I need to travel abroad." Ling Chen said after a long period with his head down.


    "Abroad?" Nanrong Wanqing asked puzzlingly, "What for?"


    Ling Chen didn¡¯t speak, instead cing the two files Hu Fei had given him the previous night on the dining table, gesturing for Nanrong Wanqing to have a look.


    Curious, Nanrong Wanqing earnestly flipped through a few pages. After a while, she looked up in surprise at Ling Chen, "You found your mother¡¯s family?"


    Ling Chen nodded, "Information Hu Fei foundst night. My grandparents have now settled abroad and haven¡¯t returned for decades. I want to go find them."


    "They are your family; you should go find them." After saying this, Nanrong Wanqing thought for a moment and said, "I¡¯ll go with you."


    "You?" Ling Chen was slightly taken aback and said, "Isn¡¯t that inappropriate? Hongyu Group has so many things that need your attention. What will they do if you leave?"


    "Thepany operates with other executives, and besides, my absence will be a good opportunity for Nanrong Hao to practice his management skills." With that, not waiting for Ling Chen to object, Nanrong Wanqing pulled out her phone and arranged for thepany to prepare the ne.


    At nine in the morning, Ling Chen and Nanrong Wanqing arrived at the airport on time.


    Boarding the Hongyu Group¡¯s private jet, after more than ten hours of flying, the ne finally reached its destination.


    As soon as they stepped off the ne, a cool breeze immediately brushed past. Watching Nanrong Wanqing shrink her shoulders slightly beside him, Ling Chen took off his coat and ced it on her, saying, "It¡¯s morning here due to the time difference, and it¡¯s quite chilly. Don¡¯t catch a cold."


    Nanrong Wanqing smiled gently, linking arms with Ling Chen as they headed straight for the airport exit.


    After spending more than half an hour in transit, Ling Chen and Nanrong Wanqing arrived at a five-star hotel by taxi. As the chairwoman of Hongyu Group, Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s travel arrangements, including amodation, had been fully prepared by thepany beforehand.


    After resting for a few hours and having lunch in the hotel¡¯s presidential suite, Ling Chen couldn¡¯t wait to set off and look for his grandparents¡¯ residence.


    <fn3077> This text is hosted at FindN()vel</fn3077>


    As they left the hotel, a Maserati was already parked at the entrance. A concierge handed the keys to Ling Chen and then politely opened the car door for Nanrong Wanqing.


    Since it was their first time here, Ling Chen and Nanrong Wanqing were unfamiliar with the area. For convenience, they had rented a car.


    After driving for about forty minutes, Ling Chen arrived at a high-end residentialplex.


    "No. 503," Nanrong Wanqing said, referring to the address in the information.


    "Over there."


    Ling Chen quickly found the vi associated with number 503. Parking the car at the vi¡¯s entrance, he quickly got out, gazing at the vi before him, feeling a surge of emotions.


    Perceiving Ling Chen¡¯s emotional stir, Nanrong Wanqing held his hand, giving him an encouraging look.


    "Let¡¯s go!"


    Ling Chen took a deep breath and walked straight to the vi¡¯s door.


    Ring!


    The doorbell chimed as Ling Chen stepped back a bit, his gaze locked on the door, waiting for the vi¡¯s owner to appear.


    Before long, footsteps sounded from behind the door. Hearing the steadily approaching footsteps, Ling Chen couldn¡¯t help feeling nervous.


    At this moment, the door opened, revealing a blonde-haired, blue-eyed woman.

 Chapter 906 - 911: Journey Abroad to Find Family (2)

    <h4>Chapter 906: Chapter 911: Journey Abroad to Find Family (2)</h4>


    Seeing the young beauty appearing in front of him, Ling Chen couldn¡¯t help but freeze for a moment. His grandmother should be in her seventies, so it¡¯s impossible for her to be so young.


    "Who are you looking for?" The beauty nced at Ling Chen and Nanrong Wanqing, politely asking in English.


    Ling Chen snapped back to reality and asked, "Hello, I¡¯m wondering if two elderly people live here? One is named Yang Yan, and the other is Gong Meiling."


    "Sorry, I don¡¯t know these two people, you might be at the wrong ce." After saying this, the blonde beauty made a gesture as if to close the door.


    Ling Chen quickly reached out to hold the door and said, "Miss, we¡¯ve checked many materials and records; they should be living here without a doubt. Please help us."


    The blonde beauty looked at Ling Chen¡¯s pleading expression and couldn¡¯t help but say, "Sorry, I really don¡¯t know where they are living now. However, judging by those names, they should be from Huaxia. We bought this vi five years ago, and at that time, a few Huaxia people lived here. Since we went through a real estate agency, all procedures were handled by the agency, so we never met the owner. When we moved in, the original owner had already left."


    Ling Chen¡¯s eyes lit up. It must have been his grandparents living here a few years ago.


    After finding out the location of the real estate agency, Ling Chen thanked her and immediately headed there with Nanrong Wanqing.


    However, to Ling Chen¡¯s surprise, that real estate agency had gone bankrupt and closed down two years ago, with the staff and owner missing. This way, Ling Chen¡¯s only clue was cut off.


    Seeing Ling Chen sitting dejectedly by the roadside, Nanrong Wanqingforted, "Ling Chen, don¡¯t be too upset. As long as they are still alive, we will definitely find them."


    Ling Chen let out a bitter smile and said, looking at the unfamiliar city, "Easier said than done, how are we supposed to find them? This city has millions of people, and now there are no clues at all. Finding two people is like looking for a needle in a haystack."


    "Since they settled in this city, their whereabouts should be traceable in government records."


    "I¡¯ve already called Fatty; if he could find anything, he would have done so by now." Pausing for a moment, Ling Chen continued, "Do you remember what that woman said? She bought the vi five years ago. I confirmed with Fatty, and he said that the information he found is also up to five years ago, and there has been no news about my grandparents since. Wanqing, I¡¯m really worried now, I¡¯m afraid they..."


    At this point, Ling Chen couldn¡¯t bear to continue, fearing that his worries might be reality.


    "Don¡¯t think too much, maybe they¡¯re living well now. We¡¯ve only been here for a day; we can¡¯t give up so quickly. Maybe we should look elsewhere."


    Massaging his temples, Ling Chen pondered for a moment and said, "Most cities abroad have areas where Chinese people gather, and since my grandparents are Chinese, perhaps we can find some clues there."


    "No time to lose, let¡¯s get over there quickly."


    As Ling Chen suspected, this city indeed had a Chinese area known as Hualong Street. The whole street was popted by Huaxia people, with Chinese names on the shops lining the street. In a foreignnd, this atmosphere felt extraordinarily familiar.


    Hualong Street was bustling with people, and Ling Chen and Nanrong Wanqing didn¡¯t know where to start. After thinking it over, Ling Chen came up with an idea. He printed two copies of Yang Yan and Gong Meiling¡¯s photos at a copy shop and asked around store by store.


    In no time, the entire afternoon passed, and Ling Chen and Nanrong Wanqing found nothing, getting no information at all.


    As evening fell, both were a bit hungry after a busy afternoon. So, they chose a Chinese restaurant on Hualong Street, ordered a few small dishes to fill their stomachs, and nned to return to the hotel, continuing their search tomorrow.


    The restaurant was very busy, with a constant stream of customers, and the staff was overwhelmed.


    Then, suddenly the bustling restaurant quieted down.


    Feeling the unusual atmosphere, Ling Chen lifted his head and followed everyone¡¯s gaze to the entrance, where a middle-aged man in a suit, looking upright and proper, walked in alongside a woman in professional attire.


    The woman appeared to be in her thirties or forties, but her skin was so well-maintained, smooth, and soft, resembling an eighteen-year-old girl.


    However, besides her skin, the most striking features of the woman were her appearance and demeanor.


    <fne869> This text is hosted at Find~Novel</fne869>


    Anyone seeing this woman would be captivated at first nce. The simple word ¡¯beautiful¡¯ couldn¡¯t adequately describe her; her beauty seemed to be an embodiment of time, making one be unconsciously immersed, oblivious to the passage of time.


    Moreover, that calm demeanor could only be exuded by someone who had experienced life¡¯s ups and downs.


    At this moment, not only Ling Chen but also Nanrong Wanqing was captivated by the woman¡¯s appearance and demeanor.


    "So beautiful!"


    Hearing Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s spontaneous admiration, Ling Chen smiled slightly and said, "You¡¯re just as beautiful as she is."


    Hearing this, Nanrong Wanqing felt a sweetness in her heart and said joyfully, "I¡¯m not as good as she is. If she were ten years younger, no one couldpare to her." After a pause, Nanrong Wanqing asked curiously, "What do you think, such a woman¡¯s identity should be extraordinary, why would shee to a ce like this to eat?"


    Ling Chen shrugged and said, "Who knows? Maybe she wants to experience an ordinary life."


    Both Ling Chen and Nanrong Wanqing had discerning eyes, and just from the middle-aged man¡¯s attire and clothing brand, they could tell his identity was either wealthy or noble. As for the woman, though she was dressed simply, not in any brand name, her demeanor wasn¡¯t something an ordinary person could possess.


    "Wanqing, are you full?"


    "Almost, let¡¯s go back to the hotel."


    "Alright, you sit for a moment, I¡¯ll go settle the bill." Saying this, Ling Chen got up, went to the restaurant counter, and paid the bill.


    Before leaving, Ling Chen thought of the photos in his hand, so he showed them to the cashier and asked, "Have you seen this couple before?"


    "Sorry, I haven¡¯t noticed."


    "Um... would it be possible to post a missing persons notice here?" Ling Chen pleaded.


    This Chinese restaurant was very popr, with manying and going, mostly Huaxia people, so Ling Chen wished to post a missing persons notice inside the shop. Since there were so many Huaxia people here, perhaps someone might know them.


    The restaurant owner originally refused, but after Ling Chen¡¯s repeated requests and a certain payment, the owner allowed him to post two notices at the entrance and inside the store.

 Chapter 907 - 912: Duped

    <h4>Chapter 907: Chapter 912: Duped</h4>


    Exiting the Chinese restaurant, Ling Chen and Nanrong Wanqing arrived at the street of Hualong Street, directly returned to the hotel in their Maserati.


    The next day.


    Ling Chen had just gotten out of bed and hadn¡¯t had time to dress when he heard his phone ringing. Seeing an unfamiliar number disyed on the screen, Ling Chen¡¯s heart skipped a beat, and he immediately answered the call.


    This unfamiliar number wasn¡¯t a domestic number but a local cellphone number. Yesterday, when he posted the missing person notice in that Chinese restaurant, he left his phone number for contact.


    "Hello! Hi, whom are you looking for?" Ling Chen asked in fluent English.


    "Hello, is this Mr. Ling? I saw the missing person notice you left at the Chinese restaurant yesterday. I think we should meet," a male voice came from the other side of the phone.


    "No problem." Ling Chen said excitedly, "When do you have time? I¡¯ll be sure to be there on time."


    "At noon, at the Chinese restaurant on Hualong Street."


    "Okay. Thank you, sir!"


    After hanging up, Ling Chen excitedly made a ¡¯yes¡¯ gesture. Hard work pays off, finally some progress.


    Thinking about being able to find his grandparents soon, Ling Chen jumped out of bed and quickly ran to Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s bedroom to share the good news.


    In order to quickly get news of his grandparents, Ling Chen arrived eagerly at Hualong Street with Nanrong Wanqing before the meeting time at noon. When they returned to the Chinese restaurant entrance, they saw that the restaurant was still closed, with a sign outside saying the owner is not in today, and the restaurant is closed for the day.


    Closed!


    Ling Chen touched his nose, thinking it was unfortunate. They had agreed to meet at this Chinese restaurant, but who knew the owner wouldn¡¯t be there. Pondering this, Ling Chen took out his phone to call back the number from earlier.


    However, before the call connected, the door of the Chinese restaurant suddenly opened from the inside.


    Just as Ling Chen was in shock, a middle-aged man in a suit poked his head out from the door, looked at Ling Chen and asked, "Are you Mr. Ling?"


    "It¡¯s me," Ling Chen asked curiously, "And you are?"


    The middle-aged man smiled back, "I¡¯m the owner of this Chinese restaurant and the one who called you this morning. Pleasee in, Mr. Ling!"


    So it was him!


    Ling Chen suddenly understood that the one who called him was the restaurant owner. Without overthinking, Ling Chen held Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s hand, quickly stepping into the Chinese restaurant.


    "Mr. Ling, please have a seat, both of you." The middle-aged man warmly ushered Ling Chen and hispanion inside, and once seated, he ced two cups of tea in front of them.


    "No need to be so polite," Ling Chen said politely and impatiently asked, "You mentioned this morning on the phone that you knew the whereabouts of Yang Yan and Gong Meiling. Can you tell me where they live now?"


    "No problem. Have a seat; I¡¯ll go find their contact information." Saying this, the middle-aged man stood up and walked to the back of the restaurant.


    A few minutes passed, and Ling Chen held the teacup, asionally ncing toward the back door, expecting the restaurant owner to appear.


    But ten minutes passed, and still no sign of the owner returning. After a brief contemtion, Ling Chen squinted at Nanrong Wanqing and said, "Something seems wrong."


    "Something wrong?" Nanrong Wanqing asked, confused, "What¡¯s wrong?"


    "I don¡¯t know, but I just feel something¡¯s off." While speaking, Ling Chen suddenly noticed that Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s body swayed, and her head drooped powerlessly as if losing strength.


    Seeing Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s change, Ling Chen couldn¡¯t help but be rmed.


    It¡¯s the tea!


    Ling Chen frowned at the empty teacup, realizing that the tea must have been drugged. It seemed his intuition was correct; something was indeed wrong.


    With this realization, Ling Chen nced at the teacup in front of him, noticing it already half-empty with tea.


    No good!


    Before Ling Chen could react further, his head suddenly slumped, and he fell onto the table.


    Once both of them were unconscious, four or five men in suits, including the middle-aged man iming to be the restaurant owner, emerged from the kitchen door.


    The group approached Ling Chen and Nanrong Wanqing, cautiously nudging their bodies. Seeing that both werepletely passed out, they seemed relieved.


    "Take them to the back door. Be careful, and don¡¯t let anyone see us."


    "Understood!"


    Immediately, the suited men picked up Ling Chen and Nanrong Wanqing, heading straight for the back of the restaurant. A Mercedes-Benz van was parked at the restaurant¡¯s back entrance. Seeing hispanions carrying Ling Chen over, the driver promptly opened the back door, vigntly watching the surroundings to prevent anyone from witnessing their actions.


    Once everyone was in the vehicle, the driver immediately drove the Mercedes-Benz van onto the road without saying a word.


    In the quiet cabin, the unconscious Ling Chen suddenly opened his eyes, observing the situation inside the car. The men in suits sat in their seats with their gaze fixed ahead, none noticing he had awoken. Beside him, Nanrong Wanqingy unconscious on the back seat.


    After a moment of hesitation, Ling Chen dismissed the idea of revealing himself. He had taken the Xiangrun Pill and Heavenly Mechanism Pill; ordinary poisons or drugs had no effect on him. Earlier, he pretended to be unconscious just to learn these people¡¯s intentions. At present, these guys had brought him onto the vehicle, likely intending to take him to their leader.


    The Mercedes-Benz van traveled for about forty minutes before reaching its destination.


    Peering through the car window, Ling Chen noticed the van had entered an abandoned factory, with no buildings nearby, utterly secluded.


    The way things looked, these guys seemed ready to eliminate him.


    <fn7b43> For original chapters go to F?ndNovel</fn7b43>


    Ling Chen mused to himself.


    As the van came to a halt, Ling Chen and Nanrong Wanqing were carried out by the men in suits.


    At this moment, two chairs stood in the vast factory. Ling Chen and Nanrong Wanqing were ced on the chairs, with their hands and feet bound with ropes, restricting their movement.


    Once everything was settled, one of the men in suits pulled out a small bottle from his pocket, cing it under the noses of Ling Chen and Nanrong Wanqing.


    The pungent smell wafted through, prompting Ling Chen to feign awakening. He lifted his head, looking around confusedly, and asked, "Where is this? Who are you?"


    "Your surname is Ling, right?" the middle-aged man who had impersonated the restaurant owner spoke to Ling Chen, "You¡¯re quite bold to find your way here. Do you think no one can deal with you?"


    Hearing this, Ling Chen couldn¡¯t help but feel puzzled,pletely not understanding the man¡¯s meaning.


    "Who are you? I didn¡¯t wrong you; why are you capturing me?"


    "You¡¯ll know soon enough."


    With that, a Rolls-Royce Phantom drove in from outside the factory, stopping beside the Mercedes-Benz van.

 Chapter 908 - 913: Qi Houzhao (1)

    <h4>Chapter 908: Chapter 913: Qi Houzhao (1)</h4>


    Watching the middle-aged man stride towards them, Ling Chen and Nanrong Wanqing were stunned.


    It¡¯s him!


    Ling Chen had a very deep impression of this middle-aged man. Yesterday evening while dining at the Chinese restaurant, it was the very same man who brought an astonishingly beautiful woman for a meal.


    At the time, he only thought that the identities of the man and woman must be either rich or noble, but he never expected it was this man who would kidnap him.


    As he quickly pondered, Ling Chen looked at the man and asked, "Sir, is there some misunderstanding between us? I don¡¯t know you at all, why would you have someone bring us here?"


    The middle-aged man asked in a deep voice, "Is your surname Ling?"


    "Yes," Ling Chen nodded.


    "Are you looking for Yang Yan and Gong Meiling?" the man continued.


    <fn22fc> Get full chapters from find?novel</fn22fc>


    "I am."


    "Since your surname is Ling, and you are looking for them, then I have caught the right person," the man said coldly, "Scum like you should all die." Before Ling Chen could respond, the man waved his hand and instructed his subordinates, "Take care of them, and make it clean. I don¡¯t want any traces left behind."


    "Rest assured, Mr. Qi!"


    Seeing the man leave, Ling Chen immediately called out to him, "Sir, I don¡¯t know why you hate us so much. I just arrived in this city to find my rtives. Is that such a crime? If you want to kill me, you should at least let me die knowing why."


    "Shut up!" The man turned abruptly, ring coldly at Ling Chen, and shouted, "Stop defending yourself. I know what kind of person you are and what you intend to do. I¡¯m telling you, as long as I¡¯m here, you can forget about seeding." With that, he pointed at his subordinates and said coldly, "Seal his mouth, I don¡¯t want to hear his nonsense."


    "Yes." One man responded, moved next to Ling Chen, and pulled out a piece of rag ready to stuff it into Ling Chen¡¯s mouth.


    At this moment, Ling Chen, who had been bound by ropes, suddenly exerted force and snapped all the ropes.


    Witnessing Ling Chen¡¯s move, everyone present was dumbfounded, and stared in disbelief at Ling Chen. They had never seen anyone break free from such thick ropes.


    Is this... still human?


    While the crowd was dazed, Ling Chen stood up from the chair, scanned the people around, and then walked towards Nanrong Wanqing to help untie her ropes.


    At that moment, the shocked middle-aged man finally reacted and urgently shouted, "What are you standing around for? Quickly, grab him."


    Awakened by the boss¡¯s shout, the group dashed towards Ling Chen, trying to subdue him again.


    Watching the men rush at him, Ling Chen didn¡¯t even raise his head, showingplete disregard. As they were about to get close, Ling Chen shook his body, Hua Realm exploded, and instantly knocked those men flying.


    Immediately, cries of pain echoed all over the factory yard.


    The middle-aged man stared nkly at his subordinates, utterly overwhelmed by the scene before him.


    This is too unbelievable; without even touching them, all his men were knocked fly. Such transcendental urrences he had only seen in movies.


    At this time, Ling Chen had already helped Nanrong Wanqing free from her ropes.


    "Are you alright?" Ling Chen asked concernedly.


    "I¡¯m okay."


    "Rest for a while, I¡¯ll handle this." With that, Ling Chen looked at the man surnamed Qi and asked, "I have no feud with you; why are you targeting me? You should give me a reason." Ling Chen paused and cast his gaze beyond the middle-aged man, directly at the luxurious car behind him.


    Although the car windows were tinted, Ling Chen could vaguely see shadows in the back seat.


    There¡¯s another person who never got out of the car.


    "Ling," the middle-aged man gritted his teeth, a hint of panic shing in his eyes as he steadily retreated towards the car.


    Suddenly, the sound of an engine roared, and the car behind the man abruptly started, quickly heading towards him.


    Seeing the situation, Ling Chen hesitated not for a moment, immediately moving his legs and sprinting towards the man, intending to capture him.


    Just then, a man in a suit emerged from the car¡¯s sunroof, holding a submachine gun.


    Rat-tat-tat!


    Amidst the gunfire, bullets rained down furiously. Faced with such an unexpected crisis, Ling Chen promptly ceased his advance and swiftly dove to the side.


    In an instant, a trail of sparks burst everywhere on the ground from the bullets.


    "Mr. Qi, get in the car!"


    At the driver¡¯s urging, the middle-aged man hurriedly opened the car door and climbed in. Meanwhile, the man in the suit continued wielding the submachine gun through the sunroof, suppressing fire on Ling Chen, preventing him from approaching the car.


    With the middle-aged man on board, the car¡¯s speed immediately increased, speeding straight out of the factory and disappearing in the blink of an eye.


    Watching the tail of the car vanish from sight, Ling Chen reluctantly got up from the ground and patted off the dust from his body.


    What a pity!


    He could have captured them and asked the questions clearly; who knew they had guns. Guns are strictly prohibited in the country, but this is abroad, under American jurisdiction. In this city and country, possessing firearms is legal.


    "Ling Chen." Nanrong Wanqing hurriedly ran over, concernedly asking, "Are you hurt?"


    Ling Chen smiled slightly, "What could happen to me?" With that, Ling Chen turned his gaze to the others on the ground. Due to being hit by the Hua Realm, they temporarily lost their mobility, each lying on the ground, unable to stand.


    Scanning around, Ling Chen walked to the man who had posed as the restaurant owner earlier, grabbed his cor, and pulled him onto a chair.


    "Speak, who was that person earlier, and why are you targeting me?"


    At this moment, having witnessed Ling Chen¡¯s abilities, the man, like the others, was clearly frightened. He no longer dared to hide anything and quickly disclosed everything he knew.


    It turned out the middle-aged man surnamed Qi was Qi Houzhao, a very powerful businessman with great fame in this city. Those who captured Ling Chen were security personnel hired by Qi Houzhao, former soldiers acting on orders in this instance.


    "Don¡¯t you know why he¡¯s targeting me?"


    "I don¡¯t know. We just take money and do our job; as long as the boss gives orders, we obey without asking too many questions."


    Seeing he couldn¡¯t get anything else, Ling Chen simply stopped wasting words and took Nanrong Wanqing to the Mercedes business car.

 Chapter 909 - 914: Qi Houzhao (2)

    <h4>Chapter 909: Chapter 914: Qi Houzhao (2)</h4>


    Driving back to the hotel, Ling Chen took a shower, stood on the balcony in a bathrobe, gazing out at the skyscrapers of the city with a perplexed and contemtive look.


    "Ling Chen."


    At some point, Nanrong Wanqing appeared behind Ling Chen, her soft arms wrapping around his waist from behind, resting her head gently on his back.


    Ling Chen turned his head to look at Nanrong Wanqing in her loose bathrobe, his heart fluttered involuntarily.


    Perhaps it was because of the recent shower, but Nanrong Wanqing exuded a faint fragrance, a fair and slender neck visible beneath the bathrobe, and when she slightly lifted her head, the enticing cleavage formed by her curves was faintly visible.


    Her damp hair cascaded over her shoulders, akin to a lotus emerging from water, simple and unadorned, yet breathtakingly beautiful.


    Seeing Ling Chen staring at her without blinking, a shy blush crept over Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s charming face, and she hugged him tighter.


    Faced with her coy and enchanting demeanor, Ling Chen almost couldn¡¯t restrain himself. If it weren¡¯t for the many thoughts on his mind, he¡¯d have been tempted to take Nanrong Wanqing right then and there.


    At that moment, the phone in the living room rang.


    Ling Chen picked up the phone, seeing it was Hu Fei calling, he immediately answered, "Fatty, have you found anything on that Qi Houzhao?"


    "Yes, I¡¯ve sent the info to your email. Take a look when you get a chance."


    "Alright."


    Ending the call, Ling Chen opened the email on his phone, looking over the information sent by Hu Fei, he remarked, "This Qi Houzhao sure has quite the background."


    "He¡¯s well-connected?" Nanrong Wanqing asked.


    "You could say that," Ling Chen replied, "He¡¯s an American-born Chinese, his family has been settled abroad since his grandfather¡¯s generation with prominent lineage, and their industries span across America. It¡¯s said that their family has even been hosted by the President of the United States."


    Pausing briefly, Ling Chen continued, "ording to the data from Fatty, Qi Houzhao is in his forties, has been divorced once, is currently single, and is the sole heir of the family, managing the family business ¡ª a real diamond bachelor."


    "Who was that woman with himst night?" Nanrong Wanqing was curious about the exceptionally poised woman.


    "I don¡¯t know, the data didn¡¯t mention her." Truthfully, Ling Chen also wanted to know her identity.


    "Strange!" After reading through the information from Hu Fei, Ling Chen frowned slightly.


    "What¡¯s wrong?"


    Putting down his phone, Ling Chen said, "From the information, it seems I am not acquainted with Qi Houzhao, and he seems unrted to my grandparents either. Why is he troubling me?"


    "Maybe..." Nanrong Wanqing pondered and suggested, "Maybe we should find out the reason?"


    "Alright." Ling Chen nodded. Even if Nanrong Wanqing hadn¡¯t suggested, he would do so. Instead of guessing here, it would be better to ask Qi Houzhao directly.


    Thud, thud, thud!


    As they spoke, a sudden knock came from the door of their presidential suite.


    "Coming!"


    Nanrong Wanqing responded, walking straight to the door, ready to open it. But, the cautious Ling Chen pulled her back, signaling her to stay put with his eyes.


    Having just learned about Qi Houzhao¡¯s background, Ling Chen could not afford to be careless; the other¡¯s influence in this city far exceeded his own, and Qi Houzhao might have already found their location. Since they were not dealt with at the abandoned factory, who knew what other methods Qi Houzhao might employ. So, being cautious was best.


    At the door, Ling Chen looked through the peephole and saw a waiter standing at the door with a service cart.


    "Wanqing, did you just order food?"


    "No."


    With Wanqing¡¯s reply, Ling Chen became more certain something was amiss outside. He signaled for Nanrong Wanqing to hide in the bedroom to avoid any potential harm if there was any conflict.


    Once Nanrong Wanqing was safely in the bedroom, Ling Chen gripped the doorknob, pressed against the wall, and slowly opened the door.


    Immediately, with a ¡¯bang,¡¯ the waiter at the door fell over.


    Ling Chen was momentarily stunned by the sight.


    How could this happen?


    He hadn¡¯t even touched the person, yet they copsed themselves. As Ling Chen puzzled over this, footsteps sounded again outside the door.


    Someone¡¯sing!


    Ling Chen¡¯s gaze narrowed, quickly directing his attention outside the door, fists clenched, ready to act any moment.


    "Don¡¯t! Don¡¯t do anything, I¡¯m on your side."


    Seeing Ling Chen¡¯s stance, the person outside quickly gestured to stop him.


    "It¡¯s you?"


    Looking at the man iming to be ¡¯on his side,¡¯ Ling Chen was taken aback, momentarily unable to gather his thoughts.


    "What are you doing here?" Ling Chen quickly retracted his fists, inviting the man inside.


    "Hold off on the conversation, let¡¯s deal with these two first."


    "Two?" Ling Chen nced at the waiter on the floor, wasn¡¯t there just one? Where¡¯s the second?


    Just then, the neer pulled away the white cloth on the service cart to reveal another person, also unconscious.


    "These guys were here to get you, I happened to bump into them, so I took care of it for you. How are you nning to thank me?"


    Just then, Nanrong Wanqing peeked out from the bedroom, looking at the door and asking, "Ling Chen, who¡¯s here?"


    Ling Chen pointed to the neer and said, "Your cousin."


    Cousin?


    Nanrong Wanqing was immediately stunned, unable to react for a moment.


    Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s cousin was none other than Ji Beizhao, who once worked at the Hongyu Group. Back then, due to misunderstandings between their families, Ji Beizhao secretly infiltrated the Hongyu Group with ill intentions towards Nanrong Wanqing. Fortunately, with Ling Chen¡¯s help, the family feud was resolved.


    Since then, Ji Beizhao and his father had left East Sea City, their whereabouts unknown.


    Now, even Ling Chen hadn¡¯t expected to encounter Ji Beizhao in this city.


    "Cousin." After a moment of surprise, Nanrong Wanqing finally came to her senses.


    "Wanqing, Ling Chen, long time no see." Ji Beizhao greeted with a smile.


    Fearing being seen by the hotel staff, Ling Chen and Ji Beizhao first dealt with the two unconscious assassins before the three of them sat down to chat on the living room sofa.


    <fn4bd1> Fresh chapters posted on F?ndNovel</fn4bd1>


    "Beizhao, how did you know we were here?" Ling Chen curiously asked.


    "It was because of those two assassins," Ji Beizhao exined, "Don¡¯t forget, my father is the Snake King, ranking tenth in the world of assassins, he¡¯s got good information. Since we left East Sea City, the two of us have been operating abroad, looking for a ce to settle down. My dad has some friends in this city, good ones, so he brought me here to settle."

 Chapter 910 - 915: Farewell, Cousin

    <h4>Chapter 910: Chapter 915: Farewell, Cousin</h4>


    "My dad¡¯s not young anymore, he really should have retired a long time ago, but he held on because of past grudges. Now that the misunderstanding between the two families has been resolved, my dad doesn¡¯t want to be an assassin anymore. However, even though he¡¯s retired, the informationwork still exists. After all, he used to be an assassin, and there¡¯s no guarantee that enemies won¡¯te seeking revenge. So, to ensure our safety, my dad kept the channels for assassin intel."


    "Not long ago, someone posted a message on the assassin¡¯s internalwork, saying they wanted to hire two assassins to eliminate two targets. Because the targets were Huaxia people, my dad paid extra attention and found out that the photos of the targets were you two, so he sent me to protect you." Ji Beizhao smiled at this point and said, "Actually, my dad was overly worried. With you here, what assassin would dare seed? It¡¯d be like throwing themselves to death."


    "I wouldn¡¯t say that, but still, thank you for your effort."


    "Hey! What are you doing running all the way here? And, who exactly wants to take your lives?"


    "I came searching for family, but ended up being targeted by a guy named Qi Houzhao." Ling Chen said helplessly, "Honestly, I still don¡¯t understand what rtionship he has with the people I¡¯m looking for."


    "Qi Houzhao?" Ji Beizhao frowned slightly and said, "I know this guy. Anyone living in this city probably knows him. He¡¯s not easy to deal with, you shing with him could be quite troublesome."


    "Never mind that, I¡¯m not someone who fears trouble anyway. Since he dares to provoke me, I might as well see what he¡¯s got."


    "Alright then, let¡¯s not talk about this now. Pack up and leave quickly. Your whereabouts have been exposed, and Qi Houzhao won¡¯t give up easily since he didn¡¯t seed the first time. Just stay at my ce for a while; it¡¯s safer there."


    "Okay, then I¡¯ll trouble you."


    Ji Beizhaoughed and said, "No need to be so polite, don¡¯t forget, we¡¯re family too. Cousin, isn¡¯t that right?"


    After retreating from the hotel suite, Ling Chen and Nanrong Wanqing got into Ji Beizhao¡¯s car, heading straight towards the city center.


    Not long after, the three arrived at a residential building.


    Getting out of the car, Ling Chen took in the surroundings and couldn¡¯t help but marvel. Assassins are truly cautious, even the ces they choose are so meticulous.


    The residential building is located in the city center, surrounded by bustling shopping streets, and its four directions are very essible, ideal for escape. If enemiese, Ji Beizhao and his family could easily flee.


    "Come on!"


    Ji Beizhao helped with the luggage, leading Ling Chen and Nanrong Wanqing to the top floor of the residential building.


    The residential building seemed quite old, with a total of eight floors and no elevator, only stairs. Ji Beizhao chose the top floor, presumably for better security.


    With his father¡¯s financial power, even in an economically developed city, buying a vi would be easy. But, being an assassin, it¡¯s best to keep a low profile even in retirement.


    At the eighth-floor door, before Ji Beizhao could knock, the door opened from inside.


    Seeing Nanrong Zhengqing after a long time, Ling Chen greeted him with a smile.


    "Uncle." Nanrong Wanqing called sweetly.


    Nanrong Zhengqing nodded with a smile, "Come on in."


    Ji Beizhao and Nanrong Zhengqing¡¯s house wasn¡¯t big, just over a hundred square meters, with only three rooms, so Nanrong Wanqing and Ling Chen had to share one.


    Nanrong Wanqing felt somewhat embarrassed by Ji Beizhao¡¯s arrangement. Everyone knew about her rtionship with Ling Chen, but they weren¡¯t married yet. As a traditionally minded woman, Nanrong Wanqing felt a bit shy.


    Ling Chen could see Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s thoughts, and he volunteered, "Beizhao, how about I sleep in the living room?"


    "Why?" Ji Beizhao looked at Ling Chen and Nanrong Wanqing with yful eyes, saying, "Aren¡¯t you living together already? Still want separate beds?"


    After pausing, not waiting for Ling Chen to exin, Ji Beizhao continued, "You¡¯re going to get married sooner orter, no need to feel embarrassed. Alright, let¡¯s leave it like this. I¡¯m going out to help Dad prepare dinner." With that, Ji Beizhao walked out, closing the bedroom door behind him.


    Cough!


    Ling Chen coughed lightly and said, "How about... I sleep on the floor?"


    Nanrong Wanqing rolled her eyes at him, her face reddening, "This bed is big enough." If it were just the two of them, Nanrong Wanqing wouldn¡¯t mind sharing a bed with Ling Chen, but at her uncle¡¯s house, she felt somewhat constrained.


    <fn3932> The rightful source is find?novel</fn3932>


    After tidying up a bit, Ling Chen walked out of the bedroom alone, seeing Nanrong Zhengqing and Ji Beizhao busy in the kitchen.


    To wee their esteemed guests, Nanrong Zhengqing bought a lot of groceries, filling the kitchen with tantalizing aromas.


    Ling Chen leaned against the kitchen door frame, watching Nanrong Zhengqing¡¯s skillful moves and couldn¡¯t help but smile.


    "What are you smiling at?" Nanrong Zhengqing looked back at Ling Chen.


    "Nothing, it¡¯s just hard to believe. A renowned Snake King, ranked tenth among assassins worldwide, now cooking in the kitchen. It¡¯s truly unimaginable."


    "This is called living. Don¡¯tugh at me, you¡¯ll be just like me someday."


    "How is retirement life?"


    Nanrong Zhengqing smiled and said, "Pretty good. I¡¯ve been an assassin for decades and got tired of it. Now being able to live a peaceful life with my son is already a rare thing for an assassin."


    "That¡¯s true." Ling Chen smiled slightly, "When Beizhao eventually gets a wife and has a grandson, you can truly enjoy your twilight years."


    "I sure hope so, but this kid isn¡¯t putting in the effort. He doesn¡¯t even have a female friend right now."


    Ji Beizhao said helplessly, "Dad, I¡¯m still young. Why are you in such a hurry for me to get married? I still want to achieve something big."


    "First establish a family, then a career, you¡¯re over twenty, think for yourself, and you should consider me too. When you¡¯re out pursuing your career, who will keep mepany at home?"


    "Dad, you¡¯re still young too, how about finding someone yourself? I know some good matchmaking agencies, I can submit your profile and see if there¡¯s anyone suitable... Ow! Dad, why did you hit me."


    "You brat, I¡¯m advising you to get married, but you¡¯re turning it around and introducing someone to me? I think your skin itches."


    Watching them banter, Ling Chen¡¯s lips curled up slightly, feeling a bit envious. If possible, he too wanted to experience a father¡¯s care.


    Unfortunately, Ling Kun is still in aa, lying at Su He¡¯s ce, and who knows when they¡¯ll reunite.

 Chapter 911 - 916: Infiltrating the Clubhouse (Part 1)

    <h4>Chapter 911: Chapter 916: Infiltrating the Clubhouse (Part 1)</h4>


    After dinner, Nanrong Wanqing helped Nanrong Zhengqing to clear the dining table. Although she was the eldest daughter of the Nanrong Family and the chairman of the Hongyu Group, Nanrong Wanqing didn¡¯t put on airs in front of her family and was no different from an ordinary woman.


    Ling Chen and Ji Beizhao sat on the balcony of the living room, a cup of tea in hand, enjoying the afterglow of the sunset.


    "What are your ns for the future?" Ling Chen asked while holding his teacup.


    Ji Beizhao smiled and said, "What ns can I have? Our family is not short of money, so I don¡¯t have to worry about living expenses. I¡¯m only thinking about doing some good business, maybe starting a smallpany and developing step by step, hoping to be a sessful businessman."


    "A businessman? Then you should learn from your cousin; after all, she¡¯s the chairman of Hongyu Group, much more skilled than you in this regard."


    "Of course, being family, she has to help me." After a pause, Ji Beizhao changed the subject and asked, "How are you nning to deal with Qi Houzhao?"


    "How else can I handle it? This is his turf, and I don¡¯t have time to waste. I might as well visit his ce and ask him directly, maybe he knows the whereabouts of my grandparents."


    "Okay, I¡¯ll go with you to look around when the timees."


    As they spoke, Nanrong Zhengqing appeared behind them, handing a document to Ling Chen.


    "This is the intelligence I just gathered. Qi Houzhao will be going to a private club tonight. You can intercept him there. Besides this, details about Qi Houzhao¡¯s security arrangements are all in these documents, so you can look them over and be prepared in advance."


    Ling Chen grinned: "Thanks!"


    Assassins are meticulous in their work, ensuring all situations are thoroughly investigated before making a move. Once everything is under control, then they take action.


    If Nanrong Zhengqing hadn¡¯t provided this intelligence, Ling Chen, with his temperament, would surely have stormed into Qi Houzhao¡¯s ce. They say that boldness often follows skill; with Ling Chen¡¯s current capabilities, he has no need for tricks or schemes.


    However, although Ling Chen doesn¡¯t take Qi Houzhao lightly, they are, after all, abroad, and in a country where firearms are legal. No matter how skilled he is, he couldn¡¯t underestimate the destructive power of bullets. If he¡¯s not careful, he might not even save his own life.


    Night fell!


    Apanied by Ji Beizhao, Ling Chen left the apartmentplex and drove straight to the private club.


    Once outside the club, Ji Beizhao parked the car by the roadside, waiting quietly. About twenty minutester, around nine thirty at night, a Rolls-Royce Phantom, escorted by two Range Rovers, slowly drove from the street directly into the underground parking lot of the private club.


    "He¡¯s here!"


    After parking, Ling Chen and Ji Beizhao walked to the walls of the private club. Without much effort, they effortlessly climbed over the wall and entered the club.


    Beforeing, Ling Chen did a lot of homework, knowing that the owner of this private club had notable backgrounds and was also a sessful businessman with close ties to the government.


    "Let¡¯s split up." Ji Beizhao patted Ling Chen on the shoulder and whispered, "Be careful, and stay in touch at all times."


    "Alright."


    Ling Chen agreed, gave a few reminders, and then proceeded alone toward the central building of the club.


    The arrangements inside the club were very meticulous. Besides the central main building, the surroundings were lush and filled with green nts. Paths intersected throughout the club.


    On his way, the sharp-eyed Ling Chen noticed that the club¡¯s security personnel were not only numerous but also surveince cameras were everywhere. Fortunately, with Ling Chen¡¯s agility and rich experience, he hadn¡¯t been detected.


    <fna24a> For more chapters visit </fna24a>


    Before long, Ling Chen arrived safely in front of the main building. At the main entrance of the building, there were two security personnel in suits. To enter the building, one must pass the inspection of these two security personnel.


    Standing outside the building, Ling Chen pressed his earpiece and whispered, "Beizhao, how much longer?"


    "Soon, give me two more minutes."


    "Okay."


    Soon after, a loud bang echoed from the club. Immediately, mes shot up into the sky, rapidly engulfing the trees and spreading. In no time, the trees in the northeast corner of the club had turned into a sea of fire.


    As the fire spread, rapid footsteps immediately echoed from all around.


    At the same time, more than a dozen security personnel rushed out of the main building, running toward the fire.


    Ling Chen hid in a dark corner nearby, and when no one was noticing, he suddenly went behind thest security personnel in the group, quietly abducted him, and dragged him into the corner.


    After knocking him out, Ling Chen quickly changed into the man¡¯s suit and fastened the ID card onto his chest.


    Then, amidst the chaos, Ling Chen lowered his head and ran directly towards the main entrance of the building. Due to the firefighting, many security personnel wereing and going. Since everyone was in suits, no one noticed Ling Chen¡¯s presence.


    Soon, Ling Chen seamlessly entered the main building.


    "Beizhao, I¡¯ve entered."


    "Got it! Be careful, I will see if I can take control of the club¡¯s security center."


    Ending the call, Ling Chen went straight to the main building¡¯s emergency exit and started climbing the stairs. The building was only five stories high. Earlier outside, Ling Chen had noticed that the fifth floor had the most lights on, indicating the guests were likely there.


    Before long, Ling Chen arrived in front of the emergency exit on the fifth floor. The door was locked, but there was an ID recognition device on the wall next to it. Ling Chen took the ID card from his chest and swiped it, immediately unlocking the door.


    Passing through the security gate, there was a carpeted corridor behind it, with many paintings hanging on the walls, heavily exuding an artistic atmosphere. Even though Ling Chen didn¡¯t have much appreciation for art, he could tell that these paintings were all genuine and valuable.


    This was indeed the world of the wealthy; the value of this corridor alone was worth tens of millions of US Dors.


    Remembering his objective, Ling Chen did not linger but walked toward the end of the corridor.


    After going through two doors, Ling Chen was surprised to find that this floor not only had no surveince cameras but also no security personnel, though he did see a few female attendants. These people, seeing him, started whispering and discussing, unaware of what they were talking about.


    Ling Chen thought to himself that this might not be good, wondering if his appearance had drawn too much attention.


    Thinking it over, Ling Chen simply ran into the restroom and took off the suit, wandering the fifth floor in his clothes.


    Indeed, after changing out of the suit, no one paid him any more attention. Moreover, those female attendants were now respectful, as if they considered him one of the guests here.


    "Excuse me, where¡¯s Mr. Qi?" Ling Chen stopped a passing female attendant and asked.

 Chapter 912 - 917: Infiltrating the Club (Part 2)

    <h4>Chapter 912: Chapter 917: Infiltrating the Club (Part 2)</h4>


    "Mr. Qi is in the private room over there, would you like me to take you to him?" the waitress asked politely.


    "No need, I¡¯ll go by myself."


    With those words, Ling Chen picked up a ss of champagne from the waitress¡¯s tray and walked straight to the private room door. After knocking and getting a response from the owner inside, Ling Chen pushed the door open and entered.


    Upon entering the private room, Ling Chen immediately saw Qi Houzhao.


    He was holding a wine ss, with a scantily d blonde woman in his arms, his hand resting on her ample chest. Instead of resisting Qi Houzhao¡¯s advances, the blonde woman pressed her body against him, gently rubbing against his sensitive areas.


    Beside the coffee table, two other bikini-d women held bottles of wine and fruit, asionally pouring wine for Qi Houzhao and feeding him fruit. The three women were each charming in their own ways, hailing from different countries.


    Seeing this scene, Ling Chen couldn¡¯t help but smile. This guy sure knows how to enjoy himself.


    At this moment, Qi Houzhao noticed Ling Chen entering, his expression changed immediately. He quickly pushed the women aside and stood up from the sofa.


    "It¡¯s you!" Qi Houzhao red at Ling Chen coldly, and said in a deep voice, "How did you get in here?"


    "I have my ways." Ling Chen smiled slightly, walked over to the sofa and sat down, "Mr. Qi, I hope to talk to you alone, so... could you please ask thesedies to leave?" After speaking, Ling Chen didn¡¯t forget to remind him: "Mr. Qi, you should be aware of my skills, you¡¯d better not try anything, otherwise, don¡¯t me me for being rude."


    Hearing these words, Qi Houzhao frowned, his face looking somewhat unpleasant. After some deep thought, his eyes gradually calmed down as he sat back on the sofa and gestured to the three women. Soon, the three women obediently left the private room.


    After they left, Ling Chen put down the champagne, looked at Qi Houzhao, and said, "I¡¯m a reasonable person. If we had a grudge, I could understand you wanting revenge. But the problem is, I¡¯ve never met you, so why are you against me? Also, what¡¯s your rtionship with Yang Yan and his wife? Do you know where they are? If you can clear up these doubts for me, I promise not to hurt a hair on your head. Mr. Qi, what do you say?"


    Qi Houzhao looked at Ling Chen with a changing expression for quite a while before nodding, "What do you want to know?"


    "Didn¡¯t I just say?"


    "I have no grudge against you, and I don¡¯t know the Yang Yan you mentioned." Qi Houzhao said, "I sent people after you because someone hired me to."


    "Who?"


    "A woman. She goes by Carey, but I don¡¯t know what her Chinese name was."


    "Chinese?" Ling Chen¡¯s heart stirred, and he asked, "Are you implying that woman¡¯s from Huaxia? Could she be the woman who had dinner with you at the Chinese restaurant the other night?"


    "Yes, it¡¯s her. She saw your missing person notice and begged me to help, asking me to quietly take care of you both."


    "What¡¯s her identity?"


    "She¡¯s a Chief Financial Officer at a foreignpany, in her forties. Mypany partnered with hers, and I¡¯ve met her a few times. You saw her; she¡¯s a stunner, any man would be attracted to her. To be honest, I¡¯m pursuing her now, and if she has requests, I naturally want to fulfill them."


    So that¡¯s how it is!


    Ling Chen thought Qi Houzhao was the mastermind, but it turned out to be that woman. Carey... he¡¯d never heard of this name before, and he didn¡¯t know what grudges existed between them. Why would she target him?


    After pondering, Ling Chen looked at Qi Houzhao and asked, "Is there anything else besides this?"


    "What else do you want to know?"


    "Her address, and where she works." Pausing for a moment, Ling Chen continued, "One more thing I must remind you of: after I leave here, I hope you won¡¯t contact that woman named Carey. Remember, this is both a reminder and a warning. Otherwise, you know my abilities, and don¡¯t me me for being rude then."


    "No problem." Without hesitation, Qi Houzhao immediately reported her address.


    "Thank you! If there¡¯s nothing else, I¡¯ll be on my way, Mr. Qi, I hope you won¡¯t bother me again in the future."


    "Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m not someone who likes looking for trouble on purpose."


    "That would be best." With that, Ling Chen got up and left the private room.


    Watching the door close, Qi Houzhao slowly exhaled a breath, downed a ss of spirits from the coffee table, took a couple of deep breaths, then pulled out his phone from his pocket and dialed a number.


    Walking through the safe passageway, Ling Chen headed down the stairs. But just as he reached the main hall, without having time to walk out the door, he saw more than a dozen security personnel rushing out from all directions, all aiming their pistols at him.


    "Don¡¯t move, get down!"


    Facing a dozen ck gun barrels, Ling Chen¡¯s eyebrow raised as his sharp gaze swept over the security personnel.


    "Ling, aren¡¯t you supposed to be very skilled? I want to see if your fists are faster, or the bullets are."


    Upon hearing the voice, Ling Chen turned his head to see Qi Houzhao emerging from the elevator, apanied by several of his men.


    "Mr. Qi, as I recall, we just agreed that you wouldn¡¯t cause me any trouble. Are you breaking your word?" Ling Chen said calmly, showing no trace of fear in his voice.


    Qi Houzhao took a puff of his cigar andughed coldly, "I think you¡¯re mistaken; it¡¯s not me causing trouble for you now, but you bringing trouble on yourself. Ling, what do you think this ce is? This is a private club; you think you cane and go as you please? I just informed the owner of this private club that someone trespassed. It¡¯s only my duty as a guest. As for how the owner handles it, that has nothing to do with me, so don¡¯t me this on me. Alright, I¡¯ve said what I needed to say, now you stay here and entertain them, I won¡¯t be joining."


    With that, Qi Houzhao started walking toward the exit of the main building.


    "Ling Chen, do you copy?"


    At this moment, Ji Beizhao¡¯s voice came through Ling Chen¡¯s earpiece.


    "I¡¯m here," Ling Chen responded, pressing the earpiece.


    "Don¡¯t move!"


    Seeing Ling Chen¡¯s action, the surrounding security personnel immediately shouted sternly.


    Ling Chenpletely ignored their orders and continued speaking into the earpiece, "I¡¯ve run into a little trouble."


    "I know, I see it all."


    Hearing this, Ling Chen felt a sense of relief, ncing at a surveince camera in the corner.


    "Wait, in three seconds I¡¯ll handle it," Ji Beizhao¡¯s words came through, and Ling Chen nodded toward the camera, waiting quietly.<fnb08d> Checktest chapters at find{n}ovel</fnb08d>

 Chapter 913 - 918: The Mysterious Woman

    <h4>Chapter 913: Chapter 918: The Mysterious Woman</h4>


    One... two... three!


    Ling Chen counted to three in his mind, and suddenly, the lights in the main building went out, plunging everyone into darkness.


    Bang!


    No one knew who fired the first shot, but immediately, all the security personnel fired into the darkness, throwing the scene into chaos.


    "Stop, everyone stop!" Soon, a voice called out from the crowd. In this situation, who knew if they weren¡¯t shooting their own people.


    "Everyone stay calm, do not move. I will have the security center restore power immediately."


    After half a minute, the lights in the hall came back on.


    "You all..."


    The leading man sighed with relief, turned to look at his underlings, but before he could finish speaking, he froze. At that moment, in the vast hall, aside from him, everyone else was lying on the ground, unconscious.


    "This..." The man waspletely stunned, not knowing what had just happened.


    "Hey, friend." At this moment, a hand reached over from behind and tapped the man¡¯s shoulder. Startled, he quickly turned around to see who it was.


    Ling Chen looked at the man¡¯s terrified expression with a smile and said, "Friend, I¡¯m very sorry, please tell your boss that I didn¡¯t intend to break the rules, I just wanted to talk to Mr. Qi. If possible in the future, I will definitely visit to apologize." With these words, Ling Chen tossed a confiscated pistol into the man¡¯s hands.


    "Farewell!"


    Watching Ling Chen¡¯s departing back, the man stood motionless with the pistol in his hand, his mind nk.


    Coming out of the private club, Ling Chen stood at the entrance, watching the exit of the underground parking lot. After a while, a Land Rover drove out, followed by a Rolls-Royce Phantom.


    Finally, it¡¯s out!


    Ling Chen crossed his arms, staring directly at the leading Land Rover, blocking the parking lot exit.


    "What¡¯s going on? Why has the car stopped?" Qi Houzhao, sitting in the Rolls-Royce, asked.


    The driver picked up the walkie-talkie, asked a few questions, then turned back and said, "Mr. Qi, they say someone is blocking the way ahead."


    Qi Houzhao impatiently asked, "Who is it?"


    "It¡¯s the young man you just met."


    "That Ling guy?" Qi Houzhao¡¯s expression changed slightly, incredulously saying, "Wasn¡¯t he captured by the club¡¯s people? Quick, tell the guys in front to just drive through!"


    "Yes!"


    However, before the driver could ry the message, several ¡¯ng¡¯ sounds were heard, like the sound of shattering car windows.


    Qi Houzhao rushed forward to look out the car window. Suddenly, the windows of the Land Rover shattered, with ss scattered all over the ground.


    "Hello! Hello!"


    The driver called out several times on the walkie-talkie, but there was no response from the Land Rover ahead.


    At that moment, a ¡¯thump thump¡¯ sound came from the window beside them. The driver and Qi Houzhao turned to see Ling Chen standing beside the car, smilingly looking inside.


    Seeing Ling Chen¡¯s smile-filled face, Qi Houzhao instinctively felt a chill rise in his heart and hurriedly shouted, "Quick, drive!"


    Bang!


    Before the driver could start the car, Ling Chen¡¯s steel fist suddenly smashed in, shattered the window ss, and pulled the driver out from inside. Then, Ling Chen opened the door and punched Qi Houzhao in the head. Apanied by a muffled groan, Qi Houzhao immediately lost consciousness, copsing in the back seat.


    The car started, and Ling Chen stepped on the gas, driving the Rolls-Royce out. The Land Rover behind saw its boss being kidnapped and swiftly drove up to give chase.


    Through the rear-view mirror, Ling Chen looked at the pursuing Land Rover, a faint smile ying on his lips, and he suddenly floored the gas pedal. The speed of the Rolls-Royce rapidly increased, reaching over one hundred miles per hour in no time.


    Seeing that the Land Rover from behind had not closed in, Ling Chen swerved into a sidene.


    Ling Chen maneuvered through the surrounding roads for about ten minutes before the Land Rover finally disappeared from his rear-view mirror.


    <fn3cef> Updates are released by ?ovelFind</fn3cef>


    Humph! Trying to mess with me? It seems you don¡¯t know who I am.


    Having shaken off his pursuers, Ling Chen drove to the outside of a residential area.


    "Mr. Qi, wake up, we¡¯re here."


    Ling Chen tapped Qi Houzhao¡¯s cheek, and after a while, Qi Houzhao slowly woke up. Seeing Ling Chen before him, Qi Houzhao quickly came to his senses, jumped up from the seat, and tried to open the car door to get out.


    However, no matter how hard he tried, the car door wouldn¡¯t open.


    "Mr. Qi, save your energy," Ling Chen said from the driver¡¯s seat. "The doors are locked. You had better behave and not force me to take further action against you."


    "Ling, what exactly do you want?" Qi Houzhao asked through clenched teeth.


    "What do I want?" Ling Chen said with an amused smile. "Mr. Qi, I believe I made it clear that I hope you won¡¯te looking for trouble with me again. Unfortunately, you chose not to heed my advice, so all I can say is sorry."


    "I..." Qi Houzhao quickly defended, "It¡¯s not my fault, it wasn¡¯t me, it was the club¡¯s boss..."


    Smack!


    Before Qi Houzhao could finish, Ling Chen pped him, cutting off his words.


    "Enough nonsense," Ling Chen said, picking up Qi Houzhao¡¯s phone and tossing it to him. "Call that woman, tell her you¡¯re waiting outside the residential area. Remember, from now on, I am your driver. If that woman arrives, you better not say too much, or you¡¯ll not get a second chance, understand?"


    Qi Houzhao weighed his options and agreed, obediently dialing the woman¡¯s number.


    After a few exchanges, Qi Houzhao put down the phone, reluctantly looking at Ling Chen. "I asked, but she refused."


    "With someone as charming as you, how could she refuse?" Ling Chen said calmly. "I¡¯ve given you the chance, don¡¯t let me down."


    Realizing he had no choice, Qi Houzhao tried again, calling the number. This time, Qi Houzhao came up with a pretext, and after much persuasion, he managed to convince the woman toe out.


    "Alright, she agreed and will be out shortly."


    "Very good. Mr. Qi, rest assured, once I finish my business, you will leave unharmed. However, before that, you should call your men to prevent anymotion. I have no desire to be a fugitive."


    "As long as you don¡¯t hurt me, I¡¯ll meet any of your demands."


    After waiting in the car for more than ten minutes, Ling Chen finally saw a person walking out of the residential area; it was the woman of unparalleled beauty and presence.

 Chapter 914 - 919: The Mysterious Woman (Part 2)

    <h4>Chapter 914: Chapter 919: The Mysterious Woman (Part 2)</h4>


    The woman nced around at the entrance of the residential area and finally locked her eyes on the Rolls-Royce parked by the roadside.


    Watching the woman approach with a handbag in hand, Ling Chen smirked slightly and unlocked all the car doors. Soon, the woman arrived close to the car, stood next to the rear door of the Rolls-Royce, reached out to grasp the handle, and prepared to get in.


    However, just when Ling Chen was ready, intending to subdue the woman once she got in, she didn¡¯t even open the car door. Instead, she immediately turned around and started running back, in a jog.


    Seeing this action, Ling Chen¡¯s heart sank, and he nced at Qi Houzhao on the rear seat. He could confirm that Qi Houzhao had been very honest, not saying a word or signaling the woman. Yet, the woman suddenly escaped, clearly sensing danger.


    What a vignt woman!


    Ling Chen muttered to himself. At that moment, he couldn¡¯t afford to overthink and hurriedly pushed open the car door, swiftly chasing in the direction the woman escaped.


    At that moment, a taxi happened to drive up from the roadside. The woman quickly waved her hand to stop the taxi.


    Want to leave... Hmph! It¡¯s not that easy.


    Ling Chen lightly tapped his toes, elerating to his utmost, charging straight for the woman¡¯s back, intending to catch her.


    Before Ling Chen could reach the woman¡¯s back, she suddenly turned her head while jogging in high heels, her arm extended horizontally. Seeing this, Ling Chen was startled. Somehow, the woman now had a small, silverdy¡¯s handgun in her hand.


    Ling Chen knew this type of gun well; its effective range was only ten meters and could only hold two bullets.


    Just a woman!


    Ling Chen thought inwardly. Even though the woman had a gun, it didn¡¯t change the fact that she was a woman. In this country where guns are legal, everyone owns a gun, which is not surprising. However, the key is that having a gun and using it are two different things; he didn¡¯t believe a woman¡¯s shooting skills could be that advanced.


    While thinking swiftly, Ling Chen did not hesitate, and his speed didn¡¯t decrease. On the contrary, he became faster.


    Bam!


    The gunshot rang out.


    Being a small handgun, the gunshot wasn¡¯t very crisp, but to Ling Chen, it was unmistakably clear. However, what shocked him the most was that the bullet flew right past his ear, almost hitting a vital point.


    What remarkable shooting skills!


    At that moment, Ling Chen broke into a cold sweat. He initially thought the woman¡¯s shooting skills were mediocre and could easily dodge, but who knew her marksmanship was not only precise but she also remained calm and unaffected by Ling Chen. Even at such close range, she remainedposed.


    Not simple!


    Ling Chen, as a top marksman, knew this very well. The woman¡¯s mental fortitude and shooting skills were top-notch.


    Thinking of this, Ling Chen dared not be careless, hurriedly slowing down. The woman¡¯s handgun still had one bullet, but Ling Chen didn¡¯t dare risk it easily, especially after witnessing her precise shooting skills.


    In such a situation, he didn¡¯t want both to suffer.


    Ling Chen then casually reached into his pocket, took out a keychain, flicked his wrist gently, and the keychain swiftly flew toward the woman.


    Bam!


    A sh of fire, followed by another gunshot.


    In an instant, Ling Chen¡¯s thrown keychain was directly hit by the bullet and fell to the ground.


    At the same time, the woman quickly opened the rear car door, jumped into the back seat. As the door closed, before Ling Chen could chase after, the taxi already sped off onto the road like lightning, instantly leaving Ling Chen behind. No matter how skilled Ling Chen was, he couldn¡¯t possibly outrun a car on foot.


    Watching the taxi disappear from view, Ling Chen returned to the Rolls-Royce, frowning slightly with unwillingness.


    Seeing Qi Houzhao smoking a cigar in the back seat, Ling Chen snorted lightly and asked, "Did you tip her off?"


    "Ling, don¡¯t wrong me, this has nothing to do with me. The phone was in your hand the whole time, you know everything I said and did, how could I tip her off? But I do know why she became suspicious."


    "Why?"


    Qi Houzhao pointed to his own nose and said, "Look at me, just see what kind of person I am. I sit in a Rolls-Royce, and every time I go out, I have a driver and security apanying me. If I were picking up a guest, the driver and security would be the first to get out and open the car door. Just now, when she arrived at the car, no one got out. Anyone slightly cautious would notice something¡¯s wrong. Oh, forgot to remind you, she is extremely cautious; I¡¯ve never seen a woman so careful, she hides herself very well."


    Hearing this, Ling Chen asked, "Since you know what kind of woman she is, why are you still chasing her?"


    "Isn¡¯t there an old saying in Huaxia, ¡¯Fairdy, gentleman pursuit¡¯? For a woman of her caliber, which man wouldn¡¯t be tempted? Besides, a man like me naturally wants to find an impressive woman. Ling, I¡¯ve already brought you here, but you failed to catch her yourself. Shouldn¡¯t you let me go now?"


    "You can leave." Ling Chen waved his hand helplessly.


    Given Qi Houzhao¡¯s status, Ling Chen couldn¡¯t possibly kill him.


    With Ling Chen¡¯s consent, Qi Houzhao didn¡¯t say another word, deciding not to even keep the Rolls-Royce Phantom and directly pushed open the car door to leave.


    Watching Qi Houzhao leave, Ling Chen sat in the driver¡¯s seat, took out his phone, and dialed Ji Beizhao¡¯s number. Just when the woman escaped, Ling Chen memorized the taxi¡¯s license te number. All taxis fall under a taxipany, and they¡¯re equipped with GPS systems. Just a call to thepany, and he could quickly find the taxi¡¯s location.


    In less than ten minutes, Ji Beizhao called back.


    Upon learning the location of the taxi, Ling Chen immediately started the car, opened the car¡¯s navigation system, and headed straight for the destination.


    Soon, Ling Chen arrived at the taxi¡¯s location, and Ji Beizhao arrived by cab as well.


    Ling Chen swiftly pulled open the car door, dragged the driver out from the driver¡¯s seat, pressed him against the car door, and asked, "Where did that woman get off the car?"


    "Up ahead." The driver quickly pointed to a nearby intersection and said, "Thedy got off my taxi and then got into another one. I don¡¯t know where she went next."


    Hearing this, Ling Chen let go of the driver¡¯s cor and sighed helplessly.


    She is really cautious.


    Ling Chen thought to himself. From the woman¡¯s actions, it was clear she had certain counter-tracking skills. The more Ling Chen learned about this woman, the more curious he became about who she really was.<fn975e> Read full story at f?i?n?d?n?o?v?e?l?</fn975e>

 Chapter 915 920: The Mysterious Woman (Part 3)

    Ling Chen couldn''t find the person, so he had no choice but to ride back to their residence with Ji Beizhao. As for the Rolls-Royce, Ling Chen left it by the roadside.


    It was already midnight by the time they returned home. Nanrong Wanqing was already asleep, with only Nanrong Zhengqing still sitting in the living room, drinking beer and watching the news on TV.


    Upon hearing the door, Nanrong Zhengqing turned his head and looked at the approaching Ling Chen and Ji Beizhao, and said: "Judging by your looks, tonight''s operation must have failed. Tell me, what happened?"


    Ling Chen shrugged and shared the situation regarding that woman. After listening, Nanrong Zhengqing said with some surprise: "Even you couldn''t manage it, it seems that woman really has some skill." After thinking for a moment, Nanrong Zhengqing continued: "How about this, let me ask a few friends to use the assassin''s informationwork to see if they can find the whereabouts of that woman."


    "Alright, that''s a big help!"


    "No need for thanks, we''re family. Okay, it''s gettingte, you all should go rest."


    Ling Chen walked into the bedroom and turned on the light, only to see Nanrong Wanqing lying on the bed in a robe, her eyes closed, breathing evenly, obviously fast asleep.


    Ling Chen was afraid of disturbing her, so he tiptoed to the bedside, took off his clothes, and slipped under the covers.


    As soon as he turned off the light, Ling Chen noticed a change in Nanrong Wanqing''s breathing; it became more rapid from its previous steady rhythm. Feeling the change, Ling Chen couldn''t help but find it amusing.


    That little girl hadn''t fallen asleep after all.


    With a beautiful woman lying next to him, Ling Chen, being a man, didn''t have such good self-control. His mischievous hands unconsciously reached over, gently stroking Nanrong Wanqing''s abdomen. Under his palm''s caress, Nanrong Wanqing''s delicate body couldn''t help but tremble and tense up.


    Had the light not been turned off, Ling Chen would probably have seen her flushed cheeks.


    Sensing the smoothness of Nanrong Wanqing''s skin, Ling Chen felt somewhat unsatisfied, and hisrge hand slowly crawled upwards from her abdomen.


    "Don''t!"


    Ling Chen''s actions instantly woke Nanrong Wanqing, who hurriedly grabbed Ling Chen''s wrist, suppressing her shame and said: "Don''t¡­this is¡­my uncle''s house."


    Upon hearing this, Ling Chen pulled Nanrong Wanqing into his arms, teasingly said: "So, you mean... it''s fine when we''re home?"


    "Bad man!" Nanrong Wanqing blushed deeply, lightly pounding Ling Chen''s chest, her head buried in his embrace, not daring to lift it.


    "Alright, alright, no teasing, get some rest." Ling Chen gently stroked Nanrong Wanqing''s smooth back, saying.


    "Did you find anything tonight?" Nanrong Wanqing asked.


    Ling Chen chuckled wryly and said: "Not really, that woman is very cunning. She realized I was looking for her and ran away." After a pause, Ling Chen continued: "That woman is not simple; I suspect she might be backed by a major force."


    "What should we do then?"


    "No matter what, we have to find her. She directed Qi Houzhao to trouble me, she must be aware of some information about my grandparents."


    "We''ve been here for three days already; it''s best to hurry and not drag it out too long."


    "I know."


    Actually, Ling Chen''s heart was eager to resolve this matter quickly. There were many things waiting for him in East Sea City, and he didn''t want the city to turn into a mess because of him.


    "Uncle has already found ways to locate her whereabouts; if things go smoothly, it shouldn''t take too much longer."


    ...


    The night passed without conversation.


    The next morning, as Ling Chen and Nanrong Wanqing got up, a fragrant aroma wafted from the kitchen.


    Seeing Nanrong Zhengqing busy preparing breakfast, Ling Chen greeted him with augh, "If outsiders saw, no one would believe that the dignified Snake King has be a house husband."


    Nanrong Zhengqing smiled slightly: "Actually, we all yearn for an ordinary life. In that aspect, I''m luckier than you¡ªI''m already enjoying it, while you still need to strive. Ling Chen, I understand your situation is quite difficult now, but don''t think I''m not helping you. Honestly, I''m tired of the world of killing and fighting. Now, I''ve finally got this peaceful life; I don''t want to lose it easily. Plus, after living like this for a while, people tend to bezy."


    "There are indeed many troubles now, but I''m still able to manage them."


    "That''s good. You take a seat first, breakfast will be ready soon."<fn8b59> Th?s chapter is updated by find~novel</fn8b59>


    Ling Chen nodded, watching Nanrong Zhengqing busy himself, feeling a little emotional.


    Thinking back, it was because Nanrong Zhengqing secretly plotted to assassinate Nanrong Wanqing that he got the chance to move into Nanrong''s home and be Nanrong Wanqing''s personal security. With this convenience, Ling Chen managed to get close to Nanrong Wanqing, eventually developing the rtionship they have today.


    Had it not been for Nanrong Zhengqing, Ling Chen probably would have already resigned from Hongyu Group, avoiding all these entanglements.


    Now, the very person who wanted to kill Nanrong Wanqing is busy in the kitchen preparing breakfast for them¡ªthe change is truly remarkable.


    After a sumptuous breakfast, Ling Chen stood on the balcony with a teacup, breathing in the fresh air.


    "Ling Chen."


    At this moment, Ji Beizhao approached, holding a set of documents, handed it to Ling Chen, saying: "These are the reports we received this morning. Last night, we put out the word, and those assassin intermediaries worked overnight, finally finding what we needed."


    Upon hearing this, Ling Chen put down his teacup, flipped open the documents and nced through them.


    Ha!


    "That woman is indeed wealthy."


    "Indeed, I think so too," Ji Beizhao concurred: "We didn''t know before, but now we do¡ªshe owns multiple vis and residences within the city, and has purchased a lot of property. I roughly calcted that her assets are at least over a billion."


    "I heard she''s apany''s finance director, typically such a position wouldn''t have such a high ie."


    "I also find it strange. Additionally, the woman has many aliases, and all those properties were purchased under different identities, making it difficult for us to find them previously. However, she probably didn''t expect that today''s facial recognition systems are highly precise. Once her portrait is entered, all the identities she used wille up."


    Looking at the contents of the documents, Ling Chen asked: "Besides these, is there any other useful information?"


    "Huaxia has an old saying, ''a cunning rabbit has three burrows.'' That woman bought so much property just to use as safehouses. Once her identity is exposed, she can instantly relocate elsewhere. I had someone check, among these properties, only one vi had paid for utilities regrly month by month for several years. I''m thinking perhaps that''s where we can find what we''re looking for."


    "Good. There''s no time to lose, let''s head out right away."

 Chapter 916 921: Unexpected Shootout

    After greeting Nanrong Zhengqing, Ling Chen and Ji Beizhao immediately drove to the location of the mansion.


    After spending more than forty minutes on the road, the mansion finally appeared in Ling Chen''s view.


    This ce is quite nice.


    Ling Chen thought to himself. This mansion is not in the city but built in the suburbs. It''s veryrge, surrounded by lush greenwns.


    "Stop!"


    At this moment, Ling Chen noticed something ahead and quickly asked Ji Beizhao to pull over to the roadside.


    Looking carefully, he saw several SUVs parked outside the mansion, surrounded by seven or eight men in suits, busy loading various sized boxes into the trunks.


    Strangely, all these men in suits were uniformly Huaxia individuals.


    Once the boxes were all loaded, the men in suits quickly got into the cars and drove the SUVs towards the highway entrance.


    Throughout the duration, besides these men in suits, Ling Chen didn''t see anyone else appear.


    "Who are these people?" Ji Beizhao muttered to himself, "Could it be that woman knew she was in danger and had people move her belongings?"


    Ling Chen thought for a moment and said, "Not necessarily. I remember Qi Houzhao mentioned that woman was very cautious. If she felt endangered, she definitely wouldn''t draw attention by having people move her belongings elsewhere; that''s too risky. From my guess, that woman would surely hide in a ce where no one would notice and observe quietly until it''s safe to show herself."


    "Should we investigate the identity of these people?"


    "Since we''re here, might as well follow them and see."


    Immediately, Ji Beizhao started the car and drove straight towards the direction of the SUVs.


    Shortly after, they entered the highway, driving straight along the wide road. With Ji Beizhao elerating a few times, the SUVs finally appeared in Ling Chen''s sight.


    To avoid being noticed, Ji Beizhao didn''t get too close, maintaining a distance of more than two hundred meters.


    Over ten minutester, the SUVs exited the highway at a junction, entering a nearby farm.


    After parking, Ling Chen looked through the car window at the SUVs. At this moment, the men in suits had all disembarked. Except for a few guarding, the others were carrying boxes into the wooden house in the center of the farm.


    The wooden house wasrge, seemingly a warehouse for farm tools, and there was also a harvesting machine parked outside.


    "Beizhao, is this ce shown in the documents?"


    "No. That woman''s assets don''t mention this farm. How about we go check it out?"


    "Okay."


    Getting out of the car, Ling Chen quickly walked to the farm''s perimeter fence, crouching down to avoid being seen.


    Looking at the surroundings of the farm, Ling Chen couldn''t help but feel a bit troubled. Being a farm, it''s veryrge, surrounded bywns without any cover. Once they entered that area, they would surely be detected.


    "Beizhao, any ideas?" Ling Chen asked for help.


    Ji Beizhao shrugged, showing a helpless expression. In such terrain, they couldn''t get close.


    While they were pondering over ns, a sudden re appeared in Ling Chen''s sight. The re streaked across the air and hit the wooden house.


    Instantly, with a boom, the wooden house exploded, mes scattering everywhere.


    It was a rocketuncher!


    Ling Chen''s face slightly changed, watching the wooden house engulfed in mes, momentarily stunned.


    While astonished, several Mercedes-Benz Sprinter vans rushed over from the opposite direction, breaking through the farm''s fence, driving directly towards the demolished wooden house.


    At this moment, the personnel outside the wooden house were sted away by the explosion''s shockwave, uncertain if they were alive, no one stopping the intruders.


    Bang!


    Then, from the ruins of the exploded wooden house came another loud bang. Under the st, the scattered wooden beams flew everywhere.


    Simultaneously, more than a dozen men in suits franticly ran from the ruins, holding assault rifles, firing at the Mercedes vans with da-da-da sounds.<fn86f3> Follow current nov?ls on Find¡ïNovel</fn86f3>


    In the blink of an eye, the lead Mercedes van was riddled with bullet holes. However, these Mercedes vans seemed specially modified with bulletproof ss. Despite the fierce shootings, the ss didn''t shatter, unable to harm those inside.


    "Ling Chen, look!"


    Ji Beizhao pointed at one of the Mercedes vans. The van''s window opened, and a man raised a Gatling gun, emerging from thepartment.


    Suddenly, tongues of fire spitting bullets rained down, instantly taking out all those men in suits.


    Tut tut!


    Seeing this scene, Ling Chen was secretly startled. That was too brutal! Even using a Gatling, that''s surely the Grim Reaper''s harvesting machine; no one could withstand its frenzied assault.


    After clearing the area of men in suits, the Mercedes vans approached closer. As doors opened, a fully armed squad jumped out, numbering about twenty, rushing straight towards the wooden house ruins.


    Watching those people disappear into the ruins, Ling Chen immediately stood up and said, "There should be a secret base beneath that wooden house."


    Ji Beizhao hesitated and said, "We better not go over. Those guys have such strong equipment; if they mistake us for enemies, I''m afraid we won''t survive."


    "Aren''t you curious about their identities?" Ling Chen questioned, "They might have a significant connection with that woman."


    "But¡­" Ji Beizhao was still worried. It wasn''t aboutcking courage, but it was too dangerous, unnecessary to risk their lives.


    Seeing Ji Beizhao hesitating to make a decision, Ling Chen proposed, "Here''s the n, you wait outside in the car while I go in alone. If there''s nothing, I''lle out and meet you."


    "Alright. Be careful and stay in contact."


    With that decided, Ling Chen immediately ran towards the wooden house ruins. Shortly after, arriving at the ruins, Ling Chen looked at the corpses scattered on the ground, picking up a gun conveniently. Although skilled, bullets were faster than hands. Anyway, this isn''t his home country, and there are fewer restrictions.


    Walking into the ruins, Ling Chen looked around. As expected, there was an underground entrance at the center of the ruins. It seemed the explosion just now sealed the entrance, hence why they blew it open.


    Standing at the entrance, Ling Chen crouched down, listening carefully. asional gunfire echoed from below. Judging by the rity of the gunfire, the underground secret base should be quite sizeable.


    Without much thought, Ling Chen pulled the gun''s bolt, loading a bullet, then leaped into the entrance.

 Chapter 917 922: Shot (1)

    Entering the underground secret base from the entrance, Ling Chen cautiously moved forward, observing the surroundings on both sides. After advancing over thirty meters, the gunfire grew louder, and hurried footsteps could be heard. Ling Chen gripped the handgun, the muzzle slightly raised, with sharp eyes scanning the various intersections within the base.


    Along the way, Ling Chen saw many corpses lying on the ground, all shot dead by bullets.


    Truly ruthless!


    Ling Chen murmured to himself. The fully armed team showed no intention of leaving any alive, killing them all. As Ling Chen ventured deeper, he discovered that the secret base was partitioned into many rooms, filled withputers and other equipment. With Ling Chen''s experience, this should be an information processing center, but it was unclear which organization it belonged to.


    At this moment, a series of footsteps approached rapidly from afar. Ling Chen''s heart jolted, and he quickly hid in a room, pressing against the wall. Soon, over twenty fully armed men appeared one after another, heading straight for the exit.


    Ling Chen peeked at them, watching the men gradually move away, and couldn''t help but rx. It seemed those people hadpleted their mission.


    Immediately, Ling Chen emerged from the room and quickly proceeded to the depths of the secret base. Before long, Ling Chen arrived at the main control center of the secret base. Looking around, the ground was covered with bodies, some possibly the base''s technical staff, others security personnel.


    A fierce shootout must have urred earlier, with bullet holes covering the walls andputer equipment. Ling Chen surveyed the surroundings and then approached an intactputer, opening the files inside. Upon seeing the contents of the files, Ling Chen''s expression changed slightly.


    Unexpectedly, this secret base was an asset of the God Organization.


    Interesting indeed!


    It''s unclear who those people were, daring to oppose the God Organization and even destroy the entire base.


    As Ling Chen pondered, a countdown appeared on theputer screen. A few secondster, all the data stored in theputer was deleted. It seemed that the base''s technical personnel activated the data deletion device in advance when under attack.


    Since the data was cleared, Ling Chen didn''t bother spending more time and headed straight outside. Nearing the exit, Ling Chen noticed a dozen or so cardboard boxes piled in the corner. He distinctly remembered those men in suits loading these boxes onto a car outside that vi. Thinking back, it must be these.


    Items valued by the God Organization are certainly not ordinary. With that thought, Ling Chen approached the boxes and opened one. Looking at the items inside, Ling Chen was momentarily stunned and reached in to pick up a photo frame.


    The frame contained a photo of an elderly couple, a man and a woman, with benevolent smiles on their aged faces.


    "Grandpa... Grandma..." Ling Chen murmured, his hands shaking lightly as he grasped the frame.


    The pictures of Yang Yan and Gong Meiling were in the information Hu Fei gave him, so Ling Chen recognized them at a nce. Setting down the frame, Ling Chen searched through the box, finding several more photographs¡ªall were of his grandparents.


    Could it be... that vi housed his grandparents?<fn0af0> This text is hosted at f?ndnovel</fn0af0>


    The items in these boxes were all taken from that vi, so it must have been their residence.


    The God Organization must have sent people to his grandparents'' ce intending to capture them, Ling Chen spected. If not for that purpose, they wouldn''t have sent so many people there. However, the God Organization likely failed. Otherwise, they wouldn''t have brought these items to the base. They must be trying to find clues in these items to locate Yang Yan and Gong Meiling indirectly.


    No matter what, as long as his grandparents didn''t fall into the God Organization''s hands, Ling Chen could rest easy for the time being.


    Exiting the base, all the Mercedes-Benz business vehicles had left, only bodies and shell casings remained scattered around. ncing at the time, Ling Chen guessed the police would arrive soon. To avoid unnecessary trouble, he decided not to linger.


    Back in the car, Ling Chen looked at Ji Beizhao in the driver''s seat and asked, "Did you see which way those Mercedes-Benz business vehicles went?"


    Ji Beizhao pointed toward the road to the north, "That way, they left not long ago. You might catch up if you go now."


    "Let''s go, follow them."


    At this point, the God Organization''s trail waspletely cut off, and the people in those Mercedes-Benz business vehicles were thest clue, not to be missed.


    After a few minutes, those Mercedes-Benz business vehicles finally appeared in Ling Chen''s view.


    "Slow down, don''t let them notice," Ling Chen reminded.


    "I know."


    Over half an hourter, Ji Beizhao drove the car, tailing the Mercedes-Benz vehicles back to the city. Watching the vehicles enter an open-air parking lot, Ling Chen immediately had Ji Beizhao stop and got out to follow them alone.


    At this moment, the Mercedes-Benz business vehicles were parked next to each other, their windows closed, with no sign of movement inside.


    Ling Chen hid behind a car, observing quietly. About ten minutester, a BMW drove into the parking lot and stopped beside the Mercedes-Benz vehicles. The windows of both cars rolled down simultaneously.


    Ling Chen focused his gaze and was taken aback. To his surprise, the woman who had escapedst night was sitting inside the BMW.


    The people in the Mercedes-Benz vehicle handed a USB drive through the window to the woman, who took it, closed her window, and drove straight toward the parking lot exit.


    Seeing the woman about to leave, Ling Chen wasn''t going to let her escape so easily. It took significant effort to find her, he must capture her at all costs. Just as the BMW was about to exit the parking lot, Ling Chen quickly jumped out from behind the car, sprinted over, and cut off the BMW''s path in no time.


    Seeing Ling Chen suddenly appear, the woman inside the car was startled, and hastily mmed on the brakes. However, as she calmed down, she didn''t hesitate to press the gas pedal to the floor. In an instant, the BMW lurched forward, heading straight towards Ling Chen.


    As the BMW approached, Ling Chen stood still. When it was about to crash into him, he reached back with his right hand, quickly drawing a handgun, and aimed at the woman in the driver''s seat.


    Faced with the handgun in Ling Chen''s hand, the woman was shocked, immediately turning the steering wheel.

 Chapter 918 923: Shot (2)

    As the woman moved, the BMW suddenly swerved, its front end heading straight for the row of cars beside it.


    Bang!


    With a loud crash, the front of the BMW was instantly crushed, smoke billowing out.


    Ling Chen nced at the driver''s seat, then cautiously approached, his gaze wary. He had seen the woman''s shooting skills and was sure she was armed. For safety''s sake, it was best to be careful.


    Five meters... When Ling Chen was within five meters of the BMW, there was a gunshot, and the car window shattered.


    At the sound of the gunfire, Ling Chen immediately changed his position. Using the speed of the Nine Yang Qiankun Step, he narrowly avoided the bullet. Before the woman in the car could fire again, he rolled forward and quickly clung to the side of the car, dodging her line of sight.


    Just as Ling Chen took cover, he heard the sound of a door opening on the other side of the BMW. The woman must have gotten out from the other side.


    "Surround her!"


    At this moment, before Ling Chen could make his move, a rush of footsteps approached from afar, quickly converging in his direction. Hearing the voices, Ling Chen lifted his head slightly, peering over the car''s rear. Instantly, he saw more than twenty heavily armed men, wielding submachine guns, slowly approaching the BMW.


    Damn!


    Ling Chen cursed silently; the woman must have alerted the Mercedes van for backup. But as expected, this was all within Ling Chen''s calctions. He had anticipated that blocking the woman in the parking lot would surely draw those men''s attacks.


    Just twenty or so people, he hadn''t taken it to heart.<fn5c32> Latest content published on FindN()vel</fn5c32>


    Listening to the footsteps drawing closer to the car, Ling Chen took a deep breath, rxing his entire body. Even though his confidence was high, facing more than twenty armed men, he couldn''t afford to be careless.


    "You two, over there!"


    On the other side, a leader-like man gestured to severalpanions. Soon two gunmen circled to the front of the BMW, jumped onto the hood, and carefully moved towards the car''s body.


    One... Two... Three!


    When the man signaled ''three,'' four people from both sides rushed out simultaneously, aiming their guns at the car''s side door.


    But they quickly realized there was no sign of Ling Chen next to the car.


    Where did he go?


    Just as everyone was stunned, someone suddenly rolled out from underneath the BMW. Before anyone could react, the person sprang up from the ground, and with a swift punch, knocked several men to the ground.


    Hearing the cries of pain from the car''s side, other team members nced at each other and rushed over.


    However, before they could approach, a figure leaped swiftly from the ground,nding on the BMW''s roof.


    Bang! Bang!


    Several gunshots rang out, and the submachine guns in a few men''s hands were instantly shot away.


    "Kill him!"


    After suffering twice, someone finally reacted. With a loud shout, everyone raised their submachine guns, pulled the triggers, and mes spat out.


    However, at the moment the guns fired, Ling Chen had already anticipated their action. Lightly tapping his toes, he leaped up, soaring more than three meters into the air, looking down at the gunmen.


    Bang! Bang!


    Several more shots were fired, knocking the submachine guns out of the men''s hands.


    As his toes touched the ground, Ling Chen twisted his waist, instantly deploying the Nine Yang Qiankun Step, moving like an afterimage among the crowd. Due to the close range, even though everyone held guns, they dared not fire recklessly, fearing to hit theirpanions.


    This undoubtedly provided Ling Chen with an excellent opportunity.


    As long as Ling Chen could get close, within a second someone would surely fall to the ground.


    In the blink of an eye, seven or eight people had been taken down by Ling Chen. Since they had just battled the God Organization, Ling Chen spared them, only knocking them unconscious.


    Bang!


    At this time, a crisp gunshot rang out. Immediately, a gunman staggered backward, copsed to the ground, blood flowing from his arm, soaking his sleeve.


    Seeing the man''s plight, Ling Chen was shocked and quickly turned to look at a distance. At this moment, beside a Hyundai sedan, the woman gripped a submachine gun, resting it on the car hood, continuously shifting her aim, trying to lock onto Ling Chen.


    Luckily!


    Ling Chen thought to himself, feeling fortunate. This woman was ruthless enough to ambush him, but luckily his luck was good, and he wasn''t hit by a bullet.


    No time to think further, the surrounding men had already dropped their guns and pulled out daggers, charging at Ling Chen.


    To avoid bullets harming theirpanions, at such close range, it was more appropriate to switch to closebat. But who was Ling Chen? As a top Earthly List expert, how could they be a match for him? Engaging Ling Chen in closebat was tantamount to seeking death.


    In no time, Ling Chen had dealt with all the men.


    "Don''t move!"


    At this moment, a dark gun barrel appeared from behind, pressed against the woman''s head. Feeling the chilling presence of the gun, the woman frowned slightly and slowly stood up.


    "Drop the gun."


    Upon hearing the order, the woman did not resist, obediently dropping the submachine gun to the ground and raising her hands high.


    "Very good."


    Seeing the woman sopliant, Ji Beizhao smiled slightly, nced at Ling Chen not far away, and shouted, "I''ve caught this woman."


    However, the moment Ji Beizhao spoke, the woman with the gun pointed at her head suddenly spun around swiftly. Ji Beizhao barely had time to react before feeling a sharp pain in his abdomen, as if all his strength was drained.


    "Beizhao."


    Noticing the situation with Ji Beizhao, Ling Chen''s expression changed, and he quickly rushed over, trying to rescue Ji Beizhao from the opponent''s grasp.


    Unfortunately, there were over ten meters between him and the woman, and before he could reach Ji Beizhao, the woman had already seized the gun from Ji Beizhao''s hand, pressing it to his forehead.


    Seeing this, Ling Chen stopped in his tracks and said to the woman, "Let him go!"


    In response to Ling Chen''s words, the woman remained unmoved, her piercing eyes fixed on him. Although she didn''t speak, Ling Chen could sense a cold hatred from her gaze.


    This woman... Ling Chen was puzzled. He hadn''t wronged her, so why did she look at him with such a hateful gaze?


    In a sh, Ling Chen simply asked, "Who are you, and why are you causing trouble for me?"


    "Why am I causing you trouble? Hmph!" The woman sneered and said, "You should know in your heart."

 Chapter 919 924: Shot (3)

    Ling Chen was a bit helpless. It was his first meeting with this woman, so how could he know the reason for her hostility? Moreover, Ling Chen was quite sure that a woman with such extraordinary temperament and stunning appearance would definitely leave a deep impression at a nce. Thus, he was 100% certain that he had never seen her before and could not possibly have any enmity with her.


    "To be honest, I really don''t know what you''re talking about, nor do I understand why you want to deal with me. My purpose foring this time is simple, to find the whereabouts of Yang Yan and his wife. I heard from Qi Houzhao that you instructed him to capture me, and even wanted to take the lives of me and my girlfriend. I can''t understand, as I don''t even know you, why do you want to kill me? Also, I would like to ask you, do you know Yang Yan and his wife?"


    "Whether I know them or not is none of your business," the woman replied coldly. After speaking, the woman seemed to think of something, her eyes filled with doubt as she looked at Ling Chen, asking, "Could it be that you really don''t know who I am?"


    Ling Chen spread his hands and said, "I''ve stressed it several times, I really don''t know you. Why don''t you tell me who you are?"


    "I..." The woman was about to say something but quickly caught herself and said coldly, "Since you don''t know who I am, then there''s no need for you to know. A dead man doesn''t need to know so much."


    With that, the woman raised the gun in her hand and aimed it at Ling Chen''s body.


    "You want to kill me?" Ling Chen squinted his eyes, frowning as he looked at the woman. While speaking, his whole body tensed up, all his muscles mobilized.


    "You shouldn''t havee to look for Yang Yan and his wife. They sent you here just to make you deliver yourself to death."


    Them?


    Hearing the woman mention ''them,'' Ling Chen couldn''t help but feel curious, unsure of who ''they'' referred to.


    However, before Ling Chen could ask, a ''bang'' rang out, a gunshot was fired, and the bullet hit Ling Chen''s body directly.


    In an instant, blood gushed from Ling Chen''s chest, quickly soaking his clothes red.


    Seeing this scene, Ji Beizhao''s eyes immediately turned red with urgency, about to yell in anger. However, before he could speak, the woman kicked Ji Beizhao to the ground, then aimed the gun at his body.


    Looking at the dark gun barrel, Ji Beizhao couldn''t help swallowing, his face turning pale.


    He never expected this woman''s heart to be so ruthless, killing without the slightest hesitation.


    Woo-woo-woo-woo!


    Just as the woman was about to shoot, a piercing police siren suddenly came from the side of the road. Soon after, several police cars rushed into the open parking lot, speeding towards them.


    Seeing the police cars approach, the woman frowned slightly, immediately put away the gun in her hand, and quickly ran out of the parking lot.


    Watching her retreating figure, Ji Beizhao exhaled heavily, wiping the cold sweat from his forehead.


    There was no time to rest at this moment. Ji Beizhao hurriedly got up from the ground, picked up Ling Chen''s body, and ran outside. If the police caught him, he would definitely be locked up.


    Escaping from the parking lot, Ji Beizhao took Ling Chen back to the car. Seeing Ling Chen, still bleeding profusely and face pale, Ji Beizhao couldn''t help but sigh.


    This is bad!


    When he goes back, how will he exin to his cousin? Just thinking about it made Ji Beizhao feel an immense headache.


    While pondering, a sudden fit of violent coughing came from inside the car. Immediately after, Ling Chen sprang up from the back seat, gasping forrge breaths of air.


    Seeing Ling Chene back to life, Ji Beizhao was immediately dumbfounded, his gaze nk and incredulous.


    This... how is this possible! He saw with his own eyes Ling Chen falling to the ground from a gunshot, his breathing even stopped. A clearly dead person was now alive again.


    After a moment of shock, Ji Beizhao finally snapped back to reality, speaking with lingering fear, "I thought you were dead."


    "Almost died," Ling Chen said weakly, holding the bleeding wound on his chest. "If you don''t get me back soon, I really will die."


    Hearing this, Ji Beizhao chuckled awkwardly and hurriedly drove back home.


    Returning to their ce, seeing Ji Beizhao helping a blood-soaked Ling Chen inside, Nanrong Wanqing was shocked and rushed over, asking with concern, "Ling Chen, how are you? Are you okay?"


    Before Ling Chen could reply, Ji Beizhao already spoke, "With so much blood lost, how can he be okay? Come help me get him to the sofa."


    Nanrong Wanqing didn''t dare to neglect, immediately supporting Ling Chen''s arm and moving him to the living room sofa.


    At this time, Nanrong Zhengqing came out from the house with a first-aid kit. As an assassin, removing bullets was a simple task.


    Tearing open the bloody shirt, Nanrong Zhengqing examined the wound on Ling Chen''s chest, then took a sterilized scalpel from the first-aid kit, making a slight incision at each end of the wound. Subsequently, he took out a pair of small tweezers, inserting it into the wound to locate the bullet.


    Ling Chen bit his teeth tightly, enduring the pain in his chest as he watched Nanrong Zhengqing extract the bullet from his wound.


    After stopping the bleeding, Nanrong Zhengqing dressed the wound and, while packing up the tools, asked, "You''re quite lucky; if that bullet had gone in just half a centimeter more, you might not have survived."


    Hearing this, Ling Chen grinned slightly. However, there wasn''t a trace of relief in his eyes. Because he knew best that surviving this time had little to do with luck and was entirely due to his own skills.<fnba57> Updates are released by find?novel</fnba57>


    When the gun was pointed at him, he used the Hua Realm within his body to forcibly tense his muscles, increasing their density. As a result, the muscles'' defensive power was greatly enhanced. Even if hit by a bullet, the reinforced muscles could withstand the bullet''s impact, preventing it from reaching vital organs or critical areas.


    However, this approach was extremely exhausting physically and mentally. At this moment, Ling Chen feltpletely drained, unable even to sit up.


    "Damn, that woman is really ruthless, killing faster than we assassins," Ji Beizhao said unwillingly, "Unfortunately, she got away this time."


    "That woman is no simple character," Ling Chen said.


    Initially, Ling Chen only thought the woman''s shooting was precise, but he didn''t expect her skills to be so formidable as well. Even Ji Beizhao, trained rigorously by the Snake King, fell victim as the woman easily took his gun.


    To have such speed and reflexes, that woman surely is an adept martial artist.


    Sigh!


    Headache.


    Ling Chen touched his forehead, smiling bitterly to himself. Just who is this woman? From her words, it''s clear she has a deep connection with Yang Yan and his wife.


    However, what intrigued Ling Chen the most were the ''they'' referred to by the woman. If he wasn''t mistaken, the woman must have thought he was an underling sent by her enemies.

 Chapter 920 - 925: A Woman’s Secret (Part 1)

    <h4>Chapter 920: Chapter 925: A Woman¡¯s Secret (Part 1)</h4>


    Due to being injured by a gunshot, Ling Chen had to rest in bed and couldn¡¯t go out to find the whereabouts of that woman for the time being.


    However, although he couldn¡¯t move, Ji Beizhao and Nanrong Zhengqing kept utilizing theirwork to gather intelligence about the woman.


    Night fell.


    Watching the sleeping Nanrong Wanqing, Ling Chen gently caressed her cheek, slightly lifting the corners of his mouth with a warm smile.


    <fn2688> N?w ?ovel chapt?rs are published on F?nd-Novel</fn2688>


    Sometimes, Ling Chen wished his life could be simple and ordinary, like a normal person, enjoying the pleasures of life with Nanrong Wanqing.


    After lying on the bed for a while, seeing that it was about time, Ling Chen quietly climbed out of bed and tiptoed out of the bedroom. At the moment, Ji Beizhao sat in the living room with a beer, legs crossed, watching the entertainment program on TV out of boredom.


    Seeing Ling Chene out of the bedroom, Ji Beizhao quickly put down the beer bottle and got up to meet Ling Chen, supporting his arm.


    "Can we go now?"


    Ling Chen nodded and asked, "Are all the arrangements made?"


    "You can rest assured when I handle things."


    Leaving the residence, Ling Chen, supported by Ji Beizhao, got into the car. The car started, and Ji Beizhao drove straight onto the street.


    Not long after, they arrived at a secluded alley.


    Because the alley was too narrow for vehicles to pass, Ling Chen and Ji Beizhao had to walk through it.


    At the end of the alley was a rusty iron door. Ji Beizhao knocked three long, two short, and soon the door opened from the inside, and a person came out.


    "Uncle."


    Seeing Nanrong Zhengqing standing at the door, Ling Chen greeted him.


    "Come in, the person has arrived."


    Closing the iron door, Ling Chen walked into the dimly lit room, passing through several doors, and immediately a person appeared before his eyes.


    The other person was sitting on a metal chair, hands and feet bound by ropes, unable to move. Judging by his state, he seemed weak and disheartened. However, perhaps because he was Caucasian, no pallor could be seen on his face.


    Hearing footsteps approaching, the Caucasian man slowly opened his eyes, looking at Ling Chening from outside, his expression changed dramatically, with a trace of fear in his eyes.


    Seeing the reaction, Ling Chen smiled and asked, "You should remember me, right?"


    "You... What do you want? I¡¯m just someone paid to do a job. If you want revenge, go find that person who paid, don¡¯te to me."


    Ling Chen patted the Caucasian¡¯s shoulder, smiling, "Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t do anything to you. Of course, if you want to leave here safely, you need to cooperate with me."


    With that said, Ling Chen gave Ji Beizhao a signal to untie the ropes binding the man.


    Once the Caucasian regained freedom, Ling Chen took a chair and ced it in front of him, saying, "Tell me how that woman contacted you, and also, what she asked you to do."


    Hearing this, the Caucasian¡¯s eyes showed some hesitation.


    Ling Chen didn¡¯t rush, though, and sat quietly in the chair, waiting for him to speak.


    The Caucasian before him was none other than the person who led the attack on the God Organization base andter ambushed Ling Chen with others in the parking lot, intending to kill him, but ended up being knocked out by Ling Chen and falling into police hands.


    With no leads on the woman, Ling Chen finally focused on this man, hoping to extract some valuable information from him. Therefore, Ling Chen specially asked Nanrong Zhengqing for help to get this man out of police custody.


    The Caucasian looked at Ling Chen, then at Nanrong Zhengqing and Ji Beizhao standing behind, giving up the idea of running away immediately. He knew well that even if he regained mobility, escaping from these three was impossible.


    After some thought, the Caucasian finally made the right choice.


    "I¡¯m a mercenary, the woman contacted us through a specialized mercenary website. After epting the task, we maintained single-linemunication. However, she always called us actively, using disposable phones, making it impossible to track. After agreeing on a price, she asked us to protect an elderly couple and secretly relocate them from their original residence. Later, she gave us an address and instructed us to destroy the secret base and retrieve some documents from inside."


    "What documents?" Ling Chen asked. That¡¯s what concerned him the most. He had seen the man hand a USB drive to the woman with his own eyes in the parking lot, so he wanted to know what information was on it.


    "She is looking for someone named Ling Kun."


    "Ling Kun?" Ling Chen¡¯s expression changed slightly. He couldn¡¯t believe the woman was actually searching for his father.


    Why?


    Ling Chen was puzzled, why was she looking for his father, did she know Ling Kun?


    Nheless, the woman was quite clever, knowing how to start with the God Organization. They had vast intelligenceworks and resources, making finding someone quite easy. Unfortunately, Ling Kun was now unconscious, staying with Su He. Besides him, no one knew Ling Kun¡¯s whereabouts.


    While pondering, a sudden ringtone echoed in the room.


    Ling Chen turned to see Nanrong Zhengqing taking out his phone from his pocket and exiting the room.


    After a short while, Nanrong Zhengqing returned to the room, looking at Ling Chen, saying, "I just received some intelligence."


    Hearing this, Ling Chen quickly asked, "Did you find her?"


    "No, it¡¯s not about the woman¡¯s information, but rted to the God Organization."


    "The God Organization?" Ling Chen¡¯s heart skipped a beat, asking, "What happened to them?"


    "The intelligence shows that a group of Huaxia people just arrived at the airport on a flight. They used false identities to pass security, so we suspect they¡¯re members of the God Organization. Furthermore, upon arrival, they immediately searched all properties under her name. It seems they are also searching for her whereabouts. Based on thetest intelligence, they seem to have found some clues and are heading there now."


    God Organization people... Ling Chen frowned slightly. It¡¯s likely because the woman destroyed the God Organization¡¯s secret base that brought their retaliation.


    But Ling Chen couldn¡¯tprehend, the woman was always behind the scenes, never showing herself, how was the God Organization able to confirm her identity?


    "Ling Chen, what are you going to do?" Ji Beizhao asked from the side.


    Ling Chen pondered for a moment and said, "Find her, ensure her safety, we mustn¡¯t let her fall into the hands of the God Organization."

 Chapter 921 - 926: A Woman’s Secret (Part 2)

    <h4>Chapter 921: Chapter 926: A Woman¡¯s Secret (Part 2)</h4>


    Nanrong Zhengqing joined in, "Since you want to save her, we¡¯d better act immediately. If we¡¯rete, I¡¯m afraid the God Organization will have already taken her away."


    "There¡¯s no time to lose, let¡¯s go right now." With that, Ling Chen started towards the door.


    "Wait!"


    Hearing Nanrong Zhengqing¡¯s voice, Ling Chen stopped and turned to ask, "Uncle, is there something else?"


    "You were just shot, your body hasn¡¯t recovered yet, how are you going to fight those people? Moreover, ording to the intelligence I¡¯ve gathered, the God Organization has dispatched quite a few people. There are twobat squads, both fully armed with heavy weapons. Even with us two helping you, the three of us alone will struggle to take them on."


    Nanrong Zhengqing¡¯s words furrowed Ling Chen¡¯s brow into a line. Indeed, given his current physical state, strenuous activity was unsuitable. Furthermore, the God Organization was armed with guns. If he were at his peak, perhaps he could take on an entire squad alone, but now hisbat ability was about the same as Nanrong Zhengqing¡¯s.


    Thinking of this, Ling Chen¡¯s gaze swept around andnded on the Caucasian man in the room, his eyes lighting up immediately.


    "What¡¯s your name?"


    "Beison."


    "Mr. Beison, if I remember correctly, you told me earlier that you¡¯re a mercenary?"


    "Yes."


    Ling Chen¡¯s lips curved upward, his smile growing more radiant, "Are you interested in making a deal?"


    ...


    Midnight!


    Outside an exhibition hall on the outskirts of the city, several business vehicles and a few Land Rover SUVs drove over and stopped outside the exhibition hall.


    The car doors opened, and over thirty fully armedbat squad members jumped out one after another, dispersing around the exhibition hall with their guns ready. Meanwhile, under the surround of several middle-aged men, a young man appeared at the forefront of the team.


    "Are you sure she¡¯s here?" the young man asked, looking at the modern art-infused exhibition hall before him.


    "Mr. Lin, ording to the intel we¡¯ve gathered, that woman is staying inside this exhibition hall. It¡¯s newly built and hasn¡¯t opened yet, so there¡¯s no one inside, making it perfect for our operation."


    "Very good." The young man nodded and said, "Send the word down, have them get ready, I want this matter resolved within half an hour."


    "Rest assured, Mr. Lin, we won¡¯t let you down."


    Hearing this, the young man snorted coldly, "Disappointed? It¡¯s because you people up there were so disappointing that they sent me here. Let me remind you, if tonight¡¯s operation fails again, you might as well pack your bags. The God Organization doesn¡¯t need useless people like you. Understood?"


    "Yes." The middle-aged man wiped the cold sweat off his forehead and quickly responded.


    Once the twobat squads were in position, the youth in charge gave a wave, signaling themencement of the operation. Immediately, the two squads rushed in through the front and rear doors of the exhibition hall one after the other.


    Bam! Bam!


    Upon hearing two loud bangs from outside, a woman in a showroom inside the exhibition hall quickly lifted her head, set down her fast food container, scooped up herptop, and dashed toward the hall¡¯s emergency exit.


    Passing through the emergency exit door, the woman hurriedly ran downstairs, heading to the underground parking lot.


    However, just as she opened the door to the underground parking lot, she heard a rapid session of footsteps approaching quickly from afar.


    Looking up, she saw several gun-wielding men rushing toward the exit of the emergency passage.


    "Stop, don¡¯t run!"


    Upon seeing the woman at the passage exit, one of the men immediately shouted.


    Bam!


    Without hesitation, the woman pulled out a pistol and swung it into action, firing a shot instantly. The man at the front fell to the ground, blood gushing from his body, staining the floor.


    Seeing theirpanion shot, the other men were undeterred, immediately raising their assault rifles to spray bullets toward the door of the passage.


    Rat-tat-tat!


    As golden bullet casings hit the ground, the door of the emergency passage was riddled with bullet holes.


    Facing the suppressive fire, even with precise marksmanship, the woman dared not show herself for fear of being hit by a stray bullet.


    With the gunfire approaching, the woman didn¡¯t hesitate any longer, quickly turned and rushed back into the emergency passage, locking the door from the inside to block the enemies in the parking lot, preventing them from rushing in.


    After locking the door, the woman didn¡¯t stop for a moment, immediately retracing her steps. No choice, she had spent too much time here. If the enemies from above arrived and she was caught in a pincer attack, she would have no chance to escape.


    Sprinting all the way back, the woman just returned to the first-floor emergency exit of the exhibition hall, only to see an armed man pushing the door open. As their eyes met, the woman fired without hesitation, shooting the bullet straight into the man¡¯s forehead, killing him instantly.


    However, these people were working in teams; even if one was killed, more than ten remained behind.


    In the face of such a situation, the woman remained calm. She fired a couple of shots to force the enemy at the passage door back a few steps. Then, she bent down, removing a grenade from the body of the deceased man.


    Pulling the pin, she flicked her wrist, rolling the grenade through the crack in the passage door.


    "Bomb!"


    Hearing the rm from the other side of the door, the woman immediately sped up, rushing to the second floor of the exhibition hall.


    The exhibition hall had only two floors, plus a rooftop. Once on the second floor, the woman blocked the door from the inside, trying to buy herself some time.


    <fna225> ?????? ???? F?nd-Novel</fna225>


    Looking at the empty second floor and the stairs leading to the rooftop, the woman paused in thought, uncertain how to shake off her pursuers.


    While she was pondering her escape, there was a loud banging on the door outside the exhibition hall¡¯s second floor.


    Though the door was locked, the woman knew it wouldn¡¯t hold for long, only buying her a dozen seconds at most.


    Bam!


    Suddenly, a massive explosion was heard, followed by a plume of thick smoke billowing in from outside the door.


    Staring at the door destroyed by the st, the woman¡¯s expression turned grim.


    "Don¡¯t move!"


    "Don¡¯t move!"


    At that moment, more than ten fully armed men stormed in through the two doors on the second floor of the exhibition hall, all twenty-odd dark muzzles targeted at the woman.


    "Drop the gun."


    Upon hearing theirmand, the woman frowned slightly, her pretty eyes flickering. Suddenly, she lunged forward, crashing through a ss window and jumping out of the exhibition hall.


    Seeing her move, the group hurried to the shattered window, peering outside.


    But in the pitch-ck darkness, they couldn¡¯t see anything, not even a trace of the woman.

 Chapter 922 - 927: A Woman’s Secret (Part 3)

    <h4>Chapter 922: Chapter 927: A Woman¡¯s Secret (Part 3)</h4>


    "Report, that woman jumped down from the second floor, we can¡¯t see her."


    "Useless, all of you are useless, so many people can¡¯t even catch one woman." The young man said coldly.


    "Mr. Lin, please don¡¯t get angry. I have already made arrangements. No matter how skilled that woman is, she won¡¯t be able to escape." No sooner had the middle-aged man finished speaking than several gunshots were heard from the east side of the exhibition hall.


    "Over there, quickly, pursue!"


    The middle-aged man didn¡¯t waste a word and hurriedly led his men over.


    At this moment, at one end of the exhibition hall, the woman who had jumped from the building was limping, struggling to escape toward the road. As long as she got into the car, she could shake off the pursuers behind her.


    However, the footsteps behind her gradually approached, soon about to catch up.


    "Stop!"


    Hearing the shout from behind, the woman didn¡¯t even think, directly pulling out her gun and firing a few shots backward, forcing the pursuers back.


    Ratatat! Ratatat!


    Soon, the woman¡¯s actions were immediately met with counterattacks; dense bullets crazily fired, pierced through the woman¡¯s calf. Instantly, her legs gave way, and she fell to the ground.


    Looking at the continuously bleeding wound, the woman bit her lip gently, struggled to stand back up, then continued to move forward while supporting herself against the wall.


    But after walking a short distance, the pain in the wound was too intense, and her right leg felt as if it lost all sensation,pletely powerless.


    Finally, the woman with a numb right leg copsed to the ground, leaning against the wall, gasping for breath.


    Hearing the footsteps closing in again, the woman reloaded the magazine of her pistol and fired a few shots in the direction of the approaching shlights.


    All at once, mes flickered, the air filled with the thick scent of gunpowder.


    Although she temporarily curbed the enemy¡¯s offensive, the woman¡¯s ammunition depleted rapidly. Before long, only one bullet remained in her pistol.


    "Cease fire, everyone."


    Hearing the gunfire in front cease, the young man immediately stopped his men. He certainly didn¡¯t want to actually kill her; orders from above were to capture the woman alive if possible, because she was still useful to the organization.


    "Miss Yang, surrender now. I know you¡¯re out of bullets. Rest assured, I can guarantee I won¡¯t harm you. I¡¯m here just to invite you back to the country for a bit, there are some things I¡¯d like your help with."


    Listening to the young man¡¯s shout, the woman had no intention of responding. Her hand lightly caressed the pistol, her beautiful eyes showing a hint of determination.


    "Miss Yang, don¡¯t resist needlessly, you¡¯re already surrounded."


    Seeing no reply from the other side, the young man persuaded again. At the same time, he signaled a few men beside him to advance slowly and capture the woman.


    Hearing the footsteps getting closer, the woman gave a bitter smile, raised the gun in her hand, pointed the dark muzzle at her own forehead.


    To her, being caught was worse than death.


    Bang!


    The crisp sound of a gunshot rang out.


    But the bullet did not enter the woman¡¯s head. Instead, the bullet came from a distance, urately hitting the gun in the woman¡¯s hand, knocking it to the ground.


    Before she could react, several more gunshots rang out, and the enemies trying to approach her were all shot dead.


    "Who?" The woman was slightly stunned, looking in the direction the bullet came from, eyes filled with surprise.


    In the dim light, a slender figure gradually became clear. As the figure approached, the woman¡¯s pupils erged in shock, watching the neer. She never expected the one who saved her to be this young man.


    He... he wasn¡¯t dead?


    Looking at the woman leaning against the wall, Ling Chen faintly smiled and asked, "Are you okay?"


    In response to Ling Chen¡¯s question, the woman seemed not to hear, still in shock. She distinctly remembered, in the parking lot during the day, she shot him dead. Why? Why was he still alive?


    <fn9210> Read full story at find(?)ovel</fn9210>


    While thinking, a cold voice came from across: "Who are you? State your name."


    Before the woman could reply, Ling Chen smiled and said, "Lin Tong, long time no see, do you remember me?"


    "Ling Chen! Is it you?"


    Lin Tong was suddenly shocked.


    Ling Chen?


    Hearing Lin Tong¡¯s call to Ling Chen, the woman¡¯s gaze brightened instantly, looking at the young man in disbelief.


    He is... Ling Chen!


    He is Ling Chen!


    The woman stared unblinkingly at Ling Chen, her breathing growing rapid.


    Sensing the woman¡¯s strange gaze, Ling Chen turned his head, ncing at her. Seeing her dazed expression, Ling Chen was a bit puzzled. But what surprised him even more was that tears welled up in the corners of her eyes.


    Crying?


    Ling Chen was stunned, he clearly saved her, why would she cry? Could it be because she was too grateful?


    While thinking wildly, Lin Tong¡¯s voice came from across: "Ling Chen, this has nothing to do with you, you¡¯d better not interfere. Otherwise, don¡¯t me me for being impolite."


    Hearing this, Ling Chen chuckled, saying: "Lin Tong, don¡¯t you find it ridiculous saying this now? Don¡¯t forget, Lin Guodong and Lin Qiqi are both in my hands, what gives you the right to contend with me now? I¡¯m telling you, I want this woman, if you dare interfere, then stay here forever, never return to the country."


    "Ling Chen, don¡¯t be too arrogant. This isn¡¯t your turf, I have dozens of guns on you. No matter how skilled you are, you won¡¯t fly."


    "Is that so?" Ling Chen replied nonchntly with a smile: "If so, then let¡¯s try, and see whose abilities are greater."


    After speaking, Ling Chen didn¡¯t bother with Lin Tong anymore and went straight to the woman¡¯s side, helping her up by the arm.


    At this moment, the woman¡¯s gaze was still on Ling Chen, constantly staring at him, which made Ling Chen ufortable.


    If it were a young girl looking at him, Ling Chen might be pleased. But the woman in front of him was over twenty years older than him and had even shot him. Her staring made him a little nervous, unsure of her intentions.


    "Let¡¯s go, I¡¯ll take you away first." With those words, Ling Chen supported the woman and made his way toward the road.


    However, after taking just a few steps, the woman let out a painful groan, her face pale as paper, the weight of her body hanging on Ling Chen¡¯s arm.


    "I... I can¡¯t, can¡¯t go on, maybe... maybe you should carry me."


    "Carry you?" Ling Chen was taken aback. This woman had the nerve to ask him to carry her.


    Honestly, Ling Chen didn¡¯t quite have the guts to carry her. Who knew if she would do something behind his back? If she attacked him secretly, he¡¯d suffer a great loss.


    Thinking of this, Ling Chen directly refused: "No way!"

 Chapter 923 - 928: Mother and Son Reunited (Part 1)

    <h4>Chapter 923: Chapter 928: Mother and Son Reunited (Part 1)</h4>


    Upon hearing Ling Chen¡¯s refusal, the woman seemed a bit disappointed, but still forced a smile and said, "Are you afraid I¡¯ll ambush you?"


    Seeing the woman¡¯s smile, Ling Chen¡¯s gaze suddenly became dazed. This woman was naturally beautiful, and when she smiled, it seemed as if the whole world brightened up.


    Seeing Ling Chen staring at her nkly, the woman softly said, "Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t hurt you. Even if I have to exchange my life for yours, I would do it willingly."


    Ling Chen didn¡¯t believe the woman¡¯s words at all. Obviously, she had shot at him in the parking lot during the day, and now she was saying she wouldn¡¯t hurt him. Who would believe such nonsense?


    Ling Chen didn¡¯t believe. However, seeing the woman¡¯s genuine smile and sincere eyes, he unknowingly chose to believe.


    As the footsteps behind them gradually approached, Ling Chen didn¡¯t dare to hesitate. He quickly carried the woman on his back and hurried towards the roadside.


    "Chase them, don¡¯t let them escape."


    At this moment, Lin Tong arrived swiftly with his team. Seeing Ling Chen¡¯s distant figure, he anxiously shouted.


    Bam!


    Suddenly, a gunshot rang out abruptly, and the man running at the front fell to the ground.


    Before everyone could react, something seemed to be thrown from the air,nding on the ground and quickly rolling.


    <fnf13d> Updates are released by find?novel</fnf13d>


    "Grenade!"


    Seeing what was on the ground, the crowd instantly changed colors, faces filled with shock and fear, urgently fleeing backwards. Unfortunately, they were still a step too slow.


    Before they had time to escape, the grenade exploded among them. In an instant, mes burst forth, thick smoke billowed, and within the st¡¯s range, nearly half of the people were injured by the grenade, lying on the ground wailing nonstop, blood flowing freely, the scene was aplete mess.


    "Ling Chen!" Lin Tong, lying on the ground, looked at his dead and injured subordinates around him, his face turning extremely ugly.


    By this time, Ling Chen had already brought the woman back to the car parked by the road.


    Closing the car door, Ling Chen greeted Ji Beizhao, who was in the driver¡¯s seat, and thetter immediately understood, quickly driving the car onto the road. Soon, the gunfire gradually weakened until it was inaudible.


    Not long after, the three of them drove back into the alley.


    "We¡¯re here!"


    Ling Chen nced at the woman beside him, ready to call her to get out of the car. However, when his eyes fell on the woman, Ling Chen was taken aback.


    Earlier on the way back, Ling Chen had asionally noticed. The woman¡¯s head was resting against the car window, sitting weakly. Seeing her like that, Ling Chen thought she was taking a rest because she was shot. But only when the car stopped did he realize she had already fainted. Moreover, her pant leg was stained red with blood.


    Looking at the woman¡¯s pale face, Ling Chen didn¡¯t dare to dy and hurriedly carried her out of the car.


    Passing through the rusty iron door, Ji Beizhao quickly cleared a table. Then, Ling Chen gently ced the woman¡¯s body on the table, tore open the blood-stained pant leg, and instantly a bloody wound appeared before his eyes. Seeing the blood continuously gushing from the wound, Ling Chen immediately pulled out his belt and tightly bound the woman¡¯s leg to prevent excessive blood loss from causing death.


    "Beizhao, go get me a first aid kit."


    Before long, Ling Chen, holding a pair of tweezers, helped the woman remove the bullet from her wound. Then he used a hemostat to stop the bleeding vessel and bandaged it up.


    After treating the wound, the woman had already fallen into aa. Ling Chen checked her pulse, made sure her body was not in danger, then breathed a sigh of relief.


    This woman before him still had many secrets that needed to be unraveled, and he didn¡¯t want her to die so quickly.


    After resting in the room for a while, there was a sudden ¡¯knock knock¡¯ at the iron door outside. Ling Chen opened the door and saw Nanrong Zhengqing and Beison standing outside.


    "Uncle, Mr. Beison." Ling Chen smiled slightly and hurriedly weed the two inside.


    "Mr. Ling," Beison said politely, "I¡¯vepleted your requests; I wonder..."


    Before Beison could finish speaking, Ling Chen patted his shoulder, interrupting him, and said with a smile, "Mr. Beison, rest assured, I¡¯ll have the remaining payment transferred to your ount shortly."


    Hearing this, Beison immediately smiled, nodding, "Thank you very much, Mr. Ling."


    "You¡¯re wee. This is business; I pay, you work, very fair." Pausing, Ling Chen continued, "Mr. Beison, your team is excellent. I wonder if you have any interest in epting long-term employment?"


    "Mr. Ling, we are mercenaries. As long as we get paid, not just long-term or short-term, even a lifetime is no problem."


    "Good!" Ling Chen said, "Later, I have a big deal I want to discuss with you; you should rest first."


    "Mr. Ling." Beison called out to Ling Chen, who was about to leave, and said, "When we dealt with those people earlier, I captured a few individuals, who seem to be their leaders. I was wondering if you¡¯re interested in meeting them?"


    "Is that so?" Ling Chen felt a moment of delight, not expecting this unexpected surprise. His purpose in hiring Beison was simply to counter the God Organization. As for capturing all the members sent by the God Organization, Ling Chen hadn¡¯t dared to hope too much, knowing the strength of the God Organization. Moreover, leading the team this time was Lin Tong, a master on the Earthly List.


    So, as long as Beison could hold off the God Organization¡¯s members, Ling Chen was already satisfied. Who would have thought that not only did Beison take care of all the God Organization members, but he also captured Lin Tong and his associates, somethingpletely unexpected.


    "Mr. Beison, where are these people you mentioned?"


    "In the car, I¡¯ll have them brought over right away."


    Before long, a few armed men escorted Lin Tong and two middle-aged men into the room.


    Seeing the distressed Lin Tong, Ling Chen couldn¡¯t help butugh.


    Lin Tong gritted his teeth and said, "Ling, what are youughing at? Mark my words, I¡¯ll return this debt a hundredfold sooner orter on you."


    "Lin Tong, let me advise you to save your breath. A master of the Earthly List getting taken down by a bunch of mercenaries; imagine how people will ridicule you if this gets out."


    "Shut up!"


    Ling Chen said with an amused smile, "Lin Tong, you¡¯d better realize whose territory you¡¯re on now. If you dare to speak out of turn again, don¡¯t me me for being impolite."


    "You..."


    "If you don¡¯t believe me, feel free to try." Ling Chen stared directly into Lin Tong¡¯s eyes. Feeling the cold intention in Ling Chen¡¯s gaze, Lin Tong immediately swallowed back his words. This wasn¡¯t his first encounter with Ling Chen, so he knew clearly that Ling Chen was a person who meant what he said.

 Chapter 924 - 929: Mother and Son Reunited (Part 2)

    <h4>Chapter 924: Chapter 929: Mother and Son Reunited (Part 2)</h4>


    When under the eaves, one has to bow their head. Lin Tong has be Ling Chen¡¯s prisoner now, so it¡¯s better to be honest to avoid trouble.


    Seeing Lin Tong obediently shut his mouth, Ling Chen smiled and turned to Beison, asking, "Mr. Beison, I¡¯m very curious, how did you manage to capture him?"


    "I owe it mostly to Mr. Ling¡¯s help."


    "Me?" Ling Chen pointed to his own nose, puzzled, and asked, "When did I help you?"


    Beison said sheepishly, "In the parking lot, when I witnessed Mr. Ling¡¯s skills, I realized the Huaxia saying is true: there is always someone better, another sky beyond the sky. So, when Ling Chen asked me to lead a team to deal with those people, I found out there were Huaxia people among them, wondering if they might be like Mr. Ling. Therefore, before taking action, I specifically asked someone to prepare some fishings, and then installed some small gadgets in thes, turning them into electrics. I figured, no matter how skilled someone is, they couldn¡¯t bepletely unscathed after being electrocuted."


    "Not bad!" Ling Chen gave a thumbs up andmended, "Seems I found the right person."


    After speaking, Ling Chen turned to look at Lin Tong beside him and asked, "I¡¯m curious, why did you send so many people to capture that woman? Is she so important to you?"


    Hearing this, Lin Tong asked back in surprise, "You don¡¯t know who she is?"


    "No idea."


    "And yet you rescued her?"


    "Although I don¡¯t know her identity, my intuition tells me that this woman has some connection to me. Moreover, she can help me find my family." Pausing for a moment, Ling Chen stared into Lin Tong¡¯s eyes and said, "From what you just said, it seems you know who she is, so why not tell me. Save me the effort of asking her myself."


    Lin Tong hesitated for a moment before slowly speaking, "Her surname is Yang, saying that should give you a clue about her identity."


    "Surname Yang?" Ling Chen was slightly stunned. This woman shared the same surname with his mother, Yang. Coupling it with her search for Ling Kun and her rtionship with the Yang Yan couple, her identity quickly became apparent.


    Yang Qingling!


    With that thought, Ling Chen¡¯s eyes widened, filled with shock.


    Could it be... could it be his mother!


    Watching Ling Chen¡¯s stunned expression, Lin Tong said coldly, "Ling Chen, congrattions on your reunion with your mother. But don¡¯t celebrate too soon, we won¡¯t let your family off easily."


    Upon hearing this, Ling Chen immediately regained hisposure and replied calmly, "Until the end, no one knows the oue, so there¡¯s no need to intimidate me." After speaking, Ling Chen waved his hand, signaling Beison to take Lin Tong and hispanions out.


    Back in the inner room, Ling Chen looked at Yang Qingling, still unconscious on the table, and his eyes revealed a trace ofplicated emotion.


    The woman before him was his mother. Knowing this news, Ling Chen felt as if fate yed a prank on him. Fortunately, his abilities were considerable; otherwise, he could have died under his mother¡¯s gun back in the parking lot.


    No wonder when he rescued her from Lin Tong, the other party looked at him with that peculiar expression; she probably knew his identity from then on.


    For over twenty years, Ling Chen had never felt maternal love. To him, "mother" was a very unfamiliar term. But now, right in front of him, this unfamiliar woman was his mother. It¡¯s unclear why, but apart from shock, Ling Chen felt no happiness.


    He couldn¡¯t understand why Yang Qingling lived abroad all this time and didn¡¯t return to look for him. As a mother, did she not want to meet her son face to face?


    While pondering, Ji Beizhao entered from outside, patting Ling Chen¡¯s shoulder and said, "It¡¯ste, we should go back now." After speaking, Ji Beizhao turned his gaze to the unconscious Yang Qingling and said, "Let this woman stay here for now, I¡¯ll have Beison send people to watch her, and we¡¯lle back to question her tomorrow, what do you think?"


    "No!" Ling Chen said, "She can¡¯t stay here, take her back with us."


    "Take her back?" Ji Beizhao paused, puzzled, and asked, "Why?"


    "She..." Ling Chen opened his mouth but couldn¡¯t bring himself to say the words ready on his lips. After hesitating for a while, Ling Chen took a deep breath and calmly said, "She¡¯s my mom."


    Uh...


    Ji Beizhao stared at Ling Chen, doubting if his ears deceived him. This woman was indeed Ling Chen¡¯s mother! If Ling Chen hadn¡¯t said it himself, he wouldn¡¯t believe it at all.


    "Um... Ling Chen, don¡¯t me me for being nosy, but is she really your mom? You¡¯re not mistaken?"


    "Rest assured, I wouldn¡¯t joke about something like this. Alright, don¡¯t ask anymore, I¡¯m as confused as you are right now, let¡¯s wait until she wakes up."


    "Okay! Then wait a bit, I¡¯ll arrange a car for your mother to go back."


    Returning to Ji Beizhao¡¯s house, Ling Chen carried the unconscious Yang Qingling and ced her in Ji Beizhao¡¯s room. Because Nanrong Wanqing was still sleeping, Ling Chen did not want to disturb her, so he didn¡¯t wake her.


    It was already past two in the morning.


    <fnf944> Content originallyes from F?nd-Novel</fnf944>


    "Beizhao, it¡¯ste, you¡¯ve been busy all day, go rest, I¡¯ll stay here."


    "Alright, I¡¯ll sleep in the living room tonight, call me if you need anything." After speaking, Ji Beizhao left the room, closing the door on his way out.


    Sitting by the bedside, Ling Chen propped up his chin with one hand, quietly watching Yang Qingling, his gaze flickering uncertainly. From knowing Yang Qingling¡¯s identity until now, he couldn¡¯t calm down, continually thinking about how tomunicate with her once she woke up.


    As a son who had never experienced maternal love, at this moment, his heart was filled with anticipation, yet tinged with fear, unsure how to face it.


    Lost in thought, due to his still unrecovered gunshot wound, Ling Chen soon fell into a deep sleep on the chair.


    It¡¯s unclear how long had passed when Ling Chen suddenly felt someone moving in front of him. Almost instinctively, he raised his hand and reached forward, immediately grasping a wrist.


    Seeing the owner of the wrist, Ling Chen was slightly startled, released his hand quickly, and apologized, "Sorry, I..."


    Before Ling Chen could finish speaking, Yang Qingling already interrupted him with her gaze.


    "No need to apologize; the one who should say sorry is me." With that, Yang Qingling nervously looked at Ling Chen and asked, "Do you... know who I am?"


    Ling Chen didn¡¯t speak, only nodded gently. At that moment, he couldn¡¯t think of anything to say except a physical response.

 Chapter 925 - 930: Mother and Son Reunited (Part 3)

    <h4>Chapter 925: Chapter 930: Mother and Son Reunited (Part 3)</h4>


    Looking at Ling Chen, who remained silent, a hint of bitterness flickered in Yang Qingling¡¯s beautiful eyes.


    "Do you... do you hate me very much?"


    "No." Ling Chen responded calmly, "I never knew you, so why would I hate you?" After saying this, not waiting for Yang Qingling to respond, Ling Chen continued, "You don¡¯t need to feel like you owe me anything or feel guilty towards me. Honestly, I¡¯m already very happy to see you."


    Yang Qingling chuckled bitterly and said, "If you really were happy, you wouldn¡¯t be speaking to me in this tone. I know I owe you and your father so much, but I hope you can understand me. I was forced to leave you all. As a mother, if I could, I would give up everything to be by your side."


    "Why?" Ling Chen asked, "I¡¯ve heard about you and my dad from Lin Guodong. Lin Guodong told me that back then, the Ling Family Patriarch secretly imprisoned you, and even my dad didn¡¯t know your whereabouts. Later, my dad mistakenly thought you died, so heshed out in anger and killed several cousins of the Ling Family. Because of this, the Patriarch expelled both me and my dad from the Ling Family. I don¡¯t understand, since you didn¡¯t die back then and even escaped abroad, why didn¡¯t you contact me and my dad to let us know you were still alive."


    "It wasn¡¯t that I didn¡¯t want to; I couldn¡¯t." Yang Qingling sighed and said helplessly, "Back then, when I was secretly imprisoned, the Ling Family Patriarch forced me to hand over the Yang family¡¯s property, transferring all assets to the Ling Family¡¯s name. The Yang Family had worked for many years, and the efforts of several generations were all there. Anyone would be reluctant to give away everything they worked hard for. Initially, I hoped your father would find me and rescue me from the Ling Family. Unfortunately, after several months, there was no sign from your dad."


    "Later, the Ling Family Patriarch told me that you and your dad were expelled from the Ling Family. If I didn¡¯t want you to be in danger, I had to hand over the Yang family¡¯s industry; otherwise, he would send people to hunt you and your father. Being forced, I could only choose topromise. To stay alive, I reached an agreement with the Ling Family. After transferring the assets, I would settle abroad and never return to find you. If the Ling Family discovered I was in contact with you, it would be harmful to you."


    "Not only that, the Ling Family also sent people to secretly monitor me, listening to my phone, and my life was almost transparent to them, with no secrets. This kind of lifested for over ten years. Later, I met Qi Houzhao, and with his help and my own nning, I finally found a chance to escape the Ling Family¡¯s surveince. However, the Ling Family did not give up and continued searching for my whereabouts. To avoid being found by them, I took great pains, constantly changing my name and changing addresses. During this time, I contacted several friends in the country, asking them to help me find out your and your father¡¯s whereabouts. Unfortunately, all these years, there was never any news of you."


    "Why don¡¯t you return to the country?"


    "I don¡¯t dare." Yang Qingling said, "The Ling family¡¯s power is too vast. If I go to the airport, it¡¯s very likely they would find out. It¡¯s too dangerous to do so; I don¡¯t dare to take risks lightly. Besides, I have to consider not only myself but also my parents."


    "You mean grandfather and grandmother?" Ling Chen asked concernedly, "Where are they? Are they safe?"


    Hearing Ling Chen calling her parents ¡¯grandfather and grandmother,¡¯ a smile appeared in Yang Qingling¡¯s eyes.


    "Don¡¯t worry; they¡¯re doing well now, the Ling Family can¡¯t find them. Your grandfather and grandmother are old and can¡¯t endure disturbances anymore, so I must consider their safety. If I leave, leaving the two of them in this city, I won¡¯t feel assured. Thus, I continue to ask my friends to look for you while utilizing my rtionship with Qi Houzhao to make some quick-money investments. In a few years, I¡¯ve umted quite a few assets. Using these assets, I hired Beison to help me deal with people from the Ling Family and gather information."


    At this point, Yang Qingling looked at Ling Chen with deep apology and said, "I¡¯m sorry. That day at the Chinese restaurant, when I saw your posted notice and the contact details you left. Since you signed as ¡¯Mr. Ling,¡¯ I mistakenly thought you were sent by the Ling Family. That¡¯s why I asked Qi Houzhao for help, intending to secretly get rid of you. Fortunately, your skills are not small, and nothing happened; otherwise, I would not be peaceful for the rest of my life."


    <fnc01f> This text is hosted at Find?Novel</fnc01f>


    Ling Chen touched his nose and said, "It¡¯s also my fault; I didn¡¯t specify my identity at that time. If I had revealed my name earlier, it wouldn¡¯t have caused so many misunderstandings. But thankfully, although we¡¯ve experienced so many things, we¡¯re all safe."


    "Your... how is your injury?" Yang Qingling asked concernedly, "Yesterday at the parking lot, I clearly shot you, why do you..."


    "Why am I still alive?" Ling Chen smiled and said, "I have practiced martial arts, so my body is much stronger than ordinary people, and the bullet only injured the muscle, not threatening my life."


    "That¡¯s good." Yang Qingling breathed a sigh of relief. Thinking about the scene that happened in the parking lot, she still felt a bit uneasy.


    "Ling Chen, did youe abroad this time specifically to find us?"


    Ling Chen nodded and said, "Yes. I found some information about grandfather and grandmother, so I wanted toe over and see them, and bring them back home, but unexpectedly, I encountered so many things."


    "Then... where¡¯s your dad, why didn¡¯t hee with you?"


    "My dad, he..." Ling Chen hesitated for a moment, uncertain whether to reveal his dad¡¯s situation.


    However, the more he acted this way, the more Yang Qingling worried, urging, "How is your dad?"


    "He¡¯s fine, just... had a minor issue." With that, Ling Chen exined Ling Kun¡¯s current situation.


    Yang Qingling worriedly asked, "Will he be in danger?"


    "Don¡¯t worry, Elder Su is with him; there shouldn¡¯t be any problems. As long as dad¡¯s body recovers naturally, he will wake up. Mom, don¡¯t worry too much; in a while, I¡¯ll take you to see my dad."


    Hearing Ling Chen call out "Mom," Yang Qingling¡¯s beautiful eyes couldn¡¯t help but well up with tears. Nobody would know that, as a mother, she had been waiting to hear this word for over twenty years.


    Seeing the tears glisten in Yang Qingling¡¯s eyes, Ling Chen was slightly stunned. He hadn¡¯t expected calling out "Mom" would feel so smooth.


    Perhaps, deep down inside, he also longed for an opportunity to utter this word.


    "Ling Chen, she... is she your mom?"


    At this moment, a surprised voice came from the doorway.

 Chapter 926 - 931: Ling Chen’s Dilemma

    <h4>Chapter 926: Chapter 931: Ling Chen¡¯s Dilemma</h4>


    Ling Chen turned his head to look at the doorway, only to see Nanrong Wanqing standing there in shock, leaning against the doorframe, staring nkly at Yang Qingling with eyes full of disbelief.


    "Wanqing!" Ling Chen quickly stood up from his chair, walked briskly to the door, took Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s small hand, and brought her into the room.


    "I thought you would sleep a little longer."


    "I just woke up and saw you weren¡¯t by my side, so I felt a bit worried and came out to look. I didn¡¯t expect..." At this point, Nanrong Wanqing cast her gaze back towards Yang Qingling, her beautiful eyes flickering with a hint of confusion.


    "Ling Chen..." Nanrong Wanqing gently tugged at Ling Chen¡¯s sleeve and softly asked, "Is she really your mom?"


    Ling Chen smiled slightly, "Come, let me introduce you. This is my mom, Yang Qingling. Mom, this is Wanqing, you¡¯ve met before."


    "Wanqing, right?" Yang Qingling warmly waved to Nanrong Wanqing, "Come on, let me have a look."


    Nanrong Wanqing sneaked a nce at Ling Chen, then shyly walked to the bedside, and softly greeted, "Hello, Auntie."


    "Good, good." Yang Qingling smiled as she looked at Nanrong Wanqing with a very satisfied expression.


    As the saying goes, the more a mother-inw looks at her son-inw, the more she likes him. The same goes for a mother-inw looking at her daughter-inw. Although Ling Chen hadn¡¯t rified Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s identity, Yang Qingling was a very smart woman who could deduce the unusual rtionship between the two from Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s words.


    Sleeping in the same bed, what else could they be but a couple? Moreover, Nanrong Wanqing was outstanding in appearance and had an excellent temperament, not losing out to Yang Qingling at all. Seeing her son find such a good girlfriend, as a mother, Yang Qingling couldn¡¯t help but be happy.


    Facing Yang Qingling¡¯s satisfied gaze, Nanrong Wanqing smiled faintly, feeling sweet inside. For her, gaining the recognition of her future mother-inw was undoubtedly a reason to be happy.


    "Mom, Wanqing, you guys chat first. I¡¯lle backter." Seeing them chat so engrossedly,pletely forgetting about him, Ling Chen couldn¡¯t help but feel a bit helpless and went to the kitchen to prepare breakfast for Yang Qingling and Nanrong Wanqing.


    When they were having breakfast, Ji Beizhao and Nanrong Zhengqing were already up. Upon learning about the reunion of Ling Chen and his mother, both expressed their congrattions.


    After breakfast, Ji Beizhao asked, "Ling Chen, everything is mostly settled here. When are you nning to return to the country?"


    <fnd347> Original content can be found at f?ndnovel</fnd347>


    "In the next couple of days," Ling Chen replied. He had found Yang Qingling and nned to find some time to visit his grandparents today. Once everything was arranged, he could take his family back to the country.


    "Uncle, Beizhao, thank you for your help these days," Ling Chen said gratefully. Without the assistance from Nanrong Zhengqing and his son, it wouldn¡¯t have been so smooth.


    Nanrong Zhengqing smiled slightly and said, "We¡¯re family, no need to be so polite."


    "Uncle, are you guys nning to stay abroad and not go back?" Nanrong Wanqing asked casually.


    "I and Beizhao have settled down here with some difficulty, so we don¡¯t want to return for the time being. However, our hometown is in Huaxia, and we will definitely visit once we have the time. Besides, I am your uncle. I¡¯ll certainly attend your wedding someday."


    Hearing Nanrong Zhengqing mention the word ¡¯wedding¡¯, a faint blush appeared on Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s exquisite face, and she shyly nced at Ling Chen.


    Seeing her shy look, Ji Beizhao chuckled and asked, "When are you two nning to get married? Ling Chen, cousin, you both are not young anymore; it¡¯s time to consider it."


    "Um...we haven¡¯t thought about it yet," Nanrong Wanqing said softly, "Nanrong Hao has just taken over the Hongyu Group and can¡¯t manage it independently yet. I¡¯ll consider marriage when he no longer worries me. Besides..." She paused, hesitant to continue.


    "Besides what?" Ji Beizhao prompted.


    Nanrong Wanqing hesitated for a moment before slowly saying, "Once Nanrong Hao takes over the Hongyu Group, I want to look for my parents. So many years have passed, and I still don¡¯t know where they are or how they¡¯re doing. As a daughter, my greatest hope is to reunite as a family."


    Hearing this, Ling Chen, who was drinking milk, slightly paused, a fleeting light flickering in his eyes.


    Regarding Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s father, Ling Chen knew better than anyone. Nanrong Yuan had been brutally murdered, and this matter was currently only known to Nanrong Hao. However, Hu Fei had advised Nanrong Hao to hide this bad news to prevent Nanrong Wanqing from suffering a blow.


    During this time, Ling Chen had been pondering how to exin this matter to Nanrong Wanqing. However, no matter how much he thought about it, he couldn¡¯t find a suitable opportunity to speak. Perhaps he was also afraid because Nanrong Yuan¡¯s death had a great deal to do with him. It was initially due to his insistence that Nanrong Yuan was transferred from Beijing to East Sea City. This reason had given Zhu Hong an opportunity to act, allowing him to capture Nanrong Yuan.


    If Nanrong Yuan had stayed at the Lonewolf Base in Beijing, Zhu Hong and the people from the God Organization certainly wouldn¡¯t have harmed him.


    Therefore, regarding this matter, Ling Chen felt a bit guilty. Once Nanrong Wanqing learned the truth, he didn¡¯t know how she would treat him.


    While mulling these thoughts, Nanrong Zhengqing suddenly asked, "Your parents have been missing for so many years without any word. How do you n to find them?"


    "I don¡¯t know," Nanrong Wanqing said helplessly. "No matter what, I must try to search. Maybe there¡¯s still a glimmer of hope."


    "How about this?" Nanrong Zhengqing thought for a moment before suggesting, "Anyway, I¡¯m free; why don¡¯t I help you look? I¡¯m better at finding people than you." Then he looked at Ling Chen and said, "You have quite a few resources at hand. Why not help Wanqing keep an eye out to see if there¡¯s any news about her parents."


    Ling Chen nodded and said, "I know. I¡¯ve already had people searching, but there¡¯s been no progress yet."


    "Uncle, in that case, I¡¯ll rely on you for this matter." Nanrong Wanqing said.


    "No need to be so formal. He¡¯s your father¡ªmy brother¡ªthis is my duty."


    After chatting for a while, Ling Chen then took Yang Qingling and Nanrong Wanqing to visit Yang Yan and his wife¡¯s residence.


    For the safety of the Yang Yan couple, Yang Qingling had changed their residence many times over the years. However, from Yang Qingling¡¯s words, it was evident that Yang Yan and his wife missed their homnd and wished to return to Huaxia someday. Unfortunately, due to the Ling family¡¯s influence, this wish had never been fulfilled.


    On the way there, Ling Chen had already decided that this time he wouldn¡¯t just bring Yang Qingling back; his grandparents muste too. In any case, East Sea City was his territory, and with him assigning people for protection, his family shouldn¡¯t be in danger.

 Chapter 927 932: Betrayal (1)

    Just as he was thinking, Ling Chen suddenly heard his phone ringing.


    He pulled out his phone and looked at the caller ID. Ling Chen immediately answered the call, asking, "Fatty, what''s up? Why are you calling me?"


    "How long will it take for you to wrap things up there?" Hu Fei''s voice sounded anxious over the phone.


    "Soon!"


    "If possible, you better hurry back. Something''s gone wrong in East Sea City. Jiang Hao has already been arrested by the police and is now held at the station. Although I''ve made arrangements with Officer Xia, so there''s no issue with his safety, without Jiang Hao leading, things are chaotic here. We''re relying on Haozi to keep things under control, but I''m worried this won''tst long."


    Upon hearing this, Ling Chen frowned. He had been keeping an eye on the struggle between Zhao Zhengxiong and Jiang Hao, and before heading abroad, he specifically instructed Hu Fei. If anything happened, he should ask Qiu Yong and the others for help. With the Eight Monsters stepping in, Zhao Zhengxiong wouldn''t stand a chance, no matter how many people he had.


    Thinking of this, Ling Chen asked, "Didn''t you ask my big brother and the others for help?"


    "I did, of course. But even with their help, they couldn''t handle Zhao Zhengxiong and instead suffered some losses."


    "What?" Ling Chen was shocked. Even Qiu Yong and the others suffered losses. How could this be? Each of the Eight Monsters is a master. Could they not even handle a bunch of small-time thugs?


    "Ling Chen, don''t ask too many questions now. Hurry back. If you don''t return soon to oversee things, I''m afraid East Sea City might fall into Zhao Zhengxiong''s hands."


    "Alright, I got it." Ling Chen replied, "I''ll arrange for a flight back tonight."


    After hanging up the phone, Nanrong Wanqing looked at the visibly tense Ling Chen and asked with concern, "What happened? Did something go wrong in East Sea City?"


    "Hu Fei and the others have run into some trouble and might need my help. Contact themter and book a few flights. We''ll head back tonight."


    ...


    Night falls.


    In a cafe located outside the East Sea City research base, a middle-aged man dressed in a suit walked in, surrounded by several young men.


    Seeing customers, a waiter quickly approached with a smile, asking, "How many people, sir?"<fn37e7> Chapters first released on find¡¤novel</fn37e7>


    The middle-aged man nced at the not-so-busy hall and said coldly, "Tell your boss, I''ve booked this cafe. No other guests are allowed in tonight."


    The waiter was stunned upon hearing this request. He had heard of bookings before, but no one had ever spent money to book an entire cafe.


    Seeing the waiter standing there dumbfounded, the middle-aged man''s brows furrowed as he shouted coldly, "Why are you still standing there? Wasn''t I clear enough? I''ll give you five minutes. Hurry and get everyone out of here. Five minutes from now, if I see anyone else in the store except my people, don''t me me for being ruthless."


    After speaking, the middle-aged man made a gesture. A follower immediately pulled out several bundles of hundred-yuan bills from his shoulder bag and tossed them onto the waiter.


    Looking at the tens of thousands of yuan on the ground, the waiter focused his gaze and immediately looked up at the middle-aged man. However, thetter had already settled down at a window seat with his subordinates.


    Having no choice, the waiter picked up the money and quickly ran to the office to find his manager.


    "Manager, I don''t think those people are good. Should we... should we call the police?" the waiter said worriedly.


    "Are you stupid!" The manager irritably pped the back of the waiter''s head, scolding, "Call the police? Is your brain damaged for not making money? This money is enough for a month''s earnings. Alright, stop talking so much, quickly get the other guests out, don''t dy their time. Oh! Tell the other guests they''re all free tonight."


    "Yes, I understand."


    With the efforts of several waiters, within five minutes, the cafe was cleared of all guests, leaving only the middle-aged man and his followers.


    "Sir, please have some tea."


    At this moment, the cafe''s manager came over with a cup of tea and ced it in front of the middle-aged man courteously. Thetter nced at the manager indifferently, saying coldly, "Leave with your peopleter. I don''t need anyone waiting on me."


    "Us?" The manager was a bit stunned, not yet reacting.


    Bang!


    Several bundles of hundred-yuan bills hit the table, snapping the manager back to reality.


    "Take your people and get out. All this money is yours. I''ve booked this ce for tonight. Come back and clean up tomorrow morning. Any problems?"


    "This..." The manager hesitated. Without his own personnel supervising, who knows what these people might do? If they damage the store''s goods, what should I do?


    Before the manager could decide, a young man threw out tens of thousands more, and coldly said to the manager, "Is this enough? If not, I have this!" With that, the young man took a sharp dagger from his waist, tossed it onto the pile of money, and coldly said, "You choose. Do you want money or your life."


    Seeing the suddenly thrown dagger, the manager jumped in fright, his legs going weak. He swallowed, squeezed out a smile, and said, "I''ll take my people out right away." As he spoke, he didn''t hesitate to gather the money from the table and then ran towards the office.


    "Stop!"


    Upon hearing the young man''smand, the manager quickly stopped, turned around, and looked at the other party, "Sir, anything else?"


    "You''re a smart person. Say what should be said, and don''t say what shouldn''t. Understand?"


    The manager fully understood the other party''s implications, and for the sake of money, he immediately nodded, "Please rest assured, I''m someone who knows the ropes."


    Soon, the manager left the cafe with several waiters, leaving the middle-aged man and a few subordinates seated inside.


    "Alright, tell them to bring the car over." As everyone left, the middle-aged man stood up from his chair and casually took off his suit. A few minutester, a truck parked outside the cafe.


    The car door opened, and several young men jumped out, pulling open the tailgate. Immediately after, the group pushed severalrge machines into the cafe.


    At this moment, in the cafe hall, all the tables and chairs had been thrown into the corner, leaving the center clear. As the machines arrived, several young men changed into work clothes, put on masks, and drilled into the ground with electric drills.


    After more than two hours of busy work, a one-meter-wide hole was drilled into the center of the hall''s floor.


    "How much deeper?" The middle-aged man stood by, asionally asking a question.


    "Just dug half a meter deep, probably another meter or so to go." The busy young man replied.


    The middle-aged man nced at the time on his wristwatch and said in a deep voice, "Hurry up; it must be done before midnight."


    "Understood."

 Chapter 928 933: Betrayal (2)

    In the blink of an eye, it was already midnight.


    At this moment, on the floor of the caf¨¦, a huge pit had been dug, nearly two meters deep. Several shirtless young men were holding electric drills, continuing to drill down. Around the pit,rge piles of rubble and dirt were umting.


    At this time, a busy young man suddenly raised his head, looking at the middle-aged man who was about to fall asleep, and shouted excitedly, "Boss, we found it!"


    Upon hearing the young man''s words, the middle-aged man hurriedly stood up from his chair and quickly rushed to the pit. At the bottom of the pit, several bundles of electrical wires were exposed, each as thick as an adult''s arm.


    "Hurry, we don''t have much time."


    "Boss, don''t worry, it''ll be sorted out soon." As he spoke, several young men put down their electric drills and picked up a small cutting machine, cutting open the protective skin outside the wires to expose the copper wire inside.


    "Done! Boss, we can start working now."


    The middle-aged man nodded, picked up his phone, and dialed a number. Within a few minutes, two bespectacled men walked in from outside the caf¨¦. The two were dressed inly, with ordinary looks, carrying several heavy boxes in their hands.


    At the edge of the pit, one of the bespectacled men looked at the wires in the pit and nodded, "Well done. Boss Zhao is indeed efficient."


    The middle-aged man known as Boss Zhao was none other than Zhao Zhengxiong.


    Receiving thepliment, Zhao Zhengxiong smiled and said, "Since it''s a coboration, of course, I have to be diligent. I''m afraid of any mishaps, so I personally oversee the work. All right, I''ve finished my tasks; it''s time for you to show your skills."


    "No problem." After a pause, the bespectacled man said, "Boss Zhao, we will handle things here. You can have your men leave. Also, Mr. Ling asked me to inform you to hurry and meet him, so you don''t miss the show."


    Zhao Zhengxiong made an ''OK'' gesture, nodded slightly, and said, "I''ll head over now, thanks for your effort."


    Soon after, watching the backs of Zhao Zhengxiong and others disappear at the caf¨¦ entrance, the two bespectacled men immediately opened their boxes, taking out severalputers and other devices, cing them around the pit. Then, they connected several wires to those in the pit.<fnf871> ???s ??????? ?s ?????? ?? FindN0vel</fnf871>


    Once everything was set, the two men moved to theputers, looking at the word ''searching'' on the screen, their eyes showing a hint of tension and concern.


    A few minutes passed, and the red progress bar of ''searching'' suddenly turned green. Seeing the change on the screen, the two bespectacled men rxed their brows and began to smile.


    "Mr. Ling, things are fine on our end now."


    "Good, wait for my signal."


    At this moment, on the other side of the research base, a Mercedes-Benz car was quietly parked by the roadside.


    The suited man in the back seat had just put down his phone when he saw a Land Rover SUV drive up from behind and park behind the Mercedes.


    The car door opened, and as the middle-aged man got in, the suited man inside the Mercedes smiled and said, "Mr. Zhao, pleased to work with you. Please, have a seat!"


    "Mr. Ling is too kind." Zhao Zhengxiong smiled and sat beside him.


    As the car door closed, Zhao Zhengxiong nced at the suited man beside him and asked, "Mr. Ling, will tonight really be a sess?"


    "Mr. Zhao, rest assured, I have made all the necessary preparations. Tonight, we will certainly destroy Ling Chen''s research base. Once his men are wiped out, East Sea City will be yours." After a pause, the middle-aged man continued, "When that timees, please do not forget our agreement."


    "No need to worry about that; I won''t go back on my word. Once I control East Sea City''s underworld, I will surely help your God Organization establish a foothold."


    "That would be ideal." Saying this, the suited man checked the time and said, "It''s almost time, we should begin our operation."


    ...


    Research Base.


    Hu Fei was holding a bowl of instant noodles, sitting in front of aputer in the control center, eating noodles inrge mouthfuls while looking at the data disyed on the screen.


    "Fatty."


    Hearing Tang Guolun''s voice, Hu Fei replied unhappily, "I''ve told you many times, don''t call me Fatty."


    Tang Guolun smiled and said, "Well, there''s no helping it, since you''re the fattest one." After a pause, Tang Guolun changed the subject, "Hey! On a serious note, I just talked to thewyer. There might be some trouble with Jiang Hao''s situation. If it goes through the proper legal channels, he might be sentenced to a few years, unless we can work something out and smooth things over with the higher-ups, maybe then we can get him out on bail."


    Hu Fei retorted ill-temperedly, "You''re telling me this just to get money out of me, right? Alright, how much do you need this time?"


    "Not much, just need a couple of million to start with."


    "Alright, I''ll transfer it to youter, you¡­"


    "Mr. Hu, Boss Tang!"


    Before Hu Fei could finish, a technician in the control center suddenly shouted in panic. Hu Fei turned to look at him and asked, "What''s up, why are you so jumpy?"


    "It seems like ourwork has been cut off, and theputer system is malfunctioning."


    Hearing this, Hu Fei''s face slightly changed. Before he could speak, he saw hisputer screen turn blue, and all the data was gone.


    Seeing this situation, Hu Fei quickly dropped his instant noodles and started typing rapidly on the keyboard. However, after more than ten seconds, Hu Fei''s brow gradually furrowed into a line.


    "How''s it going?" asked Tang Guolun, who was standing behind.


    Hu Fei replied with a grim expression, "Not good, the system has a problem, it''s being attacked by hackers, all the servers have crashed. Moreover, they are taking over the control of this base."


    "Can''t we stop them?"


    Hu Fei didn''t answer, he stood up and went to anotherputer. At this moment, only thatputer in the entire control center was functioning normally.


    "Thisputer is the mainframe of the base, what I can do now is try to dy, use reverse tracking to find their location, and then attempt to cut off their signal."


    However, after a few minutes, Hu Fei''s face suddenly changed, and he eximed in surprise, "How can this be?"


    "What is it?"


    "I activated the reverse tracking program, but from the tracking results, they are attacking us using the base''s internalwork." At this point, Hu Feiughed at himself.


    "Indeed, I''ve set up so many firewalls that even the most skilled hacker could not easily break through. The fact that they can easily attack our systems and servers means they must be using the base''s internalwork."


    Tang Guolun said in a deep voice, "Are you saying¡­ there''s an insider in the base?"

 Chapter 929 - 934: Total Annihilation (1)

    <h4>Chapter 929: Chapter 934: Total Annihtion (1)</h4>


    "I¡¯m not sure yet," Hu Fei said, typing on the keyboard. "When we initially installed the security system at the base, I added a self-protection program into the system. Once the system is attacked or breached, it will automatically generate a firewall to resist the attack. However, if faced with a skilled hacker, this firewall can only hold out for a few minutes at most."


    While speaking, a green sphere appeared on theputer screen. However, half of the sphere was infected with red, and the virus-like red was rapidly spreading along the sphere¡¯s perimeter.


    "Look," Hu Fei pointed at the sphere on the screen and said, "The opponent¡¯s efficiency is very high. If the entire sphere is engulfed by the red, the whole base¡¯s system will be paralyzed and be under their control."


    "Pull the plug," Tang Guolun suggested. "Without power supply, the whole system will shut down."


    "It¡¯s useless," Hu Fei said helplessly. "Once the main power is cut, the backup power will activate immediately. Unless we manually turn off the power through the system, or sever the power cables, the power supply to the base will remain active." Hu Fei paused and continued, "Bases like this are designed to maintain uninterrupted power supply. Now that the system has crashed, we can¡¯t log back in to turn off the backup power through the system. The only way is to find the output lines and destroy them forcefully."


    Upon hearing this, Tang Guolun immediately smashed the fire safety ss on the wall and took out the fire axe from inside.


    "Fatty, I¡¯m going to cut the power, you find a way to maintain the base¡¯s defense," said Tang Guolun, quickly striding out.


    Two minutes passed, and Hu Fei stared at theputer screen. He watched as thest speck of green was swallowed by red. As soon as the entire sphere was covered in red, theputer screen started shing with red light, and a red warning sign appeared in the center.


    Seeing the warning sign, Hu Fei¡¯s face became very grim. He quickly picked up the walkie-talkie and asked, "Boss Tang, have you managed it yet?"


    "Not yet, the wires are buried too deep and hard to find. It might take another minute or two."


    It¡¯s over!


    Hu Fei thought to himself, realizing the danger. If Tang Guolun took two more minutes, it would be toote.


    "Boss Tang,e back, don¡¯t waste any more time. The system has been taken over by the enemy. They now have full control of the control center, and the entire base¡¯s control is in their hands."


    "What should we do?"


    "We have no choice but to fight hard." After saying this, Hu Fei connected the walkie-talkie to the base¡¯s PA system and broadcasted the attack situation to everyone.


    Suddenly, everyone throughout the base, who was resting, hurried out and prepared to gather at the base¡¯s main gate.


    However, when people pushed the doors, they were shocked to find that the bedroom doors were locked and couldn¡¯t be opened. Furthermore, even the keypad locks in the bedrooms lost their function; they were all locked and unusable.


    Listening to the messages from the walkie-talkie, Hu Fei¡¯s chubby face fell as sweat trickled down his forehead.


    "What¡¯s wrong?" Noticing Hu Fei¡¯s tense appearance, Tang Guolun couldn¡¯t help but ask.


    Hu Fei said in a deep voice, "More than half of the people are trapped in their bedrooms and can¡¯t get out."


    "Tell them to stay calm, we will think of a way to get them out."


    "Alright." Hu Fei nodded, ready to broadcast with the walkie-talkie. But after several attempts, Hu Fei¡¯s expression suddenly changed, and he frowned, saying, "No, those bastards have shut down our PA system."


    "Mr. Hu, Boss Tang!"


    At this time, a technician in the control center urgently called out, "All the exits of the base have been opened."


    Hearing this, Hu Fei and Tang Guolun exchanged nces, and both appeared somewhat solemn.


    "I¡¯ll go find Elder Qiu and the others for help, you gather everyone you can, and promptly set up the defense line. If we can¡¯t withstand the enemy¡¯s attack, then we¡¯ll have to retreat," Hu Fei quickly arranged.


    "Alright, stay safe."


    After a few words, Hu Fei and Tang Guolun each took action, rushing out of the control center.


    At this moment, outside the research base, a team of more than forty people filtered inside, heading straight towards the base¡¯s main gate. They passed through the gate without any hindrance, smoothly reaching the center of the base, and began to clear out the base¡¯s staff and security personnel.


    Since the base¡¯s system was under the enemy¡¯s control, all explosion-proof doors and defense systems were rendered ineffective, allowing members of the God Organization to move unhindered.


    At this moment, led by Hu Fei, Qiu Yong and others quickly followed him to the base¡¯s temporary prison, releasing both Lin Qiqi and Lin Guodong who were held there.


    Seeing the tense expressions of those around them, Lin Guodong and Lin Qiqi appeared very calm. They nced at Hu Fei and casually said, "What¡¯s the matter, scared?"


    "Scared of what!" Hu Fei snorted in displeasure and replied, "I tell you, even if theye in, don¡¯t think they can rescue you from my grasp." After speaking, Hu Fei turned to Qiu Yong and said, "Elder Qiu, these two people are your responsibility. No matter what happens, make sure you keep them secure and prevent their escape."


    Qiu Yong nodded and said, "Rest assured, leave it to us."


    Outside the research base, in a Mercedes parked by the roadside, a middle-aged man in a suit held a ss of wine, clinked sses with Zhao Zhengxiong, and said with a smile, "Mr. Zhao, in less than half an hour, we¡¯ll be sitting in their control center celebrating. Come, let¡¯s drink this first, to our sess."


    Zhao Zhengxiong drank the wine in one gulp, wiped the wine residue from his mouth with his hand, and said, "Mr. Ling, as far as I know, Ling Chen has arranged many experts within the base. Although you brought many people this time, can they really handle those experts?"


    The man in the suitughed heartily, "Mr. Zhao, you¡¯re underestimating our God Organization. Rest assured, Ling Chen¡¯s backbone is just a group of eight odd people. Ha! There¡¯s not even a Heaven List expert to oversee things; what is there to fear? You¡¯ll see, I will soon show you what a real expert looks like."


    "Elder Qiu, this way." Within the research base, Hu Fei led Qiu Yong and others along the corridor at a brisk pace. Lin Guodong and Lin Qiqi were closely watched by Yuan Yun and Xia Yue within the team, with their mouths blocked to prevent them from making any noise that might attract the enemy.


    "How far is it?" Qiu Yong looked around and asked.<fnee63> Find the newest release on find~novel</fnee63>

 Chapter 930 - 935: Total Annihilation (2)

    <h4>Chapter 930: Chapter 935: Total Annihtion (2)</h4>


    "Almost there!" Hu Fei pointed ahead down the corridor and said, "The escape passage of the base is over there." With that, Hu Fei took out his walkie-talkie and asked, "Boss Tang, where are you now?"


    <fn24b1> The rightful source is find?novel</fn24b1>


    "Your friends are with me. If you don¡¯t want them to die, bring the people over immediately."


    Upon hearing the voice from the walkie-talkie, Hu Fei froze in ce. Simultaneously, Qiu Yong and the others stopped in their tracks, focusing their attention on Hu Fei.


    "They¡¯ve been captured?"


    "Elder Qiu, what should we do now?" Hu Fei looked at Qiu Yong for help.


    Before Qiu Yong could speak, Xu Ming nced at Lin Guodong and Lin Qiqi and said gravely, "Big brother, the voice just now... did you recognize it?"


    "Ji Gang!"


    "That¡¯s right." Xu Ming nodded, "Ji Gang¡¯s here, and I¡¯m afraid we¡¯re no match for him if we try to fight."


    "What do we do then?" Hu Fei asked anxiously, "Boss Tang and the others have been captured. Are we just going to ignore their lives?"


    Qiu Yong sighed helplessly and said, "It¡¯s not that we¡¯re ignoring them, but we can¡¯t do anything about it. You¡¯ve probably heard of Ji Gang; he¡¯s a genuine expert on the Heavenly List, unlike Chen Guanghe fromst time. With just us, we won¡¯t be able to rescue them and might end up getting ourselves caught. There¡¯s probably only one way right now."


    "What way?" Hu Fei asked hastily.


    Qiu Yong pointed to Lin Guodong and Lin Qiqi beside him and said, "The only way is to use them to exchange hostages."


    "This..." Hu Fei hesitated immediately. Lin Guodong and Lin Qiqi are high-level members of the God Organization, and their identities are very valuable. Letting them go will release the tiger back to the mountain, causing even more trouble in the future.


    Seeing Hu Fei unable to make a decision, Xu Ming suggested, "Why don¡¯t you give Ling Chen a call and ask for his opinion?"


    Upon hearing this, Hu Fei thought for a moment and then smiled wryly, "Forget it! Telling him won¡¯t change anything anyway, since he can¡¯te back right away. No need to make him worry. Let¡¯s take the people and get Boss Tang and the others out. No matter what, Boss Tang and the others cannot be harmed."


    "Alright." Seeing Hu Fei make a decision, Qiu Yong pointed to Yang Chen and Wei Jiahao and said, "You two go with Hu Fei through the escape passage, while we go rescue the others. If all goes well, we¡¯ll meet outside."


    Wei Jiahao nodded and said, "Big brother, be careful, Seven Brother and I will wait for you outside."


    After watching Hu Fei and the others leave, Qiu Yong immediately led Lin Guodong and Lin Qiqi towards the center of the base. Before long, the group reached the entrance of the research base.


    At this moment, Ji Gang stood calmly in front of the crowd, arms crossed, casting a sideways nce at Qiu Yong and the others. Behind Ji Gang, there were more than forty members of the God Organization. In addition, thirty people squatting in the center of the crowd included Tang Guolun and other technical staff.


    Under the watch of the God Organization, Tang Guolun and the others squatted quietly on the ground, silently watching Qiu Yong.


    As Qiu Yong and the others approached, Ji Gang nced at Lin Guodong and Lin Qiqi behind them and slowly spoke, "Old Qiu, hand over the people, and perhaps I can spare your life."


    "Ji Gang, cut the crap." Qiu Yong replied coldly, pushing Lin Guodong forward and said, "Release my people, and then I¡¯ll hand over yours."


    Hearing this, Ji Gang sneered, "Old Qiu, do you think it works that way? You haven¡¯t considered how many hostages I have here versus how few you have. Trying to exchange my dozens with your two people? I don¡¯t do unprofitable business."


    Yuan Yun frowned and asked, "Then what do you propose?"


    "Simple, two for two, so neither side loses. How about that?"


    "No way!" Qiu Yong promptly refused, "Ji Gang, you know the identities of these two. Exchanging them for these people isn¡¯t a loss to you."


    Ji Gang waved dismissively, "Don¡¯t talk rubbish to me; I only recognize two for two. Now, I¡¯ll give you two options: either exchange two for two, or use all of you to swap for the hostages. Old Qiu, see? I¡¯m quite fair. Seven of you for my thirty-odd people ¡ª such an unprofitable trade, I¡¯ll only do once, so cherish this chance."


    "Big brother!" Yuan Yun nced at Qiu Yong beside him and asked softly, "What do we do now?"


    Qiu Yong squinted, staring at Ji Gang opposite him, his eyes uncertain, not knowing what decision to make.


    Two minutes passed. Seeing Qiu Yong still unresponsive, Ji Gang urged, "Old Qiu, time is limited, I don¡¯t have the leisure to waste it here with you. If you don¡¯t make a decision soon, I¡¯ll make one for you."


    "Big brother, don¡¯t waste time with him. Instead of being caught, better to fight them." Xia Yue suggested.


    Qiu Yong hesitated for a moment, then suddenly raised his eyebrows, speaking in a deep voice, "Fourth Brother!"


    Upon Qiu Yong¡¯s call, Zhang Zhongfeng immediately understood, drawing several arrows from his quiver, setting them on the bowstring. He shot towards Ji Gang¡¯s head.


    If examined closely, the arrowheads of those arrows were different from others, seemingly tied to something underneath. As the arrows passed over Ji Gang¡¯s head and flew into the air, with several ¡¯bangs¡¯, the arrows exploded, transforming into billowing smoke that enveloped everyone present.


    "Go, rescue them!"


    With Qiu Yong¡¯smand, Xu Ming and the others charged ahead, their bodies disappearing into the smoke.


    Amidst the changing situation, Ji Gang stood calmly within the smoke, motionless, as if deaf to the screams around him. Not only did he remain unmoved, but he even closed his eyes, treating the chaos around him as unrted to him.


    Ah!


    Suddenly, a scream rang out, apanied by Qiu Yong¡¯s shout, "Third Brother!"


    Just after, a muffled groan followed.


    Several minutes passed, and the surrounding smoke gradually dissipated. Meanwhile, several individualsy on the ground, their faces contorted in pain, unable to get up.


    "Big brother, second brother!"


    Seeing the few people lying on the ground, Xia Yue called out in a panic, struggling to rush over. But, at this moment, she was already controlled, unable to move at all.


    "Humph!" Ji Gang sneered, opening his eyes to see Qiu Yong, "A bunch of fools, did you really think you could rescue them from me?"


    Ignoring Ji Gang¡¯s mockery, Qiu Yong turned his gaze to an elder stepping out from the crowd, gritting his teeth and asked, "Who are you?"

 Chapter 931 - 936: Total Annihilation (3)

    <h4>Chapter 931: Chapter 936: Total Annihtion (3)</h4>


    "Me?" The person pointed at their own nose and replied with a smile, "I forgot to introduce myself. My name is Chen Quan. I wonder if you¡¯ve heard of me."


    Chen Quan?


    The moment this name was mentioned, the expressions of Qiu Yong and the others changed immediately.


    Recently, Ling Chen had brought up the name ¡¯Chen Quan¡¯ several times in their presence, so they had a very deep impression of it. Chen Quan, a master on the Heavenly List, had been imprisoned by the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion for decades and had only recently escaped. They didn¡¯t expect him to be involved in this operation.


    At this moment, a few people began to step out from the crowd. Besides Chen Quan, there were several others. If Ling Chen were here, he would definitely recognize their identities.


    Zhu Hong, Chu Huaiyang, Song Mingzhe. These were all Chen Quan¡¯s followers.


    Earlier, Qiu Yong and the others used the cover of smoke to attempt to rescue someone from Ji Gang¡¯s grasp. Who would have thought that as soon as they charged into the crowd, they were stopped. Moreover, they were all injured in the process, losing the ability to act. Only now did they realize that the person who stopped them was Chen Quan.


    No wonder! When a master on the Heavenly List takes action, how could they possibly withstand it?


    After learning the identities of Chen Quan and the others, Qiu Yong sighed helplessly, a touch of bitterness in his clouded old eyes.


    With two masters from the Heavenly List present, no matter how skilled they were, it was impossible for them to be a match for the other side. At this moment, Qiu Yong and the others instinctively turned their gaze to Xu Ming. Last time, when facing Chen Guanghe, Xu Ming had easily defeated him. In their eyes, Xu Ming was undoubtedly synonymous with ¡¯mystery.¡¯ So, in such a critical moment, everyone hoped Xu Ming could once again disy his mystery and strength.


    However, facing everyone¡¯s gaze, Xu Ming remained motionless. Seeing his reaction, Qiu Yong and the others couldn¡¯t help but feel a bit disappointed; it seemed they were doomed this time.


    "Take them all down," Ji Gang waved his hand, issuing themand.


    Soon, several members of the God Organization surged forward, tying up Qiu Yong and the others with specially made ropes.


    Meanwhile, Ji Gang walked straight up to Lin Guodong and Lin Qiqi, and asked, "Mr. Lin, Miss Lin, are you both alright?"


    Lin Guodong rubbed his somewhat sore shoulder and smiled slightly, "We¡¯re fine. Mr. Ji, it¡¯s thanks to your help this time that we could escape unscathed. Thank you!"


    "You¡¯re too kind, Mr. Lin. I¡¯m also a member of the God Organization, and these are things I should do." With that, Ji Gang pointed to the captured Qiu Yong and the others, asking, "Mr. Lin, what do you n to do with these people?"


    Lin Guodong thought for a moment, then said, "Lock them up for now; don¡¯t harm them. Ling Chen hasn¡¯t returned yet, and they might be of great use."


    "Yes!"


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    It¡¯s over!


    At this moment, in a dark alley outside the research base, Hu Fei, Yang Chen, and Wei Jiahao hid in the shadows, watching as Qiu Yong, Tang Guolun, Qin Genglong, and Kaelina were escorted to the vehicles, inwardlymenting the situation.


    They had thought Qiu Yong and the others could use Lin Guodong and Lin Qiqi to rescue Tang Guolun and the others, but they hadn¡¯t expected that not only did they fail to rescue them, they also got themselves captured.


    "Hu, what do we do now?" Wei Jiahao asked worriedly.


    Hu Fei scratched his head and replied with a bitter smile, "I have no idea what to do. Now we can only wait for Ling Chen toe back."


    After a while, seeing all the vehicles of the God Organization drive away, Hu Fei immediately called Yang Chen and Wei Jiahao, preparing to sneak back to the research base. They had left in such a hurry earlier that many valuable items were left behind. Now that Ji Gang and the others had left, it was time to retrieve them.


    However, before the three could get close to the research base, they heard a loud ¡¯bang.¡¯


    In an instant, mes shot up to the sky, and the raging fire engulfed the entire base. Hu Fei and the other two, being too close, were instantly blown away by the shockwave, crashing into the walls of the surrounding buildings, and they immediately lost consciousness.


    ...


    Early morning!


    At East Sea International Airport, Ling Chen opened the cabin door, stood at the entrance, stretched hiszy body, and breathed in the fresh air, feeling much more refreshed.


    "Mom, we¡¯re back." Ling Chen turned back, smiling at Yang Qingling behind him.


    "Aren¡¯t you going to help your grandparents down?" Yang Qingling reminded.


    "Got it!" Ling Chen chuckled, turned back into the cabin. After a while, he helped two elderly people slowly walk out. These two elders were none other than Ling Chen¡¯s grandfather and grandmother, Yang Yan and Gong Meiling.


    Due to pressing time, Hu Fei urged Ling Chen to return quickly. Unable to refuse, Ling Chen had no choice but to pick up his grandparents and head straight for East Sea City. Fortunately, the two elders were still in good health and were able to endure more than ten hours of ne travel.


    Once off the ne, the Hongyu Group¡¯s special car was already waiting outside the airport.


    As the group got into the car, Nanrong Wanqing asked, "Shall we go back to Wealthy Manor first, or...?"


    "Let¡¯s go straight back," Ling Chen said. Yang Qingling initially wanted to take Yang Yan and his wife to stay at a hotel, but Ling Chen was adamant. He had finally found his family, and how could he bear to let them stay in a hotel? Besides, the Nanrong Family had plenty of ces to stay.


    "Mom, don¡¯t worry about troubling Wanqing. Once I finish my business in a few days, I¡¯ll apany you to look at houses."


    Yang Qingling nodded and said, "No rush. You handle your own affairs first."


    As they spoke, the ringtone of Ling Chen¡¯s phone rang.


    Ling Chen thought to himself, it¡¯s probably Hu Fei urging him again. He had told Hu Fei yesterday that he would arrive in East Sea City this morning.


    Taking out his phone, Ling Chen was surprised to find that the caller was not Hu Fei, but Xia Mutong.


    Strange! Why is Xia Mutong looking for him so early?


    Answering the call, Ling Chen smiled and asked, "Officer Xia, do you need something from me?"


    "You can stillugh,"


    Upon hearing Xia Mutong¡¯s cold voice, Ling Chen was slightly stunned and asked puzzledly, "Officer Xia, what¡¯s wrong? What happened?"


    "Don¡¯t you know?" There was a hint of surprise in Xia Mutong¡¯s tone. After a pause, Xia Mutong asked, "Where are you right now?"


    "The airport, I just got back from abroad."


    "No wonder. Your friends are in trouble. If it¡¯s convenient, I suggest you check the news."


    The news?


    Ling Chen felt his heart sink, with an ominous premonition immediately looming over him. Hanging up the phone, Ling Chen quickly turned on the in-car television and switched the channel to the news station. Soon, a live news report appeared on the screen.


    "Dear viewers, in the early hours ofst night, an explosion urred in a residential building located in the city center region. Police are still investigating further, and the specifics regarding casualties and the cause of the explosion have not been disclosed..."


    Watching the news with that area of residential buildings now reduced to ruins, Ling Chen¡¯s face turned somewhat pale.


    It exploded!


    Then... what about Hu Fei and the others...


    "Ling Chen." Nanrong Wanqing grasped Ling Chen¡¯s hand, her face pale. She had been to the research base several times, so she knew very well what the ruins in the news represented.

 Chapter 932 - 937: A Visitor from the Upper Ranks (Part 1)

    <h4>Chapter 932: Chapter 937: A Visitor from the Upper Ranks (Part 1)</h4>


    "Stop! Stop quickly!"


    After a moment of nkness, Ling Chen finally reacted, hurriedly shouting for the driver to stop the car at once.


    As soon as the car pulled over to the roadside, not evening to aplete halt, Ling Chen impatiently pushed open the door and dashed towards the road. Before Nanrong Wanqing could catch up with Ling Chen¡¯s footsteps, he had already gged down a taxi and was swiftly heading to the research base.


    Sitting in the taxi, Ling Chen took out his phone, found Hu Fei¡¯s number, and dialed it. However, the other end of the line informed him that the user had their phone off. Unable to reach Hu Fei, Ling Chen continued dialing Tang Guolun, Kaelina, and Qiu Yong¡¯s numbers one after another. But without exception, every phone indicated it was turned off.


    Listening to the busy signal from his phone, Ling Chen sat dazed in the backseat, his Mo Che-like pupils devoid of any brightness, his face showing a hint of pallor.


    They must survive... they must survive...


    Ling Chen muttered under his breath, silently praying in his heart. At this moment, he only hoped that Hu Fei and the others were safe and sound. As long as they were okay, he was willing to pay any price.


    With Ling Chen¡¯s urging, it wasn¡¯t long before the taxi arrived at the research base.


    Due to the explosionst night, the area around the research base was cordoned off, with over a dozen news vans parked outside the police tape, and some journalists were conducting live reports.


    Ling Chen tossed aside a hundred yuan bill, skipping the change, and dashed out of the taxi, speeding towards the explosion site at the research base. Standing outside the cordon, Ling Chen scanned the scene, only to find the research base had be a scene of ruins and rubble, with debris from the explosion scattered everywhere.


    In the midst of the debris, one could vaguely see the shells of destroyed equipment.


    Faced with such a situation, Ling Chen couldn¡¯t hold back any longer. He quickly lifted the police tape in front of him and strode inside.


    "Stop!" Noticing Ling Chen¡¯s actions, two police officers promptly rushed over, blocking his way.


    "Get out; this area is under police control, and unauthorized persons are not allowed inside."


    Ignoring the officers¡¯ reproach, Ling Chen squeezed through between them and moved forward.


    "Hey!" Seeing Ling Chen ignoring their warnings, the two officers immediately drew their batons from their waists, ready to chase after him and forcibly drive him out.


    Just as they were about to intervene, a voice suddenly called from not far away, "You two, let him through; don¡¯t worry about him."


    Looking closely, Xia Mutong, dressed in a police uniform, wasing over from a temporarily erected tent.


    Once those two officers backed off, Ling Chen nced at the approaching Xia Mutong and continued to focus on the ruins, asking in a deep voice, "Have any victims been found?" As he asked this, Ling Chen¡¯s voice carried a slight tremor, and his fists were clenched tightly, fearing he wouldn¡¯t be able to handle Xia Mutong¡¯s response.


    Seeing Ling Chen¡¯s tense demeanor, Xia Mutong gently patted his shoulder,forting him, "Alright, there¡¯s no need for you to be too anxious. We began searchingst night and continued until this morning without finding any bodies. We believe that before the explosion urred, everyone here evacuated ahead of time, so there were no casualties."


    Upon hearing this, Ling Chen felt a wave of relief, letting out a long sigh.


    "Then where are they?"


    "I don¡¯t know," Xia Mutong replied. "I¡¯ve checked the nearby surveince footage; all records fromst night have been erased. Though we haven¡¯t found others, I discovered three people at the explosion site: Hu Fei and two young men. I suspect they were affected by the explosion¡¯s shockwave, as they were already unconscious when I found them."


    "Where are they?" Ling Chen asked urgently.


    "Receiving treatment at the hospital. Don¡¯t worry, I called, and their condition is stable, not life-threatening. I¡¯ll apany you to visit them at the hospital shortly."


    As he spoke, a police officer hurried over, whispered something in Xia Mutong¡¯s ear.


    Whatever was said, Xia Mutong nodded and said, "Bring him over." Shortly after, a man in a suit was led to Xia Mutong by an officer. Before Xia Mutong could speak, the man began to plead, "Officer, you must help me."


    Xia Mutong frowned slightly, saying, "Speak slowly, what happened exactly?"


    "I¡¯m the manager of a caf¨¦, andst night..."


    After listening to the man¡¯s ount, Ling Chen¡¯s heart was stirred, immediately requesting Xia Mutong to apany him to the caf¨¦.


    Upon entering the caf¨¦, Ling Chen immediately saw a pit over a meter wide in the center of the hall, surrounded by piled-up rubble and soil. In addition, there were a few machines for digging ced beside the pit.


    Approaching the pit, Ling Chen peered down and saw several electrical cables as thick as arms at the bottom. The cables¡¯ outer coating had been stripped away, exposing the copper wires within. Moreover, a few cables had been spliced and extended outwards. Ling Chen watched the cables¡¯ direction, his expression darkening. Judging by the position of the cables at the bottom, they seemed to lead towards the research base. If he was correct, these should be the main lines for the research base.


    Ling Chen had taken over the research base from the Secret Society, so he wasn¡¯t too familiar with its construction andyout. It seemed now that the person who sabotaged the research base had likely obtained the architectural ns for it, allowing them to urately locate the main lines.


    Though Ling Chen¡¯sputer skills were not as good as Hu Fei¡¯s, he knew a bit. If the opponent had infiltrated the base through the main lines, there was no way to stop them inside. They likely used this method to breach the base¡¯s security and defense systems, allowing its defenses to be easily ovee.


    "Officer Xia, let¡¯s go; we need to visit the hospital."


    Ling Chen said, having a rough idea of how the research base fell. Now, he wanted to quickly find Hu Fei, ask him clearly what happenedst night.


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    Xia Mutong understood Ling Chen¡¯s feelings well. They immediately drove in a police car straight to the hospital.


    Half an hourter, Ling Chen and Xia Mutong arrived at East Sea City¡¯s First People¡¯s Hospital.


    Outside the special care unit, two police officers stood guard at the door, ensuring the patient¡¯s security inside. Seeing Xia Mutong arrived, they saluted, allowing Xia Mutong and Ling Chen inside.


    Entering the ward, Ling Chen instantly saw Hu Fei, Yang Chen, and Wei Jiahao lying on the hospital beds. The threey on separate beds, their faces covered with scars, their limbs wrapped in bandages, clearly heavily injured.

 Chapter 933 - 938: A Visitor from the Upper Ranks (Part 2)

    <h4>Chapter 933: Chapter 938: A Visitor from the Upper Ranks (Part 2)</h4>


    Ling Chen walked to Hu Fei¡¯s bedside, looking at the still unconscious Hu Fei, he gently patted his shoulder. Under Ling Chen¡¯s touch, Hu Fei gradually woke up in a daze.


    Seeing Ling Chen standing in front of him, Hu Fei immediately widened his eyes and hurriedly climbed out of bed. However, as soon as he stood up, it pulled at his wounds, causing him to grimace in pain.


    "Alright!" Ling Chen held down Hu Fei¡¯s body and said, "You¡¯re hurt, just stay in bed obediently."


    "You¡¯re finally back." Hu Fei rubbed his flesh covered in wounds, speaking painfully, "If it weren¡¯t for my good luck, I would¡¯ve been finished."


    "I already know what happened at the base. Fatty, tell me, what¡¯s going on?"


    "Last night, the base¡¯s system was attacked, all security defense systems failed. Moreover, the opposing party took control of our system, opened all the entrances and exits of the base, and let the enemy in. I initially wanted to take Lin Guodong and Lin Qiqi through the escape passage, but Boss Tang and the others were captured by Ji Gang."


    Ji Gang?


    Ling Chen¡¯s face slightly changed. So Ji Gang was involved, no wonder Qiu Yong and the others couldn¡¯t withstand the enemy¡¯s offensive.


    "Elder Qiu listened to Ji Gang¡¯s suggestion and took Lin Guodong and the others for hostage exchange. Yang Chen and I escaped first, nning to meet outside. But when we escaped, we saw Elder Qiu and the others were captured. Oh right!" Saying this, Hu Fei seemed to recall something and added, "Last night when Elder Qiu and the others were taken away, I seemed to see Zhu Hong."


    "Zhu Hong? Are you sure?"


    Hu Fei nodded and said, "I probably didn¡¯t see wrong, Zhu Hong was wearing a silver mask."


    So even they were involved. Ling Chen thought silently. He originally thought it was only people from the God Organization, but unexpectedly Zhu Hong and others were involved too. Mentioning Zhu Hong, Ling Chen immediately thought of Chen Quan. He remembered Zhu Hong had said that he had already cooperated with the God Organization. If Chen Quan also took action, then Qiu Yong and the others would stand no chance.


    Two Heavenly List experts, too terrifying.


    "Ling Chen, what should we do now?" Hu Fei asked Ling Chen, who was deep in thought, "The base is already destroyed, people have been captured, we have very limited resources to use now. More critically, we don¡¯t know where the God Organization took the people."


    "Alright, don¡¯t worry about this matter, just focus on healing, I¡¯ll figure out a way to find them."


    Afterforting Hu Fei for a few sentences, Ling Chen also checked on Yang Chen and Wei Jiahao. The two were not in life-threatening condition, only lightly injured, a few days of rest and they¡¯d be fine.


    Leaving the hospital, Ling Chen sat in the passenger seat, his eyes fixed on the traffic ahead, his brows slightly furrowed, unsure of what he was thinking.


    "Ling Chen."


    Hearing Xia Mutong¡¯s voiceing from beside him, Ling Chen turned his head and asked, "What¡¯s wrong?"


    "I know this incident has greatly affected you, but I hope you don¡¯t act rashly. It¡¯s best to cooperate with our police in the operation?"


    "Cooperate with the police?" Ling Chen forced a smile and said, "You¡¯re well aware of their skills, how to cooperate? You should know in your heart, if the police get involved, it will only cause casualties for you."


    "Then let me help you." Xia Mutong said decisively, not allowing refusal, "With my ability now, are you afraid I¡¯ll slow you down?"


    "Not really." Ling Chen thought for a moment and said, "How about this, you first help me find out if we can locate their whereabouts. As for other matters, we¡¯ll discusster."


    "Alright."


    After dropping Ling Chen off at Wealthy Manor, Xia Mutong drove back to the research base.


    Returning home, he saw Yang Qingling and Yang Yan sitting in the living room, Nanrong Wanqing apanying them chatting. Seeing Ling Chene in from outside, Nanrong Wanqing quickly greeted him and asked with concern, "How is it? Is everyone alright?"


    Ling Chen forced a smile, not knowing what to say. No one died, but were captured by people from the God Organization, their fates uncertain.


    "Ling Chen, what¡¯s wrong?" Yang Qingling noticed Ling Chen¡¯s poorplexion and asked.


    "It¡¯s nothing. Mom, you guys continue chatting, I have some things to deal with." With that, before Yang Qingling said anything more, Ling Chen had already gone back to the bedroom alone.


    "This child ... not finishing his words." Yang Qingling said displeased.


    "Auntie, don¡¯t me Ling Chen." Nanrong Wanqing said, "Some things happened yesterday, Ling Chen must be feeling bad inside, you should let him be alone for a while."


    In the bedroom, Ling Chen stood alone by the window, looking at the street view outside, his brows slightly furrowed.


    Besides Hu Fei and the three, everyone else was captured, with very few people avable to use on hand. If he couldn¡¯t find enough people to help, even if he knows Qiu Yong¡¯s whereabouts, he can¡¯t rescue them.


    Allies!


    <fna794> N?w ?ovel chapt?rs are published on find?novel</fna794>


    Ling Chen squinted his eyes, pondering deeply. After thinking it over, it seemed those were the only allies he could find.


    Sigh!


    Ling Chen sighed helplessly. It seemed he needed to make a trip to the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion. With Ji Gang and Chen Quan joined forces, to deal with these two Heavenly List experts, only other Heavenly List experts could help. His master was Su He, and Su He was the former Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion Master, the most reputable elder in the Yangxin Pavilion. With this identity, the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion was likely to help him once.


    Thinking, Ling Chen took out his phone and dialed a number.


    With the call connected, Ling Chen spoke, "Hey! Old Tang."


    "Tang Yuan, it¡¯s been a while since ourst contact, what have you been busy withtely?"


    "Never mind me. Let me ask you, did you receive all those things I sent youst time?"


    "You mean the evidence rted to the Ling Family? Received it, is there a problem?"


    "Nonsense! It¡¯s been so long, yet there¡¯s no sign of any action from you, isn¡¯t that evidence enough for you to act?"


    "It¡¯s not that." On the other end, Tang Yuan said, "The evidence is sufficient, but we found the situation wasn¡¯t as simple as we imagined. When you sent me those pieces of evidence, I showed them to Colonel Pang. As per his suggestion, we submitted all the documentation to the higher-ups. But it¡¯s been so long, and there¡¯s still no response from above. Colonel Pang has submitted several reports, hoping the higher-ups approve action. However, the leaders up there keep telling us to stand by, saying some matters need further investigation and asking us to remain calm."


    Tang Yuan couldn¡¯t help but curse, "Damn it! The evidence clearly shows the Ling Family as the mastermind behind the God Organization, and I just can¡¯t understand why they won¡¯t give the order. For this matter, even the old General went to negotiate with the higher-ups, but still got no result."

 Chapter 934 - 939: VIP Visitor (Part 3)

    <h4>Chapter 934: Chapter 939: VIP Visitor (Part 3)</h4>


    "Hey! Tang Yuan, do you think... the people above might be connected with the Ling Family, so they..."


    "Old Tang." Before Tang Yuan could finish speaking, Ling Chen had already stopped him, saying, "You can eat recklessly, but you can¡¯t speak recklessly, especially when ites to things without evidence. Besides, no matter how wealthy and powerful the Ling Family may be, it¡¯s impossible for them to interfere with the government leadership. I think the reason why the authorities haven¡¯t made a decision yet is that they have their considerations. Don¡¯t be too anxious, I believe they¡¯ll make the right decision. Alright, I have matters to attend to, so I won¡¯t chat with you now. Let¡¯s get in touchter."


    After hanging up the phone, Ling Chen looked at his phone, his gaze somewhat helpless. He originally thought that the government would take immediate action to bring the Ling Family to justice, but little did he expect that so much time would pass without a single movement.


    Just as he was pondering, the phone suddenly rang. ncing at the unknown number disyed, Ling Chen answered the call and asked, "Who is this?"


    "Mr. Ling?"


    "It¡¯s me. Who are you?"


    "Mr. Ling, I was wondering if you¡¯re avable now. If possible, I¡¯d like to have a face-to-face meeting with you."


    Ling Chen chuckled lightly, "You didn¡¯t even tell me who you are, why should I trust you? From my experience, anyone unwilling to reveal their name usually brings trouble."


    "Mr. Ling, please don¡¯t misunderstand, I mean no harm, just want to discuss some matters rted to the Ling Family with you. As far as I know, haven¡¯t you always wanted to deal with the Ling Family? Perhaps I can offer some help."


    <fnbb53> For more chapters visit find?novel</fnbb53>


    "The Ling Family?" Ling Chen¡¯s heart stirred as he spected about the caller¡¯s identity. The caller seemed well-informed about his affairs, suggesting their significance.


    After careful consideration, Ling Chen asked, "Where are you now?"


    "I¡¯m just outside the Wealthy Manor; if you¡¯re interested, you cane over now."


    "Alright, wait for me."


    Hanging up, Ling Chen left the bedroom, greeted Nanrong Wanqing and Yang Qingling, then quickly headed towards the outside of Wealthy Manor.


    Outside the Wealthy Manor, Ling Chen looked around. Shortly, a BMW sedan slowly approached and stopped in front of him.


    The car door opened, and without hesitation, Ling Chen nced at the person inside and quickly got in. Once in the car, Ling Chen sat by the window, sizing up the middle-aged man beside him. The man had a stout figure, a square face, and exuded a very upright demeanor, giving an impression ofpetence. Moreover, Ling Chen felt from the man¡¯s presence that he was someone who often worked in an office.


    Military!


    With keen intuition, Ling Chen immediately deduced the man¡¯s background.


    A military man was seeking him out; it was likely no simple matter. With this in mind, Ling Chen took the initiative to ask, "Isn¡¯t it time you told me your identity?"


    The middle-aged man smiled, saying, "Mr. Ling, you¡¯re a very capable person; even if I don¡¯t say, I believe you¡¯ve already guessed where Ie from. What I can tell you is my identity isn¡¯t false. As for my name... I¡¯m very sorry, due to safety and secrecy concerns, I can¡¯t disclose my name for now. However, you can call me Mr. Zhang."


    "Mr. Zhang?" Ling Chen smirked, "Since when did people from the military be so cautious, keeping even their names secret? Whatever, since you won¡¯t say, I won¡¯t bother asking further. Just speak directly, what matter do you want me for?"


    "As I mentioned on the phone earlier, my purpose in finding you is regarding the Ling Family. Frankly speaking, we¡¯ve reviewed the information you¡¯ve submitted. Honestly, I¡¯m shocked; such arge family as the Ling Family, controlling substantial funds, secretly funding the God Organization and assisting in malevolence, harming so many people, truly incites anger."


    "Since you also believe that the Ling Family deserves punishment, why doesn¡¯t the government take immediate action to wipe them out and eradicate this tumor?"


    "Mr. Ling, if possible, of course, we¡¯d want to eliminate this tumor. But the problem is, from our perspective, things aren¡¯t that straightforward. You¡¯ve only thought about eradicating the Ling Family, but we have to consider the aftermath. If the Ling Family falls, what consequences will arise? That¡¯s the most critical issue." Saying this, Mr. Zhang took a document from his briefcase and handed it to Ling Chen, "Mr. Ling, this document is a top-secret file; in the entire Huaxia, fewer than ten people are qualified to see it. The contents of this document are the results of extensive manpower and resource expenditure in recent times, and the data within is all true and valid."


    Upon hearing this, Ling Chen couldn¡¯t help but open the document in hand and examine it carefully.


    Spending around ten minutes, Ling Chen reviewed the document contents thoroughly, his eyes suddenly showing a trace of shock.


    This document contained detailed information on all of the Ling Family¡¯s assets. At this moment, Ling Chen had to acknowledge that after reading this document, the only feeling he had was astonishment. All along, he thought he knew the Ling Family well enough. However, through this document, he realized he had only touched the tip of the iceberg regarding the Ling Family.


    Over the years, the Ling Family had amassed arge amount of funding through the God Organization, and all these funds were invested domestically. The Ling Family¡¯s assets had reached a truly terrifying scale.


    Seeing Ling Chen¡¯s shocked expression, Mr. Zhang spoke, "Now you should understand why we haven¡¯t taken action against the Ling Family. Destroying the Ling Family might be easy, but the subsequent impact is what¡¯s enormous. Truth be told, we still haven¡¯t found a suitable way to handle the aftermath because the scope is too wide. Moreover, the core members of the Ling Family protect themselves well, knowing the domestic dangers, they¡¯ve always hidden abroad, making it hard to locate them. Our current biggest concern is that if we take action against the Ling Family, they may retaliate against us. You¡¯ve seen the document; if Ling Family does retaliate against us, honestly speaking, we¡¯re not psychologically prepared to withstand it."


    "So?" Ling Chen asked, "You¡¯ve specially sought me out, presumably you already have a countermeasure."


    "This matter cannot be handled publicly by the government. Simply put, we can only act secretly, providing you with enough resources to help you deal with the Ling Family. We¡¯re aware of the research base situation; I imagine you¡¯re eager to rescue yourpanions now. As long as you agree to cooperate, I can offer assistance to help you rescue your friends."


    "You¡¯re aware of the research base situation?" Ling Chen appeared somewhat surprised.


    Mr. Zhang smiled slightly, "Ling Chen, you wouldn¡¯t naively think the government knows nothing, would you?"

 Chapter 935 - 940: Ren Qing (1)

    <h4>Chapter 935: Chapter 940: Ren Qing (1)</h4>


    Ling Chen squinted at Mr. Zhang and asked, "When did you start paying attention to me?"


    "Mr. Ling, you are an elite of the Ghosts, and although you have left the Ghosts, you have never really left, always fighting on the front lines to resist the invasion of the God Organization. Back then, whether it was Qiao Zhen or Pang Jiulin, they mentioned you in their submitted reports, indicating that you were the source of the intelligence. From that time on, we began to keep an eye on you, including the research base you established, as well as other matters, which we are fully aware of. However, we have always remained in an observational state, never revealing ourselves so as not to cause unnecessary misunderstandings."


    Mr. Zhang paused, then continued, "Do you remember Yang He?"


    Ling Chen nodded. How could he forget Yang He? That old guy coborated with the God Organization, secretly funding them. Last time, Ling Chen kidnapped him and obtained evidence of his collusion with the God Organization. Yet, the authorities did not pursue Yang He, and instead released him. Ling Chen was very angry about this.


    Mr. Zhang smiled and said, "Regarding Yang He¡¯s situation, I believe you have grievances about how we handled it. However, we released Yang He not out ofpromise. The true purpose of releasing Yang He was to not alert the snakes. Besides, we wanted to convey a message to the Ling Family, indicating that the government had not interfered in their matters nor suspected them. In fact, shortly after releasing Yang He, we started a secret investigation of the Ling Family. To gain in-depth understanding, we established a special team specifically responsible for Ling Family affairs. This special team is directly led from above, and fewer than ten people know they exist, not even the Lonely Wolf. It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t trust Lonely Wolf¡¯s people; it¡¯s just safer if fewer people know."


    "Now you¡¯re telling me all this, do you really trust me?" Ling Chen asked.


    "It¡¯s not about trusting or not trusting. To be honest, I know very little about you, nowhere near enough to say I trust you. But I¡¯ve read your files, and you are an elite cultivated by the country, serving the nation for many years. As a soldier, I believe you¡¯re someone willing to contribute to the country. Additionally, there¡¯s an important reason, which is that now you are a thorn in the God Organization¡¯s side. With deep animosity on both sides, even if I didn¡¯t appear, you¡¯d still fight them to the death. Given this, I might as well invest in you, hoping for a substantial return. Mr. Ling, as far as I¡¯m aware, your friends have all been captured by the God Organization. If you want to rescue them, you¡¯d better decide quickly. If you¡¯re willing to cooperate with us, I believe you won¡¯t be disappointed."


    After hearing Mr. Zhang¡¯s proposal, Ling Chen couldn¡¯t help but fall into deep thought. There¡¯s no denying he indeedcks manpower and resources at the moment. Although Xia Mutong has promised to help him find the whereabouts of Qiu Yong and others, the police have limited resources, and he doesn¡¯t hold much hope.


    After pondering, it seems that currently, besides cooperating with Mr. Zhang, there doesn¡¯t appear to be any other way forward.


    Qiu Yong and the others¡¯ fate is uncertain, and if dyed too long, who knows what could happen to them.


    Thinking of this, Ling Chen looked at Mr. Zhang and said, "Cooperation is possible, but I wantplete autonomy and won¡¯t bemanded by you. If you can¡¯t ept this condition, then there¡¯s no need for us to waste words."


    "Haha!" Mr. Zhangughed and said, "Mr. Ling, you are indeed straightforward. Rest assured, I will absolutely not interfere with your work. Whenever you need something, I will do my best to cooperate."


    <fn2d07> For more chapters visit Find[?]ovel</fn2d07>


    After speaking, Mr. Zhang instructed the driver, "Let¡¯s go!"


    "Where to?"


    Mr. Zhang smiled and said, "Your research base was destroyed, wasn¡¯t it? Now you¡¯re short of manpower and don¡¯t have a suitable ce, so I arranged everything for you in advance."


    Amid their conversation, the car drove for over twenty minutes and finally arrived at a residential area.


    Ling Chen followed him out of the car, looked around, and saw that the surroundings were full of single-story houses without any tall buildings. Judging by the area, it seemed to be an older residential district.


    With Mr. Zhang leading the way, Ling Chen passed through several alleys and arrived at a residential house.


    Walking through the front door, Ling Chen was taken aback by the surprise. He initially thought this ce was small, but unexpectedly the interiors of these houses connected together, forming a spacious workspace covering more than three hundred square meters.


    At the moment, dozens of staff members were busy at theirputers, and several rows of machinery and equipment were ced along the walls.


    It appeared that this workspace was established some time ago.


    "Mr. Ling, this is the temporarymand center, and starting today, you¡¯ll be fully in charge of this ce." Saying this, Mr. Zhang waved to a woman busy working, who promptly ran over with a folder.


    "Mr. Zhang," the woman greeted politely.


    Ling Chen examined the woman in front of him, in her twenties, with a delicate appearance, could be considered pretty. In simple professional attire, her smooth hair fell to her shoulders, and her bright eyes conveyed a capable aura.


    While Ling Chen was looking at her, the woman was also observing Ling Chen. However, she only shot a couple of nces before quickly retracting her gaze, quietly standing in front of Mr. Zhang, waiting for instructions.


    "Qing, let me introduce you." Mr. Zhang pointed at Ling Chen and said with a smile, "This gentleman is Ling Chen, whom I¡¯ve mentioned to you. From today onwards, the temporarymand center needs to fully cooperate with Mr. Ling¡¯s work; by no means should there be any ck. Do you understand?"


    "Rest assured, Mr. Zhang, we will certainly strive to do our jobs well."


    "Excellent." Mr. Zhang nodded with satisfaction, looking at Ling Chen and said, "Mr. Ling, this is Ren Qing, the chief manager of this temporarymand center. Despite her young age, she is, like you, selected from many elite candidates with very strong work capabilities. You¡¯re new here, and there are many things you may not understand, so I¡¯ve assigned Ren Qing to your side as your capable assistant. If you have anything unclear, feel free to ask her. I hope the two of you will cooperate well andplete the task swiftly."


    Ling Chen smiled slightly, stretched out his hand, and said, "Miss Ren, I¡¯ll be counting on you from now on."


    "Mr. Ling, you¡¯re too kind. We¡¯ll need to rely on you more in the future. Mr. Zhang says your abilities are very strong and can help us dismantle the God Organization¡¯s power; I hope you¡¯re truly as capable as he said."


    Hearing this, Ling Chen¡¯s lips slightly curled, and a glimmer shed in his eyes.


    From this girl¡¯s tone, one could discern a clear sense of antagonism.

 Chapter 936 - 941: Ren Qing (2)

    <h4>Chapter 936: Chapter 941: Ren Qing (2)</h4>


    Thinking about it, Ren Qing, the little chick, was originally in charge of this temporarymand center. Now suddenly Ling Chen has been parachuted in to take over the entire center, which essentially strips Ren Qing of her power. In such a situation, anyone would feel displeased.


    However, Ling Chen didn¡¯t really mind. The more this was the case, the more it showed that this chick was indeed, as Mr. Zhang said, a capable woman.


    "Alright!" Mr. Zhang said with a smile: "You two are now acquainted, and I¡¯ll leave the rest to you. Mr. Ling, if you need anything, just ask Qing. If she can¡¯t do it, then contact me so I can figure something out."


    "I will."


    "I have to catch a flight back to Beijing soon, so you two get to know each other. I won¡¯t be apanying you."


    "Mr. Zhang, I¡¯ll see you out."


    Seeing Ren Qing follow Mr. Zhang out the door, Ling Chen wisely didn¡¯t follow them but instead started wandering around themand center.


    Because thismand center had special permissions, all government resources could be used freely, which certainly made things convenient.


    After looking around, Ling Chen stopped behind a staff member, his eyes fixed on the person¡¯sputer screen.


    At this moment, the screen was disying a segment of surveince footage. Ling Chen was not unfamiliar with the ce shown on the screen; it was the road near the research base.


    The staff member was gripping the mouse, checking the surveince footage frame by frame.


    "This is the road section around the base. We¡¯ve investigated it, and several surveince cameras near the base were deliberately destroyed, leaving only the street cameras that are operational. I believe those people, after driving out of the base, must have passed by the surrounding roads. I¡¯ve asked the traffic police to retrieve all surveince footage within a five-kilometer radius, so we should be able to find their whereabouts."


    <fn028c> ?? ??? ???? ?? ???? ???? ???????s, ????s? ??s?? find?novel</fn028c>


    Hearing a voice from behind, Ling Chen turned to look at Ren Qing and smiled slightly: "Miss Ren¡¯s efficiency is quite impressive."


    Ignoring Ling Chen¡¯spliment, Ren Qing said to herself: "ording to our intelligence, after the God Organization invaded the base, they didn¡¯t immediately withdraw from East Sea City. So, I am certain they are still in East Sea City, but I don¡¯t know where they are hiding. East Sea City has a total of five districts, each equivalent in size to a second-tier city, so searching can be time-consuming. Mr. Ling, why don¡¯t you go back first, and we¡¯ll notify you once we¡¯ve made progress here."


    Hearing this, Ling Chen chuckled inwardly. This chick was really something, already starting to edge him out. How could he not understand Ren Qing¡¯s intentions? This chick clearly wanted him out of the way, so he wouldn¡¯t be a hindrance.


    "Miss Ren, you should still remember Mr. Zhang¡¯s words. Please remember, it is you who are here to cooperate with my work, not me cooperating with yours. So, the one giving orders here should be me. You don¡¯t have the authority to givemands, you can only provide suggestions. As for whether to take your suggestions, that¡¯s my business and you have no right to interfere."


    Pausing, Ling Chen ignored Ren Qing¡¯s death re and continued: "There¡¯s no need to check these surveince footages. Since the God Organization dared to openly attack the base, they must have been fully prepared and wouldn¡¯t leave any clues for you. Instead of wasting time on this, it would be better to try other methods."


    Ren Qing said unhappily: "Well, if you think it¡¯s useless, then suggest something useful."


    "This..." Ling Chen touched his nose, not knowing what to do.


    Seeing Ling Chen speechless, Ren Qing said coldly: "If you can¡¯t propose any constructive suggestions, then just shut up and don¡¯t hinder us professionals from doing our work."


    Faced with Ren Qing¡¯s sarcasm, Ling Chen chuckled: "Professionals? From what you¡¯re saying, am I an amateur?"


    "You know it yourself," Ren Qing said coolly: "Mr. Ling, let me be frank. I¡¯ve been in charge of this temporarymand center from the start, and I don¡¯t understand why Mr. Zhang assigned you here and asked me to cooperate with you. At least for now, I can¡¯t see what role you have to y. My goal is clear, to find out where the God Organization is hiding in East Sea City and eliminate thempletely. If you can¡¯t do that or can¡¯t offer help, then just quietly watch from the sidelines. Don¡¯t speak out of turn, don¡¯t interfere with our work. Once I finish the task, I¡¯ll say a few good things for you in front of Mr. Zhang, giving you some credit."


    Ren Qing¡¯s words left Ling Chen quite speechless. This womanpletely wanted to treat him as a figurehead. He had expected that this woman wouldn¡¯t obediently listen, but he hadn¡¯t expected her to be so unyielding, leaving no room for face.


    Too arrogant!


    Ling Chen thought secretly. What kind of force is the God Organization? When he was with the Ghosts, he had dealt with the God Organization for a few years. Whether it¡¯s the Ghosts or the Lonely Wolf now, which isn¡¯t a gathering of elites? These two organizations spent decades and still couldn¡¯t bring down the God Organization. This chick thinks she can single-handedly destroy the God Organization; she¡¯s really overestimating herself.


    Ling Chen wasn¡¯t looking down on this woman¡¯s abilities, it¡¯s just that she overestimated herself and underestimated him. He came with the intent to cooperate, but was met with this kind of treatment, which surely didn¡¯t sit well with him.


    "Miss Ren, since you don¡¯t want me involved in your work, then I¡¯m not bothered to ask. How about this, arrange an office for me, and we¡¯ll each do our own thing. I promise not to interfere with your work. But likewise, I also don¡¯t want to be disturbed by you. Is there a problem?"


    "That¡¯s for the best." With that, Ren Qing immediately called in a subordinate and had him arrange an office for Ling Chen.


    Watching Ling Chen¡¯s retreating back, Ren Qing drew back her gaze disdainfully, and continued discussing the next arrangements with the staff.


    With the office prepared, Ling Chen sat alone in the office chair, casually opened theputer, and browsed the news online. After a while, he pulled out his phone and made a call to Hu Fei.


    "Fatty, can you still move? I need your help here... Okay, I¡¯ll have medical facilities prepared for you, juste over here directly."


    After hanging up, Ling Chen called a few people in from outside to help move some medical equipment in.


    As for what Ling Chen intended to do, Ren Qing observed from the sidelines, saying nothing extra. In her view, as long as Ling Chen didn¡¯t interfere with her work, she didn¡¯t care about what he did.


    Two hours passed, and a bed was set up in Ling Chen¡¯s office, along with an IV stand and other medical equipment.


    "OK! All done."


    Ling Chen smiled slightly and walked straight out of the temporarymand center. After a short while, Ling Chen returned. However, this time he wasn¡¯t alone; Hu Fei was with him. Having just been discharged from the hospital, Hu Fei was still wearing patient attire, holding an IV stand high, and slowly walking with Ling Chen¡¯s help.

 Chapter 937 - 942: Ren Qing (3)

    <h4>Chapter 937: Chapter 942: Ren Qing (3)</h4>


    Seeing the two of them approaching, Ren Qing¡¯s face changed involuntarily. She quickly walked over and said coldly, "Ling Chen, what are you doing? Don¡¯t you know you¡¯re not allowed to bring outsiders in here?"


    Ling Chen replied indifferently, "I know, but Miss Ren, I¡¯m the one in charge here now. I can bring whoever I want. If you have any objections, feel free toin to Mr. Zhang." With that, Ling Chen couldn¡¯t be bothered to engage further, and he directly supported Hu Fei into the office.


    Watching the office door close, Ren Qing felt a surge of anger. She gritted her teeth, pulled out her phone from her pocket, and dialed Mr. Zhang¡¯s number.


    However, after saying just a few words, Ren Qing threw the phone on the ground in frustration and stomped on it a couple of times to vent her dissatisfaction.


    Inside the office, Ling Chen was oblivious to what had happened outside. He helped Hu Fei sit on the bedfortably and then moved theputer onto the bed for Hu Fei to work.


    "Buddy, I can¡¯t find anyone else to help right now, so I¡¯ll have to trouble you for a bit."


    "No big deal, it¡¯s fine. Just make sure there¡¯s good food and amodation," Hu Fei said as he opened theputer and asked, "Hey! What¡¯s with that woman outside? She seemed quite unhappy with you."


    "You mean that chick? Ignore her, she¡¯s just a self-righteous woman. I wanted to work with her, but she looked down on me, refused to cooperate. There¡¯s nothing I can do; I don¡¯t know much aboutputers, so I had to bring you in."


    "You too. If she doesn¡¯t want to work with you, why stay here?"


    Ling Chen shrugged and said, "Do you think I want to? I have no choice. The base was destroyed, people were captured, we have almost no manpower or resources. Staying here at least gives us enough resources to use."


    At this point, Ling Chen¡¯s tone became serious, "Buddy, no joking now, let¡¯s be serious. Duringst night¡¯s explosion, only you and Yang Chen were there. You must know more about the situation than others. I¡¯ve made a secret agreement with the government; they¡¯ll provide us with all the resources we need to find Boss Tang¡¯s whereabouts. But right now, it¡¯s just the two of us, so you gather intelligence and clues while I handle the actions. The sooner we find them, the sooner we can be at ease."


    "Alright! Just wait, I¡¯ll start working right away." With that, Hu Fei focused intently on theputer screen, diving into his work.


    As Ling Chen walked out of the office, nning to make some tea, he saw Ren Qing approaching, blocking his path.


    "Ling Chen."


    "Miss Ren, you need something from me?"


    "The person you brought just now, is his name Hu Fei?" Ren Qing questioned, "I checked the records, and Hu Fei was at the scene during the explosion at the basest night. He waster discovered by the local police and sent to the hospital for rescue. As an eyewitness, I need to talk to him to understand the situation at that time."


    "Miss Ren, I¡¯ve asked him everything I needed. He was knocked unconscious by the st and doesn¡¯t know what happened on the scene, so you¡¯ll get nothing from him. There¡¯s no need to waste your time on him."


    Upon hearing this, Ren Qing frowned and said, "You couldn¡¯t get anything because you¡¯re incapable. Ling Chen, this is a serious matter, and you better cooperate with my work."


    "Cooperate?" Ling Chen looked at Ren Qing with a half-smile, "Miss Ren, who¡¯s cooperating with whom here? I sincerely wanted to work with you, but you keep pushing me out. So why should I cooperate with you?" With that, Ling Chen disinterestedly moved towards the break room.


    "Ling Chen!" Ren Qing said angrily, "If you refuse to cooperate with my work, don¡¯t me me for being impolite. Guards!"


    As soon as she finished speaking, several men in suits responsible formand center security rushed over immediately.


    "Miss Ren, what do you need?"


    "Take the person inside the office out, I want to interrogate him thoroughly."


    "Yes."


    The men in suits responded and prepared to enter. Seeing their move, Ling Chen coldly shouted, "Stop right there!"


    As he spoke, Ling Chen dashed forward and stood in front of the office door, coldly eying the men in suits. From their demeanor and bearing, it was clear they were not ordinary security personnel, but rather troops trained in special operations.


    <fn3907> Checktest chapters at F?nd-Novel</fn3907>


    "Sir, please cooperate with our work," one of the suits spoke.


    Ling Chen pretended not to hear, keeping his hands in his pockets, and said, "This office is my territory. Without my permission, no one is allowed in." While saying this, Ling Chen fixed his gaze on Ren Qing, with a hint of coldness.


    "Your territory?" Ren Qing sneered and said, "Fine, then I¡¯ll show you whose territory this really is. Take him down!"


    Upon Ren Qing¡¯s order, without hesitation, one of the suits moved with a capture technique straight for Ling Chen¡¯s shoulder, intending to m him to the ground. But before his hand even touched Ling Chen, he felt a force fiercely approaching.


    In an instant, he felt light, his feet left the ground, and he flew back,nding on a desk behind him.


    Bang!


    With a loud crash, the solid wood desk shattered into pieces, and theputer and documents on it scattered everywhere.


    Seeing Ling Chen easily take down one of their colleagues, the others immediately stopped, each looking at Ling Chen with grave expressions.


    "That was just a warning. Anyone else who dares to make a move on me won¡¯t be treated kindly."


    "Get him!" Ren Qing said coldly, "There are so many of you; are you really afraid of just one person?"


    Being soldiers, execution of orders is paramount. As soon as Ren Qing finished speaking, the men in suits charged all together at Ling Chen.


    Bam! Bam! Bam!


    Before the suits could reach him, everyone saw shadows flitting before them. Immediately after, a series of loud crashes echoed. When they focused, they saw the men in suits all flew back, crashing heavily onto office desks.


    Having dealt with the minor hassle, Ling Chen swept his gaze over the surprised crowd, and said casually, "Anyone else want to give it a shot?"


    After he spoke, seeing no response from the crowd, Ling Chen smiled slightly and said to Ren Qing, "Miss Ren, you¡¯re so capable, why don¡¯t you give it a go? See if I have the authority to decide on your territory."


    "You..." Ren Qing¡¯s face flushed with anger.


    "Shut up!" Before Ren Qing could finish, Ling Chen¡¯s yful smile disappeared, and he said coldly, "I warn you, this office is my territory, and I¡¯m the only one in charge here. If you¡¯re looking for trouble, try stepping inside."

 Chapter 938 - 943: Ren Qing (4)

    <h4>Chapter 938: Chapter 943: Ren Qing (4)</h4>


    Throwing out a harsh remark, Ling Chen turned and walked into the office.


    <fn2795> Content originallyes from find?novel</fn2795>


    Staring at the closed door, everyone present was left dumbfounded, their eyes simultaneously focused on Ren Qing. At this moment, Ren Qing¡¯s face was extremely unsightly, her hand holding the folder trembled slightly, her thin lips biting lightly, and fury erupted from her bright eyes, everyone could almost feel the anger inside her.


    However, seeing the security personnel lying on the ground, faces full of pain, everyone grew more apprehensive of Ling Chen.


    These weren¡¯t ordinary security personnel; they were all ex-military special forces, capable of handling ten men alone without issue. Yet, several of them couldn¡¯t handle even one Ling Chen, which showed how formidable thetter was.


    Compared to everyone¡¯s shock, Ren Qing was the most frustrated. She originally thought with these security personnel backing her, she could teach Ling Chen a harsh lesson and make him behave. Who knew they¡¯d end up being taught a lesson instead.


    As the person in charge of this temporarymand center, being scolded by Ling Chen in publicpletely stripped her of her dignity. Furthermore, the most critical point was, after witnessing Ling Chen¡¯s capabilities, she really didn¡¯t have the courage to barge into that office now.


    Thinking of this, Ren Qing felt very aggrieved, especially with all the gazes around her, making her feel extremely ufortable.


    Taking a deep breath, Ren Qing wore a stern face and coldly scolded: "What are you all looking at, don¡¯t you have work to do?"


    Hearing the boss¡¯s words, no one dared to remain idle and quickly lowered their heads to work on their tasks.


    Inside the office, Ling Chen sat on the office chair, legs crossed, casually chatting with Hu Fei.


    "You¡¯re really something." Hu Fei grinned and said, "In front of so many people, you didn¡¯t leave her any face. I bet she hates you to death now."


    Ling Chen curled his lips, unconcerned, and said, "So what. Face is earned by oneself. If she doesn¡¯t cherish her dignity, why should I care that much? Hmph! This kind of woman, if you don¡¯t teach her a lesson, she¡¯ll really think she¡¯s so impressive."


    Saying this, Ling Chen shifted the subject and asked, "So, did you find any clues?"


    "Your decision this time was right." Hu Fei began, "As expected of a special department organized by the government, with many channels and resources. As long as it¡¯s a government-affiliated department, I can freely use their resources." After a brief pause, Hu Fei continued, "Before the explosionst night, the God Organization prepared several Mercedes business cars to move everyone from the base. I noted one of the license tes, but when I checked the vehicle management system just now, it turns out that car was using a fake te, so it can¡¯t be tracked."


    "What to do then? ording to you, isn¡¯t it like there¡¯s no clue at all."


    "Don¡¯t worry." Hu Fei chuckled with pride and said, "Those outside definitely can¡¯t find it, but I have other ways. Didn¡¯t you just tell me they pulled surveince footage within a five-kilometer radius of the base to find the traces of the God Organization? You are right; there¡¯s no way to find anything that way. The God Organization members aren¡¯t brainless; why would they leave such a clue for you to track."


    "However, their thinking isn¡¯t wrong; it¡¯s just the method is wed." Saying this, Hu Fei beckoned Ling Chen over to theputer and pointed to the surveince footage on the screen, "More than forty people were capturedst night; God Organization couldn¡¯t possibly use small cars for transport. I¡¯ve carefully estimated that the God Organization deployed forty to fifty peoplest night, plus our people, which was nearly a hundred people. With so many people, even ten business cars wouldn¡¯t suffice. So they must have used buses or trucks to transport these people."


    "If I were the leader of the God Organization, afterst night¡¯s action, I¡¯d drive the cars to a secluded ce first, then switch torger capacity vehicles. This way, it¡¯s convenient for transferring and avoiding being tracked. I checked the buildings near the base; there are about six ces where cars could be hidden. You might want to send someone to take a look; maybe something will be gained."


    "Alright." Ling Chen nodded. After figuring out the locations, he picked up the phone, called Nanrong Hao, and asked him to send a few guys over to check.


    "By the way! Fatty, I never asked you about Jiang Hao¡¯s side. What happened there?"


    Mentioning Jiang Hao, Hu Fei regrettably said, "What else can happen? That guy is too straightforward, and as a result, he fell into Zhao Zhengxiong¡¯s trap and got caught red-handed by the police, ended up directly locked up. I asked awyer before, for the crime Jiang Haomitted, he¡¯s looking at at least three to four years. Previously, Boss Tang took quite a bit of money from me to help make arrangements for Jiang Hao, but before anything could be done, ourir got taken out."


    After hearing Hu Fei¡¯s ount, Ling Chen realized what happened. A while ago, when Jiang Hao shed with Zhao Zhengxiong, thetter used underhanded tactics and nted a package of drugs in Jiang Hao¡¯s house, then lured the police there for a search.


    Possession of drugs is a serious crime, and the drugs found from Jiang Hao¡¯s house were enough to get him sentenced to several years. Currently, Jiang Hao is detained at the police station, awaiting trial. If it were in the past, they could have someone take the fall, but now it¡¯s not possible. The drugs were found in Jiang Hao¡¯s home, with no one else involved; you can¡¯t even take the fall for it.


    "Zhao Zhengxiong that bastard is really insidious." Hu Fei cursed angrily, "We treated him like a brother back then, and now he treats us like this, even secretly colluding with the God Organization. Hmph! Don¡¯t let me see him, otherwise, I¡¯d surely beat him up."


    "Alright!" Ling Chen said, "What¡¯s happened has happened; what¡¯s the use of saying this. Don¡¯t worry about Jiang Hao for now; I¡¯ll go to the police station to see him then, and try to get him out."


    While speaking, Ling Chen¡¯s phone suddenly rang.


    Seeing it was a call from Nanrong Hao, Ling Chen quickly answered, asking, "Haozi, how is it, did you find anything?"


    "Chen, you wouldn¡¯t believe it, but my guys found a few Mercedes business cars under an abandoned bridge."


    "Good, have them stay there, I¡¯ming over right now." After hanging up the phone, Ling Chen looked at Hu Fei and said, "You guessed right, they switched vehicles. I¡¯m heading there to check it out, keep in touch."


    Exiting the office, Ling Chen nced at Ren Qing, whose face was expressionless, toozy to pay her any attention, and walked straight out.


    Since he came in Mr. Zhang¡¯s car, Ling Chen didn¡¯t have a vehicle, so he had to hail a taxi by the roadside and headed straight toward the bridge.


    However, not far into the drive, the observant Ling Chen noticed two cars following him at different distances.


    Hmph!


    It was obvious, even with a casual guess, that Ren Qing had sent people to tail him.

 Chapter 939 - 944: The Old Man’s Wish

    <h4>Chapter 939: Chapter 944: The Old Man¡¯s Wish</h4>


    This woman really doesn¡¯t know what¡¯s good for her. I have no desire to provoke her, yet she constantly opposes me.


    At that moment, Ling Chen instructed the taxi driver to stop by the roadside.


    After getting out of the car, Ling Chen quickened his pace and merged into the crowd in the blink of an eye, disappearing without a trace. By the time the people behind caught up, Ling Chen was long gone.


    "Miss Ren, I¡¯m sorry, he got away."


    Hearing the helpless tone on the phone, Ren Qing, sitting in the temporarymand post, almost smashed her phone on the ground in frustration.


    "Miss Ren." At this time, someone beside Ren Qing nudged her arm, pointed to the office opposite, and said, "That Ling isn¡¯t here now, why don¡¯t we..." The sentence was unfinished, but the intention was clear.


    The suggestion was tempting to Ren Qing. In her opinion, Hu Fei, being an eyewitness, surely knew some information unknown to them. Ling Chen sneaking away might mean he had already grasped crucial clues.


    No way!


    Under no circumstances could Ling Chen get a step ahead. If Ling Chen¡¯s rash actions startled the target and ruined everything, their work would only be more difficult.


    While pondering, a staff member walked over to Ren Qing, handed a document to her, and said, "Miss Ren, here are the documents you requested."


    Ren Qing eagerly flipped through a few pages and frowned involuntarily. She asked, "Is this it?"


    The staff member nodded, "I checked Ling Chen¡¯s records in the Ministry of Public Security¡¯s archives, and this is all there is. Some files are ssified, and I do not have authorization to view them."


    ssified files?


    These four words piqued a hint of interest in Ren Qing¡¯s eyes.


    "Keep investigating. Also, help me verify the content of these documents. Hmph! No matter his background, I must uncover his identity."


    "Miss Ren, since he was introduced by Mr. Zhang, why not directly ask Mr. Zhang?"


    "I¡¯ve already asked, but he refuses to say anything. Okay, enough questions, go and take care of your errands."


    At this moment, inside an abandoned bridge tunnel, Ling Chen met a few henchmen sent by Nanrong Hao. Just as Nanrong Hao said, there were several Mercedes-Benz vans parked in the tunnel, and the keys were still in the cars. Moreover, one of these Mercedes-Benz vans was the one Hu Fei sawst night.


    After getting into the car, Ling Chen carefully examined it. Some ropes and pieces of torn cloth were scattered inside the vehicle, likely used to restrain captives.


    After checking several cars, Ling Chen didn¡¯t find any valuable clues. Jumping out of the vehicle, Ling Chen¡¯s attention was immediately drawn to a tire mark remaining on the ground.


    Finally found something useful.


    With a quick thought, Ling Chen pulled out his phone and took a photo of the tire mark, then sent it to Hu Fei at themand post.


    To avoid missing other clues, Ling Chen rechecked once more. Only after confirming nothing was missed did he set off to return to Wealthy Manor.


    Although a clue was found, it wouldn¡¯t yield immediate results. After all, Ling Chen couldn¡¯t help much by staying with Hu Fei. Instead of wasting time there, it was better to go back. He worked hard to find his family and couldn¡¯t ignore them. Furthermore, Yang Qingling was a wise woman, and he didn¡¯t want her to worry.


    He returned to the Nanrong Family just in time for dinner.


    To wee Yang Qingling¡¯s family, Nanrong Wanqing specifically prepared avish supper, inviting both Nanrong Yong and Nanrong Hao.


    During the meal, Nanrong Yong raised his ss with a smile and said to Ling Chen, "Ling Chen, congrattions on reuniting with your family."


    Ling Chen quickly replied, "Thank you, sir!"


    <fn4d61> Newest update provided by findnovel</fn4d61>


    After a drink, Nanrong Yong said with some emotion, "Life is always about the struggle for career and living. Actually, only when you¡¯re old do you realize money and status are all just passing clouds, and family is the real thing. I¡¯ve created many glories in my lifetime, single-handedly turning the Hongyu Group into the leading business giant in East Sea City. But for the sake of my career, I¡¯ve sacrificed so much, and what pains me the most is my family. Every time I think of this, I feel like I¡¯ve let Wanqing and Nanrong Hao down for not being able to give them aplete family and forcing them to bear the family¡¯s pressure at such a young age."


    At this point, Nanrong Yong¡¯s voice choked with emotion, and tears streamed down.


    "Grandpa!" Nanrong Wanqing gently stroked Nanrong Yong¡¯s back and softly said, "My brother and I never med you, and besides, what happened with Mom and Dad wasn¡¯t your fault. You don¡¯t need to feel too guilty. Actually, just having you with us is enough for us."


    Nanrong Yong sighed and said wistfully, "I¡¯m already so old, living a day as ites. If there¡¯s one unfulfilled wish left in my life, it¡¯s about your parents. I have no other desires, just hoping for a family reunion at a meal."


    "Grandpa, rest assured, I will definitely make sure your wishes true," Nanrong Wanqing said resolutely.


    Saying this, Nanrong Wanqing nudged Nanrong Hao beside him, hoping he could help persuade Nanrong Yong. But thetter sat there dazed, head down, eyes empty, lost in thought.


    Seeing Nanrong Hao¡¯s expression, Ling Chen understood what was on his mind. Nanrong Yuan was dead, something Nanrong Hao was aware of. So, he knew that Nanrong Yong¡¯s wish could never be fulfilled.


    The originally joyful dinner ended with everyone feeling ufortable because of Nanrong Yong¡¯s words.


    After dinner, Nanrong Hao quickly excused himself and left. As he was leaving, Ling Chen noticed Nanrong Hao¡¯s gloomy expression and, after informing Nanrong Wanqing, quickly caught up with Nanrong Hao¡¯s steps.


    Outside the vi, Ling Chen called out to Nanrong Hao and put his hand on his shoulder, "What¡¯s wrong? You seem to be in a bad mood, is it because of what your Grandpa said?"


    Nanrong Hao nced at the vi¡¯s entrance to ensure no one followed, then whispered, "Chen, my dad¡¯s matter... you know it too, I... I don¡¯t know how to bring it up. I¡¯m afraid my grandpa will be devastated if he learns the truth."


    Ling Chen patted Nanrong Hao¡¯s shoulder and said, "Alright, don¡¯t think too much. When the boat arrives at the bridge, it will straighten itself out. I¡¯m also saddened by your dad¡¯s situation. But, since it has already happened, nothing can change it."


    Ling Chen paused and looked at Nanrong Hao apologetically, "Actually, I¡¯ve always owed you siblings an ¡¯I¡¯m sorry¡¯. I¡¯m partly responsible for your dad¡¯s murder. If it weren¡¯t for my insistence on bringing him to East Sea City, none of this would have happened."


    "Chen, do you know who killed my dad?"


    "This..." Ling Chen hesitated, unsure whether to reveal the truth to Nanrong Hao.


    Seeing Ling Chen hesitate, Nanrong Hao urged, "Chen, as a son, not being able to fulfill filial duties is already wrong. Now that my dad is gone, aren¡¯t you even going to give me a chance for revenge?"

 Chapter 940 - 945: Releasing Jiang Hao

    <h4>Chapter 940: Chapter 945: Releasing Jiang Hao</h4>


    "I¡¯m not refusing you, it¡¯s just... Haozi, I understand how you feel. There¡¯s nothing wrong with revenge, but I don¡¯t want hatred to blind you."


    "Chen, don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m not a kid anymore. I know what can and can¡¯t be done. Please, just tell me."


    Facing Nanrong Hao¡¯s persistent pleading, Ling Chen sighed helplessly and said, "Actually, you know the person who killed your father."


    "Who?"


    "Zhu Hong!"


    "Him?" Nanrong Hao was taken aback and quickly asked, "Chen, are you sure it¡¯s him?"


    Ling Chen nodded and said, "Absolutely sure, I have no reason to lie to you. Haozi, Zhu Hong is not the same as before. He¡¯spletely changed and will stop at nothing to achieve his goals. If you go seeking revenge now, you¡¯ll only put yourself in danger. So, stay away from this for now. I¡¯ll help you get your revenge when the time is right."


    Nanrong Hao pondered for a moment and replied, "Chen, you know I¡¯ve always trusted you and listened to you. Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t do anything reckless."


    "That¡¯s for the best." Ling Chen paused before continuing, "About your father¡¯s matter, don¡¯t tell your sister for now. You know her temperament. If she finds out about this, who knows what uncontroble actions she might take."


    "Don¡¯t worry, Chen, I won¡¯t tell Sister."


    "By the way," Ling Chen said, "I¡¯ve arranged for someone to properly care for your father¡¯s remains. After we settle things here, I¡¯ll take you to bury your father."


    <fn9e30> Th?s chapter is updated by </fn9e30>


    "Thank you!"


    Ling Chen patted Nanrong Hao on the shoulder with a slight smile, "No need for thanks between us, as long as you¡¯re not upset with me. Alright, go rest for a bit, thene with me to the police station."


    "To see Hao?"


    Ling Chen nodded, "We¡¯ll bring him back as well."


    "Bring him back?" Nanrong Hao was puzzled, "Hao was framed by Zhao Zhengxiong. He should be serving years. Chen, did you pull some strings?" With that, Nanrong Hao¡¯s eyes lit up, "Was it Officer Xia? No, Officer Xia is always fair and never biased. How did you persuade him? Could it be..."


    Nanrong Hao looked at Ling Chen with a meaningful expression.


    Ling Chen quickly exined, "Don¡¯t overthink it. It¡¯s not what you¡¯re imagining. I did get help, but not from Officer Xia. Also, there¡¯s nothing between me and Officer Xia so don¡¯t get any wrong ideas. If your sister hears such rumors, I¡¯ll be in trouble."


    "Chen, rest assured, I¡¯ll keep your secret."


    "That¡¯s more like it..." Ling Chen immediately realized something was off and said in a mock annoyed tone, "I think you deserve a beating."


    Nanrong Haoughed heartily and quickly ran towards his vi.


    Watching Nanrong Hao¡¯s retreating figure, Ling Chen smiled slightly and turned back into the vi.


    At night, Ling Chen and Nanrong Hao headed straight for the police station.


    In the visitor¡¯s room, they hadn¡¯t waited long before Xia Mutong pushed the door open and entered.


    "Officer Xia." Ling Chen waved with a smile as a greeting.


    Xia Mutong¡¯s demeanor was somewhat cold. She snorted lightly, sat down, and looked at Ling Chen, "Alright, tell me, who did you get to back you up this time?"


    Ling Chen awkwardly scratched his nose, "Officer Xia, you know Jiang Hao was framed. Those drugs had nothing to do with him."


    "It¡¯s not up to you to decide." Xia Mutong snapped, "I¡¯m a cop, I rely on evidence, not personal ties. Even if he was framed, you need to provide evidence. If everyone were like you, what use would there be for the police in society?"


    "Officer Xia, I understand you¡¯re upset, but this is a special case. I had no choice. As you¡¯ve seen, I¡¯m in quite a bit of trouble right now, and I have no one to rely on. So, please help me out and make an exception. Let Jiang Hao out to help me first. Once I¡¯m done, I¡¯ll find evidence to prove his innocence, how about it?"


    Xia Mutong replied irritably, "What¡¯s the point of saying that now? Orders from above have alreadye down, telling me to release Jiang Hao immediately. With your strong backing, why do you even need my help?" Having said that, she stood up and left the visitor¡¯s room without a further word.


    Ling Chen could only smile wryly. He knew Xia Mutong¡¯s character and that she wouldn¡¯t be pleased when he used his connections to get Jiang Hao released.


    However, he didn¡¯t have the luxury to worry about it now. With Jiang Hao by his side, things would be much easier.


    Momentster, two officers brought Jiang Hao into the visitor¡¯s room. Seeing Jiang Hao¡¯s rosy face, Nanrong Hao couldn¡¯t help butugh.


    "Hao, I thought you¡¯d been suffering in there. Who would¡¯ve thought you¡¯d gain weight? Seems like the food in there wasn¡¯t bad."


    "All thanks to Officer Xia looking after me. Hey Chen, make sure you thank Officer Xia properly for meter."


    Ling Chen shrugged. If he went to see Xia Mutong now, she¡¯d refuse to meet him.


    "Alright, let¡¯s go. We don¡¯t have time to waste here."


    After leaving the police station, the three of them got into Nanrong Hao¡¯s Audi.


    As the car started, Jiang Hao looked at Ling Chen and asked, "Chen, was it Officer Xia who got me out?"


    Ling Chen impatiently waved his hand, "You¡¯ve all asked this question a few times already. Can you stop asking? I don¡¯t know why you have so much chatter."


    This time, getting Jiang Hao out was mainly thanks to Mr. Zhang. Ling Chen called him to exin Jiang Hao¡¯s situation and indirectly hinted at how helpful Jiang Hao was to him. Because of this, Mr. Zhang made an exception and got Jiang Hao released.


    "Chen, Hu called." Nanrong Hao handed the phone to Ling Chen.


    "Hey! Fatty, did you find anything?"


    "I analyzed that tire tread you gave me thoroughly. After repeatedparisons, it should belong to arge Luyang-brand truck. Those kinds of trucks have huge trailers, easily fitting forty to fifty people," Hu Fei continued, "I just checked the surveince near the bridge tunnel. There were two trucks of the same model appearing at dawn yesterday. I traced both trucks and ruled out one, leaving the other as suspicious."


    "Alright, send me the address. I¡¯ll go take a look."


    "Okay, I¡¯ll text it to youter. Hey! Just a word of caution, be careful."


    "Don¡¯t worry, I know what to do."


    Hanging up, Ling Chen looked at the address on his phone and said, "Haozi, head to North City District."

 Chapter 941 - 946: Turning Against Each Other (Part 1)

    <h4>Chapter 941: Chapter 946: Turning Against Each Other (Part 1)</h4>


    After spending more than twenty minutes on the road, Nanrong Hao finally arrived at the North City District driving an Audi. Following the location provided by Hu Fei, Ling Chen quickly found the spot where the truck was parked.


    Sitting in the car, Ling Chen looked through the window at the garbage station not far away, frowning slightly. The location indicated that the truck was in this garbage station. However, Ling Chen had some doubts about this address. Given the God Organization¡¯s abundant resources, why would they choose a garbage station as a base? It didn¡¯t fit the God Organization¡¯s image at all.


    After some quick thinking, Ling Chen gave a few instructions to Nanrong Hao and Jiang Hao. Then, he got out of the car alone, his sharp gaze scanning the surroundings to prevent any suspicious characters from appearing.


    Soon, Ling Chen arrived at the front gate of the garbage station. He nced inside through the closed iron gate. Apart from the piled-up trash, no one else was in sight. Thinking it over, for safety¡¯s sake, Ling Chen gave up the idea of entering through the front gate and moved to the side wall of the garbage station.


    <fn37b2> Official source is find{n}ovel</fn37b2>


    With a light tip of the toe, Ling Chen jumped up, and his hands immediately grabbed the top of the wall. Then, with a slight exertion of his arms, he supported his whole body over the top of the wall.


    Once his feet touched the ground, Ling Chen crouched down and quickly hid behind a discarded box, then surveyed the surroundings. But the entire garbage station was silent, not a sound to be heard, except for a dim hangingmp outside the station¡¯s room.


    Due to limited lighting, the illumination covered only about ten meters around, while nearby piles of garbage were shrouded in darkness, nothing visible.


    Crouching down on the ground, Ling Chen listened carefully to the surroundings. Hearing nothing suspicious, he then walked toward the small house in the center of the garbage station.


    Once at the small house, Ling Chen pressed against the wall, moving slowly along it until he reached the window. The window was closed, but there were no curtains inside; all he could see through the ss was pitch ck.


    Ling Chen peered inside twice, then quietly pushed the door open and stepped inside.


    Perhaps due to the excessive piles of garbage around, the room was filled with an acrid odor. Ling Chen entered the room, and just as he was about to observe the room¡¯syout, a sudden phone ringing startled him. Ling Chen looked closely and saw that a phone was sitting on a table by the wall.


    At that moment, the phone¡¯s screen glowed softly, disying a phone number. Ling Chen grew alert and cautiously approached the table, picking up the phone.


    Seeing the iing call¡¯s number, Ling Chen answered the call and said, "Hello." Soon, a familiar voice came from the other end: "Hello! Ling Chen, you finally found this ce. I thought I¡¯d have to wait a few more days. I didn¡¯t expect your efficiency to be quite impressive."


    Hearing the other person¡¯s voice, Ling Chen raised an eyebrow and said sternly: "Lin Guodong, it¡¯s you! Where are you?"


    "Me?" Lin Guodong chuckled and said, "I¡¯m in a very safe ce, waiting to watch a good show."


    A good show?


    For some reason, Lin Guodong¡¯s words gave Ling Chen a very bad feeling.


    "What do you want to do?" Ling Chen asked.


    "Not much, just want to see how much you care about your friends." As soon as Lin Guodong finished speaking, a light shone outside the room, apanied by a buzzing sound, like a machine starting up. Holding the phone, Ling Chen briskly walked outside the room, looking around. Suddenly, his face abruptly changed.


    On both sides of the garbage station, there were two garbage processing machines. Each machine had a long conveyor belt used to transport garbage into the machine. Ling Chen saw the garbage being swallowed by the machine¡¯s teeth and instantly turning into a heap of debris. If a person were to enter, they¡¯d likely turn into minced meat.


    And at that moment, a person was bound to each of the machines¡¯ conveyor belts. One was Xia Yue, and the other was Kaelina. Both of their bodies were tightly tied and fixed to the conveyor belts, unable to move. No matter how they struggled, they couldn¡¯t break free from the ropes.


    Seeing this scene, Ling Chen didn¡¯t hesitate, immediately rushing toward the nearest Xia Yue, intending to rescue her from danger.


    However, before Ling Chen could reach Xia Yue¡¯s side, Lin Guodong¡¯s voice came through the phone: "Ling Chen, if I were you, I wouldn¡¯t act so hastily."


    "What do you mean?" Ling Chen stopped in his tracks, frowning as he asked. He knew that with Lin Guodong¡¯s personality, it wouldn¡¯t be so easy for him to seed.


    "I understand your desire to save people, but now is not the right time." As he spoke, the conveyor belts of the two garbage processors suddenly elerated, rapidly transporting Xia Yue and Kaelina to the machine¡¯s entrance. With less than twenty meters remaining, both would be engulfed by the machines.


    The situation threw Ling Chen into a dilemma. The two machines were in different locations, so whether he saved Xia Yue or Kaelina, there wouldn¡¯t be enough time to save the other. Hence, one of the two people was bound to die.


    "Lin Guodong, stop!"


    Hearing Ling Chen¡¯s angry shout, Lin Guodong¡¯sughter immediately emanated from the phone. Then, the two machines gradually stopped. Seeing Xia Yue and Kaelina halted at the machine¡¯s entrance, Ling Chen couldn¡¯t help but breathe a sigh of relief.


    Calming his emotions, Ling Chen¡¯s eyes quickly regained a look ofposure.


    "Say what you really want, what do you want?"


    Lin Guodongughed and said, "Ling Chen, I knew you were a smart guy. Since you¡¯re asking, I¡¯ll get straight to the point. Help me with something, and as long as you aplish it well, I¡¯ll immediately release these two women."


    "What about the others?"


    "Ling Chen, you can¡¯t be too greedy. But you don¡¯t have to be too anxious; I will release them, but this requires your cooperation. For now, let¡¯s not talk about anything else, let¡¯s resolve the first issue. All the information is on this phone, take a look yourself. It is now ten o¡¯clock at night, and by five in the morning tomorrow, I hope youplete my request and return here to meet me. Remember, you must return before five. If you can¡¯t show up on time, I suggest you prepare two bup sacks. Well, that¡¯s all I have to say, take care of yourself."


    With that, Lin Guodong directly hung up the phone.


    Looking at Xia Yue and Kaelina lying on the two machines, Ling Chen took a deep breath, didn¡¯t linger any longer, and quickly walked out of the garbage station.

 Chapter 942 - 947: Turning Against Each Other (Part 2)

    <h4>Chapter 942: Chapter 947: Turning Against Each Other (Part 2)</h4>


    Back in the Audi, Nanrong Hao looked at the grim-faced Ling Chen and asked, "Chen, what happened?"


    Jiang Hao chimed in, "Chen, just now all the lights at the garbage station turned on, what¡¯s going on?"


    <fn9feb> This text is hosted at F?nd-Novel</fn9feb>


    "Alright, stop asking so many questions. Haozi, first drive Jiang Hao back."


    Seeing Ling Chen speak up, Nanrong Hao said no more, immediately starting the car and heading towards the Old City.


    On the way, Ling Chen held his phone, opened a file, and browsed through its contents. After reading the task Lin Guodong left for him, Ling Chen¡¯s expression became somewhat serious.


    If he really followed Lin Guodong¡¯s instructions, even if he saved Xia Yue and Kaelina, he would ruin himself.


    As he pondered, the Audi arrived in the Old City. Watching Jiang Hao get out of the car, Ling Chen instructed, "These days, gather your men and be ready at any moment. And don¡¯t forget to guard against Zhao Zhengxiong. If he knows you¡¯ve been released, he will definitely cause trouble for you." After speaking, Ling Chen turned to look at Nanrong Hao in the driver¡¯s seat and said, "Haozi, get off with Jiang Hao. You call a cab to go backter, let me use the car first."


    "Chen, where are you going? Why don¡¯t I take you there?"


    "Why so many questions." Ling Chen waved his hand and said, "Hurry up and get off, don¡¯t waste my time."


    Nanrong Hao dared not ask more, obediently surrendered the car. Switching to the driver¡¯s seat, Ling Chen started the car and drove straight to the roadside without a word, soon disappearing into the thick night.


    After half an hour, Ling Chen parked the Audi by the roadside, then took out his phone and dialed a number.


    Before long, a person walked out of a nearby house. That person limped, his steps seemed a bit staggered, swaying from side to side as if he could fall at any moment.


    And behind that person, two figures followed from afar, hiding in the dark corners.


    At this moment, the person in front had already reached the roadside, standing under the dim streetlight, waiting for a taxi. The two figures following from behind were stealthily observing, ready to approach at any moment. Just then, a taxi approached from not far away.


    The man standing under the streetlight quickly waved his hand and stopped the taxi. Seeing the man about to get in the car, the two figures hiding in the darkness immediately rushed over. However, before those two could dash out of the shadowy corner, they were intercepted by a sudden figure.


    Before the two could react, only two muffled groans were heard, and two people had already copsed in the corner.


    Watching the taxi gradually disappear, Ling Chen stepped out from the dark corner, not stopping for a moment, and headed straight for the nearby residential house.


    Before long, Ling Chen arrived at the temporarymand center. Although it waste at night, themand center was still brightly lit, everyone diligently working. Therge office was filled with the aroma of coffee.


    Seeing Ling Chen walk in from outside, Ren Qing, who was guiding work at theputer, immediately looked up, coldly staring at Ling Chen.


    Facing Ren Qing¡¯s icy gaze, Ling Chen acted as if he didn¡¯t see, proceeding to the office. Seeing Ling Chen ignore her, Ren Qing frowned slightly, stepping in front of Ling Chen to block his way, asking, "Where have you been today?"


    Ling Chen replied indifferently, "Miss Ren, I am free to go wherever I want, this doesn¡¯t seem to be within your jurisdiction, right?"


    "Fine, then tell me, why did Hu Fei leave just now?"


    Ling Chen shrugged, "He¡¯s an adult, free toe and go as he pleases, although he works for me, I don¡¯t restrict his movements. Miss Ren, don¡¯t you think you¡¯re overstepping your boundaries?"


    Hearing this, Ren Qing felt an urge to smash a fist into Ling Chen¡¯s head.


    "Ling, let me tell you, don¡¯t get too full of yourself."


    "Ha!" Ling Chen sneered, "Miss Ren, who here has the nerve? I have seven or eight years ofbat experience with the God Organization, and I¡¯ve been on the front lines killing enemies, with not a few dozens, maybe two or three hundred God members dead by my hands, what basis do you have topare with me? If you think sitting in an office and giving a fewmands can easily dismantle the God Organization, then I can only say you¡¯re naive and too childishly optimistic."


    "Ling Chen, you..." Ren Qing said with an ugly expression, "Shut up!"


    "Miss Ren, to be blunt, even if you allbine, you don¡¯t know the God Organization as well as I do. So, no matter how great your skills are, you¡¯d best drop your arrogance in front of me. To me, you¡¯re only ying house, and can¡¯t grasp how brutal this battle truly is."


    After being rebuked by Ling Chen, Ren Qing felt her anger swell, really wanting to p him. But recalling Ling Chen¡¯s capabilities, Ren Qing had to suppress her impulse. She took a deep breath and said through gritted teeth, "Have you finished? Since you have, then you can leave. Ling, let me tell you, from now on, you are no longer wee here. I¡¯ll speak to Mr. Zhang myself, and bear any responsibility. But I never want to see you again. Now, disappear from my sight."


    "Miss Ren, you seem to have forgotten what Mr. Zhang said before he left, that this temporarymand center is under my control for now, you are merely a subordinate, what right do you have to tell me to leave? If anyone should leave, it¡¯s you. Now, kindly roll out and stop bothering me, you just irk me."


    "You... you..." Ren Qing pointed at Ling Chen¡¯s nose, her beautiful eyes zing with anger, so furious she couldn¡¯t speak.


    "What do you mean what." Ling Chen took over Ren Qing¡¯s words, coldly saying, "Don¡¯t point at me, I warn you, I don¡¯t like people pointing at my nose, I see it as a challenge."


    "Fine, very fine!" Ren Qing said angrily, "Ling, I want to see how capable you are. Men!"


    As her words fell, several burly men in suits immediately rushed over.


    Seeing those security personnel watching aggressively, Ling Chen said indifferently, "Miss Ren, seems your memory isn¡¯t great, did you forget the fate of those before? Or do you feel you have excess funds to send to a hospital?"


    Ren Qing stepped back two paces, coldly looking at Ling Chen, saying, "I know you¡¯re skilled, but no matter how skilled you are, today you will get caught by me." After speaking, she gestured to those security personnel.


    Immediately, those security personnel simultaneously reached for their waists, pulling out ck pistols.


    Facing the dark muzzles, Ling Chen¡¯s gaze hardened, a hint of surprise appearing in his eyes.

 Chapter 943 - 948: Turning Against Each Other (Part 3)

    <h4>Chapter 943: Chapter 948: Turning Against Each Other (Part 3)</h4>


    At first nce, those guns looked real. However, with Ling Chen¡¯s years of experience, he quickly discerned the authenticity of those guns.


    The guns were replicas, and the bullets inside weren¡¯t real either. But, these were firearms used for military training, loaded with stic bullets, effective at around fifty meters. Although they couldn¡¯t kill the target, the power of stic bullets within ten meters was still formidable.


    Ordinarily, these stic bullets were also used to suppress riots.


    Being pointed at by several gun barrels, Ling Chen frowned slightly and looked at Ren Qing, saying, "Miss Ren, is this what you¡¯re relying on?"


    Ren Qing said proudly, "Ling Chen, aren¡¯t you very skilled? I want to see if your skills are more impressive, or if my bullets are."


    "Miss Ren, don¡¯t me me for not warning you, as long as they dare to fire, you and all of your subordinates won¡¯t stand a chance."


    Ren Qing sneered and said, "Are you threatening me? Or... are you scared? Unfortunately, that won¡¯t work on me. Fire, teach this bastard a lesson."


    Upon hearing Ren Qing¡¯s order, the security personnel didn¡¯t hesitate and immediately pulled the trigger. With a ¡¯bang bang¡¯ sound, the stic bullets instantly shot out of the barrels.


    At the moment the bullets were fired, Ling Chen¡¯s foot slid, executing the Nine Yang Qiankun Step, and his body instantly became a blur, disappearing in front of the people. Simultaneously, the stic bullets all missed, striking the office walls, leaving several dents.


    Witnessing this scene, not only Ren Qing was shocked, but everyone present stared incredulously at the wall. Some with quicker reactions were already searching for Ling Chen¡¯s whereabouts.


    Ren Qing rubbed her eyes, hardly believing the scene before her. Someone could actually be faster than a bullet; it was simply mind-boggling. Although stic bullets didn¡¯t match the speed of real ones, they were not something ordinary people could dodge. At least, even battle-hardened special forces soldiers didn¡¯t have the ability to dodge stic bullets.


    While the people present were in a daze, a horrifying scream suddenly resonated around them.


    Upon closer inspection, a security officer had somehow been knocked to the ground. Before others could react, a figure shed by swiftly, and in the blink of an eye, several security personnel fell, clutching their wrists and crying out in pain.


    Ren Qing stared nkly at her subordinates, not yetprehending, when she felt a gust of wind rush at her. As she lifted her head, all she saw was someone standing in front of her¡ªLing Chen.


    "Ling..."


    Ren Qing opened her mouth, but before she could speak, there was a ¡¯p¡¯ sound. The loud p brought a chill to everyone¡¯s heart.


    Feeling the pain from her cheek, Ren Qing was momentarily stunned, without any immediate reaction.


    "I warned you not to provoke me, but you just wouldn¡¯t listen."


    Ling Chen¡¯s cold voice echoed in her ears, and the stunned Ren Qing finally came to her senses. She shouted, raised her arm, and aimed to hit Ling Chen¡¯s face.


    Seeing her move, Ling Chen snorted, grabbed her wrist lightly, and with a gentle pull, Ren Qing immediately lost her bnce and fell forward,nding directly on the ground.


    "Ling Chen!" Finally, someone among the crowd couldn¡¯t stand it anymore and spoke, "You, a grown man bullying a defenseless woman¡ªwhat kind of man are you?"


    Ling Chen nced at the woman who spoke, sneering as he replied, "From what you¡¯re implying, are men supposed to be bullied by women?"


    "I..." Ling Chen¡¯s rebuttal left the speaker speechless.


    Everyone had witnessed what had happened; it was indeed Ren Qing who instigated the trouble first. Moreover, Ling Chen had warned Ren Qing. But since Ren Qing insisted, no one could me him for not showing leniency.


    "Miss Ren, take your people and get out of here immediately. Listen up, I mean immediately."


    Ren Qing gritted her teeth and stood up with the help of several staff members. Concealing the shame in her eyes, she red at Ling Chen and said, "Ling, remember this¡ªI won¡¯t let you off the hook. You better pray you don¡¯t end up in my hands." After speaking, Ren Qing left without looking back.


    Seeing their boss leave, the others dared not linger and quickly followed behind Ren Qing. In no time, the spacious temporarymand post was left with only Ling Chen.


    Phew!


    Exhaling, Ling Chen looked at his own hand and helplessly chuckled.


    Outside the temporarymand post, a few staff members surrounded Ren Qing and asked, "Miss Ren, are we really going to let him bully us like this?"


    "What else can we do?" Ren Qing replied angrily, "Can you handle him, or you? Hmph! This time he was impressive, but next time I see him, I definitely won¡¯t let him off."


    "Ren... Ren... Miss Ren..." Now, a stammering voice came through.


    "What is it?" Ren Qing impatiently shouted, "Speak up."


    The man trembled, raising his hand to point at the houses behind them, saying, "It¡¯s... it¡¯s on fire!"


    Upon hearing this, everyone quickly turned around, and instantly saw the location of the temporarymand post being engulfed by mes. As the fire spread, the roof of the house soon copsed with a ¡¯boom boom¡¯ sound.


    Seeing themand post devoured by mes, Ren Qing¡¯s face turned extremely ashen, her eyes full of resentment.


    Ling Chen!


    You¡¯re ruthless, burning down themand post and reducing my months of effort to ashes. Thinking about it, Ren Qing¡¯s hatred for Ling Chen grew deeper.


    However, apart from hatred, Ren Qing¡¯s beautiful eyes showed more chill and pride.


    Ling Chen, you brought this upon yourself; don¡¯t me me.


    In thought, Ren Qing took out her phone from her pocket and dialed Mr. Zhang¡¯s number.


    At this moment, Ling Chen drove an Audi, watching the raging fire in the distance, eyes reflecting a hint of bitterness.


    <fna6f7> For more chapters visit F?nd-Novel</fna6f7>


    Lin Guodong¡¯s instructions were clear; he wanted Ling Chen to destroy this temporarymand post. Although Ling Chen wasn¡¯t sure how Lin Guodong learned about the post¡¯s existence, he understood Lin Guodong¡¯s intentions.


    The other party wanted him to be at odds with the government. This would undoubtedly make his situation even more perilous.

 Chapter 944 - 949: Lin Guodong’s Game

    <h4>Chapter 944: Chapter 949: Lin Guodong¡¯s Game</h4>


    Returning to the garbage station, Ling Chen walked alone through the iron gate and arrived outside the house at the garbage station. Just as he stood still, the phone on Ling Chen¡¯s body rang. He took out his phone and, seeing the iing number, Ling Chen immediately answered the call, saying, "I did what you asked. Isn¡¯t it time to release the people?"


    Lin Guodong replied with augh, "Ling Chen, I was right about you, you¡¯re a person of emotions and loyalty. Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t break my promise. You can take these two people away. However, I still have quite a few of your friends. If you want to ensure their safety, it¡¯s best to stay on call 24/7. I¡¯ll keep in touch."


    Ling Chen said in a deep voice, "How long do you n to keep ying this game?"


    "Don¡¯t rush, the game has just begun, we still have more to y." With that, Lin Guodong hung up the phone.


    Hearing the busy tone from the phone, Ling Chen frowned slightly. It sounded like from Lin Guodong¡¯s words, this was just the start, and it was unclear when it would end.


    Putting his misceneous thoughts aside for now, Ling Chen quickly went over to the two machines and rescued Xia Yue and Kaelina from the conveyor belt.


    Seeing that the two were safe and unharmed, Ling Chen couldn¡¯t help but feel relieved and asked, "Fifth Sister, do you remember where you were held before?"


    <fn5d51> The rightful source is F¦ÉndNovel</fn5d51>


    "I can¡¯t remember clearly, we were all wearing hoods and couldn¡¯t see anything."


    Kaelina chimed in, "They kept changing routes during transport, repeating the routes. Even the most experienced person would be disoriented by them, unable to determine the approximate location."


    "Forget it!" Ling Chen didn¡¯t expect to get the whereabouts of others from them. Lin Guodong was determined to y big this time and would surely be well-prepared, not letting him easily rescue others.


    "Let¡¯s go, I¡¯ll take you back to rest first, there¡¯s still a lot to do next."


    With the research base destroyed and nowhere else to go, Ling Chen had to temporarily arrange for Xia Yue and Kaelina to stay at the siheyuan in East Sea City. Initially, when Qiu Yong and the others were temporarily staying in East Sea City, Ling Chen specifically rented a siheyuan for a year. The rooms there were quite numerous and spacious, making it very suitable for hiding.


    Settling Kaelina and Xia Yue in, it was already two o¡¯clock in the morning. Checking the time, Ling Chen yawned and once again got into the Audi, heading straight for the Wealthy Manor.


    Having been busy all day, Ling Chen was already very tired. However, thinking about the uing events, his sleepiness vanished, and he just wanted to arrange everything as soon as possible.


    Back at the Nanrong Family, Ling Chen gently walked into the room, softly knocking on Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s door.


    At this moment, Nanrong Wanqing was already fast asleep. Hearing the knock, she rubbed her sleepy eyes and opened the door, wearing a loose robe.


    Seeing Ling Chen outside the door, Nanrong Wanqing chided, "It¡¯s sote and you¡¯re still not asleep."


    Ling Chen gave a wry smile. If possible, he really wished to go straight to sleep. Entering the room, Ling Chen closed the door and then pulled Nanrong Wanqing to sit on the bed, giving a few whispered exnations.


    "What?" After listening to Ling Chen¡¯s words, Nanrong Wanqing covered her mouth in shock and said, "Then... what should we do? Isn¡¯t your situation very dangerous now?"


    "There is danger, but not life-threatening. Wanqing, I know I¡¯ve made you worry, but rest assured, nothing will happen to me." Saying this, Ling Chen smiled slightly and said confidently, "Don¡¯t you know my skills? I¡¯ve always been the one to bully others, no one has ever been able to bully me."


    "Then you must be careful, and if things really don¡¯t work out, don¡¯t try to be brave," Nanrong Wanqing advised worriedly. Even though Ling Chen showed confidence, she was still a bit worried.


    "I know. Alright, you should sleep first, I won¡¯t disturb your rest. Remember what I just said."


    After soothing her emotions, Ling Chen didn¡¯t stay long and drove back to the siheyuan again.


    ...


    One night passed.


    Early the next morning, as Liu Kun opened the door of the Nanrong Family, he saw several Chevrolet SUVs driving up from the corner and stopping at the doorstep of the Nanrong Family.


    The car doors opened, and a neat-looking woman in professional attire stepped out of the car. Behind her, a dozen or so men in suits followed, each with broad shoulders and stout figures, exuding a strong presence.


    Seeing the woman leading a group of people straight towards the Nanrong Family¡¯s door, Liu Kun furrowed his brows slightly, stepped forward, and used his body to block the entrance to prevent them from barging in.


    "Who are you looking for?" Liu Kun asked the woman in the lead.


    The woman said coldly, "Hand over Ling Chen."


    "Are you looking for Mr. Ling?" Liu Kun motioned with a ¡¯please¡¯ gesture and said, "Sorry, Mr. Ling hasn¡¯t been home for a few days. If you want to find him, perhaps try elsewhere."


    "Hmph!" The woman sneered, "Do you think I¡¯m so easy to dismiss? Get out of my way, don¡¯t hinder my business."


    "Miss, please understand, this is the Nanrong Family estate, you can¡¯t just enter as you wish. Also, as the housekeeper of the Nanrong Family, I must rify that Ling Chen is merely a security personnel hired by the Nanrong Family. His personal affairs are unrted to the Nanrong Family, and we won¡¯t intervene on his behalf. If you want to find him, find another way and don¡¯t disturb our normal life."


    "Housekeeper? Such an arrogant housekeeper, dare to block even me. Don¡¯t you know who I am?"


    Liu Kun replied indifferently, "I have no interest in knowing. As a housekeeper, I only need to focus on my job."


    "I see you won¡¯t listen to reason until you face the consequences. Someone, get rid of him for me."


    At the woman¡¯smand, a burly man in a suit immediately stepped forward, reaching for Liu Kun¡¯s cor, preparing to push him aside.


    Seeing the move, Liu Kun snorted softly and twisted the suited man¡¯s wrist with one hand, his fingers applying slight pressure. Instantly, the suited man felt pain, dropped to his knees involuntarily, and copsed to the ground.


    Liu Kun¡¯s disy of skill surprised the woman, who initially thought he was just amon housekeeper, not expecting him to be an expert hiding his abilities, exining his firm tone and disregard for her.


    Releasing the suited man¡¯s wrist, Liu Kun stood upright and looked at the woman, saying, "Miss, the Nanrong Family does not wee impolite people, please leave." With that, Liu Kun swiftly closed the iron gate and turned to head back inside.


    "Where do you think you¡¯re going!"


    Just then, someone from the crowd suddenly rushed out, sprinted rapidly behind Liu Kun, and swung a palm toward his back.


    The opponent moved swiftly, and Liu Kun¡¯s reaction wasn¡¯t slow either. Sensing the wind from behind, he quickly turned around, striking out a palm to defuse the attack.

 Chapter 945 - 950: Who’s Picking a Fight? (1)

    <h4>Chapter 945: Chapter 950: Who¡¯s Picking a Fight? (1)</h4>


    One strike failed, and the opponent showed no intention of holding back. They advanced again, transforming their single palm into a fist, pounding forward fiercely, power bursting forth. Faced with this attack, Liu Kun did not retreat but chose to meet the challenge head-on.


    Bang!


    Fist and palm collided, producing a dull thud immediately. At the same time, Liu Kun¡¯s expression changed slightly. He quickly withdrew his arm and stepped back continuously.


    Impressive!


    Liu Kun looked at the man in front of him, and his face instantly turned grave. During the first hasty exchange, he hadn¡¯t felt the man¡¯s true prowess. However, at the moment of the punch and palm contact, he clearly sensed the powerful force unleashed by the opponent.


    A master indeed!


    Although Liu Kun had practiced martial arts for many years, his strength was not enough to make the Tiger List, whereas the man before him was obviously a Tiger List master.


    "Hmph!" Watching Liu Kun retreat, the woman sneered and said disdainfully, "I thought you had some skills, but it turns out this is all you have. Get out of my way, don¡¯t block my path."


    Hearing the woman¡¯s words, Liu Kun frowned slightly, his expression shifting unpredictably as he looked at the man.


    "I am the steward of the Nanrong Family. If you have the guts, step over me." Liu Kun¡¯s tone was firm.


    "Overestimating yourself!" The manughed contemptuously, "Since you¡¯re courting death, I¡¯ll grant your wish." With that, the man tapped the ground with his toes, like a gust of wind, swiftly closing in on Liu Kun, swinging a punch straight at his head.


    "Stop!"


    At this moment, a cold voice came from the door of the Nanrong Family¡¯s house.


    Hearing that voice, the man who was about to strike halted his steps and turned his gaze toward the doorway. At this moment, Nanrong Wanqing, apanied by Nanrong Hao, gracefully stepped out from the doorway.


    Coming to Liu Kun¡¯s side, Nanrong Wanqing looked past the man, directly at the woman surrounded by the crowd, and asked slowly, "Who are you?"


    "I¡¯m Ren Qing." Speaking, Ren Qing sized up Nanrong Wanqing, and said, "If I¡¯m not mistaken, you are the chairman of the Hongyu Group, Nanrong Wanqing."


    "That¡¯s correct, I am."


    "Very well." Ren Qing nodded, "Finally, someone who can make decisions is here. Since you are the head of the Nanrong Family, let me speak frankly. Ling Chen is now a wanted criminal by the government. After escapingst night, he¡¯s been missing, and I heard from someone that you are his girlfriend, so you must be aware of his whereabouts. Miss Nanrong, I advise you not to sacrifice the reputation of the Nanrong Family for a man. I came here today determined to capture Ling Chen. If you cooperate with my work, I would appreciate it."


    "Miss Ren, is it." Nanrong Wanqing said calmly, "I believe my steward has made it quite clear. Ling Chen is employed by the Nanrong Family as security personnel. Whatever grievances he has with your government departments have nothing to do with our Nanrong Family. As for what you just mentioned, that Ling Chen is my boyfriend... Miss Ren, this is my private matter, and I don¡¯t think it¡¯s for you to question."


    "Nanrong Wanqing." Ren Qing¡¯s tone changed, bing less cordial as she directly called Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s name.


    "Let me tell you, I represent the government now, and since you¡¯re unwilling to cooperate, I¡¯ll have to search myself. But don¡¯t say I didn¡¯t warn you, if I find Ling Chen in your Nanrong Family, you¡¯ll all be guilty of harboring a fugitive. And by then, don¡¯t me me for showing no mercy." After saying this, Ren Qing motioned to the people behind her with a wave of her hand.


    Immediately, over a dozen brawny men in suits charged toward the Nanrong Family, ready to forcibly break through Liu Kun¡¯s line of defense.


    Seeing the opponents rapidly approaching, Nanrong Hao raised his eyebrows, stepped forward, and blocked their path.


    "Everyone stand still!" Nanrong Hao lightlymanded, "This is the Nanrong Family, do you think it¡¯s a ce you can enter just because you want to? Also, let me remind you, right now it¡¯s not my sister in charge of the Nanrong Family, but me, Nanrong Hao. If you want to enter the gates of the Nanrong Family, you have to get past me first."


    "Nanrong Hao?" Ren Qing said disdainfully, "I¡¯ve investigated you, not even worth mentioning as a second-generation rich kid, at most just a petty thug. You want to stand up for the Nanrong Family? Alright, then I¡¯ll see if you have the capability. Listen up everyone, get in there, search thoroughly, and find Ling Chen¡¯s whereabouts no matter what. If anyone dares to obstruct, arrest them all."


    "Yes!"


    As the crowd rushed over, there was no trace of fear in Nanrong Hao¡¯s eyes, instead, a hint of shrewdness gleamed there.


    "Want to rely on numbers to overwhelm us?" Nanrong Hao sneered, "When ites to relying on numbers, I¡¯ve never been afraid. Brothers,e on out!"


    <fnf956> ??? ????? ???????s ??? ?????s??? ?? Find[?]ovel</fnf956>


    As soon as Nanrong Hao finished speaking, fifty to sixty people charged out from the greenery near the Nanrong Family, each wielding steel pipes and bricks, and they rushed over with momentum, surrounding Ren Qing and the others in an instant.


    Faced with this sudden change, Ren Qing¡¯s face changed slightly. However, she still maintained herposure and calmness, looked at Nanrong Hao, and said, "You really have the guts to go against the government. Do you want to vacation in prison?"


    Nanrong Hao sneered and said, "What? Trying to scare me? Do you think I, Nanrong Hao, am easily intimidated? Let me tell you, Ren, I fear nothing, and youring to cause trouble at the Nanrong Family is your biggest mistake." After speaking, without giving Ren Qing a chance to respond, Nanrong Hao whistled to his subordinates.


    "Brothers, go on, teach these bastards a good lesson."


    Someone shouted something instantly. Suddenly, fifty to sixty youths swarmed forward, engulfing Ren Qing and her people in an instant. Even though the suited men Ren Qing brought were specially trained soldiers, they couldn¡¯t gain the upper hand in such a numerical disadvantage.


    Moreover, thugs excel at street fighting. Street fights emphasize craftiness, there¡¯s not much restriction, the more insidious the better, catching people off guard. Although these soldiers have experienced the battlefield, they haven¡¯t encountered such battles.


    Just as one grabbed someone, before they could throw a punch, a brick came out of nowhere and smashed onto their head, instantly causing a bloody mess.


    Besides, Nanrong Hao¡¯s men were all equipped, with steel pipes as thick as arms, which hitting someone was excruciating. Even these suited men, despite their special training, couldn¡¯t withstand such hits.


    Before long, the suited men were knocked down by the group of thugs, covering their heads and dodging chaotically.


    Compared to these suited men, the unknown Tiger List master fared even worse. Before he could see clearly, he was caught in severalrges. Moreover, the thugs dealing with this Tiger List master were as strong as oxen, armed with insidious hidden weapons hard to guard against.


    That Tiger List master couldn¡¯t even attempt a counterattack, let alone have a chance to fight back, and was subdued thoroughly.

 Chapter 946 - 951: Who’s Picking a Fight? (2)

    <h4>Chapter 946: Chapter 951: Who¡¯s Picking a Fight? (2)</h4>


    Seeing that the Tiger List expert conceded, Nanrong Hao smiled smugly. The Tiger List expert is formidable, but the few thugs dealing with him are also no pushovers, all equipped with exoskeleton armor, possessing strength beyond ordinary people.


    "Alright, alright, everyone, stop."


    Seeing that it was almost enough, Nanrong Hao knew when to stop and immediately called for everyone to cease.


    As the dozens of thugs dispersed, Ren Qing and her group of subordinates appeared in a sorry state, each with bruised faces and torn clothing. Especially Ren Qing, someone, a lecher no less, had actually torn her clothes at the chest, exposing the pink underwear underneath. However, with her disheveled appearance, it hardly sparked any admiration.


    "Miss Ren, seeing that you¡¯re a woman, I won¡¯t make things difficult for you today. Take your people and leave quickly, don¡¯t stand at the gates of the Nanrong Family."


    Hearing Nanrong Hao speak, Ren Qing gritted her teeth, ring at him coldly, saying, "Fine, Nanrong Hao, I¡¯ve taken note of you. If I don¡¯t make you kneel and beg for mercy today, I won¡¯t be called Ren." After speaking, Ren Qing took out her phone and dialed a number.


    In less than three minutes, two Chevrolet SUVs quickly arrived and stopped outside the Nanrong Family¡¯s gates. Immediately after, over a dozen men in suits jumped out of the cars, each with a bulge at their waists, clearly carrying weapons.


    "Nanrong Hao." Ren Qing looked venomously at the people of the Nanrong Family, coldly saying, "Let¡¯s see how you can still smileter. Go!"


    "Stop!"


    At this moment, a cold voice came from behind the crowd. At the same time, the sound of rapid footsteps was heard. A closer look revealed that over thirty police officers, led by Xia Mutong, rushed over, surrounding the men in suits.


    "If anyone dares to make a move, arrest them all," Xia Mutongmanded.


    "Officer Xia." Upon seeing Xia Mutong arrive, Nanrong Hao immediately put on a smiling face and quickly walked up, saying with a smile, "Officer Xia, you finally came."


    Xia Mutong looked at Nanrong Hao without any hint of good mood and asked, "Speak, why did you call the police to get me here?"


    Nanrong Hao pointed at Ren Qing¡¯s group and said, "Officer Xia, this group of people is impersonating government agents, trying to forcibly invade the Nanrong Family. As the head of the Nanrong Family, of course, I refused. When they saw my refusal, they resorted to force, even injuring our family¡¯s butler. If it weren¡¯t for these friends around who bravely intervened to stop them, who knows what the Nanrong Family would have be. Officer Xia, you must stand up for me."


    "Is that true?" Xia Mutong skeptically looked at Nanrong Hao. If it were anyone else, Xia Mutong might have believed them, but Nanrong Hao was different. Having hung around Ling Chen for so long, he had already learned a bellyful of tricks, making his words hard to believe lightly.


    Nanrong Hao earnestly said, "Officer Xia, every word I said is true, you can ask the others present if you don¡¯t believe me."


    "Alright, I..."


    "You!" Before Xia Mutong could finish speaking, Ren Qing pointed at her,manding in a condescending tone, "Immediately arrest them for me."


    Upon hearing Ren Qing¡¯s words, Xia Mutong furrowed her brows slightly, feeling a bit displeased.


    "What¡¯s your name?"


    "Ren Qing. And you, what¡¯s your name, what¡¯s your officer number?"


    "My name is Xia Mutong, I¡¯m the captain of the city¡¯s criminal investigation team. Just now, Nanrong Hao called the police saying you illegally invaded private property. I¡¯d like to ask, is that true?"


    "Nonsense!" Ren Qing coldly replied, "I am a government special agent, here on official duty to apprehend the wanted criminal Ling Chen."


    "Wanted criminal?" Xia Mutong was surprised. How long had it been since they¡¯d seen each other, and Ling Chen had be a wanted criminal again?


    Thinking rapidly, Xia Mutong looked at Ren Qing and asked, "You say you¡¯re a government special agent, then let me ask you, where is your identification? This is East Sea City, any special government personnel operating in East Sea City must be registered with the city public security bureau. Without documents, how am I to know whether your identity is real or fake?"


    "I have the documents, they¡¯re here." As she spoke, Ren Qing reached into her pocket to retrieve her credentials. However, after searching several pockets inside and out, she couldn¡¯t find her documents.


    This isn¡¯t right... Ren Qing furrowed her brows, thinking to herself that she had clearly put the documents in her overcoat pocket. Could it be... could it be that she identally lost them during the earlier scuffle?


    Seeing the bewildered look on Ren Qing¡¯s face, Nanrong Hao couldn¡¯t help but chuckle softly. During the earlier scuffle, he had already arranged for someone to steal the documents from Ren Qing and the others.


    The thugs brought this time included quite a few skilled pickpockets.


    "Officer Xia, see, they¡¯re all a bunch of frauds. When they first arrived, they imed to be government special agents but didn¡¯t even produce their identification. If this isn¡¯t impersonation, then what is?"


    "Shut up!" Ren Qing coldly scolded, "You didn¡¯t even ask to see my credentials, I..."


    "Enough!" Xia Mutong impatiently interrupted Ren Qing and continued, "Miss Ren, you¡¯re representing the government in a capture operation. Since you¡¯re in in clothes, you should proactively present your credentials to prove your identity. Now, you can¡¯t even prove your own identity, yet want to forcibly enter private property. Sorry, it¡¯s hard for me to believe your innocence. Officers, arrest them all and take them away."


    "You... stop!" Seeing the officers rushing over, Ren Qing hurriedly shouted, "I am a government special agent, let me make a call, and I can immediately prove my identity."


    Hearing this, Xia Mutong hesitated for a moment.


    <fn03cb> Th? link to the orig?n of this information r?sts ?n Find?Novel</fn03cb>


    "Alright, I¡¯ll give you a chance to prove your identity."


    Seeing Xia Mutong allowing it, Ren Qing hurriedly reached for her waist to retrieve her phone.


    But at this moment, someone in the crowd suddenly shouted, "Careful, she has a gun!"


    With those words, everyone¡¯s gaze focused on Ren Qing. At the same time, they saw a slight forward movement at Ren Qing¡¯s waist, making a strange motion. Then, a handgun fell from beneath her clothes.


    Seeing the fallen handgun, without a second thought, Xia Mutong drew the gun from his holster, aimed it at Ren Qing and the others, and coldly said, "Hands up!"


    However, these men in suits were all well-trained special forces soldiers. With the guns pointed at them, they had an almost reflexive response, quickly drawing pistols from their waists and pointing them at the surrounding officers.


    In an instant, the atmosphere became incredibly tense.


    "Put the guns down!" Xia Mutong, unafraid, looked coldly at the suited men, scolding.


    "Stop, everyone stop!" At this moment, Ren Qing was also in a panic, the situation had already spiraled beyond her expectations.

 Chapter 947 - 952: Massive Compensation (1)

    <h4>Chapter 947: Chapter 952: Massive Compensation (1)</h4>


    The mission assigned to Ren Qing by the higher-ups this time was simple: to capture Ling Chen and bring him to justice. Before executing the mission, Ren Qing specially requested resources from Mr. Zhang, including a Tiger List expert and a security teamposed of special forces soldiers.


    Having witnessed Ling Chen¡¯s skills, Ren Qing made thorough preparations and arranged many capable subordinates.


    That night, after Ling Chen escaped, Ren Qing immediately set her sights on the Nanrong Family. Information gathered from various channels indicated that Ling Chen had a close rtionship with the Nanrong Family, especially with Nanrong Wanqing; the two were already publicly known to be in a rtionship.


    Therefore, Ren Qing believed the Nanrong Family must know Ling Chen¡¯s whereabouts. To quicklyplete the task assigned by her superiors, Ren Qing wasted no time. Once everyone had gathered, she immediately led her subordinates to the Nanrong Family.


    However, what initially seemed to be a simple task ended up in a tense standoff. Now, not only were they in conflict with the local police, but guns were also drawn against each other, inevitably causing great trouble.


    At this moment, hearing Ren Qing¡¯s order, a group of men in suits looked at each other and reluctantly lowered their handguns.


    "Disarm!"


    Upon seeing the actions of the men in suits, Xia Mutong shouted coldly, and more than a dozen police officers immediately swarmed in to confiscate all their handguns.


    "You." Xia Mutong pointed at Ren Qing among the crowd and said, "You can make a call now."


    Xia Mutong was a smart person. Each of these individuals was carrying a gun, and unless they were special government personnel, no one would dare to be so bold. After all, this was Huaxia, where gun control is very strict. Moreover, Xia Mutong noticed these people were well-trained; they must be elite soldiers from the army.


    <fn7dc8> Fresh chapters posted on F¦ÉndNovel</fn7dc8>


    However, the injuries and their disheveled appearance made Xia Mutong want tough. Nanrong Hao indeed had skills, managing to deal with these elite soldiers using just a group of punks.


    By this time, Ren Qing had finished her call. Less than two minutester, the ringtone on Xia Mutong¡¯s phone rang. Taking out the phone and seeing the caller ID, Xia Mutong became even more certain about the identity of these people.


    The call was from the police chief; it was without a doubt rted to Ren Qing¡¯s earlier phone call.


    Answering the call, Xia Mutong exchanged a few words with the chief, saying: "Yes, I understand. Please rest assured, Chief, I will release them soon and cooperate with their work."


    After speaking, Xia Mutong put away the phone, signaling to her subordinates. Shortly, a group of police officers returned the confiscated guns to Ren Qing¡¯s people.


    "Miss Ren." Xia Mutong walked straight up to Ren Qing and saluted, saying, "I apologize for earlier. If I¡¯ve offended you, please forgive me. I was just doing my job."


    Ren Qing sized up Xia Mutong before her, and spoke coldly: "Since you have confirmed my identity, shouldn¡¯t you cooperate with my work?" Her identity had been confirmed, so there was no need to be polite with this officer. As a government specialmissioner, her rank was far above that of local police, and even the city bureau chief would be respectful and dare not offend her.


    "No problem." Xia Mutong nodded and said, "If Miss Ren needs any help, just give the order. I will do my best to assist."


    "Very well. Now, surround the Nanrong Family; no one should be allowed to enter or exit without my permission. Also, keep an eye on the Nanrong Family members. If they dare to act rashly, arrest them immediately; don¡¯t show them any favors."


    "This..." Xia Mutong hesitated. Although, due to Ling Chen, she and the Nanrong Family could be considered friends.


    "What?" Ren Qing looked coldly at Xia Mutong and said, "Do you have a problem?"


    "No, none. Rest assured, Miss Ren, my people will fully cooperate with your work." Xia Mutong didn¡¯t think much and quickly made a decision. She was a police officer, and police officers should follow orders. Moreover, overseeing Nanrong Wanqing and others herself was better than Ren Qing sending her own people to watch them.


    Shortly, under Xia Mutong¡¯s arrangement, more than a dozen police officers surrounded Nanrong Wanqing and others in the center, prohibiting them from moving. Meanwhile, Ren Qing led her subordinates in, heading toward the Nanrong Family to search for Ling Chen¡¯s whereabouts.


    However, after half an hour of searching, Ren Qing almostbed the entire Nanrong estate but found no trace of Ling Chen.


    Leaving the Nanrong estate with nothing found, Ren Qing looked visibly displeased. She nced at the controlled Nanrong Wanqing and Nanrong Hao, walked a few steps up to them, and coldly asked, "Tell me, where exactly is Ling Chen?"


    Nanrong Hao shrugged and said, "I already told you, I don¡¯t know. Chen isn¡¯t legless; he can go wherever he wants. Although he is the security we employed, we have no authority to restrict his freedom. Miss Ren, now you should believe we are innocent, right? Please don¡¯t me the Nanrong Family for Ling Chen¡¯s matters in the future. Our Nanrong Family might focus on business, but we¡¯re not so easily bullied."


    "Hmmph!" Ren Qing scoffed and said, "Do you think I¡¯ll believe your lies? You definitely know Ling Chen¡¯s whereabouts; you¡¯re just unwilling to tell me. Fine, I¡¯d like to see how long you can shelter him for. Remember, don¡¯t let me catch anything against you, or I won¡¯t be polite."


    Hearing this, Nanrong Hao was indifferent and said, "Miss Ren, I will note your warning. However, let me remind you that this time the Nanrong Family is cooperating with the government¡¯s work. Next time, if youe uninvited and run wild in our territory, you¡¯ll regret it. Remember this: it¡¯s both a reminder and a warning."


    Ren Qing frowned, blurted out, "You..."


    "What do you mean ¡¯you¡¯?" Nanrong Hao interrupted before Ren Qing could finish, "You¡¯re not the only one with connections. Also, earlier your people were rummaging around our Nanrong property; I don¡¯t know if anything was broken, but be warned: Our Nanrong Family has a collection of priceless antiques. I¡¯ll have someone check it thoroughlyter. If anything is damaged, don¡¯t me me for causing you trouble."


    Ren Qing dismissively said, "Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m not interested in any of your junk, and if anything did get damaged, I¡¯llpensate you."


    "Fine, that¡¯s your word."


    As Nanrong Hao finished speaking, Zhong Wei and Liang Zhao Hui suddenly ran out, holding a blue and white porcin vase. The vase had exquisitely crafted ears on each side, though one of them had already been broken.


    Seeing Zhong Wei and Liang Zhao Hui approaching, Nanrong Hao¡¯s gaze immediately locked on the blue and white porcin vase. Looking at the broken spot, Nanrong Hao frowned and asked, "What¡¯s going on?"

 Chapter 948 - 953: Massive Compensation (2)

    <h4>Chapter 948: Chapter 953: Massive Compensation (2)</h4>


    Zhong Wei hurriedly replied, "Young master, they messed up the room just now. While we were tidying up, we found this on the floor, but unfortunately, it¡¯s already cracked. Young master, what should we do with it?"


    "What should we do with it?" Nanrong Hao squinted his eyes, nced at Ren Qing next to him, and said with a smirk, "Miss Ren, what do you say we should do about this?"


    Ren Qing nced at the broken blue and white porcin vase and said indifferently, "It¡¯s just a broken vase. At worst, I¡¯ll pay you the money."


    "Alright." Nanrong Hao¡¯s lips curled slightly with a hint of a mischievous smile in his eyes, "Since Miss Ren said that, I can be at ease. Liu Kun, go and bring the invoice and proof of collection for this blue and white porcin vase."


    "Yes." Liu Kun responded and hurried inside.


    Before long, Liu Kun returned to Nanrong Hao¡¯s side. Taking the invoice, Nanrong Hao smiled and handed it to Ren Qing, asking, "Miss Ren, would you prefer a check or a bank transfer?"


    "I..." Ren Qing was about to speak, but as her eyes fell on the number on the invoice, her expression changed dramatically, and she eximed, "Twenty-seven million?"


    "Nanrong Hao!" Ren Qing¡¯s face was filled with anger as she gritted her teeth and said, "You¡¯re tricking me."


    "Tricking you?" Nanrong Hao dropped his previous genial demeanor and said with a cold smile, "Miss Ren, this antique was broken by your people just now, and you publicly said you wouldpensate me at the original price. What, now that the words are out, are you thinking of going back on them?" As he spoke, Nanrong Hao pointed to the blue and white porcin vase, "This item was bought by my grandfather at an auction more than twenty years ago. Over twenty yearster, it has appreciated in value. If you don¡¯t believe me, you can check it out; the market price is definitely not less than thirty-five million. I¡¯m only asking you for twenty-seven million, which is already very fair."


    Ren Qing tossed the invoice aside and said coldly, "You keep saying this antique was broken by my people. Do you have any evidence?"


    "Evidence? Miss Ren, only you entered our Nanrong family house just now. Other than you, was there anyone else? Are you trying to say that I deliberately broke this antique just to ask you forpensation?" At this, Nanrong Haoughed, "Miss Ren, I¡¯m a businessman, and business is about profit. If this antique were intact, I could sell it for over thirty million. If I deliberately broke it to impensation from you, I would lose millions. Is that something you would do, a loss-making deal?"


    Before Ren Qing could respond, Nanrong Hao continued, "Miss Ren, if you don¡¯t want to pay, just say it straight. There¡¯s no need to make excuses. How about this, Officer Xia is here; we can ask Officer Xia to investigate thoroughly to see if you broke my antique or not. How about that?"


    "No!" Ren Qing replied in a serious tone, "Nanrong Hao, I¡¯m warning you, don¡¯t make something out of nothing." After speaking, Ren Qing waved her hand and said to her subordinates, "Let¡¯s go."


    "Stop right there!" Nanrong Haomanded coldly, "Ren, after breaking my things, you want to leave just like that? Is that how government officials operate?"


    "Shut up!" Ren Qing turned back and said, "You have no evidence to prove it was us who broke it, so we have no obligation topensate you."


    "I said, I can have Officer Xia conduct an investigation to find out who broke it. Miss Ren, we¡¯re not talking about a matter of a few hundred bucks but millions. I hope you can take this seriously; we ordinary people can¡¯t afford to suffer a loss for nothing."


    "Nanrong Hao!" Ren Qing said impatiently, "How many times do I have to repeat myself? I don¡¯t have time to waste with you. I¡¯m telling you, if you want money, there¡¯s none. If you have the guts, go ahead and sue me. Let¡¯s see who¡¯s more powerful." With that, without waiting for Nanrong Hao to respond, Ren Qing led her people away without looking back.


    Watching Ren Qing and her people leave, Nanrong Hao picked up the invoice from the ground and sneered quietly.


    Just wait and see how long you can keep acting up.


    "Officer Xia, thank you for your trouble today." At this moment, Nanrong Wanqing approached and expressed her thanks to Xia Mutong.


    "You¡¯re wee, I was just doing what I should do." After a pause, Xia Mutong couldn¡¯t help but ask, "Miss Nanrong, did Ling Chen get into trouble again? Why are government officials after him?"


    Nanrong Wanqing sighed bitterly, "Officer Xia, to be honest, I don¡¯t really know either. Sincest night, Ling Chen¡¯s phone has been off, and I can¡¯t reach him even now. I don¡¯t know where he is. Officer Xia, if possible, I¡¯d like to ask you to help me find him, maybe also find out the reason, so I can have some peace of mind."


    "Alright, I¡¯ll have someone look for him and inform you as soon as we have any news."


    "Thank you!"


    "No need to thank me. Alright, I have some things to attend to, so I¡¯ll get going now."


    <fn87e0> For more chapters visit </fn87e0>


    After seeing Xia Mutong off, Nanrong Wanqing exhaled, then turned to Nanrong Hao and asked, "How is it?"


    Nanrong Hao replied triumphantly, "Sister, don¡¯t worry; I¡¯ve got it all nned out. Humph! How dare they push their weight around on our Nanrong turf? I¡¯ll make sure they pay for it."


    ...


    Night fell.


    Ling Chen sat in a room at the Siheyuan, looking at hisptop screen, browsing the web.


    Knock, knock!


    The sound of knocking came, and Ling Chen replied, "Come in." Soon, Xia Yue walked in from outside, carrying a tray with several bowls on it, containing both dishes and rice.


    "Ling Cheng, stop working for a bit and fill your stomach. You haven¡¯t eaten anything all day; don¡¯t starve yourself."


    Ling Chen smiled slightly, "Sister, don¡¯t worry, my body isn¡¯t that fragile." That said, Ling Chen still moved from in front of hisptop to sit down in front of the sumptuous meal.


    While eating, Ling Chen¡¯s gaze asionally drifted back to theputer screen. At this moment, he had opened a webpage disying a video. Below the video were the y count and share count. The numbers were rising rapidly, soon surpassing one hundred thousand.


    "Ling Cheng, what¡¯s that?" Xia Yue asked curiously.


    Ling Chen grinned and said, "There¡¯s someone who keeps bothering me, so I have to keep her busy. This way, she won¡¯t have time for me."


    As he spoke, Hu Fei pushed the door open and walked in from outside, saying with a smile, "Ling Chen, see that? These kinds of things still need Sir Hu here. In less than half an hour, the y and share counts have exceeded over one hundred thousand. At this rate, by tomorrow morning, the inte will be filled with this news."


    "Well done," Ling Chen praised without reservation, "Fatty, keep an eye on it, try to settle it by tonight. It¡¯s been a whole day, and there¡¯s still no news from Lin Guodong, I reckon it¡¯s close."

 Chapter 949 - 954: Dismissal

    <h4>Chapter 949: Chapter 954: Dismissal</h4>


    The next morning.


    Ren Qing had just woken up in the hotel and hadn¡¯t had time to freshen up before her phone started ringing.


    The call connected, and Ren Qing politely greeted, "Hello, Mr. Zhang."


    "Qing, honestly, I¡¯m not doing well right now. Do you know why?"


    Hearing this, Ren Qing was filled with confusion,pletely unaware of what he meant. After thinking for a moment, Ren Qing asked puzzledly, "Mr. Zhang, what¡¯s wrong? Is it because of Ling Chen? Please rest assured, I¡¯ve already got some leads. Just give me a little more time, and I will definitely bring him to justice."


    "Qing, I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t give you any more time." Mr. Zhang¡¯s helpless voice came through the phone: "Qing, you¡¯ve worked hard during this period. Let¡¯s do it this way: take a vacation first, I¡¯ll arrange for you to go abroad and rx for a while, and I¡¯ll arrange another job for you afterward."


    "Why?" Ren Qing¡¯s face changed drastically as she asked anxiously, "Mr. Zhang, is it because I¡¯ve done something wrong? Tell me, I promise to correct it, please give me another chance."


    "Qing, you are an outstanding subordinate, and I really appreciate your abilities. However, having ability is one thing, handling matters is another. You have always been responsible for behind-the-scenes work and have never executed any field tasks. To be honest, it was myck of consideration this time; I shouldn¡¯t have let you handle fieldwork. So, this matter isn¡¯t entirely your fault; I share the responsibility."


    Ren Qing asked, feeling as if clouds had covered her understanding, "Mr. Zhang, what exactly are you talking about? I don¡¯t understand a word."


    "Alright, I won¡¯t say much more. If there¡¯s anything you don¡¯t understand, you can watch TV or check online." With that, Mr. Zhang directly hung up.


    Listening to the busy signal from the phone, Ren Qing paused in confusion. She had always been Mr. Zhang¡¯s capable assistant, and he frequently praised her work ability. However, she was at a loss as to why Mr. Zhang would say such things this time.


    After thinking it over, Ren Qing turned on the TV in the bedroom. Immediately, she saw the morning news on the screen, and the news had a clip extracted. Seeing that clip, Ren Qing¡¯s expression changed instantly.


    No time to think much, Ren Qing quickly opened herptop and found that all the websites were filled with news about her.


    The news not only included photos but also theplete video from yesterday at the Nanrong Family¡¯s ce. The video content was the segment in which she discussedpensation issues with Nanrong Hao. In the video, the phrase she said, ¡¯If you have the guts, go and file aint with the government, let¡¯s see who¡¯s more capable, you or me,¡¯ was very clear.


    It¡¯s over!


    Seeing this video, Ren Qing finally understood why Mr. Zhang wanted to abandon her.


    No, her future is at stake, she must think of a way to reverse the situation. However, looking at the overwhelming news online, an overwhelming sense of powerlessness welled up in Ren Qing¡¯s heart. The situation has developed to such an extent, it¡¯s almost one-sided; even if she has a thousand mouths, there¡¯s no way to exin the attitude she disyed at the Nanrong Family¡¯s ce.


    At that time, she was just momentarily angry, forced into a corner, so she said those words. She never expected such words would cause such a negative impact on herself.


    Nanrong Hao! Ling Chen!


    Thinking of these two people, Ren Qing couldn¡¯t help but grit her teeth in hatred. It must be they who set the trap and deliberately lured her. Mr. Zhang was right; she had always been responsible for behind-the-scenes work and never executed field tasks,cking experience, which led to such a big mess.


    While contemting, she heard a ¡¯thud, thud, thud¡¯ knocking on her door from outside the guest room.


    Ren Qing got up to open the door and looked at the suited man standing outside, asking, "What is it?"


    "Miss Ren, I¡¯m very sorry. I¡¯ve been instructed by Mr. Zhang to cancel all your duties. From now on, you don¡¯t need to handle anything regarding East Sea City. I have already arranged a flight and will send you back to Beijing this afternoon. In the meantime, please stay in the hotel and do not go out privately to avoid any unpleasant situations. Thank you!"


    Upon hearing this, Ren Qing gritted her teeth and ¡¯bang¡¯, closed the door.


    Returning to the bedroom, Ren Qing looked at the news disyed on theptop, with a slight frown, rapidly thinking of a countermeasure.


    In this situation, she has no way to change it, and being relieved from her duties, she¡¯s powerless to do anything.


    <fnc8cf> ???s ??????? ?s ?????? ?? Find?Novel</fnc8cf>


    No way!


    Ren Qing secretly clenched her teeth. She absolutely can¡¯t admit defeat so easily! If she leaves now, wouldn¡¯t it mean fulfilling Ling Chen¡¯s wishes?


    After much thought, Ren Qing quickly made up her mind.


    ...


    Siheyuan.


    Ling Chen looked at the news online and smiled slightly. With the situation reaching this point, Ren Qing is finished, Mr. Zhang will definitely not use her again.


    Taking the opportunity to deal with Ren Qing was just to avoid trouble. Judging from Ren Qing¡¯s various actions, if she continues to stay in East Sea City, she will definitely have an impact on his operation.


    Now there are still dozens of lives in Lin Guodong¡¯s hands, and he doesn¡¯t want to waste energy dealing with a self-righteous woman.


    Closing theptop, Ling Chen picked up the phone beside the table. It¡¯s been a day, and Lin Guodong still hasn¡¯t contacted him; who knows what he is plotting.


    Currently, with the resources provided by the government, what Ling Chen can confirm is that Lin Guodong and Lin Qiqi and their group are still staying in East Sea City. As for where they are hiding, it still hasn¡¯t been found.


    Given the resources Lin Guodong controls, if he wants to hide, it will be impossible to find him for quite some time.


    After all, East Sea City is toorge.


    While contemting, the phone screen in Ling Chen¡¯s hand suddenly lit up. Seeing the number disyed, before the ringtone sounded, Ling Chen already answered the call.


    On the other end, Lin Guodongughed heartily: "Ling Chen, it seems you¡¯ve been waiting for my call."


    "Tell me, what do you want me to do this time?"


    "I¡¯ll keep the task content confidential for now, but I can tell you this much: as long as youplete this task, I can give you five people, including Yuan Yun. How about it, are you interested?"


    "Can I say no interest?"


    Lin Guodongughed: "Ling Chen, I know your character, you are the kind of person who can go through fire and water for friends. So, you definitely won¡¯t sit idly by if your friends are in trouble. Alright, enough idle chatter, in half an hour, go to Yellow Sun Avenue in the Central District, and I¡¯ll contact you once you¡¯re there. Remember, don¡¯t try any tricks, my eyes will always be on you."


    The call ended, and Ling Chen did not hesitate, greeted Hu Fei, and immediately drove to the destination. At this moment, he was quite curious about what task Lin Guodong would assign to him.


    ```

 Chapter 950 - 956: Metal Combination Lockbox

    <h4>Chapter 950: Chapter 956: Metal Combination Lockbox</h4>


    In less than half an hour, Ling Chen arrived by car on the central avenue of the Central District. Checking the time, Ling Chen got out of the car, leaned against the car door, and surveyed the surroundings.


    It was just nine o¡¯clock in the morning, the street bustling with people walking to and fro, shoulder to shoulder and packed with heads. This was the Central District of East Sea City, the most prosperous area of the district, with towering buildings everywhere.


    The half-hour that Lin Guodong had agreed upon had already passed, yet he still hadn¡¯t called. Ling Chen parked the car and grabbed a coffee from a cafe by the roadside, and also bought two egg pancakes.


    Early in the morning, he was busy checking the news online and hadn¡¯t had breakfast yet. He wasn¡¯t sure what Lin Guodong would ask him to doter, but he decided to fill his stomach first.


    With the two egg pancakes down, it was already nine forty. Ling Chen fiddled with his phone, his brow slightly furrowed. Lin Guodong had clearly said he¡¯d contact him once he arrived. Yet, so much time had passed and the phone remained silent.


    "Could that bastard be messing with me?"


    Ling Chen thought to himself. Just then, he spotted a car convoy slowly approaching not far away, maintaining a speed of sixty kilometers per hour as it proceeded along the road.


    When the convoy passed by, Ling Chen paid extra attention. The convoy had a total of six cars, with the front two and back two being escort cars carrying security personnel, while the middle two were vehicles for VIPs.


    The two Rolls-Royces in the center had reflective ss windows, making it impossible to see inside.


    However, the convoy¡¯s configuration suggested that someone wealthy was inside. If they were government officials, there would definitely be a police escort. At this moment, the convoy continued along the street, gradually slowing down.


    Because this was a busy urban area, the most bustling part, with a lot of pedestrians and traffic, the convoy had to stop waiting for the road ahead to clear.


    Suddenly, Ling Chen¡¯s phone rang.


    Taking out his phone and seeing the caller ID, Ling Chen raised his eyebrows, seemingly guessing something, and immediately answered the call.


    "Ling Chen, do you see those cars in front of you? That¡¯s your target for today."


    "Who are the people in the car?"


    "You don¡¯t need to know. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m not asking you to kill anyone, just want you to help me seize an item. ording to the information we have, someone in the car is carrying a metal briefcase. I don¡¯t care what method you use. In any case, you must get that metal briefcase." With that, Lin Guodong directly hung up.


    Putting away his phone, Ling Chen sighed helplessly. It was exactly as he had guessed, Lin Guodong¡¯s request was precisely what he expected. But thankfully, Lin Guodong wasn¡¯t asking him to kill anyone. Otherwise, he¡¯d have no idea what to do.


    Metal briefcase!


    Ling Chen squinted his eyes, staring at the two Rolls-Royces not far away, secretly calcting how to proceed.


    Right now, he didn¡¯t know who was in the car, nor was he sure in which of the Rolls-Royces the metal briefcase was located. Moreover, he waspletely unfamiliar with the security details of the convoy, which undoubtedly increased his risk.


    As his thoughts raced, the people and traffic blocking the convoy gradually thinned, and the convoy¡¯s speed began to increase.


    Watching the convoy getting further away, Ling Chen didn¡¯t have much time to think; if he missed this opportunity, who knows when he¡¯d get another chance to act. As his thoughts raced, Ling Chen moved his legs and quickly sprinted towards those cars.


    Soon, Ling Chen had caught up and positioned himself in front of the two Rolls-Royces.


    Swish!


    With a swish, Ling Chen¡¯s wrist flicked, and the coffee cup in his hand flew out abruptly, smashing onto the windshield of the Rolls-Royce in front.


    Unfortunately, if it were a regr windshield, Ling Chen might have been able to shatter it with his skill and the coffee cup. But the Rolls-Royce used bulletproof ss, leaving him with no option.


    The coffee cup shattered on the windshield, spraying coffee all over both sides, obstructing the driver¡¯s view. Seeing this, Ling Chen didn¡¯t wait for the driver to clean the windshield, and swiftly rushed towards that Rolls-Royce.


    In the blink of an eye, Ling Chen was up close.


    Steeling his fists, Ling Chen gritted his teeth and gathered Hua Realm strength. With a ¡¯ng¡¯, the ss on the car¡¯s passenger door shattered instantly. Breaking the ss, Ling Chen thrust both hands inside, forcefully dragging out the suited man in the passenger seat and tossing him on the ground. By this time, the Rolls-Royce driver finally reacted, hurriedly stepping on the brake and trying to elerate forward to escape Ling Chen.


    However, the street was crowded, the road congested, with vehicles ahead blocked, moving at a snail¡¯s pace. Thus, as soon as the driver elerated, the Rolls-Royce bumped into the rear of the car in front with a loud ¡¯bang¡¯. In an instant, the Rolls-Royce¡¯s hood emitted thick smoke.


    Seeing the car stop, Ling Chen smiled secretly. Lucky enough! As his thoughts raced, Ling Chen peered into the car, searching for the metal briefcase. However, inside the Rolls-Royce were two middle-aged men, and there was no sign of a metal briefcase.


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    Could it be in the other car?


    Upon this thought, Ling Chen prepared to move towards the other Rolls-Royce. But just as he took a step, the Rolls-Royce¡¯s rear door suddenly opened, blocking his path. Following this, the two middle-aged men in the back seats stepped out, gazing at Ling Chen calmly.


    These two people... Feeling their gaze, Ling Chen suddenly felt a strong sense of crisis.


    The two middle-aged men in front appeared harmless, their eyes as tranquil as an ancient well, showing no emotion.


    Yet the more this was the case, the more it indicated that these two middle-aged men were far from simple.


    "Gentlemen, could you please make way?" Ling Chen took the initiative to speak.


    "Friend, for an Earthly List master to perform such a robbery, it¡¯s an undeserving act for your status," one middle-aged man said. "Seeing that we¡¯re all peers from the Martial Arts world, as long as you stop now, we won¡¯t make things difficult for you."


    Ling Chen thought for a moment and asked, "Can you tell me who is sitting in the car behind?"


    The two middle-aged men nced at each other and spoke lightly, "It¡¯s better if you don¡¯t know."


    "Is that so?" Ling Chen looked at the two with an enigmatic smile. Their words only fueled his curiosity more. Who could be so mysterious that even their identity must remain hidden?


    "What about you two?" Ling Chen changed the topic and asked, "Surely your identities aren¡¯t as secretive, are they?"

 Chapter 951 - 957: Ling Tao

    <h4>Chapter 951: Chapter 957: Ling Tao</h4>


    "We¡¯re just nobodies, you don¡¯t need to know." A middle-aged man replied.


    As he spoke, more than a dozen men in suits jumped out from the escort cars in front and behind, striding quickly towards this direction.


    "Friend, leave quickly, don¡¯t push us to act."


    Hearing the other¡¯s persuasion, Ling Chen hesitated for a few seconds. Then, he sped his fists to express gratitude, lightly tapped the hood of the Rolls-Royce with his toes, and his body instantly soared high, directly rushing into the alleyway by the roadside, disappearing in an instant.


    Not long after, Ling Chen emerged from the other end of the alley back onto the road. Watching the departing convoy, Ling Chen frowned slightly, his eyes flickering. He didn¡¯t choose to make a move just now mainly because of those two middle-aged men.


    Without even exchanging blows, they saw through his identity as a high-level martial artist on the Earthly List, indicating they were not simple. After careful consideration, he abandoned the action for safety reasons. Also, he still hadn¡¯t figured out who the owner of that car was.


    As he was pondering, the ringtone on his phone sounded.


    Ling Chen answered the call, only to hear Lin Guodong¡¯s voiceing from the other end: "Ling Chen, you have really disappointed me."


    "You can¡¯t me me," Ling Chen replied. "You didn¡¯t exin the situation clearly. There are experts more formidable than me in those cars; even if I forcibly acted, I couldn¡¯t possibly grab what you wanted. In the end, I might even get caught myself."


    After a pause, Ling Chen asked, "Shouldn¡¯t you tell me who was in that car? Also, what¡¯s in that encrypted metal box."


    "Ling Chen, don¡¯t you think you¡¯re asking too many questions?" Lin Guodong¡¯s tone carried a hint of indifference.


    "Your mission today was notpleted, I am very disappointed. You should know, failing a missiones with consequences, so..."


    Hearing this, Ling Chen said in a deep voice, "What do you want?"


    "Very simple... Bang!"


    As Lin Guodong¡¯s words fell, a gunshot was heard on the other end of the line. Then, there was a muffled groan, as if something fell to the ground.


    "Ling Chen, it was your failure that led to his death. So, I advise you, the next time you take action, don¡¯t disappoint me again. Otherwise, the next to die won¡¯t be your subordinates, but your friends. Enough said, I¡¯ll give you one more day. If you can¡¯tplete the mission within a day, don¡¯t me me for being ruthless."


    The call was hung up, Ling Chen frowned, his eyes as sharp as an eagle¡¯s sweeping around.


    Lin Guodong knew his every move very well, which showed he must have sent someone to monitor him secretly. However, with so many people around, it was unclear who was watching him.


    At the moment, Ling Chenposed himself, then drove back to the Siheyuan.


    Upon returning to the Siheyuan, seeing Ling Chen walk in with a gloomy face, Hu Fei hurried over and asked, "What¡¯s wrong?"


    "Encountered a bit of trouble." Ling Chen said in a deep voice, "Fatty, help me check, see what group that convoy in the Central District belongs to today."


    "Alright." Hu Fei nodded, immediately sat in front of hisputer, and pulled up the surveince footage from the Central District. Before long, Hu Fei found the license tes of those cars.


    Through the license tes, Hu Fei checked the database of the vehicle management office to find the owners of those cars.


    "Ling Chen."


    "What, you found it?" Ling Chen leaned close to theputer screen and asked.


    "I did, but the background seems a bit peculiar." Hu Fei said while typing on the keyboard, "Those cars were registered under a joint venture enterprise, whose owner is also surnamed Ling, just like you, named Ling Tao, who has been living abroad for a long time and is a Chinese-American."


    "Ling Tao?" Ling Chen murmured the name, then asked, "Is he from the Ling Family?" As soon as the words came out, Ling Chen immediately felt something was off. If Ling Tao were from the Ling Family, Lin Guodong wouldn¡¯t be looking for trouble with him, which obviously doesn¡¯t make sense.


    "Fatty, Lin Guodong asked me to seize an encrypted metal box. I want to know where that metal box is, also, the purpose of Ling Taoing to East Sea City, and his itinerary these days, all of it. Lin Guodong only gave me one day, I must settle this matter quickly."


    "Sure, no problem. You wait!"


    Ten minutester, Hu Fei handed over a printed document to Ling Chen, saying, "This is Ling Tao¡¯s schedule for today. Besides, I just checked his background."


    "How is it?"


    <fn7a18> Readplete version only at find?novel</fn7a18>


    Hu Fei said helplessly, "Nothing at all. This man named Ling Tao is very mysterious, aside from his birth date, there¡¯s virtually no information about him. Furthermore, even his family¡¯s information is missing. Ling Chen, if you¡¯re nning to take any action against him, better be cautious, don¡¯t cause any trouble."


    "I know that." After finishing, Ling Chen continued to ask, "Have you found any clue about the encrypted metal box?"


    "Not yet, finding information on such personal items is probably difficult. Hey! I say, you should bring Kaelina along, she¡¯s an old hand, experienced, with her help, it might be easier."


    "Okay, I¡¯ll see then."


    ...


    Nightfall.


    Ling Chen, dressed in a suit, arrived at the most luxurious Biyun Hotel in East Sea City. By his side, Kaelina stayed close. As they walked, passers-by couldn¡¯t help but cast their eyes towards them, filled with admiration and envy.


    Of course, the admiration was for Kaelina, and the envy was for Ling Chen.


    Tonight Kaelina was wearing a short skirt and ck stockings, paired with a id zer, wearingrge sses, holding a briefcase, the look of a specialized secretary.


    Kaelina¡¯s looks were already above average, her golden wavy hair exuding a mature allure, a blend of charm and seduction. No man could resist Kaelina¡¯s allure.


    Inside the hotel, Ling Chen, with his hands in his trousers pockets, walked straight to the front desk.


    "Hello Sir! May I assist you?" The receptionist smiled politely and respectfully asked.


    "We need a suite." Kaelina said.


    "I¡¯m terribly sorry, all the suites in the hotel are booked, now only standard rooms are avable, thirteen hundred a night, would you like to book one room or two?"


    Before the receptionist could finish, Ling Chen stared at her and said, "Do I look like someone who stays in a hotel for thirteen hundred a night? Let me tell you, don¡¯t give me that nonsense. If you can¡¯t make the decision, get your manager to talk to me."


    "This... Sir, our suites are all booked, there really isn¡¯t a room for you, or else... would you consider changing hotels?"


    Hearing this, Ling Chen looked at the receptionist with a half-smile and said, "You¡¯re suggesting I change hotels?"

 Chapter 952 - 958: Checking In at the Hotel

    <h4>Chapter 952: Chapter 958: Checking In at the Hotel</h4>


    "Do you know who my boss is? How dare you ask him to change hotels?" Kaelina said coldly, "It¡¯s your hotel¡¯s honor that my boss is willing to stay here."


    The front deskdy panicked and hurriedly exined, "Please don¡¯t misunderstand, I didn¡¯t mean it that way, it¡¯s just..."


    "Just what?" Ling Chen¡¯s voice instantly rose by eight decibels, immediately attracting the attention of those around, "Let me tell you, if I don¡¯t get a satisfactory room tonight, then this hotel might as well close down." With that, Ling Chen nced at the expensive watch on his wrist and said, "I¡¯ll give you five minutes. If you can¡¯t resolve it within that time, then all of you can get lost."


    With that, Ling Chen walked over to the sofa in the lobby by himself and took out his phone to y.


    Faced with this situation, the front deskdy didn¡¯t know how to handle it and had to call the manager. Soon, a middle-aged man in a suit strode over with a friendly smile on his face and said, "Sir, I am the hotel manager, is there anything I can assist you with?"


    Ling Chen replied indifferently, "You don¡¯t need to help me, you just need to give me the best suite you have."


    "Sir, we apologize, it¡¯s not that we won¡¯t arrange it for you, it¡¯s just that all the suites have been reserved by a guest. How about this, I arrange a standard room for you and cut the room charge in half, how does that sound?"


    Hearing this, Ling Chen couldn¡¯t help but sneer.


    "Are you the manager of this hotel?"


    "Yes."


    "I have to say, regardless of who the owner of this hotel is, their choice of you as the manager only shows theyck eyesight." Ling Chen squinted at the middle-aged man and asked, "Were you insulting me just now? Or do you think I¡¯m someone who would take advantage of small benefits, or someone who can¡¯t afford to pay?"


    "No, no, no!" The manager quickly waved his hand and said, "Sir, please don¡¯t misunderstand, I absolutely did not mean that."


    "Forget it!" Ling Chen stood up and said, "I¡¯m very disappointed with your service attitude. Lin, call Nanrong Wanqing and tell her that since I can¡¯t find a suitable ce to stay tonight, I¡¯ll just stay at her ce for the night and have her prepare two rooms for us."


    "Yes." Kaelina nodded, took out her phone from her pocket, and made a motion to make a call.


    "Wait a moment!" At this time, the middle-aged man interrupted Kaelina¡¯s action and hurriedly spoke, "Sir, if you don¡¯t mind, please wait a moment while Imunicate with the guest to see if they are willing to give up a suite."


    "Alright, I¡¯ll give you five minutes." After saying this, Ling Chen sat back down.


    With not much time, the hotel manager dared not dy and hurriedly went tomunicate with the guest. If Ling Chen hadn¡¯t mentioned Nanrong Wanqing, he wouldn¡¯t care whether Ling Chen stayed or not. However, from Ling Chen¡¯s tone, it seemed like he had a very good rtionship with Nanrong Wanqing. He didn¡¯t recognize the man in front of him, but he had heard of Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s famous name. In the whole East Sea City, probably no one didn¡¯t know about Nanrong Wanqing. So, to avoid offending the esteemed guest in front of him, he had to think of a way.


    Watching the hotel manager busy on the phonemunicating with the guest, Ling Chen smiled slightly, a trace of cunning in his ink-like eyes.


    Biyun Hotel is the most luxurious hotel in East Sea City. However, besides its luxury, it¡¯s most famous for its security and confidentiality measures. That¡¯s why many wealthy people choose Biyun Hotel as their ce to stay when they visit East Sea City.


    Biyun Hotel has a total of thirty-three floors, not very high, but it has a huge area, with fifty rooms on each floor. The higher the floor, the fewer the rooms, but the higher the quality.


    In less than four minutes, the hotel manager hurried back to Ling Chen¡¯s side, with a smile, said, "Sir, the suite you wanted has been vacated. Would you like to check in now or...?"


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    "Now, take my secretary toplete the procedures."


    "Okay."


    After spending a few minutespleting the check-in procedures, Ling Chen and Kaelina, apanied by the hotel manager himself, took the hotel elevator.


    Inside the elevator was a hotel security personnel. This security personnel¡¯s duty was specifically to supervise whether guests were going to the correct floors. If it was a luxury suite above the thirtieth floor, not only did it require a card swipe, but also the security personnel¡¯s password to activate the elevator.


    After a moment, the elevator stopped on the thirty-second floor of the hotel.


    "Sir, please follow me!"


    Led by the hotel manager, Ling Chen quickly arrived at his room.


    The room on the thirty-second floor was several hundred square meters, with an enormous area, and outside it was a whole ss wall, offering an excellent view. The room was divided into two levels, with two living rooms, a reception room, an entertainment room, and an audio-visual room, also including a small bar and swimming pool. Any luxurious enjoyment you could think of was avable here.


    "Sir, would you like to arrange dinner?"


    "Sure." Ling Chen nodded and said, "My people will deliver the luggageter, please arrange it."


    "Rest assured, sir, we will arrange everything. If there¡¯s nothing else, I¡¯ll take my leave."


    "Go ahead, I¡¯ll let you know if there¡¯s anything."


    Soon after the hotel manager left, the room service arrived with dinner. Besides amodation, the food here was also a top-notch experience. Although there were only two people, the hotel¡¯s dishes were nothing short, with a total of twelve courses, not including fruits and desserts.


    Having been busy preparing for tonight¡¯s action all afternoon, Ling Chen hadn¡¯t eaten much. Seeing the hearty feast before him, he couldn¡¯t resist and immediately sat down to enjoy the meal.


    After wine and food, Ling Chen rubbed his bulging belly andfortably sat on the sofa.


    About half an hourter, there was a ring at the door.


    "I¡¯ming!"


    Kaelina nced at Ling Chen, then got up and went to the door, opening it. Instantly, Hu Fei and Wei Jiahao stood outside wearing somewhat ill-fitting suits, pushing a luggage cart.


    "You finally arrived,e in." Ling Chen called out.


    "Damn, I¡¯m exhausted." Hu Fei panted andined, "Don¡¯t ask me to do suchborious work again."


    Ling Chenughed and teased, "With your physique, you should lose some weight." After a couple of jokes, Ling Chen turned serious and asked, "Is everything here?"


    Hu Fei pointed to severalrge boxes on the luggage cart and said, "Everything¡¯s in there, let me rest a bit first, and then I¡¯ll help you set it up."


    Ling Chen checked the time, it was already past nine in the evening.


    Still early!


    By this time, the person probably hasn¡¯t gone to sleep yet, so it¡¯s not the right time to act.


    "Fatty, you and Kaelina get the equipment ready, I¡¯m going out to check the situation."

 Chapter 953 - 959: Theft (Part 1)

    <h4>Chapter 953: Chapter 959: Theft (Part 1)</h4>


    Coming out of the room, Ling Chen held his phone and paced back and forth in the wide, red-carpeted corridor, observing the surroundings. From the thirtieth floor and above, Biyun Hotel consists entirely of luxury suites, each one simr to the room Ling Chen was staying in. Because the suites are sorge, there are only two such suites on each floor.


    After wandering for a while, Ling Chen noticed the door to the suite next door was closed and wasn¡¯t sure if someone was staying inside. He thought about checking but noticed that the corridor was filled with surveince cameras, with one directly facing the suite¡¯s door. If he approached, the hotel¡¯s security would definitely notice him.


    Furthermore, if hotel security saw him acting suspiciously, they might mistake him for something else. To avoid any issue for the uing operation, it was best to be cautious.


    Passing through the corridor, Ling Chen reached the security passage entrance. Beforeing, he had Hu Fei investigate the building¡¯s structure. Since those who could afford theserge suites were either wealthy or powerful, ordinary wealthy families couldn¡¯t afford such rooms. To ensure the safety of the guests, the security passages from the thirtieth to thirty-third floors are isted and do not connect with the lower floors. Moreover, there are security personnel stationed at each floor¡¯s passageway, making it almost impossible for outsiders to pass through.


    Given the hotel¡¯s rigorous security system, Ling Chen had abandoned the idea of sneaking into the hotel and decided to check in directly. This decision undoubtedly made the operation more convenient.


    At the security passage, Ling Chen did not push the door open but stood at the entrance, listening carefully to any sounds from behind the door. As expected, he could hear breathing and faint footsteps from behind.


    There is indeed someone standing guard!


    After familiarizing himself with the surroundings, Ling Chen returned directly to the hotel room. As soon as he entered, his phone rang immediately.


    Taking out the phone, Ling Chen walked to the window and answered.


    "It¡¯s sote, why aren¡¯t you resting? Howe you have time to call me?"


    "The owner of the Biyun Hotel called me earlier, indirectly asking if one of my friends was staying at their hotel. I replied following your instructions. Hey, why are you at Biyun Hotel? It¡¯s not like you don¡¯t have anywhere to stay."


    Ling Chen smiled and said, "Don¡¯t worry about it, I have my reasons." Pausing for a moment, Ling Chen continued, "It¡¯s gettingte, get some rest. I have some things to handle. If I have time tomorrow, I¡¯lle and keep youpany."


    "No worries, you go handle your business. Thepany has an important meeting tomorrow, so I might not have time to apany you even if you came."


    "Alright, I¡¯ll get in touch when I have free time then."


    After hanging up, Ling Chen turned to look at Hu Fei and Kaelina, who were busy, and asked, "How¡¯s it going? Is everything ready?"


    Hu Fei booted up theputer, noticed a series of green lights shining on the equipment, and made an ¡¯OK¡¯ gesture to Ling Chen.


    "How about you, Eighth?"


    "Brother Ling Cheng, don¡¯t worry, everything¡¯s set."


    Ling Chen nodded and said, "Fatty, now it¡¯s up to you, don¡¯t let me down." Saying this, Ling Chen picked up a backpack from beside the sofa and ced it by the ss window.


    He then unzipped the bag, took out a ss suction cup, and attached it to the ss surface. Once the ss was securely suctioned, Ling Chen picked up a ss cutter and, using the suction cup as the center, cut out the entire pane of ss.


    Setting aside the ss, Ling Chen looked down from the opening, feeling the cool and refreshing night breeze.


    "Fatty, it¡¯s good on my end."


    Without looking back, Hu Fei replied, "Remember, it¡¯s the twenty-seventh floor."


    "Got it." Ling Chen responded, taking the rope Wei Jiahao handed him, and jumped straight out of the ss frame. Under the guidance of the rope, Ling Chen¡¯s body descended vertically, rapidly.


    The twenty-seventh floor!


    As he was about to reach the floor, Ling Chen gripped the rope tightly with both hands, significantly slowing his previously rapid descent.


    Since it was night,bined with the high-floor setting, Ling Chen¡¯s dark attire rendered him unnoticed. Soon, Ling Chen reached the outer ledge of the twenty-seventh floor smoothly.


    Clinging to the thick ss surface, Ling Chen held the rope with one hand to steady himself, while the other hand took out a sharp knife, drawing a half-meter diameter circle on the ss. Once the knife line was sufficiently deep, Ling Chen put away the knife and kicked the pane. With a crash, the entire circr piece of ss shattered.


    Climbing through the ss opening, a row of shimmering lights immediately appeared before Ling Chen¡¯s eyes. He nced around and pressed his earpiece. "Fatty, I¡¯m in the server room."


    "Copy. Insert what I gave you into their mainframe, and after I deploy the software, we¡¯ll be able to synchronize control over the hotel¡¯s surveince and parts of the security system."


    "Understood!" Ling Chen replied and, aided by the dim light, quickly maneuvered among the rows of equipment to locate the mainframe. Soon, Ling Chen found the mainframe controlling the entire hotel in the center of the server room.


    <fn611e> Read full story at Find¡ïNovel</fn611e>


    Plugging in Hu Fei¡¯s USB drive, after waiting for about three minutes, he heard Hu Fei¡¯s "OK" over the earpiece.


    "Alright, I¡¯m out of here."


    Immediately, Ling Chen retraced his steps back to the ss window. Holding onto the rope, he gave a light tug, and receiving the signal, Kaelina and Wei Jiahao pulled the rope up swiftly. Before long, Ling Chen returned safely to the luxury suite on the thirty-second floor.


    Without a moment¡¯s rest, Ling Chen strode over to Hu Fei, asking while looking at theputer screen, "How¡¯s it, did you receive the signal?"


    Hu Fei smiled confidently, "Don¡¯t worry, when have I ever let you down?" Saying this, Hu Fei tapped the keyboard, and a surveince screen immediately appeared on theputer screen.


    "Look, this is the top floor surveince."


    ncing briefly, Ling Chen¡¯s brows furrowed slightly. On the surveince screen, the top floor corridor had more than a dozen security personnel in suits, not counting those inside the rooms. With such rigorous defense, even infiltration alone would be troublesome. Moreover, Ling Chen was most concerned about the two middle-aged men he encountered during the day.


    His instincts told him those two middle-aged men were definitely not simple.


    "Where are you nning to enter from?"


    Upon Hu Fei¡¯s inquiry, Ling Chen touched his nose, falling into deep thought.


    "How about I attack from the front, to distract them for you?" Kaelina suggested.


    "No need." Ling Chen replied, "That won¡¯t be of any help. Let¡¯s wait a bit; after midnight, I¡¯ll go up first. If there¡¯s a chance, I¡¯ll take action directly."

 Chapter 954 - 960: Theft (2)

    <h4>Chapter 954: Chapter 960: Theft (2)</h4>


    Ling Chen¡¯s n this time was very clear, stealthily obtain the metal briefcase and then slip away quietly.


    When he was a spy before, he had done this type of thing many times. Having not done it for a long time, he wondered if he would be rusty.


    Unknowingly, it was already midnight. Ling Chen stood in front of the ss window, waiting quietly. At about one o¡¯clock in the morning, Kaelina came over from the side and said, "It¡¯s about time, the lights upstairs are all out except for a few security personnel in the corridor."


    Ling Chen nodded, walked into the bedroom alone, and changed into ck clothes to better disguise his identity.


    With everything prepared, Ling Chen took the crossbow handed to him by Wei Jiahao and climbed out of the window. Pressing against the outer ss, Ling Chen raised his head to inspect the environment above, then lifted the crossbow in his hand, aimed at the target, and gently pressed the trigger.


    Whoosh!


    The sound of something cutting through the air was heard, and an arrow carrying a rope shot out directly, hooking onto the railing at the edge of the rooftop.


    He pulled the rope to ensure it was securely fixed before Ling Chen held the rope with both hands and slowly climbed upward. Before long, he reached the outer window of the thirty-third floor.


    At this moment, the entire thirty-third floor waspletely unlit, pitch ck, unable to see anything.


    Ling Chen put on the night vision goggles he prepared beforehand, looked through the ss window, and upon seeing no one behind it, steadied himself and began to dismantle the ss.


    High-altitude work is very strenuous, and Ling Chen exerted quite a bit of effort to remove the entire ss without leaving a trace.


    After finally dismantling the ss, Ling Chen cautiously entered the room and checked its surroundings. Seeing no one living in the room, he rxed a bit.


    This wasn¡¯t just a matter of luck. Luxury suites have the sameyout, and after checking into his room, Ling Chen made detailed observations of each room and entertainment area. Thus, he specifically chose to enter through the suite¡¯s bar, as it should be unupied at such ate hour.


    Wearing night vision goggles, Ling Chen gently opened the bar¡¯s sliding door and cautiously looked outside. The bar was connected to the main living room, which was about one hundred square meters, very spacious. At this moment, several security personnel were sleeping on the living room sofa.


    Judging by their snores, they had all fallen asleep.


    Avoiding the sleeping security personnel, Ling Chen went straight to the suite¡¯s master bedroom. The metal briefcase would definitely be in the hands of the owner. Moreover, as far as he knew, the master bedroom had a safe designed for storing guests¡¯ valuables.


    If he were carrying a metal briefcase, it would definitely be ced there.


    Soon enough, Ling Chen arrived silently at the entrance of the master bedroom. Standing outside the door, he listened attentively. Then, he grasped the doorknob, gently twisted it, and slowly pushed the door open.


    With the night vision goggles on, Ling Chen could see clearly even in the pitch-dark room.


    There was a person lying on the bed in the master bedroom, but due to the nket covering them, their appearance was not visible.


    Seeing no signs of the person waking up, Ling Chen quickly moved to where the safe was located in the master bedroom. The safe¡¯sbination had been reset; however, this posed no problem for Ling Chen. During his time with the Ghosts, he had opened numerous safes.


    In less than two minutes, with a light ¡¯click¡¯, Ling Chen easily unlocked the safe.


    Looking at the metal briefcase stored inside the safe, Ling Chen¡¯s eyes lit up, and his lips curled up involuntarily.


    His guess was correct; the metal briefcase was indeed kept in the safe. Without a moment¡¯s hesitation, Ling Chen quickly pulled the metal briefcase out of the safe.


    Afterward, he quietly closed the safe and carefully retreated from the master bedroom. Throughout the process, the person lying on the bed remained unresponsive.


    Too easy!


    Feeling the weight of the metal briefcase in his arms, Ling Chen secretly rejoiced. He thought it would take much longer to aplish, but it waspleted much quicker than expected.


    Returning along the original path to the bar, Ling Chen stood before the dismantled ss, preparing to secure the briefcase with a rope for Kaelina to catch from below.


    As Ling Chen was busy securing the metal briefcase, an unsettling feeling suddenly crept over him, as if he was being watched, giving him a chill down his spine.


    Always intuitive, Ling Chen quickly turned around, but before he could see what was behind him, a blinding light suddenly blocked his view. Instantly, Ling Chen raised his arm to shield his eyes. Following that, he removed the night vision goggles from his head.


    Once he removed the goggles, his vision quickly returned. Lights in the bar turned on brightly, revealing two familiar middle-aged men standing on either side of him, those seen earlier in the day.


    Under their gaze, Ling Chen awkwardly touched his nose and sighed inwardly. He had hoped toplete the mission easily but ended up being caught red-handed.


    "We meet again," Ling Chen greeted proactively. As he spoke, his eyes asionally darted around, looking for an escape route.


    <fn94b8> ?????? ???? Find?Novel</fn94b8>


    "I warned you not to target us, so why didn¡¯t you listen?" one middle-aged man said.


    Ling Chen shrugged and said helplessly, "Sorry, I have my own reasons. If possible, I don¡¯t want to oppose you."


    "Put it down, and I might give you another chance at life."


    Looking at the metal briefcase in his arms, Ling Chen hesitated. After pondering for a moment, Ling Chen replied with a bitter smile, "I¡¯m sorry, gentlemen, I can¡¯t hand it over to you because it¡¯s tied to several lives; I must take it with me."


    "So you are forcing us to take action? Ling Chen, don¡¯t say I didn¡¯t warn you, you are not our match. Once we strike, you will surely fail, so I advise you to think clearly."


    Upon hearing his name being called directly, Ling Chen¡¯s expression subtly changed. He asked in surprise, "You know me?"


    "Yes." The middle-aged man nodded lightly.


    "Who exactly are you?" Ling Chen was curious. He had never met them, yet they knew him¡ªwas he that famous?


    "I told you, you don¡¯t need to know who we are. You only need to know we are not people you can provoke. Now, put it down." As one spoke, the two middle-aged men stepped forward.


    Seeing their actions, Ling Chen nced around and swiftly reached back with his right hand. Suddenly, an object appeared in his palm.


    "Gentlemen, my apologies!"


    As his words fell, Ling Chen bit the shbang¡¯s pin and hurled it towards the ground.

 Chapter 955 - 961: Mysterious Relative

    <h4>Chapter 955: Chapter 961: Mysterious Rtive</h4>


    Bang!


    Smoke filled the air, and a blinding light burst forth, enveloping all three of them. Taking this opportunity, Ling Chen shut his eyes, turned around, and charged toward the ss window behind him. The rope was right outside, and as long as he grabbed it, he could escape to the room on the thirty-second floor. Kaelina and Wei Jiahao would be there to assist in a quick retreat.


    However, despite Ling Chen¡¯s good intentions, reality was not so amodating. Before he could reach the ss window, he felt a gust of wind approach. Moreover, the gust came from the front, blocking his path.


    <fnb059> This update is avable on find{n}ovel</fnb059>


    There was no other option; to avoid injury, Ling Chen had to change his steps and evade the attack. Immediately after, his foot slipped, and the Nine Yang Qiankun Step was executed in an instant, allowing him to swiftly move and continue rushing toward the window.


    Just then, out of nowhere, a hand suddenly reached out andnded on Ling Chen¡¯s shoulder. Before Ling Chen could react, the hand yanked him backward forcefully, sending his forward-charging body flying backward, crashing heavily onto a table and chairs.


    Bang!


    The table and chairs shattered into pieces.


    Clutching his aching waist and back, before Ling Chen could get up, he saw two middle-aged men standing in front of him, looking down at him condescendingly.


    "Alright, I give up!" Ling Chen raised both hands in surrender, sitting up from the ground helplessly.


    These guys were too formidable; even after using the Nine Yang Qiankun Step, they could still catch him. It was clear that these two were far superior, making anyparison pointless.


    Standing up, Ling Chenplied and handed over the metallicbination box. At this point, he could only ept his fate.


    However, as he handed over the metallicbination box, Ling Chen subtly pressed his earpiece a few times. This was the arrangement between him and Hu Fei¡ªif he encountered trouble, he would signal through the static noise of the earpiece, urging them to leave the hotel quickly to avoid being implicated. He certainly did not want them to be caught because of him.


    "Come with me." One of the middle-aged men pointed at Ling Chen and turned to walk out of the bar.


    Ling Chen sighed, said nothing, and obediently followed behind him.


    In the living room, he saw that the security personnel had already awoken and were standing on either side.


    "Have a seat!"


    Hearing the middle-aged man¡¯s words, Ling Chen doubted his ears. He¡¯s a thief, yet he was being offered a seat¡ªwas this preferential treatment for a captive?


    "Have a seat, no need to be formal here." The middle-aged man reiterated, his tone very kind, showing no intent to treat Ling Chen as a criminal.


    Ling Chen, not one to be pretentious, plopped himself down on the soft sofa, put his feet up, grabbed some fruit from the table, and started eating. Seeing his actions, the two middle-aged men smiled slightly, said nothing, and quietly stood by as if waiting for something.


    A few minutester, a person descended the stairs next to the living room. The person was very young, appearing only in his twenties, dressed in a loose robe, hair somewhat disheveled, as if he¡¯d just woken up.


    When the young man drew closer, Ling Chen studied him carefully. A handsome face, some locks of hair hanging over his forehead, with thick eyebrows andrge eyes. At the corners of his mouth, there was a faint smile. Especially his deep eyes, which showed a hint of amusement, as if seeing Ling Chen was truly delightful.


    "You should know who I am, right?" the young man asked. "I assume you did some research before your action."


    Ling Chen nodded, "Your name is Ling Tao."


    "Correct." Ling Tao smiled and said, "Honestly, you¡¯re very rude. People are sleeping in their rooms, and you just barge in without so much as a greeting, and you even take my belongings. Didn¡¯t your dad teach you any manners?"


    Hearing this, Ling Chen felt a bit irritated. Not for any particr reason, but because the other¡¯s tone was reminiscent of an elder. Being lectured face-to-face by someone about his age inevitably made him feel upset.


    Ling Tao seemed to see through Ling Chen¡¯s thoughts and said, "No need to feel upset. It¡¯s only right for me to teach you. Although I may look about your age, I¡¯m actually much older than I appear."


    "Really?" Ling Chen eyed him skeptically, full of disbelief.


    "In this world, nothing is impossible. The God Organization can research age-retarding serums, so why can¡¯t there be ways to stay young? Ling Chen, your perspective is too narrow. But then again, I can¡¯t me you because your exposure is limited."


    "Who exactly are you?" Ling Chen asked out of curiosity.


    "Me?" Ling Tao chuckled and said, "You can think of me as family."


    "Family?" Ling Chen was taken aback and immediately became wary.


    "Are you from the Ling Family?"


    "No, no!" Ling Tao waved his hand and said, "Don¡¯t worry, I have no connection with the Ling Family I¡¯ve been telling you about. However, I can firmly tell you, we share a blood rtion. As for my identity, it¡¯s not time for you to know yet. Just remember that I won¡¯t harm you."


    Pausing, Ling Tao continued, "Actually, I¡¯ve always wanted to meet you, but the time wasn¡¯t right, so I¡¯ve held back from disturbing your life. If you hadn¡¯te looking for trouble today, we wouldn¡¯t have met so soon."


    "You seem to know a lot about me."


    "More or less." Ling Tao smiled and said, "I have some idea about Nanrong Wanqing, Leng Feifei, Liu Xiyao, the policewoman, and the porridge girl."


    Hearing Ling Tao reel off so many women¡¯s names, Ling Chen blushed slightly and defended, "They¡¯re all my friends."


    "I know, I know." Ling Tao said with an understanding tone, "No need to exin so much. A good man will always have a few close female friends. It showcases your charm; there¡¯s nothing to be embarrassed about. In my youth, I¡¯ve had way more romantic encounters than you."


    "Um..." Ling Chen didn¡¯t want to dwell on this topic, so he steered the conversation, "You¡¯ve mentioned there are many things you can¡¯t tell me. What can you tell me?"


    "There isn¡¯t much I can tell you right now. At the very least, Ipletely understand the things you¡¯re currently dealing with. If I¡¯m not mistaken, it¡¯s the God Organization that threatened you to steal that metallicbination box, right?"


    "Yes, it¡¯s Lin Guodong."


    "Lin Guodong?" Ling Tao thought for a moment and nodded, "I remember, there is indeed such a person. However, he¡¯s just a minor figure, nothing in my eyes. If I wanted to eliminate him, it would be a matter of minutes."

 Chapter 956 - 962: Bragging

    <h4>Chapter 956: Chapter 962: Bragging</h4>


    Every minute?


    Ling Chen looked at Ling Tao with skepticism. This guy talks too big, iming he can eliminate Lin Guodong in minutes.


    "If you¡¯re really that capable, then help me take Lin Guodong out."


    Ling Tao smiled and said, "Well..."


    "Hey!" Ling Chen interrupted Ling Tao and said, "Didn¡¯t you just say we¡¯re family? If we¡¯re truly family, can¡¯t you even fulfill this small request for me?"


    "I know you don¡¯t believe me, but I¡¯m not bragging. To me, Lin Guodong isn¡¯t on the same level. If I wanted to deal with him, it would only take some time. But the problem is, I don¡¯t have the time to meddle in your affairs right now. Also, there¡¯s a reason I won¡¯t help you. In the future, your stage won¡¯t be limited to East Sea City. If you can¡¯t handle Lin Guodong, you¡¯ll lose the eligibility to step onto a bigger stage. So this is not just a test for you, but also a way to cultivate and hone your abilities. You should cherish this opportunity and work hard; don¡¯t let us down."


    Ling Chen noticed the ¡¯us¡¯ Ling Tao mentioned, and his heart skipped a beat. He asked, "So, do you have a group behind you?"


    Ling Tao didn¡¯t directly answer Ling Chen¡¯s question but said thoughtfully, "Ling Chen, those in the event may not see clearly, those from outside can. Remember, this prolonged battle has always been an internal war within the Ling Family. The Ling Family¡¯s view is broad, with the whole world as its stage, while you are still behind the scenes, not yet out on the formal stage."


    Ling Chen waved his hand and said, "I¡¯m not interested in this big stage you¡¯re talking about. I don¡¯t have great ambitions, I just want to care for my own patch ofnd. Besides, I¡¯m tired of fighting; what¡¯s the point of constant struggle? It¡¯s better to be at home with my wife."


    Hearing this, Ling Tao couldn¡¯t help butugh and pointed at Ling Chen, "Out of all the Ling Family¡¯s descendants, you¡¯re the one who¡¯s most mischievous. But you have luck on your side, your talent is decent, starting martial arts in your twenties, and you¡¯re constantly encountering fortune, surpassing many who trained for over ten years. Honestly, I¡¯m curious to see how far you can go."


    Saying this, Ling Tao waved to a middle-aged man beside him, who immediately handed over a metal coded suitcase.


    Taking the suitcase, Ling Tao turned to Ling Chen and asked, "Lin Guodong wants you to take this thing away?"


    Ling Chen nodded, "That¡¯s right." He then curiously asked, "What¡¯s inside?"


    Ling Tao didn¡¯t exin much but opened the metal coded suitcase and pointed the opening at Ling Chen. Inside was a sealed severed hand, surrounded by ice cubes, emitting coldness.


    Seeing the item in the suitcase, Ling Chen¡¯s expression slightly changed, and he asked in surprise, "This thing..."


    Ling Tao faintly smiled, then closed the metal coded suitcase securely.


    "I can¡¯t tell you the owner of this hand now, but I can say it¡¯s very important and mustn¡¯t fall into the other¡¯s hands. Otherwise, it will bring a great crisis. So, I¡¯m sorry to inform you that no matter how Lin Guodong threatens you, I can¡¯t give it to you. You have to find a solution yourself."


    "What solution can I find?" Ling Chen said helplessly, "He¡¯s threatening my friend¡¯s life, do you expect me to ignore it?"


    "That¡¯s your problem to solve, not mine. Don¡¯t call me cold-hearted for not helping. If this hand falls into the wrong hands, it¡¯s not just dozens of people who might die. Do you want to exchange other lives to save your friend?"


    Faced with Ling Tao¡¯s questioning, Ling Chen opened his mouth, unsure how to counter it. Indeed, with his personality, he couldn¡¯t bring himself to do such a thing.


    Seeing Ling Chen¡¯s troubled expression, Ling Tao ced the metal coded suitcase down and said, "No need to rush. Though I can¡¯t help you, I can offer some clues."


    "What clues?" Ling Chen asked eagerly.


    Ling Tao reached into his pocket and pulled out a piece of paper, handing it to Ling Chen, "Call this person, he¡¯ll provide the information you need. Hey! Consider this as you owing me a favor, you¡¯ll need to repay it someday."


    "No problem," agreed Ling Chen readily, "As long as my friends are safe, owing one favor, even ten, isn¡¯t an issue."


    <fn166f> Newest update provided by find[?]ovel</fn166f>


    "Good, I¡¯m relieved to hear that." Ling Tao checked the time and said, "It¡¯ste, do what you need to do quickly, don¡¯t miss the opportunity."


    "Thanks!" Ling Chen nodded, thanked him, and walked out.


    "Wait!"


    Ling Chen turned back and asked, "Anything else?"


    "You removed the hotel¡¯s window. Aren¡¯t you nning to put it back? I don¡¯t want to pay thepensation."


    Hearing this, Ling Chen nced at Ling Tao disdainfully. Living in such an expensive hotel room, yet can¡¯t afford thepensation? So petty.


    Having no choice, Ling Chen reinstalled the window and retraced his steps.


    Returning to the thirty-second floor suite, Ling Chen had just loosened the rope on his body when he saw Kaelina and Wei Jiahao fully armed, ready to head out.


    "Hey! Where are you going?"


    Kaelina turned suddenly and, seeing Ling Chening in through the window, was taken aback.


    "Didn¡¯t you say you were captured? How did youe back?"


    "It¡¯s a long story, I¡¯ll exinter. Hey, what are you up to?"


    "Sixth brother, we were going to save you." Wei Jiahao joined in, "Hu was going to lead us out of the hotel, but Kaelina and I insisted on rescuing you."


    "Nonsense!" Hu Fei red at Wei Jiahao, displeased, "When did I say I was going to escape?"


    "Alright, alright!" Ling Chen knew well Hu Fei¡¯s character. When danger approached, he was the fastest to flee.


    "Fatty, stop babbling, pack up, we have lots to do."


    Not long after, the four of them tidied up and took the elevator to the hotel¡¯s underground parking lot. On the way, hearing Ling Chen recount his experience, Hu Fei and the others were stunned.


    "He¡¯s your family? Are you sure?" Hu Fei was incredulous.


    Ling Chen shrugged, "It does seem imusible, but with so many proficient people around him, if he wanted to harm me, he could have done it directly; there¡¯s no need for deceit in this matter."


    Kaelina reminded from the side, "It¡¯s always wise to remain cautious."


    "I know. Alright, let¡¯s not discuss him anymore. I need to contact someone to inquire about big brother and the others¡¯ whereabouts."

 Chapter 957 - 963: Danger Is Safety

    <h4>Chapter 957: Chapter 963: Danger Is Safety</h4>


    Dialing the number provided by Ling Tao, it wasn¡¯t long before the call was connected. Before Ling Chen could speak, a maic voice came through from the other end: "Is it Mr. Ling? Hello, I know everything about your situation, and I will do my best to help you."


    "Thank you!" Ling Chen asked, "Do you know how to find those people abducted by Lin Guodong?"


    "Those people Lin Guodong captured are detained near the research base. As long as you¡¯re careful enough, you are sure to discover their hideout. However, I advise you to proceed cautiously, make sure they don¡¯t notice you. Otherwise, I can¡¯t guarantee they won¡¯t harm your friends."


    "Understood, I..."


    "I¡¯ve said all I need to say, Mr. Ling, take care." Before Ling Chen could finish, the other party jumped in and abruptly hung up the call.


    Setting down the cell phone, recollecting the man¡¯s words, Ling Chen¡¯s lips curled upwards, his eyes gleaming with insight. No wonder he couldn¡¯t find Lin Guodong¡¯s whereabouts¡ªturns out the guy was hiding around the research base.


    As the saying goes, the most dangerous ce is the safest location; no one would expect that after destroying the research base, Lin Guodong didn¡¯t go far but quietly hid nearby.


    "Fatty, let¡¯s go, to the research base."


    Half an hourter, the car pulled up alongside the street across from the research base. It was already three in the morning, the night deep and quiet, the streets deserted, not a soul in sight.


    Ling Chen sat in the passenger seat, his eyes scanning the surrounding buildings, searching for suspicious targets.


    However, the surroundings were all storefronts, and few office buildings. He couldn¡¯t tell where Lin Guodong and his men might be hiding.


    At this moment, Hu Fei took out a notebook, connected to the inte, and his fingers flew across the keyboard. Watching Hu Fei¡¯s actions, Wei Jiahao curiously asked, "Hu, what are you doing?"


    Hu Fei opened one document after another, browsing the information as he replied, "This area was under urban nning, and each building had structural diagrams before they were constructed. By regtion, these building structure diagrams are archived. I only have to ess the main server of the government construction bureau to retrieve these documents and find the structure diagrams of the nearby area."


    After a pause, Hu Fei continued, "To imprison so many people, Lin Guodong must need a fairlyrge space. This street area is mostly storefronts, it¡¯s impossible to hide so many people here. But because they are storefronts, some of therger ones have their own goods warehouses. These warehouses are generally behind the storefronts. Based on the size of these warehouses, we can filter out those that might hold prisoners."


    Hearing Hu Fei¡¯s exnation, Wei Jiahao couldn¡¯t help but praise, "Hu, you are really amazing."


    "Stop ttering him, this kind of person can¡¯t stand praise," Ling Chen unceremoniously retorted.


    Hu Fei replied grumpily, "What¡¯s wrong with Jiahao admiring me? Aren¡¯t you being too much?"


    Listening to the trio¡¯s bickering, Kaelina rubbed her brows, reluctantly interjected, "Enough with the noise, quiet down, do you even remember why we¡¯re here? Do you still want to save people?"


    After Kaelina reprimanded them, the three men in the car immediately shut their mouths and obediently sat in their seats, leaving only the ongoing tter of keyboard tapping. Roughly four minutester, Hu Fei brightened at the screen and said, "Found it."


    Immediately, Ling Chen and the others leaned their heads in closer.


    "There are four warehouses that meet the criteria, all within two hundred meters nearby."


    <fncf14> For original chapters go to Find1Novel</fncf14>


    "Alright, send me the locations, I¡¯ll go check them out first." With that, Ling Chen instructed worriedly, "Kaelina, ensure their safety."


    "Don¡¯t worry, with me here, they¡¯ll be fine."


    Stepping out of the car, Ling Chen followed the location provided by Hu Fei, swiftly heading towards the southern street. Before long, a warehouse located behind a storefront appeared in Ling Chen¡¯s view.


    Gazing at the nearby warehouse, Ling Chen stealthily approached, his sharp eyes sweeping the surroundings to prevent the presence of Dark Posts. If Lin Guodong was truly hiding here, he surely would have deployedyers of defense outside.


    Lost in thought, a faint sound suddenly reached Ling Chen¡¯s ears. Instantly, Ling Chen halted, scanning the vicinity. Several seconds passed, that faint sound appeared again. This time, Ling Chen finally confirmed the source of the sound. Based on his experience, it seemed to be the sound of breathing.


    It seemed like his assumptions were correct; there was indeed a Dark Post nearby.


    Since entering, it was unclear if that Dark Post had discovered him yet. Lost in his thoughts, Ling Chen moved slowly, leaning against the wall, creeping towards the direction of the breathing sound.


    Before long, Ling Chen gradually moved beside a pile of sundries. At this point, the sound of breathing became even clearer.


    Without hesitation, Ling Chen lightly tapped the ground with his toes and leaped directly over the stack of sundries. In the moment of ascent, Ling Chen nced down, only to see a person crouched behind the pile.


    Noticing Ling Chen¡¯s presence above him, the person immediately stood up, ready to call for help with a walkie-talkie. However, Ling Chen¡¯s reaction was faster. Before the person could utter a sound, Ling Chen flicked his wrist, and a stone he had just picked up from the ground shot out like electricity, urately hitting the man¡¯s brow.


    Then, there was a dull groan as the man slumped lifelessly to the ground.


    Approaching the man, Ling Chen examined him, uncovering a dagger, a signal gun, and a wireless walkie-talkie.


    Picking up the fallen walkie-talkie, Ling Chen opened the channel and mmed it hard against the wall. Instantly, the sound of static rang out continuously not far away.


    One... Three... Six!


    Ling Chen silently counted, his lips curling into a cold smile.


    Six Dark Posts remaining.


    Now aware of the positions of those six Dark Posts, the subsequent task for Ling Chen became undoubtedly easy. Within two minutes, all six Dark Posts were silently eliminated by Ling Chen.


    Given that so many Dark Posts were stationed here, it¡¯s certain that the people Lin Guodong captured are detained in this warehouse.


    The warehouse is massive, covering several hundred square meters. Its exterior walls are quite tall, roughly four meters high, with windows at the top, about three meters high.


    Ling Chen gazed up at the windows, seeing only darkness with not a hint of light.


    Strange!


    Had everyone inside left already? Why weren¡¯t there any lights on?


    With uncertainty, Ling Chen used both hands and feet to swiftly climb up the smooth wall.

 Chapter 958 - 964: How to Escape

    <h4>Chapter 958: Chapter 964: How to Escape</h4>


    At the top of the wall, Ling Chen held onto the beam with one hand and reached for the window with the other, trying to get a clearer look.


    When his fingers touched the window¡¯s surface, Ling Chen was surprised to discover that the windows were covered with special cloth that blocked all the light inside, making the warehouse appear pitch ck from the outside, as if no one was there.


    They were really cautious.


    Ling Chen thought silently, slowly tearing a corner of the cloth on the window. Instantly, bright light streamed through that corner. Ling Chen leaned in, looking through the window, and saw that the warehouse was filled with dozens of people, sitting or lying down in groups, all members of God Organization.


    However, besides the God Organization members, Ling Chen didn¡¯t see the captured Qiu Yong and others.


    Strange... Could it be that they¡¯re not held here?


    As he pondered, Ling Chen suddenly saw someone appear in the warehouse.


    Chu Huaiyang!


    He was here too. Ling Chen frowned slightly. Chu Huaiyang being here likely meant Zhu Hong was here as well. Of course, his biggest concern was Chen Quan. If that old fellow was here, he wouldn¡¯t have any chance at all.


    Jumping down from the top of the wall, Ling Chen didn¡¯t leave but went to the other side of the warehouse. There were windows on all four sides of the warehouse. Since he didn¡¯t see Qiu Yong and others from the previous spot, maybe he could find them from another angle.


    Switching to the north side of the warehouse, Ling Chen climbed the wall again. Peering through the window, a few people immediately caught his attention.


    Zhou Qi, Zhou Jun, Yuan Yun, Qiu Yong, Xu Ming, Zhang Zhongfeng, Qin Genglong, these few were all bound with ropes, and their hands and feet were secured with reinforced chains. They were all well-trained in martial arts and quite powerful. They probably restricted them like this to prevent any escape attempt.


    Watching the captives, Ling Chen quietly calcted. If he could save Qiu Yong and the others, with their help, things should be a lot easier. Even if Chen Quan was present, it wouldn¡¯t be too worrisome. After all, with Xu Ming there, although Xu Ming wasn¡¯t a Heavenly List expert, he could barely hold his own against one for a few moves. As long as he could hold Chen Quan, they could rescue the others, then together take on Chen Quan.


    With that thought, Ling Chen quietly pushed the window open and picked up a small stone, throwing it through the window bars.


    Suddenly, the small stone flew through the window,nding between Qiu Yong and Zhang Zhongfeng with a light ¡¯pop¡¯ sound.


    Upon hearing the sound, Qiu Yong and the others simultaneously turned their gaze towards the window at the top of the warehouse.


    Seeing them look over, Ling Chen immediately waved his hand, signaling his presence.


    Seeing Ling Chen outside the window, Qiu Yong and hispanions¡¯ eyes immediately brightened. However, perhaps due to nearby guards, they didn¡¯t dare speak but exchanged a few nces with Ling Chen, conveying their intentions.


    Being clever, Ling Chen couldrgely understand their meaning from their gestures.


    Then, Ling Chen extended both hands, grasping the center bar of the window, using force to bend it outwards. Under the strength of his arms, the rusty bar gradually bent and deformed, revealing a not toorge circr hole.


    Ling Chen judged the size of the opening, then pushed his head through. He then gradually wormed his body through bit by bit. It took him about two minutes to finally get through the hole.


    Once inside the warehouse, Ling Chen didn¡¯t head directly to Qiu Yong and others but took a more secluded route.


    Reaching a pile of wooden crates, Ling Chen leaned against a crate, sneaking a peek, seeing only a few men in suits sitting there, drinking beer and chatting crudely.


    Earlier, when exchanging nces with Qiu Yong, thetter had alerted him, so Ling Chen knew there were guards here. If he didn¡¯t deal with these guys, once he revealed himself, his cover would be blown instantly.


    While the men drank happily, Ling Chen, with a tap of his toes, quickly deployed the Nine Yang Qiankun Step, charging at them.


    In the blink of an eye, Ling Chen had knocked the men to the ground without making a sound. Moreover, before the beer bottles hit the floor, Ling Chen had caught them with his hands, making no noise at all.


    After dealing with the guards, Ling Chen quickly made his way to Qiu Yong and the others, helping unlock the chains binding them.


    "Sixth Brother, you finally came!" Yuan Yun said excitedly, giving Ling Chen a pat on the shoulder. "If you hadn¡¯te, I¡¯m not sure how much longer I could have held on."


    "Third Brother, don¡¯t get too happy yet. Even with Sixth Brother here, it¡¯s not certain we can get out unharmed."


    Hearing Qiu Yong¡¯s words, Ling Chen asked in confusion, "Big Brother, what¡¯s wrong?"


    "We¡¯ve all been drugged," Zhou Qi said in a deep voice from the side. "Zhu Hong knows we¡¯re a threat and injected us with a drug to prevent any trouble."


    <fnb199> For original chapters go to Find1Novel</fnb199>


    Zhang Zhongfeng chimed in, "We can only exert about 20% of our strength now."


    Twenty percent strength?


    Ling Chen¡¯s heart sank. This was bad. He was counting on Qiu Yong and the others to help rescue the rest, but now, it seemed they couldn¡¯t even ensure their own safety.


    What to do now!


    Thinking it over, Ling Chen asked, "Big Brother, besides you all, where are the others held?"


    "I don¡¯t know for sure. They were here at dawn, butter Zhu Hong took them away, and I don¡¯t know where. What I do know is they¡¯re not in this warehouse because a truck left from here at the time."


    Ling Chen ruffled his hair. They were taken away!


    He had nned to rescue everyone at once, but now it seemed he could only lead Qiu Yong and the others out.


    With a quick decision, Ling Chen didn¡¯t hesitate. "Big Brother, I¡¯ll escort you all out first."


    "Through there?" Qiu Yong pointed at the window Ling Chen had just entered through and waved his hand, "No, my body isrger than yours, and I can¡¯t fit through. Besides, Qin Genglong is even bigger. Even if you remove the bars, he likely wouldn¡¯t fit."


    Hearing this, Ling Chen nced at Qin Genglong¡¯s massive frame and couldn¡¯t help but smile wryly.


    Indeed, Qin Genglong¡¯s physique was toorge to fit through.


    "Ling Chen, there are too many of us. Climbing out the window will take too long. We¡¯ll be discovered eventually. I suggest we think of another way," Zhou Qi suggested.


    As he was speaking, a sharp cry suddenly came from above.


    Everyone looked up, only to see an eagle soaring over their heads. Seeing the eagle, Ling Chen¡¯s face changed drastically.


    Damn!


    The eagle was Song Mingzhe¡¯s pet. Its presence here meant they had already been discovered.

 Chapter 959 - 966: Qiu Yong Poisoned (1)

    <h4>Chapter 959: Chapter 966: Qiu Yong Poisoned (1)</h4>


    At this moment, rapid footsteps echoed from all directions, and in the blink of an eye, dozens of members of the God Organization arrived quickly, surrounding everyone.


    At the same time, the crowd split in the middle, revealing a narrow passage. With Zhu Hong wearing a silver mask, nked by Chu Huaiyang, Song Mingzhe, and others, he strode to the front of the crowd, coldly staring at Ling Chen and the others.


    "Hmph! Ling Chen, I really underestimated you. I didn¡¯t expect you to find your way here. But unfortunately, even if you found us, what can you do? Do you think you have the ability to lead them out?"


    "Without even trying, how do you know I can¡¯t?" Ling Chen calmly replied, reaching into his pocket while his gaze scanned the crowd, searching for Chen Quan¡¯s figure. However, Chen Quan seemed to have not appeared.


    "Zhu Hong, without your Master as your backing, do you think these rabble can keep us here?"


    "You want to see my Master?" Zhu Hong sneered and said, "To be honest, you¡¯re not qualified enough for my Master to intervene. These people around me are more than enough to handle you." As his words fell, Zhu Hong gestured to the crowd behind him.


    Instantly, under the lead of Chu Huaiyang and Song Mingzhe, the group swiftly charged towards Ling Chen and the others.


    Seeing the enemy approaching, Ling Chen said nothing and directly went forward to face them, targeting Chu Huaiyang and Song Mingzhe amid the crowd.


    These two were undoubtedly the greatest threats.


    At this moment, Qiu Yong and his team had their abilities greatly reduced due to the injection of a drug, rendering them powerless to fight against skilled opponents. Hence, the responsibility of dealing with Chu Huaiyang and Song Mingzhe fell solely on Ling Chen¡¯s shoulders.


    Ling Chen had exchanged blows with Chu Huaiyang once or twice before, making him somewhat familiar. However, he had never faced Song Mingzhe before. Moreover, ording to Xu Ming, Song Mingzhe was most skilled in beast taming, carrying many toxic creatures with him. Engaging in battle with Song Mingzhe required utmost caution.


    Recalling Xu Ming¡¯s warning, Ling Chen dared not be careless; leveraging the Nine Yang Qiankun Step, he shifted positions back and forth between Chu Huaiyang and Song Mingzhe, entangling their legs to prevent them from troubling Qiu Yong and the others.


    With Qiu Yong and his team¡¯s current capabilities, they could still handle some minor opponents. However, if faced with Earthly List or Dragon List experts, they would definitely struggle.


    Chu Huaiyang originally intended to deal with Qiu Yong¡¯s team but was incessantly harassed by Ling Chen, causing him considerable annoyance.


    "Let¡¯s settle Ling Chen first!"


    Upon hearing Chu Huaiyang¡¯s words, Song Mingzhe immediately understood, shifting his focus onto Ling Chen.


    However, with the speed of the Nine Yang Qiankun Step, Ling Chen¡¯s figure was like a shadow swiftly moving around, changing positions, making it impossible for anyone to determine his exact direction or anticipate where he mightunch a stealthy attack.


    Seeing this, Song Mingzhe reached into his coat and threw something into the air. Instantly, a cloud of powder dispersed in the air. The powder was colorless and odorless, akin to flour.


    At that moment, Ling Chen happened to move near Song Mingzhe and before he could dodge, the powder had alreadynded on him.


    What the hell?


    Ling Chen was startled internally and hurriedly waved his arms, brushing off his clothes. Who knew if it was toxic powder? He had to be cautious.


    However, after the powder settled on him, Ling Chen did not feel any difort.


    Was he just being paranoid?


    As he pondered, Song Mingzhe retrieved several small green snakes from somewhere and released them onto the ground.


    The moment those small green snakes hit the ground, they seemed invigorated, swiftly slithering towards Ling Chen¡¯s location with impressive speed, quickly closing in on him.


    Without time to think further, Ling Chen immediately utilized the Nine Yang Qiankun Step to keep moving. But, the small green snakes seemed to follow him seamlessly, no matter where he shifted, they continued to stay close and could urately pinpoint his location every time.


    At this moment, Ling Chen finally understood the purpose of the powder.


    It must be due to the powder that allowed the small green snakes to locate him urately.


    Thinking of this, Ling Chen instinctively reached down, grabbed a few items, and hurled them at the small green snakes. With his skill, he was confident in his uracy.


    However, the capabilities of those small green snakes far exceeded Ling Chen¡¯s expectations.


    Sensing danger approaching, the small green snakes immediately shifted positions, moving sideways to avoid. Instantly, all the thrown objects fell to the ground, missing their targets.


    Witnessing this, Ling Chen was momentarily stunned.


    Such speed!


    Ling Chen was secretly startled. Had these little green snakes attained some form of intelligence to dodge his attacks?


    Just then, a whistle sounded. Following it, the small green snakes on the ground suddenly sprang up, like arrows, swiftlyunching towards Ling Chen¡¯s face.


    Although he was unsure of these snakes¡¯ species, being trained poisonous creatures under Song Mingzhe, their venom must be potent. If bitten, who knows what fate would await?


    As the small green snakes closed in, Ling Chen quickly slid his foot back to retreat.


    Just as Ling Chen dodged the assault, a strong sense of danger suddenly surged within him.


    Shifting his gaze, Ling Chen only saw a figure quickly maneuvering to his rear.


    Chu Huaiyang!


    Before Ling Chen could react, Qiu Yong¡¯s voice sounded from behind: "Sixth Brother, watch out!"


    Unfortunately, even with Qiu Yong¡¯s warning, Ling Chen¡¯s reaction was a fraction too slow.


    In an instant, he felt a pain in his back, followed by a powerful force crashing onto him. Under the impact of that force, Ling Chen¡¯s body tilted forward, right into the path of the small green snakes.


    Damn!


    Seeing the small green snakes spring forward again, Ling Chen¡¯s expression changed.


    "Sixth Brother!"


    At this moment, Qiu Yong shouted, rushing over from the side and colliding with Ling Chen.


    Immediately, Ling Chen lost his bnce, falling heavily to the ground. Though Ling Chen was saved, Qiu Yong instead became the target of the small green snakes.


    Seeing Qiu Yong¡¯s arm bitten by the small green snakes, Ling Chen was startled and quickly jumped up, grabbing the small snakes and flinging them away.


    "Big Brother, Big Brother!"


    Watching Qiu Yong¡¯s pale face, Ling Chen became anxious and loudly called Qiu Yong¡¯s name.


    "Six... Six..." Qiu Yong opened his mouth, attempting to say something, but no matter how hard he tried, not a singleplete sentence emerged. Moreover, his eyes blinked rapidly, seemingly about to close at any moment.


    "Big Brother!"


    Ling Chen forcefully patted Qiu Yong¡¯s cheeks, urgently saying, "Don¡¯t sleep, don¡¯t sleep, wake up!"


    Despite Ling Chen¡¯s calls, Qiu Yong ultimately couldn¡¯t hold on and passed out directly.<fn8359> Updates are released by Find1Novel</fn8359>

 Chapter 960 - 967: Qiu Yong Poisoned (2)

    <h4>Chapter 960: Chapter 967: Qiu Yong Poisoned (2)</h4>


    "Big Brother!"


    At this moment, Xu Ming and the others also noticed Qiu Yong¡¯s condition and hurried over.


    Looking at the unconscious Qiu Yong, Ling Chen asked worriedly, "Second Brother, what do we do? Big Brother, he..."


    "Don¡¯t panic," Xu Ming said in a deep voice. "Panicking won¡¯t help now. We should first figure out a way to escape."


    "Ling Chen, I think you should just surrender obediently. You can¡¯t escape from the palm of my hand," Zhu Hong stood nearby with his hands behind his back, his eyes filled with arrogance as he said coldly.


    Ling Chen, holding the unconscious Qiu Yong, retreated slowly to the warehouse wall under the protection of Xu Ming and the others. At this moment, they were cornered.


    Faced with the encirclement of dozens of people, Ling Chen frowned, his mind racing for a solution.


    Right now, with Qiu Yong poisoned and unconscious, the others¡¯bat abilities were nearly nonexistent. Only he could hold out for a while. However, he himself was also injured, not a match for Song Mingzhe and Chu Huaiyang.


    <fn1c18> ???s ??????? ?s ?????? ?? f¦É?dn¦Ïvel</fn1c18>


    "What, still refusing to surrender?" Zhu Hong looked at Ling Chen and the others coldly, speaking up, "At this point, do you still think you can struggle to the death?"


    As he spoke, a phone suddenly rang among the crowd.


    Ling Chen fumbled in his pocket, pulling out his phone. Seeing the caller ID, he immediately answered the call, yelling, "Fatty, if you don¡¯t help us now, we¡¯re all dead."


    "Go!"


    Seeing Ling Chen answer the phone, Zhu Hong immediately issued the order.


    As the crowd rushed over, Ling Chen quickly put down the phone, holding Qiu Yong¡¯s body and shouted, "Everyone, move aside!"


    Upon hearing this, even though they didn¡¯t understand why, Xu Ming and the others followed Ling Chen¡¯s lead and quickly moved away from the wall.


    Bam!


    Just as they stepped away, a loud crash was heard, and the wall where Ling Chen had been standing was suddenly smashed. At the same time, the front of a garbage truck emerged from the scattered stones.


    "Get in!"


    From the car window, Hu Fei stuck his head out and yelled at them.


    Seeing the garbage truck, Zhu Hong¡¯s face turned grim, shouting coldly, "Stop them, don¡¯t let them escape."


    Upon hearing Zhu Hong¡¯smand, Song Mingzhe and Chu Huaiyang led their group to intercept the garbage truck.


    At this moment, Kaelina suddenly appeared on top of the garbage truck.


    In her hand, Kaelina held a steel pipe, the end covered with thick cloth. Not only that, but the steel pipe was also attached to a rubber hose.


    Seeing the enemies rushing at the front of the truck, Kaelina took out a lighter from her pocket and ignited it against the steel pipe.


    In an instant, a fiery serpent spewed from the pipe¡¯s mouth, engulfing the group charging ahead.


    "Hahahaha!" Seeing the enemies suppressed by the mes, Hu Fei, sitting inside the truck, couldn¡¯t help butugh triumphantly, saying, "How¡¯s it taste, my makeshift methrower?"


    Watching this, Zhu Hong¡¯s gaze turned icy.


    "Chu Huaiyang, what are you standing around for? Deal with that woman on top," Zhu Hong ordered.


    Chu Huaiyang felt helpless at Zhu Hong¡¯smand. He wanted to handle Kaelina, but as soon as he got near the truck¡¯s head, the roaring mes would spray towards him.


    Even though he was an expert on the Earthly List, he couldn¡¯t withstand the fire unless he had an iron body.


    Meanwhile, Ling Chen and the others had already climbed into the garbage truck¡¯spartment.


    "Fatty, let¡¯s go!" Ling Chen patted the truck¡¯s roof and shouted.


    Hu Fei¡¯s truck had never turned off, and upon hearing Ling Chen, he immediately shifted gears, driving the garbage truck backward. In a short time, the garbage truck retreated from the rubble.


    "Chase them!"


    Watching the garbage truck move away, Zhu Hong urgently ordered his men to pursue.


    "A bunch of useless idiots, can¡¯t even hold them back,"


    At this moment, a cold voice came from behind. Zhu Hong turned to look, his expression changing slightly, and lowered his head, "Master!"


    "Hmph! Zhu Hong, you¡¯ve disappointed me," Chen Quan coldly said, "Stay here, I¡¯ll handle those people." With that, Chen Quan¡¯s toes lightly tapped, his body like a gust of wind, vanishing from Zhu Hong¡¯s sight in an instant.


    At this moment, Hu Fei had already driven the garbage truck back onto the road. Inside the truck¡¯spartment, Ling Chen held the unconscious Qiu Yong, checking his pulse and examining his condition.


    "Sixth Brother, how¡¯s Big Brother?" Yuan Yun squatted beside, anxiously asking.


    Ling Chen said in a deep voice, "Not very optimistic. The snakes¡¯ venom is potent, fortunately, Big Brother¡¯s inner strength is profound, temporarily dying the venom¡¯s spread. But if not treated in time, once the toxin reaches his organs, even gods couldn¡¯t save him."


    Saying this, Ling Chen stood up and shouted towards the driver¡¯s cabin, "Fatty, head to the hospital immediately."


    "Got it!"


    Bam!


    Just as Hu Fei spoke, a loud sound came from the back of the garbage truck.


    Ling Chen quickly rushed to the rear of the truck, looking down to see a bicycle on the road. Due to the collision, the bicycle was deformed.


    In front of the bicycle, a figure was rapidly closing in.


    Seeing clearly who it was, Ling Chen¡¯s heart sank.


    Chen Quan!


    "Fatty, speed up!" Ling Chen urged.


    However, given the size of the garbage truck and the number of people inside, coupled with the frequent turns on the road, it was difficult to gain speed.


    Inparison, Chen Quan¡¯s speed was significantly faster than the garbage truck. In a short time, Chen Quan was less than twenty meters away from the garbage truck.


    "Fourth Brother!"


    Ling Chen turned to Zhang Zhongfeng, ready to ask for help, but quickly recognized that Zhang Zhongfeng was unarmed. They fled too hastily and left their weapons behind.


    If Zhang Zhongfeng had his bow and arrows, he could surely fend off the pursuing Chen Quan.


    Twenty meters... ten meters...


    Seeing Chen Quan getting closer, Ling Chen grew anxious, uncertain of what to do.


    At this moment, Chen Quan tapped his toes, using the force to propel his whole body like a missile, shooting into the air, flying directly toward the truck¡¯spartment.


    "Get down!"


    Ling Chen shouted, thrusting a fist powerfully, intending to fend off Chen Quan.


    But, a Heavenly List expert is still a Heavenly List expert. In response to Ling Chen¡¯s attack, Chen Quan¡¯s body spun slightly in the air, effortlessly dodging Ling Chen¡¯s fist,nding steadily inside the truckpartment.


    Seeing Chen Quan catch up, the people inside thepartment were shocked, quickly getting up and retreating.


    There was no choice. At this moment, besides Ling Chen having some fighting capability, the others couldn¡¯t exhibit their strength, being no match for Chen Quan.

 Chapter 961 - 968: Ling Kun’s Sudden Appearance

    <h4>Chapter 961: Chapter 968: Ling Kun¡¯s Sudden Appearance</h4>


    "Chen Quan!" Ling Chen shouted, pouncing from behind and wrapping his arms around Chen Quan¡¯s body, trying to pull him back with all his might.


    Right now, Ling Chen only thought about dragging Chen Quan out of the carriage, even if it meant sacrificing himself; he couldn¡¯t let Chen Quan harm others.


    However, Ling Chen underestimated the power of a Heavenly List expert. Chen Quan¡¯s body trembled slightly, a strong force exploded out, breaking free from Ling Chen¡¯s grip. Before Ling Chen could make another move, Chen Quan spun around and locked Ling Chen¡¯s neck, lifting him off the ground.


    Feeling his neck constrained, Ling Chen struggled desperately, his hands pounding relentlessly on Chen Quan¡¯s arms. Facing Ling Chen¡¯s struggle, Chen Quan raised two fingers and harshly struck Ling Chen¡¯s abdomen.


    In that instant, Ling Chen¡¯s face turned pale, spitting out a mouthful of blood with a ¡¯pfft¡¯, his expression instantly bing haggard.


    "Sixth Brother!"


    "Ling Chen!"


    Seeing Ling Chen suffering, everyone in the carriage panicked, ignoring whether their strength was restored, they rushed towards Chen Quan, attempting to save Ling Chen from his grasp.


    "Hmph!" Chen Quan sneered, delivering a palm strike that directly sent Xu Ming and the others flying.


    No matter what, a Heavenly List expert remains a Heavenly List expert. If Xu Ming and the others were at their peak strength, they might be able to join forces for a fight, but now they were merely powerless targets, posing no threat.


    At this moment, Chen Quan tightened his fingers slightly, causing Ling Chen¡¯s face to contort with pain, as pale as paper, as if he could die at any moment.


    "Fight with me, and I¡¯ll make sure none of you survive." Chen Quan said coldly.


    Just as Ling Chen was about to give in, a sound of breaking air suddenly attacked, heading straight for Chen Quan¡¯s face. Sensing the sudden forceful wind, Chen Quan¡¯s face slightly changed, quickly releasing Ling Chen¡¯s neck and stepped back hastily.


    As Chen Quan retreated two steps, a ¡¯ng¡¯ rang out, piercing the iron te of the carriage with a hole.


    If this hit people, it would¡¯ve likely turned into a bloody hole.


    Seeing the remaining hole on the iron te, Chen Quan¡¯s expression froze slightly, with a hint of shock.


    To pierce the iron te from such a distance showed the opponent¡¯s strength.


    Heavenly List expert!


    Chen Quan¡¯s expression sank; only a Heavenly List expert could achieve this.


    Quickly thinking, Chen Quan looked around, speaking in a heavy tone, "Who¡¯s there? Show yourself if you dare, don¡¯t hide your head and tail."


    "You want to see me?" a voice came, and atop the garbage truck a person appeared out of nowhere.


    Everyone looked up, seeing a middle-aged man standing on the truck¡¯s roof. The man was around forty years old, exuding elegance and gentlemanly demeanor, dressed in modest attire, fluttering in the night breeze.


    The middle-aged man stood with his hands behind his back, looking down at Chen Quan, speaking calmly, "Here I am, what do you want?"


    ring at the middle-aged man before him, Chen Quan asked coldly, "Who are you?"


    "That¡¯s not necessary for you to know, you just need to remember, I¡¯m someone you can¡¯t afford to provoke. Chen Quan, before I act, you¡¯d better disappear from my sight right away. Otherwise, I won¡¯t guarantee you¡¯ll leave alive."


    "Hmph, such big words." Chen Quan sneered, "No one has dared to speak to me like that, I want to see what you can do."


    "Alright, since you want to see, I¡¯ll apany you to the end." With that, the middle-aged man lightly tapped his toes, propelled into the air, instantly springing off the roof.


    "Chen Quan, if you have the guts, follow me."


    "Not afraid of you." Chen Quan snorted, hesitating not at all, directly chasing the middle-aged man¡¯s footsteps.


    At this moment, Chen Quan knew clearly that with the middle-aged man present, he shouldn¡¯t think about dealing with Ling Chen.


    As Chen Quan and the middle-aged man departed, everyone in the carriage breathed a sigh of relief. Although they didn¡¯t know the middle-aged man¡¯s identity, he helped, proving he wasn¡¯t an enemy.


    "Ling Chen."


    Yuan Yun held the unconscious Ling Chen, gently patting his cheeks. Shortly, Ling Chen groggily opened his eyes, looking at everyone in front of him, weakly asking, "I... I¡¯m not dead?"


    Zhou Jun smiled and said, "Rest assured, you¡¯re not dead, everyone¡¯s okay."


    Right then, Zhou Jun exined what had happened. After listening, Ling Chen couldn¡¯t help but be shocked.


    Based on Zhou Jun¡¯s description, if he¡¯s correct, that person could very likely be his father, Ling Kun!


    Turns out Dad has awakened.


    Ling Chen felt a surge of joy. Fortunately, his father arrived in time and saved him from Chen Quan¡¯s grasp. Otherwise, he was really in danger this time.


    However, amidst the excitement, Ling Chen couldn¡¯t help but worry about Ling Kun¡¯s safety. After all, Chen Quan was a Heavenly List expert, and Ling Kun lured him away, uncertain if there¡¯d be danger.


    As he pondered, the moving garbage truck gradually slowed its speed.


    "We¡¯re at the hospital."


    <fn93c7> Chapters first released on Find_Novel(.</fn93c7>


    Hearing Hu Fei¡¯s voice, Ling Chen hurriedly got up, calling for everyone to carry Qiu Yong off the truck, quickly heading to the hospital.


    Before long, Qiu Yong was sent to the emergency room.


    Watching the emergency room¡¯s red light turn on, everyone¡¯s heart tightened. Ling Chen paced back and forth, silently praying, hoping Qiu Yong would be safe and sound.


    "Sixth Brother, you were also injured earlier, do you need a check-up at the hospital?" Yuan Yun asked with concern.


    Ling Chen shook his hand and said, "I¡¯m fine, right now the most important thing is big brother, I¡¯ll wait for him toe out first."


    As he spoke, a fragrance wafted from the other end of the hallway. Ling Chen looked up, seeing ten or so young men and women in white coats walking together, chatting andughing along the way.


    Seeing a woman leading the group of young men and women, Ling Chen¡¯s expression slightly froze.


    It¡¯s Zhu Xiaozhu!


    Unexpected to meet her here.


    Ling Chen was familiar with Zhu Xiaozhu¡¯s work nature, oftening to East Sea City for business trips and medical exchanges.


    However, it¡¯s already past five in the morning, why is she still at the hospital?


    When Ling Chen saw Zhu Xiaozhu, she also noticed him. Their eyes met, and Zhu Xiaozhu instinctively diverted her gaze, avoiding looking directly into Ling Chen¡¯s eyes.


    Adjusting her mood, Zhu Xiaozhu nced at Ling Chen¡¯s side, seeing a group of people standing there somewhat embarrassed, all anxiously waiting for something.


    Emergency room...


    Seeing Ling Chen¡¯s location, Zhu Xiaozhu instantly understood, it must be a friend of theirs undergoing rescue inside, which is why everyone was so worried.


    At this moment, as Zhu Xiaozhu approached, the two got closer. Upon arrival, Zhu Xiaozhu hesitated for a moment, ultimately stopped her steps, looking up at Ling Chen, saying, "Long time no see."


    Ling Chen gently nodded and said, "It¡¯s been a while since west met."

 Chapter 962 - 969: Kidnapping

    <h4>Chapter 962: Chapter 969: Kidnapping</h4>


    "Is that your friend?" Xiaozhu pointed at the emergency room and asked.


    "My elder brother, he¡¯s been poisoned by a snake, it¡¯s quite dangerous, and they are rescuing him right now." Ling Chen¡¯s voice carried a hint of worry as he spoke.


    <fn11db> ?????? ???? findnovel</fn11db>


    Xiaozhu softly said, "You don¡¯t need to worry too much; as long as he gets treatment in time, most snake poisons won¡¯t be life-threatening."


    Upon hearing this, Ling Chen couldn¡¯t help but smile bitterly. He wished it were so, but those little green snakes were kept by Song Mingzhe, their venom would surely be more than ordinary.


    "What are you busy with sote?" Ling Chen shifted the topic and asked.


    "Just handled an emergency patient, and since the medical college students are interning here, I took them along to gain some clinical experience. And..." Xiaozhu hesitated for a moment before saying, "You go ahead with your work, I have some things to attend to, and I wish your brother a speedy recovery from danger."


    "Thank you!" Ling Chen nodded.


    Watching Xiaozhu leave, Ling Chen sighed helplessly. Nowadays, whenever he faced Xiaozhu, he couldn¡¯t maintain a normal heart. Moreover, even when they met, they didn¡¯t know what to say to each other.


    As he pondered, the door to the emergency room was pushed open by someone wearing a white coat inside.


    "Doctor!"


    Ling Chen, along with Xu Ming and others, hurriedly went up, surrounding the person in the white coat, asking in a fluster: "Doctor, how is my brother¡¯s situation?"


    "Everyone, please be quiet." The doctor pressed his hands down, signaling everyone to be silent.


    "Who among you is the patient¡¯s family?"


    "We all are."


    "Since you are all family, I¡¯ll be straightforward, the patient¡¯s condition is not very favorable. Moreover, it is not a regr snake poison, but a mixed one, and currently, the hospital doesn¡¯t have the right serum to neutralize it. What we can do now is at most inhibit the spread of the toxin, but the antibodies we inject won¡¯tst for long. If we can¡¯t find another solution within a day, his life could be at risk. So, I hope you prepare psychologically."


    Upon hearing the doctor¡¯s words, everyone¡¯s mood sank instantly.


    "Sixth brother." Yuan Yun spoke up: "Aren¡¯t you skilled in medicine? Since these quacks aren¡¯t working, you go, we can¡¯t let anything happen to brother."


    Ling Chen touched his nose, smiling bitterly inwardly. It¡¯s true he understood medicine, but the issue is, he could at best treat minor injuries and illnesses, he¡¯d never encountered snake poison like this before, and had no experience at all. If he were to treat Qiu Yong instead, Qiu Yong might be in even more danger.


    "Alright!" At this time, Xu Ming took over the conversation: "Third brother, don¡¯t make things difficult for sixth brother. If sixth brother had the ability to cure our elder brother, he wouldn¡¯t be standing here." He paused and nced at those present, saying: "I know everyone is very worried about brother¡¯s safety, but such things can¡¯t be rushed. Didn¡¯t the doctor also say, we still have a day¡¯s time, everyone mustn¡¯t lose hope."


    Xiaozhu!


    Ling Chen¡¯s mind moved as he immediately thought of Xiaozhu who just left. He was aware of Xiaozhu¡¯s medical skills; she was certainly much more skilled in this area than he, theyperson, was. Perhaps she had a way to cure the snake poison in Qiu Yong.


    Thinking of this, Ling Chen immediately ran toward the stairway.


    Reaching the hospital lobby, he only saw the group of young interns gathered together, but Xiaozhu was nowhere to be seen.


    Seeing this, Ling Chen quickly approached the group and inquired about Xiaozhu¡¯s whereabouts.


    "Are you looking for Sister Zhu? Sister Zhu said earlier that she was going back to the dormitory to fetch something; perhaps you can try finding her in her dormitory." A warm-hearted female intern said.


    "Thanks!" Ling Chen, after finding out the location of Xiaozhu¡¯s dormitory, rushed over directly.


    Arriving at the downstairs of the dormitory building, Ling Chen looked up at the five-story dormitory building, calling Xiaozhu¡¯s name loudly. As long as Xiaozhu was still in the dormitory, she would certainly hear his voice.


    However, even after calling out seven or eight times, there was no response from inside the dormitory building.


    Strange!


    The intern just now clearly said, Xiaozhu resides on the second floor of the dormitory building, it shouldn¡¯t be possible that she couldn¡¯t hear. Could it be she left? But he didn¡¯t encounter Xiaozhu on his way here.


    At that moment, Ling Chen went straight to the second floor of the dormitory building, finding the dormitory where Xiaozhu lived.


    Seeing the ajar door, Ling Chen gently knocked on it, calling out: "Xiaozhu, it¡¯s me."


    Still, no one from inside the room responded.


    The door¡¯s open, no way no one¡¯s home. Ling Chen thought secretly. After hesitating for a moment, he simply pushed the door open and walked directly into the dormitory.


    The dormitory was a one-bedroom, one-bathroomyout, the lights were still on in the room, and the bathroom door was open, but there wasn¡¯t anyone there.


    Ling Chen frowned slightly, seeing a few pieces of clothing scattered messily on the floor by the bed, and a knocked-over ss cup, with water all over the floor.


    Seeing such a situation, from Ling Chen¡¯s many years of experience, he instantly had a bad premonition.


    Could something have happened?


    Thinking of this possibility, Ling Chen hurriedly ran out the door. Calcting the time, if something happened to Xiaozhu, he would have encountered her while on his way, but he hadn¡¯t run into Xiaozhu or anyone else. From which it could be seen, Xiaozhu must have left the dormitory building by another route.


    Standing on the balcony outside the dormitory, Ling Chen looked around, discovering another staircase not far away, built along the outer wall of the dormitory building.


    Ling Chen quickly arrived at the staircase, leaning out to look downward, seeing that the stairs led to the back of the dormitory building. At that moment, a van was parked behind the dormitory. Due to the darkness, Ling Chen couldn¡¯t see the van¡¯s license te clearly, he only saw two men pushing something into the van. Then, the two quickly entered the vehicle, closing the door.


    Seeing the van driving away, Ling Chen didn¡¯t think much, quickly jumping down from the stairs, chasing after the van at full speed.


    A hunch told Ling Chen, Xiaozhu must be in that van.


    At this moment, sitting in the van, the two men saw Ling Chen following the vehicle behind them, their expressions changed. They exchanged a nce, then immediately took out a cellphone from their pockets, dialing a number.


    Soon, the call connected, and a man¡¯s voice came from the other end: "How¡¯s it going, have you got it done?"


    "Boss, we caught the person, but we ran into trouble."


    "What kind of trouble?"


    "Ling Chen seems to know that Xiaozhu got caught, he¡¯s following behind the car. Boss, what should we do now, should we think of a way to shake him off?"


    After hesitating for a moment, the other party said, "Forget it! You guys are no match for him, release the person, don¡¯t take risks, I don¡¯t want to be found out by him."


    "Yes, boss, I know what to do."


    Hanging up the phone, the two men patted the driver¡¯s seat. Thetter understood immediately, stopping the van at once. At the same time, two men opened the car door, directly pushing Xiaozhu out.

 Chapter 963 - 970: Shi Family (Part 1)

    <h4>Chapter 963: Chapter 970: Shi Family (Part 1)</h4>


    When Zhu Xiaozhunded on the ground, the driver floored it, and the van¡¯s nose shot out instantly, disappearing around the corner of the street.


    Watching the van go away, Ling Chen didn¡¯t continue to chase but stopped and helped Zhu Xiaozhu up from the ground.


    "Xiaozhu, are you okay? Is everything alright?" Ling Chen asked concernedly.


    Zhu Xiaozhu rubbed her slightly sore shoulder and replied softly, "I¡¯m fine."


    "Who were those people just now?" Ling Chen inquired, "Why did they want to kidnap you?"


    "I don¡¯t know. When I was returning to my dormitory, they suddenly barged in, forcibly dragging me outside. I¡¯m not strong enough to fight them off, and they covered my mouth, so I couldn¡¯t even scream," Zhu Xiaozhu appeared helpless, with a hint of confusion in her gentle eyes. Even she found it strange; she had never made enemies with outsiders, so why would someone want to kidnap her?


    After thinking for a moment, Zhu Xiaozhu looked at Ling Chen in front of her, curiously asking, "You... why are you here?" As she asked this, a faint blush appeared on Zhu Xiaozhu¡¯s slightly pale cheeks.


    When she was kidnapped, the first person toe to mind was none other than Ling Chen. She thought to herself, if Ling Chen were here, he would definitely save her. Unexpectedly, her wish had actuallye true.


    Could it be what they call ¡¯telepathic connection¡¯?


    Amidst her wild thoughts, Ling Chen spoke, "The hospital can¡¯t cure my brother¡¯s snake venom and has issued a critical notice. If no miracle urs, my brother has at most one day left. Xiaozhu, I know your medical skills are impressive, so I wanted to ask for your help."


    "One day?" Zhu Xiaozhu was shocked and said in amazement, "What kind of snake venom is so potent?" Saying this, she quickly freed herself from Ling Chen¡¯s hands and said, "Let¡¯s go, I¡¯ll go with you to take a look."


    Not long after, the two arrived at the hospital¡¯s emergency room.


    Upon learning that Zhu Xiaozhu was going to take over the patient¡¯s treatment, several attending doctors immediately stepped aside without saying a word, acting as her assistants.


    After more than ten minutes, Zhu Xiaozhu, holding the freshly obtained blood test report, looked somewhat grave.


    "Xiaozhu, how¡¯s my brother¡¯s condition?"


    "What those attending doctors said earlier is correct; your brother¡¯s situation is extremely dangerous. Because the venom in your brother is a mixture of snake venoms, theponents are difficult to grasp. If the proportions are wrong when preparing the antidote, your brother¡¯s life will be in jeopardy." After pausing, Zhu Xiaozhu continued, "In any case, any doctor would be at a loss facing such a situation."


    Hearing this, Ling Chen worriedly asked, "Is there really no way?"


    "It¡¯s not that there¡¯s no way, just that weck time," Zhu Xiaozhu said, "I can use medical equipment to slowly separate the mixed venom, figure out theponents and proportions, and then prepare the antidote. However, this process would take at least two to three days. The toxins in your brother¡¯s body are rapidly spreading, in at most a day, they will permeate his entire body. By then, even if the antidote is prepared, it will be to no avail unless we find a solution within a day."


    Ling Chen anxiously said, "Xiaozhu, no matter what, you have to help me."


    Zhu Xiaozhu gently nodded, looking at Qiu Yong lying on the hospital bed, lost in thought.


    After pondering for a moment, Zhu Xiaozhu said, "Ordinary methods can¡¯t treat your brother in time; the only option now is to seek help from others."


    "Who?" Ling Chen hurriedly asked.


    "My master." As soon as the words were out, Zhu Xiaozhu couldn¡¯t help but nce at Ling Chen. She knew the enmity between Ling Chen and her master. Ling Chen¡¯s actions at the Heavenly Mechanism Great Ceremony had caused Shi Su a great loss of face and even involved the Shi Family¡¯s reputation.


    From top to bottom, the Shi Family hated Ling Chen.


    Upon hearing Zhu Xiaozhu¡¯s words, Ling Chen was slightly taken aback, his brows unconsciously furrowing.


    If seeking Shi Su could save Qiu Yong, Ling Chen would go to him without hesitation. However, because of what happened at the Heavenly Mechanism Great Ceremony, he and Shi Su already had a feud, so how would the other party help him?


    Seeing Ling Chen silent, Zhu Xiaozhu chimed in, "You don¡¯t need to worry too much. I¡¯ll go to my masterter; you don¡¯t need to follow. I¡¯m the disciple; if I speak up, my master won¡¯t refuse."


    "Thank you!" Ling Chen breathed a silent sigh of relief. If he had tomunicate personally, he really wouldn¡¯t know what to do.


    "Xiaozhu, where is your master?"


    "The Shi Family. The city where the Shi Family resides isn¡¯t far from East Sea City, just a two-hour drive."


    "Alright, I¡¯ll drive you over," Ling Chen said. Two hours felt too long; he wanted to cut it short. If he drove, it would take at most an hour and a half.


    It was still dark at the time. Ling Chen greeted Xu Ming and the others, instructing them to take good care of Qiu Yong.


    Leaving the hospital, Ling Chen drove the Audi car that Nanrong Hao had just arranged for delivery and headed directly for the highway entrance.


    All the way, Ling Chen carefully drove the Audi, maintaining a speed of around one hundred sixty kilometers per hour.


    In less than an hour and a half, the Audi drove off the highway and entered a nearby small town.


    ording to Zhu Xiaozhu¡¯s introduction, this town is called Yunchuan Town, where the Shi Family mansion is located.


    The Shi Family is not only a family of medical heritage but also a renowned family with a history spanning many years. This is evident from the Shi Family¡¯s old mansion, which has a history of several hundred years and still retains the charm of ancient architecture. It is said that someone once offered three hundred million to buy the Shi Family¡¯s old mansion, but the Shi Family refused.


    A joke, this old mansion is considered a historical relic. Besides, the Shi Family is never short of money.


    After wandering in the town for a while, Ling Chen took Zhu Xiaozhu for breakfast and then drove her to the Shi Family¡¯s doorstep.


    To avoid unpleasant situations, Ling Chen did not follow Zhu Xiaozhu inside but stayed in the car, quietly waiting for her toe out.


    Half an hour passed, Ling Chen checked the time several times but still didn¡¯t see Zhu Xiaozhu.


    Why is it taking so long?


    Ling Chen wondered. Just as Zhu Xiaozhu left, she said it would only take about ten minutes; now, more than half an hour had passed without a sign of her.


    <fn5ad0> Latest content published on findnovel</fn5ad0>


    Ling Chen took out his phone and sent a text message to Zhu Xiaozhu¡¯s phone, asking how much longer she would be.


    However, after a few minutes, the sent text message still received no reply.


    After waiting for another fifteen minutes or so, Ling Chen saw that Zhu Xiaozhu still hadn¡¯te out, so he decided to call.


    Dialing the number, he heard the beep sound on the other end very soon. Shortly afterward, the call connected, and Zhu Xiaozhu¡¯s voice came through from the other end.

 Chapter 964 - 971: Shi Family (Part 2)

    <h4>Chapter 964: Chapter 971: Shi Family (Part 2)</h4>


    "Hello!" Zhu Xiaozhu¡¯s voice was very soft, as if afraid of being heard.


    "How much longer will you be? I haven¡¯t seen youe out for a while, and I¡¯m a bit worried, so I¡¯m calling to check."


    "Hold on a bit longer, I still have some matters here." Zhu Xiaozhu sounded a bit hurried and hung up the phone before Ling Chen could ask anything else.


    There was no choice, Ling Chen had to wait patiently outside. Before he knew it, another hour had passed, and there was still no news from Zhu Xiaozhu. Seeing this situation, Ling Chen was getting restless. If Zhu Xiaozhu was busy, she could easily send him a message or make a phone call to let him know, rather than leaving him waiting outside.


    However, in Ling Chen¡¯s view, with Zhu Xiaozhu¡¯s considerate nature, she would never neglect such a thing. So, it must be some important matter that was holding her up.


    Thinking it over, Ling Chen decided to wait another hour. If Zhu Xiaozhu still didn¡¯t show up, he would have no choice but to risk sneaking into the Shi Family to check.


    ...


    9:30 in the morning.


    Ling Chen turned his head to look out the car window, seeing the Shi Family gate closed and no one going in or out.


    <fnbc40> Readplete version only at Find~Novel</fnbc40>


    At that moment, Ling Chen started his Audi and slowly drove to the left side of the Shi Family mansion. After parking, he opened the car door and scanned the surroundings. Seeing no one nearby, he quickly approached the Shi Family mansion¡¯s wall and leapt onto the top of the wall.


    Jumping over the wall, Ling Chennded steadily in the mansion¡¯s courtyard.


    ncing around, he saw that the spacious courtyard was empty. However, from the northern hall in the courtyard, there were frequent bursts ofughter.


    Ling Chen hesitated for a moment, and then carefully walked towards the hall. Outside the hall, he leaned against the wall and cautiously peered inside. Instantly, he saw Shi Su and another middle-aged man sitting in the main seats of the hall. Below them sat Zhu Xiaozhu and an unfamiliar young man.


    The young man seemed to be in his twenties, not much different in age from Ling Chen. He had handsome features, was charming, had a slender build, and could be considered quite a fine-looking man.


    At that moment, the four of them in the hall were chatting andughing. However, Zhu Xiaozhu¡¯s smile was somewhat forced and stiff. The observant Ling Chen noticed that the young man¡¯s gaze kept sweeping towards Zhu Xiaozhu, ncing at her several times a minute.


    "Senior Brother, your apprentice is outstanding, and his medical skills are superb. In every way, he and Xiaozhu are a perfect match," said Shi Su, turning to Zhu Xiaozhu and smiling. "Xiaozhu, Liu Xi is a very excellent young man, you should seize the opportunity. The Master can only introduce you, but the rest will require your own efforts."


    The middle-aged man sitting beside himughed heartily. "Junior Sister, Xiaozhu and Liu Xi are no longer young, they know how to mingle, so you, the Master, shouldn¡¯t worry unnecessarily."


    Shi Su said helplessly, "Don¡¯t I know my disciple¡¯s personality? She is too passive and never takes initiative. Liu Xi, you must be proactive in this matter."


    "Yes, I understand," responded the young man named Liu Xi obediently.


    "Alright! Senior Brother, we¡¯ve said enough. Whether it works out depends on how they get along. Xiaozhu, why don¡¯t you take Liu Xi to the back garden for a stroll, to get to know each other better? I have some things to discuss with your uncle."


    Upon hearing this, Zhu Xiaozhu couldn¡¯t help but speak up, "Master, I don¡¯t have much time; there¡¯s a patient waiting for me to save."


    "I know," Shi Su replied indifferently. "You already told me earlier. It¡¯s alright, that patient has another day, so it¡¯s still early. It¡¯s fine to goter."


    "But..."


    Before Zhu Xiaozhu could finish, Shi Su impatiently interrupted her, frowning, "Xiaozhu, are you going to disobey your Master now?"


    "No, it¡¯s not that, I just..."


    "Enough! This is a matter of your lifelong happiness. Other people¡¯s life and death can¡¯tpare to it. Go on, you¡¯re half a host here; don¡¯t keep Liu Xi waiting."


    Seeing Shi Su¡¯s strong attitude, Zhu Xiaozhu opened her mouth and wanted to argue, but after hesitating for a moment, she chose to give up. Her Master¡¯s stance was clear, and it was unlikely to change for a while.


    Thinking of this, Zhu Xiaozhu sighed in resignation. She promised Ling Chen she¡¯d be back in ten minutes, but it had been hours, and Ling Chen was likely bing impatient.


    No, she must find an opportunity to call Ling Chen and tell him about her situation, to avoid any misunderstanding.


    At this time, Ling Chen, hiding outside the hall and watching Zhu Xiaozhu inside, couldn¡¯t help but smile wryly. Turns out Zhu Xiaozhu was dragged by her Master to a matchmaking session.


    It wasn¡¯t Zhu Xiaozhu¡¯s fault; she probably couldn¡¯t leave even if she wanted to.


    "What to do?" Ling Chen thought to himself. Zhu Xiaozhu is now stuck at the Shi Family mansion, forced into this matchmaking meeting; if he doesn¡¯t think of a way to get Zhu Xiaozhu out, who knows how long it¡¯ll drag on.


    Meanwhile, each passing minute put Qiu Yong¡¯s situation at greater risk.


    Just then, a loud shout suddenly sounded in Ling Chen¡¯s ear, "Who¡¯s there?"


    Upon hearing a voice behind him, Ling Chen¡¯s expression changed slightly, and he turned around quickly to see two people appear in the courtyard out of nowhere.


    Seeing the two heading towards him, Ling Chen dared not linger and sprinted towards the wall.


    If those from the Shi Family caught him, who knows what the oue would be.


    At this moment, Shi Su, Zhu Xiaozhu, and others came out of the hall due to themotion. But since Ling Chen escaped quickly, they only caught a glimpse of a figure shing by, unable to clearly see Ling Chen¡¯s identity.


    However, out of the four people, Zhu Xiaozhu couldn¡¯t suppress her worry. While others didn¡¯t know, she was aware that the person must be Ling Chen. Because she hadn¡¯te out for so long, Ling Chen was surely concerned, hence he sneaked into the Shi Family.


    "Stop! Don¡¯t run!"


    Two men from the Shi Family quickly followed behind Ling Chen, attempting to intercept him as he ran. However, their speed was nowhere near Ling Chen¡¯s. In no time, Ling Chen reached the wall.


    Before anyone could catch up, Ling Chen lightly tapped his toes and, with the help of his hands, quickly climbed to the top of the wall.


    Yet, just as Ling Chen was about to leap over, a fierce wind suddenly attacked from the side, rapidly closing in.


    Sensing the approaching gust, Ling Chen¡¯s eyes shifted, seeing only a blur pass before him. Then, a strong force abruptly struck, blocking his path.


    Helplessly, Ling Chen had no choice but to retreat and jumped back down to the courtyard. At the same time, an elder appeared atop the wall.


    The elder folded his hands behind his back, his face rosy, looking youthful, and coldly staring at Ling Chen with a hint of sternness.

 Chapter 965 - 972: Shi Family (Part 3)

    <h4>Chapter 965: Chapter 972: Shi Family (Part 3)</h4>


    "Young man, do you think the Shi Family is a ce you cane and go as you please? You underestimate our Shi Family too much," the old man said coldly.


    Ling Chen thought to himself that this was not good, having provoked a master from the Shi Family. The strength of the old man before him, if not overwhelmingly high, was at least of an Earthly List level. What should he do now?


    As he pondered, Shi Su and others had already rushed over from the great hall. Seeing Ling Chen standing at the base of the wall, Shi Su¡¯s expression changed at once, and a cold, chilling intent showed in her eyes.


    "Xiaozhu!" Shi Su shouted coldly, asking, "Did you bring him here?"


    Zhu Xiaozhu nced at Ling Chen, lowered her head, lightly bit her lip, and said, "Master, I..."


    "I asked you, did you or did you not?" Shi Su interrupted Zhu Xiaozhu coldly, reprimanding her.


    Faced with her master¡¯s questioning, Zhu Xiaozhu hesitated for a moment, unwillingly nodded.


    p!


    Immediately, Shi Su raised her arm and gave Zhu Xiaozhu a harsh p.


    "Hmph!" Shi Su looked at Zhu Xiaozhu coldly and said, "I thought I had taken in a promising disciple, but I didn¡¯t expect you¡¯d dare to betray from within, helping outsiders. Xiaozhu, let me ask you, don¡¯t you know this man is your master¡¯s enemy?"


    Covering her reddened cheek, Zhu Xiaozhu said softly, "Master, saving a life is more meritorious than building a seven-story pagoda, and a healer¡¯s heart is like a parent¡¯s, these are all things you taught me before. Ling Chen¡¯s elder brother is poisoned by a snake, in imminent danger, with only a day left to live. Even if he¡¯s not my friend, even if it were a stranger, I would do my utmost to save them. Master, isn¡¯t learning medicine about treating illnesses and saving people?"


    <fne646> ?? ??? ???? ?? ???? ???? ???????s, ????s? ??s?? f?i?n?d?n?o?v?e?l?</fne646>


    Upon hearing this, Shi Su¡¯s expression became even more unsightly. She looked coldly at Ling Chen, then shifted her gaze to her disciple, saying coldly, "Treating illnesses and saving people is right, but you cannot save your master¡¯s enemy. Xiaozhu, after all the effort I put into training you as a doctor, imparting all my knowledge, didn¡¯t you consider your master¡¯s feelings? Or do you think this man is more important than your master?"


    "No, it¡¯s not like that." Zhu Xiaozhu quickly said, "Master, I didn¡¯t mean that, I just..."


    "Enough!" Shi Su impatiently waved her hand and said, "I don¡¯t want to hear your exnations. In short, I won¡¯t give you the antidote you want. Also, listen clearly, from today onwards, our Shi Family will not help anyone rted to Ling Chen, including you, understand? If you can¡¯t do this, then I, Shi Su, have no disciple like you."


    Seeing Shi Su speaking so definitively, Zhu Xiaozhu became anxious and hurriedly said, "Master..."


    "Xiaozhu." On the side, Liu Xi advised, "Your master is angry right now, it¡¯s better to say less." With that, Liu Xi looked over at Ling Chen and asked, "What is he to you? A friend?"


    Zhu Xiaozhu gently nodded.


    "So he¡¯s a friend." Liu Xi murmured to himself, his expression rxing considerably.


    "Ling Chen." Shi Su looked at Ling Chen with venomous eyes, gritting her teeth she said, "The matters that happened at the Heavenly Mechanism Great Ceremony have yet to be settled with you, and now you dare toe to the Shi Family¡¯s domain and act wildly. Hmph! I see you¡¯re exceptionally bold."


    "Ms. Shi, that incident was so long ago, why hold on to it? Besides, it was your fault in the first ce, do you intend to me me? If it weren¡¯t for your greed for credit, colluding with others to frame us, how would it havee to this? You not only refused to reflect on yourself but also med others. Honestly, I doubt your character, not knowing how you managed to teach Xiaozhu to be such a kind girl."


    "Enough nonsense." Shi Su said coldly, "Since you¡¯vee here willingly today, don¡¯t me me for being rude. Uncle, help me disable him."


    Hearing the master¡¯smand, the old man standing at the wall¡¯s top nodded, jumped directly from the top, andnded in front of Ling Chen.


    "Young man, because of you, our Shi Family¡¯s reputation has been greatly damaged, as a member of the Shi Family, I must seek justice."


    "Justice?" Ling Chen sneered, derisively saying, "You still have the face to speak of justice, all right then, spare the high-sounding excuses, if you want to make a move, then make a move, do you think I¡¯m afraid of the Shi Family? Your Shi Family isrge and established, but I, Ling Chen, am not someone to mess with. If I lose a single hair today in your Shi Family, I can guarantee that the Shi Family will be erased from the Martial Arts world."


    "Hmph! Such big talk." Shi Su sneered and said, "I must see whose support you have."


    "Say no more, just one Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion is enough to make your Shi Family tremble."


    "Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion?"


    Upon hearing Ling Chen mention the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, both Shi Su and the elder couldn¡¯t help butugh.


    "Ling Chen, are you truly unaware or pretending to be? Our Shi Family has had generations of good rtions with the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, and the Pavilion Master is my friend. If you intend to use the pavilion¡¯s name to scare me, you are gravely mistaken."


    "Is that so?" Ling Chen smiled meaningfully and said, "Ms. Shi, what you said was all in the past, why don¡¯t you give Su Mei a call now and ask what my position is in the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion."


    "Shi Su, stop wasting words with him, he¡¯s just trying to buy time to escape," the old man said.


    "Uncle, you¡¯re right, almost fell for this kid¡¯s trick."


    Ling Chen shrugged and said, "Whether you believe it or not is your business. In any case, I¡¯ve already warned you, don¡¯te begging for mercyter on."


    "Boy,e on, show me what you¡¯ve got." The old man gestured with his hand, indicating Ling Chen to make a move.


    "Since the elder wishes to learn my skills, then I shall oblige." As the words fell, Ling Chen lightly tapped his toes, and his body suddenly leaned forward. In an instant, his body seemed like a swift wind, suddenly disappearing from the original spot.


    At the same time, the old man only felt his vision blur, a fierce gust of wind rushing towards him, rapidly closing in.


    As an Earthly List master, the old man¡¯s reaction was exceptionally quick. Seeing Ling Chen¡¯s attack approaching, he moved as swiftly as lightning, instantly sealing off his center, preventing Ling Chen¡¯s offensive from advancing further.


    So strong!


    Ling Chen was taken aback in his heart, quickly retreating to find another opportunity to attack.


    Ling Chen¡¯s own strength ranked at most ninth or tenth on the Earthly List, whereas the elderly man¡¯s strength should be at seventh on the list. Who knows what kind of martial arts this elder practiced, to stabilize his defense to such an extreme; Ling Chen¡¯s attack couldn¡¯t break through at all.


    "What, is this all you¡¯ve got?" the old man coldly mocked.


    "This is just the beginning, what¡¯s the rush," saying that, Ling Chen¡¯s foot slipped, his body swayed, and he once again disappeared from the old man¡¯s vision.

 Chapter 966 - 973: Shi Family (Part 4)

    <h4>Chapter 966: Chapter 973: Shi Family (Part 4)</h4>


    Watching the disappearing Ling Chen, the elderly man¡¯s eyes scanned around, searching for Ling Chen¡¯s position. However, Ling Chen was too fast, and his location was unpredictable, making it difficult to guess from which side he wouldunch an attack.


    So fast!


    The observing Shi Su and others were surprised as they watched Ling Chen, not expecting that he indeed had some skill.


    At this moment, leveraging the power of the Nine Yang Qiankun Step, Ling Chen moved swiftly around the elderly man, constantly changing positions. After more than ten seconds, Ling Chen suddenly stopped in his rapid motion, leaning forward andunching straight at the elderly man¡¯s back.


    At the moment of attack, Ling Chen¡¯s single palm transformed into a steel fist, with Hua Realm energy converging and bursting out suddenly, forming a formidable force.


    The characteristic of the Hua Realm is its ability to injure from a distance, with an effective range of about one meter. With the aid of the Nine Yang Qiankun Step, Ling Chen¡¯s move achieved a surprising effect. Before that elderly man could react, the force from the steel fist had already struck his back.


    Instantly, impacted by the force, the elderly man¡¯s body immediately lost bnce, his steps stumbling forward, managing to steady himself just in time to prevent falling to the ground.


    With a sessful hit, Ling Chen¡¯s confidence soared. He had thought the elderly man was formidable, but it turned out that this was the extent of it.


    Actually, this was an oversight on Ling Chen¡¯s part. The Shi Family is in truth a medical family, not an orthodox martial arts family, so their achievements in the martial arts lineage are not as glorious as other martial arts families. As a medical family, having an expert on the Earthly List is already quite an aplishment.


    Moreover, the true strength of the Shi Family does not lie in how many experts they have, but in their influence.


    It¡¯s important to know that over the years, countless martial arts experts have received treatment from the Shi Family. Therefore, those who owe the Shi Family a debt of gratitude are numerous. And that is where the Shi Family¡¯s true prowess lies. If the Shi Family were to face trouble, a rallying call would certainly see arge number of expertsing to assist.


    At this moment, after being taken advantage of by Ling Chen, the elderly man¡¯s previously flushedplexion appeared a bit pale. He turned his head, ring coldly at Ling Chen across from him, and gritted his teeth to take the initiative tounch an attack.


    The elderly man¡¯s offensive was extremely fierce, with each move emphasizing strength, like a tiger¡¯s might, filled with power.


    Facing the elderly man¡¯s attack, Ling Chen repeated his tactics, relying on the power of the Nine Yang Qiankun Step, constantly changing positions to dodge the elderly man¡¯s blows.


    <fn4953> Original content can be found at FindN()vel</fn4953>


    Against an opponent stronger than himself, Ling Chen¡¯s strategy was very simple, which was to drag it out. After all, he was at the peak of his youth, whereas the opponent was an elderly man, who surely couldn¡¯t match his stamina. As long as he could prolong the fight, once the opponent¡¯s stamina waned, he could easily end the battle.


    The elderly man seemed to have guessed Ling Chen¡¯s intention, but guessing was one thing; dealing with Ling Chen was another.


    The Nine Yang Qiankun Step is Su He¡¯s unique technique, and in the Martial Arts world, it is ranked as a top-tier movement technique. The Shi Family, being a medical family, had no such advanced martial arts to counter it. Therefore, the elderly man could only watch helplessly as Ling Chen moved around, unable to stop him.


    After a round of aggressive attacks, the elderly man hadn¡¯t even touched the corner of Ling Chen¡¯s clothes, and having expended so much energy, he found himself breathless.


    Seeing his elder suffer, Shi Su couldn¡¯t help but frown. Meanwhile, Liu Xi, standing nearby, quietly slipped his hand into his pocket, his eyes fixated on the moving Ling Chen.


    Suddenly, Liu Xi¡¯s wrist flicked, and several gleams of cold light shot through the air, heading straight for Ling Chen¡¯s position.


    Seeing the shes of cold light by his side, Ling Chen¡¯s expression changed slightly. He immediately halted and rushed forward to avoid the stealth attack from the cold light. However, as Liu Xi made his move, the elderly man had already adjusted, closing straight on Ling Chen and blocking his retreat.


    Seeing this situation, Ling Chen had no time to change positions and was forced to confront the attack head-on.


    Bam!


    The two fists collided, followed by a muffled groan, and Ling Chen staggered back four or five steps. Looking again at that elderly man, he had only taken two steps back; in the contest of Hua Realm power, the elderly man was clearly superior.


    Despicable!


    Ling Chen cursed silently, ignoring the turbulent energy within, and quickly began to perform the Nine Yang Qiankun Step again.


    However, during the earlier sh with the elderly man, Ling Chen had already suffered an internal injury. At this moment, his movement speed gradually slowed down.


    Such a good opportunity naturally wouldn¡¯t be missed by the elderly man.


    With fists dancing, the elderly man took a deep breath, gathered all his strength, and quickly caught up with Ling Chen¡¯s pace. At this time, Ling Chen not only had to deal with the elderly man¡¯s fierce offensives but also guard against Liu Xi¡¯s asional flying needles.


    In an instant, Ling Chen was somewhat in a sorry state, his movements no longer as fluid as before.


    "Liu Xi!"


    At this moment, Zhu Xiaozhu, who had been watching the battle from the side, finally noticed Liu Xi¡¯s stealthy attack and couldn¡¯t help but shout angrily, "What are you doing?"


    Liu Xi smiled sheepishly, "Just lending a hand."


    "You despicable!" Zhu Xiaozhu scolded unceremoniously, "They are fighting fairly, who allowed you to break the rules."


    Hearing Zhu Xiaozhu¡¯s words, Shi Su said coldly, "Which side are you on anyway? As long as Ling Chen is dealt with, I don¡¯t care about the means. Liu Xi, don¡¯t mind what Xiaozhu said. As long as you can resolve Ling Chen, I will owe you a big favor."


    With Shi Su¡¯s backing, Liu Xi¡¯s eyes immediately brightened. He slightly raised the corners of his mouth, taking out more than ten flying needles, all mped between his fingers, ready to find an opportune moment to strike.


    Seeing Liu Xi¡¯s actions, Zhu Xiaozhu bit her thin lip, quickly rushed to Liu Xi¡¯s side, and tried to grab the flying needles in his hand. However, Shi Su noticed all of Zhu Xiaozhu¡¯s movements, and before she could snatch them, Shi Su had already pulled her aside by force, holding her tightly.


    "Xiaozhu, if you still consider me your master, just stand still. If you dare to move again, don¡¯t me me for disregarding our master-disciple rtionship." Shi Su scolded coldly.


    Mid-conversation, a sudden scream echoed.


    Shi Su and Zhu Xiaozhu looked over, only to see that Ling Chen had somehow abandoned the elderly man and dashed straight towards Liu Xi.


    Nobody expected Ling Chen¡¯s sudden action.


    Due to his medical background, Liu Xi at best could use a few flying needle techniques, but he was clueless about martial arts. Seeing Ling Chen rush towards him, he stood bewildered, at a loss.


    It wasn¡¯t until Ling Chen¡¯s steel fist reached him that Liu Xi let out a couple of screams.


    With one punch, Ling Chen raised his steel fist and initially wanted to punch a few more times, but saw that after just one punch, Liu Xi fell directly to the ground, motionless and unconscious.


    Tch! Ling Chen sneered. This guy is really fragile, knocked out with just one punch.


    Having dealt with Liu Xi, Ling Chen shifted his gaze back onto the elderly man. Feeling Ling Chen¡¯s sharp gaze, for some reason, a shiver of unease crept into the elderly man¡¯s heart.

 Chapter 967 - 974: Shi Family (Part 5)

    <h4>Chapter 967: Chapter 974: Shi Family (Part 5)</h4>


    Just now, thanks to Liu Xi¡¯s secret assistance, he barely managed to reverse the situation and suppress Ling Chen. Now, Liu Xi has already fainted, and there¡¯s no one to help him restrain Ling Chen.


    "Old geezer, ganging up on someone is quite enjoyable, isn¡¯t it?" Ling Chen said coldly.


    If it were a fair fight, Ling Chen would willingly ept the oue. However, this old geezer doesn¡¯t follow the rules at all, making him very angry.


    Without waiting for the old man to reply, Ling Chen lightly tapped his toes, instantly increasing his speed, fully unleashing the Nine Yang Qiankun Step.


    <fn4189> ?? ??? ???? ?? ???? ???? ???????s, ????s? ??s?? f?ndnovel</fn4189>


    In a sh, Ling Chen¡¯s body seemed like an afterimage, swiftly moving around the old man.


    "Old geezer, I¡¯m over here."


    The voice came, and the old man hurriedly turned his gaze to his left. But just as hepleted the head-turning motion, he felt a sharp pain in his right arm.


    He was tricked!


    The thought just rose in the old man¡¯s mind when he heard Ling Chen¡¯s voice again: "Old geezer, I¡¯m behind you."


    The old man turned his head, but before he could react, he was hit by a sharp pain again. This time, it was his abdomen that got hurt, and there was even a shoe print on his clothes.


    Being kicked, the old man bent over unconsciously, pressing his hands against his abdomen, sweat streaming down his forehead, extremely painful.


    "Ling Chen, you... you¡¯re shameless!"


    "Shameless?" Ling Chen slowly lowered his speed, looked at the old man in front of him, and said, "Am I as shameless as you guys? Two against one, what, bullying me because I¡¯m outnumbered?" As he finished speaking, Ling Chen shifted his gaze, looking at Shi Su not far away, and said, "Does the Shi Family have anyone else? Bring them out, save me time."


    Hearing these words, Shi Su gritted his teeth and coldly shouted, "Ling Chen, don¡¯t be arrogant with me."


    "You¡¯re the arrogant one. You think just because this is your territory, you can do whatever you want? Alright, enough talk, hand over the antidote."


    "In your dreams."


    "Refuse?" Ling Chen curled his lips, showing a sly and charming smile, and said, "Alright, then don¡¯t regret itter."


    Saying this, Ling Chen tapped his toes and rushed to Liu Xi¡¯s side in a few steps, snatching more than ten flying needles from his hand. Then, Ling Chen grabbed Liu Xi¡¯s cor, lifting him high in the air.


    "Ling Chen, what are you doing?" Shi Su frowned and asked.


    Grinning, Ling Chen replied, "Nothing, I¡¯ve heard that the Shi Family is a family of medicine, with exceptional medical skills, so I want to learn a bit. Oh, I forgot to tell you, I¡¯ve also studied medicine for a few days, but it¡¯s all informal learning, don¡¯t know if it can be shown, why not Ms. Shi you give me some guidance."


    As he spoke, Ling Chen took the flying needle in his hand and directly stabbed it into Liu Xi¡¯s body.


    Immediately, the pain woke Liu Xi up from hisa. Seeing Ling Chen holding the flying needle, Liu Xi¡¯s face turned pale, and he shouted loudly, "You..."


    "This has nothing to do with you, go back to sleep for a while." Before Liu Xi finished speaking, Ling Chen punched him in the face, knocking him out again.


    "Alright!" Ling Chen fiddled with the flying needles in his hand, pointed at Liu Xi¡¯s neck, and asked, "Ms. Shi, I¡¯d like to know, is this part a vital point? If a needle were jabbed into it, what would happen?"


    Upon hearing this, Shi Su¡¯s face changed slightly.


    "Ling Chen, don¡¯t you dare."


    Ling Chen shrugged, half-smiling and said, "I¡¯ve dared toe to your Shi Family; you¡¯re saying there¡¯s anything I wouldn¡¯t dare to do. Alright, since you won¡¯t teach me, I¡¯ll try it myself." Saying this, Ling Chen raised the flying needle in his hand, poised to stab it into Liu Xi¡¯s neck.


    "Stop... stop!"


    Seeing Ling Chen¡¯s actions, Shi Su finally panicked and quickly spoke to stop him, "Ling Chen, that¡¯s enough. Let him go, I¡¯ll give you the antidote you want."


    Ling Chenughed and said, "Ms. Shi, it would¡¯ve been better if you handed over the antidote earlier, instead of forcing me to hurt others. My time is limited, you¡¯d better hurry, if you waste my time, I can¡¯t guarantee whether this needle will go in or not."


    Faced with Ling Chen¡¯s threat, Shi Su bit his lip, muttering ¡¯You wait¡¯, then turned and walked into the room.


    A few minutester, Shi Su returned from the room again. Seeing the medicine bottle in her hand, Ling Chen pointed at Zhu Xiaozhu and said, "Give the medicine to your disciple first. I trust her but not you."


    Pausing, Ling Chen looked at Zhu Xiaozhu and said, "Xiaozhu, test it for me to see if it¡¯s really the antidote."


    Shi Su snorted coldly and handed the medicine directly to Zhu Xiaozhu.


    Opening the cap, Zhu Xiaozhu sniffed the scent of the medicine inside the bottle, a trace of unusual color shed in her eyes.


    "Xiaozhu, you must examine it carefully, don¡¯t make mistakes, lest others say I deceived him." Shi Su said coldly. While saying this, she kept staring at Zhu Xiaozhu, with a cold look on her face.


    "Xiaozhu, how is it, is that antidote real?" Ling Chen asked.


    Hearing Ling Chen¡¯s inquiry, Zhu Xiaozhu looked at her master, hesitatingly, beautiful eyes showing a trace of struggle.


    After a while, Zhu Xiaozhu took a deep breath, as if she had made some decision, and whispered, "Master, why do you have to do this, just hand over the real antidote."


    "You..." Shi Su became instantly furious.


    "Master, I have no other intentions, just... if Ling Chen gives this antidote to his brother, it¡¯ll only elerate his death, achieving no effect. The Shi Family is a medical family, saving lives for generations, I don¡¯t want Master to carry a death on her back."


    "Good, good, hahaha!" Shi Suughed angrily and said, "I truly trained a good disciple."


    "Ms. Shi, I already said, I don¡¯t trust you." Ling Chen said ndly, "My patience is limited, you¡¯d better not y any more tricks. Otherwise, I can¡¯t be sure what I¡¯ll do."


    "Ling Chen!" Shi Su gritted her teeth and said, "I¡¯ll give you the antidote, but remember what you¡¯ve done in my Shi Family today, someday I¡¯ll repay you a hundredfold."


    Ling Chen shrugged indifferently and said, "No problem, juste at me with whatever you got, I¡¯ll handle it. But don¡¯t me me for not reminding you, I¡¯m someone who always avenges his grievances; if you dare provoke me, I absolutely won¡¯t show mercy."


    "Fine, we¡¯ll see each other!" Having said this, Shi Su took a medicine bottle out of her pocket and threw it into Zhu Xiaozhu¡¯s hand, coldly saying, "You, and you, get out of my Shi Family¡¯s territory immediately, I don¡¯t want to see you again."


    Seeing Shi Su point at herself, Zhu Xiaozhu was slightly stunned, her expression suddenly quite sorrowful.


    "Master..."


    "Shut up!" Shi Su shouted harshly, "I don¡¯t have a disciple like you. Get out, disappear from my sight immediately."


    "Xiaozhu, let¡¯s go, such a master isn¡¯t worth acknowledging." Saying this, Ling Chen grabbed Zhu Xiaozhu¡¯s arm and pulled her out of the Shi Family.


    After leaving the Shi Family, Ling Chen took Zhu Xiaozhu to sit in the Audi and immediately set off to East Sea City. Having wasted so much time at the Shi Family, he must rush back quickly to avoid dying the treatment.

 Chapter 968 - 975: Father and Son Reunited (1)

    <h4>Chapter 968: Chapter 975: Father and Son Reunited (1)</h4>


    On the way back, looking at Zhu Xiaozhu¡¯s silent demeanor, Ling Chen couldn¡¯t help but say, "Xiaozhu, I¡¯m sorry. If it weren¡¯t for me, you and your Master..."


    "This is not your fault." Zhu Xiaozhu interrupted Ling Chen, responding, "The fault lies with my Master, and it has nothing to do with you. The essence of studying medicine is to save lives, but my Master has been blinded by fame and hatred, forgetting the original purpose of medicine. On this point, I don¡¯t agree with her approach. As a doctor, I only stand on my ground and make the right choice."


    "Then what about your Master?"


    "I don¡¯t know." Zhu Xiaozhu sighed lightly, looking a little deste.


    Shi Su was not only her Master but also the one who raised her from a young age, both a Master and a family member. In her heart, her Master held as important a position as her own mother, indispensable. Now, this Master, who upied an important ce in her heart, was going to turn against her and cut off the rtionship. Anyone would feel ufortable in such a situation.


    Master... Zhu Xiaozhu turned her head to look out the car window, her beautiful eyes glistening with a hint of sorrow.


    Feeling Zhu Xiaozhu¡¯s heavy mood, Ling Chen wanted to speak several times but didn¡¯t know what to say. In this matter, saying more wouldn¡¯t help. The key was Zhu Xiaozhu herself, to see if she could figure it out.


    From Ling Chen¡¯s perspective, he hoped Zhu Xiaozhu would draw a clear line with Shi Su and reduce contact in the future. This was not out of selfishness but because of Shi Su¡¯s poor character. If Zhu Xiaozhu stayed with her for a long time, she would inevitably be affected by her.


    With Zhu Xiaozhu¡¯s pure nature, Ling Chen didn¡¯t wish for her to be polluted by the outside world.


    Around twelve noon, Ling Chen and Zhu Xiaozhu finally drove back to East Sea City¡¯s hospital.


    Upon getting out of the car, Ling Chen immediately led Zhu Xiaozhu to rush to the ward without rest.


    Seeing Ling Chen return, Xu Ming and others quickly approached, eagerly asking, "Sixth Brother, how is it? Have you found a solution?"


    "Second Brother, Third Brother, don¡¯t worry. Xiaozhu and I have found the antidote." With that, Ling Chen turned to look at Zhu Xiaozhu and said, "Xiaozhu, could you do it?"


    Zhu Xiaozhu nodded, took the antidote, and walked into the ward while everyone else waited quietly outside.


    A momentter, Zhu Xiaozhu came out of the ward, saying, "Your big brother has already taken the antidote. His condition is basically stable. As long as there are no unexpected events, he will wake up within twenty-four hours."


    "Thank you, Xiaozhu," Ling Chen said gratefully.


    "You¡¯re wee. It¡¯s my duty. If there¡¯s nothing else, I¡¯ll go rest first."


    "Alright, you¡¯ve been running around for so long. Get some rest early."


    Zhu Xiaozhu forced a smile and walked towards the hospital exit. As she was about to return to the dormitory, she saw Ling Chen hurriedly catching up from behind.


    "Xiaozhu, wait!"


    Zhu Xiaozhu turned back to look at the approaching Ling Chen and asked, "What¡¯s up?"


    "Well... you¡¯d better tell the hospital director to help you change your dormitory, and make sure the security of the dormitory is strengthened. I don¡¯t want what happened in the morning to happen again." Ling Chen referred to the kidnapping of Zhu Xiaozhu. If he hadn¡¯t arrived in time, Zhu Xiaozhu would have already been taken away by the kidnappers.


    "For safety, I suggest you report to the police, just in case those peoplee to trouble you again."


    "I understand, thank you for your concern."


    Watching Zhu Xiaozhu¡¯s figure disappear at the corner of the street, Ling Chen let out a soft breath, turned around, and walked towards the ward. However, after only a few steps, Ling Chen heard a familiar yet strange voiceing from behind: "Ling Chen."


    Turning around, Ling Chen scanned with his eyes and immediately locked onto a middle-aged man with an elegant face.


    Seeing the visitor, Ling Chen was suddenly stunned, standing in ce, his expression dazed, noting to his senses for a long time.


    "What, so many years without seeing me, have you forgotten me?" The middle-aged man walked up to Ling Chen with a smile.


    "Dad!" Ling Chen opened his mouth and finally uttered that long-missed address.


    "Good, my good son!" Ling Kun patted Ling Chen¡¯s shoulder with a bright smile, "Do you have time to walk around with me a bit?"


    With his father¡¯s request, how could Ling Chen refuse? He quickly nodded.


    Immediately, the father and son walked in the hospital garden, chatting as they went. Having not seen each other for years, Ling Chen had a lot to say and many doubts, but when it came time to meet, he didn¡¯t know where to start.


    "Dad, why didn¡¯t you directly tell me your identity when you came to Wealthy Manor to see mest time?"


    "My situation was quite dangerous at that time, so I didn¡¯t want to involve you. Son, I suppose you already know, I am the leader of the Secret Society. Unfortunately, the Secret Society has been heavily suppressed by the God Organization, leading to a significant reduction in power, and the resources we can mobilize are very limited now. Luckily, I have my precious disciple."


    "Are you talking about the porridge girl?" Ling Chen responded, "I haven¡¯t seen her for a while."


    <fnb4f6> This content belongs to find¡¤novel</fnb4f6>


    "She is busy integrating the Secret Society¡¯s resources. Without her efforts everywhere, we would not have preserved the foundation of the Secret Society. Although its current power is not as strong as before, as long as the foundation remains, it will not take long to grow strong again." Ling Kun paused and then changed the subject, "Ling Chen, the reason I came to see you this time is to exin a few things to you."


    "What things?"


    "I heard you met Ling Tao before."


    "Yes," Ling Chen asked curiously, "Dad, who exactly is Ling Tao? Could it be true what he said, that we are family?"


    Ling Kun nodded, "He¡¯s right; we are indeed family. But the generational rtionships between us are quiteplicated, so you don¡¯t need to ask much about that for now. I originally didn¡¯t want to involve you since this is a deep and treacherous pool that could be life-threatening with any carelessness. However, no one expected that eventually, you¡¯d still get involved in this struggle. I think this might be the fate of our Ling Family, from which no one can escape."


    "Ling Chen, don¡¯t think too much right now. For the time being, the main task for you and me is to deal with the God Organization and uproot their hold as soon as possible. Only bypletely destroying the God Organization can we take the initiative and facilitate future actions. Currently, the God Organization has concentrated its forces domestically, especially in East Sea City. Recently, they have secretly dispatched many personnel into East Sea City to gain firm control and establish a headquarters responsible for all domestic operations."

 Chapter 969 - 976: Father and Son Reunited (Part 2)

    <h4>Chapter 969: Chapter 976: Father and Son Reunited (Part 2)</h4>


    "The main base?" Ling Chen said in surprise, "Does the God Organization want to make East Sea City their headquarters?"


    "Exactly." Ling Kun replied, "East Sea City is a resource-rich city, and it is a coastal city. Even if a crisis urs, the God Organization can immediately escape to other countries via water, avoiding government pursuit. Besides, there is a very important reason for moving the headquarters domestically."


    "What reason?"


    Ling Kun said meaningfully, "Because ¡¯it¡¯ is in the country."


    "It?" Ling Chen asked, puzzled, "Dad, what do you mean by ¡¯it¡¯?"


    "It¡¯s the key to everything. For now, you don¡¯t need to know so much. When the time is right, I¡¯ll naturally tell you." After a pause, Ling Kun changed the subject, "Last night I had a confrontation with Chen Quan. The man¡¯s strength is not to be underestimated. Although I forced him to retreat, I couldn¡¯t capture him. You need to be more careful in the future. I can¡¯t be there to protect you all the time. Also, you need to find time to rescue your group of friends."


    "I¡¯d like to, but the problem is I still don¡¯t know their whereabouts."


    "Don¡¯t worry. There will be news by tonight at thetest. When I came to East Sea City, I had my apprentice secretly transfer the resources of the Secret Society to East Sea City. She is currently investigating the whereabouts of your friends. If there is any news, she will contact you immediately."


    Upon hearing this, Ling Chen asked, "Dad, are you leaving?"


    Ling Kun nodded and said, "I¡¯ve been in aa for so long, and there are many things to deal with. I can¡¯t stay in East Sea City all the time. But rest assured, I¡¯lle back to help you once things are settled. Oh, I almost forgot, your master... Su He, he asked me to pass a message to you. When you have time, go visit him. He has something to discuss with you."


    "Dad, Elder Su isn¡¯t really my master, you shouldn¡¯t call him that in front of him..."


    "What do you mean he¡¯s not your master?" Ling Kun reprimanded, "Elder Su has taught you all his Absolute Skills. Even without the title of master and apprentice, you already have the essence of that rtionship. For someone who practices martial arts, you should treat him like your master and not show any disrespect. Do you understand?"


    Scolded by his father, Ling Chen touched his nose and nodded slightly, "Got it, Dad."


    "Alright, I¡¯ve said what needs to be said, I have things to attend to, so I¡¯m leaving first."


    "Dad, be careful out there."


    "Don¡¯t worry, I don¡¯t need you to worry about me." With that, Ling Kun waved his hand and walked straight out of the hospital.


    Watching Ling Kun¡¯s figure fade into the distance, a wave of warmth surged in Ling Chen¡¯s heart. After so many years, he finally felt his father¡¯s care. If Mom and Dad were both together, their family would beplete.


    Thinking of this, Ling Chen¡¯s expression changed slightly, and he couldn¡¯t help but pat his forehead.


    He had forgotten to tell his dad about Mom when they met just now. Sigh, it¡¯s his fault for being too busy with Qiu Yong¡¯s affairs and forgetting such an important matter.


    It shouldn¡¯t have happened, it really shouldn¡¯t have happened.


    <fn3db5> Newest update provided by f?ndnovel</fn3db5>


    Oh well! Dad has probably gone far. I¡¯ll tell him about Mom next time we meet.


    Returning to the hospital, Ling Chen went alone to the ward, where he saw Xu Ming and others gathered around the bedside, waiting for Qiu Yong to wake up.


    "Second Brother, everyone is really tired. There¡¯s no need for so many people to stay in the hospital. In my opinion, just leave one or two, and let the others go back to rest," Ling Chen suggested, "Although you were rescued, some people are still missing, and we need to conserve our energy and find a way to rescue them too."


    "You¡¯re right," Xu Ming agreed, "Let¡¯s all go back and rest, and leave Fifth Sister and Eighth Brother to look after Eldest Brother."


    "Alright."


    After the decision was made, Ling Chen left Xia Yue and Wei Jiahao in the hospital, and took Xu Ming and others back to the Siheyuan.


    Night fell.


    Seeing that there was nothing urgent, Ling Chen took the opportunity to return to Wealthy Manor. After meeting his dad today, he had to inform Yang Qingling to put her at ease.


    Halfway through the drive, Ling Chen suddenly received a call from an unknown number.


    When the call connected, a familiar voice immediately came through, "Ling Chen, congrattions."


    Hearing the voice, Ling Chen¡¯s eyes narrowed sharply, and he replied, "Lin Guodong, what do you want?"


    "Nothing much, just calling to congratte you on rescuing your friends from Chen Quan¡¯s grasp. I heard that a master from the Heavenly List helped you escapest night. If you don¡¯t mind, could you reveal your helper¡¯s identity?"


    "Lin Guodong, do you think that¡¯s possible?"


    "Ling Chen, if you still care about your other friends¡¯ safety, you¡¯d better share some information. Don¡¯t forget, even though you¡¯ve rescued some, I still have over thirty people. Do you want to receive their corpses?"


    "Are you threatening me?" Ling Chen frowned and said in a deep voice, "Lin Guodong, you better not harm them, otherwise, I won¡¯t let you get away with it."


    "Rest assured, even if you let me go, I won¡¯t let you off. Anyway, time¡¯s up, my task isplete. Ling Chen, take care of yourself."


    Listening to the busy tone on the other end, Ling Chen suspiciously put down the phone, filled with confusion.


    Strange!


    Lin Guodong called out of the blue, was it just to waste time with me?


    Bam!


    Just as he was thinking this, Ling Chen suddenly heard a loud noise, and simultaneously, the car shook violently as the rear window shattered instantly.


    The sudden change shocked Ling Chen, who was in the driver¡¯s seat. Looking at the left rearview mirror, he frowned, only to see a Land Rover SUV tailing the Audi. The crash just now had deformed the Audi¡¯s rear end.


    Damn!


    Ling Chen cursed under his breath. At this moment, he finally understood Lin Guodong¡¯s intention in calling. It was undoubtedly to track his location through mobile phone positioning.


    Without time to think, Ling Chen floored the elerator, and the Audi surged forward like an arrow. In no time, the Land Rover was left behind by the speeding Audi.


    Fortunately, Nanrong Hao¡¯s Audi had excellent performance, with rapid eleration that the Land Rover couldn¡¯t match.


    Speeding all the way, the Land Rover gradually shrank in the rearview mirror, growing further and further away.


    Although he had shaken off the Land Rover, Ling Chen didn¡¯t rx at all. He knew well that Lin Guodong wouldn¡¯t stop at this to do him harm.


    As he pondered, two Mercedes-Benz sedans suddenly rushed out of the intersection ahead, blocking Ling Chen¡¯s path.


    Seeing this, Ling Chen turned the steering wheel, eyes fixed straight ahead, trying to pass through the gap between the two cars.

 Chapter 970 - 977: Who Is the Target

    <h4>Chapter 970: Chapter 977: Who Is the Target</h4>


    However, the two cars in front seemed to have sensed Ling Chen¡¯s intentions and immediately closed in to block his path.


    There was no choice, Ling Chen had to slow down, waiting for an opportunity to break through. As long as he reached the next intersection, he could shake off the pursuit of these two Mercedes sedans.


    Ling Chen¡¯s idea was good, but the reality was not as favorable as he imagined.


    A roar of engines echoed, and two more Mercedes sedans rushed from behind, surrounding Ling Chen, leaving him unable to advance or retreat.


    Damn it!


    Ling Chen squinted his eyes, a hint of fierceness shing within his sharp gaze.


    Suddenly, the Audi¡¯s speed surged, rapidly elerating from seventy mph to one hundred twenty in just a few seconds.


    Bam!


    A loud crash. The Audi¡¯s front end mmed hard into the rear of one of the Mercedes.


    Under the Audi¡¯s impact, the Mercedes immediately lost control, swerving sharply to the side, directly smashing into the adjacent Mercedes.


    In an instant, both out-of-control Mercedes crashed onto the roadside, smashing into the walls, their fronts utterly wrecked. As for the people inside, their fate was most likely grim.


    Having dealt with two Mercedes, Ling Chen didn¡¯t emerge unscathed. Despite the Audi¡¯s solid build, such impact couldn¡¯t leave it undamaged.


    Due to the deformation and damage at the front, its power was indirectly affected, and the speed gradually slowed down.


    At that moment, the two trailing Mercedes immediately sped up, aiming to nk Ling Chen from both sides. Seeing them closing in in the rearview mirror, Ling Chen didn¡¯t hesitate; he pushed open the door and jumped directly off the moving car.


    With a roll, Ling Chennded steadily on the roadside, unscathed.


    Sighting the two approaching Mercedes, Ling Chen leaped over the roadside fence, sprinting towards an alley. The alley was only 1.5 meters wide, making it difficult for the cars to enter.


    After navigating the narrow alley, Ling Chen emerged onto the street¡¯s opposite side. Spotting the bustling crowd, Ling Chen secretly sighed in relief. In a crowded ce, they wouldn¡¯t dare chase him. Even if they did, he could easily blend into the crowd and escape.


    Just as he thought about it, Ling Chen¡¯s vision was suddenly filled with over ten suited men.


    Moreover, each held an electric baton, with protectors on their hands and feet.


    Ha!


    Ling Chen couldn¡¯t help but chuckle, these guys were really persistent, havinge this far and still unwilling to let him go. Did they truly think he was a paper tiger?


    Thinking of this, Ling Chen was done running and simply faced them, ready to teach them a good lesson, show them his prowess.


    "Go!"


    With a soft shout, over ten suited men raised their electric batons and charged at Ling Chen.


    The passing pedestrians, witnessing this scene, dared not linger, hastily retreating, fearing to get caught in the chaos.


    "Good timing!"


    <fn24df> Original content can be found at Find?Novel</fn24df>


    Ling Chen huffed lightly, sliding his feet, using the Nine Yang Qiankun Step¡¯s speed, before the suited men could react, he¡¯d evaded to their rear.


    Steel fists flew, and in the blink of an eye, four or five suited meny on the ground, unable to get up.


    In less than three minutes, Ling Chen had defeated all the suited men, leaving them sprawled on the ground. Looking at the fallen men, Ling Chen casually pped his hands and prepared to leave.


    After taking two or three steps, Ling Chen suddenly halted, turned around, looking at the suited men, a frown on his brow.


    Something seemed off. Knowing Lin Guodong was aware of his power, why send small fry to deal with him? It seemed uncharacteristic. If Lin Guodong truly wanted to deal with him, he should have dispatched experts.


    Thinking of this, Ling Chen grew increasingly uneasy; there had to be something wrong here.


    Right away, Ling Chen walked to one suited man, pulled him up from the ground, and asked, "Tell me, what instructions did Lin Guodong give you?"


    "Dy... dy time."


    "Dy time?" Ling Chen was slightly taken aback, not quite understanding the man¡¯s meaning.


    Why on earth would Lin Guodong want to dy time? Or, was Lin Guodong¡¯s goal to hold him off?


    His initial n was to rush back to Wealthy Manor, Lin Guodong, at this moment, called him, locked his position, and then sent people to chase, dy time, could it be to prevent him from reaching Wealthy Manor?


    With a quick mental calction, Ling Chen sensed something amiss, hurriedly pulling out his phone, trying to call Nanrong Wanqing.


    But, a prompt indicated the call couldn¡¯t go through. Unable to reach Nanrong Wanqing, Ling Chen tried Nanrong Hao¡¯s number, but the result was the same.


    Whether Liu Kun or anyone else at Wealthy Manor, all connections were lost, including his mother.


    Bad news!


    That bastard Lin Guodong wouldn¡¯t possibly intend to harm Nanrong Wanqing and his family?


    Back when abroad, the God Organization had sent people everywhere to corner Yang Qingling, trying to capture her. At the time, Lin Guodong and Lin Qiqi were held at the research base. The God Organization likely wanted to exchange Yang Qingling for Lin Guodong and Lin Qiqi, but Ling Chen disrupted the n.


    However, Lin Guodong and the others had long escaped, so why was he after Yang Qingling? Or perhaps, his target wasn¡¯t Yang Qingling but Nanrong Wanqing.


    With that thought, Ling Chen dared not waste more time, hurriedly gging a taxi to rush towards Wealthy Manor.


    Meanwhile, at Wealthy Manor.


    The brightly lit Nanrong Family was deserted, every room empty, not a soul in sight.


    Minutes passed, over ten shadows gathered from all directions, converging in Nanrong Hao¡¯s living room.


    "Found anything?"


    "Didn¡¯t see anyone, could they have gone out?"


    "Impossible, the information indicates they¡¯re home, surely we¡¯ve overlooked something."


    "Alright, let¡¯s stop discussing and keep searching. We just received orders that Ling Chen has shaken off pursuit and is heading here; we better act quickly. Once Ling Chen arrives, we can¡¯t do anything."


    As they talked, a light ¡¯bang¡¯ sound echoed from the second floor.


    Upon hearing the sound, the people downstairs immediately heightened their alertness, quickly making their way to the second floor.


    "Spread out!"


    A man gestured for hispanions to disperse.


    Over ten men formed into groups of three, quietly searching different rooms.


    Nanrong Family¡¯s vi was vast, merely bedrooms numbered in the dozens, more than half were empty, searching room after room like this was undeniably time-consuming.


    Bam!


    At that moment, the light sound echoed again, clearer than before. Several men exchanged nces, immediately pinpointing the source of the sound.

 Chapter 971 - 978: A Clean Sweep

    <h4>Chapter 971: Chapter 978: A Clean Sweep</h4>


    Soon, several men arrived outside a bedroom. One of them listened closely for a moment, then gestured to hispanions. The others immediately understood and took a few steps back.


    Then, one of the men suddenly rushed forward, mming his shoulder against the door. With a loud ¡¯bang¡¯, the bedroom door broke open. Taking advantage of this moment, the men filed in quickly and rushed inside.


    However, the bedroom was pitch ck, with not a soul in sight, only a neatly made bed and a few tables and chairs.


    Seeing this, the men exchanged confused nces. They had clearly heard soundsing from this direction earlier, so why was there no one here? Could they have heard wrong?


    "Search carefully," one man insisted, unwilling to give up. If only one of them had misheard, it might be understandable, but they had all heard it. Something was definitely wrong in this bedroom.


    Immediately, the men lifted the bed in the room and saw the empty space beneath it. They opened the wardrobe doors, meticulously inspecting everything. But after searching the entire bedroom, they found nothing.


    At this point, one man¡¯s gaze was suddenly drawn to something under the tables and chairs.


    "What¡¯s that?"


    Curious, the men gathered around, examining it carefully.


    "Is this... a speaker?"


    "Seems like it."


    Upon realizing there was a speaker under the tables and chairs, the men¡¯s expressions changed slightly, quickly piecing it together. It was the speaker that had been making noise earlier. But why would someone ce a speaker here?


    "Be careful! It¡¯s a trap!"


    With a sh of insight, one man reacted swiftly, shouting, "Retreat!"


    At theirrade¡¯s warning, the men didn¡¯t hesitate at all, immediately turning to rush out of the bedroom. But before they could get through the door, there was a deafening ¡¯bang¡¯.


    The speaker under the tables and chairs exploded instantly. Several men who were facing away stumbled forward, falling heavily to the floor, their backs bloody and torn, covered in sharp des and screws.


    "What¡¯s going on?"


    At that moment, other men who had been searching nearby hurried over. As soon as they entered, they saw theirrades lying in a pool of blood, their fates uncertain.


    "Who¡¯s there? Come out!"


    But besides the few of them, there was no one else in the bedroom.


    "Boss, what do we do now?"


    The leading man thought for a moment and then decisively ordered, "Retreat! We don¡¯t have time to waste here."


    After hearing the leader¡¯smand, everyone immediately headed towards the bedroom door without a second thought. However, just as the leader was stepping out, a strong wind swept in. Before he could react, a dark figure swiftly appeared in his line of sight.


    Bang!


    With a dull thud, the leader¡¯s head snapped back, and he fell to the ground. Hisrades looked carefully and saw that his forehead was swollen with a bump, surrounded by bruises. At the doorway, there was an iron ball as big as a fist.


    "Who¡¯s there?"


    Seeing theirrade knocked unconscious by the iron ball, everyone immediately became alert, watching the bedroom door for any sign of the enemy.


    But outside the bedroom was pitch ck, with no lights, nothing visible. Seeing this, the leader said, "You, and you two, go check it out."


    The three men selected dared not be careless, cautiously moving toward the outside. Soon, their silhouettes disappeared into the pitch-ck darkness.


    In no time, two minutes had passed, and the others stayed in the bedroom, waiting patiently. But so much time had passed, and still no response from theirrades.


    "Boss, do you think something¡¯s happened to them?" one man asked worriedly.


    "Let¡¯s go check together," the leader replied. He also sensed something was amiss. He knew his team well, and if they hadn¡¯t reported back after two minutes, something was definitely wrong.


    With that, led by the leader, the group headed outside the bedroom. Soon, they reached the top of the stairs on the second floor.


    "Hurry, downstairs!"


    Following their leader, everyone quickly descended the stairs, heading toward the living room. But just as the crowd stepped onto the staircase, there came a shrill ¡¯creak¡¯ from below.


    <fn48f8> Original content can be found at f?ndnovel</fn48f8>


    "What¡¯s that?" They exchanged looks of confusion.


    Creak!


    The bottom of the staircase emitted another piercing sound.


    "Not good!" At this point, someone finally realized, urgently shouting, "Get down quickly."


    Unfortunately, the warning came a moment toote. Just as his words fell, and before anyone could react, the floor vanished beneath them as the entire staircase copsed.


    In an instant, over ten men fell in a heap, surrounded by the debris of the stairs.


    At the same time, the lights in the living room shed on, and a group of men in full gear rushed in from all sides, wielding long iron rods and striking ruthlessly at the group.


    No matter how skilled those men were, they couldn¡¯t withstand the barrage of sticks. In no time, the crowd was full of cries of pain and pleas for mercy.


    "Stop!"


    At this moment, a voice rang out, and the people around immediately withdrew their rods, stepping aside. Then, a man stepped forward, holding a metal bucket, and poured the liquid inside over the group. Instantly, a strong stench filled the room.


    "Tie them all up," a Caucasian man in the crowd ordered.


    "Who dares!" At this point, despite the pain, the leader stood up swiftly, ring at the Caucasian man, "Brothers, let¡¯s break out together."


    "Still trying to escape?" the Caucasian man sneered, "I see you have a death wish." With that, he took out a lighter from his pocket and said to the man, "Go ahead, take a step forward and see what happens. Do you believe I¡¯ll turn you into a human barbecue?"


    It was only then that the man realized the strong smell of gasoline emanating from him.


    "You..." The man gritted his teeth, faced with the Caucasian man¡¯s provocation. He hesitated for a moment but ultimately chose to submit. At this point, resisting any longer would only be detrimental to himself. While he was following orders for someone else, there was no need to sacrifice his own life so lightly.


    Seeing the group be subdued, the Caucasian man nodded in satisfaction and waved, "Tie them all up and wait for the boss to deal with them."


    "Yes."


    The group of suited men responded and immediately proceeded to tie up everyone present, binding them tightly.

 Chapter 972 - 979: Rescuing Tang Guolun (1)

    <h4>Chapter 972: Chapter 979: Rescuing Tang Guolun (1)</h4>


    After more than ten minutes, Ling Chen finally arrived at the Wealthy Manor.


    As soon as he entered the Nanrong Family home, he saw Nanrong Wanqing, Nanrong Hao, Yang Qingling, and Yang Yan all greet him.


    "Ling Chen."


    "Wanqing, are you all alright?" Ling Chen asked with concern.


    "We¡¯re fine, thanks to Mr. Beison and his team, everyone is safe."


    As they spoke, a Caucasian man walked over from behind and greeted politely, "Hello, Mr. Ling."


    "Mr. Beison." Seeing him, Ling Chen smiled slightly, patted his shoulder, and said, "It¡¯s thanks to you this time, thank you!"


    Last time returning from abroad, Ling Chen greatly admired Beison¡¯s abilities and hired Beison¡¯s team. Not long after Ling Chen returned to China, Beison, having dealt with affairs abroad, immediately rushed to East Sea City with his team to meet Ling Chen. Coincidentally, at that time the research base was destroyed and everyone was captured, leaving Beison and his team with nowhere to settle.


    After some thought, Ling Chen simply arranged for Beison and his team to stay at the Nanrong Family home, firstly to temporarily amodate them, and secondly to protect Nanrong Wanqing and Yang Qingling¡¯s safety.


    Beison had a working rtionship with Yang Qingling, and they were rtively familiar with each other, making Beison undoubtedly the most suitable person to be responsible for Yang Qingling¡¯s safety.


    "Mr. Ling, you¡¯re being polite, you paid us, this is what we¡¯re supposed to do." After a pause, Beison pointed to the yard behind and said, "Mr. Ling, the people have been captured, when do you n to interrogate them?"


    Ling Chen waved his hand and said, "No need to interrogate, just call the police and let them handle it."


    These people were Lin Guodong¡¯s subordinates, of no use, and no matter how they were interrogated, nothing woulde out. Rather than wasting effort, it was better to just hand them over to the police.


    Beison nodded; as a hiree, he never questioned the boss¡¯s decisions, only obeyed orders.


    In less than half an hour, Xia Mutong arrived at the Nanrong Family home with more than twenty police officers. Seeing so many intruders at the Nanrong Family home, Xia Mutong inevitably had some questions. However, Nanrong Wanqing, having received Ling Chen¡¯s instructions earlier, did not mention anything about Ling Chen or the God Organization, only saying that those people were intruders who trespassed the residence.


    Xia Mutong knew there was something more to it but had no choice; she couldn¡¯t force Nanrong Wanqing to reveal the truth.


    Reluctantly, Xia Mutong could only take the more than ten prisoners back to the police station.


    At this moment, outside the Nanrong Family home, a pair of cold eyes watched the departing police cars, snorted coldly, and turned their gaze back to the gate of the Nanrong Family home.


    "Mom." In the living room, Ling Chen sat on the sofa, looked at Yang Qingling, and said, "I ran into my dad today."


    "Your dad?" Yang Qingling was slightly surprised and asked eagerly, "Then where is he, why didn¡¯t you bring him back?"


    Ling Chen rubbed his nose and said embarrassedly, "Mom, well... I forgot to mention you to dad. Dad said he had important matters to attend to and had to leave East Sea City for a few days, but he woulde back after a while. Mom, don¡¯t worry too much, next time dades back, I¡¯ll definitely bring him to see you."


    "Alright." Yang Qingling sighed lightly, "It¡¯s been so many years since I¡¯ve seen your father, I don¡¯t know if he¡¯ll me me."


    Seeing Yang Qingling¡¯s worried look, Ling Chen quickly sat next to her and said, "Mom, don¡¯t think too much. Back then, you were forced not to tell dad the truth, I¡¯m sure dad will understand you. Besides, you¡¯ve suffered a lot over the years, with dad¡¯s personality, he won¡¯t bear to me you, he¡¯ll probably feel very sorry. Okay! Mom, don¡¯t overthink, get some early rest tonight."


    Just then, Ling Chen heard a phone ringing from his pocket.


    Taking out his phone, he looked at the caller ID on the screen and immediately picked up the call, asking, "Porridge girl?"


    "It¡¯s me! Where are you?"


    "At the Nanrong Family home, and you?"


    "Meet me at the construction site on Beitong Street in the South District in half an hour." As soon as she finished speaking, without waiting for Ling Chen to ask anything, the porridge girl hung up.


    During the day, Ling Kun had already told Ling Chen that the porridge girl was searching for Tang Guolun and their whereabouts. Once she had any findings, she would contact him immediately.


    "Mom, I have urgent matters, can¡¯t talk much." With that, Ling Chen immediately rushed outside.


    Because Nanrong Hao¡¯s Audi had been wrecked, Ling Chen had to switch to another car. Fortunately, the Nanrong Family wasn¡¯t short of cars, and they were all luxury cars.


    Driving a Range Rover, Ling Chen left the Wealthy Manor and headed straight to Beitong Street in the South District.


    The time set by the porridge girl was half an hour. To save time, Ling Chen drove quickly, maintaining a speed of about 100 mph throughout. In less than twenty minutes, Ling Chen drove to the side of the construction site.


    After parking the car, Ling Chen approached the construction site alone, looking around. Since it was nighttime, the construction site had stopped work and waspletely dark, with no trace of anyone in sight.


    Where is everyone?


    Ling Chen looked around but seen no one. He then took out his phone from his pocket, preparing to call the porridge girl.


    However, before Ling Chen could dial the number, a light suddenly shed in the construction site, blinking like a signal light. Seeing this, Ling Chen immediately pocketed his phone and hurried toward the light.


    Upon getting closer, Ling Chen finally saw clearly the person beside the light, it was indeed the porridge girl.


    After not seeing the porridge girl for a long time, Ling Chen noticed she seemed to have lost a lot of weight, and couldn¡¯t help feeling a bit heartbroken.


    "Porridge girl." Ling Chen called softly.


    The porridge girl gestured ¡¯hush¡¯, indicating Ling Chen didn¡¯t need to make a sound.


    "Follow me." The porridge girl whispered. After speaking, she turned around and walked straight to the back of the construction site.


    Ling Chen, without doubting her, followed closely behind the porridge girl step by step. After walking more than forty meters into the construction site, the porridge girl raised her hand, signaling Ling Chen to stop walking. Then, the porridge girl whispered to Ling Chen, pointing to a building not far away, "The people you need to rescue are all there."


    Hearing this, Ling Chen asked curiously, "Isn¡¯t that all a construction site, why would Lin Guodong keep them in a ce like this?"


    "It looks like a construction site from the outside, but it¡¯s not that simple inside." The porridge girl exined, "ording to my investigation, this construction site is part of the Ling Family¡¯s assets, but the Ling Family invested through multiple shellpanies without using the Ling Family¡¯s name."


    So that¡¯s how it is!


    Ling Chen nodded, finally understanding the reason.


    "There are many motion sensors installed in this area; anyrge movements will trigger the surrounding rms, you¡¯d better be careful."


    "Okay, I got it." After a pause, Ling Chen turned to look at the porridge girl and said, "You wait here, I¡¯ll go in and check the situation."


    "I¡¯ll go with you."<fn4a39> Get full chapters from find?novel</fn4a39>

 Chapter 973 - 980: Rescuing Tang Guolun (Part 2)

    <h4>Chapter 973: Chapter 980: Rescuing Tang Guolun (Part 2)</h4>


    "This..." Ling Chen hesitated for a moment, unsure if he should agree to the porridge girl¡¯s suggestion.


    Seeing Ling Chen¡¯s dy in responding, the porridge girl couldn¡¯t help but say, "What, are you afraid I¡¯ll hold you back? Don¡¯t forget, my skills are much stronger than yours."


    Hearing this, Ling Chen couldn¡¯t help but smile. She was right¡ªporridge girl was already a master on the Earthly List, far more formidable than him. Having her along would make the operation much more manageable.


    "Let¡¯s go." Ling Chen looked around, then carefully proceeded forward. Before long, the two of them arrived at the base of a building.


    The building had justpleted its main structure. The outer walls were up but had not been painted, with surrounding areas littered with random stones. Under the porridge girl¡¯s guidance, Ling Chen spotted a wooden door leading to the basement.


    The wooden door was very rudimentary, looking as if it might copse at a touch. Ling Chen walked over, gently touched the door panel with his hand, and found that it was incredibly sturdy, unlike an ordinary wooden door. If he guessed correctly, there was definitely a steel te inside the wooden door.


    After examining it for a while, Ling Chen couldn¡¯t find a way to open it. Thinking it over, he turned to the porridge girl and said, "Looks like we¡¯ll have to force our way in."


    "Wait!" The porridge girl gestured to stop Ling Chen and said, "You stay here, I¡¯ll go lure them out first." With that, she quickly headed back.


    Seeing the porridge girl¡¯s actions, Ling Chen immediately understood her intentions.


    The porridge girl intended to use the motion sensors ced around the construction site to attract the attention of the God Organization.


    In the darkness, the porridge girl¡¯s speed was incredibly fast, like a fleeting shadow darting among the stones. Minutester, standing by the wooden door, Ling Chen heard a ¡¯click¡¯ as a crevice appeared in the door¡¯s edge.


    Upon seeing this, Ling Chen hurriedly stepped aside. Just after hiding himself, he saw the door open from the inside, and five men stream out, heading quickly toward the construction site.


    Seizing the moment they hadn¡¯t spotted him, Ling Chen swiftly changed positions and darted to the door. Before it could close, he slipped inside.


    Once through the door, Ling Chen focused his eyes. Aheady a two-meter wide passage leading straight to the bottom, stretching about twenty meters.


    Following the passage downward, Ling Chen soon picked up on faint sounds reaching his ears.


    Locking onto the source of the sound, Ling Chen quickened his pace, advancing over ten meters, and his surroundings suddenly brightened.


    Tsk tsk!


    Seeing therge open space ahead, Ling Chen couldn¡¯t help but express his amazement.


    This indeed was the work of the wealthy Ling Family, constructing an underground base here. Moreover, the base seemed freshly built, with a strong odor still lingering.


    At the moment, over twenty staff members were busy atputers in the underground base. Besides them, more than ten suited security personnel were on duty, responsible for the base¡¯s protection and safety.


    Ling Chen stood at the entrance looking inside but saw no sign of Tang Guolun and the others. However, there was another door at the base¡¯s far end. Crossing through it meant passing by the workce, which would undoubtedly alert the security staff.


    With Tang Guolun and the others still in the enemy¡¯s hands, it was best not to act rashly, lest they use Tang Guolun¡¯s safety to threaten him, which would make things troublesome.


    While pondering this, footsteps were heard behind him. No doubt, it was the men who had gone out to check the motion sensors.


    This passage was a single route with no other hiding spots; if they came over, they would undoubtedly run into him.


    Thinking of this, Ling Chen pressed against the wall, steeled fists clenched, preparing to deal with them when they appeared to avoid having his position exposed.


    As the footsteps drew nearer, Ling Chen took a deep breath, body tensing, ready to make his move.


    The moment they appeared, he would strike without hesitation, neutralizing them before they could raise the rm.


    Watching their shadows approach on the ground, Ling Chen¡¯s brow furrowed, and he leaped forward like a gust of wind, aiming his steelÈ­at the man¡¯s face.


    But just then, another figure suddenly emerged from behind the man.


    Spotting this, Ling Chen hesitated momentarily, quickly withdrawing his fist.


    "Did you find your friend?"


    "No." Ling Chen looked at the porridge girl and said, "I was preparing to deal with them to avoid exposing myself."


    "Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ve already got them under control." As she spoke, the porridge girl patted one man¡¯s shoulder and said, "Take off your clothes."


    Upon hearing the porridge girl¡¯smand, the man immediately started taking off his suit without a word.


    Seeing the man¡¯s action, Ling Chen immediately understood the porridge girl¡¯s intention and quickly changed into the suit.


    "Later on, you guys escort me inside and say you caught me outside."


    "I know what to do."


    So, Ling Chen mingled with the four suited men, using one hand to escort the porridge girl inside. Upon entering the base, a few security personnel immediately approached, pointing at the porridge girl and asking, "Who is she?"


    Ling Chen kept his head down, avoiding eye contact, fearing recognition. Meanwhile, the suited man beside Ling Chen answered, "We found her running around the construction site when we were checking outside, so we brought her down."


    "Do you know who she is?"


    "Not clear for now, we¡¯re taking her for interrogation."


    The security personnel took a couple of nces at the porridge girl and nodded, "Alright, if she¡¯s no threat, just kill her, don¡¯t waste a cell bed."


    "Understood."


    The suited man responded, escorting the porridge girl onward.


    They passed through the st door, and the four suited men led Ling Chen and the porridge girl swiftly toward the prison. Soon, they arrived outside a door guarded by two security men.


    "They¡¯re inside?" Ling Chen asked the suited man next to him.


    "All of them, over thirty people."


    Upon hearing this, Ling Chen signaled the porridge girl with a look, and she instantly understood, swiftly taking out the two guards.


    They pushed open the door, and scanning the area, Ling Chen saw that both sides of the passage were lined with cells holding more than ten people each, including Tang Guolun and the technical staff, all ounted for.


    "Ling Chen?"


    Seeing Ling Chen outside the cell, Tang Guolun¡¯s eyes lit up, and he stood up from the bed, quickly moving to the cell door.


    <fn7dd5> Original content can be found at find?novel</fn7dd5>


    "You finally came, I thought you¡¯d forgotten us."


    Ling Chen grinned and said, "Boss Tang, how could I dare forget you? Step aside, I¡¯ll get the door open for you."


    Before long, Tang Guolun and the others were all freed from their cells by Ling Chen.

 Chapter 974 - 981: Occupying the Base (Part 1)

    <h4>Chapter 974: Chapter 981: upying the Base (Part 1)</h4>


    The people were rescued, and Ling Chen wasted no time, immediately preparing to retreat with Tang Guolun and the others.


    "Ling Chen, wait." Tang Guolun called out to Ling Chen, who was about to walk out, and asked, "How do we get out?"


    "Do we still need to ask? Of course, we¡¯ll just fight our way out and destroy this base on the way," Ling Chen replied. With Tang Guolun and the others already rescued and not under any threat, there was no need for him to hide. Acting directly would be more efficient. Besides, he saw earlier that, apart from a group of security personnel, there were no other experts in this base.


    "No, no, no!" Tang Guolun immediately stopped Ling Chen¡¯s action and said, "I don¡¯t care about the people from the God Organization, but this base must not be destroyed."


    Ling Chen asked puzzledly, "Why?"


    "This is a newly built base by the God Organization, veryrge and well-equipped. Building such a base would require at least billions in investment. Since it¡¯s a new base, not many people from the God Organization have moved in yet. If we can take over this base and im it as our own, not only will we save on rebuilding costs, but more importantly, we¡¯ll save time."


    Upon hearing this, Ling Chen immediately recalled what Ling Kun had told him. Ling Kun mentioned that the God Organization nned to move its power to East Sea City, making East Sea City its main base. It seems this base is the new main base built by the God Organization. If that¡¯s the case, it might be wise to ept Tang Guolun¡¯s suggestion and keep this base intact.


    Thinking of this, a question suddenly popped into Ling Chen¡¯s mind. "Boss Tang, why did the God Organization imprison you and your group here specifically?"


    "They want to exploit our talents. My brothers here areputer experts, adept in various skills. Besides, didn¡¯t I mention to you before? The God Organization once tried to recruit me to work for them, but I refused. This time, they wanted to persuade me again to work for them."


    "I see." Ling Chen nodded and said, "Alright, let¡¯s do as you said, deal with the God Organization people first, and preserve this base." With that, Ling Chen took out his phone from his pocket and dialed a number.


    Two minutes passed, and Ling Chen figured it was about time. He then led the porridge girl, Tang Guolun, and the others toward the outside.


    Soon, the group heard a piercing rm sound within the base. Hearing the rm, Ling Chen smirked and said with a smile, "Our reinforcements have arrived."


    As he spoke, the group arrived at the base¡¯s control center. At this moment, apart from more than twenty staff members, no security personnel was in sight in therge control center.


    <fn30f8> Original content can be found at find?novel</fn30f8>


    "Boss Tang, it¡¯s up to you now."


    "No problem, just wait." With those words, Tang Guolun immediately led the others to drive the group of staff away from theputers.


    In less than three minutes, the entire base was under Ling Chen¡¯s control. Simultaneously, Ling Chen received a phone call. After listening, he smiled slightly and turned to the porridge girl, saying, "The security personnel outside have been dealt with."


    "Who handled it?"


    "My second brother and the others. When you called me, I took the opportunity to notify them. Just as we came in to rescue people, they were waiting outside." Ling Chen said. It was just now that Xu Ming acted outside, drawing the base¡¯s security personnel. But they never imagined that the enemy wasn¡¯t just outside; there were also people inside.


    "Boss Tang, please open the door, my second brother and the others are still waiting outside."


    "Got it!"


    Not long after, Xu Ming, Yuan Yun, and Zhang Zhongfeng walked in from outside the base. Seeing everyone was safe and sound, Yuan Yun patted Ling Chen on the shoulder and said with a smile, "Finally, everyone is rescued."


    "The greatest gain this time wasn¡¯t just rescuing people but also seizing a new base from the God Organization." Ling Chen gestured around and asked, "Third Brother, what do you think, satisfied with my new home?"


    "You¡¯re quite something!" Yuan Yunughed heartily, "You even imed theirir as your own. Not bad, this ce is good. They destroyed your base, and you took one back from them, so it¡¯s fair."


    "Thanks to the porridge girl for her help. If it weren¡¯t for her providing the intel and telling me Boss Tang¡¯s whereabouts, I wouldn¡¯t have achieved such a huge gain."


    "Alright." Xu Ming interjected, "Since everyone is rescued, let¡¯s head back to the hospital. Our Fifth Sister called just now, saying Big Brother has woken up."


    "Really?" Ling Chen¡¯s eyes brightened, and he finally felt relief.


    "How about this, Second Brother, you all go visit Big Brother at the hospital first. I¡¯lle find you after wrapping things up here."


    "No rush." Zhang Zhongfeng said, "We¡¯ll keep Big Brotherpany, don¡¯t worry too much. Finish up your business here. Since you just seized the base from the God Organization, I reckon they won¡¯t let it go easily. I fear they¡¯ll seize the chance to counterattack, so you must be careful."


    "Fourth Brother, rest assured, I¡¯ll be well-prepared, ensuring the God Organization has no opportunity to act."


    After seeing off Xu Ming and the others, Ling Chen returned to the base¡¯s control center. At that moment, Tang Guolun was changing the base¡¯s security system with a group of subordinates, altering all the ess passwords for all the st doors.


    After chatting with Tang Guolun for a bit, Ling Chen went to the porridge girl¡¯s side and asked, "Are you staying here tonight or...?"


    "I¡¯ll stay here tonight, so the God Organization doesn¡¯te looking for trouble." Pausing for a moment, the porridge girl changed the subject and said, "You¡¯d better be cautious of Ji Gang. ording to my intel, Ji Gang has already arrived in East Sea City. Once Lin Guodong learns the base has been seized, he¡¯ll surely send skilled operatives. So, it¡¯s possible Ji Gang might make a move."


    "Ji Gang, huh?" Ling Chen touched his nose, frowning slightly. They were short on personnel now, and if Ji Gang made a move, he genuinely didn¡¯t have the strength to counter him. Moreover, he had to consider Chen Quan. From the current situation, Zhu Hong had already coborated with the God Organization. If Lin Guodong enlisted Chen Quan and Ji Gang to act together, the trouble would be substantial.


    After thinking it over, Ling Chen turned and walked to Tang Guolun, asking, "Boss Tang, how¡¯s the defense of this base?"


    "You can rest assured about that." Tang Guolun replied with a smile. "The God Organization nned to use this base as their main base, so they ensured the base¡¯s defense mechanism was reinforced. I checked the base¡¯s data earlier. The outer walls of the base are made of one meter of concrete and twenty centimeters of steel tes, extremely solid, making it impossible to easily destroy even with bombs. Besides that, the base¡¯s defense system is also very formidable."

 Chapter 975 - 982: Occupying the Base (Part 2)

    <h4>Chapter 975: Chapter 982: upying the Base (Part 2)</h4>


    "If a high-ranking fighter from the Heavenly Listes knocking, can we stop them?"


    Hearing Ling Chen¡¯s concern, Tang Guolun couldn¡¯t help butugh and said, "You really don¡¯t need to worry about that. This base is far more advanced than you think. With many advanced technologies in ce, not only can it hold off a high-ranking fighter from the Heavenly List, but it could also withstand an assault from an entire small battalion for two days and nights."


    "Really?" Ling Chen was skeptical of Tang Guolun¡¯s words. If the base was truly that impressive, how did he and the porridge girl manage to get in so easily?


    Tang Guolun seemed to see through Ling Chen¡¯s thoughts and exined, "You were able to get in not because of the base¡¯s weak defenses, but because the staff here are so ipetent. They¡¯ve just taken over this base and haven¡¯t fully mastered its functions. Otherwise, do you think you could have gotten in so easily?"


    "Alright, I trust you if you say it¡¯s no problem."


    In the blink of an eye, it was alreadyte at night.


    Seeing the porridge girl looking exhausted, Ling Chen couldn¡¯t help but urge, "You don¡¯t have to stay up with me. You look so tired; you probably haven¡¯t had a good rest these past few days. Come on, let me take you to your room so you can get a good night¡¯s sleep. If anythinges up, I¡¯ll let you know."


    The porridge girl hesitated, then nodded gently, "Alright then."


    This new base built by the God Organization was incrediblyrge, with a total of two levels. The top level was the control center, and the lower level was slightly smaller, consisting of living quarters for staff, a cafeteria, and a gym.


    Ling Chen took the porridge girl to the second level of the base, choosing a rtively clean room.


    "You rest now; I¡¯m heading back up." After escorting the porridge girl to the room, Ling Chen turned and was about to leave.


    "Wait!" The porridge girl hurriedly called out to Ling Chen.


    "What¡¯s the matter?"


    "I... I have something I want to say to you." The porridge girl stammered. Feeling Ling Chen¡¯s gaze, she unconsciously lowered her head, not daring to meet his eyes directly.


    "Then I¡¯lle in and sit with you for a while."


    Inside the room, Ling Chen sat on a single sofa, looking at the porridge girl by the bed. He asked, "What do you want to tell me?"


    "I... I¡¯m sorry!"


    "Sorry?" Ling Chen was slightly taken aback and asked in confusion, "Why are you apologizing to me out of the blue?"


    "I know Master came to see you. No matter what Master said to you, I hope you don¡¯t take it to heart. I... I¡¯ve never expected anything and won¡¯t make any demands on you, so you don¡¯t need to worry. Don¡¯t let it disrupt everyone¡¯s harmony on my ount."


    Ling Chen was even more puzzled by the porridge girl¡¯s words, not understanding what she meant. When his father hade to see him, he indeed said a lot, but most of it was about the God Organization and nothing else. So he was baffled as to why the porridge girl was saying this.


    Seeing Ling Chen¡¯s bewildered expression, the porridge girl hesitated for a moment and asked, "Didn¡¯t Master say anything to you?"


    "Say what?" Ling Chen snapped back to attention and asked curiously.


    "Nothing." Seeing Ling Chen¡¯s question, the porridge girl immediately closed her mouth, rose, and started pushing Ling Chen out, "You should get back to work; I¡¯m going to rest now." With that, before Ling Chen could say anything more, the porridge girl had already pushed him out of the room and closed the door.


    Standing outside the door, Ling Chen rubbed his forehead with a wry smile. However, from the porridge girl¡¯s reaction, his father must have left out something, something that undoubtedly concerned the porridge girl.


    Forget it!


    Since the porridge girl was unwilling to talk, Ling Chen didn¡¯t bother asking. He then returned directly to the control center.


    As soon as Ling Chen stepped through the door, he heard Tang Guolun standing in front of arge screen, waving and saying, "Ling Chen,e quickly; there¡¯s something happening outside."


    "What¡¯s the situation?" Ling Chen quickly walked over to Tang Guolun¡¯s side, watching therge screen in front of him. At that moment, a team of thirty people was rapidly approaching the base outside. A few people stood at the back of the team, including Chen Quan and Ji Gang. Besides them, Zhu Hong, Chu Huaiyang, and Song Mingzhe were also there.


    Tsk tsk!


    It looks like I guessed right. Lin Guodong actually managed to get Chen Quan and Ji Gang involved. This clearly shows how much Lin Guodong values this new base.


    At this moment, the group outside the base wasn¡¯t hiding their movements at all, heading straight for the front entrance of the base. By the looks of them, it was clear they intended to force an entry.


    "The enemy is approaching. Everyone, get ready. Whatever happens, don¡¯t let them in," Tang Guolun ordered. "On mymand, activate the defense mechanism immediately, sealing all entrances to the base."


    Upon hearing Tang Guolun¡¯smand, several tech personnel immediately began typing on their keyboards, activating the base¡¯s defense system. Instantly, all the red warning lights throughout the base lit up.


    At the same time, on the monitoring screens, a twenty-centimeter-thick iron door slowly descended at the entrances, reinforcing the defenses. With two iron doors in ce, unless the God Organization usedrge-scale destructive weapons, they wouldn¡¯t easily break through the main gate¡¯s defense.


    In no time, the team of over thirty had reached the main entrance of the base. They set down their backpacks, taking out a few items from within and sticking them around the wooden door. Once everything was in ce, they immediately retreated to the side.


    Suddenly, there was a loud ¡¯boom,¡¯ as the wooden door was engulfed by the explosive st.


    Even in the control center, Ling Chen could feel a slight vibration.


    "How¡¯s it looking at the main entrance?" Ling Chen asked with trepidation. Despite Tang Guolun¡¯s assurance, Ling Chen was still worried. After all, there were two high-ranking fighters from the Heavenly List outside. If they managed to get into the base, it wouldn¡¯t end well for any of them.


    After a moment, the smoke around the wooden door began to dissipate. Ling Chen leaned closer to therge screen, observing closely. The wooden door appeared intact, unaffected by the st.


    Seeing this, Ling Chen finally breathed a sigh of relief.


    Thank goodness! As long as the first door wasn¡¯t destroyed, Ling Chen had confidence in the base¡¯s defenses. Even if the God Organization breached the first door, there was still a st-proof door behind it. Moreover, the thickness of that st-proof door was twice that of the first. And if the God Organization used too much explosive, it would make excessive noise and alert the police.


    As he pondered this, the group outside the base began trying other methods to break through the door.


    Several men took two cutting machines from their backpacks, starting to slice along the edges of the wooden door. Watching the sparks fly across the screen, Tang Guolun smiled coldly and said, "They¡¯re too naive. Prepare to counteract."


    "Understood." A tech personnel nodded, gently tapping the enter key with his right hand.


    Instantly, several small holes appeared on the surface of the wooden door. Subsequent streams of liquid sprayed from these holes, instantly sshing onto the men.

 Chapter 976 - 983: Occupying the Base (Part 3)

    <h4>Chapter 976: Chapter 983: upying the Base (Part 3)</h4>


    As the liquid sshed onto the men, their clothes instantly began to smoke. Simultaneously, the men screamed loudly, rolling back and forth on the ground in agony.


    Seeing their state, Ling Chen eximed in surprise, "Acid?"


    Tang Guolun nodded and said, "The door wasced with diluted acid, not very concentrated, non-lethal, but certainly ufortable."


    At this moment, Ji Gang, who was observing the situation from behind, coldly said, "A bunch of useless fools, so many of them can¡¯t even open a door." Saying this, Ji Gang strode over directly.


    Seeing Ji Gang approaching, the crowd immediately retreated to both sides. At the doorway, Ji Gang eyed the wooden door, snorted coldly, raised a single palm, and struck directly at the door panel.


    Under Ji Gang¡¯s full-force strike, the wooden door remained unmoved and left not a trace. Witnessing this, Ji Gang¡¯s expression involuntarily sank. Moments ago, he had berated that group of subordinates as useless fools for their inability to open the door. But now, even he couldn¡¯t open it, wasn¡¯t he just as useless?


    "Ji, let me help you." These words came as Chen Quan walked forward from behind.


    "Ji, I mean no disrespect, but this door is exceptionally sturdy; individual strength is insufficient to break through. In my opinion, it¡¯s better to work together."


    Upon hearing Chen Quan¡¯s suggestion, Ji Gang nodded, not rejecting Chen Quan¡¯s goodwill.


    Immediately, the two stood, one on each side, at the front door, cing their fists and palms on the door panel, channeling their power.


    "Open!"


    A soft shout, as Chen Quan and Ji Gang exerted force simultaneously. The strength of the two Heavenly List masters converged on the wooden door. In an instant, the door¡¯s surface indented, forming two pits.


    However, even so, the two Heavenly List masters only managed to leave marks on the door, without fully destroying it. Nheless, seeing Ji Gang and Chen Quan leave marks on the door through physical strength still shocked everyone present, and even Ling Chen in front of the big screen couldn¡¯t help but be astonished.


    Such a thick steel te, yet marks were left on it, the power of Heavenly List masters is truly terrifying.


    "How about it?" Tang Guolun asked Ling Chen triumphantly, "I told you, even if Heavenly List masters came, it wouldn¡¯t help, they won¡¯t break through this base¡¯s defenses."


    Ling Chen nodded, secretly relieved; tonight he could finally sleep peacefully.


    ...


    "What did you say?"


    At this moment, in a vi on the outskirts of East Sea City, Lin Guodong abruptly stood up from the sofa, looking coldly at the young man in front of him, saying, "So many people, even with two Heavenly List masters mobilized, still haven¡¯t taken that base, what are they doing?"


    The young man hunched his head, trembling with fear as he said, "Mr. Lin, we really have no way out. That new base was built per your orders to be the most secure base, so a lot was invested in defense mechanisms. The entire base cost thirteen billion, with nearly half the funds used to reinforce the defenses. Before we constructed the base, we considered the issue with Heavenly List masters, hence the strengthened defense focus. Unless special circumstances arise, generally speaking, Heavenly List masters would find it difficult to break through its defenses."


    "Then tell me what we¡¯re supposed to do now?" Lin Guodong asked coldly, "Are we just going to hand over the new base we¡¯ve built at the cost of tens of billions? Money is a small issue, but we poured so much manpower, material resources, and energy into this, only to do it all for someone else; do you understand how much time building such a base takes?"


    "But... Mr. Lin, I really have no way."


    Lin Guodong couldn¡¯t help but roar angrily, "No way? You oversaw the design and construction of that base, even you have no way, how would I have one?"


    The young man said unjustly, "Mr. Lin, it¡¯s true I oversaw the base¡¯s construction, but the problem is, when we built it initially, we only considered its sturdiness and defense, never how to breach it. In other words, that base is virtually imprable in terms of defense."


    Hearing this, Lin Guodong took a deep breath, watching the young man as he asked in measured words, "Tell me truthfully, what¡¯s the likelihood of capturing that base?"


    "Less than twenty percent."


    "Twenty percent?" Lin Guodong asked coldly, "Why can Ling Chen easily seize control of that base, yet we can¡¯t?"


    "Well... the base waspleted less than three days ago, our people entered two days ago, they¡¯re still unfamiliar with many aspects. Moreover, our technical personnel are all overseas; ording to n, they will arrive in East Sea City on tomorrow¡¯s flight to take over base control. Thus, the staff in the base for these two days are amateur, not professionals, so efficiency may be slower. But Ling Chen is different, he has Tang Guolun and those technical experts assisting him. I¡¯ve checked their files, they were previously elite technical felons, extremely formidable, even more so than our technical personnel. Hence, they grasped the base system rapidly."


    Lin Guodong impatiently waved his hand, "I don¡¯t want to hear so much, I¡¯m giving you three more days. If you can¡¯t reim that base within three days, don¡¯t bothering back to see me. Now get out of my sight, I don¡¯t want to see you."


    "Understood." the young man responded hurriedly, quickly exiting the living room.


    ...


    In the blink of an eye, daylight gradually appeared.


    Ling Chen stretchedzily, sitting up from the sofa in the control center, yawning as he asked, "Is it morning?"


    Tang Guolun brought a cup of coffee to Ling Chen, smiling as he said, "Awake? Slept wellst night, didn¡¯t you?"


    "Not bad." Ling Chen took a couple of sips of coffee to shake off his drowsiness and asked, "What about Ji Gang and the others, are they still outside?"


    "No, they retreated earlier. However, I think God Organization won¡¯t give up easily. After all, we¡¯re upying their newly built base, and nobody would willingly ept that. So, in the next couple of days, they will surely take action."


    Ling Chen thought for a moment and said, "Why not; I¡¯ll call my second brother and ask them to help keep an eye out just in case."


    "That¡¯s fine."


    "Boss Tang!"


    Just then, a technician stood up from behind theputer and loudly called Tang Guolun¡¯s name.


    "What¡¯s happening?" Tang Guolun asked, swiftly walking over to the technician¡¯s side. Ling Chen, fearing trouble, followed in Tang Guolun¡¯s footsteps.


    "Boss Tang, many workers havee to the construction site, ready to break ground."


    Tang Guolun said indifferently, "Let them be, don¡¯t bother about them."


    "That might not work." The technician had a bitter smile on his face.

 Chapter 977 - 984: Armored Ironman (1)

    <h4>Chapter 977: Chapter 984: Armored Ironman (1)</h4>


    "Why not?" Ling Chen interjected.


    The technician pointed to several workers on the surveince screen and said, "They just brought in a few machines, all professional drilling equipment. Furthermore, they¡¯ve chosen a drilling location directly above the base. If this were ordinary construction, there would be no need to drill into the ground. This shows they are part of the God Organization, attempting to drill through the top defense walls of the base."


    Upon hearing this, Ling Chen couldn¡¯t help but frown. It seemed that the people from the God Organization still wouldn¡¯t give up, even resorting torge machinery. Thinking of this, Ling Chen asked, "If it¡¯s as you say, how long will it take them to drill through the base¡¯s outer walls?"


    "With their professional equipment, no more than four or five hours. The outer concrete wall is rtively easy to prate; only the inner steel te will take a long time. Mr. Ling, I suggest you find a way to stop them; don¡¯t let them seed at all costs."


    Ling Chen thought for a moment, unsure of what to do. Beside him, Tang Guolun suggested, "Why don¡¯t we send someone out?"


    "It¡¯s useless." Ling Chen waved his hand and said, "The God Organization must have arranged people outside. As soon as we send people to stop them, it¡¯s exactly what they want. They¡¯re now eager for us to open the exit."


    "Then what do we do?"


    "Don¡¯t rush, let me think it over." Ling Chen left a word and walked alone in the control center, pacing back and forth, pondering a solution.


    A moment passed, and Ling Chen took out his phone from his pocket, selected a number, and hesitantly ced his thumb on the call button. The owner of that number was none other than Xia Mutong.


    After much thought, Ling Chen realized the only person he could turn to was Xia Mutong. Because Xia Mutong is a police officer, only if Xia Mutong takes the lead with the police can the God Organization be stopped. Currently, the God Organization has not yet established a stronghold in East Sea City and dare not easily sh with the police. Otherwise, it would attract the government¡¯s heightened attention and crackdown, making their position very dangerous.


    After previously talking with Mr. Zhang from the government, Ling Chen was well aware of the government¡¯s stance. At present, although the government knows the Ling Family is the mastermind behind the God Organization, they dare not rashly move against them, because the resources controlled by the Ling Family are immense. If the Ling Family retaliated after being eradicated, it would cause social turmoil and unimaginable consequences.


    Because of this, the government has been secretly investigating and gathering evidence, not daring to act impulsively. The government sent Mr. Zhang on a covert mission, intending to tackle the Ling Family without official sanction.


    Thus, the Ling Family is momentarily safe mainly because the government doesn¡¯t wish to break the precarious peace. If anyone were to pierce that fragile paper wall, it would only lead to an all-out conflict between the government and the Ling Family.


    If it ever reached that point, it would be disadvantageous for anyone. Calling Xia Mutong for help might inadvertently spark a fierce battle between the God Organization and the government. Considering this, Ling Chen immediately put away his phone and gave up the idea of asking Xia Mutong for help.


    Under no circumstances could he be the fuse between the government and the Ling Family.


    As moments ticked by, Ling Chen suddenly felt a buzzing overhead. Simultaneously, the base¡¯s ceiling began to vibrate slightly.


    "Ling Chen, they¡¯ve started working," Tang Guolun¡¯s voice came through.


    Hearing it, Ling Chen replied, "I know, hold on, I¡¯m still working on it."


    While pondering, he saw porridge girl walking in from outside the control center. Looking at the pensive Ling Chen, she asked, "What¡¯s wrong?"


    Ling Chen pointed helplessly upwards and said, "They¡¯re drilling."


    "Drilling?" Porridge girl turned her head to the surveince screen, her expression suddenly changing.


    "I¡¯ll go out and take a look." As she spoke, porridge girl was ready to head out.


    "Don¡¯t go!" Ling Chen hurriedly grabbed her hand and stopped her, "Now is not the time to go out. They must have stationed people outside. Besides, Ji Gang and Chen Quan¡¯s whereabouts are unknown; we can¡¯t be sure if they¡¯re outside. For safety¡¯s sake, it¡¯s best not to go out."


    "Then what? Are we just going to watch them drill through the base? Once the base defenses are breached, won¡¯t we still have to face them?"


    "This..." Ling Chen hesitated for a moment and said, "How about this, you stay in the base, and I¡¯ll find someone to help." With that, Ling Chen picked up his phone and dialed a number.


    A half-hour passed.


    "Ling Chen, they¡¯ve prated the outer concrete wall of the base," Tang Guolun said solemnly, looking at the big screen¡¯s surveince feed.


    "So soon?" Ling Chen was shocked. ording to their estimation, it would take at least four to five hours. But now, it seemed that they would drill through the top defense walls of the base in just two to three hours.


    While contemting, Ling Chen suddenly heard his phone ringing in his pocket. He pulled it out, nced at the caller ID, and answered the call promptly, asking, "Fourth brother, how¡¯s the situation outside?"


    "You¡¯d better note out; Chen Quan and Ji Gang are guarding outside." After a pause, Zhang Zhongfeng continued, "Sixth brother, your second brother¡¯s idea is that we¡¯ll help you draw Ji Gang away."


    "No way!" Ling Chen refused without hesitation, "That¡¯s too dangerous." If they were just Earthly List experts, Ling Chen would agree without a second thought. However, Ji Gang and Chen Quan are true Heavenly List experts; even if Xu Ming and others joined forces, they might not escape. He didn¡¯t want to ce Xu Ming and the others in danger because of himself.


    "Fourth brother, keep an eye out, and inform me immediately if anything happens."


    After saying this, Ling Chen hung up the phone and walked to Tang Guolun¡¯s side, looking at the surveince feed on the big screen, "Does this base have a countermeasure system?"


    "There is, but the countermeasure system is concentrated at the main gate; there¡¯s nothing elsewhere, but..."


    "But what?"


    "I checked the base¡¯s reserve resourcesst night; there¡¯s an equipment room. I don¡¯t know if there¡¯s anything useful in there."


    Equipment room?


    Ling Chen¡¯s heart stirred, and he asked, "Where is the equipment room you mentioned?"


    "Base¡¯s second floor, the room on the north side. Why, do you want to check it out?"


    "Since there¡¯s no other way now, we might as well take a look. Maybe there¡¯s something in there we can use."


    "Alright, I¡¯ll go with you."


    Then, Ling Chen followed Tang Guolun to the second floor of the base. Before long, they were standing outside the equipment room. Seeing the locked door, Tang Guolun went up and input the reset password into the keypad. With a ¡¯click¡¯ sound, the heavy st door opened immediately.

 Chapter 978 - 985: Armored Ironman (Part 2)

    <h4>Chapter 978: Chapter 985: Armored Ironman (Part 2)</h4>


    Passing through the st door, Ling Chen followed behind Tang Guolun into the equipment room.


    With the lights on, looking at the bright equipment room, Ling Chen and Tang Guolun were immediately stunned by the pile of items before them.


    Wow!


    This is indeed worthy of the God Organization¡¯s equipment room, and the things stored here are truly abundant. Besides some ordinary equipment, there¡¯s also a specific area for storing heavy equipment.


    Looking at the equipment emitting a metallic sheen, Ling Chen clicked his tongue in amazement, quickly walked over, and touched the cold metal surface.


    Unexpected... truly unexpected, that the God Organization could manufacture such things.


    The giant metal before him was two and a half meters tall, shaped like an iron man. Previously, during the Heavenly Mechanism Great Ceremony, Zhu Hong had appeared in a fully armed armor suit. However, this armor was muchrger than the one Zhu Hong wore. Moreover, this metal emitted a cold shine, definitely notmon metal. Although the material was unknown, it was certain that it was nothing ordinary.


    "What is this?" At this moment, Tang Guolun also noticed this gigantic armored ironman.


    "This is a giant armor created through exoskeleton armor technology," Ling Chen exined. "To put it simply, it¡¯s a type of mechanical armor that can be worn by a person."


    "Are you serious?" Tang Guolun said in surprise, "I¡¯ve never seen such a thing, but I have seen it in movies."


    "Today¡¯s technology level is far more advanced than you imagine." Saying this, Ling Chen lightly tapped with his toe and jumped onto the armored ironman. At the top of the armored ironman, there was a button.


    Ling Chen gently pressed it, and with a few light clicks, the abdomen of the armored ironman immediately opened outward, revealing a narrow cockpit. The cockpit in the armored ironman was tiny, only able to amodate one adult, and the height cannot exceed one meter eighty. Ling Chen sat in the cockpit, slightly adjusted, and felt it was just manageable.


    Inside the cockpit, there were numerous buttons and disy screens. Ling Chen scrutinized them for a few seconds and locked his gaze on a conspicuous red button. When the red button was pressed, all the disy screens in the cockpit lit up. At the same time, various parts of the armored ironman emitted a series of crisp ¡¯ka-ka¡¯ sounds, gears inside turned swiftly, driving the massive armored ironman to stand up.


    Tang Guolun widened his eyes, watching the armored ironman slowly stand upright, with eyes full of wonder. If Ling Chen wasn¡¯t still sitting in the cockpit, he couldn¡¯t resist climbing in to take a look.


    "Boss Tang, help me check the weapon system."


    "Hold on!" Tang Guolun responded, quickly fetched aptop, and connected it to the armored ironman¡¯s main system.


    A few minutes passed, and Tang Guolun spoke up, "This armor is equipped with twenty grenades and two Gatling guns, very powerful, along with a methrower. If fully powered, even experts from the Heavenly List wouldn¡¯t be a match. However, although this armor is equipped with a weapon system, no ammunition is installed."


    "Isn¡¯t there any in the equipment room?"


    "No, I¡¯ve checked, there are only equipment, no ammunition boxes. I guess the God Organization hasn¡¯t transported the ammunition yet."


    "Never mind," Ling Chen said nonchntly, "Anyway, this is within the country, heavy weapons can¡¯t be used."


    "Okay! All inspected, the system is intact, no problems. Ling Chen, would you like to give it a try?"


    "Sure!" Ling Chen nodded and closed the cockpit of the armored ironman. Instantly, a clear image appeared on the screen before Ling Chen, disying all the surroundings on the screens.


    Without needing to turn his head, Ling Chen could clearly see everything around with this 360-degree view.


    Everything was ready, Ling Chen slowly lifted his foot, controlled the armored ironman to walk forward. It must be said, the stability of this armor was outstanding. Even an amateur like Ling Chen, who had juste into contact with it, could immediately master it. After training in the equipment room for about half an hour, Ling Chen could already skillfully control the armored ironman, moving around and performing some rtively difficult maneuvers.


    Unfortunately, this armored ironman was too heavy, making some high-difficulty movements difficult, and technically unsupported.


    The cockpit opened, and Ling Chen poked his head out, looking at Tang Guolun, "Boss Tang, I¡¯m ready to take this thing outside to meet those guys."


    "Are you sure?" Tang Guolun said with concern, "This thing isn¡¯t equipped with ammunition, what will you use to fight them?"


    "Nothing to fear," Ling Chen replied confidently, "With this thing protecting me, they won¡¯t be able to do anything to me, you can rest easy. Let¡¯s go!"


    "Alright then, follow me."


    Under the lead of Tang Guolun, Ling Chen controlled the armored ironman to reach a cargo elevator. The cargo elevator was veryrge, capable of bearing five tons. It seemed this cargo elevator was specially built for transporting the armored ironman, able to perfectly support the weight and size of the armored ironman.


    Standing in the cargo elevator, Tang Guolun gave a few more instructions before pressing the switch to send Ling Chen to the base surface.


    Soon, the cargo elevator¡¯s door slowly opened, a beam of sunlight shone onto the armored ironman.


    Ling Chen looked around and found the cargo elevator was hidden in an old residential house. As soon as he walked out of the cargo elevator, Ling Chen immediately saw more than a dozen men in suits standing on both sides of the house, all members of the God Organization.


    At this moment, seeing a giant armored ironman emerge from the cargo elevator, everyone present was stunned, staring at the armored ironman, unable to react for a long time.


    "What... what is this thing?"


    While they were in shock, Ling Chen was already controlling the armored ironman charging towards the construction site. His target was very clear, to destroy the drilling equipment, as without the equipment, let¡¯s see how they could break through the base.


    Because the armored ironman was too heavy, its speed wasn¡¯t very fast. However, even so, no one dared to block the armored ironman¡¯s path.


    Facing such a terrifying armor, who would dare to stand in the way? That would be courting death.


    For a moment, all the members of the God Organization stationed outside stared in wide-eyed wonder at the rampant armored ironman, unable to do anything.


    While advancing, Ling Chen suddenly saw a few people rapidly approaching from not far away, it was Chen Quan and Ji Gang along with others.


    "Old Man Ji, long time no see." Ling Chen¡¯s voice projected through a loudspeaker.


    "Ling Chen?" Ji Gang snorted, saying coldly, "I wondered who it was, turns out to be you, coward. Ling Chen, didn¡¯t you used to be quite bold? Why don¡¯t you dare to show your face now?"


    "Old Man Ji, don¡¯t bother provoking me, it won¡¯t work, I¡¯m not stupid. With you two experts from the Heavenly List here, do you expect me to walk into my death?"

 Chapter 979 - 986: Armored Iron Man (Part 3)

    <h4>Chapter 979: Chapter 986: Armored Iron Man (Part 3)</h4>


    "Hmph!" Chen Quan sneered, "You cowardly rat, do you think hiding in there will save you? Ling Chen, aren¡¯t you a bit too naive."


    "Whether it¡¯s me being naive or you, it¡¯s still uncertain. But you Heavenly List experts bullying a junior like me with all these Earthly List masters, don¡¯t you feel any shame? Though, when I think about it, you all are shameless people who would do anything. Wouldn¡¯t you agree?"


    "Enough, stop wasting time with him, kill him." Ji Gang shouted coldly, tapping his toe and rushing towards the armored suit.


    As he got closer, Ji Gang leaped high and struck hard at the center of the armored suit with a single palm. However, his force didn¡¯t make a dent; the suit stood immovable, solid as a rock.


    Seeing this, Chen Quan and the others were stunned. They knew Ji Gang¡¯s strength well, yet he couldn¡¯t harm that armored suit.


    Seeing this situation, Chen Quan and Song Mingzhe immediately rushed forward, surrounding the armored suit in the center.


    "Everyone attack, dismantle this damn thing."


    Hearing Chen Quan¡¯smand, without hesitation, everyone rushed to the front of the armor suit, unleashing punches and kicks. The sound of ¡¯ng, ng¡¯ echoed around the suit.


    Amidst the onught, Ling Chen sat silently in the cockpit, watching the scenes on the monitor, a slight smile on his lips. Kudos to the God Organization for making this; the quality is impable. No matter how strong Ji Gang and the others were, the armored suit remained undamaged, all systems functioning normally.


    After letting Ji Gang and others pester for a while, Ling Chen turned on the cockpit¡¯s loudspeaker and said, "Everyone, tired yet? Want to take a break?"


    Hearing Ling Chen¡¯s sarcasm, their faces instantly darkened.


    "Master, this armor¡¯s metal is very sturdy, we should think of another method," Zhu Hong suggested, watching from the side.


    Chen Quan said coldly, "Why don¡¯t you think of a method instead of making sarcasticments here."


    "I..." Zhu Hong was at a loss for words. Unlike Chu Huaiyang and Song Mingzhe, he didn¡¯t know much martial arts and couldn¡¯t help at all, so he had no n.


    "If you¡¯re done ying, then it¡¯s my turn." As soon as Ling Chen ended his sentence, two gun barrels extended from the shoulders of the armored suit, targeting Ji Gang and the others.


    Upon seeing the barrels, Zhu Hong¡¯s face changed, and he hurriedly dived behind a row of cover, shouting loudly, "Run!"


    At that moment, Chen Quan and Ji Gang also noticed the long gun barrels. Although they were martial artists, they were familiar with firearms, and those were definitely the distinct barrels of a Gatling gun.


    In an instant, no one dared to linger near the armored suit anymore, scrambling to find cover while fleeing.


    Within seconds, everyone who had surrounded the armored suit vanished.


    Seeing the empty surroundings on the screen, Ling Chen couldn¡¯t help butugh. These guys really were cowards, scared so easily. The armored suit¡¯s weapon system wasn¡¯t even equipped with ammo, it¡¯s just for show and isn¡¯t actually functional.


    While Ji Gang and the others retreated, Ling Chen immediately controlled the armored suit to rush forward. At this moment, severalrge drilling machines appeared in his sight, less than thirty meters away.


    Hearing the armored suit¡¯s footsteps growing distant, Ji Gang and others, hiding behind cover, poked their heads out, watching the suit¡¯s back with cold expressions.


    "Chase it!"


    Ji Gang shouted in a low voice, jumping from behind his cover. But just then, the advancing armored suit suddenly turned around, aiming its barrels at Ji Gang once more.


    Seeing this, Ji Gang¡¯s expression changed; he didn¡¯t dare to pursue further and quickly dove to the side among the bricks and tiles.


    Sitting in the cockpit, Ling Chen chuckled to himself, ignoring Ji Gang, and continued to drive the armored suit forward.


    Watching the terrifying armored suit closing in, the workers operating the drilling machines dared not linger and quickly scattered. In the blink of an eye, dozens of workers had fled.


    Taking advantage of this moment, Ling Chen swung the mechanical arm of the armored suit, smashing it onto one of the drilling machines.


    Bam!


    With a loud crash, the drilling machine was instantly crushed by the mechanical arm. Under the armored suit¡¯s powerful attack, it wasn¡¯t long before all the drilling machines were destroyed.


    Looking at the scattered parts, Ling Chen smiled. Mission aplished, time to head back!


    He then controlled the armored suit, slowly moving its legs toward the freight elevator.


    Seeing the armored suit approaching, Ji Gang and the others looked grim. With that suit for protection, they had no way to harm Ling Chen. Moreover, equipped with heavy firepower, even Heavenly List experts like Ji Gang and Chen Quan were extremely wary.


    Despite their formidable skills, they couldn¡¯t change the fact that they were mere flesh and blood.


    Watching the armored suit disappear into the freight elevator, Ji Gang snorted, frustrated, and said, "Let¡¯s go."


    "Are we leaving matters here unchecked?" Zhu Hong asked.


    Ji Gang nced at Zhu Hong coldly and said, "Do you have the ability to handle it? Hmph! You¡¯re the most useless here, shut your mouth."


    "Elder Ji, no need to get angry." Chen Quan spoke calmly, "My disciple meant well. Honestly, if we can¡¯t find a way to deal with that thing, there¡¯s no breaking through the base¡¯s defense wall."


    "I understand, I¡¯ll report this to the higher-ups."


    ...


    At this moment, in the equipment room of the base, Ling Chen parked the armored suit, opened the cockpit, and jumped out.


    Tang Guolun, who was waiting outside,ughed and quickly walked up.


    "So, how was it? Quite thrilling, right?"


    "Not bad, not bad at all," Ling Chenughed heartily, "I must say, the God Organization showed some skills; even the Heavenly List masters were helpless against it. If it were equipped with ammo, it could genuinely threaten top experts."


    "With this thing, let¡¯s see how they can drill, it¡¯ll be destroyed each time. Oh! I just received news that Ji Gang and the others have retreated."


    Ling Chen exhaled, nodding with a smile, "Good, finally some relief. I¡¯ll call Fattyter, telling him toe over quickly. Plus, we need to organize the base¡¯s security forces."


    "Do you have any suggestions?"


    "I¡¯ve hired a professional team to handle the perimeter security of the base, but for internal security, I still need to find people." Ling Chen sighed helplessly, "I¡¯m really short on manpower right now."

 Chapter 980 - 987: Expanding the Faction (1)

    <h4>Chapter 980: Chapter 987: Expanding the Faction (1)</h4>


    After receiving Ling Chen¡¯s notification, it didn¡¯t take long for Hu Fei and Beison to arrive with their team at the base.


    Before capturing this base, Ling Chen hadn¡¯t told Hu Fei. Once this guy reached the base, he jumped up in excitement.


    In every aspect, this base is several times better than the previous research base.


    "Ling Chen, you finally did something good," Hu Fei chuckled. "Now Lin Guodong will probably be heartbroken."


    "More than just heartbroken, the God Organization spent so much effort and resources to build this base, but it ended up being taken over by us. He¡¯s probably furious by now."


    After a few jokes, Ling Chen changed his tone and said seriously, "Hey, fatty, speaking seriously, do you have any contacts who can bring in some decent manpower?"


    "You want to recruit people?" Hu Fei said, "Don¡¯t you still have Jiang Hao and his people? Jiang Hao has hundreds under him, isn¡¯t that enough?"


    "Jiang Hao¡¯s group are all street thugs. What use are they? Besides, his underlings have families, I can¡¯t just send them to their deaths. I need professionals. Look!" Ling Chen pointed to Beison not far away and said, "See that? That¡¯s what I call professional."


    "You¡¯re looking for mercenaries?" Hu Fei immediately waved his hand and said, "It¡¯s best not to hire too many mercenaries. Even though they¡¯re professionals, they only care about money and never talk about loyalty. So, it¡¯s hard to gain their loyalty, and they can¡¯t bepletely trusted. I think one mercenary team is enough."


    "So what do you suggest? Right now, Beison¡¯s people are guarding the perimeter, so that¡¯s not a big worry. But inside the base, there isn¡¯t a decent security team. If the God Organizationunches a massive attack, what do you expect me to fight back with?"


    "Well..." Hu Fei rubbed his head, hesitant about what to say.


    At this moment, the porridge girl interjected, "If you¡¯re looking for manpower, maybe I can help you."


    "Really?" Ling Chen¡¯s eyes lit up, and he quickly asked, "What do you have in mind?"


    "Recently, I¡¯ve been busy cleaning up after the Secret Society, integrating its remaining forces. You¡¯ve all had dealings with the Secret Society before, so you should know how extensive their power is. Globally, the Secret Society¡¯s reach is second only to the God Organization. Wherever the God Organization is, you can bet we have Secret Society people there, just not in the same numbers. This time, I¡¯ve gathered all the remaining members of the Secret Society. Although their power has been greatly reduced under the God Organization¡¯s suppression, a starved camel is still bigger than a horse, and we still have quite a few avable hands. If you need, I can call them all here to follow your orders."


    Hearing the porridge girl¡¯s words, Ling Chen¡¯s brows unfurled, and he smiled, saying, "If the Secret Society joins us, that¡¯s wonderful. But... I¡¯m afraid they won¡¯t follow my arrangements."


    "You can rest assured about that. I¡¯ve talked to Master before, and ording to him, he is also prepared to entrust all the Secret Society¡¯s existing forces to you. After all, the Secret Society isn¡¯t what it used to be, and going it alone won¡¯t aplish much. Instead, it¡¯s better to cooperate with you andbine our forces. Only then will we have enough strength to contend with the God Organization."


    "Alright," Ling Chen nodded, "If that¡¯s the case, then bring them all here. After all, I¡¯m short on hands here, and this base isrge enough to amodate two or three hundred people."


    "Okay, I¡¯ll contact themter and have theme to East Sea City as soon as possible."


    "By the way!" At this moment, Hu Fei seemed to remember something and curiously asked, "Porridge girl, how did Ling Chen¡¯s dad be the leader of the Secret Society? As far as I know, the Secret Society has been around for over fifty years. Given his dad¡¯s age, he couldn¡¯t have founded it."


    As soon as Hu Fei finished speaking, Ling Chen also looked towards the porridge girl. He, like Hu Fei, was puzzled about how Ling Kun became the leader of the Secret Society. Back then, Ling Kun was always by Ling Chen¡¯s side until he was a teenager. All things considered, Ling Chen and his dad have only been apart for about ten years. It seems strange that in such a short time, his dad suddenly became the leader of the world¡¯s secondrgest power.


    Facing their gaze, the porridge girl replied casually, "I¡¯m not very clear about this matter. You can ask Master directly when hees back."


    ...


    In half a day, with Ling Chen and his group¡¯s efforts, the base gradually got into gear. Zhou Qi and Zhou Jun were brought to the base and began stepping into their roles. Zhou Qi¡¯s position remained unchanged; he continued to be the head steward of the base.


    Zhou Qi previously served at the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, overseeing all major affairs there, so he has a wealth of experience in this area. Moreover, Zhou Qi is also an Earthly List expert. Because of these two factors, Ling Chen, together with Zhou Jun, went to great lengths to recruit Zhou Qi.


    Currently, there are very few experts avable in the base: Kaelina, Jiang Yunkai, Qin Genglong, Zhou Qi, plus Zhou Jun. Among them, only Qin Genglong and Zhou Qi are truly outstanding, while the others are rather ordinary. In a real sense, Kaelina and Jiang Yunkai are not considered top experts.


    Of course, these people are nominally members of the base. Besides them, there¡¯s also the Eight Oddities, which is the real strength Ling Chen can wield. However, Qiu Yong and the others help out of brotherhood, and they are not Ling Chen¡¯s subordinates.


    For this reason, Ling Chen is reluctant to rely too much on their strength. Every time, due to his own issues, he made Qiu Yong and the others run back and forth, risking themselves. Especially this time, Qiu Yong almost lost his life from a snakebite while rescuing him.


    Although Qiu Yong and the others emphasize brotherhood, Ling Chen feels he owes them too much, and he feels ufortable asking for their help each time. Therefore, he hopes to quickly strengthen his own forces so that others don¡¯t have to take risks for him.


    A day passed.


    The base experienced a rare day of calm. Ever since Ling Chen destroyed all the drilling equipment that day, the God Organization hasn¡¯t sent anyone over again. They probably realized that as long as that armored titan remains, they can¡¯t use drilling machines to breach the base¡¯s defenses.


    Meanwhile, Secret Society members also arrived one after another, gathering at the base.


    This time, Ling Chen truly witnessed the vast power of the Secret Society and deeply understood the saying that a starved camel is still bigger than a horse.


    Even though they were only the remnants of the Secret Society, there were still over four hundred people. Even this newly built base couldn¡¯t amodate so many people.

 Chapter 981 - 988: Expanding the Faction (2)

    <h4>Chapter 981: Chapter 988: Expanding the Faction (2)</h4>


    Because of the arrival of Secret Society members, the originally deste base suddenly became overcrowded.


    Hu Fei previously estimated that this base could amodate a maximum of four hundred people. Including Ling Chen¡¯s own personnel, there were a hundred more people than that. To temporarily settle them, Ling Chen had no choice but to add more beds, increasing the upancy of rooms that originally housed four people to six. Fortunately, the rooms were quite spacious, so even with six people, it wouldn¡¯t feel cramped.


    However, while the amodation issue was resolved, Ling Chen still faced an even greater problem, which was food.


    Previously, at the research base, the total number of people didn¡¯t even reach a hundred; at most, around seventy or eighty people, and special individuals would usually go out to buy takeout. But now, with a sudden increase of hundreds of people, this became a big problem. You can¡¯t possibly have someone go out to buy takeout for every meal, right? Ordering takeout for four to five hundred people is a terrifying thought. Moreover, in this way, the daily expenses for meals alone would be substantial.


    By then, Hu Fei, who was in charge of managing funds, would probablyin to Ling Chen every day.


    "Headache!"


    Ling Chen sat alone in the base¡¯s dining room, holding his head in his hands, thinking of a solution. Previously, he was just an agent for Ghost and only needed to execute orders, without worrying about anything else. Later, he had a research base and some subordinates. However, thanks to the help of Hu Fei and the others, Ling Chen didn¡¯t need to worry too much.


    But things were different now. As the head of the family and the overall manager of the base, he could no longer shirk his responsibilities.


    "What are you thinking about?"


    At this moment, the porridge girl walked over from behind, cing her hands on Ling Chen¡¯s shoulders and gently kneading them.


    Ling Chen smiled wryly: "Honestly, I haven¡¯t adapted to this role yet. Suddenly managing the food and livelihood of so many people, I really don¡¯t know what to do."


    "No one is born a leader; it¡¯s all about umting experience gradually. Besides, with everyone¡¯s help, you don¡¯t have to worry too much. Here, this is the Secret Society¡¯s list, take a look first."


    Taking the document the porridge girl handed over, Ling Chen nced at it, his eyes instantly revealing a hint of surprise.


    "Didn¡¯t the Secret Society send only more than four hundred people? Howe there are more than eight hundred names on this list? Does that mean half of the people haven¡¯t arrived yet?"


    "Don¡¯t worry, the other four hundred people are all intelligence agents from the Secret Society. They are spread across various cities in Huaxia, specializing in intelligence gathering and won¡¯t be stationed at the base. The Secret Society is famous mainly because of its intelligencework. Currently, the God Organization has concentrated its forces in Huaxia, so I¡¯ve kept only the Huaxia intelligencework, reducing the overseaswork to a tenth of its former size."


    "Oh, by the way!" The porridge girl suddenly said, "Over the years, the Secret Society has umted considerable funds. Master told me that the money is in the bank, and he¡¯s already given me the passwords. If you need funds, you can ask me for them."


    "How much money is there?" Ling Chen asked.


    "I¡¯m not sure of the exact amount, but it should be several billion."


    "Several billion?" Ling Chen was slightly taken aback. Truly worthy of the Secret Society, the foundation is indeed substantial.


    "Master said, in addition to the money in the bank, there are also some shares. Over the years, Master used that money to invest in numerous enterprises, with an annual profit of around five billion. As long as those shares remain untouched, there will be a steady ie every year. Before the Secret Society was weakened, the annual expenses were about twenty billion, but now that the Secret Society¡¯s numbers have significantly decreased, we shouldn¡¯t need that much. Just be a bit frugal and don¡¯t squander it all at once."


    Hearing this, Ling Chenughed and said, "Don¡¯t worry, the money matters are entrusted to Hu Fei. That guy guards money with his life, so it¡¯ll be safe with him."


    With a huge fund as a backup, Ling Chen felt much more at ease.


    As the saying goes, if you have money, things be easier; there¡¯s nothing money can¡¯t solve.


    Returning to the control center, Ling Chen saw Hu Fei, Tang Guolun, Zhou Qi, and others gathered together, discussing something.


    "Ling Chen." Tang Guolun waved a hand, signaling Ling Chen toe over.


    Coming to their side, Ling Chen asked, "What are you discussing?"


    "We currently have a little problem." Tang Guolun pointed to the surveince footage on the big screen and said, "Although we have upied the God Organization¡¯s base, the buildings above this base were funded by the Ling Family. Moreover, the construction site is still unfinished, making our travels very inconvenient. Most importantly, the God Organization is very familiar with the structure of this base; they know where the exits and entrances are. If they secretly monitor us, it will surely cause trouble for us. So, we discussed earlier and wanted to make some modifications to this base."


    "Modifications?" Ling Chen curiously asked, "What kind of modifications?"


    "Reconstruct two new entrances," Hu Fei interjected. "I just checked the base¡¯s architectural blueprints and found a few suitable ces to start construction. We have enough personnel now, and the base is equipped with sufficient support. As long as we work overtime, we should be able to open a passage within three days."


    After listening to Hu Fei¡¯s n, Ling Chen nodded and said, "Alright, I have no objections. You guys handle it."


    Tang Guolun and the others were quick to act, and after receiving Ling Chen¡¯s approval, they immediately got busy.


    Because the first level of the base is heavily fortified, they decided to dig the passage on the second level. Ling Chen supervised for a bit, and seeing the excavation going smoothly, he acted as a hands-off manager, leaving Tang Guolun in full control.


    Fearing that the God Organization might send someone for surveince, Ling Chen and the others stayed at the base and didn¡¯t go out in the past few days.


    After two and a half days of hard work by more than a hundred people, the passage on the second level of the base was finallypleted. The passage is about three meters wide, allowing a vehicle to pass through. It stretches over forty meters, leading to an underground parking lot on the north side of the base.


    Building the entrance in an underground parking lot undoubtedly increases its concealment.


    Ling Chen was very satisfied with the work results of the past few days. As the saying goes, the more people, the more strength;pleting such arge project in a short amount of time was no small feat.


    After the passage waspleted, Ling Chen personally drove out of the base, purchasing arge amount of cigarettes, alcohol, and food to reward everyone.


    After a busy morning, Ling Chen sat in the base¡¯s bedroom, crossing his legs, ready to take a break.


    At this moment, his phone on the coffee table rang.


    Answering the call, Ling Chen said, "Hello," and asked, "Haozi, what¡¯s up?"


    "Chen, where have you been thesest few days? You¡¯ve been missing."


    "Didn¡¯t I tell your sister? I¡¯ve been quite busy these days. Why, do you need something from me?"

 Chapter 982 - 989: The Shi Family Comes Looking for Trouble

    <h4>Chapter 982: Chapter 989: The Shi Family Comes Looking for Trouble</h4>


    "Chen, a group of people came to the Nanrong family looking for you. Sister is holding them off and told me to give you a call to inform you."


    "Looking for me?" Ling Chen asked, "Do you know who they are?"


    "I¡¯m not sure, but they seem aggressive, so they¡¯re probably here to cause trouble. Chen, if you ask me, you¡¯d better note back for a few days to avoid a conflict with them. Sister said, if it really doesn¡¯t work out, we can call the police for help. After all, they¡¯re looking for you, they wouldn¡¯t dare do anything to us."


    Ling Chen found it odd. He hadn¡¯t provoked anyone, so why would someone being for him?


    After thinking for a moment, Ling Chen instructed, "Haozi, go find out who they are."


    "Alright, I¡¯ll ask around, but I¡¯m not sure if that fierce woman will spill anything."


    "Fierce woman?" Ling Chen perked up upon hearing Nanrong Hao¡¯s description and asked, "Haozi, is the leader a middle-aged woman?"


    "That¡¯s right."


    It must be her!


    Ling Chen thought to himself. Last time he caused a scene at the Shi family, he didn¡¯t expect Shi Su woulde looking for trouble so quickly.


    "Haozi, how many people did that woman bring?"


    "A lot, probably over twenty, and they all look fierce. Chen, you..."


    "Enough!" Ling Chen interrupted, "I got it. Stay home, I¡¯ll head back immediately."


    "Chen, isn¡¯t that bad? Those folks are clearly looking for trouble, you shouldn¡¯t bother with them."


    "I can avoid them for now, but I can¡¯t hide forever. I know how these people are; they won¡¯t stop until they catch me."


    After ending the call, Ling Chen informed Tang Guolun and then drove alone to Wealthy Manor.


    When Ling Chen arrived at Wealthy Manor, he saw the property management had organized a security team heading to the Nanrong family¡¯s location.


    Following the security team, Ling Chen went straight to the Nanrong family¡¯s door. Looking around, he saw the entrance was upied by over twenty people, packed tightly. Moreover, Ling Chen could clearly hear Shi Su¡¯s voice.


    "I¡¯m warning you, hand over Ling Chen immediately. Otherwise, don¡¯t me me for being rude to your Nanrong family."


    At this moment, Nanrong Wanqing stood at her family¡¯s entrance, ring at the aggressive Shi Su, "I¡¯ve already told you, Ling Chen isn¡¯t here. If you keep this up, I¡¯ll have no choice but to call the police."


    "Call the police?" Shi Su sneered, "Are you trying to scare me? Let me tell you, my Shi family isn¡¯t easily intimidated. If you don¡¯t hand over Ling Chen today, I¡¯ll make sure your Nanrong family has a tough time."


    As she spoke, the security team from Wealthy Manor arrived, quickly stepping in between the two parties in conflict.


    As homeowners, the security team from the property naturally sided with the Nanrong family.


    A leading security guard pointed at Shi Su, "Who are you people? I warn you, this is Wealthy Manor. You can¡¯t trouble the homeowners without their consent. Leave now, or we¡¯ll force you out."


    "Are you even worthy?" Shi Su snorted and turned to her followers, "Everyone, thank you for your hard work."


    A husky man stepped out from the crowd, gruffly saying, "Ms. Shi, don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll handle these small fries."


    As he finished speaking, the man stretched out his hands, lifted two security guards, and tossed them over the heads of the crowd.


    "Anyone else?" The man pped his hands, ring fiercely at the other security guards.


    Seeing the man¡¯s prowess, the security guards involuntarily took a step back, fearfully looking at him, none daring to make a move.


    "You... you dare to hurt people?" The lead security guard mustered his courage, "I¡¯ll call the police and have you arrested, believe it or not!"


    "Hmph! A bunch of losers. What else can you do besides calling the police?" Shi Su scoffed. Then she turned her gaze back to Nanrong Wanqing, coldly saying, "Miss Nanrong, I advise you not to test my patience."


    "Tsk, tsk! Ms. Shi, what a disy of authority."


    As the voice spoke, everyone turned to look back. There, they saw Ling Chen approaching leisurely, hands behind his back.


    Seeing Ling Chen, Shi Su¡¯s eyes immediately gleamed with a venomous look.


    "You finally showed up. I thought you wouldn¡¯t daree."


    Ling Chen smiled faintly, "Ms. Shi, you came all this way to find me. How could I not show up? That would be too disrespectful to you." As he said this, Ling Chen nced around at those present and asked, "Ms. Shi, did you invite all these people to back you up?"


    "Weren¡¯t you quite arrogantst time at my Shi family? Today, I¡¯d like to see how capable you really are."


    "Ms. Shi, what do you intend to do with this kid?" the husky man from earlier asked.


    Shi Su gritted her teeth, "Simple, cripple his hands and feet for me. Let¡¯s see how arrogant he can be in the future."


    "Alright, no problem, watch and see." With that, the man strode toward Ling Chen.


    "Wait!" Seeing the man approach, Ling Chen immediately raised his hand to stop him.


    "What, are you afraid?" Shi Su sneered.


    "Not really, I just wanted to ask them something."


    "Ask what?"


    Ling Chen turned to the husky man, "Are you all helping them because you¡¯ve received favors from the Shi family?"


    "That¡¯s right." The man nodded, "The Shi family once saved my life. Not only me, but they¡¯ve saved everyone here too."


    "I understand. However, have you considered that by asking you to repay this favor, the Shi family might actually be putting you in danger?"


    "What do you mean?"


    Ling Chen pointed at himself, asking, "Do you know who I am?"


    "Ling Chen."


    "Since you know who I am, you should understand my identity. I¡¯m a member of the Eight Oddities. If anything happens to me, do you think the Eight Oddities will let you go?"


    Upon hearing this, the man and the others were momentarily stunned. They were only thinking about repaying their debt, without considering this aspect.


    The Eight Oddities were known for their strong sense of loyalty, something everyone in the martial arts world was aware of. If Ling Chen were harmed, the Eight Oddities would never let it slide. Moreover, all Eight Oddities were highly skilled and formidable, and none of those present could confidently say they weren¡¯t afraid of the Eight Oddities seeking revenge.


    Seeing everyone silently standing there, Ling Chen slightly smiled, saying, "Folks, repayment should be thought through. Shi Su brought you all here to satisfy her own desires, without considering your well-being. You all are adults, so why not think for yourselves?"


    "Shut up!" Shi Su said coldly, "Don¡¯t listen to his nonsense, everyone."

 Chapter 983 - 990: Who’s Really Getting Revenge? (Part 1)

    <h4>Chapter 983: Chapter 990: Who¡¯s Really Getting Revenge? (Part 1)</h4>


    "Am I really just spouting nonsense?" Ling Chen looked at Shi Su with a half-smile and said, "Ms. Shi, ask yourself honestly, have you thought about them? Or, have you told them about my background? I believe you haven¡¯t, otherwise, even if they owed a life-saving debt, they wouldn¡¯t joke with their lives. The times have changed, Ms. Shi, today¡¯s Martial Arts world is not the same as it used to be. There¡¯s no more life for a life concept. You saved someone¡¯s life and expect them to repay with their own? Honestly, I don¡¯t know if you¡¯re naive or if I am."


    "You..." Shi Su looked at Ling Chen coldly, grinding her teeth in anger.


    "Ling Chen, don¡¯t get cocky. Everyone, don¡¯t listen to his nonsense. He¡¯s just trying to sow discord between us." After a pause, Shi Su continued, "What are the Eight Odd Men? You don¡¯t need to be afraid; I¡¯m here to back you up, and they won¡¯t dare touch you. Don¡¯t forget, I have the support of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion."


    Hearing Shi Su mention the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, everyone¡¯s courage suddenly surged.


    Indeed!


    What if Ling Chen is a member of the Eight Odd Men? Behind Shi Su stands the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion; with such backing, there¡¯s nothing to fear.


    Thinking of this, everyone¡¯s gaze toward Ling Chen gradually grew fierce.


    Sensing the change in everyone¡¯s gaze, Ling Chen¡¯s expression remained unchanged as he strode forward and looked at the burly man in front of him, saying, "Don¡¯t be fooled by her. The Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion is no longer the Shi Family¡¯s backing. If you don¡¯t believe it, let Ms. Shi make a call to the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion in front of you and see which side they stand on."


    "Ling Chen, you¡¯re just trying to buy time. Let me tell you, you won¡¯t escape this cmity today." While speaking, Shi Su nced at the crowd and signaled to a man with her eyes.


    Thetter immediately understood and quickly stepped out of the crowd, saying in a deep voice, "Everyone, what are you hesitating for? Don¡¯t forget, if it weren¡¯t for the Shi Family back then, would you still be alive? Ms. Shi saved my life, allowing me to live to this day. Now, she needs our help, and yet we¡¯re hesitating, unsure? Aren¡¯t you ashamed? As people of the Martial Arts world, repay kindness, avenge grievances. If anyone is too scared, they can get lost right now and stop embarrassing themselves here."


    Hearing the man¡¯s reprimand, everyone looked very ashamed and lowered their heads.


    Shi Su was very satisfied with this effect. Seeing no one backing down, the man nodded and said, "That¡¯s more like it, finally acting like men. Since everyone¡¯s made a decision, what are we waiting for?"


    As the words fell, the burly man in the lead immediately swung his fist forcefully towards Ling Chen¡¯s head.


    Feeling the fierce wind carried by the fist, Ling Chen¡¯s gaze intensified slightly, and he quickly stepped back, swiftly avoiding the menacing punch. At the same time, he employed the Nine Yang Qiankun Step, and his body instantly transformed into a shadow, shing past the burly man¡¯s eyes. Before the opponent could react, Ling Chen had already moved to the man¡¯s left side.


    "Watch out!"


    Seeing Ling Chen¡¯s position, everyone¡¯s expression changed slightly, and they hurriedly warned.


    However, the burly man¡¯s reaction was still a step too slow. At the moment he turned his head, Ling Chen¡¯s steel fist had already broken through the air, mming hard into his body. Instantly, the burly man¡¯s body leaned slightly, his legs lost bnce, and he fell directly to the ground.


    Without waiting for the opponent to get up, Ling Chen seized the opportunity, grabbed the opponent¡¯s neck, and turned his fist into two fingers, stabbing straight towards the burly man¡¯s vital point.


    Seeing this, everyone was taken aback and hastily shouted, "Stop!"


    As the voices reached him, Ling Chen¡¯s two fingers stopped,nding just above the vital point.


    "You lost!" Ling Chen withdrew his hand, stood up, and said, "If this were a real fight, your life would have already been mine."


    Hearing this, the burly man hurriedly got up from the ground, his face turning a mix of blue and red.


    "Ms. Shi, I... I wasn¡¯t as good as him, I¡¯ve let you down."


    "Useless trash." Shi Su snorted coldly, directly shifting her gaze to the other people present.


    The man who spoke earlier said, "Everyone, we¡¯re not here for a single fight or a martialpetition today, so there¡¯s no need to stick to the Martial Arts rules. Let¡¯s all go together!" As he spoke, the man strode forward, beckoning to the people behind him to join in.


    "Haha!" Looking at the peopleing towards him, Ling Chen smiled slightly and said, "Ganging up, are we?"


    "So what if we are?" The man said arrogantly, "If you¡¯ve got the skills, you can call people to help too."


    "Really?" Ling Chen¡¯s smile widened, bing even more radiant. As he spoke, his gaze flicked over to Nanrong Hao, who nodded gently, immediately taking out his phone from his pocket and walking aside to make a call.


    Seeing Nanrong Hao¡¯s action, Ling Chen chuckled, rxing his fists slightly.


    "Ms. Shi, I don¡¯t know if you checked beforeing here, but East Sea City isn¡¯t a ce just anyone cane to."


    "What do you mean?" Shi Su asked coldly.


    "I forgot to tell you, East Sea City is my territory, Ling Chen. You came to East Sea City looking for trouble with me. Honestly, I admire your guts." After a pause, Ling Chen pointed to the man in the crowd and said, "Ms. Shi, your friend just said, if I have the skills, I can call people too, right? In that case, I won¡¯t hold back."


    As the words fell, the sound of car tires driving over could be heard nearby. In no time, over a dozen vans drove along the road by Wealthy Manor, stopping at the entrance of the Nanrong Family, surrounding everyone present.


    The car doors opened, and young people filed out, holding steel rods and machetes. A rough count showed nearly a hundred people, with great momentum, instantly suppressing Shi Su and her group¡¯s aura.


    Seeing so many people suddenly appearing around, everyone present was stunned, especially the man who had spoken provocatively earlier, who was directly dumbfounded.


    "Ling Chen, you..."


    Before Shi Su could finish her words, Ling Chen interjected, "What about me? Ms. Shi, your friend made it very clear earlier, you came for revenge, no need to talk about rules and ethics. In that case, why should I be polite with you? All right, my people are here, if you still want to fight, I¡¯ll apany you to the end."


    "Everyone, don¡¯t be afraid!" The man who was in a daze finally came to his senses and quickly said, "We¡¯re all martial artists, these are just street thugs. Not to mention a hundred, even if another hundrede, it¡¯s no problem for us."


    "Good!" Ling Chen gave a thumbs up in praise, "Not bad, you have guts. I hope you¡¯ll still be able to say thatter."

 Chapter 984 - 991: Who’s Really Getting Revenge? (Part 2)

    <h4>Chapter 984: Chapter 991: Who¡¯s Really Getting Revenge? (Part 2)</h4>


    "Brothers, you¡¯ve all heard it. These people look down on us, so when the action starts, you must give it your all. Don¡¯t let them underestimate us, got it?"


    "Yes!" Nearly a hundred young men raised their machetes and steel rods high, responding in unison, their momentum unstoppable.


    Hearing the chorus of voices, Shi Su and her group¡¯s faces looked somewhat grim. Even though these people had practiced martial arts, they had never faced such a brawl before, much less experienced a scene like this. Martial artists mostly engage in one-on-one duels. Moreover, these people weren¡¯t reckless fighters rarely risking their lives.


    However, these young men in front of them had already drawn their des, certainly not for show or to scare anyone intentionally. From their eyes, it was clear these youths were ying for real.


    Seeing this situation, the twenty or so men Shi Su had invited couldn¡¯t help but regret. Had they known it would turn out like this, they wouldn¡¯t have yed the hero and agreed to help the Shi Family. This wasn¡¯t help; it was like pushing themselves into a fire pit.


    But at this point, the arrow was on the string, and there was no turning back; they had no room for retreat.


    "Brothers, it¡¯s up to you now. Remember, hold back; don¡¯t take lives. After all, we¡¯re civilized people; we can¡¯t do illegal things."


    Upon hearing Ling Chen¡¯s voice, nearly a hundred young men didn¡¯t hesitate, waving their steel rods and machetes, charging straight at Shi Su¡¯s group.


    The charge of nearly a hundred people doesn¡¯t sound like much, but the visual effect exerted an intangible pressure.


    In the blink of an eye, nearly a hundred young men had reached the twenty-odd men. Before they could even set up a stance, machetes, steel rods, and bricks were all hurled into the crowd. Whether they hit anyone was irrelevant; it was a chaotic throw.


    In no time, the twenty-odd men brought by Shi Su were overwhelmed, their heads nowhere to be seen.


    Witnessing such a scene turned Shi Su¡¯s face pale. Originally, she had counted on those people to protect her, but the group she had invited couldn¡¯t even look after themselves, let alone spare any effort for her. Moreover, the Shi Family was known for medicine, with few martial artists, and Shi Su herself waspletely clueless about martial arts.


    Surrounded, Shi Su couldn¡¯t even see what was happening before being struck twice, leaving her head bleeding and looking very wretched.


    "Enough, enough, stop it!"


    Someone in the crowd couldn¡¯t bear the pain any longer and shouted loudly. However, no one paid attention, continuing to smash the steel rods and machetes into the crowd.


    Ling Chen stood on the outskirts of the crowd, watching for a while. Seeing it was about enough, he then announced, "Alright, stop it, don¡¯t actually kill them."


    Hearing Ling Chen speak, nearly a hundred young men immediately stopped, retreating collectively. Soon, the surrounded group was seen lying on the ground, clutching their heads, bloodied, with no hint of their previous martial prowess.


    Looking at their oue, Ling Chen sneered, "These are supposed to be experts? I wonder where Shi Su found so many useless fools."


    Maybe these people did have real skills. For instance, the burly guy just now wasn¡¯t weak, at least a master on the Dragon List. However, no matter how high these people¡¯s skills were, withoutbat experience, they couldn¡¯t handle this kind of street brawl.


    In fact, martial arts in themunity are divided into two types: one for physical fitness and asional sparring, and another is for killing¡ªthis is the essence of martial arts. Nowadays, many practice martial arts for fitness, not for killing, so the distinction between the two is significant.


    Ling Chen, having worked in the shadows, learned killing techniques.


    Huh?


    At this moment, Ling Chen searched the crowd but didn¡¯t find Shi Su. Strange, wasn¡¯t she here just now?


    While pondering, Ling Chen suddenly noticed someone lying on the ground beside the Nanrong Family¡¯s gate, hair disheveled¡ªit was Shi Su. However, her current appearance was extraordinarily wretched,pletely different from before.


    "Ms. Shi, Ms. Shi?" Ling Chen called twice, seeing no response, he walked over to Shi Su, gently tapping her shoulder.


    Yet, Shi Su, lying on the ground, didn¡¯t react at all, motionless.


    Seeing this, Ling Chen was taken aback. Could it be that the group had been too rough, resulting in her demise?


    Thinking this, Ling Chen couldn¡¯t help but worry. Although Shi Su hade to trouble him, making him quite annoyed, he only intended to teach her a lesson, not to take her life.


    Quickly, Ling Chen grasped Shi Su¡¯s shoulders, turning her over to lie t on the ground.


    Just then, Shi Su, who had her eyes closed, suddenly opened them, ring venomously at Ling Chen. At the same time, she stretched her arm, and a glint of cold light aimed straight at Ling Chen¡¯s body.


    Seeing the cold light approaching, Ling Chen¡¯s face shifted slightly. He hurriedly pushed Shi Su forward, swiftly retreating to narrowly avoid the attack.


    This sudden change frightened Ling Chen into a cold sweat.


    Lucky!


    Thankfully, he reacted quickly; otherwise, his life might have ended in Shi Su¡¯s hands. Shi Su was versed in medicine and surely her poisons weren¡¯t simple.


    Seeing Shi Su¡¯s disappointed gaze, Ling Chen felt a surge of anger. Damn it! He thought she was in trouble and was kind enough to help her, only to be backstabbed. Such a malicious woman would only be a source of disaster if left alive.


    With that thought, Ling Chen stretched out his hand, directly snatching the silver needle from Shi Su¡¯s hand.


    "Ling Chen, you were lucky today. Next time, you won¡¯t have such luck," Shi Su said, gritting her teeth.


    "Is that so?" Ling Chen smiled, though a chilling chill filled his eyes.


    "Ms. Shi, you obviously don¡¯t know my character well. If you just wanted to teach me a lesson, I wouldn¡¯t mind ying along. But if you intend to kill me, I won¡¯t give you a second chance."


    Upon hearing this, Shi Su¡¯s expression changed, looking at Ling Chen with dread, "What are you going to do?"


    "Nothing much. Weren¡¯t you trying to kill me just now? I¡¯ll let you experience that feeling too." Saying this, Ling Chen moved swiftly, and the silver needle in his fingers swiftly stabbed into Shi Su¡¯s leg.


    Feeling the stabbing pain in her leg, Shi Su panicked, urgently reaching into her pocket to pull out a medicine bottle.


    The bottle opened, Shi Su poured out a white pill, about to put it into her mouth. However, before she could lift her hand, Ling Chen pped it away, causing both the medicine bottle and the pill to fall to the ground.

 Chapter 985 - 992: Who’s Avenging Whom? (Part 3)

    <h4>Chapter 985: Chapter 992: Who¡¯s Avenging Whom? (Part 3)</h4>


    "No!"


    Seeing the pills scattered on the ground, Shi Su cried out, lunging forward in an attempt to pick them up.


    However, Ling Chen didn¡¯t let her seed. Before Shi Su could get close to the pills, Ling Chen kicked her hard, sending her sprawling. Then Ling Chen bent down to pick up one pill, and with another kick, he crushed the rest of the pills into the dust on the ground.


    "No, don¡¯t!"


    Shi Su cried, "My antidote, quick... give it to me!"


    Ling Chen toyed with the only pill in his hand and asked, "How long does it take for the poison you concocted to take effect?"


    "Fifteen minutes."


    "What happens once it takes effect?"


    "This poison won¡¯t kill anyone; at most, it¡¯ll make them unconscious for a few days," Shi Su hastily exined. "I just wanted to teach you a lesson and restore the Shi Family¡¯s face. I didn¡¯t intend to kill you."


    "Really?" Ling Chen smiled slightly. "Since this poison isn¡¯t lethal, why are you so frightened? As punishment, you can just be unconscious for a few days." With that, before Shi Su could say more, Ling Chen flicked his wrist and tossed away the pill in his hand.


    "No!" Seeing Ling Chen¡¯s action, Shi Su¡¯s face turned instantly pale. Without a word, she scrambled up from the ground and rushed to the green belt area, throwing herself to the ground to search for the pill.


    "Ms. Shi, didn¡¯t you say the poison isn¡¯t fatal? If so, why are you worried? It¡¯s just a few days of unconsciousness," Ling Chen said calmly.


    "No, it¡¯s not like that." At this moment, Shi Su was so anxious she was almost in tears.


    Seeing her reaction, everyone present understood. The poison Shi Su concocted must indeed be lethal, but she refused to admit it. Even at this point, she was still lying to everyone present. No wonder Ling Chen had thrown away the pill.


    "The pill... where¡¯s my pill... where is it?"


    Sho Su, in a dire state, crawled on the ground, turning over leaves and searching carefully. However, after several minutes, she still couldn¡¯t find the pill.


    Ling Chen stood in front of the gate, silently watching Shi Su, saying nothing. At that moment, all eyes were on Shi Su.


    "Ling Chen." At this time, Nanrong Wanqing came to Ling Chen¡¯s side and said softly, "Are you really going to let her die here? Isn¡¯t this..."


    Before Nanrong Wanqing could finish, Ling Chen interrupted her, saying, "A woman like her wouldn¡¯t know fear unless you show some real power. Even if she escapes today, she won¡¯t be grateful; she¡¯ll hate me more and plot revenge."


    "But... if she really dies, you¡¯ll bear the responsibility. There¡¯s no need to pay such a price for a woman like her."


    Ling Chen nodded and said, "Don¡¯t worry, I know what to do."


    "Ms. Shi, there are five minutes left, haven¡¯t you found the pill yet?"


    Hearing Ling Chen¡¯s voice, Shi Su copsed to the ground, her eyes showing despair, void of any spirit.


    "I¡¯m going to die, I¡¯m going to die... I¡¯m going to die..."


    Shi Su murmured incessantly, her lips moving.


    Seeing Shi Su¡¯s pale face, Ling Chen raised his hand and asked, "Ms. Shi, is this what you¡¯re looking for?"


    At the sound of his voice, Shi Su nced at Ling Chen¡¯s hand, which held a white pill. Her eyes brightened instantly, and she hurriedly ran to Ling Chen¡¯s side, raising her hands like a beggar, pleading desperately, "Please, give it to me, give me the antidote."


    "Give it to you?" Ling Chen asked calmly, "Why should I give it to you? Tell me a reason. You came to East Sea City to cause trouble for me, wanting to harm me and take my life. Ms. Shi, if it were you, what would you do?"


    "I... I..." Shi Su opened her mouth, unsure how to answer.


    After hesitating for a moment, Shi Su lowered her head and said, "Ling Chen, I... I realize my mistake. Please, spare me this once. I promise you, from now on, the Shi Family will not trouble you. As for our past grievances, let¡¯s forget them all starting today."


    "Really?" Ling Chen said with a half-smile, "Ms. Shi, if it were someone else, I might believe them, but you... honestly, it¡¯s hard for me to trust you."


    "What will it take for you to believe me?" Shi Su asked hurriedly. At this moment, the time until the poison took effect was running out, and she didn¡¯t have any time to waste.


    "Alright, here¡¯s what I want: you must announce to everyone that from today onwards, you sever your master-disciple rtionship with Zhu Xiaozhu and have nothing to do with her from now on. How about that?"


    "Alright, no problem." Shi Su agreed without a second thought.


    "Good, I hope you keep your word. Otherwise, I won¡¯t let you off easily again." With that, Ling Chen let go of the pill, allowing it to fall into Shi Su¡¯s hand.


    Receiving the pill, Shi Su didn¡¯t hesitate at all and immediately swallowed it.


    "Well then, Ms. Shi, if there¡¯s nothing else, you should take your people and leave. Also, let me remind you, don¡¯t forget your promise to me."


    "I... I understand." Shi Su looked at Ling Chen, slowly lowering her head to hide the resentment in her eyes.


    Not long after, Shi Su left the Nanrong Family with a group of injured men. Watching their departing figures, Ling Chen exhaled slowly, turning to walk into the Nanrong Family¡¯s house.


    In the living room, Nanrong Wanqing brought a ss of water to Ling Chen, asking, "Why did you want Shi Su to sever her master-disciple rtionship with Zhu Xiaozhu?"


    "You¡¯ve seen Shi Su¡¯s character; having a Master like her isn¡¯t good for Xiaozhu. So, rather than let Xiaozhu be restricted by Shi Su, it¡¯s better to end it early," Ling Chen replied.


    Pausing for a moment, Ling Chen smiled and said, "Just wait and see. Shi Su won¡¯t take this loss lying down. If the opportunity arises, she¡¯ll certainly make trouble for me. Moreover, given her character, she¡¯ll repay today¡¯s humiliation twice over."


    "What then?" Nanrong Wanqing asked worriedly.


    Ling Chen shrugged and said nonchntly, "What else? We¡¯ll deal with it as ites. Besides, someone like Shi Su doesn¡¯t pose a threat to me. Before, I might have feared her backing, but now... humph! Her greatest support is gone. Anyway, I¡¯ve already warned her. If she remains stubborn, she can¡¯t me me for being ruthless." As he said this, a cold glint shed in Ling Chen¡¯s eyes.

 Chapter 986 - 993: Tang Shiyun’s Concert

    <h4>Chapter 986: Chapter 993: Tang Shiyun¡¯s Concert</h4>


    Since things at the base have settled into a routine, Ling Chen doesn¡¯t need to stay there every day. As a result, he has been able to rx and spend some time with Nanrong Wanqing and Yang Qingling at the Nanrong Family¡¯s home these past few days.


    After lunch, Ling Chen sat on the living room sofa, casually flipping through today¡¯s newspaper. Before long, his eyes were drawn to the headline news.


    On May 14th, Tang Shiyun¡¯s special concert will grandly open at Longyang Stadium in East Sea City.


    Seeing Tang Shiyun¡¯s name, Ling Chen¡¯s mind immediately conjured up her adorable, charming face.


    Thinking carefully, it had been quite a long time since hest saw Tang Shiyun, and he wondered how she had been doingtely.


    Lately, Ling Chen had been preupied with matters concerning the God Organization, leaving him no time or energy to care about anything else. He hadn¡¯t even called Tang Shiyun. Now that he thought about it, he felt a little guilty. However, that girl didn¡¯t call him either. Could it be that she was doing so well now that she had forgotten about him, her big brother?


    After some thought, Ling Chen took out his phone from his pocket, found Tang Shiyun¡¯s number, and dialed it directly.


    After a few rings, the call was quickly connected. Ling Chen slightly raised the corners of his mouth, smiling as he said, "Girl, you..."


    "Who are you looking for?"


    Before Ling Chen could finish speaking, he heard an unfamiliar woman¡¯s voiceing from the other end of the line.


    This wasn¡¯t Tang Shiyun¡¯s voice! Ling Chen was slightly taken aback and asked, "Who are you? Where¡¯s Shiyun?"


    "I¡¯m Miss Tang¡¯s agent. May I ask who you are?"


    "My name is Ling Chen. Could you please pass the phone to Shiyun?"


    "So it¡¯s Mr. Ling." Upon recognizing Ling Chen¡¯s identity, the other party became much more courteous. "Mr. Ling, I apologize, but Miss Tang is currently rehearsing. If you have any messages, I could convey them to her once she¡¯s done."


    Rehearsing?


    Ah yes! There are only about ten days left until Tang Shiyun¡¯s concert, so she must be very busy right now. With that in mind, Ling Chen replied, "Since Shiyun is busy, I won¡¯t disturb her. By the way! Could you let me know where you are rehearsing... Okay, I understand. Thank you!"


    After he hung up the phone, Nanrong Wanqing came down from upstairs and walked straight to Ling Chen¡¯s side.


    "Who were you on the phone with just now?"


    "Shiyun." Ling Chen said with a smile, "I haven¡¯t been in touch with her for a long time, so I called to ask. I just saw the news and heard that she is going to have a concert in East Sea City soon."


    "This news has already spread; only a busy person like you is slow to catch on. I even bought some concert tickets and I¡¯m nning to go watch it."


    Ling Chen teased, "I didn¡¯t expect you to be a fan of Shiyun."


    "Miss Tang¡¯s singing skill is indeed impressive, but I¡¯m not the one who wants to go; it¡¯s Lin who insisted on going."


    "You mean Su Lin?" Ling Chen curiously asked, "Isn¡¯t she interning elsewhere? How does she have time toe back?"


    "She¡¯s a loyal fan of Miss Tang. As soon as she heard about the concert, she called me and asked me to get concert tickets no matter what. The concert is in half a month, and she told me she¡¯d take a few days off toe back early."


    Ling Chen smiled and said, "She¡¯s been away for a few months; I guess she misses home. It¡¯s good for her toe back and take a break. But still, I can¡¯t quite understand why a delicate girl like her would want to study archaeology. She doesn¡¯t seem the type to have such patience."


    "Lin studying archaeology might be influenced by her grandfather. Lin¡¯s grandfather was a famous archaeologist in the country. After he retired, as Lin¡¯s parents¡¯ business grew bigger, they moved abroad to enjoy theirter years. Lin was mostly brought up by her grandfather, so they share a very close bond."


    "Later, there was a major archaeological project in the country, and Lin¡¯s grandfather was invited back. It was after this that he went missing and never returned. Including Lin¡¯s grandfather, all members of that archaeological team went missing without a trace. This incident was a huge blow to Lin, so when choosing her major, she picked archaeology, despite her parents¡¯ strong opposition."


    "I see," Ling Chen nodded. "So, does that mean Lin¡¯s grandfather has already..."


    Nanrong Wanqing sighed softly and said, "It¡¯s been over ten years. If her grandfather were still alive, he would have tried to contact his family. But since there¡¯s been no news, it seems unlikely that he has survived."


    "I didn¡¯t realize Lin¡¯s feelings for her grandfather were so deep. However, archaeology is dangerous work, especially for those on the front lines, where idents can happen at any time. Wanqing, you¡¯re her sister, so maybe you should advise her to find something else to do. If something were to happen, her parents would be worried sick. Oh, by the way!" Ling Chen suddenly changed the topic and asked, "I¡¯ve been at the Nanrong Family¡¯s ce for quite some time but have never met Lin¡¯s parents."


    "They¡¯re busy with their business overseas and rarelye back unless it¡¯s something important. Why, do you want to meet her parents?"


    "Not necessarily, I¡¯m just curious. Lin has been in the country for so long, yet her parents haven¡¯te back to see her."


    "They¡¯re busy with their careers, and since Lin has us to look after her, they feel at ease."


    As they spoke, Nanrong Hao came in from outside the vi and greeted them, "Chen, Jiang Hao is here and would like to see you."


    "Does he need something?"


    Nanrong Hao nced at the sofa where Nanrong Wanqing was sitting and said, "Jiang Hao mentioned he has something to discuss with you. Chen, how about we go over to my ce for a chat?"


    "Since you have things to attend to, go ahead. I¡¯ll go upstairs and chat with your mom." With that, Nanrong Wanqing stood up and went upstairs on her own.


    After Nanrong Wanqing left, Ling Chen followed Nanrong Hao to the vi next door. As soon as they entered, they saw Jiang Hao pacing back and forth in the living room. He walked over quickly, his voice reaching them before he did, "Chen, you finally made it."


    "Why such a rush? What¡¯s happened?" Ling Chen asked.


    "I saw Zhao Zhengxiong today."


    "Zhao Zhengxiong?" Ling Chen raised his eyebrows and asked, "Are you sure you didn¡¯t see it wrong?"


    For some time, Jiang Hao and Nanrong Hao¡¯s main task had been to locate Zhao Zhengxiong. However, Zhao Zhengxiong was very cunning, constantly changing his residence, making it difficult to track his whereabouts. Moreover, since Zhao Zhengxiong had worked with them before, he understood their methods, making it even harder to pinpoint his location.

 Chapter 987 - 994: Encircling Zhao Zhengxiong

    <h4>Chapter 987: Chapter 994: Encircling Zhao Zhengxiong</h4>


    "Chen, don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m a hundred percent sure this time, it¡¯s definitely him," Jiang Hao said. "Around noon today, I was eating at a hotel with some of the boys. I really needed to use the restroom during the meal, so I went to the bathroom midway. Just then, I saw Zhao Zhengxionging out of a private room with a few people around him, all of them his trusted subordinates."


    "Do you know where he¡¯s going?"


    "After I spotted Zhao Zhengxiong, I immediately had a couple of the boys secretly follow his car. They just sent me a message; they¡¯ve already found out where Zhao Zhengxiong lives. Chen, we¡¯ve been searching for that bastard for so long, and we¡¯ve finally flushed him out. There¡¯s no time to lose, let¡¯s set out right away and teach that bastard a lesson."


    "Yeah!" Nanrong Hao chimed in. "Chen, this is a rare opportunity. If it weren¡¯t for his betrayal back then, we wouldn¡¯t have ended up like this."


    Ling Chen nced at Nanrong Hao, pondered for a moment, and nodded, "Alright. You two organize the personnel immediately and surround Zhao Zhengxiong¡¯s ce. Remember, don¡¯t alert the enemy. This time, no matter what, we have to catch him."


    After greeting Nanrong Wanqing, Ling Chen directly went with Jiang Hao and Nanrong Hao to Zhao Zhengxiong¡¯s residence.


    By the time the three arrived, Jiang Hao¡¯s men were already there, and as per Jiang Hao¡¯s instructions, they had surrounded the area to prevent Zhao Zhengxiong from escaping.


    Jiang Hao put down his phone, looked at Ling Chen beside him, and said, "Chen, everyone¡¯s in position."


    "Let¡¯s go meet Zhao Zhengxiong." With that, Ling Chen headed straight for the nearby apartment building.


    Zhao Zhengxiong was hiding in an old apartment building. This building had five floors with about thirty households. ording to the information provided by Jiang Hao¡¯s men, Zhao Zhengxiong lived on the fifth floor.


    As he passed by the building¡¯s entrance, Ling Chen saw several luxury cars parked by the roadside, clearly Zhao Zhengxiong¡¯s rides. Back in the day, when Zhao Zhengxiong was running in the Old City, he drove small cars worth around a hundred thousand. Now, he traveled in cars worth millions and even had personal bodyguards.


    However, if it weren¡¯t for Ling Chen, Zhao Zhengxiong wouldn¡¯t have achieved what he has today.


    In no time, the three of them went straight up the stairs to the fifth floor of the apartment building.


    Zhao Zhengxiong¡¯s room was on the far left of the fifth floor. At the staircase entrance, Ling Chen peeked towards the balcony and saw several people standing outside the room at the end of the balcony, presumably Zhao Zhengxiong¡¯s bodyguards.


    At this moment, Ling Chen gestured to Jiang Hao and Nanrong Hao, signaling them to stay in the stairwell and not go out for the time being. Immediately after, Ling Chen¡¯s foot slid, and with the Nine Yang Qiankun Step, his body transformed like a swift wind, rushing towards the end of the balcony.


    In the blink of an eye, before the bodyguards on the balcony could react, Ling Chen was already upon them, swinging his fists. With a series of ¡¯bang bang¡¯ sounds, the bodyguards on the balcony were knocked out cold and fell to the ground.


    After dealing with the guards at the door, Ling Chen signaled to Jiang Hao and Nanrong Hao who were hiding in the stairwell, and they quickly followed.


    Standing in front of the door, without wasting words, Jiang Hao charged directly at it.


    Bang!


    Under Jiang Hao¡¯s impact, the tightly closed door immediately burst open. Seizing the opportunity, Ling Chen and Nanrong Hao closely followed Jiang Hao¡¯s steps, quickly rushing into the room.


    "Where is he?" Nanrong Hao furrowed his brows, searching everywhere in the empty room for Zhao Zhengxiong. But there wasn¡¯t a single person inside.


    However, the TV in the living room was on, and several unfinished bottles of alcohol were on the coffee table, with a half-burnt cigarette in the ashtray.


    "They must have been here just now," Jiang Hao said in a deep voice.


    "Chen, over there," Nanrong Hao pointed to the window at the back of the room and rushed over.


    Leaning out the window, they saw Zhao Zhengxiong and two men climbing up along the outer wall on the air conditioning brackets. Seeing that the three of them were about to climb to the rooftop, Nanrong Hao quickly jumped out of the window, following along the air conditioning brackets to chase after Zhao Zhengxiong and the others.


    "Jiang Hao, keep up, don¡¯t let Haozi get in trouble."


    "Got it," Jiang Hao nodded and immediately followed closely behind Nanrong Hao.


    Compared to Nanrong Hao and Jiang Hao, Ling Chen was even quicker and more agile. Before long, he had climbed straight up to the rooftop of the apartment through the window.


    At this moment, Zhao Zhengxiong, protected by his two subordinates, was quickly heading to the edge of the rooftop.


    In the direction they were heading, there was another apartment building¡¯s rooftop.


    Seeing that Nanrong Hao and Jiang Hao hadn¡¯t caught up yet, Ling Chen had to chase on his own. By then, Zhao Zhengxiong and his two subordinates had already reached the edge of the rooftop. Looking at the opposing roof, there was at least a seven or eight meters gap, making it impossible to jump over.


    "Quick, quick, think of something," Zhao Zhengxiong urged, seeing Ling Chen closing in.


    "Boss, there¡¯s a nk over there," one of the men picked up a nk from the side of the rooftop and ced it between the two buildings, coincidentally seven meters long.


    "Boss, you go first."


    Zhao Zhengxiong nodded and, regardless of whether the nk was stable, walked straight on it.


    The nk was twenty meters above the ground, and Zhao Zhengxiong carefully bnced, spreading his arms, slowly moving forward.


    "Zhao Zhengxiong, stop!"


    Ling Chen shouted loudly.


    Hearing Ling Chen¡¯s voice from behind, Zhao Zhengxiong ignored it and hurriedly jumped onto the opposite rooftop. Then, he quickly turned around and pushed the nk between the two buildings.


    Seeing the nk fall, Ling Chen stopped at the rooftop¡¯s edge and looked at Zhao Zhengxiong on the other side, saying, "Do you not even dare to face me now?"


    "It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t dare, but I don¡¯t want to. Ling Chen, considering our past rtionship, I don¡¯t want to be enemies with you, so why are you pursuing me so relentlessly?"


    "It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t want to let you go, but you¡¯ve done too many despicable things. Jiang Hao and Nanrong Hao saw you as a brother and treated you as one of their own, and what did you do in return? You set up Jiang Hao, leading to his arrest by the police. Moreover, you seized Nanrong Hao¡¯s territory. When you did these things, did you ever consider the brotherhood we once shared?"


    Zhao Zhengxiong coldly said, "No matter what you say, at this point, we can keep to our own sides. If you provoke me again, don¡¯t me me for being ruthless."


    "Fine, let¡¯s see what you¡¯ve got."


    "You¡¯ll see, the underground forces of East Sea City will eventually be mine, Zhao Zhengxiong¡¯s alone."


    "I¡¯ll be watching."

 Chapter 988 - 995: Naive Woman

    <h4>Chapter 988: Chapter 995: Naive Woman</h4>


    "Chen, Chen!"


    At this moment, Nanrong Hao and Jiang Hao finally reached the rooftop. Seeing only Zhao Zhengxiong¡¯s two subordinates on the rooftop, Jiang Hao couldn¡¯t help but ask, "Chen, where¡¯s that bastard Zhao Zhengxiong?"


    "He got away," Ling Chen replied. After speaking, Ling Chen turned his head to look at the two men and asked, "Do you know where Zhao Zhengxiong might go?"


    The two men exchanged nces and said, "We only follow Xiong¡¯s orders and don¡¯t inquire about other matters. Besides, Xiong has recently purchased a lot of real estate in East Sea City, but we don¡¯t know the exact locations."


    "Not talking, huh?" Nanrong Hao grabbed one of the men by the cor and dragged him to the edge of the rooftop, coldly saying, "Tell me Zhao Zhengxiong¡¯s location, or I¡¯ll let you experience a freefall."


    Looking at the ground dozens of meters below, the man¡¯s face instantly turned pale with fear, his voice trembling, "I... I really don¡¯t know."


    "Haozi, let him go." Ling Chen spoke up to relieve the man, "We¡¯re looking for Zhao Zhengxiong, no need to make things difficult for him." Pausing, Ling Chen continued, "Zhao Zhengxiong is now connected with the God Organization. We came to find him this time, so he¡¯ll definitely seek protection from them."


    "What should we do then?" Jiang Hao said, frustrated, "We finally found that bastard, and now he got away again."


    "Forget it! If we can¡¯t catch him this time, there¡¯ll be another chance, anyway, he won¡¯t leave East Sea City."


    Leaving the apartment building, Ling Chen gave Jiang Hao a few instructions, then followed Nanrong Hao¡¯s car back to the Wealthy Manor.


    Back home, Ling Chen went straight to the living room, only to find it empty with just the TV on, broadcasting news.


    "Wanqing, I¡¯m back," Ling Chen shouted upstairs, then sat on the sofa, casually pressing the remote control. After a moment, seeing no movement from upstairs, Ling Chen found it strange.


    Could it be that she didn¡¯t hear him? Thinking this, Ling Chen headed directly to the second floor.


    At Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s room, Ling Chen knocked on the door, and seeing no response, he went to Yang Qingling¡¯s room. Before leaving, Nanrong Wanqing had said she would go chat with Yang Qingling.


    "Mom, are you there?" Ling Chen asked from outside the door.


    But there was still no sound from inside the room. Strange! Where did they all go? The TV was on, indicating someone was home.


    In confusion, Ling Chen turned the doorknob and pushed the door open. Entering Yang Qingling¡¯s bedroom, Ling Chen immediately frowned and said in a deep voice, "What are you doing here?"


    "Ling Chen, we meet again. As I said, I won¡¯t leave East Sea City without catching you."


    At this moment, in the bedroom, Nanrong Wanqing and Yang Qingling were sitting by the bed. Behind them stood the person they had met some time ago, Ren Qing.


    Back then, Ling Chen had schemed in secret to rid himself of Ren Qing¡¯s harassment, but who knew she would hide in East Sea City, still relentless in wanting to capture him.


    Looking at the gun in Ren Qing¡¯s hand, Ling Chen spoke, "The one you want is me, let them go, and I¡¯ll go with you."


    "Good, you¡¯re sensible," Ren Qing said, pulling a pair of handcuffs from her bag and tossing them in front of Ling Chen.


    Without Ren Qing needing to say more, Ling Chen had already picked up the handcuffs and put them on his wrists.


    "How about now, are you satisfied?"


    "Turn around and walk backwards," Ren Qing ordered, pointing the gun at Ling Chen¡¯s body, indicating for him to leave the bedroom.


    "Ling Chen..."


    Nanrong Wanqing and Yang Qingling looked at Ling Chen, their eyes filled with worry.


    Ling Chen smiled slightly and said, "Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll be fine."


    "You two," Ren Qing said coldly, pointing the gun at Nanrong Wanqing and Yang Qingling, "get up ande out with me."


    Hearing this, Ling Chen raised an eyebrow and turned to Ren Qing, "I¡¯ve done what you asked, why don¡¯t you let them go?"


    "Ling Chen, don¡¯t think I don¡¯t know who you are. I¡¯ve seen your skills. To be honest, I can¡¯t handle you alone, so it¡¯s safer to have two people around."


    "Miss Ren, don¡¯t forget you¡¯re also a government employee. What you¡¯re doing now is breaking thew."


    "Humph!" Ren Qing scoffed, "Ling Chen, do you care about thew? Do you know, because of you, I¡¯ve lost my promising future. As long as I catch you, I can regain the superiors¡¯ favor."


    "Is that so? Miss Ren, I have to admit, you¡¯re a logistics technician, yet you personally came to work in the field."


    "Cut the crap," Ren Qing said coldly, pointing the gun at the back of Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s head, "Move!"


    "Fine, I¡¯ll do as you say, just don¡¯t hurt them," Ling Chen said, stepping out of the bedroom and heading straight to the vi¡¯s living room.


    "Go get a car," Ren Qing ordered Ling Chen, "and hand over your phone. If you don¡¯t want them to get hurt, you¡¯d better not y any tricks."


    Ling Chen shrugged, raising his handcuffed hands, "Miss Ren, how am I supposed to get you a car like this? At least help me take off the cuffs."


    Ren Qing hesitated for a moment, then took a key from her pocket and began to step towards Ling Chen. However, halfway there, she immediately stopped and retreated.


    "You, go unlock his handcuffs," Ren Qing handed the key to Yang Qingling, indicating for her to go over.


    Seeing his mom approaching, Ling Chen immediately extended his hands towards Yang Qingling.


    Their eyes met, and Ling Chen winked, signaling to Yang Qingling, who quickly understood and gave a slight nod.


    After the handcuffs were unlocked, Ling Chen took out his phone from his pocket and handed it to Yang Qingling, then turned and walked towards the door. At the same time, Yang Qingling went to stand in front of Ren Qing with Ling Chen¡¯s phone.


    Approaching the door, Ling Chen suddenly turned around, grabbing the vase ced by the door and pretended to throw it at Ren Qing.


    Seeing Ling Chen¡¯s action, Ren Qing¡¯s face turned cold, and without thinking, she raised the gun in her hand.


    But before Ren Qing could pull the trigger, Yang Qingling, who was already close, quickened her pace, flicked her wrist, and threw the phone, hitting Ren Qing¡¯s face.


    Distracted by the phone, Ren Qing instinctively dodged back. Taking advantage of the moment, Yang Qingling quickly closed in on Ren Qing, grabbed her wrist, and gave it a light twist. Instantly, the pained Ren Qing released her grip, dropping the gun to the ground.


    Before Ren Qing could retaliate, Yang Qingling continued to press forward, restraining Ren Qing¡¯s hands and pinning her to the ground.


    "Let me go!" Ren Qing gritted her teeth, struggling desperately.

 Chapter 989 - 996: Fearless of Death

    <h4>Chapter 989: Chapter 996: Fearless of Death</h4>


    However, no matter how much Ren Qing resisted, she was no match for Yang Qingling and was firmly subdued.


    After struggling for a while, Ren Qing finally gave up resisting, lying quietly on the ground, motionless. "Mom, let her get up," Ling Chen stepped forward and said.


    Yang Qingling nodded, grabbed Ren Qing¡¯s shoulder, and pulled her up from the ground.


    "Miss Ren," Ling Chen looked at Ren Qing and said, "Aren¡¯t you being too naive? Do you really think you could capture me all by yourself?"


    Hearing this, Ren Qing stared coldly at Ling Chen, gritting her teeth, her eyes filled with venomous hatred. Facing Ren Qing¡¯s icy re, Ling Chen said calmly, "You don¡¯t need to look at me like that. I have no grudge against you and really don¡¯t want to cause you trouble. Unfortunately, I gave you a chance to retreat safely, but you insisted on staying."


    "Cut the crap," Ren Qing said through clenched teeth, "Since I¡¯m in your hands, do whatever you want, kill me if you like."


    "You¡¯re not afraid to die?" Ling Chen said with a faint smile, "Alright then! If you want to die, I¡¯ll fulfill your wish." Saying so, Ling Chen picked up the handgun that had fallen to the ground, removed the magazine, counted the bullets inside, leaving only one, and threw the rest to the ground.


    Reloading the bullet into the chamber, Ling Chen pulled the slide and directly aimed the muzzle at Ren Qing¡¯s forehead. Feeling the cold muzzle, Ren Qing couldn¡¯t help but close her eyes tightly, her whole body tensed, trembling slightly beyond control.


    "Miss Ren, I originally intended to spare your life, but you chose death yourself, so don¡¯t me me!" As his voice fell, Ling Chen¡¯s finger gently pulled the trigger.


    Perhaps sensing Ling Chen¡¯s action, Ren Qing¡¯s face turned deathly pale, and tears squeezed out from the corners of her eyes.


    "Goodbye, Miss Ren!"


    "No! Don¡¯t!"


    As soon as Ling Chen¡¯s voice sounded, Ren Qing immediately screamed. She sped her head in her hands, fell to her knees with a thud, and burst into tears.


    "Please, don¡¯t... don¡¯t kill me. I... I don¡¯t want to die."


    Hearing Ren Qing¡¯s plea for mercy, Ling Chen put away the gun in his hand and said, "I thought you really weren¡¯t afraid to die. Miss Ren, I hope you learn a lesson from this; fear of death is not just something you say lightly."


    "Ling Chen," Nanrong Wanqing asked softly, "how do you n to handle her?"


    Ling Chen pondered for a moment, took out his phone from his pocket, and dialed a number. After a while, the call connected, and a cheerful voice came from the other end: "Hello, Mr. Ling!"


    "Mr. Zhang, sorry to disturb you."


    "Mr. Ling, you are too polite. I actually wish you woulde disturb me more." Joking a bit, Mr. Zhang asked, "Is there something Mr. Ling needs from me?"


    "There is something here that only Mr. Zhang can help handle, so I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ll have to trouble you." After a pause, Ling Chen continued, "Mr. Zhang, Ren Qing is one of your subordinates, right? Earlier, she broke into my house armed, held my family hostage, and threatened me. I¡¯ve subdued her now. I thought about it and decided it would be best to hand her over to you."


    "Qing?" Mr. Zhang¡¯s voice was somewhat heavy.


    "Mr. Ling, I¡¯m very sorry. I apologize for what Qing did and hope you won¡¯t take it to heart. Moreover, I¡¯d like to rify that I had already ordered Qing to leave East Sea City, but she defied my orders and insisted on staying. I¡¯ve been trying to locate her all this time."


    "Mr. Zhang, you don¡¯t need to exin; I understand what you mean. Rest assured, I know this wasn¡¯t your doing, so I won¡¯t hold it against you."


    "That¡¯s good to hear." Mr. Zhang breathed a sigh of relief and said with a smile, "Mr. Ling, ourst cooperation wasn¡¯t able to proceed smoothly. I hope we have the opportunity to work together again in the future."


    "No problem, whenever there¡¯s a suitable opportunity, I¡¯ll definitely reach out to you."


    After a bit of casual chat, Ling Chen hung up the call, looked at Ren Qing, and said, "Wait here. Mr. Zhang will send someone to pick you up."


    "You... you..." Ren Qing asked incredulously, "Why... why are you..."


    "Why what?" Ling Chen replied, "Are you wondering why Mr. Zhang didn¡¯te after me?"


    Ren Qing silently nodded. She couldn¡¯t quite understand why, when Mr. Zhang had initially agreed to her capturing Ling Chen, his attitude had now changed.


    "Miss Ren, that¡¯s why I said you¡¯re too naive. Some things aren¡¯t as simple as you think. In Mr. Zhang¡¯s eyes, I am someone with value. Simrly, he is the same in my eyes. So, as long as things aren¡¯t too excessive, neither of us will take it too seriously. Miss Ren, I wonder if you can understand what I¡¯m saying? If you can¡¯t quite grasp it, let me put it simply. From the current situation, I have more value than you."


    Upon hearing this, Ren Qing knelt dumbfounded on the ground, momentarily lost.


    Not long after, the people sent by Mr. Zhang arrived at the Nanrong Family home. Watching Ren Qing being taken away, Ling Chen retracted his gaze, turned to Yang Qingling, and said with a smile, "Mom, I didn¡¯t expect your skills to be so good."


    Back when they were abroad, Ling Chen had witnessed Yang Qingling¡¯s marksmanship, which was absolutely urate and impressive. Besides marksmanship, Yang Qingling¡¯sbat skills were alsomendable. Back then, to evade the Ling Family¡¯s pursuit, Yang Qingling had hired professionals for training, and her skills could rival those of a special forces soldier.


    "Alright, stop ttering me. Son, be cautious when you¡¯re out there. After everything that¡¯s happened, I¡¯m really worried about your safety," Yang Qingling said with concern.


    "Mom, don¡¯t worry. I know how to take care of myself."


    As they spoke, Ling Chen¡¯s pocket suddenly rang with an iing call. Taking out his phone and seeing the caller ID, Ling Chen walked aside to answer it, asking, "Boss Tang, what¡¯s up?"


    "Nonsense, if there was nothing, why would I call you? Hey, where are you now? If you have time,e back to the base quickly. I¡¯ve made a significant discovery."


    Ling Chen asked curiously, "What kind of significant discovery?"


    "Why ask so many questions? You¡¯ll find out when you get here." With that, Tang Guolun directly hung up the call.


    This guy... always mysterious, leaving me wondering what kind of significant discovery it is, Ling Chen mumbled. Nevertheless, Tang Guolun had piqued his curiosity, and unable to resist, Ling Chen greeted Nanrong Wanqing and Yang Qingling before driving off to the base.


    Half an hourter, Ling Chen drove his Audi into the underground parking lot. Reaching the lowest level of the parking garage, he parked his car and headed straight to a corner storeroom. Opening the door, he saw a three-meter-wide and over two-meter-high passageway behind the storeroom. At the moment, more than a dozen staff members were busy installing a st door.

 Chapter 990 - 997: Secret Laboratory

    <h4>Chapter 990: Chapter 997: Secret Laboratory</h4>


    Arriving at the control center of the base, Ling Chen looked at the busy Tang Guolun and asked, "Boss Tang, what significant discoverypelled me to make a trip to the base?"


    Tang Guolun nced at Hu Fei beside him, the two exchanged a smile, and couldn¡¯t help but say triumphantly, "Ling Chen, we¡¯ve made a big discovery this time. Come, let me show you."


    Following Tang Guolun and Hu Fei, the three of them walked straight to the second floor of the base. Walking in the spacious corridor, Ling Chen asked, "Whye all the way here?" The second floor of the base is mainly residential areas and a canteen, as well as some recreational facilities, with only one equipment room being more important.


    "You¡¯ll know soon." As he spoke, Tang Guolun arrived in front of the equipment room and entered the password.


    With the opening of the equipment room¡¯s st door, Ling Chen and the others stepped inside. Once the door was closed, Tang Guolun and Hu Fei gestured for Ling Chen to follow them.


    In no time, the three arrived at the east wall of the equipment room. Looking at several pieces of equipment hanging on the wall, Ling Chen asked puzzled, "Are these things special?"


    Hu Fei smiled mysteriously and said, "Not this, but this." Saying that, Hu Fei reached out and grasped the protrudingmpshade on the wall and gently turned it. Immediately, thempshade moved aside, revealing an electronic password lock behind it. Besides the password lock, there was also a retinal scanner.


    "This is..." Ling Chen was shocked, not expecting there to be a hidden door here.


    "To crack thisyer of password, I spent quite some time." Hu Fei said while entering the password. After scanning his retina, there was a ¡¯click¡¯ sound, and the entire wall slowly moved aside, revealing a passage more than two meters wide. Simultaneously, the lights in the passage all lit up automatically.


    "Let¡¯s go." Tang Guolun called, leading Ling Chen straight into the passage.


    Soon after, the three passed through the passage and arrived at a decontamination room. Afterpleting the disinfection procedure, the back door slowly opened.


    Passing through the door, Ling Chen¡¯s view opened up. At this moment, he was in a massive undergroundboratory. Theboratory housed a variety of instruments and advanced equipment, some of which Ling Chen had never seen before. Besides equipment, theb also stored many vessels, each soaking different limbs, both human and animal, which looked particrly eerie.


    In the corner of theboratory, dozens ofrge crates were piled up. Judging by the markings on the crates, they should contain reagents. It was probably due to a rush that the crates were not organized properly, piled up messily.


    "There¡¯s ab here too. Wow!" Ling Chen eximed, "Those guys from the God Organization have hidden well. Hey, Fatty, how did you discover this ce?"


    Hu Fei said proudly, "Yesterday, when I was checking the equipment in the equipment room with Boss Tang, I identally found the password lock hidden in thempshade. After I cracked the password, I found out there was ab hidden here." After a pause, Hu Fei shifted the conversation, "Ling Chen, do you know what¡¯s the most crucial thing about thisb?"


    "What is it?"


    Hu Fei pointed to a machine in the center of theb and said, "That¡¯s our biggest find this time."


    "Really?" Ling Chen walked forward, half-believing, and examined the machine in front of him. In the center of the machine was an iron bed equipped with many wires and IV tubes. On both sides of the iron bed wereputers connected to the mainframe below.


    Looking at the dense wires around, Ling Chen asked curiously, "What does this machine do?"


    "Its function is substantial," Hu Fei said with a smile, "Do you remember when Jiang Yunkai, Bai Huanjun, and Xia Mutong were captured? The God Organization conducted experiments on them. Later, we found out that a microchip was imnted in Xia Mutong¡¯s brain. The microchip transmitted signals, which were converted intomands directly to Xia Mutong¡¯s brain. As a result, Xia Mutongpletely lost autonomy and could only act ording to the transmittedmands."


    Hearing this, Ling Chen pointed at the machine before him and said, "You mean... this machine imnted the microchip into Xia Mutong¡¯s brain?"


    "No, no." Hu Fei waved his hand, "You misunderstood my point. This machine is not the one used before. How to say, the previous machine used for experimenting on Xia Mutong was just a prototype, with some ws, but this machine is different. It¡¯s an improved version, much better than the previous one, and with a lower failure rate."


    "Fatty, you¡¯re not from the God Organization, how do you know so much?"


    "All the information is stored in theputer of this machine, I¡¯ve read it all." Hu Fei said, tapping Ling Chen¡¯s shoulder, "Hey, are you interested in conducting an experiment?"


    "Experiment?" Ling Chen asked, "How do we do it? We don¡¯t even have a test subject right now. Besides, imnting a microchip into the brain isn¡¯t something just anyone can do. The brain is the mostplex part of the human body, and any slight mistake could lead to the experimenter¡¯s death. Unless we find a professional neurosurgeon to help, it¡¯s best not to do it, lest we harm someone."


    "True." Hu Fei scratched his head, "How about this, I¡¯ll find a few neurosurgeons first. We¡¯ll try to see if we can master the research of the God Organization."


    "Fatty, what are you nning? This is no joke. Are you thinking of using this thing against the God Organization?"


    "Of course! Think about it, if we use this thing to control Lin Guodong, wouldn¡¯t the God Organization be at our mercy?"


    "The idea is nice, but I don¡¯t think this n is very reliable." Ling Chen criticized unreservedly.


    "You haven¡¯t even tried, how do you know it¡¯s not reliable?" Hu Fei argued, dissatisfied.


    "Alright, alright," Tang Guolun chimed in, "Anyway, the item is in our hands, no harm in trying. Besides, it¡¯s using the God Organization people as test subjects, even if we fail, there¡¯s no real loss."


    "Fine, do what you see fit, just don¡¯t go overboard." Ling Chen thought for a moment and agreed to Hu Fei¡¯s request. If the experiment really proves effective, it could indeed be a good tactic.


    Back at the control center of the base, Ling Chen looked at Tang Guolun and asked, "Boss Tang, where¡¯s the porridge girl? I didn¡¯t see her around."


    "She went out early today, said she had important business to attend to, and won¡¯t be back for a few days. Do you have any business with her?"


    "Nothing much, just asking." Ling Chen rubbed his nose. The porridge girl, as always, liked to leave quietly without saying anything to him.

 Chapter 991 - 998: Rehearsal

    <h4>Chapter 991: Chapter 998: Rehearsal</h4>


    Ling wandered around the base camp for a moment and saw that everything was well-organized, which relieved him. This was thanks to Zhou Qi¡¯s help, as the experienced housekeeper made sure Ling didn¡¯t have to worry about any daily matters.


    Seeing that there was nothing else to do, Ling bid farewell to Tang Guolun and left the base camp alone.


    On the drive towards Wealthy Manor, Ling suddenly passed the sports arena of East Sea City. Seeing the huge posters outside, he immediately pulled his car over to the side of the road. Last time he called Tang Shiyun, it was her agent who answered and informed him that Tang Shiyun had been rehearsing at the arena for the concert taking ce in half a month.


    Since he was passing by the arena and had nothing else to do, why not visit Tang Shiyun? It had been a while since hest saw the girl, and Ling missed her a lot.


    After getting out of the car, Ling bought some fruit from a nearby stall and carried tworge bags towards the arena entrance. Before he even reached the entrance, he saw arge crowd of fans gathered outside, holding banners and posters of Tang Shiyun. It seemed they were waiting for her appearance.


    Wow!


    Ling couldn¡¯t help but marvel at the allure of a celebrity.


    As he pondered this, he arrived at the entrance but was stopped by several security guards stationed outside. Ling had no choice but to call Tang Shiyun. As expected, it was still her agent who answered.


    After waiting outside for about five minutes, a woman in high heels, about 1.7 meters tall, came out from inside the arena.


    The woman was dressed in a mature style, appearing to be around thirty years old. Although her looks were ordinary, she exuded a certain intellectual air unique to sophisticated women.


    "Mr. Ling, I¡¯m very sorry to have kept you waiting." The woman quickly approached Ling and apologized with embarrassment.


    "It¡¯s alright." Ling smiled slightly, "I should be the one apologizing for disturbing your work."


    "Not at all, Mr. Linging to see Shiyun¡¯s rehearsal will surely make her very happy. Oh, I forgot to introduce myself, I¡¯m Xu Hong, Shiyun¡¯s agent. It¡¯s nice to meet you, please take care of me."


    "You¡¯re too kind, Miss Xu." Ling politely shook hands with her.


    "Mr. Ling, let¡¯s go. I¡¯ll take you inside."


    Watching Xu Hong walk ahead, Ling nodded lightly. She was indeed a nice person, polite and modest, much easier to get along with than Tang Shiyun¡¯s previous agent.


    With Xu Hong leading the way, Ling soon arrived at the center of the arena. Since the concert was set to take ce in half a month, the main stage had already been set up, and staff were installing lights and screens on it.


    In the center of the main stage, Tang Shiyun, dressed in loose casual clothing and holding a microphone, was rehearsing a dance with a group of dancers. It seemed like the rehearsal had been going on for a while, as sweat was streaming down her forehead, and her singing voice was slightly breathless.


    Watching Tang Shiyun¡¯s earnest rehearsal, Xu Hong smiled and said, "Miss Tang is a very talented and hardworking artist. Even though her talent is several times stronger than others, she never cks off and always strives to improve herself and be more perfect." With that, Xu Hong turned to look at Ling, "Mr. Ling, do you know what Shiyun usually talks to me about?"


    "What does she talk about?"


    "You."


    "Me?" Ling pointed to his own nose and asked, confused, "What¡¯s there to talk about me?"


    "Every time Miss Tang talks about you, she bes very happy, as if you¡¯re the only one who can bring a smile to her face. To be honest, Miss Tang¡¯s life is rather dull, often flying across the country to attend various events. Sometimes, she genuinely feels tired of it, but there¡¯s nothing she can do to refuse. After all, she¡¯s already stepped into this world and must abide by its rules; many things are unavoidable for her. Also, Miss Tang¡¯s personality has be somewhat reclusive, not very fond of socializing with others. Of course, you can¡¯t me her entirely; many men approach Miss Tang with ulterior motives. Over time, she¡¯s grown tired of it. Instead of faking interactions with others, she¡¯d rather stay alone at home."


    After hearing Xu Hong¡¯s words, Ling couldn¡¯t help but feel somewhat guilty. Recently, he¡¯d been caught up with his own matters, seldom paying attention to Tang Shiyun¡¯s life. He thought since she was now sessful and famous, she must have been living happily. But after listening to Xu Hong, he realized that Tang Shiyun¡¯s life wasn¡¯t as good as he thought; maybe materially it was rich, but her spiritual life was very empty.


    "Why didn¡¯t you let her call me?"


    "I suggested it, but Miss Tang said you were busy, and she didn¡¯t want to disturb your work."


    "I..." Ling opened his mouth but then swallowed his words. He vaguely remembered Tang Shiyun had called him twice, but at those times, he was dealing with important matters and didn¡¯t have the time to chat, so he hung up after a few brief words. Probably because of this, Tang Shiyun didn¡¯t want to call him again.


    Thinking this, Ling couldn¡¯t help but silently curse himself. It was all his fault that Tang Shiyun ended up this way.


    As they spoke, the rehearsal on the main stage hade to an end. Xu Hong walked forward, pping her hands, "Alright! That¡¯s it for today, everyone worked hard. Let¡¯s go have a break."


    "Sister Hong, it¡¯s only been two hours, isn¡¯t it too early to rest?" Tang Shiyun said while wiping the sweat off her forehead.


    "Shiyun, look who¡¯s here." Xu Hong smiled and pointed at Ling.


    Seeing Ling standing beneath the stage, Tang Shiyun was dumbfounded and didn¡¯t regain her senses for quite a while.


    Seeing this, Ling took the initiative to step onto the stage, looking at the stunned Tang Shiyun, and said with a smile, "What, don¡¯t recognize me anymore?"


    "Ling... Ling!" Tang Shiyun mumbled, rubbing her eyes hard, as if she couldn¡¯t believe Ling was really there.


    Ling gently patted her head with affection and said with a smile, "Silly girl, you got it right, it¡¯s me."


    "Ling, you finally came to see me." Tang Shiyun opened her arms wide, tightly hugging Ling¡¯s waist, burying her head in his chest with a happy smile blooming on her delicate face.


    Ling smiled slightly, gently patting Tang Shiyun¡¯s back, and said, "Why didn¡¯t you tell me when you returned to East Sea City? I always thought you were still away."


    Tang Shiyun said shyly, "I... I was afraid of bothering you."


    "Silly girl." Ling used his finger to flick Tang Shiyun¡¯s nose and said with feigned annoyance, "Even if you did bother me, I¡¯d still be happy."

 Chapter 992 - 999: The Greedy Mother (1)

    <h4>Chapter 992: Chapter 999: The Greedy Mother (1)</h4>


    "Ling, are you free today?"


    "Not much to do. When I passed by the gymnasium earlier, I thought about you rehearsing here, so I came to check on you. How about it, do you have time? Maybe we can grab dinner together tonight?"


    "Sure!" Tang Shiyun nodded happily, "But there¡¯s still a lot of time until dinner. You... you¡¯re not nning to leave, right?"


    Ling Chen smiled slightly, "Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m not going anywhere today. I¡¯ll stay by your side and keep youpany. How about that?"


    Hearing this, Tang Shiyun linked arms with Ling Chen, beaming with joy, "I knew you were the best, Ling." She then rolled her eyes and whispered, "Ling, why don¡¯t we go shopping this afternoon? I haven¡¯t been out for ages."


    "No problem." Ling Chen nodded and said, "You¡¯re the boss today. Whatever you say goes, I¡¯m all ears."


    "Yay!" Tang Shiyun excitedly made a peace sign, then turned to Xu Hong and said, "Hong, I¡¯m skipping rehearsal this afternoon. Can you organize things for me?"


    "Sure," Xu Hong replied, "Shiyun, if you¡¯re heading out, it¡¯s best to be prepared first to avoid any chaoster on."


    "Got it!"


    With crowds of fans gathered outside the gym, to avoid attracting attention, Tang Shiyun, Xu Hong, and Ling Chen took a special passage to the underground parking lot and directly left the gym by car.


    Returning to Tang Shiyun¡¯s residence, Ling Chen was a bit taken aback. She used to live in a rented small apartment, old and cramped, sharing it with her parents. Now, her ce was in the most luxurious area of East Sea City, a vi with a swimming pool, a backyard, and a mini-golf course.


    Not to mention, the vi alone was worth at least hundreds of millions. It¡¯s impressive how much wealth Tang Shiyun had umted in such a short time since her debut.


    Sitting in the living room for a while, the housekeeper brought in tea and freshly cut fruit with great courtesy. Xu Hong exined that all the help at Tang Shiyun¡¯s ce were meticulously selected by thepany and were very dependable.


    After half an hour, Tang Shiyun, freshly showered, came downstairs in clean clothes. Ling Chen fixed his gaze on her, momentarily stunned.


    Tang Shiyun was dressed in a purple floral half-skirt over dark jeans and wore a casual jacket. Her hair was tied in a ponytail that bounced with each step, exuding youthful energy.


    In the past, living in the Old City and still attending school, Tang Shiyun appeared full of innocence, much like an unripe apple. But now, after experiencing a lot, she had shed her na?vet¨¦. She was now like a ripe peach, exuding fragrance that left a sweet impression in people¡¯s hearts.


    Seeing Ling Chen in a daze, Tang Shiyun blushed, but there was a hint of joy in her bright eyes. A woman dressed up for the one she loves, and seeing Ling Chen¡¯s attention, Tang Shiyun felt her effort was rewarded.


    Standing before Ling Chen, Tang Shiyun spread her arms and twirled around, shyly asking, "Ling, how do I look?"


    Ling Chen gave a thumbs up, praising, "You look great. You¡¯re naturally beautiful, so anything you wear looks good. Are you all ready?"


    "Almost." Tang Shiyun held Ling Chen¡¯s arm and asked, "Where are we headed, Ling?"


    "You¡¯re in charge today. Wherever you want to go, I¡¯ll apany you."


    "Then..." Tang Shiyun batted her sparkling eyes, smiling, "How about going shopping? I haven¡¯t been to the mall for a long time. Let¡¯s shop first, then have dinner outside, and then watch a movie. What do you think, Ling?"


    "Alright, I¡¯ll follow your n." Ling Chen nced at the time and said, "Let¡¯s not dy too long."


    As they spoke, Xu Hong walked in from outside.


    "Shiyun."


    "Hong, Ling and I are heading out. We¡¯ll be back in the evening."


    Xu Hong nced at Ling Chen, then walked over to Tang Shiyun and whispered something in her ear. Whatever it was, Tang Shiyun¡¯s smile faded quickly, her eyebrows furrowed slightly, and a hint of annoyance shed in her eyes.


    Noticing the change in Tang Shiyun¡¯s expression, Ling Chen asked, "Shiyun, what¡¯s wrong? Is something the matter? If you¡¯re busy, we can reschedule."


    "I¡¯m fine, just that..." Tang Shiyun hesitated, looking as if she wanted to say something but couldn¡¯t.


    "What is it?" Ling Chen pressed.


    Tang Shiyun softly replied, "My mom is here."


    Hearing this, Ling Chen immediately understood Tang Shiyun¡¯s concern. Her mother, Yao Li, always held prejudices against him and didn¡¯t like him. If Yao Li found her with Ling Chen, she would likely get angry at Tang Shiyun again. Thinking of this, Ling Chen pointed upstairs and said, "Maybe I should avoid her. You go see your mom first."


    "Ling, you don¡¯t have to hide. My mom... she¡¯s not here to see me."


    "Then why is she here?"


    Tang Shiyun opened her mouth, her eyes flickering, unsure if she should speak. Seeing her hesitance, Xu Hong spoke up, "Mr. Ling, Miss Yao is here to ask Shiyun for money."


    "For money?" Ling Chen was slightly stunned, thenughed, "You¡¯re her daughter. Giving money to your mom is a natural thing. What¡¯s there to hesitate about?"


    "Mr. Ling, it¡¯s not like that," Xu Hong interjected, "Miss Yaoes every two or three days to ask for money, and each time it¡¯s arge amount, ranging from tens of thousands to over a million. In a month, she¡¯s taken at least six to seven million from Shiyun."


    "That much?" Ling Chen was shocked and asked, "What does she need that much money for?"


    Though Tang Shiyun wasn¡¯t short of money, spending like this wasn¡¯t sustainable. Spending millions in a month was beyond even the wealthiest of wivespared to Yao Li.


    "And that¡¯s just Miss Yao¡¯s personal requests. Including other expenses, it¡¯s almost tens of millions. Shiyun earns only a few million a month. At this rate, her wealth will be drained in no time," Xu Hong said indignantly, "Mr. Ling, Shiyun is too kind-hearted. Every time Miss Yao praises her, she softens. Please help her."


    Ling Chen nodded, then asked the silent Tang Shiyun, "Shiyun, tell me what¡¯s going on? Why does your mom ask for so much money?"


    "She... she has a lot of debt outside. If I don¡¯t give her money, she might be in danger."

 Chapter 993 - 1000: The Greedy Mother (2)

    <h4>Chapter 993: Chapter 1000: The Greedy Mother (2)</h4>


    "Debt?" Ling Chen asked with a frown, "How could your mom, an ordinary woman, owe so much money?"


    "All due to gambling and high-interest loans," Xu Hong replied irritably. "Tang Shiyun initially provided regr support to her parents¡ªfive hundred thousand a month, which isn¡¯t a small amount. However, because of Shiyun¡¯s status, Miss Yao¡¯s social standing rose, and she met many wealthy housewives, often hanging out with them, buying luxury goods, gambling¡ªshe picked up all those bad habits of the rich. With her daily expenses, five hundred thousand a month wasn¡¯t enough, it barelysted her a few days."


    "Shiyun previously gave Miss Yao a credit card with no limit, and in less than a week, she spent over ten million on it. There was no choice but to stop the card. But even then, it didn¡¯t stop Miss Yao from squandering money. With no cash on hand, she went to borrow from high-interest lenders. Knowing she was Shiyun¡¯s mother, those people were more than happy to lend her money, and each time it was in the millions. Whenever the repayment deadline came, and Miss Yao couldn¡¯t pay, she dragged those people to Shiyun¡¯s ce to have her pay off the debt. Shiyun tried to persuade Miss Yao, hoping she¡¯d cut back on her spending and not be so extravagant. In front of her, Miss Yao always repented, promising not to waste money again, but as soon as she turned around, she borrowed another few million from outside, and nothing anyone said mattered."


    "Can¡¯t you just stop giving her money?"


    Xu Hong replied helplessly, "It¡¯s not that simple. If they can¡¯t collect, they threaten Shiyun that they will break Miss Yao¡¯s limbs. Shiyun is worried Miss Yao will get hurt, so she¡¯s forced topromise. Now, Miss Yao has brought another group of ruffians to the door; this is already the fourth time this month. Mr. Ling, Shiyun is too kind-hearted and doesn¡¯t know how to handle this. Thepany can¡¯t interfere in her personal matters, so we can only ask you to help."


    "Alright, I understand." Ling Chen nodded and said, "Leave it to me." After speaking, Ling Chen turned and walked toward the door.


    "Ling," Tang Shiyun caught up to Ling Chen¡¯s pace, holding his hand, and said, "She... after all, she¡¯s my mom, you..."


    Before Tang Shiyun could finish, Ling Chen gently patted the back of her hand and said, "Don¡¯t worry, I know how to handle this."


    At the door, Ling Chen opened it to see Yao Li standing outside with a few ruffian youths, chatting with a smile, as if she were quite familiar with them.


    Upon hearing the vi door open, Yao Li turned back, ready to speak. However, when she saw Ling Chen standing at the door, her face immediately darkened as she coldly asked, "What are you doing here?"


    "This is Shiyun¡¯s home, she invited me. Why can¡¯t I be here?"


    "Bullshit." Yao Li spat out, saying, "This is my daughter¡¯s home, and I forbid you to harass her, do you hear me? If you dare show up again, do you believe I won¡¯t call the police to arrest you?"


    "Arrest me?" Ling Chen sneered, "Do you have the power to do that?" Pausing, Ling Chen continued, "You have the nerve to say this is your daughter¡¯s home. Miss Yao, do you really treat Shiyun as your daughter? I¡¯d say you¡¯re treating her like a cash cow. If you cared even a little about mother-daughter feelings, you wouldn¡¯t burden her."


    "Oh really!" Yao Li retorted with a coldugh, "This is my family matter, what right do you have to meddle, as an outsider? Listen, get lost, and don¡¯t let me see you again." Having said that, Yao Li turned to the youths and said, "Help me get rid of this bastard."


    "Stop!"


    Before the youths could move, Tang Shiyun and Xu Hong rushed out of the house. Looking at Yao Li outside the door, Tang Shiyun said angrily, "Mom, what exactly do you want? Ling is my guest, you mustn¡¯t be rude to him."


    Yao Li tried to reason, "Daughter, I¡¯ve told you before, to stay away from people like him. Why don¡¯t you listen to me?"


    "I..."


    "Enough!" Ling Chen raised his hand to stop Tang Shiyun and said, "Don¡¯t get upset first, I¡¯ll handle this matter." As he spoke, Ling Chen¡¯s gaze swept over the youths one by one.


    Feeling Ling Chen¡¯s gaze, the youths instinctively lowered their heads, appearing frightened, not daring to meet his eyes. Seeing their reaction, Ling Chen felt reassured.


    "You should know me," Ling Chen spoke calmly.


    "Chen... Chen," one youth stammered.


    "Good. Since you know me, things will be easier. Tell me, whose men are you? Jiang Hao? Nanrong Hao? Zhao Zhengxiong?"


    "We¡¯re Xiong¡¯s men."


    Ling Chen nodded, "I¡¯ve had some issues with Zhao Zhengxiong recently, but that¡¯s between me and your boss, it doesn¡¯t involve you. At any rate, I was once your boss too, let¡¯s see if you¡¯ll do me this favor."


    One youth, with a ttering smile, said, "Nothing you say, Chen, we wouldn¡¯t dare not give you face."


    Seeing the youths¡¯ submissive demeanor towards Ling Chen, Yao Li¡¯s expression changed, and she said urgently, "What are you doing, don¡¯t forget who pays you."


    However, ignoring Yao Li¡¯s rebuke, the youths looked at Ling Chen and asked, "What do you need us to do, Chen?"


    Ling Chen gestured towards Yao Li and asked, "Did she borrow high-interest loans from you? How much? Tell me the truth."


    "Well..." one youth hesitated for a moment before saying, "She did borrow high-interest loans from us, three million, but it¡¯s already paid off, Miss Tang helped repay it."


    Hearing this, Ling Chen frowned and asked, "If it¡¯s been repaid, why are you still with her, and I heard this isn¡¯t the first time."


    "She hired us, pretending to be debt collectors to get money from her daughter. After getting the money, she nned to share a few ten thousand with us," a youth admitted sheepishly.


    "I see." Ling Chen nced at Yao Li, whose face had darkened, and sneered, "You¡¯ve got some nerve, joining outsiders to swindle your own daughter."


    "Mom!" Tang Shiyun looked at Yao Li in disbelief and eximed angrily, "I trusted you, worried about your safety, paid off your debts, and you conspired with outsiders to deceive me."


    "No, it¡¯s not..." Yao Li protested hastily, "Daughter, let me exin, I..."


    "Enough!" Tang Shiyun waved her hand, turning away, "I don¡¯t want to hear your exnation, the facts are in front of me, how can I trust you now? Mom, I never thought you would treat me this way. Fine, if so, don¡¯t me your daughter for being ruthless."

 Chapter 994 - 1001: The Money-Hungry Mother (Part 3)

    <h4>Chapter 994: Chapter 1001: The Money-Hungry Mother (Part 3)</h4>


    "Daughter, mom knows she¡¯s wrong. Please forgive mom this time, okay?" Yao Li quickly said when she saw Tang Shiyun was really angry, "I promise you, I won¡¯t deceive you again in the future."


    "It¡¯s toote." Tang Shiyun said, holding back the tears in her eyes, "Mom, no matter how much money you used to ask from me, I never refused you. In my view, no amount of money could match the bond between us as mother and daughter. But now, I know I was wrong. I shouldn¡¯t have indulged you, letting you deceive me more and more. From today on, besides the fixed living expenses each month, I won¡¯t give you another cent. As for the debts you¡¯ve incurred outside, they have nothing to do with me. I won¡¯t help pay them off with a single cent."


    After speaking, Tang Shiyun walked inside without looking back.


    "Daughter, don¡¯t you, don¡¯t you care that your mom is being bullied by others?" Yao Li called out in a hurry and wanted to rush inside. However, Ling Chen stretched out his hand, blocking Yao Li¡¯s way at the door.


    "Miss Yao, you¡¯ve heard Shiyun¡¯s words. I hope you won¡¯t disturb her anymore. To be honest, you¡¯re really not a qualified mother." With that, without waiting for Yao Li to say anything else, Ling Chen closed the door, leaving Yao Li outside.


    No matter how Yao Li shouted, no one paid attention to her.


    Returning to the living room, Ling Chen nced around and asked, "Miss Xu, where¡¯s Shiyun?"


    "She¡¯s gone to her room. Mr. Ling, please try persuading Shiyun. I¡¯m worried that this matter might affect her."


    Ling Chen nodded and said, "Don¡¯t worry, I know what to do." With that, he went straight upstairs.


    Upon reaching outside Tang Shiyun¡¯s bedroom, he heard sobbing from inside. Ling Chen gently knocked on the door, then pushed it open. As he entered, he saw Tang Shiyun sitting on the bed, her eyes red, with tears still streaked on her cheeks.


    Seeing her in such a state of sadness, Ling Chen sighed inwardly. Having a mother like that, anyone else would feel the same.


    "Shiyun." Ling Chen walked to Tang Shiyun¡¯s side, pulled out two tissues from beside, and gently wiped her tears.


    "Ling." Tang Shiyun reached out, hugging Ling Chen¡¯s waist, burying her head in his chest, sobbing softly, her tears instantly soaking Ling Chen¡¯s clothes.


    "Alright, don¡¯t cry anymore." Ling Chen patted Tang Shiyun¡¯s shoulder andforted her, "I know you¡¯re heartbroken. Your mom¡¯s actions are indeed infuriating. But, as you said earlier, no matter what, she¡¯s still your mom. Even if she¡¯s wrong, you have to learn to forgive."


    "I... I just feel it¡¯s not worth it for myself." Tang Shiyun murmured, "From childhood to now, mom always took care of me so attentively. Those days were hard but happy, with our family in harmony. But now, Ling, as you can see, ever since having money, mom has changed. Sometimes I can¡¯t believe if she¡¯s still that person, why can¡¯t I feel a trace of familial love from her?"


    "Alright, stop overthinking. Your mom is just confused for a moment, and she¡¯ll have a clear mindter. However, you shouldn¡¯t see her during this period, lest you go soft again."


    "I know." Tang Shiyun nodded gently and said, "I¡¯ve decided not to give her any more money. Before, because my parents went through hardships for me, I hoped they could enjoyfort. As long as they asked, I¡¯d never refuse. But now I know, sometimes too much indulgence isn¡¯t good. Besides, I didn¡¯t pick my money off the ground. From debut until now, apart from this vi being my fixed asset, the rest of the money was squandered by my mom. Ling, I was even nning to save up enough to support you, but it seems I¡¯ll have to wait a while longer."


    Upon hearing this, Ling Chen couldn¡¯t help butugh, feeling a mix of emotion and a little heartbreak.


    This was a joke he made years ago, not expecting this girl to remember it so well.


    "Girl, by the time you¡¯ve saved enough money, you probably won¡¯t see me worth it anymore." Ling Chen teased with a smile.


    "How can that be?" Tang Shiyun quickly raised her head and said, "I¡¯d never look down on you. It¡¯s you I¡¯m worried about looking down on me."


    "Alright, alright, just joking, no need to take it seriously. Hey, it¡¯s gettingte, do you still want to go shopping?"


    "Let¡¯s go! Ling, you hardly have time to apany me, I don¡¯t want to miss the chance."


    "Then what are you still sitting for, let¡¯s go."


    "I¡¯ll just touch up my makeup real quick."


    Half an hourter, Ling Chen and Tang Shiyun drove out of the vi in a car.


    Not long after, they arrived at the most bustling shopping street in East Sea City. After parking the car, Ling Chen closed the door, only to see Tang Shiyun wearing a cap and mask, almostpletely covering her face. If they hadn¡¯t left together earlier, Ling Chen wouldn¡¯t have recognized her.


    "This girl..." Ling Chen smiled helplessly. Tang Shiyun¡¯s current identity is different from before. Being a nationally famous pop star, if she appeared in public, the entire street might be paralyzed. There¡¯s nothing to be done; these days, the power of music fans is too great.


    "Ling, where shall we go?" Since no one could recognize her, Tang Shiyun boldly held onto Ling Chen¡¯s arm, walking among the crowd.


    "Weren¡¯t you the one who wanted to shop? I¡¯m not familiar with this area, maybe you should tell me where to go."


    Tang Shiyun looked around and pointed to arge mall not far away, "Let¡¯s go there, Hong took me there before, the stuff inside is pretty good, affordable and of decent quality, too."


    "You¡¯re worth billions, and you care about a little bit of money?" Ling Chen teased.


    "Even with money, you shouldn¡¯t spend recklessly. Come on, let¡¯s go buy some clothes."


    After shopping in the mall for less than an hour, Ling Chen was already holding seven or eightrge bags.


    Seeing Tang Shiyun in high spirits, Ling Chen smiled wryly and said, "I say, girl, why are you buying everything for me? It¡¯s not like I¡¯mcking in clothes."


    Tang Shiyun replied cheerfully, "Ling, I¡¯m the one who¡¯s going to support you, of course, I have to buy clothes for you. There¡¯s a watch store over there,e on, let¡¯s take a look." With that, Tang Shiyun quickly ran into the store.


    Ling Chen touched his nose, having no choice but to follow.


    At that moment, among the bustling crowd in the mall, a few people wearing caps were lurking around the store, asionally picking up their cell phones and cameras, aiming and snapping in the direction of the watch store.


    Ten minutes passed, and Tang Shiyun held Ling Chen¡¯s hand as they walked out of the watch store. The two were close to each other, behaving intimately like a couple in love.


    At this point, Ling Chen stopped walking, looked at the crowd not far from his side, and whispered, "Shiyun, there are people taking pictures with their phones over there. Did they recognize you?"


    Tang Shiyun pointed to her face mask, smiling, "Ling, you¡¯re too cautious. Even you couldn¡¯t recognize me, how could others possibly find out?"

 Chapter 995 - 1002: Candid Photos (1)

    <h4>Chapter 995: Chapter 1002: Candid Photos (1)</h4>


    Ling thought about it and realized that he and Tang Shiyun were already so familiar. But with her wearing a mask and a baseball cap, even he couldn¡¯t recognize her, let alone others.


    Thinking of this, Ling felt much more at ease. Moreover, the person who was taking pictures earlier had already disappeared without a trace. Ling, carryingrge and small bags, continued shopping in the mall with Tang Shiyun.


    This time, Ling finally experienced the misery of shopping. For him, apanying a woman shopping was more exhausting than finding someone to fight, as it was less tiring.


    Watching the bags pile up in his hands, Ling hurriedly said, "Shiyun, I think that¡¯s enough. I¡¯m hungry. Why don¡¯t we go eat something first?"


    Tang Shiyun seemed somewhat reluctant, but seeing that Ling was hungry, she dismissed the idea of continuing to shop.


    "Ling, let¡¯s go find a ce to eat."


    "Alright, I¡¯ll head back to the car first and put these things in," Ling said.


    After shopping with Tang Shiyun for less than two hours, she almost bought all her clothes for spring, summer, autumn, and winter. If they continued shopping, who knows what else she might buy for herself.


    Arriving at the underground parking lot, Ling went to the car, opened the door, and tossed all the bags into the trunk. After storing everything, Ling checked the time; it was a little past five, so it was time to find a ce to eat.


    However, just as the two were about to return to the surface, more than a dozen young men and women suddenly rushed out from beside the nearby vehicles, each holding a camera or phone, photographing Ling and Tang Shiyun while calling out Tang Shiyun¡¯s name.


    Seeing the suddenly appearing reporters, Ling¡¯s face changed slightly, not expecting them to actually recognize Tang Shiyun¡¯s identity.


    At this moment, faced with so many reporters, Tang Shiyun quickly hid behind Ling, held his hand, and quietly urged, "Ling, let¡¯s go!"


    Seeing Tang Shiyun about to run, the group of reporters hurriedly chased after them, asking as they pursued, "Miss Tang, what is your rtionship with this gentleman? Is he your boyfriend?"


    "Miss Tang, can you tell us how long you¡¯ve been dating?"


    "Miss Tang, when do you n to get married?"


    Hearing the reporters¡¯ questions, Tang Shiyun pressed her lips tightly shut and said nothing as she ran forward desperately.


    Ling protected Tang Shiyun from behind, running while looking back to exin, "You¡¯ve got the wrong person, she¡¯s not Tang Shiyun."


    However, the group of reporterspletely ignored Ling¡¯s exnation.


    Not long after, Ling and Tang Shiyun quickly returned to the car. Getting in, Ling started the vehicle, preparing to escape the reporters¡¯ encirclement. But because they were in a parking lot, with too many turns, the car couldn¡¯t elerate quickly. In no time, a dozen reporters surrounded the vehicle.


    Phones and cameras were all aimed at the car.


    Ling honked the horn, trying to drive away the group of reporters, but it had little effect.


    Since her debut, Tang Shiyun had always appeared as an innocent girl in public, never involved in any negative news, let alone gossip. This time, having finally caught Tang Shiyun with a malepanion, behaving intimately, these reporters wouldn¡¯t miss such a great opportunity.


    Once this scoop is out, promotions and raises are just around the corner.


    Fuck!


    Seeing these relentless and annoying reporters, Ling was immediately furious.


    "Shiyun, stay in the car and don¡¯t go out. I¡¯ll deal with these bastards first." With that, before Tang Shiyun could stop him, Ling had already pushed open the car door and stepped out.


    As soon as he got out, the reporters surrounded Ling in an instant, bombarding him with all kinds of questions.


    "Haven¡¯t you had enough?" Ling coldly snapped, "Delete all the photos you secretly took just now, or else I could sue you for invasion of privacy."


    Facing Ling¡¯s scolding, a group of reporters had no fear at all. They had encountered such situations too many times and were already used to it.


    Seeing no sign of restraint from the group of reporters, a sharp glint shed in Ling¡¯s eyes.


    Looking at the shing cameras in front of him, Ling snatched a camera from someone¡¯s hand, mmed it to the ground fiercely and stomped on it twice, shattering the camera instantly.


    Seeing Ling¡¯s actions, the reporter whose camera was snatched couldn¡¯t help but shout, "What are you doing? I..."


    "I¡¯m hitting you!" Ling interrupted, swiftly throwing out a punch, knocking the reporter to the ground.


    Ling¡¯s sudden violent action shocked the other reporters, who hurriedly retreated for fear of being implicated. Yet, even so, the reporters didn¡¯t stop filming and instead became even more excited.


    Hitting people, this was big news.


    Fuck!


    Ling cursed inwardly, these reporters really were asking for a beating. At this point, Ling couldn¡¯t be bothered to be polite with them. He employed the Nine Yang Qiankun Step, transforming into a shadow, swiftly moving through the crowd, changing positions.


    In the blink of an eye, some reporters suddenly felt their hands empty, all their cameras and phones gone.


    When they came to their senses, they could only see Ling standing in the middle of the crowd, holding all the cameras and phones in his hands.


    "I warned you," Ling said coldly. With that, he threw all the recording equipment to the ground and stomped on them several times, destroying the memory cards inside as well.


    Seeing their hard-earned news destroyed in an instant, the reporters¡¯ eyes turned red. That was their future!


    Some hot-tempered young men couldn¡¯t hold back any longer. They rushed forward to confront Ling.


    However, how could they be a match for Ling? In no time, all the young men wereid out on the ground.


    "Anyone else?" Ling nced coldly at the remaining reporters.


    At this moment, the reporters finally realized Ling¡¯s formidability and dared not seek trouble, hastily retreating for fear of being targeted by Ling¡¯s fists.


    Looking at the reporters lying on the ground, Ling asked, "How did you know Miss Tang was here?"


    Ling and Tang Shiyun had been extremely careful when they went out, and with his experience, if someone had been following them, it wouldn¡¯t have escaped his notice. So he was very curious about how these reporters found them here.


    After asking, seeing no response from the crowd, Ling casually dragged up one reporter from the ground, pinned his back against the wall, and raised his fist, ready to strike.


    "No, don¡¯t hit me, I... I¡¯ll talk!" the reporter hurriedly stopped Ling¡¯s action, urgently saying, "Someone called us."


    "Who?"


    "We don¡¯t know, that person said she could provide explosive news tips, but wanted a high reward. Because the news involved Miss Tang, we agreed to their request."

 Chapter 996 - 1003: Candid Photos (2)

    <h4>Chapter 996: Chapter 1003: Candid Photos (2)</h4>


    "Was that person a man or a woman? And how much did you pay?"


    "A woman, sounded older. She initially asked for two hundred thousand, but we bargained it down to one hundred thousand, worrying about the news¡¯s value. We¡¯ve already paid twenty thousand, and if the news proves valuable, we¡¯ll pay the remaining eighty thousand."


    Hearing this, Ling Chen frowned slightly and asked the other reporters, "And you all did the same?"


    Everyone nodded.


    "Did she leave any contact information?"


    "Yes, yes." The young man quickly reached into his pocket, took out a small note with a phone number, and handed it to Ling Chen, saying, "This is the contact she left. She also told me she has a lot of exclusive news and photos about Miss Tang and is willing to sell them as long as the price is right."


    Gazing at the phone number on the note, Ling Chen let go of the young man and said calmly, "You can leave now."


    "But..." A group of reporters looked at the pile of broken cameras and phones, somewhat unwilling.


    "But what?" Ling Chen raised his eyebrows and said sternly, "I warn you not to harass Miss Tang again. Otherwise, next time, it won¡¯t be just a bunch of broken machines, but your arms and legs. Got it?"


    "Yes, yes, we understand." The reporters nodded fearfully and hurriedly left towards the parking lot.


    "Wait!"


    Ling Chen stopped the reporters, turned to open the car door, and leaned inside. After a while, he straightened up, walked to a reporter, handed them a check, and said, "Here¡¯s two hundred thousand. It should cover your losses, and the rest can be considered medicalpensation."


    Pausing, Ling Chen continued, "I apologize for earlier. I lost my temper. I hope you understand. Also, I¡¯m Miss Tang¡¯s brother, not her boyfriend. Please don¡¯t fabricate stories that would affect Miss Tang."


    Seeing Ling Chen so generous and polite, the reporters felt much better.


    After sending the reporters away, Ling Chen returned to the car and looked at Tang Shiyun, who had removed her mask and baseball cap, and asked, "How are you, okay?"


    "I¡¯m fine. These reporters are really impressive. Even with my disguise, they still recognized me."


    "Shiyun, see if this phone number looks familiar." Ling Chen handed the small note to Tang Shiyun.


    Upon seeing it, Tang Shiyun immediately eximed, "Hey, isn¡¯t this my mom¡¯s number? Ling, how do you have my mom¡¯s phone number?"


    Just now, Tang Shiyun was sitting in the car. She only saw Ling Chen getting rough but didn¡¯t hear the conversation between Ling Chen and the reporters.


    Indeed, it really was her!


    Ling Chen frowned silently. When the reporter mentioned that person earlier, he immediately thought of Yao Li. Only Yao Li would know enough about Tang Shiyun.


    "Ling, what are you thinking about?" Seeing Ling Chen¡¯s dy in responding, Tang Shiyun couldn¡¯t help asking.


    "Nothing." Ling Chen snapped out of it and replied casually. It¡¯s better not to let Tang Shiyun know the truth about this matter; otherwise, it would only hurt her more. As a mother, Yao Li treating her daughter like this is truly infuriating. If Ling Chen had any hope that Yao Li might change for the better, he was now utterly disappointed in her.


    A person like that can no longer be called a ¡¯person¡¯ but a scum.


    In contemtion, Ling Chen quietly made up his mind to help Tang Shiyun resolve this issue. He didn¡¯t want her future and career to be destroyed by Yao Li.


    "Shiyun, still want to go eat? Or should I take you home?" Ling Chen worried that the earlier incident might have affected Tang Shiyun¡¯s mood, so he suggested taking her home.


    "No." Tang Shiyun refused without hesitation, "Let¡¯s eat first and then go to the movies." She pouted and held onto Ling Chen¡¯s arm, saying, "Ling, you promised to spend the whole day with me today. You can¡¯t go back on your word."


    "Alright, alright," Ling Chenughed and replied, "As long as you want, I¡¯ll definitely be with you. Let¡¯s go find a ce to eat first."


    In the evening, Ling Chen drove Tang Shiyun to the Old City. This was where they first met and held many beautiful memories for them. Back then, Ling Chen would always take Tang Shiyun to eat at the roadside food stalls when they had nothing to do.


    Now, one has be a nationally renowned singing star, and the other has a worth of billions. They are no longer the naive youngsters they once were.


    However, the Old City is no longer what it used to be. Since the government initiated, and Hongyu Group invested, the Old City has entered aprehensive redevelopment project. Many old buildings and houses have been demolished, and skyscrapers are slowly being built. It¡¯s estimated that in about five years, the entire Old City will bepletely transformed.


    With Tang Shiyun, Ling Chen walked around the ces they once lived. Unfortunately, the building they rented has been demolished, leaving only rubble and construction debris.


    "Those days were better," Tang Shiyun sighed.


    Ling Chen smiled and said, "That¡¯s because you were still pure. It¡¯s hard to keep an innocent mindset once you¡¯re in the real world. Alright, stop dwelling on the past. Let¡¯s check out the old food stalls."


    "Alright!" Tang Shiyun agreed cheerfully.


    Their luck wasn¡¯t too bad. Though many buildings were gone, the roadside food stalls were still there, and business was even better than before. With so much construction going on, there are about hundreds of workers in the Old City. After a day of hard work, they enjoyed gathering at night for some barbeque and a few drinks.


    Ling Chen and Tang Shiyun went to the food stall they frequented and ordered a private booth and a few dishes.


    The food stall¡¯s booth was like a Mongolian yurt, just a scaled-down version. After all, Tang Shiyun is now well-known. If people found out she was here, the area would likely be flooded.


    After dinner, Ling Chen contentedly patted his stomach and looked at Tang Shiyun across the table, "How about it? Are you full?"


    Tang Shiyun nodded lightly, eagerly putting on her mask and said, "Ling, let¡¯s go watch a movie. I think a new one just came out."


    "Okay, it¡¯s up to you."


    Leaving the food stall, Ling Chen walked down the Old City streets with Tang Shiyun¡¯s hand in his.


    Soon after, Ling Chen saw someone walking towards them, and he couldn¡¯t help but be stunned.


    This is just too coincidental!


    To actually bump into her here. Oh right, he nearly forgot, she does work around here in the Old City area.

 Chapter 997 - 1004: Experimental Progress

    <h4>Chapter 997: Chapter 1004: Experimental Progress</h4>


    At this moment, the person across also noticed Ling Chen, and her eyebrows raised immediately, with a sweet smile at the corner of her mouth.


    But when she saw Tang Shiyun beside Ling Chen, her face changed suddenly, and the smile immediately faded.


    "Ling, that woman..." Tang Shiyun pointed at the woman walking towards them and said, "She looks so familiar, have I seen her somewhere before?"


    Ling Chen nodded and said, "She is your senior. When you registered at East Sea University, she was the one who did the freshman reception." As he spoke, Ling Chen smiled and greeted her, "Feifei, are you shopping too?"


    Leng Feifei forced a smile and said, "No, I¡¯m just about to go to thepany for overtime." After speaking, Leng Feifei looked at Tang Shiyuan beside Ling Chen and asked, "Ling Chen, is this your friend?"


    Because Tang Shiyun wore a mask, Leng Feifei did not recognize her identity.


    "This is Shiyun, you should know her, she¡¯s also a student at East Sea University, but she¡¯s been on leave and hasn¡¯t attended sses yet."


    "Shiyun?" Leng Feifei was slightly startled and said in surprise, "Tang Shiyun?"


    Tang Shiyun smiled and said, "Senior Leng, hello, very pleased to meet you." She paused, looking at the passersby around, and said apologetically, "Senior Leng, I¡¯m really sorry, I¡¯m not convenient to take off the mask, please forgive me."


    "I understand." When she said this, Leng Feifei couldn¡¯t help but nce more at Ling Chen. She vaguely remembered that when she was handling freshman reception at East Sea University, Ling Chen had once gone to the school to find Tang Shiyun. At that time, Tang Shiyun wasn¡¯t famous, so her impression wasn¡¯t very deep. Now, Tang Shiyun was already a famous singer nationwide.


    However, what Leng Feifei was most curious about was Ling Chen. She didn¡¯t know why Ling Chen was always surrounded by outstanding women. Whether it was Nanrong Wanqing or Tang Shiyun, they were the goddesses in the eyes of men. As a result, the rtionship between these two women and Ling Chen was unusual.


    Thinking of this, Leng Feifei couldn¡¯t help but feel a little inferior. Her background was not as good as Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s, and her family and achievements couldn¡¯tpare to these two women. Deep down, she hoped to get closer to Ling Chen.


    However, seeing Ling Chen interacting with so many outstanding women, she couldn¡¯t help but feel discouraged.


    "Feifei, have you been busytely?"


    Leng Feifei nodded and said, "Thepany needs to expand its business, and there are many things to handle. Well...you guys go ahead, I won¡¯t disturb you, let¡¯s meet up another day when we have time."


    "Okay. Then you go work overtime first, don¡¯t tire yourself out, remember to take care." Ling Chen instructed.


    Watching Leng Feifei¡¯s figure disappear around the corner of the street, Tang Shiyun hugged Ling Chen¡¯s arm and said, "Ling, Senior Leng looked at you with a strange expression just now, is she interested in you?"


    Ling Chen chuckled helplessly, "She¡¯s just a friend, it¡¯s not asplicated as you think. Alright, stop overthinking, let¡¯s go watch a movie, don¡¯t make it toote."


    After watching the movie at night, it was already past ten o¡¯clock. Ling Chen drove Tang Shiyun home, declined her invitation to stay, and hurried back to Wealthy Manor on his own.


    Ling Chen had informed Nanrong Wanqing in advance that he would apany Tang Shiyun for the whole day. In Ling Chen¡¯s eyes, he always regarded Tang Shiyun as his little sister, and Nanrong Wanqing knew this, so she didn¡¯t say anything.


    ...


    One night passed.


    The next morning, Ling Chen sent Nanrong Wanqing to the Hongyu Group and then drove to the base.


    In the early hours ofst night, Hu Fei had sent a text message to Ling Chen, asking him toe over when he had time today, saying there was something important to discuss with him.


    Ling Chen thought about it, it could only be about the machine in theboratory.


    Arriving at the base, just as Ling Chen expected, Tang Guolun and Hu Fei directly pulled Ling Chen to theboratory.


    As soon as he entered theb, Ling Chen immediately saw a few middle-aged men in white coats busying themselves in front of the machine. Besides that, there was also a young man lying on the iron bed beside the machine. The young man seemed to be in aa, motionless.


    "What¡¯s going on here?" Ling Chen pointed at the young man and asked.


    Tang Guolun replied, "He¡¯s our test subject. See, these are the neurosurgeons Fatty specially hired at great expense. They¡¯re responsible for the craniotomy and the instation of the microchip."


    "Where did this young mane from?"


    "He¡¯s a security personnel from the God Organization. We captured him during thest raid on the base." Hu Fei said, "Rest assured, I checked this guy¡¯s background, he¡¯s got a few lives on his conscience, not a good person at all, perfect for an experiment."


    Ling Chen nodded and said, "Alright then."


    Once the neurosurgeons were ready for the surgery, the three of them stepped outside of theb, watching the experiment¡¯s progress through the transparent ss.


    These neurosurgeons were specially recruited by Hu Fei through various channels, and their skills were impressive. The craniotomy proceeded smoothly. However, that was just the beginning¡ªthe most crucial part was the instation of the microchip.


    Installing the microchip was a technical task that required utmost care and caution. After all, the brain is the mostplex part of the human body, and any slight mistake could lead to the subject¡¯s death.


    Watching the actions of the neurosurgeons, the three of them held their breath and patiently awaited the results.


    The surgery took an incredibly long time, about two hours or so. Then the neurosurgeon responsible for installing the microchip raised his head and made a gesture towards Hu Fei outside the ss window.


    Seeing this gesture, Hu Fei immediately focused on theputer screen beside him, his fingers flying rapidly over the keyboard.


    As the red alert on theputer screen gradually turned green, Hu Fei¡¯s eyes brightened, revealing a hint of excitement.


    "Almost there, almost there, just a little more... just a little more..." Hu Fei mouthed silently, muttering to himself.


    "OK!" A few minutester, Hu Feiughed triumphantly and gave Ling Chen a victory sign.


    "Got it, the chip is sessfully connected, and the signal is very stable."


    "Have the doctors proceed to suture then," Ling Chen said.


    After another half hour, the surgery was finally over.


    Back in theb, the three of them approached the iron bed and looked at the young man lying there, asking, "How is his physical condition?"


    One of the neurosurgeons replied, "Rest assured, he¡¯s in stable condition. Once the anesthesia wears off, he should wake up. However, until the wound is fully healed, it¡¯s best to avoid any strenuous activity to prevent affecting the wound."


    "I understand," Hu Fei interjected, "Alright, you all have worked hard, go rest awhile, I¡¯ll handle the rest."


    After the neurosurgeons left, Ling Chen asked, "Fatty, what do you n to do?"

 Chapter 998 - 1005: Experimental Results

    <h4>Chapter 998: Chapter 1005: Experimental Results</h4>


    Hu Fei chuckled and said, "We have to test the experimental results." As he spoke, Hu Fei entered amand on theputer next to the machine. Instantly, the restraints on the young man¡¯s hands and feet were all released, along with the IV tubes inserted in him, which were retracted.


    Due to the anesthetic, the young man still couldn¡¯t wake up immediately. Hu Fei picked up a syringe from the operating table beside him and directly injected it into the young man¡¯s body. Suddenly, the young man, who was in a deep sleep, abruptly sat up from the iron bed.


    Seeing the young man¡¯s reaction, Ling Chen and Tang Guolun both took a few steps back.


    "Fatty, take it easy, don¡¯t cause any trouble," Tang Guolun reminded.


    "Don¡¯t worry, nothing will happen." With that, Hu Fei fixed his gaze on the young man¡¯s eyes and began typing quickly on the keyboard, entering lines ofmand into theputer.


    Soon, the young man showed a look of pain, his body slightly trembling, clutching his head tightly, and groaning in agony. After a moment, the young man¡¯s expression suddenly became dazed, with no trace of life in his eyes, as if he were a lifeless person, a shade of ashen grey.


    Seeing the change in the young man, Ling Chen couldn¡¯t help but ask, "Fatty, what¡¯s going on?"


    Hu Fei grinned, "Just wait and watch the show." Saying that, Hu Fei lightly tapped the Enter key on the keyboard.


    As his fingertip fell, the young man immediately got off the iron bed, staring intently at Ling Chen.


    Facing the young man¡¯s piercing gaze, Ling Chen felt a slight surprise, and before he could say anything, the young man suddenly quickened his pace and rushed towards him, throwing a punch straight at his face.


    Seeing the fist approaching, Ling Chen deftly dodged, instantly sliding to reposition himself behind the young man.


    After the failed strike, the young man did not give up the attack and continued to change direction, swinging his fists towards Ling Chen.


    After several encounters, Ling Chen heard Hu Fei¡¯s triumphantughter and couldn¡¯t help but shout, "Fatty, what are you doing?"


    "Alright, alright, no more ying." Hu Fei entered amand into theputer, and the young man immediately stopped moving, standing still in ce, with a vacant look, resembling a lifeless statue.


    Seeing this, Ling Chen and Tang Guolun quickly walked over to Hu Fei¡¯s side, looking at the data disyed on theputer screen, and asked in amazement, "Is this the experimental result you mentioned?"


    Hu Fei nodded and said, "That¡¯s right. The facts prove that this experiment, improved by the God Organization, is a great sess. Anyone imnted with the microchip will act ording to the transmittedmands. Strictly speaking, he can¡¯t be considered a human, but a robot controlled by a chip. After the instructions are transmitted, they lose their ability to think and self-control, andpletely obeymand. Moreover, the information left by the God Organization indicates that even the most strong-willed person cannot resist the control of the microchip."


    "There must be some ws in this experiment, right?"


    "There are ws, after all, the brain is the mostplex part of the human body. Moreover, prolonged signal transmission will gradually increase the overload on the brain. Once the overload exceeds the limit, it could lead to brain death and turn into a vegetative state. ording to the research of the God Organization, anyone who receives a microchip imntation has a lifespan of only five to ten years, and the strength of personal physique will determine the length of survival."


    Speaking of this, Hu Fei clicked his tongue and sighed, "The God Organization sacrificed countless lives to reach this conclusion."


    "We can use this method to control the people from the God Organization we capture and make them work for us," Tang Guolun chimed in. "Ling Chen, if you ask me, we should take the initiative now."


    "Let¡¯s not rush," Ling Chen said. "Since the God Organization has the capability to develop such experimental devices, there¡¯s no guarantee they won¡¯t produce a second or third one. So, we shouldn¡¯t celebrate too soon."


    "No need to worry for now," Hu Fei added, "This machine is a prototype, currently only one exists, and it¡¯s unlikely the God Organization expected it to fall into our hands. Moreover, all the data for this prototype machine is stored in thisputer. With this data, we can fully reproduce a simr machine. As for the God Organization, although they are without data, the scientific researchers who built this machine are still within the God Organization. If we can locate them and rescue them from the God Organization, the God Organization will never be able to reconstruct the machine, even if they start anew, it will require a significant amount of time."


    "Scientific researchers?" Ling Chen pondered and asked, "The God Organization transported the machine to East Sea City, surely those researchers must havee here too, but, we¡¯re still unclear about the exact location of the God Organization¡¯s base, how do we find the whereabouts of those researchers?"


    "You think the people from the Secret Society are just window dressing?" Hu Fei said. "The intelligence capability of the Secret Society is second only to that of the God Organization, and besides, the Secret Society has strengthened the intelligencework in East Sea City. After several days of searching, the Secret Society already has some clues. Also, don¡¯t forget, we have a special assistant right now?"


    Hearing this, Ling Chen, puzzled, asked, "What do you mean by special assistant?"


    Hu Fei grinned, mysteriously smiled, and said, "You¡¯ll find out when the timees."


    "ying mysterious again," Tang Guolun, standing by, said, "Alright, Ling Chen and I won¡¯t intervene in this matter, you take the lead. If you can locate those researchers and prevent the God Organization from reconstructing the machine, it¡¯ll indeed be advantageous for us."


    Back at the control center, Ling Chen sat in Tang Guolun¡¯s office chair, browsing the intelligence the Secret Society had gathered recently. Looking at the content disyed on thest page of the data, Ling Chen¡¯s expression changed, turning to Tang Guolun in amazement, "Boss Tang, is this information urate?"


    "It¡¯s already been confirmed, there¡¯s no issue."


    "Wow!" Ling Chen put down the file in disbelief and said, "I didn¡¯t expect... really didn¡¯t expect those guys to set up a temporary base there."


    Tang Guolun nodded in agreement, "The people from the God Organization are incredibly bold. To be honest, I didn¡¯t quite believe it when the Secret Society handed over this information. However, only the God Organization could pull off something like this."


    "Do you think the researchers might be there?"


    "Nine times out of ten. Fatty Hu has already taken this matter upon himself, we shouldn¡¯t interfere and let him handle it."


    "It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t trust Fatty¡¯s abilities, I¡¯m just concerned about potential danger, or else..."


    "You want to go?"

 Chapter 999 - 1006: Borrowing Money

    <h4>Chapter 999: Chapter 1006: Borrowing Money</h4>


    "The God Organization probably still doesn¡¯t know we¡¯ve got their whereabouts, so for now, we¡¯re in the lead." Ling Chen paused, his eyes shifting as he looked at Tang Guolun, "I have an idea, not sure if it¡¯ll work."


    "Let¡¯s hear it."


    Ling Chen leaned in closer to Tang Guolun¡¯s ear and whispered a few words. After listening, Tang Guolun pondered for a moment, then nodded lightly, "Your idea is pretty good, but I¡¯m still a bit worried. One wrong move and it could be dangerous, even affecting the entire base."


    "I know, but fortune favors the bold; to gain more, we have to take some risks."


    "Alright then, if you¡¯ve decided, we¡¯ll do as you say," Tang Guolun replied. "Let me arrange things first. I¡¯ll inform you once everything is ready. How does that sound?"


    "Good, thank you for your efforts!"


    After reaching an agreement with Tang Guolun, Ling Chen left the base. He drove around for a bit, making a few phone calls. After half an hour had passed, Ling Chen set off for his destination.


    After driving for over ten minutes, Ling Chen arrived at a billiard hall. He parked the car and looked around, noticing a Mercedes sports car worth millions parked outside. At the door of the hall stood a few young men, smoking and chatting lewdly.


    Seeing Ling Chen approach, the young men immediately straightened up and respectfully called out, "Chen!"


    Ling Chen nodded and asked, "Where¡¯s Jiang Hao?"


    "Hao is inside. Chen, do you want us to go in with you?"


    "No need." Ling Chen waved them off and walked directly into the billiard hall. It was quiterge, over two hundred square meters, and decently decorated. This hall was Jiang Hao¡¯s business, also used as a base.


    Passing through a few doors, Ling Chen descended a staircase into the basement of the hall. The spacious basement had several tables with poker cards and mahjong, lined with long tables by the walls filled with tools, steel rods, and machetes, ready for any unexpected events.


    Over ten young people were ying cards, enveloped in a haze of smoke that made the air choke. Seeing Ling Chen enter, they all stood to greet him.


    "Chen, Hao is in that room over there. He wants you to go straight in."


    "Got it. You guys continue," Ling Chen said, stepping towards a room and pushing the door open.


    The room was small but crowded, dominated by a middle-aged woman draped in gold and silver, plump, and sitting on a shabby chair. Her face was pale, sweating profusely, looking nervous.


    A few young men stood around her, each holding a weapon, as if ready to act at any moment.


    "Chen." Jiang Hao, who was smoking against the wall, tossed his cigarette and walked briskly to Ling Chen, pointing at the middle-aged woman, "Chen, this is the person you mentioned, right?"


    "That¡¯s right." Nodding, Ling Chen approached the woman and greeted her, "Hello, Miss Yao, we meet again."


    "Ling... what do you want?" Yao Li stammered.


    Ling Chen smiled faintly, "Miss Yao, don¡¯t be afraid. I¡¯m a civilized person and won¡¯t hurt you. I invited you here today just to propose a business deal."


    "Business? What kind of business?" Yao Li eyed Ling Chen warily, "I warn you, don¡¯t even think about going after my daughter."


    "Hmph!" Ling Chen chuckled lightly, "Miss Yao, do you really care about your daughter? Don¡¯t think I don¡¯t know what you did yesterday. Out of respect for your bond, I didn¡¯t tell Shiyun about it. If Shiyun knew, what do you think she would do to you? When a daughter loses all hope in her mother, the only oue is to cut all ties. From then on, you won¡¯t get a penny from her. If you don¡¯t want this to happen, you¡¯d better listen to my proposal."


    Hearing this, Yao Li hesitated and asked, "What do you want to do?"


    "You¡¯re short on money, aren¡¯t you? I know it¡¯s hard for you to borrow money now. Even if someone lends you money, it¡¯s a small amount, not enough to cover your expenses. However, while others won¡¯t lend to you, I can. And the interest is like a bank¡¯s, not high-interest loans. You can freely borrow from me."


    "Really?" Yao Li looked at Ling Chen half-skeptically, her eyes filled with doubt.


    "Miss Yao, honestly, given our rtionship, I have no reason to help you. But I feel for Shiyun and don¡¯t want her troubled by you. As her mother, you¡¯re just a hindrance to her future. So, for Shiyun¡¯s sake, I¡¯ll help you this once, just don¡¯t bother her anymore. Is my request too much?"


    "She¡¯s my daughter. I can do whatever I want. Why should you intervene?"


    "Two million." Ling Chen held up two fingers, "I¡¯ll give you two million. It¡¯s not part of the loan, justpensation."


    "That¡¯s too little," Yao Li scoffed, "If I ask my daughter, getting three million wouldn¡¯t be an issue."


    "Miss Yao, that might have been true before. But you heard Shiyun yesterday; besides the fixed monthly allowance, you won¡¯t get another dime. And she¡¯s firm this time, showing no mercy." Ling Chen paused and continued, "How about this: I¡¯ll give you five million, and then lend you another five million, totaling ten million. If you need more moneyter, you can stille to me."


    Five million?


    Yao Li¡¯s eyes brightened, clearly tempted. After pondering, she asked, "How long do I have to repay the loan?"


    "That¡¯s up to you. Pay me back whenever you have the money. However, you must write a promissory note, to avoid any denialter on."


    "I can do that." Yao Li nodded, "I ept your terms."


    "Great." Ling Chen grinned and turned to Jiang Hao, "Go get the prepared loan contract."


    Jiang Hao responded promptly, retrieving two loan contracts from a drawer and handing them to Ling Chen.


    "Miss Yao, take a look, and if there are no problems, just sign your name and press your fingerprint. I¡¯ll transfer the ten million into your ountter."

 Chapter 1000 - 1007: Visiting the Police Station

    <h4>Chapter 1000: Chapter 1007: Visiting the Police Station</h4>


    Yao Li looked through the loan contract carefully. After confirming there were no issues, she returned the contract to Ling Chen and said, "Okay, the contract is fine."


    "Since there¡¯s no problem, let¡¯s finish this quickly." With that, Ling Chen ced the contract on the table by the wall. However, no one noticed that the moment he set down the contract, his wrist subtly flicked, and the loan contract instantly turned into another document.


    Without any suspicion, Yao Li directly signed her name and pressed her fingerprint onto the document.


    Seeing the name and fingerprint on the contract, the corner of Ling Chen¡¯s mouth lifted slightly, revealing a faint smile.


    "All done, Miss Yao. Leave me your ount number, and I¡¯ll transfer the money to your ount immediately."


    After writing down her ount number, Yao Li asked, "Can I leave now?"


    "Of course. Miss Yao, take care. I won¡¯t see you out," Ling Chen said with a smile.


    After sending Yao Li off, Ling Chen couldn¡¯t help but burst intoughter as he held the loan contract in his hand.


    "Chen, are you that happy?" Jiang Hao, standing nearby, asked. "Weren¡¯t you nning to do something to that woman? Why are you giving her money? If it were me, I¡¯d beat her up first, then have a good chat with her about life."


    "It¡¯s not that simple. If she were someone else, would I need to go through all this trouble? She¡¯s Shiyun¡¯s mother; I can¡¯t just be rough with her. Besides, that woman has a lot of issues with me. If I don¡¯t give her money to spend, she wouldn¡¯t even bother with me. Yao Li is very greedy; only money can make her agree to my ns." Saying this, Ling Chen waved the loan contract and continued, "You keep this loan contract safe for me. When the time is right, I¡¯ll let her have it."


    After transferring ten million into Yao Li¡¯s ount, Ling Chen left the pool hall with Jiang Hao.


    After getting in the car, Jiang Hao asked, "Chen, where are we going now?"


    "I¡¯m taking you to a ce."


    About half an hourter, Ling Chen drove to the location of a new base. Looking at the few buildings towering in front of him, Jiang Hao asked in confusion, "Chen, why did you bring me to a construction site?"


    "Isn¡¯t this area your territory? I need you to find a way to buy these buildings for me. Don¡¯t worry about the money; I¡¯ll take care of it. But I hope you can get the price down to the lowest. Understand?"


    Hearing this, Jiang Hao instantly understood. He nodded with a smile and said, "Chen, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll make sure not a single day goes by where they can start work. Once they sell the buildings, I¡¯ll let the workers get to it."


    "Alright, I¡¯ll leave this to you. Don¡¯t disappoint me."


    Ling Chen had thought about this issue a long time ago. These buildings were all invested in and built by the Ling Family; they were essentially Ling Family¡¯s assets. Since his base was right under their property, he couldn¡¯t help but feel a bit insecure. So, after some thought, the best solution was to buy these buildings and put them under his name.


    After all, the funds from the Secret Society had already been transferred into his ount, amounting to tens of billions, more than enough to buy a few buildings. Moreover, once these buildings werepleted, they could be rented out for profit. It wouldn¡¯t take more than a few years to recoup the costs.


    However, he feared that the Ling Family wouldn¡¯t want to sell, which was why he had Jiang Hao help him ensure that these buildings couldn¡¯t continue being built. At that point, the Ling Family would have two choices: either sell these buildings or let them be half-finished projects. Either way, it was all benefits and no drawbacks for Ling Chen.


    After handling these messy matters, Ling Chen drove back to the Nanrong Family.


    Now, he just needed to wait quietly at home for news from Tang Guolun.


    Tang Guolun was very efficient and managed to handle all the matters Ling Chen had entrusted to him in just two days.


    Ling Chen received Tang Guolun¡¯s call at four in the afternoon. Since it was Friday, Nanrong Wanqing and Nanrong Hao had both gone to Hongyu Group, leaving Ling Chen at home with his mother and grandparents.


    After greeting Yang Qingling, Ling Chen drove alone to the East Sea City police station.


    After parking his car, Ling Chen nced at the entrance of the police station and saw Tang Guolun standing by the roadside, cigarette in hand, looking around, obviously waiting for him.


    "Boss Tang," Ling Chen raised his hand in greeting and quickly walked over to him, asking, "How¡¯s it going?"


    "No problem, now it¡¯s all up to us."


    "Let¡¯s go, let¡¯s meet with Officer Xia first."


    Entering the police station, Ling Chen navigated easily to the detective squad and found Officer Xia Mutong¡¯s office.


    Seeing Ling Chen and Tang Guolun walk in from outside, Xia Mutong¡¯s gaze carried a hint of puzzlement.


    "You came to see me?"


    Ling Chen smiled, sat down casually in a chair, and said, "I was just passing by the police station and wanted to check in on Officer Xia. It seems like you¡¯ve lost some weight since west met. How¡¯s the food at work beentely?"


    Hearing Ling Chen¡¯s teasing, Xia Mutong frowned slightly and said, "Ling Chen, get to the point and stop beating around the bush."


    Ling Chen shrugged and said, "I really just came to see you."


    "Who would believe that nonsense?" Xia Mutong red and said, "If you don¡¯t want to say, then I¡¯ll have to ask you to leave."


    "No, no!" Ling Chen quickly waved his hand and said, "Officer Xia, actually, I want to take a tour of your police station. Would you be able to show me around?"


    "Tour the police station? Ling Chen, are you delirious? Or is something wrong with your brain? Do you think the police station is a ce open for random tours? I warn you, if you keep evading the issue, I¡¯ll let you spend the night here."


    Rubbing his nose, Ling Chen replied helplessly, "Officer Xia, I¡¯m telling the truth. What more can I do if you don¡¯t believe me? Really, I just want to take a look around your police station, with absolutely no other intentions. Officer Xia, we¡¯re old friends by now, aren¡¯t we? Can¡¯t you fulfill even this small request for me?"


    Hearing this, Xia Mutong looked at Ling Chen half-believingly, with her eyes flickering as if contemting something.


    After a while, Xia Mutong stood up, cing both hands on the desk, staring directly at Ling Chen.


    "Don¡¯t think I don¡¯t know your character. Requesting such a thing, you definitely have your reasons. If you don¡¯t tell me, then don¡¯t expect my help."


    Ling Chen nced at Tang Guolun beside him, hesitating for a moment.


    "Officer Xia, let me put it this way," Ling Chen organized his words before speaking, "We suspect there¡¯s a dangerous individual inside the police station, so we want to investigate."


    "Dangerous individual? What kind of dangerous individual? Ling Chen, this better not be another excuse of yours, right?"


    "It¡¯s not. Officer Xia, I swear on my honor that I¡¯m not lying to you. How about this, you¡¯ll be apanying me anyway, so you¡¯ll know whether I¡¯m telling the truth once we¡¯re done. How about it?"


    Xia Mutong thought it over and realized that with herself there, she could monitor Ling Chen¡¯s actions, which seemed reasonable. With that thought, Xia Mutong agreed, "Alright, I¡¯ll take you on a tour."

 Chapter 1001 - 1008: Breaking Into the Prison (1)

    <h4>Chapter 1001: Chapter 1008: Breaking Into the Prison (1)</h4>


    The police station has a total of five floors, and beneath it, there is a basement level used specifically as a temporary jail for detaining criminals. Aside from the reception hall on the ground floor, the upper four floors serve as the office spaces for the police.


    With Xia Mutong leading the way, Ling Chen and Tang Guolun encountered no resistance and leisurely strolled through the police station.


    Over ten minutes passed, and Ling Chen roamed from the first floor to the fifth without finding anything that piqued his interest.


    "Officer Xia, I heard there¡¯s also a basement level here. Aren¡¯t you going to take me to have a look?"


    Frowning slightly, Xia Mutong said, "That¡¯s the temporary jail for detaining criminals. Apart from the police, unauthorized individuals are not allowed inside." At this point, Xia Mutong gave Ling Chen a wary look and said in a stern voice, "I hope you¡¯re not thinking of breaking someone out of jail? Ling Chen, if you have such thoughts, I advise you to dismiss them early. Otherwise, don¡¯t me me for being unkind."


    Ling Chen hastily waved his hands and said, "Officer Xia, I wouldn¡¯t dare to do such illegal things. Rest assured, I¡¯m not here to cause trouble. Besides, I don¡¯t have friends detained here."


    "That¡¯s for the best. Alright, the tour ends here. Go about your business, and don¡¯t bother me if there¡¯s nothing important."


    Seeing Xia Mutong issue an eviction order, Ling Chen unwillingly asked, "Officer Xia, are you really not taking us to visit the basement level?"


    "No." Xia Mutong refused directly, "Ling Chen, stop messing with me. Annoy me, and I might just lock you up in the basement jail, satisfying your wish to visit."


    "Well... let¡¯s just forget it then." Ling Chen touched his nose and said with a smile, "Since Officer Xia has work to do, we won¡¯t disturb you anymore. We¡¯lle back as guests when we have the time." Saying this, Ling Chen gave Tang Guolun a look, and the two headed straight for the elevator.


    Watching the elevator doors close, a hint of doubt appeared on Xia Mutong¡¯s exquisite, pale face.


    Having known Ling Chen for quite a while, she knew a bit about his personality. As far as she knew of him, Ling Chen never wasted energy or time on fruitless matters. His unexpected visit to the police station today, repeatedly asking for a tour and particrly wanting to see the basement level, seemed quite out of the ordinary.


    Hmph! That guy must be up to something. Xia Mutong thought to herself.


    As she pondered, Xia Mutong suddenly noticed the elevator disy showing it went directly to the basement level without stopping on the first floor. Seeing this, Xia Mutong was taken aback.


    Those two really had the audacity to sneak into the basement level; did they just ignore what I said?


    Without wasting more time, Xia Mutong quickly took the adjacent elevator to head to the basement level.


    Meanwhile, at the basement level of the police station, Ling Chen and Tang Guolun emerged from the elevator and proceeded straight down the corridor. As they walked, Tang Guolun asked, "What if we get discoveredter?"


    Ling Chen replied with a smile, "Boss Tang, don¡¯t you think that¡¯s a bit redundant? Even if we do get discovered, they should be asking you, not me. Don¡¯t forget, you¡¯re the escape expert. Hey, are you losing confidence?"


    "Not at all." As they spoke, they arrived at the checkpoint in the basement. To enter the jail, identification verification or a travel pass issued from above was required.


    Looking at the heavy iron door ahead, Ling Chen took a card from his pocket and lightly swiped it on the scanner. With a ¡¯beep¡¯, the scanner¡¯s light immediately turned from red to green. As the door opened, Ling Chen and Tang Guolun swiftly walked inside.


    At this moment, inside the adjacent guard room, the staff noticed on theputer that the identification card belonged to Xia Mutong, but it was two men who entered.


    Seeing this, the staff immediately shouted through the loudspeaker, "Stop right there!"


    Beyond the first door was another, which required verification from the staff to proceed into the jail.


    Watching the policemen rush out of the guard room, Tang Guolun took out a button-like object and ced it on the electronic lock of the second door.


    "Fatty, it¡¯s ready. It¡¯s up to you now."


    "Received!" Shortly after, Hu Fei¡¯s voice came through their earpieces.


    "You two, freeze, and put your hands up." Several policemen stood on the other side of the door, yelling at Ling Chen and Tang Guolun, signaling them to raise their hands and face the wall.


    Ling Chen and Tang Guolun exchanged nces, both smiling slightly, as they raised their arms high above their heads.


    "Gentlemen, we¡¯re acting under Officer Xia¡¯s orders. Please don¡¯t misunderstand." Ling Chen stated.


    Upon hearing this, one of the policemen immediately took out a walkie-talkie and said in a stern voice, "We¡¯ll verify if it¡¯s really Officer Xia¡¯s order."


    Before he finished speaking, with a light ¡¯beep¡¯, the securely locked door suddenly opened.


    "I¡¯ve hacked into their firewall, shut down all electronic monitors and rms. You have ten minutes of unrestricted movement before they reboot the system."


    "Understood." Ling Chen smiled, pleased that Hu Fei¡¯s efficiency had not let him down.


    Ten minutes wasn¡¯t a long time, but it would be enough.


    At this moment, seeing the suddenly opened door, the policemen were momentarily stunned, quickly turning to the staff in the guard room, shouting, "Why is the door open?"


    "I... I don¡¯t know." The staff was equally baffled.


    Without waiting for the police to react, Ling Chen and Tang Guolun had already rushed through the second door.


    "Quick, stop them!"


    A policeman shouted, quickly lunging toward Ling Chen and Tang Guolun.


    Seeing them charge, Tang Guolun raised his fist, ready to punch the officer. However, before he could strike, Ling Chen intercepted him.


    "What are you doing?"


    "Don¡¯t hurt them, they¡¯re police." Ling Chen reminded.


    Their objective foring to the police station was simple: to find the God Organization¡¯s temporary base in East Sea City. Based on the information they had, the base was located beneath the basement jail. That¡¯s why Ling Chen and Tang Guolun dared to break in.


    So, their real adversary was the God Organization, not the officers guarding the jail. To prevent unnecessary misunderstandings in the future, it was best to minimize confrontations and avoid being charged with assaulting an officer.


    At once, following Ling Chen¡¯s cue, Tang Guolun refrained from attacking and instead dodged the officer¡¯s onught. With Ling Chen¡¯s assistance, the two easily bypassed the pursuing officers and charged into the prison area.


    Although meant for temporarily holding prisoners, the defense inside was extremely tight, with iron doors every twenty meters, to prevent prisoners from escaping.

 Chapter 1002 - 1009: Breaking Into the Prison (2)

    <h4>Chapter 1002: Chapter 1009: Breaking Into the Prison (2)</h4>


    However, every door inside the prison is equipped with a recognition device, and you must swipe a card to pass. Hu Fei just breached the prison¡¯s firewall, and the staff will definitely shut down thework immediately. Therefore, at this point, it¡¯s impossible to control these security doors via thework; you can only use an identification card.


    Ling Chen went to find Xia Mutong just now, primarily to obtain the identification she carried. Because the ID contains a recognition chip, and Xia Mutong, being the captain of the criminal police team, has very high clearance. Her ID can move freely within the prison.


    Beep!


    With a soft sound, the prison¡¯s security door instantly opened. Passing through the security door, seeing the pursuing police behind him, Ling Chen immediately closed the door. Then, he swung his fist and smashed it hard, directly shattering the security door¡¯s recognition device.


    The recognition device was destroyed, so even with an ID card, there¡¯s no way to open this door.


    Walking down the central corridor of the prison, Ling Chen and Tang Guolun checked the cells on both sides, searching for the entrance.


    ording to the intelligence from the Secret Society, the God Organization¡¯s base is established below the police station. However, they do not know where the entrance to the base is. Moreover, Hu Fei has reviewed theyout of this prison; since it is built underground, all four sides are concrete walls, with only one entrance and exit.


    Because of this, Ling Chen had no other choice but to break in head-on.


    Although it¡¯s unclear where the God Organization set the entrance, Hu Fei found through investigation that this temporary prison¡¯s electricity consumption has been several times more than before, startingst month. Through this clue, Hu Fei believes the God Organization has been stealing the police station¡¯s electricity. So, as long as they find the circuit where the God Organization is stealing electricity from the prison, they can follow the trail to locate the God Organization¡¯s base.


    A few minutes passed as Ling Chen continued searching for clues in the prison, while Tang Guolun ran to the prison¡¯s power room.


    At this time, at the entrance of the prison, Xia Mutong brought a group of police officers standing outside the security door, observing the situation inside.


    "Officer Xia, they have your ID card; do you know them?" the police officer in charge of guarding the prison asked.


    Xia Mutong nodded, her expression solemn, and said, "I know them." She paused, then continued, "From now on, I will take full responsibility for this matter."


    As she finished speaking, Xia Mutong took her phone out of her pocket and dialed Ling Chen¡¯s number.


    After a short while, the call connected, and hearing Ling Chen¡¯s voice on the other end, Xia Mutong couldn¡¯t help but shout, "Ling Chen, what are you doing? Do you know what you¡¯re doing?"


    "Officer Xia, calm down." Ling Chen said with a smile, "Of course, I know what I¡¯m doing. Don¡¯t worry; I don¡¯t intend to oppose the police. I just want to confirm something."


    "You¡¯ve broken into the prison and stolen my ID card; these are serious crimes, Ling Chen. For the sake of our friendship, I urge you to surrender immediately and seek leniency. Otherwise, if I catch you myself, there will be consequences."


    "Officer Xia, I¡¯m really sorry. Well, I have something to attend to now. Once I finish dealing with this matter, I¡¯lle and confess." Without waiting for Xia Mutong to respond, Ling Chen directly hung up the phone.


    Hearing the ¡¯beep beep¡¯ busy tone from the phone, Xia Mutong felt a swell of anger, almost smashing the phone on the ground.


    This bastard... how dare he hang up on me.


    Taking a deep breath, Xia Mutong calmed herself, trying her best to remainposed.


    She knew Ling Chen¡¯s character very well; he wouldn¡¯t cause trouble at the police station for no reason. There must be a reason for his actions. Could it be to rescue someone? But the prison didn¡¯t hold many prisoners, and those inside were there for drunk driving or other minor offenses, and would be released in a few days, so there was no need for Ling Chen to take the risk to rescue them.


    Thinking of this, Xia Mutong immediately gave orders to organize a team of ten people to smash through the security door and rush into the prison.


    A momentter, Xia Mutong watched as colleagues returned one by one and asked, "Did you find them?"


    "Officer Xia, we¡¯ve searched the entire prison and haven¡¯t found any traces of those two people."


    "Nothing?" Xia Mutong was slightly taken aback and said in disbelief, "How is that possible?" This prison is built underground, with no way out other than one entrance and exit. Unless Ling Chen and the others had supernatural abilities to burrow through the ground, they couldn¡¯t have escaped from this prison.


    "Are you sure you didn¡¯t miss anything?" Xia Mutong pressed for confirmation.


    "Officer Xia, the prison only has over twenty cells; we couldn¡¯t have missed anything."


    Strange!


    They clearly broke into the prison, so howe no one was found? Just as she was thinking, Xia Mutong suddenly heard the buzzing vibration of a phone.


    A text message!


    Looking at the text message content on her phone, Xia Mutong¡¯s expression changed slightly. She turned her head and ordered, "Notify the SWAT immediately and have theme over right away. Remember, fully armed."


    At this moment, in a narrow duct, Ling Chen and Tang Guolun crouched at the bottom, slowly moving forward.


    Because the duct was too small, their movements were restricted, and they couldn¡¯t fully extend their limbs, so they could only crawl little by little like insects. After a few minutes, they had only moved a bit over twenty meters.


    "Boss Tang, are we there yet?" Ling Chen asked with difficulty.


    "Almost, we¡¯re almost there." Tang Guolun said, tugging at the cable beside him.


    There was a thick cable in the narrow duct, which Tang Guolun discovered in the power room. This cable is evidence of the God Organization stealing electricity from the prison. At this moment, Ling Chen and Tang Guolun are following this cable to locate the God Organization¡¯s base.


    Moving forward another ten meters or so, the cable finally went underground. At the same time, a hole appeared in the center of the duct. The hole wasn¡¯t very big, but not too small either. With Ling Chen and Tang Guolun¡¯s sizes, they could barely squeeze through.


    Passing through the hole, Ling Chen¡¯s body suddenly dropped down,nding firmly on the ground.


    Looking at the surroundings, Ling Chen whispered, "Boss Tang, there¡¯s a door over there; I¡¯ll go check it out."


    "Be careful," Tang Guolun urged.


    Reaching the door, Ling Chen pressed his ear against the door panel, listening to any movements outside, then gently opened the door.


    Instantly, a beam of light shone through the door crack. Ling Chen stuck his head out to look outside and saw that outside the door was a corridor, with not a single person around.


    Seeing this, Ling Chen gestured to Tang Guolun behind him and stepped out.


    Walking along the corridor, Ling Chen and Tang Guolun moved forward over twenty meters, and the lighting became increasingly bright, indicating they were already deep within the God Organization¡¯s base and were about to arrive.


    Soon after, Ling Chen suddenly stopped in his tracks, his sharp gaze fixed ahead.

 Chapter 1003 - 1010: Mission Accomplished

    <h4>Chapter 1003: Chapter 1010: Mission Aplished</h4>


    At this moment, the sound of footsteps gradually approached from afar. Ling Chen leaned against the wall, watching the shadow appearing on the ground, silently counting the time in his heart.


    As soon as the figure appeared in front of him, before the person could react, Ling Chen swiftly moved forward, locking the person¡¯s throat and pressing him to the ground. Then, with a swift punch, Ling Chen knocked the person unconscious.


    "Boss Tang, let¡¯s go!"


    Ling Chen called out softly, his pace instantly elerated. Soon, a spacious area appeared before Ling Chen¡¯s eyes.


    Is this... an air-raid shelter?


    Observing the surroundings, Ling Chen immediately recognized it. This air-raid shelter was quite old, probably buried by the police station when it was built. However, the God Organization somehow discovered its existence and used it as a temporary base.


    Under the modification of the God Organization, the spacious air-raid shelter was divided into several areas. However, Ling Chen only saw rows ofputers and equipment, not aboratory yet.


    Their goal this time was clear: to find those scientists and rescue them from the God Organization¡¯s hands.


    For a quick resolution, Ling Chen didn¡¯t waste energy on stealth tactics but came directly to the door.


    Seeing Ling Chen and Tang Guolun suddenly appear, the staff were stunned for a moment and didn¡¯t react.


    Seeing this situation, Ling Chen didn¡¯t hesitate for a moment, quickly rushing forward and knocking down several security personnel on the ground. At the same time, Tang Guolun didn¡¯t idle either. After dealing with a staff member, Tang Guolun upied the person¡¯sputer, searching for the information he needed.


    Soon, Tang Guolun¡¯s eyes lit up, watching Ling Chen handle the security personnel, he said, "Theboratory is to the north."


    Hearing Tang Guolun¡¯s instruction, Ling Chen¡¯s gaze shifted to the north of the air-raid shelter, where there was a door, presumably leading to theboratory.


    "Boss Tang, I¡¯ll leave this to you." After saying that, Ling Chen punched aside a security officer blocking his way and quickly headed north.


    Passing through the door, Ling Chen swiftly moved forward. Before long, he saw several scientists in white coats ahead.


    At this moment, those scientists were gathered around a workbench, seemingly assembling something, with scattered electronic equipment and parts nearby.


    Beep beep beep!


    At this moment, the red rm above theboratory suddenly emitted a piercing sound. Simultaneously, the door outside theboratory swiftly descended, ready to seal the entrance.


    Not good!


    Ling Chen¡¯s expression darkened, sensing trouble, he urgently pushed his speed to the limit. Instantly, his body moved like a gust of wind, sweeping forward. As the door dropped, Ling Chen swiftly slid forward and slipped under the door, almost grazed by the heavy door as it hit the ground.


    Phew... Ling Chen exhaled, silently relieved. Thankfully, his speed was fast enough; otherwise, if the door had crushed his body, he¡¯d be seriously injured if not dead.


    At this moment, the scientists looked at Ling Chen, who broke into theb, with shock and picked up tools from the workbench to defend themselves.


    Ling Chen nced at the scientists, then shifted his gaze to the workbench. Staring at the machine being assembled, Ling Chen asked, "What is this for?"


    Facing Ling Chen¡¯s question, the scientists exchanged looks, none of them speaking.


    "No answer, huh?" Ling Chen went to the workbench, picked up a tool, and flung it hard. The tool hit a scientist¡¯s forehead, knocking him out instantly.


    "Gentlemen, you¡¯ve heard the rm, so you should know my purpose. I suggest you cooperate, don¡¯t waste my time. Otherwise, I don¡¯t mind taking more lives. Now, I¡¯ll ask again, what is this for?" Ling Chen pointed at the machine.


    A scientist hesitated, stammering, "It¡¯s a chip imntation machine."


    "You mean for imnting chips into the brain? So, the previous prototype was made by you?"


    "Yes."


    "Great." Ling Chen grinned; finally, his effort paid off.


    "Pack up, you¡¯reing with me."


    "Go? Where to?" a scientist asked.


    Ling Chen replied impatiently, "Just go when I tell you to, stop with the nonsense. Hurry, I don¡¯t have much time, don¡¯t make me wait too long."


    Under Ling Chen¡¯s coercion, the scientists dared not resist, obediently opening theb¡¯s door and following him out.


    Soon, they returned to the control center.


    Seeing Ling Chen bringing scientists in white coats, Tang Guolun immediately approached and asked, "These are the ones?"


    Ling Chen nodded, "They should be. Boss Tang, I¡¯ve found everyone, take them out, have Fatty meet you outside."


    "What about you? Aren¡¯t youing with us?"


    Ling Chen smiled, "I can¡¯t leave; if I do, someone might trouble me. Enough questions, go quickly; if you¡¯re dyed, you won¡¯t be able to leave at all."


    "Alright, take care of yourself."


    After seeing Tang Guolun and the others leave, Ling Chen stayed alone in the control center, watching over the staff. Minutes passed, and suddenly, hurried footsteps sounded from outside.


    Ling Chen turned to see a fully armed SWAT team rushing in.


    "Nobody move, hands up!"


    Ling Chen smiled faintly, raising his handspliantly, addressing the SWAT team, "Don¡¯t shoot, I¡¯m one of you."


    Since the security personnel in the base were taken care of by Ling Chen and Tang Guolun, the SWAT team quickly took control upon arrival.


    Before long, Ling Chen saw Xia Mutong approaching with several SWAT officers.


    "Ling Chen!" Xia Mutong angrily demanded, "What¡¯s going on here? You must give me an exnation."


    "Officer Xia, as you saw, there¡¯s a group of dangerous elements hiding beneath the police station. I was just fulfilling my duty as a good citizen, helping you sessfully destroy the criminals¡¯ base. Officer Xia, both publically and privately, you should be thanking me."


    "Thank you? You..."


    Xia Mutong was about to reprimand when a deep voice suddenly came from behind.


    "Officer Xia."


    "Chief?" Seeing the neer, Xia Mutong was surprised, not expecting the chief to be rmed by this.


    Immediately, Xia Mutong cast a fierce re at Ling Chen and quickly went to the chief.


    "Chief, what brings you here?"


    "With such a big incident, how could I note? Officer Xia, tell me what happened."

 Chapter 1004 - 1011: Researchers

    <h4>Chapter 1004: Chapter 1011: Researchers</h4>


    Xia Mutong organized her words and said, "Chief, this is the situation, we..."


    "Chief, let me exin." Ling Chen, standing to the side, interjected with a smile, "I¡¯m Officer Xia¡¯s informant. Not long ago, Officer Xia discovered a group of dangerous elements had infiltrated East Sea City with the intention of causing major chaos. After several days of secret pursuit, Officer Xia finally pinpointed their whereabouts, right in the air-raid shelter below the police station. To avoid rming them, Officer Xia instructed me to check the situation first, while she brought the SWAT team to support. Thanks to Officer Xia¡¯s organization and nning, we were able to round up the enemiespletely. Officer Xia deserves a lot of credit for this operation."


    "Is that so?" The chief looked at Xia Mutong appreciatingly and said, "I¡¯ve always had a high regard for Officer Xia¡¯s capabilities, and you certainly didn¡¯t disappoint me. Thankfully, you discovered them in time and prevented those dangerous elements, or else the consequences would be hard to imagine. Officer Xia, rest assured, I will report to the Ministry of Public Security tomend you for this operation."


    After a pause, the chief turned to Ling Chen and said with a smile, "Mr. Ling, I¡¯ve heard a lot about you, and it¡¯s thanks to your help that the police could solve a big case this time."


    "You¡¯re wee, as a good citizen, cooperating with the police is what I should do."


    "Alright then, Officer Xia, I¡¯ll leave things here to you. After everything is handled, remember to give me aplete report."


    "Yes, Chief!"


    After watching the chief leave, Xia Mutong put away her smile and stared angrily at Ling Chen, "What did you mean just now?"


    "Officer Xia, I wasn¡¯t wrong. The credit is indeed yours. You see, it was you who brought the SWAT team for support, taking down all the dangerous elements. So, this credit belongs to you."


    Xia Mutong snorted lightly, "Don¡¯t treat me like a child. You obviously had apanion just now, but now it¡¯s only you. Tell me honestly, what are you up to?"


    Ling Chen sighed, "Officer Xia, I¡¯m innocent, don¡¯t keep using me. Mypanion had an urgent matter and left first. If you don¡¯t believe me, I can call him toe over right now."


    "I don¡¯t have time to argue with you here. I¡¯ll remember this matter for now, and if you dare do it again, let¡¯s see how I deal with you," Xia Mutong said indignantly.


    Actually, Xia Mutong knew in her heart that Ling Chen wouldn¡¯t do anything bad. It¡¯s just that Ling Chen keeping things from her made her ufortable.


    "Well then, Officer Xia, if there¡¯s nothing else, I¡¯ll be off. Bye-bye!" Ling Chen waved his hand and walked straight outside.


    Watching Ling Chen¡¯s figure disappear from view, Xia Mutong withdrew her gaze and turned to look at theputers ced in the air-raid shelter, her brows slightly furrowed. Theseputers were neatly arranged together, along with various advanced equipment, indicating that these people were no ordinary dangerous elements. While pondering, a male police officer came up and asked, "Captain Xia, how should we handle these things?"


    "Take them all back, and make sure to secure thoseputer mainframes, there might be important data inside."


    "Yes."


    Hm! Xia Mutong thought proudly. Ling Chen, since you won¡¯t tell me, I¡¯ll find out myself.


    At this moment,ing out from the air-raid shelter, Ling Chen went straight to the roadside and approached a minivan. Upon getting in, he saw Tang Guolun and Hu Fei already inside.


    "Fatty, Boss Tang, where are those people we just caught?"


    "They¡¯ve been sent back to the base," Hu Fei said, signaling the driver to start driving.


    Returning to the base, Ling Chen and the others went to the room where the researchers were held. To prevent the researchers from escaping, Hu Fei had specially arranged several security personnel to guard them closely.


    Seeing Ling Chene in from outside, the expressions of the researchers were somewhat apprehensive. A slightly braver researcher asked, "What... what do you want?"


    "That¡¯s a good question," Hu Fei said with a cold smile, "In my opinion, it would be best to just kill you all. That way, no one will help the God Organization build that experimental machine."


    "Indeed," Tang Guolun nodded in agreement, "I think so too."


    "No, no!" a researcher hastily pleaded, "I... I don¡¯t want to die. We are just researchers hired by Mr. Lin, and we haven¡¯t participated in any of the God Organization¡¯s bad deeds."


    "Yes, actually we don¡¯t want to abet the wicked, but the God Organization coerced us, threatening our lives, what could we do but work for them."


    As they spoke, one of the researchers stepped forward and said, "Over the years, we¡¯ve done quite a bit of research for the God Organization, some of which is stored on their servers. You couldn¡¯t possibly get it. But, we are the researchers of those aplishments, and all the research is in our heads. If you let us go, we can tell you everything we¡¯ve aplished over these years. If you need, we can also help you rebuild a set of equipment. How about it?"


    Hearing this, Ling Chen and the others exchanged nces, a faint smile in their eyes. This was a rare windfall! If they could get all the God Organization¡¯s research, what could the organization use to oppose them in the future?


    "Alright!" Ling Chen agreed without a second thought, "In that case, I¡¯ll let you go for now. But you must promise you haven¡¯t deceived me. Otherwise, I can take your lives anytime. Fatty, arrange a few rooms for them and have people watch them."


    "No problem."


    After settling the researchers, Ling Chen and Tang Guolun returned to the control center to discuss the next n.


    "Ling Chen, now that the first step of the n isplete, should we proceed as nned or..."


    "Stick to the original n. We¡¯ve captured the God Organization¡¯s researchers, Lin Guodong surely won¡¯t sit idly, he will definitely take action. Boss Tang, in the next few days, don¡¯t forget to strengthen the base¡¯s defenses, I¡¯m afraid Lin Guodong will go all out, using all his forces to attack us."


    "Rest assured, I¡¯ve already prepared for that. If the God Organization peoplee, I¡¯ll make sure they suffer."


    "Good, then I¡¯ll leave the base matters to you. I have other matters, so I¡¯ll be leaving, call me if anything arises."


    After bidding Tang Guolun farewell, Ling Chen drove alone to Wealthy Manor.


    Yesterday, Yang Qingling told Ling Chen to apany her to East Sea City to look for a house today. Since returning from abroad, their whole family had been staying with the Nanrong Family. Although Nanrong Wanqing was very weing and wanted to keep Yang Qingling at home, the Yang family didn¡¯t want to disrupt their normal life.

 Chapter 1005 - 1012: A Chance Encounter While House Hunting

    <h4>Chapter 1005: Chapter 1012: A Chance Encounter While House Hunting</h4>


    When they arrived at the Nanrong Family¡¯s house, Nanrong Wanqing and the others had already gone to work, leaving only Yang Qingling and her husband Yang Yan at home.


    "Mom, are you sure you don¡¯t want to stay a few more days?" Ling Chen asked. "Wanqing really wants you to stay here. Besides, aren¡¯t you livingfortably here?"


    "Even if it¡¯sfortable, it¡¯s still someone else¡¯s house. Your grandparents are getting old, and they want a ce of their own. We¡¯ve been back from abroad for a while now, and we can¡¯t keep imposing on others. Moreover, it¡¯s someone else¡¯s house, after all, it¡¯ll be a bit inconvenient."


    "Alright then." Ling Chen couldn¡¯t persuade his mother, so he said, "In that case, let¡¯s go outside to look at some houses. If we find a suitable one, we¡¯ll buy it right away."


    Yang Qingling nodded and said, "I¡¯ve saved quite a bit over the years abroad. However, I invested most of it in finding you and your father, so now I can only take out a few million. It should be enough."


    Hearing this, Ling Chenughed and said, "Mom, what are you talking about? You shouldn¡¯t be the one to pay for the house. Don¡¯t worry, your son recently made a fortune. Not only is buying a house no problem, but buying skyscrapers isn¡¯t either." With that, Ling Chen checked the time and said, "Mom, it¡¯s gettingte. Let me take you out for a look, okay?"


    "Alright, I¡¯ll say a word to your grandparents, you wait for me outside."


    East Sea City, being an international metropolis, has many housing estates, so there are plenty of choices.


    Yang Qingling had a simple idea, to find a ce with a suitable location, pleasant scenery, and ideal for retirement. Estates like this exist, but the prices are rtively high. However, Ling Chencks everything now except money. So, he drove directly to the most luxurious viplex in East Sea City with Yang Qingling.


    The location of this viplex is not far, just a fifteen-minute drive from Wealthy Manor, and it¡¯s also very convenient to the city center. Moreover, theplex is nted with many trees, artificial hills, and flowing water, with excellentndscaping.


    Asking around for prices, even the cheapest vis start at tens of millions.


    Compared to Yang Qingling, Ling Chen was more concerned about the security facilities of theplex. After all, he has many enemies now, and you never know if they¡¯lle after his family. It¡¯s always good to be prepared for anything to ensure their safety.


    "Mr. Ling, rest assured. Ourplex¡¯s security is staffed by veterans, and the security is managed militarily, absolutely capable of protecting the residents¡¯ safety," the confident sales manager assured.


    Ling Chen nodded and apanied Yang Qingling for a stroll around the vi. The location of the vi is excellent, and the decor is very luxurious. Even the furniture is ready, and they could move in anytime after paying, which is very convenient for them.


    "Mom, what do you think of this vi?"


    "Not bad at all, it¡¯s just right for our family."


    Seeing the client satisfied, the sales manager seized the opportunity and said, "Mr. Ling, if you decide now, we can offer you the biggest discount."


    "Alright, I don¡¯t care about the discount; just prepare the contract, and I¡¯ll make the paymentter," Ling Chen said straightforwardly. After all, he¡¯s not short of money right now, and it¡¯s rare for him to be so generous.


    Although the money was from the Secret Society¡¯s funds, his father is the head of the Secret Society, so the money is essentially the family¡¯s. Using it to buy a house for his family, he figured his father wouldn¡¯t mind.


    After checking the house, Yang Qingling apanied the sales manager to handle the paperwork, and Ling Chen stood alone on the vi balcony, gazing at the views of theplex.


    At this moment, a familiar figure suddenly appeared in Ling Chen¡¯s sight.


    Focusing his eyes, he saw the figure walk straight to the entrance of a vi and enter.


    How strange! Ling Chen was secretly surprised, not expecting to run into her here. However, what puzzled him more was why she was in such a ce.


    Thinking about this, Ling Chen jumped off the balcony and walked straight toward the opposite vi.


    Before long, he reached the vi, where he looked inside. The garage held several luxury cars¡ªMercedes, Bentley, Cadic, and a red Ferrari. People who can afford such million-dor vis are typically wealthy.


    However, the vi¡¯s front door was closed, and the curtains were drawn, making it impossible for Ling Chen to see inside.


    Just then, the vi¡¯s door opened, and several middle-aged women in their thirties and forties walked out. Judging by their attire, they were likely the vi¡¯s maids.


    Seeing them approaching the entrance, Ling Chen quickly retreated. As the maids exited, he pretended to pass by casually, brushing past them. A few steps away, he turned around abruptly, called out to the maids, and asked, "Excuse me, is Mr. Zhao living here?"


    One maid replied, "No, you¡¯ve got the wrong ce."


    "Really? But this is the address he gave me." Ling Chen scratched his head, feigning a puzzled expression, and continued asking, "So who lives in this vi?"


    "Han Mingchao."


    "Han? Then I guess I found the wrong ce. Sorry to bother you."


    "It¡¯s alright." The maids smiled and walked straight towards theplex¡¯s exit.


    After the maids were out of sight, Ling Chen returned to the vi. Looking at the closed door, he felt a sense of doubt. It was lunchtime, but the maids didn¡¯t stay home to cook. Why did they all leave?


    With this in mind, Ling Chen took out his phone from his pocket and dialed Hu Fei¡¯s number.


    "Hey! Fatty, help me check on someone named Han Mingchao and see what his background is."


    "Hold on!" In less than two minutes, Hu Fei had the results.


    Han Mingchao is the CEO of aputer program developmentpany, in his thirties, considered quite aplished for his age.


    Upon learning thepany¡¯s name, Ling Chen suddenly recalled that it was the samepany where Leng Feifei worked.


    Not long ago, Leng Feifei had epted Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s invitation to apply for a job at Hongyu Group. Unfortunately, despite Leng Feifei¡¯s skills, there wasn¡¯t a suitable position for her. In the end, Leng Feifei had to find anotherpany. Of course, thatpany was also introduced by Nanrong Wanqing, and it aligned well with Leng Feifei¡¯s expertise.


    However, today is not a holiday, so why isn¡¯t Leng Feifei working at thepany but instead at the CEO¡¯s house? Furthermore, all the maids had left, which led Ling Chen to suspect questionable circumstances.


    He hesitated for a moment, considering whether to go inside and take a look. But each time he reached the door, he stopped. After all, Leng Feifei was just a friend, and she came voluntarily. Regardless of what might be happening inside, it was consensual, having nothing to do with him. So, Ling Chen wasn¡¯t sure if he should meddle.

 Chapter 1006 - 1013: Leng Feifei’s Ordeal

    <h4>Chapter 1006: Chapter 1013: Leng Feifei¡¯s Ordeal</h4>


    At this moment, inside the vi, Leng Feifei sat on a luxurious sofa, holding a cup of tea, appearing somewhat uneasy.


    Opposite Leng Feifei sat a man in his thirties.


    The middle-aged man was handsome, with very well-maintained skin, even fairer than a woman¡¯s. His hair was sleek, and he had a gentle smile at the corner of his mouth, exuding a great deal of masculine charm.


    Looking at Leng Feifei who kept her head down and remained silent, the middle-aged man smiled and said, "Feifei, what¡¯s wrong? Not saying a word."


    Leng Feifei forced a smile and said, "Mr. Han, I¡¯ve reported everything about thepany, and there are still some matters waiting for me to handle, so I won¡¯t take up more of your time. I¡¯ll let you rest." Saying this, Leng Feifei put down her teacup and stood up, intending to leave.


    However, Han Mingchao stood up first and blocked Leng Feifei¡¯s way.


    "Feifei, it¡¯s already mealtime, no need to rush back to thepany. Besides, it¡¯s rare for you to visit me, and if I don¡¯t keep you for a meal, the employees will say I¡¯m stingy." After a pause, Han Mingchao continued, "I have some work to handle at thepany after lunch, so you can ride back with me then."


    "Mr. Han, I..."


    "Feifei, if you refuse again, you¡¯ll be embarrassing me." Han Mingchao feigned anger.


    Leng Feifei hesitated for a while, not daring to offend her superior, and finally agreed, saying, "Alright then, I¡¯ll stay."


    "That¡¯s how it should be." Han Mingchao said with a smile, "Alright, sit down for a bit. The housekeeper went out to buy groceries and should be back soon." With that, Han Mingchao looked at the empty teacup and said, "I¡¯ll go refill your tea."


    Watching Han Mingchao disappear into the kitchen, Leng Feifei let out a breath, her unease gradually subsiding.


    After a while, Han Mingchao came back with a cup of freshly brewed Da Hong Pao tea, saying with a smile, "Here, try this tea. I went through a lot of effort to get this top quality Da Hong Pao, it¡¯s hard to buy it in the market."


    "Thank you, Mr. Han!" Leng Feifei thanked him, hurriedly taking the tea.


    "Feifei, you¡¯re a university graduate. Every year, ourpany recruits many fresh graduates like you. However, among so many graduates, your abilities stand out the most, and in just a few months, you¡¯ve surpassed employees who have been with thepany for years. During department meetings, your manager often praises you, saying you should be cultivated well. Feifei, you know, ourpany values talent greatly, and as long as you truly have the ability, I don¡¯t mind offering you a higher sry and benefits."


    "Rest assured, Mr. Han, I will certainly work hard and not disappoint you."


    "That¡¯s for the best." Han Mingchao nodded with a smile, "Actually, for young people like you, working in apany is merely a search for advancement opportunities. However, everyone wants to climb up, but there¡¯s only one position, which inevitably leads topetition among colleagues. Of course, thepany encourages healthypetition, but people are unpredictable. Sometimes, to achieve their goals, they might resort to all means, even abandoning basic conscience. So, the workce isn¡¯t easy. Even if your skills are strong, if you don¡¯t know how to y the game, you¡¯ll never surpass others."


    "Feifei, I¡¯ve been observing you for a while. In the few months you¡¯ve been with thepany, you get along well with colleagues, and whenever someone asks for your help, you never refuse. I understand your feelings; you want to build good rtionships with colleagues and foster a diligent atmosphere in thepany. However, doing so doesn¡¯t mean others will appreciate you. On the contrary, they may think you¡¯re easy to bully. So, while you have ability, you¡¯re just too naive, thinking things are too simple."


    Leng Feifei thought for a while and asked, "Mr. Han, isn¡¯t this a good approach?"


    "It¡¯s not bad, but if you want to climb up, it might be a bit difficult." After saying this, Han Mingchao pointed to the teacup in Leng Feifei¡¯s hand and said, "Drink up; the tea won¡¯t taste good once it cools down."


    "Yes." Leng Feifei responded, sipping the tea slowly. Soon, more than half of the tea was gone.


    While Leng Feifei drank her tea, Han Mingchao stood up from the opposite sofa and sat next to Leng Feifei, his hand intentionally or unintentionally brushing against her arm.


    Leng Feifei ufortably moved aside and softly said, "Mr. Han, I..."


    "Feifei, there¡¯s actually a lot of shortcuts in this world that don¡¯t require much time or effort to achieve your goals. Do you understand what I mean?"


    Hearing this, Leng Feifei¡¯s heart trembled slightly. ying dumb, she said, "Mr. Han, I¡¯m not quite sure what you mean." With that, she didn¡¯t wait for Han Mingchao to speak again and hurriedly put down the teacup, stood up, and said, "Mr. Han, I almost forgot, there¡¯s a very important matter at thepany that needs my attention. I¡¯ll head back now."


    Saying this, Leng Feifei started walking toward the door. However, after a few steps, she felt a tightness on her arm as Han Mingchao grabbed her hand tightly, pulling her back. Instantly, Leng Feifei lost her bnce and fell onto the sofa.


    This sudden change shocked Leng Feifei. Before she could get back up from the sofa, Han Mingchao was already pressing down, leaving her unable to move.


    "Feifei, you¡¯re a smart woman. With your ability and looks, as long as you stay with me, I guarantee smooth sailing in your career, and no one will dare to bully you. Moreover, in a few months, I¡¯ll arrange for you to be the deputy head of the department. What do you think? With your personality, climbing up from the bottom might take ten years to reach that position, but I can settle everything for you with just a word."


    Leng Feifei pressed against Han Mingchao¡¯s chest with both hands, speaking anxiously, "Mr. Han, I... appreciate your goodwill, but I don¡¯t want shortcuts; I want to climb up through my own efforts." With that, Leng Feifei tried to push Han Mingchao away, hoping to shove him off. However, Han Mingchao was a man, much stronger than her. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn¡¯t escape Han Mingchao¡¯s restraint.


    "Mr. Han, I¡¯m begging you, let me go, I... I really don¡¯t want to..."


    "Why? Feifei, do you know where your advantages lie? Youth and beauty, those are your advantages. If you don¡¯t use them while you¡¯re young, you¡¯ll only regret itter. Feifei, don¡¯t be so stubborn; I¡¯ve been through this, trust me, I won¡¯t harm you."


    "I don¡¯t want to!" Leng Feifei yelled, "Mr. Han, if you continue, I¡¯ll call the police."

 Chapter 1007 - 1014: Luckily, It’s You (Part 1)

    <h4>Chapter 1007: Chapter 1014: Luckily, It¡¯s You (Part 1)</h4>


    "Call the police?" Han Mingchao pressed down Leng Feifei¡¯s hands and sneered, "Feifei, why bother? Think about it, if you stay with me, I can provide you with both a house and a car. Besides, I¡¯m not even married yet, so you have nothing to worry about what others say. Then, you cane and go at thepany as my girlfriend, who would dare to bully you? Feifei, be sensible, you¡¯re not getting any younger, you should think about yourself."


    "No, Mr. Han, please let me go. I really don¡¯t want to, I... I already have someone I like, please go find someone else." Leng Feifei struggled desperately, shouting loudly.


    "What about someone you like? Can the person you likepare to me? I have money, power, and influence; it¡¯s your good fortune that I take a liking to you."


    "No... I don¡¯t want to..." Leng Feifei kept hitting Han Mingchao with her hands. But her strength was no match for Han Mingchao¡¯s. Moreover, Leng Feifei began to feel a burning sensation in her body, very ufortable, and her limbs felt weak and powerless, leaving her at Han Mingchao¡¯s mercy.


    Seeing Leng Feifei¡¯s cheeks gradually reddening, Han Mingchao couldn¡¯t help but smile smugly.


    "Feifei, why don¡¯t we try something more exciting?" As he spoke, Han Mingchao took out his phone, switched to recording mode, ced it on the coffee table beside the sofa, aiming the camera at both of them.


    Seeing Han Mingchao¡¯s actions, a trace of shame and anger shed in Leng Feifei¡¯s eyes.


    "Mr. Han, if you really touch me, I will definitely call the police and have you arrested." Leng Feifei couldn¡¯t find a weapon to resist, so she could only use ¡¯calling the police¡¯ to intimidate the other party.


    Han Mingchaoughed indifferently, "Feifei, I already told you, you¡¯re too naive and innocent. Even if you call the police, what can you do? I have plenty of money, and I know people in the police station. With such a trivial matter, you can¡¯t do anything to me. Just be obedient, and there will be benefits for you, understand?"


    Hearing this, Leng Feifei made ast-ditch effort, saying, "Aren¡¯t you afraid of damaging your reputation?"


    Han Mingchaoughed heartily, "I think you should be the one who¡¯s more worried. Feifei, if you really dare to call the police, I¡¯ll post the video of today online. By then, whose reputation do you think will be damaged?"


    "You..." Leng Feifei was momentarily speechless, not knowing what to do to prevent Han Mingchao from continuing to take advantage of her.


    To her, she couldn¡¯t threaten Han Mingchao at all. Instead, every word from Han Mingchao felt like a sharp knife, stabbing deeply into her heart. If Han Mingchao really did such a thing, she would probably feel like dying.


    Is it really impossible to resist? Leng Feifei thought in despair. If she could, she would give anything for her safety. But Han Mingchao in front of her gave her no chance.


    Moreover, she now felt her body burning, her consciousness gradually bing blurred. To make matters worse, she felt ashamed because Han Mingchao¡¯s advances no longer made her feel disgusted as before, and even had a tiny bit of pleasure.


    No... it¡¯s impossible... Leng Feifei gritted her teeth, trying desperately to endure the feeling.


    At this moment, she was a hundred percent certain that Han Mingchao must have drugged her tea. Otherwise, she wouldn¡¯t be having such shameful feelings.


    Rip!


    Suddenly, Leng Feifei felt a chill on her chest. Looking down, she saw Han Mingchao forcefully tearing at her clothes.


    "No!" Leng Feifei instinctively eximed, hurriedly covering her chest with her hands. But to Han Mingchao, her actions were of no use at all. In no time, Han Mingchao had restrained Leng Feifei¡¯s hands.


    "Feifei, don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll take good care of you." As he spoke, Han Mingchao¡¯s hands were already being very inappropriate, with an excited look in his eyes.


    Powerless to resist, Leng Feifei couldn¡¯t help but close her eyes, tears of humiliation sliding down her cheeks onto the sofa.


    Bang!


    At this moment, a loud crash sounded from the living room entrance, instantly drawing Han Mingchao¡¯s attention. He turned to find a young man standing at the doorway. At this moment, the young man¡¯s eyes seemed to be ame with fury, his fists tightly clenched as he strode over to the sofa. As he approached, before Han Mingchao could react, the young man lifted him off Leng Feifei and threw him with force. Instantly, Han Mingchao¡¯s body flew like a kite with a broken string, crashing heavily against the living room wall.


    "Feifei, are you okay?" The young man hurriedly took off his jacket and covered Leng Feifei¡¯s delicate body.


    Hearing the voice beside her, Leng Feifei drowsily opened her eyes, looking at Ling Chen in front of her, a hint of uncontroble color shing in her bright eyes. She panted heavily, her cheeks flushed, grasping Ling Chen¡¯s arm tightly, her alluring lips gently trembling, letting out an intoxicating moan, "Give... give me, I... I want..."


    "Feifei, look, it¡¯s me." Ling Chen shook Leng Feifei¡¯s shoulders, hoping she would regain rity. But at this moment, Leng Feifei waspletely lost, devoid of all reason, and Ling Chen¡¯s words were like they didn¡¯t reach her. Seeing her state, Ling Chen turned his head to look at Han Mingchao lying on the ground, quickly stepping over to him and lifting him up.


    "Tell me, what exactly did you give her?" Ling Chen asked coldly.


    Han Mingchao, enduring the pain, gritted his teeth and looked at Ling Chen, scolding, "Who the hell are you? Do you even know who I am? How dare you hurt me, believe it or not, I..."


    Crack!


    Before Han Mingchao could finish his sentence, a crisp sound of a bone cracking immediately rang out. Simultaneously, a scream akin to a pig being ughtered erupted from Han Mingchao¡¯s mouth. Looking intently, Han Mingchao¡¯s right arm hung limply, having broken from the shoulder.


    "If you dare utter one more word of nonsense, do you believe I won¡¯t cripple your other hand too?" Ling Chen lifted Han Mingchao¡¯s cor with one hand, asking coldly, "Tell me, what did you make her take?"


    "It... it was some drug my friend brought back from abroad." Witnessing Ling Chen¡¯s ruthlessness, Han Mingchao no longer dared speak nonsense, quickly replied, "The drug is very potent and needs that to resolve, or hospital treatment is required, but it must be within half an hour after taking it, otherwise it¡¯s toote."


    Hearing this, Ling Chen turned his head to look at Leng Feifei, who was writhing on the sofa, her actions causing the jacket Ling Chen had covered her with to fall to the ground, revealing her fair skin.


    "If I knock her out, will that..."


    "It¡¯s useless." Han Mingchao said, "If she doesn¡¯t find relief, she might not endure it, which could cause significant harm to her body."

 Chapter 1008 - 1015: Fortunately, It Was You (2)

    <h4>Chapter 1008: Chapter 1015: Fortunately, It Was You (2)</h4>


    Damn!


    Ling Chen couldn¡¯t help but curse. It¡¯s all that bastard¡¯s fault. Now it¡¯s a mess, nothing works, and he has no idea what to do. Should he just watch Leng Feifei suffer? Moreover, it takes at least half an hour to rush to the hospital from here, there¡¯s no time to get Leng Feifei there for treatment.


    As he pondered, Leng Feifei¡¯s moaning on the sofa grew louder, and she began to tear off her clothes. Not only that, her body was bing increasingly hot, her skin taking on a strange red hue, which was quite unsettling.


    Seeing this, Ling Chen swung his fist and knocked Han Mingchao out.


    Returning to the sofa, Ling Chen picked up the irrational Leng Feifei and quickly headed upstairs. The maids in the vi were gone and wouldn¡¯t be back for a while.


    On the second floor of the vi, Ling Chen found a spacious bedroom, gentlyid Leng Feifei on the bed, then grabbed her arm, cing his hand on her pulse to check her condition.


    Not good!


    Ling Chen frowned inwardly. Leng Feifei¡¯s condition was very bad. If he didn¡¯t find a way to stabilize her soon, once her blood pressure rises, it could lead to a cerebral hemorrhage. As Ling Chen was pondering his options, Leng Feifei¡¯s smooth, lotus-like arms suddenly wrapped around his neck tightly. Her voice was pained and urgent: "Hurry..."


    "I¡¯m sorry, I did it to save you." Ling Chen finally made up his mind.


    ...


    After who knows how long, Leng Feifei hazily opened her eyes. As consciousness returned, she feltpletely exhausted, every movement was painfully unbearable.


    Rubbing her slightly aching forehead, Leng Feifei barely sat up in bed, looking around at the unfamiliar surroundings with eyes full of confusion.


    Where is this? How... how did I get here?


    As she pondered, Leng Feifei suddenly realized in shock that her clothes were all gone, with only a quilt covering her.


    This... Faced with this situation, Leng Feifei was momentarily stunned, staring nkly at the conspicuous mark on the bed. As an adult, she knew perfectly well what that represented.


    At the thought, Leng Feifei immediately felt a surge of despair.


    Han Mingchao... that¡¯s it! Leng Feifei vaguely remembered Han Mingchao drugging her tea and making unwanted advances towards her. Now, thinking back, he must have taken the opportunity to humiliate her.


    At this thought, Leng Feifei looked at the open window beside the bedroom and immediately rushed out of bed, disregarding the pain, heading straight for the window.


    Her body was no longer pure, and she still remembered Han Mingchao¡¯s threats. If she dared to call the police, not only would Han Mingchao ruin her reputation, but he¡¯d also make it impossible for her to stay at thepany.


    So rather than living in pain, she might as well end it all.


    At the window, Leng Feifei grabbed the window sill, ready to jump down from the floor.


    "You¡¯re awake?"


    At this moment, a familiar voice came from behind. Leng Feifei was slightly stunned, hurriedly turning back to see Ling Chen standing at the bedroom door, holding a cup of tea.


    Ling... Ling Chen?


    Leng Feifei was taken aback, staring nkly at Ling Chen, her mind unable to process. This was Han Mingchao¡¯s house, why was Ling Chen here?


    In her daze, Ling Chen coughed slightly, turned his head to the side and said, "Feifei, why don¡¯t you... get back on the bed first?"


    Only at those words did Leng Feifei realize she wasn¡¯t wearing any clothes. Her face turned beet red, like it was on fire, and she hurried back to the bed, covering herself with the quilt.


    "I... I¡¯m fine." Leng Feifei buried her head in the bedding, not daring to meet Ling Chen¡¯s eyes.


    Ling Chen walked to the bed and ced the teacup on the nightstand, saying, "Drink some water to replenish your fluids first."


    Leng Feifei lightly responded, took the teacup, and sipped it slowly. When the cup was empty, she finally mustered the courage to look up at Ling Chen and said, "How did you end up here? And what happened earlier?"


    Ling Chen touched his nose, unsure how to start. He couldn¡¯t just tell Leng Feifei they¡¯d been intimate. It wasn¡¯t that he was afraid, but he couldn¡¯t predict her reaction.


    After a moment¡¯s thought, Ling Chen prepared his words and said, "Here¡¯s the thing, I previously saw you in the neighborhood, so I wanted toe over and say hi. Then I heard you calling out, and I rushed in... At that moment, I had no choice but to... Feifei, I¡¯m sorry, I know what I did wasn¡¯t right, but... I didn¡¯t have any other choice." After saying this, Ling Chen took a deep breath, waiting for Leng Feifei¡¯s reaction.


    At this moment, after listening to Ling Chen¡¯s exnation, Leng Feifei¡¯s expression rxed, and she looked at Ling Chen and said, "So, it was you earlier?"


    Ling Chen gently nodded.


    "That¡¯s a relief!" Leng Feifei blurted out with a smile.


    "What?" Ling Chen thought he heard wrong and couldn¡¯t help but ask again.


    Ah! Leng Feifei quickly covered her mouth, almost letting it slip. If she had lost herself to Han Mingchao, she wouldn¡¯t hesitate to end her life. But if it was Ling Chen, that was a different story. Deep down, she already had feelings for Ling Chen. Yet, due to Ling Chen¡¯splicated love life, she couldn¡¯t get involved, only watching in silence, keeping her affection hidden. Now, having made a substantial leap with Ling Chen, even though their rtionship hadn¡¯t reached that point, having this connection as a foundation undoubtedly increased her chances.


    Thinking of this, Leng Feifei¡¯s heart felt sweet.

 Chapter 1009 - 1016: Fortunately, It Was You (3)

    <h4>Chapter 1009: Chapter 1016: Fortunately, It Was You (3)</h4>


    "Feifei, Feifei... are you okay?" Ling Chen felt a bit uneasy seeing Leng Feifei sitting silently.


    "I¡¯m fine." Leng Feifei snapped back to reality and said embarrassedly, "Um... could you find me some clothes?"


    "Sure, wait here. I¡¯ll see what I can find in the wardrobe."


    Fortunately, Han Mingchao¡¯s house had a live-in maid. Ling Chen found a few pieces of women¡¯s clothing and handed them to Leng Feifei, then waited outside.


    After a few minutes, Leng Feifei opened the door and came out of the bedroom.


    "Ling Chen, are we going back now?"


    "Hold on, we still have one thing left to deal with." With that, Ling Chen led Leng Feifei to the living room on the first floor of the vi. At this moment, Han Mingchaoy unconscious on the floor in the corner of the living room, his face swollen and bruised from Ling Chen¡¯s punch.


    Ling Chen walked over, picked up a ss of water from the coffee table, and poured it directly over Han Mingchao.


    The cold water brought Han Mingchao back to consciousness instantly, and he hurriedly got up from the floor. Seeing Ling Chen standing before him, Han Mingchao¡¯s expression changed slightly, and he instinctively retreated, leaning against the wall, asking warily, "What... what do you want?"


    Ling Chen said with a smirk, "What do you think I want? Mr. Han, Feifei is my friend. If I hadn¡¯t arrived in time today, you¡¯d probably have gotten your way. Feifei wants to report this to the police, but you¡¯re a person of some stature, and there¡¯s no need to blow this up, do you think?"


    Hearing this, Han Mingchao¡¯s eyes lit up, quickly understanding Ling Chen¡¯s meaning. He nodded, sat down on the sofa by himself, crossed his legs, and said, "I know, you just want money, right? No problem, name your price; as long as it¡¯s not too excessive, I can satisfy you."


    "Ling Chen." Leng Feifei tugged at Ling Chen¡¯s sleeve and whispered, "I don¡¯t want his dirty money, let¡¯s just leave."


    Ling Chen patted the back of Leng Feifei¡¯s hand and said, "This guy bullied you, do you want to just let it go? Don¡¯t worry, I know what I¡¯m doing, let me handle it." With that, Ling Chen turned to Han Mingchao and said, "I know Mr. Han is wealthy. Since you mentioned it, I won¡¯t be polite. If you give me this amount, I¡¯ll let this matter go."


    Seeing Ling Chen¡¯s five fingers, Han Mingchaoughed and said, "Fifty thousand? No problem." With that, he pulled out a checkbook from his suit pocket and prepared to write the amount.


    "Mr. Han, wait, I wasn¡¯t talking about fifty thousand."


    Han Mingchao frowned and said displeased, "Don¡¯t you think you¡¯re being too greedy? Do you know how many women I could have for five million? Do you really think she¡¯s worth five million?"


    "Mr. Han, you might have misunderstood, I¡¯m not talking about five million."


    "At least you know your limits."


    "I¡¯m talking about fifty million," Ling Chen replied.


    "What?" Han Mingchao was momentarily stunned and sneered at Ling Chen, "I think you¡¯re crazy for money. Fifty million? Why don¡¯t you just rob a bank?" With that, Han Mingchao finished writing a fifty thousand check and tossed it at Ling Chen¡¯s feet, saying coldly, "Take this fifty thousand and get lost, and don¡¯t let me see you again. If youe to trouble me again, don¡¯t me me for being rude."


    Ling Chen didn¡¯t even look at the fifty thousand check and smiled, "Mr. Han, spending fifty million for peace of mind seems worth it to me. Oh, I seem to have forgotten to remind you. Do you remember who brought Feifei to work at yourpany?"


    Hearing this, Han Mingchao¡¯s expression changed, and a subtle panic flickered in his eyes. He adjusted his sitting position, trying to stay calm, and said, "I know she was introduced by Miss Nanrong. But so what, I personally asked Miss Nanrong, and she said Leng Feifei has nothing to do with her, just helping in passing, so don¡¯t try to use Miss Nanrong to threaten me."


    "Is that so? Mr. Han, Wanqing didn¡¯t tell you about her rtionship with Feifei because she was afraid you¡¯d give Feifei special treatment because of her." Ling Chenughed as he tapped his forehead, "After all this talking, I seemed to have forgotten to introduce myself. My name is Ling Chen. Mr. Han may not have seen me, but you should have heard my name."


    "Ling Chen?" Han Mingchao repeated the name, his expression suddenly changing in shock, "You... you¡¯re Miss Nanrong¡¯s boyfriend?"


    "That¡¯s right, it¡¯s me." Ling Chen nodded, "Feifei is not only my friend but also Wanqing¡¯s friend. Mr. Han, if this matter reaches Wanqing¡¯s ears, what do you think she¡¯ll do? At that point, will you still think fifty million is too much?"


    "I... I..." Han Mingchao opened his mouth but was speechless, unsure of what to say. He hadn¡¯t expected Leng Feifei to have such a significant background. If he had known, he would never have dared to have thoughts about her, not in a million years.


    It¡¯s over!


    If Nanrong Wanqing found out, she certainly wouldn¡¯t let it slide. Even though he¡¯s thepany¡¯s boss, he can¡¯tpare to Hongyu Group. It would just take a flick of a finger from Hongyu Group to bring down hispany.


    Realizing this, Han Mingchao couldn¡¯t remain seated. He quickly stood up from the sofa, put on a smiling face, and said, "Mr. Ling, I¡¯m sorry, I was blind and didn¡¯t recognize you. If I¡¯ve offended you in any way, please forgive me."


    Ling Chen waved his hand, "It¡¯s not about me forgiving you; you didn¡¯t offend me, you offended Feifei."


    "Yes, yes, I understand, um... Feifei, I¡¯m really sorry, I was an ass, I shouldn¡¯t have treated you that way, please forgive me this once, I won¡¯t dare again." Han Mingchao hastily apologized.


    Leng Feifei listened expressionlessly to Han Mingchao¡¯s apology, with no intention of forgiving him.


    Seeing Leng Feifei standing there unmoved, Han Mingchao looked at Ling Chen for help, "Mr. Ling, what do you think..."


    "Enough, spare me the useless words, show some sincerity. Mr. Han, I¡¯m willing to settle this privately with you now. Once I walk out of this door, it won¡¯t be something that money can solve. Do you understand?"


    "I understand." Han Mingchao wiped the sweat from his forehead and said bitterly, "Mr. Ling, isn¡¯t fifty million a bit too much? I don¡¯t have that much cash on hand, how about..."


    "What?" Ling Chen raised an eyebrow, a hint of displeasure in his eyes. This guy dared to haggle with him!


    "No, no, that¡¯s not it," Han Mingchao quickly said, "I¡¯ll find a way to get the money right away, Mr. Ling, please give me ten minutes." With that, Han Mingchao grabbed his phone and went to the corner to make a call to gather the money.

 Chapter 1010 - 1017: Millionaire

    <h4>Chapter 1010: Chapter 1017: Millionaire</h4>


    While Han Mingchao was on the phone, Leng Feifei gently held Ling Chen¡¯s hand and whispered, "Ling Chen, this doesn¡¯t seem right. Maybe... maybe we should drop it. After all, I haven¡¯t really suffered any loss."


    "You haven¡¯t suffered any loss?" Ling Chen widened his eyes and said, "Your loss is considerable, both mentally and physically, so this money must bepensated." Pausing for a moment, Ling Chen lowered his voice and said, "Feifei, trust me, I¡¯m doing this for your own good."


    "But..." Leng Feifei looked at Han Mingchao on the phone with some disbelief and said, "Why would he pay us so much money?"


    Ling Chen smiled slightly and said confidently, "You don¡¯t need to worry about that. Just wait and see, he¡¯ll obediently hand the money over to us." Just as he finished speaking, Han Mingchao put down his phone, picked up the checkbook, and walked over.


    "Mr. Ling, here is a check for fifty million. I¡¯ve already called the bank, and you can withdraw the cash anytime." Han Mingchao said with utmost respect. Although he felt pained, for the sake of his family business, he could only force a smile and maintain a polite attitude, daring not to offend Ling Chen.


    He med himself for being driven by lust; if it weren¡¯t for trying to take advantage of Leng Feifei, he wouldn¡¯t have lost so much money.


    Fifty million! Thinking about it pained Han Mingchao, whose ie over the years all but disappeared.


    Taking the check handed over by Han Mingchao, Ling Chen nodded in satisfaction and said, "Mr. Han is indeed straightforward. Well, now that I¡¯ve got the money, I won¡¯t hold today¡¯s matter against you. Rest assured, I won¡¯t trouble you again in the future."


    "Thank you, Mr. Ling." Han Mingchao hastily expressed his gratitude. Now he just wanted to send these two away quickly, out of sight and out of mind.


    "By the way!" Just before leaving, Ling Chen suddenly remembered something and said with a smile, "I just bought a vi across from yours, so we¡¯ll be neighbors in the future. Feel free to drop by and strengthen our rtionship when you have time."


    Han Mingchao¡¯s expression changed, feeling troubled internally. He hoped to send this jerk away and never see him again, but unexpectedly, this guy was about to be his neighbor. No way! It seems he needs to find another ce to live.


    Despite his thoughts, Han Mingchao forced a smile and said, "I¡¯ll definitely visit then."


    "Alright, I won¡¯t bother you anymore, Mr. Han. Feifei, let¡¯s go."


    After leaving Han Mingchao¡¯s house, Ling Chen called Yang Qingling. Earlier, due to Leng Feifei¡¯s situation, Ling Chen had Yang Qingling take a cab home first, without knowing if she had arrived yet.


    After the call, inquiring about the house purchase situation, Ling Chen hung up the phone and got into his car with Leng Feifei.


    More than twenty minutester, Ling Chen and Leng Feifei drove to a nearby bank.


    "Ling Chen, why did you bring me here?" Leng Feifei asked in confusion.


    "Of course, to withdraw money. Hey, give me your bank ount, and I¡¯ll transfer the fifty million to your card."


    Upon hearing this, Leng Feifei was stunned, taking a long time toe to her senses.


    "Feifei, Feifei!"


    Ling Chen called several times before Leng Feifei finally snapped out of it, stammering, "You... you want to give me all fifty million?"


    "What else?" Ling Chen smiled and said, "I got this for you, so of course, it should be yours."


    "No, no." Leng Feifei hurriedly refused, "This is too much, I can¡¯t take it. If you insist on giving something, a few thousand would be enough."


    "That wouldn¡¯t do. This ispensation from Han Mingchao to you, and you should rightfully ept it." Pausing, Ling Chen continued, "Feifei, to be honest, this money is of no use to me. Given my current assets, I don¡¯t even blink at fifty million."


    It was true; with his billionaire status, fifty million was insignificant. If it weren¡¯t for Leng Feifei, Ling Chen wouldn¡¯t have asked Han Mingchao forpensation. He had Han Mingchao resolve it with money, partly to punish him and partly for Leng Feifei. Knowing her circumstances, he wanted to use this money to improve her life.


    "Feifei, you¡¯re a capable person, but today¡¯s society isn¡¯t easy to navigate. To stand out, you must rely on yourself. So, you can use this money to start your own business. I believe in your abilities, and over time, you can surely achieve something great. Don¡¯t overthink it; you can use this money with confidence. With me protecting you, that bastard Han Mingchao won¡¯t dare cause trouble. Let¡¯s go, I¡¯ll help you deposit the money first."


    Half an hourter, with Ling Chen apanying her, Leng Feifei walked out of the bank.


    Looking at the bright sunlight outside, Leng Feifei found it all hard to believe. In less than half a day, she had be a millionaire, a transformation difficult to fathom.


    "Feifei, get in the car, I¡¯ll take you home," Ling Chen called from the side.


    Sitting in the car, Ling Chen drove, focusing straight ahead, without speaking. After leaving Han Mingchao¡¯s house, Ling Chen refrained from mentioning what had happened earlier. It wasn¡¯t that he, as a man, wanted to renege on his word; he just didn¡¯t know how to handle it.


    He had a girlfriend, and what happened with Leng Feifei was due to circumstances beyond his control, not of his own volition. But regardless of how many excuses he made, it wouldn¡¯t change the rtionship that had developed between them.


    Throughout the drive, Ling Chen asionally nced at Leng Feifei from the corner of his eye. She sat quietly in the passenger seat, gazing out the window, saying nothing, and it was unclear what she was thinking.


    Before long, Ling Chen drove to the ce where Leng Feifei rented. Since Leng Feifei had graduated and started working, she rented a ce on her own.


    The ce was old and in poor condition, but the rent was cheap, only a little over three hundred a month. For a recent graduate like Leng Feifei, it was a decent option.


    "Feifei." After parking the car, Ling Chen hesitated several times, finally deciding to speak openly with Leng Feifei; he didn¡¯t want to drag things on, making them both ufortable.


    "What is it?" Leng Feifei withdrew her gaze from the window and looked directly into Ling Chen¡¯s eyes, asking. If one paid close attention, one could notice the tension inside her. However, besides tension, there was also a hint of expectation in her eyes.


    "Feifei, um..." Ling Chen opened his mouth, but the words he had thought of suddenly seemed hard to articte.


    Taking a deep breath, Ling Chen said seriously, "Feifei, I¡¯m really sorry about what happened today. I... I didn¡¯t mean it, so..."


    "I know." Before Ling Chen could finish, Leng Feifei interjected, "In fact, I¡¯m very grateful to you. Rather than letting Han Mingchao seed, I¡¯d rather give my most precious thing to someone I like."

 Chapter 1011 - 1018: I Like You

    <h4>Chapter 1011: Chapter 1018: I Like You</h4>


    The person you like?


    Hearing these words, Ling Chen was momentarily stunned. He had always considered Leng Feifei as a friend and never thought she would fall for him.


    "Feifei, you should know that I already have a girlfriend. No matter whatpensation you need from me on this matter, I won¡¯t have any objection, but..."


    Leng Feifei nodded and said, "I know, but so what if you have a girlfriend? As long as you¡¯re not married, I have a chance. Ling Chen, I¡¯ve never faced my feelings squarely before. Or rather, I didn¡¯t dare because I felt unworthy. But now I¡¯ve figured it out; anything I like, I can pursue. Regardless of the oue, as long as I¡¯ve tried, even if things don¡¯t turn out well, at least I won¡¯t have regrets. On the way back just now, I made up my mind to use that money for further studies and work hard to better myself. Only by bing more excellent can I have the qualifications topete with others. So, I hope you won¡¯t get married so soon, at least give me a chance to pursue you."


    Having heard Leng Feifei¡¯s words, Ling Chen felt not just helplessness but more of a deep admiration.


    "Feifei, I¡¯m not worth you doing all this."


    "Whether it¡¯s worth it or not is my business. Anyway, I¡¯ve said what I needed to say. I hope you remember my words. Bye-bye!"


    After speaking, Leng Feifei waved to Ling Chen and went back to the room by herself.


    Watching Leng Feifei¡¯s figure disappear from sight, Ling Chen touched his nose and smiled with resignation.


    Am I really that outstanding?


    Thinking of this, Ling Chenughed at himself, then started the car and drove back to Wealthy Manor.


    ...


    In a vi located in the suburbs of East Sea City.


    Currently, in the luxurious living room sat seven or eight people, among them was Lin Guodong. If Ling Chen were here, he would definitely recognize everyone present.


    Ji Gang, Chen Quan, Chu Huaiyang, Song Mingzhe, and Zhu Hong.


    Looking at the people in front of him, Lin Guodong gently tapped the armrest of his chair with his fingers and was the first to break the silence in the room: "Everyone, I¡¯m sure you all understand the current situation. Does anyone have any good suggestions?"


    Upon hearing this, Chen Quan closed his eyes, looking as if he was oblivious to the happenings around him. Chu Huaiyang and Song Mingzhe didn¡¯t say anything either, but directed their gaze at Zhu Hong. Zhu Hong had always been the one dealing with the God Organization, so it was most appropriate for him to handle such matters.


    Noticing their small actions, Lin Guodong turned his head to look at Zhu Hong and asked, "Mr. Zhu, what do you think?"


    Zhu Hong yed with his nails and replied, "In my opinion, you can¡¯t me anyone else for this matter; you can only me yourselves. Your move back to East Sea City was too rushed, you weren¡¯t prepared at all, and you hastily intruded on someone else¡¯s territory. Besides, you¡¯ve let Ling Chen and his team seize the advantage."


    "Mr. Zhu, I understand everything you¡¯re saying, but the situation has already unfolded and there needs to be a resolution, don¡¯t you think? Since we¡¯re partners, I¡¯d like to hope Mr. Zhu can help out a bit to quickly improve the current situation."


    Zhu Hong nodded and said, "Mr. Lin, if that¡¯s how you see it, let me be frank. As of now, the God Organization¡¯s situation in East Sea City is quite dire. ording to the intelligence we have, Ling Chen has already teamed up with the Secret Society. We¡¯re all aware of the Secret Society¡¯s capabilities. Now, East Sea City is covered by their intelligencework, every move the God Organization makes is under surveince. If you dare to take any significant actions, you¡¯ll be discovered immediately. This puts the God Organization in a passive position without a doubt."


    "The main reason for all this is none other than that main base. Mr. Lin, to be frank, you¡¯re too careless. Such an important ce and you didn¡¯t allocate more defense, you let Ling Chen take it over just like that." At this point, Zhu Hong sighed speechlessly.


    After a pause, Zhu Hong continued, "To change this situation, the only way is to retake that base."


    Upon hearing this, Lin Guodong frowned and said, "Mr. Zhu, the defenses of that base, you¡¯ve experienced them yourself. We can¡¯t break through in a short time. Moreover, even if we forcefully initiate a war, it will only result in more casualties."


    "Mr. Lin, if that¡¯s how you think, then you¡¯ll never alter the God Organization¡¯s stance in East Sea City," Zhu Hong said. "If losing a few people can reim the base, why not? It¡¯s better than being constantly suppressed by Ling Chen. Plus, the God Organization nevercks manpower. Mr. Lin, now is the time to show some decisiveness. If you continue to be indecisive, things will only get worse. By then, even if you want to salvage the situation, it will be toote."


    "But..." Lin Guodong was still somewhat hesitant.


    "Mr. Zhu, it¡¯s easy for you to say. Once I send people into a full-blown conflict, not only will it expose the God Organization¡¯s strength in East Sea City, but more importantly, this is East Sea City, part of Huaxia, not abroad. Any major actions will surely attract police attention. If the police get involved, our operations will be further constrained."


    Zhu Hong chuckled and said, "Mr. Lin, I understand your concerns. However, regarding this matter, you can rest assured. I know the most suitable time to strike."


    "Really?" Lin Guodong asked curiously, "When?"


    Zhu Hong pulled out a folded promotional poster from his pocket and handed it to Lin Guodong.


    "Mr. Lin, take a look yourself."


    Lin Guodong, half-believing, unfolded the poster, his brow furrowing involuntarily.


    "This is... Tang Shiyun¡¯s concert?"


    "Yes, indeed," Zhu Hong nodded, "As far as I know, Ling Chen has a very good rtionship with Tang Shiyun. By then, Ling Chen is sure to attend her concert at the stadium. Moreover, Tang Shiyun is a well-known star in the country, with huge poprity. Once the concert begins, it will surely attract arge audience. To maintain order at the venue, the police will definitely allocate more personnel to ensure the concert¡¯s security. So, when the concert starts, the entire police force in East Sea City will be significantly reduced. That time would be our best opportunity to make a move."


    Having heard Zhu Hong¡¯s suggestion, Lin Guodong nodded and said, "That¡¯s a good proposal, worth considering."


    "Mr. Lin, does this really require consideration? If you miss this chance, you¡¯ll never have such a good opportunity again. As the leader of the God Organization, being hesitant at such a time doesn¡¯t align with your typical style." After a pause, Zhu Hong added with a smile, "Of course, this is a matter for the God Organization, we¡¯re just coborators. How you proceed is your business, anyway, the consequences aren¡¯t ours to bear."

 Chapter 1012 - 1019: Nanrong Father and Son

    <h4>Chapter 1012: Chapter 1019: Nanrong Father and Son</h4>


    "Mr. Lin," Ji Gang, who had been silent all along, spoke up, "I think Zhu Hong¡¯s suggestion is good. We can give it a try. After all, God Organization has a lot of manpower. Even if we lose some, it¡¯s not a big deal. However, what I¡¯m worried about now is, if weunch an attack, how are we going to break the base¡¯s defenses? Last time, Chen Quan and I tried, and the base¡¯s defenses were very strong. Unless we userge machinery, there¡¯s no way to break through the base¡¯s defenses."


    Beside him, Zhu Hong chimed in, "Additionally, the armored iron man in the base is also a big problem."


    "That armored iron man is thetest equipment developed by God Organization, originally intended for individualbat, positioned as a high-firepower lethal weapon. However, we were too careless and let that armored iron man fall into Ling Chen¡¯s hands," Lin Guodong spoke. "But the main reason I called everyone together this time is because God Organization¡¯s researchers have been captured by Ling Chen. Those researchers are the most important asset of God Organization. Over the years, all of God Organization¡¯s research results have been developed by them. If those research results fall into Ling Chen¡¯s hands, it will be a huge threat to us. Therefore, we must take action as soon as possible."


    At this point, Lin Guodong looked at Zhu Hong and said, "Mr. Zhu, I support your proposal. The concert is in about ten days, and during this time, we will make all the preparations to seize control of the base. When the timees, we may have to trouble you."


    Zhu Hong smiled slightly, "Mr. Lin, you¡¯re too kind. We are now partners, and it is only right to help each other. Well, if there¡¯s nothing else, we¡¯ll be going now. Notify us when you¡¯re ready to move."


    "Alright, no problem."


    After seeing Zhu Hong and the others off, Ji Gang looked at Lin Guodong and asked, "Do we need to request help from above for this operation?"


    "With Chen Quan¡¯s assistance on the side, two experts from the Heavenly List should be enough. There¡¯s no need to bother the higher-ups."


    "Although you say that, Chen Quan is ultimately an outsider. I can¡¯t trust him. And Zhu Hong is not a simple person. He must have his own ns for cooperating with us. We better be on guard against him to avoid being bitten back."


    "Don¡¯t worry, I understand this. Elder Ji, time is limited. I will have to trouble you in the uing actions. If this operation fails, God Organization will find it very difficult to establish itself in East Sea City. At that time, none of us will be able to exin to the higher-ups."


    Upon hearing this, Ji Gang asked, "Mr. Lin, may I ask a nosy question? Why does God Organization want to move all its forces to East Sea City? Although East Sea City is arge coastal metropolis, it doesn¡¯t seem to warrant such attention from God Organization. This time, God Organization seems to have bet everything on East Sea City, leaving no way out. Why is that?"


    Lin Guodong replied indifferently, "Elder Ji, this is a secret of the Ling Family. It¡¯s not convenient to disclose it for now. But rest assured, when the time is right, you¡¯ll naturally understand the reason."


    ...


    In the blink of an eye, three days passed.


    Wealthy Manor.


    At the Nanrong Family, upon learning that Yang Qingling and the others had bought a house, Nanrong Wanqing seemed reluctant. She wished Yang Qingling could stay a while longer, so she could develop a closer bond with her.


    Fortunately, the vi Yang Qingling purchased isn¡¯t far. It¡¯s only about ten minutes¡¯ drive away.


    In the past few days, the vi¡¯s formalities were almostplete, and Ling Chen helped Yang Qingling pack her belongings at home and moved them all to the car.


    "Wanqing, are you staying at home oring with me?"


    "I¡¯ll go with Mrs. Yang and see if there¡¯s anything I can help with." In front of Yang Qingling, Nanrong Wanqing always tried her best to show herself, hoping to gain Yang Qingling¡¯s favor.


    As soon as she finished speaking, Nanrong Wanqing suddenly heard her phone ringing.


    Taking out her phone and ncing at the caller ID, Nanrong Wanqing walked to the side to answer the call. Not knowing who it was, after listening for a few moments, she turned to Ling Chen and apologized, "I might not be able to make it. There¡¯s something urgent at thepany that needs my attention."


    Ling Chen smiled and said, "No problem, you go ahead and handle your business. Oh, don¡¯t forget toe to my house for dinner tonight. Mom said she¡¯ll be cooking tonight, so you must be there."


    "I know. Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t miss it."


    After Ling Chen and the others drove off, Nanrong Wanqing called for Zhong Wei and Liang Zhao Hui to drive her out of Wealthy Manor.


    "Chairman, are we heading to thepany?" Zhong Wei, sitting in the passenger seat, asked.


    "Not to thepany." Nanrong Wanqing showed an address on her phone to Zhong Wei and said, "We¡¯re going here."


    "Understood."


    After spending more than twenty minutes on the road, Liang Zhao Hui drove the Rolls Royce to a high-end western restaurant.


    "Wait for me in the car," said Nanrong Wanqing as she got out of the car and walked straight to the western restaurant.


    It was past lunchtime, and there weren¡¯t many customers in the restaurant. Nanrong Wanqing found a waiter and inquired softly. After a while, she arrived outside a private room.


    Opening the door, she saw a well-lit room with two people inside, a young man and a middle-aged man, whose appearances bore some resemnce.


    "Uncle, cousin." Nanrong Wanqing closed the door and greeted warmly.


    "You¡¯re here!" Nanrong Zhengqing pointed to a seat beside him and smiled, "Come sit. Have you eaten yet? Want me to get you a steak?"


    "No need, I ate at home already." After a pause, Nanrong Wanqing asked, "Uncle, when did you return to East Sea City? You should have let me know earlier so I could pick you up from the airport."


    "We are used toing and going freely, no need for such formalities. Wanqing, we¡¯re here mainly because of your issue."


    "My issue?" Nanrong Wanqing asked, puzzled, "Uncle, what issue could I possibly have?"


    "Cousin, don¡¯t you remember the favor you asked usst time?" Ji Beizhao pitched in, "You wanted us to help find your second uncle, right? My dad and I had some free time recently, so we went back to our hometown and checked on your dad¡¯s whereabouts."


    Upon hearing this, Nanrong Wanqing eagerly asked, "Did you find anything?"


    "Wanqing, don¡¯t get ahead of yourself," said Nanrong Zhengqing as he set down his knife and fork and picked up a cup of coffee. "Your father¡¯s situation is moreplicated than you think. It won¡¯t be resolved quickly. However, we did find some clues."


    "What clues?" Nanrong Wanqing asked hastily. Over the years, she had sought help from countless people to find her father¡¯s whereabouts, but to no avail. Now that there were finally some clues, how could she not be excited?

 Chapter 1013 - 1020: In the Know

    <h4>Chapter 1013: Chapter 1020: In the Know</h4>


    "ording to our investigation, we found that your father had a very deep connection with the God Organization," Ji Beizhao said, "Not only that, he held a high position within the organization, managing arge number of people. Cousin, I¡¯m not sure how much you know about the God Organization. This organization..."


    Ji Beizhao was just about to exin the God Organization when Nanrong Wanqing quickly interrupted him and said, "I¡¯ve heard Ling Chen mention the God Organization, and I know it¡¯s a criminal organization that does evil all over the world."


    "Criminal organization?" Nanrong Zhengqing said with a half-smile, "The God Organization can¡¯t simply be described as a criminal organization. However, your understanding isn¡¯t wrong. Within the God Organization, your father goes by the alias Mr. Yun. I wonder if you¡¯ve heard of this name."


    Mr. Yun?


    Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s expression slightly changed, and she looked at Nanrong Zhengqing in surprise, "Uncle, are you sure there¡¯s no mistake?"


    "No mistake, we¡¯ve verified it through multiple sources. Why?"


    "I... I¡¯ve dealt with a man called Mr. Yun before. That man also looked in his forties or fifties, but I¡¯ve never seen my father before, so I couldn¡¯t recognize him." At this point, Nanrong Wanqing suddenly remembered something.


    "Last time, that Mr. Yun came looking for me, and Ling Chen was there too. His reaction upon seeing Mr. Yun was quite intense, as if he was very cautious. I didn¡¯t think much of it at the time, but now that I think about it, Ling Chen might have known Mr. Yun¡¯s identity, which is why he reacted that way."


    "You¡¯re right," Ji Beizhao said, taking over the conversation, "ording to our investigation, Ling Chen did have contact with Mr. Yun, and not only that, they interacted frequently. I suspect Ling Chen likely knows Mr. Yun¡¯s true identity."


    Hearing this, Nanrong Wanqing asked perplexedly, "If he knew, then why didn¡¯t he tell me?"


    "We¡¯re not quite sure about that. However, when I called you earlier, I specifically told you not to tell Ling Chen and toe here alone. The reason I did this is because your father had a deep connection with Ling Chen." After a pause, Ji Beizhao nced at his father and continued, "Wanqing, the main reason we called you here today is to tell you something."


    "What is it?"


    "Your father, he..." Ji Beizhao opened his mouth but didn¡¯t know how to continue.


    Seeing this, Nanrong Wanqing couldn¡¯t help but urge, "Cousin, what¡¯s wrong with my dad?"


    "Dad, why don¡¯t you tell her, I can¡¯t say it," Ji Beizhao sighed and passed this heavy responsibility to Nanrong Zhengqing.


    "Wanqing, before I tell you this news, I hope you¡¯re mentally prepared. Your father... he has passed away!"


    Passed away?


    Nanrong Wanqing froze for a moment, looking dazedly at Nanrong Zhengqing, hardly believing what she just heard.


    "Uncle, you said... my dad is dead?"


    "That¡¯s right," Nanrong Zhengqing nodded, "I know this is hard to ept, but it¡¯s the truth, and there¡¯s nothing we can do to change it. When we learned about this, Beizhao and I discussed whether to tell you. Initially, I thought that since Nanrong Yuan had been gone for so many years, perhaps it was best to let him forever ¡¯disappear.¡¯ That way, at least you wouldn¡¯t have to endure the pain of losing a father. But Beizhao told me that regardless, he is your biological father, and you have the right to know everything. After much hesitation, I decided to tell you, so that during the Qingming Festival, someone can offer him incense."


    Passed away... father passed away...


    Nanrong Wanqing lightly bit her thin lips, her hands starting to tremble uncontrobly. Over the years, she had always held onto hope that one day she would find her parents and their family would reunite. But now, she finally learned of her father¡¯s whereabouts, only to find out it¡¯s news of his death.


    She didn¡¯t understand, since Nanrong Yuan had gone to the Hongyu Group as Mr. Yun to see her, why didn¡¯t he reveal his identity directly? Was he not even willing to acknowledge his own daughter?


    "Wanqing, have a cup of tea first." Ji Beizhao handed a cup of hot tea in front of Nanrong Wanqing, "I know this is a big blow to you, but I hope you can be strong. Besides, the dead cannot be brought back to life, and if your father were still alive, he definitely wouldn¡¯t want to see you sad."


    Nanrong Wanqing wiped away the tears at the corner of her eyes and asked, "Uncle, are your sources urate?"


    "Rest assured, my information is definitely urate. To be honest, I got this information from the police in thest two days."


    "The police?"


    "Yes. A few days ago, the police discovered the God Organization¡¯s temporary headquarters in an air-raid shelter beneath the police station. They collected theputer servers at the site and copied all the remaining data of the God Organization from there. Amongst that data, there were records regarding your father. I went through a lot of connections to get that information."


    "Then..." Nanrong Wanqingposed herself and asked, "Uncle, you mentioned before that my father had a deep connection with Ling Chen, what does that mean?"


    "Ling Chen probably already knew your father¡¯s true identity. The reason he didn¡¯t tell you could be because your father was serving the God Organization at the time, which happened to be Ling Chen¡¯s enemy. Simply put, they were in a hostile rtionship. At that time, Ling Chen was already living in the Nanrong Family, and his rtionship with you was also extraordinary. So, anyone wouldn¡¯t want to drag you into it. Otherwise, with a girlfriend on one side and an enemy as the girlfriend¡¯s father on the other, Ling Chen would probably be very troubled. Therefore, not telling you was the wisest choice."


    Nanrong Zhengqing continued, "ording to the information we obtained, your father was captured by a secret government agency and detained at a secret base in Beijing. Later, Ling Chen transferred your father to East Sea City, probably to coborate with him on something. However, not long after your father arrived in East Sea City, unfortunately, he was discovered by members of the God Organization and was secretly abducted and killed. If the intelligence is correct, your father died at the Nanrong Family¡¯s dock. Due to the government¡¯s swift intervention, this matter was covered up, and the Nanrong Family was unaware."


    "So Ling Chen knew everything from the very beginning."


    "Yes," Nanrong Zhengqing nodded, "However, your father¡¯s death wasn¡¯t greatly rted to him. And I believe Ling Chen had his difficulties. Otherwise, he would have arranged for you and your father to meet. Of course, Ling Chen isn¡¯t entirely meless. Your father has been dead for so long, and he kept it from you, that¡¯s his fault."


    Beside him, Ji Beizhao chimed in, "Maybe Ling Chen hasn¡¯t figured out how to tell you. After all, not everyone can easily say something like this. Wanqing, don¡¯t me Ling Chen too much. It would be difficult for anyone in his position to make a choice."

 Chapter 1014 - 1021: Gathering Dinner

    <h4>Chapter 1014: Chapter 1021: Gathering Dinner</h4>


    Nanrong Wanqing was silent for a moment and asked, "Then where is my dad¡¯s body?"


    Nanrong Zhengqing and Ji Beizhao exchanged a look, and replied, "We don¡¯t know, it was the government that got involved at that time, perhaps only Ling Chen knows. Maybe you can ask Ling Chen when you get back."


    "I understand." Nanrong Wanqing responded, appearing very downcast. It¡¯s hard for anyone to be happy upon hearing the news of their father¡¯s death.


    "Uncle, cousin, thank you for helping me find out about my father¡¯s affairs."


    "We¡¯re all family, no need for such formal words." With that, Nanrong Zhengqing sighed and said, "Honestly, I can¡¯t understand why your father got involved with the God Organization. The God Organization is harmful to society, countless people suffered because of them, and your father worked with them... Sigh! I really don¡¯t know what to say."


    "Uncle, I understand what you mean. But no matter what, he is still my father." With that, Nanrong Wanqing stood up and said, "Uncle, if there¡¯s nothing else, I¡¯ll be leaving now."


    "Alright, don¡¯t be too upset, your health is more important."


    Walking out of the western restaurant, Nanrong Wanqing looked at the gloomy sky outside, feeling empty inside, as if she had lost her soul, without any spirit.


    "Chairman." Zhong Wei, who was waiting by the roadside, hurried over when he saw Nanrong Wanqing approaching. Seeing that Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s expression wasn¡¯t right, Zhong Wei asked with concern, "Chairman, are you alright? Are you feeling unwell, should I take you to the hospital for a check-up?"


    "No need." Nanrong Wanqing said expressionlessly, "Just take me back."


    "Chairman, weren¡¯t we going to Ling Chen¡¯s house?"


    "No, take me back to Wealthy Manor."


    "Yes." With the chairman¡¯smand, Zhong Wei dared not ask more and quickly ushered Nanrong Wanqing into the car.


    ...


    In the evening.


    Ling Chen sat in the freshly tidied living room, checking the time, it was almost six-thirty, but there was still no sign of Nanrong Wanqing. He took out his phone and dialed Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s number.


    Soon, the call connected, and on the other end came Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s weary voice. Ling Chen was shocked and hurriedly asked, "Wanqing, what¡¯s wrong?"


    "Nothing, I just suddenly feel very tired and want to rest. Sorry, I probably can¡¯te tonight, please apologize to Mrs. Yang for me, I¡¯m really sorry."


    "Wait for me at home, I¡¯lle over to see you right away." With that, Ling Chen got up and headed out.


    "No need, I¡¯m already lying in bed, the doctor just checked me, it¡¯s just a little cold, nothing serious. A few pills and a good night¡¯s sleep will do. You just moved into your new home, stay and celebrate with everyone, I¡¯lle over as a guest another day when I feel better."


    "Alright then, you rest first, I won¡¯t disturb you anymore. If I have time tomorrow, I¡¯lle to Wealthy Manor to see you."


    After hanging up, Yang Qingling, who was busy in the kitchen, poked her head out and asked, "Ling Chen, isn¡¯t Wanqinging?"


    "Mom, Wanqing is not feeling well, she¡¯s resting at home and can¡¯te tonight."


    "Is it serious?"


    "No, just a minor cold, I¡¯ll go over and keep herpany tomorrow." As he spoke, he heard a doorbell ring at the entrance.


    Ling Chen quickly walked to the door and opened it, seeing Hu Fei, Tang Guolun, Zhou Jun, Kaelina, Jiang Yunkai... and Qiu Yong among others outside. Seeing everyone had arrived, Ling Chen couldn¡¯t help but smile and quickly ushered them into the house.


    "Come in and make yourselves at home." Ling Chen warmly greeted.


    Yuan Yun patted Ling Chen on the shoulder and said with a smile, "Don¡¯t worry, we won¡¯t be formal with you."


    With friends gathered, though Ling Chen was happy, he felt a bit disappointed. He specifically invited Nanrong Wanqing for dinner tonight because he knew so many friends woulde. He hoped she could help host, which in some way would acknowledge her position as the hostess.


    Unfortunately, Nanrong Wanqing suddenly felt unwell, so the n was abandoned.


    "Elder Qiu, you came! Ling Chen, quickly have everyone sit down." Yang Qingling came out of the kitchen, greeting everyone.


    However, her address made Ling Chen feel a bit awkward. He and Qiu Yong were like brothers, but his mother treated him as an elder, which seemed upside down. What was more troubling was that his grandfather actually called Qiu Yong a brother. No wonder, Yang Yan was older than Qiu Yong by a few years, so calling him younger brother was somewhat appropriate.


    But now, Ling Chen¡¯s seniority was all mixed up.


    "Alright, everyone call each other as you like, don¡¯t mind those formalities." Qiu Yong said with a smile.


    During the guests¡¯ seating, Ling Chen pulled Hu Fei aside and asked, "Chubby, now that you all came over, what if something happens at the base? At least leave one or two people there."


    Hu Fei shrugged and said, "What could I have done, when they heard you invited us over for dinner, everyone rushed over, no one wanted to stay back at the base. But don¡¯t worry, Zhou Jun¡¯s grandfather is still there, plus, what could possibly happen over one meal, just rx."


    It¡¯s rare to gather so many people, alcohol was indispensable. After a round of drinks, it was already past eleven at night, except for Qiu Yong and a few others still wanting more, everyone else was too drunk to move.


    Luckily, there were enough rooms in the house, and Ling Chen carried them one by one into the bedrooms.


    When everything was settled, it was already past one in the morning. Ling Chen checked the time, and drove out of themunity alone. Half an hourter, he arrived at the base.


    Hu Fei and the others had drunk too much, and wouldn¡¯t wake up until morning. With no one guarding the base, to avoid any incidents, Ling Chen had to rush over to the base overnight, just in case anything unexpected happened.


    At the base, only Zhou Qi was guarding the control center. Ling Chen greeted Zhou Qi and ced some snacks and a few bottles of liquor he had bought along the way in front of Zhou Qi.


    "Elder Zhou, thank you for your hard work tonight,e, have a couple of drinks first." Ling Chen diligently poured a cup of liquor for Zhou Qi.


    After a few cups of liquor, Zhou Qi became more talkative.


    "Ling Chen, sometimes I feel that I¡¯ve shortchanged myself. Just think, I¡¯ve dedicated most of my life to the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, and what did I get in return? They kicked me out. Honestly, I carry grudges, as most of my life was spent there. But now that I¡¯m out, I¡¯vee to terms with it. Though the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion is a great ce, it¡¯s all about rules andcks warmth among people. Your ce is different, your friends are all genuine, they¡¯re ready to apany you through hardships with just one word. It¡¯s rare in life to have a soulmate, and even more so to have so many wonderful brothers."

 Chapter 1015 - 1022: Deception

    <h4>Chapter 1015: Chapter 1022: Deception</h4>


    "When you¡¯re out and about, you rely on friends. Fortunately, I¡¯ve been lucky to make many like-minded good buddies. Elder Zhou, you really don¡¯t need to feel so sad, after all, so much time has passed. Everyone has their destiny, maybe yours isn¡¯t to remain unknown in the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, but to achieve something great."


    Zhou Qi waved with a smile, "I¡¯m old, I don¡¯t have the energy for great achievements. Ling Chen, what you¡¯re doing now is what¡¯s truly significant, and it¡¯s benefiting the people. If you can destroy the God Organization, it would mean saving countless innocent lives. In this respect, the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion can¡¯tpare to you."


    "The Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion has too many taboos and intricacies, which results in their efficiency being too slow. Also, the pavilion itself is a martial arts arbiter, never actively getting involved in disputes. Unless they¡¯re provoked directly, they don¡¯t act rashly. When I stayed at the pavilion for a long time, I hadn¡¯t thought about many things. But since I¡¯ve gone through so much with you, I¡¯ve realized how selfish the pavilion can be in this regard."


    "Everyone knows the greater the power, the greater the responsibility. However, the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion has such formidable martial prowess and abilities, yet they huddle in their territory, never actively helping others solve problems. Even when someone approaches them, they deliberate repeatedly before making a decision. By the time they decide, it¡¯s already toote."


    Ling Chen chimed in, "The Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, after all, has a history of hundreds of years, and more or less there are bound to be these sorts of issues. What¡¯s more, these issues have taken root, and they can¡¯t be changed overnight unless Su Mei has enough determination."


    Zhou Qi sighed, "I watched Su Mei grow up, and I¡¯m very clear about her abilities. Managing a Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion is already quite challenging, thanks only to her grandfather¡¯s reputation protecting her. To change the pavilion, it¡¯s simply impossible. Unless her grandfather returns to the pavilion, there¡¯s a slight chance."


    Hearing Zhou Qi mention Su He, Ling Chen suddenly remembered his father Ling Kun¡¯s instructions before he left. Su He asked Ling Kun to pass on a message to him, asking him to visit when he had time, as Su He seemed to have something to discuss with him.


    However, being busy dealing with the God Organizationtely, he didn¡¯t have the time, so he thought he¡¯d check it outter.


    After a round of drinks, Zhou Qi was a bit tipsy. Seeing it wasn¡¯t early, Ling Chen let Zhou Qi rest first, while he stayed at the control center to oversee thetter part of the night.


    The night passed.


    By eight o¡¯clock the next morning, Hu Fei and his team returned to the base.


    "Fatty, I¡¯m heading back to rest, call me if anythinges up," Ling Chen instructed.


    "Got it."


    Leaving the base, Ling Chen didn¡¯t head straight home but drove to Wealthy Manor. Last night, Nanrong Wanqing wasn¡¯t feeling well, and he wondered if she was better today.


    As soon as he reached the entrance of the Nanrong Family home, and parked the car, before entering, Nanrong Hao came out from inside.


    "Chen, you¡¯re here early."


    "How¡¯s your sister? Is she feeling better?"


    "My sister?" Nanrong Hao asked confusedly, "What¡¯s wrong with my sister? She¡¯s fine, we even had dinnerst night. However, while her health is fine, she seemed quite preupied, not sure why. Hey, Chen, did you upset my sister?"


    "Of course not. Okay, you head to thepany, I¡¯ll go check on your sister." Saying this, Ling Chen quickly made his way to Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s vi and went straight in.


    On the vi¡¯s second floor, Ling Chen stood in front of Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s bedroom and knocked gently. However, there was no response from inside.


    Strange! Could she have gone out?


    Thinking this, Ling Chen pushed open the door and entered. There was no one in the spacious bedroom, and the quilt on the bed was neatly arranged.


    Where is she?


    Didn¡¯t Nanrong Hao say Nanrong Wanqing was home? How could there be no one? Thinking for a moment, Ling Chen took out his phone and dialed Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s number.


    After a short while, the call connected, and Ling Chen asked, "Wanqing, where are you?"


    "I¡¯m at home, why? Do you need something?"


    "You¡¯re at home?" Ling Chen was slightly taken aback, staring at the empty room, "Uh... are you feeling better? I was just about to visit you at home."


    "No need to trouble yourself. I feel much better after sleeping and there¡¯s no issue. I still need to go to thepanyter. You should focus on your matters, no need to worry about me. Alright, I won¡¯t chat more, I need to get up for breakfast." With that, before Ling Chen could say anything else, Nanrong Wanqing hung up.


    Breakfast?


    Ling Chen chuckled wryly. If he hadn¡¯te to the Nanrong Family home, he might have believed Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s words.


    He couldn¡¯t understand, was there something she couldn¡¯t just tell him? Why resort to deception? Also, since knowing Nanrong Wanqing, she had never lied to him.


    What was really going on?


    Ling Chen touched his nose, feeling a headacheing on. Nanrong Wanqing certainly had something on her mind, which was why she found an excuse to avoid attending the family banquetst night. Whatever was troubling Nanrong Wanqing, it certainly wasn¡¯t a simple matter.


    After much thought, Ling Chen decided to head home first. Since Nanrong Wanqing intended to keep him in the dark, pressing her would be futile and might even anger her. If she wanted to tell him, she would eventually.


    ...


    Two dayster.


    In the chairman¡¯s office at Hongyu Group.


    Secretary Wang Lan knocked on the office door, and after receiving a response, she entered.


    "Chairman."


    "Lan, what¡¯s the matter?" Nanrong Wanqing asked without looking up from her document.


    "Chairman, Mr. Han just called. He wants to see you to discuss something important in person."


    "Mr. Han? Which Mr. Han?"


    "Han Mingchao."


    "Him?" Nanrong Wanqing frowned slightly, "If it¡¯s business-rted, let him talk to Nanrong Hao. I don¡¯t have time to meet him now."


    "Chairman, Mr. Han mentioned that it¡¯s a personal matter, not business, and he¡¯s already downstairs. Should hee up, or should he reschedule?"


    Hearing this, Nanrong Wanqing thought for a moment, closed the document in her hand, and said, "Since he¡¯s here, let hime up."


    "Okay." With that, Wang Lan turned and headed out.


    "Lan, wait!" At this moment, as if remembering something, Nanrong Wanqing called out to Wang Lan.


    Wang Lan stopped and turned back to ask, "Chairman, is there something else?"


    "Inform the front desk in the lobby that if Ling Chenes by, let them notify me in advance. Understand?"


    "Yes, got it." Wang Lan replied, though she was a bit puzzled inside.


    What¡¯s up with the chairman? She¡¯s been stern-faced these past two days, could it be she had a falling-out with Ling Chen?

 Chapter 1016 - 1023: Concert (Part 1)

    <h4>Chapter 1016: Chapter 1023: Concert (Part 1)</h4>


    In recent days, Ling Chen hasn¡¯t been having a good time. He searched for Nanrong Wanqing more than ten times, but each time she found an excuse to refuse him. Over these days, he¡¯s been to the Nanrong Family four or five times, yet still hasn¡¯t caught a glimpse of Nanrong Wanqing.


    What exactly is going on? Ling Chen sat on the sofa at home, pondering quietly. A few days ago, he seemed not to have offended Nanrong Wanqing, and he had no idea why she was upset¡ªthe whole thing is so baffling.


    "Ling Chen."


    Hearing Yang Qingling¡¯s voiceing from behind, Ling Chen turned around and asked, "Mom, what¡¯s up?"


    "Why hasn¡¯t Wanqinge over to visit these past few days? No trace of her, not even a phone call. Did you two have a fight?"


    "Mom, nothing like that. She¡¯s been really busy with work recently, so she doesn¡¯t have time toe over," Ling Chen dodged the question.


    "Oh,e on, I¡¯ve been through this, do you think you can fool me? Son, it¡¯s very normal for couples to argue, you don¡¯t need to worry too much. As a man, you should be generous, not petty like a woman. Also, if Wanqing is mad at you, then you should be the one actively seeking her, instead of just staying at home. Do you expect Wanqing toe find you?"


    Ling Chen said with a bitter smile, "Mom, it¡¯s not like I haven¡¯t tried. I¡¯ve called her so much that my phone¡¯s almost worn out, and I¡¯ve been to the Nanrong Family several times, but she keeps avoiding me. What else can I do? I don¡¯t even know how I¡¯ve offended her. Sigh, sometimes women can be so inexplicable. It¡¯s okay to be angry, but at least give me a reason. She doesn¡¯t say a word, what can I do? Should I block her at her office building?"


    "It¡¯s not a bad thing for a man to be proactive."


    "Mom, it¡¯s not about being proactive or not. Alright, don¡¯t worry about it, I know what to do." Just as he said this, Ling Chen¡¯s phone on the coffee table started ringing.


    Seeing the caller ID, Ling Chen quickly answered the call, "Hello! Shiyun, is there something you need from me?"


    "Ling, my concert is the day after tomorrow, aren¡¯t you going toe and support me?"


    "Of course I¡¯lle, how could I not? Save a seat for me, and I¡¯ll definitely be there."


    "You¡¯ve said it, so don¡¯t go back on your word. I¡¯ll save three seats for you; you can bring some friends along."


    After hanging up the phone, Yang Qingling asked, "Was that Wanqing calling?"


    "No, it was Shiyun. Hey! Mom, are you interested in going to the concert with me?"


    "Shiyun?" Yang Qingling listened to the unfamiliar name and asked, "Who is that? Have I met her?"


    Ling Chen pped his forehead, remembering that he hadn¡¯t mentioned Tang Shiyun to his mom yet.


    "Mom, Shiyun is the first friend I made in East Sea City¡ªa very cute girl. If you meet her, you¡¯re guaranteed to like her."


    Listening to this, Yang Qingling looked at her son with a peculiar gaze and said, "Ling Chen, honestly tell Mom, how many girls are you interested in? Are you seeing several girls at the same time?" Pausing for a moment, without waiting for Ling Chen to respond, Yang Qingling earnestly advised, "Son, Wanqing is a very nice girl, you must not do anything to let her down. Also, men should be loyal, just like your father; you must not be a phnderer. Those kinds of men are scumbags, and I do not wish for my son to be one of them."


    Ling Chen said helplessly, "Mom, what are you saying, making your son sound like such a scumbag. Shiyun is my little sister, don¡¯t overthink it."


    "Men and women can¡¯t have pure friendships, especially you, who always call others your sister, it shows you have feelings for her. Son, don¡¯t me Mom for not warning you; you better be careful, don¡¯t y with fire and get burned."


    "Mom, it¡¯s not as serious as you say." Ling Chen was speechless, his mother¡¯s reaction was too extreme.


    "Alright! Since you don¡¯t want to go to the concert, I won¡¯t force you, I¡¯ll find someone else." After saying this, Ling Chen took strides toward his room. He¡¯s truly scared of Yang Qingling, getting berated out of nowhere.


    "Wait!" Yang Qingling called out to Ling Chen, who was about to go upstairs, "Who said I¡¯m not going? Perfect, I¡¯ll go with you to see what kind of person this ¡¯sister¡¯ of yours is."


    "Alright, if you want to go, I¡¯ll apany you then. I¡¯ll head back to my room!"


    Returning to his room, Ling Chen wandered onto the balcony of the bedroom. Looking out, he could see Han Mingchao¡¯s vi. At this time, two cargo trucks were parked at Han Mingchao¡¯s door, and several men in work uniforms were moving furniture from the house to the trucks.


    Upon seeing this, Ling Chen couldn¡¯t help but wonder. What¡¯s Han Mingchao up to? Why move when you¡¯re living well¡ªcould it be to avoid trouble from me? Thinking of this, Ling Chen chuckled. This guy¡¯s guts are way too small.


    ...


    A day passes.


    Friday, 6:30 PM.


    Ling Chen had dinner at home, went back to his room, and changed into a clean and neat suit, then waited at the front door for Yang Qingling.


    Tang Shiyun¡¯s concert starts at 7:30; there¡¯s still an hour left. After waiting for a few minutes, Yang Qingling leisurely descended from upstairs.


    "Mom, when you meet Shiyunter, mind your words and don¡¯t scare her." Sitting in the car, Ling Chen cautioned anxiously. He had no choice¡ªthe attitude Yang Qingling showed the other day made him worry.


    Yang Qingling red at her son with disdain; she was, after all, raised by a prestigious family, well-educated and courteous¡ªnot like those unruly women on the streets. If it weren¡¯t for him being her son, she would¡¯ve taught him a lesson already, daring to question his mom¡¯s standards.


    Receiving Yang Qingling¡¯s re, Ling Chen straightened up considerably. He shut his mouth and quickly started the car, driving towards the stadium.


    PM.


    Ling Chen arrived on time at the stadium parking lot. After parking, he led Yang Qingling directly to the stadium entrance.


    At this moment, outside the stadium is already a sea of people; the audience all holding tickets and lining up to enter. Such bustling scenes naturally attract street vendors trying to earn some business. Surrounding the crowd, vendors had spontaneously formed a little food street, with tantalizing aromas in the air.


    Seeing those fans holding banners and nametes, Yang Qingling asked in surprise, "Does that Tang Shiyun have great fame?"


    Yang Qingling, who had been abroad for a long time and only recently returned home, had no knowledge of Tang Shiyun¡¯s domestic poprity. Thus, the crowded scene before her left her greatly astounded.


    Ling Chen had only told her that Tang Shiyun was a singer, but never imagined she was such a hit star. For a moment, she was full of curiosity about Tang Shiyun, whom she¡¯d never met.


    In response to Yang Qingling¡¯s inquiry, Ling Chen merely chuckled, believing nothing he could say would be more convincing than the sight of the live audience.

 Chapter 1017 - 1024: Concert (Part 2)

    <h4>Chapter 1017: Chapter 1024: Concert (Part 2)</h4>


    At the entrance of the stadium, Yang Qingling asked, "Son, aren¡¯t we going to queue?"


    "No need, with so many people, we don¡¯t know how long we¡¯ll have to wait in line." Saying this, Ling Chen took out his phone and dialed a number. In less than two minutes, Tang Shiyun¡¯s agent Xu Hong quickly walked out from inside the stadium.


    "Mr. Ling."


    "Miss Xu, I¡¯m sorry to bother you while you¡¯re so busy." Ling Chen said apologetically.


    "No worries." Xu Hong smiled slightly and said, "Shiyun instructed me even if you didn¡¯t call, I would still contact you. Let¡¯s go, there are too many people here, I¡¯ll take you through the VIP ess."


    "Alright, thank you!"


    The VIP ess is only open for concert VIP guests. Led by Xu Hong, Ling Chen and Yang Qingling quickly arrived at the backstage lounge. Not long after they sat down, they saw Tang Shiyune in wearing a red robe full of ssical charm.


    "Ling." Tang Shiyun happily called out, opening her arms wanting to hug Ling Chen. However, she quickly noticed that besides Ling Chen, there was another ***** with a very graceful presence in the lounge.


    Seeing someone else in the room, Tang Shiyun quickly retracted her arms, embarrassedly sticking out her tongue at Ling Chen.


    "Ling, who is this beautiful auntie?"


    Ling Chen smiled and said, "Shiyun,e, let me introduce, this is my mom, Yang Qingling. Mom, this is Tang Shiyun I¡¯ve mentioned to you."


    Mom?


    Tang Shiyun was shocked. When did Ling suddenly have a mom? He hadn¡¯t mentioned anything about thisst time they went out. After a brief moment of confusion, Tang Shiyun quickly responded, sweetly saying, "Mrs. Yang, I¡¯m sorry, I didn¡¯t know you were Ling¡¯s mom and forgot to greet you just now."


    "It¡¯s okay. This is our first meeting, it¡¯s normal for you not to recognize me." Yang Qingling said with a gentle smile. Putting things aside, she quite liked this polite girl.


    "Ling, I reserved three seats for you, why did only two of youe?"


    "It¡¯s just us two, couldn¡¯t find anyone else."


    "Then what about Wanqing? Why didn¡¯t you bring her to watch my concert?"


    "Wanqing... Wanqing had somethinge upst minute, I¡¯m not too sure about her schedule." Ling Chen said casually.


    At this time, Xu Hong knocked on the lounge door and peeked in to say, "Shiyun, fifteen minutes until it starts, you should get ready to go on stage."


    "Got it. Hong, could you take Ling and Mrs. Yang to the VIP seats?" After speaking, Tang Shiyun turned to Yang Qingling and said, "Mrs. Yang, I¡¯m sorry, I need to do my final preparations. After the concert, I¡¯ll sit down and chat with you properly."


    Yang Qingling smiled in response, "Alright, go on with your work, don¡¯t let us dy your important tasks."


    After watching Tang Shiyun leave, Xu Hong led Ling Chen and Yang Qingling straight to the VIP seats. Halfway there, Ling Chen suddenly heard his phone ringing from his pocket. Taking out his phone and looking at the caller ID number, Ling Chen muttered to himself in surprise, why is he calling me?


    Without time to think more, Ling Chen answered the call, saying hello and asked, "Beizhao, why do you have time to call me today?"


    "Ling Chen, are you with Wanqing?"


    "No. You need Wanqing for something?"


    "No, I don¡¯t need Wanqing. Um... are you two okay?"


    Hearing this, Ling Chen asked in confusion, "What do you mean ¡¯okay¡¯? Beizhao, rify what you mean, I don¡¯t quite understand."


    "What, didn¡¯t Wanqinge clean with you?" After a pause, Ji Beizhao continued, "Wanqing already knows about her father¡¯s situation. My dad and I investigated my second uncle¡¯s information, what he used to do, his rtionship with you, and his death, Wanqing knows all of it, I thought Wanqing would have told you."


    Ling Chen felt a pang in his heart. He finally understood why Nanrong Wanqing was ignoring him. It was because of this.


    All along, he had hesitated, not knowing how to tell Nanrong Wanqing about this issue. So he kept dying it until now. Now, Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s attitude is cold towards him, probably ming him for hiding this matter for too long.


    Thinking about this, Ling Chen couldn¡¯t help but give a bitter smile. It¡¯s not surprising that Nanrong Wanqing is angry with him; anyone in her position would be furious; after all, this isn¡¯t a small matter.


    "Hello! Hello! Ling Chen, why aren¡¯t you speaking?"


    Hearing Ji Beizhao¡¯s voice from the other side of the call, Ling Chen said helplessly, "Why didn¡¯t you give me a heads-up earlier, so I could mentally prepare?"


    "Ling Chen, you can¡¯t me me for this. No matter what, Wanqing¡¯s father is my second uncle and my dad¡¯s brother; it¡¯s our family matter, we had to tell Wanqing. Though I did consider you, but I believe you did nothing wrong in this issue, at most, you hid it from Wanqing. Wanqing is not unreasonable; she should understand your difficulties. Therefore, I think she won¡¯t do anything to you; she¡¯ll just sulk for a few days, then you can coax her."


    Ling Chen bitterly smiled, "She¡¯s not even really talking to me now, how can I coax her?"


    "You are her boyfriend, you have to figure it out on your own. Anyway, I just wanted to check in. Since Wanqing hasn¡¯t yet confronted you, why don¡¯t you go to her and exin yourself, maybe she¡¯ll feel better."


    "Alright, that¡¯s all I can do now."


    After hanging up the phone, Ling Chen sighed softly. What¡¯s inevitable wille, this day had to be faced eventually. It¡¯s good, taking this opportunity to exin things clearly to Nanrong Wanqing to avoid misunderstandings.


    "Mr. Ling, it¡¯s time to enter."


    Seeing Ling Chen standing there and not moving, Xu Hong couldn¡¯t help but remind him.


    "Okay, I¡¯ming."


    Arriving at the VIP seats, they were only about two meters from the stage, perfect for watching the performance. There weren¡¯t many seats in the VIP area, only thirty-plus seats. At this moment, most of them were already upied. Those seated in the VIP area are all people of status and position, it¡¯s not something money can buy.


    Tang Shiyun reserved the seats for Ling Chen in the front row, considered the best position in the house.


    Yang Qingling smiled and said, "That little girl is quite thoughtful, leaving the best for you."


    Hearing his mom¡¯s meaningful words, Ling Chen rubbed his nose and said, "Mom, don¡¯t overthink."


    "How can I not overthink, when a woman treats you like this, doesn¡¯t it mean something? If it were someone else, they would surely reserve these seats for their own parents. Hey! Son, does Miss Tang know about your rtionship with Wanqing?"


    "She knows." Ling Chen nodded.

 Chapter 1018 - 1025: Concert (Part 3)

    <h4>Chapter 1018: Chapter 1025: Concert (Part 3)</h4>


    Yang Qingling clicked her tongue in wonder and said, "She knows you have a girlfriend and still treats you like this? It seems she has deep feelings for you. Son, to be honest, I really can¡¯t see what charm you have to attract so many outstanding girls."


    Hearing his mom¡¯s teasing, Ling Chen rolled his eyes and said, "Mom, am I really your biological son? You shouldn¡¯t put down your own son like that. Besides, am I that bad?"


    "You¡¯re not bad, just a bit too much of a yboy. You should learn from your dad in that regard."


    "Dad is aware of my rtionships with them."


    "He knows?" Yang Qingling asked in surprise, "Didn¡¯t your dad give you a hard time?"


    Ling Chen grinned and said, "Mom, what would you want dad to scold me for? If there¡¯s anyone who deserves a scolding, it should be dad first. Oh, by the way! Mom, I almost forgot to tell you, dad arranged a fianc¨¦e for me many years ago."


    "What?" Yang Qingling was taken aback, eximing, "There¡¯s such a thing? Something so big and your dad didn¡¯t discuss it with me."


    "It¡¯s because you weren¡¯t around. See, even dad has arranged things for me, so you don¡¯t need to worry unnecessarily."


    As they were speaking, Ling Chen saw a few people walking through the corridor not far away.


    Wanqing?


    Ling Chen was startled and quickly got up from his seat, briskly walking over to meet them.


    "Wanqing, Haozi, hey! Miss Su, you¡¯re back too, long time no see." Ling Chen greeted Su Lin with a smile. It had been a while since theyst met; the littledy seemed to have been exposed to the elements regrly, as her skin had changed from its former pale color to a healthy tan, her star-like bright eyes now exuding a hint of wildness, bing more charming and poised.


    Hmph!


    Confronted with Ling Chen, Su Lin huffed heavily,pletely ignoring his greeting, and walked past him.


    "Wanqing, you..." Ling Chen was about to speak, but saw Nanrong Wanqing following Su Lin without so much as acknowledging him, her expression very cold.


    "Chen," it was still Nanrong Hao who showed some loyalty. He leaned towards Ling Chen and asked in a low voice, "Did you have a fight with my sister? She¡¯s been in a bad mood these past few days, throwing a fit over the smallest displeasure at home, even I got scolded badly. Chen, you¡¯d better think of a way, if this continues, my days won¡¯t be easy."


    "Your sister already knows about your father¡¯s matter."


    "Really?" Nanrong Hao asked in surprise, "You told her?"


    "It wasn¡¯t me, she found out from somewhere else and hasn¡¯t spoken to me in days. I don¡¯t even know what to do."


    "That doesn¡¯t make sense!" Nanrong Hao said curiously, "Your father¡¯s death has nothing to do with you, so why would she be mad at you? It doesn¡¯t make sense. Besides, my sister is more open-minded than me, if I can get over it, why can¡¯t she?"


    Ling Chen shrugged and said, "How would I know? Forget it! The concert is about to start, let¡¯s take our seats first. I¡¯ll talk to your sister about this after we get back."


    Back at his seat, Ling Chen found, whether intentionally by Su Lin and the others or not, that Nanrong Wanqing was sitting right next to him. However, her expression was icy cold, with a look that warned strangers to stay away.


    Once seated, Ling Chen nced at Nanrong Wanqing beside him and whispered, "Wanqing, I¡¯m sorry, I know I was wrong, I shouldn¡¯t have kept your father¡¯s matters a secret from you for so long."


    As for Ling Chen¡¯s exnation, Nanrong Wanqing acted as if she hadn¡¯t heard it, her gaze fixed unwaveringly on the stage, not sparing even the corner of her eye for Ling Chen.


    Seeing her indifferent reaction, Ling Chen felt at a loss, not knowing how to get Nanrong Wanqing to respond.


    While pondering, the stage lights gradually dimmed. Then, a dazzling beam of light projected from the top,nding in the center of the stage.


    At the same time, the round tform in the center of the stage began to rise slowly, revealing a figure cloaked in a bright red robe to the tens of thousands of audience members.


    When Tang Shiyun¡¯s exquisite face appeared on the big screen, the whole audience immediately erupted, with waves of cheers continually rising, and everyone chanting Tang Shiyun¡¯s name in unison.


    Facing the enthusiastic crowd, Tang Shiyun wore a sweet smile, walked gracefully to the edge of the stage, and bowed to the audience in gratitude.


    Along with Tang Shiyun¡¯s movements, soothing music spread from around the stage, filling the entire stadium.


    Like the wind, like water, as if time passes.


    Like a song, like wine, intoxicating the heart.


    ...


    Tang Shiyun held the microphone, her sweet voice like a clear spring, lingering in the ears of the audience. In an instant, the noisy stadium quieted down, leaving only Tang Shiyun¡¯s voice flowing throughout the venue.


    Listening to Tang Shiyun¡¯s song, Ling Chen felt his mood instantly calm down, as if all troubles were cast away. At this moment, only Tang Shiyun¡¯s enchanting voice echoed in his mind.


    It wasn¡¯t just Ling Chen; even Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s expression, as cold as an iceberg, gradually melted, her beautiful eyes flickering, immersed in the beautiful and moving melody.


    The song came to an end.


    After a few seconds of silence in the audience, a thundering apuse erupted, resounding throughout the stadium.


    Watching the audience¡¯s reaction and Tang Shiyun smiling on stage, Ling Chen¡¯s lips curled up, lightly pping his hands to cheer for Tang Shiyun.


    Now Tang Shiyun finally has her big stage.


    After listening to a few songs, Tang Shiyun finally went down to rest and change costumes, and next was the performance by the concert guest. However, just as the guest came on stage and hadn¡¯t started singing yet, they faced strong protests from the audience.


    "We want to hear Tang Shiyun!"


    "We want to hear Tang Shiyun!"


    Tens of thousands of people in the stadium shouted in unison, almost lifting the roof of the stadium. Fortunately, the guest had good on-the-spot adaptability and quickly exined, asking everyone to stay calm.


    Taking advantage of Tang Shiyun not being back on stage yet, Ling Chen turned his gaze to Nanrong Wanqing beside him, attempting to start a conversation, "Wanqing..."


    However, before Ling Chen could finish, he saw Nanrong Wanqing suddenly turn her head towards Su Lin. Whatever she said, she got up and started walking out.


    Watching Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s departing figure, Ling Chen hesitated whether to go after her or not.


    "Hey! What are you standing there for?" At this moment, Su Lin¡¯s voice came from beside him.


    "Don¡¯t say I didn¡¯t help you. Wanqing went to the bathroom. If you have something to say, go find her yourself."


    Hearing this, Ling Chen¡¯s eyes lit up. He thought the little girl wasn¡¯t going to pay him any attention!


    "Thanks!" Ling Chen thanked her and hurriedly got up to follow. Soon, he arrived outside the restroom of the stadium. Since it was a VIP lounge and bathroom, no one else was around; everyone was watching the show live.


    Standing outside the bathroom, Ling Chen waited quietly, contemting how to exin things to Nanrong Wanqing.

 Chapter 1019 - 1026: An Unexplainable Accident

    <h4>Chapter 1019: Chapter 1026: An Unexinable ident</h4>


    At this moment, near the base, more than a dozen workers in road safety uniforms were holding barriers and closed off several roads, diverting all passing vehicles to take alternative routes.


    After the roadblocks were set up, several box trucks slowly drove over, heading straight towards the base.


    As the box trucks reached their destination, the cargopartments opened from the back, and armed men jumped out of the trucks, gathering by the roadside. A rough nce showed at least a hundred people. At the same time, several trucks carrying heavy machinery drove in from the other side of the road.


    When the trucks were parked, Zhu Hong jumped down from the passenger seat and walked straight into the crowd.


    "Mr. Ji, are all the people here?" Zhu Hong asked.


    "They¡¯re here, and all the equipment is here, ready to act anytime," standing at the front of the crowd, Ji Gang replied. "Where¡¯s your Master?"


    "Don¡¯t worry, Mr. Ji, my Master will arrive soon and won¡¯t dy the important matters." With that, Zhu Hong turned and looked at the construction site not far away, saying, "Mr. Ji, tonight¡¯s battle is crucial for the God Organization¡¯s future survival in East Sea City. You better take it seriously and make sure nothing goes wrong. As partners, only if you stand your ground firmly, will my days be easier."


    "Zhu Hong, the God Organization never stops until we achieve our purpose. Just wait and see; this base will be taken back sooner orter," Ji Gang said, ordering several subordinates below, "Get ready immediately, attack in half an hour."


    Inside the base.


    Watching the surveince footage disyed on the big screen, Tang Guolun, Hu Fei, and the others unconsciously tensed up.


    "Boss Tang, looks like the God Organization is nning something big."


    "What are we afraid of? With this base, we¡¯ll meet soldiers with generals, water with earth. I want to see what capabilities the God Organization truly has." After a pause, Tang Guolun looked at Hu Fei and said, "Call Ling Chen, inform him about the situation here, and have hime back immediately. We need him to hold the fort."


    "I think Ling Chen is at Shiyun¡¯s concert tonight."


    "What¡¯s more important, his little girlfriend¡¯s concert or the security of the base? Stop the nonsense and make the call." With that, Tang Guolun continued to instruct, "Zhou Jun, since Ling Chen isn¡¯t here temporarily, the armored robot is yours. They¡¯ll definitely use heavy machinery to destroy the base¡¯s outer defensester. Your primary task is to stop them. Any problems?"


    "Boss Tang, rest assured, I guarantee not to disappoint you," Zhou Jun quickly assured.


    "Very good. Elder Zhou!" Tang Guolun turned his gaze to Zhou Qi on the side and said, "We will find a way to block the attack from the God Organization; the rest is up to you, ording to the n we discussed earlier."


    "I understand."


    "Alright, since everyone knows their job, take your positions. Report to me immediately if there are any issues."


    ...


    In the VIP lounge of the gymnasium.


    Ling Chen waited outside for a few minutes, finally seeing Nanrong Wanqing emerging from the restroom.


    "Wanqing." Ling Chen hurried over, trying to take Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s hand, but she threw her hand behind her, avoiding Ling Chen¡¯s grasp.


    Seeing Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s behavior, Ling Chen gave a bitter smile and said, "Wanqing, I know you¡¯re mad at me. No matter if you scold or hit me, I¡¯ll ept it, but please, don¡¯t treat me so coldly. At least talk to me."


    "What do you want me to say?" Nanrong Wanqing coldly replied.


    "Wanqing, I was wrong about your father¡¯s matter. I shouldn¡¯t have hidden it from you for so long. I just hope you can understand; I really didn¡¯t know how to bring it up to you."


    Hearing this, Nanrong Wanqing stared into Ling Chen¡¯s eyes and asked, "You think that¡¯s your only mistake?"


    Ling Chen was stunned and asked in confusion, "Do I have other mistakes?"


    "Think carefully yourself; apart from my father¡¯s matter, where else did you go wrong? Don¡¯te to me until you figure it out." With that, Nanrong Wanqing stormed out.


    Seeing her leave, Ling Chen quickly grabbed Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s arm, urgently saying, "Wanqing, I really don¡¯t know. At least give me a hint."


    "Ling Chen, even now, you¡¯re still pretending in front of me?" Nanrong Wanqing said coldly, "Aren¡¯t you clear in your heart about what you¡¯ve done wrong towards me? Or do you really want me to say it all out?"


    "Say it!" Ling Chen nodded and said, "I really don¡¯t know where I went wrong. Although I have my ws, I have never made a fundamental mistake."


    "Alright, you forced me. Let me ask you, what¡¯s the rtionship between you and Leng Feifei?"


    "Feifei?" Hearing Nanrong Wanqing mention Leng Feifei, Ling Chen couldn¡¯t help but feel a pang in his heart. The fact that Nanrong Wanqing brought up Leng Feifei specifically, could it mean she found out about the matter between them?


    However, he had never disclosed anything about Leng Feifei, so how did Nanrong Wanqing know? Could it be Leng Feifei herself went to Nanrong Wanqing and told her?


    No! It couldn¡¯t be. Ling Chen thought to himself. Although Leng Feifei expressed her liking for him, her character would never allow her to do such a thing. As thoughts shed quickly, a spark of intuition suddenly crossed Ling Chen¡¯s mind.


    That¡¯s it!


    Han Mingchao, it must be that bastard. No wonder a few days ago, he saw Han Mingchao moving out of the vi across the street. At the time, he thought Han Mingchao was afraid of getting into trouble with him, but now he realized Han Mingchao should be afraid of retaliation.


    Good, Han Mingchao, I spared you, and yet you turned to harm me instead.


    While thinking, Nanrong Wanqing saw the flickering eyes of Ling Chen, who remained silent for a long time, and she lightly bit her lip, saying, "Looks like I was right, there is indeed an unspeakable rtionship between you and Leng Feifei. Ling Chen, I trusted you so much, and yet you betrayed me like this."


    "No, it¡¯s not like that," Ling Chen quickly exined. "Wanqing, it¡¯s not what you think. Yes, something did happen with Feifei, but it was not by our will. If you must me someone, then me Han Mingchao; it¡¯s all his doing. Wanqing, believe me, Feifei and I are truly innocent."


    Nanrong Wanqing looked pale, holding back tears, and said, "You admitted to having rtions with her, so what innocence is there to speak of? Ling Chen, do you really think I¡¯m that easy to deceive?"


    "Wanqing, will you hear me out? You¡¯re a reasonable person; if you know what happened, I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll understand me."


    "Fine." Nanrong Wanqing took a deep breath and nodded, "Go ahead, I want to hear what excuses you have for covering up your disgraceful behavior."

 Chapter 1020 - 1027: All-Out Offensive

    <h4>Chapter 1020: Chapter 1027: All-Out Offensive</h4>


    "I..." Ling Chen opened his mouth, about to exin, but at that moment, the ringtone of his phone in his pocket suddenly rang.


    He took out his phone and saw that it was Hu Fei calling. Ling Chen hesitated for a moment, but still chose to answer the call.


    "Hello! Fatty, what¡¯s going on? I¡¯m in the middle of something urgent, I¡¯ll call you backter."


    "If you wait any longer, the whole base might be gone."


    Hearing this, Ling Chen¡¯s expression changed slightly. He nced at the heartbroken Nanrong Wanqing, turned aside, and asked, "What¡¯s happening?"


    "The God Organization has gathered arge number of people and sealed off all the surrounding roads. It looks like they¡¯re preparing for a full-scale attack on the base. You¡¯d better get back immediately."


    "Is this really happening?" Ling Chen¡¯s heart sank, instantly understanding the God Organization¡¯s intention. Tonight was Tang Shiyun¡¯s concert, and the police had allocated most of their forces to maintain order at the stadium, leaving other areas with very thin police presence. Such a good opportunity could not be missed by the God Organization.


    Thinking of this, Ling Chen immediately responded, "Wait for me there, I¡¯ll be back right away." Hanging up the phone, Ling Chen walked up to Nanrong Wanqing and said solemnly, "I have something urgent to handle, I¡¯ll exin everything when I get back." Without waiting for Nanrong Wanqing to respond, Ling Chen started walking out.


    "Stop!" Nanrong Wanqing shouted softly at Ling Chen¡¯s back, "Ling Chen, don¡¯t think you can make excuses to avoid this. If you don¡¯t exin clearly today, then don¡¯t bother exining in the future."


    "Wanqing..." Ling Chen turned his head and said helplessly, "What happened with Feifei might have been my mistake, but it was an ident, it doesn¡¯t mean I betrayed you. I don¡¯t have time to exin much now, but think about it yourself¡ªhave I ever done anything to wrong you since we met? Whenever you¡¯re in danger, even if I have to risk my life, I¡¯ll save you. Doesn¡¯t that prove my intentions?"


    "Lin told me that men change, maybe you¡¯re the same."


    "We¡¯ve been through a lot together. If that¡¯s not enough for you to trust me, then nothing I say will matter." Saying this, Ling Chen checked the time and said, "I really have something urgent, sorry, if you¡¯re still willing to listen, I¡¯ll exin everything when I get back."


    Having said that, regardless of how much Nanrong Wanqing shouted, Ling Chen left without looking back.


    After leaving the stadium, Ling Chen made a call to Yang Qingling and drove towards the base.


    The journey from the stadium to the base took over twenty minutes, not too far. However, because of the concert, many unauthorized vehicles were parked along the roadside near the stadium, causing congestion at both sides of the road, with traffic moving very slowly.


    Ling Chen kept his patience, following the traffic for several hundred meters. It took more than ten minutes to reach a clear road section.


    At this time, near the base, Ji Gang had already ordered an attack.


    A few trucks directly drove several pieces of heavy machinery into the construction site. Around the heavy machinery were over twenty fully armed men guarding, in case someone came to sabotage.


    Through therge screen¡¯s surveince footage, two excavators were seen slowly moving above the base, starting to clear the surface soil. At the same time, severalrge drilling machines were already equipped and ready to start work at any moment.


    Seeing this, Tang Guolun immediately shouted, "Fatty, have Zhou Jun prepare to act."


    "Understood!"


    Soon, Zhou Jun, driving the armored ironman, was transported to the surface from the freight elevator. For the past few days, Zhou Jun had been getting ustomed to this armored ironman because Ling Chen couldn¡¯t stay at the base all the time. To handle unexpected situations, Tang Guolun specifically arranged for Zhou Jun to take over from Ling Chen as a contingency.


    Zhou Jun used to belong to the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, with a good skill base, young and strong, very suitable for operating this armored ironman.


    Reaching the surface, Zhou Jun controlled the armored ironman, striding rapidly towards the location of the heavy machinery. Tang Guolun¡¯s task for him was clear: destroy the God Organization¡¯s heavy machinery to prevent them from damaging the base¡¯s external defenses.


    Seeing the armored ironman approaching, the men guarding around the heavy machinery immediately rushed to encircle the armored ironman. At the same time, they all drew their prepared crossbows, aiming at various parts of the armored ironman.


    "Fire!"


    With a singlemand, over twenty crossbows were simultaneously unleashed, sharp crossbow arrows pierced through the air with a whistle, pinning themselves to the metallic surface of the armored ironman. At the tail end of these crossbow arrows, each was tethered with a steel wire, connected to their respective crossbows.


    As the crossbow arrows were secured, over twenty men vigorously pulled the steel wires in different directions, trying to use the pull to drag the armored ironman to the ground. If they could immobilize the armored ironman, the subsequent tasks would be much easier.


    However, despite their wellid ns, they overlooked the weight of the armored ironman itself. No matter how they pulled, the armored ironman remained steadfast on the ground, unmoving.


    "My turn." Zhou Jun sitting in the cockpit grinned, and the two robotic arms suddenly lifted high. Instantly, driven by the steel wires, several men flew up, skimming through the air,nding heavily on the ground.


    Seeing this situation, the leading man hurriedly shouted, "Retreat quickly!"


    "Let¡¯s see where you can run to." Zhou Jun, driving the armored ironman, quickly followed the group towards the location of the heavy machinery.


    "Hurry, retreat quickly!" The technicians operating the heavy machinery, seeing the armored ironman rushing over, quickly signaled theirpanions to start the trucks, dragging the heavy machinery towards the two main buildings on the construction site.


    However, the roads on the construction site were uneven, and with the heavy machinery being dragged behind, the trucks weren¡¯t moving fast. In no time, Zhou Jun caught up to the trucks.


    "Speed up, faster, speed up!" The technicians in the trucks urged anxiously.


    Finally, after a bumpy ride, the trucks drove into the unfinished underground parking lot of the main building. However, as the parking lot was still under construction, it was piled with bricks and construction debris everywhere. The trucks had no where to go, and had to stop in ce.


    At this moment, apanied by the sound of heavy footsteps, the armored ironman had already arrived in the parking lot.


    Seeing those trucks trapped ahead, Zhou Jun couldn¡¯t help but smile. Let¡¯s see how you escape now!


    With a quick turn of mind, Zhou Jun controlled the armored ironman, stepping forward, raising the mechanical arms high to destroy the heavy machinery on the trucks.


    Seeing the armored ironmaning closer, the technicians in the trucks no longer looked panicked, but instead had cold smiles of plots seeding in their eyes.

 Chapter 1021 - 1028: Fleeing in Disarray

    <h4>Chapter 1021: Chapter 1028: Fleeing in Disarray</h4>


    Bang!


    When Zhou Jun drove the armored robot to the center of the parking lot, he suddenly heard a loud explosion from above. Then,rge chunks of stone fell from the top, smashing onto the armored robot.


    Those stones sted out weighed hundreds or even thousands of pounds, while the armored robot itself weighed only a few tons. After being hit by the stones, the robot immediately toppled to the ground. Before Zhou Jun could control the robot to stand up, stone after stone fell, and in the blink of an eye, the robot was buried under a pile of giant rocks.


    Sitting in the cockpit, Zhou Jun tried hard to adjust the position of the armored robot, wanting to use its two mechanical arms to remove the stones. However, the number of stones was too great, and the umted weight was terrifying, so the mechanical arms couldn¡¯t move the stones outside.


    "Boss Tang, I¡¯m trapped!"


    Hearing Zhou Jun¡¯s anxious voiceing from the inte, Tang Guolun¡¯s face darkened, and he asked, "What¡¯s your current situation?"


    "The armor is buried by stones, and I can¡¯t move right now. However, the oxygen in the armor is still sufficient, and it should be fine for two hours. Don¡¯t worry about me for now; find a way to stop them first."


    "Okay, take care of yourself. Once we resolve things here, I¡¯ll send someone to rescue you."


    "Fatty!" Tang Guolun turned to Hu Fei and said in a deep voice, "We can¡¯t rely on Zhou Jun."


    "Then what do we do? Without that armored robot, they¡¯ll eventually breach the base¡¯s defenses. How about... how about we send people out?"


    "No." Tang Guolun immediately rejected, "Ji Gang and the others are outside. Even if we send people out, it would just be sending them to their deaths and serve no purpose." With that, Tang Guolun asked, "Where¡¯s Ling Chen? How much longer until he arrives?"


    "I just called him. It will probably take another ten minutes or so."


    "Toote!"


    As they spoke, a technician in the control center pointed at the big screen and said, "They¡¯re preparing to drill."


    Everyone looked closely. At this moment, members of the God Organization were driving heavy machinery to the base¡¯s top. The two excavators had already dug through the surface soil, revealing a thickyer of concrete wall.


    As the drill slowly descended, a buzzing vibration sound immediately came from the top of the base.


    This time, in pursuit of efficiency, the God Organization used arge drilling rig, which was several times bigger than previous drilling equipment.


    As time passed second by second, watching the drill slowly move down, everyone in the control center felt a heavy heart.


    If a way to stop it couldn¡¯t be found, soon the God Organization would drill through the base¡¯s outer defenses. Once Ji Gang and the others break into the base, standing against them would be impossible for just these people.


    "Fatty, inform Elder Zhou to speed up; we have no time to waste."


    "Got it."


    Outside the base, Ji Gang stood beside Zhu Hong, looking at his subordinates nearby and asked, "How much longer until the outer wall is breached?"


    "Soon, at the current speed, it will take at most another ten minutes."


    "Very well, pass down my order for everyone to stand by and prepare to charge in with me."


    "Yes!"


    "Zhu Hong, where¡¯s your Master? How much longer until he arrives?"


    Zhu Hong smiled slightly and pointed above, saying, "My Master has arrived. Elder Ji, rest assured, when we breach the base, we disciples won¡¯t be missing."


    Ji Gang looked up at the night sky, seeing a hawk soaring above, circling unceasingly. The presence of the hawk indicated that Song Mingzhe and others were nearby.


    Five minutester, the ceiling at the top of the control center had started to show cracks, with dust asionally falling from above.


    "Boss Tang, we can¡¯t hold on any longer, we have to go now, or it will be toote," Hu Fei urged.


    Tang Guolun frowned deeply, sighed, and nodded, "Sound the rm, let everyone in the base evacuate. Also, destroy all data in the control center; it must not fall into the hands of the God Organization."


    Hu Fei responded, "Rest assured, I¡¯ve already activated the self-destruct system; in one minute, allputer data will be erased."


    A few minutester, with a ¡¯boom¡¯, the ceiling of the control center copsed, creating a hole more than half a meter wide.


    When the drill was retracted, several shbangs and smoke grenades fell from the round hole above.


    Bang! Bang!


    Blinding lights shed by, and thick smoke instantly filled the control center. At this time, a rope was faintly visible being thrown down from the round hole. Immediately after, several armed men slid down the rope from above.


    "Safe!"


    "Safe!"


    After receiving the report from the advance team, Ji Gang promptly, without a word, led his subordinates through the round hole into the control center of the base.


    Looking at the empty control center, Ji Gang coldly said, "Search, find out where they went."


    "Yes!"


    "Elder Ji, congrattions on sessfully regaining control of this base," Zhu Hong walked over from behind, smiling.


    "Hmph! I thought Ling Chen and his people were capable, but they¡¯re just cowards, not daring to show their faces. Zhu Hong, it was thanks to your suggestion that we were able to retake the base easily."


    "Elder Ji, you¡¯re too kind, we¡¯re partners, and it¡¯s only right to help each other." After speaking, Zhu Hong changed the topic and said, "Elder Ji, since the base has been retaken, it seems our task here is done. I¡¯ll take my leave; if there¡¯s anything, call me."


    "Alright, I will."


    Watching Zhu Hong leave, Ji Gang walked to theputer in the control center, looking at the red warning signs disyed on the screen, he turned and instructed, "Call the technicians over to see if they can restore the base¡¯s system."


    Over ten minutester, the personnel who went to search the base gradually returned to the control center.


    "Mr. Ji, we¡¯ve checked everywhere and didn¡¯t find their whereabouts."


    "No one?" Ji Gang furrowed his brows and murmured, "They must have built an escape tunnel in the base. Notify everyone, look carefully for the location of that escape tunnel."


    "Yes, I¡¯ll get right on it."


    After his men left, Ji Gang took out his phone and dialed Lin Guodong¡¯s number. Now that the base was sessfully retaken, it was time to report the good news to Lin Guodong.


    "Mr. Lin, rest assured, the base is intact, not heavily damaged, and can still be used normally. It¡¯s just a pity that Ling Chen¡¯s people escaped. If we could capture them all, that would have been the greatest victory."


    "That¡¯s not urgent," Lin Guodong said with a smile, "As long as we¡¯ve retaken the base, we have the upper hand. As for Ling Chen¡¯s people, we¡¯ll capture them sooner orter. Alright, go check theboratory and make sure the equipment is fine."


    "Okay."

 Chapter 1022 - 1029: A Scheme Within a Scheme (Part 1)

    <h4>Chapter 1022: Chapter 1029: A Scheme Within a Scheme (Part 1)</h4>


    "You few,e with me." Ji Gang hung up the phone, pointed at a few subordinates, and headed straight to theboratory on the second floor of the base.


    Since the entire base¡¯s system had been shut down, the password input system was also ineffective. Ji Gang spent a considerable amount of time trying to open theboratory¡¯s door.


    Entering theb, Ji Gang nced at the equipment arranged around, preparing to conduct an inspection. But at this moment, he suddenly heard a slight noise reach his ears.


    "Who¡¯s there?" Ji Gang called out coldly, "Get out here!"


    As soon as he finished speaking, he saw someone slowly crawling out from behind a piece of equipment. The person wore a white coat, sses, and looked a bit pale, seemingly scared.


    Seeing Ji Gang at the door, the man quickly raised his hands and shouted loudly, "Don¡¯t, don¡¯t kill me, Mr. Ji, you know me, I¡¯m not the enemy."


    Ji Gang scrutinized the middle-aged man, gradually rxing the vignce in his eyes.


    "I know you; you¡¯re a researcher for the God Organization." Saying this, Ji Gang looked around and asked, "Why are you the only one here, where are the others?"


    "They were all taken away."


    "Then why did you stay here?"


    The middle-aged man hurriedly exined, "I was in the bathroom at the time, and I heardmotion outside. When I came out, I only saw those people taking my colleagues away. They left in a hurry, so they didn¡¯t bother with me. After that, I kept hiding in theb."


    "You got lucky." Ji Gang nodded and said, "Help check to see if there¡¯s any problem with theb equipment. I have other matters to attend to, report to me directlyter."


    "Yes, Mr. Ji."


    After giving instructions, Ji Gang turned around to walk out of theb. As he reached the door, before he could exit, he suddenly heard a loud ¡¯bang¡¯ behind him. Looking back, he saw a machine in theb bursting into mes, emitting thick smoke, and the researcher lying on the ground, his life or death unknown.


    Seeing this situation, Ji Gang frowned slightly, quickly walked up to the researcher, and turned him over from the ground.


    However, at this time, a st door suddenly dropped from the top of theb¡¯s entrance, sealing off the only way in and out.


    Witnessing this sudden change, Ji Gang¡¯s expression shifted slightly, immediately dropping the researcher and getting up to check the situation. But as he stood, the fallen researcher suddenly opened his eyes and stuck a syringe into Ji Gang¡¯s calf.


    Before Ji Gang could react, the syringe¡¯s contents had already beenpletely injected into his body.


    Feeling the sting in his leg, Ji Gang looked down and was instantly furious, lifting his right foot to stomp on the researcher. With Ji Gang¡¯s strength, the researcher would be severely injured or worse if hit.


    However, before the foot couldnd, Ji Gang¡¯s body suddenly swayed, two sides to side, as if he couldn¡¯t control his center of gravity. Seizing the opportunity, the researcher quickly got up from the ground, dashed to the corner of theb, and looked at Ji Gang with fear.


    At this moment, Ji Gang was trying hard to adjust his bnce, but for some reason, a strong sense of weakness quickly spread throughout his body, leaving him utterly powerless, his head feeling dizzy, and even his eyelids heavy.


    Instantly, Ji Gang appeared as if he were drunk, spinning around and stumbling, finally unable to hold on, copsing to the ground, unconscious.


    Seeing Ji Gang fall, the other subordinates in theb immediately rushed over, calling out Ji Gang¡¯s name loudly, hoping to wake him. However, Ji Gang was already in a deepa, unresponsive to their calls.


    "Go, catch that bastard," a man said, pointing at the hiding researcher.


    Seeing the two mening towards him, the researcher was so frightened that he covered his head with his hands, shouting desperately, "Help... help me!"


    A scream!


    Just after the researcher¡¯s words fell, a cry of pain was heard in theb. At this time, from a cab ced against the wall, two people suddenly charged out; it was Kaelina and Qin Genglong.


    As soon as the duo made their move, Ji Gang¡¯s subordinates around him were instantly taken down.


    After dealing with the remaining people, Kaelina looked at the researcher and said, "You cane out now, don¡¯t be afraid."


    Simultaneously, next to the wall in a corner of theb, the grate of a venttion duct was being pushed open from the inside. Subsequently, Tang Guolun, Hu Fei, and a few doctors in white coats crawled out from the duct.


    Seeing the unconscious Ji Gang on the ground, Hu Fei couldn¡¯t help but smile smugly.


    "Humph! And he ims to be a Heavenly List expert, but is nothing more."


    Tang Guolun patted the researcher on the shoulder and nodded approvingly, saying, "Well done. I¡¯ll give you a big credit when this is over."


    "Th-thank you!" The researcher wiped the sweat from his forehead, forcing a smile. If it weren¡¯t for Tang Guolun and others coercing him, he wouldn¡¯t have dared to perform such a suicidal act.


    "Hey! He shouldn¡¯t be waking up, right?" Hu Fei asked the researcher.


    "No, I injected him with a potent anesthetic, enough to knock out an elephant, let alone a human."


    Hearing this, Hu Fei was finally relieved, pointing at the doctors, "He¡¯s yours now. Remember, don¡¯t kill him."


    "Rest assured, Mr. Hu, nothing will go wrong." Saying this, the doctors lifted Ji Gang onto the iron bed in the center of theb, then connected the instruments to Ji Gang and began their work.


    "Hey! Ling Chen, it¡¯s me." At this point, Hu Fei was holding a phone, calling Ling Chen to report the situation on his end.


    "Your n really worked; we¡¯ve already got Ji Gang. How about you, have you reached the base?"


    "Yes, I¡¯m outside."


    "Alright, you can proceed over there now. I¡¯m in theb, waiting for your good news."


    ...


    After hanging up the phone, Ling Chen stood by the roadside, looking at the construction site not far away, striding over.


    Tonight¡¯s operation was actually within Ling Chen¡¯s expectations. He had arrested the God Organization¡¯s researchers, clearly posing a significant threat to the organization. At this point, the only option for Lin Guodong was to retake the base. If he didn¡¯t, the God Organization¡¯s position in East Sea City would be extremely precarious, making it hard to maintain a foothold. Thus, Lin Guodong would definitely not sit back and wait, and would surely take action.


    Since the base is located within the city, the God Organization dares not make a big scene. Therefore, tonight, during Tang Shiyun¡¯s concert, would be the best time for the organization to make its move.

 Chapter 1023 - 1030: A Scheme Within a Scheme (Part 2)

    <h4>Chapter 1023: Chapter 1030: A Scheme Within a Scheme (Part 2)</h4>


    Zhu Hong thought he was very clever, but how could Ling Chen not be aware of what he realized? Moreover, Ling Chen had much more experience than Zhu Hong, a half-baked amateur.


    Since Ji Gang had already been sessfully controlled, it was time for a major sweep of the base.


    Picking up his phone, Ling Chen made a call and walked straight towards the main gate of the base. At this moment, there were more than a dozen members of the God Organization guarding outside the main gate.


    Seeing Ling Chen approaching from a distance, the crowd¡¯s expressions slightly changed, and they quickly picked up their walkie-talkies to call theirpanions in the base.


    Ling Chen¡¯s lips curled slightly, and with a light tip of his toe, the Nine Yang Qiankun Step was instantly deployed, charging straight into the crowd ahead.


    In just a blink of an eye, the dozen men guarding the main gate were all easily taken care of by Ling Chen. After taking out the blockers, Ling Chen walked to the main gate, gave it a slight push, and the heavy door immediately opened.


    Since Hu Fei had already shut down the base¡¯s systems during the retreat, all facilities were in a dysfunctional state. Therefore, the doors of the base were all automatically unlocked, allowing free entry and exit. This was also done to facilitate their counter-attack.


    At this time, arge group of people approached the base, led by Jiang Yunkai and Bai Huanjun, and apart from them, all others werebat personnel from the Secret Society.


    Although there were many enemies inside the base, numbering in the hundreds, due to Ji Gang¡¯s disappearance, everyone was leaderless. Faced with the sudden attack, the people of the God Organization were dumbfounded andpletely clueless about what to do.


    Taking advantage of this opportunity, Ling Chen led everyone tounch an offensive. Before long, the people of the God Organization were either dead or injured, and the rest were forced to the second level of the base.


    "Kai, I¡¯ll leave the rest to you."


    Jiang Yunkai nodded, saying, "Don¡¯t worry, they¡¯re just small fry that can be taken care of in no time."


    Upon arriving outside theboratory, after Ling Chen and Hu Fei spoke on the phone, the sealed explosion-proof door of theboratory instantly opened.


    Entering theboratory, Ling Chen immediately saw Ji Gang lying on a bed, connected to various IV tubes and instrument wires. Beside Ji Gang¡¯s head, several doctors in white coats and masks were performing surgery.


    "Fatty, how¡¯s it going?" Ling Chen stepped forward and asked.


    "Everything is going smoothly so far, no surprises," Hu Fei said with a smile. "Old Ji Gang must never have imagined that as a dignified expert on the Heavenly List, he¡¯d be taken down by an ordinary person."


    "That¡¯s because he was unguarded. Still, he has no one to me but himself for being so careless. Fatty, tell them to finish the surgery quickly, I have more important things to do."


    "I know, I¡¯ve already spoken to those neurosurgeons, and the surgery should be done in about ten more minutes."


    "Good."


    More than ten minutes passed, and news came from Jiang Yunkai¡¯s side that the people sent by the God Organization had beenpletely dealt with.


    "Kai, cut off theirmunication, make sure they don¡¯t contact Lin Guodong."


    "Don¡¯t worry, I know what to do."


    "Fatty, are you done?"


    "Almost," Hu Fei stood by aputer, typing quickly. Meanwhile, lying on the bed, Ji Gang slightly twitched his eyelids, showing a look of pain, his body trembling slightly.


    Moments ago, the surgery had beenpleted. ording to the doctors¡¯ instructions, Ji Gang was to rest until he woke up naturally. But Ling Chen was racing against the clock and didn¡¯t have time to waste.


    As Hu Fei finished inputting the code, Ji Gang lying on the bed suddenly opened his eyes, staring at the ceiling. At this moment, his gaze exuded a sharpness, not at all like that of a controlled person. However, after over ten seconds, a hint of struggle shed in Ji Gang¡¯s eyes, and gradually, that slightest sliver of consciousness was overtaken by dullness.


    Watching Ji Gang sit up, Ling Chen walked over, scrutinized him carefully, and asked, "Do you recognize who I am?"


    Hearing Ling Chen¡¯s question, Ji Gang looked at him dumbfounded, slowly opened his mouth, and said, "Ling Chen."


    On the side, Hu Fei said, "Don¡¯t worry, although his brain has been imnted with a microchip, it won¡¯t damage his memory. However, his brain has be a simple memory storage without any thinking or judgment ability."


    Ling Chen nodded and asked Ji Gang, "Where is Lin Guodong, tell me."


    Tonight, the God Organization¡¯s personnel had beenpletely wiped out, including Ji Gang now under Ling Chen¡¯s control. At this point, as long as Lin Guodong was caught, the God Organization¡¯s forces in East Sea City could be uprooted.


    All these days, Ling Chen had painstakingly nned to wipe out the God Organization andpletely put an end to them.


    ...


    Time ticked by, Lin Guodong held a ss of red wine, sitting on a sofa, watching the clock on the wall ticking, frowning slightly, with a hint of unease in his eyes.


    "Mr. Lin."


    At this moment, a young man walked in quickly from outside.


    Seeing the neer, Lin Guodong stood up from the sofa and asked, "What happened, have you contacted them?"


    "I¡¯ve called Mr. Ji and the others, but no one is answering."


    Lin Guodong said in a deep voice, "It¡¯s been so long, could something have happened?"


    "I don¡¯t think so. Previously, Mr. Ji called in, saying the base had already been taken over, right? So what could possibly go wrong?"


    "The base is taken, but the people weren¡¯t caught. Ling Chen and his people know full well that the ownership of that base means control, so they shouldn¡¯t give up easily. Ji Gang not answering means the situation hasn¡¯t stabilized yet." Speaking of this, Lin Guodong changed his tone, instructing, "Immediately send someone to the base to find out the situation."


    "We still have people in the city, I¡¯ll arrange it immediately." Saying this, the young man took out his phone and began contacting his subordinates.


    After making the call, the young man turned to Lin Guodong and said, "Our people are on their way to the base, but it may take some time."


    "Why?"


    "Tang Shiyun¡¯s concert just ended, and the roads are jammed with traffic, moving very slowly."


    Lin Guodong said coldly, "If driving doesn¡¯t work, have them run over there. I don¡¯t care how they do it, I must have news within fifteen minutes."


    "Yes." The young man replied hastily.


    "By the way!" Lin Guodong asked, "How many usable people do we have left?"


    "Only the twenty-something security staff in the vi, and besides those sent to the base, a small portion are active in the city, roughly around forty people. Mr. Lin, do you want me to summon them back?"


    "Over forty people? That¡¯s too few!"


    The young man said helplessly, "That¡¯s the way it is, although we have quite a few people, many are overseas handling the aftermath, and they can¡¯te to East Sea City on short notice."

 Chapter 1024 - 1031: Driven into a Corner

    <h4>Chapter 1024: Chapter 1031: Driven into a Corner</h4>


    "Mr. Lin, if I may ask, what do you need people for right now?"


    Lin Guodong nced at the young man and said coldly, "I¡¯m nning for the worst. Ji Gang and the others have been out of touch for so long. Who knows if something¡¯s happened to them?"


    "But... Mr. Ji is a top expert on the Heavenly List. Can Ling Chen and his group really handle him?"


    "Nothing in this world is absolute. Besides, it¡¯s better to be safe than sorry. If Ji Gang and the others have fallen, I¡¯ll be in a very dangerous situation. If I don¡¯t prepare now, should I wait for Ling Chen toe knocking and then figure things out? I don¡¯t want to end up in his hands again."


    Hearing this, the young man thought for a moment and said, "The security personnel at the vi are all top-notch. They should be enough to ensure your safety. How about we contact Zhu Hong and ask for their help? Zhu Hong¡¯s master is also a top expert on the Heavenly List. If he¡¯s here, we¡¯ll definitely be safe."


    "No way." Lin Guodong refused outright, without even thinking. "Do you think that boy Zhu Hong is a good person? Even though we¡¯re partners, I don¡¯t trust him at all. If he finds out about my current situation, he might take advantage of it." Lin Guodong paused and continued, "Go arrange a car. We¡¯ll move to another ce first."


    "Yes, I¡¯ll do it right away."


    Soon, three Mercedes-Benz vans were ready, parked just outside the vi gate.


    Once in the car, Lin Guodong took out his phone and dialed Ji Gang¡¯s number again. But, as before, no one answered. Listening to the system prompt from the other end, Lin Guodong frowned even more deeply.


    "Drive."


    "Mr. Lin, where are we going?"


    "Into the city."


    "Into the city?" The young man hesitated and quickly said, "Mr. Lin, the city roads are all congested. If something happens, it¡¯ll be hard for us to escape. I think it¡¯s safer to stay in the outskirts. Besides, it¡¯s closer to the highway entrance from here. Even if something happens, we can exit East Sea City quickly."


    Lin Guodong snapped coldly, "What do you know? Don¡¯t talk nonsense with me. Head to the city immediately."


    The young man, not daring to disobey Lin Guodong, hurriedly instructed the driver to set off.


    Shortly after Lin Guodong¡¯s car hit the road, several sedans sped down the street and stopped outside the vi. Ling Chen jumped out from the driver¡¯s seat, his face changing as he looked at the bleak, dark vi, and he quickly rushed inside.


    Just as he feared, the vi waspletely empty.


    "Ling Chen, we¡¯ve searched the area, but there¡¯s no sign of Lin Guodong," Tang Guolun reported as he walked in from outside.


    "That old fox must have sensed something." With that, Ling Chen turned and walked out of the vi. Looking at the road ahead, he said, "Lin Guodong shouldn¡¯t have been gone for long. We need to catch up. We can¡¯t let him escape."


    Tang Guolun pointed to both ends of the road and asked, "Which way will you pursue? This way leads to the city, and that way leads to the highway. If I were Lin Guodong, I¡¯d definitely choose the highway to escape."


    Ling Chen pondered for a moment and said, "We can¡¯t gamble on a fifty percent chance. Let¡¯s do this, Boss Tang, you take a team and head towards the city. I¡¯ll take a team towards the highway. Remember, if you discover Lin Guodong¡¯s whereabouts, don¡¯t act rashly. Given Lin Guodong¡¯s status, there will definitely be experts protecting him."


    "Don¡¯t worry, I know what to do. Take care of yourself too!"


    With that, Tang Guolun gathered a few people and drove straight towards the city.


    Sitting in the car, Lin Guodong hesitated for a long time before finally dialing a number he could only remember by heart.


    When the call connected, a deep voice immediately asked, "What is it?"


    Facing the person on the phone, Lin Guodong abandoned his usual calm demeanor and respectfully said, "There¡¯s been a major problem with the operation in East Sea City. I want to seek temporary protection."


    "What about Ji Gang? With him protecting you, would you be in any danger?"


    "I can¡¯t reach Mr. Ji, and I don¡¯t know his current situation. I¡¯m worried something might have happened to him."


    "Is that so?" After a moment of thought, the other party said, "Thene over. I¡¯m at the old house¡ªyou know the location."


    "Yes, thank you!"


    Granted permission, Lin Guodong breathed a sigh of relief. As long as he reached that person¡¯s residence, no danger could touch him.


    Just after hanging up, Lin Guodong hadn¡¯t yet put away his phone when the screen lit up again. Seeing the iing call disy, Lin Guodong immediately answered, "Zhao Zhengxiong, what do you want?"


    "Mr. Lin, I¡¯d like to ask for your help."


    "Whye to me for help?"


    "Jiang Hao is leading people to encroach on my territory. They have many people and several experts helping. I can¡¯t hold them off much longer. Mr. Lin, when we agreed to cooperate, you promised that you¡¯d help whenever I needed it."


    "Zhao Zhengxiong, I have a lot on my te. I can¡¯t spare the manpower to help you. You¡¯ll have to figure it out on your own."


    "Hey! Mr. Lin, you can¡¯t break your promise. I helped you significantly back then. You can¡¯t just burn bridges once you¡¯ve crossed them." Zhao Zhengxiong¡¯s voice turned anxious over the phone.


    Lin Guodong patiently replied, "I¡¯m not refusing, but I simply can¡¯t spare the resources right now. We¡¯ll discuss everything once tonight is over."


    "Mr. Lin," Zhao Zhengxiong responded coldly over the phone, "I trusted you. If you don¡¯t help me, don¡¯t me me for doing something you¡¯ll regret."


    "Suit yourself," Lin Guodong replied indifferently with just two words and hung up the call before Zhao Zhengxiong could say more, choosing to turn off his phone.


    "Mr. Lin, are you really not going to help Zhao Zhengxiong?" the young man in the passenger seat asked.


    "If it were before, I would have helped him. But now, I genuinely can¡¯t. I can¡¯t even guarantee my own safety, let alone his. Besides, Zhao Zhengxiong is, at best, an expendable pawn. Though he controls a decent amount of power, he¡¯s ultimately just a thug, unable to achieve much. Alright, don¡¯t talk about it anymore. Tell the driver to hurry up."


    After traveling for about half an hour, the three Mercedes-Benz vans were stuck at the city entrance due to the heavy traffic, unable to reach their destination.


    "Why is it so slow?" Lin Guodong asked with a frown.


    "Mr. Lin, there¡¯s been an ident ahead, temporarily blocking the way. It¡¯ll take some time before things clear up."


    Lin Guodong urged, "Hurry up. I can¡¯t afford dys. Ji Gang and the rest have been out of contact for so long, something must have happened."


    After more than ten minutes passed, the congested section of the road finally cleared up. After the three Mercedes-Benz vans turned left at the junction ahead, the leading van suddenly came to a stop.


    "What¡¯s going on?" Lin Guodong asked urgently.

 Chapter 1025 - 1032: Lin Guodong Captured (1)

    <h4>Chapter 1025: Chapter 1032: Lin Guodong Captured (1)</h4>


    "Mr. Lin, the road ahead is blocked," the young man replied.


    Blocked? Lin Guodong¡¯s heart sank. He quickly leaned forward from the back seat to look ahead. Instantly, he saw several SUVs sealing off the road ahead. Not only that, there were people behind the SUVs putting up a police line, blocking the roadpletely and preventing other vehicles from passing through.


    Seeing this situation, Lin Guodong slightly frowned and said to the young man, "Go over there and see what¡¯s happening."


    "Me?" The young man pointed to his nose, his face changing slightly. He quickly said, "Mr. Lin, I... I don¡¯t know anything. What if there¡¯s danger? Better let the security guys go. Even if there¡¯s real danger, they can handle it."


    "Quit the nonsense!" Lin Guodong snapped coldly, "Get over there. Dare to speak one more word, and believe it or not, I¡¯ll kill you right now?"


    Feeling the murderous intent in Lin Guodong¡¯s words, the young man¡¯s heart trembled. He dared not say another word and hastily pushed open the car door to get out.


    Reaching the SUVs, the young man mustered up courage and shouted loudly, "Who are you people?"


    As soon as his voice dropped, the door of one of the SUVs opened, and a middle-aged man in a suit stepped out, looking at the young man with a smile, "You should know who I am."


    Seeing the man, the young man was slightly startled, immediately wearing a smile as he said, "I was wondering who it was, turns out it¡¯s Mr. Zhao. Mr. Zhao, didn¡¯t you just call Mr. Lin saying you¡¯re in a very dangerous situation? Howe you¡¯re here now?"


    "Without calling Mr. Lin, how could we track his location?" The person speaking was not Zhao Zhengxiong, but another man. Seeing the young man stepping out of the car, the young man was taken aback, his face changing drastically as he hurriedly stepped back, eximing, "Jiang Hao?"


    Jiang Hao smiled and said, "Looks like I have some fame, that you recognize me." With that, Jiang Hao looked at the business car and said, "Lin Guodong,e out, stop hiding in the car."


    The car door opened, and apanied by several security personnel, Lin Guodong stepped out of the Mercedes business car, staring straight at Jiang Hao and Zhao Zhengxiong opposite him. In a deep voice, he said, "Mr. Zhao, it seems I was wrong. I thought you were on my side."


    Zhao Zhengxiongughed and said, "Mr. Lin, I¡¯m very sorry to disappoint you. Actually, I have always been Chen¡¯s man. It¡¯s just that Chen ordered me to put on a good show of betraying my brother, aiming to infiltrate your organization and be your partner."


    "I see." Lin Guodong nodded, "So, your conflict with Jiang Hao and them was all a performance."


    "No!" Zhao Zhengxiong said, "You from the God Organization are old foxes. How could acting a fake y deceive you? So, we decided to turn fiction into reality. Everything you saw and heard was true. Honestly, to gain your trust and make you believe I had cut ties with Chen, we paid a considerable price."


    "Right, you¡¯re correct, you did deceive me. But so what? Do you think you few can block my way? If you think so, then you are too naive."


    Jiang Hao grinned, "Mr. Lin, I¡¯m of course aware of your skills, but do you dare to openly confront the police?" Saying this, Jiang Hao smiled slightly.


    Soon, hundreds of fully armed police officers charged out from both ends of the road and the rooftop, blocking all the entrances.


    Seeing the police appearing both front and back, Lin Guodong¡¯s face turned ugly. His security personnel were all experts, including experts from the Tiger List, Dragon List, and Earthly List. But, even with over twenty people under him, there before him were over a hundred armed police officers. Not to mention the impossibility of openly defying the police, even in terms of strength, how many could be faster than a bullet?


    "Mr. Lin, I advise you to surrender peacefully and not resist in vain, otherwise the consequences will be severe," said Xia Mutong.


    Lin Guodong sighed, raised his hands, and said, "Fine, I give up. Lin Chen, you truly are a fox."


    "Arrest them all," Xia Mutong hadn¡¯t expected things to go this smoothly, and only when she saw everyone getting handcuffed did she truly rx.

 Chapter 1026 - 1033: Lin Guodong Captured (2)

    <h4>Chapter 1026: Chapter 1033: Lin Guodong Captured (2)</h4>


    Half an hourter, Jiang Hao and Zhao Zhengxiong drove to the base. At this moment, Ling Chen, Tang Guolun, and Hu Fei were standing outside the base, waiting for the two of them to arrive.


    "Chen, Brother Hu, Boss Tang." After getting out of the car, Jiang Hao smiled and greeted them.


    "Chen!" Zhao Zhengxiong called out to Ling Chen and nodded to Tang Guolun and Hu Fei as a greeting.


    "Xiong, it¡¯s all thanks to you this time." Ling Chen patted Zhao Zhengxiong¡¯s shoulder and said with a smile.


    Initially, when Zhao Zhengxiong, Nanrong Hao, and Jiang Hao seized control of East Sea City¡¯s underground scene, Ling Chen anticipated that once East Sea City became his stronghold, God Organization would certainly try to break through somehow and find an opportunity to deal with him. Therefore, rather than letting God Organization break the gap, it was better to actively create one for them.


    Thus, Ling Chen secretly talked with Zhao Zhengxiong, asking him to find the right time to turn against Jiang Hao and Nanrong Hao, creating an illusion of opposition. This matter was known only to Ling Chen and Zhao Zhengxiong, nobody else was aware. Ling Chen did not inform Nanrong Hao and Jiang Hao, fearing they might slip and let God Organization catch on.


    Therefore, the conflict between Zhao Zhengxiong and Jiang Hao was genuine, only this way could they deceive Lin Guodong and others.


    However, their efforts finally paid off, as Zhao Zhengxiong sessfully connected with God Organization. In some matters, to further gain Lin Guodong¡¯s trust in Zhao Zhengxiong, Ling Chen let Zhao Zhengxiong participate willingly in some actions against them, including destroying the research base.


    Recently, because of Zhao Zhengxiong¡¯s betrayal, Nanrong Hao and Jiang Hao were furious and wanted revenge. When they went to capture Zhao Zhengxiong, it was Ling Chen who secretly informed him, allowing Zhao Zhengxiong to escape unharmed. Otherwise, given Ling Chen¡¯s abilities, it would have been impossible for Zhao Zhengxiong to escape easily.


    Leaving Zhao Zhengxiong in God Organization, Ling Chen wanted him to be an important piece that could y a role at a critical moment. And tonight was the moment for Zhao Zhengxiong to y his part. The call he made to Lin Guodong was crucial, providing the phone signal that allowed Hu Fei to sessfully locate Lin Guodong and intercept him.


    "Xiong, where is Lin Guodong?"


    "In Officer Xia¡¯s car." With that, Zhao Zhengxiong turned and whistled. Soon, Xia Mutong led the way, followed by two officers escorting the tightly bound Lin Guodong out of the car.


    "Thank you, Officer Xia." Ling Chen nced at Xia Mutong, showing a hint of gratitude in his eyes. Thetter rolled her eyes at him and pulled him aside, saying, "Ling Chen, our police exerted great effort to capture Mr. Lin, mobilizing almost all avable forces in the area. Are you really going to hand him over to me just like that?"


    Ling Chen smiled wryly and said, "Miss Xia, the police helping to capture him was an order from above. Moreover, handing him over to me is also an order from above. I know you¡¯re reluctant, but the work I¡¯m doing also helps alleviate the pressure from above. After all, resolving the major threat of God Organization can ease their worries, can¡¯t it?"


    ring at Ling Chen, Xia Mutong looked helpless and said, "Fine, since it¡¯s an order from above, I won¡¯t interfere. But what do you n to do with him?"


    "I have my own ns."


    "Get lost!" Xia Mutong said angrily, turning around with several officers to get into the police car and leave.


    Seeing Lin Guodong¡¯s indignant eyes, Ling Chen smiled slightly: "Mr. Lin, we meet again."


    Lin Guodong said in a deep voice, "Ling Chen, you¡¯ve proven remarkable this time. I admit defeat, no matter how you n to deal with me, I won¡¯t oppose."


    "Mr. Lin, rest assured, I won¡¯t take your life. Your life isn¡¯t of much value to me. Fatty, lock him up for now, I have more questions for himter."


    "Alright, you two." Hu Fei pointed at the two young men and said, "Follow me."


    Once Hu Fei took Lin Guodong away, Tang Guolun looked at Ling Chen and asked, "How do you n to deal with him? He¡¯s God Organization¡¯s number two; aren¡¯t you nning to kill him?"


    Laughing, Ling Chen said, "I haven¡¯t nned to kill him. Also, I need to correct you; Lin Guodong isn¡¯t God Organization¡¯s number two; he is actually the true leader of God Organization. That Lin Qiqi is merely a facade, designed to draw attention for Lin Guodong."


    "Really?" Tang Guolun was a bit skeptical.


    "Of course it¡¯s true; there¡¯s no faking this. We were deceived by Lin Guodong before. Later, when I thought about it, something didn¡¯t seem right. That Lin Qiqi didn¡¯t seem like a ruthless person. How could a young girl control a global force? Moreover, if Lin Qiqi were truly the leader of God Organization, why was there only a Fake Heaven List expert protecting her? Lin Guodong has experts like Ji Gang protecting him; as God Organization¡¯s leader, she wouldn¡¯t possibly receive poorer treatment than Lin Guodong. Also, ever since Lin Guodong and Lin Qiqi were rescued, Lin Qiqi disappeared, and all matters were handled directly by Lin Guodong, including moving God Organization¡¯s base to East Sea City. If Lin Qiqi were truly God Organization¡¯s leader, would she ignore such significant matters?"


    After hearing Ling Chen¡¯s analysis, Tang Guolun nodded and said, "You make a good point. It seems we were indeed deceived." Then, Tang Guolun changing tack, asked in confusion, "Since Lin Guodong is God Organization¡¯s true leader, why not kill him, and what are you doing keeping him around?"


    "Although Lin Guodong is God Organization¡¯s leader, he¡¯s just a minor character; the ones I¡¯m targeting are not Lin Guodong but those behind him. Alright, don¡¯t ask about this for now; I¡¯m not entirely sure either. Once I figure it out, I¡¯ll let you know. Let¡¯s head back to the base. No matter what, clearing Lin Guodong out is worth celebrating."


    Back at the base, Ling Chen had already had someone prepare beer and snacks. With Lin Guodong captured, God Organization¡¯s forces in East Sea City were mostly dealt with, and soon they would be able to entirely drive God Organization out of East Sea City. When that happens, East Sea City will still be theirs.


    After a few beers, Ling Chen patted Hu Fei¡¯s shoulder and said, "Tell everyone not to party too long; there¡¯s still plenty to be done tonight."


    "Don¡¯t worry; I¡¯ll manage. Hey! Aren¡¯t you staying to drink with us?"


    "No, I¡¯m going to see Lin Guodong."


    Alone, Ling Chen approached the room where Lin Guodong was held, unlocking the door, and looking at Lin Guodong chained up, he walked directly up to him and unlocked the chains on his hands.


    "Here, have a beer." Ling Chen handed the beer he brought to Lin Guodong.


    Looking at the beer in his hand, Lin Guodong said indifferently: "What does this mean? Don¡¯t tell me you want me to celebrate with you."

 Chapter 1027 - 1034: Honest Words After Drinking

    <h4>Chapter 1027: Chapter 1034: Honest Words After Drinking</h4>


    "I¡¯m not here to celebrate, and I¡¯m not in the mood for it either," said Ling Chen as he sat in a chair and took a sip of beer.


    "Since it¡¯s not for celebration, why did youe to drink with me? Your brothers are all outside; why not go to them?"


    "I just wanted to have a chat with you. It¡¯s that simple." Ling Chen looked into Lin Guodong¡¯s eyes and said, "Actually, I know that even if I kill you, it won¡¯t end this fight. The God Organization is just the beginning; there are many more I need to deal with. You should understand what I mean."


    Lin Guodong replied with a faint smile, "It seems you know quite a bit. Since you¡¯veid it all out, I won¡¯t hide anything either. You¡¯re right, killing me won¡¯t solve anything. As long as the southern Ling Family remains, this war will never end. But I want to ask you, Ling Chen, are you really ready to face another battle?"


    "What do you mean?"


    "I once asked you to attack someone and seize a metal briefcase, but you didn¡¯tplete the mission. I wonder if you failed or Ling Tao said something to you."


    Hearing this, Ling Chen¡¯s heart stirred. He asked, "Do you know Ling Tao?"


    "We¡¯re all part of the Ling Family, of course I know him," Lin Guodong replied. "Judging by your reaction, I guess I was right. You¡¯ve not only met Ling Tao, but he must have told you a lot."


    "He only told me that this war has been an internal struggle within the Ling Family from the start. Besides that, he didn¡¯t say anything else."


    Lin Guodong nodded and said, "He did the right thing. Actually, he¡¯s not telling you for your own good. Ling Chen, there are too many things you don¡¯t know, and each of them is a secret. The deeper you go, the harder it is to extricate yourself. If I were you, I¡¯d step back, continue to live freely, and not worry about these secrets."


    "What secrets?" Ling Chen pressed on.


    "I knew you would ask that," Lin Guodong said with a smile. "Everyone has a strong curiosity. But sometimes, curiosity can destroy you. Ling Chen, I won¡¯t hide it; there are indeed some things I know, but I¡¯m good at restraining myself. The more I learned, the more I wanted to know what happens next. But it¡¯s like a quagmire, dragging one deeper. So I rationally restrained myself and stopped my curiosity. If you really want to know, I can tell you one thing. The source of the Ling Family¡¯s internal conflict alles down to one person."


    "Who?"


    "Ling Gengqiu!" Lin Guodong slowly uttered the name.


    Ling Gengqiu?


    Ling Chen was shocked. He certainly knew who Ling Gengqiu was, his ancestor from several centuries ago. Ling Chen had read about Ling Gengqiu¡¯s deeds in the records of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion and had a clear understanding.


    "Ling Chen, do you want to know why the southern Ling Family secretly funds the God Organization, why they took over its power?" Before Ling Chen could ask, Lin Guodong spoke. "It¡¯s rted to Ling Gengqiu."


    "Do you want to know why Ling Family members fight among themselves? That¡¯s also rted to Ling Gengqiu. Everything you¡¯ve experienced is inextricably linked to Ling Gengqiu, only you don¡¯t know it. So, if you want to unravel all the mysteries, Ling Gengqiu is the key."


    "But... Ling Gengqiu has been dead for centuries, how is he rted to any of this?" Ling Chen was perplexed.


    It was iprehensible that someone who died centuries ago could spark conflict centuriester.


    "So what if he¡¯s dead?" Lin Guodong said meaningfully, "How do you know he doesn¡¯t exist?" Seeing Ling Chen¡¯s mouth agape, Lin Guodong smiled slightly. "Like I said, this is a quagmire. If you keep asking questions, trying to understand one ¡¯why¡¯ after another, you¡¯ll only end up driving yourself crazy. To put it harshly, the Ling Family members are all mad now, driven crazy by Ling Gengqiu. Anyone with a bit of sanity would withdraw in time and stop letting these matters trouble them."


    "Ling Chen, apart from everything else, you and I are both part of the Ling Family, and we share the same blood. So, as a family member, I¡¯d advise you to stop! You¡¯ve already done enough by destroying the God Organization. There¡¯s no need to continue. Dying for Ling Gengqiu from centuries ago is far from worth it."


    Ling Chen directly faced Lin Guodong and asked, "If you¡¯re still rational, why continue serving the Ling Family andmitting wrongdoings?"


    "By the time I realized, it was toote. My hands are stained with too much blood and lives; there¡¯s no turning back for me. Besides, even if I wanted to, they wouldn¡¯t give me the chance to leave. Ling Chen, if you n to continue intervening, you¡¯d better build up your forces in East Sea City and strengthen yourself as much as possible. In the future, East Sea City will surely be a battlefield."


    Ling Chen frowned slightly and said, "Is that a warning or a reminder?"


    "I¡¯m reminding you. Of course, you can also take it as a warning."


    "Would you really be that kind?" Ling Chen looked at Lin Guodong with skepticism. "Given your current situation, shouldn¡¯t you be threatening me?"


    "If it were before, I would certainly threaten you, set conditions, and find ways to escape, but it¡¯s all useless now."


    "Why?"


    "This is the second time you¡¯ve caught me. Last time I escaped, they warned me that if it happened again, they would abandon me. They¡¯re looking for elites, not useless people. So even if I escape this time, I won¡¯t have any more opportunities. My fate would likely be confinement, or they¡¯d kill me because I know too much. Ling Chen, no matter how you intend to deal with me this time, it doesn¡¯t matter to me. My fate is already sealed."


    "I won¡¯t kill you, nor will I keep you locked up here."


    "Then what do you intend to do with me?"


    "Since you¡¯ve told me so much just now, I¡¯ll send you to a good ce. If it goes well, you might just enjoy your twilight years peacefully."


    Lin Guodong smiled, "If such a good thing is possible, let me tell you one more secret."


    "Alright, it¡¯s a deal. I¡¯ll do my best to help you." Saying this, Ling Chen finished his beer and left the room.


    Walking down the spacious corridors of the base, Ling Chen lowered his head, still pondering Lin Guodong¡¯s words.


    Ling Gengqiu!


    Why was everything so connected to him? It was truly baffling.

 Chapter 1028 - 1035: Lingering Rage

    <h4>Chapter 1028: Chapter 1035: Lingering Rage</h4>


    Back at the control center, looking at Ling Chen who appeared deep in thought, Tang Guolun asked, "What are you thinking about?"


    "Nothing much." Ling Chen forced a smile and then changed the topic, saying, "I have some things to handle, so I¡¯ll head back first. I¡¯ll leave the aftermath here to you guys."


    "Don¡¯t worry, we¡¯ll handle the cleanup work well."


    Leaving the base, Ling Chen drove straight towards Wealthy Manor. The matters with the God Organization were resolved, now it was time to deal with his personal issues. Thinking about the situation with Leng Feifei gave Ling Chen a headache; he didn¡¯t know how to exin it to Nanrong Wanqing. No matter what, he and Leng Feifei had indeed shared an intimate moment, which was an unchangeable fact.


    Although Nanrong Wanqing usually acted with great generosity, when ites to matters like this, it¡¯s difficult for any woman to remain generous.


    At this moment, Ling Chen had prepared for the worst. If Nanrong Wanqing refused to forgive him, then he would have no choice but to leave.


    Arriving at Wealthy Manor, Ling Chen didn¡¯t go directly to the Nanrong Family but instead called Nanrong Hao from his car.


    Shortly after, Nanrong Hao walked over from a distance and got into the passenger seat.


    "Chen."


    "Haozi, how is your sister?" Ling Chen asked.


    "Chen, what exactly did you do to offend my sister? She hasn¡¯t spoken all day and has been acting cold and distant, which is making me scared."


    "So, where is she now?"


    "She¡¯s probably already asleep," Nanrong Hao said. "Chen, you¡¯d better ask our cousin, she lives with my sister and knows best how she¡¯s doing. Maybe you could ask our cousin to mediate on your behalf. My sister gets along best with her, so maybe she would forgive you."


    Ling Chen gave a bitter smile and said, "It¡¯s not that easy." However, he still attempted to call Su Lin with a hopeful mindset.


    When the call connected, Su Lin¡¯s voice immediately came from the other side: "Hello! You finally decided to call." Su Lin¡¯s tone was sharp and carried a trace of anger, "You missed such a good opportunity at the concert and left Wanqing alone, no wonder she¡¯s mad at you."


    "Yes, yes." Ling Chen asked, "Um... Miss Su, is Wanqing asleep?"


    "How could she sleep? She¡¯s been crying since the concert ended, her eyes are swollen. Where are you?"


    "I¡¯m outside the Nanrong Family, Haozi is with me. Miss Su, if it¡¯s convenient, could youe out for a moment? I have something to discuss with you."


    "Alright, wait there, I want to hear how you¡¯re going to exin this."


    After hanging up, within two minutes, Su Lin appeared at the Nanrong Family¡¯s entrance.


    Getting into the car, Su Lin nced at Ling Chen, then looked at Nanrong Hao in the passenger seat, and said coldly, "What do you want to say?"


    "How is Wanqing?" Ling Chen asked with concern. His biggest worry now was Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s wellbeing, as she had taken a significant emotional blow because of him.


    "How do you think she is?" Su Lin said angrily, "I can¡¯t understand what you did to upset Wanqing this much, she wouldn¡¯t even listen to me trying to reason with her, and she drove me out of the room."


    "Exactly!" Nanrong Hao chimed in, "Chen, what happened between you and my sister? Maybe if you tell us, we can help somehow."


    "Well..." Ling Chen hesitated, unsure whether to disclose the events.


    Seeing Ling Chen¡¯s dy in speaking, Su Lin reached for the door handle, saying as she opened the car door, "If you¡¯re not willing to talk, then I¡¯ll go back. Don¡¯t expect us to help you."


    "Wait!" Ling Chen hastily called her back, afraid Su Lin would leave, "It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t want to talk, just that..." Ling Chen gave a bitter smile and said, "I don¡¯t know how to start." After a pause, Ling Chen exhaled, looked at Su Lin, and said, "Alright, I¡¯ll tell you, but you mustn¡¯t misunderstand."


    Ling Chen then recounted the events of that day.


    "That¡¯s the whole story; Han Mingchao must have privately approached Wanqing and badmouthed me, which caused Wanqing to misunderstand my rtionship with Feifei. In reality, I had no choice; time was running out, and Leng Feifei is my friend. I couldn¡¯t just stand by and watch her get into trouble, so I... I know that no matter what, this is my fault, and I¡¯m willing to apologize. As long as she forgives me, I¡¯ll do anything. But the problem is, Wanqing doesn¡¯t want to hear my exnation right now. And no matter how much I exin, it doesn¡¯t change the oue."


    With that, Ling Chen sighed softly and looked at Su Lin and Nanrong Hao, "You are all Wanqing¡¯s family; only you can speak to her on my behalf at a time like this."


    "That might be difficult," Su Lin said, "I¡¯m inclined to believe what you just told us, but, as you said, despite the circumstances, youmitted a fundamental mistake, and Wanqing is someone who cares deeply. If she didn¡¯t know, it¡¯d be one thing, but now not only does she know, Han Mingchao has certainly embellished stories about you to her. That¡¯s why Wanqing is so angry. I suggest you don¡¯t contact Wanqing for a few days; the more you exin, the angrier she¡¯ll get. It¡¯s better if I put in a good word for you and wait until Wanqing calms down, then you can meet her. It will be better that way."


    "Chen, my cousin is right. I know my sister¡¯s temper best. She¡¯s angry right now, so saying anything to her won¡¯t help. It¡¯s better to let her cool off for a few days. Besides, my sister isn¡¯t unreasonable. Once she figures things out, she¡¯ll forgive you." After finishing, Nanrong Hao patted Ling Chen¡¯s shoulder with a knowing tone and said, "Chen, it¡¯s okay. Women are like this; throw a little tantrum, and they¡¯ll be fine after a few days."


    Hearing this, Su Lin red at Nanrong Hao and said, "Speaking like you know women well, huh?"


    "I uh¡ª" Nanrong Hao chuckled and quickly changed the subject, "Chen, are you hungry? Want me to join you for ate-night snack?"


    "No, I¡¯m not in the mood." Upon finishing his sentence, Ling Chen turned to look at Su Lin and said, "Miss Su, please help me with this."


    Su Lin nodded, "I¡¯ll do my best, Wanqing is my sister, and I don¡¯t want her to be sad or upset." Then Su Lin seemed to think of something, her eyes sparkled, "I heard that you have a good rtionship with Miss Tang?"


    "You mean Shiyun? Why, do you need something from her?"


    "Nothing, but if I help you this time, how do you n to repay me?" Seeing Ling Chen didn¡¯t immediately understand, Su Lin continued, "Could you arrange for Miss Tang to have a meal with me?"

 Chapter 1029 - 1036: Unexpected Gains (Part 1)

    <h4>Chapter 1029: Chapter 1036: Unexpected Gains (Part 1)</h4>


    So that¡¯s what it is!


    Ling Chen almost forgot, Su Lin is a hardcore fan of Tang Shiyun. After some thought, he nodded slightly and said, "Sure, if I have time, I¡¯ll arrange for you to meet her."


    "Great, you said it, so it¡¯s a deal." After speaking, Su Lin got off the car happily.


    After Su Lin left, Nanrong Hao nudged Ling Chen¡¯s arm and gave him an ambiguous smile, "Chen, you¡¯re impressive."


    "What?" Ling Chen looked at Nanrong Hao in confusion and asked, "What did I do?"


    "Chen, my cousin isn¡¯t here, so why pretend with me?" Nanrong Hao chuckled quietly, "You really got lucky this time."


    Upon hearing this, Ling Chen finally understood Nanrong Hao¡¯s implication and retorted irritably, "I¡¯m in this state already, and you¡¯re still gloating. Do you believe I won¡¯t tell your sister about this? Alright, if there¡¯s nothing else, scoot. I need to head back."


    After Nanrong Hao got out of the car, Ling Chen suddenly thought of something and quickly called out to him, "By the way! If you have time, get together with Xiong. He has it tough, don¡¯t hold any grudges against him."


    Nanrong Hao grinned, "Come on, Chen, do I look like someone who¡¯s unreasonable and narrow-minded? Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m well aware of what Xiong has done. He¡¯s practically our hero; I¡¯m grateful to him, so how could I bear grudges? You really underestimate me."


    "Alright, as long as you understand. I have to head back now. Keep an eye on your sister these days, and call me directly if anythinges up." After saying this, Ling Chen started the car and drove straight home.


    By the time he got home, it was already past eleven at night.


    Seeing the lights were still on in the living room, Ling Chen knew that Yang Qingling was definitely still awake, presumably waiting for him to return. Walking into the house, he saw Yang Qingling sitting on the sofa in the living room, watching a TV show.


    Hearing the door open, Yang Qingling turned to look at Ling Chen as he approached and asked, "Why did youe back sote?"


    "Got held up by some things. Mom, it¡¯s almost twelve o¡¯clock, why aren¡¯t you asleep yet?"


    "I couldn¡¯t sleep until you came home. Alright then, since you¡¯re back, I¡¯ll go to bed now. You should get some rest too," Yang Qingling said as she stood up. In truth, she understood what Ling Chen was up to, but chose not to say it outright. In her eyes, her son was already an adult, with his own thinking and independence, as well as responsibilities to shoulder. So, rather than adding to his stress, she chose not to question him.


    "Oh, right!" As she was walking to the stairs, Yang Qingling suddenly remembered something and turned back, "There¡¯s a letter for you from a friend on the dining table."


    "A friend of mine?" Ling Chen paused, a bit perplexed. In this day and age, who still sends letters? What¡¯s even stranger is that he just moved here, and very few people knew his address. Who could have sent it?


    Thinking of this, Ling Chen quickly went to the dining room and saw a white envelope on the table.


    Picking up the envelope, there was no name on the outside, not even a stamp. Ling Chen immediately opened the envelope and drew out the letter paper inside.


    As soon as he saw the neat handwriting on the paper, Ling Chen immediately knew who had sent the letter.


    Leng Feifei!


    The content of the letter was simple, merely informing Ling Chen that she had gone abroad for studies. She exined that instead of calling, she chose to write because she didn¡¯t know how to phrase what she wanted to say. At the end of the letter, Leng Feifei left a sentence, hoping that Ling Chen could give her some time and a chance.


    Folding the letter back, Ling Chen gave a wry smile. He only had friendship with Leng Feifei, nothing more, but now they had be intimately involved, leaving him quite troubled.


    For the time being, Ling Chen set aside the issue of Leng Feifei¡¯s pursuit. What worried him most now was Nanrong Wanqing; he wondered if Su Lin could soothe her emotions and have her forgive him.


    ...


    The next morning.


    Ling Chen woke up, yawning and got up to walk to the window, looking at the beautiful scenery outside. Although the price of this vi was a bit high, the environment of themunity was undeniable, with lush greenery everywhere.


    Breathing in the fresh air outside the window, Ling Chen walked out of the bedroom and down to the dining room.


    At this time, Yang Yan and Gong Meiling were already up. Older folks often enjoy morning exercises to stretch their muscles, and Yang Yan was no different. Fortunately, there was arge garden outside the vi where Yang Yan could move freely.


    "Grandma." Ling Chen peeked into the kitchen and saw Gong Meiling preparing breakfast. Smelling the fragranceing from the pot, Ling Chen smiled and asked, "What¡¯s for breakfast today?"


    "I¡¯m making corn porridge and ham sandwiches. You go sit for a while; breakfast will be ready soon." Gong Meiling had a heart full of affection for this grandson of hers. After years of wandering abroad, it¡¯s rare to return and enjoy a peaceful old age, all thanks to her grandson.


    Coming out from indoors, Ling Chen immediately saw Yang Yan in the middle of thewn posing, practicing Tai Chi Boxing.


    Being a master on the Earthly List, Ling Chen had some understanding of Tai Chi Boxing. Tai Chi is a kind of Inner Boxing, focused on oveing hardness with softness and using minimal force to exert maximum power. However, as Tai Chi Boxing has evolved over time, most forms are now aimed at health and fitness, rather thanpetitive fighting. Therefore, there are very few masters of Tai Chi Boxing.


    Ling Chen stood by and watched for a while, and Yang Yan slowly finished his routine, exhaling a long breath.


    Seeing his grandson enjoying the performance, Yang Yan smiled and waved to Ling Chen, signaling him toe over.


    "Grandpa, for someone your age, you¡¯ve got the vitality of a young man."


    Yang Yanughed heartily, "You cheeky boy, quit ttery. I¡¯m half in the grave already; how could Ipare with you young folks? Hey! Is your grandma¡¯s breakfast ready yet?"


    "Not yet, Grandma said it¡¯ll be a little longer."


    "Come on, let¡¯s go for a walk outside, and then we¡¯lle back for breakfast."


    "Okay."


    With Grandpa making the call, Ling Chen naturally wouldn¡¯t refuse. The two stepped outside the courtyard, walking side by side on the stone-paved path, chatting asionally.


    "Ling Chen, your mom said your skills are quite good?"


    "They¡¯re just okay, not that impressive," Ling Chen replied modestly.


    "I always wanted to practice martial arts, but unfortunately, by the time I considered it, I was too old. Plus, I focused all my energy on running thepany and didn¡¯t have time. By the time I made it in my career, I was already in my forties and fifties. At that time, I invited many Martial Arts masters, hoping to learn some boxing to stay healthy. But those so-called Martial Arts masters cared only for fame and fortune, they weren¡¯t real experts."


    "Later, while traveling with friends, I passed by a dpidated Taoist temple and met an old Taoist priest who had been watching over that temple for over sixty years. With the intent of doing good, I donated some money and had the temple restored. Little did I know I¡¯d find an unexpected reward."

 Chapter 1030 - 1037: Unexpected Gains (Part 2)

    <h4>Chapter 1030: Chapter 1037: Unexpected Gains (Part 2)</h4>


    "Grandfather, what unexpected gain?" Ling Chen asked curiously.


    "An old Taoist monk taught me a set of boxing techniques. He didn¡¯t say much, only told me to practice it often as it would be good for my health. You know, he had the look of a celestial being, and back then we were a bit superstitious, so we naturally believed him. After returning from the Taoist temple, I practiced the technique every morning as he taught me and did so consistently for about half a year. My health improved significantly. At that time, due to running thepany day and night, my health had deteriorated with numerous ailments. Yet, because of that boxing technique, all my illnesses disappeared, and I became healthier than those young people."


    "It was only then that I realized the old Taoist monk who taught me must have been an extraordinary master. Later, I found an opportunity, took a load of gifts, and headed to the temple to thank him in person. However, when I got there, I discovered that the temple had changed hands, and the old Taoist monk had long left, reportedly wandering the world. Since then, I¡¯ve never seen him again. But all these years, I¡¯ve persisted in practicing that boxing technique. Look at me now, over eighty years old, yet nothing¡¯s wrong with my body. In terms of health, the young generation immersed in food and pleasure can¡¯t evenpare to me."


    Upon hearing Yang Yan¡¯s words, Ling Chen was taken aback. This was too miraculous, wasn¡¯t it?


    "Grandfather, is the boxing technique you mentioned the one I just saw?"


    "No," Yang Yan said. "That Tai Chi Boxing is something I taught myself to rx the body. Why, are you interested in seeing it?"


    Ling Chen nodded; of course, after hearing Yang Yan¡¯s experience, he became very interested in that boxing technique.


    "Alright!" Yang Yan replied with a smile, "Since you¡¯re interested, I¡¯ll demonstrate it for you."


    Saying that, the two returned directly to the courtyard of the vi.


    In the middle of the yard, Yang Yan took a deep breath, slightly spread his legs, sank his waist, and slowly raised his two arms, posing a striking action. Immediately, Yang Yan executed a horse step with a forward punch, his fist following closely. After the punch, his body did not pause but swiftly transitioned to the next move.


    In about a minute, hepleted the entire set of boxing techniques, as smooth as flowing water. When Yang Yan finished, his forehead was covered in sweat, looking quite strained.


    Yang Yan wiped the sweat from his palms, turned to Ling Chen and asked, "Kid, did you see clearly?"


    Hearing Yang Yan¡¯s voice, Ling Chen snapped back and blurted out, "What? Grandfather, what did you just say? I didn¡¯t hear you clearly."


    "What were you thinking? Didn¡¯t you see the boxing technique I just performed?"


    "No, no, I saw it. It was good, very good," Ling Chen replied with a forced smile.


    Even though he said so, Ling Chen was utterly shocked in his heart. Being a martial artist on the Earthly List, he could see things more clearly than Yang Yan. The set of boxing techniques Yang Yan demonstrated looked in with nothing special. However, Yang Yan was just an ordinary person, not a master, so he couldn¡¯t grasp the true essence of it.


    If a master were to perform this boxing technique, it would definitely be at apletely different level.


    "Grandfather, when the old Taoist monk taught you this boxing technique, did he ever tell you about the breathing method?"


    Yang Yan nodded, "He did, but I couldn¡¯t quite grasp it. I tried many times but never seeded. Moreover, whenever I use that breathing method, my whole body feels strained, as if all my strength is drained."


    As he thought!


    Ling Chen¡¯s eyes lit up. The so-called breathing method he referred to was actually the mental method of the boxing technique. This kind of boxing is Inner Boxing; only those who have cultivated Inner Strength can unleash its power. Yang Yan, being an ordinary person, naturally found it strenuous.


    "Grandfather, can you teach me the boxing technique and the breathing method?"


    "You want to learn?" Yang Yan smiled and readily agreed, "Of course, no problem. Come, I¡¯ll teach you the boxing technique first."


    Yang Yan¡¯s boxing technique was very simple, just a few moves along with the mental method mantra. Although the mantra was somewhatplex, Yang Yan¡¯s memory was excellent, and he taught Ling Chen every word by heart.


    Just as Ling Chen memorized everything, Yang Qingling came out from the house and said, "What are you two up to? Come inside, breakfast is ready."


    "Alright, we¡¯reing," Yang Yan replied with a smile.


    After breakfast, Ling Chen sat alone in the bedroom, recalling the mental method mantra Yang Yan taught him. Following the mantra¡¯s cirction path, Ling Chen circted Inner Strength through his body. Before long, he felt warm andfortable all over.


    Click, click!


    This mental method is really something. Ling Chen secretly rejoiced, never expecting such an unexpected delight from Yang Yan.


    The entire day, Ling Chen stayed in his room, studying the boxing technique. If it weren¡¯t for Yang Qingling calling him several times, Ling Chen might have even forgotten to eat.


    After dinner, Ling Chen was about to head back to his room when he suddenly received a call from Nanrong Hao.


    "Hey! Chen, where are you?"


    "At home. Why, do you need something from me?"


    "Did you forget what you asked me to dost night? Chen, I¡¯ve taken care of it. If you¡¯re free now,e over quickly. We¡¯re waiting for you here."


    "Alright, send me the address, and I¡¯ll be right there."


    After the call ended, Ling Chen informed Yang Qingling and drove out of themunity.


    After about forty minutes of travel, Ling Chen arrived at an old warehouse in the Old City. Several young men stood outside, smoking. Seeing Ling Chen park and approach, they quickly threw away their cigarettes and respectfully addressed him, "Chen!"


    Ling Chen nodded and asked, "Is Haozi inside?"


    "Haozi, Jiang Hao, they¡¯re all inside." With that, the young men opened the warehouse doors and weed Ling Chen in.


    Entering the warehouse, Ling Chen nced around and saw Nanrong Hao and Jiang Hao sitting at a makeshift table. A few bottles of beer and some marinated snacks and peanuts were on the table. The two were happily eating and drinking.


    "You two really know how to enjoy yourselves." Ling Chen stepped forward, jokingly scolding them, and casually picked up a bottle of beer, taking a few swigs.


    Jiang Hao chuckled and said, "Chen,e, take a seat, let¡¯s have a few drinks first."


    Ling Chen waved his hand and said, "No, I don¡¯t have time to fool around with you. Hey, didn¡¯t you say you took care of it? Where are they?"

 Chapter 1031 - 1038: Han Mingchao’s Fate

    <h4>Chapter 1031: Chapter 1038: Han Mingchao¡¯s Fate</h4>


    "Went to the bathroom, be right back. Chen, let¡¯s have a couple of drinks first."


    Not long after, three people entered through the back door of the warehouse. Two were Jiang Hao¡¯s men, and the other was a middle-aged man dressed in a sharp suit. However, the suit was creased all over, his hair was a mess, and his face was bruised and swollen, looking quite distressed.


    The man was brought forward, and upon seeing Ling Chen drinking at the table, hisplexion turned pale instantly, and he started trembling.


    Ling Chen stood up, holding a bottle of beer, and walked straight to the middle-aged man, saying, "Mr. Han, we meet again. I heard you changed your residence, you really made me look for you."


    Han Mingchao opened his mouth, carefully stering a smile and said, "Ling... Mr. Ling, what are you doing? Can¡¯t we talk properly? Why bring me to such a ce? Besides, wasn¡¯t the matterst time resolved already."


    "If it really was resolved, I wouldn¡¯t be here to trouble you." Ling Chen said calmly, "Mr. Han, do you know what kind of people I detest the most? Those who agree to something, then do somethingpletely different behind your back. Such people are the most shameful. Mr. Han, let¡¯s be straightforward, you should understand what you¡¯ve done."


    "I... I don¡¯t know. Mr. Ling, I have no idea what you¡¯re talking about, there must be some mistake here. How about this, no matter what it is, I¡¯ll set up a meal to apologize, how about it?"


    "I don¡¯t think that¡¯s necessary. Han Mingchao, at this point, you¡¯re still not admitting it?"


    Han Mingchao pulled a long face and said, "Mr. Ling, I truly don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about."


    "Alright!" Ling Chen nodded and said, "Since you¡¯ve forgotten, let me help you remember." With that, Ling Chen grabbed the beer bottle in his hand and smashed it over.


    Bang!


    Instantly, there was a dull thud, and the beer bottle shattered instantly, spilling all over Han Mingchao. At the same time, blood trickled down Han Mingchao¡¯s forehead, staining half of his face red.


    Looking at the blood-covered Han Mingchao, Ling Chen discarded the beer bottle mouth from his hand and asked, "Mr. Han, have you remembered now? If you still haven¡¯t, I can help jog your memory further." As he spoke, Ling Chen extended his hand, and Nanrong Hao behind him immediately handed him another beer bottle.


    Seeing Ling Chen¡¯s actions, Han Mingchao was startled, he didn¡¯t expect Ling Chen to really make a move.


    "Ling Chen, what you¡¯re doing is illegal, do you believe I won¡¯t call the police?" Han Mingchao shouted loudly.


    Ling Chen chuckled nonchntly, "Mr. Han, you¡¯d have to leave here alive to call the police. But now, being so uncooperative, do you think I¡¯ll let you walk out that door?"


    Hearing this, Han Mingchao¡¯s expression changed drastically, looking at Ling Chen in horror.


    "You... you want... you want to kill me? Ling Chen, aren¡¯t you afraid of the police arresting you?"


    Ling Chen shrugged and said with a smile, "Mr. Han, do you not realize what kind of person I am? Do you think I¡¯d have to do it myself to kill you?" Saying this, Ling Chen pointed to the young men around them, "If I put out a few million, do you believe that everyone here would fight over the chance to kill you?"


    "Ling Chen, what... what do you actually want?"


    "What I want is simple. I¡¯m asking you, did you go to find Nanrong Wanqing and mention my affair with Leng Feifei? You¡¯d better think carefully before answering my question, because if you miss this chance, I won¡¯t give you another."


    "I¡¯ll speak, I¡¯ll speak!" Watching Ling Chen raise the beer bottle, Han Mingchao feared another hit to his head.


    "Yes, I did find Miss Nanrong, and I mentioned your affair with Leng Feifei."


    "And what else did you say? You probably didn¡¯t tell her about your drugging incident. If I¡¯m not mistaken, you definitely spoke ill of me to make Wanqing misunderstand me. Am I right?"


    "I..." Han Mingchao opened his mouth, unsure of how to respond.


    Ling Chen sneered, "What, afraid to admit it after doing it? Mr. Han, do you really think I¡¯m easy to bully, and that without Wanqing as my backer, I can¡¯t deal with you? If that¡¯s what you think, you¡¯re very wrong." As soon as Ling Chen finished, he grabbed the beer bottle in his hand and smashed it on Han Mingchao¡¯s head.


    Bang!


    Apanied by a horrific scream like a pig being ughtered, fresh blood gushed from Han Mingchao¡¯s head, dyeing his entire face red.


    "Ling... Ling Chen, I know I was wrong, please, let me go." Han Mingchao pleaded, enduring the pain in his head.


    Ling Chen said coldly, "Now you know to beg for mercy? Why didn¡¯t you consider the consequences when you retaliated against me then? Did you really think that moving away would prevent me from finding you?" After finishing, Ling Chen ignored Han Mingchao and turned to Jiang Hao, saying, "Deal with him however you like, alive or dead, it¡¯s up to you."


    Hearing this, Jiang Hao smiled and said, "I have a good job for him. Isn¡¯t he fond of ying with women? Coincidentally, I have a nightclub under mymand that needs men, why not let him have a go, make sure he ys as much as he likes."


    "No, please don¡¯t!" Han Mingchao understood Jiang Hao¡¯s meaning all too well and immediately begged, "Mr. Ling, I can give you money, as long as you let me go, any condition, I have no problem with it."


    "Toote, Jiang Hao, he¡¯s yours."


    "No problem. Chen, you can trust me to handle this."


    Leaving the warehouse, Nanrong Hao quickly caught up from behind, saying, "Chen, I¡¯m going with you."


    "Hey! How¡¯s your older sister?" Ling Chen asked. There was still no news from Su Lin, so he had to ask Nanrong Hao.


    "I¡¯m not sure yet, I haven¡¯t seen my sister today. But with our cousin apanying her, nothing should go wrong." As they talked, the phone in Nanrong Hao¡¯s pocket started to ring.


    Nanrong Hao took out his phone, nced at the caller disy, and said, "Chen, I have something to attend to, I¡¯ll head back first." With that, before Ling Chen could say more, Nanrong Hao got into his Audi.


    Watching the Audi disappear in the dust, Ling Chen smiled wryly. Judging by Nanrong Hao¡¯s cautious demeanor, it seemed he was hiding something he didn¡¯t want him to know.


    Back home, Ling Chen hid in his room and made a few calls to sort out the remaining issues.


    At present, Lin Guodong was arrested, Ji Gang was no longer a threat, and very little of the God Organization¡¯s influence remained in East Sea City. For safety¡¯s sake, Ling Chen had Tang Guolun mobilize everyone to drive any remaining God Organization members out of East Sea City.


    Having been through this event, Ling Chen needed to establish a stable defense to keep East Sea City firmly under his control.


    Two days passed in the blink of an eye.


    On this day, with light rain falling outside, Ling Chen sat inside the car, parked by the roadside, quietly waiting.

 Chapter 1032 - 1039: Lin Guodong’s Fate

    <h4>Chapter 1032: Chapter 1039: Lin Guodong¡¯s Fate</h4>


    A few minutes passed, and a Honda minivan slowly drove up and stopped in front of Ling Chen¡¯s car. At the same time, a Mercedes sedan came from behind and parked next to the two cars.


    Seeing the two cars arrive, Ling Chen pushed open the car door and got out, gesturing towards the Mercedes sedan. Soon, Tang Guolun got out from the passenger seat, followed by the driver and two security guards.


    "Boss Tang, wait outside for a bit. I¡¯ll go in and have a word with him." With that, Ling Chen directly took a seat in the back of the Mercedes sedan.


    At this moment, Lin Guodong was quietly sitting in the back seat. When he saw Ling Chene in, he asked, "Why did you bring me here? If you wanted to kill me, you could¡¯ve done it at the base. Why go through all this trouble?"


    Ling Chen smiled slightly, "I said before, I won¡¯t take your life. Also, I brought you here to offer you another way of life. Although you¡¯ll lose your freedom, at least you can spend the rest of your life peacefully."


    Upon hearing this, Lin Guodong immediately reacted, asking, "Are you sending me to prison?"


    "You are the head of the God Organization; it¡¯s not like you¡¯ll be put in prison. Rest assured, I¡¯ve arranged everything for you. You just need to provide some intelligence in exchange for a vi and afortable life."


    Lin Guodong nodded and said, "I see. You¡¯ve made a deal with the government?"


    "Sort of. I can¡¯t keep you by my side forever. To be honest, I don¡¯t trust you, so I thought it over and handing you over to the government is the best arrangement. This way, it benefits both you and me." Ling Chen paused before continuing, "Don¡¯t worry, the government won¡¯t torture you. They just want some intelligence about the God Organization and the Ling Family. You¡¯re a smart person; you should know how to use your value."


    "I understand." Lin Guodong smiled faintly, "This may be the best oue for me. Ling Chen, although we are on opposing sides, I still have to say thank you!"


    "No need to be polite. Like you said, we¡¯re family after all, and I don¡¯t want any infighting. As long as the main culprit is brought to justice, that¡¯s enough." Finished speaking, Ling Chen led Lin Guodong out of the car.


    At this time, two middle-aged men in suits got out of the Honda minivan in front.


    As they approached, Ling Chen pointed to Lin Guodong beside him and said, "I¡¯m handing him over to you."


    "Mr. Ling, Mr. Zhang asked me to convey a message to you. He promised to fulfill hismitments, so rest assured."


    "I understand."


    "Mr. Lin, let¡¯s go." One of the middle-aged men opened the car door, gesturing for Lin Guodong to get in.


    "Ling Chen, I¡¯m leaving. I guess we won¡¯t have the chance to meet again in the future."


    "Take care." Ling Chen waved as he watched Lin Guodong disappear into the car. Watching the departing minivan, Ling Chen slowly exhaled.


    With Lin Guodong gone, it meant everything wasing to an end. The God Organization was leaderless, and the Southern Ling Family would need substantial time to re-integrate the God Organization. However, Ling Chen had already spoken with the mysterious Mr. Zhang from the government, and the government would assign Lonely Wolf to capture the remaining forces of the God Organization.


    As long as everything went smoothly, the God Organization would eventually be a thing of the past.


    "Boss Tang, let¡¯s head back!"


    ...


    After spending half a day at the base, Ling Chen made some simple arrangements for the tasks that needed to be done next. Then he drove alone to the Hongyu Group.


    In the past couple of days, Ling Chen had called Su Lin to inquire about Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s situation. However, Ling Chen underestimated the impact this matter had on Nanrong Wanqing. No matter how much Su Lin tried to persuade her, Nanrong Wanqing was unresponsive, refusing to listen to anything, and eventually drove Su Lin out of the room.


    Helpless, Su Lin had no choice but to give up persuading her.


    With Su Lin unable to help, Ling Chen had no choice but to personally make a trip to exin face-to-face with Nanrong Wanqing.


    Arriving at the elevators in the lobby of the Hongyu Group, Ling Chen pressed the button for Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s private elevator and entered the password, intending to head to the top floor. However, just after entering the password, it immediately indicated that the password was wrong and the elevator couldn¡¯t start.


    Seeing this, Ling Chen couldn¡¯t help but let out a bitterugh.


    It seemed Nanrong Wanqing was guarding against him everywhere, even changing the elevator password. Never mind! He decided to take the regr elevator instead. With this in mind, Ling Chen switched to the elevator next to it. However, just as he got in, he saw Security Captain Wei Jun hurrying over.


    "Wei," Ling Chen grinned and said, "Are you looking for me? Wait a moment; I have something to discuss with the Chairman. I¡¯lle to your office to chatter."


    Wei Jun said, frowning, "Ling, don¡¯t make this difficult for me, please."


    Hearing this, Ling Chen asked, puzzled, "What happened?"


    "The Chairman ordered not to let you go up, otherwise, all the security personnel will have to resign and go home. Ling, for the sake of our friendship, please don¡¯t look for the Chairman; this concerns the livelihood of dozens of people."


    Ling Chen slightly frowned and asked, "Did the Chairman personally instruct you?"


    Wei Jun nodded, "Not only the second security team but the first team has also been instructed. Captain Zhong has a good rtionship with you too, but with the Chairman¡¯s orders, no one dares to disobey. Ling, I suggest you find another opportunity to meet with the Chairman."


    "Alright." Ling Chen gave a bitter smile. Since Nanrong Wanqing refused to see him, why make things difficult for Wei Jun and the others?


    "Wei, I¡¯ll head back first, and I¡¯ll find you for a drink when I have time."


    "Sure, next time it¡¯s my treat."


    Leaving the Hongyu Group, Ling Chen took out his phone, initially nning to call Nanrong Hao to help him see Nanrong Wanqing. But at that moment, the phone rang.


    Seeing that it was Yang Qingling calling, Ling Chen quickly answered and asked, "Mom, is something up?"


    "Where are you? We have guests at home who say they have urgent business with you. If you¡¯re free,e back quickly."


    "Okay, I¡¯ll be there right away."


    After hanging up, Ling Chen looked back at the Hongyu Group building, sighed silently, and then got in his car to head home.


    He returned home half an hourter.


    Upon entering, Ling Chen immediately saw a group of young people sitting in the living room. There were both men and women, all of whom he found unfamiliar, as if he had never seen them before.


    Strange!


    Ling Chen thought. He didn¡¯t know any of these young people, so why would theye looking for him? He approached them, looked at Yang Qingling beside him, and asked, "Mom, is it them you were talking about?"


    Yang Qingling nodded, "They said they need your help with something."

 Chapter 1033 - 1040: Xiaozhu in Trouble

    <h4>Chapter 1033: Chapter 1040: Xiaozhu in Trouble</h4>


    "You¡¯re looking for me?" Ling Chen looked at the young people and asked, "I don¡¯t think I know you."


    As his words fell, one girl quickly stood up and said, "Mr. Ling, we¡¯ve met once before, at the hospital, remember?"


    "Hospital?" Ling Chen paused slightly, trying hard to recall.


    "We were Doctor Zhu¡¯s interns. That night, you brought someone to the hospital for treatment, and we met you there."


    When the girl said this, Ling Chen immediately remembered. That night, Qiu Yong was poisoned by Song Mingzhe¡¯s snake venom and was in critical condition. Ling Chen and the others rushed Qiu Yong to the City People¡¯s Hospital. There, Ling Chen met Zhu Xiaozhu. At that time, Zhu Xiaozhu was surrounded by a group of young men and women, all freshly graduated interns.


    In an instant, Ling Chen immediately remembered.


    "I remember now. But, why are you looking for me? Also, how did you know I live here?"


    "When your friend was hospitalized, a rtive¡¯s phone number was left on the patient¡¯s resume. We called and found out you live here," the girl replied. "Mr. Ling, we came to you this time hoping you could help us rescue Doctor Zhu."


    "You mean... Xiaozhu?" Ling Chen was stunned and quickly asked, "What¡¯s wrong with Xiaozhu?"


    "Doctor Zhu went missingst night. We went to her dorm, but she wasn¡¯t there, and her phone can¡¯t be reached."


    "Could she have gone home?" Ling Chen suggested.


    "Impossible," the girl said urgently. "Doctor Zhu has an important surgery today. She never misses such serious matters, especially life-and-death situations. She must be in trouble, which is why she didn¡¯t go to the hospital. Mr. Ling, I know you¡¯re her friend. Please help us find Doctor Zhu and make sure nothing happens to her."


    "Yes! Mr. Ling, you¡¯re the only friend of Doctor Zhu we know in East Sea City, and besides you, we don¡¯t know who else to turn to."


    Yang Qingling chimed in, "If that Doctor Zhu went missing, why didn¡¯t you report it to the police immediately? The police should handle such matters."


    The girl said helplessly, "We did go to the police, but without direct evidence, they can¡¯t file a case until forty-eight hours have passed. It¡¯s only been over ten hours now; we can¡¯t wait that long. Mr. Ling, please help us," the girl pleaded earnestly.


    Ling Chen thought for a moment and nodded, "Okay, I¡¯ll help you look for her. But without any clues, the chance of finding her is very slim, so you better not get your hopes too high."


    "Thank you, Mr. Ling!" the girl and others expressed their gratitude.


    Ling Chen waved his hand and said, "No need to thank me. Xiaozhu is my friend. If anything happened to her, I would also be responsible. Alright! You can go back and wait for news."


    "Okay, then we¡¯ll leave now."


    After seeing the young people out, Ling Chen returned to the living room and rubbed his forehead.


    "Ling Chen, what¡¯s wrong?"


    "Xiaozhu seems to be in trouble," Ling Chen said gravely.


    "You mean that Doctor Zhu?" Yang Qingling asked suspiciously. "Didn¡¯t you just say you weren¡¯t sure if anything happened to her? Why are you so certain now?"


    "They¡¯re just some young people with no experience in such matters. If they knew, they would only worry. It¡¯s better to keep it from them," Ling Chen replied.


    When taking Qiu Yong to the hospital, Ling Chen saw Zhu Xiaozhu being taken by several people. If it hadn¡¯t been for his timely intervention, Zhu Xiaozhu¡¯s situation might have been very dangerous.


    At that time, Ling Chen had warned Zhu Xiaozhu to be more careful and to report to the police to prevent simr urrences.


    So now that Zhu Xiaozhu was missing again, it was highly likely rted to the people who kidnapped herst time.


    Ling Chen immediately took out his phone and dialed Hu Fei¡¯s number. With no clue on hand, the only one he could rely on was Hu Fei. The Secret Society¡¯s intelligencework spanned the entire East Sea City, and they might find some useful clues.


    After the call, Yang Qingling looked at Ling Chen and asked, "Son, what kind of friend is that Doctor Zhu to you? Her name sounds like a girl¡¯s."


    "Mom, Xiaozhu is just an ordinary friend; don¡¯t overthink it."


    "Fine, fine, I won¡¯t ask if that¡¯s okay? By the way! How¡¯s Wanqing doing? It¡¯s been several days, and she hasn¡¯te to see me. Haven¡¯t you two made up yet?"


    Ling Chen scratched his head and said with a wry smile, "Mom, please don¡¯t ask. As you can see, I have a lot of things to deal with right now." To be honest, whenever Nanrong Wanqing was mentioned, he felt troubled, so he simply didn¡¯t think about it.


    Seeing Ling Chen¡¯s impatience, Yang Qingling, as an experienced person, could understand her son¡¯s feelings.


    "Alright, I won¡¯t ask too much anymore. You handle your matters on your own." Saying that, Yang Qingling checked the time, picked up her handbag from the sofa, and said, "I¡¯m heading out."


    "Mom, where are you going?"


    "Shiyun asked me out for a meal and to go shopping. You don¡¯t have time to apany me, and it¡¯s rare for that little girl to have the heart, so I¡¯ll take the opportunity to go out. Okay, I won¡¯t talk to you more, take care of yourself outside."


    With that, Yang Qingling turned and walked out of the vi.


    Watching his mother leave, Ling Chen touched his nose. That girl Tang Shiyun sure has her ways, actually managing to win his mother¡¯s favor. But it¡¯s good, since he doesn¡¯t have time to apany Yang Qingling, having Tang Shiyun with her is not bad either.


    ...


    The efficiency on Hu Fei¡¯s side was fast; in less than an hour, news came back.


    "Hello! Ling Chen, we¡¯ve checked, and Zhu Xiaozhu has indeed been kidnapped."


    "Where is she?" Ling Chen asked urgently.


    "It¡¯s still unclear for now. We checked the surveince cameras near the hospital. Latest night, a van was spotted around the hospital. The van was careful, avoiding the nearby surveince area, so we couldn¡¯t see who¡¯s inside. Additionally, I checked the van¡¯s license te, and it¡¯s a fake. We can¡¯t track the vehicle¡¯s location."


    "What should we do then?"


    "Don¡¯t worry. We¡¯re retrieving surveince footage from various routes to see where the van appeared at the same timest night. Once we determine the general direction, we can estimate their approximate location."


    "Okay, hurry up. It¡¯s about Xiaozhu¡¯s safety; I don¡¯t want anything to happen to her."


    "Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m already on it. I¡¯ll notify you as soon as there are updates."


    ...


    At this moment, in a dark basement, a series of footsteps approached, apanied by a light appearing at the basement doorway.


    When the person entered the basement, several youths inside stood up and called, "Haozi!"


    "Where¡¯s the person you captured?"


    "Haozi, she¡¯s inside."


    "You didn¡¯t harm her, did you?"


    "Haozi, you specifically instructed us not to harm a single hair on her head, so we didn¡¯t dare disobey."

 Chapter 1034 - 1041: The Mastermind

    <h4>Chapter 1034: Chapter 1041: The Mastermind</h4>


    "Alright, all of you go outside and stand guard. Let me be alone with her for a moment."


    "Yes, Haozi!"


    Once everyone in the basement had left, Nanrong Hao walked alone to a small room. He knocked on the door and pushed it open. Inside the small room was a simple bed and a small round table with a case of bottled water and a box of bread and biscuits. Next door, there was a rudimentary toilet.


    At this moment, a woman was sitting on the bed in the room. It was Zhu Xiaozhu, whom Ling Chen was searching for.


    Seeing who came in, Zhu Xiaozhu was stunned and said in surprise, "Nanrong Hao, why are you here? Did they also capture you?"


    Nanrong Hao replied expressionlessly, "Miss Zhu, you are mistaken. No one captured me. On the contrary, I had you brought here."


    Hearing this, Zhu Xiaozhu was taken aback and asked incredulously, "Why? Why would you do this? We¡¯ve never had any enmity; if not great friends, at least we¡¯re friends."


    "Miss Zhu," Nanrong Hao interjected, "You are my friend, but I¡¯mpelled to do this because I want revenge."


    "Revenge?" Zhu Xiaozhu faltered and asked in confusion, "I never wronged you; what revenge are you looking for?"


    "You haven¡¯t, but your brother did. You might not know yet¡ªmy father was killed by your brother." Nanrong Hao tried to keep his tone calm.


    "Impossible!" Zhu Xiaozhu immediately retorted without a thought, "That¡¯s absolutely impossible; my brother wouldn¡¯t do..."


    "Enough!" Nanrong Hao coldly interrupted her.


    "Miss Zhu, no need to defend your brother. Chen told me himself; would he lie to me? Moreover, don¡¯t you know what kind of person your brother is? I want revenge, but I can¡¯t find Zhu Hong on my own, so I have to use you to find him. Zhu Xiaozhu, I¡¯m sorry, but some grudges cannot coexist until avenged. Once I kill Zhu Hong, I will release you."


    Zhu Xiaozhu bit her lip lightly and said, "Nanrong Hao, even if what you say is true, have you not thought¡ªvendettas beget vendettas. If you kill my brother, won¡¯t the Zhu Family retaliate against the Nanrong Family? Aren¡¯t the Nanrong and Zhu Families long-time friends? Do you really want to see both families fighting to the death?"


    "And so what?" Nanrong Hao couldn¡¯t control his anger and shouted, "Should I just let it go? If it were your father that I killed and someone told you the same thing, would you forgo revenge?" Breathing deeply to calm himself, Nanrong Hao continued, "Miss Zhu, put yourself in my shoes; there¡¯s no point in saying things that make no difference. I still consider you a friend because you¡¯re not like Zhu Hong. Maybe Zhu Hong was a good person once, but not anymore. You are his sister; you should know how he¡¯s changed. If I don¡¯t kill him, more people will die by his hand."


    "Can¡¯t you spare him? Must you resort to such extreme revenge?"


    "Blood for blood. When he killed my father, did he think about sparing him?" Nanrong Hao said coldly, "Miss Zhu, there¡¯s no need to plead for him. I¡¯ve made up my mind to avenge this matter." As he spoke, Nanrong Hao took a phone out of his pocket and tossed it beside Zhu Xiaozhu.


    "Tell Zhu Hong, if he cares about you as his sister, toe see me at once."


    "I don¡¯t know how to contact him; I haven¡¯t seen him in a long time."


    "Miss Zhu, I¡¯ve been more than reasonable with you. You¡¯re his sister; you must be able to reach him. I¡¯veid it out for you: either have Zhu Honge to see me, or... you¡¯ll stay here until you contact him. Just beware, Miss Zhu, don¡¯t think of using this phone to call the police or anyone other than Zhu Hong. My people will monitor your calls and texts, and if you try to call the police, don¡¯t me me for being ruthless." With that, Nanrong Hao said no more and left the room.


    Outside, Nanrong Hao summoned a few of his men in.


    "Is everything set up?"


    "Boss, rest assured. Everything¡¯s arranged as you instructed. If that guy dares show up, he won¡¯t be leaving."


    "It better be that way. I don¡¯t want any slip-ups. Alright, keep an eye on her and remember, no cking off. Notify me immediately when she contacts Zhu Hong. Understand?"


    "Yes, Boss."


    ...


    In the cramped room, Zhu Xiaozhu sat on the bed with the phone in her hand, dazed. She didn¡¯t have any contact for Zhu Hong, so she couldn¡¯t fulfill Nanrong Hao¡¯s demand. Even if she knew how to reach Zhu Hong, she wouldn¡¯t call him for help. Regardless of what Zhu Hong might have done, he was still her brother.


    "Brother..." After a long silence, Zhu Xiaozhu sighed softly and murmured to herself, "Why did you have to do this?"


    ...


    In no time, two days had passed.


    During these two days, Ling Chen hadn¡¯t had a good sleep, and theck of news from Zhu Xiaozhu was making him anxious. He couldn¡¯t understand why anyone would capture her, especially given her gentle nature that wouldn¡¯t offend anyone.


    After thinking it over, Ling Chen picked up his phone and called Hu Fei to check on the investigation¡¯s progress.


    "Fei, it¡¯s been two days; have you found that van?"


    "This is tricky. We found the van, but it was burnt, leaving no evidence. Plus, the people who kidnapped Miss Zhu seem very aware of our capabilities, choosing roads without surveince. We haven¡¯t found any clues. Hey! Ling Chen, it¡¯s been two days, and there¡¯s no movement from the Zhu Family, so it¡¯s not a ransom. They must have another motive. I¡¯m thinking, if it¡¯s not money, then Zhu Xiaozhu¡¯s safety..."


    "Shut your crow¡¯s mouth," interrupted Ling Chen irritably. "As long as she¡¯s missing, don¡¯t jump to conclusions. Instead of specting, you¡¯d do better to focus. Let Boss Tang know to temporarily set aside other matters and have the Secret Society use all resources to locate Zhu Xiaozhu."


    "Alright, I¡¯ll do my best."


    After hanging up, Ling Chen rubbed his temples, feeling increasingly worried. Hu Fei¡¯s intuition wasn¡¯t necessarily wrong; if the abductors weren¡¯t after ransom, what could they want?


    Revenge?

 Chapter 1035 - 1042: Vengeance for My Father’s Death (1)

    <h4>Chapter 1035: Chapter 1042: Vengeance for My Father¡¯s Death (1)</h4>


    Nightfall!


    In an apartment located in the city center of East Sea City, Zhu Hong stood on the balcony, gazing into the colorful nightscape in the distance, a cigarette already halfway burned in his hand.


    "Disciple, what are you thinking about?" At this moment, Chen Quan walked up from behind, leaning on the balcony railing, and asked.


    "Master." Zhu Hong threw down the half-burned cigarette and said, "I¡¯m thinking about the way forward. To be honest, I didn¡¯t expect Ling Chen to be so cunning, setting up a trap to lure Lin Guodong in. Now, Lin Guodong has been captured, Ji Gang is missing, and the remaining forces of the God Organization in East Sea City have been driven out. Now, Ling Chen has firmly controlled East Sea City. With this experience, he will definitely strengthen his control over East Sea City, which is very disadvantageous for us."


    After listening to Zhu Hong¡¯s words, Chen Quan squinted his eyes, revealing a sharp look and said, "Disciple, let me ask you a question."


    "Please go ahead, Master."


    "What is it that you seek?" Chen Quan looked straight into Zhu Hong¡¯s eyes, saying slowly, "Everyone has their own pursuits. You¡¯ve given so much; surely there is something you want to obtain. Tell me, what do you want?"


    Hearing this, Zhu Hong unconsciously clenched his fists. After a moment of silence, he slowly began, "What I wanted before was simple, the same as all ordinary people: career and love. Unfortunately, things didn¡¯t go as nned, and even something so simple I couldn¡¯t obtain. In the end, I was left neither human nor ghost, having to wear this mask to face people. Master, you can¡¯t understand the feeling of being disfigured. Looking like this now, I can¡¯t be called a human, no woman would dare to look at me, even if I were rich. So now, I don¡¯t seek women or wealth, but power. Only power can give me everything. Besides, I want revenge. Whoever ruined me, I will pay them back tenfold, a hundredfold." As he finished, Zhu Hong almost spoke through gritted teeth.


    "Your enemy is Ling Chen?"


    "Yes, it¡¯s him!"


    Chen Quan nodded and said, "I¡¯ve seen Ling Chen and dealt with him. He¡¯s not so remarkable, apart from being better in kung fu, he doesn¡¯t have many other advantages. Disciple, I¡¯m well aware of your abilities. I¡¯ve been confined in the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion for too long, and I don¡¯t understand many things outside, so I can only rely on you to help me. Trust your Master, as long as you follow me, those pursuits of yours will eventually be reality. However, before that, we must stabilize and can¡¯t be running around like this. Do you understand what I mean?"


    "Master, rest assured, I am already nning. If everything goes smoothly, there will be news soon."


    "Good, then I¡¯ll wait for your good news."


    As he spoke, Chu Huaiyang quickly walked over from inside the house.


    "Zhu Hong."


    "Looking for me for something?"


    Chu Huaiyang nced at Chen Quan beside him and said, "Our people just intercepted a piece of information from the police, rted to your sister."


    "Xiaozhu?" Zhu Hong frowned slightly and said, "What¡¯s happened to her?"


    "The police have just filed a case; your sister has been missing for forty-eight hours. The reporter is her student at the hospital, and ording to those students¡¯ testimonies, they think your sister might have been kidnapped."


    "Are you sure?" Zhu Hong said coldly, "Who dares to kidnap my sister?"


    "I¡¯m not sure."


    "Disciple." Chen Quan said from the side, "Since it¡¯s about your sister, you should pay attention to it. Go on, we don¡¯t have much to do these days, handle your sister¡¯s situation well, then we can proceed with the next step at ease."


    "Yes, Master."


    Returning from the balcony to the room, Zhu Hong took out his phone and dialed a number directly.


    Not long after, the call connected, and a deep male voice came through on the other end, "Hello! Who¡¯s this?"


    "Dad, it¡¯s me."


    "Hong?" Hearing Zhu Hong¡¯s response, the voice immediately grew excited, "Hong, where are you? Do you know your sister¡¯s in trouble."


    "Dad, don¡¯t worry, I just got the news." After a pause, Zhu Hong asked, "Dad, what¡¯s going on with my sister? Our family hasn¡¯t made enemies with anyone, who would kidnap her?"


    "Those people weren¡¯t after us, they were after you. Two hours ago, I got a call from the kidnappers asking if I knew your whereabouts and told me to turn you in. You didn¡¯t leave any contact information, and I couldn¡¯t find you even if I wanted to. Luckily, you called back; otherwise, I really wouldn¡¯t know what to do."


    "After me?" Zhu Hong said solemnly, "Did the kidnappers reveal their identity?"


    "No. But they gave me a contact; tomorrow evening at seven, at the intersection of Wangbei Street and Datong Street in East Sea City, there¡¯s a phone booth there, they want you to wait for a call there. Hong, no matter what you¡¯ve done outside, your sister is innocent, you must save her."


    "Dad, don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t let little sister be in danger."


    After hanging up the phone, Zhu Hong narrowed his eyes and muttered, "Who wants to go against me?"


    "Could it be Ling Chen?" Chu Huaiyang spected from the side.


    "Impossible. I know Ling Chen¡¯s character well; even if he wanted to force me to appear, he wouldn¡¯t use such lowly means. Besides, he has a very special rtionship with my sister, he would never do this to her."


    "If it¡¯s not Ling Chen, then who could it be?"


    "It¡¯s unclear for now. However, no matter who kidnapped my sister, I won¡¯t let them off easily."


    "I didn¡¯t expect you to care about your sister so much; I thought you¡¯d given up on family ties."


    Zhu Hong nced at Chu Huaiyang and said ndly, "I won¡¯t go back to the Zhu Family, but someone has to be there for my parents when they¡¯re old, so my sister must not be harmed."


    ...


    The next day.


    Around six fifty in the evening, Zhu Hong and Chu Huaiyang drove to the designated location. At the intersection of the two streets, there indeed was a public phone booth.


    Checking the time, Zhu Hong greeted Chu Huaiyang and went alone into the phone booth to wait for the call.


    Ten minutes passed, and the phone in the booth rang right on time.


    Picking up the handset, Zhu Hong calmly said, "This is Zhu Hong, who is this?"


    "You finally showed up." A voice processed through a voice changer came from the other end of the phone.


    "Zhu Hong, if you want to save your sister, be at the ce I tell you in an hour. Remember, you muste alone. If you report to the police or bring others, then get ready to collect your sister¡¯s body." After giving the address, the person on the other end immediately hung up.


    One hour... Zhu Hong looked at the time on the phone screen, turned around back to the car, and said to Chu Huaiyang, "You go back first."

 Chapter 1036 - 1043: Vengeance for My Father’s Death (2)

    <h4>Chapter 1036: Chapter 1043: Vengeance for My Father¡¯s Death (2)</h4>


    "You¡¯re going alone?" Chu Huaiyang asked, "What if something happens to you?"


    "That¡¯s none of your concern." With that, Zhu Hong started the car and drove straight toward the destination.


    After more than forty minutes, Zhu Hong finally arrived at the ce mentioned. It was an old building located in East Sea City¡¯s Old City. Since the Old City was undergoing redevelopment, all old houses were designated for demolition. As a result, all the residents in this area had been relocated by the government, leaving these buildings empty.


    Getting out of the car, Zhu Hong surveyed the surroundings, spotting a young man emerging from a building not far away, who waved at him.


    As he approached, the young man made a gesture for Zhu Hong to stop and spread his arms. Then, he carefully checked Zhu Hong up and down, ensuring he wasn¡¯t carrying any weapons, before saying, "Follow me."


    The young man led Zhu Hong through the stairwell of the old building straight to a staircase. The staircase led directly to the bottom, and shortly after, the two arrived at a dimly lit basement.


    "Where¡¯s my sister?" Zhu Hong nced around and asked.


    The young man walked to a door, pointed inside, and said, "Go in, you¡¯ll see your sister soon."


    Upon hearing this, Zhu Hong didn¡¯t hesitate, he pushed the door open and walked in. As soon as he entered, two young men rushed out from either side with knives, pressing them against Zhu Hong¡¯s neck.


    "Don¡¯t move, you¡¯d better behave, or you¡¯ll lose your life," the young man coldly warned.


    Zhu Hong calmly said, "I¡¯vee as you asked, shouldn¡¯t I see my sister now?"


    "Don¡¯t worry, your sister is fine, nothing has happened to her." The voice came, and Zhu Hong¡¯s eyes turned cold and sharp.


    "Nanrong Hao?" Zhu Hong said in a deep voice, "Did you kidnap my sister?"


    "That¡¯s right!" Nanrong Hao nodded and said, "Zhu Hong, it¡¯s been a long time. I¡¯ve spent a lot of effort to find you. Your sister didn¡¯t know how to contact you, so I had to call your house. I figured someone there would know where you were." Pausing, Nanrong Hao asked, "I think you know why I¡¯m looking for you."


    "I don¡¯t quite understand."


    "Don¡¯t understand?" Nanrong Hao sneered, "You killed my father, do I need to emphasize this to you? Zhu Hong, a father-killer and I can¡¯t coexist, all I want is your life in return."


    "So you know everything. Did Ling Chen tell you?" Zhu Hong seemed to rx, smiling, "I thought it was something serious. Nanrong Hao, did you know how many people your father killed in the God Organization? Someone like him was doomed to die sooner orter; I just helped him along."


    "Shut up!" Nanrong Hao barked coldly, "Zhu Hong, who do you think you are? Blood for blood, you killed my father, today I will use your life to pay for it."


    Zhu Hong chuckled dismissively, "Nanrong Hao, it¡¯s not that I look down on you, but do you have what it takes to kill me?"


    "You¡¯ll find out soon enough if I have what it takes." Nanrong Hao nced at the two young men beside Zhu Hong and said, "Lock him up."


    "Yes, boss!"


    "Wait!" Zhu Hong stopped Nanrong Hao and asked, "Didn¡¯t you kidnap my sister? Where is she, let me see her."


    "No need to see her; she¡¯s not here. Zhu Hong, unlike you, I don¡¯t kill innocent people. I had no choice but to catch your sister to draw you out. Before you came, I already moved her elsewhere. She¡¯spletely safe now, so rest easy on your way."


    "So my sister¡¯s okay?" Zhu Hong nodded gently and said, "If that¡¯s the case, I don¡¯t need to be polite with you."


    With those words, Zhu Hong¡¯s body suddenly lunged forward, instantly shaking off the two knives at his neck. Before the two young men could react, Zhu Hong swiftly repositioned himself and delivered a double-fisted blow to their foreheads.


    In an instant, with two muffled groans, the young men couldn¡¯t even resist and fell directly to the ground.


    Seeing this, Nanrong Hao¡¯s expression changed; he hadn¡¯t expected Zhu Hong to break free from his two subordinates. Without a second thought, Nanrong Hao charged forward, striking a punch at Zhu Hong¡¯s face.


    Seeing the punche his way, Zhu Hong smirked, advancing instead of retreating, quickly closing in on Nanrong Hao. When the punch was less than ten centimeters away, Zhu Hong slightly tilted his head, syncing the motion with his upper body¡¯s sway, letting Nanrong Hao¡¯s punch sail over his shoulder, hitting nothing but air.


    Seizing the moment, Zhu Hong sharply lifted his foot and kicked Nanrong Hao hard in the stomach.


    Nanrong Hao¡¯s face changed from the pain in his abdomen as he stumbled back several steps until his back hit the wall, finally stabilizing his stance.


    "How did you..." Nanrong Hao stared at Zhu Hong in shock, not expecting this guy to be so skilled in fighting. Back then, Zhu Hong couldn¡¯t fight at all; a few street thugs could easily take him down. But now, he had be this formidable.


    "Nanrong Hao, do you still think I¡¯m the old Zhu Hong? Don¡¯t you know who my master is?" Zhu Hong bent down to pick up a knife from the floor and walked directly toward Nanrong Hao.


    "I know you¡¯re eager for revenge, but you overlooked one thing: you underestimated me. To kill you, I don¡¯t even need help."


    "Boss!"


    "Boss!"


    At this moment, over ten young men burst into the basement from outside, each wielding steel bars and machetes.


    Seeing his reinforcements arrive, Nanrong Hao immediately pointed at Zhu Hong and shouted, "Get rid of this bastard for me."


    Following Nanrong Hao¡¯smand, the young men wasted no time, grabbing their weapons and swinging at Zhu Hong.


    In no time, Zhu Hong¡¯s body bore several more wounds. Although he learned various fighting techniques from Chen Quan, Zhu Hong¡¯s training time was simply too short. Even with a master instructor, bing a true expert in such a short period was impossible.


    If there were only four or five opponents, Zhu Hong might have managed, but against more than a dozen, his skills were stretched thin.


    Before long, Zhu Hong was cornered by Nanrong Hao¡¯s men.


    "Zhu Hong, were you not quite impressive earlier? I want to see how capable you really are." Nanrong Hao cursed as he walked, taking a machete handed to him by a subordinate, aiming to strike a fatal blow to Zhu Hong¡¯s head.


    Ah!


    But just then, a sudden change urred, and agonizing screams erupted from among the crowd.

 Chapter 1037 - 1044: Dangerous Situation (1)

    <h4>Chapter 1037: Chapter 1044: Dangerous Situation (1)</h4>


    The sudden scream instantly grabbed everyone¡¯s attention. Nanrong Hao focused his gaze and saw a small red snake wrapped around the arm of one of his men. At this moment, the red snake was fiercely biting the man. In just a few seconds, the young man¡¯s face turned a bluish-purple, his eyes lost all luster, and he copsed directly to the ground.


    Witnessing this scene, Nanrong Hao was greatly shocked. Where did that red snakee from? However, what shocked Nanrong Hao even more was the terrifying poison of the red snake, taking his subordinate¡¯s life in mere seconds.


    Just as Nanrong Hao was rmed, he suddenly heard the cries of the crowd.


    As he looked down, Nanrong Hao was horrified to discover that there were more than a dozen red snakes on the ground, slithering towards everyone.


    "Watch out!" Nanrong Hao shouted, quickly swinging his machete and shing at an approaching red snake.


    Perhaps sensing the crisis, the red snake immediately changed direction, darting several meters away, avoiding Nanrong Hao¡¯s machete.


    Before Nanrong Hao could continue his pursuit, he heard the screams of his men around him. In the blink of an eye, two or three people had already been bitten by the red snakes.


    Seeing this, Nanrong Hao had no time to hesitate and hurriedly rushed out of the basement.


    "Stop!" Zhu Hong followed closely behind Nanrong Hao, picking up a machete from the ground and quickly chasing after him.


    Soon, Nanrong Hao charged out of the basement, running directly towards the stairs. However, before he could take a few steps, he saw a wolf with bared fangsing down the stairs.


    After a brief stupor, Nanrong Hao quickly came to his senses. Not daring to move forward, he urgently turned and sprinted back. Behind Nanrong Hao was a straight corridor. The buildings in this area all had basements, with each building¡¯s basement interconnected. Now that the way out was blocked, Nanrong Hao had to find another way to escape.


    ...


    At this moment, Ling Chen was driving on the road, nning to go to the supermarket to buy some groceries and daily supplies, as per his mother¡¯s instructions. Halfway through, the car¡¯s Bluetooth-connected phone rang, and he immediately answered the call.


    "Hello! Fatty, what¡¯s up? Have you found Xiaozhu¡¯s whereabouts?"


    "We haven¡¯t found Miss Zhu, but we discovered something else that might interest you."


    "What did you find? Tell me."


    "We found a falcon in the Old City."


    Falcon?


    Ling Chen raised an eyebrow. Isn¡¯t that Song Mingzhe¡¯s pet? How did it end up in the Old City? Are they... Thinking of this, Ling Chen said, "Fatty, send a few people to check out the Old City. I¡¯ll head there right away."


    With that, Ling Chen hung up the phone and quickly drove towards the Old City.


    Over twenty minutester, Ling Chen finally arrived at the location Hu Fei had mentioned. After parking the car, Ling Chen approached an area with old buildings. Observing the surroundings, he prepared to venture further inside. But at that moment, a man in work clothes called out to him loudly from the roadside.


    "Stop! You¡¯re not allowed to enter."


    Seeing the man quickly approaching, Ling Chen halted and asked when the man got closer, "Uncle, why can¡¯t I go in?"


    The man exined, "These buildings are all at risk, and we are preparing for explosive demolition. Bombs have been set around the buildings, so it¡¯s best to stay out to avoid any idents." As he spoke, the man pointed to a warning sign erected not far away and said, "Didn¡¯t you see the warning over there?"


    Ling Chen nced over and apologized, "Sorry, I didn¡¯t see it earlier. Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll just watch from the roadside; I won¡¯t go in."


    "That¡¯s for the best." The man reiterated a few more warnings before walking away.


    "Chen!"


    Shortly after the man left, a few young people called out Ling Chen¡¯s name and quickly approached. Recognizing them without needing to think, Ling Chen knew for sure they were sent by Hu Fei.


    "How about it? Did you find anything?"


    "Chen, all the buildings around here have been rigged with explosives. The police are setting up a protective perimeter over there. I just asked, and they said the demolition will take ce tomorrow morning."


    Another young man chimed in, "When we first arrived, we saw arge bird nearby, but it disappearedter; we don¡¯t know where it flew to. Oh, right! Chen, there¡¯s something else. We ran into some familiar faces by the roadside."


    "Familiar faces?" Ling Chen asked curiously, "Who are these familiar faces?"


    "They are subordinates of Haozi. When I asked what they were doing here, they hemmed and hawed, only saying they were passing by, refusing to say anything else."


    "Haozi¡¯s car is also parked over there, but there¡¯s no one from Haozi¡¯s crew in it."


    Hearing this, Ling Chen frowned slightly. Nanrong Hao was actually here? But how could one Nanrong Hao bring Song Mingzhe into the picture? Thinking it over, Ling Chen took out his phone from his pocket and dialed Nanrong Hao¡¯s number.


    Soon, he heard the system message from the other end, indicating that the phone was unreachable.


    Can¡¯t get through?


    Ling Chen looked at the distant buildings, pondering silently. He had lived in the Old City before, and these buildings all had basements. Since the basements were underground, the phone signal wasn¡¯t very stable inside.


    With Nanrong Hao¡¯s car parked here, he must be nearby. With his phone unreachable, it indicated that Nanrong Hao was likely in the basement.


    This guy... What on earth is he up to?


    With thoughts racing, Ling Chen looked at the young men and said, "You guys stay outside, I¡¯ll go in and have a look."


    Taking advantage of the police not having fully set up their perimeter, Ling Chen swiftly ran into one of the old buildings. Following the stairs, Ling Chen headed straight down to the basement. Observing the pitch-ck surroundings, Ling Chen took out his phone and turned on its shlight, illuminating the basement path as he carefully walked forward.


    Because these buildings¡¯ basements were all connected, they had a vast area and veryplex passageways. When Ling Chen had lived in the Old City, he¡¯d only visited the basement asionally. Back then, there were lights in the basement, making it convenient. Now, due to the uing demolition, all electrical wires had been disconnected, leaving it pitch-dark and catb-like.


    Using his phone¡¯s light, Ling Chen moved through the basement corridors, searching for any sign of Nanrong Hao.


    Since the demolition wouldn¡¯t take ce until tomorrow morning, there was plenty of time, so Ling Chen wasn¡¯t concerned about any immediate danger. The only thing troubling him was why Song Mingzhe would appear in the same ce as Nanrong Hao.


    After wandering in the basement for a while, Ling Chen suddenly heard faint noises not far away, like the sound of footsteps moving around.

 Chapter 1038 - 1045: Dangerous Situation (2)

    <h4>Chapter 1038: Chapter 1045: Dangerous Situation (2)</h4>


    Ling Chen stood still, listening intently for a moment, and realized the footsteps were approaching him. Immediately, he turned off the phone¡¯s light, quietly leaned against the wall, and fixed his gaze ahead.


    After more than ten seconds, a faint light appeared in Ling Chen¡¯s line of sight. Focusing intently, he realized the faint light came from a phone screen. A young man in his twenties, holding a phone, was gasping for breath as he stumbled along, covered in filth, looking as disheveled as one could be.


    When the young man got closer, Ling Chen suddenly lunged forward, quickly locking the other¡¯s neck and thrusting him against the wall.


    The young man was startled, struggling desperately, and shouted loudly, "No, don¡¯t kill me, please, give me a chance!"


    "Shut up!" Ling Chen said softly, "Look carefully at who I am first."


    Hearing this, the young man aimed the phone screen at Ling Chen. After seeing Ling Chen¡¯s face clearly, the young man breathed a big sigh of relief and rxedpletely.


    "Chen, you¡¯re... you¡¯re here at the perfect time, please, help us." The young man pleaded.


    "What happened?" Ling Chen asked, "Why did youe here? Also, what about Nanrong Hao, have you seen him?"


    "Haozi got separated from us, I don¡¯t know where he is now. Chen, you must save us, several people have already died."


    Seeing the young man¡¯s tense appearance, Ling Chen loosened his grip and patted the young man¡¯s shoulder, saying, "Don¡¯t be afraid, as long as I¡¯m here, no one can hurt you. Tell me, what exactly happened?"


    The young man took a couple of deep breaths and finally began to speak slowly, "Chen, it¡¯s like this..." He then exined everything that had happened.


    After listening, Ling Chen felt a heavy weight on his heart and cursed silently. No wonder Song Mingzhe was here; it was because of Zhu Hong and Zhu Xiaozhu. Ling Chen never expected that it was Nanrong Hao who kidnapped Zhu Xiaozhu. As for the reason, Ling Chen didn¡¯t even need to think; it was obviously for revenge. But Nanrong Hao¡¯s thinking was a bit naive; did he really think he could kill Zhu Hong and avenge his father?


    "What about Zhu Xiaozhu? Is she here?" Ling Chen asked.


    The young man nodded and said, "Before Zhu Hong arrived, Haozi locked her in a room in the basement, nning to release her after Zhu Hong died."


    "Do you know the specific location?"


    The young man pointed down the passage he came from, "Follow this road, about thirty meters in, turn left, and there¡¯s a room ahead. If she hasn¡¯t been rescued, she should still be there."


    "Okay, get yourself out first." With that, Ling Chen quickly walked inwards.


    "Chen." Watching Ling Chen¡¯s retreating figure, the young man suddenly thought of something and quickly called out to Ling Chen, reminding him, "Chen, the basement is full of venomous snakes, several of our brothers were bitten and died, you¡¯d better be careful and stay safe."


    Ling Chen responded without looking back, "Got it, you get out quickly."


    Walking in the pitch-ck passage, Ling Chen advanced cautiously by the light of his phone. After the young man¡¯s reminder, Ling Chen became even more careful. It wasn¡¯t hard to guess that those snakes must have been Song Mingzhe¡¯s pets. Ling Chen had witnessed their fearsome nature when hest fought with Song Mingzhe and his group, and he still felt some lingering fear.


    Soon, Ling Chen arrived outside the room the young man described. Seeing the slightly ajar door, Ling Chen murmured to himself that something was wrong and quickly pushed the door open. As expected, the room was empty, not a single person inside. Before he arrived, someone must have rescued Zhu Xiaozhu.


    However, Ling Chen could not confirm whether it was Zhu Hong who rescued Zhu Xiaozhu or someone else.


    Bang!


    While pondering, Ling Chen suddenly heard a loud explosion over his ear. Along with the explosion, the whole basement started to shake slightly, and dust began falling from the ceiling inyers.


    What happened?


    Ling Chen was shocked, and before he could react, he heard sessive ¡¯bang bang¡¯ explosive sounds outside. At the same time, the ceiling and the walls of the room all cracked, filling with fissures.


    Not good!


    Seeing this situation, Ling Chen immediately understood what had happened. Someone must have detonated the explosives ced under the building.


    Based on what the young man earlier had said, Ling Chen already knew about Nanrong Hao¡¯s n. Nanrong Hao, now a management member of the Hongyu Group, was responsible for the redevelopment project in the Old City. These buildings needed to be demolished by sting, so he must have been aware. Hence, he chose to meet Zhu Hong here. Once Zhu Hong arrived, he only needed to detonate the explosives pre-buried under the building to easily kill Zhu Hong, avenging his father.


    What Ling Chen was worried about now was whether Nanrong Hao and Zhu Xiaozhu had managed to escape from the basement. If they were still here, they would definitely be in mortal danger.


    No time to think more, Ling Chen rushed out of the room, lighting his way with his phone, hurrying towards the site of the explosion. Along the way, Ling Chen noticed that the walls on both sides of the passage had already cracked, and stones asionally fell from above.


    No way! These were all decades-old buildings, and now that they¡¯ve been sted, they could copse at any moment. I must evacuate as soon as possible. If I¡¯m anyter, I might be buried inside too.


    Not far ahead, Ling Chen saw a pile of stones fall from above, blocking the door ahead. With the path blocked, Ling Chen had to find another route, which would undoubtedly take more time.


    At this moment, outside the building, the policemen who heard the explosion were all shocked, quickly contacting their superiors and evacuating all the crowds around. After more than ten minutes, several police cars quickly arrived on the scene, led by Xia Mutong.


    "Captain Xia!" A male policeman quickly approached Xia Mutong.


    "What¡¯s the situation inside?"


    "It¡¯s not clear yet. The explosion urred in the central building. Upon careful observation, due to the explosion, cracks have appeared in that building and several surrounding buildings. They might copse at any time."


    Frowning, Xia Mutong asked, "Are there still people inside?"


    "No, we checked yesterday, and all the residents of the buildings have already been evacuated."


    "Very good." Xia Mutong slightly rxed and said, "Extend the perimeter around the st point by twenty meters and prohibit any unauthorized personnel from approaching." While saying this, another police officer hurried over, saluting Xia Mutong.


    "Captain Xia, lots of journalists have arrived over there, and they want to know the situation."


    After thinking for a moment, Xia Mutong said, "Tell them the police are actively investigating and eliminating danger. We will inform them as soon as there¡¯s a result."

 Chapter 1039 - 1046: Dangerous Situation (3)

    <h4>Chapter 1039: Chapter 1046: Dangerous Situation (3)</h4>


    As time ticked by, Ling Chen walked cautiously through the basement, his brows tightly furrowed with each careful step.


    Along the way, Ling Chen noticed that many stairways leading to the surface were blocked by stones and were impossible to traverse. Even if he found Nanrong Hao and Zhu Xiaozhu, getting back to the surface would still be a troublesome task.


    "Who¡¯s there?"


    At that moment, Ling Chen suddenly heard a familiar voice ahead.


    "Haozi?" Ling Chen¡¯s eyes lit up, and he quickly rushed forward. Before long, Ling Chen saw Nanrong Hao sitting on the ground, leaning against the wall, his leg covered in blood, with some bloodstains on the ground.


    "Chen!" Seeing Ling Chen arrive, Nanrong Hao asked in surprise, "Chen, what are you doing here?"


    "Why do you think I¡¯m here?" Ling Chen said irritably, "If it weren¡¯t for your great deeds, would I have toe looking for you?"


    Hearing Ling Chen¡¯s reprimand, Nanrong Hao sheepishly scratched his head and said, "Chen, you... you know already?"


    "Enough, we¡¯ll talk about thister. Let me check your injuries first." Ling Chen squatted in front of Nanrong Hao, tore open the trousers, revealing the wound inside. It seemed to have been scratched by falling stones, leaving a ten-centimeter gash on Nanrong Hao¡¯s leg, blood and flesh mangled, with blood continuously oozing out.


    "How about it, can you still stand?"


    Nanrong Hao tried to stand but pain was already evident on his face before he got up. Seeing this, Ling Chen didn¡¯t bother asking further and hoisted him onto his back.


    As he walked, Ling Chen asked, "Who detonated the explosives just now?"


    "Chen, it wasn¡¯t me. I¡¯m still down here myself, how could I have detonated explosives? I wouldn¡¯t do such a reckless thing."


    "Then who was it? Could it be Zhu Hong?"


    "I don¡¯t know. Originally, I could have taken out that bastard Zhu Hong, but suddenly a bunch of snakes appeared from nowhere and bit a few of mypanions to death. At that time, I was only concerned with escaping and didn¡¯t pay attention to Zhu Hong¡¯s whereabouts."


    "You! I don¡¯t even know what to say to you. If Zhu Hong were that easy to deal with, I would have taken care of him long ago. Zhu Hong is not what he used to be; he has experts around him. Let alone you, I wouldn¡¯t be 100% confident in killing him myself."


    "Then what should we do?"


    "Haozi, I understand how you feel, but you can¡¯t rush into these things. Otherwise, you¡¯ll only invite more trouble." As he spoke, Ling Chen stopped and turned to Nanrong Hao, asking, "Do you smell anything?"


    "Smell?" Nanrong Hao asked, puzzled, "Chen, what smell?"


    Ling Chen didn¡¯t respond, but he gazed at the surrounding floor, his eyes sharp and alert. Suddenly, a red sh shot out from the rubble on the ground, heading straight for Ling Chen¡¯s face.


    Without time to think, Ling Chen stepped back, his body subtly shifting as the red sh flew past him. Simultaneously, Ling Chen reached out with his right hand and grabbed the tail of the red sh, mming it against the wall. Instantly, blood sttered everywhere.


    Upon closer inspection, Ling Chen held a small red snake in his hand, its head shattered from the impact, with blood dripping to the ground.


    "Chen, it was this kind of snake that attacked us just now," Nanrong Hao eximed.


    Ling Chen nodded and casually tossed the small red snake to the ground, saying grimly, "Forget it for now, this ce is too dangerous; we need to find a way out quickly."


    A few minutes passed, and Ling Chen, with Nanrong Hao, searched several exits, but all were blocked by stones, impassable. Moving the stones would take too long, and by then, the building might have already copsed.


    "Chen, look over there!" At this moment, Nanrong Hao seemed to spot something, pointing excitedly to the distance.


    Following Nanrong Hao¡¯s direction, Ling Chen nced over to see a crack on the top of the basement, with light shining through from outside, strikingly noticeable.


    The crack was about twenty centimeters wide, likely split by the earlier explosion, just wide enough for an adult to squeeze through. Ling Chen walked over to the base of the crack and examined it closely. The area wasced with cracks; it was uncertain how long it could hold. Moreover, the crack was quite high, about three meters up.


    "Chen, what do you think, should we try?" Nanrong Hao asked.


    Ling Chen didn¡¯t respond, pulling out his cellphone instead. Checking the signal strength, he found it was halfway full due to the crack. Scrolling through his contacts, Ling Chen found a number and dialed it directly.


    After the call, Nanrong Hao asked, "Chen, why did you call Officer Xia?"


    "There¡¯s been an explosion here; Xia Mutong will definitelye to the scene. At this point, we can only seek her help."


    After waiting in the basement for about four to five minutes, Xia Mutong¡¯s voice came from the crack above: "Ling Chen, are you there?"


    "I¡¯m down here," Ling Chen responded loudly.


    "Hold on, I¡¯ll have someone send down a rope right away."


    Shortly after, a rope dangled down from the crack above. Ling Chen took the rope, wrapped it around Nanrong Hao, then tugged on it, signaling to Xia Mutong above to pull him up.


    "Haozi, once you¡¯re up there, if Xia Mutong asks anything, don¡¯t say a word. Let me do the exining, got it?" Ling Chen instructed.


    Nanrong Hao nodded, "Chen, don¡¯t worry, I know what to do."


    Watching Nanrong Hao being hoisted up, Ling Chen suddenly heard a rustling sound behind him. Turning around, he saw a dozen or so small red snakes had appeared on the ground, slowly approaching from behind. Had it not been for Ling Chen¡¯s keen hearing, he would have been bitten by them.


    Seeing the red snakes inching closer, Ling Chen picked up a few stones from the ground, flicked his wrist, and the stones flew out, urately hitting the heads of the red snakes, knocking them out.


    Perhaps sensing Ling Chen¡¯s threat, the red snakes paused, slowly retreated. As Ling Chen picked up a few more stones, the red snakes turned and slithered away.


    Watching the red snakes crawl away, an idea struck Ling Chen. Their retreat was too orderly to be random, indicating someone nearby was controlling them. This suggested that Song Mingzhe must be nearby, not too far away.


    With this in mind, Ling Chen informed Xia Mutong above and pursued the direction in which the red snakes retreated. If Song Mingzhe was here, Zhu Hong and the others were likely here too. Since Xiaozhu wasn¡¯t found yet, and her rescue was uncertain, Ling Chen needed to ascertain this.

 Chapter 1040 - 1047: Dangerous Situation (4)

    <h4>Chapter 1040: Chapter 1047: Dangerous Situation (4)</h4>


    "Ling Chen, Ling Chen!" Xia Mutong stood at the edge of the crevice, calling Ling Chen¡¯s name loudly.


    Seeing that Ling Chen was not responding, Xia Mutong couldn¡¯t help but stomp her foot, cursing inwardly, "That bastard!" At a time like this, he still refuses toe out. Does he really want to stay inside and wait for death?


    After thinking it over, Xia Mutong gritted her teeth and said to her colleague beside her, "Give me the rope and let me go down."


    "Captain Xia, what are you going to do?"


    Xia Mutong said angrily, "I¡¯m going to bring that bastard up."


    "No!" A male police officer hurriedly shook his hand, saying, "The ground around here has already cracked and could copse at any moment. We should evacuate quickly."


    "But there are still people down there. I can¡¯t just watch them die without trying to save them," Xia Mutong said urgently, "I¡¯m the person in charge. Just follow my orders and don¡¯t worry about anything else. Quick, give me the rope!"


    Seeing Xia Mutong¡¯s determined expression, the male police officer hesitated for a moment but finally handed over the rope obediently. Xia Mutong took the rope and immediately wrapped it around her waist. Then, she walked to the edge of the crevice and lightly tapped the ground with her foot to test it. As she did so, the ground on both sides of the crevice suddenly cracked, and the cracks spread rapidly.


    Seeing this, her colleagues standing nearby were shocked and quickly grabbed Xia Mutong¡¯s arm to pull her back from the edge of the crevice. As everyone retreated about four meters away, there was a ¡¯boom,¡¯ and the ground around the crevice copsed instantly, raising clouds of dust.


    Xia Mutong patted the dirt off her body and hurriedly got up from the ground. Suddenly, the crevice before her had be a huge pit, blocked at the bottom by rocks, making it impossible to go down. Furthermore, the surrounding cracks were gradually spreading, and the area of expansion was growingrger.


    "Captain Xia, let¡¯s evacuate quickly; it¡¯s too dangerous here."


    Thinking of Ling Chen still underground, Xia Mutong lightly bit her lip, a hint of worry shing in her eyes. After pondering for a while, Xia Mutong spoke, "Evacuate everyone, and inform the firefighters to bring equipment and rush to the scene for rescue; make sure to get the people trapped below out."


    "Yes!"


    After retreating from the scene to a safe area, Xia Mutong found Nanrong Hao, who was receiving treatment in the medical vehicle, and questioned him in an interrogative tone, "Tell me, what exactly happened? Why were you down there?"


    Nanrong Hao remembered Ling Chen¡¯s instructions and feigned ignorance, "Officer Xia, I also don¡¯t know what happened. We¡¯ll have to wait until Chenes up to find out the details."


    Hearing this, Xia Mutong felt a surge of anger and said coldly, "You were down there, and you don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on? Nanrong Hao, I¡¯m warning you, don¡¯t y dumb with me. Do you believe I won¡¯t take you back to the police station?"


    Nanrong Hao responded indifferently, "Captain Xia, I honestly don¡¯t know. I got hit on the head by a rock earlier, and it¡¯s still buzzing. I can¡¯t remember a lot of things. How about this, let me rest first, and if I recall anything, I¡¯ll tell you right away."


    "You..." Xia Mutong red, struggling to suppress her anger. She realized that anyone close to Ling Chen was just as infuriating as he was.


    "Captain Xia, the firefighters have arrived."


    Upon hearing the report from her subordinate, Xia Mutong ignored Nanrong Hao and immediately led her team to the scene.


    A few minutes passed, and several firefighters approached Xia Mutong to discuss the rescue n.


    "Captain Xia, going in now could be very dangerous," a firefighter said. "We just surveyed the scene, and the entrances leading to the basement are all blocked by rocks. Additionally, the ground has various degrees of cracks and is at risk of copsing at any moment. If we use drilling equipment, it could expand the cracks and cause the ground to cave in."


    Xia Mutong frowned and asked, "Then what should we do? We can¡¯t just watch Ling Chen die in there."


    "Captain Xia, after our discussion, it¡¯s not suitable to carry out a rescue at this time. The risk is too high. Even if our people go in, there¡¯s no guarantee they could get out."


    "I don¡¯t care," Xia Mutong said firmly. "This is what you specialize in. I¡¯m giving you half an hour; no matter what method you use, you muste up with a solution for me."


    ...


    At this moment, in the dim basement, Ling Chen was still following those small red snakes. His n was simple: these snakes would surely head for Song Mingzhe. By following them, he couldn¡¯t only find Song Mingzhe but might also find Zhu Hong.


    While pondering, the light in front of Ling Chen suddenly went out. ncing at the phone in his hand, Ling Chen cursed inwardly. He had been using the phone¡¯s shlight, severely draining the battery. Now, it had less than one percent left, not enough tost two minutes.


    As the battery indicator shed a few times, the phone automatically shut down, and darkness enveloped him.


    With the phone screen dark, Ling Chen¡¯s keen ears caught the rustling sounds around him. There was no need to look; those small red snakes were undoubtedly returning.


    In the pitch-ck environment, the small snakes had an advantage. Ling Chen gripped the phone tightly, his body slowly pivoting in ce as he listened attentively to the movements of the red snakes.


    Suddenly, the sound of something cutting through the air was heard. Ling Chen swiftly turned around, flicked his wrist, and threw the phone. A secondter, a faint noise was heard as if something had hit the wall.


    Meanwhile, Ling Chen leaned back, raised his right leg, and gave a fierce kick. Although he couldn¡¯t see anything in the darkness, he could feel through the impact that he had killed at least seven or eight red snakes.


    After waiting silently for over twenty seconds, there were no more sounds. It was unclear whether all the snakes had been killed or had escaped in fear, but they hadn¡¯t attacked Ling Chen anymore.


    Seeing the crisis resolved, Ling Chen didn¡¯t pause for a second, heading forward immediately. Even without the snakes to guide him, he only needed to determine the right direction.


    However, because the surroundings were too dark, with stones scattered everywhere, and rocks asionally falling from above, Ling Chen¡¯s speed slowed significantly. After advancing a few dozen meters, he suddenly stopped and looked ahead. There, he noticed a light. At this moment, a light meant there was someone there. It was likely that Song Mingzhe and the others were in front.

 Chapter 1041 - 1048: Perilous Situation (5)

    <h4>Chapter 1041: Chapter 1048: Perilous Situation (5)</h4>


    After observing for a while, Ling Chen touched the wall and cautiously moved forward. Soon, voices from a conversation came from ahead.


    "Mr. Zhu, the road ahead ispletely blocked. We must find another way to exit," said the voice, which seemed to be Song Mingzhe.


    "We¡¯ve already checked on the way here. All exits arepletely sealed, and we can¡¯t get out. I guess the situation is simr with other exits," Zhu Hong¡¯s deep voice responded.


    "We shouldn¡¯t have detonated the explosives," Song Mingzhe¡¯s tone carried a hint of regret.


    So it was them! Ling Chen frowned to himself. He had been wondering who set off the explosives, and it turned out to be that bastard Zhu Hong. As he pondered, Zhu Hong¡¯s voice came from ahead: "Didn¡¯t Ling Chene? I wanted to detonate the explosives to bury that guy underground. Unfortunately, he¡¯s too tough and still didn¡¯t die. Plus, the buildings here are too dpidated, and the st waves unexpectedly caused such arge impact, sealing all the exits. I didn¡¯t anticipate this." After a pause, Zhu Hong continued, "Uncle Song, you¡¯re sure that Ling Chen came, right?"


    "Absolutely certain. My hawk has been circling in the sky and spotted him when Ling Chen arrived."


    "In that case, we need to hurry. If Ling Chen finds his way here, we¡¯re going to be in trouble."


    "Brother, why do you have to go after Ling Chen? Can¡¯t you coexist peacefully? No matter what misunderstandings you had before, you can all sit down and talk it out. Once the misunderstandings are resolved, everything will be fine. If you don¡¯t trust Ling Chen, at least you should trust your sister, right? I can help persuade Ling Chen to talk it out with you." The voice wasn¡¯t anyone else but Zhu Xiaozhu, whom Ling Chen had been looking for.


    Hearing Zhu Xiaozhu¡¯s voice, Ling Chen couldn¡¯t help but let out a sigh of relief. He had been worried something happened to her, but now it seemed Zhu Hong had already rescued her.


    "Little sister, don¡¯t be naive. There¡¯s no possibility of reconciliation between Ling Chen and me anymore. No! You can¡¯t say that; it¡¯s not that there aren¡¯t any ways to reconcile."


    "Brother, what way? Tell me, and I¡¯ll do whatever I can to help you two."


    Zhu Hongughed indifferently, "As long as Ling Chen is dead, my grievances with him will be wiped clean."


    "Brother..."


    "Enough! Little sister, don¡¯t say anymore. This isn¡¯t the time for that. We should focus on getting out of here. Uncle Song, the explosion here is sure to attract arge number of police. If we leave like this, we might get caught by the police. We need to find a way to shake them off."


    Song Mingzhe replied, "Mr. Zhu, there are ways, but they¡¯re a bit dangerous."


    "Oh? Let¡¯s hear it."


    "Didn¡¯t we just use explosives to blow up the underground beams? There are still a lot of explosives installed around. We can use those explosives to st a new exit. However, when the explosives go off, it¡¯ll likely cause a chain reaction. By then, the buildings nearby might all copse, and those outside might also be affected, we..."


    Before Song Mingzhe could finish, Zhu Hong had already taken over, saying: "I understand what you mean. There¡¯s always danger. We can¡¯t stay trapped here forever. As for those outside... humph! What does it matter to me whether they live or die? Let¡¯s go collect the explosives first."


    Listening to their footsteps gradually fading away, Ling Chen hurriedly followed behind them. Soon, he saw Zhu Hong stop at a spot and take out the explosives stuck in the beam, stacking them together, totaling twenty to thirty sticks. Seeing the explosives piled up, Ling Chen couldn¡¯t help but furrow his brow.


    If these explosives are detonated, they¡¯ll definitely trigger a chain reaction. By then, even the police outside might be in danger.


    No way!


    I have to stop Zhu Hong. With this thought, Ling Chen¡¯s gaze swept over, locking onto Song Mingzhe. At that moment, Song Mingzhe was grabbing Zhu Xiaozhu¡¯s arm, presumably to prevent her from interfering with Zhu Hong.


    "Brother, do you really have to do this?"


    "Why not? Do you want to stay trapped under here?"


    "But what about those people outside? Don¡¯t you care if they live or die at all?"


    "I only care about myself; what do others¡¯ lives have to do with me? Alright, little sister, stay quietly there and don¡¯t get in my way." As he spoke, Zhu Hong gathered all the explosives on the ground and headed towards the blocked exit. Judging by his actions, he clearly intended to st open the sealed exit.


    Seeing this, Ling Chen stealthily followed behind, step by step, moving forward. His goal was clear. As long as he took care of Song Mingzhe, Zhu Hong wouldn¡¯t be a threat at all.


    Four meters... three meters... two meters... Seeing the distance to Song Mingzhe closing in, Ling Chen raised his fist, Inner Strength gathered, ready to knock out his opponent when he was caught off guard. However, just as Ling Chen was about to approach Song Mingzhe, Song Mingzhe suddenly turned his head, his sharp eyes locking onto Ling Chen.


    Four eyes met, and Ling Chen was slightly startled. This guy¡¯s reaction was incredibly keen. What Ling Chen didn¡¯t know was that Song Mingzhe was a Beast Tamer, specializing in taming wild animals. Furthermore, Song Mingzhe had lived in the jungle since he was a child, and his eyesight, hearing, and reaction speed were several times that of an ordinary person. So when Ling Chen was within two to three meters, Song Mingzhe immediately sensed it.


    At this moment, Ling Chen didn¡¯t have time to think and directly charged at him, throwing a punch aimed at Song Mingzhe¡¯s head.


    The punch was fierce, reaching Song Mingzhe in an instant. Seeing the fist approach, Song Mingzhe didn¡¯t dodge at all, instead pulling Zhu Xiaozhu in front of him, using her body to block Ling Chen¡¯s punch.


    Seeing this, Ling Chen hurriedly pulled back his fist, withdrawing to retreat.


    "Ling Chen? Tsk, tsk! I was just wondering if I¡¯d run into you down here, and here you are so soon."


    Hearing Zhu Hong¡¯s voice, Ling Chen focused his gaze and calmly replied, "I didn¡¯t see your body, so of course, I had to confirm if you were dead." With that, Ling Chen turned his head towards Zhu Xiaozhu and asked with concern, "How are you, are you alright?"


    Zhu Xiaozhu bit her lip lightly and said softly, "I¡¯m fine."


    "Zhu Hong, give yourself up. The police are everywhere outside; you have no chance of escaping."


    "Ha! How do you know I can¡¯t escape?" Zhu Hong sneered, "Don¡¯t you see, once I set off these bombs, whether those police outside can survive is the real question."


    "Zhu Hong, I¡¯m here. Do you think I¡¯ll let you do that?"

 Chapter 1042 - 1049: Perilous Situation (6)

    <h4>Chapter 1042: Chapter 1049: Perilous Situation (6)</h4>


    "Ling Chen, do you think you can stop me?" Zhu Hong sneered disdainfully, "Do you know what the biggest difference between you and me is? Sometimes he¡¯s too sentimental and cares too much about others¡¯ safety, all of which will be your fatal weaknesses. But I¡¯m different, I don¡¯t have so many scruples. As long as I can survive and achieve my goals, I dare do anything, including abandoning my own sister."


    Upon hearing this, the faces of Ling Chen and Zhu Xiaozhu changed suddenly.


    "Zhu Hong, what are you trying to do?" Ling Chen asked in a low voice.


    Zhu Hong walked over to Song Mingzhe and ced one of the explosives on Zhu Xiaozhu. Then he pulled out a lighter from his pocket and positioned it under the fuse of the explosive.


    Seeing Zhu Hong¡¯s actions, Ling Chen was taken aback and hurriedly shouted, "Zhu Hong, are you crazy? She¡¯s your own sister."


    Zhu Hong smirked, seemingly ignoring Ling Chen¡¯s admonishment, and directly led Zhu Xiaozhu aside. Not far away was a two to three-meter deep concrete pit, which should have been a storage pool for the underground pipeline. Because it had been abandoned for a long time, there was no water in it.


    Zhu Hong led Zhu Xiaozhu to the concrete pit, tied her hands with a rope, and then lit the fuse of the explosive with a lighter. Once the fuse started burning, Zhu Hong pushed her without hesitation, directly into the concrete pit.


    "No!"


    Ling Chen roared loudly.


    Ah!


    Hearing Zhu Xiaozhu¡¯s scream from below the concrete pit, Ling Chen didn¡¯t have time to think and rushed over, jumping into the concrete pit.


    "Uncle Song, let¡¯s go." Zhu Hong called Song Mingzhe and walked away without looking back.


    Song Mingzhe nced at the concrete pit, followed Zhu Hong¡¯s steps, and asked, "Mr. Zhu, you¡¯re really leaving your sister alone?"


    Zhu Hong chuckled and said, "Don¡¯t worry, with Ling Chen there, he won¡¯t let anything happen to my sister. Besides, if my sister gets hurt, it¡¯ll slow Ling Chen down, preventing him froming after us. Uncle Song, it¡¯s just the two of us now, and your pets aren¡¯t here. If it really came to a fight, do you think we could take him on?"


    "What if the explosive..."


    Zhu Hong waved a hand, interrupting Song Mingzhe, "Rx, if it really explodes, it would take care of Ling Chen. Sacrificing my sister to kill Ling Chen is a worthwhile trade. Uncle Song, let¡¯s not worry about it and move quickly; I don¡¯t want Ling Chen tracking us down again."


    At this moment, in the concrete pit, Ling Chen grabbed the fuse of the explosive, pulling it out directly and tossing it aside, then stomped on it until the fuse waspletely extinguished.


    "Xiaozhu, are you okay?" Ling Chen picked up Zhu Xiaozhu, helping her lean against the wall.


    "It hurts!" Zhu Xiaozhu gritted her teeth, her body involuntarily twitching from the pain.


    "Where does it hurt?" Ling Chen asked with concern.


    Zhu Xiaozhu pointed to her ankle. Besides the sprain of her right ankle, her entire left arm was dislocated, causing tears to nearly flow from the pain.


    Ling Chen, without hesitating much, rolled up Zhu Xiaozhu¡¯s pant leg, removed her shoe, and gently lifted her right foot. Seeing the swollen ankle, Ling Chen pressed down on it lightly, and when Zhu Xiaozhu¡¯s face showed pain, he immediately let go and said, "It¡¯s okay, the bone isn¡¯t broken, just sprained. You¡¯ll be fine after some rest. Let me fix your arm first."


    Zhu Xiaozhu gently nodded, biting her lip, closing her eyes, not daring to watch Ling Chen.


    "Don¡¯t be afraid, it¡¯s okay. By the way! Did you eat today?"


    "I didn¡¯t... ah!"


    Before Zhu Xiaozhu could finish her sentence, a scream of pain interrupted her. Seeing Ling Chen¡¯s smiling face, Zhu Xiaozhu couldn¡¯t help but re at him with a hint of me, "Why didn¡¯t you warn me first?"


    Ling Chen smiled and replied, "I saw you were scared, so I wanted to distract you." After a pause, he teased, "Aren¡¯t you a doctor? Do you also fear pain? Alright, alright, I won¡¯t joke with you anymore." With that, Ling Chen stood up, looked towards the top of the concrete pit, and said, "I¡¯ll climb up and see if there¡¯s a rope. Stay here and don¡¯t move."


    Zhu Xiaozhu gently nodded, advising, "Be careful."


    Ling Chen acknowledged her, then jumped powerfully, using the walls of the pit for leverage to propel himself upward. In the blink of an eye, he climbed to the top of the concrete pit.


    Once out of the pit, Ling Chen looked around, found several broken hemp ropes, tied them together, and lowered them down.


    Once Zhu Xiaozhu wrapped the hemp rope around herself, Ling Chen immediately began pulling it from above. Before long, Zhu Xiaozhu was pulled out of the concrete pit.


    "Let me carry you." Ling Chen squatted in front of Zhu Xiaozhu, gesturing for her to climb on.


    Seeing Ling Chen¡¯s gesture, Zhu Xiaozhu¡¯s face blushed slightly. She gently wrapped her arms around Ling Chen¡¯s neck and rested her face on his back.


    Holding Zhu Xiaozhu, Ling Chen surveyed the surroundings, frowning slightly. There were two paths nearby, and just now he had been so focused on rescuing Zhu Xiaozhu that he hadn¡¯t noticed which way Zhu Hong and Song Mingzhe went.


    "Go that way, that¡¯s probably the way they went." Zhu Xiaozhu pointed to one of the paths.


    Ling Chen asked curiously, "How do you know?"


    "He¡¯s my brother; I think no one knows him better than I do."


    "Your brother is not the same as he used to be."


    "I know. From the moment he pushed me down, I didn¡¯t intend to acknowledge him as my brother anymore. Ling Chen, you¡¯re right, my brother haspletely changed¡ªdetached, ruthless, and indifferent to kinship or his own family." With a pause, Zhu Xiaozhu continued, "However, no matter how much his character changes, his habits won¡¯t. He has a habit of choosing the right side. Whenever he needs to make a decision, he¡¯ll stick to it."


    "Alright, I¡¯ll trust your word." With that, Ling Chen carried Zhu Xiaozhu and headed straight down the left path.


    "Wait!" Zhu Xiaozhu hurriedly called out, "You¡¯re going the wrong way."


    Ling Chen smiled and said, "Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m not going the wrong way. Your brother didn¡¯t hear an explosion, so he knows we¡¯re fine. Since you¡¯re so familiar with your brother, how could he not be familiar with you? So if his habit is to choose right, then choosing left must be the right move." With those words, Ling Chen quickened his pace, carrying Zhu Xiaozhu forward.


    A few minutester, walking through the passage, Ling Chen suddenly heard a loud ¡¯bang¡¯ ahead. Immediately following, the ground and walls began to shake violently, dust rose, and stones asionally fell from the top.

 Chapter 1043 - 1050: Dangerous Situation (7)

    <h4>Chapter 1043: Chapter 1050: Dangerous Situation (7)</h4>


    Oh no!


    Watching the stones falling incessantly around him, Ling Chen thought to himself that this was not good. The current situation was dire; Zhu Hong must have detonated explosives to st open an exit to escape.


    "Ling Chen, look above!" At this moment, Zhu Xiaozhu, who was on Ling Chen¡¯s back, suddenly cried out in rm.


    Ling Chen focused his gaze and saw that the ceiling of the passage was full of cracks, and those cracks were rapidly spreading towards them, quickly reaching above their heads.


    This is bad! Ling Chen¡¯s heart sank, with no time to think, he quickly carried Zhu Xiaozhu on his back and ran backwards. Just as the two had not run far, they heard a ¡¯rumble¡¯ sound, and the entire ceiling fell from the top, instantly blocking the passage. Moreover, as the cracks rapidly spread, stones began to fall crazily behind Ling Chen.


    At this moment, Ling Chen dared not pause for a moment, running ahead as fast as he could. They kept running beyond thirty meters when the stones behind them gradually stopped falling. Ling Chen stopped, turned around, and saw the passagepletely blocked by stones, making it impassable.


    Now, he could not go find Zhu Hong.


    "Ling Chen, what should we do now?" Zhu Xiaozhu asked worriedly.


    Ling Chen took a breath; at this point, he was unsure of what to do. After setting Zhu Xiaozhu down, Ling Chen advised, "Rest here for a bit, I¡¯ll look around."


    Zhu Xiaozhu nodded and said, "You take care too."


    Walking to the blocked passage beside them, Ling Chen inspected it carefully, frowning. He and Zhu Xiaozhu were trapped in an underground storage room, with passages around it blocked by stones, making them impassable. If this continued, they would eventually perish here.


    Ling Chen turned his gaze to the storage room¡¯s ceiling. Due to the explosion¡¯s aftershocks, the ceiling and the surrounding walls were full of cracks, on the verge of copsing. However, this was their only chance of survival.


    "Xiaozhu,e here!" Ling Chen walked over to Zhu Xiaozhu, helped her up, and led her to a rtively safe corner. Seeing Ling Chen¡¯s actions, Zhu Xiaozhu was puzzled and asked, "What are you nning to do?"


    "We¡¯re trapped here with no other way out, so the only option is to escape from above." Ling Chen hesitated before continuing, "Honestly, I¡¯m not sure if this will work, but it¡¯s our only gamble."


    Saying this, Ling Chen picked up a few fist-sized stones from the ground and retreated to the side. Taking a deep breath, Ling Chen focused his Inner Strength, channeling it into the stones. Then, with a flick of his wrist, he threw the stones directly at the ceiling of the storage room. The cracks on the ceiling quickly spread under the impact, growingrger.


    Bang!


    With a loud crash, the ceiling copsed, raising a cloud of dust. Ling Chen raised his arm to cover his nose, waving his other hand to clear the dust around him. As the dust gradually settled, Ling Chen quickly looked up at the storage room¡¯s ceiling. To his despair, the ceiling had indeed copsed, but the top waspletely buried in stones, with no exit in sight.


    ording to his previous thought, the ceiling¡¯s copse should have provided a way to the surface, but from the current situation, it was packed with stones.


    "Ling Chen, how does it look, can we get out?"


    Upon hearing Zhu Xiaozhu¡¯s voice, Ling Chen gave a bitter smile and walked over to sit beside her against the wall. Seeing Ling Chen¡¯s helpless expression, Zhu Xiaozhu¡¯s heart tightened, and the hope in her beautiful eyes dimmed instantly.


    She lowered her head, biting her lip gently, and asked softly, "Are we... are we unable to get out?"


    Ling Chen forced a smile and said, "Where there¡¯s life, there¡¯s hope. We haven¡¯t reached the point of despair yet."


    "You don¡¯t have tofort me, I know it well. It¡¯s just a pity that I¡¯ve dragged you into this."


    "What are you saying?" Ling Chen replied unhappily, "You¡¯re my friend, of course I have to save you. If we really can¡¯t escape today, it would be my fate, and I would not me anyone."


    Hearing this, Zhu Xiaozhu turned her head, her beautiful eyes filled with tears as she stared at Ling Chen and asked, "Do you really only see me as a friend?"


    Ling Chen was a bit startled, his gaze unconsciously dodging.


    "Xiaozhu, what do you mean by that? Of course, I see you as a friend."


    "Really?" Zhu Xiaozhu sighed softly, a trace of disappointment shed in her eyes. Before Ling Chen could say more, Zhu Xiaozhu fiddled with her clothes, talking to herself, "If it weren¡¯t for my brother back then, perhaps... perhaps we would have been together already. Ling Chen, you know, I¡¯ve never denied my feelings for you. Among all the men I¡¯ve known, you may not be the most outstanding, but you¡¯re the one I have the best impression of. When I chose to give up on you, I returned to Beijing alone, just to avoid seeing you, so I wouldn¡¯t lose Control and think of you. But you always appear when I need help the most, I... I..."


    "Xiaozhu." Ling Chen interrupted softly, "I can¡¯t deny that you¡¯re a kind-hearted good girl, and the first woman to move my heart. But as you said, Zhu Hong¡¯s presence is the biggest obstacle between us. If it weren¡¯t for Zhu Hong, perhaps I would have pursued you back then."


    "Really?" Zhu Xiaozhu¡¯s pretty face flushed, looking at Ling Chen with a hint of shyness in her eyes.


    "Considering the situation, why would I lie to you?" Ling Chen smiled bitterly and said, "In life, things rarely go as nned. Many things we can¡¯t force."


    "What about now? In our current situation, we might die in the next moment. Before death, don¡¯t you want to make up for the past?"


    "Make up?" Ling Chen was momentarily puzzled, then immediately understood Zhu Xiaozhu¡¯s meaning. Indeed, when faced with death, why care about so much? With this in mind, Ling Chen extended his arm, gently pulling Zhu Xiaozhu into his embrace.


    Feeling the warmth in Ling Chen¡¯s embrace, Zhu Xiaozhu¡¯s lips curled into a slight smile. She closed her eyes, quietly lying in Ling Chen¡¯s arms, savoring thisst moment together.


    Listening to Zhu Xiaozhu¡¯s breathing, Ling Chen sighed inwardly, his right hand gently stroking her silky hair. Over the years, he had faced numerous dangers and contemted his end, yet he never imagined dying in such a wretched ce. However... ncing at Zhu Xiaozhu in his arms, Ling Chen smiled faintly. Having such a beautifulpanion, even in death, would be worth it.

 Chapter 1044 - 1051: Dangerous Situation (8)

    <h4>Chapter 1044: Chapter 1051: Dangerous Situation (8)</h4>


    At this moment, outside the entire building, the police had already set up a perimeter, sealing off all the surrounding intersections, prohibiting unauthorized personnel from getting close. Meanwhile, outside the perimeter, more than a dozen news vans were parked. Reporters and cameramen stood on top of the vans, setting up equipment, broadcasting and recording the scene live.


    At this time, Xia Mutong was leading a group of police officers and firefighters racing towards the building on the east side. A few minutes ago, another explosion was heard from the east. Concerned for Ling Chen¡¯s safety, Xia Mutong hurried to the explosion site with her team. Upon arrival, they saw only a heap of rubble outside, with thick dust filling the air.


    "Quick, search everywhere and see if anyone¡¯se out," Xia Mutong shouted loudly.


    However, apart from rubble and dust, no one emerged. "Captain Xia!" a colleague examined for a moment and said, "There¡¯s a hole at the bottom of the building. It must have been sted open just now. Should we send someone down to check it out?"


    Xia Mutong nodded and was about to give instructions. But then, a firefighter ran over quickly, pointing to the closest building, "Captain Xia, the beams below have been blown open; I¡¯m afraid this building won¡¯t hold much longer."


    "What should we do then?"


    "It would be best to evacuate people immediately to prevent unnecessary losses."


    Hearing this, Xia Mutong seemed a little reluctant. She finally managed to create an entry point, and she wanted to go in and look for Ling Chen¡¯s whereabouts. But she couldn¡¯t ignore the firefighter¡¯s advice; if the building copsed, they would all be buried underneath.


    Having no choice, Xia Mutong had to give the order for all colleagues and firefighters to evacuate. However, before everyone could retreat to a safe area, a ¡¯boom¡¯ explosion was heard again from the north side of the entire building.


    "What happened?"


    Xia Mutong frowned and said in a deep voice, "Immediately call people to gather over there."


    "Yes!"


    However, it took quite some time to go around from the east to the north. After a few minutes, when Xia Mutong arrived with others, they only saw a crack at least one meter wide on the ground. Furthermore, this crack extended from the ground to a building on the north side. At this moment, the crack was spreading rapidly, almost covering the entire wall of the building, looking very frightening.


    "Captain Xia, what is that?" Suddenly, one of Xia Mutong¡¯s colleagues pointed upwards. Instantly, everyone¡¯s gaze focused on the sky.


    Above their heads, a massive strange bird pped its wings, hovered for a moment, and then flew straight into the distance. In the blink of an eye, the strange bird vanished from sight.


    "What on earth is that?" Xia Mutong asked.


    "It looks like a hawk or falcon," a firefighter replied. "I¡¯ve seen this animal on TV; it¡¯s a very fierce bird of prey. Strange, how could such an animal appear in the city?"


    "Forget it! If we don¡¯t know, let¡¯s not bother with it. I just want to know now, what¡¯s with the two consecutive explosions. Those explosives couldn¡¯t have blown up on their own; it was definitely man-made." As she said this, Xia Mutong hoped that the person who set off the explosives was Ling Chen. If that were the case, Ling Chen could escape from inside. However, despite two consecutive explosions creating openings, no one emerged.


    Seeing that the building might copse at any moment, Xia Mutong dared not send people in to search lightly. She could only extend the perimeter again, making the onlookers move further back to avoid being affected.


    ...


    At this moment, in the storage room of the basement, Ling Chen appeared somewhat groggy, feeling his head getting heavier and his breathing bing increasinglybored. This situation made Ling Chen¡¯s heart sink to the bottom. He knew it was due to theck of air. In a sealed space, without air cirction, once the air was used up, he and Zhu Xiaozhu would eventually suffocate to death.


    "Xiaozhu, Xiaozhu!" Ling Chen gently shook Zhu Xiaozhu¡¯s shoulder, trying to wake her up. But Zhu Xiaozhu seemed to be in a deep sleep, showing no reaction at all.


    This isn¡¯t good!


    Ling Chen¡¯s face changed slightly. It must be because of the thin air that Zhu Xiaozhu fell into a semiatose state.


    Just when Ling Chen was devising a n, a loud rumble suddenly came from above, as if an earthquake had struck, followed by the entire ground shaking. At the same time, Ling Chen saw a faint glimmer of light shining through from above. Seeing that light, Ling Chen immediately stood up.


    After examining it for a few moments, Ling Chen¡¯s gaze lit up, filled with hope.


    Surely, it was just now when the violent tremor caused some of these rocks to crack open. Without wasting time, Ling Chen quickly ced Zhu Xiaozhu aside and went alone to the crack, using both hands to dig open the surrounding stones. Before long, the crack becamerger, big enough for an adult to squeeze through.


    By this time, as the air cirction had resumed, Zhu Xiaozhu, who had been in aa, gradually woke up. Seeing the exit Ling Chen had dug out, Zhu Xiaozhu immediately got her spirit up, quickly stepped forward, and asked, "Can we get out through here?"


    "Shouldn¡¯t be a problem. I¡¯ll go out first to check. If it¡¯s safe, you cane out," Ling Chen replied.


    Zhu Xiaozhu nodded, responding, "Be careful!"


    Crawling out through the hole, Ling Chen dusted off himself, looked around, and found himself on the first floor of the building. However, because of the explosion, this building had suffered significant damage, with many ces piled with rubble. Moreover, the walls of the building kept swaying left and right, as if they might copse at any moment, making one¡¯s heart race with rm.


    "Xiaozhu,e out. It¡¯s temporarily safe."


    Once Zhu Xiaozhu climbed out of the hole, Ling Chen suddenly felt the ground tremble, followed closely by sessive ¡¯bang¡¯ sounds from outside. Through the cracked wall, they saw the exterior walls at the top of the building peeling off, falling densely to the ground.


    Seeing this scene, Zhu Xiaozhu couldn¡¯t help but ask, "How do we get out of here like this?"


    Ling Chen opened his mouth, about to answer. But before he could speak, his expression suddenly changed drastically, and without a word, he immediately carried Zhu Xiaozhu and ran towards the stairwell.


    The building exit had been blocked, and with too many stones falling outside, Ling Chen wasn¡¯t confident of making it out. Now, the only choice was to keep going up.


    "Ling Chen, what¡¯s wrong?" Faced with Ling Chen¡¯s actions, Zhu Xiaozhu asked in confusion. She hadn¡¯t detected any danger, not knowing why Ling Chen was so tense.


    Hearing Zhu Xiaozhu¡¯s question, Ling Chen did not respond, instead desperately rushing upstairs. Fortunately, the building wasn¡¯t very tall, and before long, the two of them reached the rooftop.

 Chapter 1045 - 1052: Dangerous Situation (9)

    <h4>Chapter 1045: Chapter 1052: Dangerous Situation (9)</h4>


    In a caf¨¦ two blocks away from the explosion site, Zhu Hong held a cup of rich coffee, sitting in a private seat, leisurely savoring the drink, while asionally ncing at the caf¨¦¡¯s television with the corner of his eye. At this moment, the TV was broadcasting the news from the explosion site live.


    "Mr. Zhu, aren¡¯t we going back?" asked Song Mingzhe. Zhu Hong smiled faintly and replied, "No need to rush. Uncle Song, after narrowly escaping death, we should take a moment to rx."


    The two explosions that previously happened at the scene were both orchestrated by Zhu Hong. The first explosion, despite creating an exit, was not the one Zhu Hong used to escape. His intention was simple; the first explosion was mainly to attract the police¡¯s attention to avoid them causing him trouble. The second explosion was a few minutes¡¯ walk from the first location; he chose to detonate there because the police couldn¡¯t arrive immediately, giving them ample time to flee.


    After finishing his coffee, Zhu Hong ced a hundred-yuan bill on the table, stood up and said, "Uncle Song, let¡¯s go."


    Song Mingzhe nodded, following behind Zhu Hong and heading straight towards the caf¨¦¡¯s exit. Before the two could reach the door, the tense voice of a reporter was heard from the TV: "Viewers, please watch; just now, two citizens appeared on the rooftop of the building. They seem to be trapped inside, unable to find a way to escape."


    Upon hearing the reporter¡¯s words, Zhu Hong and Song Mingzhe turned their heads towards the television screen. On the TV, the camera zoomed in on the rooftop, clearly showing a man and a woman standing at the edge.


    Is it them?


    Zhu Hong frowned slightly, a sharp look shing in his eyes. He didn¡¯t expect Ling Chen to still be alive; his luck was really something.


    However, after seeing the on-site situation, Zhu Hong smirked with a cold smile. Under these circumstances, there¡¯s no way anyone could get out.


    ...


    On the rooftop, Ling Chen stood at the edge, constantly looking down, searching for a chance to escape. However, after searching all around, he couldn¡¯t find a way out. The building was five stories high, about a dozen meters tall. If Ling Chen were alone, with his skills, he wouldn¡¯t have worried about escaping. But the problem was, he had Zhu Xiaozhu with him. Her ankle was injured, making her unable to walk, so he had to carry her on his back. This undoubtedly limited his capability.


    "Ling... Ling Chen!" At this moment, Zhu Xiaozhu stammered, "There... over there, look there!"


    Following Zhu Xiaozhu¡¯s finger, Ling Chen nced over and drew his gaze back. He had already noticed the situation there earlier. Because the area was full of buildings, theirs was sandwiched between two others. Earlier on the ground floor, Ling Chen saw a nearby building had already copsed, pressing down on another building.


    As a result, these buildings triggered a domino effect, one after another, all toppling down. At this moment, less than two minutes remained before the adjacent building would copse over. By then, Ling Chen and Zhu Xiaozhu would be buried under it, with no chance of survival.


    Thus, Ling Chen had toe up with a n within two minutes; otherwise, they were doomed.


    While Ling Chen was searching for an escape route, below, Xia Mutong was also trying to find a solution. At her behest, all the firefighters had arrived, gathering together to discuss strategies. However, given the current situation, every n they came up with was rejected one by one; none were viable rescue ns.


    "Can you guys manage or not?" Xia Mutong¡¯s agitation grew; if they kept discussing like this, Ling Chen would soon be in mortal danger.


    "Captain Xia, it¡¯s not that we can¡¯t manage, it¡¯s just that there¡¯s too little time. We simply can¡¯t organize a rescue. Even if we sent a helicopter to pick them up, it would take ten minutes."


    Xia Mutong snapped, "If they had ten minutes, I would have gone up and brought them back myself. Why would I need you to tell me this nonsense?" After saying this, Xia Mutong took a deep breath, trying to calm her anger, and turned to look at Ling Chen on the rooftop, silently praying that nothing would happen to him.


    ...


    "Wanqing, Wanqing!"


    At Wealthy Manor.


    Su Lin hurriedly burst through the door, rushing into Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s study. Seeing Nanrong Wanqing busy with her work, Su Lin eximed anxiously, "Wanqing, how can you still be in the mood to do your work? Come on, you have toe with me!" As she spoke, without waiting for Nanrong Wanqing to respond, Su Lin grabbed her hand and started pulling her outside.


    Nanrong Wanqing frowned slightly, pausing to ask, "Lin, I still have a few contracts to review. What¡¯s going on?"


    "The whole city is focused on it. Don¡¯t you know?"


    Nanrong Wanqing looked puzzled: "Know what? Has something special happened today?"


    Hearing this, Su Lin couldn¡¯t help but smack her forehead, eximing, "Ling Chen is about to die; does that count as special?"


    About to die?


    Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s face changed color, looking at Su Lin and asking, "What did you say... what happened to him?"


    "Sigh! Stop asking so much, juste with me." With that, Su Lin couldn¡¯t be bothered to exin further to Nanrong Wanqing, directly pulling her hand and heading downstairs to the living room.


    "See for yourself." In the living room, Su Lin pointed to the news being broadcast on the television.


    Seeing the report on TV, along with Ling Chen standing at the edge of the rooftop, and the building about to copse behind him, Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s face instantly turned pale. She quickly pulled out her cellphone from her pocket and dialed Ling Chen¡¯s number.


    "Don¡¯t bother calling." said Su Lin, "I already tried; his phone can¡¯t be reached."


    Amid the conversation, Liu Kun walked in from outside the vi, looking at the dazed Nanrong Wanqing and said, "Miss, a lot of reporters are outside."


    "Reporters?" Su Lin frowned and asked, "Uncle Liu, why aren¡¯t those reporters covering the big news and instead running here for Ling Chen?"


    Liu Kun pointed at Ling Chen on the TV and said, "Miss Su, everyone¡¯s aware of the rtionship between Miss and Mr. Ling. Now that Mr. Ling is in danger, those reporters naturally want to interview Miss."


    "Hmph!" Su Lin coldly replied, "Really a bunch of heartless people; with Ling Chen about to die, they¡¯re only thinking about news and not considering our feelings. Uncle Liu, chase them all out, don¡¯t see anyone."


    "Understood, I got it." Liu Kun nodded. Seeing Nanrong Wanqing standing there in a daze, Liu Kun sighed lightly andforted, "Miss, you don¡¯t need to worry too much; people like Mr. Ling have good fortune. He will surely ovee danger and return safely." Saying this, Liu Kun left the vi with quick steps.

 Chapter 1046 - 1053: Dangerous Situation (10)

    <h4>Chapter 1046: Chapter 1053: Dangerous Situation (10)</h4>


    Watching the building behind them about to copse, Zhu Xiaozhu¡¯s eyes were filled with despair. At this moment, they had nowhere to escape. Stones asionally fell around them, and even if they reached the ground, once the building fell, they would still be buried under the rubble.


    "Ling Chen!" Zhu Xiaozhu turned her head, looking at the pensive Ling Chen with a glimmer of hope in her eyes, hoping he coulde up with a way to escape. But seeing Ling Chen¡¯s furrowed brows, it was clear he was at a loss. Seeing this, Zhu Xiaozhu bit her lip and said, "Ling Chen, why don¡¯t... you leave first."


    "Me?" Ling Chen was slightly stunned, looking at Zhu Xiaozhu with confusion, not expecting her to say such a thing. Zhu Xiaozhu gently nodded. In her heart, she knew that if it weren¡¯t for her being too much of a burden, Ling Chen, with his abilities, would have had a chance to escape on his own. Rather than both perishing together in this situation, it would be better for Ling Chen to survive alone.


    "No way!" Ling Chen quickly understood Zhu Xiaozhu¡¯s intent and immediately refused, saying, "If we go, we go together. I will never leave you behind."


    "No, this way, both of us will die here." Zhu Xiaozhu bit her lip and said, "Ling Chen, I know you care about me and don¡¯t want me to die, but it¡¯s better for one to die than both. You have so much to worry about, family, a girlfriend, friends, and brothers. Compared to you, I have nothing now, even my closest brother wants me dead. So, dying would also be a relief for me. Ling Chen, I beg you, please run away, don¡¯t worry about me anymore."


    "No way!" Ling Chen refused firmly, "Xiaozhu, believe me, it¡¯s not thest moment yet, don¡¯t give up so easily."


    Zhu Xiaozhu bitterly smiled and said, "If it trulyes to thest moment, you won¡¯t be able to escape either." As she spoke, Zhu Xiaozhu¡¯s gaze went past Ling Chen and fixed on something behind him, with a tinge of horror in her eyes.


    Noticing the change in Zhu Xiaozhu¡¯s gaze, Ling Chen felt a chill in his heart and quickly turned his head to look back. However, to his surprise, there was nothing behind him. Ling Chen regained his focus after a brief pause and turned back to look at Zhu Xiaozhu, opening his mouth to speak, "Xiaozhu, you..." Before he could finish, Ling Chen¡¯s expression changed abruptly, and he hurried forward, shouting, "Xiaozhu, what are you doing?"


    "Don¡¯te over!" Zhu Xiaozhu reached out to stop Ling Chen¡¯s action.


    When Ling Chen turned his head earlier, Zhu Xiaozhu, using both her hands and feet, crawled to the edge of the rooftop. At this moment, she was sitting by the rooftop, needing just a slight movement to fall from the top floor. Seeing this, Ling Chen halted and gently persuaded, "Xiaozhu, it¡¯s dangerous there,e back."


    "Ling Chen, please, listen to me just this once. It¡¯s not toote to leave now. If you insist on not leaving, I can only jump down from here." Zhu Xiaozhu pleaded mournfully.


    Upon hearing this, Ling Chen¡¯s eyes shed with conflict. He didn¡¯t want to leave, to abandon hispanion and escape alone was not in his nature. Even knowing death was likely, he wanted to stay and fight.


    "Xiaozhu, have you thought that even if I luckily survived, what then? Do you think I could livefortably for the rest of my life? I would surely live with guilt and regret for the rest of my days." As he spoke, with a loud ¡¯bang¡¯, not far away, a building had already copsed. It wouldn¡¯t take long before the adjacent building woulde crashing down, and by then, no one would survive the collision of the two buildings.


    As danger loomed closer, Ling Chen scanned his surroundings, quickly brainstorming for a solution. Suddenly, seeming to have found something, Ling Chen hurried toward the antennas on the rooftop.


    The buildings here were old, thus many old antennas were installed on the rooftops. Before digital TV became widespread, residents mostly used antennas to receive signals and watch television, resulting in these antennas being tangled with numerous electrical wires.


    Ling Chen pulled all the wires from the antennas, bundled them, and connected them one by one. Soon, Ling Chen had a wire over tens of meters long in his hand.


    However, these wires were quite old, with the instion all aged, and it was uncertain if they could support the weight of two people.


    Faced with the impending crisis, Ling Chen didn¡¯t have time to overthink, and quickly moved to the edge of the rooftop, directly throwing the wire down. The length of the wire was sufficient, with a surplus of over ten meters.


    Standing on the rooftop, Ling Chen looked down, frowning involuntarily. The wires reached down, but the surrounding falling wall sections and stones were constantly dropping. If they were hit by stonester, their small hope would be shattered.


    Never mind!


    Ling Chen muttered to himself. At this point, they could only do their best and leave the rest to fate. Immediately, Ling Chen took a few steps to reach Zhu Xiaozhu, picked her up, and carried her on his back.


    Seeing Ling Chen pick up a wire not even as thick as a finger, Zhu Xiaozhu couldn¡¯t help but worryingly ask, "Ling Chen, is this... going to work?"


    Ling Chen smiled slightly, giving Zhu Xiaozhu a confident smile and nodded, "Trust me, it will be fine." Despite what he said, there was no certainty in his heart.


    As he spoke, a rumbling engine sound suddenly came from the bottom of the building. Ling Chen and Zhu Xiaozhu leaned over to look, and saw a police car rushing over at high speed, arriving at the bottom of the building in the blink of an eye.


    Just as the police car came to a stop, a football-sized stone fell from mid-air and struck the car roof, instantly creating a dent.


    While Ling Chen was feeling surprised, the car door opened, and a police officer swiftly ran out. Upon seeing who it was, Ling Chen was shocked.


    Xia Mutong!


    Ling Chen was taken aback. What was she doing here? Charging in alone to such a dangerous ce with a car, was she crazy?


    While pondering, Xia Mutong had already braved the danger, rushing to the base of the building, and picked up the wire on the ground, wrapping it onto the police car¡¯s rear and securing it tightly.


    "Not good!" Just then, a chunk of the wall fell from the sky, hurtling precisely toward Xia Mutong¡¯s position. Seeing this, Ling Chen shouted with all his might, "Watch out!"


    Perhaps hearing Ling Chen¡¯s warning, Xia Mutong quickly lifted her head, seeing the rapidly descending chunk of the wall, and promptly dove to the ground.


    With a boom, as the wall section hit the ground, clouds of dust soared up, enveloping Xia Mutong¡¯s body. Ling Chen, standing atop the rooftop, searched around for Xia Mutong¡¯s figure with his heart secretly praying that nothing bad would happen.


    As the dust gradually settled, Xia Mutong was seen crawling up from the ground, seemingly unhurt. Fortunately, she reacted quickly and dodged in time; otherwise, that falling wall section would have directly crushed her body.

 Chapter 1047 - 1054: Peril at Every Turn

    <h4>Chapter 1047: Chapter 1054: Peril at Every Turn</h4>


    Back in the police car, Xia Mutong started the engine and drove the vehicle straight out. As the police car moved forward, the wire was immediately pulled taut, forming a forty-five-degree angle.


    "Ling Chen, that building is copsing."


    Hearing Zhu Xiaozhu¡¯s voiceing from behind, Ling Chen turned his head to look, only to see the building next to them already tilting, slowly falling toward their building.


    Taking a deep breath, Ling Chen held Zhu Xiaozhu¡¯s body with one hand, securing her firmly on his back.


    "Are you ready?"


    Zhu Xiaozhu replied softly, wrapping her arms around Ling Chen¡¯s neck, burying her head on his shoulder, and said in a voice only Ling Chen could hear: "If today is destined to be our end, I won¡¯t regret it, at least... I have you by my side." With that, Zhu Xiaozhu leaned in and pressed her lips against Ling Chen¡¯s cheek.


    Zhu Xiaozhu¡¯s sudden action left Ling Chen stunned for a moment. He never expected Zhu Xiaozhu to kiss him at this critical moment. Seeing Zhu Xiaozhu¡¯s blushing face and slightly shy eyes, Ling Chen quickly snapped back to reality, a slight smile appearing on his lips. He understood Zhu Xiaozhu¡¯s feelings and didn¡¯t mind.


    No time to think further, Ling Chen used a torn piece of clothing to hang onto the wire, then leaned forward and slid down along the wire.


    With Xia Mutong¡¯s help, Ling Chen¡¯s speed was very fast. In no time, he and Zhu Xiaozhu were above the police car, about four meters from the ground. However, at this moment, the two buildings collided with each other. With a thunderous crash, the buildings instantly copsed into countless stones, smashing down.


    At the same time, the wire entwining the rooftop also came loose. In an instant, Ling Chen, who was originally sliding downwards, suddenly felt his body dropping straight toward the ground.


    Xiaozhu!


    Thinking of Zhu Xiaozhu on his back, Ling Chen, fearing she might get hurt again, urgently adjusted his position in mid-air, moving Zhu Xiaozhu from his back to his front. Just as hepleted this move, there was a loud ¡¯bang,¡¯ and Ling Chen¡¯s back hit the ground heavily.


    Thud!


    He coughed up a mouthful of blood, and Ling Chen¡¯s face immediately turned pale.


    "Ling Chen!" Feeling the warmth from the back of his head, Zhu Xiaozhu knew what had happened without even looking and eximed quickly, "Are you okay?"


    "I¡¯m... I¡¯m fine, quick, get up!" Ling Chen gritted his teeth to endure the pain in his body, struggling to rise from the ground.


    "Hurry, get in the car!" At this moment, Xia Mutong poked her head out from the police car¡¯s driver¡¯s seat, shouting at Ling Chen and Zhu Xiaozhu.


    Ling Chen didn¡¯t dare dy, quickly scooped up Zhu Xiaozhu and dashed to the police car, flinging open the door and diving in. Lying on the back seat, Ling Chen didn¡¯t even have time to close the door and shouted urgently, "Drive!"


    Without a second word, Xia Mutong floored the gas pedal, swerving the police car left and right to dodge the stones falling from above. Even so, plenty of small fragments hit and shattered the car windows, and the car roof sounded with continuous banging.


    A minuteter, the police car finally exited the dangerous area safely. As soon as the car stopped, police officers rushed over, lifting Ling Chen and Zhu Xiaozhu from the back seat. At the same time, medical personnel who had been on standby moved in with stretchers, transferring Ling Chen and Zhu Xiaozhu to the ambnce.


    After some simple bandaging and IV fluid, Ling Chen felt much better, his back no longer as painful as before. Thank goodness! Ling Chen thought to himself, it was a real stroke of luck that he survived such a dangerous situation. But it was really thanks to Xia Mutong¡¯s help. Without her risking it to drive in, it would have been hard to say if he and Zhu Xiaozhu could have made it out alive. Even if they could, they wouldn¡¯t have been nearly asfortable as they were now.


    As this ran through his mind, Xia Mutong climbed up into the ambnce from outside. ring at Ling Chen lying on the stretcher, she angrily snapped, "Ling, are you looking to die?"


    Ling Chen rubbed his nose, smilingly saying, "Um... Officer Xia, thanks so much this time."


    "Stop changing the subject," Xia Mutong said irritably, "I want to know why you didn¡¯t get in and stayed down there?"


    "Officer Xia, you saw it yourself. I was rescuing someone," Ling Chen was talking about Zhu Xiaozhu.


    "You..." Hearing Ling Chen¡¯s excuse, Xia Mutong was at a loss for words. After a moment, she red at Ling Chen and said grumpily, "You almost got yourself killed, and you still want to save others. Leave such things to us professionals next time, and stop ying the hero."


    "Yes, yes, I understand!" Ling Chen nodded repeatedly in agreement.


    After calming her initial anger, Xia Mutong changed her tone, asking seriously, "What happened? Why did the explosives buried under the building go off all of a sudden, and why were you, Nanrong Hao, and Zhu Xiaozhu there?" At this point, it seemed Xia Mutong thought of something, and she stared at Ling Chen, "Wasn¡¯t Zhu Xiaozhu kidnapped and missing? We even filed a case and were preparing to investigate."


    Upon hearing this, Ling Chen¡¯s eyes twinkled as he smiled and said, "Officer Xia, like you said, Xiaozhu was kidnapped. Once I found clues about the kidnappers, I brought Nanrong Hao and rushed over immediately."


    "If you found the kidnappers¡¯ whereabouts, why didn¡¯t you inform the police?"


    "We only found a clue and weren¡¯t certain if Xiaozhu was there, so we wanted to confirm it, see if the information was urate. When I got there, I found the kidnappers were about to harm Xiaozhu. I couldn¡¯t just stand by and watch her get into trouble, so I had to step in. Who knew those kidnappers were desperate enough to ignite the explosives underground, trying to kill us? Luckily, we were lucky not to be buried underneath."


    "Is it really so?" Xia Mutong looked skeptically at Ling Chen, not entirely convinced.


    Ling Chen nodded, firmly saying, "Officer Xia, don¡¯t you trust my words? When have I ever lied to you?"


    Xia Mutong snorted, "As if you haven¡¯t lied to me enough times? Nanrong Hao and Zhu Xiaozhu are with the police now. Just wait; I¡¯ll ask them everything clearly. If I find out you lied, you¡¯ll see how I¡¯ll deal with you."


    "Officer Xia, don¡¯t worry. I absolutely didn¡¯t lie to you." Ling Chen wasn¡¯t worried about Xia Mutong finding anything out. Back on the building, Ling Chen had already spoken with Zhu Xiaozhu, instructing her not to pursue Nanrong Hao¡¯s mistakes. If the police asked, just push all the me onto the ¡¯kidnappers.¡¯ Since the kidnappers were made up, Xia Mutong and the others wouldn¡¯t be able to find anything. As for Zhu Hong¡¯s appearance, Ling Chen had no intention of mentioning it.

 Chapter 1048 - 1055: Tabloid News

    <h4>Chapter 1048: Chapter 1055: Tabloid News</h4>


    As the on-site investigation concluded, Ling Chen, Nanrong Hao, and Zhu Xiaozhu were all taken to the hospital for treatment. Fortunately, none of the three were seriously injured, and a few days of rest would suffice.


    Lying on the hospital bed, Ling Chen ate the apple Xia Yue had peeled, chatting casually with Qiu Yong and others, not feeling bored at all.


    "Ling Cheng, you were really lucky this time. Be careful in the future, and don¡¯t try to be a hero again," Qiu Yong admonished.


    Ling Chen nodded and said, "Big brother, don¡¯t worry. This time it¡¯s just that Zhu Hong, that bastard, was too ruthless, even willing to sacrifice his own sister. Otherwise, I would have dealt with him and Song Mingzhe earlier."


    "Now Lin Guodong is no longer a threat, but the trouble of Zhu Hong remains. Besides Zhu Hong, there¡¯s Chen Quan, who is the biggest problem. With Chen Quan backing him, Zhu Hong will be more and more unscrupulous sooner orter," Yuan Yun said.


    "What should we do?" Ling Chen said helplessly, "Zhu Hong is very cunning. After going through several life-and-death experiences, he is now more cautious than anyone else. Even if I know he¡¯s in East Sea City, it¡¯s hard to track him down." Pausing for a moment, Ling Chen continued, "I don¡¯t think Zhu Hong is a serious threat. East Sea City has already returned under my control, and Zhu Hong surely knows this fact. Therefore, he doesn¡¯t dare to do anything too outrageous. Otherwise, with the power I currently hold, even if he has Chen Quan¡¯s support, I have no need to fear."


    While speaking, Jiang Hao hurriedly rushed in from outside, looking at Ling Chen and eximed, "Chen, bad news, there are a lot of reporters outside."


    Reporters?


    Ling Chen was slightly taken aback and asked in confusion, "What does this have to do with me?"


    Jiang Hao couldn¡¯t be bothered to exin and directly turned on the TV in the ward. Instantly, a scene appeared on the screen, showing Ling Chen and Zhu Xiaozhu on the rooftop about to jump down. At that moment, Zhu Xiaozhu gave Ling Chen a kiss, all clearly captured in the footage. Seeing this scene, Ling Chen was momentarily dumbfounded, as if a thousand horses were galloping through his mind.


    Isn¡¯t this disastrous? Those damn cameramen not only recorded his intimate actions with Zhu Xiaozhu but also yed them repeatedly on TV. Now, how could he ever face anyone again?


    Watching the news on TV, Qiu Yong and the others simultaneously turned their gaze to Ling Chen. Yuan Yun, in particr, gloatingly said, "Ling Cheng, you¡¯re impressive, even during life-threatening moments you don¡¯t forget to flirt with a beauty."


    Hearing this, Ling Chen couldn¡¯t help but smile bitterly, "Third brother, don¡¯t joke around. What should I do now, my image is ruined."


    "What¡¯s there to worry about?" Xia Yue said with a grin, "A hero saving a beauty, if this story spreads, everyone will understand. But are you prepared to exin to Nanrong Wanqing? Don¡¯t forget, she¡¯s your legitimate girlfriend."


    "I..." Ling Chen opened his mouth, not knowing how to answer this question. Yes! This matter has already caused amotion, with the news broadcast, not only East Sea City but audiences nationwide would see Zhu Xiaozhu kiss him. With this, no matter how much he tried to clear it, it couldn¡¯t be erased. Now, he was well aware of the nature of reporters, all of them wrote distorted reports just to catch the eye.


    Bam!


    At this moment, there was a muffled sound as the ward door was crashed open. Immediately, more than a dozen reporters and cameramen carrying equipment rushed in from outside, surrounding Ling Chen¡¯s hospital bed in an instant.


    "Mr. Ling, may I ask what is your rtionship with Miss Zhu? Are you lovers?"


    "Mr. Ling, as far as I know, you are in a rtionship with Hongyu Group¡¯s Chairman Nanrong. Are you keeping it from Miss Nanrong while maintaining an ambiguous rtionship with Miss Zhu?"


    "Mr. Ling, have you considered what Miss Nanrong would think?"


    Listening to the reporters¡¯ barrage of questions, Ling Chen felt his head spinning and was extremely vexed, wishing he could throw them all out.


    Taking a deep breath, Ling Chen tried to calm his anger, then gestured with his hands for everyone to quiet down. Seeing Ling Chen¡¯s gesture, the reporters instantly fell silent, extending their recording devices and microphones towards Ling Chen, waiting for his response.


    "Everyone," Ling Chen said leisurely, "I understand your pursuit of news and gossip, but can you please respect others¡¯ privacy? What my rtionship with Miss Zhu is ¡ª why should I tell you? I¡¯m not a public figure, why are you so concerned about me?" Finishing his words, Ling Chen raised three fingers and added, "I¡¯m a patient now, in need of good rest. So I¡¯m giving you three seconds. If you don¡¯t leave by then, don¡¯t me me for being impolite."


    "One..."


    "Mr. Ling, you¡¯re not rifying your rtionship with Miss Zhu. Does that mean you¡¯re implicitly acknowledging you¡¯re lovers? What about Miss Nanrong, have you broken up with her?"


    Looking at the reporter who asked the question, Ling Chen slowly uttered the word ¡¯two.¡¯


    However, the reporters didn¡¯t take Ling Chen¡¯s warning seriously and continued to bombard him with questions.


    "Three!"


    As the count reached three, Qiu Yong and the others, who had been standing by, sprang into action, lifting the reporters over their heads and throwing them out one by one. For a moment, painful cries could be heard outside the ward.


    With the door shut, Ling Chen breathed out a sigh and said helplessly, "These reporters are really annoying. Eighth brother, keep an eye out for me. If any reporterse to bother me again, just throw them out, no need for any pleasantries."


    "Ling Cheng, don¡¯t worry, this is on me,"


    "Ling Cheng, what should you do now?" Xia Yue asked, "You need to exin to Nanrong Wanqing, to prevent her from misunderstanding."


    Ling Chen thought for a moment, feeling that Xia Yue¡¯s words made sense. Now the whole city was discussing his rtionship with Zhu Xiaozhu, and Nanrong Wanqing was bound to face pressure. No matter what, Nanrong Wanqing was his legitimate girlfriend, and he should consider her feelings and rify the matter.


    Thinking of this, Ling Chen borrowed a phone from Qiu Yong, intending to call Nanrong Wanqing. Before the call could connect, there was a ¡¯dong dong dong¡¯ knock at the door outside the ward. Immediately, Nanrong Hao came in, pushing a wheelchair.


    "Chen!"


    "Haozi, why aren¡¯t you resting in bed, anding to me?"


    Nanrong Hao hesitated for a moment, then said with difficulty, "Chen, it¡¯s about my sister..."


    "I was just about to call your sister."


    "Chen, you¡¯d better not make this call, at least not now."


    Hearing this, Ling Chen asked in confusion, "Why?"


    "My sister just gave an interview saying that she had already broken up with you, and she won¡¯t interfere with your personal matters."

 Chapter 1049 - 1056: Breakup

    <h4>Chapter 1049: Chapter 1056: Breakup</h4>


    "What?" Ling Chen was shocked and quickly asked, "Are you saying... breakup? Howe I didn¡¯t know? Haozi, are you joking with me?"


    Nanrong Hao said helplessly, "My cousin just called me. At first, my sister refused to be interviewed by journalists, but after watching the news on TV, she decided to ept the interview. She also told the reporters that you two had already broken up and that you don¡¯t live in Wealthy Manor. She hopes those reporters won¡¯t bother her again because of your issues."


    Ling Chen frowned slightly, finding it hard to believe his ears. Seeing Ling Chen in a daze, Xia Yue chimed in, "Ling Cheng, I think Nanrong Wanqing did the right thing."


    Hearing this, Ling Chen asked in confusion, "Fifth sister, what do you mean by that?"


    "Think about it yourself. After that incident with Zhu Xiaozhu, if Nanrong Wanqing rifies her rtionship with you, how will outsiders perceive you? You¡¯re well aware of those journalists¡¯ skills; they would definitely use you of cheating and criticize you for being unfaithful. By then, it would surely affect your reputation. So, Nanrong Wanqing distancing herself from you actually protects you from being scolded by others."


    After Xia Yue¡¯s analysis, Ling Chen nodded silently, feeling more at ease. It seems that Nanrong Wanqing still cares for him, preferring to endure grievances herself rather than let him suffer.


    Thinking of this, Ling Chen picked up his phone and said, "Since that¡¯s the case, I definitely should give her a call."


    "Alright, then you talk it out with her. We¡¯ll head out first." Qiu Yong signaled to the others with his eyes, and they all understood, leaving the ward to let Ling Chen talk to Nanrong Wanqing alone.


    He dialed Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s number. Shortly, the call connected, and before Ling Chen could speak, a familiar voice came from the other side, "Hello! Who¡¯s this?"


    Hearing the voice, Ling Chen was slightly stunned and asked strangely, "Miss Su, why is it you? Where¡¯s Wanqing? Why didn¡¯t she answer the phone?"


    "Hmph! Lin, how dare you call!" Su Lin said angrily on the other end of the line.


    "Miss Su, it¡¯s all a misunderstanding, let me exin."


    "Exin? What is there to exin? So many people saw you being intimate with Zhu Xiaozhu, are you still trying to argue? Lin, I misjudged you, I thought you only cared about Wanqing, but what happened? First, it was Leng Feifei, now it¡¯s Zhu Xiaozhu, so many women surround you. Ling Chen, are you trying to tell me this is all just a coincidence?"


    Ling Chen tried hard to exin, "Miss Su, things aren¡¯t what you imagine."


    "Are you saying the scene on TV was fake?" Su Lin said sarcastically, "Even if you and Zhu Xiaozhu have nothing for now, her actions show she¡¯s interested in you. Can you guarantee you won¡¯t be tempted in the future? The matter with Leng Feifei isn¡¯t over, and now there¡¯s another Zhu Xiaozhu. Besides them, who knows if you¡¯re still ambiguous with other women."


    "Miss Su, where¡¯s Wanqing? Can you let me talk to her?"


    "No need, Wanqing specifically instructed me to hang up if you call. She doesn¡¯t want to talk to you now, and you shouldn¡¯t go looking for her. Even if you go, she won¡¯t see you." With that, before Ling Chen could say another word, all he heard was a busy signal from the other end of the line.


    Putting down the phone, Ling Chen smiled bitterly to himself. Because of the issues with Leng Feifei and Nanrong Yuan, Nanrong Wanqing was already upset, and now with this incident, it¡¯s just adding fuel to the fire. To be honest, he didn¡¯t expect Zhu Xiaozhu to make such a move back when they were on the rooftop.


    At that time, the situation was too dangerous; their lives were uncertain, no one knew if they¡¯d make it out alive, so they didn¡¯t care too much. But who would have thought that moment would be captured by a cameraman.


    What should he do now?


    Ling Chen scratched his head, feeling utterly at a loss.


    Knock knock knock!


    At this moment, there was a knock at the door from outside the ward. As the door opened, Ling Chen saw Zhu Xiaozhu hobbling inside with crutches.


    "Xiaozhu?" Ling Chen said surprisedly, "Aren¡¯t you supposed to be resting? Why did youe here?"


    "I¡¯m fine."


    "Come, have a seat." Ling Chen quickly got up, brought a chair, and ced it in front of Zhu Xiaozhu. Then, he brewed a cup of tea and handed it to her.


    Watching Ling Chen busy himself, Zhu Xiaozhu bit her thin lip, a hint of hesitation in her eyes.


    Noticing her expression, Ling Chen asked, "What¡¯s wrong?"


    "I..." Zhu Xiaozhu opened her mouth, and all her words turned into a single ¡¯sorry.¡¯


    Ling Chen smiled and said, "Why say sorry to me? You didn¡¯t do anything wrong."


    "I shouldn¡¯t have acted like that." Zhu Xiaozhu nced at the TV in the room and said, head lowered, "I didn¡¯t know there was a cameraman there. If it caused you any trouble, I hope you can forgive me." Pausing, Zhu Xiaozhu continued, "I¡¯ll ept interviews and exin things clearly to them so as not to affect you and Nanrong Wanqing."


    Hearing her mention Nanrong Wanqing, Ling Chen couldn¡¯t help but feel a bit bitter inside.


    "Xiaozhu, you don¡¯t need to exin, the truth will be clear on its own. The more you exin, the messier it gets. Those journalists love sensationalizing stories. Besides, I¡¯m a man; this won¡¯t affect me, so you don¡¯t need to feel guilty. After some time, people will naturally forget about this."


    "But..."


    "Enough!" Ling Chen interrupted her, smiling, "No buts, just rx, don¡¯t think about it, and focus on your recovery."


    "Mm." Zhu Xiaozhu responded softly, nodding, "I understand." Then, she shifted the topic, "Ling Chen, Nanrong Hao hopes you can apologize for me."


    "Apologize?" Ling Chen asked curiously, "Why should you apologize to him? Clearly, he did something wrong and should apologize to you."


    "I know everything about Nanrong Hao; it was my brother who killed his father."


    Ling Chen replied, "You said it yourself, your brother killed his father, it has nothing to do with you, so you don¡¯t need to apologize. However, a father¡¯s murder is a deep vendetta, Nanrong Hao won¡¯t easily let it go."


    "I understand." Zhu Xiaozhu said softly, "I¡¯ve alreadye to terms with it. You¡¯re right, my brother is no longer the Zhu Hong he used to be. He could even abandon his own sister, which means he¡¯s long forsaken family ties. If that¡¯s the case, I have no reason to continue protecting him. He has to pay for the mistakes he made."

 Chapter 1050 - 1057: Master of Emotions

    <h4>Chapter 1050: Chapter 1057: Master of Emotions</h4>


    Upon hearing Zhu Xiaozhu¡¯s words, Ling Chen felt much more at ease. All along, Zhu Hong had been an insurmountable barrier between him and Zhu Xiaozhu. Zhu Xiaozhu wanted him to spare Zhu Hong, not wanting to see either of them get hurt. Because of this, Ling Chen had to stay away from Zhu Xiaozhu to prevent Zhu Hong¡¯s matters from affecting the two of them.


    Now that Zhu Xiaozhu had finally let go, Ling Chen was naturally pleased. In the future, he wouldn¡¯t have to worry about anything when facing Zhu Hong.


    After seeing Zhu Xiaozhu off, Ling Chen took a short rest and then had Qiu Yong help him with the discharge procedures.


    Outside the hospital, arge group of reporters was waiting, eager to interview Ling Chen and get firsthand information. To avoid trouble, it was better to go home and recover.


    Returning home, Yang Qingling had already learned about Ling Chen¡¯s situation from the TV. Initially, Yang Qingling wanted to visit her son in the hospital, but Ling Chen knew she would worry, so he called her first thing before going to the hospital to let her know he was fine.


    "Son, I know what you¡¯re doing outside. Just because I don¡¯t ask doesn¡¯t mean I don¡¯t know; I just don¡¯t want to worry too much. Watching the live broadcast today, you have no idea how worried I was. Your grandparents are getting old and can¡¯t handle such shocks. I didn¡¯t even dare to tell them about this."


    "Mom, don¡¯t worry, it was an ident this time. I will be more careful in the future," Ling Chen promised.


    "Right! Son, what¡¯s the deal with that girl named Zhu Xiaozhu? I saw on TV..."


    Before Yang Qingling could finish, Ling Chen hastily interrupted her and said, "Mom, don¡¯t ask so much. Xiaozhu and I are just ordinary friends." Ling Chen was really tired of exining this and didn¡¯t want to waste his breath.


    "Mom, I am a bit tired and will go to my room to rest." With that, before Yang Qingling could ask more, Ling Chen returned to his bedroom.


    Watching the closed door, Yang Qingling sighed helplessly. Although she was his mother, some things were not easy to meddle in. After all, rtionships are the most troublesome and hardest to handle.


    A day passed.


    Ling Chen originally wanted to rest at home for a few days, but he had only stayed for one day before guests began arriving continuously, alling to visit him.


    The first to arrive was Tang Shiyun. Upon learning that Ling Chen was injured, Tang Shiyun, who was performing out of town, immediately took the earliest flight back to East Sea City to visit Ling Chen after hermercial performance ended.


    Besides Tang Shiyun, there were also Liu Xiyao and Xia Mutong. Although Officer Xia is quite strict at work, in her eyes, Ling Chen is not only a friend but also a friend with a special rtionship. So this time, she came to visit Ling Chen as a friend.


    In just half a day, Yang Qingling had received several beautiful women at home who hade to visit her son. Each was a rare beauty with different temperaments, making Yang Qingling look at her son¡¯s charm with new eyes.


    Knock knock knock!


    Hearing the knocks outside the bedroom, Ling Chen casually responded, "Come in!"


    As the door opened, Hu Fei walked in carrying several bags, his round chubby face full of smiles.


    "Hey!" Ling Chen smiled and said, "Fatty, what wind blew you here? Tsk tsk! What good stuff have you bought?"


    Hu Fei ced the bags down with a grin, taking out a few bottles of erguotou and some cold dishes, cing them on the table.


    "What¡¯s this for?"


    "I heard you¡¯ve been in a bad mood these past two days, so I specially came to have a drink with you. Come on, let¡¯s have a toast!"


    After gulping down a ss of erguotou, Ling Chen looked at Hu Fei and asked, "Fatty, how did you know I was feeling down?"


    "Isn¡¯t it obvious? I understand women better than you do. But I¡¯m smarter than you; I just have fun with women without getting too emotionally involved, saving myself a lot of trouble. Unlike you, entangled with so many women, only to end up a mess. Look at you, Nanrong Wanqing has broken up with you, Leng Feifei has gone abroad, and your thing with Zhu Xiaozhu has be well-known. Even if you clear things with Zhu Xiaozhuter, when you¡¯re with other women, how do you think people will see you? As a yboy, disloyal, and eventually as a scumbag in others¡¯ eyes."


    Hearing this, Ling Chen¡¯s already troubled mood worsened.


    Picking up his ss, Ling Chen asked, "Fatty, do you really think I¡¯m a scumbag?"


    "Not really, you haven¡¯t yed with women¡¯s feelings, but with so many entanglements, have you ever thought about whom to choose?"


    "Hey! Don¡¯t talk nonsense. What do you mean by entanglements? I am just ordinary friends with them." Ling Chen immediately corrected.


    "Ordinary friends?" Hu Fei chuckled mischievously. "Do you really think I don¡¯t know? Your rtionship with Xia Mutong isn¡¯t that of just ordinary friends, is it? Besides Xia Mutong, I won¡¯t even mention Leng Feifei, and then there¡¯s the porridge girl. Dare you say you are just ordinary friends with them?"


    Hu Fei¡¯s words left Ling Chen without a rebuttal. Admittedly, he had indeed had more than tonic rtionships with these women. Truth be told, whenever he faced them, he found it hard to maintain the mindset of an ordinary friend.


    Reflecting on this, Ling Chen couldn¡¯t help but sigh, "Fatty, listening to you, I do feel like a scumbag."


    "Alright! Don¡¯t think too much about it. If I were you, I would stay away from those women." Hu Fei said: "You¡¯re all confused yourself, not clear about your feelings. Since that¡¯s the case, you might as well pull yourself out of it and temporarily ignore these things. Focus on managing the base and put your mind on other things. Over time, let everything take its course. You must remember, feelings cannot be forced; what is yours will be yours, no matter how much time passes, she will be there waiting for you."


    Ling Chen nodded in agreement. Hu Fei was right; the women were precisely what was troubling him now.


    "Fatty, I didn¡¯t expect you to be a master of emotions," Ling Chen decided to set aside these vexing matters for now, just as Hu Fei suggested.


    "Of course!" Hu Fei said proudly, "I¡¯ve dealt with not hundreds, but at least dozens of women; I¡¯ve got way more experience than you."


    Pfft!


    Ling Chen didn¡¯t hold back, retorting, "All those women you deal with are paid for. How could you have the nerve to brag in front of me? Alright, enough about that, how are things at the base?"


    At Ling Chen¡¯s mention of business, Hu Fei put down his ss and said, "Everything¡¯s normal now. The leftover forces of the God Organization in East Sea City have mostly been cleared up."

 Chapter 1051 - 1058: The Trouble with Too Much Charm

    <h4>Chapter 1051: Chapter 1058: The Trouble with Too Much Charm</h4>


    "Where¡¯s Zhu Hong? Have you found where he is?"


    "Not yet," Hu Fei replied. "That day after Zhu Hong and Song Mingzhe escaped, I had people tracking them, but Zhu Hong is too cunning, and with Song Mingzhe by his side, our movements were quickly exposed."


    Ling Chen thought for a moment and said, "Deploy more people for aprehensive search of East Sea City. Zhu Hong and Chen Quan are definitely still in the city. Now that Lin Guodong¡¯s threat has been eliminated, it¡¯s time to take action against them."


    "Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ve already started investigating," Hu Fei said mysteriously, leaving some suspense. "The lead I¡¯m chasing this time is quite unusual; there might be some special findings."


    Ling Chen nodded without asking further. Hu Fei might have his shorings, but his ability to get things done is indisputable, and he has plenty of crafty ideas. Anything he takes charge of usually doesn¡¯t face any problems.


    "Fatty, you¡¯ll need to pay more attention to matters at the base with Boss Tang. I won¡¯t have much time to help manage things."


    Hearing this, Hu Fei asked in confusion, "Why? Are you nning to leave East Sea City?"


    "Not really. I spoke with Lin Guodongst time. Although the God Organization has been dealt with, the mastermind is still atrge."


    "Didn¡¯t you make a deal with the government? The Ling Family matters are to be handled by the government, so why are you still worrying about all this?"


    Ling Chen sighed lightly and said, "The Ling Family issues are not as simple as you think. I talked a lot with Lin Guodong that day; there are too many secrets about the Ling Family, which the government can¡¯t solve. It has to be handled by our own Ling Family members. If I¡¯m not mistaken, it won¡¯t be long before someone approaches me."


    Hu Fei said helplessly, "The Ling Family always has so much drama. Fine, since that¡¯s the case, I won¡¯t bother asking. Come, let¡¯s drink!"


    After a few bottles of Erguotou, Ling Chen felt dizzy. After sending Hu Fei away, he fell onto the bed and soon drifted to sleep.


    ...


    In the blink of an eye, half a month passed again.


    During this time, Ling Chen stayed home, asionally taking a stroll to the base, and rarely went out. After so long, the matter between him and Zhu Xiaozhu gradually faded, and few people mentioned it anymore.


    "Mom, I have an appointment tonight, you all go ahead and eat."


    After greeting Yang Qingling, Ling Chen picked up his car keys and walked out of the vi alone.


    Getting in the car, Ling Chen activated the car navigation and drove straight to his destination. Half an hourter, he arrived at a restaurant entrance.


    Led by the waiter, Ling Chen entered a private room on the second floor. Upon opening the door, he saw a bright and spacious private room with several people seated: Jiang Hao, Nanrong Hao, Hu Fei, Tang Guolun, Jiang Yunkai, Bai Huanjun, and Zhao Zhengxiong.


    "Chen, you¡¯re finally here, everyone has been waiting for you," Jiang Hao said with a smile, standing up and pulling out a chair for Ling Chen.


    After taking his seat, Ling Chen nced at the crowd and asked, "What¡¯s the asion today, inviting me for a meal."


    "Chen, the way you say it, can¡¯t we invite you for a meal if there¡¯s no asion?" Zhao Zhengxiongughed. "It¡¯s just that it¡¯s been a while since the brothers gathered, so tonight I¡¯m hosting, inviting everyone to have a meal together, and thenter we can have some fun."


    Hearing Zhao Zhengxiong mention ¡¯fun¡¯, everyone¡¯s eyes lit up, joking, "Xiong, among all us brothers, you¡¯re the wealthiest. Tell us, where are you nning to take us for fun?"


    "Hey! That¡¯s not the right way to say it; the wealthiest should be Chen," Zhao Zhengxiong quickly retorted, waving it off.


    Seeing everyone look at him, Ling Chen spread his hands and said, "Okay, don¡¯t look at me; I¡¯ll cover the bill tonight, all right? After dinner, you can go wherever you want for fun."


    Jiang Hao chimed in, "I heard there¡¯s a new entertainment center opened in Central District, very high-end. Why don¡¯t we go there tonight?"


    "Great!" Nanrong Hao agreed, "I¡¯ve heard that entertainment center is pretty good, but I¡¯ve never had the time to visit. It¡¯s rare for all the brothers to be here, so why not check it out together?"


    "Entertainment center?" Ling Chen nced at Zhao Zhengxiong and asked, "Xiong, don¡¯t tell me it¡¯s yours?" Such entertainment and leisure industries have always been Zhao Zhengxiong¡¯s main business, which is why Ling Chen asked.


    Zhao Zhengxiong quickly waved it off, "It¡¯s not mine; I don¡¯t have that much idle money. As far as I know, the investment in that entertainment center is at least a few hundred million; even if you sell me, it wouldn¡¯t be that much."


    "Who¡¯s the owner then?"


    "No idea," everyone said, shaking their heads.


    "You guys don¡¯t know?" Ling Chen asked curiously, "The underground forces in East Sea City are under your control. If someone were to run an entertainment business here, they should have checked with you guys first."


    "Chen, that¡¯s not wrong, but we really don¡¯t know who owns that entertainment center, and no one has contacted us," Jiang Hao said. "Those who dare to open such venues on our turf without paying their respects are quite bold. During its renovation, I sent people to inquire, but they showed a permit, saying the government had approved its construction. Later, I originally nned to hassle them, but they chose to call the police directly, and the one handling it was Officer Xia. Chen, I couldn¡¯t just ignore Officer Xia¡¯s standing, so I had to call our people back."


    "There¡¯s such a thing?" Ling Chen chuckled. The owner of that entertainment center is either really clueless or has strong backing.


    Jiang Hao and the others are local power yers; if that owner wants to do business, they should at least go to Jiang Hao and pay respects with a token gift. Normally, any entertainment business must maintain good rtionships with both official and underground factions to ensure smooth operations.


    The owner must have significant backing to invest hundreds of millions. Thinking of this, Ling Chen became intrigued.


    Given how idle things have been recently, he thought it might be interesting to check it out and understand the situation.


    "Haozi, tell them to start serving the dishes. After we eat, let¡¯s visit that entertainment center."


    After the feast, it was already 8:30 PM, just as nightlife was beginning.


    On the way to the entertainment center, Ling Chen made sure to ride in the same car as Nanrong Hao.


    "Haozi, how¡¯s your sister doingtely? Is she okay?"


    Nanrong Hao grinned and said, "Chen, I knew you cared about my sister. Don¡¯t worry; she¡¯s fine. She goes to work andes back home punctually every day, and during her days off, she just reads at home. Beforeing over, I visited her; she seemed to be in a good mood."


    "So... did she ask about me?"


    "No. I tried steering the conversation towards you a few times, but she avoided it each time, so there wasn¡¯t much I could do. Chen, don¡¯t worry too much; I know my sister well. She¡¯ll be fine after some time."


    "Forget it! Trusting you is less reliable than trusting myself."


    As they spoke, Nanrong Hao slowly pulled the car over to the roadside and pointed to a tall building in the distance, "Chen, we¡¯re here!"

 Chapter 1052 - 1059: Tianyu (1)

    <h4>Chapter 1052: Chapter 1059: Tianyu (1)</h4>


    The full name of this newly opened entertainment center is Tianyu Leisure Club, and it has a total of six floors, each offering different leisure and entertainment activities.


    Getting out of the car, Ling Chen followed Nanrong Hao and the group to the outside of Tianyu Leisure Club. Looking up, they saw the club was luxuriously decorated, clearly designed to create a high-consumption venue. The entire building was wrapped in neon lights, forming a dazzling sign that could be clearly seen from hundreds of meters away.


    Since it was a newly opened and high-end club, its business was extremely booming. As an internationally famous and developed city, East Sea City nevercked wealthy people. At the moment, the outdoor parking lot of Tianyu Leisure Club was full of cars, with the lowest value being over six hundred thousand, and millions-worth of luxury cars could be seen everywhere.


    Ling Chen and the group arrived at the entrance, where a youthful and pretty waitress, wearing slightly revealing clothes, immediately greeted them with a sweet smile and asked, "Are you all together?"


    Zhao Zhengxiong responded, "Do you have a slightlyrger private room?"


    "Yes, I wonder what activities you gentlemen are interested in? We have many leisure activities here. This must be your first time here, shall I introduce a bit for you?"


    After listening to the waitress¡¯s introduction, Ling Chen had a general understanding of the club. Tianyu Leisure Club had six floors, each offering different entertainment activities. The first floor was a nightclub, the second floor had KTV, the third floor was a dance hall, the fourth floor a foot spa, and the fifth floor was a seafood restaurant forte-night snacks. When the waitress talked about the sixth floor, her eyes showed a meaningful smile. Any man would understand that look.


    "Gentlemen, the sixth floor is the real ¡¯Heavenly World,¡¯ and it¡¯s the most expensive in the club. Where would you like to go? If needed, I can apany you throughout."


    Hearing this, Jiang Hao couldn¡¯t help but tease, "Apany throughout? Does that mean you can satisfy whatever I want to do?"


    The waitress gave Jiang Hao a yful nce and said coquettishly, "I¡¯m just an employee. Our service principle is customer first. If the boss has any requests, I¡¯ll try my best to fulfill them."


    "Alright, alright!" Jiang Haoughed with lustful eyes. If not for the others around, he might have already pounced on the beauty.


    "Jiang Hao, don¡¯t embarrass us. You fancy anything of this caliber?" Hu Fei mocked from the side.


    "Alright everyone, stop wasting time at the door, let¡¯s go to the sixth floor," Zhao Zhengxiong directly ordered. "Anyway, Chen¡¯s treating tonight, don¡¯t hold back, go for the most expensive."


    "Haha! Brother Xiong is right, that¡¯s how I feel too."


    Seeing Ling Chen and the group heading to the sixth floor, the waitress felt overjoyed inside. Bringing a few bosses to the sixth floor would earn her a significant tip. She quickly replied, "Gentlemen, please follow me."


    Taking the elevator to the sixth floor, as soon as they entered, Ling Chen immediately saw over twenty beautiful women with tall and attractive figures standing on both sides of the corridor. Not exactly one in ten thousand, but at least one in a hundred, with perfectly applied makeup, absolute beauties.


    Faced with the enthusiastic greetings and receptions from these beauties, Zhao Zhengxiong, Jiang Hao, and Nanrong Hao¡¯s eyes were wide open, almost drooling.


    "Tsk tsk!" Nanrong Hao nudged Ling Chen¡¯s arm, speaking in a low voice, "Chen, the quality at this leisure club is really not bad. I guess you can¡¯t find such good ones in the whole of East Sea City."


    Ling Chen gave Nanrong Hao a re and quietly warned, "You better take it easy."


    Walking past the beauties on both sides of the corridor, the group, led by the waitress, went directly to a private room.


    Calling it a private room, it was more like a small bar spanning over two hundred square meters, including a bar counter, KTV sound system, dance floor, billiards table, and massage chairs, almost incorporating all the fun of the entire building.


    "Gentlemen, when you came in earlier, did you spot any girl you fancy? If you did, I can call her over for you. If not, that¡¯s alright; we have other choices that will surely satisfy you."


    Nanrong Hao excitedly asked, "Are there even better ones?"


    The waitress smiled slightly and picked up a remote, pressing a button. Suddenly, the TV screen disyed hundreds of pictures, each depicting a beauty.


    "Gentlemen, these are the beauties from our club. If any of you fancy one, just select the number and press confirm, and they¡¯ll be with you shortly." Saying this, she handed the remote to Nanrong Hao.


    Looking at the pictures on the TV screen, Nanrong Hao¡¯s eyes lit up as he eagerly browsed, choosing his favorite one.


    "Beauty." Zhao Zhengxiong, looking at the waitress, smiled and asked, "What services do the beauties here provide?"


    The waitress replied with a smile, "Boss, as I mentioned, our club¡¯s principle is customer satisfaction. So, just enjoy to your heart¡¯s content."


    Hearing this, Zhao Zhengxiong gave a knowing smile and asked no more.


    "If you gentlemen don¡¯t have any other requests, I¡¯ll be off. If there¡¯s anything, just ring the bell, and we¡¯lle right over." With that, the waitress turned and left the private room.


    Once the waitress left, the men immediately reverted to their wolfish nature, crowding around the TV, eagerly searching for beauties.


    "This one... Haozi, I want this one, quickly press confirm for me."


    "Fatty, you get lost, I saw this chick first, go find another," Tang Guolun unceremoniously said in front of the beauties.


    Watching them scramble, Ling Chen helplessly smiled and said, "I say, can¡¯t you all be more reserved? Anyone would think you haven¡¯t seen women for ages."


    "Chen, since you¡¯re treating tonight, why not pick one first?" Zhao Zhengxiong jokingly suggested.


    Ling Chen waved his hand and said, "No thanks! I¡¯m not interested."


    Nanrong Haoughed mischievously, "Even if you gave Chen a few guts now, he wouldn¡¯t dare to pick a beauty."


    Hearing this, everyone understood Nanrong Hao¡¯s meaning and decided not to persuade Ling Chen any further. Before long, a knocking sound came from outside the private room. As the door opened, tall, lightly dressed, and stylishly adorned beauties entered one after another.


    Ling Chen nced around, seeing over twenty beauties, a truly dizzying sight.


    These guys really went all out, calling over so many beauties, and one could wonder if they had enough stamina.


    Nanrong Hao stood aside, counted carefully, and curiously asked, "Why are there only twenty-one, isn¡¯t there one more?"

 Chapter 1053 - 1060: Tianyu (Part 2)

    <h4>Chapter 1053: Chapter 1060: Tianyu (Part 2)</h4>


    "That¡¯s right!" Jiang Yunkai chimed in, "We¡¯ve got twenty-two, why are we still missing one? Oh, right! The most beautiful one isn¡¯t here."


    "Hey, what¡¯s going on?" Nanrong Hao asked the beauties who arrived first.


    The group of beauties looked at each other, also unsure of what was happening. Seeing this, Ling Chen spoke up, "You guys, aren¡¯t so many beauties enough? Missing one or two doesn¡¯t matter."


    "That¡¯s not eptable." Jiang Hao immediately rejected, "We finally found a rare gem and absolutely can¡¯t let it go easily. Haozi, call the waiter and find out what¡¯s going on."


    Pressing the bell inside the private room, within a minute, the waiter in charge of reception appeared before them.


    Upon learning the situation, the waiter immediately said, "Please wait a moment, sirs. I¡¯ll find out right away." With that, the waiter hurried out without dy.


    Minutes passed, and the waiter finally returned. Looking at all the bosses present, the waiter apologetically said, "Gentlemen, I¡¯m truly sorry, number seventy-six is already entertaining a guest. How about you find another one?"


    Hearing this, Hu Fei unhappily shouted, "We clearly reserved her first, why let her entertain other guests? I don¡¯t care. Get that beauty over here immediately. If you can¡¯t decide, call your manager to talk."


    "Well..." the waiter said, embarrassed, "Sir, please try to understand."


    "Hey! Beauties, it¡¯s not that we¡¯re intentionally giving you a hard time. The rules were set by you. We followed the rules to choose, and other guests took her away. Isn¡¯t that your responsibility?"


    "This..."


    "Enough!" Zhao Zhengxiong impatiently said, "Forget this and that, if you can¡¯t make the decision, then call your manager."


    Soon, a man in his thirties walked in, apanied by the waiter. Seeing Ling Chen and others, he smiled and said, "Gentlemen, I¡¯m Li Yan, the manager on the sixth floor. I understand the situation, and I sincerely apologize. This was our mistake. How about... a fifty percent discount on tonight¡¯s expenses? What do you think?"


    "Not good enough." Jiang Hao rudely rejected, "Do we look like people short of money? Let me tell you, this isn¡¯t a money issue, it¡¯s a matter of principle. Since you¡¯ve set the rules, you should be responsible to your guests. If you can¡¯t even do that, you shouldn¡¯t be in business."


    "Manager Li, we¡¯re not trying to make things difficult for you. If you can¡¯t get that beauty here, we¡¯ll ask for her ourselves," Jiang Yunkai chimed in.


    Hearing this, Li Yan hurriedly said, "No, please don¡¯t, gentlemen, we¡¯re just workers too, please show some mercy. How about this, tonight¡¯s expenses are on the house."


    "Manager Li, as my brothers said earlier, this isn¡¯t a money issue."


    The voice came; everyone turned their attention to Ling Chen. Ling Chen stood up from the sofa and tossed a bank card on the coffee table, casually saying, "There¡¯s over two million there, more than enough for tonight. I¡¯ll give you one minute to bring that beauty over. If you can¡¯t, we¡¯ll handle it ourselves."


    Ling Chen felt there was no need to make a big deal out of such a small matter, but seeing Jiang Hao¡¯s actions earlier, he understood immediately. Jiang Hao and the others weren¡¯t being petty; they were deliberately causing trouble. After all, who are Jiang Hao and the others? They are the unchallenged rulers of East Sea City¡¯s underground scene. This leisure club opened without notifying them, clearly not taking them seriously.


    Moreover, Jiang Hao was also testing the waters to see what kind of person the owner of this leisure club was.


    Seeing Ling Chen¡¯s firm tone, Li Yan was momentarily taken aback, and his expression became a bit unpleasant.


    "Gentlemen, we¡¯re open for business, but please, restrain yourselves, don¡¯t cause unnecessary trouble." Li Yan¡¯s smile vanished, reced by a cold demeanor.


    "A threat?" Zhao Zhengxiong sneered, asking, "Manager Li, can I take that as a threat?" Not waiting for Li Yan to reply, Zhao Zhengxiong pointed at Nanrong Hao and others, with a forced smile, said, "Manager Li, ask my brothers here if any of them are afraid of threats. We intended to settle this peacefully, but since you¡¯ve spoken, if we don¡¯t show some attitude, how can we keep our standing in East Sea City? Come on, let¡¯s see which jerk dared to take our woman."


    With that, Zhao Zhengxiong led Jiang Hao and the others straight out of the room.


    "No!" Seeing the situation turn bad, Li Yan hurried to block their path. However, how could a woman stop people like Jiang Hao? Jiang Yunkai casually shoved her aside, causing Li Yan to lose her bnce and fall onto the sofa.


    Watching Zhao Zhengxiong and the others leave the private room, Ling Chen smiled slightly, sat back down, and leisurely sipped his drink. With Zhao Zhengxiong handling it, there was no need for him to go along.


    After taking a sip of whisky, Ling Chen nced at the TV screen, scrutinizing the pictures of beauties there. Suddenly, something caught Ling Chen¡¯s eye as a sharp gleam shed in his Mo Che-like irises.


    At the same moment, in a nearby private room, Zhao Zhengxiong and the others kicked the door open and strode inside.


    In the spacious, dimly lit private room, ten or so men in their thirties and forties sat with over a dozen beauties apanying them. Among them, one beauty stood out the most. Although the other women were attractive,pared to this one, they were worlds apart. Her looks, aura, and figure were the very definition of perfection.


    Her presence made the other beauties fade into the background. Nearly all the men in the room were gathered around her.


    Yet, facing the men¡¯s eagerness, the woman appeared very resistant, constantly pushing away the men trying to get fresh with her. Several times, she managed to break free, attempting to escape, only to be pulled back each time.


    "Gentlemen, had enough fun?" Zhao Zhengxiong turned on the main lights in the room and asked.


    The sudden bright light and the men standing at the doorway shifted the room¡¯s attention to Zhao Zhengxiong.


    A bald man stood up, pointed at Zhao Zhengxiong and his group, and shouted irritably, "Who the hell are you? Get out of here and stop disturbing us!"


    Before Zhao Zhengxiong and the others could respond, the woman pinned on the sofa shouted loudly, "Save me... Mr. Hu, save me!"

 Chapter 1054 - 1061: Tianyu (Part 3)

    <h4>Chapter 1054: Chapter 1061: Tianyu (Part 3)</h4>


    Hearing the cry for help from the other side, Hu Fei¡¯s expression changed slightly as he said in surprise, "You... aren¡¯t you..."


    "Fatty, do you know her?" Tang Guolun on the side asked.


    Hu Fei nodded and said, "Let¡¯s not talk about it for now, Jiang Hao, Haozi, quickly bring her over."


    Jiang Hao and Nanrong Hao said nothing, rushed forward swiftly, and mercilessly kicked away all the men around the woman before bringing her back to Hu Fei¡¯s side.


    "Miss Liu." Looking at the beautiful woman, Hu Fei asked in confusion, "Why are you here?"


    This woman with striking beauty was none other than Liu Xiyao. Earlier, when they were browsing pictures on TV, everyone was stunned by Liu Xiyao¡¯s beauty. Among them, only Hu Fei and Nanrong Hao had met Liu Xiyao. However, in their minds, someone of Liu Xiyao¡¯s status could never work here as a hostess. Thus, they presumed this woman only looked like Liu Xiyao and wasn¡¯t Liu Xiyao herself.


    "Damn it!" Before she could reply, those men, seeing their buddies getting bullied, immediately shouted, "How dare you mess with my brothers, you bastards! Let¡¯s see how I deal with you. Guys, grab your stuff and charge!"


    As soon as the words fell, a group of men picked up chairs and bottles in the room and charged straight at Zhao Zhengxiong and his group.


    Seeing the men¡¯s actions, Zhao Zhengxiong and others slightly curled their lips in a mocking smile. When it came to fighting, they feared no one. Moreover, with skilled fighters like Jiang Yunkai around, these guys were just asking for trouble.


    In no time, more than a dozen men were easily taken down, each clutching their stomachs and wailing incessantly.


    "Stop! All of you, stop now!"


    At this moment, Li Yan rushed in with a group of security guards. Unfortunately, she was a step toote. Seeing the injured guests all over the ground, Li Yan¡¯s face turned icy. She looked coldly at Zhao Zhengxiong and said through gritted teeth, "You all have gone too far."


    Zhao Zhengxiong replied calmly, "You¡¯re right, going too far is our specialty, that¡¯s our business. Manager Li, you came just in time, I wanted to ask you, why is she here?" Saying this, Zhao Zhengxiong pointed to Liu Xiyao beside him.


    "She?" Li Yan hesitated for a moment, then immediately said, "She is with me, what does it have to do with you?"


    "She¡¯s my friend, do you think it¡¯s unrted?" The one responding wasn¡¯t Zhao Zhengxiong; it was Ling Chen who had juste in from outside the room. He too had seen Liu Xiyao¡¯s photos on TV and, although puzzled, came over quickly.


    "Manager Li, I need an exnation from you. You better think carefully before answering me." Ling Chen stared into Li Yan¡¯s eyes, his sharp gaze like a sharp steel knife, intimidating her into averting her eyes.


    "I... I¡¯ve already told you, she¡¯s with me, you..."


    p!


    Before Li Yan could finish, a crisp p sounded in the room. Ling Chen lowered his raised hand, expressionless, and said, "I¡¯ll give you one more chance. I hope you¡¯ll answer seriously."


    "You... you dare to hit me?" pped by Ling Chen, Li Yan¡¯s anger soared, and she shrieked harshly, "None of you are leaving here today!"


    As her words fell, security guards outside the room immediately charged in.


    However, Jiang Yunkai and others had been keeping an eye on the situation outside. Seeing the security guards act, he and Bai Huanjun wasted no time, striding over to block over a dozen security guards at the door.


    As the screams from outside the room echoed, Li Yan¡¯s face grew paler, her gaze at Ling Chen filled with a hint of fear.


    "Manager Li, still not willing to talk?" Ling Chen squinted, his eyes shing coldly.


    "Ling Chen, it¡¯s the Liu Family." At this moment, Liu Xiyao quietly said from the side.


    The Liu Family?


    Ling Chen frowned slightly, well aware of Liu Xiyao¡¯s enmity with the Liu Family. If Liu Xiyao was coerced by the Liu Family into working here as a hostess, does that mean... the Liu Family is the owner behind this leisure establishment?


    While pondering, Jiang Yunkai and Bai Huanjun at the door suddenly stepped back a few paces. Subsequently, a young man entered, apanied by two middle-aged men.


    The young man wore a neatly pressed white suit, with handsome features, short hair just covering his ears, and a luxurious gold mechanical watch on his wrist, exuding elegance and nobility. One nce was enough to tell that the youth¡¯s two middle-agedpanions were out of the ordinary¡ªanyone with an eye could see they were not ordinary.


    Seeing the young man, a flicker of fear appeared in Liu Xiyao¡¯s eyes, and she instinctively moved closer to Ling Chen. Noticing her reaction, Ling Chen began to have more guesses about this young man¡¯s identity.


    Now, surrounded by his two middle-agedpanions, the young man walked up to Ling Chen, scrutinized him for a moment, then suddenly turned around and pped Li Yan across the face without warning.


    Li Yan was stunned by the young man¡¯s sudden action, staring at him nkly, muttering, "President Liu, I..."


    "Shut up!" The young man snapped coldly, "Is that how you treat our valued guests?" After speaking, he turned his gaze back to Ling Chen. With a sweeping nce, the young man smiled and said, "Mr. Ling, Mr. Zhao, Mr. Jiang, Mr. Nanrong, I truly apologize. My subordinate was ignorant and offended you. If there were any discourtesies, I apologize here. Please show me some mercy and forgive us this once."


    Seeing the young man greeting them each in turn, a trace of coldness flickered in Ling Chen¡¯s eyes.


    This guy is quite something!


    Ling Chen thought to himself. His instincts told him that this young man before him was certainly no easy opponent.


    "From the sound of President Liu¡¯s voice, you seem familiar with us?"


    The young man smiled and said, "I wouldn¡¯t say familiar, but... since I¡¯m doing business in East Sea City, I certainly need to understand the situation here." At this point, the youth changed the topic, looking at Zhao Zhengxiong and others he said, "Mr. Zhao, sorry, I should have visited you long ago, but I¡¯ve been busy with work, traveling all over, and only arrived in East Sea City a couple of days ago. I didn¡¯t have time to greet you before opening, my oversight, please don¡¯t take it to heart. How about this, let me host you all for a meal soon. First, to formally pay my respects, and second, as a way to apologize. How about it?"


    Not bad!


    Ling Chen squinted slightly. As expected, this young man is very astute, with nothing that can be picked apart in his words or actions.


    Zhao Zhengxiong nced at Ling Chen and said, "Let¡¯s leave other things aside for now, I want to know, was it you who brought my friend here?"

 Chapter 1055 - 1062: Liu Wei

    <h4>Chapter 1055: Chapter 1062: Liu Wei</h4>


    "No, no!" The young man vehemently denied, "I think you¡¯ve misunderstood. I didn¡¯t bring her here; she came of her own free will. Gentlemen, we arew-abiding citizens; we wouldn¡¯t do anything illegal."


    "Is that so?" Ling Chen interjected, "In that case, let me ask her to see if she really came willingly." Saying this, Ling Chen turned his gaze to Liu Xiyao beside him, waiting for her response.


    Liu Xiyao nced at the young man. Faced with her gaze, the young man maintained a faint smile.


    "Ling Chen, they forced me to sign a contract," Liu Xiyao said softly. "That contract is almost like a servitude agreement. I... I had no choice."


    Hearing this, Ling Chen immediately understood what Liu Xiyao meant. The Liu Family¡¯s trouble for Liu Xiyao was undoubtedly well-prepared. Even if someone came knocking, as long as that contract existed, no one could do anything about the Liu Family. As for the coercion Liu Xiyao mentioned, unless she could provide evidence, there was no use in saying anything.


    "Mr. Ling, everything between Miss Liu and me is in ck and white, clearly documented. I¡¯ve done nothing illegal or criminal," the young man said with a smile. "So, please believe me, my rtionship with Miss Liu is purely professional."


    "With all this talk, I still don¡¯t know your name?" Ling Chen asked.


    "Liu Wei."


    Ling Chen nodded and said, "President Liu, we¡¯re all smart people here; there¡¯s no need toy everything out. Liu is my friend, and regardless of whatever contract you have between you, I¡¯m taking her with me tonight."


    "Mr. Ling, wouldn¡¯t that be inappropriate?" Liu Wei grinned, the smile at the corner of his mouth noticeably cooling.


    "There¡¯s no inappropriate or not inappropriate. You have one choice: either let me take Liu with me, or... I¡¯ll take her by force and destroy your leisure club, kicking you out of East Sea City. Which do you think is more appropriate?"


    Liu Wei asked with a mocking smile, "Mr. Ling, are you threatening me?"


    "That¡¯s right!" Ling Chen admitted unabashedly, "Believe me, if I say it, I can do it. If you don¡¯t believe me, feel free to try. Of course, as aw-abiding citizen, you can choose to call the police. But you should know in your heart that doing so won¡¯t change anything, so you better think it over."


    Liu Wei frowned, staring directly into Ling Chen¡¯s eyes. After a few seconds of eye contact, the corners of Liu Wei¡¯s mouth slightly raised, and the gentle smile returned to his handsome face.


    "Mr. Ling is indeed extraordinary. Alright, my new store just opened, and I don¡¯t want to invite too much trouble. Since Mr. Ling has spoken, I must give you this face." With that, Liu Wei signaled to his subordinates with his eyes.


    Soon after, the subordinate left and returned with a contract, bringing it into the private room.


    "Mr. Ling, this is the contract I signed with Miss Liu. I now give it to you. From now on, Miss Liu has no connection with Tianyu Leisure Club."


    Ling Chen took the contract and carefully browsed through it, checking the signatures and fingerprints at the end. He then handed the contract to Liu Xiyao, letting her confirm that there were no issues.


    "The contract is correct."


    Upon Liu Xiyao¡¯s confirmation, Ling Chen nodded and said to Liu Wei, "I appreciate the favor, President Liu. We should have a meal together someday." With that, Ling Chen gestured to everyone, "Let¡¯s go!"


    As Ling Chen and others left the private room, Li Yan approached Liu Wei and asked, "President Liu, are you just going to let them leave like this?"


    Liu Wei put away his smile and said coldly, "What else do you want to do? Do you know who they are? Ling Chen isn¡¯t much of a threat, but the people around him are no joke. Zhao Zhengxiong and Jiang Hao control the underground forces of East Sea City. And that Nanrong Hao, he¡¯s the young master of the Nanrong Family and the future heir of the Hongyu Group. None of them are easy to deal with. We just arrived in East Sea City, and our foundation is not stable. It¡¯s best not to sh with them."


    "But..." Li Yan hesitated for a moment and said, "We went through a lot to bring Liu Xiyao here, and now we¡¯re just letting her get away? I think we should have dealt with her directly when we first found her. Now that those people have her back, it might be difficult to handle her in the future."


    Liu Wei nodded, "That was my mistake. I originally wanted her to experience what it¡¯s like to be yed by men, but who knew Ling Chen and the others would show up? Never mind! We¡¯ll leave Liu Xiyao¡¯s matter for now and deal with herter."


    "Yes, I understand."


    "And... Manager Li, sorry about earlier. I don¡¯t want to provoke them right now," Liu Wei referred to the p incident earlier.


    Li Yan gave a slight smile, "President Liu, don¡¯t mention it. I¡¯m not someone who doesn¡¯t understand the situation. If there¡¯s nothing else, I¡¯ll get back to work."


    "Go ahead."


    ...


    Outside the Tianyu Leisure Club, Ling Chen and Liu Xiyao got into Nanrong Hao¡¯s Audi.


    "Liu, when I saw you a few days ago, weren¡¯t you doing fine?"


    Liu Xiyao sighed softly, her face bitter, "After I left your house that day, the Liu Family came looking for me. I didn¡¯t even have a chance to call for help before they took me to the Tianyu Club, where I was locked up for several days. Later, Liu Wei forced me to be a hostess. I refused, so he used all sorts of harassment and threats, leaving me without even the chance to die. In the end, he directly forced me to sign the contract. Today was my first day out, and if you hadn¡¯t shown up in time, I..." She bit her lip lightly and didn¡¯t continue.


    Ling Chen understood in his heart that if it weren¡¯t for them, Liu Xiyao would have certainly been assaulted by that group of men tonight.


    "What position does Liu Wei hold in the Liu Family?"


    "He¡¯s now the son of the Liu Family head. From what I know, the Liu Family¡¯s situation has changed significantly. Previously, the Liu Family was a prominent family with many businesses in the area. However, as more and more emergingpanies rose, the Liu Family failed to innovate and relied solely on old resources. This led to diminishing profits, causing the business to decline from a major enterprise to a third-rate one. As a result, the former family head stepped down, letting his eldest son inherit the position. To seek new development, the Liu Family invested heavily in Liu Wei, sending him to East Sea City to seek business opportunities."


    "I see," Ling Chen nodded, "That Liu Wei is quite a character, very meticulous in how he does things."


    "Yes, Liu Wei is a key figure trained by the Liu Family, and his choice to start a business in East Sea City is mostly because of me."

 Chapter 1056 - 1063: The Decline of the Liu Family

    <h4>Chapter 1056: Chapter 1063: The Decline of the Liu Family</h4>


    "Why?" Ling Chen asked in confusion. "Did hee to East Sea City to get revenge on you?"


    "No!" Liu Xiyao shook her head and replied, "Actually, the Liu Family doesn¡¯t care about me. I¡¯ve always been the one wanting to take revenge on them. The reason Liu Wei approached me is not to cause trouble for me, but to scheme for my assets. You know, over the years, with Lin Guodong¡¯s help, I¡¯ve managed quite a few businesses across the country. Although my assets aren¡¯t a lot, they are still in the billions. Liu Wei is a very cunning and opportunistic person. If he can control me, he gets billions in assets for nothing. Who wouldn¡¯t want such an opportunity?"


    "So, the Liu Family can¡¯t keep going and that¡¯s why they came to East Sea City to seek development."


    "Pretty much."


    "Chen, I¡¯ve heard of that Liu Family you guys are discussing," Nanrong Hao, who was driving, chimed in. "The Liu Family used to be quite famous, involved in various industries, simr to our Hongyu Group. Butter, due to poor management and annual losses, thepany had toy off staff and sell off assets. Our Hongyu Group used to coborate with the Liu Family, but after their decline, we cut off cooperation. That Liu Wei is a clever man. He came to East Sea City and didn¡¯t do much, just runs a leisure club. Seems like he¡¯s nning something big."


    "Haozi, what do you mean by that?"


    "Chen, isn¡¯t it obvious? High-end entertainment venues will always attract wealthy people. Which of these rich people aren¡¯t influential and powerful? Over time, as Liu Wei mingles with them, he can integrate himself into the high society of East Sea City. And, as Miss Liu just mentioned, Liu Wei is shrewd and opportunistic. These rich folks often indulge in behavior thatpromises their image when at leisure clubs. Moreover, these wealthy individuals have families; if word gets out that they are going to Liu Wei¡¯s ce for women, what kind of impact do you think it will have?"


    Upon hearing this, Ling Chen immediately realized.


    "Haozi, you mean... Liu Wei will use this as leverage?"


    "Liu Wei might collect these handles. Whether he would use them or not, I can¡¯t say. Also," Nanrong Hao continued after a pause, "Chen, there¡¯s another matter. When Hongyu Group decided not to continue cooperating with the Liu Family, besides their economic downturn, there was another significant reason."


    "We have evidence that the Liu Family might have connections with the local underground forces. Moreover, the Liu Family is allegedly behind the scenes responsible for investment and control. Since the Liu Family¡¯s background isn¡¯t clean, we were concerned they might be involved in illegal activities, which could affect Hongyu Group, so we chose to sever ties with them."


    "Mr. Nanrong is right," Liu Xiyao agreed. "I¡¯ve heard about this too. The police had investigated the Liu Family. Although they covered it up well, not much was found, but it nheless impacted their reputation. Many businesses cut ties with the Liu Family because of this."


    Ling Chen nodded and said, "Haozi, give Jiang Hao and Xiong a heads-up to keep an eye on Liu Wei. If he dares to do anything out of line, there¡¯s no need to be polite with him, deal with it directly."


    "Got it!"


    "Xiyao, it¡¯s not safe for you to go home. Liu Wei will definitelye looking for trouble again. For safety¡¯s sake, why don¡¯t you stay at my ce for a while?"


    "Isn¡¯t that... not appropriate?" Liu Xiyao appeared somewhat hesitant.


    Ling Chen smiled slightly and said, "What¡¯s inappropriate about it? After all, there aren¡¯t many people staying at my ce, and there are plenty of rooms. Once everything¡¯s settled, I¡¯ll send you back."


    Liu Xiyao thought for a moment and decided to agree. Liu Wei knew where she lived and might send someone to trouble her. Better to stay at Ling Chen¡¯s ce, where it was likely safer.


    Upon learning that Liu Xiyao would stay at Ling Chen¡¯s house, Nanrong Hao opened his mouth a few times, wanting to say something. But after some hesitation, he swallowed his words.


    Back home, Ling Chen brought Liu Xiyao inside the house. At this moment, Yang Qingling and Yang Yan were already asleep.


    This vi had three floors, with Yang Qingling and Yang Yan living on the top floor, while Ling Chen lived alone on the second floor. Being a vi, there were ample guest rooms, with three spacious bedrooms just on the second floor alone.


    Ling Chen tidied up a bedroom next to his own, found some bedding and pillows, and helped Liu Xiyao settle in.


    "Xiyao, here are some of my clothes for you to wear tonight. Tomorrow, I¡¯ll take you shopping for clothes."


    "Thank you!" Liu Xiyao said gratefully.


    "No need to be so polite. It¡¯ste, so rest up. I won¡¯t disturb you any further." With that, Ling Chen turned and left the room.


    ...


    Early the next morning.


    Yang Qingling and Gong Meiling were in the kitchen preparing breakfast. Hearing the sound of footsteps on the stairs, Yang Qingling peeked out of the kitchen and said, "Son, breakfast is almost ready, you..." Before she could finish speaking, her expression changed slightly, staring nkly at the personing down the stairs, momentarily at a loss for words.


    "Daughter, what¡¯s the matter?" Gong Meiling, busy in the kitchen, noticed Yang Qingling¡¯s reaction and nced outside. Upon seeing Liu Xiyao at the staircase, she was momentarily taken aback.


    "Aunt Yang, Madam Yang, good morning!" Liu Xiyao greeted with an embarrassed smile.


    "You are... Liu Xiyao, right?" Yang Qingling was the first to recover, immediately beaming as she said, "I saw youst time when you visited Ling Chen." As she spoke, she looked Liu Xiyao up and down and asked, "What are you wearing...?"


    "Oh, these are Ling Chen¡¯s clothes that he lent me."


    Hearing this, Yang Qingling and Gong Meiling exchanged nces, their eyes revealing a hint of peculiarity.


    Her son certainly had the skills, sneaking a woman in for the night. Considering the possible rtionship between Liu Xiyao and Ling Chen, Yang Qingling¡¯s demeanor shifted instantly, smiling as she said, "How could men¡¯s clothes fit you? Come, I have some new clothes that should suit you."


    Liu Xiyao quietly replied, "That¡¯s... quite a bother, isn¡¯t it?"


    "It¡¯s no bother at all,e on!" Without waiting for Liu Xiyao¡¯s refusal, Yang Qingling took her by the hand and led her to the room on the third floor.


    Shortly after the two left, Ling Chen stumbled down the stairs, rubbing his sleepy eyes and yawning.


    Enticed by the aroma wafting from the kitchen, Ling Chen hurried inside, grabbed a freshly toasted slice of bread, and stuffed it into his mouth.


    "Grandma, is the porridge ready? I¡¯m starving."


    Seeing Ling Chen eat like a wolf, Gong Meiling immediately set down her spoon, pinched Ling Chen¡¯s ear, and scolded, "You little rascal, you¡¯re getting bolder by the day."


    "Ouch, ouch, ouch!" Ling Chen quickly pleaded, "Grandma, what did I do wrong?"

 Chapter 1057 - 1064: Liu Wei’s Request

    <h4>Chapter 1057: Chapter 1064: Liu Wei¡¯s Request</h4>


    "How dare you say so," Gong Meiling nced toward the kitchen door and chided in a low voice, "You brought a woman back home for the night without giving us any heads up, leaving uspletely unprepared. Ling Chen, it¡¯s not that Grandma is criticizing you, but even though society is very open now, you still shouldn¡¯t be so reckless. You should at least consider the family¡¯s feelings."


    Hearing this, Ling Chen finally understood and hurriedly exined, "Grandma, you¡¯ve got it all wrong, nothing happened between Sister Xiyao and me."


    "Sister Xiyao?" Gong Meiling eximed in surprise, "You found a woman older than you?"


    "No, Grandma, as I said, it¡¯s not what you think. Sister Xiyao is just staying here temporarily because she¡¯s encountering some trouble."


    Gong Meiling asked in half-belief, "Really?"


    "Grandma, how would I dare lie to you," Ling Chen spread his hands, looking innocent.


    "Who knows, you little rascal didn¡¯t inherit any of your dad¡¯s good qualities."


    As they spoke, Yang Qingling brought Liu Xiyao down from upstairs. Hearing footsteps, Ling Chen bit into his bread and walked toward the kitchen door. He saw Liu Xiyao had changed into a light purple coat with light-colored jeans, her smooth long hair cascaded over her shoulders, making her look fresh and elegant.


    Last night at Tianyu Leisure Club, Liu Xiyao wore heavy makeup, though it couldn¡¯t hide her beauty. However, Liu Xiyao without makeup was even more radiant, like a mature flower in full bloom, exuding her fragrance and charm freely.


    "Mom!" Sensing Yang Qingling¡¯s slightly reproachful gaze, Ling Chen stered on a smile and quickly went over.


    "Alright, let¡¯s have breakfast first. Xiyao, we made egg custard today, I wonder if you¡¯d like it?"


    "Auntie, I¡¯m not picky."


    "That¡¯s good." Once seated, Yang Qingling instructed, "Ling Chen, after breakfast, go to the market and buy some groceries. Get whatever Xiyao likes to eat, understood?"


    Hearing this, Liu Xiyao hurriedly chimed in, "Auntie, there¡¯s no need to go to all that trouble. I¡¯m already incredibly grateful that you let me stay here."


    "Please don¡¯t say that." Yang Qingling said, "You¡¯re Ling Chen¡¯s friend, treat this ce as your home, stay as long as you want, don¡¯t think too much."


    After breakfast, Ling Chen checked the time and then took Liu Xiyao back to her ce to help her pack some clothes and also went to the market for groceries.


    ...


    Hongyu Group.


    Outside the chairman¡¯s office, secretary Lan pushed open the door and walked to the desk with a stack of documents, looking at the busy Nanrong Wanqing. "Chairman, these are the documents that need signing."


    "Leave them there, I¡¯ll look at themter," Nanrong Wanqing said without lifting her head.


    "Chairman, there¡¯s one more thing. A man named Liu Wei called earlier, wanting to meet you. Would you like to schedule a time with him?"


    "Liu Wei?" Nanrong Wanqing lifted her head and asked, "Who is he?"


    "He said he¡¯s from the Liu Family."


    "The Liu Family, huh?" Nanrong Wanqing frowned slightly and muttered, "We¡¯ve already severed business ties with the Liu Family. What¡¯s he looking for me for?" After a moment¡¯s thought, Nanrong Wanqing said, "Alright, have hime overter, I¡¯ll find time to see him."


    Lan nodded in agreement, "Okay."


    An hour passed, and a gentle knock on the office door was heard.


    "Come in!"


    As Nanrong Wanqing finished speaking, two people stepped in, a man and a woman, one being Lan, the other being Liu Wei, the owner of Tianyu Leisure Club.


    "Chairman Nanrong, hello, it¡¯s a pleasure to meet you." Liu Wei stepped forward and greeted with a smile.


    "Mr. Liu." Nanrong Wanqing stood up, maintaining a subtle smile on her beautiful face, extending her hand. "Please, have a seat. Lan, could you make a cup of coffee for Mr. Liu?"


    "Thank you!"


    As the two sat down, Nanrong Wanqing straightforwardly asked, "Mr. Liu, is there something you need from me this time?"


    "Chairman Nanrong, it¡¯s like this, Hongyu Group used to be closely partnered with the Liu Family, butter on, for several reasons, our business rtions were cut off. Now, our Liu Family is nning to expand into East Sea City, and since Chairman Nanrong and us have worked together before, I wanted to ask if you¡¯re willing to continue working with the Liu Family?"


    "Mr. Liu, if you¡¯vee to me about this, then I¡¯m afraid I can only say I¡¯m sorry. Hongyu Group already has partners, and the East Sea City market is already saturated. If I¡¯m not mistaken, the industry the Liu Family is in is quite simr to Hongyu Group¡¯s. Putting personal interests aside, just from a friend¡¯s perspective, it¡¯s not a suitable time for the Liu Family to enter East Sea City. Mr. Liu, I suggest you explore other cities where the opportunities might be greater than in East Sea."


    Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s meaning was clear, and any smart person could hear her polite refusal.


    "Mr. Liu, your coffee." At this moment, Lan came over with a freshly brewed cup of coffee.


    "Thank you!"


    Liu Wei nodded, then turned to Nanrong Wanqing and said, "Miss Nanrong, could I talk to you alone? Just for a short while, I promise I won¡¯t take up much of your valuable time."


    Nanrong Wanqing hesitated for a moment and then nodded, "No problem. Lan, you can go now."


    After Lan left the office, Liu Wei reached into his suit pocket and took out an exquisite wooden cigar case, picking a cigar from it.


    "Chairman Nanrong, do you mind?"


    Nanrong Wanqing smiled and said, "Please, Mr. Liu."


    Liu Wei lit the cigar, took a puff, and exhaled smoke before saying, "Chairman Nanrong, let me speak frankly. I believe you¡¯ve heard about the Liu Family¡¯s current situation. While we¡¯re not what we used to be, it doesn¡¯t mean we can¡¯t rise again. As long as Chairman Nanrong is willing to lend a helping hand, the Liu Family will surely regain its former glory."


    "Mr. Liu, it¡¯s not that I¡¯m unwilling to help. If it were something else, for old times¡¯ sake, I would undoubtedly lend a hand. But partnerships aren¡¯t child¡¯s y, and I also have a responsibility to my current partners. If the Liu Family joins, it would inevitably divide the profit of others. Mr. Liu, if you were in my ce, I suppose you wouldn¡¯t agree either. Therefore, I really can¡¯t help you with this matter."


    Despite Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s rejection, Liu Wei didn¡¯t mind andughed, "Chairman Nanrong, don¡¯t be so quick to decide, I believe I can make you change your mind." Saying this, Liu Wei puffed on his cigar and gently exhaled toward Nanrong Wanqing.


    Smelling the faintly fragrant smoke, Nanrong Wanqing waved her hand and said, "Mr. Liu, I have another important meetingter. If there¡¯s nothing else, I¡¯ll take my leave first."

 Chapter 1058 - 1065: Confused

    <h4>Chapter 1058: Chapter 1065: Confused</h4>


    Liu Wei smiled nonchntly, "Chairman Nanrong, we haven¡¯t finished our conversation, why rush to leave?"


    "I..." Nanrong Wanqing opened her mouth, about to speak, but for some reason, she suddenly felt dizzy. Liu Wei in front of her became a blur, as if seen through a thin mist, not very clear.


    What¡¯s happening to me?


    Nanrong Wanqing thought to herself, could it be due to excessive sadnesstely, not resting well, causing her body to be overly tired? In the blink of an eye, Nanrong Wanqing supported herself on the coffee table in front of the sofa, but her arm went weak, and she suddenly leaned forward, knocking the coffee cup on the table to the ground with a tter, the ss cup instantly shattering.


    Knock, knock, knock!


    A knocking sound came from outside the office, followed by Lan opening the door and walking in, asking, "Chairman, what¡¯s wrong?"


    "I... I..." Nanrong Wanqing sat up, looking at Lan, about to respond. But before she could speak, Liu Wei beside her chimed in, "Chairman Nanrong, your secretary is too rmed by little noises, barging in to disrupt our conversation. Let her step out, and we¡¯ll continue talking."


    Hearing this, Nanrong Wanqing nodded unconsciously and said, "Lan, you can leave first. Nothing¡¯s wrong here."


    Lan nced at the broken ss on the floor and asked, "Chairman, should I clean up the floor?"


    "No need, we¡¯ll tidy it upter."


    Seeing Nanrong Wanqing had spoken, Lan didn¡¯t say more and exited the office, closing the door behind her.


    Watching Lan leave, Liu Wei smiled, a hint ofcency shing in his eyes.


    "Chairman Nanrong," Liu Wei¡¯s gaze shifted, looking at Nanrong Wanqing beside him, "Let¡¯s continue discussing the cooperation between Hongyu Group and the Liu Family, alright?"


    "Alright," Nanrong Wanqing nodded nkly, her bright eyes seemingly losing their luster.


    ...


    After over ten minutes, Liu Wei opened the office door, half-stepping out, then turning around said, "Chairman Nanrong, I¡¯ll take my leave now. I¡¯ll invite you for a meal when you¡¯re not busy."


    Closing the door, Liu Wei directly headed towards the elevator. Passing by Lan¡¯s desk, Liu Wei gave her a smile, a cigar in his mouth, striding into the elevator.


    After Liu Wei departed, Lan hurriedly stood and went into the chairman¡¯s office. Upon entering, she found Nanrong Wanqing sitting dazedly on the sofa, seemingly deep in thought.


    "Chairman... Chairman!" Lan quickly approached, calling softly twice.


    "Hmm? What?" Nanrong Wanqing snapped back, looking up at Lan, asking, "Lan, what¡¯s the matter?"


    Concerned, Lan asked, "Chairman, are you alright? You didn¡¯t even notice when I came in just now."


    "Really?" Nanrong Wanqing rubbed her temples absent-mindedly and said, "Maybe I¡¯ve been too tired recently. Lan, could you call Zhong Wei and ask him to prepare the car? I¡¯m feeling a bit unwell today, so I¡¯ll head back to rest." As she finished speaking, Nanrong Wanqing seemed to notice something, pointing to the broken ss on the floor and asked, "What¡¯s this all about?"


    Hearing this, Lan curiously asked, "Chairman, did you forget?"


    "Forget? Forget what?" Nanrong Wanqing looked confused. Without waiting for Lan to say more, Nanrong Wanqing waved her hand and said, "Forget it! Don¡¯t ask about it. Please clean upter." After speaking, Nanrong Wanqing got up, gathered her things, and walked out of the office.


    ...


    A week passed in the blink of an eye.


    Hongjing Vi Garden, the neighborhood where Ling Chen resides. Today is Sunday, and after several days of constant drizzle, the sky finally cleared, with bright sunshine shining on the earth.


    After being cooped up at home for a few days, Ling Chen was bored and went for a solitary walk in the neighborhood. Ever since Lin Guodong was transferred to government custody, the influence of the God Organization seemed to vanish overnight without a trace in East Sea City, which was undoubtedly good news for Ling Chen.


    Without the threat of the God Organization and with Ling Kun not returning, Ling Chen enjoyed a rare period of rxation, spending his days idly at home, either watching TV or chatting with his mom and others, living quite leisurely. However, every time he thought of Nanrong Wanqing, Ling Chen would have a headache.


    Su Lin had already gone out for an internship, leaving only Nanrong Hao at home. Given Nanrong Hao¡¯s attitude towards his sister, he was of no help whatsoever. Moreover, Ling Chen didn¡¯t want to cause any discord between the siblings because of him.


    After much pondering, there was no suitable solution.


    While strolling, Ling Chen suddenly heard the ringtone from the phone on his body. Taking out the phone, he nced at the caller ID on the screen and immediately answered the call, asking, "Elder Zhou, do you have something for me?"


    On the other end, Zhou Qi replied, "Ling Chen, where are you? Is it convenient for you to talk now?"


    "Yes, Elder Zhou, please go ahead. What is it?" Ling Chen was a bit curious. Zhou Qi usually handled logistical work at the base; even if there was something, he would directly discuss it with Guolun and Hu Fei, and had never called him alone before.


    "It seems there¡¯s some trouble at the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion."


    Hearing this, Ling Chen was slightly stunned and asked curiously, "Elder Zhou, how did you know about the issue with the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion?"


    "No matter what, I spent decades in the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion. Although I have retired, I still keep in touch with some friends there. When I spoke to them yesterday, I sensed something was amiss from their words. Since I am no longer a member, it was inconvenient for them to say much, but understanding them, it¡¯s likely something has gone wrong internally. Ling Chen, regardless of what the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion has done to our family, I have watched Miss Su grow up and regard her as my granddaughter. Since something¡¯s wrong there, as an outsider, I¡¯m unable to intervene, so I can only ask for your help."


    "Elder Zhou, I understand what you mean. You want me to visit the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion and understand the situation?"


    "Exactly! Everything else is secondary, the key is Miss Su¡¯s safety. As long as she¡¯s alright, I will be relieved."


    Ling Chen pondered for a moment, considering that he had nothing else to do, and he was just idling, he could take this opportunity to visit for Zhou Qi. Besides, he hadn¡¯t been to the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion for a long time, he might as well treat it as a trip to rx. With that thought, Ling Chen readily agreed, "Elder Zhou, don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll head over as soon as possible, and I¡¯ll call you once I understand the situation there."


    "Alright, thanks much!"


    "Elder Zhou, no need to be so polite."


    After hanging up, Ling Chen immediately booked a single airne ticket for the afternoon using his phone.

 Chapter 1059 - 1066: Another Storm in the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion (Part 1)

    <h4>Chapter 1059: Chapter 1066: Another Storm in the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion (Part 1)</h4>


    At five o¡¯clock in the afternoon, Ling Chen¡¯s flight arrived at its destination on time. Leaving the airport, Ling Chen hailed a taxi and headed directly to the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion.


    The Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion was the same as ever, unchanged for centuries. Upon reaching the outskirts of the mountain, the taxi could go no further. With no other option, Ling Chen had to rely on his own legs to walk forward. After about a half-hour walk, the mountain gate of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion finally appeared in Ling Chen¡¯s view.


    Before Ling Chen could get close, a few young men emerged from the mountain forest, blocking his way.


    These were sentinels deployed outside by the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion. Whenever someone approached, they would be the first to notice. Ling Chen was an old friend of the Pavilion, having visited more than two or three times, making him quite familiar to them.


    However, familiarity notwithstanding, certain formalities had to be observed. After waiting outside the Pavilion for the information to be ryed, over ten minutes had passed.


    "Mr. Ling, I sincerely apologize for taking up so much of your time. The Pavilion Master requests your presence," an elderly man who hade to wee Ling Chen from the Pavilion said.


    On the way, Ling Chen chatted with the man and learned that his name was Han Qi. Since Zhou Qi had withdrawn from the Pavilion, Han Qi had taken over Zhou Qi¡¯s work, bing the chief steward of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion. Furthermore, during their conversation, it became apparent that Han Qi was one of the ¡¯friends¡¯ Zhou Qi had mentioned, and it was Han Qi who had disclosed many of the Pavilion¡¯s secrets to Zhou Qi.


    "Elder Han, how has the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion beentely?" Ling Chen asked, probing subtly.


    Han Qi nced at Ling Chen with a meaningful gaze and replied, "Mr. Ling, your arrival is a blessing for the Pavilion. As for what exactly happened, the Pavilion Master will inform youter." Pausing, Han Qi continued, "The Master urgently needs someone to apany her right now."


    Hearing this, Ling Chen was filled with questions, unsure of what had transpired. Contemting this, Ling Chen followed Han Qi¡¯s footsteps and walked straight into the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion.


    As he passed through the main entrance of the Pavilion, Ling Chen was immediately hit by a strong aroma, seemingly that of incense, permeating the air, sharp and overpowering.


    The scent of the incense was widespread and had been lingering in the air for a long time, indicating that it had been there for quite a while.


    "Elder Han, what¡¯s going on here?"


    "You¡¯ll find out soon enough."


    As they spoke, the two arrived outside the tower of the Pavilion. Ling Chen had a vivid impression of this tower; it was where Su Mei resided and also the center of the Pavilion, where matters big and small were handled. Before entering, Ling Chen noticed two strips of white silk hanging outside the tower.


    This... Ling Chen paused slightly. Generally, white silk hung only in the event of a death. Could it be that someone in the Pavilion had died?


    At this thought, Ling Chen quickened his pace and entered the tower with Han Qi.


    As expected, the first floor of the tower had been arranged into a funeral hall, with many members of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion dressed in ck, standing solemnly on both sides, their heads bowed, mourning the deceased. At the furthest end of the hall stood two framed photographs, one of a man and the other of a woman, appearing to be in their forties or fifties. The man had a steadfast and heroic look, with a hint of pride in his brow. The woman was beautiful, exuding a gentle and virtuous demeanor.


    Ling Chen had visited the Pavilion several times but had never seen this couple before.


    Upon seeing the names engraved below the photographs ¨C Su Zhengyang, Chen Sumei ¨C Ling Chen searched his memory, but these names felt unfamiliar, never having heard them mentioned before.


    "Elder Han," Ling Chen whispered as he approached Han Qi, "Who are these two?"


    Han Qi bowed his head slightly, sighing deeply, "They were the former Pavilion Masters of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion."


    Former Pavilion Masters?


    Ling Chen was shocked. If they were former Pavilion Masters, this man and woman must be Su Mei¡¯s parents.


    He recalled Su Mei mentioning her parents before, exining that after stepping down as Pavilion Masters, they traveled the world, often staying out of sight unless something important happened at the Pavilion, only then returning every few years.


    But now, this couple was deceased. Ling Chen found it hard to believe that Su Zhengyang, a former Pavilion Master, should have met an untimely death unless it was due to an ident or injury. Moreover, both a husband and wife dying simultaneously suggested something was amiss.


    No wonder the scent of incense was so prominent upon entering; it wasing from the funeral hall inside.


    ncing around, Ling Chen saw Song Ge also in the hall. Feeling Ling Chen¡¯s gaze, Song Ge turned to him and nodded as a greeting.


    The funeral hall was mostly filled with ordinary members of the Pavilion, with none of the elders from the Yangxin Pavilion present.


    "Elder Han, where is the Pavilion Master?"


    "She¡¯s in her room and hasn¡¯te out for days, refusing both food and drink. Many people have tried to console her, but nothing works; she won¡¯t let anyone in. Mr. Ling, at this rate, the Pavilion Master¡¯s health will deteriorate. You¡¯re her friend; please help here out of her grief."


    Ling Chen smiled ruefully and said, "Elder Han, you overestimate my abilities. Losing both parents is a deeply painful experience. The Pavilion Master has endured both at once, an upheaval she wasn¡¯t prepared for. Such a sudden blow is unbearable, even for the strongest of people, let alone a woman in her twenties."


    Han Qi nodded, "Mr. Ling, I understand it¡¯s difficult, but we still hope you¡¯ll assist her."


    "Rest assured, she¡¯s my friend, and I¡¯ll do everything I can to help."


    While speaking, a burly young man entered the hall. Upon seeing him, Ling Chen promptly greeted him, "Brother Yang, long time no see."


    The young man was Yang Tao, a disciple of Elder Du Kang from the Yangxin Pavilion. Ling Chen had interacted with him before during previous visits to the Pavilion, finding him quite likable.


    "Ling Chen, my Master heard you were here and wants to have a chat with you."


    "But..."


    Before Ling Chen could finish, Han Qi interrupted, "Mr. Ling, since Elder Du has requested you, please go ahead. There¡¯s no rush regarding the Pavilion Master."


    "Very well. Brother Yang, let¡¯s go meet Elder Du!"


    Leaving the funeral hall, Ling Chen and Yang Tao headed directly to the Yangxin Pavilion. Upon reaching Du Kang¡¯s residence, Yang Tao gestured toward the entrance, "Master is inside waiting for you. Go ahead; I won¡¯t disturb you both."


    "Thanks!" Ling Chen nodded and opened the door to enter alone.


    In the spacious and bright room, Du Kang sat on a rattan chair, holding a wine gourd, his cloudy, old eyes looking out the window. His deeply wrinkled face was devoid of any expression.

 Chapter 1060 - 1067: Another Storm Rises in the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion (2)

    <h4>Chapter 1060: Chapter 1067: Another Storm Rises in the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion (2)</h4>


    "Have you arrived?" Du Kang didn¡¯t even nce at Ling Chen, slowly swaying his wine gourd, without turning his head.


    Ling Chen stood behind the rattan chair and respectfully asked, "Elder Du, did Brother Yang say you wanted to see me?"


    "Have you been to the mourning hall?"


    "I have."


    "I assume you¡¯ve already guessed, the former Pavilion Master and his wife did not die of natural causes; they were murdered."


    Ling Chen asked, "Elder Du, who could have done this?"


    "It¡¯s not clear at the moment." Du Kang turned around, meeting Ling Chen¡¯s gaze, and said, "The only thing I¡¯m sure of is that the Martial Arts world, calm for years, is likely to experience a bloodbath. The Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion has been peaceful for so long, and I don¡¯t know if it can survive this safely."


    After a pause, Du Kang continued, "Su Zhengyang and his wife¡¯s bodies were discovered a few days ago, thrown at the entrance of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion after their deaths. As you know, there are numerous Dark Posts outside the Pavilion, yet no one noticed anything. More importantly, Su Zhengyang had crossed the threshold of a Heavenly List expert years ago. Not to mention that Chen Sumei¡¯s skills were not weak¡ªat least among the top three of the Earthly List. Yet they were killed, and with just one sword stroke. I examined the wounds on the bodies; it¡¯s the work of one person. This means the person who killed them is not only a Heavenly List expert but a very formidable one."


    Ling Chen pondered and asked, "Elder Du, could it be an enemy of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion?"


    "That possibility cannot be ruled out. The Pavilion has stood in the Martial Arts world for hundreds of years, umting some enemies. However, the Pavilion has always conducted itself prudently, having eliminated those guilty of heinous crimes. Even those holding enmity towards the Pavilion are documented, constantly monitored, and any suspicious activity would prompt instant strikes to nip threats in the bud. Yet, I¡¯ve checked the records, and none of the Pavilion¡¯s enemies is such a powerful expert."


    At this point, Du Kang took a swig of his spirit, continuing, "It¡¯s one thing to kill the Su Zhengyang couple, but to dump their bodies at the Pavilion¡¯s doorstep? That¡¯s not just a provocation; it¡¯s a deration of war against the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion."


    "What is the Pavilion Master nning in response?"


    "You mean that little girl, Su Mei?" Du Kang sighed helplessly and said, "She¡¯s lost in the grief of losing both parents and can¡¯t focus on much else. I¡¯m handling the Pavilion¡¯s affairs for now. Ling Chen, do you know why I called you?"


    "Elder Du, please speak frankly."


    "Alright, I won¡¯t beat around the bush. Ling Chen, to be honest, Su Zhengyang and his wife¡¯s incident has caused instability in the Pavilion, and everyone is deeply worried. In this situation, we need someone with amanding presence to stabilize the Pavilion. Otherwise, if we face external threats, we might copse without a battle."


    Hearing this, Ling Chen immediately grasped Du Kang¡¯s implied meaning.


    "Elder Du, do you want Elder Su toe out of retirement?"


    "Exactly!" Du Kang nodded and said, "He¡¯s the most suitable candidate. No one else can help the Pavilion out of this crisis. Ling Chen, Su He is your Master, only you know his whereabouts. This matter requires your involvement."


    "I... I can only pass on the message. As for whether Elder Su will return to the Pavilion, I can¡¯t guarantee that."


    "Just ry the message. The Pavilion is the Su Family¡¯s legacy; he can¡¯t ignore it. Even if not for the Pavilion, he has to consider his granddaughter."


    "Elder Du," Ling Chen shifted the conversation, "you¡¯re also a Heavenly List expert. Wouldn¡¯t it be the same with you overseeing the Pavilion?"


    Du Kang chuckled, "How could it be the same? Ling Chen, you¡¯re oversimplifying things. As I said, the Pavilion is the Su Family¡¯s legacy. If I take over, what do you think people will say? Besides, I¡¯m used to a carefree life; being a guardian is fine, but I can¡¯t manage the Pavilion."


    Ling Chen nodded in agreement and promised, "Don¡¯t worry, Elder Du, I¡¯ll convey the message to Elder Su."


    "By the way," Du Kang kindly reminded, "be careful recently. The deaths of Su Zhengyang and his wife have stirred much discussion within the Yangxin Pavilion. Those old folks have livedfortably for too long, and when faced with a crisis, they think about self-preservation instead of supporting the Pavilion. Now that Su Zhengyang is gone, only Su Mei and Su He remain, and their strength is weak. Some opportunists might emerge. But you don¡¯t need to worry too much; with me overseeing, they¡¯ll be cautious to some extent."


    Hearing this, Ling Chen felt speechless. The fall of a great tree scatters the monkeys; just Su Zhengyang¡¯s death has unsettled so many. If Su He were also to encounter misfortune, how could Su Mei alone maintain the Pavilion?


    As he pondered, a series of ¡¯knock-knock-knock¡¯ sounds came from outside the door. Yang Tao immediately entered and said, "Master, Elder Tong is here to pay his respects."


    "Tong Zhentian?" Du Kang nodded and stood up, saying, "Let¡¯s go, let¡¯s meet our old friend together."


    Back at the mourning hall, they saw that Tong Zhentian had finished offering incense, and Han Qi was apanying him, speaking. Seeing Du Kang approach, a rare smile appeared on Tong Zhentian¡¯s aged face.


    "Mr. Du, long time no see."


    "It has been a long time." Du Kang replied coolly, "With what happened to Zhengyang, I thought you¡¯d visit the Pavilion."


    Mentioning Su Zhengyang, Tong Zhentian sighed, "I never imagined such a thing would happen; to bury one¡¯s child is unimaginable. If Old Man Su He were here, imagine how heartbroken he¡¯d be."


    After speaking, Tong Zhentian nced at Ling Chen beside Du Kang, smiling slightly, "Ling, it¡¯s been a while."


    "Elder Tong!" Ling Chen greeted politely.


    "Old Man Tong, let¡¯s move somewhere else to talk, so we don¡¯t disturb others."


    "Alright."


    Shortly after, they arrived at the reception room on the second floor of a high tower. Once everyone was seated, Tong Zhentian¡¯s demeanor changed from amiable to serious as he asked, "Mr. Du, what on earth happened? Have you figured it out?"


    "Not yet."


    "A few years ago, Zhengyang visited me, and we sparred. His strength wasn¡¯t weak; even facing a stronger Heavenly List expert, he should have been able to retreat unharmed. I¡¯m thinking..." As he said this, Tong Zhentian seemed to realize something and suddenly stopped speaking.


    Seeing Tong Zhentian¡¯s action, Du Kang fully understood his implication and turned, "Yang Tao, Ling Chen, you two go out for now; I need to speak privately with Elder Tong."


    "Yes!"


    After leaving the reception room, Ling Chen said to Yang Tao, "Brother Yang, I¡¯m going to see the Pavilion Master."


    "Go ahead, I¡¯ll notify you if anythinges up."

 Chapter 1061 - 1068: Su Mei’s Sorrow

    <h4>Chapter 1061: Chapter 1068: Su Mei¡¯s Sorrow</h4>


    Entering the room where Su Mei was, there was a tray outside with a few delicate dishes. However, they had already grown cold with time. This woman... Ling Chen felt a bit helpless, having heard from Han Qi that Su Mei hadn¡¯t eaten or drunk anything for days. Even if she weren¡¯t a woman, even a person made of iron couldn¡¯t endure.


    Raising his hand, Ling Chen lightly knocked on the door, but after a few minutes, there was no response from inside.


    "Miss Su, it¡¯s me, Ling Chen. Can Ie in?" Ling Chen had no choice but to identify himself. After a moment, there was a ¡¯click¡¯ and the lock on the door was opened from inside. Shortly after, Su Mei appeared before Ling Chen, her eyes red and swollen. Seeing her pale little face, Ling Chen couldn¡¯t help but ask with concern, "Are you alright?"


    Su Mei said nothing, merely shifted her body to let Ling Chen into the room.


    Inside the room, Ling Chen nced around, seeing a mess with many things shattered on the floor. Additionally, there was a patch of undried water on the ground which Ling Chen deduced to be Su Mei¡¯s tears. Sigh! Seeing this scene, Ling Chen let out a soft sigh. He truly understood Su Mei¡¯s feelings; anyone would struggle to bear the blow of losing both parents.


    "Miss Su." Upon hearing the door close behind him, Ling Chen turned to look at Su Mei about to speak, but then Su Mei¡¯s feet suddenly gave way, and she copsed.


    Reacting swiftly, Ling Chen dashed forward to support Su Mei by the waist, preventing her from falling to the ground.


    Having not eaten for several days, this woman was probably close to fainting from hunger, with no strength left. Ignoring Su Mei¡¯s resistance... of course, Su Mei didn¡¯t have strength to resist now, only managing a token struggle. Ling Chen carried Su Mei to the bed, quickly exited the room, called in a few members of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, and gave some instructions. Soon after, a young man responsible for logistics brought a bowl of pork and preserved egg porridge to Ling Chen.


    Su Mei hadn¡¯t eaten for days and couldn¡¯t eat too much or too greasy food, so porridge was the most suitable choice.


    Helping Su Mei up carefully, Ling Chen rested her head against his strong chest, then took a spoon, gently blew on it, and when the porridge had cooled, he brought it to Su Mei¡¯s lips.


    Smelling the fragrant scent of the porridge, Su Mei lightly bit her lips, showing no intention of opening her mouth.


    "Miss Su, your body is too weak. If you don¡¯t eat something soon, you will copse sooner orter," Ling Chen advised, "I know your parents¡¯ situation has hit you hard, but don¡¯t forget you are the Pavilion Master of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, it needs you to oversee it. If you fall, what will happen to the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion? The pavilion is the legacy of your Su Family. Would you really be able to bear seeing it fall apart under your watch? If that happens, your parents surely won¡¯t rest in peace. Miss Su, listen to me, whether for the pavilion, your parents, or yourself, you must pull yourself together. Staying locked in the room grieving like this¡ªwhat good does it do? Can you find the murderers who killed your parents? Can you avenge them?"


    Ling Chen¡¯s words lit a faint spark of light in Su Mei¡¯s dim eyes. Whether moved by Ling Chen¡¯s words or not, Su Mei opened her mouth and swallowed a spoonful of the pork and preserved egg porridge.


    Seeing Su Mei finally willing to eat, Ling Chen was undoubtedly the happiest. Soon, Su Mei had finished the entire bowl of porridge.


    "How do you feel now? Morefortable?" Ling Chen asked with a smile.


    Su Mei gently nodded. Having eaten, her pale face gradually regained a bit of redness, and her spirits improved significantly. She looked back at Ling Chen, asking, "Why did youe?"


    "Nothing much to do recently, so I thought I¡¯de to the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion to have a look. Who knew I¡¯d encounter such a situation as soon as I arrived." At this point, Ling Chen spoke softly, "Miss Su, I wish you peace and condolence. If there¡¯s anything you need, please feel free to ask, and I¡¯ll do my best to help."


    "Can you help me find my grandfather?" Su Mei pleaded, "With what¡¯s happened to Mom and Dad, I really don¡¯t know what to do now. There¡¯s not a single person around that I can rely on. Ling Chen, you have no idea how awful it feels, like the whole world is left with only me, all alone."


    "Miss Su, don¡¯t worry, I understand how you feel. Besides, Mr. Du already talked to me; I will quickly go find Elder Su and inform him of what has happened at the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion."


    "Thank you!" Su Mei expressed gratefully.


    "You call me a friend, and I have connections with the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, so there¡¯s no need for formality with me. By the way, Elder Tong came to pay their respects to your parents, chatting with Mr. Du downstairs. Would you like to say hello?"


    Su Mei nodded. After all, she was the Pavilion Master and Tong Zhentian held an esteemed status,parable to her grandfather, a master in the Martial Arts world with a high lineage. As a junior, it would be impolite not to appear.


    With Ling Chen¡¯s assistance, Su Mei got out of bed, moved a bit, and once her strength had returned enough for her to walk on her own, she guided Ling Chen to the reception room.


    Arriving at the reception room, pleasantries were exchanged as could be expected. After some polite conversation, Tong Zhentian directed the conversation towards Ling Chen.


    "Ling, I just discussed with Mr. Du, bringing Su He back must be handled quickly. You are his disciple; only you know where he resides, so I hope you can take the time to bring Su He back to prevent any further issues."


    "I understand. Elder Tong, Elder Du, I just mentioned to Miss Su that I would set off tomorrow morning to invite Elder Su."


    "Good, then I¡¯ll leave this matter to you."


    One night passed.


    The next morning, Ling Chen left the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion early, setting out alone for Jin Hai City. Fortunately, there was a flight directly to Jin Hai City, saving a lot of time. By around eleven in the afternoon, Ling Chen finally drove to his destination.


    Following the coastline along the beach, Ling Chen walked familiarly. Before long, a hut appeared in his sight. A fishing boat was docked on the shore by the hut, indicating that Su He hadn¡¯t sailed out to fish yet.


    Arriving at the hut, Ling Chen knocked on the door, calling out, "Elder Su, it¡¯s me."


    "Come in." Soon, Su He¡¯s aged voice replied from inside.


    Opening the door, Ling Chen saw Su He sitting by the window of the hut, enjoying the view of the tumultuous waves outside while sipping a small drink. Seeing Ling Chen enter, Su He gestured towards the seat beside him, saying, "Sit down."


    "Thank you, Elder Su."


    "Did your father send you?" Su He asked, seemingly casually.


    Father? Ling Chen hesitated slightly but quickly understood what Su He meant.

 Chapter 1062 - 1069: Su He Leaves the Mountains

    <h4>Chapter 1062: Chapter 1069: Su He Leaves the Mountains</h4>


    Some time ago, when Ling Kun went to find Ling Chen, he mentioned that Su He asked him to go over when he had time, saying there was something to discuss. As a result, he was so busy during this period that he forgot about it.


    "Um..." Ling Chen touched his nose and said, "Elder Su, I didn¡¯te this time because you had something to discuss with me, but rather..." At this point, Ling Chen swallowed his words, unsure how to start. The elderly Su He seemed to be in his eighties or nies, and telling him that his son and daughter-inw had been killed, who knows what his reaction would be.


    Seeing Ling Chen¡¯s hesitant expression, Su He slightly frowned and said with displeasure, "Why, is there anything you cannot say in front of me?"


    "No." Ling Chen quickly waved his hand. However, the words reached his lips, but he couldn¡¯t say them out loud. Damn it! Why does such unpleasant tasks always fall on me? After hesitating for a while, Ling Chen stammered, "Elder Su, uh... I just rushed here from the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion this morning."


    Su He nodded silently. At his age, he could easily see that this wasn¡¯t what Ling Chen wanted to say.


    "Elder Su, something happened at Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion." Ling Chen gritted his teeth and finally spoke out.


    "Did something happen at Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, or did something happen to that little girl Su Mei? Make yourself clear."


    "Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion and Miss Su are both fine, it¡¯s... it¡¯s Su Zhengyang!"


    When Ling Chen mentioned ¡¯Su Zhengyang,¡¯ Ling Chen clearly saw Su He¡¯s pupils slightly contract. After a moment of silence, Su He slowly asked, "What happened to him?"


    "They... they passed away." Ling Chen summoned up the courage to reveal the news of Su Zhengyang couple¡¯s death. As his words fell, Ling Chen looked straight at Su He, only to see no expression on Su He¡¯s old face, eyes like an ancient well, indifferent to such events.


    Silence! The heavy atmosphere unconsciously filled the whole cottage.


    Su He still didn¡¯t speak, just picked up the wine ss from the table. Ling Chen noticed carefully that Su He¡¯s hand trembled slightly, despite his attempts to control his emotions, which revealed his inner turmoil.


    After draining a ss of wine, Su He looked at Ling Chen for a long time before saying, "How did they die?"


    "ording to Elder Du, they were murdered, then their bodies dumped at the entrance of Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion. As for who was responsible, there¡¯s no clue yet." Ling Chen paused and continued, "Elder Su, I know you¡¯re feeling down, Miss Su feels the same way, due to excessive grief, she shut herself in her room, hasn¡¯t eaten for days, her health is deteriorating. Elder Du said Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion urgently needs someone to hold the fort, so he asked me to..."


    "I understand." Before Ling Chen could finish, Su He cut in, "You go out for a moment, I need some time alone."


    "Yes!" Ling Chen dared not disturb, quickly stood up and walked out of the cottage.


    Sitting outside on the beach, waiting for about ten minutes, Su He finally came out of the cottage.


    "Ling Chen."


    "Elder Su, do you have any instructions?"


    "Can you help me contact Du Kang? I want to talk to him."


    "No problem." Ling Chen nodded, immediately took out his cellphone, and dialed Su Mei¡¯s number. Shortly after, when the call connected, Ling Chen handed the phone to Su He, consciously stepped aside, not eavesdropping on their conversation.


    Not long after, Su He returned the cellphone, saying, "Wait outside, I¡¯ll pack up and leave with you."


    "Okay."


    What Su He needed to pack was simple, just a few clothes in a small cloth bag, looking quite rustic, like a countryside viger. However, at Su He¡¯s age and level, he no longer cared about such things.


    Over four hourster, Ling Chen and Su He arrived at the forest edge outside Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion.


    Not far ahead, Su He suddenly stopped, turned to Ling Chen and said, "You lead the way."


    "Me?" Ling Chen asked puzzledly, "Elder Su, what¡¯s wrong?"


    "Just go ahead, don¡¯t ask so many questions." Su He said nonchntly, clearly unwilling to exin. Ling Chen dared not disobey, disregarding seniority, Su He was after all his master, so he, as a disciple, dared not defy.


    After a few minutes, Ling Chen and Su He arrived at the forest¡¯s center, with about ten minutes to go, they would reach the main gate of Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion.


    Swish!


    At this moment, a sharp whistling sound suddenly attacked from the side. Ling Chen, with quick reflexes, immediately sensed it and quickly dodged to the side. However, just as Ling Chen reacted, he saw a figure sh by, appearing in front of him, a hand firmly grasping his arm, immobilizing him.


    Elder Su? Seeing Su He suddenly appear before him, Ling Chen was a bit stunned, momentarily unable to react. While he was dazed, that piercing sound approached swiftly, transforming into a point of frost. As the frost approached, it suddenly emitted a cold light, the frost directly exploded, scattering into countless cold lights, covering the sky and rushing toward them.


    Seeing this scene, Ling Chen felt a chill down his back, cold sweat trickling down his forehead. If it weren¡¯t for Su He holding him just now, he would definitely have been hit by those cold lights.


    As the cold lights approached, Su He remained unperturbed, a big hand waving, instantly reflecting the cold lights flying in the air, sttering onto the surrounding trees.


    "Hiding like a coward, since you¡¯re here, why note out?" Su He shouted coldly.


    "Elder Su, indeed vigorous despite your age, impressive skills indeed." As the voice came, Ling Chen¡¯s field of vision immediately revealed an elderly man over fifty. The man had white hair, a ruddyplexion, and a somewhat overweight physique. Due to his short stature, about one meter and sixty-five, he appeared quite chubby.


    Su He nced at the other party and said, "Let them alle out."


    The chubby old man asked with a smile, "How did you know there were more?"


    "If you want to deal with me, you certainly wouldn¡¯t just send one person, that would be suicidal." Su He replied calmly.


    "Haha!" The chubby old manughed and said, "Elder Su, you really think highly of yourself. But you¡¯re right, dealing with you alone just won¡¯t do." With that, the chubby old man pped his hands.


    With two loud ps, dozens of figures suddenly emerged from the ground around Ling Chen and Su He, each holding arge iron, surrounding them inside.


    A rough nce showed at least thirty people present.


    Tsk, tsk! What a grand setup, these guys really went all out to deal with Su He. Now, faced with the eyes of many enemies, Su He¡¯s expression remained calm, unaffected in the slightest.


    "Seems my guess was correct." Su He pondered for a moment, then slowly said.

 Chapter 1063 - 1070: Encountering Enemies in the Forest

    <h4>Chapter 1063: Chapter 1070: Encountering Enemies in the Forest</h4>


    "What have you guessed?" The plump old man looked at Su He, his expression still maintaining a smile. However, a hint of coldness and sinister intent shone in his cloudy eyes.


    "You killed my son and daughter-inw just to force me out, then take the opportunity to ambush me and put me to death."


    "Haha! Elder Su, it seems I underestimated you. You¡¯re right, we were the ones who killed your son and daughter-inw. There was no other way, you¡¯ve been missing for so long without any word. To force you out, we had to use extreme measures. But how do you know it wasn¡¯t done by your son¡¯s enemies?"


    "I know Zhengyang¡¯s character the best; he wouldn¡¯t easily stir up trouble. Besides, he was the former Pavilion Master of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion. Any smart person wouldn¡¯t trouble him unless their background was even stronger than the Pavilion. So your real target isn¡¯t me, but the entire Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion."


    "Elder Su, you¡¯ve guessed right again!" The plump old man squinted his eyes, grinning as he said, "The Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion was established singlehandedly by your Su Family¡¯s ancestors, and many secrets are known only to the Su Family. Before your son died, I tried asking him about them, but unfortunately, he had a tight mouth and wouldn¡¯t say a word. If he¡¯d cooperated, perhaps I would have spared his life."


    "What secrets do you want to know?" Su He asked.


    "Who is the person in the Yangxin Pavilion? I want to know his identity. As long as you tell me, I promise not to bother the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion again."


    Yangxin Pavilion?


    Upon hearing the plump old man¡¯s words, Ling Chen¡¯s heart stirred, and a hint of doubt appeared in his eyes. He knew all the elders in the Yangxin Pavilion, but except for Du Kang, everyone else was an expert on the Earthly List. It didn¡¯t seem like these people wouldunch such a grand operation for an Earthly List expert. Suddenly, a sh of insight crossed Ling Chen¡¯s mind.


    That¡¯s it! He almost forgot, behind the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, there is a valley where the Yangxin Pavilion was originally built. Now, two people live in that valley, one of whom is a youth about his age. At that time, Huang Zheng and Liang Tian fought fiercely to take him as a disciple, and it was that youth who intervened and stopped them. Not only that, but the youth also severely reprimanded the two of them.


    Huang Zheng and Liang Tian had been in the Yangxin Pavilion for quite some time, considered veterans. However, faced with the youth¡¯s reprimand, the two veterans didn¡¯t dare to retort but obediently listened. When Ling Chen saw this scene, he was extremely shocked and became increasingly curious about the youth¡¯s identity.


    However,ter on, when he asked several people, everyone was evasive about the youth¡¯s identity, not daring to say a word. Thus, Ling Chen¡¯s curiosity about the youth¡¯s identity grew even more.


    As far as he knew, besides the youth, there was another person living in that valley, but Ling Chen had never met them. Perhaps the person the plump old man mentioned was that mysterious figure who had never appeared.


    After pondering for a moment, Su He replied calmly, "I don¡¯t understand who you¡¯re talking about. If you want to meet someone from the Yangxin Pavilion, just give your name, and I¡¯ll surely arrange a meeting for you."


    Hearing this, the smile on the plump old man¡¯s face gradually faded, "Elder Su, why pretend to be ignorant in front of me? Besides you, I¡¯m afraid no one knows that person¡¯s true identity."


    "I truly don¡¯t know who you¡¯re referring to. If you don¡¯t believe me, there¡¯s nothing I can do."


    "Alright!" nodded the plump old man, "Since that¡¯s the case, there¡¯s no need for us to continue this conversation. Elder Su, I gave you a chance, but you didn¡¯t cherish it. In that case, you can¡¯t me me for destroying the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion."


    "You¡¯d need the skills to do that," Su He replied fearlessly.


    "Attack!" With a cold shout from the plump old man, his subordinates immediately charged towards Su He and Ling Chen. As the iron in their hands gradually tightened, the area for Ling Chen and Su He to move shrank to about three meters. Moreover, the giant iron was several meters high, making it almost impossible to jump out.


    Ling Chen knew clearly that these people came for Su He and must have prepared in advance. It¡¯s not easy to deal with a Heavenly List expert, let alone someone like Su He, who had been famous for many years.


    Faced with the group¡¯s assault, Su He looked on expressionlessly, showing no intention of making a move. Suddenly, outside the iron, more than a dozen men took out bottles and tossed them inside. As the bottles shattered on the ground, a powder wafted into the air around them.


    "Ling Chen, be careful!"


    At Su He¡¯s reminder, Ling Chen nodded and quickly covered his nose, holding his breath. He didn¡¯t know what the powder was for, but if it was used against a Heavenly List expert, it couldn¡¯t be simple.


    As he was pondering, Su He took a step forward, raising his arms and slowly swinging them. With his movements, Ling Chen visibly sensed the flow of air around him.


    This... is this... Inner Strength?


    Ling Chen was secretly shocked; Su He could actually use Inner Strength to alter the airflow, which was incredibly powerful.


    Soon, the powder diffused in the air seemed to be summoned, gathering between Su He¡¯s hands to form a sphere. Then, with a flick of Su He¡¯s wrist, the sphere shot out towards the people outside the iron.


    Boom!


    When the sphere exploded, the powder dispersed, falling on those people. Some who couldn¡¯t dodge in time inhaled the powder through their nostrils. Suddenly, their faces turned red as if they were on fire, and they fell to the ground rolling and screaming in agony.


    Seeing half of his subordinates incapacitated, the plump old man¡¯s face darkened, realizing that Su He¡¯s move was beyond his expectations.


    "Old Su, I couldn¡¯t see, after all these years, your skills have only improved."


    "Nothing much, would you like to try?"


    "I..." The plump old man opened his mouth, ready to reply. But at this moment, a man suddenly appeared from the woods nearby. He walked quickly to the plump old man¡¯s side and whispered a few words. Whatever he said caused a noticeable change in the plump old man¡¯s expression.


    "Old Su, today you got lucky. But remember, the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion will eventually fall into our hands." With that, the plump old man waved his hand and lightlymanded, "Retreat!"


    Watching them leave, Ling Chen asked, "Elder Su, aren¡¯t you going to chase them?"


    "There¡¯s no need."


    As they spoke, a series of hurried footsteps approached from one end of the woods. As the footsteps grew louder, Ling Chen finally saw who wasing. Leading the group was Han Qi, followed by dozens of Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion Disciples.


    "Elder Su!" Upon seeing Su He, Han Qi¡¯s expression was extremely excited.

 Chapter 1064 - 1071: Number One Under Heaven (1)

    <h4>Chapter 1064: Chapter 1071: Number One Under Heaven (1)</h4>


    Seeing Su He, whom he hadn¡¯t met for many years, Han Qi¡¯s excitement was beyond words. This was the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion¡¯s Pavilion Master from back in the day, and the most renowned one at that. His contributions to the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion were immeasurable. Even theter Su Zhengyang and Su Mei couldn¡¯t reach Su He¡¯s heights.


    Faced with Han Qi¡¯s emotional excitement, Su He merely nodded, responding rather indifferently. At his age, he had already undergone many storms and seasoned himself to remainposed. Pointing at the people on the ground who had inhaled the powder and were crying out in pain, Su He spoke, "Capture them all and guard them strictly."


    "Old Pavilion Master, do I need to find someone to interrogate them?" Han Qi asked.


    "There¡¯s no need. These are minor figures, you won¡¯t be able to find anything from them, don¡¯t waste time on them."


    "Yes, Old Pavilion Master." Han Qi immediately took the order and instructed his men to tie up all the men.


    On the way back to the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, Ling Chen walked alongside Han Qi behind Su He, whispering to each other.


    "Elder Han, you arrived quite timely, was it the dark post in the Lin Zi that discovered their tracks?"


    "No. I received orders toe support the Old Pavilion Master."


    "Orders?" Ling Chen was taken aback, feeling puzzled. He and Su He were intercepted halfway, no one knew they would be ambushed, how did Han Qi receive orders in advance? Could it be that... Su He had already anticipated this happening? If that¡¯s the case, then Su He¡¯s judgment is too urate.


    Returning to the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, Su Mei, who had already received the news, stood at the gate with important figures from the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion and Yangxin Pavilion, awaiting Su He¡¯s arrival.


    The former Pavilion Master returning to the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion was a joyous asion for everyone. From today onwards, the hearts of the people at the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion would finally settle down.


    "Grandpa!"


    Before Su He got close, Su Mei, standing at the forefront, couldn¡¯t help but run over, opening her arms and directly plunged into Su He¡¯s embrace. For so many years, she had always thought her grandfather was dead, unexpectedly having the chance to see him again. After experiencing the pain of losing her parents, Su Mei¡¯s heart had be unimaginably fragile, urgently needing a family member to give her protection and a sense of security. Su He¡¯s return finally made her feel at ease.


    Watching the tear-streaked, pitiful Su Mei, a faint smile appeared on Su He¡¯s calm face. He gently patted Su Mei¡¯s back and said, "Alright! Stop crying, you¡¯re all grown up now, a dignified Pavilion Master of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, why are you acting like a little girl, aren¡¯t you afraid of othersughing?"


    Hearing this, Su Mei raised her head from Su He¡¯s embrace, wiping the tears from the corners of her eyes and said, "So what, no matter how old I am, I will always be your granddaughter."


    Having finallyforted Su Mei¡¯s emotions, Su He came to the front of the crowd, epting everyone¡¯s greetings. At this moment, Ling Chen stood quietly outside the crowd, not participating. To him, he still felt like an outsider. Meanwhile, sharp-eyed Ling Chen also noticed that Du Kang was not among the crowd weing Su He, only his disciple Yang Tao was.


    After a brief exchange of pleasantries, apanied by Su Mei, Su He and the others arrived at the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion¡¯s memorial hall.


    Gazing at the portraits of his son and daughter-inw, even someone as seasoned as Su He couldn¡¯t help but have teary eyes. However, the old man knew how to restrain himself, not letting the sadness show.


    Didn¡¯t stay long in the memorial hall, Su He let out a deep sigh and directly turned around and walked out. The atmosphere was something he really didn¡¯t want to stay in for too long, lest he couldn¡¯t control his emotions.


    Coming to the reception hall, everyone gathered together, sitting down, waiting for Su He to speak. However, after a few minutes passed, Su He kept his eyes closed, not saying a word, as if ignoring everyone present. Seeing Su He¡¯s demeanor, Su Mei couldn¡¯t help but step forward, wanting to get her grandfather to speak.


    Upon approaching, before Su Mei could speak, Su He suddenly raised his hand, indicating that Su Mei shouldn¡¯t speak.


    Su He¡¯s gesture made everyone specte, guessing it was because the death of his son and daughter-inw had dealt a massive blow to him, he now needed some time to calm down.


    Thinking of this, everyone quietly sat in their seats, silently watching Su He, none of them spoke, the entire reception hall was supremely quiet, only the sound of everyone¡¯s breathing could be heard.


    As time passed minute by minute, about half an hourter, the door to the reception hall was pushed open from the outside. Immediately following, Du Kang strode in.


    With Du Kang¡¯s appearance, Su He suddenly opened his eyes, his gaze sharp. The two exchanged nces, Du Kang lightly nodded. Seeing his action, Su He swiftly stood up, hands behind his back, his posture upright, like an ageless Qing Song, exuding a powerful aura.


    "Bring them in!" Su He ordered softly.


    Immediately, two people walked in one after another from outside the reception hall, one being Tong Zhentian, and another being a chubby old man. Compared to the former, thetter appeared even more woeful, covered everywhere with blood stains.


    Seeing the chubby old man, Ling Chen couldn¡¯t help but be surprised, isn¡¯t this the old guy who just led people to ambush them?


    In an instant, Ling Chen immediately understood. Before setting out today, Su He had contacted Du Kang, and it¡¯s apparent the two had already arranged ns. Du Kang and Tong Zhentiany in ambush secretly, waiting for that chubby old man to retreat, then secretly tracking and capturing him. Both Du Kang and Tong Zhentian were Heavenly List masters, powerful in skill, joining forces for capture meant no one could escape their grasp.


    At this moment, standing in the reception hall, the chubby old man straightened his back, his sharp gaze sweeping across the room, finally fixing on Su He.


    "Old Su, you truly are cunning, sending people to intercept me halfway. However, having Du Elder and Tong Elder, two Heavenly List masters, tobor to capture me, even if I die here today, it¡¯s worth it." The chubby old man said with a smile. Even at this point, he still managed tough, seeming unconcerned about his predicament, as if he didn¡¯t take it seriously. It was uncertain whether he had a trump card or simply didn¡¯t care about his fate.


    "What¡¯s your name? Who¡¯s backing you?" Su He seemingly not hearing the other¡¯s taunts, asked as if talking to himself.


    "I¡¯m just a nobody, not worth mentioning."


    "A nobody?" Du Kang chimed in beside him, "If even Heavenly List masters are nobodies, then who else in this world dares to dominate."


    Heavenly List master?


    Ling Chen raised an eyebrow, a look of surprise shing in his eye. Indeed, the chubby old man wanting to harm Su He wouldn¡¯t have weak strength, only a Heavenly List master can confront another Heavenly List master. However, what Ling Chen was curious about was the chubby old man¡¯s background and whose orders he was under.


    "If you truly want to know my name, then you might as well call me Guo Hong."

 Chapter 1065 - 1072: The World’s Number One (2)

    <h4>Chapter 1065: Chapter 1072: The World¡¯s Number One (2)</h4>


    "Who¡¯s the person behind you?" Su He asked, "I¡¯m not very interested in your identity, I just want to know who killed my son and daughter-inw."


    Guo Hong grinned, "So Elder Su wants revenge for his son. What a pity, I¡¯m afraid you won¡¯t be able to avenge this even so."


    "Why? You¡¯re not going to tell me the murderer of my son is dead, right?"


    "No, he¡¯s not dead. It¡¯s just that if you go for revenge, not only will you fail, but you might lose your life as well." Guo Hong smiled meaningfully, "Old Su, the waves behind the Yangtze River push the waves ahead. Today¡¯s Martial Arts world is no longer your domain. You¡¯ve held the title of first on the Heavenly List for many years, it¡¯s time to step down gracefully."


    Upon hearing this, Ling Chen silently clicked his tongue. He wasn¡¯t familiar with the rankings of Heavenly List experts, and he hadn¡¯t expected Su He to be the first. The master he epted unwittingly turns out to be the best in the world, which is truly surprising. If he had known Su He¡¯s identity earlier, he could have walked horizontally in the Martial Arts world as a nominal disciple.


    However, judging from Guo Hong¡¯s tone, the murderer of Su Zhengyang and his wife¡¯s killer seems to be even more formidable than Su He.


    At this moment, Su Mei, standing beside Su He, drew a knife from who knows where, and quickly moved in front of Guo Hong, cing the knife directly at his throat and gritting her teeth as she asked, "Speak, who exactly killed my parents?"


    Guo Hong didn¡¯t even nce at the steel knife at his throat, andughed to himself, "Master Su, don¡¯t get angry, I wasn¡¯t the one who killed your parents. If you want to know the identity of the murderer, it¡¯s not impossible, it¡¯s just..." Guo Hong¡¯s lips curled slightly, "You should show some sincerity."


    "Enough nonsense!" Su Mei coldly snapped, "If you don¡¯t speak, do you believe I will kill you right now?"


    Guo Hong lightlyughed, "Master Su, there¡¯s no need to threaten me, such tactics won¡¯t work. Honestly, since I¡¯ve been caught here, I never expected to go back alive. So kill or torture me as you wish." After speaking, Guo Hong raised his head, exposing his neck in front of Su Mei, and even leaned closer to the steel knife, signaling Su Mei to make a move.


    "You..." Su Mei gritted her teeth, and without another word, swung the steel knife in her hand, striking toward Guo Hong¡¯s neck.


    "Stop!"


    At this moment, Su He gently shouted, his figure flickered, instantly appearing beside Su Mei, blocking her attack. Taking away the steel knife, Su He casually handed it to Han Qi beside him, saying, "Girl, let me handle this matter."


    With her grandfather speaking, Su Mei had no choice but to obedientlyply, despite being unwilling in her heart.


    Once Su Mei stepped back, Su He walked straight up to Guo Hong, staring directly into his eyes and said, "You are a Heavenly List expert, I¡¯m not interested in using tactics against you, they are of no use."


    "Still, Elder Su is wise."


    "I just want a name, tell me, and I¡¯ll immediately let you go."


    Guo Hong looked at Su He with a mischievous smile, then shifted his gaze, turning to look at Ling Chen among the crowd. Noticing Guo Hong¡¯s movement, everyone focused their gaze on Ling Chen.


    Facing everyone¡¯s attention, Ling Chen rubbed his nose and asked, "Why are you looking at me? Are you trying to tell me I killed the former Pavilion Master and his wife?"


    "It¡¯s not you; you don¡¯t have that kind of power. But that person is closely rted to you."


    Upon hearing this, Ling Chen¡¯s expression subtly changed, and he said solemnly, "Are you trying to nder me? Or are you trying to sow discord? For a Heavenly List expert like you, isn¡¯t this kind of low-level tactic too depreciating?"


    "No, no." Guo Hong smiled, "I¡¯m not lying to you, he is indeed closely rted to you because he shares the same surname, Ling."


    Ling Family?


    Ling Chen was taken aback. It makes sense; able to kill Heavenly List experts and dare to challenge Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, who else but the Ling Family? Although the God Organization has been disbanded, it was merely an organization secretly supported by the Ling Family, and does not represent all of Ling Family¡¯s power. Moreover, after hundreds of years of development, the Ling Family¡¯s power has be solid; even the destruction of God Organization would not significantly weaken the Ling Family¡¯s influence.


    With thoughts racing, Su He deeply nced at Ling Chen and then withdrew his gaze, staring at Guo Hong, "Name?"


    "Ling Tao!"


    Him?


    "Impossible!" Before Su He and the others could respond, Ling Chen blurted out, "It¡¯s impossible!"


    "Why is it impossible?" Guo Hong looked at Ling Chen and asked, "Do you know the inside story better than I do?"


    "Ling Chen." Su Mei interjected, "Do you know this Ling Tao?"


    At this point, Ling Chen couldn¡¯t continue to hide, so he nodded, "I¡¯ve met Ling Tao once, he would definitely not do such a thing."


    Guo Hongughed heartily, "I thought you had some evidence, but it¡¯s just your assumptions. Ling Chen, you only met Ling Tao once, do you understand his character? Or... wait!" At this point, Guo Hong seemed to remember something, and with a meaningful tone, he said, "I almost forgot. Ling Chen, I understand why you¡¯re eager to defend Ling Tao."


    "I¡¯m not defending him, you don¡¯t need to falsely use me here."


    Su He waved his hand, signaling Ling Chen not to get angry. After a pause, Su He asked, "Ling Chen, what exactly is going on? Why did he say you¡¯re defending that Ling Tao?"


    "This... I¡¯m not sure." Ling Chen indeed didn¡¯t understand Guo Hong¡¯s meaning.


    "You don¡¯t want to say? Or don¡¯t dare to say?" Guo Hong chuckled and said, "Since you don¡¯t dare to say, let me spill it out. Ling Tao and his father, Ling Kun, are old acquaintances; whenever Ling Tao acted, Ling Kun was involved, including the assassination of Su Zhengyang and his wife, in which Ling Kun also took part. Ling Chen, you¡¯re adamant that this incident has nothing to do with Ling Tao; is it because you know the inside story and don¡¯t want this incident to implicate your father?"


    "I did not." Ling Chen immediately exined, "I know nothing about their affairs. Guo, don¡¯t randomly use people, my father would never do such a thing."


    Initially, when Ling Chen met Ling Tao, the two talked about many things. Ling Tao had once told him, this conflict has always been Ling Family¡¯s internal dispute. Simply put, Ling Family has two factions, one is the Southern Ling Family, which secretly supports the God Organization. Besides, there¡¯s also Ling Tao¡¯s faction. However, Ling Chen is not very familiar with this faction, only aware that his father is a member of this faction.


    "I¡¯ve met Ling Kun before." Su He chimed in, "He is upright, not the kind of person you¡¯re describing, so I don¡¯t believe your words."


    Upon hearing Su He say this, Ling Chen finally felt relieved, his biggest fear being that Su He might misunderstand due to Guo Hong¡¯s nder.

 Chapter 1066 - 1073: Changlong Town

    <h4>Chapter 1066: Chapter 1073: Changlong Town</h4>


    "Elder Su, how do you know Ling Kun wouldn¡¯t do such things? Could it be that you trust his father unconditionally like Ling Chen does?"


    "It¡¯s not that I trust Ling Chen, it¡¯s that I don¡¯t trust you," Su He said calmly. "Actually, the reason is simple. If you were sent by Ling Tao, you should be covering up the truth for your master, instead of trying to convince us that Ling Tao and Ling Kun were behind this. No sensible person would believe your words."


    "Is that so?" Guo Hong didn¡¯t get angry at having his lie exposed; instead, he smiled and said, "Elder Su, if you think that way, there¡¯s nothing more I can say. However, I suggest you send someone to check in Changlong Town, and by then the truth will be crystal clear to you."


    At this point, Guo Hong shifted the topic and said, "Alright! I¡¯ve said everything I need to say. How do you n to deal with me?"


    Su He thought for a moment and said, "I won¡¯t kill you for now. After I get to the bottom of this, I¡¯ll decide what to do with you." After saying this, Su He moved like lightning, and with a single palm strike, he hit Guo Hong¡¯s chest. Instantly, Guo Hong¡¯s face turned pale, he spat out a mouthful of fresh blood, and he copsed to the ground, unable to stand.


    "Not killing you doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯m not punishing you. For the next two months, you¡¯d better not recklessly use your Inner Strength; otherwise, even immortals won¡¯t be able to save you." With that, Su He gave a look to Han Qi, who understood immediately and called people to take Guo Hong away.


    "Alright! Everyone disperse, I¡¯ll notify you if there¡¯s anything," Su He waved his hand, signaling everyone to leave.


    As Ling Chen reached the door, he heard Su He¡¯s voice from behind: "Ling Chen, you stay." After everyone had left, only a few remained in the spacious reception room: Su He, Su Mei, Du Kang, Tong Zhentian, and Ling Chen.


    Ling Chen stood quietly to the side, unsure of what Su He intended to do.


    "Old Su, do you think Guo Hong¡¯s words are credible?" Du Kang asked.


    Su He nced at Ling Chen beside him and said, "It¡¯s not a matter of believing or not believing; without evidence, I won¡¯t believe anyone¡¯s one-sided story. However, since Guo Hong mentioned Changlong Town, we might as well send someone to check it out."


    Hearing their conversation, Ling Chen couldn¡¯t help but speak, "Elder Su, um... maybe you should talk first, and I¡¯ll step out."


    "No need," Su He said. "Ling Chen, I don¡¯t mean to suspect your father. It¡¯s just that this is our only lead. Without other clues, we have to pursue it."


    "I understand, but... this is the business of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, and as an outsider, it¡¯s not appropriate for me to get involved. Moreover, if my father is a suspect, I should keep my distance even more."


    "You¡¯re overthinking it." Su He patted Ling Chen¡¯s shoulder and said, "I¡¯m not the kind of person whocks reason. You are you, and Ling Kun is Ling Kun. They can¡¯t be lumped together. Moreover, to the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, you¡¯re not an outsider. I¡¯ve decided to let you go to Changlong Town with Du Kang to investigate the situation and see if we can find any clues."


    Ling Chen hesitated for a moment, then nodded and said, "Alright."


    After resting for a night at the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, the next day, Ling Chen and Du Kang set off for Changlong Town.


    Changlong Town is a small town with over thirty thousand residents and a moderately high economic level. After the flight, Ling Chen and Du Kang took a few more hours by car to reach Changlong Town.


    Once there, Ling Chen found a ratherfortable hotel locally. After a short rest, Ling Chen checked the time and saw that it was already evening.


    "Elder Du, should we go eat first?"


    "Find a ce with drinks."


    Ling Chen couldn¡¯t help but smile; Du Kang¡¯s only preference was for alcohol. Leaving the hotel, Ling Chen found a nearby restaurant and ordered a table of sumptuous dishes along with a case of wine.


    "Come, let¡¯s have a drink first," Du Kang raised his ss, signaling Ling Chen to pick up his cup.


    "Elder Du, you should drink alone."


    "What¡¯s the fun in drinking alone? Drinking is only atmospheric with more people. Come, fill it up!" Ignoring Ling Chen¡¯s refusal, Du Kang directly filled his ss to the brim.


    "Kid, I know what you¡¯re thinking." Du Kang looked at Ling Chen meaningfully, raised his ss, and said, "Are you worried about your father? Actually, you need not be; I know exactly what kind of person Old Su is, and he definitely doesn¡¯t have any intention of ming you."


    Ling Chen took a sip of his drink and said with a bitter smile, "Elder Du, I understand what you¡¯re saying, but... but have you considered? What if everything Guo Hong said is true?"


    Upon hearing this, Du Kang asked puzzledly, "Why are you thinking this way? Back at the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, you were outspokenly proiming your father¡¯s innocence and insisted he had nothing to do with this matter. Since you have such confidence in them, what are you worried about?"


    "Elder Du, you¡¯re right, but I just don¡¯t feel at ease," Ling Chen said. Since leaving the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion all the way to Changlong Town, Ling Chen¡¯s heart had been unsettled. The reason was none other than Guo Hong¡¯s words.


    There¡¯s no doubt he trusted Ling Tao and Ling Kun. However, Guo Hong suddenly mentioning Changlong Town made him very anxious. If Guo Hong didn¡¯t have evidence, why did he mention Changlong Town? Something must have happened here, and his father was likely involved, which is why Guo Hong suggested theye here to investigate.


    "Alright! Those who are innocent prove themselves. There¡¯s nothing to worry about, just rx. Come, let¡¯s keep drinking, have a good rest tonight, and investigate tomorrow."


    After an hour passed, Ling Chen had drunk two bottles of white wine by himself, feeling a bit dizzy. Walking felt like swaying from side to side, and he could barely stand firm.


    Compared to Du Kang¡¯s drinking capacity, Ling Chen fell short by more than a bit. Besides those two bottles of white wine, the rest of the alcohol was downed by Du Kang alone, totaling six or seven bottles, yet he remainedpletely unaffected and still clear-headed.


    With Du Kang¡¯s help, Ling Chen finally made it back to the room and fell asleep immediately, leaving everything behind him.


    The next morning, Ling Chen groggily opened his eyes, rubbed his still slightly aching forehead, and sat up from the bed. Seeing the bright sunlight through the window, Ling Chen went to the bathroom to wash up, then changed into clean clothes. After a bit of tidying up, Ling Chen walked out of the bedroom to find that Du Kang had already risen and was standing on the balcony of the living room, enjoying the sight of elderly people exercising outside.


    "Elder Du," Ling Chen greeted as he approached.


    "You¡¯re up!" Du Kang turned back, holding his treasured wine gourd.


    "Let¡¯s go, I found something interesting, let¡¯s take a look." As Du Kang spoke, he headed out of the room.


    Curious, Ling Chen hurriedly caught up with Du Kang¡¯s pace and asked, "Elder Du, what interesting thing?"

 Chapter 1067 - 1074: Who Is the Real Culprit? (1)

    <h4>Chapter 1067: Chapter 1074: Who Is the Real Culprit? (1)</h4>


    "You¡¯ll find out when we get there," Du Kang teased, keeping Ling Chen in suspense.


    Leaving the hotel, the two took a taxi to the east side of Changlong Town. Ten minutester, they arrived at a residential area. Before getting out of the car, Ling Chen¡¯s attention was drawn to the police tape not far off. Strange! Why would there be a police line here? Could something have happened?


    Getting out of the car, Ling Chen focused his gaze and saw that the police tape cordoned off a bungalow. Additionally, a seal was affixed to the front door of the house.


    Outside the police line, several local residents stood pointing and talking among themselves. Because they were rtively far away, Ling Chen couldn¡¯t make out what they were saying.


    "This morning at the hotel, I went through some newspapers from the past few days. There was a murder case here, but they couldn¡¯t find the killer or the body. ording to nearby residents, the people living here were a married couple, around their forties or fifties."


    Hearing Du Kang¡¯s words, Ling Chen immediately understood why he had been brought here. Based on information mentioned in the newspapers, this was likely the former residence of Su Zhengyang and his wife, and more specifically, the site where they had been killed.


    After the onlookers had dispersed, Ling Chen looked around. Seeing that no one was paying attention to him, he immediately lifted the police tape and entered, taking Du Kang with him.


    At the door, Ling Chen tore open the seal on the house and pushed open the tightly shut room. As the door opened, a strong smell of blood hit him in the face. Ling Chen rubbed his nose, getting ustomed to the scent in the room, before slowly observing theyout.


    The decor in the house was very simple, with few appliances: a table, a few chairs, and a bed¡ªjust some basic furniture with nothing extravagant. Su Zhengyang, as the former Pavilion Master of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, certainly wasn¡¯t short of money. Moreover, Ling Chen had witnessed the financial strength of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion multiple times. With Su Zhengyang¡¯s status, he could live anywhere but chose such a modest dwelling.


    This house had two bedrooms, a living room, a kitchen, and a bathroom. The floors in the living room and bedrooms were stained with blood, as were the walls, all of which stood out quite strikingly.


    Looking at these conspicuous bloodstains, Ling Chen couldn¡¯t help but frown. Judging from the distribution and quantity of the stains, there must have been more than two or three people involved in the fight. Regardless of who murdered Su Zhengyang and his wife, it was certain they were attacked by multiple assants.


    While Ling Chen was focusing on the bloodstains, Du Kang was examining other aspects. The floor, the walls¡ªcracks were everywhere, as if they had exploded.


    "Elder Du, this is..." Ling Chen asked in surprise.


    Du Kang nodded and said, "These are the damages caused by the explosive force of their inner strength during the confrontation."


    "Wow! That¡¯s amazing," Ling Chen said, unable to resist touching the cracks on the wall, wanting to feel the terrifying power of a master from the Heavenly List.


    "Don¡¯t touch!" Noticing Ling Chen¡¯s action, Du Kang¡¯s expression changed, and he hurriedly stopped him.


    Unfortunately, his warning came a moment toote as Ling Chen¡¯s hand was already on the wall. As his fingertips touched, a ¡¯crack¡¯ was heard, and the cracks quickly spread. In no time, the entire wall was covered in them.


    Watching the cracks extend toward the ceiling, Ling Chen was momentarily stunned, unable to react.


    "Run!" Du Kang whispered urgently, immediately grabbing Ling Chen by the arm, crashing through the nearby window, and charging outside.


    As the twonded, a loud ¡¯boom¡¯ echoed from behind. The entire house copsed into rubble, raising a cloud of dust.


    Ling Chen got up from the ground, looking with lingering fear at the ruins behind him, his face still a bit pale. If it hadn¡¯t been for Du Kang¡¯s timely reaction and getting them out of the house, they would have been buried under the stones.


    Du Kang patted the dust off himself and said helplessly, "I told you not to touch it."


    Ling Chen sheepishly rubbed his head, puzzledly asking, "Elder Du, what just happened?"


    "Did you think the inner strength of a master from the Heavenly List is so easily dispelled?" Du Kang paused and said casually, "Never mind! Exining won¡¯t help you; you won¡¯t understand until you¡¯ve reached that level. The house has copsed, so there¡¯s no point staying here. Let¡¯s go."


    Ling Chen nodded, following Du Kang¡¯s steps, preparing to return to the hotel. After walking a short distance, Ling Chen suddenly stopped and said, "Elder Du, I think we should head to the police station."


    "To the police station?" Du Kang turned back, asking perplexedly, "Why go to the police station? The house has copsed. Do you want to turn yourself in?"


    "Elder Du, I¡¯m not that unreasonable." Ling Chen said, pointing to an intersection not far away, where there was a surveince camera. "I noticed there are several surveince cameras around here. Since the police are already involved in investigating this case, they must have collected the surveince footage. We might as well go and look at the footage. We might find some clues."


    Du Kang thought for a moment, then slightly nodded and said, "That¡¯s a good suggestion. However, the people at the police station aren¡¯t going to show us the footage for no reason. Are you nning to use some trick?"


    "There¡¯s no need for that," Ling Chen smiled confidently. "Elder Du, leave this to me."


    On the way, Ling Chen made a few phone calls. By the time he and Du Kang arrived at the Changlong Town police station, a middle-aged man in uniform was already waiting at the door.


    Seeing Ling Chen and Du Kang getting out of the car, the man hurried up to them, a smile on his face, and said, "Mr. Ling, Mr. Du, good day. I¡¯m Ding Wei, the chief of the Changlong police station. I¡¯ve been notified by my superiors and will fully cooperate with both of you."


    Ling Chen nodded and said, "Thank you, Chief Ding."


    "Not at all, not at all. Please, both of you,e in." With Ding Wei¡¯s warm hospitality, Ling Chen and Du Kang went straight to the chief¡¯s office. After sitting down, Ding Wei personally brought tea and fruit, showing great politeness.


    Beforeing, Ling Chen had called Tang Yuan. Being a member of Lonely Wolf, Tang Yuan had certain privileges. With his help, things were much easier.


    "Chief Ding, I¡¯ll get straight to the point. We¡¯re here about the recent murder case in the town," Ling Chen said directly, "I want to know how much information you have."


    "The murder case Mr. Ling mentioned is one I am personally overseeing. However, it¡¯s quite strange. By the time we arrived, all we found wererge amounts of blood at the scene; the bodies had been taken away."


    "I¡¯m not concerned about that. What I¡¯m concerned about is the killer. You must have collected surveince footage from around the crime scene. Have you discovered anything?"

 Chapter 1068 - 1075: Who Is the Real Culprit? (2)

    <h4>Chapter 1068: Chapter 1075: Who Is the Real Culprit? (2)</h4>


    "Mr. Ling has been to the scene?" As the words fell, Ding Wei rushed to respond, "We¡¯ve checked the footage, and while there have been some discoveries, we still can¡¯t confirm the identity of the killer. How about this: why don¡¯t you both have a seat while I ask someone to bring over the surveince footage from the day in question for you to review yourselves."


    "Alright, thank you very much."


    It wasn¡¯t long before Ding Wei returned to the office with the surveince footage. Ling Chen leaned in closer, watching the screen carefully. It was indeedte at night, and the surrounding residents were already asleep. Around one o¡¯clock in the morning, a figure finally appeared on the screen. However, the person kept their back to the camera, making it impossible to see the face; only their build and stature suggested they were around Su Zhengyang¡¯s age.


    The individual reached the door and, without much hesitation, pushed it open and rushed inside. Since everything took ce indoors, the situation inside was unknown, and there were no lights on. After waiting for about two minutes, someone appeared on the footage again. As the person turned, their profile shed momentarily, but since it was nighttime, the surveince didn¡¯t capture it clearly.


    However, the instant Ling Chen saw that vague profile, his expression became visibly ufortable. His fists clenched instinctively, eyes fixed intently on the man in the footage.


    No doubt about it! That man who appearedter was none other than his father, Ling Kun. Even though he hadn¡¯t seen his face directly, Ling Chen knew his father too well. One nce, and he confirmed the identity.


    Could it be... could Guo Hong be right? As wild thoughts raced through his mind, Du Kang, standing beside him, seemed to notice the change in Ling Chen¡¯s expression and asked, "Do you know this person?"


    Ling Chen hesitated for a moment, reluctantly nodding, and said, "He¡¯s my father."


    "Is that so?" Du Kang seemed a little surprised, as he initially thought Guo Hong¡¯s words were meant to deceive everyone. But based on the current circumstances, not everything Guo Hong said was false.


    Could it actually be true? Thinking this, Du Kang¡¯s expression gradually turned serious. If Ling Kun was indeed involved, how would Ling Chen interact with the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion in the future? Even if Ling Chen had nothing to do with it, Su He and Su Mei would surely ignore him.


    As he pondered, the footage showed Ling Kun not lingering much outside before he burst into the house through the front door. About three minutester, Ling Kun scrambled out through a window on the north side of the house. When Ling Kun was seen again, there were apparent bloodstains on his body, and he was holding a steel sword.


    Rising from the ground, Ling Kun casually tossed the steel sword into the roadside bushes and quickly fled the scene. Just as he vanished, another person, the same man who initially entered, sprinted out of the house. This man¡¯s escape path was in the opposite direction from Ling Kun¡¯s.


    With the disappearance of Ling Kun and the mysterious man, a few minutester, a van slowly drove up and parked at the front door. Then, a few people jumped out of the van, went inside, and carried out the bodies of Su Zhengyang and his wife, loading them onto the vehicle.


    Watching the van drive out of the frame, Ling Chen¡¯s heart sank to the depths. From the content of the video, it was clear his father was indeed a suspect. Even if he didn¡¯t want to believe it, he had to ept this reality. After pondering for a moment, Du Kang asked, "Chief Ding, did you find the sword in the footage?"


    Ding Wei nodded and answered, "Found it, it¡¯s stored in the evidence room."


    "Could you bring that sword here for us to take a look?"


    "No problem, I¡¯ll make a call and have someone send it over."


    Ding Wei was efficient with his work, and in less than ten minutes, the sealed steel sword was delivered to the chief¡¯s office. Du Kang took the sealed bag and examined the steel sword inside. The de was blood-red, stained by residual blood. Du Kang focused intently on the de¡¯s edge, his brows asionally furrowing.


    After a moment, Ding Wei put down the steel sword, turning to the pensive Ling Chen, he asked, "Is there anything else you need to investigate?"


    The sound of his voice snapped Ling Chen back to reality. ncing at the monitor screen, Ling Chen wasn¡¯t sure what else could be examined. At that moment, his mind was in a chaotic whirl.


    Seeing Ling Chen remaining silent, Du Kang decided not to prod further and instead said to Ding Wei, "Chief Ding, thank you for your help. We¡¯ll be on our way."


    "Mr. Du, please, there¡¯s no need to be so formal. It¡¯s my honor to assist with your work," Ding Wei replied with a smile. "If you don¡¯t have any other matters, how about joining me for lunch? My treat."


    "No need!" Ling Chen stood up, cutting in, "We have other matters to deal with, Chief Ding. You carry on, and we¡¯ll get out of your hair." With that, ignoring Ding Wei¡¯s attempt to persuade them, Ling Chen and Du Kang walked straight out of the police station.


    Back at the hotel, Du Kang stopped Ling Chen, who was about to head to his room, and asked, "Can you get in touch with your father?"


    "Not sure, I¡¯ll try." Truthfully, Ling Chen was eager to return so he could reach out to Ling Kun and ask about what transpired. He couldn¡¯t believe his father would do such a thing.


    When Ling Kun left initially, he hadn¡¯t given Ling Chen a contact number, so now, finding Ling Kun would rely on asking for the porridge girl¡¯s assistance. She had been handling matters for Ling Kun and should certainly know his whereabouts.


    However, to Ling Chen¡¯s disappointment, after several calls, the porridge girl¡¯s phone was unreachable, showing as out of service area.


    "What should I do?" Ling Chen frowned discreetly, unable to contact the porridge girl, unable to locate Ling Kun, unable to understand the truth of the matter, his anxiety was palpable.


    Seeing Ling Chen¡¯s restlessness, Du Kang asked, "You can¡¯t find your father?"


    Ling Chen sighed softly, "No. Mr. Du, do you... do you also believe my father was involved in this incident?"


    "It¡¯s not what I believe, Ling Chen. At this point, let me be frank with you. Just now, while examining that steel sword, I found that the de¡¯s edge matched perfectly with the wounds on Su Zhengyang and his wife. If I¡¯m not mistaken, your father used that steel sword to kill Su Zhengyang and his wife."


    Hearing this, Ling Chen¡¯s expression changed, and he quickly said, "Mr. Du, could it be you¡¯ve made a mistake?"


    "Even though I¡¯m old, my eyes are still sharp, and my experience and instincts tell me I haven¡¯t made a mistake." At this, Du Kang sighed, saying, "Ling Chen, I understand you¡¯re distressed. No one could have anticipated such an oue. Right now, unless you can find your father and confront him face-to-face, the charge of murdering Su Zhengyang and his wife will surely stick to him."


    "This... I..." Ling Chen opened his mouth, not knowing what to say. At this point, any words were superfluous; only evidence mattered most.

 Chapter 1069 - 1076: The Real Culprit (3)

    <h4>Chapter 1069: Chapter 1076: The Real Culprit (3)</h4>


    "Alright, don¡¯t think too much about it, perhaps there¡¯s some misunderstanding. Let¡¯s rest for a day and head back to Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion tomorrow."


    Du Kang¡¯s words didn¡¯t make Ling Chen feel any better; instead, his mood grew heavier. This was noughing matter. Once Ling Kun¡¯s crime was confirmed, his rtionship with Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion would bepletely severed. Not to mention Su Mei, even his master Su He would be lost.


    Thinking about these consequences, Ling Chen sighed deeply. It seemed tonight would be another sleepless night.


    The next day.


    Ling Chen had booked the flight tickets and went to the airport with Du Kang.


    Sitting in the departure lounge, Ling Chen kept his head down, staring at the smooth floor, looking somewhat dazed and weary. Last night, he didn¡¯t sleep a wink, constantly thinking about his father¡¯s affairs. Why would Ling Kun have the murder weapon of Su Zhengyang and his wife? Ling Chen thought of countless reasons to exonerate Ling Kun, but the scene in the surveince video was real; no one could falsify it.


    "Elder Du!" After pondering for a long time, Ling Chen slowly raised his head, looking at Du Kang beside him, he said: "Why don¡¯t you return to Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion first, I... I won¡¯t go."


    "What, are you scared?"


    Ling Chen nodded ambiguously and said, "It¡¯s not about being scared, I just don¡¯t want to cause unnecessary misunderstandings and trouble. Elder Du, you¡¯ve seen that surveince video too, currently, my father is indeed heavily suspicious, without sufficient evidence, I can¡¯t firmly say he¡¯s innocent. However, I have my persistence, I believe my father wouldn¡¯t do such a thing."


    "You want to meet your father and ask him clearly?"


    "Correct." Ling Chen replied, "Given the current situation, asking face-to-face is the only way to know the truth. Elder Du, after you go back, please convey to Elder Su that I will get to the bottom of this matter and give the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion and the Su Family an exnation soon."


    "No problem, I will convey this for you, but..." Saying this, Du Kang changed his tone and asked, "Ling Chen, have you thought about what you will do if it turns out your father truly did it? Elder Su has made his stance clear; he definitely wants revenge for his son. At that time, Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion will surely hunt down your father, as a friend of Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion and a disciple of Elder Su, what will you do? Will you help Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion and take righteous action against your kin, or defend your father and stand against Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion?"


    Ling Chen smiled bitterly and said: "I don¡¯t know." He had already thought about this many times, but he hadn¡¯t decided yet. An eye for an eye; that¡¯s how things should be, but that¡¯s his father after all, he couldn¡¯t just sit by and do nothing while Ling Kun gets into trouble.


    Du Kang seemed to understand Ling Chen¡¯s predicament, so he said: "I can¡¯t help you with this, you have to resolve it on your own. Alright, the flight is about to take off, I¡¯ll go first. Once you¡¯ve figured things out,e find me at Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion." With that, Du Kang took his wine gourd and strode toward the boarding gate.


    Watching Du Kang leave, Ling Chen rebooked his flight. After a few hours of flying, Ling Chen finally returned to East Sea City.


    The first thing upon reaching East Sea City, Ling Chen didn¡¯t go home but drove directly to the base. There were many Secret Society members at the base, perhaps they had a way to contact porridge girl and Ling Kun.


    However, to Ling Chen¡¯s disappointment, these Secret Society members didn¡¯t know porridge girl¡¯s contact information. Moreover, they informed Ling Chen that ever since the Secret Society merged with East Sea City¡¯s forces, porridge girl instructed them to fully serve Ling Chen from now on, forbidding them to follow any orders, including from Ling Kun and porridge girl. Evidently, porridge girl had handed over the Secret Society to him, and from now on, Secret Society had no rtion to Ling Kun.


    "Ling Chen, why are you in such a hurry to find your dad?" Tang Guolun asked.


    "It¡¯s urgent. Boss Tang, please do me a favor, regardless of the cost, you must help me find my father. This matter is extremely urgent, it can¡¯t be dyed."


    Seeing Ling Chen speak with such importance, Tang Guolun didn¡¯t ask further, nodding: "Alright, don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll have people keep an eye out for your father¡¯s whereabouts."


    After entrusting Tang Guolun with the task of finding Ling Kun, Ling Chen returned home alone.


    Entering the house, he only saw Liu Xiyao and Yang Qingling sitting in the living room, watching TV and chatting leisurely. Although the two women were two decades apart, Yang Qingling and Liu Xiyao were both former business moguls and shared manymon topics. Moreover, Liu Xiyao was raised with elegance and noble demeanor by Lin Guodong from an early age, which greatly appealed to Yang Qingling. If not for Ling Chen¡¯s strong objection, Yang Qingling would have asked Liu Xiyao to call herself ¡¯Yang¡¯.


    It¡¯s a joke, if Liu Xiyao called Yang Qingling her sister, wouldn¡¯t that make him a generation lower than Liu Xiyao? Ling Chen could never agree to such a thing.


    Hearing the sound of the door, Yang Qingling and Liu Xiyao turned their heads and cast their eyes on Ling Chen.


    "Son, you¡¯re finally back. How are you, tired?" Seeing Ling Chen¡¯s weary face, Yang Qingling immediately stood up to greet him, saying, "Take a seat, I¡¯ll make some ginger tea for you."


    "Mom, no need, I¡¯ll go upstairs and rest." With that, Ling Chen headed straight to the second floor.


    After staying up all night yesterday, flying, and dealing with various matters today, he was exhausted. Back in his room, Ling Chen didn¡¯t even take off his shoes, he copsed on the bed in a star shape. Shortly, his steady snores slowly filled the bedroom.


    ...


    Midnight!


    In his drowsiness, Ling Chen seemed to hear some kind of noise. He opened his eyes, looked around, and found it was the ringtone from his phone in his pocket. Could it be a call from porridge girl?


    Unable to reach her yesterday, Ling Chen left a message asking porridge girl to reply as soon as possible. Now, at this hour, it could very well be from porridge girl.


    Thinking of this, Ling Chen eagerly pulled out his phone. Upon seeing the caller ID on the screen, Ling Chen¡¯s gaze instantly dimmed.


    Answering the call, Ling Chen said hello, impatiently asking: "Jiang Hao, why are you calling me sote?"


    "Chen, are you free now?"


    "What¡¯s up?"


    "Chen, you asked us to keep an eye on Liu Wei, right? You won¡¯t believe it, that guy really isn¡¯t a good character. Haozi and I are outside Tianyu Leisure Club, if you have time,e over quickly."


    Liu Wei?


    Ling Chen patted his forehead; with all the trouble regarding Ling Kun, he nearly forgot about this guy. If Liu Wei wasn¡¯t dealt with, Liu Xiyao wouldn¡¯t dare return home. After some thought, Ling Chen replied, "Wait for me there, I¡¯lle and meet you soon."

 Chapter 1070 - 1077: The Cunning Liu Wei (1)

    <h4>Chapter 1070: Chapter 1077: The Cunning Liu Wei (1)</h4>


    Outside Tianyu Leisure Club, when Ling Chen drove up, Jiang Hao and Nanrong Hao were there, but Zhao Zhengxiong was nowhere to be seen. The two guys, Jiang Hao and Nanrong Hao, were sitting at a roadside stall, having ordered a table full of barbecue and oysters, along with several cases of beer, thoroughly enjoying themselves, their mouths greasy.


    "Chen,e over, we saved a dozen just for you." Jiang Hao attentively handed a dozen oysters to Ling Chen, ambiguously saying, "Knowing you¡¯re usually quite busy, eat more to nourish yourself."


    Ling Chen red at Jiang Hao; with his build, he didn¡¯t need any nourishing. He opened a bottle of beer on his own, picked up a skewer, and said, "You guys enjoy this stuff; I¡¯m not interested." He hadn¡¯t had dinner yet, and his stomach was empty. In no time, he polished off a few bottles of beer and cleared the table of barbecue.


    Patting his round belly, Ling Chen asked contentedly, "So, what¡¯s going on with Liu Wei over there?"


    Jiang Hao didn¡¯t speak, took out a pack of cigarettes from his pocket, handed one to Nanrong Hao, and took out a lighter to light it. However, as soon as the cigarette was lit and before he could take a puff, it was snatched by Ling Chen next to him. Watching Ling Chen puffing away, Jiang Hao asked curiously, "Chen, don¡¯t you smoke?"


    "How do you know I don¡¯t smoke?" Ling Chen retorted, toozy to say much. He typically didn¡¯t smoke, but when feeling down, he asionally smoked a couple to ease his mood. Currently, the Ling Kun matter hadn¡¯t been rified, feeling like a stone weighing on his heart, making him very ufortable.


    Taking a satisfying drag, Jiang Hao began, "Chen, that Liu Wei kid is quite the troublemaker these days, constantly trying to target us."


    "What do you mean?"


    "A couple of days ago, heid out a feast and invited our brotherhood to dinner, originally inviting you too. But knowing you don¡¯t like such asions, I found an excuse to turn it down for you. When our three brothers attended, Liu Wei was indeed courteous. He even casually suggested wanting to join us."


    "Join?" Ling Chen was slightly stunned. Right! He remembered Nanrong Hao mentioning that the Liu Family previously had connections with the local underground forces. Now that they¡¯ve arrived in East Sea City, the Liu Family might want to walk the old path again. Legitimate business grows slowly, unable to expand quickly. However, with support from both the ck and white worlds, it¡¯s a different scenario.


    "Jiang Hao, how did you reply to him?"


    "Of course, we refused; that¡¯s a given. The underground syndicate in East Sea was hard-won by us brothers. Liu Wei is an outsider who hasn¡¯t contributed anything and just wants to forcefully insert himself. How can it be that easy?"


    Ling Chen nodded, asking, "Liu Wei must have offered some terms, right?"


    "What¡¯s there in his terms other than money?" Jiang Hao waved dismissively. "Besides, we aren¡¯t short of cash. That guy gives off a sinister vibe; better steer clear of him."


    After hearing Jiang Hao¡¯s words, Ling Chen puzzledly asked, "If you¡¯ve already dealt with it, why did you call me out? To drink with you?"


    "Chen, don¡¯t rush." Nanrong Hao picked up a beer and said, "We rejected Liu Wei, but he wasn¡¯t content, trying to manipte our brothers."


    "Yeah!" Jiang Hao chimed in, "He secretly met our brothers, offering them arge sum to turn them against us. But my brothers aren¡¯t the type to forget loyalty for cash. Brotherhood is about loyalty, especially in this world. As soon as they finished meeting Liu Wei, they immediately came to report it to me. Hmph! Liu Wei was generous, giving a million to each. Since he¡¯s using underhanded tactics against us, don¡¯t me me for teaching him a lesson. Watch closely; tonight he¡¯ll learn that East Sea is not easily handled."


    Jiang Hao¡¯s words helped Ling Chen understand the entire cause and effect. Liu Wei was overly confident, believing money could solve everything. Jiang Hao and his group had been managing the underground syndicate in East Sea for a long time; they weren¡¯t to be trifled with. Liu Wei¡¯s approach was either overly arrogant or underestimated his opponents.


    As they spoke, several police cars pulled up by the roadside, directly parking at the entrance of Tianyu Leisure Club. The car doors opened, revealing Xia Mutong, tall and elegant, stepping off the car and leading a team inside.


    Watching Xia Mutong¡¯s silhouette disappear at the entrance, Ling Chen curiously asked, "Did you two call the cops?"


    Jiang Hao chuckled smugly, "I got a few brothers to ¡¯rx¡¯ with somedies inside. They should just be in bed now. Once the cops catch them, he won¡¯t be reopening that leisure club."


    ...


    Tianyu Leisure Club.


    Li Yan¡¯s expression changed slightly upon receiving notification of a police raid, hastily heading downstairs with her team. All entertainment projects at the leisure club were registered as legal, except for the sixth floor where services were more ¡¯special.¡¯ ording to Huaxia¡¯sw, such services were prohibited.


    Still, there¡¯s rarely a leisure club without some involvement in the grey market, as the profits are significant. Of course, this involves taking certain risks.


    Li Yan, brought over by Liu Wei from the Liu Family, had much experience in this field. Despite the situation, she remained calm, organizing everything systematically.


    Upon reaching the lobby, Xia Mutong led over ten colleagues straight to the elevators, ignoring the protests from the reception desk. Additionally, Xia Mutong ordered the sealing of the club¡¯s entrances to prevent any escape attempts.


    "Oh! Isn¡¯t this Officer Xia?" Li Yan approached Xia Mutong with a smile, feeling the situation turning grim. In this business, rtionships on both the ck and white sides needed careful handling, especially with the police. Without good rtions, how could the business continue amidst frequent raids?


    Originally, Li Yan aimed to win Xia Mutong over, offering numerous benefits for help and protection. However, Xia Mutong had outright dismissed her. Clearly, Xia Mutong was tough to deal with, never condoning criminal acts.


    "Officer Xia, what brings you here today?" Li Yan smiled, positioning herself to dy Xia Mutong.


    "Step aside!" Xia Mutongmanded coldly.


    "Officer Xia, you..." Li Yan attempted to speak, but before she could finish, Xia Mutong impatiently pushed her aside and swiftly entered the elevator.


    Watching the elevator doors closing, Li Yan immediately took out her walkie-talkie to inquire about the situation on the sixth floor.

 Chapter 1071 - 1078: Liu Wei’s Cunning (2)

    <h4>Chapter 1071: Chapter 1078: Liu Wei¡¯s Cunning (2)</h4>


    She stopped Xia Mutong in the lobby, intending to buy some time for the sixth floor to be settled quickly, so as not to leave any leverage for Xia Mutong.


    "Manager Li, there¡¯s a bit of trouble." A man¡¯s voice came through the inte, carrying a hint of urgency and helplessness.


    Li Yan slightly furrowed her brows and asked, "What¡¯s going on?"


    "There are a few guests who refuse to cooperate, and they won¡¯t leave no matter how we persuade them. Manager Li, the police are about to arrive, what should we do?"


    Upon hearing this, Li Yan¡¯s expression instantly turned cold. Someone refusing to cooperate! It seemed that the policeing to check the room was no coincidence, someone likely wanted to make trouble for them. Those guests clearly intended to bring them down; otherwise, they wouldn¡¯t refuse to leave. If caught by the police, they couldn¡¯t escape the charges.


    Thinking of this, Li Yan immediately pulled out her phone to call Liu Wei.


    ...


    In a vi located in Wealthy Manor, Liu Wei sat in a spacious living room, holding a beautiful woman in his arms, while his other hand held a phone, answering a call.


    "Manager Li, don¡¯t worry just yet. Since those people refuse to leave, have someone drag them out. Do not let the police find any leverage against us." Liu Wei said calmly, his hand wandering provocatively over the woman¡¯s sensitive areas, eliciting a gasp from her.


    "President Liu, it¡¯s toote; the police are almost on the sixth floor. Forcing them out now will surely be spotted by the police."


    "Is that so?" Liu Wei pondered, then said, "Let the police check. I will find a way to handle the other matters." With that, Liu Wei hung up the phone, looked at the seductive woman beside him, and said, "You go to the room first; I have other matters to deal with."


    The woman dared not disobey and immediately got up and left the living room. Immediately after, Liu Wei found a number in his phone contacts and dialed it directly.


    After more than ten seconds, the other party finally answered the call.


    "Hello! Miss Nanrong, good evening."


    "Who is this?"


    "Miss Nanrong, you truly have a busy schedule; you¡¯ve forgotten me so quickly. I visited yourpany just a few days ago."


    "Liu Wei?" On the other end, Nanrong Wanqing immediately responded and guessed the caller¡¯s identity.


    "That¡¯s right, it¡¯s me. It seems Miss Nanrong still remembers me."


    "Mr. Liu, what do you want from me? I believe I made myself clear, Hongyu Group and the Liu Family cannot continue to cooperate. If there¡¯s nothing else, I¡¯m preparing to rest."


    Seeing that Nanrong Wanqing was about to hang up the call, Liu Wei immediately said, "Miss Nanrong, don¡¯t be in such a hurry to end the call; listen to what I have to say, and then think it over."


    "I¡¯ve said everything I needed to say; there¡¯s nothing more to discuss between us." Nanrong Wanqing did not want to continue entangling.


    "Miss Nanrong, have you forgotten the contract we signed? What you¡¯re doing doesn¡¯t affect me much, but it will be troublesome for your Hongyu Group. Even if you don¡¯t care for yourself, you should consider the Nanrong Family."


    Hearing this, Nanrong Wanqing asked indifferently, "What do you mean by that? I don¡¯t recall signing a contract with you."


    "Miss Nanrong, we can¡¯t exin this in just a few words, so let me visit you in person." Saying this, Liu Wei nced at his watch and continued, "Give me two minutes." After hanging up, Liu Wei sent a photo to Nanrong Wanqing, then put on a coat and boldly walked out of the vi.


    Turning at the end of themunity road, Liu Wei arrived at the entrance of 118 Wealthy Manor, the main residence of the Nanrong Family. He pressed the doorbell, and soon, the Nanrong Family¡¯s butler, Liu Kun, appeared at the door.


    Seeing Liu Wei outside, Liu Kun asked, "Who are you looking for?"


    "I¡¯m here to see Miss Nanrong. Please inform her that Liu Wei is here to discuss something important. I think she is eager to meet me now."


    Liu Kun scrutinized Liu Wei with half-belief, then said, "Wait a moment!" With that, he made a call to Nanrong Wanqing. After exchanging a few words, Liu Kun opened the door and made a ¡¯please¡¯ gesture, courteously saying, "Mr. Liu, please follow me!"


    "Thank you!"


    Soon, Liu Wei followed Liu Kun to the vi where Nanrong Wanqing lived. Standing at the doorway, Nanrong Wanqing had been waiting for a while. As soon as she saw Liu Wei arrive, she immediately said, "Uncle Liu, you may go about your activities." Without waiting for Liu Kun to say anything, Nanrong Wanqing coldly looked at Liu Wei and said in an indifferent tone, "Come inside with me."


    As the guest and host took their seats, Nanrong Wanqing took out her phone, pointed to the photo Liu Wei had just sent, and asked coldly, "What is this contract about? I don¡¯t remember signing any contract with you, Liu Wei. You better give me a reasonable exnation."


    Liu Wei smiled faintly and said, "Miss Nanrong, please remain calm. I believe you¡¯ve seen the contents of this contract. Everything the Liu Family does in East Sea City involves the participation and authorization of Hongyu Group, including the Tianyu Leisure Club I¡¯m currently operating, of which you own half the shares. Therefore, no matter what issues arise at the leisure club, you will also bear half the responsibility." Saying this, Liu Wei couldn¡¯t help butugh, "Miss Nanrong, you and I are now in the same boat. No matter what I do, you have to support it. Otherwise, if any issue arises, your Hongyu Group will also suffer."


    "Enough!" Nanrong Wanqing suddenly stood up and said coldly, "Liu Wei, don¡¯t think I¡¯ll believe your nonsense. This contract is forged by you; I have never signed such a contract. If you think you can deceive me like this, you are gravely mistaken."


    Liu Wei smiled slightly and leisurely said, "Miss Nanrong, I know you don¡¯t believe it, so I brought a copy of the contract." Saying this, Liu Wei took a folded contract out of his pocket and spread it out in front of Nanrong Wanqing.


    "Miss Nanrong, see for yourself. It not only has your signature but also your fingerprint, thus holding legal efficacy."


    Nanrong Wanqing nced at it and said coldly, "Do you think I would believe this? Liu Wei, don¡¯t think that by forging a contract you can deceive me."


    Liu Wei shrugged, smiling, and said, "Miss Nanrong, believe it or not, but I want to inform you that the police are currently conducting a raid at Tianyu Leisure Club. My club inevitably involves some illegal operations, so if it affects you and tarnishes Hongyu Group¡¯s reputation, it won¡¯t be a good thing. Miss Nanrong, you are a smart person and should know what to do. Well! I¡¯ve said what I needed to say, the rest is up to you." With that, Liu Wei stood up and headed towards the door.


    Watching Liu Wei¡¯s departing figure, Nanrong Wanqing frowned, her gaze lingering over the photocopy of the contract. After a moment, she gritted her teeth and picked up her phone to dial a number.

 Chapter 1072 - 1079: The Cunning Liu Wei (3)

    <h4>Chapter 1072: Chapter 1079: The Cunning Liu Wei (3)</h4>


    "Hello! Sister, it¡¯s me. What? Is that true... Are you sure? Okay, I understand. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll handle it."


    Hanging up the phone, Nanrong Hao put down his cell phone, looked at Ling Chen and Jiang Hao beside him, and said, "Chen, there¡¯s a problem! My sister¡¯s in trouble."


    Ling Chen asked anxiously, "What¡¯s wrong with Wanqing?"


    "It¡¯s that bastard Liu Wei; we underestimated him." In the middle of speaking, Nanrong Hao¡¯s phone buzzed with a message. "Look, Chen, here¡¯s the contract Liu Wei gave my sister." Nanrong Hao handed the phone screen to Ling Chen.


    After reading the contract, Ling Chen¡¯s expression turned serious; he frowned and said, "How could your sister sign such a contract with Liu Wei? Isn¡¯t she pushing herself into the fire pit?"


    "I just asked my sister. She doesn¡¯t recall signing that contract, but Liu Wei brought it to her door. And judging from Liu Wei¡¯s words, it doesn¡¯t seem to be a forgery. If it were a fake, Liu Wei wouldn¡¯t be so confident. Oh, and there¡¯s something else. Look at the date on the contract. My sister told me that Liu Wei went to Hongyu Group that day to see her, but she didn¡¯t sign any contract with him. Chen, with your experience, do you think that¡¯s possible?"


    Ling Chen thought for a moment and said, "Liu Wei is a clever man; he wouldn¡¯t do anything unless he¡¯s certain. Tianyu Leisure Club was investigated and sooner orter will be forcibly closed. Liu Wei went to Wanqing to seek her help in resolving this issue. I believe the contract is genuine; as for how Liu Wei got Wanqing to sign it, that¡¯s unknown."


    "What do we do now?" Jiang Hao asked, "Officer Xia and his team have moved up there. If the investigation continues, the Nanrong family will definitely be implicated. If word gets out, it would be a significant blow to Hongyu Group."


    ...


    "Arrest them all." On the sixth floor of Tianyu Leisure Club, Xia Mutongmanded a group of police officers to escort the men and women from the room into the hallway.


    "Officer Xia, Officer Xia." At this time, Li Yan hurried over from the elevator.


    Xia Mutong nced at her and snorted, "Manager Li, didn¡¯t you say there¡¯s no illegal business here? What¡¯s going on? Exin this to me."


    "This..." Li Yan forced a smile, "Officer Xia, I can assure you that our Tianyu Leisure Club has always operated legally, never engaging in any illegal activities. As for them... men and women meet and use our ce to develop rtionships, it shouldn¡¯t be a big deal. Officer Xia, please help and don¡¯t make a fuss over it."


    "Hmph! That¡¯s easy to say. I¡¯m telling you, don¡¯t try any tricks on me. Come on, take them all back for investigation. Seal this ce until we have rity."


    "No, no, please!" Li Yan¡¯s face turned pale, and she tried to plead, but Xia Mutong gave her no chance and had her handcuffed directly.


    At this moment, Xia Mutong suddenly heard her phone ringing in her pocket. She answered with a ¡¯hello¡¯, though it was unclear what the other party said, and her face suddenly became grim.


    Putting down the phone, Xia Mutong furrowed her brow, her face like frost, watched her busy colleagues, and coldly ordered, "Release them."


    Release them?


    The more than ten police officers thought they heard wrong, all looking towards Xia Mutong, asking, "Captain Xia, what did you just say?"


    Xia Mutong took a deep breath, trying to hold back her anger, and said in a deep voice, "Release them, withdraw!" Saying that, without waiting for further questions, Xia Mutong walked straight into the elevator.


    Dammit!


    Standing in the elevator, Xia Mutong cursed silently. Though there was solid evidence, and she could take people back, a call from above ordered her to release them and withdraw immediately. Even if she was unwilling, she had to obey the order.


    After leaving Tianyu Leisure Club, Xia Mutong was about to get into the police car but saw a familiar face.


    "Officer Xia." Ling Chen leaned against the car door, waving at Xia Mutong.


    "What are you doing here?" Xia Mutong approached and asked aggressively, as if someone owed her millions.


    "Officer Xia, are you upset?"


    Xia Mutong answered irritably, "Whether I¡¯m upset has nothing to do with you, you..." Her words were cut short as she suddenly stopped, staring coldly at Ling Chen and said icily, "How did you know I was upset unless..." Xia Mutong pointed towards the Tianyu Leisure Club behind her and said, "Just now, was it you?" The thought made Xia Mutong even more furious as if fire was about to burst from her eyes. She knew Ling Chen¡¯s abilities could indeed pull this off.


    Seeing Xia Mutong on the verge of exploding, Ling Chen quickly waved his hands, "Don¡¯t get me wrong, I did nothing. Come on, get in the car; we¡¯ll talk slowly."


    Seeing Ling Chen get into the car, Xia Mutong didn¡¯t hesitate and sat in the passenger seat. She wanted to see what excuse this guy had.


    "Just now, a leader called me to stop the operation. Wasn¡¯t it you causing trouble?" Xia Mutong was still quite suspicious of Ling Chen.


    Ling Chen replied helplessly, "Officer Xia, we¡¯ve known each other for a while, haven¡¯t we? You know what kind of person I am. If I did it, I would admit it. However, tonight¡¯s matter really wasn¡¯t my interference; it was Wanqing¡¯s doing. She called your leader, hoping to give them a break."


    "Miss Nanrong?" Xia Mutong was surprised and asked puzzledly, "Why? Did that leisure club have anything to do with her?"


    "It wasn¡¯t rted initially, but now it is. Half of that leisure club¡¯s shares belong to Hongyu Group."


    Hearing this, Xia Mutong couldn¡¯t hold back her anger.


    "Just because the leisure club¡¯s owner is the Nanrong family, we should cover for them? No way! I know Hongyu Group is wealthy and powerful, but inw, everyone is equal. I will never let them off. Stop the car, take me back!"


    Seeing Xia Mutong¡¯s overwhelming sense of justice, Ling Chen shook his head, "Officer Xia, don¡¯t get excited; I haven¡¯t finished. Although Hongyu Group is involved, they aren¡¯t heavily implicated, and actually, Wanqing is also a victim."


    Ling Chen then exined the situation.


    After listening, Xia Mutong calmed down significantly.


    "So, we should be arresting Liu Wei?"


    "Exactly! However, that guy somehow got Wanqing to sign the contract, which means whatever Liu Wei does, Hongyu Group will take the fall for it."


    "If that¡¯s the case, let¡¯s arrest them all and slowly interrogate them."


    "Officer Xia, don¡¯t act impulsively; dealing with this kind of person doesn¡¯t involve reasoning."


    "Then what¡¯s your n?"


    Ling Chen smirked subtly, "Just wait and see."

 Chapter 1073 - 1080: There’s Always a Higher Mountain

    <h4>Chapter 1073: Chapter 1080: There¡¯s Always a Higher Mountain</h4>


    Half an hourter, the car drove to the outside of Wealthy Manor.


    "Why did you bring me here?" Xia Mutong looked at Ling Chen, puzzled, and asked, "Are you nning to find Nanrong Wanqing?"


    "No, not Wanqing, but someone else." Ling Chen kept a secret and drove directly into Wealthy Manor. Along the road in themunity, the car soon stopped by a big tree.


    After turning off the engine, Ling Chen pointed to a vi with its lights on not far away and said, "Our target tonight is there."


    "Who? That¡¯s not Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s residence." Xia Mutong had visited the Nanrong Family several times, so she naturally knew Ling Chen wasn¡¯t referring to Nanrong Wanqing.


    "Liu Wei!" Ling Chen said, spitting out two words: "I had someone investigate, Liu Wei has purchased a vi at Wealthy Manor, and judging by his appearance, he¡¯s nning to live here long-term." At this point, Ling Chen chuckled and continued, "Liu Wei has a good n, he chose to live near the Nanrong Family. This way, even if something happens, he can rely on the Nanrong Family."


    Xia Mutong said seriously, "Ling Chen, I warn you, don¡¯t do anything illegal. If you dare act on your own, don¡¯t me me for the trouble."


    Ling Chen grinned: "Officer Xia, I know this is illegal, which is why I called you to help. With your authorization, all my actions are legal."


    This bastard!


    Xia Mutong rolled her eyes at Ling Chen, isn¡¯t this enticing her tomit a crime?


    Sensing Xia Mutong¡¯s displeasure, Ling Chen chuckled awkwardly and quickly exined, "Officer Xia, don¡¯t get me wrong, some things can¡¯t be too rigid, you must learn to be flexible. Besides, I¡¯m not asking you to assist me in illegal activities, I just want you to go to Liu Wei¡¯s ce and have a good chat with him."


    "Chat about what?"


    "It¡¯s up to you, after all, you¡¯re a police officer, you¡¯re familiar with tactics like warnings and threats. As long as you grab the person¡¯s attention, you don¡¯t have to worry about anything else, I¡¯ll handle it myself." Pausing, Ling Chen continued before Xia Mutong could speak: "Officer Xia, dealing with a cunning scoundrel like Liu Wei requires unconventional methods, don¡¯t you want to bring the bad guy to justice?"


    "Of course, but I want to use legitimate methods. If everyone acts like you, what¡¯s the use of the police then?"


    "Alright! I know you¡¯re a righteous person. Let¡¯s consider this as just helping me this time, okay?"


    Looking at Ling Chen¡¯s pleading eyes, Xia Mutong desperately wanted to refuse. However, as soon as she spoke, her words changed.


    "Alright, I¡¯ll help you this time. But I remind you, don¡¯t hurt anyone."


    Ling Chen¡¯s lips curled as he smiled and nodded: "Don¡¯t worry, I guarantee no one will know I was there."


    After getting out of the car, Xia Mutong arranged her police uniform ording to Ling Chen¡¯s request and walked straight toward Liu Wei¡¯s vi. As soon as she sessfully entered, Ling Chen quickly left the car and snuck around to the back of the vi. He nced at the air conditioning unit hanging on the wall, then pushed off with both legs, using the momentum to jump over two meters high, and grabbed onto the iron frame below the air conditioner.


    In an instant, Ling Chen easily climbed up to the second-floor balcony of the vi.


    Ling Chen asked Xia Mutong to meet Liu Wei mainly to distract the two middle-aged men beside Liu Wei. When they metst time, he had noticed those two men: calm and steady, not ordinary people. If his guess was correct, those middle-aged men should be martial arts experts responsible for Liu Wei¡¯s safety. The Liu Family, though in decline, still maintains its wealthy heritage, much like a camel that is stronger than a horse even when skinny.


    Tonight¡¯s operation must be cautious and avoid detection; otherwise, everything will be in vain.


    As Ling Chen expected, Liu Wei and his men were all drawn downstairs to the living room by Xia Mutong, leaving the upper floor empty. Liu Wei had just moved in, besides his men, he hadn¡¯t had time to recruit maids and butlers.


    Soon, Ling Chen found Liu Wei¡¯s bedroom.


    Ling Chen¡¯s objective was clear: find the contract. Liu Wei wouldn¡¯t carry such an important thing with him; it must be in the room. After a careful search, Ling Chen quickly discovered a safe inside a cab. Using the skills he learned during the Ghost training days, Ling Chen opened it effortlessly.


    The safe contained not only hundreds of thousands of cash but also several file folders. Ling Chen took these folders from the safe, checking them one by one, searching for the contract.


    After more than ten seconds, Ling Chen¡¯s eyes suddenly lit up and the corners of his mouth subtly raised. Skill did not let down a person of determination, as the contract was indeed here.


    After quickly browsing the contract¡¯s contents to confirm uracy, Ling Chen put the contract into his pocket. Then he took out another contract from inside his clothes. The content of this contract was identical to the first; it simply hadn¡¯t been signed or stamped.


    Earlier, Nanrong Wanqing had sent the contract to Nanrong Hao for viewing; Ling Chen happened to be nearby and asked Nanrong Hao to forward the photo to him. With that photo, Ling Chen replicated the contract. Now, Ling Chen pulled out a pen and imitated Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s and Liu Kun¡¯s signatures at the bottom of the contract, then pressed his fingerprint.


    After drying the ink, Ling Chen returned everything to the safe and locked it up again.


    Leaving the bedroom, Ling Chen didn¡¯t linger and jumped directly from the balcony. He returned to the car shortly after, just in time to see Xia Mutong walking over quickly.


    Noting Xia Mutong¡¯s angry expression, Ling Chen curiously asked, "What¡¯s wrong?"


    Xia Mutong snorted coldly and said in a huff, "That guy named Liu Wei is too arrogant. I really want to p him." After speaking, Xia Mutong turned to Ling Chen and asked, "Did you finish what you set out to do?"


    Ling Chen nodded: "All done."


    "Good, no matter what you do this time, I¡¯ll support you as long as you deal with that guy."


    Hearing this, Ling Chen couldn¡¯t help but smile. It seemed Xia Mutong was greatly angered at Liu Wei¡¯s ce.


    ...


    "President Liu, should we really not worry? The police havee knocking, I¡¯m afraid it will be unfavorable for our future development."


    Inside the vi, listening to his subordinates¡¯ concerns, Liu Wei chuckled it off: "What¡¯s there to be afraid of? It¡¯s just a single police officer. Plus, with Hongyu Group backing us, who dares make a move? Didn¡¯t you see, Nanrong Wanqing was worried I¡¯d be implicated and affect Hongyu Group¡¯s reputation, so she proactively leveraged her rtionships to drive the police away from the leisure club. Once there¡¯s a first time, the second and third times will surely follow, so we don¡¯t need to worry. We just need to focus on expanding our influence peacefully."

 Chapter 1074 - 1081: Purely a Misunderstanding (1)

    <h4>Chapter 1074: Chapter 1081: Purely a Misunderstanding (1)</h4>


    "President Liu, should we continue with the n for tomorrow?"


    "Continue, of course, we must continue!" Liu Wei replied with a smile. "At times like this, we must strike while the iron is hot and let Nanrong Wanqing join us with peace of mind."


    "Speaking of which, President Liu, that Nanrong Wanqing, as one of East Sea City¡¯s flowers, is indeed quite stunning, even more beautiful than Liu Xiyao by a few degrees. Tsk, tsk! Having such a woman in a lifetime would be worth it." The man grinned lecherously, eyes gleaming with a light only men have.


    "Nanrong Wanqing is a typical Eastern beauty, truly remarkable. However, such a woman is only worth conquering. Anyways, our Liu family is preparing to put down roots in East Sea City; it might be worth a try. If we can secure Nanrong Wanqing, then Hongyu Group will alsoe under the Liu family." At this moment, Liu Wei appeared extraordinarily excited. He only thought of leveraging the Nanrong Family¡¯s influence in East Sea City, never considering acquiring the Nanrong Family.


    The idea suddenly urred to Liu Wei, and his eyes lit up. This was not an impossible task; just some tricks would be enough to get Nanrong Wanqing. By then, Hongyu Group would still have to listen to him. It seems his choice was right. By developing in East Sea City this time, not only can he restore the Liu family¡¯s former glory, but he might also elevate the Liu family to new heights.


    Thinking of this, Liu Wei grinned,ughing loudly as if Hongyu Group was alreadyid out for him.


    ...


    After bringing Xia Mutong to the police station, Ling Chen didn¡¯t stay long before driving back home alone.


    By now, it was already three in the morning. Ling Chen returned home, hadn¡¯t entered yet, but found the light in his room was on. Strange! It¡¯s sote already, Yang Qingling and the others must be asleep, who could be in his room?


    Walking through the living room, Ling Chen tiptoed to the bedroom door, saw it was ajar, and gently pushed it open, stepping inside.


    As Ling Chen entered the bedroom, someone emerged from the bathroom inside. Upon seeing the person, Ling Chen was taken aback.


    Liu Xiyao! How is it her?


    At that moment, Liu Xiyao was only wearing a bathrobe, draping her graceful body, revealing snowy skin and deep cleavage, with a faint fragrance wafting into Ling Chen¡¯s nose, stirring his heart, filling his eyes with admiration.


    Looking like a lotus out of water, Liu Xiyao now exuded endless allure from head to toe. No man could resist such temptation. Unconsciously, Ling Chen¡¯s lower body reacted.


    As their eyes met, not only Ling Chen froze, but Liu Xiyao also paused, surprised to see Ling Chen. After a brief moment of confusion, Liu Xiyao¡¯s gaze fell downwards, catching sight of the tent raised below Ling Chen.


    Instantly, Liu Xiyao¡¯s fair face blushed furiously, turning as red as fire.


    Ling Chen swallowed, feeling as if his throat was blocked, unable to utter a word.


    "Sorry about that..." Liu Xiyao quickly lowered her head, not daring to look at Ling Chen¡¯s body¡¯s changes, murmuring softly, "The bathroom in my room was out of order, nowhere to bathe, so I borrowed your bathroom."


    "No problem." Ling Chen came back to his senses, forcing a smile. "I thought a thief came in, you..." Ling Chen wanted to say more, but his body¡¯s condition made him increasingly ufortable. To avoid prolonging the awkwardness, Ling Chen changed the subject directly, saying, "Busy a whole night, I¡¯ll check if there¡¯s anything to eat in the kitchen, you... carry on." With that, Ling Chen hurriedly left the room.


    Coming into the kitchen, Ling Chen leaned against the fridge, panting heavily. Too tempting! Although she was wearing a bathrobe, Liu Xiyao¡¯s voluptuous and towering figure couldn¡¯t be hidden, undoubtedly a perfect golden ratio. He¡¯d seen Nanrong Wanqing and Zhu Xiaozhu¡¯s figures, but the two still had a bit of youthful innocence,cking Liu Xiyao¡¯s mature allure.


    Calming his mood, a few minutester, Ling Chen returned to the bedroom. By then, Liu Xiyao had already gone back to her own room.


    Taking off his coat, Ling Chen, bare-chested, went into the bathroom, intending to shower and have a good sleep.


    As he opened the door and entered the bathroom, his gaze was immediately drawn to a striking purple near the bathtub.


    Is this... Ling Chen¡¯s eyes widened, feeling his breath gradually bing rushed. Liu Xiyao must¡¯ve left in a hurry earlier, forgetting to take her changed intimate wear.


    Ling Chen had heard Nanrong Hao and those seasoned veterans say before, generally, women who wear dark-colored underwear tend to be the sultry type.


    Could Liu Xiyao... Thinking this, Ling Chen couldn¡¯t help but smack his own forehead. What nonsense was he thinking? Too indecent.


    Gathering his thoughts, Ling Chen turned on the bathwater, lying inside. But the conspicuous dark underwear kept catching Ling Chen¡¯s gaze, and beyond that, an inexplicable me seemed to burn inside him, making it hard to stay calm.


    Knock, knock, knock!


    At that moment, a sudden series of knocks came from outside the bedroom door. Ling Chen instinctively responded, quickly grabbing a bath towel to cover his vital part, heading to the door.


    Opening the door, as expected, standing there wasn¡¯t anyone else but Liu Xiyao.


    Now, Liu Xiyao was dressed in a sexyce nightgown, her fair skin faintly showing, even revealing a hint of ck underneath.


    Tsk, tsk! Again with the dark tone, could Liu Xiyao really be like Nanrong Hao and the others said?


    Noticing Ling Chen¡¯s eyes were fixated on her chest, Liu Xiyao¡¯s pretty face turned red, feeling a bit irritated. This lecherous guy didn¡¯t bother to hide his gaze.


    Biting her lip lightly, Liu Xiyao was about to speak. But when she noticed Ling Chen was covered with a towel, her beautiful eyes shed with a hint of embarrassment, words pulled back.


    Had hurriedly returned to her room earlier, leaving her intimate clothing in the bathroom. Since Ling Chen was wearing a towel, he must have found her left clothing. Thinking this, Liu Xiyao¡¯s cheeks felt feverish, pale skin tinged with rosy red, highlighting her appeal.


    "Xiyao, you... got something to say?" Ling Chen was pretending not to know; he obviously knew why Liu Xiyao came. Only, it wasn¡¯t suitable for him as a man to mention it first. Otherwise, both would find it awkwardly embarrassing.


    "I left something in the bathroom," Liu Xiyao replied softly, lowering her head, avoiding eye contact with Ling Chen.


    "Really? I didn¡¯t see anything. Should I bring it over for you?" Ling Chen yed dumb, smiling innocently.


    Wise as Liu Xiyao was, she understood Ling Chen¡¯s hint. Since Ling Chen feigned ignorance, she certainly wasn¡¯t going to rify outright.

 Chapter 1075 - 1082: Purely a Misunderstanding (2)

    <h4>Chapter 1075: Chapter 1082: Purely a Misunderstanding (2)</h4>


    "Can I go in and get it?"


    "No problem." Ling Chen responded readily, stepping aside to let Liu Xiyao quickly walk into the bathroom.


    A short whileter, Liu Xiyao came out of the bathroom, her face flushed red, clutching a bundle in her hands. She didn¡¯t even look up as she hurried out. Once outside the door, she stopped abruptly, looked back at Ling Chen, and softly said thank you.


    As soon as Liu Xiyao left, Ling Chen let out a long breath and casually closed the door.


    Strange! Ling Chen suddenly realized, it¡¯s sote already, why hasn¡¯t Liu Xiyao gone to bed yet? Surely she didn¡¯t just have a spur-of-the-moment urge to take a bath. While considering this, Ling Chen vaguely recalled those two intimate garments in the bathroom, and it seemed... it seemed like there was some liquid sticking to them, could it be... tsk tsk! It appears Nanrong Hao and the others weren¡¯t wrong.


    Liu Xiyao is not that young anymore, and since she hasn¡¯t found a man, naturally she might have certain needs. Ling Chen found thispletely understandable.


    After taking a bath, Ling Cheny directly on the bed and soon fell into a deep sleep.


    ...


    The next day.


    Hongyu Group, chairman¡¯s office.


    Nanrong Wanqing sat at her desk, frowning as if lost in thought. After a while, there was a ¡¯knock knock knock¡¯ on the door from outside the office.


    "Come in!"


    With Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s words, Nanrong Hao walked in from outside. Seeing it was her brother, Nanrong Wanqing got up and instructed, "Lock the door."


    Nanrong Hao obedientlyplied and, after locking the office door, came to Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s side and asked, "Sister, did you call me here because that bastard Liu Wei is threatening you again?"


    Nanrong Wanqing sighed lightly but said nothing, her expression spoke volumes.


    "Damn it!" Nanrong Hao couldn¡¯t help but curse, his eyes shing with a hint of malice, angrily saying, "Sister, with the way that bastard is acting, he definitely won¡¯t stop easily, he¡¯ll keep pushing and pushing. I¡¯d say, just take him out to prevent him from dragging Hongyu Group down."


    Hearing Nanrong Hao¡¯s murderous words, Nanrong Wanqing was taken aback, staring at her brother in disbelief. For a brief moment, she felt her brother became aplete stranger, not at all like the Nanrong Hao she used to know.


    The old Nanrong Hao was timid, well-behaved, and didn¡¯t dare to speak a harsh word. Now, he even had thoughts of killing, and from his tone, it seemed like a normal matter.


    Sensing Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s gaze, Nanrong Hao couldn¡¯t help but ask, "Sister, what¡¯s wrong, did I say something wrong?"


    "I¡¯ll pretend I didn¡¯t hear what you just said and don¡¯t want to hear anything like that again in the future. Is that clear?" Nanrong Wanqing scolded, "No matter what, our Nanrong family must not do anything illegal or criminal."


    Nanrong Hao urgently said, "Sister, you¡¯ve seen how that bastard Liu Wei bullies us. If we do nothing, he¡¯ll only think we¡¯re easy targets."


    "Enough! I will find a way to handle this."


    "Sister, it¡¯s not that I don¡¯t trust your abilities, but... how do you n to resolve it? Liu Wei is a rogue, and the best way to deal with a rogue is to be even more rogue. Sister, believe me, I¡¯m better at handling this. If you really don¡¯t want me to step in, then fine, ask Chen to help."


    Hearing Nanrong Hao mention Ling Chen, Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s expression changed slightly. She stood up and shouted, "Enough! Don¡¯t mention him in front of me. He has nothing to do with our Nanrong family, so why should we ask him for help?"


    "Sister, you¡¯re being heartless," Nanrong Hao said defiantly. "I admit Chen did make some mistakes, but to be fair, he has never questioned our Nanrong family. Whether it¡¯s you or me, Chen has saved our lives. All this time, you¡¯ve been avoiding seeing Chen, I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re thinking, but in my opinion, you¡¯re being selfish. Every time Chen sees me, he asks about you, wanting to know how you¡¯re doing. Even when not in the Nanrong family, his concern for us hasn¡¯t diminished."


    "You..." Nanrong Wanqing opened her mouth, trying to interrupt Nanrong Hao.


    But Nanrong Hao didn¡¯t give her a chance to speak.


    "Sister, every man makes mistakes, and Chen didn¡¯t do it on purpose. If you¡¯re looking for a man who will obey your everymand and never make a mistake, I¡¯ll tell you, that¡¯s impossible unless you go outside and keep a young lover. Chen is excellent, and you know that better than I do. To be honest, Chen has many female friends around him. Whether it¡¯s Liu Xiyao, Tang Shiyun, or Leng Feifei, they¡¯re all outstanding women. If you don¡¯t hold on to him now, and he gets attracted to someone else, you¡¯ll regret it."


    After saying so much, Nanrong Hao took a deep breath to calm himself and said as evenly as he could, "Sister, I¡¯m saying this because I don¡¯t want you to regret it. Chen is a good man, and any good man will attract attention from women. So, no matter what you¡¯re thinking, I hope you think it through and don¡¯t let pride cost you a lifetime of happiness. That¡¯s all I have to say, think about it. As for Liu Wei¡¯s affair... if you can¡¯t handle it, I¡¯ll take care of it. Hongyu Group is the blood and sweat of the Nanrong family, and we can¡¯t let outsiders ruin it."


    With that, not waiting for Nanrong Wanqing to say anything, Nanrong Hao directly walked out of the office.


    Watching Nanrong Hao¡¯s figure disappear at the door, Nanrong Wanqing felt as if she had lost all her strength, copsing into her office chair, her eyes nk.


    Just now, Nanrong Hao¡¯s words were like a heavy hammer, smashing against her heart, leaving her breathless. Indeed, because of the matters with Leng Feifei and Zhu Xiaozhu, she felt really ufortable, and without resolving this internal conflict, she didn¡¯t know how to face Ling Chen.


    But no matter what, she couldn¡¯t deny her feelings for Ling Chen. If the feelings were really so thin, she wouldn¡¯t be so troubled. Every night, she tossed and turned, unable to sleep, and Ling Chen¡¯s figure constantly appeared in her mind.


    Maybe... maybe Nanrong Hao is right; there are too many outstanding women around Ling Chen. Choosing to let go now would only give them a chance. If Ling Chen really gets involved with someone else, she would certainly regret it.


    In her chaotic thoughts, the phone on her desk suddenly rang, startling Nanrong Wanqing awake. Picking up the receiver, whatever was said on the other end of the line caused Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s expression to change.


    "I understand. Wait, I¡¯ming right over!" She replied, hanging up the phone, and headed straight out of the office.

 Chapter 1076 - 1083: Threatening Visit (Part 1)

    <h4>Chapter 1076: Chapter 1083: Threatening Visit (Part 1)</h4>


    In less than half an hour, Nanrong Wanqing, escorted by Zhong Wei and others, arrived at a business hotel in a Rolls-Royce.


    After getting out of the car, Nanrong Wanqing didn¡¯t pause for a moment, she hurriedly rushed to the third floor of the hotel. This wasn¡¯t Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s first visit to this business hotel, as she had attended many meetings here before. Aftering out of the elevator, apanied by Zhong Wei and Liang Zhao Hui, Nanrong Wanqing quickly headed to the meeting room, didn¡¯t even knock on the door, and just burst in.


    At the moment, there were over ten people gathered in the meeting room, of all ages, all of them men.


    Seeing Nanrong Wanqing enter from the outside, everyone stood up and surrounded her. Before Nanrong Wanqing could speak, they began talking all at once, like a swarm of mosquitoes buzzing, which was utterly annoying.


    "Miss Nanrong, you¡¯d better give us a reasonable exnation."


    "Exactly! Even though your Hongyu Group is the business leader in East Sea City, you can¡¯t act recklessly like this. How are we supposed to continue in the future this way?"


    "Chairman Nanrong, if you don¡¯t give us an ount today, we¡¯ll have to ask the Economic Crime Division to step in."


    "Enough!" Nanrong Wanqing slightly frowned, spoke impatiently, "Let¡¯s speak one by one, what¡¯s going on exactly?"


    Everyone present were entrepreneurs from East Sea City; the Nanrong Family is the business leader in East Sea City, they see each other regrly, so they were not unfamiliar with these people.


    "Uncle Liu, you speak first." Nanrong Wanqing pointed at a middle-aged man among them and said. The man was named Liu Quan, who had coborated with Hongyu Group before, considered fostered by the Nanrong Family, which allowed Liu Quan¡¯s business to grow bigger. Therefore, among the agitated crowd, his attitude was the best, and he remained the calmest.


    Upon Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s inquiry, Liu Quan slowly started speaking, "Miss Nanrong, here¡¯s the situation..."


    After listening to Liu Quan¡¯s ount, Nanrong Wanqing quickly understood the cause and effect of the matter. It turned out that Liu Wei had met with everyone a few hours ago, and it was in this meeting room. Liu Wei imed to be a partner with Hongyu Group and wanted to establish cooperative rtions with everyone, with multiple parties investing in setting up factories in multiple fields for production manufacturing.


    The ns proposed by Liu Wei were excellent, but everyone is a businessperson and understands market demands best. Currently, the market in East Sea City is close to saturation, there¡¯s little profit, and no big money. So, everyone was not very interested in Liu Wei¡¯s proposals. It¡¯s really unnecessary to go through the hassle and effort for a seven-figure annual ie. For them, at least eight-figure profits are needed to attract interest.


    Originally, everyone was ready to leave, but Liu Wei stopped them at the door and didn¡¯t allow anyone to leave. Not only that, but Liu Wei also took out their leverage and threatened them to sign contracts and jointly invest and run businesses. Doing this was like everyone contributing money and effort, while Liu Wei only needed to manage, then collecting profits annually, equivalent to making the most without spending anything.


    No one would be willing to do such a thing. More importantly, Liu Wei, when leaving, said that he had signed a contract with Hongyu Group, and all matters involved the participation and authorization of the Nanrong Family. If they wanted to argue, they should go directly to Nanrong Wanqing.


    This is why everyone was eager to call Nanrong Wanqing over.


    After understanding the situation, Nanrong Wanqing seemed very helpless. She had long expected Liu Wei wouldn¡¯t give up easily, but didn¡¯t expect him to be so ruthless, directly trapping so many people.


    "Miss Nanrong." Liu Quan asked in front of everyone, "I just want to know, is your Hongyu Group protecting that Liu Wei?"


    Hearing this, Nanrong Wanqing was at a loss for words. The contract clearly stiptes the terms, with her signature and fingerprint, both legally effective. Although she didn¡¯t want to admit it in her heart, this was the fact; if she refuted, Liu Wei only needs to present that contract, then she would be branded as deceiving everyone. By that time, she and Hongyu Group¡¯s reputation would surely be greatly affected.


    Seeing Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s prolonged silence, a slightly older middle-aged man couldn¡¯t help but shout: "Nanrong Wanqing, are you guilty or afraid to speak? We trusted you so much, yet you did such a thing. We really were blind to have elected you as the Chairman of the Chamber of Commerce."


    Besides being the Chairman of Hongyu Group, Nanrong Wanqing is also the Chairman of the Chamber of Commerce in East Sea City, specializing in safeguarding merchants¡¯ interests. Because of this, Nanrong Wanqing is highly respected in East Sea City¡¯s businessmunity.


    Seeing everyone looking ferocious, Zhong Wei and Liang Zhao Hui apanying became worried Nanrong Wanqing might be in trouble, hurriedly stood before her to prevent these angry businessmen from identally injuring Nanrong Wanqing.


    "Zhong Wei, you all step aside." Nanrong Wanqing made a calm gesture for Zhong Wei and the others to step down.


    "Everyone!" Nanrong Wanqing swept her gaze over everyone present, saying, "I¡¯m very sorry about this, and I want to offer my sincere apologies to you all here. There are some issues between Liu Wei and me that have not been resolved yet, and because of me, you have suffered losses, I also have to bear part of the responsibility. Here, I guarantee to you all that Hongyu Group will never do anything that harms everyone¡¯s interests."


    "So what about the losses we have now? Will your Hongyu Grouppensate?" someone called out from the crowd.


    Nanrong Wanqing nced at the person who spoke and said, "Everyone, I admit it¡¯s my fault, but don¡¯t push all the problems onto me. Uncle Liu, you just said Liu Wei used your leverage to threaten you; I want to know what leverage, that allows you to willingly be threatened by him."


    Upon hearing this, the crowd looked at each other in silence, hard to speak it seemed.


    Liu Quan hesitated for a moment, lightly coughed and said, "Miss Nanrong, it¡¯s like this, we... we¡¯ve all yed at the Tianyu Leisure Club, inevitably made some... I won¡¯t exin, but you can understand. Liu Wei is the owner of Tianyu Leisure Club, he secretly recorded the videos and used them to threaten us. If we don¡¯t cooperate, he¡¯s prepared to post the videos online. It¡¯s about everyone¡¯s reputation, and we have no choice, so..."


    "So you¡¯re letting him extort and threaten you?" Nanrong Wanqing sneered, her tone mocking. No wonder only men are present, and not a single woman, only men would go and revel in such a ce.


    Men... They all have the same habit indeed!


    "So, not all the responsibility lies with me. If you weren¡¯t living indiscriminately, how would there be leverage falling into Liu Wei¡¯s hands? Now it¡¯s good, all the responsibility is pushed onto me, do you think Hongyu Group is easy to bully?"


    Nanrong Wanqing nced over everyone, feeling her gaze, everyone subconsciously turned away, not daring to meet her eyes.

 Chapter 1077 - 1084: The Doorstep Threat (Part 2)

    <h4>Chapter 1077: Chapter 1084: The Doorstep Threat (Part 2)</h4>


    Liu Quan apanied with a smile, "Miss Nanrong, we didn¡¯t mean that, it¡¯s just... that Liu Wei is obviously using your Hongyu Group as a backing. If things continue like this, it won¡¯t just be us who suffer. Just think about it, if something happens, how can your Hongyu Group stand its ground?"


    "Uncle Liu, I understand the seriousness of the situation, don¡¯t worry, I will handle this matter as soon as possible and won¡¯t let the impact expand. Okay, if there¡¯s nothing else, I¡¯ll go first. Call me directly if there¡¯s anything." After saying this, Nanrong Wanqing called Zhong Wei and Liang Zhao Hui, turned around, and walked out of the conference room.


    Back in the car, Nanrong Wanqing, who had been silent, spoke up: "Zhong Wei, help me find Liu Wei, and tell him I want to see him."


    "Understood!" Zhong Wei nodded and responded.


    Upon reaching Hongyu Group, Nanrong Wanqing walked into her office. Just as she crossed the door, she suddenly thought of something, turned back, and looked at Wang Lan outside the door: "Lan,e in with me."


    "Chairman, is there anything you want to instruct?" Wang Lan followed Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s steps and asked.


    Nanrong Wanqing pointed to the sofa and asked, "That day when Liu Wei came to see me, I remember there was a broken ss on the floor at the time. I even asked you about it. What was that about?"


    "A ss? Yes, Chairman, there was such a thing. At that time, there were only you and Mr. Liu in the office. When I went in, the ss was already broken. But after Mr. Liu left, you asked me why there was a broken ss on the floor. I was wondering, you should know how the ss broke, why didn¡¯t you know and instead asked me."


    "The day Liu Wei came, did I show anything unusual?"


    Wang Lan thought for a moment and said, "Nothing particrly unusual, but after Mr. Liu left, you told me you were feeling unwell and asked Captain Zhong to arrange a car to take you back."


    "Is there anything else?"


    "Nothing else."


    "Alright, I got it. You can go out first. I¡¯ll call you if anythinges up."


    After Wang Lan left the office, Nanrong Wanqing sat alone on the sofa, recalling the scene when she met Liu Wei that day. However, for some reason, the memory of that day was very hazy, and she had no impression of what happened within a few minutes.


    Strange! She asked herself, her memory was quite good¡ªshe could remember most of a multi-thousand-word contract after browsing through it just once. It was only a few days ago, how could she forget? Unless... something unexpected happened during that time, causing her memory to have issues.


    Cigar... suddenly, Nanrong Wanqing remembered. That day when Liu Wei came to see her, he smoked a cigar. After that, she had no impression of anything. At this moment, she only vaguely remembered that the cigar¡¯s aroma was very pleasant.


    Thinking of this, Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s heart moved, she quickly got up and walked to the desk, turning on theputer.


    After searching a few web pages, Nanrong Wanqing became more certain of her guess. It seemed she guessed correctly, there was definitely something wrong with Liu Wei¡¯s cigar. It was because she inhaled the aroma that caused her consciousness to temporarily lose, being manipted.


    Drugged!


    Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s beautiful eyes flickered with a trace of coldness, like frost on an iceberg, cold and piercing.


    After thinking for a moment, Nanrong Wanqing picked up the phone and dialed a number.


    An hour and a half passed when a ¡¯knock knock knock¡¯ sound came from outside the office door.


    "Come in!"


    As soon as the words fell, the office door was pushed open. Unsurprisingly, the person who entered was none other than Liu Wei. Besides him, Zhong Wei and Liang Zhao Hui also followed in. The two were worried about Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s safety, so they came along.


    "Zhong Wei, you guys go out first, I need to talk to Mr. Liu alone."


    Hearing this, Zhong Wei and Liang Zhao Hui exchanged a nce. Although they were worried about Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s safety, they had to obey the chairman¡¯s words.


    Watching Zhong Wei and Liang Zhao Hui leave, Nanrong Wanqing pointed to the sofa and said indifferently, "Sit."


    Liu Wei sat down with a smile, looked up at Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s face, as cold and beautiful as an iceberg, and said with a smile, "I wonder why Miss Nanrong wants to see me?"


    "Do I really need to spell it out? Don¡¯t you know?" Nanrong Wanqing replied coldly.


    Liu Wei patted his forehead and said with a smile, "Is Miss Nanrong talking about what happened this morning? Haha! Actually, even if you didn¡¯te to find me, I would havee to find you. Here!" Liu Wei took a contract out of his suit pocket, ced it on the coffee table, and said, "This is the contract I signed this morning, which includes shares of Hongyu Group. Ten percent of the shares isn¡¯t much, but given Miss Nanrong¡¯s worth, even ten times or a hundred times the profit wouldn¡¯t catch your eye, so I kept the rest of the shares for myself. Miss Nanrong, you¡¯re so generous, surely you wouldn¡¯t mind. Right?"


    Nanrong Wanqing stared coldly at Liu Wei and said in a chilly voice, "How long do you n to keep ying?"


    "Miss Nanrong, what do you mean by that?" Liu Wei asked with a seemingly amused expression.


    "Using Hongyu Group as a shield, do you think you can act recklessly?"


    Liu Weiughed heartily, "I must admit, the Hongyu Group¡¯s name is quite useful. At least everyone has to give me some face. Miss Nanrong, I know you feel ufortable, but you¡¯d better cooperate with my work. If you n to cause me trouble, let me warn you. The business I¡¯m doing now is very extensive, including some gray industries. So, if something happens to me, the Nanrong family will inevitably be implicated. Moreover, ording to the contract, your Nanrong family is the mastermind, and I¡¯m just a pawn being used. Even if convicted, the Nanrong family will bear the greatest guilt."


    "Are you threatening me?" Nanrong Wanqing was expressionless, showing no sign of anger, but the coldness in her eyes increased.


    "Liu Wei, is this your tactic? Besides threats, what else can you do?"


    Facing Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s ridicule, Liu Wei smiled nonchntly, "Miss Nanrong, threats are a skill too, at least the person in control now is me. Well then! Enough with idle chit-chat, what did you call me here for?"


    Nanrong Wanqing stared into Liu Wei¡¯s eyes and asked, word by word, "Why aren¡¯t you smoking a cigar today?"


    Upon hearing this, Liu Wei was clearly stunned for a moment, not expecting Nanrong Wanqing to say such a thing. After a brief daze, Liu Wei immediately reacted and said with a smile, "It seems you¡¯ve already figured it out. But so what, it¡¯s all toote."


    "I always operate on the principle that if others don¡¯t provoke me, I won¡¯t provoke them. However, that doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯m easy to bully. Liu Wei, remember what I said today, don¡¯t let me catch an opportunity, otherwise, your Liu family will face the Nanrong family¡¯s most furious revenge. Even if it means mutual destruction, I won¡¯t let you seed."

 Chapter 1078 - 1085: Stepping Down

    <h4>Chapter 1078: Chapter 1085: Stepping Down</h4>


    Liu Wei didn¡¯t expect Nanrong Wanqing to speak harshly to him and was momentarily stunned. He immediatelyughed and said, "Miss Nanrong, do you think I would care? I just said, your Nanrong family is vast and wealthy, while our Liu family ispletely iparable. If we both end up hurting each other, who do you think will suffer in the end? I think you know very well. Everyone does business for profit. There¡¯s no need to make everyone unhappy. Rest assured, as long as your Hongyu Group supports me, we can make money together in the future. How does that sound?"


    "Doesn¡¯t sound good," Nanrong Wanqing said coldly, "I¡¯ve already said, if you think the Nanrong family is easy to bully, then you are gravely mistaken." With that, Nanrong Wanqing stood up, walked to the desk, picked up a signed document, and casually threw it in front of Liu Wei, saying, "Take a good look, I¡¯ve already signed a resignation letter. From now on, I¡¯m no longer the chairman of Hongyu Group; Nanrong Hao will take over the management of Hongyu Group. From now on, whatever I do will have nothing to do with Hongyu Group. I¡¯ve seen the contract you tricked me into signing; it only has my signature and fingerprint, which only represents me personally and cannot represent the entire Hongyu Group. If you wish to threaten Hongyu Group with it, you¡¯ll be disappointed."


    "You..." Liu Wei stared dumbly at the resignation letter, his mind unable to process it. He couldn¡¯t believe that Nanrong Wanqing chose to step down. He hadn¡¯t anticipated this move at all. Perhaps he saw Nanrong Wanqing as a fragile woman who couldn¡¯t take such a drastic step.


    But what he didn¡¯t consider was that Nanrong Wanqing, being so young, could take over Hongyu Group and make it grow stronger; she is not someone an ordinary woman canpare to.


    "Liu Wei, don¡¯t you want Hongyu Group to share a boat with you? I¡¯m afraid you¡¯ll be disappointed. From today onward, no matter how many bad things you do, even if responsibility is shared, it would only be attributed to me, Nanrong Wanqing, and won¡¯t implicate Hongyu Group and the Nanrong family."


    "Good, very good!" Liu Wei regained hisposure, looked coldly at Nanrong Wanqing, and said in a deep voice, "I underestimated you. However, what difference does it make if you step down as chairman? You are still a part of the Nanrong family. I don¡¯t believe your brother, Nanrong Hao, will be heartless enough to see you get into trouble." After saying this, Liu Wei stopped speaking and walked out of the office.


    After Liu Wei left, Nanrong Wanqing felt as if she lost all her strength, slumping onto the sofa and slowly exhaling.


    Stepping down as chairman was the most difficult decision Nanrong Wanqing had to make. Although this position would eventually pass to Nanrong Hao, the timing was meant to be yearster at least. The current decision was ast resort, as she didn¡¯t want her actions to implicate Hongyu Group and the Nanrong family.


    Hongyu Group represents decades of the Nanrong family¡¯s hard work and must not fall because of her.


    ...


    Wealthy Manor.


    Bam!


    In the spacious living room, Liu Wei grabbed a vase and smashed it hard onto the ground, his face livid.


    "Well done, Nanrong Wanqing. Consider yourself ruthless. Just wait, I want to see if your Nanrong family really can bear to give you up. Come here!"


    "President Liu, what are your orders?"


    "Go prepare the information on the Tianyu Leisure Club, and remember, I want everything, both the legitimate and the underground business, as detailed as possible."


    "Yes, President Liu, when do you need it?"


    "As soon as possible."


    "Understood."


    Liu Wei¡¯s subordinates were very efficient, and in less than half an hour, aplete file was delivered to Liu Wei. As he browsed through Tianyu Leisure Club¡¯s business, Liu Wei¡¯s expression gradually returned to normal, and he smiled slightly, saying, "What do you think? If this information fell into the hands of the police, how many years would they get?"


    "President Liu, without mentioning anything else, just selling drugs alone is enough to get a life sentence. Adding up other illegal trades and multiple charges, it¡¯s either life imprisonment or the death penalty. President Liu, why are you asking about this?" his subordinate asked in confusion.


    "Life imprisonment?" Liu Wei chuckled to himself, saying, "Enough! I don¡¯t believe Nanrong Hao would disregard his sister¡¯s safety. Go, prepare a car for me, I want to visit Nanrong Hao and have a good chat."


    As he spoke, a cell phone rang. Seeing his subordinate¡¯s sudden change in expression while answering the call, Liu Wei casually asked, "What¡¯s the matter?"


    "President Liu, Tianyu called, saying Nanrong Hao has gone there, and he¡¯s brought quite a few people and is preparing to wreak havoc on our venue."


    "Really?" Liu Wei¡¯s eyes gleamed, and he couldn¡¯t help butugh out loud, "This truly is a stroke of luck! Let him smash it up, we¡¯ll catch him right in the act. Let¡¯s go, apany me to Tianyu. By the way! Don¡¯t forget to call the policeter; we¡¯re legitimate businessmen, it¡¯s better to let the police handle this sort of thing."


    At this time, Nanrong Wanqing was sitting in the chairman¡¯s office, repeatedly calling Nanrong Hao¡¯s phone, but no one was answering, and she didn¡¯t know where he had gone. She originally wanted to discuss the matter of assuming the chairman position with him, but now she couldn¡¯t even find him.


    "Chairman." As she pondered, Wang Lan pushed open the office door and said, "A person named Jiang Hao called, looking for you. Do you want to take the call?"


    Jiang Hao?


    Nanrong Wanqing was slightly taken aback; wasn¡¯t he a good-for-nothing friend of Nanrong Hao? Why would he be calling her?


    Thinking for a moment, Nanrong Wanqing said, "Put the call through."


    "Yes."


    The call connected, Nanrong Wanqing asked, "Jiang Hao, do you need something from me?"


    "Miss Nanrong, is Haozi with you?" Jiang Hao¡¯s tone carried a hint of urgency.


    "No, his phone is off, and I can¡¯t reach him. Why, are you looking for him?"


    "Sigh!" Jiang Hao said helplessly, "That guy rushed out with a big crowd just now. My subordinates said they were all armed, looking intimidating, saying they wanted to deal with that Liu fellow. I wasn¡¯t around at the time, and when I got back, Haozi had already left. I can¡¯t reach him, and I¡¯m afraid he¡¯ll do something stupid, so I called to check."


    Oh no!


    Nanrong Wanqing immediately felt a strong sense of unease. Nanrong Hao had mentioned he would find a way to resolve the Liu Wei issue. She thought Nanrong Hao was just venting anger, but she didn¡¯t expect him to take it seriously.


    "Jiang Hao, do you know where he went?"


    "He¡¯s definitely gone to find Liu Wei; I think the likelihood of him going to Tianyu Leisure Club is very high."


    "I understand, thank you!" After saying this, Nanrong Wanqing immediately hung up the phone, got up, and ran out of the office.


    No matter what, Nanrong Hao must not get into trouble.


    At this moment, Ling Chen, resting at home, also received a call from Jiang Hao.

 Chapter 1079 - 1086: Impulse (1)

    <h4>Chapter 1079: Chapter 1086: Impulse (1)</h4>


    Tianyu Leisure Club.


    It¡¯s still afternoon, and the club is not open to the public. Only a dozen employees are cleaning and preparing for the evening¡¯s operation.


    Bam!


    With a loud bang, the club¡¯s door was violently kicked open. Following that, more than twenty young men, led by Nanrong Hao, rushed in from outside. Before the lobby staff could react, Nanrong Hao had already instructed his men to lock the door from the inside, to prevent anyone outside from hearing any noise or witnessing any inappropriate scenes.


    "Surround them for me." At Nanrong Hao¡¯smand, his men immediately gathered the staff to the lobby.


    The staff had no idea what was happening, only seeing a group of thugs storming in with steel rods and machetes. They were just there for work and had never seen such a scene before, quickly bing panic-stricken, faces pale with fear.


    "What¡¯s going on?"


    At this moment, the elevator doors opened, and Li Yan walked out quickly, followed by several strong men in suits, all security staff hired by the club.


    Hearing Li Yan¡¯s shout, Nanrong Hao¡¯s eyes moved, his lips curling into a cold smile.


    As Li Yan approached, she noticed Nanrong Hao in the lobby. After a slight pause, Li Yan nced at the staff being controlled, her expression changing slightly. Suppressing her emotions, she calmly asked, "Mr. Nanrong, what are you doing?"


    "What am I doing?" Nanrong Hao sneered, retorting, "I¡¯vee this far, and you still don¡¯t know what I¡¯m doing? Manager Li, you work for Liu Wei, surely you¡¯re aware of what he¡¯s done?"


    Li Yan replied in a nd tone, "Mr. Nanrong, I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about. However, breaking into a private property with your people is illegal. If you¡¯de at night, I¡¯d wee you, but now... please leave immediately with your people, or I¡¯ll have no choice but to call the police. Mr. Nanrong, you¡¯re a person of status in East Sea City, are you not worried about your reputation?"


    "If I cared about such things, I wouldn¡¯t be here today. And, Miss Li, don¡¯t give me that crap. Don¡¯t think I don¡¯t know your background, you¡¯re all the same kind as Liu Wei, nothing good. Liu Wei thinks our Nanrong Family has no one? Fine, today I¡¯ll make him realize that causing trouble for my family won¡¯t go unpunished."


    Seeing Nanrong Hao refusing to leave, Li Yan¡¯s expression turned colder. She snorted, "Mr. Nanrong, I¡¯ve given you enough respect. If you don¡¯t want to leave, don¡¯t me me for being impolite." As she spoke, Li Yan pulled out her phone, intending to call the police.


    Seeing Li Yan¡¯s actions, Nanrong Hao just waved his hand without saying anything. Several young men standing behind him immediately rushed over.


    "Stop them!" Li Yanmanded coldly, "Break everyone else¡¯s legs except for Nanrong Hao¡¯s. Hmph! I want to see who dares to be arrogant in my territory."


    The security personnel responded, their eyes disdainful. To them, these thugs were nothing worth bothering about. Joking aside, they were all professionally trained, handling these punks was like child¡¯s y.


    As the fight broke out, screams immediately erupted from the crowd. However, it wasn¡¯t Nanrong Hao¡¯s men who were screaming, but the security staff.


    One of the security personnel clutched his groin, face pale with beads of cold sweat on his forehead, in immense pain. Before the pain in his lower body could subside, a fist came out of nowhere, knocking him to the ground.


    Seeing theirpanion go down, the other security staff¡¯s faces changed dramatically. The fight had barely begun, and one of their own was already down.


    Are these really just street thugs?


    On the side, Nanrong Hao watched coldly, without any concern for his men. Though they might be few, they were elite. Since Jiang Yunkai¡¯s return, several security firms under Ling Chen¡¯s control had been operating normally, with Jiang Yunkai responsible for training elite talent.


    These young men had undergone special training under Jiang Yunkai, long past being mere street thugs. Jiang Yunkai was an expert, and with Ling Chen¡¯s help, he had risen to the Tiger List. The elites he trained wouldn¡¯t be subpar. Furthermore, Jiang Yunkai incorporated street fighting tactics into their training; as long as they could defeat their opponents, any underhanded trick was fair game. After all, these people were fundamentally thugs, there¡¯s no need for rules in a fight, winning is all that matters.


    Watching the security staff she hired easily knocked to the ground by a few thugs, Li Yan was stunned. Is this really just a bunch of thugs?


    While she was in a daze, a gust of wind swept past, and before Li Yan could react, she felt a pain in her wrist as her phone was pped to the ground, the screen and battery separating instantly, interrupting the police call she had begun.


    "You..."


    Li Yan opened her mouth to speak, but before she could utter a word, a fist had already headed her way, mercilessly hitting her in the eye.


    Instantly, the piercing pain forced a scream from Li Yan. The young attacker showed no mercy just because Li Yan was a woman, delivering a kick that knocked her to the ground.


    "Stop!"


    Hearing Nanrong Hao¡¯s voice, the young man immediately ceased and stepped back a couple of steps.


    Li Yan covered her bruised left eye, barely opening her right eye to look at the approaching Nanrong Hao, her body involuntarily shrinking back.


    "You said earlier... this is your territory?" Nanrong Haoughed coldly, mocking, "Then let me tell you, the whole of East Sea City is my territory. Daring to be arrogant on my turf, it looks like you¡¯re tired of living. Go, bring Liu Wei out here for me."


    Li Yan gritted her teeth, eyes filled with venom, and said word by word, "Nanrong Hao, you¡¯ll regret this."


    "Regret? Hmph! I wouldn¡¯t be here if I was afraid. Just you wait. As soon as Liu Wei steps through that door, he won¡¯t be walking out again."


    With that, Li Yan¡¯s expression changed. She could feel that Nanrong Hao wasn¡¯t joking. The malice in his tone made it clear he intended to deal with Liu Wei.


    However, thinking of the two experts beside Liu Wei, Li Yan rxed a bit. No matter how capable Nanrong Hao was, facing those two was a death wish. At that moment, Li Yan obediently made a call.


    Time ticked away, and half an hour passed in the blink of an eye.


    Knock knock knock!


    Suddenly, a knock came from outside.


    "Who is it?" Nanrong Hao¡¯s man at the door shouted loudly.


    "It¡¯s Liu Wei!"


    Finally, he¡¯s here!


    Nanrong Hao¡¯s lips curved up, signaling for the door to be opened.

 Chapter 1080 - 1087: Impulse (2)

    <h4>Chapter 1080: Chapter 1087: Impulse (2)</h4>


    As the doors of Tianyu Leisure Club opened, Liu Wei walked in apanied by two middle-aged men.


    "Stop!" Nanrong Hao shouted coldly.


    Liu Wei stopped in his tracks and looked at the approaching Nanrong Hao, showing no sign of fear, but instead smiled and asked, "Mr. Nanrong, what are you doing? Can¡¯t we sit down and talk things over instead of resorting to knives and guns? It¡¯s not good to harm our rtionship."


    "Liu, spare me the nonsense and hand over that contract." Nanrong Hao didn¡¯t want to waste words and got straight to the point. His main purpose today was to get that contract and teach Liu Wei a lesson in the meantime.


    "Mr. Nanrong, what contract? I don¡¯t quite understand what you mean." Liu Wei said, with a half-smile as he looked at Nanrong Hao. "To be honest, I am really surprised that the chairman of Hongyu Group would bring a bunch of thugs to cause trouble with me. Mr. Nanrong, don¡¯t you care about your own status?"


    "Chairman?" Hearing this, Nanrong Hao paused for a moment. However, he quickly reacted and said coldly, "What chairman? My sister is the chairman of Hongyu Group. Did you lose your mind?"


    Liu Wei smiled and said, "No, I¡¯m not mistaken. In fact, when I went to see Miss Nanrong earlier, she had already signed her resignation letter, stepping down as the chairman of Hongyu Group. You are to take over as the future chairman. Mr. Nanrong, your sister made such a decision for a reason. She has given up a lot for Hongyu Group and the Nanrong Family. I was actually nning to discuss future cooperation with you, but I couldn¡¯t find you. Who would have thought you woulde to my ce?"


    Nanrong Hao felt a heaviness in his heart, understanding Liu Wei¡¯s intentions. Although he hadn¡¯t seen his sister yet, he believed Liu Wei¡¯s words.


    Because of that contract!


    As long as Nanrong Wanqing remained as chairman, she would be bound by that contract. So stepping down was the best way to escape Liu Wei¡¯s control and threats.


    As expected of my sister, she had the courage to make such a decisive move.


    Thinking this, Nanrong Hao breathed a sigh of relief. Since his sister had broken free from Liu Wei, he could rx a little.


    Seeing Nanrong Hao¡¯s relieved expression, Liu Wei seemed to guess what he was thinking and smiled, "Mr. Nanrong, I advise you not to be too happy too soon. While your sister is no longer the chairman of Hongyu Group, the contract between her and me is still valid, and she still owns half of the shares in this Tianyu Leisure Club."


    "So what?"


    Liu Wei smiled without saying a word, signaling the middle-aged man beside him to hand over some documents to Nanrong Hao.


    Nanrong Hao nced at them casually, his rxed expression turning tense again, his eyes showing a cold glint.


    "You bastard, I¡¯ll kill you!" Nanrong Hao yelled, grabbing a machete from one of his subordinates and charging at Liu Wei, aiming to split his head in two.


    As Nanrong Hao rushed forward, Liu Wei stood still, a mocking smile on his face, unfazed by Nanrong Hao¡¯s attack.


    Suddenly, one of the middle-aged men next to Liu Wei moved swiftly and appeared in front of Liu Wei in the blink of an eye.


    Facing the iing machete, the middle-aged man¡¯s expression remained calm, showing no intention to dodge. As the de came within three centimeters of his head, the man finally made his move.


    A swift blur passed by, and no one saw how the middle-aged man acted. Nanrong Hao, holding the knife, felt a sharp pain in his wrist, his entire arm seemingly dislocated, instantly losing strength. The machete in his hand fell to the ground with a crisp ¡¯ng¡¯ sound.


    Before Nanrong Hao could react, the middle-aged man struck with lightning speed, turning his palm into a fist and hitting Nanrong Hao squarely in the chest.


    Bang!


    With a dull sound, Nanrong Hao¡¯s feet left the ground, his body flying backward and mming into the wall heavily.


    "Boss!"


    Seeing Nanrong Hao suffer, his subordinates rushed forward to help him up from the ground.


    "Haozi, are you okay?"


    "Haozi, we¡¯ll avenge you." Saying this, a few young men set their sights on Liu Wei, ready to act.


    "Stop, all of you!" Nanrong Hao, enduring the pain, loudly stopped everyone. He had witnessed the middle-aged man¡¯s skills just now, very impressive indeed. He had learned martial arts directly from Ling Chen, but against this person, he had no chance to fight back. More importantly, he didn¡¯t even have the time to react. This showed that the opponent¡¯s strength far exceeded his own.


    No wonder that bastard Liu Wei was so fearless, he had an expert by his side.


    "Mr. Nanrong," Liu Wei smiled as he asked, "shall we sit down and have a proper talk now? Even if you don¡¯t consider yourself, think of your sister. Do you want her to spend the rest of her life in prison?"


    At that moment, the piercing sound of police sirens echoed from outside Tianyu Leisure Club. Without looking, it was clear that the police had arrived. Liu Wei had already called the police before leaving the vi.


    "Mr. Nanrong, the police are here. If you don¡¯t make a decision now, once theye in, things won¡¯t end well for you and your men. Trespassing, hostage-taking, and adding an assault and attempted murder charge, tsk tsk! Your crimes won¡¯t be light."


    Nanrong Hao said in a deep voice, "Are you threatening me?"


    "No, I¡¯m not threatening you, just exining the situation. Mr. Nanrong, a wise man knows when to retreat. Why persist in being stubborn?" Liu Wei advised earnestly.


    "Cut the crap!" Nanrong Hao gritted his teeth and said, "Our Nanrong Family will never be bullied. Liu, don¡¯t be too happy. Once my brother Chen steps in, none of you will have a good time."


    "Are you talking about Ling Chen?" Liu Wei smiled disdainfully, his tone scornful. "Mr. Nanrong, you think I fear him? A worthless guy who relies on women, what qualifications does he have to fight me?"


    At this moment, outside the club, several police cars were parked side by side, and a team led by Xia Mutong had arrived at the entrance, shouting with a megaphone inside: "Listen up inside, you¡¯re surrounded,e out and surrender immediately!"


    After speaking, Xia Mutong signaled to his colleague, instructing, "On mymand, prepare to storm in."


    A police officer nodded, stepping back a few paces, preparing to break the club door open with his shoulder.


    "Wait!"


    At this moment, an anxious voice came from a short distance away.


    Xia Mutong turned to see a Rolls Royce parked next to the police cars, with Nanrong Wanqing leaning out of the car window, calling out.

 Chapter 1081 - 1088: Asking for a Beating

    <h4>Chapter 1081: Chapter 1088: Asking for a Beating</h4>


    "Miss Nanrong?" Xia Mutong looked at the hurriedly approaching Nanrong Wanqing and asked in confusion, "What are you doing here?"


    "Officer Xia." Nanrong Wanqing asked anxiously, "What¡¯s the situation inside? Is my brother okay?"


    "Your brother?" Xia Mutong was slightly taken aback and immediately understood. She had just received a call reporting that Tianyu Leisure Club was being vandalized, so she brought people over. Now, hearing Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s words, it seemed that the one causing trouble for the Tianyu Club might be Nanrong Hao.


    Still, Xia Mutong felt a bit strange inside. Why would Nanrong Haoe to cause trouble for them? Could there be some conflict between the parties?


    While pondering, an Audi car slowly approached and parked by the roadside. As the car door opened, Xia Mutong looked at the neer and her gaze couldn¡¯t help but freeze.


    Ling Chen? Why is he here too?


    Thinking about it, it made sense. Ling Chen¡¯s rtionship with Nanrong Hao was well known. If Nanrong Hao was in trouble, Ling Chen couldn¡¯t sit still. Besides Ling Chen, Jiang Hao stepped out of the Audi car.


    Seeing the dozen or so policemen outside Tianyu Club, Jiang Hao¡¯s expression slightly changed, silently thinking to himself that this wasn¡¯t good. Initially, he was nning to bring his brothers to support Nanrong Hao, but Ling Chen didn¡¯t allow it to prevent chaos. Moreover, with Ling Chen in charge, it wouldn¡¯t make a difference how many more people they had.


    At this moment, Ling Chen¡¯s gaze was fixed on Nanrong Wanqing. Having not seen her for half a month, it felt like Nanrong Wanqing had lost quite some weight.


    As they drew closer, Xia Mutong proactively asked, "Why are you here?"


    Ling Chen withdrew his gaze and looked at Xia Mutong with a smile, "Officer Xia, I heard there were some minor problems here, so I came to check it out."


    "Really just to check?" Xia Mutong clearly didn¡¯t trust Ling Chen very much. She had dealt with Ling Chen more than once and was very familiar with his way of doing things.


    "Ling Chen, don¡¯t say I didn¡¯t warn you. This is a police matter; it¡¯s best you don¡¯t interfere."


    Ling Chen smiled slightly and whispered, "Officer Xia, can we talk privately?"


    Xia Mutong frowned but still agreed to Ling Chen¡¯s request. They walked aside and began to talk quietly.


    Seeing Ling Chen and Xia Mutong whispering to each other, Nanrong Wanqing lightly bit her thin lips, feeling somewhat ufortable for reasons unknown. Recalling what Nanrong Hao had said to her, Nanrong Wanqing sighed lightly. Perhaps her brother wasn¡¯t wrong.


    Soon, Ling Chen and Xia Mutong returned to Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s side. Nanrong Wanqing tried her best not to look at Ling Chen beside her and asked, "Officer Xia, can you take action quickly? I... I¡¯m worried about my brother¡¯s safety."


    "Wanqing, don¡¯t worry." Before Xia Mutong could reply, Ling Chen had already taken over, "I just discussed with Officer Xia, we¡¯ll go in and take a look first."


    "We?" Unable to suppress the doubts in her heart, Nanrong Wanqing blurted out.


    Ling Chen chuckled, giving Nanrong Wanqing a reassuring look, and said, "Trust me, you all will be fine." With that, Ling Chen knocked on the door of Tianyu Club.


    Soon, the door opened, and Ling Chen led Nanrong Wanqing directly inside.


    In the club lobby, Nanrong Hao was surrounded by a group of subordinates in a protective circle, confronting Liu Wei and his group in the center.


    With the arrival of Ling Chen and Nanrong Wanqing, the expressions on Nanrong Hao¡¯s and Liu Wei¡¯s faces revealed different emotions. Nanrong Hao was pleased; as long as Ling Chen was there, Liu Wei¡¯s two skilled bodyguards would no longer be a threat. In contrast, watching Ling Chen and Nanrong Wanqing walk side by side, Liu Wei¡¯s mouth curled into a mocking smile, especially as Ling Chenpletely disregarded him.


    "Miss Nanrong, we meet again," Liu Wei said with a smile.


    Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s expression was indifferent, ignoring Liu Wei¡¯s words, and continued to stick close to Ling Chen. Even if conflicts arose with Ling Chen, as long as Ling Chen was beside her, Nanrong Wanqing felt exceptionally calm no matter the trouble she faced.


    Perhaps, she had grown ustomed to trusting Ling Chen.


    "Haozi, how¡¯s it going, are you okay?" Ling Chen ignored Liu Wei and his trio in the lobby and walked directly to Nanrong Hao, asking with concern.


    "I¡¯m fine." Nanrong Hao squeezed out a smile, but his gaze swept towards the two middle-aged men beside Liu Wei, gently reminding, "Chen, be careful, Liu has skilled fighters protecting him."


    Ling Chen nodded, smiled, and patted Nanrong Hao on the shoulder, saying, "Don¡¯t worry, leave it to me."


    "Wanqing, take care of Haozi, let me handle the rest." With that, Ling Chen¡¯s footsteps turned, heading towards Liu Wei not far away.


    "Ling Chen, there¡¯s no business for you here; you¡¯d best not interfere, lest you bring trouble on yourself," Liu Wei said coldly, not taking Ling Chen seriously at all.


    Ling Chen¡¯s lips curled in a constant smile, softly speaking, "What did you say?"


    Liu Wei frowned, impatiently saying, "I said..."


    Smack!


    Before Liu Wei could finish, a loud p sounded in the lobby.


    In an instant, everyone¡¯s gaze focused on Ling Chen and Liu Wei.


    Liu Wei covered his aching cheek, looking at Ling Chen in disbelief. He hadn¡¯t expected Ling Chen would dare to hit him. After a brief stupor, Liu Wei quickly regained hisposure, looking at Ling Chen with a cold gaze, grinding his teeth, "You dare..."


    Smack!


    Before Liu Wei could finish his sentence again, another crisp p sounded. With two consecutive ps, Liu Wei¡¯s cheeks were now swollen on both sides.


    "Speak up!" Ling Chen still carried a smile, "Why did you stop speaking?"


    "Courting death!"


    This time, Liu Wei didn¡¯t speak, but the two middle-aged men beside him had already moved, rushing toward Ling Chen. When Ling Chen pped Yang Wei earlier, they had sensed that Ling Chen was not an ordinary person. Otherwise, they wouldn¡¯t have been unable to stop him.


    Therefore, for assured dominance, they decided to attack simultaneously.


    Seeing the two middle-aged men charge at him, Ling Chen swayed left and right, his body suddenly bing a blur, disappearing from their sight.


    Huh?


    The two were puzzled. Where did he go? As they wondered, a teasing voice came from behind, "Are you looking for me?"


    Upon hearing Ling Chen¡¯s voice, the two middle-aged men¡¯s expressions changed drastically, quickly turning around.


    Bam! Bam!


    As they turned, they only saw a blur before them, and then a wave of intense pain surged over them, permeating their bodies, almost making them spit out blood.


    Seeing Ling Chen standing quietly as if he hadn¡¯t moved at all, fear flickered in the eyes of the two middle-aged men.


    "Come on, continue!" Ling Chen beckoned provocatively with his fingers.


    "You... are you a Dragon List expert?" one middle-aged man asked in a deep voice.


    "Why bber so much? I¡¯m not here for idle chat. Since you¡¯re not making a move, I¡¯ll switch to my turn."

 Chapter 1082 - 1089: Courting Death (Part 1)

    <h4>Chapter 1082: Chapter 1089: Courting Death (Part 1)</h4>


    Before the two middle-aged men could respond, Ling Chen tapped the tip of his toes lightly, his body instantly transforming into a shadow and disappearing before their eyes.


    Damn!


    A strong sense of crisis surged from their hearts. The two middle-aged men quickly turned around, casting their eyes around in search of Ling Chen¡¯s whereabouts.


    "I¡¯m here." The voice came and immediately caught their attention. However, when they turned their heads, they found nothing. At the same time, a gust of wind swooshed in, pressing toward their backs.


    Before they had time to turn around, a powerful force suddenly struck, directly blowing the two of them away.


    Seeing the two experts brought by Liu Wei being toyed with by Ling Chen, everyone¡¯s hearts that were in suspense finally settled down. Looking at the two middle-aged men whonded on the ground, Ling Chen sneered, toozy to pay further attention, and directly turned his gaze to Liu Wei, striding over.


    "You... don¡¯te over!" At this moment, Liu Wei was still immersed in the shock from just now, unable to gather his thoughts.


    Impossible! This is impossible! Those two experts were the Liu Family¡¯s elites. Normally, this type of Dragon List expert would not lower themselves to do security work. But because the former head of the Liu Family had shown kindness to these two, out of gratitude, they chose to stay and serve the Liu Family. This time, whening to East Sea City, the current head of the Liu Family, Liu Wei¡¯s father, fearing for his son¡¯s safety on a solo trip, dispatched these two experts to protect him closely.


    Although they were nominally the Liu family¡¯s security, Liu Wei dared not show any disrespect, maintaining an attitude of utmost respect at all times.


    As long as those two were by his side, it was his biggest reliance in his operations in East Sea City. However, he couldn¡¯t believe that an obscure young man could easily defeat them. Moreover, looking at Ling Chen¡¯s manner, it seemed he hadn¡¯t exerted his full strength, merely toying with these two experts.


    "Liu Wei, other than them, do you have any other means? Bring them out all at once, so as not to waste everyone¡¯s time." Ling Chen said lightly.


    As Ling Chen approached, Liu Wei felt an inexplicable pressureing, even making breathing difficult. Stepping back two steps, he tried to widen the distance from Ling Chen, and said in a deep voice, "Ling Chen, don¡¯t be so arrogant. Isn¡¯t Nanrong Wanqing your girlfriend? I warn you, I have incriminating evidence against her. If you dare to harm a hair on my head, I¡¯ll make sure she rots in prison."


    "Is that so?" Ling Chen chuckled indifferently, "So, should I feel scared hearing that from you?"


    Hearing Ling Chen¡¯s words, for some reason, Liu Wei sensed a tinge of ridicule, as if Ling Chen wasn¡¯t taking his threat seriously at all.


    "Ling Chen!" Liu Wei gritted his teeth, ring coldly at Ling Chen, "You better not push me."


    "I don¡¯t have time for your nonsense. The police are outside, why not let them handle this? Haozi, go, bring Officer Xia in."


    As soon as Ling Chen finished speaking, Nanrong Hao hesitated a bit but quickly walked over to Ling Chen and whispered, "Brother Chen, I just went through the information. If we let the police get involved, Sister will definitely be charged, and it¡¯s very serious. Perhaps we should..."


    Before Nanrong Hao could finish his sentence, with one look, Ling Chen stopped him, saying, "What are you afraid of? With me here, your sister won¡¯t have any trouble."


    Seeing Ling Chen¡¯s confident demeanor, Nanrong Hao immediately swallowed his words. He knew well of Ling Chen¡¯s capabilities; since he said so, he must have his ways. Now, Nanrong Hao gestured someone to open the doors of the Tianyu Club, letting Xia Mutong and her team inside.


    Liu Wei was slightly taken aback, not expecting Ling Chen to voluntarily involve the police. Could it be... could it be he truly doesn¡¯t care about Nanrong Wanqing?


    As he pondered, Xia Mutong already entered the lobby, nced around to get a brief understanding of the situation, and looked at Liu Wei and Ling Chen, asking, "Who called the police just now?"


    "Officer Xia, it was me." Liu Wei quickly stepped forward. Thest time Xia Mutong led a team to raid Tianyu Leisure Club, Liu Wei, impressed by her beauty, remembered this woman. He pointed at Nanrong Hao and others and said, "They barged into my ce and injured my people."


    Before Xia Mutong could respond, Ling Chen answered calmly, "Officer Xia, these are just minor issues, no need for much concern."


    Upon hearing this, Xia Mutong squinted her eyes and asked, "Then what would be considered a major issue?"


    "Haozi, show thatpiled data to Officer Xia."


    Nanrong Hao was somewhat worried, as it involved Nanrong Wanqing. However, Ling Chen gave the order, and Nanrong Hao dared not disobey, immediately handing the data Liu Wei provided him over to Xia Mutong.


    As she looked through the contents of the data, Xia Mutong¡¯s gaze grew colder and colder. Even Liu Wei standing to the side could feel the chilling aura emanating from her.


    "Officer Xia, this data..." Liu Wei was baffled by Ling Chen¡¯s intention, handing over such information to Xia Mutong for review. He knew that with the agreement between him and Nanrong Wanqing, all the charges would fall on her head, while he would merely be an aplice, facing minor repercussions.


    "Liu Wei, can you exin what this is about?" Xia Mutong asked coldly.


    Faced with Xia Mutong¡¯s questioning, Liu Wei nced at Ling Chen and Nanrong Wanqing, a secret sneer forming in his heart.


    Hmph! Since you¡¯re courting death, don¡¯t me me.


    "Officer Xia, all these were orchestrated by Nanrong Wanqing. I was forced; the Hongyu Group is wealthy and powerful, especially in East Sea City, and I dare not offend her, hence... Officer Xia, here¡¯s the agreement I signed with Nanrong Wanqing. Please have a look." Liu Wei said, pulling the agreement from his pocket and presenting it to Xia Mutong.


    Before arriving, fearing the situation might slip from his control, he carried the agreement with him. Now, it seemed his decision was correct. With this agreement, he could safely escape the predicament.


    Xia Mutong browsed through the agreement¡¯s content, slightly furrowing her brows. Though not a businessperson, she understood fundamental principles¡ªno one would sign an agreement taking full responsibility solely on oneself as it would undoubtedly be foolish.


    "Miss Nanrong, I¡¯d like to know if this agreement is real?" Xia Mutong asked, looking at Nanrong Wanqing.


    From the moment Liu Wei presented the agreement, Nanrong Wanqing felt her heart sinking to the bottom. She knew that what was meant toe would eventuallye, though she didn¡¯t expect it to be so soon.


    Furthermore, Ling Chen¡¯s stance was perplexing. Knowing Liu Wei had such an agreement, potentially disadvantaging her, yet he still initiated police involvement¡ªwhat was he truly up to?

 Chapter 1083 - 1090: Courting Death (Part 2)

    <h4>Chapter 1083: Chapter 1090: Courting Death (Part 2)</h4>


    "Officer Xia, Wanqing never signed that agreement. It was forged by Liu Wei himself to shirk responsibility and frame her," Ling Chen spoke up before Nanrong Wanqing could say anything.


    "Frame?" Liu Wei sneered, "Ling Chen, don¡¯t speak if you don¡¯t know anything."


    "Officer Xia, you¡¯ve seen the contents of that agreement. As the chairman of the Hongyu Group, with Wanqing¡¯s extensive experience, why would she casually sign such an agreement? It¡¯s like courting disaster. Anyone with a bit of sense wouldn¡¯t do something this foolish," Ling Chen said calmly. "Since Liu Wei insists that the agreement is genuine, why don¡¯t we have it verified and see who¡¯s telling the truth?"


    "Alright!" Xia Mutong nodded. In reality, she also doubted that Nanrong Wanqing would make such a basic mistake.


    After making a phone call, Xia Mutong said, "Let¡¯s wait a bit; the tech team will arrive soon."


    Hearing this, Liu Wei replied, "Since you want to verify its authenticity, go ahead. I have no objections." After speaking, he confidently walked to the bar, picked up a bottle of whiskey, poured himself a drink, and drank leisurely while waiting, appearing utterly unworried.


    The tech team arrived quickly. In less than twenty minutes, two staff members reached the Tianyu Leisure Club.


    Xia Mutong handed the agreement provided by Liu Wei to them, instructing them to check it immediately.


    A few minutester, one of the staff members looked up at Xia Mutong and said, "Captain Xia, we checked it. The signature and fingerprints on it are forged."


    Liu Wei, who had been leisurely sipping his whiskey, almost choked upon hearing the result. He quickly put down his ss and said, "That can¡¯t be! Wanqing signed that agreement right in front of me; it can¡¯t be fake. You... you must have made a mistake."


    Xia Mutong ignored Liu Wei and looked over the examination results briefly.


    "Is there any issue with the result?" Xia Mutong needed confirmation once more.


    "Captain Xia, you can rest assured, there¡¯s absolutely no mistake. The fingerprints on this agreement arepletely different from Miss Nanrong¡¯s, so there¡¯s no way she signed it."


    "Alright, thank you for your hard work."


    "No!" Liu Wei shouted loudly, "This is impossible; you must have made a mistake. Check it again."


    "No need to check again," Xia Mutong said coolly. "I trust the expertise of the tech team. Liu Wei, you¡¯re the owner of the Tianyu Leisure Club, which is involved in multiple illegal activities. From now on, you have the right to remain silent, but anything you say can and will be used as evidence in court. Officers! Arrest him."


    A few policemen rushed forward without further ado, pinning Liu Wei down despite his resistance, and handcuffed him.


    "No, don¡¯t! Let me go." Feeling the cold handcuffs, Liu Wei truly panicked. He never dreamed that a situation he thought was underplete control would end like this.


    "Liu Wei, it seems you¡¯ve run out of good days. These umted charges are more than enough to sentence you to life imprisonment," Ling Chen remarked.


    Standing next to him, Nanrong Wanqing continued, "Liu Wei, by falsely using the Hongyu Group¡¯s name, you¡¯ve swindled and cheated everywhere, severely damaging Hongyu Group¡¯s reputation and interests. I¡¯ll have awyer sue you; see you in court."


    "Take all these involved parties with me," Xia Mutong pointed at Li Yan and the other two middle-aged men subdued by Ling Chen, all of whom were handcuffed and escorted out of the Tianyu Club.


    "Officer Xia, you might want to have Liu Wei¡¯s office and residence searched; there might be more discoveries," Ling Chen suggested meaningfully.


    "Ling Chen!" Liu Wei, controlled by two officers, shouted venomously, "Remember this, it¡¯s not over. I won¡¯t let you get away with this." By this point, Liu Wei was sure that Ling Chen was behind all of this.


    Hearing Liu Wei¡¯s threat, Ling Chen smiled faintly, leaned in, and whispered something in Liu Wei¡¯s ear.


    Whatever Ling Chen said, Liu Wei¡¯s face instantly turned pale, and his eyes were filled with hopelessness.


    "Farewell," Ling Chen patted Liu Wei¡¯s shoulder, ignoring the despair in his eyes.


    Watching Liu Wei, dazed, being led away by police, Nanrong Hao curiously asked, "Chen, what did you say to him? He looks as if he¡¯s lost his soul."


    Ling Chen smiled slightly: "His fate is sealed in East Sea City."


    His earlier proposal to Xia Mutong to search Liu Wei¡¯s home wasn¡¯t without reason. When he received Jiang Hao¡¯s call earlier, Ling Chen knew it was time to reveal everything. Thus, he nned meticulously, and as Liu Wei hurried to the Tianyu Leisure Club, Jiang Hao had already sent someone to Liu Wei¡¯s house, delivering some ¡¯gifts¡¯.


    Those ¡¯gifts¡¯ weren¡¯t valuable, but if found by the police, it would be a death sentence. Coupled with Liu Wei¡¯s previous charges, he would be beyond redemption, and no one would believe him.


    With this in mind, Ling Chen told Liu Wei, "Farewell."


    Once Nanrong Hao¡¯s curiosity was satisfied, Ling Chen turned to Nanrong Wanqing behind him and approached her directly. Nanrong Hao tactfully stayed behind, allowing Ling Chen and Nanrong Wanqing some space to be alone.


    "Are you alright?" Ling Chen asked with concern.


    Nanrong Wanqing, her expression calm and her eyes bright as stars, showed no emotion.


    "Thank you!" Nanrong Wanqing said. When Liu Wei presented that agreement, she felt anxious and uneasy. Despite being mentally prepared, at that moment, fear crept in. Unexpectedly, things took a turn for the better, and not only was she cleared, but Liu Wei was also incriminated.


    She knew that the agreement was genuine; she had someone verify the duplicate of that agreement. So, Ling Chen must have intervened to save her.


    Thinking about her attitude towards Ling Chen during this period and his actions, Nanrong Wanqing felt a tinge of guilt.


    "Nanrong Hao,e with me to the station," Xia Mutong directed at Nanrong Hao and his men, unmistakably indicating that while Liu Wei was guilty, Nanrong Hao had also broken thew by trespassing and injuring people.


    Nanrong Hao¡¯s face stiffened, and he quickly responded with a smile, "Officer Xia, it¡¯s a misunderstanding, just a misunderstanding. I was just angry at Liu Wei¡¯s actions, and acted impulsively. Can we let it slide?"


    "Officer Xia, Liu Wei falsely used Hongyu Group¡¯s name, and Haozi is also a victim. Since no real trouble urred, could we cut him some ck?" Ling Chen pleaded on his behalf.

 Chapter 1084 - 1091: Courting Death (3)

    <h4>Chapter 1084: Chapter 1091: Courting Death (3)</h4>


    "That¡¯s right! Officer Xia, you¡¯ve caught a big fish, why waste your energy on us? I promise you, I¡¯ll never offend again," Nanrong Hao said with a ttering tone.


    Xia Mutong nced at Ling Chen. In truth, she hadn¡¯t nned on actually apprehending Nanrong Hao, she just wanted to scare him a bit to prevent him from engaging in such illegal activities again in the future. Besides, since Ling Chen had spoken, she might as well do him a favor.


    "Alright, I won¡¯t pursue this matter this time. Next time, be careful, or don¡¯t me me for being unkind." With that, Xia Mutong waved her hand and said to her colleague, "Pack up!"


    "Nanrong Hao, let¡¯s go back as well," Nanrong Wanqing said. "There are still many matters waiting for me at Hongyu Group."


    Sister had spoken, and Nanrong Hao dared not disobey. After exchanging a nce with Ling Chen, he hurriedly followed Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s footsteps and walked out.


    Watching Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s departing figure, Ling Chen chuckled helplessly. He knew well that Nanrong Wanqing wasn¡¯t interested in talking to him, which is why she left in such a hurry. However, regardless of the situation, it seemed from earlier that Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s attitude toward him had clearly improved.


    In truth, Ling Chen misunderstood Nanrong Wanqing in this regard. Nanrong Wanqing hadn¡¯t thought of so many things; she was eager to return not to avoid Ling Chen but for revenge.


    The actions of Liu Wei in East Sea City couldn¡¯t be unknown to the Liu Family, yet they didn¡¯t intervene, indicating their approval of Liu Wei¡¯s approach, wanting to use Hongyu Group to establish their position in East Sea City. Just as Nanrong Wanqing said, if people don¡¯t offend me, I won¡¯t offend them. Since the Liu Family bullied the Nanrong Family, if they don¡¯t take action, how can they establish themselves in the future?


    Nanrong Wanqing had already decided on her strategy¡ªThe Liu Family...was soon to be a thing of the past.


    A week passed in no time, during which Ling Chen spent his days at home waiting for calls from Ling Kun or the porridge girl. Almost half a month had gone by without any news from Ling Kun, causing Ling Chen to worry.


    The matter with Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion wasn¡¯t resolved yet, making it difficult for Ling Chen to feel at ease. Additionally, his greatest worry was that Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion might have deemed Ling Kun the culprit behind the murder of Su Zhengyang and his wife. After visiting Changlong Town with Du Kang that day, surveince footage and evidence both implicated Ling Kun in their deaths. However, Ling Chen believed in his father and was convinced he wouldn¡¯tmit such an act.


    At this point, he just wanted to personally ask Ling Kun what really happened that day, hoping to resolve the misunderstanding with Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion.


    "Ling Chen, there are guests at home."


    Upon hearing Yang Qingling¡¯s voice from downstairs, Ling Chen responded immediately, got up, and left the bedroom.


    Arriving in the living room, he saw Zhou Qi seated on the sofa, causing a thump in Ling Chen¡¯s heart. Zhou Qi seldom came to him; if it was about matters at the base, he could easily contact Tang Guolun and Hu Fei without needing to see Ling Chen. Thus, Zhou Qi¡¯s arrival likely had to do with the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion issue.


    "Elder Zhou," Ling Chen greeted with a smile, "What brings you here today?"


    Zhou Qi nced at Yang Qingling beside him and said, "I have something I want to discuss with you."


    Yang Qingling, being clever, smiled slightly and said, "Elder Zhou, take your time. I¡¯ll go make some tea for you."


    "Elder Zhou, what is it?"


    "Han Qi called me."


    Indeed! Ling Chen¡¯s heart sank; Zhou Qi was here concerning the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion matter.


    "Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion has issued the Heavenly Mechanism Order, uniting all martial artsrades to search for your father¡¯s whereabouts."


    Upon hearing this, Ling Chen¡¯s expression changed drastically. He understood too well what the Heavenly Mechanism Order signified. In the hundreds of years since the founding of Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, the Heavenly Mechanism Order had only been issued a few times; each issuance meant that Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion would rally all forces to achieve its objective.


    "Elder Zhou, does this mean Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion has already determined my father to be the murderer of Su Zhengyang and his wife?"


    "I¡¯m not sure about that. But ording to Han Qi, regardless of whether your father is the real culprit, since he appeared at the scene, he should be most knowledgeable about the matter. Thus, Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion wants to inquire directly from him. In truth, Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion has given you a fair chance; so many days have passed without any news from you, leaving them no option but to act."


    Ling Chen replied solemnly, "Doesn¡¯t this mean my father is in danger?"


    "He probably isn¡¯t. The Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion ordered to capture him alive, so no one will harm his life, but..." At this, Zhou Qi hesitated.


    "Elder Zhou, but what? Please tell me," Ling Chen hurriedly urged.


    "Ling Chen, if...and I¡¯m only saying if...that incident really was your father¡¯s doing, have you considered the consequences?"


    Ling Chen¡¯s heart sank as he immediately grasped Zhou Qi¡¯s implication. He had always believed in his father¡¯s innocence, but this was purely his personal opinion. If Ling Kun was involved in the murder of Su Zhengyang and his wife, Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion certainly wouldn¡¯t spare him. Then, his rtionship with Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion would instantly copse.


    However, this wasn¡¯t the main concern. If Ling Kun truly faced a danger to his life, what should he, as a son, do?


    Should he save him, or not?


    Fight against Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion? Ling Chen had never entertained such notions; he didn¡¯t even dare. But now, he had to consider this issue.


    No matter what Ling Kun had done, he was ultimately his father, Ling Chen couldn¡¯t just sit idly by.


    Turning his back on a family member for justice? That¡¯s just lip service¡ªhow many could truly achieve it?


    "Ling Chen, you¡¯d better think of a way to find your father quickly, rify the situation and prevent difficulties for everyone," Zhou Qi kindly advised.


    Ling Chen nodded and said, "Elder Zhou, thank you for informing me. Rest assured, I know what to do."


    After sending Zhou Qi off, Ling Chen immediately took out his phone and called Hu Fei. When he returnedst time, Ling Chen had already instructed Hu Fei to focus on searching for Ling Kun¡¯s whereabouts. Now, half a month had passed, and he was unsure whether there had been any progress.


    After finishing the call, Ling Chen looked somewhat disappointed. There was still no news from Hu Fei, not a word about Ling Kun nor the porridge girl; it seemed as though they had vanished without a trace.


    Dad, please don¡¯t let anything happen!


    Ling Chen silently prayed.


    ...


    Three dayster in the morning.


    Ling Chen had just finished breakfast and was preparing to go out for some activities. As he left the vi, barely far from it, he received a phone call.


    "Hello! Mr. Ling."


    "Mr. Zhang, hello!" Ling Chen greeted, "Calling me this early, is there something you need?" The person on the other end, Mr. Zhang, was the mysterious government envoy, serving as his bridge formunication and cooperation with the government.


    "Lin Guodong is dead!"


    Dead?


    Ling Chen was slightly taken aback and quickly asked, "How did he die?"

 Chapter 1085 - 1092: Surprise Attack on the Ling Family (Part 1)

    <h4>Chapter 1085: Chapter 1092: Surprise Attack on the Ling Family (Part 1)</h4>


    "He was assassinated at his residencest night, leaving nothing but the body."


    "Didn¡¯t your government promise to give him protection? Why was the secret leaked?"


    "I¡¯m not sure. Since taking over, I¡¯ve always arranged Lin Guodong in a safe ce, not only changing his name and identity but also including him in the witness protection n. However, from the current situation, we still underestimated the power of the Ling Family. Not only did they find Lin Guodong¡¯s whereabouts, but they also killed him in front of more than a dozen security personnel."


    "The Ling Family might be retaliating against the traitor," Ling Chen said solemnly.


    "That¡¯s right, I think so too. Ling Chen, the Ling Family might have big ns. If you have any intelligence on this, remember to inform me."


    "Intelligence exchange is possible, but you have to tell me what actions you¡¯re nning to take."


    Mr. Zhang replied, "We haven¡¯t decided yet. I¡¯ve already convened an emergency meeting, and we¡¯lle up with a countermeasure."


    "Alright, let¡¯s leave it at that for now."


    After hanging up, Ling Chen let out a quiet sigh. When he decided to hand Lin Guodong over to Mr. Zhang, he had hoped for Lin Guodong to enjoy his twilight years peacefully. Yet, he underestimated the ruthlessness of the Ling Family. They showed no mercy to traitors.


    Two hourster, Ling Chen received another phone call from Mr. Zhang.


    "Mr. Ling, we just finished the meeting."


    "Really? What strategy have youe up with?"


    "I hope you can help us once. I have ordered Colonel Pang, the leader of Lonely Wolf, to lead the team to the south, preparing to sweep away the Ling Family¡¯s forces. However, you are most familiar with the Ling Family¡¯s power. To prevent idents, I want you to join the team. You are acquainted with the members of Lonely Wolf, and I believe you will enjoy working together."


    Hearing Mr. Zhang¡¯s words, Ling Chen was somewhat surprised. The government¡¯s strategy had always been to maintain a passive stance, investigating secretly and avoiding direct confrontation with the Ling Family. But now, they had changed the n, surprisingly initiating an attack.


    "Mr. Zhang, why are you suddenly adopting an offensive stance?"


    "From the current situation, it is the only effective solution. Moreover, the Ling Family nocturnal assassination of Lin Guodong showsplete disregard for the government, and the higher-ups are extremely angry about it. The Ling Family has crossed our bottom line. Therefore, we decided to uproot Ling Chen¡¯s forces once and for all, preventing them frommitting further atrocities. Mr. Ling, I know your capabilities very well, and I hope you can assist us. Once the mission isplete, I will represent the government to award you."


    "Forget about the award; the grudge with the Ling Family runs deep. Even if you didn¡¯t ask, I¡¯d still find them. Okay, I will coborate with Lonely Wolf and try to help you solve this issue."


    "Thank you!"


    After hanging up the phone, Ling Chen immediately dialed Tang Yuan¡¯s number. As Mr. Zhang had said, Lonely Wolf had already received orders and was preparing to depart. Knowing Ling Chen would apany, Tang Yuan seemed exceptionally excited.


    "Haha! It¡¯s been a long time since the two brothers fought side by side. Soe over quickly, we¡¯ll meet at the airport."


    Having agreed on the meeting location with Tang Yuan, Ling Chen checked the time; it was nine in the morning, still early. After booking a ticket, Ling Chen briefed Yang Qingling and called Hu Fei. After handling the matters in East Sea City, Ling Chen drove alone to the airport.


    After an hour and a half of flying, the ne finallynded at Xiangnan City Airport.


    Xiangnan City is a southern city in Huaxia, a provincial capital, where the Ling Family¡¯s foundation is rooted.


    Thoughmonly referred to as the southern Ling Family, it was Ling Chen¡¯s first time in Xiangnan City. Compared to coastal cities, southern cities are hotter, with ground temperatures reaching up to thirty-five degrees. Exiting the airport passage, Ling Chen saw several Land Rover off-road vehicles parked on the roadside.


    Glimpsing at the license tes, Ling Chen immediately walked over and sat directly in the front passenger seat of the middle Land Rover.


    As soon as he got into the car, Tang Yuan¡¯s cheerfulughter came, "San Lang, long time no see."


    Ling Chen looked back with a smile and greeted everyone in the car. Besides Tang Yuan, Pang Jiulin and Han Bing were also in this vehicle. They were all very familiar with each other, so Ling Chen didn¡¯t stand on ceremony and asked, "Instructor Pang, have you nned it out?"


    Pang Jiulin said, "Not yet, we¡¯ll first go to the safehouse where the intelligence we need is. After reviewing the intelligence, we¡¯ll decide on an attack n."


    Before long, the three Land Rover off-road vehicles arrived at the safe house in Xiangnan City. The safe house was located in a residential building, with arge room area where more than a dozen people in the living room didn¡¯t feel crowded. However, what surprised Ling Chen was encountering someone who came to greet them when he arrived at the safe house.


    The person was none other than Ren Qing, who had previously caused trouble for him in East Sea City.


    Ling Chen distinctly remembered Mr. Zhang had sent someone to take Ren Qing away at that time. Based on her actions, she should have been dismissed, but Mr. Zhang kept her on. Apparently, Mr. Zhang did appreciate Ren Qing¡¯s talent. Though Ren Qing was skilled, her character and personality were less thanmendable.


    Seeing Ling Chen arrive, Ren Qing seemed already aware, showing no signs of surprise, nor anger or resentment; it was calm, almost as if she didn¡¯t recognize Ling Chen.


    Sitting in the spacious and bright living room, taking advantage of Ren Qing going to fetch documents, Ling Chen discreetly inquired with Tang Yuan. Then he learned that Ren Qing was the responsible person for this safe house, recently transferred here.


    Back then, Ren Qing was mainly responsible for behind-the-scenes intelligence work, considered a person with status and position, overseeing arge team. Now, turned into the head of a safehouse, it was clear that the incident in East Sea City greatly impacted her future. Although Mr. Zhang hadn¡¯t directly dismissed Ren Qing, such an arrangement was undoubtedly a more painful punishment for her.


    Possessing skills and capabilities but unable to gain recognition and promotion, presumably, Ren Qing¡¯s days were not pleasant.


    Ling Chen was not a petty person. After all, the conflict with Ren Qing was resolved. As long as Ren Qing didn¡¯t trouble him again, he wouldn¡¯t go out of his way to target her.


    Before long, Ren Qing returned with a thick document folder.


    "Colonel Pang, this is the intelligence material Mr. Zhang asked me to deliver. We¡¯ve been observing the Ling Family secretly; all their actions are under surveince," Ren Qing reported earnestly.


    Pang Jiulin took out the documents, handing them out to everyone, checking the intelligence while asking Ren Qing about the Ling Family¡¯s situation.


    The Ling Family is undoubtedly a formidable opponent; Pang Jiulin couldn¡¯t afford to be careless. As the current leader of Lonely Wolf, he must be responsible for his team members.

 Chapter 1086 - 1093: Raid on the Ling Family (Part 2)

    <h4>Chapter 1086: Chapter 1093: Raid on the Ling Family (Part 2)</h4>


    Soon, the structure blueprint of the Ling Family¡¯s residence waspleted, and Pang Jiulin unfolded it andid it on the table.


    "ording to the information provided by Miss Ren and her team, there are currently over forty people residing at the Ling Family, with more than half of them being security personnel hired by the Ling Family. Look here." Pang Jiulin pointed at the architectural diagram and said, "The Ling Family has two main gates; the front gate has four security officers, the back gate has two, rotating in shifts, 24 hours a day. Moreover, the top of the family¡¯s perimeter wall is equipped with an electric grid, and surveince cameras are installed. Given the Ling Family¡¯s security setup, I suspect they also have motion sensor devices installed internally. As soon as someone steps into the Ling Family premises, they would trigger the rm system."


    "Tsk tsk!" Tang Yuan couldn¡¯t help but click his tongue and say, "The Ling Family is truly formidable, practically turning their home into a fortress; ordinary methods simply can¡¯t infiltrate it. Boss Pang, how about weunch a direct assault?"


    "No." Pang Jiulin said, "I¡¯ve received orders from above, and the orders are very clear. The operation must be conducted covertly without causing much impact. The Ling Family holds a very high status in Xiangnan City, and as soon as any anomaly appears at the Ling Family, it will surely draw a lot of attention. Therefore, our operation this time will mainly focus on infiltration, aiming to conclude the battle as swiftly as possible."


    "That might prove difficult." Ling Chen touched his nose and said, "I¡¯ve had quite a bit of contact with the Ling Family and have some understanding of their overall strength. Besides these obvious security instations, the security personnel of the Ling Family should not be underestimated either. The Ling Family nevercks experts, and if I¡¯m not mistaken, the security personnel for the Ling Family mustprise top-tier experts. Therefore, trying to sneak into the Ling Family would not be a simple task."


    Upon hearing this, Pang Jiulin looked at Ling Chen and said, "Then do you have any good suggestions?"


    "I don¡¯t have any good ideas at the moment." Ling Chen thought for a while and asked, "Instructor Pang, how many days¡¯ time did you receive from above?"


    "Three days."


    "Three days isn¡¯t much time, but it should be enough for us to act. I think it would be best not to act hastily, but first scout the situation, aiming to be foolproof." Ling Chen paused as he spoke, then turned to look at Tang Yuan and said, "Old Tang, tonight youe with me to scout the Ling Family."


    "OK!" Tang Yuan briskly agreed.


    Night fell.


    Around nine o¡¯clock, Ling Chen and Tang Yuan drove over to the vicinity of the Ling Family. They parked a block away from the Ling Family, and Ling Chen looked around to find that the area was filled with low-rise buildings, with no tall buildings within a hundred meters radius. Looking far and wide, there were practically no buildings taller than ten meters.


    Tsk tsk!


    Ling Chen was secretly apprehensive. The position of the Ling Family is right in the city center, and logically, the city center should be the most bustling area. However, this vicinity was an exception. Regarding this, Ling Chen was well aware; it was undoubtedly due to the Ling Family¡¯s influence.


    The residence of the Ling Family is modeled after an ancient Siheyuan, but its area is several timesrger than typical Siheyuans, upying a local area of over a thousand square meters. In addition, the surroundings of the Siheyuan are enveloped with lush green vegetation, covering a total area of several thousand square meters.


    In such a precious and bustling area, possessing such arge area truly shows the Ling Family¡¯s immense wealth.


    Beforeing, Ling Chen had already discussed with Tang Yuan and nned to find a suitable position to observe the Ling Family. However, with no tall buildings nearby, Ling Chen had no choice but to dismiss this notion.


    "Tang Yuan." Beside him, Tang Yuan spoke up, "I remember Ren Qing¡¯s data mentioning that there used to be quite a few office buildings here, butter they were all acquired by the Ling Family. After the Ling Family sessfully acquired them, they directly demolished those office buildings and converted them into low-rise buildings."


    "The Ling Family certainly has a grand approach."


    "Yeah! I heard that all the property andnd around here belong to the Ling Family. Do the math, how much would these resources add up to? Damn, if I had even one ten-thousandth, I wouldn¡¯t need to be fighting tooth and nail." Tang Yuan said discontentedly.


    Ling Chen replied with a smile, "The Ling Family is indeed willing to spend extravagantly on their own safety." He knew very well that the main purpose of the Ling Family demolishing those tall buildings was to prevent attacks on the Ling Family. Imagine, if someone with a sniper rifle took high ground, the Ling Family would be in constant danger.


    Strolling leisurely around the Ling Family¡¯s perimeter, Tang Yuan eximed exasperatedly, "Damn! After searching for half the day, not a single breakthrough point discovered."


    Ling Chen nodded in agreement, making noment. The defense of the Ling Family was indeed well done. He found along the way that the forests around the Ling Family were filled with Dark Posts. As for their exact number, he hadn¡¯t figured it all out yet. But from the current situation, the first thing to solve in the attempt to sneak into the Ling Family is these Dark Posts.


    "Tang Yuan, should we head back or continue strolling around?" Tang Yuan asked.


    "Let¡¯s head back, there¡¯s really nothing more to see." As he spoke, Ling Chen suddenly halted, his gaze fixed on the market at the street ahead.


    Seeing Ling Chen staring intently, Tang Yuan curiously asked, "What¡¯s up?"


    Ling Chen¡¯s lips curled slightly, smiling as he said, "Heaven helps those who help themselves! I know the exact time to initiate the attack. Come on, let¡¯s head back!"


    Two days passed, leaving only one day before the deadline imposed by above.


    During this time, Mr. Zhang made several phone calls to inquire about the situation. Upon learning that everyone was holding back, Mr. Zhang seemed somewhat anxious.


    "Mr. Zhang, rest assured, I¡¯m well aware of what I¡¯m doing." Ling Chen didn¡¯t want Mr. Zhang to put pressure on Pang Jiulin, so he proactively took the call and said, "With one more day, I¡¯ll do my utmost to handle this matter."


    "Alright, since Mr. Ling says so, I trust you¡¯re confident about this operation." With that, Mr. Zhang shifted his tone and asked, "By the way! Mr. Ling, has Qing caused any trouble? Sorry, I forgot to warn you."


    "No worries, Miss Ren hasn¡¯t bothered me."


    "That¡¯s good, I¡¯ve cautioned Qing; she shouldn¡¯t do anything impulsive."


    Upon hanging up the phone, Ling Chen checked the time and said, "Instructor Pang, there are twelve hours left; ensure everyone is prepared. Once the timees, act immediately."


    Nightfall!


    It was still early evening when Ling Chen, Pang Jiulin, and others directly drove to the vicinity of the Ling Family.


    At the supermarket entrance, they saw a temporary stage set up in front; a band was tuning their instruments. Hearing the high-decibel sound from the speakers, Ling Chen couldn¡¯t help butugh.


    That night he saw the poster at the supermarket entrance, announcing a promotional event would be held, apanied by a live performance.


    Thus, Ling Chen promptly decided that the moment the performance started would be the optimal time for them to act.


    At eight o¡¯clock in the evening, the stage lights in front of the supermarket lit up, under the watching gaze of numerous pedestrians, explosive music sted from the speakers, marking the official start of the performance.

 Chapter 1087 - 1094: Raid on the Ling Family (Part 3)

    <h4>Chapter 1087: Chapter 1094: Raid on the Ling Family (Part 3)</h4>


    Under the cover of the noisy sound, a ten-person squad rapidly advanced through the forest. Although Pang Jiulin was responsible for this operation, the true leader was Ling Chen. Pang Jiulin and Tang Yuan fully acknowledged Ling Chen¡¯s abilities. Moreover, facing the Ling Family this time, it was most suitable for Ling Chen to lead the action, given his rich experience in dealing with them.


    Carefully traversing the green woods outside the Ling Family, everyone moved forward. Along the way, relying on their skills and Ling Chen¡¯s keen hearing, they eliminated numerous dark posts. It didn¡¯t take long for Ling Chen to lead Pang Jiulin and others sessfully to the outer wall of the Ling Family.


    Looking at the electric grid device on top of the wall, Ling Chen frowned slightly¡ªthis was a significant problem. They had thoroughly investigated these past two days: the grid above was connected to high-voltage electricity, and touching it would certainly mean death.


    "Instructor Pang, have everyone wait here. I¡¯ll go dismantle the electric grid device first."


    "Alright, be careful on your own."


    Leaving the squad, Ling Chen circled along the outer wall to the back door of the Ling Family. At the entrance, two security personnel in suits stood outside, vigntly watching the surroundings to prevent suspicious individuals from approaching.


    Ling Chen quietly observed for a moment, slowly moving his steps toward the opponents. Fortunately, both sides of the back door are surrounded by trees, providing cover for Ling Chen¡¯s body.


    When he was about five meters away from the security personnel, Ling Chen leaned forward, lightly tapping his toes, and instantly elerated, rushing straight towards the two security personnel.


    Though the two security personnel were not slow to react, feeling the gust of wind approaching from the side, they turned their heads rapidly to gaze at the oing figure.


    Despite their quick reaction, Ling Chen was even faster. With a swing of his fist, one security personnel was hit instantly, knocked directly to the ground. Before the other could defend, Ling Chen shifted his footwork, appearing behind him in an instant, and delivered a hard chop downward.


    With a muffled sound, the opponent¡¯s body immediately fell forward.


    Resolving the two security personnel in a sh, Ling Chen exhaled slightly in relief, cautiously walked to the back door. He opened the door and nced inside, only to find two surveince cameras facing the entrance. Walking in directly would definitely be caught on the camera.


    Thinking for a moment, Ling Chen closed the door again and picked up two pebbles from the ground outside.


    With a gentle flick of his wrist, the two pebbles were thrown one after another, and two crisp sounds followed as the camera lenses were shattered by the pebbles.


    Seizing the opportunity, Ling Chen swiftly dashed inside. The back door led to the Ling Family¡¯srge backyard. Once inside, Ling Chen didn¡¯t dare remain idle and quickly shifted positions, finding a rtively safe spot to hide.


    Two minutes passed, and two security personnel appeared in Ling Chen¡¯s view, quickly heading toward the back door.


    The surveince cameras being damaged and the two security personnel at the back door were unreachable; the Ling Family was sure to send someone to investigate. Watching the two security personnel pass by, Ling Chen rolled on the ground, sneaking past them from behind, making directly toward a house in the siheyuan.


    Entering the room, Ling Chen exhaled audibly, his gaze surveying the furnishings. This room seemed uninhabited, with the floor covered in thick dust and misceneous items piled up against the wall.


    While waiting briefly in the room, he suddenly heard urgent and chaotic footsteps outside.


    It seemed the Ling Family had discovered the situation at the back door.


    At this moment, in the main hall of the Ling Family¡¯s siheyuan, a muscr middle-aged man in a suit stood in the center, apanied by several youths.


    "Have you found the intruder?" the middle-aged man inquired solemnly.


    "Second Uncle, we haven¡¯t found anyone yet. Our people are searching; I assure you, whoever¡¯s entered the Ling Family will find escape impossible," a handsome young man replied.


    "Stay vignt; disseminate mymand to elevate the Ling Family¡¯s security level to the maximum. Everyone must be stationed. Until the crisis is resolved, no one is allowed to rest, got it?"


    "Understood!"


    ...


    "You two, go search over there." In the siheyuan, more than a dozen security personnel were conducting a meticulous search.


    Two security personnel were instructed to arrive at the front of a room, exchange a nce, and directly rush inside.


    But just as the two security personnel rushed in, the door was immediately closed. After three minutes, the door reopened, and a man in a suit emerged with his head down.


    ncing around, Ling Chen subtly smiled; everyone was dressed alike, so no one noticed him.


    Now, Ling Chen threaded his way among the security personnel, proceeding quickly forward. With the suit providing cover, Ling Chen¡¯s movement became much more convenient. Soon, Ling Chen reached the outside of a heavily guarded room.


    Considering the surroundings and the intelligence he possessed, this room was likely the Ling Family¡¯s security office, where the Ling Family¡¯s security system was managed. Gaining control of the security office would allow shutting down all security devices, enabling Pang Jiulin and the others to enter.


    Though the security office had guards, it was no issue for Ling Chen. Within moments, Ling Chen swiftly handled the guards outside the door and kicked open the security office¡¯s door.


    Hearing the noise from outside, the staff in the security office was startled and quickly turned around. But before seeing clearly, the intruders felt a pain in their heads, immediately passing out.


    Staring at the equipment in the security office, Ling Chen felt a headache. These were all professional devices controlled byputers, and Ling Chen didn¡¯t know how to disarm the security system.


    Pausing briefly, Ling Chen abandoned further thought, grabbing a fire axe in the room, and struck the equipment forcefully.


    Suddenly, sparks flew, and all the devices started smoking and went into shutdown.


    ncing at the crashedputer, Ling Chen smiled faintly; indeed, brute force was more efficient. With the Ling Family¡¯s security devices disabled, Ling Chen promptly used the earpiece to contact Pang Jiulin outside.


    "Copy! We¡¯reing in now."


    Ending the call, Ling Chen didn¡¯t linger long in the security office; he still had more important tasks.


    This mission was crystal clear: Destroy the Southern Ling Family. Yet, Ling Chen understood that the truly significant figures of the Ling Family were absent; they had long hidden abroad and elsewhere. Nheless, there would be minor characters around. Additionally, given the Ling Family had resided here for years, many secrets were certainly concealed.


    Ling Chen was immensely interested in this. From Lin Guodong¡¯s ounts, Ling Chen learned many things about the Ling Family. In certain respects, even the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion was inferior to the Ling Family.


    "Stop!"


    Suddenly, a chilly voice halted the sprinting Ling Chen from behind.

 Chapter 1088 - 1095: The Pain of Losing a Father (1)

    <h4>Chapter 1088: Chapter 1095: The Pain of Losing a Father (1)</h4>


    Hearing the shout from behind, Ling Chen stopped in his tracks, turned to look, and a trace of surprise shed in his eyes.


    It was her?


    Ling Chen never expected to meet her here. He was taken aback for a moment but quickly regained hisposure and smiled at her, saying, "Miss Lin Qiqi, long time no see. I didn¡¯t expect to meet you here."


    This woman was none other than Lin Qiqi, who had once impersonated the leader of the God Organization to negotiate with Ling Chen in an attempt to rescue Lin Guodong. It had been several months since they parted; it turned out she was staying with the Ling Family.


    "Ling Chen!" Lin Qiqi shouted sharply, "You sure have guts to run wild on the Ling family¡¯s turf."


    "Miss Lin, I have always been bold; don¡¯t you know that?"


    "Enough!" Lin Qiqi looked at Ling Chen with gritted teeth and hatred in her eyes, coldly saying, "You¡¯re here just in time. Release Uncle Lin immediately, or I¡¯ll make sure you have no chance to walk away alive."


    Uncle Lin? Ling Chen was slightly startled and immediately realized she meant Lin Guodong. Strange, Lin Guodong was already dead; why would she demand his release? Could it be... she still didn¡¯t know about Lin Guodong¡¯s ident? Ling Chen increasingly felt this could be the case.


    The rtionship between Lin Qiqi and Lin Guodong was quite unusual, as evidenced by Lin Qiqi¡¯s risky attempt to rescue Lin Guodong.


    Perhaps... he could use this as an opening.


    With thoughts racing, Ling Chen spoke, "Miss Lin, maybe you¡¯re mistaken, Lin Guodong is not in my hands."


    "Who would believe your lies? My intelligence shows that Uncle Lin wasst captured by you. Don¡¯t you even have the courage to admit it?"


    "Miss Lin, you are correct; Lin Guodong was indeed captured by me, but he is not currently in my hands. I handed him over to government authorities long ago."


    Upon hearing this, Lin Qiqi¡¯s eyes showed a glimmer as she hurriedly asked, "Then... where is he being held now? Tell me. I need to rescue him."


    "Toote," Ling Chen replied. It was clear that Lin Qiqi cared deeply about Lin Guodong¡¯s safety. Despite not wanting to tell her, Ling Chen chose not to hide the truth any longer at this point.


    "Toote?" Lin Qiqi stared at Ling Chen, asking anxiously, "What do you mean by that?"


    "Lin Guodong is already dead."


    "What?" Ling Chen¡¯s words were like a bolt from the blue, turning Lin Qiqi¡¯s face deathly pale, her lips devoid of any color. She stood there dazed, motionless, as two streams of tears slowly flowed from the corners of her eyes, dripping onto the ground.


    Dead... dead... no... don¡¯t... Lin Qiqi murmured to herself, her body trembling slightly. Though she tried hard to conceal it, Ling Chen could still feel the deep sorrow within her heart.


    "It was you... It must have been you who killed him," Lin Qiqi red at Ling Chen, gritting her teeth, her eyes full of hatred.


    "Ling Chen, blood for blood, I¡¯ll kill you." With a sharp shout, Lin Qiqi rushed up, regardless of whether she was a match for Ling Chen, wildly swinging her fists.


    Seeing Lin Qiqi¡¯s fistsing at him, Ling Chen casually grabbed and immediately locked her wrist. Lin Qiqi struggled desperately to break free, but how could her strengthpare to Ling Chen¡¯s? She couldn¡¯t budge at all.


    "Miss Lin, don¡¯t misunderstand. I didn¡¯t kill Lin Guodong. On the contrary, Lin Guodong reached an agreement with me, and I handed him over to government authorities hoping he could have a chance to enjoy his twilight years. You should know, with Lin Guodong¡¯s identity and actions, he would be doomed in anyone¡¯s hands. It was already fortunate enough for him to survive for a while. Moreover, Lin Guodong signed a witness protection n with the government and lived under their protection, hidden and unnamed during this time."


    "Then how did he die?" Lin Qiqi asked, tears streaming.


    "Believe it or not, it wasn¡¯t us who killed Lin Guodong; it was the Ling Family."


    "The Ling Family? No, that¡¯s impossible!" Lin Qiqi screamed hysterically, "Ling Chen, you¡¯re lying! How could the Ling Family have killed him?"


    Ling Chen spoke calmly, "Nothing is impossible. Miss Lin, you¡¯re a sensible person. Lin Guodong made a deal with the government, betraying the Ling Family; how do you think the Ling Family would treat a traitor? You¡¯re part of the Ling Family; I don¡¯t need to exin¡ªyou should understand in your heart."


    Upon hearing this, Lin Qiqi¡¯s tears flowed continuously from her eyes, her two arms hanging weakly.


    Just as Ling Chen said, Lin Qiqi was very familiar with the Ling Family¡¯s ways. Moreover, she believed Ling Chen wasn¡¯t deceiving her. Some time ago, Lin Guodong had secretly called her once, saying he was doing well and she shouldn¡¯t worry. As to where he was, Lin Guodong didn¡¯t say a word. Not only that, Lin Guodong had urged her not to reveal his whereabouts to the Ling Family.


    At that time, she didn¡¯t understand why, but as long as Lin Guodong was safe, she felt at ease. Now, after hearing Ling Chen¡¯s words, she finally realized Lin Guodong didn¡¯t want to implicate her.


    "Miss Lin!"


    At this moment, a shout came from nearby. Ling Chen looked attentively, only to see several security personnel quickly heading their way. Seeing Ling Chen¡¯s unfamiliar face, the security personnel became immediately alert, suspiciously scrutinizing him and asking, "Miss Lin, who is this man?"


    Lin Qiqi looked at Ling Chen, a trace of hesitation shing in her eyes. A few secondster, Lin Qiqi seemed to make a decision and said, "He¡¯s sent by my second uncle to protect my safety. All right, there¡¯s nothing for you here; go ahead and help the others upfront."


    "Yes!" Upon Lin Qiqi¡¯s instructions, the security personnel, though puzzled about Ling Chen¡¯s identity, didn¡¯t ask further. They had just received notification that numerous people had infiltrated the Ling Family, and they needed to fend off the offensive.


    Watching the backs of the security personnel depart, Ling Chen shifted his gaze back to Lin Qiqi and nodded, "Thank you!"


    "Are you clearing out the Ling Family this time?" Lin Qiqi asked.


    "Pretty much. The Ling Family sent people to kill Lin Guodong, undoubtedly a provocation to the higher-ups. Orders were issued from above to strike at the Ling Family¡¯s forces with full force."


    "The core members of the Ling Family have fled before their wrongdoing was exposed. Those left behind are mostly peripheral members. Like me, most once served in the God Organization." At this moment, Lin Qiqi¡¯s emotions had returned to calmness.


    "I know. Our operation isn¡¯t meant to eliminate everyone in the Ling Family but to make a statement. From now on, we won¡¯t remain silent anymore." As Ling Chen said this, he hesitated for a moment and continued, "Miss Lin, for Lin Guodong¡¯s sake, I don¡¯t wish to make trouble for you. Leave now, find a ce where no one knows you, live quietly, and stay away from this conflict."

 Chapter 1089 - 1096: The Pain of Losing a Father (Part 2)

    <h4>Chapter 1089: Chapter 1096: The Pain of Losing a Father (Part 2)</h4>


    Lin Qiqi said with a bitter smile, "No, I¡¯m a member of the Ling Family, I¡¯m already deeply involved and can¡¯t get out." Saying this, Lin Qiqi used her hand to pull open her clothes, revealing her snow-white skin. However, Ling Chen¡¯s attention wasn¡¯t on her skin, but on a scar near her heart. It was obvious that the scar was very new and very neat, suggesting that the surgery was performed only a couple of days ago.


    "You... what happened?"


    "A couple of days ago, they sent a few people over to perform a small surgery on those of us left in the Ling Family. They imnted a chip in our bodies to lock onto our location at any time. Moreover, that chip has a self-destruct function. At first, we didn¡¯t quite understand why they did this. But after listening to you just now, I finally got it. It¡¯s probably because of Uncle Lin¡¯s incident. They¡¯re worried about traitors appearing within the Ling Family again, so they put a shackle on us. If anyone betrays, the oue is nothing but death."


    Ling Chen¡¯s face changed; he never expected the Ling Family to be so ruthless, without sparing even their own family members.


    "Then you..." Ling Chen still wanted to say something, but Lin Qiqi had already interrupted him.


    "Ling Chen, there¡¯s no need to persuade me. As a Ling Family member, fate was decided long ago. Come with me, I¡¯ll take you to a ce." With that, regardless of whether Ling Chen was willing, Lin Qiqi simply walked away.


    Ling Chen didn¡¯t hesitate, quickly catching up with Lin Qiqi. At the same time, Ling Chen contacted Pang Jiulin and others through his earpiece to inquire about their situation.


    After all, the security personnel of the Ling Family are all experts. Without his own help, he wasn¡¯t sure if Pang Jiulin and the others could handle them.


    "Instructor Pang, how¡¯s the situation over there?"


    "No problem. These guys are indeed skilled, but we are no pushover either. You go on and do your thing; don¡¯t worry about us."


    Hearing this, Ling Chen was slightly relieved. For this operation, Pang Jiulin and the others were very well prepared, with everyone fully armed. The members of Lonely Wolf are battle-hardened agents; although not as adept as the security personnel, their overall abilities aren¡¯tcking.


    That¡¯s good! With Pang Jiulin¡¯s team attracting outside firepower, his actions would undoubtedly be much easier.


    Following Lin Qiqi¡¯s footsteps, Ling Chen proceeded step by step, and before long, the two arrived in a study within the Siheyuan.


    Walking into the room, he saw many ancient paintings hanging on all four walls. Judging by the seals on these paintings, they¡¯re the works of famous artists. As for authenticity... with the Ling Family¡¯s financial resources, how could they possibly buy fake collections?


    Just the value of the paintings in this room probably exceeds ten figures.


    At this moment, Lin Qiqi went straight to the bookshelf in the study, took out a book, and gently pulled it outward. Immediately, there was a soft click, and the entire bookshelf slowly moved aside, revealing a wide secret passage.


    "This is the secret of the Ling Family, let¡¯s go!" With that, Lin Qiqi walked straight into the secret passage.


    On the way, Ling Chen was perplexed by Lin Qiqi¡¯s actions and couldn¡¯t help but ask, "Why are you doing this? For you, I should be an enemy."


    "You¡¯re wrong." Lin Qiqi replied indifferently, "To be precise, you¡¯re an enemy of the Ling Family, not mine. The Ling Family always likes to impose their enemies on everyone." After a pause, Lin Qiqi continued, "Uncle Lin was once married and had a daughter. Unfortunately, shortly after she was born, she was diagnosed with a terminal illness and couldn¡¯t live for more than a few years. When she died, Uncle Lin¡¯s wife couldn¡¯t endure the blow, chose to divorce, and bid farewell to this sad ce forever. Before this, Uncle Lin applied to take on a position in the God Organization, hoping to use its resources to research a cure for terminal illnesses. Unfortunately, although research made some breakthroughs over a few years, they still couldn¡¯t apply it clinically."


    "After Uncle Lin¡¯s daughter died, he was depressed for a long time, taking years toe out of the shadow. At that time, there was a little girl by his side, with thest name Liu, I heard Uncle Lin took her in. He treated her as a daughter. Later, when my father died unexpectedly during a Ling Family mission, Uncle Lin felt very sympathetic for me. Since then, he, like a father, cared for me, allowing me to feel paternal love again. Even though he¡¯s my uncle, I¡¯ve long regarded him as my father in my heart."


    After listening to Lin Qiqi¡¯s ount, Ling Chen finally understood why she was helping him.


    The Ling Family killed Lin Guodong, and no matter the reason, it was an unforgivable act for Lin Qiqi.


    A woman, once filled with resentment, bes a terrifying thing.


    Proceeding along the secret passage, Ling Chen walked for several dozen meters before it opened up before him. At the end of the passage was a massive underground chamber, capable of amodating even thousands of people.


    However, more shocking than the size was the fact that the walls of this underground chamber were lined with three-meter-high bookshelves, each packed with various books. Judging by the paper of those books, they¡¯ve been stored for a long time.


    "This is the library of the Ling Family," Lin Qiqi said beside him. "Centuries of umtion are all here. In this regard, it¡¯s no exaggeration to say that even the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion can¡¯tpare to the Ling Family."


    Ling Chen couldn¡¯t wait to step up to one of the bookshelves, casually pulling out a book. After ncing through it, he was internally overwhelmed with shock.


    This... turned out to be a martial arts manual!


    It seems Lin Guodong didn¡¯t lie to him. Previously, Lin Guodong had told him that the Ling Family¡¯s collection of martial arts is more extensive than that of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion. Now, it seems, it wasn¡¯t wrong.


    The books here were meticulously organized, each bookshelf numbered. Ling Chen casually skimmed a few shelves, his eyes soon drawn to one in particr.


    Standing in front of the shelf, Ling Chen examined it carefully for a while.


    Nine Yang Qiankun Step... Shattered Leaf Step... Phoenix Fist... Eight Silk Palm... All were precious martial arts tomes, some of which were even rare, lost arts.


    Unbelievable! Truly unbelievable!


    Ling Chen was inwardly rmed; who would have thought that the Ling Family possessed such rich resources. Once these martial arts manuals are leaked, they would surely ignite a storm in the Martial Artsmunity. Indeed, the Ling Family is a deeply-rooted n; without hundreds of years of historical foundation, such a collection couldn¡¯t be achieved.


    No wonder the Ling Family stationed people here. Such a vast collection of books couldn¡¯t possibly be moved.

 Chapter 1090 - 1097: Ling Family’s Collection

    <h4>Chapter 1090: Chapter 1097: Ling Family¡¯s Collection</h4>


    At this moment, Ling Chen stood there, unable to take his eyes off them, almost with little stars in his eyes. For a martial artist, these are priceless treasures, things that can¡¯t be bought with money. Now, so many martial arts secrets areid out in front of him, allowing him to choose at will. If he wants, he can take these precious martial arts secrets away. As for Lin Qiqi, it¡¯s believed she won¡¯t stop him.


    "Let¡¯s go."


    Lin Qiqi¡¯s voice came through, and Ling Chen finally snapped out of the martial arts secrets, turned his head and asked, "Where to?"


    "This is just a part of what the Ling Family has collected, there are many more such things, I¡¯ll take you to see them." With that, Lin Qiqi straightforwardly headed toward the other end of the basement. Soon, the two arrived before arge locked door.


    Next to the door, a password lock was installed, Lin Qiqi entered a six-digit password, and the door opened promptly.


    Following Lin Qiqi¡¯s footsteps, Ling Chen passed through the door, his eyes immediately widened. If the previously collected books were priceless treasures, then this room was filledpletely with treasures of value.


    Gold, jewelry, ceramics, and jade from various eras, dazzling, making one overwhelmed.


    This... even Ling Chen, who¡¯s quite wealthy, was deeply shocked by the treasures inside.


    It¡¯s estimated that adding up all his assets wouldn¡¯tpare to the treasures in this room. Although he¡¯s an amateur in collecting, Ling Chen knows the price of these items to some extent. If it were ced in an auction, any ceramic or jade here could be auctioned for tens of millions or even hundreds of millions of dors.


    Moreover, a corner of the room piled with arge amount of gold. Ling Chen casually picked up a gold bar, which was carved with the era and bank¡¯s mark, this gold was at least a few hundred years old, probably passed down from the Ling family¡¯s ancestors.


    Besides the value of the gold itself, the historical value among them is also immeasurable.


    Ling Chen checked them one by one, not only were there precious collections, but also many swords and weapons. Being stored by the Ling Family here indicates that these weapons are not ordinary.


    "Why didn¡¯t the Ling Family move these away?" Ling Chen asked curiously.


    "These are things left by the ancestors, they have been stored here for many years. The Ling Family regards this ce as a backup measure; if anything happens to the Ling Family, these treasures are enough for the Ling Family to rise again. You saw when you came in, this ce is full of mechanisms, very few outsiders can enter without permission. Also, not many Ling Family members know about this ce, I¡¯m one of them, and I was instructed to guard these things."


    So that¡¯s it! Ling Chen finally understood.


    Lin Qiqi¡¯s task is to guard these treasures, so she has ess to this ce.


    "This is the Ling Family¡¯s fallback; by telling you this ce, it means cutting off the Ling Family¡¯s retreat." Lin Qiqi looked at Ling Chen and asked, "Do you understand my meaning?"


    Ling Chen nodded, how could he not understand Lin Qiqi¡¯s meaning? This is revenge! Because the Ling Family killed Lin Guodong, so Lin Qiqi wants revenge.


    "Take away anything you fancy, how you handle the rest is up to you."


    "Miss Lin, if you want to break free from the Ling Family, perhaps I can help you. Although the Ling Family nted a chip in you, I can find someone to help you remove it."


    "No need." Lin Qiqi replied coldly, "I¡¯ve thought it through, you don¡¯t need to worry about me." After a pause, Lin Qiqi switched the topic, "Leave your phone number with me, I¡¯ll notify you if anything happens in the future."


    After remembering the phone number, Lin Qiqi also told Ling Chen the password for the entire basement¡¯s ess, then left him with a "handle it as you wish" and departed alone.


    "Tang Yuan, where are you?"


    At this time, Tang Yuan¡¯s voice came through the earpiece.


    "I¡¯m in the Ling Family¡¯s basement, there¡¯s a great discovery here. How are things on your side?"


    "Nearly settled, caught quite a few, a couple escaped. Hey! Where¡¯s the basement? I¡¯lle to you."


    "Hold on, I¡¯lle meet with you." Ling Chen said. Without the basement¡¯s password, Tang Yuan couldn¡¯t enter this ce at all.


    Before leaving, Ling Chen didn¡¯t forget to take something with him. It¡¯s a rare opportunity like this, not getting some benefits would be too bad for himself.


    Arriving at the Ling Family courtyard, he saw more than twenty people crouching in the spacious yard, including security and Ling Family members, all were controlled by Pang Jiulin and his people.


    "Instructor Pang, well done!" Ling Chen walked over with a smile, giving a thumbs up, "You can go back and im credit upstairs this time."


    "Where did you just disappear to? Didn¡¯t see anyone, I was counting on you to help me."


    Ling Chen smiled embarrassedly and said, "Instructor Pang, I found something even more significant." Initially, Ling Chen thought of keeping it all to himself, anyone would be tempted by such a massive fortune. Especially since this wealth is unknown to the government, and it¡¯s private property of the Ling Family, even if taken, no one would know.


    However, after a struggle in his mind, Ling Chen decided to hand these treasures over to the country.


    In any case, he doesn¡¯tck money, and he also wants to maintain good rtions with the government. After all, there are many times where he¡¯ll need the government¡¯s help in the future.


    Led by Ling Chen, Pang Jiulin and Tang Yuan arrived at the Ling Family¡¯s secret basement. Just like Ling Chen before them, Pang Jiulin and Tang Yuan werepletely stunned by this huge fortune, taking quite a while beforeing back to their senses.


    "Damn!"


    Tang Yuan¡¯s mouth was agape, almost drooling.


    After a while, the two settled their minds. Pang Jiulin patted Ling Chen¡¯s shoulder and nodded, "You¡¯re quite something, I¡¯ll report this to the higher-ups, and your credit will surely be significant."


    Ling Chen¡¯s mouth curled upwards,pletely understanding Pang Jiulin¡¯s intention, which was a good thing for him.


    "Hey! Instructor Pang, can you...can you help me with something?" Ling Chen hesitated several times but couldn¡¯t resist speaking up.


    "What help?"


    "These valuable items will be handed over to the country, but those books outside aren¡¯t worth anything, can you give them to me?" Ling Chen said. To others, those books weren¡¯t worth anything, but in Ling Chen¡¯s eyes, they were priceless. Moreover, he¡¯s also part of the Ling Family, these books were left by his ancestors, as a descendant, he too has inheritance rights.


    Pang Jiulin and Tang Yuan exchanged a nce, knowingly smiled, and nodded, "No problem, but you¡¯ve got to find a way to transport those books out. If the people sent from above see them, you¡¯ll have a hard time taking them."


    Seeing their approval, Ling Chen¡¯s eyes brightened, quickly thanking them.


    Aftering out of the basement, Ling Chen didn¡¯t dy, immediately called Hu Fei from East Sea City, asking him to dispatch more people over. So many books, thousands upon thousands, can¡¯t be moved by just two or three people, at least severalrge trucks need to be prepared.

 Chapter 1091 - 1098: Martial Arts Manuals

    <h4>Chapter 1091: Chapter 1098: Martial Arts Manuals</h4>


    Hu Fei¡¯s efficiency was astonishing, mobilizing more than twenty people overnight to rush to Xiangnan City. To make things easier for Ling Chen, Pang Jiulin led his team and prisoners of the Ling Family to a safe house. It wasn¡¯t until early the next morning that Ling Chen emptied the room full of books, transporting them out of the Ling Family with fourrge trucks.


    He made a phone call to Pang Jiulin, who immediately contacted the higher-ups to report the results of the operation.


    Upon learning of the discovery of the Ling Family¡¯s vast wealth, the authorities were very pleased, giving verbal praise to Pang Jiulin and his team.


    The confiscation of assets worth hundreds of billions was undoubtedly a significant achievement, possibly even warranting Pang Jiulin¡¯s rank promotion by one level.


    After the operation, Pang Jiulin had to stay behind to wait for government support to arrive. Ling Chen, not being a member of the Lonely Wolf, was not obligated to stay. After bidding farewell to Pang Jiulin, Ling Chen followed the trucks straight along the highway towards East Sea City.


    After over a dozen hours of driving, the fourrge trucks finally arrived at the base in East Sea City.


    At this time, Hu Fei and Tang Guolun were already waiting outside the base. As the cargo boxes opened and looking at the full load of books, Hu Fei widened his eyes and said: "Ling Chen, have you gone mad? At your age, still thinking about studying? I haven¡¯t seen you work this hard before."


    Ling Chenughed and said: "Fatty, you shouldn¡¯t underestimate these books. You couldn¡¯t buy them even if you had the money. Alright, quickly call someone to move the books inside."


    Upon entering the base, Ling Chen had just sat down when Qiu Yong and the others walked in from outside.


    "Sixth brother, why did you call us here?" Yuan Yun¡¯s voice rang out even before he got close.


    "Tsk tsk! Sixth brother, where did you find all these old books? There¡¯s so many, are you nning to open a secondhand bookstore?" Wei Jiahao asked with keen interest.


    "Eighth brother, don¡¯t underestimate these books." Ling Chen pointed to a stack of aging paper books and said: "Take a look, I guarantee once you pick them up, you won¡¯t want to put them down."


    "Really?" Xia Yue nced at Ling Chen with suspicion, and while speaking, picked up a book and opened it. With just one look, Xia Yue¡¯s expression froze, filled with shock.


    Seeing Xia Yue stand there motionless, as if she was in a trance, Yuan Yun couldn¡¯t resist asking: "Fifth sister, what¡¯s the matter with you?" As he spoke, he walked behind Xia Yue, preparing to pat her shoulder. However, when the corner of his eye caught sight of the words on the page, his extended hand froze in mid-air, staring intently at the page and not moving his gaze for a long time.


    "Heavenly Calction de Skills... Is this really... Heavenly Calction de Skills? Impossible, it must be a mistake, Heavenly Calction de Skills have been lost for hundreds of years..."


    Hearing Yuan Yun muttering to himself, Qiu Yong and the others immediately became very interested.


    Heavenly Calction de Skills!


    They had all heard Yuan Yun mention this set of de skills before; as an expert specializing in de skills, Yuan Yun had researched many de skills, among which, Heavenly Calction de Skills were the top tier he had always yearned for. However, the Heavenly Calction de Skills had been lost for over two hundred years, and no one in the Martial Arts world knew of them anymore.


    "Sixth brother, is this... real?" Qiu Yong looked at Ling Chen and asked incredulously.


    Before Ling Chen could respond, Yuan Yun was already unable to contain his excitement, shouting: "It¡¯s real, it¡¯s real, this is the genuine Heavenly Calction de Skills. My God! Sixth brother, tell me, where did you find this de skills manual?"


    Ling Chen smiled and said: "I found it in the Ling Family." Without hesitation, Ling Chen shared everything he saw and heard at the Ling Family. Then, pointing to the stacked mountain of books on the ground, he said: "I brought all those books here, take a look, see if there¡¯s anything suitable for you..." Before he could finish speaking, Qiu Yong and the others had already rushed over to select martial arts manuals.


    For martial artists, perhaps no one can resist such temptation.


    Before long, Qiu Yong and the others had picked out martial arts manuals suited to their styles, even Zhang Zhongfeng chose one. His specialty was archery, and in terms of archery skills, no one in the world could surpass him. However, besides archery, Zhang Zhongfeng was weak in other areas, such as closebat, so he picked a martial arts skill that perfectlyplemented his weaknesses.


    Obtaining martial arts manuals to their liking, everyone couldn¡¯t help but smile, even Xu Ming, who normally kept a straight face, had a hint of a smile.


    "Sixth brother." Qiu Yong spoke up: "I think you should expand your influence."


    "Big brother, what do you mean?"


    "Martial artists don¡¯t care about mundane things like money; only martial arts and reputation draw their interest. Also, a top-tier martial arts manual can drive many martial artists crazy. You now possess so many martial arts manuals, equivalent to having a mountain of treasures. If you release the news, I believe many will flock to you."


    Qiu Yong¡¯s suggestion was not something Ling Chen hadn¡¯t considered, but... this approach had both advantages and disadvantages, and was fraught with risks.


    "Big brother, you¡¯re not wrong, but what we need is loyalty, and many things can¡¯t be solved merely by numbers."


    "Sixth brother is right, it¡¯s wise to be cautious about this kind of matter, after all, there are quite a few with ulterior motives," Xia Yue chimed in.


    "To aplish great things, some risks must be taken." Xu Ming, who had been silent, suddenly spoke: "Do you know how the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion rose to power? When it was founded, it engaged in many unsavory acts, like stealing others¡¯ martial arts and repeatedly looting manuals. They knew that as long as they controlled enough resources, they could draw many to join them. We must admit, the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion¡¯s approach was practical; within a mere thirty years, they rapidly escted from a small, emerging force to being one of the top authorities in the Martial Arts world, even holding the power of discourse. The Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion now enjoys an elevated status and reputation, mainly because they are adept at rehabilitating their image."


    Hearing this, Ling Chen couldn¡¯t help but say: "Second brother, are you suggesting... I follow the old path of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion?"


    "You could give it a shot; this world inherently operates on survival of the fittest. No matter how many people you bring in, you can sift themyer byyer, excluding those with ulterior motives. Besides, you won¡¯t be handing over the martial arts manuals directly to them. You need to establish a proper system, allowing them to ascendyer byyer, where the higher they climb, the more resources they receive. Throughout this process, they will gradually foster a sense of belonging. Sixth brother, the Great Wall wasn¡¯t built in a day; such endeavors take time and cannot be rushed. If you¡¯re willing, we can help oversee things for you."


    "Really?" Ling Chen¡¯s eyes lit up.

 Chapter 1092 - 1099: Martial Arts Factions

    <h4>Chapter 1092: Chapter 1099: Martial Arts Factions</h4>


    Actually, Zhong Wei was quite tempted by Qiu Yong¡¯s suggestion, but the problem was that hecked the manpower for this kind of help. Tang Guolun and Hu Fei were not martial artists and couldn¡¯t get involved in this matter. If he had the help of people like Qiu Yong, things would undoubtedly be easier.


    "Sixth brother, if you have this idea, we muste up with a shy name to overpower the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion in terms of momentum." Yuan Yun grinned.


    "Why not call it Dragon Tiger Tower? The name is so powerful, don¡¯t you think?" Wei Jiahao enthusiastically suggested.


    Xia Yue rolled her eyes at Wei Jiahao, discouraging him: "Eighth brother, your name is too tacky, at least pick a more elegant name."


    Wei Jiahao awkwardly scratched his head and said with a smile: "Fifth sister, you know I haven¡¯t read much, how about... you pick an elegant name for Sixth brother?"


    "I..." Xia Yue opened her mouth, thinking back and forth, but couldn¡¯te up with a good name.


    "Alright!" Qiu Yong said, "We¡¯re all a bunch of rough people, couldn¡¯t possibly think of any elegant name. Sixth brother, it¡¯s better you say, what name is more suitable?"


    Zhong Wei thought for a moment and smiled slightly: "Big brother, just as you said, we¡¯re all a bunch of rough people, among those who practice martial arts, how many are elegant, so there¡¯s no need for us toe up with a very elegant name. Actually, the name Eighth brother came up with is not bad, Dragon Tiger Tower, it¡¯s a bit tacky, but the more tacky, the more approachable, don¡¯t you think?"


    Xu Ming nodded, "Sixth brother¡¯s idea is not bad, that¡¯s indeed the reason. Well, since everyone has no objections, let¡¯s call it Dragon Tiger Tower, after all, it¡¯s just a name, no need for so much fuss."


    Just like that, with everyone¡¯s few words, the name Dragon Tiger Tower was decided.


    Establishing a martial arts power isn¡¯t something that can be done with just a few words, it involves various aspects. Frankly, Zhong Wei never thought he woulde to this point. However, the establishment of Dragon Tiger Tower is imperative. Just as Xu Ming said before, survival of the fittest, to gain more influence, to make others dare not bully you, the only way is to constantly strengthen yourself.


    To perfect all aspects of Dragon Tiger Tower, Zhong Wei and the others gathered in the meeting room to discuss the direction of development. Unknowingly, it was already past nine o¡¯clock in the evening. The whole day everyone stayed in the meeting room, eating boxed lunches.


    Although it was tiring, everyone was enthusiastic, because they knew very well what the establishment of Dragon Tiger Tower meant, in the future days, it could change the entire martial artsndscape.


    Until midnight, the discussion finally came to an end, and everyone dispersed. Soon, only Zhong Wei was left in the meeting room.


    Holding an empty tea cup, Zhong Wei leaned back in his chair, sighed slowly. Establishing Dragon Tiger Tower, besides dealing with the Ling Family, there was another reason. Just now, he didn¡¯t say it in front of everyone.


    Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion!


    Zhong Wei needed to guard against the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion. In the past, Zhong Wei would never have this idea, because Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion was his friend, and Su He was even his master. But now it¡¯s different, his father is listed by Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion as the murderer of Su Zhengyang¡¯s parents, once the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion finds Ling Kun, they will act against him, as a son, Zhong Wei would never stand idly by.


    Although it¡¯s not clear whether Ling Kun was really involved, anyway, Zhong Wei needs to n ahead and prepare everything.


    The next day.


    In the morning, at nine o¡¯clock, Zhong Wei drove alone to Hongyu Group.


    Beforeing, Zhong Wei already called Nanrong Hao. It wasn¡¯t about other concerns,st time when he came to Hongyu Group, the receptionist didn¡¯t let him in, even Wei Jun said it was the chairman¡¯s order, not letting him step into the top floor. To avoid the incidentst time, Zhong Wei had to ask Nanrong Hao for help.


    With Nanrong Hao leading the way, no one dared to stop Zhong Wei. After entering the elevator, Nanrong Hao asked: "Brother Chen, what are you doing here looking for Sister this time?"


    "There are some matters I want her help with." After saying this, Zhong Wei asked curiously: "Eh! What have you been busy withtely, haven¡¯t seen you for half a month?"


    "What else could I be busy with, isn¡¯t it for the Liu Family¡¯s matters."


    "Liu Family?" Zhong Wei asked puzzled: "Wasn¡¯t that Liu Wei kid arrested, what are you wasting energy on him for?"


    "Not Liu Wei, but the Liu Family." Nanrong Hao said, "If it wasn¡¯t for the Liu Family as backing, would Liu Wei dare to do that? Humph! That Liu Family bunch, wants to use our Hongyu Group as a stepping stone, but they don¡¯t even look at themselves, what kind of character they are. Because of this matter, my sister is very angry, she has already said, won¡¯t let go until the Liu Family is taken down. Recently, my sister has found a lot of people, not only Liu Family¡¯s business opponents, but also some friends of my sister in business. Now, my sister has united many enterprises, implementing a blockade against Liu Family, driving their goods and products out of the market." Saying this, Nanrong Hao couldn¡¯t help butugh proudly.


    "Brother Chen, do you know how much the Liu Family has lost in these half months?"


    "How much?"


    Nanrong Hao held up two fingers and said, "Plus two billion. Now, the Liu Family has already started selling off fixed assets, many of their subpanies have announced bankruptcy."


    "Is that so?" Zhong Wei smiled, unexpected that Nanrong Wanqing also had such a ruthless side. Looking at her stance, she won¡¯t let go without annihting the Liu Family.


    While talking, the two came to the top floor by elevator.


    "Mr. Nanrong, Mr. Ling, do you have business with the chairman?" Secretary Wang Lan stood up and asked. Seeing Zhong Wei, Wang Lan smiled sweetly, weing his arrival.


    "Lan, is my sister in the office?"


    "Yes, the chairman is meeting guests, why don¡¯t you sit in the lounge for a while?"


    "Guests?" Nanrong Hao asked: "What guests?"


    "They¡¯re from the Liu Family, Liu Yun."


    "Wow! So it¡¯s the head of the Liu Family who¡¯se, perfect timing, Brother Chen, let¡¯s go in and see. Liu Familying all the way to see my sister, I guess they¡¯re here to seek peace." Saying this, Nanrong Hao walked to the office door, not even knocking, directly pushed it open and went in.


    Zhong Wei followed behind Nanrong Hao, as they entered, they saw a middle-aged man in a suit sitting on the sofa, and there was a young man standing beside him, seemingly an attendant. That middle-aged man was about fifty years old, well-dressed, wearing sses, gentlemanly. If he wasn¡¯t known in advance, it was hard to imagine he was the head of the Liu Family.


    From any aspect, this man¡¯s demeanor didn¡¯t seem like that of a family head.


    Besides the Liu Family people in the office, Zhong Wei and Liang Zhao Hui were also present, one standing on either side behind Nanrong Wanqing, seemingly protecting her safety.

 Chapter 1093 - 1100: The Liu Family’s Terms

    <h4>Chapter 1093: Chapter 1100: The Liu Family¡¯s Terms</h4>


    Upon seeing Ling Chen and Nanrong Hao entering, Nanrong Wanqing was slightly startled, obviously not expecting Ling Chen¡¯s presence. However, she quickly gathered herself, focusing her gaze back on Liu Yun.


    "Mr. Liu, I think there¡¯s nothing left for us to discuss." Nanrong Wanqing picked up her tea cup. Anyone with a sense of propriety could tell that it was a gesture to see guests off.


    However, Liu Yun did not catch on. With a frown, he said, "Miss Nanrong, aren¡¯t you pushing things too far? I¡¯ve personallye to East Sea City, giving you enough respect. What more do you want?"


    "Oh, my!" Before Nanrong Wanqing could speak, Nanrong Hao had already taken over the conversation, sneering, "The Liu family sure thinks highly of themselves. Mr. Liu, I must ask you, why should we give you respect? Who do you think you are? When you instructed your son Liu Wei to trouble our Hongyu Group, did you consider showing respect to the Nanrong Family? Hmph! Coming here now to throw your weight around, I think you¡¯vee to the wrong ce."


    "How impudent!" The young man beside Liu Yun said coldly, "Who do you think you are to speak here?"


    Nanrong Hao sized up the speaker and, curling his lips, said, "I¡¯m called Nanrong Hao, this territory of the Hongyu Group belongs to me, so why shouldn¡¯t I speak? And you, who do you think you are to interrupt while adults are talking?"


    "You..." The young man was about tosh out but was stopped by Liu Yun¡¯s re.


    "So it¡¯s Young Master Nanrong. My apologies, Liu Qing was rude earlier; I hope Young Master Nanrong won¡¯t take offense." Liu Yun said tly.


    "Liu Yun, control your Liu family members. Don¡¯t think you¡¯re still on home ground here." With those words, not allowing Liu Yun to continue, Nanrong Hao added, "Alright! If there¡¯s nothing else, then please leave, we have other matters to discuss."


    Hearing this, Liu Yun showed no intention of getting up but instead looked at Nanrong Wanqing and said, "Miss Nanrong, are you really not considering reconciliation?"


    "Mr. Liu, I¡¯ve repeated this many times, there is no chance of reconciliation between your Liu Family and us." Nanrong Wanqing responded coldly, "If you knew it woulde to this, why do it in the first ce? Mr. Liu, since your Liu Family did this, be prepared for the consequences. Well, I¡¯ve said what needs to be said, I think it¡¯s pointless to waste any more time here, please leave!"


    "Well, Nanrong Wanqing!" Liu Qing said coldly, "Even a cornered dog will jump over the wall. You wish to annihte our Liu family, fine! I¡¯ll fight you to the very end, even if it means mutual destruction."


    Hearing this, Nanrong Hao snorted, "Do you Liu people even have the capability to fight? If I were you, I¡¯d obediently return to the Liu Family, pack your things, and move to a town where no one knows you. That¡¯s your best ending."


    "Nanrong Hao, if my days are miserable, don¡¯t expect the Nanrong Family to have good days either, especially you two." Liu Qing said through gritted teeth, an icy threat lingering in his eyes.


    "Are you threatening us?"


    "So what if I am." Liu Qing replied coldly, staring directly into Nanrong Hao¡¯s eyes, "I¡¯m giving you three days to cease all attacks on the Liu Family, otherwise, after three days, you won¡¯t even know how you died."


    "Good, very good!" Facing Liu Qing¡¯s threat, Nanrong Hao didn¡¯t get angry, instead, heughed.


    "Liu Qing, you want to y dirty with me? No problem, I, Nanrong Hao, mightck skills in other areas, but I¡¯ve got some experience in this. I originally only wanted your Liu family to go bankrupt for some satisfaction, but it seems bankruptcy isn¡¯t enough. How about this, the distance from East Sea City to your Liu Family is over a thousand miles. When you walk out that door, if you make it back safely to your family, I¡¯ll admit defeat and cease all actions against the Liu Family. On the contrary, if you can¡¯t make it back... then you shouldn¡¯t concern yourself with the fate of the Liu Family anymore. My intentions are clear, you should understand. So, are you interested in continuing the game with me?"


    Upon hearing Nanrong Hao¡¯s proposal, Liu Yun and Liu Qing¡¯s expressions changed. Nanrong Hao¡¯s meaning was crystal clear; with the Hongyu Group¡¯s power, they wouldn¡¯t even leave East Sea City alive, let alone return to their family.


    Seeing the two hesitating, Nanrong Hao sneered, "Liu Qing, weren¡¯t you very arrogant just now? Why aren¡¯t you saying anything now? Are you too afraid to continue ying with me? Tch! I thought you had more guts, but it seems not, really disappointing."


    Faced with Nanrong Hao¡¯s mockery, Liu Qing¡¯s expression became rather unpleasant. No matter how furious he was, he dared not retaliate.


    This life-threatening game he didn¡¯t dare to y; he initially intended to intimidate Nanrong Hao, not expecting him to take it seriously. Moreover, judging by Nanrong Hao¡¯s eager demeanor, he seemed very interested in such games.


    "Miss Nanrong, I¡¯m willing to transfer half of the Liu family¡¯s shares to Hongyu Group, hoping you¡¯ll show mercy to the Liu family." Suddenly, Liu Yun, who had remained silent, spoke up.


    Liu Yun¡¯s proposal caused a momentary flicker in Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s gaze, but she quickly returned to her normal expression.


    After contemting for a moment, Nanrong Wanqing did not directly respond to Liu Yun¡¯s proposal; instead, she turned to Nanrong Hao and asked, "What do you think?"


    Seeing Nanrong Wanqing handing the decision over to Nanrong Hao, Liu Yun couldn¡¯t help but speak up, "Young Master Nanrong, although the Liu family isn¡¯t as strong as before, half of the shares are worth over a billion."


    Over a billion?


    Nanrong Hao¡¯s eyes lit up as he thoughtfully stroked his chin.


    Seeing Nanrong Hao showing interest, Liu Yun seized the opportunity and continued, "Young Master Nanrong, the Liu family also has many fixed assets. If you agree, I can transfer some of these assets to the Nanrong Family as an apology."


    "Oh! Mr. Liu is quite generous, but sadly, although your conditions are good, I cannot ept them."


    Liu Yun was stunned.


    "Why? Young Master Nanrong, we..."


    "Enough!" Nanrong Hao waved impatiently, interrupting Liu Yun, "Do you take us for fools? Listen, Liu, don¡¯t think I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re nning. I¡¯ve got two words for you: No way."


    Having said this, Nanrong Hao pointed to the door and added, "Two more words for you, get out! If you linger any longer, I¡¯ll have security throw you out."


    "Alright, since the Nanrong Family won¡¯t ept my terms, there¡¯s nothing left to say. Miss Nanrong, our Liu family won¡¯t be pushed around. We¡¯ll see who has thestugh." Throwing down these harsh words, Liu Yun and Liu Qing immediately left the office.

 Chapter 1094 - 1101: Business Negotiations (1)

    <h4>Chapter 1094: Chapter 1101: Business Negotiations (1)</h4>


    After Liu Yun and his group left, Nanrong Wanqing looked approvingly at Nanrong Hao, nodding, "Not bad, you¡¯ve been improving rapidlytely. It seems I can confidently entrust Hongyu Group to you in the future."


    Nanrong Hao grinned, "Sister, someone as smart as me wouldn¡¯t get fooled."


    "Haozi, what¡¯s going on?" Ling Chen asked. He had been watching from the sidelines, not wanting to interrupt since it was a dispute between the Nanrong Family and the Liu Family. Moreover, the Nanrong Family currently had the upper hand, so his intervention was unnecessary. However, he didn¡¯t quite grasp the meaning behind Nanrong Wanqing and Nanrong Hao¡¯s exchange.


    "Chen, you¡¯re an outsider here," Nanrong Hao chuckled proudly. "Let me exin it to you."


    After hearing Nanrong Hao¡¯s exnation, Ling Chen finally understood. It turned out Liu Yun was offering to transfer half of the shares to Hongyu Group, which wasn¡¯t beneficial. Instead, Liu Yun¡¯s condition revealed his cunning nature.


    If Hongyu Group epted Liu Yun¡¯s offer, it would bind Liu Family Business and Hongyu Group together. Then, Hongyu Group would be the major shareholder of Liu Family Business. As a result, Hongyu Group would have to spend energy managing Liu Family Business.


    As for the Liu Family, hitching a ride with Hongyu Group¡¯s big ship would not only preserve the Liu Family but allow them to receive lucrative dividends annually. With Hongyu Group¡¯s capabilities, Liu Family Business would eventually revive, prosper, and grow stronger, potentially earning several times more than before.


    Liu Yun was indeed cunning; the condition seemed tempting but was actually an attempt to climb up to the Nanrong Family.


    "Good job." Ling Chen raised his thumb, praising, "Haozi, spotting Liu Yun¡¯s trick shows you already have a business mind."


    Hearing Ling Chen¡¯s praise, Nanrong Hao appeared exceptionally delighted. Then, as if recalling something, he coughed lightly and shifted the topic to Nanrong Wanqing.


    "Sister, Chen has something to discuss with you. Um... you two go ahead. I have matters to handle, I won¡¯t be joining you." Without waiting for Nanrong Wanqing to speak, Nanrong Hao dashed out of the office, shutting the door behind him.


    Standing outside the office, Nanrong Hao signaled to Wang Lan, instructing, "Don¡¯t interrupt them, hold off any matters, handle themter."


    Wang Lan, being a wise woman, understood Nanrong Hao¡¯s intention, smilingly nodded.


    Inside the office, Nanrong Wanqing looked at Ling Chen, feeling oddly uneasy seeing him now.


    "You..." After a moment of silence, Nanrong Wanqing finally spoke, "Why did youe to see me?"


    Ling Chen smiled slightly and sat on the sofa, saying, "I want to discuss a deal with you."


    "Discuss a deal?" Nanrong Wanqing seemed taken aback. She spected the reasons Ling Chen might look for her but hadn¡¯t considered he was here for business matters, she even thought... She stopped her thoughts and concentrated on Ling Chen¡¯s eyes. His gaze assured her he wasn¡¯t joking.


    "What business are you proposing?" Once it involved work, Nanrong Wanqing instantly regained her professionalism.


    "I know Hongyu Group invested heavily in redevelopment ns in the Old City area, even bought a lot ofnd there. I hope you can transfer a plot ofnd to me."


    Indeed, Ling Chen was serious about discussing business this time. To build his own forces, he surely needed a base. Dragon Tiger Tower and the base were different entities, not to be conted, otherwise, they would cause trouble. After careful consideration, finding Nanrong Wanqing fornd acquisition seemed most convenient.


    Upon hearing Ling Chen¡¯s request, Nanrong Wanqing appeared quite surprised, asking him confusedly, "Is it you who wants to buy?"


    "Yes."


    "Although the redevelopment in the Old City will take years toplete, thend prices there have increased several times. With the current situation, no one would sell theirnd. Just wait a few more years, once the Old City flourishes, prices will rise several more times."


    Ling Chen nodded, saying, "I know, that¡¯s why I came to you for help. Wanqing, Hongyu Group owns so many plots, casually selling one to me wouldn¡¯t mean much of a loss to you."


    Nanrong Wanqing pondered and said, "I can sell it to you, but even at a friendly price, it¡¯s still quite a sum. Are you sure you can afford it?"


    She wasn¡¯t underestimating Ling Chen; the cheapest plot in the Old City would cost eight figures, even at a friendly price. If priced ording to market trends, it might be fifty percent higher. Ling Chen¡¯s financial situation was well-known to her; apart from earning a five-figure sry during his time at Hongyu Group, he had no other ie. Therefore, this amount was undoubtedly astronomical for him.


    Before Ling Chen could speak, Nanrong Wanqing had already made up her mind. She shifted the conversation saying, "Forget it! You¡¯ve helped the Nanrong Family numerous times before, even saved my life several times. Since you neednd, I¡¯ll send you a plot on behalf of the Nanrong Family."


    "That¡¯s not necessary," Ling Chen interjected, "We can separate friendship from business. You sell, I buy, I won¡¯t let you suffer, nor do I want any favors. Name your price, any figure is fine."


    This bastard... Nanrong Wanqing cursed inwardly; she had made her decision, but he didn¡¯t appreciate it.


    "Fine, since you have money, one million will do." Nanrong Wanqing responded impulsively, knowing it was said in jest.


    "One million? That¡¯s too little." Ling Chen had researched beforeing; thend prices in the Old City were terrifyingly high, one million wouldn¡¯t cut it, even tenfold wouldn¡¯t guarantee a purchase.


    Considering this, Ling Chen pulled a checkbook from his pocket, filled in some numbers, and handed it to Nanrong Wanqing.


    "Wanqing, see if this amount fits? If it¡¯s less, I¡¯ll add some more."


    ncing at the figure on the check, Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s jaw dropped. As the chairman of Hongyu Group, she was no stranger to handling billions and hundreds of billions. Nevertheless, staring at the series of zeros on the check, Nanrong Wanqing still felt a bit stunned.


    Raising her eyes to meet Ling Chen¡¯s with a smile on his face, Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s gaze grew a bitplicated. At this moment, she realized this Ling Chen was different from the one she previously knew.


    A hundred million isn¡¯t much; many wealthy individuals could produce such an amount. However, Ling Chen, who months ago was earning a five-figure sry as an ascending white-cor worker in security, could now casually fill out a check worth a hundred million. Such a transformation was truly unexpected.

 Chapter 1095 - 1102: Business Negotiations (Part 2)

    <h4>Chapter 1095: Chapter 1102: Business Negotiations (Part 2)</h4>


    "What? Not enough?" Seeing Nanrong Wanqing hesitated to speak, Ling Chen couldn¡¯t help but ask, "Should I add a few more million?"


    "No, it¡¯s not necessary." Nanrong Wanqing snapped back to reality, looking at Ling Chen with aplex expression. In the past, if there was anything worth being proud of, it was her identity as the chairman of the Hongyu Group. But now, it seemed that this identity which she used to take pride in had be unimpressive in the presence of Ling Chen.


    After much hesitation, Nanrong Wanqing decided not to inquire about Ling Chen¡¯s source of funds. In the past, she could ask, but now it wasn¡¯t appropriate as they were just ordinary friends. Being just ordinary friends meant she shouldn¡¯t pry into his privacy.


    "I will ept this check. When you have time, go to the Old City with Nanrong Hao, and whichever piece ofnd you fancy, tell him directly and let him act as a representative to sign the purchase contract with you."


    "Okay." Ling Chen nodded and said, "I¡¯ll be on my way then. You carry on." With that, Ling Chen stood up and headed straight for the office door.


    Upon reaching the door, Ling Chen¡¯s steps slightly faltered, and he couldn¡¯t help but turn around, only to find Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s gaze locked onto him. As their eyes met, Ling Chen smiled lightly and reminded her, "Don¡¯t overwork yourself, make sure to rest."


    "Thank you for your concern!" Nanrong Wanqing opened her mouth, holding back many words in her heart, but only these few came out.


    Leaving the chairman¡¯s office, Ling Chen greeted Wang Lan and then stepped into the elevator. He found it odd as Wang Lan¡¯s gaze had seemed peculiar, somewhat... intimate.


    In a morning¡¯s time, apanied by Nanrong Hao, Ling Chen quickly chose a piece ofnd, spanning over fifteen hundred square meters, located at the southernmost part of the Old City. The main reason for selecting this area was because it was rtively secluded, at quite a distance away from the busy downtown.


    In fact, Qiu Yong and others had suggested to Ling Chen that the location of Dragon Tiger Tower should emte Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, selecting a secluded, unpeopled area, but Ling Chen dismissed this suggestion outright without a second thought.


    It¡¯s absurd; what era are we in now, still holding onto those old ways? Besides, the reason Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion didn¡¯t relocate was due to its historical heritage. A long time ago, Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion no longer hid deep in the mountains, with branches established in major cities like Beijing. Therefore, Ling Chen would never be like Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion.


    In his view, East Sea City was undoubtedly the best choice because it was within his realm of influence. Regardless of what happened, he could instantly receive information. Furthermore, building Dragon Tiger Tower in East Sea City would further strengthen his control over the city.


    Now that the location was selected, the next step was to subcontract the project, striving toplete construction in the shortest possible time.


    Ling Chen had already nned that Dragon Tiger Tower didn¡¯t need to be built too high; three or four stories would suffice. In this regard, Tang Guolun was undoubtedly an expert. After all, he was an escape artist who knew how to construct a fortress-like defensive building.


    Not half an hour after receiving his call, Tang Guolun arrived at Ling Chen¡¯s location. Examining the spot Ling Chen had chosen, Tang Guolun remarked, "This is a nice ce, ording to your requirements, it might take up to six months toplete."


    "Six months? Isn¡¯t that too long? Boss Tang, can¡¯t you speed it up?"


    "No problem, as long as there¡¯s money, anything is possible. We can hire more construction teams to work overtime, day and night, probably finish in two to three months. However, the costs may double or even increase further."


    Ling Chen smiled faintly, indifferent, and said, "Money isn¡¯t an issue. Just ask the big guy for funds, however much you need."


    "OK!" With Ling Chen¡¯s assurance, Tang Guolun promptly sought construction teams to take on the job.


    Meanwhile,


    At the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion.


    Knock, knock, knock!


    "Come in."


    Su Mei pushed open the door and walked into Su He¡¯s room, seeing him seated on an old rattan chair, eyes fixed on the gradually withering leaves outside the window, exuding a natural and harmonious aura.


    Looking at this simple room, Su Mei appeared somewhat helpless. There were plenty of amodations at Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, yet Su He insisted on living in his old room which hadn¡¯t been inhabited for over a decade, exposed to the elements and now worn out.


    "Girl, what brings you to me?" Su He didn¡¯t turn around. Without his orders, no one would disturb him. Although he had returned to Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, Su Mei was the Pavilion Master, handling both big and small matters while Su He continued living peacefully.


    "Grandfather, why haven¡¯t you gone out for a walk these days? Staying cooped up in the room every day might harm your health."


    Su He chuckled softly, "Your grandfather¡¯s health isn¡¯t that fragile." He sighed lightly, "After being alone for so long, I¡¯m not ustomed to environments with many people; it¡¯s more tranquil to be alone. By the way, is there news about Ling Kun?"


    "Nothing yet. The Heavenly Mechanism Order was issued almost half a month ago, but Ling Kun is still missing."


    "If he were easy to find, there would be no need for the Heavenly Mechanism Order. Girl, if Ling Kun really did collude in murdering your parents, what will you do?"


    Su Mei opened her mouth but ultimately chose silence. If it were before, she would have told Su He without hesitation that the culprit must pay with blood. However, ever since learning about Ling Kun¡¯s identity, Su Mei was torn by a difficult choice.


    Ling Kun was Ling Chen¡¯s father; killing Ling Kun would sever the rtionship between Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion and Ling Chen. But what worried Su Mei the most was Ling Chen turning Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion into an enemy.


    "Grandfather, what¡¯s your thoughts? Ling Chen is your disciple..."


    "If Ling Kun really did it, I will definitely kill him; there¡¯s no need to hesitate about that. As for Ling Chen, he¡¯s a promising talent, but unfortunately, I can¡¯t have both. If the rtionship is severed, so be it. If he insists on revenge against us, then we¡¯ll have no choice but to deal with him as well to eliminate future troubles."


    Hearing this, Su Mei¡¯s heart trembled slightly, evidently surprised by Su He¡¯s decisiveness.


    "Girl, as the Pavilion Master of Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, you absolutely mustn¡¯t be soft-hearted. Some matters require decisiveness; otherwise, they will only lead to endless trouble."


    "Yes, I understand."


    "Go now, let me have some peace. Unless it¡¯s urgent, don¡¯t disturb me."


    Coming out of the room, Su Mei looked up at the sky. Not long ago, it was clear and cloudless, but now it was covered with thick clouds, a heavy rain was imminent.


    Reflecting on the conversation with Su He, Su Mei felt gloomy, as if something was blocking her chest, making it hard to breathe. She had always regarded Ling Chen as a very good friend, and being the Pavilion Master of Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, having friends was a luxury. Ling Chen was the only one she could talk to. But no one expected such circumstances would arise.


    The drizzle descended from above, and Su Mei sighed softly, hoping one day she wouldn¡¯t have to stand against Ling Chen.

 Chapter 1096 - 1103: Martial Arts Bottleneck

    <h4>Chapter 1096: Chapter 1103: Martial Arts Bottleneck</h4>


    A month passed, and everything was proceeding methodically.


    Ling Chen¡¯s life also returned to normal, basically revolving around the same three ces: his home, the base, and the construction site.


    The project under Tang Guolun¡¯s charge advanced quickly, with three construction teams working together, nearly a hundred people in total. In just a month, the main framework was almostpleted. Ling Chen visited the site every day to inspect the work. The architectural ns for Dragon Tiger Tower were designed by Tang Guolun, and Ling Chen, after a brief review, entrusted him with the task entirely.


    Ling Chen knew Tang Guolun¡¯s capabilities well, and since he trusted him, he let him handle things without interference. There was no need to y the expert when he wasn¡¯t.


    Aside from the construction of Dragon Tiger Tower, Ling Chen¡¯s greatest concern was Ling Kun. However, as time passed, Ling Kun and the porridge girl seemed to have vanished without a trace.


    "Hey! Ling Chen, do you think... the people from Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion might have captured your father?" asked Hu Fei.


    "No." Ling Chen had his suspicions before, prompting him to contact Song Ge from Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion for information. Due to Su Zhengyang and his wife¡¯s situation, Ling Chen found it inappropriate to contact Su Mei directly, making Song Ge his onlymunication channel.


    Fortunately, despite the many incidents urring at Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, Song Ge¡¯s attitude towards Ling Chen remained unchanged. From Song Ge, Ling Chen learned that Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion hadn¡¯t captured Ling Kun, but they had intensified their efforts and expanded their search range.


    "I believe your father might have gone abroad. Otherwise, it¡¯s impossible that there¡¯s absolutely no news."


    Ling Chen had considered Hu Fei¡¯s guess. If that were the case, he could breathe a sigh of relief. After all, Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, despite its vast influence, was limited to domestic affairs and hadn¡¯t extended its reach abroad. Thus, as long as Ling Kun stayed abroad, he would be safe.


    Returning home, Ling Chen lingered a while in the living room, chatting with Yang Qingling, then went to his room.


    Lately, Ling Chen devoted most of his energy to enhancing his skills. He was preparing for the worst; if Ling Kun were connected to Su Zhengyang and his wife¡¯s deaths, his rtionship with Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion would undoubtedly be strained. Therefore, more than any other means, improving oneself was paramount.


    The Prajnaparamita Sutra was an Internal Cultivation Method Ling Chen had never abandoned. However, the progress slowed as he advanced, practically stagnant like a turtle¡¯s pace. After reaching the Earthly List ranking, Ling Chen felt he hadn¡¯t progressed for a long time, lingering in ce.


    It wasn¡¯t due toziness; no matter how busy each day was, Ling Chen would make time to reinforce the Prajnaparamita Sutra. Yet, it seemed to have hit a bottleneck, requiring a specific opportunity to break through.


    Months ago, at Han Mingchao¡¯s home, Ling Chen and Leng Feifei had a significant encounter. Based on the characteristics of Prajnaparamita Sutra, there should have been substantial improvement, but surprisingly, the Sutra remained as calm as water.


    Ling Chen remembered He Ziyun once mentioning that all top-tier mental methods encounter several challenges, and oveing them leads to a new realm. This was Ling Chen¡¯s current pressing issue.


    From the martial arts manuals obtained from the Ling Family, Ling Chen had meticulously reviewed them. Despite possessing many long-lost skills and Inner Strength methods, they offered no solution to Ling Chen¡¯s current dilemma.


    "Better to learn thoroughly than superficially!"


    With this belief, Ling Chen forsook the practice of other martial arts, focusing all his mind on the Prajnaparamita Sutra.


    During meditation with closed eyes, he lost track of time until his phone rang from the bedside.


    Picking up the phone, Ling Chen nced at the iing call number on the screen, feeling a bit curious, unsure who was calling.


    Upon answering, Ling Chen said "Hello," and asked, "Who is this?"


    "It¡¯s me."


    Hearing the familiar voice over the phone, Ling Chen immediately recognized who it was.


    Lin Qiqi!


    During the siege on the Ling Family, Lin Qiqi, following Ling Chen¡¯s advice, escaped first and was not caught by Pang Jiulin. Back then, Lin Qiqi had taken Ling Chen¡¯s phone number, promising to contact himter. Now, more than a month had passed, and she finally had news.


    "Miss Lin, are you okay?"


    "You don¡¯t need to worry about that. I¡¯m contacting you to inform you that a core figure from the Ling Family has been residing secretly in East Sea City. I recently obtained this information. As for the person¡¯s address, I haven¡¯t discovered it yet."


    Core figure?


    Ling Chen was taken aback. He thought the Ling Family¡¯s important figures had all fled abroad, but unexpectedly, one remained hidden in East Sea City.


    "I understand. Miss Lin, thank you for providing this information."


    "Don¡¯t thank me. I just want revenge, that¡¯s all. Alright, I can¡¯t talk much now. I¡¯ll notify you when I find more clues," Lin Qiqi said before hanging up abruptly.


    Setting down the phone, Ling Chen turned to look out the window, his gaze flickering slightly. Lin Qiqi¡¯s information wasn¡¯t exactly good news; a core figure hidden in East Sea City undoubtedly posed a problem, potentially monitoring his every move.


    While pondering, his phone rang again¡ªit was Hu Fei.


    "Hey! Fatty, what¡¯s up?"


    "Do you have time now? I have a major discovery. You bettere over," Hu Fei said with a trace of excitement, suggesting he had made a significant breakthrough.


    "Hold on, I¡¯m on my way."


    Leaving his house, Ling Chen drove his Audi towards the base. Halfway through, he gradually reduced his speed, nced at the rearview mirror, and slightly curved his lips.


    For the past few days, Ling Chen felt he was being followed whenever he went out. However, his driving skills allowed him to easily shake off pursuers. But today was different; they seemed to have increased their personnel. Previously there was only one car; now it¡¯s increased to five, indicating they no longer wanted to lose track of him.


    Ling Chen had always wondered who was tailing him, and after receiving Lin Qiqi¡¯s call, he spected that the mastermind might be the Ling Family¡¯s core figure.


    "Alright! Since you want to y, I¡¯ll y along."


    With this thought, Ling Chen floored the elerator, and the Audi¡¯s speed surged, overtaking several cars.


    At this point, the five trailing cars couldn¡¯t be bothered about being discovered. They quickly increased their speed, sticking closely behind Ling Chen¡¯s car to prevent him from slipping away again.


    Ten minutes passed and the number of vehicles on the road dwindled. Ling Chen was now on a small road leading to the outskirts. In this area, buildings were sparse, and traffic was low, allowing the car speed to be pushed to its limit.


    Seeing Ling Chen gradually pull away, the five cars following him elerated immediately, maintaining a distance of approximately 20 meters.

 Chapter 1097 - 1104: Zhu Hong’s Whereabouts (1)

    <h4>Chapter 1097: Chapter 1104: Zhu Hong¡¯s Whereabouts (1)</h4>


    Looking at the cars slowly catching up in the rearview mirror, Ling Chen couldn¡¯t help butugh. These people really are amateurs.


    Suddenly, Ling Chen swiftly turned the steering wheel,bined with the brakes. The Audi¡¯s body swayed sharply, stopping steadily in the middle of the road, blocking the entire street.


    Seeing this, the five cars trailing behind hurriedly stopped.


    Before the people in those cars could get out, Ling Chen pushed open the car door, sprinted forward, stepped onto the roof of the first car, and leaped over in mid-air. In the blink of an eye, Ling Chen rushed to the front of thest car.


    At this moment, the car door behind opened. A few men just got out and hadn¡¯t regained their footing when Ling Chen¡¯s fist already smashed toward them. However, unexpectedly, one man reacted quickly, crossing his arms to forcibly block Ling Chen¡¯s steel fist.


    With his fist being obstructed, Ling Chen¡¯s expression changed slightly, his eyes showing a hint of surprise. This guy could actually block his attack!


    Although he didn¡¯t use his full strength in this punch, it still had two-tenths of its power, which an ordinary person couldn¡¯t withstand. A martial artist! After a slight pause, Ling Chen quickly realized that this man in front of him definitely practiced martial arts. Thinking of this, Ling Chen no longer held back, increasing his strength by a few notches.


    Mountain Copse!


    At the moment he bumped his shoulder forward, the man¡¯s body was like a kite with a broken string, flying straight up and then crashing heavily to the ground.


    Turns out that¡¯s all he¡¯s got. Ling Chen smiled faintly, thinking he had met a master. Knowing these people¡¯s capabilities, Ling Chen unleashed his fists, and it didn¡¯t take long before the members from the car behind were allid t on the ground.


    Ling Chen¡¯s fighting strategy was strategic, solving the people in thest car first. This way, with the car blocking the road, the four cars in the middle could neither advance nor retreat, leaving them no escape route.


    pping his hands, Ling Chen leisurely looked at the others. There were quite a number of them, no less than a dozen, all males in their twenties or thirties.


    "Guys, who are you? I don¡¯t seem to have any grudge with you, so why are you secretly following me?"


    An older man looked at Ling Chen, his eyes flickering, not knowing what he was thinking. Suddenly, he waved hisrge hand and said solemnly, "Let¡¯s go!" As his voice fell, more than a dozen men didn¡¯t hesitate, abandoning the car in ce, dispersing and escaping separately.


    Watching those people flee far away, Ling Chen did not chase after them, only feeling a bit bewildered. These people were secretly tailing him, clearly came for him. But now that they had a confrontation, they didn¡¯t make a move and instead ran away, what¡¯s going on?


    Thinking for a moment, Ling Chen turned his gaze to the men lying on the ground. Walking up close, Ling Chen crouched in front of one of them, searching around. Soon, he found an ID card in the jacket pocket.


    From the information on the ID card, this person was a librarian.


    Library? Ling Chen was slightly stunned, but quickly he understood what this library stood for.


    Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion!


    Narrowing his eyes, Ling Chen¡¯s face looked somewhat unpleasant. Before, when he was in Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, he talked with Su Mei and others. Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion had many branches, existing in various forms, including libraries.


    Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion couldn¡¯t find Ling Kun, so it sent someone to watch him, to see if he was in contact with Ling Kun. Ling Chen could understand Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion¡¯s approach, but he felt a bit uneasy in his heart. Currently, it was only a suspicion about Ling Kun, not confirmed yet, but sending people to monitor him was undoubtedly the biggest distrust towards himself. It was obvious that Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion was also on guard against him.


    ...


    "Hello! Pavilion Master."


    In a small room of the library, the man previously leading the surveince on Ling Chen dialed Su Mei¡¯s phone.


    "What¡¯s the matter?" Su Mei¡¯s calm voice came through the phone.


    "Pavilion Master, sorry, our cover has been blown."


    "No incident urred, right?"


    "A few brothers got hurt, but nothing serious. Pavilion Master, should we continue the surveince?"


    Su Mei hesitated for a moment and asked, "Did he... did he notice your identity?"


    "I¡¯m not sure about that, but we didn¡¯t carry anything rted to Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion on us, so he probably didn¡¯t recognize us."


    "Okay then, continue to monitor. Remember, try to keep a low profile, don¡¯t rm the target."


    "Rest assured, Pavilion Master, I know what to do."


    At this moment, Ling Chen had already driven to the base.


    Coming to the control center, since Tang Guolun was busy building Dragon Tiger Tower, only Hu Fei was there.


    "Fatty, why did you call me over?" Judging from Hu Fei¡¯s phone call, there must be significant findings; otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t have rushed him over in such haste.


    Hu Fei grinned, saying, "Haven¡¯t you always wanted to find that bastard Zhu Hong¡¯s whereabouts? I¡¯m telling you, I¡¯ve found it."


    "Really?" Ling Chen¡¯s eyes lit up, this was indeed good news. He had long entrusted Hu Fei to use all resources to search for Zhu Hong¡¯s whereabouts throughout East Sea City, but unfortunately, there had been no progress. Now, after a few months, there was finally a breakthrough.


    "Fatty, where¡¯s the person?"


    Hu Fei went to the big screen in the control center, tapping on the keyboard a few times. Soon, the big screen disyed a map, with a building marked in red.


    "See that, Zhu Hong is hiding right here. He¡¯s quite clever, choosing a remote slum. There¡¯s no surveince there, high traffic, lots of foreign residents, very convenient for hiding his whereabouts."


    "Is your intel reliable?" Ling Chen needed to confirm.


    Hu Fei patted his chest and assured, "Don¡¯t worry, there¡¯s absolutely no problem." Then Hu Fei proudlyughed and said, "Do you want to know how I found them?"


    "Let¡¯s hear it." Ling Chen was indeed curious. Zhu Hong was too cunning, there wasn¡¯t the slightest clue after searching for so long. He remembered thest time Hu Fei mentioned a good method to find Zhu Hong. Now it seemed probable that method worked.


    "This time I didn¡¯t target Zhu Hong, but rather Song Mingzhe. Doesn¡¯t Song Mingzhe raise raptors? Such a big hawk, how much meat does it eat in a day? This is East Sea City, facing the sea to the east, there¡¯s no wild fowl to catch. So, for Song Mingzhe to feed his hawk, he must buy arge amount of fresh meat from the market. Through this point, I sent people to investigate major markets and supermarkets, and finally found a clue. Based on the clue and through tracking and investigation, I pinpointed this location."


    "Not bad." Ling Chen nodded with a smile and said, "You¡¯re all fat, but it turns out you have some brains."


    Hearing this, Hu Fei¡¯s eyes widened, disgruntledly saying, "Are youplimenting me or dissing me?"

 Chapter 1098 - 1105: Zhu Hong’s Whereabouts (Part 2)

    <h4>Chapter 1098: Chapter 1105: Zhu Hong¡¯s Whereabouts (Part 2)</h4>


    "Alright, let¡¯s stop joking around." Ling Chen collected himself and said seriously, "Have you sent anyone to check it out?"


    "I sent Kaelina and Qin Genglong. They¡¯ve been staking out nearby for two days and nights. ording to their feedback, Chu Huaiyang appeared there this morning, seemingly to replenish food supplies. I¡¯m concerned something might go wrong, so I told them to stay put. Now that we¡¯ve found Zhu Hong¡¯s whereabouts, should we go all out?"


    Ling Chen didn¡¯t speak; instead, he carefully examined therge screen map. Taking action is easy, but as Hu Fei just mentioned, the ce has many outsiders and heavy foot traffic. Zhu Hong picked such a ce for a reason: the more people there are, the easier it is to escape. Therefore, before making a move, they must be fully prepared to prevent Zhu Hong and his group from escaping again.


    Although Dragon Tiger Tower hasn¡¯t been established yet, Ling Chen doesn¡¯tck manpower. In fact, ever since the Secret Society joined, he has hundreds of people at his disposal. After assigning tasks, Ling Chen didn¡¯t stay long at the base and drove straight to Zhu Hong¡¯s residence.


    Outside the slum area, Ling Chen parked the car and looked around, frowning slightly. Hu Fei mentioned there were many people, but he didn¡¯t expect the crowd to be thisrge. The rtively narrow street was lined with many stalls, the middlene only wide enough for one car, and with the heavy foot traffic, vehicles couldn¡¯t pass through at all.


    This was a big problem.


    With such a dense crowd, taking action was simply impossible. Otherwise, once Zhu Hong and his people blended into the crowd, finding them again would be difficult.


    Walking along the road to the inside, there was a vegetable market nearby, nked by single-story houses and three-story old buildings. Being a slum, most of the residents were migrant workers, with many workers in vests easily seen, and the air was filled with a peculiar smell.


    Seeing such an environment, Ling Chen felt a bit of admiration for Zhu Hong. He knew Zhu Hong had a taste for life¡¯s finer things, yet to avoid him, Zhu Hong had actually moved to such a ce, which was truly surprising.


    In a private room of a small restaurant in the slum area, Ling Chen met with Kaelina and Qin Genglong. The two were by the window, observing the situation outside.


    "How¡¯s it going? Any developments?" Ling Chen asked.


    Kaelina pointed outside the window and said, "There¡¯s a stairway entrance there. Zhu Hong and his team live inside, but I haven¡¯t yet figured out which room they¡¯re in."


    Ling Chen took a few nces and nodded, "If Zhu Hong is there, Chen Quan and the others are likely there too. Their skills aren¡¯t weak, and Zhu Hong is very cautious, with certain precautions in ce. Rushing in could get us spotted."


    "Why don¡¯t you take a look?" Kaelina suggested. "The two of us are too conspicuous, easily attracting attention."


    Kaelina was right. As a foreigner with blonde hair and blue eyes and a striking appearance, she would undoubtedly stand out in such a slum. As for Qin Genglong, his training in Cross Training made him muscr and taller than the average person, equally noticeable. If these two entered, they¡¯d surely be discovered.


    Ling Chen thought for a moment, then his eyes suddenly lit up, and he immediately had an idea.


    "Wait here. I¡¯ll be right back." Leaving behind Kaelina and Qin Genglong, who were puzzled, Ling Chen left the private room directly.


    More than ten minutester, the door outside the room was pushed open. Kaelina looked carefully and, with a cold expression, asked, "Who are you looking for?"


    She thought it was Ling Chening back, but it turned out to be a construction worker, reeking of sweat, with a bushy beard, wearing a filthy red vest.


    "Um... sorry, I think I... I walked into the wrong room." The construction worker apologized with a sheepish smile and quickly backed out.


    However, a few secondster, the construction worker walked back in.


    Qin Genglong red and stood up, shouting, "What do you want?"


    The manughed heartily and grinned, "What, you two still don¡¯t recognize me?"


    Upon hearing the familiar voice, Kaelina and Qin Genglong were momentarily stunned, then realized that the construction worker was actually Ling Chen in disguise.


    There¡¯s no denying that Ling Chen¡¯s disguise was remarkably convincing. Without looking closely, they hadn¡¯t recognized him at all. After all, with so many construction workers around, who would suspect someone like this?


    "Not bad." Kaelina leaned closer to Ling Chen, looking him up and down, clearly interested in his attire.


    "Of course, having teamed up with Bai Huanjun for so long, I¡¯ve picked up a thing or two." Ling Chen said confidently, "Alright, wait here for my news. I¡¯m going in to check."


    Arriving at the stairway Kaelina mentioned, Ling Chen looked around and saw a gas cylinder nearby. He hoisted it onto his shoulder and started heading upstairs. This old building had three floors, with five to six households on each floor. Ling Chen carried the gas cylinder, visiting each unit one by one. It was right around quitting time, so every household had their doors open, which made Ling Chen¡¯s investigation easier.


    Soon, Ling Chen reached the third floor. At a nce, out of the five households on the third floor, only three had their doors open, while the other two were closed, making it unclear if anyone was inside. If Kaelina wasn¡¯t mistaken, Chu Huaiyang had been seening and going here, so Zhu Hong and his crew were likely in one of these two units.


    Something isn¡¯t right!


    It¡¯s possible both these units house Zhu Hong¡¯s people. Ling Chen noticed earlier that the apartments were very small, only about forty to fifty square meters. With four people, packing into one room would be quite cramped.


    Thinking it through, Ling Chen saw someone exiting one of the closed units, and it was Chu Huaiyang. Ling Chen quickly lowered his head to avoid making eye contact. At that moment, Chu Huaiyang was carrying a few bowls, heading straight to the door of the neighboring unit and knocking.


    Ling Chen, ever observant, noticed that Chu Huaiyang¡¯s knocking pattern was very rhythmic: four short knocks and two long ones. Soon, the door opened, but unfortunately, the person inside didn¡¯t step out, preventing Ling Chen from identifying them.


    After handing the bowls inside, Chu Huaiyang didn¡¯t enter but instead returned to his previous unit.


    Finally caught up with you all!


    Ling Chen secretly smiled to himself. Without a doubt, Zhu Hong and his group were living within these two units. Having confirmed his target, Ling Chen didn¡¯t linger and quickly returned to the room where Kaelina was waiting.


    "Kaelina, inform Fatty that we¡¯re moving tonight. Tell him to prepare." Ling Chen said. The heavy daytime foot traffic posed a risk of idental injuries and the possibility of Zhu Hong and his crew escaping by blending into the crowd. Hence, the nighttime was undoubtedly the best time to act.

 Chapter 1099 - 1106: Night Raid

    <h4>Chapter 1099: Chapter 1106: Night Raid</h4>


    Night falls.


    The slum at eleven o¡¯clock is silent, pitch ck without a hint of light. Most of the people living here are workers, tired after a long day, eager to rest early.


    At this moment, more than a dozen shadows appear on the streets of the slum, slowly approaching the target location. In front of the building, Ling Chen looks at the stairway devoid of light and gestures to the people behind him. Quickly, a white male nods and leads a team swiftly into the stairway.


    This white male is none other than Beison, whom Ling Chen hired from abroad. Beison is an experienced mercenary with considerable skills. For this operation, Ling Chen specifically brought his team.


    A few minutester, Ling Chen¡¯s earpiece crackles with the sound of static. This is the signal he agreed on with Beison, indicating that Beison and his team are in ce and ready to act.


    Right now, Ling Chen instructs Qin Genglong to be ready to take action at any moment. After giving instructions, Ling Chen heads up the stairs alone, directly to the third floor. He had already scouted the area during the day, so he confidently moves to the door of one of the rooms.


    Four short and two long knocks.


    This is the rhythm Chu Huaiyang uses to knock on the door. After knocking, Ling Chen quickly moves aside, quietly waiting. Soon, the lock clicks, and the door opens from the inside. At the moment the door opens, Ling Chen doesn¡¯t hesitate and strikes with a steel punch, hitting the person opening the door hard.


    The room Ling Chen chose belongs to Chu Huaiyang; only Chu Huaiyang was seen entering during the day, with no sight of others, so Ling Chen wasn¡¯t sure where the other three were residing. Compared to the others, Chu Huaiyang is rtively easier to handle, so he decided to deal with Chu Huaiyang¡¯s room first.


    As his steel punchnds, Ling Chen immediately feels the impact, indicating he hit his target. Although the surroundings are dark, Ling Chen can vaguely see the face of his opponent.


    Song Mingzhe!


    Unexpectedly, his punch hits Song Mingzhe. Standing inside the door, Song Mingzhe had no idea he would be attacked. Hearing sounds from outside the door, he assumed it was Zhu Hong visiting, thus he let his guard down.


    As an Earthly List expert, Ling Chen¡¯s punch is tough to endure.


    Wham!


    Song Mingzhe spits out blood, turning his face instantly pale.


    Afternding the hit, Ling Chen doesn¡¯t stop. Without allowing Song Mingzhe any chance to react, Ling Chen steps forward and punches repeatedly, each blow aimed at Song Mingzhe¡¯s chest. After five consecutive punches, Ling Chen can feel Song Mingzhe¡¯s chest starting to cave in.


    At this moment, a figure rushes towards Ling Chen,shing out at his face with a palm strike.


    Ling Chen doesn¡¯t need to look to know it¡¯s Chu Huaiyang. Without hesitation, Ling Chen withdraws his fist, quickly stepping back to avoid Chu Huaiyang¡¯s attack. At this point, with Song Mingzhe seriously injured, he loses his ability to fight.


    One Chu Huaiyang isn¡¯t much of a match for Ling Chen.


    However, Ling Chen doesn¡¯t confront Chu Huaiyang directly. His goal is explicit: use stealth to reduce their numbers. Losing a skilled fighter is undoubtedly a severe blow to Zhu Hong and the others.


    Time to go!


    Ling Chen evades several waves of attacks from Chu Huaiyang, slowly moving towards the window. Themotion made in this room will definitely alert Zhu Hong and Chen Quan. Once they arrive, escape will be impossible.


    The power of Heavenly List experts is not to be underestimated.


    Hurried footsteps approach, and Ling Chen nces sideways, seeing two figures outside the door. As expected, Chen Quan and Zhu Hong rushed over at top speed. Before they can get close, Ling Chen focuses all his strength, pushing Chu Huaiyang back with a punch, and then leaps, crashing through the window, jumping directly down.


    "Chu Huaiyang, what¡¯s going on?" Zhu Hong asks.


    "It¡¯s Ling Chen." Chu Huaiyang, looking at the blood-spewing Song Mingzhe on the ground, says grimly, "Uncle Song is injured and needs urgent hospital treatment. We..."


    "We don¡¯t have time to waste on him," Zhu Hong interrupts before Chu Huaiyang can finish, "Since Ling Chen found his way here, he surely came prepared. Bringing along an injured burden will only slow us down, and none of us will escape."


    Listening to Zhu Hong¡¯s merciless words, Chu Huaiyang wants to say something, but Chen Quan interjects, "Zhu Hong is right. We don¡¯t have time to care for him now. Let¡¯s break out of here."


    As soon as the words fall, there¡¯s a sudden crisp sound inside the room, as if something drops to the ground. The trio turns to look, unable to make out the object but can smell a pungent odor.


    This isn¡¯t good!


    "It¡¯s a smoke grenade, run!" Zhu Hong shouts, barely taking a step before a strong sh blinds his vision, causing immense eye pain.


    Besides the smoke grenade, there¡¯s a sh grenade, something Zhu Hong hadn¡¯t expected. Among the trio, Chen Quan reacts fastest, dodging just as the sh grenade explodes, minimizing the impact.


    "Out the window," Chen Quan instructs sharply, grabbing Zhu Hong and dashing through the window.


    Chu Huaiyang looks at the pale-faced Song Mingzhe lying on the ground, eyes filled with struggle. Regardless, Song Mingzhe is hisrade. Leaving him to escape alone feels wrong. Nevertheless, there¡¯s no time for hesitation. Chu Huaiyang grits his teeth, following Chen Quan¡¯s path out the window.


    As he exits the window, Chu Huaiyang bnces himself fornding. But he quickly realizes that he¡¯s bumped into something soft after jumping out.


    What¡¯s going on?


    After a brief daze, Chu Huaiyang focuses, shocked to see ayer of ironting outside the window. His body is caught right in it. Just like him, Chen Quan and Zhu Hong hang trapped in theting.


    How did this happen? Ling Chen also jumped out the window earlier, so why... On realizing this, Chu Huaiyang understands.


    Ling Chen¡¯s real aim was to lure them out, using the smoke grenade and sh grenade to force them out through the window.


    "Retrieve!"


    A softmand sounds, and the entire iron contracts, ensnaring Zhu Hong and his partnerspletely.


    Witnessing their predicament, Chen Quan¡¯s face turns livid. He coldly orders, "Take care of Zhu Hong." Then, with a powerful shout, Chen Quan grabs the iron, ripping it open with force.


    As a Heavenly List expert, his power stands apart, his strength formidable. Under Chen Quan¡¯s exertion, the sturdy iron tears open with a gap.

 Chapter 1100 - 1107: Ji Gang Makes His Move

    <h4>Chapter 1100: Chapter 1107: Ji Gang Makes His Move</h4>


    The iron was torn open, and Chen Quan immediately drilled his way out, followed closely by Chu Huaiyang and Zhu Hong. At this moment, Beison and his team had already surrounded the three of them. Chen Quan scanned his surroundings without hesitation, swiftly stepping forward like a gust of wind, instantly disappearing from his original spot.


    By the time everyone reacted, they saw that Chen Quan¡¯s body was already near Ling Chen.


    Capture the ringleader first! Chen Quan knew Ling Chen was the leader of these people. As long as he controlled Ling Chen, the others would be hesitant to act, fearing the consequences.


    Seeing Chen Quan rapidly approaching, Ling Chen slightly curled his lips into a faint smile, showing no sign of fear despite Chen Quan¡¯s attack.


    Something¡¯s amiss?


    Chen Quan¡¯s heart sank; Ling Chen¡¯s smile stirred a strong sense of unease within him. Facing an attack from a Heavenly List master, no one would smile unless that person had a death wish. Ling Chen was evidently not such a person, judging from his fearless demeanor, he must have relied on something.


    As his thoughts raced, a fierce gust of wind suddenly struck. Through the corner of his eye, Chen Quan saw only a blurred figure quickly closing in.


    So fast! Chen Quan¡¯s pupils constricted, utterly astounded. Regardless of who this figure was, their speed and strength were far beyond what ordinary experts could achieve.


    Heavenly List... a Heavenly List master! In an instant, Chen Quan confirmed the person¡¯s identity.


    Indeed, without the assistance of a Heavenly List master, even if Ling Chen had the guts, he wouldn¡¯t daree seeking trouble with him. There was no time to contemte further; Chen Quan quickly withdrew his offensive, retreating backward. If he continued to attack, even if he managed to harm Ling Chen, he would suffer heavy blows from the Heavenly List master, making it not worthwhile.


    With that retreat, Chen Quan immediately saw the Heavenly List master on the opposite side.


    Ji Gang!


    Confirming Ji Gang¡¯s identity, Chen Quan was shocked. How... how could this be? Ji Gang was clearly part of the God Organization, the nemesis of Ling Chen, so why did he suddenly switch sides to help Ling Chen against him?


    At this moment, not only Chen Quan but also Chu Huaiyang and Zhu Hong were stunned. Chen Quan was their only reliance to escape, but now, a Heavenly List master intercepted them, instantly obliterating their advantage.


    Beneath his mask, Zhu Hong frowned, eyes darkened, mind racing for countermeasures. Tonight was a cmity for him; if he couldn¡¯t escape, he would die here. No! He couldn¡¯t die, at least not now. Zhu Hong bit his lip silently; he had too many wishes left unfulfilled and could not die here. Moreover, he most certainly did not want to die at Ling Chen¡¯s hands, as that would be a defeat too painful to bear.


    "Ji Gang, why?" Chen Quan stared coldly at Ji Gang, asking solemnly, "Are you going to betray your master?"


    Confronted by Chen Quan¡¯s question, Ji Gang stood motionless beside Ling Chen, showing no response, as if he hadn¡¯t heard the question.


    Seeing Ji Gang¡¯s change, Chen Quan¡¯s heart sank, and he immediately turned his gaze to Ling Chen, "How did you do it?" Undoubtedly, Chen Quan did not believe Ji Gang would turn to Ling Chen; in his view, Ling Chen must have used some improper means.


    "I think that¡¯s not something you should be concerned about," Ling Chen said ndly, "Chen Quan, you¡¯ve been hiding long enough; tonight is the time for conclusions."


    Chen Quan¡¯s expression slightly changed; without Ji Gang, he would find Ling Chen¡¯s wordsughable. However, facing a Heavenly List master, hecked full confidence. Moreover, during his previous coboration with the God Organization, he had sparred with Ji Gang, knowing his formidable strength, not the kind found in newly graduated Heavenly List experts. ording to his judgment, Ji Gang¡¯s power was ranked at least eighth in the Heavenly List, solid in foundation, undoubtedly a difficult opponent.


    "Ji Gang, capture him." Ling Chenmanded softly, and Ji Gang, standing quietly by, immediately sprang into action, rushing toward Chen Quan.


    Ji Gang moved swiftly, appearing in front of Chen Quan in the blink of an eye, delivering a palm strike. Though it looked gentle, with seemingly no force, Chen Quan felt the thick Inner Strength, like a majestic mountain, charging in with overwhelming momentum.


    Chen Quan did not take the strike head-on, not because he couldn¡¯t withstand Ji Gang¡¯s attack, but to conserve energy. Ji Gang was slightly stronger than him; if he were to go head-to-head, he would inevitably fall behind. Therefore, the most prudent approach was to drag it out, letting Ji Gang expend all his stamina. At that point, he would have the opportunity to counterattack and win the battle.


    Ling Chen stood at the forefront of the crowd, his attention focused entirely on the battle between Chen Quan and Ji Gang. Watching for a while, Ling Chen was somewhat dissatisfied with Ji Gang¡¯s performance. He had witnessed Ji Gang¡¯s formidable power, but during the sh with Chen Quan, Ji Gang¡¯s strength was at most seventy percent effective. Ling Chen understood this; Ji Gang¡¯s actions were all controlled by the microchip in his brain, meaning he had lost the ability to think and judge, relying solely on his instinct.


    Consequently, this obviously limited Ji Gang¡¯s performance. In expert duels, aside from one¡¯s sheer strength, adaptability and calcting the opponent are essential elements that Ji Gang now clearlycked.


    Because of this reason, Ji Gang, who would normally overpower his opponent, could only fight Chen Quan to a draw at this moment.


    Since the battle here wouldn¡¯t be resolved quickly, Ling Chen turned his gaze to Chu Huaiyang and Zhu Hong, with Zhu Hong as his primary target, regardless of how Chen Quan and Chu Huaiyang ended up; Zhu Hong must not escape tonight.


    At this moment, Chu Huaiyang and Zhu Hong¡¯s attention was focused solely on Chen Quan. Hearing footsteps approaching, the weakest Zhu Hong was ironically the first to react. He turned his head, looking at the swiftly approaching Ling Chen, his eyes turning cold.


    "Chu Huaiyang, hold him off."


    Chu Huaiyang nodded, reaching out to shield Zhu Hong behind him.


    "Give up," Ling Chen said softly, "do you think you still have a chance to escape tonight?"


    Squinting, Zhu Hong replied coldly, "Ling Chen, don¡¯t rejoice too soon; as long as I¡¯m alive, anything is possible."


    "Is that so? Well, then, I¡¯ll see what else you¡¯re capable of." With these words, Ling Chen¡¯s body slightly leaned forward, tapping his right foot on the ground. In an instant, his body moved like a leopard, dashing forward.


    A blur passed, and Chu Huaiyang saw only a dark shadow. Before his hands could rise, a power engulfed him, striking him directly. With this hit, Chu Huaiyang felt as if he was struck by surging waves, instantly knocked away.


    One move, just one move, and Chu Huaiyang¡¯s defense was dismantled.

 Chapter 1101 - 1108: Rescue

    <h4>Chapter 1101: Chapter 1108: Rescue</h4>


    Clutching his aching chest, Chu Huaiyang looked up incredulously at Ling Chen. He couldn¡¯t imagine that the Ling Chen, who once could only fight him to a draw, now toppled him effortlessly. How much time had passed, yet Ling Chen¡¯s progress was astonishingly fast.


    It¡¯s only been a few months, but Ling Chen¡¯s transformation was undoubtedly the greatest. The fusion of the Nine Yang Qiankun Step had significantly enhanced Ling Chen¡¯s skills. In addition, with dedicated training during this period, Ling Chen¡¯s internal cultivation methods had shown slight improvement. Therefore, Chu Huaiyang was no longer his match.


    "Zhu Hong, surrender." Ling Chen said, "You cannot escape."


    Zhu Hong nced at Chu Huaiyang lying on the ground and coldly sneered, "Useless!" After a pause, he turned to Ling Chen and said with a cold smile, "Ling Chen, don¡¯t be too pleased with yourself. Even in death, I won¡¯t fall into your hands." As he finished speaking, Zhu Hong reached to his waist, and a dagger instantly appeared in his hand.


    Seeing Zhu Hong ce the dagger against his neck, Ling Chen shrugged and said indifferently, "Considering suicide? Fine, don¡¯t me me for giving you the opportunity. If you die here tonight, it¡¯s a relief for everyone. Please, go ahead!" Ling Chen gestured for Zhu Hong to continue.


    Holding the sharp dagger, Zhu Hong gritted his teeth, a trace of hesitation flickering in his eyes. He didn¡¯t want to die, no one does, butpared to dying, he was even less willing to fall into Ling Chen¡¯s hands. After experiencing so much, he didn¡¯t want to be a loser, which would undoubtedly be painful.


    ncing at Chen Quan and Ji Gang still engaged in battle, Zhu Hong knew Chen Quan couldn¡¯t spare himself and wouldn¡¯t be able to save him. Looking at his predicament, Zhu Hong couldn¡¯t help but feel dejected. He did so much, yet stillcked the power topete with Ling Chen. If... if it weren¡¯t for Song Mingzhe¡¯s incident, losing a vitalbat asset, perhaps he could have had a chance to escape tonight.


    It seemed his fate tonight was already sealed. Thinking of this, Zhu Hong stared directly into Ling Chen¡¯s eyes and said slowly, "I originally wanted to y a game with you, but it looks like there¡¯s no chance." After speaking, Zhu Hong bit his teeth, closed his eyes, and fiercely drove the dagger towards his neck.


    Beep beep!


    Just at that moment, an ear-piercing car horn suddenly sounded. Following it, two dazzling headlights shone through.


    This unexpected change instantly caught everyone¡¯s attention. Zhu Hong released the dagger and looked up to see an off-road vehicle speeding rapidly along the road, moving incredibly fast, reaching close in an instant.


    Seeing the off-road vehicle charging recklessly, Ling Chen and the others¡¯ expressions changed slightly, not daring to block it physically, hurriedly retreated to avoid the vehicle¡¯s impact. At that moment, the off-road vehicle swerved, stopping steadily beside Zhu Hong. Meanwhile, the car¡¯s rear door opened, and a low voice came from inside: "Get in!"


    Although he didn¡¯t know who was inside, Zhu Hong didn¡¯t hesitate. At this moment, he only had one thought in his mind: escape!


    Sitting in the car, Zhu Hong grabbed the door, ready to close it.


    "Help me!" Hearing Chu Huaiyang¡¯s voice, Zhu Hong nced over, looking at Chu Huaiyang struggling to get up on the ground with ice-cold eyes. Their eyes met, and Chu Huaiyang wanted to say something, but s, Zhu Hong ignored him, directly closing the car door.


    Watching Zhu Hong heartlessly abandon him, Chu Huaiyang felt chilled to the heart. He thought Zhu Hong would save him, but who knew the other party wouldn¡¯t care about him at all.


    Once Zhu Hong sat in the car, the off-road vehicle immediately started, tires spinning wildly, grinding against the ground and raising a burst of white smoke.


    Bang!


    Just then, a loud crashing sound came as Ling Chen somehow appeared on the hood of the off-road vehicle, punching onto the windshield.


    With one punch, Ling Chen was surprised to find the off-road vehicle used bulletproof ss. However, even with bulletproof ss, under Ling Chen¡¯s punch, the surface instantly cracked with numerous fissures. Just one more punch would shatter the ss.


    But before Ling Chen could strike again, a whizzing sound suddenly came. Ling Chen looked up and saw a figure rapidly approaching. With that figure¡¯s impact, Ling Chen was knocked off the hood, rolling to the ground.


    Without Ling Chen¡¯s blockade, the off-road vehicle moved unimpeded, immediately heading toward the end of the road. Seeing this, Ling Chen hurriedly called out, "Beison, block it, don¡¯t let it escape."


    The boss had spoken, Beison didn¡¯t hesitate, at once forming a human wall with team members, blocking in front of the off-road vehicle.


    "Prepare!" Following Beison¡¯smand, more than ten team members took out their modified crossbows. Because Huaxia restricted firearms, Ling Chen dared not make exceptions, so he could only use cold weapons to arm the team. The crossbows modified by Tang Guolun, incorporating the features of Zhuge Crossbow, could load ten crossbows at once, allowing continuous shooting, with a range of about thirty meters.


    If exceeding the range, the power drastically decreases, unable to cause damage.


    At this moment, the off-road vehicle was less than thirty meters away from them. With Beison¡¯s order, more than ten crossbows fired in unison, targeting the off-road vehicle¡¯s driver. As long as they took down the driver, they could stop the vehicle and regain control of Zhu Hong.


    More than ten crossbows shot through the air, instantly shattering the cracked bulletproof ss, exposing the driver without any protection in Beison¡¯s sights. One round of volley, and the off-road vehicle¡¯s driver would have no chance of survival.


    However, just as Beison was about to give the attack order, two figures silently appeared behind them. No one noticed the presence behind them, and by the time they reacted, it was toote. Those two figures moved swiftly, in a blink, nearly half the men were knocked to the ground, including Beison.


    Although Beison was an experienced mercenary, facing masters, he had no power to resist.


    Taking care of those blocking them, the off-road vehicle elerated, rushing past them, disappearing into the darkness instantly.


    "Mission aplished!" Someone shouted, and the man entangled with Ling Chen hesitated not a bit, immediately disengaging from the fight, reaching into his pocket, and throwing something hard to the ground. Instantly, white smoke erupted, enveloping everything around.


    As the smoke dissipated, Ling Chen nced around, those who made the move had already vanished without a trace. Moreover, not only Zhu Hong but even Chen Quan took advantage to escape Ji Gang, whereabouts unknown. In the center of the scene, only Chu Huaiyang remained lying on the ground.


    "Who rescued Zhu Hong just now?" Ling Chen walked directly to Chu Huaiyang and asked.


    "I don¡¯t know."

 Chapter 1102 - 1109: Ling Beichuan (1)

    <h4>Chapter 1102: Chapter 1109: Ling Beichuan (1)</h4>


    "You¡¯ve been with Zhu Hong for so long, don¡¯t you know anything? Chu Huaiyang, don¡¯t say I didn¡¯t give you a chance."


    Chu Huaiyang smiled bitterly, "Even if you kill me, it won¡¯t help. I really don¡¯t know. You saw it just now, Zhu Hong ditched me and ran for his life on his own. Do you think I¡¯d still cover for such a heartless person?"


    Hearing this, Ling Chen couldn¡¯t help but nod. He had just witnessed Zhu Hong¡¯s ruthlessness, abandoning even his ownpanion for his safety.


    "Beison, are you all okay?" Ling Chen asked with concern, looking at the approaching Beison.


    "We¡¯re fine, just took a few punches, nothing serious."


    "That¡¯s good. Help me escort him back." Ling Chen pointed at Chu Huaiyang and instructed.


    After cleaning the battlefield, Ling Chen returned to the third-floor room with a few people. Upon entering, he saw Song Mingzhe lying on the floor, blood all over his mouth. Surprisingly, his vitality was tough; even after such severe injuries, he was still breathing.


    Ling Chen checked Song Mingzhe¡¯s injuries. Although several ribs in his chest were broken by Ling Chen, it wasn¡¯t life-threatening. With timely treatment, he could survive. Ling Chen immediately ordered people to carry Song Mingzhe and drive him back to the base.


    On the way back, Hu Fei called to inquire about the situation. Learning that Zhu Hong was rescued, Hu Fei was quite surprised.


    "How¡¯s that possible? Zhu Hong only had a few people like Chen Quan around him, no other hands. Besides, anyone who could rescue Zhu Hong from you must be quite formidable."


    "You¡¯re right. I find it strange too. Who on earth did this?" Ling Chen frowned secretly. The man who had fought him earlier was around thirty, very skilled, with a powerparable to the fifth rank on the Earthly List. Moreover, from Zhu Hong¡¯s expression at the time, it seemed he didn¡¯t know the people who were rescuing him.


    After thinking for a while, Ling Chen said, "Fatty, help me find the whereabouts of that SUV, see if there¡¯s any clue."


    "Understood."


    ...


    East Sea City¡¯s downtown.


    A nondescript building, and at this moment, a sedan drove from the roadside and parked outside. As the car door opened, Zhu Hong got out with the driver. Looking at the building in front, Zhu Hong asked, "Where is this?"


    The driver didn¡¯t speak, instead knocked on the door. Shortly, the door opened, and an old man in a Tang suit came out. Seeing the old man, the driver immediately became respectful.


    "Housekeeper Luo, this is Zhu Hong, the person the master wanted."


    The old man nodded and asked, "Is everything handled well?"


    "Rest assured, Housekeeper Luo, it¡¯s all done. They won¡¯t track here."


    "Very good. You¡¯ve worked hard, go rest." The old man instructed, and the driver acknowledged, then drove away, leaving Zhu Hong alone at the door.


    The old man carefully observed Zhu Hong, then stepped aside and said, "Come in, the master is waiting for you inside."


    Zhu Hong was wary, but being in a vulnerable position, he had to obey. Although he didn¡¯t know these people¡¯s identities, his intuition told him they were not simple. Following Housekeeper Luo, Zhu Hong soon arrived at the second-floor living room.


    The living room wasn¡¯trge, dimly lit, with a few single sofas against the wall. At this moment, an elderly man with white hair was sitting in a wheelchair, wearing an oxygen mask, with an IV stand beside him. From the elderly man¡¯splexion, he didn¡¯t seem well, probably suffering from a prolonged illness.


    Zhu Hong stood quietly by the side, not taking a seat. Housekeeper Luo also didn¡¯t invite him to sit, instead standing behind the elderly man, lowering his head, as if awaiting instructions.


    After half an hour, the infusion wasplete. Housekeeper Luo helped remove the needle, then took off the oxygen mask, handing over a steaming cup of tea.


    The elderly man took two sips of water before turning his gaze to Zhu Hong. After a brief nce, he weakly said, "Sit down."


    Having stood for so long, Zhu Hong¡¯s legs were almost numb. Seeing the elderly man speak, he didn¡¯t refuse and sat directly on a single sofa.


    "Do you know why I saved you?" the elderly man asked.


    "I don¡¯t know."


    "Because of Ling Chen. Aren¡¯t you curious about my identity?"


    Zhu Hong nodded. Indeed, he was very curious about the other party¡¯s background. On the way, he kept guessing, but had no clues.


    "My name is Ling Beichuan."


    Upon hearing this name, Zhu Hong¡¯s pupils constricted, and he said in a deep voice, "You¡¯re from the Ling Family?"


    "Yes. The reason I brought you here is to let you hold Ling Chen in check. If you die, I¡¯d have to find someone else, which is too troublesome. Besides, there¡¯s an existing feud between you and Ling Chen, making you the most suitable person."


    "You want me to help you deal with Ling Chen?"


    Ling Beichuan said indifferently, "If you can deal with Ling Chen, that would be a good thing. Unfortunately, you¡¯re not his match, and I didn¡¯t expect you to kill him. I brought you here mainly to be a distraction, to create some trouble for Ling Chen, so he has no time for other matters."


    Being looked down upon made Zhu Hong very unhappy, but he couldn¡¯t refute. With his current strength, he couldn¡¯t possibly contend with Ling Chen. Previously, with a Heavenly List master like Chen Quan as his support, now with Ji Gang by Ling Chen¡¯s side, his advantage disappeared instantly.


    After pondering for a moment, Zhu Hong spoke, "I can help you deal with Ling Chen, but we need to discuss the terms of cooperation."


    Upon saying this, Housekeeper Luo, who had been silent, slightly raised the corners of his mouth with a mocking smile.


    Cooperation?


    What a self-important guy.


    Ling Beichuan looked seriously at Zhu Hong, saying word by word, "Do you think... you¡¯re qualified to talk about cooperation with me? You¡¯re alive because you still have some use. Otherwise, there¡¯s no need for me to send people to rescue you from Ling Chen. Zhu Hong, remember, the reason I let you stay is that I need a dog by my side. Do you... understand what I mean?"


    Zhu Hong said nothing, yet his eyes hidden behind the mask glowed with a chilling Yin Qi.


    A dog?


    This was the most insulting thing he had ever heard. The other party only regarded him as a dog, not a partner, because he wasn¡¯t qualified. No wonder Housekeeper Luo showed such a ridiculous expression, because his earlier proposal was a joke.


    Seeing Zhu Hong¡¯s silence, Housekeeper Luo spoke up, "Zhu Hong, you should feel fortunate. Not everyone qualifies to be the master¡¯s dog. Being chosen by the master is your blessing. As long as you do well, even a dog can have unlimited potential. Don¡¯t you... want to return to the way you were before?"

 Chapter 1103 - 1110: Ling Beichuan (Part 2)

    <h4>Chapter 1103: Chapter 1110: Ling Beichuan (Part 2)</h4>


    It must be said, Housekeeper Luo¡¯s words moved Zhu Hong. Back on the ind, due to the explosion caused by Ling Chen, his whole body was burned a hundred percent, leaving almost no possibility of survival. However, under Nanrong Yuan¡¯s rescue efforts, and the use of many resources, his life was barely saved. But since then, wherever he goes, he must wear a mask to avoid scaring others.


    If possible, Zhu Hong doesn¡¯t want to walk around with a mask, thinking back to the past when he was also handsome and dashing. Now, an explosion has ruined everything for him. With current medical technology, skin grafting is not impossible. However, for someone like him, who waspletely burned, grafting cannot solve his problem, nor can it restore his previous handsome appearance.


    If anyone else made such a request, Zhu Hong would definitely think it was a joke. But the person in front of him was Ling Beichuan, a member of the Ling Family; since he said so, there must be full confidence in it. Thinking of this, Zhu Hong felt a sudden surge of excitement.


    Taking a deep breath, Zhu Hong calmed himself and asked, "Can you really restore me to my former appearance?"


    Housekeeper Luo smiled slightly, "Of course, there¡¯s no problem. You know, the God Organization is secretly funded by the Ling Family. Over the years, all of the organization¡¯s research has been in the hands of the Ling Family, including some undisclosed secret studies. As long as you sessfullyplete the task given by the master, we can let you participate in the experiment. Not saying there¡¯s a full guarantee, but there¡¯s a good 80 or 90 percent chance. So, are you interested?"


    "Alright, I ept," Zhu Hong agreed without much thought. This was a rare opportunity for him, and he had to grasp it firmly.


    "Good, you¡¯re indeed a smart person." Ling Beichuan nodded, very pleased with Zhu Hong¡¯s choice. "Housekeeper Luo, take him down to meet his master."


    Master? Zhu Hong was slightly startled. Could Chen Quan be here too?


    "Come with me." Housekeeper Luo said, then directly walked out. Leaving the living room, he called a man in a suit, instructed him briefly, and then let Zhu Hong follow him.


    Returning to the living room, Housekeeper Luo looked at Ling Beichuan, who sat in a wheelchair, and asked, "Master, do you think Zhu Hong can do it?"


    "There should be no big problem," Ling Beichuan said with a smile, "I¡¯ve observed him for a period; although hecks ability, he has means and schemes. As long as he is invested in a bit, I believe he can create some trouble for Ling Chen and hold him back." Pausing for a moment, Ling Beichuan turned his tone, "Lin Guodong has been such a disappointment. I handed the God Organization to him, hoping he could aplish a career, but he repeatedly failed and betrayed the Ling Family to join the government. Now, the God Organization is effectively ruined, whereas Ling Chen¡¯s power has grown stronger and stronger, controlling the entire East Sea City. Without the God Organization¡¯s restraint, Ling Chen¡¯s influence will only grow bigger. If Ling Tao approaches Ling Chen, and the two coborate, it would undoubtedly be trouble for us. So, now we need to curb Ling Chen¡¯s power expansion."


    "Master, Ling Chen¡¯s influence is not weak either. Why hasn¡¯t Ling Tao made a move yet?" Housekeeper Luo asked puzzled.


    "Ling Tao still doesn¡¯t want to destroy Ling Chen. Although Ling Chen is good, he is still in the stage of growing. If he¡¯s involved in this dispute too early, it will instead suppress his momentum. Ling Tao is doing this to protect Ling Chen, giving him more space to develop. Currently, others don¡¯t have the energy to manage this, so I¡¯ll have to take action. Old Luo, satisfy Zhu Hong¡¯s requests for help as much as possible. He is a talent, hoping he can provide us with assistance."


    "Yes, I understand."


    ...


    "Master."


    In a spacious bedroom, Zhu Hong stood beside Chen Quan. Newly informed from Chen Quan¡¯s words, after escaping from Ji Gang¡¯s hands, Chen Quan soon encountered Ling Beichuan¡¯s people. Initially suspecting their purpose, he refused to follow them. However, he didn¡¯t expect them to act directly. More importantly, one of them was even stronger than Chen Quan.


    There was no choice; under the pressure of that person, Chen Quan had to obediently follow.


    Zhu Hong was deeply shocked by Chen Quan¡¯s experience, not expecting Ling Beichuan¡¯s subordinates to have Heavenly List masters, and even stronger than Chen Quan. This shows Ling Beichuan¡¯s very high status in the Ling Family, likely a core figure.


    ording to Zhu Hong¡¯s knowledge, the core members of the Ling Family had long been moved abroad, possibly hidden. After all, these times are unstable, and the government has decided to act against the Ling Family. For safety, it¡¯s best to avoid for now.


    "Master, you know the situation, what do you think... what should we do next?" Zhu Hong asked. Although he epted Ling Beichuan¡¯s proposal, he still needs Chen Quan¡¯s help. After all, it is too dangerous for him to be here alone; with Ling Beichuan¡¯s strength, he could be put to death at any time. Currently, the only dependency is Chen Quan, more precisely, Chen Quan¡¯s power.


    "Let¡¯s cooperate with them first, these people have terrifying control; we don¡¯t have the strength to contend yet." Chen Quan thought for a moment, then finally made a decision. If meeting that expert hadn¡¯t happened, Chen Quan would never say such a thing. From the current situation, their lives are in the opponent¡¯s hands.


    ...


    Base.


    Ling Chen sat in the control center, waiting for the search results. But to his disappointment, Hu Fei hadn¡¯t found where the SUV was.


    "Sigh!" Hu Fei sighed helplessly, stating, "Really bad luck, we managed to catch Zhu Hong, only for Cheng Yaojin to rescue that bastard halfway. Ling Chen, who do you think in East Sea City has this ability?"


    Ling Chen thought for a moment and said, "I do know someone, but I¡¯m not sure if it¡¯s him."


    "Who?"


    "A few days ago, I received a call from Lin Qiqi, she told me that a core member of the Ling Family is hidden in East Sea City. Moreover, that person has stayed in East Sea City for many years."


    "Apart from these, are there any other clues?"


    "Not for now; Lin Qiqi is still investigating secretly. If she finds anything, she¡¯ll notify me immediately." After saying this, Ling Chen stood up and said, "Forget it! Since we can¡¯t find it, stop looking; we¡¯ve worked hard all night, everyone¡¯s tired, let them go rest."


    "Where are you going?"


    "I¡¯m going to see Song Mingzhe and Chu Huaiyang."


    Since Chu Huaiyang was brought to the base, he had remained silent, sitting nkly in the room. Judging by his appearance, he suffered a significant blow this time. After all, being abandoned bypanions, anyone would feel bad.

 Chapter 1104 - 1111: Enlightenment

    <h4>Chapter 1104: Chapter 1111: Enlightenment</h4>


    Hearing the door open, Chu Huaiyang lifted his head, looking at Ling Chen approaching alone. His eyes darkened slightly before he lowered his head again.


    Ling Chen walked forward on his own and sat down beside Chu Huaiyang. Seeing the other party¡¯s listless appearance, Ling Chen spoke, "I know you¡¯re feeling bad. I¡¯ve dealt with Zhu Hong quite a bit; I know exactly what kind of person he is. Back then, to deal with me, he could even abandon his own sister¡¯s life. Comparatively, you¡¯re even less valuable in his eyes."


    Chu Huaiyang smiled bitterly, "You¡¯re right, I can¡¯t me anyone but myself for being blind enough to believe in someone like him." After speaking, Chu Huaiyang lifted his head, staring directly into Ling Chen¡¯s dark eyes, and asked, "You¡¯vee to find me; I suppose you¡¯ve thought of a way to deal with me. Go ahead, are you going to cripple my martial arts or kill me?"


    "Rest assured, I won¡¯t kill you. You and I have no enmity; it¡¯s Zhu Hong I¡¯m after."


    "Then how do you n to deal with me? Surely you won¡¯t let me go." At this point, Chu Huaiyang seemed to think of something and remarked, "If you¡¯re thinking of persuading me to serve you, I advise you to dismiss that notion. No matter what, I won¡¯t choose betrayal."


    Ling Chen smiled slightly, "I¡¯m not asking you to betray anyone. I¡¯m just curious why you would follow Chen Quan and Zhu Hong?"


    "I had no choice because it was my master¡¯s order. My master used to follow Chen Quan; they were like brothers, very close. Later, when Chen Quan was caught by the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, and they lost contact, my master chose to retire. Later, he took me as his disciple. Recently, my master received a letter from Chen Quan, hoping he woulde out again. However, my master is old, gued with illnesses, and no longer the master he once was. But because of his friendship with Chen Quan, he didn¡¯t refuse and instead sent me to assist Chen Quan with all my efforts."


    "I see." Ling Chen nodded, finally understanding the rtionship between Chu Huaiyang and Chen Quan and the others.


    "If I let you go, will you still serve them?"


    "What do you think? Since they¡¯ve abandoned me, to them, I¡¯m already a dead man, of no value. Besides, I¡¯m not stupid enough to cling to people who¡¯ve discarded me. Just right, if I survive this time, I¡¯ll return home to take good care of my master. No matter what, I¡¯ve done quite a few things for Chen Quan; my master¡¯s debts are paid."


    "You¡¯ll have the chance to return to see your master. However, this might take some time."


    Upon hearing this, a trace of excitement appeared in Chu Huaiyang¡¯s eyes. No one wants to die, and he was no exception. As long as there was a chance to survive, he was willing to cherish it. Taking a deep breath, Chu Huaiyang looked at Ling Chen and asked, "You... really n to spare me?"


    Ling Chen smiled and said, "Why not? You¡¯re not my enemy. Besides, I¡¯m not the kind of person who kills indiscriminately. As long as someone doesn¡¯t seek trouble with me, I won¡¯t pursue them." With that, Ling Chen stood up and said, "Come with me."


    Soon, Ling Chen brought Chu Huaiyang to a room in the base.


    As they entered the room, they saw Song Mingzhe lying on the bed, eyes closed, undergoing an infusion.


    "Uncle Song?" Chu Huaiyang¡¯s eyes lit up, and he hurried over. Looking at the medical equipment around, Chu Huaiyang couldn¡¯t quite understand what was being disyed, "Ling Chen, how is he doing?"


    "Rest assured, he¡¯s not in any life-threatening condition. Thanks to the doctors¡¯ efforts, his life has been spared, though he¡¯s unlikely to practice martial arts again."


    Perhaps hearing their conversation, Song Mingzhe slowly opened his eyes, looking at Chu Huaiyang at the bedside.


    "Uncle Song, you¡¯re awake? Do you want some water?" Chu Huaiyang asked with concern.


    Song Mingzhe nced at Ling Chen, who was nearby, but said nothing. Seeing this, Ling Chen smiled slightly and said, "You two talk, I¡¯ll wait outside." With that, Ling Chen walked out of the room.


    Once Ling Chen left, Song Mingzhe, with Chu Huaiyang¡¯s help, sat up and leaned against the soft pillow. Because of his broken ribs, he couldn¡¯t move too vigorously and had to be very careful. After taking a few sips of water to moisten his throat, Song Mingzhe said, "It seems our luck isn¡¯t great; we¡¯ve both been caught by Ling Chen."


    Chu Huaiyang opened his mouth and said, "Uncle Song, don¡¯t worry, Ling Chen has promised he won¡¯t harm us."


    "Don¡¯t forget our identities. Do you really think his words can be trusted?"


    "Yes." Chu Huaiyang replied without hesitation, very confidently, "Uncle Song, I believe Ling Chen won¡¯t deceive us. Besides, he has no reason to."


    Song Mingzhe furrowed his brows and said in a deep voice, "Remember, you can say this to me, but if Zhu Hong hears it, they..."


    "It doesn¡¯t matter." Before Song Mingzhe could finish his sentence, Chu Huaiyang interjected, "Uncle Song, I¡¯ve decided that even if we get out, I won¡¯t serve Zhu Hong and them anymore."


    "Why?"


    Immediately, Chu Huaiyang recounted the events of the past, "Uncle Song, people like Chen Quan and Zhu Hong aren¡¯t worth our sacrifices. They not only abandoned you but also me. For people like them, do you still want to side with them? I¡¯ve figured it out; since they don¡¯t value our lives, why should we entrust our lives to them?"


    After listening to Chu Huaiyang¡¯s ount, Song Mingzhe fell into silence. After a moment, he sighed softly and said, "In such situations, everyone is just trying to protect themselves. Who can care for others?"


    "Uncle Song, that¡¯s true, but Zhu Hong clearly had the opportunity to take me away, yet he didn¡¯t. Instead, he escaped alone." Pausing, Chu Huaiyang continued, "Uncle Song, I know your wounds were caused by Ling Chen, but at the time, we were enemies with different positions. It was natural for him to attack you. If it were you, you wouldn¡¯t hold back either. However, in the end, it wasn¡¯t Chen Quan or Zhu Hong who saved you, but Ling Chen. Without him, you wouldn¡¯t have made it through. Uncle Song, I know about your rtionship with Chen Quan; he was once your big brother and you were as close as brothers. But it¡¯s been so many years, and you¡¯ve done enough for him. Moreover, he now prioritizes Zhu Hong, not us. In his eyes, we¡¯re just expendable henchmen."


    Hearing this, Song Mingzhe¡¯s gaze flickered, as if Chu Huaiyang¡¯s words resonated with him.


    Chu Huaiyang earnestly said, "Uncle Song, we owe him nothing; we¡¯ve done all we can. Besides, it¡¯s not that we¡¯re unwilling to help, but they¡¯ve abandoned us."


    "Alright, you don¡¯t need to say any more. I understand what you mean."

 Chapter 1105 - 1112: Little Fei

    <h4>Chapter 1105: Chapter 1112: Little Fei</h4>


    "I¡¯m now a cripple. Even if I go back, they won¡¯t want me. You¡¯re still young. Since you¡¯ve already made your decision, I won¡¯t say much. Actually, what you said earlier is quite right. To Chen Quan, the two of us are not important. He values Zhu Hong¡¯s cunning and scheming, not our loyalty." Song Mingzhe¡¯s tone was very helpless.


    "Uncle Song, you rest assured here and recover from your injuries. When you¡¯re healed, we¡¯ll leave here together." Chu Huaiyang said.


    Song Mingzhe nodded, handed a finger-length wooden flute to Chu Huaiyang, and instructed: "I can¡¯t take care of Little Fei during this time, so please look after it for me and make sure nothing happens to it."


    "Uncle Song, don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll take good care of it." Chu Huaiyang knew who Song Mingzhe meant by ¡¯Little Fei¡¯; it was that falcon. It was Song Mingzhe¡¯s pride, and he spent countless time and energy to tame it.


    As a falcon, and a king among falcons, it¡¯s not onlyrge in size but also has an astonishing appetite, eating over ten pounds of meat at each meal. Because this is East Sea City where wild birds are scarce, it¡¯s simply not suitable for foraging. Song Mingzhe had to prepare food every day.


    The two chatted for a while, but due to the severe injuries, Song Mingzhe couldn¡¯t sit for long and had to rest more.


    Upon leaving the hospital room, Chu Huaiyang saw Ling Chen waiting outside and gratefully said thanks. He knew very well that if it were any other opponent, they wouldn¡¯t waste time and energy on them, but would kill them directly. So, Chu Huaiyang was deeply grateful to Ling Chen.


    "You¡¯re wee." Ling Chen smiled lightly, then looked at the wooden flute in Chu Huaiyang¡¯s hand. Curiously, Ling Chen asked, "What is this?"


    "Uncle Song gave it to me, to summon his falcon." After a pause, Chu Huaiyang said, "Ling Chen, could you help me with something?"


    "No problem, just tell me. As long as it¡¯s something I can do."


    The next morning.


    On a high-rise building at the base¡¯s surface, Ling Chen and Chu Huaiyang stood together, watching the sun rise slowly in the east.


    "It¡¯s about time." Chu Huaiyang took out the wooden flute given by Song Mingzhest night and began to blow gently. The tune of the flute was very simple, but the sound was very clear. Ling Chen watched from the side, feeling a bit strange. Could it be that just the sound of this flute could attract the falcon?


    The sound of this flute could at most spread within a hundred meters. To attract that falcon in East Sea City was nothing short of a dream. Even with a loudspeaker, it probably wouldn¡¯t work. But soon, a magical scene appeared. A small ck dot suddenly appeared in the sky.


    As the ck dot got closer, Ling Chen finally saw its full appearance.


    Falcon!


    Wow... Ling Chen marveled secretly. It¡¯s so incredible that, separated by such a distance, the falcon could hear the sound of the flute.


    Soon, the falcon flew closer, and its size becamerger. Seeing the falcon flying towards them, Ling Chen quickly stepped back. Apanied by a sharp cry, the falcon pped its wings and graduallynded in front of Chu Huaiyang.


    Judging by the falcon¡¯s appearance, it seemed quite familiar with Chu Huaiyang. It didn¡¯t harm him, but instead, rubbed its head against his clothes friendly.


    Seeing this, Ling Chen immediately picked up the bucket beside him and took the freshly prepared pork over, pouring it in front of the falcon.


    However, what surprised Ling Chen was that the falcon looked at the meat on the ground but didn¡¯t immediately start eating, seeming... very cautious.


    Seeing this scene, Ling Chen couldn¡¯t help but smile. They say animals have intelligence, and now it seems it¡¯s true.


    Chu Huaiyang gently stroked the falcon¡¯s head and said, "It¡¯s okay to eat."


    The falcon seemed to understand Chu Huaiyang¡¯s words, cheerfully chirped, then picked up a piece of fresh meat and directly swallowed it.


    "This falcon is called Little Fei. Uncle Song spent a long time training it."


    Ling Chen nodded, somewhat envious. Not everyone can own such a falcon. Falcons are birds of prey with very strong attack power, very difficult to tame. Moreover, a falcon as tall as a person when standing is even rarer.


    Watching the gluttonous falcon, the meticulous Ling Chen suddenly noticed that something seemed imnted on the falcon¡¯s head.


    "What is this?"


    "A locator, at least that¡¯s what Uncle Song told me." Chu Huaiyang picked up the wooden flute in his hand, "This wooden flute contains a chip, and the locator can receive the signal from the chip to help Little Fei identify the location. In a way, it¡¯s a kind of high-tech product."


    That makes sense!


    Ling Chen suddenly realized, no wonder this falcon could find their location; it turns out it was through such an electronic device. Earlier, he thought the falcon came over just by hearing the flute sound.


    "Can I touch it?" Ling Chen asked. He was very interested in such a rare falcon. If he could have one by his side, it would be so cool.


    Sneaky Ling Chen thought to himself.


    "It should be fine. You can try it. However, you should be careful. It¡¯s a bit shy; if a stranger touches it, it will regard them as an enemy and attack. Usually, when Uncle Song feeds it, I¡¯m nearby, so it¡¯s quite familiar with me."


    Hearing this, Ling Chen nodded and cautiously reached out, cing his hand on the falcon¡¯s head. As soon as he touched the head feathers, the falcon seemed extremely startled, quickly spreading its wings and looking at Ling Chen alertly.


    "Little Fei, don¡¯t be afraid, it¡¯s okay, he won¡¯t hurt you." Chu Huaiyang quickly said, calming the falcon¡¯s emotions.


    "Ling Chen,e, I¡¯ll help you." Saying this, Chu Huaiyang took Ling Chen¡¯s hand, gently cing it on the falcon¡¯s head, stroking it up and down. Perhaps because Chu Huaiyang was there, the falcon didn¡¯t react much and continued concentrating on its food.


    Seeing the falcon calm down, Chu Huaiyang removed his hand, allowing Ling Chen to control it himself. Stroking the falcon¡¯s feathers, smooth and soft, made Ling Chen¡¯s interest grow even stronger.


    "Hey! Do you know how to get along with it?" Ling Chen asked enthusiastically.


    Chu Huaiyang thought for a moment and said, "I remember Uncle Song once said that Little Fei loves massages. If someone massages it, it¡¯ll develop a fondness for them. How about, do you want to try it?"


    Ha! Ling Chen couldn¡¯t help butugh.


    Unbelievable, this falcon knows how to enjoy itself.


    With newfound interest, Ling Chen followed Chu Huaiyang¡¯s instructions and gently stroked Little Fei¡¯s wings. Under Ling Chen¡¯s actions, Little Fei seemed to enjoy it, lying directly on the ground, spreading its wings, letting Ling Chen do as he pleased.

 Chapter 1106 - 1113: Raptors

    <h4>Chapter 1106: Chapter 1113: Raptors</h4>


    "Apart from meat, what does this guy usually eat?" Ling Chen asked.


    Chu Huaiyangughed and said, "It¡¯s nothing but meat. Raptors like hawks and falcons exclusively feed on meat. Uncle Song mentioned he used to not prepare food, letting Little Fei go out and forage on its own, which helps cultivate its wild nature. Such arge raptor is extremely rare domestically. Apart from Little Fei, there are almost none; it¡¯s quite unique among its kind. When Uncle Song discovered Little Fei, it was only a few years old, but its size had already surpassed its peers. To guard and tame Little Fei, Uncle Song waited for two full years where it appeared."


    "So long?" Ling Chen was somewhat surprised. This not only requires inhuman patience but also extraordinary passion to be achieved. Otherwise, who would devote so much time and energy to something they don¡¯t like?


    "That¡¯s why Uncle Song almost treats Little Fei like a son. Recently, Zhu Hong suggested to Uncle Song to rece one of Little Fei¡¯s eyes with an electronic eye for real-time monitoring, more advanced than any monitoring equipment. Uncle Song directly scolded Zhu Hong after hearing, and if Chen Quan hadn¡¯t stopped him, he might have lost control. For Uncle Song, a taciturn person, to get angry shows his deep concern and affection for Little Fei. Due to this matter, Zhu Hong doesn¡¯t regard Uncle Song well and acts very coldly towards him."


    Hearing this, Ling Chen smiled faintly. He understood Zhu Hong¡¯s personality, always seeing himself above others. Honestly, without relying on Chen Quan, who would give him any face?


    After feeding, Ling Chen massaged Little Fei for a while. Although not long, Little Fei was quite affectionate and nuzzled against his clothes.


    Seeing this, Chu Huaiyang smiled, "Seems like Little Fei quite likes you."


    "Whether it likes me or not, I sure like it," Ling Chen said. Every man has a fondness for taming such raptors, especially ones thisrge and rare.


    Watching Little Fei fly away, Chu Huaiyang said, "We¡¯ll still need your help during this period. It¡¯s hard for Little Fei to find food around here, so we¡¯ll have to prepare meat meals three times a day."


    "Alright, no problem. If you trust me, you could hand over that wooden whistle, and I can take care of the feeding. But if you¡¯re hesitant, I won¡¯t insist." Ling Chen said this mainly to have more opportunities to interact with Little Fei. Such a rare chance needed to be seized.


    "Well... it¡¯s not really appropriate." Chu Huaiyang hesitated, as it was a task given to him by Song Mingzhe, who valued Little Fei highly. If Song Mingzhe found out he let Ling Chen take care of Little Fei, he might worry about its safety. Though he trusted Ling Chen, Song Mingzhe did not.


    Ling Chen smiled lightly, not minding, and nodded, "Alright, just call me when you feed it."


    "Sure, no problem."


    In the blink of an eye, over a month passed, and Ling Chen¡¯s rtionship with Little Fei grew stronger. Initially, Chu Huaiyang was wary of Ling Chen and followed each feeding. However, after over a week, Chu Huaiyang noticed Ling Chen genuinely liked Little Fei and was present for every meal. To find ways to improve Little Fei¡¯s diet, Ling Chen tried various foods daily.


    Chu Huaiyang noticed Ling Chen¡¯s affection for Little Fei. Moreover, Little Fei became more ustomed to Ling Chen, even more so than to Chu Huaiyang. Eventually, Chu Huaiyang felt at ease and entrusted the wooden whistle to Ling Chen, letting him handle Little Fei¡¯s daily meals.


    A month can seem long or short. Under Ling Chen¡¯s team¡¯s care, Song Mingzhe¡¯s injury recovered quickly, and with Chu Huaiyang¡¯s support, he could barely walk.


    Besides, an important event was happening with Tang Guolunpleting construction and today being the inspection day.


    In the morning, after feeding Little Fei, Ling Chen drove to the construction site with Hu Fei. Undoubtedly, Tang Guolun was very efficient and, with several crews working day and night, the main structure of Dragon Tiger Tower was finallypleted.


    Designed by Tang Guolun, Dragon Tiger Tower is only three stories tall, with two underground levels. Just those underground levels took more than a month.


    Besides the two underground and three upper floors, there¡¯s a spacious courtyard around it, which can easily amodate over a hundred people.


    The three-meter-high walls stand around, protecting the entire Dragon Tiger Tower. Standing outside these walls, looking at the newly constructed building, Ling Chen felt an indescribable excitement. The establishment of Dragon Tiger Tower signifies his power growing, potentially equaling the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion.


    This isn¡¯t arrogance from Ling Chen, but confidence. The Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion became a superpower in the Martial Arts world chiefly due to its rich heritage. Previously, Ling Chen could notpare with them, but things are different now. With the Ling Family¡¯s collection, Ling Chen now possesses a profound family heritage. Even more fearsome, the Ling Family¡¯s collection is mightier than that of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion. If those lost martial arts secrets were to spread, who knows what kind of stir they¡¯d cause in the martial world.


    Upon learning that Ling Chen and Hu Fei had arrived, Tang Guolun, supervising the main building, came out.


    "Ling Chen, how is it? Satisfactory?" Tang Guolun asked with a smile.


    Ling Chen nodded, not hiding his satisfaction. "Come, let me show you inside." Saying this, Tang Guolun headed straight for the main building.


    Though it has only five floors, Tang Guolun installed four elevators for convenience. The three of them entered one and, as the elevator door closed, Tang Guolun took a card from his pocket and swiped it on the recognition device. When the green light came on, he pressed the button for the basement level two, and the elevator descended.


    "This is the only elevator to the underground. I¡¯ve installed identity recognition inside, along with three cameras at different angles. Security will instantly know who¡¯s entering. Also, there are many defense mechanisms in the elevator. Even if an enemy enters, no matter how skilled, it¡¯ll be hard to escape," Tang Guolun exined.


    "Impressive," Ling Chen praised without hesitation.


    While building Dragon Tiger Tower, Ling Chen repeatedly emphasized to Tang Guolun that security is vital. With solid security, there¡¯s no need to fear anyone invading Dragon Tiger Tower. Tang Guolun, as an expert escape artist, adeptly utilized his skills, making the entire Dragon Tiger Tower virtually wless.

 Chapter 1107 - 1114: Tang Shiyun Pays a Visit

    <h4>Chapter 1107: Chapter 1114: Tang Shiyun Pays a Visit</h4>


    When Ling Chen stepped out of the elevator on the second basement level, he was met with a spacious underground area that was quiterge, almost over seven hundred square meters, partitioned by transparent ss in the middle. "Boss Tang, what is this ce used for?" Ling Chen asked curiously. Initially, he thought just one basement level would suffice to store important things, but Tang Guolun built two, which clearly had his own reasoning.


    "This is our backup base," Tang Guolun replied. "Even though we already have a main base, it¡¯s safer to have a backup just in case. Plus, this backup base can be activated anytime as a ce for Dragon Tiger Tower to collect intelligence. What do you think?"


    Ling Chen thought for a moment and approved of Tang Guolun¡¯s design. Indeed, it was better to keep Dragon Tiger Tower and the base, being two different types of forces, somewhat separate.


    "Hey! Boss Tang, how¡¯s the defense here?" Hu Fei asked from the side.


    Tang Guolun replied with a confident smile, "Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ve put a lot of effort into this. The area is surrounded by reinforced concrete and steel bars, with steel tes in between. Even if someone uses explosives, they won¡¯t easily break in quickly. Also, the ss here is bulletproof, so there¡¯s no issue with safety. However, for now, only the main construction isplete, and the interior hasn¡¯t been decorated yet. I¡¯ve already contacted a renovation team, and they can start tomorrow. If everything goes well, it can be operational in a month."


    "Great," Ling Chen was very satisfied with Tang Guolun¡¯s efficiency. Entrusting him with this task indeed seemed to be a wise choice.


    After touring the overall structure of the Dragon Tiger Tower, Ling Chen could only think of two words: perfect! Tang Guolun truly lived up to his reputation, having done an almost all-epassing job.


    Back home, Ling Chen finally rxed. After resolving the Liu Wei matter, Liu Xiyao returned to her home. The Liu Family, now under the suppression of the Hongyu Group, was down and out with no chance to get back on its feet. Therefore, Liu Xiyao no longer had to worry about retaliation from them.


    Yang Qingling went out shopping with the Yang Yan couple, so the house was quiet, with only Ling Chen there. Idle and with nothing to do, Ling Chen sat alone in the living room, crossing his legs and flipping through the TV channels with the remote. Modern television had be increasingly banal, filled with pretty young faces, leaving him with no desire to watch.


    After turning off the TV, Ling Chenzilyy on the sofa, nning to doze off for a bit. But at that moment, his phone rang¡ªit was a call from Yang Qingling. They were out shopping and wouldn¡¯t be back for lunch, so Ling Chen was told to sort out his own meal. Not in the mood to cook, Ling Chen simply picked up his phone to order takeout.


    Ding dong!


    Suddenly, the doorbell rang.


    He nced at the wall clock¡ªit was past eleven. Strange! Who woulde looking for him at lunchtime? With this in mind, Ling Chen got up, walked to the door, and opened it.


    "Ling!" As soon as the door opened, before Ling Chen could clearly see who it was, a figure rushed over, hugging his neck and nearly hanging onto him.


    After a brief moment of surprise, Ling Chen, smelling the fragrance from the visitor, immediately realized who it was.


    With a grin, Ling Chen said with a smile, "Girl, what brings you here?"


    "Ling, it¡¯s been so long since west met. Did you miss me?" Tang Shiyun asked sweetly with a smile.


    "Of course I did," Ling Chen gently patted Tang Shiyun¡¯s back, smiling, "Alright,e down. If someone sees us, we¡¯ll be on the headlines again."


    Truth be told, Ling Chen was genuinely scared. Tang Shiyun¡¯s fame had skyrocketed, and not to mention hugging, even just having a meal together could lead to paparazzi snapping photos and sensationalizing the news. Last time, due to Zhu Xiaozhu¡¯s incident, it was the reporters¡¯ coverage that led to Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s misunderstanding. Thus, Ling Chen was genuinely a bit afraid.


    Tang Shiyun pouted, evidently somewhat reluctant. However, since Ling Chen had spoken, she obediently let go and hooked onto Ling Chen¡¯s arm.


    Seeing her affectionate gesture, Ling Chen gave a helpless smile.


    Once inside, Ling Chen asked, "Are you off today?"


    "I wish, but thepany schedule is jam-packed with things to do. In a few days, I have to go to another city for promotion." Speaking of work, a trace of tiredness appeared on Tang Shiyun¡¯s exquisite face.


    Ling Chen, feeling sorry, said, "If you¡¯re so tired, why not take a break for a few days? If you overwork yourself and fall ill, what then? Health is the foundation of everything; without it, you can¡¯t do anything."


    Feeling Ling Chen¡¯s concern, Tang Shiyun¡¯s heart was filled with joy, and she happily said, "Ling, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll take good care of myself."


    "By the way! Where¡¯s Xu Hong, your manager? Why didn¡¯t shee with you?"


    "There¡¯s an albumunch nearby today, at a nearby venue. Since there¡¯s nothing much to do, I came over, and Hong¡¯s taking care of other matters over there. She¡¯ll call me when she¡¯s done."


    "Another album? That¡¯s quite efficient." Ling Chen said with augh, "It¡¯s been what, just a while? If I¡¯m not mistaken, you¡¯ve released two albums already."


    Hearing this, Tang Shiyun rolled her eyes at Ling Chen, displeased, "Ling, I¡¯ve already released four albums. Hmph! It looks like you don¡¯t pay much attention to me usually."


    "Is that so? Haha!" Ling Chen awkwardlyughed, rubbing his head, "Well... Girl, you know, I¡¯ve got so many things to keep me busy daily, I barely have time to follow the news."


    Tang Shiyun pouted her alluring lips, clearly not buying Ling Chen¡¯s words.


    Afraid that she might probe further, Ling Chen quickly changed the subject, "Girl, haven¡¯t eaten yet, have you?"


    Tang Shiyun nodded.


    "Alright, I¡¯ll check out the kitchen. I¡¯ll whip up a couple of dishes for you to try."


    Entering the kitchen, Ling Chen opened the refrigerator, finding it well-stocked. Grabbing some ingredients, he started busying himself.


    Tang Shiyun stood at the kitchen doorway, leaning against the doorframe, watching Ling Chen cook intently. Her eyes were as if mesmerized, unblinking, shining brightly.


    "Girl, why are you staring at me?" Ling Chen turned around and asked, feeling a bit uneasy.


    With a giggle, Tang Shiyun replied, "Just looking. Or am I not allowed to look at you?" Then tilting her nose, she said in a mock grumble, "Most people would kill to get my attention, but Ling, you don¡¯t realize how lucky you are."


    Cough, cough!


    Ling Chen gave a wry smile, "Yes, yes, I¡¯m at fault, grateful that Beauty Tang holds me in such regard. I¡¯m wrong. Well then! The kitchen¡¯s full of fumes, go lounge in the living room, watch some TV. I¡¯ll let you know when the food¡¯s ready."

 Chapter 1108 - 1115: Mysterious Warning

    <h4>Chapter 1108: Chapter 1115: Mysterious Warning</h4>


    "Not going, watching TV is not as good as watching you. Hey! Ling, have you ever cooked for other women?" When asking this question, Tang Shiyun¡¯s eyes showed a hint of anticipation.


    Ling Chen thought for a moment, and truth be told, he had never cooked for a woman before. Back when he was at the Nanrong Family, he did cook two bowls of noodles for Nanrong Wanqing and Su Lin. However, that didn¡¯t count as real cooking; only this time did.


    "It seems... you¡¯re the first one." Ling Chen replied earnestly.


    Upon hearing this, Tang Shiyun¡¯s eyebrows almost turned into a crescent moon.


    Not long after, a lunch was served on the table. There weren¡¯t many dishes, three dishes and one soup, two meat and one vegetable, but for two people, it was quite a feast.


    After serving the rice, Tang Shiyun, smelling the aroma of the meal on the table, tasted each one, couldn¡¯t help but give a thumbs up, praising: "Ling, your cooking is really good, even better than my family¡¯s nanny, more than sufficient as a chef."


    "Enough, stop ttering, hurry up and eat."


    After the meal was finished, Ling Chen tidied up the dishes and utensils and went away, leaving Tang Shiyun sitting in the living room, watching TV out of boredom.


    "Oh... Oh my! Ling, Ling,e quickly!"


    It was unknown what kind of shocking news Tang Shiyun saw, but she almost jumped up from the sofa.


    Hearing Tang Shiyun¡¯s excited shout, Ling Chen didn¡¯t have time to think more, quickly putting down the dishes and utensils in his hands and briskly walking to the living room.


    "Girl, what¡¯s wrong?"


    "Ling, look at the news." Tang Shiyun pointed at the TV.


    At this moment, the TV was broadcasting a piece of local news that interrupted the regr program. The fact that a news report suddenly interrupted the program indicated its significance.


    "Dear viewers in front of the television, our station interrupts with a significant news report. Half an hour ago, a major traffic ident urred on Taolin Road in East Sea City, where an oil truck was hit by other vehicles while turning, causing the oil truck to overturn, and the gasoline leakage affects a very wide area. Police and firefighters are currently controlling the scene. The number of casualties remains unclear for now. We advise all citizens to take note and avoid the area to prevent unnecessary trouble and cooperate with the police..."


    The anchor hadn¡¯t finished speaking when the TV screen suddenly flickered. A few secondster, the news reports turned into another screen.


    The screen was pitch ck, nothing was visible, apanied by the sound of electrical currents.


    After a while, a blurry figure appeared in the darkness. Possibly due to special treatment, the figure presented in several colors.


    Ling Chen frowned slightly, the sudden screen brought a strong sense of unease.


    While contemting, a voice processed by a voice changer sounded from the TV: "Three... two... one... boom!"


    As the voice fell, Ling Chen immediately heard a loud noise erupt from outside, with even the ground slightly vibrating.


    This... this is... Ling Chen¡¯s expression changed, quickly rushing out of the room. Looking around, he saw a plume of smoke rising in the distance, very conspicuous.


    Explosion!


    If he guessed correctly, the direction of the smoke was Taolin Road. Considering the voice that reverberated from the television just now, Ling Chen¡¯s heart could not help but sink. This was not an ident, but someone secretly controlling the situation, deliberately triggering the oil truck explosion.


    However, what Ling Chen couldn¡¯t understand was why the other party would do such a thing. A terrorist attack? Impossible, given Huaxia¡¯s crackdown on terrorists, such events couldn¡¯t happen domestically. While pondering, Ling Chen returned to the living room, staring at the blurry figure on the TV.


    "This is the first time." After saying that, the figure instantly disappeared, and the TV screen returned to normal.


    The first time... what does this mean? Could there be a second time?


    "Ling, what was that just now?" Tang Shiyun asked worriedly.


    "Nothing. Shiyun, let¡¯s go, I¡¯ll send you back first, I have something importantter, I¡¯lle find you when I¡¯m free."


    "Alright." Although Tang Shiyun wasn¡¯t very willing, she dared not defy Ling Chen¡¯s words. Moreover, from Ling Chen¡¯s tone, she could tell he wasn¡¯t joking.


    After sending Tang Shiyun home, Ling Chen directly drove to the base. Such an event suddenly urred in East Sea City, as the one in control of East Sea City, Ling Chen must find out who is causing trouble on his turf.


    "Fatty."


    Upon arriving at the control center, Ling Chen immediately found Hu Fei to inquire about thetest situation.


    "You¡¯re just in time." Hu Fei¡¯s expression was not looking good, eyes fixed on theputer screen, his ten fingers flying swiftly over the keyboard.


    Soon, a screen appeared on theputer.


    "This is the surveince footage from Taolin Road, look, this is the oil truck."


    Ling Chen nodded, watching the footage of the oil truck on the screen, seeing police and firefighters surrounding the area to secure the scene and prevent sparks from exploding the oil truck.


    "Fortunately, when the oil truck exploded, the police and firefighters hadn¡¯t entered the scene yet, only affected by the air st without life-threatening danger. However, this incident is very serious, given the television circumstances, it clearly seems deliberate."


    Ling Chen asked, "Can we find any clues from the TV footage?"


    "No, I¡¯ve had the technicians process it, no useful clues found. The opponent dare to do this, surely thoroughly prepared, won¡¯t let us easily find anything." Speaking of which, Hu Fei¡¯s expression showed concern: "My current biggest worry is the second explosion, judging from that guy¡¯s messages, he won¡¯t easily give up."


    "I think so too. By the way, any news from the police?"


    "Not yet, even with our resources, no intelligence was gained, let alone them."


    "Anyway, we must quickly find the mastermind behind this." Ling Chen instructed.


    Daring to cause chaos on his turf, he definitely won¡¯t let it slide.


    Just as Ling Chen was discussing countermeasures with Hu Fei, suddenly a phone ringing interrupted.


    Pulling out his phone and seeing the unfamiliar caller number, Ling Chen directly answered, saying hello, and asked, "Who is this?"


    "Hello, Mr. Ling." Hearing the voice from the other end of the call, Ling Chen raised his eyebrows, saying solemnly, "It¡¯s you?"


    "Seems like Mr. Ling has already guessed who I am."


    "Was the explosion incident orchestrated by you?" Ling Chen asked. The voice from the other end was very distinctive, just like the voice on television earlier, both processed by special means, making it easy for Ling Chen to recognize.


    Meanwhile, Hu Fei beside him had already instructed his team to track the phone signal.


    "Mr. Ling, that was just an appetizer, there¡¯s a morevish feast toe, but I need a bit of time to prepare."


    Hearing this, Ling Chen¡¯s heart sank, asking, "What exactly do you want?"


    "Nothing, I just wanted to call and inform you that our game has just begun."


    "Sorry, I¡¯m not interested in participating in your game."


    "That¡¯s not possible. Mr. Ling, please remember, the one controlling this game is me, not you. So, whether you want to participate or not, you must. Today¡¯s explosion was merely a prelude, it didn¡¯t cause casualties, but next time I can¡¯t guarantee that."

 Chapter 1109 - 1116: Old K

    <h4>Chapter 1109: Chapter 1116: Old K</h4>


    "Alright." Ling Chen changed his tone, responding fearlessly, "Since you want to y, I¡¯ll y along, but you should at least tell me your name."


    "Mr. Ling, there¡¯s no need to slyly ask my name. If you need a name, you might as well call me Old K. Well, I¡¯ve said all I need to. Mr. Ling, a reminder, the second explosion is connected to your friends. If you can¡¯t find out within three days, you can just say goodbye to your friends, haha!"


    Amidst Old K¡¯s wildughter, the call was actively hung up by the other party.


    Putting down the phone, Ling Chen turned to Hu Fei and asked, "Fatty, how is it, did you locate the position?"


    "No, that guy is too cunning, the signal keeps changing, so it¡¯s impossible to urately lock it down. If I had ten more seconds, I could have pinpointed his location, but s..."


    Ling Chen nodded, it seems the other party knows his abilities very well, which is why they hung up ten seconds earlier. Someone who knows themselves well, it indicates the other party knows him quite well.


    Interesting! Ling Chen squinted his eyes, the enemy hidden in the shadows might be an old acquaintance.


    After pondering, Ling Chen put aside thoughts about the man¡¯s identity. Now, he had no energy to dwell on these issues. Just now, Old K¡¯s words were still swirling in his mind. The second explosion is rted to his friends, this is definitely not a joke. He has so many friends, who knows which one the other party might target.


    "Fatty, call a few professionals, and let¡¯s move immediately."


    "Alright."


    Leaving the base, Ling Chen separately called Liu Xiyao and Tang Shiyun, among others, telling them to stay home obediently and go nowhere.


    Honestly, Ling Chen wasn¡¯t sure whether Old K¡¯s warning was true, but when ites to friends¡¯ safety, he can¡¯t stand idly by. Even if it¡¯s false, he must carefully check once and never gamble with everyone¡¯s lives.


    Arriving at Liu Xiyao¡¯s house, Ling Chen brought several professionals to thoroughly search inside and outside the house. Over an hour passed with no findings. After inquiring about some circumstances, Ling Chen spoke, "Yao, if you don¡¯t mind, why don¡¯t you stay at my ce for the next few days."


    "Go to your ce?" Liu Xiyao was slightly taken aback, not expecting Ling Chen would make such a request, "This... this doesn¡¯t seem very appropriate, right?"


    "It¡¯s perfectly appropriate. Yao, this situation is rather troublesome, that guy called Old K might be a threat to you, even though we don¡¯t know if it¡¯s true, we can¡¯t be careless. Moreover, living in this ce, if anything happens, I won¡¯t be able to reach first in time. For your safety, it¡¯s better to stay at my house." After speaking, without waiting for Liu Xiyao¡¯s refusal, Ling Chen had already made the decision for her.


    Going separate ways, as Liu Xiyao headed to the vi, Ling Chen took others directly by car to Tang Shiyun¡¯s house.


    Simrly, Ling Chen didn¡¯t say much, just told Tang Shiyun there might be danger, asking her to stay at his ce for the time being. Tang Shiyun happily agreed to Ling Chen¡¯s invitation. Although Xu Hong was concerned about the implications, she couldn¡¯t reject Ling Chen¡¯s serious depiction of the situation.


    Therefore, both beauties were ¡¯prompted¡¯ into Ling Chen¡¯s house using the same method.


    Besides Tang Shiyun and Liu Xiyao, Ling Chen had quite a number of friends, including Xia Mutong and Nanrong Wanqing, who could be targets of Old K.


    Xia Mutong is a police officer, and Ling Chen knows Xia Mutong¡¯s skills well. Since Xia Mutong underwent modification by the God Organization, her strength is several times more potent than ordinary people; even skilled experts may not be her match. However strong Xia Mutong is, he ought to remind her to stay cautious, lest any ident happens.


    Right away, Ling Chen called Xia Mutong. Ling Chen understands Xia Mutong well, if he reports the facts, Xia Mutong surely will dig deeply. Besides, Xia Mutong has never known what danger is, and this is undoubtedly the greatest danger.


    This call, however, aroused suspicion in Xia Mutong. Being skeptical is a normal thing for a police officer. Moreover, Xia Mutong knows Ling Chen well. Even he being so careful indicates something very important.


    After much persuasion, Ling Chen managed to convince Xia Mutong to abandon her pursuit.


    Furthermore, after epting several unequal terms, Xia Mutong eventually agreed to stay at the police station dormitory. There, no matter who they are, no matter how much daring they possess, no one dares to cause trouble at the police station, unless they are seeking death.


    Xia Mutong¡¯s side was resolved, yet the biggest issue remains with Nanrong Wanqing.


    Ling Chen felt a headache; his rtionship with Nanrong Wanqing is known to most. Although Nanrong Wanqing announced their breakup during an interview, breaking up doesn¡¯t mean cutting all ties, the mastermind behind the oil truck explosion might target Nanrong Wanqing.


    Getting Nanrong Wanqing to his home is an impossible task now. If it were before, it would have been simpler. But now, he had already broken up with Nanrong Wanqing, and his home currently also has Liu Xiyao and Tang Shiyun, knowing this would likely upset Nanrong Wanqing further.


    Forget it!


    Put aside thoughts of Nanrong Wanqing, find a way to solve her problemter.


    Zhu Xiaozhu... Indeed, ever since rescuing Zhu Xiaozhu, they had never contacted each other, not knowing her current situation. That day, due to live news coverage, everyone witnessed his intimate gesture with Zhu Xiaozhu. Therefore, Zhu Xiaozhu might also be a target.


    Thinking of this, Ling Chen called Zhu Xiaozhu. Unsurprisingly, Zhu Xiaozhu was still in East Sea City, as the hospital had a batch of interns, preventing her return to Beijing.


    Learning Zhu Xiaozhu was staying at the hospital dormitory, Ling Chen immediately invited her to stay at his ce for a while. At moments like this, other matters can be ignored; protecting their safety is all that matters.


    Regarding Ling Chen¡¯s invitation, Zhu Xiaozhu felt odd, her heartbeat even quickened.


    Being asked to stay at his ce, what... what does this imply? Could it be... For reasons unknown, Zhu Xiaozhu¡¯s heart suddenly harbored a trace of anticipation. After much hesitation, Zhu Xiaozhu eventually epted.


    This is a rare opportunity, she doesn¡¯t want to miss it.


    By evening.


    After a busy day, Zhu Xiaozhu took a taxi to Ling Chen¡¯s home entrance.


    Pressing the doorbell, carrying luggage and several bags of fruit, Zhu Xiaozhu stood outside waiting for someone to open the door. Knowing Ling Chen lives with his family, she specifically brought fresh fruits to pay her respects to the elders.


    Soon, the door opened, and Zhu Xiaozhu¡¯s mouth opened, expecting Ling Chen to answer it, ready to call his name. But before she could speak, Zhu Xiaozhu froze.

 Chapter 1110 - 1117: Reunion of Three Women

    <h4>Chapter 1110: Chapter 1117: Reunion of Three Women</h4>


    The person standing in front of her was not Ling Chen, but a familiar face.


    This is... Tang Shiyun?


    To Zhu Xiaozhu, the famous singer known across the nation, Tang Shiyun, was no stranger. On the contrary, she considered herself a fan of Tang Shiyun. When she was alone and quiet, she liked to sit on the sofa, bask in the sun, brew a cup of warm tea, hold a book, and listen to Tang Shiyun¡¯s songs. To her, that was undoubtedly the most enjoyable thing.


    "Tang..."


    Zhu Xiaozhu realized what was happening but before she could greet her, Tang Shiyun was already smiling brightly and said, "You must be Sister Xiaozhu, right? Ling told us about you. Come, let me help you with your luggage. Come in quickly."


    Following behind Tang Shiyun, Zhu Xiaozhu was still a bit dazed, not understanding why Tang Shiyun would appear here.


    Entering the living room, she saw Yang Qingling and Liu Xiyao sitting on the sofa, chatting away. Having stayed here for a while before, Liu Xiyao was very familiar with Yang Qingling, so she was not as reserved as Tang Shiyun.


    When they saw Zhu Xiaozhu walking in, Yang Qingling and Liu Xiyao both got up to greet her.


    "Ling Chen, Miss Zhu is here."


    Hearing his mom¡¯s voice from the living room, Ling Chen, wearing an apron, peeked his head out from the kitchen and said to Zhu Xiaozhu with a smile, "Have a seat first, dinner will be ready soon."


    Zhu Xiaozhu nodded. At this moment, her mind was still a mess.


    What on earth is going on?


    She thought Ling Chen only invited her over, but to her surprise, there were two more beautiful women here.


    After dinner, taking advantage of the time when Tang Shiyun and Liu Xiyao were cleaning up, Ling Chen brought Zhu Xiaozhu to the room set up for her and exined the situation to her.


    "Xiaozhu, I¡¯m sorry, someone is targeting me, which might possibly affect you all. For your safety, stay here for now. Once the crisis is over, I will send you back."


    "Then, what about my work at the hospital?"


    "Don¡¯t worry about that. I will arrange for people to be your personal bodyguards. When you are out, they will ensure your safety. At home, your safety will be my responsibility. I know this will undoubtedly cause some inconvenience to your daily life, but I really have no better way right now, my apologies."


    Zhu Xiaozhu smiled faintly, "It¡¯s alright. It¡¯s not too much trouble, but it¡¯s you who will have to endure the hard work."


    "Please don¡¯t say that. This has all arisen because of me. I already feel very guilty. I assure you, as long as I am here, nothing will happen to you."


    This is probably something the instigator did not foresee: trying to threaten Ling Chen inadvertently gave him the chance to enjoy living with three beautiful women.


    Ling Chen¡¯s vi was enormous, with multiple bedrooms and separate living rooms on each floor. To avoid disturbing Yang Qingling and the others, Liu Xiyao and the other two women stayed on the second floor, on the same floor as Ling Chen. Whenever they had free time, they would all stay in the second-floor living room, as each room had its own TV anyway.


    Liu Xiyao was a sessful businesswoman, raised by Lin Guodong from a young age, exuding an elegance and aristocratic air that was unmatched by others. Tang Shiyun, a famous singer with countless fans, needs no further mention. As for Zhu Xiaozhu, though she couldn¡¯tpare in fame to Tang Shiyun, she was a genius in the medical field, gaining much attention. More importantly, all three women were top-tier whether in terms of looks or temperament, a rare sight indeed.


    Should people find out Ling Chen was living with these three stunning women, who knows how many would die of jealousy.


    The next day.


    The three women went about their work as usual, only, they were apanied by a few stern-looking men. These were the security Ling Chen had arranged for them, mainly from Beison¡¯s team. Additionally, Ling Chen added a top expert among them to handle any emergencies.


    ording to Ling Chen¡¯s n, having himself apany them would be the safest scenario. But the problem was, he was just one person, unable to be everywhere at once, so he had to arrange for extra manpower.


    Moreover, Ling Chen still had more important things to attend to.


    Hongyu Group.


    Ling Chen walked into the lobby alone, immediately spotting Wei Jun rushing toward him.


    "Ling, what brings you here today?" Wei Jun greeted him warmly.


    Ling Chen grinned, "Wei, you¡¯re not here to kick me out, are you?"


    "Nonsense! What are you saying? Last time the chairman ordered it, I couldn¡¯t do anything about it, you can¡¯t hold grudges over that."


    "Just kidding, don¡¯t mind it."


    "The chairman has lifted the restrictions on you, you can go up anytime."


    "Alright then, you carry on. I won¡¯t disturb your work. Let¡¯s go out for a drink sometime."


    "Sure, I¡¯m down." Wei Jun chuckled. Even if Ling Chen was just being polite, he was still delighted. Because he knew very well that Ling Chen was no longer the same person he once was. They used to be on the same security team, but now, Ling Chen was doing very well for himself. Also, word within thepany was that Ling Chen recently spent billions to buy a plot ofnd from Hongyu Group.


    Within just over a year, Ling Chen¡¯s status had changed significantly. The fact that he still bothered to chat a bit with him now was already giving him plenty of face.


    Upon reaching the top floor, in the chairman¡¯s office, Ling Chen greeted Secretary Wang Lan and walked right in after knocking.


    At this time, Nanrong Wanqing was discussingpany matters with Nanrong Hao. They both paused for a second, seemingly not expecting Ling Chen to show up so early.


    "Chen!" Nanrong Hao¡¯s eyes lit up. He hurried forward to greet Ling Chen, offering him a seat, tea, fruits, and cigarettes. He served him better than hotel attendants, making Nanrong Wanqing grind her teeth in envy.


    She, being the elder sister, never received such treatment.


    Nanrong Hao pretended not to notice Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s dissatisfaction, smiling, "Chen, are you here to see Big Sister?" Without waiting for Ling Chen to answer, Nanrong Hao stood up, "Big Sister, since Chen is here to see you, I won¡¯t disturb you. We can discusspany matterster. Take your time chatting."


    After saying that, Nanrong Hao grabbed an apple and headed out of the office.


    Watching Nanrong Hao¡¯s departing figure, Nanrong Wanqing felt quite displeased. Was this really her biological brother?


    "What brings you to see me?" Nanrong Wanqing asked.


    "I¡¯ve encountered some trouble." Ling Chen didn¡¯t waste time, getting straight to the point.


    Nanrong Wanqing was startled. She understood Ling Chen¡¯s character. Even if he had trouble, he would handle it himself and would never tell anyone. For him to share this with her now meant the problem was big, one that even Ling Chen couldn¡¯t solve.


    "If there¡¯s trouble, you should call the police, why are youing to me?" Nanrong Wanqing replied casually. When they were a couple, whatever Ling Chen said, she would do, without ever uttering such words. But now... although she really wanted to help Ling Chen, she still needed to maintain some dignity by not showing it outright.

 Chapter 1111 - 1118: The Proximity Advantage Worries Me

    <h4>Chapter 1111: Chapter 1118: The Proximity Advantage Worries Me</h4>


    Ling Chen smiled slightly, looking directly into Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s star-like eyes, and said, "Because you¡¯re the only one who can help me solve this problem."


    Upon hearing this, Nanrong Wanqing was slightly stunned, then put down the files in her hand, sat up straight, and asked seriously, "What¡¯s the matter?"


    "Someone may use you to target me. Right now, I¡¯m not by your side, so I can¡¯t guarantee your safety. Although Captain Zhong is there, their abilities aren¡¯t enough to put me at ease." At this point, Ling Chen didn¡¯t hold back and told Nanrong Wanqing the specific situation.


    "You mean... aside from me, Liu Xiyao and the others could also be in danger?"


    "That¡¯s right." Ling Chen nodded and said, "That¡¯s why I have them all living at my house. That way, I can ensure their safety."


    For some reason, upon learning that Liu Xiyao, Tang Shiyun, and Zhu Xiaozhu were all living at Ling Chen¡¯s house, Nanrong Wanqing felt quite ufortable.


    After thinking for a bit, Nanrong Wanqing asked, "Did youe to me this time to ask me to live at your house too?"


    Ling Chen chuckled and said, "I¡¯d like that, but the key is whether you¡¯re willing." To be honest, Ling Chen wasn¡¯t holding out much hope for this. He knew Nanrong Wanqing had misgivings about him, and his actions some time ago had indeed annoyed Nanrong Wanqing.


    Right now, he¡¯d invited Tang Shiyun and the other three women to his house, and given these points, it was impossible for someone like Nanrong Wanqing to agree.


    "Fine, I¡¯lle."


    "You..." Ling Chen opened his mouth, ready to respond, but when he heard Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s reply, his expression froze.


    After being stunned for a while, Ling Chen looked at Nanrong Wanqing in disbelief, almost doubting his ears.


    "You want toe live at my house?"


    "What¡¯s wrong, are you not weing me?"


    "No, no, of course you¡¯re wee." Ling Chen quicklyughed. Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s decision surprised him greatly; beforeing, he hadn¡¯t considered such an oue at all.


    Compared to Ling Chen¡¯s surprise, Nanrong Wanqing was very calm. However, this calmness was only on the surface and didn¡¯t reveal her true inner emotions.


    Actually, Nanrong Wanqing herself didn¡¯t expect she¡¯d make such a decision, and she made it without hesitation, without much thought.


    Since being reprimanded by Nanrong Haost time, Nanrong Wanqing had thought a lot. Ling Chen had ws, but nobody is perfect. As for the mistakes Ling Chen made, they weren¡¯t unforgivable, since there were a lot of misunderstandings involved. Beyond that, the most important thing is she can¡¯t let go of this feeling. Although this is an open society, she inherently retains traditional thoughts.


    In this life, only one man will be allowed on her bed.


    Besides some inevitable ws, Ling Chen is undoubtedly an excellent, responsible man. That¡¯s precisely why he attracts so many girls around him; it¡¯s undoubtedly a reflection of his personal charm. From another perspective, it proves her eyesight is good.


    Nanrong Wanqing knew clearly that the reason she was willing to stay at Ling Chen¡¯s house wasn¡¯t just because of these factors; there was also a very important reason.


    Tang Shiyun, Liu Xiyao, Zhu Xiaozhu!


    The presence of these three women was the main reason she made her decision.


    Nanrong Wanqing wasn¡¯t unfamiliar with these three women; she¡¯d dealt with them before. Whether it was Tang Shiyun, or Liu Xiyao, or Zhu Xiaozhu, they were all very outstanding girls. Additionally, she¡¯s aware of Zhu Xiaozhu¡¯s feelings for Ling Chen, and Tang Shiyun, needless to say, has her entire focus on Ling Chen. As long as Ling Chen goes east, she wouldn¡¯t go west. As for Liu Xiyao...although she hasn¡¯t shown interest in Ling Chen, given enough time, Ling Chen¡¯s excellence might attract Liu Xiyao.


    Now, with these three women living at Ling Chen¡¯s house, they have the advantage of proximity. In contrast, she¡¯spletely at a disadvantage. So she must act and can¡¯t let Ling Chen be taken by others.


    At this moment, the Ling Chen sitting opposite Nanrong Wanqing had no idea about theplex thoughts of the CEO in front of him. To him, Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s willingness to stay at his house was already an unexpected harvest.


    After setting the time, Ling Chen didn¡¯t stay long; he had other matters to attend to.


    After leaving Hongyu Group, Ling Chen drove directly to the base.


    "Hey Fatty, what¡¯s up, still no clues?"


    "That guy¡¯s too cunning,pletely impossible to trace." Hu Fei said helplessly; he had mobilized all resources in East Sea City but found nothing.


    "Ling Chen, I think whoever¡¯s behind this is no ordinary person. Given the power we have, anyone we want to find usually can¡¯t escape detection. That guy¡¯s hiding so deeply; someone must be helping him cover up. Moreover, their force definitely isn¡¯t weak." Hu Fei analyzed seriously.


    "Could it be... the Ling Family?" Ling Chen squinted his eyes and said, "Lin Qiqi once called me, telling me that a key figure in the Ling Family has lived in East Sea City for years. Last time, Zhu Hong was rescued; this time, we¡¯re inexplicably targeted. It¡¯s likely that person is causing trouble behind the scenes."


    "When you mentioned itst time, I checked it out specially. There are too many people with the surname Ling in East Sea City, it¡¯s impossible to investigate them one by one. Plus, they¡¯re in the dark while we¡¯re in the light; this way, we¡¯ll be quite passive."


    "Let¡¯s put this aside for now. As long as they¡¯re active, they¡¯ll eventually leave clues. Fatty, remind everyone to stay safe, minimize going out, and also have Kai deploy more personnel to strengthen security around everyone." Ling Chen instructed.


    Old K had warned him that the second explosion was rted to his friends. This ¡¯friend¡¯ wasn¡¯t limited to female friends. Therefore, aside from Nanrong Wanqing and the others, the safety of people like Nanrong Hao, Jiang Hao, Zhao Zhengxiong also needs special attention.


    However,pared to Nanrong Wanqing and the others, Ling Chen is more at ease about the others. After all, Jiang Hao and the rest have dedicated protectors, every time they go out they have a group of subordinates with them, so there¡¯s no need to worry too much.


    Sunrise.


    Ling Chen rubbed his sleepy eyes, got up to open the curtains, looked at the bright sunshine outside, stretched his arms, andzily stretched.


    Today is the third day.


    Old K mentioned that within three days, the second explosion will ur. Although Ling Chen has made preparations in advance, such matters must not be taken lightly; caution is still necessary.


    Pushing open the bedroom door, just as Ling Chen stepped out, a gorgeous sight walked past him.


    Tang Shiyun!


    This girl was wearing a kawaiizy bear pajama, looking as though she hadn¡¯t fully woken up, asionally tugging at her hair, seemingly just out of the bathroom.


    The second floor has five bedrooms, only two of which have their own bathrooms and showers, while the other three bedrooms share the second floor bathroom.


    Seeing Ling Chening out the door, Tang Shiyun yawned and said, "Ling."


    "Girl, hurry and tidy up, it¡¯s time for breakfast."


    Just as the words fell, a captivating fragrance suddenly drifted over. Taken aback, Ling Chen¡¯s gaze instantly froze.

 Chapter 1112 - 1119: Truth or Dare (1)

    <h4>Chapter 1112: Chapter 1119: Truth or Dare (1)</h4>


    Across from Ling Chen¡¯s bedroom lives Liu Xiyao. At this moment, the door opened, and Liu Xiyao stepped out wearing a sexy ckce nightgown.


    Whether it¡¯s ck orce, they are both things that attract men. When these two arebined, paired with a perfectly shaped, fair-skinned, stunning-looking woman, it undoubtedly pushes the allure of a ckce nightgown to its extreme.


    Ling Chen isn¡¯t a novice when ites to women, yet even so, faced with thezy charm naturally exuded by Liu Xiyao, he found his mind wandering.


    If it weren¡¯t for his strong self-control, he¡¯d probably have had a nosebleed.


    "Xiyao," watching Liu Xiyao in front of her, Tang Shiyun was also greatly impacted. Comparing their figures, Tang Shiyun felt very self-conscious. Her petite figure couldn¡¯tpare at all to Liu Xiyao¡¯s perfect curves.


    Cough, cough!


    Ling Chen lightly coughed twice and said, "Umm... Xiyao, you..."


    "What¡¯s wrong with me?"


    "No, nothing." Ling Chen chuckled and swallowed his words. He originally wanted to remind Liu Xiyao to be more cautious when going out, but on second thought, since he was the one benefiting, and not others, there was nothing wrong with enjoying the view.


    Seeing Ling Chen¡¯s gaze asionally sweep over her voluptuous figure, Liu Xiyao blushed slightly, understanding his thoughts. She gave Ling Chen a sidelong nce and said no more, heading directly back to her room.


    A momentter, Liu Xiyao returned in more conservative loungewear, much to Ling Chen¡¯s disappointment.


    During breakfast, Nanrong Wanqing and Zhu Xiaozhu had also gotten up. Nanrong Wanqing had moved in the day before, and Liu Xiyao and Tang Shiyun were being very friendly. However, Zhu Xiaozhu remained indifferent, just as she had before, with very little interaction between her and Wanqing.


    Yang Qingling carried a bowl of porridge, looking at the beautiful women seated at the dining table, feeling a bit unreal. Thest time Ling Chen had a conflict with Nanrong Wanqing, she was worried sick. But now, not only had Nanrong Wanqing moved in, there were also three other stunning women with diverse charms.


    Click, click! She wondered what kind of good fortune her son had to have such great luck with women. It seemed she wouldn¡¯t have to worry about her son finding a wife in the future. Her only concern now was not having too many grandchildren, or she¡¯d be overwhelmed.


    "Everyone stay home today, don¡¯t go out."


    After breakfast, Ling Chen wiped his mouth with a napkin and said.


    Nanrong Wanqing drank the porridge without looking up and said, "There¡¯s an important meeting at thepany today. As the chairman, I must attend, I..."


    "No way." Before Nanrong Wanqing could finish her sentence, Ling Chen tly refused, "Without my permission, no one is allowed to step foot outside the door. This is not a joking matter." After speaking, Ling Chen nced at the silent Nanrong Wanqing and added, "Tell yourpany to change it to a phone conference."


    "Got it." Nanrong Wanqing obedientlyplied without rebelling.


    Tang Shiyun and Zhu Xiaozhu actually had things to do, but seeing Ling Chen refuse Nanrong Wanqing, they both chose to keep quiet.


    If they couldn¡¯t go out, they¡¯d just have to stay home.


    In the living room on the second floor, Liu Xiyao sat with a magazine in her hands, positioned by the window, her long slender legs crossed on the chair, leaning against the sofa, her silky hair cascaded casually, exuding an inviting pose that enhanced her mature womanly charm.


    Zhu Xiaozhu and Tang Shiyun watched TV, asionally chatting about topics that mostly revolved around Tang Shiyun. After all, Zhu Xiaozhu was Tang Shiyun¡¯s fan.


    Nanrong Wanqing stayed in her bedroom, conducting a phone meeting with thepany¡¯s upper management.


    At this moment, Ling Chen was probably the least at ease. The threat from Old K had not been eliminated, and Ling Chen needed to be vignt at all times to prevent any sudden incidents.


    Before long, evening came. Ling Chen felt a little relieved, as fortunately, the day had passed without bad news. His precautionary measures seemed effective, and Old K likely didn¡¯t find a chance to act. However, Ling Chen remained cautious, as there was still the night ahead, and who knew if Old K might take action?


    With dinner over, everyone gathered in the second-floor living room. Watching Nanrong Wanqing and the others sitting in different spots, involved in their own activities, Ling Chen couldn¡¯t help but scratch his nose, feeling the atmosphere was slightly awkward.


    He imagined that these women would be harmonious together, but in reality, things weren¡¯t as he expected, as it seemed none of the women were inclined to engage with each other.


    "Ling,"


    At this moment, Tang Shiyun snuggled up to Ling Chen, habitually wrapping her arms around his. This action immediately drew the attention of the other three women. However, they merely nced and then resumed their own activities, undisturbed by each other.


    "Little girl, what¡¯s up?" Only with Tang Shiyun did Ling Chen feel most rxed. There was no helping it; this girl was the most obedient and well-behaved.


    "Ling, I¡¯ve been so bored staring into space all day. Why don¡¯t we find something to do?" Tang Shiyun suggested.


    Ling Chen chuckled and asked, "What do you want to y?"


    Tang Shiyun looked around at the others and said, "I brought a game called ¡¯Truth or Dare¡¯, how about we all y together?"


    Uh...


    Truth or Dare? Ling Chen¡¯s heart instinctively resisted. He thought, "This isn¡¯t a casual game to y, especially with Nanrong Wanqing and Zhu Xiaozhu around."


    Thinking of this, Ling Chen opened his mouth, wanting to refuse. However, before he could speak, Nanrong Wanqing suddenly raised her head and said, "I think it¡¯s a good suggestion, count me in."


    Next to her, Liu Xiyao smiled and said, "Since everyone¡¯s interested, I¡¯ll join in too. Xiaozhu, how about you?"


    Zhu Xiaozhu said nothing, just nodded lightly.


    "Yay!" Seeing that everyone was willing to participate, Tang Shiyun was undoubtedly the happiest, and she immediately ran into her room to fetch the game items.


    Faced with the enthusiasm of the women, Ling Chen¡¯s intuition told him this wasn¡¯t good news.


    Soon, Tang Shiyun returned to the living room with the game items. With the gamemencing, even if Ling Chen was unwilling, he had no choice but toply at this moment.


    Under Tang Shiyun¡¯s instructions, the five of them sat around the table, listening as she exined the game rules.


    In fact, the rules were simple. The game items were like ying cards, each card had a question on it. The person who drew the card must answer the question seriously, no matter how embarrassing it may be. This was precisely what Ling Chen feared most. What if he was unlucky and drew an embarrassing question? Wouldn¡¯t this be digging a hole for himself?

 Chapter 1113 - 1120: Truth or Dare (Part 2)

    <h4>Chapter 1113: Chapter 1120: Truth or Dare (Part 2)</h4>


    The game started, and by now, Ling Chen couldn¡¯t refuse.


    "I¡¯ll go first." Tang Shiyun said with a giggle, "Wanqing, help me draw one."


    Nanrong Wanqing nodded and picked a card from the dozens on the table.


    The question on the card was very simple: Who was your crush in middle school?


    "I didn¡¯t have a crush, my family said I was too young to date. Besides, in middle school, everyone was just a kid, no charm at all. Alright! My turn now." Tang Shiyun said, drawing a card from the deck.


    How many people of the opposite sex have you had a rtionship beyond friendship with?


    Seeing this question, Nanrong Wanqing and the other girls immediately blushed slightly. Although they were prepared, such a question still made them feel embarrassed.


    Zhu Xiaozhu nced at everyone and asked, "Whose question is this?"


    Tang Shiyun pointed to Ling Chen beside her and said with a smile, "Your turn, Ling."


    What?


    Ling Chen¡¯s eyes widened, and he secretlymented. It seemed his intuition was spot-on, worrying about something only for it to happen¡ªthese types of questions are really just traps.


    Seeing Ling Chen dazed, Liu Xiyao remarked with a smirk, "Ling Chen, this is Truth or Dare, no shortcuts, you have to tell the truth."


    Ahem!


    If he could, Ling Chen really wanted to escape. Facing the gaze of four girls and such an awkward question, he really didn¡¯t know how to start.


    "What, is the question hard to answer?" Liu Xiyao said with a yful smile, "Or have you had rtionships beyond friendship with so many people that you can¡¯t count them all?"


    With these words, Nanrong Wanqing and Zhu Xiaozhu gave Ling Chen a different kind of look.


    Realizing the situation wasn¡¯t good, Ling Chen quickly waved his hand and said, "No, none."


    "Then tell us, how many of them were there?" Liu Xiyao pressed on, not letting him off.


    Ling Chen sneakily nced at Nanrong Wanqing, contemting how to answer. It would be a lie to say none, because Nanrong Wanqing knew about his thing with Leng Feifei.


    Actually, there weren¡¯t many with whom Ling Chen had rtionships beyond friendship, only three¡ªXia Mutong, the porridge girl, and Leng Feifei.


    But even though there were just three, he didn¡¯t dare tell the full truth. Who knows what reactions Nanrong Wanqing and Zhu Xiaozhu might have?


    After much hesitation, Ling Chen lowered his head and sheepishly held up one finger.


    "Only one? I don¡¯t believe that. Ling Chen, you¡¯re no fun, this is Truth or Dare, you have to be truthful. If you back out like this, what¡¯s the fun in the game?"


    Liu Xiyao¡¯s words immediately garnered unanimous approval from the girls.


    "Go on, we won¡¯t eat you. Besides, it¡¯s your private affair, we can¡¯t interfere, what¡¯s there to be afraid of?" Nanrong Wanqing said calmly.


    "Come on, Ling, everyone¡¯s waiting." Tang Shiyun urged him.


    Ling Chen was a bit helpless. After thinking about it, he sighed. Since there¡¯s no escape, he might as well just tell the truth.


    "Three?" Liu Xiyao was surprised.


    Ling Chen could barely lift his head, too embarrassed. He should have said two.


    "Ling, you¡¯re really not charming at all."


    Tang Shiyun¡¯s voice came, making Ling Chen pause. Not charming? What does that mean?


    "I thought with your charm, it wouldn¡¯t be twelve or thirteen, but at least six or seven; turns out it¡¯s not even half that. Sigh! Being a man like you is truly a failure."


    At Tang Shiyun¡¯s words, Nanrong Wanqing and Zhu Xiaozhu exchanged nces, choosing to remain speechless but showing little else in their expressions.


    Uh... Ling Chen was really stunned, expecting criticism from the girls, but the criticism wasn¡¯t about his character; it was about hisck of charm.


    What¡¯s wrong with women these days?


    Perhaps noticing Ling Chen¡¯s thoughts, Liu Xiyao smiled and said, "You¡¯re actually a good man. Nowadays, which man isn¡¯t flirting outside? Not only living recklessly but also being proud of it, as if afraid others won¡¯t see how charming he is."


    Tang Shiyun nodded in agreement, "Yeah! I¡¯ve seen quite a few of those men."


    "Really?" Ling Chen looked at Tang Shiyun incredulously, quickly advising, "Girl, I¡¯m telling you, stay away from those men."


    "Oh, Ling, I know. I¡¯m not stupid, I wouldn¡¯t bother with those men. Hmph!" Tang Shiyun said, raising her nose, "They¡¯re just flirts; I have no interest. If I ever do look for someone, I¡¯ll find someone like Ling."


    Liu Xiyao teased, "Shiyun, if you like Ling Chen, just say it, why beat around the bush."


    Tang Shiyun blushed, bashfully lowering her head, "I... I don¡¯t."


    "Alright, stop teasing the little girl." Zhu Xiaozhu said, "Let¡¯s keep ying."


    "Ling, it¡¯s your turn to draw."


    Without a word, Ling Chen drew a card from the stack and ced it on the table.


    Who was your first kiss?


    This question was aimed at Zhu Xiaozhu.


    Zhu Xiaozhu nced at Ling Chen, her face turning red involuntarily. Seeing her reaction, with Liu Xiyao¡¯s insight, it was obvious. To avoid the atmosphere bing awkward, Liu Xiyao quickly said, "Alright! No need to ask this question, I think we all know the answer. Okay, my turn."


    Saying so, Liu Xiyao drew a card.


    Who was your first love?


    "This question is quite nice," Liu Xiyao said with a small smile, "Miss Nanrong, your turn."


    Tang Shiyun looked at Nanrong Wanqing with great interest, her gossiping heart for this ¡¯East Sea City¡¯s flower¡¯ was burning strong.


    "I..." Nanrong Wanqing hesitated, not knowing how to begin. Her first love was Ling Chen, which was no secret. But given that Zhu Xiaozhu had her first kiss with Ling Chen, telling everyone Ling Chen was her first love could lead to awkwardness.


    Not just her, but Ling Chen and Zhu Xiaozhu could also feel ufortable.


    "I... I..."


    At this moment, even the usually decisive chairman of Hongyu Group was stuttering.


    Just then, an abrupt ringtone sounded in the living room.


    "Ling, your phone."


    A savior!


    Ling Chen secretly sighed in relief, whoever was calling, he had to thank them.


    Taking the phone, Ling Chen saw the caller ID and immediately got up to answer the call on the balcony.


    "Hey! Fatty, what¡¯s up?"


    "I just checked, haven¡¯t found anything yet, so I called to ask if there¡¯s anything unusual on your end."


    "Everything¡¯s fine here, don¡¯t worry."

 Chapter 1114 - 1121: The Death of Wei Jun

    <h4>Chapter 1114: Chapter 1121: The Death of Wei Jun</h4>


    "Alright, since that¡¯s the case, I won¡¯t disturb you. I¡¯ll contact you if anythinges up." After saying that, Hu Fei was about to hang up the phone.


    "Wait!" Ling Chen nced stealthily at the four women in the living room and whispered, "Buddy, don¡¯t hang up yet, you have to save me tonight."


    "Save you?" Hu Feiughed and teased, "I say, Ling Chen, the sun must be rising in the west today. You¡¯re actually asking me for help. What? Do you have too many beauties around you that you can¡¯t manage, and you need me toe over and give you a hand?"


    "Get lost. If you dare talk nonsense again, I¡¯ll tear that big mouth of yours. Hey! Are you free? Bring some snacks ande over, let¡¯s have some drinks."


    "Sure, since there¡¯s nothing much going on, wait for me, I¡¯ll be right over."


    After hanging up the phone, Ling Chen returned to the living room, seeing everyone¡¯s eyes on him. He hurriedly smiled and said, "Hu Fei is looking for me; he¡¯ll being over soon. I¡¯ll go downstairs to wait for him, you guys enjoy yourselves." Without waiting for Liu Xiyao and others to speak, Ling Chen had already run out of the living room.


    Arriving at the first-floor living room, Ling Chen took a deep breath, feeling refreshed all over. Without those beautiful women around, he feltpletely at ease.


    Sometimes, having too many beauties around isn¡¯t necessarily a good thing.


    In less than half an hour, Hu Fei arrived with a few bottles of liquor and some spiced food.


    "Hey! Where are thosedies?" Hu Fei looked around, seeking traces of the beauties.


    "Enough, stop looking, they¡¯re upstairs. What, you want to meet them? Fine, leave the stuff, I¡¯ll enjoy it slowly, and you can go up on your own. But don¡¯t say I didn¡¯t warn you, thosedies aren¡¯t easy to deal with."


    "No worries." Hu Fei grinned, "I¡¯m more experienced in dealing with beauties than you. Alright, enough of this, I¡¯ll head up first to say hello to thedies."


    Ling Chen couldn¡¯t be bothered with Hu Fei, eating his spiced food and drinking beer by himself.


    In less than five minutes, Hu Fei came running down from upstairs in distress. Reaching Ling Chen¡¯s side, Hu Fei wiped the sweat off his forehead and exhaled, "You were right, that group ofdies is really hard to deal with. Sigh! Ling Chen, I wrongfully med you; it seems not everyone can enjoy such fortune."


    "Come,e, let¡¯s have a drink, ignore those women."


    After finishing the drinks, it was already past eleven o¡¯clock at night. Checking the time, Hu Fei stood up and said, "It¡¯ste, I¡¯m heading back now, looks like we managed to get through the day safely."


    "Let¡¯s hope so."


    After seeing Hu Fei off, Ling Chen returned to the second floor, only to find Nanrong Wanqing and the other three women had gone to rest, leaving ying cards from a game of Truth or Dare on the table.


    Ling Chen chuckled, casually drawing a few cards, and after reading the questions on them, he silently praised himself for being smart enough to call Hu Fei over in time, thus dodging a bullet. Otherwise, if he had drawn such questions, he would truly be in trouble.


    The next morning.


    Ling Chen was still sleeping when his phone suddenly rang, waking him from a sound sleep.


    Yawning, Ling Chen reached out, grabbed his phone, and nced at it, seeing that Xia Mutong was calling.


    It¡¯s only half-past five, what would Xia Mutong need from him at this hour?


    Connecting the call, Ling Chen said "Hello" and asked, "Officer Xia, what are you calling me so early for?"


    "Ling Chen, I need to ask you, is Nanrong Wanqing at your ce?"


    "Wanqing? Why, do you need to talk to her? You could just call her directly."


    "I did, but no one answered, probably still asleep. Can you wake her up? Something happened over here."


    "Something happened?" Ling Chen sat up abruptly, hastily asking, "Officer Xia, what happened?"


    "At midnightst night, there was an explosion in the southern part of the city. We just finished handling the scene."


    Upon hearing this, Ling Chen felt a shiver in his heart and asked, "What does this explosion have to do with Wanqing?"


    "We¡¯ve just confirmed the identity of the deceased, he¡¯s an employee of Hongyu Group. Since we couldn¡¯t contact the family, I had to find Miss Nanrong to ask about the employee¡¯s situation."


    "There¡¯s a deceased?" Ling Chen said solemnly, "Who is it?"


    "Based on clues found at the scene, the deceased is identified as Wei Jun, the head of security at Hongyu Group."


    Wei Jun?


    Wei Jun!


    Ling Chen¡¯s face changed drastically. After finding out the address, he immediately got out of bed, dressing hurriedly while heading to Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s room.


    Knocking on the door, Nanrong Wanqing, rubbing her sleepy eyes, saw Ling Chen¡¯s grim face at the door and asked, "What¡¯s wrong?"


    "Get dressed, we need to go out, Wei Jun is dead."


    "Wei Jun? Who is Wei Jun?" The still-sleepy Nanrong Wanqing didn¡¯t immediately react.


    "Wei Jun, the captain of the second security team."


    "What?" Nanrong Wanqing was shocked, instantly bing alert.


    "I¡¯ll wait for you downstairs."


    Soon, the ready Nanrong Wanqing came downstairs. Inside the car, Ling Chen said nothing, immediately starting the car and rushing to the destination.


    Before long, Ling Chen and Nanrong Wanqing arrived at the explosion site.


    Wei Jun¡¯s home was in an old residential building, on the second floor, and the explosion had urred right at Wei Jun¡¯s ce. Police had already cordoned off the area.


    Ling Chen nced around and quickly spotted Xia Mutong in the crowd.


    "Officer Xia."


    "You finally arrived." Xia Mutong greeted Nanrong Wanqing and asked, "Miss Nanrong, Wei Jun was one of your employees. Can you reach his family?"


    "I¡¯ve already notified the HR department, they should send the information soon."


    "That¡¯s good."


    "Officer Xia, Wei Jun... where is he?" Ling Chen asked.


    Xia Mutong pointed to an ambnce parked roadside. Before she could speak, Ling Chen had walked over quickly. Getting to the vehicle and seeing the body bag on the stretcher, Ling Chen¡¯s heart sank heavily.


    Just a few days ago, he had seen Wei Jun, and they had beenughing and talking. Now, they were separated by life and death.


    "Wei," Ling Chen clenched his fist, his eyes red, wishing he could immediately hunt down the perpetrator and tear him to pieces.


    At that moment, his phone rang. Ling Chen pulled out his phone and saw the caller ID was an unfamiliar number, which he immediately answered.


    "You¡¯re the one who killed him, aren¡¯t you?"


    "Haha! Mr. Ling, don¡¯t be upset. Didn¡¯t I warn you three days ago? It¡¯s your own negligence. If you¡¯d paid attention to him, he wouldn¡¯t have ended up like this. But this is just a small lesson. That Wei Jun was a nobody, so it¡¯s no big loss for him to die."


    Ling Chen said coldly, "That was a human life."


    "Human life varies in value. For instance, Nanrong Wanqing, Tang Shiyun, Liu Xiyao, and Zhu Xiaozhu, their lives are precious, which is why you brought them to your home for close protection. As for someone like Wei Jun, you consider him a friend, but never thought about his safety. So, in your eyes, he was just a dispensable minor character."

 Chapter 1115 - 1122: Hidden Motives (Part 1)

    <h4>Chapter 1115: Chapter 1122: Hidden Motives (Part 1)</h4>


    "Shut up!" Ling Chen coldly shouted, "I don¡¯t care what background you have, what your real name is, or what grudge you have with me. Just listen carefully, as long as you live one more day, I will not let you go. When I catch you, I will make you understand what is worse than death."


    Old K couldn¡¯t care less about Ling Chen¡¯s threat, and said with a faint smile, "Okay, I¡¯m actually looking forward to seeing what you¡¯re capable of. Mr. Ling, enough idle talk, I¡¯m just calling to remind you that our game has just begun. The third explosion will ur within ten days, again targeting your friend. With this lesson, I hope you be smarter and protect your friends well, don¡¯t let me seed again."


    After speaking, the other party directly hung up the phone.


    Holding the phone, Ling Chen wished he could punch the car to vent his grief and anger.


    For the first time, a strong hatred surged in his heart, wishing to tear Old K apart.


    Taking a deep breath, Ling Chen calmed his emotions, looked at the body bag in front of him, and said in a deep voice, "Wei, it¡¯s my fault. Rest assured, I will take good care of your wife and children, and no one will bully them."


    Back at Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s side, looking at Ling Chen with slightly red eyes, Nanrong Wanqing sighed softly, "Condolences and changes, don¡¯t be too sad. What we can do now is to help Wei Jun handle his affairs well, find the murderer as soon as possible, and avenge him."


    "Miss Nanrong, have the victim¡¯s family been contacted?" Xia Mutong walked over and asked.


    "I have already talked to them on the phone, they are on their way here and may take about two hours," Nanrong Wanqing said, "Fortunately, his wife and children went back to her parents¡¯ ce, otherwise, the family of three would have suffered misfortune."


    Xia Mutong nodded and asked, "Miss Nanrong, Wei Jun is a security guard at yourpany. How is his rtionship with people at thepany normally, does he have enemies?"


    Just as Nanrong Wanqing was about to speak, Ling Chen took over and said, "This matter has nothing to do with others, I know who the murderer is."


    "Who?" Xia Mutong asked eagerly.


    "Old K."


    "Old K? What kind of name is that? What grudge does he have with Wei Jun?"


    Ling Chen nced at Nanrong Wanqing nearby and said, "Officer Xia, let¡¯s talk alone about this." Saying this, Ling Chen walked aside. Things had gotten to this point, there was no need to hide anymore. He originally thought he could stop Old K, so he hadn¡¯t nned to tell Xia Mutong. But now the situation was different, someone was dead, and Xia Mutong would definitely pursue it to the end. Instead of letting Xia Mutong waste time investigating, it was better to reveal the truth.


    After learning the course of events, Xia Mutong angrily said, "Why didn¡¯t you tell me about this in advance?"


    Ling Chen smiled bitterly and said, "I admit it¡¯s my fault. I thought I could solve it myself, so I didn¡¯t want to bother you. I just underestimated Old K¡¯s ruthlessness. Anyone connected with me bes Old K¡¯s target, this scope is too wide, I can¡¯t possibly protect everyone. Officer Xia, I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ll need your help with this matter."


    "It¡¯s my duty; even if you didn¡¯t tell me, I would pursue it to the end. How many clues do you have concerning Old K?"


    "Not a single clue, he always calls me using disposable phones. The voice is specially processed, making it unrecognizable. I guess his age is between thirty and forty. Besides his gender and age, I know nothing else."


    Speaking up to this point, Ling Chen changed the subject and asked, "Have the remnants of the bomb installed at Wei Jun¡¯s house been found?"


    "Found them, just sent to theb, probably will take a few hours to get results." Xia Mutong thought for a while and asked strangely, "This thing is odd. You said Old K ising for you. If so, why doesn¡¯t he directly target you? Instead, he wastes time on your friends. As long as you¡¯re ruthless, his methods wouldn¡¯t work at all. Also, he gave you three days, now ten days. If I were your enemy, I wouldn¡¯t drag it out, waste time, I¡¯d directly find an opportunity to get rid of you, why go to such lengths and effort."


    Xia Mutong¡¯s words also made Ling Chen feel suspicious. This doesn¡¯t seem like a simple act of revenge and targeting, maybe the other party has some other n.


    "Officer Xia, I¡¯ll look deeper into this, if I find anything else, I¡¯ll notify you immediately."


    "That¡¯s better. Ling Chen, don¡¯t say I didn¡¯t warn you, when you encounter simr things in the future, be sure to notify me first. Just like this time, if you had told me in advance, maybe your friend wouldn¡¯t have died."


    "I understand."


    The police would handle the subsequent matters, Ling Chen and Nanrong Wanqing returned to the car and drove straight to the vi.


    On the way, the two remained silent, each lost in their thoughts.


    "You don¡¯t need to worry too much about Wei Jun¡¯s family." As they neared home, Nanrong Wanqing spoke, "I¡¯ve already talked to thepany; they will help improve Wei Jun¡¯s wife and child¡¯s quality of life. From now on, all their costs will be covered by thepany. Wei Jun¡¯s son will enter Hongyu Group after graduation."


    "Thank you!" Ling Chen nodded. This is undoubtedly the best arrangement; Wei Jun¡¯s wife and children lost their pir, only this could eliminate their worries.


    "No need to thank me, as chairman of Hongyu Group, this is what I should do."


    "What about the Liu Family?" Ling Chen changed the topic. He knew Nanrong Wanqing was dealing with them;st time the Liu family head directly ran to Hongyu Group to make trouble, iming to perish together with the Nanrong family. He didn¡¯t know what the situation was now.


    "The Liu Family is done for. Last time they came to Hongyu Group looking for me, it was just an act. Over the years, the Liu family¡¯s assets have been in deficit, they simply don¡¯t have the capital to fight me. It¡¯s also their own greed; if they didn¡¯t instigate Liu Wei to take advantage of our Hongyu Group, the Liu Family wouldn¡¯tck food now. They¡¯ve dered bankruptcy, their bank ount is in negative."


    "Looks like I should avoid provoking you in the future."


    Nanrong Wanqing couldn¡¯t help but roll her eyes at Ling Chen after hearing these words.


    Back home, Ling Chen was not in a good mood, he went directly to his bedroom, not even interested in chatting with the women. Wei Jun¡¯s death hit him hard, no matter how optimistic he was, Wei Jun¡¯s death was on him, he had an unavoidable responsibility.


    If it was in the past, Ling Chen might not have cared much, but now... the weight of ¡¯friendship and loyalty¡¯ was growing heavier in his heart.

 Chapter 1116 - 1123: Hidden Agenda (2)

    <h4>Chapter 1116: Chapter 1123: Hidden Agenda (2)</h4>


    "Mr. Zhu, you¡¯re here!"


    In a three-story building located in East Sea City, a middle-aged man stood at the door, weing Zhu Hong from outside.


    "Old K, how¡¯s the mattering along?" Zhu Hong sat down casually and asked.


    "Rest assured, Mr. Zhu, I never fail when I handle things. Ling Chen has already taken the bait, and I reckon he¡¯s grieving over his friend¡¯s death right now."


    "Very good. You were rmended by Elder Ling, so I trust your capabilities. Before my n ispleted, use whatever means necessary to keep Ling Chen in East Sea City. He must not ruin my n."


    "That¡¯s not a problem. Within a month, Ling Chen won¡¯t be able to step out of East Sea City unless he wants to watch his friends die." After a pause, Old K asked, "Mr. Zhu, once your matter is settled, can we take care of Ling Chen?"


    Zhu Hong smirked and said, "Do you want to take care of him? Old K, it¡¯s not that I underestimate your abilities. I know you¡¯re capable. However, if you want to deal with Ling Chen, you¡¯re stillcking a bit. Not even Elder Ling himself would be entirely confident in taking down Ling Chen. Alright, don¡¯t worry about Ling Chen. Sooner orter, someone will take care of him. Now the most important thing is toplete our n."


    "Yes, I understand."


    "Oh, right! Old K, I have a list here that Ipiledst night, maybe it¡¯ll be useful to you."


    Taking the list handed over by Zhu Hong, Old K nced at it briefly, his thick eyebrows suddenly raising as he smiled and said, "Thank you, Mr. Zhu, for the information. This makes things easier for me."


    "Alright! You get busy, I have a flight to catch in two hours. When I return, we¡¯ll celebrate together."


    "Safe travels, Mr. Zhu."


    ...


    Three days passed, and Ling Chen became increasingly cautious. The death of Wei Jun told him that Old K wouldn¡¯t spare any friend around him, even those with shallow rtionships were bing targets of Old K, which was undoubtedly the most troublesome thing for Ling Chen.


    He had been in East Sea City for so long and made a lot of friends; notably, those from Hongyu Group, such as Zhong Wei and Liang Zhao Hui, were his friends, and who knew if Old K would target them.


    To ensure safety, Ling Chen not only intensified everyone¡¯s security but also increased the search efforts.


    As long as Old K remained in East Sea City, he was determined to find him even if he had to dig three feet into the ground.


    On that day, Ling Chen arrived at the base, intending to ask Hu Fei about the progress. Just as he reached the control center, before he had a chance to sit down, he received a call from an unfamiliar number.


    He thought it was Old K calling, but when he answered, he discovered the identity of the caller.


    Ling Tao!


    The person he¡¯d been waiting for.


    "Where¡¯s my dad, where is he?" Ling Chen asked impatiently. Ling Tao had finally called him; he had to seize the opportunity to inquire about Ling Kun¡¯s whereabouts.


    "Kid, I know what you want to ask. The matter concerning your dad is quiteplicated and can¡¯t be exined in a short time. We can talk about itter. Right now, there¡¯s a more urgent matter that needs your help."


    "What is it?"


    "I might need to borrow some of your forces," said Ling Tao. "We¡¯ve already entered a full-scale war with the Southern Ling Family. Although we were prepared, I still underestimated the Southern Ling Family¡¯s power. Over the years, they¡¯ve been lying low, umting strength, and the power they¡¯ve exploded with now far exceeds my expectations. I didn¡¯t want to trouble you at first since you¡¯ve worked hard to stabilize and it¡¯s a good time for you to expand your influence steadily. However, given the current situation, I have no choice but to ask for your involvement."


    Ling Chen pondered for a moment and asked, "How many men do you need?"


    "Three hundred elites, including those experts by your side. I need them all."


    "No, I can¡¯t spare that many people. I¡¯m also facing troubles and urgently need arge number of people. I can lend you at most two hundred. As for my friends, I need to ask for their opinions since they¡¯re not my subordinates; I¡¯m not in a position tomand them."


    "Two hundred is too few, sending them would just be sending them to their deaths, as they simply couldn¡¯t withstand their assault." After a pause, Ling Tao said seriously, "Ling Chen, I don¡¯t have time to waste words with you. Honestly, one of our bases is under attack, and the one in charge of its security is porridge girl. Her situation is critical right now, and based on the intelligence I received, without reinforcements, she can hold out for at most three days."


    Ling Chen furrowed his brows and asked sternly, "Can¡¯t you allocate forces to support them?"


    "If I could, I wouldn¡¯t be asking you. The Southern Ling Family hasunched aprehensive offensive, and all our regional forces are under attack, making it impossible to allocate any manpower. Okay, I¡¯ve said what needed to be said, you have to find a way to resolve this matter. Even if not for our sake, you should think about porridge girl." After saying this, Ling Tao didn¡¯t give Ling Chen a chance to speak and abruptly hung up the phone.


    At the same time, his phone vibrated with a message from Ling Tao containing the location information of porridge girl.


    Damn!


    Ling Chen couldn¡¯t help but curse. At this moment, he finally realized Old K¡¯s intentions.


    The opponent deliberately wanted to bind him, keeping him in East Sea City. In the current situation, he not only had to ensure the safety of Nanrong Wanqing and others but also had to search for Old K¡¯s whereabouts. Hu Fei had already allocated nearly half of the manpower, leaving only about two hundred people avable.


    ording to Ling Tao¡¯s request, he must mobilize all forces to support porridge girl. Otherwise, porridge girl would likely face imminent danger. However, if he did so, the defensive power in East Sea City would be significantly weakened, providing an opportunity for those with malicious intentions.


    "Hey, fatty!"


    "What¡¯s wrong?" Seeing the serious expression on Ling Chen¡¯s face as he approached, Hu Fei sensed something was amiss and quickly asked.


    "How many exoskeleton armors are avable for use in the base?"


    "All together there are about one hundred and fifty sets."


    "Give me a hundred sets. Also, have Kai choose a hundred elites."


    Hu Fei was momentarily stunned and asked, "I¡¯m asking, who are you going to war with? Don¡¯t me me for not warning you, this is East Sea City. If you engage inrge-scale warfare, the authorities above certainly won¡¯t allow it."


    "I know, don¡¯t worry about that. Just arrange it for me as soon as possible. By the way! Where is Bai Huanjun? I need to find him urgently."


    Based on the current situation, going to support porridge girl was inevitable. He couldn¡¯t just watch porridge girl fall into trouble. Therefore, the only solution was to have Bai Huanjun impersonate him and stay in East Sea City to hold the fort.


    Though a hundred elites weren¡¯t many, once equipped with exoskeleton armors, theirbat power would be equivalent to three or four hundred people, which should be sufficient.


    By the time everything was arranged, it was already past ten in the evening.


    After a busy day, Ling Chen was utterly exhausted. Dragging his weary body back home, everyone including Nanrong Wanqing had already gone to bed, only the light in Liu Xiyao¡¯s room was still on.

 Chapter 1117 - 1124: Supporting the Porridge Girl

    <h4>Chapter 1117: Chapter 1124: Supporting the Porridge Girl</h4>


    Knock knock knock!


    Ling Chen knocked on the door and said, "Xiyao, it¡¯s me. Can Ie in?"


    "Come in." With Liu Xiyao¡¯s permission, Ling Chen pushed the door open and went inside.


    It was already May, and the weather was gradually bing hot. Liu Xiyao was wearing a sexy nightgown, half-reclining on the bed, her long, snow-white legs crossed, with smooth, jade-like ankles. As his gaze moved upward, today¡¯s nightgown on Liu Xiyao was particrly daring, revealing a patch of fair skin on her firm and ample chest. Strands of hair slipped from her shoulders, falling just into that deep cleavage, making it hard for anyone to look away.


    Seeing Liu Xiyao¡¯s alluring and seductive appearance, Ling Chen was momentarily stunned, mouth half-open, nearly drooling.


    Noticing Ling Chen¡¯s dazed expression, Liu Xiyao finally realized how seductive her posture was. Flushing slightly, she took a thin nket from the side and covered herself, concealing all of her allure.


    Liu Xiyao¡¯s action quickly brought Ling Chen back to his senses. Embarrassed, he chuckled and casually found a topic to hide his awkwardness: "Why are you still awake?"


    "Can¡¯t sleep, slept too much during the day. So, did you need something?"


    "I have to leave tomorrow morning and might not be back for a few days..." With that, Ling Chen didn¡¯t hide it and told Liu Xiyao his n. Once he left, the ¡¯Ling Chen¡¯ portrayed by Bai Huanjun would move in to cover up, making Old K believe he was still in East Sea City. Of course, to not disturb the daily lives of the girls, Bai Huanjun wouldn¡¯t stay on the second floor; he had already arranged a room on the first floor for him.


    "Where are you going? Is it far?" Liu Xiyao asked. She was a clever woman, and Ling Chen¡¯s actions meant he was leaving East Sea City.


    "Not too far, just a few hours by ne. Anyway, it¡¯ste, and I won¡¯t disturb your rest. Just let Wanqing and the others know for me when you get a chance." Saying this, Ling Chen turned and headed for the door.


    "Wait!"


    Hearing Liu Xiyao¡¯s voicee from behind, Ling Chen turned his head and asked, "What¡¯s up?"


    As Liu Xiyao yed with the hair by her ear, she said, "It¡¯s nothing, I just wanted to ask about you and Wanqing... What is your rtionship now?"


    "Friends."


    "Just ordinary friends?" Liu Xiyao looked into Ling Chen¡¯s eyes, with a hint of something else in her tone.


    "This..." Ling Chen opened his mouth but didn¡¯t know how to answer. Ordinary friends? Even though Nanrong Wanqing had broken up with him, there was still that ambiguous connection between them. Like a barrier between them that, if broken, they could return to the past.


    However, neither he nor Nanrong Wanqing seemed ready to break through that barrier, perhaps... they both still had reservations.


    "What? Hard to answer?" Liu Xiyao lightly smiled and asked, "Then... if you had to choose between Nanrong Wanqing and Zhu Xiaozhu, who would you choose?"


    Ling Chen replied helplessly, "Xiyao, why do you suddenly ask me this?"


    "No reason, just curious, so I asked. If you don¡¯t want to tell me, I won¡¯t force you. However, I think both Nanrong Wanqing and Zhu Xiaozhu are great girls. And after spending two days with them, I believe they both care about you. There¡¯s an old saying in Huaxia: ¡¯Pick the flowers while you can, don¡¯t wait until there are none.¡¯ Honestly, there¡¯s no need to overthink things. During my studies abroad, many nobles were like this, with no shortage of women around any excellent man."


    Uh...


    Ling Chen was genuinely taken aback. He thought Liu Xiyao was going to criticize his romantic inclinations, but unexpectedly... she said that.


    "Alright then! It¡¯ste, you should rest. As for choosing, that¡¯s up to you."


    After leaving the bedroom, Ling Chen sat in his room, still reflecting on Liu Xiyao¡¯s words. Was Liu Xiyao... encouraging him to have multiple partners?


    Never mind! Ling Chen patted his forehead. At a time like this, there was no mental space for such random thoughts.


    Early the next morning.


    Before dawn, Ling Chen quietly left the house alone. He moved with utmost caution, unsure if Old K had someone secretly watching. If the opposition discovered his whereabouts, everything would be in vain.


    An hourter, Ling Chen took a taxi to the airport.


    "Ling Cheng, over here." In the waiting hall, Yuan Yun waved at Ling Chen.


    With a smile, Ling Chen quickly approached and said, "Big brother, you all came so early." For this operation, after much thought, Ling Chen decided to ask for Qiu Yong and the others¡¯ help. Although the base had many masters, including Ji Gang, a Heavenly List expert, East Sea City was his headquarters, requiring a substantial force to hold the fort to prevent any mishaps. So now, the only help avable were the Eight Odd People.


    "Ling Cheng, didn¡¯t you say there would be more people? Why are you the only one who arrived?" Xia Yue asked.


    "There are too many of them, so they had to charter a flight. We¡¯re going ahead."


    After waiting in the departure hall for a while, Ling Chen and his party boarded the ne. Looking at the time, it was only six-thirty. Considering the flight time, they should reach the destination by nine.


    Porridge girl... I wonder how she¡¯s doing. Hopefully, nothing goes wrong.


    Several hours passed, and the ne gradually descended, finally reaching its intended destination. Ling Chen looked out the window, facing a sight filled with endless dust.


    "Ling Cheng, the environment here is really bad."


    "Fifth Sister, this is the edge of the desert, so the environment is bound to be worse than back home." After a pause, Ling Chen looked at everyone and reminded, "We¡¯re now 300 kilometers north of Huaxia¡¯s border. Based on the intel I have, this is a small country with an unstable political situation and frequent warfare. Once we dene, everyone must be vignt."


    "Ling Cheng, don¡¯t worry, we¡¯ll follow your lead," Yuan Yun responded.


    Upon disembarking, Ling Chen and his party made their way outside the airport and made a few phone calls. In less than half an hour, an old Nissan van slowly drove up and stopped beside them.


    The door opened, and a Huaxia man jumped out, walking straight to Ling Chen. He handed him a set of keys and a few documents, saying, "Everything you asked for is in the car. After entering the desert, you¡¯ll have to rely on yourself."


    "Understood, thank you!" Ling Chen nodded. The man before him was a member of Lonely Wolf. Since they were abroad, many things were inconvenient, so Ling Chen had to seek help from Lonely Wolf. Fortunately, he had a good rtionship with Pang Jiulin, and the other party did not refuse.

 Chapter 1118 - 1125: Desert Crisis (1)

    <h4>Chapter 1118: Chapter 1125: Desert Crisis (1)</h4>


    "Ling Cheng, are we heading into the desert?" Yuan Yun asked.


    Ling Chen nodded and said, "ording to the intel I received, Porridge Girl is located in the desert. I checked the map on the ne; from here, if everything goes well, it will take about four hours."


    "That far?" Wei Jiahao eximed, "Ling Cheng, have you been to the desert before? I heard it¡¯s terrifying inside. If we lose our way, we¡¯ll end up dying in there."


    Ling Chen smiled slightly, patting Wei Jiahao on the shoulder, "No need to worry, it¡¯s different now. We have a specialized positioning device, we won¡¯t stray off course. Okay, after sitting on the ne for so long, everyone must be tired. Let¡¯s find a ce to rest, eat something, and head out in the afternoon."


    While Qiu Yong and the others were resting, Ling Chen remained busy. Entering the desert isn¡¯t something to be taken lightly, and he didn¡¯t have much experience, so he had to be thoroughly prepared.


    First was the vehicle. Ling Chen rented two professional off-road vehicles from a nearby rental service; a good off-road vehicle is undoubtedly essential in such desert terrain. Besides the vehicles, Ling Chen also purchased a lot of water and food, these are necessities. Furthermore, water consumption is extremely high in the desert.


    Everything was ready by around four in the afternoon.


    With their stomachs full, Ling Chen, without any rest, directly led the group toward the desert. Since there were eight of them, one off-road vehicle couldn¡¯t amodate everyone, so Ling Chen drove one and Yuan Yun drove the other, with the two vehicles moving in convoy straight into the desert.


    Before setting off, Ling Chen called Porridge Girl to notify her. He got this contact from Ling Tao; when he received the number yesterday, Ling Chen had called to ask about Porridge Girl¡¯s situation, but unfortunately, the call couldn¡¯t get through.


    At this moment, the phone connected but the busy tone still came from the other end, indicating that she was out of the service area. Ling Chen put away his phone, frowning slightly, with a hint of unease in his heart. It¡¯s been two days, no news from Ling Tao, and they couldn¡¯t reach Porridge Girl either; he wondered how she was doing.


    This was Ling Chen¡¯s first time entering the desert; before setting off, he had done a brief study on it. The desert he was in now was vast; even if the whole of East Sea City were ced inside, it would upy at most a third of its area. This showed just how terrifyinglyrge this desert was.


    The off-road vehicles were equipped with navigation devices, and Ling Chen only needed to enter the destination¡¯s coordinates to automatically configure the fastest and clearest route above.


    ording to Ling Chen¡¯s n, it would take just four hours of driving in the desert to reach where Porridge Girl was. Along the way, the two off-road vehicles moved quickly; after all, it was an endless desert unlike the congested city, so driving at 120 km/h didn¡¯t seem fast.


    In the blink of an eye, two hours passed, and the two off-road vehicles had gradually entered the desert.


    Looking at the increasingly dim sky, Wei Jiahao rolled down the window, watching the sandy surroundings, and asked, "Ling Cheng, how much longer do we have?"


    "Soon, about two more hours." Just as Ling Chen finished speaking, before having time to react, he felt the car¡¯s front suddenly sink, and the sandy ground caved in, causing the off-road vehicle¡¯s front to plunge into a pit.


    Luckily, everyone inside was protected by seatbelts, and no one got injured.


    Seeing Ling Chen¡¯s vehicle rush into the sandpit, Yuan Yun quickly stopped the car and, along with the others, rushed over.


    "Ling Cheng, are you guys okay?" Qiu Yong rushed to the front, swiftly unlocking the car door.


    With the help of others, Ling Chen, Yang Chen, and Wei Jiahao climbed out of the car. Climbing out of the pit, Wei Jiahao said helplessly, "Ling Cheng, our luck is really bad, hitting a sandpit."


    Ling Chen brushed off the sand from his body, observing the situation around the pit, his brows furrowed slightly.


    "Hey! Ling Cheng, why did you jump into the sandpit?"


    Ling Chen didn¡¯t respond but instead pulled out a thick stic sheet from the sandpit. Besides the several-meter-long stic sheet, there were also some wooden rods in the sand secured into a frame with iron wires. However, when the vehicle rushed down earlier, the frame got damaged, and now it¡¯spletely copsed.


    Seeing Ling Chen crouching silently in the pit, Zhang Zhongfeng asked, "Ling Cheng, what¡¯s going on?"


    Ling Chen stood up, climbed out of the sandpit, scanned the surroundings, and said solemnly, "Everyone gather around and stay alert; there may be enemies nearby."


    Upon hearing this, Qiu Yong immediately gathered everyone together, watchfully eyeing the surroundings. Ling Chen nced at the pitch-ck desert, instructed Qiu Yong, then cautiously moved around. He walked slowly, probing the ground with each step before advancing.


    Just as expected, there was another trap about ten meters away.


    Ling Chen¡¯s expression grew serious as he pondered silently; he couldn¡¯t fathom who would set traps here. This was a desert, isted from any vige or shop, who could it be? Was it robbers? Thinking this, Ling Chen couldn¡¯t help but chuckle. If anyone dared to rob them, it could only mean they were courting death.


    This ce was hundreds of kilometers from Huaxia, where Huaxia¡¯sws and restrictions had no impact. Regardless of what adversaries they faced, they need not show mercy.


    After waiting for a moment and seeing no danger arise, Ling Chen immediately called everyone to pull the off-road vehicle out of the pit.


    Upon opening the vehicle¡¯s hood and looking at the smoking area, Ling Chen was somewhat helpless. They hadn¡¯t even covered much distance, and there was already a malfunction. At this rate, it would take another half hour.


    "Help me get the tools, Eighth Brother."


    "Got it!" Wei Jiahao replied.


    After about forty minutes, the vehicle¡¯s issue was finally resolved. "Everyone, get in the car!" Ling Chen called out, and with Yang Chen and Wei Jiahao, boarded the off-road vehicle. As the vehicle started, Ling Chen maneuvered around the adjacent sandpit, heading straight ahead.


    Bang!


    Suddenly, a sudden gunshot rang out. Ling Chen¡¯s expression changed slightly; realizing the car¡¯s front tire suddenly burst, causing the whole vehicle to tilt to the left.


    "Ling Cheng, the gunshot came from the northeast," Yang Chen calmly stated. Born blind, his hearing was the sharpest among the group, a skill in itself.


    Ling Chen turned to look in the direction Yang Chen mentioned, but it was pitch ck, and nothing was visible.


    "Guys, stay in the car and don¡¯t go out; the opponent has the advantage, we don¡¯t need to take risks," Ling Chen said over the walkie-talkie.


    "Understood!"

 Chapter 1119 - 1126: Desert Crisis (Part 2)

    <h4>Chapter 1119: Chapter 1126: Desert Crisis (Part 2)</h4>


    "Ling Cheng, who do you think... they might be?" Wei Jiahao asked softly.


    "Not sure, but those whoe are not good, and those who are good do note, so we should be careful." After saying this, Ling Chen thought for a moment and said, "Staying in the car isn¡¯t going to work, I will go out to have a look and try to find the person who ambushed us."


    Yang Chen said worriedly, "Ling Cheng, this isn¡¯t a good idea, they¡¯re in the open, we¡¯re hidden, it¡¯s too dangerous."


    "Dangerous or not, we have to try, we don¡¯t have time to dy here. Alright, you all stay in the car obediently, no one is allowed to leave." After he finished speaking, without waiting for Wei Jiahao and Yang Chen to speak again, Ling Chen had already pushed open the car door and quickly dashed into the vast night.


    After getting out of the off-road vehicle, Ling Chen found a rtively safe spot,y on the ground, and nced towards the northeast. At the moment he raised his head, he heard a ¡¯bang¡¯, and the bullet hit right next to Ling Chen.


    That was close!


    Ling Chen silently rejoiced; it seemed his judgment was correct. In such a dark environment, the opposing party could urately hit the car tire, had to be equipped with night vision.


    However, that shot also revealed the sniper¡¯s location. Locking onto the direction, Ling Chen took the small bag from his waist and took out a few smoke grenades. Whening from East Sea City, no one carried any weapons because dangerous goods are not allowed on nes, not to mention military-grade weapons.


    Therefore, Ling Chen specially entrusted Lonely Wolf to transport their weapons through special channels while preparing the intelligence information, including the gear Lonely Wolf specially prepared for him. Anyway, since they weren¡¯t in their own country, there was no need for so many scruples.


    A smoke grenade was thrown out, and the dark desert was instantly shrouded in thick smoke. Ling Chen slipped and rushed into the smoke, casually throwing out several other smoke grenades, advancing step by step towards the sniper¡¯s location.


    Ling Chen¡¯s technique was very precise, each smoke grenade was distanced perfectly, preventing the sniper from locking onto his position.


    A minute passed... Bang! The gunshot rang out again, and the bullet directlynded at Ling Chen¡¯s feet. Fortunately, Ling Chen responded promptly. At the moment the gunshot rang, he had already dropped to the ground, finding a rtively safe cover. Taking a deep breath, Ling Chen didn¡¯t move and rested on the ground.


    He had locked onto the sniper¡¯s position, but there was still a distance of about twenty meters. Right now, he had run out of smoke grenades in hand. Though twenty meters wasn¡¯t long, exposing himself to a sniper¡¯s gun without cover was undoubtedly an unwise choice.


    At the moment, inside the two off-road vehicles, Qiu Yong and others were very anxious. Due to the distance and the dark night, the visible range was limited. They couldn¡¯t see Ling Chen¡¯s situation clearly, only vaguely seeing a blurry figure. Just now, when the gunshot rang, they noticed that the blurry figure fell to the ground and didn¡¯t move for a long time.


    This scene made everyone¡¯s hearts hang in their throats, silently praying, hoping Ling Chen was alright.


    In a sh, two minutes passed, and Ling Chen appeared in their view again. Qiu Yong tightened his expression and said sternly, "No, we can¡¯t stay like this; Ling Cheng might be in danger, we must go over to help."


    Zhang Zhongfeng chimed in, "Let me go." Saying this, he picked up his bow and arrow, preparing to get out of the car.


    "Fourth brother, wait!" Qiu Yong stopped Zhang Zhongfeng, saying, "The position isn¡¯t clear,ter I¡¯ll go down first to attract the sniper¡¯s attention, you find a chance to strike and try to suppress the opposing party." He paused, then turned to Xu Ming, "Second brother, watch for the right time, as soon as the sniper is suppressed, immediately go to assist Ling Cheng."


    "Understood."


    "Everyone be cautious." After saying this, Qiu Yong opened the car door and jumped down, movingterally towards the left.


    Bang!


    Soon, Qiu Yong¡¯s appearance attracted the opposing party¡¯s attention. The gunshot rang out, but Qiu Yong moved quickly, and the bullets didn¡¯t hit.


    Bang! Bang!


    Two consecutive shots, Qiu Yong seemed to be hit by one of the bullets as he suddenly copsed to the ground. At this point, Zhang Zhongfeng couldn¡¯t care about anything else, swiftly drew three arrows, nocked them, and shot towards the gunshot direction. The earlier gunshots helped Zhang Zhongfeng lock down the approximate position.


    Three arrows shot consecutively, Zhang Zhongfeng didn¡¯t stay in ce and kept moving quickly. Standing still would undoubtedly turn him into the opposing party¡¯s target.


    At this moment, Ling Chen, who was prone in the sand, looked back at the situation behind him, and quickly grasped it in his mind. Right now, the sniper¡¯s attention was on Zhang Zhongfeng, not noticing him, which undoubtedly was Ling Chen¡¯s best opportunity.


    Without time to think further, in these matters, beingte by a second could pose a fatal risk to Zhang Zhongfeng. With a swift step, Ling Chen¡¯s body was like a gust of wind, swiftly rushing forward with a speed as fast as a released arrow. In the blink of an eye, the twenty-meter distance was halved. Simultaneously, the sniper¡¯s figure finally appeared in Ling Chen¡¯s sight.


    Ten meters... Ling Chen gritted his teeth and elerated instantly. When the sniper noticed, Ling Chen was already closing in. Not giving the sniper a chance to shoot again, Ling Chen kicked the sniper rifle aside with his toe. Then, Ling Chen leaned forward slightly, grabbed from the ground, and pulled the sniper up, holding him with one hand high in the air.


    Hmph!


    Ling Chen didn¡¯t hesitate, directly raising his iron fist, ready to hit the opponent¡¯s abdomen. If this punchnded, the opponent would be severely injured, if not dead.


    "Stop! Stop!"


    At the moment Ling Chen prepared to punch, strong lights suddenly projected over. Under the piercing light, Ling Chen quickly turned his head, squinting his eyes, not daring to directly face that strong light.


    "Put the person down." The voice speaking was in English, but Ling Chen understood.


    Hearing the voices around, Ling Chen shrugged, released his fingers, and let the sniper down. Regardless of who wasing, Ling Chen heard the sound of a gun bolt. If his guess was correct, there were at least a dozen guns aimed at him. Facing such bright lights, he couldn¡¯t see anything clearly. In this situation, he could only obedientlyply, not daring to act excessively. Otherwise, in the next second, his body might be riddled like a beehive.


    He hadn¡¯t met up with porridge girl yet; to die in a ce like this would be too unworthy.


    "Arrest him!"


    With themand given, Ling Chen saw two Asians, carrying guns and handcuffs, walk over from the strong light. Ling Chen didn¡¯t say anything, allowing them to handcuff him.


    Soon, the sound of footsteps approached, Ling Chen focused his gaze, seeing Qiu Yong and others also being escorted by gunpoint.

 Chapter 1120 - 1127: Desert Crisis (Part 3)

    <h4>Chapter 1120: Chapter 1127: Desert Crisis (Part 3)</h4>


    Looking around at the situation, Ling Chen chuckled bitterly. What bad luck, entering the desert not long ago, he encountered such a thing, truly unexpected.


    At the moment, there are nearly a hundred armed militants around, each equipped with weapons and guns. No wonder Qiu Yong and the others chose to surrender. Although they are experts, being skilled doesn¡¯t mean being invincible. In the wide-open space of the desert, faced with a group of fully armed enemies, there¡¯s no chance to avoid them. If they forcibly resisted, perhaps they could kill nearly half, but they wouldn¡¯t have any hope of survival.


    "Take them away." A leadermanded.


    Soon, Ling Chen and his team were escorted onto a military transport vehicle by a group of armed militants. Sitting inside the vehicle, Ling Chen and the others exchanged looks, each pondering a n.


    However, these militants seemed very cautious. Besides them in the carriage, there were more than a dozen armed militants responsible for guarding them, all pointing their guns at their heads. Ling Chen believed that if they dared make a move, the bullets would surely and unhesitatingly pierce their foreheads.


    With the lights inside the carriage, Ling Chen took the opportunity to observe these militants, all typical Asians speaking a dialect they couldn¡¯t understand. From their equipment configuration and the bloody aura emanating from them, Ling Chen¡¯s heart sank slightly.


    Beforeing, he had done a brief study of this small country dependent on Huaxia. It¡¯s a country constantly in civil war, especially recently, with the domestic regime under attack by rebels, causing the government to bepletely paralyzed, even the country¡¯s government leader was killed by rebels. Now, to seize control of the country, several rebel forces are fighting fiercely.


    Knowing the situation, Ling Chen nned his route to avoid conflict zones as much as possible, to prevent unnecessary trouble.


    Ling Chen had seen rebels before during his ghost missions. However, these militants in front of him were different from the rebels he had encountered before. It¡¯s known that most rebels are temporary recruits, given a gun and instantly bing armed personnel.


    Such people are untrained, withoutbat experience, surviving on the battlefield purely by luck. Through four or five battles, they could turn from novices into veterans. This was the rebel¡¯s unique training method.


    However, these militants in front of him were entirely different from the rebels he knew. They were highly disciplined and well-equipped, not a mix-and-match. From these people, Ling Chen sensed the presence of regr soldiers.


    Looking at the convoy behind the transport vehicle, Ling Chen hesitated several times but ultimately abandoned the thought of making a move. Although he was 70% sure of escaping this transport vehicle, they had a convoy, and with only his legs, he surely couldn¡¯t outrun them. Moreover, these armed militants responsible for guarding had loaded their bullets. If they made a move, bullets wouldn¡¯t have eyes, and with so many people, being mistakenly hit would be a troublesome matter.


    "Ling Cheng, big brother was shot when he went out just now," Wei Jiahao whispered to Ling Chen.


    What?


    Ling Chen¡¯s expression changed drastically, quickly turning to Qiu Yong and asking, "Big brother, how are you, is the wound serious?"


    "It¡¯s nothing, just a superficial wound."


    Despite Qiu Yong¡¯s calmness, Ling Chen was still worried, "Big brother, where did the bullet hit?"


    Qiu Yong pointed to his left arm. Then, before Ling Chen could ask, Qiu Yong stretched out a hand, opened his palm, revealing a bullet in his palm.


    Seeing Ling Chen¡¯s surprised look, Qiu Yong smiled and said, "Don¡¯t be surprised, I trained in Cross Training, my muscles are tougher than ordinary martial artists. Also, I¡¯ve recently cultivated the martial arts manual from you, enhancing my abilities. When the bullet entered my body, I can instantly change the density of my muscles through self-control, making the bullet stay on the outside, so it doesn¡¯t cause much damage."


    After hearing Qiu Yong¡¯s exnation, Ling Chen was inwardly shocked, surprised at Qiu Yong¡¯s Cross Training reaching such a level, truly unbelievable.


    At this moment, Ling Chen wasn¡¯t the only one shocked; there was another person in the car, the sniper who had just wounded Qiu Yong. Seeing the bullet Qiu Yong took out, he waspletely dumbfounded, staring intensely at Qiu Yong, uncertain of what he was thinking.


    Minutes passed, and the convoy finally reached the destination. As soon as they got off the vehicle, Ling Chen nced around, a hint of surprise in his eyes.


    Surrounding them was a vast campsite with hundreds of tents neatly arranged in the desert, armed militants were everywhere. Not only that, Ling Chen also saw armed helicopters, armored vehicles, tanks, various military equipment.


    This... is entirely a military base!


    Finished! Caught at their military base, even if they had divine skills, they wouldn¡¯t necessarily escape.


    Soon, Ling Chen and his team were taken to a makeshift cell.


    "Ling Cheng, what do we do now?" Wei Jiahao asked worriedly.


    "It¡¯s not that there¡¯s no solution, let¡¯s see the situation first. If we can persuade them to release us, we don¡¯t need to make a big fuss."


    In the cell, after waiting a while, someone finally came to interrogate them. A middle-aged man in his thirties came, looking no different from a Huaxia person, except his skin was darker. Standing outside the cell, he looked at Ling Chen and the others, asking, "What are you doing in the desert?"


    The middle-aged man spoke in the local dialect, with none of them understanding. Seeing no response, the middle-aged man repeated the question in English.


    Ling Chen replied, "Sorry, we came through here to meet with my friend, not intending to offend you."


    "Friend? This is the desert, who would you meet in such a godforsaken ce? I¡¯m warning you, don¡¯te up with excuses. I ask you, are you sent to assassinate the General?" the middle-aged man asked coldly.


    "Sir, we¡¯re Huaxia people, we just arrived in this country today,pletely unaware of any General. And, you misunderstand us, we have our own matters to handle, unrted to you, please release us."


    "Huaxia people?" The middle-aged man switched to standard Chinese and said, "Now is a time of war; aren¡¯t you Huaxia people enjoying yourselves at home? Whye to a ce like this? Seeking death?" Before Ling Chen could respond, the middle-aged man waved to the door.


    Soon, two armed militants walked in, carrying piles of items, weapons used by the group, and some military equipment.


    "These were found from your vehicle, are you trying to tell me you¡¯re bringing these to meet friends?"

 Chapter 1121 - 1128: Desert Crisis (Part 4)

    <h4>Chapter 1121: Chapter 1128: Desert Crisis (Part 4)</h4>


    "Hmph! Since none of you are being honest, don¡¯t me us for being rude." The middle-aged man pointed at Wei Jiahao in the cell and said coldly, "Get him out."


    The two armed men next to him responded and immediately opened the cell door, quickly heading inside. Ling Chen raised an eyebrow, strode forward, and blocked their path, saying in a deep voice, "What do you intend to do?"


    The middle-aged man sneered and said, "I¡¯ll kill him first to see if you speak the truth. If you still refuse, I¡¯ll kill you all one by one until you start talking."


    "Move!" The two armed men pointed their guns at Ling Chen¡¯s forehead, signaling him not to block the way.


    Ling Chen stood firm, looking at the middle-aged man, "I told you, we are not here to assassinate the General you mentioned. If it weren¡¯t for you setting obstacles on the way, we would have already passed by and wouldn¡¯t have stopped there."


    "That¡¯s just your one-sided story. How can I believe you?" The middle-aged man impatiently waved his hand, pointing at Wei Jiahao, "Hurry up, bring him out."


    The two armed men hesitated no more and reached out to push Ling Chen¡¯s body. Seeing their actions, Ling Chen snorted lightly, quickly grasped their wrists, and violently flung them aside. Before the other could react, Ling Chen kicked effortlessly, resolving both armed men.


    Witnessing this, the face of the middle-aged man standing outside the cell changed slightly, hurriedly grasping the cell door to shut it.


    Qiu Yong sneered, rushed forward without saying a word, and smashed his steel fist through the air. With a ¡¯bang,¡¯ the cell door was instantly blown off.


    The abrupt scene made the middle-aged man¡¯s eyes widen, hardly believing what he saw. Was this... still human?


    Outside the cell, Ling Chen looked at the middle-aged man who hadn¡¯t recovered from the shock, lifted the man¡¯s cor like an eagle catching a chick, and said, "I didn¡¯t want to have a conflict with you, but you forced my hand."


    At this moment, the middle-aged man finally regained his senses, hurriedly opened his mouth to call for help outside. But Ling Chen had anticipated this. Before the man could utter a word, Ling Chen¡¯s fist flew out and sent all the words back down his throat.


    Throwing down the unconscious middle-aged man, Ling Chen picked up a gun from the ground, checked the magazine, and skillfully slung the gun over his shoulder.


    "Big brother, follow meter." With those words, Ling Chen stealthily moved to the edge of the tent, lifting the fabric hanging at the entrance. Looking at the situation outside, Ling Chen¡¯s heart eased; fortunately, there weren¡¯t many armed men around the tent, just twenty or thirty people, all sitting around a bonfire, seemingly roasting something to eat.


    Taking in every detail, Ling Chen turned back and signaled to Qiu Yong. Then, he took the lead, cautiously moving out.


    Less than a minuteter, Ling Chen and his group easily incapacitated the dozens of armed men outside the tent. Of course, they only knocked them out, not killing them, as per Ling Chen¡¯s request. Being in the desert, they had no background; if they made enemies with these people, it would undoubtedly be a big problem. In such a situation, avoiding conflict was best.


    After a while, Ling Chen led Qiu Yong and the others to an armored vehicle nearby.


    This was Ling Chen¡¯s prearranged n; the military base had plenty of equipment, including tanks, armored cars, and armed helicopters. To escape safely and avoid pursuit, the only way was to use the armed helicopter. Moreover, the helicopter was faster and more convenient than an off-road vehicle.


    Seeing the armed helicopter parked not far away, Ling Chen signaled to Qiu Yong. Then, he swiftly rushed over, knocking down several technicians checking the helicopter.


    Opening the cockpit of the armed helicopter, Ling Chen sat in the pilot seat and adeptly started the engine. Instantly, the rotor began to slowly turn. By this time, Qiu Yong and his group had entered the cabin. Seeing everyone had settled, Ling Chen immediately controlled the armed helicopter, lifting it into the air.


    The noise from the armed helicopter was quite loud, quickly attracting the attention of the surrounding armed men. Upon seeing the technicians on the ground, the armed men quickly reacted. Suddenly, shouts echoed throughout the military base.


    Tatatata!


    With bursts of gunfire, bullets crazily poured in like rain, hitting the helicopter¡¯s shell.


    Ling Chen remained calm, looking ahead, his eyes steady, unaffected by the chaos on the ground. Under his control, the helicopter rose higher and higher, reaching over thirty meters above the ground. Meanwhile, the damage from the bullets gradually reduced.


    "All good! We¡¯re safe." Ling Chen breathed a sigh of relief, speaking to everyone through the helicopter¡¯s headset.


    Wei Jiahao excitedly crawled into the cockpit, watching Ling Chen calmly piloting the helicopter, couldn¡¯t help but praise, "Ling Cheng, you¡¯re amazing, even flying a helicopter."


    Ling Chen faintly smiled; piloting nes and tanks was child¡¯s y to him, all part of ghost training.


    "Huh? Ling Cheng, what¡¯s that?" At this moment, Wei Jiahao seemed to notice something, pointing outside.


    Turning his head, Ling Chen¡¯s pupils immediately shrank.


    RPG!


    Damn it! Ling Chen inwardly cursed as the rocket¡¯s speed was incredibly fast, already approaching too closely to dodge in time. Gritting his teeth, Ling Chen remainedposed under pressure, quickly maneuvering the helicopter sideways, swapping front and back. Instantly, the rocket that was about to hit the cabin only struck the helicopter¡¯s tail.


    Boom!


    With the explosion, impacted by the st, the helicopter shook violently, thick smoke billowing from the tail. Without the tail, the helicopter lost bnce, spinning unchecked while rapidly descending.


    Ling Chen struggled to control the helicopter, but regrettably, the damaged aircraft waspletely uncontroble.


    Bang!


    With a loud crash, the helicopter plummeted from mid-air,nding heavily on the sand, skidding several dozen meters.


    As the helicopter stopped, sitting in the cockpit, Ling Chen touched his forehead, shaking his head forcefully. Fortunately, despite the intense collision, he was not badly hurt, remaining very conscious. "Big brother, are you all okay?" Ling Chen asked urgently.


    Inside the spacious cabin, everyone was somewhat disoriented but unharmed, only sustaining some minor injuries.


    Just as Ling Chen was silently relieved, a series of urgent footsteps approached quickly from afar. Ling Chen frowned slightly, initially nning to escape using the helicopter, not anticipating the opponent deploying heavy weapons.

 Chapter 1122 - 1129: Desert Crisis (5)

    <h4>Chapter 1122: Chapter 1129: Desert Crisis (5)</h4>


    Ling Chen kicked open the deformed cockpit door, using both his hands and feet, crawled out of the cockpit. Meanwhile, Qiu Yong and the others also left the cabin one after another.


    Looking at the pitch-ck gun barrels outside, a strange look shed through Ling Chen¡¯s eyes.


    The armed group before him seemed to be different from those who captured them earlier. First of all, these people wore all kinds of military uniforms, and their weapons varied as well, unlike the previous armed group, who were disciplined and uniformly dressed. No matter how you looked at it, these people seemed like a ragtag army.


    While pondering, a man resembling an officer approached, sizing up Ling Chen and the others, and began conversing with his subordinates,pletely ignoring Ling Chen.


    Bang! Bang!


    Suddenly, explosions rumbled from the nearby military base, apanied by the sound of intensive gunfire.


    Hearing themotion over there, Ling Chen immediately understood that it was likely another military group, probablying to cause trouble. At that moment, the officer turned and looked towards the direction of the battlefield. After a while, he pointed at Ling Chen and the others, making a ¡¯cut¡¯ hand gesture to his men.


    Seeing this gesture, Ling Chen understood that they intended to kill them. Without time for dy, Ling Chen shouted loudly, his body moved swiftly, and he plunged directly into the crowd. He punched out, and before the officer realized what had happened, he was sent flying by Ling Chen¡¯s punch, his breastbone instantly shattered.


    As Ling Chen swung into action, Qiu Yong and the others immediately followed, like tigers entering a flock of sheep, rushing into the crowd. At such close range, the armed men dared not fire, afraid of hitting theirpanions. This undoubtedly gave Ling Chen and the others the opportunity. Being experts, facing suchbatants who relied solely on firearms posed no challenge to them.


    In the blink of an eye, more than twenty armed men were all subdued.


    "Brother, let¡¯s go!" Ling Chen shouted and promptly led the group in retreat opposite from the battlefield.


    However, after running for a short distance, Ling Chen suddenly saw ahead arge number of enemies. Judging by their march direction, they must be headed for the battlefield. In the center of the crowd was a Jeep, with a middle-aged man with a bushy beard sitting inside. Ling Chen focused his gaze, his eyes narrowed.


    The middle-aged man wore a military uniform with two shoulder patches, and the General Stars were very prominent. It was needless to say that he was certainly the leader of this ragtag army.


    At this moment, both parties already faced each other, and Ling Chen couldn¡¯t evade anymore. No choice left! Ling Chen¡¯s eyes chilled, and he softlymanded, "Brother, let¡¯s fight out together!"


    Upon hearing Ling Chen, Zhang Zhongfeng immediately raised his long bow, cing five arrows onto the bowstring.


    Swoosh! Swoosh!


    Following the sound of arrows cutting through the air, five sharp arrows shot out instantly, knocking five armed men in the front row to the ground.


    "Rush in." Ling Chen said in a deep voice. Long-range battle wasn¡¯t to their advantage. The enemies had numbers and firepower ¡ª one volley of dense bullets would pierce them through. To avoid such a situation, Ling Chen¡¯s only chance was to charge into the crowd, fighting at close range, which was the only advantage they could leverage.


    "Ling Cheng!" At this time, Qiu Yong shouted loudly. Ling Chen swept his gaze, immediately understood Qiu Yong¡¯s intention, and quickly dashed towards him. Simultaneously, Qiu Yong joined hands and ced them at his abdomen, waiting for Ling Chen¡¯s foot to step on it. With a fierce exertion, he flung his arms upward.


    Using this force, Ling Chen soared into the air, flying over ten meters high, swiftly charging towards the enemy ranks.


    Behind them, Zhang Zhongfeng quietly watched Ling Chen. When Ling Chen¡¯s momentum waned and he was about to fall, Zhang Zhongfeng immediately raised his long bow, aimed at Ling Chen¡¯s position.


    An arrow flew out; it was extremely fast and precise,nding right under Ling Chen¡¯s foot. Using the arrow¡¯s force, Ling Chen lightly stepped onto it, his originally plummeting body soared once more towards the Jeep.


    Ling Chen¡¯s target was clear ¡ª the middle-aged man wearing the General Star patches.


    To catch the thief, first arrest the king. As long as he dealt with the leader, the others wouldn¡¯t be a problem.


    With Zhang Zhongfeng¡¯s assistance, Ling Chen stepped on three arrows consecutively and finally reached above the Jeep. The Inner Strength whirled, and Ling Chen descended heavily in mid-flight,nding steadily on the Jeep.


    Faced with Ling Chen¡¯s appearance, the middle-aged man on the Jeep and the driver were stunned,pletely not expecting Ling Chen tounch an attack this way.


    Before they could draw their guns, Ling Chen kicked out, directly kicking the driver out of the seat. Then, Ling Chen quickly reached out, snatched the handgun from the middle-aged man¡¯s waist, and pointed it at his forehead.


    With the pitch-ck gun barrel aimed at him, the middle-aged man was startled, his face turning pale instantly.


    Meanwhile, the surrounding armed men finally reacted, all raising their guns at Ling Chen in the driver¡¯s seat.


    "You better not move." Ling Chen red coldly at those surrounding him and shouted, "If you don¡¯t want him dead, put down the guns and get lost!"


    For a moment, over a hundred armed men were rattled, not daring to fire, fearing for their leader¡¯s life.


    Seeing no one listening, Ling Chen red at the middle-aged man and said, "If you want to live, you¡¯d better obediently do what I say."


    Upon hearing this, a trace of hesitation flickered in the middle-aged man¡¯s eyes.


    Ling Chen¡¯s lips curled into a cold smirk, scoffing, "Seems like you don¡¯t value your life much, well then, I..."


    "No, don¡¯t shoot!" The middle-aged man hurriedly raised his hands, adopting a surrender stance.


    "Put down... Put down the guns, quickly." Facing Ling Chen¡¯s murderous re, the middle-aged man¡¯s heart froze with fear, quickly yelling at his subordinates.


    The leader had spoken, causing the others to look at each other, then one by one threw their guns to the ground.


    Seeing the armed men¡¯s actions, Ling Chen breathed a slight sigh of relief. Truly a ragtag army, too easy to handle; a casual threat made this guy crumble immediately.


    "Good. Now, tell your men to scram." Ling Chen ordered.


    The middle-aged man dared not defy. At this point, for the sake of his own life, he had toply with Ling Chen unconditionally. Soon, over a hundred armed men all retreated until they vanished from Ling Chen¡¯s sight.


    "Alright, now get off! I said I wouldn¡¯t kill you, but we need to borrow your car, is that okay?"


    "No problem, you... you can take it." The middle-aged man hurriedly said. At this moment, he only wished to get this walking disaster away quickly. Not to mention a Jeep, even a ne or tank was no issue.


    "Thanks!" Ling Chen smiled slightly, winked, and thetter immediately understood, quickly scrambled out of the car, fleeing backward.


    "Brother, get in the car."

 Chapter 1123 - 1130: Desert Crisis (Part 6)

    <h4>Chapter 1123: Chapter 1130: Desert Crisis (Part 6)</h4>


    However, before Qiu Yong and the others could get in the car, the sound of rotor des suddenly echoed from the sky. Ling Chen looked up to see two armed helicopters flying in from the front, hovering above them, with blinding searchlights shining directly on them from mid-air.


    Damn!


    Ling Chen¡¯s expression tensed, he thought they could escape, but didn¡¯t expect the other side to have found them so quickly.


    Facing the siege of two armed helicopters, Ling Chen and the others dared not move recklessly. Are you kidding? If those guys fired even a single rocket at them, they¡¯d be dead.


    Before long, ground forces rushed over, surrounding Ling Chen and the otherspletely. At the same time, an officer with the rank of Lieutenant emerged from the crowd and said to Ling Chen, "Sir, our General would like to invite you toe over."


    Hearing the courteous words, Ling Chen was taken aback. These people had been shouting for his capture or death, and now, in the blink of an eye, their attitude had shifted so drastically. Could it be a trick?


    Not only Ling Chen, but even Qiu Yong felt something was off, quietly advising, "Sixth Brother, be careful."


    Ling Chen nodded gently, indicating he understood.


    Immediately, under the Lieutenant¡¯s guidance, Ling Chen and his group returned to the military base.


    Compared to before, the military base now was in shambles, with bodies and shell casings scattered everywhere. In the fierce exchange of fire just now, at least dozens had perished, with casualties on both sides.


    Ling Chen nced behind him. Although the Lieutenant used the word ¡¯invite¡¯, they were followed by a group of armed men eyeing them fiercely. Moreover, sharp-eyed Ling Chen noticed that the safeties on their guns were off, meaning they were still wary of him.


    If they dared make any improper moves, those guys would definitely show no mercy, riddling them with bullets.


    Before long, Ling Chen and Qiu Yong arrived at arge tent within the military base.


    "Gentlemen, please,e in!" The Lieutenant was very hospitable.


    Ling Chen did not overthink it and walked straight in. As soon as he entered the tent, he saw a young man in his twenties sitting at a desk, seemingly dealing with paperwork. Beside the young man were several middle-aged men in their forties or fifties.


    Judging by their attire and ranks, they were all Generals.


    Ling Chen, being a person who had seen the world, appeared quite calm in this situation.


    After a few minutes, the young man finished his documents and ¡¯finally¡¯ noticed Ling Chen and the others, smiling as he said, "Was it you who helped me repel the enemy just now?"


    Ling Chen didn¡¯t speak, just stared into the young man¡¯s eyes. He understood what the young man meant. The middle-aged man he captured earlier was definitely the leader of another faction. They originally intended tounch an attack tonight, but due to Ling Chen¡¯s group¡¯s intervention, their offensive was thwarted.


    This was truly a case of unintended sess. They were trying to escape but ended up helping these people.


    "Sir, may I know your identity and what brought you to the desert?" the young man asked. Although his tone was friendly, there was a hint of vignce in his eyes.


    Ling Chen looked at him and said, "Mr. Ag, I want to rify that we have no ill intentions. If it weren¡¯t for you intercepting us halfway, we wouldn¡¯t havee here, much less disturbed you. I hope you can find out the truth and let us leave as soon as possible."


    Hearing this, the young man¡¯s expression changed slightly, but he quickly regainedposure, smiling as he said, "Do you know who I am?"


    Ling Chen nodded. After all that had happened, he had already guessed the young man¡¯s identity.


    Currently, this small country is in a state of turmoil, with various rebel factions rising to seize power. Just recently, these rebels overthrew the government and assassinated the country¡¯s leader. ording to news reports, after the leader¡¯s death, his son escaped with the protection of government forces and went missing.


    Considering these circumstances, this young man in front of him was the fugitive prince.


    Because this small country still practiced a monarchy, the head of state was always a familial heir. Therefore, calling this young man a prince wasn¡¯t wrong. However, given the current situation, the leader is dead, and this young man has formally be the leader of the country.


    "Mr. Ag, news about you is all over television, so it¡¯s hard not to know." Ling Chen replied calmly.


    "Good, since you know who I am, let¡¯s be upfront. Who are you, and what¡¯s your purpose here?"


    "My name is Ling Chen. I¡¯m here in the desert because my friend is in danger, and I must rush over to help."


    Ag smirked and said, "Mr. Ling, could you reveal some information about your friend to me?"


    "Sorry, this is my private matter, and I don¡¯t have to tell you."


    "How dare you!" The Lieutenant who had led them in spoke sharply, "In front of the General, you¡¯d better be respectful."


    Ling Chen replied indifferently, "We have been very polite. Please remember, it was you who unreasonably sought trouble with me. Do I need to speak kindly to please you? Additionally, let me warn you in advance, if because of you I fail to rescue my friend in time and anything happens to her, I will not spare you."


    At this point, Ling Chen had no patience left to waste time with them. Time was ticking, and the porridge girl¡¯s situation was very perilous. Who knew how much longer she could hold on?


    "You have quite the nerve." The Lieutenant frowned, about to order his men. But, before he could speak, he suddenly felt a chill. Looking down, the Lieutenant¡¯s face turned pale. Ling Chen somehow appeared in front of him, holding a dagger to his neck.


    "You..."


    Ling Chen casually sheathed the dagger and said tly, "If I wanted you dead, you¡¯d never see tomorrow. Now," turning to Ag, "you should believe me. I am not here to assassinate you, nor do I have any interest in your whereabouts or selling the information to others."


    Ag, expressionless, stared at Ling Chen for a while, then suddenly smiled, "Mr. Ling, I apologize for my subordinate¡¯s rudeness. You¡¯re right, someone as skilled as you, if truly wanting to assassinate me, I wouldn¡¯t survive. As it happens, I¡¯m facing some trouble right now, and with your capabilities, if you are willing to help, I believe I can resolve it easily."


    "Mr. Ag, we are not mercenaries, and as I said earlier, we have a purpose for being in the desert."


    "I understand your stance. Mr. Ling, if I am not mistaken, I think I know where you¡¯re headed."

 Chapter 1124 - 1131: Agula (1)

    <h4>Chapter 1124: Chapter 1131: Ag (1)</h4>


    "You know?" Ling Chen stared into Ag¡¯s eyes and asked, "How do you know?"


    Ag smiled and motioned for the lieutenant to bring over the map. Spreading it out, Ag gestured for Ling Chen toe closer. When Ling Chen approached the desk, Ag pointed at the map and said, "Mr. Ling, you might not be familiar with this desert. Let me give you a brief introduction. In this desert, there are as many as forty to fifty armed organizations scattered throughout. These are international as well as domestic, and you might as well consider them terrorist forces because none of them are officially acknowledged."


    "Due to the vastness of the desert, these armed organizations have not only established bases here, but also use it as a training ground for elite warriors. You might not know this, but above our heads, at least five countries have satellites constantly monitoring activities in this desert. Some of these armed groups are quite powerful, with thousands of members, while others are smaller, only a few hundred strong. ording to the intelligence I¡¯ve gathered, there¡¯s a rather special base over two hundred kilometers from our base."


    "Special?" Ling Chen asked, "What do you mean by ¡¯special¡¯?"


    "After my father was killed by rebels, several generals who assisted him led me and the government forces to escape into the desert, where we built a temporary military base. For my safety, it was natural to investigate the surroundings. That special base was one of the first we discovered, but strangely, it seems to be built underground, with only a few dozen guards on the surface. However, every midnight, for some unknown reason, the ground around the base lightly trembles for several hours."


    "At first, my generals suggestedunching an attack to eliminate it as a precaution, but given its peculiarity, I abandoned the idea. This desert is abundant with secretbs built by various countries. Since it¡¯s deste and vast, it¡¯s ideal for conducting weapon experiments. I feared they were testing some kind ofrge-scale weapon at that base, so I didn¡¯t act rashly."


    "However, I received intelligence a few days ago that said the base has been fiercely attacked and is now surrounded by armed forces. Outnumbered, the area is now controlled by the attackers, and my people dare not venture deep, so our intelligence is very limited. You just told me that your friend is in danger, and you¡¯re here to help. Additionally, my people reported finding a small amount of food and arge supply of drinking water in the two off-road vehicles you drove, without tents or camping equipment, which suggests the ce you¡¯re heading to isn¡¯t far and doesn¡¯t require an overnight stay. After some thought, only that base fits these conditions. Mr. Ling, am I right?"


    Ling Chen nodded, "You¡¯re a smart man. Since you¡¯re smart, you should know how to make a decision."


    Ag slightly smiled and replied in fluent Chinese, "Mr. Ling, please be patient. I know you¡¯re from Huaxia, and as a neighboring friend of Huaxia, I¡¯ve always appreciated Huaxia¡¯s cultural heritage. Out of this admiration, when I turned eighteen, I even went to East Sea City to study at East Sea University for a few years and specifically focused on Huaxia¡¯s ssic literature. If it weren¡¯t for the rebel turmoil, I¡¯d probably still be studying there."


    East Sea University?


    Ling Chen was stunned, not expecting Ag to have such a background.


    "What year are you in at East Sea University?"


    "Fourth year, about to graduate."


    "Then do you... know Nanrong Hao? Or Su Lin..."


    "Su Lin? Do you mean Miss Su?" Ag nodded with a smile, "Yes, I know her. Her major is archaeology with a minor in Chinese literature, and I also took that course, so we often met in ss. Mr. Ling, what is your rtionship with Miss Su?"


    "Friends." Ling Chen replied. It was truly unexpected to find out this guy is Su Lin¡¯s ssmate as well. After thinking for a moment, Ling Chen asked, "Even as a crown prince, why keep such a low profile at school? Su Lin has never mentioned you to me."


    "Mr. Ling, precisely because my status is different from others, I tried to maintain a low profile to avoid being discovered by the rebels. You know, if they captured me, it would be a significant advantage for them. That¡¯s why I didn¡¯t reveal my true identity when studying at East Sea University, I was there just as an ordinary foreign student."


    So, that¡¯s the case!


    "General Ag, aside from all this, I¡¯m really worried about my friend¡¯s safety. Just as you said, that base has been surrounded for days, and my friend might be in imminent danger. I hope you can let us go, so we can assist them as quickly as possible."


    Ag waved his hand, "Mr. Ling, it¡¯s not that I don¡¯t want to let you go, I don¡¯t intend to hold you back, but... even if you rush over now, nothing can be changed."


    Hearing this, Ling Chen opened his mouth to speak, but Ag stopped him, continuing, "Mr. Ling, I don¡¯t mean to underestimate you. To be honest, because I have stayed in Huaxia and experienced many things there, I know your capabilities and who you are. However, no matter how skilled you are, can you withstand a bombardment?"


    With that, Ag had the lieutenant bring a dossier and handed it to Ling Chen.


    "Mr. Ling, this is the intelligence we gathered from that base. Take a look for yourself. Regardless of the number of armed factions, they possess tanks, armored vehicles, attack helicopters, mortars, and heavy machine guns. With so many heavy weapons, it¡¯s unthinkable for a handful of your people to defeat them, even if I led my troops in an attack."


    While viewing the photos attached to the dossier, Ling Chen couldn¡¯t help but furrow his brows, his eyes showing a trace of seriousness.


    In the photos, countless armed individuals and various heavy equipment could be seen. Furthermore, powerful lighting instations were set up around the base, effectively turning night into day. Under such bright exposure in open terrain, a stealth infiltration was impossible.


    Ling Chen continued to examine the pictures, racking his brain for a strategy. Unfortunately, to his dismay, the only feasible option to prate the armed defenses and reunite with the porridge girl in the base was a full-scale assault.

 Chapter 1125 - 1132: Agula (2)

    <h4>Chapter 1125: Chapter 1132: Ag (2)</h4>


    "General Ag, when we were captured, your men confiscated everything except for our weapons. Can we have them back now?"


    "No problem." Ag gave a nod, and the Lieutenant immediately stepped out.


    Shortly after, the officer returned to the tent and handed several travel bags to Ling Chen. Ling Chen pulled out his phone to call the porridge girl. As expected, the call couldn¡¯t connect, likely because the base¡¯s signals had been cut off. He then dialed Jiang Yunkai¡¯s number.


    ording to their previous n, Jiang Yunkai would be flying in with a chartered ne by early dawn. However, under the current circumstances, even if Yunkai brought a hundred elite soldiers, it might not change the situation. So now, the n had to be adjusted to observe the situation before making any decisions.


    ...


    In a hidden underground base, the porridge girl sat in a chair with a face full of exhaustion. On the table in front of her were half a ss of water and a small pack ofpressed biscuits.


    This was her dinner.


    They had just finished a battle. Under her leadership, the group managed to repel another enemy assault. This was already the tenth attack by the enemy, and in her current state, she didn¡¯t know how much longer she could hold out.


    At this time, a burly young man walked up quickly. He was dressed in a faded military uniform, covered in bloodstains, with thick bandages wrapped around his arms and legs.


    Seeing him, the porridge girl perked up slightly and asked, "Zongming, how are things outside?"


    "Don¡¯t worry, they¡¯ve retreated. Those guys have been on a full assault all day, they¡¯re likely too exhausted to continue. I doubt they¡¯ll attack again anytime soon."


    "Don¡¯t be careless, you must be extremely cautious at times like this." The porridge girl warned, "Zhu Hong is leading the team this time, and I know him to some extent. He¡¯s a ruthless person who stops at nothing to achieve his goals. When we think they¡¯ve given up because they¡¯re exhausted, Zhu Hong will also think of an opportunity to catch us off guard when we let down our guard."


    Chen Zongming nodded, "I know, I¡¯ll arrange for guards. If there¡¯s any movement from the other side, I¡¯ll notify you immediately." He paused, looking at the water and biscuits on the table, and his resolute gaze showed a hint of gentle concern, "Eat something, you¡¯ve gone a day without food. You¡¯ll need your strength in case the enemy attacks again."


    "I¡¯m not hungry." The porridge girl looked at the floor and asked, "How much food reserve does the base have left?"


    "I just checked with the logistics department, the food is barely enough for now. The base usually stores a month¡¯s worth of food and arge amount of drinking water. It¡¯s only been about ten days, and with so many casualties, the daily consumption of food has decreased. As it stands, if we distribute it evenly, we canst for more than twenty days. As for drinking water, there¡¯s no need to worry. We have an underground river beneath the base that can be tapped at any time. However, the biggest problem isn¡¯t food but medical supplies. We have too many injured, about fifty people initially counted. We consume arge amount of medicine every day, and the base¡¯s stock is barely sufficient, and could at mostst another three days. Without a supply of medicine, the injured might..." At this point, Chen Zongming sighed softly and didn¡¯t continue.


    The porridge girl took out a satellite phone and nced at the signal bars, said helplessly, "The signal¡¯s been cut off, we can¡¯t get calls out, we¡¯re surrounded outside; we¡¯re basically trapped."


    Chen Zongming frowned and said, "We¡¯ve been out of contact with the outside world for so long, Mr. Ling should know our situation, why hasn¡¯t he sent help?"


    "It¡¯s not that they don¡¯t want to, but they can¡¯t. The Ling Family has dered total war against us, our people are tied up everywhere, and there¡¯s no additional force to assist us."


    "What now? Are we just supposed to wait here until we die?"


    "Don¡¯t panic. Mr. Ling knows the importance of this base and will find a way to rescue us. For now, all we can do is hold on. The longer west, the greater the chance."


    "Alright!" Chen Zongming said, "Let¡¯s hope so. You should get some rest, I¡¯ll go out and patrol to check on things."


    "Let me do it. You¡¯ve been busy all day and are probably more exhausted than I am." The porridge girl tried to stand, but Chen Zongming pressed her shoulder down.


    "I¡¯m a man, and it¡¯s my duty to endure hardships. Besides, I¡¯m part of the base too, so it¡¯s right for me to bear more responsibility. Enough talk, go rest, and relieve meter at night."


    Watching Chen Zongming¡¯s departing figure, the porridge girl sighed softly, took a biscuit, and began to eat slowly.


    ...


    Outside the base, in a hastily constructed tent, Zhu Hong stood with his hands behind his back, listening to his subordinates¡¯ reports.


    "Mr. Zhu, after today¡¯s full-day assault, the men are tired. Should we let them rest and continue tomorrow?"


    "No stopping," Zhu Hong said without turning his head, "You¡¯re tired, they¡¯re even more tired. Not only must we continue the attack, but we must intensify it. Don¡¯t let them have any chance to breathe. Go, divide everyone into three teams, and have them take turns attacking. Capture the base as quickly as possible."


    "But Mr. Zhu, I¡¯m worried they might have objections. They¡¯re not our own people, they¡¯re all hired hands."


    "It¡¯s precisely because they¡¯re hired that they must fulfill their duties. Tell them if they break through the base¡¯s defenses before dawn, I¡¯ll increase their pay by twenty percent."


    "Understood, I know what to do."


    Once the person left the tent, a man sitting in the corner spoke up, "Aren¡¯t you being too hasty? We¡¯ve got plenty of time, no need to waste that money."


    "What? Do you like the desert? I don¡¯t want to stay any longer in this wretched ce."


    "No need to hide your intentions from me. I know what you want. You¡¯re eager to capture the base quickly to prove yourself to Ling Beichuan and get his recognition. But let me give you a piece of advice, meals should be eaten one bite at a time, and roads should be traveled one step at a time. Some things shouldn¡¯t be rushed."


    "You don¡¯t need to worry about me. Just do your job." Zhu Hong replied coldly, "Any updates from East Sea City?"


    "Old K got in touch with me. Ling Chen is staying put at home and rarely goes out. Wei Jun¡¯s death has made Ling Chen even more cautious. Old K won¡¯t find it easy this time."


    "Whether he seeds or not is secondary, as long as Ling Chen is stuck in East Sea City."

 Chapter 1126 - 1133: Agula (3)

    <h4>Chapter 1126: Chapter 1133: Ag (3)</h4>


    A night passed.


    Early the next morning, Ling Chen received a call from Jiang Yunkai. They had gotten off the ne and were preparing to head towards the desert. After getting Ag¡¯s consent, Ling Chen revealed his location to Jiang Yunkai, asking him toe directly here.


    "Mr. Ling, our General invites you to breakfast," a lieutenant walked into the tent where Ling Chen spent the night and said.


    "Alright, I¡¯ll be right there."


    Given the current situation, forming a good rtionship with Ag was extremely necessary. If he could leverage Ag¡¯s power and ask for his help, his chances of rescuing the porridge girl would be much greater. Otherwise, with just their group and ack of weapons and equipment, it would be no different from a suicide mission.


    The breakfast Ag prepared was quitevish, perhaps because he had stayed in East Sea City for a few years; the style of breakfast was simr to that of his home country.


    "General Ag, thank you for the invitation."


    "No need to be so formal. Mr. Ling, you are a few years older than me, there¡¯s no need to call me General. If you don¡¯t mind, just call me Ag."


    "How can I do that? After all, you¡¯re the future national leader, I..."


    Ag smiled, waving his hand, and said: "Mr. Ling, a national leader is still an ordinary person. You don¡¯t need to worry too much. Honestly, I yearn for my previous life even more. If it weren¡¯t for my father¡¯s incident, I wouldn¡¯t have taken on this responsibility so early. Managing a country... really isn¡¯t easy. Besides, you see my current situation; I¡¯m no different from a stray dog."


    Ling Chen asked, "Ag, is your situation very troublesome now?"


    "More than troublesome." Ag gave a bitter smile and said: "Currently, there are three rebel forces in the country. The ones who attacked usst night were just one of them. As you saw, just one rebel force outnumbers and outguns us. If ites to a fight, our chances of winning are very low."


    "How many people do you have left?"


    "The army that escaped with me into the desert is just over three thousand, but each rebel force numbers in the tens of thousands. However, ording to my intel, we still have some government troops controlled by the rebels. Because of their numbers, the rebels want to persuade them to join, so they haven¡¯t killed them. If we can rescue them, I will have a numerical advantage. Moreover, there¡¯s a secret weapons cache in a city over four hundred kilometers from the desert. The rebels don¡¯t know about it. If I can get the weapons from that cache, I can equip a well-armed army, and resolving the rebel threat will be a breeze."


    Upon hearing this, Ling Chen immediately understood the true purpose of Ag¡¯s breakfast invitation.


    The other party was seeking help!


    Putting down the bread in his hand, Ling Chen looked at Ag¡¯s pleading eyes and said, "You want us to help you?"


    Ag nodded and said, "That¡¯s right. Brother Ling, I¡¯m well aware of your capabilities. There are things my men can¡¯t do, but for you, they¡¯re a piece of cake. If you can help me rescue the other government troops and transport the weapons from the cache to the desert, I assure you, I will definitely send troops to assist you in rescuing your friend."


    Ling Chen looked seriously at Ag, seemingly hesitating whether to agree to the terms.


    "Brother Ling, my situation is dire, I hope you can help me, consider it as a favor."


    "You will really use your resources to help me?"


    "I swear."


    Ling Chen smiled faintly: "Oaths are the least reliable thing, they can only fool children." After a pause, Ling Chen said, "How about this, I can help you as long as you keep your promise. If you change your mindter, I have ways to deal with you."


    When dealing with someone like this, promises are hollow, so it¡¯s best toy out the ugly truth first. Besides, Ling Chen indeed needed Ag¡¯s help now.


    Seeing Ling Chen agree, Ag was particrly pleased and quickly nodded, saying, "Brother Ling, rest assured, I will definitely keep my promise."


    "Alright! Let¡¯s not talk about anything else, give me a copy of the intelter, and I¡¯ll help you deal with it as soon as possible."


    "No problem." Ag couldn¡¯t even care about finishing breakfast and immediately called someone to prepare the intel.


    Ten minutester.


    "Ling Cheng, are you really going to help him?" Yuan Yun asked.


    "Third Brother, this is our chance. You¡¯ve all seen the intel on the porridge girl¡¯s situation. Our strength alone is too weak. Unless there¡¯s a strong military intervention, our chances of sess are very low."


    Qiu Yong chimed in, "Ling Cheng must have thought this through carefully. We don¡¯t need to doubt it. Since the agreement has been reached, we might as well seize the time and get it done quickly."


    Ling Chen ced a copy of the intel Ag sent on the table and said, "I just reviewed the intel earlier. Those government troops are trapped in the city we passed through, about a few thousand of them, held in a sports arena. The defense at the sports arena isn¡¯t very strong, only about a hundred people. Considering our capabilities, we can easily handle it."


    "Ling Cheng, you¡¯re the best at this kind of operation. Tell us what to do, and we¡¯ll do everything we can to support you," Qiu Yong said.


    "Alright."


    ...


    Bang!


    A sudden explosion sent several men flying through the air.


    Seeing her bloodiedrades lying on the ground, the porridge girl bit her lip slightly, ignoring the bloodstains on her own body, and quickly instructed others to fill the gaps to prevent the enemies outside from breaking in.


    "It¡¯s no good, the enemy¡¯s attack is too fierce. We can¡¯t stop them," Chen Zongming said urgently while holding an assault rifle, his body covered in wounds, looking at the porridge girl.


    "Even if we can¡¯t, we must," the porridge girl said firmly. "If we¡¯re short on people, recruit those from the logistics department."


    "This... alright."


    Half an hour passed in the blink of an eye, and the enemy finally ceased their attack, leaving behind bodies and retreating.


    Looking at the shattered corridor, the porridge girl ran her hand through her hair and slowly exhaled.


    "Get the injured inside and try to save them," she ordered.


    Upon her words, everyone, dragging their exhausted bodies, hurriedly got to work. The consecutive days of fighting had drained them all, leaving their faces numb, devoid of any energy.


    "You¡¯re hurt," Chen Zongming said, holding the porridge girl¡¯s arm with concern. "Let me bandage it for you."


    "Thank you!"


    "Oh,e on, don¡¯t say thank you, we¡¯re too close for that."


    After bandaging the wound, Chen Zongming turned to look at the bodies neatlyid out and sighed softly, "We lost seven or eight more this battle; at this rate, we¡¯ll be consumed sooner orter."


    The porridge girl lowered her head, silently staring at the ground. She had done everything she could at this point. Faced with such a hopeless situation, she didn¡¯t know what else to do.

 Chapter 1127 - 1134: Ling Chen Descends from the Heavens (1)

    <h4>Chapter 1127: Chapter 1134: Ling Chen Descends from the Heavens (1)</h4>


    "I have a somewhat immature idea."


    Hearing Chen Zongming¡¯s voice, the porridge girl looked up and met his eyes, asking, "What idea?"


    "At this point, we should all acknowledge that rescue isn¡¯ting. Even if Mr. Ling remembers us, by the time they can send support, this base¡¯s defense will likely be breached. By then, none of us will survive. Rather than that, we might as well take a gamble."


    "How do you n to gamble?"


    "Break through," Chen Zongming uttered two words solemnly. "Rather than sitting here waiting to die, we should gather all resources for an attack. I just calcted, there are still over a hundredbat-capable members in the base, along with weapons and ammunition, enough for us to initiate a charge. As long as we open a breach, spread out, and escape into the desert, we¡¯ll have a chance at survival."


    The porridge girl pondered for a moment before asking, "Have you considered the others? Besides usbat personnel, the base has dozens of researchers averaging around fifty years old,cking physical strength andbat capability. Having them charge with us would be sending them to their deaths."


    Chen Zongming hurriedly said, "Why don¡¯t you understand, staying here is a dead-end. Rather than dying here, let¡¯s give everyone a chance to fight for their lives. Dying is fate, survival is luck. We are still young, porridge girl, do you really want to bury your life in this hellish ce?"


    "I understand your feelings, but I don¡¯t agree with this n. No matter what, I won¡¯t abandon anypanion; that¡¯s my responsibility." The porridge girl paused and continued, "But I won¡¯t make things difficult for you. If you can convince others to break through with you, then go ahead. I¡¯ll stay and wait for rescue with everyone."


    "You... sigh!" Chen Zongming opened his mouth to persuade further, but seeing the porridge girl¡¯s steadfast gaze, he chose to give up. Having dealt with her for so long, he knew her determined nature; once she decided something, no one could sway her.


    "Alright." Chen Zongming considered for a moment, then nodded, "Since you¡¯ve decided, I won¡¯t force you. I¡¯ll tell the others my n and let them choose."


    "Zongming, I still hope you stay. Weck manpower as it is; if you take people away, defending will be difficult. Given the situation, we can hold out for at least ten days to half a month. If you leave, we might notst a day."


    "So your best choice is to leave with me."


    The porridge girl frowned slightly and said, "You¡¯re forcing me."


    "This is for your own good. Rest assured, I¡¯ll do my utmost to protect you, no matter what happens, I..."


    "Something¡¯s wrong!" Before Chen Zongming could finish, an anxious voice rang out.


    The two turned to see a young man rushing over, gasping for breath, "Those bastards outside found the base¡¯s venttion ducts. They¡¯ve thrown gas grenades inside and sealed the ducts."


    Hearing this, the faces of the porridge girl and Chen Zongming changed.


    Looking up at the venttion shaft as the young man described, a faint gas was indeed seeping from it.


    "Block all the venttion shafts immediately; do not let the gas enter the base," the porridge girlmanded.


    The order was quickly ryed, but no matter how fast everyone moved, they couldn¡¯t stop the gas from entering the base. The vast underground base was at least half enveloped in gas.


    With no other options, the porridge girl had to seal off areas, isting the gaspletely, greatly reducing everyone¡¯s activity space.


    Chen Zongming stood beside a machine, looking at the data disyed with an extremely grim expression.


    "The base¡¯s air can¡¯t circte. At this rate, within a day at most, the air will bepletely depleted."


    The porridge girl sat silently nearby, the unexpected situation catching her off guard. She had thought they could hold out much longer, but now it seemed they only had one day.


    "Porridge girl, let¡¯s break through; staying here only leads to death," Chen Zongming stated.


    "Staying leads to death, going out is the same death." The porridge girl spoke nkly, "Zhu Hong uses these tactics to force us out. He knows well that once our air runs out, the only solution is to flee the base. I imagine he¡¯s already set everything up outside, just waiting for us to fall into the trap. But you¡¯re right, facing death either way, at least breaking through offers a glimmer of hope."


    With those words, the porridge girl gathered everyone in the base and exined her n.


    "We have one day to prepare; whether we survive depends on our luck." After speaking, the porridge girl sighed softly, ignoring the buzz of discussion as she walked out of the room alone. She wanted some quiet time.


    Outside the base, Zhu Hong stood by a tent, watching the tanks moving in the distance, the sunlight reflecting piercingly off his silver mask.


    Soon, the tank barrels all aimed at the base¡¯s exit. Whoever emerged from the base would undoubtedly be blown to bits by the ready-loaded shells.


    "Alright, let¡¯s head back. Now we just wait for the victory news." Zhu Hong smiled confidently.


    A day, seemingly short yet long. But for those inside the base, it was an excruciating time. They sat without image on the ground, backs against the walls, none speaking. At this point, they didn¡¯t know what to say.


    Knowing it was likely death, they could only gamble without retreat. Watching the clock on the wall tick, their hearts climbed into their throats.


    Half an hour left... For them, this half-hour could be life¡¯s final moments. Some began breathing heavily, faces pale with fear for the uing fight, fearing what¡¯s toe.


    They yearned to live but understood the hope was minuscule.


    A few younger members began to retch with nerves.


    Footsteps sounded, and everyone looked up to see the porridge girl appear in their view. Without a word or a pre-battle speech, they all stood in unison.


    They knew, it was time.


    "Take this!"


    Taking the riot shield handed by Chen Zongming, the porridge girl asked, "How much explosives do we have remaining?"


    "Only one box left."

 Chapter 1128 - 1135: Ling Chen Descends from the Sky (2)

    <h4>Chapter 1128: Chapter 1135: Ling Chen Descends from the Sky (2)</h4>


    "Have someone set the explosives inside the base, with detonation time configured to twenty minutes."


    Hearing this, Chen Zongming was surprised, "You want to destroy this base? No way, these explosives are our only hope for survival, our breakout relies entirely on them. If we waste them here, what chance do we have left?"


    "This base holds too many secrets, it cannot fall into the enemy¡¯s hands. If not for this reason, why would we have held on for so long? Enough! No more arguments, this is my order, carry it out."


    Soon, a whole box of explosives was installed at every corner of the base. With the detonation time set, porridge girl picked up the riot shield, gripping the only two smoke grenades in one hand, and strode towards the exit of the base.


    As she passed through the blood-stained passageway, porridge girl saw the exit within reach, clenched her teeth, and directly threw the two smoke grenades out.


    As thick smoke spread, a series of ¡¯bang bang¡¯ sounds erupted from outside the base.


    Suddenly, under the tank¡¯s salvo, shells crazily surged in,nding at the base¡¯s exit.


    Boom! Boom!


    mes burst forth, stones scattered, the entire exit was shrouded in thick dust, mixing with the smoke.


    Porridge girl raised the riot shield, her eyes fixed ahead. Due to obstructions from the dust and smoke, visibility was very low.


    "Go, charge out!"


    Porridge girl whispered urgently, tiptoed lightly, and her body quickly dashed out. She knew, the tanks outside needed time to reload shells, this brief ten-odd seconds was her only chance to rush out.


    Half of her body had just crossed the exit before a volley of bullets immediately hit the riot shield, pressure instantly increased.


    If not for the riot shield¡¯s protection, porridge girl¡¯s body would likely have been riddled with holes.


    Despite the pressure, porridge girl did not stop, she pressed forward step by step. Soon, those tanks appeared in her sight.


    "Scatter!" porridge girl shouted loudly.


    Upon hearing her call, everyone following behind quickly dispersed. At the same time, the tanks¡¯ artillery fired out with a roar. Fortunately, thanks to porridge girl¡¯s timely reminder, the shells did not injure everyone but fell in the sandy terrain, kicking up countless grains of sand.


    Under the explosion¡¯s impact, even a tiny grain of sand could be lethal. Several men who didn¡¯t run in time were instantly pierced by sand grains, falling in pools of blood.


    Affected by the shock wave, porridge girl¡¯s body jerked forward, tumbling to the ground, and the riot shield in her hand fell off.


    Without the riot shield¡¯s protection, bullets crazily shot towards her,nding around porridge girl.


    Seeingpanions falling continuously around her, porridge girl couldn¡¯t help but close her eyes. She knew, at this moment, no matter how skilful she was, she couldn¡¯t change the oue.


    Today, she and everyone else were destined to die.


    "Congrattions, Mr. Zhu, on sessfully defeating the enemy."


    Outside the tent, a man congratted. Zhu Hong stood with his hands sped behind his back, quietly watching the dust-covered battlefield, his lips slightly curled in a cold sneer.


    A bunch of overconfident idiots, daring to fight tanks with flesh and blood, they¡¯re courting death.


    "Mr. Zhu, do you want to keep any alive?"


    "No need, kill them all, I¡¯m not interested in wasting time on them."


    "Yes!"


    The order was given, and the firepower intensified several fold. Under the bullet¡¯s suppression, porridge girl, Chen Zongming, and the others couldn¡¯t even rise, theyy on the ground, quietly waiting for death to descend.


    "I¡¯m sorry." Chen Zongming turned his head, looking at porridge girl not far away, eyes filled with apology.


    "There¡¯s nothing to apologize to me for, this is our fate."


    Chen Zongming forced a smile, saying, "If we survive, I would definitely pursue you. Actually, ever since you came to this base, I fell for you, it¡¯s just, you¡¯ve always been so cold that I didn¡¯t know how to approach. If... if we live, would you give me a chance?"


    "Sorry, even if we survive, I won¡¯t ept your pursuit, I... already have a man."


    Upon hearing this, Chen Zongming appeared bitter, "At this point, can¡¯t you say something nice? Making me sad before I die, you really are..." Chen Zongming sighed, asking, "What kind of person is your man? Comparing him to me, who do you think is better?"


    "Does it have any meaning now?"


    "I know it doesn¡¯t mean much, I¡¯m just curious, what kind of person could win you over?"


    "He..." porridge girl hesitated for a moment, said, "In others¡¯ eyes, he may not seem like a good man, but to me, he is worth sacrificing everything for."


    "Why?"


    "Since I was sensible, my Master told me, you have a fianc¨¦, your life¡¯s sole purpose is for him. All these years, I¡¯ve strived towards this goal, hoping to protect his safety."


    Chen Zongming said angrily, "So, to you, that man is merely a responsibility, a task, not love. If that¡¯s the case, then you¡¯re really pitiful. As for that man, humph! Just a loathsome bastard, needed protection from a woman, isn¡¯t he a coward? And your Master, forcibly taking over your happiness, making decisions for you, it¡¯s no different from a robber."


    "Shut up!" porridge girl responded in discontent, "Don¡¯t insult my Master and my man, this is my willing choice, it has nothing to do with anyone else."


    "Porridge girl, why are you so stubborn? We¡¯ve reached this point, can¡¯t you think for yourself? Thinking of that bastard man is pointless, do you expect that coward to save you?"


    "I..."


    Porridge girl opened her mouth, about to respond, but at that moment, a bullet suddenly flew along the ground, hitting her arm, blood flowing from the wound.


    "Porridge girl!"


    rmed, Chen Zongming quickly got up, wanting to rush over and protect porridge girl. However, as soon as he stood, a burst of bullets shot towards him, forcing him back down.


    Seeing porridge girl¡¯s painful expression, Chen Zongming clenched his fists, yet had no solution, only anxiously lying on the ground.


    ng ng ng!


    Suddenly, a crisp ttering sound entered porridge girl¡¯s ears.


    Porridge girl struggled to lift her head, only to see a solid riot shield propped in front of her, blocking all the bullets.


    "How are you, alright?"


    A familiar voice rang out, instantly giving porridge girl the urge to cry. Throughout, she never yearned for Ling Chen¡¯s arrival as much as today.


    Seeing porridge girl¡¯s slightly red eyes, Ling Chen smiled gently, "I¡¯ve never seen you cry before. Sorry, I¡¯m a bitte. Come, I¡¯ll carry you away."

 Chapter 1129 - 1136: Ling Chen Descends from the Sky (3)

    <h4>Chapter 1129: Chapter 1136: Ling Chen Descends from the Sky (3)</h4>


    The porridge girl nodded, swiftly climbing onto Ling Chen¡¯s back.


    "Ling Chen, there¡¯s another person over there. He¡¯s my friend." The porridge girl pointed to where Chen Zongming was.


    Ling Chen acknowledged her with a sound, raised the riot shield without a word, and slowly moved towards Chen Zongming.


    Seeing the porridge girl on a stranger¡¯s back, Chen Zongming was taken aback. He was sure he¡¯d never seen this man before, definitely not a member of the base. Moreover, he hadn¡¯t noticed how this man had appeared.


    When Ling Chen and the porridge girl were beside him, Chen Zongming asked in surprise, "Who is this man?"


    The porridge girl hugged Ling Chen¡¯s neck, smiling brightly, "He¡¯s my man. I think I need to correct something; he¡¯s definitely not a coward."


    "Coward?" Ling Chen turned his head and asked, "Who did you say is a coward?"


    "Nothing. Did youe alone?"


    "No, the others came too." As he spoke, a crack suddenly appeared on the riot shield. Although it was very sturdy, it couldn¡¯t withstand the relentless shooting.


    "How do we escape?" Chen Zongming asked urgently.


    Ling Chen shrunk his body, trying to use the riot shield to protect the three of them. Hearing Chen Zongming¡¯s question, he smiled, "Don¡¯t worry, our reinforcements will arrive soon."


    Boom!


    Just as he finished speaking, there was a deafening explosion as a tank blew up, turning into a ball of fire. Then several more sts followed, and the tanks parked around were instantly destroyed by bombs, bing heaps of scrap metal.


    "What¡¯s happening?"


    In his tent preparing to celebrate victory, Zhu Hong suddenly stood up and said sternly. The explosions were obviously not from tank cannons. While pondering, a young man quickly ran into the tent, saying urgently, "Mr. Zhu, it¡¯s not good, we¡¯re under heavy attack."


    "By whom?"


    "I... I don¡¯t know. Our tanks and armored vehicles have been destroyed by bombs, and the enemy troops areing from all directions, around a few thousand of them."


    Saying this, Zhu Hong¡¯s face changed drastically. Without more questions, he quickly ran outside the tent, only to have a bomb fall nearby as soon as he stepped out.


    With a ¡¯boom¡¯, the st wave lifted Zhu Hong¡¯s body, mming him heavily onto the sandy ground.


    Patting his dizzy head, Zhu Hong looked up and saw the group he hired falling like wheat, row by row, without a chance to fight back.


    And not far off, several tanks rolled in slowly, followed by arge group of armed individuals.


    "Retreat! Retreat!"


    After a brief moment of shock, Zhu Hong finally reacted, shouting loudly.


    "Go quickly." At this moment, the man responsible for Zhu Hong¡¯s safety quickly arrived, lifting Zhu Hong¡¯s body and sprinting to a jeep. Under the cover of mercenaries, the jeep quickly sped into the desert.


    When Ag¡¯s troops joined the battle, the fight ended swiftly,sting no more than ten minutes. Many of Zhu Hong¡¯s hired men were either dead, injured, or chose to surrender.


    The only regret Ling Chen felt was letting Zhu Hong escape once again.


    "Mr. Ling, my task ispleted. If there¡¯s nothing else, I¡¯ll return to report to the General."


    "Thank you, Lieutenant." Ling Chen smiled, "Thanks to your help this time."


    "It¡¯s what we should do. I should thank you for your assistance. By the way, the General asked me to leave five hundred soldiers stationed here to prevent those people from causing trouble for you again."


    "Alright." Ling Chen epted without hesitation. He had paid a high price for Ag¡¯s support this time, so there was no need for politeness.


    After seeing the government troops off, Ling Chen carried the porridge girl into the tent. Her arm was shot through and needed quick treatment to prevent excessive blood loss and otherplications.


    "Ling Chen, how did you know I was here?"


    "Ling Tao called me, saying he couldn¡¯t spare any manpower and had to ask for my help."


    "What about those government troops? Why are they helping you?" The porridge girl asked curiously.


    Ling Chen chuckled and brushed off her question. Yesterday, ording to the agreement with Ag, Ling Chen and Qiu Yong split into two groups. Ling Chen led a team to rescue the trapped government troops, while Qiu Yong took a team to the armory to transport weapons to the desert.


    Fortunately, the operation went smoothly, taking only a day. Because of this, he was able to arrive in time when the porridge girl was in danger.


    After treating the porridge girl¡¯s wound, Ling Chen and she went outside the tent. At this moment, Qiu Yong and the others were helping to treat the wounded.


    Ling Chen looked around and asked, "Where¡¯s your friend? I don¡¯t see him."


    "He went to the base. I asked him to disable the bomb detonation device in the base."


    As they were speaking, Chen Zongming walked out from the base¡¯s exit.


    "I heard you¡¯re her man?"


    Seeing Ling Chen, Chen Zongming didn¡¯t mention anything else and directly spoke up.


    Ling Chen nced at the porridge girl beside him and nodded with a smile, "That¡¯s right."


    "I thought you were a coward who needed a woman to protect him. Now I see I was wrong. But let me remind you, I won¡¯t give up easily. Even if you two were married, I could still win her over."


    "I¡¯m afraid I won¡¯t give you that chance."


    "Zongming, say less and go check on everyone else."


    "Alright."


    After Chen Zongming walked away, Ling Chen smiled and said, "I didn¡¯t expect your charm to grow so much."


    "Don¡¯t misunderstand. I only see him as arade, nothing more. Let¡¯s go check the base."


    Entering the base, Ling Chen asked, "What is this base for?"


    "Research. The research equipment and personnel here are world-ss. However, I cannot tell you the details unless I have authorization from above."


    "Not even me?" Ling Chen seemed displeased. These people were too much, keeping everything from him. When they needed him, they just made a call, unwilling to say more.


    What did they take him for? He wasn¡¯t a mercenary, always at their beck and call. Besides, even mercenaries get paid, but he hadn¡¯t received a dime.


    Never mind!


    Ling Chen didn¡¯t want to waste his energy and words on this matter. Now that he found the porridge girl, there were more important things he needed to know.


    "Where¡¯s my father? Do you know?"


    "Master? I¡¯m not sure. It¡¯s been a long time since I got any news from him. But I know he seems to have taken on a dangerous mission and is currently out of contact."


    "You can¡¯t even reach him?"


    "No, my clearance isn¡¯t enough to know much. But he¡¯s your father, so perhaps you can ask those in charge." Saying this, the porridge girl took out a satellite phone and dialed a number.


    Before long, the call connected, and Ling Tao¡¯s voice came from the other end: "What¡¯s the situation over there?"


    Before the porridge girl could respond, Ling Chen grabbed the phone and said, "The crisis is over. Isn¡¯t it time you told me where my father is?"

 Chapter 1130 - 1137: Stubbornness

    <h4>Chapter 1130: Chapter 1137: Stubbornness</h4>


    "Ling Chen, your father is currently on a secret mission, and I can¡¯t reveal too much information to you at the moment. You know your father¡¯s capabilities, once hepletes the mission, I..."


    Before Ling Tao could finish his words, Ling Chen impatiently interrupted, "Stop giving me so much nonsense, I¡¯m fed up with it. You guys keep telling me this is confidential, that is confidential, this can¡¯t be said, that can¡¯t be said, only when things reach me do you reveal a bit of information. Do you think I¡¯m some beggar that can be easily dismissed? Let me tell you, if you don¡¯t rify things for me this time, don¡¯te to me for anything in the future. Also, don¡¯t me me if I do something outrageous, don¡¯te to reproach me."


    "You... you¡¯re really stubborn, aren¡¯t you." Ling Tao¡¯s tone carried a hint of helplessness, "Didn¡¯t I tell you before? There are things I¡¯m not withholding from you, but... telling you now won¡¯t benefit you, it¡¯ll only add unnecessary worries."


    "I believe you have your good intentions, but I don¡¯t want to be a puppet thates and goes at yourmand. If you want me to do these things, at least tell me the reason, let me know why I¡¯m doing them. If you truly consider me one of your own, you shouldn¡¯t keep everything from me. Do you know, the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion has already issued the Heavenly Mechanism Order, sending people all over to hunt my father, and you¡¯re well aware of my rtionship with the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion. Do you understand how difficult it is for me to be caught in the middle? I¡¯m worried every day at home, fearful that something terrible might happen to my dad. And you all, not saying a word, not even reachable when I need help, have you considered my feelings?" Ling Chen grew more agitated as he spoke, and even he, who was usually calm, couldn¡¯t quite control his emotions.


    "Alright, I understand your point." Ling Tao was silent for a moment, then said, "Hand the phone to porridge girl, I have something to tell her."


    "Fine, if you understand, if you want my help, don¡¯t treat me like an outsider." With that, Ling Chen handed the phone over to porridge girl.


    It¡¯s unclear what Ling Tao said to porridge girl, but she responded a few times and then hung up the phone.


    "What did he say?" Ling Chen asked.


    "He said... since you want to know, I¡¯ll tell you some things first. As for the rest, he¡¯ll personally speak to youter. Follow me, I¡¯ll take you somewhere." With that, porridge girl proceeded directly to the core area of the base.


    After passing through four explosion-proof doors, Ling Chen followed porridge girl into a hiddenboratory.


    As the door to theboratory slowly opened, Ling Chen was immediately stunned by the scene in front of him.


    In the massiveboratory, various instruments and equipment were on disy, but more eye-catching were over a dozen two-meter-long transparent cultivation tanks. Inside those tanksy a man each. But that¡¯s not the most shocking part. The most astonishing was that the men looked exactly the same, as if carved from the same mold.


    This... this is... clone?


    Ling Chen stared dazedly at the tanks, his mind unable to react.


    He had always thought that only those who crossed the moral line, like the God Organization, would do such things, but he hadn¡¯t expected Ling Tao and his people were conducting such forbidden experiments too.


    "Porridge girl, what exactly is going on?" Ling Chen asked after regaining his senses.


    "Don¡¯t get excited, let me exin, it¡¯s not what you think," porridge girl said. "As you can see, these are gic clones, created over decades of research, resulting in so many test subjects. We¡¯ve paid a heavy price for these test subjects."


    Ling Chen waved his hand, "Don¡¯t tell me about things that don¡¯t matter, I just want to know why you¡¯re conducting such experiments."


    For a long time, Ling Chen fought against the God Organization primarily because they vited human morals and experimented on innocent people over the line. In his view, the God Organization was evil, ambitious, and had to be eradicated. Now, with Ling Tao¡¯s involvement in such experiments, what¡¯s the difference from the God Organization? Ling Chen felt confused, had he chosen the wrong side all along?


    Seeing Ling Chen¡¯s dazed look, porridge girl exined, "Ling Chen, don¡¯t overthink. We¡¯re different from the God Organization. They¡¯re willing to use any means to achieve their goals, but our experiments have never harmed any innocent person. Follow me, let me show you something."


    With that, porridge girl walked to a refrigerated box, entered a triple password, and the box door slowly opened.


    With a burst of cold air from the box, Ling Chen¡¯s expression changed slightly. He was surprised to see a severed arm inside the box.


    This... looking at the severed arm, it seemed intensely familiar to Ling Chen. That¡¯s right! During his first meeting with Ling Tao, he was trying to seize a metal password box Ling Tao had. Inside that box was a severed arm. At the time, Ling Tao told him that this arm was crucial to future victory or defeat.


    Whenever he recalled Ling Tao¡¯s words, he felt incredulous. He couldn¡¯t understand how a severed arm could rte to future victory or defeat.


    "You¡¯ve seen this severed arm before, all our experiments are based on it, including those clones. Our researchers extracted genes from this arm and then created these clones," porridge girl said.


    "Who does this severed arm belong to?"


    "I don¡¯t know, it¡¯s confidential, very few people are aware. If you want to find out, you¡¯ll have to ask Ling Tao. He¡¯s the one handling these matters, including this research base, which he manages entirely. When we talked on the phone, Ling Tao told me he¡¯lle to the base after dealing with other matters, so you can ask him anything you don¡¯t understand then."


    "Alright, I¡¯ll definitely find him to get rity." Ling Chen nodded. This time he was determined, regardless of what excuses Ling Tao might have, to get to the bottom of everything, including the internal struggles within the Ling Family and their causes.


    Upon leaving the base, Ag¡¯s subordinate found Ling Chen and informed him that Zhu Hong had gone missing, and the search troops had returned. Ling Chen wasn¡¯t surprised, knowing Zhu Hong was cunning and must have had a fallback n. Moreover, intelligence indicated that Zhu Hong seemed to have personal protection.


    Although he couldn¡¯t capture Zhu Hong, from this incident, Ling Chen was already able to confirm that Zhu Hong had been recruited by the southern faction of the Ling Family.


    Taking advantage of everyone¡¯s distraction while cleaning the battlefield, Ling Chen made a call to Hu Fei, who was far away in East Sea City. He was abroad at the moment, but Old K was still in East Sea City, posing a threat that couldn¡¯t be ignored, who knew what his next target might be.

 Chapter 1131 - 1138: He Is Ling Gengqiu

    <h4>Chapter 1131: Chapter 1138: He Is Ling Gengqiu</h4>


    "Ling Cheng."


    Seeing Qiu Yong and others walking side by side, Ling Chen quickly stepped forward and asked, "Is everyone uninjured?"


    Yuan Yun smiled, "What could happen to us? The main force in the battle just now was Ag¡¯s people; we were just the backdrop. However, Ag is quite honest, actually sending over half of his forces."


    "Compared to sending troops to help me, the benefits I¡¯ve brought him are greater," Ling Chen said. "He now has enough manpower and weapons; defeating the rebels is only a matter of time. Soon, he¡¯ll be able to re-enter the President¡¯s Mansion and establish a new regime."


    When he initially decided to help Ag, Ling Chen had considered itprehensively. Ag¡¯s identity was evident: the leader of a nation. Building a good rtionship with him was undoubtedly a worthy investment, and there might be times in the future we¡¯d need his help.


    "Brother, you all must be tired too. Go rest first, and I¡¯lle find you once I finish handling things here. Porridge girl, please arrange amodation for my brother and the others. By the way!" While speaking, Ling Chen looked around and asked, "Has anyone seen Kai?"


    Wei Jiahao chimed in, "Sixth brother, are you talking about Kai? I saw him over there just now."


    Ling Chen nodded, "Alright, I got it." With that, Ling Chen quickly walked in the direction Wei Jiahao pointed.


    Before long, he saw Jiang Yunkai with a dozen or so subordinates pacing around the base, pointing and discussing something. Clearly, Jiang Yunkai was extremely excited.


    "Kai, what are you doing here?" Ling Chen called out.


    Seeing Ling Chen approach, Jiang Yunkai excitedly waved his hand and shouted, "Chen,e here quickly, I have something to discuss with you."


    Once closer, Ling Chen curiously asked, "I say, Kai, what¡¯s making you so excited?"


    "Chen, I just thought of a great n. We can build a training camp here. Look, this is a desert, no jurisdiction, unlike back home where there are so many restrictions. Moreover, there are many organizations in this desert, and we can totally use them for practice. This way, our people can quickly gain actualbat experience. How do you feel about my suggestion?"


    Hearing Jiang Yunkai¡¯s words, Ling Chen was indeed tempted. This desert truly was a good ce. Building a training camp here, syncing training with realbat, was undoubtedly the fastest way to cultivate talent. Moreover, the organizations in this desert were not good people, some even being terrorist organizations wanted by various countries.


    However, Ling Chen was still a bit worried. After all, this ce had no weapon restrictions. While it was a good ce for training talent, it was also full of danger.


    Seeing Ling Chen¡¯s hesitation, Jiang Yunkai said, "Chen, aren¡¯t you on good terms with Ag? We can discuss with him and seek his support. With the protection of government forces, who would dare move against us, do you think?"


    Ling Chen thought about it and nodded, "That¡¯s true. Alright, I¡¯ll discuss it with Agter."


    "That¡¯s great." Jiang Yunkai looked very pleased. He knew that Ling Chen¡¯s words indicated he had agreed.


    After staying at the base for two days, Ling Tao finally arrived in the desert by helicopter.


    Having not seen him for a long time, Ling Tao still looked the same, seemingly very young, like someone in his twenties. However, from the porridge girl, Ling Chen learned that despite Ling Tao¡¯s young appearance, his actual age was probably much older than Ling Kun. This was something Ling Chen found unbelievable, not knowing how Ling Tao managed it.


    Ling Tao first inspected theboratory and only rxed after learning that the Clones were not an issue.


    "Alright, you all leave. I want to chat with Ling Chen alone."


    Upon Ling Tao¡¯s words, the porridge girl immediately led others out of theb. Ling Chen felt a bit excited; he knew that after waiting so long, Ling Tao was finally about toy it all out for him.


    After everyone left, Ling Tao walked to a culture vessel on his own, looking at the young man lying inside, not speaking for a long time, appearing very calm. After a few minutes, Ling Tao pointed at the young man in the culture vessel and asked, "Do you know who this person is?"


    Ling Chen blinked. Isn¡¯t this nonsense? If he knew who this person was, why would he ask you?


    Ling Tao didn¡¯t seem to expect Ling Chen to guess and said to himself, "Hundreds of years ago, his name was very famous, even you should have heard of him. Not only that, the martial arts you are practicing now were also created by him."


    Hearing this, Ling Chen was immediately dumbfounded, his mind a nk. After a while, Ling Chen gradually regained consciousness, saying in an incredulous tone, "You wouldn¡¯t be telling me his name is Ling Gengqiu, would you?"


    Ling Tao nced at Ling Chen, smiled slightly, and asked, "What, do you find it unbelievable? Indeed, for an ordinary person, this news would be shocking. But, what I want to tell you is, he is indeed Ling Gengqiu. To be precise, he is the clone of Ling Gengqiu."


    Ling Chen listened carefully to Ling Tao, his mind racing to keep up with the pace.


    "So, the severed arm stored in the freezer is from Ling Gengqiu¡¯s original body? But... how is that possible? Ling Gengqiu has been dead for hundreds of years, his body long turned to a pile of bones. How could it have been preserved so well?"


    "Ling Chen, you must remember, in this world, there¡¯s nothing absolutely impossible. Perhaps others couldn¡¯t do it, but our ancestors could. Now you should understand why I didn¡¯t want to tell you the truth too early. This matter, for you, is still hard to ept. Even your father needed several days toe to terms when he discovered the truth. Do you still want to continue listening?"


    Ling Chen nodded without hesitation. When capturing Lin Guodong, thetter repeatedly reminded him that the Ling Family¡¯s internal struggles all stemmed from Ling Gengqiu. At the time, he couldn¡¯t understand why a man dead for hundreds of years could influence grudges amongter generations. Now was undoubtedly the best time to uncover this secret. If missed, who knows when he would get the chance to learn the truth.


    "Alright, since you insist on understanding, I¡¯ll tell you the whole story. But you must remember, this is a secret of the Ling Family and must never be revealed to outsiders. Otherwise, the repercussions would be unimaginable."


    "Don¡¯t worry, I have a tight mouth and won¡¯t b."


    "Come with me, let¡¯s find a ce to sit. This matter is not something that can be exined in a few words."

 Chapter 1132 - 1139: Survive

    <h4>Chapter 1132: Chapter 1139: Survive</h4>


    Heart of the desert.


    Zhu Hong and another man trudged forward, their footsteps heavy. They had stripped down to almost nothing, as the desert¡¯s high temperatures were unbearable for anyone without cooling systems after prolonged exposure.


    On that day, to evade capture, Zhu Hong and another man charged with protecting him drove a jeep recklessly all over the ce. Fortunately, they seeded in shaking off their pursuers. Unfortunately, they got lost.


    Losing direction in the desert is undoubtedly a fatal mistake.


    That jeep had no GPS, nopass, and certainly no food, only two bottles of water. Half a day into the desert, the jeep ran out of fuel. With no other options, Zhu Hong and hispanion had to use their legs in an attempt to walk out of the desert.


    The first day they could barely hold on, but by the second day, Zhu Hong was truly at his limit. The water they brought was long gone, and in desperation, they resorted to drinking their own urine. To survive, Zhu Hong had to endure such nauseating actions. In the bottle, there remained only half of their urine, theirst source of hydration.


    With not enough to drink, even urine was scarce.


    "Let¡¯s take a break." the man next to him spoke. Walking for most of the day, under the scorching sun, thirst and hunger set in; even a body made of iron wouldn¡¯t withstand it.


    Zhu Hong remained silent, quietly sitting down on the sand. His throat parched, he took out the water bottle, staring at the little remaining liquid while the eyes of both men remained fixed on it.


    They knew the water was only enough for one of them. But who should drink it?


    Zhu Hong¡¯s status was undoubtedly higher than the other man¡¯s; after all, he was Ling Beichuan¡¯s representative and logically, should be the most deserving of the water. Yet, Zhu Hong thought differently. The man beside him was sent by Ling Beichuan, specifically to ensure his safety.


    More importantly, this man was highly skilled, capable of killing him with ease. This is what worried Zhu Hong the most, something he tried his best to avoid.


    After a brief mental struggle, Zhu Hong finally made a decision. He unscrewed the bottle cap, avoiding the increasingly cold gaze of hispanion.


    "Here, you drink. I can still hold on."


    Seeing Zhu Hong offer the bottle to him, the man was slightly startled. Clearly, Zhu Hong¡¯s action was unexpected; he thought Zhu Hong would drink thest bit of water himself but was surprised by Zhu Hong¡¯s gesture.


    At the moment Zhu Hong unscrewed the cap, the man did feel a surge of murderous intent. To kill Zhu Hong and snatch thest of the water. In this deste desert, the longer one survives, the greater the hope for escape.


    Receiving the bottle, the man¡¯s cracked lips curled slightly. Indeed, this guy was quite self-aware. Immediately, he tilted his head back and gulped down thest drop of water.


    But just then, an unexpected turn of events unfolded.


    As the man tilted his head back, Zhu Hong, who was previously motionless, suddenly lunged at him, knocking him to the sand. Simultaneously, Zhu Hong somehow produced a dagger in his hand.


    Without a hint of hesitation, Zhu Hong gritted his teeth and the sharp dagger plunged into the man¡¯s heart.


    Intense pain struck, causing the man to grip Zhu Hong¡¯s arm tightly, his eyes wide with anger and a hint of resentment.


    He never anticipated Zhu Hong would ambush him while he drank water. He med himself for being too careless, thinking Zhu Hong was afraid of him and thus offering thest bit of water. Clearly, Zhu Hong had premeditated this move. Offering thest of the water was a tactic to feign weakness, lulling his guard. Only then did Zhu Hong have the chance to sessfullyunch his attack.


    Feeling his strength gradually ebb away, the man opened his mouth, yearning to curse. Yet, his weakened body left him without the energy to speak.


    Watching the man¡¯s eyes slowly close, Zhu Hong finally let out a sigh of relief, copsing onto the corpse.


    After taking a moment to rest and regain some strength, Zhu Hong pulled out the dagger lodged in the man¡¯s heart.


    In that instant, a torrent of blood flowed from the wound.


    Blood... Blood... Water...


    Zhu Hong swallowed hard, his expression twisting into something feral. Finally, the desire to survive overcame everything. Without hesitation, Zhu Hong opened his mouth, leaning forward to gulp voraciously.


    At this moment, he couldn¡¯t feel anything, his mind singrly focused.


    Survive... Survive... He couldn¡¯t give up; this corpse was his sole hope out of the desert.


    Quenching his thirst, Zhu Hong slowly lifted his head. His face mask was now stained with crimson blood, resembling a beast that had just hunted its prey, eyes afire with red, devoid of human rationality.


    Huff... Huff...


    Zhu Hong gasped heavily, a flicker of awareness returning to his eyes. Looking at the corpse lying there and the blood on his hands, the metallic taste in his mouth, Zhu Hong seemed to go mad, roaring hoarsely at the sky like a devil, striking fear.


    "I cannot die... I cannot die... I must leave alive, I will leave alive."


    Like a chant, Zhu Hong opened his mouth, quietly mumbling. With each murmured word, his gaze grew resolute.


    In such a desperate situation, willpower decided everything.


    Not knowing how long it took, Zhu Hong ceased his chant, his eyes now icy and resolved, disturbingly calm.


    ncing at the discarded dagger, Zhu Hong picked it up and grabbed the corpse¡¯s arm, slicing down.


    To survive, he needed food...


    ...


    Desert base.


    Ling Chen ced a cup of tea in front of Ling Tao, then sat down across from him.


    Ling Tao watched the tea leaves whirl in the cup, his fingers gently tapping the chair¡¯s armrest, seemingly pondering his next words.


    "Before I tell you the secrets of the Ling Family, I think it¡¯s necessary to first rify the family¡¯s internal factions, so you understand what follows."


    Ling Chen nodded silently, presently an attentive listener. He was mentally prepared; no matter how startling Ling Tao¡¯s story might be, he was ready to handle it.


    At this moment, the vast meeting room echoed only with Ling Tao¡¯s voice.


    "Within the Ling Family, there are two factions. One is the Southern Ling Family, the force you¡¯ve been dealing with. The other faction is the Northern Ling Family, which is the force we represent. You may wonder why, although both are members of the Ling Family, they divide into two factions. The reason is quite simple: because of Ling Gengqiu."

 Chapter 1133 - 1140: Shocking Hidden Truths (1)

    <h4>Chapter 1133: Chapter 1140: Shocking Hidden Truths (1)</h4>


    "Ling Family in the south is considered the orthodox lineage of the Ling Family, while our northern Ling Family is descended from Ling Gengqiu. Speaking of which, our ancestor is Ling Gengqiu."


    After listening to Ling Tao¡¯s story, Ling Chen felt confused and couldn¡¯t help but ask, "But as far as I know, isn¡¯t Ling Gengqiu¡¯s lineage supposed to only include me? How did so many people suddenly appear?"


    Ling Tao smiled, nodded, and said, "I understand your confusion, so what I¡¯m about to tell you next is the greatest secret of the Ling Family." At this point, Ling Tao paused slightly and looked at Ling Chen, asking, "How much do you know about Ling Gengqiu¡¯s life?"


    "The Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion once provided me with a document that recorded Ling Gengqiu¡¯s life events. Ling Gengqiu was considered a yboy, leaving romantic ties everywhere, andter his wife ruined him, leading him to be a monk. The Prajnaparamita Sutra is a cultivation technique Ling Gengqiu created during his monastic life. Later, Ling Gengqiu left behind a pile of relics and then disappeared; no one knows where he died of old age. That¡¯s all I know, I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s correct?"


    "What you said is correct, but you only know part of it, the part before Ling Gengqiu disappeared. I think you must bepletely unaware of the events after his disappearance, which is the secret I¡¯ll tell you."


    Ling Tao took a sip of water, moistened his throat, and then slowly said, "To outsiders, it seemed like Ling Gengqiu disappeared, but in fact, he changed his name and identity, re-entered the secr world, and began a new life. Also, the key point I¡¯d like to tell you is that although Ling Gengqiu was ruined by his wife, he still had the ability to reproduce."


    "That¡¯s impossible!" Ling Chen blurted out. Anyone withmon sense knows that a man who has lost his manhood can¡¯t possibly have offspring. Moreover, medical skills in that era were far less advanced than today¡¯s. Unless...unless Ling Gengqiu¡¯s manhood was only cut halfway. If that¡¯s the case, it might be possible to continue to reproduce.


    Ling Tao seemed unsurprised by Ling Chen¡¯s astonishment, he smiled and said, "Our ancestor was different from ordinary people, many things that seemed impossible happened to him. Not only that, ording to the information we have and verified by multiple parties, back then Ling Gengqiu indeed became a eunuch. Nevertheless, Ling Gengqiu still fathered offspring. Don¡¯t think I¡¯m fooling you; in fact, our existence is the best evidence."


    "Ling Chen, you and your father¡¯s lineage were born before Ling Gengqiu¡¯s incident, while we... were fathered after Ling Gengqiu changed his identity. Moreover, our amorous ancestor didn¡¯t change his ways after adopting new identities, didn¡¯t stop getting involved in affairs, and owed numerous emotional debts, spawning countless illegitimate children. Those illegitimate children mostly didn¡¯t take Ling Gengqiu¡¯s surname but followed their mother¡¯s."


    "As far as I know, Ling Gengqiu adopted three identities altogether. You can imagine how many women he harmed in his lifetime. Of course, those details aren¡¯t the most important; the key is that each of Ling Gengqiu¡¯s identitiessted sixty to seventy years."


    "Sixty to seventy years?" Ling Chen widened his eyes, doubting if he had misheard, "This... how is this possible? Each identitysts sixty years, adding up to nearly two hundred years altogether. Are you telling me our ancestor lived two to three hundred years?"


    At that moment, Ling Chen suddenly recalled a top-secret document he had seen previously. That document was obtained from the God Organization¡¯s hands and had records about Ling Gengqiu. Moreover, the content in that document didn¡¯t differ much from what Ling Tao said. At the time, he thought the document was ridiculous; whether ancient or modern times, such a thing was impossible.


    Though some individuals have lived long lives, their lifespans generally do not exceed one hundred and thirty years. Someone like Ling Gengqiu, who lived two to three hundred years, is absolutely non-existent.


    Holding that thought, Ling Chen dismissed the top-secret document as a joke and didn¡¯t take it seriously. Now, listening to Ling Tao¡¯s story, Ling Chen finally realized that the content in that document might all be true.


    Seeing Ling Chen¡¯s shocked reaction, Ling Tao smiled slightly and said, "I know it¡¯s unbelievable, even akin to fantasy, but I can definitely tell you it¡¯s real. Using today¡¯s science to exin, the human body is like a treasury yet to be explored, containing numerous unknowns. We may not have discovered its secrets, but that doesn¡¯t mean it won¡¯t happen."


    Ling Chen agreed with Ling Tao¡¯s statement. Modern science has advanced significantly and has confirmed that gic mutations are possible. Perhaps his ancestor was just one of those exceptions.


    "Ling Gengqiu thought no one knew his secret, but regardless of what secret it is, it will eventually be discovered over time. The one who discovered this secret wasn¡¯t anyone else, but the southern Ling Family."


    "Given that Ling Gengqiu lived so many years, those in the Ling Family who knew him should be dead. Why would anyone recognize him?"


    "Well... you can¡¯t me others; the me lies with Ling Gengqiu himself; it¡¯s all enthusiasm that caused the trouble." With that, Ling Tao couldn¡¯t help but sigh.


    After listening to Ling Tao¡¯s story, Ling Chen was left somewhat amused and speechless; his ancestor truly aligned with a popr saying nowadays.


    Don¡¯t dig your own grave, and you won¡¯t die!


    Back then, after Ling Gengqiu adopted a new identity, he encountered a beautiful woman on the street. With Ling Gengqiu¡¯s enthusiasm, he naturally became infatuated. For that reason, Ling Gengqiu exerted his charm, persistently pursuing, and eventually won over the beauty.


    However, Ling Gengqiu never expected that the beauty¡¯s husband was someone from the Ling Family. Not only that, but Ling Gengqiu was caught red-handed.


    Although those in the Ling Family who recognized Ling Gengqiu were dead, Ling Gengqiu¡¯s portrait had always been preserved in the Ling family¡¯s ancestral hall as a member of the lineage. Therefore, when the Ling Family saw Ling Gengqiu, they assumed they were mistaken. After all, how could the person from the portraits still be alive?


    At the time, the Ling Family thought it was a coincidence; so many years had passed, Ling Gengqiu couldn¡¯t possibly still be alive. But there was a very conspicuous feature on Ling Gengqiu¡¯s face. Previously, when observing those Clones, Ling Chen also noticed that Ling Gengqiu had a mole on his nose and at the corner of his mouth.


    If it was just physical resemnce, it might indeed be a coincidence, but the moles in identical positions were clearly not coincidental. Realizing he had caused massive trouble and exposed his whereabouts, Ling Gengqiu fled discreetly before the Ling Family could confront him.

 Chapter 1134 - 1141: Shocking Secret (2)

    <h4>Chapter 1134: Chapter 1141: Shocking Secret (2)</h4>


    Ling Gengqiu¡¯s escape made the Ling Family believe that Ling Gengqiu had a guilty conscience, thus further solidifying their suspicions.


    A monster who has lived for two hundred years deserves attention. So, the Ling Family spared no effort to find out the secret to Ling Gengqiu¡¯s longevity. After investing countless time and effort, the Ling Family finally had considerable sess.


    Whether it was the identity Ling Gengqiu is using now or the ones he used before, the Ling Family found them out, including all his descendants, who were also recorded by the Ling Family.


    Decadester, the Ling Family, who had been carefully nning their search, finally got a grasp on Ling Gengqiu¡¯s movements.


    Unfortunately, although they saw Ling Gengqiu, he still managed to escape. However, the meticulous Ling Family had already noticed that even after decades, Ling Gengqiu¡¯s appearance hadn¡¯t changed much.


    Simply put, time hadn¡¯t left any marks on him.


    After that incident, Ling Gengqiupletely disappeared and never appeared again. However, the Ling Family did not give up searching for him, and this secret was passed down from generation to generation until today.


    Once Ling Chen had mostly digested this secret, Ling Tao put down his teacup and continued, "When you used to confront the God Organization, you should have noticed that they conducted a lot of experiments using human bodies. In your opinion, those bodies were ordinary people, but I want to tell you that they were not ordinary people. On the contrary, their identity is the same as ours, they are all descendants of Ling Gengqiu. As I mentioned earlier, Ling Gengqiu had too many illegitimate children. After hundreds of years of propagation, there are very many descendants with Ling Gengqiu¡¯s blood. Otherwise, do you think the God Organization would randomly choose someone for experimentation?"


    "ording to the information and materials we have, we believe Ling Gengqiu¡¯s genes are quite different from ordinary people. Moreover, our researchers specte that Ling Gengqiu likely has a rare healing ability. It is precisely because of this that he can continue to have offspring despite sustaining physical damage."


    Ling Chen asked, "Don¡¯t you have Ling Gengqiu¡¯s severed arm? Can¡¯t extracting genes from him confirm this point?"


    "We have conducted experiments in this regard. On Ling Gengqiu¡¯s clone, we cut an incision with a knife, and ten minutester, that incision automatically healed without leaving a trace. It¡¯s evident that our spection is correct; Ling Gengqiu indeed possesses a rare self-healing ability. However, for some unknown reason, this ability cannot be perfectly manifested in the clone. If the clone suffers serious injuries, it will still die. Currently, we have shifted our direction and re-extracted Ling Gengqiu¡¯s genes to see if he has any other special abilities."


    Upon hearing this, Ling Chen suddenly realized a problem and couldn¡¯t help but ask, "Since Ling Gengqiu has special abilities, logically he wouldn¡¯t die easily. Plus, he¡¯s lived more than two or three hundred years; living a few hundred more shouldn¡¯t be a problem. Why did he die?"


    "I¡¯m not quite sure." Ling Tao said, "However, based on our investigation, Ling Gengqiu died by dismemberment. As you saw, the severed arm was found in a cemetery at the cost of a great deal of effort and resources. When we found the severed arm, there was a corpse in the coffin, but it wasn¡¯t Ling Gengqiu himself. At that time, that corpse¡¯s hand was tightly clutching the severed arm. You didn¡¯t see the eerie scene when the coffin was opened; that corpse had already turned into a skeleton, but the severed arm was unaffected. To be honest, in this science-dominated era, many things remain unexined."


    "Have you investigated the identity of that corpse? Perhaps starting from that angle can rify the reason for Ling Gengqiu¡¯s death."


    "We have investigated these clues, but we could only find a name, and beyond that, no other information." Pausing briefly, Ling Tao continued, "I asked our researchers, to solve Ling Gengqiu¡¯s issues, we must find his head and torso. Only by dissecting his body organs can more data be obtained."


    "Does that mean we¡¯re now ahead?"


    "No, you¡¯re mistaken; we¡¯re not ahead but have fallen behind instead. From what I know, the Southern Ling Family has already found one of Ling Gengqiu¡¯s arms and a leg. Moreover, their objective is like ours, also seeking Ling Gengqiu¡¯s other parts. Over the years, we¡¯ve verified through various channels, and the only certainty is that Ling Gengqiu¡¯s main body parts should be buried in East Sea City. As for the specific location, we haven¡¯t figured it out yet."


    East Sea City?


    Ling Chen was startled. So that¡¯s how it is! Could it be Lin Guodong told him that the main battlefield for the future Ling Family will be in East Sea City, probably because of this reason.


    "Do you know why we haven¡¯t invested our forces into East Sea City all this time?" Ling Tao said with a smile, "Because of your existence. A few years ago, we nned to gradually move our influence into East Sea City. But your sudden emergence made us change our minds. In these two years in East Sea City, you¡¯ve done extraordinarily well, exceeding our expectations. Not only have you established your own power, but you¡¯ve also expelled the God Organization from East Sea City. Now, the God Organization is consideredpletely dismantled, but the remnants have been absorbed by the Ling Family. If it wasn¡¯t necessary this time, I wouldn¡¯t have asked you to help. You¡¯re still young, with much room for growth, and I hope to give you more time to mature."


    "Here, I want to remind you. A key figure from the Southern Ling Family has long been stationed in East Sea City, and his task is to search for clues regarding Ling Gengqiu. That person is very good at hiding; we only know he is called Ling Beichuan. Aside from this, we know nothing about him. Your growth will be an obstacle for some people, and they certainly will attempt to halt your expansion, so you must be careful."


    "I know this. If I¡¯m not mistaken, Zhu Hong has been bought by Ling Beichuan. I think Ling Beichuan is definitely nning to use Zhu Hong to limit me." Ling Chen said.


    "You deal with these matters on your own; I won¡¯t intervene. In short, if possible, I hope you can firmly control the entire East Sea City in your hands. This way, we¡¯ll have a lot of leverage."


    Ling Chen nodded, saying, "I can¡¯t guarantee other things, but I¡¯ll do my best."


    "Good!" After speaking, Ling Tao stood up, saying, "I still have to hurry back; take care, and contact me if anything arises."


    Watching Ling Tao¡¯s departing back, Ling Chen suddenly remembered something and quickly called out, "Wait!"


    Ling Tao turned back and asked, "Is there anything else?"

 Chapter 1135 - 1142: The Golden Ratio

    <h4>Chapter 1135: Chapter 1142: The Golden Ratio</h4>


    "Where¡¯s my dad?"


    "I told you, he¡¯s on a secret mission right now and can¡¯t reveal his whereabouts for the time being. Don¡¯t worry, your dad¡¯s skills are very strong, there won¡¯t be any danger."


    "Okay, then I won¡¯t ask about that. I just want to know one thing: was it my dad who killed Su Zhengyang and his wife from the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion?"


    "Ling Chen, I think it¡¯s better for you to know less about this kind of thing."


    "Why?" Ling Chen said in a deep voice, "Do you know this matter has been bothering me all this time? I can¡¯t sleep well, and I¡¯ve been thinking about it every day, unsure of what to do. You know me well, don¡¯t you? If so, you should know that Su He is considered my Master, and Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion Master Su Mei is also my friend. Right now, I¡¯m caught in the middle, torn from both sides. I¡¯m not asking anything else now, I just want to know the truth."


    "Perhaps the truth will make you more painful?"


    "That doesn¡¯t matter. Even if it¡¯s more painful, it¡¯s better than me guessing blindly."


    Ling Tao thought for a moment, nodded, and said, "Alright. Since you want to know, I might as well tell you. Your father¡¯s involvement in the death of Su Zhengyang and his wife is real. Moreover, he personally killed Su Zhengyang."


    Even though he was mentally prepared, Ling Tao¡¯s admission still made Ling Chen¡¯s heart sink. So it¡¯s true! The rtionship between himself and the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion is there, yet his father killed Su Mei¡¯s biological parents. Once the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion learns the truth, I¡¯m afraid they¡¯ll immediately cut ties with me. Furthermore, they might join forces to retaliate against me.


    Exhaling deeply, Ling Chen looked at Ling Tao and said, "Was it your order?"


    "The death of Su Zhengyang and his wife was an ident. We never intended to kill him. It¡¯s just that something happened at that time. If Ling Kun hadn¡¯t acted this way, the dead person might very well have been your father." Saying this, Ling Tao walked up to Ling Chen, patting his shoulder and said, "I know you¡¯re notfortable inside and don¡¯t know how to face the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, but I ask you to trust your father. If it weren¡¯t under special circumstances, your father wouldn¡¯t easily resort to killing. And this matter has a lot ofplexities, it¡¯s not something that can be exined in a few words. When the time is right, I¡¯ll naturally tell you."


    After saying this, Ling Tao left Ling Chen in silence and walked out of the meeting room alone.


    After Ling Tao left, Ling Chen sat quietly on the chair, digesting Ling Tao¡¯s words.


    Ling Kun killed Su Zhengyang and his wife, this undoubtedly puts him in opposition to the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion. In the future, they can only be enemies, not friends. But what Ling Chen couldn¡¯t understand is why his father would do such a thing? He clearly knows about his rtionship with the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, isn¡¯t this putting himself in a bad position?


    Could it be...he didn¡¯t consider my feelings?


    While pondering, Porridge Girl walked in from outside the meeting room. Looking at the meditating Ling Chen, Porridge Girl said, "Mr. Ling is gone."


    "I know."


    "What did he say to you?" Porridge Girl asked curiously. As a woman with a keen mind, she could sense the change in Ling Chen, as if he had be another person, looking deeply troubled.


    "Nothing." Ling Chen stood up on his own and asked, "Are you going to stay here?"


    Porridge Girl nodded and said, "Mr. Ling just told me that he will soon send someone else to take over the security work at the base. During this period, I must stay here. If everything goes smoothly, I should be able to return to East Sea City in a month."


    "Take care outside yourself. If there¡¯s trouble, call me. There are still many things to handle in East Sea City. I can¡¯t stay here for too long."


    "Alright, I¡¯ll arrange a car for you. There¡¯s a flight tonight that can go directly to East Sea City."


    "Thank you!"


    "What¡¯s there to be polite about? Alright, you should rest for now, I¡¯ll inform you once everything is arranged."


    Evening.


    After twelve o¡¯clock.


    Ling Chen and Qiu Yong and others arrived at East Sea International Airport by ne. This time, only eight of them came back, Jiang Yunkai and others will charter a flight tomorrow to return.


    "Brother, thank you for your hard work this time."


    "What¡¯s so hard about it? To be honest, we just went through the motions, and other things were helped by Ag." Saying this, Qiu Yong looked at Ling Chen and said sincerely, "Ling Cheng, although you didn¡¯t say it, I know you have things on your mind. Whatever the issue, don¡¯t overthink it. No matter what happens, we¡¯ll support you from behind."


    Ling Chen tried hard to squeeze out a smile and nodded slightly, "I know. Thank you, Brother!"


    "Alright, enough of this. Rest early tonight."


    "Let¡¯s get in touch another day."


    Back home, it¡¯s already two in the morning.


    Nanrong Wanqing and the others were long asleep, the house was pitch dark without a bit of light. Ling Chen tiptoed into his bedroom, took a shower, theny on the bed in arge ¡¯X¡¯ shape, eyes staring at the ceiling, quietly thinking.


    After a long time, a soft sigh escaped from Ling Chen¡¯s mouth.


    Perhaps...it¡¯s time to make a decision!


    Next morning.


    Ling Chen yawned, wearing floral shorts, and walked straight out the door.


    "Ling, you¡¯re back?" Seeing Ling Chen appear, Tang Shiyun was very surprised, and ran over to hug Ling Chen¡¯s arm, saying, "Ling, when did you return? You didn¡¯t tell me in advance so I could pick you up."


    "I can find my way, what¡¯s there to pick up."


    While talking, Zhu Xiaozhu and Liu Xiyao simultaneously came out of the bedroom.


    Looking at Ling Chen¡¯s muscr body and those eight evenly sized abs, Zhu Xiaozhu¡¯s pretty face blushed slightly, and her beautiful eyes shed a hint of shyness.


    Compared to Zhu Xiaozhu, Liu Xiyao seemed more bold. She looked at Ling Chen with an appreciative gaze, nodded, and praised, "Your physique is really good, probably better than those fitness coaches."


    Ling Chen proudly smiled, patting his strong chest and said, "That¡¯s right, my physique is rare and of golden proportion."


    Hearing Ling Chen boast, Liu Xiyaoughed and teased, "Really? I think Xiaozhu¡¯s figure is great too, front and back are perfect, why don¡¯t you twopare and see who truly has the golden proportion."


    "Xiyao!" Zhu Xiaozhu¡¯s face flushed red, and she couldn¡¯t help but say with a hint of me, "Why bring me into this out of the blue."


    "You¡¯re no longer young, why are you still so easily shy like a girl? We¡¯re all adults, just joking around, no harm done."


    "Shiyun is still a child. Xiyao, don¡¯t lead her astray."


    Seeing Zhu Xiaozhu call her young, Tang Shiyun immediately disagreed, she straightened her young and tender chest, protesting, "Xiaozhu, I¡¯m already neen, not young anymore."


    Ling Chen secretly nced and tut-tutted. You have to admit, this girl is developing quickly, almost catching up with Zhu Xiaozhu.

 Chapter 1136 - 1143: Dragon Tiger Hall (1)

    <h4>Chapter 1136: Chapter 1143: Dragon Tiger Hall (1)</h4>


    "Ling, what are you looking at?" Noticing Ling Chen¡¯s gaze, Tang Shiyun held his arm, her soft chest gently pressing against it.


    Since she wasn¡¯t wearing clothes, Ling Chen could clearly feel the soft tenderness, causing his heart to flutter. Hearing Tang Shiyun¡¯s voice, Ling Chen immediately redirected his gaze, maintaining a serious demeanor, and said, "Nothing much. Girl, have you been busy these past few days?"


    "Originally, I had a fewmercial performances, but thepany heard I might be in danger, so they postponed them all and let me take a break for a while."


    Ling Chen nodded and looked at Liu Xiyao, asking, "Xiyao, is there nothing going on these days?"


    "Not really. Your people patrol the area 24 hours a day; no one dares to approach this vi. Didn¡¯t you send someone to find that person¡¯s whereabouts? Have you still not found them?"


    "There¡¯s no progress yet, but don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll deploy all our forces to find that guy." With that, Ling Chen patted Tang Shiyun¡¯s little head and said, "I¡¯m going downstairs to chat with my friends; remember toe down for breakfastter."


    Upon reaching the first floor, Bai Huanjun was already waiting for Ling Chen¡¯s appearance. Having learned Ling Chen returnedst night, Bai Huanjun removed his disguise early in the morning, reverting to his original form.


    "You¡¯ve worked hard these days."


    "It¡¯s not too tiring, just staying at home every day, asionally going out to show my face, not much hard work involved. But for you, I heard from Kai that you guys had a great time outside this time. It¡¯s a pity I didn¡¯t join, but remember to take me along next time."


    As he spoke, Bai Huanjun handed over a pre-prepared file to Ling Chen.


    "What is this?"


    "I asked some old friends to investigate and finally got some information on Old K. The nickname ¡¯Old K¡¯ isn¡¯t famous domestically or internationally, but ording to the data, he has nned multiple bombings abroad, and six countries are pursuing him. However, Old K is a very smart criminal. He keeps a low profile, rarely appearing unlessmitting a crime, so no one knows his whereabouts."


    "No leads from Fatty yet?"


    "Not yet. Unless he reveals himself, given his low profile, it¡¯s very hard for us to locate him."


    Ling Chen thought for a moment, then said, "Old K was hired by Zhu Hong, and no one except Zhu Hong probably knows his whereabouts. During the desert battle that day, Zhu Hong fled by car and is currently nowhere to be found. To my knowledge, he hasn¡¯t returned to the country yet. Go back to the baseter and tell Fatty to enhance airport surveince, and arrest Zhu Hong as soon as he shows up."


    "Alright, I¡¯m heading back to the base now."


    After seeing Bai Huanjun off, Ling Chen joined the women for breakfast, then drove alone to the Old City.


    A couple of days ago, Tang Guolun had called Ling Chen, saying that the Dragon Tiger Tower had been fully constructed, and the interior was alsopleted, asking him toe take a look when he had time. Until then, though interested in the establishment of Dragon Tiger Tower, Ling Chen hadn¡¯t been very involved. However, after talking with Ling Tao and learning the truth, Ling Chen finally decided to create a Martial Arts force capable of rivaling the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion.


    Upon arriving at Dragon Tiger Tower, Ling Chen directly entered the main building. There¡¯s no denying Tang Guolun¡¯s efficiency; in such a short time, the building is finished with painting and decoration, exuding grandeur everywhere. Having just beenpleted, the property was filled with a strong smell of paint. At the moment, more than a dozen workers were cleaning the building to remove the odors.


    "Ling Chen."


    Responding to the voice, Ling Chen turned his head and smiled to greet Tang Guolun.


    "Boss Tang, thanks for your hard work."


    "It¡¯s alright. There¡¯s still some finishing up to do, but it should be done in a couple of days. When are you nning to have people move in?"


    "This month, maybe," Ling Chen thought for a while and replied. The main base of Dragon Tiger Tower has been established, and recruiting Martial Arts practitioners will be the next task, which isn¡¯t easy. Moreover, Ling Chen has concerns given the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion¡¯s longstanding dominance, unmatched in experience and influence. nning topete directly with them, Ling Chen wonders whether they might try to restrict him.


    "Right! Boss Tang, can you help me make a que in a couple of days?"


    "Dragon Tiger Tower?"


    "No, change it to Dragon Tiger Hall," Ling Chen opened his mouth to say. He had pondered deeply over the naming of Dragon Tiger Hall. Considering the present times, it¡¯s better to have a more modern and agreeable name. ¡¯Dragon Tiger Hall¡¯ is neither too ordinary nor pretentious, making it just right.


    Ling Chen has thought through the development of Dragon Tiger Hall. Besides recruiting Martial Arts elites, he¡¯s going to open a Martial Arts Academy to impart Martial Arts skills. With an abundance of Martial Arts manuals as support, Ling Chen is confident. If he¡¯s going to do it, he might as well do it big. He clearly understands he startedte and cannotpare with the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, which boasts centuries of history. So, he must embark on an unconventional path.


    These days, whenever Ling Chen is free, he studies the advantages and disadvantages of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion. The advantages are self-evident; the historical foundation is unparalleled. However, its disadvantages are equally apparent. Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, owing to its years of history, has amassed countless Martial Arts manuals, including some lost cultivation techniques. Yet, it covets its treasures, keeping all Martial Arts manuals hidden and never sharing them.


    Furthermore, Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion treats these manuals as lures to attract Martial Arts elites. In reality, they never transmit truly valuable manuals to outsiders. To them, these valuable manuals are their cornerstone.


    Therefore, Ling Chen made a decision; he won¡¯t be like the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, hoarding these manuals. Instead, he will publicize them, and anyone joining Dragon Tiger Hall will be free to choose their learning path.


    The aim is not only to break the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion¡¯s monopoly but also to attract more Martial Arts elites. Besides, Ling Chen hopes to keep these lost Martial Arts skills alive. He understands that throughout history, many valuable Martial Arts got lost mainly because masters withheld some absolute skills during apprentice training, refusing to pass them on. This greatly contributed to the loss of many Kung Fu.


    Ling Chen¡¯s decision is also intended to enhance Dragon Tiger Hall¡¯s influence.


    After chatting with Tang Guolun for a while, Ling Chen didn¡¯t stay long; he drove straight to the base. Since Dragon Tiger Hall has been built, there are plenty of matters to attend to.

 Chapter 1137 - 1144: The Hunt for Zhu Hong

    <h4>Chapter 1137: Chapter 1144: The Hunt for Zhu Hong</h4>


    In the base, after learning about Ling Chen¡¯s purpose, Hu Fei immediately called a group of people over. Most of them were young people, mainly females.


    "Hey! These are the technical talents I¡¯ve trained recently. There aren¡¯t many people, just over twenty, but it¡¯s more than enough to manage the backup base of Dragon Tiger Hall."


    Ling Chen nodded. This was something he had initially agreed upon with Hu Fei; the base and Dragon Tiger Hall should be separate in terms of intelligence and other activities, operating independently. Simply put, the base and Dragon Tiger Hall would be two distinct forces, not to be confused with each other. After all, Dragon Tiger Hall focuses on martial arts conflicts.


    Two days passed in the blink of an eye.


    Early in the morning, Ling Chen was awoken from his sleep by a phone call. Groggily, he picked up the phone, nced at the caller ID, and immediately sat up in bed, quickly answering the call.


    It¡¯s unclear what was said on the other end of the line, but Ling Chen¡¯s eyes lit up, and he responded, "Alright, I understand." After hanging up, Ling Chen started dressing while calling Hu Fei.


    "Fatty, get everyone ready. Zhu Hong will soon appear at the airport."


    In a rush, Ling Chen didn¡¯t even brush his teeth, chewed on a piece of gum, and drove to the airport. Half an hourter, racing along the way, Ling Chen finally arrived at the airport before Zhu Hong. As soon as he got out of the car, he saw several police cars parked outside the airport.


    "Mr. Ling." A policeman greeted Ling Chen as soon as he saw him. Ling Chen nodded at him; these were all Xia Mutong¡¯s subordinates. Because he dealt with Xia Mutong quite often, the police were familiar with Ling Chen.


    "Where is Officer Xia?"


    "Captain Xia went inside with the team and is setting up an ambush."


    "Thanks!" Ling Chen thanked him and quickly made his way to the airport exit. He had informed Xia Mutong, after all, this was an airport full of people, and if things got out of hand, it could cause unnecessary trouble. Therefore, having Xia Mutong take action was most suitable.


    Near the exit, Ling Chen looked around, searching for Xia Mutong and her team. It didn¡¯t take long before he spotted Xia Mutong hidden among the crowd. To avoid rming the target, Xia Mutong and her colleagues wore in clothes. Ling Chen squeezed through the crowd, reached Xia Mutong, and tapped her on the shoulder.


    "You¡¯re pretty fast." Xia Mutong nced at Ling Chen.


    Ling Chen grinned, "This is capturing Zhu Hong, of course, I have to be more active."


    Upon hearing this, Xia Mutong snorted lightly, muttering discontentedly, "As if that¡¯s true." Just then, a voice came through Xia Mutong¡¯s earpiece.


    "The target has appeared."


    As soon as the words were spoken, Ling Chen immediately turned his gaze towards the airport exit. At this moment, arge group of travelers was emerging from the airport. Ling Chen squinted his eyes, carefully scanning the crowd. Before long, a young man wearing a baseball cap and a mask appeared at the exit.


    Despite the mask, he couldn¡¯tpletely hide the silver mask underneath. Xia Mutong fixed her gaze on the target, quietly giving the order: "Everyone, be attentive. See if the target has anypanions."


    Ling Chen chimed in, "It¡¯s just Zhu Hong alone, feel free to make a move."


    Xia Mutong nodded, promptly issuing the actionmand. In an instant, six or seven inclothes officers swiftly surged from the crowd towards Zhu Hong. Before Zhu Hong could react, one of them had already pinned him to the ground.


    This sudden turn of events immediately caught the attention of nearby travelers, some of whom took out their phones to record the scene.


    By this time, several inclothes officers had already restrained Zhu Hong, and Xia Mutong strode over, directly removing his mask and baseball cap.


    "Zhu Hong, you are under arrest!" she dered, pulling out a pair of handcuffs and securing them on his wrists. "Take him back to the station, monitor him closely. Without my permission, no one is allowed to visit."


    "Yes, Captain Xia."


    Watching Zhu Hong being taken away, Ling Chen exhaled deeply; finally catching this guy. Luckily, everything went smoothly without any unforeseen events.


    ...


    Later that morning.


    A young man hurriedly dashed into a guesthouse, not bothering to catch his breath, he said urgently: "Bad news, I just got word that Zhu Hong has been captured."


    "What?" People inside the room stood up, one of them asked gravely, "Are you sure? Where did you get this information?"


    The young man quickly moved to aputer, opened a video-sharing website, and soon, the video of the police arresting Zhu Hong at the airport appeared on everyone¡¯s screens.


    Seeing Zhu Hong being captured and then escorted into a police car, everyone¡¯s expressions turned extremely grim.


    "Old K, what do we do now?" All eyes inevitably turned to a middle-aged man.


    Old K pondered for a moment, then said, "Don¡¯t panic yet; just because someone is wearing a mask simr to Zhu Hong¡¯s, we can¡¯t be certain it¡¯s him." After a pause, he continued, "As far as I know, Mr. Ling sent a skilled bodyguard to apany Zhu Hong, specifically to ensure his safety."


    The young man who delivered the news said, "The person sent by Mr. Ling has probably died. We received reports that an operation abroad failed, and the entire team was either killed or captured. So, since only Zhu Hong returned to East Sea City, it indicates the others faced misfortune."


    "Have you tried calling Zhu Hong?"


    "We¡¯ve all tried, but the call doesn¡¯t go through, so... this video is likely real. Mr. Ling stated that no matter what, Zhu Hong must be dealt with. If it¡¯s impossible to rescue him, he must be silenced permanently. He knows too much, and if he spills to the police, not only we but even Mr. Ling¡¯s location could be exposed."


    "So what does Mr. Ling mean?"


    "Take action promptly, locate Zhu Hong, and ensure he hasn¡¯t disclosed our intel to the police. If he hasn¡¯t, try to rescue him. On the contrary, kill him. Mr. Ling is prepared to relocate at any time, and as soon as you get the news, inform us immediately."


    Old K tapped his fingers lightly on the table, his expression nk, "Zhu Hong is now detained at the station; are you suggesting we storm the police station? This is Huaxia, not overseas; you should know the consequences of such actions. To go against the entire police force is akin to challenging the country itself¡ªa ridiculously foolish act. Though you hired me, I won¡¯t do something leading to certain doom."


    "You¡¯ve misunderstood." The young man hurriedly exined, "We¡¯re not asking you to act at the station; Mr. Ling has some connections, and he¡¯ll have Zhu Hong transferred directly to prison, where you can act en route to free him."

 Chapter 1138 - 1145: Fishing Operation

    <h4>Chapter 1138: Chapter 1145: Fishing Operation</h4>


    "Captain Xia, a directive just came down from above, instructing you to immediately transfer the prisoner captured today to the prison." A policeman walked into Xia Mutong¡¯s office and handed her an order signed by the director.


    "Transfer?" Xia Mutong frowned and said, "We haven¡¯t even interrogated him yet, why transfer him so quickly?"


    "The higher-ups said, given the prisoner¡¯s special identity and extreme danger, our police force doesn¡¯t have enough resources to protect him, so we need to transfer him immediately to a high-security prison."


    Xia Mutong looked at the document signed by the director and said helplessly, "Alright then, since it¡¯s the director¡¯s order, immediately notify everyone to prepare. We¡¯ll leave from the parking lot in half an hour and directly transfer the prisoner to the prison."


    After the colleagues left the office, Xia Mutong immediately picked up the phone and called Ling Chen.


    "Hello! Looks like your guess was right, they have someone on the inside. The order has alreadye down, and in half an hour we¡¯ll be transferring the prisoner. I think they¡¯ll definitely try to intercept along the way... alright, get here as soon as you can. I¡¯ll wait for you in the parking lot."


    After hanging up the phone, Xia Mutong put on her police uniform,pleted her gun and bulletproof vest, and quickly walked out of the office.


    Half an hour passed quickly, and in the parking lot on the basement level of the police station, Zhu Hong wearing a prison uniform with chains on his hands and feet, was escorted by several police officers into a prisoner transport vehicle.


    Xia Mutong nced at Zhu Hong sitting in the prisoner vehicle, turned to the police responsible for guarding Zhu Hong and instructed, "Keep a close watch on him. If he tries anything, shoot to kill immediately. That¡¯s my order, understood?"


    "Captain Xia, you can rest assured, this guy won¡¯t escape our grasp."


    "Hmph!" Zhu Hong, who had been silent all along, sneered disdainfully, "Just you few? Be careful or you won¡¯t even know how you ended up dead."


    "Zhu Hong, stop being arrogant in front of me. Now that you¡¯re in my hands, don¡¯t think you¡¯ll have a nice time again." After saying that, Xia Mutong mmed the car door shut, signaling the driver to start the car, and the convoy prepared to depart.


    Not long after, the convoy left the parking lot and drove onto the road. At the back of the convoy, an Audi followed, with Ling Chen in the driver¡¯s seat.


    Upon receiving Xia Mutong¡¯s notification, Ling Chen immediately drove over. As he expected, after Zhu Hong was caught, Ling Beichuan would surely take action. This was a perfect opportunity to lure the snake out and capture Ling Beichuan¡¯s men in one fell swoop.


    The journey from the police station to the prison was about an hour, and because of the city¡¯s traffic congestion, it took more time.


    On the way, the convoy moved intermittently, struggling to maintain a speed of sixty kilometers per hour. After twenty or so minutes, the convoy reached a junction at an intersection. Ling Chen stopped the car behind the convoy, and stuck his head out the window, looking at the traffic lights ahead. It¡¯s been a minute already, but it¡¯s still a red light, which was clearly unusual.


    While thinking, a garbage truck came from another road, and as it crossed the intersection, suddenly changednes and crashed directly into the lead police car of the convoy.


    Boom!


    Under the collision impact from the garbage truck, the police car was instantly wrecked, with its body even deformed. Meanwhile, Ling Chen saw through the rearview mirror, another garbage truck rapidly approaching from behind, seemingly aiming to seal off the convoy¡¯s rear route. Without time to think, Ling Chen hurriedly pushed open the car door, leaped out of the vehicle.


    The next second, apanied by a loud crash, the front of the garbage truck hit the tail of the Audi viciously. Driven by the inertia impact, the Audi charged straight forward, crashing into the police car ahead.


    At that moment when the convoy was cornered, more than twenty people jumped out from the two garbage trucks respectively, swiftly heading towards the prisoner transport vehicle in the middle.


    These people all wore suits and masks to prevent identification. Before they could reach the prisoner vehicle, Ling Chen tapped lightly on his tiptoes, leaped into the air, and jumped onto the roof of a police car, striding rapidly forward. In an instant, Ling Chen overtook the group of robbers, blocking their path.


    A man in a suit at the forefront saw Ling Chen appear and, without a word, swung the electric baton in his hand, aiming directly at Ling Chen¡¯s head.


    Seeing this, Ling Chen slightly shifted his footsteps, dodging the electric baton attack, and simultaneously, leaned his body slightly forward, executing a Mountain Copse technique, and mmed his shoulder hard. There was a scream of pain, and the body of the man in the suit was instantly knocked out.


    Hearing theirpanion¡¯s scream, the group of suited men immediately focused their gaze on Ling Chen.


    "Go, stop him!"


    As the words fell, before Ling Chen could strike again, a man in a suit with a mask had already appeared in front of Ling Chen.


    Ling Chen surveyed the opponent, a hint of surprise shed across his Mo Che-like pupils. Although this person was wearing a suit, from his graying hair, it could be seen that the man was not young.


    Thoughts raced through his mind, a fierce gust of power suddenly approached, pushing rapidly towards Ling Chen¡¯s front. As the gust came, Ling Chen only noticed a shadow sh in front of him, with the opponent¡¯s punch forcefully aiming straight for his face.


    So fast!


    Ling Chen¡¯s heart was startled, he managed his thoughts and swiftly shifted his footwork. As the Nine Yang Qiankun Step was deployed, Ling Chen¡¯s body seemed like a gust of wind, dodging the opponent¡¯s attack in time.


    A master... who knew that Ling Beichuan valued Zhu Hong so highly, sending a master here for the rescue.


    At this moment, smoke bombs were thrown from all directions, surrounding the prisoner vehicle in the middle. In an instant, thick smoke engulfed the scene, obscuring the entire prisoner vehicle, making it impossible to see anything.


    While Ling Chen was still entangled with the master, several suited men quickly reached the back of the prisoner vehicle, smashed open the window ss, and threw a shbang inside.


    Boom!


    The blinding sh exploded, and hearingmotion from inside the vehicle, several suited men said nothing, immediately opened the car door. At this moment, the police officers responsible for guarding Zhu Hong were lying on the ground, covering their eyes, intermittently moaning in pain.


    "Quickly take the person away!"


    "Mr. Zhu, let¡¯s go."


    Under the crowd of suited men, Zhu Hong quickly fled from the prisoner vehicle. Just when everyone was ready to leave, a cold shout suddenly came: "Stop!"


    Looking intently, they saw Xia Mutong holding a gun, coldly watching Zhu Hong and hispanions. On her forehead, there was a wound several centimeters long, with blood gushing out, trickling slowly down her cheek. She was sitting in the first police car earlier, which happened to be smashed by the garbage truck. Luckily, her physical strength was extraordinary, among her colleagues in the vehicle who were knocked out, she was the only one unscathed.


    All eyes stopped, Zhu Hong and his men instantly halted, coldly ring at Xia Mutong.


    "Put your hands up!" Xia Mutongmanded softly.

 Chapter 1139 - 1146: Life or Death Uncertain

    <h4>Chapter 1139: Chapter 1146: Life or Death Uncertain</h4>


    Zhu Hong let out a cold smile,pletely unmoved. At this moment, a man in a suit standing next to Zhu Hong suddenly elerated, charging straight at Xia Mutong.


    Seeing the opponent rapidly approaching, Xia Mutong bit down, without thinking, she directly pulled the trigger. ¡¯Bang!¡¯ As the gunshot rang out, the man in the suit abruptly turned, performing a perfect dodge, with the bullet almost grazing the edge of his clothes.


    Dodged it?


    Xia Mutong stared nkly at the man in the suit, momentarily stunned, she never imagined someone could dodge a bullet, this... this must take incredible perception and reaction ability.


    At this moment, the man in the suit had already closed in, Xia Mutong held the pistol, her finger slightly pulling, preparing to shoot again. However, before she could pull the trigger, a powerful force suddenly struck, directly knocking the pistol out of her hand.


    With the loss of the gun¡¯s intimidation, Xia Mutong¡¯s heart sank, she swiftly swung a punch to meet the opponent¡¯s attack. As the fists collided, Xia Mutong felt an overwhelming power surging forth, like a sweeping wave, impacting her body. Unsteady, Xia Mutong leaned back, retreating three or four steps before finally stabilizing herself.


    Seeing Xia Mutong steady her body, a trace of surprise flickered in the eyes of the man in the suit. The power of his punch was formidable, only Earthly List experts could withstand it. However, this female officer before him was no martial artist, yet she managed to take his hit head-on, truly impressive.


    It hurts!


    Xia Mutong slightly furrowed her brow, her wrist continuously rotating. After that punch, her whole arm felt incredibly sore, with no strength at all. Fortunately, she had undergone modification experiments from the God Organization, her body was extraordinary, her strength exceptional. Otherwise, that punch just now would have been enough to break her arm.


    Without waiting for Xia Mutong tounch an offensive, the man in the suit leapt forward, closing the distance in an instant, his fists like twin dragons emerging from the sea, aggressively charging toward Xia Mutong.


    Although possessing extraordinary strength, Xia Mutong¡¯s other aspects couldn¡¯tpare to an actual expert. In the blink of an eye, before she could react, the two punches had already struck her body. Power erupted, Xia Mutong felt her body lighten, directly lifted off the ground, crashing hard against the prison van,nding heavily.


    Taking advantage of this opportunity, the man in the suit rushed forward again, his fist descending toward Xia Mutong¡¯s head. If this punch hit, Xia Mutong would likely die on the spot.


    "Mutong!" Seeing the danger Xia Mutong was in, Ling Chen¡¯s expression changed drastically, quickly sprinting toward Xia Mutong. However, he hadn¡¯t run far when a white-haired man in a suit blocked his way.


    Ling Chen¡¯s heart sank, through the previous exchange he realized, the person before him was extremely skilled, definitely ranking among the top five on the Earthly List. With his current strength, shaking off the opponent¡¯s entanglement was impossible.


    What to do?


    Was he really going to watch Xia Mutong get killed? At this moment, Ling Chen felt very guilty. He intended to use Zhu Hong to lure the snake out of its hole and catch them all, yet Bai Ling Beichuan unexpectedly sent so many experts to rescue Zhu Hong.


    Calcted everything, except this one point.


    "Stop!" At this moment, a cold voice sounded. It was Zhu Hong who spoke, hearing his shout, the suit-d man who was about to end Xia Mutong¡¯s life immediately withdrew his fist, turning his head to look at Zhu Hong who was striding over, speaking in a deep voice: "What do you want?"


    Zhu Hong said nothing, walking to Xia Mutong on his own.


    "Officer Xia, thanks for your earlier care, I feel I should repay you somehow." Saying this, Zhu Hong bent down, pulling out a dagger from Xia Mutong¡¯s waist. Looking at the sharp de, Zhu Hong let out a malicious smile, his arm swinging down fiercely.


    In Xia Mutong¡¯s shocked gaze, the dagger stabbed into her body. In an instant, blood sttered, Xia Mutong¡¯s face turned pale instantly.


    "Ling Chen!" Zhu Hong turned his head, looking at Ling Chen who was being held back not far away, coldlyughing as he said: "I want you to watch as I kill those around you one by one, she is just the first. Unless you die, otherwise, I will let you experience what true pain feels like." After speaking, Zhu Hong waved his hand, lightly shouting: "Let¡¯s go!"


    Watching Zhu Hong and others escape by car, Ling Chen clenched his fists tightly, his rage evident, his lips almost biting into blood. "Ah!" He roared loudly, venting his anger and hatred.


    "Ling... Ling Chen..."


    Hearing Xia Mutong¡¯s groans, Ling Chen regained a bit ofposure, hurriedly running to Xia Mutong¡¯s side, cradling her head, concerned as he said: "Don¡¯t be afraid, you¡¯ll be fine, I¡¯ll get you to the hospital right away."


    "I...I might... not make it..." Xia Mutong¡¯s mouth opened, her breath like a thread, face pale as paper, lips void of any color.


    "No, don¡¯t give up, hold on, you can do it." Ling Chen shouted while lifting Xia Mutong¡¯s delicate body, gging down a taxi on the roadside, swiftly heading to the hospital.


    Ten minutes or so passed, Hu Fei, Jiang Hao, and Nanrong Hao arrived at the hospital with their men. Seeing Ling Chen sitting in the corridor, Jiang Hao hurriedly ran over and asked: "Chen, how is Officer Xia¡¯s condition?"


    "I don¡¯t know." Ling Chen replied, turning to Hu Fei and asked: "Fatty, have you found their whereabouts?"


    "I¡¯ve already sent people to track them secretly, we should have results soon."


    "Let¡¯s go, anyhow, we can¡¯t let them off this time."


    "Chen, what about Officer Xia?" Nanrong Hao asked.


    Ling Chen said sternly: "I¡¯ve contacted the police station, they¡¯ll send someone over soon. Right now, Zhu Hong is the priority, nothing else matters. If Zhu Hong escapes, Officer Xia¡¯s efforts will be in vain."


    At this moment, several cars slowly drove into apound. The car doors opened, Zhu Hong got out first, others followed behind him. After walking a few steps, Zhu Hong suddenly staggered forward, directly copsing onto the ground.


    "Mr. Zhu, what¡¯s wrong?" Several men in suits quickly helped Zhu Hong.


    Zhu Hong coughed a few times, speaking weakly: "It¡¯s nothing, just got beaten up by those cops."


    "Help Mr. Zhu into the house."


    "Wait!"


    "Mr. Zhu, is there anything else?"


    "Old K." Zhu Hong called out.


    "Here I am." A man in a suit stepped forward, taking off his mask, asking: "Does Mr. Zhu have any orders?"


    Zhu Hong looked at him and said: "Ling Chen and his people won¡¯t let this go easily, they¡¯re definitely searching for us everywhere now. Send people to check for any tails, if anyone is tracking, kill them directly."

 Chapter 1140 - 1147: A Scheme Within a Scheme

    <h4>Chapter 1140: Chapter 1147: A Scheme Within a Scheme</h4>


    Back inside the house, Zhu Hong was carried by several people and ced on a sofa. A gray-haired man in a suit stepped forward and said in a low voice, "Mr. Zhu, I want to know what you told the police. Did you disclose anything about Mr. Ling?"


    Zhu Hong nced at him and said, "Do you think I would betray Mr. Ling? I¡¯m a sensible person. Mr. Ling is my savior; I would never do anything to betray him. Besides, only by doing so do I have the value to continue living, don¡¯t I?"


    The man stared into Zhu Hong¡¯s eyes, nodded, and said, "Very well, that¡¯s what I hoped to see. Now that you¡¯ve escaped from police custody, you¡¯ll continue to handle things here, and I need to report back to the boss."


    "Wait!" Zhu Hong, lying on the sofa, sat up and looked at him. "Take me with you to see Mr. Ling."


    "Why do you want to see the boss? The boss isn¡¯t in good health. You can tell me, and I¡¯ll ry the message."


    "No, it¡¯s a very serious matter, and I must report to Mr. Ling in person." Zhu Hong paused and added, "It has to do with Ling Chen and the Northern Ling Family."


    The Northern Ling Family?


    Upon hearing those four words, a strange look shed across the man¡¯s eyes. Looking at Zhu Hong, whose gaze was determined, the man was silent for a moment, then suddenly smiled.


    "I see. You want to show your value in front of the boss, right? Fine, if that¡¯s the case, I¡¯ll grant your wish. You two..." He pointed at the two men in suits present and ordered, "Go, get the car ready."


    "Yes."


    Before getting in the car, a man in a suit held a scanner and swept it over Zhu Hong¡¯s body, not missing a spot. Watching the man¡¯s actions, Zhu Hong said discontentedly, "What does this mean?"


    "Don¡¯t mind it, it¡¯s just to ensure you aren¡¯t carrying or have imnted any tracking device. The boss¡¯s ce needs to stay secret; the fewer who know, the better." With that, the man put away the scanner, nodded, and said, "No problem, get in the car!"


    Half an hourter, a luxury car stopped in front of an old residential building.


    With the help of the two suited men, Zhu Hong slowly walked and followed them up the stairs to the top floor of the building. The man in front knocked on the door, and soon, a young man peeked out, looked at him, and said, "Housekeeper Luo."


    "Is the boss here?"


    "The boss is in the living room."


    "Alright, you go down first; we need to see the boss." Housekeeper Luo gestured to Zhu Hong inside. They walked straight into the living room. Seeing Ling Beichuan in a wheelchair, Housekeeper Luo slightly bent over, quickly walked to Ling Beichuan, and said respectfully, "Boss, we¡¯re back. Zhu Hong didn¡¯t let you down. Additionally, Zhu Hong told me he knows something about the Northern Ling Family."


    Upon hearing this, Ling Beichuan, who had been closing his eyes, opened them and turned to Zhu Hong, weakly saying, "Go ahead, what information did you get?"


    Zhu Hong didn¡¯t speak and instead stared into Ling Beichuan¡¯s eyes. After a moment, he suddenly asked, "Are you Ling Beichuan?" As he spoke, both Housekeeper Luo and Ling Beichuan noticed a clear difference in the voice from earlier.


    This person...isn¡¯t Zhu Hong!


    Housekeeper Luo reacted the fastest, stepping forward to shield Ling Beichuan, coldly asking, "You¡¯re not Zhu Hong. Who are you really?"


    ¡¯Zhu Hong¡¯ smiled slightly, casually removing a silver mask. Instantly, a stranger¡¯s face appeared before the two of them.


    "I am Bai Huanjun. You might be hearing my name for the first time."


    Housekeeper Luo¡¯s pupils narrowed as he said, word by word, "The previous hijacking of the convoy and the scene of police killing were all fake?"


    "Exactly, it was all a y. Luckily, we performed well without any ws." Bai Huanjun said with a proud smile.


    "If I¡¯m not mistaken, you must be Ling Chen¡¯s person. However, Ling Chen sent you alone to die; I really don¡¯t know what he was thinking." Housekeeper Luo said coldly, stepping forward to make a move.


    Bang!


    At this moment, a loud bang came, and the door was suddenly kicked open. Then, a team of fully armed police stormed in from outside. Housekeeper Luo looked closely and was shocked to discover that the leader was none other than Xia Mutong, who had been ¡¯killed¡¯ earlier.


    "Nobody move, raise your hands!" Xia Mutong raised his gun, aiming it at Housekeeper Luo and Ling Beichuan in the wheelchair, and shouted lightly.


    Housekeeper Luo squinted his eyes, looking at Bai Huanjun¡¯s triumphant smile, and said coldly, "That¡¯s impossible. I checked, and you weren¡¯t carrying any tracking devices, nor was anyone secretly following you. How did you expose your location?"


    "Let me exin that." A voice came, and Ling Chen entered with a team from outside.


    "It¡¯s actually simple; some things don¡¯t rely on technology. Thanks to Little Fei¡¯s help, it has been monitoring your movements from above without you noticing."


    Little Fei was the hawk trained by Song Mingzhe. For this operation, Ling Chen specifically borrowed Little Fei to assist in tracking Bai Huanjun¡¯s whereabouts. He knew Ling Beichuan¡¯s men would be cautious, and imnting a tracking chip in Bai Huanjun would easily get discovered. Therefore, Little Fei was the best choice, and facts proved his decision was right.


    "Is Zhu Hong dead? Or was he really captured by you? Otherwise, you wouldn¡¯t have disguised as him to lure us into action." Ling Beichuan, who hadn¡¯t spoken, said. Faced with the current situation, he remained very calm.


    "Whether he¡¯s dead or not, I don¡¯t know. I think...he might now be lost in the desert." Ling Chen said.


    The phone call he received this morning was actually from Ag. Before returning to East Sea City, Ling Chenmissioned Ag to continue searching for Zhu Hong¡¯s whereabouts. Ag told him they found an abandoned jeep in the desert¡¯s depths, which was the vehicle Zhu Hong and his people used to escape. However, they found no trace of Zhu Hong on site. In such a vast desert, it¡¯s impossible to walk out on foot. Moreover, ording to the jeep¡¯s remaining traces, Zhu Hong and his group have been lost in the desert for several days and might have starved to death in some unknown ce.


    For this reason, Ling Chen decided to let Bai Huanjun impersonate Zhu Hong being captured. As for the capture scene, it was pre-designed, allowing the travelers to have the opportunity to record. This way, once the video circted online, Ling Beichuan and Old K would quickly learn about Zhu Hong¡¯s capture.

 Chapter 1141 - 1148: Ling Beichuan Captured

    <h4>Chapter 1141: Chapter 1148: Ling Beichuan Captured</h4>


    To pursue authenticity and make those who came to the rescue believe in Zhu Hong¡¯s identity, Ling Chen and Xia Mutong deliberately staged a scene where Xia Mutong was covered in blood. This way, Ling Beichuan¡¯s people would definitely not have any doubts. As for the next part, it would be even easier. Have Little Fei secretly track Bai Huanjun¡¯s location all the way to Ling Beichuan¡¯s residence.


    "Mr. Ling, pleasee with us," Ling Chen said indifferently.


    Ling Beichuan coughed a few times and calmly said, "I want to ask the officers, what crime have Imitted, and why do you want to arrest me?"


    Upon hearing this, the team leader Xia Mutong was momentarily stunned. Indeed, all her actions were to cooperate with Ling Chen. If it were Zhu Hong, she could find many reasons to arrest him, but Ling Beichuan¡¯s words... she couldn¡¯t think of any useful evidence.


    After contemting for a while, Xia Mutong spoke up, "Mr. Ling, you¡¯re not unfamiliar with Old K, right? You hired Old K to make bomb threats in East Sea City and even killed an innocent citizen. Just based on this, I think it¡¯s necessary to take you in for questioning."


    "Old K?" Ling Beichuan chuckled, looking up at the Housekeeper Luo beside him, and asked, "Do you know this person?"


    "Sir, I haven¡¯t heard of this person¡¯s name. However, if it¡¯s really as the officer said, then it was very likely secretly hired by Zhu Hong, and has nothing to do with us. Officer, if you¡¯re looking for the culprit, then go find Zhu Hong. We have nothing to do with this matter."


    "Fine." Ling Chen chimed in, "Even if you have nothing to do with Zhu Hong, what about hijacking the convoy and injuring the police officers? How do you ount for that? Housekeeper Luo, you were involved at the time, are you thinking of denying it? Not to mention anything else, but just the charge of assaulting police is enough to invite you for an investigation at the police station." Saying this, Ling Chen nced at the silent Ling Beichuan with a slight smile and said, "Mr. Ling, do you have any more excuses to make?"


    Without waiting for Ling Beichuan to speak again, Xia Mutong waved her hand and issued an order, "Arrest them all and keep them under strict supervision."


    As her words fell, several police officers pulled out handcuffs and swiftly approached, ready to arrest Ling Beichuan and Housekeeper Luo. But just then, Ling Beichuan, sitting in a wheelchair, suddenly coughed violently, his body trembling slightly, and his limbs seemed to be out of control. At the same time, foam came out of his mouth, and his body seemed to lose control, copsing to the ground, his face pale and in danger of dying at any moment.


    Seeing this situation, Xia Mutong immediately dialed 120 for an ambnce to rush to the scene.


    Looking at Ling Beichuan lying unconscious, Housekeeper Luo uttered not a word, honestly put on the handcuffs, and was escorted out of the room by the police.


    Ling Chen walked to Ling Beichuan¡¯s side and checked his pulse. Considering Ling Beichuan¡¯s recent performance, he thought the man might be faking it. Because it couldn¡¯t be so coincidental that just as they were about to arrest him, he suddenly fell ill. However, judging from the pulse, Ling Beichuan seemed very weak, not like he was feigning unconsciousness. Moreover, looking at the oxygen device on the wheelchair, it seemed likely that Ling Beichuan was suffering from a serious illness and fell into aa under external stimtion.


    In any case, to be safe, Ling Chen not only maintained police surveince over Ling Beichuan but also added more manpower. If Ling Beichuan intended to feign illness to escape, he would never let him seed.


    After Ling Beichuan and others were taken away, Ling Chen had a brief conversation with Xia Mutong.


    "I¡¯ve helped as much as I can, you¡¯ll have to handle the rest yourself. Remember, don¡¯t make it too big." Xia Mutong advised.


    Ling Chen replied with a smile, "Don¡¯t worry, I know what to do."


    After seeing Xia Mutong off, Ling Chen immediately ordered the entire residential building to be sealed. This was Ling Beichuan¡¯s turf, and his secrets must be hidden inside this house. Ling Beichuan was the first key figure he had captured, so he must be hiding many secrets.


    Soon, Hu Fei arrived with people.


    "Fatty, have them search thoroughly, don¡¯t miss inside or outside. Anything of value, bring it all back."


    "Alright, got it," Hu Fei nodded and quickly assigned the task.


    Over an hourter, standing in the corridor, Ling Chen saw Hu Fei approaching and quickly asked, "How¡¯s it going, did you find anything?"


    "I¡¯m afraid I¡¯m going to disappoint you."


    "Disappoint?" Ling Chen was slightly stunned and asked, "What do you mean?"


    "We¡¯ve searched all over but didn¡¯t find anything valuable, just some simple furniture, hardly anything valuable at all."


    Upon hearing this, Ling Chen frowned and said, "How is that possible? Could you have missed something?"


    Hu Fei shrugged and said, "If you don¡¯t believe me, why don¡¯t you check it out yourself?"


    Ling Chen said nothing, quickly walked into the room. Looking at the arrangement around, as Hu Fei had said, aside from some simple furniture, there was nothing suspicious, not even a safe.


    "Well, now do you finally believe me?" Hu Fei said, following behind.


    "It¡¯s impossible for there to be nothing." Ling Chen pondered for a moment and said, "Fatty, get some guys, tear down the walls inside. I refuse to believe we won¡¯t find anything."


    "Alright, I¡¯ll call someone right away."


    Soon, more than a dozen youths with hammers began tearing down a few walls inside the house. Ling Chen and Hu Fei stood by, monitoring the progress.


    "Chen, there seems to be something in here." After a few minutes, a young man suddenly shouted.


    Ling Chen¡¯s eyes brightened, and he hurried over. Through a crack in the wall, he saw a two-meter-high safe hidden behind it. The safe waspletely blocked by the wall, and if they hadn¡¯t broken through the wall, the inside safe couldn¡¯t have been discovered.


    Ling Chen was somewhat surprised; when Ling Beichuan built this wall, he hadn¡¯t created a movable mechanism. Ling Chen was rather curious about what the safe contained that Ling Beichuan would take such great care to hide it.


    Soon, with collective effort, the two-meter-high safe was pulled out.


    "Fatty, can you unlock it?" Ling Chen asked. He had just checked; it was a dual code lock controlled by a smart system. If it were a mechanical lock, he might try to tackle it, but this electronic code lock could only be handled by Hu Fei.


    "Well, well!" Hu Fei examined it for a moment and said, "Ling Chen, the safe model is not simple. From what I know, this safe is custom-made by apany that specializes in safes, entirely tailored to individual clientele, with top-level security measures."

 Chapter 1142 - 1149: Old K’s Fate

    <h4>Chapter 1142: Chapter 1149: Old K¡¯s Fate</h4>


    "Fatty, is this kind of safe hard to crack?" Ling Chen asked.


    "From what I understand, this kind of safe has a double password system. Besides an eight-digit code, it also requires retinal and voice recognition. Unless all three are correct, if even one step is wrong, everything inside will be automatically destroyed," Hu Fei exined. "Looking at Ling Beichuan¡¯s demeanor, I doubt he¡¯ll tell you the password."


    "What should we do then? Should I... try and think of something?"


    "You just need to deal with the retinal and voice recognition systems; I can handle the eight-digit password."


    "Okay, I¡¯ll get it sorted for you as soon as possible."


    Immediately, Ling Chen gathered everyone and transported the safe downstairs, then arranged for a truck to take it to the base. This safe was secretly protected by Ling Beichuan and surely hid many secrets. If he could uncover them, perhaps he¡¯d gain deeper insight into the southern Ling Family.


    Returning to the base, Jiang Hao was already waiting for Ling Chen¡¯s return.


    "Chen."


    "What do you need me for?"


    "It¡¯s like this..." Jiang Hao leaned over and whispered a few words into Ling Chen¡¯s ear. After listening, Ling Chen lightly nodded and said, "Let¡¯s go, take me to meet him."


    Shortly after, the two arrived at an interrogation room inside the base. As the door opened, Ling Chen immediately saw a middle-aged man, hands tied with chains, sitting on a chair with a few people watching him.


    "Chen!"


    Upon seeing Ling Chen, everyone in the interrogation room greeted him.


    Ling Chen nodded in acknowledgement, then focused his attention on the middle-aged man. After a few nces, Ling Chen slowly spoke, "Are you Old K? No need for introductions, I believe you know who I am."


    "Mr. Ling, I don¡¯t know why you¡¯ve brought me here," Old K asked calmly.


    "You know perfectly well, there¡¯s no need for me to waste words."


    Old K smiled and said, "Mr. Ling, I think you may have misunderstood. I¡¯m just hired help, and everything I did was under Zhu Hong¡¯s orders. At most, I¡¯m an executor. So if you want revenge, it¡¯s Zhu Hong you should be targeting, not me. I think we can sit down and have a talk. As long as you release me, I¡¯m willing to ept some conditions."


    "I don¡¯t think there¡¯s much for us to discuss. An eye for an eye, it¡¯s only natural. You and I are not new to this game. If you¡¯re caught, you should be prepared. Jiang Hao!"


    "Chen, what are your orders?"


    "Break his arms and legs, toss him to the streets to beg, and find someone to watch over him, don¡¯t let him escape." With that, Ling Chen turned to look at Old K and said, "I¡¯m giving you a chance to live: whenever you can beg for a million, I¡¯ll let you go."


    Upon hearing these words, a change finally appeared on Old K¡¯s face. To people like them, death isn¡¯t frightening. As Ling Chen just said, he¡¯s been mentally prepared since he entered this line of work. However, living a fate worse than death is the most painful experience.


    He would rather die than be a cripple.


    "Mr. Ling!" Old K suddenly stood up, but the people beside him immediately pressed his shoulders, forcing him back down.


    "Mr. Ling, I am not afraid to die, but you cannot humiliate me this way."


    Ling Chen said calmly, "You caused the death of my friend; this is merciful treatment already. If you have any objections, I have more ways to deal with you. Do you want to try them?"


    Before Old K could respond, Jiang Hao had already signaled to his subordinates. A young man picked up a steel rod and smashed it directly onto Old K¡¯s knee.


    Crack!


    With a crisp sound, Old K¡¯s face instantly turned pale, and the interrogation room was filled with his screams.


    Ling Chen didn¡¯t stay to watch, leaving Jiang Hao there, he walked out of the interrogation room alone. He wasn¡¯t a good person, nor a kind one. An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth were his principles.


    Old K killed Wei Jun, and he wouldn¡¯t let the other go easily. Death? Ha! That¡¯s too easy.


    A few days passed, and finally, with Ling Chen¡¯s efforts, he acquired Ling Beichuan¡¯s retinal and voice data. Meanwhile, Hu Fei had unlocked the first password of the safe. With the retinal and voice identification verified, the safe finally opened.


    However, Ling Chen was somewhat disappointed that there weren¡¯t many documents inside the huge safe, only a few file folders. Picking up one of the folders, Ling Chen pulled out the documents inside and examined them closely.


    The document contents were rted to the northern Ling Family. In the past, Ling Chen might have been somewhat interested, but now, having learned the secrets, Ling Chen found these materials mundane, merely insignificant secrets without much use.


    "Ling Chen, you need to take a look at this file, I can¡¯t quite understand it." At this moment, Hu Fei handed a document to Ling Chen.


    Just from reading the first line, Ling Chen¡¯s eyes lit up immediately. In the desert, Ling Tao had once mentioned to Ling Chen that as of now, only two severed arms and one leg of Ling Gengqiu¡¯s body have been found, while the other main parts remain missing. Also, ording to reliable clues and intelligence, Ling Gengqiu¡¯s other parts should be buried in East Sea City. As for the specific location, no one knows yet.


    Over the years, Ling Beichuan settled in East Sea City mainly to search for Ling Gengqiu¡¯s other body parts. Moreover, judging by the timeline in the document, Ling Beichuan had been searching in East Sea City for over fifty years.


    Regarding the affairs of the southern and northern Ling Families in East Sea City, Ling Chen learned quite a lot from Ling Tao.


    Although both forces want to enter East Sea City to search for Ling Gengqiu¡¯s body parts, they both understand that once one force enters East Sea City, the other will surely take measures. By then, as soon as both forces meet in East Sea City, it would trigger an ultimate showdown.


    Neither the southern nor the northern Ling Families had absolute confidence in winning this internal fight; hence, neither dared to easily enter East Sea City. They knew well that if both forces entered East Sea City, it would ignite the fuse for a final battle.


    So now, both forces are merely engaging in localized struggles to weaken the opponent¡¯s strength.


    After understanding these conditions from Ling Tao, Ling Chen also realized the heavy burden he carried. Now, the entire East Sea City is under his control, and what he needs to do is consolidate power to firmly grasp East Sea City in his hands. Once the two forcesmence their final battle, he will be the key determinant of victory.


    It seems the southern Ling Family has considered this issue too, which is why Ling Beichuan rescued Zhu Hong to curb his power development. However, Ling Beichuan never dreamed that the one he relied upon, Zhu Hong, not only failed to serve his purpose but also ended up being dragged down.

 Chapter 1143 - 1150: Martial Arts Elders (Part 1)

    <h4>Chapter 1143: Chapter 1150: Martial Arts Elders (Part 1)</h4>


    Looking at the content recorded in the data, Ling Chen couldn¡¯t help but admire Ling Beichuan. Doing the same thing every day for over fifty years is indeed not easy. Moreover, from the data, it seems that over the years, Ling Beichuan had already searched through a third of East Sea City but still hadn¡¯t found Ling Gengqiu¡¯s burial site.


    Sometimes Ling Chen felt it was too difficult. After all, East Sea City was so big, and without any other clues, the chances of finding Ling Gengqiu¡¯s gravesite were almost zero.


    After carefully storing the information back in the safe, Ling Chen drove alone to the hospital.


    Arriving at the intensive care unit, he saw several police officers stationed at the door, all sent by Xia Mutong, specifically responsible for guarding Ling Beichuan to prevent him from escaping. Besides the police, Ling Chen had also secretly added more personnel. He knew too well the power of the South¡¯s Ling Family, and a few officers alone wouldn¡¯t be enough for protection.


    Entering the ward, Ling Beichuany on the bed with an IV tube in his arm, and several medical devices were ced beside him. The data showed that Ling Beichuan¡¯s current condition was quite stable.


    "Mr. Ling, I know you¡¯re not asleep. As the saying goes, a visitor is a guest. Don¡¯t you want to chat with me?"


    Ling Chen had just finished speaking when Ling Beichuan slowly opened his eyes, nced at Ling Chen beside him, and asked ndly, "What do you want?"


    "Oh, nothing, just wanted to have a chat." Ling Chen sat in the chair by the bedside, picked up an apple and a small knife, and while peeling it, he said, "Mr. Ling, you¡¯ve stayed in East Sea City for so many years, surely you know more about Ling Gengqiu than anyone else. Would you be interested in chatting with me about it?"


    "It seems Ling Tao has told you everything."


    "I know a little, but not much. Moreover, if I¡¯m not mistaken, you should have some key clues."


    "Why do you think that?"


    "I¡¯ve seen the records you made, and in thetter part of the documents, a section was manually cleared out by you, which makes me wonder if you discovered something and erased those key parts to prevent others from finding out. Mr. Ling, you¡¯re a smart person, at this point, you should know how to choose."


    Ling Beichuan turned his head, closed his eyes, and said, "Ling Chen, I admit I underestimated you, but if you think this can pressure me, then you¡¯re gravely mistaken. Besides, I¡¯m at a ripe old age, and my body is full of ailments. This old life won¡¯tst much longer. If you want to kill, just kill. If you want information from me about Ling Gengqiu, you better give up on that thought."


    "Mr. Ling, I know what you¡¯re thinking, you¡¯re hoping the people from the South¡¯s Ling Family wille to save you, right?" Ling Chen said with a smile, "I advise you to give up. I¡¯ve already cast a wide. If the South¡¯s Ling Family dare to appear, they¡¯ll have no way out. Moreover, I think the possibility is slim. Think about it, although you¡¯re a core member of the South¡¯s Ling Family, over the years, your gains in East Sea City were negligible. To them, you aren¡¯t of much value anymore. Just like you said, you¡¯re already old, could die at any moment, do you think they would risk it to save you?"


    After pausing, seeing that Ling Beichuan remained silent, Ling Chen continued, "I understand your feelings, and I know your biggest wish is to find Ling Gengqiu¡¯s burial site. But with only your strength, it¡¯s impossible to aplish. Only if we cooperate, there might be a glimmer of hope. Besides, let¡¯s put the South¡¯s Ling Family aside, why not think of yourself? If you can find Ling Gengqiu¡¯s burial site in your lifetime and discover his longevity secret, you might cure the illnesses guing you. At that time, forget about living to a hundred, living two or three hundred years might even be possible. Mr. Ling, don¡¯t you agree with me?"


    Ling Beichuan continued to keep his eyes closed, showing no intention of speaking.


    Seeing this, Ling Chen didn¡¯t apply pressure, took a bite of the apple, stood, and said, "Think it over yourself, but I must remind you, I just learned from the doctor that your body functions have already declined partially. With current medical conditions, you have at most half a year to live. So, time is limited, if you don¡¯t seize the opportunity, by the time you regret it, it will be toote."


    After saying that, Ling Chen didn¡¯t say more and turned to leave the intensive care unit.


    Ling Chen had said all he needed to say. Actually, he knew in his heart that Ling Beichuan didn¡¯t have many weaknesses for him to exploit. If there was only one weakness, it might be his soon-to-end life. The conditions wereid out, but whether Ling Beichuan would cooperate with him, Ling Chen wasn¡¯t very assured.


    Before he came to the hospital, Ling Chen had discussed this issue with Hu Fei. Hu Fei¡¯s opinion was to use some special agents to force Ling Beichuan to tell the truth. Such agents exist, and many spy organizations use them to interrogate prisoners. However, Ling Beichuan¡¯s body was too weak, he probably couldn¡¯t handle the agent¡¯s stress on his body.


    If Ling Beichuan died as a result, the gains wouldn¡¯t outweigh the losses.


    So, after much thought, Ling Chen decided to abandon this idea.


    After leaving the hospital, Ling Chen made time to visit the Dragon Tiger Hall. Now, Dragon Tiger Hall was fully under the charge of Tang Guolun, and the backup base on the second underground level had been activated. The technical talents trained by Hu Fei had all moved in and started their work.


    When Ling Chen arrived, he saw that the previously quiet backup base was now bustling, with more than twenty tech personnel assembling machines and equipment.


    "Ling Chen," a busy Tang Guolun waved a hand in greeting and asked, "What brings you here today?"


    "Just came to have a look. How¡¯s everything going?"


    Tang Guolun smiled and said, "Not bad. Once we finish these couple of days, the backup base can be officially operational. Oh! The que you asked me to make is ready; when do you n to officially open?"


    "It won¡¯t be too long, I¡¯m still figuring out how to do it." To be honest, Ling Chen was a bit troubled. The official opening of Dragon Tiger Hall was not a simple affair; there were too many things to prepare. He had never been involved in this kind of thing before, let alone had any experience.


    "What? Still undecided?" Tang Guolun said, "If there¡¯s anything you don¡¯t understand, you can talk to me, maybe I can help with some advice."


    Ling Chen nodded and asked, "Boss Tang, what do you think is the most needed thing for Dragon Tiger Hall¡¯s opening?"


    "No need to ask, it¡¯s definitely the ribbon-cutting guests." Tang Guolun immediately replied without thinking, "Dragon Tiger Hall¡¯s positioning is within Martial Arts influence. Therefore, you should definitely invite some distinguished Martial Arts Elders to hold fort. It¡¯s the best promotional opportunity. The more prominent the ribbon-cutting guests, the greater the chance to make Dragon Tiger Hall famous. As long as your nning is good, Dragon Tiger Hall could make a big ssh."

 Chapter 1144 - 1151: Martial Arts Elders (2)

    <h4>Chapter 1144: Chapter 1151: Martial Arts Elders (2)</h4>


    After listening to Tang Guolun¡¯s words, Ling Chen felt as if he had a revtion and instantly understood.


    Indeed! The Dragon Tiger Hall has just been established, and no one knows of its existence yet. However, if some Martial Arts Elders assist with the ribbon-cutting, the effect would be like celebrity endorsements in advertisements, quickly spreading its name in the martial arts world.


    But... finding a Martial Arts Elder with enough influence is undoubtedly a headache.


    Everyone knows that any Martial Arts Elder with some influence is in the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion. The main purpose of establishing the Dragon Tiger Hall is as a precaution, to counter the forces of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion in the future. So, it¡¯s impossible for him to invite people from the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion to do the ribbon-cutting. Moreover, after what happened with Su Zhengyang and his wife, his rtionship with the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion was almost severed; they wouldn¡¯t help him.


    Thinking it over, the only person he might be able to invite seems to be Tong Zhentian. Tong Zhentian is not considered a member of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, but he has deep connections with them. When Su Zhengyang and his wife died, Tong Zhentian even rushed to the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion.


    Currently, in the martial arts world, the only Martial Arts Elders with influence seem to be Tong Zhentian, Su He, and Du Kang. There¡¯s no point in considering Su He and Du Kang, but Tong Zhentian might be worth a try. Ling Chen didn¡¯t have high hopes of sessfully inviting him.


    In the blink of an eye, half a month passed.


    Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion.


    At this moment, Su Mei was sitting in the main hall, handling various affairs of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion. Time is the best healing potion; after so many days, Su Mei had gradually emerged from the sorrow of losing both her parents and returned to her usualpetent self.


    Just then, a sound of footsteps came. Looking up, she saw Su He walking in with his hands behind his back.


    "Grandfather!" Su Mei smiled and hurriedly got up to greet him.


    "Girl, what are you busy with?"


    "Nothing much, just some trivial matters. Grandpa, you rarely go out; why do you have time to visit me today?"


    "I had nothing to do, so I came to see you. Girl, I¡¯ve recently heard many people mention the Dragon Tiger Hall, what¡¯s going on?"


    Hearing this, a glint of unusual color shed in Su Mei¡¯s eyes. She knew Su He wouldn¡¯t seek her out for no reason.


    "Grandfather, you¡¯ve heard about it too?"


    "The news about Dragon Tiger Hall is rampant; it¡¯s hard not to hear about it. How much do you know about this Dragon Tiger Hall?"


    "Based on our intelligence, Dragon Tiger Hall is just an ordinary martial arts academy. However, our investigation found that the founder of the academy is quite special."


    "Special?" Su He asked with interest, "How is it special?"


    Su Mei lightly bit her thin lips and said, "It¡¯s Ling Chen, the Dragon Tiger Hall was founded by him."


    Upon hearing this, Su He was slightly stunned, thenughed, "Interesting, that boy set aside everything else to run a martial arts academy. Does he feel he is qualified... it makes sense! Ling Chen is an Earthly List expert. With such strength, establishing an academy is more than enough. But, girl, don¡¯t you find this a bit strange?"


    "Grandfather, I don¡¯t quite understand what you mean."


    "If it were just an ordinary martial arts academy, would Ling Chen need to advertise so widely? As far as I know, he is advertising to martial artists, not ordinary people. I think Ling Chen¡¯s purpose for opening the academy isn¡¯t to recruit ordinary people, but to attract martial arts experts." Su He analyzed.


    "How can that be?" Su Mei said in some surprise, "If it¡¯s martial arts experts, then his purpose isn¡¯t to establish an academy, but a martial arts force."


    "To be precise, it should be a martial arts force against the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion. Girl, with your intelligence, you should understand why Ling Chen is doing this. I think there¡¯s no need to doubt anymore."


    Su Mei¡¯s expression changed slightly, and she said, "Grandfather, are you saying... it really was Ling Kun who killed my parents?"


    "If that wasn¡¯t the case, why would Ling Chen suddenly do this? His aim in forming a martial arts force is simply to guard against us, to prevent us from harming his father." At this point, Su He looked at Su Mei and said earnestly, "Girl, I know you¡¯re upset, and I am too. Ling Chen is both your friend and my disciple, even if he hasn¡¯t performed the master-apprentice ceremony, in the eyes of others, he is my disciple. Now that Ling Chen has made this decision, I think we should also make up our minds."


    "Grandfather, you mean..."


    "Go all out to capture Ling Kun, and also send someone to monitor Ling Chen¡¯s every move. Ling Kun is Ling Chen¡¯s father, and he might actively contact Ling Chen."


    Su Mei said, "Last time, we sent a lot of people to monitor Ling Chen, but they were all discovered, and Ling Chen even destroyed our branch in East Sea City. With Ling Chen¡¯s skills, unless we transfer people from the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, it¡¯s difficult for others to handle him."


    Su He thought for a moment, then nodded, "I have a suitable candidate to rmend. Girl, tell Wang Hao toe to my ceter; I want to have a private chat with him."


    Wang Hao?


    Su Mei was slightly stunned; she didn¡¯t expect Su He to suggest this person. Indeed, Wang Hao is a standout among the Disciples of the Yangxin Pavilion, with strength superior to Ling Chen. If he were to take action, there wouldn¡¯t be a problem. However, Su Mei was concerned that Wang Hao has issues with Ling Chen, and Wang Hao dislikes Ling Chen, even envying what Ling Chen possesses. If Wang Hao was sent to keep an eye on Ling Chen, there¡¯s no guarantee he wouldn¡¯t take some excessive actions.


    Thinking of this, Su Mei expressed her concerns.


    "Don¡¯t worry about that; they¡¯re all young people, we don¡¯t need to interfere too much. Besides, if something really happens to Ling Chen, he can only me himself for not being skilled enough. Alright, enough about that, just do as I say. If nothing unexpected happens, I might travel in a while."


    "Yes, Grandfather!"


    ...


    East Sea City.


    Ling Chen was sitting in the living room, watching the news on the television, the corners of his mouth lifting slightly, unable to hold back a smile.


    What luck! He was still nning a trip to Beijing to personally invite Tong Zhentian to the ribbon-cutting ceremony of the Dragon Tiger Hall. Only to find out in the news that Tong Zhentian would being to East Sea City as the honorary chairman of the National Martial Arts Association to attend a seminar, which was undoubtedly a great opportunity for him.


    During this time, Ling Chen had been running around for the Dragon Tiger Hall. Besides himself, Qiu Yong and others were also busy promoting the Dragon Tiger Hall everywhere. Thanks to their help, the fame of the Dragon Tiger Hall grew day by day, and many martial artists were discussing its establishment.


    Just two more days... Ling Chen looked at the time; Tong Zhentian would arrive in East Sea City the day after tomorrow, and he needed to find a way to meet him.


    In the midst of his thoughts, a pair of tender little hands suddenly reached over from behind, covering Ling Chen¡¯s eyes.


    "Guess who I am?"

 Chapter 1145 - 1152: Martial Arts Association (1)

    <h4>Chapter 1145: Chapter 1152: Martial Arts Association (1)</h4>


    "Girl, do you even need to guess?" Ling Chenughed as he pried apart those delicate hands, turned around to look at Tang Shiyun, and asked, "It¡¯s already sote, why haven¡¯t you slept yet? Aren¡¯t you going on a business trip tomorrow?"


    "I couldn¡¯t sleep. I just heard noises in the living room, so I came over to check." Saying this, Tang Shiyun circled around the sofa and sat beside Ling Chen, holding his arm and said, "Ling, I¡¯m not disturbing you, am I?"


    "Of course not, why suddenly ask this?"


    Tang Shiyun chuckled, "Nothing, since I¡¯m not disturbing you, does that mean I can continue to stay here?"


    Uh... Ling Chen was stunned for a moment, thenughed softly, "As long as you¡¯re happy, how long you stay doesn¡¯t matter."


    Ling Chen also found it strange that Old K was no longer a threat, yet Nanrong Wanqing and Zhu Xiaozhu had no intention of going back to live. Since they hadn¡¯t asked to leave, he certainly couldn¡¯t proactively make them go back. Also, for some reason, they had made his mom very happytely, and the women seemed to get along quite well, calling each other sisters all the time. If someone unfamiliar came across them, they might think he was the outsider.


    "By the way! Girl, has your mome to find youtely?"


    "No. She hasn¡¯t contacted me in a long time; I don¡¯t know what she¡¯s been busy with. Hong says my mom¡¯s be very honest, only asking for a fixed monthly living expense, never asking me for money again."


    Ling Chen nodded and said, "That¡¯s for the best."


    Nobody knew better than Ling Chen about Yao Li¡¯s change. Initially, Yao Li spent extravagantly and mingled in major casinos, racking up quite a bit of gambling debt, asking Tang Shiyun for money every month. If Tang Shiyun refused, she¡¯d hire some young punks to stage debt collection ys, exploiting the mother-daughter rtionship to deceive Tang Shiyun.


    Later, Ling Chen got Jiang Hao to lend Yao Li some money, but when signing the loan contract, Ling Chen swapped the contract without her knowing. ording to the agreement in that contract, if Yao Li couldn¡¯t repay the loan within the specified time, Jiang Hao had the right to repossess her house and car to offset the debt. Moreover, as the interestpounded, Yao Li¡¯s millions of debt grew into astronomical figures, and her assets couldn¡¯t cover it at all.


    Even if Yao Li turned to Tang Shiyun for help, she might still not be able to repay the debt.


    Afterward, Ling Chen instructed Jiang Hao to stir things up a bit, which left Yao Li terrified and no longer daring to show any temper, which was why she¡¯d be so honest, not daring to disturb Tang Shiyun again.


    "Girl, do you have any free time in theing days? My Martial Arts Academy is opening soon, and I¡¯d like to invite you toe out and give me some support, help me draw some attention. How about it?"


    "Sure!" Tang Shiyun agreed immediately without even thinking. Whenever Ling Chen asked her for help, she was willing to do anything.


    Two dayster, just as the news reported, Tong Zhentian arrived in East Sea City.


    That evening, Ling Chen took the opportunity to visit the hotel where Tong Zhentian was staying. Upon arriving at Tong Zhentian¡¯s floor, he saw the corridor filled with people, including martial artists and some martial arts enthusiasts.


    Ling Chen cut through the crowd, heading straight to Tong Zhentian¡¯s guest room. However, a few men in suits surrounded the entrance, seemingly to prevent anyone from disturbing a distinguished guest.


    "Hello!" Ling Chen politely said, "Could you please pass my message to Elder Tong, saying that Ling Chen is here with an important matter?"


    The men in suits remained unmoved but cast a nce at a young man leaning against the wall. That young man had a cigarette hanging from his mouth and was ying with his phone, seemingpletely out of ce amidst the lively surroundings.


    Seeing the actions of those men in suits, Ling Chen immediately understood that the young man was the one in charge.


    So, Ling Chen stepped forward towards the young man and with a smile said, "Hello, my name is Ling Chen. I¡¯m here to see Elder Tong. Could you please help ry the message?"


    The young man seemed oblivious to Ling Chen¡¯s words, continuously looking at his phone.


    After waiting for a while and seeing no response from the young man, Ling Chen couldn¡¯t help but speak again, "Hey, friend, I have something important to discuss with Elder Tong, could you..."


    "Are you done talking?" The young man impatiently interrupted Ling Chen, "I¡¯ve seen many people like you. Do you think Elder Tong is someone you can meet just because you want to? Look in the mirror, see what kind of person you are. Get lost! Stop bothering me."


    "I..." Ling Chen opened his mouth, preparing to argue a bit with the man. But before he could speak, a hand suddenly reached out from behind and pulled Ling Chen¡¯s arm, dragging him backward.


    Turning around, he saw a young man of unfamiliar appearance pulling him. Ling Chen was puzzled; he didn¡¯t seem to know this person.


    "Friend, what are you doing?" Ling Chen asked curiously.


    "Buddy, I¡¯m just trying to help you so you won¡¯t suffer," the young man said. "It¡¯s pointless to plead with Ren Chong, a pure waste of time and breath. That guy looks down on people like us and acts like he¡¯s superior. Hmph! Besides having a good Master, what makes him better than us?"


    After hearing the young man¡¯s words, Ling Chen was utterly confused, lost in bewilderment, not understanding a bit of it.


    Seeing the bewildered look on Ling Chen¡¯s face, the young man pped his forehead and with a smile said, "Sorry, I¡¯ve said so much without introducing myself. My name is Tian Hanzhong. How about you?"


    "Ling Chen."


    Tian Hanzhong grinned, "You seem younger than me, so how about I call you Ling?"


    Ling Chen didn¡¯t mind the nickname much, he asked, "Tian, what are you all doing here?"


    "Oh, don¡¯t you know the reason? Then why are you here?" Tian Hanzhong paused, then without waiting for Ling Chen to answer, said, "Well, today the Martial Arts Association is holding a meeting here with the theme of promoting Huaxia martial arts and passing on its essence to future generations. Elder Tong, as an honorary president of the Martial Arts Association, announced on-site his intent to recruit five young disciples nationwide as registered disciples. Once this announcement was made, many people like me came hoping to be Elder Tong¡¯s disciple. Even as a registered disciple, Elder Tong is a master in the martial arts realm; just learning a bit from him is already enough."


    So that¡¯s why!


    After hearing Tian Hanzhong¡¯s exnation, Ling Chen finally understood why there were so many people gathered in the corridor.


    "Tian, what¡¯s going on with that guy?" Ling Chen pointed at the young man who spoke rudely earlier and asked.


    "He¡¯s Liu Tianming, the son of the Martial Arts Association¡¯s Vice President, also a martial artist. And because of his father¡¯s influence, he¡¯s considered the first predetermined registered disciple of Elder Tong. As you can see, he doesn¡¯t allow anyone to meet Elder Tong, just so no one else bes a registered disciple of Elder Tong. If he¡¯s the only one, he¡¯ll have a chance to be promoted from registered disciple to direct disciple."

 Chapter 1146 - 1153: Martial Arts Association (2)

    <h4>Chapter 1146: Chapter 1153: Martial Arts Association (2)</h4>


    Ling Chen just found it amusing. That Ren Chong is indeed naive. Does he really think that doing this will stop Tong Zhentian from recruiting registered disciples? A Heavenly List master is not someone a minor figure like him can influence. Moreover, with Tong Zhentian¡¯s personality, even if Ren Chong has strong backing, he won¡¯t ept him as a registered disciple if he finds out about what Ren Chong did.


    Practicing martial arts, one must first learn ethics. Without even the most basic martial arts ethics, how could Tong Zhentian ever favor such a person?


    "Tian, is Elder Tong in the room?"


    "Yes, he is. Besides Elder Tong, the president and vice president of the Martial Arts Association are inside too. It seems they¡¯re discussing something."


    At this moment, in the spacious and luxurious guest room, Tong Zhentian was dressed in a neatly pressed Zhongshan suit, sitting on a single sofa. To his left and right sat two middle-aged men, both around forty or fifty years old, each full of energy with deep inner strength, clearly Inner experts, not mere namesakes.


    "Zhou Qian, Ren Han, we are old acquaintances now. This time, I¡¯ve epted the invitation to attend the meeting mainly to make some contributions to Huaxia martial arts. I¡¯m no longer young, living each year as if it¡¯s myst, and I might be buried any day. While I still have some energy left, I believe we should break the old shackles and create a new martial arts atmosphere, making Huaxia martial arts amon sport for everyone. Additionally, we need to reject outdated traditions; keeping real skills to ourselves without sharing will only doom Huaxia martial arts to lose its lineage."


    Zhou Qian, the president of the Martial Arts Association, smiled and said, "Elder Tong is right, we indeed need to discard outdated customs and create a spring for Huaxia martial arts. However, these old habits are deeply rooted and can¡¯t be changed overnight. I think we can only proceed step-by-step, gradually changing people¡¯s mindset, letting them understand the current state of Huaxia martial arts."


    "I agree with President Zhou." Ren Han echoed, "Elder Tong, many absolute skills in Huaxia martial arts are passed from master to disciple, and few would pass on their lifetime of learning to the public. For example, like a billionaire, do you think he¡¯ll pass all his wealth to his descendants or donate it all? I believe only a few without heirs would choose thetter."


    Tong Zhentian continued, "That¡¯s why we must seek change. You two have known my old self for some time now. If every meeting is just formality like before, without any change, I would nevere to East Sea City, wasting time with you. This time, I am recruiting five registered disciples to set an example and pass on all my lifetime learning. As for whether they have the aptitude toprehend it, that¡¯s another matter."


    Saying this, Tong Zhentian looked at Zhou Qian and said, "Your absolute skill is the Thirty-two Routes of Tantan Legs. To my knowledge, none of your disciples have learned its essence. I ask you, did you hold back when teaching them the skill?"


    "Well..." Zhou Qian gave an awkward smile, seeming a bit embarrassed.


    Tong Zhentian didn¡¯t continue questioning but turned his gaze to Ren Han beside him, "You have family martial arts skills. I once faced your father in battle; his Lianyang Saber Technique was very impressive. If he hadn¡¯t passed due to illness, he would surely have a ce among the current Heavenly List masters. Lianyang Saber Technique consists of one hundred and eight moves; how many have you mastered now?"


    "Eighty-six moves..." Ren Han said, feeling quite ashamed.


    "Zhou, the reason no one learned your Thirty-two Routes of Tantan Legs is because you are stubbornly holding back, unwilling to pass the essence on to your disciples. If you encounter any unforeseen events in the future, the Thirty-two Routes of Tantan Legs will be lost because of you. As for you, Ren Han, the more formidable the skill, the more it requiresprehension rather than blind practice. Since neither you nor your son possess thisprehension, why not find another talented disciple to pass on the Lianyang Saber Technique? With your current attitude, in a few years, retaining even half of the one hundred and eight routes of Lianyang Saber Technique will be difficult. This is a bad habit in our martial arts world that must be changed. You two, as the president and vice president of the Martial Arts Association, have the responsibility to set an example and make everyone aware of your determination to reform."


    Zhou Qian and Ren Han exchanged nces and quickly replied, "Elder Tong, don¡¯t worry. We will definitely change."


    "I don¡¯t want you to just say it; I want pragmatic changes. If you fail to deliver results this time, don¡¯te to me in the future. I don¡¯t have time to waste with you."


    "Yes, we won¡¯t be perfunctory. Elder Tong, it¡¯s gettingte. Please rest early; we won¡¯t disturb you." With that, Zhou Qian and Ren Han stood up, about to leave.


    "Wait!" Tong Zhentian stopped them and asked, "What¡¯s going on outside? Since I came in, it¡¯s been noisy and hasn¡¯t stopped."


    Ren Han quickly exined, "Elder Tong, didn¡¯t you say you want to recruit a few registered disciples? Once the news spread, many people rushed here, eager to see you, hoping to be your registered disciple. To me, this is nonsense; even if Elder Tong wants to recruit registered disciples, it shouldn¡¯t be something random but should go through a review. Yet, they refuse to listen and insist on barging in. I had no choice but to ask Ren Chong to guard outside to prevent them from disturbing you. Please rest; I¡¯ll immediately call for people to drive them away."


    "It¡¯s not ¡¯drive¡¯¡ªit¡¯s ¡¯invite.¡¯ Understand? They are the future of martial arts, speak to them kindly and exin clearly, avoid using force indiscriminately. We are martial artists, not street thugs; everything must be done with reason." Pausing for a moment, Tong Zhentian then said, "Tell them that I will remain in East Sea City for a few more days. In a couple of days, I will find a ce and personally conduct screening. If there¡¯s a suitable person, I will keep them as registered disciples."


    "Yes, please rest well; we are leaving." After speaking, Zhou Qian signaled to Ren Han, and the two quickly walked out of the guest room.


    Seeing Zhou Qian and Ren Han exit the guest room, Ren Chong, who was leaning against the wall, immediately stepped forward, "Dad, Uncle Zhou."


    Ren Han nced at the crowded corridor and shouted lightly, "Drive these people away, don¡¯t let them disturb Elder Tong¡¯s rest."


    "Understood." Ren Chong nodded and immediately gestured to several suited men. Soon, several robust suited men formed a human wall and charged towards the crowd opposite them.


    Although some of the people gathered in the corridor had practiced martial arts, the suited men were no simple individuals either; their physique indicated years of external skill training. Under their charge, the crowd fell like wheat in the wind, swiftly being pushed back.

 Chapter 1147 - 1154: Martial Arts Association (Part 3)

    <h4>Chapter 1147: Chapter 1154: Martial Arts Association (Part 3)</h4>


    Ling Chen and Tian Hanzhong mixed among the crowd, and as the crowd retreated, they were also impacted quite a bit. If Ling Chen hadn¡¯t been quick-eyed and swift to help stabilize Tian Hanzhong, he might have already been knocked to the ground.


    Seeing the suited men mercilessly driving the crowd away, Ling Chen couldn¡¯t help but frown. This was too overbearing. From what he knew about Tong Zhentian, the man wouldn¡¯t do something like this.


    His gaze shifted, and Ling Chen¡¯s attention fell on the three people not far away, including Ren Chong. Beside Ren Chong, stood two middle-aged men in well-tailored suits, exuding an imposing aura.


    Experts!


    Ling Chen squinted slightly, relying solely on intuition he could tell, those two middle-aged men were definitely not simple.


    "Ling, watch out!"


    As thoughts raced through his mind, Tian Hanzhong¡¯s voice suddenly came from beside him. Before Ling Chen could react, a strong hand had grabbed his shoulder. Looking closely, the owner of thatrge hand was one of the suited men.


    The man grabbed Ling Chen¡¯s shoulder, seeming to want to push him out. Feeling the strong force, Ling Chen frowned slightly; the force used by the man was considerable, with no regard for whether Ling Chen could withstand it. An ordinary person, or an average martial arts practitioner, might get injured from this.


    At this moment, that suited man looked at Ling Chen with some surprise, not expecting that this person could withstand his force.


    Hmph! Overestimating oneself. The suited man coldly sneered, adding more force with his hands. However, Ling Chen remained unmoved, like a towering mountain, firmly rooted to the ground.


    Failing twice in a row made the suited man feel quite embarrassed and angry. He let out a cold shout, and suddenly exerted more strength, pushing forcefully towards Ling Chen. Facing his opponent¡¯s attack, Ling Chen¡¯s lips curled up slightly, not taking the attack seriously at all.


    As the hands pushed forward, Ling Chen¡¯s entire body shook, and powerful inner strength burst forth instantly. In no time, the suited man¡¯s feet left the ground and he flew out,nding heavily on the ground.


    Hearing themotion, Zhou Qian and hispanions all turned their gaze towards Ling Chen. Nearby, Tian Hanzhong was also shocked, thinking Ling Chen would suffer a loss, but unexpectedly, the suited man was so vulnerable, he was sent flying just like that.


    "Who is that person?" Zhou Qian asked. Those suited men were selected from his Martial Arts Academy to temporarily act as security for this meeting. In terms of strength, these people are not weak; normal martial artists, even three or four of them, wouldn¡¯t easily get close. Yet now, one of them was knocked to the ground by an unremarkable young man, piquing his interest.


    "Who cares who he is? He dared to touch Uncle Zhou¡¯s people, I¡¯ll teach him a lesson." With that, Ren Chong strode forward, heading straight for Ling Chen.


    "Ling, let¡¯s go, there¡¯s no need to get into conflict with them." Tian Hanzhong pulled at Ling Chen¡¯s arm, trying to drag him away, but Ling Chen¡¯s feet were as steady as a rock, not moving an inch. At this moment, Tian Hanzhong realized that this young man before him was very unusual.


    However, despite his surprise, Tian Hanzhong kindly advised, "Ling, those two are Zhou Qian, the President of the Martial Arts Association, and Ren Han, the Vice President. They are both formidable experts. And that Ren Chong, he¡¯s said to be ranked tenth on the Tiger List. I know you¡¯re powerful, butpared to them, you¡¯re definitely at a disadvantage. Let¡¯s go, endure the moment for peace, take a step back to open wide horizons, we don¡¯t need to cause trouble here. Come on, I¡¯ll treat you to a drinkter."


    Ling Chen withdrew his arm from Tian Hanzhong¡¯s grasp, "Brother Tian, no need to worry about me, I¡¯ll be fine." After speaking, Ling Chen turned his head to look at Ren Chong, who was walking toward him.


    "You!" Ren Chong stopped in front of Ling Chen, looking down with an arrogant expression, coldly saying, "Before I make a move, get out of here immediately and don¡¯t let me see you again. Otherwise, I¡¯ll make you... Ah!"


    Before he could finish speaking, Ren Chong¡¯s voice suddenly turned into a scream. With a fierce kick from Ling Chen, Ren Chong lost his bnce and had a close encounter with the ground.


    "Tenth on the Tiger List?" Ling Chen looked at Ren Chong disdainfully, "Just a useless person, and you dare im to be a Tiger List expert."


    Ren Chong opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but the intense pain kept him from uttering a word.


    "How dare you!" At this point, Ren Han and Zhou Qian quickly rushed over. Meanwhile, the attention of others who hadn¡¯t been driven away focused on them as well.


    "Little Chong, are you okay?" Ren Han hurriedly helped Ren Chong up from the ground, full of worry and concern.


    "Who are you?" Zhou Qian scrutinized Ling Chen, speaking in a deep voice, "Daring to make a move in broad daylight and injuring a member of the Martial Arts Association, do you really think no one can deal with you?"


    Ling Chen shrugged, maintaining an indifferent expression, "I¡¯m just a nobody, but you¡¯re allowed to drive people away, and I¡¯m not allowed to retaliate? If it weren¡¯t for my good martial arts foundation, I¡¯d probably have been injured by your people earlier." After speaking, Ling Chen turned around and pointed to the crowd behind him, "See for yourself, how many people have been hurt by your men."


    "You..." Zhou Qian was about to speak again when Ren Han interrupted, coldly saying, "You have the audacity to hurt my son, now leave half of your life here first."


    With that, Ren Han didn¡¯t waste any more words andunched an attack. Raising one hand high, like a steel de, he struck fiercely towards Ling Chen¡¯s head.


    An expert shows his skill as soon as he makes a move, and Ling Chen immediately felt the pressure. The opponent¡¯s move seemed simple, yet it contained powerful Hua Realm strength.


    Earthly List expert!


    As expected, this person¡¯s strength is formidable. As the Vice President of the Martial Arts Association, he indeed is not a person of empty reputation.


    As the hand chop approached, Ling Chen did not dodge, slightly raising his strong fist and countered it with a punch.


    Seeing Ling Chen¡¯s action, Zhou Qian and Ren Han couldn¡¯t help but sneer. Such an ignorant fellow, daring to confront an attack from an Earthly List expert directly¡ªit was unquestionably a suicidal act.


    Zhou Qian turned his eyes away, certain that the youth¡¯s arm would undoubtedly be crippled.


    "Damn!"


    Suddenly, a gasp of astonishment was heard as Tian Hanzhong¡¯s eyes went wide, looking at Ling Chen in disbelief. Just now, when Ling Chen was confronting Ren Han, he couldn¡¯t bear to watch. In his mind, Ling Chen couldn¡¯t possibly withstand Ren Han¡¯s attack. Yet, an incredible scene unfolded¡ªLing Chen not only blocked Ren Han¡¯s offensive, but his legs remained firmly rooted to the ground, not moving an inch.


    Being on the defensive, the advantage should be with the offensive attacker. To stand without retreating is definitely a difficult task.


    But Ling Chen managed it. From the yful smirk at the corner of his mouth, it seemed effortless.


    "Is this all the capability of the Vice President of the Martial Arts Association?"


    Facing Ling Chen¡¯s cold mockery, Ren Han¡¯s face immediately turned ugly. Over the years, he had never been so belittled.

 Chapter 1148 - 1155: Tong Zhentian’s Concerns (1)

    <h4>Chapter 1148: Chapter 1155: Tong Zhentian¡¯s Concerns (1)</h4>


    At this moment, everyone present was stunned. The dignified Vice President of the Martial Arts Association, a master from the Earthly List, was humiliated by a youth in his twenties. However, people didn¡¯t feel angry; instead, they felt rather pleased.


    Earlier, when Zhou Qian and his group ordered them to be driven out, everyone felt ufortable. But, due to the opposing party¡¯s status and their prowess, they dared not speak out. Now, with someone willing to stand up for everyone, they were certainly happy to see Zhou Qian and the others suffer.


    "Good, no wonder you dare to cause a ruckus here, I want to see how capable you really are." Ren Han scoffed coldly, retracting his hand knife, and poised to strike again.


    "Stop!" Suddenly, a deep voice rang out, like a morning bell and evening drum, striking the hearts of everyone present.


    Everyone looked up, only to see Tong Zhentian appear in the hallway.


    "Elder Tong?" Zhou Qian¡¯s expression changed slightly, and he hurriedly approached, wearing a conciliatory smile, awkwardly saying, "Elder Tong, my apologies for disturbing your rest. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll handle this immediately."


    "No need." Tong Zhentian said coldly, "Zhou Qian, did I not say earlier in the room that you should not be rough with them, but persuade them nicely? Did you treat my words as if they were nothing?"


    "No." Zhou Qian quickly exined, "Elder Tong, I..."


    "Enough! You don¡¯t need to exin to me. I¡¯m neither blind nor deaf. I thought you would heed my advice. Now it seems, what I said before was all for nothing. Don¡¯t invite me to such useless meetings in the future; they¡¯re full of bureaucratic nonsense. How does this help the Martial Arts world? It¡¯s because of people like you that Huaxia¡¯s Martial Arts scene is getting worse. To put it bluntly, you¡¯re just upying a position and not doing your job. From today on, I will no longer serve as the honorary president of the Martial Arts Association. Find someone else."


    Upon hearing this, Zhou Qian panicked. The Martial Arts Association¡¯s current reputation and influencergely relied on Tong Zhentian¡¯s presence. As long as this martial arts grandmaster was there, even in a nominal position, the association would immediately elevate several levels. Before Tong Zhentian joined the Martial Arts Association, no matter where they went, they received no respect. Especially when interacting with martial arts sects, they were simply disregarded.


    However, ever since Tong Zhentian became an honorary president, who in the martial arts world didn¡¯t give him some respect?


    Now, having offended this big figure, how could the Martial Arts Association continue in the future?


    "Elder Tong, I was careless, please don¡¯t take it to heart. Give me another chance, I promise I won¡¯t disappoint you." Zhou Qian immediately admitted his mistake. In front of everyone, at this moment, he couldn¡¯t care less about face, as long as he could persuade Tong Zhentian to withdraw his decision, he was willing to do anything.


    At this moment, Ren Han also realized the seriousness of the matter. In the martial arts world, one cannot offend the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, nor can one offend Tong Zhentian. There¡¯s nothing to be done; his influence is too considerable. Without Tong Zhentian¡¯s protection, their position is hard to maintain.


    Immediately, Ren Han gently kicked Ren Chong, no words needed, Ren Chong knew what his father meant.


    "Sir Tong, don¡¯t be angry, it¡¯s my fault, I was too impulsive just now, it has nothing to do with my dad and Uncle Zhou." In front of Tong Zhentian, Ren Chong no longer had even a trace of arrogance, appearing self-reproachful, "Sir Tong, actually, don¡¯t me me, I did try to persuade nicely, but they refused to listen and retaliated with violence, especially him..." Ren Chong pointed grittingly at Ling Chen not far away and said, "I hadn¡¯t even finished speaking when he attacked, he is simply the scum of our Martial Artsmunity. Sir Tong, you must punish such people well."


    "Are you referring to him?" Tong Zhentian nced at Ling Chen expressionlessly, "From what I know about him, if you hadn¡¯t spoken offensively to provoke him, he wouldn¡¯t have acted. Simply speaking of character and Martial Arts Ethics, I believe you don¡¯tpare to him. Ren Chong, your father is the Vice President of the Martial Arts Association, and with Zhou Qian¡¯s backing, you have a strong background. Recently, I¡¯ve heard many stories of your ¡¯heroic¡¯ deeds, a lot of people who crossed you ended up in the hospital. I didn¡¯t intervene because you¡¯re still young and impulsive, which is understandable. Besides, you¡¯re not my disciple, so I¡¯m not obligated to guide you. Also, I wanted to see how Ren Han disciplines his son. Unfortunately, you haven¡¯t changed at all, but rather worsened. Fortunately, this time you encountered Ling Chen. If it were another undercover master, your life might have been in danger."


    Upon hearing this, Zhou Qian¡¯s heart stirred, and he nced at Ling Chen behind him, asking, "Elder Tong, you... you know the young man?"


    Tong Zhentian didn¡¯t reply to him but instead gestured to Ling Chen.


    "Ling... Ling Mr. Ling." Thinking about Ling Chen¡¯s recently disyed prowess, Tian Hanzhong hurriedly changed his address, afraid of unintentionally offending him.


    Ling Chen smiled slightly, "Tian, just call me brother, no need to change the terms."


    "That... Ling brother, do you really know Elder Tong?"


    Ling Chen nodded, smiling back, "I do know him. Do you want me to introduce you?"


    "That wouldn¡¯t be very fitting." Tian Hanzhong hesitated, wanting to meet for sure, but he was worried about his qualification. After all, to him, Tong Zhentian was a lofty master only to be observed from afar.


    "What¡¯s wrong with that, no need to be afraid, Elder Tong won¡¯t eat people. Besides, didn¡¯t youe here to be Elder Tong¡¯s registered disciple? If you have the talent, maybe I could speak a few good words for you in front of Elder Tong."


    "Really?" Tian Hanzhong¡¯s eyes sparkled, and he hastily expressed gratitude: "Ling brother, thank you, thank you so much."


    Tian Hanzhong knew his capabilities very well, having no power or influence, and no background; he was here to try his luck, hoping that a pie might fall from the sky, giving him a real chance to be Tong Zhentian¡¯s registered disciple.


    Now it seems, not only is he lucky, but extremely fortunate beyond measure.


    Taking Tian Hanzhong to Tong Zhentian¡¯s side, Ling Chen greeted him and gave a simple introduction for Tian Hanzhong.


    "Ling Chen, you¡¯ve met these two people, I¡¯ll introduce them to you."


    "Elder Tong, no need, Tian already mentioned them to me, the two pirs of the Martial Arts Association, Mr. Zhou and Mr. Ren, pleased to meet you." He said ¡¯pleased,¡¯ but Ling Chen showed no expression, lukewarm, with no intent to associate.


    It wasn¡¯t that he was too aloof, but he disdained associating with people who thrive on bullying others.


    Tong Zhentian also noticed Ling Chen¡¯s reluctance tomunicate with Zhou Qian and his group, thus did not force him.

 Chapter 1149 - 1156: Tong Zhentian’s Concerns (2)

    <h4>Chapter 1149: Chapter 1156: Tong Zhentian¡¯s Concerns (2)</h4>


    "Zhou Qian, you and the others can go back first. I want to have a private chat with Ling."


    "Yes, we won¡¯t disturb you then." Zhou Qian quickly responded. From Tong Zhentian¡¯s tone, it seemed he wasn¡¯t nning to pursue the matter further, which was good news for him. He dared not say more and immediately left with Ren Han and his son.


    Among the three of them, Ren Chong was the most upset. He originally hoped to leave a good impression in front of Tong Zhentian and make a mark. But in the end, not only did he fail to make a mark, he didn¡¯t even leave a good impression. It was obvious that the position of Registered Disciple was out of his reach. Thinking that all of this was caused by Ling Chen, Ren Chong was furious.


    "Alright, stop overthinking. Take this as a lesson, and be more humble in the future. Don¡¯t go looking for trouble everywhere." Ren Han, understanding his son¡¯s thoughts, scolded softly, trying to dissuade him from thoughts of revenge.


    Ren Chong, unwilling to ept it, said, "Dad, I was injured by that guy and lost the qualification to be a Registered Disciple. Shouldn¡¯t I seek revenge?"


    "Revenge? Hmph! You have the nerve to talk to me about revenge." Ren Han felt utterly exasperated, wondering how he had raised such a foolish son. "Ignoring the fact that Tong Zhentian is backing him, just that kid¡¯s strength is enough to crush you with a single finger. You still think of revenge? Don¡¯t end up losing your life in the process."


    Silent all this while, Zhou Qian asked, "Ren, you fought with Ling Chen. Is he very strong?"


    Ren Han nodded, his expression grave, "Extremely strong. Although I didn¡¯t use my full strength, that kid was also holding back. Moreover, judging by his confident demeanor, his skills shouldn¡¯t be much inferior to ours."


    "How interesting. Such a young Earthly List expert, I thought only the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion could produce one. Do you think he might be..."


    Ren Han¡¯s face slightly changed, and he whispered, "You suspect that Ling Chen is from the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion?"


    "Very likely. When Elder Tong spoke to him just now, you heard it too. He didn¡¯t call him by name directly but addressed him as ¡¯Ling.¡¯ Such treatment isn¡¯t something an ordinary person can enjoy. Ren, luckily they didn¡¯t pursue the matter, or we¡¯d all be in deep trouble."


    Ren Han drew a cold breath, feeling a profound sense of fear.


    "You useless thing, it¡¯s all because of you that we almost got ruined. Tonight you¡¯ll fly back to Beijing and stay at home obediently. Without my permission, you¡¯re not allowed to go out. If you dare disobey, I¡¯ll break your leg," Ren Han said coldly, venting his anger entirely on Ren Chong.


    Inside the hotel.


    "Elder Tong, Tian is my friend. I heard you¡¯re recruiting Registered Disciples, and he¡¯d like to give it a try. Could you give him a chance?"


    Tong Zhentian scrutinized Tian Hanzhong, then nodded, "Since you rmend him, I¡¯ll give him a chance. But let me be upfront, I don¡¯t ept just anyone. If he doesn¡¯t meet the standards, I¡¯ll choose someone else."


    "Of course."


    "Alright! Leave your contact information, and you can head back. I¡¯ll have someone notify you when the test is scheduled."


    "Yes." Tian Hanzhong quickly replied, "Thank you, Elder Tong, Ling."


    After Tian Hanzhong left, only Ling Chen and Tong Zhentian remained in the spacious living room.


    Tong Zhentian brewed a cup of tea and ced it in front of Ling Chen, asking casually, "What¡¯s your rtionship with the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion now? Still at a deadlock?"


    Ling Chen smiled wryly, "Elder Tong, after what happened, do you think it¡¯s possible for me to have any dealings with the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion? Honestly, I¡¯m thankful they¡¯re not causing me trouble."


    "Su Zhengyang and his wife¡¯s death had nothing to do with you, so what are you afraid of? Elder Su is not senile yet. Besides, you were his disciple, so he ought to remember that bond."


    "I¡¯ve severed ties with the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion. I think... Elder Su won¡¯t recognize me as his disciple anymore." At this point, Ling Chen didn¡¯t want to continue this topic and changed the subject, "Elder Tong, those two guys from the Martial Arts Association just now are really unimpressive. Although their skills aren¡¯t weak, their character is too poor."


    "I know." Tong Zhentian sighed helplessly, "I¡¯ve been dealing with them for so many years. Don¡¯t I understand what kind of people they are? But what can I do? I¡¯m at a point where I have no choice but to pin my hopes on them. Otherwise, I would¡¯ve asked them to leave right away."


    Hearing this, Ling Chen was puzzled and asked, "Elder Tong, what do you mean by that? Do you really care about people like them?"


    "Ling Chen, you don¡¯t understand the Martial Artsmunity¡¯s current state. The Martial Arts world is facing a huge crisis. If it¡¯s not handled well, there might be a break in the heritage, and countless skills left by our predecessors will be lost. It would be a heavy blow for the future of Martial Arts," Tong Zhentian exined. "What I¡¯m doing now is trying to save the situation and keep a glimmer of hope for the Martial Arts world."


    "Zhou Qian and Ren Han are influenced by bureaucracy, focusing solely on their interests and disregarding the future of Martial Arts. But among the many candidates, those two are considered the better ones. So I¡¯m hoping to persuade them to join me in fulfilling this mission."


    "Elder Tong, you¡¯re a leader in the Martial Arts world with significant influence. Why not take action yourself? Besides, since you¡¯re closely connected with the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, their support would likely double the effectiveness."


    Tong Zhentian chuckled, "You think too simply. From what you know of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, do you think they¡¯d support me? Ling Chen, there¡¯s no one else here; I¡¯ll be honest. While I¡¯m on good terms with the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, it¡¯s only on a personal level. In terms of the bigger picture, the real issue is with the Pavilion. They possess countless cultivation techniques, including some lost ones. However, the Pavilion keeps these techniques locked up, and even their members receive only selective instruction. Forget about outsiders; they don¡¯t even have a chance to ess them. As a result, martial artists are highly protective of their techniques, unwilling to easily share them with outsiders, sometimes even withholding some secret techniques from their disciples. Think about it, in such an environment, how can Huaxia¡¯s Martial Arts be passed down and progress?"


    "When Su He was in charge, I brought this up, but he saw it as a trivial matter, a mere joke. So, the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion is the epitome of outdated customs, but no one can change it due to its status and influence in the Martial Arts world, which has always been my headache. Because the Pavilion won¡¯t cooperate, I can only turn to the Martial Arts Association to convey my ideas and raise awareness among more people."

 Chapter 1150 - 1157: Tong Zhentian’s Concerns (3)

    <h4>Chapter 1150: Chapter 1157: Tong Zhentian¡¯s Concerns (3)</h4>


    After listening to Tong Zhentian¡¯sints, Ling Chen couldn¡¯t help butugh. Truly, you search high and low only to find it effortlessly. Beforeing, he was still thinking about how to invite Tong Zhentian to the ribbon-cutting ceremony of Dragon Tiger Hall. Now, it seems that as long as he asks, it will be absolutely certain, because Tong Zhentian¡¯s ideas are quite simr to his.


    Dragon Tiger Hall will be an open Martial Arts Academy, where anyone cane to learn martial arts. Whether it¡¯s lost martial arts manuals or other skills, as long as the conduct passes the test, anyone can practice.


    "By the way!" Tong Zhentian seemed to think of something and asked, "Ling Chen, have you heard of Dragon Tiger Hall? I¡¯ve heard quite a lot about ittely, and it seems this Dragon Tiger Hall is in East Sea City. It¡¯s been quite the talk recently, with many martial arts practitioners discussing it. You¡¯ve lived in East Sea City for a long time, you must have heard of it, right?"


    Ling Chen smiled slightly, unexpectedly Tong Zhentian had also heard about Dragon Tiger Hall.


    "Elder Tong, to be honest, my visit this time is precisely because of Dragon Tiger Hall."


    "Is that so?" Tong Zhentian asked with interest, "What is your rtionship with Dragon Tiger Hall?"


    "Dragon Tiger Hall was established by me. In a few days, Dragon Tiger Hall will officially open to the public. I want to invite some heavyweight figures to cut the ribbon for Dragon Tiger Hall. I happened to see the news that you wereing to East Sea City for a meeting, so I wanted to invite you to the ribbon-cutting. I wonder if you would be willing."


    Tong Zhentianughed and said, "I couldn¡¯t tell, you have this interest. Alright, since it¡¯s your Martial Arts Academy opening, I will definitely attend to show my support. Anyway, I¡¯m staying in East Sea City these days, and there¡¯s nothing much to do." Ling Chen, why did you suddenly decide to open a Martial Arts Academy? Thest time we chatted, you didn¡¯t seem to have this ambition."


    Ling Chen shrugged, "You¡¯re right. I never thought I would take this path either. Many times, due to various factors, this thing came into being." After pausing, Ling Chen continued, "Elder Tong, to put it urately, Dragon Tiger Hall is not an ordinary Martial Arts Academy. My idea is to turn Dragon Tiger Hall into a martial arts force, simr to the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion."


    Upon hearing this, Tong Zhentian was slightly taken aback, his smile suddenly faded.


    "Ling Chen, it¡¯s good for young people to have ambitions, but building a force like the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion is not something that can be achieved just because you want it. The Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion has a history of hundreds of years with rich heritage. Its influence and status were built step by step by countless ancestors who invested time and energy. Dragon Tiger Hall is just an emerging force, and to reach the level of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, it would take at least a hundred years."


    "I understand this, but a hundred years is too long, I cannot wait until then. ording to my n, within three years, I want Dragon Tiger Hall to be a martial arts force that can rival the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion."


    "Impossible!" Tong Zhentian dismissed outright without a thought. "No matter how strong your abilities are, it¡¯s impossible to achieve this within three years. Ling Chen, the path must be tread step by step; you can¡¯t be fat with one bite. What is most important for a force? A solid foundation. You¡¯re already eager to run before you¡¯ve learned to walk¡ªhow can that seed? You are the most gifted and virtuous young person I¡¯ve seen, which is why I highly regard you. I hope you can be down-to-earth and aplish great things."


    Tong Zhentian worried Ling Chen wanted to reach the skies in a single bound, and couldn¡¯t help advising him.


    Ling Chen, brimming with confidence, smiled, "Elder Tong, I understand your meaning. You¡¯re right, my starting point may beter than the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, but the height I stand isparable to it." Before Tong Zhentian could say anything, Ling Chen chimed in, "Elder Tong, it¡¯s hard to exin now. How about this¡ªdo you have time tomorrow? I¡¯ll pick you up to visit Dragon Tiger Hall. Once you go, you¡¯ll understand why I have this confidence."


    "Alright." Tong Zhentian nodded and said, "Since you¡¯ve said so, I must go and see."


    "It¡¯s settled then." With that, Ling Chen got up and said, "Elder Tong, it¡¯s gettingte. You should rest first. Tomorrow morning, I¡¯ll drive over to pick you up."


    After seeing Ling Chen to the door and watching his departing figure, Tong Zhentian withdrew his gaze and sighed quietly.


    Having lived so long, he could guess quite a bit without needing everything spelled out. The sudden establishment of a martial arts force by Ling Chen at this juncture, with its goal aimed directly at the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, already exined many things.


    It seems that after years of tranquility, the martial arts world is finally going to stir up a storm again.


    ...


    The next day.


    At nine in the morning, Ling Chen parked his car at the hotel entrance, waiting for Tong Zhentian to appear.


    "Mr. Ling,ing so early to meet Elder Tong?"


    A voice came up, and Ling Chen turned to see Zhou Qian and Ren Han walking over side by side. Both had friendly smiles, exuding a signal of goodwill.


    "Good morning, Presidents." As the saying goes, don¡¯t strike a smiling face, Ling Chen greeted politely.


    Ren Han said apologetically, "Mr. Ling, I¡¯m really sorry aboutst night. If there was any offense, please don¡¯t take it to heart."


    "Last night?" Ling Chen said with a faint smile, "I¡¯ve already forgotten what happenedst night."


    "Haha! Mr. Ling is truly a leader among the younger generation, with a stomach that can hold a boat." Zhou Qianughed and said, "We might not know each other if we don¡¯t fight. How about this¡ªI¡¯ll host and we¡¯ll have lunch together to properly exchange thoughts. Mr. Ling, how does that sound?"


    Facing Zhou Qian¡¯s invitation, Ling Chen smiled and gracefully declined, "I appreciate your kindness, but I¡¯ve already made ns with Elder Tong forter to handle some private matters. Another day, I¡¯ll host."


    "Alright, since Mr. Ling has ns, we won¡¯t insist. Another day then." Zhou Qian was straightforward, not pressing further. But he regarded Ling Chen more highly¡ªbeing able to arrange with Tong Zhentian privately showed that Tong Zhentian valued this young man greatly.


    It seems that fostering a good rtionship with him will only benefit the future.


    In the midst of conversation, Tong Zhentian appeared in a Zhongshan suit from the hotel.


    "Elder Tong!"


    "Elder Tong!"


    The three greeted in unison.


    "Zhou, I¡¯m going out with Ling Chen for a bit. You handle today¡¯s meeting. I won¡¯t be attending. As always, avoid idle talk, empty words, and bragging; act instead of speaking, understand?" Tong Zhentian instructed.


    Zhou Qian, smiling wryly, said, "Rest assured, Elder Tong, we know what to do."


    "That¡¯s best then."


    After speaking, Tong Zhentian got into Ling Chen¡¯s Audi.


    More than half an hour passed, and Ling Chen drove to the outside of Dragon Tiger Hall. After parking, Ling Chen led Tong Zhentian straight into Dragon Tiger Hall.

 Chapter 1151 - 1158: Touring the Clubhouse

    <h4>Chapter 1151: Chapter 1158: Touring the Clubhouse</h4>


    Passing through the vermilion gates, Ling Chen and Tong Zhentian arrived at the martial arts arena. Over the past few days, Ling Chen had already set up the arena. At one end, there hung a massive character "Martial," nked by two rows of weapon racks. Swords, spears, sabers, halberds, axes, clubs, and staffs, the eighteen types of weapons were neatly disyed, exuding an impressive aura.


    Tong Zhentian nodded as he observed, praising, "Not bad, well arranged. It seems you¡¯ve put a lot of thought into it."


    Ling Chen smiled and said, "If we are to do it, then we must do our best. Elder Tong,e, I¡¯ll show you around." With those words, Ling Chen led the way, guiding Tong Zhentian into the main building.


    To match the style of the Martial Arts Academy, the decor of the entire building exhibited an antiquated charm. On the snow-white walls hung several calligraphy paintings, all works of ancient masters. Of course, these were replicas, not originals. Although Ling Chen was wealthy, he didn¡¯t want to waste money on useless things.


    Genuine calligraphies and paintings are very expensive these days, casually fetching prices in the tens of millions, making it unnecessary to waste money.


    Tong Zhentian nced around and asked, "You especially called me over, not just to look at these, right?"


    Ling Chen¡¯s lips slightly curled upward, subtly ttering as he said, "Nothing escapes Elder Tong. Elder Tong, please follow me." Before long, the two stepped into an elevator.


    After entering the password and scanning his fingerprint, Ling Chen took out an identification card, gently swiping it across the device. Instantly, the red button turned green. This elevator was the only ess to the second basement level, and due to its importance, Tang Guolun had specially enhanced the security system. Threeyers of passwords were required to activate the elevator. Moreover, they must be enteredpletely within half a minute. Otherwise, the building¡¯s rm would sound, and the elevator would seal shut. No one would be able to escape.


    Though somewhat troublesome, it must be said that this ensures the security of the second basement level is foolproof.


    Before long, Ling Chen and Tong Zhentian took the elevator down to the second basement level. Exiting the elevator, a solid explosion-proof door blocked their path.


    Ling Chen stepped forward, looked at the security camera atop the door, then ced his hand on the recognition device beside it. Shortly, the door produced a soft click and slowly moved aside, revealing a passage wide enough for two people.


    This explosion-proof door cannot be opened from the outside; it can only be unlocked by identity confirmation from the first basement level¡¯s technical staff.


    "Elder Tong, didn¡¯t you sayst night that it¡¯s impossible for me to reach the heights of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion within three years? What I want to tell you is that it¡¯s not an impossible task. Come, let me show you."


    Passing through a few meters of passage, Tong Zhentian followed Ling Chen to the well-protected library.


    Upon entering the library, Tong Zhentian was stunned by the vast collection of books before him. As book titles met his gaze, Tong Zhentian slightly parted his lips, his eyes finally reced by a hint of shock.


    "These... all of these are..." Despite his worldly experiences, Tong Zhentian found himself stammering.


    Ling Chen nodded with a smile and said, "You¡¯re not mistaken; every book here is a martial arts manual, some containing lost skills." As he spoke, Ling Chen walked to a bookshelf, carefully selecting a tattered, yellowing book, and handed it to Tong Zhentian.


    "Elder Tong, you are knowledgeable and should recognize the contents of this book."


    Tong Zhentian did not hesitate, eagerly opening to the first page. As he read therge characters written on the first page, he couldn¡¯t help but exim, "This is... the Nine Yang Qiankun Step, Elder Su¡¯s Absolute Skill."


    "Indeed. Besides the Nine Yang Qiankun Step, there are many treasured martial arts manuals here. Elder Tong, I wonder if you have ever visited the Book Collection Pavilion of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion?"


    "No, outsiders are not allowed into the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion¡¯s Book Collection Pavilion, even though I have good rtions with them, they wouldn¡¯t permit it. However, Elder Su once mentioned the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion¡¯s library to me. He said it contains various martial arts manuals, totaling hundreds, with over a dozen being precious ones. When Elder Su mentioned this, I was indeed surprised, but now I¡¯ve discovered that the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion¡¯s collection is nothingpared to yours, truly a small affair inparison."


    Ling Chen grinned and said, "Elder Tong, perhaps now you¡¯ll believe I wasn¡¯t exaggerating."


    Tong Zhentian nodded, saying seriously, "With such a foundation of books, surpassing the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion in three years might be ambitious, but equaling their stature is feasible. Ling Chen, can you tell me where you found all these books?"


    "Elder Tong, I apologize; I would like to tell you, but it involves personal privacy and secrets, so it¡¯s inconvenient to disclose. However, I can assure you these martial arts manuals were not stolen by me; they are inherited from our ancestors." Ling Chen replied.


    The Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion may have a history spanning hundreds of years, but the Ling Family¡¯s history dates back even further, by several centuries. Therefore, in terms of heritage, the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion is no match for the Ling Family.


    "Since it¡¯s inconvenient for you to say, I won¡¯t press further. Ling Chen, what do you n to do? Do you intend to store such a multitude of martial arts manuals away? If so, that would indeed be a pity."


    Ling Chen chuckled, understanding Tong Zhentian¡¯s thoughts well. Tong Zhentian desired the revival of Huaxia¡¯s Martial Arts but found himself thwarted at every turn, unable to find a viable method. Now, seeing so many precious martial arts manuals, it was impossible for him not to be intrigued.


    However, Ling Chen knew Tong Zhentian¡¯s character; he wouldn¡¯t harbor devious intentions, at most he would persuade Ling Chen to contribute to Huaxia¡¯s Martial Arts.


    "Elder Tong, don¡¯t be hasty; the reason I asked you here is to discuss this. This is not the ce to talk about it; let¡¯s move somewhere else to continue our conversation."


    In the guest room on the first floor, Ling Chen brewed a cup of tea for Tong Zhentian and asked, "Elder Tong, what do you think is the biggest problem with the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion?"


    Tong Zhentian thought for a moment and said, "Hoarding it all."


    "Precisely! That¡¯s the biggest problem with the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion and our only exploitable w. Hence, after thorough consideration, I¡¯ve realized that to gain an advantage, we must start there."


    Tong Zhentian asked with interest, "What do you n to do?"


    "The Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion treats those martial arts manuals like treasures, keeping them hidden. Since that¡¯s the case, why not do the opposite, releasing these manuals to the public for everyone to train with? Thus, the so-called historical foundation of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion will cease to exist. At that time, do you think the people of the Martial Arts world wille to my Dragon Tiger Hall or go to the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion?"

 Chapter 1152 - 1159: Martial Arts Hall Master

    <h4>Chapter 1152: Chapter 1159: Martial Arts Hall Master</h4>


    Tong Zhentian¡¯s eyes brightened, unable to suppress his excitement, he asked, "You... you really willing to do this?"


    "Why not?" Ling Chen smiled slightly, "My purpose in doing this, besides reducing the influence of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, is also to contribute a little to Huaxia¡¯s Martial Arts. I know that now Huaxia¡¯s Martial Arts world is gradually declining, and many styles have already lost their lineage. As you said, if no action is taken, in decades or even a hundred years, Huaxia¡¯s Martial Arts might really turn into mere flower fists and embroidery legs. I think this is not the oue we wish to see."


    "Well said." Tong Zhentian said with great interest, "Many practitioners regard their Martial Arts as a valuable treasure, reluctant to pass it on to others. But when this treasure bes worthless, who would painstakingly keep it? Ling Chen, I was not wrong about you, your idea is excellent, if nothing unexpected happens, the next fifty years will be the most glorious time for Huaxia¡¯s Martial Arts world."


    "Elder Tong, it¡¯s too early to say this now. Whether Dragon Tiger Hall can rise, the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion is key." Ling Chen didn¡¯t speak inly, but with Tong Zhentian¡¯s experience, he should understand his meaning.


    If the rise of Dragon Tiger Hall harms the interests of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, they certainly won¡¯t stand by silently but will take action. Therefore, if this issue cannot be resolved, Dragon Tiger Hall might be strangled by the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion.


    Tong Zhentian obviously realized this difficulty too, his face darkened, and he remained silent for a long time.


    After a while, Tong Zhentian¡¯s gaze suddenly became determined. He looked at Ling Chen and said, "This is a rare opportunity for Huaxia¡¯s Martial Arts world, I won¡¯t let anyone ruin it, not even the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion. The Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion only considers its own interests, never thinking about the future of Huaxia¡¯s Martial Arts world. As the saying goes, different paths cannot run together, if the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion dares to do anything that harms the interests of the Martial Arts world, I absolutely won¡¯t sit idly by. Ling Chen, if you think this old man still has some use, why not arrange a position for me in Dragon Tiger Hall? Anyone who dares to trouble Dragon Tiger Hall should weigh if they are up to it."


    Hearing this, Ling Chen couldn¡¯t suppress his joy and asked, "Really?"


    Tong Zhentian nodded and said, "What you are doing is a good deed, a great cause benefiting Huaxia¡¯s Martial Arts world, and it¡¯s also my life-long goal. I thought I might not live to see the day Huaxia¡¯s Martial Arts rise, but you let me see hope. However, let me put the ugly words first, if I find out your actions are different from what you said, then don¡¯t me me for being impolite."


    "Elder Tong, rest assured, I won¡¯t disappoint you." Ling Chen hurriedly promised.


    That¡¯s wonderful!


    This is definitely a pleasant surprise. Initially, he just wanted to invite Tong Zhentian to attend the ribbon-cutting ceremony of Dragon Tiger Hall. For this, he had been worrying, not knowing how to persuade Tong Zhentian. After all, Tong Zhentian¡¯s rtionship with the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion was well-known. But what he didn¡¯t expect was that Tong Zhentian not only would attend the ribbon-cutting ceremony but also voluntarily requested to hold a position at Dragon Tiger Hall. What does this mean?


    Starting today, Tong Zhentian will be the Heavenly List master stationed at Dragon Tiger Hall. Anyone intending trouble for Dragon Tiger Hall must weigh their own capabilities. Moreover, with Tong Zhentian and Ji Gang, Dragon Tiger Hall will have two Heavenly List masters. Currently, there are only three or four Heavenly List masters in the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion.


    Thinking of this, Ling Chen is filled with confidence in the future of Dragon Tiger Hall.


    "Elder Tong, since you are willing to join Dragon Tiger Hall, then you must assume the position of Martial Arts Hall Master, you definitely cannot decline."


    "I can be the Martial Arts Hall Master, anyway I¡¯m just here to boost your prestige, but let me dere, I¡¯m not taking care of things. I¡¯m too old now, and don¡¯t have much energy."


    "Of course, Dragon Tiger Hall has specialized people to manage, you just need to asionally guide everyone. The guidance of a Heavenly List master will surely attract many Martial Arts enthusiasts."


    Hearing this, Tong Zhentian couldn¡¯t help butugh and scold, "You little rascal... so quickly you begin to dig into my value."


    Ling Chen rubbed his nose, embarrassed, and smiled, "We have limited resources now, naturally we must make the most use of them."


    "Alright! I won¡¯t bicker with you about these things, when do you n to open Dragon Tiger Hall?"


    "In a couple of days. Since you¡¯ve assumed the position of Martial Arts Hall Master, we must publicize it well, expand the influence, and let more people know. Moreover, I still have many things to prepare."


    "Alright, remember to inform me on the day of the ribbon-cutting, I¡¯ll be staying at the hotel these days."


    After driving Tong Zhentian back to the hotel, Ling Chen made several calls instructing Tang Guolun to prepare what was needed for the ribbon-cutting day. In addition, Ling Chen specifically called Qiu Yong.


    During this period, Qiu Yong and others have been busy helping with the promotion. The eight peculiar figures are very famous in the Martial Arts world and have wide connections, with their help in promotion, it¡¯s twice the result with half the effort.


    Arranging everything, Ling Chen let out a long sigh. Thinking about the imminent opening of Dragon Tiger Hall, Ling Chen¡¯s heart did not feel excited, but rather anxious. As for the object of his anxiety, there is no doubt it is the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion.


    With the intelligencework of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, they must already know about Dragon Tiger Hall, wondering what actions they might take.


    After consultation, Ling Chen and others decided to hold the ribbon-cutting ceremony three dayster. If it were before, Ling Chen could only rely on promotion to attract the attention of Martial Arts enthusiasts. But now it¡¯s different, with Tong Zhentian as the Martial Arts Hall Master of Dragon Tiger Hall, any Martial Arts enthusiast must give Tong Zhentian face.


    Moreover, Tong Zhentian instructed Ling Chen that there are still quite a few significant figures in the Martial Arts world, although notparable to him, their influence is not weak. ording to Martial Arts rules, invitations must be delivered to these notable figures personally.


    Having to deal with these misceneous matters, Ling Chen hasn¡¯t returned home for several days, eating and sleeping at Dragon Tiger Hall.


    Fortunately, Ling Chen has many people tomand, with everyone¡¯s efforts, the venue was arranged in less than two days, and everything was ready.


    Meanwhile, Martial Arts enthusiastsing to attend the ribbon-cutting of Dragon Tiger Hall are arriving in East Sea City one after another.


    At the airport, station, Ling Chen has assigned personnel specifically for reception, providing dedicated transport. Through Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s connection, Ling Chen even reserved the most luxurious five-star hotel in East Sea City, just to give guests the mostfortable treatment.


    "Ling Chen, tomorrow morning, several important figures will arrive in East Sea City, don¡¯t forget to greet them personally," Tong Zhentian exined over the phone.


    "Elder Tong, rest assured, I¡¯ve noted it down, such important matters definitely won¡¯t be forgotten," Ling Chen replied.

 Chapter 1153 - 1160: An Unexpected Interference

    <h4>Chapter 1153: Chapter 1160: An Unexpected Interference</h4>


    The important figures arriving tomorrow are all grandmasters from the martial arts world, either sect leaders of reputable schools or highly esteemed teachers with disciples all over the world. If it weren¡¯t for Tong Zhentian¡¯s influence, probably only the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion could invite them.


    The more guests arrive, the greater the pressure on Ling Chen. So many people practically represent the entire martial arts world, and if any mishap urs, it would be a tremendous blow to the Dragon Tiger Hall.


    Night falls.


    Having been busy the whole day, Ling Chen returned home. He intended to stay at the Dragon Tiger Hall, but after much persuasion from Tang Guolun, Qiu Yong, and others, he agreed to go home and rest. Moreover, with important guests arriving tomorrow, he needed to spruce up and change clothes.


    At home, Nanrong Wanqing and the other women were there, some watching TV, others ying on theputer, all engrossed in their own activities.


    Seeing Ling Chen return exhausted, Tang Shiyun immediately put down her phone, quickly ran to him, and wrapped her arms around his, saying, "Ling, where have you been these days? We haven¡¯t even caught a glimpse of you."


    Ling Chen smiled slightly, "I¡¯ve been really busytely."


    "No matter how busy you are, you should stille home," Liu Xiyao chimed in, "Don¡¯t tell me you dislike us for taking over your house, so you won¡¯te back?"


    Upon hearing this, Nanrong Wanqing and Zhu Xiaozhu couldn¡¯t help but look up at Ling Chen.


    Cough!


    "Uh... Xiyao, aren¡¯t you overthinking it? How could I dislike you? I¡¯ve genuinely been busytely. I¡¯m not lying to you guys."


    "Is it because of that Dragon Tiger Hall?" Nanrong Wanqing suddenly asked, "I heard Nanrong Hao mention it. What¡¯s this Dragon Tiger Hall? And why such an odd name?"


    Ling Chen chuckled, "It¡¯s just a martial arts academy, no need for an elegant name."


    "A martial arts academy?" Liu Xiyao asked with interest, "What made you suddenly want to open one? Hey! When is your academy opening? We shoulde and support you."


    "The day after tomorrow, if you¡¯re interested, I¡¯ll arrange for someone to pick you up."


    "Alright, it¡¯s a deal then." Since the day after tomorrow is Sunday, everyone can go to the Dragon Tiger Hall without much else to do.


    Early the next morning.


    Before the women woke up, Ling Chen was already dressed and driving to the airport alone.


    At eight-thirty, Ling Chen arrived punctually outside the airport. At this time, the five luxury cars arranged by Tang Guolun for the reception had also arrived. In preparation for hosting guests from all over, Ling Chen had rented over fifty luxury cars, with daily expenses reaching millions.


    "Chen!"


    Seeing Ling Chen, everyone greeted him. The drivers were subordinates of Jiang Hao and Zhao Zhengxiong.


    "Thank you for your hard work."


    The group headed to the airport exit, silently waiting for the distinguished guests to arrive.


    At this moment, arge passenger ne slowlynded at the East Sea International Airport. As the cabin door opened, a man over fifty with graying hair was the first to walk down. Following him were four elders in their sixties and seventies. Despite their age, the elders were bright-eyed and sprightly, showing no signs of frailty.


    Each elder was apanied by two young disciples, tasked with serving and handling the luggage during their travels.


    "Master, the Dragon Tiger Hall¡¯s people are waiting outside the airport exit. Shall we go?"


    "Alright."


    Just then, several Rolls-Royces suddenly drove over and stopped beside the ne. A young man stepped out of the car and walked directly toward the elders.


    "Elder Liu, Elder Yang, Sir Chen, Elder Yuan, Elder Huang." The young man cupped his hands and smiled, "It¡¯s a pleasure to meet you, esteemed figures of the martial arts world."


    The elders scrutinized the young man and asked, "Are you Ling Chen?"


    "You must be mistaken; I¡¯m not Ling Chen. Let me introduce myself; my name is Wang Hao, a disciple of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, under Master Su He."


    After hearing this, the elders were momentarily stunned. Weren¡¯t the people from the Dragon Tiger Hall supposed to pick them up? How did a disciple of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion appear instead? Moreover, Su He¡¯s disciple... that title carries weight.


    One of the elders was the first to react, smiling and saying, "So, you¡¯re Elder Su¡¯s esteemed student. What¡¯s the purpose of your visit, Mr. Wang?"


    "My master knew you all would being to East Sea City, so he specifically sent me to wee you. Your amodations have been prepared. Please, get in the car!"


    The elders exchanged puzzled nces, not quite understanding the situation. They had been invited by the Dragon Tiger Hall and were also scheduled to meet Tong Zhentian. Now, the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion¡¯s unexpected intervention put them in a dilemma.


    If it were anyone else, they wouldn¡¯t bother, but the person in question was from the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, and Su He¡¯s disciple at that. Wang Hao¡¯s presence undeniably represented Su He. Refusing Wang Hao would be akin to refusing the entire Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion. Few in the martial arts world dared to do so.


    Despite being highly respected martial artists, they didn¡¯t dare voice such refusal.


    At this moment, one elder suggested with a smile, "Gentlemen, since there¡¯s still time, why not apany Mr. Wang for a while, then head to the Dragon Tiger Hallter? What do you think?"


    The other elders nodded in agreement, finding this an optimal solution that wouldn¡¯t offend either side.


    Wang Hao secretly chuckled. These old foxes are quite adept at plotting, but once they¡¯re in the car, they¡¯ll lose their freedom to decide.


    "Please, step into the car."


    Outside the airport exit, Ling Chen checked the time; it was already nine-thirty, yet the distinguished guests hadn¡¯t appeared. ording to the flight information, their ne arrived in East Sea half an hour ago. Logically speaking, they should havee out by now, but there wasn¡¯t a sign of them yet.


    Thinking it over, Ling Chen decided to call Tong Zhentian. Tong Zhentian had provided the flight information, so maybe there was an error.


    "They couldn¡¯t have gotten it wrong. I asked them, and they all took the same flight. Ling, don¡¯t panic; perhaps something dyed them. I¡¯ll give them a call to find out."


    A few minutester, Tong Zhentian called back, his tone tinged with concern.


    "I can¡¯t reach them by phone."


    "All five of them?"


    "Yes, it¡¯s unlikely a coincidence. They likely encountered some trouble. Ling, go investigate their whereabouts and ensure nothing happens," Tong Zhentian instructed.


    "Alright, I¡¯m on it." Without dy, Ling Chen headed to the airport security department.


    It didn¡¯t take long for Ling Chen to discover the whereabouts of the distinguished guests.


    They were picked up by car?


    How is that possible? Ling Chen frowned, contemting. Besides him, who else would send a car to pick them up? Could it be Tang Guolun? No, arrangements were clearly made for him to personallye to the airport, and there¡¯s no way Tang Guolun would make such a rookie mistake.

 Chapter 1154 - 1161: The Means of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion

    <h4>Chapter 1154: Chapter 1161: The Means of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion</h4>


    "Mr. Ling, I just checked the records. Half an hour ago, several Rolls-Royces entered the airport right when that flight arrived. I wonder if you arranged it wrong, sending out two teams to pick up the guests." The security staff asked.


    "Impossible." Ling Chen thought for a moment and asked, "To enter the airport tarmac, a registration is required. May I ask who registered?"


    "Hold on, I¡¯ll find out for you." The staff pulled up the information from theputer, nced at it, and said, "Mr. Ling, the registered name here is Liu Yang. Do you know him?"


    "Liu Yang?" Ling Chen slightly frowned, having never heard this name before. Thinking carefully, those people took the guests away before him, clearly intending to oppose him.


    Could it be the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion¡¯s doing? But, they wouldn¡¯t resort to such low-level tactics against him. Forget it! The opponent must be well-prepared, and there¡¯s no point in investigating further. Rather than wasting time here, it¡¯s better to return to the Dragon Tiger Hall and discuss with Tong Zhentian how to handle the matter.


    An hourter.


    Having received the news, Tong Zhentian had already rushed from the hotel to the Dragon Tiger Hall. Upon hearing that Ling Chen had returned, Tong Zhentian, apanied by Tang Guolun and others, immediately went to the entrance.


    "Ling Chen, how did it go? Have you found them?" Tong Zhentian asked anxiously.


    "Elder Tong, I¡¯m sorry, I didn¡¯t find them; they were picked up ahead of time." Ling Chen replied.


    Tong Zhentian spoke worriedly, "I¡¯ve called them countless times, but no one answered. I¡¯m really worried something might have happened to them."


    Ling Chen tried to reassure him, "Elder Tong, please don¡¯t worry just yet. It¡¯s unlikely anything has happened to them. They¡¯re all Masters in Martial Arts¡ªskills far beyond ordinary capabilities. Moreover, the five of thembined can challenge even Heavenly List experts. What I¡¯m wondering is who could have done this? Tomorrow is the Dragon Tiger Hall¡¯s opening ceremony, with Martial Artists from all over gathering in East Sea City. It¡¯s a grand event for the Martial arts world. Someone causing trouble now clearly has ill intentions, aiming at our Dragon Tiger Hall, making things difficult for us. I initially thought it might be the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion. But, given our unresolved conflict, they have no reason to hinder me at this time."


    "It must be the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion," Tong Zhentian said sternly. "Don¡¯t think too highly of them; after all these years dealing with the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, I know what kind of people they are. They may show brotherhood on the surface, but when their own interests are involved, they¡¯ll not give you any face. Moreover, making five experts disappear without a trace¡ªno one else could achieve this except the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion. Hmph! Ling Chen, this opening ceremony has be quite the spectacle."


    "Elder Tong, what do we do now?"


    "Since it¡¯s the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion¡¯s doing, we shouldn¡¯t confront them head-on. As long as the opening ceremony proceeds smoothly, let¡¯s avoid conflict with them for now. As for the VIPs for the ceremony, I¡¯ll try finding recements," Tong Zhentian said.


    The five invited Martial Arts experts were meant to attend the opening ceremony. Including Ling Chen and Tong Zhentian, there are seven people in total. With five important figures missing, Tong Zhentian must find five reputable experts in the Martial Artsmunity before the ceremony tomorrow¡ªa significant challenge even for Tong Zhentian given his status and influence.


    Ling Chen felt troubled; the importance of the ceremony guests is undeniable. The more influential and renowned the Martial Arts experts, the greater the impact and publicity. For this reason, Tong Zhentian pulled strings to invite the five Martial Arts masters.


    Now, thinking back, the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion must have anticipated this, intervening early to take those five Martial Arts masters away.


    A night passed.


    The next morning, Ling Chen woke up before five o¡¯clock. The pressure from the Dragon Tiger Hall kept him awake. More importantly, there was still no news from Tong Zhentian, indicating the guest lineup for the ceremony wasn¡¯t finalized.


    With about six hours left until the opening ceremony, Ling Chen hadn¡¯t felt such heavy pressure in ages.


    After six in the morning, Tong Zhentian finally called. As soon as the call connected, Ling Chen heard Tong Zhentian swearing furiously. Ling Chen was somewhat surprised; for Tong Zhentian, with his refinement and cultivation, to be provoked to this extent¡ªevidently not a trivial matter.


    "Elder Tong, calm down first. Let¡¯s talk it through," Ling Chen said.


    "Those bastards at the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion¡ªthey¡¯ll pay for this. Just wait and see, one day I¡¯ll make them regret it," Tong Zhentian vented his anger.


    Ling Chen offered some words offort and finally understood the reason behind Tong Zhentian¡¯s anger.


    Since yesterday, Tong Zhentian made numerous calls inviting people to the opening ceremony. Thanks to his reputation, by evening he finally confirmed five new guests for the ceremony.


    Tong Zhentian had been waiting for them, but just recently those individuals called, citing urgent matters as reasons they couldn¡¯te to East Sea City.


    If it¡¯s just one or two people, it¡¯s manageable. But when all five say the same, it¡¯s suspicious. Finally, under pressure from Tong Zhentian, one confessed that the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion had called overnight instructing him to refuse Tong Zhentian¡¯s invitation.


    Faced with a choice between a Martial Arts icon and a dominant force ruling the Martial Arts for centuries, any smart person would pick the former.


    This incident made Tong Zhentian, despite his years of self-cultivation, unconsciously curse.


    Taking a deep breath to suppress his anger, Tong Zhentian said, "Ling Chen, seems the ceremony guests are a lost cause. You¡¯ll need to figure something out and find a few people to stand in."


    "That¡¯s how it must be," Ling Chen agreed. He had nned in advance that if guests couldn¡¯t be found, they¡¯d have Qiu Yong and others take the stage.


    The ¡¯Eight Oddities¡¯ may not be widely renowned, but their names are notable. Especially Zhang Zhongfeng, with the title ¡¯Arrow God,¡¯ is known by all in the Martial Arts world.


    After the call, Ling Chen sighed helplessly. At this moment, he truly felt the terrifying influence of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, as no one dared oppose it.


    "Son, you look worried. Facing difficulties?" Yang Qingling asked from the dining table.


    Ling Chen forced a smile and replied, "Nothing much, just a bit of trouble. I can handle it." After finishing his porridge, Ling Chen got up and said, "Mom, I have things to attend to, so I¡¯m heading out. Later, when Wanqing and the others wake up, have them go straight to the Dragon Tiger Hall."

 Chapter 1155 - 1162: Turmoil at the Venue (1)

    <h4>Chapter 1155: Chapter 1162: Turmoil at the Venue (1)</h4>


    "Okay, be careful on the road."


    After Ling Chen left, Yang Qingling took out her phone and dialed a number.


    "Hello! It¡¯s me. Your son is in trouble. As his father, don¡¯t you intend to help?"


    At this moment, if Ling Chen heard this, he would probably be stunned. Ling Chen always thought that his dad and mom hadn¡¯t met yet, let alonemunicated. But what he didn¡¯t know was who Ling Kun really was. Over the years, Ling Kun knew everything about his every move. Now that Yang Qingling has returned, how could Ling Kun not know?


    As soon as Ling Chen went out, Ling Kun had secretly met with Yang Qingling. In Ling Kun¡¯s words, he didn¡¯t give Ling Chen his contact information because he wanted to cultivate his son¡¯s independence, to let him find ways to solve problems on his own when he encountered difficulties, rather than always seeking others for help.


    "I know you want him to be independent. Isn¡¯t he independent enough now? Over the years, how much have you cared for him? What kind of father are you?" Yang Qingling said irritably, "I can see that Ling Chen has encountered significant difficulties this time and is under a lot of pressure. I don¡¯t care what excuse you find. In short, if you don¡¯t help our precious son, don¡¯t expect to see me again."


    ...


    Dragon Tiger Hall.


    From eight o¡¯clock in the morning, Dragon Tiger Hall gradually became lively as martial arts enthusiasts who arrived a day or two early in East Sea City began to gather at Dragon Tiger Hall.


    For today¡¯s opening ceremony, Ling Chen had prepared thoroughly. The entire martial arts venue was well-organized, capable of amodating hundreds of guests without issues. In the center of the venue, dozens of professional waiters were weaving through the guests with fruit tters and wine, creating a lively atmosphere.


    Everyone was from the martial artsmunity, having manymon topics, and most of them knew each other. Thus, many groups were chatting in threes and fives in the martial arts venue.


    As the deputy hall master of Dragon Tiger Hall, Ling Chen¡¯s primary task was to greet guests at the entrance. Ling Chen had a smile on his face for every arriving guest, exchanging polite words. Within less than an hour, Ling Chen¡¯s mouth was dry and his facial muscles were almost stiff.


    At this point, He Ziyun walked over from the side, patting Ling Chen on the shoulder, saying, "Tired? Go rest for a bit, I¡¯ll help you entertain the guests."


    When Dragon Tiger Hall was first established, Ling Chen had thought of He Ziyun. Being a skilled master on the Earthly List for decades, He Ziyun had some fame in the martial arts world. At Ling Chen¡¯s invitation, he finally persuaded He Ziyun to ept the position of deputy hall master of Dragon Tiger Hall.


    Switching ces with He Ziyun, Ling Chen, without taking time to rest, headed directly to the backup base on the second basement level by elevator. At this moment, led by Hu Fei, more than twenty technical personnel were busily working.


    On therge screen in the center of the base, more than a dozen frames disyed scenes, monitoring every corner of Dragon Tiger Hall in real-time, to prevent any unexpected urrences. Of course, the main concern was to guard against the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion.


    Since the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion had already made a move, Ling Chen couldn¡¯t help but worry whether they might try to disrupt today, this important day.


    "Fatty, how are things looking?"


    "Everything¡¯s normal, no anomalies detected as of now." As he spoke, Hu Fei¡¯s gaze remained fixed on the screen. In one of the monitoring frames, a green box was scanning a guest¡¯s face. Beside it in the information bar, the guest¡¯s details quickly appeared.


    Ling Chen curiously asked, "Fatty, what are you doing?"


    "Didn¡¯t you say someone might cause trouble at the event? I¡¯m helping you check these people¡¯s identities to see if there¡¯s anyone suspicious." Just as he finished speaking, a technician suddenly pointed at the screen and said, "Mr. Hu, this person seems to have an issue."


    Ling Chen and Hu Fei looked up, where the green box had locked onto a man in his thirties. He was wearing a suit, holding a wine ss, leisurely mingling in the crowd. However, after a few minutes, he didn¡¯t engage in conversation with anyone. Moreover, with Ling Chen¡¯s extensive experience, he sensed that the man was stealthily observing theyout and arrangements of the martial arts venue.


    "Check that person¡¯s information," Hu Fei said.


    Soon, a string of question marks appeared in the screen¡¯s information bar next to it.


    "Fatty, what does this mean?"


    Hu Fei smirked and said, "It means there¡¯s no record of this person in the database. It seems our judgment was correct; this person indeed has a problem." After speaking, Hu Fei picked up the walkie-talkie and issued amand: "Number Three, Number Four, there¡¯s a man in his thirties wearing a suit in your left front. Detain him and escort him to the interrogation room. Remember, keep it low-key, don¡¯t draw other guests¡¯ attention, or it¡¯ll cause chaos."


    "Roger!"


    Soon, through the surveince screen, two young men in waiter uniforms approached the target from both sides. "Turn the audio receiver to maximum," Hu Fei instructed.


    One young man walked in front of the middle-aged man, handed over the wine tray, and politely asked, "Sir, would you like more wine?"


    The middle-aged man smiled gently, raising his wine ss, saying, "Thank you, but not for now."


    While talking, the other young man quietly circled behind the middle-aged man, pretending to pass by from behind. However, as the two came close, the young man subtly leaned towards the middle-aged man. Instantly, the middle-aged man¡¯s expression changed slightly. Before he could speak, his body tipped forward.


    The two young men standing nearby reacted swiftly, quickly supporting the middle-aged man¡¯s body, and called out, "This gentleman¡¯s had too much to drink, let¡¯s help him inside to rest."


    Watching as the middle-aged man was escorted out of the venue, Ling Chen patted Hu Fei on the shoulder and smiled, "Well done."


    "Will you handle the interrogation yourself or let Boss Tang do it?"


    "I¡¯ll go. There¡¯s nothing pressing right now. You keep an eye on the venue and see if there are any other suspicious individuals. Identify them all. Today is the most important day for Dragon Tiger Hall, and I don¡¯t want anyone stirring up trouble." After finishing, Ling Chen turned and entered the elevator.


    Shortly, Ling Chen arrived alone at the interrogation room.


    Pushing the door open, the middle-aged man was tied to a chair, now fully conscious. Seeing Ling Chen enter, the middle-aged man spoke in a deep voice, "Mr. Ling, what is this about? Is this how you treat guests?"


    Ling Chen replied with a nk expression, "If you genuinely came to celebrate, I would warmly wee you. But the problem is, you seem to have another agenda. There are no outsiders here; why don¡¯t you tell me what you¡¯re really after?"


    The middle-aged man frowned and said, "Mr. Ling, I don¡¯t quite understand your meaning. I only came by invitation to attend the Dragon Tiger Hall opening ceremony. If you don¡¯t wee me, you could have told me directly, and I wouldn¡¯t have stayed here to impose."

 Chapter 1156 - 1163: Conference Turmoil (2)

    <h4>Chapter 1156: Chapter 1163: Conference Turmoil (2)</h4>


    "Okay, if I¡¯m wrong, I¡¯ll definitely apologize to you. You just said you were invited to attend the ribbon-cutting ceremony, so what¡¯s your name? I¡¯ll have someone check if you¡¯re on the invitation list."


    "Ling Chen, you¡¯re insulting me!" the middle-aged man shouted angrily, "You¡¯d better let me go and apologize to me. Otherwise, I¡¯ll expose your actions to the public and let everyone know your true face."


    Ling Chen smiled faintly, directly ignoring the other¡¯s threat, and said, "Unwilling to speak, are you? Or are you guilty, afraid I¡¯ll discover your real purpose and thus don¡¯t dare to tell me the truth?"


    "I did not." The middle-aged man¡¯s tone was firm, but a sh of panic appeared in his eyes.


    "A wise man knows when to adapt. Actually, even if you don¡¯t say it, I can guess your background. Humph! The Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion sure values me highly. But if you wanted toe and congratte me, you should havee openly. I wouldn¡¯t refuse. Why act so sneaky like a thief hiding in the dark?"


    "What Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, what on earth are you talking about?"


    Ling Chen chuckled nonchntly, "It doesn¡¯t matter if you don¡¯t admit it. I didn¡¯t expect you to. I just want to know, besides you, how many others did the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion send to infiltrate?"


    The middle-aged man replied coldly, "I don¡¯t know; I have nothing to do with the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion. Ling Chen, don¡¯t nder me."


    "I couldn¡¯t tell, you¡¯re quite loyal to the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion. But do you think I¡¯m so easily fooled? Do you think as long as you insist you have nothing to do with the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion and refuse to admit it, I can¡¯t do anything to you? That I¡¯ll let you go after the ribbon-cutting ceremony?"


    The middle-aged man¡¯s gaze shifted, but he said nothing.


    Ling Chen continued to smile to himself, "Did the people from the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion tell you that I¡¯m a soft-hearted person, wouldn¡¯t use harsh methods on you, and that even if you got caught, there¡¯s nothing to fear? Ha! You really are naive. Now it seems, if I don¡¯t use some methods, you¡¯ll probably still think of me as just a good guy." Saying this, Ling Chen walked to the interrogation room door, opened it, and instructed the person standing outside with a few words.


    In less than five minutes, the person outside brought in a metal briefcase.


    Ling Chen tapped on the metal briefcase, staring straight at the middle-aged man, "Before I open the case, you still have one more chance. Will you talk or not?"


    The middle-aged man kept his mouth shut, ignoring Ling Chen¡¯s words as if he hadn¡¯t heard them.


    Seeing this, Ling Chen chuckled, his eyes glinting with a cold light.


    "Buddy, if you knew about my past work, you¡¯d definitely regret your decision just now." With that, Ling Chen didn¡¯t hesitate any longer and opened the metal briefcase.


    In less than ten minutes, the time felt like torture to the two young men outside the interrogation room.


    During these ten minutes, screams of torment never ceased from inside the interrogation room, each one worse than thest, making the young men feel chills down their spines. If not for the orders to stand firm and hold their posts, they would¡¯ve already wanted to leave. Who would have thought that normally gentle and harmless Ling Chen could be so ruthless? No wonder Jiang Hao and Zhao Zhengxiong treated Ling Chen with such respect ¨C now they understood why.


    A few more minutes passed, and finally, the screams from the interrogation room subsided. At the same time, the door opened from the inside, and Ling Chen, holding a rag, wiped the blood from his hands and instructed, "Drag him to the elevator."


    "Yes!"


    After Ling Chen left, the two young men hurried into the interrogation room. Instantly, a stench hit their noses. They saw the middle-aged man covered in blood, with a puddle of yellow liquid beneath him, and the odor wasing from his crotch.


    Damn! This guy is so scared he lost control of his dder and bowels. Not caring about the dirt, the two young men, one on each side, grabbed the middle-aged man¡¯s arms and dragged him out of the interrogation room.


    It wasn¡¯t long before the middle-aged man was brought to the control room on the second basement level. Seeing the middle-aged man battered and bloody, Hu Fei clicked his tongue and said, "You were quite ruthless."


    Ling Chen shrugged and said with a helpless expression, "I didn¡¯t want to be. I initially nned to have a nice chat with him, but he wouldn¡¯t cooperate and forced me to act. I said he¡¯d regret it, but he just wouldn¡¯t listen. Who can be med for that? Enough talking! Pull up the surveince."


    Through Ling Chen¡¯s torture methods, the middle-aged man¡¯s mental defenses had already copsed. At this moment, whatever Ling Chen said, he cooperated obediently, without a hint of wishful thinking.


    Before long, under the middle-aged man¡¯s testimony, Hu Fei identified seven suspicious individuals. Quickly, those few suspects, hidden among the guests, were all brought to the interrogation room by the staff.


    "Fatty, the rest is up to you, handle it as you see fit. The ribbon-cutting ceremony begins in two and a half hours; I need to keep an eye on the venue."


    "Alright."


    Upon leaving the control room, Ling Chen hadn¡¯tpletely calmed down. Just as he suspected, these people were from the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, intending to disrupt the event and cause chaos, preventing the ribbon-cutting ceremony from proceeding smoothly.


    More surprising than this to Ling Chen was that the mastermind behind it all was Wang Hao.


    Su He actually employed Wang Hao, which Ling Chen hadn¡¯t expected. Considering his history with Wang Hao, the other party certainly wouldn¡¯t let it go and likely had other strategies in ce. Before the ribbon-cutting ceremony concluded, he had to remain vignt to prevent any unexpected urrences.


    Returning to the venue, Ling Chen helped wee guests while mentioning the recent incident to Tong Zhentian. Today, without a doubt, Tong Zhentian was the busiest. As the Martial Arts Hall Master and a Martial Arts legend, he naturally drew a crowd. From the time Tong Zhentian entered the venue until now, he was always surrounded by thirty or forty people, with groupsing and going.


    "As long as the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion takes no further action, there¡¯s no need to worry for now. But if they really dare to cause trouble at the Dragon Tiger Hall, I won¡¯t hold back," said Tong Zhentian.


    "Ling Chen!"


    At this moment, a familiar voice called out. Ling Chen turned his head, immediately putting on a smile.


    "Mr. Ye, long time no see. I thought you wouldn¡¯te."


    Ye Liangyong smiled and said, "I heard from Master that you opened a Martial Arts Academy, so I had toe and show support. Not bad, Master didn¡¯t misjudge you. Your potential for development is enormous. In such a short time, you¡¯ve built such arge force."


    "Thanks to Mr. He¡¯s guidance and Mr. Ye¡¯s help, of course."


    "Haha! When did you learn to say such courteous words? Alright, since you put it that way, if you ever need me for anything, just let me know. Although my connections aren¡¯t as wide as yours, getting you some investment shouldn¡¯t be a problem." Ye Liangyong¡¯s meaning was clear: he might not have manpower, but money was not an issue.


    "Then I¡¯ll thank you in advance, Mr. Ye."


    "Alright, I imagine you¡¯re very busy today, so I won¡¯t take up your time. Go ahead, I¡¯ll wander around and catch up with some friends."

 Chapter 1157 - 1164: Guests from All Directions

    <h4>Chapter 1157: Chapter 1164: Guests from All Directions</h4>


    "Ling!"


    A melodious voice resonated, and Ling Chen turned to see Tang Shiyun, Nanrong Wanqing, Liu Xiyao, and Zhu Xiaozhu arriving at the Dragon Tiger Hall. Along with them, Zhong Wei and Liang Zhao Hui followed closely behind, ensuring the safety of the women.


    "You¡¯re here." Ling Chen greeted with a smile.


    "Ling, it¡¯s so lively here." Tang Shiyun looked around with her big eyes. Nanrong Wanqing and the other women were also slightly surprised as they perceived Dragon Tiger Hall as just an ordinary martial arts academy, not expecting it to be such a draw, with almost two hundred attendees.


    "Captain Zhong, the security here is fine, no need to worry too much. Feel free to grab a drink."


    Zhong Wei nodded, saying nothing. Yet, in his heart, he was rather moved. In earlier days, Ling Chen was just part of his team. Now, while Zhong Wei remains unchanged, Ling Chen has soared to great heights,pleting a transformation.


    "Wanqing, do you know anyone here?" Liu Xiyao nced around at the guests, all unfamiliar faces, not a single acquaintance.


    "I don¡¯t see anyone I know." Nanrong Wanqing was also puzzled, being the chairman of the Hongyu Group and somewhat of a celebrity in the business world. However, in Dragon Tiger Hall, not a single person she recognized. Moreover, observing the curious gazes of others, it seemed they were unaware of her identity, only admiring their beauty.


    "Ling Chen, who are all these people you¡¯ve invited?" Liu Xiyao asked curiously.


    "They¡¯re all martial arts enthusiasts, different from your circle." Ling Chen exined with a smile: "Dragon Tiger Hall is a martial arts academy, so naturally, we wouldn¡¯t invite business people."


    As they spoke, several guests approached, stopping in front of Nanrong Wanqing and the others.


    What are these people here for? It seems I don¡¯t know them.


    Just as the women pondered, the guests cupped their fists and greeted: "Miss Zhu, d to meet you."


    Zhu Xiaozhu offered a gentle smile, nodding lightly in return: "I¡¯m pleased to meet you too, esteemed guests."


    "Miss Zhu, I¡¯ve yet to repay you for saving my life back then. Should you need anything, please let me know, and I¡¯ll assist to the best of my ability."


    "You¡¯re too kind, esteemed guest. I¡¯m a doctor; healing is my duty, there¡¯s no need to thank me."


    "But that won¡¯t do. We martial arts folks believe in repaying kindness with kindness, and grudges with grudges. Not repaying this favor makes me uneasy."


    "Alright then." Zhu Xiaozhu, unable to decline further, agreed: "I¡¯ll let you know if I need any help."


    "That¡¯s perfect." After a brief chat, the guests departed without further disturbances.


    In less than ten minutes, over twenty martial arts individuals approached Zhu Xiaozhu for greetings, astonishing the three women nearby.


    "Xiaozhu, do you know these people?" Tang Shiyun asked curiously.


    "Not exactly know them, just helped treat their ailments."


    Ling Chen understood the reason. Zhu Xiaozhu learned from Shi Su, and the Shi Family is renowned in the martial arts world for their medical expertise, especially for unique treatments on internal and external injuries of martial arts practitioners. If one suffered internal injuries, consulting the Shi Family offers better results than a hospital.


    Zhu Xiaozhu mastered Shi Su¡¯s teachings and aided many martial artists. Additionally, given the Shi Family¡¯s special status, Zhu Xiaozhu is considered a martial arts figure herself.


    "Ling, congrattions, congrattions, I never expected you to keep such a low profile. Looks like I¡¯m fortunate to have met a notable figure." A voice came, and Ling Chen looked over, smiling. It was none other than Tian Hanzhong, whom he met a few days ago at the hotel.


    "Tian, I¡¯m not really a notable figure, but thank you for showing your support."


    "Hey! Ling, Zhou Qian and Ren Han from the Martial Arts Association are here. I noticed they seemed off at the entrance; should you check it out? Today is an important day for Dragon Tiger Hall; you don¡¯t want any trouble." Tian Hanzhong whispered a reminder.


    Zhou Qian and Ren Han are here too? Ling Chen was slightly startled. Those two have poor character and don¡¯t suit his preferences, so he didn¡¯t invite them to Dragon Tiger Hall¡¯s ribbon-cutting ceremony. Unexpectedly, they arrived uninvited, likely due to Tong Zhentian¡¯s influence.


    Tong Zhentian mentioned the other day that he resigned from his honorary president position at the Martial Arts Association to focus on managing Dragon Tiger Hall, forsaking time with Zhou Qian and his associates.


    Tong Zhentian¡¯s presence is undoubtedly a significant support for Zhou Qian and Ren Han. Now that this support shifted elsewhere, they must feel displeased. Oh well! Since they¡¯re here, why not meet them? With that thought, Ling Chen headed straight to the entrance.


    At the moment, Zhou Qian and Ren Han were exchanging pleasantries with He Ziyun at the entrance. All three were skilled from the Earthly List, not very familiar, but had heard of each other.


    "President Zhou, Chairman Ren, what brings you two here?" Ling Chen greeted with a smile.


    If Ling Chen saw himself now, he would be astonished. This progress is remarkable, even his insincere smile appears sincere.


    "Mr. Ling." Zhou Qian smiled: "Apologies foring uninvited, hope you don¡¯t mind."


    "President Zhou, don¡¯t mention it; you¡¯re all esteemed guests. I intended to invite you personally, but Elder Tong mentioned you were preupied with the Martial Arts Association meeting and couldn¡¯t attend the ceremony, so I didn¡¯t send invites. If there¡¯s any oversight, please forgive me."


    Upon hearing Ling Chen¡¯s words, He Ziyun¡¯s mouth curled slightly, his eyes gleaming with amusement. Knowing Ling Chen for so long, he never observed such eloquence. Amazingly, now he can converse ordingly with anyone, tell lies with no hesitation, truly remarkable.


    Ren Hanughed: "Mr. Ling, no need to say that, the ribbon-cutting ceremony at Dragon Tiger Hall, overseen by Elder Tong, is not something we would miss."


    "President Zhou, Chairman Ren, pleasee inside!"


    The three walked into the venue side by side, all smiles. However, internally, they cursed each other. Especially Zhou Qian and Ren Han, despite outwardly smiling, internally they cursed Ling Chen fiercely.


    A few days ago, Tong Zhentian suddenly approached them, announcing his resignation as honorary president of the Martial Arts Association. Despite their persuasion, it was fruitless. Later, they discovered that Tong Zhentian became the martial arts master at Dragon Tiger Hall.


    Upon learning that Ling Chen was Dragon Tiger Hall¡¯s deputy master, they realized it was Ling Chen¡¯s doing, enticing Tong Zhentian away. Losing Tong Zhentian as a formidable support, Zhou Qian and Ren Han couldn¡¯t help but hate this. Yet, due to Tong Zhentian¡¯s influence, they dared not express their anger, burying it inside. They came today particrly to see the remarkable aspects of Dragon Tiger Hall that could attract Tong Zhentian, making him willing to be the martial arts master.

 Chapter 1158 - 1165: Support or Sabotage (1)

    <h4>Chapter 1158: Chapter 1165: Support or Sabotage (1)</h4>


    Time ticked by, minute by minute, and in half an hour, the ribbon-cutting ceremony for Dragon Tiger Hall would begin.


    Before the ceremony started, Tang Shiyun was invited to warm up the event.


    It must be said that the allure of a star knows no bounds. Even these older martial arts enthusiasts had heard of Tang Shiyun¡¯s fame. As Tang Shiyun sang, the audience erupted into enthusiastic apuse and cheers.


    Ling Chen stood by the side of the stage, checking the time, about ten minutes left.


    "Big brother, it¡¯s up to you guys in a bit."


    "Don¡¯t worry, it¡¯s just a ribbon-cutting; nothing will go wrong," Qiu Yong said with a smile.


    At 11:30 in the morning, amidst the crowd¡¯s farewell, Tang Shiyun stepped down from the stage. Up next, the main event of the day.


    Under the gaze of everyone, Tong Zhentian led Ling Chen and the others to stride onto the stage. As the Martial Arts Hall Master of Dragon Tiger Hall, Tong Zhentian stood at the center of the seven people, with Ling Chen and He Ziyun beside him, and Qiu Yong, Xu Ming, Yuan Yun, and Zhang Zhongfeng on either end.


    Because of Tong Zhentian¡¯s presence, the demeanor of the others was overshadowed, and all eyes focused on him. Qiu Yong and the others didn¡¯t mind; they were there as backup, making up the numbers. The protagonists today were only Tong Zhentian and Ling Chen.


    Surveying the crowd below the stage, Tong Zhentian pressed his hands down, signaling everyone to quiet down.


    "Ladies and gentlemen, I¡¯d like to first thank you all foring. Today, on this joyous asion of the opening of Dragon Tiger Hall, your presence brings great honor. Although Dragon Tiger Hall is a martial arts academy, it¡¯s not an ordinary one. In due time, I believe Dragon Tiger Hall will be the most unique entity in the martial arts world."


    "Elder Tong, what do you mean by ¡¯unique¡¯?" someone from the audience asked.


    Tong Zhentian smiled and said, "The purpose of Dragon Tiger Hall is to revitalize the Huaxia martial arts world. I believe many who hear this will be skeptical. Indeed, revitalizing Huaxia¡¯s martial arts is no easy task, not something achieved overnight, but I have confidence. Here, I want to announce that any member who joins Dragon Tiger Hall will have an opportunity for advanced training. Some might ask what exactly this ¡¯advanced training¡¯ entails. I might as well tell you, despite just opening, Dragon Tiger Hall has a deep foundation, with not only a wide variety of martial arts to choose from but also many lost martial arts manuals."


    These words caused a stir, with everyone¡¯s eyes filled with astonishment.


    "Elder Tong, is what you said true? Can you really practice freely just by joining Dragon Tiger Hall?" someone eagerly asked.


    "Of course it¡¯s true. However, it¡¯s not about picking anything at will. As martial artists, you should clearly understand that not everyone is suited to practice the most formidable techniques. The more powerful the martial arts manual, the higher the requirements for talent andprehension. If the aptitude isn¡¯t there, even the most potent cultivation technique would lead to nothing. So, we will personally assess one¡¯s aptitude and then rmend the most suitable technique. Of course, there¡¯s no such thing as a free lunch; there will undoubtedly be some restrictions. As for the specific details, I won¡¯t borate right now. If anyone is interested, you can find out from Dragon Tiger Hall staff after the ribbon-cutting ceremony."


    Hearing this, someone in the audience joked, "Elder Tong, aren¡¯t you afraid that those martial arts manuals might leak out?"


    Tong Zhentianughed and said, "I understand what you mean, and I¡¯m sure most people think the same. But I want to tell you, revitalizing Huaxia¡¯s martial arts world isn¡¯t just empty talk, nor is it boasting. Today¡¯s martial arts world is already in decline, and many martial arts essences have been lost in the rivers of history, which is a huge loss to our Huaxia martial arts. Because too many people hold back, not willing to pass on their knowledge, it has resulted in the loss of valuable treasures. If we don¡¯t rectify this, a hundred years from now, Huaxia martial arts might be mere flowery boxing. As martial artists, this is a responsibility every martial artist must shoulder."


    "Therefore, we¡¯re not afraid of martial arts manuals being leaked. On the contrary, I hope more and more people will join our ranks. Only by making martial arts a pursuit for all can we restore the glory of Huaxia¡¯s martial arts world."


    Thunderous apuse.


    However, more than half of this apuse was out of respect for Tong Zhentian. Everyone still held a skeptical attitude towards his words. After all, martial arts manuals are secrets of various schools, no one would leak them; that would be like destroying one¡¯s own livelihood.


    As the saying goes, a unique skill can make a living everywhere. If there aren¡¯t a few secret tricks, who woulde to learn? Moreover, if the secret skills are passed on to others, how could one survive in this business?


    "Elder Tong is right, revitalizing Huaxia¡¯s martial arts world is indeed a responsibility we martial artists must fulfill," a sudden voice reached everyone¡¯s ears.


    Turning towards the voice, everyone¡¯s expressions changed as they looked at the neer in surprise.


    Isn¡¯t that... Su He? The Old Pavilion Master of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, why is he here!


    Apart from Su He, everyone recognized the several elders behind him, all renowned in the martial arts world. It was said that these martial arts notables would attend Dragon Tiger Hall¡¯s ribbon-cutting ceremony, but now they appeared with people from the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion. What does this mean?


    Behind the group of elderly, there was a young man following. Others might not be familiar, but Ling Chen recognized him, Wang Hao!


    Ling Chen frowned slightly, the worry finally turned into reality. He just didn¡¯t expect Su He to show up in person and bring along those renowned martial arts elders too.


    What¡¯s this about? Is it a demonstration?


    Ling Chen, despite his thoughts, followed Tong Zhentian off the stage and quickly went to greet them.


    Tong Zhentianughed heartily, saying, "Old Su, why are you here without giving me a heads up so I could send someone to meet you?"


    "No need for the trouble, although old, my two legs can still walk," Su He replied indifferently, "I heard Dragon Tiger Hall is opening today, as an old friend, of course, I had toe support."


    "Well, thank you then."


    "Elder Su!" Ling Chen stepped forward, slightly bowed, greeting Su He with a disciple¡¯s salute. No matter what, Su He could still be considered his master. As long as the fragile veneer between them wasn¡¯t torn, he had to respect Su He as a disciple would.


    Su He looked Ling Chen over, nodded, and said, "Not bad, I wasn¡¯t wrong about you; you indeed have potential. Now that you¡¯re with Elder Tong, make sure to work hard and strive to reach even greater heights."


    "Old Su, I don¡¯t like what you¡¯re saying. What do you mean by he¡¯s with me? He¡¯s your student, not mine, so why should I teach him?" Tong Zhentian joined in.

 Chapter 1159 - 1166: Support or Sabotage (2)

    <h4>Chapter 1159: Chapter 1166: Support or Sabotage (2)</h4>


    As soon as these words were spoken, everyone at the scene was once again taken aback; no one expected Ling Chen to have such an identity. Being a disciple of Su He, this is no small matter. Especially Zhou Qian and Ren Han, although they guessed that Ling Chen might be rted to the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, they didn¡¯t think it would be this profound.


    The two exchanged a nce, feeling somewhat relieved. Fortunately, they hadn¡¯t impulsively sought trouble with Ling Chen; otherwise, they wouldn¡¯t even know how they died.


    Su He nced at Tong Zhentian, but did not respond to him.


    "Elder Tong, you must be mistaken." Wang Hao, who had been standing at the back, spoke up: "Master only has me as a disciple. When did Ling Chen be a disciple of Master? Elder Tong, you must rify, you can¡¯t say such things lightly."


    At this point, Wang Hao fixed his gaze on Ling Chen, with a slight smirk on his lips and a hint of provocation in his eyes.


    Master? Disciple?


    Ling Chen¡¯s heart sank; it seemed Wang Hao had already be Su He¡¯s disciple as he wished. It showed that Su He hadpletely abandoned him. With a rapid turn of thought, Ling Chen smiled slightly and said, "Elder Su once guided me, but my aptitude is rather dull, and I did not have the honor of bing Elder Su¡¯s formal disciple. Nevertheless, in my heart, I have always regarded Elder Su as my master."


    Upon hearing Ling Chen¡¯s response, a smile appeared in Tong Zhentian¡¯s eyes. This kid¡¯s reaction was quite clever, his words impable.


    "Old Su, since you¡¯re here, why don¡¯t you join me in the ribbon-cutting?" Tong Zhentian extended the invitation.


    "I¡¯m just a guest, mainly here to witness the event today. You all go ahead, don¡¯t mind me."


    With the conversation at this point, Tong Zhentian certainly wouldn¡¯t insist. He then signaled to Ling Chen and, with Qiu Yong and others, returned to the stage to prepare for the ribbon-cutting ceremony.


    Looking at the people on stage, Wang Hao sneered, "Didn¡¯t they say the Dragon Tiger Hall has deep foundations? Howe, besides Elder Tong, there¡¯s not even a single heavyweight guest for the ribbon-cutting?"


    Wang Hao¡¯s voice was not loud, but everyone present could hear it clearly.


    Provocation!


    It was definitely provocation!


    Who didn¡¯t know that the five martial arts celebrities brought by Su He were originally guests for this ribbon-cutting ceremony, but were intercepted by the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion on the way and dared not attend. Wang Hao speaking up at this moment was undoubtedly a mockery and provocation towards the Dragon Tiger Hall.


    Ling Chen smiled faintly and said, "Elder Tong, as the Martial Arts Hall Master of the Dragon Tiger Hall, is the leading figure today. We are all supporting roles and naturally cannot steal Elder Tong¡¯s spotlight."


    "Smooth talk, but in my view, it¡¯s all excuses. I think, you just couldn¡¯t get anyone to attend."


    A p in the face! And it¡¯s an unrelenting one in full view of everyone.


    Wang Hao spoke up repeatedly, and even if those present were somewhat dull, they now understood. The Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion didn¡¯te to congratte this time but to cause trouble.


    This added unexpected amusement to the originally nd ribbon-cutting ceremony. The Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion picking a fight with the Dragon Tiger Hall, nobody knew which was more formidable.


    In terms of foundation and strength, the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion was undoubtedly superior, but Tong Zhentian, as a martial arts titan, the only masterparable to Su He, was not easily bullied.


    With two tigers fighting, everyone was curious about the oue. After all, this was the Dragon Tiger Hall¡¯s home ground and the most important ribbon-cutting ceremony. If not handled well, not only would the people of Dragon Tiger Hall lose face, but they would also be suppressed by the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion and be aughingstock in Martial Arts.


    At this point, Zhou Qian and Ren Han were amused. They initially thought Su He was here to support, but it turned out he was here to ruin things. Humph! It¡¯s good to see Ling Chen suffer.


    Dragon Tiger Hall, what a lousy martial arts academy, let it close down on its very first day.


    At one end of the crowd, the four women of Nanrong Wanqing watched the standoff with anxious expressions.


    "Xiaozhu, will Ling Chen and the others be alright?" Liu Xiyao asked. Among the four of them, only Zhu Xiaozhu knew the situation well; the others were unclear about what was happening.


    Zhu Xiaozhu lightly bit her thin lips and said, "Ling Chen and the others are in a rather tricky situation."


    "Sister Xiaozhu, are those peopleing to cause trouble very powerful?"


    Zhu Xiaozhu nced at Tang Shiyun, who asked the question, and nodded, "More than powerful. In Martial Arts, the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion is thergest force; no one dares to oppose them."


    "What should we do then?" Nanrong Wanqing was very worried.


    "I don¡¯t know; these kinds of things can only be resolved by them. We can¡¯t help."


    At this moment, Ling Chen squinted slightly, looking at Wang Hao below the stage, and said, "We originally invited several heavyweight guests. Unfortunately, they couldn¡¯t make it at thest minute, so we had to make temporary arrangements. However, this doesn¡¯t mean any loss to us. On the contrary, the real loss belongs to those guests."


    Upon hearing this, someone curiously asked, "Mr. Ling, they just didn¡¯te to the ribbon-cutting ceremony, how could there be any loss?"


    Ling Chen smiled slightly, "We prepared generous gifts to give as a token of thanks to the guests. Since they couldn¡¯t attend, these gifts are now nullified."


    "Just a thank-you gift, what kind of loss could it be?"


    "Indeed, who would care about such things," the people below discussed.


    However, amidst the discussion, someone couldn¡¯t help but ask, "Mr. Ling, since you talk about losses, these thank-you gifts must be extraordinary."


    Ling Chen smiled and nodded, "That¡¯s right." With that, Ling Chen waved towards the backstage. Soon, two young men came up with two trays. On those two trays, there were a total of five exquisite wooden boxes, but it was unclear what was inside.


    Ling Chen nced at the crowd and said very deliberately, "These gifts are worthless to ordinary people, but to martial artists, they are treasures beyond reach." With that, Ling Chen opened one of the wooden boxes, took out a manuscript, and raised it above his head, saying, "This is a set of boxing techniques created by a Grandmaster of boxing two hundred years ago, named the Heavenly Gang Fist, known for its vigor. I believe some present have heard of it. Sadly, this set of techniques was lost over a hundred years ago."


    Upon hearing this, everyone¡¯s eyes focused beside Su He. The old man beside Su He was renowned in the martial arts world for his boxing techniques. Moreover, anyone familiar with him knew this martial arts celebrity had once obtained some remnants of the Heavenly Gang Fist and had long wished to restore theplete technique through his own efforts. But after more than ten years, he had made no progress.


    If not for the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion¡¯s interference, the Heavenly Gang Fist manual in Ling Chen¡¯s hand would have already been his.


    Feeling the gaze of those around, the old man remained indifferent, his old eyes fixed on the Heavenly Gang Fist manual in Ling Chen¡¯s hand, eager to fly forward and grab it immediately.


    Years of aspiration, seemingly within reach, thwarted by... thinking of this, the old man looked bitterly at Su He.


    Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion!


    All a bunch of bastards!

 Chapter 1160 - 1167: Arrow from the Sleeve (1)

    <h4>Chapter 1160: Chapter 1167: Arrow from the Sleeve (1)</h4>


    Putting down the Heavenly Gang Fist manuscript in hand, Ling Chen picked up another wooden box. Rtively simr, it was also a martial arts manuscript that had been lost for centuries. Moreover, Ling Chen selected these martial arts manuscripts specifically to target the skills of those guests. There were boxing techniques, swordsmanship, and de techniques.


    Watching as Ling Chen introduced each lost martial arts manuscript one by one, the eyes of the audience were tinged with envy. Only at this moment did everyone realize Tong Zhentian wasn¡¯t joking; Dragon Tiger Hall possessed a rich foundation not inferior to the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion. Although Dragon Tiger Hall was newly established,cking in talentpared to Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, given time, with such a robust foundation, Dragon Tiger Hall could definitely be a major force alongside the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion.


    This trend was undoubtedly something everyone delighted in seeing.


    Throughout, Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion had dominated Martial Arts, akin to a one-man show, where whatever they said could not be contested. Now, with the emergence of Dragon Tiger Hall, not only could it curb Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion in certain aspects, but also diminish their influence.


    Among the people present, there were many sensible individuals. They understood well that a monopolized Martial Arts world had no future prospects. Only continualpetition could bring infinite possibilities to Huaxia¡¯s martial arts realm.


    At this moment, five martial arts elders stood by Su He, lowering their heads, wearing grim expressions. From their gaze, it was clear that each harbored a burning anger within.


    Those were lost martial arts manuscripts! Rarely glimpsed in a lifetime. Now they had a chance to obtain them, yet it was foiled by Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion.


    Others took pleasure in their misfortune, watching the five martial arts elders. It was often said following Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion brought benefits, but now not only had they not received those benefits, they lost a piece of enticingly sulent meat, surely they regretted it immensely.


    In contrast, Su He appeared much calmer, with a faint expression, always maintaining hisposure, as if what was happening around him had nothing to do with him.


    Wang Hao gritted his teeth in hatred. He hadn¡¯t expected Ling Chen to have such a method, not only preserving the reputation of Dragon Tiger Hall but also giving him a hard p, shaming him thoroughly.


    Ling Chen didn¡¯t pay attention to Wang Hao¡¯s anger; his goal was already achieved. Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion had forcibly detained the five guests they had invited earlier, creating trouble for them. Since that was the case, fine, I¡¯ll casually throw out a few lost martial arts manuscripts and see if those martial arts elders aren¡¯t tempted. Even if they don¡¯t say it, they¡¯re surely resenting Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion in their hearts.


    As long as a rift appeared in their rtionship, the future would be easier to manage.


    "Everyone!" Ling Chen cleared his throat and said with a smile, "Earlier I mentioned that these five lost martial arts manuscripts were meant as a token of appreciation for the ribbon-cutting guests. Although those guests can¡¯te due to certain reasons, I can¡¯t just put these gifts back. So, if anyone wishes to join Dragon Tiger Hall, I¡¯ll select five individuals to pass on these manuscripts to. If anyone is interested, be sure not to miss the opportunity."


    Upon hearing this, the audience immediately became excited. This was an opportunity not often seen, at least Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion wasn¡¯t so generous.


    For a moment, the most frequent question in the venue was how to join Dragon Tiger Hall.


    Seeing the audience¡¯s enthusiasm, Tong Zhentian quietly gave Ling Chen a thumbs-up. He had to admit, without Ling Chen¡¯s intervention, the reputation of Dragon Tiger Hall would have been greatly affected.


    "Alright! Everyone, please don¡¯t rush. After the ribbon-cutting ceremony, we will arrange for staff to assist everyone."


    Tong Zhentian¡¯s words finally quieted down the venue.


    As the ribbon-cutting ceremony officiallymenced, Wang Hao couldn¡¯t help clenching his fists. He originally wanted to create trouble for Ling Chen but hadn¡¯t expected Ling Chen to easily resolve it. At this point, speaking out again would likely incur displeasure. Some things must stop when appropriate; continuing would just make Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion appear petty.


    He nced at the silent Su He beside him, thetter maintaining his calm and silence, not even looking at Tong Zhentian and Ling Chen, as if his thoughts were entirely elsewhere.


    Others may not understand Su He¡¯s actions, but Wang Hao did. This was a test for him! Previously, Su He had called him over, asking if he wanted to be his disciple. Bing Su He¡¯s disciple had been Wang Hao¡¯s lifelong dream. Precisely because of this, upon learning Ling Chen¡¯s identity, he intentionally made things difficult, always trying to outdo. He wanted to use this opportunity to show Su He he was much better than Ling Chen.


    That day, Su He said only one simple sentence to him.


    Prove yourself, prove you¡¯re better than Ling Chen! Only then is he qualified to be Su He¡¯s disciple. Rightly so, because if he couldn¡¯t surpass Ling Chen, what face would he have to be Su He¡¯s disciple.


    Being the number one Heavenly List expert in the world, Su He¡¯s expectations would be high rather than lowering because of him.


    This was the first game between him and Ling Chen today, and losing would definitely reduce his qualification in Su He¡¯s eyes. Thinking of this, a cold glint shed in Wang Hao¡¯s eyes.


    He was willing to do anything to crush his enemy for victory! Furthermore, in previous confrontations, Ling Chen had always had the upper hand, which rankled him. As the focus of Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion¡¯s cultivation, the youngest Earthly List expert, heaven¡¯s favored son, he didn¡¯t believe Ling Chen was stronger than him.


    His subordinates ced within Dragon Tiger Hall had lost contact, seemingly Ling Chen had discovered them early and dealt with them hiddenly.


    However... huh! Wang Hao smirked. Did Ling Chen think he only had these tactics? If that was the case, then he was sorely mistaken.


    At this moment, Tong Zhentian had finished his opening remarks, and the ribbon-cutting ceremony was about to begin.


    On stage, under everyone¡¯s watchful eyes, Ling Chen stood beside Tong Zhentian, holding the scissors, ready to cut the red ribbon. Just then, a sharp cold gleam pierced the air, suddenly rushing onto the stage.


    A warning arose, Ling Chen abruptly looked up to see an arrow quickly shooting towards him, aiming straight for his brow. This unexpected scene left everyone present stunned. In the critical moment, Ling Chen didn¡¯t hesitate, swinging the scissors in his hand, gently flicking the sharp arrow away, letting it fall onto the floor beside him.


    "Who dares act violently at Dragon Tiger Hall? Such audacity." It wasn¡¯t Ling Chen who rebuked, but Tang Guolun. Before the ribbon-cutting ceremony began, Tang Guolun had brought dozens of men, blending into the crowd, maintaining order to prevent idents.


    Due to the sudden change on stage, the venue became chaotic, everyone looking around, fearing the assant was right beside them.

 Chapter 1161 - 1168: Arrows from the Sleeve (Part 2)

    <h4>Chapter 1161: Chapter 1168: Arrows from the Sleeve (Part 2)</h4>


    "Please everyone, stay calm!" Tong Zhentian shouted loudly. However, the noise in the hall was so chaotic that Tong Zhentian¡¯s voice was drowned out.


    Ling Chen squinted his eyes, scanning his gaze around, searching for the assant¡¯s whereabouts. The arrow was shot from within the crowd earlier, but everyone¡¯s attention was focused on the stage at that moment, and they didn¡¯t notice the assant. Now, the person had already blended into the crowd and disappeared without a trace.


    "Sixth Brother." Qiu Yong¡¯s voice came, and Ling Chen turned his head to ask, "Big Brother, what¡¯s up?"


    Qiu Yong held the arrow he had just pulled out from the ground and said, "This is a wrist arrow, that person must be wearing hidden weapon equipment. Ask everyone to check their wrists, and we¡¯ll know who the assant is."


    Hearing this, Ling Chen nodded and immediately called Tang Guolun over to inform him of Qiu Yong¡¯s suggestion.


    At this moment, under Tang Guolun¡¯s organization, dozens of subordinates formed a square, encircling everyone present.


    "Everyone, please stay calm to avoid unnecessary panic." Tong Zhentian shouted in a voice mixed with Inner Strength, like rolling thunder, instantly reaching everyone¡¯s ears. Before long, the crowd gradually quieted down, focusing their gaze back on Tong Zhentian.


    "As you can see, someone is trying to harm Dragon Tiger Hall. Our purpose at Dragon Tiger Hall is to revitalize Huaxia¡¯s Martial Artsmunity, and doing so will surely disrupt some people¡¯s interests. I just didn¡¯t expect them to be so bold as to attack us in public. The assant must be among the crowd, and there is more than one. Please cooperate to help capture them." Pausing for a moment, Tong Zhentian added, "Anyone who helps capture the assant will be generously rewarded by Dragon Tiger Hall."


    Hearing the words ¡¯generously rewarded¡¯, everyone¡¯s eyes immediately lit up. Just now, Ling Chen disyed five lost Martial Arts secret books in session. Helping Dragon Tiger Hall might not necessarily reward one with a lost Martial Arts book, but obtaining some other secret Martial Arts book should be possible, and that¡¯s certainly a profitable deal.


    Thinking of this, everyone¡¯s eyes glowed green, like hungry wolves searching for prey, staring at the people around them, trying to find the assant among them.


    "Everyone, the assant is wearing a wrist arrow, please cooperate by raising your hands and rolling up your sleeves."


    Tang Guolun¡¯s voice sounded, and everyone cooperated, raising their hands. Ling Chen and Tong Zhentian stood on the stage, looking one by one, and did not find any wrist arrows. After scanning a few times, Ling Chen stepped forward and said, "Now, please stay where you are and look at your feet."


    As soon as he finished speaking, surprised exmations came from the crowd: "There¡¯s a wrist arrow on the ground."


    "There¡¯s one here too."


    "I see one too."


    "..."


    For a moment, everyone cried out. Ling Chen slightly raised the corners of his mouth, it seemed his guess was correct. When Tang Guolun made the request, the assant, afraid of being discovered, must have secretly removed the wrist arrow and thrown it on the ground. However, he had anticipated this point, which is why he asked everyone to stay still. Wherever a wrist arrow was found, an assant must be present.


    However, what surprised Ling Chen was that all the attackers were wearing wrist arrows. In doing so, they undoubtedly exposed their hiding ces.


    After discovering the wrist arrows, Tang Guolun made a gesture, and the security personnel surrounding the area quickly moved into the crowd, surrounding all the people near the wrist arrows.


    "Elder Tong, what are you doing?"


    "Please everyone, remain calm. We will check one by one, and we will not wrongly use any innocent person involved in the incident."


    While Tong Zhentian was speaking, Ling Chen had already jumped off the stage, walking towards a few men in the distance. Looking at the seven men surrounded by security personnel, Ling Chen smiled and said, "Please put your hands out."


    Upon hearing this, the men hesitated but stretched their hands towards Ling Chen to prove their innocence.


    Ling Chen scrutinized a few of them, his gaze slightly rising and directly locking onto one man. Feeling Ling Chen¡¯s gaze, the man¡¯s face changed slightly, and he involuntarily retreated.


    Trying to escape? Ling Chen sneered, lightly tapping his toes with no warning. His steel fist carried with it a ferocious force and struck hard.


    As the fist rapidly approached, the man quickly crossed his arms, shielding his chest. However, Ling Chen¡¯s attacks were not so easy to block unless the person was an Earthly List expert. However, although there are many experts on the Earthly List around the world, they are notmon.


    The fierce force of the punch erupted, and the man¡¯s arms instantly emitted a cracking sound. Simultaneously, apanied by a painful scream, the man¡¯s body flew backward violently, crashing into the side of the stage, vomiting blood non-stop.


    Ling Chen nced at the man who couldn¡¯t get up, let out a cold snort, and said, "Everyone carefully check who has marks on their wrists, that person must be the assant."


    Yes indeed!


    The crowd suddenly realized why hadn¡¯t they thought of that? Since the assant had worn wrist arrows, even if they took them off, they would leave marks on the skin that couldn¡¯t recover in a short time. With Ling Chen¡¯s prompt, everyone began looking at the people next to them, searching for wrist marks.


    "Go!"


    A light shout was heard, and a man, not waiting to be discovered, had already broken through the security personnel¡¯s encirclement and ran towards the Dragon Tiger Hall gate.


    Whew!


    Suddenly, the sound of something breaking through the air resonated. Before everyone could react, they heard a cry of pain. The man who tried to escape had already fallen to the ground, an arrow embedded in his leg.


    On the stage, Zhang Zhongfeng slowly lowered his bow, his expression calm, as if the astonished voices surrounding him had nothing to do with him.


    Arrow God!


    With Zhang Zhongfeng here, who would dare to flee?


    It didn¡¯t take long for more than a dozen hidden assants in the crowd to be apprehended. At Ling Chen¡¯s signal, Tang Guolun ordered the assants to be sent to an interrogation room and closely monitored.


    "Everyone, please wait a moment, we will be right back." Before leaving, Ling Chen nced at the not far away Wang Hao, whose face was iron green, and walked straight into the main building. The group of people captured earlier was at most a smokescreen meant to numb Ling Chen into believing the danger had passed. In reality, the real killer move was yet toe. It must be said, Wang Hao had some brains, knowing to lower Ling Chen¡¯s guard first.


    However, what Wang Hao didn¡¯t think about was that Ling Chen was different from him. Ling Chen had truly experienced life and death, always lurking on the brink of danger, and vignce had be a habit for him. Even in his sleep, he never lets down his guard, let alone an event as significant as today. Furthermore, Ling Chen had to guard against not only the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion but also others. The exposure of those people by Wang Hao not only failed to lower Ling Chen¡¯s vignce but rather increased it, something Wang Hao likely did not anticipate.

 Chapter 1162 - 1169: Pushed Too Far

    <h4>Chapter 1162: Chapter 1169: Pushed Too Far</h4>


    Back at the main building, the moment he stepped inside, Tong Zhentian couldn¡¯t help but curse out loud, "Damn it! The people from the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion are really going too far."


    Qiu Yong and the others beside him remained silent, but none of them were in a good mood. They had considered such a situation before, but hadn¡¯t expected the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion to be so shameless, repeatedly sabotaging the ribbon-cutting ceremony. Although they knew it was the work of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, they had no evidence to prove it. Without proof, rash usations would only provoke retaliation from the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion.


    Seeing everyone in silence, Ling Chen suddenly smiled, catching Qiu Yong and the others by surprise.


    "Ling Cheng, why are you smiling?" Yuan Yun asked, "At a time like this, you can stillugh."


    Ling Chen slightly lifted the corner of his mouth, smiling as he said, "Since the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion is disregarding their reputation and insists on troubling us, we have no need to hold back."


    Upon hearing this, Tong Zhentian replied, "Are you nning to make trouble for the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion in public? We don¡¯t have any evidence to prove they did it. The Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion is not easy to deal with; they must have a backup n. I suggest we endure today and wait for another opportunity to settle ounts with them."


    "Elder Tong, I understand your concern; you don¡¯t want things to escte. But at this point, the reputation of Dragon Tiger Hall has already been affected. If we do nothing, people will think Dragon Tiger Hall is easy to bully. So, we cannot let this matter rest."


    Then, as if recalling something, Qiu Yong said, "Didn¡¯t we apprehend several offenders? Interrogate a few of them. As long as they expose the mastermind, we can legitimately seek trouble with the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion."


    Ling Chen waved his hand, "No need for suchplexity. These people are members of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, prepared to be captured before acting. So, even if we interrogate them rigorously, we may not get anything useful. Moreover, there are many outside waiting; we can¡¯t waste too much time."


    "Then what should we do?"


    With a smile, Ling Chen dered, "Since the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion wants to destroy Dragon Tiger Hall, I must show them that Dragon Tiger Hall is not a pushover. Whoever dares to bully me, I won¡¯t let them off easily." As he spoke, a bright glint shed across Ling Chen¡¯s eyes, sharp and intense.


    In the venue, guests murmured among themselves, discussing the recent incidents. What was expected to be a simple ribbon-cutting ceremony had turned into a sequence of unexpected events. Clearly, someone detests Dragon Tiger Hall. Amid the discussions, people¡¯s gazes asionally drifted toward where the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion was situated. From the recent urrences, the suspicion towards the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion was the greatest. Wang Hao consistently spoke disrespectfully, clearly intending to cause trouble. Therefore, the group of perpetrators earlier was likely under the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion¡¯s instruction.


    But just as everyone engaged in heated discussions, Ling Chen and Tong Zhentian emerged from the main building, followed closely by Qiu Yong and the others.


    At this moment, keen observers would notice a small detail: Ling Chen and Tong Zhentian appeared to walk side-by-side, but Tong Zhentian slightlygged half a shoulder behind Ling Chen, indicating that Ling Chen would fully take charge of the uing events.


    Under the watchful eyes of hundreds of guests, Ling Chen led the group directly through the crowd towards the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion. Not just the guests, even Tong Zhentian and the others were unsure of Ling Chen¡¯s actions. In the earlier discussion, Ling Chen hadn¡¯t mentioned his n to everyone. So now, they were taking it step by step.


    Soon, Ling Chen stood before Wang Hao. Despite Su He sitting right beside him, Ling Chen paid no attention to Su He and instead focused on Wang Hao.


    Staring directly into Ling Chen¡¯s ink-deep eyes, Wang Hao sneered, "What are you doing?"


    The originally expressionless Ling Chen suddenly grinned, responding, "Nothing much, just wanted to greet you and, incidentally, your ancestors to the eighteenth generation."


    At these words, the entire venue erupted. Damn! This was the first time anyone had heard such an elegant way of cursing.


    Wang Hao¡¯s expression changed slightly; he hadn¡¯t expected Ling Chen to utter such harsh words under everyone¡¯s gaze. Anger surged, and his eyes showed a trace of murderous intent as he coldly replied, "Ling Chen, if you dare, repeat what you just said."


    "Do you want me to greet your ancestors to the eighteenth generation again? Fine! It¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve seen someone actively seek out insults. But insulting isn¡¯t thrilling enough, getting right to action is more satisfying. What do you say?"


    As soon as he finished speaking, without allowing Wang Hao another word, Ling Chen¡¯s steel-like fist was thrown forward.


    Upon witnessing Ling Chen¡¯s move, Wang Hao was shocked; he hadn¡¯t anticipated Ling Chen to strike suddenly. Without much thought, he took a step back, evading Ling Chen¡¯s attack and widening the distance between them.


    "Ling Chen, you¡¯re crazy! I haven¡¯t offended you." Wang Hao roared in anger.


    "Wang, you know exactly what you¡¯ve done; don¡¯t tell me those attackers earlier have nothing to do with you."


    Hearing Ling Chen¡¯s words, everyone present suddenly understood. Their suspicions were correct; those people were secretly directed by the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, perhaps orchestrated by Wang Hao. Otherwise, why would Ling Chen seek out Wang Hao of all people?


    Wow!


    Today¡¯s spectacle is bing increasingly entertaining.


    Many people actually admired Ling Chen. Despite the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion¡¯s well-established status, others, even knowing it was their doing, wouldn¡¯t openly challenge them because it wouldn¡¯t benefit themselves. Furthermore, Dragon Tiger Hall had only recently been established; confronting the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion now was clearly unwise.


    Bravery without strategy... That might be the most fitting evaluation of Ling Chen.


    Those who aplish great things don¡¯t nitpick over minor details; if one fusses over every little thing, the road ahead will be hard to travel far.


    At this moment, Qiu Yong and the others were somewhat anxious; not expecting Ling Chen to suddenly engage Wang Hao without a word of greeting was surprising to everyone. But having reached this point, they couldn¡¯t put a stop to it.


    Among the crowd, Tong Zhentian alone diverted his attention away from Ling Chen and Wang Hao. He kept a close eye on Su He beside them to prevent any interference. However, throughout, Su He kept his eyes shut as if everything happening around him had nothing to do with him, showing no intent to help.


    "Ling Chen, you¡¯re ndering me without evidence. What proof do you have that I did it?" Wang Hao, having dodged two waves of Ling Chen¡¯s attacks, angrily and loudly demanded.


    Ling Chen withdrew his fists, ring intently at Wang Hao, sneering, "Do you think I need any proof to prove?" With that, before Wang Hao could react, Ling Chen lightly tapped his toe,unching another assault.

 Chapter 1163 - 1170: Heaven and Earth Reversal (Part 1)

    <h4>Chapter 1163: Chapter 1170: Heaven and Earth Reversal (Part 1)</h4>


    "Do you think I need any evidence to prove it?"


    Upon hearing Ling Chen¡¯s words, everyone understood. Ling Chen didn¡¯t care about evidence. Whether there was any or not, he was going to make an example of him today. More precisely, Ling Chen wanted to use the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion as a way to establish his might. Everyone feared the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion and dared not offend them. Since that was the case, Ling Chen wanted to show everyone that the Dragon Tiger Hall was not afraid of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion.


    Facing Ling Chen¡¯s storm-like attacks, Wang Hao constantly shifted positions to dodge Ling Chen¡¯s steel fists. Since the battle at Yangxin Pavilion, almost half a year had passed. At that time, Wang Hao was already an Earthly List expert, while Ling Chen was merely a Dragon List expert. However, with his versatile tactics, Ling Chen sessfully defeated Wang Hao and imed victory.


    Ever since that battle, Wang Hao hasn¡¯t been reconciled. He felt it was his own mistake, and judged purely on personal strength, Ling Chen was far from his opponent.


    Now, half a yearter, as the two faced off again, Wang Hao found Ling Chen¡¯s strength had improved rapidly, not much inferior to his own.


    After dodging several waves of attacks from Ling Chen, Wang Hao¡¯s expression darkened, and he coldly shouted, "Ling Chen, I¡¯ve been lenient everywhere, don¡¯t me me for being impolite if you continue to press me like this."


    "Why all the nonsense? Back at Yangxin Pavilion, you lost to me and haven¡¯t been convinced since. I¡¯m giving you a chance today to see what you¡¯re capable of." With those words, Ling Chen showed no signs of holding back, his attacks continuously and crazily pounced on Wang Hao.


    Under Ling Chen¡¯s fierce attack, Wang Hao retreated step by step, soon reaching the edge of the stage. In a sudden lunge, Ling Chen nted his feet on the ground, leveraged forward, his speed rapidly elerating as heshed a whip kick at Wang Hao¡¯s neck.


    As the violent wind struck, Wang Hao unhesitatingly tapped his hands lightly on the stage edge, his body bounced upward,nding steadily back onto the stage, avoiding Ling Chen¡¯s deadly strike. Seeing Wang Hao retreat onto the stage, Ling Chen said nothing and immediately pursued.


    In a moment, everyone¡¯s eyes were fixed on Ling Chen and Wang Hao. They were eager to see who was more outstanding between the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion¡¯s top disciple and Ling Chen. More interestingly, one was Su He¡¯s apprentice, the other guided by Su He, both were considered disciples of the world¡¯s top martial arts master. Setting everything else aside, this match was very intriguing.


    As for Su He, he kept his eyes closed from beginning to end, sitting quietly as if the happenings around him were none of his concern.


    On stage, Wang Hao took off his coat and threw it aside. Having lost to Ling Chenst time, he couldn¡¯t afford to lose again this time. Not only did he want to win, he also aimed to defeat Ling Chen thoroughly, to let everyone present know that the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion was the true Martial Arts overlord.


    "Ling Chen, since you¡¯re courting death, I¡¯ll fulfill your wish today."


    Suddenly, Wang Hao tapped his foot, and his body instantly transformed into a fleeting shadow, disappearing from Ling Chen¡¯s sight. Seeing the opponent¡¯s move, Ling Chen¡¯s eyebrows slightly raised, a hint of seriousness in his eyes.


    Nine Yang Qiankun Step!


    Unexpectedly, Su He had passed the Nine Yang Qiankun Step to Wang Hao. If it was before, Ling Chen could use the Nine Yang Qiankun Step to maneuver around Wang Hao and gain the upper hand. At present, having lost his only advantage coupled with slightly inferior strength to Wang Hao, defeating Wang Hao was undoubtedly a challenging task.


    Taking a deep breath, Ling Chen cleared his mind, maintaining calm, his ears capturing the surrounding sounds. Since his eyes couldn¡¯t detect Wang Hao¡¯s position, he had to rely on his ears to discern the opponent¡¯s location.


    A surge of wind approached, as Ling Chen, waiting silently in ce, swiftly rotated and punched out straight at Wang Hao¡¯s body. However, before his fist could make contact, Ling Chen saw just a blur as Wang Hao disappeared once again.


    Seeing this situation, Ling Chen couldn¡¯t help but furrow his brows. This wouldn¡¯t do, standing stationary like this was too passive, cing him at a disadvantage. Moreover, he had no method to counter the Nine Yang Qiankun Step.


    As thoughts raced through his mind, Wang Hao¡¯s attack approached once more. This time, Ling Chen didn¡¯t calcte Wang Hao¡¯s location nor defend. As shadows flitted, Ling Chen performed the Nine Yang Qiankun Step instantly. Seeing Ling Chen vanish before him, Wang Hao dared not be careless, watching the surroundings vigntly. Meanwhile, the Nine Yang Qiankun Step danced beneath their feet, both transforming into fleeting shadows, swiftly moving across the stage.


    Observing the changes on stage, the audience below felt as if their eyes were dazzled, unable to clearly discern Ling Chen¡¯s and Wang Hao¡¯s positions, only seeing two figures shifting left and right, indistinguishable from one another. Among the crowd, perhaps only Tong Zhentian and Su He could grasp all the changes on stage.


    "Elder Tong, do you think Ling Cheng has a good chance of winning?" Qiu Yong asked.


    "Hard to say," Tong Zhentian replied solemnly. "Speaking purely of strength, Wang Hao is definitely much more formidable than Ling Chen. Also, more importantly, Ling Chen¡¯s skills were taught by Su He, meaning his advantages arepletely nullified in front of Wang Hao."


    Upon hearing these words, Qiu Yong¡¯s face darkened, worriedly saying, "Doesn¡¯t that mean Ling Cheng is in danger?"


    "Don¡¯t rush to a conclusion. Ling Chen isn¡¯t a reckless person, surely he has some confidence to have acted this way. Let¡¯s wait and see, he might surprise us."


    As they spoke, Ling Chen and Wang Hao had been continuously moving on stage for over a minute. The Nine Yang Qiankun Step was indeed formidable, but the consumption was equally immense. Inparison, Wang Hao could endure much longer than Ling Chen. After all, Wang Hao¡¯s strength was considerably superior to Ling Chen¡¯s.


    Another half-minute passed, and finally, Ling Chen¡¯s body began to gradually manifest. Prolonged use of the Nine Yang Qiankun Step rapidly depleted his energy. At this moment, he didn¡¯t have much strength left to maintain it. Nheless, Wang Hao continued moving at high speed, with Ling Chen as his center, constantly shifting positions. Suddenly, a fleeting shadow shed, and Wang Hao appeared behind Ling Chen.


    Before Ling Chen could react, Wang Hao¡¯s palms had already struck Ling Chen¡¯s back, sending him flying away.


    Smack!


    A mouthful of fresh blood spat out, Ling Chen propped himself up on the floor with his hands, standing up again. Taking two deep breaths, Ling Chen spat out a mouthful of bloodied saliva, his pale face showing a hint of determination.


    In the crowd, Nanrong Wanqing and Tang Shiyun held hands, watching Ling Chen without blinking, worry evident in their beautiful eyes.


    "Xiaozhu, Ling Chen won¡¯t be in trouble, will he?" Liu Xiyao was somewhat concerned. Originally thinking it was merely a straightforward ceremony, she hadn¡¯t expected so many events, now even life was on the line.


    Zhu Xiaozhu, somber in expression, said, "I¡¯ve heard of Wang Hao; he¡¯s incredibly formidable; Ling Chen might be in danger."


    "What should we do then?" Tang Shiyun asked anxiously, "Should we... should we call the police?"

 Chapter 1164 - 1171: Heaven and Earth Reversal (Part 2)

    <h4>Chapter 1164: Chapter 1171: Heaven and Earth Reversal (Part 2)</h4>


    "No way." Zhu Xiaozhu spoke, "We absolutely cannot call the police. This is a matter concerning the Martial Artsmunity, and it must be resolved ording to the rules of the Martial Arts World. Life and death duels are normal urrences. If we call the police and they intervene, even if Ling Chen¡¯s life is saved, his reputation will be ruined, and he won¡¯t be able to establish himself in the Martial Arts World. Ling Chen has high hopes for Dragon Tiger Hall, and if anything happens to him, the hall will face dissolution before it¡¯s even founded. Therefore, regardless of victory or defeat, he must put forth his full effort in this battle. Even if he loses, he must leave a good impression in everyone¡¯s hearts."


    "Kill!" Wang Hao shouted coldly, his speed suddenly increased as he charged directly at Ling Chen. At this point, Ling Chen was already injured,bined with an enormous depletion of strength, he waspletely at Wang Hao¡¯s mercy.


    Watching the rapidly approaching Wang Hao, Ling Chen steadied himself, firing out steel fists consecutively, one punch after another, trying to seize the initiative.


    Wang Hao sneered, extending one arm forward, and forcibly epting Ling Chen¡¯s punch with his palm. Then, Wang Hao¡¯s body shook, Hua Realm erupted, sting through his palm directly towards Ling Chen¡¯s fist. Instantly, under the impact of that force, Ling Chen abruptly leaned back, his body copsing to the ground once more.


    As Ling Chen struggled to get up, Wang Hao sneered coldly, disdainfully saying, "Once, you could defeat me because you had a good Master. Now that I am his only disciple, what advantage do you have over me? Talent? Hah! Do you think your talent is better than mine?"


    Ling Chen remained silent; honestly, Wang Hao was indeed strong, not just in terms of power, but his talent and aptitude were top-notch. With good mentorship, Wang Hao¡¯s potential for growth was immense. Given time, his name would surely appear on the Heavenly List.


    "Regret it?" Wang Hao sneered coldly, "I know your n; you¡¯re just trying to use me to make Dragon Tiger Hall renowned. Unfortunately, you picked the wrong opponent. Today, I will personally destroy Dragon Tiger Hall. Prepare to die!"


    As these words fell, Wang Hao lightly tapped his toe, like a gust of wind, charging at Ling Chen with irresistible force.


    He intended to decide victory in a single move, not wanting to prolong the fight. Although he wanted to slowly humiliate Ling Chen, to torture him to death, in front of such a crowd, he couldn¡¯t use overly despicable tactics as that would tarnish his own reputation.


    Seeing Wang Hao getting closer, Ling Chen remained standing, showing no intention to move. He didn¡¯t even assume any defensive posture; his entire body was full of openings, which to others seemed like an act of suicide.


    Tong Zhentian and Qiu Yong below the stage watched closely, eyes fixed on Wang Hao¡¯s actions. If Ling Chen encountered danger, they would stop at nothing to rescue him.


    Three meters... two meters... closer!


    Everyone present held their breath. Tang Shiyun covered her mouth, resting her head on Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s arm, not daring to watch Ling Chen. In her mind, Ling Chen was invincible, and she didn¡¯t want to see Ling Chen fail or get hurt.


    Nanrong Wanqing and the other two women were not as terrified as Tang Shiyun, but their anxiety was growing stronger, making it difficult for them to breathe.


    As Wang Hao got closer, Ling Chen made a shocking move¡ªhe directly closed his eyes, ignoring Wang Hao¡¯s presence.


    "What is he doing? Is he seeking death?"


    "I think he¡¯s surrendering."


    The crowd below the stage broke into gossip.


    Ling Chen¡¯s unusual move didn¡¯t catch much of Wang Hao¡¯s attention; in his view, at such a close range, Ling Chen was doomed.


    "Die!" Wang Hao shouted violently, his fist drove straight in, Power erupting, aiming directly for Ling Chen¡¯s face.


    However, at this critical moment, Wang Hao¡¯s pupils slightly contracted, doubting his eyes. In that split second, he seemed to see Ling Chen¡¯s body slightly move to the sides. Yet, Ling Chen was clearly standing in front of him without changing position.


    Was he seeing things?


    At this moment, Su He, who had his eyes closed below the stage, suddenly opened his eyes, looking at Ling Chen on stage with a hint of amazement in his clouded old eyes.


    "Ling Cheng, be careful!" Xia Yue couldn¡¯t hold back any longer and loudly warned Ling Chen.


    As Xia Yue¡¯s voice echoed, Ling Chen abruptly opened his eyes, his body swaying side to side, instantly transforming into shadows. Seeing Ling Chen¡¯s transformation, Wang Hao was shocked. At this moment, three shadows appeared before him, making it impossible to discern any real Ling Chen.


    Whatever! Wang Hao gritted his teeth, aiming his punch at the middle shadow. Instantly, the punch pierced through the middle of that shadow.


    Fake?


    Realizing this, Wang Hao hastily changed direction, targeting the remaining shadows. However, just as he shifted targets, the shadow he deemed fake suddenly froze, revealing itself as Ling Chen. With a punch thrown, Wang Hao had no time to react, getting hit and sent flying backward.


    Watching Wang Hao hit the ground, everyone was stunned by the scene; it was beyond their imagination. That shadow was clearly fake, so why was it Ling Chen? If it was Ling Chen, why didn¡¯t Wang Hao¡¯s attack seed?


    These urrences were simply incredible.


    At this moment, Wang Hao stood up from the ground, looking at Ling Chen on the opposite side of the stage, his expression extremely displeased. The seemingly assured victory had been shattered by Ling Chen. He couldn¡¯t understand what had happened.


    "Come again!" Ling Chen still stood his ground, not moving.


    Ling Chen¡¯s calm words were undoubtedly the greatest provocation to Wang Hao. Wang Hao didn¡¯t believe it; surely it was a coincidence and luck, he couldn¡¯t possibly be wrong. With this thought, Wang Hao roared in anger, rushing forward.


    Upon nearing, without waiting for Wang Hao¡¯s move, Ling Chen¡¯s body once more became three shadows. Not only that, but these three shadows all moved within a fixed position, not shifting around the stage.


    Wang Hao nced, choosing the left shadow as his target. To avoid a recurrence of the previous situation, Wang Hao was very cautious, opting for a probing attack instead of an immediate one.


    But that shadow made no response. Seeing this, Wang Hao no longer hesitated, rapidly closing in and delivering a palm strike. Suddenly, his palm passed through the shadow, his force striking into the air.


    Another fake!


    This time, Wang Hao was certain of his judgment. He withdrew his arm, redirecting his focus to the other two shadows. Just as he was about to depart, the nearby shadow suddenly froze, a fist emerged striking Wang Hao¡¯s back fiercely.


    Boom!


    With a heavy sound, Wang Hao¡¯s body was sent flying again, then crashed onto the floor.


    This result made the venue extraordinarily silent, as everyone gazed at Ling Chen with disbelief.

 Chapter 1165 - 1172: Heaven and Earth Reversal (Part 3)

    <h4>Chapter 1165: Chapter 1172: Heaven and Earth Reversal (Part 3)</h4>


    If the first time could be considered a coincidence, the second urrence undoubtedly was not; it was a symbol of true skill.


    However, everyone was deeply puzzled, not knowing how Ling Chen had achieved it.


    "Elder Tong, was this something you taught to Ling Cheng?" Qiu Yong curiously asked. The Eight Oddities had been with Ling Chen for so long but had never seen such a technique. So, the only possibility was Tong Zhentian. Given that Tong Zhentian was a Heavenly List master, he possessed countless formidable skills; perhaps Ling Chen had learned it from him.


    "Not from me," Tong Zhentian replied. "Though I taught him a few moves, they did not include the technique he just used." He then smiled slightly and said, "I knew this kid had some tricks up his sleeve. Without some assurance, he wouldn¡¯t dare to mess with Wang Hao. However, the technique he just used is indeed fascinating, and even I couldn¡¯t see through how to counter it."


    "Is it really that powerful?"


    Tong Zhentian nodded, ncing at Su He beside him out of the corner of his eye. Su He currently looked very serious, his gaze fixed on Ling Chen, his eyes flickering as if contemting something. Noticing Su He¡¯s behavior, Tong Zhentian was somewhat surprised. Su He had previously paid no heed to the duel between Ling Chen and Wang Hao, yet now he suddenly focused on Ling Chen, indicating there was definitely an issue at hand.


    "Impossible... impossible..." Wang Hao struggled to get up, looking at Ling Chen with an expression bordering on madness, "What sort of technique is this?"


    "Heaven and Earth Reversal!" Ling Chen replied calmly, "This is the true essence of the Nine Yang Qiankun Step, which I doubt your master ever taught you."


    Heaven and Earth Reversal is the most formidable technique of the Nine Yang Qiankun Step. When Su He initially taught him the Nine Yang Qiankun Step, he hadn¡¯t covered this move. However, Ling Chen discovered the Nine Yang Qiankun Step and uncovered this move¡¯s existence among the martial arts texts archived by the Ling Family.


    It seemed Su He had kept something back, not imparting the essence of the Nine Yang Qiankun Step to him.


    Heaven and Earth Reversal emphasizes the blend of real and illusion, what¡¯s true seems false, what¡¯s false seems true. If mastered flexibly, one can continually switch between reality and illusion. However, given Ling Chen¡¯s current strength, executing this move is quite a strain. At this moment, he is more show than substance, weak enough that even amon person could knock him down.


    But none of this mattered now; Wang Hao had already lost his fighting spirit. Moreover, Ling Chen¡¯sst words infuriated him. Why did Ling Chen know the essence of the Nine Yang Qiankun Step, and yet he didn¡¯t? As Su He¡¯s officially epted disciple, did he still not measure up to an outsider?


    "Step down!" At this point, Su He¡¯s voice emerged from the crowd.


    Wang Hao bit his lip. Although his heart brimmed with discontentment, he truly understood that just with Ling Chen¡¯s one move, he had no chance of winning. Continuing to fight would only be to court disgrace.


    Under the crowd¡¯s gaze, Wang Hao suppressed his inner rage and leapt off the stage.


    Returning to Su He¡¯s side, Wang Hao hung his head in silence. But even so, Su He could still sense his anger. To this, Su He had no intention of exnation. Wang Hao was merely a pawn in his hand, and he had no reason to concern himself with a pawn that held little value.


    "Old Man Tong, congrattions. I hope Dragon Tiger Hall will only flourish and be a new banner in the Martial Arts world." Su He left the remark expressionlessly and then turned to leave, taking Wang Hao with him. As for the martial arts veterans who had apanied him, they remained standing in their spots, showing no intention of leaving.


    With Su He gone, the oppressive atmosphere in the venue seemed to vanish instantly, and everyone exhaled a collective sigh of relief.


    "Ling Cheng!" Xia Yue and Wei Jiahao quickly made their way to the stage, supporting the visibly weak Ling Chen and asking, "Are you alright?"


    "I¡¯m fine. Just help me in for a rest. Let¡¯s leave the other matters to my big brother and Elder Tong to handle."


    Although Ling Chen had left the venue, the enthusiasm of the crowd only grew higher despite the recent events. The first direct face-off between Dragon Tiger Hall and Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion served as a splendid advertisement for Dragon Tiger Hall.


    At that moment, a car drove down the road, with Su He and Wang Hao seated in the back seat. From the departure of Dragon Tiger Hall, both maintained their silence, neither uttering a word.


    "You need to genuinely elevate your strength. Dragon Tiger Hall will be the biggest rival of Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion."


    Startled slightly by Su He¡¯s sudden remark, Wang Hao opened his mouth wanting to say something but ultimately couldn¡¯t voice it.


    "I know what you want to ask." Su He nced at Wang Hao¡¯s expression, his perceptiveness seeing through the young man¡¯s thoughts. "I didn¡¯t teach Ling Chen Heaven and Earth Reversal. You are my disciple; I could not possibly y favorites."


    "Then why does he..."


    "There¡¯s no use asking me; I also don¡¯t know where he learned it from. However, the intelligence from Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion indicates that Dragon Tiger Hall possesses many martial arts scripts. Judging from the situation earlier, this is likely true. Otherwise, Ling Chen wouldn¡¯t have been able to bring out so many lost martial arts techniques. I imagine those scripts likely included the Nine Yang Qiankun Step, which is how Ling Chen knew how to use Heaven and Earth Reversal."


    Hearing this, Wang Hao felt a bit better. As long as it wasn¡¯t partiality from Su He, everything else was bearable... no, there was still one more thing. Losing to Ling Chen again was something he couldn¡¯t ept.


    "Victory and defeat are routine matters for a warrior; there¡¯s no need to take it too much to heart. The more you dwell on it, the more it will disturb your mindset. A martial artist must maintain aposed heart to achieve the greatest progress. In terms of strength, you¡¯re stronger than Ling Chen; you¡¯ve just had less luck. Spend this period in deep meditation, strive to advance yourself even further. Next time you encounter Ling Chen, he won¡¯t be your opponent."


    Su He advised earnestly. Looking across the entire Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, Wang Hao was undoubtedly the most outstanding of the younger generation. Besides him, there wasn¡¯t another who could rival Ling Chen within a short time. Therefore, Su He had no choice but to continue valuing this pawn.


    Meanwhile, outside Dragon Tiger Hall, a middle-aged man stepped out from a corner, apanied by a woman of simr age.


    The two walked side by side, resembling an ordinary married couple. Watching the middle-aged man with a constant smile, the womanughed and said, "Your son is remarkable."


    "Indeed, and that¡¯s because of whose son he is," the middle-aged man responded proudly.


    After receiving a call from Yang Qingling, Ling Kun had no choice but to rush to East Sea City to assist Ling Chen. Unexpectedly, Ling Chen handled the situation alone without needing his help. Witnessing his son¡¯s incremental growth, Ling Kun couldn¡¯t help but be pleased.

 Chapter 1166 - 1173: Skyhawk Pavilion (1)

    <h4>Chapter 1166: Chapter 1173: Skyhawk Pavilion (1)</h4>


    "Ling Kun, aren¡¯t you going back to see your wife?" The woman teased with augh, "I¡¯ve never seen a man so obedient to his wife."


    Ling Kunughed heartily, "Being afraid of one¡¯s wife isn¡¯t a bad thing. I won¡¯t be going back today. This time, I just managed to visit East Sea City briefly. Ling Chen, that kid, is handling things well. I don¡¯t need to worry too much."


    "Haven¡¯t finished what Ling Tao asked you to do yet?"


    Upon mentioning business, Ling Kun¡¯s expression immediately became serious, "That matter is quite troublesome, afraid it might be hard to finish in a short time."


    "Be careful, those people are not easy to deal with. You have a wife and son now, remember, safety first."


    "I know. I¡¯ve been making arrangements during this period, and if nothing unexpected happens, I¡¯ll take action soon. Ling Chen¡¯s Dragon Tiger Hall has just been established, and he still needs time. I must secure some time for him to develop smoothly."


    "You¡¯re not an ordinary father, going to such lengths for your son."


    Ling Kun smiled, "Isn¡¯t this what a father is supposed to do?" Saying this, Ling Kun hailed a taxi and headed straight to the airport.


    As the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion exited, the ribbon-cutting ceremony of the Dragon Tiger Hall finally proceeded smoothly.


    Because Ling Chen was too weak, he couldn¡¯t attend the venue, but his treatment was better than anyone else¡¯s. Nanrong Wanqing, Liu Xiyao, Zhu Xiaozhu, and Tang Shiyun were taking care of him, serving tea and water, and feeding him fruit, just like an emperor.


    "Ling Chen." At this moment, Tong Zhentian walked in from outside. Seeing Ling Chen lying on the bed like a big lord, with several beautiful women gently attending to him, he couldn¡¯t helpughing, "You really know how to enjoy yourself. We old fogeys are busy outside, while you recline in and of warmth and tenderness."


    Ling Chen chuckled awkwardly, "Elder Tong, I¡¯m a patient now. It¡¯s only right I enjoy some special treatment. How about outside, are all the guests sorted out?"


    "I had your friends send them back to the hotel, but arge number stayed behind wanting to understand the conditions for joining Dragon Tiger Hall." Saying this, Tong Zhentian gave a thumbs up, praising without reservation, "You¡¯ve done a great job this time, not only maintaining the Dragon Tiger Hall¡¯s reputation but also giving the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion a firm p. Hmph! I can¡¯t stand their arrogance everywhere. Hopefully, this lesson will make them more cautious and not so ostentatious in the future."


    When he finished, Tong Zhentian nced at Nanrong Wanqing and others, saying, "Girls, please step out for a while, I have something to discuss privately with Ling Chen."


    After thedies left, Ling Chen sat up and looked at Tong Zhentian, asking, "Elder Tong, is there something important you need to discuss with me?"


    Tong Zhentian nodded, putting away the smile from earlier, his expression slightly stern, "You did well today, but we seem to bepletely at odds with the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion now. I¡¯ve known Old Su for years, and I know exactly what kind of person he is. He¡¯ll definitely look for an opportunity to deal with us in the future. He won¡¯t let us off easily."


    Hearing this, Ling Chen asked, "Elder Tong, is Old Su really that ruthless? I¡¯ve known him for a while, and he seems like a nice guy."


    "A nice guy?" Tong Zhentian smiled wryly, "That¡¯s because you don¡¯t know about his past. Ling Chen, don¡¯t be naive. Who is Old Su? He¡¯s the former Pavilion Master of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion. Back then, when he controlled the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, their external activities increased multiple times. In order to expand the Pavilion¡¯s influence, Old Su would stop at nothing. Anyone who resisted the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion never met a good end. There¡¯s a valley behind the Pavilion, you¡¯ve been there, haven¡¯t you? Do you know how many people Old Su buried there? No less than three figures, all representatives of forces unwilling to submit."


    "At that time, Old Su was only in his thirties, determined to expand the Pavilion¡¯s scale and influence, aiming to make it the eternal overlord of the Martial Arts world. To achieve this goal, he decided to host a conference with various Martial Arts forces participating. There were four hundred and eight participants, but only one hundred and thirty-nine left alive, the rest buried in the valley by Old Su."


    Ling Chen was stunned and said in shock, "He was that ruthless?"


    "The Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion Masters, how many of them aren¡¯t ruthless? Do you think the Pavilion has stood tall for hundreds of years by chance? To keep the Pavilion stable, countless lives have been taken. Of course, the Pavilion wouldn¡¯t handle these matters personally, as the Martial Arts overlord, it needs to maintain its image. After all, going too far and sparking protests from everyone would do the Pavilion no good."


    "If the Pavilion doesn¡¯t do it themselves, then who?" Ling Chen asked curiously.


    Tong Zhentian enunciated clearly, "Skyhawk Pavilion." Observing Ling Chen¡¯s puzzled expression, Tong Zhentian exined, "The Yangxin Pavilion is a visible force, known to be overflowing with experts, a critical part of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion. However, it¡¯s merely for show; there¡¯s a secret existence within the Pavilion¡ªthe Skyhawk Pavilion, a venomous snake nurtured by the Pavilion to handle inconvenient matters. Only two people within the Pavilion know of the Skyhawk Pavilion¡¯s existence¡ªthe Pavilion Master and an elder from the Yangxin Pavilion. No one else knows about the Skyhawk Pavilion."


    "The Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion is a talent cultivation site, the Yangxin Pavilion is a retirement home for experts, but the Skyhawk Pavilion is where assassins are trained. These three together form the true Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion. Ling Chen, everything has a light and dark side, so does the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion."


    "Elder Tong, if only two know about the Skyhawk Pavilion, then how did you hear about it?"


    "Mr. Du told me," Tong Zhentian said, "Aside from the Pavilion Master, the only other who knows about the Skyhawk Pavilion is Du Kang. You know Du Kang likes drinking; during a drinking session with him, he got drunk and spilled the secret. I knew it was the Pavilion¡¯s secret, so I kept it to myself and never mentioned it to outsiders. Although we¡¯ve boosted the Dragon Tiger Hall¡¯s reputation today, we¡¯ve also exposed some weaknesses. Su He won¡¯t allow a force capable of threatening the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, so he¡¯ll undoubtedly use the Skyhawk Pavilion against us secretly."


    As Tong Zhentian spoke of the severity, Ling Chen also sensed the crisis, "Elder Su, how strong is the Skyhawk Pavilion? Can we handle it?"


    "That I don¡¯t know, I only heard about it from Du Kang."

 Chapter 1167 - 1174: Skyhawk Pavilion (2)

    <h4>Chapter 1167: Chapter 1174: Skyhawk Pavilion (2)</h4>


    "However, I have secretly investigated some matters," Tong Zhentian said. "Ever since I learned of the existence of the Skyhawk Pavilion, I began to pay attention to many things. In the past, masters or some forces in the Martial Arts world would disappear without a trace, and at first, not many people cared. Butter, I discovered that these incidents were likely the work of the Skyhawk Pavilion. Who else but the Skyhawk Pavilion could wipe out a faction overnight? Moreover, every time such an event urred, the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion would be the first to voice condemnation of the perpetrators, then send people to investigate. Although the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion puts on a show, they did indeed capture many people. However, those they captured were rarely made public and instead were secretly executed, with everyone told that justice had been served. I investigated several simr cases, and those captured by the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion were not the culprits but rather people who opposed them. Using the pretense of capturing murderers, the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion framed and falsely used them, then openly dealt with their opponents."


    "Among these events, what left the deepest impression on me was the death of a master from the Heavenly List. This Heavenly List master had publicly used the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion of being a den of corruption and called on Martial Arts figures to unite against it. However, half a yearter, it was discovered that the Heavenly List master died at home, reportedly from a sudden illness. Many believed it, but I did not, because I knew him. That person was very robust, and even if he were ill, he could not have died so suddenly. Therefore, I suspected the Skyhawk Pavilion murdered him - only they had the motive. This suggests the Skyhawk Pavilion¡¯s power is terrifying, possessing the ability to eliminate a Heavenly List master."


    After hearing Tong Zhentian¡¯s ount, Ling Chen gently nodded. Ling Chen was not repulsed by the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion¡¯s actions because this was quite normal. As Tong Zhentian said, everything has two sides - this world is just like that. Not only the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, even he had done simr things. As a major power, eliminating potential threats and consolidating one¡¯s position is perfectly normal and not surprising.


    However, what Ling Chen worried about now was that since the Skyhawk Pavilion was so powerful, they had to act cautiously and not give the Skyhawk Pavilion an opportunity to strike.


    Seeing Ling Chen in deep thought, Tong Zhentian spoke, "I told you all this just as a reminder. As for whether Su He will engage the Skyhawk Pavilion, that¡¯s still unknown. Furthermore, given the Skyhawk Pavilion¡¯s operating style, all we can do is defensively react. Presently, it¡¯s a good time for us to grow quickly."


    Ling Chen understood Tong Zhentian¡¯s intention. The rich resources disyed by Dragon Tiger Hall today were enough to attract arge number of people to join, which was indeed a good beginning.


    After Tong Zhentian left, Ling Chen rested for most of the day. Under the careful care of Wanqing and the others, his injuries healed quickly. In the afternoon, Ling Chen asked Nanrong Wanqing and the others to go home first and, apanied by Tang Guolun, went to the main control room on the underground second floor.


    At this time, everyone was busy handling various affairs. Tang Guolun mentioned that since the morning, Hu Fei had not properly rested.


    Seeing the busy Hu Fei in front of theputer, Ling Chen approached and greeted, "Hey, fatty, how¡¯s it going?"


    Hu Fei pointed to the stack of documents beside him, eyes on theputer screen, and said without turning his head, "I definitely have to work overtime today, with half the data still unfinished."


    Ling Chen casually picked up a document, nced at the filled information, and asked, "Whose data is this?"


    "Who else could it be? It¡¯s naturally those wanting to join Dragon Tiger Hall. Old Man Tong had all the data collected, over two hundred files, and asked me to investigate each of them thoroughly. My staff is limited, and the workload is so heavy, hey! You need to raise our pay," Hu Feiined discontentedly.


    Ling Chen patted Hu Fei¡¯s shoulder with a smile, encouraging him, "Do a good job, take this chance to lose some weight, and maybe beautiful women will notice youter."


    "Get outta here, it¡¯s my chubby figure that the beauties love."


    After a few jokes, Ling Chen didn¡¯t disturb Hu Fei¡¯s work any further and returned to the main building with Tang Guolun. Ling Chen understood Tong Zhentian¡¯s request. Although Dragon Tiger Hall needed to absorb arge amount of fresh blood, they couldn¡¯t be too casual in recruiting people. Rather go without than hire unsuitable individuals - that¡¯s the standard. Those wanting to join Dragon Tiger Hall needed to have clean backgrounds and not engage in criminal activities. Furthermore, if they previously belonged to another faction, Dragon Tiger Hall would reject their application.


    Who knew if they were genuinely eager to join Dragon Tiger Hall or just spies wanting to steal martial arts secrets from Dragon Tiger Hall.


    In short, it¡¯s not about how strong your skills are, but your character passing muster and having a clean background to meet Dragon Tiger Hall¡¯s recruitment standards.


    There weren¡¯t many who met this standard, and Hu Fei worked overtime through the night to finally clear up the background checks of those applicants. Out of more than two hundred applicants, only about forty met the criteria.


    What surprised Ling Chen was that Tian Hanzhong was also on the list of applicants, and he passed the preliminary review. It turned out that initially, Tong Zhentian wanted to ept Tian Hanzhong as a Registered Disciple, but during the assessment, they found Tian Hanzhong¡¯s qualifications quite ordinary, not meeting his requirements, so he could only dissuade him.


    Although Tian Hanzhong was introduced by Ling Chen, Tong Zhentian didn¡¯t like to base such matters on personal connections. Martial Arts inheritance is a very serious matter and can¡¯t be chosen carelessly. Otherwise, it wouldn¡¯t be beneficial for either party.


    Nheless, getting the opportunity to join Dragon Tiger Hall was indeed a stroke of luck for Tian Hanzhong.


    Among the forty-plus individuals joining Dragon Tiger Hall, only about ten had barely passable martial arts skills, while the others were quite average. Fortunately, it wasn¡¯t their aptitude that was average. For better training and improvement, Ling Chen split them into two groups and used different methods for their cultivation. Fortunately, these individuals had solid foundations, so there¡¯s no need to start from scratch - only to choose martial arts suitable for them for teaching, quickly enabling them to be elites.


    In the aspect of martial arts teaching, after discussions between Ling Chen and Tong Zhentian, it was decided to conduct the teaching in stages. They were well aware that the major attraction for these people joining Dragon Tiger Hall was the martial arts secrets. If everything were given at once, they might all run away the next day. Therefore, gradually imparting skills was best. In the meantime, as long as their sense of belonging to Dragon Tiger Hall was strengthened, there shouldn¡¯t be any major problems with retention.


    Apart from the training of martial arts figures, Dragon Tiger Hall also began to recruit disciples externally and set up many youth sses. This was a request proposed by Tong Zhentian; those children would be the future of the martial arts world. Only by nurturing from a young age and instilling the right concepts could the Huaxia martial arts world truly rejuvenate.

 Chapter 1168 - 1175: Mr. Yang

    <h4>Chapter 1168: Chapter 1175: Mr. Yang</h4>


    In the blink of an eye, more than half a month had passed.


    The Dragon Tiger Hall was gradually getting on track. As its reputation grew, more and more people wanted to join and improve themselves. Over this period, Dragon Tiger Hall had recruited forty to fifty people, and including the previous batch, the number had already surpassed a hundred.


    For easy management, Ling Chen divided the Dragon Tiger Hall into two sections: the Dragon Section and the Tiger Section. The names might be a bitmon, but they were simple and easy to remember. Anyone with a certain level of skill was assigned to the Dragon Section, managed by Tong Zhentian. The rest went to the Tiger Section, managed by He Ziyun. Ling Chen was a free agent and would go wherever he was needed. Among the three, it seemed only he had it easy.


    Ling Chen was naturally happy to ept such an arrangement. However, he knew very well that Tong Zhentian and He Ziyun were not doing this to seize power. At their age, fame and fortune were external matters they didn¡¯t care much about. Their willingness to share the burden was primarily to give Ling Chen more time. After all, they were old with limited room for improvement, but Ling Chen was different; he was still young and talented. As long as he trained diligently, he would eventually enter the ranks of true masters.


    However, at this moment, Ling Chen was clearly falling short of Tong Zhentian and He Ziyun¡¯s expectations.


    In a bustling mall, Ling Chen was carryingrge and small bags, following behind Nanrong Wanqing and the four women, apanying them shopping. Calling it shopping was more like being aborer. As Liu Xiyao put it, when Ling Chen was injured a while back, it was their meticulous care that helped him recover. Now that his injuries had healed, it was only natural to repay them.


    Since Ling Chen was with them, none of thedies brought bodyguards. If there was a problem Ling Chen couldn¡¯t solve, no amount of bodyguards would be of any use. Besides, ever since they witnessed Ling Chen¡¯s prowess at the Dragon Tiger Hall, their confidence in him skyrocketed.


    As a public figure, Tang Shiyun was still wearing a mask as usual, to prevent being recognized. There was no other way, she had too much star power. If people knew Tang Shiyun was here, the whole mall would probably be packed to the brim.


    After a morning of shopping and eating, it was almost noon when Ling Chen asked, "Should we head back now?"


    Liu Xiyao smiled and said, "I know there¡¯s a nice restaurant on the top floor of the mall. The menu is diverse and the food is good. Let¡¯s go there for lunch."


    No one objected to Liu Xiyao¡¯s suggestion, or rather, none of the women did. As for whether Ling Chen had any objections, thedies simply ignored him.


    Arriving at the restaurant, it was just as Liu Xiyao described, a very upscale fusion restaurant built on the rooftop. Part of it was open-air, with luxurious decor and seats by the railing offering a panoramic view of much of East Sea City.


    With the status of Nanrong Wanqing and herpanions, they naturally chose the best seats. Putting down hisrge and small bags, Ling Chen plopped down in the chair and let out a long breath. Shopping was indeed tiring work, testing both his physical stamina and patience.


    "Ling, are you tired? Here, have a ss of water." Tang Shiyun poured him a cup of tea and handed it to Ling Chen, then gently massaged his shoulders with her small hands.


    Enjoying Tang Shiyun¡¯s attentive service, Ling Chen couldn¡¯t help but smile and say, "Shiyun is the best."


    Liu Xiyao couldn¡¯t take it any longer and said, "Shiyun, you can¡¯t spoil him like this. You must never spoil men, or they¡¯ll be unbearable. Even if someone should be spoiled, it should be men spoiling women."


    "Yao, that¡¯s just not fair. Shiyun is just being considerate because I¡¯m so tired, giving me a shoulder massage. It just means Shiyun is more thoughtful than you all."


    "Are you saying we¡¯re not considerate?" Zhu Xiaozhu chimed in with a slightly odd tone. Not just her, but Nanrong Wanqing and Liu Xiyao all looked at Ling Chen with a hint of displeasure.


    Ahem!


    Feeling the ¡¯killing intent¡¯ emanating from the three women, Ling Chen let out an awkwardugh and stood up, saying, "I¡¯ll go to the restroom; you guys order first." With that, he made a swift exit, jogging to the restroom. A wise man knows when to retreat; this was not the time to show off.


    A few minutester, Ling Chen returned to the open-air restaurant, only to find his seat was already upied. Three people were sitting in his ce: a middle-aged man and two young men, all handsome. Even the older one was exceptionally charming.


    At this moment, the three were sitting at the table,ughing and chatting, seemingly trying to amuse the women. Liu Xiyao was maintaining aposed demeanor, with a faint smile that kept people at a distance. Nanrong Wanqing was even more straightforward, with her cold expression and gaze set on the distant scenery. Zhu Xiaozhu sipped her tea silently, ignoring the men. On the other hand, Tang Shiyun listened with interest, asionallyughing.


    Ling Chen quietly moved to the back of the restaurant, listening as one of the young men said with a smile, "Ladies, it¡¯s fate that we meet here. How about I host a lunch, and afterward, we find somewhere to hang out? I¡¯ve heard there are many fun ces in East Sea City. It¡¯s my first time here, and I¡¯d love to explore."


    The middle-aged man added, "Yang, we still have business in the afternoon. We might not have enough time, so why don¡¯t we..."


    "Brother Li, what could be more important than these lovelydies? Just tell the board that I have more important things to do and have them postpone the meeting. I n to stay in East Sea City for a few more days and will head back to Beijing next week."


    After speaking, the young man named Yang continued to gaze at Nanrong Wanqing with a smile, "So, what do you think, beautiful? Interested in hanging out?" Among the women, he was most captivated by Nanrong Wanqing. Despite her cold demeanor, she was the most attractive of the four. Plus, her ice-cold and lotus-like demeanor only fueled his desire to conquer.


    If he could get such a rare beauty into bed and indulge under him, it would greatly satisfy his wicked fantasies.


    As a man, who doesn¡¯t relish conquering women? The more challenging the woman, the greater the thrill. After spending years in Beijing and thinking he had seen his fair share of beauties, he was surprised toe to East Sea City and encounter such top-tier women, each with their own unique qualities. It truly was a worthwhile trip.


    Facing the young man¡¯s invitation, Nanrong Wanqing slightly raised her eyebrows, looked towards Ling Chen in the back, and spoke softly, "If you want to invite me, you should ask him first."


    Hearing this, the three men turned their heads, only then noticing Ling Chen¡¯s presence.


    Seeing their attention shift to him, Ling Chen gave a slight smile and said, "Gentlemen, I¡¯m sorry, but you¡¯re sitting in my seat."


    "You?" The young man assessed Ling Chen with an unfriendly expression and asked, "Who do you think you are?"

 Chapter 1169 - 1176: Impostor Assassin

    <h4>Chapter 1169: Chapter 1176: Impostor Assassin</h4>


    Ling Chen smiled faintly and said, "Friend, I don¡¯t know what I am, but I know for sure you are nothing."


    Hearing Ling Chen¡¯s unabashed insult, the young man¡¯s face immediately changed, and he sprang up from his seat, pointing at Ling Chen¡¯s nose, coldly shouting, "You wretched thing, you have a lot of nerve to curse even me. Do you even know who I am?"


    Ling Chen spread his hands, helplessly saying, "Friend, I don¡¯t have the energy to care who you are. Whether you¡¯re a cat, dog, or some other beast, it has nothing to do with me. You¡¯ve taken my seat, I¡¯m just asking you to leave."


    "Good kid, you really have guts." the middle-aged man beside interjected, "Standing before you is Yang He from Beijing, Mr. Yang. Do you know what their family does? Whoever offends the Yang Family won¡¯t have anything good. Young man, in consideration of your ignorance, I advise you to apologize to Mr. Yang, or you¡¯ll pay the price."


    Ling Chen said with a half-smile, "This friend, you also mentioned Mr. Yang is from Beijing. But I must remind you, this is East Sea City, not a ce where you can run amok. I kindly advise you to be more low-key when out and about. There are always bigger fish, be careful not to end up unable to return to Beijing."


    "Hey! Brother, you have quite a tone." said the young man beside Yang He, "I, Zheng Guangchun, have never seen someone as fearless as you. Brother, having guts is good, but you need to choose your time and ce. In Beijing, no one dares to be cocky in front of us."


    "You¡¯re right. In East Sea City, no one has ever dared to be cocky in front of me." Ling Chen pointed at his seat and said, "Don¡¯t me me for not giving you a chance, quickly scram, and I won¡¯t hold the previous matter against you."


    "Fine, fine!" Yang He, extremely angry,ughed, gritting his teeth at Ling Chen and said, "I just arrived in East Sea City today, originally wanting to have some fun, but since someone is so eager for death, it will have to wait. Li Gang, call the board, in ten minutes, I want this person gone from my sight."


    "No problem, Mr. Yang!" said the middle-aged man named Li Gang, immediately pulling out his phone and dialing a number.


    Seeing their actions, Ling Chen paid no attention, walked over to the dining table, and sat down. "Have the dishes been ordered?"


    "Not yet, we were waiting for you to order." Liu Xiyao said with a smile, not worried about what had just happened. Although these people came from Beijing and have backgrounds, bullying Ling Chen in East Sea City, Liu Xiyao could only mourn for them.


    Ling Chen epted the menu handed by Zhu Xiaozhu, snapped his fingers, called a waiter, and nonchntly ordered a few Chinese dishes.


    "Waiter, please serve the food quickly, I¡¯m hungry."


    Yang He sneered from the side, "Eat as much as you can while you still can, after today, I¡¯m afraid you won¡¯t get the chance to eat."


    Ling Chen ignored Yang He¡¯s threat, holding his phone with one hand, chatting casually with the women around him.


    Less than ten minutester, a group of people appeared at the restaurant¡¯s entrance. From their attire, they appeared to be street thugs, each carrying something wrapped in newspaper. Li Gang and the two others leaned against the open-air restaurant¡¯s railing, pointed towards Ling Chen, and those thugs instantly understood, quickly pulling machetes from the newspaper and rushed towards Ling Chen.


    "Hey! Could those be your men?" Liu Xiyao asked.


    Ling Chen said nothing, his eyes fixed on his phone. Soon, more than a dozen thugs rushed to Ling Chen, swinging machetes directly towards his head. At this critical moment, the motionless Ling Chen finally reacted. His body slightly sidestepped, dodging the attack. Then, Ling Chen lightly tapped his feet, his body instantly leaving the chair and springing into the air,nding behind the group of thugs.


    Observing the thugs, Ling Chen¡¯s eyes scanned around, as if searching for someone.


    "What are you standing around for?" Yang He demanded angrily, "Quickly act, kill this bastard."


    Ling Chen nced at Yang He by the railing, suddenly elerating his feet, like a swift wind, instantly getting close to Yang He, punching straight at his face. As the punch was about to hit, suddenly, a glint of cold light shed by.


    Having anticipated, Ling Chen quickly turned, dodging the cold light¡¯s attack. Upon focusing, he noticed Li Gang holding a sharp dagger.


    "Good skills." Ling Chen said calmly, "If you want to kill me,e at me directly, why go through so much trouble?"


    Li Gangughed coldly, "When did you find out?"


    "Remember to be prepared to avoid revealing ws when disguising your identity." Earlier, while fiddling with his phone, Ling Chen sent a message to Hu Fei, asking him to help check Yang He¡¯s and the others¡¯ identities. Knowing their backgrounds will help him decide how to handle them. However, unexpectedly, although Yang He¡¯s group¡¯s identity information appeared fine, the archived records showed that Yang He, Zheng Guangchun, and Li Gang¡¯s appearancespletely differed from before. Furthermore, these three were still in Beijing, and hadn¡¯te to East Sea City. This indicates that the identities of these three are fake. Based on this, Ling Chen perceives they likely came for him.


    As expected, after a little probing, their fake identities were promptly exposed.


    "Who¡¯s instructing you?" Ling Chen asked.


    "That¡¯s not something you need to know." Yang He, changing his previous hedonistic demeanor, said with a grim face.


    Could it be people from Skyhawk Pavilion? Ling Chen thought inwardly. Due to Tong Zhentian¡¯s warning, Ling Chen couldn¡¯t help but suspect that.


    "Ling Chen, we came only to deliver a message to you this time." Hearing Yang He¡¯s words, Ling Chen asked, "What message?"


    "One day, everything you¡¯ve subjected him to, he will return doubly." After speaking, Yang He extended his five fingers, and with a flick towards the ground, there was a ¡¯bang¡¯, and a cloud of smoke exploded. Ling Chen waved his arms, waiting for the smoke to clear, surprisingly discovering that Yang He and the three others had vanished.


    Amazing!


    Ling Chen was somewhat amazed; even with his abilities, he hadn¡¯t detected their departure. From their actions, it¡¯s clear they aren¡¯t from Skyhawk Pavilion. If they truly were Skyhawk Pavilion¡¯s people, there wouldn¡¯t have been so much talk.


    However, Ling Chen is puzzled about who prompted Yang He to ry a message. It seems investigation is necessary; the enemy hiding in the dark, while he is in the open, is not a favorable situation.

 Chapter 1170 - 1177: Rebirth

    <h4>Chapter 1170: Chapter 1177: Rebirth</h4>


    "Did you see him?"


    In a dark, lightless room, a cold voice was heard, devoid of any emotional fluctuation.


    "We saw him. As you said, he¡¯s very skilled. I estimate his power is enough to rank sixth on the Earthly List." At this moment, three people stood outside the room. If Ling Chen were here, he would definitely recognize these three as the ones who attempted to assassinate him in East Sea City that day.


    "Zhu Hong, this opponent of yours is quite tough." A young man spoke, "When we were in East Sea City, we specially investigated his background. Essentially, the whole of East Sea City is under his control, moreover, he recently opened the Dragon Tiger Hall, recruiting a lot of experts, and his power is growing rapidly. However, I¡¯ve heard that Ling Chen had a fallout with the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion. Given the pavilion¡¯s nature, they probably won¡¯t let him go."


    "Humph! I don¡¯t care about the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, Ling Chen¡¯s life is mine, no one can take it from me. Alright, you all go for now, keep a close watch on Ling Chen¡¯s movements."


    "No problem. By the way, I asked the master, you still have about a month left before you cane out. How¡¯s the feeling inside? Can you hold on?"


    "This is just a small matter for me, I¡¯ve been through worse."


    "Impressive! No wonder the master chose you. Well, we¡¯ll get busy now. Contact us if anythinges up." After speaking, the three turned and walked out.


    In the dark room, there was a water tank about two meters long, filled with a ck viscous liquid, emitting a foul stench. At one end of the tank, a disfigured head appeared, marked with burnt scars, devoid of eyebrows and hair, only those sharp eyes emitting a fierce light.


    This person was none other than Zhu Hong, who was once lost in the desert.


    At that moment, in the thick ck liquid, long eel-like creatures asionally surfaced and then submerged again. Simultaneously, Zhu Hong let out a faint groan, his face contorting as if enduring immense pain.


    Persevere! Zhu Hong gritted his teeth; this was the only thing he needed to do now. Only by persisting could he gain everything.


    Recalling everything that happened recently feels like a nightmare to him.


    Back then, after getting lost in the desert, with no water, no food, and no way to use the phone, he was entirely trapped. To survive, he killed hispanion, drank his blood, and ate his flesh. Though disgusting, Zhu Hong had to endure it to stay alive.


    However, the desert heat caused thepanion¡¯s corpse to rot rapidly. After consuming too much rotten flesh, Zhu Hong finally couldn¡¯t hold on and fell ill in the desert. Just as he thought he was done for when he fell unconscious, fate didn¡¯t abandon him.


    When he woke again, he found himself lying in a room, his injuries already healed.


    The person responsible for treating him was an old man, and he was from Huaxia. Moreover, it was this old man who found him in the desert, saved him, and gave him another chance at life.


    Through understanding, Zhu Hong gradually figured out the old man¡¯s identity. The old man was not an ordinary person but an assassin, and the ce he was still in was deep in the desert. However, it was a base for training elite assassins, and the old man was the head of this base.


    After his injuries fully healed, the old man gave him two options: be his disciple or leave. Zhu Hong didn¡¯t hesitate and chose the former. The reason for such a decision was because he witnessed the training of these assassins.


    These people were not just assassins but experts. If he could harness this power, he could do anything he wanted.


    Honestly, at that time, Zhu Hong also wondered why the old man wanted to ept him as a disciple. It wasn¡¯t untilter, while chatting with his fellow disciples, that he learned the old man¡¯s main reason for epting him was his characteristics.


    An assassin is dark. A person who could ughter apanion and devour flesh and blood to survive also had a dark heart. Such a person was most suited to be an assassin.


    During his time in the assassin base, Zhu Hong didn¡¯t idle, he learned a lot about this ce.


    Assassin! To his former self, it was just an insignificant profession. With money, an assassin is just a dog tomand. However, this base changed his view on assassins. To be precise, the elite assassins trained here were unlike those in the outside world.


    Like his master, the old man hailed from an assassin family. For hundreds of years, the family had served the royal family, performing unspeakable deeds for them. Even now, they continued serving the wealthy and powerful. Moreover, their service was lifelong and did not ept temporary hires. Because of this, they became invisible in the assassin world.


    Zhu Hong knew this assassin¡¯s power was like a poisonous snake, lurking in the grass, rarely revealing itself. But once it acted, no one could escape its deadly bite.


    His master told him, although his potential was good, hecked a strong foundation. Therefore, his master specially concocted a potion to improve his physique so he could grow faster. ording to the master¡¯s requirement, he must soak in the potion for two months until his physique fully transformed, only then could he proceed to the next step. Currently, it¡¯s been a month. In the beginning, every day was unbearably painful, with a desire to end it all. However, to be stronger, he gritted his teeth and persevered.


    Just wait! Sooner orter, I¡¯ll have you all bowing at my feet.


    ...


    Another month passed in a blink.


    Ling Chen was livingfortably. With Tong Zhentian and He Ziyun managing the Dragon Tiger Hall, there wasn¡¯t anything for him to worry about. Apart from practicing his skills, he spent his days rxing and enjoying with his many femalepanions.


    Yet, despite the ease, Ling Chen didn¡¯t lower his guard. He knew he had made too many enemies; only by continually strengthening himself and expanding his power could he prepare for uing crises.


    The Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, a critical challenge he must ovee.


    This day, Nanrong Wanqing and the others went to work, while Ling Chen stayed at home, intending to solidify his recent learnings. Suddenly, a phone rang.


    "Hello! Fatty, calling me for something?"


    "Are you free? Join me for a trip to the hospital. Just received a message saying Ling Beichuan is critically ill."


    Critically ill?


    Ling Chen felt a rush of anxiety; this was troublesome. Ling Beichuan held a wealth of information about Ling Gengqiu. Ling Chen was counting on extracting Ling Gengqiu¡¯s grave location from him. If he died, it would be a huge loss for Ling Chen.


    After hanging up, Ling Chen quickly donned his coat and drove straight to the hospital.

 Chapter 1171 - 1178: Important Clues

    <h4>Chapter 1171: Chapter 1178: Important Clues</h4>


    In the intensive care unit, Ling Beichuany on the hospital bed, and several doctors in white coats were performing emergency resuscitation.


    With the injection of adrenaline, the straight line on the monitor finally showed a slight fluctuation. Seeing the reappearing waveform, one doctor wiped the sweat off his forehead, let out a breath, and said, "Alright, there¡¯s no immediate danger, but we need to monitor him closely for twenty-four hours."


    Upon exiting the ward, Ling Chen and Hu Fei, who had been waiting outside, quickly approached and asked, "Doctor, how is he doing?"


    "It¡¯s not optimistic. This is already the second time this week. His bodily functions are degrading rapidly, and he can now only be sustained by medical equipment. Moreover, he cannot eat anymore. Given his condition, living is also suffering because his life is already at its end. Even if we forcefully extend his life, it won¡¯t be of any use. Rather than bringing more suffering, it¡¯s better to let him go peacefully."


    Ling Chen nodded and said, "I understand. Thank you, doctor."


    "You¡¯re wee. I¡¯ll head back to the office. Contact me if you need anything."


    After seeing the doctor off, Ling Chen and Hu Fei pushed open the door and entered the ward. Looking at Ling Beichuan lying on the hospital bed, Ling Chen frowned slightly. More than a month had passed since theirst meeting, and Ling Beichuan appeared even older than before, hisplexion was pale, and he exuded an aura of death.


    Standing by the bedside, as if sensing Ling Chen¡¯s arrival, Ling Beichuan moved his lips. Seeing this, Ling Chen immediately understood, removed the oxygen mask, and asked, "What do you want to say?"


    "I can¡¯t make it," Ling Beichuan said weakly. "I¡¯ve been to the gates of hell twice; I don¡¯t want a third time. Do you remember the promise you made to me? If I helped you find Ling Gengqiu¡¯s grave, would you... would you save me?"


    "As long as we find it, I will do my best to keep you alive."


    "Alright, you must remember what you said today. I¡¯ve been investigating for years and identified two important leads: the Guo Family and the Tianling de. You can start with these to find Ling Gengqiu¡¯s grave."


    "The Guo Family?" Ling Chen thought for a moment and asked, "Are you talking about the weapon master Guo Liang?"


    Ling Chen had visited the Guo family and interacted with Guo Liang. Guo Liang was a well-known figure, and every weapon he forged was a Divine Weapon. Moreover, the Tianling de was a Divine Weapon forged by the Guo family¡¯s ancestor.


    "That¡¯s right."


    "Besides you, who else knows about these two leads?"


    "Currently, only you know. I discovered these two important leads this year and haven¡¯t reported them because I haven¡¯t confirmed them. Now it seems, I likely won¡¯t get the chance to tell anyone."


    "Alright, if I can find Ling Gengqiu¡¯s grave, I¡¯ll do everything I can to keep you alive." With that, Ling Chen left the ward with Hu Fei.


    "Fatty, strengthen Ling Beichuan¡¯s security during this period, and expand the personnel to cover the entire hospital perimeter, not allowing any outsiders to get to him," Ling Chen instructed. Right now, he must ensure those two critical clues aren¡¯t uncovered by others.


    Hu Fei proposed, "I say, let¡¯s directly move the old man to the Dragon Tiger Hall and have a few doctors take care of him. With so many experts at the Dragon Tiger Hall, who would dare to cause trouble? Don¡¯t you think so?"


    Ling Chen nodded in agreement. With Tong Zhentian overseeing the Dragon Tiger Hall, Ling Beichuan¡¯s safety would not be an issue.


    Then, with Hu Fei¡¯s help, Ling Chen arranged for a car and directly transferred Ling Beichuan from the hospital to the Dragon Tiger Hall. Additionally, he hired several doctors and nurses with a heavy price to take care of Ling Beichuan specifically. Who knows what secrets the old man might still be hiding; until Ling Chen found Ling Gengqiu¡¯s grave, he couldn¡¯t let Ling Beichuan die.


    After settling Ling Beichuan, Ling Chen returned home briefly, took the Tianling de, and immediately headed to the airport. Now that he finally had leads on Ling Gengqiu, he didn¡¯t want to wait any longer but wanted to resolve this matter as soon as possible.


    At four in the afternoon, Ling Chen arrived at Beijing International Airport. Having visited Guo Liang before, Ling Chen got off the ne, hailed a car by the roadside, and headed straight to Guo Liang¡¯s residence.


    Guo Liang lived in a Siheyuan, a legacy from his ancestors. After knocking on the door, the vermilion red gate opened shortly, and a young man peeked out. Upon seeing that it was Ling Chen, he immediately smiled and quickly stepped aside, gesturing wee.


    "Mr. Ling, pleasee in!"


    "Thank you!"


    Under the young man¡¯s guidance, Ling Chen entered the inner hall. Just after sitting down, he heard a heartyughing through: "This morning, I heard magpies chirping and thought it must be an esteemed guest visiting, but I didn¡¯t expect it to be Ling!"


    Seeing Guo Liang walk in from outside, Ling Chen hastily stood up and greeted him politely, "Mr. Guo, long time no see."


    "It has been a while, but I¡¯ve heard a lot about your exploits. Establishing the Dragon Tiger Hall and openly embarrassing the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion is already widely known."


    Ling Chen awkwardlyughed, "Good news doesn¡¯t get out, but bad things spread a thousand miles, it seems I haven¡¯t done anything good."


    "Honestly, I admire you. Probably only you would dare to go against the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, and that too in front of Old Su. But that¡¯s not so bad; the Pavilion has been dominating for hundreds of years, being strong-willed all along¡ªfacing some setbacks can also be beneficial." As he spoke, Guo Liang changed the subject and asked, "You wouldn¡¯te here without reason; is there something you need from me?"


    Ling Chen nodded, took the backpack off his shoulders, and brought out the Tianling de.


    "Mr. Guo, you once told me that this Tianling de was forged by the Guo family ancestor."


    "That¡¯s right."


    "In that case, I suppose you¡¯re very familiar with the Tianling de."


    Guo Liang said oddly, "Didn¡¯t I tell you about the Tianling de thest time you visited me?"


    "Mr. Guo, as far as I know, the Tianling de seems to hide a great secret. Since the Tianling de was crafted by your ancestor, I thought you might know something about it."


    "A secret?" Now it was Guo Liang¡¯s turn to be surprised, "I¡¯ve never heard anything from my ancestors about it. Ling, are you sure you¡¯re not mistaken?"


    Ling Chen pondered for a moment, then said, "Mr. Guo, to be frank, this matter is rted to my ancestor Ling Gengqiu. I¡¯m wondering if there might be any connection between them."


    "I¡¯ve heard of Ling Gengqiu¡¯s name, but unfortunately, the ancestors left no secrets about the Tianling de or Ling Gengqiu. So,ing to me won¡¯t help; even if there is indeed a secret within the Tianling de, I wouldn¡¯t know it."


    Hearing this, Ling Chen, unwilling to give up, asked, "Mr. Guo, did the Guo family ancestor leave anything behind before passing away?"

 Chapter 1172 - 1179: Guo Qiang (1)

    <h4>Chapter 1172: Chapter 1179: Guo Qiang (1)</h4>


    "What was left behind?" Guo Liang thought seriously for a moment and said, "Our ancestors indeed left many things, but none of them seem rted to the Tianling de you mentioned."


    "Mr. Guo..."


    Before Ling Chen could finish, Guo Liang raised his hand to stop him, saying, "Alright, you don¡¯t need to say more. I understand what you mean. Follow me, I¡¯ll take you to have a look." With that, Guo Liang walked straight out.


    Soon, the two arrived at an elegant study. The study was very spacious, with a wide desk neatly arranged with the four treasures of the study. On the wall opposite the desk hung a painting by a famous artist.


    "Sit down first." Guo Liang pointed to a chair beside him and then walked straight to the painting, moving it aside. Instantly, a safe embedded in the wall was revealed behind the painting. In front of Ling Chen, Guo Liang opened the safe and took out several long wooden boxes.


    "These are all items left by the Guo Family ancestors. The maker of your Tianling de was Guo Qiang, the third-generation descendant of our Guo Family, and I am the eighth generation. Look, these things are relics of ancestor Guo Qiang, all weapons forged during his lifetime. Since our Guo Family is a family of weapons, weapons are our most valuable wealth."


    As the long wooden boxes were opened, several swords and knives were revealed inside, still emitting a cold gleam after many years, incredibly sharp. After examining them for a while, Ling Chen couldn¡¯t help but feel disappointed, as there were no clues on the weapons.


    Could it be that, as Guo Liang said, the Guo Family ancestors left nothing behind?


    As he pondered, the sharp-eyed Ling Chen suddenly noticed that inside one of the long wooden boxes, beside a steel knife, there was also an oilmp.


    "Mr. Guo, is this oilmp also an heirloom from the Guo Family ancestors?"


    Guo Liang nodded and said, "Indeed. This oilmp has always been kept in this box. What, you don¡¯t suspect there¡¯s something wrong with the oilmp?"


    Ling Chen remained silent but felt curious. Why would the Guo Family ancestors put an oilmp in the box? There must be a reason. After all, it¡¯s just an oilmp, not something valuable enough to pass on to descendants.


    Thinking of this, Ling Chen asked, "Mr. Guo, can I..."


    "Feel free to take a look if you want."


    With Guo Liang¡¯s permission, Ling Chen gently held the oilmp, examining it closely in his hands. The oilmp was an old item, having some age to it, but well-preserved, with a very smooth surface and an intact wick. However, aside from it being an antique, Ling Chen didn¡¯t find any clues rted to the Tianling de or Ling Gengqiu.


    Could he have been mistaken? Ling Chen felt puzzled. Suddenly, his eyes lit up, and he quickly brought the oilmp closer to his eyes. Yes! Ling Chen was overjoyed. In the middle of the oilmp, there was a very thin seam.


    Immediately, Ling Chen grasped the base of the oilmp with one hand and the top with the other, gently twisting it.


    It moved! As the seam in the middle gradually widened, Ling Chen was increasingly certain of his suspicion that there was indeed something unusual about the oilmp. Beside him, Guo Liang was equally surprised, not expecting Ling Chen to have guessed right that a secret was hidden within this oilmp by their ancestor.


    As the middle of the oilmp was unscrewed, it revealed a hollow interior with a bamboo tube as thick as a finger. Ling Chen tapped on the bottom of the oilmp, causing the bamboo tube to fall out immediately.


    Picking up the bamboo tube, Guo Liang removed the stopper at the top and shook out a roll of paper from inside. As the paper unfurled, it was densely packed with writing, the size of ants.


    "This is needle engraving, a unique technique of our Guo Family," Guo Liang said. "Wait a moment, I¡¯ll get something."


    Shortly thereafter, Guo Liang brought a magnifying ss and began to read line by line the content recorded on the paper. As Ling Chen had suspected, the content was indeed rted to Ling Gengqiu. Moreover, the Guo Family ancestor had an extraordinary rtionship with Ling Gengqiu, being sworn brothers.


    Reading the roll of paper, Ling Chen was filled with emotions.


    The Guo Family ancestor and Ling Gengqiu were sworn brothers. At the time, Ling Gengqiu, who had lived for over two hundred years, was struggling against the pursuit of the Ling Family from the South. Although he wished to retreat into the mountains and sever all ties with the mundane world, his nature was not one to settle down. Later, Ling Gengqiu approached Guo Qiang, seeking help. He told Guo Qiang that someone wished him harm. From Guo Qiang¡¯s ount, when Ling Gengqiu came to him, he seemed very frightened, as if facing a terrifying situation.


    With Ling Gengqiu¡¯s abilities, something that could instill fear in him was extremely rare, which Guo Qiang found very strange. However, Ling Gengqiu kept silent about his predicament, and Guo Qiang dared not inquire further.


    One night, Guo Qiang, following Ling Gengqiu¡¯s instructions, secretly hid in a deserted wilderness. At midnight, Ling Gengqiu was brought there by a group of men in ck. At that time, it appeared as though Ling Gengqiu had been kidnapped by the group. Moreover, those men in ck were digging all around, seemingly searching for something. However, they didn¡¯t find what they were looking for.


    That very night, Ling Gengqiu was brutally murdered by the men in ck, his body torn apart. Witnessing everything unfold, Guo Qiang didn¡¯t intervene. He mentioned in the paper that when Ling Gengqiu sought him out, he had already expressed that he might die. Thus, he requested Guo Qiang to retrieve his body and ensure it was properly buried, never to fall into others¡¯ hands.


    Guo Qiangplied. When the men in ck were about to leave with Ling Gengqiu¡¯s body, Guo Qiangunched a stealthy attack. Though not particrly powerful, Guo Qiang was an expert on the Earthly List. Moreover, during the ambush, Guo Qiang had prepared numerous traps hidden around the wilderness.


    Utilizing those traps and hidden weapons, Guo Qiang sessfully seized Ling Gengqiu¡¯s head, torso, and one leg. Due to the urgency, Guo Qiang couldn¡¯t grab the other parts of Ling Gengqiu¡¯s body and had to escape with what he had acquired.


    Afterward, Guo Qiang found a ce to build a grave, burying Ling Gengqiu¡¯s body parts inside. Besides him, no one else knew about this incident or the exact location of the grave.


    Until hisst moments, Guo Qiang didn¡¯t want the secret to remain buried forever, so he recorded the entire incident on the paper and hid it within the oilmp. Fortunately, Guo Qiang did this; otherwise, no one would know where Ling Gengqiu had been buried.


    Tianling de!


    In Guo Qiang¡¯s final words, he mentioned that the location of the grave was hidden within the Tianling de.

 Chapter 1173 - 1180: Guo Qiang (Part 2)

    <h4>Chapter 1173: Chapter 1180: Guo Qiang (Part 2)</h4>


    "I never expected that our ancestors had such a rtionship." Guo Liang eximed, "Ling Chen, it looks like your guess was correct. Since this matter is rted to the Guo Family ancestor, is there anything you need my help with?"


    "Mr. Guo, the Guo Family ancestor mentioned that all the secrets are hidden within the Tianling de. However, I have researched the Tianling de before and found nothing. This Tianling de is a craft of the Guo Family. I wonder if you could help me uncover its secrets."


    Guo Liang nodded and said, "That¡¯s no problem. However, if we want to unravel the secrets within the Tianling de, it¡¯s possible it might get damaged."


    "No problem." Compared to the location of Ling Gengqiu¡¯s grave, the value of the Tianling de is obviously insignificant.


    "Alright, no time to waste; I¡¯ll get started right away." With that, Guo Liang took Ling Chen to a workshop. This was where Guo Liang crafted weapons; not only was the space spacious, but it also contained all kinds of manufacturing equipment, including some advanced modern devices.


    "Mr. Guo, I thought the Guo Family¡¯s weapon crafting was all done by hand." Ling Chen remarked.


    "It used to be, but things are different now. Our Guo Family needs to keep up with the times. Besides, you can¡¯t deny that some modern equipment surpasses handcrafting." Guo Liang ced the Tianling de on a steel work table, fixed it with mps, and said, "Among our Guo Family ancestors, Guo Qiang¡¯s craftsmanship was the finest. This Tianling de epasses all the skills of the Guo Family. To find other hidden secrets might take a long time. How about you stay at my ce for these two days?"


    "Alright, I¡¯ll take you up on that."


    For the next two days, Guo Liang stayed in his workshop, busy unraveling the Tianling de¡¯s secrets. asionally, Ling Chen would go and check, but he wouldn¡¯t stay long to avoid disturbing Guo Liang. Such meticulous work needs a tranquil environment, and Ling Chen didn¡¯t want his presence to affect Guo Liang.


    Three dayster, Guo Liang finally made some progress.


    In the workshop, although he hadn¡¯t rested much in the past days, Guo Liang was still energetic. As soon as Ling Chen arrived, Guo Liang immediately pulled him to the workbench and pointed to the disassembled parts.


    "These are allponents of the Tianling de. It took me a lot of effort to take them apart, and each piece is intact." After finishing, Guo Liang took a box from the side and handed its contents to Ling Chen, "These items were hidden inside the Tianling de. They might be what you¡¯re looking for."


    Ling Chen carefully inspected the box to find it contained thin iron sheets. Moreover, the iron sheets varied in shape, looking much like a puzzle. Thinking of this, Ling Chen dumped all the iron sheets onto the workbench and started piecing them together one by one. Unsurprisingly, within a short time, aplete palm-sized pattern was assembled.


    However, theplete pattern on the iron sheets was very peculiar,posed entirely of irregr lines, chaotic and entirely without apparent clues.


    "Mr. Guo, what do you think?" Ling Chen asked. This could be a unique Guo Family method of recording information, and as a descendant, Guo Liang should know what these patterns mean.


    Guo Liang scrutinized it for a few moments, his eyes also showing doubt.


    "I can¡¯t understand this thing."


    Upon hearing that, Ling Chen could not help but feel a bit disappointed. Clearly, Guo Liang wasn¡¯t deceiving him.


    "Mr. Guo, thank you for all your hard work these past days."


    Guo Liang smiled and said, "You¡¯re wee, it¡¯s something I should do. Now, I¡¯ve done what I can, and from here, you¡¯ll have to rely on yourself. If you need my help, feel free to ask."


    With clues from the Tianling de in hand, Ling Chen didn¡¯t stay in Beijing for long; he took the flight back to East Sea City on the same day.


    For two consecutive days, Ling Chen continued researching the mystery hidden within the pattern, to no avail.


    "Hey! You¡¯ve been staring at it for two days. Since you can¡¯t find any clues, perhaps you should set it aside for now," Hu Fei advised from the side. In these two days, he had been helping Ling Chen study the pattern, but even after researching for two days, they found nothing.


    Ling Chen nodded, knowing deep down that continuing like this wouldn¡¯t work. Without new clues, there wouldn¡¯t be any progress. Rather than waste time here, he thought it might be better to rest; perhaps a solution woulde to him.


    "Let¡¯s go, let¡¯s eat at the cafeteria." Ling Chen called Hu Fei, then stepped out of the control center.


    After just a few steps, Ling Chen suddenly turned around, staring at therge screen nearby with a peculiar glint in his eyes.


    Could it be...


    "What are you daydreaming about?" Seeing Ling Chen standing stationary, Hu Fei stepped forward, patting him on the shoulder, urging, "Let¡¯s go!"


    "Wait!" Ling Chen snapped back to reality and pointed at therge screen, "What do you see there?"


    Hu Fei nced over it, saying, "Isn¡¯t it just a map of East Sea City? What¡¯s strange about it?"


    "You didn¡¯t get what I meant." Ling Chen quickly moved to therge screen, having the technicians zoom in on the map, and pointed to an area, saying, "Don¡¯t you think the lines formed by these roads resemble those on the pattern?"


    Hearing Ling Chen¡¯s hint, Hu Fei¡¯s eyes brightened, instantly understanding, and he pped his forehead, "That¡¯s right; those lines could be intersecting routes, which is why there¡¯s no apparent order. Aren¡¯t we searching for Ling Gengqiu¡¯s grave? We just need to find roads symmetrical to those lines to locate the grave." Saying this, Hu Fei couldn¡¯t help but praise, "That ancestor of the Guo Family was a genius, using such a method to conceal secrets."


    "Alright, let¡¯s hold off on praises for now; quickly check East Sea City¡¯s map and see which roads match." Ling Chen said excitedly.


    "No problem." With this new discovery, Hu Fei and Ling Chen were so engrossed that they couldn¡¯t spare time for food, immediately pulling up East Sea City¡¯s map and involving all the control center technicians in the search.


    Although there was a clue, it was limited,cking further information. Given the size of East Sea City, pinpointing matching sections was no easy task. The group worked tirelessly from noon untilte into the night, with no progress.


    Yawning, Ling Chen remarked with a weary expression, "Alright, let¡¯s call it a night. Everyone¡¯s worked hard; rest early, and we¡¯ll continue tomorrow."


    As they left the control center, Hu Fei teased, "Not going home tonight? Could you bear letting those beauties keep an empty house alone?"


    "Get lost." Ling Chen red at Hu Fei irritatedly, scolding, "Can¡¯t you have less indecent thoughts?"


    "I¡¯m just saying, with so many beauties at home, haven¡¯t you thought about anything? Like the saying goes, seize the moment. If you don¡¯t take action, I¡¯d wonder if you¡¯re even a man."

 Chapter 1174 - 1181: The Old Man’s Critical Illness

    <h4>Chapter 1174: Chapter 1181: The Old Man¡¯s Critical Illness</h4>


    "I¡¯m sure I¡¯m a real man, too bad you¡¯re not a woman, otherwise I¡¯d let you try it."


    Upon hearing this, Hu Fei thought Ling Chen was referring to that thing and was ready to joke around, but then he saw Ling Chen swinging his fist, causing Hu Fei to shrink his head,ugh awkwardly, and quickly run back to his room.


    After waking up, Ling Chen washed up casually, gnawing on the just-brewed instant noodles, and headed straight to the control center. By this time, Hu Fei was already up, leading a group of subordinates to continuest night¡¯s work. It must be said that Hu Fei is indeed responsible in this regard. As long as there¡¯s work, he doesn¡¯t mess around, which is why Ling Chen appreciates and relies on him.


    "Fatty, how¡¯s it going, any findings?" Ling Chen walked to Hu Fei¡¯s side and asked.


    "There are still two-thirds of the map undeveloped, it will probably take two more days. If you have something to do, go ahead, leave this to me. If there¡¯s any progress, I¡¯ll notify you."


    "Alright then, I¡¯ll leave it to you." Ling Chen didn¡¯t hold back. He¡¯s the kind of person suited to being on the frontline, so it was better to leave technical work to someone skilled; even if he stayed there, he couldn¡¯t do much except supervise.


    Plus, he had been in Beijing for the past few days and came straight back to the base without going home, so it was time to go see his family.


    Driving home, he saw a Rolls-Royce and two Land Rovers parked outside. Zhong Wei and Liang Zhao Hui were standing at the door, waiting for Nanrong Wanqing toe out. "Captain Zhong, Brother Liang," Ling Chen greeted them as he approached, "Is Wanqing not down yet? Why note in and have a seat."


    "No, we¡¯d better wait outside," Zhong Wei replied. "You¡¯ve been busytely, haven¡¯t seen you this past few days when picking up the chairman."


    "I went out of town, just got back. Captain Zhong, how¡¯s everything at home?" Ling Chen was asking about the Nanrong Family, as he hadn¡¯t visited in a long time.


    "Things aren¡¯t well, especially the old master, his health is getting worse, he¡¯s been bedridden every day, unable to walk."


    Ling Chen¡¯s expression shifted slightly, and he asked with concern, "How did this happen? Wasn¡¯t he fine not long ago?"


    "I¡¯m not sure either, heard the condition worsened, there are doctors and nurses keeping watch around the clock to prevent anything happening to the old master." As he said this, Zhong Wei nced at the door and whispered, "The old master instructed us not to tell the chairman for now, so she won¡¯t worry."


    "With how things are, it¡¯s impossible to hide it from her for long. Alright, I¡¯ll visit the Nanrong Familyter to check on the old master."


    As they spoke, Nanrong Wanqing came out of the house. When she saw Ling Chen return, she simply asked a couple of questions and then got into the car with Zhong Wei.


    After watching the motorcade leave, Ling Chen didn¡¯t even enter his house but drove straight to the Nanrong Family.


    At eight-thirty in the morning, Nanrong Hao had already gone to work at Hongyu Group, and Liu Kun was responsible for receiving Ling Chen.


    "Uncle Liu, how is the old master¡¯s health?"


    "Who told you about it?"


    "I ran into Captain Zhong this morning, he mentioned the old master¡¯s condition to me."


    Liu Kun sighed softly and said, "The old master¡¯s condition is indeed severe, the doctors have issued two critical notices. However, the old master has good fortune, having survived twice, and his condition is stable now. But the doctors aren¡¯t optimistic about his condition, there¡¯s a risk of rpse at any time."


    Speaking, the two approached the bedroom where Nanrong Yong resided.


    "You can go in by yourself."


    Ling Chen nodded, pushed the door open, and entered the bedroom. At this time, Nanrong Yong was lying on the bed receiving an IV drip and reading a newspaper, with an unfinished breakfast beside him.


    "Ling Chen, what wind blew you here today?" Nanrong Yong put down the newspaper and asked with a smiling face.


    "Old master, it¡¯s been a while since I visited you, I had some time today, so I came to see you."


    Nanrong Yong was highly perceptive and could easily tell Ling Chen¡¯s true intention. However, he didn¡¯t point it out and gestured toward the chair beside the bed, saying, "Have a seat. It¡¯s been a while since anyone chatted with me."


    "Has that girl Wanqing been staying with youtely, not causing any trouble?"


    "Old master, how could you say that? There¡¯s no trouble, everyone¡¯s quite lively together."


    "That¡¯s good, I¡¯m worried she¡¯d be upset seeing me like this when she returns."


    Ling Chen hesitated for a moment and said, "Old master, why don¡¯t you tell Wanqing? She is your granddaughter and has the right to know about your condition."


    Nanrong Yong waved his hand and said, "No need for that. I am already an old codger, bound to end up in a coffin sooner orter, why make everybody unhappy. Besides, Wanqing and the rest still have to manage Hongyu Group, splitting their attention to take care of me might exhaust them. All in all, do me a favor and please don¡¯t tell Wanqing for now."


    "Nanrong Hao should know about your condition, right?"


    "He only knows I¡¯m sick but doesn¡¯t know how serious it is. I deliberately hid it from him because I was afraid he¡¯d tell Wanqing." At this point, Nanrong Yong sighed and said, "Actually, I¡¯ve already made psychological preparations. Last year, when undergoing a check-up, the doctors basically gave me a death sentence. If I¡¯m lucky, I might live another two years. By the looks of it now, it doesn¡¯t seem like I¡¯llst two years. Ling Chen, if therees a day when I¡¯m gone, I hope you¡¯ll look after Wanqing and Nanrong Hao. Although Wanqing is quite independent, she¡¯s still a woman at the end of the day, and that punk Nanrong Hao hasn¡¯t matured and can¡¯t bear heavy responsibilities. So the Nanrong Family needs a man like you to help hold the fort."


    "Old master, Wanqing and Haozi are both my friends, if needed, I will definitely do everything I can to help. However, I think you shouldn¡¯t give up so soon, with today¡¯s advanced medical technology, there could still be a miracle."


    "A miracle?" Nanrong Yong smiled faintly, "If I were 30 to 40 years younger, perhaps I¡¯d believe in miracles. Ling Chen, I¡¯m in my seventies or eighties, well past the age of believing in miracles. At this age, one must learn to ept reality. Alright then! No need to persuade me, do me a favor, try to keep this from Wanqing, don¡¯t let her know."


    Ling Chen replied helplessly, "Old master, if Wanqing finds out, she might hate me."


    "Then just don¡¯t let her find out." Just then, two doctors entered, saying, "Sir, it¡¯s time for treatment."


    Ling Chen stood up and said, "Old master, I won¡¯t disturb you then, have a good rest, I¡¯lle visit you again in a few days."


    After leaving the Nanrong Family, Ling Chen looked up at the azure sky and sighed. Nanrong Yong¡¯s condition was very concerning, and if it doesn¡¯t improve, he might not have much longer to live. It seems he needs to speed things up. Thinking of this, Ling Chen took out his phone and dialed a number.

 Chapter 1175 - 1182: Crisis at the Group’s Branch (1)

    <h4>Chapter 1175: Chapter 1182: Crisis at the Group¡¯s Branch (1)</h4>


    "Chairman." Wang Lan walked into the office and ced a document on Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s desk, saying, "This is the material sent from Beijing, please have a look."


    Nanrong Wanqing was looking at theputer screen and replied, "Just leave it there, I¡¯ll look at itter."


    "Chairman, you¡¯d better take a look at this material first."


    "What¡¯s the matter?" Nanrong Wanqing looked up at Secretary Wang Lan and asked, "Is there something urgent?"


    "This is a report from the Beijing branch. Manager Cheng called me and hoped you would review the material first."


    Nanrong Wanqing was somewhat surprised, "Why couldn¡¯t he call me directly? Is there something he¡¯s afraid to tell me?" Despite saying this, Nanrong Wanqing still picked up the material and started reading it carefully.


    Before she had even finished browsing the contents, Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s face had already turned cold, like frost in the winter month.


    "No wonder he didn¡¯t dare to call me directly." Nanrong Wanqing tossed the material on the desk, and after pondering for a moment, she said, "Go get Nanrong Hao for me, I have something important to discuss with him."


    "Yes, Chairman, I¡¯ll notify the young master immediately."


    Within five minutes, Nanrong Hao was already in Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s office. As soon as he entered, he detected something was off; his elder sister¡¯s expression was icy, as if someone owed her billions. Having lived with Nanrong Wanqing for so many years, he knew her temperament well. Her behavior indicated she was genuinely angry.


    Afraid of provoking Nanrong Wanqing at this moment, Nanrong Hao cautiously smiled and asked, "Sister, did you need me for something?"


    Nanrong Wanqing pointed to the material on the desk and said expressionlessly, "Take a look at this material first; we can talk about the rest afterwards."


    After spending a few minutes reviewing the document, Nanrong Hao couldn¡¯t help but frown. Now he understood why his sister was angry; if it were him, he¡¯d probably fly into a rage immediately. It¡¯smendable that Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s self-restraint was good enough to suppress her anger without venting it.


    "Sister, those guys are real bastards; they¡¯re clearly out to get us!"


    "The Beijing branch is the first step in Hongyu Group¡¯s expansion. I¡¯ve spent years putting together a team to establish a strong foothold in Beijing. The manager in charge, Manager Cheng, has been with Hongyu Group for years and is very capable. Over the years, the development of the Beijing branch has been smooth, and we¡¯ve built excellent rtionships with majorpanies. But this attack on the Beijing branch is clearly deliberate, an attempt to suppress our Hongyu Group." At this point, Nanrong Wanqing paused and continued, "I need to go to Beijing personally to deal with this situation. Nanrong Hao, while I¡¯m away, I¡¯m leaving Hongyu Group in your hands, so take it seriously, do you understand?"


    "Sister, how about I go with you?" Nanrong Hao suggested. "After all, Beijing isn¡¯t our turf. I¡¯m worried you might be in danger going alone."


    "What¡¯s there to worry about? I don¡¯t believe those people have the guts. Alright! I¡¯ve already made my decision. I¡¯ll head over there by ne this afternoon. Wang Lan will assist you with Hongyu Group; she¡¯s my secretary and knows our business well."


    His sister had spoken, so Nanrong Hao didn¡¯t dare argue and justplied. He knew his sister had invested a lot of effort into the Beijing branch, and it was Hongyu Group¡¯s first step in outward expansion. As the saying goes, a ship sailing against the current must forge ahead or it will fall behind; business is the same. Especially for argepany like Hongyu Group, if they can¡¯t actively seek development and merely be content with the status quo, they will eventually fail. There are countless examples of this in the business world.


    Night fell.


    After a busy day, Ling Chen returned home to find that Zhu Xiaozhu and two other women were there, but Nanrong Wanqing was nowhere to be seen. He couldn¡¯t help but ask, "Where¡¯s Wanqing? Isn¡¯t she back yet?"


    "She¡¯s on a business trip to Beijing," Liu Xiyao said. "She¡¯ll probably be back in about a week." Then Liu Xiyao teased with a smile, "What, it¡¯s just been a day and you¡¯re lovesick already?"


    Ling Chen cleared his throat, "Sister Xiyao, I was just asking casually. Don¡¯t overthink it."


    "I¡¯m going back to Beijing tomorrow too," Zhu Xiaozhu chimed in. "My mom called and said my dad wasn¡¯t feeling well and asked me to go back and check on him."


    Upon hearing this, before Ling Chen could respond, Tang Shiyun¡¯s eyes lit up, and she took Zhu Xiaozhu¡¯s hand joyfully, "Sister Xiaozhu, you can go with me then."


    Ling Chen was startled for a moment and asked, "Are you going to Beijing too?"


    Tang Shiyun stuck out her tongue and nodded slightly, "There¡¯s an award ceremony in Beijing in a few days, and I¡¯ve been invited to be the opening guest, so I need to go early for rehearsals. Ling, you¡¯ll miss me after a few days of not seeing me, won¡¯t you?"


    "I already miss you," Ling Chen said, then looked at Liu Xiyao and asked, "You¡¯re not going to Beijing too, are you?"


    Liu Xiyao smiled, "I¡¯d love to, but I¡¯m worried about you. If we all leave, who will stay to apany you?"


    Even though Ling Chen knew Liu Xiyao was joking, he still felt a little embarrassed. He¡¯s noticed that these women, once together, like to have fun at his expense more and more.


    "You two be careful on your way. I¡¯ve got some things to do over the next few days, so I won¡¯t be able to see you off. Call me when you get back, and I¡¯ll pick you up at the airport."


    Just then, Yang Qingling called from downstairs, "Ling Chen, we have a guest!"


    "Coming!" Ling Chen replied, quickly making his way to the first-floor living room, where he saw Nanrong Hao sitting on the sofa, looking rather troubled.


    "Haozi, what brings you here today? Your sister went on a business trip to Beijing, and Hongyu Group is left for you to manage; you must be busy."


    "Chen, I¡¯m here about my sister," Nanrong Hao replied.


    Hearing this, Ling Chen asked confusedly, "What¡¯s wrong? Your sister didn¡¯t get into trouble, did she?"


    "Nothing has happened yet, but I still feel uneasy. This trip to Beijing is likely dangerous for my sister. Chen, you¡¯re the person we trust the most; you have to help me with this."


    "Don¡¯t worry, take your time to exin. Tell me, what exactly happened?"


    "Here¡¯s the situation..." Nanrong Hao then proceeded to exin the situation.


    After listening, Ling Chen finally understood the cause of the matter. It turned out that Hongyu Group¡¯s branch in Beijing had suffered severe losses due to a joint attack bypetitive rivals. That¡¯s why Nanrong Wanqing put aside her current tasks and rushed directly to Beijing to handle the situation there.

 Chapter 1176 - 1183: Crisis in the Group Branches (2)

    <h4>Chapter 1176: Chapter 1183: Crisis in the Group Branches (2)</h4>


    "Haozi, businesspetition is quite normal, what¡¯s there to worry about?" Ling Chen thought Nanrong Hao was making a fuss over nothing. Doing business is like this, there are ups and downs, wins and losses; no one can guarantee they¡¯ll always be sessful on this road.


    "Chen, I know all that, but the problem is this time all ourpetitors have joined forces, including some bigpanies that have nothing to do with us at Hongyu Group. They¡¯re not doing it to suppress us, but to destroy Hongyu Group. Chen, if it were fair businesspetition, we Hongyu Group fear no one; if we lose, so be it, it doesn¡¯t matter. But this time it¡¯s different, those people don¡¯t y by the rules; not only do they send people to make trouble at our branch offices, they intentionally injure our employees and forcefully threaten them. In just a week¡¯s time, nearly half of Beijing branch¡¯s employees have voluntarily resigned. At this rate, thatpany will sooner orter go bankrupt."


    "This sort of thing too?" Ling Chen was somewhat surprised.


    Nanrong Hao said frustratedly, "I also don¡¯t know exactly what¡¯s happening or why they¡¯re doing this. Including those obscure smallpanies, they¡¯ve alle out and want a piece of Hongyu Group. Chen, Sister doesn¡¯t have many connections in Beijing, only Captain Zhong and others to protect her, I¡¯m really worried something might happen to her."


    Ling Chen nodded. So manypanies suddenly turning hostile, all targeting Hongyu Group, must be due to Nanrong Yong. Nanrong Yong is critically ill, his life is at constant risk. Although Nanrong Yong has taken measures to conceal this matter, there are no walls that don¡¯t let wind through, and the rivals of the Nanrong Family must have heard something, which is why they choose to act at this time.


    Don¡¯t be fooled by Nanrong Wanqing being the chairman of Hongyu Group, constantly smooth-sailing, the main reason is still Nanrong Yong¡¯s presence. Nanrong Yong single-handedly built Hongyu Group; even in his old age, he possesses extraordinary influence in the business world.


    Therefore, as long as Nanrong Yong remains seated at the Nanrong Family, no one dares to covet Hongyu Group. Now, with Nanrong Yong gravely ill, it¡¯s inevitable that some with ulterior motives will be drawn.


    Although Hongyu Group is just a local enterprise, Ling Chen knows well that there is a fair amount of envy towards them. East Sea City is a well-known economically developed city internationally, among the vast Huaxia, aside from one Beijing, there¡¯s only East Sea City. Furthermore, East Sea City is a municipality with generous policies from the government. More importantly, East Sea City has many ports, each one is a goldmine.


    Of East Sea City¡¯s three ports, two are controlled by the government, the other by Hongyu Group; all export trade must pass through Hongyu Group.


    Thus, despite Hongyu Group being merely a local enterprise with business confined to East Sea City, its annual profit is rmingly high. In the domestic top 500, Hongyu Group has long ranked in the top ten spots. Precisely because Hongyu Group upies such a flourishing city, it attracts the envy of countless.


    Once the pir of Nanrong Yong copses, Hongyu Group will face a huge crisis.


    The marketce is like a battlefield, this saying rings true; no wonder Nanrong Hao is so concerned about Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s safety. "Haozi, our sphere of influence is in East Sea City; there¡¯s no manpower in Beijing to use. How about this, since you¡¯re worried about your sister¡¯s safety, why not dispatch a few people from East Sea City to protect her secretly, what do you think?"


    "That seems to be the only way. Chen, thank you!"


    "There¡¯s nothing to thank me for. Haozi, your grandfather¡¯s health is poor; from now on, you need to learn to take on the responsibility of the Nanrong Family."


    "I understand."


    While they talked, Ling Chen suddenly received an unknown phone call. After chatting for a few minutes, he hung up and asked, "Haozi, are you going hometer or heading to Hongyu Group?"


    "There¡¯s nothing much today, heading straight home."


    "Alright, I¡¯ll go with you, just right as I have matters to discuss with your grandfather."


    Over half an hourter, the two drove to the Nanrong Family. At this moment, there was a car parked outside the Nanrong Family. After saying a word to Nanrong Hao, Ling Chen walked alone to the car and gently knocked on the window.


    As the window rolled down, a middle-aged man poked his head out, looking at Ling Chen and asking, "Mr. Ling?"


    "It¡¯s me."


    Confirming Ling Chen¡¯s identity, the middle-aged man got out of the car with a metal briefcase, and they entered the Nanrong Family together. Soon, they arrived at Nanrong Yong¡¯s bedroom.


    Seeing the stranger beside Ling Chen, Nanrong Yong curiously asked, "Who is this?"


    "Sir." Ling Chen walked straight to the bedside and whispered a few words into Nanrong Yong¡¯s ear. It was unclear what he said, but Nanrong Yong nodded, looking at the middle-aged man and said, "Thank you."


    Thetter wordlessly moved to the bedside, put down the metal briefcase, and then took out a syringe and a few vials of unknown medication. After mixing the medication, the middle-aged man directly injected it into Nanrong Yong¡¯s arm.


    After the injection, Nanrong Yong became drowsy and soon fell into a deep sleep.


    "How long can the effect of this medicinest?" Ling Chen asked the middle-aged man.


    "It¡¯s uncertain; different people have different physical conditions, so the effects vary." As he spoke, the middle-aged man took out several more vials from the metal briefcase and handed them to Ling Chen, "These are for backup, you can use them once more. If he doesn¡¯t make it, inject him once again to extend his life for a while."


    "Can¡¯t it be continuously injected?"


    "No!" The middle-aged man said, "This medication is still in the experimental stage and has certain side effects; if used excessively, it will cause severe body function exhaustion, ultimately elerating death. Thus, this can only be used sparingly. If it were for young people, it could be used three to four times; for an elderly person like him, at most twice."


    "I see. Thank you!"


    "Mr. Ling, my task isplete; if there¡¯s nothing else, I¡¯ll take my leave."


    "Alright, I¡¯ll see you out."


    Throughout, the middle-aged man did not reveal his name. When Ling Chen learned of Nanrong Yong¡¯s condition, Ling Tao immediately came to mind. Through the study of that severed arm, Ling Tao and his team have made significant progress in the medical field. Previously, the God Organization researched those drugs, and Ling Tao is also researching them. So, Ling Chen contacted Ling Tao via porridge girl, hoping he could provide some help to alleviate Nanrong Yong¡¯s condition and let him live longer.


    After waiting for about three hours in the Nanrong Family, Nanrong Yong finally woke up.


    At this moment, a few doctors who had been waiting by immediately conducted a thorough examination of Nanrong Yong¡¯s body.

 Chapter 1177 - 1184: Clues on the Old Map

    <h4>Chapter 1177: Chapter 1184: Clues on the Old Map</h4>


    The test results are very optimistic; the illness has been contained, and Nanrong Yong¡¯s body has basically returned to normal. This result allowed Ling Chen and the others to breathe a sigh of relief.


    "Old man, how are you feeling?" Ling Chen asked with a smile.


    "I haven¡¯t felt thisfortable in a long time." Nanrong Yong stretchedzily and, with Ling Chen¡¯s help, took a couple of steps. On the balcony, Nanrong Yong looked at the clear sky and slowly exhaled a breath.


    "Ling Chen, thank you, you saved me once again." Nanrong Yong was a sensible person, knowing that his illness had stumped even the doctors and professors, yet that mysterious middle-aged man had merely injected him with a mysterious drug, and his body had immediately recovered to its original state, proving the extraordinary nature of the drug. Without Ling Chen¡¯s help, it would have been impossible for him to receive such advanced medication.


    Ling Chen smiled faintly: "Old man, don¡¯t mention it. I¡¯m a friend of the Nanrong Family; this is what I should do, you don¡¯t have to stand on ceremony."


    After speaking, Ling Chen changed the topic and said, "Old man, recently, Hongyu Group has encountered some trouble."


    "I know." Nanrong Yong said calmly, "These were all within my expectations. The assets and interests of Hongyu Group are tempting, and if anything were to happen to me, those bastards would certainly not pass up such a good opportunity. Unfortunately for them, no matter how much they nned, they still came up short, not expecting me to live this long. Just in time, we can use this opportunity to lure out those with ulterior motives and eradicate them all at once so that Hongyu Group can have peace of mind."


    "Old man, what are you nning to do?"


    "Are you asking what I¡¯m nning?" Nanrong Yongughed and said, "What I need to do is lie in bed and rest well, and let Wanqing handle the other matters."


    "Wanqing?" Ling Chen was slightly taken aback and asked in surprise, "Do you intend to let Wanqing handle the crisis alone?"


    Nanrong Yong nodded and said, "That¡¯s right. I will give some assistance in secret, but she will have to principally rely on herself. Ling Chen, don¡¯t underestimate Wanqing, she is someone I have personally cultivated, and I¡¯m very aware of her capabilities. Besides, this crisis is also a kind of training for her."


    After Nanrong Yong¡¯s condition stabilized, Ling Chen intended to stay a while longer to chat with him, but a phone call from Hu Fei made him rush to the base. Walking into the control center, Ling Chen couldn¡¯t wait to ask, "Fatty, have you found the location of the tomb?"


    Hu Fei nodded and said, "I have investigated the map of East Sea City entirely, but no matching location was found."


    On hearing this, Ling Chen asked curiously, "Could it be that Ling Gengqiu¡¯s tomb isn¡¯t in East Sea City?"


    "No." Hu Fei smiled smugly and said, "If it were someone else, it would probably be difficult to find the whereabouts of the tomb. You should thank God for having someone as smart as me to help you." Saying this, Hu Fei disyed a map on therge screen and exined, "This is thetest map of East Sea City, but we¡¯ve been on the wrong track. The roads drawn by Guo Qiang are hundreds of years old, and in these hundreds of years, East Sea City has undergone tremendous changes; most of the old roads have been changed. So, we¡¯ve wasted so much time and haven¡¯t found any clues at all."


    "I spent a day and found several old maps in the database. Afterparing and confirming repeatedly, I finally found some clues." As Hu Fei spoke, he pressed a few keys on theputer, and three area maps were disyed on the big screen immediately.


    "Look, these three regional maps were found from old maps, and their roadyouts are very simr to the pattern."


    Ling Chen examined them closely and asked, "Is there any ce that¡¯s a hundred percent match?"


    "No, the simrity of these three regional maps is around ny percent," Hu Fei said, "After all, they are roads from hundreds of years ago, many roads have been altered and are untraceable, so we can only investigate these three ces one by one."


    "That¡¯s not difficult." Ling Chen said.


    "If you think like that, then you¡¯re gravely mistaken." Hu Fei said with a wry smile, "These three ces are all in the city center of East Sea City; one is the city government, one is a private office building, and the other is the National Security branch. Aside from the office building which is easier to check, the other two ces are more troublesome; if you rm the local government, it could reveal the tomb¡¯s location."


    Ling Chen nodded silently; what Hu Fei said made sense; all of these considerations had to be taken into ount. After thinking for a moment, Ling Chen walked to therge screen, pointing out the three locations separately, and said, "Ling Gengqiu¡¯s tomb must be constructed underground; regardless of whether it¡¯s the city government or the office building, when they were being constructed, it was necessary to dig a foundation. Especially for an office building, the taller the building, the deeper the foundation; when they dug the foundation and didn¡¯t find the tomb, this indicates the tomb¡¯s position is very deep. We can dig a tunnel from these three ces directly to the bottom. This way, we won¡¯t disturb those above and can achieve our goal. What do you think?"


    "Yes, that¡¯s what I was thinking too. Without idents, it can be done in about three days."


    "As soon as possible, and by that time, you, I, and Boss Tang will each be responsible for one ce."


    "Alright, I¡¯ll arrange the manpower now, striving to start construction today."


    Night fell.


    Ling Chen led a team to a shopfront about fifty meters away from the city government. This shopfront was newly rented for a high price by them; to cover their actions and facilitate operations, a safe environment was necessary, and this ce was undoubtedly the best choice.


    The number of people Ling Chen brought wasn¡¯trge, only about twenty people. Having too many people would attract attention, so maintaining a low profile was preferable. Afterpleting the preparations, Ling Chen took off his jacket and directly started working with the team.


    In less than two hours, they had dug a pit over two meters deep,rge enough to amodate four people at the same time. Since the area of the shopfront wasn¡¯t veryrge, machines couldn¡¯t be brought in, so manual excavation was necessary.


    They worked continuously for five hours, and Ling Chen finally couldn¡¯t hold on, dragging his weary body out of the pit to rest for a while.


    Just like that, an entire night passed. With the efforts of more than twenty people working through the night, the pit¡¯s depth had reached sixteen meters. Since it needed to reach the bottom of the city government, the pit was dug at an angle downward, facilitating both digging and movement.


    After working tirelessly for a whole night, by the next morning, Kaelina brought another team to take over. ording to Ling Chen¡¯s n, a passage must be dug within three days. To meet the deadline, they had to work extra hours, with two teams rotating shifts.


    Returning to the base, Ling Chen didn¡¯t stop to rest but first met with Hu Fei and Tang Guolun to discuss their progress. Tang Guolun, given the best location for excavation, had the fastest progress and had alreadypleted one-third of the task, Hu Fei and Ling Chen were about the same.

 Chapter 1178 - 1185: Nighttime Killing Intent (Part 1)

    <h4>Chapter 1178: Chapter 1185: Nighttime Killing Intent (Part 1)</h4>


    When Ling Chen returned home, he went straight to his room, fell asleep without even taking a shower, and slept until dusk.


    At that moment, Ling Chen, drowsy with sleep, was awakened by the sound of his phone ringing. He picked up the phone, nced at the number disyed, and answered the call with a yawn, asking, "Fatty, what do you want?"


    "You¡¯re still sleeping?" Hu Fei hurriedly said upon hearing Ling Chen¡¯s yawn, "Stop sleeping, something happened in the area you¡¯re responsible for."


    "Something happened?" Ling Chen was slightly startled and instantly became awake, asking, "Fatty, exin clearly, what exactly is going on?"


    "Two hours ago, someone attacked the storefront next to the city government, over twenty people were injured, and Kaelina has disappeared. Her whereabouts are currently unknown. The brother who just went over to deliver food discovered something was wrong and immediately called me."


    "Kaelina disappeared?" Ling Chen¡¯s expression slightly changed as he quickly sat up from the bed and said in a deep voice, "Wait for me there, I¡¯ming over right away."


    After hanging up the phone, Ling Chen, hungry all day, didn¡¯t even bother with dinner and drove directly to the city government.


    By the time Ling Chen arrived, Hu Fei and Tang Guolun were already there, a group of people was helping the injured brothers into cars to send to the hospital for treatment. "Fatty, Boss Tang." Ling Chen swiftly walked over and asked, "What¡¯s the situation?"


    "Fortunately, no one was killed, just seriously injured." Tang Guolun said, handing several items to Ling Chen, "These are things we found at the scene. Take a look and see if you recognize them."


    Ling Chen examined the items in his hand, a hint of surprise appearing in his eyes. These things... are not only sharp but also very small, simr to darts used by ancient experts, but the material of these darts is very special, hard in texture, lightweight, and bnced for use. Besides, the end of the dart has a double dragon emblem.


    "I¡¯ve never seen this kind of thing before," Ling Chen said.


    "We found many at the scene, nearly everyone was injured by these things," Hu Fei spoke, "Moreover, I think the assants deliberately avoided taking their lives. I¡¯ve checked their wounds, everyone narrowly avoided the fatal parts, being able to do this definitely requires expertise. You¡¯ve had more encounters in this area, can you find any clues?"


    "I¡¯ll do my best to try." After pausing, Ling Chen asked, "What about the tunnel? Was it damaged?"


    Tang Guolun sighed and said, "The tunnel was destroyed, it needs to be re-dug. I¡¯m contemting what kind of person would do this?"


    Faced with Tang Guolun¡¯s doubt, the first thing Ling Chen thought of was the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion. However, the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion seems to have no such motive. What Ling Chen wants to find out most now is whether the opposite side deliberately destroyed the tunnel or if it was unintentional.


    If it were thetter, Ling Chen wouldn¡¯t have to worry. But if it¡¯s the former, then it¡¯s a big problem, indicating that they clearly know the purpose of digging the tunnel.


    Could it be... besides himself, someone else knows Ling Gengqiu¡¯s secret?


    Thinking of this, Ling Chen couldn¡¯t help but feel worried. After pondering for a moment, Ling Chen walked aside, took out his phone, and dialed a number. A few minutester, Ling Chen returned to Hu Fei and Tang Guolun, saying, "Fatty, stop the progress on your and Boss Tang¡¯s sides, send everyone over here, also get Beison¡¯s team, let them be responsible for safety in this area."


    Upon hearing this, Hu Fei couldn¡¯t help but ask, "You don¡¯t think Ling Gengqiu¡¯s tomb is right here, do you?"


    Ling Chen nodded and said, "I think there¡¯s a ny percent chance. I just called Mr. Guo; he hasn¡¯t revealed a bit about Ling Gengqiu to outsiders. Think about it, we have three ces digging tunnels, the other side didn¡¯t go to you, but came here instead, and destroyed the already dug tunnel, what does this indicate? It indicates that the other side likely knows about the tomb."


    "So, they¡¯re trying to stop us from finding the tomb?"


    "Very possible. But, what really perplexes me is who they are. Since they already knew Ling Gengqiu¡¯s secret, why didn¡¯t they dig the tomb? Moreover, their approach seems more like protecting Ling Gengqiu¡¯s tomb, what do you think?"


    Tang Guolun thought for a moment, then said, "Regardless of their purpose, what we should do now is find Kaelina."


    "Of course we have to find Kaelina, but we shouldn¡¯t worry about her safety," Ling Chen chimed in, "The assants only injured people, no killings, indicating they have no intention to kill. So, they likely won¡¯t harm Kaelina."


    Just as he spoke, Ling Chen¡¯s phone rang. Seeing the caller, Ling Chen promptly answered, asking, "Where are you? ...Okay, I know." Hanging up the phone, Ling Chen looked at Tang Guolun and said, "Seems my guess was right, they don¡¯t intend to trouble Kaelina."


    Hu Fei immediately understood and asked, "Was it Kaelina¡¯s call?"


    "Correct, she¡¯s back at the base now. Let¡¯s go, let¡¯s return and take a look."


    Returning to the base, Ling Chen and the others saw Kaelina appear unharmed and couldn¡¯t help but breathe a sigh of relief.


    "Miss Kaelina, did the person who caught you harm you?"


    "No," Kaelina replied, looking at Ling Chen, "Can we chat alone?"


    "No problem."


    Once in the meeting room, Ling Chen asked, "What do you want to say?"


    "The person who caught me was a woman. She asked me to pass a message to you, not to touch things you shouldn¡¯t. This is only a warning, if there¡¯s a next time, she won¡¯t let you off easily."


    "A woman?" Ling Chen¡¯s brows furrowed slightly. From Kaelina¡¯s words, it¡¯s certain that the other side knows about the tomb¡¯s existence. Moreover, they yed a protective role. Who could these people be? Ling Gengqiu has been dead for hundreds of years; who would still guard his tomb? Could it be descendants of Ling Gengqiu? Ling Chen remembered Ling Tao mentioning that Ling Gengqiu¡¯s descendants are numerous and scattered worldwide. It¡¯s possible Ling Gengqiu secretly cultivated a lineage during his lifetime to protect his tomb.


    However, if Ling Gengqiu had arranged this beforehand, then why ask Guo Qiang for help? Isn¡¯t this redundant?


    Thinking about these, Ling Chen felt increasingly puzzled, baffled. "Kaelina, did she mention her identity?"


    "No. She kept her face covered the entire time, but judging from her voice, she didn¡¯t seem very old, at most around twenty."


    "Alright, I understand." Ling Chen nodded, already having a notion. Regardless, he must uncover the woman¡¯s identity. There¡¯s certainly a reason behind the protection of Ling Gengqiu¡¯s tomb for hundreds of years.

 Chapter 1179 - 1186: Killing Intent in the Dark Night (2)

    <h4>Chapter 1179: Chapter 1186: Killing Intent in the Dark Night (2)</h4>


    Two days passed in the blink of an eye.


    Since the assault that day, Ling Chen had strengthened the security forces around the tunnel, with Beison¡¯s team monitoring 24/7. Furthermore, Ling Chen had moved directly into the shopfront to prevent that woman fromunching another sneak attack.


    During these two days, Ling Chen sped up the excavation progress, reaching over forty meters deep. If all went smoothly, they¡¯d likely discover Ling Gengqiu¡¯s tomb in about a day. On this day, Ling Chen stood outside the tunnel, supervising his subordinates¡¯ work. Watching bucketfuls of soil being hauled up, Ling Chen felt an excitement he couldn¡¯t suppress.


    Knock! Knock! Knock!


    At this moment, a sudden knocking sounded from outside. Ling Chen turned to look at the rolling shutter door, sensing something was amiss. They had agreed beforehand that if there were knocks of three longs and three shorts, it meant their own people had arrived.


    "Beison, who¡¯s out there?"


    Soon, Beison approached with a handheld monitor. Seeing the situation on screen, Ling Chen silently cursed! Outside the door was Xia Mutong, and besides her, there were more than ten police officers.


    How did she end up here? Ling Chen was a bit surprised; he hadn¡¯t contacted Xia Mutong for a long time, she couldn¡¯t possibly know where he was. Moreover, Xia Mutong seemed to be on a mission to catch a thief.


    Knock! Knock! Knock! Knock! Knock! Knock!


    The knocking outside grew louder, and simultaneously, Xia Mutong¡¯s voice came from outside: "Police, open the door!"


    "Mr. Ling, what should we do?" Beison asked, "Should we..."


    Before Beison could finish, Ling Chen waved his hand and said, "Don¡¯t worry about it, I¡¯ll handle the police outside. You continue with the n." After saying this, Ling Chen walked to the door and had someone lift the rolling shutter door. As the door rose to knee height, Ling Chen bent down and slipped outside, quickly lowering the door to block the police outside.


    At this moment, seeing Ling Chen emerge from inside, Xia Mutong looked very surprised, "What are you doing here?"


    Ling Chen asked with a bitter smile, "Officer Xia, I should be asking you how you knew my whereabouts. Also..." Ling Chen pointed to the policemen behind Xia Mutong and asked, confused, "What are you doing? Arresting criminals?"


    "We received a report saying that here..." Before she finished, Xia Mutong suddenly realized something and looked at Ling Chen warily, asking, "Don¡¯t ask what I¡¯m here for. Instead, let me ask you, what are you doing here, and why won¡¯t you let us in?"


    "Officer Xia, I just rented this ce. Why can¡¯t I be here? Besides, we¡¯re not doing anything illegal, and if people see such a bigmotion, it¡¯ll create a very bad impression. How will I run my business afterwards?"


    "Is it really like that?" Xia Mutong looked at Ling Chen half-believing, saying, "If that¡¯s the case, why don¡¯t you take me in for a look? If it¡¯s truly as you say, I¡¯ll immediately withdraw, won¡¯t make things difficult for you."


    Ling Chen hesitated for a moment and then nodded, "Alright, youe in with me, others stay outside, lest they scare my brothers." After speaking, Ling Chen lightly knocked on the door. Soon, the rolling shutter door lifted, and Beison, d in work clothes, walked out from inside.


    "Boss, what¡¯s up?"


    "It¡¯s nothing, Officer Xia suspects we¡¯re engaging in illegal activities, so I¡¯m taking her in for a look."


    After entering the shopfront, Xia Mutong saw over ten youths in work attire, painting walls, others dismantling dpidated cabs, with wood nks, dust, and dirt all over the ground.


    Ling Chen walked beside Xia Mutong, smiling, "Officer Xia, as you can see, we¡¯re renovating."


    "Then why did I receive a report saying illegal activities are happening here?"


    Ling Chen shrugged, helplessly saying, "You know my background, it¡¯s definitely someone trying to displease me, targeting me deliberately. Hey! Did the person who reported say who they are?"


    "No."


    "There you go. They¡¯re guilty, afraid you¡¯ll pursue them, so they didn¡¯t leave a name. Officer Xia, it¡¯s rare for us to meet, why don¡¯t we go to the tea shop across the street?"


    Xia Mutong red at Ling Chen, speaking with exasperation, "Do you think I¡¯m like you? I¡¯m currently at work, don¡¯t have time to apany you. Alright, since there¡¯s no issue here, I won¡¯t disturb your work."


    Watching Xia Mutong turn to leave, Ling Chen secretly breathed a sigh of relief and hurriedly called for the rolling shutter door to be lowered. Meanwhile, several youths cleared away the wooden boards on the ground, revealing a two-meter wide tunnel. Inside the tunnel, at least forty people were hidden. Fortunately, Ling Chen was prepared, avoiding exposure to Xia Mutong. Otherwise, he¡¯d have to waste breath exining again.


    Regarding Xia Mutong¡¯s arrival, Ling Chen didn¡¯t feel much, instead, he felt a small anticipation. Xia Mutong¡¯s sudden visit indicated that the assault¡¯s culprit had acted. Well, he had waited so long, they finally showed up!


    As night fell, dozens of workers continued their excavation. Ling Chen nced at the time and said, "Beison, keep watch for me. I¡¯m going out for a midnight snack, will be back soon."


    "No problem, boss."


    Leaving the shopfront, it was alreadyte night, the wide streets were deste, not a person in sight, asionally a taxi sped by.


    Ling Chen walked along the road to another street, seeing several barbecue stalls set up by the roadside, business was not booming, only two or three customers. Ling Chen walked up, ordered two handfuls of skewers, plus a bottle of beer, enjoying his drink.


    Apparently very hungry, soon, Ling Chen finished the skewers, wiped his mouth in satisfaction. After paying, Ling Chen bought more food, preparing to reward his brothers back home. It had been exhausting days of excavation, as the boss, he had to show some gratitude.


    Returning, it was past midnight, all the street lights by the roadside extinguished, roads were pitch ck, not even a hand could be seen.


    Suddenly, a fierce gust of wind came, swiftly reaching Ling Chen¡¯s proximity. The adversary was exceedingly fast; in a sh, Ling Chen sensed danger approaching. Without thinking, Ling Chen pivoted swiftly, quickly retreating, a cold glint brushed past, just grazing his neck.


    What a close call! Ling Chen was startled, didn¡¯t expect the opponent to be so skillful.


    When Ling Chen readied his defenses, prepared for another bout, the assant vanished, disappeared into the surrounding darkness. Ling Chen looked around, ears perked, carefully listening to the surroundings. Yet, while he heard the sound of leaves falling, he couldn¡¯t hear the attacker¡¯s footsteps.


    Impossible... no one can hide so well, unless they are a Heavenly List master. Clearly, the one who ambushed him was no Heavenly List master. Otherwise, nine lives wouldn¡¯t be enough for him.

 Chapter 1180 - 1187: Deadly Intent in the Dark Night (Part 3)

    <h4>Chapter 1180: Chapter 1187: Deadly Intent in the Dark Night (Part 3)</h4>


    In a sh of thought, Ling Chen reached into his pocket and pulled out a lighter. As the me flickered, aided by the faint light, Ling Chen could barely make out his surroundings within a meter or so. But at that moment, a whooshing sound came. Before Ling Chen could identify its origin, there was a sharp crack and the lighter in his hand was struck by something hard, falling directly to the ground.


    Not a bad aim! Ling Chen squinted slightly, growing more alert in his heart.


    Whoosh! Whoosh!


    Suddenly, two more cutting sounds sliced through the air. This time, Ling Chen acted without dy, swiftly changing position to evade the ambush.


    "Friend, since you¡¯re here, why note out and meet? Or is it because you¡¯re too ugly and dare not show your face?" Ling Chen asked. Although unaware of the opponent¡¯s identity, Ling Chen could sense the adversary¡¯s strong prowess.


    In this pitch-ck environment, where even he could not detect the opponent¡¯s location, this person could urately pinpoint his position. That alone was sufficient proof of their skill.


    Whoosh!


    A whizzing sound resonated as Ling Chen prepared to dodge. But then, a subtle footstep came from behind him.


    Finally here!


    Confirming the opponent¡¯s position, Ling Chen¡¯s lips curled up, immediately turning and throwing a punch towards the opponent. As the steel fist shot out, Ling Chen felt a rush of joy. He had hit something... Wait, no! Ling Chen¡¯s expression changed as he stretched his right hand forward, feeling something soft. Was it... clothes? Ling Chen was startled; he had heard of such a technique before¡ªGolden Cicada¡ªa very ingenious escape tactic.


    Although he had only ever heard about it, never seen it before, he now got to witness it firsthand.


    Just as Ling Chen was marveling at the other party¡¯s technique, a strong sense of danger suddenly erupted from within him.


    Damn!


    Ling Chen narrowed his eyes and took a sharp step back. Unfortunately, his movement was a fraction too slow, as a fierce gust of air closed in quickly. Fortunately, although slightlyte, Ling Chen managed to narrowly avoid a critical hit. Feeling the coolness on his chest, Ling Chen touched it and found a long tear in his shirt.


    If he¡¯d been a tad slower, he might¡¯ve been gutted.


    Who on earth is this? Ling Chen pondered with furrowed brows. He¡¯s not afraid of experts but does fear tenacious opponents like this. This person strikes and immediately retreats, disappearing into the darkness without a trace, leaving no tracks to follow.


    This person isn¡¯t an expert but an assassin. Experts strike directly, engaging head-to-head, defeating opponents with sheer strength. But assassins won¡¯t do that; their aim is clear: kill the target by any means, including utilizing the environment. Only truly skilled assassins know how to make use of their surroundings. Just like this opponent, lurking in the darkness, waiting for a chance to strike fatally.


    This person indeed is formidable, but... Ling Chen smirked to himself; what assassins need most is patience, and he... has it in abundance. Formerly when carrying out missions for the Phantoms, to assassinate a target, he could lie in wait motionless for two days and nights, without food, no bathroom breaks, not even blinking. If he were an assassin, he would surely rank among the world¡¯s top-tier, making the first and second on the assassin list step aside.


    At that time, the assassin also realized Ling Chen was tough to deal with, so they didn¡¯t dare continue their assault.


    As time ticked by, Ling Chen and the assassin remained silent, neither making a move, both waiting for the other to show a w.


    During this time, several taxis sped past Ling Chen. Seeing him standing in the middle of the road, the taxi drivers mistook him for someone hailing a cab, several stopped, asking where he was headed.


    However, Ling Chen ignored them. He didn¡¯t want to expose a weakness and give the assassin an opportunity. Moreover, he didn¡¯t want to flee. Having finally drawn the opponent out, he needed to understand the situation.


    In the blink of an eye, over two hours passed.


    Neither Ling Chen nor the assassin had moved, both waiting for the other to make the first move. Bored, Ling Chen spoke, "Friend, was it you who ambushed Kaelina and the othersst time? Kaelina said you¡¯re a woman? I can¡¯t understand why you women choose to be assassins, is it fun? I say, you should find a boyfriend and enjoy the joys of being a woman."


    Seeing no response from the other side, Ling Chen wasn¡¯t surprised, continuing, "If you don¡¯t have anyone suitable, I can help find a few prospects. I have several friends who are quite excellent in every way, not too old, just right for you. However, they have high standards; their partner has to be good-looking. I wonder if you meet their criteria. How about youe out and let me have a look?"


    "Ah, never mind, beautiful women wouldn¡¯t be assassins, only masculine tomboy types would do this sort of thing. But being ugly isn¡¯t a problem, today¡¯s medicine is so advanced, many hospitals offer stic surgery. I think you should give it a try. Once you¡¯re pretty, you¡¯ll have plenty of men chasing you. Then you¡¯ll find that making life is more enjoyable than taking it. If you don¡¯t believe me, I can let you experience it for free. How about it, interested?"


    "Shameless! Vulgar!" Finally, a cold shout came from the darkness.


    Ling Chen looked toward the direction of the sound but didn¡¯tunch a direct attack. He knew, after making a sound, the opponent would surely change positions. To rush in now would be to fall into their ambush. Though he¡¯d wasted much breath, it wasn¡¯t entirely fruitless; at least he¡¯d confirmed the opponent¡¯s identity.


    Moreover, Kaelina was right; from the sound of that woman¡¯s voice, she didn¡¯t seem very old.


    In thought, Ling Chen chuckled, saying, "Isn¡¯t that how men act in front of women? Once you get a boyfriend, you¡¯ll understand."


    Regrettably, the opponent didn¡¯t continue the conversation. Ling Chen spoke for a few more minutes, seeing the other side gave no reaction, he simply closed his mouth, and they both fell back into silence.


    Perhaps from standing too long and saying so much, Ling Chen found himself hungry again. Fortunately, he still had some previously purchased barbecue on hand. Though cold, it¡¯s better than nothing. Now, Ling Chen opened a bottle of beer, munching on barbecue skewers while staying alert to his surroundings.


    "Hey, are you hungry? Want to sit down together and have a bite?" Ling Chen started baiting again.


    Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!


    At that moment, several whooshing sounds targeted Ling Chen¡¯s vitals. Already prepared, Ling Chen grinned slightly, immediately dodging. Simultaneously, his wrist flicked, and over ten sharp skewers shot out, aimed at the direction from which the projectile hade.


    While eating the barbecue earlier, Ling Chen had secretly kept the skewers. Their tips were sharp enough to serve as projectiles.

 Chapter 1181 - 1188: Zhu Qing (1)

    <h4>Chapter 1181: Chapter 1188: Zhu Qing (1)</h4>


    The assassin hidden in the shadows did not expect Ling Chen to have such a move. As the wooden skewer shot out, Ling Chen immediately heard a muffled groan.


    Hit! Ling Chen¡¯s eyes brightened, and without a word, he immediately sped up, rushing toward the direction the sound came from. Quickly, a dark shadow shed before Ling Chen¡¯s eyes. Trying to escape? Ling Chen sneered, and instantly executed the Nine Yang Qiankun Step. In an instant, his speed reached its peak, transforming into a residual shadow, chasing after that dark figure.


    At this moment, the shadow seemed to sense the danger getting closer and suddenly turned around, flicking their wrist slightly, sending several cold glints cutting through the air. However, those cold glints all merged into the darkness, missing their target. Just then, a gust of wind blew, forcing its way close to the shadow.


    Bam!


    Before Ling Chen could make a move to subdue the opponent, an explosion suddenly sounded at his feet. Then, thick smoke spread out, concealing the shadow. Seeing this, Ling Chen didn¡¯t hesitate and quickly reached into the smoke. But the assassin had already vanished, leaving nothing in the smoke. Damn! Ling Chen couldn¡¯t help but curse under his breath. Such a good opportunity, and the opponent managed to escape.


    However, the technique used by this assassin gave Ling Chen a sense of d¨¦j¨¤ vu. Some time ago, while dining in a restaurant with Nanrong Wanqing and the three other women, they had encountered assassins. At that time, those assassins also used this method to escape.


    Could there be some connection between the two? Thinking about it, Ling Chen¡¯s attention was suddenly caught by something. At his feet, there were a few drops of fresh blood. And a meter away, there were also a few drops of blood. Looking in that direction, not far away, there was a small alley. The assassin had been hit by the sharp wooden skewer and certainly didn¡¯t expect to leave traces.


    Without much thought, Ling Chen silently heightened his vignce and walked quietly towards the alley. The width of the alley could only amodate three people walking side by side. In the center of the alley, there was a trash can, surrounded by a lot of clutter.


    After a careful nce, Ling Chen immediately locked his target onto the trash can. As he walked over, Ling Chen found a few more drops of blood. As the trash can got closer, Ling Chen¡¯s pace gradually slowed down. With about three meters left to the trash can, Ling Chen suddenly stopped, took out his phone from his pocket, and turned on the light. Instantly, the entire alley was filled with a faint light.


    At this moment, behind the trash can, an assassin dressed entirely in ck was curled up in the corner, pressing the right hand tightly against the left arm. However, blood was still gushing from the sleeve, dripping onto the ground. Don¡¯t underestimate the attack of those wooden skewers, for Ling Chen, being a master on the Earthly List, possessed powerful Inner Strength. Those wooden skewers, enhanced by Inner Strength, had lethality no different from bullets, directly piercing through the assassin¡¯s left arm.


    Looking at the light emitted from across the trash can, the assassin gritted her teeth and took out two sharp daggers and a small iron ball from her waist.


    Taking a deep breath, the assassin, with her back against the wall, suddenly sprang into action, throwing the iron ball down to the ground with a "bang" sound. For a moment, smoke spread, and the light became blurry. Taking advantage of this opportunity, the assassin moved forward, brandishing the two daggers in her hands, stabbing toward where the light was.


    However, just as she made a move, the assassin immediately sensed that something was wrong. In the smoke, aside from her, Ling Chen was nowhere to be found.


    Where is he?


    "Hey! Miss, are you looking for me?" At this time, an annoying voice came from behind.


    Before the assassin could react, Ling Chen instantly pressed to her back, gently tapping his forefinger. Instantly, the assassin felt her whole body go soft, as if all her strength had drained away, copsing directly to the ground.


    Seeing Ling Chen¡¯s smug look, the assassin coldly shouted, "You despicable!"


    Ling Chen shrugged, smiling, and said, "How am I despicable? All is fair in war, I¡¯m just smarter than you." With that, Ling Chen picked up his phone, casting all the light onto her body.


    The assassin before him had a petite figure, dressed in ck, wearing a face mask, leaving only a pair of bright, beautiful eyes exposed. At this moment, those beautiful eyes were full of hatred. Ling Chen directly ignored the look in her eyes, squatted down, and said, "Miss, of all the people you could trouble, you chose me. I¡¯m not the kind to pity the fairer sex. Come, let me see what you really look like."


    With those words, Ling Chen reached out, grabbed her mask, and despite her protests, pulled it off.


    Instantly, Ling Chen¡¯s gaze froze, staring nkly at that exquisite face. So beautiful! He had thought this woman would be average-looking, but it turned out she was not only a beauty but an extraordinary one. With fair skin, faint willow-like eyebrows, a slightly uptilted delicate nose, and thin lips like tempting cherries, making one want to take a bite.


    Faced with Ling Chen¡¯s disyed amazement, the woman bit her thin lips lightly, eyes brimming with anger and embarrassment. If her body were not unresponsive, she really wanted to take a bite back.


    "Tsk, tsk!" After a while, Ling Chen finally snapped back to reality, grinning and saying, "Miss, you¡¯re so pretty. Why be an assassin? What a waste of resources."


    "It¡¯s none of your business." The woman gritted her teeth in hatred and shouted coldly, "Ling, if you¡¯re going to kill me, just do it. Stop wasting time with your nonsense."


    "No rush, I can hardly bring myself to hurt such a prettydy. But there are a few questions I must rify. Who are you? What organization do you serve? Why did you ambush me?"


    "Noment." The woman coldly spat out a few words.


    Hearing this, Ling Chen wasn¡¯t angry. He smiled and said, "It¡¯s alright; you¡¯ll tell me eventually." With that, ignoring the woman¡¯s struggle and resistance, Ling Chen picked her up directly, hoisting her onto his shoulder, takingrge strides out of the alley.


    "You... let me go..." The woman was anxious, her hands weakly patting Ling Chen¡¯s back, trying to break free from his grasp. Ever since she was little, she had never had physical contact with the opposite sex. Ling Chen¡¯s action was undoubtedly a form of vition for her.


    p!


    Ling Chen mercilessly pped her,nding on her perky behind.


    "Behave, you¡¯re my prisoner now, you have no right to make demands."


    "You... you bastard!" Feeling the heat from her buttocks, the woman was filled with humiliation and anger, her skin tinged with a faint rosy color. Her entire body was burning, wishing she could find a hole to crawl into.


    Bastard! Shameless bastard! Dirty rogue! The woman used all the curse words she could think of on Ling Chen. Growing up, no other man had dared to treat her this way. Ling Chen was the first!

 Chapter 1182 - 1189: Zhu Qing (Part 2)

    <h4>Chapter 1182: Chapter 1189: Zhu Qing (Part 2)</h4>


    It wasn¡¯t long before Ling Chen returned to the base with the assassin. It was alreadyte at night, and except for the security personnel on duty, everyone else was resting. Ling Chen didn¡¯t wake Hu Fei and the others but instead took the assassin directly to his bedroom.


    "What do you want?" The assassin asked warily, watching Ling Chen with a cold voice. The fact that he didn¡¯t lock her in a cell but instead brought her to his room made her uneasy. It waste at night, and she was on his turf. If Ling Chen forcibly did something to her... The thought made her even more anxious.


    Ling Chen nced at the assassin and saw her vignt eyes, clearly understanding her thoughts.


    "Don¡¯t worry." Ling Chen slightly raised the corners of his mouth and said with a smile, "I¡¯m not interested in you, so you don¡¯t have to be afraid of me."


    Not interested? Hearing this made her feel even more ufortable. Why? She had the looks and the figure, and in her family, she was considered a top beauty, with countless men pursuing her. Hmph! Why was he not interested in her?


    Sensing the anger in her eyes, Ling Chen found it odd. He had already said he wasn¡¯t interested, so why was she angry?


    Forget it! Ling Chen couldn¡¯t be bothered to guess her thoughts. He rummaged through the drawer to find a few items, then turned back to her, and said, "Take off your clothes."


    Take... take off her clothes? If it weren¡¯t for Ling Chen being beside her, she would¡¯ve thought she heard wrong.


    Seeing her sitting there motionless, Ling Chen couldn¡¯t help but urge, "What are you still standing around for? Hurry up and take off your clothes."


    "You... you bastard, you pervert, Ling, I... I would rather die than let you seed." The woman said indignantly.


    Ling Chen was slightly taken aback, then realized the misunderstanding in his words, and with a wry smile, said, "Aren¡¯t you overthinking this? I never meant to bully you; I just noticed your arm is injured and wanted to help treat it. Well! Since you don¡¯t want me to touch you, you can handle it yourself." With that, Ling Chen ced the disinfectant alcohol and bandage in front of her and retreated to sit on the bed.


    Seeing the bandage and disinfectant, the woman realized she had misunderstood Ling Chen, blushing slightly and lowering her head in embarrassment.


    While she treated her wound, Ling Chen asked, "What¡¯s your name?"


    "Zhu Qing."


    "Zhu Qing..." Ling Chen nodded, smiled, and said, "Nice name."


    "You... you..." Zhu Qing hesitated for a moment, unable to help but ask, "Why are you doing this? I¡¯m your enemy, you..."


    Before Zhu Qing could finish, Ling Chen slightly smiled and responded, "You might be mistaken; in my eyes, you¡¯re not an enemy. Although you¡¯ve injured many of my men, I know you only meant to stop them without intending to kill. However, misunderstanding aside, I want to understand why you¡¯re preventing me from finding the tomb? Regarding Ling Gengqiu, do you know some secrets I don¡¯t?"


    "I¡¯m the Guardian of the tomb," Zhu Qing said.


    "Guardian?" Ling Chen was taken aback and asked curiously, "Who would hire an assassin to guard a tomb?"


    Hearing this, Zhu Qing¡¯s face suddenly turned sullen, and she said angrily, "Don¡¯t use the term ¡¯assassin¡¯ to describe me; it¡¯s an insult."


    "Aren¡¯t you an assassin?" Ling Chen asked puzzledly. When he fought with Zhu Qing, her techniques were clearly special methods used by assassins. Moreover, such skills could only be acquired after years of training. So, in his eyes, Zhu Qing was not only an assassin but an elite one trained from childhood.


    "I¡¯m an assassin, not a killer." Zhu Qing corrected.


    Assassin? Ling Chen was confused. Is there a difference between assassins and killers?


    Noticing Ling Chen¡¯s confusion, Zhu Qing patiently exined, "Killers work for money; they have no morals or rules. As long as there¡¯s enough profit, killers can do anything, including killing the elderly, women, and children. But we assassins are different. We follow rules, do not kill recklessly, and don¡¯t do things against our conscience. And the most important difference between us and killers is loyalty."


    "Assassins and killers have one thing inmon: serving their employer. Once we take a mission, whether it spans decades or centuries, as long as our descendants remain, they¡¯ll continue to carry it out without abandoning it midway."


    Hearing this, Ling Chen immediately realized the crucial point.


    "Was it Ling Gengqiu or Guo Qiang who hired you to protect the tomb back then?"


    "Guo Qiang." Zhu Qing replied, "Guo Qiang was a friend of our Zhu family¡¯s ancestor. All our family¡¯s weapons were crafted by Guo Qiang. At the end of his life, Guo Qiang asked our ancestor from the Zhu Family to protect the safety of a tomb. To this day, this mission has been passed down to me."


    Ling Chen nodded, as expected. This tomb was built by Guo Qiang; only he knew its location. So, Ling Gengqiu wasn¡¯t involved in this matter. However, Ling Chen still found it strange. Since Guo Qiang asked the Zhu Family to guard the tomb, it indicated he didn¡¯t want it to be disturbed. Yet, he left clues about the tomb at his death.


    Guo Qiang¡¯s actions seemed contradictory; why? Ling Chen sighed helplessly at the thought. Guo Qiang had been dead for so many years, and perhaps only he knew the reason.


    "Lady Zhu, I think you should know that Ling Gengqiu is my ancestor."


    "That doesn¡¯t matter to me. Since we¡¯ve taken the task, we¡¯ll continue until the end, unless you kill me." Zhu Qing said firmly.


    Ling Chen shrugged and said, "Alright, in that case, I can only be impolite. Before I uncover the tomb, you¡¯ll stay here. After it¡¯s over, I¡¯ll decide what to do with you."


    "You can¡¯t do this. It¡¯s been hundreds of years; since he¡¯s your ancestor, he should rest in peace without being disturbed."


    "Lady Zhu, some matters aren¡¯t that simple. It¡¯s an internal affair of the Ling Family, and you don¡¯t need to know about it."


    Ling Chen called over a few subordinates, arranged a room for Zhu Qing, and considering her skills, he increased security to prevent her escape.


    After resting overnight at the base, the next day, Ling Chen and Hu Fei drove to the vicinity of the city government.


    Upon entering the shop, Ling Chen chatted briefly with Beison, inquiring about the excavation progress. After working day and night, the tunnel was very close to the tomb. If all went well, they would find the tomb¡¯s location today.

 Chapter 1183 - 1190: Entering the Tomb

    <h4>Chapter 1183: Chapter 1190: Entering the Tomb</h4>


    Half a day had passed.


    The workers deep inside the tunnel finally delivered good news: they had discovered the tomb. Upon hearing this, everyone¡¯s spirits were greatly lifted. Ling Chen hurriedly ordered, "Fatty, quickly get someone to bring the equipment over."


    "Okay," Hu Fei responded.


    Not long after, under Hu Fei¡¯s arrangements, all the equipment was transported to the site. Carrying a few pieces of equipment, Ling Chen, with a backpack on his back, led Hu Fei and Beison directly down the tunnel. The tunnel was very spacious, amodating two or three people without feeling crowded. At the top of the tunnel, a light bulb was ced every five meters, providing light in the pitch-ck space.


    Soon, the three of them reached the end of the tunnel. Looking at the wall in front of them, Ling Chen reached out to knock on it, gauging the thickness of the wall.


    "Fatty, give me the stuff."


    Without a word, Hu Fei pulled stic explosives from the backpack and handed them to Ling Chen. Since the tomb was already hundreds of years old, to prevent the explosion from damaging its structure, they had to use precise sting. After spending more than ten minutes, Ling Chen installed the explosives and then retreated more than twenty meters with Hu Fei and Beison.


    Bang!


    With a loud explosion, smoke mixed with dust rushed rapidly from deep within the tunnel. Fortunately, Ling Chen and the others had prepared for this, all wearing gas masks, so they were not affected. As the smoke gradually cleared, Ling Chen eagerly rushed to the end of the tunnel.


    At this time, the explosives had sted a round hole about a meter in diameter in the wall. Thanks to Ling Chen¡¯s sting skills, the explosion was well-controlled and did not affect other areas. To be cautious, Ling Chen did not enter the tomb directly but threw a few glow sticks inside to assess the situation first.


    The builder of this tomb was Guo Qiang, a master of casting who was also very skilled in mechanisms. Therefore, Ling Chen was extraordinarily careful to avoid any unexpected incidents.


    On the other side of the wall was a corridor about two meters wide. Hu Fei ced a pre-prepared machine reconnaissance vehicle into the corridor, and through wireless transmission, controlled the vehicle to advance deeper into the tomb.


    The tomb was not veryrge, covering an area of about three hundred square meters. From the images transmitted back by the detector, Ling Chen noticed that the corridors in the tomb were numerous and intricately connected. "Why haven¡¯t we found the coffin yet?"


    Hu Fei, pointing at the screen¡¯s image, said, "See that? There¡¯s a tomb gate there. Ling Gengqiu¡¯s coffin is likely hidden inside."


    "Then we have no choice but to go in ourselves." The reconnaissance vehicle couldn¡¯t open the heavy tomb gate, so they had to do it by hand.


    "How¡¯s the air quality inside?"


    Hu Fei nced at the data disyed on the screen and nodded, "Not too bad."


    "No time to waste. I¡¯ll take the lead, and Beison, you cover the rear." With that, Ling Chen checked his equipment and crawled into the circr hole.


    Since the reconnaissance vehicle had scouted the route beforehand, Ling Chen wasn¡¯t too worried about traps. In no time, the three arrived at the heavy tomb gate.


    With his hands on the gate, Ling Chen exerted his full strength, and the thick tomb gate slowly moved. As it opened, a pungent odor wafted out. Fortunately, the team wore gas masks and were unaffected.


    A glow stick was thrown inside, dispelling much of the darkness in the burial chamber. Ling Chen faintly saw a stone coffin.


    "Fatty, you and Beison wait outside. I¡¯ll go in and check out the situation."


    Hu Fei cautioned, "Be careful." Beison said nothing but handed Ling Chen an anti-explosion shield.


    Passing through the tomb gate, Ling Chen stepped forward slowly, each step taken with great caution. Since no traps were found in the corridor earlier, if there were any, they would most likely be in this burial chamber.


    The floor of the chamber was pieced together with square-shaped stone bricks, each about half a meter wide. Ling Chen moved forward while observing his surroundings. Suddenly, he felt his right foot sink slightly.


    Whoosh! Whoosh!


    Instantly, a dozen sharp winds rushed from both sides of the wall, piercing the air.


    Without a second thought, Ling Chen immediately raised the anti-explosion shield, blocking the Crossbow Arrows from the left. Simultaneously, relying on keen hearing, Ling Chen swiftly determined the position of the Crossbow Arrows on the right. Using the Nine Yang Qiankun Step, he agilely dodged the arrows one by one.


    Once the wave of arrows ended, Ling Chen stood motionless with the shield for over ten seconds. Confirming no more arrows woulde, he finally lowered the shield, letting out a sigh of relief. Just as expected, Guo Qiang had indeed set traps in this burial chamber.


    Right now, there was about a six-meter distance to Ling Gengqiu¡¯s coffin. Though not far, Ling Chen dared not be reckless. The closer to the coffin, the more likely the stone bricks on the ground would conceal traps.


    After some thought, Ling Chen pressed the anti-explosion shield gently against the stone tiles in front of him. Only after ensuring the tiles were safe did he take a step forward. This cautious approach was slow but guaranteed safety.


    Five meters... Gazing at the coffin so close, Ling Chen took a deep breath.


    He had checked five stone tiles in session, all safe. However, Ling Chen remained on high alert rather than rxed.


    At this moment, the anti-explosion shield he thrust forward sank slightly. Before Ling Chen could react, there was a ¡¯bang¡¯ sound, as if something heavy had dropped.


    Turning to look, Ling Chen saw a thick stone door fall at the tomb gate, sealing the exit tightly.


    Oh no!


    Ling Chen muttered a warning to himself and hurried to the tomb gate, inspecting the stone door. This door was extremely thick, even more substantial than the previous tomb gate. This stone door was likely the true Sealing Tomb Stone; anyone entering the chamber triggering the trap would be trapped inside for sure.


    Regrettably, though Guo Qiang¡¯s idea was good, that was centuries ago. Guo Qiang could never have imagined, when he built this tomb, that technology would advance so fast hundreds of yearster. A mere stone door wouldn¡¯t stop them.


    At once, Ling Chen took out stic explosives from his backpack, installing them at the stone door¡¯s four corners. Since all three wore wireless earpieces,munication was trouble-free.


    Bang!


    With a resounding explosion, the stone door was instantly shattered.


    As the dust settled, Hu Fei and Beison entered the burial chamber with their equipment.


    "Are all the traps cleared?"


    Ling Chen nodded, "I¡¯ve checked everything; it¡¯s all clear." That stone door was likely Guo Qiang¡¯sst resort; beyond that, there were no more traps around the coffin.


    Standing beside the coffin, Hu Fei joked, "Ling Chen, what are you thinking right now?"


    "What do you think I should be thinking?"


    "You¡¯re about to meet your ancestor. Aren¡¯t you excited, or thrilled?"


    "Knock it off. Enough with the nonsense. Let¡¯s open the coffin."

 Chapter 1184 - 1191: Opening the Coffin

    <h4>Chapter 1184: Chapter 1191: Opening the Coffin</h4>


    Ling Chen took a deep breath; the coffin was about to be opened, and it was impossible not to feel excited. If there were no issues, the most important parts of Ling Gengqiu¡¯s remains should be inside this coffin. Once Hu Fei finished all the preparations, Ling Chen and Beison lifted each end of the coffin lid together, exerting force to slowly raise it and ce it onto the floor.


    As the lid was lifted, Hu Fei immediately shone a shlight into the coffin. Upon seeing the contents, Hu Fei¡¯s expression turned exceptionally strange. Noticing his change in expression, Ling Chen, still holding the coffin lid, urgently asked, "Fatty, what¡¯s the matter?"


    "Ling Chen, I think you should see this."


    Hearing this, Ling Chen hurriedly put down the coffin lid and walked over to the coffin. He looked closely, and his expression shifted slightly. Inside the two-meter-long coffin, there was a skull, a ribcage, severed arms and leg bones, while all other parts were cast in gold.


    Seeing those bones, Ling Chen understood Hu Fei¡¯s meaning. Before opening the coffin, Ling Chen was confident that Ling Gengqiu¡¯s head and trunk should be well-preserved and not reduced to bones. However, from the current situation, his previous thoughts were all wrong.


    Ling Gengqiu¡¯s remains had all turned to bones, offering no research value.


    "Ling Chen, it seems we were too optimistic. After hundreds of years, it¡¯s impossible for a corpse to remain intact."


    "No!" Ling Chen eximed. "There¡¯s definitely a problem here." He had once seen Ling Gengqiu¡¯s severed arm; Ling Tao had told him it was found in a cemetery. At that time, the coffin contained a skeleton, but Ling Gengqiu¡¯s severed arm remained intact, as if freshly cut. If that arm could be preserved, the rest of Ling Gengqiu¡¯s body should have been too. Unless something happened that caused Ling Gengqiu¡¯s remains to change.


    "Fatty, collect these bones and take them back for research."


    Hu Fei nodded, cing the bones into vacuum-sealed bags he had prepared in advance. Meanwhile, Ling Chen wandered around the tomb, looking for signs of intrusion. Yet, to Ling Chen¡¯s disappointment, all entrances to this tomb were sealed tight, showing no signs of tampering. Thus, apart from the three of them, no one had entered in hundreds of years.


    Before long, Hu Fei finished gathering all the bones from the coffin. The three swiftly retraced their path back to the surface.


    "Beison, stay here. Make sure the passage is sealed off and everything restored without leaving traces."


    "Understood, boss!"


    Back at the base, Hu Fei immediately sent the bones to theboratory for testing and research by the scientific staff. Simultaneously, Ling Chen called porridge girl to inform her of what had happened and expressed his wish to contact Ling Tao.


    The Northern Ling Family ced great importance on this matter, and shortly after Ling Chen hung up, Ling Tao called.


    "Did you find more of Ling Gengqiu¡¯s remains?" Ling Tao asked directly, his tone reflecting his excitement.


    "Found them, but we have a big problem." Ling Chen then described what he had witnessed.


    "What?" Ling Tao sounded taken aback. "That¡¯s impossible. The other parts of Ling Gengqiu¡¯s body are all well-preserved; the main body parts should be even more intact."


    "I thought so too. So now, I need to conduct a test to see what¡¯s really happened."


    Ling Tao pondered for a moment, then said, "I¡¯ll send you some informationter. Compare it carefully to see if there¡¯s any issue. Save this number; notify me immediately once the test results are out."


    "Okay, I¡¯ll sort it out as soon as possible."


    After hanging up, Ling Chen headed directly to theboratory to oversee the technicians¡¯ work. After several hours, the test results were finally out.


    Ling Chen examined the test results,paring them with the information sent by Ling Tao, and furrowed his brows.


    So that¡¯s what it is, no wonder... Leaving theb, Ling Chen went straight to the control center.


    "How is it, are the results out yet?" Seeing Ling Chen approaching, Hu Fei quickly asked.


    Ling Chen said little but handed over the test results and the other document directly. Hu Fei examined them for a few moments, his expression changing as he eximed, "The bones in the coffin aren¡¯t Ling Gengqiu¡¯s? This... how is that possible? Could it be your clue was wrong?"


    "The clue should be correct. The tomb we found is certainly Ling Gengqiu¡¯s burial site; the problem is whether Guo Qiang really buried Ling Gengqiu¡¯s remains there back then."


    Upon hearing this, Hu Fei immediately understood Ling Chen¡¯s implication and responded, "Are you saying...the tomb is just a decoy, and Guo Qiang buried Ling Gengqiu¡¯s body elsewhere?"


    "Exactly. The only thing I can¡¯t figure out is why Guo Qiang did this. If he didn¡¯t want Ling Gengqiu¡¯s body found, he could have destroyed the clues. Since he left clues to the tomb, he must have had his reasons."


    "It¡¯s been hundreds of years; even if he had his reasons, no one knows them now. Ling Chen, what should we do now? Should we continue chasing this lead or..."


    Ling Chen resignedly said, "There¡¯s nothing else to investigate; the only lead is gone. Guo Qiang¡¯s descendant, Guo Liang, knows nothing about this, so we can¡¯t rely on him. I think we should temporarily set aside the matter of Ling Gengqiu and pursue it again once new evidence emerges."


    "Alright then." Hu Fei paused and then switched topics, asking, "How are you nning to deal with the girl you caught?"


    "You mean Zhu Qing? I¡¯m quite interested in her background; I¡¯ll decide once I understand more about her origins."


    Entering the room where Zhu Qing was detained, Ling Chen asked the security personnel guarding it to leave before walking in alone.


    Although Zhu Qing was a prisoner, Ling Chen did not mistreat her. Apart from restricting her freedom, Zhu Qing enjoyed good food and sleep here. Hearing footsteps approach, Zhu Qing kept her eyes on the television, not acknowledging Ling Chen at all.


    Ling Chen grinned indifferently, walked over to Zhu Qing, and said, "Lady Zhu, I¡¯ve entered that tomb."


    Zhu Qing replied coldly, "Congrattions on obtaining what you wanted."


    "No, I didn¡¯t find what I wanted. Furthermore, the one buried in that tomb isn¡¯t Ling Gengqiu."


    "Impossible!" Zhu Qing blurted out, "That was clearly Ling Gengqiu¡¯s tomb."


    "Lady Zhu, I think we¡¯ve all been deceived by Guo Qiang. I want to know, how much do you know about that tomb?"

 Chapter 1185 - 1192: Kyoto Factions (1)

    <h4>Chapter 1185: Chapter 1192: Kyoto Factions (1)</h4>


    "I don¡¯t know anything," Zhu Qing maintained her indifferent demeanor.


    Ling Chen smiled slightly, knowing Zhu Qing surely had some information, but she was unwilling to share it with him.


    "Lady Zhu, if you tell me what you know, I might consider letting you go. How about it?"


    "What if I refuse? Besides, how do you know I know anything about Ling Gengqiu¡¯s affairs? I¡¯m just responsible for execution, everything else is none of my concern."


    Ling Chen nodded and said, "Alright, since you don¡¯t want to speak, I won¡¯t force you. Seek me out when you decide to talk. Until then, you¡¯ll have to stay for a while longer. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll cover your meals and amodation, free of charge."


    Watching Ling Chen stand up and leave, Zhu Qing couldn¡¯t help but panic and hastily called out to him, "Wait! Ling, I warn you, if my family finds out you¡¯re detaining me, they won¡¯t let you off."


    "Is that so?" Ling Chen chuckled lightly, "Alright then, I wee them toe find me. I¡¯ve been boredtely. Lady Zhu, hope you enjoy your stay here. Bye!" With that said, Ling Chen opened the room door and walked straight out.


    Beijing.


    In a five-star hotel, Nanrong Wanqing sat alone in a guestroom, reviewingpany documents.


    Knock, knock, knock!


    At this moment, a knocking sound resonated from outside the door. Liang Zhao Hui, who was stationed in the living room, rose up and opened the door, facing a young waiter pushing a serving cart, and asked, "What do you want?"


    "Hello, room service."


    Liang Zhao Hui frowned slightly and asked, "We didn¡¯t order room service, did we? Are you sure you have the right room?"


    "Wait!" Zhong Wei chimed in, "Let me ask the chairman, maybe he ordered it." Saying this, Zhong Wei headed straight towards the bedroom where Nanrong Wanqing was staying. As Zhong Wei turned his back, the waiter at the door suddenly lifted his shirt edge, pulling out a sharp dagger from his waist, stabbing directly at Liang Zhao Hui¡¯s body.


    Everything happened swiftly, before Liang Zhao Hui could react, he felt a piercing pain in his chest. Looking down, he saw the dagger de had fully prated his body, blood instantly staining the white shirt inside.


    Hearing themotion behind him, Zhong Wei quickly turned around. Seeing Liang Zhao Hui covered in blood, his expression changed drastically, he shouted and immediately charged forward, aiming a punch at the waiter¡¯s head.


    The opponent, realizing the situation was unfavorable, quickly used Liang Zhao Hui¡¯s body as a shield. Seeing this, Zhong Wei, concerned about inadvertently harming Liang Zhao Hui, retracted his attack. Taking advantage of the moment, the waiter shoved hard, causing Liang Zhao Hui to lose his bnce, falling backward onto Zhong Wei. Meanwhile, under Liang Zhao Hui¡¯s armpit, a blood-stained dagger was thrust directly into Zhong Wei¡¯s abdomen.


    In an instant, both Zhong Wei and Liang Zhao Hui were injured, copsing to the ground together.


    After dealing with Zhong Wei and Liang Zhao Hui, the waiter, holding the dagger, immediately strode towards the guestroom. However, he quickly realized the guestroom door was securely locked. Inside, Nanrong Wanqing had forcefully pushed a wardrobe against the wall, blocking the door. Moreover, she had piled up tables and chairs on top to prevent anyone from breaking in.


    Moments ago, when Zhong Wei shouted, Nanrong Wanqing knew something was wrong. There¡¯s no way out, so she had to stay inside the bedroom and wait for rescue.


    Picking up the room¡¯sndline, Nanrong Wanqing quickly dialed the front desk, hoping to call hotel security up. However, thendline seemed to have been disconnected, filled with busy signals.


    Mobile phone!


    Even in such an emergency, Nanrong Wanqing managed to remain rtively calm, hurriedly retrieving her cellphone from her wallet and dialing the emergency number.


    Knock, knock, knock! Knock, knock, knock!


    Suddenly, a hurried knocking, apanied by a strange man¡¯s voice, came from outside the door.


    "Miss Nanrong, are you in there? Hurry, open the door, I¡¯vee to rescue you."


    Nanrong Wanqing put down her phone and asked calmly, "How do I know you¡¯re not an imposter?"


    "It was Haozi who sent me. Hold on, I¡¯ll have Haozi call you." As the voice fell, within two minutes, Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s phone rang, it was indeed a call from Nanrong Hao.


    After confirming the caller¡¯s identity, Nanrong Wanqing quickly cleared away the clutter and pushed the door open. At this moment, the spacious living room gathered more than ten people, Zhong Wei and Liang Zhao Hui lie on the ground, several young men attending to their wounds. In the corner of the living room squatted a young man dressed as a waiter. His hands were tied behind his back, presumably beaten up, covered in bruised marks.


    Without paying attention to the young man, Nanrong Wanqing anxiously asked, "How are the two of them doing?"


    "Not very optimistic. Miss Nanrong, don¡¯t worry, the ambnce will arrive soon."


    "Miss Nanrong, hello." Then, a young man walked over and said, "We¡¯ve met before, I wonder if you remember me."


    Nanrong Wanqing scrutinized him, somewhat unsure, "You are... Mr. Jiang?"


    The young man nodded and said, "It¡¯s me, I¡¯m Jiang Yunkai, Chen and Haozi¡¯s brother. They entrusted me to secretly protect your safety." As he said this, Jiang Yunkai nced at the blood-covered Zhong Wei and Liang Zhao Hui and sighed, "Sorry, this time it¡¯s our work oversight. I thought it was just a regr businesspetition, never expected someone would send an assassin to attack you. Had I taken precautions earlier, this wouldn¡¯t have happened."


    "Mr. Jiang, don¡¯t me yourself, I never thought even my rivals could be this ruthless." With that, Nanrong Wanqing looked at the young man in binds and asked, "Is he the assassin?"


    "That¡¯s right. Miss Nanrong, how do you n to deal with him?"


    "I¡¯ve already called the police, when they arrive, he can be directly..."


    Before Nanrong Wanqing could finish, Jiang Yunkai interjected, "Miss Nanrong, forgive my bluntness, handing him over to the police won¡¯t do any good."


    "Why?"


    "Think about it, who are yourpetitors? Each one holds power and influence, if the assassin falls into police hands, they have a hundred ways to make him disappear. Then, you¡¯ll never know the mastermind behind this."


    Upon hearing this, Nanrong Wanqing asked, "Mr. Jiang, what¡¯s your suggestion then?"


    "Keep him, leave him to me to handle, I¡¯ll help you uncover those behind him," Jiang Yunkai said, "Miss Nanrong, I hope you understand, some matters can¡¯t be resolved with conventional means. If Chen and Nanrong Hao were here, they¡¯d surely agree with my decision. Miss Nanrong, what do you think..."


    "Alright then." After pondering for a moment, Nanrong Wanqing nodded and said, "Mr. Jiang, I¡¯ll leave this to you."

 Chapter 1186 - 1193: The Beijing Factions (2)

    <h4>Chapter 1186: Chapter 1193: The Beijing Factions (2)</h4>


    Before long, ambnces and police cars arrived one after another. Liang Zhao Hui and Zhong Wei were taken to the hospital, while Nanrong Wanqing was asked to stay by the police to give a statement.


    "Miss Nanrong, please rest assured, we will catch the murderer as soon as possible."


    "Thank you," Nanrong Wanqing replied coolly. Before the police arrived, Jiang Yunkai had already left with the assassin.


    Shortly after the police left, Nanrong Wanqing stood alone on the balcony, quietly gazing into the distance. What happened tonight was unexpected for her. Over the past week or so, she had been running around seeking help. However, the results were not very promising. As she knew, many businesspeople had formed alliances, nning to jointly carve up the Hongyu Group. To prevent this from happening, she needed to find someone to help. Otherwise, Hongyu Group alone would have difficulty resisting such amercial onught.


    However, over the past few days, she had visited many elders, all friends of her grandfather, hoping they could lend a hand. But those people all brushed her off. They said nice things, but when it came time to take action, everyone made excuses to shirk responsibility.


    Knock, knock, knock!


    At this moment, there was a knock on the door outside. A few security personnel left behind by Jiang Yunkai quickly walked to the door and opened it.


    "Haozi!"


    Hearing themotion at the door, Nanrong Wanqing turned around and saw Nanrong Hao walking over quickly, asking with concern, "Sister, are you okay?"


    "What are you doing here?"


    "With something this big happening, there¡¯s no way I could just sit still. Sister, listen to my suggestion, you should go back for now. It¡¯s too dangerous here in Beijing."


    "No," Nanrong Wanqing firmly replied, "Hongyu Group is now facing a huge crisis. If this matter isn¡¯t resolved, Hongyu Group will soon go bankrupt. Hongyu Group is the hard work of our Nanrong Family. Are you willing to watch Hongyu Group be destroyed by our own hands?"


    "Alright then," Nanrong Hao nodded and said, "Sister, since you want to stay in Beijing, that¡¯s fine, but I have one condition: you have to let me stay by your side to help you. They¡¯ve already hired an assassin to deal with you, which shows they¡¯re not interested in taking it slow. If there¡¯s a first time, there will definitely be a second. We must be careful." After a pause, Nanrong Hao asked, "Sister, do you know who did it?"


    "We haven¡¯t figured it out yet, but there are quite a fewpanies involved in this coalition."


    "Alright, I understand. I¡¯ll find a way to figure out who¡¯s behind this."


    Leaving the hotel, Nanrong Hao made a call to Jiang Yunkai and then gged down a taxi by the roadside. After more than ten minutes, Nanrong Hao arrived at a rented apartment. At that moment, Jiang Yunkai was interrogating the assassin.


    "Kai, so did he confess?"


    "We haven¡¯t gotten any useful information yet, but I¡¯ve had Hu check his background. Wang Hua, twenty-six years old, trained in martial arts from a young age, Beijing resident, lives at 126 Sonn Street, has close ties with local gangs. I think he might be a top assassin in the underworld."


    Nanrong Hao nced at Wang Hua, who was tied to a chair, and asked, "Mr. Wang, tell me, who ordered you?"


    Wang Hua kept his mouth shut, pretending not to hear Nanrong Hao¡¯s question, his eyes fixed on the floor. Seeing this, Nanrong Hao smiled to himself and said, "Mr. Wang, you might not be aware of the background of me and my brother. Actually, we¡¯re the same kind of people as you. So, you¡¯d better not test my patience, or else you¡¯ll be the one suffering."


    After speaking, Nanrong Hao stared into Wang Hua¡¯s eyes. When the other party still wouldn¡¯t confess, Nanrong Hao nodded and said, "Alright, I¡¯ve given you a chance. Since you don¡¯t want to cherish it, don¡¯t me me for being rude."


    "Kai, please check on his family for me."


    Upon hearing this, Wang Hua, who had been silent all this while, suddenly raised his head and, with a cold gaze, looked at Nanrong Hao and said, "What are you nning to do?"


    Nanrong Hao replied with a cold smile, "What do you think I¡¯m nning to do? Mr. Wang, I¡¯ve warned you, I¡¯m not a kind person, don¡¯t expect me to persuade you with kind words. You refuse to talk, right? No problem, I have many means to deal with people like you."


    "Haozi, I¡¯ve found out. His parents and a son all live in Beijing."


    "Bring them all in."


    "Stop!" Wang Hua shouted angrily, "Don¡¯t you dare touch my family."


    "You don¡¯t want me to touch your family, so why did you harm mine? I¡¯m telling you, if you don¡¯t reveal the mastermind behind this, it will not end here. I have more than a dozen ways to make you and your family disappear entirely."


    Seeing the cold gaze in Nanrong Hao¡¯s eyes, Wang Hua finally realized that the person before him was not joking.


    "I¡¯ll talk..." After hesitating for a while, Wang Hua finally made up his mind, "It was our boss who ordered me to carry out the assassination. I don¡¯t know anything else; I¡¯m just a hired gun."


    "What¡¯s your boss¡¯s name?"


    "Hong Wei, he¡¯s the big boss of the underworld in Beijing."


    "You¡¯d better not be lying to me; I¡¯ll verify it." After speaking, Nanrong Hao signaled his men to lock Wang Hua up.


    Over ten minutester.


    Nanrong Hao and Jiang Yunkai were sitting at a round table, with aptop on it. Right now, theputer screen was showing Hu Fei, Tang Guolun, and Ling Chen. For convenience, they were having a video conference.


    "Haozi, you say it was that Hong Wei who nned the action?" Ling Chen asked.


    "At least that¡¯s what Wang Hua said. Brother Chen, how much do we know about this Hong Wei?"


    "This person is not simple," Hu Fei replied, "I just looked into Hong Wei¡¯s information. His ancestors were old residents of Beijing, and the Hong Family is considered a well-known family there. Besides, the Hong Family not only controls the entire underworld of Beijing but also operates manypanies with abundant resources and power. Trying to move against Hong Wei probably won¡¯t be easy."


    "So what should we do?" Nanrong Hao asked anxiously, "Hong Wei must know who¡¯s trying to harm my sister."


    "Haozi, don¡¯t worry. We never said we wouldn¡¯t help," Ling Chen replied, "I just discussed with Boss Tang, and you two won¡¯t be able to handle this alone, so I and Boss Tang will head to Beijing to help you. Beijing is not like East Sea City; the forces there are tangled andplicated. As the political center, many things can¡¯t be done recklessly. A slight mistake could put not just Wanqing, but even your lives at risk."


    Knowing that Ling Chen wasing to Beijing, Nanrong Hao couldn¡¯t help but breathe a sigh of relief. Ling Chen is the mainstay, and with him around, there¡¯d be no problem too big to solve.


    "Alright then! You all take a good rest, and we¡¯ll talk about other matters once we¡¯re there."


    After the video conference ended, Ling Chen leaned back in his chair and stretched. Originally intending to rx for a few days, who would¡¯ve thought something like this would happen in Beijing.


    Just as he was thinking, a young man walked over quickly and said, "Brother Chen, someone outside is looking for you."

 Chapter 1187 - 1194: Lifetime Service (Part 1)

    <h4>Chapter 1187: Chapter 1194: Lifetime Service (Part 1)</h4>


    "Looking for me?" Ling Chen was slightly taken aback. The location of this base was very secretive; no one knew where it was except for their own people.


    "Do you know who it is?"


    "Not clear. The person looks unfamiliar, never seen him before. Chen, what do you think..."


    Ling Chen thought for a moment and said, "Alright, you go and invite the person to the meeting room, I¡¯ll go meet him shortly."


    "Yes."


    Soon, Ling Chen arrived at the base¡¯s meeting room. As soon as he entered, a middle-aged man in a suit immediately appeared in his sight. The man was about forty years old and judging by his appearance, he must have been quite a handsome man in his youth, exuding an indescribable aura and charm.


    While Ling Chen was sizing up the man, the suited man was also observing Ling Chen. Their eyes met, and Ling Chen smiled slightly, saying, "You¡¯re looking for me?"


    "Mr. Ling, hello, it¡¯s a pleasure to meet you." The middle-aged man stood up proactively and extended his hand.


    "Hello. Sir, I don¡¯t yet know how to address you?"


    The middle-aged man smiled and said, "My surname is Zhu, Zhu Houchang."


    "Surname Zhu?" Ling Chen felt a shudder in his heart, instantly realizing the man¡¯s background, "What rtion are you to Zhu Qing?"


    "She is my niece, I am her uncle. Mr. Ling, I know you captured Zhu Qing, there must be some misunderstanding. I hope you can show some leniency and release Zhu Qing; our Zhu Family will remember your kindness."


    "Mr. Zhu, rest assured, Lady Zhu is doing well with me, I haven¡¯t harmed her. Besides, I am very interested in your Zhu Family. If you don¡¯t mind, I¡¯d like to have a detailed discussion with you, perhaps there is a chance for cooperation."


    Upon hearing this, Zhu Houchang¡¯s eyes shed with surprise, "Mr. Ling, you want to talk about cooperation with me?"


    Ling Chen¡¯s lips slightly curled into a smile, nodding, "Yes, but I wonder if I¡¯m qualified."


    "Mr. Ling, to be honest, our Zhu Family is very selective in choosing business partners. If you wish to employ our Zhu Family, you must pass our family¡¯s assessment. Unless you meet all the criteria, I can only say I¡¯m sorry."


    "No problem!" Ling Chen nodded and said, "Mr. Zhu, since there is an assessment, there¡¯s no time like the present. Let¡¯s start now. Whatever you need, I will do my best toply."


    "Mr. Ling, are you serious?"


    "Do you think I would joke about something like this?"


    "Alright, then please wait a moment, Mr. Ling." After saying this, Zhu Houchang stood up, took out his phone, and walked to a corner to make a call. A few minutester, Zhu Houchang returned to his seat and said, "Mr. Ling, if you wish to cooperate, there are a few things I need to state upfront. First is themission; our Zhu Family¡¯s services are lifetime unless you perish. Therefore, themission is not cheap."


    "Mr. Zhu, I¡¯m a straightforward person, just tell me the amount directly."


    "Our Zhu Family¡¯smission is divided into three levels. The lowest is twenty billion, with assassins trained by our Zhu Family at your service. The second level is fifty billion, served by our family¡¯s external disciples. The highest level is one hundred billion, with one-on-one services by our family¡¯s internal personnel."


    "One hundred billion?" Ling Chen was genuinely surprised. Although he knew the service was lifetime, one hundred billion is not a small amount, "Mr. Zhu, don¡¯t you think this price is a bit high?"


    Zhu Houchangughed, "Mr. Ling,pared to our services, this price is definitely not high. You must understand, our services include a lot, not only protecting your safety but also dealing with some of your enemies. Additionally, if you need, our Zhu Family can mobilize one-third of our force to assist you, but you only get one chance."


    "How strong is this one-third force?" Ling Chen asked curiously.


    Zhu Houchang confidently said, "Dealing with two or three Heavenly List experts is not a problem."


    Hearing this, Ling Chen¡¯s eyes lit up slightly. If what Zhu Houchang said was true, then the one hundred billion would be worth it. After all, he wasn¡¯t short of money; Ling Kun left a considerable fortune for him, totaling hundreds of billions. Besides, the industries Ling Kun invested in still generated a fixed annual ie, amounting to tens of billions. So, one hundred billion wasn¡¯t too expensive for him.


    "OK! I ept your price."


    "Mr. Ling, don¡¯t be hasty; our assessment isn¡¯t over yet. If you don¡¯t meet the requirements, everything I said is worthless." As soon as Zhu Houchang finished speaking, the phone rang again.


    He answered the call and whispered a few words. Afterward, he hung up and looked at the content disyed on the phone screen. After a moment, Zhu Houchang nced at Ling Chen and asked, "Mr. Ling, is the Dragon Tiger Hall your asset?"


    "Yes, is there a problem?"


    "No problem, if I had known the Dragon Tiger Hall was founded by you, Mr. Ling, we could have saved a lot of time." With that, Zhu Houchang put away his phone and looked at Ling Chen, "I think we need to adjust our deal."


    "Please go ahead, Mr. Zhu."


    "I heard that the Dragon Tiger Hall possesses many lost secret techniques, is this true?"


    Ling Chen¡¯s heart stirred, instantly understanding Zhu Houchang¡¯s implication, "Mr. Zhu, are you suggesting I exchange secret techniques?"


    "Exactly. Over the past hundred years, our Zhu Family has lost the transmission of many martial arts, including one called the Spirit Shadow Step. I wonder if Mr. Ling has heard of it?"


    "The Spirit Shadow Step, one of the three major movement techniques in the Huaxia Martial Arts. Nine Yang Qiankun Step, Shattered Leaf Step, and the Spirit Shadow Step. Because the Spirit Shadow Step is unique and has high requirements for practitioners, it ranks third. Mr. Zhu, am I correct?"


    Zhu Houchang nodded, "Mr. Ling, you¡¯re spot on. To be honest, the Spirit Shadow Step was created by our Zhu Family ancestor. Unfortunately, it was lost over a hundred years ago, and we only know the basics, unable to grasp its essence. If Mr. Ling can provide us with the Spirit Shadow Step¡¯s secret manual, I can lower the service fee. Mr. Ling, what do you think?"


    "Since Mr. Zhu hasid it out, I might as well be frank. I do have the Spirit Shadow Step¡¯s secret manual, but Mr. Zhu should be aware of its value. For martial artists, its worth can¡¯t be measured by money."


    Hearing this, Zhu Houchang pondered for a moment and asked, "Mr. Ling, what do you mean by..."


    "I can give you the Spirit Shadow Step¡¯s secret manual, and I will not short you a penny of the one hundred billion service fee, but your Zhu Family must stand by me when I need help..." Saying this, Ling Chen raised three fingers, "Three times! If necessary, you need to mobilize half of your forces to assist me. These are my conditions. I wonder if Mr. Zhu can ept them?"

 Chapter 1188 - 1195: Lifetime Service (2)

    <h4>Chapter 1188: Chapter 1195: Lifetime Service (2)</h4>


    "Mr. Ling, isn¡¯t this condition too much?"


    Ling Chen smiled faintly, "Mr. Zhu, a piece of martial arts can benefit descendants for hundreds of years. Comparing it like this, do you still think my condition is too much?"


    "I can¡¯t make this decision alone; I must discuss it with others."


    Ling Chen made a ¡¯please¡¯ gesture. Immediately, Zhu Houchang walked alone to the corner and picked up the phone tomunicate with the Zhu Family.


    About ten minutester, Zhu Houchang returned to Ling Chen¡¯s side, smilingly extending his hand, "Mr. Ling, happy cooperation!"


    "Happy cooperation!"


    Ling Chen was willing to pay such a high price mainly because his current situation was not good. The Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion was a potential threat to him, and sooner orter, they would break the peace with the Dragon Tiger Hall. Therefore, he must prepare in advance and umte enough strength to deal with it. With the Zhu Family¡¯s capability and considering the exchange of ten billion plus a martial arts manual for their assistance, it¡¯s not a loss.


    At this moment, a security officer in the base pushed open the door and said politely, "Lady Zhu, hello, Chen invites you toe over."


    Zhu Qing coldly said, "Can¡¯t hee over himself?"


    "Chen said there¡¯s an honored guest visiting, and he asks you toe and meet them."


    Hearing this, Zhu Qing¡¯s eyes turned, immediately stood up, and said, "Okay, I¡¯ll go with you." After speaking, under the leadership of the young man, Zhu Qing headed straight to the reception room. Walking along the path, Zhu Qing¡¯s gaze restlessly scanned the surroundings, looking for an opportunity.


    Humph! Ling Chen is not personally watching her; these people alone can¡¯t trap her. With such a good escape opportunity, how could she pass it up.


    At this time, Hu Fei came out of the elevator with two subordinates and saw Zhu Qing not far away. Hu Fei asked, "Where are you taking her?"


    "Mr. Hu, Chen asked me to take her to the reception room," replied the young man.


    Hu Fei nodded without further questioning, just nced a few more times at Zhu Qing. It had to be said, this little girl was truly a top-grade figure, curvy in front and back, perfect body, and of the petite loli type, loved by everyone. Even someone like Hu Fei, who¡¯d seen many beauties, couldn¡¯t resist being moved.


    Feeling Hu Fei¡¯s lustful gaze, Zhu Qing coldly snorted. When those around her weren¡¯t paying attention, she grabbed the young man in front and pushed him forward sharply. Instantly, the youth leading the way leaned forward, directly falling to the ground.


    Simultaneously, Zhu Qing elerated her pace, rushing to Hu Fei¡¯s side in a few steps. Before Hu Fei¡¯s two subordinates could react, Zhu Qing was already tightly gripping Hu Fei¡¯s neck.


    "If you don¡¯t want him dead, back off!" Zhu Qing coldly shouted. She hadn¡¯t seen Hu Fei before, but from the situation just now, this man¡¯s status should be high. As long as she held him hostage, she had bargaining power.


    "Lady Zhu, quickly release Mr. Hu."


    "Once I leave this damn ce, I¡¯ll release him." With that, Zhu Qing nced at Hu Fei, coldly saying, "Take me out."


    Hu Fei swallowed his saliva, cautiously saying, "Uh... Lady Zhu, I¡¯m just a minor figure; capturing me is useless."


    "Stop talking nonsense; do you want to live or not?"


    "I..."


    Before Hu Fei finished speaking, a low shout came from not far away, "Stop!"


    Zhu Qing turned her head to look, briefly stunned, then her face lit up with joy. She hurriedly called out, "Mr. Chang, you¡¯re just in time, help me teach these bastards a lesson."


    Zhu Houchang, hands behind his back, quickly walked over. Seeing Hu Fei held hostage, he reprimanded, "Nonsense! Let go of him quickly."


    Zhu Qing slightly dazed, not understanding why Zhu Houchang was angry at her. However, she obediently released Hu Fei and let him go. "Fatty, are you okay?" Ling Chen smiled as he walked over from behind and asked.


    "I¡¯m okay, I¡¯m okay." Hu Fei rubbed his neck, smiling with lingering fear, "Luckily you arrived just in time."


    "Qing, quickly apologize to Mr. Hu."


    "Apologize?" Zhu Qing somewhat doubted her ears. If Zhu Houchang weren¡¯t her uncle, she couldn¡¯t help but start cursing. Looking at Zhu Houchang¡¯s serious face, Zhu Qing giggled, quickly wrapping her arms around Zhu Houchang¡¯s arm, sweetly saying, "Mr. Chang, why should I apologize, it was their fault first. Especially him..." Zhu Qing pointed at the smiling Ling Chen, resentfully using, "He caught your niece, didn¡¯t give food or drink, and didn¡¯t let anyone sleep. You have no idea how hard my days have been. Mr. Chang, your beloved niece suffered so much, aren¡¯t you going to avenge me?"


    Hearing Zhu Qing¡¯s usations, Ling Chen just felt he had learned something new. What does it mean to lie with open eyes? This is it. Damn! Food and drink have never been missing for her. To care for this little girl, Ling Chen had specially instructed the kitchen to make special meals, with three dishes and one soup per meal, a treatment even he hadn¡¯t enjoyed.


    After listening to the beloved niece¡¯sints, Zhu Houchang sized Zhu Qing up a few times, smiling slightly as he said, "Was it really that hard? Why do I feel you¡¯ve gained weight these days? Seems like Mr. Ling¡¯s ce has decent food conditions. You don¡¯t have any unpleasant smell, your spirit is high, not like someone who hasn¡¯t slept. Qing, do you think Mr. Chang is so easily fooled?"


    Exposed by Zhu Houchang in front of everyone, Zhu Qing embarrassedly lowered her head, especially hearing Ling Chen¡¯sughter, feeling more ashamed and indignant.


    However, just for a moment, Zhu Qing suddenly realized. Why was the rtionship between Zhu Houchang and Ling Chen so harmonious? This... this seemed unusual.


    Thinking this, Zhu Qing looked at her uncle, curiously asking, "Mr. Chang, you and him..."


    "Qing, I came to East Sea City this time to bring you back, but now you have other tasks."


    Immediately upon mention of business, Zhu Qing became serious, nodding, "Mr. Chang, I understand, I will definitelyplete the task."


    "Good, in that case, you continue to stay here, I¡¯ll go first." With that, Zhu Houchang nced at Ling Chen, smiling, "Mr. Ling, until we meet again."


    "Until we meet again!"


    Seeing Zhu Houchang about to leave, Zhu Qing couldn¡¯t help but get anxious, quickly asking, "Mr. Chang, didn¡¯t you say I have tasks? Why are you telling me to stay here?"


    Zhu Houchang pointed at Ling Chen, saying, "From today, your task is to serve Mr. Ling. Qing, Mr. Ling values you highly, specifically wants you to be his shadow, so you shouldn¡¯t disappoint Mr. Ling, nor should you disappoint our Zhu Family, understand?"


    "I..." Zhu Qing opened her mouth, her mind went nk, not knowing what to say.


    She was still thinking about giving Ling Chen a good lesson, but now, Ling Chen has actually be her service object. Thinking of that hateful bastard, Zhu Qing really wanted to take a bite of him.

 Chapter 1189 - 1196: Hong Wei’s Background

    <h4>Chapter 1189: Chapter 1196: Hong Wei¡¯s Background</h4>


    After sending off Zhu Houchang, Ling Chen looked at Zhu Qing, who was secretly gritting her teeth, and couldn¡¯t help butugh, "Lady Zhu, I will be relying on your care from now on."


    Zhu Qing red at Ling Chen with displeasure, unable to understand why the Zhu family would cooperate with Ling Chen. The Zhu family¡¯s first consideration for a partner was always character, could this guy¡¯s character really pass? Of course, that wasn¡¯t what made her most angry. The thought of having to follow this guy and take his orders in the future made Zhu Qing feel that her days ahead would be bleak.


    If she had the choice, she¡¯d really hope to have someone else instead. However, the family rules demanded unconditional obedience, no matter how reluctant she felt, she had toply with the family¡¯s arrangements and serve Ling Chen.


    Ling Chen grinned, acting as if he hadn¡¯t seen Zhu Qing¡¯s anger, and said, "Lady Zhu, if you need anything, just let me know, I¡¯ll try my best to satisfy you. Also, I¡¯m going to Beijing tomorrow, please prepare ordingly, this trip won¡¯t be easy."


    Early the next morning, Ling Chen set off with Tang Guolun and Zhu Qing. This time, only the three of them were going ahead, Hu Fei would arrange for others to follow to Beijingter.


    Beijing was not like East Sea City, where one could act recklessly; after all, it was the political center, many things needed to be restrained.


    At ten in the morning, the flight carrying Ling Chen and the others arrived at Beijing Airport. Once they left the airport, Nanrong Hao and Jiang Yunkai were already waiting outside with a car. The group got into the car, Nanrong Hao and Jiang Yunkai were very curious about Zhu Qing, the beautiful new addition. Both were single men and rarely encountered such a stunning beauty, so they naturally tried to impress her. Unfortunately, Zhu Qing was indifferent to them, no matter how eloquently they spoke, she didn¡¯t react at all, maintaining a cold expression, which made Nanrong Hao and Jiang Yunkai very embarrassed.


    "Chen, what¡¯s the deal with this girl?" Nanrong Hao found an opportunity to ask quietly.


    "Anyway, she¡¯s not someone you can mess with. You guys better be careful, if you anger her, you might not be able to handle the consequences."


    Soon, the group drove to a rented house.


    "Kai, what¡¯s Captain Zhong¡¯s situation like?" Ling Chen asked.


    "They are temporarily out of danger, but Liang Zhao Hui¡¯s injuries are quite severe, he needs to stay in the hospital for observation for a while. I¡¯ve already assigned additional personnel around Miss Nanrong, so nothing should happen."


    "How much do you know about that Hong Wei?"


    Jiang Yunkai replied helplessly, "Chen, Hong Wei is not simple. I investigated all night but couldn¡¯t track his movements, not even a shadow. However, I¡¯ve stationed people outside Hong Wei¡¯s house, if there¡¯s any news, they¡¯ll notify me immediately."


    Ling Chen nodded, "Know yourself and your enemy, you¡¯ll emerge victorious. Let¡¯s not rush to take action, find out about Hong Wei¡¯s situation first. Also, investigate the Hong family¡¯s background. Although Hu Fei has checked the Hong family files in the archives, they aren¡¯t veryplete. Moreover, the Hong family controls Beijing¡¯s underground forces, definitely has many secrets."


    Listening to Ling Chen¡¯s conversation with Jiang Yunkai, Nanrong Hao asked, "Chen, our main goal this time is to find the mastermind behind targeting my sister, why make things soplicated?"


    Beside them, Tang Guolunughed, "Haozi, do you really think we¡¯d mobilize so many people for such a small matter? To be honest, our main goal in Beijing this time is to rece the Hong family and firmly control the underground forces. As for your sister¡¯s matter, that¡¯s just incidental."


    Nanrong Hao was shocked and asked, confused, "Chen, isn¡¯t our main territory in East Sea City? Why expand into Beijing? East Sea City is so far from Beijing, it¡¯s hard to manage both..."


    Before Nanrong Hao could finish, Ling Chen interrupted him with a smile, "I understand what you mean. East Sea City is our territory, simrly, once something happens in East Sea City, we¡¯ll have nowhere to retreat. Therefore, we must prepare an escape route, and Beijing is undoubtedly the best choice. Furthermore, as Huaxia¡¯s capital, Beijing has tremendous influence, and once the Dragon Tiger Hall is established, it will definitely expand in the future, and Beijing is definitely the most suitable ce to set up a branch. Haozi, East Sea City is our domain, we can live without worries. However, we must remain vignt even during peace, we cannot be satisfied with the present, we must set our sights longer term. Understand?"


    Nanrong Hao seemed to understand partially and nodded.


    "Haozi, your job for this period is to stay with your sister, make sure nothing happens to her," Ling Chen instructed.


    "Got it."


    After lunch, Ling Chen greeted Tang Guolun, then took a taxi alone to a caf¨¦. Shortly after he sat down, a young man entered from outside. The neer nced around the hall and headed straight for Ling Chen¡¯s seat.


    "Tang Yuan, you finally decided toe to Beijing."


    Ling Chen grinned, "Sit down, what do you want to drink?" Saying this, Ling Chen waved to call over a waiter.


    "A cup of cappino, no sugar."


    After sending the waiter away, Tang Yuan asked, "You didn¡¯t call me here just to catch up, did you?"


    "As usual, you understand me best. You¡¯ve been in Beijing longer, I¡¯ve heard you don¡¯t go on missions much now, focusing on training neers for Lonely Wolf, so you must be quite knowledgeable about Beijing¡¯s situation."


    "What do you want to know?"


    "Hong Wei, have you heard of him?"


    "Why are you asking about him?" Tang Yuan asked, frowning, "He¡¯s not easy to deal with, he¡¯s considered Beijing¡¯s underground emperor, doing things he¡¯d rather not be seen doing. Many forces in Beijing cooperate with him, so his web of connections is vast. If you n to move against him, many people will disagree."


    "So... this guy has strong backing?"


    Tang Yuan nodded, "I advise you not to target him, Beijing is his domain, if you go against him, you¡¯ll definitely be at a disadvantage." After a pause, Tang Yuan continued, "I know you¡¯re very capable now, but Hong Wei is no ordinary person, he has many experts around him. As far as I know, his security personnel are provided by two martial arts academies in Beijing."


    "Martial arts academies?" Ling Chen asked with interest, "Which ones?"


    "Qinghe Martial Arts Hall and Chengde Martial Arts Hall, both are the most famous academies in Beijing, full of experts."


    "I see, it¡¯s them." Ling Chen¡¯s eyes gleamed.


    "Howe you know about these academies?"


    The Martial Arts Hall Masters of Qinghe and Chengde are Zhou Qian and Ren Han, one is the president of the Martial Arts Association, and the other is the vice president, Ling Chen had heard Tong Zhentian mention them before. It was unexpected, indeed, to encounter them in Beijing. It seems Zhou Qian and Ren Han aren¡¯t good characters either, actually colluding with Hong Wei.


    However, just as Tang Yuan said, this indeed is a trouble.

 Chapter 1190 - 1197: Hong Family Banquet (Part 1)

    <h4>Chapter 1190: Chapter 1197: Hong Family Banquet (Part 1)</h4>


    "Old Tang, how much more do you know about Hong Wei?"


    "That¡¯s all I know. There¡¯s a saying among Beijing¡¯s elite: it¡¯s better to offend King Yan than Hong Wei. Crossing Hong Wei is akin to courting death." Tang Yuan advised, "I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re nning, but in any case, try to avoid a conflict with him."


    Ling Chen shrugged helplessly, "I¡¯m afraid that¡¯s not possible. Hong Wei secretly hired an assassin to attempt to kill Wanqing. Do you think I can just sit by and do nothing?"


    "Is that true?" Tang Yuan furrowed his brow, "However, I still advise against a direct confrontation with Hong Wei. Besides, Miss Nanrong doesn¡¯t reside permanently in Beijing. If it¡¯s dangerous in Beijing, then let her go back to East Sea City."


    After listening to Tang Yuan¡¯s advice, Ling Chen just nodded without saying anything more. After chatting with Tang Yuan for a while, since he had other matters to tend to and couldn¡¯t stay out for long, Ling Chen apanied him out of the caf¨¦, then rode alone back to his rented room.


    "Chen, it seems that dealing with Hong Wei won¡¯t be easy," Jiang Yunkai said. When Ling Chen ryed Tang Yuan¡¯s words to the group, everyone felt it would be difficult. Whether in terms of background or the power at their disposal, they couldn¡¯tpare to Hong Wei.


    "Boss Tang, what do you think?" Ling Chen turned his gaze to the pondering Tang Guolun.


    Tang Guolun raised his head and said meaningfully, "Since we can¡¯t do it openly, why not in secret? Didn¡¯t you say Hong Wei is best at underhanded tactics? That¡¯s precisely our expertise too. Hong Wei controls the underworld forces in Beijing; he surely has many illegal activities. We might as well start from there."


    "That¡¯s a good proposal." Ling Chen nodded with a smile, "I¡¯ve been thinking the same." As he finished speaking, Ling Chen shifted his gaze to Zhu Qing, who was sitting silently nearby. Sensing Ling Chen¡¯s attention, Zhu Qing said irritably, "Why are you looking at me?"


    "Lady Zhu, I think you¡¯re the most suitable for this kind of task. What do you say?"


    Zhu Qing was originally an assassin, skilled in various assassination and stealth techniques, making her the best choice for action.


    "My responsibility is to protect your safety, not act as your goon. You¡¯d better find someone else." Zhu Qing refused without hesitation.


    Ling Chen acted as if he didn¡¯t see Zhu Qing¡¯s reluctance, smilingly said, "Lady Zhu, I asked Mr. Zhu, aside from protecting my safety, you mustply with my requests as long as I need besides that, unless it vites the Zhu Family¡¯s rules. Otherwise, you cannot refuse me. Hong Wei¡¯s acts are all illegal; you hitting him should not vite the rules, right? Mr. Zhu also told me that if you don¡¯t perform well, I can lodge aint with the Zhu Family."


    "You... humph!" Zhu Qing eximed in anger, "Do you still call yourself a man, only knowing how to threaten me."


    "I¡¯m certainly a man; if you don¡¯t believe me, we could test it out. Anyway, there¡¯s a vacant room over there."


    Upon hearing Ling Chen tease Zhu Qing in public, everyone pursed their lips and secretly chuckled. Seeing the unusual gazes from everyone, Zhu Qing felt her cheeks heat up, turning as red as an apple, causing everyone¡¯s hearts to flutter.


    "Filthy rascal!" Zhu Qing spat, turned, and walked into her room.


    "Chen, you¡¯ve really got skills." Jiang Yunkai gave a thumbs-up.


    "Alright, enough joking. Kai, I¡¯m counting on you for the next few days, try to gather intelligence about Hong Wei¡¯s underground forces¡¯ bases."


    "No problem."


    "Ling Chen, aren¡¯t you nning to check on your girlfriend?" Tang Guolun asked.


    Upon hearing this, Ling Chen was momentarily stunned, then quickly realized Tang Guolun was referring to Nanrong Wanqing. "Not for now, let¡¯s deal with what¡¯s at hand first."


    Just as he finished speaking, Ling Chen¡¯s phone rang in his pocket. Answering the call, Ling Chen asked, "Haozi, what¡¯s up?"


    Whatever Nanrong Hao said on the phone, Ling Chen¡¯s expression quickly turned strange.


    "Alright, I¡¯ve got it." Hanging up the phone, Ling Chen looked at Tang Guolun and Jiang Yunkai, smiled and said, "Looks like I¡¯ll be meeting Hong Wei tonight."


    Nanrong Hao called to inform that Hong Wei was hosting a banquet tonight, inviting various elite members, including Nanrong Wanqing and Nanrong Hao. Having sent an assassin to target Nanrong Wanqing a few days ago and now inviting her, there¡¯s a chance the opponent might strike during the evening¡¯s g. Hence, Nanrong Hao hoped Ling Chen could attend the banquet as Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s partner, covertly ensuring her safety.


    Ling Chen also wished to meet Hong Wei, to see what kind of formidable foe he was.


    Nightfall.


    Wearing a newly purchased tailcoat, Ling Chen traveled to the hotel where Nanrong Wanqing was staying. After speaking with Nanrong Hao over the phone, within ten minutes, the impably dressed Nanrong Hao and Nanrong Wanqing emerged from the hotel.


    Seeing Nanrong Wanqing approaching, although the two were already familiar, Ling Chen still felt a sense of awe.


    Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s outfit tonight was elegant, a white evening gown with light makeup perfectly highlighting her natural beauty. Though simple, this attire undoubtedly suited Nanrong Wanqing best. Like a snow lotus on the iceberg, pristine and immacte, even without adornments, she was captivatingly beautiful.


    "Wanqing." Before they got close, Ling Chen stepped forward.


    "Ling Chen?" Nanrong Wanqing seemed surprised to see Ling Chen suddenly appearing there, "When did youe to Beijing?"


    "Just arrived today. Heard you needed a partner, so I came uninvited. What do you think, I¡¯m all dressed up, you won¡¯t turn me away, will you?"


    Nanrong Wanqing shot a nce at Nanrong Hao beside her, knowing without guessing, it must have been Nanrong Hao secretly informing him. However, despite this, she was genuinely pleased with Ling Chen¡¯s presence. Lately, she had been unsettled, feeling uneasy even during sleep. With Ling Chen by her side now, all worries instantly disappeared.


    At this moment, a Mercedes slowly pulled up and stopped at the hotel entrance. A man in a suit quickly stepped out, courteously smiled and said, "Good evening, Miss Nanrong, Mr. Nanrong, Mr. Hong sent me to pick you up."


    "Mr. Hong is very kind."


    "Miss Nanrong is an esteemed guest of Mr. Hong; it¡¯s only appropriate. Please, all three of you, get in!" As he said this, the man nced at Ling Chen beside, without asking many questions.


    The car drove for about twenty minutes, finally arriving at the venue for the banquet.


    Mingquan Hotel!


    On the way, Ling Chen learned from the suited man that Mingquan Hotel is one of Hong Wei¡¯s properties, ssified as a tinum five-star hotel.

 Chapter 1191 - 1198: Hong Family Banquet (2)

    <h4>Chapter 1191: Chapter 1198: Hong Family Banquet (2)</h4>


    Among the star-rated hotels domestically, the highest rating is five stars. If it¡¯s an ultra-luxurious hotel exceeding the five-star standard, it will be rated as tinum five-star. In Huaxia, there are no more than ten tinum five-star hotels like Mingquan Hotel.


    Led by the man in the suit, Ling Chen and his twopanions arrived at the banquet hall on the fifth floor of the hotel. Upon entering, they saw a spacious and luxurious banquet hall already filled with nearly a hundred guests, creating a very lively atmosphere. Those qualified to be invited were all societal elites. Ling Chen nced around and recognized many familiar faces, all of whom were public figures frequently appearing on television.


    The arrival of Nanrong Wanqing indeed caused quite a stir. After all, most of the guests attending the banquet were business people, and everyone was familiar with the famous name of Nanrong Wanqing. However, they only pointed and whispered among themselves, and not a single person came forward to greet her. In face of such treatment, Nanrong Wanqing remained veryposed, not taking it to heart at all.


    Only Nanrong Hao felt displeased, grumbling indignantly. It was known that at past banquets like this, whenever Nanrong Wanqing attended, she would surely attract a lot of attention, with everyone hoping to establish a good rtionship with the Hongyu Group.


    Nowadays, although it wasn¡¯t to the point where everyone would kick a man when he was down, everyone knew in their hearts that the decline of the Hongyu Group was only a matter of time. Therefore, they felt there was no need to waste time and energy on someone about to lose power.


    Under the gaze of all, Ling Chen and his twopanions found a sofa against the wall to sit on. Watching theings and goings of guests, Nanrong Wanqing couldn¡¯t help but sigh.


    "What¡¯s wrong?"


    "Nothing, just feeling the harshness of reality." Nanrong Wanqing pointed at a middle-aged man not far away and said, "That man is Chen Yunsheng, the chairman of Earth Real Estate. When his business ran into problems facing bankruptcy, it was my grandfather who helped him, giving him a chance to bounce back. Now his business is growing stronger, and his wealth ranks in the top fifty in the country. Now, knowing our Nanrong Family is in trouble, he not only doesn¡¯t help but wants to disassociate from us to avoid being affected."


    Pausing, Nanrong Wanqing pointed to another man in the crowd, "His name is Hu Zhichun. Thirty years ago, he approached my grandfather with a project hoping for an investment. Having been rejected by dozens ofpanies due to high risks, only my grandfather saw his potential and invested over a billion. He is now a prominent figure in the business world. When I looked for him for help recently, he ignored me. Moreover, he shamelessly demanded that our Nanrong Family withdraw our shares from hispany."


    "Many of the people you see here have benefited from my grandfather¡¯s favors. Now that the Hongyu Group faces a crisis and needs help, every single one keeps to themselves, unwilling to lift a finger. If he knew this oue, grandfather would never have helped these ingrates."


    Sensing Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s emotional turmoil, Ling Chenforted her, "Don¡¯t think too much about it. Everyone looks out for themselves in today¡¯s society. The saying ¡¯repay a drop of water with a gushing spring¡¯ applies to only a few people."


    As they spoke, the banquet hall suddenly fell silent, and all eyes turned to the entrance. Ling Chen looked up to see a middle-aged man in a white suit stride in, nked by several bodyguards.


    This middle-aged man appeared to be around forty, well-maintained with no traces of time, tall and slender with handsome features, exuding a mature masculine aura. Particrly noticeable was his slightly upturned smile, giving an impression of great confidence as if nothing in the world could stump him.


    "Mr. Hong, good evening and thank you for your invitation!"


    In an instant, everyone flocked over, vying to greet him.


    Hong Wei!


    Ling Chen narrowed his eyes and smiled slightly, finally seeing him in person.


    "May I have everyone¡¯s attention, please?" Hong Wei gestured with his hand, and the banquet hall quickly quieted down, with all eyes focused on him. Hong Wei enjoyed this moment of being the center of attention immensely. ncing around the crowd, Hong Wei smiled and said, "First, I want to thank everyone for gracing us with your presence; if you¡¯re here, it shows you¡¯re my friends."


    "Mr. Hong, what¡¯s the purpose of tonight¡¯s banquet?" someone asked from the crowd.


    "Don¡¯t read too much into it. It¡¯s just that I haven¡¯t had a gathering with everyone for a long time, so I hosted this banquet to deepen our connections, no other purpose. So, please feel free." At this point, Hong Wei looked at the crowd and said, "Tonight I specially invited several distinguished guests. One is Miss Nanrong from East Sea City, whom I believe everyone is familiar with. Another is Miss Zhu; most of you are from Beijing, so she should not be a stranger. Additionally, I¡¯m fortunate to have invited the rising music star Miss Tang Shiyun."


    "Miss Nanrong and Miss Zhu are known as the two flowers of Huaxia, talented and beautiful; Miss Tang is seen as the pure goddess in many people¡¯s hearts. Being able to invite these three tonight is indeed my privilege. Oh! I kindly remind everyone that these three beauties are currently single, so... you might want to be proactive; perhaps Fortune might smile upon you tonight."


    Hearing this, everyone present couldn¡¯t help butugh, their eyes filled with eagerness.


    Are Xiaozhu and Shiyun here too?


    Ling Chen was a bit surprised, not expecting Hong Wei to invite them as well. However, what bothered Ling Chen more was Hong Wei¡¯s previous remarks. The implication in Hong Wei¡¯s words seemed to liken the three women to socialites, which was undoubtedly an insult to them.


    Nanrong Wanqing obviously found the remarks harsh as well, with anger shing in her beautiful eyes.


    "Ling, you¡¯re here too? Great! I thought I¡¯d have to return to East Sea City to see you." The voice came, and Ling Chen didn¡¯t need to look to know who it was. Tang Shiyun came running over, hugging Ling Chen¡¯s arm, her exquisite face beaming with a happy smile.


    Besides Tang Shiyun, Zhu Xiaozhu also approached, but her smile was somewhat forced. Both she and Nanrong Wanqing were the type of women with keen minds, and Hong Wei¡¯s words left them quite ufortable.


    Unlike Nanrong Wanqing, though the Zhu Family holds some reputation in Beijing, they pale inparison to Hong Wei. Moreover, the Zhu Family has long been based in Beijing, and they dare not offend Hong Wei unless they wish to quit high society. Thus, even if Zhu Xiaozhu felt displeased, she couldn¡¯t show it, as she didn¡¯t want to create trouble for the Zhu Family because of her own sake.

 Chapter 1192 - 1199: Hong Family Banquet (Part 3)

    <h4>Chapter 1192: Chapter 1199: Hong Family Banquet (Part 3)</h4>


    "Girl, how did Hong Wei invite you to his dinner party?" Ling Chen asked curiously.


    "I happened to be a guest at Xiaozhu¡¯s house. Mr. Hong sent someone with an invitation, saw me there, and invited me as well. I was bored alone, so I came along with Xiaozhu for some fun."


    "I¡¯m sorry," Zhu Xiaozhu said apologetically. "If I¡¯d known it was this kind of dinner party, I wouldn¡¯t have brought Shiyun."


    Ling Chen smiled and said, "It¡¯s okay, it¡¯s not your fault."


    As they were speaking, a few youths walked over from the crowd.


    "Buddy, what luck you have, enjoying thepany of three beauties all by yourself. Can you handle it?" A youth said sarcastically. "Why don¡¯t we help you share the joy?"


    "We¡¯re all battle-hardened, we guarantee your satisfaction," the youth¡¯spanion chimed in while making obscene gestures with his hips.


    "Enough!" Nanrong Hao stood up abruptly and said coldly, "Watch your mouth, or I¡¯ll make you lose all your teeth."


    "Oh! Mr. Nanrong is angry," the youthughed loudly. "I¡¯m so scared, what should we do?"


    "Mr. Nanrong, how about this? When your Nanrong family goes bankrupt, I¡¯ll take care of your sister. Don¡¯t worry, she¡¯ll eat well and sleep well with me. I¡¯ll take good care of her in bed."


    This remark immediately drew a wave of boisterousughter.


    "You bastards, watch how I deal with you." Nanrong Hao shouted furiously, swinging his fists as he charged forward. However, before he could teach them a lesson, Ling Chen had already stopped him.


    "Haozi, don¡¯t be impulsive."


    Had it been anyone else, Nanrong Hao would have probably cursed by now. Seeing Ling Chen speak, Nanrong Hao suppressed his anger and said sternly, "Chen, they talk about my sister like that. Can you stand it?"


    Ling Chen patted Nanrong Hao¡¯s shoulder and smiled slightly, "Don¡¯t be rash. Can¡¯t you see they¡¯re deliberately provoking you? If you act now, you¡¯re ying right into their hands."


    Upon hearing this, Nanrong Hao calmed down significantly, "Chen, is someone targeting our Nanrong family?"


    "No, not your family, but me." Ling Chen turned his head to look at a youth in the crowd. As if sensing Ling Chen¡¯s gaze, the youth immediately turned away, pretending not to notice what was happening.


    Observing this, Ling Chen¡¯s lips curled slightly as a hint of cold light shed in his eyes.


    Ren Chong!


    Ling Chen remembered that youth well; back in East Sea City, this guy was kicked by him and lost face badly. He probably hated him. Ren Chong attending today¡¯s dinner was likely due to his father, Ren Han.


    Tang Yuan mentioned that Ren Han and Zhou Qian¡¯s martial arts academies were closely linked to Hong Wei, with Hong Wei¡¯s bodyguards consisting of experts from these academies. Without this connection, Ren Chong wouldn¡¯t qualify to attend such a dinner.


    Upon entering, Ling Chen had noticed Ren Chong. At that time, he was hanging out with these youths. These youths causing trouble were undoubtedly instigated by Ren Chong.


    Thinking of this, Ling Chen withdrew his gaze, looked at the arrogant youths, and asked, "What benefits did Ren Chong offer you?"


    At this question, the youths¡¯ expressions changed slightly but quickly returned to normal, "What Ren Chong? We don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about. Ling, if you don¡¯t have the guts to stand up for your women, just say so. Don¡¯t change the subject; we won¡¯tugh at you."


    Ling Chen smiled faintly, without the slightest sign of anger, "Fellows, perhaps Ren Chong didn¡¯t tell you who I am. If you knew, you wouldn¡¯t dare bother me even if you had the guts. Unfortunately, it¡¯s toote to regret now. If I were you, I¡¯d call my family now and ask them to prepare for your funeral. Because...you won¡¯t make it home alive tonight."


    The youths were initially stunned, but only for a moment. A youth sneered, "Is this a threat? Haha! I thought you were formidable, but you¡¯re just all talk. If you¡¯re that capable, why not act now?"


    "Now?" Ling Chen stared at the youth, the smile on his face growing brighter, "Are you sure?"


    "I..." The youth smirked, ready to mock, when suddenly his face turned pale, he spat out a mouthful of blood, and his body went limp, copsing to the ground. After twitching twice, hey there motionless, without a sound.


    This sudden change left the other youths stunned.


    After a while, one youth snapped out of it first, nudging his fallenpanion with his foot, urging, "What are you doing? Get up and stop embarrassing us."


    Despite repeated calls, the youth on the ground remained unresponsive.


    Seeing this, the other youths finally realized something was wrong. They hurriedly crouched by theirpanion, flipping his body over. Seeing theirpanion¡¯s pale face, lifeless, the youths¡¯ pupils shrank, their expressions filled with terror.


    Dead...he¡¯s dead!


    Ling Chen nced at the dumbfounded youths, leaned in slightly, and said softly, "Don¡¯t forget to call your family."


    With that, Ling Chen ignored them and led Nanrong Hao and thedies to another part of the banquet hall.


    After Ling Chen walked away, the youths finally snapped out of their shock and horror. They exchanged nces, visibly showing fear in each other¡¯s eyes.


    Recalling Ling Chen¡¯s words, they finally understood it wasn¡¯t a joke. Dead...a few minutes ago, theirpanion was a living, breathing person,ughing and chatting. Now, he was a cold corpse.


    "Ren Chong...that bastard got us into trouble." A youth stood up shakily, quickly rushing into the crowd, searching for Ren Chong. Meanwhile, the others realized what was happening and quickly followed.


    At this moment, in a corner of the banquet hall, Ling Chen and Nanrong Hao sat on a sofa, while Nanrong Wanqing and thedies sat on the opposite sofa.


    "Ling, what happened to that person just now? Did he...really die?" Tang Shiyun asked curiously, blinking her big eyes.


    Ling Chen smiled slightly and said, "He¡¯s just asleep. Haozi, there are plenty of snacks; go grab some. I haven¡¯t had dinner, and I¡¯m starving."


    "Okay!" Nanrong Hao responded, immediately heading for the table.


    Not just Nanrong Hao, Zhu Xiaozhu and Nanrong Wanqing also knew Ling Chen was changing the subject, not wanting this incident to affect Tang Shiyun.


    As for that youth...Nanrong Wanqing, Zhu Xiaozhu, and Nanrong Hao all knew he was truly dead!

 Chapter 1193 - 1200: Hong Family Banquet (Part 4)

    <h4>Chapter 1193: Chapter 1200: Hong Family Banquet (Part 4)</h4>


    All along, Nanrong Wanqing and others thought they understood Ling Chen¡¯s personality well. But it was only today that they realized they had underestimated Ling Chen¡¯s ruthlessness. He kills without hesitation, showing no mercy, adding a coldness to his character.


    Looking at the calm andposed Ling Chen, Nanrong Wanqing and Zhu Xiaozhu¡¯s eyes revealed a hint of surprise. What kind of experiences made Ling Chen¡¯s heart so strong? Just a minute ago, he had killed someone with his own hands. Yet Ling Chen showed no abnormal reaction, as if... this was already routine for him.


    However, even though Ling Chen¡¯s actions were excessively brutal, their hearts felt relieved. No matter who it was, being humiliated face to face would not feel good. If it weren¡¯t for Ling Chen being present, they would probably have had to endure it silently.


    "Chen," Nanrong Hao leaned over to Ling Chen and whispered, "We may feel relieved, but this is a banquet. Won¡¯t Hong Weie to trouble us?"


    Ling Chen gave a faint smile and asked back, "Are you scared?"


    Nanrong Hao raised his eyebrow and immediately replied, "Who says I¡¯m scared, I¡¯m just..." before he could finish speaking, he heard footsteps approaching quickly from afar. Ling Chen looked closely and saw the person leading the group was none other than Ren Chong, followed by Hong Wei, the host of the banquet, as well as those young troublemakers and a group of security personnel.


    Ren Chong looked at Ling Chen coldly, with a sinister smile in his eyes. After hearing the news of hispanion¡¯s death earlier, Ren Chong was genuinely shocked by Ling Chen¡¯s ruthlessness, which instilled a sense of fear in his heart. But remembering the host of the banquet, Ren Chong immediately had an idea. Hong Wei¡¯s status in Beijing was well-known; he was like an underground emperor¡ªwho dared to provoke him?


    Ling Chen defying Hong Wei at his ce was simply asking for death. With this thought, Ren Chong directly found Hong Wei. Humph! No matter how formidable you are, Ling Chen, this is Beijing, not East Sea City, let¡¯s see how capable you are.


    "Ling Chen!" As Ren Chong got closer, he didn¡¯t bother with pleasantries and directly yelled, "You have guts, daring to kill at Mr. Hong¡¯s banquet. Do you not regard Mr. Hong at all?"


    Ren Chong¡¯s voice was loud, deliberately attracting the attention of the banquet hall guests. How could he miss such an opportunity to stand out?


    Ling Chen nced at Ren Chong, said nothing, and directly shifted his gaze to Hong Wei behind him.


    "Mr. Hong, are you here to question me too?"


    "Mr. Ling, I¡¯m just here to find out the truth. I¡¯m aw-abiding citizen, if indeed someone was killed at the banquet, I must hand them over to the police for handling. Besides, I also need to give an exnation to the deceased¡¯s family."


    Ling Chen said indifferently, "If that¡¯s the case, take your time investigating, and if you need my assistance, I won¡¯t refuse."


    Hearing this, Ren Chong shouted angrily, "Ling Chen, do you dare say you didn¡¯t kill him?"


    "Mr. Ren, things can be randomly killed, but words can¡¯t be randomly said. Which eye saw me kill? If you have evidence, feel free to present it. If not, please shut your mouth; otherwise, I might sue you for defamation."


    "You want evidence?" Ren Chong sneered, "Fine, it looks like you won¡¯t cry until you see the coffin." Saying that, Ren Chong turned around and pointed at those troublemaking young men and said, "You are all witnesses, loudly tell everyone what happened just now."


    Ling Chen looked into the eyes of those young men and said with a smile, "Everyone, you¡¯d better think clearly before speaking. If you provide false testimony for him, it will cause big trouble. Do you remember what I just said to you? Did you call your family yet?"


    With these words, the young men¡¯s eyes immediately showed fear, looking at each other in confusion, unable to say a word for a long time. Seeing this, Hong Wei, who had been silent, finally spoke, "Speak up, I¡¯ll support you, are you afraid to say even a word?"


    With Hong Wei backing them up, the young men¡¯s courage grew significantly. One of them mustered the courage to say, "Mr. Hong, at the time we were all with Chen Yong. He was fine, and then suddenly coughed up blood and died. Before Chen Yong¡¯s death, Ling Chen said in front of us he would kill him."


    "Did you see me make a move?" Ling Chen asked with a smile.


    "At that time, it was only you with us, who else would it be?"


    Ling Chen shrugged, looked at Hong Wei and said, "Mr. Hong, you¡¯ve seen a lot. Do you think this kind of talk can be considered evidence?"


    Hong Wei furrowed his brows slightly, looking at Ren Chong and the others with displeasure. When Ren Chong found him earlier, he only said Ling Chen killed someone in the banquet hall. Ren Chong is Ren Han¡¯s son, and he had a close rtionship with Ren Han, so he naturally didn¡¯t doubt Ren Chong¡¯s words. Therefore, he didn¡¯t ask much and directly came with Ren Chong to find Ling Chen. If he had known Ren Chong and the others didn¡¯t have direct evidence, he wouldn¡¯t have wasted his efforts to deal with this unnecessary matter.


    Sensing Hong Wei¡¯s displeasure, Ren Chong¡¯s heart sank, suddenly feeling something was wrong.


    "Ren Chong, is this the evidence you mentioned?"


    Ren Chong quickly replied, "Mr. Hong, listen to my exnation, Ling Chen is definitely the killer, I dare use my life to guarantee if you investigate thoroughly, you will surely find the evidence. Besides, Chen Yong couldn¡¯t have died without reason."


    "Do you think I have plenty of time to y with you? Hmph! Without evidence, you use others, that¡¯s defamation. Fortunately, Mr. Ling is generous and doesn¡¯t hold you ountable. In the future, investigate before encountering such things, understand?"


    Hong Wei truly felt disappointment; Ren Chong¡¯s father, Ren Han, was a notable person, how could his son be so foolish? Even if Ling Chen killed the person, so what? If he dared to do so, he surely wouldn¡¯t leave any evidence. Finding trouble with Ling Chen now would only be a humiliation to oneself.


    After hearing Hong Wei¡¯s words, Ling Chen was slightly stunned, wondering when he said he wouldn¡¯t pursue it? But just a secondter, Ling Chenughed. Hong Wei indeed was clever, subtly helping Ren Chong resolve the trouble. If he continued to pursue, it would seem ungenerous.


    Enough! Ren Chong was just a minor character, as long as he doesn¡¯t provoke him in the future, there¡¯s no need to stoop to his level.


    "Aren¡¯t you going to apologize to Mr. Ling yet?"


    With Hong Wei¡¯s order, how could Ren Chong dare to defy, he swallowed his unwillingness, bowed his head, and murmured like a mosquito, "Sorry... sorry!"


    Ling Chen smiled slightly, "What did you say? I can¡¯t hear you."

 Chapter 1194 - 1201: Hong Family Banquet (Part 5)

    <h4>Chapter 1194: Chapter 1201: Hong Family Banquet (Part 5)</h4>


    Ren Chong secretly gritted his teeth with hatred. He knew Ling Chen was deliberately picking a fight. However, with Hong Wei standing nearby watching him, he dared not make any rash moves. Taking a deep breath, Ren Chong said in a deep voice, "I¡¯m sorry, it was my fault earlier, I shouldn¡¯t have doubted you."


    Ling Chen smiled and nodded, saying, "It¡¯s good that you know you¡¯re wrong. Since you¡¯ve sincerely apologized, I won¡¯t hold you responsible. But I have a word of advice for you: don¡¯t cause trouble out of nothing in the future, otherwise, when you really stumble, it¡¯ll be toote to regret."


    "Alright! Remember Mr. Ling¡¯s words and be on your way." Hong Wei waved his hand, and Ren Chong dared not linger any longer, leaving the banquet hall with a few young men in tow. Watching Ren Chong and his group depart, Ling Chen¡¯s lips curled into a slight smile as he let out a coldugh.


    This scene was caught by Hong Wei, who curiously asked, "What is Mr. Lingughing about?"


    "It¡¯s nothing," Ling Chen replied ndly, "I just hope they get home safely."


    Upon hearing this, a faint, imperceptible cold gleam shed in Hong Wei¡¯s eyes. "Mr. Ling, as the host of the banquet, I apologize for what just happened. I hope you won¡¯t take it to heart."


    "Mr. Hong, you¡¯re too polite. As you just said, I¡¯m a magnanimous person and won¡¯t fuss over such trivial matters."


    "That¡¯s good." Hong Wei smiled and said, "I have other guests to attend to, so I won¡¯t disturb you further. Enjoy your time." After saying this, Hong Wei smiled at Nanrong Wanqing and the others, then turned around with his subordinates and left.


    "You, send a few people to protect Ren Chong and make sure you safely escort them home. Did you hear me?" Before his own people, Hong Wei looked stern, his eyes and words carrying a trace of cold severity, devoid of the friendliness from earlier.


    "Mr. Hong, could they be in danger?"


    "Ling Chen is not a simple person; he might very well cause trouble for them. In any case, it¡¯s better to be safe than sorry."


    "Yes, I understand. I¡¯ll send someone over immediately."


    Meanwhile, Ling Chen picked up the phone, dialed a number, and said, "Did you see those guys? ... Alright, get someone to deal with them, and remember, leave no traces, so they can¡¯t trace it back to us."


    After hanging up, Ling Chen turned to Nanrong Wanqing and the others, chatting with them casually, as if nothing had happened.


    Before attending the banquet tonight, Ling Chen had made thorough preparations. He had installed a miniature camera on his cor, capturing every situation in the banquet hall. The main purpose of this was to collect intelligence and information.


    So, Tang Guolun on the other end of the phone knew exactly who Ling Chen was referring to.


    Half an hour flew by, and Ling Chen checked the time; it was already past nine o¡¯clock. However, this banquet showed no signs of ending. On the contrary, from everyone¡¯s high spirits, it seemed there was even more fun to be had.


    "Ling Chen, why don¡¯t we head back?" Nanrong Wanqing suggested, "Staying here is pointless, just a waste of time."


    Ling Chen opened his mouth, ready to respond, but at that moment, someone hurriedly walked into the banquet hall and whispered a few words in Hong Wei¡¯s ear. It was unknown what the person said, but Hong Wei¡¯s expression changed as he quickly turned his gaze to Ling Chen. As their eyes met, Ling Chen gave a slight smile, but Hong Wei showed no reaction, leading his people out of the banquet hall.


    "Chen, what are you looking at?" Nanrong Hao asked.


    "Nothing." Ling Chen stood up and said, "Let¡¯s go; we can head back now."


    Exiting the banquet hall, Ling Chen noticed Hong Wei and his people standing outside, their expressions grave, discussing something unknown. Hearing footsteps approaching, Hong Wei turned his head, looked at the approaching Ling Chen, and walked forward with wide strides.


    "Mr. Ling."


    "Mr. Hong." Ling Chen asked with a smile, "What are you doing outside?"


    "I just received a message that Ren Chong and a few others were ambushed halfway, with a few dead and one seriously injured."


    "Is that so?" Ling Chen feigned surprise and asked, "Who would do such a heinous act? Mr. Hong, have you caught the culprits yet?"


    "Not yet," Hong Wei stared into Ling Chen¡¯s eyes, speaking meaningfully, "But Beijing is my territory. No matter who it is, if they dare to act recklessly on my turf, I won¡¯t let them leave Beijing alive."


    "Well said, we must not let the culprit go unpunished. I hope you can apprehend them soon, Mr. Hong. Unfortunately, my capabilities are limited; otherwise, I¡¯d surely lend my full support. Anyway, we need to head back, so we won¡¯t disturb you any further, Mr. Hong. Until next time."


    Watching Ling Chen and the others enter the elevator, Hong Wei slightly furrowed his brows, his gaze sharp.


    "Mr. Hong, it must have been Ling Chen. Why not just arrest him?" one of the security personnel in a suit asked.


    "Do you have any evidence to prove it was him?"


    The man in the suit chuckled coldly, "Mr. Hong, since when do we need evidence to do our jobs?"


    Upon hearing this, Hong Wei couldn¡¯t help butugh, nodding, "It seems you haven¡¯t wasted your years with me; you¡¯ve finally learned something. Give the order to keep Ling Chen under 24/7 surveince. I want to know his every move."


    "Yes, I¡¯ll arrange it immediately."


    After dropping off Nanrong Wanqing, Zhu Xiaozhu, and Tang Shiyun at home, Ling Chen headed straight to the rented apartment. Throughout the journey, Ling Chen changed cabs several times, making a detour for over an hour. From the moment he left Mingquan Hotel, he noticed someone tailing him, but they were too inexperienced to sessfully monitor him.


    Entering the rented apartment, everyone was present except for Tang Guolun and Jiang Yunkai, who were busy. Zhu Qing sat alone at the corner, holding a knife and wiping its blood-stained de with a cloth. It was Zhu Qing who had acted earlier. Given their limited manpower, aside from Zhu Qing¡¯s skills, Tang Guolun and Jiang Yunkai¡¯s abilities were not suitable for such ambush operations.


    Ling Chen¡¯s judgment proved urate; while Zhu Qing might not rank on the Earthly List, her profession as an assassin made her adept at surprise attacks. Coupled with some special stealth techniques from the Zhu Family, she could hold her own even against Earthly List masters.


    "Lady Zhu, thank you for your hard work tonight."


    Ling Chen¡¯s voice reached her, and Zhu Qing nced up at him without saying a word, refocusing on her knife.


    Seeing that she was unwilling to engage, Ling Chen shrugged, unwilling to make a fool of himself. He turned toward Tang Guolun and asked, "Have you gathered any intel?"


    Tang Guolun nodded and said, "You wouldn¡¯t believe it until you see it. Hong Wei is involved in numerous businesses, with illegal activities making up more than half. Drug trafficking, smuggling, human trafficking... just with what I can find, there are over a dozen counts. With these charges alone, he could be executed a hundred times over."

 Chapter 1195 - 1202: The Influence of Hong Wei

    <h4>Chapter 1195: Chapter 1202: The Influence of Hong Wei</h4>


    "And what else?"


    "I looked into it, and seventy percent of the entertainment industry in Beijing belongs to Hong Wei. Just the annual profit from this aspect alone reaches billions, not including other illegal earnings and profits frompanies he operates. If you add it all up, it¡¯s estimated to be hundreds of billions. However, I¡¯ve heard that Hong Wei spends as much as a billion each year on favors, with arge portion used to curry favor with those above." Saying this, Tang Guolun gave Ling Chen a ¡¯you know what I mean¡¯ look.


    "Aside from this, have you found any of his secret hideouts?" Ling Chen asked.


    "This is rather difficult to find. So far, there¡¯s been no sess. Hong Wei operates so many entertainment venues, every hotel, nightclub, and foot spa could be his hideout, making it quite troublesome to search. Additionally, we are currently understaffed, and many tasks are hard to carry out."


    "I¡¯ve contacted Fatty, a group will arrive in Beijing tonight."


    As soon as he finished speaking, the ringtone of Ling Chen¡¯s phone rang from his pocket. He answered the call; it was Hu Fei calling. Whatever Hu Fei said on the other end, Ling Chen¡¯s expression immediately soured.


    "Alright, I got it. Try to figure something out, and get people over here as soon as possible." Finishing speaking, Ling Chen hung up the phone and looked at Tang Guolun, saying, "We¡¯ve run into some trouble."


    "What¡¯s going on?"


    "Fatty called to tell me that our people were just intercepted at the airport, apparently they¡¯re not allowed into Beijing and will be sent back."


    Tang Guolun frowned and asked, "Why?"


    "Do you even need to ask? It must be Hong Wei¡¯s doing. Hong Wei framed them, saying they were carrying dangerous items. There¡¯s nothing I can do about it; I can only have them return first, and send another batch over. But doing so will take a few days. Hong Wei should be aware of this, so if I¡¯m not mistaken, he will definitely make a move in these two days."


    "You mean... he will directlye after us?" Jiang Yunkai chimed in from the side, "He doesn¡¯t have any evidence to prove we did it, I..."


    Before Jiang Yunkai could finish, Tang Guolun interjected, "Do you think someone like him needs evidence?"


    "In short, everyone should be cautious, and try toy low for the next few days." Saying this, Ling Chen turned to look at Zhu Qing in the corner, smiled, and said, "Lady Zhu, things might be tough for you these few days."


    Deep into the night.


    Hong Family vi.


    A Mercedes sedan slowly drove through the gates, and a middle-aged man in a suit got out of the car, quickly entering the vi with a butler apanying him.


    "Mr. Hong."


    "Master Ren, what brings you rushing to see me sote?"


    Ren Han said gravely, "What happened to Ren Chong? I just found out he was sent to the hospital¡¯s intensive care unit and is still in critical condition. Wasn¡¯t he supposed to attend a banquet tonight? How did this happen?"


    "Master Ren, don¡¯t be so upset, sit down and let¡¯s talk slowly."


    Once Ren Han sat down, Hong Wei began to ask, "Master Ren, do you happen to know Ling Chen?"


    "Ling Chen?" Ren Han¡¯s expression changed slightly, he nodded, and said, "I know him, I met him a few times in East Sea City the other day. Mr. Hong, why are you suddenly bringing him up?"


    Hong Wei casually stated, "Because tonight¡¯s incident might be his doing. Aside from your son being seriously injured, several others were killed. I suspect the perpetrator deliberately spared your son¡¯s life."


    "This... how is this possible?" Ren Han was startled, "Ren Chong and Ling Chen have no grievances, why would Ling Chen target my son?"


    "If you must me someone, me your son for being foolish enough to incite trouble for Ling Chen. As a result, those youths all lost their lives." Hong Wei rubbed his temples, saying, "Now their families are seeking justice from me. Master Ren, what do you suggest I do about this?"


    "This..." Ren Han was rendered speechless, momentarily falling silent.


    Seeing Ren Han hesitate to speak, Hong Wei asked with a sarcastic smile, "Why, Master Ren, are you not nning to avenge your son?"


    Ren Han sighed helplessly and stated, "If it were someone else, I would deal with him directly, but... Ling Chen cannot be touched."


    "Why?"


    "I¡¯m... I¡¯m afraid!"


    "Afraid?" Hong Wei¡¯s eyes slightly opened, feigning a smile, "Master Ren, I¡¯ve known you for so many years, and I¡¯ve never seen you so timid. Does Ling Chen have three heads and six arms that even you fear to move against him?"


    "Mr. Hong, to be honest, it¡¯s not Ling Chen I¡¯m scared of, it¡¯s the people behind Ling Chen. You should have heard of Tong Zhentian; he¡¯s the most respected figure in the martial arts world today. With Tong Zhentian backing Ling Chen, how could I dare to act? After all, it¡¯s my livelihood, and if I offend Tong Zhentian, I¡¯ll never be able to survive in this circle."


    "Master Ren, I understand your concern. However, don¡¯t forget, this is Beijing, my turf. What I say goes. Since Ling Chen is so formidable, I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ll have to trouble you to handle this matter. I don¡¯t care what means you use, capture Ling Chen within two days, and I¡¯ll have people fully support you. If you can¡¯t handle even this small matter, then don¡¯t bothering to see me anymore. Have I made myself clear?"


    Ren Han wanted to say something else, but upon meeting Hong Wei¡¯s piercing gaze, he swallowed his words and nodded, "Yes, I understand."


    "Good. Once this matter is done, I won¡¯t forget your reward. Haven¡¯t you always wanted that plot next to the Martial Arts Academy to expand it? Once it¡¯s done, I¡¯ll have it sorted for you."


    Upon hearing this, Ren Han¡¯s expression slightly improved.


    "Rest assured, Mr. Hong, I will not disappoint you."


    The night passed.


    The next morning, Ling Chen had just finished breakfast and was preparing to thoroughly investigate Hong Wei¡¯s background with Tang Guolun. Before he could leave, a call suddenly disrupted Ling Chen¡¯s ns.


    "Chen,e quickly!"


    Nanrong Hao¡¯s anxious voice came through on the phone, and at the same time, Ling Chen heard banging noises on the other end.


    "Haozi, what¡¯s going on?"


    "I¡¯m not clear, I woke up and saw a lot of people outside making a fuss wanting to see Sister. Iined to the hotel, but they haven¡¯t responded at all. Half an hour ago, I called the police, but there¡¯s still no sign of them. Chen, they¡¯re many and powerful, if you don¡¯te soon, I¡¯m really afraid something bad will happen."


    "Alright, I got it. Stay at the hotel, I¡¯m heading over now." Hanging up the call, Ling Chen grabbed Zhu Qing and immediately headed towards the hotel where Nanrong Wanqing was staying.

 Chapter 1196 - 1203: Ling’s Duel (1)

    <h4>Chapter 1196: Chapter 1203: Ling¡¯s Duel (1)</h4>


    Under Ling Chen¡¯s urging, the taxi driver sped all the way and finally arrived at the hotel where Nanrong Wanqing was staying after more than ten minutes.


    Entering the elevator, Ling Chen pressed the floor button. However, the elevator suddenly stopped on the third floor. At the same time, the elevator doors slowly opened. Looking at the corridor outside, Ling Chen frowned slightly, feeling a bit strange. Nanrong Wanqing lived on the fifth floor, but the elevator automatically stopped on the third floor, which was really odd. As thoughts raced through his mind, a young man appeared in the corridor.


    "Mr. Ling, my master invites you over for a chat."


    Upon hearing this, Ling Chen immediately understood. It seemed that all of this was deliberately arranged by someone, with the purpose of drawing him here. With this in mind, Ling Chen looked at Zhu Qing beside him and said, "You go to the fifth floor first to find Wanqing and ensure their safety; leave things here to me."


    Zhu Qing nodded, then took the stairs from the side emergency exit. After Zhu Qing left, Ling Chen strode directly towards the young man.


    The third floor of this hotel was not a guest room but a spacious fitness room. Entering the fitness room, Ling Chen immediately saw someone sitting on the floor in the center of the room.


    Ren Han!


    Ling Chen squinted his eyes, thinking it would be Hong Wei personally, but it turned out to be Ren Han. At this moment, Ren Han sat cross-legged on the ground, wearing a loose training suit, with a tea table ced in front of him, brewing Kung Fu tea.


    Hearing the approaching footsteps, Ren Han did not raise his head or look at Ling Chen, but simply reached out to make a cup of Kung Fu tea and ced it opposite him, lightly saying "Please."


    Ling Chen smiled slightly and, without wasting words, sat down by the tea table. After drinking a cup of tea, Ling Chen looked directly at Ren Han and asked, "Does Chairman Ren have something to discuss with me?"


    "Ling Chen, we all understand, so there¡¯s no need to waste words. You¡¯ve killed so many people and gravely injured my son; do you think I¡¯d let it go without doing anything?"


    "Chairman Ren, Ren Chong is really like you; both of you never provide evidence when using others, making it seem as if the court is yours. Chairman Ren, let¡¯s not beat around the bush. If you want to make trouble for me, just say it. There¡¯s no need to find such excuses. I¡¯m not the kind of person who is afraid of causing trouble. If you want to make trouble, bring it on; I¡¯ll deal with it all. However, you are at least my senior, so... don¡¯t me me for not warning you. Before you do anything, think clearly whether you can bear the consequences."


    Ren Han picked up a cup of tea and said expressionlessly, "People are often not in control of themselves."


    Ling Chen nodded. At this stage, there¡¯s no point in saying more. After finishing a cup of tea, Ren Han slowly stood up. At this time, the young man who brought Ling Chen over quickly moved the tea table from the center of the room.


    Looking at the spacious surroundings, Ling Chen slightly raised his right hand, making a ¡¯please¡¯ gesture.


    "Ling Chen, our Ren Family¡¯s ancestral skill is the Lianyang Saber Technique, so only weapons can let me unleash my full power. For a fair duel, you can choose the weapon you are good at, and I will have someone bring it to you." As he spoke, the young man walked up to Ren Han with a long rectangr wooden box.


    The wooden box opened, revealing a three-foot three-inch long steel saber inside. The saber¡¯s back was thick, and its edge sharp enough to cut hair, truly a rare Divine Weapon. Ren Han picked up the steel saber, skillfully moving his wrist and arms.


    "Ling Chen, you may choose now."


    Ling Chen stood still, staring at the steel saber in Ren Han¡¯s hand. After a while, he smirked and said, "The Ren Family is famous for its sword technique; I too would like to experience it. If I must choose a weapon, then give me a saber."


    "Are you sure?"


    Ling Chen nodded. Soon, the young man handed Ling Chen a saber. As Ling Chen gripped the steel saber, his eyebrows furrowed slightly.


    Damn! I¡¯ve seen shameless people, but never this shameless. They talk about a fair duel, but then give me such a pathetic saber. I get it now, Ren Han never intended to have a fair duel. Letting me choose a weapon was just his first deceit.


    "Are you ready?" Ren Han looked at Ling Chen and said, "I¡¯m going to make my move."


    Ling Chen remained silent, quietly assuming a defensive stance. Seeing his move, Ren Han said nothing more, lightly tapping the floor with the tip of his toes and charging forward, covering a few meters in an instant. As the force of his strike approached, Ling Chen looked up, seeing only the sharp de rapidly approaching, aiming directly at his head.


    Seeing this, Ling Chen slid his foot, immediately activating the Nine Yang Qiankun Step, vanishing from under Ren Han¡¯s steel saber like a phantom.


    Seeing the target disappear from the de¡¯s edge, Ren Han didn¡¯t hesitate; the Sword Force shifted, directly slicing towards his left side.


    This sh instantly frightened Ling Chen into a cold sweat. It was as if Ren Han saw through his movement technique, as the de¡¯s edge fell exactly at his moving position. If not for his quick reflexes, stopping his legs in time, the sharp de would likely have shed into his body.


    Was it a coincidence? Or skill?


    Ling Chen couldn¡¯t figure it out. He had faced many Earthly List experts, but no Earthly List expert had ever urately judged the position of the Nine Yang Qiankun Step and attacked preemptively. If Ren Han possessed such an ability, it would mean his Nine Yang Qiankun Step would be entirely ineffective.


    Thinking of this, Ling Chen bit his teeth and once again activated the Nine Yang Qiankun Step, like a gust of wind, rapidly changing positions around Ren Han¡¯s body. Listening to the wind stirred by the pping clothes, Ren Han remained standing still, his eyes fixed straight ahead.


    Suddenly, Ren Han raised his hand gripping the saber slightly, shing towards his right side. As he attacked, only a shadow flickered past his eyes, instantly widening the distance between them.


    Seeing the piece of cloth falling to the ground, Ling Chen¡¯s gaze gradually grew solemn. He had been testing Ren Han earlier, trying to figure out if that previous sh was coincidence or something else. Now it seemed that Ren Han relied not on luck but indeed on skill.


    What Ling Chen couldn¡¯t understand was that although Ren Han was an Earthly List expert, his skills were at most slightly stronger than Wang Hao¡¯s. Wang Hao not only practiced the Nine Yang Qiankun Step but was also proficient in the Shattered Leaf Step. Yet, even so, Wang Hao couldn¡¯t see through his identity. Could Ren Han¡¯s skills truly be that strong?


    ording to what Tong Zhentian had told him, the Nine Yang Qiankun Step, ranked first among the three great movement techniques as an Absolute Skill, was extremely formidable. Unless the opponent mastered equally powerful and countering methods, it would be difficult for an Earthly List expert to see through his movement technique.


    From this perspective, Ren Han¡¯s consecutive ability to see through wasn¡¯t a coincidence; he must have mastered some means or techniques.


    His strongest ability being countered made Ling Chen a bit worried.

 Chapter 1197 - 1204: Ling Ren’s Decision (2)

    <h4>Chapter 1197: Chapter 1204: Ling Ren¡¯s Decision (2)</h4>


    Ren Han didn¡¯t give Ling Chen much of a chance to catch his breath. He lifted his steel de and swiftly closed the distance, shing toward Ling Chen¡¯s shoulder.


    The Nine Yang Qiankun Step lost its effectiveness, and Ling Chen had no other choice but to forcefully withstand Ren Han¡¯s attack. ng! With a crisp sound, the edges of their steel des collided, sparking bursts of fire. Ling Chen focused his gaze and his expression changed.


    As expected,pared to Ren Han¡¯s weapon, his own steel de waspletely inferior. After just one strike, the edge of his steel de was already chipped. Without time to think further, Ren Han leaped into the air, his steel de slicing through the air. The Lianyang Saber Technique unfolded instantly, like a relentless river, strike after strike, each one deadly. Furthermore, when Ling Chen¡¯s steel de touched the opponent¡¯s, it seemed as if a strong suction force emanated from the opponent¡¯s de.


    It was as if Ling Chen¡¯s steel de was stuck, the rhythm entirely controlled by Ren Han.


    Damn!


    Facing this situation, Ling Chen couldn¡¯t help but curse under his breath. He had seen many formidable saber techniques, but never one as strange as this. He understood clearly that once he fell into the opponent¡¯s rhythm, defeat was only a matter of time.


    After enduring over a dozen moves, Ling Chen¡¯s footsteps continuously retreated. With no choice, as the opponent¡¯s offense was too fierce and coupled with Ren Han¡¯s upper hand in weaponry, Ling Chen could only adopt a passive defense. Yet, even so, he felt extremely strained.


    Looking at his chipped steel de, Ling Chen gritted his teeth and abruptly moved back, widening the distance between them. Before Ren Han could close in again, Ling Chen shook his wrist and thrust his steel de toward the ground. In an instant, the de shattered into more than ten sharp steel fragments.


    Seeing Ling Chen¡¯s action, Ren Han was slightly taken aback, not understanding what Ling Chen intended to do.


    Taking advantage of the moment, Ling Chen quickly bent down, scooping all the sharp steel fragments from the ground into his hands, gripping them tightly.


    Huh? At this moment, the sharp-eyed Ling Chen suddenly noticed a red light shing on the floor. Taking a closer look, it appeared to be a microchip. After a brief moment of shock, Ling Chen quickly realized. It must have fallen out of the handle when he shattered his steel de.


    To think a microchip was hidden inside a sword, this was something he had never encountered before. As his mind raced, Ling Chen¡¯s gaze turned towards Ren Han, a hint of suspicion in his eyes. This sword was prepared in advance by Ren Han; he must have known about the microchip.


    Could it be... Ling Chen¡¯s eyes darted back and forth as he instantly understood the function of the microchip.


    Earlier, when he executed the Nine Yang Qiankun Step, Ren Han had seen through his movement technique twice. He initially thought Ren Han had mastered a way to counter his technique, but now it seemed that wasn¡¯t the case. It was likely the microchip at work.


    The microchip could provide precise positioning, and by relying on the signal from the microchip, Ren Han could urately determine his location,unching attacks in advance. ording to Ling Chen¡¯s earlier n, he intended to shatter the de into many pieces to use as hidden weapons, never expecting this unexpected discovery of a microchip.


    Hmph! You call this a fair duel? Damn!


    Ling Chen spat disdainfully, ring coldly at Ren Han, "Chairman Ren, I thought you were a gentleman. I didn¡¯t expect you to be so deceitful, using such despicable means."


    Exposed by Ling Chen, Ren Han felt no shame and instead said, "Victory belongs to those who are prepared. Using tactics is not shameful; as long as I win, anything goes."


    "Is that so? Chairman Ren, you¡¯re truly shameless. I can¡¯t imagine how someone like you became the Chairman of the Martial Arts Association."


    "Enough talk. Today, you¡¯re not leaving this room." With those words, Ren Han raised his steel de high and approached quickly, ready tounch another attack.


    Whoosh!


    A whistling sound pierced the air, and Ren Han quickly stopped, brandishing his de to block. With a crisp ¡¯ng,¡¯ a steel fragment was deflected away.


    Seeing the fragment miss its target, Ling Chen immediately shifted sideways. At the same time, he executed the Nine Yang Qiankun Step once more, transforming into a series of afterimages, rapidly moving around Ren Han. Without the microchip¡¯s assistance, Ren Han was left to rely solely on his skills.


    Watching Ling Chen¡¯s rapid movements around him, Ren Han kept turning his head, trying to lock on to Ling Chen¡¯s position. However, Ling Chen was too fast for his eyes to catch. Seeing this, Ren Han suddenly swung his de forward, executing a sweeping move that forced Ling Chen back several meters.


    Taking this opportunity, Ren Han suddenly elerated, rushing towards the back of the gym.


    Trying to escape?


    Without a word, Ling Chen slid forward, immediately following behind Ren Han. However, after pursuing only a short distance, Ling Chen abruptly stopped.


    By this time, Ren Han had reached a position against the wall, with the wall providing defense. He only needed to defend from the front without worrying about attacks from behind. Yet, seeing Ling Chen stand motionless in the center of the room, Ren Han was momentarily puzzled. He thought Ling Chen would pursue him, yet he showed no intention of doing so.


    Sensing Ren Han¡¯s bewildered gaze, Ling Chen spoke in a detached tone, "Chairman Ren, do you take me for a fool? Duped once, would I fall for it again? Are you luring me over there to use underhanded tactics against me?"


    Ren Han said nothing, but from his gloomy eyes, it was clear that Ling Chen had seen through his intentions. Indeed, he had prepared a ¡¯surprise¡¯ gift for Ling Chen around himself. If Ling Chen followed, it would certainly neutralize him, making him his prisoner.


    But Ling Chen wasn¡¯t falling for it, rendering his carefullyid ns ineffective.


    Whoosh!


    The sound of something piercing the air arose, and a steel fragment shot from Ling Chen¡¯s hand toward Ren Han.


    Ren Han immediately raised his steel de across his front, deflecting the fragment away. After being blocked by Ren Han, Ling Chen continued the same method of attack, steel fragments constantly flying towards Ren Han. At this moment, in Ling Chen¡¯s eyes, Ren Han was like a stationary target.


    Ren Han dared not leave his position against the wall and could only cower there unless he had confidence in dealing with Ling Chen¡¯s Nine Yang Qiankun Step. Otherwise, as long as Ling Chen didn¡¯t enter his trap, Ren Han could only take a beating passively.


    Soon, Ling Chen used up all the steel fragments in his hand. Looking at the equipment around, Ling Chen¡¯s eyes lit up, and he quickly walked toward a set of dumbbells. These dumbbells wereposed of very heavy tes, each weighing ten kilograms, the lightest being five kilograms. For Ling Chen, they were undoubtedly the best weapons.

 Chapter 1198 - 1205: Ling Ren’s Decision (Part 3)

    <h4>Chapter 1198: Chapter 1205: Ling Ren¡¯s Decision (Part 3)</h4>


    Seeing Ling Chen move those dumbbell tes to the center of the gym, Ren Han¡¯s face immediately turned unsightly.


    "Chairman Ren, since you¡¯re unwilling toe out, let me entertain you." With that, Ling Chen picked up a dumbbell te, spun his waist, and sharply threw it forward. The 10-kilogram dumbbell te was instantly hurled out.


    With the support of Inner Strength, the impact of the dumbbell te was greatly enhanced. Faced with the flying dumbbell te, Ren Han immediately dodged. However, as soon as he evaded it, another dumbbell te was already thrown over. He had no choice but to swing his knife to block it.


    ng!


    With a crisp sound, Ren Han¡¯s arm holding the knife trembled slightly. Although he sessfully blocked the dumbbell te¡¯s attack, he did not feel well either.


    In the blink of an eye, Ling Chen had already thrown more than ten dumbbell tes. Compared to the suffering Ren Han, Ling Chen was having a great time. The Vice President of the Martial Arts Association, what a coward, without a shred of courage. Ling Chen was speechless and couldn¡¯t help but say, "Chairman Ren, don¡¯t you want toe out for some fresh air? You¡¯re the host here. If you don¡¯te out soon, I, as the guest, can only leave."


    Hearing this, Ren Han snorted coldly, angrily saying, "Let¡¯s see where you think you¡¯re going."


    As soon as he finished speaking, over thirty suited men of various ages surged in from the front and back of the gym. Judging by their appearance, they were likely disciples from Ren Han¡¯s Martial Arts Academy.


    Each of them held weapons, all looking ferocious. Seeing those people rush over, Ling Chen immediately picked up two 10-kilogram dumbbell tes from the ground and charged straight at them.


    In a sh, a few men were hit on the head by the dumbbell tes, instantly knocked out.


    "Chairman Ren, if you don¡¯t take action soon, all your disciples will be done for."


    Watching the disciples of the Martial Arts Academy fall one after another, Ren Han gritted his teeth, hesitated for a moment, then finally rushed up with his steel knife.


    Hearing footstepsing from behind, Ling Chen immediately sped up, executing the Nine Yang Qiankun Step, charging swiftly towards the crowd. At the same time, Ling Chen swung both arms, throwing Ren Han¡¯s disciples one by one to the back, blocking Ren Han¡¯s steps.


    Before long, before Ren Han could catch up, Ling Chen had already reached the gym¡¯s entrance. Turning around, he nced at Ren Han approaching quickly, then picked up the dumbbell te in his hand and threw it forcefully. Instantly, Ren Han¡¯s steps paused slightly, and by the time he regained his senses, Ling Chen had already dashed out of the gym, heading straight for the elevator.


    Seeing Ren Han chasing out from the gym, Ling Chen smiled and waved until the elevator doors werepletely closed. Although the elevator couldn¡¯t go up, it could still go down. As the elevator arrived at the hotel¡¯s first-floor lobby, Ling Chen strode out of the hotel.


    Soon, Ren Han emerged from the hotel with a group of people, scanning around, searching for Ling Chen¡¯s whereabouts. However, Ling Chen had already blended into the crowd and disappeared.


    "Master, we can¡¯t find him."


    Ren Han couldn¡¯t help but curse, "A bunch of useless fools, so many of you can¡¯t stop him. Go back and control that woman, Nanrong Wanqing. Don¡¯t let her escape! As long as we have her, I¡¯m not afraid Ling Chen won¡¯t show up."


    Immediately, a group of people rushed to the hotel¡¯s fifth floor. As soon as they stepped out of the elevator, they were stunned by the scene before them. In the long corridor, people were lying all over, yelling in pain.


    A few minutester, Ren Han arrived on the fifth floor by elevator. Seeing the state of the corridor, Ren Han¡¯s expression changed, and he demanded coldly, "What¡¯s going on here? Where is that woman?"


    A young man, head down, replied tremblingly, "Mas... Master, that woman is... is gone..."


    "What?" Ren Han shouted angrily, "Didn¡¯t I tell you to keep an eye on her?"


    "I asked around, and they said a woman appeared earlier and injured them all. I suspect it might have been the woman Ling Chen brought before."


    Hearing this, Ren Han couldn¡¯t suppress his anger. Not only did he fail to catch Ling Chen, but even that woman got away. This is bad. Not only can he not report back to Hong Wei, if Ling Chen tells Tong Zhentian about this matter, thetter won¡¯t let him off. With this thought, a chill ran through Ren Han¡¯s heart.


    No! He must take action to prevent the Ren Family¡¯s foundation from being destroyed.


    "You take care of things here, I have something important to do." After giving orders, Ren Han turned and walked into the elevator.


    At this moment, in a taxi, Ling Chen looked at Nanrong Wanqing beside him and asked, "Were you frightened?"


    "No. Who were those people earlier? Were they here to trouble me?"


    "They weren¡¯t after you, it¡¯s my personal affair. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll resolve it quickly and it won¡¯t affect you." Saying this, Ling Chen turned to Nanrong Hao, who was in the front passenger seat, and instructed, "Haozi, make sure to protect your sister well and don¡¯t let anything happen to her. If you¡¯re short on manpower, contact Kai for some help."


    "Got it, Chen."


    "Driver, please stop at the intersection ahead."


    "Where are you going?" Nanrong Wanqing asked Ling Chen.


    "I have some personal business to take care of. You find somewhere to stay first." Pausing for a moment, Ling Chen seemed to think of something and said, "The hotel might not be safe. Why not go stay at Xiaozhu¡¯s ce for a few days? Besides, Shiyun is there too. How does that sound?"


    "This..." Nanrong Wanqing seemed a bit hesitant.


    On the side, Nanrong Hao interjected, "Sister, I think Chen¡¯s suggestion is good. You saw what happened today. If we stay at the hotel, there¡¯s no guarantee the same thing won¡¯t happen again. We¡¯re now in Beijing, not East Sea City, so we must be cautious."


    Hearing Nanrong Hao¡¯s advice, Nanrong Wanqing thought for a moment and gently nodded, "Alright then."


    "Okay, I¡¯ll contact youter." With that, Ling Chen stepped off the taxi with Zhu Qing.


    Watching Ling Chen¡¯s figure grow more distant, a trace of doubt appeared in Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s beautiful eyes.


    "Nanrong Hao, who was that woman just now, do you know her background?"


    "Not really, she seems to be someone Ling Chen just brought in for help, and she¡¯s very powerful."


    "I see." Nanrong Wanqing responded absentmindedly, looking out the car window, her expressionplex, lost in thought.


    "Why are we here?" By the roadside, Zhu Qing stood beside Ling Chen, asking.


    Ling Chen replied with a smile, "No rush, let¡¯s wait a moment."


    After about ten minutes, a taxi pulled up beside them. The car door opened, and out stepped Jiang Yunkai.


    "Chen."


    "Did you get the documents?"


    "All set. Are we acting now or waiting until night?"


    "No time to lose, we act now. Humph! Since Hong Wei wants to mess with me, I must return the favor."

 Chapter 1199 - 1206: Wanziqianhong (1)

    <h4>Chapter 1199: Chapter 1206: Wanziqianhong (1)</h4>


    Not long after, Ling Chen and his twopanions found themselves in an alleyway behind a nightclub. ording to the intelligence gathered by Tang Guolun, the nightclub before them, named Wanziqianhong, was the most renowned entertainment venue in the Hong Wei Entertainment Industry. Moreover, the annual profit from this nightclub ounted for twenty percent of all their operations, signifying its undeniable importance. Even Hong Wei himself would often visit this nightclub.


    The nightclub typically opened in the evening, and it was only midday now. Ling Chen and his team walked through the narrow alley, surveying their surroundings.


    The alley had three hidden surveince cameras, and with Ling Chen¡¯s extensive experience, it didn¡¯t take long for him to take care of them. Upon reaching the back door of the Wanziqianhong Nightclub, Ling Chen pulled a few wires from his pocket and inserted them into the iron door¡¯s keyhole. In less than ten seconds, the iron door was easily unlocked.


    Once inside the nightclub, Ling Chen looked around. Since it was break time, the nightclub was empty except for a few security personnel at the main entrance. Before long, the three of them reached the nightclub¡¯s main hall. Gazing at the luxurious decor, Jiang Yunkai casually walked to the bar, picked up a bottle of foreign liquor worth tens of thousands, and poured two sses.


    "Chen, want to try some?"


    Ling Chen smiled and waved his hand, continuing to wander leisurely around the nightclub¡¯s hall. After all, they had plenty of time, so there was no rush.


    The nightclub was vast, with two halls in total; a front hall and a back hall. The front hall was thergest, while the back hall was smaller but much more luxurious, likely intended for entertaining VIP guests.


    "Kai," called Ling Chen to Jiang Yunkai, who was savoring fine wine at the bar, and asked, "Are you sure it¡¯s here?"


    "Shouldn¡¯t be wrong. We¡¯ve been monitoring for two days, and every day around two in the afternoon, a truck arrives at the nightclub. My men told me that the truck wasn¡¯t carrying liquor or food; everything was in barrels, packed with small items. Both I and Boss Tang suspect there are drugs inside. Also, the annual profit of this nightclub is peculiar. No matter how luxurious a regr nightclub is, annual profits usually max out at a few hundred million. After all, the bigger the nightclub¡¯s ie, the greater the expenses. However, Wanziqianhong Nightclub¡¯s annual profit reaches over a billion, several times more than ordinary nightclubs, which is clearly abnormal. So, arge part of the profit here shoulde from drugs."


    After listening to Jiang Yunkai¡¯s analysis, Ling Chen nodded. Indeed, a nightclub with an annual profit of over a billion is terrifying; many businesses couldn¡¯t even achieve that.


    Checking the time, it was just past noon, and Ling Chen, after a brief contemtion, said, "Didn¡¯t you say the truck arrives promptly at 2 pm? Let¡¯s wait here, and when the timees, we¡¯ll find out what¡¯s in that truck."


    The nightclub¡¯s supplies were quite abundant, with not just liquor but plenty of food and fresh fruits. Ling Chen and hispanions casually grabbed something to eat, solving their lunch problem. After resting for about an hour, as it neared two, the ever-vignt Ling Chen heard the sound of a car horn from outside.


    Calling over Jiang Yunkai and Zhu Qing, the three found a more concealed spot to hide. Shortly after, the nightclub¡¯s main door was pushed open, and over ten men in work clothes began carryingrge wooden barrels inside.


    The men passed through the front hall, heading straight to the back. Ling Chen signaled Zhu Qing, and she understood immediately, trailing behind them. Given Zhu Qing¡¯s adept skills in stealth, she wouldn¡¯t easily expose her presence, making her the perfect candidate.


    Surreptitiously observing, Ling Chen noted that they moved over twenty barrels in total before closing the door again once the transport wasplete.


    After confirming the departure of the others, Ling Chen and Jiang Yunkai quickly proceeded to the back hall, where they found Zhu Qing waiting for them. "Lady Zhu, where did they ce the goods?" asked Ling Chen.


    Zhu Qing pointed to a passageway behind a screen, and without a word, Ling Chen went inside immediately. After passing through the passage, the three reached a storage room filled with piled goods. The warehouse wasn¡¯trge, about a hundred square meters, with various sizes of wooden crates stacked inside.


    What puzzled Ling Chen was that there were only wooden crates and no barrels in sight. As his mind raced, Ling Chen nced at Zhu Qing, who silently moved to a corner of the warehouse and shifted the crates stacked nearby. Instantly, a secret door was revealed against the wall.


    Beside the secret door was abination lock. Ling Chen pped his forehead. If only he had known this was here, he would have brought his equipment.


    Just as he was contemting this, Zhu Qing reached out and entered an eight-digit code. Seeing the secret door open, Ling Chen couldn¡¯t help but smile joyfully.


    The Zhu Family members are indeed impressive!


    Passing through the secret door, Ling Chen took the lead, heading straight inside. After walking a short distance, he saw a staircase leading downward. As he reached the bottom, he heard faint noises.


    Someone there?


    Ling Chen nced around and gestured toward Jiang Yunkai and Zhu Qing behind him, indicating they should proceed with caution. Below the staircase was a secret underground room, where numerous wooden barrels were ced in a corner against the wall¡ªexactly those that had been moved in earlier. Ling Chen approached one of the barrels, knocking on it, hearing a hollow ¡¯thud¡¯ sound.


    Empty? Ling Chen was puzzled and lifted the lid of the barrel. Immediately, a strong smell of alcohol wafted out.


    Jiang Yunkai leaned closer, observing the alcohol inside the barrel, and said in surprise, "Why is it this stuff? Did we make a mistake?"


    Ling Chen contemted for a moment, dipping a finger into the liquid, and then tasted it. Seeing Ling Chen¡¯s action, Jiang Yunkai asked in confusion, "Chen, what are you doing?"


    Ling Chen smiled slightly and said, "Try it yourself, and you¡¯ll understand."


    Hearing this, Jiang Yunkai dipped his finger into the alcohol and put it in his mouth. "This..." Jiang Yunkai eximed in surprise, "This alcohol tastes terrible."


    Ling Chen nodded with a smile, saying, "A nightclub like Wanziqianhong would never use such poor-quality liquor to entertain guests. I think there¡¯s definitely something wrong here." With that, Ling Chen lifted the entire barrel and poured the liquid onto the ground.


    Once the liquid finished flowing out, Ling Chen and Jiang Yunkai discovered that the alcohol only filled up halfway in the barrel, separated by a wooden divider. Seeing this, Ling Chen immediately understood, quickly flipping the barrel over onto the floor. Examining the bottom, Ling Chen grasped both sides and turned it gently, instantly dislodging a round cover.

 Chapter 1200 - 1207: Wanziqianhong (Part 2)

    <h4>Chapter 1200: Chapter 1207: Wanziqianhong (Part 2)</h4>


    Seeing what¡¯s under the round cover, Yunkai¡¯s eyes immediately lit up with excitement, "Chen, looks like we got it right." As he spoke, Yunkai took out a small transparent stic bag. The bag contained many crystalline particles, and having hung out with Jiang Hao and others for so long, Yunkai was no stranger to such granr things.


    "Chen, this is thetest drug on the market, called Excitement Pill. It¡¯s not only cheap, but highly profitable, and it works really well. It¡¯s easy to get addicted to, and recently, quite a bit of it has shown up in East Sea City."


    "Now the evidence is irrefutable. With this evidence, I wonder how Hong Wei will deny it." As he spoke, Ling Chen took out his phone and dialed a number.


    After the call, Ling Chen turned to look at Yunkai, preparing to speak. At this moment, he suddenly realized that Zhu Qing was nowhere to be seen.


    "Huh? Where¡¯s Lady Zhu?" Ling Chen looked around and asked, "Kai, did you see Lady Zhu?"


    Yunkai looked around, scratching his head, "I didn¡¯t notice. Lady Zhu... maybe she went that way." Saying this, Yunkai pointed towards a passage behind them. Ling Chen took a closer look, just about to search for Zhu Qing, when he saw her emerge from the corner of the passage.


    "Lady Zhu, where did you go without telling me?" Ling Chen asked as he walked. As he spoke, he suddenly noticed that Zhu Qing¡¯s face was a bit pale, her eyes hiding deep-seated anger. Not only that, but her hands seemed to be stained with blood.


    "Lady Zhu, you... what¡¯s wrong?"


    Zhu Qing took a deep breath and turned around, "Follow me."


    Sensing the anger Zhu Qing was trying hard to suppress, Ling Chen and Yunkai exchanged nces and quickly followed her.


    Soon, Ling Chen saw several men lying on the ground, all lifeless. It seemed Zhu Qing was responsible. Ling Chen was puzzled about what had happened to make Zhu Qing so angry. As an assassin, being easily influenced by emotions was unprofessional.


    "You guys should go inside and take a look."


    Hearing this, Ling Chen pushed open a door, barely stepping inside before a pungent stink hit him. Covering their noses, Ling Chen and Yunkai entered one after the other. With just one nce, they were both shocked by what they saw.


    In a small house, forty to fifty young women were imprisoned. They were all separated, with more than ten in each, held in small iron cages of only six or seven square meters, without clothes, hair disheveled, living, eating, and sleeping in the cages, making the air terrible with a thick stench.


    One nce told that the spirits of these young women were very low, probably not fed well or rested properly. However, their looks were above average. Seeing these women treated like animals, finally made Ling Chen understand why Zhu Qing was so angry.


    "Damn! That bastard Hong Wei deserves to die," Yunkai cursed angrily, "Is he even human?"


    "Kai, open all the cages."


    Yunkai responded, and before long, more than fifty young women were freed. However, due to the harsh environment here, some women were seriously ill, and two had been dead for a day or two, with their bodies already beginning to rot. The men on watch hadn¡¯t noticed, likely because the odor in the room was so strong, it masked the smell of the corpses. People simply thought they were sleeping.


    After more than ten minutes, Ling Chen finally received a call from Tang Yuan.


    "Old Tang, have you arrived yet?" Earlier, Ling Chen had called Tang Yuan, knowing local police might take too long to handle the situation, and only Tang Yuan could help.


    "Sang, you¡¯re such a headache. I¡¯ve warned you not to go against Hong Wei. I just consulted the higher-ups, but they don¡¯t allow us to intervene, suggesting we leave it to the local police. I¡¯ve told you that Hong Wei¡¯s connections are vast, and officials of all levels in Beijing are closely connected with him."


    "So what do we do?" Ling Chen asked with a furrowed brow, "I just rescued dozens of illegally imprisoned women from Hong Wei¡¯s den. Are you suggesting we do nothing?"


    "Brother, it¡¯s not that I¡¯m unwilling to help but rather that it¡¯s inconvenient to intervene. After all, I¡¯m not a police officer, and such matters aren¡¯t my jurisdiction. You¡¯ve been in the shadows long enough to know Beijing¡¯s rules; no matter what you do, you better not cross the line." Pausing for a moment, Tang Yuan continued, "I just reported this to the high-ups, initially believing the military wasn¡¯t closely connected with Hong Wei. But now it seems we were all wrong. If nothing unexpected happens, Hong Wei is probably already aware. Sang, don¡¯t worry about the others just now, get out of there."


    "No, you should know my personality; once I¡¯vee across something, I won¡¯t ignore it." With that, Ling Chen hung up the phone.


    Seeing Ling Chen¡¯s serious expression, Yunkai asked, "Chen, what do we do now?"


    "Hong Wei¡¯s people will be here soon. If they surround us, we¡¯ll be in trouble. We need to get them out immediately." With that, Ling Chen carried two incapacitated women and dashed toward the surface.


    With the three of them working together, it took less than fifteen minutes to get over fifty women to the nightclub¡¯s back hall. Meanwhile, the sound of car tires screeching outside reached them. Ling Chen went to the window, pulled back the curtain, and looked outside, only to see more than ten cars parked in front of the nightclub, with about fifty to sixty suited men blocking the entrance.


    Looks like the front door is a no-go.


    "Chen!" Yunkai rushed over, anxiously saying, "The back door is blocked too."


    Ling Chen¡¯s heart sank. The nightclub had only two exits, now both blocked, leaving only one option: break through. But with so many women in the back hall, if it were just the three of them, escape would be easy.


    "I can call for my team," Zhu Qing said from the side.


    Ling Chen knew who Zhu Qing was referring to. Besides Zhu Qing, who was responsible for his personal protection, there was also a hidden team of elite assassins cultivated by the Zhu Family, managed by Zhu Qing. Whenever necessary, Zhu Qing could call them to action. Simply put, this team was exclusively assigned to Ling Chen, specializing in his service.


    "No!" Ling Chen said, "This is Beijing, and you have to use your head when doing things. Don¡¯t act rashly." After a moment of thought, Ling Chen said, "Here¡¯s the n: you two stay back and take care of those women, I¡¯ll handle the people outside. I¡¯ll try to divert their attention, giving you a chance to get them out."


    "Chen, be careful."


    Ling Chen nodded, walked directly to the main door, and pushed it open to go out.

 Chapter 1201 - 1208: The Veteran General Takes Command

    <h4>Chapter 1201: Chapter 1208: The Veteran General Takes Command</h4>


    Seeing Ling Chening out of the nightclub, the gazes of dozens of men in suits all focused on him.


    "Mr. Ling, the nightclub doesn¡¯t open until seven in the evening. Aren¡¯t you a bit early?" A voice came from the crowd. Ling Chen fixed his eyes on the speaker, realizing it was the young man who had driven him and Nanrong Wanqing to the banquet the other day.


    Ling Chen looked around at the crowd, smiled faintly, and said, "I am a bit early. But you don¡¯t need such arge setup to wee me, do you?"


    "Mr. Hong instructed us; since Mr. Ling is a distinguished guest, we must entertain him well." After speaking, the young man nced behind Ling Chen and asked, "Mr. Ling, why are you alone? How about having yourpanionse out?"


    "Sorry, they¡¯re not convenient right now. Whatever the matter is, just address it to me."


    As soon as he finished speaking, the sound of sirens suddenly came from the roadside. Soon, several police cars parked in front of the nightclub. As the car doors opened, more than a dozen police officers stepped out. Seeing them, the young man immediately approached.


    "Officer Luo, this man forcibly entered the nightclub and intentionally hurt people. Please take him back for investigation."


    "Rest assured, we will certainly enforce thew impartially." The officer nodded, then turned his gaze to Ling Chen,manding softly, "Arrest him, take him back, and interrogate him thoroughly."


    "Yes, sir!" Several officers responded and strode toward Ling Chen.


    Seeing the police closing in with handcuffs, Ling Chen inwardly cursed at the unfavorable situation. In such circumstances, he couldn¡¯t resist the police; otherwise, the charges would be severe. In a ce like Beijing, there were too many restrictions; even a small matter could be serious. If any evidence fell into the hands of the enemy, they could find a reason to destroy you even over something trivial. Talk about reason? Hmph! These people were hired by Hong Wei, naturally biased towards him, and they wouldn¡¯t listen to his plea.


    Thinking of this, Ling Chen was momentarily at a loss. He had counted on Tang Yuan to help, but with Tang Yuan not there, he couldn¡¯t do much, or at least couldn¡¯t act officially.


    As thoughts raced through his mind, Ling Chen¡¯s gaze fell on the young man. At that moment, thetter was also looking at him, a mocking smile on his face. Damn it! Ling Chen was secretly displeased; he couldn¡¯t retaliate¡ªreally frustrating.


    Just as the officers were about to take Ling Chen away with the handcuffs, a military jeep suddenly rushed over from the roadside.


    Fearing being hit by the jeep, everyone quickly stepped aside. As the jeep came to a halt in front of Ling Chen, the passenger seat door swung open, and an elderly man with white hair, dressed in military uniform, jumped out of the vehicle. At the same time, two more military jeeps arrived and parked by the roadside, with over a dozen armed soldiers surrounding the men in suits.


    Seeing the neers, joy welled up in Ling Chen¡¯s heart, sweeping away the gloomy feelings.


    "What are you doing?" The old man shouted at the officers, "Get back! Anyone who touches him will eat a bullet from me."


    This sudden change stunned everyone present, especially the police, who were all intimidated by the old man¡¯s aura, standing still without daring to move.


    Officer Luo, who was leading the team, finally reacted, jogging over to the old man. After ncing at the general stars on the old man¡¯s shoulder, his legs grew weak, and sweat covered his forehead.


    "G-Ge-General, what... what are you up to?" Officer Luo asked with a forced smile.


    "Nothing much," the old man said coldly. "Upholding justice is supposed to be your job as the police. Since you¡¯re ipetent, let me, an old man, take over. Call your director. If I don¡¯t see him within ten minutes, he¡¯ll be out of his position."


    Hearing the old man¡¯s bold words, Officer Luo dared not ask further, quickly responding with ¡¯Yes¡¯ and scrambled to the side, pulling out his phone.


    Witnessing this, the young man¡¯s expression changed slightly; he discreetly took out his phone, intending to call Hong Wei. However, before he could dial, arge hand suddenly reached out from behind, ruthlessly snatching and smashing his phone to the ground.


    The one who acted was none other than the subordinates brought by the old man.


    "Listen up, all of you! Stand still. Anyone who dares to move, I¡¯ll shoot them. Got it?" The old man shouted coldly. Seeing everyone nodding submissively, he nodded in satisfaction and turned to Ling Chen.


    "You, brat, every time youe to Beijing, you stir up trouble," the old man scolded jokingly. "Isn¡¯t itfortable unless you cause some trouble?"


    Ling Chen embarrassedly scratched his head and said, "General, you can¡¯t me me. The trouble came to me, I couldn¡¯t just ignore it." Pausing, Ling Chen asked softly, "General, how did you know I was here?"


    "Wasn¡¯t it that kid Tang Yuan who called me? He said you were in trouble and hoped I could help you. I didn¡¯t hesitate, immediately brought my guardpany over. Brat, tell me, what¡¯s going on?"


    Ling Chen nodded and recounted the recent events.


    After listening, Qiao Zhen¡¯s expression became displeased, "You did well. Hmph! Whatever happens this time, I¡¯ll back you up. I want to see if Beijing is ruled by Hong Wei or the government."


    Not long after, the police chief responsible for this area arrived at the Wanziqianhong Nightclub.


    Seeing Qiao Zhen in the crowd, he was taken aback and quickly ran over, respectfully greeting, "General Qiao, what brings you here?"


    "I don¡¯t want to waste words with you. Personally lead a team with Ling Chen inside and exin to me how you n to handle this."


    Upon Qiao Zhen¡¯smand, the chief dared not disobey and immediately gathered over a dozen subordinates to follow Ling Chen into the nightclub.


    A few minutester, the police chief emerged from the nightclub, his expression grave.


    "General Qiao, such an incident in my jurisdiction warrants my ountability. Rest assured, I will handle it impartially, not letting any wrongdoers escape."


    "Good." Qiao Zhen nodded, "You arrange for the media; in an hour, hold a press conference here. You¡¯ll host, and I¡¯ll watch."


    Hearing this, the chief hesitated, somewhat reluctantly saying, "General Qiao, isn¡¯t this too much? Maybe... maybe we should handle it discreetly."


    "Discreetly?" Qiao Zhen sneered, "Don¡¯t think I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re up to. I warn you, though I¡¯ve retired, removing a small police chief like you is easy. Either do as I say or... take off that uniform and get out immediately."

 Chapter 1202 - 1209: The Elder General in Critical Condition (1)

    <h4>Chapter 1202: Chapter 1209: The Elder General in Critical Condition (1)</h4>


    Under the pressure of Qiao Zhen¡¯s influence, the police chief ultimately chose the former option. As Qiao Zhen said, although he had retired, his influence remained, and dealing with a police chief was a trivial matter for him.


    "Very good." Qiao Zhen was pleased with the decision and nodded, "This time solving a major case will greatly benefit your career. You should seize this opportunity. If you handle this matter well, you might rise even further."


    Hearing this, a glimmer of hope shed in the police chief¡¯s eyes. Having been in the system for so long, he naturally understood the implication behind Qiao Zhen¡¯s words. Initially thinking he was finished, Qiao Zhen had closed one door for him but opened a window. If he did well and got Qiao Zhen to maneuver for him, his chances of promotion would increase greatly. As for Hong Wei... he was just a small figure, forced into it this time; presumably, Hong Wei wouldn¡¯t hold it against him.


    Thinking of this, he immediately arranged for someone to notify the media and prepare for a news conference.


    ng!


    With a sharp sound, a ss goblet shattered into pieces.


    In a luxurious vi, Hong Wei sat on the sofa, watching the news conference broadcast on TV, his face stern and eyes filled with barely concealed anger.


    "Mr. Hong," the butler standing behind the sofa asked, "Is there anything I need to do?"


    Hong Wei took a deep breath, gradually calming his furious emotions. He nced at the maid beside him and pointed to the wine ss on the table. Thetter understood, refilled a ss of wine and handed it to Hong Wei. Taking the wine ss, Hong Wei swirled it gently, watching the red wine ripple, his tone indifferent as he said, "This time, it¡¯s my fault. I underestimated Ling Chen."


    "What does sir n to do?"


    Hong Wei took a sip of red wine, watching the images on the TV, and said, "Do nothing. Since this encounter is lost, there¡¯s no need to continue shing hard; it¡¯s not worth it. Butler, tell Yang Xun to take the fall for this. I¡¯ll take care of his family. If he dares to reveal anything about me, he knows the consequences."


    "Yes, I know what to do."


    "Also..." Hong Wei pointed at an elderly man in military uniform on the TV and asked, "You¡¯re most familiar with the major figures in Beijing, do you know who he is? I¡¯ve never seen him before."


    "His name is Qiao Zhen, a recently retired General from the military who now holds a nominal post, living out his retirement in the military districtpound."


    "Retirement? Hmph! At such an age yet still stirring trouble. He¡¯s tired of living, I see." Pausing, Hong Wei pondered for a while and then spoke, "Do you know his background?"


    "I¡¯m not very sure, there¡¯s not much information about him. I suspect he was in charge of a secret department, only such people wouldn¡¯t have too many records in the files. And although he¡¯s retired, his high military rank indicates his important status. Mr. Hong, I believe we shouldn¡¯t provoke him; after all, he¡¯s a veteran of the military, and our rtions with the military aren¡¯t very strong. Once the linits are crossed, the military people definitely won¡¯t stand idly by."


    Hong Wei nodded, agreeing, "You analyze well. Indeed, we cannot offend the military. But, if this old man using his influence in the military insists on bothering me, what should I do? Must I let him bully me?"


    "I think we don¡¯t need to worry too much. Though Qiao Zhen is military personnel, this matter should be handled by the police. Qiao Zhen has already overstepped, and I believe the military will step in to stop him to avoid tension between the military and the police."


    "You mean... let him off and not bother with him?" Hong Wei sneered, "Butler, you¡¯ve been with me for so many years. Do you still not understand my character?" Then, with his eyes narrowed, seeming to have made up his mind, Hong Wei said, "Get me in touch with Mr. Zhu."


    Hearing Hong Wei mention ¡¯Mr. Zhu,¡¯ the butler¡¯s expression slightly changed, asking, "Mr. Hong, are you sure you want to do this?"


    "They¡¯ve bullied me beyond tolerance. If I do nothing, people in Beijing will think I¡¯m scared. Just as well, I¡¯ll take this opportunity to show everyone that I¡¯m not easy to mess with. Remember, make it clean and tidy, preferably as an ident. I don¡¯t want it to trace back to me. Understand?"


    "Yes, I know what to do." The butler nodded and turned to leave the living room.


    In a rented room, Ling Chen, Tang Guolun, and others sat in front of the TV, watching the police¡¯s news conference, a faint smile in their eyes.


    "Well done," Tang Guolun said with augh, "Hong Wei has stumbled so badly; I bet he¡¯s fuming right now."


    "It was fortunate the old General arrived in time, or we would have been in serious trouble," Ling Chen responded. Beijing, as a political center, is troublesome to operate in with many restrictions unless you have strong enough backing; otherwise, it¡¯s hard to move an inch.


    Moreover, this incident made Ling Chen aware of his weaknesses. Before, the old General had power, and the backing wasrge enough that even if something went wrong, there was little worry. But things are different now; the old General is retired and has moved from a position of power to a nominal position. Although Pang Jiulin, who seeded Lonely Wolf, had a good rtionship with him, Pang Jiulin¡¯s standing in the military was too weak. Being only a colonel, he didn¡¯t have much say and had to consult superiors for everything. So, his presence was far from Qiao Zhen¡¯s while he was in power.


    Therefore, in Beijing, his actions must be low-key, as low-key as possible, avoiding making a big scene which would be difficult to control.


    Qiao Zhen knew this better than anyone. That¡¯s why he forced the counterpart to hold a press conference immediately, making the crimes discovered at the nightclub public. In doing so, even if someone wanted to cover it up, they couldn¡¯t. Had it not been for Qiao Zhen¡¯s strong stance, this matter might have been suppressed, disappearing silently.


    Even Qiao Zhen had to leverage the media for exposure, indicating that he was also at times rendered powerless.


    "Ling Chen, what¡¯s our next step?" Tang Guolun asked, "The nightclub incident has been taken on by someone else. Hong Wei is smart; he never directly involves himself in illegal acts but lets others handle them. This way, even if something goes wrong, someone else takes the fall, and he¡¯s not implicated. If we want to bring down Hong Wei, we must find evidence directly linking him."

 Chapter 1203 - 1210: The Old General in Critical Condition (Part 2)

    <h4>Chapter 1203: Chapter 1210: The Old General in Critical Condition (Part 2)</h4>


    "Why make it soplicated?" At this moment, Zhu Qing suddenly interjected from the back, "Just kill that kind of person. As long as you give the order, I can take care of it for you tonight."


    Upon hearing this, Ling Chen and Tang Guolun, among others, were taken aback. They didn¡¯t expect Zhu Qing to be so direct.


    "Lady Zhu, things aren¡¯t as simple as you imagine," Jiang Yunkai spoke up. "If Hong Wei were that easy to deal with, he couldn¡¯t have built such a massive force in Beijing."


    "Perhaps... Lady Zhu¡¯s suggestion isn¡¯t bad either," Ling Chen thought for a moment, then said with a smile, "Lady Zhu is a professional assassin, capable enough to take down Hong Wei. Once Hong Wei is dead, things will be much easier to handle."


    Tang Guolun expressed some concern, "But right now, we have limited manpower. After Hong Wei¡¯s death, we won¡¯t have enough people to take over his territory. By then, Beijing¡¯s underworld factions are sure to plunge into chaos."


    "That¡¯s exactly what we want," Ling Chen replied. "Beijing¡¯s powers aren¡¯t only held by Hong Wei. There are also some smaller factions that have been oppressed by Hong Wei for years, making them unable to grow. Once Hong Wei is dead, it will undoubtedly be an opportunity for them. So, as long as Hong Wei dies, all the small and big forces in Beijing will be active, scrambling to snatch more benefits from this big crocodile. The more factions vying for power, the more chaotic Beijing will be. Under the current circumstances, it¡¯s impossible for us to take over all of Hong Wei¡¯s power in one go. We can only proceed step by step, slowly. At that point, we just need to get hold of Hong Wei¡¯s key assets to establish our foundation. The rest of the forces are just a matter of time."


    After listening to Ling Chen¡¯s analysis, Tang Guolun nodded, saying, "I understand what you mean. You¡¯re thinking of fishing in troubled waters."


    "More or less. After all, we won¡¯t lose anything, so we might as well give it a try." Saying this, Ling Chen turned to look at Zhu Qing and asked, "Lady Zhu, how confident are you?"


    "Give me three days. Once I¡¯ve gathered enough intel, I¡¯ll let you know."


    "Alright, then I¡¯ll leave it to you."


    In thete afternoon.


    Ling Chen received a call from Tang Shiyun, inviting him to the Zhu Family for dinner. It might be because Nanrong Wanqing was staying with the Zhu Family, so they arranged avish dinner today. Naturally, Zhu Xiaozhu thought of Ling Chen, so she asked Tang Shiyun to call and ask.


    "Girl, I¡¯m busy tonight. There¡¯s still a lot to do, maybe another time." Ling Chen politely declined.


    To be honest, Ling Chen didn¡¯t really want to associate too much with the Zhu Family. After all, he and Zhu Hong were sworn enemies, and sitting at the same table with Zhu Hong¡¯s parents felt strange. Zhu Xiaozhu probably had this concern too, which is why she had Tang Shiyun call to sound him out.


    After hanging up, Ling Chen ate some fast food while studying Hong Wei¡¯s enterprises in Beijing.


    After a busy evening, Ling Chen looked at the time, realizing it waste, so he took a short nap on the sofa. This napsted until six the next morning. Originally, Ling Chen wanted to sleep a bit more, but was jolted awake by a call from Tang Yuan.


    Rubbing his eyes drowsily, Ling Chen asked, "Old Tang, why are you looking for me so early? Want to treat me to breakfast?"


    "The General¡¯s in trouble." Tang Yuan¡¯s grave voice came from the other end of the line, "Army General Hospital,e quickly."


    Tang Yuan didn¡¯t say much more, but Ling Chen¡¯s heart sank. The General¡¯s in trouble! How could this be? Without time to think, Ling Chen rushed out the door, taking a taxi to the Army General Hospital.


    When Ling Chen arrived, Tang Yuan was already waiting at the hospital entrance.


    Upon meeting, Ling Chen hurriedly asked, "How¡¯s the General? Is he in danger?"


    "The rescue just ended. There¡¯s no immediate danger, but the critical period isn¡¯t over. He needs to remain in the hospital for observation," Tang Yuan replied.


    Hearing this, Ling Chen let out a slight sigh of relief, "Old Tang, what exactly happened? When I saw the General yesterday, he was fine. How could this happen overnight..."


    "ording to the doctors, the General had a sudden acute myocardial infarction and copsed. Fortunately, the guards noticed in time and rushed him to the hospital. If they had been half an hourter, the General might... Sigh!" At this, Tang Yuan shook his head, clearly still shaken.


    "Can I go see the General in his ward?"


    "No, the General is still in aa. Although there¡¯s no immediate threat to his life, for unknown reasons, he remains unconscious. The doctors say, given his age and how overworked he¡¯s been over the years, the illness hit hard and is very severe. In short, the doctors aren¡¯t optimistic about the General¡¯s condition. If there¡¯s no improvement within a week, even if his life is saved, he could remain in a prolongeda and be a vegetable."


    As they spoke, several military jeeps drove up to the hospital. The doors opened, revealing Pang Jiulin as the driver. To have Pang Jiulin as the chauffeur meant the people inside were all high-ranking and influential military figures.


    Seeing Ling Chen and Tang Yuan standing by the entrance, Pang Jiulin didn¡¯t say much, just nodded before leading the important figures into the hospital.


    "Old Tang, let¡¯s go in and have a look too."


    Inside the hospital, Ling Chen and Tang Yuan followed closely behind the group of prominent figures to Qiao Zhen¡¯s ward. At this moment, several doctors in white coats were conducting a thorough examination on Qiao Zhen, whoy on the hospital bed.


    Under Pang Jiulin¡¯s guidance, the doctors took the prominent figures to an office and analyzed Qiao Zhen¡¯s medical condition.


    Ling Chen and Tang Yuan leaned against the doorframe, listening intently to the doctors, both looking rather grim. As they listened intently, Ling Chen felt someone bump into his back. Then, a young voice said, "Sorr... sorry!"


    Ling Chen turned to see a somewhat na?ve-looking young man in a white coat bending down to pick up scattered documents from the floor.


    "Let me help you." Ling Chen picked up two sheets of paper and nced over the contents, realizing they were Qiao Zhen¡¯s past medical records and hospital examination files.


    "Young man, what are you doing with these things?" Ling Chen asked.


    "General Qiao¡¯s condition is quite serious. I¡¯mparing his previous medical records to see what medication he had taken before."


    Tang Yuan, standing nearby, asked, "Have you discovered anything?"


    The young man nodded, "I find General Qiao¡¯s condition quite strange. I reviewed his past records, and he was quite healthy and vigorous. Given General Qiao¡¯s status, the military conducts regr health checks for him. If there were any abnormal conditions, the doctors would have documented them. However, over the past ten years, General Qiao only had bouts of themon cold, no serious illnesses, and didn¡¯t take any medications."

 Chapter 1204 - 1211: Chengde Martial Arts Hall

    <h4>Chapter 1204: Chapter 1211: Chengde Martial Arts Hall</h4>


    "The old general didn¡¯t have coronary heart disease before, so logically, he shouldn¡¯t have a sudden issue like this."


    "Have you mentioned it to the other doctors?" Ling Chen asked.


    "I have, but they all think that the old general¡¯s age and deteriorating physical functions could lead to anything." The young man said with some resignation.


    Hearing this, Ling Chen and Tang Yuan exchanged a nce, both showing a hint of confusion. From the beginning, Ling Chen found Qiao Zhen¡¯s condition quite odd. Though Qiao Zhen was old, he exercised regrly, with methods taught by He Ziyun, and was supposed to be very healthy. Furthermore, when they saw Qiao Zhen yesterday, he was full of energy,pletely healthy in appearance.


    Yet, in just one night, Qiao Zhen had fallen sick in bed, unable to wake up.


    "Sang, what do you think?" Tang Yuan asked.


    Ling Chen nced at the doctors in the office analyzing the condition, then signaled to Tang Yuan. Both quickly walked towards Qiao Zhen¡¯s hospital room. Once there, Ling Chen left Tang Yuan outside to keep watch, in case any doctors suddenly came in.


    Looking at Qiao Zhen lying on the bed, Ling Chen gently lifted his head, carefully examining his body parts. After a few minutes, Ling Chen¡¯s gaze was caught by a small needle mark. The needle mark was behind the neck, near the hair, hard to detect unless carefully inspected.


    A doctor couldn¡¯t have ced an infusion needle here, so this needle mark definitely suggested a problem.


    Knock knock knock!


    At this time, a knock on the door sounded, signaling from Tang Yuan from outside. After re-settling Qiao Zhen¡¯s body, Ling Chen left the hospital room.


    In the hallway, Ling Chen shared his findings with Tang Yuan, "Old Tang, the old general might have been secretly harmed, and that needle mark is evidence."


    "This needs to be reported to Colonel Pang, so he can inform the military people." Tang Yuan immediately decided, quickly heading to the office to tell Pang Jiulin. Pang Jiulin, having been mentored by Qiao Zhen, had deep feelings for the old general.


    "If someone truly harmed the old general secretly, I won¡¯t spare them, even if I have to dig three feet underground." Pang Jiulin said angrily.


    "Instructor Pang, I suspect Hong Wei did this." Ling Chen said solemnly, "The old general was fine yesterday, yet an incident urred today. It¡¯s very likely Hong Wei¡¯s retaliation."


    "Investigate!" Pang Jiulin replied coldly, "You two are responsible for clearing up this matter, I¡¯ll take care of any issues that arise. Go!"


    Leaving the Army General Hospital, Tang Yuan watched Ling Chen, lost in thought, and asked, "What are you thinking about?"


    "The old general¡¯s militarypound is heavily guarded, not just anyone can enter or even get near. For someone to bypass so many guards and harm the old general, they must have extraordinary abilities. And I know Hong Wei is acquainted with such experts, capable of doing this."


    "Do you think it was them?"


    "Very likely!" Ling Chen contemted and said, "Old Tang, give me half a day, and I¡¯ll surely investigate this matter thoroughly."


    "Don¡¯t need my help?"


    "No, you stay at the hospital with the old general, in case something else happens."


    "Alright then, take care."


    Returning to the rental, Ling Chen called Hu Fei. Then, he contacted Tong Zhentian, suspecting Ren Han and Zhou Qian. These two had close ties with Hong Wei, who might have instructed them to target Qiao Zhen. However, as these two were previously supported by Tong Zhentian, any action against them required a heads-up to Tong Zhentian.


    Around two in the afternoon, Ling Chen got ready and headed alone to Chengde Martial Arts Hall, the academy Ren Han had established in Beijing.


    On the way, Ling Chen received a call from Pang Jiulin, who said only one thing: "Go ahead and do it, the entire military will back you up."


    With these words, Ling Chen¡¯s confidence soared. The needle mark must have been confirmed as the cause of Qiao Zhen¡¯s illness, hence the military¡¯s decision. Just, there were matters the military couldn¡¯t handle openly, needing consideration of impact. Hence, Ling Chen, who had left the army, was the perfect choice.


    Forty minutester, Ling Chen arrived outside Chengde Martial Arts Hall.


    Chengde Martial Arts Hall was one of the two most renowned academies in Beijing, covering thousands of square meters, with ancient architectural styles, exuding cultural vibes.


    Passing through the crimson red gate, Ling Chen just stepped over the threshold when two youths blocked his path.


    "Sir, who are you looking for?"


    "I¡¯m looking for your Martial Arts Hall Master."


    "Do you have an appointment?"


    "Tell your Martial Arts Hall Master that Ling Chen is looking for him on urgent business, and that he better get out quickly, don¡¯t waste my time. Otherwise, I¡¯ll take down his academy today."


    Upon hearing this, the two youths¡¯ faces changed, and they sternly shouted, "You¡¯re audacious, to cause trouble at our Chengde Martial Arts Hall! You must be tired of living! Get him, show him some color."


    Seeing the two youths rushing at him, Ling Chen showed no mercy, one punch per person, knocking them directly to the ground.


    From the main gate to inside the academy, along a twenty-meter stretch, over ten peopley, who had attempted to stop Ling Chen.


    "Ren Han, your honor guest is here, aren¡¯t you going toe out to greet them?" Entering the academy, Ling Chen shouted loudly amidst a group of youths.


    Soon, apanied by several middle-aged men, Ren Han emerged from the inner hall. Seeing Ling Chen at the door, Ren Han¡¯s eyes turned icy cold, and he shouted coldly, "Ling Chen, what are you doing?"


    "I want to ask where you werest night."


    "Hmph! Ling Chen, don¡¯t you think you¡¯re meddling too much? Why should I tell you?"


    "Not willing to speak?" Ling Chen smirked slightly, and said half-smiling, half-not, "Chairman Ren, don¡¯t me me for not reminding you, you¡¯d better answer my questions honestly. Otherwise, the consequences are on you!"


    "Haha! Quite the arrogance." A voice echoed, and a youth in his twenties appeared in Ling Chen¡¯s sight. The youth was well-built, with handsome features, with fine long hair, almost resembling a Korean star if he wore a suit.


    Looking at the youthing from the inner hall, Ling Chen spoke indifferently, "Chairman Ren, I thought you only had one son, Ren Chong."


    "I¡¯m Zhou Fangfang, my father Zhou Qian, you¡¯re likely not unfamiliar." The youth responded.


    "Oh!" Ling Chen feigned understanding, nodding, "So it¡¯s President Zhou¡¯s son." Pausing, he looked at Zhou Fangfang, "I¡¯m talking to Chairman Ren, why are you, an outsider, interrupting? No manners¡ªdidn¡¯t your dad teach you what politeness means?"

 Chapter 1205 - 1212: Challenging the Dojo (Part 1)

    <h4>Chapter 1205: Chapter 1212: Challenging the Dojo (Part 1)</h4>


    Zhou Fangfang¡¯s face turned angry, and he opened his mouth to angrily curse: "You..."


    "You what?" Ling Chen mercilessly interrupted, retorting, "Shut up, this has nothing to do with you. Either watch quietly from the side or get lost, don¡¯t try to show your presence in front of me."


    "Ling Chen, you..." Before Zhou Fangfang could finish speaking, Ren Han interjected, "Fangfang, there¡¯s no need to argue with someone like him. Just watch from the side, let me handle this." Having said that, Ren Han locked his gaze on Ling Chen, coldly saying, "Ling Chen, don¡¯t think you can act recklessly just because Elder Tong supports you. Let me remind you, this is Beijing, not a ce for you to do as you please."


    "So what if it¡¯s Beijing?" Ling Chen smiled indifferently, unconcerned as he spoke, "Chairman Ren, out of respect I consider you a Martial Arts Elder, but you? Shameless, despicable techniques, truly disgraceful to the title of President of the Martial Arts Association. However, that¡¯s not the point. My main purpose foring today is to rify something. Where were youst night?"


    "That¡¯s my private affair, I have no obligation to tell you. If you have no other questions, you can leave now; Chengde Martial Arts Hall does not wee you."


    Ling Chen nodded and said, "One of my elders was ambushedst night, now lying in the ICU, life or death uncertain. The assant was highly skilled, and after much thought, you and Zhou Qian are the main suspects."


    Ren Han furrowed his brow slightly, retorting coldly, "Ling Chen, you¡¯d better think carefully before you speak. I have no enmity or acquaintance with your elder, why would I trouble myself looking for him."


    "Yes, you¡¯re right. If it were in the past, I wouldn¡¯t suspect you. But given your ties with Hong Wei, I have no choice but to suspect you."


    Hearing this, Ren Han was momentarily stunned and then burst intoughter, gloating as he said, "So you¡¯ve offended Mr. Hong. Haha! Ling Chen, if that¡¯s the case, you can only me your elder for seeking trouble. Who in Beijing doesn¡¯t know, it¡¯s better to provoke King Yan than Hong Wei. Opposing Mr. Hong is a death wish."


    Ling Chen stared directly at Ren Han, punctuating each word, "Do you dare say this matter has nothing to do with you?"


    "Believe it or not, it has nothing to do with me. If you want revenge, you might as well go directly to Hong Wei. But I¡¯m afraid youck the courage." Ren Han mocked, "Ling Chen, face reality, this isn¡¯t your turf, be careful not to lose your life in Beijing."


    "That¡¯s not your concern. I will deal with Hong Wei eventually, but first, I need to handle some problems."


    Feeling the cold intent in Ling Chen¡¯s gaze, Ren Han¡¯s heart sank slightly, frowning as he asked, "What do you mean by that?"


    "I once respected you as the Vice President of the Martial Arts Association, but now I know, what a joke of a president, you and Zhou Qian are just someone¡¯sckeys. To reach your level is a disgrace to us martial artists. Before dealing with Hong Wei, I must first deal with you two, to prevent any dogs from blocking my path when the timees."


    Being berated as dogs by Ling Chen, especially in front of a crowd, was more than Ren Han could bear despite his cultivation. With so many disciples watching, if he remained indifferent, how could he lead them in the future?


    "Fine, very well! Ling Chen, I have tolerated you again and again, yet you do not know restraint. Since that is the case, don¡¯t me me for being discourteous." With that, Ren Han strode forward and extended his hand. The disciples behind him immediately understood, quickly retrieving a steel knife from a wooden box and handing it to him. With the knife in hand, Ren Han¡¯s aura shifted instantly.


    "Ling Chen, you escapedst time, no victory decided. This time I¡¯ll show you the true power of the Lianyang Saber Technique."


    "Enough nonsense, bring it on if you dare." Ling Chen remained unfazed, not regarding Ren Han.


    "Take this!" With a shout, Ren Han kicked off, his body transforming into a lightning bolt, knife held aloft as he charged at Ling Chen. In an instant, before the de reached him, a fierce wind swept in, feeling like the biting wind of December, chilling to the bone.


    Watching the approaching de, Ling Chen remained motionless, maintaining a calmposure like Mo Che in his eyes.


    When the steel knife was two centimeters from his forehead, a strong force suddenly burst forth. Feeling the terrifying power, Ren Han¡¯s pupils contracted, and his movements briefly paused. In that moment he stopped, a fist shot out from above Ling Chen¡¯s right shoulder, mming into the steel knife.


    In a sh, a cry rang out as Ren Han was forced back seven or eight meters, the steel knife falling from his hand, ttering loudly on the ground.


    This sudden change left everyone present stunned. Especially the disciples of the Martial Arts Academy, who never imagined their master couldn¡¯t withstand a single move. Moreover, they noticed that Ren Han¡¯s arms trembled slightly, his face pale, struggling even to stand.


    "You..." After resting for a while, Ren Han finally mustered the strength to speak, "You cheated!"


    Ling Chen shrugged, "I learned it from you." As he finished speaking, a person appeared behind Ling Chen, more urately, an old man. As a Vice President of the Martial Arts Association, Ren Han¡¯s discernment was keen. Seeing the neer, he shuddered, his lips devoid of color.


    "Ji... Ji Gang... why... why are you...?" Ren Han stammered, eyes filled with fear.


    A master from the Heavenly List! Ling Chen had actually invited a master from the Heavenly List to help! In an instant, Ren Han¡¯s heart filled with despair.


    Ling Chen walked over to Ren Han on his own, asking, "If it wasn¡¯t youst night, then who was it? Tell me!"


    "I don¡¯t know."


    "You don¡¯t know?" Ling Chen snorted, "Chairman Ren, my patience is limited. Speak, who was it?"


    Ren Han nced at Ji Gang nearby, trembling inwardly as he quickly said, "Anyway, Hong Wei didn¡¯t contact me, perhaps... perhaps..." He trailed off, casting his gaze towards Zhou Fangfang in the crowd.


    Seeing Ren Han¡¯s gesture, Ling Chen immediately understood his meaning, walking straight over to Zhou Fangfang, questioning, "Where¡¯s your dad?"


    "What do you want?" Zhou Fangfang¡¯s eyes widened, coldly staring at Ling Chen as he shouted angrily, "I¡¯ll tell you, my dad is the President of the Martial Arts Association, if you touch a hair on my head, I¡¯ll make sure you..."


    p!


    Before Zhou Fangfang could finish, Ling Chen pped him, shutting him uppletely.

 Chapter 1206 - 1213: Challengers at the Door (Part 2)

    <h4>Chapter 1206: Chapter 1213: Challengers at the Door (Part 2)</h4>


    "If you don¡¯t want to die, call your dad immediately and tell him toe to Chengde Martial Arts Hall right away," Ling Chen said coldly.


    Looking at Ling Chen¡¯s icy gaze, Zhou Fangfang was not afraid, only felt an intense anger. As the son of the Martial Arts Association President, everyone treated him with respect; he had never suffered such humiliation. Especially the pain from that p, it fueled his rage even more.


    "Ling Chen, you¡¯re looking for death!" Zhou Fangfang roared furiously, swinging his fist directly towards Ling Chen¡¯s face.


    Facing Zhou Fangfang¡¯s attack, Ling Chen was unfazed. A fierce whip kick followed through, fiercely sweeping Zhou Fangfang¡¯s lower body. Instantly, Zhou Fangfang¡¯s body tilted, lost his bnce, and fell to the ground. Before Zhou Fangfang could get back up, Ling Chen swiftly kicked out. In a moment, a miserable scream echoed throughout the Martial Arts Academy.


    "Ling Chen, you..." Seeing Ling Chen¡¯s action, Ren Han was taken aback. He couldn¡¯t have imagined that Ling Chen would strike so ruthlessly, directly breaking Zhou Fangfang¡¯s shin bone. It was known that the most famous Martial Arts of the Zhou family were the Thirty-Two Paths of Tan Leg, all their skills relying on the legs. Zhou Fangfang¡¯s severe leg injury would definitely affect his strength, at best he could be a martial master in the academy, but bing a master would be impossible.


    "Pain... It hurts so much!" Zhou Fangfang hugged his injured shin, his face pale, and moans of misery kepting from his mouth.


    "If you don¡¯t want your other leg ruined too, you¡¯d better call your dad immediately."


    Hearing Ling Chen¡¯s voice, Zhou Fangfang gritted his teeth, itching to tear a piece off Ling Chen¡¯s body. But the harsh reality quickly brought him back to his senses. The person in front of him was not someone he could afford to offend. Although unwilling, for the sake of his other leg, Zhou Fangfang obediently took out his phone and dialed Zhou Qian¡¯s number.


    After hanging up the phone, Zhou Fangfang looked at Ling Chen with cold, venomous eyes and said, "Just you wait, when my dades, see how I deal with you."


    Ling Chen didn¡¯t bother to pay attention to such an idiot and directly found a chair to sit down in the martial arts academy hall. Ji Gang stood quietly beside him, motionless, his eyes vacant like a nt. After returning from the Army General Hospital today, Ling Chen immediately called Hu Fei to have Ji Gang sent over. Ling Chen didn¡¯t n to stir up trouble on this trip to Beijing; he wanted to slow down and keep things low-key.


    However, everyone has a bottom line that must not be crossed, and General Qiao Zhen was one of them.


    When Ling Chen saw Qiao Zhen lying in the hospital bed, uncertain between life and death, he was truly angry. Only, he hid his emotions well and did not easily reveal them.


    When ites to harshness, he¡¯s never lost to anyone!


    After waiting for more than half an hour, Zhou Qian still hadn¡¯t appeared. Ling Chen wasn¡¯t in a hurry, sitting quietly with his arms crossed. Just now, when Zhou Fangfang called Zhou Qian, he told him what had happened here. Zhou Qian hadn¡¯te yet probably because he was gathering people.


    It took over an hour before Zhou Qian rushed to Chengde Martial Arts Hall with arge group of people.


    Seeing Zhou Fangfang lying on the ground, Zhou Qian¡¯s expression changed, he hurriedly ran over and asked with concern, "Fangfang, are you alright?"


    "Dad! That bastard broke my leg." Seeing Zhou Qian arrive, Zhou Fangfang immediately felt he had support, pointed at Ling Chen and cursed, "You must get revenge for your son."


    Zhou Qian furrowed his brows, looking coldly at Ling Chen, and said in a deep voice, "Ling Chen, what are you doing? Our Zhou family has no grudges against you, past or present, why did you harm my son so viciously?"


    Ling Chen replied ndly, "President Zhou, me your son for talking too much,cking skills yet trying to stand up for others." As he spoke, Ling Chen stood up and walked directly to Zhou Qian, saying, "I called you here to ask you a question. Did you do what happenedst night?"


    "What incident?" Zhou Qian was somewhat confused.


    "Last night someone attacked one of his elders, and he thinks it was us who did it," Ren Han interjected.


    Upon hearing this, Zhou Qian finally understood, "Ling Chen, regardless of whether we did it or not, you¡¯re here causing trouble without evidence, do you really think we¡¯re easy to bully?"


    As he finished speaking, Zhou Qian waved his hand, and the twenty or so people he brought immediately surrounded Ling Chen.


    "Careful, that old man is Ji Gang," Ren Han reminded.


    Zhou Qian was slightly startled and then shifted his gaze towards Ji Gang not far away. When he entered earlier, he had noticed the old man, but because of Zhou Fangfang¡¯s injury, he hadn¡¯t paid much attention, focusing all his thoughts on his son. Now, hearing Ren Han¡¯s reminder, Zhou Qian carefully scrutinized Ji Gang.


    Confirming Ji Gang¡¯s identity, Zhou Qian¡¯s heart sank, and he hurriedly went to Ji Gang, sping his fists respectfully, and greeted him, "Elder Ji, I¡¯ve admired your name for a long time. I¡¯m Zhou Qian, President of Huaxia Martial Arts Association. I¡¯ve had the honor of meeting you once, do you remember?"


    Looking at Zhou Qian, Ji Gang¡¯s expression was stiff, as if he hadn¡¯t heard anything, with no reaction at all. Seeing this, Zhou Qian mistakenly thought Ji Gang didn¡¯t want to respond to him and continued saying, "Elder Ji, I..."


    Before Zhou Qian could finish speaking, Ling Chen¡¯s voice suddenly came from the side, "Elder Ji, President Zhou is greeting you, at least give some response."


    As the words fell, a glint of light suddenly burst forth from Ji Gang¡¯s ancient, unwavering eyes. At the same moment, his body slightly leaned forward, his aura exploding instantly. Zhou Qian, unprepared, was directly struck and flew away,nding heavily on the ground, blood gushing uncontrobly from his mouth.


    "Elder Ji, you...ah!" Zhou Qian opened his mouth, only to spew another mouthful of blood.


    Seeing this scene, the people Zhou Qian brought were all stunned, standing in ce, looking at each other, none dared to act rashly. Ling Chen ignored them, walked straight through the encirclement, approached Zhou Qian and Ren Han, and said, "Don¡¯t me me for being ruthless; me yourselves for following the wrong person. If you want to continue in this field, you¡¯d better give me some useful information."


    Zhou Qian endured the pain, roaring furiously, "Ling Chen, we¡¯re from the Martial Arts Association. If you dare to touch us, you¡¯ll be against the entire Martial Arts Association, and I¡¯ll make sure you can never stand in the martial arts world."


    Ling Chen replied indifferently, "Whatever, anyway, this identity means nothing to me. How you act is your business, but the precondition is you are able to live that long. Now, you have two choices: tell me who the attacker wasst night, or provide valuable information to me."

 Chapter 1207 - 1214: Zhu Family Secrets

    <h4>Chapter 1207: Chapter 1214: Zhu Family Secrets</h4>


    Zhou Qian looked at Ren Han, the two of them exchanged nces, hesitation shing in their eyes. If it was just Ling Chen alone, they wouldn¡¯t be afraid, but now with a Heavenly List expert backing Ling Chen, they couldn¡¯t handle it.


    "We¡¯re just Hong Wei¡¯s henchmen. As far as we know, there¡¯s a very formidable group of people behind Hong Wei, but we¡¯ve never seen them. They¡¯re the ones who specifically help Hong Wei eliminate rivals. The ones who attacked your eldersst night were probably them." After much hesitation, Zhou Qian finally made a decision.


    "You¡¯ve worked with Hong Wei for so long, and you don¡¯t know anything about them?"


    "We really don¡¯t know," Ren Han said. "Hong Wei is a very cautious person, he wouldn¡¯t easily reveal his true strength. In his eyes, we just take care of his security on the surface. In truth, he wouldn¡¯t really entrust his safety to us. There¡¯s another group in the shadows protecting him, they¡¯re his true reliance."


    Ling Chen nodded. Ren Han and Zhou Qian didn¡¯t seem to be lying, so there was some credibility to their words. "Alright, I¡¯ll believe you for now. But don¡¯t me me if I didn¡¯t warn you, I will eventually remove this thorn, Hong Wei. If you continue to serve him, don¡¯t me me for being ruthless." With that, Ling Chen took Ji Gang and turned to leave Chengde Martial Arts Hall.


    "Old Zhou, are you alright?" After Ling Chen left, Ren Han looked at Zhou Qian, who was pale, and asked.


    "I¡¯m fine." Zhou Qian slowly exhaled. "Ren, what do you think we should do now? Should we tell Hong Wei about this, or..."


    "Do you think Hong Wei has the ability to deal with a Heavenly List expert?" Ren Han retorted.


    Hearing this, Zhou Qian fell into deep thought. After a long while, Zhou Qian nodded and said, "I understand what you mean. Let¡¯s pretend nothing happened today, and no one is allowed to say a word."


    After leaving Chengde Martial Arts Hall, Ling Chen and Ji Gang took a car directly to the rented apartment.


    "Lady Zhu, you must be careful during your operation, there are many hidden experts protecting Hong Wei," Ling Chen instructed.


    Zhu Qing¡¯s team was ready to take action tonight, and Ling Chen shared the information he got from Zhou Qian to let her be prepared to avoid any idents.


    However, Zhu Qing didn¡¯t take Ling Chen¡¯s warning seriously. "We¡¯re professional assassins, not like thosemon killers." Zhu Qing was very confident in her abilities.


    Nightfall.


    Around midnight, Zhu Qing left the apartment alone. Ling Chen and Tang Guolun stayed behind, waiting for the oue.


    Since Zhu Qing was confident, Ling Chen chose not to get involved, to avoidplicating their actions.


    Waiting is undoubtedly an ordeal. As the clock on the wall ticked away, Ling Chen couldn¡¯t help but feel a bit worried.


    It wasn¡¯t until around three in the morning that there was finally a knock on the door. Ling Chen quickly got up, walked to the door, and opened it. As soon as the door was opened, a strong smell of blood rushed in. Under the bright light, Zhu Qing was covered in dark red stains, but because she was wearing ck, the bloodstains weren¡¯t obvious.


    Seeing Zhu Qing panting, Ling Chen was slightly taken aback and urgently asked, "Lady Zhu, are you injured?"


    "I¡¯m not. That¡¯s someone else¡¯s blood." With that, Zhu Qing went straight to the couch, picked up a cup of water, and drank it inrge gulps.


    Although Ling Chen was eager to know the result, he patiently let Zhu Qing catch her breath and rest for a bit.


    After a while, as her breathing became steady, Zhu Qing looked up at everyone in the room and said, "I¡¯m sorry, the mission wasn¡¯t sessful."


    Ling Chen wasn¡¯t surprised by this oue, as Zhu Qing¡¯s appearance on return had already said a lot.


    "What about your casualties?" Ling Chen asked.


    Hearing this, Zhu Qing¡¯s gaze toward Ling Chen softened. As assassins, their creed was to serve the employer. Many employers cared only about the results and never about their casualties. So Ling Chen¡¯s words brought some warmth to Zhu Qing.


    "Three injured, but we killed six of theirs."


    "Were those the hidden experts?"


    Zhu Qing nodded, "I need to report this to my family, to have them send reinforcements quickly."


    "What? The people you brought aren¡¯t enough?"


    "No." At this point, Zhu Qing hesitated, looking as if she wanted to say something but didn¡¯t.


    Noticing Zhu Qing¡¯s expression, Ling Chen said, "Lady Zhu, I¡¯m not just your employer; I¡¯m also your friend. Besides, you¡¯re working for me, is there anything you can¡¯t say?"


    Zhu Qing pondered for a while and then said, "I know the identity and background of those people."


    "You know?" Ling Chen was shocked.


    "They¡¯re the mortal enemies of our Zhu Family. Initially, they were part of the Zhu Family, but due to differing ideologies, they split. The Zhu Family ancestors were Imperial Secret Agents, serving the royal family and secretly eliminating traitors. Later, even after the court was overthrown, the Zhu Family began serving powerful figures. However, because the Zhu Family was very selective about its employers, many of us had no work. If this continued, the Zhu Family would eventually fall."


    "At that time, there were many voices of dissent within the Zhu Family, suggesting that anything can be done as long as there¡¯s profit. Thus, the Zhu Family was divided into two factions. After over a decade of open and secret shes, it ended when one faction left. Those Zhu Family members set up their own establishment, shedding the assassinbel and bing killers for hire. As long as the price was right, they¡¯d take up any task."


    "Because of this, their development was rapid, quickly overshadowing the Zhu Family. Later, due to their elusive whereabouts and discreet conduct, we haven¡¯t encountered them since, nor do we know where they are. But internally, it¡¯s heard that they formed an organization called the Skyhawk Pavilion, specializing in training elite killers."


    "The Skyhawk Pavilion?" Ling Chen¡¯s eyes brightened at those words. He interrupted Zhu Qing and asked, "Did you just say Skyhawk Pavilion?"


    Zhu Qing nodded, "That¡¯s right, the Skyhawk Pavilion. Why, have you heard of them?"


    "An elder mentioned them to me," Ling Chen casually replied. A while back, Tong Zhentian mentioned the Skyhawk Pavilion. It¡¯s a secret organization that serves the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, dealing with matters that the pavilion can¡¯t conveniently handle.


    These days, Ling Chen had been wary of the Skyhawk Pavilion¡¯s emergence, unaware of its connection to the Zhu Family.

 Chapter 1208 - 1215: The Origins of Skyhawk Pavilion

    <h4>Chapter 1208: Chapter 1215: The Origins of Skyhawk Pavilion</h4>


    "Lady Zhu, how much do you know about the Skyhawk Pavilion?" Ling Chen asked. It was hard toe by someone who knew about the Skyhawk Pavilion, and he wanted to ask clearly so he could be prepared.


    "I don¡¯t know much about the Skyhawk Pavilion. If you want to know, you can ask my Mr. Chang. He is mainly responsible for the Zhu Family¡¯s intelligence work; he knows those things best."


    Not long after, Zhu Qing contacted Zhu Houchang and informed him of what had transpired here. After they finished chatting, Zhu Qing handed the phone to Ling Chen.


    "Hello! Mr. Zhu, it¡¯s me, Ling Chen. I have a few questions I would like to ask."


    "Qing has just told me, Mr. Ling wants to know about the Skyhawk Pavilion?"


    "Yes! I wonder if Mr. Zhu could reveal a bit to me," Ling Chen pleaded.


    Zhu Houchang sighed on the other end of the phone, "Speaking of which, this should be a disgrace to our Zhu Family. Although family scandals should not be broadcasted, this was after all many years ago, and today¡¯s Skyhawk Pavilion has nothing to do with the Zhu Family. On the contrary, they have always been the target we want to eliminate."


    Pausing, Zhu Houchang continued: "Qing isn¡¯t very clear about these matters, most of which are heard from the elderly of the Zhu Family. In fact, the matter wasn¡¯t as she said. Back then, it wasn¡¯t that another faction proactively requested splitting off, but they were expelled by the Zhu Family. The ancestor of the Zhu Family believed their ideas undermined the principles the Zhu Family persisted in. To prevent the Zhu Family from copsing due to internal strife, the Zhu Family Head at the time ordered the total expulsion of those people."


    "After being expelled from the Zhu Family, they lived quite miserably, with some even bing henchmen for others. Later, a great force took a fancy to their abilities, not only providing much help but also funding them to establish their own power, which is when the Skyhawk Pavilion was founded."


    Upon hearing this, Ling Chen immediately understood, "So, it was the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion that helped them back then."


    "You know?" Zhu Houchang appeared a bit surprised, "Mr. Ling, I didn¡¯t mention the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion. How did you learn about this?"


    Ling Chen smiled slightly, "To be honest with you, Mr. Zhu, I¡¯m facing threats from the Skyhawk Pavilion at any moment, so naturally, I need to do my homework."


    "Since you know about the Skyhawk Pavilion¡¯s backers, I might as well be frank. Yes! It was indeed the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion that helped establish the Skyhawk Pavilion. Since then, the Skyhawk Pavilion has be an affiliate of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion. However, the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion was hidden very deeply, with hardly anyone aware of the existence of the Skyhawk Pavilion. For years, the Skyhawk Pavilion has been doing dirty work for the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion."


    "ording to years of investigation by our Zhu Family, the Skyhawk Pavilion is internally divided into two parts. One consists of outer disciples, who specifically handle businesses outside, like the people around Hong Wei¡ªall elite assassins trained by the Skyhawk Pavilion. Besides them, another part belongs to the management of Ying Hall. Ying Hall is the real core of the Skyhawk Pavilion. Like us, most people in Ying Hall are descendants of the Zhu Family. Mr. Ling, you should understand now."


    "One more thing. Mr. Zhu, do you know where the headquarters of the Skyhawk Pavilion is?"


    "Sorry, I don¡¯t know this either. Over the years, our Zhu Family has conducted numerous investigations, but from various indications, we suspect the headquarters of the Skyhawk Pavilion is not in HuaXia."


    Ling Chen asked puzzled, "Why do you think so?"


    "Training an elite assassin is not easy; assassins who haven¡¯t stained their hands with dozens of lives are unqualified. To train elite assassins, they must get ustomed to blood and enjoy killing. However, HuaXia has too many restrictions, and killing too many people would easily invite trouble. Hence, the Skyhawk Pavilion moved the headquarters overseas where there are no regtions, allowing them to act recklessly."


    "Skyhawk Pavilion has trained many elite assassins. Where did these assassinse from initially?" Ling Chen asked.


    "Skyhawk Pavilion was established by Zhu family members, and many of the training methods followed those of the Zhu Family. To give a simple example, our Zhu Family would select some children with better qualifications from orphanages or elsewhere through official channels for training from a young age. Skyhawk Pavilion does the same, but they aren¡¯t as regted as we are. They will use any means to acquire enough children."


    "I see. Thank you, Mr. Zhu, for sharing so much with me."


    "You¡¯re wee. Since the Skyhawk Pavilion wants to attack you, I should help you more," Zhu Houchang smiled, "Mr. Ling, Qing told me their actionst night failed. I apologize for that. Please believe me, our Zhu Family won¡¯t let you down again."


    At this point, it seemed Zhu Houchang thought of something, and he switched topics, "By the way! Mr. Ling, there¡¯s one very important thing I almost forgot. Last time we met, you asked me to check the Zhu Family archives to see if there are records about Guo Qiang and the tomb of Ling Gengqiu. Believe it or not, I really found that information. Let¡¯s talk more about this the next time we meet."


    "Great, I¡¯m looking forward to our next meeting. Take care!"


    After hanging up the phone, Zhu Qing took back her mobile and asked Ling Chen, "What did you chat with Mr. Chang?"


    Ling Chen teased with a smile, "A lot, but unfortunately, it¡¯s stuff girls can¡¯t listen to." After saying this, before Zhu Qing cast a white eye, Ling Chen waved his hand, "Alright! It¡¯s not early anymore. You have had a busy night, get some rest early; there¡¯s still much to be done in theing days."


    The next day.


    Ling Chen had just had breakfast when he received a call from He Ziyun. Before causing trouble at Chengde Martial Arts Hall yesterday, Ling Chen called Tong Zhentian regarding the matter. Presumably, Tong Zhentian mentioned it to He Ziyun, prompting thetter to call and inquire about the situation.


    "Mr. He, you don¡¯t have to worry. I have a grasp on things; nothing will go wrong... Alright, I understand, let¡¯s leave it at that."


    Just as the call ended, Jiang Yunkai hurriedly ran in from outside the rental unit and said, "Chen, a few cars are outside, saying they¡¯re looking for you."


    Ling Chen got up with a smile, "Don¡¯t be afraid, they¡¯re all our people." Saying this, Ling Chen called Tang Guolun and others, and quickly went out to meet them.


    "Ling Chen, you¡¯re in Beijing yet didn¡¯t contact me. Had Master not told me, I wouldn¡¯t have known," Ye Liangyong scolded.


    Ling Chen smiled apologetically, "Mr. Ye, I didn¡¯t want to bother you."


    Ye Liangyong said dissatisfied, "What are you saying? Do we need such politeness between us? Alright, let¡¯s not talk about it. Have your friends pack their stuff; I¡¯ve prepared a ce for you, and it guarantees satisfaction."


    Ling Chen nodded, "Thank you, Mr. Ye."

 Chapter 1209 - 1216: Ying Hall (1)

    <h4>Chapter 1209: Chapter 1216: Ying Hall (1)</h4>


    Just now, He Ziyun told Ling Chen over the phone that Ye Liangyong had arranged a ce for him to stay. Although this rented house was spacious, the conditions were too poor. If it were just a group of men, it wouldn¡¯t matter, but with Zhu Qing around, they needed to be a bit more particr.


    What¡¯s that saying? You can neglect anyone, but you can¡¯t neglect a beauty.


    The ce Ye Liangyong arranged was quiterge; it¡¯s an estate located in the Beijing suburb, with two vis in a pastoral style, surrounded by lush greenery, with many trees nted around.


    When Ling Chen and his party arrived, they found a lot of young men in the estate, each walking back and forth, seemingly patrolling the surroundings.


    "Mr. Ye, are these all the security of the estate?"


    "No, they¡¯re all our own people, brought over from the Qingyun Martial Arts Hall. They¡¯re quite capable; although they can¡¯tpare to a freak like you, they can handle being security without major issues."


    Ling Chen was very impressed with ¡¯Qingyun Martial Arts Hall.¡¯ Qingyun Martial Arts Hall was an academy founded by He Ziyun, initially in East Sea City. Later, due to He Ziyun¡¯s identity issues, fearing it might implicate the Qingyun Martial Arts Hall, the hall was moved to Beijing, where Ye Liangyong took full responsibility for managing it.


    "Mr. Ye, is it really necessary to go to such lengths?"


    "Master told me that you¡¯re short on manpower right now, so I will help as much as I can." After a pause, Ye Liangyong changed the topic and asked, "I heard you had a big conflict with Hong Wei?"


    Ling Chen nodded, considering Ye Liangyong one of their own, there was no need to hide the truth from him.


    "Mr. Ye, you¡¯ve been in Beijing for so many years, you must be familiar with Hong Wei, right?"


    "Met him a few times, but we¡¯re not in deep contact. Hong Wei and I are not on the same path, so I try to keep my distance from him. My most extensive knowledge of him is about his love life, something everyone in the upper echelons of Beijing society must know well. Hong Wei loves young, beautiful women, especially those with a certain social status. Whether it¡¯s news anchors or celebrities, he¡¯s been through them all. It¡¯s said he has dozens of women he¡¯s maintained, and more than half of them have given him children. However, Hong Wei has done it very discreetly, sending the children abroad to live right after birth, so no one knows where his children are."


    Hearing this, Ling Chen couldn¡¯t help but smile, "This is typically someone who¡¯s done too much bad stuff and is afraid of revenge, so he leaves so many descendants to avoid severing the Hong family¡¯s line."


    "Ling Chen." Ye Liangyong sternly said, "As long as you¡¯re confident, just go for it, don¡¯t worry about causing an impact. On the surface, people in Beijing are polite to Hong Wei, but privately, there are many criticisms because some of his actions undermine the basic fairness ofpetition. However, due to Hong Wei¡¯s massive power, no one dares to openly conflict with him. If something were to really happen to Hong Wei, I¡¯m sure many people would p their hands in joy."


    "I understand."


    "Alright! I have a meeting to hostter, so I won¡¯t go inside with you. Whatever you need, just call me; I¡¯ll do my best to help if I can."


    "Thanks, Mr. Ye!"


    ...


    "Kill!"


    With a loud shout, there was a nging sound as a pair of sharp daggers slipped from the man¡¯s hands. Then, he tilted his body and fell straight to the ground, lifeless.


    p p p!


    Clear pping sounds came, and an old man walked over slowly, nodding at the blood-covered Zhu Hong, "Not bad! You¡¯ve improved quickly, you didn¡¯t disappoint me."


    Looking at the old man, Zhu Hong took a few deep breaths. When his slightly trembling arms gradually rxed, he threw down the dagger in his hand, and his blood-red eyes slowly returned to normal. "Master, thanks to your outstanding teaching, I¡¯ve made such great progress."


    "No need to be modest. No matter how well I teach, it all depends on your diligence and hard work." Saying this, the old man waved his hand, and several expressionless youths immediately came over to carry away the bodies lying on the ground.


    "Master, when can I enter the second stage?" Zhu Hong eagerly asked. Since undergoing the old man¡¯s special training, he had clearly felt his power increase. Once he¡¯d stepped into the threshold, he naturally wanted to pursue even greater strength.


    "No rush," the old man lightly chuckled, "This kind of thing must be done step by step, don¡¯t rush it. You¡¯ve done very well recently, you need to rest for a period, let your bodypletely rx, and consolidate your foundation. When the timees, I will naturally let you enter the second stage of training. Go attend to your wounds, thene see me at my ce."


    Zhu Hong nced at the wounds on his body and said nonchntly, "Master, these little wounds are nothing."


    "Don¡¯t overdo it. After drug immersion, your sense of pain has greatly diminished, you can hardly feel any pain. But, the absence of pain doesn¡¯t mean your injuries won¡¯t affect your body. As an assassin, your body is your capital."


    "Yes, I understand!" Zhu Hong nodded, saying nothing more, and walked straight out of the training ground.


    Returning to his residence, as soon as he stepped inside, a woman with delicate features quickly put down her tasks and hurried over to him, kneeling respectfully in front of Zhu Hong with her head lowered, "Master."


    Zhu Hong didn¡¯t even nce at her and walked straight to the bedside to sit down. Without needing to say anything further, the woman immediately brought over a medical kit and carefully tended to Zhu Hong¡¯s wounds. From her skilled movements, it seemed she often handled such matters.


    After bandaging the wounds, the woman brought a cup of tea and handed it to Zhu Hong with both hands, "Master, please have some water."


    Taking the teacup, Zhu Hong said indifferently, "Go and get busy."


    "Yes."


    Watching the woman¡¯s retreating figure, Zhu Hong couldn¡¯t help but curl the corner of his mouth into a smile with an inexplicable meaning. As a direct disciple, the treatment Zhu Hong received was much better than others, which included having a woman exclusively for him. The woman in front of him was named Xiu, very young, only twenty-two, in her prime. When she was delivered, she was clean and untouched by any man.


    Xiu¡¯s job was very simple¡ªto serve Zhu Hong well, fulfilling his every demand, even if those demands were perverse, she had toply unconditionally.


    Having stayed in the desert for so long, mingling with a group of men all day, suddenly receiving a fair-skinned woman was like relief in a time of drought for Zhu Hong. On the day Xiu was delivered, Zhu Hong couldn¡¯t wait to enjoy her. It had to be said that Xiu was trained very well, not just in figure, but more importantly in skill, and there was no trace of her being new to the experience.


    However, over time, Zhu Hong grew weary. It wasn¡¯t that Xiu wasn¡¯t good enough, it¡¯s just that his mind was now entirely focused on improving his power, leaving him no mood to consider anything else. After resting for about ten minutes, Zhu Hong, with Xiu¡¯s assistance, changed into clean clothes and went straight to the master¡¯s residence.

 Chapter 1210 - 1217: Ying Hall (Part 2)

    <h4>Chapter 1210: Chapter 1217: Ying Hall (Part 2)</h4>


    "Master!"


    Upon entering the old man¡¯s dwelling, the first thing that catches the eye is a gigantic wooden sculpture, a mighty eagle soaring majestically, exuding an air of authority. It¡¯s unclear why, but this kind of eagle decoration can be found everywhere in this assassin base.


    Zhu Hong stood earnestly in front of the eagle, waiting for the old man to speak. "Come in," the old man¡¯s voice resonated, prompting Zhu Hong to lift the curtain and step inside. The old man¡¯s room was very simple; apart from this direct disciple, it rarely saw outsiders.


    At the moment, the old man was leaning against the window, gazing at the endless sea of yellow sand outside. Hearing Zhu Hong¡¯s approaching footsteps, the old man shut the window and gestured to a nearby seat, "Sit down."


    "Master, why have you called me here?" Zhu Hong asked, looking directly at him.


    "You¡¯ve been here for quite a while now, I imagine you might have many questions about the base," the old man began. "You are my direct disciple; I don¡¯t care about your past, as long as you remain loyal to me, I promise your future will be smooth sailing."


    Zhu Hong replied earnestly, "Master, you gave me this life, no matter what you ask of me, I will not refuse."


    "Really?" The old man smiled faintly, a flick of his wrist and a sharp dagger suddenlynded at Zhu Hong¡¯s feet, "Words alone are useless, I need you to prove it with actions."


    Zhu Hong picked up the dagger without flinching and asked, "What do you want me to do, Master?"


    The old man pointed at Zhu Hong¡¯s crotch, a yful smile on his face, "You want to prove your loyalty? Fine, then ruin it. Assassins are solitary, you won¡¯t need it anymore."


    Upon hearing this, Zhu Hong¡¯s pupils slightly contracted, his entire body froze. He never expected such a demand from the old man.


    Seeing Zhu Hong immobile, the old man¡¯s smile gradually turned cold, "What? Was everything you said earlier a lie? If you can¡¯t bring yourself to do it, I can help you."


    Zhu Hong gritted his teeth, a fierce mental struggle raging in his mind. Women or power... any ambitious person desires both. But now, the old man has posed a dilemma before him. Seeing the old man¡¯s cold gaze, Zhu Hong trembled inside, uncertain how to choose.


    More than ten seconds passed, beads of sweat formed on Zhu Hong¡¯s forehead. He clenched his teeth, turned the dagger around in his hand, finally making his decision.


    He could guess that if he didn¡¯tply, the old man might kill him on the spot. In that case, it was better to choose a path to survival. As long as he was alive, there was hope for everything. With that thought, Zhu Hong swung his arm, aiming the sharp dagger directly at his crotch.


    Just as Zhu Hong was about to make the cut, the old man sitting in the chair suddenly lunged forward, grabbing Zhu Hong¡¯s wrist to stop him. Bewildered by the old man¡¯s actions, Zhu Hong asked, "Master, you..."


    "Enough, that¡¯s quite sufficient." The old man smiled and said, "I just wanted to test you, to see how ruthless you were with yourself. Only those who can be ruthless with themselves can be ruthless with others. This is your final test, passing it makes you my true direct disciple."


    The old man¡¯s words made Zhu Hong involuntarily breathe a sigh of relief.


    "Sit down, I have many things to tell you." Once they were seated again, the old man slowly began, "You¡¯ve been here for so long but still don¡¯t know my name. I¡¯m Zhu Chuan, the chief responsible for this base. Our assassin organization is called Skyhawk Pavilion, you probably haven¡¯t heard of it."


    "Skyhawk Pavilion?" Zhu Hong¡¯s interest was piqued, he asked, "Master, is Skyhawk Pavilion connected to Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion?"


    "You don¡¯t need to know about that for now. This is the main base of Skyhawk Pavilion, where all assassins mustplete their training before officially bing members. Within Skyhawk Pavilion, core disciples belong to Ying Hall, I¡¯m the Eagle Head, overseeing all Ying Hall affairs. With your current abilities, you are still insufficient to be a Ying Hall member. However, since you are my direct disciple, you have the privilege of directly entering Ying Hall. But don¡¯t be too pleased. Skyhawk Pavilion always upholds the principle of preferring scarcity over mediocrity. If your skills never reach Ying Hall¡¯s standards, I¡¯ll have no choice but to demote you. So you need to work even harder than before. If you do well, perhaps decades from now you¡¯ll have a chance to inherit my position, bing the Eagle Head of Ying Hall."


    "I understand." Zhu Hong nodded, "Rest assured, Master, I will not disappoint you."


    "Good, I trust I haven¡¯t misjudged you." Zhu Chuan said, shifting the conversation, "Zhu Hong, I know you are an ambitious person, and that¡¯s what I admire about you. But a person¡¯s ambition must be supported by matching strength; otherwise, it bes overreach and self-destruction. So, without the requisite strength, hold your ambition in check, move forward diligently one step at a time."


    "Master, I understand your intention, I will be careful."


    "That¡¯s best. All right, take your rest for now."


    Zhu Hong acknowledged, rising to leave. Just before he walked out the door, someone suddenly entered, bowing with fists sped, "Eagle Head, there¡¯s an urgent message from Beijing."


    "Bring it here!"


    "Yes." The man hastily approached Zhu Chuan, handing over a set of documents.


    After reading the document¡¯s content, a trace of cold killing intent appeared on Zhu Chuan¡¯s old face, "Hmph! It¡¯s those Zhu Family people again. Go, notify the Ying Hall¡¯s Eagle Talon toe see me."


    "Master." Zhu Hong asked, "Is there trouble in Beijing?"


    Zhu Chuan nodded, "A client has hit a snag, encountering a tough opponent."


    "Can I know who this client is?"


    Zhu Chuan nced at Zhu Hong, "ording to the rules, Skyhawk Pavilion¡¯s client information is confidential, not easily disclosed. However, this is a low-level client, so there aren¡¯t as many restrictions. He¡¯s called Hong Wei, you¡¯ve lived in Beijing before, haven¡¯t you heard of him."


    "Hong Wei?" Zhu Hong nodded slightly, "I know him; he¡¯s a well-known figure in Beijing, runs the underground forces there, incredibly wealthy."


    "The data shows he¡¯s conflicted with someone named Ling Chen, that Ling Chen hired Zhu Family people. The Zhu Family is our sworn enemy, difficult to deal with. This trouble with the Zhu Family is quite a hassle."


    Ling Chen!


    Upon hearing this name, Zhu Hong¡¯s emotions involuntarily fluctuated. Sensing this change, the observant Zhu Chuan seemed to notice, looking up to ask, "Do you know this Ling Chen?"

 Chapter 1211 - 1218: Family Reunion (1)

    <h4>Chapter 1211: Chapter 1218: Family Reunion (1)</h4>


    "Yes, I know him." Zhu Hong nodded. He knew that it would be impossible to hide this from Zhu Chuan, so it was better to just admit it frankly. Zhu Chuan gave Zhu Hong a deep look and asked meaningfully, "It seems your rtionship with that Ling Chen is not good."


    Zhu Hong clenched his fist, a fierce murderous intent shing in his eyes.


    This Ling Chen was truly a thorn in his side, an annoyance in such a godforsaken ce, he could still hear news about him. Zhu Hong took a deep breath, trying to suppress his tone, and said lightly, "I¡¯ve fallen to this point all because of him."


    "So, he¡¯s your enemy. What a coincidence. Is he very formidable?"


    "He¡¯s a master on the Earthly List, running his own forces in East Sea City. Besides, I¡¯ve heard he¡¯s on good terms with the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion. Su He from Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion seems to be his master."


    "Master?" Zhu Chuan¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly, he said solemnly, "Are you sure?"


    "At least that¡¯s what I¡¯ve heard."


    "Alright! I know, you can leave now." After waving Zhu Hong away, Zhu Chuan took out his phone alone and dialed a number. A few minutester, a man dressed in ck walked in from outside. Besides being entirely in ck from head to toe, his face was covered with bizarre tattoos, almost all over his entire face, giving a very eerie impression.


    Looking at the neer, Zhu Chuan said, "There¡¯s a client from Beijing encountering trouble, a member of the Zhu Family. Take some people over there to check it out. If the Zhu Familyes knocking again, don¡¯t be polite, kill them all. Also, if possible, take care of that Ling Chen."


    "Yes!"


    "And..." Zhu Chuan thought for a moment, then continued, "Bring Zhu Hong along, let him go and gain some experience. Remember, don¡¯t let him take any risks for now."


    "Understood!" The man nodded without any doubt or questions. As an eagle w, adhering unconditionally to orders is his duty.


    ...


    In the blink of an eye, two days passed.


    In Beijing, at a manor located in the Beijing suburb, Ling Chen was sitting in the living room, chatting with Tang Guolun.


    It was just past ten o¡¯clock, nothing really urgent to handle. Over the past two days, all investigations had beenpleted, now it only required waiting for the Zhu Family¡¯s arrival to begin the next step of the n.


    Originally, this was a struggle between Ling Chen and Hong Wei, but due to the appearance of Skyhawk Pavilion, this fight swiftly escted into a conflict between Zhu Family and Skyhawk Pavilion. ording to Zhu Qing, the Zhu Family would dispatch some experts to assist. Apart from helping Ling Chen defeat Hong Wei, capturing members of Skyhawk Pavilion was their primary aim.


    Over the years, the Zhu Family persistently sought the whereabouts of Skyhawk Pavilion. However, due to its elusive nature, they had not gained any progress. Now, a rare chance to encounter members of Skyhawk Pavilion presents itself, the Zhu Family naturally wouldn¡¯t abandon such an opportunity.


    Just then, a pleasant phone ringtone sounded. Ling Chen pulled out his phone, nced at the iing number, and promptly answered.


    "Hello! Haozi, what¡¯s up?" Recently, Nanrong Hao had been staying by Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s side, responsible for her safety. Zhong Wei and Liang Zhao Hui still hospitalized for their severe injuries.


    "Chen, are you free today?" Nanrong Hao inquired on the other end.


    "Get to the point, you know I¡¯m quite busy."


    "Ahem! Well... it¡¯s like this, today is Miss Zhu¡¯s birthday, can you..."


    Ling Chen cut in, "Xiaozhu¡¯s birthday, shouldn¡¯t she call me herself?"


    "Chen, you know Miss Zhu feels awkward inviting you to her house. Last time when Miss Tang called you toe over, you refused. So, how could she still dare to invite you? Hey! Chen, I¡¯m not trying to criticize, in these moments, don¡¯t be so particr. As a man, you should be more generous. Miss Zhu is Miss Zhu, and Zhu Hong is Zhu Hong, don¡¯t project your hatred for Zhu Hong onto his family. Don¡¯t you agree?"


    "You brat..." Ling Chen couldn¡¯t help butugh, "Are you truly your sister¡¯s brother? If your sister knows you¡¯re advising me to celebrate another woman¡¯s birthday, she might y you alive."


    "Ah, you¡¯re overthinking it. I just believe we¡¯re all friends, regardless, you should attend. Besides, I¡¯m not asking you to pursue Miss Zhu, what could my sister possibly do to me?"


    "Fine, fine, wait for me, I¡¯ll be over shortly." After hanging up, Ling Chen informed Tang Guolun, and then drove alone towards the city.


    Ye Liangyong had arranged amodations, equipped them with several vehicles for convenient travel.


    Once in the city center, Ling Chen found a boutique, purchased a unique small gift, ordered a cake, and then headed to the Zhu Family.


    Though he¡¯d had numerous dealings with Zhu Xiaozhu and Zhu Hong, it was still Ling Chen¡¯s first visit to the Zhu Family.


    The Zhu Family is somewhat reputable in Beijing, running several major corporations. The Zhu Family and Nanrong Family were old allies, butter due to a rift between Nanrong Wanqing and Zhu Xiaozhu, their interactions gradually dwindled. If not for Ling Chen indirectly resolving their dispute, the rtionship between the two families might have turned from allies into strangers.


    At half past eleven, Ling Chen arrived outside a siheyuan in the western part of Beijing. Despite its age, in Beijing, those who can afford to live in such houses are either rich or noble.


    Nanrong Hao had been waiting outside, seeing Ling Chen get out of the car, he eagerly ran over to take the cake, smiling he said, "Chen, everyone is inside,e, I¡¯ll lead you."


    "Have things been going welltely?" Ling Chen asked as they walked.


    "Not bad, but Hongyu Group¡¯s situation isn¡¯t great. Those guys have all sorts of tricks, trying to bring Hongyu Group down."


    "How¡¯s it looking now?"


    "For now, it¡¯s okay. Sister sacrificed some peripheral smallpanies, letting them draw the fire, but it¡¯s not a long-term strategy. Once those smallpanies are crushed, Hongyu Group will be next."


    Ling Chen patted Nanrong Hao¡¯s shoulder, saying, "Don¡¯t worry too much, I¡¯ll help resolve this matter soon."


    Those teaming up against Hongyu Group were hidden too deep with considerable numbers. To identify them all, Hong Wei is the key to uncovering their identities.


    Passing through the gate, Ling Chen and Nanrong Hao walked side by side into the central hall of the siheyuan, the Zhu Family¡¯s reception hall. Upon entering, they saw a spacious hall with arge round table,den with delectable dishes. Nanrong Wanqing, Tang Shiyun, and a middle-aged man were already seated.


    Seeing Ling Chen¡¯s arrival, Nanrong Wanqing and Tang Shiyun hesitated for a moment, surprised to see Ling Chen unexpectedly joining them.


    "Chen, this is Miss Zhu¡¯s father, Zhu Yaosheng."

 Chapter 1212 - 1219: Family Reunion (2)

    <h4>Chapter 1212: Chapter 1219: Family Reunion (2)</h4>


    "Mr. Zhu, hello, sorry to disturb you." Ling Chen looked at the middle-aged man and said, "My name is Ling Chen, I¡¯m Xiaozhu¡¯s friend, nice to meet you."


    "Ling Chen?" Zhu Yaosheng said meaningfully, "I feel like I¡¯ve heard that name somewhere."


    "I usually stay in East Sea City and rarelye to Beijing, so Mr. Zhu might not know me."


    Hearing this, Zhu Yaosheng just gave Ling Chen a deep look and didn¡¯t continue to ask. Just then, Zhu Xiaozhu came out from the kitchen holding a bowl of food. Seeing her father chatting with Ling Chen, Zhu Xiaozhu was slightly startled, but her beautiful eyes quickly filled with joy.


    Today is her birthday, and she really hoped to invite Ling Chen to attend. However, considering Ling Chen¡¯s rtionship with Zhu Hong, after hesitating for a long time, she gave up on the idea.


    Now, Ling Chen suddenly appeared, how could she not be happy?


    "Dad, this is Ling Chen, the one I mentioned to you before." Zhu Xiaozhu proactively introduced.


    Zhu Yaosheng smiled broadly and said, "No wonder it sounds familiar; you¡¯ve mentioned him to me before." Saying this, Zhu Yaosheng took another few nces at Ling Chen. He knew his daughter best; since childhood, she¡¯d never mentioned any man in front of him, except Ling Chen. This showed how much she valued the man in front of them.


    "Come on, Ling Chen, don¡¯t be shy, sit down. All these dishes were made by Xiaozhu¡¯s mother herself. If it weren¡¯t for our daughter¡¯s birthday today, she wouldn¡¯t have gone into the kitchen."


    Nanrong Wanqing chimed in with a smile, "We¡¯re in for a treat today."


    Everyone took their seats, and soon, Zhu Xiaozhu¡¯s mother came out from the kitchen.


    Zhu Xiaozhu¡¯s mother was called Chen Yan, only in her forties, very well maintained, with fair and tender skin. Standing next to Zhu Xiaozhu, they looked more like sisters, appearing only in their thirties, very young.


    There were no outsiders today, and everyone chatted andughed at the table, all very happy. At this moment, Chen Yan looked at Ling Chen and asked, "Xiao Ling, how old are you this year, and do you have a girlfriend?"


    Hearing this question, Ling Chen unconsciously nced at Nanrong Wanqing with the corner of his eye.


    "Mrs. Chen, I¡¯m still young. I want to focus on my career for now and don¡¯t want to find a girlfriend so soon."


    "How can that be, your Uncle Zhu was already a father at your age. They say you should establish a family before a career. Men should start a family first, then think about working on their career. Like our Zhu Hong, he¡¯s dyed so long without a girlfriend, I¡¯m worried about him."


    Mentioning Zhu Hong made everyone a bit silent, not knowing how to respond. Next to them, Zhu Yaoshengughed and said, "Children have their own fortunes, why worry so much? Come, drink!"


    "How can drinking not include me?" Suddenly, a familiar voice came from the doorway.


    Everyone turned to look and their expressions changed slightly.


    Zhu Hong!


    Nanrong Hao was taken aback, suddenly standing up, looking at the other vigntly, and said in a low voice, "You..." Before he could finish, Ling Chen grasped his sleeve and gave a slight tug, signaling him to keep quiet.


    With Ling Chen¡¯s reminder, Nanrong Hao then realized. He almost forgot, this was the Zhu Family, with Zhu Hong¡¯s parents present. Hesitating for a moment, Nanrong Hao sat back down, though the vignce in his eyes did not diminish in the slightest.


    "Zhu Hong." The happiest ones were still Zhu Yaosheng and Chen Yan. Seeing their son return, how could they not be delighted as parents?


    "Dad, Mom, Little Sister." Zhu Hong walked in with a smile, hands behind his back, greeting each one. When his eyesnded on Ling Chen, a sharp glint shed in his eyes. However, it was only for a moment before Zhu Hong concealed the cold killing intent.


    "Ling Chen, it¡¯s been a long time." Zhu Hong said with a slight smile.


    "Yes, it¡¯s been a while. You seem to have been doing well." Ling Chen smiled faintly, showing no hostility. Despite his calm appearance, he was quite surprised. In just a few months, Zhu Hong had changed so much; it was truly incredible.


    The most obvious change was Zhu Hong¡¯s face. Initially, due to an explosion, Zhu Hong suffered severe burns and had to wear a mask to meet people.


    But in such a short time, Zhu Hong¡¯s face recovered as if nothing had happened, with only faint traces visible, which could be described as a ¡¯rebirth¡¯pared to before.


    Who knows what Zhu Hong has experienced during this time.


    As his thoughts raced, Ling Chen heard Chen Yan¡¯s voice, "Zhu Hong, do you know Xiao Ling? I thought he was your sister¡¯s friend."


    "How could I not know him," Zhu Hong said with a half-smile, "He and I are ¡¯very good¡¯ friends. Right, Ling Chen?"


    Before Ling Chen could speak, Zhu Yaosheng interjected, "Alright! You came back just in time. Today is your little sister¡¯s birthday, and it¡¯s been a long time since our family gathered together. Xiaozhu, go get another bowl and chopsticks for your big brother."


    "Yes." Zhu Xiaozhu responded softly, her head bowed, not daring to look directly at Zhu Hong, and quickly got up to head into the kitchen.


    Zhu Hong smiled to himself, patted Nanrong Hao on the shoulder, and said, "Could we swap seats? I haven¡¯t seen Ling Chen in a long time and want to catch up with him."


    Nanrong Hao didn¡¯t speak but looked at Ling Chen. It was only when Ling Chen nodded that he reluctantly swapped seats. Sitting next to him, Ling Chen remained silent, still smiling broadly. Yet, his body was secretly on guard.


    Zhu Hong¡¯s sudden return at this moment was definitely not just for Zhu Xiaozhu¡¯s birthday; there must be other reasons. Moreover, upon meeting again, Ling Chen felt that Zhu Hong changed not just in appearance but also in personality and temperament.


    This made Ling Chen feel a bit uneasy; if Zhu Hong was a snake before, he was undoubtedly now a venomous one.


    Soon, the meal ended amidst insincereughter and chatter.


    After the meal, Ling Chen didn¡¯t n to stay any longer. Zhu Hong¡¯s sudden appearance gave Ling Chen a strong sense of crisis. He had to leave quickly and prepare early.


    Knowing Ling Chen was leaving, Zhu Yaosheng and his wife politely urged him to stay a bit longer. However, it was merely out of courtesy. Having their son back after being away for so long, they naturally wanted to spend more time with Zhu Hong.


    "Uncle Zhu, Aunt Chen, we¡¯re leaving too." Nanrong Wanqing came over and said.


    "You¡¯re leaving too?" Chen Yan asked in confusion, "Weren¡¯t you staying well? Why leave? We have plenty of rooms, one or two more people won¡¯t matter. You can stay as long as you like."

 Chapter 1213 - 1220: Probing

    <h4>Chapter 1213: Chapter 1220: Probing</h4>


    "Mom, Wanqing is very busy. There are still a lot of things to handle at thepany," Zhu Xiaozhu said beside her. Hearing this, Chen Yan smiled and replied, "Look at my memory, I forgot that Wanqing is the chairman of the Hongyu Group. Alright, since you have things to do, I won¡¯t keep you long. Come visit whenever you have time."


    "Girl," Ling Chen waved to Tang Shiyun and said, "They¡¯re having a family reunion. Don¡¯t hang around and affect them. Come with me."


    Tang Shiyun nodded obediently. For her, she would rather stay by Ling Chen¡¯s side.


    Leaving the Zhu Family, Ling Chen was about to walk to the car. But at this moment, his gaze was suddenly captured by a car across the street. Although there was a car window in between, Ling Chen could feel the presence of someone in the car. Moreover, that person was looking at him.


    In a split second, Ling Chen called Nanrong Hao to his side, gave a few instructions, and told them to leave first. "Chen, you¡¯re not leaving with us?"


    "No. With Zhu Hong suddenly back, I¡¯m not feeling at ease."


    "If you ask me, we should¡¯ve directly made a move and dealt with that bastard just now."


    Ling Chen red at Nanrong Hao and said testily, "Do you want to make a move right in front of their family? Don¡¯t forget, your Nanrong Family and the Zhu Family are old family friends. Even if you want to make a move, you can¡¯t do it in front of Zhu Yaosheng and his wife."


    In this matter, Ling Chen had his own principles and bottom lines. As the saying goes, avoid implicating family. Zhu Yaosheng and Chen Yan were unaware of what Zhu Hong had done. So, there was no need to involve that innocent couple. Besides, he didn¡¯t want to make things difficult for Zhu Xiaozhu and Nanrong Wanqing.


    Watching Nanrong Hao drive away, Ling Chen walked alone to the street opposite the Zhu Family¡¯s house, found a rtively secluded spot, and quietly watched the entrance.


    At this moment, the car that caught Ling Chen¡¯s attention earlier suddenly opened its doors, and two men dressed in ck got out and headed straight towards Ling Chen¡¯s location.


    Seeing the two men approaching step by step, Ling Chen immediately chose to move away. Walking along the street for more than ten meters, he took a turn and slipped into a nearby alley.


    Watching Ling Chen disappear from sight, the two men quickened their pace and immediately ran after him.


    Entering the narrow alley, Ling Chen stood in the center of the alley, smilingly watching the two of them as if waiting for their arrival.


    "Who are you?" Ling Chen asked, "Zhu Hong¡¯s men?"


    "That¡¯s not something you need to know," one of the men replied coldly, "All you need to know is that this time next year will be your death anniversary."


    Ling Chen shrugged dismissively and said, "That¡¯ll depend on whether you have the skills." As his words ended, Ling Chen lightly tapped his feet, and his body suddenly surged forward. In an instant, he was close to the two men.


    With fierce fist force quickly gathered, Ling Chen gave a light shout, and his steel fist mmed out, aiming straight at the foremost man. As the force whipped past, the man leaned slightly back, preparing to widen the distance from Ling Chen. But at this moment, Ling Chen suddenly blurred in his vision and disappeared from sight.


    Where is he?


    "Looking for me?"


    Just as the two were stunned, Ling Chen¡¯s voice suddenly came from behind. Before they could react, one of the men¡¯s bodies abruptly flew up, like a kite with a broken string, drawing an arc in the air before heavily hitting the ground.


    Turning around, Ling Chen looked at the other man and asked with a half-smile, "Is that all you¡¯ve got?"


    The man furrowed his brows, nced at his fallenpanion, hesitated briefly, and immediately turned around to flee out of the alley. Watching the man¡¯s retreating back, Ling Chen did not pursue. For him, having one to question was enough.


    Coming to the man¡¯s side, Ling Chen bent down and turned the man¡¯s body over. However, seeing the man¡¯s ashen face, Ling Chen¡¯s heart suddenly sank.


    Dead?


    When he made a move just now, he had held back. It was impossible to take his life, so why...? Thinking of this, Ling Chen quickly opened the man¡¯s mouth. Instantly, a pungent odor wafted out.


    He poisoned himself! Ling Chen was shocked, not expecting such extreme measures, nor did he know who these people were. After thinking for a moment, he squatted beside the man and rummaged through his pockets, hoping to find some useful clues.


    Suddenly, the supposedly dead man suddenly opened his eyes and lunged at Ling Chen. Caught off guard, Ling Chen¡¯s body was directly pushed to the ground.


    Seeing the sharp knife aiming at his neck, Ling Chen acted instinctively, unleashing his full inner strength, instantly creating a force that sent the man flying.


    "ying dead?" Ling Chen swiftly got up and rushed over. But, before he approached, he saw the man spit a mouthful of blood and copse again, lifeless.


    With the lesson from before, Ling Chen didn¡¯t dare let his guard down, cautiously approaching the man and checking carefully. Only after confirming the man was truly dead did Ling Chen breathe a sigh of relief.


    This man... Ling Chen frowned secretly. He had encountered many types of assassins, but never someone like this. Using death to lull the opponent and then delivering a fatal blow, and indeed he had taken poison. Even in such a situation, if he sessfully killed the target, he would die too, a true kamikaze tactic. He wondered what kind of organization could train such death warriors.


    Zhu Hong! Ling Chen squinted his eyes. It didn¡¯t take much thought to know it was definitely rted to Zhu Hong. He hadn¡¯t seen him for so long and wondered what he had gone through.


    Meanwhile, in the Zhu Family¡¯s hall, Zhu Hong, who was chatting with his parents, received a phone call. Looking at the number disyed on his phone, Zhu Hong stood up and said, "Dad, Mom, you chat first. I¡¯ll take this call outside."


    Outside, Zhu Hong answered the call and asked, "How did it go?"


    "Failed."


    "As expected," Zhu Hong replied coolly, "I¡¯ve told you, Ling Chen is a master on the Earthly List, not that easy to deal with. Your probe does nothing but alert the enemy, not helping our actions but having a counterproductive effect."


    "Who says it¡¯s useless? We¡¯ve figured out his strength."


    "I¡¯ve said, he..."


    Before Zhu Hong could finish, the man on the other end coldly replied, "I don¡¯t trust you. What you say is useless to me."


    Hearing this, a burst of anger surged in Zhu Hong¡¯s heart. However, he didn¡¯t show it, burying it deep inside. No matter what he encounters now, he can keep a straight face.


    "What are you nning to do next?"


    "That¡¯s not for you to know. I¡¯ll arrange everything. Just do your part," the caller said before hanging up directly.

 Chapter 1214 - 1221: Heart-to-Heart Between Brothers

    <h4>Chapter 1214: Chapter 1221: Heart-to-Heart Between Brothers</h4>


    Humph! This person really doesn¡¯t put me in his eyes. Listening to the busy tone on the phone, Zhu Hong let out a coldugh.


    However, the other party¡¯s attitude made him realize one thing. Even if he is Zhu Chuan¡¯s direct disciple, without enough strength, he still has no say.


    He didn¡¯t know much about this Ying Hall¡¯s Eagle w; from Zhu Chuan¡¯s words, there are two Eagle ws in Ying Hall, true elites of the hall with formidable strength. To receive such praise from Zhu Chuan indicates that they are truly capable. If this Eagle w can really deal with Ling Chen, then a bit of mistreatment would be worth it.


    Putting away the phone, Zhu Hong turned and went back to the hall. He looked at Zhu Xiaozhu, who was sitting silently on the side, and smiled as he asked, "Little sister, why do you look so unhappy? Are you not pleased to see me back?"


    Hearing Zhu Hong¡¯s words, Zhu Xiaozhu lowered her head and said in a voice as soft as a mosquito¡¯s buzz, "No."


    The Zhu Yaosheng couple on the sofa also noticed something was wrong with Zhu Xiaozhu, "Xiaozhu, you usually cheer up the most when your brotheres home. We¡¯ve been chatting for so long, and you haven¡¯t said a word. What¡¯s on your mind?"


    Before Zhu Xiaozhu could speak, Zhu Hong interrupted with a smile, "Dad, little sister¡¯s not a child anymore, she¡¯s over twenty. When a girl grows up, she¡¯ll always have some worries. Mom, don¡¯t you think so?"


    Chen Yan¡¯s eyes lit up, as a woman, of course, she caught the implication of Zhu Hong¡¯s words.


    "My dear daughter, do you... have a man you care about?"


    "No, no." Zhu Xiaozhu was startled, not expecting Chen Yan to say that, and quickly waved her hand: "Mom, stop guessing, I don¡¯t have anyone I like at the moment, if I do, I¡¯ll definitely bring them home to meet you. I¡¯m just feeling a bit unwell." Then, Zhu Xiaozhu stood up, "Dad, Mom, brother, you carry on chatting, I¡¯m going to my room to rest."


    Watching Zhu Xiaozhu hurriedly leave, Zhu Yaosheng smiled helplessly, "This girl has grown up, she doesn¡¯t tell us her worries anymore. Zhu Hong, as her older brother, you should pay more attention to your sister, okay?"


    "Dad, I know." Zhu Hong nodded, "You sit here for a while, I¡¯ll go check on little sister."


    Leaving the hall, Zhu Hong caught up with Zhu Xiaozhu, calling out, "Little sister, wait for me!"


    Zhu Xiaozhu kept her head down, pretending she hadn¡¯t heard Zhu Hong, quickening her pace straight to her room. But before she could enter, Zhu Hong¡¯s hand suddenly reached from behind, resting on her shoulder.


    "Little sister, why are you in such a hurry?"


    Zhu Xiaozhu lightly bit her lip, reluctantly turning around to face Zhu Hong¡¯s smiling face, her heart trembled inexplicably. For some reason, after witnessing Zhu Hong¡¯s true colors, no matter how he acted, he always seemed repugnant and terrifying to her.


    "Brother, do you... need something from me?" Zhu Xiaozhu dared not meet Zhu Hong¡¯s eyes, instinctively bowing her head again, staring at the smooth floor.


    "It¡¯s nothing, I just haven¡¯t seen you in a while and wanted to chat. Let¡¯s talk in your room."


    Zhu Xiaozhu had no choice but to lead Zhu Hong into her bedroom. After they were seated, Zhu Hong gazed into Zhu Xiaozhu¡¯s clear eyes, remaining silent for a long time, as if deep in thought.


    After a while, Zhu Hong slowly put away his smile and said, "Little sister, I know what you¡¯re afraid of. I¡¯m sorry, I was too foolish in the past, reckless and inconsiderate, I hope you can forgive me and give me a chance to redeem myself."


    "Brother..." Zhu Xiaozhu looked up, staring directly at Zhu Hong, "I almost died, at your hands, do you know? I don¡¯t know what you were thinking at that time, how you could be so ruthless to kill your own sister. Since that day, I¡¯ve realized you¡¯re no longer the brother I used to have; hatred and power have blinded you. In your eyes, as long as you achieve your goals, anything can be sacrificed, including your family."


    "Little sister, it¡¯s not like that, listen to me..."


    Zhu Xiaozhu sighed softly, "Brother, you don¡¯t need to say anything, nothing works now, I¡¯ve long figured it out. Whatever you want to do has nothing to do with me anymore, I just ask that you don¡¯t involve the family. Mom and Dad are innocent, they don¡¯t know what you¡¯re doing outside, and I hope you don¡¯t disturb their peaceful life. Is that okay?"


    Zhu Hong was silent for a moment, then smiled and nodded, "They¡¯re your parents, they¡¯re my parents too; I care about them as much as you do. Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t involve you all, but... I also hope you can help me by keeping it hidden from Mom and Dad, so they won¡¯t suspect anything."


    "Okay." Pausing briefly, Zhu Xiaozhu hesitated, "Brother, I still hope you can turn over a new leaf and not fall deeper. Otherwise, you won¡¯t even have the chance to regret it."


    "Little sister, do you think I still have a chance to regret?" Before Zhu Xiaozhu could respond, Zhu Hong reached out to stop her, "Alright, you don¡¯t need to persuade me, I know what I¡¯m doing. The main thing is, stay out of my business, I know my limits. As for Ling Chen... stay away from him, lest you get hurt again." Finished talking, Zhu Hong stood up and walked straight out the door.


    After leaving Zhu Xiaozhu, Zhu Hong didn¡¯t look for the Zhu Yaosheng couple but instead left the Zhu Family directly. He didn¡¯t return to Beijing aimlessly this time; Zhu Chuan had given him a task that he had toplete.


    Half an hourter, Zhu Hong drove to a luxurious vi.


    After getting out of the car, Zhu Hong approached the front door and rang the doorbell. Soon, two security personnel in suits walked over quickly, looked at Zhu Hong with caution, and asked, "Who are you looking for?"


    "Please inform Mr. Hong that he has an important guest." As he spoke, Zhu Hong took out a carved iron te with an eagle from his pocket and handed it over.


    In less than two minutes, Hong Wei, dressed in a loose Tang suit, came to the door surrounded by a group of security personnel.


    "Sir, I am Hong Wei." Hong Wei greeted warmly with a smile.


    Zhu Hong nodded without a word and followed Hong Wei into the vi.


    After the two sat down, Zhu Hong swept his eyes over the room full of security personnel, maintaining his silence. Seeing this, Hong Wei immediately understood and quickly dismissed all the security personnel from the living room.


    Once only the two of them were left in the living room, Hong Wei spoke, "Sir, may I know how to address you?"


    "You don¡¯t need to know that." Zhu Hong said ndly, "We received your call for help, and they specifically sent me to assist you."


    "Thank you! Thank you!"


    "Mr. Hong, don¡¯t rush to thank me just yet, it¡¯s best if we rify the terms before I help you."

 Chapter 1215 - 1222: Zhu Hong’s Little Scheme

    <h4>Chapter 1215: Chapter 1222: Zhu Hong¡¯s Little Scheme</h4>


    "Conditions?" Hong Wei asked, "What other conditions are there?"


    "Mr. Hong, the amount you pay only entitles you to the lowest level of service. However, someone wants to kill you now, and the other party is not insignificant. If you want higher-level services, you need to pay an equivalent fee."


    Hearing this, Hong Wei frowned and said, "Sir, you should know how expensive your prices are. I pay your organization more than a billion every year; that¡¯s enough to hire an army. Now you want me to pay more, do you really take me for a fool?"


    Zhu Hong said expressionlessly, "You get what you pay for. Mr. Hong, let me be frank, if I pulled all my people out, you wouldn¡¯tst three days. As far as I know, your personal assets amount to hundreds of billions. Tens of billions are nothing to you. Do you really think that money is more important than your life?"


    Hong Wei pondered for a moment and asked, "How much do you want?"


    "Not much, just this amount." Zhu Hong raised three fingers and smiled, "For you, it¡¯s just a drop in the bucket."


    Thirty billion... Hong Wei was somewhat displeased, but for his safety, he nodded in agreement. After all, what good is money if you¡¯re not alive? In this regard, Hong Wei was very clear.


    "Great! I knew Mr. Hong is a straightforward person." Saying this, Zhu Hong took out a small note from his pocket and ced it on the coffee table. "This is my bank ount number, and I¡¯ll check in thirty minutes to see if the funds have arrived."


    ncing at the small note, Hong Wei said, "I have your organization¡¯s public ount. I can directly transfer the money there, as I¡¯ve always done."


    "As you said, that was before. Now I make the decisions." With that, Zhu Hong stood up, adjusted his cor, and smiled, "Mr. Hong, it was a pleasure doing business. I¡¯ll take my leave now."


    Watching Zhu Hong leave, Hong Wei felt a bit resentful about losing thirty billion just like that. However, thinking of the safety that thirty billion bought him, he finally rxed.


    Leaving the Hong residence, Zhu Hong sat in the car, took out his mobile, and checked the ount bnce. Hong Wei was efficient; the thirty billion had already been transferred sessfully. Seeing the long string of zeros in the ount, Zhu Hong finally smiled.


    The task Zhu Chuan gave him this time was simple: to negotiate business with Hong Wei. With so many experts from Skyhawk Pavilion involved, they naturally needed to collect some additional fees. ording to Zhu Chuan, twenty billion would suffice. However, Zhu Hong wouldn¡¯t miss such a good opportunity. Easily, without any effort, he pocketed ten billion. What could be easier than making money this way?


    He now owned nothing. To rise again and have enough capital, money was indispensable.


    Money makes the world go ¡¯round! In today¡¯s society, money is almost omnipotent.


    After transferring twenty billion to Skyhawk Pavilion¡¯s public ount, Zhu Hong picked up the phone and dialed a number.


    "Hello! Master, it¡¯s me. I¡¯m currently in Beijing. If you have time, pleasee to Beijing. I have something to discuss with you... Okay, I¡¯ll wait for your message."


    After hanging up the phone, Zhu Hong¡¯s lips curved slightly, showing how rxed he was. The call just now wasn¡¯t to Zhu Chuan, but to Chen Quan. Ever since he went missing in the desert, he hadn¡¯t contacted Chen Quan for a long time.


    Chen Quan is a top expert on the Heavenly List, such a good resource shouldn¡¯t be wasted. Besides, Chen Quan¡¯s current situation is simr to his, owning nothing. And having been imprisoned by the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion for so many years, Chen Quan was a bit out of step with the current society. Back when they were together, almost everything was arranged by Zhu Hong, and Chen Quan only needed to take action.


    The call just now confirmed Zhu Hong¡¯s suspicion. Without his assistance, Chen Quan was having a hard time. After Ling Beichuan was arrested, Chen Quan lost his ce to stay. Coupled with not having a penny and not understanding his surroundings, he¡¯s been wandering outside, homeless.


    Moreover, to meet his basic needs, Chen Quan, such an elite heavenly list expert, stooped to murder and robbery. Currently, he¡¯s wanted by the police, living a very miserable life.


    Such a master on the Heavenly List falling to this point was indeed tragic.


    "Ling Chen, just received news, Zhu Hong went to Hong Wei¡¯s ce."


    In the manor, Tang Guolun reported on Zhu Hong¡¯stest movements.


    "Went to Hong Wei¡¯s?" Ling Chen asked, puzzled, "What did he go to Hong Wei for?"


    "I don¡¯t know. By the way!" Tang Guolun said, "Lady Zhu asked me to tell you that her people have arrived in Beijing today and are on their way, they¡¯ll arrive in about twenty minutes."


    "Got it. Boss Tang, tell everyone to perk up. Once the Zhu Family¡¯s people arrive, we¡¯ll take action immediately. We¡¯ve been dyed long enough in Beijing; it¡¯s time to finish this."


    Before long, several Land Rover SUVs drove into the manor. At this moment, Ling Chen, along with Tang Guolun and others, waited outside. Seeing the vehicles stop, Ling Chen stepped forward to greet them.


    The first to alight was Zhu Qing, followed by more than a dozen men around thirty years old. Just by their ages, Ling Chen knew that Zhu Houchang had dispatched the finest of the elite.


    Whether they¡¯re assassins, murderers, or agents, thirty is the golden age in the industry. At this stage, they¡¯ve gained ample experience, and their skills have been honed to perfection.


    After surveying them one by one, Ling Chen was very satisfied with the support sent by the Zhu Family.


    "Thank you for your efforts, Lady Zhu! Please take everyone to rest; the guest rooms are all prepared."


    Zhu Qing nodded and led the Zhu family members into the vi. These elite members from the Zhu Family remained silent, but their military-like discipline and qualities were evident.


    Night fell!


    Ling Chen nced at the time. It was eight o¡¯clock, four hours until the operation.


    "Boss Tang, tell everyone the situation."


    Tang Guolun spread open a map, detailing theyout of Hong Wei¡¯s residence.


    "We¡¯ve been monitoring Hong Wei¡¯s residence these past few days. Since the attack that night, Hong Wei has strengthened his security. He hired three securitypanies, with about sixty personnel in total." Tang Guolun pointed to the map¡¯s markings, saying, "This is the main entrance, with ten security personnel on duty around the clock. There are ten patrolling the inside and outside of the perimeter wall. Apart from these thirty, the remaining security is stationed around the vi. Additionally, Zhou Qian and Ren Han from two martial arts academies are always by Hong Wei¡¯s side, ensuring his safety. Currently, the Hong residence is like a fortress. It¡¯s extremely difficult to infiltrate secretly."


    "That¡¯s not the main problem," Jiang Yunkai interjected.

 Chapter 1216 - 1223: Operation in the Dark

    <h4>Chapter 1216: Chapter 1223: Operation in the Dark</h4>


    "Every day, there are five police cars patrolling around the area two blocks away from the Hong Family. I estimate it¡¯s because of the attack that night, that Hong Wei used his connections to get the police¡¯s help. If the Hong Family is attacked, those patrolling officers will arrive at the scene within five minutes. If the police get involved, it will be a big problem for our operation."


    "Don¡¯t worry about that, I¡¯ll handle it," Ling Chen said.


    After a pause, Ling Chen turned to Zhu Qing and said, "Lady Zhu, to ensure this operation goes off without a hitch, I¡¯ll apany you. At that time, I¡¯ll stay outside, secretly assisting until your operation is confirmed sessful. If anything unexpected happens, I¡¯ll provide help."


    "Okay." Zhu Qing nodded. Previously, she would have certainly refused Ling Chen¡¯s proposal. As a member of the Zhu Family, they have their pride, and are confident in their abilities. But this time is different; they are facing the Skyhawk Pavilion, a formidable opponent from the same roots as the Zhu Family, so Zhu Qing doesn¡¯t dare to be careless.


    "Alright! Everything that needed to be exined has been exined. If there are no other questions, everyone stay put, adjust your state, and we move in four hours."


    ...


    Late at night.


    Three Land Rover SUVs slowly drove into a chilly alley. The car door opened, and Ling Chen jumped out from the driver¡¯s seat first. Once Zhu Qing and the others got out, Ling Chen led the group quietly toward Hong Wei¡¯s residence.


    At this moment, even though it¡¯s past midnight, Hong Wei¡¯s vi is still brightly lit, with high-powered spotlights set up around, leaving almost no dead corners.


    "You stay here to support us." With that, Zhu Qing gestured to the people behind her. Soon, more than a dozen Zhu Family elites in ck dispersed quickly, disappearing into the thick of the night.


    Ling Chen felt a bit worried. Hong Wei... or to be more precise, the Skyhawk Pavilion, had clearly made full preparations this time. Otherwise, they wouldn¡¯t use so much lighting. The Zhu Family members are assassins, and an assassin¡¯s greatest skill is hiding in the dark. Without the cover of darkness, their abilities are reduced by at least half.


    Cut the power! Ling Chen¡¯s mind sparkled with a thought; perhaps this could help Zhu Qing. But as soon as this idea arose, Ling Chen dismissed it. If he could think of it, there¡¯s no way the Skyhawk Pavilion wouldn¡¯t have anticipated it. Chances are, the Skyhawk Pavilion is already prepared.


    Boom!


    While pondering, a loud bang suddenly erupted from the vi not far away, as if something had exploded.


    Ling Chen looked over and vaguely saw white smoke drifting out from a window on the top floor.


    Are they making a move?


    Just as he was thinking, he saw the security personnel responsible for patrolling around the vi quickly gathered, all heading towards the vi. In no time, dozens of security guards surrounded the vi, forming wall-likeyers.


    Watching the activity in the vi, Ling Chen took a deep breath to remain calm. At the same time, he focused on listening to his earpiece. Before the operation, he had agreed with Zhu Qing that if she needed his help, she would contact him through the earpiece. Until then, Ling Chen must remain silent to avoid affecting their operation.


    Time ticked by second by second.


    Meanwhile, a few police cars patrolling two blocks away received a notification and immediately drove toward Hong Wei¡¯s vi. However, at this moment, a beam of intense light suddenly shone, forcing the police cars to stop.


    A policeman swiftly climbed out from the passenger seat and yelled at the intense light ahead, "Who are you? Get out of my way, don¡¯t block my path."


    "Who do you want to get out?" a cold voice replied. Then, two fully armed soldiers in military uniforms appeared in the policeman¡¯s view.


    The moment the scolding officer saw their attire and equipment, he started in fright, breaking out in a cold sweat.


    "Which unit are you from? Why are you here sote?" The officer tried to keep his tone even and asked.


    "We¡¯re conducting military exercises, and this section of the road is sealed off. You need to take a detour."


    "That won¡¯t work! We received a call and need to get there immediately. Please make an exception for us."


    One soldier coldly barked, "Don¡¯t you understand my words? I said this ce is sealed off. I don¡¯t care who you are; if you cross the line, I¡¯ll shoot you."


    "You..." The officer opened his mouth and wanted to argue further, but when he saw the other party load their weapon, he shrank back and swallowed his words.


    The military is the nation¡¯s war machine, iron-blooded and ruthless. Reasoning with these soldiers is a waste of time. Moreover, if he dared to make any drastic moves, the other side would definitely shoot him dead. If that happened, the other side would be fine, and he would still face charges for disobeying military orders; if he died, he would have deserved it.


    Helpless, the officer had to return to the police car, "Let¡¯s go, fall back."


    At this moment, Ling Chen stood at the alley entrance, looking up at the vi not far away, waiting for Zhu Qing¡¯s message. His phone in his pocket vibrated. Ling Chen took it out and nced at the message, the corner of his mouth lifting slightly; Pang Jiulin¡¯s people truly are reliable.


    While they executed the operation, Pang Jiulin had deployed many soldiers to guard each road leading to Hong Wei¡¯s home, preventing anyone from getting close. This way, even if Hong Wei called the police, the officers wouldn¡¯t arrive immediately.


    "Ling Chen!"


    Suddenly, Zhu Qing¡¯s voice came through Ling Chen¡¯s earpiece. Through the device, Ling Chen could clearly hear Zhu Qing¡¯s heavy breathing.


    "Lady Zhu, how¡¯s the situation inside?"


    "No sign of the target, we¡¯ve all been tied up and can¡¯t get free just yet."


    "Hang on, I¡¯lle in to support you."


    "No! You don¡¯t need to; we can manage. The target should be hiding in the basement, and the Skyhawk Pavilion¡¯s people are engaging us, so they don¡¯t have time to look after the target. This is your chance; take it."


    Upon hearing this, Ling Chen immediately understood Zhu Qing¡¯s intent for him to go and assassinate Hong Wei.


    "Okay, I¡¯ll go find him right away. Be careful yourselves." With that, Ling Chen dashed toward the vi. At this time, those security guards were all around the vi, paying no attention to the situation outside.


    It wasn¡¯t long before Ling Chen easily vaulted over the wall, hiding in the greenery. Looking at the security personnel standing in rows not far off, Ling Chen hesitated briefly, contemting strategies in his mind.


    With so many security personnel, it¡¯s impossible to charge straight in. While he wasn¡¯t afraid of them given his skills, breaking in directly would be too time-consuming. A quick, decisive strike was necessary.


    Suddenly, Ling Chen¡¯s eyes lit up; a n formed in his mind.

 Chapter 1217 - 1224: Hong Wei’s Downfall (1)

    <h4>Chapter 1217: Chapter 1224: Hong Wei¡¯s Downfall (1)</h4>


    Before long, Ling Chen returned the same way, driving a Land Rover SUV and stopped outside Hong Wei¡¯s vi. Gear engaged, elerator pressed, apanied by a roar, the Land Rover¡¯s front surged forward, breaking through the vi gates and charging into the crowd. Hearing the impact behind them, security personnel around the vi turned to look.


    Seeing the Land Rover rushing in, the crowd was startled and quickly scattered to both sides.


    Bam! A loud noise echoed as the Land Rover¡¯s front mmed into the wall, instantly deforming, and a thick white smoke billowed from the engine hood.


    "Who is it?"


    "Quick, go inside and check."


    Surrounding security personnel buzzed with discussion and quickly encircled the Land Rover. But when the door opened, they were shocked to find the vehicle empty.


    At this moment, less than ten meters away from the Land Rover, Ling Chen stealthily moved toward the living room window. All the security personnel¡¯s attention was fixed on the Land Rover, and no one noticed Ling Chen¡¯s presence.


    Carefully pushing open the window, Ling Chen leapt silently into the vi.


    Closing the window, Ling Chen looked around, seeing the spacious and luxurious living room devoid of people, but intense sounds of fighting asionally came from upstairs. No need to look to know, it¡¯s surely Zhu Qing and the Skyhawk Pavilion members shing.


    Zhu Qing and the others had already secured time and opportunity for him, so Ling Chen dared not waste time, hurriedly searching for the entrance to the basement. Before taking action, Ling Chen had studied this vi¡¯s architectural blueprint and understood the structuralyout.


    Ling Chen found the entrance to the basement without spending much time.


    Opening the door and looking at the stairs below, Ling Chen didn¡¯t go down directly; who knows if traps were set below.


    Taking a shbang from his pocket, Ling Chen tossed it down the stairs. Meanwhile, Ling Chen quickly shut the door. A ¡¯bang¡¯ echoed, followed by screams from behind the door.


    Seizing the moment, Ling Chen dashed down, seeing several men on both sides of the stairs, each covering their eyes and wailing incessantly. Taking down four men, Ling Chen moved swiftly, continuing deeper into the basement.


    Whizz!


    Suddenly, a sound pierced the air, quickly nearing Ling Chen. Alert and prepared, Ling Chen slightly shifted left, the projectile skimming past his clothes, hitting the wall beside him.


    Looking at the knife embedded in the wall, Ling Chen¡¯s gaze swept around, intending to see who had attacked. But just then, the surrounding light dimmed, the entire basement plunged into darkness, rendering visibility impossible.


    "Skyhawk Pavilion members?" Ling Chen calmly said.


    No response came, not even a breath, yet Ling Chen could sense their presence, a scent of danger. Moreover, his intuition told Ling Chen there were more than one assassin from Skyhawk Pavilion hidden in the darkness.


    Hmph! Skyhawk Pavilion really spared no expense this time, deploying so many to protect Hong Wei.


    In darkness, vision is the most useless sense. Ling Chen closed his eyes, focusing entirely on hearing. When Zhu Qing attempted to assassinate him, he experienced the same scenario. Thus, encountering suchbat again was familiar, quickly adapting to the surroundings.


    Now, just wait for Skyhawk Pavilion assassins to reveal themselves.


    However, Ling Chen underestimated the assassins from Skyhawk Pavilion. Several minutes passed with no movement from them, like beasts lurking in the dark, staring at their prey, waiting for the perfect moment to strike.


    What do assassins value most? Patience! Only those who can remain calm can bepetent assassins.


    Ling Chen remained still, and so did the assassins, silently waiting. With time, Ling Chen¡¯s expression turned serious. These assassins were not onlyplex but also highly skilled.


    In such a favorable environment and with numerical advantage, most assassins would choose to attack rather than endure. But these assassins didn¡¯t act so. Even when Ling Chen deliberately exposed a w, they didn¡¯t seize the chance. What does this indicate? It shows they saw through Ling Chen¡¯s intentions.


    Moreover, they acted cautiously, likely aware of Ling Chen¡¯s capability, which is why they held back.


    Still won¡¯t attack?


    As several minutes more psed, Ling Chen became somewhat impatient. In another location, he could wait against them. But now, that¡¯s not possible; Zhu Qing and others couldn¡¯t secure much time for him; swift resolution was needed.


    Ten minutes had passed already, the longer it dragged, the more perilous Zhu Qing¡¯s situation became. Once Zhu Qing and others failed to fight on, all Skyhawk Pavilion assassins woulde for him. At that point, escape wouldn¡¯t be an option. Considering this, Ling Chen didn¡¯t hesitate any longer, opting for a preemptive strike.


    Boom!


    With a loud noise, smoke erupted around Ling Chen¡¯s feet. These were ready-prepared gear, smoke bombs, and shbangs provided by Pang Jiulin. This time with military backing, obtaining equipment was easy.


    Assassins thrive in darkness, but adding smoke destroys such advantages. Though darkness obscures vision, smoke equally does so. In this situation, both sides be blind, relying solely on acute hearing to deduce each other¡¯s location.


    As thick smoke enveloped the scene, Ling Chen reached into his pocket, pulling out a handful of steel nails.


    With a flick of the wrist, dozens of steel nails hurled outwards, scattering around. At the moment ofunch, Ling Chen finally heard subtle sounds from three positions.


    Three people!


    Ling Chen¡¯s lips slightly curved; the effect was satisfactory, finally confirming their numbers. This barrage of nails wasn¡¯t meant to harm, but to force movement, causing them to make a sound, thus determining their count and positions.


    Knowing the count, as for their positions... Ling Chen listened closely, suddenly furrowing his brow. At the moment, his ears detected multiple sounds from the ground.


    This... was his count incorrect? Impossible! Ling Chen immediately dismissed this possibility. Given such a confined space, it wasn¡¯t feasible to host over ten people without being noticed.


    Moving carefully, Ling Chen¡¯s foot suddenly stepped on something round. Applying slight pressure, it instantly crushed. This is... Ling Chenughed aloud.


    Beans! So that¡¯s it. Never seen this tactic before, today¡¯s an eye-opener.


    The opponents used beans, dropped on the ground, to create faint sounds, thereby misleading or attracting enemy attention. Besides, these beans served another purpose ¨C locating opponents.

 Chapter 1218 - 1225: Hong Wei’s Fate (2)

    <h4>Chapter 1218: Chapter 1225: Hong Wei¡¯s Fate (2)</h4>


    The weight of the beans is very light, making almost no sound when thrown, only a noise when they hit the ground. If a bean hits someone before falling to the ground, the sound has a very subtle differencepared to when it falls directly. Simply put, it¡¯s a time difference. Anyone who has trained for years can proficiently master this skill.


    The Zhu Family truly deserves its reputation as a leader in this field, having left behind many practical techniques from the older generation.


    "Everyone, let¡¯s not waste time, let¡¯s get started quickly. I still want to go for a midnight snack," Ling Chen said.


    Unfortunately, Ling Chen¡¯s words did not provoke the assassin¡¯s attack.


    "You¡¯re still not making a move? Fine, then I won¡¯t y with you anymore. Bye-bye!" Saying this, Ling Chen began to step forward, not caring whether his direction was right or wrong.


    However, just as Ling Chen took a step forward, a gust of force suddenly attacked, rushing at great speed. Ling Chen, sensing the impending danger, swiftly turned and threw a punch behind him.


    Seemingly feeling Ling Chen¡¯s fierce punch, the opponent did not continue to attack and quickly retreated. But there were three assassins hidden in the dark. One retreated, but there were still two others.


    The murderous aura approached, attacking from both left and right. Ling Chen shifted his steps, slightly tilting his body to avoid the attacks of the two men. Suddenly, for some unknown reason, Ling Chen¡¯s body paused, his movements slowed by half a beat.


    In a battle of experts, every w is lethal. This w of Ling Chen immediately cost him dearly, in blood.


    With a ripping sound, Ling Chen¡¯s back was sliced open by a knife de, leaving a long gash, blood flowing freely.


    "Damn!" Ling Chen cursed loudly, quickly retreating. But the three assassins, having seeded in striking him, would not miss such a good opportunity. Strike while the iron is hot, kill while he¡¯s weak. Ling Chen was injured; this was the best time to deal with him.


    In an instant, the three assassins attacked simultaneously, swiftly lunging toward the retreating Ling Chen.


    As he retreated several meters, Ling Chen¡¯s heel suddenly hit a hard object. Crap! It¡¯s a wall, there¡¯s no way out. Ling Chen¡¯s pupils slightly contracted, sensing the three gusts of forceing at him, his Mo Che-like pupils instantly emitting a glint of light.


    "Do you really think I¡¯m that easy to bully?" Ling Chen¡¯s tone changed, carrying a hint of irony.


    Before the three assassins could react, a dazzling light suddenly shone. The light was blinding, causing the three assassins¡¯ charging bodies to pause slightly, hurriedly shielding their eyes with their hands.


    However, this brief moment was enough for Ling Chen to counterattack.


    Three consecutive punches were thrown, instantly knocking the three assassins away, their bodies crashing heavily into the wall.


    Looking at the fallen assassins, unable to get up, Ling Chen grinned and said, "Since I dared toe, how could I be unprepared? Your tactics and skills are good, but unfortunately, you have a fatal weakness: you can¡¯t stand the light."


    Back when he fought Zhu Qing, Ling Chen had considered this issue. Zhu Qing¡¯s strength was indeed great, but she relied on the dark environment. If it were daylight, Zhu Qing¡¯s strength would be greatly diminished.


    The Skyhawk Pavilion¡¯s assassins have the same origin as Zhu Qing, so Ling Chen thought of a way to restrain them, carrying a portable shlight. The shlight was small, but the light was strong, enough to produce magical results.


    Just now, Ling Chen deliberately exposed a w, took a knife hit, intending to lure them into attacking simultaneously, making them lower their guard, allowing him to capture them all at once.


    Despite paying the price of a superficial wound, the result was good. If it weren¡¯t for the unconventional tactics, who knows how much time it would have taken.


    Having dealt with the three assassins, Ling Chen headed straight to the innermost room of the basement. Opening the door, he saw three people sitting in the small room. One was Zhou Qian, another was Ren Han, and the third was his target for tonight, Hong Wei. It was clear that Zhou Qian and Ren Han were rtively calm, and Hong Wei was not worried at all, not only holding a wine ss but also having a stunningly beautiful woman, scantily dressed, sit on hisp.


    Upon seeing Ling Chen rush into the room, the three inside were slightly taken aback.


    "Oh! Mr. Hong, you certainly know how to enjoy yourself," Ling Chen said with a half-smile.


    "You... you..." Hong Wei stared at Ling Chen, his face drastically changed, hastily pushing the woman beside him away, standing up from the chair quickly, and retreating behind Zhou Qian and Ren Han.


    "How... how did you get in? What about those outside?" Hong Wei stuttered his question.


    Having paid Zhu Hong thirty billion in remuneration today, Hong Wei felt rxed, believing there would be no more danger, which was why he dared to stay in the basement and enjoy, letting themotion upstairs continue.


    But seeing Ling Chen suddenly appear before him, a sense of ominousness rose in Hong Wei¡¯s heart.


    "Are you talking about those assassins?" Ling Chen smiled slightly, "I¡¯ve dealt with them. But rest assured, I¡¯ll soon send you down to meet them. When you¡¯re in the realm of the dead, perhaps you can hire them to protect you."


    Hearing this, Hong Wei shivered, a chill inexplicably rising in his heart. He had seen many storms in life and was mentally prepared, but when faced with this moment, he was still somewhat afraid and terrified.


    No one in this world isn¡¯t afraid of dying. Those who im they¡¯re not afraid of death have nothing worth holding onto in this world.


    "Kill! Quick, kill him!" Hong Wei urged Zhou Qian and Ren Han, shouting loudly.


    Facing Hong Wei¡¯s urging, Zhou Qian and Ren Han exchanged nces, both somewhat hesitant.


    "Are you two really prepared to go against me?" Ling Chen looked at the two and asked.


    Zhou Qian and Ren Han did not speak, both simultaneously falling silent. When they thought of the expert from the Heavenly List behind Ling Chen, neither had the courage to make a move. Even if they joined forces to kill Ling Chen, they themselves wouldn¡¯t fare well, sooner orter facing revenge from the Heavenly List expert.


    If they were just two unbound wanderers, perhaps they could act regardless of the consequences. But they both had families, businesses, and managed a Martial Arts Academy. If something happened to them, it would definitely affect their families.


    Seeing Zhou Qian and Ren Han still not acting, Hong Wei suddenly got angry, kicking Zhou Qian¡¯s calf furiously and shouting, "I told you to kill him, are you deaf? Do it!"


    "Mr. Hong, apologies!" Zhou Qian looked back at Hong Wei, "It¡¯s better not to get involved in this matter." After a brief contemtion, Zhou Qian made his decision. For Hong Wei¡¯s sake, it wasn¡¯t worth inviting disaster. As for Hong Wei... he didn¡¯t believe Hong Wei had a chance of surviving tonight.


    With Zhou Qian¡¯s stance made clear, Ren Han followed suit.


    Seeing the two of them about to leave, Hong Wei finally panicked, desperately grabbing their arms and pleading, "Don¡¯t, don¡¯t go! Zhou Qian, Ren Han, as long as you help me kill him, I¡¯ll give you whatever you want."

 Chapter 1219 - 1226: Hong Wei’s Fate (3)

    <h4>Chapter 1219: Chapter 1226: Hong Wei¡¯s Fate (3)</h4>


    "Mr. Hong, don¡¯t me us for not helping you. We just don¡¯t want to risk our lives." After speaking, Zhou Qian swung his arm and strode out of the room.


    As Zhou Qian and Ren Han left, Hong Wei slumped into the chair like a deted balloon.


    Ling Chen smiled. Zhou Qian and Ren Han were indeed sensible and didn¡¯t oppose him. After closing the door, Ling Chen casually walked up to Hong Wei, brought over a chair, and sat down.


    "Mr. Hong, I think we need to have a chat."


    Hong Wei looked at Ling Chen weakly, "You won¡¯t let me go, will you?"


    "You shouldn¡¯t have sent someone to assassinate Nanrong Wanqing. Didn¡¯t you know she¡¯s under my protection? If you hadn¡¯t done this, maybe I would have considered sparing you."


    Upon hearing this, a glimmer of hope shed in Hong Wei¡¯s eyes. He quickly said, "It wasn¡¯t me who wanted to kill her; it was someone else... someone else made me do it."


    "Who? Tell me the name."


    "There are many... they teamed up to swallow the Hongyu Group, formed a temporary alliance. When Nanrong Wanqing came to Beijing, they approached me, wanting me to help deal with her. After it¡¯s done, they promised me ten percent of Hongyu Group¡¯s profits."


    "Give me the list."


    "I have it!" Hong Wei hurriedly pulled out his phone and wrote down the names of all involved.


    "I¡¯ve given you the list. Let me go, and I promise not to hassle you again."


    "Don¡¯t rush." Ling Chen said calmly, "Let me ask you, why did Zhu Honge to you today?"


    "Zhu Hong? Who are you talking about?" Hong Wei was slightly taken aback but quickly realized who Ling Chen meant, "You mean that young man who came looking for me during the day? He¡¯s with Skyhawk Pavilion, here to discuss business."


    Skyhawk Pavilion?


    Ling Chen was taken aback. Zhu Hong had actually joined Skyhawk Pavilion? This was indeed unexpected.


    "How did you get in contact with people from Skyhawk Pavilion?" Ling Chen thought for a moment and asked.


    Hong Wei replied honestly, "They came to me directly, asking if I needed special services." After speaking, Hong Wei looked at Ling Chen and said, "I have numerous assets in Beijing worth hundreds of billions. If you let me go, I can transfer all my wealth to you." Pausing, Hong Wei continued, "I can catch a flight abroad tomorrow morning; you¡¯ll never see me again."


    "Are you really willing to do that?" Ling Chen looked at Hong Wei, half believing, half doubting. He had to admit, Hong Wei¡¯s proposal was tempting. His initial n was to kill Hong Wei directly. With Hong Wei dead, Beijing would undoubtedly descend into chaos, providing Ling Chen an opportunity to consolidate his power in the turmoil.


    However, obtaining all of Hong Wei¡¯s assets would save him a lot of trouble.


    Seeing Ling Chen deep in thought, Hong Wei seemed worried that he wouldn¡¯t be believed, so he quickly picked up his phone.


    "What are you doing?"


    "I¡¯m calling mywyer. As long as you agree, I can have the transfer contract ready for you now."


    "Make the callter. Come with me first." Saying that, Ling Chen pointed to the door and led Hong Wei towards the basement exit.


    Returning to the living room, Ling Chen and Hong Wei went straight upstairs.


    At this moment, the sound of fighting could still be heard upstairs. However, with Ling Chen and Hong Wei¡¯s appearance, the assassins from Skyhawk Pavilion and Zhu Qing¡¯s people immediately stopped, focusing their attention on the two.


    "Everyone, I have Hong Wei with me; you can stop now."


    Seeing Hong Wei being held by Ling Chen, the assassins from Skyhawk Pavilion¡¯s expressions changed slightly, and without a word, they jumped out the windows.


    With their employer captured, there was no reason for them to stay.


    "Chase them, don¡¯t let them escape." Zhu Qing quickly ordered, and more than a dozen Zhu Family elites immediately pursued them.


    "Lady Zhu, are you all alright?" Ling Chen asked with concern.


    "We¡¯re fine." Zhu Qing nced at Hong Wei, then asked, "Why not just kill him?"


    "There¡¯s no need at the moment; he¡¯s still of great use to me."


    Half an hourter, the Zhu Family elites returned empty-handed, failing to capture Skyhawk Pavilion¡¯s assassins. By now, it was already two in the morning. Ling Chen called Tang Guolun, exining the situation there. Meanwhile, Hong Wei¡¯swyer also arrived at the residence, transferring all the assets to Ling Chen¡¯s name.


    After everything was settled, it was already past seven o¡¯clock in the morning.


    At nine in the morning, under the surveince of Zhu Family elites, Hong Wei boarded a ne heading overseas. From this moment on, the name Hong Wei would be history, and a new ruler had emerged in Beijing¡¯s underground forces.


    Back at the manor, Tang Guolun was already waiting at the door, ready to greet the victorious group. Seeing Ling Chen approach, Tang Guolunughed loudly and went up to him, patting him on the shoulder, "Well done!"


    "Thanks to Lady Zhu for her assistance."


    "It¡¯s a pity we let Hong Wei go. If you ask me, it¡¯s best to have killed him to avoid future trouble."


    "There¡¯s no need for that," Ling Chen said. Earlier before the operation, he was determined to kill Hong Wei. However, he overestimated Hong Wei¡¯s tenacity.


    As Beijing¡¯s underground emperor, he expected Hong Wei to resist to the end, preferring death over surrender. Who knew Hong Wei¡¯s courage was so small,cking any resolve? But then again, considering Hong Wei¡¯s numerous lovers and illegitimate children, how could he be willing to die? Although he abandoned his domestic assets, Hong Wei had developed many enterprises overseas, enough to live a luxurious life for a lifetime.


    Anyone smart would make the same choice.


    "Boss Tang, call Fatty and have him arrange people toe over as soon as possible. Hong Wei left behind such a vast industry; we need to find someone to take over." Saying this, Ling Chen turned to Zhu Qing, "Lady Zhu, we¡¯ll need your help for a few more days."


    Although Hong Wei had transferred all his assets to Ling Chen, those assets were managed by Hong Wei¡¯s subordinates. Now that Hong Wei had fled the country, and no one could contact him, many would surely refuse to hand over the assets to Ling Chen. Therefore, force would inevitably need to be employed.


    Three days passed in the blink of an eye.


    On this day, Nanrong Wanqing drove to Beijing¡¯s most famous hotel with Nanrong Hao and reserved its most expensive private room.


    Soon after, a middle-aged man entered the private room, followed by a slim, pretty female secretary.


    Seeing Nanrong Wanqing seated at the main position, the middle-aged man smiled slightly and asked, "Wanqing, is there anything you can¡¯t say directly over the phone? Why insist on meeting here? I have another meeting soon, and my time is very precious, you..."


    "Mr. Hu, don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ve got a big business deal to discuss with you today."


    "A big business deal?" Hu Zhichun asked with keen interest, "What kind of deal?"


    "Hold on a moment; I¡¯ve invited others too."

 Chapter 1220 - 1227: The Alliance Behind the Scenes

    <h4>Chapter 1220: Chapter 1227: The Alliance Behind the Scenes</h4>


    "Wanqing, I really don¡¯t have time. If you have something to say, just get to the point, or let¡¯s talk another day at my office." As he spoke, Hu Zhichun nced at his watch and continued, "I have a meeting to rush to now; we¡¯ll talkter." With that, Hu Zhichun turned around with his female secretary and started walking out of the private room.


    Just then, the door to the room opened from the outside, and two burly men in suits stepped in, blocking the exit. Seeing this, Hu Zhichun¡¯s expression changed, and he turned back to Nanrong Wanqing, his tone tinged with anger as he asked, "Wanqing, what are you doing?"


    "Nothing much, just want to ask you to stay a little longer, Uncle Hu." Nanrong Wanqing replied coolly.


    "This is a threat!" Hu Zhichun eximed indignantly. "I¡¯m your elder, how can you treat me like this?"


    Nanrong Wanqing didn¡¯t respond, but gave a nce to the two men in suits standing at the door. They got the message, seized Hu Zhichun¡¯s arm, and dragged him to a seat. "Please hand over your phones," they said.


    "Don¡¯t even think about it, I..."


    p! Before Hu Zhichun could finish his words, one of the suited men drew a sharp knife from his waist and mmed it onto the table.


    "I don¡¯t like to waste words."


    Seeing the cold gaze of the suited man, Hu Zhichun swallowed his words silently.


    Soon, Hu Zhichun and his secretary obediently handed over their phones. A few more minutes passed, and people began to file into the private room. Seeing the situation inside, everyone¡¯s first reaction was to try to leave. But with the burly men blocking the way, no one could get out. Some even brought security personnel to try and force their way out but ended up being taken down by the two suited men.


    Having witnessed the prowess of the two suited men, everyone becamepliant.


    Half an hour passed, and apart from Nanrong Wanqing and Nanrong Hao, there were a total of fourteen guests in the room. Looking around at the guests, the expressions of these fourteen people were somewhat unpleasant. Each of them knew each other, and not long ago, the fourteen of them had gathered together.


    Seeing everyone present, Nanrong Wanqing slowly stood up, looked around at the crowd, and said, "I think everyone here knows why I¡¯ve invited you over."


    "Heh!" An older middle-aged man chuckled and said, "Niece Wanqing, I understand your point. Hongyu Group has been facing many problemstely, so you want us to help. However, it¡¯s not that I¡¯m unwilling to help; I simply can¡¯t."


    Nanrong Wanqing looked at the speaker and said indifferently, "Uncle Yao, if I remember correctly, you¡¯ve also benefited from my grandfather before. A drop of water shall be reciprocated with a spring of water. I¡¯m not expecting you to repay a spring, but stabbing Hongyu Group in the back, is that what a person should do?"


    Hearing this, the expressions of those present showed a hint of difort. At this time, one man suddenly stood up and said coldly, "Chairman Nanrong, usations require evidence. We¡¯ve always kept to ourselves with Hongyu Group, and with such unfounded usations, I could sue you for defamation."


    "During my days in Beijing, I was attacked by an assassin at the hotel. ording to the assassin, the person who hired him was Hong Wei. I believe you all know Hong Wei." At this point, Nanrong Wanqing pointed to an empty seat beside her and said, "That seat was originally meant for Hong Wei. Unfortunately, he couldn¡¯t make it to today¡¯s meal."


    "Mr. Hong is a well-known figure in Beijing. Anyone in the business world knows him." Hu Zhichun sneered and said, "Niece Wanqing, is this your so-called evidence?"


    "Chairman Nanrong, if you called us here just to mess around, well, sorry, we don¡¯t have time to waste here. Goodbye!" With that, several men stood up, ready to leave.


    "Hold on!" Nanrong Hao called out, saying, "Aren¡¯t you all smart people? Why not use your brains and think carefully. If I didn¡¯t have sufficient evidence, how could I summon you all here without missing a single one? Only fifteen people know about your secret business alliance, and apart from Hong Wei, the rest of you are here."


    Hearing this, everyone finally realized something, and their faces turned grim.


    Hu Zhichun frowned and stubbornly said, "I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about."


    Nanrong Hao said with a yful smile, "Aren¡¯t you curious why you haven¡¯t been able to contact Hong Wei these past few days? I can tell you very responsibly that from now on, you will never see him again. Furthermore, Hong Wei confessed all your dealings. A ten percent interest in Hongyu Group, tsk tsk! You are indeed generous."


    Seeing everyone in silent contemtion, Nanrong Wanqing continued, "Now you have two paths before you: either I report directly to the police and let them handle it. How long do you think you¡¯ll be in jail for hiring someone tomit murder?"


    Hmph!


    A middle-aged man sneered and said, "Go ahead, call the police. I¡¯d like to see what they can do to me."


    Nanrong Wanqing nodded and said, "I know all of you here have power and influence. You could grease some palms and distance yourselves from the crime. However, in terms of power, evenbined, you may not be a match for Hong Wei. In terms of wealth, who among you is wealthier than Hong Wei? In terms of connections, I believe no one canpare to Hong Wei. If you feel lucky and think you can deal with the police and judges, then go ahead and try. I won¡¯t stop you."


    "But let me remind you, once anyone steps out of this door, they will bear the consequences, and I will not give you another chance for redemption. So, you better think carefully."


    Seeing everyone lower their heads in deep thought, the middle-aged man who had earlier addressed Nanrong Wanqing as his niece chuckled and said, "Niece Wanqing, it¡¯s all a misunderstanding. You might have med us wrongly. How about this, we will take responsibility for the losses Hongyu Group suffered, and this matter will be settled. What do you think?"


    Nanrong Wanqing nced at him and, with a cold expression, said, "There¡¯s no such thing as a free lunch. If this matter had happened to you, would you agree?" With that, she gestured to Nanrong Hao. He immediately picked up the briefcase he carried, pulled out more than ten documents from it, and ced them in front of everyone.


    "Read this agreement carefully. If you have no issues, sign your name and leave your fingerprint."


    Seeing the contents of the agreement, everyone¡¯s expressions changed, and they said in a heavy tone, "No way, I won¡¯t ept it."


    "Won¡¯t ept it?" Nanrong Wanqing said coldly, "Fine, then prepare for a prison sentence."

 Chapter 1221 - 1228: The Troubles of Those in Power

    <h4>Chapter 1221: Chapter 1228: The Troubles of Those in Power</h4>


    Just when everyone wanted to fight to the end, Hu Zhichun picked up the pen beside him and signed his name at the bottom of the agreement. Seeing Hu Zhichun press his handprint, everyone¡¯s expression changed involuntarily. They wanted to unite and refuse the agreement, but they didn¡¯t expect Hu Zhichun to do this. In a daze, Hu Zhichun stood up alone and looked at Nanrong Wanqing expressionlessly and said, "Can I leave now?"


    Nanrong Wanqing nodded and gave a nce to the two middle-aged men guarding the door. The two immediately opened the door to let Hu Zhichun and his female secretary out.


    As they walked to the door, Hu Zhichun suddenly stopped and turned around to look at everyone in the box, saying, "Folks, don¡¯t me me for not advancing and retreating with you. This is Beijing; you should know what will happen." Having said this, Hu Zhichun left without turning back.


    After hearing Hu Zhichun¡¯s words, everyone seemed to understand something, and fell silent one by one, all sinking into contemtion. After a while, two more people signed the agreement. Once someone led the way, others sessively abandoned resistance. Soon, fourteen agreements wereid out in front of Nanrong Wanqing.


    "Very good!" Nanrong Wanqing said with a faint smile, "I hope you all remember this agreement. If anyone dares to vite it, don¡¯t me the Nanrong Family for showing no mercy." After her words fell, Nanrong Wanqing and Nanrong Hao stood up and walked side by side to the box door.


    "Today¡¯s meal is on me, consider it our partnership meal." With these words, Nanrong Wanqing and her brother vanished beyond the door.


    Listening to their gradually distant footsteps, everyone in the box showed different expressions, with no one speaking. The words Hu Zhichun said before leaving awakened many people. This is Beijing, and there is no shortage of people ready to hit a man when he¡¯s down. Once incarcerated and cut off from the outside world, let alone a year, within just two or three months, one¡¯s assets would be divided among others.


    Thus, signing that agreement is the safest way to at least keep one¡¯s industry. As for whether there will be profits in the future, it¡¯s still unknown.


    These days, not only Nanrong Wanqing was busy, but Ling Chen was also extremely busy, exhausted. Beijing is no smaller than East Sea City, and there are too many things to handle. Moreover, the mess left by Hong Wei is veryrge, even though Hu Fei transferred three to four hundred people from East Sea City, it still wasn¡¯t enough.


    Besides receiving the industries left by Hong Wei, there¡¯s the need to guard against other forces in Beijing. Just as Ling Chen predicted, once Hong Wei copsed, the forces long suppressed in Beijing by Hong Wei all emerged, wanting to profiter from Hong Wei¡¯s pie. Moreover, many emerging forces sprang up like mushrooms wanting to gain some benefits.


    This is also what Ling Chen finds most troublesome, not only having to fight with the old forces left by Hong Wei but also having to guard against those new forces¡¯ sneak attacks, wishing he could be like ten people himself. Staying in the manor every day, his phone kept ringing without pause. Once this issue barely solved, another arose, never a moment of peace. After persevering for a few days, Ling Chen and Tang Guolun, among others, all showed a weary appearance, wishing they could shut the phone off and sleep soundly.


    "Ling Chen, a nightclub in the West District was just attacked, and our people were all driven away."


    Tang Guolun¡¯s words were barely finished when Jiang Yunkai hurried over, saying, "Chen, two bars in the North City District were wrecked; three of our men were injured and are now receiving treatment in the hospital."


    Before Ling Chen could spare attention to handle this, a young man ran in from outside, hurriedly saying, "Chen, the police arrested our people, saying they engaged in public brawling. It¡¯s those bastards who provoked us first, wanting to snatch our territory; we were merely defending ourselves."


    "Chen! Chen!"


    Seeing two more people rushing in from outside, Ling Chen grabbed his hair and shouted, "Hold it, everyone hold, one at a time."


    After busying for half an hour, Ling Chen finally managed to deal with these chaotic issues. Leaning against the sofa, he looked up to the sky and sighed longingly, not knowing when these troublesome matters would end.


    "What, tired?" Tang Guolun came over with two bottles of coffee drinks and tossed one to Ling Chen, saying with a smile, "If you want to be a qualified leader, these are things you must go through. You used to y the hands-off boss; others did the hard work for you. Now you¡¯re experiencing it, right?"


    Ling Chen replied with a wry smile, "Boss Tang, if I knew there were so many troubles, I wouldn¡¯t have gotten myself into such a mess. Eh! Seriously, can we still deploy some personnel from the fat guy¡¯s side?"


    "No more can be deployed; all deployable personnel have alreadye over; East Sea City needs people to manage it too. Fortunately, the foundation in East Sea City is rtively solid, not requiring too many people. Ling Chen, I¡¯ve wanted to discuss this with you for a while now. Given our current situation, we must expand personnel. I estimated, at least five hundred people need to be integrated to maintain normal operations."


    "Five hundred people?" Ling Chen was surprised; he knew theycked manpower but didn¡¯t expect so many were needed.


    "Five hundred people can barely solve our current predicament, and we still need to continue expanding personnel." Tang Guolun said, "Think about it, Hong Wei had so many entertainment industries, each site requires people to handle affairs, not saying much, but each site needs at least twenty security personnel to maintain order, and that¡¯s the minimum requirement. If it¡¯s arge-scale nightclub, at least fifty people need to be arranged. With this calction, five hundred people are simply not enough. Additionally, we need to establish a specially reserved emergency team. The number doesn¡¯t need to be many, but they must be elite to guard against trouble from other forces."


    Ling Chen rubbed his nose and said, "Or...should I ask Mr. Ye for help? He operates a martial arts academy in Beijing; surely we can borrow a good number of people."


    "That would be best." Pausing, Tang Guolun changed the subject and asked, "Is your Mr. Ye¡¯s martial arts academyrge in scale?"


    "Medium-sized, not veryrge. Boss Tang, do you have any ideas?"


    "Beijing will inevitablye under our control; aren¡¯t you nning to open a Dragon Tiger Hall here?"


    Upon hearing this, Ling Chen¡¯s eyes lit up, pping his leg and praising, "That¡¯s right! How could I have not thought of this?" Tang Guolun¡¯s proposal was excellent, using Qingyun Martial Arts Hall as a base to open a branch of Dragon Tiger Hall in Beijing. Currently, the reputation of Dragon Tiger Hall has spread, many in the Martial Artsmunity are vying to join Dragon Tiger Hall.


    If a branch were opened in Beijing, it would surely attract many from the martial artsmunity. As such, not only could the influence of Dragon Tiger Hall be expanded, but Utilized martial arts individuals to resolve current power struggles could also.


    Thinking of this, Ling Chen couldn¡¯t sit still anymore and stood up, saying, "Boss Tang, I¡¯m heading over now to discuss with Mr. Ye."

 Chapter 1222 - 1229: Little Hua Arrives

    <h4>Chapter 1222: Chapter 1229: Little Hua Arrives</h4>


    Zhong Wei was very agreeable to Ling Chen¡¯s proposal. Moreover, upon learning of this matter, He Ziyun also endorsed Ling Chen¡¯s decision.


    With the n set, everything was proceeding at a rapid pace. Although it was tiring, Ling Chen was enjoying it. In a blink, half a month had passed. During this period, Qiao Zhen had already woken up, and his condition had improved. Ling Chen and Tang Yuan specifically went to visit him.


    On this day, Ling Chen had just finished selecting a location for the Dragon Tiger Hall¡¯s branch when he received a call from Nanrong Hao.


    "Hey! Chen, what are you busy with?"


    "Don¡¯t ask, I¡¯ve been so busy I¡¯m about to lose my mind," Ling Chen casually replied, "Haven¡¯t seen you aroundtely, what have you been up to?"


    "I¡¯ve been busy too. Chen, my sister and I are flying back to East Sea City this afternoon, we¡¯ve prepared a private jet. Do you want toe with us?"


    "Sorry, I can¡¯t yet. I still have a lot of things to handle here. I estimate I¡¯ll return next month."


    "Alright, when you get back to East Sea City, remember to contact me, we¡¯ll have a proper drink together."


    "Okay... Wait!" Suddenly, Ling Chen remembered something and asked, "What time is your flight?"


    "Two o¡¯clock. Why, is there something up?"


    "I need to go to the airport around that time for something, maybe I can see you guys off. Alright, I¡¯ll call you when I get to the airport."


    After hanging up, Ling Chen remembered He Ziyun¡¯s instructions. Little Hua was arriving in Beijing this afternoon, and he was supposed to pick her up at the airport. Recently, He Ziyun had been busy managing Dragon Tiger Hall, with no time to look after Little Hua. Little Hua was bored alone at home, so He Ziyun decided to have Little Hua stay with Mr. Ye for a while, as a chance to unwind.


    Honestly, Ling Chen hadn¡¯t seen Little Hua in quite a while.


    At 1:30 PM, Ling Chen arrived at the airport early by car. After calling Nanrong Hao, Ling Chen headed straight to Hangar No. 3 at the airport. At this time, both Nanrong Hao and Nanrong Wanqing were there. Besides them, Zhong Wei and Liang Zhao Hui were sitting in wheelchairs, being pushed onto the ne.


    "Wanqing, Haozi," Ling Chen waved and smiled, greeting the two of them.


    Nanrong Wanqing looked at Ling Chen curiously and asked, "What are you doing here?" Even though both were in Beijing for the past half month, they hadn¡¯t seen each other, as each was busy with their own affairs. Nanrong Wanqing was working on her new business n, and as for what Ling Chen was upied with, she wasn¡¯t quite sure.


    Before Ling Chen could reply, Nanrong Hao hurriedly interjected, "Sis, Chen heard you were leaving today, so he specially came to see you off."


    Hearing this, Ling Chen grinned and winked at Nanrong Hao. The kid sure knew how to talk.


    Indeed, after Nanrong Hao said that, a faint smile appeared on Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s delicate face.


    "You¡¯ve been busytely, haven¡¯t seen you around, even Xiaozhu and Shiyun don¡¯t know what you¡¯re up to."


    "Busy, my hair is practically turning white," Ling Chenughed and said, "But it¡¯s almost over, I might get a proper rest soon." Speaking of which, Ling Chen shifted the conversation and asked, "Have those guys from Hu Zhichun been dealt with?"


    After getting that list, Ling Chen handed it directly to Nanrong Wanqing. After all, it was amercial matter, better left to Nanrong Wanqing. As for how Nanrong Wanqing handled it, he wasn¡¯t very clear.


    Nanrong Wanqing nodded, "Thanks to your help this time, Hongyu Group managed to get through it smoothly. You not only helped Hongyu Group but also saved our Nanrong Family, thank you!"


    "No need to be polite."


    "Exactly, no need for formalities among family," Nanrong Hao chuckled, joining the conversation.


    Nanrong Wanqing blushed, rolled her eyes at Nanrong Hao, signaling him to be quiet. At this point, the ne¡¯s pilot poked his head out of the cabin and waved, "Chairman, we should take off now."


    "Chen, we¡¯re heading off then."


    "Safe travels, call me if you need anything." With that, Ling Chen looked at Nanrong Wanqing and reminded, "Take good care of yourself when you return, don¡¯t overwork. Try leaving more responsibilities to Haozi; it¡¯s time for him to develop independence."


    "I know, you take care of yourself too."


    Watching the ne disappear into the sky, Ling Chen went straight to the airport exit. At around 2:10 PM, a petite figure appeared in the exit path.


    Ling Chen waved his arms and shouted, "Little Hua!"


    Upon hearing Ling Chen¡¯s call, Little Hua dragging arge suitcase ran over.


    "Big Brother!"


    Ling Chen coughed lightly and awkwardly smiled, "Little Hua, maybe you shouldn¡¯t call me ¡¯Big Brother¡¯ anymore; it sounds awkward now." Previously, Ling Chen wouldn¡¯t have minded. But since learning Little Hua¡¯s true identity, he felt that ¡¯Big Brother¡¯ was no longer appropriate.


    Despite Little Hua¡¯s body looking like a child of three or four, her actual age was over twenty, she was indeed an adult. Back then, Ling Chen had been kept in the dark, treating Little Hua as a child. Now thinking back, Ling Chen could only feel chills all over.


    Little Hua pouted her lips in dissatisfaction, "Why can¡¯t I call you Big Brother, do you want me to call you Uncle?"


    Ling Chen gave a wry smile, "Please spare me, my lord."


    "Hmph! Not fun, you¡¯re not as cute as you used to be."


    Cute?


    Could this word be used to describe him? ¡¯Tall and mighty¡¯ sounded more fitting. Ling Chen sighed helplessly, deciding not to argue with her. He knew that arguing with this girl would only lead to his loss.


    Back in the car, Little Hua sat in the passenger seat, about to buckle the seatbelt when Ling Chen said, "Sit in the back, kids can¡¯t sit in the front, I don¡¯t want trouble with traffic police."


    Little Hua looked up at Ling Chen, seriously saying, "Didn¡¯t you say I¡¯m an adult? Since I¡¯m an adult, why can¡¯t I sit in the front?"


    Oh, dear!


    Ling Chen pped his forehead, this girl was too hard to please.


    "Alright, alright! Not teasing you anymore." Saying that, Little Hua obediently crawled to the back seat, took out a lollipop from her pocket, and began to eat.


    Starting the car, Ling Chen said, "Mr. Ye is in a meeting, I¡¯ll take you to his house first. When he gets off work in the evening, we¡¯ll have dinner together."


    "No way." Little Hua bit into the lollipop andined, "In East Sea City, Master ignores me; now, Senior Brother ignores me here too. Sending me to Senior Brother¡¯s house is like putting me in prison; I don¡¯t want to go."


    Ling Chen felt a bit of a headache, "Then where do you want to go?"


    "I don¡¯t know, wherever it¡¯s fun."


    "I still have things to doter, no time to take you to an amusement park. How about another day?"


    "How about this, you do your thing, and I¡¯ll tag along. Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t bother you. How¡¯s that?"

 Chapter 1223 - 1230: Kill One to Warn a Hundred (1)

    <h4>Chapter 1223: Chapter 1230: Kill One to Warn a Hundred (1)</h4>


    Ling Chen sighed helplessly. He knew this little girl had decided to stick to him. Checking the time, it was almost three o¡¯clock. Before heading to the airport, he had made an appointment with Tang Guolun to take care of something very important today.


    Thinking of this, Ling Chen looked at Little Hua in the rearview mirror and said, "I can let youe with me, but you must be obedient and not cause any trouble."


    Little Hua replied with a grin, "Don¡¯t worry, big brother, I won¡¯t cause you any trouble."


    At that moment, Ling Chen drove the car straight to the agreed location. After about an hour on the road, Ling Chen arrived with Little Hua in a partially developed area in the north of Beijing. Looking around, new office buildings and shops were everywhere. However, among these buildings, there were many old residential houses and buildings.


    This area was originally a government redevelopment project, but many residents felt the government¡¯spensation was insufficient and refused to give up their homes, gradually bing so-called "nail households." Therge number of these households greatly limited the area¡¯s development.


    Following the car¡¯s navigation route, Ling Chen soon drove up to a restaurant. This restaurant wasn¡¯t very big, with only about a hundred square feet¡ªjust a very ordinary ce. At that time, dozens of young men with a gangster-like demeanor were gathered outside the restaurant, smoking, gathered in groups, exchanging lewd jokes.


    Little Hua leaned against the car window, looking at the scene outside, and asked, "Big brother, what are we doing here?"


    "Having tea and chatting." After speaking, Ling Chen opened the car door and headed over with Little Hua. Before the two got close to the restaurant entrance, a young man with tattoos on his hand walked up and blocked their path, impatiently saying, "We¡¯re closed today. If you want a meal, go somewhere else. Get lost!"


    "I¡¯m here to find someone," Ling Chen replied tly.


    "Find someone?" The tattooed young man sized up Ling Chen, sneering and saying, "Do you know anyone here?" Then, ncing at Little Hua beside Ling Chen, he smiled maliciously, "Your girl looks pretty good, but she¡¯s a bit young. My buddies aren¡¯t too interested in little girls anyway, or else..."


    "Or else what do you intend to do?" A voice interrupted, drawing everyone¡¯s attention to the restaurant entrance. At that moment, Jiang Yunkai quickly approached, pointing at the tattooed young man¡¯s nose, "This is Chen, watch your mouth."


    "Chen?" The tattooed young man flicked his cigarette ash, blowing out smoke, and with a smirk that didn¡¯t reach his eyes, he said, "What Chen, what dog, I¡¯ve never heard of them. Nowadays, it seems anyone can call themselves ¡¯brother.¡¯ Ridiculous. People need to take a good hard look at themselves first to see if they have the right to im that title."


    Jiang Yunkai¡¯s eyes narrowed, his tone growing colder, "You¡¯d better apologize immediately."


    The tattooed young man scoffed, "So what if I don¡¯t? What are you going to do about it? Are you nning on hitting me?" With that, he whistled. The surrounding young thugs quickly gathered around, encircling Ling Chen and Jiang Yunkai, fixing them with hostile res.


    Jiang Yunkai took a step forward, coldly stating, "I¡¯ll count to three. You better all get out of my way. One!"


    "Two!" The tattooed young man interjected, "Let me save you some time and just shout ¡¯three¡¯ right away."


    Hearing this, Jiang Yunkai nced back at Ling Chen, and upon seeing him nod slightly, he stopped talking and swiftly dashed forward, grabbing the tattooed young man¡¯s throat and lifting him high off the ground.


    Seeing Jiang Yunkai make a move, the group of young men immediately started shouting, swinging their fists and feet, all aiming at Jiang Yunkai. Standing by, Ling Chen watched leisurely, showing no intention of helping. No kidding, these punks were no match for Jiang Yunkai.


    With Jiang Yunkai¡¯s current strength, he could easily make it to the top ten on the Tiger List. Ordinary experts wouldn¡¯t necessarily be his match, let alone a bunch of rabble.


    Sure enough, in no time, more than ten young men were already lying on the ground, either with fractures or dislocations, cries of pain echoing everywhere.


    Witnessing Jiang Yunkai¡¯s prowess, those thugs finally realized they had hit a brick wall and backed away, having no courage to continue fighting. Throughout, Jiang Yunkai only used one hand; the other hand remained gripping the tattooed young man¡¯s throat, holding him aloft.


    "Wasn¡¯t it you who wanted to make a move just now?" Jiang Yunkai asked coldly, looking at the tattooed young man. "Besides relying on numbers, what else can you do?"


    Thetter struggled desperately, trying to break free from Jiang Yunkai¡¯s grip, but all his efforts were in vain. Jiang Yunkai¡¯s right hand was like a steel clench, impossible to pry open.


    "Let... let me go!" The tattooed young man choked out a few words.


    Ling Chen walked forward with a smile, signaling Jiang Yunkai to loosen his grip slightly. "Speak up, who told you to act like this?"


    Upon hearing Ling Chen¡¯s question, the tattooed young man swallowed hard, stammering, "I... I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about."


    "Do you really think I¡¯m dumb? I¡¯ve already said I¡¯m here to find someone. Anyone with any brains would know what business I¡¯m here on. Yet you keep making things difficult for me, trying to create trouble. If no one is instigating you from behind, would you dare act like this?"


    The young man¡¯s face changed slightly. He opened his mouth but couldn¡¯t say a word for a long time.


    "Kai, since he doesn¡¯t want to talk, there¡¯s no point in him keeping his mouth. Might as well render it useless." Ling Chen said coolly.


    Jiang Yunkai nodded, pulling out a dagger from his pocket, ready to shove it into the young man¡¯s mouth. Seeing Jiang Yunkai¡¯s action, the tattooed young man instantly panicked, crying out desperately.


    "I¡¯ll... I¡¯ll talk, I¡¯ll talk..."


    Ling Chen gave a look, and Jiang Yunkai understood immediately, taking the tattooed young man away. Momentster, Jiang Yunkai returned, entering the restaurant with Ling Chen and Little Hua. After the earlier lesson, no one dared stop them this time.


    Inside the restaurant, there were quite a few people, all in their twenties, looking like henchmen sitting indifferently, smoking and making the restaurant filled with smoke and the air very polluted.


    At the central round table sat a dozen or so slightly older men. Ling Chen took a nce and finally fixed his gaze on Tang Guolun.


    Locking eyes, Ling Chen walked straight to Tang Guolun¡¯s side and sat down. Ling Chen¡¯s arrival drew a lot of attention, and everyone observed the young man in his twenties.


    "Mr. Ling has such a grand demeanor, making all of us wait for you alone."

 Chapter 1224 - 1231: Kill One to Warn a Hundred (2)

    <h4>Chapter 1224: Chapter 1231: Kill One to Warn a Hundred (2)</h4>


    A voice neither cold nor warm came through, Ling Chen fixed his gaze, only to see the speaker was a man in his thirties, looking fierce and menacing, wearing a white vest that revealed strong chest muscles and solid build.


    "His name is Cao Bin," Tang Guolun whispered in Ling Chen¡¯s ear, "He recently rose to prominence, has quite a few men under him, and has taken over many entertainment venues in the South District. Half of those venues were ours, but he¡¯s seized them."


    Ling Chen nodded, saying nothing. At this moment, an elderly man walked in, surrounded by several men in suits. Seeing the old man appear, everyone stood up and stepped forward to greet him. Ling Chen sized up the elderly man, who was over seventy, with white hair, energetic, and a seemingly kindly face, smiling benignly at everyone.


    "Boss Tang, who is he?"


    "He¡¯s the elder who facilitated this meeting, Wang Gui. I hear Wang Gui is an old hand on the streets, somewhat respected, and anyone involved in street dealings must give him some face. He¡¯s gathered everyone here probably to mediate and resolve disputes among various forces."


    So he¡¯s the middleman! Ling Chen realized. He only knew Tang Guolun called him over to meet the bosses of various forces to discuss the territory allocation issue properly.


    "Everyone, the reason for gathering you here today, I¡¯m sure you all know," Wang Gui began, "Lately, everyone has been fighting for the biggest profit. It¡¯s normal in street dealings, since we all have many people under us to support. However, things are different now; if things get too messy, the police will surely trouble us all. So, I hope everyone can sit down and talk things over, aim to resolve this issue over a meal."


    "Elder Wang, you¡¯re a senior figure, since you¡¯ve spoken, I must give you face. But how do you n to resolve this allocation issue?"


    Wang Gui chuckled, "If everyone takes a step back, this problem isn¡¯t hard to solve. Beijing is a big pie, no one can swallow it whole, not even Hong Wei back in the day. So no one needs to worry about going hungry. To be clear, what everyone truly cares about is who gets more and who gets less."


    After a pause, Wang Gui continued, "Beijing is divided into five districts, plus a suburban area. We have eleven people here, each district can have two forces, just perfect for even distribution. What do you all think?"


    Burly Cao Bin nodded, "This proposal is good, the Central District has the smallest territory, why not let me have it?"


    "Boss Cao, your appetite is too big, isn¡¯t it, everyone knows the Central District¡¯s profits are the greatest," someone sneered.


    "I want thend in the North District, that¡¯s where I started out; I trust no one will fight me for it?"


    Listening to the crowd¡¯s territorial arguments, Ling Chen and Tang Guolun kept silent, not saying a word.


    "Everyone, please quiet down," Wang Gui gestured to signal for the crowd to listen to him temporarily, "I know territorial allocation will lead to many disputes, so I¡¯ve prepared in advance." Saying so, Wang Gui gestured to the suited men behind him. They immediately handed over a briefcase and took out documents from inside it.


    As the documents were distributed among the crowd, Wang Gui smiled slightly and said, "I¡¯ve already distributed the territories based on the size of your forces. I can¡¯t guarantee everyone will be satisfied, but I can at least guarantee everyone¡¯s interests will not be affected. What does everyone think?"


    At this moment, Little Hua peeked from behind Ling Chen, looked at the contents of the document curiously, and asked, "Big brother, why isn¡¯t there anynd for you?"


    Ling Chen raised the corner of his mouth with a smile and said, "There is, you just didn¡¯t see it." After speaking, Ling Chen lightly tapped the bottom right corner of the document with his finger.


    Beijing¡¯s suburban area... this was the territory Wang Gui allocated to Ling Chen.


    "Elder Wang, I think it¡¯s eptable," Cao Bin spoke first.


    "I also think it¡¯s very reasonable."


    Everyone expressed their opinions one after another, except Ling Chen and Tang Guolun. Soon, everyone¡¯s gaze was fixed on Ling Chen.


    Wang Gui smiled kindly, "Mr. Ling, are you satisfied with this allocation?"


    Ling Chen casually tossed the document on the table, crossed his legs, and looked at everyone with a yful smile, "This act was yed quite well. You all want to push me out and take my territory, I can understand, but... using such clumsy means is quiteughable. I¡¯ll say this clearly today, listen carefully, I¡¯ll only say it once. If it¡¯s my territory, don¡¯t think any of you can touch it. Also, I own a lot of entertainment businesses, many of which have been upied by you. I give you three days. If you don¡¯t return what¡¯s mine, I¡¯ll have to take some less rational measures."


    Upon hearing this, everyone¡¯splexion involuntarily darkened.


    "Ling Chen, giving you some face, you really think you¡¯re somebody," Cao Bin said coldly, "Don¡¯t forget, we outnumber you, if ites to a fight, who knows who¡¯ll win."


    Ling Chen smiled calmly, "I don¡¯t even regard Hong Wei, do you think I¡¯d care about you all? When Hong Wei was around, you all acted like cowards, didn¡¯t dare provoke him. Now that Hong Wei is gone, do you think your time hase? I¡¯ll tell you, listen and obey, perhaps I¡¯ll give you a bowl of rice to eat. If anyone wants to y tricks, I have a hundred ways to make them die, Hong Wei was the best example. Three days! Remember, you have only three days."


    Finished speaking, Ling Chen stood up, heading towards the restaurant door with Tang Guolun and others.


    "Stop him!" Cao Bin shouted loudly, "Ling Chen, since you don¡¯t want us to have it easy, then don¡¯t think about leaving here alive... uh... uh..."


    Cao Bin¡¯s words hadn¡¯t finished when his throat suddenly turned into a gurgling sound. Everyone turned to look, their faces instantly horrified, seeing a dagger plunged into Cao Bin¡¯s throat, scalding blood gushing profusely and sttering on the table.


    Seeing Cao Bin lying on the floor, everyone was stunned. From beginning to end, none of them saw who had made the move.


    "Does anyone else want to stop me?"


    Ling Chen¡¯s calm voice brought the stunned crowd back to reality. At this moment, everyone looked at Ling Chen with deep fear in their eyes.


    "Ling... Ling Chen, you... you dare to kill," Wang Gui raised his trembling arm, pointing at Ling Chen.


    "Elder Wang, which eye did you see me kill him? A word of advice, don¡¯t speak carelessly, or you won¡¯t know how you died. Also, you¡¯re already at an old age, go home and enjoy your retirement, stop meddling."

 Chapter 1225 - 1233: Hongyu United Investment Company

    <h4>Chapter 1225: Chapter 1233: Hongyu United Investment Company</h4>


    Leaving the restaurant, Jiang Yunkai nced at Little Hua trailing behind Ling Chen, and whispered, "Chen, there was no need to kill Cao Bin just now, it¡¯s not good for the child to see too much bloodshed."


    Ling Chen chuckled and said, "No need to worry about that little girl, she¡¯s seen more bloodshed than you have."


    "You did well just now," Tang Guolun chimed in, "That¡¯s the only way to show them our ruthlessness. Kill one as a warning to others; I believe no one will dare risk their lives against us. By the way, the matter we discussedst time, have you thought it over?"


    "No problem." Ling Chen nodded and said, "Let Kai handle this matter; he knows best."


    After discussing theck of manpower with Tang Guolunst time, Ling Chen thought of a solution ¨C establishing arge securitypany. This way, not only can we legitimately expand personnel, but also recruit some retired soldiers. Retired soldiers are not only personally strong and physically fit, but also maintain high discipline, able to start working without training, saving a lot of time invisibly.


    Three days.


    Since Ling Chen disposed of Cao Bin in front of everyone that day, those with malicious intent immediately became obedient. Over three days, all the upied venues were smoothly taken over by Ling Chen. For easier management and to reduce personnel usage, Ling Chen and Tang Guolun sold off some bars and bathhouses that were remote and difficult to manage.


    After clearing a quarter of the entertainment industry, Ling Chen invested all the earned money with Jiang Yunkai, tasking him with the securitypany¡¯s establishment.


    After being so busy, everything is proceeding smoothly. However, the only thing that irks Ling Chen is Zhu Hong; that guy disappeared again.


    After repelling assassins from Skyhawk Pavilion at Hong Wei¡¯s cest time, Zhu Hong vanished without a trace. Not only that, but the clues about Skyhawk Pavilion were also severed. Hong Wei once told Ling Chen that unless people from Skyhawk Pavilione looking for us, it¡¯s very difficult to track their movements.


    Half a month has passed in the blink of an eye.


    Ling Chen originally nned to return to East Sea City earlier, but the Beijing situation hasn¡¯tpletely stabilized yet, leaving him uneasy. He could only remain in the manor to assist Tang Guolun and Jiang Yunkai with some affairs. During this time, both Tang Shiyun and Zhu Xiaozhu have returned to East Sea City, leaving only Little Hua apanying Ling Chen, unwilling to leave.


    In this half-month, two major events urred in Beijing. One was the listing of Hongyu United Investment Company, the other being the establishment of Falcon Private Security Company.


    The former is a newpany established by Nanrong Wanqing. When thispany held its ribbon-cutting ceremony, many major enterprises attended, with over a dozen media covering the event, momentarily bing a spectacr affair in the business circle.


    Ling Chen didn¡¯t attend the event in person; he only watched the news coverage on TV. Seeing Nanrong Wanqing leading the newpany¡¯s other shareholders onto the stage, Ling Chen was somewhat surprised. This United Investment Company had up to fifteen shareholders, with the Nanrong Family holding fifty-one percent majority stake.


    Apart from Nanrong Wanqing as the major shareholder, the other fourteen shareholders were no strangers to Ling Chen ¨C they were the ones who had previously united against Hongyu Group.


    Initially, when Ling Chen handed that list to Nanrong Wanqing, he thought she would retaliate legally against her opponents. Now it appears, Nanrong Wanqing did not do so; instead, she consolidated everyone¡¯s resources to form a newpany.


    It proves Nanrong Wanqing is a smart and ambitious woman.


    There are no permanent enemies, norsting friends; as long as interests align, enemies can be friends.


    In contrast to the former, Jiang Yunkai¡¯s establishment of Falcon Private Security Company was much more low-key. However, despite its low profile, Falcon Company¡¯s development has been smooth. Within just a week of establishment, Falcon Company recruited nearly a hundred security personnel, mostly retired soldiers.


    Falcon Company offered very attractive conditions for retired soldiers, with high sries and good benefits, surpassing the treatment offered by other securitypanies. Anyway, Ling Chen does not expect this securitypany to make profits; as long as its revenue can maintain normal operations, it¡¯s sufficient.


    "Boss Tang, things in Beijing are almost sorted out. If there¡¯s nothing else, I¡¯ll head back to East Sea City."


    "Okay, I¡¯ll contact you if anythinges up."


    For better management, someone needs to hold down the fort in Beijing, and Tang Guolun is undoubtedly the most suitable person for the job, along with Jiang Yunkai¡¯s assistance, there should be no major problems.


    However, just as Ling Chen was about to book a flight back to East Sea City, he unexpectedly received a call.


    Su Mei, Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion Master!


    "Are you free tonight? I¡¯d like to invite you out for a meeting," Su Mei extended the invitation over the phone.


    Ling Chen was somewhat hesitant. To be frank, considering his current rtionship with Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, it¡¯s best to keep a distance. Nheless, aside from other matters, Su Mei is considered his friend. After some thought, Ling Chen ultimately decided to meet Su Mei.


    Some issues need to be addressed sooner orter, it¡¯s also good to rify things with Su Mei.


    Nightfall.


    After much persuasion, Ling Chen managed to leave Little Hua at home, driving alone to the agreed location.


    It was a high-end domed restaurant, located at the top floor of a tower. Dining at this restaurant allowed one to overlook Beijing¡¯s nightscape. Upon entering the restaurant, Ling Chen nced around and discovered the luxurious restaurant was devoid of any guests.


    At this moment, a genteel-looking waitress approached and politely asked, "Are you Mr. Ling?"


    "Yes, I am." Ling Chen nodded.


    "Mr. Ling, hello, please follow me."


    Before long, under the waitress¡¯s guidance, Ling Chen arrived at a window seat.


    "Mr. Ling, please have a seat. Miss Su will be here shortly."


    Watching the back of the departing waitress, Ling Chen chuckled quietly to himself. True to Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion¡¯s style, not only did they book the entire restaurant, but even changed the staff to their own people. Although the waitress hid it well, Ling Chen still sensed something unusual from her nimble steps.


    At a nce, the staff and bartenders were all disguised experts from Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion.


    Sigh!


    Ling Chen sighed helplessly. For Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion to be so guarded against him could only mean one thing ¨C he had already been ced on Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion¡¯s cklist.


    After more than ten minutes, and a ss of red wine, Ling Chen finally heard some movement at the restaurant entrance.


    Turning his head to look, he saw Su Mei in a beige dress, her long hair down, gracefully walking over. Su Mei is the kind of delicate woman; if Zhu Xiaozhu is sweet and clear spring water, Nanrong Wanqing is a snow lotus atop an iceberg, then Su Mei is a low-key, fragrant water lily.


    Noble, serene, with a unique charm.

 Chapter 1226 - 1234: Su Mei’s Invitation

    <h4>Chapter 1226: Chapter 1234: Su Mei¡¯s Invitation</h4>


    Watching Su Mei approach, Ling Chen stood up and went forward to help pull out the chair in a gentlemanly manner.


    "Thank you!" Su Mei responded with a smile, saying apologetically, "I got caught in a bit of traffic on the way, sorry for keeping you waiting."


    Ling Chen smiled faintly, "This is Beijing, traffic jams are quite normal, there¡¯s no need to apologize to me." Saying this, Ling Chen curiously asked, "When did you arrive in Beijing?"


    "I arrivedst night, some things needed handling."


    Ling Chen nodded, without asking further. He knew that the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion had a headquarters in Beijing, and during the Heavenly Mechanism Great Ceremony, he had been there as an invited guest.


    "How did you know I was in Beijing?" As soon as the words left his mouth, Ling Chen realized his question was redundant. With the capabilities of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, finding out where he was would be a simple matter. Moreover, he was already under close surveince by the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, there must be someone from their side monitoring him in secret.


    Sure enough, Su Mei lowered her head, looking at the napkin on the table, and kept silent in response to Ling Chen¡¯s question.


    Feeling the atmosphere grow a bit cold, Ling Chen cleared his throat and initiated the conversation, "How is your grandfather¡¯s health? Elder Du, haven¡¯t heard about him for a while."


    "Grandpa is well, Elder Du has been busy handling matters at Yangxin Pavilion, I guess he won¡¯t be leaving Yangxin Pavilion for quite some time."


    "Really?" Ling Chen found it odd. Yangxin Pavilion was filled with retired folks, what could be keeping them busy? There might be something more to it.


    Seeing Ling Chen lost in thought, Su Mei sighed inwardly. In the past, she could talk about anything with Ling Chen, but now she had to be cautious of him. From the bottom of her heart, she didn¡¯t wish for it to be this way. To her, she always viewed Ling Chen as a friend.


    Back then, if it hadn¡¯t been for Ling Chen¡¯s tremendous support, helping the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion through several crises, the pavilion might be in a dire situation now.


    However, recalling her parents¡¯ tragic deaths, Su Mei couldn¡¯t help biting her lip, her heart in turmoil.


    "Miss Su, meeting me tonight, is there anything in particr you wanted to discuss?" Ling Chen shifted the topic to the main point. He too sensed that he and Su Mei couldn¡¯t converse as openly as they used to; neither knew what to talk about, even small talk seemed awkward.


    "Congrattions to you first." Su Mei smiled, "I heard Dragon Tiger Hall is developing well."


    "It¡¯s just okay, nowhere near your Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion."


    "Given the growth trajectory of Dragon Tiger Hall, it won¡¯t be long before it reaches the level of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, maybe even surpass it."


    Ling Chen smiled, "If such a dayes, it would be thanks to you."


    "Ling Chen..." Su Mei hesitated, wanting to speak but stopping midway. After a while, she finally made up her mind and asked, "I want to confirm something with you, is it really... really... the case with my parents¡¯ death?" Su Mei lightly bit her thin lip, "You know what I¡¯m asking, could you tell me?"


    Upon hearing this, Ling Chen finally understood the main reason Su Mei came to see him. Although Su He and others suspected that Su Zhengyang and his wife were murdered by Ling Kun, there was no concrete evidence. However,pared to Su He and them, Su Mei found it harder to ept this possibility, so she wanted to inquire clearly.


    "Miss Su, I understand your concern." Ling Chen gathered his thoughts and slowly said, "However, I¡¯m not entirely sure about this matter either. I haven¡¯t been in touch with my father for ages, I have no idea where he is or what he¡¯s doing." Pausing, Ling Chen continued, "Miss Su, I know this situation is a heavy blow to you, it troubles me as well. If it weren¡¯t for this matter, I could always be friends with the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, but now..."


    Ling Chen smiled bitterly, "I suppose you can see it too, your Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion folks don¡¯t wee me, treating me like a criminal, especially your grandfather, who epted Wang Hao as a direct disciple. How do you think I feel?"


    "I know." Su Mei nodded, "Grandpa epting Wang Hao as a disciple was apse in judgment. s, it¡¯s his personal decision; I can¡¯t intervene. Ling Chen, I hope you understand, I always consider you a friend."


    "Thank you! However, I think it¡¯s better for us to keep a distance now, to avoid angering your grandfather." After saying this, without waiting for Su Mei to speak, Ling Chen stood up from his seat, "Sorry, I have some engagements tonight, I must go."


    Ignoring Su Mei¡¯s attempts to stop him, Ling Chen strode towards the restaurant exit.


    Regarding the matter of Su Zhengyang and his wife, he was indeed aware that it was Ling Kun¡¯s doing. Yet, he could not reveal this to Su Mei. Firstly, he didn¡¯t want to hurt Su Mei, and secondly... it was for his own safety. If Su Mei became aware, leaving the restaurant might be a problem for him.


    Taking the elevator down to the parking lot, Ling Chen prepared to drive away. As it was evening, most employees of the building had already gone home, leaving the parking lot sparsely popted. Hearing his footsteps echo in the parking lot, Ling Chen suddenly paused, looking at his car parked nearby, his brows furrowed. Abruptly, Ling Chen elerated, rushing towards his car.


    However, just as Ling Chen was about to start the car, a jolt of intense danger surged from within. With no time to think, Ling Chen leapt to his left.


    In an instant, a sharp gust of wind brushed past Ling Chen¡¯s shoulder. With a loud ¡¯ng¡¯, it pierced through the car window. As he focused his sight, he saw a sharp Longquan Sword embedded in the driver¡¯s seat.


    Laying on the ground, Ling Chen quickly got up, looking at his shoulder. Although the Longquan Sword hadn¡¯t pierced his body, the Sword Qi emitted by it had left a thin scratch on his shoulder, from which blood trickled out.


    Damn! Ling Chen turned around, scanning the rear side of the parking lot, his gaze wary. But in the empty parking lot, besides him, there was no one else.


    Observing the situation, Ling Chen approached his car step by step. Whoever had ambushed him held substantial prowess. If faced directly, he wasn¡¯t very confident. Hence, the safest way was to leave quickly.


    Opening the car door, gazing at the sword embedded in the seat, Ling Chen took hold of the hilt and pulled it out forcefully.


    Just as Ling Chen was about to discard the Longquan Sword onto the ground, his eyes were suddenly drawn to the ancient writing carved on the sword hilt.


    This... this is... It¡¯s over!

 Chapter 1227 - 1235: Heavenly List Assassin (1)

    <h4>Chapter 1227: Chapter 1235: Heavenly List Assassin (1)</h4>


    Ling Chen thought to himself, "This is bad," not expecting the one to make a move would be him.


    On the hilt of the Longquan Sword, there was engraved a ¡¯Qin¡¯ character. Seeing this surname, Ling Chen immediately thought of the person¡¯s identity. With such strength, and coincidentally knowing his location, there was no one else but Qin Chuan.


    Qin Chuan, a top expert from the Heavenly List specifically responsible for secretly protecting Su Mei. Ling Chen had met him once; thest time they met, they were stillrades.


    Since it was Qin Chuan, Ling Chen immediately abandoned the idea of fleeing. In such a ce, trying to escape the pursuit of a Heavenly List expert was basically impossible.


    Holding the Longquan Sword, Ling Chen circled around the car, vigntly looking around, searching for Qin Chuan¡¯s whereabouts. At this moment, Ling Chen felt some regret; if he had known things would turn out this way, he should have brought Ji Gang to the meeting. Unfortunately, it¡¯s toote for regrets now.


    As time passed by the second, Qin Chuan, hidden in the dark, still hadn¡¯t appeared. Seeing this, Ling Chen became somewhat unsettled and voluntarily spoke out, "Elder Qin, since you¡¯re here, show yourself. I know you¡¯re nearby. Could it be that a dignified expert of the Heavenly List fears a small fry like me?"


    As his voice fell, an old man slowly walked out from the corner not far away. The old man stuck close to the corner¡¯s edge, hidden in the shadows, his appearance indiscernible.


    "Elder Qin, why?" Ling Chen asked, "I believe Miss Su wouldn¡¯t have youe to kill me."


    "You¡¯re too much of a hindrance." A deep voice came from the shadows, "If you die, it benefits many."


    Hearing this, Ling Chen¡¯s heart sank, and he said solemnly, "So... it seems I¡¯m doomed to die tonight?"


    "I¡¯m just following orders." After saying this, Qin Chuan¡¯s figure vanished once again into the shadows. In the next instant, Ling Chen sensed an inexplicable sense of crisis surging in from all directions.


    Whoosh!


    The sound of wind brushed past, and Ling Chen swiftly turned around, looking behind him while gripping the Longquan Sword. However, aside from a fleeting afterimage, Ling Chen saw nothing.


    Suddenly, an intense aura closed in rapidly. Before Ling Chen could react, he only felt his arms go heavy, and the Longquan Sword in his hand disappeared instantly.


    It was taken? Ling Chen was greatly shocked.


    This... this is terrifying! Ling Chen was astonished internally; he knew that Heavenly List experts were formidable, but Qin Chuan¡¯s abilities instilled a bit of fear in him.


    Speed! Speed to the utmost limit!


    Besides being adept at speed, Qin Chuan seemed to possess another ability¡ªconcealment¡ªjust like the assassins of the Zhu Family and the Skyhawk Pavilion. However, Qin Chuan¡¯s skill in this area was even more formidable. Whether it¡¯s the Zhu Family or the Skyhawk Pavilion, their trained assassins and killers need to rely on dark environments.


    Yet, whether or not he was in darkness, Qin Chuan¡¯s abilities remained unaffected. Suddenly, a bold spection emerged in Ling Chen¡¯s mind. Connecting the rtionship between the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion and the Skyhawk Pavilion, Qin Chuan likely originated from the Skyhawk Pavilion.


    A Heavenly List-level assassin¡ªjust the thought of it was chilling.


    Escape! Ling Chen gritted his teeth; this was his only hope. ncing at the car nearby, Ling Chen decided against it. The space inside the car was too cramped, and once inside, Qin Chuan would surelyunch an offensive. That way, he wouldn¡¯t even have time to start the car before being directly taken down.


    Immediately, Ling Chen made a swift movement, deploying the Nine Yang Qiankun Step, swiftly heading toward the parking lot¡¯s entrance. As the Nine Yang Qiankun Step was executed, Ling Chen¡¯s body seemed like an afterimage, constantly flickering.


    At this moment, Ling Chen exerted all his strength, using even the energy he was born with. In the blink of an eye, he was less than twenty meters away from the entrance of the parking lot.


    But just then, a sharp Sword Qi rapidly closed in from behind.


    Not good!


    Ling Chen¡¯s pupils contracted slightly, his heart sinking to the bottom. It was over... Suddenly, two beams of headlights shone over. Looking closely, Ling Chen saw a sedan driving in through the entrance. Without thinking, he leaped forcefully, vaulting over the top of the car.


    Sensing the Sword Qi behind him dissipate, Ling Chen secretly breathed a sigh of relief. Thankfully, fate wasn¡¯t against him. If not for the sudden appearance of that sedan, he guessed that Longquan Sword would have already pierced through him.


    Taking advantage of this moment, Ling Chen, without hesitation, dashed forward, instantly leaving the parking lot. By now, it was already past eight in the evening, and the wide streets were bustling with constant traffic and numerous pedestrians. Ling Chen didn¡¯t have time to catch his breath and quickly melded into the crowd, trying to shake off Qin Chuan¡¯s pursuit.


    Having moved over a hundred meters, Ling Chen looked around, seeing no trace of Qin Chuan, he let out a sigh of relief. Surely, under such public eyes, Qin Chuan wouldn¡¯t dare act rashly.


    Seeing a bus stopped under the bus stop sign ahead, Ling Chen hurried over, boarded the bus after tossing in a coin. As long as he left this area and returned to the estate located in the Beijing Suburb, Qin Chuan wouldn¡¯t be a threat anymore. As the bus slowly started, Ling Chen confirmed again, finding no trace of Qin Chuan.


    Phew!


    Exhaling slowly, Ling Chen let his whole body rx, slumping onto the seat. His nerves had been so tense earlier; now, having rxed, a deep sense of fatigue immediately washed over him.


    After seven bus stops, Ling Chen switched to a taxi heading towards the estate in the Beijing Suburb.


    At nine-thirty, the taxi left the city area, driving on a broad road. At this speed, in about ten more minutes, Ling Chen would be able to safely return to the estate.


    However, just then, the streetlights on both sides of the road suddenly went out, plunging the road and surroundings into darkness.


    The taxi driver mumbled a quietint and quickly turned on the car¡¯s headlights, illuminating the road. Ling Chen sat up straight, vignt, with his gaze carefully observing the sides of the road and the rear of the car.


    Bang!


    Suddenly, the taxi Ling Chen was in emitted a loud noise, with the car body tipping sharply to the left. With years of experience, Ling Chen immediately realized the car tire had blown!


    First, the streetlights on both sides went out, then the tire blew. This was absolutely no coincidence. Could it be... Qin Chuan had caught up? Ling Chen frowned. Even at this distance, Qin Chuan was too persistent.


    As he was contemting, the taxi driver got out to check the blown tire, and said helplessly to Ling Chen, "Bro, I¡¯m really sorry, the tire blew, and changing it might take dozens of minutes. The ce you¡¯re heading to isn¡¯t very far from here, and taking the shortcut over there would take at most twenty minutes, how about..."


    Ling Chen nodded and said, "Alright, I¡¯ll walk there myself."


    After walking for a few minutes, the taxi had already disappeared from view. At this moment, Ling Chen was walking along the road towards the estate. Apart from a crescent moon emitting a faint light, it was dark all around, with the visibility being under five meters.

 Chapter 1228 - 1236: Heavenly List Assassin (2)

    <h4>Chapter 1228: Chapter 1236: Heavenly List Assassin (2)</h4>


    Following the taxi driver¡¯s suggestion, Ling Chen chose the closer path. Though called a path, it was actually a dirt road less than half a meter wide. Fortunately, it hadn¡¯t rained for days, and the ground was dry. After walking for a short distance, he noticed a lot of trees appearing on both sides of the road, lush and dense.


    As he walked, Ling Chen took out his phone and dialed Tang Guolun¡¯s number. Given the current situation, calling for support seemed the safest option. The call connected quickly, and Ling Chen shared his approximate location with Tang Guolun, asking him to send someone over as soon as possible. Of course, it was most important to bring Ji Gang.


    Just as the call ended, Ling Chen noticed a shadow sh through the trees not far away, disappearing in an instant.


    With the shadow¡¯s appearance, Ling Chen immediately stopped in his tracks. It was obvious that the shadow had to be Qin Chuan. Looking at the surrounding darkness, Ling Chen felt a headacheing on, having no idea where Qin Chuan might be hiding. Damn! Such a despicable move. A top-tier Heavenly List expert refusing to confront directly, instead choosing to y dirty. Truly shameless.


    Suddenly, a gust of wind blew in. Ling Chen turned his gaze to the approaching direction of the wind, only to see nothing there. At the same time, a hand suddenlynded on his shoulder from behind. Before Ling Chen could react, a powerful force struck his back with a resounding impact.


    Thud!


    A mouthful of fresh blood was spat out, and Ling Chen¡¯s body flew several meters away,nding heavily on the ground.


    After lying on the ground for over ten seconds, Ling Chen¡¯s body gradually regained feeling. However, the intense pain caused his arms to tremble slightly. He tried several times but failed to get up. Upon hearing footsteps approaching from behind, Ling Chen turned over and saw Qin Chuan slowly approaching in the darkness.


    "Why?" Ling Chen asked in a deep voice, "Did Su He order you?"


    "This isn¡¯t the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion¡¯s order," Qin Chuan replied coldly.


    Puzzled, Ling Chen asked, "Then... why do you want to kill me?" He had thought Qin Chuan was following Su He¡¯s orders, but it seemed that wasn¡¯t the case.


    "Since its establishment, the Skyhawk Pavilion has never suffered a defeat, except when they encountered you, causing significant losses to the pavilion."


    Hearing this, Ling Chen¡¯s expression changed, realizing his guess was correct. Qin Chuan was indeed with the Skyhawk Pavilion.


    "So, you¡¯re trying to save face for the Skyhawk Pavilion?"


    "You could say that," Qin Chuan said coldly. "Your death would not onlypensate for the Skyhawk Pavilion¡¯s failure, but also benefit the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion. I know Su He wants to deal with you, but he¡¯s been hesitant, unable to make up his mind. With your death, I believe your father wouldn¡¯t stand by idly."


    Struggling to stand, Ling Chen panted, "Looks like I¡¯m doomed to die today. But before I go, I have onest request."


    "Speak."


    "I hope..." Ling Chen parted his lips, and as he started speaking, his gaze suddenly fixed on a point behind Qin Chuan. At the same time, his lips curled up into a slightly rxed smile.


    Noticing the change in Ling Chen¡¯s expression, Qin Chuan asked coldly, "Why are you smiling?"


    "I think I might not die tonight. Don¡¯t you agree, Mr. Ji?"


    As his voice fell, Qin Chuan¡¯s heart sank. He quickly turned to look behind him. But there was nothing there except dense trees.


    Tricked?


    Qin Chuan hesitated briefly, then immediately shifted his gaze back to where Ling Chen had been. As expected, Ling Chen had already vanished without a trace.


    Trying to escape... Qin Chuan chuckled lightly, holding the Longquan Sword, his body turned into a mere shadow and disappeared into the darkness.


    At that moment, Ling Chen exerted the Nine Yang Qiankun Step to its fullest, racing over the nd like a storm. After running an unknown distance, he suddenly heard the sound of flowing water nearby. Following the sound, Ling Chen quickened his pace, sprinting several dozen meters ahead until he saw a river more than thirty meters wide.


    Opportunity!


    Ling Chen¡¯s eyes lit up; it seemed fortune was favoring him. Without hesitation, he leapt into the river. Fortunately, the water wasn¡¯t too turbulent, and the surface was calm. The deeper he got, the deeper the river became, reaching about three meters. Ling Chen submerged himself at the river¡¯s bottom, staying as still as possible, only rising to the surface for fresh air when he¡¯d run out.


    Ling Chen hid underwater for more than half an hour. During this time, Qin Chuan never appeared.


    Meanwhile, hundreds of meters away from the shore, beams of light scoured the surroundings. Guided by Tang Guolun and Jiang Yunkai, dozens of men with shlights searched for Ling Chen.


    "Kai, tell them to shout louder. Maybe Ling Chen can hear us," Tang Guolun instructed.


    "Alright."


    However, at that moment, Ling Chen was hiding underwater and couldn¡¯t hear the shouts from Tang Guolun and the others. As time passed, Ling Chen exchanged air and slowly moved underwater. When he surfaced again, he found himself dozens of meters away from the grove he originally escaped from.


    I should have shaken off Qin Chuan by now! Ling Chen thought to himself. Carefully observing, he ensured no one was nearby before starting to move toward the shore. But just then, sensing something, Ling Chen abruptly turned around. In an instant, a cold gleam shed before his eyes. Following that, an intense pain shot through his chest.


    Staring at the Longquan Sword piercing through his chest, Ling Chen¡¯s pupils shrunk, filled with disbelief.


    "Did you really think you could escape my grasp?"


    The voice reached him, and he saw Qin Chuan¡¯s figure appear on the riverbank. With a light step, he seemed to walk effortlessly on the rippling water, approaching Ling Chen.


    When he reached Ling Chen, Qin Chuan bent down, grabbed the Longquan Sword¡¯s hilt, and pulled it out forcefully, sending a spurt of fresh blood into the river.


    Ling Chen clutched his wound, panting heavily. Yet, he could feel his life force rapidly draining away.


    "Ling Chen!"


    "Chen!"


    "..."


    Vaguely, Ling Chen seemed to hear someone calling his name. Moreover, in his gradually blurring vision, it seemed as if lights were shining from afar.


    As the calls grew clearer, Ling Chen tried to respond but found his throat blocked, unable to produce any sound.


    Under Qin Chuan¡¯s cold gaze, Ling Chen¡¯s eyes slowly closed, his entire body losing bnce and copsing into the water. Watching Ling Chen¡¯s body fully submerge, Qin Chuan lingered for several minutes. Only when the lights and voices grew nearer did he walk away on the water¡¯s surface, vanishing into the thick darkness of the night.

 Chapter 1229 - 1237: No News

    <h4>Chapter 1229: Chapter 1237: No News</h4>


    Beijing, Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion branch.


    Under the bright lights, Su Mei held a book in her hands, leaning against the sofa, reading intently. However, for some reason, she felt uneasy today, unable to calm down for a long time. Hours have passed, and she hadn¡¯t turned a page of the book, keeping it in its original state.


    Perhaps... it¡¯s because she met Ling Chen. Looking at the words on the page, her mind uncontrobly drifted to Ling Chen.


    Enough! Su Mei sighed softly, putting down the book in her hand. At this moment, the bedroom door opened, and a graceful woman entered with a tray, cing a ss of water and a fruit tter beside Su Mei. Su Mei picked up the teacup and asked, "Where is Old Qin?"


    Since returning from the restaurant until now, she hadn¡¯t seen Qin Chuane to meet her. Whenever she went out, Qin Chuan would secretly follow to ensure her safety. After returning home, the people of Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion were responsible for her safety, Qin Chuan would greet her and then rest. But now, after all this time, Qin Chuan still hadn¡¯t appeared.


    "Pavilion Master, I haven¡¯t seen Old Qin; he seems not to have returned yet."


    Su Mei asked suspiciously, "Then where did he go?"


    "I¡¯m not sure; he has always been like a dragon¡ªseen at one moment, gone at the next; no one knows his whereabouts."


    Just as she finished speaking, a low voice came from outside the door: "Pavilion Master, are you looking for me?" Su Mei looked up to see Qin Chuan standing by the door frame, head bowed.


    "Old Qin, where did you go just now?"


    "I had some personal business to handle; I apologize for neglecting my duties today. I ask for the Pavilion Master¡¯s forgiveness."


    Su Mei felt a bit strange; Qin Chuan had been in charge of her safety ever since she was old enough to understand, never leaving her side, and today was the exception. She really wanted to know what personal business Qin Chuan handled. However, since it was personal business, it was not appropriate for her to inquire further. Moreover, although she was the Pavilion Master, Qin Chuan was a Heavenly List expert and an elder of Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, so she couldn¡¯t offend him too much.


    "Old Qin, I won¡¯t go out tonight; you should rest early."


    "Yes." Qin Chuan responded, bowed, and departed.


    "You may leave as well." Su Mei waved her hand, and the woman serving her immediately left, closing the door behind her.


    Looking at the night scene outside the window, Su Mei frowned slightly, her mind still pondering Qin Chuan¡¯s words. She didn¡¯t know why, but as she thought, a handsome face, Ling Chen¡¯s, emerged in her mind. After hesitating, Su Mei picked up her phone and found Ling Chen¡¯s phone number.


    After a moment of silence, Su Mei took a deep breath as if summoning great courage, and dialed that number. However, the phone quickly returned a system message indicating that the subscriber¡¯s phone was turned off.


    Su Mei gently bit her thin lip, recalling Ling Chen¡¯s words to her in the restaurant tonight... maintain distance... could it be that... he wouldn¡¯t even answer the phone?


    Sighing softly, Su Mei shook her head, trying to cast away these misceneous thoughts.


    ...


    Midnight.


    A luxurious Mercedes car drove along the road and stopped outside a solitary estate. The car door opened, and Ye Liangyong quickly jumped out, rushing toward the vi.


    Passing through the gate, Ye Liangyong asked urgently, "Where is Ling Chen?"


    "Mr. Ye." Tang Guolun came forward, saying, "We¡¯ve been searching for several hours, but there¡¯s no sign of Ling Chen."


    "How could this happen?"


    "Around nine o¡¯clock, Ling Chen called me saying someone was secretly following him, trying to harm him, and asked me to bring people for support as soon as possible. However, when we arrived at the location, there wasn¡¯t anyone there, and we didn¡¯t see Ling Chen. Later, we expanded our search area, but still couldn¡¯t find him."


    Ye Liangyong said in a deep voice, "No clues at all?"


    Tang Guolun shook his head, saying, "No clues, but we found a pool of blood in that forest. I¡¯ve collected the blood and sent it for testing; we¡¯ll soon have results."


    "If that blood was left by Ling Chen, it means he was in danger..." Ye Liangyong pondered for a moment and asked, "When Ling Chen told you he was being followed, did he reveal the identity of the pursuers?"


    "No. However, Ling Chen emphasized several times that I should bring Ji Gang; I suspect... the people tracking him might be Heavenly List experts. Otherwise, Ling Chen wouldn¡¯t have been so urgent."


    Heavenly List experts! Ye Liangyong felt a heavy heart and grew a bit uneasy. After contemting for a moment, Ye Liangyong spoke: "Continue searching for Ling Chen¡¯s whereabouts; leave no clue unchecked. I¡¯ll inform Master and Elder Tong about this; see how they wish to proceed."


    In the blink of an eye, three days had passed, and still, there was no news of Ling Chen.


    At the Dragon Tiger Hall in East Sea City, the gathered crowd was filled with tension.


    "Elder Tong, I think it¡¯s unnecessary to investigate; surely it¡¯s the mischief of those bastards from Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion," Xia Yue said indignantly, "ording to Tang Guolun, Ling Cheng went to meet the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion Master that night and then was followed. Certainly, it¡¯s the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion who deliberately lured Ling Cheng out for an ambush."


    Yuan Yun agreed, "Given Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion¡¯s tactics, this possibility isn¡¯t impossible. Elder Tong, Mr. He, big brother, it¡¯s been three days with no news of Ling Cheng; he¡¯s likely in great danger. I suggest we shouldn¡¯t waste time waiting for news here, but take action."


    Tong Zhentian furrowed his brows tightly, remaining silent, seemingly contemting the serious consequences of the matter. Sitting beside him, He Ziyun spoke up: "You are all Ling Chen¡¯s brothers, I understand your feelings. However, what can we do now? Even if Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion did this, we have no evidence to prove it. We can¡¯t simply go and cause trouble with Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion. Dragon Tiger Hall was just established, and in all aspects, it¡¯s notparable to Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion; if we engage them, we stand to lose the most."


    Qiu Yong nodded, saying, "Mr. He speaks wisely. Third brother, now is not the time for impulsive actions; we need a foolproof n."


    Seeing his elder brother speak, Yuan Yun, though unwilling, calmed down.


    After a brief silence, everyone¡¯s eyes turned to Tong Zhentian. Since the beginning, Tong Zhentian hadn¡¯t spoken. Here, Tong Zhentian was the only Heavenly List expert, and the sole pir everyone relied on. Now, everyone hoped he would step forward.


    Feeling the attention on him, Tong Zhentian slowly raised his head, scanning the crowd, speaking calmly, "I agree with Mr. He¡¯s proposal. Now is not the time to start a conflict with Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion. Their aim in killing Ling Chen, besides personal grudges, is primarily because Dragon Tiger Hall infringed upon their interests."

 Chapter 1230 - 1238: No News (2)

    <h4>Chapter 1230: Chapter 1238: No News (2)</h4>


    "Elder Tong, are you suggesting we just let it go like this?" Yuan Yun asked unwillingly.


    "A gentleman¡¯s revenge is never toote, even after ten years," Tong Zhentian replied calmly. "Unless we have enough resources, dering war on the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion now would be tantamount to seeking death. If Ling Chen were here, do you think he would do that?"


    "He would." Zhang Zhongfeng, who had been silent, suddenly spoke. "I know the personality of our sixth brother. He never saw himself as a gentleman. If someone infringes on his interests or friends, he would go to any lengths to seek justice. Even knowing the difficulties, he wouldn¡¯t give up. I believe if sixth brother were here, he would certainly retaliate against the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion with all possible means. Even if he failed, he would expose their ugly face to everyone."


    At this point, Zhang Zhongfeng paused slightly and continued, "Elder Tong, if we endure quietly and focus on developing the Dragon Tiger Hall as you suggested, do you think it¡¯s truly feasible? Why did the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion kill Ling Chen? As you said earlier, beyond personal grievances, it¡¯s mainly because the existence of the Dragon Tiger Hall threatens the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion. Since they dared to assassinate Ling Chen, dealing with the Dragon Tiger Hall is only a matter of time. By then, before the Dragon Tiger Hall could grow, it might already be wiped out by the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion."


    Zhang Zhongfeng¡¯s words immediately plunged everyone present into deep thought.


    It must be admitted that Zhang Zhongfeng¡¯s argument made a lot of sense. Moreover, given the style of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, it¡¯s quite likely they would do such a thing.


    After pondering for a moment, Tong Zhentian nodded, sighing deeply, "Mr. Zhang is right; my consideration was wed. The Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion killed Ling Chen, and their next step will surely be to deal with the Dragon Tiger Hall. Rather than passive defense, we should take the initiative."


    After a brief pause, Tong Zhentian looked at everyone and said, "The chance of sess in this struggle with the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion is slim, I believe everyone knows this in their hearts. So, if anyone wants to withdraw, I absolutely will not stop you, nor will I me you."


    Feeling Tong Zhentian¡¯s gaze, everyone lifted their heads, and no one chose to retreat.


    "Very well!" Tong Zhentian smiled slightly and said, "Since you all have made your decision, let¡¯s work together and give it our all. The martial arts world has been tranquil for so many years, it¡¯s time for a change."


    As his words fell, two people walked in from outside the door. The middle-aged man in the lead was unfamiliar to everyone, but the young woman following behind was well-known to everyone as Zhu Qing.


    "Lady Zhu." Yuan Yun stood up, scrutinizing the middle-aged man, and asked, "Who is this?"


    "Hello, my name is Zhu Houchang." Zhu Houchang politely greeted everyone and said, "I know about Mr. Ling¡¯s situation. I came here this time to apologize to you all because of our negligence, which caused Mr. Ling to encounter misfortune." As he spoke, Zhu Houchang turned his head and sharply ordered Zhu Qing behind him, "Kneel!"


    Zhu Qing kept her head down, silent, and with a thud, knelt on the ground, drawing a dagger from her waist and pressing it against her fair neck.


    Seeing their actions, Qiu Yong frowned and asked, "Mr. Zhu, what are you doing?"


    "Elder Qiu, Mr. Ling was Zhu Qing¡¯s employer, and regardless of what happened, Zhu Qing should have stayed by his side. However, on the night of Mr. Ling¡¯s incident, Zhu Qing was not able to follow closely, which led to his demise. Our Zhu family has always been clear about rewards and punishments, and if a mistake is made, it should be paid for. So, she is here to atone for her sins with death."


    As Zhu Houchang finished speaking, Zhu Qing gently bit her lips, closing her eyes slowly, her trembling eyshes revealing her inner turmoil.


    Suddenly, she gritted her teeth, wielding the dagger to stab her throat.


    "Stop!"


    Witnessing this scene, everyone¡¯s expressions changed dramatically. At the critical moment, Tong Zhentian waved his sleeve, and a teacup ced on the coffee table flew out, urately hitting Zhu Qing¡¯s right hand.


    ng! With a crisp sound, the sharp dagger fell to the ground.


    Yuan Yun strode forward, picked up the dagger from the floor, helped Zhu Qing up, and said, "Mr. Zhu, we understand the situation. That night, it was Ling Chen who didn¡¯t let Lady Zhu follow; she was just following orders and had nothing to do with it. Moreover, thanks to Lady Zhu not being with Ling Chen, otherwise, more than just Ling Chen would be missing now."


    Hearing this, Zhu Houchang raised an eyebrow, his expression heavy, and asked, "Could it be that the assant was a Heavenly List expert?"


    "Indeed." Qiu Yong nodded, "We just can¡¯t confirm the person¡¯s identity, only knowing they are from the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion."


    "What do you intend to do next?"


    "If we let others bully us, and if we do nothing, how can we continue in the martial arts world?" Yuan Yun said solemnly, "If people don¡¯t offend me, I won¡¯t offend them. Since the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion killed Ling Chen, we must repay blood with blood."


    "Count me in." Zhu Houchang spoke up.


    Everyone was slightly taken aback and curiously looked at Zhu Houchang, asking, "Mr. Zhu, this matter has nothing to do with your Zhu family. There¡¯s no need for you to get involved in this troubled situation."


    "No, you¡¯re wrong," Zhu Houchang said. "This matter does have something to do with the Zhu family, and the Zhu family is obligated and responsible to seek justice for Mr. Ling. When Mr. Ling hired our Zhu family, an agreement was already made. Now that he¡¯s encountered misfortune, ording to reason, our employment rtionship should end here. However, our Zhu family would benefit too much from this, which is not our style. Therefore, our Zhu family has decided, even though Mr. Ling is no longer here, we must be worthy of thepensation he paid."


    Upon hearing Zhu Houchang¡¯s statement, everyone brightened up; with the Zhu family¡¯s assistance, their hope increased.


    "Good!" Tong Zhentian nodded slightly, "We will remember the Zhu family¡¯s justice and righteousness in our hearts. Mr. Zhu, may I ask, how much help can the Zhu family provide?"


    "One hundred elite assassins plus one Heavenly List assassin, I wonder if Elder Tong is satisfied?"


    Heavenly List assassin?


    Everyone gasped; although they admired the Zhu family¡¯s approach, they hadn¡¯t expected the family to be so generous as to send out a Heavenly List-level assassin.


    With the addition of these people, everyone seemed to see a glimmer of hope.


    Tong Zhentian gently stroked his beard, smiling and nodding, "The kindness of the Zhu family we will remember. However, dealing with the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion is not easy and requires careful nning. Mr. Zhu, once we¡¯ve drawn up a n and everything is ready, we¡¯ll notify you."


    "Alright. Everyone, we will take our leave now!" Zhu Houchang cupped his fists in farewell to everyone, then turned and walked out of the room with Zhu Qing.

 Chapter 1231 - 1239: Lin Family Siblings

    <h4>Chapter 1231: Chapter 1239: Lin Family Siblings</h4>


    As everyone agreed, everything was proceeding in full swing. This time, the operation against the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion was led by Tong Zhentian, with Qiu Yong and He Ziyun assisting from the side. However, in terms of manpower, Dragon Tiger Hall seemed somewhat deficient. Although Dragon Tiger Hall had recruited many people from the Martial Arts circle, asking them to openly confront the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion would likely scare off many. Currently, Dragon Tiger Hall¡¯s reputation had spread, but its prestige had not yet reached the level where it could rival the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion.


    In the eyes of all the Martial Arts practitioners, the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion still holds the status of the dominant force.


    Therefore, the neers recruited by Dragon Tiger Hall could not be used. Moreover, these people entered Dragon Tiger Hall primarily for the martial arts secrets; hardly any would willingly risk their lives for Dragon Tiger Hall. Counting it all up, there were only about twenty usable fighters.


    Fortunately, with the addition of the Zhu Family, the manpower was barely sufficient.


    In a blink, another week had passed. Now, everyone almost forgot about Ling Chen¡¯s existence. Missing for so many days, with no news at all, the possibility of Ling Chen¡¯s survival was slim. People like Tong Zhentian had experienced many storms and wouldn¡¯t pin their hopes on such slim chances.


    Currently, their task was to meticulously n and make the people from the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion pay the price.


    ...


    Pain! Such pain!


    This was Ling Chen¡¯s first sensation upon waking up, the intense pain making his entire body tremble. He clenched his teeth, trying hard to endure the tormenting pain. Suddenly, a slight prickling sensation came, and after a while, the severe pain slowly began to subside.


    "You¡¯re awake?" A childish voice reached Ling Chen¡¯s ears.


    Ling Chenboriously opened his eyes, seeing nothing but a blur. After a moment, his vision gradually returned to normal, and the ceiling above also became clear.


    Turning his head, Ling Chen saw a four or five-year-old little boy leaning at the bedside, curiously examining him. Seeing Ling Chen looking his way, the little boy grinned and said, "You finally woke up. I¡¯ve been sleeping on the sofa for more than a week."


    Upon hearing this, Ling Chen noticed that the room he was in was covered with posters of cartoon characters, and the table was littered with toys.


    Am I... not dead? In a daze, Ling Chen¡¯s thoughts gradually cleared. Thinking about the events of that night, he hurriedly reached for his chest. However, as soon as he moved his arm, he felt a prickling needle-like pain, as if it were prating his bones, unbearably painful, and even his breathing became rapid.


    Seeing sweat breaking out on Ling Chen¡¯s forehead, the little boy quickly brought a damp towel and gently wiped the sweat off Ling Chen.


    "My sister told me, you shouldn¡¯t move around. Your body is very weak right now; you need to rest well," the little boy said.


    "Your sister... she... where is she?" Ling Chen askedboriously.


    "My sister just gave you a painkiller injection and left. She¡¯s the only doctor here and has many patients to treat, no time to look after you."


    "Little one, can you tell me where this is?"


    "Xianghe Vige in Fulin Town."


    "Is it far from Beijing?"


    "Not far, my sister said it takes only two hours by car to reach Beijing. Big brother, are you from Beijing?"


    Ling Chen shook his head, still thinking about the events of that night. He found it strange that he should have died, yet he was alive. Qin Chuan¡¯s sword pierced through him, and sinking into the river, even if not drowned, he should have died from blood loss.


    "Little one, do you know who saved me?"


    "It was Mr. Lan from our vige who saved you. He¡¯s a fisherman and saw you floating on the surface while fishing, so he pulled you out. But the one you should thank most is my sister. Without her medical skills, you would probably be dead."


    "Is that so?" Ling Chen forced a smile and said, "Then I must thank you properly." After a pause, Ling Chen asked, "When can I see your sister?"


    "Wait here; I¡¯ll go to the clinic in the front. If my sister is done, I¡¯ll call her toe see you." With that, the little boy bounced out.


    After waiting on the bed for over half an hour, the little boy finally returned. Behind him was a girl in her twenties. Her features were very delicate, definitively a beauty, though not quite top-notch. However, in a vige like this, it¡¯s already quite remarkable to have a beauty so lively.


    Seeing the girl enter, Ling Chen struggled to sit up. The girl hurriedly stopped him, saying, "Don¡¯t move; your injuries haven¡¯t healed yet. Best to lie down so the wounds don¡¯t reopen."


    "Your brother said it was you who saved me. Thank you!"


    "No need to thank me; saving lives is a doctor¡¯s duty." Saying this, the girl examined Ling Chen carefully and asked, "What¡¯s your name, and why are you so severely injured?"


    "Ling Chen. I was robbed on my way back, got stabbed, and fell into the river by ident."


    "You really have a lucky life. Others would¡¯ve died from such grievous injuries, yet you survived." The girl found it quite incredible.


    "That only shows I¡¯m tough." Ling Chen smiled and asked, "I still don¡¯t know your names."


    "I¡¯m Lin Han, and this is my brother Lin Chun."


    "Um... Could I borrow your phone? I want to make a call to assure my family I¡¯m safe; being missing for so long, they must be worried."


    "Sorry, I don¡¯t have a usable mobile phone... Well, I have a phone, but it doesn¡¯t work." Lin Han exined, "Xianghe Vige is quite remote, in the mountains, without nearby signal towers, so phones don¡¯t receive signal, unless you go to town. Right now, the entire vige has just onendline. You certainly can¡¯t move now; how about this? Give me the phone number, and I¡¯ll help contact your family."


    "Alright, the phone number..." Ling Chen opened his mouth, suddenly stunned. It was only now that he realized he had no idea of Hu Fei¡¯s phone number. With mobile phones, numbers are saved directly in phones; who bothers to remember them anymore?


    Seeing Ling Chen¡¯s dazed expression, Lin Han immediately guessed his plight, "Can¡¯t remember the number? No worries, give me your address, and I¡¯ll report it to the police to help contact your family."


    Ling Chen thought for a moment, finding this option eptable.


    However, just as Ling Chen was about to provide his address to Lin Han, a loud shout came from outside: "The Madman has gone crazy again; everyone run!"


    Upon hearing the shout, Lin Han¡¯s face slightly changed, quickly instructing: "Chun, stay in the room and don¡¯t go out." With that, Lin Han swiftly turned and dashed out.

 Chapter 1232 - 1240: Recuperation (1)

    <h4>Chapter 1232: Chapter 1240: Recuperation (1)</h4>


    Madman?


    Ling Chen was a bit curious, looking at Lin Han¡¯s tense expression, as if that madman was terrifying.


    "Little guy, what¡¯s happening outside?" Ling Chen asked the little boy, Lin Chun didn¡¯t speak, but carefully walked to the window, lifted a corner of the curtain, and sneakily observed the situation outside. Ling Chen was also interested, but unfortunately, he couldn¡¯t move and could only listen to the soundsing from outside.


    At this moment, the situation outside was very lively, and from time to time, the panicked shouts of vigers could be heard. Moreover, the asional ¡¯bang bang¡¯ sound as if something had copsed could be heard. This situationsted for over ten minutes before gradually calming down.


    At this point, Lin Chun put down the curtain, quickly walked back to the bedside, and honestly picked up an apple to peel. Before long, Lin Han walked in from outside.


    Ling Chen nced at Lin Han from the corner of his eye and noticed that her clothes were dirty, as if she had fallen to the ground when she went out. Moreover, herplexion looked somewhat pale, and she seemed to be suffering from pain.


    Seeing this, Ling Chen asked with concern, "Miss Lin, are you alright?"


    Lin Han gently shook her head, saying, "Sorry, I need to go back and change clothes, I¡¯ll contact your family when I have time."


    "No rush, you take care of your things first." Ling Chen said. It was evident that Lin Han was somewhat weak, and it was best for her to rest as soon as possible.


    After Lin Han left, Lin Chun finished peeling the apple, took a bite, and said, "Big brother, you take your time to rest, I¡¯m going out to y first." After speaking, he waved his hand and turned to leave the room.


    Watching Lin Chun disappear at the doorway, Ling Chen couldn¡¯t help but smile bitterly. He had thought that the apple was meant for him. After being in aa for over a week and relying on nutrient fluids, he was now so hungry that his stomach was pressing against his back. Sighing, Ling Chen slowly closed his eyes and fell asleep again.


    Night falls.


    Outside the window, a drizzling rain started, but the deeper into the night, the heavier the rain became, with thunder and lightning roaring, the rumble of thunder keeping Ling Chen awake.


    In thetter half of the night, there was still no sign of the rain lessening, in a daze, when Ling Chen woke up once more, he found it was already daylight outside. He looked at the wall clock hanging on the wall, it was already past eight o¡¯clock. However, until ten in the morning, Lin Han and her brother had not shown up in the clinic.


    Strange!


    It¡¯s already thiste, why haven¡¯t they opened the door yet. ording to Lin Chun, Lin Han is the vige¡¯s only doctor, she should be very busy logically. Moreover, even if there are no other patients, she shoulde to change the medicine for him as a patient.


    It wasn¡¯t until noon when Lin Chun appeared in the clinic.


    "Little guy, you finally remembered me, the patient." Ling Chen asked with a smile, "What were you doing in the morning, didn¡¯t see you guys?"


    "There was a torrential rain all nightst night, causing a mudslide on the slope at the vige entrance, blocking the only road and knocking down the electricity poles, so the whole vige is without power." Lin Chun said a bit dejectedly.


    No electricity? Ling Chen thought to himself, troubled, and quickly asked, "Can the phone still be used?"


    Lin Chun shook his head, "No, the whole vige has only one phone line, and it¡¯s all broken. This morning, the vige has already sent someone to town for help, but ording to the returnees, a heavy rain has caused disasters in many cesst night, the rescue forces are insufficient, and Xianghe Vige, being located in the mountains and rather remote, even if things go well, it will take a week for the rescue team toe and help."


    "What to do then?" Ling Chen asked worriedly. The phone line is the only way to contact the outside world, he has been missing for so long, if no news gets back, Beijing and East Sea City might be in chaos.


    Lin Chun spread his hands helplessly and said, "What else can be done, we just wait, anyway, the vige has no shortage of water and food, and there are several backup generators that can provide three hours of electricity daily."


    "Where¡¯s your sister?" Ling Chen asked. He now can only seek help from Lin Han to quickly get in touch with the outside world.


    "My sister is unwell and needs to rest in bed for the next two days." Saying that, Lin Chun brought over the medical kit and skillfully removed the bandage wrapped around Ling Chen¡¯s wound. "I¡¯ll be helping you change the medicine these days."


    Watching Lin Chun¡¯s skillful moves, Ling Chen smiled slightly, "Can you change the medicine?"


    "Of course! I¡¯m always with my sister, if she¡¯s too busy, she lets me help, I¡¯ve done this many times already." As he spoke, Lin Chun removed the gauze on the wound with forceps. Ling Chen struggled to lift his head, looking at the wound on his chest. After more than a week, the grim wound had slowly started to heal, with no blood oozing out.


    With his physical fitness, recovery should be quick. However, because the wound was soaked in water for too long, it led to severe inmmation and festering, recovery to this level was already quite good.


    After changing the medicine, Lin Chun didn¡¯t stay long in the clinic. Because Lin Han was not well, the little guy had to hurry back to make lunch. This little one also had it tough, having lost both parents, his sister Lin Han was the only college graduate in the vige. During Lin Chun¡¯s birth, an ident had taken his parents¡¯ lives. Since then, Lin Han gave up her bright future in the big city and returned to the vige to raise Lin Chun single-handedly.


    Lin Chun was very sensible and obedient, always helping his sister manage various things, including household chores and cooking. The saying "poor families raise mature children early" is indeed true.


    After resting for another two days or so, Ling Chen¡¯s body finally did not hurt as much, and he could barely sit in a wheelchair. Having been lying in bed for so long, Ling Chen was already fed up, and it was rare to get out for some fresh air. The weather was nice that day, sunny and warm, Lin Chun pushed the wheelchair, taking Ling Chen for a stroll around the vige.


    Xianghe Vige has a history of several hundred years, most vigers live in old houses built long ago, made of mud bricks, some houses, probably due to age, can¡¯t withstand wind and rain, have been reinforced with cement, giving the houses¡¯ exterior walls several different colors.


    ording to Lin Chun, Xianghe Vige has over a hundred households, many young people go out to work and only return during the New Year, usually only the elderly, women, and children remain in the vige. Moreover, Ling Chen found that the vigers in Xianghe Vige were very kind to Lin Chun, treating him like their own child.


    After chatting with Lin Chun, he learned that because Lin Han came back and opened a clinic, the vige¡¯s elderly benefit a lot. Previously, anyone with an illness would have to go to Fulin Town, dozens of miles away to see a doctor, not to mention the long journey, the road was difficult to traverse, bumpy, unless it was a four-wheel drive, ordinary cars would have a hard time getting in. Due to the limited conditions in the vige, the only transportation here was a motorcycle.

 Chapter 1233 - 1241: Recuperation (2)

    <h4>Chapter 1233: Chapter 1241: Recuperation (2)</h4>


    Under Lin Chun¡¯s guidance, Ling Chen arrived at the vige entrance and saw the road blocked by thendslide. Several dozen meters of road were obstructed by soil, rocks, and copsed utility poles and trees. Not only were motorcycles unable to pass, but it was also extremely troublesome for people to make a trip out. Plus, the vige¡¯s equipment was rather rudimentary, making it impossible to clear these things away, leaving them with no choice but to wait for a rescue team to arrive.


    While strolling around the vige for a while, Ling Chen curiously asked, "Little one, who was the madman you talked about that day?"


    Upon mentioning ¡¯madman,¡¯ a trace of fear appeared on Lin Chun¡¯s young face. "Big brother, that madman is an old man from our vige. He left when he was in his teens and disappeared without a trace for about fifty years before returning. Ever since he came back, for some reason, he¡¯s been screaming every night inside his house, like crying ghosts or howling wolves, scaring many vigers. Besides, the madman is somewhat mentally unstable. Once he has an episode, he turns unrecognizable, shouting to hit and kill people, injuring many vigers."


    "He¡¯s just an old man, isn¡¯t there anyone in the vige who can subdue him?" Ling Chen found it a bit strange.


    "Big brother, you don¡¯t know, the madman is incredibly skilled. Even seven or eight young and strong men are no match for him. Every time the madman goes crazy, the entire vige has to mobilize. To prevent the madman from randomly hurting people, the vige even specially crafted several iron chains and cages to deal with him. But you haven¡¯t seen it, those iron chains and cages are useless against the madman. When he goes mad, he can even break the chains. Later, it was only thanks to my sister¡¯s return that we figured out how to use tranquilizers to subdue him."


    Obviously, the madman was feared by everyone in the vige. At the mention of him, Lin Chun¡¯s face was full of fear.


    Breaking chains... Ling Chen¡¯s eyes lit up, and he immediately understood. Possessing such skills, the madman was surely someone who practiced martial arts, and a strong one at that. How interesting, I didn¡¯t expect to encounter a master here. What a pity the madman has gone insane; otherwise, I could have had a good exchange with him.


    Thinking of this, Ling Chen asked with great interest, "Little one, where does the madman live?"


    "Why are you asking this?"


    "Just curious," Ling Chen replied.


    "The madman doesn¡¯t live in the vige," Lin Chun said. "Although he sometimes goes mad, when he¡¯s not, he acts quite normal. He knows the vigers dislike him, so to avoid harming them, he moved out and lives on the mountain over there."


    Lin Chun pointed to the mountain opposite, "There is a natural cave there that the madman lives in, and he forages for wild vegetables on the mountain when he¡¯s hungry."


    "What¡¯s the madman¡¯s name?"


    Lin Chun thought for a moment and said, "If I remember correctly, the vigers used to call him Yang Junfeng. His parents died early, and he never married, so the vigers pitied him and let him stay in the vige; otherwise, they would have driven him away long ago."


    Ling Chen nodded without asking further. He guessed Lin Chun didn¡¯t know much. After wandering around for more than an hour, Ling Chen felt a bit sleepy due to his still weak body. Returning to the clinic, his keen eyes noticed a crossbow in the corner, with a quiver next to it containing over a dozen crossbow arrows.


    "Is that your sister¡¯s stuff?"


    "Yeah," Lin Chun said. "It¡¯s all used to deal with the madman. When he¡¯s in a frenzy, no one can get close to him, so we have to fit tranquilizer darts onto the crossbow arrows. Practically every household is equipped with such things."


    Tsk tsk! Who would have thought the vigers of Xianghe were so professional, even equipping themselves with such weapons to deal with the madman.


    That day, after Lin Han finished changing Ling Chen¡¯s bandages, she took him out for a walk as usual. After chatting for a few days, Ling Chen got to know more about her situation. After graduating from medical school, Lin Han interned at a major hospital in East Sea City. Her professional skills were so strong that she received praise and acknowledgment from the hospital management. If she continued to work at the hospital, it wouldn¡¯t take long for her to be an outstanding doctor.


    However, due to her parents¡¯ ident, Lin Han had to abandon city life and return to Xianghe Vige, living a mundane life. Still, one could hear from Lin Han¡¯s tone that she yearned for life outside the vige. If not for her younger brother, she would have returned to East Sea City long ago.


    "Lin Chun is not young anymore; are you nning to send him to school?" Ling Chen asked.


    "I¡¯m nning to send him to school in town next year. By then, I¡¯ll find a job in town and rent a ce," Lin Han replied.


    "Why not just take him to East Sea City?"


    "Living in a big city is nice, but you need enough financial strength. Rent, tuition, living expenses¡ªdo you think a newly graduated university student like me can afford it? It takes at least one or two years as an intern before bing a full-time employee in a hospital, and interns¡¯ sries aren¡¯t high. I can¡¯t afford to support two people. Besides, my parents left quite a bit of debt before they died, and I have to repay it."


    Ling Chen pointed to his nose and smiled, "I can help you. You saved me, and I haven¡¯t paid you medical expenses yet."


    "You?" Lin Han smiled slightly, "Forget it, you¡¯re not exactly rich."


    "Oh?" Ling Chen asked with interest, "Why do you think I¡¯m not rich?"


    "When I was in East Sea City, I met many wealthy people. A few rich second-generation kids even pursued me. They drove luxury cars, wore designer brands, and the watches they wore cost tens of thousands of yuan. Moreover, the rich second-generation kids who pursued me gave me lots of branded clothes and bags. Although I refused them, I have seen the world. Look at you; your clothes are ordinary, simr to mine. You¡¯re not picky about food, eating whatever is avable, and you don¡¯t talk down to people with that superior attitude. Anyone with a slightly better family background tends to think highly of themselves, but you don¡¯t, which means you¡¯re like me¡ªmaybe a bit better off, but that¡¯s it.


    Ling Chen chuckled, "Your analysis makes sense."


    "Am I wrong?" Lin Han seemed to recall something at his words and gently sighed.


    "What¡¯s wrong?" Noticing Lin Han¡¯s change in mood, Ling Chen couldn¡¯t help but ask.


    "It¡¯s nothing, just thinking of some unhappy things." Without waiting for Ling Chen to ask more, Lin Han changed the subject, saying, "It¡¯s gettingte. Let me take you back. My brother cooked braised taro for lunch today."


    "Your brother¡¯s cooking skills aren¡¯t bad,"


    Lin Hanughed, "Of course, you should see who taught him."


    In the blink of an eye, a few more days passed.


    Under the meticulous care of the Lin siblings, Ling Chen¡¯s injuries gradually healed, and he could already walk on the ground. However, this quick recovery speed surprised Lin Han quite a bit.

 Chapter 1234 - 1242: A Friend Arrives from Afar

    <h4>Chapter 1234: Chapter 1242: A Friend Arrives from Afar</h4>


    Lin Han has stayed in big hospitals before and has seen all kinds of patients, but she has never seen someone with a fatal injury survive. Moreover, Ling Chen¡¯s recovery speed was several times faster than normal. If it were someone else with such severe injuries, they would be bedridden for at least a few months. Ling Chen had been in Xianghe Vige for less than half a month, and he was already able to walk around, which was truly unbelievable.


    After his condition improved, Ling Chen began to wander around outside alone. He has been in Xianghe Vige for some time, and he had met most of the people in the vige; he would smile and greet them when he encountered them on the road.


    Looking at the mountain opposite Xianghe Vige, a trace of hesitation shed in Ling Chen¡¯s eyes. Since the day he heard from Lin Chun about the madman, Ling Chen had been very interested in the old man named Yang Junfeng and really wanted to go and see him. Previously, because he couldn¡¯t walk, he had to dismiss this idea. Now, without Lin Han and Lin Chun following him, it seemed like a good opportunity.


    Having made up his mind, Ling Chen set off alone along the mountain path, arriving at the foot of the peak where Yang Junfeng lived. The peak was quite steep, and Ling Chen¡¯s body had not fully recovered; halfway up, he was already out of breath and had to sit down to rest and regain his strength.


    When Ling Chen reached the top, it was already an hourter. There were many dense trees around the summit; Ling Chen wandered around and soon found the natural cave that Lin Chun had described.


    Standing outside the cave, Ling Chen called out loudly a few times, but there was no response from inside the cave, as if there was no one there.


    After waiting for a moment, Ling Chen simply summoned his courage and walked directly into the cave. As he walked, he silently prayed not to encounter the old man during a mad episode. If that happened, given his current physical condition, it would be like walking to his death.


    This natural cave was more than three meters high, four meters wide, and over ten meters deep. At the innermost part of the cave, there was a pile of burnt-out embers. On top of the embers was a wooden stand, supporting arge pot filled with soup, with a few unidentifiable leaves floating on top. As he got closer, he could smell a strange odor.


    Ling Chen shook his head and turned his gaze elsewhere, seeing ayer of straw mats near the wall of the cave, which was probably where Yang Junfeng rested.


    The ce was truly crude, with not even a single decent piece of furniture. Ling Chen found it strange that a master had fallen to this point, wondering what kind of trauma he had suffered.


    At this moment, Ling Chen, with his sharp eyes, suddenly noticed a small wooden table ced at the very back of the cave, covered with a piece of tattered cloth, hiding something unknown underneath.


    Walking up to the table, Ling Chen picked up the cloth and carefully lifted it. Instantly, he saw a spiritual tablet underneath. This spiritual tablet seemed very old, with its color faded, except for a few lines of words in the middle that were rtively clear. Ling Chen studied it for a few moments; if he guessed correctly, this should be Yang Junfeng¡¯s ancestral tablet.


    Below the spiritual tablet, there was a small booklet with yellowed pages. Ling Chen pulled out the booklet, and his eyes were immediately drawn to the words on the cover.


    The Yang Family Spear Technique!


    This... this was a martial arts manual. Ling Chen eagerly opened a page, seeing various postures and forms recorded inside.


    Although Ling Chen did not know much about spear techniques, he could tell that this Yang Family Spear Technique was a very valuable martial arts manual. After looking at a few pages, Ling Chen immediately returned it to its original ce, not continuing to pry. Even though he was very interested in martial arts manuals, ces like the Dragon Tiger Hall had plenty of such manuals, and he had no need to engage in such petty theft.


    Because of the overpowering odor in the cave, Ling Chen did not stay long. Once outside the cave, he waited a while longer; seeing Yang Junfeng had not returned, he decided not to wait any longer and headed back to Xianghe Vige. Having been out so long, if he didn¡¯t return soon, Lin Han and Lin Chun would probably start to worry.


    When he returned to the clinic, Lin Chun had just brought the freshly made lunch.


    "Today¡¯s food is so abundant?" Ling Chen asked with a smile while eating Lin Chun¡¯s chicken rice. Usually, they ate vegetarian dishes and rarely had meat, but today there was not only chicken but also pork.


    "We have guests at home."


    "Really?" Ling Chen was curious, "Isn¡¯t the road to the vige blocked? How did guests manage toe?"


    "If people want toe, we can¡¯t stop them."


    "Are they rtives of your family?"


    "No, they¡¯re my sister¡¯s former ssmates and friends." Lin Chun seemed to have little goodwill towards these guests, choosing to stay in the clinic rather than go back.


    After lunch, Ling Chen apanied Lin Chun to y chess in the clinic. Lin Chun was a very clever child; despite his young age, he yed chess with an exemry style, and his chess skill was not much worse than Ling Chen¡¯s. It was said that this little guy often yed chess with the elders in the vige as one of his few pastimes.


    As the two of them, one big and one small, were locked in an intense chess battle, the sound of footsteps suddenly came from outside the clinic.


    "Hanhan, is this your clinic?" A woman¡¯s voice spoke, "Isn¡¯t it too shabby? Just a few words painted on the wall, not even a sign."


    "We are in the countryside; there aren¡¯t so many formalities necessary, as long as everyone knows this is a ce for medical treatment. Besides, making a sign would require a trip to town, and it¡¯s too much trouble."


    "Hanhan, opening a clinic here, how much ie can you make in a month?"


    "A few hundred bucks. It¡¯s not much, mainly to help the elderly in the vige."


    "You¡¯re still as kind-hearted as ever, Hanhan. A few hundred bucks... that¡¯s not even enough for a pair of shoes for me. Hanhan, I¡¯m not saying this to criticize you, but with your good background, why should you stay in such a shabby ce? If you ask me, you should return to East Sea City. You have no idea, after you left, Mr. Zheng often talks about you and seems to genuinely like you. Why can¡¯t you ept him? Turning a sparrow into a phoenix is not an opportunity everyone gets, you need to seize this chance."


    "I have no feelings for him. Besides, even if I were to get married, it would be to someone I love, not for material things."


    "s! Not trying to preach, but your thinking is outdated. Better to cry in a BMW than to smile on a bicycle, don¡¯t you understand such a simple truth?"


    "Alright, alright! Xu Huan, say no more, everyone has their own ideas, there¡¯s no need to impose yours on others. Hanhan, let¡¯s take a look around your clinic." A man¡¯s voice chimed in.


    Upon hearing people entering, Ling Chen signaled to Lin Chun, who quickly put away the chessboard and stood up.


    At that moment, the door opened, and Lin Han entered with a young couple, their arms linked, clearly indicating their rtionship.

 Chapter 1235 - 1243: Wang Yan

    <h4>Chapter 1235: Chapter 1243: Wang Yan</h4>


    The young man looked to be around twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old, very handsome, with a tall and slender build, full of youthful sunshine and vitality. The woman beside him was about the same age as Lin Han, just over twenty, probably a recent college graduate. This woman was well-proportioned with a curvy figure, a full chest, and a face shaped like a melon seed, heavily covered with makeup. As soon as she entered, a strong smell of perfume followed.


    Seeing Ling Chen and Lin Chun in the clinic, the young couple was slightly taken aback, then smiled and asked, "Hanhan, who¡¯s this handsome guy?"


    Lin Han nced at Ling Chen and said lightly, "He¡¯s Ling Chen, a patient of mine."


    "A patient? Really a patient?" The woman looked Ling Chen up and down meaningfully, with a smile-not-quite-a-smile, and said, "Could he be your boyfriend? Hanhan, just admit it, I won¡¯tugh at you. Actually, you have good taste, this guy is very handsome, just... his outfit is a bit shabby." With that, the woman gently nudged Lin Han¡¯s arm and whispered, "Where¡¯s your boyfriend from?"


    Lin Han helplessly defended, "I said, he¡¯s not my boyfriend, he really is my patient."


    Before the woman could speak again, Ling Chen smiled slightly and said, "Please don¡¯t misunderstand, Miss Lin didn¡¯t lie to you." As he spoke, Ling Chen lifted his shirt to reveal the bandages wrapped around his chest.


    However, the pair¡¯s attention was not on Ling Chen¡¯s wound but captivated by his eight-pack abs. Especially the woman, her eyes lit up at the sight of his physique... clicking her tongue! Even a fitness instructor wouldn¡¯t measure up.


    When Ling Chen put his shirt down, the woman finally snapped back to reality, smiling and looking at Ling Chen, she asked, "Handsome guy, my name is Wang Yan, a college ssmate of Hanhan¡¯s, and this is my boyfriend, Hao Dong. Nice to meet you."


    "Hello." Ling Chen nodded to them and said, "You all chat, I¡¯ll go inside to rest for a bit and won¡¯t disturb you." With that, Ling Chen turned to return to the ward.


    "Hey! Wait, don¡¯t go." Wang Yan hastily urged, "Ling Chen, we¡¯re all young people, being able to gather together is fate."


    Hao Dong, standing to the side,ughed and said, "Ling, let¡¯s chat, maybe we can find amon topic."


    Seeing the kind invitation and since Lin Han didn¡¯t say anything, Ling Chen had to agree. After all, they were Lin Han¡¯s friends, and he couldn¡¯t disrespect Lin Han. After staying in the clinic for a while, the group went back to Lin Han¡¯s house.


    Having lived in Xianghe Vige for quite a while, Ling Chen had been to Lin Han¡¯s house a few times. Lin Han¡¯s family home wasn¡¯t very big, two bedrooms and a living room, an old house left by her parents. Because Xianghe Vige is quite remote, every household¡¯s television uses satellite dishes, barely able to pick up a few channels. Upon entering, there was a twenty-four-inch TV in a ten-square-meter living room with aptop on the coffee table, probably the onlyputer in the whole vige.


    Once everyone was seated, Lin Chun obediently went to make tea for everyone, while Lin Han stayed in the kitchen, washing fruit. Wang Yan was curiously inspecting Ling Chen and asked, "Ling Chen, are you and Hanhan from the same hometown?"


    "No, I live in East Sea City." Ling Chen replied, "I was in Beijing for work this time and had an ident in the Beijing Suburb. The vigers here saved me and sent me to Miss Lin¡¯s clinic. Thanks to Miss Lin¡¯s help, I survived."


    "You¡¯re from East Sea City?" Wang Yan seemed surprised, she thought Ling Chen was from this vige too, little did she expect he came from a big city, "Ling Chen, looking at you, your injuries seem mostly healed, why not go back?"


    "Isn¡¯t the road at the vige entrance blocked? Without transportation, I can¡¯t just walk out, right."


    Hao Dong chimed in, "You can leave with us, our car is parked outside the vige. Thendslide and trees have blocked the road, so we could only walk in. Luckily it¡¯s not too far."


    "What¡¯s not too far." Wang Yanined, "My legs got sore from walking."


    "Who asked you to wear high heels."


    "I¡¯m sorry, I didn¡¯t know you¡¯de to my ce as guests." At this point, Lin Han came over with a te of fruit, apologetically.


    Seeing Lin Han walk over, Wang Yan immediately switched to a smiling face, "It¡¯s okay, being able to see my good sister is worth all the trouble." Hearing this, a look of surprise passed through Lin Han¡¯s eyes.


    After a brief chat with Lin Han, Wang Yan picked up a piece of sliced apple and turned her gaze back to Ling Chen. It was evident she was very interested in Ling Chen.


    "Ling Chen, what do you do in East Sea City?"


    "I¡¯m unemployed, haven¡¯t found a job yet."


    "Really? And which university did you graduate from?"


    Ling Chen replied tly, "I didn¡¯t continue after high school; I¡¯ve been working odd jobs ever since."


    Hearing this, Wang Yan¡¯s smile faded, she lost interest in asking further, and directly shifted her attention to chatting with Hao Dong next to her. For the rest of the time, Wang Yan and Hao Dong had a lively conversation with Lin Han. However, it was mainly Wang Yan and Hao Dong talking, with Lin Han asionally chiming in. As for Ling Chen... he waspletely sidelined.


    "Hanhan, not to be preachy, but you really should consider finding a man, do you really want to waste your most precious youth here?" Wang Yan tried to persuade earnestly.


    "For now, I don¡¯t want to leave, we¡¯ll see about the future, I don¡¯t have any ns right now."


    "If you ask me, you should go to Beijing. It¡¯s not far from your home, you can have people in the vige help take care of your brother, just pay them every month. Hao Dong has some connections in Beijing, he can introduce you to work in a big hospital. With your ability, you won¡¯t have any problems. Once you earn money and find a good man, you can bring your brother to live with you; wouldn¡¯t that be great, and no one gets dyed. What do you think?"


    Lin Han paused for a while, shook her head, and said, "Thanks for your kindness, but I don¡¯t want to leave now."


    "You..." Wang Yan said helplessly, "I don¡¯t even know what to say to you. Anyway, I¡¯ve said what I needed, your future and opportunities are at stake, think it over carefully." With that, Wang Yan got up and said, "Hao Dong, let¡¯s go back."


    Lin Han asked, "You¡¯re not staying? I¡¯ve prepared a room for you."


    "No, we booked a hotel in Fulin Town. Sigh, this ce is so backward, there isn¡¯t even a five-star hotel. Hanhan, if it wasn¡¯t to see you, I wouldn¡¯t have endured this kind of grievance."


    As they reached the door, Hao Dong seemed to remember something and turned around to look at Ling Chen, "Do you want to go with our car to the town?"

 Chapter 1236 - 1244: The Mad Expert

    <h4>Chapter 1236: Chapter 1244: The Mad Expert</h4>


    Ling Chen opened his mouth, but before he could speak, he heard Wang Yan impatiently say, "Whether they stay or leave, what does it have to do with you? Why bother? Let¡¯s go!"


    Lin Han escorted Hao Dong and Wang Yan to the vige entrance before returning home alone. Watching Ling Chen walking in the living room, Lin Han said apologetically, "Sorry, I initially wanted them to take you to the town with them."


    Ling Chen smiled slightly and said casually, "No worries, this ce with its beautiful mountains and waters is a good ce to recuperate. I want to stay a bit longer too."


    After pausing for a moment, Ling Chen asked, "Actually, their suggestion was good, why didn¡¯t you ept it?"


    Lin Han gently shook her head and said, "Wang Yan is my university roommate, but she is different from me; she likes rich and handsome men. During the four years of university, the words we exchanged add up to fewer than a hundred sentences. Do you think we would be best friends?"


    Hearing this, Ling Chen was somewhat surprised, "Then why did theye such a long way to see you?"


    "I found it strange too. When I was working in East Sea City, I had asional contact with her, but she mostly initiated it. Later, after I returned here, due to inconvenientmunication, I lost contact with her. Honestly, I¡¯m not sure why she came to my house."


    "That really is a peculiar thing," Ling Chen thought for a moment and then said, "Forget it! Since she has left, don¡¯t think about it too much. Maybe she indeed came to see you."


    "Perhaps."


    Looking at the wall clock, Ling Chen stood up and said, "I¡¯ll head back to the clinic to rest."


    "I¡¯ll see you out."


    Stepping out of the room, Ling Chen saw more than ten chickens in the coop in the yard, all thanks to Lin Chun. However, what struck Ling Chen as strange was the unique chicken coop, a two-meter-high and one-meter-wide iron cage. The iron bars of the cage were very thick, about the size of an adult¡¯s arm. The bars in front of the cage were broken in the middle. Due to constant exposure to wind and rain, the cage had rusted.


    "Miss Lin, are you afraid your chickens might escape since you¡¯ve used such thick iron bars to keep them?" Ling Chen jested.


    "This iron cage isn¡¯t for chickens," Lin Han exined, "The vige specially built arge iron cage to deal with a madman in the vige. Unfortunately, the madman¡¯s strength was terrifying; once inside, he directly broke the iron bars."


    Upon hearing this, Ling Chen¡¯s expression changed, "What? Broke them?"


    He looked into Lin Han¡¯s eyes and asked word by word, "Miss Lin, are you sure that person broke it with his bare hands?"


    Lin Han nodded, very certain, "I was there that day and saw it with my own eyes, no mistake. If you don¡¯t believe me, you can ask my brother; he was there too and saw it clearly. Everyone was scared. Luckily, after breaking the cage, for some unknown reason, the madman suddenly fainted on the ground, avoiding major damage. Oh, by the way!" Saying this, Lin Han seemed to remember something and led Ling Chen to the courtyard behind the house.


    "Do you see that pile of chains?" Lin Han pointed to the corner where a bundle of chains, each as thick as an arm, was stacked, "These chains were also specially made to restrain the madman, but he broke them all."


    Ling Chen quickly walked over, picked up the rusted chains, and examined them closely. Just as Lin Han said, there were clear signs of breakage in the middle of the chains.


    To break such thick chains, is that madman named Yang Junfeng even human?


    Heavenly List master!


    Ling Chen¡¯s heart sank. There was no doubt that Yang Junfeng is surely a Heavenly List master and a very powerful one at that. Otherwise, even an ordinary Heavenly List master couldn¡¯t easily break such thick chains with their hands.


    At this thought, Ling Chen felt somewhat fortunate. Fortunately, when he went to find Yang Junfeng, thetter wasn¡¯t in the cave. If he had encountered him, and if the man went mad, Ling Chen would have certainly died. Nheless, despite his lingering fear, Ling Chen found it strange; given Yang Junfeng¡¯s great strength, why would he go mad?


    Generally speaking, the stronger one¡¯s ability, the stronger their physical qualities, including perseverance, willpower, mental strength, and all aspects. Unless greatly stimted, they wouldn¡¯t suffer from mental disorders.


    "Miss Lin, I heard Lin Chun say that the madman isn¡¯t always mad, he asionally returns to normal. Is that true?"


    Lin Han nodded, "Though I haven¡¯t treated the madman, I think he might have intermittent mental disorders causing mania. When he lived in the vige, the madman¡¯s meltdowns were frequent, happening every two days, sometimes daily. After he was driven out of the vige and moved to the cave, the frequency gradually decreased, sometimes once a week or ten days apart. Comparatively, there¡¯s been significant improvement. I think he shouldn¡¯t be stimted by the outside world, meaning he shouldn¡¯t have contact with people; otherwise, it would trigger more frequent attacks."


    "Is there any way to cure such a disease?" Ling Chen asked.


    "Given his current state, it¡¯s not too serious yet. If he can¡¯t maintain consciousness, then it¡¯s incurable. This kind of intermittent mental disorder usually results from trauma; if the madman can calm down and receive therapy, recovery is hopeful. Sadly, the madman is too frightening; no one dares to approach him or talk to him."


    Ling Chen thoughtfully said, "So, if someone tries to persuade him to ept treatment, it might work?"


    Hearing this, Lin Han stared at Ling Chen and asked, "You wouldn¡¯t be thinking of finding him, would you? No way, absolutely not! I don¡¯t agree. Do you know how dangerous he is? What if you provoke him? Once he goes mad, no one can save you. You barely survived, do you want to tempt fate?"


    Ling Chen smiled slightly, "Miss Lin, don¡¯t be so agitated, I was just speaking casually. However, I am indeed curious about that madman."


    "You¡¯re just as crazy as that madman! I¡¯ve never seen anyone interested in a madman."


    "Alright! I won¡¯t talk to you anymore, I¡¯m heading back." With that, Ling Chen waved his hand and headed straight toward the clinic. Walking along the road, Ling Chen asionally lifted his head and gazed at the distant mountain. Unexpectedly encountering a Heavenly List master like this in such an impoverished and remote ce, his luck was truly remarkable. If possible, he really wanted to approach him.

 Chapter 1237 - 1245: The Fox Paying New Year’s Call to the Hen

    <h4>Chapter 1237: Chapter 1245: The Fox Paying New Year¡¯s Call to the Hen</h4>


    The next day.


    Ling Chen was staying in the clinic, thinking about how to meet Yang Junfeng. Just then, Lin Chun walked in from outside, pouting with an unhappy face.


    Seeing the little one fuming silently, Ling Chen teased with a smile, "What¡¯s wrong? Who angered you?"


    "It¡¯s just those two people from yesterday; they came again today. I didn¡¯t want to deal with them, so I came to find big brother." Saying this, Lin Chun sat beside Ling Chen and asked, seemingly to himself, "Big brother, do you think... my sister will really leave with them and leave me alone in the vige?"


    Hearing this, Ling Chen finally understood the little one¡¯s worries. Yesterday, when Lin Han was chatting with Wang Yan, Lin Chun must have eavesdropped, so he¡¯s really worried, afraid that Lin Han might leave him alone to develop in the big city. Although Lin Chun is quite self-sufficient, he¡¯s still a five or six-year-old kid and needs family care andpanionship.


    Ling Chen patted Lin Chun¡¯s skinny shoulder and said with a smile, "Don¡¯t worry, your sister cares so much about you; she wouldn¡¯t abandon you." With that, Ling Chen thought for a moment, got up, and said, "Come on, I¡¯ll go with you to check it out."


    Ling Chen was still a bit uneasy about the return of Wang Yan and Hao Dong. Lin Han also said yesterday that her rtionship with Wang Yan was just ordinary friends, not even close ones. Wang Yan bringing her boyfriend all this way to visit Lin Han definitely has her motives. And judging by Wang Yan¡¯s appearance, she¡¯s absolutely a gold digger, very cunning. If Lin Han, being such an honest woman, gets deceived, what then?


    Arriving at Lin Han¡¯s home, Wang Yan and Hao Dong were in the living room. Besides them, there were a few movers carrying big boxes into the house. Lin Han stood to the side, watching the busy movers, her exquisite face full of confusion. It was clear that even she didn¡¯t know what Wang Yan was up to.


    Seeing Ling Chen and Lin Chun approaching, Lin Han smiled slightly. As for Wang Yan and Hao Dong, they directly ignored Ling Chen¡¯s presence.


    "Miss Lin, what are these things?" Ling Chen asked.


    Lin Han shook her head and said, "I don¡¯t know either; they¡¯re all brought by Wang Yan."


    After the movers left, the group returned to the living room, looking at the severalrge boxes stacked on the floor. Lin Han asked, "Wang Yan, what is this all about?"


    Wang Yan smilingly said, "We¡¯re good friends, seeing you living so frugally, so we bought you some daily household items. Come, let me show you." She said while signaling Hao Dong to unpack the boxes. Thergest box was a fifty-five-inch LCD TV, a Blu-ray yer, and some regr appliances.


    "Little brother,e here, these are gifts for you." Wang Yan beckoned to Lin Chun. However, Lin Chun didn¡¯t move. Seeing this, Wang Yan directly walked over, cing a game console into his hands, "Here! This is thetest game console, and this... a tablet and a learning machine, all city kids use them often."


    Looking at the expensive gifts brought in front of him, Lin Chun hesitated and instead looked towards his sister.


    "Wang Yan, we can¡¯t ept such valuable gifts. You should take them back," Lin Han said.


    "How could that be, they¡¯re already bought. It¡¯s just a little gesture of mine, and not worth much. Besides, the movers have left; do you expect me to carry all these things back myself?" Wang Yan lovingly patted Lin Chun¡¯s little head, saying, "It¡¯s a pity there¡¯s no inte here; these things are fun when connected. Next time, when you have the chance, let your sister bring you to the big city; I¡¯ll take you to Disnend, the most famous amusement park in the world."


    "Wang Yan..."


    "Alright! Don¡¯t say anything else, just ept them." With that, Wang Yan didn¡¯t wait for Lin Han to say more and walked to the door with Hao Dong, ready to leave.


    Looking at the pile of gifts in the living room, Lin Han bit her lip lightly, hesitated for a moment, then turned and walked into her bedroom. After a little while, Lin Han quickly caught up with Wang Yan, took out a thick envelope from her pocket and handed it to Wang Yan, saying, "There¡¯s fifteen thousand yuan in here. I know it¡¯s not enough for the things you bought, but it¡¯s all I can offer. Please ept this for now, I¡¯ll repay you when I¡¯ve saved enough moneyter."


    Wang Yan pushed away the envelope, displeased, saying, "Hanhan, what are you talking about, those are gifts from me, how can I take your money? If you consider me a friend, just keep the money."


    "No way!" Lin Han¡¯s tone was firm, "If you don¡¯t take it, I¡¯ll move those things out immediately. No matter what you do with them, I won¡¯t take your things for free."


    Wang Yan was slightly taken aback, not expecting Lin Han to be so resolute, leaving no room for negotiation. Hesitating for a moment, Wang Yan couldn¡¯t help but nce at Hao Dong beside her. Understanding her look, Hao Dong smiled and said, "Hanhan, it¡¯s just a gesture, don¡¯t overthink, truly. Besides, given our economic conditions, these gifts aren¡¯t really much."


    "Exactly." Wang Yan pointed at her shoes and said, "Look, these shoes alone cost over twenty thousand yuan, this branded bag over fifty thousand. The gifts we got for you are practically nothing, just some pocket money." Pausing, Wang Yan continued, "Hanhan, seriously consider what I talked with you about yesterday, as a woman, don¡¯t waste your youth here."


    Lin Han lowered her head, looked at Wang Yan¡¯s designer clothes, suddenly stuffed all the money into her pocket, and walked back without looking back.


    After just a few steps, Lin Han turned around, looked at Wang Yan and Hao Dong, and said, "Everyone has their destiny, I have my way of living, thank you for your concern."


    Watching Lin Han¡¯s silhouette gradually fade away, Wang Yan felt her anger rise, cursing indignantly, "That bitch thinks so highly of herself; I¡¯vee to this godforsaken ce twice for her, offered such good deals, yet she won¡¯t agree, pretending to be all high and mighty! What does she even have? There are plenty of women like her in Beijing."


    "Alright, stopining," Hao Dong said with a frown, "Now what? If we can¡¯t take her back to Beijing, we¡¯re at a dead end."


    "What else can we do? Tie her up and take her back? I won¡¯t do anything illegal." After thinking for a moment, Wang Yan impatiently said, "Forget it! Let¡¯s just call him, tell him the situation here, we¡¯ve done our best, what he decides is his business now. Let¡¯s not waste any more time here; I don¡¯t want to stay in this godforsaken ce any longer."

 Chapter 1238 - 1246: Madman Gone Berserk (Part 1)

    <h4>Chapter 1238: Chapter 1246: Madman Gone Berserk (Part 1)</h4>


    As Wang Yan and Hao Dong walked away, Ling Chen slowly stood up from the grass not far from the vige entrance, watching the two departing figures with a yful look.


    It seems Lin Han¡¯s guess was right. These two people came all the way to Xianghe Vige to find Lin Han not to visit a friend, but with other intentions. From their conversation, it seems they want to take Lin Han to Beijing. Moreover, someone is pulling the strings behind them. How interesting, Lin Han is just an ordinary woman, who exactly wants to harm her?


    As he was thinking, Ling Chen suddenly heard a series of terrified shouts from the vige: "Run, the madman is here again!"


    Madman? Ling Chen¡¯s expression changed slightly. Without thinking, he quickly ran towards the vige. Soon, he arrived at Lin Han¡¯s house and saw Lin Han and Lin Chun hiding in the living room, doors tightly closed, not daring to go out. Seeing Ling Chen return, Lin Han hurriedly said: "Stay here with my brother. I¡¯m going to the clinic."


    Before Ling Chen could speak, Lin Han had already hurried out. No need to ask, it was obvious that Lin Han went to the clinic to get the crossbow arrow to subdue the madman with tranquilizer darts, to prevent him from hurting others. Watching Lin Han¡¯s departing figure, Ling Chen felt uneasy and advised: "Little guy, stay here in the room, lock all the doors, don¡¯t go out, understand?" Lin Chun obediently nodded.


    Leaving the house, Ling Chen looked around and noticed that the vigers were all running from the north. The madman Yang Junfeng was likely in the northern part of the vige. Immediately, Ling Chen quickly ran in that direction.


    Soon, Ling Chen saw the remaining dozen or so able-bodied young men in the vige, each armed with a loaded crossbow, shooting continuously at a figure not far away. About thirty meters away, an old man with disheveled hair and dirty clothes was rapidly changing position to avoid the tranquilizer darts.


    Ling Chen carefully observed the madman¡¯s movements, noticing his incredible speed, as the dozen or so crossbows failed to hit him. Soon, the young men¡¯s supply of tranquilizer darts was nearly exhausted. Meanwhile, the madman was advancing step by step towards them, and those young men were in imminent danger.


    Seeing this situation, Ling Chen rushed forward, grabbing one of the young men and shouted: "Quick, take your people and find a higher position to shoot from."


    Hearing Ling Chen¡¯s reminder, the person immediately understood. With a whistle, the others all followed him and ran off.


    Watching the madman slowly approach, Ling Chen stood his ground, his eyes fixed on the opponent¡¯s face. Unfortunately, due to the filth covering his skin, his features were indistinguishable. "Ling Chen, move!" At that moment, Lin Han¡¯s urgent voice came through.


    Turning back, Ling Chen saw Lin Han crouching on the ground, holding a crossbow with both hands, aiming at the advancing madman.


    Whizz!


    With the sound of something piercing the air, a crossbow arrow with a tranquilizer dart was immediately shot out.


    Faced with the fast-flying crossbow arrow, the madman swung his big hand, directly swatting the arrow aside. Not only that, but the madman¡¯s pace was also gradually elerating, his blood-red eyes fixed on Lin Han.


    "Watch out!" Ling Chen shouted: "What are you waiting for, run!"


    Lin Han was momentarily stunned but quickly reacted and hurriedly ran back. Seeing Lin Han speeding up, the madman increased his speed to match. Competing for speed against someone on the Heavenly List was courting disaster. In the blink of an eye, the madman was on Lin Han¡¯s heels, ready to knock her down at any moment.


    Seeing Lin Han in danger, Ling Chen didn¡¯t waste time thinking, instantly using the Nine Yang Qiankun Step, darting forward like a gust of wind. Just as the madman threw a punch, a blur passed in front of Lin Han. Lin Han didn¡¯t know what happened, only feeling a lightness in her body, as if she were aboard a ne.


    When she came to her senses, Ling Chen was holding her in his arms. Looking at Ling Chen, she saw he was panting heavily, his face a bit pale.


    "Are you... okay?" Lin Han asked with concern.


    Ling Chen internally gave a bitter smile, how could he be okay. With such severe injuries, it had only been half a month, there was no way he could have recovered. Just barely using the Nine Yang Qiankun Step earlier made his wounds ache faintly, a wave of weakness sweeping through his body.


    Taking a deep breath, Ling Chen didn¡¯t have time to talk with Lin Han, as the madman had already locked his gaze on them, charging at them. Surveying the surroundings, Ling Chen quickly carried Lin Han over a low wall, cing her in a corner. Then he took the crossbow from Lin Han¡¯s hands, quickly loading a crossbow arrow, and let loose at the charging madman.


    Unsurprisingly, the madman easily deflected the arrow. However, Ling Chen had achieved his goal by drawing the madman¡¯s attention towards him. Immediately, the madman abandoned Lin Han, hidden in the corner, and chased after Ling Chen.


    Ling Chen dared not stay in ce. Even though his body was straining, he could only exert maximum effort to keep his speed, leaving the madman behind. Still, Ling Chen underestimated the prowess of a Heavenly List expert. Additionally, his actions seemed to provoke the madman, whose speed continued to increase, gradually unleashing the power of a Heavenly List expert.


    Whizz!


    As Ling Chen rolled forward, flipping his waist, he found an opening to shoot an arrow, slowing down the madman¡¯s momentum slightly. Taking advantage of this moment, Ling Chen gasped for air, easing the pain in his chest. After resting for two or three seconds, Ling Chen moved his legs again, quickly circling a building.


    At that moment, Lin Han peeked cautiously from the corner, watching Ling Chen sprint like mad, her beautiful eyes filled with shock. In all her life, she¡¯s never seen anyone run so fast, unable to even make out Ling Chen clearly, only catching glimpses of a shadow shing by, the speed incredible.


    Lin Han rubbed her eyes, thinking she was seeing things, but the result was the same. Besides Ling Chen, the madman was the same, both moving so fast her eyes couldn¡¯t keep up.


    Are these... humanly possible? Lin Han thought to herself. If they represented the country in international race events, surely they¡¯d take first ce.


    Soon enough, a minute passed, and Ling Chen felt his body reaching its limits, ready to copse at any moment. At this moment, he was holding on by sheer willpower.


    Whizz! Whizz! Whizz!


    At this time, several piercing sounds cut through the air. Ling Chen looked up to see that those young men had taken his advice, climbing onto rooftops, firing crossbow arrows at the madman from above. With one rapid volley of arrows, the madman¡¯s speed finally slowed, giving Ling Chen a moment to catch his breath.

 Chapter 1239 - 1247: The Madman Goes Berserk (2)

    <h4>Chapter 1239: Chapter 1247: The Madman Goes Berserk (2)</h4>


    Roar!


    Surrounded by a dense flurry of crossbow arrows, the madman seemed to grow enraged, letting out a loud roar towards the sky. Immediately following, his legs pushed off the ground, as if equipped with springs, and he leapt over three meters high,nding right on the rooftop of one of the houses.


    Everyone was shocked by the madman¡¯s actions; they had never seen anyone jump so high before. Watching the madman ascend to the rooftop, Ling Chen muttered to himself that things were not going well, and hurriedly rushed towards the edge of the house¡¯s outer wall. At that moment, a young man standing on the rooftop saw the madman closing in step by step and was scared stiff, holding a crossbow in his hand, standing there dumbfounded, as if his entire body was petrified and unable to move.


    In the blink of an eye, the madman rushed up to the man, swinging a punch towards his face. Seeing the fierce fist approaching, the man felt as though he couldn¡¯t breathe, and instinctively closed his eyes.


    At this critical moment, the man¡¯s body suddenly leaned back, copsing onto the ground. Before he could react, it felt as though a heavy object pressed down on him, leaving himpletely dazed.


    "Get up." Hearing a weak voice, the man hurriedly opened his eyes, only to find the madman lying on top of him, seemingly unconscious, a tranquilizer dart stuck in the madman¡¯s body.


    Seeing the madman fall into a deep sleep, Ling Chen copsed onto the rooftop, gasping for air. Thankfully, just moments ago, he seized the opportunity while the madman¡¯s attention was distracted by the man, and shot an arrow from under the man¡¯s legs, hitting the madman squarely. This series of intense movements had nearly torn his body apart, especially the injury on his chest, with blood seeping through his clothes.


    Sigh! Ling Chen sighed helplessly; all the time spent recuperating was wasted.


    Soon, everyone sent Ling Chen and the madman to the clinic. Originally, the vigers wanted to send the madman back to the mountain cave where he lived, but under Ling Chen¡¯s strong insistence, they brought the madman to the clinic instead. The vige elders, feeling uneasy, instructed the young men to stand guard outside to prevent any unexpected incidents.


    After the vigers left the clinic, Lin Han nced at the unconscious madman and asked in confusion, "Ling Chen, why did you bring him here?"


    "You¡¯ll understand when the timees. By the way, ask the vigers to get some chains and tie up the madman¡¯s hands and feet."


    "That¡¯s pointless; we¡¯ve tried it before, you..."


    Before Lin Han could finish, Ling Chen smiled confidently and said, "Trust me, I have a way to restrain him."


    Hearing this, Lin Han, although puzzled, obediently went to carry out the instructions. Not long after, a viger came to the clinic with several iron chains, binding the madman¡¯s hands and feet to the foot of the bed. While the madman was still unconscious, Lin Han tended to Ling Chen¡¯s wounds.


    Seeing the wound burst open on his chest, Lin Han frowned slightly and carefully cleaned the bloodstains around the wound for Ling Chen. After finishing, Lin Han bandaged the wound and gave Ling Chen two injections.


    "Feeling any better?"


    Ling Chen nodded and smiled, "Thank you!"


    "No need to thank me; we should be the ones saying thanks. If it weren¡¯t for your help today, more people would have been injured." At this point, Lin Han looked at Ling Chen with curiosity and asked, "How did you manage to do that?"


    Ling Chen understood Lin Han¡¯s curiosity and patted his firm arm, smiling, "I work out often, so I¡¯m in better shape than most people." This exnation was easier for Lin Han to ept. He couldn¡¯t possibly tell Lin Han that he was an expert on the Earthly List. For ordinary people, ¡¯Martial Arts¡¯ only existed hundreds of years ago; those skills of flying over rooftops and scaling walls are mere exaggerations from novels and movies, not real. If he told Lin Han the truth, she might think he was crazy.


    "No...don¡¯t! Don¡¯t! Let him go...let him go!"


    Suddenly, a heart-wrenching scream came from the ward. Hearing that scream, Ling Chen and Lin Han exchanged nces, their expressions changing instantly, and they hurriedly rushed to the next ward. As expected, the scream came from the madman. At this moment, the madmany on the hospital bed, his body twitching slightly, cold sweat covering his forehead, and his lips devoid of any color.


    Standing by the bedside, they could hear the muttering from his mouth.


    Seeing the madman¡¯s pained expression, Ling Chen frowned slightly. From the madman¡¯s behavior, he was undoubtedly severely traumatized. Moreover, that scene kept reying in his mind, haunting him like a nightmare. Because of this, the madman had such a strong reaction.


    It seemed that only by helping the madman resolve this mental knot could he possibly be restored to his old self. As that thought shed through his mind, the madman¡¯s thrashing grew more violent. Fortunately, the chains held him in ce, preventing him from falling off the bed. Seeing that the madman was about to wake up, Ling Chen immediately asked Lin Han to prepare a set of silver needles for him.


    Lin Han, not understanding the reason, stillplied.


    With the silver needles in hand, Ling Chen hesitated not for a moment, and in no time, more than twenty needles had been inserted into the madman¡¯s body. After finishing the acupuncture, Ling Chen took the tissue handed by Lin Han, wiped the sweat from his forehead, and gasped, "Alright, even if he goes mad, there won¡¯t be any danger."


    "You... you know Chinese medicine?" Lin Han looked at Ling Chen, filled with surprise. Although she had been with Ling Chen during this time, she hadn¡¯t noticed anything particrly special about him. It wasn¡¯t until today that she realized Ling Chen was truly a hidden talent, seemingly knowledgeable about everything.


    "I¡¯m just an amateur, nowhere near you professionals." Ling Chen smiled.


    "Are you sure he won¡¯t harm us?"


    Ling Chen nodded confidently and said, "Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m quite sure of that." Earlier, he had used the silver needles to seal the madman¡¯s meridians, which were quite special; only martial arts practitioners knew their importance. Once these meridians were sealed, even the most skilled master would be powerless.


    Of course, Ling Chen only dared to try this when the madman was unconscious. If it were against a conscious master, this method would be useless.


    "Miss Lin, do you have any sedatives? Give him an injection." Ling Chen said, "Judging by his worn-out look, I guess he hasn¡¯t had a good rest in ages."


    Lin Han responded and quickly went to get a syringe. After administering the injection, the medication quickly took effect, and the madman¡¯s breathing gradually became steady, his entire body rxing. Seeing the madman fall into a deep sleep, Ling Chen turned to Lin Han and said, "Miss Lin, this is an opportunity. Help me conduct a thorough examination and see what issues there might be with his body."

 Chapter 1240 - 1248: Subduing Dragons and Tigers

    <h4>Chapter 1240: Chapter 1248: Subduing Dragons and Tigers</h4>


    East Sea City.


    Tong Zhentian and He Ziyun were sitting in the office of the Dragon Tiger Hall, discussing matters. At this moment, Tian Hanzhong hurriedly ran in and said urgently, "Hall Master, Deputy Hall Master, something¡¯s wrong, someone is challenging us outside."


    "Challenging us?" Tong Zhentian and He Ziyun were taken aback. Who would be so audacious toe to Dragon Tiger Hall for a challenge? Isn¡¯t this seeking trouble deliberately? Although Dragon Tiger Hall is characterized as a new force in the Martial Arts world, it is publicized as a Martial Arts Academy, which is why challenges are drawn.


    He Ziyun asked, "What kind of people are they?"


    "There are five of them, all very young, but very strong. We sent a few people, and they were all knocked down. Hall Masters, you¡¯d better go and take a look. I think they don¡¯t have good intentions."


    Hearing this, Tong Zhentian and He Ziyun exchanged a nce and immediately walked out of the office. In a short while, the three of them arrived at the martial arts training ground, where dozens of students from Dragon Tiger Hall gathered. Opposite them stood five young men in their twenties, looking ordinary and inconspicuous.


    "Hall Masters, it¡¯s those five." Tian Hanzhong pointed with indignation and said, "Those guys are too arrogant. After winning a few matches, they boast that Dragon Tiger Hall is full of useless trash and that we don¡¯t even have a decent opponent. They even said we should disband as soon as possible to avoid embarrassing ourselves."


    "Mr. He." Tong Zhentian observed the five youths and asked, "Do you know them?"


    "No." He Ziyun shook his head and said, "I¡¯ve never seen them before." After a pause, He Ziyun seemed to think of something and asked, "Do you think they might be from the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion?"


    "Among the younger generation of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, the most formidable ones are in the Yangxin Pavilion. I often interact with their Master, and I¡¯ve never seen these people, so they probably aren¡¯t. But..." Tong Zhentian¡¯s tone shifted: "The Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion is good at hiding their true intentions. These youths might have been secretly trained by them."


    Finishing his sentence, Tong Zhentian gave Tian Hanzhong a few instructions. Tian Hanzhong¡¯s eyes lit up, and he immediately understood, quickly retreating.


    Soon, Qin Genglong appeared on the martial arts training ground behind Tian Hanzhong. Looking at the five arrogant young men, Qin Genglong shouted with his booming voice, "Are you the ones who want to challenge us?"


    One of the young men scrutinized Qin Genglong, chuckled disdainfully, and said with his head held high, "That¡¯s right, it¡¯s us. We heard that Dragon Tiger Hall is the most prestigious Martial Arts Academy recently, as famous as the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, so my brothers and I came to see how strong Dragon Tiger Hall truly is. Unfortunately, after the fight, we found out that Dragon Tiger Hall is just a fa?ade, without any real substance. Besides some shy moves, there¡¯s no difference between you and trash."


    "Shut up." Qin Genglong shouted angrily, "Don¡¯t insult Dragon Tiger Hall."


    "Did I say anything wrong?" The young man shrugged,pletely ignoring Qin Genglong¡¯s warning, and said on his own, "I¡¯ve heard that the Hall Master of Dragon Tiger Hall is Tong Zhentian, Elder Tong is a senior in the Martial Arts world. His strength and contributions are well-known. However, taking over as the Hall Master of Dragon Tiger Hall must be the most incorrect decision of his life. Elder Tong, whether you¡¯re listening or not, I advise you to leave quickly, don¡¯t stay with these frauds, lest you ruin your reputation and find disgrace in your old age."


    "And all of you..." The young man pointed at the people present and said, "Leave now, don¡¯t waste your time here. The people at Dragon Tiger Hall only know how to deceive money; they can¡¯t teach you real skills. If you want to learn martial arts, you cane to me. Look, I¡¯m about the same age as you, but none of you are my match. What does this mean? It means Dragon Tiger Hall¡¯s standards are very low."


    Saying this, the young man signaled to hispanions on both sides. Immediately, the four young men walked into the crowd and started handing out business cards.


    "Please remember, my name is Zhong Haojie. You¡¯re all wee at the Martial Arts Academy I¡¯ve just opened. As long as you enroll within a week, tuition is half price, and you can enjoy many other benefits that Dragon Tiger Hall absolutely can¡¯t provide."


    Only at this point did everyonee to their senses. These guys weren¡¯t here just to challenge, but to poach and draw all the students away from Dragon Tiger Hall.


    Understanding the true purpose of their opponents, Tong Zhentian and He Ziyun chuckled in disbelief. That young man named Zhong Haojie was quite clever, using derogation of Dragon Tiger Hall to elevate the reputation of his own martial arts academy.


    At this moment, Tian Hanzhong quickly approached with a business card, passing it to Tong Zhentian with a strange expression.


    Looking at the content on the business card, both Tong Zhentian and He Ziyun were stunned.


    Dragon and Tiger Martial Arts Academy?


    Damn! Isn¡¯t this clearly aimed at Dragon Tiger Hall? Tong Zhentian expressed that he could understand Zhong Haojie¡¯s approach; inpetition, some strategies are to be expected. However, naming his own academy like this was abnormal. Frankly, it was a provocation and an insult to Dragon Tiger Hall.


    "Elder Tong, it seems this Zhong Haojie came prepared."


    Tong Zhentian nodded, "I¡¯m very curious about who is supporting him, daring to oppose us so openly."


    "Who else could it be but the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion. With Ling Chen in trouble now, the next step for Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion is definitely Dragon Tiger Hall. However, Dragon Tiger Hall¡¯s reputation is well-established. Even Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion wouldn¡¯t openly attack us. Doing so would give them a bad reputation and affect their image in the Martial Arts world. In this situation, using a new identity to tackle Dragon Tiger Hall is undoubtedly a smart choice."


    "I originally wanted to find an opportunity to show the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion a lesson, but now it seems they¡¯re more urgent than us, eager to erase Dragon Tiger Hall. Mr. He, how do you think we should handle this situation?"


    "Since it¡¯s the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, we¡¯ll proceed ordingly. But for now, we can¡¯t act rashly until we find out more about that martial arts academy. The Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion is surely cing experts to oversee the martial arts academy, and I¡¯m very interested in who that person might be."


    "Makes sense." Tong Zhentian nced at Tian Hanzhong beside him and instructed, "Go investigate Zhong Haojie and that Dragon and Tiger Martial Arts Academy."


    "Yes, Hall Master." Tian Hanzhong paused and asked, "Um...Hall Master, what do you n to do with these guys?"


    "Tell Qin Genglong, there¡¯s no need to be polite. Throw them all out."

 Chapter 1241 - 1249: Chen Junfeng (1)

    <h4>Chapter 1241: Chapter 1249: Chen Junfeng (1)</h4>


    "Miss Lin, have the examination resultse out?"


    "Yes, they have. His body is not in serious trouble, just a bit malnourished. He can recover after a period of care." At this point, Lin Han looked at Ling Chen puzzledly and asked, "Why do you want to keep him at the clinic? In his condition, he won¡¯t ept treatment at all. If possible, I would have already treated him."


    Ling Chen smiled slightly, "I know. However, I think I can persuade him to ept treatment."


    "You?" Lin Han asked with half disbelief, "Are you sure?"


    Ling Chen nodded, "Whether or not it works, I have to give it a try. It¡¯s gettingte. You should go back first. Tomorrow, I¡¯ll see if I can talk to him."


    After Lin Han returned home, Ling Chen stood by the bedside, looking at the sleeping Chen Junfeng, then turned back to his room.


    The next day!


    Early in the morning, Ling Chen heard movement from the adjacent ward. He immediately got up and quickly headed to the ward, only to see Chen Junfeng awake on the bed. At this moment, Chen Junfeng was vigorously swinging his arms, trying to break free from the chains¡¯ constraints. However, because Ling Chen had sealed his meridians with silver needles, he couldn¡¯t use his Inner Strength, and breaking the chains with mere physical power was impossible.


    "Sir Chen." Ling Chen walked to the bedside and spoke.


    Upon hearing Ling Chen¡¯s voice, Chen Junfeng immediately cast his gaze towards him and said coldly, "Who are you, and why are you holding me captive?"


    "Sir Chen, there¡¯s no need to be nervous. I have no intention to harm you; binding you was merely a precaution." Ling Chen tried to soften his tone to avoid further agitating Chen Junfeng, "Sir Chen, I am Ling Chen; you may not know me, but we are both from the Martial Arts world."


    "Martial Arts world?" Chen Junfeng regarded Ling Chen with a cold stare, his eyes carrying a sharp gleam, "Were you sent to harm me? Is that right? Hmph! I knew they wouldn¡¯t let me off easily. Years have passed, yet they still want me dead." At this point, Chen Junfeng bellowed at Ling Chen, "Come on, since I¡¯m in your hands, kill me if you want, or cut me up, don¡¯t waste words."


    Ling Chen said with a bitter smile, "Sir Chen, you misunderstood. I¡¯m not here to kill you. Actually, like you, I¡¯m also fallen on hard times here." Ling Chen paused and asked, "Sir Chen, do you remember the girl named Lin Han?"


    "Lin Han..." Chen Junfeng thought for a moment and said, "Seems familiar, that little girl tried to treat me before, but I chased her away."


    "I am her patient." Ling Chen pulled over a chair, ced it by the bed, and sat down, saying, "Sir Chen, you should be aware of your condition. As a Heavenly List martial artist, if you go berserk and lose your mind, it could easily hurt people in the vige. I had no choice but to temporarily seal your meridians. Sir Chen, your situation is very dire. I think you should ept Miss Lin¡¯s suggestion and let her treat you so you can recover."


    "I don¡¯t need treatment. I¡¯m not sick." Chen Junfeng said coldly, "Release me quickly; I want to leave this cursed ce."


    Ling Chen shook his head, "Sir Chen, I¡¯m sorry, but I can¡¯t let you leave. As long as you¡¯re not well, you remain a threat to the vigers of Xianghe Vige. Think about it, the trouble you¡¯ve caused them over the years, and yet they haven¡¯t driven you away. To be honest, the vigers aren¡¯t unkind to you. If one day you go mad and kill them all, how would you face yourself? Whether for your own sake or for the vigers of Xianghe Vige, I think you should ept treatment."


    At this point, without waiting for Chen Junfeng to speak, Ling Chen continued, "If I¡¯m not mistaken, you must have a painful past that brought you significant mental strain, causing your mental instability symptoms. Don¡¯t you want to rid yourself of this pain?"


    Upon hearing this, Chen Junfeng fell into silence, seemingly contemting Ling Chen¡¯s words. After a while, Chen Junfeng¡¯s emotions seemed to settle, and he looked at Ling Chen and said, "You don¡¯t know what I¡¯ve been through, so you have no right or qualification to persuade me. Besides, even if I want revenge, I don¡¯t have the capability. Only by reying that day¡¯s events again and again in my mind can I engrave this hatred."


    "Since you cannot achieve revenge, why remember that hatred forcibly? It only serves to increase your pain."


    "Yes! You¡¯re right!" Chen Junfeng gritted his teeth and said, "I have to make myself feel pain; only pain is my best punishment."


    Ling Chen felt somewhat helpless, unsure how to persuade him with such thoughts. Seeing the mes of hatred ignite in Chen Junfeng¡¯s eyes, Ling Chen¡¯s heart moved, and he asked, "Sir Chen, may I ask boldly, who is your enemy? With your strength, standing at the top, is there anyone you can¡¯t deal with?"


    Chen Junfeng said self-mockingly, "Heavenly List martial artist or not, does being on the Heavenly List mean invincibility? Young man, there¡¯s always a higher sky, and always someone better, never think you¡¯re so amazing. As for my enemy, you don¡¯t need to know."


    Ling Chen pondered for a while and spoke, "In the Martial Arts world, the strongest force likely to make even Heavenly List martial artists feel powerless would be the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion."


    "Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion!" When Ling Chen uttered these three words, the me in Chen Junfeng¡¯s eyes instantly intensified. Seeing his emotional change, Ling Chen immediately confirmed his suspicion. Unexpectedly, Chen Junfeng indeed held a grudge against Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, which was quite an unexpected discovery. Moreover, he learned from Lin Han that Chen Junfeng had returned to Xianghe Vige over a decade ago, no wonder there were no news or rumors about him in the Martial Arts world.


    "Sir Chen, to be honest, I have some disputes with Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion as well."


    "You?" Chen Junfeng stared at Ling Chen coldly, his tone tinged with disbelief.


    Ling Chen nodded and said, "You might not believe it, but I¡¯m currently considered the number one threat to Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion. Moreover, the reason I suffered serious injuries and ended up here in Xianghe Vige was due to an assassination attempt by Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion." After speaking, Ling Chen lifted his shirt, revealing the bandages wrapped around his chest to Chen Junfeng.


    Chen Junfeng studied Ling Chen¡¯s wound and said sternly, "Are you also a Heavenly List martial artist?"


    "No, I¡¯m not." Ling Chen shook his head and said, "My entanglement with Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion is tooplicated to be exined in a few words. Sir Chen, do you know Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion¡¯s Qin Chuan?"


    "I know him. Just an Earthly List martial artist, not worth my attention."


    "That¡¯s what he was before; now Qin Chuan has already entered the ranks of Heavenly List martial artists. It was his pursuit that nearly cost me my life."

 Chapter 1242 - 1250: Chen Junfeng (Part 2)

    <h4>Chapter 1242: Chapter 1250: Chen Junfeng (Part 2)</h4>


    Chen Junfeng appeared somewhat surprised as he carefully observed Ling Chen, saying, "There aren¡¯t many who can make the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion send Heavenly List masters after them. What exactly did you do?"


    Ling Chen rubbed his nose, "Besides the personal vendettas, I think... the main reason might be that I threatened the position of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion."


    "Just you?" Chen Junfeng was incredulous, "You¡¯re not even a Heavenly List master. How could you threaten them?"


    "I may not be able, but the force I¡¯ve built has the capability. Sir Chen, this matter is a long story, not something that can be exined in a few words. If you¡¯re willing to listen, I can tell you slowly."


    Chen Junfeng moved the chain on his wrist, coldly saying, "Do you think I have other choices?"


    Ling Chen smiled awkwardly. After spending more than an hour, Ling Chen exined clearly the grudges between himself and the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion. "Sir Chen, now you should understand."


    "I didn¡¯t expect your rtionship with the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion to be soplicated." After hearing Ling Chen¡¯s ount, much of the coldness in Chen Junfeng¡¯s eyes had dissipated.


    "Sir Chen, if you don¡¯t mind, could you tell me your story?" Ling Chen asked tentatively.


    "I have nothing to say." Mentioning himself, Chen Junfeng¡¯s expression immediately turned cold. Seeing this, Ling Chen was somewhat helpless. He had wanted to exchange sincerity for sincerity, but who knew Chen Junfeng had no intention of doing the same. Ling Chen felt he was at a disadvantage.


    "Sir Chen, I won¡¯t force you if you don¡¯t want to talk, but I think, no matter the reason, you should treat your illness. As long as you¡¯re alive, there¡¯s a chance for revenge. To put it bluntly, everything you¡¯re doing now is avoiding the issue; only cowards do that. Sir Chen, are you willing to be a coward?"


    "I¡¯m not!" Chen Junfeng shouted.


    "Then you should pull yourself together. Whether revenge is possible or not, you can¡¯t go on living muddleheaded like this. You need to..."


    "Enough, shut up!" Not waiting for Ling Chen to finish, Chen Junfeng impatiently interrupted him, coldly saying, "Don¡¯t say anymore, I¡¯m tired. Leave me alone; I want to be quiet for a while."


    Ling Chen nodded, "Then have a good rest. If you need anything, just call me; I¡¯m staying in the next-door ward." After speaking, Ling Chen turned and left.


    In the blink of an eye, two days had passed.


    The long-awaited rescue team finally arrived at Xianghe Vige. Severalrge trucks and excavators cleared away the dirt blocking the road. After a few hours, all obstacles were removed and the road finally resumed its smooth flow.


    Upon hearing that the road was open, Ling Chen didn¡¯t feel happy. If he wanted to leave, he could have done so long ago. He chose to stay in Xianghe Vige because of Lin Han and her brother, and also because of Chen Junfeng. Since learning of Chen Junfeng¡¯s identity, Ling Chen decided to stay, trying to persuade the Heavenly List master to join his faction. A Heavenly List master was reason enough for him to do this.


    "Ling Chen, aren¡¯t you nning to follow the rescue team to Fulin Town?" Lin Han came to the clinic and asked, "I¡¯ve already arranged with the rescue team; if you¡¯re willing, you can go with them by car."


    "No need, thank you!"


    Lin Han asked curiously, "Your injuries are no longer serious, aren¡¯t you nning to leave? Didn¡¯t you tell mest time that you were worried about your family being concerned for you?"


    "Isn¡¯t it because I can¡¯t bear to part with you and your brother, so I wanted to stay a few more days. Miss Lin, you wouldn¡¯t be tired of me eating and using your stuff every day and want to kick me out, right?"


    Lin Han¡¯s face blushed, and she quickly shook her head, "That¡¯s not what I meant, I just..."


    Ling Chen smiled and continued, "Miss Lin, I was joking, no need to take it seriously." Pausing for a moment, Ling Chen said earnestly, "I just feel a connection with Sir Chen, hoping to persuade him to ept treatment."


    "Do you really think there¡¯s hope?"


    "It¡¯s all about effort; Sir Chen and I are kindred spirits, perhaps I can truly achieve it."


    While speaking, Lin Chun appeared, running in from outside the clinic, addressing her sister, "Sis, we have guests at home again."


    "Who? It wouldn¡¯t be Wang Yan and her boyfriend again, would it?"


    "Besides those two, many others havee. Sis, those people are so annoying, barging into our home without my permission." Lin Chun said discontentedly.


    Lin Han frowned slightly, "Let¡¯s go; I¡¯ll go with you to take a look."


    "I¡¯ll apany you." Ling Chen offered. The day at the vige entrance, he¡¯d overheard Wang Yan and Hao Dong¡¯s conversation; they hadn¡¯te to Xianghe Vige to catch up but under someone¡¯s orders. As for their purpose, Ling Chen didn¡¯t know. Regardless, with him apanying Lin Han and her brother, he could at least ensure their safety.


    Soon, the three returned to Lin Han¡¯s house. Before even entering, Ling Chen noticed several Ford SUVs parked on the road outside. Beside the cars stood more than twenty security personnel in suits. What a scene! Ling Chen thought to himself. It seemed this time the people who came to Xianghe Vige had quite a background; otherwise, they wouldn¡¯t bring so many assistants.


    Such arge disy naturally drew the vigers of Xianghe Vige. They gathered around, pointing andmenting, all specting about the identity of the visitors.


    "Little Lin." Before the three even approached the door, an elderly man with a cane came over, "No trouble, right?"


    The visitor was the vige head of Xianghe Vige. Lin Han looked at the vehicles parked at the door and said, "Vige head, it should be fine. I¡¯ll go inside and check first."


    "Alright, let me know if there¡¯s any trouble; the vigers are here and none can bully you."


    "I know, thank you, vige head." With that, Lin Han walked straight to the front door. At this moment, the security personnel guarding the door reached out, blocking the three¡¯s path, scrutinizing them, he asked, "Who is Lin Han among you?"


    "I am."


    "You may go in; the others wait outside."


    Upon hearing this, Lin Chun was immediately displeased, "This is my home; why can¡¯t I go in?"


    Lin Han looked coldly at the person, "You heard him. Either you let us in together, or I leave now."


    After a slight hesitation, the security personnel pressed his earpiece, speaking softly as if seeking instructions from above. Shortly after, he nodded and stepped aside, "You may go in."


    Entering the house, Ling Chen immediately saw Wang Yan and Hao Dong standing quietly beside each other, silent. Next to them, there was a single sofa, where sat a person, or more precisely, a young man.

 Chapter 1243 - 1251: Li Wen

    <h4>Chapter 1243: Chapter 1251: Li Wen</h4>


    The young man wasn¡¯t very old, looking about twenty-seven or eight, with handsome features and wearing a crisp white suit, holding a cigar between two fingers of his right hand. However, the most attention-catching was the man¡¯s face. He had a red scar on his left cheek, and Ling Chen noticed that one of the man¡¯s ears was a prosthetic.


    While Ling Chen was scrutinizing him, the young man was looking at Lin Han, his lips slightly curved with a faint smile.


    "Miss Lin, we meet again. How long has it been? Do you remember? Hmph! You may have forgotten, but I remember clearly, and I think about you all the time, thinking about the day we would reunite."


    After hearing the man¡¯s words, Ling Chen was curious, wondering what rtionship this young man had with Lin Han. While pondering, Ling Chen noticed Lin Han standing there silently. At this moment, he turned his gaze to Lin Han beside him. Now, Lin Han¡¯s face was very pale, her lips devoid of color, her eyes full of fear.


    She was very afraid of the young man in front of her! From Lin Han¡¯s expression, Ling Chen could feel her intense unease.


    "What¡¯s wrong? Meeting an old friend, there¡¯s not even a greeting?" Seeing Lin Han remain silent, the young man continued.


    Lin Han moved her lips, taking a while before speaking: "Li Wen, I... I¡¯m already clear of you."


    "Clear?" The young man named Li Wen sneered: "That was just the court¡¯s verdict, but as I see it, there are still many things between us that are unresolved." As he spoke, Li Wen pointed to the scar on his left cheek, then to his prosthetic ear. Finally, he pointed to his crotch.


    "Miss Lin, do you know? I can ept everything else, but I can¡¯t ept losing that, do you know what it means to a man?" At this point, Li Wen¡¯s face became incredibly ferocious, his eyes filled with deep resentment and venom, "Originally, I wanted those two useless people to trick you intoing to Beijing so I could act. Unfortunately, they¡¯re ipetent; I had toe personally to find you. Miss Lin, you¡¯ve destroyed my life, aren¡¯t you going topensate me?"


    Lin Han lightly bit her lip, speaking slowly: "That matter was your own responsibility, it has nothing to do with me, I... I was a victim too."


    Hearing this, Li Wen suddenly stood up, angrily shouted: "The real victim is me! My life is ruined by your hands."


    "If it weren¡¯t for your own indecent behavior, how could this have happened," Lin Han retorted, "In fact, it¡¯s all your own doing, you¡¯re the one who should be responsible for the consequences."


    "Shut up!" Li Wen said coldly: "Do you know, I¡¯ve been thinking all these years, when I find you, how I should exact revenge on you. After thinking for a long time, I finally came up with a good idea. I¡¯ve frozen a batch of my sperm, since you made me lose my ability to reproduce, I¡¯ll use your body to help me breed descendants."


    After speaking, Li Wen waved his hand, and the security personnel standing around the living room immediately stepped forward, preparing to contol Lin Han.


    Seeing their actions, Ling Chen immediately stepped forward, blocking Lin Han in front, stopping those security personnel.


    "Everyone, let¡¯s talk it out, no need to resort to violence."


    "Ling, this matter doesn¡¯t concern you, I advise you to leave quickly, don¡¯t ask for trouble," Wang Yan said coldly. "Mr. Li, this is the Ling Chen I told you about."


    Li Wen nced at Ling Chen, didn¡¯t say a word, just waved his hand, signaling his men to act directly. Seeing this, Ling Chen raised an eyebrow, moving proactively towards the iing security personnel. In an instant, no one saw what happened clearly, but a cry of pain was heard, and a security personnel was already on the ground.


    "Very good!" Li Wen sneered: "You want to y the hero and stand up for her, do you? Alright, let¡¯s see if you have the ability."


    "Ling Chen, don¡¯t..." Lin Han hurriedly grabbed Ling Chen¡¯s arm, shook her head: "This matter doesn¡¯t concern you, you don¡¯t need to intervene, you..." Lin Han nced at Lin Chun beside her, pleaded: "Please quickly take my brother and leave, I¡¯m begging you."


    Ling Chen smiled slightly: "Miss Lin, don¡¯t worry, they can¡¯t do anything to me. Besides, I owe you so much in medical fees, it¡¯s time to repay a little." After saying this, Ling Chen turned his head, looked at Li Wen and said: "I don¡¯t know what grudge you have with Miss Lin, but I believe in Miss Lin, she wouldn¡¯t harm someone for no reason. If she really did that, it could only mean you brought it upon yourself, don¡¯t me others. Friend, let me advise you, while things aren¡¯t serious yet, take your people and leave, and don¡¯t disturb Miss Lin¡¯s life again."


    "Haha!" Li Wenughed so much he was furious: "This is the funniest joke I¡¯ve heard. Ling Chen, do you think you alone can deal with so many people? Also, you may not know who I am, you better ask Miss Lin. I think she will tell you the consequences of offending me."


    "Ling Chen..." Lin Han lightly tugged on Ling Chen¡¯s sleeve, whispered: He¡¯s from Beijing, his family is wealthy and powerful, not someone you can provoke. Initially, he wanted to assault me, and for self-defense, I reacted harshly. Later, I sought help from the police, ording to thew, he should have been sentenced. But just because his family is rich and powerful, his imprisonment was turned into probation, he didn¡¯t even go to jail. I refused to go to Beijing, mainly out of fear of his revenge. I thought... I thought hiding at home would be ok, never imagined he would still find me."


    At this point, Lin Han looked desperate: "If you do something, you should face the consequences, I¡¯ll ept it, just beg you to take good care of my brother. Can you?"


    Ling Chen shook his head, "Sorry, I can¡¯t."


    Hearing this, Lin Han¡¯s face turned even paler."Miss Lin." Ling Chen patted Lin Han¡¯s hand back, smiled and said: "You¡¯re Lin Chun¡¯s sister, naturally you should take care of him, it¡¯s not for an outsider like me. Alright! Don¡¯t think too much, just a rich guy, I¡¯ll take care of this for you."


    Ling Chen¡¯s voice was neither loud nor low, but everyone in the room could hear it clearly.


    "Heh!" Wang Yan said disdainfully: "With your kind of quality, you still want to solve this for her? Ling, why don¡¯t you take a look at yourself, see what virtue you have. I¡¯ll tell you, don¡¯t act like a hero in front of us, you¡¯re not worthy. If Mr. Li wanted, he could kill you with just a finger."


    Ling Chen turned a deaf ear to Wang Yan¡¯s sarcasm, brought over a chair by himself, sat in the center of the living room, smilingly said: "Li Wen, right, we¡¯re all civilized people, no need to resort to violence. Come, let¡¯s sit down and have a good chat."

 Chapter 1244 - 1252: The Miserable Li Wen (1)

    <h4>Chapter 1244: Chapter 1252: The Miserable Li Wen (1)</h4>


    "You?" Li Wen nced at Ling Chen with a sideways nce, a hint of contempt in his eyes, not even interested in replying. Seeing Li Wen remain silent, Wang Yan sneered and said disdainfully, "Ling, what qualifications do you have to negotiate with Mr. Li? Hmph! People like you don¡¯t even qualify to be Mr. Li¡¯s dog."


    Hao Dong chimed in, "Ling Chen, I advise you to leave quickly, this is not something you can control. If you provoke Mr. Li, you won¡¯t end well."


    Ling Chen smiled faintly, not taking their words to heart. He looked at Li Wen, his expression half-smiling, "I know there are many wealthy people in Beijing, but in a ce like Beijing, the least valuable are the wealthy. Mr. Li, here you might be someone important, but in Beijing, you¡¯re just a small figure."


    "I¡¯m a small figure?" Li Wen sneered, "Then what are you? If I¡¯m a small figure, then you¡¯re just an ant I can crush with a pinch."


    "Is that so?" Ling Chen¡¯s smile grew brighter, "Mr. Li, I haven¡¯t spent much time in Beijing, and I don¡¯t know many people. However, I think you should have heard of them."


    "Are you trying to scare me? I¡¯m telling you, there are many wealthy people in Beijing, but hardly any I would fear."


    "What about Hong Wei... no, wait!" Ling Chen said with a smile, "Hong Wei is a thing of the past; his name doesn¡¯t hold weight anymore. Let me think... Do you know Ye Liangyong? Or... Zhou Qian and Ren Han? I only know these few, not sure if you¡¯ve heard of them."


    "You know Mr. Ye?" Li Wen¡¯s eyes suddenly became strange.


    Ling Chen nodded, "Mr. Ye is my elder, of course I know him. It seems Mr. Li knows him too. Look, we¡¯re all acquaintances here, no need to make things too tense, don¡¯t you think?"


    "Don¡¯t try to connect with me." Li Wen said coldly, "Even if we both know Ye Liangyong, so what? I¡¯m telling you, I¡¯ve set my sights on this woman; if anyone dares to stop me, I won¡¯t show mercy."


    "So there¡¯s no room for negotiation?" Ling Chen shook his head helplessly, standing up, "Mr. Li, to be honest, I¡¯m giving you a chance, but s..." Ling Chen sighed slightly, "If you continue to be obstinate, I can¡¯t help it."


    Hearing this, Li Wen snorted and said disdainfully, "You¡¯re giving me a chance?"


    Ling Chen said seriously, "That¡¯s right. I said you¡¯re a small figure, but you won¡¯t admit it. If you truly had status, you wouldn¡¯t possibly not know me. Hong Wei is gone; now Beijing is my turf."


    "You?" Li Wen was slightly stunned, then couldn¡¯t help butugh, "I¡¯ve never seen someone so shameless, really boasting beyond belief."


    Ling Chen shrugged, "If you don¡¯t believe me, there¡¯s nothing I can do. In short, you can¡¯t touch Miss Lin; she saved my life, and I have to ensure her safety."


    "Fine, let¡¯s see if you have the capability." With that, Li Wen waved his hand, and several security personnel in the living room immediately moved in on Ling Chen.


    Ling Chen felt a bit helpless. He initially wanted to persuade the other party, so Li Wen would back down on his own, but who knew after all the words exchanged, it would stille to this. If he knew, he wouldn¡¯t have wasted his breath.


    "Stop!" Just as Ling Chen was about to make a move, a voice suddenly came from outside the door.


    Everyone turned their heads and saw a middle-aged man in a suit stride in. Upon seeing him, the security personnel immediately halted.


    "Captain!"


    Li Wen looked displeased at the neer and asked, "Captain Xu, what are you doing here?"


    The neer didn¡¯t pay attention to Li Wen, instead observing Ling Chen and asking seriously, "Are you Mr. Ling Chen?"


    "That¡¯s me." Ling Chen nodded, looking at him curiously, having no impression of him.


    "Who are you?"


    "I¡¯m Xu Hongming." The middle-aged man stood straight in front of Ling Chen, "I¡¯m a member of Falcon Private Security Company, managing the eleventh team."


    Ling Chen¡¯s eyes lit up, and he said with a smile, "So you¡¯re with Falcon. But how do you know me?"


    Xu Hongming replied aloud, "Recently, Manager Jiang gathered everyone in the Beijing Suburb to search for Mr. Ling¡¯s whereabouts. I was part of that action."


    "I see. Since we¡¯re all on the same side then..."


    "Mr. Ling, feel free to instruct. I guarantee the task will bepleted." Xu Hongming¡¯s voice was loud, even with a hint of excitement. Recently joining Falcon as a retired soldier, he was well aware of Ling Chen¡¯s identity. Although Falcon Private Security Company was managed by Jiang Yunkai, the top of thepany¡¯s list bore Ling Chen¡¯s name, indicating Ling Chen as the true boss of Falcon Company.


    Helping Ling Chen this time and finding him can be considered a significant achievement. Once reported to the leadership, a generous reward would surely follow.


    "Captain Xu, as you can see, someone here is trying to bully me." Ling Chen said ndly.


    Xu Hongming paused, immediately understanding Ling Chen¡¯s meaning, stood straighter and said, "Please rest assured, Mr. Ling." With that, Xu Hongming gave a signal to his subordinates.


    Upon understanding, they quickly surrounded Li Wen, Wang Yan, and Hao Dong.


    Facing this sudden change, Li Wen and the others were all stunned. They never expected things to turn out this way. "You... you..." Looking at these security personnel with keen eyes, Li Wen opened his mouth and said, "What do you intend to do? Don¡¯t forget, you are hired with my money."


    Xu Hongming said calmly, "Mr. Li, you are indeed our employer. However, our agreement is clear. Ifpany interests are harmed, we have the right to refuse your orders. Mr. Ling is the chairman of Falcon Security Company, our superior. Do you think we can execute this order?"


    "What?" Li Wen and the others¡¯ faces changed instantly, looking at Ling Chen with shock. Could what he said be true, not just arrogant boasting?


    Thinking of this, Li Wen shivered, involuntarily feeling a chill.


    Falcon Private Security Company is a recently openedpany. Although it¡¯s new, people in Beijing know what Falcon Company represents. Therefore, to curry favor with the people behind Falcon Company, everyone is scrambling to hire Falcon Company¡¯s security personnel and establish cooperative rtionships.


    Li Wen hired people from Falcon Company with this idea in mind, besides the fact that Falcon Company¡¯s security personnel are indeed excellent, with high proficiency. However, he never expected that the person he was just talking about dealing with turned out to be the chairman of Falcon Company.

 Chapter 1245 - 1253: The Miserable Li Wen (2)

    <h4>Chapter 1245: Chapter 1253: The Miserable Li Wen (2)</h4>


    Li Wen felt on the verge of tears, this isn¡¯t fair y.


    "Mr. Li, remember this, Miss Lin is someone I have to protect. From now on, no matter what, if anything happens to her, even if she loses a single hair, I will hold you ountable. So you¡¯d better pray that Miss Lin lives a long life and doesn¡¯t encounter any idents. Do you understand?"


    Ling Chen¡¯s words echoed in his ears, and Li Wen didn¡¯t dare to utter even a single "no."


    "Ling... Mr. Ling... I dare not anymore, it¡¯s my fault for not recognizing the greatness in front of me, please forgive me. I... I promise, I won¡¯t bother Miss Lin again."


    "That¡¯s best for you. Alright, get lost now, don¡¯t annoy me here." Ling Chen waved him off, and Li Wen, feeling relieved, didn¡¯t dare to say another word and slunk away.


    Seeing Li Wen leave, Wang Yan and Hao Dong dared not stay behind and hurriedly followed him out the door.


    "You two... stop right there!" At this moment, Ling Chen¡¯s voice sounded, and the two security guards at the door immediately blocked the exit with their bodies, keeping Wang Yan and Hao Dong inside the room.


    Wang Yan was startled, turned around slowly, and said in a tearful voice, "Ling Chen... no, Mr. Ling, we¡¯re blind, we offended you, we beg... we beg you, please forgive us and let us go."


    Ling Chen said calmly, "Don¡¯t worry, I wasn¡¯t nning to do anything to you. You¡¯re not worth it for me to make a move." Pausing, Ling Chen looked at Hao Dong and said, "Actually, you have a good heart, much better than hers. Truth be told, a woman like her doesn¡¯t deserve you at all. If I were you, I would have dumped her long ago."


    Hao Dong, with his head lowered, said, "Yes, I... I understand."


    "Alright, you two can leave now, and don¡¯t disturb Miss Lin¡¯s life anymore, especially you..." Ling Chen pointed at Wang Yan, "Don¡¯t let me see you again, get out!"


    Wang Yan shivered, and without another word, hurriedly left the room.


    "Miss Lin." After they all left, Ling Chen turned his gaze to Lin Han. Since the appearance of Xu Hongming, Lin Han had been in a stunned state, what happened before her had left her amazed. She knew well who Li Wen was, to her, Li Wen was someone she could never reach.


    But such a person was cowering before Ling Chen, not fighting back, nor talking back. She always thought Ling Chen was just an ordinary person, until now she realized Ling Chen was someone important, someone even Li Wen feared.


    "Ling... Ling Chen!" Lin Han opened her mouth, unsure of how tomunicate with Ling Chen for a moment.


    Ling Chen smiled slightly, "Miss Lin, there¡¯s no need to be so restrained, I¡¯m still the Ling Chen you know."


    "Big brother, you¡¯re amazing." Lin Chun, beside her, was very excited.


    Ling Chen gently patted his little head, smiling as he said, "You¡¯re the little man of the Lin family, in the future, your sister will rely on you to protect her."


    Lin Chun clenched his small fist and nodded, "I certainly will."


    "Mr. Ling." Xu Hongming came over and said, "Manager Jiang is very worried about your safety, would you like toe back with us?"


    Ling Chen thought for a moment, then shook his head, "I won¡¯t go back for now, there are still some things I need to deal with. How about this, you convey to Kai that I¡¯m fine now, tell him not to worry."


    "Understood, I will." After speaking, Xu Hongming pointed out a few security guards and instructed, "From now on, your duty is to ensure Mr. Ling¡¯s safety, got it?"


    "Understood!"


    Ling Chen intended to refuse, but then he thought his body hadn¡¯t fully recovered, so having someone by his side was a good thing.


    Once everything was arranged, Xu Hongming left with his convoy. Before leaving, he specially left an off-road vehicle for Ling Chen as a means of transportation.


    "Ling Chen, your injuries aren¡¯t that serious anymore, why not go back with them?" Lin Han asked, puzzled.


    "What, don¡¯t you want me to stay another day?" Ling Chen teased with a smile. Lin Han¡¯s face turned slightly red, and before she could speak, Ling Chen said, "I¡¯m staying to further persuade Sir Chen to see if it¡¯s possible to convince him."


    Chen Junfeng is a master, Ling Chen really hoped to persuade him to help and join his camp. Although the first conversation didn¡¯t go very well, Ling Chen still wanted to give it another try.


    ...


    East Sea City.


    The Dragon Tiger Hall hasn¡¯t been doing well these days. Ever since that Dragon and Tiger Martial Arts Academy opened, Dragon Tiger Hall has faced a certain impact. Originally, Dragon Tiger Hall had many clients, but since the opening of the Dragon and Tiger Martial Arts Academy, whether openly or secretly, they have used all sorts of methods to seize clients, deliberately create trouble, and cause problems for Dragon Tiger Hall.


    In a word, there hasn¡¯t been a peaceful day for Dragon Tiger Hall.


    As the Martial Arts Hall Master, Tong Zhentian and He Ziyun were very troubled. They had thought about retaliation, butpared to ying tricks, the two of them indeed were no match for the other party. Moreover, the other party was well-prepared, and whenever Dragon Tiger Hall took action, they would choose to withdraw immediately, all hiding within the Martial Arts Academy.


    In such a situation, Dragon Tiger Hall couldn¡¯t just forcefully attack the other academy. In doing so, outsiders might think Dragon Tiger Hall was big and bullying others, not giving other academies a chance to survive.


    Considering Dragon Tiger Hall¡¯s reputation, Tong Zhentian dared not be careless.


    "Martial Arts Hall Master," Tian Hanzhong came to the office, looking at Tong Zhentian who was chatting with He Ziyun, and said, "We just received news, those bastards attacked our trainees again."


    Upon hearing this, He Ziyun pped the table and shouted angrily, "Those people are bing more and more reckless and out of line."


    Tong Zhentian frowned and said in a deep voice, "Tell me, what happened exactly."


    "Our trainees were out shopping, and on the way back they happened to encounter people from the Martial Arts Academy. They were verbally provoked, and our trainees, being young and hot-blooded, couldn¡¯t stand such insults, so a conflict broke out."


    "They must have nned it," He Ziyun said.


    "This kind of thing has happened more than once, why can¡¯t everyone learn from it?" Tong Zhentian said, "Spread the word, from today on, no one is allowed to go out without permission."


    Upon hearing this, a trace of difficulty appeared on Tian Hanzhong¡¯s face.


    Seeing Tian Hanzhong standing there motionless, He Ziyun asked, "What¡¯s wrong? Why are you still standing here, didn¡¯t you hear what Elder Tong said clearly?"


    "N-no, it¡¯s just... just..." Tian Hanzhong opened his mouth, hesitated, with a look of wanting to say something but holding back.


    He Ziyun naturally saw through Tian Hanzhong¡¯s thoughts and said, "Whatever you have to say, just say it directly, don¡¯t stutter. We¡¯re not going to eat you."

 Chapter 1246 - 1254: Martial Arts Academy Showdown

    <h4>Chapter 1246: Chapter 1254: Martial Arts Academy Showdown</h4>


    "Yes." Tian Hanzhongposed his words, mustered up the courage and said, "Both Hall Masters, recently the students in the hall have been secretly discussing and feel that we are too cowardly, being bullied to this extent and still remaining indifferent. It makes everyone ufortable. If... if we keep them confined in the hall and not allow them out, it might greatly affect their morale."


    "Are they thinking we have been too weak?" He Ziyun chimed in.


    Tian Hanzhong nodded and said, "Deputy Hall Master, some are already considering leaving Dragon Tiger Hall to join Dragon and Tiger Martial Arts Academy. If we keep retreating, it will only make the students lose confidence in us. I think we need to take measures to restore their confidence in us."


    Tong Zhentian pondered for a moment, nodded slightly, and said, "You have a point. However, the situation we are facing now is veryplex. To be honest with you, those people are obviously targeting us. They won¡¯t stop until Dragon Tiger Hall closes. Otherwise, no matter what we do, they won¡¯t give up unless we kill them all."


    "Then... what should we do? We can¡¯t just let ourselves be bullied."


    He Ziyun thought for a while and said, "How about this? If anyone wants to go out, remember to have Qin Genglong and the others apany them. With experts protecting your safety, those from the Martial Arts Academy won¡¯t dare to act recklessly."


    "Yes, I understand. If there¡¯s nothing else, I¡¯ll take my leave now." After saying this, Tian Hanzhong sped his fists, turned around, and walked towards the office exit. Just as he reached the door, a young man hurriedly ran over and urgently said, "Hall Master, bad news, people from the Martial Arts Academy havee looking for trouble."


    "What?" Tong Zhentian¡¯s face turned angry as he suddenly stood up and said, "These scoundrels are truly fearless, daring toe to Dragon Tiger Hall to cause trouble. Come, let¡¯s go meet them. I want to see how capable they are."


    Not long after, the group arrived at Dragon Tiger Hall¡¯s martial arts arena.


    At that moment, in the martial arts arena, the students were gathered together, watching the people from the Dragon and Tiger Martial Arts Academy.


    The people from the Martial Arts Academy were not many, only three or four, one of whom was slightly older, probably over forty, standing in front of everyone, presumably the person in charge.


    Seeing Tong Zhentian and He Ziyun approaching, the middle-aged man smiled and sped his fists, "Elder Tong, Mr. He, my name is Huangzekai. It is my honor to meet two martial arts elders."


    He Ziyun said lightly, "Let¡¯s skip such courteous words. Why have youe?"


    "I¡¯m here today on behalf of our Martial Arts Academy to challenge a match," Huangzekai said. "In recent days, our two martial arts academies have had many conflicts, causing a stir outside. People are eager to see which of our academies has better teaching quality and faculty. After much thought, since we are both running martial arts academies, why not hold apetition to spar against each other? I think this is the best way to demonstrate our strengths. Elder Tong, you are the Hall Master of Dragon Tiger Hall. What do you think of my suggestion?"


    "Sorry, I¡¯m not interested in a martial arts match." Tong Zhentian directly rejected the other party¡¯s proposal.


    "Not interested?" Huangzekai said with a fake smile, "Is it disinterest or fear? Elder Tong, in front of so many students, you need to make yourself clear."


    Tong Zhentian¡¯s face turned cold, just as he was about to speak, Huangzekai said, "Elder Tong, don¡¯t me me for being blunt. Dragon Tiger Hall is a martial arts academy, yet it doesn¡¯t even have the courage for a martial arts match. The students it produces are surely cowards. Everyone..." Huangzekai nced at the students present and said, "If I were you, I¡¯d leave early, instead of wasting time and energy here. A Hall Master whocks courage, what do you think he can teach you?"


    Hearing this, the expressions of Tong Zhentian and He Ziyun changed slightly. They knew their opponent was using a provocation tactic. Such methods didn¡¯t work on them. However, Huangzekai¡¯s words caused a change in the students¡¯ perceptions, which was Huangzekai¡¯s true intention.


    Seeing the students murmuring, Tong Zhentian and He Ziyun exchanged nces, and their expressions were not pleasant.


    It had to be admitted, Huangzekai¡¯s tactic was clever, capturing the students¡¯ minds. If Tong Zhentian refused the challenge, and in light of recent events, Dragon Tiger Hall was bound to gain a reputation for cowardice. Once that reputation spread, the influence and reputation of Dragon Tiger Hall would be greatly diminished.


    Also, those students would likely choose to leave Dragon Tiger Hall. After all, no one would want to follow a group of cowardly masters.


    "Elder Tong." He Ziyun sighed softly and said, "I¡¯m afraid you have no choice but to ept."


    Tong Zhentian nodded, he understood the consequences of this matter. Aside from agreeing, he had no other choice unless he disregarded the reputation of Dragon Tiger Hall.


    "Fine, you set the time, we¡¯ll set the venue."


    "Haha!" Huangzekaiughed loudly, nodding, "Finally, Elder Tong shows some courage. Alright, then it¡¯s a deal. With so many witnesses, I trust you won¡¯t go back on your word, Elder Tong."


    After finishing speaking, Huangzekai waved his hand and left Dragon Tiger Hall with a few followers.


    Back in the office, He Ziyun frowned slightly and said, "Elder Tong, the other side suddenly proposing a match is undoubtedly well-prepared, we must be careful."


    "I know, that¡¯s why I told him that Dragon Tiger Hall will choose the venue. This way, we don¡¯t have to worry about them tampering with the site. However, we still can¡¯t let our guard down. Mr. He, inform everyone to be vignt, to prevent those people fromunching a sneak attack." Although Dragon Tiger Hall¡¯s overall strength was not weak, Tong Zhentian was still a bit worried, who knows what tactics those people would use.


    "Don¡¯t worry, I will brief them." He Ziyun nodded.


    As they spoke, Hu Fei came in briskly from outside, full of excitement, and said eagerly, "Two Hall Masters, I¡¯ve just received great news."


    Tong Zhentian and He Ziyun exchanged looks and asked, "What good news?"


    "They found Ling Chen."


    Upon hearing this, He Ziyun¡¯s eyes dimmed, "It¡¯s just finding a corpse, what¡¯s there to be happy about."


    "No, no." Hu Fei hurriedly said, "It¡¯s not a corpse, it¡¯s a living person. Haha! I knew that guy Ling Chen was blessed and wouldn¡¯t die so easily."


    "You mean it?" The spirits of the two elders lifted.


    Hu Fei nodded and said, "Of course it¡¯s true, I just talked to Kai on the phone, I wouldn¡¯t deceive you." Pausing, Hu Fei continued, "Kai has already gone to pick up Ling Chen himself, he should be back shortly."

 Chapter 1247 - 1255: Heavenly List Versus Heavenly List (1)

    <h4>Chapter 1247: Chapter 1255: Heavenly List Versus Heavenly List (1)</h4>


    "Good, good, good!" Tong Zhentian said the word ¡¯good¡¯ three times in a row, expressing his inner excitement.


    For a long time, everyone thought Ling Chen had encountered misfortune and was deeply grieved. Now, learning that Ling Chen is alive, their mood naturally lifts. "Hu Fei, remember to notify us as soon as Ling Chen returns."


    "Understood." Hu Fei nodded, saying, "Masters, I need to tell Elder Qiu this news, so I¡¯ll take my leave."


    "Elder Tong, this is good news. Since Ling Chen is alright, we can rest assured about the uing martial artspetition," He Ziyun said with a smile. Although Tong Zhentian is the hall master of Dragon Tiger Hall, everyone knows in their hearts that Ling Chen is the backbone of the Dragon Tiger Hall. The reason is simple, whether it¡¯s Hu Fei, the eight entrics, He Ziyun, or Tong Zhentian, they are all gathered together because of Ling Chen.


    If Ling Chen were to die, the bond connecting them would slowly disappear. It might be that in a few months or years, everyone would gradually leave and live their own lives independently.


    "We need to quickly inform Ling Chen about this matter and see what he thinks," Tong Zhentian said.


    "I¡¯ll notify Hu Fei to make sure Ling Chen knows about this as soon as possible."


    After finishing up with the Dragon Tiger Hall business, noticing that the sky was gradually darkening, He Ziyun went home first. Although everyone works at Dragon Tiger Hall, only students, martial artists, and some masters originally belonging to the hall reside there.


    "Elder Tong, should I drive you home?" Tian Hanzhong met Tong Zhentian at the door and asked.


    "No need, I live nearby, it¡¯s not far by foot. You go get busy," Tong Zhentian said. Tong Zhentian still holds Tian Hanzhong in high regard. Although his aptitude is so-so, he is incredibly responsible in his work; it is because of this that Tong Zhentian entrusts him with the important role of managing the students.


    Walking on the way home, Tong Zhentian¡¯s pace is slow, neither hurried nor sluggish. By this time, the sky hadpletely darkened, and the streetmps emitted a dim, yellowish glow.


    The ce where Tong Zhentian resides is about three kilometers away from Dragon Tiger Hall. The Tong Family is considered affluent, owning several properties in East Sea City. Moreover, Tong Zhentian doesn¡¯t like living elsewhere; ustomed to his own home, he arranges all his properties in the sameyout. Thus, no matter where he resides, it feels just like home.


    Looking at his residence not far away, Tong Zhentian quickened his pace. But after walking a short distance, he suddenly stopped and stood quietly in ce, motionless. If one were to pay close attention, they would notice his ears slightly trembling, listening to the surroundings.


    "Come out." After a while, Tong Zhentian slowly raised his head, speaking as if talking to himself, "I know you¡¯re here."


    As his words fell, a person appeared from the greenery beside him, standing behind Tong Zhentian.


    Feeling the presence of the other person, Tong Zhentian turned his head, scrutinizing them. The person before him was dressed in ck, with a face veil obscuring their features, but the wrinkles on their forehead and physique suggested that the person¡¯s age should be quite advanced.


    "Are you from the Martial Arts Academy?" Tong Zhentian asked.


    The other remained silent, as if not hearing Tong Zhentian¡¯s question. Suddenly, it seemed as if the surrounding trees were swept by a breeze, with the leaves rustling.


    Tong Zhentian¡¯s eyes narrowed, lightly tapping his foot, instantly retreating over ten meters. Upon looking at his previous position, the ground was deeply caved in. Witnessing this, a hint of astonishment shed in Tong Zhentian¡¯s eyes.


    Heavenly List expert!


    From the move just executed by the other, their strength is incredibly formidable. Even as a martial arts legend, Tong Zhentian felt a slight pressure at that moment.


    "Who exactly are you?" Tong Zhentian continued to ask. The other¡¯s power was so terrifying, they were definitely not a nameless figure. Searching his mind for someone who fit these conditions, he could only think of one or two individuals. Could the person before him be one of them?


    As he pondered swiftly, the opponent gave no opportunity for Tong Zhentian to catch his breath, their body tilted forward, speed unravelling instantly, fierce fist power roaring as it sliced through the air, ferociously heading straight for Tong Zhentian¡¯s forehead.


    Seeing the opponent rapidly approaching, Tong Zhentian grabbed arge handful, causing the nearby trees to emit a faint sound. Following this, dozens of leaves fell,nding into Tong Zhentian¡¯s hands. With the leaves in hand, Tong Zhentian stepped back while simultaneously flicking his wrists. In an instant, the dozens of leaves shot out as if sharp des, slicing through the air.


    Seeing this, the assailing figure in ck twisted their waist, forcibly pulling their body upward, leaping above the leaves. Although the leaves blocked their path, their assault was not stopped, continually pressing towards Tong Zhentian. In the blink of an eye, the two were within a meter of each other.


    As the steel fist approached, Tong Zhentian did not continue retreating. He took a deep breath, Inner Strength instantly gathering, raising his palms slightly, meeting the opponent¡¯s fist.


    Bam!


    As fist and palm collided, a strong wave of energy burst forth immediately, spreading to the surroundings, the corners of their clothes lifted by the force, swirling without wind.


    Feeling the other¡¯s formidable Inner Strength, Tong Zhentian¡¯s brows furrowed slightly, his entire body¡¯s Power continuously channeled to his palms, resisting the other¡¯s fierce strength.


    After tens of seconds of stalemate, sweat appeared on both Tong Zhentian¡¯s and the ck-d figure¡¯s forehead, their breath bing rapid.


    The Inner Strength contest is an extremely dangerous confrontation, lightweight injuries at best, life-threatening at worst. As time passed, the duel between Tong Zhentian and the ck-d figure reached its final stages. The ck-d figure¡¯s face veil made his condition untraceable, but Tong Zhentian¡¯splexion appeared somewhat pale, his arms slightly trembling, evidently reaching exhaustion.


    "Why...why are you doing this?" Suddenly, Tong Zhentian stared straight into the other¡¯s eyes, speaking word by word.


    Upon hearing Tong Zhentian¡¯s words, the ck-d figure¡¯s eyebrows slightly twitched, remaining silent, merely stepping forward once more, pressuring Tong Zhentian.


    As the other¡¯s Inner Strength surged, Tong Zhentian felt his body weakenpletely, his own power being gradually worn down. If this continued, his life would be at risk sooner orter.


    "Do you really want to do this?" Seeing the other not speaking, Tong Zhentian took another deep breath, asking, "You should be aware of my character; if truly pushed, we might as well die together."


    The ck-d figure remained silent, seemingly unmoved by Tong Zhentian¡¯s words. However, at this moment, a strong sense of crisis suddenly arose in Tong Zhentian¡¯s heart. Almost instinctively, Tong Zhentian rapidly turned his head, looking behind him. Instantly, he saw a figure rushing out from the greenery beside him, heading straight for his back.

 Chapter 1248 - 1256: Heavenly List vs. Heavenly List (2)

    <h4>Chapter 1248: Chapter 1256: Heavenly List vs. Heavenly List (2)</h4>


    At the critical moment, Tong Zhentian didn¡¯t have time to think. He quickly retracted his palms, tapped his toes on the ground, and swiftly shifted to the left. He was fast, but his opponent was not slow either. With a ¡¯swish¡¯ sound, a blood-red wound appeared on Tong Zhentian¡¯s arm, and blood started to flow down, dripping onto the ground.


    Right now, Tong Zhentian didn¡¯t care about the injury on his arm; his eyes were fixed on the ck-d assant who had ambushed him.


    Two ck-d men, two Heavenly List experts!


    "You really hold me in high regard." Tong Zhentian sneered weakly and said, "It seems... you want me to leave my life here today."


    "Attack!" With a light shout, two ck-d men attacked simultaneously from left and right, quickly closing in on Tong Zhentian.


    Seeing them approaching, Tong Zhentian shouted fiercely, and his entire aura suddenly surged. His eyes turned blood-red, looking extremely fierce. Instead of retreating, Tong Zhentian advanced against the attacks of the two men, his gaze locked onto one of them.


    If today is the day he dies, he would take one of them with him.


    Seeing Tong Zhentian¡¯s frantic rush toward hispanion, the ck-d man who had justpeted in Inner Strength with Tong Zhentian hesitated and then shouted in a low voice, "Retreat!" As soon as he finished speaking, the man stepped forward to block Tong Zhentian¡¯s assault. Taking advantage of the moment, the other man sped up and quickly vanished into the nearby greenery.


    After hispanion escaped smoothly, the ck-d man did not continue to tangle with Tong Zhentian. With a single move, he forced him back and then leaped into the forest. By the time Tong Zhentian gave chase, the two men had long since disappeared without a trace.


    Biting his teeth, Tong Zhentian unwillingly searched for a while longer, but they had already fled far away. At this point, Tong Zhentian¡¯s vision blurred, his body swaying as if he might fall at any moment. Fortunately, there was an alley nearby, and Tong Zhentian staggered to the street, supporting himself against the wall. Then, he took out his phone to call He Ziyun.


    However, before the call connected, Tong Zhentian felt a sudden ckout and fell to the ground.


    "Why didn¡¯t you kill him?"


    Inside a Mercedes driving down the road sat the two ck-d men. It was the one in the passenger seat who asked.


    "Kill him? Do you think it¡¯s that easy?"


    "He¡¯s already injured. If we join forces, he can¡¯t possibly be a match for us."


    "You¡¯re right; he¡¯s indeed not our match, but the price would be steep for us too. You must remember, if he were so easily dealt with, he wouldn¡¯t be Tong Zhentian, who is on par with me. Earlier, if I hadn¡¯t told you to leave, you might have been dead now. Sacrificing a Heavenly List expert¡¯s life to kill him is too high a price. Besides, we¡¯ve forced out his ultimate move. From what I know of him, once he unleashes that move, it¡¯s as if he¡¯s lost half his life. So, he won¡¯t pose a threat to us for a few months, and we¡¯ll have enough time to slowly dismantle the Dragon Tiger Hall.


    "Yes, I understand."


    "You did a good job on that matter."


    "Which matter?"


    "Ling Chen. I know you killed him. I was hesitating whether to deal with him harshly. Forget it! He¡¯s dead now anyway, not much point in mentioning him."


    ...


    Xianghe Vige.


    A Land Rover SUV slowly drove to the vige entrance. As the car stopped, someone jumped out and quickly walked toward a house.


    "Chen! Chen!" Before even entering the door, the person was already shouting.


    Ling Chen opened the door and smiled when he saw the visitor, "Didn¡¯t I tell Xu Hongming to let you know that I¡¯m fine? There¡¯s no need toe all this way to see me."


    Jiang Yunkai said excitedly, "I couldn¡¯t trust his words. I had to see you in person." Saying that, Jiang Yunkai looked Ling Chen over carefully and asked with concern, "Chen, are you really alright? I brought some doctors from Beijing; do you want them to check you out?"


    Ling Chen waved his hand and said, "There¡¯s no need for that. With Miss Lin taking care of me, it¡¯s enough. Don¡¯t just stand outside;e in and sit. I¡¯ll introduce you to my saviors."


    Inside, Ling Chen called Lin Han and Lin Chun out from the room and introduced them.


    "Miss Lin, thank you!" Jiang Yunkai held Lin Han¡¯s hand gratefully and said, "You saved Chen, which means you saved all of us."


    Lin Han was slightly embarrassed by Jiang Yunkai¡¯s enthusiasm, her face slightly red, "I only did my duty as a doctor."


    "Alright then!" Ling Chen said with a smile, "Kai, don¡¯t just hold her hand; people might get the wrong idea that you¡¯re taking advantage of her."


    Hearing this, Jiang Yunkai quickly let go of his hands andughed, "I got a bit too excited, Miss Lin, don¡¯t take it the wrong way."


    "It¡¯s nothing. Ling Chen, you all sit; I¡¯ll go cut some fruits." After speaking, Lin Han went to the kitchen with Lin Chun, leaving the living room to Ling Chen and Jiang Yunkai.


    "Kai, everything¡¯s been fine while I¡¯ve been away?"


    Jiang Yunkai nodded and said, "It¡¯s been alright, nothing much happened. But we didn¡¯t dare make your disappearance public. After all, your presence is significant; if people knew something happened to you, we¡¯d be in big trouble."


    "As long as there are no issues."


    "Chen, your injury is no longer serious; aren¡¯t you nning to go back? Everyone¡¯s waiting for you, and there¡¯s a lot you need to handle back there."


    "No rush. I have some personal matters to attend to."


    "Personal matters?" Upon hearing this, Jiang Yunkai¡¯s eyes shifted, looking toward the kitchen with a teasing nce, "Chen, you¡¯re not... "


    "Get out of here." Ling Chen said irritably, "I¡¯m not as dirty-minded as you think. She¡¯s my savior; I have no such thoughts on her." Pausing, Ling Chen continued, "Don¡¯t worry about it. I won¡¯t be going back for a while yet. Just leave me a satellite phone; you can reach me if anythinges up."


    "Okay." Jiang Yunkai nodded, about to reply when the ringtone from his pocket went off. He knew there was no signal in Xianghe Vige, so he had prepared a satellite phone formunication before leaving.


    When the call was connected, whatever was said on the other end made Jiang Yunkai¡¯s face turn grim.


    After hanging up, Ling Chen asked, "What¡¯s happened?"


    "Chen, something big has happened. Hu Fei just told me that Elder Tong had an ident and was just saved from the hospital. Although his life is not in danger, Elder Tong¡¯s condition is very serious."


    Upon hearing this, Ling Chen¡¯s expression changed, and he said solemnly, "How did this happen?"

 Chapter 1249 - 1257: The Disappearance of Sir Chen

    <h4>Chapter 1249: Chapter 1257: The Disappearance of Sir Chen</h4>


    At that moment, Jiang Yunkai described the conflict between the Dragon Tiger Hall and the Dragon and Tiger Martial Arts Academy.


    "Is there such a thing?" Ling Chen frowned and asked, "What¡¯s the background of that Martial Arts Academy?"


    "Chen, do we still need to ask this question? I think you know best."


    Ling Chen¡¯s heart sank, and he slowly uttered a few words, "Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion!"


    "That¡¯s right, it¡¯s them." Jiang Yunkai nodded and said, "Hu Fei just told me that with Elder Tong¡¯s strength, whoever hurt him must be a Heavenly List expert, and there was more than one of them. In the whole world, who else but the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion has such power. Chen, the people from the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion came prepared. Just after the Dragon and Tiger Martial Arts Academy agreed to a duel with the Dragon Tiger Hall, Elder Tong was attacked. As the Martial Arts Hall Master, without Elder Tong holding the hall, we are in a grim situation for this duel."


    "Don¡¯t worry, isn¡¯t there still Ji Gang? He can also be useful at a critical moment."


    "Chen, Ji Gang can¡¯tpare to Elder Tong. Now that Elder Tong is in trouble, we need someone who can hold the position even more. Chen, I think you should return immediately."


    Ling Chen pondered for a moment and said, "No, the more it is like this, the less I can leave. Kai, the matters in Beijing can wait for now. You quickly head back to East Sea City and help Hu Fei stabilize the situation there. I will hurry back before the duel starts."


    Seeing Ling Chen¡¯s determination, Jiang Yunkai said no more, "Chen, take care of yourself. I¡¯ll head back to East Sea City tonight."


    "Alright. By the way, don¡¯t reveal my situation for the time being to prevent the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion from being cautious. To them, I¡¯m already a dead man."


    "I understand."


    After seeing Jiang Yunkai off, Ling Chen stood alone in the courtyard, gazing at the crescent moon overhead, and let out a gentle sigh.


    Atst, the people from the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion made their move. It seems that the struggle between him and the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion is inevitable. With that thought, Ling Chen didn¡¯t return to his room but went to the clinic instead.


    Pushing the door open, Ling Chen walked into the ward, only to see Chen Junfeng lying in bed, staring nkly at the ceiling. Upon hearing footsteps at the door, Chen Junfeng slightly turned his head, nced at Ling Chen, and then turned his gaze back out the window.


    Ling Chen smiled wryly and walked over to the bedside, saying, "Sir Chen, have you been feeling better these past few days?"


    "I¡¯ve said before, you don¡¯t need to persuade me. My decision won¡¯t change," Chen Junfeng said coldly.


    "Rest assured, I¡¯m not here to persuade you, just to have a chat." Ling Chen sat by the bed and said, "You must know Tong Zhentian."


    "I met him once." Here, Chen Junfeng hesitated for a moment before continuing, "He¡¯s a good man."


    "I just received news, Elder Tong was attacked by a Heavenly List expert in an ambush, and it was only after treatment that he was out of danger."


    Hearing this, Chen Junfeng turned his head to look at Ling Chen and said, "Tong Zhentian¡¯s strength ranks in the top five of the Heavenly List. Who could possibly hurt him?"


    "Sir Chen, how many do you think could do it? I think you can guess without me telling you."


    Chen Junfeng¡¯s eyes narrowed, "Are you saying... I understand. It seems the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion is ready to wrap things up."


    "That¡¯s right. Their first step was Elder Tong, and the second will be Dragon Tiger Hall. Once Dragon Tiger Hall is dismantled, there will be no forces in the Martial Arts world that threaten the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion. By then, the dominion of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion will remain unchanged, and the entire Martial Arts world will still be their yground. Sir Chen, as someone from the Martial Arts world, what do you think of this?"


    "Throughout history, unityes after long divisions, and division follows long unity. No emperor can rule forever, and the same goes for the Martial Arts world. If the status of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion remains unchanged, it only shows that its time is not up. Wait! Perhaps in decades, or maybe a hundred years, the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion will eventually disappear and withdraw from the stage of Martial Arts supremacy."


    "Wait?" Ling Chen smiled, "Sir Chen, is that your way to solve problems? If everything is left to time, I think each of us would die in discontent. Sir Chen, as a Heavenly List expert, someone without passion, drive, or ambition could never be a Heavenly List expert. I believe you were never like that in the past. It¡¯s just that time has worn down your edges and spirit, to the point where now you¡¯re no different from ordinary people. To be blunt, maybe you¡¯re even worse than ordinary people, because at least they would rise against oppression."


    Pausing for a moment, Ling Chen continued, "Sir Chen, I understand how you feel now¡ªit is more painful to live than to die. You¡¯ve chosen survival and endured suffering merely as a punishment for yourself. I don¡¯t know for whom you¡¯re doing this, but I must say that your actions are childish and weak. A real strong person is not defined by their power but by their inner strength. No matter how many obstacles lie ahead, they push forward, fearless of danger. Sir Chen, falling down isn¡¯t scary¡ªwhat¡¯s truly terrifying is losing the courage to stand up again. Once you reach that point, you¡¯re no different than a waste."


    "Are you trying to persuade me?"


    "No, I just want to tell you that rather than dragging out an ignoble existence, it¡¯s better to die. If you don¡¯t want to die, then stand up again and do what a man should do. I think deep down, you¡¯re conflicted, unsure of what to do. Otherwise, you would have already sought death."


    Upon hearing this, Chen Junfeng gazed at the bright moon outside the window, silent and seemingly lost in endless contemtion.


    Seeing this, Ling Chen said no more, stood up, and left the ward. He had said what needed to be said; the decision was Chen Junfeng¡¯s to make.


    The next day.


    Ling Chen, yawning, walked out of his room. Ever since Lin Han found out his identity, she was too scared to let him stay at the clinic, so she gave him Lin Chun¡¯s bedroom instead.


    When he got up, Lin Chun had already prepared breakfast: sweet potato pancakes, which tasted great and smelled delicious. As Ling Chen nibbled on a pancake, he took breakfast and headed to the clinic. These days, it was his responsibility to deliver meals to Chen Junfeng.


    Upon reaching the clinic, Ling Chen pushed the door open and headed straight to the ward, only to find the bed empty, the chains thrown on the ground. Besides that, he found dozens of silver needles on the bed.


    Escaped?


    Ling Chen was shocked¡ªhe had sealed Chen Junfeng¡¯s meridians, so how did he break free from the chains? Without wasting time, Ling Chen hurried out of the clinic and sprinted towards the cave where Chen Junfeng used to live.


    Before long, Ling Chen arrived at the cave. As he entered, it was pitch dark inside, devoid of any presence, confirming that Chen Junfeng wasn¡¯t there.


    Could he have really left? Ling Chen thought to himself. He had wasted so much effort trying to persuade Chen Junfeng to join his camp. But now, he couldn¡¯t even find him.

 Chapter 1250 - 1258: Heart Ailment (1)

    <h4>Chapter 1250: Chapter 1258: Heart Ailment (1)</h4>


    Ling Chen sighed and walked out of the cave, ready to return to Xianghe Vige. He had thought he could persuade Chen Junfeng, but now it seemed Chen Junfeng hadpletely given up, and no matter what he said, it would have no effect. Escape! That was the only thing Chen Junfeng wanted to do.


    Returning to the mountain path, Ling Chen walked down the slope. Not far along, Ling Chen, with his sharp eyes, suddenly noticed a line of footprints on another mountain trail.


    He hadn¡¯t taken this path before, but he knew it led to the mountain top in the rear, because the terrain there was quite dangerous, so usually, few would go there.


    Could it be Chen Junfeng? Ling Chen thought for a moment and decided to go over and take a look; perhaps he might really encounter him. Following the rugged mountain trail, Ling Chen moved forward. The further he ascended, the narrower the path became, with one side leaning against the mountain body and the other a sheer cliff, where a slight misstep would mean certain death.


    Fortunately, his body had recovered well recently, and without much effort, Ling Chen reached the mountain top in the rear. Looking out, Ling Chen¡¯s sight captured a silhouette. That figure stood at the edge of the peak, and just a step forward, no matter how strong you are, there¡¯s only a dead end.


    Observing the other¡¯s attire, Ling Chen immediately recognized it was Chen Junfeng, the one he had been persistently seeking.


    Nearing, Ling Chen looked at Chen Junfeng¡¯s back and spoke, "Sir Chen, why did you run over here?"


    Chen Junfeng remained silent, standing quietly, gazing into the distance as if he were alone in the surroundings. Time slowly passed, and Ling Chen did not disturb Chen Junfeng; he could tell Chen Junfeng needed peace and reflection. So, he stood behind, quietly apanying Chen Junfeng.


    An hour or so passed quickly, and Chen Junfeng let out a sigh, then turned around, setting his gaze on Ling Chen.


    "Sir Chen..." Ling Chen opened his mouth, just about to speak, but Chen Junfeng stopped him with a gesture.


    "You don¡¯t have to say anymore, I must admit, what you saidst night was very right." Chen Junfeng said quietly, gazing at the foot of the mountain, "I have been standing here sincest night, thinking about your words. You¡¯re right; instead of lingering in such a miserable state, it¡¯s better to die. However, when I wanted to seek death, I found I didn¡¯t have the courage to jump from here. Perhaps... it¡¯s not that Ick courage, but I¡¯m unwilling. I¡¯m unwilling to die just like this, unwilling to leave this world with hatred. Even if I were to die, I won¡¯t die so shamefully. Ling Chen, thank you! If it weren¡¯t for your words, I would still feel worse than dead even now."


    Upon hearing this, Ling Chen couldn¡¯t help but smile, "Sir Chen, you¡¯ve finallye around."


    Chen Junfeng gazed at the distant peaks, squinting, "You¡¯ve always wanted to know my story, right? My enemies are the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, you already know that. Back then, I could be considered a top expert in the Martial Arts, awe-inspiring from all sides, but I didn¡¯t like restraint, so I always went alone, free as the wind. Later on, I met a woman. From the first moment I saw her, I knew she was someone I wanted to spend my life with. She wasn¡¯t from the Martial Arts World, just the daughter of an ordinary family, with a job as a kindergarten teacher. Though not particrly outstanding in appearance, she was gentle, serene, spoke sweetly, and had all the qualities of a perfect woman."


    "Naturally, we came together. I hid my identity, tried to adapt to her life, and integrated myself into her world. As for the Martial Arts World... it had been temporarily forgotten by me. But, good times didn¡¯tst long, after my first daughter was born, I received an invitation from the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion to attend the Heavenly Mechanism Great Ceremony. However, the true intention of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion was to persuade me to join the Yangxin Pavilion, to be a part of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion. Unfortunately, I enjoyed my free life, and having a family and a daughter, that previous thrilling life walking the edge wasn¡¯t suitable for me anymore."


    "At that time, I politely declined the invitation from the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, expressing my wish to live an ordinary life. The Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion didn¡¯t force me but asked me to reconsider. Returning home, I thought everything had passed, a happy life beginning anew. However, misfortune still befell me. I had friends, many friends, ones with simr interests met throughout my time in the martial world. Though I chose to withdraw, the friendships remained. asionally, I would invite some friends over to my house for drinks and chats, nothing more."


    "Later, among my friends, someone secretly formed alliances, attempting to resist the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, only to bepletely wiped out, leaving no survivors. A person, purposefully implicating me, gave my name, causing the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion to mistakenly believe I was the mastermind. Despite my repeated exnations, they wouldn¡¯t believe me, demanding I give them an answer. Due to the interference of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, my life was entirely disrupted; my wife and daughter lived in constant danger, anxious and frightened. In a fit of rage, I directly approached Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion¡¯s Su Zhengyang, causing amotion, injuring many from the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion."


    "This act of mine soon attracted the retaliation of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion; one night, my home was burnt down. My wife and infant daughter perished in the mes. When I hurried back, there was nothing left..." Saying this, Chen Junfeng¡¯s emotions became very agitated, his body trembling slightly with a glint of red in his eyes.


    Feeling Chen Junfeng¡¯s emotional fluctuations, Ling Chen was startled, fearing the worst. Chen Junfeng must be recalling the scenes of that night, and if he couldn¡¯t control it, he might go berserk again. Chen Junfeng clenched his fists tightly, taking a deep breath, trying hard to calm his emotions, and said, "I attempted revenge, but sadly failed each time, instead drawing their pursuit, suffering injuries all over, ultimately forced to escape back to Xianghe Vige. Every night, recalling the tragic death of my wife and daughter, I... I never know how to face it. Over time, as soon as I close my eyes, my mind is filled with burned bodies."


    Chen Junfeng sighed, "I don¡¯t need to exin what happened afterward; I believe you already know."


    "Sir Chen, I¡¯m sorry, it was me who stirred up your sad past."


    "It¡¯s not your fault; I only me myself for being useless, for not avenging them. I contemted it allst night; you¡¯re right, if I can¡¯t avenge my wife and daughter, what¡¯s the point of living? Regardless of sess, I must try."


    Ling Chen smiled slightly, "Sir Chen, it¡¯s best you think this way. Time is gettingte; Sir Chen, let¡¯s head back. Today might be very busy."

 Chapter 1251 1259: Heart Ailment (2)

    Back at Lin Han''s home, upon learning that Chen Junfeng was willing to ept treatment, Lin Han was quite surprised, not expecting Ling Chen to actually persuade Chen Junfeng.


    "Miss Lin, my time is very limited, can you cure Sir Chen as quickly as possible?" Ling Chen asked. If it weren''t for the incident with Tong Zhentian, Ling Chen would have probably returned by now. But now he couldn''t; Tong Zhentian was seriously injured, and Dragon Tiger Hall needed a master to hold the fort. Ji Gang wouldn''t do; he was just a puppet. Therefore, Chen Junfeng was undoubtedly the best candidate, which was the main reason Ling Chen stayed in Xianghe Vige.


    "Sir Chen''s issue is psychological, not something that medication can cure. It requires a gradual process, finding a quiet environment to slowly recuperate. Even at the slowest pace, it will take about half a year."


    Upon hearing Lin Han''s words, Ling Chen felt a bit anxious. Half a year... he couldn''t wait that long. "Miss Lin, can''t it be faster? Maybe... a week?"


    Lin Han stared, speaking with a hint of irritation, "Do you think I''m a deity? This kind of illness can only be cured with long-term care, unless you have a spiritual elixir."


    "Spiritual elixir?" Ling Chen''s eyes lit up, as if he thought of something, muttering to himself, "I understand now..."


    "Hey! I was just saying it randomly, don''t take it seriously." Lin Han panicked, mistakenly thinking Ling Chen hade up with some dubious idea, hurriedly stopping him, "There really aren''t any spiritual elixirs in this world, those are just things from movies and novels."


    Ling Chen smiled mysteriously, "Not necessarily."


    Over the next two days, Chen Junfeng cooperated well with Lin Han''s treatment. Over the years, due to persistent nightmares, Chen Junfengcked rest. Fortunately, he was a Heavenly List expert, his body much stronger than an ordinary person. Otherwise, with so many years of insomnia, he would have copsed long ago.


    To ensure Chen Junfeng could rest well, Lin Han used medication, using sedatives to induce deep sleep in him.


    Two nights passed, and after a good sleep, Chen Junfeng''splexion improved significantly, looking much more spirited than before.


    That day, just after finishing lunch, Ling Chen received a call from He Ziyun, "Ling Chen, the time has been set at the Martial Arts Academy, the duel will begin in three days."


    "Three days?" Ling Chen eximed, "That''s so soon? Can''t you ask them to dy it?"


    "I''ve tried my best, but their attitude is very determined, they refuse to ept our proposal." At this point, He Ziyun''s tone carried a hint of worry, "Ling Chen, this is going to be a big crisis for Dragon Tiger Hall. If we don''t handle it well, Dragon Tiger Hall will lose everything."


    "Mr. He, I understand all of this."


    "No, you may not understandpletely," He Ziyun said, "Dragon and Tiger Martial Arts Academy has notified the entire Martial Artsmunity about this duel, inviting many martial artists to watch, including the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion. You should know their purpose in doing so."


    "I know," Ling Chen replied, "They want to humiliate us in front of everyone,pletely defeating Dragon Tiger Hall."


    "Elder Tong is injured and still unconscious, unable to wake up anytime soon, and Dragon Tiger Hallcks someone to hold the fort. In the past two days, everyone''s mood has been very low, especially those martial artists who joined Dragon Tiger Hall, as well as our newly recruited students. They''ve lost confidence in Dragon Tiger Hall, and some are already preparing to leave."


    "Mr. He, I am very aware of what this duel means. Rest assured, I will return as soon as possible. No matter the result, I will stand with Dragon Tiger Hall through thick and thin." Pausing for a moment, Ling Chen continued, "If anyone wants to leave, let them go. There''s no need to retain them. Their leaving is not a loss to Dragon Tiger Hall, but rather a good thing. What we need are people who can share our highs and lows, not a bunch of fair-weather friends. This is the perfect opportunity to clean up a bit."


    "I understand your point. Alright, I have other matters to handle,e back soon, everyone is waiting for you."


    After hanging up the phone, Ling Chen exhaled slowly. Although he talked lightly with He Ziyun, his heart felt heavy. To say there was no pressure would be a lie. There was not just pressure, but immense pressure. Fortunately, he was naturally optimistic; otherwise, such immense pressure might have been suffocating.


    After a short break, Ling Chen went to the clinic. At this moment, Chen Junfeng was sitting on a hospital bed in the clinic, holding a book and reading earnestly.


    Ling Chen leaned on the door frame of the ward, looking at Chen Junfeng on the bed, several times ready to speak but hesitated. At this moment, Chen Junfeng put down the book in his hand, turned to look at Ling Chen, and asked, "Did you need something from me?"


    "I... nothing, just wanted to see how you''re doing," Ling Chen said with a slight smile.


    "Really?" Chen Junfeng looked at Ling Chen meaningfully, "I''m old enough to see if you have something on your mind. Has the time for the duel been set?"


    Ling Chen nodded, "The duel will be held in three days, we don''t have much time."


    Chen Junfeng frowned slightly and said, "Three days... too short. Although my body is not a big issue, my skills have deteriorated considerably over the years due to neglect. I don''t think I can fully recover and am worried I might not be much help, instead bing a burden to you."


    "Sir Chen, as long as you''re willing to help, don''t worry about anything else. However, if we want to win the duel, we probably need to leave for East Sea City today."


    "Alright, no problem," Chen Junfeng readily agreed.


    "Then you get some rest, I''ll arrange the flight and let Miss Lin know." With that, Ling Chen turned and left the clinic.


    At two o''clock in the afternoon.


    At the entrance of Xianghe Vige, Lin Han, with Lin Chun, stood in front of a Land Rover, waving goodbye to Ling Chen and Chen Junfeng. Lin Chun, reluctantly looking at Ling Chen, asked, "Big brother, can we meet again in the future?"


    Ling Chen ruffled his little head, reassuringly, "Don''t worry, it won''t be long before we meet again." After speaking, Ling Chen turned to look at Lin Han, "Miss Lin, thank you for everything during this period. I will forever remember this kindness."


    "You''re wee, once you return, take good care of yourself and Sir Chen. His recovery requires peace and quiet, you may want to hire some care staff."


    "I will." ncing at the time, with a flight at four-thirty, it was gettingte; if they didn''t leave soon, they might miss the flight, "Miss Lin, little one, we have to go now, goodbye!"


    "Goodbye, big brother, Sir Chen!" Lin Chun waved his arms vigorously, watching the SUV go off into the distance, tears started rolling down his face. Except for his sister, this was the first time he felt attached to an outsider.

 Chapter 1252 1560: Tournament Rules

    Three days passed quickly.


    These three days, Dragon Tiger Hall became especially lively. Such a situation has only urred when Dragon Tiger Hall first opened. After Dragon and Tiger Martial Arts Academy set the time, Dragon Tiger Hall chose the location. Someone inside suggested to hold thepetition at Dragon Tiger Hall to gain the home ground advantage.


    However, Dragon Tiger Hall is not the kind of organization that likes to take advantage and certainly doesn''t want any excuse for criticism. After discussions, the final location was set in a sports arena. Over the past few days, the martial arts stage and viewing stands in the arena have been prepared. After a thorough check by both sides, confirming there were no issues, each party positioned personnel to guard the arena, preventing any unauthorized entries or actions that mightpromise the fairness of thepetition.


    Before thepetition began, Dragon and Tiger Martial Arts Academy stirred up hype everywhere, inviting martial arts figures to watch the fight. If it was just a regr martial arts academy, few would pay attention. But, the opponent this time was Dragon Tiger Hall, sure to attract many interested spectators. Even Zhou Qian and Ren Han from the Martial Arts Association flew from Beijing to East Sea City to witness the sparring personally.


    Apart from the martial arts figures congregating from across the country in East Sea City, another piece of news spread among the crowd.


    "Hey! Have you heard? Old Sir Tong from Dragon Tiger Hall is sick and in aa, now Dragon Tiger Hall is leaderless, how do you think their chances of winning are?"


    "That ce called... Dragon and Tiger Martial Arts Academy might be newly established, but their strength cannot be underestimated. I heard from a friend that the academy is full of experts, and the hall master is even a Heavenly List expert."


    "Is that for real? Where did so many Heavenly List expertse from? Are they worth so little nowadays that they''re running martial arts academies?"


    "Who knows, Huaxia is full of hidden talents; there are many experts; you just don''t know about them. You think everyone is like you, learning a few moves and thinking you''re invincible, wanting everyone to know how awesome you are. Hmph! Truly shallow."


    "No matter what, since Old Sir Tong is indisposed, Dragon Tiger Hall has lost a Heavenly List expert to oversee things; it''s likely difficult for them to beat that academy. I''d say Dragon Tiger Hall is in big trouble."


    For a time, everyone was talking about the odds for Dragon Tiger Hall and Dragon and Tiger Martial Arts Academy. Surprisingly, there were even bets ced outside the arena; many martial arts enthusiasts ced wagers. With Tong Zhentian unable to attend, there were few betting on Dragon Tiger Hall; most had their hopes on Dragon and Tiger Martial Arts Academy.


    Wednesday was the day of the battle between the two academies.


    Early in the morning, arge crowd of martial arts enthusiasts had gathered outside the arena, all hoping to get in early and secure a good seat.


    At eight o''clock, representatives from Dragon Tiger Hall and Dragon and Tiger Martial Arts Academy opened the arena doors. Immediately, the martial arts spectators surged inside, filling the venue instantly. It should be known that the sports arena''s usual capacity during basketballpetitions is around fifteen hundred people. But the seats were instantly packed, showing the immense interest in thispetition.


    After the spectators arrived, they waited for about half an hour before Dragon Tiger Hall''s members got to the arena. Leading the team was He Ziyun, since Tong Zhentian and Ling Chen were both absent; he had to step forward as the deputy hall master. Dragon Tiger Hall deployed a small team of only ten, half of whom wereposed of the Eight entrics: Qiu Yong, Xu Ming, Yuan Yun, Zhang Zhongfeng, and Xia Yue. Yang Chen and Wei Jiahao, due to their moderate skills, were not included.


    For thispetition, these five were considered the main force; the others served as substitutes. Unfortunately, even though Dragon Tiger Hall had experts, few were truly reliable. Therefore, it was deemed safer to rely on Qiu Yong and his crew. They were trusted members, and given Qiu Yong''s strength, they might possibly secure a victory for Dragon Tiger Hall.


    Once everyone was seated, Qiu Yong nced at the spectators and asked, "Mr. He, why hasn''t Ling Cheng arrived yet?"


    "I don''t know either." He Ziyun chuckled bitterly, "I''ve informed him before that thepetition takes ce today. He told me he would return as soon as possible. But in thest few days, I''ve called him more than ten times yet couldn''t reach him; no idea where he''s wandered off to."


    "What should we do?" Yuan Yun asked anxiously, "We''re short-handed."


    The rules of today''spetition had long been set: best of five matches. Each side sends five members, with one representing Dragon Tiger Hall and Dragon and Tiger Martial Arts Academy''s hall master. In essence, it''s a battle between hall masters, which is more a showdown between Heavenly List experts.


    It was precisely because of these rules that most spectators doubted Dragon Tiger Hall. Nevertheless, among the crowd, some did support Dragon Tiger Hall. After all, there were five matches; should Dragon Tiger Hall win three, they would im victory.


    Time ticked away; near nine o''clock, the people from Dragon and Tiger Martial Arts Academy finally arrivedte. Seeing the team from the academy, He Ziyun and others sensed something foreboding. They weren''t unfamiliar with the leader; it turned out to be Chen Quan, a Heavenly List expert. Recently, Chen Quan had been causing trouble with Zhu Hong in East Sea City, creating nuisances for Ling Chen and hispanions. Since Zhu Hong''s disappearance, Chen Quan had vanished without a trace. Now, he somehow became the hall master of Dragon and Tiger Martial Arts Academy¡ªthis change was quite drastic.


    ncing at Chen Quan, He Ziyun shifted his attention to the other members. This time, Chen Quan brought the same number of people, including middle-aged men in their thirties and youths in their twenties. These individuals seemed unfamiliar, never seen before. However, He Ziyun could sense an unusual aura from them.


    Too calm!


    For any skilled individual, there would be some fluctuation in emotions whenpeting. Yet, the opposing team maintained expressionless tranquility, like a well-trained army. Such people are undoubtedly the most terrifying.


    "Elder Qiu, what do you think?" He Ziyun asked.


    Qiu Yong scrutinized the opponents and responded solemnly, "These people... are not simple." Then, pondering for a moment, he said, "Second Brother, you''ll take the first round. How about that?"


    Xu Ming nodded, "Understood."


    The first match is crucial; neither Qiu Yong nor He Ziyun dared to be careless. Given their current circumstance, securing the first victory was necessary to boost morale. Among everyone, Xu Ming undoubtedly held the highest probability of winning.


    "Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion arrives!"


    Just then, a voice echoed from the arena entrance, immediately drawing everyone''s gaze.

 Chapter 1253 1561: Duel (Part 1)

    Very soon, Su He led a group of people through the entrance. Apart from Su He, the rest were familiar faces. Wang Hao, Su He''s newly epted disciple, caused amotion at thest opening ceremony of Dragon Tiger Hall, and was repaired by Ling Chen, leaving a deep impression on everyone.


    Watching Su He sit down on the spectator seats, the expressions of He Ziyun and others turned somewhat unsightly. They had long heard that Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion would send people to watch the match, but they never expected Su He himself toe. Su He''s entry instantly heated up the entire scene.


    The world''s number one expert personallying to watch undoubtedly elevated the level of this martialpetition by several grades.


    At this moment, Chen Quan quickly led everyone from the Martial Arts Academy to the spectator seats, cupped his fists towards Su He and the others to express his wee.


    Su He nodded and chatted with Chen Quan with a smile. This scene fell into the eyes of everyone, with a special meaning. Su Hepletely ignored the people from Dragon Tiger Hall, but chatted enthusiastically with those from Dragon and Tiger Martial Arts Academy. Anyone with a brain could see the problem in the differential treatment.


    It seemed thatpared to Dragon Tiger Hall, Su He was more biased towards Dragon and Tiger Martial Arts Academy.


    For everyone present, Su He''s attitude was undoubtedly a wind vane. Suddenly, there were more people outside betting that Dragon Tiger Hall would lose.


    Looking at Su He on the stand, Xu Ming frowned slightly, slowly lowered his head, his eyes shing, not knowing what he was thinking. From his clenched fists, it could be seen that his mood was not calm at the moment.


    After a while, Su He stood up from his seat, looked at everyone present, cleared his throat and said: "Ladies and gentlemen, I suppose you all have been eagerly anticipating today''s martial artspetition. Given that this match involves the confrontation between Heavenly List experts, our Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, upon the invitation of Dragon and Tiger Martial Arts Academy, will act as the referee. Before the match begins, I want to remind both sides topete fairly and not resort to tricks. Otherwise, if discovered, you will be judged to lose directly. Master Chen, Master He, do you have any questions?"


    Chen Quanughed and said: "Elder Su is the referee, we''ll follow your instructions."


    He Ziyun did not reply, just nodded.


    "Everyone has heard." He Ziyun nced at Qiu Yong and others, saying: "Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion is colluding with Dragon and Tiger Martial Arts Academy, having them as the referee is not good news for us."


    Xia Yue angrily cursed: "These people are really shameless, not only do they secretly harm Elder Tong, but they also use such despicable means to bully us. Having people from Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion as the referee clearly shows they are going to help the other side. What chance do we have to win?"


    "Fifth sister, don''t be hasty." Qiu Yong said: "The match hasn''t started yet, don''t jump to conclusions so quickly. Moreover, we aren''t that bad, even though we arecking a Heavenly List expert to sit in, your second brother and third brother are all experts. As long as we can win three battles, the victory will ultimately belong to us."


    After speaking, Qiu Yong turned to look at He Ziyun, saying: "Mr. He, could you call Ling Chen a few more times, ask where he is, and tell him to hurry over."


    "Alright, I''ll try again." Saying this, He Ziyun took out his phone and walked to the side.


    After a short break, at ten in the morning, the martialpetition between Dragon Tiger Hall and Dragon and Tiger Martial Arts Academy officially began.


    Dragon Tiger Hall sent Xu Ming, as this was the first match, securing victory was crucial otherwise the morale would take a heavy hit.


    Therefore, sending Xu Ming was the safest choice.


    As Xu Ming walked to the center of the venue, Su He on the stand squinted his eyes slightly, and looked at Xu Ming with interest. After a while, Su He turned his head and quietly instructed Wang Hao beside him. Wang Hao nodded, took out his phone and started pressing buttons. Simultaneously, Chen Quan from Dragon and Tiger Martial Arts Academy discreetly nced at his phone after taking it out, then stood up, pointed at a young man among his team.


    The young man immediately stepped into the arena.


    "Are both of you ready?" Su He asked: "If there are no issues, let''s begin, don''t waste everyone''s time."


    As soon as the voice fell, the young man took the first action, he charged forward, aiming at Xu Ming, and violently punched out. Faced with the young man''s offensive, Xu Ming remained calm and didn''t regard him seriously. As the opponent''s punch was about to reach him, Xu Ming slightly raised his hand and lightly tapped with two fingers, hitting the opponent''s wrist precisely.


    Instantly, the young man''s expression changed, his whole arm seemed crippled, helplessly drooping down. Without seeding in a move, the young man did not give up, he tucked the arm into the belt, securing the arm swinging back and forth to prevent it from affecting his movements.


    After preparing, the young man jumped up, twisted his waist sharply, like a spinning top, his legs swiftly rotating, straight towards Xu Ming''s head.


    Seeing the opponent''s movements, Xu Ming took a step back, raised his hands high. With a soft shout, the watching crowd didn''t catch what had happened, just heard an ''ah'', with a scream, the young man''s body fell directly from mid-air, crashing heavily onto the ground.


    Puff!


    A mouthful of blood spurted out, the young man fainted directly, lying motionless in the center of the field.


    With the battle over, the result was clear. Su He smiled slightly, stood up and announced: "Congrattions to Dragon Tiger Hall for winning the first match."


    Xu Ming nced at Su He on the stand, without saying a word, turned around and went back to the Dragon Tiger Hall''s seating area. "Well done." He Ziyun said.


    "They came prepared." Xu Ming sat down, said in a deep voice: "My opponent was too weak, at best ranking ninth on the Dragon List."


    Upon hearing this, Qiu Yong''s face turned unpleasant, saying: "They wanted to rece our strongest with their weakest, but¡­ how did they know your strength?"


    Xu Ming didn''t speak, he kept looking at the ground, eyesplex, not knowing what he was thinking. Seeing this, He Ziyun and Qiu Yong stopped asking. Dragon Tiger Hall was already leading the match, only needing to win two more matches to conclude the martialpetition smoothly.


    "Now, please let Dragon and Tiger Martial Arts Academy send out your team members first."


    Su He''s voice sounded, and a middle-aged man stood up from the Martial Arts Academy direction, he walked confidently into the field.


    He Ziyun watched the opponent, asked: "Does anyone recognize this person?"


    Qiu Yong and others replied: "Never seen him before." After speaking, everyone looked at each other, eyes showing a hint of hesitance, "Mr. He, who do you think we should send?"


    "I¡­" He Ziyun smiled wryly, "I don''t know who to send to the field either."

 Chapter 1254 1562: Duel (Part 2)

    He Ziyun felt a bit helpless. They knew nothing about the opponent''s identity, nor his strength, or what he was good at, so they couldn''t make a choice.


    "Dragon Tiger Hall, have you still not chosen a contestant? If you can''t decide in thirty seconds, I''ll rule this match as a forfeit for you."


    Su He''s urging voice came through, and after thinking it over, He Ziyun finally set his gaze on Yuan Yun. At this moment, they could only let Yuan Yun step in.


    Though Yuan Yun wasn''t the strongest, he was skilled in swordsmanship and an expert in aggressive attack strategies. Using him to probe the opponent''s strength was a good choice.


    As Yuan Yun stepped into the arena, the second match officially began. Yuan Yun drew his steel sword and looked at the opponent, saying, "I excel in using swords. To avoid anyone saying I took advantage, you pick your weapon."


    The middle-aged man said nothing, merely walked to the weapon rack beside the field, and selected a broad-backed big saber. The weight of the saber was hefty and very long, like a guillotine, intimidating in itself. Seeing his opponent also choose a big saber, Yuan Yun''s eyes turned serious instead of yful.


    He was an expert with swords, familiar with all kinds. He clearly understood how heavy the opponent''s saber was. To wield such a big saber, you''d need immense strength. No amateur would choose such a weapon.


    Their eyes met, and both sides remained silent, their gazes gradually bing sharp, like a de piercing the opponent''s body.


    In the blink of an eye, a minute passed, yet neither moved. However, their momentum had reached its peak. Now, they were both searching for the opponent''s w.


    After a while, the audience in the stands grew somewhat impatient. What the heck, all this time and neither made a move, just staring at each other. This wasn''t about who had the fiercer gaze; it was a duel, get into action already, weapons shing is what brings thrill.


    Perhaps the audience''sints were heard, as the middle-aged man''s body leaned slightly forward and finally initiated an attack. At the very instant the middle-aged man moved, Yuan Yun also acted. He raised his steel sword overhead, and with a shout, his body darted forward like an arrow from a bowstring, striking directly toward the opponent''s head.


    ng!


    A crisp sound echoed as the des shed instantaneously. In just a second, both shed over ten times, their movements a blur to the eyes. Those with less skill only saw a faint shadow, unable to clearly see the des.


    After ten seconds, both Yuan Yun and the middle-aged man mutually retreated, maintaining about a five-meter distance.


    "Third brother''s in trouble," said Xu Ming, who had been sitting silently, breaking the quiet.


    Hearing this, Xia Yue chimed in, "Second brother, it''s just started. Is that person really that formidable?"


    "Pay close attention to their breathing, and you''ll understand." Upon hearing this, everyone focused their attention on the breathing of the two. Indeed! After the initial sh, Yuan Yun''s breathing had gradually be rapid, indicating significant exertion. In contrast, the middle-aged man showed no expression, his breathing remaining steady. Theparison made it clear who was superior.


    Qiu Yong frowned, speaking gravely, "Third brother''s swordy emphasizes might, but the opponent''s swordy is no weaker. If he continues to butt heads, third brother might not be a match unless he can switch his attack style and find the opponent''s weak point."


    As they spoke, the middle-aged man raised his saber andunched another offensive. The big saber whistled through the air, the sound alone could make one shiver. Seeing the middle-aged man approach step by step, Yuan Yun shouted, lifting his steel sword to meet him.


    Another head-on sh? Seeing Yuan Yun''s action, Qiu Yong and the others couldn''t help but feel concerned. However, at this moment, Yuan Yun suddenly shifted a step to the left, avoiding the middle-aged man''s frontal attack. As one strike missed, the middle-aged man''s gaze immediately locked onto Yuan Yun again. His wrist turned, and the saber followed through to sh toward Yuan Yun''s head.


    The opponent was incredibly fast. Although the saber was heavy, in the middle-aged man''s hands, it was as agile as an extension of his arm, uninhibited by the de''s weight.


    Yuan Yun did not expect the opponent to react so swiftly. Caught off guard, he quickly raised his steel sword to block the saber''s strike.


    Another ''ng'' resounded, and Yuan Yun slipped, retreating three or four meters. Feeling the pain in his hands, Yuan Yun''s heart sank a little. Such formidable strength! This person didn''t look particrly strong, but his power was astonishing.


    In the split second of thought, the middle-aged man''s attack was already upon him. Seeing this, Yuan Yun gritted his teeth, advancing instead of retreating, waving his steel sword as he charged.


    One step¡­ two steps¡­ suddenly, Yuan Yun crouched and leapt high, jumping from the middle-aged man''s front to his back. Seizing the moment, Yuan Yun swung back with a strike, yet the middle-aged man''s response was swift. He already had the saber raised above his head, blocking the attack.


    Even though one strike failed, Yuan Yun wasn''t disheartened,unching strike after strike like a continuous tide, his Sword Force surging, momentum increasing. After over ten strikes, the middle-aged man''s steps began to slowly retreat, a hint of surprise in his eyes. At this moment, he clearly felt that Yuan Yun''s Sword Force was growing stronger, with each strike outpowering thest, as if his force could umte.


    This transformation added a hint of gravity to the middle-aged man''s stern face. Seeing Yuan Yun''s offensive gaining strength, the middle-aged man''s eyes bulged, and he let out a loud roar. Then, his Sword Force changed,pletely disregarding Yuan Yun''s attack, swinging directly at Yuan Yun''s shoulder.


    Seeing this, the onlookers couldn''t help but exim in shock. This man was too bold, abandoning defense like that¡ªdid he intend mutual destruction?


    At that moment, Qiu Yong and the others all stood up from their seats, their eyes riveted on the two in the arena.


    If Yuan Yun didn''t retreat, both would be executed by the opponent''s steel sword. But, if Yuan Yun retreated, the Sword Force he painstakingly umted would dissipate instantly. Once the opponent was prepared, he would be unlikely to find such a good attack opportunity again.


    At this moment, almost everyone''s gaze was fixed on Yuan Yun. Everyone wanted to know, what choice would Yuan Yun make? His choice would decide the oue of this duel.


    As everyone held their breath, only Xu Ming''s attention was on Su He. At this juncture, does the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, as the judge, not intend to intervene?

 Chapter 1255 - 1563: Duel (3)

    <h4>Chapter 1255: Chapter 1563: Duel (3)</h4>


    "Third brother!" Xia Yue, unable to hold herposure, couldn¡¯t help but shout out.


    However, Yuan Yun in the center of the arena seemed not to hear Xia Yue¡¯s shout; his attention was entirely focused on his opponent. Seeing that his opponent had no intention of stopping, Yuan Yun gritted his teeth and abandoned the thought of holding back. His opponent wasn¡¯t afraid to die, and neither was he.


    With a downward sh, Yuan Yun¡¯s wrist trembled slightly, and the steel de that was originally aimed at his opponent¡¯s shoulder suddenly shifted horizontally towards the middle-aged man¡¯s neck. Striking the shoulder wouldn¡¯t necessarily be fatal, at most it would result in the loss of an arm. However, if the head were to be chopped off, not even the gods could save you.


    This subtle action by Yuan Yun immediately took everyone by surprise. However, amidst their surprise, there was also a strong sense of admiration.


    When others are ruthless, you must be even more ruthless!


    "Stop!" At this critical moment, a voice finally came from the stands. Almost simultaneously, Yuan Yun and the middle-aged man withdrew their des and retreated to the side.


    After a brief moment of bewilderment, the audience finally came to their senses and turned their eyes towards Su He on the stands.


    "Elder Su, you are the referee. Who do you think is the winner of this duel?" someone shouted loudly.


    Su He smiled faintly, "It was a brilliant match, both contestants performed well. However, if we talk about victory and defeat, they are both slightlycking, so I believe dering a draw is the fairest decision."


    Upon hearing these words, the crowd began to discuss among themselves. Some agreed with Su He¡¯s decision, while others were dissatisfied. It was obvious to the clear-eyed spectators that the middle-aged man¡¯s final move was a result of desperation, meant to force Yuan Yun back due to his inability to withstand Yuan Yun¡¯s assault; nheless, Yuan Yun wasn¡¯t buying it and instead intensified his attack.


    If those two shes hadnded, Yuan Yun would undoubtedly have been the victor, while the middle-aged man would have faced certain death. Therefore, some people felt that Su He¡¯s judgment was unfair. A grandmaster from the Heavenly List couldn¡¯t possibly miss something so apparent to so many.


    He Ziyun remarked with a displeased expression, "Elder Su, isn¡¯t this decision unfair? Our contestant from the Dragon Tiger Hall was clearly in the lead, so why dere a draw?"


    Su He replied indifferently, "Martial arts duels are ever-changing. Having the upper hand at one moment doesn¡¯t mean it willst, and it is very likely that the next moment he could be killed by his opponent. Such situations aren¡¯t rare, so it¡¯s not enough to determine the result based on temporary advantage. Master He, if you think my judgment is wed, you may ask everyone present. If everyone believes my judgment is wrong, I¡¯ll immediately correct it. What do you think?"


    "You..."


    "Mr. He, let it go!" Qiu Yong gripped He Ziyun¡¯s sleeve and whispered, "Su He is clearly biased, but we can¡¯t fight that. Regardless, a draw is better than a defeat, and we still have chances to win."


    He Ziyun took a deep breath, slowly calming his inner anger, and nodded, "Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t act rashly."


    While speaking, Yuan Yun had already stepped down from the arena. Seeing him panting heavily, Qiu Yong patted his shoulder and said, "Well done."


    "Big brother, Mr. He, I¡¯m sorry, I let you down." Yuan Yun felt very apologetic. They could have won this match, but it ended in a draw, and he was unwilling to let it go.


    "It¡¯s okay, it¡¯s not your fault, the me lies with the treacherous ones from the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion." After a pause, Qiu Yong asked, "Third brother, I¡¯ve never seen you use that de technique before."


    "That¡¯s a technique I recentlyprehended. Didn¡¯t the sixth brother ask each of us to choose a martial arts manual best suited for ourselves? That¡¯s it. Unfortunately, I was just a bit shy of defeating my opponent."


    Upon hearing this, Qiu Yong and others realized the situation.


    "Elder Qiu, we have the first move in the third round. Who do you think is most suitable?" He Ziyun asked.


    Qiu Yong looked at their members. Xu Ming and Yuan Yun had already participated, and the remaining candidates were himself, Zhang Zhongfeng, and Xia Yue. Xia Yue¡¯s strength was too weak, unsuitable for the arena. As for Zhang Zhongfeng... Qiu Yong pondered for a while and then excluded him.


    Zhang Zhongfeng was reputed as Huaxia¡¯s number one archer, indeed formidable, but his skillset was too singr and would easily be targeted. Besides, the opponents from the Martial Arts Academy came prepared, surely equipped to handle him. After much contemtion, Qiu Yong felt that he was probably the most suitable candidate.


    "Mr. He, if there¡¯s no other option, I¡¯ll have to step in."


    "You?" He Ziyun was slightly taken aback and immediately refused, "No way! You can¡¯t go on now; it¡¯s not yet your time to make a move."


    "Mr. He, let Big Brother go." Xu Ming chimed in, "The contestants, as you can see, are very skilled, far from ordinary. If we switch to Fourth and Fifth siblings, the chances of winning are minimal. Apart from Big Brother having the capability to fight, the others¡¯ hope is very slim."


    "But... if we send Elder Qiu now, who will go next time?"


    Qiu Yong thought for a moment and asked, "Mr. He, is there still no contact with the sixth brother?"


    "I called him, but there was no answer," He Ziyun sighed lightly, "Ling Chen might not make it back in time, we can¡¯t pin all our hopes on him now."


    "Big brother, why don¡¯t you let me give it a shot?" Zhang Zhongfeng volunteered, "Currently, our record is one win and one draw. Even losing one round isn¡¯t too much of a setback."


    Qiu Yong couldn¡¯t decide, so he turned to the others and asked, "Do any of you have better suggestions?"


    "Everyone, you might have overlooked something very important." Xu Ming spoke slowly, "In the next two duels, we must win both to have a chance at victory. If we lose even one, we are defeated."


    Upon hearing this, everyone immediately understood Xu Ming¡¯s point. The first four duels were fought by members of the Dragon Tiger Hall and the Dragon and Tiger Martial Arts Academy, with the final match being a contest between the hall masters. Now with Tong Zhentian unconscious, the Dragon Tiger Hall couldn¡¯t find anyone to match Chen Quan. There was still Ji Gang, but he wasn¡¯t considered an option.


    Ji Gang was just a puppet without his own consciousness, severely limited in strength. Whether he could defeat Chen Quan was uncertain. Furthermore, if Ji Gang were to be discovered by the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, Su He wouldn¡¯t show mercy. After all, when Ji Gang was still with the God Organization, he onceunched an attack on the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, causing it significant losses. Given the vengeful nature of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, they wouldn¡¯t spare Ji Gang. Therefore, Ji Gang couldn¡¯t go on stage.


    With these considerations, everyone found themselves in a dilemma.


    "What¡¯s wrong, is the Dragon Tiger Hall unable to send anyone else?" A slightly mocking voice came, focusing everyone¡¯s attention on Qiu Yong and his group.

 Chapter 1256 - 1564: Duel (Part 4)

    <h4>Chapter 1256: Chapter 1564: Duel (Part 4)</h4>


    "I¡¯m going!" Qiu Yong no longer hesitated and strode into the center of the arena, looking coldly at the people from the Dragon and Tiger Martial Arts Academy.


    Seeing Qiu Yong enter the arena, a peculiar smile appeared on the faces of Chen Quan and others. "You, go ahead." Chen Quan gestured, and a middle-aged man immediately walked onto the stage without a word. This middle-aged man was very strong, standing at 1.85 meters tall, with muscles bulging all over as if bursting with explosive power.


    The appearance of the middle-aged man immediately piqued the intense interest of the audience. Everyone knew that Qiu Yong, as the leader of the Eight Oddities, was best skilled in cross training. Judging by the physique of this man sent by the Dragon and Tiger Martial Arts Academy, his path seemed simr to Qiu Yong¡¯s. Therefore, this battle was sure to be exceptionally exciting.


    "Qiu Yong, please enlighten me!" Qiu Yong made a polite gesture. Although both parties were adversaries, Qiu Yong still maintained the proper demeanor and courtesy in the martial arts ring.


    However, the opponent showed no intention of returning the courtesy, instead staring coldly at Qiu Yong with a slightly cruel smile.


    "Old man, I advise you to get off now and spare yourself the embarrassment. I¡¯m afraid you won¡¯t be able to withstand my punch," the middle-aged man mocked.


    Qiu Yong remained unfazed and replied faintly, "That¡¯s my business, you don¡¯t need to worry. Come on, don¡¯t waste time, let me see how capable you are." As soon as the words fell, the middle-aged man burst intoughter, took big strides, and charged directly at Qiu Yong.


    The speed of the middle-aged man was neither fast nor slow. With his body, if he could still move quickly, there wouldn¡¯t be many who could match him. Seeing the opponent rush over, Qiu Yong lightly touched his toes and gently tapped his opponent¡¯s shoulders with his hands. Using the force from the middle-aged man, Qiu Yong¡¯s body flew away instantly,nding at the edge of the arena.


    Qiu Yong¡¯s move was just a way to test his opponent¡¯s strength and take advantage of the middle-aged man¡¯s power to move away, so he wasn¡¯t injured.


    After an unsessful attack, the middle-aged man did not hesitate and charged again. As before, Qiu Yong still did not confront him directly but relied on agile movement to dodge the opponent¡¯s charge.


    The continuous evasions drew booing from the audience. Everyone expected an exciting duel, but Qiu Yong¡¯s persistent retreat was disappointing. Since both trained cross training, naturally, they should engage in hand-to-hand and foot-to-footbat; that¡¯s what would be interesting.


    Despite the booing around him, Qiu Yong acted as if he hadn¡¯t heard it, continuing to focus on his opponent. This battle was crucial for the Dragon Tiger Hall, so what he needed to do was not satisfy the audience but to be cautious and strive for victory.


    At this moment, the middle-aged man stopped and looked at Qiu Yong, saying, "Old man, are you fighting or not? It¡¯s shameful for the leader of the Eight Oddities to be so cowardly. If you don¡¯t want to spar with me, then get off quickly and stop wasting everyone¡¯s time. Isn¡¯t that right?" He asked the audience with hisst sentence.


    Qiu Yong frowned slightly and said in a deep voice, "How I choose to fight is my business, and it¡¯s none of your concern."


    "Jiang Qing, stop wasting words and start fighting," urged Chen Quan from the stands.


    The middle-aged man named Jiang Qing nodded and walked towards Qiu Yong again. As Jiang Qing approached step by step, Qiu Yong let out a light shout, suddenly quickening his pace and swiftly charging towards his opponent. In the blink of an eye, Qiu Yong was already close to Jiang Qing. "Good move!" Jiang Qing shouted, throwing a punch.


    Facing the strong steel fist, Qiu Yong did not retreat but raised his fist to collide with the opponent¡¯s.


    Bam!


    Instantly, the two fists collided fiercely, producing a dull sound. At the same time, Qiu Yong¡¯s expression slightly changed, his feet moving half an inch backward. Although the movement was small, it surprised the Dragon Tiger Hall members. Everyone knew Qiu Yong¡¯s strength well, having practiced cross training for years. Moreover, with support from others, his skill level had long broken into the Earthly List. Now, being pushed back by an unknown figure left them astonished.


    At this moment, the Dragon Tiger Hall members were incredibly worried. They initially thought Qiu Yong would secure this match, but now, it seemed much harder than anticipated.


    While everyone was worrying about Qiu Yong, he and Jiang Qing had already shed over ten times, every time with Jiang Qing having the upper hand in power. If this continued, Qiu Yong would be suppressed sooner orter. Fortunately, Qiu Yong was not a novice; having lived for so many years, hisbat experience was the most abundant.


    Given the opponent¡¯s strength advantage, he couldn¡¯t continue direct confrontation; otherwise, he would lose out. As the punch came, Qiu Yong slid his feet, dodging frontally and quickly moving to the opponent¡¯s back. Without waiting for Jiang Qing¡¯s reaction, Qiu Yong seized the opportunity and punched at the opponent¡¯s back.


    Bam!


    Fist met flesh, and the members of Dragon Tiger Hall rejoiced. With a sessful strike, Jiang Qing would surely fall behind. However, looking at the Dragon and Tiger Martial Arts Academy people, they remained calm and unrestrained, unmoved by the situation on stage, as if everything was under their control.


    At this moment, Qiu Yong¡¯s eyes brightened slightly, quickly retracting his fist and preparing for a second attack. However, this punch was blocked by Jiang Qing¡¯s hands. Only to see Jiang Qing¡¯s fingers firmly gripping Qiu Yong¡¯s fist, making it impossible to move forward or backward. After several attempts, Qiu Yong¡¯s expression changed. He was shocked to find Jiang Qing¡¯s strength had unexpectedly grown stronger,pletely suppressing him.


    This... how is this possible? Qiu Yong looked at Jiang Qing incredulously; had he been concealing his power all along?


    As he pondered, he heard Jiang Qing¡¯s satisfiedughter. "Old man, this is all you¡¯ve got? You¡¯re too weak. I told you to get off quickly, but you insisted on staying. Since that¡¯s the case, you¡¯ll pay the price." With these words, Jiang Qing¡¯s arm suddenly pulled hard, drawing Qiu Yong nearer.


    Seeing this, Qiu Yong resolutely abandoned defense and went all out on the offensive. With a Mountain Copse, his shoulder and elbow fiercely mmed into Jiang Qing¡¯s body. Instantaneously, a thud was heard, and Jiang Qing¡¯s legs flew off the ground, falling heavily.


    "Good!" He Ziyun and others in the audience couldn¡¯t help but shout after witnessing this scene, finally relieved.


    "This match is almost certain now." Xia Yue said with a smile.


    Yuan Yun chimed in, "Luckily our big brother is in the match, otherwise it would be hard for anyone else to win."


    "Don¡¯t celebrate too early." At this point, Xu Ming¡¯s voice came from the seating area.

 Chapter 1257 - 1565: Duel (5)

    <h4>Chapter 1257: Chapter 1565: Duel (5)</h4>


    "Second brother, that Jiang Qing is already injured, doesn¡¯t big brother stand a chance to win?" Xia Yue asked.


    Xu Ming shook his head and didn¡¯t respond, but the worry in his eyes showed he didn¡¯t have high hopes for this match. At this moment, everyone¡¯s eyes were focused on Jiang Qing. After being repelled by Qiu Yong¡¯s Mountain Copse technique, Jiang Qingy t on the ground in a ¡¯big¡¯ shape, showing no sign of movement for quite some time. Some began to whisper, wondering if Jiang Qing had fainted.


    While everyone was whispering, Jiang Qing suddenly sat up from the ground. Immediately after, he grinned and beganughing heartily, as if he were enjoying himself immensely.


    Standing up, Jiang Qing patted his chest andughed loudly, saying, "That was satisfying. Let¡¯s continue!" With that, Jiang Qing pushed off the ground with his toes, charging toward Qiu Yong like a raging bull. Seeing this, Qiu Yong attempted to repeat his previous strategy, shifting positions to avoid Jiang Qing¡¯s rush. However, Jiang Qing seemed to anticipate his move and suddenly redirected his charge, locking onto Qiu Yong¡¯s new position.


    Qiu Yong¡¯s eyes narrowed, attempting to shift again. But before he could move, Jiang Qing elerated, his speed doubling from before, closing the distance between them.


    With no way to avoid it, Qiu Yong had no choice but to meet it head-on. He crossed his hands and pushed forward, attempting to block Jiang Qing¡¯s head. Yet, feeling the strong power emanating from Jiang Qing, Qiu Yong¡¯s expression suddenly changed. Before he could react, Jiang Qing¡¯s head broke through his hands, colliding with his abdomen.


    Instantly, a surge of pain hit Qiu Yong, and his body flew backwards,nding further away. Before hended, he caught sight of a blur ¡ª Jiang Qing had charged at him again. Still airborne, with no support from his feet, Qiu Yong was helpless against Jiang Qing¡¯s rush, barely managing to kick toward Jiang Qing¡¯s head with his right foot for leverage, propelling himself upwards once more.


    Watching Qiu Yong soar into the air, Jiang Qing suddenly halted, a triumphant smile ying on his lips.


    "I dere Dragon and Tiger Martial Arts Academy the winner of this match," Su He¡¯s voice echoed throughout the gymnasium just as Qiu Yong¡¯s feet touched the ground.


    Lost? Qiu Yong was slightly stunned ¡ª how was this possible? He hadn¡¯t been defeated; why was he dered the loser? Just as he was about to argue, his gaze was drawn to the white line at his feet.


    This is... Qiu Yong¡¯s heart sank, immediately realizing the situation. He was out ¡ª ording to the match rules, if one side steps out of bounds, they are dered the loser. The area of the arena was twenty by twenty meters, under normal circumstances one rarely steps out of bounds. However, under Jiang Qing¡¯s continuous assaults, Qiu Yong had been propelled over ten meters,nding beyond the white line.


    Thinking about this, Qiu Yong couldn¡¯t help but sigh in frustration. He had aimed to win this round with all his strength, unexpected loss left him feeling aggrieved.


    Back at the Dragon Tiger Hall¡¯s seating, everyone¡¯s mood was dejected. However, regardless of the oue, Qiu Yong¡¯s failure wasn¡¯t deliberate, and he couldn¡¯t be med. He Ziyun voluntarily walked over to Qiu Yong, patted his shoulder, offeringfort, "Elder Qiu, you did your best, we still have a chance."


    "Sorry, I was careless."


    "Big brother, there¡¯s no need to apologize. Even if there hadn¡¯t been any unexpected incidents, you couldn¡¯t have matched him head-on. This battle, whatever the conditions, you had no chance of winning."


    Upon hearing Xu Ming¡¯s voice, everyone was taken aback. Xia Yue eximed, "Second brother, big brother clearly injured Jiang Qing. If he had held on a little longer, Jiang Qing surely would have lost."


    "Really?" Xu Ming replied indifferently, "That¡¯s just wishful thinking. The technique Jiang Qing practices seems unusual; if I¡¯m not mistaken, it¡¯s a skill that harms oneself before others. Big brother¡¯s attack didn¡¯t affect him. On the contrary, the stronger the attack, the greater the pain he endures, enhancing Jiang Qing¡¯s strength. Big brother must have felt this during the confrontation."


    Qiu Yong thought for a moment, nodding, "That¡¯s true, I assumed he was holding back his strength."


    "So, under such circumstances, big brother¡¯s chance of winning was very slim. In a way, losing may be better to avoid sustaining serious injury."


    "What do we do now?" Yuan Yun asked, "Big brother, second brother, we¡¯ve already lost one match. If we don¡¯t win all uing matches, we¡¯re finished."


    Upon hearing this, everyone fell into silence. Qiu Yong, Xu Ming, Yuan Yun, the three had alreadypeted, yielding one win, one loss, and one draw. He Ziyun was certainly going topete, but his opponent would be Chen Quan. It¡¯s evident that their match has no suspense, with Chen Quan sure to win. Thus, they must aim for another win to level the score with their opponents. As for what happens after, they¡¯d rather not consider it for now.


    "Next is the fourth match, please Dragon and Tiger Martial Arts Academy send yourpetitor," Su He¡¯s voice announced, prompting a middle-aged man in his thirties to step forward, awaiting Dragon Tiger Hall to send their challenger.


    He Ziyun studied the middle-aged man on the field, asking solemnly, "Who do you think shouldpete?"


    Qiu Yong nced at Zhang Zhongfeng beside him, sighing, "Let the fourth brother go. He¡¯s the only suitable choice left."


    The others nodded in agreement. Zhang Zhongfeng silently picked up his bow and arrow, preparing topete. Just then, He Ziyun received a phone call. It was brief, onlysting seconds before he hung up.


    "Mr. He, what¡¯s the matter?" Yuan Yun asked.


    "Nothing." With that, He Ziyun moved to the center of the arena. Seeing this, Chen Quan teased, "Master He, it¡¯s not your turn to fight me yet, are you eager to lose?"


    "He knows he¡¯ll lose anyway, so it¡¯s better to finish the fight and go home quickly rather than stay and be embarrassed," quipped the Martial Arts Academy folks.


    He Ziyun, unfazed by their ridicule, spoke to himself, "Master Chen, I wish to raise the stakes a bit, what do you think?"


    "Raise the stakes?" The crowd, along with Chen Quan and his team, were momentarily stunned. Observers could clearly see that Dragon Tiger Hall was destined to lose with no winning potential. Yet, knowing he¡¯d lose, He Ziyun wanted to raise the stakes ¡ª what was he nning? Could it be... he had an ace up his sleeve?

 Chapter 1258 - 1566: Raising the Stakes

    <h4>Chapter 1258: Chapter 1566: Raising the Stakes</h4>


    Facing the crowd¡¯s lively discussion, Chen Quan stared at what He Ziyun was doing in the arena, his eyes flickering as if hesitating over something. After a while, he asked, "Master He, you want to raise the stakes, what exactly is it?"


    "As everyone knows, Dragon Tiger Hall possesses rich heritage umted over time, which is a very rare treasure. So, I would like to put up ten lost Martial Arts manuals as a stake. What do you think, Master Chen?"


    Ten lost Martial Arts manuals? For a moment, everyone in the audience was shocked, eyes gleaming. If someone else had proposed these stakes, no one might believe them. However, Dragon Tiger Hall is different from other forces; it truly has this heritage. Back when Dragon Tiger Hall first opened, they presented a few lost Martial Arts manuals.


    Regarding He Ziyun¡¯s proposal, Chen Quan was lost in thought. Undeniably, He Ziyun¡¯s proposal was indeed tempting. Ten lost Martial Arts manuals represent vast wealth for martial artists. While pondering, Chen Quan subtly nced at Su He in the stands, their eyes meeting, with thetter gently shaking his head.


    Understanding Su He¡¯s intentions, Chen Quan cursed inwardly. Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion also possesses such heritage, so they don¡¯t care about those Martial Arts manuals. He had no choice; Su He was in charge now, and he had toply. After thinking it over, Chen Quan said, "Master He, though your stakes are alluring, unfortunately, I¡¯m not very interested, so... let¡¯s continue with the duel."


    "What, you think the stakes aren¡¯t enough?" He Ziyun nodded, "Alright, since you think it¡¯s insufficient, I¡¯ll raise the stakes further, wager the entire Dragon Tiger Hall; are you interested?"


    Upon hearing this, Chen Quan was shocked.


    "Master He, are you sure you¡¯re not joking?"


    "Do I look like I¡¯m joking?"


    "This..." Chen Quan hesitated. He was tempted by the ten lost Martial Arts manuals, but since Su He was indifferent, he had to let it go. But now, it¡¯s different; He Ziyun wants to wager the entire Dragon Tiger Hall, which is iparable to the ten Martial Arts manuals.


    He nced at Su He in the stands; thetter was also pondering. He Ziyun¡¯s proposal had already intrigued him. However, the main reason they hadn¡¯t decided was He Ziyun¡¯s hidden card. In the current situation, Dragon Tiger Hall had almost no chance of winning. In such a case, He Ziyun¡¯s proposal seemed bizarre. It was unclear whether He Ziyun was despairing or truly held an ace up his sleeve.


    Not only Su He and Chen Quan but even Qiu Yong and others were astonished by He Ziyun¡¯s proposal. Since the beginning of the duel, He Ziyun hadn¡¯t discussed this with them; it was entirely his own decision. What... is he trying to do?


    "Brother, what is Mr. He trying to do?" Xia Yue said urgently, "Knowing he¡¯s bound to lose, yet he does this, does he want to hand over the entire Dragon Tiger Hall to others?"


    Yuan Yun said solemnly, "Mr. He intends to betray Ling Cheng. Brother, we must stop him."


    Qiu Yong shook his head, saying, "Don¡¯t act impulsively, we all know what kind of man Mr. He is, and Ling Cheng knows him the longest. I believe Mr. He wouldn¡¯t do anything against Ling Chen. He must have his reasons for doing this. Let¡¯s not rush and observe the situation first."


    After a few minutes of consideration, Su He finally decided, nodding to Chen Quan.


    "Alright, I ept your proposal," Chen Quan said.


    "Then... if you lose, what will you wager?" He Ziyun said, "I¡¯m wagering the entire Dragon Tiger Hall; you need to have equivalent stakes."


    "I¡¯ll wager the entire Martial Arts Academy; how does Master He feel about that?"


    "Master Chen, do you think that¡¯s fair? The wealth of Dragon Tiger Hall is well-known, what does your Dragon and Tiger Martial Arts Academy have? Aside from a valuable Martial Arts Academy, is there anything else? If you want to bet, at least show some sincerity."


    Chen Quan was speechless for a moment; he couldn¡¯t produce a stake that would satisfy He Ziyun. Unless Su He took charge, otherwise, he didn¡¯t know how to respond. As he was pondering, suddenly his phone rang in his pocket. Taking out his phone and reading the message on the screen, Chen Quan was secretly surprised; Su He indeed had extravagant ns.


    After organizing his words, Chen Quan said, "Master He, I don¡¯t have the heritage of Dragon Tiger Hall. How about this: I exchange ten properties; what do you think?"


    He Ziyun pondered for a moment, then said, "Alright. However, I need to know the value of those properties, to see if they¡¯re worth gambling the entire Dragon Tiger Hall."


    "Okay." With that, Chen Quan looked at Su He. Thetter immediately said, "Since both sides want to raise the stakes, let¡¯s suspend the duel until everything is confirmed." After saying that, Su He stood up with Wang Hao and others, leaving the stands and heading towards the lounge.


    Meanwhile, people from Dragon Tiger Hall and Dragon and Tiger Martial Arts Academy also returned to their respective lounges.


    Upon entering the lounge, Yuan Yun couldn¡¯t hold back his curiosity and asked, "Mr. He, what¡¯s going on, why are you doing this?"


    He Ziyun smiled faintly, "Everyone, please calm down. I understand your feelings, but trust me, I would never do anything that harms the interests of Dragon Tiger Hall."


    Upon hearing this, Zhang Zhongfeng seemed to understand something and responded, "Mr. He, do you have an ace up your sleeve?"


    "To be honest, I don¡¯t know either. Now, we can only hope for a miracle."


    At the moment, in another lounge, Chen Quan and Su He were discussing in low voices.


    "Don¡¯t you find it strange that He Ziyun suddenly proposed to raise the stakes? I¡¯m wondering if he¡¯s setting a trap for us."


    "Are you scared?" Su He said indifferently, "Ling Chen is dead, Tong Zhentian is injured, Dragon Tiger Hall¡¯s two main pirs have fallen; what else are you afraid of? Even if He Ziyun has other tricks, so what? I¡¯ve given you so many resources; can¡¯t you handle this duel? Chen Quan, if you can¡¯t even manage this, then you have no value at all."


    Chen Quan was inwardly furious, almost wanting to explode at that moment. However, considering his situation, he had to suppress his anger and said sternly, "Rest assured, I won¡¯t mess this up." Pausing for a moment, Chen Quan shifted his tone and asked, "How long until those documents arrive?"


    Su He checked the time and said, "If nothing unexpected happens, about an hour. Just wait!"

 Chapter 1259 - 1567: Tie

    <h4>Chapter 1259: Chapter 1567: Tie</h4>


    After an hour and a half, the people from Dragon Tiger Hall, Dragon and Tiger Martial Arts Academy, and the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion returned to the gymnasium.


    "Master He, here are the documents you requested, please have a look." Chen Quan handed a folder to He Ziyun. Looking at the documents inside, He Ziyun nodded slightly and said, "Very good, it¡¯s all in order."


    The value of these ten properties is extremely high, and some are unobtainable even with money. It¡¯s easy to guess that these properties must be assets of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion. Even for the wealthy Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, these properties are very precious. If they didn¡¯t have absolute confidence in winning this match, they certainly wouldn¡¯t be so generous as to use these properties as stakes. "Master He, since everything¡¯s in order, shall we begin?"


    "No problem." With that, He Ziyun turned and returned to his seat in the Dragon Tiger Hall section, waiting for the Dragon and Tiger Martial Arts Academy to send someone to the stage.


    Chen Quan seemed to have already made a decision as a middle-aged man in his forties stood at the edge of the arena, ready to enter. Walking to the center, the middle-aged man sped his hands, saluting all those present.


    "Master He, it¡¯s now your turn to send someone from Dragon Tiger Hall," Su He said casually.


    He Ziyun smiled slightly, "Elder Su, don¡¯t worry. Dragon Tiger Hall never disappoints." As he finished speaking, a tall and slender young man, wearing a harmless smile, strode out from the aisle of the gymnasium.


    "Sorry to keep you all waiting, I¡¯ll be representing in this duel."


    As the other party¡¯s voice rang out, everyone focused their attention on the young man.


    "That¡¯s... that¡¯s Ling Chen, the vice hall master of Dragon Tiger Hall."


    "This guy finally showed up. I was just wondering why he hadn¡¯t appeared yet when such a big event happened at Dragon Tiger Hall."


    "Hmph! So what if he showed up, Dragon Tiger Hall will still lose. Does he think he can change the oue of this match?" Someone scoffed at Ling Chen¡¯s arrival, thinking it was a waste of time.


    As Ling Chen appeared in the aisle, Chen Quan, Su He, and Wang Hao¡¯s pupils slightly shrank, with a hint of disbelief in their expressions.


    This... how is this possible? Isn¡¯t he dead? Why is he here?


    Wang Hao rubbed his eyes hard, believing it was all an illusion. It was impossible for Ling Chen to be here. But, no matter how much he refused to believe it, Ling Chen was indeed real. Su He squinted, examining Ling Chen as he walked, a cold gleam shing in his murky old eyes.


    Entering the center of the arena, Ling Chen waved to Qiu Yong and the others. From start to finish, his gaze never strayed towards the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion¡¯s position.


    "Sorry for the wait," Ling Chen smiled slightly, looking at his opponent, "There¡¯s no time to lose, let¡¯s start right away."


    "Mr. He, you kept this secret from us," Yuan Yun said helplessly. "If you had told us earlier that Sixth Brother wasing back, we wouldn¡¯t have worried so much."


    He Ziyun smiled apologetically, "I wasn¡¯t sure if he could make it back in time. Earlier, he called and told me to try to dy things. I thought about it a lot and realized the only way was to increase the stakes to attract the interest of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, thereby buying some time."


    "So you used the entire Dragon Tiger Hall as a wager?" Qiu Yong chimed in, "Since Sixth Brother is back, this match shouldn¡¯t be a problem, but the key is the final match. Who will face Chen Quan then?"


    "Well..." He Ziyun nced at Ling Chen on the stage and said, "I think Ling Chen should have a solution."


    As they spoke, the battle on the ground began. The middle-aged man facing Ling Chen showed no courtesy, opting for a direct aggressive approach. As for Ling Chen... he seemed the most at ease. No matter how fierce the opponent¡¯s attack, Ling Chen maintained the fastest movement speed. With the guidance of the Nine Yang Qiankun Step, his body was like a gust of wind, rapidly changing positions, so much so that the opponent couldn¡¯t even touch his sleeve.


    Seeing the situation on the field, Chen Quan and Su He, among others, didn¡¯t look pleased. They selected their representatives targeting the weaknesses of Dragon Tiger Hall, be it Zhang Zhongfeng, Yuan Yun, or Qiu Yong. Chen Quan and Su He had meticulously prepared, but Ling Chen was the exception. In their view, Ling Chen was supposed to be dead and wouldn¡¯t appear in the arena. Therefore, none of the martial artists chosen had a counter for the Nine Yang Qiankun Step.


    As time ticked by, the audience gradually lost interest in the match. So much time had passed, yet the Dragon and Tiger Martial Arts Academy¡¯s contender couldn¡¯t even touch Ling Chen¡¯s sleeve, while Ling Chen moved as though he was leisurely strolling, seemingly toying with his opponent. By this stage in the match, who was stronger and who was weaker was evident. So, the audience no longer held any expectations for the martial artist and just hoped that Ling Chen would swiftly conclude the match to allow for the final exciting showdown.


    After a while, Ling Chen got tired of ying and seized an opportunity to close in on the middle-aged man, knocking him to the ground with one punch.


    With Su He¡¯s voice echoing, Ling Chen secured this round. So far, Dragon Tiger Hall¡¯s record stood at two wins, one loss, and one draw. If they won just one more, they would im the victory title.


    "The next battle will be between the hall masters of both sides," Su He stood up, surveying everyone present, and dered, "Please prepare ordingly."


    "Elder Su," at this moment, Ling Chen stepped forward and loudly asked, "If this match ends in a victory for Master Chen, then we would be tied. Elder Su, as the judge of this contest, I would like to ask if the result would be a draw, or would we have another match until there¡¯s a winner?"


    Su He pondered for a moment and said, "In a contest of martial arts, naturally, there should be a decisive winner, especially since both sides have already ced bets. If it ends in a draw, there will be another match."


    "Alright," Ling Chen nodded and smiled, "I have no further questions, Elder Su, please proceed."


    "Master, it seems Ling Chen intends to forfeit this match, to avoid Chen Quan, and seek a chance to win in the additional match," Wang Hao said.


    "His little schemes are obvious to me. Hmph! If that¡¯s what he¡¯s thinking, he¡¯s gravely mistaken. I won¡¯t give him that chance."


    After a brief rest, the match resumed, with Chen Quan and He Ziyun representing their respective sides. As expected, before the match could begin, He Ziyun conceded in advance, allowing Chen Quan to win without a fight. As such, the score stood at two to two, temporarily tied.


    "Alright, let¡¯s take a fifteen-minute break. After that, we¡¯ll proceed with the additional match," Su He said before leading everyone off the stage.

 Chapter 1260 - 1568: Tiebreaker

    <h4>Chapter 1260: Chapter 1568: Tiebreaker</h4>


    In the sports hall¡¯s rest room, Chen Quan and Su He among others were discussing the match of the final tiebreaker. "Thest match is crucial, who do you think it is most appropriate to send out?" Chen Quan asked.


    Su He replied, "Right now, I¡¯m not thinking about that. I¡¯m thinking about who Dragon Tiger Hall will send out. At present, both Ling Chen and Qiu Yong have already taken the stage, only Zhang Zhongfeng and a few other nobodies haven¡¯te up. I think Zhang Zhongfeng is most likely. What do you think?"


    "Quite possible. However, Ling Chen is quite cunning; we should be careful," Chen Quan paused, then continued, "Even though Tong Zhentian is injured and unconscious, Dragon Tiger Hall still has Ji Gang, and to win, Ling Chen might send him out."


    "That won¡¯t be necessary." Wang Hao interjected, "Ji Gang is the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion¡¯s enemy. As long as Ji Gang dares to show up, we will not let him go. Ling Chen is smart; he will surely not give us the opportunity or reason to cause trouble."


    "Alright!" Su He spoke out, "I anticipated many problems in today¡¯s match, so I prepared early. Rest assured, thest match is a sure-win, there will be no issues."


    A quarter of an hour passed quickly. Soon, personnel from three sides reentered the sports hall through the passageway. As the people from Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion took their seats, thest match officially started. At this moment, everyone from Dragon Tiger Hall focused their attention on the opposite side. They were eager to know who Chen Quan would send to participate in this most important match.


    However, Chen Quan remained seated and silent. At this point, a person walked briskly from a passageway in the sports hall. More urately, it was an elder. The elder walked with vigorous strides, heading straight to the center of the field, saying not a word, and maintaining silence throughout.


    The elder¡¯s appearance immediately stirred discussions among the audience, specting about his identity.


    "Big brother, have you seen this person before?" Ling Chen asked.


    "No." Qiu Yong looked the elder up and down, frowning slightly, "Little brother, I don¡¯t know why, but this person gives me a very bad feeling."


    "I noticed too," Xu Ming interjected, "This person is very unusual, I suspect... he might very well be a Heavenly List expert."


    "Heavenly List expert?" Xu Ming¡¯s words shocked everyone. "Second brother, this is no joke, is that person really a Heavenly List expert?"


    Xu Ming looked at Xia Yue, who had asked the question, and nodded gently, "Quite possible. Look at Su He and Chen Quan¡¯s expressions, they are not worried about this match at all, indicating that they are confident of victory. The only thing that can give them such confidence is a Heavenly List expert."


    Saying this, Xu Ming¡¯s tone showed a trace of helplessness, "The foundation of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion is too strong. Dragon Tiger Hall is not yet a match. If Dragon Tiger Hall had another ten years to develop, they might be strong enough to contend with the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion. Right now... it¡¯s too early!"


    Hearing this, a trace of despair showed in everyone¡¯s eyes. They hadn¡¯t expected the other side to have a Heavenly List expert; how could theypete now? Everyone had high hopes for the final battle, but now a Heavenly List expert appeared, shattering all their confidence.


    "Little brother, what do we do now?" Yuan Yun asked Ling Chen, "Should we... just concede? No matter who we send up, getting injured is inevitable, there¡¯s no need for us to increase our losses."


    "Third brother, don¡¯t rush; things haven¡¯t reached that point yet," Ling Chen said calmly, "I¡¯m rather curious to see just how much hidden strength the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion has."


    "Master He, it¡¯s your turn to send someone to the stage," hearing Su He¡¯s voice, everyone looked at Ling Chen. For now, only Ling Chen could make the decision. Facing everyone¡¯s gaze, Ling Chen smiled slightly and said, "We are ready."


    After speaking, Ling Chen turned back and shouted to the audience: "Sir Chen, it¡¯s your turn to go on."


    Immediately, a person leaped up from a back row seat, lightly tapped a few shoulders in the front rows, andnded steadily on the field.


    Seeing the contestant sent by Dragon Tiger Hall, Su He¡¯s face slightly changed, and he suddenly stood up from the stands.


    Noticing Su He¡¯s change in expression, Wang Hao asked, "Master, what¡¯s wrong?"


    "Chen Junfeng!" Su He gritted his teeth and slowly spat out the name, his eyes zing with intense animosity.


    "Chen Junfeng?" Wang Hao was slightly puzzled and asked, "Who is Chen Junfeng?"


    "Good, very good." Su He didn¡¯t respond to Wang Hao¡¯s question, nodding to himself, "Ling Chen is indeed Ling Chen, he always manages to surprise me."


    Looking at Chen Junfeng appearing on the field, the audience showed curious expressions. Whether it was the person sent by Dragon and Tiger Martial Arts Academy or the contestant from Dragon Tiger Hall, none of them had seen them before. So, everyone spected about the identities of these two individuals.


    "Chen Junfeng," Chen Junfeng sped his hands in salute to his opponent.


    "Zhu Chuan," the opponent coldly and indifferently uttered his name.


    "Everyone." At this moment, Su He announced from the stands, "Please step back twenty meters, do not disrupt the duel between the two Heavenly List experts."


    Heavenly List experts? Two of them? Su He¡¯s words instantly brightened the eyes of everyone present. In no time, without Su He¡¯s urging, everyone got up and stepped back, making arge area for the duel between the two Heavenly List experts.


    "Little brother, where did you find this Heavenly List expert?" Xia Yue asked curiously.


    Ling Chen replied with a smile, "I was lucky to meet Sir Chen while recuperating." Saying this, Ling Chen turned to Qiu Yong and asked, "Big brother, you and Sir Chen are of simr age; you should have heard of his name in your younger days, right?"


    "I have some impression, but I can¡¯t recall clearly."


    "Since we also have a Heavenly List expert participating, the oue of this match is now fifty-fifty, we still have a great chance." He Ziyun breathed a sigh of relief. The entire Dragon Tiger Hall was at stake; if they really lost, even if Ling Chen and the others didn¡¯t me him, he would find it hard to forgive himself.


    After a while, when the area waspletely cleared, the duel between the two Heavenly List experts officially began.


    Chen Junfeng stood quietly in ce, not striking in advance but carefully observing his opponent. Simrly, Zhu Chuan did not move. Heavenly List experts differ from other masters; without a certain assurance, they won¡¯t recklessly make a move. At most, they tentatively test before showing their real skills.


    A minute or two passed, Chen Junfeng took steps forward, walking a couple of steps. However, he didn¡¯t head directly towards Zhu Chuan but circled around him, slowly moving as he sought an opening to strike.


    Suddenly, Zhu Chuan, who had been standing still, tapped his toes lightly and instantly turned into a shadow, disappearing from his original spot.

 Chapter 1261 - 1569: Zhu Chuan vs. Chen Junfeng

    <h4>Chapter 1261: Chapter 1569: Zhu Chuan vs. Chen Junfeng</h4>


    Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!


    Apanied by the sound of something cutting through the air, several nearly invisible projectiles swiftly shot out towards Chen Junfeng¡¯s body. Chen Junfeng tapped his feet lightly, and his speed instantly increased, effortlessly avoiding the attack of the projectiles. However, this was merely the beginning, and the sound of things cutting through the air continued to be heard, with projectiles asionally flying towards Chen Junfeng.


    In just a few tens of seconds, Zhu Chuan had thrown at least seventy or eighty projectiles. Seeing this scene, the audience was amazed and couldn¡¯t understand how many projectiles Zhu Chuan was carrying, as he seemed to have endless supplies.


    After a round of projectile attacks, Zhu Chuan finally ceased his offensive, maintaining a distance from Chen Junfeng and refraining from closebat.


    Chen Junfeng appeared rather rxed, unlike Zhu Chuan, who was eager to attack. He circled around the arena, changing positions while trying to force Zhu Chuan to move, seeking an opportunity to strike.


    Stalemate!


    Although this situation wasn¡¯t exciting, it brought a psychological tension and pressure to everyone. Everyone understood that this was the calm before the storm. Heavenly List experts would notunch a frenzied attack from the start; they would wait, seeking an opportunity. Once they attacked, it would be like a violent storm, the moment everyone was most looking forward to.


    As time ticked by, Chen Junfeng and Zhu Chuan continued their probing. From beginning to end, Chen Junfeng did not make a move, while Zhu Chuan asionally threw a few projectiles to force Chen Junfeng to change his position.


    Chen Junfeng found Zhu Chuan¡¯s behavior strange. Zhu Chuan was very precise; every time Chen wanted to attack, Zhu Chuan would throw a few projectiles to disrupt his intentions. What exactly was he up to? Chen Junfeng couldn¡¯t figure it out. They¡¯ve been in a stalemate for so long, it should be time to really make a move. But from Zhu Chuan¡¯s demeanor, it seemed he was still unwilling to engage in a hard fight with him.


    Watching the positioning of the two on the field, Chen Quan¡¯s expression was somewhat grim. However,pared to him, Su He was in an even worse mood. The longer this battle went on, the worse his mood became; he wished he could leave the scene immediately. However, as the referee, he couldn¡¯t leave until the fight was over.


    Su He was the one who understood why Zhu Chuan hadn¡¯t engaged with Chen Junfeng yet. He was well aware that Zhu Chuan acted this way because he wasn¡¯t confident. Zhu Chuan was an assassin, a top assassin, trained in the arts of assassination. In an environment suited to him, he could kill someone even more powerful than a Heavenly List expert. However, in a face-to-face confrontation, Zhu Chuan¡¯s chance of winning was minimal.


    Su He called Zhu Chuan here mainly as a precaution. Regardless of whom the Dragon Tiger Hall sent, as long as their opponent wasn¡¯t a Heavenly List expert, there was no chance of winning, so Su He was very confident. However, what he didn¡¯t ount for was Ling Chen bringing in a Heavenly List expert.


    Faced with a Heavenly List expert, Zhu Chuan would lose his advantage and expose all his weaknesses, such as closebat, which Zhu Chuan wasn¡¯t skilled at. Therefore, every time Chen Junfeng tried to attack, Zhu Chuan would promptly stop him.


    At this point, the surrounding audience also realized something was off. Zhu Chuan¡¯s constant evasions seemed to show no intention of engaging Chen Junfeng. Were it anyone else, the audience would have been impatient long ago. But facing a Heavenly List expert, no one dared to shout insults unless they wanted trouble.


    Suddenly, Chen Junfeng stopped in his tracks, looked directly at Zhu Chuan, and said, "After so many years, do you not even have the courage to fight?"


    Upon hearing this, Ling Chen on the sidelines was quite surprised, not expecting Chen Junfeng to know Zhu Chuan.


    Zhu Chuan looked at Chen Junfeng expressionlessly, not saying a word, as if he didn¡¯t recognize the person in front of him.


    "Years ago, you chased me for thousands of miles under the orders of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion. You wouldn¡¯t have forgotten, right?" Chen Junfeng spoke without waiting for Zhu Chuan to respond, "Perhaps you¡¯ve forgotten, but I haven¡¯t. Along the way, I suffered no less than ten life-threatening injuries, narrowly escaping each time. Thankfully, each time I was injured, someone saved me and treated my wounds. But to track me down, you tortured and killed them to extract my whereabouts from their mouths. Such heinous acts could only bemitted by your Skyhawk Pavilion."


    Skyhawk Pavilion?


    As soon as those words were spoken, the entire audience was shocked. Under the orders of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion? What did that mean; wasn¡¯t Zhu Chuan from the Dragon and Tiger Martial Arts Academy? Why was he connected to the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion? And this Skyhawk Pavilion, it was a name they had never heard before. Just from the name, it seemed to be closely rted to the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion.


    "Chen Junfeng." Su He suddenly stood up, red at Chen Junfeng, and coldly shouted, "Shut your mouth, don¡¯t you dare nder the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion. If you dare speak disrespectfully again, don¡¯t me me for being impolite."


    Chen Junfeng nced at Su He, speaking indifferently, "Others may not know the true face of your Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, but I know it well. Su He, don¡¯t think that no one knows about the vile things you have done. You tortured a confession out of me, framed and persecuted me. To get revenge on me, you killed my family and didn¡¯t even spare my young daughter, sending people to hunt me down for thousands of miles. For all these days and nights over the years, I¡¯ve been cursing you."


    "Shut up!" Su He¡¯s expression changed, and he jumped off the podium, quickly walking towards Chen Junfeng.


    Chen Junfeng seemed oblivious to the murderous intent in Su He¡¯s eyes and coldly stated, "Your Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion is like a whore trying to build a monument to chastity. You were afraid the Dragon Tiger Hall would affect your Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion¡¯s status, so you created a so-called Dragon and Tiger Martial Arts Academy to strike against them and destroy itpletely. The people participating in today¡¯s match are actually all from your Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion. If you dare to do it but won¡¯t admit it, how can you call yourself the world¡¯s best?"


    "I told you to shut up!" Su He shouted in anger, striking with a palm, unleashing his Inner Strength, leaving no mercy.


    Faced with Su He¡¯s sudden attack, Chen Junfeng didn¡¯t retreat but advanced, throwing out a punch. Instantly, with a ¡¯bang¡¯, the two stood firmly in ce, neither moving an inch. Feeling the robust Power of Chen Junfeng, a hint of surprise shed in Su He¡¯s eyes.


    "Get lost!"


    Chen Junfeng bellowed, his entire body surging with Power, forcibly pushing Su He back two steps.


    Witnessing this, everyone was shocked. To know that the aura of the world¡¯s number one hung over Su He, yet this unknown Chen Junfeng forced Su He back in one move, was testament to his terrifying strength.


    "Su He, I know you¡¯re humiliated and angry. Since you want to fight, I¡¯ll apany you. Let¡¯s see if you truly deserve the title of the world¡¯s best."

 Chapter 1262 - 1570: Sitting on One’s Laurels

    <h4>Chapter 1262: Chapter 1570: Sitting on One¡¯s Laurels</h4>


    "Chen Junfeng, I think you¡¯re courting death." Su He said coldly, his aura suddenly surging, causing the surrounding people to feel overwhelmed, hastily retreating for fear of being affected.


    "Who¡¯s afraid of whom!" Chen Junfeng did not back down, staring coldly at Su He, step by step approaching.


    At this moment, Zhu Chuan behind Chen Junfeng suddenly stepped forward two steps, pressing towards Chen Junfeng¡¯s back. Hearing footsteps behind him, Chen Junfeng paused slightly, nced back at Zhu Chuan, and sneered: "What, want two against one? Fine, no problem, anyway, you people from the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion are all a bunch of despicable and lowly beings, I suppose you¡¯re quite used to it."


    "Shut up! You old bastard, watch your mouth. Keep insulting our Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, and I¡¯ll rip your mouth apart!"


    Chen Junfeng looked in the direction of the voice, only to see Wang Hao stepping down from the stands, standing behind Su He, meeting his gaze coldly.


    "Since when did it be your turn to butt in here? Su He, your disciple really doesn¡¯t know the rules." Chen Junfengughed coldly, standing tall and unafraid, saying: "Whether you want two against one, or three together, it¡¯s up to you, I¡¯ll apany you to the end today."


    At this moment, the audience in the sports hall whispered among themselves, discussing the sudden situation on the field. Chen Junfeng¡¯s words just now especially shocked many people. The martial artsmunity had gathered in East Sea City primarily to enjoy the duel between the Dragon and Tiger Martial Arts Academy and the Dragon Tiger Hall, but unexpectedly heard so many shocking news.


    If the Dragon and Tiger Martial Arts Academy is indeed secretly controlled by the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion to defeat Dragon Tiger Hall, then the actions of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion would be too despicable. Previously, there were rumors about the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion excluding other forces to rise, but they were just hearsay, no one knew the truth, at most it was tea time chatter. Now, someone publicly used the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion of crimes. And that person was a master from the Heavenly List.


    Being a dignified Heavenly List master, saying these words publicly, already put life and death aside. Therefore, his words have high credibility.


    Listening to the discussions from the audience on the stands, Su He¡¯s facial expression became very ugly. Things developing to this stage were unexpected for him. If not handled well, it would be a devastating blow to the reputation of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion.


    "Chen Junfeng, our Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion has always convinced people through reasoning, repaying grievances with virtue. I¡¯ve warned you already, but you repeatedly nder the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, disregarding my warning. In that case, don¡¯t me me for being rude." After speaking, Su He turned to the crowd, and said in a deep voice: "Everyone just heard, it was Chen Junfeng who insulted the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion first. Therefore, please understand my actions."


    As the words fell, Su He moved his feet, instantly pressing towards Chen Junfeng.


    However, just at the moment Su He was moving, an elderly voice suddenly came from the entrance of the sports hall: "Isn¡¯t this supposed to be a duel between the Dragon Tiger Hall and the Dragon and Tiger Martial Arts Academy? How did it turn into a battle between Dragon Tiger Hall and the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion?"


    Su He frowned, immediately stopped his steps, and followed everyone¡¯s gaze towards the entrance. Instantly, they saw Tong Zhentian sitting in a wheelchair, being pushed in by Tang Guolun.


    Tang Guolun looked at everyone on the field, smirking as he spoke: "Elder Tong, are you confused? Is there a difference between the Dragon and Tiger Martial Arts Academy and the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, aren¡¯t they all cut from the same cloth?"


    "That¡¯s true." Tong Zhentian and Tang Guolun spoke as if no one else was present, seemingly ignoring Su He and others on stage.


    Su He frowned slightly, looking at Tong Zhentian in the wheelchair, and spoke: "I heard you were injured, not resting well in the hospital, what are you running here for?"


    "I¡¯d also like to stay in the hospital, but as the Martial Arts Hall Master of the Dragon Tiger Hall, with someone intending harm to us, would I just stand by and watch, doing nothing? If it were you, I believe you wouldn¡¯t sit still either." After a pause, Tong Zhentian continued: "Su He, in consideration of our long-standing friendship, I advise you, unreasonable actions often lead to self-destruction, better stop early. Otherwise, one day you¡¯ll set yourself on fire, putting the entire Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion in danger."


    "What the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion wants to do is our business, it¡¯s unnecessary for you outsiders to meddle. Tong Zhentian, you¡¯re also at an old age, why don¡¯t you enjoy your twilight years at home, why mess in this dirty water. If you truly care about our friendship, then you should leave immediately, and don¡¯t get involved no matter what happens."


    "Sorry, I can¡¯t do that." Tong Zhentian said: "If everyone was like me, facing oppression and not resisting, epting fate, then what future would martial arts have? Are we supposed to rely on your Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion? Su He, I still say, don¡¯t be too extreme." Speaking up here, Tong Zhentian turned to everyone present, saying: "Ladies and gentlemen, you may not know that some time ago, Huangzekai from the Dragon and Tiger Martial Arts Academy came to Dragon Tiger Hall to issue a challenge. After careful consideration, I epted the duel. However, that very evening, on my way home, I was assaulted by two Heavenly List masters, severely injured, lying in the hospital unconscious."


    "Everyone here is from the martial arts world, I believe you can understand the reasons behind this. Today, on the contest stage, the Dragon and Tiger Martial Arts Academy once again sent out two Heavenly List masters. I can be certain that these two and the ones who ambushed me are not the same group. Think carefully, which power in the martial arts world can possess so many Heavenly List masters? I believe, I don¡¯t need to say that you already know it. Therefore, this duel is a scheme concocted by certain people to target Dragon Tiger Hall, aiming to suppress our influence and thoroughly destroy us. Everyone, our initial intent of establishing Dragon Tiger Hall was not for earning power, nor to be a martial arts hegemon. Actually, we just wanted to contribute a little to the Huaxia martial artsmunity. Yet, even so, some people can¡¯t tolerate our existence and want to eliminate us."


    "The Huaxia martial artsmunity has gone through hundreds of years of history, many ups and downs, and now it¡¯s slowly declining. If we keep sticking with inaction, not seeking change, the entire martial arts world will face catastrophic damage. All of you here are from the martial artsmunity, you should know my words are not rmist talk. Martial arts shouldn¡¯t be dominated by one party alone, that only limits our development and progress, we need a flourishing diversity, contending voices. Only conscientiouspetition can lead martial arts to revive, offering the next generation a glimpse of martial arts¡¯ future. Everyone, please seriously think about it, whether I¡¯m right or not."

 Chapter 1263 - 1571: Complete Victory

    <h4>Chapter 1263: Chapter 1571: Complete Victory</h4>


    Tong Zhentian¡¯s heartfelt words plunged everyone into deep thought. Seeing such a transformation, Su He and others¡¯ faces turned extremely grim. The main purpose of this martialpetition was to suppress Dragon Tiger Hall and disgrace it. Yet, no one expected such a dramatic change on the scene.


    If mishandled, the reputation of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion will plummet.


    "I think Elder Tong makes sense." At this moment, a spectator on the stands spoke: "For hundreds of years, the martial arts world has been dominated by the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, and no force has ever been able to contend against it. Look, for so many years, although the martial arts world is peaceful, has it progressed? No! On the contrary, more and more people have chosen to withdraw, leaving few martial artists today."


    "Right," someone chimed in: "Now the martial arts world has be degraded, and if we don¡¯t seek change, it will fall sooner orter. I support Elder Tong¡¯s view, the martial arts world shouldn¡¯t be monopolized; only when all parties thrive can it develop."


    As more people expressed their opinions, increasingly, people stated that Tong Zhentian¡¯s words made a lot of sense.


    For a moment, everyone sided with Dragon Tiger Hall, and no one spoke for the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion. Although the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion has been the dominant force in the martial arts world over the years, its actions have made some people ufortable. Yet, due to the strong influence of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, no one dared to criticize it. Now, the public opinion is all in favor of Dragon Tiger Hall, who would defend the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion? It¡¯s rarely seen that the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion suffers, and it¡¯s a delight for many.


    Additionally, there¡¯s a somewhat significant reason. Everyone here is from the martial arts world, naturally aware of the current situation. Tong Zhentian was right, if they couldn¡¯t pull the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion off its pedestal, no one would have a future.


    Moreover, as the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion has dominated the martial arts world for so many years, people have grown tired of it.


    The martial arts world is different from other ces; onlypetition can drive its progress. The more forces rise, the faster the development, attracting more people to join. Although this situation inevitably leads to disputes... isn¡¯t that the charm of the martial arts world?


    Love and hate, grudges and feuds, without these, what is the point of the martial arts world.


    Seeing everyone supporting Tong Zhentian and speaking for Dragon Tiger Hall, Su He realized the n had failed this time. Not only failed, but he lost big. Once today¡¯s events spread, the martial arts world might undergo a transformation. By then, the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion will undoubtedly be the target of all, attacked by the masses.


    No!


    Su He gritted his teeth secretly, his eyes shed with a murderous look. He must stop this momentum, he could not let the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion lose control of the martial arts world. Otherwise, it¡¯s a disaster for the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion.


    However, looking at everyone present, Su He suddenly hesitated. There were hundreds of people in the arena, all martial artists from across the country. Could he kill them all? Not to mention whether he could do it, if all these people died, then the entire martial arts world would enter a decline and fall into a slump. By that time, even if the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion dominated the martial arts world, what would be the point?


    "Su He."


    At this moment, Tong Zhentian¡¯s voice came slowly: "Today is thepetition between Dragon Tiger Hall and Dragon and Tiger Martial Arts Academy. As a referee, shouldn¡¯t you step down?"


    Upon hearing this, Su He was slightly stunned and squinted at Tong Zhentian not far away. Feeling Tong Zhentian¡¯s gaze, Su He immediately understood the other person¡¯s meaning; this was giving him a way out.


    Although Su He was very reluctant to ept this way out, he had no other choice, unless he agreed with Tong Zhentian¡¯s words.


    "Master..." Wang Hao called out, waiting for Su He¡¯s decision. On their side, there were three Heavenly List masters; if they took action, they could wipe out Ling Chen and others. As long as the top echelons of Dragon Tiger Hall died, Dragon Tiger Hall would no longer be a threat.


    "Retreat!" After a moment of contemtion, Su He finally made a decision. Now wasn¡¯t the time to act; he must consider the reputation of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion and the impact of this affair.


    This decision disappointed Wang Hao somewhat, squandering such a good opportunity. Wang Hao thought simply; in his view, as long as they dealt with all opponents of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion and protected its dominant status, everything wouldn¡¯t be a problem.


    Once Su He spoke, the people of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion had no choice but to return to the stands.


    After a brief interlude, the martialpetition resumed, with Chen Junfeng facing Zhu Chuan again. However, simr to the previous situation, this kind of battle wasn¡¯t suitable for Zhu Chuan, who waspletely suppressed by Chen Junfeng. Facing his pursuer of yesteryears, Chen Junfeng showed no mercy, attacking full force, determined to leave Zhu Chuan¡¯s life on the field.


    Watching the battle on the field, Su He looked gloomy, without a shred of expression on his wrinkled face. Although Zhu Chuan was still resisting, defeat was inevitable. At this moment, Zhu Chuan on the field raised his head, nced at Su He on the stands.


    As their gazes met, Su He nodded slightly. Zhu Chuan instantly understood and, under Chen Junfeng¡¯s pressure, found an opportunity and jumped out of thepetition area. Of course, to others, he seemed forced out by Chen Junfeng instead of conceding.


    Thus, a much-anticipated battle ended theatrically. Su He and the others couldn¡¯t sit still; after announcing the result, they immediately stood up and left the arena.


    "Sir Chen, well done." Ling Chen walked to the field, smiling and congratting Chen Junfeng on the victory.


    "It¡¯s a pity Zhu is too cunning. Otherwise, I would have certainly left him here." Chen Junfeng said reluctantly. If it weren¡¯t for Ling Chen repeatedly reminding him to restrain, he would¡¯ve already killed Su He and the others.


    "There¡¯ll be opportunities in the future." Ling Chen smiled and said: "After today, the reputation of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion is bound to plummet; wait and see, by then the Pavilion will have many headaches to deal with."


    While speaking, He Ziyun led a group over and handed a document bag to Ling Chen, "The Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion is at least credible, epting defeat gracefully. Here are the documents for those ten properties."


    "Mr. He, let¡¯s take a look when we get back."


    "You should take a look first; there might be an unexpected surprise."


    Hearing this, Ling Chen curiously opened the document bag and took out several documents from inside. As he read the contents, Ling Chen¡¯s eyes grew brighter, eventually unable to contain his smile.


    "The Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion must regret bitterly now, actually losing such valuable properties to us."


    "Ling Cheng, they¡¯re just a few properties; is there anything worth being happy about? Are you short of money?" Xia Yue said.

 Chapter 1264 - 1572: Courage

    <h4>Chapter 1264: Chapter 1572: Courage</h4>


    "Fifth Sister, it¡¯s not a matter of money or not." Ling Chen said with a smile, "The real estate offered by the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion can¡¯t be bought even with money. Moreover, these properties are spread across the country. As far as I know, some of these properties are branches of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion. Besides, the most important thing is the location of these properties. Alright, you won¡¯t understand even if I exin now; you¡¯ll understand in the future."


    After speaking, Ling Chen nced at the seats of the Dragon and Tiger Martial Arts Academy. Chen Quan had already left with his people. At that moment, the crowd didn¡¯t linger and directly returned to the Dragon Tiger Hall.


    "Elder Tong, fortunately you appeared in time this time, preventing the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion from seeding." Ling Chen was very relieved. Tong Zhentian¡¯s sudden appearance yed a crucial role. Although those words could have been said by anyone, the impact was significant because they came from Tong Zhentian¡¯s mouth, affecting all the martial artsmunity present.


    It won¡¯t take long for today¡¯s events to spread throughout the martial artsmunity. The impact from this incident will give the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion a headache for a long time.


    "Elder Tong, how are your injuries?" He Ziyun asked.


    "I can¡¯t engage in martial arts for three months; I must recuperate and rest." After speaking, Tong Zhentian turned his gaze to Chen Junfeng beside him, "Chen, it¡¯s been many years since west met, do you remember me?"


    Chen Junfeng nodded and said, "Thest time we met must have been more than twenty years ago."


    "Chen, you¡¯ve been missing for so many years with no news; I thought something might have happened to you. Seeing an old friend again today deserves a celebration. Unfortunately, the doctor advised me not to drink, otherwise, I¡¯d definitely have two drinks with you."


    "There¡¯s always another chance in the future."


    While speaking, Tian Hanzhong quickly walked in from outside, "Martial Arts Hall Master, many people havee outside the hall."


    "What kind of people?" Ling Chen asked, "Surely it¡¯s not someone from the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion here to cause trouble?"


    "It¡¯s not anyone from the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, they are all martial arts folk who wish to visit Elder Tong."


    "Really?" Qiu Yong smiled and said, "It seems Elder Tong¡¯s words had an effect; nobody is willing to see the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion dominate alone, everyone wants to change this situation. However, Elder Tong¡¯s injuries haven¡¯t healed yet, and he isn¡¯t well enough to meet too many people. How about..."


    "No!" Tong Zhentian interrupted, "This is an opportunity we must seize. Go, invite everyone to the reception room; I¡¯ll be over soon."


    Shortly, Ling Chen pushed the wheelchair, bringing Tong Zhentian to the reception room. At this moment, therge reception room was filled with people, a good seventy to eighty martial arts folk.


    Upon seeing Tong Zhentian enter, everyone stood up as a sign of respect.


    Tong Zhentian smiled slightly, pressed his hand down indicating, "Everyone is originally a guest, no need for courtesy, please sit." Once everyone was seated, Tong Zhentian nced around the room and began, "As the Martial Arts Hall Master of Dragon Tiger Hall, I wee everyone¡¯s arrival. Additionally, allow me to introduce the Deputy Martial Arts Hall Master of Dragon Tiger Hall, who is also the real founder, Ling Chen."


    Ling Chen smiled at everyone, sping his fists, and exchanged simple greetings.


    Upon hearing this, the martial artsmunity present was taken aback. They were not strangers to Ling Chen; during the Heavenly Mechanism Great Ceremony, Ling Chen had stood out, making everyone remember his name. However, what surprised them was that Ling Chen was actually the true owner of Dragon Tiger Hall. How old was he? In his twenties, yet he possessed such capability; indeed remarkable.


    Observing the reactions of the crowd, Tong Zhentian smiled and said, "Did everyonee to Dragon Tiger Hall as guests because of my earlier words at the sports hall?"


    "Elder Tong," a middle-aged man said, "To be honest, we all agree with your remarks. The dominance of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion has persisted for far too many years. The current martial arts realm is like stagnant water, with no hope or enthusiasm. Our thoughts align with yours; we want change. However, the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion is a mountain blocking us, preventing any means of action."


    "Yes, Elder Tong, the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion has governed the martial artsmunity for so many years that many fear them. Take today¡¯s matter for instance; many people wanted to visit Dragon Tiger Martial Arts Hall, but they were afraid of retaliation from the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion and dared note."


    "Elder Tong, you are the most senior in the martial artsmunity; do you have any good ideas?"


    The group began speaking amongst themselves.


    "I have ideas, but you may not dare to pursue them," Tong Zhentian replied, "I understand you, as the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion has deeply established its influence, and no one dares to offend them. Furthermore, over the years, they¡¯ve shown us countless bloody examples of why opposing them leads to a dead end. However, if the martial artsmunity wishes to change, to rejuvenate, the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion is a peak we cannot surpass. Only by overthrowing this mountain can we see a future and hope."


    "Actually, you need not fear the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion. You all know Ling Chen, he is only twenty-five years old this year. When he first entered the martial arts realm, he was weak, without major forces backing him, and his words carried little weight; nobody paid attention to him. However, with his full dedication and ambition, he established Dragon Tiger Hall. You all understand what the founding of Dragon Tiger Hall represents. It means he has ced himself at the forefront of opposing the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, determined to face off with them. Everyone, if a young man in his twenties has the courage to do this, why don¡¯t you?"


    Speaking of this, Tong Zhentian¡¯s tone gradually became gentle, "What youck isn¡¯t ns, but courage and guts. If all of you can be like Ling Chen, the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion wouldn¡¯t be an issue."


    After hearing Tong Zhentian¡¯s words, the crowd suddenly fell into silence.


    After a while, a middle-aged man stood up and said, "Elder Tong, you¡¯re right. Often, the issue lies within ourselves; we are used to attributing the reasons to external factors, unwilling to admit our own weaknesses." After this, the middle-aged man looked at everyone in the reception room and said, "Everyone, we can¡¯t continue like this; we must take measures and actions. Do you really want to live your whole life under the shadow of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion? Honestly, it¡¯s better to quit the martial arts world than live timidly."


    "Elder Tong, why don¡¯t you lead us?" someone shouted.


    "Yes, Elder Tong, even if it means tearing face with the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, there needs to be a leader. You¡¯re the most senior with good rtionships; surely, you¡¯re the most suitable choice."


    Listening to everyone¡¯s suggestions and discussions, Tong Zhentian and Ling Chen exchanged a look, and both unconsciously smiled.


    Unexpectedly, everyone was so enthusiastic; it was truly beyond their expectations.


    (My update hasn¡¯t appeared in chaos, perhaps it¡¯s a system issue, please log out and try again.)

 Chapter 1265 - 1573: The Death of Ling Beichuan (Part 1)

    <h4>Chapter 1265: Chapter 1573: The Death of Ling Beichuan (Part 1)</h4>


    In the following days, Dragon Tiger Hall received quite a few martial artists, all with the same purpose: hoping Tong Zhentian could lead everyone to resist Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion. Tong Zhentian readily agreed to these requests. Among these martial artists, many were notcking courage and determination; they just didn¡¯t want to make pointless sacrifices.


    Currently, the martial arts world is in disarray aside from Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, making it very difficult to gather everyone together, let alone unite them to collectivelybat Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion. However, if a leader emerges, the situation could change.


    As a martial arts leader with extraordinary influence and being a Heavenly List master, Tong Zhentian is not only able to garner support but also convince everyone of his leadership.


    The night falls, and the cool breeze blows gently.


    On the balcony of the Dragon Tiger Hall building, a small round table is set, with several kinds of marinated meats and a few bottles of wine on it. At this moment, Ling Chen is picking up a bottle of wine, pouring drinks into the sses of Tong Zhentian and Chen Junfeng.


    With the three sses filled, Tong Zhentian raises his ss, smiles at Chen Junfeng and Ling Chen, saying, "Come, let¡¯s have a toast to celebrate having taken the crucial first step."


    Ling Chen kindly reminds him, "Elder Tong, your health is important, you should drink a little less."


    Tong Zhentianughs heartily: "Isn¡¯t this a time for joy? Don¡¯t worry, it¡¯s nothing." Saying this, Tong Zhentian drains his ss in one gulp. Putting down the ss, he says with lingering interest, "Really, I haven¡¯t felt this happy in a long time. I¡¯ve always thought that the martial artists were falling, no longer striving forward, but from the situation over the past few days, that¡¯s not the case. Everyone has a heart to advance, it¡¯s just being suppressed by Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion,cking opportunities and chances. Now, we just need to ignite the fuse, and the entire martial arts world will be excited."


    "Joy is right, but don¡¯t be too careless," Chen Junfeng responded, "Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion will certainly take measures."


    "I know that." Tong Zhentian nods, putting away his smile, and says, "What worries me the most now is the safety of the few of us. Su He set up to ambush me, having a first time means there could be a second. And you two, as the pirs of Dragon Tiger Hall. A snake can¡¯t function without a head, a bird can¡¯t fly without wings. If something happens to us, this alliance that¡¯s been painstakingly established will abort."


    Upon hearing this, Chen Junfeng nced at Ling Chen and said, "We two are fine, even if targeted, our skills could get us out, but it¡¯s Ling Chen...he¡¯s in quite a dangerous position. His capabilities are low, Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion only needs to send a Heavenly List master to easily deal with him."


    "That¡¯s true." After a pause, Tong Zhentian shifted his tone and asked, "Ling Chen,st time you told me that Qin Chuan secretly attempted to assassinate you that day. With Qin Chuan¡¯s ability, he couldn¡¯t have failed. How did you escape?"


    Ling Chen silently lifted his outer garment, revealing the scar on his chest. Seeing that wound, Tong Zhentian and Chen Junfeng both were shocked. Especially Chen Junfeng, who knew about Ling Chen¡¯s serious injury at Xianghe Vige, but hadn¡¯t expected the wound to be in that spot.


    Martial artists know that the location where Ling Chen was injured is vital, any harm there means certain death. Yet Ling Chen survived against all odds, it¡¯s astonishing.


    "Ling Chen, about your injury..." Tong Zhentian opened his mouth but didn¡¯t know what to say.


    Ling Chen chuckled and said, "I know. Honestly, even I found it unbelievable when I realized I was still alive. Looking back, maybe it was just my good fortune."


    Tong Zhentian and Chen Junfeng exchanged a nce at Ling Chen¡¯s optimism, both showing a hint of doubt in their eyes.


    This isn¡¯t merely good fortune; no one survives such injuries. More importantly, Ling Chen¡¯s was a prating wound, both his front and back were pierced. Furthermore, he survived days of immersion in water before being rescued, such survival is nothing short of miraculous.


    "Ling Chen, have a full check-up at the hospital when possible, your situation is too unusual. I¡¯ve lived for many years and seen a lot, but never heard of such a case," Tong Zhentian said.


    "Alright, I¡¯ll definitely go when I have time."


    "By the way! Keep Ji Gang by your side for now to avoid any danger from Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion," Tong Zhentian reminded, "We¡¯re all in ourte years, not much time left, but you¡¯re different, you are the future of Dragon Tiger Hall, you must live well."


    "I understand."


    While speaking, they heard footsteps from inside. Ling Chen turned and saw Tian Hanzhong quickly walking over.


    "Brother Tian, do you have something for us?"


    "Ling, that Mr. Ling is reaching the end, do you want to take a look?"


    Mr. Ling? Ling Chen was slightly taken aback, then suddenly understood. The Mr. Ling Tian Hanzhong referred to was Ling Beichuan. For Ling Beichuan¡¯s safety, Ling Chen had specially relocated him from the hospital to Dragon Tiger Hall to prevent people from the Southern Ling Family froming.


    "How¡¯s his condition?"


    Tian Hanzhong sighed lightly, "Very poor, the doctor just examined him, said he won¡¯t make it through the night."


    Upon hearing this, Ling Chen quickly got up and hurried to Ling Beichuan¡¯s residence.


    Soon, Ling Chen and Tian Hanzhong arrived in Ling Beichuan¡¯s room. At the moment, Ling Beichuany on the bed, critically ill, with IV tubes inserted, a few white-coated doctors trying to rescue him.


    Ling Chen walked to the bedside, looked at Ling Beichuan¡¯s weakplexion and pale face, and asked, "Doctor, how long does he have?"


    A white coat without raising his head said, "Making it past midnight would be good. His situation is very bad, all bodily functions are severely depleted, rescue is no longer possible. Considering his condition, living to this age is already not easy. I checked carefully, he definitely has used many potent drugs to deplete his body¡¯s functions and extend life. Now, all his organs are showing signs of failure, beyond recovery."


    "Is he still conscious now?"


    "He¡¯s been in a semi-conscious state, it¡¯s hard to say if he has awareness. Mr. Ling, as a doctor, I suggest euthanasia immediately. Whatever we do is just prolonging his suffering. Rather than that, it would be better for him to leave without pain."


    Ling Chen hesitated for a moment, then nodded, "Alright, do what you have to do."


    The doctor responded and immediately, with hispanions, pulled out the IV tubes stopping the rescue. He then took out a syringe, injecting it into Ling Beichuan¡¯s body. As the medication from the syringe entered his system, Ling Beichuan¡¯s tense face gradually rxed, seeming as if his whole person became relieved.

 Chapter 1266 - 1574: The Death of Ling Beichuan (Part 2)

    <h4>Chapter 1266: Chapter 1574: The Death of Ling Beichuan (Part 2)</h4>


    A few minutes passed, and Ling Beichuan suddenly opened his eyes, which shone brightly, as if he had regained some spirit. However, everyone knew this was merely a fleeting revival; Ling Beichuan¡¯s end was near.


    "You¡¯vee." Ling Beichuan slightly opened his mouth and uttered a few words. Ling Chen nodded, "Mr. Ling, how are you feeling?"


    "I know I don¡¯t have much time left. This might be myst few minutes in this world." He paused for a moment and nced at the others in the room, "Could I have a word with you alone?"


    "Sure." With that, Ling Chen signaled to Tian Hanzhong, who understood immediately and led a few doctors out of the room.


    Once everyone had left, Ling Chen walked over to Ling Beichuan¡¯s side and asked, "Mr. Ling, is there something you wish to tell me?"


    "Ling Gengqiu..."


    Upon hearing Ling Beichuan mention his ancestor¡¯s name, Ling Chen immediately understood and said, "Mr. Ling, you also know about the findings from thest tomb¡ª the remains inside were not Ling Gengqiu¡¯s, and there are currently no other clues about him."


    Ling Beichuan shakily lifted his hand, pointing to the wheelchair he often sat in, with his mouth slightly open as if trying to say something. But when the words reached his lips, it seemed he lost the strength to speak, unable to utter a single word.


    "Mr. Ling, what are you trying to say?" Ling Chen leaned his ear close to Ling Beichuan¡¯s mouth, trying to catch his words. However, he quickly realized that Ling Beichuan had stopped breathing. Staring at Ling Beichuan¡¯s open eyes, Ling Chen sighed lightly. Unable to uncover Ling Gengqiu¡¯s secret, Ling Beichuan died with regret.


    Closing Ling Beichuan¡¯s eyes, Ling Chen left the room and instructed Tian Hanzhong to handle Ling Beichuan¡¯s body. After a pause, Ling Chen remembered Ling Beichuan¡¯s actions before his death and returned to the room, fixing his gaze on the wheelchair ced against the wall.


    Ling Beichuan had pointed at the wheelchair and was clearly trying to convey something, suggesting there might be a secret hidden within it.


    With this in mind, Ling Chen pushed the wheelchair into his bedroom. After closing the door, Ling Chen walked around the wheelchair, examining it carefully. The wheelchair Ling Beichuan used was quite ordinary, with a cushion on the seat and a small oxygen tank attached at the back.


    Ling Chen took up the seat cushion, tapped the cotton inside, and then tore open a part of the cushion. However, apart from cotton, there was nothing else inside. Ling Chen then checked the oxygen tank, again finding nothing.


    How strange! Ling Chen thought to himself. There was nothing on the wheelchair. Could it be that what Ling Beichuan was hinting at wasn¡¯t the wheelchair?


    "A dying man¡¯s words are kind." Ling Beichuan wasn¡¯t a good person, but there had to be a significant reason behind his final act, and he wouldn¡¯t have any interest in teasing him.


    As Ling Chen¡¯s mind raced, he decided to sit in the wheelchair, thinking hard. As he tapped the armrest, Ling Chen suddenly realized something and quickly stood up. He found a toolkit from his bedroom drawer and began unscrewing the screws on the wheelchair one by one.


    After spending about ten or more minutes, Ling Chen had dismantled the entire wheelchair, reducing it to nothing but a set of rods. Ling Chen sat on the floor and picked up one rod, peering inside. All these rods were hollow, hinting that Ling Beichuan may have hidden the secret within one.


    Just as Ling Chen suspected, after inspecting a few rods, he made a discovery. Inside one rod was a finger-thick alloy rod, approximately twenty centimeters long. The top of the alloy rod was a spiral interface, and after unscrewing the nut, a thick scroll of paper was revealed inside.


    So, it was here!


    Ling Chen¡¯s eyes brightened, and he quickly pulled out the scroll of paper. Unrolling it, he saw dense writing covering both sides. It was apparent that Ling Beichuan had written these words personally.


    As he looked at the content on the scroll, Ling Chen immediately understood why Ling Beichuan had hidden it so securely¡ª this was likely the work of his lifetime.


    However, most of the content on the scroll was already known to Ling Chen, with some parts being Ling Beichuan¡¯s own conjectures. Ling Beichuan had marked these conjectures, where crossed-out parts indicated confirmed theories, which could be discarded. The unchecked parts suggested those theories had yet to be verified.


    By entrusting this to him, Ling Beichuan probably wanted him to continue pursuing these unverifiable theories. In any case, each theory represented a clue, maybe leading to Ling Gengqiu¡¯s secret.


    Just as he was thinking that, there came a sudden "knock knock" at the door from outside. Ling Chen stood up to open the door and saw a woman standing there. Seeing who it was, Ling Chen¡¯s lips curled into a slight smile, "Lady Zhu, it¡¯s been a long time."


    The visitor was none other than Zhu Qing.


    "Mr. Ling, I¡¯m sorry, it was my mistakest time, please forgive me." Zhu Qing lowered her head, apologetically.


    Ling Chen smiled slightly, "Lady Zhu, you were just following orders. It¡¯s not your fault, there¡¯s no need to me yourself." After pausing, Ling Chen continued, "Are you back this time to continue protecting me?"


    Zhu Qing nodded and said, "Besides me, Mr. Chang is here too, he¡¯s waiting to see you in the parlor."


    "Let¡¯s go, we shouldn¡¯t keep Mr. Zhu waiting too long."


    Soon, the two of them arrived at the parlor. As they entered, Zhu Houchang¡¯s heartyughter echoed, "Mr. Ling, they say misfortune spares those destined for great things. You must be greatly blessed."


    "Mr. Zhu, thank you for your kind words. I certainly hope so," Ling Chen replied with a smile.


    Once they were seated, Zhu Houchang spoke again, "Mr. Ling, besides wanting to see you personally, I have another reason foring. Last time you asked me to look into the information about Guo Qiang hiring the Zhu Family. Here it is." Saying that, Zhu Houchang opened his briefcase and took out a document folder, cing it in front of Ling Chen.


    "This is the contract Guo Qiang made with the Zhu Family years ago, dating back several centuries. I had quite a task retrieving it from the Zhu Family¡¯s old archives."


    At these words, Ling Chen eagerly opened the document folder, pulling out a contract encased in protective stic. The contract was quite old, and fortunately, the Zhu Family had preserved it well, keeping it intact.


    On the front of the contract, the content was written in calligraphy, signed by the Zhu Family and Guo Qiang. The lower left corner bore Guo Qiang¡¯s personal signature and a crimson handprint.


    The content revealed that Guo Qiang had paid forty thousand taels of silver to hire the Zhu Family to safeguard the tomb, prohibiting anyone from approaching. If necessary, extreme measures could be taken.

 Chapter 1267 - 1575: Major Client

    <h4>Chapter 1267: Chapter 1575: Major Client</h4>


    Looking at the contents of the contract, Ling Chen frowned slightly, pondering secretly. This was the part that had always puzzled him: the body ced in the tomb by Guo Qiang was not Ling Gengqiu. If so, why did he spend a huge sum to hire the Zhu Family to protect the tomb? Forty thousand taels of silver, that was an astronomical figure at the time. The more Ling Chen thought about it, the more he felt Guo Qiang was overdoing it.


    Since the corpse in the tomb was fake, why would Guo Qiang waste so much money?


    After thinking for a while, Ling Chen turned to Zhu Qing and asked, "When we were excavating the tomb, you tried to stop us several times. Later on, seeing we didn¡¯t heed the warnings, were you prepared to kill?"


    Zhu Qing nced at Zhu Houchang, nodded, and said, "Yes. ording to our contract with Guo Qiang, if warnings were ineffective, we would take extreme measures to kill the intruders."


    "I see."


    From all appearances, Guo Qiang was the key figure. Initially, he snatched parts of Ling Gengqiu¡¯s body from a group of men in ck. As for how those body parts were handled, only Guo Qiang knew.


    "Mr. Zhu, thank you for bringing this to me."


    "You¡¯re wee, this was the condition we agreed upon initially." After a pause, Zhu Houchang looked at Zhu Qing and said, "Qing, please step out for a moment. I¡¯d like to have a word with Mr. Ling alone."


    Zhu Qing acknowledged, turned around, and left the room.


    After Zhu Qing left, Ling Chen asked, "What would you like to discuss with me, Mr. Zhu?"


    "Mr. Ling, I am a person who repays kindness. Last time, regardless of whether Zhu Qing followed your orders, she had to take responsibility. ording to our Zhu Family rules, if the employer dies, those protecting them should also end their own lives. However, you spared Qing, for which I am deeply grateful. Qing is my beloved niece, and I don¡¯t want her to get into trouble. So, regarding this matter, I need to make some amends."


    "Then how would you like to make amends, Mr. Zhu?"


    Zhu Houchang suddenly lowered his voice and said, "Mr. Ling, every word I¡¯m about to tell you is a secret of the Zhu Family. ording to our rules, it¡¯s strictly forbidden to disclose client information, but considering what happened with Qing, this is my personal assistance to you." Upon finishing, Zhu Houchang pulled out a document from his briefcase and pressed it on the table with his hand.


    "I know you¡¯re very interested in Guo Qiang. In fact, besides Guo Qiang, we also have business dealings with other members of the Guo Family."


    Ling Chen¡¯s heart stirred, and he hurriedly asked, "Who?"


    Zhu Houchang slowly uttered the name: "Guo Ming. I¡¯ve seen the contract between Guo Ming and the Zhu Family. The Zhu Family is responsible for providing a security team,prehensively ensuring the safety of the Guo Family."


    "What¡¯s so strange about that?" Ling Chen asked, puzzled. "It¡¯s normal for the Guo Family to find someone to protect them, right?"


    Zhu Houchang replied meaningfully, "Hiring a security teamposed of a hundred elite assassins, do you think that¡¯s normal?"


    "A hundred assassins?" Ling Chen was taken aback. He thought the Guo Family had only hired a few or a dozen, not expecting there to be a hundred. That was terrifying.


    "The Guo Family is considered a major client of ours. There are several managers in our Zhu Family, each responsible for their clients. The Guo Family is taken care of by one of my brothers. I didn¡¯t know this before, but I discovered it when I went to find the contract between Guo Qiang and the Zhu Family. Mr. Ling, to put it inly, we are merely businessmen. As long as there¡¯s demand, we do our best to meet our clients¡¯ needs. As for other things, the Zhu Family doesn¡¯t interfere much. If you want to understand the reasons within, you will have to investigate yourself. This is as far as I can help you."


    "Mr. Zhu, giving me this information is already beyond my gratitude. Thank you!" Ling Chen said. He was genuinely grateful to Zhu Houchang, as this information was extremely important to him, possibly a crucial clue.


    "Alright, I¡¯ve said everything I needed to. Mr. Ling, I still have things to do, so I¡¯ll be off. If you need any help in the future, have Qing contact me. You¡¯re one of my major clients, and I¡¯ll try my best to assist you."


    "Thank you!"


    After seeing Zhu Houchang out of Dragon Tiger Hall, Ling Chen and Zhu Qing also drove off. Not long after, Ling Chen drove to the Nanrong Family home. After being out for so long, he hadn¡¯t been in contact with Nanrong Wanqing. Since he was back, he felt it necessary to visit.


    Parking the car outside, Ling Chen walked to the door and rang the bell. Soon, Liu Kun appeared in front of Ling Chen as the door to the living room opened.


    "Mr. Ling."


    "Uncle Liu, how many times do I have to say it? Just call me Ling Chen, no need to use ¡¯Mr.¡¯, it¡¯s too formal."


    Liu Kun nodded, not saying much more, and promptly ushered Ling Chen and Zhu Qing inside. "How is the old master¡¯s health, Uncle Liu?"


    "Still manageable, no major issues for now. However, the old master is quite old, and right now he relies on medication, which in turn is straining his body. If the medication is used in the long term, it might not hold up for much longer."


    "No worries, I¡¯ll find a way," Ling Chen said. Last time when Nanrong Yong was critically ill, Ling Chen procured some special potions from Ling Tao, allowing Nanrong Yong¡¯s health to gradually return to normal. However, those potions only temporarily kept Nanrong Yong alive. As Liu Kun said, the medication was straining his body, and once it¡¯s overused, there would be no turning back, as was the case with Ling Beichuan.


    Ling Chen could watch Ling Beichuan pass away with open eyes but couldn¡¯t bear to see anything happen to Nanrong Yong. Therefore, finding Ling Gengqiu¡¯s body was of utmost importance now.


    "Uncle Liu, where¡¯s Wanqing?"


    "Did you not know?" Liu Kun said, puzzled, "The young miss is not in East Sea City; she left for Beijing a few days ago. The newpany¡¯s business is extremely busytely, and the young miss ismuting back and forth, very tired. Luckily, Mr. Nanrong has grown up, and he is able to help reduce her burden significantly."


    "Then Haozi should be at home."


    Liu Kun shook his head and said, "The young master is out entertaining clients, probably won¡¯t return until veryte." After a pause, Liu Kun continued, "The young miss and the young master are both not at home, but the cousin is. Would you like to see her?"


    The cousin? Ling Chen¡¯s eyes lit up; Su Lin was back.


    "Great, she is so busy now, it¡¯s rare to get a chance to see her. Uncle Liu, go ahead with your tasks, I¡¯ll go see Miss Su myself." With that, Ling Chen took Zhu Qing and headed straight to the vi in the backyard.


    Entering the vi, Ling Chen saw Su Lin wearing a pink pajama set with cartoon patterns, lounging on the sofa without a care, her long, white, and slender legs exposed.


    Su Lin was very beautiful, a rare sight to behold. However, because she frequently spent time with Nanrong Wanqing, everyone¡¯s attention was drawn to Nanrong Wanqing, and few paid attention to Su Lin. Even if they did notice her, Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s presence overshadowed her beauty.

 Chapter 1268 - 1576: Heredity (1)

    <h4>Chapter 1268: Chapter 1576: Heredity (1)</h4>


    Su Lin held the remote control, intently watching the young man on the TV,pletely unaware of Ling Chen¡¯s arrival. As he approached, Ling Chen folded his arms, watching with interest Su Lin¡¯s delicate face and the fullness hidden beneath her sheer nightgown.


    Tsk tsk! It¡¯s been a while, and this youngdy¡¯s figure has developed quite a bit.


    Perhaps Ling Chen¡¯s gaze was too intense. Su Lin, who had been watching TV, felt something amiss and quickly turned her head to look behind the sofa, catching Ling Chen¡¯s approving smile. After a moment of surprise, Su Lin immediately reacted, hurriedly sitting up from the sofa and pressing her clothes against her chest to cover herself.


    "Pervert!" Su Lin red at Ling Chen, annoyed.


    Ling Chen said with a smile, "Miss Su, how am I a pervert? I¡¯m simply appreciating. Honestly, you are bing more beautiful with each passing day, almost catching up with your cousin."


    Hearing this, Su Lin proudly thrust out her rounded bosom and said with pride, "Of course, I¡¯m naturally beautiful." After saying this, Su Lin changed the topic and asked, "Hey! Why did youe here today?"


    Ling Chen shrugged, "I originally wanted to see Wanqing, but she went to Beijing. I heard you came back, so I came to say hello. Why, aren¡¯t you weing me?" Saying this, Ling Chen already sat down beside Su Lin.


    Zhu Qing was tactful and knew Ling Chen was going to meet a woman, so she didn¡¯t follow him inside and waited outside instead. At this moment, therge living room only had Ling Chen and Su Lin.


    "Hey! A single man and woman alone together, don¡¯t you think it¡¯s inappropriate?" Su Lin moved aside, trying to keep her distance from Ling Chen. If she¡¯d known Ling Chen woulde, she wouldn¡¯t have worn such a sexy nightgown; her thighs werepletely exposed to Ling Chen¡¯s view.


    Ling Chen snuck a few nces andughed, "Miss Su, what are you saying? What era is this, and who cares about that sort of thing these days? Besides, we haven¡¯t seen each other for so long, I¡¯m visiting you as a friend, aren¡¯t you weing? Then you aren¡¯t being much of a friend."


    Not waiting for Su Lin to speak again, Ling Chen curiously asked, "You¡¯ve been interning outside for so long, how do you feel? Are you getting used to that kind of life?"


    Seeing Ling Chen change the topic to work, Su Lin stopped teasing him and nodded, "It¡¯s alright. Though I haven¡¯t learned much else, I¡¯ve grown much bolder. I used to be afraid of seeing dead people, but after seeing so many corpses, it feels like nothing now; it¡¯s actually quite interesting."


    Hearing this, Ling Chen¡¯s mind turned and he asked, "Miss Su, you¡¯re studying archaeology and havee into contact with many corpses from ancient times. I want to ask, are there any corpses that have been preserved perfectly for hundreds of years?"


    "Of course there are. The ancients were wise people; they had many methods for preserving corpses, such as hollowing out the organs and filling the body with mercury. This way, even after hundreds or thousands of years, the corpse can be perfectly preserved, and there¡¯s more..."


    "Miss Su." Ling Chen interrupted Su Lin, saying, "I¡¯m not asking about methods. I just want to know, are there any corpses naturally preserved without embalming techniques?"


    "Impossible." Su Lin immediately shook her head, "Such a thing has never happened. Besides, it¡¯s not like a deity keeping the body from decaying. Hey! Why are you suddenly asking this?"


    Ling Chen smiled, "I asionally read something about this in a book, so I thought I¡¯d ask. Miss Su, do you think such a thing could exist?"


    "In the Great Thousand World, anything is possible; I can¡¯t give you a definite answer, but so far, what you mentioned hasn¡¯t appeared." At this point, Su Lin thought for a moment and continued, "If such a situation did ur, it suggests that person¡¯s genes are unique, probably mutated. However, scientific research finds that the probability of natural gic mutation is one in several billion. Simply put, there might only be one or two people globally."


    "Gic mutation..." Ling Chen murmured, considering the possibility he hadn¡¯t ruled out, though his knowledge in this area wascking and he couldn¡¯t research it deeply. Moreover, Ling Gengqiu¡¯s genes are top secret, something Ling Tao wouldn¡¯t easily disclose to him.


    "Miss Su, if a person has gic mutations, would their genes be passed on to their offspring?" This was Ling Chen¡¯s question of interest.


    "Yes." Su Lin nodded, "However, it depends on probability. These mutated genes hide in the DNA, mostly dormant, and when dormant, they don¡¯t affect the body. But once these mutated genes are activated, they can change the whole body structure. Of course, as I said, probability is everything; not every descendant inherits these mutated genes, some genes skip generations." After she said this, Su Lin looked at Ling Chen¡¯s thoughtful face and asked, "Do you understand what I¡¯m saying?"


    "I understand." Ling Chen replied casually, although he was pondering Su Lin¡¯s words in his mind.


    Skipping generations... Could it be that I¡¯ve inherited Ling Gengqiu¡¯s mutated genes, and possess self-healing abilities? Otherwise, after suffering such a severe injury that day, I should have died, yet I survived. Though he continually stressed to others it was his fate, Ling Chen knows it has nothing to do with luck. After hearing Su Lin¡¯s insights, he thinks he might have inherited Ling Gengqiu¡¯s mutated gene, which might exin why he survived.


    At this thought, Ling Chen inadvertently took a deep breath, feeling a bit muddled. If that¡¯s the case, then it¡¯s a big deal.


    "Hey! What are you thinking?" Seeing Ling Chen in a daze, Su Lin asked.


    "Nothing, nothing." Ling Chen forced a smile, standing up, "Miss Su, it was great seeing you, but it¡¯s gettingte, I¡¯ll head back now. Let¡¯s find a chance to meetter." Saying this, Ling Chen stepped out of the vi.


    Watching Ling Chen leave, Su Lin muttered to herself, wondering what was going on with him. It seemed like he had be a different person.


    After leaving the Nanrong Family, Ling Chen sat in the driver¡¯s seat, hesitating to start the car.


    "Ling Chen."


    Hearing Zhu Qing¡¯s voice, Ling Chen snapped back to reality, smiled apologetically, "Sorry, I got lost in thought. Let¡¯s go back."


    Not long after, the two drove back to the Dragon Tiger Hall. "Lady Zhu, I¡¯m heading to bed. You should get some rest too; there¡¯s a lot to do tomorrow."

 Chapter 1269 - 1577: Heredity (2)

    <h4>Chapter 1269: Chapter 1577: Heredity (2)</h4>


    Watching Ling Chen leave with a heavy heart, Zhu Qing frowned slightly, a hint of worry shing in her bright eyes. On the way back from the Nanrong Family, Ling Chen was silent, lost in thought, seemingly apletely different person from before.


    After hesitating for a moment, Zhu Qing gritted her teeth and quickly caught up with Ling Chen¡¯s footsteps.


    Back in the room, Ling Chen sat on his bed, daydreaming for a while. He took a sharp dagger out of the drawer of his bedside table. Then, he rolled up his sleeve, revealing his left arm. Taking a deep breath, he ced the dagger above his arm.


    The simple way to prove if I¡¯ve inherited Ling Gengqiu¡¯s mutant gene is to cut myself and see if it heals automatically.


    Biting his steel jaw, Ling Chen swung the dagger in his hand and shed at his own arm. However, just at that moment, there was a ¡¯bang¡¯ as the bedroom door was forcibly opened. Before Ling Chen could react, a figure rushed to the bedside, swiftly knocked the dagger out of his hand, and pinned his body to the bed.


    Feeling the softness of the figure, Ling Chen¡¯s mind went nk, not knowing what had just happened.


    After a brief stupor, Ling Chen moved his body slightly. "Don¡¯t move!" At that moment, a soft voice came. Ling Chen looked closely and found Zhu Qing lying on top of him, her cheeks blushing, with a hint of embarrassment in her eyes.


    Ling Chen was stunned, only then realizing why Zhu Qing was shy. Because Zhu Qing¡¯s entire body was pressing on him, and as he moved just now, his chest rubbed against Zhu Qing¡¯s ample bosom.


    Growing up, Zhu Qing had never been in such intimate contact with the opposite sex. Especially the strange feeling from her chest made her extremely shy.


    "Zhu... Lady Zhu..." Ling Chen opened his mouth and asked, "What are you... doing?"


    Zhu Qing¡¯s pretty face turned red, and she hurriedly got off Ling Chen, looking down at her toes, not daring to meet Ling Chen¡¯s gaze.


    Seeing Zhu Qing¡¯s shy appearance, Ling Chen found it amusing. This little girl was quite interesting. Unable to resist teasing, he said, "Lady Zhu, if you want a man, just tell me. I¡¯m willing to make some sacrifices, but isn¡¯t forcing yourself a bit much?"


    Hearing Ling Chen¡¯s jest, Zhu Qing¡¯s face turned even redder. She mustered her courage, red at Ling Chen, and said, "It¡¯s all because of you. I was afraid you were thinking of doing something stupid, so I rushed in to save you."


    "Save me?" Ling Chen was taken aback. Looking at the dagger that had fallen to the ground, he realized, and chuckled, "You thought I was going to take my own life? Come on, Lady Zhu. I fought hard to stay alive. Do you think I¡¯d give up easily?"


    "If not that, why were you trying to cut yourself?"


    "I was just trying an experiment, nothing more." As he said this, Ling Chen suddenly thought of something and looked at Zhu Qing curiously, asking, "By the way! I was in the room, and you were outside. How did you know I was thinking of doing something stupid?"


    This was too coincidental. Could it be this girl had some sort of x-ray vision and could see through walls?


    Faced with Ling Chen¡¯s question, Zhu Qing hesitated then stammered, "I installed a surveince camera in your room. I can monitor your movements with my phone."


    What? Ling Chen was shocked, asking, "You¡¯re monitoring me?"


    "I... I did it for your safety," Zhu Qing said earnestly. "You¡¯re my employer; I don¡¯t want you in any danger."


    Ling Chen smiled bitterly and helplessly, "Lady Zhu, I know you mean well, but I don¡¯t want to be invaded in my privacy. Enough! No more of this. Remove the cameras, and let this go. I don¡¯t want this to happen again. Understood?"


    Jokingly, if he ever brought a woman back and did something indescribable in the room, wouldn¡¯t Zhu Qing see it all? Luckily, he found out early, or else, where would he put his face?


    Reluctantly, Zhu Qing nodded at Ling Chen¡¯s request and strong dissatisfaction, obediently removing all the surveince cameras in the room.


    Ling Chen counted carefully. Zhu Qing had installed a total of six surveince cameras in his room, including audio monitoring equipment, with no dead angles.


    After sending Zhu Qing out, Ling Chen sat alone on the bed, checking the room again to make sure there were no other monitoring devices before hey down on the bed at ease.


    Interrupted by Zhu Qing, Ling Chen had lost the mood to continue his experiment. At that moment, another matter upied his mind, about the Guo Family that Zhu Houchang had mentioned.


    Guo Ming not only coborates with the Zhu Family but is also a major client, having hired over a hundred elite assassins to protect the Guo Family¡¯s security. There must be something fishy. As far as he knew, this generation of the Guo Family only had Guo Ming. Guo Ming had no children under him. Rumor had it Guo Ming had been married twice in his youth but ended both without offspring. Now, he¡¯s too old to have children.


    It seemed necessary to investigate this matter. Ling Chen thought to himself.


    Three days went by in the blink of an eye.


    Having been gone for so long, Ling Chen took the time to apany his family and make further ns for what was toe.


    That day, just after lunch, Ling Chen received a call from Jiang Yunkai.


    "Right, I got it. I¡¯lle over immediately." After hanging up, Ling Chen greeted Yang Qingling and then drove to the airport by himself.


    An hourter, Ling Chen met Jiang Yunkai and others outside the airport exit. However, Ling Chen¡¯s personal arrival wasn¡¯t for Jiang Yunkai but for the two special guests.


    "Miss Lin, we meet again." Ling Chen walked up to Lin Han with a smile and greeted her.


    "Ling Chen."


    "Big brother." Lin Chun poked her head out from behind Lin Han. Seeing it was Ling Chen, a smile immediately spread across her little face, and she quickly rushed into Ling Chen¡¯s arms.


    "Little one, I didn¡¯t lie to you. I told you we¡¯d meet soon." Saying this, Ling Chen patted Lin Chun¡¯s little head and looked up at Lin Han, "Miss Lin, let¡¯s go, get in the car."


    "Chen, if there¡¯s nothing else, we¡¯ll head back first," Jiang Yunkai spoke up.


    "Sure, you guys go ahead. Call me if there¡¯s anything."


    In the car, Lin Chun excitedly looked out at the towering buildings, her little face flushed red, chattering about the experience of flying. For a child born in the countryside and in financial hardship, flying was a very novel experience.


    Although Lin Han had stayed in big cities, she was always frugal, typically using trains for long-distance travel and had never flown.


    "Ling Chen, why... why did you bring us to East Sea City this time?" After hesitating for a while, Lin Han couldn¡¯t help asking.

 Chapter 1270 - 1578: Repaying Kindness

    <h4>Chapter 1270: Chapter 1578: Repaying Kindness</h4>


    Since Ling Chen left, Lin Han¡¯s life returned to calm once more. However, just yesterday, Jiang Yunkai unexpectedly drove to Xianghe Vige to bring the siblings to Beijing, saying he wanted to take them to East Sea City. She knew this must be Ling Chen¡¯s idea, but she didn¡¯t understand why Ling Chen brought them to East Sea City.


    Ling Chen responded with a smile: "Miss Lin, you are my lifesaver, I said I wanted to repay you well. This time, inviting you to East Sea City is to fulfill my promise."


    "No need," Lin Han softly said, "I told you before, I¡¯m a doctor, saving lives is the right thing to do, you don¡¯t have to take it to heart."


    "You shouldn¡¯t say that, you may not think much of it, but I can¡¯t otherwise I would be an ungrateful person. Miss Lin, I have no other intentions, I just want to thank you."


    Returning to the city, Ling Chen drove, turning left and right, finally arriving at a upscale neighborhood.


    After parking the car, Ling Chen walked with Lin Han and Lin Chun along the spacious roads of the neighborhood. This neighborhood was newly built, just recently opened for sale, because the environment here is very nice, although located in the city, it is not noisy. Additionally, not far from the neighborhood is a school, it¡¯s very convenient for both travel and schooling.


    "Ling Chen, do you live here?" Lin Han asked.


    Ling Chen smiled and asked, "What do you think of this ce?"


    "Very upscale, the house prices here should be very high," Lin Han said, "A former university ssmate of mine bought a forty square meter apartment in East Sea City for over a million." Speaking of this, Lin Han was a bit touched, "Everything is great in big cities, except the house prices are too high, ordinary people can¡¯t afford it."


    While speaking, Ling Chen suddenly stopped and pointed to a three-story detached building ahead, "This is it."


    Lin Chun raised his head, said with a face full of admiration, "Big brother, is this your house? It¡¯s so big, so beautiful."


    "Little guy, do you like it here?"


    Lin Chun nodded, "It¡¯s much better than my home."


    "Come on, I¡¯ll take you inside to have a look."


    Arriving at the door, Ling Chen pressed the doorbell. Soon, the door was opened by someone from inside, a middle-aged woman in her fifties wearing an apron greeted them with a smile: "Mr. Ling."


    "Nanny Huang, let me introduce you, this is Lin Han, and this is her brother, Lin Chun."


    "Hello Miss Lin, hello young master. Come in quickly, I¡¯ve prepared the meal."


    Entering the dining room, they found the tableid with a sumptuous feast, a chubby man was devouring the fragrant food with reckless abandon.


    Seeing the other¡¯s ravenous eating behavior, Ling Chen couldn¡¯t help butugh and scold, "I say, fatty, have you not eaten for days? You¡¯re a guest, at least mind your image."


    "I¡¯ve been busy half the day, I haven¡¯t even had breakfast. Let me tell you, Nanny Huang¡¯s cooking is really good, I didn¡¯t hire the wrong person." Saying this, Hu Fei put down the bowl and chopsticks, wiped the grease from the corner of his mouth with a tissue, and walked over to Lin Han with a smile, "You must be Miss Lin. Hello, my name is Hu Fei, I¡¯m Ling Chen¡¯s close buddy."


    "Hello."


    "Ling Chen, I have to go back now as I have something to do. Oh, by the way, all the paperwork isplete, it¡¯s on the coffee table in the living room."


    "Great, thank you for your hard work."


    After seeing Hu Fei off, Ling Chen sat at the dining table, apanying Lin Han and Lin Chun as they finished lunch. After eating, Nanny Huang brought fruits, snacks, and tea, and then cleared the dishes and went to the kitchen.


    "Ling Chen, do you live by yourself? I haven¡¯t seen your family."


    Ling Chen replied with a smile, "My family doesn¡¯t live here, I don¡¯t live here either."


    Hearing this, Lin Han was slightly taken aback, originally wanting to ask more. But then she realized this was a personal matter and she shouldn¡¯t pry.


    "Miss Lin, keep these documents safe." Ling Chen ced a document folder into Lin Han¡¯s hand.


    "Documents?" Lin Han asked puzzled, "What kind of documents?"


    "It¡¯s the house purchase contract. From now on, you¡¯re the owner of this house."


    "Wh... what?" Lin Han didn¡¯t respond for a moment, looked at Ling Chen in a daze, somewhat doubting her ears had heard wrong.


    "Miss Lin, from now on this is your new home. Additionally, I¡¯ve already contacted the school, starting next week, Lin Chun can start attending school. As for you, in East Sea City, it doesn¡¯t matter which hospital you want to work at, as long as you wish. If you want more freedom, you could open a clinic, which would also give you more time to take care of your brother."


    "You... no way!" Lin Han, reacting, shook her head hastily, handing the document folder back to Ling Chen, "This thing is too precious, I can¡¯t ept it. Ling Chen, if you want to thank me, you can just take me out for a meal, that I can ept. But I can¡¯t ept something this valuable."


    Ling Chen smiled slightly, he had anticipated that Lin Han would refuse.


    "Miss Lin, everyone sees things from different perspectives. Perhaps to you, this house is expensive, but in my eyes, it¡¯s just some pocket money, nothing much. My original intention was to give you a luxurious vi, but knowing you as I do, I knew you wouldn¡¯t ept, so I chose a simpler house for you."


    After a pause, Ling Chen continued, "Miss Lin, even if you don¡¯t consider for yourself, you should think about your brother. He¡¯s quite grown, at an age to start school. If he dys further, do you know what his future would be like?"


    "I..." Lin Han nced at Lin Chun beside her, falling into silence.


    "Miss Lin, don¡¯t overthink. Honestly, you saved my life, no matter how much I give you it¡¯s deserved, so don¡¯t feel any psychological burden, and definitely don¡¯t feel you owe me anything. My thoughts are simple, I just hope you and your brother can have a better life. Besides, I¡¯ve already entrusted someone in Beijing to find connections so that soon, the government will implement a new rural transformation n for Xianghe Vige. Then, all the vigers in Xianghe Vige will live happily."


    Lin Han looked at Ling Chen puzzled, asking, "Why are you doing this?"


    "A drop of water¡¯s gratitude should be reciprocated with a spring. It¡¯s as simple as that. Okay, put the documents away,ter I¡¯ll take you around to familiarize yourself with the area, then I¡¯ll take you to my home for dinner."


    "Thank you!"


    "No need for thanks." Ling Chen smiled, stood up and said, "Little fellow, let¡¯s go, I¡¯ll take you out to y."


    During the afternoon, Ling Chen apanied the Lin Family¡¯s siblings on a tour around the city, buying lots of clothes and daily necessities. After dinner, Ling Chen drove them back to their new home.


    Afterpleting everything, as Ling Chen prepared to drive home, he unexpectedly received a call from someone.


    (Friends who haven¡¯t solved reading issues may join the book group 498497245 to report the problem)

 Chapter 1271 - 1579: Regaining Supreme Power (1)

    <h4>Chapter 1271: Chapter 1579: Regaining Supreme Power (1)</h4>


    "Ling Chen, it¡¯s me."


    Upon hearing Ling Tao¡¯s voice from the other end of the phone, Ling Chen asked, "Is there something you need?" He understood that Ling Tao calling him could only mean he needed Ling Chen¡¯s help for some reason.


    "I just want to remind you to protect yourself well. We might not be in contact for a long period from now on. I¡¯m not just referring to myself, but also your father Ling Kun and the porridge girl. If you encounter danger, the Northern Ling Family won¡¯t be able to provide any help, so be cautious with everything you do."


    Hearing this, Ling Chen was stunned and hurriedly asked, "Why?"


    Ling Tao spoke solemnly, "The Southern Ling Family couldn¡¯t hold back and has made a move. We have no choice but to engage, and both sides have suffered heavy losses. Whether it¡¯s your father or anyone else, everyone is wounded. But don¡¯t worry, your father is not in life-threatening danger; some rest will make him fine. We have limited manpower now and can¡¯t ensure your safety, so you¡¯ll have to rely on yourself."


    "Don¡¯t worry about my safety, as long as you are all okay."


    "Alright, take good care of yourself. We have to relocate, and I¡¯ll reach out when the crisis is over." With that, without waiting for Ling Chen to ask anything else, Ling Tao had already hung up the phone.


    As the busy tone came from the other side, Ling Chen frowned slightly, feeling a bit worried. The full-scale war between the Southern and Northern Ling Family signifies the dangers, and he wonders if his dad and the porridge girl will be alright.


    Unfortunately, they have always kept him out of the loop, refusing to share the inside story. Even if he wanted to help, he couldn¡¯t start. Besides, he had his own mess to deal with and had no time for anything else.


    ...


    Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion.


    In the spacious hall, a few people were seated at the moment: Su He, Du Kang, Wang Hao, and the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion Master, Su Mei. The four sat facing each other, the atmosphere felt heavy, and everyone remained silent.


    After a while, Su He raised his head, looking at Wang Hao beside him, he said, "Speak about the situation."


    "Yes, Master." Wang Hao cleared his throat, and began, "Since thest time we returned, our Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion¡¯s influence has noticeably weakened. Some time ago, we issued the Heavenly Mechanism Order, asking all Martial Arts people to assist the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion in locating Ling Kun¡¯s whereabouts. However, judging from the recent days, everyone¡¯s attitude towards the Heavenly Mechanism Order is very indifferent, ignoring it, no one helped. Furthermore, based on intelligence gathered by the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, many ces have organized local Martial Arts people, secretly holding meetings, preparing to unite against the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion¡¯s control over Martial Arts."


    Su He coldly said, "A bunch of rabble, don¡¯t bother with them."


    "Master, this time the situation is different from before. Although there have been people resisting the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion before, they were few. But, as far as I know, more than half of the Martial Arts people are involved this time, and many others are watching, considering joining in." Wang Hao expressed concern, "Master, if not quickly dealt with, I fear it would have adverse effects on the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion."


    "Is it the people from Dragon Tiger Hall leading?"


    "Yes." Wang Hao nodded, "Based on the intelligence we received, Tong Zhentian is preparing to form an alliance, calling all Martial Arts people to join."


    "He finally took measures." Su He calmly said, "Thest n failed, I predicted he wouldn¡¯t give up easily." After speaking, Su He nced at Du Kang and Su Mei, asking, "Do you have any good suggestions?"


    Du Kang kept drinking from his wine gourd, seemingly oblivious to Su He¡¯s question. Su Mei slightly raised her head, her bright eyes flickering withplex light.


    Seeing that neither of them spoke, Su He couldn¡¯t help but smile, "Su Mei, haven¡¯t you prepared mentally?"


    Su Mei¡¯s heart panicked, she stammered, "I... I don¡¯t know..."


    "You¡¯re not ignorant, you¡¯re hesitating. You¡¯re a girl, too soft-hearted, emotions can easily cloud your judgment. To be honest, as the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion Master, you are inadequate in this regard."


    Faced with Su He¡¯s criticism, Su Mei lowered her head, lightly biting her thin lip, silent. Su He continued speaking, "When you became the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion Master, your father should have told you. The Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion Master¡¯s mission is to live for the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, each decision must start from the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion¡¯s interests. Do you remember?"


    "I remember." Su Mei nodded lightly.


    "I know you are friends with Ling Chen. I don¡¯t deny, Ling Chen indeed provided us with considerable help initially. However, I have already repaid what was owed, the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion doesn¡¯t owe him anything. Now, he and Dragon Tiger Hall are our enemies."


    "Why?" Su Mei clutched her clothes, mustered courage, looking at her grandfather, she asked, "Why can¡¯t we coexist peacefully, why must there be a winner and loser? Putting Ling Chen aside, the rise of Dragon Tiger Hall might impact Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, but it won¡¯t shake its foundation. As long as we manage well, Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion still holds the greatest authority in Martial Arts. Moreover, in this age, there¡¯s no need to resolve everything through fists. As the saying goes, winning hearts is winning the world. I feel, Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion should learn to embrace and ept, demonstrate broad-mindedness, gesturing kindness, and receiving goodwill, only then will others truly admire us."


    "Grandpa, the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion has stood as a Martial Arts legend for centuries, always holding a dominant position, no one dares to oppose it. But their attitude towards Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion isn¡¯t reverence, but mostly fear."


    "So what?" Su He said, "Poweres from the barrel of a gun, strength is the foundation. If Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion faces no external threats, it can be like you said, but now, that¡¯s impossible; Dragon Tiger Hall threatens Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion¡¯s core. If we don¡¯t take action, Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion¡¯s centuries-old heritage might crumble suddenly." Speaking here, Su He looked at Du Kang, asking, "Mr. Du, what¡¯s your view?"


    Du Kang opened his drunken eyes, yawned, and said, "I have no view, our Yangxin Pavilion only ensures Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion¡¯s internal safety, as for external matters, we don¡¯t interfere nor have interest."


    Regarding Du Kang¡¯s dismissive reply, Su He¡¯s face slightly frowned, somewhat dissatisfied, but he said no more. The first generation Pavilion Master of Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion had set the rule that Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion handles external actions, Yangxin Pavilion intervenes only when Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion experiences a crisis. One manages external affairs, the other internal, with mutually exclusive operations. After all, Yangxin Pavilion members are the seniors of Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, having made considerable contributions. Despite the Su family managing Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, ignoring Yangxin Pavilion is impossible.

 Chapter 1272 - 1580: Regaining Command (Part 2)

    <h4>Chapter 1272: Chapter 1580: Regaining Command (Part 2)</h4>


    "Master." Wang Hao contemted for a moment and said, "Capture the leader first to catch the thief. How about... we directly take out the leader? Tong Zhentian has a high reputation in the Martial Arts world, with extensive connections, not inferior to you, Master. Once he¡¯s gone, who would dare to lead a rebellion against our Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion?"


    Pausing briefly, Wang Hao continued, "And also Ling Chen, keeping him around is always a disaster, he must be eliminated along with Tong Zhentian."


    "No way!" As soon as Wang Hao finished speaking, Su Mei opposed, "Is killing all you can think of? Can¡¯t youe up with anything else?"


    "Pavilion Master, I..."


    Before Wang Hao could speak, he was interrupted by Su He, who said, "Wang Hao¡¯s proposal is good, but Tong Zhentian is not easy to deal with. Given the first attempt, they will surely strengthen their defenses. So, for now, we cannot take action against them. Wang Hao, go investigate clearly which other Martial Arts figures besides the Dragon Tiger Hall n to do harm to the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, and give me a list."


    "Understood." After speaking, Wang Hao stood up and quickly walked out of the main hall.


    "Grandfather, what are you nning?"


    Su He said evasively, "You cannot handle this matter. Leave it to me instead."


    "No way!" Su Mei¡¯s attitude was firm, "Grandfather, I am still the Pavilion Master of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion. No matter what you intend, I should be informed." At this point, Su Mei seemed to have thought of something, turning the conversation, she asked, "And one more thing, why have you never told me about the existence of the Skyhawk Pavilion?"


    Upon hearing these words, a sharp gleam shed in Su He¡¯s eyes, and he said in a deep voice, "What Skyhawk Pavilion?"


    "Grandfather, at this point you still want to keep secrets from me? Yes! Neither you nor my parents have told me about the existence of the Skyhawk Pavilion. However, the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion stores so much data, including numerous records about the Skyhawk Pavilion. Every past Pavilion Master of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion has the right to know about the existence of the Skyhawk Pavilion and has absolute control over it, why is there nothing for me?"


    "Correct!" Su He nodded, "The Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion does indeed have a mysterious organization. However, since you were too young at that time and not mature enough, your father and I decided not to inform you about the Skyhawk Pavilion, intending to wait until you have gradually matured before handing the Skyhawk Pavilion over to you for management. Nheless, in the years you¡¯ve held the reins of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, I have observed you closely from the shadows and believe you are still not qualified to manage the Skyhawk Pavilion, hence why I haven¡¯t handed it over to you."


    "So, all these years, the Skyhawk Pavilion has been under your control?"


    Su He spoke earnestly, "You must understand that everything has two sides. In this world, ck and white coexist. The Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion represents ¡¯white¡¯, while the Skyhawk Pavilion represents ¡¯ck¡¯. I have withheld information about the Skyhawk Pavilion because I do not want you to be too entangled in the bloodshed."


    "In the years I¡¯ve led the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, there have been numerous massacres in the Martial Arts world. Upon careful investigation, without exception, those who perished had grievances with our Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, and some openly resisted the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion. I suspect, this must have been the work of the Skyhawk Pavilion."


    "As I mentioned, you don¡¯t need to concern yourself excessively with these matters. Simply do your own duties well."


    "No way. Grandfather, if it were before, you could do as you wish. But now that I am the Pavilion Master, everything should follow my vision. Within three days, I hope you hand over control of the Skyhawk Pavilion to me."


    "What are you nning?"


    "Nothing, I just want to save the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion from repeating its mistakes. Grandfather, have you considered the consequences if the Skyhawk Pavilion¡¯s activities were exposed? At that point, the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion would be the target of everyone¡¯s attacks."


    Seeing the determination in Su Mei¡¯s eyes, Su He sighed gently, shaking his head, "Child, your thinking is still too naive. Perhaps cing the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion into your hands was a mistake. Come!"


    With that, two men with cold expressions instantly appeared at the door.


    "Escort the Pavilion Master back to her room. From today onwards, no one is to allow the Pavilion Master to take a step out of her chambers without my permission, nor receive anyone. Understand?"


    "Yes!"


    Su Mei¡¯s expression changed, taken aback, "Grandfather, are you... are you going to confine me?"


    "It¡¯s for your own good." With that, Su He gestured, signaling the two men to forcibly escort Su Mei away. Though Su Mei tried to struggle, she was overpowered by the men who grabbed her arms and dragged her out of the hall.


    "If there is nothing else, I shall take my leave." Du Kang, swaying the emptied wine gourd, stood up from his seat.


    "Do you think I¡¯m wrong?" Su He questioned Du Kang, "Special times necessitate special measures. Su Mei cannot handle it; I must take action myself. The Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion has been handed down for hundreds of years; I cannot let it be destroyed in Su Mei¡¯s hands."


    "You have your reasons, but Su Mei¡¯s words also make sense. Consider this: how many lives have been lost due to the Skyhawk Pavilion¡¯s actions over the years? The Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion is already at the center of a storm. Your authoritarian measures may have an effect, but while strengthening the Pavilion¡¯s position, aren¡¯t you also pushing it towards the edge of a cliff? Everything has two sides; you only see the good, but not the bad."


    Pausing for a moment, Du Kang continued, "The Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion needs unity to ovee adversity together. Su Mei is the current Pavilion Master. By imprisoning her, what will others think? You should think carefully about it."


    "Will you support me then?"


    Du Kang halted, and after a few seconds of silence, slowly replied, "I will do my duties."


    As Du Kang left, Su He found himself alone in the expansive hall, lost in thought. After a while, Su He tapped lightly on the table, prompting a figure to appear behind him.


    "Notify the Skyhawk Pavilion to prepare for battle; the targets this time may be numerous."


    "Understood." The figure hesitated briefly and asked, "I heard Ling Chen didn¡¯t die?"


    "Correct, I saw him appear before me. A renowned master of the Heavenly List, I hadn¡¯t expected you to fail."


    "Impossible! I clearly pierced his vital spot. Even if he had nine lives, he couldn¡¯t survive unless..."


    "Alright." Su He impatiently waved his hand, interrupting the other, "There¡¯s no need to discuss this further, as it doesn¡¯t greatly impact us. For now, you¡¯re relieved of the responsibility for Su Mei¡¯s safety; focus instead on handling the affairs of the Skyhawk Pavilion¡ªavoid any more mistakes."


    "Understood." The figure responded, instantly disappearing behind Su He.

 Chapter 1273 - 1581: Hongyu Group’s Expansion

    <h4>Chapter 1273: Chapter 1581: Hongyu Group¡¯s Expansion</h4>


    Ling Chen has been having a good few days; everything is going ording to n without much hindrance. However, the only thing causing him a headache is the Guo Family.


    ording to the intelligence provided by Zhu Houchang, there is definitely something wrong with the Guo Family. Just the thought of Guo Family being protected by more than a hundred elite assassins makes Ling Chen¡¯s head spin. Trying to investigate quietly is certainly not an option, as those are professional assassins, adept at stealth.


    Moreover, Ling Chen doesn¡¯t want to create more trouble for himself right now. No matter what secrets the Guo Family is hiding, making a move would certainly attract their displeasure. He has enough on his te already and for now, he doesn¡¯t want to make another enemy.


    Sitting in Lin Han¡¯s new home, Ling Chen sat with his legs crossed, holding a remote control in one hand, flipping through TV channels out of boredom. During these days, whenever he had free time, Ling Chen would head to Lin Han¡¯s ce. It wasn¡¯t because he had any feelings for Lin Han; it was just that he thought it was necessary to apany the Lin siblings, who were new to East Sea City and knew no one there. Besides, it would help improve their rtionship.


    At this moment, Ling Chen¡¯s attention was caught by a news program on TV. It was financial news, with today¡¯s focus being on the Hongyu United Investment Company located in Beijing. The news reported that recently, the Hongyu United Investment Company had been making a series ofmercial moves, acquiring many small and medium-sizedpanies. Most of thesepanies primarily produced daily necessities, and such arge-scale operation by Hongyu United Investment Company attracted a lot of attention from business circles.


    While daily necessities are generally low in price, they have a high turnover rate. It seems Hongyu United Investment Company is aiming to capture market share and dominate the field.


    In the news, Ling Chen also saw the reporter interviewing Nanrong Wanqing.


    "Miss Nanrong, yourpany has invested so much capital this time, acquiring dozens ofpanies. Are you not afraid of the risks?"


    Nanrong Wanqing calmly replied, "There is no zero-risk in doing business; the higher the risk, the greater the reward. Besides, with the robust capital of Hongyu United Investment Company, even if we lose, it doesn¡¯t matter. We treat it as an experiment."


    "What are your next steps, Miss Nanrong?"


    "We¡¯ve raised 30 billion funds to test various industries. Additionally, we will make substantial investments in projects with value and potential. Anyone with innovative ideas and thoughts butcking start-up capital cane to Hongyu Investment Company, and we¡¯ll help make dreamse true."


    In the subsequent interview time, the reporter asked manymercial questions, and Ling Chen was left in the fog. Close to the end, the reporter shifted his tone, smiling as he said, "Miss Nanrong, I¡¯ve asked all about business matters. If you don¡¯t mind, I¡¯d like to ask a personal question."


    "Please go ahead."


    "I wonder when Miss Nanrong ns to leave singlehood and start a family? I think... the single elites in front of the TV are all very concerned about this question."


    "Are you talking about marriage? I haven¡¯t considered that for now. Hongyu Group is in a development stage, and I need to invest all my time dealing with various matters, leaving little time to find someone to marry."


    "Do you have someone you¡¯re more fond of now?"


    Hearing this question, Nanrong Wanqing hesitated a little and said, "It¡¯s hard to say I¡¯m fond of anyone, but there are people I admire."


    The reporter smiled and said, "Any man admired by Miss Nanrong must be very outstanding. Alright, today¡¯s interview ends here. I wish Hongyu Group to go further and fly higher, and I hope Miss Nanrong quickly finds her other half."


    Watching Nanrong Wanqing disappear from the TV, Ling Chen smiled faintly and turned off the TV. Ling Chen knew well about the shareholders of the Hongyu United Investment Company, who were precisely the business people who once attempted to harm the Hongyu Group. Together, they amounted to one-fifth of the entiremercial circle of Huaxia, each member being wealthy and influential, consistently ranking on the rich lists.


    Nanrong Wanqing leveraged the past event to tie them all onto the same boat, advancing and retreating with the Hongyu Group. With their assistance, Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s business empire would inevitably expand across Huaxia.


    Just as he was thinking about it, the sound of the door opening was heard. Nanny Huang was back with Lin Chun.


    Under Ling Chen¡¯s arrangement, Lin Chun had started attending a nearby elementary school. Seeing Lin Chun with a backpack, walking gloomily, Ling Chen couldn¡¯t help but smile as he went forward to stroke his head, saying, "Why aren¡¯t you happy? Isn¡¯t school fun?"


    Lin Chun shook his head and said, "Big Brother, school is not good. I don¡¯t want to go anymore."


    Hearing this, Ling Chen was surprised and asked, "Why?"


    "They all bully me," Lin Chun¡¯s eyes started turning red. "They call me a country bumpkin and say I don¡¯t know anything."


    "Didn¡¯t you tell the teacher?"


    "I did, and the teacher said they were just joking with me, but they still bully me. Big Brother, can I not go to school anymore? Let me stay at home; I can help with the housework."


    "That¡¯s not possible. You must go to school. Only by learning can you choose your future." Ling Chen patted Lin Chun on the head,forting him. "You have to be a bit braver. If anyone bullies you, go to the teacher. If the teacher doesn¡¯t help, bully them back. With Big Brother backing you up, you don¡¯t have to be afraid of anything. Understand?"


    Lin Chun gently nodded his head.


    "Alright, go do your homework. We¡¯ll eat when your sister returns."


    Watching Lin Chun go up the stairs, Ling Chen spoke, "Nanny Huang, please remember to have a word with his teacher when you take Lin Chun to school tomorrow."


    "Okay."


    As the words fell, a mobile phone ringtone came from Ling Chen¡¯s pocket. After checking the caller ID, Ling Chen answered and asked, "Boss Tang, what¡¯s up? ... Alright, I¡¯ll be there right away."


    After pocketing his phone, Ling Chen bid farewell to Nanny Huang and immediately drove to the Dragon Tiger Hall.


    Half an hourter, Ling Chen appeared in the conference room of the Dragon Tiger Hall. At this time, many people were seated in the spacious conference room, including Tong Zhentian and Qiu Yong. After Ling Chen took his seat, Tong Zhentian nodded at He Ziyun, who then stood up and said, "Just recently, we received news. A fire suddenly broke out in a hotel in Jinhai City, and there were thirty-two casualties on the spot, with countless injuries."


    Upon hearing this, Ling Chen curiously asked, "Mr. He, what does this have to do with us?"


    "Don¡¯t worry, let me exin slowly." He Ziyun took out some documents and said, "Among the thirty-two deceased, twenty-seven were Martial Arts practitioners. ording to my investigation, they had arranged to meet at the hotel today."


    (If everyone hasn¡¯t resolved the reading confusion, you can download a dedicated book reading app called QQ Reading.)

 Chapter 1274 - 1582: Nighttime Infiltration of Tianji (1)

    <h4>Chapter 1274: Chapter 1582: Nighttime Infiltration of Tianji (1)</h4>


    "During this period, martial artists from all over the country have been responding, wanting to join the temporary alliance formed by Dragon Tiger Hall to jointly crusade against Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion under Elder Tong¡¯s leadership. The martial artists from Jinhai City can be considered our allies. The main purpose of their meeting at the hotel this time was to recruit more people to join us. However, no one expected such a thing to happen suddenly, all martial artists present were burned to death without exception."


    "Impossible!" Ling Chen frowned and said, "They are all trained fighters, how could an average fire trap them? Moreover, not a single survivor, that¡¯s too coincidental."


    "Indeed!" He Ziyun nodded and said, "Because of this, I summoned all of you here. It¡¯s clear that people from Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion took action, this is a reminder and a warning. Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion wants all martial artists to know that anyone opposing Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion will not have a good end. Just now, I received several calls from people. Although not very explicit, they subtly expressed their intention to withdraw from the alliance."


    "Humph!" Tang Guolun said disdainfully, "They are all cowards who only think about their own safety."


    "I think we need to speed up." Qiu Yong said gravely, "If Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion continues like this, this alliance will eventually copse. While everyone is still united, we should quickly start a war against Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion."


    "Now is not the time to start." Ling Chen said, "Compared to Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, we are far outnumbered. Also, Elder Tong¡¯s health has not recovered, we have effectively lost a Heavenly List master, which is very disadvantageous to us." Ling Chen paused, then continued, "Besides, we need a legitimate reason."


    "Correct." Tong Zhentian chimed in, "Starting a war against Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion cannot just be done with a bunch of people surrounding them. We must find a suitable reason. Although I previously stated that Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion is a hindrance to martial arts development, that is not a reason, it¡¯s too far-fetched, making it seem like our Dragon Tiger Hall wants to usurp."


    "Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion hasmitted many evils in the past. As long as we find evidence of this, not only will it be legitimate, but it can also evoke a sense of justice in people¡¯s hearts, attracting more martial artists to join us."


    As Xu Ming finished speaking, he immediately received unanimous agreement from everyone.


    However, having a target is one thing, finding evidence is a problem that needs solving. Ling Chen looked at Xu Ming beside him and asked, "Second brother, you know Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion well, do you have any good suggestions?"


    Xu Ming pondered for a moment and said, "Over the years, Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion has secretly eliminated dissidents, anyone who opposed Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion had a bad ending. Either their entire household was exterminated or they were sunk to the bottom of ake, not a single survivor, it will be difficult to find a witness. Personally, I think it¡¯s best to start with Skyhawk Pavilion. Skyhawk Pavilion specifically does some unspeakable tasks for Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, and they have detailed records of each mission. If we can find that record and make it public, Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion will be doomed."


    Upon hearing this, Tong Zhentian and others looked at Xu Ming with a touch of surprise.


    "Mr. Xu, how do you know so much about these things?"


    Xu Ming said lightly, "I have some connections with Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, so I know some things others don¡¯t."


    "Second brother," Ling Chen asked impatiently, "since you know Skyhawk Pavilion, do you know where it is located?"


    "I¡¯m not sure about that." Xu Ming said, "The only thing I can confirm is that Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion definitely keeps records of every action by Skyhawk Pavilion, and these records are very important, usually kept by the Pavilion Master themselves. Ling Chen, you know quite a few friends within Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, maybe you could ask them for help."


    "Second brother, you want me to make a trip to Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion?"


    "That¡¯s right! You are the most suitable candidate. As long as you find that record, Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion will definitely be defeated." Xu Ming¡¯s tone was confident.


    Ling Chen hesitated for a moment, then nodded and said, "Alright, since this is the only way, I will make a trip."


    "Sixth brother, don¡¯t worry, we will go with you." Qiu Yong said.


    Xu Ming shook his head and said, "Big brother, we have more important things to do, this matter can only be entrusted to the sixth brother." Xu Ming paused, then continued, "Before sixth brother enters Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, we need to create some conditions for him, try to attract Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion¡¯s attention so they don¡¯t focus on their own affairs."


    "Mr. Xu, whatever n you have, feel free to tell us, and we will fully cooperate with you." He Ziyun said.


    "You just need to gather a hundred martial artists in a short time; I¡¯ll handle the rest."


    He Ziyun nced at Tong Zhentian, and seeing no objection from thetter, he nodded slightly and said, "No problem. Within three days, I¡¯ll help you gather enough manpower."


    ...


    Two days have passed in the blink of an eye.


    Late at night, the forest, which had just been drenched by rain, was full of dew, slowly dropping down the leaves one by one.


    In the darkness, a shadow navigated the forest quickly. Shielded by dense leaves and overcast night skies, the forest was pitch ck, impossible to see one¡¯s hand in front of their face. Suddenly, the moving shadow lunged forward, diving onto the ground, using the surrounding weeds to cover its body, leaving only a pair of eyes staring intently ahead.


    Soon, within twenty meters away, two blurry figures appeared. The two silhouettes walked slowly along the forest, asionally looking around as if searching for something. After a while, a man¡¯s voice said, "It¡¯s safe here, let¡¯s go check over there."


    "Okay." Thepanion replied, and the two quickly headed south.


    Only when their figures disappeared from sight did the shadow in the grass slowly stand up. However, he did not rush to leave but climbed a nearby big tree quickly. Just then, the two figures returned again, carefully checking around once more. "Let¡¯s go; there shouldn¡¯t be anyone here."


    Watching them gradually disappear, the figure on the tree branch breathed a slight sigh of relief. "Damn! These guys are getting craftier."


    After descending the tree, the shadow moved stealthily along the grass again. After a quarter of an hour, he finally reached aplex of buildings on the edge of a cliff.


    "Whew... finally here." Ling Chen breathed lightly. To sneak into Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion¡¯s territory, he avoided ten waves of obvious and dark posts in total. It seems Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion has realized its own crisis and has strengthened its outer defenses.

 Chapter 1275 - 1583: Night Visit to the Celestial Pavilion (2)

    <h4>Chapter 1275: Chapter 1583: Night Visit to the Celestial Pavilion (2)</h4>


    Looking at the brightly lit Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, Ling Chen found a more concealed spot,y on the ground, and then pulled out a pack ofpressed biscuits from his backpack and slowly started eating. It wasn¡¯t yet the best time to enter the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion; only when it was deep into the night would there be an opportunity.


    He hadn¡¯t visited the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion for several months, and now it had seen quite a change. Around the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, it was entirely surrounded by wire fences. Those fences stood at least three or four meters tall, with a guard stationed every twenty meters. Moreover, all the weeds outside the wire fences had been cleared away, not even a single stone was left, ensuring that anyone within ten meters of the wire fence would be discovered by the guards inside without any cover.


    After finishing the biscuits, Ling Chen drank some water and continued to lie on the ground, resting and recovering his spent energy. Time ticked by slowly, and at midnight, Ling Chen suddenly opened his eyes and cast his gaze towards the wire fence not far away.


    After waiting for over ten minutes, a weak light suddenly appeared in one section of the wire fence, flickering on and off. After shing four times consecutively, the weak light disappeared. Seeing this, Ling Chen hesitated no more, sprang into action like a released arrow, and charged swiftly forward.


    The ten-meter distance was covered in the blink of an eye, and Ling Chen sessfully reached the side of the wire fence.


    Lying on the ground, Ling Chen took a pair of pincers out of his backpack and carefully cut a small opening in the wire fence, maneuvering through it.


    After passing through the wire fence, Ling Chen didn¡¯t pause and continued crawling forward. After crawling forward for about ten meters, there was a sentry post, a ce specifically for guards to rest. Entering the post, he saw a young man sitting inside.


    Meeting gazes, Ling Chen slightly raised the corner of his mouth and asked with a smile, "Everything¡¯s good?"


    The other person nodded, "Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ve arranged everything." Saying this, the young man handed a pre-prepared package to Ling Chen, saying, "Everything you need is inside; quickly change into them."


    Ling Chen responded affirmatively and immediately took off the clothes he was wearing, donning the new outfit. This was the uniform of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, designed to avoid being recognized.


    Once everything was ready, Ling Chen looked at the other person and said, "Thanks, Song Ge!" This young man was none other than Song Ge, with whom Ling Chen had once befriended during the Heavenly Mechanism Great Ceremony.


    The current Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion wasn¡¯t the same as before; attempting to infiltrate required inside help. Ling Chen thought over it and finally reached out to Song Ge. Among the people in the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, it was only Song Ge with whom he had a good rtionship.


    "No need to thank me. I¡¯m doing this not just to help you, but also for the Pavilion Master."


    "Pavilion Master?" Ling Chen was slightly surprised and asked in confusion, "What¡¯s the situation with Miss Su?"


    "Honestly, Ling, I don¡¯t know the Pavilion Master¡¯s situation either. Last time after Elder Su and the others returned, I haven¡¯t seen the Pavilion Master anymore. Now, all major affairs in the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion are handled personally by Elder Su. I did some digging around and found that the Pavilion Master seems to have been confined."


    Upon hearing this, Ling Chen was taken aback. Su Mei was actually being confined! Without needing further thought, it must have been Su He¡¯s doing. Ling Chen couldn¡¯t understand why Su He would treat Su Mei, his own granddaughter, this way.


    As thoughts raced through his mind, Ling Chen asked, "Song Ge, do you know where Miss Su is being held?"


    "In her own room. I wanted to visit the Pavilion Master but there are guards at the door, not allowing entry without Elder Su¡¯s orders." Pausing, Song Ge continued, "Ling, I¡¯ve stayed in the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion for quite some time, and almost everyone knows me. However, over the past few days, there are many unfamiliar faces in the pavilion."


    "Those might be people from Skyhawk Pavilion."


    "Skyhawk Pavilion?"


    "I¡¯ll exinter. Song Ge, I¡¯m going to find Miss Su now."


    "Alright. Remember, the guard shifts every four hours. You must get back before then, or you won¡¯t have a chance to escape." Song Ge reminded.


    "Got it."


    Leaving the sentry post, Ling Chen headed straight to Su Mei¡¯s residence. Since it waste at night, most people were already resting, with only a few patrolling guards outside. It didn¡¯t take long for Ling Chen to reach the high tower where Su Mie resided.


    The entrance of the tower was guarded, and the main door was clearly off limits. Ling Chen surveyed the surroundings, confirmed no one was around, then retrieved a w hook from his backpack, attached to a rope. He threw it lightly, and the hook promptly flew to the top of the tower, wedging between two bricks.


    Once the hook was secured, Ling Chen quickly climbed the rope upwards. Before long, he reached the floor where Su Mei resided.


    Positioned outside the window, Ling Chen took out a dagger, cautiously inserted it into the gap, and gently nudged it, causing thetch inside to pop open. Pushing open the window, Ling Chen didn¡¯t hesitate and climbed in directly. Although Su Mei was the Pavilion Master of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, she had never practiced martial arts, so he didn¡¯t fear being discovered by her.


    As expected, at this moment, Su Mei was lying on the bed in her bedroom, already in a deep sleep.


    While Su Mei wasn¡¯t awake, Ling Chen meticulously searched the room, hoping to find the records Xu Ming had mentioned. However, having searched the whole room, there was no discovery. The bedroom! Ling Chen turned his gaze to Su Mei¡¯s bedroom, as it was the only ce he hadn¡¯t searched.


    Entering the bedroom, Ling Chen immediately saw arge wooden cab against the wall. Opening the cab doors, he looked through its contents, finding only clothes inside. Below the cab were several rows of drawers. Ling Chen randomly opened a drawer and felt inside to see if there was any paper or books.


    "Who are you?"


    Just then, an icy voice startled Ling Chen. Damn! Unexpectedly, Su Mei woke up at this moment.


    Before Ling Chen could react, he heard a soft click, and the bedroom lights were switched on. Ling Chen quickly turned his head and saw Su Mei sitting on the bed, ring coldly at him. Suddenly, for some reason, Su Mei¡¯s cheeks gradually turned red, her beautiful eyes showing a hint of angry embarrassment.


    Ling Chen froze for a moment, following Su Mei¡¯s gaze, only to find he was holding onto several brightly colored intimate garments, a bandeau, and... underwear... Damn! He thought the drawer would contain the items he was seeking, unexpectedly it was filled with Su Mei¡¯s intimate clothing.


    "You rogue!" Su Mei shouted in anger, "I¡¯m going to..."


    Not good! Panic surged through Ling Chen as he hurriedly let go of the intimate garments, swiftly leaping onto the bed, pinning Su Mei¡¯s delicate frame beneath him. Simultaneously, he covered Su Mei¡¯s mouth with one hand, preventing her from making another sound.

 Chapter 1276 - 1584: Nighttime Infiltration of the Celestial Secrets (3)

    <h4>Chapter 1276: Chapter 1584: Nighttime Infiltration of the Celestial Secrets (3)</h4>


    Knock, knock, knock!


    At that moment, a knock came from outside the door, and a man outside asked, "Pavilion Master, are you all right?"


    Ling Chen cursed silently, realizing he was one step toote. If the people outside discovered something unusual inside the room, they would definitely barge in. By then, not only would his n fail, but he might also implicate Song Ge.


    Mmm... Mmm... Su Mei frantically waved her fists, pounding on Ling Chen¡¯s body while struggling.


    "Miss Su, don¡¯t move." Ling Chen had no choice but to shout.


    Hearing Ling Chen¡¯s voice, Su Mei was slightly stunned, looking at Ling Chen in disbelief, "You are..."


    Ling Chen smiled bitterly, reaching out to remove the mask from his face, revealing a helpless expression.


    "Miss Su, it¡¯s me, I..."


    Before Ling Chen could finish speaking, the knocking on the door became louder and more urgent, "Pavilion Master, please open the door and let us in."


    Su Mei quietly watched Ling Chen, as if not hearing the shouting from outside. After a while, she patted Ling Chen¡¯s hand that was covering her mouth, indicating him to let go. Ling Chen sighed quietly; he had no other choice but toply. If Su Mei didn¡¯t make a sound, those people outside would definitely break in.


    Had it been someone else, he might have resorted to threats. However, facing Su Mei, his former friend, he couldn¡¯t bring himself to do it.


    At this moment, Su Mei sat up from the bed and nced at Ling Chen with a bit of exasperation. Then, she got up and walked to the living room, shouting to the people outside, "Stop knocking, can people rest or not?"


    "Pavilion Master, we just heard noises inside the room. May I ask..."


    "I¡¯m fine, no need to worry about me," Su Mei replied impatiently. "It¡¯s already veryte, don¡¯t disturb my rest."


    "Yes."


    Listening to the conversation between Su Mei and the guards outside, Ling Chen couldn¡¯t help but be surprised. He thought that Su Mei would have people capture him. Watching Su Mei return to the bedroom, Ling Chen opened his mouth, about to speak, when Su Mei said, "No need to make a big deal. I¡¯m now just a prisoner under soft imprisonment, with no power, no need to trouble you." Pausing, Su Mei asked, "Speak out, why did you sneak into my room in the middle of the night?"


    "I came to find something."


    "Find what?"


    Ling Chen hesitated for a moment, then smiled bitterly, "Miss Su, it¡¯s better if you don¡¯t ask. I don¡¯t know how to answer you." He couldn¡¯t possibly tell Su Mei that he was looking for evidence against the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion. Su Mei was, after all, the Pavilion Master of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion and would never allow outsiders to infringe on the interests of the Pavilion.


    However, as smart as Su Mei was, she could easily guess Ling Chen¡¯s thoughts, "No matter what you¡¯re looking for, it must be something harmful to the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion. But you¡¯ll likely be disappointed; I have nothing here."


    "Miss Su, you¡¯re the Pavilion Master of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion. Howe you¡¯re under soft imprisonment?"


    "It¡¯s my grandfather¡¯s decision."


    "Why did he do that? You¡¯re the Pavilion Master of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion. What right does he have to imprison you?"


    Su Mei sighed softly, shaking her head as she said, "My grandfather and I have different philosophies, so he confined me here." After speaking, Su Mei looked at Ling Chen and said, "Can you chat with me? These days, I¡¯ve been locked in a room alone, not able to go anywhere, and I don¡¯t even have anyone to talk to."


    Ling Chen nodded, not refusing Su Mei¡¯s request.


    Immediately, the two went to the living room. Su Mei brewed two cups of tea and sat beside Ling Chen, speaking softly, "Ling Chen, do you think the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion still has a reason to exist?"


    Hearing this, Ling Chen was slightly stunned, not expecting Su Mei to ask such a question.


    "Miss Su, you¡¯re the Pavilion Master of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion. Such words shouldn¡¯te from you, right?"


    "There are no outsiders here, just you and me. Ling Chen, I don¡¯t have many friends, and you¡¯re one of them. Besides talking to you, I have no one else to turn to."


    Ling Chen organized his thoughts and said, "Miss Su, since you want to have a heart-to-heart chat, I might as well be honest with you. The Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion today is not what it used to be. In the past, the Pavilion existed for the peace of the martial arts world. But now, it has be a power center focused on itself; everything it does is to consolidate its position. To achieve this, the Pavilion is willing to resort to any means. Do you think... such a Pavilion still has a reason to exist?"


    "The Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion..." Su Mei bit her lip lightly and said, "Grandfather is right, sometimes I¡¯m too naive. I always thought that as the Pavilion Master, everything was under my control. However, only recently did I realize that as the Pavilion Master, I¡¯m essentially powerless. The Pavilion isposed of three parts: the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, the Yangxin Pavilion, and... the Skyhawk Pavilion. As the Pavilion Master, I can only truly control the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion; the people of the Yangxin Pavilion don¡¯t take me seriously, and as for the Skyhawk Pavilion, I recently learned of its existence. Throughout these years, my grandfather never mentioned it to me. Only by taking control of the Skyhawk Pavilion can one truly hold real power. However, after my father passed on the position of Pavilion Master to me, he didn¡¯t tell me anything about the Skyhawk Pavilion. Not only that, my grandfather regained control of the Skyhawk Pavilion."


    "Miss Su, do you know what the Skyhawk Pavilion is specialized in?" Ling Chen asked.


    "I¡¯ve read some records. The main task of the Skyhawk Pavilion is to identify potential threats, monitor targets, and, if necessary, take necessary measures to maintain the interests of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion."


    Ling Chen chuckled, "Miss Su, the records you saw are too understated. To put it bluntly, the Skyhawk Pavilion is a group of assassins, specifically helping the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion eliminate dissidents. For so many years, why has the Pavilion remained unscathed, with no one openly opposing it? The reason is simple: those people were all killed by the Skyhawk Pavilion."


    Su Mei¡¯s face changed, shaking her head, "Impossible."


    "Nothing is impossible; all the dirty work is done by the Skyhawk Pavilion. Because of their existence, the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion can maintain a positive image before the world. You¡¯re probably unaware of the recent events; the conflict between the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion and the Dragon Tiger Hall is on the verge of breaking out. Just a few days ago, dozens of martial artists allied with the Dragon Tiger Hall were poisoned. Do you think these are coincidences?"


    "These past few days, you¡¯ve been locked in your room, not going out. You may not know that the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion has many new faces, likely people from the Skyhawk Pavilion."


    "It must be under Grandfather¡¯s orders."


    Ling Chen nodded, "If I guessed correctly, Elder Su has already made the decision to ughter the entire martial arts world. Only by doing so can he ensure the interests of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion and not let its status be affected."

 Chapter 1277 - 1585: Enlightening with Righteousness (1)

    <h4>Chapter 1277: Chapter 1585: Enlightening with Righteousness (1)</h4>


    "No, that¡¯s impossible." Su Mei shook her head, her face full of disbelief as she said, "Grandfather would never do such a thing."


    "Facts speak louder than words. Miss Su, don¡¯t you find it strange? You¡¯ve been in charge of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion for so long and have never encountered any resistance. Even if there were opposition, those voices and forces would vanish immediately and never appear again." Ling Chen began, "Have you never investigated any of this thoroughly? Or perhaps... you always believed the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion was perfect, so no one was willing to oppose it."


    "No... that¡¯s impossible..." Su Mei murmured to herself, her head lowered, refusing to believe Ling Chen¡¯s words.


    Seeing Su Mei in a distracted state, Ling Chen sighed softly and said, "Miss Su, I think you won¡¯t believe anything I say; only evidence is the best proof."


    "Evidence? What evidence do you have?"


    "I don¡¯t have any now. To be honest, I sneaked into the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion this time to find evidence of the Skyhawk Pavilion¡¯s evil deeds. An insider told me that every task of the Skyhawk Pavilion is recorded and kept by the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion Master. However, you¡¯re just now learning about the existence of Skyhawk Pavilion, so the record certainly isn¡¯t in your hands."


    "Then where is it?"


    Ling Chen shrugged, "I don¡¯t know." Pausing for a moment, Ling Chen continued, "Based on my guess, the record is most likely in the hands of two people: your grandfather or Qin Chuan."


    "You mean Elder Qin?" Su Mei asked puzzled, "What does he have to do with this?"


    "Miss Su, you might not know this, but Qin Chuan is with Skyhawk Pavilion and holds a high position. Besides that, there¡¯s something else I want to tell you. A while ago, when you met me in Beijing, I was attacked by Qin Chuan when I left." Ling Chen said, lifting his clothes to reveal a fierce scar.


    "This..." Su Mei¡¯s face showed surprise.


    "This is Qin Chuan¡¯s doing; he wanted to kill me. Luckily, my fate saved me, and someone rescued me. At the time, he thought I was surely dead, so he verbally revealed his rtionship with Skyhawk Pavilion. Miss Su, no matter whether you believe it or not, once you find that record, you¡¯ll know if I¡¯m telling the truth."


    Upon hearing this, Su Mei bit her lips lightly, her eyes flickering, and fell into hesitation.


    While Su Mei was hesitating, a ¡¯knock, knock, knock¡¯ sound suddenly came from the door, followed by Su He¡¯s voice from outside, "It¡¯s me, can Ie in?"


    Su Mei and Ling Chen¡¯s expressions changed slightly; they hadn¡¯t expected Su He toe by at this time. Before Su Mei could respond, a soft noise came from the door, apanied by footsteps approaching the bedroom.


    Damn! Ling Chen¡¯s heart sank; Su He had directlye in. What should they do now? "Quick,e in." At that moment, Su Mei hurriedly climbed onto the bed, pulled the quilt over herself, and signaled Ling Chen to hide beneath it. Ling Chen looked around; the gap under the bed was too narrow, the cab against the wall too thin, all unsuitable for hiding. The only exit was the window, but Su He was outside the bedroom and coulde in at any moment. Escaping through the window in such a short time would undoubtedly lead to discovery by Su He.


    Thinking of this, Ling Chen disregarded any concerns about propriety and quickly slid under the quilt, pressing his body tightly against Su Mei¡¯s delicate frame. Immediately, a faint virgin fragrance reached his nose, stirring his heart slightly.


    Just as Ling Chen hid, he heard Su He pushing the door open anding into the bedroom. At this moment, Su Mei turned on the bedsidemp, and under the dim light, the room was not particrly clear.


    Su Mei yawned, pretending to have just woken up, rubbing her sleepy eyes, and asked, "Grandfather, why have youe sote?"


    "Just came to check on you." Su He nced around the bedroom, then pulled over a chair, ced it beside the bed, and looked at Su Mei, who was leaning against the headboard, saying, "Dear granddaughter, I know you have grievances against me. I didn¡¯te to you these days because I hope you can think clearly; every decision I made was for the future of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion."


    Su Mei fiddled with her fingers and replied softly, "Grandfather, everyone has their own ideas. I won¡¯t force you, but you can¡¯t force me to ept your thoughts either."


    "I just hope you can understand," Su He said, "Making you the Pavilion Master indeed put you in a difficult position, leaving you to bear such a heavy responsibility alone. As your grandfather, I want you to have an easier time, so I haven¡¯t told you some things; I¡¯ve been secretly resolving the crises the Heavenly Mechanism encountered."


    "I know, you don¡¯t want my hands to get too bloody."


    Su He nodded, "You¡¯re right! These days, I¡¯ve thought repeatedly about what you said. Undeniably, you have a point, but now are extraordinary times, and we must take extraordinary measures. However, I promise you here, once I finish dealing with this, I¡¯ll hand the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion over to youpletely, and I won¡¯t interfere with whatever decisions you make afterward."


    Hearing this, Su Mei asked softly, "Then how many people need to die this time?"


    "As long as they are enemies of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, I¡¯ll clear them all out."


    "A hundred people? Two hundred people? Do you need to kill three hundred people?" Su Mei looked directly into Su He¡¯s eyes and said, "Have you ever thought about it? The martial arts world is slowly declining; if you kill so many people, the entire martial arts world will be finished. At that time, what¡¯s the point even if the status of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion remains unchanged?"


    "That¡¯s why you need to rebuild the martial arts world," Su He said with a smile, "Regardless of the future prosperity or decline of the martial arts world, the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion must dominate everything. Well, I¡¯ve said all I need to say; think about it, I¡¯ll go now, you rest."


    After speaking, Su He stood up and walked straight towards the bedroom door. At the door, Su He suddenly turned his head, carefully observing Su Mei under themp¡¯s light. He noticed that Su Mei¡¯splexion, for some reason, had suddenly turned red, "Dear granddaughter, are you okay?"


    Su He returned to the bedside, looking at Su Mei with concern and asked, "Are you feeling unwell? Come, let grandfather check you." Saying this, Su He reached out, intending to check Su Mei¡¯s pulse.


    "No... I¡¯m fine." Su Mei hurriedly said, "Grandfather, I¡¯m really okay, you don¡¯t need to worry about me."


    "But yourplexion..."


    "I¡¯m just... just..." Su Mei bit her lip lightly, her body trembling slightly, and a trace of shame shed in her bright eyes, "Grandfather, please don¡¯t ask, I... I want to rest."

 Chapter 1278 - 1586: Enlightening with Righteousness (2)

    <h4>Chapter 1278: Chapter 1586: Enlightening with Righteousness (2)</h4>


    Seeing Su Mei¡¯s unusual demeanor, Su He couldn¡¯t help but find it strange. He proactively reached out to grab Su Mei¡¯s wrist, wanting to help diagnose her.


    "Don¡¯t... don¡¯t touch me." Su Mei quickly pulled back her hand, blushing as she said, "Grandpa, I¡¯m really fine, you don¡¯t need to worry about me, I... I¡¯m just a girl..." As she said this, Su Mei involuntarily lowered her head, not daring to look at Su He.


    Su He, being of a certain age, immediately realized he had asked too much, observing his granddaughter¡¯s shy appearance. He coughed slightly and changed the topic, saying, "You¡¯re not young anymore, it¡¯s time to consider your lifelong matters. Though you are the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion Master, this position will eventually require a sessor. There are many outstanding young talents in both the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion and Yangxin Pavilion. Is there anyone you have your eye on? Grandpa can help you make connections."


    "Grandpa, I don¡¯t want to consider this matter for the time being, let¡¯s talk about itter." Su Mei politely declined.


    "I think Wang Hao is quite good. He¡¯s considered the most talented youth in the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion. Given time, his achievements are boundless. Moreover, he¡¯s my disciple, having him assist you by your side, I can be much more assured. Of course, it¡¯s just a suggestion, the key is still up to you."


    Su Mei gently nodded and said, "I understand."


    "Alright then, take a rest, I¡¯m heading back." After speaking, Su He turned and walked out of the bedroom.


    At the doorway, Su Mei seemed to remember something and quickly called after Su He, asking, "Grandpa, can I go outside for a walk?"


    Su He pondered for a moment and said, "You should stay in the room. I¡¯ve already announced externally that you¡¯re unwell, and during this period, I¡¯m temporarily handling the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion¡¯s affairs. Rest well, don¡¯t worry about the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion¡¯s matters, I¡¯ll manage them for you." With that, Su He walked out without turning back.


    Hearing the door close outside, Su Mei immediately lifted the nket, face flushed, and looked at Ling Chen, softly murmuring like a mosquito, "Come out."


    Ling Chen sat up, long exhaling a breath. Just now, Su He was right beside him, and he didn¡¯t even dare to breathe for fear of being discovered. If Su He hadn¡¯t left, he would have suffocated. Taking a few deep breaths, Ling Chen nced at Su Mei beside him, seeing her blushing face, shy eyes avoiding his, full of the charms of a coy, alluring woman.


    Thinking of the previous actions, Ling Chen seemed a bit embarrassed. Su Mei was only wearing a nightgown, which was very short, just reaching the thighs. While lying under the nket, to avoid Su He discovering someone else beneath, Ling Chen could only tightly embrace Su Mei¡¯s delicate body. However, this inevitably led to skin contact between them.


    Just under the nket, feeling Su Mei¡¯s white, tender skin, Ling Chen¡¯s mind was restless, unable to focus on the conversation between Su Mei and Su He, constantly trying to control his bodily reactions.


    Ling Chen was ufortable, and Su Mei was even more so. Growing up, she had never been so intimately connected with a man. If it weren¡¯t for the fear of being discovered by Su He, she wouldn¡¯t have resorted to this strategy. During the conversation with Su He earlier, she clearly felt some natural reactions from Ling Chen¡¯s body, tightly pressing against her thigh. That feeling... just thinking about it was embarrassing.


    Sensing the awkward atmosphere between the two, Ling Chen lightly coughed twice and awkwardly said, "Your grandfather shouldn¡¯t being back, right?"


    Su Mei shook her head and asked, "Did you hear everything my grandfather just said?"


    "I did." Bringing up serious matters, Ling Chen immediately became serious, "Miss Su, like I¡¯ve been saying, your grandfather is already prepared to cleanse the entire Martial Arts world with blood. If we don¡¯t find a way to stop him, who knows how many people will die at his hands. Miss Su, you¡¯re a kind-hearted person, do you really want to see the entire Martial Arts world buried by your Su Family¡¯s hands?"


    Su Mei sighed, "You¡¯re right, grandpa indeed made the wrong choice on this matter. But what can I do? He¡¯s already taken control of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion again, holding all the power, I can¡¯t do anything."


    "What you can¡¯t do, I can achieve." Ling Chen said, "As long as you can help me find that record, I can stop your grandfather. Miss Su, you..."


    Before Ling Chen could finish, Su Mei raised her head and replied, "If I help you stop grandfather, what will you do next? Are you going to expose the evidence against the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, call everyone to attack it, and uproot the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilionpletely?"


    "Ling Chen, the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion is the hard-earned legacy of our Su Family ancestors. Even if I¡¯m dissatisfied with grandpa¡¯s decision, I will never betray the Su Family. I¡¯m sorry! I can¡¯t help you with this."


    Ling Chen pondered for a while and said, "Miss Su, if I promise to preserve the existence of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion and avoid harming its people as much as possible, would you be willing to assist me?"


    Upon hearing this, Su Mei looked at Ling Chen in surprise and asked, "What do you mean by this?"


    "These years, to resolve the potential threat of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, the Skyhawk Pavilion has been killing everywhere, with countless blood on their hands. So, the true culprits are the Skyhawk Pavilion and the people behind them. If everyone knows the rtionship between the Skyhawk Pavilion and the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, what do you think the Martial Arts world would think? However, I can help you separate the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion from this. In this way, the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion won¡¯t be affected at all. Of course, you have to make some sacrifices, abandon the Skyhawk Pavilion, not only draw a line between them but also stand out and dere war against them, showing your stance. By then, not only will the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion¡¯s reputation not be affected, but it will also make people in the Martial Arts world look at you in a new light."


    "Abandon the Skyhawk Pavilion?" Su Mei muttered, seemingly shocked by Ling Chen¡¯s proposal.


    Ling Chen nodded and said, "If you want to preserve the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, this is the only way; the key is whether you are willing."


    "The Skyhawk Pavilion is the strongest force of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion. Abandoning the Skyhawk Pavilion is tantamount to severing an arm. Ling Chen, why haven¡¯t I noticed before, that your mind is so scheming? This is your pre-determined n, isn¡¯t it?"


    Ling Chen smiled wryly, "Miss Su, I¡¯m helping you find a way to get through the current crisis. In any case, I¡¯ve said what needs to be said; now it¡¯s up to you to choose." After pausing, Ling Chen continued, "Miss Su, you should know my character. I, Ling Chen, always stand by my word, I won¡¯t deceive you."


    "Can you really preserve the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion?"


    "Absolutely. If you don¡¯t believe me, we can draw up an agreement, write it clearly on paper."


    Su Mei gazed into Ling Chen¡¯s clear eyes for a while before slowly saying, "Alright, I¡¯ll ept your proposal. There¡¯s no need for an agreement if you have any ill intent towards the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, no amount of agreements will be effective."

 Chapter 1279 - 1587: Searching for Evidence of Guilt

    <h4>Chapter 1279: Chapter 1587: Searching for Evidence of Guilt</h4>


    Su Mei¡¯s decision made Ling Chen breathe a sigh of relief; he was really worried that she wouldn¡¯t ept. Otherwise, he¡¯d have to resort to some tactics.


    "Miss Su, since you are willing to cooperate with me, we should hurry up and find that record as soon as possible. Only with that record in hand can I proceed with the next step of my n."


    Su Mei thought for a moment and said, "I have never been in contact with the Skyhawk Pavilion. If that record truly exists, it must be in the hands of my grandfather. He usually doesn¡¯t carry valuable items with him; he has a designated residence in the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion. Additionally, many secret documents are stored at the top of this tower, all from many years ago. Only my grandfather has the key to enter."


    "What about Qin Chuan?" Ling Chen asked, "Where does he live? That record might be in his possession."


    "Elder Qin lives downstairs from me. He hasn¡¯t been in the Heavenly Mechanism Paviliontely. He used to be responsible for my safety, but now I¡¯m under house arrest, and my grandfather has sent him away."


    Ling Chen¡¯s eyes lit up; this was indeed a good opportunity. "Miss Su, wait for me here. I¡¯ll go check Qin Chuan¡¯s room first." With that, Ling Chen went straight to the window and climbed down using the rope. Opening the window, he smoothly entered Qin Chuan¡¯s room without much effort.


    The room was notrge, with only a living room and a separate bedroom, and the furnishings were simple. Ling Chen searched carefully but found nothing, not even a piece of paper, let alone the record concerning the Skyhawk Pavilion. It seemed the record wasn¡¯t in Qin Chuan¡¯s possession.


    Immediately, Ling Chen returned to Su Mei¡¯s room the same way, exined the situation to her, then targeted the tower¡¯s top once more. Since only Su He could enter that ce, it surely hid many secrets.


    "I¡¯ll go with you." Su Mei got dressed and spoke up.


    "You?" Ling Chen was startled, not expecting Su Mei to make such a request. Su Mei nodded, "What is inside may involve some secrets of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion. I must follow along to prevent you from knowing things you shouldn¡¯t."


    "Alright, if you want toe, let¡¯s go together."


    Through the window, since Su Mei couldn¡¯t perform martial arts, Ling Chen had to carry her on his back, using his hands to grasp the rope and slowly climb upwards. Before long, they reached the top window of the tower. However, this window was extremely narrow, with both length and width less than thirty centimeters, making it impossible for adults to squeeze through, unless they were a two- or three-year-old child.


    What should we do! Ling Chen was somewhat troubled, asking, "Miss Su, can we go in through the main door?"


    "No." Su Mei shook her head, "The main door is guarded. Moreover, that door is very sturdy and can only be opened with a key." As she spoke, Su Mei nced at the window, "Should we go down first?"


    Ling Chen secured the rope to his body and took out his phone to check the time, "Miss Su, we can¡¯t afford much dy now." Before entering the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, he had agreed with Song Ge that they must leave within four hours. Otherwise, once Song Ge changed shifts, no one would cover for him.


    Thinking it over, Ling Chen took a pre-prepared stic explosive from his backpack and installed it at the window. Seeing his action, Su Mei couldn¡¯t help but exim, "What are you doing?"


    Ling Chen shrugged helplessly, "Since we can¡¯t enter, we¡¯ll have to st open the outer wall."


    "Are you crazy? Doing this will attract the attention of people from both the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion and Yangxin Pavilion. How do you n to escape then?"


    Ling Chen smiled slightly, full of confidence, "Don¡¯t worry, I have arrangements in ce. Nothing will happen." Saying that, Ling Chen quickly installed the explosive, and the two returned to the room downstairs.


    As Ling Chen pressed the remote control with his finger, a loud ¡¯bang¡¯ echoed from the tower top, with countless shards flying from the top.


    Simultaneously, a series of explosions sounded outside the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, with mes shooting skyward, clearly visible. Standing at the window, Su Mei watched the mes in surprise and asked, "What¡¯s happening over there?"


    "Nothing, just some distraction tactics," Ling Chen said. Before entering the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, he anticipated this situation and pre-arranged with Qiu Yong and others. Once he used the explosive, Qiu Yong must create an even biggermotion to divert the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion¡¯s attention and buy enough time for him.


    Watching the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion members running toward the perimeter, Ling Chen couldn¡¯t help but smile; Qiu Yong and his team¡¯s effects were quite good.


    "Miss Su, there¡¯s no time to lose. We must go." With those words, Ling Chen carried Su Mei on his back and climbed to the tower top using the rope.


    The earlier explosive had already opened arge hole at the top window, and quickly Ling Chen and Su Mei entered the tower top. Looking at the scattered stones around, Ling Chen breathed a slight sigh of relief. Fortunately, he had used a minimal amount of explosives, so nothing inside was damaged.


    The tower top was seventy square meters in area, with a desk ced in the middle piled with many documents. Surrounding the desk, the floor was filled with document boxes, all containing files. Ling Chen casually picked up a document, preparing to nce at it, but Su Mei stopped him.


    "Don¡¯t forget what you promised me."


    Ling Chen smiled awkwardly and had to return the document to its ce. He knew these files were rted to the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion¡¯s secrets, and Su Mei didn¡¯t want him to know too much.


    Time was limited, and Ling Chen didn¡¯t dare dy, immediately searching for the record¡¯s whereabouts.


    At this moment, outside the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, hundreds of its members gathered together, prepared for action. Su He stood among them, watching the mes outside with indifferent eyes.


    "What¡¯s happening?" Footsteps approached, and Su He turned to see Du Kanging over with a wine gourd.


    "Someone wants to attack the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion."


    "Who?"


    "Who else do you think it could be?" Su He sneered, "I thought they wouldn¡¯t act so fast. It seems I miscalcted; perhaps the incident in Jin Hai City gave them urgency. Anyway, it¡¯s better to resolve things early."


    At this, a trace of doubt appeared in Su He¡¯s eyes, "I thought I heard the first explosion inside earlier; did you notice it?"


    Du Kang shook his head.


    "Maybe I misheard." With that, Su He turned his attention back to the zing fire, frowning, "It¡¯s been a while; why is there still no movement."


    "Maybe they are testing us."


    Just then, a middle-aged man hurriedly ran over, eximing, "Old Pavilion Master, there¡¯s been an explosion at the tower top; should you go check it out?"


    "What?" Su He¡¯s expression changed. Without another word, he immediately headed toward the tower.

 Chapter 1280 - 1588: Obtaining the Record (1)

    <h4>Chapter 1280: Chapter 1588: Obtaining the Record (1)</h4>


    At this moment, Ling Chen and Su Mei were in the room at the top of the tower searching for the record concerning the Skyhawk Pavilion¡¯s actions. The room was filled with documents piled high, making the search extremely arduous. Ling Chen nced at Su Mei who was rummaging through a file box and shook his head silently; searching like this was not practical, he didn¡¯t have much time to waste. After a moment of thought, Ling Chen focused his gaze on the desk in the center of the room.


    There were quite a few documents on the desk, but he had just searched through them and found nothing rted to the Skyhawk Pavilion. Apart from the documents, the desk also held a pen holder and a stack of thick white paper. The desk and the chair beside it werepletely dust-free and very clean, indicating that Su He frequently came here.


    Not long ago, the Skyhawk Pavilion had taken action, killing dozens of martial arts figures. For such an operation, Su He would definitely keep a record of it. Moreover, gathering so many Skyhawk Pavilion assassins meant that more actions would be carried out. If he were Su He, and had to frequently use that record, it would definitely be ced somewhere easy to ess.


    With this thought in mind, Ling Chen walked straight to the desk and sat down in that seat. "What are you doing?" Noticing Ling Chen¡¯s peculiar move, Su Mei put down the material in her hand and asked.


    Ling Chen did not speak but fixed his gaze around the desk and its surroundings. After scrutinizing for a few moments, the meticulous Ling Chen suddenly noticed the desk was without drawers, with a tabletop at least ten centimeters thick. He tried to move the desk, finding it not as heavy as he imagined. If it were a solid wood desk, it would surely be quite heavy. This suggested the tabletop might be hollow.


    Thump, thump, thump! Ling Chen tapped the tabletop, and the sound confirmed there should be ayeredpartment inside.


    Immediately, Ling Chen carefully inspected around the desk. Soon, at the bottom of the desk, Ling Chen found several seams connected together. He gently patted the edge of the seam twice, and suddenly a wooden board loosened.


    Upon seeing this, Ling Chen¡¯s eyes lit up, and he hurriedly moved the wooden board aside and reached inside. By this time, Su Mei was already standing beside Ling Chen, both hopeful and tense, her exquisite face showingplex emotions.


    She desperately hoped to find the record Ling Chen mentioned so she could verify if what he said was true. On the contrary, she was afraid to see the record.


    "Found it!" Ling Chen excitedly pulled his hand out, revealing a thick record book made of parchment.


    cing the record book on the tabletop, Ling Chen discovered there wasn¡¯t a speck of dust on the record book, indicating it was frequently used by Su He. With anticipation, Ling Chen flipped open the first page, which was inscribed with brush-written characters. Judging by the handwriting and paper, it seemed to be quite old.


    On the yellowed paper, several lines read: October 30, 1896, Skyhawk Pavilion ordered to assassinate the Songquan Sect Leader, including the Sect Leader¡¯s disciple, killing a total of forty-three people. Below the content was a signature: Su Mu.


    "Su Mu was my great-grandfather," Su Mei said from the side.


    Ling Chen silently turned to the second page. December 4, 1896, martial artist Chen Zhiquan harbored ill intent, secretly forming factions intending harm to Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion; Skyhawk Pavilion ordered to eliminate the threat, killing thirteen people. Again followed by Su Mu¡¯s signature.


    Turning through several pages, sure enough, all the actions of the Skyhawk Pavilion were meticulously recorded, each time and date clearly documented.


    The record book wasposed of hundreds of pages, and Ling Chen skipped ahead, directly turning to the middle, where the signature at the bottom changed from Su Mu to Su He. This indicated that the Pavilion Master of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion at that time was Su He. Ling Chen casually flipped through it, finding that under Su He¡¯s tenure, the orders were numerous, more than twice as many as Su Mu. Further on, it was Su Mei¡¯s father, Su Zhengyang. However, at the end of this record, the signature once again reverted to Su He.


    Ling Chen looked at the content of thest page, eyebrows furrowing.


    September 14, 2017, Skyhawk Pavilion ordered to Tianhai City, set fire and killed twenty-eight martial arts figures, Su He.


    "Miss Su, I think I needn¡¯t say more," Ling Chen said, looking at Su Mei. At this moment, Su Mei¡¯s face was pale, her fists clenched tightly, her delicate body trembling slightly, seemingly with tears welling in her eyes.


    "Miss Su, these matters have nothing to do with you, you..."


    Su Mei shook her head, biting her bloodless lips, saying: "These were done by the Su Family, how can it have nothing to do with me? I always naively believed that the existence of Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion was to uphold peace in martial arts, but not until now did I realize how wrong I¡¯ve been. The words my grandfather and father told me were all false, Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion¡¯s deeds were only to consolidate its status."


    Ling Chen closed the record book, keeping it close, preparing to offer Su Mei somefort. However, before he could speak, he heard a loud ¡¯bang¡¯ at the door.


    Not good! Ling Chen¡¯s expression changed, he quickly turned to look at the door. Upon entering earlier, to prevent Su He from showing up, Ling Chen had ced a wooden stick behind the door to block it. But given Su He¡¯s abilities, that stick couldn¡¯t hold for long.


    "It must be grandfather who¡¯s arrived," Su Mei eximed urgently.


    "Let¡¯s go, we must hurry down."


    "It¡¯s useless, we don¡¯t have time to escape back," Su Mei nced to both sides, suddenly approached Ling Chen, saying: "There¡¯s only one way now, take me hostage."


    "Take you hostage?" Ling Chen was slightly stunned, immediately understanding Su Mei¡¯s intent. Indeed, there was no other way. With this realization, Ling Chen whispered ¡¯I apologize,¡¯ then put on his mask again, and held Su Mei by the neck.


    Just as he finished the movement, a crash sounded, and the door was finally busted open from outside. As Su He and two middle-aged men rushed in, Ling Chen quickly retreated toward the sted-out window.


    "Don¡¯te any closer, or I¡¯ll kill her," Ling Chen said coldly.


    "Grandfather... save me!" Su Mei struggled desperately, shouting Su He¡¯s name.


    Watching the hostage situation, Su He, with a somber face, angrily growled through clenched teeth, "Release my granddaughter!"


    "Release her?" Ling Chen sneered, saying: "If I let her go, will you allow me to leave?"


    Su He¡¯s eyes flickered, nodding as he said, "As long as you let her go, I promise you can safely leave."


    "Humph! Old Su, do you think I¡¯ll believe your words? She¡¯s my lifeline, unless I¡¯m safe, otherwise..."


    "Who exactly are you?" Su He stared coldly at Ling Chen, "Daring to take hostage of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion Master, you must be tired of living."


    ```

 Chapter 1281 - 1589: Obtaining the Record (2)

    <h4>Chapter 1281: Chapter 1589: Obtaining the Record (2)</h4>


    "Release my granddaughter immediately, and I will let bygones be bygones. Otherwise, I will mobilize the entire Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion to hunt you down. Even if you flee to the ends of the earth, I won¡¯t let you go."


    "I appreciate your kindness, but I think she¡¯ll be safer staying with me." As he spoke, Ling Chen took out the record book he had just found from his pocket. Seeing the thing in his hand, Su He¡¯s expression changed, his eyes turning sharp and filled with a murderous aura.


    "Give that to me." Su He stretched out his hand, enunciating each word.


    "Haha!" Ling Chen replied with a smile that didn¡¯t reach his eyes, "Old Su, I went through a lot of trouble to find this thing. Do you think I¡¯d hand it over so easily?"


    Su He said nothing, just gestured to the two middle-aged men behind him. One of them understood and immediately exited the room. Before long, the middle-aged man returned to Su He¡¯s side, apanied by arge group of members¡ªmore than ten of them, each with a sharp glint of murderous intent in their eyes.


    Seeing these people arrive, a trace of surprise shed in Ling Chen¡¯s eyes. He had stayed at the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion before but had never seen such fierce people. Skyhawk Pavilion! In an instant, Ling Chen guessed their identity. Only assassins from the Skyhawk Pavilion would Su He dare to bring into this room without any scruples.


    "You¡¯d better look below you."


    Hearing this, Ling Chen retreated to the window and nced obliquely at the ground. Instantly, he saw the tower surrounded by nearly a hundred people.


    "Without mymand, you won¡¯t escape from here. Hand over my granddaughter and that record, and I will spare your life," Su He said coldly.


    Ling Chen fearlesslyughed, "What if I refuse?"


    "Then don¡¯t expect to leave alive."


    Facing Su He¡¯s threat, Ling Chen flipped his wrist, and a sharp dagger appeared in his hand. He ced the dagger against Su Mei¡¯s fair neck, staring at Su He and said, "If I die, she won¡¯t live either. Now, tell your men to step back."


    At these words, everyone turned their eyes to Su He. However, Su He showed no sign of having them retreat, instead taking two steps forward and speaking, "Let me be clear. If you don¡¯t hand over what you have tonight, I won¡¯t let you leave."


    "Even if it costs your granddaughter¡¯s life, you won¡¯t let me go?"


    Su Mei looked at her grandfather, wanting to know his decision. However, without even ncing at Su Mei, Su He said chillingly, "That record concerns the entire Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion and must remain. As for my granddaughter... being part of the Su Family, making sacrifices for the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion is normal. If she dies, I will expend every effort to avenge her. Whether it¡¯s you or the forces behind you, you¡¯ll pay in blood."


    Ling Chen smiled, "I see, so your granddaughter¡¯s life isn¡¯t as important as that record." As he spoke, he stole a nce at Su Mei, seeing her face pale, eyes dead, devoid of any emotion.


    Seeing this, Ling Chen sighed inwardly. He knew that Su He¡¯s response not only hurt Su Mei but also filled her with despair.


    "Hand it over," Su He demanded coldly, "My patience is limited."


    "Or what? Are you prepared to kill us all?"


    Su He nodded and said, "If necessary, I will."


    "Alright." Ling Chen shrugged helplessly, "I can¡¯tpete with you in ruthlessness, but... I¡¯m smarter than you." As soon as he finished speaking, Ling Chen suddenly revealed a strange smile. Seeing the smile on his face, Su He felt a sense of unease.


    Before he could react, Ling Chen suddenly pushed Su Mei forward then turned and rushed towards the window. Since Su Mei was blocking him, Su He couldn¡¯t pursue immediately and had to circumvent her. This undoubtedly slowed his actions by a beat.


    When he was about to reach the window, Ling Chen spread his arms and jumped from the top of the tower. Everyone was stunned by the sight.


    This guy... does he want to die? Jumping from such a height, even a top expert from the Heavenly List would undoubtedly die.


    However, as everyone was puzzled, they suddenly heard a sharp cry from the night sky. Immediately, a huge dark shadow swooped down, grabbing the falling Ling Chen and swiftly rising, disappearing into the vast night.


    That was... an eagle?


    Everyone was shocked, not expecting the opponent to have such a trick, able to control such arge eagle. No wonder he was fearless; he had already nned his escape route.


    "Chase him!" Su Hemanded sternly.


    "Su... Su Lao, how are we supposed to chase him?" a man asked.


    Su He gave the man a cold nce, and he immediately shut up, not daring to say more, hurriedly leading people out of the room. "Grandfather..." Su Mei stood aside nkly, expressionlessly looking at Su He.


    "Do you know who that kidnapper is?"


    Su Mei shook her head and asked, "Grandfather, what was that thing in his hand? Why are you so tense?"


    "That thing concerns the fate of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion. I¡¯ll tell you when the time is right. For now, you must be shaken; go rest, I have many things to handle." With that, Su He ignored Su Mei and walked out.


    Watching his departing figure, Su Mei gritted her teeth, her once lifeless eyes gradually gaining determination.


    At this moment, two kilometers away from the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, a shadow swooped down from above, slowly lowering Ling Chen to the ground.


    As soon as he touched down, Qiu Yong and others immediately ran over, asking with concern, "Sixth Brother, are you alright?"


    Ling Chen smiled slightly, "Big Brother, do I look like I¡¯m in trouble? Fortunately, Little Tian helped, or I wouldn¡¯t have escaped."


    "Only you would be bold enough to use such a method," Yuan Yun said admiringly.


    Xu Ming asked, "Sixth Brother, did you find what you were looking for?"


    "Here!" Ling Chen pulled the record from his pocket and handed it to Xu Ming, "I¡¯ve looked over it; it should be correct."


    Xu Ming flipped through a few pages and nodded, "Yes, that¡¯s it." Then Xu Ming handed the record back to Ling Chen, instructing, "Keep it well and don¡¯t lose it; it¡¯s key to our sess or failure."


    "Second Brother, you should keep it," Ling Chen said. "You¡¯re so skilled; with you keeping it, there should be no problem."


    Xu Ming hesitated for a moment, then nodded, "Alright."

 Chapter 1282 - 1590: Self-Sacrifice

    <h4>Chapter 1282: Chapter 1590: Self-Sacrifice</h4>


    After getting the item, everyone didn¡¯t stay and rushed back to East Sea City overnight. Upon returning to Dragon Tiger Hall, Tang Guolun and Hu Fei and others immediately came over.


    "Ling Chen, you were right, the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion indeed made a big move. However, luckily, we had arrangements in ce beforehand, preventing them from seeding."


    Hearing Hu Fei¡¯s words, Ling Chen nodded. Before the action, he had anticipated that the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion would definitely react strongly because the records concerned the fate of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, and they would not let it go easily. In East Sea City, the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion had long arranged for people to secretly monitor Dragon Tiger Hall¡¯s every move.


    Once they seeded, Su He would definitely take action and have East Sea City¡¯s people make a move. Therefore, he told Hu Fei and Tang Guolun to prepare in advance.


    "Ling Cheng, how do you n to use those records?" Qiu Yong asked.


    Ling Chen thought for a moment and said, "If I¡¯m not mistaken, Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion will soon send people to East Sea City. We must deal with these records quickly to let everyone know what Skyhawk Pavilion has done."


    "The inte." Hu Fei chimed in: "This is the fastest method. Give me the phone numbers of those people and I can send a copy of the records to them. By then, it will spread from one to ten, from ten to a hundred, and the whole martial artsmunity will see these records. Even if Su He wants to stop it, it¡¯ll be toote."


    "That¡¯s a good idea." Ling Chen nodded and said, "Alright, let¡¯s do it."


    Without caring about the overnight rush, everyone copied all the records onto theputer, organized them into files, and sent them out. However, before sending, Ling Chen had Hu Fei make a small modification, removing the signatures of Su Mu, Su He, and Su Zhengyang from the electronic files.


    He had an agreement with Su Mei to try and preserve the existence of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion. If the martial artsmunity saw these signatures, they would surely vent their anger on the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion. By then, the oue for the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion would be destruction.


    So, after discussion, everyone decided to let the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion off the hook and focus primarily on the Skyhawk Pavilion. Doing this had two benefits; the first was to fulfill the agreement with Su Mei. Additionally, there was another extremely important reason.


    The strength of Skyhawk Pavilion was undeniable; over the years, the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion had maintained its position as the martial arts overlord thanks to Skyhawk Pavilion. Therefore, if they fought head-on with Skyhawk Pavilion, it would certainly cause significant casualties. However, separating the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion and Skyhawk Pavilion and treating Skyhawk Pavilion as a single evil force to deal with, then Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion had no excuse not to act. As the martial arts overlord and peacekeeper, it must take the lead.


    Moreover, even if Su He was unwilling, he had to do this. Only then could he allow the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion to continue surviving unless he wanted to see it destroyed. However, knowing Su He¡¯s character, he would never make that choice.


    Having the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion deal with Skyhawk Pavilion would not only eliminate Skyhawk Pavilion but also deplete the living forces of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, which is undoubtedly beneficial.


    "Phew! Finally done." Ling Chen leaned against the chair, exhaustion written all over his face. At this time, dawn had broken, and everyone had been busy for over ten hours without closing their eyes.


    "Brother, why don¡¯t you go rest first."


    "What if Su He takes action against us?" Qiu Yong said with concern, "We should wait and see."


    "Brother, don¡¯t worry, it¡¯s fine. The materials have already been sent out, and with Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion¡¯s intelligence capabilities, they¡¯ll receive the materials quickly. By this time, it¡¯s toote for them to stop it. Just wait and see; I believe Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion will respond soon."


    Seeing Ling Chen¡¯s confident demeanor, everyone nodded and returned to their rooms to rest.


    They slept until four in the afternoon when Ling Chen was awakened by a knock on the door. Rubbing his sleepy eyes, Ling Chen opened the door and saw Yuan Yun outside, yawning as he said, "Third Brother, what¡¯s up?"


    Yuan Yun grinned, "Ling Cheng, you really are perceptive. Just now, the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion has openly dered war against Skyhawk Pavilion, hoping all martial arts practitioners will join their ranks. We¡¯ve also received an invitation."


    "Just this?" Ling Chenughed and said, "I expected this. It¡¯s the only choice for the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion. Su He is a clever man. To protect the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, he has to make some sacrifices. Alright, Third Brother, if there¡¯s nothing else, I¡¯m going back to sleep."


    "Wait!" Yuan Yun grabbed Ling Chen, who was about to return, and said, "There¡¯s no time to sleep now. People from the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion are already outside, and they¡¯ve asked us to go over now."


    "Now?" Ling Chen was surprised, "So soon?"


    "That¡¯s right, Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion has invited us over, probably wanting to have a good chat."


    Ling Chen nodded, "Okay, I got it. Third Brother, have everyone prepare, and I¡¯ll be right over."


    Soon, Ling Chen arrived at the entrance of Dragon Tiger Hall. By now, everyone was ready to go at any time. Seeing the people sent by the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, Ling Chen was a bit surprised that it was Du Kang, whom Su He had sent.


    Su He probably did this for fear that I would refuse the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion¡¯s invitation, so he sent someone with weight. Moreover, when he was in the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion before, Du Kang had helped him a lot. In any case, I should give him some face.


    "Elder Du, I didn¡¯t expect you toe in person."


    Du Kang looked deeply at Ling Chen and said meaningfully, "I have no choice but toe. Time is of the essence, let¡¯s get going quickly. Otherwise, the one from the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion might get anxious."


    Watching Du Kang lead the way ahead, Ling Chen shrugged helplessly. He had wanted to chat more with Du Kang to probe his intentions, but Du Kang was too astute, not giving him a chance to speak.


    After a few hours of long travel, Ling Chen and his group finally arrived at the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion. Throughout the journey, Du Kang kept his distance from Ling Chen with minimalmunication. Upon reaching the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, Ling Chen saw many martial artists who had responded to the call from all over the country.


    At this time, several Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion Disciples approached and led everyone to their prearranged amodations.


    "Ling Chen."


    Just as Ling Chen was about to follow the main group, he heard Du Kang¡¯s voice from behind. Turning back and seeing Du Kang not far away, Ling Chen quickly walked over and asked, "Elder Du, what are your instructions?"


    "Old Su wants to see you alone."


    Ling Chen smiled, nodded slightly, and said, "Alright, no problem." He anticipated Su He would want to talk, and he was already mentally prepared. Under Du Kang¡¯s guidance, they quickly arrived outside a rtively secluded room.


    "Right here, go in."

 Chapter 1283 - 1591: Gathering for Crusade (Part 1)

    <h4>Chapter 1283: Chapter 1591: Gathering for Crusade (Part 1)</h4>


    Ling Chen smiled, pushing the door open and walking directly inside. Although this house was quite isted, Ling Chen wasn¡¯t afraid of Su He and his men pulling any dirty tricks on him. With Qiu Yong and Tong Zhentian present, if something happened to him, Tong Zhentian and the others certainly wouldn¡¯t let it slide easily. Besides, with the original copy of that record in hand, unless Su He wanted the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion to incur the wrath of many, he wouldn¡¯t dare do anything to him.


    Upon entering the room, Ling Chen saw Su He sitting on a wicker chair by the window, holding a cup of hot tea, quietly watching the autumn scenery outside. Ling Chen walked to the chair opposite Su He and sat down of his own ord.


    After a good while, Su He slowly turned his head and cast his bloodshot eyes towards Ling Chen.


    As their eyes met, Ling Chen smiled slightly, cupping his fists in greeting, "Elder Su."


    Su He said indifferently, "Why don¡¯t you call me Old Su? Last night, you seemed to say it with ease."


    Upon hearing this, Ling Chen was taken aback, not expecting Su He to mention this. It seemed he had already guessed that the person fromst night was him. Thinking of this, Ling Chen smiled nonchntly. Actually, everyone understood, they just didn¡¯t voice it. Since Su He pointed it out face-to-face, it showed he was ready to speak frankly with him.


    "Elder Su, you didn¡¯t call me here just to talk about that, did you?"


    Su He took a sip of hot tea and sighed involuntarily, "My tea-making skills are far inferior to my granddaughter¡¯s."


    "Miss Su¡¯s tea art is exceptional, and I have been fortunate enough to taste it."


    "Unfortunately..." Su He shook his head, sighing lightly, "A daughter is bound to leave and assist another family. I¡¯ve told her many things, yet she remains too naive, believing she can handle everything on her own. Over the years, without my covert assistance, dealing with countless adversaries, her position as Pavilion Master wouldn¡¯t be secure. However, not only does she fail to understand my painstaking efforts, but she also rebels against me at every turn. s! If I had known, I shouldn¡¯t have kept her then."


    Ling Chen was startled, puzzled, and asked, "Elder Su, what do you mean by that? Could it be you want to kill her? Don¡¯t forget, she is your granddaughter."


    Su He set down his teacup and said meaningfully, "One shouldn¡¯t be too curious; haven¡¯t you heard that curiosity killed the cat?" He paused for a moment, then shifted the conversation, "Where is the original copy of that record?"


    "Thank you for your concern, Elder Su. Rest assured, it is in a very safe ce. Without necessity, it will not appear easily."


    "Why?" Su He suddenly sat upright, staring into Ling Chen¡¯s eyes, and spoke coldly, "Why do you oppose me? Have you considered that when Ji Gang knocked you into the sea, it was I who saved you, giving you a chance to survive? Moreover, I passed down my Absolute Skill to you. Despite my life-saving grace and teaching, you not only fail to repay me but repay kindness with enmity. Is this worthy of a man?"


    Ling Chen pondered for a moment before speaking, "Elder Su, you are right, I have received much of your favor, and now I oppose you, which is indeed wrong. But are the things done by the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion right? Elder Su, I am not against you; I only want to do the right thing. Elder Su, may I ask you, after the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion has killed so many people, does your conscience feel at ease?"


    "Everything I do is for the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion. In my view, as long as it can maintain the Pavilion¡¯s esteemed reputation for hundreds of years, anything is worth it. Personal standpoints differ, and so do perspectives on matters. If you were in my position, I believe you would make the same decision."


    "I can understand your perspective, but there are countless ways to maintain the Pavilion¡¯s reputation. Why choose killing? Yes, eliminating threats by the root is the quickest and most effective method, but do you think about those who died? I believe you haven¡¯t; you only think about yourself, the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, and your century-old legacy. If it were before, I would never get involved in such matters. But since I have be part of the Martial Arts world, I must think about it as a whole."


    "For the Martial Arts world as a whole?" Su He said mockingly, "You really dare to speak; should Ipliment you for your great ambition?"


    Ling Chen smiled, "If you¡¯re willing to praise me, I am willing to listen. I am just an ordinary person and naturally enjoypliments."


    Speaking this far, Ling Chen nced at the cooling tea and said, "Elder Su, I don¡¯t think there¡¯s a need for us to waste time on these worthless words anymore. You called me here, presumably to say something. Since we¡¯ve opened up, let¡¯s make everything clear."


    "If I asked for the original copy of that record, you certainly wouldn¡¯t give it to me. So, I want to propose a different deal. After this matter is settled, I will leave the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, entrusting the entire Pavilion to Su Mei, never intervening in its affairs again."


    "What should I do then?"


    "Guarantee that the original copy of that record will never appear."


    "Alright. As long as you keep your word, I assure you, that record will forever remain in an unknown ce."


    "Good, I hope you remember today¡¯s words. Otherwise, no matter the ends of the earth, I won¡¯t let you off." With that, Su He picked up the teacup again.


    Understanding the cue, Ling Chen stood up, "Elder Su, I shall take my leave." Reaching the door, Ling Chen suddenly turned back, looking at Su He by the window, "Elder Su, a promise is a promise, but I want to remind you, if you don¡¯t want that record to surface, you¡¯d better handle this matter with care."


    Finishing his words, Ling Chen didn¡¯t say more and walked out without looking back.


    Just as he closed the door, he heard the sound of a breaking cup from inside the room. Ling Chen looked up at the azure sky, pondered for a moment, not staying longer, and strode back the way he came.


    Before arriving at the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, Ling Chen had anticipated that Su He might coborate with the Skyhawk Pavilion to stage a show for everyone. Therefore, he deliberately mentioned this matter, both as a reminder and a warning to prevent Su He from resorting to deceit.


    Soon, Ling Chen returned to the room arranged by the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion. Shortly after sitting down, Tong Zhentian and Qiu Yong, along with others, entered the room.


    "Brother Ling, where did you go just now?" Qiu Yong asked.


    "Elder Su called me; I chatted with him for a while."


    "I¡¯m sure he didn¡¯t get what he wanted."


    Ling Chen shrugged and said, "I made an agreement with him. Whether he can fulfill it, I don¡¯t know."


    "By the way!" Ling Chen shifted the topic, asking, "How many people from the Martial Arts world have arrived?"


    "Including us, there are about a hundred people." He Ziyun replied, "People are still arriving one after another. The Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion has already set up over a hundred tents around. I estimate that by tonight, there should be two to three hundred."

 Chapter 1284 - 1592: The Crusade (2)

    <h4>Chapter 1284: Chapter 1592: The Crusade (2)</h4>


    "Second Brother," Ling Chen looked at Xu Ming and asked, "Do you think there¡¯s something suspicious about this?"


    "What do you mean?"


    "We all know the headquarters of Skyhawk Pavilion isn¡¯t in the country, yet Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion has gathered everyone here. What do you think they¡¯re up to?"


    Xu Ming shook his head and said, "It¡¯s still unclear for now. However, Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion has leverage over us, so I believe they won¡¯t y any tricks."


    "Let¡¯s hope so."


    In the midst of conversation, a sudden ¡¯thump thump thump¡¯ sound came from outside the door. Wei Jiahao quickly walked to the door and opened it. Seeing who had arrived, Wei Jiahao was slightly stunned, then smiled and stepped aside, calling into the room, "Sixth Brother,e see who¡¯s here."


    Ling Chen focused his gaze and saw a woman standing behind Wei Jiahao. Upon realizing who it was, Ling Chen was somewhat surprised and quickly got up to greet her.


    "Xiaozhu, howe you¡¯re here?" Ling Chen was very surprised, not expecting to see Zhu Xiaozhu at Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion.


    Zhu Xiaozhu gave a gentle smile, greeting everyone present.


    "I was invited by Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion. I heard they¡¯re nning to fight Skyhawk Pavilion. Since there are quite a few martial artists involved this time, to prevent casualties, Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion invited several doctors."


    "So that¡¯s how it is." Ling Chen nodded and asked, "Will the Shi Family folks be here as well?"


    "They¡¯re already here. I saw Master when I arrived." As she spoke the word ¡¯Master¡¯, a trace of sadness shed in Zhu Xiaozhu¡¯s watery eyes.


    Back then, Shi Su had single-handedly raised her, teaching her medicine. In her heart, she always regarded Shi Su as her mother. However, Shi Su¡¯s actions had deeply disappointed her.


    Feeling Zhu Xiaozhu¡¯s emotional fluctuation, how could Ling Chen not understand her thoughts?


    "Don¡¯t think too much of it," Ling Chenforted, "Come on. Since you¡¯re here, stay with us. I¡¯ll arrange a room for you."


    "Thank you!"


    "Why the politeness between us?"


    In the blink of an eye, two days passed. The number of martial artists gathering at Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion grew to over three hundred. Including Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion¡¯s members, there were nearly five hundred people.


    "Sixth Brother, we just received word from Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion. We¡¯ll head out after lunch," Qiu Yong came to deliver Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion¡¯s message.


    "Finally, we¡¯re leaving," Ling Chen remarked, "Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion wasted two to three days here, no way their intentions are pure. For now, let¡¯s follow them and see what they¡¯re nning."


    "Alright, I¡¯ll notify the others to be ready for departure at any time."


    After lunch, following a brief rest, they saw members from Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion arriving. Ling Chen was surprised to see Wang Hao, unexpectedly sent by Su He.


    Ling Chen cared little for Wang Hao, someone he didn¡¯t even want to look at.


    Su He sent Wang Hao to apany them, obviously to monitor their every move.


    Before long, several hundred martial artists, led by Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, marched grandly outside the forest. After half an hour of walking, twenty or so double-decker buses were parked on the road, each capable of seating dozens.


    Ling Chen and his group, numbering over ten, found a spot towards the back. Qiu Yong and the others were tactful, leaving the seat next to Ling Chen for Zhu Xiaozhu withoutpeting for it.


    As the bus started moving, Ling Chen looked out the window, keeping an eye on the convoy¡¯s route.


    Over an hour passed, and the convoy reached the airport. For this expedition, Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion had chartered three nes. For the wealthy and powerful Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, this was nothing.


    Boarding the ne, Ling Chen had a sudden idea and led his people onto the ne that Su He and his group were on.


    "What are you doing?" Wang Hao stepped forward to stop Ling Chen, pointing to a nearby ne, "Your seats are over there."


    Ling Chen smiled with a hint of sarcasm, saying, "I¡¯ll sit wherever I like. You don¡¯t have the authority to control me."


    At this, Wang Hao¡¯s expression turned cold, saying sternly, "Ling Chen, this is a Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion-led operation; you¡¯d better not be too arrogant."


    "Is that so? I think you should consult your master, see if he agrees to my request."


    Wang Hao waved his hand dismissively, coldly saying, "No need to consult; the master is busy and doesn¡¯t have time for such trifling matters."


    "In that case... we won¡¯t participate in this operation." With that, Ling Chen turned to leave with his people heading out of the airport. After a short distance, Ling Chen suddenly turned back, smiling at Wang Hao, "You should tell Elder Su, not for anything else; I just fear you can¡¯t bear the consequences."


    Wang Hao snorted, not taking Ling Chen¡¯s words to heart. Let them leave, what¡¯s the big deal. Previously, Su He had him apany the Dragon Tiger Hall people, he was already displeased. Bound by his master¡¯s orders, heplied. Now, with Ling Chen¡¯s group gone, he was relieved not to have them in his way.


    Leaving the airport, Ling Chen and his group found a quiet ce to rest for a while.


    "Sixth Brother, why didn¡¯t we just board the ne?" Yuan Yun asked puzzled.


    From the side, Xia Yue agreed, "Yes, why insist on being on the same ne as Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion? Anyway, we¡¯re at odds with them, might as well not see each other."


    Ling Chen smiled slightly, exining, "Third Brother, Fifth Sister, I¡¯m just being cautious. Once the ne takes off, we¡¯ll be trapped in the air, unable to act. If Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion has any foul y in mind, none of us will survive. So, staying with them ensures our safety."


    "Indeed," Tong Zhentian chimed in, "Ling Chen¡¯s consideration is wise. Right now, we¡¯re a thorn in Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion¡¯s side, Su He would dly kill us immediately. Whatever the case, we must be vignt, never giving Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion a chance."


    Hearing this, everyone finally understood.


    Minutes ticked by, and after about ten minutes, Ling Chen finally saw Wang Hao running over.


    "Ling Chen, seats have been arranged for you all. Let¡¯s go," Wang Hao said tly, suppressing his anger. He couldn¡¯t understand why Su He, upon learning Ling Chen¡¯s group had left, flew into a rage, scolding him severely, a first-time urrence.


    Not only that, Su He tasked him personally to fetch them back; failure would mean severing their master-disciple rtionship and expelling him from Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion.


    From Su He¡¯s attitude, it was clear the matter was serious, no joke. Left with no choice, Wang Hao searched high and low for Ling Chen¡¯s group. Luckily, he spotted Ling Chen at the entrance.

 Chapter 1285 - 1593: The Campaign Against the Enemy (Part 3)

    <h4>Chapter 1285: Chapter 1593: The Campaign Against the Enemy (Part 3)</h4>


    Ling Chen touched his nose and said lightly, "Wang, if you tell us to leave, we leave, and if you tell us to go, we go, then wouldn¡¯t we be too spineless."


    "Then what do you want?" Wang Hao suppressed the anger in his heart with great effort. It wasn¡¯t easy for him toe to find Ling Chen. "Ling Chen, I¡¯m warning you, don¡¯t push your luck."


    "Wang, with that attitude of yours... forget it! You can go back and tell Mr. He that we¡¯re not going."


    "You..." Wang Hao¡¯s face darkened, wishing he could draw his knife and slice Ling Chen into two. However, thinking of Su He¡¯s order, Wang Hao had to suppress his impulse.


    Taking a deep breath, Wang Hao said in a deep voice, "What exactly do you want?"


    "After walking so long, we don¡¯t even have a sip of water. Brother, are you all thirsty?"


    Upon hearing this, Wang Hao gritted his teeth and ran towards the store across the street. After a while, Wang Hao came back carrying a big bag of mineral water.


    "Wang, you¡¯re really thoughtful, thank you." Ling Chen took the water Wang Hao handed over, ignoring the anger in his eyes, and said with a smile.


    "Is that enough?" Wang Hao forced out a sentence through gritted teeth.


    "I¡¯m a bit hungry, and the food on the ne wasn¡¯t good. How about we take some food up there. Sixth Brother, what do you think?" Yuan Yun suggested.


    "That¡¯s a good suggestion." Ling Chen nodded, "Who should go to buy the food?"


    Wang Hao stared at Ling Chen fiercely, gritting his teeth, "I... I¡¯ll go!"


    "Then I¡¯ll trouble you, Wang."


    After a while, seeing Wang Haoing over with bags and packages, Ling Chen stood up and said, "Alright, everything is pretty much ready, let¡¯s go."


    After toying with Wang Hao for so long, it was time to stop; otherwise, it wouldn¡¯t be fun if Wang Hao really got angry.


    Once on the ne, the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion arranged Ling Chen and others in a private cabin, and even Wang Hao left, leaving only their group of over ten people.


    After more than half an hour, Ling Chen, looking at the leisurely white clouds outside the window, suddenly stood up from his seat.


    "Sixth Brother, where are you going?" Qiu Yong, sitting in the back row, asked.


    "I¡¯m going to the restroom."


    On the way to the restroom, Ling Chen encountered a few members of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, all of whom stared at him with sharp eyes, as if treating him like a criminal.


    At this moment, Ling Chen found an opportunity, and while no one was around, he quickly opened the passage leading to the ne¡¯s cargo hold and slipped inside.


    In the cargo hold, Ling Chen listened closely and found a few people chatting, likely guards from the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion watching the cargo. Secretly ncing at their position, Ling Chen quietly snuck past them.


    After wandering around the cargo hold for a bit, Ling Chen found manyrge wooden crates, with their lids nailed shut, making it impossible to see what was inside. Forcibly opening them would definitely make a noise, attracting those guards¡¯ attention.


    However, Ling Chen was quite curious about what the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion was transporting in theserge wooden crates.


    Thinking carefully, Ling Chen hugged one of therge wooden crates, testing its weight.


    So heavy! Ling Chen was secretly shocked; therge wooden crate weighed at least several hundred pounds. It couldn¡¯t go unexplored. With a quick thought, Ling Chen suddenly noticed a tool bag not far away. He quickly walked over and found a utility knife from the bag.


    Returning to therge wooden crate, Ling Chen used the utility knife to cut a slit in the wooden board on the side of the crate, then gradually erged the slit until it formed a hole the size of a fist.


    Next, Ling Chen took out his cell phone and turned on the shlight. As the beam of light shone into the crate, Ling Chen¡¯s face changed, showing a hint of shock in his eyes.


    This... how could the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion have this kind of thing?


    As he was thinking, he heard footstepsing from the entrance of the cargo hold. Ling Chen leaned against the wooden crate and sneaked a few nces, seeing a few people who looked like they wereing to change shifts. Taking this opportunity, Ling Chen didn¡¯t stay any longer and quickly climbed out. If he left for too long, it would definitely arouse the suspicion of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion.


    In no time, Ling Chen safely returned to his seat.


    "What took so long?" Qiu Yong asked.


    "Stomachache," Ling Chen replied casually, his mind still thinking about what he¡¯d just seen.


    What exactly does the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion intend to do?


    After a few hours of flight, the three nes finally reached their destination.


    Getting off the ne, looking at the familiar surroundings, Ling Chen nodded slightly to himself. Thest time he was here, this was a small country near Huaxia, withrge deserts. He had met Ag in that desert and saved the porridge girl from danger.


    However, what Ling Chen unexpectedly discovered was that the headquarters of the Skyhawk Pavilion was also established here.


    After leaving the airport, the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion had already arranged shuttle buses. More than a dozenrge buses directly took everyone to the nearby hotel. Beforeing, the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion had already booked thergest hotel in the area. Fortunately, the hotel wasrge enough; otherwise, there wouldn¡¯t have been enough room for so many people.


    After a short rest, Ling Chen received a message from the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, inviting him to the hotel¡¯s main hall to participate in a mobilization meeting held by the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion.


    To keep everyone¡¯s energy levels up, Ling Chen only called Xu Ming to go with him, leaving the others to rest in the rooms.


    Entering the main hall, the ce was already packed, with not enough seats, and many people standing in the aisles. Ling Chen and Xu Ming arrivedte and could only stand at the back.


    After waiting a few minutes, Su He, apanied by Wang Hao, walked onto the stage.


    "Everyone," Su He cupped his fists toward the crowd below the stage and said loudly, "I believe you are all aware of the various crimesmitted by the Skyhawk Pavilion. As the leader of the Martial Arts world, the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion will not allow such malevolent forces to exist. ording to our investigation, the headquarters of the Skyhawk Pavilion is located over a hundred kilometers away from this city, in the desert. To eradicate this evil force as soon as possible, we hope everyone will work together, following the unified arrangement of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion."


    Pausing for a moment, Su He continued, "Everyone should rest well tonight, regain your strength, and we will set off early tomorrow morning, aiming toplete the mission within half a day. When we return to Huaxia, I will personally host a celebration for everyone."


    "Second Brother, something feels off to me," Ling Chen said, observing Su He on the stage, his brows furrowed with a bad feeling in his heart.


    "What¡¯s wrong?"


    "I can¡¯t say for sure, just a gut feeling," Ling Chen shook his head. "You surely know Elder Su better than I do. Do you think he¡¯d willingly sacrifice the Skyhawk Pavilion?"


    "No, absolutely not. To establish the Skyhawk Pavilion, the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion has expended countless resources. It¡¯s the culmination of efforts from several generations. Su He wouldn¡¯t give up the Skyhawk Pavilion easily." Saying this, Xu Ming turned the conversation, "Actually, in this operation, what we need to guard against is not the Skyhawk Pavilion, but Su He himself. So everyone should be cautious; I¡¯ll keep an eye on Su He to prevent him from acting against us."


    "Alright."

 Chapter 1286 - 1594: Miscalculation

    <h4>Chapter 1286: Chapter 1594: Miscalction</h4>


    The next day.


    Ling Chen got up early. Su He mentioned that the assault on the Skyhawk Pavilion would beunched this morning, so he certainly couldn¡¯t bezy at such a time.


    After everyone gathered, they first went to the hotel¡¯s restaurant to have breakfast. At seven o¡¯clock, the people from the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion appeared at the entrance of the restaurant on time and took everyone onto the bus, heading directly towards the desert.


    Ling Chen and the others sat in the back seats, asionally chatting as they looked at the scattered buildings outside the window. There were hundreds of martial arts people involved in this operation, using more than a dozenrge buses. After more than an hour of driving, the bus finally entered the desert. However, due to the environmental factors of the desert, the bus was no longer suitable for further travel. Therefore, everyone had to follow the people from the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion on foot into the desert.


    Fortunately, the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion was well-prepared, providing each person with a supply pack containing enough food and water.


    "Please rest assured, the headquarters of the Skyhawk Pavilion is very close to us; it is at most two hours¡¯ walk away," said a member of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion loudly, which made the martial artists slightly relieved. The desert is not only dry but also hot, and these martial artists, ustomed to Huaxia¡¯s weather, inevitably found it slightly ufortable to suddenly be in such an environment.


    Now, everyone just wanted to quickly resolve the matter so they could catch a ne back to Huaxia. Along the way, many peopleined, regretting responding to the call of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion impulsively, traveling thousands of miles to this godforsaken ce when they learned the Skyhawk Pavilion¡¯s headquarters was abroad.


    In the blink of an eye, more than two hours had passed, and all they could see was endless yellow sand ¡ª there was no sign of the Skyhawk Pavilion.


    "Damn! It¡¯s been more than two hours, why aren¡¯t we there yet?" People began to murmur.


    "Everyone, please calm down, we¡¯re almost there," responded a member of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion. As they spoke, people began to count heads.


    "Old Pavilion Master." After more than ten minutes, a disciple from the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion hurried over to Su He¡¯s side and reported, "We just counted the number of people and found we¡¯re missing over ten people."


    Upon hearing this, Su He¡¯s face darkened, and he asked, "How could they be missing? Weren¡¯t you watching all along? Who¡¯s missing?"


    The person hesitated for a moment and stammered, "It¡¯s... members from the Dragon Tiger Hall. The group is sorge that we didn¡¯t pay attention."


    Wang Hao, nearby, said coldly, "This is the desert; where can they go? Without us leading the way, they could easily get lost in the desert. Hmph! I think they¡¯re courting death on their own."


    Su He pondered for a moment and ordered, "Take some people back to the rear to look for them; don¡¯t let them leave our sight."


    Again with me? Wang Hao¡¯s expression changed slightly, internally resisting the order. If it weren¡¯t for Su He¡¯smand, he wouldn¡¯t want to go. With no choice, since his master had spoken, Wang Hao had toply. Immediately, Wang Hao led over twenty Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion disciples to return along the path and search for Ling Chen and the others.


    At this moment, several kilometers away from the group, Ling Chen and hispanions stood in the desert, using a satellite phone to make a call. After hanging up, Tong Zhentian asked, "Ling Chen, where are we going?"


    "We¡¯ll find a ce to rest for now," Ling Chen said with a smile. "Su He thought he could deceive us, but he didn¡¯t ount for the fact that I¡¯ve been to this desert before and am very familiar with the environment here. Two hours... Hmph! Walking for even four or five hours would still leave us in the middle of the desert, finding nothing. If I¡¯m guessing correctly, the headquarters of the Skyhawk Pavilion should be in the deepest part of this desert."


    "Then why did Su He bring us here?" Yuan Yun asked perplexed.


    "If I¡¯m not mistaken, he intends to use the environment here to deal with us. There¡¯s no signal in the desert, phones can¡¯t be used, and even if we¡¯re attacked here, we can¡¯t contact people in Huaxia. By the time we meet our end, no one will know," Ling Chen exined.


    Qiu Yong nodded and chimed in, "In this way, Su He can buy the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion enough time to track down the whereabouts of that recorded document. They brought in so many martial arts people, probably to confuse us into believing they¡¯re really taking action against the Skyhawk Pavilion."


    Ling Chen smiled slightly and said, "If I hadn¡¯t been to this desert before, I might have been fooled. Unfortunately for Su He, he miscalcted." Saying this, Ling Chen shook the satellite phone in his hand and continued, "When I arrived yesterday, I prepared in advance by paying a high price at the market for a satellite phone to guard against idents."


    "Whom did you call just now?" He Ziyun asked.


    "You¡¯ll find out soon," Ling Chen replied with a mysterious smile, keeping them in suspense.


    Not long after, several off-road vehicles approached and stopped in front of the group. The car door opened, and a middle-aged man jumped down from the passenger seat.


    When they saw him, the group studied him for a moment, but only Qiu Yong and a few others recognized the man; the rest felt unfamiliar.


    "Mr. Ling," the man said, smiling as he greeted everyone.


    "Elder Tong, let me introduce you to Liu Dongsheng, Uncle Liu, who used to be a legendary figure in the Assassin world," Ling Chen exined.


    "Mr. Liu, hello," everyone greeted him.


    "Mr. Ling, hop in; everything¡¯s been arranged," Liu Dongsheng said.


    Ling Chen nodded and led everyone into the vehicles. After half an hour of driving in the desert, the off-road vehicles finally reached their destination.


    Getting out of the cars, they were first greeted by two fortresses, armed with heavy weaponry. Behind the fortressesy a massive base, surrounded on all sides by three-meter-high walls, with an outeryer of barbed wire and a watchtower every three meters. Guards were equipped with weapons, constantly monitoring the surroundings, providing extremely strict defense.


    As Ling Chen walked, he toured the area, asionally nodding to express satisfaction with the setup.


    "Ling Chen, what is this ce?" Tong Zhentian couldn¡¯t suppress his curiosity and asked.


    "It¡¯s a training camp," Ling Chen replied with a smile. "I funded its construction a few months ago."


    Upon hearing this, everyone was astonished; Ling Chen had never mentioned it before. Qiu Yong couldn¡¯t help butugh, "You sure know how to keep secrets; you didn¡¯t even let slip a whisper of this to us."


    "My original n was to use this as a secret base for our fallback, but didn¡¯t expect to use it so soon," Ling Chen said as he turned to Liu Dongsheng. "Uncle Liu, it¡¯s my first time here, so I¡¯m not too familiar with the ce. Could you show us around a bit?"


    "No problem, follow me," Liu Dongsheng replied.


    Immediately, everyone followed Liu Dongsheng and entered the base.

 Chapter 1287 - 1595: Desert Territory

    <h4>Chapter 1287: Chapter 1595: Desert Territory</h4>


    The base is enormous, covering thousands of square meters. Since it¡¯s in the desert, with no restrictions, you can build a base asrge as you want, as long as you have the financial and manpower resources. Walking through the base, Ling Chen observed the surroundings and noticed that besides Asians, there was also a mix of Caucasians and Africans, representing nearly all ethnicities.


    Back when Jiang Yunkai suggested setting up a training camp in this desert, Ling Chen considered the matter of choosing the personnel. After much thought, it seemed only Liu Dongsheng was suitable, as everyone else was busy. So, Ling Chen approached Hu Fei to discuss it with Liu Dongsheng.


    Luckily, Liu Dongsheng agreed. Over the past few months, Ling Chen was only responsible for funding, while Liu Dongsheng handled everything else with the assistance of Hu Fei. Therefore, Ling Chen waspletely unaware of the situation here.


    "Uncle Liu, where did you find these people?" Ling Chen asked.


    Liu Dongsheng replied, "I used some of my old connections to recruit some mercenaries, as well as assassins who have retired. Additionally, I used special channels to bring in a group of orphans. These orphans are between twenty and thirty years old, have had basic training before, and are in good condition overall."


    Ling Chen nodded, quite knowledgeable about this aspect. Some countries are rtively poor, have arge number of orphans, and some mercenary organizations entice them with various benefits to join, training them from a young age and selling them to organizations or forces in need when theye of age. These people are in high demand on the ck market, so their costs are not low, ranging from one hundred thousand to five hundred thousand dors each.


    The training camp has about 300 people in total, and Ling Chen is unaware of how much money Liu Dongsheng spent on setting up this base.


    Ling Chen didn¡¯t care much about money and didn¡¯t impose many restrictions on everyone; as long as there was a need, spending any amount was not an issue. Besides, Hu Fei, who is crazy about money, handles the finances and is incredibly stingy. Therefore, Ling Chen had no concerns about Hu Fei squandering the money.


    "Mr. Ling, this is our training ground," Liu Dongsheng said, pointing to an open area ahead.


    Ling Chen and the others looked and saw more than twenty youths using various firearms for shooting practice on an open space of several hundred square meters. Beside them, two robust instructors in tank tops were responsible for guidance.


    With sharp eyes, Ling Chen noticed over a dozenrge wooden crates at one end of the training ground, all filled with firearms and equipment.


    "Uncle Liu, where did these weaponse from?"


    "Thanks to you," Liu Dongsheng said. "You have a good rtionship with Ag, right? He¡¯s now the ruler of this country. Hu Fei used your connection with him to purchase arge number of weapons and equipment from his army at a low price." After speaking, Liu Dongsheng pointed to a shaded area not far away and said, "See that? There¡¯s an armed helicopter hidden inside, which Ag gifted to us free of charge, saying it was to thank you for your help."


    "Really?" Ling Chen grinned, pleasantly surprised that Ag was so loyal, even gifting him an armed helicopter.


    "Our daily training is divided into four parts: shooting, closebat, physical fitness, and stealth skills," Liu Dongsheng said.


    "Uncle Liu, you¡¯re training them like special forces soldiers."


    "Pretty much. Since you¡¯re treating this base as a future insurance policy, I, of course, need to train the most powerful soldiers." As he spoke, a military truck suddenly drove through the base gate. Once it stopped, over a dozen medical staff swiftly approached with stretchers to transport the injured brought by the truck to the emergency room.


    Seeing the bloodied wounded, Ling Chen asked in surprise, "Uncle Liu, what¡¯s going on here?"


    "They¡¯re team members injured in realbat."


    "Realbat?" Ling Chen was taken aback, "Where did the realbate from?"


    "Although Ag has defeated the rebels, ****, some fled to the desert. I contacted Ag to provide their locations, and we are dealing with those rebels on his behalf. This not only helps Ag but also allows our people to gain realbat experience and grow rapidly. Why not?"


    Ling Chen nodded in agreement, approving of Liu Dongsheng¡¯s approach. Realbat is the fastest way to improve. With Liu Dongsheng leading the team, Ling Chen hadplete confidence that given enough time, a strong reserve force could be built for him.


    After touring the entire base, Ling Chen was very satisfied. After some casual chatting, the group followed Liu Dongsheng to the main building of the base. Soon, they entered the base¡¯s central control room. Seeing the electronic instruments and equipment in the room, Ling Chen asked, "Uncle Liu, is there any progress on the task I entrusted to you earlier?"


    "Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ve already found them." Liu Dongsheng gestured to a young man seated at aputer. The young man understood and tapped lightly on the keyboard. Suddenly, an image appeared on therge screen.


    In the image, a mighty group of hundreds of people was marching swiftly in the desert. Although the march was fast, the formation was very scattered, with arge distance between the front and rear. "Mr. Ling, these are the people you¡¯re looking for, right?"


    Ling Chen nodded slightly, "That¡¯s right. Uncle Liu, they won¡¯t discover our surveince, will they?"


    Liu Dongsheng confidently smiled, "You can rest assured, there won¡¯t be any problem. This footage is captured by a drone, located several hundred meters in the air. They can¡¯t possibly detect it, but..." Liu Dongsheng¡¯s tone shifted, "Judging from the direction they¡¯re heading, I suspect their destination might be the death zone."


    Hearing this, Yuan Yun asked, "Mr. Liu, what is the death zone? Is the environment there tooplex?"


    "No," Liu Dongsheng shook his head. "It¡¯s called the death zone because it harbors a highly dangerous force. No one knows who they are, but anyone who enters that area never returns. Many organizations are hidden within this desert, and I¡¯ve interacted with a few. They¡¯ve named this area the death zone and advised me never to enter it. Many years ago, several organizations allied to search the area, but they all perished, not a single person survived."


    Ling Chen and Tong Zhentian exchanged nces, a glimmer shing in both their eyes.


    "So, it¡¯s possible that the headquarters of Skyhawk Pavilion is there."

 Chapter 1288 - 1596: Breaking Up and Going Separate Ways

    <h4>Chapter 1288: Chapter 1596: Breaking Up and Going Separate Ways</h4>


    "Uncle Liu, based on their traveling speed, how long do you think it will take them to reach that death zone?"


    Liu Dongsheng estimated for a moment and said, "At least a day. From their current position to the death zone is still dozens of kilometers, relying purely on foot, and considering the harsh environment here, a day is still too little."


    "What exactly does Su He intend to do by luring all these martial artists into the desert?" He Ziyun frowned and said.


    "I think... this might be part of Su He¡¯s n." Ling Chen pondered for a while and then said, "Think about it, this time there are hundreds of martial artists who came to the desert following the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, nearly half of the martial arts masters are here. Once we publicly reveal the original records, the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion will inevitably face a blow. Now, with so many martial artists trapped in the desert, relying on the power of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, dealing with the remaining martial artists in Huaxia will be more than sufficient."


    Hearing this, Tong Zhentian nodded and said, "You¡¯re right. Su He wants to divide the entire martial arts force and destroy them individually. That old man is too cunning toe up with such an idea."


    "I knew he wouldn¡¯t give in easily." Ling Chen smiled slightly and said, "Unfortunately, he calcted everything but didn¡¯t ount for the precaution I took beforehand."


    ...


    "Master." At this moment, in the advancing team, Wang Hao quickly reached Su He¡¯s side with everyone, reporting, "I¡¯ve searched everywhere but haven¡¯t found any trace of Ling Chen. I think he might have gotten lost."


    Su He said with a stern face, "Do you think they¡¯re as dumb as you?" With that, Su He waved to a young man not far away, who immediately ran over and asked, "Old Pavilion Master, what are your instructions?"


    "Can you track Ling Chen and his group¡¯s signal?"


    "The signal in the desert isn¡¯t very good, we might not be able to detect the signal, but I can try." After saying that, the young man took a notebook from his backpack and started checking on the spot. A few minutes passed, and a hint of confusion appeared on his face.


    Noticing the change in expression, Su He asked seriously, "How is it, did you find them?"


    "Old Pavilion Master, I¡¯ve found a weak signal. However, ording to the signal, they haven¡¯t moved from their ce."


    "They haven¡¯t moved?" Su He frowned, thought for a moment, and said, "Mark the location and let Wang Hao go over and rify."


    The Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion has always been cautious in its operations. Each supply bag distributed contains a micro-tracking chip. Through these chips, the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion can lock onto a person¡¯s location.


    Wang Hao had no choice but to take people on another trip. This back and forth took more than an hour.


    "Master, I only found these items; I didn¡¯t find any trace of Ling Chen and his group." Wang Hao threw down a dozen supply bags he had found and said, "Did they sense something and quietly slip away?"


    "Let them go if they want, no need to mind them; anyhow, I¡¯ve already taken precautions. Go, tell everyone to speed up."


    "Elder Su." At that moment, someone rushed over from the back and asked, "Elder Su, we¡¯ve been walking for four to five hours, howe we haven¡¯t reached the destination yet? Could it be that your Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion got the location wrong?"


    Su He, with a stern face, ignored the person¡¯s inquiry. Wang Hao nced at his master¡¯s sullen face, knowing he was angry about Ling Chen¡¯s issue, quickly took over, and said, "The direction is correct, maybe the distance is not as close as we imagined, everyone, don¡¯t worry, just hold on a little more, we¡¯ll reach soon."


    "Elder Su, everyone has been walking for so long and is extremely tired, we need to stop and rest for a while." The person suggested.


    "Can¡¯t rest before reaching the destination." Su He coldly left a sentence and then stepped forward directly, ignoring the person further.


    Watching Su He leave, the person¡¯s face showed a trace of displeasure. However, thinking of Su He¡¯s status, even if he was dissatisfied, he dared not vent it, so he returned to the team, embellishing Su He¡¯s attitude and spreading it to others.


    In no time, rumors spread, and everyone stopped walking, resting on the spot.


    "Master, they refuse to walk any further." Wang Hao observed the situation at the back and reported promptly.


    Su He sneered and said, "If they don¡¯t want to walk, that¡¯s fine. You go and tell them that we won¡¯t wait for anyone, if they don¡¯t keep up with the team and get lost in this desert, their lives are none of my concern."


    "This..." Wang Hao hesitated a bit and said, "Master, isn¡¯t this a bit too harsh?"


    "What¡¯s so harsh about it? Do you expect me to treat them like lords? Stop dawdling, hurry up and go!" Su He said impatiently.


    Upon Su He¡¯s words spreading throughout the team, everyone¡¯s emotions turned exceptionally angry. How could anyone say such words? They had responded to the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion¡¯s call, traveled thousands of miles to this godforsaken ce, only to be treated with such an attitude; anyone would be displeased.


    Soon, someone suggested turning back and leaving the desert, returning to Huaxia. This suggestion quickly gained support from many people.


    "Master, half of them are nning to return the way they came. What do you think..."


    "If they want to leave, let them leave then." Su He said indifferently, "Havinge so far, do they think they can just turn back and go home? If that¡¯s the case, they¡¯re underestimating this desert. Ignore them, we¡¯ll continue forward and try to reach the destination by nightfall."


    "Yes."


    In the end, only about a hundred people chose to continue apanying the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, while the others decided to turn back and no longer participate in the uing actions.


    Over two hundred people moved under the zing sun, walking through the desert, and as time passed, the water and food provided by the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion were used up. Staring at the endless yellow sand, despair grew in their hearts, uncertain if they could hold on until they escaped the desert without water and food.


    In the blink of an eye, another four to five hours passed.


    "Brother, why...why haven¡¯t we left this damn ce?" Someone asked. Under the scorching sun for so long and without water to drink, everyone¡¯s lips were about to crack. At first, they could use saliva to moisten their lips, but eventually, there wasn¡¯t even enough saliva, and some who couldn¡¯t adapt to this environment had long fainted, being carried by others.


    "I can¡¯t go on; I really can¡¯t." A middle-aged many weakly on the yellow sand, breathing heavily.


    "Everyone...everyone, hold on a little longer, and we can leave this damn ce soon."


    "Buddy, it¡¯s all desert around, do you know which way is out? I think we might as well save our energy."


    "If I had known, I shouldn¡¯t have separated from the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion. Things are not looking good now; we might even lose our lives here."

 Chapter 1289 - 1597: Counterattack (Part 1)

    <h4>Chapter 1289: Chapter 1597: Counterattack (Part 1)</h4>


    At this moment, the sound of engines gradually approached, appearing in everyone¡¯s line of sight. Seeing the military transport vehicles, all the martial artists froze. After a brief stunned silence, they immediately became alert, quickly forming a circle and looking at the neers with caution.


    Soon, the military transport vehicles drove closer and slowly came to a stop. The car door opened, and a young man jumped down from the passenger seat, smiling broadly at the crowd, "Everyone, we meet again."


    Seeing the young man in the car, everyone was taken aback, eximing, "Why is it you?"


    Ling Chen smiled and said, "Don¡¯t you wish it were me? I know you¡¯ve been through a lot of hardships, so I deliberately brought food and water. If you¡¯re not happy to see me, then I¡¯ll take my leave."


    Upon hearing about food and water, everyone¡¯s eyes lit up. They hurriedly surrounded Ling Chen, impatiently asking, "Ling Chen, where¡¯s the water... the water?"


    Ling Chen waved his hand, and several young men jumped down from the military transport vehicles, gradually unloading food and water from the vehicles. In no time, the food and water Ling Chen brought were swept clean by over two hundred martial artists.


    After everyone had rested and regained much of their spirits, a middle-aged man stood up, took the initiative to walk over to Ling Chen, sped his hands together, and said, "Thank you, Mr. Ling, for saving us."


    "You¡¯re wee. I just did what I should do."


    "Mr. Ling, how much further until we leave this desert?"


    "About seventy or eighty kilometers."


    "That far?" The middle-aged man was astonished, "We¡¯ve been traveling for so long..."


    Ling Chen replied, "I know. However, you¡¯re heading in the wrong direction. If you continue along your previous route, you¡¯ll only delve deeper into the desert. If I hadn¡¯t arrived in time, you wouldn¡¯t survive past tomorrow."


    Hearing this, the middle-aged man asked in confusion, "Mr. Ling, how did you know we were here? And... weren¡¯t you supposed to be with us?"


    Ling Chen shook his head and said, "This isn¡¯t something you should worry about. What you should be concerned about now is the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion."


    "What do you mean?"


    "Su He casually let you go without specifying a direction, clearly wanting you to blindly head to your doom."


    The middle-aged man pondered for a while, nodded, and said, "You¡¯re right. After entering the desert, the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion¡¯s attitude towards us became increasingly indifferent, and eventually, they ignored uspletely. Honestly, I¡¯m puzzled as to why the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion would do such a thing."


    "The reason is simple. Su He wants you dead."


    "Why?"


    "If you want to know why, why note with me?" With that, Ling Chen said no more and directly boarded the transport vehicle.


    After passing on the message, the middle-aged man hesitated for a moment, and gradually everyone got into the vehicles. After half an hour¡¯s drive, the convoy finally returned to the base. Upon arrival, Ling Chen immediately arranged for everyone to a rtively spacious warehouse.


    By this time, Tong Zhentian and others were already waiting in the warehouse. Seeing Tong Zhentian there, the crowd seemed to have found their backbone, huddling around to ask questions, wanting to rify the reason. "Alright, everyone quiet down, I will exin the situation shortly."


    Upon hearing this, the noisy warehouse gradually quieted down, and everyone¡¯s attention focused on Tong Zhentian.


    Tong Zhentian nced around at the crowd, cleared his throat, and said loudly, "I believe everyone is confused about this operation. To be honest, this operation is actually a plotid out by the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion... To be precise, it¡¯s Su He¡¯s scheme. His goal is simple: to bury all present in the desert."


    "Elder Tong, do you have any evidence for saying this? Elder Su is a martial arts magnate like you, why would he do such a thing?"


    "Because of the Skyhawk Pavilion," Tong Zhentian said lightly. "As is well known, we¡¯vee all this way to eliminate the Skyhawk Pavilion that has been causing trouble in the martial arts world. However, you may not know that the Skyhawk Pavilion was actually established by Su He, specifically to carry out certain shady activities for him."


    Tong Zhentian paused, looking at the group of astonished people, waiting for them to digest the news before continuing, "I believe everyone has received records of the havoc caused by the Skyhawk Pavilion over the years. Many have fallen victim to them. When the Dragon Tiger Hall learned of this, they immediatelyunched an investigation and found that each action taken by the Skyhawk Pavilion was rted to Su He."


    At this point, Tong Zhentian signaled to Ling Chen. Thetter understood, distributing over a dozen pages of prepared parchment to the crowd.


    "Please look at these, everyone. These are the original documents we¡¯ve found, containing records of Skyhawk Pavilion¡¯s actions and signatures. You only need topare the handwriting to know whether what I say is true."


    "So the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion and the Skyhawk Pavilion have been colluding all along," someone said indignantly.


    "We¡¯ve been blind. If only we had known earlier, we should have united and destroyed the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion back then."


    As voices of resentment rose, Ling Chen stepped forward and spoke, "Everyone, this matter is not rted to the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion."


    Everyone paused, looking at Ling Chen with confusion, asking, "What do you mean? Haven¡¯t you all said this was Su He¡¯s doing? Why say it has nothing to do with the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, isn¡¯t that contradictory?"


    Ling Chen smiled slightly and exined, "Everyone, Su He is Su He, and the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion is the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion. Please do not confuse the two. Although Su He was the old Pavilion Master of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, the current Pavilion Master is only one, and that is Su Mei, who alone represents the entire Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion. Moreover, to hide his crimes and continue living freely, Su He imprisoned his granddaughter and seized control of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, even using Master Su¡¯s name to make the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion¡¯s people collude with him. Therefore, we need only take action against Su He and the Skyhawk Pavilion, not include the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion. Please do not mix this up."


    A few days ago, Ling Chen reached an agreement with Su Mei to allow the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion to continue to exist, on the condition that the Skyhawk Pavilion be eradicated. Hence, he had to say this to avoid everyone¡¯s anger being directed at the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion.


    "Mr. Ling, this is just your word; how do you know the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion and Su He aren¡¯t in cahoots? Don¡¯t forget, Su He and Su Mei are family, would Su Mei really go against her grandfather?"


    "That makes sense, I also think that the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion can¡¯t be exonerated from involvement in this matter."


    As the crowd continued discussing, Ling Chen raised his hand to calm everyone down.


    "I understand everyone¡¯s suspicion of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, but I can assure you. Even if you don¡¯t believe me, you should trust Elder Tong."

 Chapter 1290 - 1598: Counterattack (Part 2)

    <h4>Chapter 1290: Chapter 1598: Counterattack (Part 2)</h4>


    "Elder Tong, please say something. If this matter has nothing to do with the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, then you should present some convincing evidence." Someone spoke.


    As soon as the words fell, Tong Zhentian nodded and said, "Alright, since you want evidence, I will give you evidence." After speaking, Tong Zhentian stepped aside. Immediately, two people walked forward from behind him.


    Seeing the people who suddenly appeared, everyone couldn¡¯t help but be surprised.


    "Elder Tong, how do they happen to be here?"


    Ling Chen smiled and said, "You need evidence, don¡¯t you? Is there anything more convincing than them?" Pausing, Ling Chen turned to the neers and said, "Miss Su, Elder Du, I¡¯ll leave it to you now."


    Upon learning Qiu Yong¡¯s n, Ling Chen immediately contacted Su Mei to inform her of the situation here, gaining her consent. To convince everyone that this matter had nothing to do with the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, Ling Chen, after careful consideration, decided to let Su Mei personallye forth. Only with the appearance of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion Master could everyone be convinced.


    "Everyone, I know there are many grievances and misunderstandings against the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, and here, I first express the most sincere apologies on behalf of the Pavilion." Su Mei said softly, "As Mr. Ling just mentioned, this incident has nothing to do with the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion; however, since Su He is my grandfather and was once the Pavilion Master, the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion will not shirk its responsibility. We will exert all efforts to resolve this matter."


    "Master Su, the Skyhawk Pavilion has been wreaking havoc in the Martial Arts world for many years, ughtering countless martial artists, all under Su He¡¯s instructions. As the Pavilion Master and Su He¡¯s granddaughter, are youpletely unaware of this?" someone in the crowd asked.


    "Everyone, as you all know, my grandfather left the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion decades ago, and has been out of touch ever since. I know nothing of his whereabouts, let alone what he is doing. I¡¯ve stated that the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion will not evade responsibility. My grandfather betrayed the Pavilion and founded the Skyhawk Pavilion, harming martial artists. As the Pavilion Master, I will give everyone an exnation."


    Before anyone could ask further, Ling Chen stepped forward to stand before Su Mei and said, "Alright, with the Pavilion Master here and Elder Du present, I trust there won¡¯t be any more suspicions. Also, the uing actions will involve the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, so everyone can keep their eyes open."


    "Actions?" someone asked, puzzled, "What actions?"


    Ling Chen smiled slightly, "After suffering such losses, don¡¯t you wish to seek justice for yourselves? Remember, you came here with a purpose."


    Upon hearing this, a middle-aged man chimed in, "Mr. Ling, you don¡¯t mean to act against the Skyhawk Pavilion, do you?"


    "Absolutely." Ling Chen nodded, "With such a golden opportunity, we must not let it slip. I¡¯ve pinpointed the headquarters of the Skyhawk Pavilion, and no matter what, we cannot let Su He and the Skyhawk members unite. Therefore, we must eliminate the Skyhawk Pavilion members before Su He arrives. Everyone, the vehicles are ready; we rest for an hour and then move out, so please prepare."


    "I don¡¯t want to wade into this mess any further, take me back." someone said.


    Ling Chen squinted his eyes, smiling faintly, "Not going? Fine! If anyone doesn¡¯t want to go, say so now, I won¡¯t force you. However, let me be upfront¡ªI¡¯ve saved your lives, the gratitude is yours to repay or not. But to those unwilling to participate, feel free, I won¡¯t send a vehicle for your departure, nor provide water or food, as I have no obligation to do so. Whether or not you can walk out of this desert alive depends on your luck."


    As these words fell, everyone was stunned, not expecting Ling Chen to say such things. It would be a joke without knowing their exact location, without vehicles, water, or food. How could they possibly walk out of this desert on their own?


    For a moment, no one mentioned leaving further. Even if someone felt dissatisfied, they dared not voice it. As Ling Chen just stated, had he not intervened to save them, they would have perished in the desert.


    People from the Martial Arts world highly value loyalty, especially life-saving grace. No matter what, they had to go this time.


    After arranging everyone in a warehouse, Ling Chen and his group returned to themand tent.


    Seeing Su Mei remain silent, Ling Chen walked over to her and said, "Miss Su, I¡¯m sorry, I didn¡¯t want to do this either. But I offered Elder Su a chance: if he abandons the Skyhawk Pavilion, the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion could gain prestige and preserve his reputation. Unfortunately, he chose another path."


    Su Mei nodded lightly and replied, "I know, you don¡¯t need to apologize. It¡¯s not your fault; if me is to beid, it could only be with grandpa himself for believing too much in himself."


    "It¡¯s good that you think this way. Rest assured, although the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion will be impacted to some degree, your actions today will make everyone remember you."


    After a few words offort, Ling Chen turned to Elder Tong and the others to discuss the uing action n.


    One hour passed quickly, and Ling Chen and Liu Dongsheng directly took that armed helicopter to the destination, while others were transported by military trucks to meet them there.


    The armed helicopter flew swiftly, reaching the death zone in less than half an hour. Upon entering the Skyhawk Pavilion headquarters area, the helicopter found a rtively secluded spot to drop off Ling Chen and his team.


    Under Liu Dongsheng¡¯smand, several apanying technicians immediately set up temporary tents and connected all equipment. Ten minutester, two dronesunched sessively to begin searching for the precise location of the Skyhawk Pavilion headquarters.


    "Sir, we¡¯ve found the target."


    In just about three minutes, the technicians operating the drones discovered the location of the Skyhawk Pavilion. Ling Chen and Liu Dongsheng leaned over theputer, observing the real-time footage transmitted by the drones, showing a vast base amidst the barren desert. From the aerial view, many people could be seen moving around within the base.


    "Can the image be magnified?"


    The technician nodded and zoomed the lens to the maximum. After a close observation, Ling Chen stated with certainty, "That¡¯s right, this is the Skyhawk Pavilion headquarters."


    "I¡¯ve just contacted the convoy, they need another forty minutes to arrive."


    "What about Su He and his men?"


    "They¡¯re still quite far from here, even if they run the whole way, it would take at least three hours, giving us ample time toplete our mission."


    "Excellent! Keep monitoring the movements of the Skyhawk Pavilion, and remember to block their signals before the action begins so they can¡¯t connect with Su He."

 Chapter 1291 - 1599: Siege of Skyhawk Pavilion (Part 1)

    <h4>Chapter 1291: Chapter 1599: Siege of Skyhawk Pavilion (Part 1)</h4>


    Taking advantage of the main force not yet arriving, Ling Chen went alone with his gear, sneaking towards the Skyhawk Pavilion headquarters. Although drones could monitor the entire base of the Skyhawk Pavilion, the camera is ultimately from top to bottom, not very clear for capturing faces. Therefore, someone had to get close to the Skyhawk Pavilion.


    Ling Chen moved swiftly, sometimes crawling forward, sometimes sprinting. After about ten minutes, he finally reached a sand dune more than forty meters away from the Skyhawk Pavilion. Lying on the sand dune, Ling Chen covered himself with a piece of earth-colored cloth, blending in perfectly with the surrounding sand grains, making it difficult to notice his presence without careful observation.


    Ling Chen took out a high-powered binocrs, observing the situation in the base, and asionally kept in touch with Liu Dongsheng through radio.


    After quietly observing for a while, Ling Chen¡¯s sharp eyes suddenly noticed two people walking out of a house in the northeast corner. One was Zhu Chuan, and the other was Zhu Hong. The two walked side by side, talking about something unknown.


    There¡¯s no need to say about Zhu Hong, back when he was in East Sea City, the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion had sent Zhu Chuan to participate in a martial artspetition, but he was defeated by Chen Junfeng. Unexpectedly, he was also a member of the Skyhawk Pavilion.


    While pondering, Zhu Chuan and Zhu Hong were seen arriving at the center of the base. Soon, more than three hundred members of the Skyhawk Pavilion gathered in the field. It¡¯s unclear what Zhu Chuan said, but a few minutester, all members of the Skyhawk Pavilion dispersed one after another. Soon, the base was empty, and they all entered into the building.


    "Mr. Ling, the convoy will arrive in ten minutes."


    "Received, I¡¯ll be back soon."


    Backing down from the sand dune, Ling Chen felt a bit regretful. He initially hoped to spot a few important figures, but apart from Zhu Chuan and Zhu Hong, he found none. As the strongest force of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, Skyhawk Pavilion¡¯s masters surely were not limited to just Zhu Chuan. He really wanted to know theprehensive strength of the Skyhawk Pavilion.


    Before long, Ling Chen returned to the previously set up temporary tent, took a brief rest, and then heard the roaring engine sounds. The main force had arrived.


    Once Tong Zhentian and others arrived, everyone gathered together to discuss attack strategies.


    "To me, it seems safer to attack at night." Yuan Yun proposed, "The area around the base is open terrain. If wee within fifty meters, we¡¯ll definitely be detected."


    "No way." Ling Chen shook his head, saying: "Attacking at night will be very disadvantageous for us. Brother, don¡¯t forget, the Skyhawk Pavilion is a group of assassins. In dark environments, theirbat power will multiply. I believe attacking during the day is most suitable, not only can we suppress their abilities, but also can solve the Skyhawk Pavilion before Su He arrives."


    He Ziyun contemted for a moment and said, "Ling Chen makes a valid point. However, how do we approach this base?"


    Ling Chen smiled confidently and said, "No need to worry about that, I have my ways." With that, Ling Chen turned to Liu Dongsheng and said, "Uncle Liu, I¡¯ll leave it to you."


    "I¡¯ll get on it immediately."


    About ten minutester, Liu Dongsheng returned to the tent, "Mr. Ling, everything is ready, can we start?"


    "Let¡¯s start!"


    Leaving the tent, everyone stood at a higher spot, gazing at the Skyhawk Pavilion base. Suddenly, there was a loud ¡¯bang,¡¯ a loud sound erupted outside, about ten meters from the Skyhawk Pavilion base. Immediately afterward, thick smoke spread out, covering the surrounding area of tens of meters.


    Bang! Bang! Bang!


    Apanied by more than a dozen loud explosions, the entire vicinity of the Skyhawk Pavilion was engulfed in thick smoke. Those outside couldn¡¯t see inside, and those inside couldn¡¯t see outside.


    "Uncle Liu, give the order,unch the attack immediately."


    "Okay."


    "Elder Tong, shall we go too?"


    At this moment, inside the base of the Skyhawk Pavilion, everyone was stunned by the sudden explosions outside.


    "Master, we are under attack." Zhu Hong hurriedly ran into Zhu Chuan¡¯s room, reporting the situation outside.


    Zhu Chuan appeared rtively calm and asked, "Don¡¯t panic, maybe it¡¯s Elder Su and his group. As agreed, they will pretend to attack the base upon arrival, and we¡¯ll just have to act it out."


    "Master, didn¡¯t you mention the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion people would arrive at night? It¡¯s been such a short time, it¡¯s impossible for them to arrive so soon."


    Hearing this, Zhu Chuan thought for a moment, nodded, and said, "I¡¯ll call Elder Su and ask." With that, Zhu Chuan took out his phone and dialed Su He¡¯s number. However, after a few seconds, Zhu Chuan¡¯s face suddenly darkened, "The call can¡¯t go through, no signal."


    "Master..."


    "You¡¯re right, those outside are not Elder Su¡¯s group, we are under attack. Immediately send orders for everyone to prepare for battle."


    "Yes."


    The Skyhawk Pavilion is a ce specifically for training assassins, and after the orders were sent, not two minutester, over a hundred people appeared around the base, vigntly watching the surrounding smoke.


    Zhu Chuan and Zhu Hong stood at the center of the base, waiting for the enemy to arrive.


    As time passed by, suddenly Zhu Chuan, who had his eyes slightly closed, opened them sharply, looking to the southeast, "The enemy is over there."


    Zhu Hong turned his head to look, and after ten seconds, the sound of engines entered his ears.


    "It¡¯s trucks, a lot of them."


    "Everyone, gather to the southeast." As Zhu Chuan¡¯s voice fell, the assassins around the base quickly rushed to the southeast, forming a defensive line.


    Soon, the engine sounds got closer and closer, stopping about thirty meters out.


    Due to the smoke between them, they couldn¡¯t see anything, just patiently waited for the enemy to appear.


    "Why aren¡¯t they here yet?" Zhu Hong frowned.


    "They¡¯re just beyond the smoke." Saying this, Zhu Chuan looked at the thick smoke around them and spoke: "The smoke is about to clear, prepare to engage."


    A few secondster, as the smoke gradually cleared, more than ten military transport trucks appeared in Zhu Chuan¡¯s and Zhu Hong¡¯s view. However, other than those military transport trucks, no other people were seen.


    "Where are the people?"


    As everyone was puzzled, a ¡¯boom¡¯ sound erupted from behind them. Zhu Chuan and Zhu Hong sharply turned their heads, only to see a huge gap blown open in the northern base wall with over a hundred Asian individuals rushing in from outside.


    "It¡¯s Ling Chen!" Sharp-eyed Zhu Hong immediately recognized Ling Chen at the forefront of the team and shouted loudly.


    "Everyone, follow my lead to repel the enemy!" Zhu Chuan shouted, lightly tapped his toes, and flew towards them.


    Ta ta ta! Ta ta ta!


    However, just then, a burst of urgent gunfire suddenly sounded. Next, the assassins of the Skyhawk Pavilion began to fall to the ground one after another, their bodies riddled with bullet holes, devoid of life.


    "Behind! There¡¯s someone behind us!"

 Chapter 1292 - 1600: Encirclement of Skyhawk Pavilion (2)

    <h4>Chapter 1292: Chapter 1600: Encirclement of Skyhawk Pavilion (2)</h4>


    Zhu Hong hurriedly turned to look at the position of those military transport trucks. Just as they were preparing to fend off the enemiesing from the north, hundreds of armed militants suddenly jumped down from the rearpartment of the trucks, each well-equipped with guns and weapons.


    "Master!" Zhu Hong shouted anxiously, "We¡¯re being ambushed."


    "Everyone, retreat into the room," Zhu Chuan didn¡¯t hesitate and immediately issued the order to retreat. However, even the Skyhawk Pavilion assassins couldn¡¯t outrun bullets. In just the blink of an eye, nearly half the meny dead in pools of blood, with less than fifty people sessfully withdrawing into the house.


    Watching the direction Zhu Chuan and Zhu Hong fled, Ling Chen made a gesture, and Chen Junfeng, Qiu Yong, and others immediately followed suit. Capture the leader first! Resolve Zhu Chuan, the expert from the Heavenly List, first. As for the other assassins of the Skyhawk Pavilion, they can be dealt with slowly.


    Within the group, Du Kang stayed by Su Mei¡¯s side, ensuring her safety. Witnessing the dire battlefield before them, Su Mei¡¯s delicate little face appeared somewhat pale. Although she was the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion Master, she had never seen such a brutal scene and cruelbat.


    Here, human lives were like weeds, worthless, liable to be lost at any moment.


    At this moment, Ling Chen led the others into a building. This building was only three stories high. Ling Chen signaled to everyone to split up and search for Zhu Chuan and Zhu Hong¡¯s whereabouts. Along the way, Skyhawk Pavilion assassins asionally pounced from both sides,unching sneak attacks. Fortunately, the surroundings were well-lit, and these assassins posed no threat to Ling Chen and his team.


    After a brief period, everyone had searched all three floors, yet failed to find any trace of Zhu Chuan and hispanions.


    "Ling Cheng, could they have escaped?" Yuan Yun asked.


    "Impossible, I clearly saw them enter this building." Saying this, Ling Chen nced outside the three-story building, where the view was entirely a wastnd of yellow sand, devoid of any human shadows indicating Zhu Chuan and Zhu Hong couldn¡¯t have fled.


    "We¡¯ve searched the whole building; where could they be hiding?"


    Ling Chen pondered for a moment and pointed to the ground beneath him, saying, "Most desert bases have underground structures; maybe this ce does too." Pausing, Ling Chen seemed to think of something and remarked, "Earlier, when I was secretly observing this base, there were about three hundred assassins, but we¡¯ve seen less than half. The rest might be hiding in underground buildings."


    After he finished speaking, Liu Dongsheng hurried over, saying, "Mr. Ling, the assassins outside have been resolved."


    "How¡¯s our casualty situation?"


    "It¡¯s manageable,bat effectiveness hasn¡¯t significantly diminished, Miss Zhu is currently leading efforts to treat the wounded."


    Ling Chen nodded and said, "Notify everyone to upy all buildings in the base and carefully search to see if there are any concealed passages."


    "Understood."


    ...


    "Master, what should we do now?" Zhu Hong looked at the surveince disy on theputer, his expression somewhat anxious. Despite all calctions, he hadn¡¯t anticipated Ling Chen suddenly leading an attack on the Skyhawk Pavilion headquarters, catching them off guard.


    Zhu Chuan stood with hands behind his back, eyes fixed on the corpses in the footage, those had been the elite assassins cultivated by the Skyhawk Pavilion over several years, all dead now. It undoubtedly was a huge blow to the Pavilion.


    Noticing Zhu Chuan¡¯s silence, Zhu Hong couldn¡¯t help but speak, "Master, I just did a count; there are less than two hundred usable personnel now. Engaging in an all-out fight won¡¯t benefit us. I suggest we hold our position, bolster defenses until Elder Su arrives."


    Zhu Chuan nced at Zhu Hong, pondered for a moment, and spoke solemnly, "In all these years since the formation of Skyhawk Pavilion, when have we been this embarrassed? I want to see who will be thest one standing." With those words, Zhu Chuan turned to summon a man in his thirties.


    Thetter rushed over, asking respectfully, "Eagle Head, what are your orders?"


    "Gather everyone, take a headcount. As soon as it gets dark in an hour and a half, that will be our time for revenge."


    "Yes!"


    After the man walked away, Zhu Chuan turned his gaze back to Zhu Hong, saying, "Follow me, I¡¯ll show you something."


    Shortly, led by Zhu Chuan, Zhu Hong arrived at a room equipped with various advanced devices. Zhu Chuan pointed at the equipment lining the four walls and the screens, saying, "This room is the core of this base; everything can be controlled from here." With that, Zhu Chuan moved to the centralputer desk, ced his thumb on the fingerprint scanner, and suddenly all surrounding devices and screens powered on.


    On the over tenrge screens hung on the walls, one could clearly see the movements of Ling Chen and his team, with the entire base being under surveince via these disys.


    Zhu Chuan, seated at the mainputer, tapped on the keyboard a few times, saying, "What you¡¯re seeing now is the most secret existence within this base."


    Upon hearing this, Zhu Hong immediately focused on one of the screens. Momentster, densely packed lines appeared on the screen, covering nearly all areas.


    "This...this is..." Awakened to the revtion, Zhu Hong was shocked, looking at Zhu Chuan incredulously, having no idea that the base had such a design.


    Another half hour passed.


    Da-da-da! Da-da-da!


    Amid rapid gunfire, wounded individuals were incessantly carried away for emergency treatment. Ling Chen and others leaned against the wall, watching thebat in front of them, expressions tense.


    This concealed passage was discovered ten minutes ago. When they sted open the outer explosion-proof door to charge in, they faced heavy fire from inside, unable to advance even a step forward. This secret passage was just a meter wide, two meters high, ten meters long, without any cover in between. Skyhawk Pavilion members hid at the far end, utilizing heavy fire to suppress them, ensuring death for anyone entering the passage.


    Both parties had been exchanging fire for over ten minutes; Ling Chen¡¯s side faced increasing casualties, while the opposing side remained unscathed.


    "Mr. Ling, continuing like this is not a viable solution," Liu Dongsheng spoke, "There are fifty minutes until dark, and thetest update indicates that Su He is just over two hours away from the base; we must hasten the resolution of this battle."


    Ling Chen contemted for a moment, asking, "Uncle Liu, do we have any heavy weapons?"


    "Heavy weapons?" Liu Dongsheng thought briefly, replying, "I believe we brought a rocketuncher."


    "No, that won¡¯t work." Ling Chen shook his head, "That thing can¡¯t be used." Joking aside, he knew the rocketuncher¡¯s power well¡ª even if it killed the people inside, it would likely destroy the entire passage.

 Chapter 1293 - 1601: Encirclement of the Skyhawk Pavilion (Part 3)

    <h4>Chapter 1293: Chapter 1601: Encirclement of the Skyhawk Pavilion (Part 3)</h4>


    "I¡¯ll try it." Ling Chen thought for a while and made a decision. No matter what, someone has to charge in and deal with the people on the other side of the secret passage. Otherwise, they will be stuck outside.


    Before long, under Ling Chen¡¯s arrangement, Liu Dongsheng came over with a bulletproof shield.


    After weighing the shield¡¯s weight, Ling Chen geared up with simple equipment and headed straight for the passage.


    ncing at the situation inside the passage, Ling Chen took out a few smoke grenades and tossed them in. Instantly, thick smoke spread out, enveloping the entire passage.


    Meanwhile, the firepower from the other end of the passage poured out angrily, bullets showering through the passage like raindrops. Hearing the unending gunfire, Ling Chen gritted his teeth, raised the bulletproof shield in front of him, and slowly advanced into the passage.


    As Ling Chen entered the passage, the shield immediately rang with a series of crisp sounds, countless bullets striking it. In just a moment, the surface of the shield was riddled with cracks. Fortunately, this bulletproof shield was a reinforced type, temporarily holding up against the relentless assault.


    However, the impact from the bullets striking the shield was not easy for Ling Chen to withstand. If it were just a dozen bullets, he could ignore it, but a hundred bullets together formed a terrifying force. Only a master like Ling Chen could withstand it; anyone else would have been pushed back by the impact long ago.


    Hugging the wall, Ling Chen briskly walked through the smoke, intending to charge all the way through. However, at that moment, he suddenly heard a slight noise from the ground, like something was rolling towards his position.


    What the hell is that?


    In the blink of an eye, before Ling Chen could react, a loud ¡¯boom¡¯ resounded. mes shot out, and a powerful shockwave hit the shield, instantly sending Ling Chen flying and crashing heavily to the ground. "Ling Cheng, watch out!" Qiu Yong eximed, rushing over to drag Ling Chen out of the passage.


    "Ling Cheng, are you okay?" Everyone gathered around, expressing their concern.


    Ling Chen shook his head, looking at the cracked shield with a silent sigh of relief. Luckily, the shield had protected him from the grenade¡¯s power, or else he would have lost an arm or a leg.


    "How about I give it a try?" Chen Junfeng volunteered.


    "No," Ling Chen said. "It¡¯s too risky. You all saw what just happened. If they threw a few more grenades, even a master from the Heavenly List would find it hard to get through."


    "Then what should we do?" Liu Dongsheng asked. "We can¡¯t just wait it out; it¡¯s not to our advantage."


    "Why don¡¯t we use an old tactic?" Xia Yue suggested. "If they won¡¯te out, we¡¯ll use fire and see how long they can hold out."


    Tong Zhentian nodded, "That might be worth a try."


    "Uncle Liu, have the helicopter and drone patrol around the base. Since this base has underground structures, there might be escape routes."


    "Okay, I¡¯ll notify them right away."


    Over the next ten minutes, everyone smashed doors, desks, chairs, anything made of wood, to use as kindling. Meanwhile, Xia Yue instructed others to fetch tworge fans, aiming them at the passage to blow all the smoke from the burning wood into the entrance.


    Time passed by the minute. Ling Chen stood at the passage entrance, waiting quietly. By now, there was no more noise from the other end, but Ling Chen didn¡¯t dare rx, unsure if those guys were waiting for a chance.


    Cough cough cough! Cough cough!


    In the underground building, smoke pervaded the air, affecting many people¡¯s breathing. Even with venttion, the smoke was too dense to bepletely expelled.


    "Master, the people at the entrance can¡¯t hold out much longer," Zhu Hong observed on the surveince monitors.


    "Watch over them," Zhu Chuan instructed. "No matter what happens, you must guard the entrance. Don¡¯t let them in."


    "Understood," Zhu Hong responded and quickly headed toward the entrance.


    At this moment, the passage entrance was piled with debris serving as barricades. Behind them, over twenty Skyhawk Pavilion assassins armed themselves, watching the passage warily to prevent intrusions.


    Covering his nose and mouth, Zhu Hong stood by the barricade. After a moment of deliberation, he whispered a few instructions to some men. Shortly after, they returned carrying several fans.


    The fans roared to life, the wind blocking the thick smoke at the entrance, blowing it outward.


    Not bad, these guys are quite clever! Ling Chen smirked outside the passage, then turned to the busy Xia Yue and asked, "Fifth sister, ready yet?"


    "Almost," Xia Yue replied, pouring gasoline from a drum onto a one-meter-diameter sphere. The sphere was made from stacked debris, tied and secured tightly.


    After pouring the gasoline, Xia Yue pushed the sphere next to the passage and set it alight. Instantly, fierce mes engulfed the sphere, transforming it into a gigantic fireball.


    "Here we go!" Yuan Yun said with a shout, giving the fireball a kick. It rolled directly into the passage.


    Da-da-da! Da-da-da!


    Hearing themotion from the passage, the assassins hiding behind the barricades instinctively pointed their guns at the fireball as it drew closer.


    But bullets had no effect. In the blink of an eye, the fireball rolled close, and with a ¡¯bang,¡¯ exploded, scattering countless smaller mes everywhere.


    The assassins behind the barricades couldn¡¯t avoid being hit, instantly turning into human torches, their dreadful screams echoing through the passage.


    Witnessing this scene, Zhu Hong¡¯s face changed slightly, prompting him to retreat quickly.


    "Second squad, prepare yourselves." At Zhu Hong¡¯smand, dozens of assassins promptly arrived, setting up a temporary defense line behind the passage entrance.


    Bang!


    Gunfire rang out. Ling Chen, the first to pass through the passage, quickly ducked behind the nearest barricade. Soon, the others followed, sheltering and assessing the situation ahead.

 Chapter 1294 - 1602: Siege of Skyhawk Pavilion (Part 4)

    <h4>Chapter 1294: Chapter 1602: Siege of Skyhawk Pavilion (Part 4)</h4>


    "Damn!" Seeing the defensive line twenty meters away, Yuan Yun couldn¡¯t help but curse. After so much effort to get through the dark tunnel, who would have thought there was a second line of defense on the other side. At this rate, who knows how long it will take to break through.


    "Watch out for grenades," Ling Chen shouted loudly, leaning against the cover. Their cover was barely twenty meters away from Skyhawk Pavilion¡¯s second defensive line, just within grenade range. No matter what, they couldn¡¯t give the enemy a chance.


    Just then, someone from the opposite line suddenly stood up, holding a grenade, ready to throw it over to the cover. "Watch out!" Qiu Yong eximed in a hurry when he saw this.


    At this moment, Zhang Zhongfeng, who had been hiding under the cover, stood up abruptly, raised his bow and nocked an arrow,pleting the motion seamlessly. Before everyone could react, the sharp arrow had already pierced that person¡¯s wrist.


    A miserable scream was heard, and before the grenade in that person¡¯s hand could be thrown out, it fell to the ground.


    BOOM!


    With a loud explosion, at least four people were sted off, blood sttering everywhere.


    "Good job, Zhang Zhongfeng!" Ling Chen chuckled. With an arrow master here, let¡¯s see who dares to throw grenades over now.


    As expected, with Zhang Zhongfeng¡¯s deterrence, the opponents didn¡¯t dare to continue using grenades and all hid behind their cover.


    As time went by, Ling Chen became somewhat anxious; this was not working, they had to find a way to break through their line of defense.


    Just then, Liu Dongsheng quickly ran over from the dark tunnel entrance, "Mr. Ling, night has fallen, Su He and the others have at most two hours to arrive."


    Ling Chen opened his mouth, about to speak. Before he could utter a word, Wei Jiahao came rushing over, urgently saying, "Ling Cheng, there¡¯s trouble, the people outside have been attacked."


    "By whom?"


    "Don¡¯t know, we couldn¡¯t even see the shadows, and in the blink of an eye, four or five people disappeared."


    Upon hearing this, Ling Chen¡¯s heart sank. Damn it! It must be Zhu Chuan and his men acting. The dark environment is perfect for these assassins to strike.


    After pondering for a while, Ling Chen turned to Zhu Qing beside him, and said, "You go outside with Brother Eight and try to ensure everyone¡¯s safety."


    "No way," Zhu Qing shook her head, "I have to protect your safety."


    "Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll be fine, those people outside need your help, quickly go, don¡¯t waste time."


    Under Ling Chen¡¯s urging, although Zhu Qing was somewhat reluctant, she followed Wei Jiahao out.


    "Uncle Liu, fire suppression, help me buy some time."


    "Alright." Liu Dongsheng responded, and immediately ryed themand. At once, over twenty youths set up guns, aimed at the opposite defensive line, and bullets crazily fired over.


    Taking advantage of this moment, Ling Chen swiftly crossed the cover, moving like the wind, charging towards the enemy¡¯s defensive line. It seemed someone discovered Ling Chen¡¯s position, and quickly stood up, aiming the gun at Ling Chen¡¯s body.


    However, before they could pull the trigger, only a ¡¯swish¡¯ was heard, and an arrow mercilessly pierced through the person¡¯s throat.


    An invaluable opportunity, Ling Chen lightly tapped his toes, his body leaping high, instantly flying over the defensive line.


    Not waiting for his feet tond, Ling Chen twisted his body mid-air, forcefully changing direction, and then drew out two pistols from his waist.


    Bang! Bang! Bang!


    In the blink of an eye, both pistol magazines were emptied, and over ten Skyhawk Pavilion assassins hiding behind the line fell to the ground, all shot in the forehead, killed instantly.


    Seeing this scene, Zhu Hong, who had been cowering behind the line, changed his expression and hurried to retreat.


    Damn it! Ling Chen cursed silently, that guy¡¯s luck is really good, if not for the empty magazine, Zhu Hong wouldn¡¯t have survived.


    At this moment, dozens of assassins charged up to support Zhu Hong, Ling Chen let out a loud shout, immediately unleashing the Nine Yang Qiankun Step, rushing straight towards those assassins.


    Seeing Ling Chen breaking into the enemy¡¯s camp, Tong Zhentian immediately led others to support. The addition of a group of masters made the situation overwhelmingly one-sided. Facing everyone¡¯s fierce onught, the killers from Skyhawk Pavilion were utterly powerless to resist. In a short while, the ground was littered with dozens of corpses.


    "Master, it¡¯s bad, they¡¯ve broken in," Zhu Hong pushed open the room door and urgently shouted at Zhu Chuan inside.


    "I know." Zhu Chuan was sitting in front of theputer, watching the screen¡¯s disy, his face grim, "Have everyone enter the tunnels. If they can¡¯t block them, then we have no choice but to fight to the death." After speaking, Zhu Chuan stood up and said, "You stay here, monitor the situation outside, and report to me promptly."


    "Yes." Zhu Hong slightly rxed, he thought Zhu Chuan would send him to the battlefield. Given his current strength, going would be a death sentence, it was safer to stay here.


    After Zhu Chuan left, Zhu Hong locked the room door, sat alone in front of theputer, and activated all signals. Instantly, theputer screen disyed over a hundred red dots.


    Each assassin within Skyhawk Pavilion had a microchip embedded, precisely locating their positions. If killed, the microchip would be ineffective, and the signal would disappear from the screen. With this feature, one could ascertain their personnel situation.


    Staring at the dense lines on the screen, Zhu Hong felt a bit sentimental. He had to admire those from Skyhawk Pavilion who had dug hundreds of tunnels beneath the base. The purpose of these tunnels was simple, to deal with enemies invading the base. Utilizing these tunnels, they couldunch stealth attacks and disappear without a trace.


    Two minutes had passed, over twenty red dots on the screen had disappeared, nearly every minute saw a reduction. At this rate, it wouldn¡¯t be long before the Skyhawk Pavilion assassins were wiped out.


    Such a pity, if only all personnel could be summoned back. Zhu Hong thought to himself.


    Skyhawk Pavilion trained more assassins than this, he had asked Zhu Chuan before, ording to Zhu Chuan, the total number of Skyhawk Pavilion assassins was nearly a thousand, most were carrying out missions outside, only one-third remained at the base.


    If all assassins returned to the base, Ling Chen would never have seeded.


    Thinking of this, Zhu Hong felt very unwilling; he thought he had found a big tree to lean on, but ended up being ruined by Ling Chen.


    Bastard! Zhu Hong gritted his teeth, eyes full of hatred. Ending up in this state was all thanks to Ling Chen. If this hatred wasn¡¯t avenged, he wouldn¡¯t sleep well ever in his life.


    While contemting, Zhu Hong tapped on the keyboard, seizing the chance to check the Skyhawk Pavilion¡¯s secret information. This was the base¡¯s mainputer, Zhu Chuan had already authorized ess through fingerprint; all material could be reviewed.


    Suddenly, Zhu Hong seemed to discover something, his eyes glued to the screen.

 Chapter 1295 - 1603: Encirclement of the Skyhawk Pavilion (Part 5)

    <h4>Chapter 1295: Chapter 1603: Encirclement of the Skyhawk Pavilion (Part 5)</h4>


    "Quick, stop them." At this time, Zhu Chuan, along with other assassins from Skyhawk Pavilion, swiftly arrived at the entrance. Seeing Ling Chen and the others rushing over, Zhu Chuan shouted loudly, leading the charge and swiftly rushing forward to intercept Ling Chen¡¯s group.


    Just then, a shadow shed by, instantly appearing in front of Zhu Chuan, blocking his attack.


    "Last time wasn¡¯t very satisfying, I hope you won¡¯t disappoint me again."


    Looking at Chen Junfeng standing in front of him, Zhu Chuan¡¯s expression immediately darkened. Though he is also a martial arts expert on the Heavenly List, he is an assassin; darkness is where he truly excels. Facing Chen Junfeng directly is undoubtedly a disadvantage for him.


    Though reluctantly, Zhu Chuan had no choice but to stop these people; he couldn¡¯t allow them to proceed further. Otherwise, the secrets of this base would be exposed.


    While pondering, Chen Junfengunched an attack, lightly tapping his toes as he charged straight at him.


    Seeing his opponent approaching, Zhu Chuan¡¯s wrist shook, and with a series of ¡¯whizzing¡¯ sounds, dozens of concealed weapons flew out immediately, sealing off all of Chen Junfeng¡¯s attack routes.


    Seeing this, Chen Junfeng had no choice but to stop, quickly change positions, and evade the assault from the concealed weapons.


    Having repelled Chen Junfeng, Zhu Chuan did not continue to attack but instead turned around to retreat.


    "Everybody, stop!"


    Hearing Zhu Chuan¡¯s shout, everyone immediately focused their gaze on him. Tong Zhentian stepped forward, came to the frontline, coldly looked at Zhu Chuan, and said in a deep voice, "Surrender, you have no way out."


    Zhu Chuan snorted, "It¡¯s still hard to predict the oue until thest moment. Tong Zhentian, take your people and get out of my territory immediately, and I will let bygones be bygones. Otherwise, don¡¯t me me for being unkind."


    "At this point, you still persist stubbornly. Fine! I want to see what else you can do. Attack!"


    "Hold on!" Zhu Chuan raised his hand and looked at Tong Zhentian, saying, "Tong, do you intend to watch them being ughtered?"


    As the words fell, twenty or so men suddenly appeared behind Zhu Chuan. Each wore ck clothes and ck masks, giving off an eerie vibe.


    Trailing behind these men were over thirty individuals, each looking disheveled, bruised, and battered. Seeing them, Ling Chen and the others¡¯ expressions changed involuntarily.


    Aren¡¯t these the martial artists who apanied them? How did they end up in the enemy¡¯s hands?


    "Mr. Ling," Liu Dongsheng spoke beside him, "it¡¯s these people. Whenever we were attacked before, someone would mysteriously disappear; it turns out they were all captured."


    Ling Chen squinted, looking at the men in ck. Being able to abduct people right under the eyes of a group of martial artists shows these people¡¯s skills are remarkable.


    "Tong Zhentian, withdraw all your men, and I might consider sparing their lives."


    Hearing this, Tong Zhentian furrowed his brows and hesitated to speak. After a while, he turned to look at He Ziyun and Ling Chen and asked, "What do you think?"


    "Don¡¯t retreat." He Ziyun said, "Su He will arrive soon, and once he does, the situation might change."


    Ling Chen nodded. Su He is known as the world¡¯s number one; no one can ignore his presence. Even alone, he has the capability to alter the situation.


    "What then? Are we really going to disregard those people¡¯s lives?"


    "Well..." He Ziyun seemed a bit hesitant. Abandoning those martial artists is not their style. Yet, besides this option, there seem to be no other alternatives.


    At that moment, a delicate hand gently tugged at Ling Chen¡¯s sleeve from behind.


    Ling Chen turned around, seeing Zhu Qing behind him. He was about to speak when she gestured for silence. Ling Chen immediately closed his mouth and quietly followed Zhu Qing out of the crowd while everyone¡¯s attention was on Zhu Chuan and Tong Zhentian.


    "Lady Zhu, is there anything you need?"


    "I know how they managed to capture people."


    Ling Chen said, "The Skyhawk Pavilion was founded by your Zhu Family, so the methods must be simr."


    "No." Zhu Qing shook her head, saying, "Our Zhu Family doesn¡¯t have such methods. Even the most skilled assassins on the Heavenly List couldn¡¯t make people disappear in in sight."


    "Is that so?" Hearing Zhu Qing, Ling Chen became intrigued, asking, "Then how did they do it?"


    "Initially, I found it odd, butter I discovered that the base had many underground tunnels built, interconnected, spanning the entire base. They use these tunnels to abduct people and disappear without a trace."


    Ling Chen¡¯s eyes lit up, asking, "Have you investigated?"


    "I¡¯ve been through the tunnels. Just beneath your feet, there are at least forty concealed assassins who can spring out at any moment and attack."


    Damn!


    Ling Chen felt a chill down his spine, thankful for Zhu Qing¡¯s timely warning. Otherwise, they would be in trouble.


    ncing at Zhu Chuan and Tong Zhentian still in confrontation, Ling Chen whispered, "Lady Zhu, can you take me down there?"


    Zhu Qing nodded, leading Ling Chen to the back of the crowd, to a ce unnoticed. Then, Zhu Qing crouched down and lifted a floor tile. Immediately, a person-wide entrance was revealed below.


    "Go ahead."


    Without a word, Ling Chen jumped down. This tunnel could only amodate one person at a time, and if two people met face to face, they had to turn sideways to pass. Moreover, the tunnel¡¯s height was limited, only about one meter, necessitating a bent posture.


    With Zhu Qing guiding, Ling Chen ventured down the tunnel for over ten meters and saw a crossroad ahead. Zhu Qing pointed to the left, motioning to Ling Chen that assassins were lurking there.


    Ling Chen reached the crossroad and stealthily peeked, noticing a dozen or so assassins in the left tunnel. The presence of these assassins continuously threatened everyone¡¯s safety; they had to be dealt with.


    Thinking of this, Ling Chen stretched his hand towards Zhu Qing, who understood immediately and handed him over ten flying daggers. As an assassin, these items were carried for emergencies.


    With flying daggers in hand, Ling Chen didn¡¯t act impulsively, carefully observing those assassins. At that moment, the dozen assassins¡¯ attention was fixed upwards, their demeanor suggesting they were awaiting orders.


    At this opportunity, Ling Chen swiftly charged forward, his hand moving with lightning speed, casting over ten flying daggers in an instant. In the blink of an eye, over ten assassins had their throats pierced by the daggers, without a sound, and fell silently to the ground, lifeless.

 Chapter 1296 - 1604: Encirclement of the Skyhawk Pavilion (6)

    <h4>Chapter 1296: Chapter 1604: Encirclement of the Skyhawk Pavilion (6)</h4>


    With Zhu Qing¡¯s assistance, it didn¡¯t take long for Ling Chen to take care of all the assassins lying in ambush in the passage. Then, Ling Chen and Zhu Qing used the tunnel to stealthily circle around to the back of Zhu Chuan and his group. They pried open a floor tile, revealing a crack, and Ling Chen took a couple of nces outside. His position happened to be right behind Zhu Chuan and the group of ck-d assassins.


    However, the ck-d assassins were holding too many hostages, and rescuing so many people in an instant was undoubtedly very difficult.


    After pondering for a while, Ling Chen took off the gear bag he carried with him, unzipped it, and found two shbangs inside. Pulling the pins, Ling Chen held one shbang in each hand, and after two seconds, he rolled them along the ground.


    Suddenly, the two shbangs rolled all the way across the ground, reaching the position where the ck-d assassins were standing.


    Hearing the sounds from below, a ck-d assassin immediately looked down. As the shbangs came into their view, the eyes of the ck-d assassins were filled with rm. But before they could react, the two shbangs had already exploded, emitting a strong light that temporarily blinded them.


    Ling Chen had anticipated this and had left a two-second dy when he threw the shbangs, giving the ck-d assassins no time to dodge. Taking advantage of their impaired vision, Ling Chen and Zhu Qing rushed out from the tunnel without hesitation, swiftly attacking. Within the blink of an eye, half of the ck-d assassins were killed.


    This sudden turn of events shocked Zhu Chuan. Before he could react, Tong Zhentian had already issued an order to attack. Among them, Chen Junfeng was the fastest, closing the distance to Zhu Chuan in an instant, tangling with him and preventing him from focusing on others.


    At this time, with Zhu Qing¡¯s cooperation, Ling Chen sessfully dealt with the remaining ck-d assassins, rescuing all the hostages.


    "Sir Chen, spare him," Ling Chen shouted as he nced at Chen Junfeng, who was still fighting with Zhu Chuan.


    Chen Junfeng responded, increasing the force of his attacks, pressuring Zhu Chuan without giving him a moment¡¯s respite.


    Meanwhile, in the control room, Zhu Hong sat in front of aputer, watching the monitor feed, his face darkening. He had assumed that with Zhu Chuan personally on the scene, he could definitely thwart Ling Chen¡¯s advances. Little did he expect Zhu Chuan to be overwhelmed so easily.


    This can¡¯t go on! He couldn¡¯t sit back and do nothing. He had to leave immediately. If he fell into Ling Chen¡¯s hands, he could imagine his fate.


    Leaving the control room, Zhu Hong hurried along the corridor, soon arriving in front of a wall. Examining the wall carefully, he reached up and gave it two firm pats. Instantly, with a soft sound, a ten-centimeter gap appeared at the bottom of the wall, and simultaneously, a small keyboard was ejected from the gap.


    Gazing at the characters on the small keyboard, Zhu Hong took out a tabletputer, connected it to the keyboard with a data cable. In just a few seconds, the blinking red light on the keyboard turned green. After unplugging the cable, the entire wall slowly moved to the right, revealing a person-sized entrance.


    Zhu Hong didn¡¯t hesitate and quickly stepped inside.


    Proceeding a short distance, Zhu Hong encountered a transparent ss door blocking his path. This ss door was made of reinforced bulletproof ss, difficult to open with brute force. But Zhu Hong wasn¡¯t worried. As before, he used the tablet to crack the password of the ss door.


    Don¡¯t underestimate this tablet; Zhu Hong had downloaded all ess permissions to it when he left the control room. Anywhere requiring a password, Zhu Hong could easily bypass with these permissions.


    Momentster, Zhu Hong found himself alone in a massiveboratory. Theb was extensive, filled with variousrge experimental devices. At the center of the facility, there stood a transparent cylindrical liquid container, housing what appeared to be a severed limb, likely a left leg.


    Judging by the arrangement of the surrounding equipment, it seemed that the primary research target of thisboratory was that limb. Standing amidst theb, Zhu Hong examined the area, feeling puzzled. He had just discovered the existence of thisb in the confidential files of the control room. This base was supposed to be a ce for training elite assassins; why was there aboratory?


    "Who are you?" A voice suddenly called out from nearby.


    Zhu Hong looked intently, seeing ab-coated researcher rushing over, pointing usingly at him, "This is aboratory, higher-ups aren¡¯t allowed down here, didn¡¯t Zhu Chuan tell you?"


    Zhu Hong scrutinized the researcher and asked, "Are you the only one in thisb?"


    "The base is under attack, everyone else has evacuated. I¡¯m just here to grab something and leave. You, you¡¯d better get out." With that, the other turned to go. Zhu Hong caught up with the researcher, cing a hand on his shoulder, and asked, "I have one more question. What research does thisb conduct?"


    The researcher frowned impatiently and replied, "Why do you ask so much? If it¡¯s not your concern, it¡¯s best to stay out of it, lest you bring trouble upon yourself. Now move aside, don¡¯t waste my time." With these words, the man shook off Zhu Hong¡¯s hand.


    Zhu Hong smirked coldly, stepping forward swiftly, grabbing the man¡¯s throat, and pinning him against a piece of equipment, "If you don¡¯t want to die, you¡¯d better answer my question honestly. What¡¯s that?" Zhu Hong pointed towards the severed limb in the liquid container.


    "You... what are you doing?" The researcher red, angrily shouting, "If you dare harm me, when Zhu Chuan finds out... ah!" Before finishing his sentence, his words turned into a cry of agony.


    A dagger had been thrust into his thigh, and blood gushed out furiously, staining hisb coat bright red.


    "Enough chatter, speak, what is that?"


    The man, enduring the pain, said with a pale face, "That... that belongs to... Ling Gengqiu..."


    "Ling Gengqiu?" Zhu Hong¡¯s eyes revealed a deep contemtion. After pondering for a moment, he asked again, "Who exactly is this Ling Gengqiu?" Earlier in the control room, he found a dossier marked ¡¯Ling Gengqiu¡¯. However, he couldn¡¯t open it. Even Zhu Chuan didn¡¯t have the clearance to view it, indicating that this person¡¯s identity was far from simple.


    Eyeing the bloodied dagger in Zhu Hong¡¯s hand, the man was terrified, fearing to anger Zhu Hong and hide nothing. He truthfully revealed Ling Gengqiu¡¯s identity to Zhu Hong.

 Chapter 1297 - 1605: Encirclement of Skyhawk Pavilion (7)

    <h4>Chapter 1297: Chapter 1605: Encirclement of Skyhawk Pavilion (7)</h4>


    "Lived for hundreds of years?" After hearing the other party¡¯s words, Zhu Hong waspletely taken aback. Having lived for more than twenty years, it was the first time he had heard such a bizarre thing. Could someone really survive for hundreds of years? Zhu Hong couldn¡¯t believe it, but looking at the researcher, he didn¡¯t seem to be lying.


    Watching the severed limb preserved in the vessel, Zhu Hong suddenly realized a problem. Back when he worked for the God Organization, all their research was rted to dying aging, could it be... were they also researching Ling Gengqiu¡¯s corpse?


    The Southern Ling Family... there might be a connection here. Thinking of this, Zhu Hong pointed at the severed limb and asked, "How long has this thing been here?"


    "Over a hundred years, we¡¯ve been conducting research and experiments here the whole time."


    "Have you made any discoveries?"


    "We¡¯ve developed several drugs that can dy human aging and enhance physical strength. Additionally, there¡¯s an especially unique self-healing drug. Once consumed, no matter the injury, it can heal in a short time."


    "So miraculous?" Zhu Hong¡¯s heart skipped a beat, and he asked, "Where are these drugs?"


    The man pointed to a nearby refrigeration unit, "All the drugs are stored in there."


    "You better not lie to me; otherwise, I¡¯ll make you suffer." As he spoke, Zhu Hong raised his knife and stabbed it into the man¡¯s other thigh. With a scream of pain, the man fell to the ground, his legs too weak to stand.


    After confirming that the other couldn¡¯t escape, Zhu Hong quickly walked over to the refrigeration unit, opened the drawer, and found a bottle of the self-healing drug. Returning to the man, Zhu Hong handed him the bottle, motioning for him to drink it.


    Not daring to resist, the man obediently unscrewed the cap and swallowed all the contents. A few minutester, a miraculous scene unfolded. The man¡¯s injured legs began to heal slowly, and the wounds quickly scabbed over. Witnessing this, even the seasoned Zhu Hong was stunned by this miraculous self-healing drug. The efficacy of this drug made Zhu Hong abandon all doubts. He believed that Ling Gengqiu¡¯s feats were real. Otherwise, with current medical capabilities, it would be impossible to develop such a miraculous potion.


    Holding the empty bottle, Zhu Hong¡¯s eyes shimmered with aplex light, remaining silent for a long time.


    "Can... can I leave now?" the man pleaded.


    Zhu Hong nced at him and said with a half-smile, "You want to leave? Sure, I¡¯ll take you with me. Go and pack up that severed limb and all the drugs in the refrigeration unit for me."


    Hearing this, the man was startled and asked, "What are you nning to do?"


    "This isn¡¯t something you should be asking. If you still want to live, you better do as I say."


    "Yes, yes!" The man dared not disobey and hurriedly ran to the transparent vessel, carefully extracting the severed limb. In about ten minutes, Ling Gengqiu¡¯s severed limb and all the drugs were packed up.


    "I previously checked the structure map of thisboratory. If I remember correctly, there seems to be an escape passage. Take me there."


    Under the man¡¯s guidance, Zhu Hong quickly reached the exit of the escape passage. At the exit, several off-road vehicles were parked, with over a dozen supply boxes around. Zhu Hong instructed the man to load everything and the supplies into the vehicle. Once everything was ready, Zhu Hong drove the off-road vehicle towards the desert.


    The escape passage was quite hidden, about a kilometer away from the base. While driving, Zhu Hong continuously observed the surroundings and the skies. He knew Ling Chen had brought an armed helicopter; if it found his trail, he wouldn¡¯t be able to leave this desert.


    After driving a few kilometers, Zhu Hong felt fortunate not to hear the sound of the armed helicopter. Possibly, the battle at the base had ended, and the helicopter had been withdrawn.


    Inside the base.


    Zhu Chuan was tied up on the ground. Besides him, a hundred assassins from the Skyhawk Pavilion were captured, with others perishing in the battle. The sudden attack by Ling Chen and Zhu Qing caught Zhu Chuan off guard. Moreover, Chen Junfeng¡¯s intervention extinguished all hope for Zhu Chuan. It didn¡¯t take long for Ling Chen to end the battle, capturing Zhu Chuan and his men.


    "Mr. Ling." At this moment, Liu Dongsheng hurriedly approached and said, "We¡¯ve searched the entire base; everyone is here, with no one missing."


    "No." Ling Chen shook his head and said, "There¡¯s one more, Zhu Hong! We haven¡¯t seen him since we came in. Uncle Liu, send someone to search again; he¡¯s still here."


    "Understood."


    After Liu Dongsheng left, Ling Chen went straight to Tong Zhentian¡¯s side and asked, "Elder Tong, what¡¯s our casualty count?"


    "We lost over thirty, with half injured. For wiping out the entire Skyhawk Pavilion, the loss is eptable."


    "I just received a message; Su He and his men will arrive in an hour. We better hurry."


    "Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ve already had arrangements made; there won¡¯t be any mistakes."


    "Mr. Ling."


    As they spoke, a young man approached Ling Chen and said, "We¡¯ve found the main control room of the base, but we don¡¯t have authority. Can we borrow that person?" The young man pointed to Zhu Chuan sitting on the ground.


    "No problem." Ling Chen smiled slightly. These were the technicians brought by Liu Dongsheng; they handled all the technical matters. "Let¡¯s go; I¡¯ll apany you." With that, Ling Chen greeted Chen Junfeng, and the three of them escorted Zhu Chuan to the control room.


    With Zhu Chuan¡¯s fingerprint unlock, the young man quickly gained control of the entire base.


    "Hmm?" The young man leaned close to theputer screen as if discovering something and said, "Mr. Ling, there seems to be a problem here."


    "What problem?"


    "Below this base, there¡¯s anotherboratory that we hadn¡¯t discovered."


    "Laboratory?" Ling Chen was shocked, looking at Zhu Chuan in astonishment. Could it be... that the equipment was used here? On the ne arranged by the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, Ling Chen had secretly checked the cargo hold and found manyrge wooden boxes, all filled with precision scientific equipment. He found it strange, not knowing why the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion transported so much equipment. Now it seemed that the equipment was probably meant to equip this secretboratory.


    "Elder Zhu, what research is yourboratory conducting?" Ling Chen asked Zhu Chuan.


    Faced with Ling Chen¡¯s query, Zhu Chuan coldly remained silent. Seeing this, Ling Chen shrugged and said, "Alright, since you won¡¯t say, I¡¯ll go see for myself."

 Chapter 1298 - 1606: Desert Ambush (Part 1)

    <h4>Chapter 1298: Chapter 1606: Desert Ambush (Part 1)</h4>


    Entering theboratory and seeing the equipment inside, Ling Chen¡¯s expression was a bit surprised. He hadn¡¯t expected such argeboratory to be hidden beneath this base. "The Skyhawk Pavilion¡¯s base is built on top of thisboratory," Chen Junfeng, who apanied him, said. "It seems thisboratory has been around for many years. The Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion likely constructed the Skyhawk Pavilion here to protect theboratory¡¯s safety."


    Ling Chen wandered around theboratory, noticing the empty central container, the open refrigerator and drawers that were devoid of anything. On the floor of theboratory, quite a bit of bloodstains remained, left by unknown individuals.


    "Did you have the people remove everything?" Ling Chen asked Zhu Chuan.


    Zhu Chuan nced around at the situation, his brows furrowing slightly, clearly unsure.


    At this moment, Liu Dongsheng entered with his men from outside, saying, "Mr. Ling, we¡¯ve searched the entire base and found no trace of Zhu Hong. I questioned the captured assassins, and none of them saw Zhu Hong. He might have already escaped."


    Escaped? Ling Chen sighed helplessly, having thought he could solve everything including Zhu Hong, but somehow that guy still had such luck to slip away.


    "Forget it! Uncle Liu, take some people to search the surrounding area and see if anything can be found."


    "Alright." Liu Dongsheng responded and immediately dispatched the personnel he brought along.


    Shortly thereafter, more than a dozen researchers in whiteb coats were brought over.


    "Mr. Ling, all these people were hiding in the room."


    Ling Chen scrutinized the crowd and asked, "Are you all the research personnel in thisboratory?"


    The crowd nodded, looking at Ling Chen with fear. Ling Chen nced at Zhu Chuan, who stood there expressionlessly, and decided to focus his attention back on the research personnel.


    "Who¡¯s in charge here? Come forward and introduce yourself."


    Upon hearing this, the more than ten researchers looked at each other, but none stepped forward. Seeing this, Ling Chen spoke with a faint smile, "What¡¯s the matter? Afraid?"


    "No... it¡¯s not that," one researcher reluctantly said, "The head of theboratory isn¡¯t here."


    "Continue searching, find him for me," Liu Dongsheng immediately organized a thorough search of the entireboratory. However, more than ten minutes passed, and they didn¡¯t locate the whereabouts of the person in charge. At this point, a young man hurried to Liu Dongsheng¡¯s side, whispering a few words.


    "Mr. Ling, we¡¯ve found the surveince footage of theboratory."


    "Where is it? Take me to see it."


    Very soon, Ling Chen and Liu Dongsheng arrived at the independent surveince room of theboratory. After opening the surveince footage, Ling Chen quickly observed the appearance of Zhu Hong and a researcher. However, Ling Chen¡¯s attention wasn¡¯t on Zhu Hong; he kept staring at the liquid container in theboratory. In that liquid container, he saw a severed limb. Ultimately, Zhu Hong packed up the severed limb and took it away.


    So... the real purpose of Skyhawk Pavilion being built here was to protect that severed limb.


    Ling Chen frowned slightly. He never expected that the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion was secretly researching Ling Gengqiu¡¯s body. All along, he thought only Ling Family members knew Ling Gengqiu¡¯s secret, but from the current circumstances, aside from Ling Family, the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion also knew about this secret. Furthermore, the long-standing existence of Skyhawk Pavilion indicated that the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion started researching Ling Gengqiu¡¯s body many years ago.


    "Mr. Ling, this person is likely theboratory head they¡¯ve mentioned," Liu Dongsheng pointed at the man on the surveince screen and said.


    Ling Chen nodded and said, "That¡¯s not the main issue. Uncle Liu, have your men collect all theboratory¡¯s data. Remember, no omissions; I want it all."


    "Alright." Though Liu Dongsheng didn¡¯t understand what Ling Chen was nning, he agreed nheless.


    Back in theboratory, Ling Chen walked straight up to Zhu Chuan, looking into his eyes, and asked, "How long have you been researching Ling Gengqiu?"


    Zhu Chuan looked coldly at Ling Chen, as if he hadn¡¯t heard the question at all.


    "Won¡¯t talk, huh? No problem, I¡¯ll find out," Ling Chen said, then turned to Chen Junfeng and said, "Sir Chen, take all people from Skyhawk Pavilion away and evacuate the base in ten minutes."


    "Alright."


    The crowd worked efficiently, and in less than ten minutes, most people had left the base in military transport vehicles. From afar, the entire base was brightly lit, with people asionally passing by outside as if nothing had happened.


    An hour passed.


    The night grew dark, Ling Chen stood two kilometers away from the base, holding binocrs, observing the movements around it.


    "Mr. Ling, the drone has discovered traces of Su He and crew, they¡¯re located northeast of the base, about ten kilometers from the destination."


    "Notify everyone to prepare."


    "Yes."


    After another half an hour, Ling Chen finally saw Su He and the others through the binocrs. Besides the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion members, they were followed by over two hundred martial artists. Seeing those people stumbling as they walked, it was clear they had suffered significantly in the desert.


    As the team slowly approached the base, Ling Chen set down the binocrs and gestured to Liu Dongsheng, who immediately went to arrange personnel.


    More than ten minutester, Su He¡¯s group finally arrived at the base. All who had been waiting at the door swiftly opened it and greeted them promptly.


    "Elder Su."


    "Where is Zhu Chuan?" Su He asked directly with a gloomy expression. Throughout the journey, he had tried calling Zhu Chuan countless times, with no sess. Even with his calm disposition, he couldn¡¯t help but get angry.


    "Elder Su, not even Eagle Head is here. I also don¡¯t know where he¡¯s gone," replied a young man honestly.


    "Hmph!" Su He snorted coldly, "I don¡¯t care what means you use, find him within ten minutes. If you don¡¯t bring him to me, then bring me your head."


    "Yes." After speaking, the questioned young man looked at the martial artists following behind and asked, "Elder Su, these people..."


    "Find a ce to settle them, and have someone watch them. Don¡¯t let them escape."


    "Elder Su." At this moment, the group of martial artists looked at the situation before them, somewhat bewildered. They had followed the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion to eliminate Skyhawk Pavilion. Finally arriving at the destination, yet nothing had happened. Moreover, judging by Su He¡¯s demeanor, he seemed quite familiar with the people at this base.


    Could it be that this isn¡¯t Skyhawk Pavilion¡¯s headquarters?


    Su He turned back, giving a cold nce at those behind him, and spoke, "Rest first. I wille to youter." Without waiting for the martial artists to ask further questions, Su He, along with Wang Hao and others, left without looking back.

 Chapter 1299 - 1607: Desert Ambush (Part 2)

    <h4>Chapter 1299: Chapter 1607: Desert Ambush (Part 2)</h4>


    After watching Su He leave, the young man beside him immediately gathered his men and brought the group of Martial Artists into the pre-prepared warehouse. Once inside, the young man nced at the situation outside and immediately locked the door tightly. Noticing his action, someone in the crowd shouted, "Kid, what are you doing?"


    The young man smiled slightly and said, "Please stay calm everyone, I¡¯m saving your lives."


    "What do you mean by that?"


    "Everyone, we meet again." As the words were spoken, everyone turned to see an old man appear in the warehouse. Seeing the neer, they couldn¡¯t help but be shocked and asked in surprise, "Elder Tong, why are you here?"


    Tong Zhentian spoke, "Everyone, you are currently in a very dangerous situation, with your lives at risk at any moment. If you want to live, it¡¯s best to follow my arrangements."


    ...


    At this moment, Su He and others, led by a young man, were preparing to rest. As they walked along, Su He looked at the surroundings of the base, suddenly paused, and asked, "Where are we going?"


    "Elder Su, I¡¯ve arranged amodations for you." The young man quickly replied.


    Su He pointed to the three-story main building not far away and asked, "Shouldn¡¯t we be going there?"


    The young man exined with a smile, "Elder Su, you may not know, but due to the age of the facilities, they are too old and outdated. Recently, Eagle Head had people remodel the interior of that building, and it¡¯s not finished yet. It¡¯s in a mess inside, and not suitable for living at the moment."


    Hearing this, Su He nodded and did not continue to ask. The young man secretly breathed a sigh of relief; he was really afraid Su He would keep questioning. There had been a fierce battle in that three-story main building just now, and it was in ruins. If Su He were to enter there, he would definitely find something amiss.


    Soon, the young man arranged for Su He and others to settle in afortable conference hall.


    "Elder Su, please take a rest, I will have food sent over right away." With that, the young man turned and left.


    "Master, what¡¯s going on here?" Wang Hao asked Su He. Even Su Mei didn¡¯t know about the rtionship between the Skyhawk Pavilion and the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, let alone Wang Hao. Following his master¡¯s orders, Wang Hao had asked nothing along the way, assuming they were really there to destroy the Skyhawk Pavilion. However, from the current situation, it seemed that wasn¡¯t the case.


    Su He nced at Wang Hao, neither warmly nor coldly, and said, "You don¡¯t need to ask so much, just do as I say."


    A few minutester, a table filled with sumptuous dishes was brought in.


    "Elder Su, please enjoy your meal slowly, I need to arrange meals for the others."


    Su He waved his hand, signaling the person to leave.


    After finishing his meal, Su He checked the time and frowned, asking, "Why hasn¡¯t Zhu Chuan arrived yet?"


    "Master, should I go out and check?"


    "Go ahead."


    Wang Hao nodded, quickly got up, and left the conference room. Not long after, Wang Hao hurriedly ran in from outside, eximing, "Master, I just went outside to look, and there¡¯s no one there."


    "No one?" Su He¡¯s face sank, and he stood up abruptly, striding outside. After leaving the conference room, Su He took Wang Hao to look around. Just as Wang Hao said, there wasn¡¯t a single living soul to be seen anywhere in or around the base.


    Seeing this, Su He immediately felt something was wrong and said in a deep voice, "Where are our people from the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion? Where have they been taken?"


    "They should have been taken to the warehouse over there."


    "Let¡¯s go, follow me there to check."


    Before long, the two quickly reached the warehouse. As soon as they entered, Su He was stunned by the scene before him. At this moment, over two hundred members of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion were lying unconscious in the huge warehouse, each with foam at their mouths and faces pale, all fallen into aa. Beside them, there were many scattered food containers.


    Wang Hao nced around, his face ugly as he said, "Master, they... they must be poisoned." As he finished speaking, Wang Hao seemed to realize something, his face suddenly changed dramatically, and he eximed, "Oh no! We ate that food too."


    "Don¡¯t panic." Su He said coldly with a dark expression, "With me here, you won¡¯t die."


    "Master, who could have done this?"


    Su He pondered for a moment and was about to speak when he suddenly heard footsteps behind him. He turned around abruptly, looking at the neer in shock.


    "What are you doing here?"


    "Grandfather, please stop, don¡¯t make things worse." Su Mei looked at Su He and pleaded.


    Su He frowned slightly, pointing to the unconscious people in the warehouse, and asked coldly, "Did you do all this?"


    "Grandfather, they¡¯re not in danger of dying¨Cthey¡¯ve just temporarily lost their ability to move. They are the elite of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, and I don¡¯t want anything to happen to them."


    "So you chose to betray me?" Su He¡¯s gaze gradually grew cold, carrying a trace of killing intent.


    "The Pavilion Master did it for the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion." Came a voice, and Su He looked over, speaking in a deep voice, "Mr. Du, are you also going to go against me?"


    "I am from Yangxin Pavilion, and Yangxin Pavilion only cares about the safety of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion. Su He, your actions have already seriously threatened the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion. I advise you to stop immediately. If you continue to be stubborn, you will sooner orter bring the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion to ruin."


    Su Heughed coldly and said, "Is that your realization? Du Kang, I didn¡¯t think your vision would be so short-sighted. At this point, only bloodshed can make the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion rise again." With that, Su He turned to Su Mei and said, "Dear granddaughter, do you not even trust your own grandfather? Everything I¡¯ve done is for the sake of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, you should be able to understand my efforts."


    Su Mei nodded gently and said, "Grandfather, I can understand, but I don¡¯t agree. Looking through history, which dynasty doesn¡¯t have its ups and downs? Even the most glorious empire has a day when it declines. If the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion really reaches such a point, I will ept it calmly and never resort to such extreme measures. Grandfather, if you truly care for the future of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, you should stop immediately. As long as you do as I say, there¡¯s still a chance to make amends."


    "Was it Ling Chen who called you here?" Su He acted as if he hadn¡¯t heard Su Mei¡¯s advice and asked abruptly, "Where is he? Tell him toe see me."


    "I am here." As the voice fell, Ling Chen emerged from the corner of the warehouse, "Elder Su, what can I do for you?"


    Su He carefully observed Ling Chen, and suddenlyughed, "I must admit, I underestimated you."


    "I just happen to have good luck. I¡¯ve been to this desert before, so when you brought me in, I knew you wouldn¡¯t surrender willingly."


    "If you weren¡¯t Ling Kun¡¯s son, I would have taken you as my direct disciple. Compared to you, Wang Hao is far inferior."

 Chapter 1300 - 1608: Desert Ambush (Part 3)

    <h4>Chapter 1300: Chapter 1608: Desert Ambush (Part 3)</h4>


    Upon hearing Su He¡¯s evaluation of Ling Chen, Wang Hao¡¯s face instantly turned ugly. Ever since bing Su He¡¯s disciple, he had been striving hard, hoping to gain Su He¡¯s recognition and praise. However, no matter what he did, it always seemed mediocre in Su He¡¯s eyes.


    It turns out that in Su He¡¯s heart, he had always beenparing him with Ling Chen. Especially the phrase ¡¯miles apart,¡¯ which struck his self-esteem.


    Could it be... in Master¡¯s eyes, he¡¯s this inept? He is, after all, the most outstanding disciple of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion in a hundred years.


    At this moment, no one cared about the changes within Wang Hao¡¯s heart; everyone¡¯s eyes were on Su He, hoping to persuade him to turn back.


    "Ling Chen, if you want me to admit defeat, you¡¯ll probably be disappointed. Since I¡¯ve chosen this path, I won¡¯t regret it. Besides, do you really think you¡¯ve won?"


    Ling Chen didn¡¯t speak, just took out the signal re in his hand and fired it into the night sky.


    In an instant, more than ten spotlights beamed in from the surroundings, one of the beamsing from the armed helicopter above.


    Looking at the approaching Martial Arts experts around, Su He¡¯s expression remained indifferent, unmoved. When all the ambushers were present, Ling Chen spoke: "Elder Su, in this situation, I don¡¯t think you have a slight chance of winning. Although you are the number one in the world, you are not omnipotent. Surrender. I guarantee you will be unharmed and suffer no injury."


    Su He shook his head and looked at those present, remaining silent. He thought his n was foolproof, but he hadn¡¯t anticipated such a result.


    After pondering for a while, Su He cast his gaze on his granddaughter and said faintly, "I hope your choice is the right one."


    As his words fell, Su He¡¯s body instantly became a shadow and disappeared from where he stood.


    Nine Yang Qiankun Step! Ling Chen¡¯s pupils contracted slightly, and he hastened to shout, "Contract the encirclement."


    However, Ling Chen¡¯s reminder was still a step too slow. More than ten Martial Arts figures to the east were blown away directly, breaking the encirclement in an instant. From beginning to end, no one saw Su He¡¯s figure; he seemed to have merged into the night.


    "Over there." At this time, Tong Zhentian pointed to the north of the base. Although Tong Zhentian¡¯s body hadn¡¯t fully recovered and his strength hadn¡¯t returned to its peak, his observation remained at the level of a Heavenly List expert.


    "I¡¯ll go after him." Chen Junfeng tapped his toes lightly, turning into a gust of wind, chasing toward Su He¡¯s position.


    Watching Chen Junfeng¡¯s figure disappear from view, Ling Chen shook his head helplessly. The battles between Heavenly List experts were not something he could intervene in. He knew Su He¡¯s strength was formidable, so he arranged all personnel here to encircle Su He. However, he still underestimated Su He¡¯s might. The Nine Yang Qiankun Step was originally the number one movement technique in Martial Arts, and its power was terrifyingly amplified when Su He used it, making even his shadow untraceable.


    Now, he could only pin his hopes on Chen Junfeng, hoping he could stop Su He.


    In the anxious wait of everyone, more than ten minutes passed, and Ling Chen looked far ahead, finally seeing a blurred figure walking in this direction. When the figure got closer, Ling Chen recognized it as Chen Junfeng. He came back alone, presumably allowing Su He to escape.


    "Sorry, he was too fast, and I couldn¡¯t catch up to him."


    "It¡¯s alright." Ling Chen smiled faintly, "Although Su He escaped, our primary mission this time is considered aplished."


    Despite his words, Ling Chen felt somewhat disappointed. Everything was arranged, yet Su He still escaped. After today, he and Su He became mortal enemies, and Su He would not let him off. Just thinking about possibly facing the ambush of a Heavenly List expert in the future made Ling Chen¡¯s back feel a chill, making him extremely anxious.


    Sigh! What can be done here?


    A night passed.


    Ling Chen went to the makeshiftmand center and asked Liu Dongsheng, who was busy, "Uncle Liu, is everything sorted out?"


    "All done." Liu Dongsheng handed a thick file folder to Ling Chen, "These are all the materials I found from theboratory, and I put some electronic documents in there too."


    Ling Chen nodded. These were research materials on Ling Gengqiu from the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, extremely valuable. After securing the file folder, Ling Chen asked, "How about matters?"


    "All one hundred plus prisoners from the Skyhawk Pavilion have been sent back, and those Martial Arts figures have been arranged vehicles to be sent to the airport. As for the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, they said they¡¯d handle it themselves."


    "That¡¯s good. Hey! Uncle Liu, I think this base isn¡¯t bad. Do you have any ideas..."


    Liu Dongsheng¡¯s lips curled up, revealing a smile on his dark face, "I have the same thought. This base¡¯s location is excellent, and its area isrge, facilitiesplete; it can be used as our backup base. Moreover, as the number of personnel increases, our current base will surely be insufficient."


    "Alright, since you¡¯ve already had an idea, I won¡¯t say more. In short, you are inplete charge here, and if there¡¯s any unsolvable problem, contact me anytime, I¡¯ll find a way to sort it out for you."


    "Okay."


    After a bit of small talk with Liu Dongsheng, Ling Chen walked out of the temporarymand center, joined Tong Zhentian and others, and left the desert by car.


    The Skyhawk Pavilion waspletely defeated, and Su He escaped. The desert trip had already reached its conclusion; there was no need to stay longer. Sitting in the car, Ling Chen sat alone in the back seat, holding theb materials he had retrieved, carefully reading through them.


    This document was extremely detailed; from the first experiment conducted since theb¡¯s establishment to thest experiment, all were meticulously recorded.


    Three thousand seven hundred and twenty-one times! Seeing this number, Ling Chen was really shocked. Over the years, the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion had conducted thousands of experiments, and their greatest achievement was developing a self-healing medicine that could restore a person¡¯s external injuries in a short time.


    However, although this self-healing medicine was good, it had its drawbacks. The reason people age is that internal organs cannot maintain their vitality, and if this self-healing medicine cannot affect internal organs and cells, it¡¯s merely a good medicine, not particrly valuable.


    From the materials, it seems the research team from the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion is tackling this issue, but no sess has been achieved yet.


    After more than two hours of driving, Ling Chen and his party finally arrived at the airport.


    As Ling Chen was about to board the ne to return to East Sea City, he suddenly received a phone call. It was from Hu Fei; during their absence from East Sea City, a significant problem had arisen in Beijing. This trouble was unrted to Ling Chen but was caused by Nanrong Wanqing.

 Chapter 1301 - 1609: United Boycott (1)

    <h4>Chapter 1301: Chapter 1609: United Boycott (1)</h4>


    Regarding the safety of Nanrong Wanqing, Ling Chen didn¡¯t hesitate and switched to a flight heading to Beijing. Apanying him were Chen Junfeng, Zhu Qing, and Qiu Yong, making a total of seven. Bringing so many experts wasn¡¯t entirely for Nanrong Wanqing. Since they were going to Beijing, it was a good opportunity to handle everything at once.


    After several hours of flying, the ne finallynded at Beijing International Airport. As soon as they got off the ne, employees from Falcon Private Security Company were already waiting outside the airport with several Land Rovers. After getting in the car, the driver handed a pre-prepared dossier to Ling Chen.


    Ling Chen examined the contents of the dossier and finally gained some understanding of the troubles facing Nanrong Wanqing.


    The problems of Nanrong Wanqing primarily stemmed from Hongyu United Investment Company, which had been acquiring small and medium-sized enterprises left and right, with investments reaching hundreds of billions. Recently, a series of moves by Hongyu United Investment Company caused a significant panic in the business world. It¡¯s clear that Nanrong Wanqing was aiming for over fifty percent market monopoly.


    If sessful, the entire businessndscape of Huaxia would undergo dramatic changes. It wouldn¡¯t be long before Hongyu Group would grow from a regional leading enterprise to themercial leader of the entire Huaxia nation. The strong rise of Hongyu Group naturally upset many people¡¯s interests.


    Over time, many businesspeople spontaneously organized to resist Hongyu Group¡¯s development trends and slow their progress. Where there are disputes, there are definitely means used, including some underhanded tactics.


    Just a few days ago, more than ten businesspeople jointly filed awsuit against Hongyu United Investment Company, using them of using illegal methods, abduction threats, and forcing others to sell theirpanies to Hongyu Investment Company.


    Once this got out, it caused a huge uproar, with everyone¡¯s eyes turning to Hongyu United Investment Company. Some sensationalist media outlets widely reported on Hongyu United Investment Company¡¯s despicable actions, plunging Hongyu Investment Company into the vortex of public opinion, putting them in a very bad position.


    Soon after, the convoy arrived at the headquarters of Falcon Private Security Company in Beijing, housed in a ten-story high-end office building. Back then, Ling Chen had generously purchased the building as Falcon Security Company¡¯s office location.


    Apart from working, the members of Falcon also ate and lived in the building. Ling Chen was very generous to hispany members, with a dedicated cafeteria, individual rooms for everyone, a gym, a recreation room, and various other facilitiesplete.


    In the chairman¡¯s office, Ling Chen looked at the arrangements, and couldn¡¯t help but smile. Although he was the nominal chairman, it was his first time here. Sitting in the chairman¡¯s seat, Ling Chen couldn¡¯t help feeling sentimental. Not long ago, he was a soldier fighting in the line of fire, but in just a few years, he had transformed tremendously. Before, he never imagined he woulde this far.


    While contemting, there was a sudden ¡¯knock knock knock¡¯ at the door.


    "Come in!"


    At the sound of his voice, a young woman with a good appearance walked in. She seemed to be in her twenties, dressed in business attire, wearing sses, and exuding an air of capability and intelligence.


    Looking at this unfamiliar woman, Ling Chen was a bit puzzled. Who was she? While he was pondering, the woman spoke up: "Chairman, hello, let me introduce myself. My name is Dong Ying, and I am the assistant to the chairman. When you¡¯re not around, I handle most of the matters."


    An assistant to the chairman? Ling Chen was slightly taken aback. There was no doubt that Jiang Yunkai had arranged this for him. That guy... he actually found a woman!


    "Assistant Dong," Ling Chen said with a smile, standing up to shake hands, "This is my first time at Falcon, and there are many things I¡¯m not familiar with. I¡¯ll need your guidance in the future."


    "You¡¯re too kind, Chairman." As she spoke, Dong Ying ced a dossier on the desk, saying, "Chairman, this is thetest intelligence gathered on Hongyu United Investment Company. Hongyu Investment Company is in a tough spot, facing joint resistance from many businesspeople. In addition, more than ten businesspeople have jointly filed awsuit against Hongyu Investment Company, using them of using threats involving kidnapping to acquirepanies. Currently, themercial investigation division and the criminal investigation team haveunched investigations. Chairman Nanrong and others have been restricted in their movements and cannot leave Beijing until the case is rified."


    "Who are these people suing Hongyu Investment Company?"


    "That¡¯s where the problem lies," Dong Ying exined, "Recently, Hongyu Investment Company acquired over twentypanies. I checked the acquisition prices, and they were all normal market rates. However, just a few days ago, those who had already sold theirpanies suddenly banded together, iming they were threatened by Hongyu Investment Company to sell."


    Hearing this, Ling Chen puzzledly asked, "What are they doing? They received the money, and the contracts were signed. Why are they doing this now?"


    "I think they¡¯re being instigated, trying to unite to bring down Hongyu Investment Company. Since its establishment, Hongyu Investment Company has been making constant moves and injected hundreds of billions into the market, disrupting the entire businessndscape. Now, due to Hongyu Investment Company¡¯s actions, many people¡¯s interests have been affected, and certainly, someone won¡¯t sit idly by."


    "Do we know who¡¯s behind it?"


    "We don¡¯t. There are a lot of businesspeople involved this time, so even if we knew who, Hongyu Investment Company would have a tough time handling it. Besides, Chairman Nanrong¡¯s biggest challenge now is evidence."


    "Evidence? What evidence?"


    "The people suing Hongyu Investment Company have provided lots of evidence, evidence that proves Hongyu Investment Company used threats involving kidnapping to force them to sell theirpanies."


    Ling Chen frowned and asked, "If it¡¯s a setup, why do they have evidence? If the evidence is fabricated, it should be easy to see through."


    "I¡¯m not sure about that, but I heard that the evidence is very crucial. There¡¯s an eighty percent chance of convicting Hongyu Company, provided nothing unexpected happens."


    "Has Hongyu Investment Company taken any measures?"


    "They haven¡¯t shown any response. I don¡¯t know how they¡¯re nning to deal with this crisis. Chairman, perhaps you could go personally and ask about their situation. We have some connections in Beijing and can help them if needed."


    "Alright, I understand. I¡¯ll make time to meet with Wanqing."


    "If there¡¯s nothing else, I¡¯ll take my leave first." With that, Dong Ying turned and left the office.

 Chapter 1302 - 1610: United Boycott (2)

    <h4>Chapter 1302: Chapter 1610: United Boycott (2)</h4>


    "Big brother." Ling Chen looked at Qiu Yong and the others sitting on the sofa and said, "I¡¯ll handle Wanqing¡¯s situation first; you keep an eye on the Guo Family. Remember, the Guo Family has hired over a hundred elite assassins from the Zhu Family. Be very cautious and don¡¯t let them discover you."


    Qiu Yong nodded and said, "Don¡¯t worry about it."


    After making simple arrangements, Ling Chen immediately took Zhu Qing and Chen Junfeng and drove to the Hongyu United Investment Company.


    After discussing with Tong Zhentian and He Ziyun, it was decided that Chen Junfeng would stay by Ling Chen¡¯s side to protect his safety at all times. After all, now that Su He was missing, provoking his revenge would be akin to waiting for death given Ling Chen¡¯s current strength. As the backbone of the group, Ling Chen¡¯s safety had to be ensured.


    Upon arriving at the Hongyu United Investment Company, they found thepany gates closed and not a single person around. Ling Chen walked to the ss door and peered inside, seeing the receptionist and a few staff members sitting together, drinking tea and chatting idly.


    At this, Ling Chen knocked on the door to attract their attention.


    Seeing the arrival of Ling Chen and the others, the receptionist and the staff¡¯s expressions immediately changed, looking at Ling Chen vigntly and asking, "Who are you? What do you want?"


    "I¡¯m here to see your Chairman."


    "The Chairman is not here. You¡¯vee to the wrong ce; please leave quickly."


    Seeing the cautious look on their faces, Ling Chen immediately understood and exined, "Don¡¯t get me wrong; I¡¯m a friend of your Chairman. I heard your Chairman has encountered some trouble, so I came to check on things. If you don¡¯t believe me, you can contact your Chairman."


    The receptionist, half-convinced, sized Ling Chen up and, after a while, asked for Ling Chen¡¯s name, then picked up her phone and dialed a number.


    "Pleasee in." After confirming the identities of Ling Chen and the others, the receptionist hurriedly opened the door and apologized with a smile, "Mr. Ling, we¡¯re very sorry. We didn¡¯t mean to lock you out; we were just worried someone mighte to make trouble."


    Hearing this, Ling Chen curiously asked, "Did someone reallye here to make trouble?"


    "Mr. Ling, you don¡¯t know. Several groups of people havee in the past few days. We thought they were here for business, but as soon as they entered, they started smashing things, not only damaging property but also injuring many of us. The Chairman had no choice but to have us close the door."


    Ling Chen nodded, realizing the situation was more serious than he had imagined, "Alright, I understand. Let¡¯s go; take me to meet your Chairman."


    A short whileter, led by the receptionist, Ling Chen and his party arrived at the Chairman¡¯s office on the top floor. As they opened the door, they saw Nanrong Wanqing sitting on the sofa, a pot of freshly brewed tea on the coffee table. Seeing Ling Chen and the others enter, Nanrong Wanqing smiled and stood up, gracefully walking towards them.


    "Why are you here today?"


    "I just came to Beijing for some business. Heard you had some issues here, so I came to check." Ling Chen replied with a smile, "How are things? Are you alright?"


    "Pretty alright. Come, everyone, have a seat." Nanrong Wanqing invited them to sit on the sofa and personally poured everyone a cup of tea. Watching Nanrong Wanqing serving tea, Ling Chen noticed a significant change in herpared to before. Previously, Nanrong Wanqing was like an ice mountain, keeping people at a distance, hiding her feelings regardless of happiness or sadness.


    But seeing her today, Ling Chen felt she had changed a lot. The biggest change was her demeanor; she used to give off a condescending, imposing aura, but now it was as if the icy exterior had melted into a clear spring, making her approachable and more amiable.


    Taking the teacup handed by Nanrong Wanqing, Ling Chen asked, "Why are you the only one in thepany? Where is everyone else?"


    "With so many things happening recently, I was worried about their safety, so I let them take a leave. Only a few of us stayed at thepany."


    "I heard thepany was attacked. It¡¯s so dangerous; why stay here?" Ling Chen asked with concern, "By the way, where are Captain Zhong and the others? Why aren¡¯t they here to protect you?"


    "I sent them out on errands; they¡¯ll be back soon."


    Ling Chen nodded and said, "Wanqing, I have some understanding of yourpany¡¯s current situation... "


    Before Ling Chen could finish, Nanrong Wanqing suddenly smiled radiantly, stunningly beautiful, "Do you think my situation is very dangerous now?"


    "Isn¡¯t it?" Ling Chen retorted.


    "For Hongyu Group to reach new heights, facing these challenges is necessary. Businessmen focus on profit, and if someone¡¯s interests are hurt, they won¡¯t sit idly by. I anticipated this issue before deciding to expand Hongyu Group¡¯s business. So everything happening now was within my expectations. It¡¯s just that I didn¡¯t expect them to be so despicable and unscrupulous." Nanrong Wanqing spoke lightly as if dismissing the matter.


    "Do you need my help?"


    "Thank you for your kind offer, but it¡¯s unnecessary. Although the other party¡¯s methods surprised me, everything is within my control, and there won¡¯t be any problems."


    "Really?"


    "Really." Nanrong Wanqing nodded and smiled, "Don¡¯t you have confidence in me? I¡¯ve already received the court¡¯s summons; the hearing is in a week. We¡¯ll see then who¡¯s right and who¡¯s wrong."


    "Alright, if that¡¯s the case, I won¡¯t interfere. Just remember, regardless of what happens, I¡¯ll always support you."


    Although Nanrong Wanqing had lost that aura of being aloof, every smile, word, and movement now exuded confidence. Perhaps this was her transformation. Once this issue is resolved, Hongyu Group will soar, bing one of the top enterprises in the country.


    After casually chatting with Nanrong Wanqing for a while, Ling Chen left with Zhu Qing and Chen Junfeng when Captain Zhong and Liang Zhao Hui returned.


    Since Nanrong Wanqing didn¡¯t want him to intervene, Ling Chen decided to just be an observer. He could now focus all his energy on the Guo Family. Ling Chen had a feeling that the Guo Family would be a significant breakthrough.


    In the blink of an eye, four days passed.


    Hongyu United Investment Company kept a low profile, and everyone was waiting for the day of the hearing. Ling Chen only paid slight attention to this, focusing most of his efforts on investigating the Guo Family. Over the past few days, Qiu Yong and others had been watching the Guo Family¡¯s movements in secret. Yet, for some reason, they had no significant findings. ording to Qiu Yong, Guo Ming¡¯s life was extremely routine with nothing suspicious, nor did they discover the presence of any elite assassins.

 Chapter 1303 - 1611: Infiltrating the Guo Family

    <h4>Chapter 1303: Chapter 1611: Infiltrating the Guo Family</h4>


    "How about I go?" Zhu Qing volunteered.


    "You?" Ling Chen was a bit surprised.


    Zhu Qing nodded slightly and said, "The Guo Family has hired assassins from our Zhu Family. I¡¯m the most familiar with them, so perhaps I can find their traces."


    "This..." Ling Chen hesitated for a moment and said, "Lady Zhu, they¡¯re from the Zhu Family just like you, wouldn¡¯t this..."


    "You don¡¯t need to worry," Zhu Qing said calmly. "My allegiance is to you. If there¡¯s a conflict, I¡¯ll stand by your side."


    Hearing this, Ling Chen was taken aback and asked, "You¡¯d kill your own family?"


    "Each serves their own master, it¡¯s quite normal. Even if it were my own brother, I¡¯d still not hesitate."


    "Doesn¡¯t the Zhu Family care about such things?"


    "Survival of the fittest. Whoever is more capable survives the longest."


    "Alright, if that¡¯s the case, then go and assist the elder brothers to quickly uncover the Guo Family¡¯s secrets."


    Sending Zhu Qing to investigate the Guo Family was indeed the right choice. Just in one night, Zhu Qing had already made significant progress.


    "I checked, and there are thirty-four assassins on the periphery of the Guo Family, all hidden in the dark."


    "So many?" Qiu Yong and the others were shocked. "We¡¯ve been monitoring the Guo Family from outside for days, yet didn¡¯t notice a single one?"


    "The Zhu Family has its own defense measures. Only those who understand these can find their hidden positions." After a slight pause, Zhu Qing continued, "If I¡¯m not mistaken, Elder Qiu and the others¡¯ presence has definitely been exposed."


    Ling Chen¡¯s face changed slightly, and he asked, "Lady Zhu, are you sure?"


    "The elite assassins trained by our Zhu Family aren¡¯t amateurs. If Elder Qiu stayed near the Guo Family for days and they couldn¡¯t detect it, they¡¯d be unworthy of the title ¡¯assassin.¡¯


    "Since they¡¯ve discovered our presence, why haven¡¯t they acted?" Xia Yue, standing by, asked.


    "Without orders from their employer, they won¡¯t act rashly. I think they¡¯ve already set up a trap within the Guo Family¡¯s Siheyuan. If we dare step inside, it would be a situation of almost certain death."


    "Then what should we do?" Ling Chen asked, "If we can¡¯t get into the Guo Family, how can we find out what secrets they¡¯re hiding?"


    "You want to go in... it¡¯s possible!" Zhu Qing said. "There¡¯s only one way now, and that¡¯s to force our way in, and it must be during the day. Although the Guo Family is protected by hundreds of elite assassins, our overall strength is not weak. Plus, with Sir Chen here, no one is a match against a Heavenly List expert."


    "Forcing our way in?" Ling Chen seemed hesitant. Doing so would mean openly bing enemies with the Guo Family, and if he found nothing, it would not only affect his reputation but also make reconciliation with the Guo Family difficult.


    "Lady Zhu, isn¡¯t there any other way?"


    Zhu Qing shook her head and said, "This is the only way. I¡¯ll enter the Guo Family first and handle the traps for you. Otherwise, even if you get in, you¡¯ll face a lot of trouble."


    "Let me think about it," Ling Chen said. He couldn¡¯t make a hasty decision now, after all, he didn¡¯t have concrete evidence against the Guo Family. Guo Ming, being a master craftsman, had a certain reputation and influence in the Martial Arts world. He had to be cautious.


    Seeing Ling Chen hesitate, Zhu Qing thought for a moment and said, "How about this, I¡¯ll sneak into the Guo Family tonight to gather information for you. If I find enough evidence, you won¡¯t have to be so conflicted."


    Hearing this, Ling Chen¡¯s eyes lit up. It was indeed a good idea.


    "Lady Zhu, won¡¯t there be any danger?"


    "There are risks, of course. However, those assassins were trained by our Zhu Family, and I¡¯m most familiar with their methods. As long as I¡¯m careful, there shouldn¡¯t be a problem."


    "Alright then, I¡¯ll rely on you for this matter. I¡¯ll be outside to back you up."


    After finalizing the action n, Ling Chen made a few more arrangements. When night fell, the group drove directly to the perimeter of the Guo Family¡¯s Siheyuan.


    Checking the surroundings of the Guo Family, Ling Chen didn¡¯t linger and went straight toward a nearby tall building. It was a six-story residential building, about thirty meters from the Guo Family¡¯s Siheyuan. It was the only high point nearby, offering the best view.


    Soon, Ling Chen, apanied by Chen Junfeng, Qiu Yong, and others, reached the rooftop of the residential building. Lying at the edge of the roof, Ling Chen took out a prepared telescope, turned on the night vision function, and closely observed the movements within the Guo Family.


    Time passed slowly, and around one o¡¯clock in the morning, the surroundings of the Siheyuan were silent and pitch-dark. At this time, Ling Chen received a text message on his phone from Zhu Qing, indicating that she was ready to act.


    Immediately, Ling Chen raised his telescope and looked at the northern wall of the Siheyuan, where Zhu Qing nned to enter. Quickly, a silhouette flitted over the northern wall and swiftly entered the Siheyuan.


    Zhu Qing moved very quickly, not stopping afternding, heading directly towards the nearest house.


    The Guo Family¡¯s Siheyuan was extensive, with more than thirty rooms. To search through all these houses would take a long time.


    Ling Chen stayed still at the edge of the rooftop, quietly observing Zhu Qing and keeping an eye on her position and the surrounding environment. Five or six minutes had passed since she entered the Siheyuan, yet Ling Chen noticed no one other than Zhu Qing.


    However, Zhu Qing¡¯s movements were peculiar as she relocated. Even though she could have moved in a straight line, she chose to take a long roundabout path. Watching her cautious behavior, it seemed she was avoiding something. Seeing this, Ling Chen couldn¡¯t help but admire the Zhu Family. The Zhu Family¡¯s stealth skills were truly impressive. ording to Zhu Qing, assassins were hidden all over the Guo Family, yet he hadn¡¯t spotted a single one after watching for so long.


    As Zhu Qing¡¯s figure disappeared once more into a house, Ling Chen put down the telescope to rest his eyes for a while. Besides him, Qiu Yong and others were also observing the situation inside the Siheyuan with telescopes, so he wasn¡¯t worried about missing anything.


    "Sixth Brother, isn¡¯t this taking too long?"


    Hearing Yuan Yun¡¯s voice, Ling Chen asked, "Third Brother, what¡¯s taking too long?"


    "Lady Zhu has been in that house for five minutes and hasn¡¯te out yet. Do you think... something might have happened?"


    "For so long?" Ling Chen was slightly startled. He hadn¡¯t been watching and thought Zhu Qing had already finished searching that house. Immediately, he raised his telescope, looking at the house where Zhu Qing was. The doors and windows were closed, and it was dark inside, with no lights. If Zhu Qing had been discovered, there would have beenmotion outside. It seemed she was still safe.

 Chapter 1304 - 1612: He’s Still Alive (1)

    <h4>Chapter 1304: Chapter 1612: He¡¯s Still Alive (1)</h4>


    "Ling Cheng, do you think... Lady Zhu has discovered something?" Xia Yue asked softly.


    Ling Chen nodded ambiguously. Zhu Qing had been in that room for so long that she must have discovered something. Everyone patiently waited. Time passed minute by minute, and soon more than ten minutes had passed, yet Zhu Qing still hadn¡¯t emerged from the room.


    Seeing this, Ling Chen couldn¡¯t help but worry. After some thought, he took out his phone, hesitating whether to send Zhu Qing a message to inquire.


    At that moment, the room Zhu Qing was in suddenly lit up. Seeing this scene, Ling Chen¡¯s heart skipped a beat. Not good! Could it be that Zhu Qing¡¯s tracks have been discovered?


    Just then, the door to the room opened from the inside, and immediately, Guo Ming came out with someone else. After leaving the room, the two didn¡¯t linger and directly headed towards their residence. As they walked away, the light in the room dimmed again, returning to its original state.


    Bzz bzz bzz! A vibration sounded, and Ling Chen quickly took out his phone, ncing at the message content on the screen.


    "She seeded." Ling Chen¡¯s lips curved slightly, smiling as he said, "Let¡¯s go, we can head back now."


    "Ling Cheng, shouldn¡¯t we wait for her toe out together?"


    "No need, let¡¯s leave her in there. If shees out now, she might be in danger; it¡¯s safer inside. Moreover, she can gather some information for me while in there." After a pause, Ling Chen continued, "Everyone, let¡¯s rest well tonight. We¡¯ll visit Mr. Guo again tomorrow."


    The next morning, after breakfast, Ling Chen led Chen Junfeng and others directly to the Guo Family.


    Upon learning of Ling Chen¡¯s arrival, the butler immediately weed him into the Siheyuan¡¯s main hall. Soon after sitting down, Guo Ming strode in from outside. Seeing everyone present, Guo Mingughed heartily, "Ling, what brings you here?"


    "Mr. Guo." Ling Chen sped his hands politely in greeting.


    "No need for formalities. Is there something you need from me today?"


    Ling Chen nced at Qiu Yong beside him and said, "Mr. Guo, I¡¯ve heard you have something that belongs to me, so I wanted toe and see."


    Upon hearing this, Guo Ming smiled faintly, looked into Ling Chen¡¯s eyes, and said, "Are you referring to... Ling Gengqiu¡¯s body?"


    Uh... Ling Chen was slightly taken aback, not expecting Guo Ming to be more direct than himself. He originally thought Guo Ming would deny it, potentially leading to a conflict. But Guo Ming openly admitted it, with nothing to hide.


    Seeing Ling Chen¡¯s stunned expression, Guo Ming chuckled and said, "You¡¯ve been having people monitor our Guo Family these past few days. From that moment, I knew I couldn¡¯t keep it hidden. To be honest, I don¡¯t want to be your enemy. Previously, the Martial Arts world was dominated by the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, but times have changed, and Dragon Tiger Hall now holds sway. Opposing you, I know the consequences. So over these days, I¡¯ve thought it over carefully; since you¡¯ve discovered the truth, there¡¯s no need for me to hide it anymore."


    With that said, Guo Ming stood up and said, "Ladies and gentlemen, please follow me."


    Ling Chen quickly followed Guo Ming¡¯s steps, leaving the hall together. Before long, the group arrived at the room Zhu Qing had investigated the night before. Entering the room, Ling Chen nced at the dim surroundings before casting his gaze at Guo Ming. At that moment, Guo Ming walked to a table and gently patted it twice. Instantly, the table and the floor beneath it slowly moved aside, revealing a spacious entrance.


    "This is a basement built by our ancestor, Guo Qiang. At the time, its main purpose was to preserve your ancestor¡¯s body." Guo Ming exined as he led everyone into the basement.


    The Guo Family¡¯s basement was extraordinarily spacious, asrge as a Siheyuan. Following Guo Ming, Ling Chen walked with a look of astonishment on his face.


    What kind of basement was this? It was clearly an advancedboratory. In this hidden undergroundb, there were dozens of busy researchers. The arrival of Ling Chen and the others piqued the researchers¡¯ curiosity, and they asionally nced over.


    "I have forty-seven researchers here, divided into six teams, each responsible for different studies. Over the years, we¡¯ve made significant breakthroughs and achievements in medicine," Guo Ming introduced as he walked.


    "Mr. Guo, how many years has yourboratory been operational?" Ling Chen asked.


    "Hundreds of years. Back in the day, when Guo Qiang discovered the secret of Ling Gengqiu¡¯s body, he decided to keep it at the Guo Family for secret research. At that time, technology wasn¡¯t nearly as advanced as it is today, so the Guo Family could only hire some renowned doctors for research. As times progressed, thisb gradually expanded to what it is today."


    "You knew about Ling Gengqiu all along, so why didn¡¯t you tell me at the beginning and instead gave me false leads?"


    "Ling, if you were in my shoes, would you casually disclose such a secret to someone else? Therefore, hiding it for as long as possible was the best strategy. Back then, Guo Qiang anticipated someone mighte looking for Ling Gengqiu¡¯s body, so to avoid implicating the Guo Family, he constructed a fake tomb and enlisted the Zhu Family¡¯s help to guard it."


    Ling Chen interjected, "You wanted to use the Zhu Family to eliminate those seeking Ling Gengqiu¡¯s body."


    "Exactly." Guo Ming nodded, "That was also for our Guo Family¡¯s own safety. Ling Chen, I hope you won¡¯t take offense. People are inherently selfish. Thisb has been passed down from our ancestors to my care; I don¡¯t want anything to happen to it. If you hadn¡¯te knocking, I¡¯d have continued to keep a low profile, not exposing theb¡¯s secret."


    Ling Chen had no interest in dwelling on this issue further and straightforwardly asked, "Where is Ling Gengqiu¡¯s body? I wish to see it."


    "Please follow me." After a pause, Guo Ming suddenly cautioned, "Gentlemen, you might want to prepare yourselves; I don¡¯t wish to frighten you."


    Before long, Ling Chen and the others followed Guo Ming through three reinforced bomb-proof doors, ultimately entering a room made entirely of transparent ss.


    Guo Ming pointed to a room inside the ss enclosure and said, "Inside is the sterile room, where your ancestor resides."


    "Resides?" Hearing Guo Ming¡¯s choice of words, Ling Chen was taken aback, asking, "Mr. Guo, what do you mean by that?"


    "You¡¯ll see momentarily." As he spoke, Guo Ming extended his hand and gently tapped on the ss.


    Immediately, text appeared on arge screen outside the sterile room: "You have business with me? Who are these people?"


    Guo Ming smiled toward the sterile room and said, "Your family wishes to see you, so I brought them here."

 Chapter 1305 - 1613: He’s Still Alive (2)

    <h4>Chapter 1305: Chapter 1613: He¡¯s Still Alive (2)</h4>


    Listening to Guo Ming¡¯s conversation with the other party, Ling Chen and the others were stunned, staring incredulously at the sterile room.


    Is he really talking to Ling Gengqiu? How is this possible! Even Chen Junfeng and Qiu Yong, who had experienced great trials, were frightened.


    "Is he... still alive?" After a long while, Ling Chen finally turned around and asked incredulously.


    "How should I put it... his conscious thought still exists, but he can¡¯t speak. I used quite a few high-tech products connected to his brain to convert his consciousness into data. Just like the text you saw earlier, you canmunicate with him this way."


    "Can he see me?"


    Guo Ming pointed to the camera outside the ss and said, "This camera will directly transmit images to his brain. However, because he is very weak, he can¡¯t receive too many image signals, or it would burden his brain and cause his consciousness to be chaotic. You¡¯re fairly lucky today; under normal circumstances, he sleeps more than twenty hours a day and is only awake for one or two hours."


    "How¡¯s his body?"


    Guo Ming walked to a nearbyputer and tapped the keyboard a few times. Suddenly, a rectangr transparent cover in the center of the sterile room slowly opened. Then, the bed, resembling a cradle, gradually stood upright.


    Soon, an aged face appeared in everyone¡¯s view, looking like a man in his forties. Ling Chen carefully examined him, knowing that this ancestor loved romantic adventures and had wooed countless women in his lifetime. However, Ling Gengqiu was not actually handsome; quite in indeed, easily lost in a crowd.


    Ling Gengqiu¡¯s head was already connected to his torso, together with more than a dozen IV tubes and metal wires. To be honest, seeing Ling Gengqiu like this unsettled Ling Chen.


    "Mr. Guo, how long have you beenmunicating with him?"


    "I chat with him whenever I have time, telling him about the outside world, which interests him greatly."


    "Given that you can transmit images directly to his brain, why not just connect him to the inte so he can watch whatever he wants?" Xia Yue chimed in.


    Guo Ming smiled slightly, nodding: "We¡¯ve considered this suggestion long ago, but the data on the inte is too vast for his brain to handle, so we abandoned the idea."


    Pausing, Guo Ming turned to Ling Chen and asked, "Interested in seeing our research results?"


    "Are you also looking for the reason behind his immortality?"


    "Anyone would be curious about a person with self-healing abilities who has lived for hundreds of years. However, it¡¯s just curiosity; each person has their destiny. Not everyone can live as long as he has. Frankly, I¡¯ve tried researching this before, but haven¡¯t achieved anything beyond dying aging. Living a hundred years... is extremely difficult. So I shifted my focus to new drug research, aiming to improve treatment methods for certain terminal illnesses."


    "How are the results?"


    "Not bad; we¡¯ve discovered solutions for at least three incurable diseases. However, these treatments are tooplex and costly for ordinary people to afford. We¡¯re now simplifying the treatment steps, hoping to make them essible to everyone."


    Ling Chen nodded, understanding that although Guo Ming withheld some truths, his intentions were good.


    After touring theboratory, Guo Ming handed Ling Chen a document, saying, "I brought you here today just to let you know I have no ambitions. Maybe my ancestors had such thoughts, but my ideals differ from theirs. Over the years, I¡¯ve distributed the developed medicine to hospitals using the name of a pharmaceutical research institute, funding thisb through the profits. Although I conducted human experiments, the volunteers were terminal patients who willingly signed agreements."


    "Mr. Guo, you don¡¯t need to exin, I understand your point. However, Ling Gengqiu¡¯s physical condition..."


    "For now, he has to stay here," Guo Ming interjected. "His situation is ratherplex. Hastily transferring him might negatively impact his health. Rest assured, since I revealed this secret to you, I don¡¯t intend to oppose you. If you don¡¯t trust me, you can send someone to theb to ensure Ling Gengqiu¡¯s safety."


    After some thought, Ling Chen said, "Mr. Guo, I trust your character. How about letting you take care of Ling Gengqiu for now? I¡¯ll deploy personnel to enhance the security around the Guo Family to prevent external threats to theb."


    "No problem."


    Guo Ming agreed readily. After reaching an agreement, Ling Chen asked, "Mr. Guo, can I chat with him alone?" Referring to Ling Gengqiu, as not everyone has the chance to meet their ancestors and actually converse.


    "He¡¯s a member of your Ling Family, of course, you can." With that, Guo Ming called some people to escort Qiu Yong and others to the lounge, while apanying Ling Chen to the outside of the sterile room.


    "Take your time; I won¡¯t disturb you." As he finished speaking, Guo Ming turned and walked out, closing the door behind him.


    Ling Chen gazed at Ling Gengqiu lying in the sterile room, his eyes reflectingplex emotions.


    "What are you thinking?" A line of text appeared on the screen.


    Ling Chen smiled and said, "Nothing much, just amazed that I can chat with someone from hundreds of years ago. If I told anyone, they¡¯d likely not believe it."


    "The world is full of wonders. I asked myself why others die, but I live on. I¡¯ve attempted suicide three times, but unfortunately, was never sessful. No matter how severe my injuries, they recover quickly."


    "Why did you want tomit suicide?"


    "Watching the closest people to me die one by one, how would you feel? Lonely, solitary, despairing ¡ª those feelings are tough to endure. Living so long, having been through so much, there are times I just want to end it all, never to wake again."


    "Your immortality, isn¡¯t it a blessing from heaven?"


    "Blessing? No, it¡¯s not a blessing; I view it as a punishment. I¡¯ve asked myself the same question countless times: why don¡¯t I die? I believe it¡¯s not heaven¡¯s doing but something inherent within me."


    "Inherent reason?" Ling Chen was startled and asked puzzledly, "What reason?"


    "Before I turned forty, I was like any ordinary person, no different. It wasn¡¯t until I became a monk that changes began urring in my body."

 Chapter 1306 - 1614: He’s Still Alive (3)

    <h4>Chapter 1306: Chapter 1614: He¡¯s Still Alive (3)</h4>


    "Could it be... does this have anything to do with you bing a monk?"


    "No. What¡¯s truly rted is the Prajnaparamita Sutra, the cultivation technique I created. Ever since I practiced the Prajnaparamita Sutra, my body gradually began to change. When I mastered this cultivation technique to the Great Achievement Realm, I was surprised to find that my previously injured body had fully recovered. Not only that, no matter what kind of injury I suffered, I could heal quickly. To be honest, I was frightened by my own transformation at the time."


    Prajnaparamita Sutra!


    Ling Chen¡¯s expression changed; so it was the Prajnaparamita Sutra! No wonder he survived Qin Chuan¡¯s assassinationst time. It¡¯s estimated that thanks to the Prajnaparamita Sutra, his body gained self-healing abilities. However, because he hasn¡¯t cultivated this technique to perfection yet, the self-healing ability isn¡¯t very apparent.


    "Why does the Prajnaparamita Sutra have such an effect?" Ling Chen asked curiously, "Since this is a cultivation technique you created, you should know best."


    "Back then, after I became a monk, I discovered many ancient texts in the tower of a temple. I casually picked a few to read since I had nothing else to do, and found they recorded very profound martial arts. However, although those martial arts were intricate, only monks with a clear mind and few desires could practice them. Although I had be a monk, my heart wasn¡¯t detached from worldly desires, and I couldn¡¯t do without wine and meat, making it impossible to learn those skills. So, I spent several years integrating these profound martial arts, added my own insights, and created the Prajnaparamita Sutra."


    Hearing this, Ling Chen couldn¡¯t help but say, "Ancestor, to be honest, your cultivation technique is too burdensome. Why does it require a woman to practice? Do you think everyone is like you, flirting everywhere?"


    "Have you practiced the Prajnaparamita Sutra?" A string of question marks followed this sentence.


    Ling Chen nodded and said, "I once found an ancient text left by the ancients, which included a vast array of knowledge, including the practice form of the Prajnaparamita Sutra."


    "Hahahaha!" A string ofughter quickly appeared on the screen, "You truly are my descendant; we indeed have a bond. You actually picked up something I threw away hundreds of yearster. What stage is your Prajnaparamita Sutra at now?"


    "I¡¯m not sure. I just know that every time I am with a woman, my power increases a bit. I¡¯m now at the Earthly List level."


    "Earthly List? Too weak. That implies you¡¯ve reached the third stage of the Prajnaparamita Sutra. The Prajnaparamita Sutraprises six stages; you are now at a watershed. Once you cross this step, you can enter the Heavenly List realm, which is the fourth stage of the Prajnaparamita Sutra."


    Ling Chen was startled. The fourth stage reached the Heavenly List; then wouldn¡¯t the fifth and sixth stages be defying the heavens?


    "I spent decades mastering the Prajnaparamita Sutra to the Great Achievement Realm. Back then, I was already quite old. However, at the moment of my achievement, my whole body underwent massive changes, and I instantly regained vitality, as if I had aged back to a younger self. Therefore, I think all of this was caused by the Prajnaparamita Sutra. As for the reason, it should be rted to those profound martial arts in the temple. Unfortunately, so many years have passed, and there¡¯s no chance to uncover the truth."


    Ling Chen pondered and asked, "Ancestor, you were dismembered in the past, and it was Guo Family¡¯s ancestor Guo Qiang who recovered your head and torso and settled you here. As far as I know, you seemed to have sought help from the Guo Family knowing you would be hunted down."


    "You¡¯re right; that¡¯s indeed the case. Those who hunted me down back then were none other than the bastards from the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion. It¡¯s also my own fault for being too careless, thinking the old guys from the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion had all died after decades, thinking no one would recognize me. So I went to join the Heavenly Mechanism Great Ceremony for fun to see if there were any young pretty girls. As a result, I didn¡¯t get the girl, but instead, exposed my identity, leading to the pursuit by the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion."


    Flirting with girls brings trouble! Ling Chen shook his head helplessly, having no words for his ancestor¡¯s flirtatious nature.


    "Ancestor, if we find all your limbs back, can you return to your former self?"


    "That¡¯s right. But who knows where my limbs are now; they might have long been destroyed."


    "I know. Although you¡¯ve been dead for hundreds of years, Ancestor, the internal disputes within the Ling Family have never ceased because of you, as they¡¯ve all been trying to find out the secret of your immortality."


    "What¡¯s so good about being immortal? I¡¯d rather be an ordinary person. If possible, I¡¯d rather die than keep living. Can you help me piece my body back together? Since the disputes in the Ling Family began because of me, let me resolve them myself."


    "No problem, I¡¯ll think of ways to help you settle this matter."


    "Alright, that¡¯s it. I¡¯m tired from chatting for so long."


    "Then rest well, and I¡¯lle chat with you another day." With that, Ling Chen turned and walked out of the room.


    In the lounge, Chen Junfeng, Qiu Yong, and others immediately gathered around. It was obvious they were very interested in Ling Gengqiu and wanted to know what Ling Chen had talked about with him.


    "Sixth brother, what do you n to do now?"


    Ling Chen shrugged, "What else? Of course, go find those severed limbs. If Ling Gengqiu can indeed solve the Ling Family¡¯s centuries-old conflict, that would be a good thing." Saying this, Ling Chen checked the time and said, "Why don¡¯t we head back now?"


    "Okay."


    With that, the group greeted Guo Ming and drove straight back to the Falcon Private Security Company.


    Back in the chairman¡¯s office, Ling Chen sat alone on the sofa, still recalling the conversation he had with Ling Gengqiu just now. At this moment, he still felt a bit skeptical, finding it somewhat unreal. Could it be... that there really are people who can live forever?


    Moreover, ording to Ling Gengqiu, his immortality was closely rted to the Prajnaparamita Sutra. Since he was also cultivating the Prajnaparamita Sutra, could this mean that he would eventually be like Ling Gengqiu?


    Thinking about this gave Ling Chen a headache.


    Just then, a ¡¯knock knock knock¡¯ sounded from outside the door.


    "Come in!"


    As the words fell, the office door was pushed open from the outside. Ling Chen opened his mouth, "Miss Dong, you..." Before he finished speaking, he quickly shut his mouth, got up from the sofa, and quickly went to greet the visitor, "Second brother, weren¡¯t you going to rest? I thought it was Dong Yinging."


    Xu Ming casually found a seat and sat down, looked at Ling Chen, and enunciated each word, "I want to tell you something. Ling Gengqiu is not the only one."

 Chapter 1307 - 1615: Shocking Secret (1)

    <h4>Chapter 1307: Chapter 1615: Shocking Secret (1)</h4>


    "Not the only one?" Ling Chen was stunned hearing this, staring nkly at Xu Ming as his mind failed to register it.


    "Second Brother, do you know someone else like this?"


    Xu Ming nodded and said, "Yes. And that person lives in the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion. You... should know who I¡¯m referring to."


    Ling Chen thought for a moment, then his expression changed drastically as he eximed, "You don¡¯t mean that young man, do you?" Back then, when he first visited the Yangxin Pavilion, Huang Zheng and Liang Tian fought over who would take him as a disciple, resulting in a brawl. Midway, a young man appeared and stopped Liang Tian and Huang Zheng. Faced with the young man¡¯s reprimand, Liang Tian and Huang Zheng listened quietly, not daring to utter a word in retort. Clearly, they were very afraid of that young man.


    At that time, Zhou Qi was still working at the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, and Ling Chen specifically asked him about the young man¡¯s identity, but Zhou Qi couldn¡¯t provide an answer. Besides, when the Nine Elements Pill was contested at the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, the young man also appeared. However, he didn¡¯t say a word and left promptly after he put down the Nine Elements Pill.


    Ling Chen had always been curious about the young man¡¯s identity, and hearing Xu Ming mention this now, he was greatly shocked.


    "Second Brother, are you saying that young man..."


    "No, not him." Xu Ming shook his head and said, "The young man you mentioned is my Junior Brother."


    "Junior Brother?" Ling Chen was taken aback once again. Xu Ming¡¯s information was so heavy that he nearly fainted. After collecting his thoughts, Ling Chen picked up his teacup, took a sip, and waited until the news was digested before speaking, "Second Brother, do you mean... your Master and our Ling Family ancestor are both several hundred-year-old monsters?"


    "You could say so. As far as I know, my Master lived in the same era as Ling Gengqiu. As for his identity, I¡¯m not sure; he has never mentioned his past to us. While by his side, both my Junior Brother and I called him Master, not even knowing hisst name."


    "Then why does he live in the valley of the Yangxin Pavilion? Isn¡¯t he someone from the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion?"


    "I¡¯ve considered this question too. There should be some connection between him and the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion. But no matter what happens at the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, he never intervenes or asks questions. I stayed with him for years and never saw him step out of his room. I suspect that he might have stayed in that room for decades, never leaving even his own room."


    Ling Chen asked curiously, "Then how did your Master take you in as disciples?"


    "I was still very young at that time, only about two or three years old. Once, when I went out, traffickers knocked me out. When I woke up, I found myself lying in that room. Since then, I¡¯ve been with my Master. I remember, aside from Master, there was also another person, my Senior Brother, who was over twenty years older than me. My Master seldom cared for me; it was my Senior Brother who took care of me. Until I turned twenty, he finally allowed me to leave that room. However, my activity was restricted to the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion. It wasn¡¯t until my martial arts skill reached a modest level that I was permitted to leave the Pavilion, to assist them with certain tasks, and hone myself through realbat. In this way, I wasted a good thirty years of my life."


    "Second Brother, since you¡¯re his disciple, why did you leave? Did your Master let you go?"


    Xu Ming sighed softly, recalling something with lingering fear, he said, "He didn¡¯t let me go, I escaped myself. That person... my Master, he¡¯s a very terrifying man."


    After a pause, Xu Ming continued, "One time, by ident, I found the floor in the room to be somewhat loose. I thought to repair the floor, so I removed all the wooden nksid on the ground, ready to fill in the soil beneath. However, I discovered that the soil under the floor was very loose, and there were many bugs in it. These bugs only appear where there¡¯s decaying matter, hence I was curious about whaty beneath. Finding a time, I dug up the soil under the floor, intending to clean it all up. However, when I dug half a meter deep, I suddenly found a heavily dposed corpse. I was truly scared at the time; who would have thought there would be a corpse buried beneath my daily resting ce?"


    "Although the corpse had dposed significantly, after I dug it out, I could still recognize his identity¡ªhe was my Senior Brother. By then, my Senior Brother had left us for a long time. I asked my Master about it, and he told me that my Senior Brother went out to hone himself and didn¡¯t know when or if he would ever return. I grieved for a long time over this. My Senior Brother treated me like his own little brother, and we shared a deep bond. But I found his corpse inside my own room, which proved that my Master was deceiving me; my Senior Brother never left. He died, murdered!"


    Saying this, a trace of pain flitted across Xu Ming¡¯s eyes. Silent for a while, he then continued, "The room was inhabited by only three of us¡ªme, my Senior Brother, and my Master. I couldn¡¯t have killed my Senior Brother; I didn¡¯t have that ability. Although my Senior Brother was just over fifty, he was already a master on the Heavenly List. After finding his corpse, I examined it closely and discovered a hole in the top of his head, as big as a fist. It had to have been made by someone with great force punching it through. The only one capable of this, and who could make my Senior Brother unable to resist, was my Master."


    Ling Chen frowned slightly, asking puzzled, "Second Brother, why did your Master do this? Was it because your Senior Brothermitted an error?"


    "No! Let me exin slowly. Where I found my Senior Brother¡¯s corpse, Iter dug out three more corpses over time. Due to the long years passed, they had all turned to skeletal remains. However, without exception, these people suffered fatal injuries to their heads. Out of fear toward my Master, I didn¡¯t dare reveal this, burying it in my heart, and I reburied those skeletonized corpses intact. Not long afterward, when I awoke one night, I found a little boy of two or three years old in the room. My Master told me he was my Junior Brother and instructed me to take care of him well."


    "That moment marked my realization that all of this was arranged by my Master. As we grew up, Master would quietly kill us like he did to Senior Brother, then fabricate an excuse for Junior Brother. Subsequently, he¡¯d continue searching for another child to be a disciple, letting Junior Brother take care of him, repeating the cycle unending. For this reason, I seized a chance, secretly escaping, never returning."


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 1308 - 1616: Shocking Secret (2)

    <h4>Chapter 1308: Chapter 1616: Shocking Secret (2)</h4>


    "Second Brother, do you mean that your Master trained you, and then killed you?"


    Xu Ming nodded, and said, "That¡¯s right. Back in the day, when I was chatting with my Senior Brother, I learned that the Senior Brother who took care of him was also a Heavenly List expert. Later, that person mysteriously disappeared without a trace. I don¡¯t understand why Master did this, but I¡¯m sure those people didn¡¯t die unjustly; they were maliciously murdered by Master."


    After hearing Xu Ming¡¯s story, Ling Chen was shocked. Who exactly is that old demon living in the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion? He trained so many Heavenly List experts, then killed them one by one.


    "Second Brother, have you had any contact with your Junior Brother?"


    "No. I escaped when my Junior Brother was only a few years old, so we are rtively unfamiliar with each other. Sixth Brother, if there¡¯s only one person in this world with an immortal body, like Ling Gengqiu, then that¡¯s understandable. After all, in the Great Thousand World, there are all kinds of surprises. But for two people to appear at the same time who have lived for hundreds of years, it¡¯s definitely not due to personal gics; they must have something inmon that resulted in this situation. I sometimes wonder, are there other people in this world simr to Ling Gengqiu and my Master?"


    Ling Chen shook his head, discarded all distracting thoughts, and said, "Second Brother, stop overthinking it. We don¡¯t have the energy to explore this problem right now. Our Ling Family ancestor and your Master, these two are enough headaches already. I think we just need to do our own thing; the rest is not our concern."


    "I¡¯m just reminding you. As for what to do in the future, you decide for yourself." With that, Xu Ming stood up, turned, and walked out of the office.


    After watching Xu Ming leave, Ling Chen sat alone on the sofa, holding the teacup on the coffee table, staring nkly at the tea water gently rippling inside. Sometimes knowing too much is not a good thing. This world has too many secrets quietly tempting you. If you can¡¯t hold yourself back, you might end up in danger.


    Forget it! No need to overthink. I am just an ordinary person; why bother thinking so much, since I have no intention of living for hundreds of years.


    In the blink of an eye, a few days passed.


    Since learning of Ling Gengqiu¡¯s whereabouts, Ling Chen has dispatched five teams from Falcon Security Company, specifically securing the perimeter of Guo Family. In addition, Ling Chen also investigated Guo Family¡¯sb. Just like Guo Ming said, they developed many new drugs, which were disseminated to hospitals through various channels. Ling Chen is quite satisfied with Guo Ming¡¯s actions, at least he isn¡¯t like the Southern Ling Family and Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, who use any means necessary to pursue profit. Therefore, he appreciates Guo Ming as a partner.


    "Chairman." Dong Ying walked into the office holding a file, and seeing Ling Chen busy at the desk, curiously said, "Today is the court day for Hongyu United Investment Company, why aren¡¯t you attending the hearing?"


    "Today?" Ling Chen was slightly stunned, suddenly pping his forehead, oh no! He had a lot to do these days, andpletely forgot about it.


    "How much longer till it starts?"


    Dong Ying checked the time and said, "It¡¯s already started an hour ago; it¡¯s probably ending now."


    "Help me handle these matters here first; I¡¯ll go out for a while." With that, Ling Chen dashed out of the office and drove straight to the court.


    Traffic in Beijing is often congested; even a short ten-plus kilometer trip took Ling Chen almost forty minutes to reach the court entrance. Before he got out of the car, he saw Nanrong Wanqing surrounded by reportersing out of the court. Zhong Wei, Liang Chaohui, and other security personnel were blocking around Nanrong Wanqing to prevent any harm to the Chairman.


    "Wanqing." Ling Chen rolled down the window, waving to Nanrong Wanqing on the steps.


    Seeing Ling Chen in the car, Nanrong Wanqing smiled a little, said a couple of things to Zhong Wei beside her, and then quickly got into Ling Chen¡¯s passenger seat.


    The car started, immediately leaving the chasing reporters far behind. After passing a few intersections, Ling Chen turned to look at Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s side profile. The gentle sunlight filtered through the car window onto Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s face; the slightly upturned corner of her mouth revealed her inner delight.


    Knowing her well, Ling Chen understands she isn¡¯t someone who expresses her inner emotions easily. Yet, she¡¯s smiling now, indicating she¡¯s in a great mood.


    "Did you settle those people?" Ling Chen asked. Actually, he knew it was a pointless question; seeing Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s demeanor, she definitely emerged victorious. He was just curious about what means she used.


    Nanrong Wanqing nced at Ling Chen from the corner of her eye, chuckled, and nodded, "Actually, dealing with those people is simple; just give them enough interest. As business people, what¡¯s important is their own interest. There are no eternal enemies, only eternal interests; this saying fits the business world perfectly. Maybe you fight with someone intensely today, but if you gain greater benefits tomorrow, you can be the best partners. Those trying to frame me were merely victims of threatened interests, or rather, the losses affected the top person¡¯s interests. As long as he¡¯s satisfied, do you think he would care about others¡¯ interests? People are selfish."


    Ling Chen nodded in half understanding, "What¡¯s the current situation of Hongyu Investment Company?"


    "The prospects are excellent; our Hongyu Group has taken the most crucial step. In the future, in Huaxia, no one...and no one can stop Hongyu Group¡¯s advancement. Just wait, within five years, Hongyu Group will be thergest enterprise in Huaxia."


    "Then congrattions beforehand." Ling Chen paused, then pointed to a restaurant by the roadside, "How about I treat you to lunch today to celebrate your big win?"


    "Sure." Nanrong Wanqing agreed readily.


    With that, Ling Chen found a spot to park the car, and then took Nanrong Wanqing to the restaurant. The restaurant wasn¡¯t high-end but had a decent environment. Since it was lunchtime, the ce was crowded. Ling Chen asked the waiter and finding no private rooms avable, the two decided to sit in a window-side booth in the hall.


    After ordering, Ling Chen casually asked, "When do you n to return to East Sea City?"


    "Not decided yet. Things just wrapped up here, might take some time. Why?"


    "Nothing, just asking. I happen to be focusing on work in Beijing recently; we can meet up more often."

 Chapter 1309 - 1617: Liu Haicheng

    <h4>Chapter 1309: Chapter 1617: Liu Haicheng</h4>


    Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s beautiful eyes shed with a hint of brightness, and she looked at Ling Chen with a faint smile, asking, "Are you asking me out?"


    Hearing this, Ling Chen¡¯s old face flushed slightly, and he coughed lightly, smiling sheepishly, "Think of it as me asking you out."


    "So hesitant? In that case, I¡¯d better note out."


    "No, no, no, that¡¯s not what I meant." Ling Chen hurriedly corrected, "I want to ask you out, so please show me mercy and give me some face. Okay?"


    "Okay." Nanrong Wanqing pursed her lips and smiled, "Actually, there are a lot of people pursuing me right now, so I need a boyfriend to help me deter them. I heard you¡¯re now the chairman of Falcon Private Security Company, that title should scare quite a few people."


    "Alright." Ling Chen nodded, "If anyone dares to pursue you again, just mention my name."


    As soon as he finished speaking, footsteps could be hearding from the side. Turning to look, they saw a handsome and dashing young man in a designer suit approaching, followed by two burly bodyguards wearing dark sunsses, looking imposing.


    The young man wore a smile, with his eyes seeming to only hold Nanrong Wanqing, ignoring everything else around, including Ling Chen.


    "Wanqing, why are you in such a hurry? Didn¡¯t I say I¡¯d wait for you at the courthouse entrance?" the young man said in a gentle tone.


    "Mr. Liu, I¡¯m sorry, but I¡¯ve already arranged to have dinner here with my boyfriend. Besides, I didn¡¯t agree to your date yesterday." Nanrong Wanqing replied indifferently, ncing at the young man before turning her attention back to Ling Chen, "Ling Chen, let me introduce you, this is Liu Haicheng, who just returned from studying abroad. He¡¯s the vice president of Pacific Shipping Company, with a wealth far surpassing mine. Hongyu Group is just a well-known enterprise in Huaxia, but Pacific Shipping Company is a Fortune 500pany, much more famous than our Hongyu Group."


    "Oh! So Mr. Liu is an overseas returnee." Ling Chen nced at Liu Haicheng, smilingly reaching out his hand.


    However, Liu Haicheng had no intention of shaking hands, not even looking him in the eye, with his gaze constantly fixed on Nanrong Wanqing.


    "Wanqing, even if you want to refuse my invitation, there¡¯s no need to find such ame excuse. This kind of person isn¡¯t even fit to carry my shoes, how could someone of your standards be interested in someone like him?"


    Hearing this, the corners of Ling Chen¡¯s mouth slightly curled into a smile, as he asked, "Mr. Liu, what kind of person am I?"


    "I¡¯m talking to Wanqing, everyone else shut up." Liu Haicheng gave Ling Chen a sidelong nce, his tone contemptuous, showing no regard for him at all.


    "Wanqing, I¡¯ve prepared the car and reserved the restaurant,e with me." As he spoke, Liu Haicheng bowed gentlemanly, making an inviting gesture.


    However, Nanrong Wanqing wasn¡¯t moved at all, sitting calmly there. Just then, a waiter came over with dishes, cing several dishes on the table.


    "Sir, the dishes you ordered are all served, please enjoy."


    "Thank you!" After saying this, Ling Chen picked up the chopsticks, pinched a piece of lotus root sandwich, and ced it in Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s bowl, "Try this, it should taste good."


    Nanrong Wanqing responded softly, tasting the delicacy on her own,pletely ignoring Liu Haicheng.


    Seeing Ling Chen and Nanrong Wanqing happily eating, Liu Haicheng¡¯s face suddenly turned cold. He turned his head, giving a signal to the two bodyguards behind him. Thetter immediately understood, stepping forward to Ling Chen and grabbing him to lift him up. However, they quickly realized that no matter how much force they used, they couldn¡¯t move Ling Chen¡¯s body.


    Seeing this situation, the two bodyguards exchanged a nce, a hint of doubt shing in their eyes.


    Theirbined strength should exceed several hundred pounds, how could they be unable to drag a single person? At this moment, they were unwilling to ept defeat, exerting all their strength in trying to drag Ling Chen, but his body seemed rooted to the seat, unmovable.


    "Hey guys, haven¡¯t you eaten?" Ling Chen said with a friendly smile, "Do you want to sit down together and eat something?"


    "Useless." Liu Haicheng snapped coldly, grabbing a water cup from the table, preparing to pour the water over Ling Chen¡¯s head. Seeing his action, Ling Chen casually flicked his hand. Instantly, Liu Haicheng¡¯s arm trembled slightly, and the cup of water directly bypassed Ling Chen, pouring over himself.


    In an instant, droplets of water slid down Liu Haicheng¡¯s bangs, trickling down onto his tens of thousands worth of suit.


    "Oh dear!" Ling Chen eximed, wide-eyed, "Mr. Liu, how can you be so careless? I¡¯m not depriving you of water, there¡¯s no need to hurry."


    Liu Haicheng gritted his teeth, looking at Ling Chen with resentment, saying coldly, "Kid, you¡¯re bold. If I don¡¯t make you crawl out of here today, I¡¯ll take your surname." Saying this, Liu Haicheng took out his phone and began making a call, ignoring everything around him.


    Nanrong Wanqing frowned slightly; Liu Haicheng¡¯s actions made her quite displeased. Hearing Liu Haicheng calling for reinforcements, Nanrong Wanqing opened her mouth, preparing to stop him. However, at that moment, it seemed someone gently kicked him under the table.


    Almost instinctively, Nanrong Wanqing nced at Ling Chen across from her, seeing him shake his head, signaling her not to speak.


    At this moment, Liu Haicheng put down his phone, looking coldly at Ling Chen, "You might not know who I am, but that¡¯s okay, I¡¯ll soon let you know that offending me is the biggest mistake you¡¯ve ever made."


    "Really?" Ling Chen replied indifferently with a smile, "Well, I¡¯ve made many mistakes in my life, one more won¡¯t matter."


    "You two!" Liu Haicheng pointed at his two bodyguards, instructing them, and they immediately retreated. Shortly after, they found the restaurant manager, and although it¡¯s unclear what they said, the manager nodded repeatedly, quickly calling all the waiters over.


    Soon, waiters approached dining customers with apologetic smiles. After about ten minutes, all the guests in the restaurant were asked to leave, leaving only Ling Chen, Nanrong Wanqing, Liu Haicheng, and his two bodyguards in the huge restaurant.


    Seeing Ling Chen and Nanrong Wanqing unaffected at all, Liu Haicheng sneered, walking to a dining table by himself. A bodyguard immediately stepped forward, pulling a few napkins from his pocket, wiping the table spotless. The other bodyguard walked over with tea, pouring a cup and cing it in front of Liu Haicheng.


    About half an hourter, Ling Chen and Nanrong Wanqing were satisfied, having devoured all four dishespletely.


    Patting his full belly, Ling Chen nced at Liu Haicheng sitting not far away, smiling, "Mr. Liu, have your people not arrived yet?"

 Chapter 1310 - 1618: Strength in Numbers (Part 1)

    <h4>Chapter 1310: Chapter 1618: Strength in Numbers (Part 1)</h4>


    Facing Ling Chen¡¯s provocation, Liu Haicheng¡¯s face darkened with anger, about to speak, when the sound of cars stopping came from the restaurant entrance.


    Liu Haicheng¡¯s eyes lit up, with a smug smile, he slowly stood up from his chair, arrogantly looking at Ling Chen and said, "You want to die, I¡¯ll grant your wish." As he finished speaking, a group of people rushed into the restaurant entrance, each wearing suits, with burly builds and fierce auras.


    "President Liu." A leading man in a suit quickly walked to Liu Haicheng¡¯s side, respectfully called out.


    Liu Haicheng pointed at Ling Chen, coldly said, "It¡¯s this kid, don¡¯t let me see him again. Understand?"


    "Yes!" The man in the suit responded, gave a signal to the crowd behind him. In the blink of an eye, more than ten men in suits surrounded Ling Chen.


    "Are you going to leave on your own, or do you want me to throw you out?" The leading man in the suit stared directly at Ling Chen, with a disdainful tone, not taking Ling Chen seriously at all.


    Ling Chen shrugged, with a forced smile, said, "We¡¯re all civilized people, why resort to violence? I¡¯d say, let¡¯s sit down, have a cup of tea, and chat about life, don¡¯t you think?"


    "Who the hell wants to chat about life with you, you¡¯re looking for a beating. Guys, give him a good lesson, strip him down, and throw him out in the street."


    "Got it."


    "Boss!" At this time, a young man walked into the restaurant entrance, with a cigarette in his mouth, wearing a nose ring and earrings, looking alternative, followed by dozens of tattooed men. By their looks, you could tell they were street youths. Moreover, they all had rolled-up newspapers in their hands, who knows what was inside.


    Seeing so many street youthse in, the restaurant owner quickly greeted them with a smile, "Yang, what wind brought you here?" Pausing for a moment, the owner nced at the imposing group of street youths behind, and said nervously, "Yang, I¡¯ve done everything for this month, you..."


    The youth called ¡¯Yang¡¯ found a seat and sat down, flicked his cigarette ash, said, "Boss, don¡¯t be scared, I¡¯m not here to cause you trouble. It¡¯s noon, the brothers are hungry. Go, prepare some tables of food for me, I have big things to doter, don¡¯t waste my time."


    Seeing the restaurant suddenly upied by so many street youths, Liu Haicheng frowned. Especially the smell of smoke lingering in the restaurant made him very ufortable.


    "Boss." Liu Haicheng coldly said, "I¡¯ve booked the entire restaurant, make this group leave immediately."


    Hearing this, the owner looked troubled, about to exin, when Yangughed out loud, "Yo! Who¡¯s this guy, daring to tell me to get out? You should go out and ask around, do you know who I, Yang, am? Listen, pretty boy, this area is all under my control. Come bow to me and call me grandpa, and I¡¯ll pretend you didn¡¯t say anything. Otherwise... hmph!"


    Liu Haicheng scoffed, "What do you want to do? You¡¯re just a little thug, daring to act out in front of me." Saying this, Liu Haicheng took out a check from his suit pocket, casually wrote a number on it, and threw it on the ground, "Here¡¯s a million, consider it dog food money from me to you. Take the money and get lost, don¡¯t interfere with my business."


    "A million?" Yang¡¯s eyes gleamed slightly, he turned to signal his sidekick. Thetter understood, immediately picked up the check from the ground, and handed it to their boss. Looking at the string of zeros on the check, Yang¡¯s smile became even brighter.


    "Not bad! Not bad!" Yang nodded and said, "This gentleman, you¡¯re right, I am indeed a dog, specializing in biting for others. But dogs recognize owners, not easily bought by a little money." Saying this, with a ripping sound, Yang tore the check in half and threw it on the ground.


    "I¡¯m still saying the same thing,e here, bow to me, call me grandpa, and I¡¯ll forgive your previous insolence."


    Liu Haicheng sneered, arrogantly said, "You think you¡¯re worthy? You must be tired of living. Teach this bastard a good lesson!"


    As soon as he said this, the dozen or so suit-wearing bodyguards initially surrounding Ling Chen immediately targeted Yang. Seeing these bodyguards rushing toward him, Yang smirked, blew out a mouthful of smoke, and softly uttered two words, "Seeking death!"


    In an instant, dozens of young men swarmed forward, instantly surrounding the group of suit-wearing bodyguards.


    In terms of numbers, these street youths had an absolute advantage. Besides, these youths had things in their hands, with a fierce momentum, but those bodyguards¡¯ fists were even scarier. Within just a few exchanges, seven or eight street youths were knocked down, although a few bodyguards were also injured, lying on the ground with blood flowing.


    "Damn it." The street youths became more furious as they fought, and the swearing filled the whole restaurant.


    A few minutes passed, the dozen bodyguards finally pushed back the street youths, but they were all wounded, looking pale.


    Watching his men retreat in defeat, Yang seemed unmoved, lighting another cigarette, pped his hands, "Not bad! Your bodyguards are quite strong. But, when I fight, I never go solo, I prefer winning by numbers."


    The sidekick standing nearby understood, immediately blew a whistle toward the restaurant¡¯s outside. Suddenly, another twenty or thirty people rushed in from the door.


    Seeing this scene, the expressions of the dozen bodyguards turned grim. In their current condition, they couldn¡¯t handle so many people. Continuing to fight, they might not even keep their lives.


    At this moment, Liu Haicheng also realized the problem, involuntarily took two steps back, fearing those street youths woulde after him. He regretted it a little, knowing this, he should¡¯ve called more people to help earlier.


    "Hey! I say, what are you hiding for?" Sitting on the chair, Yang pointed at Liu Haicheng, "You,e here."


    Liu Haicheng maintained a stern face, "Don¡¯t be too arrogant, what¡¯s the big deal about having more people, this is a gang fight, I can call the police to arrest you."


    "You want to arrest me?" Yang was stunned for a moment, thenughed out loud, "Oh my! Brothers, did you hear that? He wants to arrest me, I¡¯m so scared." Laughing, Yang suddenly stood up, grabbed a cup from the table, and hurled it hard at Liu Haicheng.


    Immediately, there was a cry of "Ouch," Liu Haicheng clutching his forehead, shouted loudly. Looking closely, blood was seeping through his fingers, rushing out.


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 1311 - 1619: Outnumbered (2)

    <h4>Chapter 1311: Chapter 1619: Outnumbered (2)</h4>


    Seeing Liu Haicheng injured, Nanrong Wanqing couldn¡¯t help but feel worried. She got up and walked over to Ling Chen, tugging at his sleeve, and said, "Can you help out a bit? Liu Haicheng has a strong background; even I wouldn¡¯t dare to casually provoke him. If something really happens to him here, we won¡¯t be able to escape responsibility."


    "You want me to help him?"


    Nanrong Wanqing gently nodded and said, "In a way, he vented your anger for you by getting hurt like this, there¡¯s no need to blow this out of proportion."


    "Are you afraid he¡¯ll cause you trouble?" Ling Chen asked.


    "I¡¯m not afraid. Although the Great Pacific Shipping Company is a Fortune 500pany, their foundation in Huaxia is far less than that of our Hongyu Group. The reason Liu Haicheng knows me is because their family wants to expand their business in Huaxia, so they approached Hongyu Group for cooperation discussions."


    Ling Chen smiled slightly, "As long as you¡¯re not afraid, there¡¯s no need to worry about me. Even if he bes the heir of a Fortune 500pany, I¡¯d still deal with him. Didn¡¯t I just say that I¡¯ll handle these guys? You just sit back and watch."


    Hearing this, Nanrong Wanqing chose not to say more and sat quietly beside him.


    "You... you dare to hurt me." Liu Haicheng removed his hand from his forehead, revealing a wound about six centimeters long above his left eyebrow, with blood continuously flowing from it, staining half of his face, making him look especially grim and terrifying.


    "Get him, kill him for me." Liu Haicheng pointed at Yang and shouted angrily.


    However, more than a dozen bodyguards stood in ce, motionless. In their current situation, they wouldn¡¯t dare act unless seeking death. Besides, even if they dared to act, they wouldn¡¯t dare actually kill the other party. They didn¡¯t have the guts to do something like that.


    "What are you all standing around for? Hurry up and get him." Liu Haicheng cursed, "A bunch of useless fools, what did I spend so much money hiring you for?"


    "Hmph!" Yang sneered, "Want to kill me? I doubt you have the capability." After speaking, he gestured to his subordinates.


    Immediately, several young men stepped forward quickly, heading straight for Liu Haicheng. The suited bodyguards, seeing this, feared their employer might be harmed, so they rushed up to try to block their way. However, someone had already been watching their movements. Seeing them move, they immediately surrounded them.


    At this moment, several young men reached Liu Haicheng, ignoring his resistance, and two of them forcibly dragged him to Yang¡¯s feet. Meanwhile, one young man lifted his foot and kicked Liu Haicheng¡¯s kneecaps twice. Liu Haicheng¡¯s legs gave out, and he fell to his knees in front of Yang.


    Yang nodded with a smile, "Good, that¡¯s better."


    "You..." Liu Haicheng roared angrily, struggling to stand, but with someone pressing down on his shoulders from both sides, he was no match alone and could only kneel obediently on the ground.


    "Now, call me grandpa, let me hear it." Yang put his ear close to Liu Haicheng and said.


    Liu Haicheng gritted his teeth and said with a fierce expression, "Do you know who I am? Once I get out of here, I¡¯ll make sure you wish you were dead."


    Yang said tly, "If that¡¯s the case, then I can¡¯t let you walk out of here alive today." With that, he reached out, and a subordinate immediately handed him a dagger.


    Seeing the dagger slowly approaching, Liu Haicheng¡¯s face changed, and he screamed in terror, "What... what do you want to do?"


    "What do you think I want to do? Weren¡¯t you just threatening me? I¡¯m most afraid of threats, so for the sake of my own life, it¡¯s better to kill you, sparing myself future trouble." As he said this, Yang ced the sharp knife against Liu Haicheng¡¯s face, slowly moving it toward his throat.


    Feeling the chill from the knife, Liu Haicheng couldn¡¯t help but shiver. Cold sweat poured down his forehead, his face turning pale with fright.


    "No! No... let¡¯s talk this out...," Liu Haicheng swallowed hard and stammered, "I... I promise you, as long as you let me go, I... I won¡¯t cause you trouble."


    Yang smiled yfully and said, "How am I supposed to believe you?"


    "This..."


    "I¡¯m all too familiar with people like you. Your words are as worthless as farting. So, I need a guarantee that will make me believe, not just your word." Yang thought for a while and suddenly curled his lips into a mocking smile, "How about this, you do a striptease in front of us while I record it. If you dare to trouble meter, I¡¯ll release the video. How about that?"


    "No, no, I..." Liu Haicheng started to refuse, but seeing the coldness in Yang¡¯s eyes, he swallowed his words.


    "Hurry up and dance, I don¡¯t have all day," Yang impatiently urged.


    At this moment, Liu Haicheng really wanted to cry. Having to strip dance in front of so many people would be utterly humiliating. But considering his life, he had no other choice. If he wanted to leave here alive, he had toply with Yang¡¯s request.


    By then, Yang had already instructed someone to take out a phone and start recording.


    Cough, cough!


    Suddenly, a cough was heard, and everyone¡¯s eyes turned to Ling Chen.


    "Guys, there¡¯s ady here, shouldn¡¯t you consider her feelings?"


    Hearing this, Yang nodded with a smile, "Don¡¯t worry, we¡¯ll be mindful. Guys, gather around him and spare thedy from disgrace."


    As his clothes came off one by one, theughter grew louder. Nearly everyone took out their phones, recording Liu Haicheng¡¯s humiliating strip dance. Before long, Liu Haicheng waspletely naked except for a pair of underwear.


    "Take it off! Take it off!"


    "Take it off! Take it off!"


    The crowd shouted excitedly.


    Liu Haicheng desperately shook his head, refusing to strip further. Yang yed with the dagger in his hand and said with a smile, "Don¡¯t want to strip? No problem, I¡¯ll have the guys carry you out onto the street for everyone to see."


    Seeing a few young men ready to move, Liu Haicheng was terrified, hurriedly waving his hands, "No, I¡¯ll... I¡¯ll strip!" He said as he closed his eyes, reached out with trembling hands, and grabbed his underwear.


    When his underwear fell to the ground, everyone began toment on his nakedness, making Liu Haicheng wish he could find a hole to crawl into out of shame.

 Chapter 1312 - 1620: More Than People (3)

    <h4>Chapter 1312: Chapter 1620: More Than People (3)</h4>


    "Alright! Put your clothes back on."


    Hearing Yang¡¯s voice, Liu Haicheng felt as if he¡¯d heard the voice of salvation. He hurriedly pulled on his pants. In less than ten seconds, he was fully dressed again, his speed unmatched.


    "Buddy, not bad. Considering how cooperative you¡¯ve been, I¡¯ll let you off this time. But before I let you go, you need to apologize to someone."


    Liu Haicheng nodded and didn¡¯t say a word. He had already done a strip dance; what else couldn¡¯t he do? His only thought now was to leave this restaurant as soon as possible and never see these people again. If he could, he would want to tear this group apart to vent his hatred.


    However, thinking about the video these guys recorded, Liu Haicheng couldn¡¯t help but feel a bit scared. If these people really posted the video online, he wouldn¡¯t be able to face anyone. His connections with the upper ss would be over, forever disgraced.


    "Follow me." Yang beckoned to Liu Haicheng and led him straight to Ling Chen.


    Seeing Ling Chen before him, Liu Haicheng couldn¡¯t help but pause. What did this guy bring him here for? Could it be... was he supposed to apologize to Ling Chen?


    Just as he was thinking this, Yang suddenly changed from his earlier arrogant demeanor to a respectful one, bowing and saying solemnly, "Mr. Ling, I¡¯m Zhang Yang. Sorry for arriving a bitte and scaring you."


    Ling Chen waved his hand, smiling, "No worries, you came just in time." Then, Ling Chen turned to Liu Haicheng with an amused smile, "Nice performance just now. I¡¯ve recorded it to share with my friendster. I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll be very interested."


    Hearing this, Liu Haicheng¡¯s face twisted in anger, and he yelled, "You..."


    Smack!


    Before Liu Haicheng could finish, a loud p echoed, instantly leaving a bright red handprint on his face. The one who pped him was none other than Zhang Yang. Zhang Yang red at Liu Haicheng and said sternly, "Shut up and show some respect in front of Mr. Ling. Remember, if Mr. Ling wants you to disappear, you wouldn¡¯t live to see tomorrow¡¯s sunrise, no matter what."


    "Enough! The lesson¡¯s been taught, no need to trouble him further," Ling Chen remarked. "Mr. Liu, please remember, Wanqing is my woman. Stay away from her, or don¡¯t me me for being impolite if I catch you harassing her again."


    Liu Haicheng kept his head down, silent, not knowing if he took Ling Chen¡¯s words to heart.


    "You may go now."


    Liu Haicheng heard these three words clearly. As soon as Ling Chen finished, he immediately turned and walked out, not even acknowledging the suited bodyguards.


    "You¡¯re Zhang Yang, right? Well done today, thanks for helping me out," Ling Chen said with a smile.


    "You¡¯re too kind, Mr. Ling. It¡¯s my honor to serve you," Zhang Yang replied excitedly. "If you need anything in the future, just let me know, no matter what challenge, I¡¯ll face it without hesitation."


    In Beijing, perhaps many people were unaware of Ling Chen¡¯s identity, but Zhang Yang knew very well. Ling Chen, after Hong Wei, held sway over the city¡¯s entire underground scene. About sixty percent of the entertainment venues here belonged to Ling Chen, with countless people under hismand. If this incident hadn¡¯t happened on his turf, Zhang Yang might never have had the chance to meet Ling Chen.


    "Alright, you¡¯ve worked hard. I¡¯ll have Kai give you some reward."


    "Thank you, Mr. Ling. If there¡¯s nothing else, we¡¯ll take our leave."


    "Go ahead."


    After watching Zhang Yang and his group leave, Ling Chen turned back, looking at Nanrong Wanqing, who was seated in the booth, and smiled, "We¡¯ve eaten, the show is over, shall we go now?"


    Nanrong Wanqing stood up, giving Ling Chen a yful scold, "Those people were all your doing, why didn¡¯t you give me a heads-up?"


    Ling Chen shrugged, "I wasn¡¯t sure if it was them. I just sent Kai a text, who knew who he¡¯d send."


    "You¡¯re so skilled, those guys couldn¡¯t have been your match. Why didn¡¯t you handle it yourself instead ofplicating things?"


    "That wouldn¡¯t be right," Ling Chen adjusted his cor and said, "I have a status now, not just anyone is worth my effort."


    "Look at yourself," Nanrong Wanqing rolled her eyes at Ling Chen, "Just because you¡¯re a chairman now, you think you¡¯re all that."


    Ling Chen smiled meaningfully, "Not just anyone can be this chairman. In all of Beijing, very few can take my seat." As he spoke, Ling Chen took Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s hand naturally and asked, "Where to next?"


    Feeling the warmth from Ling Chen¡¯s palm, Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s face blushed slightly, softly saying, "Up to you, I¡¯ve nothing this afternoon, anywhere is fine."


    "Then..." Ling Chen pondered, his eyes lighting up, "How abouting to my ce?"


    "Your ce?" Nanrong Wanqing paused, her face instantly turning red. She quickly shook off Ling Chen¡¯s hand, shyly saying, "You rogue!"


    "How am I a rogue?" Ling Chen felt wronged, "I was just inviting you to visit Falcon Security Company, what were you thinking? Don¡¯t tell me you were..." Ling Chen smirked, teasingly, "Don¡¯t tell me your mind went there? Tsk tsk! So your thoughts are dirtier than mine..."


    "Stop talking!" Nanrong Wanqing interrupted, ring, "You¡¯re the one who said to visit your ce, how¡¯s that my fault?"


    "I don¡¯t have a property in Beijing, of course, I live at thepany," Ling Chen exined.


    "Alright then! Let¡¯s go." With that, Ling Chen took Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s hand again and started walking out. At this moment, the restaurant manager hurried over with a smile, "Take care,e again, next time I¡¯ll give you a fifty percent discount."


    The restaurant manager had seen everything that happened, aware that Ling Chen¡¯s identity wasn¡¯t simple, so it was right to cozy up a bit.


    Ling Chen smiled slightly, "Boss, I¡¯ll certainlye by if I have the chance, goodbye!"


    "Okay..." The restaurant manager just started to speak, not finishing his words when his eyes widened, and a spray of blood gushed from his throat, nearly sshing Ling Chen and Nanrong Wanqing.


    Watching the restaurant manager fall stiffly, Ling Chen¡¯s face changed. Looking closely, a throwing knife was embedded in the manager¡¯s throat, a vital spot.


    Who did this?


    Ling Chen quickly turned his gaze towards the restaurant entrance.

 Chapter 1313 - 1621: Surrounded by Enemies

    <h4>Chapter 1313: Chapter 1621: Surrounded by Enemies</h4>


    However, there was no one at the hotel entrance, and it was unclear who dealt the deadly blow. "Ling Chen, this..." Looking at the hotel manager lying in a pool of blood, Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s face turned pale, and her voice started to tremble.


    Ling Chen squinted, his expression grave, staring intently outside the door. The opponent used throwing knives, indicating that the assassin was definitely someone from the martial arts world. However, this wasn¡¯t Ling Chen¡¯s biggest concern. Su He, Qin Chuan... Could it be they¡¯vee knocking?


    Thinking of this, Ling Chen hesitated slightly before grabbing Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s hand and rushing out of the hotel. As soon as they exited the hotel, Ling Chen nced around, watching their surroundings vigntly to prevent anyone from ambushing them. Safe! After quickly analyzing the situation, Ling Chen didn¡¯t pause and immediately led Nanrong Wanqing to where they parked the car.


    Getting into the car, Ling Chen quickly started the engine and mmed his foot on the elerator. Apanied by a sharp screech of tires, the car¡¯s hood shot forward like a speeding arrow, racing down the street.


    Before long, the car¡¯s speed reached a hundred kilometers per hour. Although they left the hotel area, Ling Chen still couldn¡¯t afford to be careless. If Su He or Qin Chuan were truly after him as he suspected, he must be extra cautious. As Heavenly List masters, no one knows where they might appear next.


    After more than ten minutes, Ling Chen and Nanrong Wanqing arrived safely at Falcon Private Security Company.


    Before they entered, Zhu Qing and Chen Junfeng hurried out from thepany to meet them. Ling Chen had notified them by phone on the way, so the two were already waiting at thepany entrance.


    Returning to the chairman¡¯s office, Ling Chen let out a long breath, slowly rxing. Truth be told, he was really scared earlier. If Su He had acted, he¡¯d have no hope of survival; the title of world¡¯s best is not for nothing.


    After resting for a while, Ling Chen nced at Nanrong Wanqing standing by the window, got up, walked over to her side, and asked, "What are you thinking about?"


    "Nothing." Nanrong Wanqing lightly shook her head and asked, "Did you encounter some danger?"


    "What¡¯s wrong?"


    "On the way back, I could tell you were very scared. Having known you for so long, you¡¯ve always been confident in whatever you do, with nothing you couldn¡¯t handle. But this time is different; I feel like you can¡¯t do anything but evade."


    Hearing this, Ling Chen couldn¡¯t help but smile, "They say women¡¯s intuition is very urate, and it¡¯s true. But you don¡¯t need to worry too much. Although I can¡¯t resolve it now, it doesn¡¯t mean I can¡¯t in the future. Let¡¯s go, I¡¯ll take you for a tour around here. We might have a chance to cooperate in the future."


    "Cooperate?" Nanrong Wanqing looked at Ling Chen in disbelief and asked, "What kind of cooperation?"


    "Falcon Private Security Company providesprehensive security services to our clients. Your Hongyu Group has so manypanies, surely they need security personnel? And you, you¡¯re now a famous entrepreneur, but your security force is too weak. I think it¡¯s time to enhance your security. Ourpany¡¯s security personnel are professional and quite capable, why don¡¯t I assign a team to you. How does that sound?"


    "Isn¡¯t that a bit inappropriate?" Nanrong Wanqing thought for a moment and said, "For years, my safety has been handled by Zhong Wei and Liang Chaohui, I¡¯ve already got used to them protecting me. If it changes to someone else, I fear I might not get used to it."


    "I¡¯m not asking you to fire the two of them. Captain Zhong and Brother Liang are excellent people, very capable." Ling Chen said. He had a good impression of Zhong Wei and Liang Chaohui. Among Hongyu Group¡¯s many security personnel, only Zhong Wei and Liang Chaohui have stayed consistently by Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s side, while others didn¡¯tst long.


    "I¡¯m worried they won¡¯t get along with people from Falcon Company."


    Ling Chen smiled slightly, "That¡¯s not a problem. I¡¯ve already thought it over, let Captain Zhong and Brother Liang join Falcon Private Security Company. I will arrange a managerial position for Captain Zhong at thepany, specifically responsible for your personal safety. This way, he can manage people from Falcon Company and earn two generous sries. What do you think?"


    Regarding Ling Chen¡¯s suggestion, Nanrong Wanqing nodded and said, "Alright, I¡¯ll discuss it with them when I go back and see what they think."


    "Okay."


    After staying at Falcon Company for a short while, Ling Chen arranged for a car to take Nanrong Wanqing back. Hongyu United Investment Company had just achieved a major victory, and many things needed handling. As chairman, Nanrong Wanqing had a lot to attend to.


    "Mr. Ling, what on earth happened today?" After Nanrong Wanqing left, Zhu Qing and Chen Junfeng came to the office to inquire about Ling Chen¡¯s situation.


    "I think it¡¯s a warning." Ling Chen pondered for a while before speaking, "No matter who it is, we mustn¡¯t lower our guard."


    "Could it be Su He?"


    "I initially thought so too, but after thinking carefully, I felt it wasn¡¯t him." Ling Chen analyzed, "With Su He¡¯s ability, he wouldn¡¯t need such methods; he could just kill me directly. But he hasn¡¯t shown up, so I think the likelihood it¡¯s him is low."


    "That¡¯s strange then." Zhu Qing frowned and said, "If it¡¯s not Su He, then who could it be?"


    "I have so many enemies, it could be anyone. Anyway, everyone needs to be cautious during this period and avoid any mistakes." After pausing, Ling Chen changed the subject, asking, "By the way! How¡¯s the development of the Dragon Tiger Hall branches going?"


    Currently, Dragon Tiger Hall¡¯s renown has spread through the martial arts world and might support the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion. Seizing this opportunity, it¡¯s time to advance the branch construction of Dragon Tiger Hall. Ling Chen discussed with Tong Zhentian and the others; since money isn¡¯t an issue now, and with Dragon Tiger Hall¡¯s current fame, people are bound to flock to it enthusiastically. After discussion, they decided to establish three Dragon Tiger Hall branches in Huaxia. Aside from the Beijing branch, the other two branches are located in economically prosperous cities.


    "The locations have been chosen, and the construction team is working day and night to finish quickly." Chen Junfeng replied.


    "That¡¯s best." After tidying up, Ling Chen got up saying, "I need to go out, you guyse with me."


    Zhu Qing asked, "Where to?"


    "To the Guo Family."


    Recently, Ling Chen has made no progress on practicing the Prajnaparamita Sutra. Facing the opponents he needs to deal with next, Ling Chen couldn¡¯t help but feel anxious. Steel must be hard, and instead of relying on others for protection, it¡¯s better to strengthen himself. (Busy, another 2 Chapters updating in the afternoon)


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 1314 - 1622: The Safest Place (Part 1)

    <h4>Chapter 1314: Chapter 1622: The Safest ce (Part 1)</h4>


    At this moment, at the highway exit entering East Sea City, the traffic was bustling. Arge truck slowly approached, parking at the end of a queue, waiting to pay the toll to enter the city.


    Inside the truck¡¯s cabin were three people. Besides the bearded driver, there was a young man in his twenties with a handsome appearance wearing sunsses. The other was a middle-aged man around thirty or forty, dressed in an ordinary suit, constantly looking down at his phone.


    Before long, the truck smoothly passed through the highway exit. However, shortly after driving a distance, they saw several police cars parked ahead, setting up a temporary checkpoint where every vehicle had to undergo inspection.


    Seeing the inspection sign ahead, the young man slightly furrowed his brows, a trace of worry on his face.


    "Damn! There¡¯s an inspection." The bearded driver cursed resentfully.


    "What should we do?" the young man asked worriedly, "Is there going to be a problem?" Speaking, the young man nced back at the cars behind them; there¡¯s no way to retreat.


    "Rx, it¡¯s not the first time encountering something like this. Trust me, they won¡¯t find anything."


    When it was the truck¡¯s turn, a policeman waved his hand, signaling the bearded driver to turn the truck off. Subsequently, a police dog led by the officer inspected the truck carefully. After a while, a policeman patted the truck door, asking everyone in the cabin to get out.


    "Officer." The bearded driver smiled obsequiously, pulling a pack of cigarettes from his pocket, taking one out to offer, "You¡¯ve worked hard, have a cigarette."


    The policeman pushed the hand away, refusing the cigarette directly, asking, "What¡¯s in the cargo hold?"


    "Nothing much, just some daily supplies."


    "Show me the documents, and also give me your IDs." The policeman pointed at the young man and the middle-aged man.


    The three said nothing and handed their documents to the policeman. Afterparing them, the policeman said, "Open the cargo hold, we need to check."


    "Yes, yes." The bearded man nodded, hurriedly going around to the back of the cargo hold and opened the door. The young man and the middle-aged man exchanged a nce, both showing a trace of worry in their eyes. They knew well what was loaded in the cargo hold, worried the police might discover it.


    At this moment, the policeman had already climbed into the cargo hold, inspecting the goods inside. Therge cargo hold was stacked with dozens of big cardboard boxes. The policeman selected a few boxes and found they contained only toilet paper and some daily supplies.


    "Officer, we¡¯re still waiting to make our delivery. Can we go now?" the bearded man asked.


    "Go ahead."


    "Thank you! Thank you!" The bearded man grinned, hurriedly expressing gratitude, signaling the young man and the middle-aged man to get back into the truck quickly.


    As the truck restarted, the young man and the middle-aged man finally breathed a sigh of relief.


    "Boss, where are we heading?" the bearded man asked.


    The young man pulled out a slip of paper from his pocket, handing it to the bearded man, saying, "To this address."


    The bearded man took a nce, frowned, and said, "Are you with Boss Jiang¡¯s people?"


    "Who¡¯s Boss Jiang?"


    "Jiang Hao, you don¡¯t know who he is? Everyone in East Sea City recognizes Jiang Hao, Zhao Zhengxiong. They¡¯re the heads of the underground forces here. The ce you¡¯re heading is Boss Jiang¡¯s turf."


    "So that¡¯s who you mean." The young man nodded, "I¡¯ve heard of them and even dealt with them before."


    "Really?" The bearded man¡¯s eyes lit up, asking excitedly, "You dealt with Boss Jiang before? Hey! Buddy, you got any ways to introduce me inside? If I could follow Boss Jiang, I wouldn¡¯t be driving trucks."


    The young man said expressionlessly, "I told you, it was a long time ago. Back then, Jiang Hao was just a small-time thug; I bet he¡¯s forgotten who I was."


    "True, now he¡¯s the boss, with hundreds of underlings. He wouldn¡¯t remember someone insignificant like you."


    Upon hearing ¡¯someone insignificant,¡¯ the young man¡¯s eye twitched slightly, a cold light shing. Back then, Jiang Hao and those guys really were insignificant; he never even paid attention to them. Now, those nobodies had all grown up, yet he had be insignificant. Thinking about the years he spent, his heart was full of hatred.


    If it weren¡¯t for that bastard Ling Chen, he wouldn¡¯t have fallen to this state.


    After driving for about an hour, the truck finally reached its destination. Getting out, the young man nced outside through the window, then grabbed a baseball cap and put it on his head. After getting out of the truck, the young man went straight to the bungalow at the back of the truck, opened the roller shutter door.


    Once the truck pulled inside the roller shutter door, the young man immediately closed the door, calling the bearded man and the middle-aged man to unload the stuff from the cargo hold.


    After clearing out therge boxes containing toilet paper, they saw severalrge metal containers inside the cargo hold. The three of them exerted all their strength to move those heavy metal containers out.


    "Boss, what¡¯s in these that¡¯s so heavy?" the bearded man asked breathlessly.


    The young man coldly said, "It¡¯s best not to ask what you shouldn¡¯t ask."


    "Fine, I won¡¯t ask." The bearded man indifferently shrugged, saying, "Boss, I¡¯ve delivered the goods; ording to our agreement, you should settle the transportation fee."


    "Wait! I¡¯ll give you the money right away." Saying this, the young man grabbed his backpack, reached inside. Suddenly, the young man pulled out a dagger from his backpack and fiercely threw it, hitting the bearded man in the chest.


    Witnessing this sudden scene, the middle-aged man beside him flinched, "What are you doing?"


    "Rx, he won¡¯t die yet." The young man walked straight to the bearded man, pulling out the dagger, "I smeared poison on the de. He¡¯s just knocked out."


    The middle-aged man said solemnly, "We¡¯re already in enough trouble. Why create more issues?"


    "Our experiment needs subjects, and since we have one right here, why go elsewhere to find them? Besides, he knows our location. For confidentiality, he must stay here." The young man said ndly, "Set up your equipment, and check to see if there¡¯s any problem with our ¡¯goods¡¯."


    The middle-aged man dared not defy the young man¡¯smand, nodded, and asked, "When will those devices I need be delivered?"


    "Don¡¯t worry about that; I¡¯ve already arranged it. I¡¯ll drive over to bring themter."


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 1315 - 1623: The Safest Place (Part 2)

    <h4>Chapter 1315: Chapter 1623: The Safest ce (Part 2)</h4>


    While the middle-aged man was checking the equipment, the young man drove therge truck away on his own.


    Two hourster, the truck slowly entered the rolling shutter door. Besides the young man, there was now an old man in the passenger seat. After getting out of the vehicle, the two of them directly opened the cargo door and began unloading therge wooden crates from inside.


    "Dr. Chen, these are the devices you requested. They may not be as advanced as the ones provided by the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, but they should be sufficient," the young man said.


    This young man was none other than Zhu Hong, who had previously escaped from the Skyhawk Pavilion base. As for the middle-aged man, he was Dr. Chen, Chen Yunxiang, who left the base along with Zhu Hong and was responsible for theboratory. Ever since knowing his identity, Zhu Hong deliberately kept him around to continue researching Ling Gengqiu¡¯s severed limb.


    Chen Yunxiang had hesitated too, but the opportunity to continue his research made him choose to stay.


    After inspecting the equipment Zhu Hong brought back, Chen Yunxiang nodded slightly and said, "This equipment will do, but I still need some assistance."


    "Do you have anyone in mind?"


    "I¡¯ve trained quite a few students in the past, and some of them are working in East Sea City. I can ask them to help. Rest assured, they are all trustworthy people."


    Zhu Hong pondered for a moment, then nodded slightly and said, "You can get help, but let me make one thing clear upfront: if any of them leak the secret, don¡¯t me me for being ruthless."


    "I understand."


    "Master," Zhu Hong turned to the old man and said, "we also need some trustworthy hands now. Can you find anyone?"


    "As far as I know, Song Mingzhe and Chu Huaiyang are still alive. However, they seem to have joined the Dragon Tiger Hall. I¡¯m afraid they won¡¯t be of use to us anymore. So, in terms of manpower..." Chen Quan contemted and said, "It¡¯s not that there¡¯s no one, but... those people are hard to manage. I¡¯m afraid that bringing them in would not only be unhelpful but could also backfire."


    "Why is that?"


    "Those people are scoundrels in martial arts. Though skilled, each is unruly and hard to convince to follow your orders unless you fulfill all their demands."


    Hearing this, Zhu Hong confidently replied with a smile, "As long as they have demands, there should be no problem. Tell them that as long as they are willing to serve me, I can meet any of their demands."


    "Alright, I¡¯ll ry your message. But as for their willingness, I can¡¯t guarantee that."


    "Just tell them I have something that can make them stronger. I¡¯m confident they¡¯ll agree."


    After Chen Quan left, Chen Yunxiang approached Zhu Hong and said, "Mr. Zhu, the thing you mentioned is still in the experimental phase, with only a thirty percent sess rate. It¡¯s not ready for use yet, you..."


    Before Chen Yunxiang could finish, Zhu Hong waved his hand dismissively and interrupted, "That¡¯s not your concern. Just follow my instructions." With that, Zhu Hong walked to the window and wiped the dust off the ss with his hand, then looked out.


    Outside their location was directly opposite a nightclub, which hadn¡¯t opened yet since it was daytime, although some staff were seen busy at the entrance. Looking at the scene outside, Zhu Hong¡¯s lips curled into a cold, menacing smile.


    He knew East Sea City was Ling Chen¡¯s territory, and precisely because of that, he decided toe here. Moreover, the ce he rented was right under Ling Chen¡¯s nose. It was undoubtedly the safest ce for now; Ling Chen would probably never expect him to settle in the most dangerous area.


    Pulling the curtains closed, Zhu Hong turned to Chen Yunxiang again. By then, the bearded man had already been tied to a metal bed, with his mouth stuffed to prevent him from making any noise that might attract attention from outside. Chen Yunxiang picked up a syringe and injected all of the purple liquid into the bearded man¡¯s body.


    In an instant, the bearded man, who had been in aa, suddenly opened his eyes. His entire body was now bulging with veins, looking exceptionally grotesque and terrifying.


    Grunts and muffled roars emerged from his throat, and were it not for the rag stuffed in his mouth, his teeth would likely have been shattered from clenching.


    Observing the data disyed on the equipment, Chen Yunxiang asionally jotted down notes, seemingly indifferent to the bearded man¡¯s agony. Once in work mode, nothing else seemed to matter to him but the data.


    In just a few minutes, the bearded man¡¯s veins had burst, and his whole body was covered in blood. Due to excessive blood loss, he soon fell silent, with all signs of life now reading zero.


    "Test subject deceased," Chen Yunxiang said calmly, as if life itself held no value in his eyes. Or perhaps... he had grown numb to such situations after experiencing them so many times.


    Putting down the notepad, Chen Yunxiang turned to Zhu Hong and said, "Mr. Zhu, this experiment was aimed at verifying some of my theories. However, data from a single test subject is too limited. I need more data to reach an urate conclusion."


    Zhu Hong smiled and said, "This is East Sea City; however many test subjects you need is not a problem. Continue your work, and tomorrow morning I will deliver the test subjects you require." With that, Zhu Hong turned and walked out.


    In the blink of an eye, a week passed.


    Ling Chen¡¯s life had settled into a routine. During this period, he had stayed at the Falcon Private Security Company, dealing with various affairs. These matters involved not only Falcon Company but also the Dragon Tiger Hall and other aspects.


    By now, Ling Chen¡¯s assets could be described as astronomical, and his influence was at its peak. The rise of the Dragon Tiger Hall gave Ling Chen significant influence in the Martial Arts world. Currently, the word of Dragon Tiger Hall held more sway than even the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion. In addition to Dragon Tiger Hall, Ling Chen¡¯s perfect transformation from a subordinate to a leader waspleted by his bases in the desert and the underground forces in East Sea City and Beijing.


    Recently, during every conference call, Tong Zhentian had always advised Ling Chen that, as a leader, it was unnecessary to handle everything personally or rush to the forefront. In his position, safety was paramount.


    To ensure Ling Chen¡¯s safety, Tong Zhentian even sent Ji Gang to Beijing to join Chen Junfeng in overseeing his security.


    Ling Chen found Tong Zhentian¡¯s arrangements hard to ept. Nevertheless, he understood, because he wasn¡¯t living just for himself anymore; tens of thousands of people relied on him for their livelihoods. If anything happened to him, chaos would ensue.

 Chapter 1316 - 1624: Fake Boyfriend (1)

    <h4>Chapter 1316: Chapter 1624: Fake Boyfriend (1)</h4>


    "Shiyun has a boyfriend?" Ling Chen watched the entertainment news ying on the TV and was suddenly surprised. This... how is this possible? Tang Shiyun has been in the industry for so long and has never had any rtionship rumors. From the news report, it seems credible, and there¡¯s even paparazzi shots of Tang Shiyun going shopping and watching movies with her boyfriend. Could it be just a publicity stunt? Thinking about themon tactics in the entertainment industry, Ling Chen took out his phone, found Tang Shiyun¡¯s phone number, and prepared to call her to ask.


    Before he could get through, he heard a message from the news: "Recently, Tang Shiyun will be holding a new songunch in Beijing. ording to the managementpany¡¯s news, the event is scheduled for the sixth..."


    The sixth! Ling Chen nced at the date¡ª isn¡¯t that tomorrow? Since the release is tomorrow, Tang Shiyun must be arriving in Beijing today. Perfect, he thought, I¡¯ll find a chance to see her tonight and ask her face-to-face to find out if she really has a boyfriend.


    If it were another woman, Ling Chen wouldn¡¯t have reacted so strongly. But Tang Shiyun is different. In Ling Chen¡¯s heart, Tang Shiyun always held a special ce. Back when he first arrived in East Sea City, in his most destitute time, Tang Shiyun not only didn¡¯t despise him, but became friends with him. In his heart, he always regarded Tang Shiyun as his little sister, but he was also clear about Tang Shiyun¡¯s feelings towards him.


    So, when he heard Tang Shiyun had a boyfriend, his first reaction was disbelief. He wanted to see for himself if it was true. If it was, he needed to investigate that person¡¯s background thoroughly to see if he was worthy of Tang Shiyun.


    At night, Ling Chen received a call from Dong Ying. There¡¯s no denying Dong Ying¡¯s efficiency; Ling Chen had just given a simple directive, and Dong Ying found out which hotel Tang Shiyun was staying at. Around eight o¡¯clock in the evening, Ling Chen drove alone straight to Tang Shiyun¡¯s hotel.


    A car followed Ling Chen from behind. In it were Zhu Qing, Chen Junfeng, and Ji Gang, always ensuring Ling Chen¡¯s safety. Of course, Zhu Qing and Chen Junfeng were tactful enough not to intrude in inconvenient situations.


    Taking the elevator to the top floor of the hotel, Ling Chen looked around at the guest rooms and then walked to the east side¡¯s presidential suite, reaching out to knock on the door.


    "Hey! Who are you?" Suddenly, Ling Chen heard a voice from behind. He turned to see a young man in a white suit walking quickly towards him. The youth looked to be in his early twenties, handsome with straight brows and starry eyes, a high nose bridge, standing around 1.8 meters tall, with a slim physique¡ªa very good-looking young man.


    As the young man came closer, Ling Chen sized him up and asked, "And who are you?"


    "A friend lives in there. I don¡¯t care who you are, you better leave immediately and stop disturbing my friend¡¯s rest."


    Ling Chen retorted, "What if I¡¯m also a friend of the person inside?"


    "You?" The young man looked at Ling Chen disdainfully and sneered, "Buddy, have you looked at your outfit? If I¡¯m not mistaken, your clothes together might not even be worth a thousand dors, not even a fraction of my shoe price. How could someone like you be her friend? I understand what you¡¯re trying to do, but I won¡¯t allow it, so you better leave quickly, unless you want me to call someone up."


    Hearing this, Ling Chen couldn¡¯t help but chuckle, assuming this guy mistook him for a fan chasing celebrities.


    Suddenly, Ling Chen felt that the young man in front of him seemed somewhat familiar, like he¡¯d seen him somewhere. Reflecting on it, Ling Chen¡¯s eyes suddenly brightened¡ªOf course! He almost forgot, the young man holding hands with Tang Shiyun going shopping and watching the movie in today¡¯s entertainment news was indeed this young man.


    After confirming the young man¡¯s identity, Ling Chen smiled yfully at him, "I remember now, you¡¯re Miss Tang¡¯s boyfriend, aren¡¯t you?"


    The young man lifted his head, proudly saying, "Since you know who I am, why are you still standing here? I tell you, the person inside is my girlfriend. You better not disturb her, or don¡¯t me me for being impolite."


    Ling Chen replied with a slight smile, "Sorry, it seems I failed to recognize your excellency. But someone with Miss Tang¡¯s character would never fancy someone like you. Someone who doesn¡¯t even know basic courtesy, how are you worthy of her?"


    The young man¡¯s face turned angry and coldly eximed, "Whether I¡¯m worthy of her or not is not your business, and just by looking at you, what qualifies you to judge me? Before I get angry, move far away, and don¡¯t let me see you again."


    Ling Chen shrugged, nodded, and said, "Alright, I won¡¯t bother you anymore." With that, Ling Chen walked straight outside.


    Watching Ling Chen¡¯s departing figure, the young man sneered disdainfully, reached out to knock on the door. In a short while, the door opened, and upon seeing who opened it, the young man smiled and said, "Hong, long time no see."


    Hong was no other than Tang Shiyun¡¯s manager, Xu Hong. Xu Hong calmly said, "We saw each other just two days ago, does that count as a long time ago?"


    "A day feels like three years when not seen."


    "You better say that to Shiyun; it doesn¡¯t really matter to me." With that, Xu Hong stepped aside and weed the young man inside.


    Inside, the young man nced around and asked, "Hong, where¡¯s Shiyun?"


    "Taking a phone call in the room." Just as Xu Hong finished speaking, Tang Shiyun, wearing a floral dress, hurried out of the room and headed straight for the door.


    "Shiyun." The young man quickly called out.


    Hearing the young man¡¯s call, Tang Shiyun paused slightly, turned back to nce at him, "Huh! When did you get here? Weren¡¯t you in East Sea City, how did you end uping to Beijing?"


    "I missed you, so I came to see you." The young manughed, saying, "Just kidding, I have some business to attend to in Beijing, and since I knew you were staying here, I came specially to check on you." Pausing a moment, the young man continued, "Shiyun, where are you going?"


    "Ling is here, I¡¯m going out to meet him." With that, Tang Shiyun didn¡¯t exin further and rushed outside directly.


    "Ling?" The young man frowned slightly and looked towards Xu Hong, asking, "Hong, do you know who Shiyun is referring to as ¡¯Ling¡¯?"


    "I¡¯ve heard Shiyun mention him, but I¡¯m not very sure." Xu Hong replied calmly. Of course, she knew who Ling was, but she didn¡¯t want to exin too much to the young man. In her heart, she hoped Ling Chen¡¯s appearance would quickly make this young man disappear.

 Chapter 1317 - 1625: Fake Boyfriend (2)

    <h4>Chapter 1317: Chapter 1625: Fake Boyfriend (2)</h4>


    Seeing that Xu Hong also didn¡¯t know the identity of the person, the young man stopped asking and quickly caught up with Tang Shiyun, following her to the hotel entrance. At the door, he saw Tang Shiyun speeding up and throwing herself directly into the arms of a young man.


    When he saw the man¡¯s face, the young man¡¯s expression suddenly changed, rubbing his eyes in disbelief.


    This person... isn¡¯t he the one I ran into at the door of the room just now? Is he... Tang Shiyun¡¯s "Ling"? From the looks of it, Tang Shiyun¡¯s rtionship with this man is very unusual; otherwise, she wouldn¡¯t publicly throw herself into his arms like that.


    After hesitating for a moment, the young man walked over, forcing a smile on his face, and asked, "Shiyun, this is... who?"


    Hearing the young man¡¯s voice, Tang Shiyun reluctantly lifted her head from Ling Chen¡¯s embrace, but her eyes never left Ling Chen. "Let me introduce you; this is my Ling, Ling Chen. Ling, this is Yang Haiyi, President Yang¡¯s son."


    "President Yang¡¯s son?" Ling Chen looked at Yang Haiyi with interest, so he was Yang Chengfeng¡¯s son. Yang Chengfeng was Tang Shiyun¡¯s boss; back then, he single-handedly created Tang Shiyun¡¯s brilliant career, making her a famous singer nationwide. He had dealt with Yang Chengfeng a few times. He was a mature, steady man, loyal to his friends, and a person worth knowing. But his son was not praiseworthy.


    "Mr. Yang, hello, we meet again." Ling Chen smiled and extended his hand.


    Tang Shiyun, standing beside, asked, "Ling, have you met before?"


    Ling Chen looked at Yang Haiyi with a faint smile, "You¡¯ll have to ask your friend here."


    Hearing this, Tang Shiyun cast her gaze toward Yang Haiyi. Thetter awkwardly smiled, "We... we might have met once, but I don¡¯t really remember. Ling... Mr. Ling, hello, nice to meet you."


    "Are you really pleased?"


    Before Yang Haiyi could say anything more, Tang Shiyun had already impatiently pulled Ling Chen¡¯s hand and walked into the hotel. Soon, the three returned to the presidential suite. Tang Shiyun held Ling Chen¡¯s hand, refusing to let go, sitting on the sofa, chattering nonstop, while Yang Haiyi waspletely ignored, not even given a chance to speak.


    Seeing how close Tang Shiyun and Ling Chen were, Yang Haiyi felt very ufortable. Damn! Why was he being neglected; he was Tang Shiyun¡¯s boyfriend. Besides, he was Yang Chengfeng¡¯s son, a rich second generation, with money and power. Why should he fear Ling Chen?


    Thinking of this, Yang Haiyi coughed, forcibly interrupting Tang Shiyun, and smiled, "Mr. Ling, how long have you known Shiyun?"


    "A few years."


    "Really? I¡¯ve been with Shiyun for so long, but I¡¯ve never heard her mention you. Oh, do you work in Beijing?"


    "You could say that." Ling Chen nodded, "I have work in both East Sea City and Beijing."


    "What do you do?"


    Seeing Yang Haiyi dig into Ling Chen¡¯s background, Tang Shiyun was a bit upset, about to speak, but Ling Chen cut her off, "Mr. Yang, as long as it¡¯s a business that makes money, I do it all. Where do you work?"


    Yang Haiyi hadn¡¯t had a chance to answer when Xu Hong chimed in, "Mr. Yang is getting ready to enter the entertainment industry."


    "Is that so?" Ling Chen smiled slightly, "Congrattions in advance, Mr. Yang. I hope you can quickly carve out your own space." Pausing, Ling Chen changed the subject, "By the way! Mr. Yang, are you also holding a press conference tomorrow?"


    "No."


    "Then why are you with Shiyun?"


    "I..." Yang Haiyi hesitated a moment and blurted out, "I¡¯m Shiyun¡¯s boyfriend; of course, I have the right to be here."


    "Nonsense!" Tang Shiyun hurriedly stood up, exining, "Ling, don¡¯t listen to his nonsense. I... I have no boyfriend. It was just a favor for Mr. Yang."


    "What favor?"


    "Mr. Yang told me that his son had just returned from studying abroad and wanted to break into the entertainment industry, asked me to help out and raise Yang Haiyi¡¯s fame. In the beginning, I invited him as a singing guest at my concert, but it didn¡¯t work very well. Later, Yang Haiyi suggested pretending to be my boyfriend, holding hands outside, watching movies together, without publicly stating our rtionship, just letting the paparazzi catch us. This way, once entertainment media hype it up, his fame would naturally rise."


    "At first, I just wanted to help, but these past few days I realized it caused me quite a bit of trouble, with many people asking about it. I¡¯m nning to rify it at tomorrow¡¯s new songunch. Ling, if you don¡¯t believe it, you can ask Hong; even the speech draft is ready."


    Ling Chenughed, patting Tang Shiyun¡¯s little head, "Silly girl, I didn¡¯t say anything; why are you so nervous? Besides, when haven¡¯t I trusted you?"


    "Shiyun." Hearing Tang Shiyun¡¯s words, Yang Haiyi was a bit anxious, "We¡¯ve known each other for so long, don¡¯t you understand my feelings? I¡¯m sincere to you, willing to do anything for you."


    "Enough!" Tang Shiyun really became anxious, hurriedly saying, "I have no feelings for you at all, I only see you as a regr friend, it¡¯s you who overthought. Yang Haiyi, I really shouldn¡¯t have agreed to your request before, not only did it not benefit you, but it also affected me. From now on, I want to rify, I and you are just ordinary friends, and I hope you won¡¯t bother me again in the future. As for Mr. Yang, I¡¯ll apologize to him."


    "You!" Yang Haiyi shouted angrily, "Tang, everything you have today is thanks to my Yang Family. It¡¯s your luck that I fancy you, yet you pretend to be innocent. Let me tell you if you anger me, I¡¯ll make your life miserable. My Yang Family can make you a star, and also make you lose everything."


    Upon hearing this, Tang Shiyun calmed down, saying faintly, "I went from having nothing to being who I am now. If you make me return to how I was before, I¡¯d rather live my ordinary life. But I want to ask you, do you even have the right to make that decision?"


    Yang Haiyi coldly chuckled, "I am the only child of the Yang Family and the heir; do you think I have the right?"


    Tang Shiyun nodded slightly, "Alright, in that case, I think I know what to do." After speaking, she turned to Xu Hong, "Hong, could you please draft an agreement to terminate my cooperation with the Yang Family? All the money I¡¯ve made these years will be returned to the Yang Family; I won¡¯t take a single cent. Also, call the organizers to cancel tomorrow¡¯s new songunch."


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 1318 - 1626: Fake Boyfriend (3)

    <h4>Chapter 1318: Chapter 1626: Fake Boyfriend (3)</h4>


    Xu Hong was slightly taken aback, not expecting Tang Shiyun to be so decisive and make such a decision. Once this agreementes true, Tang Shiyun will be left with nothing. Over the past few years, Tang Shiyun has earned over a billion throughmercial performances and advertisements, and after deducting other expenses and dividends, her personal ie is at least five to six hundred million. If it were someone else, they probably wouldn¡¯t be able to forgo so much money.


    Ling Chen was also somewhat surprised, not expecting that Tang Shiyun was willing to make such a significant concession.


    At this moment, Yang Haiyi was also stunned. He had just casually said something, trying to scare Tang Shiyun, but who knew she would say something like this. However, since things had been said to this point, if he were to go back on his words, his face would be utterly lost.


    "Shiyun," Xu Hong hesitated for a moment, then asked, "Shouldn¡¯t you reconsider this matter? Or maybe, discuss it with President Yang."


    "Hong, you heard it too. Yang Haiyi said earlier that his words represent the Yang Family and Mr. Yang. In that case, there¡¯s nothing more to say. Go ahead, Hong, help me print out the agreement as soon as possible. Also, ask Mr. Yang if he has any other demands. I have two properties in East Sea City worth about one billion. If he wants them back, let him have them. In short, I won¡¯t take advantage of the Yang Family even a penny."


    "This..." Xu Hong looked at Ling Chen, "Mr. Ling, regarding this matter..."


    Before Xu Hong could finish speaking, Ling Chen smiled slightly and said, "I¡¯m an outsider, not suitable to interfere in yourpany¡¯s internal affairs. However, I respect any decision Shiyun makes."


    Yang Haiyi gritted his teeth and unwillingly asked, "Shiyun, are you really willing to do this?"


    "Mr. Yang, please remember, not everyone likes money. There are more important things in this world than money." At this point, Tang Shiyun turned her gaze to Ling Chen.


    Feeling the unique look from Tang Shiyun, Ling Chen¡¯s heart was stirred. This girl... could she be referring to me!


    "Fine, very good!" Seeing Tang Shiyun¡¯s affectionate look, Yang Haiyi only felt a rising anger and said with a sneer, "Since you want to give up this kind of life, I will fulfill your wish. Just wait and see; I¡¯ll have everyone block you from earning a single penny. At that time, don¡¯te crying to me." After speaking, Yang Haiyi turned to Xu Hong and instructed, "Go and put her two houses, her car, and all the brand name items she bought over the years into the agreement. Anything valuable, I won¡¯t leave her a penny. Let¡¯s see how she lives in the future."


    Hearing this, Tang Shiyun bit her lip and said to Ling Chen, "Ling, I¡¯m sorry. I used to say I wanted to keep you, but now I¡¯ve be penniless. Would you... would you like to keep me?"


    Ling Chen raised the corners of his mouth, smiling and nodding, "Sure, I¡¯m just missing a secretary. Why don¡¯t you join me?"


    "Really?" Tang Shiyun¡¯s eyes lit up, pping her hands and eximing, "No problem, from now on, I belong to you. Hong, please help me draft a contract. I want to sell myself to Ling."


    Cough, cough!


    Ling Chen quickly corrected, "That¡¯s abor contract, not a ve contract, little girl, don¡¯t say such things." After a pause, Ling Chen looked at Xu Hong and said, "Hong, if you are willing, you cane to mypany and continue being this girl¡¯s agent. As for the benefits... they won¡¯t be lower than your current ones. What do you think?"


    "Thank you, Mr. Ling." Xu Hong was certainly willing. Once Tang Shiyun left the currentpany, she would undoubtedly have some associated responsibility, and being dismissed was a sure thing. So, having a good ce to go was not bad.


    In less than ten minutes, Xu Hong drafted three contracts: one was Tang Shiyun¡¯s agreement with Yang Haiyi, and the other two werebor contracts between herself, Tang Shiyun, and Ling Chen.


    "Mr. Yang." Xu Hong handed the agreement to Yang Haiyi and asked, "Are you sure you don¡¯t want to consult with President Yang?"


    Yang Haiyi, holding a belly full of anger, said coldly, "Do you think I¡¯m not qualified to make decisions?"


    "No, I¡¯m just kindly reminding. Since Mr. Yang¡¯s mind is made up, then my earlier words should not be considered." Saying this, Xu Hong pointed to the bottom of the agreement and said, "Miss Tang has already signed and imprinted her fingerprint. You only need to sign your name and leave your fingerprint, and this agreement will take effect."


    Yang Haiyi picked up the pen, hesitated slightly, and looked up at Tang Shiyun. Thetter¡¯s attention wasn¡¯t on him at all. She was sitting beside Ling Chen, intimately holding Ling Chen¡¯s arm, chatting warmly as if the agreement hadn¡¯t affected her mood at all.


    Humph!


    You forced me to this. Don¡¯te begging me in the future. Yang Haiyi sneered and quickly signed his name.


    "Shiyun, the agreement has been signed."


    "Good. Hong, please send an electronic copy of this agreement to President Yang, and tell him that I¡¯m very grateful for his care over the past few years."


    "No problem."


    "Now that the agreement is signed, shouldn¡¯t you leave?" At this moment, Yang Haiyi¡¯s cold voice came over, "This suite was booked with thepany¡¯s money. Since you¡¯re no longerpany employees, we have no obligation to pay your room fee."


    Ling Chen shrugged, got up, and said, "Girl, let¡¯s go."


    Without paying any attention to Yang Haiyi, the three of them packed their luggage and left the room with Ling Chen. Watching their backs disappear in the hallway, Yang Haiyi snorted coldly and muttered to himself, "Just wait, someday you¡¯lle crying to me."


    With that, he ¡¯bang¡¯ shut the door, picked up a bottle of whiskey, sat on the sofa, and looked at the contents of the agreement.


    Tang Shiyun¡¯s total assets, along with the two properties and other items, should be close to one billion. Not bad! Even if Dad finds out about this, with this billion aspensation, I bet he won¡¯t me me, maybe just scold me a bit.


    After a few drinks, a phone rang¡ªit¡¯s a call from Yang Chengfeng. Yang Haiyi picked up the phone, hesitated for a while, and finally didn¡¯t dare to answer it. He didn¡¯t want his dad to scold him.


    Turning off the phone, Yang Haiyiy on the sofa and soon fell into a deep sleep.


    Knock knock! Knock knock!


    Who knows how long has passed, but a series of urgent knocks on the door woke Yang Haiyi. Damn! What time is it, and someone is knocking on the door. Yang Haiyi cursed, annoyed. Sitting up, he looked at the time¡ªthree in the morning. Who could it be at this hour? Could it be the hotel staff?


    Hearing the continued knocking, Yang Haiyi impatiently cursed, "Coming, stop knocking!"

 Chapter 1319 - 1627: Harsh Love

    <h4>Chapter 1319: Chapter 1627: Harsh Love</h4>


    As the guest room door opened, before Yang Haiyi could react, he heard a crisp ¡¯p¡¯ sound, and his face was struck hard, making him see stars.


    The sudden pain instantly infuriated Yang Haiyi. Damn it! Who is it? Who has the guts to p him? All these years, even his father had never hit him.


    "Damn!" Yang Haiyi shouted angrily and looked toward the door, ready to teach the person a lesson. But when he saw who it was, his face froze and he was speechless for a while, then came back to his senses.


    "Dad, aren¡¯t you... aren¡¯t you in East Sea City? How..."


    p!


    Standing outside the door, Yang Chengfeng gave another loud p, hitting Yang Haiyi¡¯s cheek hard.


    After being struck twice, Yang Haiyi¡¯s cheeks immediately turned red and swollen. Facing his furious father, no matter how displeased Yang Haiyi was, he dared not say a word, obediently standing there, motionless, and let Yang Chengfeng reprimand him.


    Humph! Yang Chengfeng strode into the room, yelling at Yang Haiyi: "Get in here, right now."


    Yang Haiyi dared not breathe a word, hurriedly following Yang Chengfeng into the living room. For so many years, he had been a wealthy young master born with a silver spoon, never seeing his father so furious at him.


    "Tell me, what¡¯s going on with that agreement?" Yang Chengfeng asked coldly, looking at his son.


    "Agreement?" Yang Haiyi hesitated briefly, then reacted and exined, "Dad, it¡¯s like this, that Tang Shiyun doesn¡¯t know her ce, thinking she¡¯s so great, doesn¡¯t even respect me, so in a fit of anger, I made that decision. Although we terminated the contract with Tang Shiyun, I reimed all the profits she¡¯s made over the years, nearly a billion; Dad, this shouldpensate for our losses."


    "Losses?" Yang Chengfeng sneered, the fury in his eyes like a volcano on the verge of eruption. He took a deep breath, trying to suppress his anger, and said in a deep voice, "If you weren¡¯t my biological son, I would have broken your legs and let you sit in a wheelchair for life. Let me tell you, Tang Shiyun is the only brand of ourpany. Because of Tang Shiyun¡¯s presence, ourpany has a voice in the entertainment industry. Do you know that every year I voluntarily share more of thepany¡¯s dividends with Tang Shiyun? Why do I do this? Isn¡¯t it just to hope Tang Shiyun will stay with ourpany? Do you know how manypanies have been trying to poach Tang Shiyun these years? The offers they made are much more favorable than mine. If not for Tang Shiyun¡¯s gratitude, she would have left a long time ago."


    "I went to great lengths to keep Tang Shiyun at ourpany, but you ruined all my efforts and pushed the Yang Family to a dead end. Let me tell you, if you can¡¯tpensate for thepany¡¯s losses, then get out of the Yang Family; I don¡¯t need a useless son like you."


    Hearing Yang Chengfeng¡¯s furious words, Yang Haiyi was stunned. He didn¡¯t expect his father to say such harsh words to him.


    "Did you hear what I said?" Seeing Yang Haiyi standing there dazed, Yang Chengfeng felt even more enraged and kicked him directly.


    Just a few hours ago, after he had just gone to bed, he received a document from Xu Hong. When he saw the agreement, he was so angry he almost spat blood. All his years of hard work were destroyed by his son. What angered him more was that Yang Haiyi wasn¡¯t answering his calls, and even calls to Tang Shiyun and others couldn¡¯t get through.


    Realizing the severity of the problem, he took a flight overnight to Beijing and found where Yang Haiyi was staying. Looking at his son, Yang Chengfeng¡¯s mind was filled with thoughts of a thousand *** running through. How did he have such a useless son?


    Yang Haiyi slowly crawled up from the ground, although it was very painful, he dared not touch it. Growing up, this was the first time he saw his father so angry, those eyes... wished he could kill him.


    "Dad, I... I was wrong!"


    "Now you know you were wrong?" Yang Chengfeng scolded fiercely: "Why didn¡¯t you use your pig brain when you signed that agreement before?"


    "Dad, you don¡¯t need to worry so much, it¡¯s not like there¡¯s no way at all," Yang Haiyi muttered, "Tang Shiyun¡¯s assets have all been given to us, now she doesn¡¯t have a penny left. If we use some connections, join forces with the entertainment industry to cut off her ie source, she¡¯ll eventuallye to us." By the end of it, Yang Haiyi was full of confidence in his n.


    "Ha!" Yang Chengfengughed, gently shook his head, and sat down on his own.


    "Dad, what do you think? Isn¡¯t my n pretty good?" Yang Haiyi asked.


    Yang Chengfeng looked up at his son and said, "Do you know what I regret most in my life?"


    Hearing this, Yang Haiyi was taken aback and shook his head, saying, "I don¡¯t know."


    "What I regret most is not throwing you against the wall back then. Even a pig would have a higher IQ than you." Yang Chengfeng said, full of disappointment: "Tang Shiyun is the hottest star in the country; countlesspanies are scrambling to sign her. If people in the industry know she¡¯s off our contract, they won¡¯t miss such a good chance. You still want to block Tang Shiyun? Ha! I really don¡¯t know how you came up with that idea."


    After a pause, Yang Chengfeng continued: "I barely ept the situation with Tang Shiyun. At worst, we lose some ie, but the key issue is Ling Chen..."


    "Ling Chen?" Hearing his father mention the name, Yang Haiyi was shocked and said, "Dad, you know that Ling Chen too?"


    "Of course, I do. Why, do you know him?"


    "I met him tonight. It was because of that bastard that I angrily signed the termination agreement with Tang Shiyun." Yang Haiyi said indignantly: "Dad, no matter what, we mustn¡¯t let that bastard go. Next time I get the chance, I¡¯ll make sure to teach that bastard a lesson and let him know the consequences of crossing me..." At this point, Yang Haiyi suddenly noticed Yang Chengfeng¡¯s changing expression and unconsciously lowered his voice significantly.


    Hesitating for a moment, he stammered, "Dad, what¡¯s wrong with you?"


    "Nothing." Yang Chengfeng turned his gaze away, his face turning a deep purplish color, his hand trembling as he pointed to the bedroom opposite the living room, stuttering, "You go inside and stay for a while."


    Yang Haiyi asked puzzled, "Dad, what¡¯s going on?"


    "I don¡¯t want to see you right now. I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t control my emotions and might really beat you to death."

 Chapter 1320 - 1628: Investing in Silver Star (Part 1)

    <h4>Chapter 1320: Chapter 1628: Investing in Silver Star (Part 1)</h4>


    The next day.


    In the dormitory of Falcon Private Security Company, Ling Chen brought a bag of breakfast he had just bought from the street and walked to the door of a dormitory, gently knocking on the door.


    After a short while, the door opened, revealing Tang Shiyun in cute pink pajamas, rubbing her sleepy eyes and yawning, "Ling."


    Ling Chen pushed the door open and entered the room, cing the breakfast on the table, and asked with a smile, "How was it? Did you sleep wellst night?"


    "It was good." Tang Shiyun leaned close to Ling Chen, habitually wrapping her arms around his, smiling sweetly, "I haven¡¯t slept this well in ages. Ling, I don¡¯t have to do anything now. Why don¡¯t you take me out for some fun? I¡¯ve been to Beijing several times, but have never gone out to y."


    "Sure, no problem, I don¡¯t have anything going on today anyway." Ling Chen nodded in agreement.


    Just as he spoke, a series of knocks came from outside the door. "Girl, you go freshen up first." After saying this, Ling Chen walked straight to the front door.


    Opening the door, Dong Ying stood in professional attire at the entrance and said, "Chairman, someone is here looking for you."


    "Looking for me?" Ling Chen checked the time and said, "Assistant Dong, it¡¯s only eight o¡¯clock. Who woulde this early?"


    "The person¡¯s surname is Yang, he seems to havee from East Sea City, and he told me he must meet with you regardless."


    Upon hearing this, Ling Chen felt a movement in his heart and couldn¡¯t help but smile, "Alright, take him to the reception room to wait a bit, I¡¯ll be over soon."


    "Ling, who¡¯s here?" After Dong Ying left, Tang Shiyun poked her little head out of the bathroom and asked.


    "President Yang is here, do you want to join me to meet her?"


    "President Yang?" Tang Shiyun hesitated for a moment, "Ling, do you think I should go?"


    "President Yang has always been good to you, so it¡¯s only right both emotionally and rationally that you thank him. Even if you¡¯ve terminated your contract, you can still be friends. Besides, President Yang is in the entertainment industry, and you can¡¯t avoid him forever."


    "Okay then." Tang Shiyun nodded obediently, "Wait for me, I¡¯ll change my clothes first."


    Over ten minutester, Ling Chen led Tang Shiyun to thepany¡¯s reception room. Upon entering, Yang Chengfeng and Yang Haiyi were sitting on chairs, with Dong Ying apanying them. Seeing Ling Chen and Tang Shiyun enter, Yang Chengfeng quickly stood up from his chair and approached them warmly.


    "Mr. Ling, Miss Tang." Yang Chengfeng said with a smile.


    "President Yang, long time no see, what brings you here today?" Ling Chen asked with a smile.


    "Mr. Ling, please don¡¯t say that. It¡¯s all the fault of my useless son, who offended you today without knowing any better. Please be magnanimous and don¡¯t take it to heart." After his words, Yang Chengfeng turned his head and shouted at Yang Haiyi behind him, "What are you waiting for? Hurry ande over to apologize to Mr. Ling and Miss Tang."


    Though Yang Haiyi had a thousand reluctances, he obediently walked over due to his father¡¯s words.


    Seeing his son¡¯s unwilling demeanor, Yang Chengfeng felt anger rising and kicked him on the calf. Suddenly, Yang Haiyi¡¯s legs softened, and he knelt directly on the ground.


    "President Yang, what is this?"


    "Mr. Ling, this useless kid did not recognize who he was dealing with and offended you. I specifically brought him here today to apologize. As long as you forgive him, I even won¡¯t hesitate to give up his life." Yang Chengfeng said.


    "President Yang, you should know that young people tend to be impulsive, so I can understand his actions. Once he gains more social experience, he will naturally know how to handle situations."


    Upon hearing this, Yang Chengfeng tentatively asked, "So...Mr. Ling is forgiving this kid?"


    Ling Chen smiled slightly, "President Yang, I¡¯m not that petty. Besides, you¡¯ve helped Shiyun so many times in the past, and I remember those favors." After a pause, Ling Chen shifted the conversation, "It¡¯s just right that you came, as I also have something to discuss with you."


    "No problem. Mr. Ling, please have a seat, let¡¯s talk slowly." Yang Chengfeng nced at Yang Haiyi, who was still kneeling on the ground, and reprimanded him, "What are you waiting for? Hurry and thank Mr. Ling."


    Yang Haiyi bowed his head and muttered, "Thank you!"


    "Stand up. Remember to stay calm in whatever you do in the future, or there might be consequences you can¡¯t bear." Finishing his words, Ling Chen no longer engaged with Yang Haiyi and directly led Tang Shiyun to a seat.


    "Mr. Ling, what did you want to discuss with me?" Yang Chengfeng asked. In front of Ling Chen, he lowered his stance as he understood well what kind of person Ling Chen was. Despite his young age, the young man standing before him was the underground emperor of East Sea City and Beijing, wielding immense influence.


    "Shiyun has terminated her contract with yourpany. From now on, Shiyun is a free person, entitled to choose anypany."


    "Yes, yes." Yang Chengfeng quickly nodded, not daring to utter even a ¡¯no.¡¯ After learning about his son offending Ling Chen, Tang Shiyun¡¯s affairs had been pushed to the back of his mind. He only hoped Ling Chen wouldn¡¯t trouble the Yang Family, and as for the loss of Tang Shiyun leaving thepany, he dared not mention a word.


    "I¡¯m sure President Yang knows the entertainment industry environment better than I do. For the past few years, you¡¯ve done well in not letting Shiyun get affected by the environment. I¡¯ve thought about it seriously, if Shiyun wants to continue on this path, she needs to choose apany. After coborating for so many years, both sides know each other well, so you are the best choice."


    Hearing these words, Yang Chengfeng¡¯s eyes suddenly lit up. It seemed Ling was still willing for Tang Shiyun to join hispany, which felt like finding an unexpected way out when all seemed lost.


    "Mr. Ling, rest assured, as long as Miss Tang returns, I will do better than before." Yang Chengfeng promised confidently.


    Ling Chen nodded with a smile, "I have no doubt about that. However, letting Shiyun return is contingent upon you epting my conditions."


    "What conditions? Mr. Ling, please tell me, I promise to agree to anything I can do."


    "I want to invest in yourpany. To put it simply, I want to buy 51% of yourpany¡¯s shares."


    Yang Chengfeng was stunned, not expecting Ling Chen to propose such a condition. 51% of the shares meant absolute control, and having the most significant say in thepany.


    "This..." Yang Chengfeng fell into contemtion. Thispany was created by him from scratch, to transfer it to someone else, he felt quite reluctant.


    "President Yang, if you find it hard to decide, you can go back and think it over slowly, and let me know once you¡¯ve made up your mind."


    "No need to think anymore." Yang Chengfeng said solemnly, "Mr. Ling, I agree to your terms."


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 1321 - 1629: Investing in Silver Star (2)

    <h4>Chapter 1321: Chapter 1629: Investing in Silver Star (2)</h4>


    "Have you really made up your mind?" Ling Chen asked.


    Yang Chengfeng nodded, "Yes. Rest assured, Mr. Ling, I won¡¯t go back on my word. How about this, to not dy things further, why don¡¯t we sign the contract now? What do you think?"


    Yang Chengfeng had thought it through. As long as he sold 51% of thepany¡¯s shares to Ling Chen, it would be like boarding Ling Chen¡¯s ship. With Ling Chen as the backing, there was no business that couldn¡¯t be profitable. Compared to the 51% of shares, this deal was truly worthwhile.


    Not to mention selling them, he was willing to give them to Ling Chen for free.


    "Alright then." Ling Chen smiled and said, "Assistant Dong, could you please draft a few contracts for me?"


    "Yes."


    "Youngdy, it looks like you still have to go back. But this time, you won¡¯t be working for someone else. How about it, are you interested?"


    Tang Shiyun excitedly nodded, "Sure! Ling, from now on, you¡¯re my boss."


    Not long after, Dong Ying prepared several contracts. Once both parties confirmed the price, Ling Chen briskly signed his name. From this moment on, he had acquired a new identity: Chairman of Silver Star Entertainment Company.


    "Congrattions, Mr. Ling, I hope thepany thrives under your leadership." Yang Chengfeng¡¯s face blossomed with joy; he initially thought he was finished, not expecting such a turn of events. He didn¡¯t know whether to curse his son or praise him. If it weren¡¯t for Yang Haiyi¡¯s antics, he wouldn¡¯t have had the chance to board Ling Chen¡¯s ship.


    Ling Chen waved his hand with a smile, "President Yang, although I¡¯m the major shareholder of thepany, you¡¯ll be responsible for its management. I¡¯ll only oversee the dividends, and also..." Speaking here, Ling Chen turned to look at Tang Shiyun, "Youngdy, from now on, you can do whatever you want, follow your own interests. I¡¯m not expecting you to make money for me, as long as you¡¯re happy."


    Tang Shiyun nodded, beaming, "Thank you, Ling."


    After handling these matters, Ling Chen escorted Yang Chengfeng and his son, along with Tang Shiyun and Xu Hong, to thepany entrance and waved goodbye. Since Tang Shiyun was rejoining thepany, the new song release initially scheduled for today would proceed as nned.


    After sending off Tang Shiyun, Ling Chen returned to his office, looked at Dong Ying who entered with him, and asked, "Assistant Dong, have you calcted our annual total profit?"


    Dong Ying didn¡¯t expect Ling Chen to ask this question, but still answered truthfully, "Chairman, I haven¡¯tpiled it yet, but if you need, I can ask the finance department to estimate a rough figure."


    "Alright, have them handle it."


    Ling Chen had a rough n in mind. He now possessed so much money, more than he could spend. For him, money was just a string of numbers. However, leaving this money idle in the bank seemed wasteful; with so much spare cash, he might as well invest it. After all, money is never too little, the more, the better.


    Soon, Dong Ying handed the annual total profit figure to Ling Chen.


    Tweny-four billion!


    This figure included the annual ie of Falcon Private Security Company and the total revenue of all entertainment venues in Beijing. After deductingbor and other expenses, 24 billion was the final total profit. Plus the assets and shares transferred from the Secret Society, the profit each year was around 100 billion.


    "Hundred billion a year, roughly one billion could establish a branch of Dragon Tiger Hall..." Ling Chen murmured, contemting how to spend the money.


    "Chairman." Dong Ying spoke up beside him, "If you¡¯re considering investments, I have a suggestion."


    "Oh, really?" Ling Chen asked with interest, "What suggestion, tell me."


    "Given that we have substantial liquid funds, I think we could emte Hongyu Group and establish an investmentpany. As far as I know, Hongyu United Investment Company has fifteen shareholders; without the entire Hongyu Group, they couldn¡¯te up with so much money for investments. We¡¯re different; we have sufficient funds and can go solo. In this way, all the profits would be ours."


    "Are you talking about venture capital?"


    "Although venture capital yields high profits, it also carries significant risk; a slight mistake could result inplete loss. I think we should develop steadily, allocate some funds to projects with minimal risks, where profit margin matters less as long as there¡¯s no loss. Meanwhile, we should set aside some funds for venture capital, where profit is certainly beneficial, but even if there¡¯s a loss, other projects¡¯ profits can cover it."


    Ling Chen nodded, "Makes sense. Alright, prepare a draft proposal for me to review, and if it¡¯s satisfactory, we¡¯ll proceed to establish this investmentpany promptly."


    "Understood." Dong Ying responded and then walked out of the office.


    After wrapping up all his tasks, Ling Chen stood up and, moving to the window, stretched leisurely. Although being a chairman mostly involved sitting around, it was actually exhausting, especially handling variouspany affairs, leaving him almost dizzy.


    Right then, Ling Chen¡¯s sharp intuition suddenly sensed a piercing gaze.


    "Who¡¯s there?" Ling Chen turned to look around, but saw no one. He chuckled at himself; he was too high-strung, as there was no one else in the entire office. Perhaps the recent period¡¯s stress had him too on edge, he needed to find a moment to rx.


    With this thought, Ling Chen packed his belongings and left the office directly.


    ...


    "Did he notice you?"


    In the building opposite Falcon Private Security Company, an old man strolled over, looked at the person by the window, and asked.


    "He likely sensed it, his reaction is quite sharp. If he were an assassin, he¡¯d be a terrifying one."


    The old man sat beside him, holding a teapot, sipping slowly, "Qin Chuan, what do you think our next move should be?"


    "Wait and see."


    At this moment, the two in the room were none other than the long-missing Qin Chuan and Su He.


    "I¡¯ve called in all the assassins who were on missions elsewhere. Although not many, it¡¯s sufficient."


    Su He nodded, "Personnel isn¡¯t my concern, I¡¯m worried about the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion."


    "Now we¡¯re operating in the shadows, and Ling Chen isn¡¯t aware of our whereabouts, why not just kill him outright?" Qin Chuan asked perplexedly, "Once Ling Chen is dead, other tasks will be much easier."


    "You¡¯ve observed, Chen Junfeng and Ji Gang are constantly with Ling Chen. With two Heavenly List experts protecting him, what are the odds of our sess? Ling Chen is a clever man; he knows I won¡¯t let him off, so he¡¯s definitely prepared. Therefore, the timing isn¡¯t ripe for action yet."

 Chapter 1322 - 1630: Guidance from the Ancestor

    <h4>Chapter 1322: Chapter 1630: Guidance from the Ancestor</h4>


    "When do you n to make a move?" Zhu Chuan withdrew his gaze from the building across, walked to Su He¡¯s side, and spoke: "Although the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion remains, you¡¯ve seen it, its influence has greatly diminished because of you. Not only that, many have grown hostile towards the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion. Your precious granddaughter is too overwhelmed to curb the expansion of the Dragon Tiger Hall. At this rate, just give Ling Chen another year, and the Dragon Tiger Hall will be the top in the Martial Arts world, pushing the centuries-old Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion to second ce. Can you really stand to see this happen?"


    Su He took a sip of tea and said calmly, "I am aware of all this. However, it¡¯s precisely for the good of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion that I dare not show my face. Although the Pavilion has abandoned me, I¡¯m still the Old Pavilion Master of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, the grandfather of the current Pavilion Master, and that¡¯s something that can never change. Therefore, the Martial Arts circles will, more or less, have grievances against the Pavilion. If I make an appearance now, it won¡¯t change anything but will bring great trouble to the Pavilion."


    After a pause, Su He continued, "Since we¡¯ve lost, we must bear the consequences. I won¡¯t return to the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion. From now on, Su Mei will handle all the affairs of the Pavilion; I will not interfere. Of course, this doesn¡¯t mean ignoring it; it¡¯s just shifting from light to dark, just like the Skyhawk Pavilion used to be. As for the Dragon Tiger Hall... there¡¯s no need to rush for now; let Ling Chen enjoy his moment. We can act when the time is right."


    Zhu Chuan examined Su He and said, "You don¡¯t seem anxious at all."


    Su He smiled, "Why be anxious? Life has its ups and downs; winning and losing are normal things. At my age, if I still cared about wins and losses, it¡¯d mean I wasted all these years living. Rest assured, the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion will never lose, because no one knows its true heritage." At this, the corners of Su He¡¯s mouth curled into a meaningful smile.


    Guo Family.


    Ling Chen sat cross-legged, quietly on the ground, his eyes slightly closed, breathing evenly. Hours passed, and Ling Chen remained in this posture, without moving. After a while, Ling Chen slowly opened his eyes, exhaled a breath of foul air, and then stood up from the ground.


    Stretching his limbs, Ling Chen turned his head, looking through the ss of the sterile room inside, and said, "Ancestor, the breathing skills you taught me are very effective. As long as I persist for a few hours daily, it greatly helps in enhancing my Inner Strength."


    "Of course, wouldn¡¯t you consider who taught you." Instantly, a line of text appeared on the big screen.


    "This breathing skill is meant to be used in conjunction with the Prajnaparamita Sutra. However, you had previously only learned the cultivation technique of the Sutra without a suitable breathing skill to apany it, so your progress wasn¡¯t obvious. With your current strength, as long as you persist for a while, there will be significant improvement."


    Ling Chen asked, "Ancestor, I remember you telling me that the Prajnaparamita Sutra is divided into six stages. I am currently at the third stage. With my current situation, when can I break through to the fourth stage?"


    "Are you referring to advancing to the Heavenly List realm? Although it¡¯s just a step from the Earthly List to the Heavenly List, it¡¯s extremely difficult, harder than any bottleneck, and countless martial artists have fallen at the doorstep of the Heavenly List. Besides aptitude, many external factorse into y for a smooth transition to the Heavenly List. However, the Prajnaparamita Sutra is different from other cultivation techniques. When I created the Sutra, I took this into ount and made some modifications and references."


    "Previously, there was a style of cultivation called Yin Yang Replenishing in the Martial Arts world, considered unorthodox, and many martial artists sneered at it, some even ssified it as a dark art and fiercely condemned it. I studied Yin Yang Replenishing carefully and found that it is a very profound Dual Cultivation Skill. Yet, because it involves matters between men and women, it faced a lot of resistance. Later, I extracted its essence, discarded the dregs, and incorporated it into the Prajnaparamita Sutra. Consequently, every time you have a rtionship with a woman, your strength increases significantly."


    "Though I haven¡¯t personally tried it, based on my understanding of the Prajnaparamita Sutra, as long as you have rtionships with a hundred women simultaneously, you can umte enough power to break through the bottleneck. Not guaranteeing one hundred percent, but the sess rate is about eighty percent. So, are you interested to try it?"


    Uh...


    Ling Chen was taken aback, not expecting Ling Gengqiu to say such things. Was he being mocked?


    Having rtionships with a hundred women simultaneously, even a body made of iron couldn¡¯t withstand it. Moreover, all these women must be pure maidens for it to work. With Ling Chen¡¯s current financial resources, finding a hundred such women wouldn¡¯t be a problem. But where would he get the energy? He might lose his life over it.


    "So... Ancestor, is there no other way?"


    "Isn¡¯t this way good enough? You get to enjoy life¡¯s greatest pleasures while also advancing to the Heavenly List realm¡ªnothing could be better in this world." After a pause, another line of text appeared on the screen: "Are you afraid you can¡¯t handle it? That¡¯s not a problem; I¡¯ll give you a recipe. Make some supplement tonic, and you¡¯ll be vigorous enough to take on all the beauties."


    "Stop! Stop!" Ling Chen quickly called out, "Ancestor, there¡¯s no need to teach me those bad habits. I can¡¯t use this method. I think I¡¯ll just stick to traditional cultivation."


    "Alright, since you¡¯re not interested, I won¡¯t force you. By the way! Weren¡¯t you helping me find those body parts? Any progress?"


    Ling Chen shook his head, "Nothing yet." In recent days, he tried contacting Ling Tao and Ling Kun, but their phones were off and couldn¡¯t get through.


    Currently, Ling Gengqiu¡¯s head and torso are here; only the legs and feet remain. As far as he knows, Zhu Hong stole a limb from the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion¡¯sb. The other three are with the Northern Ling Family and the Southern Ling Family. The Southern Ling Family is manageable, but reiming the limb from Zhu Hong and the Northern Ling Family won¡¯t be easy.


    After chatting for a while, Ling Chen suddenly asked: "Ancestor, I have a question. Besides you, are there others like you in the world?"


    "I don¡¯t know, maybe there are, but I haven¡¯t encountered any."


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    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 1323 - 1631: Date Under the Starry Sky (1)

    <h4>Chapter 1323: Chapter 1631: Date Under the Starry Sky (1)</h4>


    "I heard someone say that there seems to be someone like you in the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, also living for hundreds of years," Ling Chen said.


    "The Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion?"


    Ling Chen nodded and told Ling Gengqiu everything his second brother Xu Ming had told him.


    After listening, a question mark suddenly appeared on the big screen.


    "I¡¯ve never heard of this, but since I can do this, it shows that there are others in the world who can too, so it¡¯s nothing strange." After a pause, Ling Gengqiu continued, "But you should be careful. Your rtionship with the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion is so tense; be wary of that person causing trouble for you."


    Ling Chen touched his nose and said, "Probably not. That person only lives in the Pavilion, who knows if he¡¯s actually from the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion."


    "Just be careful. Well, if there¡¯s nothing else, I¡¯ll rest. You can go."


    Leaving the sterile room, Ling Chen greeted Guo Ming and then drove back to Falcon Private Security Company.


    These days, whenever Ling Chen has time, he visits the Guo Family. One reason is to have a good chat with his ancestor, another is to receive pointers from his ancestor to enhance his abilities.


    Back at Falcon Company, after some rest, Ling Chen heard a knock on the door. It was Dong Ying, whom Ling Chen had instructed to gather some data for future investments.


    Dong Ying¡¯s work was impable; anything Ling Chen arranged was carried out meticulously. After reviewing the materials, Ling Chen nodded approvingly and said, "Not bad, these materials are very detailed. Assistant Dong, do you have any rmendations for talent in this area? After establishing the investmentpany, we¡¯ll definitely need someone to oversee everything. I¡¯m certainly not suitable; we must find a professional."


    "Rest assured, Chairman. I know some people from headhunterpanies and can get them to help with the search." After a pause, Dong Ying asked, "Chairman, when do you n to start the investmentpany?"


    "As soon as possible. Once I wrap up matters in Beijing, I need to head back to East Sea City."


    "Understood, I¡¯ll arrange for all candidates within three days."


    "Alright, this will be a tough task for you."


    After seeing Dong Ying off, Ling Chen closed the door and sat alone on the sofa, using the remote control to turn on the TV and watch the day¡¯s news program. Switching to the entertainment channel, the TV showed news about Tang Shiyun¡¯s new song release conference.


    However, the most captivating was Tang Shiyun¡¯s forthrightness about her love life.


    "I know my friends in the media are very interested in my private life. Recently, there have been many rumors about me. Today, I want to rify in front of everyone: I am only normal friends with Yang Haiyi, not lovers, moreover, I already have someone special in my heart. To avoid further misunderstanding, I hope everyone will stop believing unfounded reports."


    As Tang Shiyun finished speaking, the entire venue exploded with questions and all the media rushed to press her about the identity of the mysterious person she loves.


    Tang Shiyun smiled and said, "I apologize sincerely, due to certain reasons, I can¡¯t disclose his identity. Besides, it¡¯s just a one-sided crush; who knows if he likes me back."


    Upon hearing this, everyone went crazy. Oh! It¡¯s just a one-sided love? Wonder which man is so lucky.


    Amidst the uproarious atmosphere, Tang Shiyun, surrounded by several bodyguards, directly exited the venue.


    Even though it was just a rebroadcast, Ling Chen¡¯s heart was slightly moved.


    This girl... Just as he was thinking, his phone rang suddenly. ncing at the screen, he saw Tang Shiyun¡¯s number.


    When the call connected, Tang Shiyun¡¯s sweet voice came through, "Ling, what are you doing?"


    "Not much, just got home, watching TV. What about you, girl?"


    "I¡¯m alone in the hotel, bored to death. Ling, you promised to take me out today. It¡¯s still early anyway, how about..."


    Ling Chen nced at the clock on the wall. It was indeed early, just after seven o¡¯clock.


    "Spit it out, where do you want to go?"


    "Anywhere¡¯s fine." Hearing Ling Chen agree, Tang Shiyun was excited and said happily, "I¡¯ll get ready first, see you downstairs at the hotel in half an hour."


    After hanging up, Ling Chen put on a jacket and drove straight to Tang Shiyun¡¯s hotel.


    Half an hourter, a girl with long hair, wearing a mask on her face, rushed out from the hotel entrance. Seeing Ling Chen waving from inside the car, she immediately opened the passenger door and got in.


    "Ling." Tang Shiyun pulled off her mask, giggling.


    "Where¡¯s Hong? Isn¡¯t she with you?"


    "Hong has work, she¡¯ll be backte. Ling, where are you taking me?"


    "It¡¯ste, besides bars, where else can we go? But bars aren¡¯t suitable for you, how about we go somece nice?" Saying this, Ling Chen started the car and slowly drove onto the road.


    A short whileter, Ling Chen parked the car by the roadside, turned off the engine, "We¡¯re here, let¡¯s get off."


    Looking around, Tang Shiyun asked curiously, "Ling, this is Falcon Company, why did you bring me here?"


    Ling Chen¡¯s lips curved into a mischievous smile, "Just the two of us, what do you think I¡¯m bringing you here for?"


    Hearing this, a blush rose on Tang Shiyun¡¯s cheeks, blooming beautifully.


    "What, scared?"


    Tang Shiyun puffed out her well-developed chest and lifted her head proudly, "I¡¯m not scared. Even if Ling is the big bad wolf, I¡¯m already in the wolf¡¯s den, escape is impossible."


    Ling Chen chuckled, "You girl...e with me."


    Entering thepany, Ling Chen led Tang Shiyun into the elevator, pressing the button for the top floor. As the elevator ascended slowly, Tang Shiyun, standing next to Ling Chen, blushed, tightly pinching the hem of her outfit, her gaze fixated on her toes.


    Ling brought me here, could it really be...? With such shy thoughts, Tang Shiyun¡¯s face blushed like a ripe apple, incredibly enticing.


    Seeing Tang Shiyun daydreaming, Ling Chen gently touched her head, "What are you thinking, girl?"


    "Nothing, really," Tang Shiyun snapped back, responding quickly.


    "Really?" Ling Chen looked at her, half doubting.


    To hide her thoughts, Tang Shiyun hastily changed the subject, asking, "Ling, where exactly are we going?"


    "You¡¯ll find out soon enough." As he finished speaking, the elevator chimed softly, arriving at the designated floor. As the doors slowly opened, Ling Chen smiled slightly, held Tang Shiyun¡¯s hand and walked out.

 Chapter 1324 - 1632: Date Under the Starry Sky (Part 2)

    <h4>Chapter 1324: Chapter 1632: Date Under the Starry Sky (Part 2)</h4>


    When Tang Shiyun stepped out of the elevator, she was immediately stunned by the scene before her.


    The entire rooftop was surrounded by colorful lights, breathtakingly beautiful. In the very center of the rooftop was a table covered with a red tablecloth, with two red candles ced at each end, emitting a warm glow. On the path from the elevator to the dining table, there were handrails made of colored strips on both sides, mixed with twinkling bright lights.


    "So beautiful..." Tang Shiyun murmured to herself, her whole body frozen in ce, unable to recover for quite a while.


    After a moment, Tang Shiyun turned to look at Ling Chen beside her, clutching his arm and asked, "Ling, did you prepare all this for me?"


    Ling Chen smiled slightly and said, "Besides you, is there anyone else here?"


    Upon hearing this, the smile on Tang Shiyun¡¯s face grew even brighter, her shining eyes even contained a hint of glistening tears.


    "Come, have a seat." Ling Chen took Tang Shiyun¡¯s small hand and gentlemanly helped her pull out a chair. After they were seated, Tang Shiyun looked up at the starry night sky, her eyes showing a touch of emotion.


    "Ling, this is the happiest night of my life."


    Ling Chen said with a stern face: "You¡¯re still young, saying such things at this age."


    "It¡¯s true, I¡¯m not lying to you. Even if I make more money and gain more fame, it can¡¯tpare to this evening¡¯s date."


    "Alright! I¡¯ve asked people to prepare your favoritete-night snack, try itter and see how the taste is." Just as he finished speaking, several employees from Falcon Private Security Company came out from the elevator carrying trays. After putting down the snacks, they left the rooftop without stopping.


    "Here¡¯s Mapo Tofu, here¡¯s marinated meat skewers, and this, grilledmb chops, all the things you loved eating at the food stalls back then. This is Beijing, don¡¯t know how the tastepares."


    Tang Shiyun picked up a marinated meat skewer and asked happily, "Ling, I didn¡¯t expect you to remember so clearly."


    "Why wouldn¡¯t I remember?" Ling Chen said with a smile: "Back when we were neighbors, I often took you out for feasts. You, this girl, always ate more than I did, making me almost hesitant to take you out, afraid you¡¯d eat me into poverty."


    "I was growing then, of course, I ate a lot." After finishing a meat skewer, Tang Shiyun wiped her mouth with a napkin and asked, "Ling, did you read today¡¯s entertainment news?"


    Ling Chen nodded, "I did. You, this girl... having a crush and not telling me, do you want me to spank you?"


    Upon hearing this, Tang Shiyun¡¯s eyes lit up, and she asked expectantly yet nervously: "Ling, do you want to know who my crush is?"


    "Forget it! I¡¯m not interested in knowing. You¡¯re already an adult; you should have your own private life and secrets. Besides, the man you fancy must not be too bad." Ling Chen said while biting into the grilledmb chop, without looking up.


    To be honest, Ling Chen was a bit afraid, afraid that the name Tang Shiyun would say was his own. Although he had guessed it, it hadn¡¯t been spoken aloud. Some things, as long as the paper hasn¡¯t been torn, it can be easily talked about. Once it¡¯s torn, it would feel awkward, and most importantly, Ling Chen wouldn¡¯t know how to handle it.


    Deep down, does he like Tang Shiyun? There¡¯s no doubt the answer is yes.


    However, everyone is an adult now, and many things can¡¯t be done recklessly based solely on preference. If he epted Tang Shiyun, how would he exin it to Nanrong Wanqing? If it were in ancient times, having multiple wives wouldn¡¯t be a problem, but not now; ethics andws don¡¯t allow such situations to ur.


    Moreover, people today are selfish; no one wants to share a man with another woman.


    Therefore, Ling Chen didn¡¯t dare to make promises lightly, nor easily ept someone.


    After hesitating for a moment, Ling Chen looked up at Tang Shiyun across the table and said: "Girl, you¡¯re still young, not even twenty. In the future, you¡¯ll meet many people. When you encounter more people, you may find someone more suitable for you. So, before you turn twenty, it¡¯s best not to consider feelings or hurry to make choices and decisions. Your career is just starting; focus on doing a good job first. Regardless of what happens in the future, I¡¯ll stay by your side. Okay?"


    Originally, Tang Shiyun¡¯s mood was a bit low, but after hearing Ling Chen¡¯s words, her face showed a trace of smile again.


    She is a smart girl; she understood Ling Chen¡¯s words.


    "Ling, why didn¡¯t you prepare wine?"


    "Do you want to drink?" Ling Chen nodded, "Alright, wait here, I¡¯ll call someone to send a bottle of wine over."


    "No need, I have a bottle, it¡¯s a gift from a friend, they say it¡¯s quite old, I¡¯ll ask Hong to get someone to deliver it." After saying this, without waiting for Ling Chen to speak, Tang Shiyun picked up her phone, stepped aside, and called Xu Hong.


    A few minutester, Tang Shiyun returned to her seat, smiling and said: "It¡¯s done, Hong said it will be delivered within half an hour."


    Ling Chen shook his head helplessly: "I do have wine here; why trouble Hong?"


    The two of them sat on the rooftop, chatting for around twenty minutes. It was then that Tang Shiyun¡¯s phone rang. After ncing at the iing caller disy, she stood up and said: "The person delivering the wine arrived, Ling, wait here, I¡¯ll be right back."


    With that, Tang Shiyun grabbed her phone and sprinted off, running quickly into the elevator.


    This girl... Ling Chen chuckled, casually taking out his phone to y.


    Not long after, Tang Shiyun returned from the elevator holding a bottle of wine. Seeing her flushed face, she probably ran back quickly.


    "Ling, try my wine." Tang Shiyun took the cup and filled it for Ling Chen.


    "I say... girl, you need to let the wine breathe before drinking, you¡¯re wasting it like this."


    "Ohe on! We¡¯re drinking for the fun of it, not for tasting, whatever." She said, raising her ss and said: "Ling, I¡¯ll finish mine first."


    Seeing Tang Shiyun finish her ss in a few gulps, Ling Chen was taken aback. Could it be that this girl was provoked?


    "Ling, it¡¯s your turn, don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re chickening out." Tang Shiyun blinked her bright eyes.


    "Alright, since you want to drink, I¡¯ll join you wholeheartedly." With that, Ling Chen downed his ss of wine in one go.


    "More."


    Before long, the two of them had three sses down. Seeing Tang Shiyun¡¯s flushed face, Ling Chen hurriedly stopped her from pouring more, saying: "Girl, you can¡¯t drink any more."

 Chapter 1325 - 1633: Like a Dream, Yet Not a Dream

    <h4>Chapter 1325: Chapter 1633: Like a Dream, Yet Not a Dream</h4>


    "I... I can still drink..." Tang Shiyun, her face flush red, said as she reached out to grab Ling Chen¡¯s bottle. However, she staggered, both hands supporting herself on the table, nearly falling to the ground.


    "Look at you." Ling sighed, quickly setting down the red wine and helping Tang Shiyun up with both hands. He said, "Come on, I¡¯ll take you to your room to rest."


    Without paying heed to Tang Shiyun¡¯s protest, Ling took her into the elevator. Soon, they arrived at Ling¡¯s room. Closing the door, Ling gently ced Tang Shiyun on the bed, then poured a cup of hot tea and had her take a few sips.


    "Feeling better?" Ling asked with concern.


    Tang Shiyun nodded, "Much better. Thank you, Ling."


    "Silly girl, no need to thank me. You rest first, I¡¯m going to take a shower." With that, Ling stood up from the bedside, turning to head to the bathroom.


    Seeing Ling¡¯s movement, Tang Shiyun quickly sat up on the bed, pulled Ling¡¯s hand with a slight tug. With Ling¡¯s strength, Tang Shiyun was definitely no match, but Ling feared hurting her, so he didn¡¯t dare apply any force, and simply returned to sit by the bed.


    Looking into the bewildered eyes of Tang Shiyun, Ling touched her smooth cheek, smiling slightly, he asked, "What¡¯s wrong? Do you want me to stay with you while you sleep? You¡¯re all grown up, still acting like a little child."


    Tang Shiyun held Ling¡¯s hand tightly, her enticing lips pouting slightly, refusing to let go.


    Ling had no choice but to sit by the bedside, "Alright, I¡¯ll sit here with you. I¡¯ll leave once you fall asleep."


    Only then did a faint smile appear on Tang Shiyun¡¯s lips.


    Instantly, Tang Shiyun curled up into Ling¡¯s arms, her head resting on his thigh, arms hugging his waist, her eyes gently closing as her breathing began to steady.


    Watching Tang Shiyun in his arm like a gentle little kitten, Ling smiled wryly, feeling a warm sensation in his heart, indescribably soothing. However, for some reason, he felt his mind bing fuzzy, soon finding himself half-conscious.


    ¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤


    Knock, knock, knock! Knock, knock, knock!


    He didn¡¯t know how much time had passed before a series of knocks came from outside. Ling drowsily opened his eyes, rubbing his throbbing forehead, slowly sitting up from the bed.


    "Coming!" Hearing the knocking persist, Ling replied, casually lifting the nket, ready to get up and open the door. But then, seeing himself naked beneath the nket, he was startled. Damn! What... what happened?


    He usually slept with his clothes on, so why was it that today... Ah! Suddenly regaining rity, Ling immediately remembered that aside from himself, Tang Shiyun was also in the roomst night.


    Last night... Ling strained to recall, and when he saw a crimson stain left on the sheets, he couldn¡¯t help but p his forehead, silently thinking that this was bad.


    Although part of the memory fromst night was missing, he was certain about what had happened.


    Why... why did it turn out like this! He had been fine, how could such an unforgivable thing have happened?


    While in thought, Ling noticed out of the corner of his eye a note pinned down on the table.


    He quickly got out of bed, hurried to the table and picked up the note. It was left by Tang Shiyun, with only a few sinct words.


    "Ling, thank you for giving me an unforgettable memory. You told me not to consider my feelings until I turned twenty. Yesterday was my twentieth birthday, and I think I can now make choices and decisions for myself. No matter what happens in the future, I will always rememberst night."


    The closing was signed, ¡¯Love, Shiyun.¡¯


    Twentieth birthday? Ling was in a daze, realizing he had forgotten her birthday.


    Snapping out of it briefly, Ling hurried to find his phone and dialed Tang Shiyun¡¯s number.


    "Sorry, the number you have dialed is currently unavable. Please call againter..."


    Her phone was turned off... Ling set down the phone, sighing to himself. It¡¯s likely that Tang Shiyun deliberately wanted to avoid him, hence turning off her phone.


    Forget it! There¡¯s no point in overthinking this right now. Honestly, if that call had gone through, he wouldn¡¯t even know what to say to Tang Shiyun. If he guessed correctly, there was definitely something wrong with the red winest night; who knows what Tang Shiyun had put in it, but its effect was so strong that even his willpower couldn¡¯t resist.


    Putting on his clothes, Ling walked to the door and opened it to find Dong Ying standing outside.


    "Assistant Dong, is there something you need?"


    "Chairman, a lot of reporters have shown up outside wanting to interview you."


    "Interview me?" Ling asked, slightly taken aback, "What do they want to interview me about?"


    "They want to know about your rtionship with Miss Tang."


    "We¡¯re good friends, that¡¯s all. You can tell the reporters not to bother me, I don¡¯t have time to waste with them."


    "Chairman, I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s not that simple." With that, Dong Ying pulled a newspaper from a folder and handed it to Ling.


    Looking at the headline, Ling was stunned. His date with Tang Shiyunst night had been photographed. Moreover, most importantly, this morning at around five, someone snapped Tang Shiyun leaving the Falcon Private Security Company.


    Great! No wonder so many reporters showed up to interview him; it was because of this.


    "Assistant Dong, what do you think?" Ling asked.


    "Chairman, I suggest you don¡¯t make any appearances for the time being; wait for all this attention to die down first."


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 1326 - 1634: Photo Exposure (1)

    <h4>Chapter 1326: Chapter 1634: Photo Exposure (1)</h4>


    Ling Chen nodded and said, "You make a valid point. But how could anyone know Shiyun was here with me?" Ling Chen found it strange;st night, when he picked up Tang Shiyun from the hotel, Tang Shiyun was wearing a mask, so no one could have recognized her. Moreover, there were no cars following them at the time.


    Could it be... Ling Chen furrowed his brow. Could it be someone from Falcon Company?


    To prepare for the date with Tang Shiyun, many people at Falcon Company knew Tang Shiyun was here. However, thepany¡¯s employees were professionals, aware of protecting their employer¡¯s privacy, especially the chairman¡¯s privacy. If it¡¯s found out, he would certainly not let the person off. So, it¡¯s unlikely to be someone within thepany.


    Thinking back and forth, Ling Chen spread open the newspaper in his hands and examined the photos once more.


    The photos captured every move of him and Tang Shiyun on the rooftop very clearly, but... Ling Chen noticed a detail: all the photos were taken from the same angle, only the distance varied. This angle... Ling Chen squinted his eyes, quickly walking to the window to look outside.


    Before long, he locked his gaze onto the office building across the street.


    That¡¯s it! Ling Chen nodded to himself; the photographer must have been in that building. "Assistant Dong, please call a few people over for me."


    "Yes." Dong Ying responded and immediately left.


    Soon, five security personnel dressed in suits entered Ling Chen¡¯s room.


    "Chairman, what are your instructions?"


    Ling Chen ced the newspaper in front of them and said, "These photos were taken from the office building across the street. Go and investigate who did it. Don¡¯t alert them yet; just find the person. I¡¯ll handle the rest."


    "Understood."


    Ling Chen wasn¡¯t thinking about taking revenge on the photographer, just eager to secure all the photos to prevent them from being leaked to the media. Who knows what other explosive photos the person might have; it¡¯s best to deal with it quickly to avoid any problems.


    After resting for a while, Ling Chen took out his phone and called Yang Chengfeng. Whether these photos would cause trouble for Tang Shiyun remained uncertain.


    As soon as the call connected, Yang Chengfeng¡¯s voice came through, "Mr. Ling."


    "President Yang, you¡¯ve seen those photos, right?"


    "Yes, I¡¯ve seen them."


    "How is Shiyun doing?"


    "Mr. Ling, these photos will definitely cause some trouble for Miss Tang. I¡¯ve already contacted Xu Hong to quickly return Miss Tang to East Sea City to avoid harassment from reporters." After a pause, Yang Chengfeng continued, "Mr. Ling, don¡¯t worry. Situations like this aremon in the entertainment industry and won¡¯t affect Miss Tang¡¯s reputation negatively. On the contrary, this incident will only boost Miss Tang¡¯s fame. Plus, I¡¯ve engaged a public rtionspany to manage public opinion, and in a week or two, this matter will gradually fade away."


    "That¡¯s for the best. Alright, I¡¯ll leave this matter to you."


    "No problem. By the way," Yang Chengfeng added, "we still don¡¯t know who the informant is. If he holds other photos, I¡¯m afraid..."


    "No need to worry about that; I¡¯ve already sent people to find him. If nothing goes wrong, we¡¯ll have results soon."


    After hanging up, Ling Chen sat in his chair, rubbing his brow. Sigh! He never expected anything like this to happen. If he had known, he would have been more cautious. Now, the whole affair has be public knowledge, and everyone knows his close rtionship with Tang Shiyun. If Nanrong Wanqing finds out, he¡¯ll have a lot of exining to do.


    Ling Chen stayed in thepany the whole morning without going out.


    After lunch, just as Ling Chen was about to take a rest, the five security personnel sent to find the photographer returned.


    "Chairman."


    "So, did you find the person?"


    One security personnel nodded, saying, "Chairman, we¡¯ve obtained the surveince footage from that office building." As he spoke, he turned on the room¡¯sputer and inserted a data disk into the main unit.


    Soon, a screen popped up on theputer.


    "Chairman, this footage was taken at nine-thirty at the rooftop elevator entrance."


    Ling Chen leaned closer to the screen, carefully observing. The elevator doors slowly opened, and a man with a cigarette hanging from his mouth stepped out, seemingly wanting to smoke and get some fresh air.


    Due to the limited range of the camera, only this was captured. Over an hourter, the man returned to the elevator. Ling Chen looked at the recording¡¯s timestamp in the screen¡¯s lower-left corner; if he remembered correctly, it was at that time that he helped the drunken Tang Shiyun leave the rooftop.


    Thus, the photographer must be this guy.


    "Do you know whichpany he works for?"


    "Chairman, we investigated the man¡¯s identity at that office building, but strangely, after seven o¡¯clockst night, allpanies in the building had closed. I asked everywhere, and besides the security personnel on duty, no one was working overtime. Also, from the surveince footage, the man stayed in the building all night without leaving."


    "That¡¯s odd." Ling Chen touched his nose, his expression puzzled, "Since he didn¡¯t leave the building, where could he be? Are you sure you¡¯ve asked around everywhere?"


    "Chairman, I¡¯ve asked everypany in that office building; none have seen this man, not even anyone who knows him."


    During their conversation, another security personnel added, "Not everywhere; onepany¡¯s doors were closed, and we don¡¯t know if anyone was inside. Regardless, I knocked, but there was no response."


    "Whatpany is that?" Ling Chen asked.


    "I don¡¯t know. I asked the building¡¯s security; they told me that thepany¡¯s site had just been rented out, but the doors were kept closed daily with no oneing in or out."


    Upon hearing this, Ling Chen thought about it and said, "Alright, first, investigate the man¡¯s identity and find out where he lives. As long as we know who he is, we¡¯re not afraid of finding him."


    "Understood."


    After resting in the room for a while and checking the time, Ling Chen sneaked out of thepany¡¯s back door alone.


    Half an hourter, Ling Chen drove to the outside of Hongyu United Investment Company. After getting out of the car, fearing recognition, he put on a baseball cap, kept his head down, and quickly passed through the crowd straight into the building.


    He had no choice; Tang Shiyun was a national goddess. The date news between him and Tang Shiyun, once spread, would turn him into a public enemy for many people. He surely didn¡¯t want to be mobbed on the street.


    Carefully making his way through, Ling Chen soon arrived at the chairman¡¯s office.

 Chapter 1327 - 1635: Photo Exposed (Part 2)

    <h4>Chapter 1327: Chapter 1635: Photo Exposed (Part 2)</h4>


    Knocking on the door, Ling Chen walked into the office and saw Nanrong Wanqing discussing matters with a few staff members. Seeing Ling Chen enter, Nanrong Wanqing smiled at him and pointed to the sofa nearby, signaling him to sit for a while.


    After waiting for more than ten minutes, Nanrong Wanqing finished her work, got up to make a cup of tea, and brought it to Ling Chen, asking, "What is it? Are you being besieged by reporters and hiding here to dodge the limelight?"


    Ling Chen was slightly taken aback and said with a wry smile, "You already know."


    "The newspapers and the inte are all about you and Shiyun. It¡¯s hard not to know."


    "Yesterday was Shiyun¡¯s birthday, so I invited her over..."


    "Alright, you don¡¯t need to exin it to me," Nanrong Wanqing interrupted Ling Chen, saying, "I wasn¡¯t saying anything. But, you shoulde here less often for the time being. If people see, they¡¯ll probably add another ¡¯womanizer¡¯bel to your name."


    "Sigh! I didn¡¯t expect this to happen either."


    "Hey..." Ling Chen was about to speak when suddenly, a phone rang in his pocket. Taking out the phone, Ling Chen nced at the caller ID and immediately answered, asking, "Fatso, you wouldn¡¯t be calling just to tease me, would you?"


    "Tsk, I¡¯m not in the mood for that. Hey! On serious business, just now Falcon Company sent me that paparazzo¡¯s photo and asked for help in checking his identity. Guess what?"


    "What?" Ling Chen detected something unusual in Hu Fei¡¯s tone and became serious immediately.


    "There¡¯s no identity information about this person in our Huaxia¡¯s archive, so I also checked Interpol¡¯s database. This paparazzo has seven fake identities, each with several homicides, and is a long-time wanted by Interpol."


    "You mean... that paparazzo is an international fugitive?"


    "I think it¡¯s more than just an international fugitive. Think carefully, why would that person suddenly appear in Beijing? And staying in an office building too."


    Ling Chen asked, "Do you think that person has a purpose?"


    "Such a person wouldn¡¯t appear in such a ce without a reason. I¡¯ve investigated all the information about that office building. There are over twentypanies in the entire building, but they¡¯re all ordinarypanies. So, I think that person¡¯s target is probably Falcon Company. Think about it, that office building is right across from Falcon Company, able to watch your movements anytime."


    "That¡¯s indeed a possibility. Okay, I got it. I¡¯ll investigate it immediately."


    After hanging up, Nanrong Wanqing looked at Ling Chen and asked, "What¡¯s up?"


    "I have something to handle. I¡¯ll invite you out for dinner another day, how about it?"


    Nanrong Wanqing joked with a smile, "The rooftop again?"


    "Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll be careful after this lesson. Okay, I¡¯m off now."


    Leaving Hongyu United Investment Company, Ling Chen drove straight back to Falcon Company. On the way, Ling Chen had already called Dong Ying to arrange the manpower. Once there, the group didn¡¯t stay; they immediately rushed to the opposite office building.


    "You guys, guard all the entrances and parking lots of the building. If the paparazzo appears, no need to be polite, take him out straight away." Pausing briefly, Ling Chen instructed, "Remember, that person¡¯s identity is not simple, so don¡¯t underestimate him."


    "Rest assured, Chairman, we¡¯llplete the mission."


    After briefing everyone, Ling Chen donned a cap and walked into the office building alone. In a short while, Ling Chen took the elevator to the eleventh floor.


    In the surveince footage collected, the paparazzo got out of the elevator on the eleventh floor, so the person is likely staying on this floor. Although Falcon Company¡¯s security personnel had already searched, the person¡¯s whereabouts were not found.


    Walking down the spacious corridor, Ling Chen kept looking to both sides. There were twopanies on this floor; one was a micro-loanpany, and the other had just closed recently, its premises already rented out, but the door was shut with no one in sight.


    After observing for a while, Ling Chen walked to thepany¡¯s entrance with arge lock. At the upper right corner of the door, Ling Chen noticed a surveince camera.


    Hmm? Ling Chen scrutinized it for a second, feeling somewhat intrigued. He had reviewed the surveince footage from this floor, but it seemed that this particr camera hadn¡¯t captured any. With that in mind, Ling Chen turned back to the elevator area.


    There was also a surveince camera installed here.


    Ling Chen found that this camera was different from the one at the door of thatpany, indicating that the camera at thepany¡¯s entrance was not part of the unified instation for the building. This was why the security room had no footage from that camera.


    Thinking it over, Ling Chen returned to thepany¡¯s entrance. Looking at the camera at the upper right corner, Ling Chen took out his phone and searched online. Soon, all the information about the camera disyed on the screen.


    Tsk tsk! A full-HD night vision camera with electronic recognition, vibration detection, and facial scanning capabilities¡ªit¡¯s thetest model. Such cameras are usually installed in banks or highly confidential ces. For an ordinarypany to install such a camera, it could be either extravagantly spending or guarding against outsiders.


    From the traces around the camera, it appeared recently installed. ording to the building¡¯s security, thepany¡¯s premises were rented just over a week ago, and despite the time, no one was seen entering or leaving, yet a high-grade camera was installed at the door¡ªsurely, this is no trivial matter.


    Ling Chen was eighty percent sure that the paparazzo lived behind this door. Besides the paparazzo, there might be more people inside.


    After thinking it through, Ling Chen decided against breaking in and instead turned and left.


    Because of that camera, the people inside surely knew of his presence. Forcing his way in, who knows what awaited inside? For the sake of safety, caution was necessary.


    Leaving the office building, Ling Chen hurried back to Falcon Company. Entering the control room, Ling Chen watched the busy staff and asked, "Have you received the signal?"


    "Chairman, yes, we¡¯ve received it. The signal is normal, and the image is clear."


    Ling Chen walked to aputer, nodded at the screen disy. Just when he¡¯d left, he installed two satellite probes outside thepany, directly facing the door. As long as someone entered or exited, they¡¯d surely notice.


    "Keep a close watch for me, notify me immediately if anyone shows up."


    "Rest assured, Chairman, I¡¯ll have people on duty 24/7, not missing a single frame."

 Chapter 1328 - 1636: The Hunt Begins (Part 1)

    <h4>Chapter 1328: Chapter 1636: The Hunt Begins (Part 1)</h4>


    "He has already left. But, he suddenly came here¡ªcould he have discovered us?"


    On the eleventh floor of the office building, Qin Chuan pushed open the door of the room where Su He was staying and asked.


    Su He stared out the window, his brows slightly furrowed, "We haven¡¯t exposed our identities; it¡¯s impossible for him to have discovered our position. Maybe it¡¯s just a coincidence."


    "A coincidence?" Qin Chuan shook his head and said, "Even if it¡¯s a coincidence, for safety¡¯s sake, we should relocate immediately. We can¡¯t stay in this ce any longer."


    Su He pondered for a moment and said, "First, send someone outside to check if Ling Chen has people watching. If he knows our location, he will surely set up an ambush around."


    "Alright, I¡¯ll send someone out to take a look immediately." As Zhu Chuan finished speaking, he turned and walked out.


    Meanwhile, at the Falcon Private Security Company across the street, Ling Chen quickly headed to the control room upon receiving the notification.


    "Chairman, these are the images we just captured," a technician said, pointing to theputer screen. Ling Chen walked quickly over, leaned closer to theputer screen, and saw the picture of a closed door being pushed open from the inside. Immediately afterward, three men in their twenties walked out from inside the door. As the three men left, the door was closed again.


    "Wait!" Ling Chen eximed, "Rewind the footage by a few seconds." The technician acknowledged and quickly rewound the footage by three seconds. At this moment, the door was about to close, and through the crack, Ling Chen saw a person standing inside. Although slightly blurry, his sharp eyes recognized the person. "Erge the image."


    The technician captured the image through the door crack, zoomed in slowly, and then filtered it using software. Soon, the person inside became clearer.


    Sure enough!


    Ling Chen¡¯s eyes lit up. Zhu Chuan! He didn¡¯t expect this guy to be hiding here. At this moment, Ling Chen finally understood why that paparazzo became an international fugitive; these people were all assassins from Skyhawk Pavilion. His luck was truly good; he thought it was just an ordinary paparazzo, but unexpectedly, he discovered Zhu Chuan¡¯s whereabouts. Since Zhu Chuan was here, Su He must be as well.


    The saying goes, the most dangerous ce is the safest ce. Su He and his group were probably trying to hide their tracks, while spying on him on one hand, and looking for an opportunity to strike on the other.


    "What are those three nning to do?"


    "Chairman, they are heading towards the front and back doors as well as the parking lot of the office building."


    Upon hearing this, Ling Chen pondered for a while and said, "They are scouting, checking if the outside is surrounded. Immediately notify our people to retreat, and do not let them find out." After a pause, Ling Chen asked, "How many people do we have right now?"


    "Besides the ones out on duty, there are sixty people in thepany."


    "Have them ready and await my orders." After saying this, Ling Chen turned to Zhu Qing beside him, "Go and inform Sir Chen, let him go with Ji Gang, find a position in advance to ambush. Once Su He and Zhu Chuan appear, make sure to stop them. We can¡¯t let them escape this time."


    "Yes!" Zhu Qing nodded and quickly walked out of the control room.


    ...


    "Our people have already scouted. There are no ambushes outside the office building. I think Ling Chen probably doesn¡¯t know we¡¯re here. As you said, it might be a coincidence. However, for safety¡¯s sake, I still think we should relocate."


    After listening to Zhu Chuan¡¯s report, Su He nodded slightly, "Alright, send someone to find a ce first. We¡¯ll move after dark."


    In Falcon Company¡¯s control room, Ling Chen watched the three men return to the eleventh floor, a look of concern on his face. It was Su He; he absolutely couldn¡¯t be careless. After thinking for a while, Ling Chen picked up his phone and dialed a number.


    As time ticked away, Ling Chen sat in the control room, his gaze fixed on the screen. Skyhawk Pavilion trains assassins, who excel at operating in darkness. So, if Su He and his team were to act, it would be after nightfall.


    Soon, night gradually descended, and the street lights were already lit. Ling Chen walked to the window, looking at the office building across the street. It was past seven, and the employees working in that building were leaving one after another. Shortly, the security on duty locked the building¡¯s main gate with chains.


    "Chairman, have something to eat." Dong Ying approached with a boxed meal.


    "Just leave it there. I¡¯ll eat itter." After a pause, Ling Chen changed the subject, "Assistant Dong, you can leave early today. No need to stay here." A confrontation with Su He tonight was inevitable, so to avoid involving others, it was better for Dong Ying and the rest to leave early.


    After finishing the meal and a brief rest, the technician watching the screen called out, "Chairman, they¡¯re out."


    Without hesitation, Ling Chen hurried to theputer screen, watching the images sent back by the miniature camera. At this moment, the door was fully open, and more than twenty Skyhawk Pavilion assassins filed out, rapidly heading towards the escape route.


    "Connect to the surveince system of the building across the street. I want to know their every move."


    The technician nodded, fingers flying over the keyboard. In no time, the firewall of the office building across the street was breached, and the screen disyed dozens of surveince images.


    Through the surveince cameras opposite, Ling Chen could clearly see the positions of the Skyhawk Pavilion assassins.


    "Chairman, they¡¯ve all gone to the underground parking lot." The technician switched the disy to the parking lot, showing twomercial vehicles and a minibus parked in a corner, capable of seating twenty people.


    The Skyhawk Pavilion assassins, once in the parking lot, didn¡¯t immediately drive away; instead, they spread out around the lot, keeping watch on the surroundings.


    "Chairman, everyone from the eleventh floor has moved out."


    "The ones in front are just scouts, don¡¯t mind them, focus all attention on these two," Ling Chen pointed to Su He and Zhu Chuan in the image. These two are the key; once they¡¯re dealt with, the remaining Skyhawk Pavilion assassins won¡¯t be much of a threat.


    A few minutester, the team led by Su He swiftly arrived at the underground parking lot. Ling Chen roughly counted, including the scouts from earlier, there were about fifty people. At this moment, Su He and Zhu Chuan had already boarded amercial vehicle, and the others got into the minibus, with the twomercial vehicles slowly heading towards the parking lot exit.


    "Attention all units, attention all units, the target has left the parking lot. Action has begun, repeat, action has begun." Ling Chen, holding a walkie-talkie, transmitted his voice into everyone¡¯s ears.

 Chapter 1329 - 1637: Hunt Operation (Part 2)

    <h4>Chapter 1329: Chapter 1637: Hunt Operation (Part 2)</h4>


    Leaving thepany building, Ling Chen quickly got into the vehicle that had been prepared in advance. Sitting in the car, Ling Chen held a walkie-talkie, constantly keeping in touch with various units. "Calling Falcon One, please respond if received."


    "Falcon One received, tracking target, target has directly entered Chengming Road from Southwest Avenue."


    "Understood." Ling Chen replied briefly, then instructed the driver to head towards Chengming Road immediately. At this time, a helicopter was hovering in the night sky, closely monitoring the positions of those cars. In the helicopter cabin, Tang Yuan was observing the road conditions with binocrs, reporting to Ling Chen in real-time.


    For tonight¡¯s operation, Ling Chen mobilized a lot of forces, including asking Tang Yuan for help. If it weren¡¯t for Tang Yuan stepping in, it wouldn¡¯t have been so easy to arrange for a helicopter.


    "Chairman, the people in the parking lot are preparing to move."


    Hearing the news from the central control room, Ling Chen responded, "Notify them, start the dra operation, we must not let those people escape."


    "Understood!"


    "Hey! Tang Yuan, the motorcade has already entered Zhenghong Road, it¡¯s time to take action."


    Tang Yuan¡¯s voice came through the earpiece, Ling Chen responded with a nod, picked up the walkie-talkie and said, "All units, attention, target is on Zhenghong Road, start the operation!"


    As Ling Chen¡¯s words fell, the several Range Rovers following him immediately elerated, quickly rushing towards the destination.


    "How much farther?" Su He checked the map and asked Zhu Chuan beside him.


    "Eight kilometers left, they found an abandoned warehouse, it¡¯s a good hiding spot." Zhu Chuan replied.


    Su He frowned and said, "Tell them to hurry, I have a bad feeling about this."


    Bang!


    Just after he spoke, Su He and Zhu Chuan heard a loud noise from behind. When the two turned around, they only saw the business car behind them being hit from the rear by a Range Rover. The car immediately lost control, crashing into a nearby pole. With a ¡¯bang¡¯, the front of the business car waspletely caved in, white smoke billowing out wildly.


    At the same time, two Range Rovers suddenly charged out from the intersection beside them, driving alongside the business car and the small bus on the left. Watching the Range Rovers slowly edging closer, Zhu Chuan said grimly, "Speed up and rush through."


    "Yes." The driver responded, pressing the gas pedal to the floor. In an instant, the business car shot forward with a roar of the engine, speeding away, leaving the two Range Rovers behind. However, just at that moment, a garbage truck suddenly charged out from the junction ahead, blocking the entire way.


    Seeing this, the driver didn¡¯t hesitate, quickly turning the steering wheel to redirect the business car onto a left-hand road. But before going too far, two more Range Rovers blocked their path ahead. With no other choice, the driver had to steer the business car into another road.


    Seeing this, Su He said with a stern face, "Turn around immediately, they¡¯re forcing us into a trap."


    "We can¡¯t escape now." Zhu Chuanmented, "Our only option is to get out and leave on foot."


    Upon hearing this, Su He pondered for a moment and nodded, "Stop the car."


    As the business car came to a stop, Zhu Chuan immediately pushed open the door and stepped out. But before his foot hit the ground, a piercing sound suddenly rang out. When Zhu Chuan realized it, a sharp arrow had alreadynded on the ground, simultaneously a bloody scratch appeared on his shoulder.


    "Watch out!" Zhu Chuan¡¯s reaction was swift, feeling the pain in his shoulder, he immediately shouted, "It¡¯s an ambush!"


    No sooner had he finished speaking than the driver of the business car was shot in the head with an arrow, dying instantly.


    "It¡¯s Zhang Zhongfeng." Hiding at the corner of a wall, Zhu Chuan said in a deep voice. To wield such precise archery, in the whole world, only Zhang Zhongfeng could achieve this.


    Su He looked at the tall buildings around him, Zhang Zhongfeng must be hiding at a high vantage point, only his location was concealed so well they couldn¡¯t spot him for now.


    "Go, break through and rush out."


    Decisively, Su He called Zhu Chuan to break through towards the opposite street. But they hadn¡¯t gone far when more than ten arrows swiftly shot towards them, blocking their path.


    For anyone else, Su He and Zhu Chuan wouldn¡¯t even consider these arrows a threat. But the archer was Zhang Zhongfeng, they dared not be careless. Zhu Chuan was already wounded in the shoulder for not being vignt. If anyone could injure them with a bow and arrow, it would only be Zhang Zhongfeng.


    "Help, save me..." At this time, cries for help intermittently came from the small bus parked behind. Su He turned to look, only to see dazzling shes of light bursting from the bus, even the ss windows shattering.


    "Should we rescue them?" Zhu Chuan asked.


    "How would we?" Su He replied coldly, "We¡¯re barely holding on ourselves, where do we find the energy to save them? Let¡¯s go, escape first and then talk."


    With this, Su He tapped the ground with his toes, instantly performing the Nine Yang Qiankun Step, his body like a shadow rushing towards the nearest building. Upon approach, without pause, Su He crashed through the ss, with a crisp ¡¯ng¡¯, shattering the whole pane as his figure disappeared inside the building.


    Seeing Su He¡¯s position, Zhu Chuan hurried to follow.


    At this moment, Ling Chen had arrived at the ambush point in a sedan at a nearby intersection. As soon as he got out of the car, he received news from his own people through the earpiece.


    "Target One and Target Two have escaped to Building B, everyone proceed to surround from both sides."


    "Building B?" Ling Chen nced around, his eyes immediately locking onto a twenty-story building not far away.


    Before the operation, Ling Chen had designated this area as an ambush point. The reason for choosing this ce was because it was full of tall buildings, ideal for an ambush. Furthermore, after seven o¡¯clock in the evening, it was almost deserted, allowing for maximum operational freedom without fearing harm to innocent bystanders.


    In addition, a very important reason was that surrounding these high-rises was a field, with no buildings within dozens of meters. If Su He and Zhu Chuan escaped, their position could be clearly locked.


    At this moment, Su He stood by the window, looking at the field outside, frowning heavily. As the old Pavilion Master of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, Su He was well aware of his current situation. Once he left this building, he would definitely be discovered by Ling Chen¡¯s men, leading to an inevitable battle.


    Now, aside from him and Zhu Chuan, the assassins of the Skyhawk Pavilion were entirely wiped out, so they had to be extra cautious.


    While pondering, a beam of strong light suddenly projected from a distance, prompting Su He to withdraw immediately to avoid being detected. Soon after, dozens of beams of strong light illuminated the surrounding field, turning it as bright as day.

 Chapter 1330 - 1638: Hunting Operation (Part 3)

    <h4>Chapter 1330: Chapter 1638: Hunting Operation (Part 3)</h4>


    "Hello, hello!" On the edge of the grass, Ling Chen picked up a megaphone and shouted loudly, "Elder Su, surrender. You¡¯re already surrounded. I¡¯ll give you three minutes. If you don¡¯te out, don¡¯t me me for being rude."


    Putting down the megaphone, Ling Chen turned to Qiu Yong beside him and asked, "Brother, have our men been arranged properly?"


    Qiu Yong nodded and said, "Don¡¯t worry, we¡¯ve surrounded that building. Fourth Brother is watching from above. No matter how skilled Su He is, he won¡¯t fly away today."


    "Don¡¯t be so sure. You¡¯re well aware of Su He¡¯s abilities. To catch him, we¡¯ll definitely have to pay a price."


    After confirming Su He and Qin Chuan¡¯s whereabouts today, Ling Chen immediately called Tong Zhentian of East Sea City for support. He had no choice; with only Chen Junfeng, Ji Gang, and Zhu Qing by his side, their strength was far from enough.


    A short whileter, two minutes passed. Qiu Yong looked toward the building opposite, "Sixth Brother, it seems they¡¯re not nning to surrender."


    "No rush." With that, Ling Chen picked up the radio and said, "Fourth Brother, do me a favor, send something inside."


    Bang!


    With a crisp sound, the window ss on the first floor of the building was shot through, and shards scattered everywhere.


    Qin Chuan quickly walked over and saw an arrow stuck in the ground. Tied to the middle of the arrow was a mobile phone. At this moment, the phone¡¯s ringtone rang.


    "It should be a call from Ling Chen. Should we answer it?"


    Su He reached out his hand, signaling Qin Chuan to hand over the phone. The call connected, and Ling Chen¡¯s voice came through immediately, "Elder Su, we meet again."


    "What do you want?" Su He asked calmly.


    "I hope you stop resisting ande out to surrender. I can assure you, I won¡¯t harm a hair on your head."


    "You¡¯ve gone to great lengths just to kill us, do you think I¡¯d believe you?"


    "Once a master, always a master. Although we don¡¯t have the title of master and disciple, in reality, we are. In my mind, I¡¯ve always regarded you as my master. Actually, this is thest thing I want to see happen. If possible, I wish things were like before. Promise me you won¡¯t be my enemy from now on, and I guarantee with my life I won¡¯t harm you."


    "I¡¯m from the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, fighting for it all my life. If the pavilion¡¯s position is reced by Dragon Tiger Hall, then living would be meaningless for me. Unless Dragon Tiger Hall disappears, I won¡¯t give up easily."


    Hearing this, Ling Chen said helplessly, "Elder Su, you¡¯re an educated person. Why say such naive things? The rise and fall of dynasties is inevitable, no one can reign forever. Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion has been established for centuries; its decline is a matter of time. Why insist on this? Since the pavilion must exit the historical stage, why not let it step down gracefully rather than tarnishing its name."


    "You¡¯re not from the Su Family, you can¡¯t understand our feelings. Ling Chen, I can¡¯t figure out how you discovered my whereabouts despite my excellent hiding."


    "Credit goes to your subordinate. Last night someone secretly took photos of me with Miss Tang. I was initially trying to find the photographer to retrieve the pictures, then I found out he¡¯s one of yours." After a pause, Ling Chen continued, "Elder Su, three minutes have passed, evidently you¡¯re not nning to surrender."


    "I¡¯ve never admitted defeat in my life. If you want to kill me, let¡¯s see if you¡¯re capable."


    "Alright, since that¡¯s the case, don¡¯t me me for being rude." As he finished speaking, Ling Chen hung up the phone and turned to a technician working on aptop, "How¡¯s it going, have you located them?"


    The technician nodded and said, "Found them, in the northeast corner of that building. Director, the phone¡¯s bug and camera are working fine."


    Hearing this, Ling Chen quickly walked over and looked at the images disyed on the screen.


    The phone was probably thrown to the ground by Su He, but through the phone¡¯s top-moving camera, it could capture Su He and Qin Chuan¡¯s current position.


    Due to the light, the image wasn¡¯t clear. However, Ling Chen didn¡¯t mind as long as he knew where they were.


    "Amplify the bug¡¯s sound, I want to hear their voices."


    "Yes."


    At the moment, in the building, Su He was pacing around, checking the outside situation.


    "What do we do now?" Qin Chuan asked.


    "There¡¯s certainly a trap over the grass area; it¡¯s best we stay inside and wait till dawn. Once there are more people, we can blend in with the crowd to escape."


    "What if they break in?"


    "Given our strength, do you think they¡¯d daree in?" Su He was very confident. With two Heavenly List experts here, they weren¡¯t afraid even if Ling Chen sent more people.


    Bang!


    At that moment, a crisp sound came again. Qin Chuan turned towards the direction it came from and saw something on the ground.


    Before Qin Chuan could see clearly, crisp sounds echoed from all directions, with things periodically hitting the ground.


    Simultaneously, almost invisible smoke began to spread from the ground, filling the floor where Qin Chuan was.


    Smelling the pungent odor, Qin Chuan furrowed his brows and said seriously, "It¡¯s gas."


    Upon Qin Chuan¡¯s warning, Su He dared not breathe and quickly held his breath, "Looks like they¡¯re trying to force us out." After pondering for a moment, Su He said, "Let¡¯s sneak around the back."


    With those words, they swiftly headed towards the back door.


    Surveying the outside, Su He nodded to Qin Chuan, who understood and gently pushed the door open a crack, then gradually moved out.


    After advancing more than ten meters, Qin Chuan used the shadow of a corner to observe the surroundings. Seeing no one appear, he gestured to Su He behind him.


    Once Su He caught up, Qin Chuan continued moving forward, searching for cover to hide their presence.


    However, at that moment, intense lights suddenly shone down from above, directly illuminating them.


    This sudden change caused Su He and Qin Chuan¡¯s expressions to alter.


    "Elder Su, Elder Qin." As footsteps approached, Ling Chen emerged from a distant corner.


    Watching Ling Chen approach slowly, Su He frowned and asked, "How did you know we were here?"


    "Elder Su, I told you, I¡¯ve made thorough preparations. Tonight, you won¡¯t escape my grasp. Before I change my mind, my previous offer stands. If you surrender now, I guarantee I won¡¯t harm you."

 Chapter 1331 - 1639: Hunting Operation (4)

    <h4>Chapter 1331: Chapter 1639: Hunting Operation (4)</h4>


    "Ling Chen, I¡¯ve told you, I¡¯ve never admitted defeat in my life. If you want me to surrender, at least show some skills."


    "Alright." Ling Chen nodded and said, "In that case, don¡¯t me me for being impolite." As he finished speaking, Ling Chen waved his hand, and Chen Junfeng emerged from the corners of the walls along with Ji Gang. Besides the two, there were also Xu Ming and Qiu Yong, forming a circle and surrounding Su He and Qin Chuan.


    Su He nced at Chen Junfeng across from him, his expression indifferent as he said, "I thought you were long dead, didn¡¯t expect you to be alive all this time."


    Chen Junfeng, with a fierce look in his eyes, said coldly, "Surprisingly, you still remember me. Back then, I was clearly wronged, yet your Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion insisted on making trouble for me. To force me to submit, you even burned my wife and child in a great fire. Su He, do you know that for all these years, I haven¡¯t had a good night¡¯s sleep? As soon as I close my eyes, images of my dead wife and daughter appear in my mind. Today, I¡¯m going to use your blood to honor them."


    "If you have the ability, you can take my life." After speaking, Su He turned his head and signaled Qin Chuan beside him with his eyes. Thetter understood and slowly moved towards the left, where there was a shadow close to the wall. As a Heavenly List assassin, in the right environment, he could unleash immensebat power.


    Seeing Qin Chuan¡¯s movement, everyone understood his intent. At that moment, Ling Chen, Qiu Yong, and Xu Ming all moved towards Qin Chuan¡¯s location, preparing to intercept him.


    Capture the ringleader first! Ling Chen had already nned for Chen Junfeng and Ji Gang to deal with Su He together, while the others would restrain Qin Chuan. Once Su He was defeated, Qin Chuan would be easy to handle.


    As Chen Junfeng and Ji Gang slowly approached, Su He remained indifferent, as if he did not regard these two at all. At this moment, a whistling sound filled the air. Su He and Qin Chuan looked up, seeing more than ten arrows shooting down from the sky, swiftly closing in on their heads.


    Witnessing the situation, Su He lightly tapped his toes, instantly moving to the side, avoiding the threat of the arrows. However, when the arrowsnded, there were several soft ¡¯bang¡¯ sounds, and the arrows exploded into numerous green powders, scattering in the air.


    Unavoidably, both Su He and Qin Chuan were touched by the green powders.


    Facing this sudden change, their expressions changed slightly as they immediately retreated a few steps until the green powders slowly dissipated from the air.


    "Ling Chen, I can¡¯t believe you used poison?" Qin Chuan covered his nose, refraining from breathing, pointed at Ling Chen, and shouted angrily, "I never thought you were so despicable. If you have the skill, fight openly!"


    Hearing this, Ling Chen slightly raised the corner of his mouth, smiling as he said, "Elder Qin, I think you misunderstood. How could I use such despicable tactics? Rest assured, what we used just now was not poison powder."


    "Then what is it?" Qin Chuan looked unconvinced.


    "You¡¯ll know by looking at yourselves."


    Su He and Qin Chuan immediately looked down at their bodies. Instantly, they saw that all parts of their bodies emitted a faint green glow. This... both of their expressions changed, eyes showing a trace of surprise.


    "This is glow powder." Ling Chen smiled slightly and exined, "Don¡¯t worry, this stuff is non-toxic." Seeing Ling Chen¡¯s smug smile, Su He and Qin Chuan¡¯s expressions turned grim. They certainly knew what glow powder was, and they had guessed its purpose.


    Su He was well-versed in the Nine Yang Qiankun Step. Back at the Skyhawk Pavilion headquarters, he had easily escaped an encirclement of hundreds of people with his exquisite Nine Yang Qiankun Step. As for Qin Chuan, he was a Heavenly List-level assassin. Once he vanished into darkness, he posed an absolute threat. So, Ling Chen pondered and ultimately thought of the brilliant idea of using glow powder.


    As long as the glow powder stuck to Su He and Qin Chuan, they would be conspicuous targets wherever they went. This way, Qin Chuan¡¯s assassination tactics became useless, as he could be discovered even in the dark. It was the same for Su He; the presence of glow powder significantly reduced the effect of his Nine Yang Qiankun Step.


    At this moment, Su He and Qin Chuan were no longer at ease, their eyes showing a hint of seriousness.


    "Elder Su, it¡¯s still not toote to admit defeat."


    "Kill!" Su He frowned, coldly uttering a word. As his voice fell, Qin Chuan simultaneously made his move, charging straight at the nearest Qiu Yong. Since the glow powder was on him, there was no need to hide in the dark. Right now, the only way was to fight head-on.


    Seeing Qin Chuan rushing towards Qiu Yong, Ling Chen and Xu Ming did not hesitate at all, immediately speeding up and rushing to Qiu Yong¡¯s side to jointly counter Qin Chuan¡¯s attack.


    "Die!" Qin Chuan shouted angrily, producing a sharp dagger and aiming it at Qiu Yong¡¯s throat.


    Sensing the formidable momentum, Xu Ming quickly stepped in front of Qiu Yong without a word, delivering an uppercut towards Qin Chuan¡¯s wrist. Meanwhile, Ling Chen leaped up and kicked at Qin Chuan¡¯s head.


    Faced with the two-pronged attack, unless Qin Chuan gave up his assault, he had to endure one of the attacks. After a brief hesitation, Qin Chuan immediately made a choice, quickly retracting his dagger and retreating, avoiding thebined assault of Ling Chen and Xu Ming.


    However, just as Qin Chuan was preparing to retreat, an arrow suddenly came shooting from above. A strong sense of crisis welled up in Qin Chuan¡¯s heart, causing him to hurriedly twist his body, forcibly moving a centimeter or two away from his retreating position. Though only a centimeter or two, it saved his life. The arrow grazed his ear, leaving a bloody mark.


    No time to tend to the pain from his ear, Ling Chen, Xu Ming, and Qiu Yong¡¯s attacks were already upon him, rushing in close.


    With a crisp sound, a chain suddenly appeared in Qiu Yong¡¯s hand.


    Seeing the chain descending towards Qin Chuan, Ling Chen applied force to the tip of his toes, leaping directly over Qin Chuan¡¯s head. Watching Ling Chen¡¯s move, Qin Chuan wanted to turn and cover his back, but Qiu Yong and Xu Ming were still in front of him, and he couldn¡¯t ignore these two¡¯s attacks. Besides, Zhang Zhongfeng was always aiming at him from above, so he had to split his attention.


    Under a three-sided attack, Qin Chuan gritted his teeth and went straight for Qiu Yong and Xu Ming¡¯s attacks, wielding his dagger as he charged forward. He knew that in such a situation, he had to endure one of the attacks. Therefore, he chose to ignore Ling Chen¡¯s attack, believing it to be the weakest among them, thus minimizing the damage.


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 1332 - 1640: The Hunt (Part 5)

    <h4>Chapter 1332: Chapter 1640: The Hunt (Part 5)</h4>


    Aiming at Qin Chuan¡¯s back, Ling Chen swung his steel fist, gathering his strength, and threw a punch squarely at Qin Chuan¡¯s back. Instantly, Qin Chuan¡¯s face turned pale, and he spat out a mouthful of fresh blood. Under the impact of that force, Qin Chuan¡¯s body pitched forward sharply, stumbling underfoot, almost falling to the ground.


    However, Qin Chuan¡¯s reaction was swift. Seeing this situation, he simply rolled on the ground. Although the movecked the demeanor of a Heavenly List expert, it skillfully avoided the attack from Qiu Yong and Xu Ming. Watching Qin Chuan stand up again, Ling Chen and his twopanions gave him no time to breathe, continuing to close in from three directions, pressing him hard, leaving him only able to defend.


    At this moment, Qin Chuan gritted his teeth, enduring the pain from his back, while fending off the attacks from Ling Chen and hispanions. Besides, he had to keep an eye on Zhang Zhongfeng above him, never knowing when he might shoot out a deadly arrow.


    No! Qin Chuan furrowed his brows, ncing toward Su He out of the corner of his eye from time to time. His situation was extremely bad. With his strength, holding on a bit longer wouldn¡¯t be an issue. However, the keyy in Su He. If Su He couldn¡¯t quickly deal with those two Heavenly List experts, his defeat was only a matter of time.


    Meanwhile, Su He was facing thebined attacks of Chen Junfeng and Ji Gang. Confronted with the siege of two Heavenly List experts, Su He appeared calm andposed, but all he could do was ensure his temporary safety, with no room to spare for the precarious Qin Chuan.


    It was fortunate that Ling Chen came up with the brilliant idea of using fluorescent powder, making Su He unable to hide. Even if he executed the Nine Yang Qiankun Step, he couldn¡¯t escape the pursuit of Chen Junfeng and Ji Gang. As long as the fluorescent powder was there, Chen Junfeng could urately lock onto his position.


    Ah!


    At this moment, a miserable scream came from Qin Chuan¡¯s side. Su He turned his head to look, his face changed drastically. Qin Chuan¡¯s back had been struck by a knife, blood flowing freely, instantly dyeing his clothes red. The attacker was none other than Yuan Yun. From the beginning of the battle until now, Yuan Yun had been hiding in the dark, seeking an opportunity to strike. Just now, he seized a chance, quickly approaching Qin Chuan from behind, delivering a heavy sh that severely wounded him.


    Qin Chuan spat out a mouthful of blood, his body swaying as he retreated a few steps. His back injury was too severe, at that moment he felt as if his entire upper body had lost sensation, and even gripping his dagger required great effort.


    "Elder Qin, surrender, there¡¯s no need to make things harder for yourself," Ling Chen stepped forward and said.


    Qin Chuan, with a cold face and heavy breaths, replied, "Ling Chen, if you have the guts, kill me. I¡¯m from the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, and I will never bow to anyone." With that said, Qin Chuan shouted fiercely, mustering all his strength and charged straight at Ling Chen with his dagger raised.


    He knew he couldn¡¯t hold on much longer. So, before dying, the only thing he could do was to risk everything and take Ling Chen down with him.


    Seeing Qin Chuan rushing towards Ling Chen, Xu Ming and Qiu Yong hurried forward, intending to stop Qin Chuan. However, even after being hit by both, Qin Chuan¡¯s body merely swayed slightly and showed no sign of stopping. Clearly, he was determined to take Ling Chen with him before he died.


    Just as Qin Chuan was about to reach him, Ling Chen remained standing, motionless, as if he didn¡¯t regard Qin Chuan¡¯s threat seriously.


    At this crucial moment, a person suddenly leaped out from the ground, with a dagger in hand, stabbing it fiercely into Qin Chuan¡¯s body. Having seeded in one strike, that person quickly retreated, rejoining Ling Chen¡¯s side.


    Fatally stabbed, Qin Chuan¡¯s forward momentum finally stopped. ncing at the dagger lodged in his chest, Qin Chuan opened his mouth as if to say something. However, before he could utter a sound, he copsed to the ground, lifeless.


    "Phew!" Seeing Qin Chuan¡¯s body on the ground, Qiu Yong couldn¡¯t help but let out a breath, speaking with lingering fear, "Sixth Brother, fortunately you had things arranged, having Lady Zhu hidden underground all this time, otherwise, you would have been in danger just now."


    Ling Chen smiled slightly, "I trust Lady Zhu will not disappoint me."


    Before the battle started, Ling Chen had made full preparations. He, Qiu Yong, Xu Ming, along with Zhang Zhongfeng, were responsible for drawing Qin Chuan¡¯s attention. Yuan Yun and Zhu Qing were hidden, waiting for a chance to strike. Except for Chen Junfeng and Ji Gang, he deployed almost all resources against Qin Chuan.


    Once Qin Chuan was dealt with, it would be much easier to handle Su He alone.


    "Ling Chen, be careful, he¡¯s trying to escape!" This warning from Chen Junfeng came from the side.


    With the death of Qin Chuan, Su He felt a sense of crisis. Surrounded by so many, despite his strength, the chance of escape was slim. So, before Ling Chen and his group could close in, he had to flee the area quickly.


    Seeing Su He attempting to escape, Ling Chen immediately led the group chasing after him. As Su He¡¯s body was marked with fluorescent powder, retreating into the dark would only make him more noticeable. One had to admit, Su He¡¯s speed was incredibly fast, covering a kilometer in the blink of an eye, and Ling Chen¡¯s group chased relentlessly, maintaining about a hundred meters distance.


    "Hey! Old Tang, get over here for support," Ling Chen shouted through the walkie-talkie.


    In no time, the sound of propellers was heard from above. Subsequently, a spotlight cast down from the helicopter,nding precisely on Su He. Apart from Tang Yuan, Zhang Zhongfeng was also on the helicopter. Tang Yuan, heeding Ling Chen¡¯s request, had brought Zhang Zhongfeng onto the helicopter.


    Watching Su He fleeing below, Zhang Zhongfeng held a longbow, drawing five arrows in one hand, nocking them all onto the bow.


    Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!


    With the sound of arrows piercing the air, all five arrows shot forth, slowing Su He¡¯s pace.


    Seizing this opportunity, Ling Chen and his group quickened their pace, pursuing from behind, gradually closing the gap.


    At this time, Tang Yuan, sitting in the helicopter, looked ahead, his expression suddenly changing. He quickly grabbed the walkie-talkie, "Tang Yuan, it¡¯s not good, there¡¯s ake ahead. The target is heading straight towards it."


    "Do everything possible to stop him, he mustn¡¯t be allowed to jump into theke."


    "Send me to the front," Zhang Zhongfeng, at his side, said.


    Tang Yuan responded, immediately instructing the pilot to fly the helicopter to theke¡¯s edge, hovering in mid-air. Watching Su He running toward them, Zhang Zhongfeng, from a high vantage, drew his bow and aimed an arrow directly at Su He¡¯s forehead.


    Whoosh!


    An arrow flew out. Su He, quick to react, immediately leaped to the side, dodging the arrow.


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 1333 - 1641: Hunt Operation (6)

    <h4>Chapter 1333: Chapter 1641: Hunt Operation (6)</h4>


    Staring directly at Zhang Zhongfeng, Su He frowned deeply, constantly shifting positions to dodge the arrows shot from above.


    If possible, Su He wanted to change his direction to avoid Zhang Zhongfeng¡¯s attack range. However, there was ake ahead, his only hope for escape.


    Being chased by so many people and forced into such a pathetic state made Su He very angry. As a dignified expert on the Heavenly List, reputed to be the number one in the world, to fall into such a situation would surely make him aughingstock if it got out.


    Whoosh!


    Another arrow came shooting toward him. Under such a dense rain of arrows, Su He finally made a mistake and was hit in the right leg. Feeling the pain from the right leg, Su He gritted his teeth, dragging the injured leg as he continued to run forward. At this moment, he couldn¡¯t stop, as the footsteps behind him were getting closer, and Ling Chen and the others could catch up at any moment.


    Whoosh! Whoosh!


    A series of arrows came flying again, affecting his movement due to the injury in his right leg. Facing the rain of arrows ahead, Su He couldn¡¯t dodge as flexibly as before. Soon, he was struck by several arrows, and blood slowly flowed from the wounds.


    The arrow wounds on his right leg and left arm were not serious, but the one in his abdomen was causing much difort, making it difficult to even walk.


    Seeing theke getting closer, Su He gritted his teeth and, with all his strength, leaped directly toward theke. However, the moment Su He hit the water, a sharp arrow shot from above, striking his back.


    Plop! Water sshed as Su He¡¯s body sank into theke, disappearing into the darkness. Due to theke, even though Su He¡¯s body was covered with fluorescent powder, it was of no use at this moment.


    By this time, Ling Chen and the others had also reached the shore. Looking at the spot where Su He fell into the water, Ling Chen frowned and said, "Everyone spread out, guard every spot on the shore, and report immediately if there¡¯s any sign of Su He."


    "Understood!"


    At this moment, Tang Yuan and Zhang Zhongfeng were sitting in a helicopter, circling over theke, searching for Su He¡¯s whereabouts. More than an hour passed in the blink of an eye, but everyone came up empty-handed. "Sixth brother." Suddenly, Ling Chen heard Yuan Yun¡¯s shout.


    When he reached Yuan Yun¡¯s location, he saw Yuan Yun holding an arrow, saying, "I found this on the shore. It still has blood on it; Su He probably pulled it out when he came ashore."


    "Did anyone see hime ashore?"


    "No." Yuan Yun shook his head and said, "There are a lot of water nts here; he might have used them to sneak ashore while we weren¡¯t paying attention. So, should we keep searching?"


    Looking at the bloodstained arrow, Ling Chen pondered for a moment, then shook his head: "Forget it, he¡¯s probably long gone. There¡¯s a road over there; he might have mingled with the crowd and left."


    Su He¡¯s escape left Ling Chen feeling unwilling. After making so many arrangements, thinking they were foolproof, he still managed to escape. However, the fortunate thing was that although Su He had escaped, Qin Chuan and those assassins from Skyhawk Pavilion were all dealt with, eliminating a significant threat.


    "Sixth brother, don¡¯t worry too much. Su He might not live long," Zhang Zhongfeng said as he stepped down from the helicopter. "He took four of my arrows, two of which are very severe. If he doesn¡¯t get timely medical treatment, no matter how strong he is, he won¡¯tst long."


    "Let¡¯s hope so." Ling Chen nodded and then arranged for everyone to return to thepany.


    At this time, in a dark alley, Su He supported himself against a wall, slowly moving forward. His clothes and pants were soaked with blood from the arrow wounds. His hair was wet, and each step he took left a bloody footprint on the ground.


    After walking more than ten meters, Su He¡¯s legs suddenly went weak, and he copsed directly onto the ground.


    Taking a deep breath, Su He leaned against the wall, gasping as he pressed his hand against the wound on his abdomen. Though the abdominal wound was severe, the truly fatal injury was Zhang Zhongfeng¡¯sst arrow. Just as he jumped into the water, an arrow pierced through his back. At this point, due to excessive blood loss, his consciousness was bing faint, his limbs cold, and his life force was rapidly fading.


    Just then, an iron door in the alley opened and a man stepped out, carrying two bags of garbage.


    Startled by the sight of Su He, the man hurried to his side, asking, "Sir, are you alright?"


    Su He opened his mouth, wanting to speak, but felt too weak to utter a word. Seeing this, the man didn¡¯t dare to dy and quickly picked up Su He, hurriedly returning inside.


    "Auntie,e quick, I¡¯ve got a patient here who needs emergency care."


    At the man¡¯s shout, a stately woman emerged from an inner room. Seeing Su He lying on the bed, she approached and lifted his clothing to inspect the wounds. Her eyes widened at the strange injuries, and she immediately stopped the man¡¯s actions.


    "Auntie, what¡¯s wrong?"


    The woman pointed at Su He on the bed and said, "This man is a martial artist. Before helping him, you¡¯d better find out his identity."


    "A martial artist?" The man was slightly taken aback, asking in bewilderment, "Auntie, how do you know he¡¯s a martial artist?"


    "Look at his wounds; they¡¯re caused by arrows. Few people use bows and arrows in martial arts, and the most famous is the Archer God Zhang Zhongfeng. This old man¡¯s skills should not be weak; if I¡¯m not wrong, these arrow wounds were likely caused by Zhang Zhongfeng."


    "Auntie, why does it matter? He¡¯s in critical condition. If we don¡¯t treat him, he won¡¯t survive."


    The woman nced at the man and spoke calmly, "Rescuing someone is one thing, but we also need to see if he¡¯s worth saving. Our Shi Family has always dealt with martial artists, and if we save him recklessly without knowing his identity, it might bring us trouble."


    "What should we do then? He¡¯s already unconscious. Do we just watch him die? If I had known this, I wouldn¡¯t have brought him in." The man sounded somewhat helpless.


    The woman contemted for a moment and said, "Alright, go find some ropes and tie him up before treating him, to prevent him from causing us trouble when he wakes up."


    Hearing this, the man responded immediately, quickly leaving the room. Soon, he returned with several ropes and tied up Su He¡¯s hands and feet.

 Chapter 1334 - 1642: The New Name Sanshui

    <h4>Chapter 1334: Chapter 1642: The New Name Sanshui</h4>


    After the man and **** rescued him for more than an hour, Su He¡¯s wounds were all covered with ointment. "Aunt, it¡¯s done. His pulse has stabilized. Let¡¯s let him rest for a while, and we can check on him again tomorrow morning," the man said.


    "Alright." **** nodded and turned to leave the room.


    The next morning, Su He groggily opened his eyes and surveyed his surroundings, immediately bing alert. He tried to sit up, but quickly discovered that his hands and feet were tied with ropes, making him unable to move.


    Despite being seriously injured, with his skill as a master on the Heavenly List, breaking free from these ropes was no difficult task. After hesitating for a moment, Su Hey back down.


    Soon after, the door to the room was pushed open, and a man walked in from outside. Seeing Su He awake, the man hurried to the bedside and asked, "How do you feel?"


    Su He looked at the man and said, "Did you save me?"


    The man nodded, "You fainted in the box behind my house. I saw you when I went out to dump the garbage, so I brought you inside."


    "Are you a doctor?"


    "Yes, our Shi Family has been practicing medicine for generations, so you can rest assured," the man said with a smile. After a pause, the man nced at the ropes on Su He¡¯s hands and feet and said apologetically, "Sorry, my aunt said we didn¡¯t know your identity, so for safety¡¯s sake, we tied you up."


    Su He said meaningfully, "So you are from the Shi Family."


    Hearing this, the man excitedly said, "You¡¯ve heard of our Shi Family?"


    Su He nodded and said, "No one in the Martial Arts world does not know the Shi Family. Many people¡¯s lives have been saved because of the Shi Family¡¯s miraculous hands. Thank you for saving me."


    "You¡¯re wee. By the way, I still don¡¯t know your name."


    "My surname is Su, Su Sanshui."


    "Su Sanshui?" The man smiled slightly and said, "That¡¯s an interesting name. Let me introduce myself, I am Shi Tian."


    As soon as he finished speaking, someone walked in from outside. Seeing this person, Shi Tian smiled and introduced, "Elder Su, this is my aunt, Shi Su."


    "Thank you, Miss Shi, for saving my life."


    Shi Su looked calm and asked, "Elder Su, I¡¯m curious, who injured you so severely?"


    "The Arrow God, Zhang Zhongfeng." Su He quickly stated Zhang Zhongfeng¡¯s name. Since he knew that they were from the Shi Family, there was nothing to hide. With the Shi Family¡¯s medical skills, they would have already seen it from the wounds. So, instead of lying and arousing suspicion, it was better to be straightforward.


    "Just as I suspected!" Shi Su nodded and said, "I guessed it, it was indeed him. Elder Su, if you don¡¯t mind, would you be willing to tell me why Zhang Zhongfeng attacked you?"


    "I have personal grievances with the Eight Oddities, and it just so happened they ran into me in Beijing this time, so a conflict broke out. Besides me, everyone else was killed."


    "Humph!" Shi Su gritted her teeth and said with resentment, "As long as Ling Chen is involved, nothing good ever happens."


    Hearing this, Su He looked at Shi Su with an intrigued expression and asked, "Do you have a grudge with Ling Chen?"


    "That¡¯s all in the past. I don¡¯t want to talk about it anymore. Elder Su, please rest well. I¡¯ll have Shi Tian take care of you," said Shi Su before turning and leaving the room.


    "Young brother, could you help untie the ropes?"


    "No problem." Shi Tian hurried to untie the ropes, restoring Su He¡¯s mobility.


    After Shi Tian left, Su Hey alone on the bed, his smile gradually receding, revealing a hint of coldness in his eyes. Remembering the events ofst night, Su He couldn¡¯t help but clench his fists, his body trembling slightly. After living so many years, he had never suffered such humiliation.


    In the blink of an eye, three days had passed.


    Under Shi Tian¡¯s careful care, Su He¡¯s injuries healed quickly, and he was basically able to walk around.


    That day, having just finished lunch, Su Hey on the bed, intending to have a good rest. But suddenly, he heard a conversation between Shi Tian and Shi Su outside the room.


    "Aunt, are we really going back?"


    "Yes! A message came from home, saying that your uncle is at the most critical point. After so many failures, this time he has the best chance to break through the bottleneck and enter the Heavenly List realm. Our Shi Family has never had a master on the Heavenly List in all these years. If your uncle seeds this time, our Shi Family will have a master on the Heavenly List. Do you know what it means to have a master on the Heavenly List? From now on, our Shi Family won¡¯t have to bow to anyone. Everyone will have to treat us with utmost respect."


    "Yes, Aunt, I understand. I¡¯ll go prepare now."


    "Go ahead, I¡¯ve already booked the ne tickets. By the way, inform Elder Su that while we¡¯re away, he¡¯ll have to take care of himself."


    "Okay." As soon as he finished speaking, the door to the room was pushed open from the outside. Hearing the footsteps, Su He slowly opened his eyes, looked at the approaching Shi Tian, and asked, "Young brother, do you have something to discuss with me?"


    "Elder Su, our family has some important matters and will likely be away for a while. Will you be able to take care of yourself?"


    "You¡¯re going back to the Shi Family?" Su He appeared very surprised. After a moment of silence, Su He continued, "I have an unreasonable request, and I¡¯m not sure if you would be willing."


    "Elder Su, please go ahead."


    "Could you take me with you to the Shi Family?" Su He pleaded, "I have nowhere else to go now. My brothers were all killed by Ling Chen and the others. Considering how the Eight Oddities behave, they surely won¡¯t let me go. The Shi Family saved me, and from now on, I want to stay with the Shi Family and serve you." Hearing this, Shi Tian hesitated, looking troubled, and said, "Elder Su, I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t make that decision."


    Su He quickly said, "Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t be a burden. Despite my age, I still have some abilities. At least, I don¡¯t regard martial artists below the Earthly List level as a threat."


    "Elder Su, you are an Earthly List master?" Shi Tian seemed a bit surprised.


    Su He nodded and said, "After so many years, I¡¯ve only barely entered the Earthly List level. Young brother, if you don¡¯t mind..."


    "Shi Tian, take him along." Before Su He could finish his sentence, Shi Su appeared at the doorway, "Elder Su, since you wish to stay with our Shi Family, I agree. However, our Shi Family has many rules, and I hope you can abide by them."


    Su He smiled slightly and said, "Rest assured, Miss Shi, I definitely won¡¯t let you down."


    He actually knew that Shi Su was eavesdropping outside the door, so his words were meant for her. Because he knew that only Shi Su could make the decision. An Earthly List master, he believed Shi Su would be interested.

 Chapter 1335 - 1643: The Shi Family’s Ambition

    <h4>Chapter 1335: Chapter 1643: The Shi Family¡¯s Ambition</h4>


    "Ling Cheng, the entire Beijing has been searched, but there¡¯s no trace of Su He, and we haven¡¯t found his body either. It seems he¡¯s not only escaped but also survived." Yuan Yun reported thetest news.


    "Third Brother, let¡¯s recall all our men, there¡¯s no need to search anymore. Although we didn¡¯t capture Su He, at least we took down Qin Chuan. Now, Su He is all alone, without the backing of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, he shouldn¡¯t be able to stir up much trouble." Ling Chen said.


    Next to him, Xia Yue asked, "What are you nning to do with Qin Chuan¡¯s body?"


    Ling Chen pondered for a while and said, "Qin Chuan was part of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, we might as well return his body to them."


    Upon hearing this, Qiu Yong and the others were taken aback, "Ling Cheng, you want to send it to the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion? Isn¡¯t that inappropriate? If you do that, it will be as good as telling them you were the one who killed Qin Chuan. The rtionship between our Dragon Tiger Hall and the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion is already very tense, doing so might make them hate us even more."


    Ling Chen nodded and said, "Big Brother, I¡¯m aware of all this."


    "Then why are you doing it?"


    "I want to give everyone a warning and simultaneously establish the authority of the Dragon Tiger Hall. I want everyone in the Martial Arts world to know that those who oppose Dragon Tiger Hall will not have a good end, regardless if they are from the Earthly List or the Heavenly List, our Dragon Tiger Hall will not spare them."


    Ling Chen was very determined about this matter. He knew that doing so would make Su Mei resentful, but he had no other choice. This was a perfect opportunity for the Dragon Tiger Hall to surpass the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion and be the new overlord of the Martial Arts world. At the same time, he also wanted to remind the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion not to take any more extreme actions, otherwise, the Dragon Tiger Hall would show no mercy.


    Even though he was friends with Su Mei, when it came to the two major Martial Arts forces of the Dragon Tiger Hall and the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, he had to be ruthless at times.


    Three dayster.


    Qin Chuan¡¯s body was transported to the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion.


    Seeing the bodyid out in the main hall, Su Mei¡¯s eyes turned red. Although Qin Chuan had colluded with Su He and done many bad things secretly, over the years, he had also been secretly protecting her safety. She had known Qin Chuan since she could remember, and in her heart, his status was no less than Su He¡¯s.


    Now, seeing Qin Chuan¡¯s body lying there, she could not feel good.


    Soon, Du Kang, who received the news, also rushed over. Seeing Qin Chuan¡¯s body, Du Kang¡¯s expression changed slightly, and he asked, "Pavilion Master, who sent this body?"


    "People from the Dragon Tiger Hall." Su Mei bit her lip and said, "They said Elder Qin and my grandfather were ambushed, trying to assault Ling Chen, and ended up falling into his trap."


    "What about your grandfather?"


    "I don¡¯t know. I asked them, but they didn¡¯t say a word. I guess either he escaped or was captured by them."


    Du Kang thought about it and said, "With your grandfather¡¯s strength, he shouldn¡¯t be easily captured." Having said that, Du Kang sighed lightly, "Your grandfather is too stubborn. The matter has already concluded, why must he provoke Ling Chen further."


    "Grandfather wanted the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion to rise again." Su Mei said sadly, "Everything he did was for the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, but his methods were too radical. As of today, the decline of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion is all his doing."


    "Recently, there have been many rumors in the Martial Arts world that the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion has lost its power, and the current overlord is no longer the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, but the Dragon Tiger Hall."


    "That is inevitable." Su Mei replied, "We should actually feel fortunate. Had I not made an agreement with Ling Chen, the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion would have faced the wrath of everyone in the Martial Arts world. At that time, not to mention lingering on, the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion might not even exist. Regardless of other things, it¡¯s thanks to Ling Chen that the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion can still survive."


    "However, now that he has sent Qin Chuan¡¯s body, do you know what this means?"


    Su Mei nodded gently and said, "I know. Indeed, it makes me ufortable. But what does that matter? Compared to other things, this is trivial."


    "Pavilion Master, what are you nning to do next? The Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion has been established for hundreds of years and has never faced such a predicament."


    Upon hearing this, Su Mei sighed, "Elder Du, to be honest, I don¡¯t know what to do either. The Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion has always held a transcendent status in the Martial Arts world, and no one dared to openly oppose it. Because of this, the people of the Pavilion have long lost their fighting spirit. They believe they are number one in the world, and no one dares to challenge them. Over time, they have all lost their passion forpetition. Elder Du, I have thought a lot during this time. The biggest threat to us is not the Dragon Tiger Hall, but ourselves, our centuries ofcency at the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion. They have gotten used to a superior life and simply do not wish to fight."


    After listening to Su Mei, Du Kang nodded and said, "Pavilion Master, you are correct; this is indeed the downside of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion."


    "If we do not find a solution to this problem, we do not need any external forces to suppress us; the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion will inevitably head towards destruction. Elder Du, you are well-versed and knowledgeable; what strategy do you have for this matter?"


    Du Kang pondered for a moment and said, "There is a way: to ignite their spirit ofpetition. The Dragon Tiger Hall presents a suitable target. We could use them as an imaginary enemy. However, the critical issue is that we must achieve a victory to give the people of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion hope, to show them that although the Pavilion is currently weak, it still possesses strength and does not fear any enemy. Once they regain confidence, everything else will be much easier."


    "Victory..." Su Mei murmured, "But, Elder Du, with grandfather gone and Elder Qin dead, our strength in the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion has greatly decreased. How can wepete with the Dragon Tiger Hall to achieve victory?"


    Du Kang pointed to his head and said, "If force is not an option, then outwit them. Pavilion Master, to be honest, I have long been aware of the existence of the Skyhawk Pavilion and the things they do. However, I have always remained silent and never mentioned anything. Why? Because a powerful force must have both dark and light sides. Many challenges cannot be resolved through normal means, so someone must engage in the shadowy deeds. The strategy I¡¯m referring to will involve some extraordinary measures. It is said that those who achieve great things do not bother with small details. Pavilion Master, I feel the first change must be with your perspective."

 Chapter 1336 - 1644: Su He’s Purpose

    <h4>Chapter 1336: Chapter 1644: Su He¡¯s Purpose</h4>


    "My thoughts?" Su Mei appeared somewhat confused.


    Du Kang nodded and said, "Pavilion Master, you¡¯re too upright in your actions. This is both your strength and your weakness. If it were a peaceful time, your character would suit being a Pavilion Master, but given the current circumstances of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, your personality isn¡¯t suited for confrontation. Therefore, only by changing yourself can the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion be reborn."


    Su Mei pondered for a while and asked, "Elder Du, ording to you, what should I do?"


    "First, you must learn to be ruthless. Not only ruthless to yourself, but also to others. Looking through history, which emperor wasn¡¯t a person with ruthless means? Pavilion Master, the future path is perilous; without enough resilience and determination, you might find it difficult to lead us to victory."


    Su Mei lowered her head, nced at Qin Chuan¡¯s corpse, and couldn¡¯t help but clench her fists.


    "Pavilion Master, there¡¯s one more thing I must remind you of. Never regard Ling Chen as your friend. He is now with Dragon Tiger Hall, and you are the Pavilion Master of Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion. Even if you never face each other with weapons, you arepetitors. Between you and him, there can only be victory or defeat, no personal emotions involved."


    "This..." Su Mei hesitated for a moment before gently nodding, "Elder Du, I understand your meaning. It¡¯s just that I¡¯m not sure I can do it."


    "You must." Du Kang said sternly, "In the past, your grandfather was there to support you, and no one dared to defy you. But now things are different, Su He has left Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, and you can no longer count on him for help. Now, you¡¯re the only one left in the Su Family, and you must strengthen your authority to maintain your position."


    Upon hearing this, Su Mei¡¯s expression changed slightly. It was her greatest concern; if someone refused to ept her leadership and deliberately opposed her, her position in Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion would be precarious. In this world, there¡¯s never a shortage of ambitious people.


    "Elder Du, will you always support me from the background?"


    "Rest assured, I¡¯m with Yangxin Pavilion, and Yangxin Pavilion will be your strongest support. So, no matter what you want to do, just proceed boldly without worrying too much."


    Su Mei breathed a slight sigh of relief; currently, she could only rely on Du Kang. In the past, Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion had several Heavenly List masters, and it was precisely because of these masters that outsiders dared not easily offend Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion. Now, these masters are either dead or have fled; only Du Kang remains within Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion.


    "Elder Du, do me a favor and give Elder Qin a proper burial."


    "No problem," Du Kang replied and immediately called people to carry out Qin Chuan¡¯s body.


    ...


    Shi Family.


    Su He had arrived at the Shi Family two days ago and had been resting in his room. Recently, the Shi Family had be very lively, with everyone returning from outside.


    Because the Family Head, Shi Hongyu, is very likely to break through a bottleneck and enter the Heavenly List realm.


    Although there are many martial artists in Martial Arts circles, very few truly be Heavenly List masters. Therefore, Shi Hongyu¡¯s sess is an exciting event for the Shi Family.


    The emergence of a Heavenly List master would elevate the Shi Family. Previously, the Shi Family was just a regr family of medicine practitioners with little power in Martial Arts circles. However, with a Heavenly List master in the Shi Family, things would be very different. No one would dare to ignore the Shi Family from now on.


    Su He sat up from the bed and slowly walked down, pushing the door open by himself.


    Soon, Su He arrived outside the Shi Family¡¯s hall. At this moment, the hall was filled with people, lively and bustling, as they all looked forward to the future and strategized.


    At this moment, a young man excitedly ran in from outside, incoherently saying, "It¡¯s... it¡¯s done, sessful!"


    "What¡¯s sessful?" Someone impatiently asked, "Speak clearly."


    The young man gasped for breath, his face red as he said, "It¡¯s the Family Head; he¡¯s... he¡¯s seeded."


    "Really?" Upon hearing this, the hall burst into excited cheers.


    "Wonderful." An elder of the Shi Family pped his thigh excitedly, saying, "The heavens have eyes, our Shi Family finally has its day of rise."


    "Third Master, from now on, let¡¯s see who dares to underestimate our Shi Family."


    "Exactly! The Family Head is now a Heavenly List master. Given time, he mightmand the entire Martial Arts world as the new overlord. As for the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion... hmph! Sooner orter, they¡¯ll be under the Shi Family¡¯s heel."


    "Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion?" Someone joined in, sneering disdainfully, "The current Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion is no longer the Martial Arts overlord. Since the old fool Elder Su betrayed the entire Martial Arts world, the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion has be a rat that everyone wants to beat. Some members of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, fearing association, have chosen to leave. Furthermore, the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion now only has one Heavenly List master stationed, not much different from our Shi Family. Given enough time, the Shi Family will certainly rece the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion."


    "That¡¯s right, hahaha!"


    Listening to the loudughtering from the hall, Su He, standing outside eavesdropping, coldly smiled. Truly a group of overestimating fools, daring to dream of recing the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion.


    "Hey! Aunt, I heard from Shi Tian that you brought back an old man this time. What is that old man here for?"


    "He is called Su Sanshui, an Earthly List master. Our Shi Familycks masters at the moment, so it¡¯s certainly good that he¡¯s willing to serve us."


    "Aunt, is there nothing wrong with him? Have you checked his background?"


    "Yes, Aunt, I haven¡¯t heard of the name Su Sanshui in Martial Arts circles."


    "The Martial Arts world is vast; you can¡¯t know everyone. Moreover, if Shi Tian and I teamed up, that Su Sanshui would already be dead. Martial artists value friendships greatly; I saved his life, so he certainly won¡¯t harm us." After a pause, Shi Su continued, "However, your concerns aren¡¯t entirely unfounded. Let¡¯s have someone secretly watch him."


    Upon hearing this, Su He didn¡¯t dare to stay longer, quickly returning to his room. After days of rest, his injuries had healed halfway. If he wanted, he could easily ughter everyone in the Shi Family. However, he had a very important purpose foring to the Shi Family this time. Before that purpose was achieved, he didn¡¯t want any issues to arise.


    Shi Hongyu... Lying on the bed, Su He stared at the ceiling, talking to himself. This Shi Hongyu had just broken into the Heavenly List realm, requiring at least a month to solidify his foundation. It seemed he would have to stay in the Shi Family for another month.


    As he pondered, he heard a slight movement outside the room. Su He turned his head, sneering to himself. Shi Su¡¯s actions were swift; they¡¯ve already sent someone to watch him.

 Chapter 1337 - 1645: Sparring in Martial Arts

    <h4>Chapter 1337: Chapter 1645: Sparring in Martial Arts</h4>


    A little over a week has passed in the blink of an eye.


    Just two days ago, Ling Chen flew back to East Sea City. Currently, the situation in Beijing has stabilized, and he no longer needs to stay there. Moreover, Nanrong Wanqing had returned to East Sea City a week earlier.


    Having stayed in Beijing for a while, it was time toe back and have a look.


    Now, Dragon Tiger Hall is on track, overpowering the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion to be the new overlord in the Martial Arts world. Besides, Falcon Private Security Company and other businesses are doing very well. In terms of business, Ling Chen is an outsider, so while in Beijing, he specifically hired several professional managers to help run thepany and the newly opened investmentpany.


    Returning to his role as a hands-off manager, Ling Chen enjoyed a leisurely life, spending time at home with his mom, as well as his grandparents. When he felt restless, he would drive to the base or Dragon Tiger Hall for a stroll, chat with his pals, and boast a bit.


    Of course, apart from aid-back lifestyle, Ling Chen didn¡¯t forget to take care of some serious matters. As the saying goes, prepare for danger in times of peace. Although there is no sense of threat recently, who knows what might happen in the future?


    The day they captured Qin Chuan and Su He, Ling Chen witnessed Zhang Zhongfeng¡¯s archery skills. With just Zhang Zhongfeng¡¯s bow and arrow, they severely injured Su He. If there had been a few more bows, they might have had a chance to keep Su He there.


    Therefore, after returning to East Sea City this time, Ling Chen discussed with Zhang Zhongfeng and decided to set up a team specializing in archery training at Dragon Tiger Hall, with Zhang Zhongfeng personally serving as the instructor.


    It must be said, the title of "Arrow God" is very attractive. As soon as the news spread, dozens of people flocked to apply. Finally, after Zhang Zhongfeng personally screened them, thirty people were selected.


    Ling Chen didn¡¯t require these people to be Arrow Gods like Zhang Zhongfeng; it would be enough if they had one-third of Zhang Zhongfeng¡¯s skills. At that point, these people would be a major force of Dragon Tiger Hall.


    "Again!"


    In the martial arts training ground of Dragon Tiger Hall, Ling Chen was sparring with Xu Ming. The two of them were going back and forth, each using ny percent of their strength. Facing Xu Ming, Ling Chen didn¡¯t dare to be careless. After knowing each other for so long, Ling Chen had a deep understanding of Xu Ming¡¯s strength. Among the crowd, apart from Tong Zhentian, Chen Junfeng, and Ji Gang, the strongest was Xu Ming.


    Tong Zhentian and the other two are all Heavenly List experts, so their strength needs no exnation. As for Xu Ming, he is likely the one closest to the Heavenly List level, needing just an opportunity to break through and be a Heavenly List expert.


    Under Ling Chen¡¯s storm-like attacks, Xu Ming stood like a sturdy pine, effortlessly resolving all attacks with ease.


    After more than a dozen moves, Ling Chen raised an eyebrow, suddenly withdrew, shook his head, and said, "Second Brother, you¡¯re defending too resolutely, not giving me any chance."


    Xu Ming smiled faintly, "You can only me your strength for being too weak. Don¡¯t you still have some trump cards? Why not use them all and see if you can break my defense?"


    Hearing this, Ling Chen nodded and said, "Alright, then don¡¯t me me for hitting too hard." With that, Ling Chen¡¯s foot slipped, and his body instantaneously transformed into an afterimage, disappearing from his original spot.


    "Heaven and Earth Reversal!"


    In an instant, Ling Chen¡¯s figure multiplied into three, moving around Xu Ming, indistinguishable and confusing.


    Watching the rapidly moving afterimage in front of him, Xu Ming squinted slightly, refraining from rash actions. Instead, he focused carefully, trying to identify Ling Chen¡¯s exact position.


    "Big Brother, do you think Second Brother can see through it?" Yuan Yun and others stood by, discussing with a smile.


    "It¡¯s hard to say. Heaven and Earth Reversal is the ultimate skill of the Nine Yang Qiankun Step. It¡¯s confusingly real and fake. Your Second Brother is strong, but he¡¯s not a Heavenly List expert, so it might be hard to spot any w."


    After a pause, Qiu Yong continued, "Didn¡¯t any of you notice? Sixth Brother has improved again. Previously, when he sparred with Second Brother, he could onlyst thirty rounds at most, but now he¡¯s sustaining over seventy rounds, and still has energy to continue."


    Hearing this, Xia Yue eximed, "Big Brother, judging by what you said, Sixth Brother¡¯s improvement is quite significant."


    "Indeed." Qiu Yong nodded, "His improvement is truly rapid. At his current rate, it¡¯s not impossible for him to enter the Heavenly List in time."


    Bang!


    Amidst the conversation, a loud sound echoed from the training ground. They saw two figures rapidly retreating. Looking closely, they found Xu Ming and Ling Chen each stepping back over ten steps.


    Seeing this, Yuan Yun couldn¡¯t help being shocked, opening his mouth wide, "Second Brother actually broke through Sixth Brother¡¯s Heaven and Earth Reversal."


    Qiu Yong chuckled, "It seems your Second Brother has touched the threshold of the Heavenly List realm. Soon, our group of eight oddities might give birth to a Heavenly List expert."


    With that, Qiu Yong stepped forward and said, "Alright, let¡¯s end the sparring here. Sixth Brother, you¡¯ve improved a lot, but you still need to work hard."


    Ling Chen rubbed his nose, looking at Xu Ming opposite him, "Second Brother, how about we go again?"


    Hearing this, Xu Ming gave Ling Chen an unexpected look, "Sixth Brother, besides Heaven and Earth Reversal, do you have other tricks up your sleeve?"


    Ling Chen smiled mysteriously, "Well... it¡¯s a secret for now. So, are you in or not?"


    Xu Ming hesitated for a moment; then Yuan Yun shouted loudly from outside the training ground, "Second Brother, since this kid is asking for a beating, don¡¯t be polite, and teach him a good lesson."


    Seeing the smile on Ling Chen¡¯s face, Xu Ming thought for a moment, and gently nodded, "Alright, since you want to continue, I¡¯ll see it through to the end. Come on! Show me what hidden cards you have."


    "Then you better watch closely, and don¡¯t me me if you get hurtter," Ling Chen slightly raised the corner of his mouth, inclined his body a little, ready to charge forward.


    As everyone¡¯s eyes focused on Ling Chen, suddenly, his legs elerated, skimming across the ground like a dragonfly touching water, rushing towards Xu Ming like an arrow leaving a bowstring.


    Seeing Ling Chen approaching him, Xu Ming squinted his eyes slightly, observing Ling Chen¡¯s every movement.


    At that moment, when Ling Chen almost reached Xu Ming, he suddenly stopped, swung his fists, lowered his waist, took a deep breath, and assumed a strange posture.


    Seeing Ling Chen¡¯s odd actions, Qiu Yong and others couldn¡¯t help being surprised. They¡¯ve known each other for so long, but never seen such a weird move before. Additionally, the move looked kind of...ical!

 Chapter 1338 - 1646: Formidable Trump Card

    <h4>Chapter 1338: Chapter 1646: Formidable Trump Card</h4>


    Ah!


    Apanied by a soft shout, the spectators suddenly changed expressions, their pupils shrank, and they looked at Ling Chen with astonishment. For some reason, ayer of visible Qi Force appeared around Ling Chen.


    Although thatyer of Qi Force was very faint, it felt extremely oppressive.


    While everyone was shocked, there was a ¡¯boom¡¯, and the floor under Ling Chen¡¯s feet instantly shattered.


    At the same time, thatyer of Qi Force suddenly dispersed, forming a strong wave of Qi that instantly knocked Ling Chen and Xu Ming both flying, mming heavily to the ground.


    Seeing this scene, everyone hurriedly ran over and helped Xu Ming and Ling Chen from the ground.


    "Second Brother, Sixth Brother, are you all right?" Qiu Yong asked concernedly.


    Ling Chen coughed lightly, spat out a mouthful of blood-stained saliva, looked pale, and said with a wry smile, "Second Brother, sorry, I identally hurt you."


    "It¡¯s nothing, just a slight injury." Xu Ming stood up and curiously asked, "Sixth Brother, how did you do it?"


    Upon hearing this, everyone¡¯s gaze focused on Ling Chen. Not only Xu Ming, everyone was amazed, not knowing how Ling Chen did it, to be able to condense Qi Force to that degree, truly terrifying. Even a Heavenly List expert may not necessarily achieve it.


    "I grasped a special cultivating technique that allows me to transform Inner Strength into a projected Qi Force. The longer it is condensed, the stronger the Qi Force, and the more terrifying the power formed. However, as you saw just now, with my current strength, I still can¡¯t control that Qi Force. If not careful, it could endanger even myself." Ling Chen said with a helpless smile, "To be honest, it was my first time using this move in actualbat, so I don¡¯t have much experience."


    "Qi Force projection, Sixth Brother, it¡¯s already quite impressive that you could do that. Do you know how frightening the power of that move was?" Xu Ming said, "Luckily you couldn¡¯t control it; otherwise, I wouldn¡¯t be able to withstand the attack of that Qi Force. I could sense that the strength of that Qi Force was equivalent to the attack of a Heavenly List expert."


    "That powerful?" Ling Chen was stunned. He knew this move was formidable but didn¡¯t expect it to be this strong. This move was actually taught to him by his grandfather. Initially, he saw his grandfather practicing an extremely peculiar set of fist techniques during morning exercise. After inquiry, he found out that the fist technique was taught by an old Taoist. However, his grandfather never practiced martial arts, and although the old Taoist instructed him in Breathing Skills, he couldn¡¯t grasp it.


    Thus, when Ling Chen learned about it, he had unexpected gains bybining the fist techniques with Breathing Skills.


    Although he had mastered this move long ago, he had never used it because his strength limited him from controlling its execution. The reason he demonstrated it in front of Xu Ming today was mainly due to his recent advancement in strength, prompting him to try it out to see if he could control it well. Unfortunately, the result was still unsatisfactory.


    "Sixth Brother, although this move is very strong, you¡¯re too forced to use it at present. Moreover, once Qi Force projection is not controlled well, it is highly likely to bacsh and endanger your life. So, unless you have absolute confidence, never use this move again. Do you hear me?" Xu Ming earnestly admonished.


    Ling Chen nodded, "Second Brother, don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll try to avoid using it in the future."


    "Alright, go rest quickly." Qiu Yong patted Ling Chen¡¯s shoulder and said.


    Back in his room, Ling Chen felt extremely weak, as if all his energy was drained, unable to even move his fingers. After lying on the bed for a while, Ling Chen fell into a deep sleep.


    The next day.


    After resting for a whole day, Ling Chen, feeling invigorated, drove alone to the Nanrong Family.


    Having not returned to East Sea City for a long time, Nanrong Wanqing came back home this time, conveniently checking on Nanrong Yong. Nanrong Yong¡¯s health was poor; he almost passed awayst time, but fortunately, Ling Chen managed to obtain some new medicines from Ling Tao, barely prolonging Nanrong Yong¡¯s life.


    Arriving at the Nanrong Family and preparing to enter, Ling Chen saw Nanrong Haoing out from the house.


    "Chen!" Seeing Ling Chen, Nanrong Hao seemed very excited and hurried over.


    "Chen, howe you¡¯re free toe today?"


    "I¡¯m here to see your grandfather. How is your grandfather¡¯s health?"


    "Grandfather¡¯s very sturdy, recently he goes out for a walk every morning."


    "What about your sister?"


    "Sister?" Nanrong Hao smiled meaningfully, "Chen, I think you¡¯re not here for the wine, iming to see my grandfather, but actually wanting to see my sister, right."


    "Go away." Ling Chen flicked Nanrong Hao¡¯s forehead in annoyance and asked, "Is your sister home?"


    Nanrong Hao shrugged, "Chen, you¡¯re a dayte, my sister¡¯s not home."


    "Did she go to thepany?"


    Nanrong Hao shook his head, "No, she went abroad."


    Ling Chen asked confusedly, "Wasn¡¯t she just back from Beijing? Did she go to Beijing again?"


    "Sister didn¡¯t go to Beijing, she went to a... what¡¯s that ce called?" Nanrong Hao thought for a moment and said, "Seems like it¡¯s called North County, a small county in the western part of Huaxia."


    Ling Chen puzzledly asked, "Why did your sister travel thousands of miles to a county?"


    "I don¡¯t know, it seems rted to cousin. When I returned that day, sister had already left, we only spoke briefly on the phone. She told me cousin needs help, the rest she didn¡¯t understand much."


    Su Lin encountered trouble? Ling Chen frowned slightly. Wasn¡¯t Su Lin interning in a foreign ce? What trouble could arise from internship? Thinking of this, Ling Chen took out his phone, intending to call Nanrong Wanqing.


    Before dialing, he heard his phone ringing, disying Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s iing call. Ling Chen answered and said hello, Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s slightly anxious voice came, "Ling Chen, where are you now?"


    "I¡¯m at your doorstep, about to see the old man."


    "Do you have time? I¡¯m facing some trouble here and need your help."


    "What¡¯s the matter?"


    "It¡¯s hard to exin in a short time. If you have time, could youe to North County? Lin and I are over here."


    "Alright, wait for me there, I¡¯ll try my best toe over today." Ling Chen replied, hung up the phone, and looked at Nanrong Hao, "Your cousin seems to be in big trouble."


    "Chen, do you want me to apany you?"


    "No need, your sister¡¯s not here, Hongyu Group needs someone to oversee. Besides, with me taking action, don¡¯t you feel assured?"


    Nanrong Hao nodded, "Okay then. Chen, take care and make sure nothing happens to sister and cousin."


    "Got it. Tell the old man I¡¯lle visit him next time."

 Chapter 1339 - 1647: North County

    <h4>Chapter 1339: Chapter 1647: North County</h4>


    After parting with Nanrong Hao, Ling Chen drove home, packed some simple clothes, and then headed to the airport. Hearing Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s tone on the phone, Ling Chen realized the matter must beplicated. Otherwise, with Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s calm personality, she couldn¡¯t possibly be so anxious.


    Traveling from East Sea City to North County covers thousands of kilometers, one on the easternmost side of Huaxia, the other on the western side, the distance is very far.


    After taking a flight for more than four hours, Ling Chen transferred to a car and spent over five hours on the road before finally arriving at the destination, North County.


    North County is a small county town in the west, not very economically developed, with only one hotel in the entire town. Due to its remote location, there are rarely any outsiders here.


    Upon arriving at North County, Ling Chen took out his phone and called Nanrong Wanqing. After more than ten minutes, an old model Mercedes slowly drove up and stopped beside Ling Chen.


    The car door opened, and Liang Zhao Hui got out from the driver¡¯s seat, waving his hand at Ling Chen, "Ling, get in the car!"


    "Liang," Ling Chen greeted with a smile and got into the passenger seat.


    "Liang, where did you get this car?" Ling Chen examined this at least ten-year-old Mercedes, asking.


    "Oh! Don¡¯t mention it, we searched the whole town and only managed to rent a somewhat decent car."


    Ling Chen nodded, then shifted the topic to business, "Is the situation serious this time?"


    "Ling, honestly, we don¡¯t know what¡¯s happening right now. But judging by the chairman¡¯s demeanor, the situation should be tricky."


    "You mean you really have no idea what¡¯s going on?"


    "Those guys are so arrogant they don¡¯t take us seriously at all. No matter what we ask, they don¡¯t say a word."


    "Them?" Ling Chen asked, "Who are ¡¯them¡¯ you¡¯re talking about?"


    "Isn¡¯t it that group of archaeologists? Honestly, if it wasn¡¯t for the chairman stopping me, I¡¯d have taught them a lesson already."


    As they spoke, the Mercedes drove out of North County into a pitch-ck wilderness. After about ten minutes of driving, the Mercedes finally stopped. Ling Chen opened the car door and looked far, seeing a dozen tents pitched about tens of meters away, the area brightly lit.


    "Ling, let¡¯s go, the chairman and the others are there."


    Ling Chen responded, quickly following Liang Zhao Hui¡¯s steps. Soon, the two arrived at the location of the tents. At this time, Nanrong Wanqing was already waiting outside. Besides Nanrong Wanqing, Zhong Wei and several security personnel from Falcon Private Security Company were present.


    "Chairman."


    "Chairman." Everyone greeted.


    Ling Chen responded to each, quickly stepping forward to Nanrong Wanqing, asking, "What¡¯s going on? Where¡¯s Su Lin?"


    "Lin is currently missing; I wanted to find her, but those people stop us from going, and I have no way."


    "Missing?" Ling Chen was taken aback, speaking in a deep voice, "Who stopped you? Take me there."


    "Follow me." Without dy, Nanrong Wanqing led Ling Chen and a group of security personnel to a tent not far away. Before entering, several youths standing outside the tent reached out to block them.


    "Miss Nanrong, we¡¯ve already said we¡¯ll find a way to handle it, hope you don¡¯t interfere with our work," one youth said patiently.


    "By the time youe up with a solution, it¡¯ll be toote. Move aside! I want to see your professor."


    "Sorry." The youth shook his head, "The professor instructed that no outsiders are allowed to disturb him."


    "Where¡¯s the need for so much nonsense?" Ling Chen raised an eyebrow, directly squeezing past the youths outside the tent and striding in. Seeing this, the others quickly followed.


    Inside the tent, Ling Chen nced around, seeing an old man with graying hair seated inside, along with three or four middle-aged men in their forties and fifties. These people were surrounded at a table, seemingly researching something.


    Seeing Ling Chen rush in from outside, the gray-haired old man immediately stood up, pointing at Ling Chen and angrily shouting, "What are you doing? Don¡¯t you know this is a research area, no outsiders allowed."


    Ling Chen strode forward, kicked the table to the ground, and red at the old man, "Old man, spare me the useless talk, I just want to ask you one thing, where¡¯s Su Lin? I want to see her right away."


    The old man spoke, "I¡¯ve told you, we¡¯ll bring Xiao Su to you, but first, you mustn¡¯t interfere with our work."


    "Professor Hao, I chose to believe you before, the result is it¡¯s been two days, and there¡¯s still not a trace of Lin. As her family, you should at least tell me what¡¯s happened to her," Nanrong Wanqing interjected.


    "Sorry, Miss Nanrong, this involves our archaeology department¡¯s secrets, not suitable to disclose to outsiders. Also, our archaeological operation this time is authorized by the country, if you interfere with our work, you¡¯re opposing the country. By then, I¡¯ll make sure you won¡¯t be able to walk away from this."


    As he spoke, the old man pointed to the tent¡¯s entrance, angrily shouting, "Now, all of you get out, don¡¯t let me see you again."


    "Hmph!" Ling Chen sneered, "Using the national authority to oppress us? Old man, let me tell you, I¡¯m not scared so easily." After speaking, Ling Chen turned to Nanrong Wanqing, asking, "What¡¯s this old man called?"


    "Hao Dongnan, he¡¯s a professor of archaeology at East Sea University."


    "Hao Dongnan." Ling Chen nodded, pulled out his phone, and dialed a number.


    "Hello! Old Tang, can you check for me if there¡¯s a professor named Hao Dongnan in archaeology, yes, that¡¯s right, Hao Dongnan... What? Okay, I see." After hanging up, Ling Chen nced at Hao Dongnan, smiling faintly and said, "I wondered what big shot you were, daring to impersonate national archaeological personnel."


    Hearing this, Hao Dongnan¡¯s face couldn¡¯t help but show panic, "You... what are you saying?"


    "Professor Hao, do you know how serious a crime impersonating on behalf of the state is? Once verified, you¡¯ll spend the rest of your life in prison."


    "No, it¡¯s not." Hao Dongnan hurriedly waved his hand, "I didn¡¯t, you¡¯re talking nonsense."


    "I had my friend check your profile, you¡¯re just a professor of archaeology at East Sea University, the National Archaeological Team hasn¡¯t approved your employment application. Professor Hao, you¡¯d better think carefully, do you wish to tell me Lin¡¯s whereabouts, or spend your life in prison."


    "I..." Hao Dongnan opened his mouth, momentarily dumbfounded, unsure of what to say.


    "What, haven¡¯t thought it through yet? Fine!" Ling Chen picked up his phone, saying, "Then I¡¯ll call the police."


    Seeing Ling Chen¡¯s actions, Hao Dongnan hurriedly stopped him, "Don¡¯t, I¡¯ll... I¡¯ll talk, I¡¯ll say everything."

 Chapter 1340 - 1648: Tomb Rescue (1)

    <h4>Chapter 1340: Chapter 1648: Tomb Rescue (1)</h4>


    "Two months ago, our school¡¯s archaeological team discovered some ancient records. Based on those records,bined with our field investigations, we found that there is a huge ancient tomb hidden in the outskirts of North County."


    Hao Dongnan slowly said, "At that time, a few professors and I brought a group of interns over here and found that the Feng Shui of this ce is quite extraordinary. ording to ancient funeral practices, only a prince or a king would be worthy of such Feng Shui. However, we scoured the ancient books and couldn¡¯t figure out which king might be buried here."


    "After discussions, we decided to carry out a protective excavation of this ancient tomb. Given the tomb¡¯s age and size, it should provide us with a wealth of archaeological research material. However, the excavation work was much more arduous than we had imagined. It took us over a month just to clear the tomb¡¯s entrance."


    "Why didn¡¯t you get more help?" Ling Chen asked. "Forrge archaeological projects like this, you would need a team of dozens or even hundreds. How can you manage with just a dozen people?"


    Upon hearing this, Hao Dongnan and several other professors appeared hesitant, looking as if they wanted to speak but couldn¡¯t.


    Noticing their change in expression, Ling Chen said, "What? At this point, is there still something you can¡¯t disclose?"


    Hao Dongnan hesitated for a moment before saying, "We didn¡¯t dare to gather too many people. The more people, the more likely it is for information to leak. If word about this tomb got out, all our hard work over these months would go down the drain. Mr. Ling, usually, government permission is needed to conduct a protective excavation of such a tomb. But we didn¡¯t dare report it to the state. Otherwise, once the state knows, they will send the National Archaeological Team to take over the tomb. At that point, all our efforts would be worthless. This is a tomb that we discovered, and I hope to personally oversee the excavation."


    So that¡¯s how it is! Ling Chen suddenly understood. No wonder Hao Dongnan was not seeking help; he was afraid his discovery might be taken away by someone else.


    "Professor Hao, what about Su Lin? Where is she now?"


    "She¡¯s in the tomb," Hao Dongnan exined. "A few days ago, we started preliminary excavation work on the tomb. However, the work didn¡¯t go smoothly; the tomb door is incredibly heavy and we couldn¡¯t move it with our equipment alone. Later, after careful examination, we found a robbery hole on the other end of the tomb. The robbery hole is several hundred years old, with weeds growing all around. Luckily, Miss Su was attentive and we discovered the hole¡¯s existence."


    "Due to the limited width of the robbery hole, only Miss Su could barely fit through among us. ording to our n, Miss Su was to enter the tomb through the robbery hole to see if it had been damaged by grave robbers. However, not long after Miss Su entered the hole, a copse urred in the middle due to its age, blocking the entire passage."


    "For the past two days, we¡¯ve been keeping in touch with Miss Su via cellphone, trying to rescue her as soon as possible. Just yesterday, her phone probably ran out of battery, and we lost contact with her."


    Nanrong Wanqing, beside them, said, "Lin called me right before her phone died. She told me she was trapped somewhere and hoped I could quickly bring help. After the call, I tried reaching her several times, but the phone kept notifying me that it was off."


    Ling Chen nodded and said, "Professor Hao, I understand you¡¯re concerned about losing credit for your discovery. However, this matter requires government authorization. Without it, despite being for archaeology, your actions are not much different from those of tomb robbers." Pausing for a moment, Ling Chen thought for a while and continued, "Professor Hao, I¡¯ll ask a friend in Beijing to get you a government authorization. This way, everything you do will be legal, and we can also mobilize more manpower to assist."


    "You...you mean it?" Hao Dongnan¡¯s eyes lit up, looking excitedly at Ling Chen.


    "Don¡¯t worry, I keep my promises. However, your first priority must be to help us rescue Miss Su. Professor Hao, let me be clear, if anything happens to Miss Su, it will be the end for all of you, understood?"


    Hao Dongnan quickly agreed, "No problem, even if you hadn¡¯t said it, I would do everything possible to rescue Miss Su."


    By now, it was alreadyte at night. Having run around all day, Ling Chen immediately called Qiao Zhen without taking a break. Although Qiao Zhen had already retired, he still had influence, and this matter required his help.


    After making all the arrangements, Ling Chen apanied Nanrong Wanqing to the excavation site. The ancient tomb was surrounded by tarps, and because it was too dark, many things were hard to see clearly.


    Nanrong Wanqing, full of worry, asked, "Ling Chen, it¡¯s been two days now. Lin doesn¡¯t have anything to eat or drink. Do you think she could be in danger?"


    Ling Chenforted, "Don¡¯t worry. Even without food or drink, it¡¯s possible to hold on for three or four days. I¡¯ve already contacted help. As long as everything goes smoothly, we can rescue Miss Su tomorrow."


    With that, Ling Chen looked at the sky and said, "It¡¯ste. Go get some rest. There¡¯s still a lot to do tomorrow."


    Nanrong Wanqing softly responded, and then returned to the tent with Ling Chen.


    The next morning.


    A dozing Ling Chen suddenly heard the roar of engines approaching the camp.


    Opening his eyes, Ling Chen crawled off his folding bed and quickly stepped outside the tent. He immediately saw three military transport vehicles and tworge engineering trucks slowly approaching.


    Finally, they arrived!


    Ling Chen breathed a sigh of relief. He had been most worried that support might not arrive in time. Now it seemed his heart could finally settle.


    As the vehicles stopped, the door of the leading military transport truck opened, and a young man jumped out from the passenger seat.


    Seeing who it was, Ling Chen was slightly taken aback, quickly went over, and eximed, "Old Tang, why are you here?"


    Tang Yuan, looking helpless, said, "How could I note? The old General was worried and specifically had mee along. I say, ever since I¡¯m acquainted with you, I¡¯ve turned into a handyman, doing all sorts of odd jobs."


    Ling Chenughed and patted Tang Yuan on the shoulder, "Brother, I appreciate it."


    "Hey! I brought fifty people over from the army. Is that enough? If not, I¡¯ll have the Southwest Military District send more manpower."


    "No need, just have everyone rest and eat something, then we¡¯ll get to work in half an hour."


    "Alright, no problem." With that, Tang Yuan handed a document to Ling Chen, "Here, this is the authorization you wanted. The old General had to pull a lot of strings for it."

 Chapter 1341 - 1649: Ancient Tomb Rescue (2)

    <h4>Chapter 1341: Chapter 1649: Ancient Tomb Rescue (2)</h4>


    Half an hourter, all preparations wereplete.


    Ling Chen stood at the entrance of the ancient tomb with Tang Yuan and Nanrong Wanqing, looking at the tomb door that weighed over a thousand pounds, secretly clicking his tongue. No wonder Hao Dongnan and his team couldn¡¯t move it; without professional machinery, how could manpower alone aplish this?


    "Sang, who¡¯s buried in this ancient tomb?"


    Ling Chen shook his head and said, "How would I know? I haven¡¯t studied it. ording to Professor Hao, the person buried here is either rich or noble, possibly a ruler of a dynasty, maybe even a national sovereign."


    "A national sovereign?" Tang Yuan eximed in surprise, "Really? If that¡¯s true, it would be big news."


    "I¡¯ve never been inside, how would I know if it¡¯s true or not. Enough! Stop asking useless questions and have someone move that tomb door. Miss Su has been trapped inside for two days and nights already. If we don¡¯t rescue her soon, I¡¯m afraid she can¡¯t hold on much longer."


    Tang Yuan nodded and instructed that therge crane be prepared. Several soldiers took slings and tied them around the tomb door. With Tang Yuan¡¯smand, the crane¡¯s arm slowly lifted, raising the door that weighed over a thousand pounds.


    Once the entire door was lifted, a two-meter wide, three-meter high passage appeared behind it. It was pitch ck inside, giving off an eerie and terrifying feeling.


    At this point, Hao Dongnan, who had been prepared for a while, entered the passage with several professors, carrying professional equipment. They were going to inspect the tomb to ensure there were no mechanisms inside the passage.


    Many ancient tombs, especiallyrge ones, are equipped with traps and mechanisms to prevent intruders from entering and disturbing the tomb owner¡¯s remains.


    At 8:30 in the morning, Ling Chen and others patiently waited outside the tomb. However, as time ticked away, almost an hour had passed, and there was still no sign of Hao Dongnan and his teaming out of the passage.


    "Strange." Nanrong Wanqing frowned slightly and said, "Isn¡¯t it taking too long?"


    Tang Yuan walked to themunication station, picked up the radio, and called out, "Professor Hao, please respond if you receive this."


    Soon, Hao Dongnan¡¯s voice came through the radio, "Chief Tang, can you hear me?"


    "I can hear you. How¡¯s the investigation going?"


    "Chief Tang, we... we seem to be lost."


    Upon hearing this, Tang Yuan¡¯s expression changed slightly, "How did you get lost?"


    "I don¡¯t know either. We followed the passage straight ahead, but when we tried to turn back, we found the path was different from when we came in, and we don¡¯t know where we are now."


    Damn! Tang Yuan cursed inwardly, speaking sternly, "If you got lost, why didn¡¯t you inform us earlier? Do you know everyone is waiting for your news?"


    "Sorry, we discovered some valuable artifacts in the passage and lost track of time. Chief Tang, could you send someone in to get us out?"


    "Stay put and don¡¯t move. Do you hear me?" After speaking, Tang Yuan put down the radio and went to Ling Chen¡¯s side, cursing, "These guys got lost inside and still have the mood to study artifacts, leaving us waiting outside for so long. If it were up to me, I¡¯d let them fend for themselves."


    "Lost..." Ling Chen pondered for a moment and said, "Old Tang, this ancient tomb might have some issues. With Professor Hao¡¯s experience, how could they possibly get lost inside? Plus, ording to what he said, he followed the same path back but ended up on the wrong route."


    Tang Yuan¡¯s heart stirred, and he responded, "You mean... there are mechanisms inside this ancient tomb?"


    Ling Chen nodded and said, "Maybe. We¡¯re not in the tomb, so everything is just spection. Let¡¯s first lock onto Professor Hao¡¯s position and then send people in to get them out."


    "Alright, I¡¯ll send in a scout vehicle to check the situation first." With that, Tang Yuan immediately made arrangements.


    Soon, an intelligent scouting vehicle, under the control of technicians, slowly entered the passage. As the scout vehicle¡¯s lights turned on, the situation ahead and on both sides of the passage was clearly disyed on the screen. Ling Chen and others gathered around the technicians, watching the screen intently.


    Quickly, the scout vehicle reached the end of the passage, where two forks led off to the left and right. "Check the left side," Ling Chen instructed, and the technicians immediately maneuvered the scout vehicle to proceed left.


    After a few minutes of maneuvering inside the passage, the screen suddenly showed a wall.


    "There¡¯s no way through."


    "It seems this isn¡¯t the way to the main chamber. Try another route," Tang Yuan suggested.


    The technicians maneuvered the scout vehicle to retrace its steps. However, after a few minutes, the technician controlling the vehicle suddenly put down the controls and turned to Tang Yuan, saying, "Sir, something¡¯s not right. This isn¡¯t the path we took to get in."


    Upon hearing this, Tang Yuan looked at Ling Chen and asked, "Did you notice it too?"


    Ling Chen nodded and said, "He¡¯s right. This path is indeed problematic. I kept an eye on it just now. The scout vehicle made three turns, left-right-left. But on the way back, it made five turns, left-right-left-right-left. I think this is why Professor Hao and his team got lost."


    "The passageways in the tomb are changing," Tang Yuan frowned, looking serious.


    "I¡¯ve seen a lot, but I¡¯ve never heard of passageways that can change," Nanrong Wanqing chimed in, "What kind of wisdom did ancient people possess to achieve this?"


    "Never underestimate the wisdom of ancient people," Ling Chen said, "To change the entire tomb¡¯s passageway, every passage must be mobile. This means the entire tomb is essentially one massive mechanism." At this point, Ling Chen¡¯s lips curved up, and he said enthusiastically, "Having seen so much, I¡¯m now very interested in the tomb owner. Old Tang, how about joining me for a look inside?"


    "You¡¯re nning to enter the tomb personally?"


    "That¡¯s right! It¡¯s the only way to figure out the changes in this tomb."


    "Alright, since you want to go in, I¡¯ll apany you."


    Before long, Ling Chen and Tang Yuan were ready. To avoid getting lost in the passage, both Ling Chen and Tang Yuan carried locator devices. In addition, they each had a backpack filled with enough food and water for several days, in case of unexpected situations.


    "Ling Chen, be careful," Nanrong Wanqing urged, somewhat worried.


    Ling Chen smiled slightly, "Don¡¯t worry, nothing will happen. With so many of us, if we really get trapped inside and can¡¯t get out, we¡¯ll just blow up this tomb."


    With that, Ling Chen called on Tang Yuan, and the two walked side by side towards the passage.


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 1342 - 1650: Ancient Tomb Rescue (3)

    <h4>Chapter 1342: Chapter 1650: Ancient Tomb Rescue (3)</h4>


    Entering the tomb passage, Ling Chen and Tang Yuan held shlights, illuminating the floor as they walked forward slowly. The floor was made of square stone bs pieced together, covered in dust.


    Not far along, they reached a fork in the road, staring at the two dark paths. Tang Yuan pointed to the right path, "Why don¡¯t we go this way? The scouting vehicle already went the other way, I think there¡¯s no need for us to go there."


    "I think it doesn¡¯t matter which way we go," Ling Chen said. "Since this ancient tomb is a huge mechanism, the chamber is surely hidden within it. No matter which road we choose, we¡¯ll get lost inside the tomb."


    "Then what do we do?"


    "If you ask me, we¡¯d better figure out the trigger conditions and patterns of the mechanism. Once we understand that, this tomb won¡¯t be a problem." As he spoke, Ling Chen pulled out a fist-sized iron ball from his backpack and rolled it along the floor of the right path.


    Under the shlight beam, the iron ball rolled farther and farther until it reached the end of the passage.


    "Tang Yuan, aren¡¯t we going over?"


    Ling Chen shook his head and said, "Let¡¯s wait and see." After about a minute, they suddenly felt a slight vibration from the ground. At the same time, faint sounds of friction came from up ahead.


    "Let¡¯s go and take a look." With those words, Ling Chen quickly sped up and went forward.


    At the corner, they saw that the path had detached from the main structure and was slowly moving. Not long after, another path hidden below slowly rose and connected to the main passage.


    Seeing this, Tang Yuan widened his eyes, utterly amazed by what he was seeing.


    "Wow... Damn it! Tang Yuan, did you see that? Such technology existed in ancient times? Did wee to the wrong ce? This isn¡¯t an ancient tomb; it¡¯s a modern one."


    "Don¡¯t get too excited." Ling Chen inspected their surroundings and said, "This tomb was definitely built by ancient people, at least a few hundred years old. But you¡¯re right, having mechanical techniques of this level is unprecedented."


    After pausing, Ling Chen pointed to the passage ahead and said, "This path has turned from the original passage into another one; perhaps it¡¯s the true path to the ancient tomb."


    "How did you do that?" Tang Yuan asked curiously.


    "It¡¯s simple. Since this tomb is a gigantic mechanism, there must be something triggering the mechanism in the passage. Ancient people didn¡¯t have infrared detectors, so they mostmonly used the floor to activate mechanisms. If the floor senses pressure, it triggers this path¡¯s mechanism. Alright! Let¡¯s go; we don¡¯t have time to waste now."


    As they crossed the passage, a me suddenly burst from both sides. Upon closer look, the sconces along the walls were all lit, creating an eerie vibe.


    Ling Chen switched off his shlight and, with the candlelight, looked ahead. The passage stretched dozens of meters, cold and clear, with asional gusts of chilling wind blowing through.


    "There¡¯s wind inside; seems like there¡¯s a vent ahead," Tang Yuan said.


    "Be cautious; in such a long passage, there might still be mechanisms." Ling Chen rolled the iron ball along the floor of the passage.


    A minute went by without any issue. Seeing this, Ling Chen nodded and said, "Seems safe now."


    They walked along the passage to its end and both Ling Chen and Tang Yuan breathed a sigh of relief. Fortunately, luck was on their side with no dangers appearing. At the end was a tomb door, which they passed through, entering a huge chamber.


    In the center of the chamber was a two-meter long, one-meter wide stone coffin. It appeared ordinary, with candlemps hanging from each of the four corners. Ling Chen nced around and saw piles of items in the corners, mostly porcin.


    "Tang Yuan." At this point, Tang Yuan tugged Ling Chen¡¯s arm and pointed to the southeast corner, "Look there."


    Ling Chen turned his head and saw severalrge boxes filled with gold, silver, and jewels. To Ling Chen, such wealth was unsurprising. Whoever built this tomb surely wasn¡¯tcking in money.


    A chilling wind blew past, and Ling Chen looked up to see the ceiling of the chamber, where there were seven or eight holes, each the size of a fist, likely the vents for the chamber.


    Ling Chen couldn¡¯t help but find it strange. Regardless of who the tomb owner was, they exerted such effort to build a mechanism-based tomb, and yet, their main chamber seemed excessively simple.


    As he pondered, Tang Yuan had already walked over to the stone coffin.


    "Tang Yuan, who do you think lies here?"


    "I¡¯m no seer, how would I know?" Ling Chen said as he looked around, puzzled, "Usually, tombs have items symbolizing the person¡¯s status, yet this main chambercks any record. Isn¡¯t it odd, Old Tang?"


    "You previously said, given the tomb¡¯s feng shui and scale, a royal should be buried here. But I¡¯ve seen on TV that royal tombs have burial apaniments: ceramics, jade, gold, silver, livestock, and sacrificial humans. Besides porcin and jewels, there¡¯s nothing else here."


    "You¡¯re right, indeed, it seems unlike a royal burial." Ling Chen turned his gaze to the stone coffin.


    "Old Tang, why don¡¯t we... open up this stone coffin for a look?"


    "I would like to, but we¡¯re amateurs. What if we identally damage the remains inside? I¡¯ve heard archaeology is meticulous; we shouldn¡¯t ruin their work."


    Ling Chen found the logic sound.


    "Alright then, let¡¯s find the others first."


    "Tang Yuan!" Suddenly, Tang Yuan seemed to spot something, pointing to a corner of the chamber, "Look at that."


    Ling Chen turned his head and scrutinized the area, sighting a lever in the corner. Because its color matched the wall, they hadn¡¯t noticed it when entering.


    "Do you think... this lever controls the entire tomb¡¯s mechanism?" Tang Yuan asked.


    "Possible. But it¡¯s just our guess; who knows what might happen."


    "What¡¯s there to fear; it¡¯s just a tomb. With our skills, even if danger arises, we can escape."


    Ling Chen cast an annoyed nce at Tang Yuan, "We may, but others can¡¯t. Don¡¯t forget, we¡¯re not the only ones in this tomb."


    Right as he finished speaking, they heard a faintly trembling voice from Hao Dongnan on the walkie-talkie, "Chief Tang, are you there?"

 Chapter 1343 - 1651: The Eerie Ancient Tomb (1)

    <h4>Chapter 1343: Chapter 1651: The Eerie Ancient Tomb (1)</h4>


    "I¡¯m here." Tang Yuan picked up the walkie-talkie and replied, "Professor Hao, how¡¯s it going on your side?"


    "I... I found a lot of corpses..."


    "Corpses?" Tang Yuan nced at Ling Chen beside him and said helplessly, "Professor Hao, you¡¯re an archaeologist, often dealing with ancient corpses. Are you still afraid of corpses?"


    Through the walkie-talkie, Ling Chen and Tang Yuan could clearly hear Hao Dongnan gulp, "Chief Tang, I¡¯ve seen many ancient corpses, but... but... I¡¯ve never heard of or seen ancient corpses that have remained intact for hundreds of years. This... is too eerie. Can youe over to support us as soon as possible? There are too many ancient corpses here. We really can¡¯t stay any longer."


    Hearing this, Ling Chen and Tang Yuan exchanged nces. For some reason, an eerie wind overhead made them both feel a chill.


    This ancient tomb is hundreds of years old, so even if there were corpses inside, they should have turned into a pile of skeletons by now. Just as they were thinking this, Tang Yuan¡¯s phone rang; it was Hao Dongnan. He had sent over photos of those ancient corpses. Tang Yuan took out his phone and looked at the photos Hao Dongnan sent, his face turning slightly pale.


    "Tang Yuan, you... take a look." Tang Yuan handed the phone to Ling Chen.


    Ling Chen examined it closely, seeing two ancient corpses. These ancient corpses were very well preserved. If not for being in the ancient tomb, they could be mistaken for living people at first nce. Looking at those two corpses, Ling Chen felt a chill in his heart. This was too eerie!


    How could people who have been dead for hundreds of years be so well preserved? Ancient technology wasn¡¯t developed to this extent. Even now, the only way to maintain a corpse unchanged for hundreds of years is freezing. But this tomb doesn¡¯t have a freezer, nor freezing technology. How on earth did the ancients achieve this? As he pondered, Hao Dongnan¡¯s voice continued over the walkie-talkie: "Chief Tang, I roughly counted, there are about thirty or so ancient corpses here, men and women of all ages."


    "All right, I understand. Wait there; we¡¯lle over right away."


    Immediately, Ling Chen and Tang Yuan retraced their steps to the entrance of the tomb corridor. This time, they didn¡¯t alter the corridor as before but walked directly into it. When they reached the end of the corridor, they returned the way Hao Dongnan did. By then, the trap mechanism in the corridor had already activated, and as they went back, they had actually entered another corridor.


    Not far along the corridor, Ling Chen found Hao Dongnan and the others waiting as they had originally. These people gathered together, their faces slightly pale. It was apparent that those eerie ancient corpses had given these archaeology professors quite a scare.


    "Professor Hao, are you all okay?" Tang Yuan asked.


    "Yes, we¡¯re fine." Seeing Ling Chen and others arrive, Hao Dongnan and the others obviously breathed a sigh of relief. "Chief Tang, Mr. Ling, this ancient tomb is too eerie. We... we should leave first."


    "Old Tang, you take Professor Hao and the others out first. I¡¯ll continue to search for Miss Su¡¯s whereabouts."


    "Don¡¯t you want me to apany you?"


    Ling Chen smiled faintly, "It¡¯s just some dead people, what¡¯s there to be afraid of?"


    "Okay, then be careful. Contact me if anything goes wrong." With that, Tang Yuan led Hao Dongnan and a few others toward the exit of the ancient tomb.


    Although this ancient tomb is a massive mechanism, once you figure out its operating pattern, the mechanism bes easy to break. After Tang Yuan and his group left, Ling Chen searched the entire ancient tomb alone. However, what puzzled Ling Chen was that, despite searching every corner of the tomb, there was no trace of Su Lin.


    "How could she vanish?" Ling Chen furrowed his brow, thinking. He was standing where the tunnel and corridor connected. Based on Hao Dongnan, Su Lin entered the tomb from here. Around the area, Ling Chen also found a lot of equipment, indicating that Hao Dongnan was right that Su Lin had indeed been here. Because it had been sealed for hundreds of years, dust covered the floor of the corridor.


    Ling Chen switched on his shlight and looked around, quickly spotting Su Lin¡¯s footprints. Following her footprints, Ling Chen immediately dashed forward down the corridor. After a few minutes, Ling Chen suddenly stopped. He hadn¡¯t paid attention before, but now he was surprised to discover that Su Lin¡¯s footprints were all over the tomb. This meant that before they entered the tomb, Su Lin had already figured out the mechanism¡¯s operating pattern.


    Since Su Lin had wandered through the entire tomb, why didn¡¯t shee to find them when they entered? Moreover, he had searched the entire tomb and found no trace of Su Lin. Where did she go?


    "Hello! Tang Yuan, have you found Miss Su yet?"


    Hearing Tang Yuan¡¯s voice from the walkie-talkie, Ling Chen replied, "Not yet."


    "There shouldn¡¯t be any dangerous mechanisms in the tomb. I¡¯m preparing to bring people in. Why don¡¯t youe out and meet us first?"


    "Okay, I¡¯ll go out right away." After speaking, Ling Chen headed straight for the tomb exit. He hadn¡¯t gone far when a thought urred to him. Inside the main chamber, they had found a pull ring. At the time, fearing the pull ring might be dangerous, neither Ling Chen nor Tang Yuan dared to try it. Now that he thought about it, since Su Lin had ventured through the entire ancient tomb, did she pull that ring and enter an unknown ce?


    Thinking of this, Ling Chen felt it was very likely. Otherwise, why did he not find Su Lin after searching the whole tomb? Without dy, Ling Chen contacted Tang Yuan to share his guess.


    "All right, I¡¯ll go in to find you now."


    "No need," Ling Chen said. "I¡¯ll go by myself. We don¡¯t know what the pull ring does. If there¡¯s danger, at least you can rescue me."


    "Okay, I¡¯ll wait outside. You be careful."


    It wasn¡¯t long before Ling Chen returned to the main chamber. Looking at the hanging pull ring overhead, Ling Chen reached out, grabbed it, and gave a gentle pull. Instantly, a subtle creaking sound came from within the walls, as if numerous cogs and mechanisms were working.


    At the same time, the sarcophagus ced at the center of the main chamber slowly moved forward about a meter.


    Just as expected!


    Ling Chen¡¯s eyes lit up as he quickly walked to the sarcophagus side, seeing at its base a stairway leading downward revealed.


    "Old Tang, I found a secret passage. Miss Su should be inside. I¡¯ll go in first. Bring people over immediately."

 Chapter 1344 - 1652: The Strange Ancient Tomb (Part 2)

    <h4>Chapter 1344: Chapter 1652: The Strange Ancient Tomb (Part 2)</h4>


    Following the stairs all the way down, Ling Chen quickly saw mes flickering in the tomb passage at the bottom.


    "Miss Su!" Ling Chen shouted toward the direction of the mes.


    "Ling Chen?" Soon, Su Lin¡¯s surprised voice came from inside. Confirming Su Lin¡¯s location, Ling Chen immediately quickened his pace and rushed over.


    Arriving at the source of the mes, Ling Chen looked around and saw Su Lin standing in front of a stone table, holding an ancient book with yellowed pages in her hand. The room wasn¡¯t veryrge, only about ten square meters, but it was filled with papers and books scattered everywhere, looking very messy.


    Seeing that Su Lin was safe and sound, Ling Chen couldn¡¯t help but breathe a sigh of relief and said, "Finally found you."


    Su Lin asked in astonishment, "How did you end up here?"


    "Your sister said something happened to you here, so I came over to help." Ling Chen replied with a teasing smile, "Miss Su, knowing you for so long, I didn¡¯t expect you to be so brave, staying in an ancient tomb alone without fear."


    "I never said I wasn¡¯t afraid. When I first got trapped in here, I was scared to death, especially seeing so many ancient corpses. However, fear aside, I¡¯m now more curious." Su Lin said, pointing to the scattered papers in the room, "Ling Chen, do you know what I discovered? You definitely won¡¯t believe it, but there are people in this world who can live for hundreds of years, even longer."


    Hearing this, Ling Chen was taken aback, "How do you know that?"


    "There are many notes left by the tomb owner here, if you don¡¯t believe me, you can take a look." Su Lin handed the ancient book in her hand to Ling Chen.


    Looking at the record, Ling Chen¡¯s brow furrowed. As Su Lin said, the tomb owner lived for at least several hundred years. Not only that, but they also conducted many experiments on themselves to discover the secret of their longevity. There are many well-preserved ancient corpses in the tomb, all of which were the tomb owner¡¯s test subjects. Ling Chen couldn¡¯t help but admire them, wondering what method they used to preserve those ancient corpses intact for so many years.


    "These are all the tomb owner¡¯s experiment records, I¡¯ve only read some, and there are still many more I haven¡¯t finished." Su Lin pointed to the thick ancient books beside her.


    "Alright! Let¡¯s not worry about these for now. You¡¯ve been in this tomb for so long without eating or drinking, you must be hungry. Come on, I¡¯ll take you out first, Wanqing and the others are outside."


    "What about these materials..."


    "Leave them here, I¡¯ll call someone inter to organize them."


    At this moment, Tang Yuan already led dozens of soldiers into the tomb, installing lighting equipment at various locations in the tomb. Soon, the bright lights dispelled much of the tomb¡¯s gloom. Meanwhile, under Tang Yuan¡¯s lead, Hao Dongnan and Nanrong Wanqing and others arrived at the main burial chamber.


    "Old Tang." Ling Chen greeted Tang Yuan as he came out of a dark passage under the stone coffin.


    Seeing Su Lin appear safe and sound, Nanrong Wanqing quickly ran over, holding Su Lin¡¯s hands, her face full of joy, "I was worried sick."


    Su Lin smiled, eager to share her discovery with Nanrong Wanqing, "Cousin, let me tell you, I found something down there..."


    "Miss Su." Before Su Lin could finish, Ling Chen immediately interrupted her, "Wanqing, Miss Su is already tired, I¡¯ll have someone take her out to rest first." With that, Ling Chen called Tang Yuan over and whispered a few instructions.


    "Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll handle it." Tang Yuan nodded, called over a few soldiers, and sent the unwilling Su Lin out.


    "Professor Hao, you¡¯ve been working for so long, you must be tired, please go out and rest for a while." Tang Yuan said to Hao Dongnan, who was conducting archaeological research.


    Hao Dongnan replied without looking up, "It¡¯s nothing, we¡¯re not tired, these artifacts are of great archaeological value, we..."


    "Professor Hao!" Tang Yuan¡¯s tone grew slightly heavier, "From now on, this tomb will be managed by the military, without our permission, no one is allowed to conduct research on this tomb. Now, please take your team and leave immediately."


    Hearing this, everyone¡¯s gaze focused on Tang Yuan, even Nanrong Wanqing felt surprised. Just now, Ling Chen suddenly stopped Su Lin¡¯s words, which made her feel odd. Now, seeing Hao Dongnan and others being forcibly ¡¯escorted¡¯ out of the tomb by soldiers, she felt even more puzzled.


    How did Tang Yuan¡¯s attitude change so suddenly, and what did Ling Chen say to him?


    After thinking for a moment, Nanrong Wanqing asked, "Ling Chen, what on earth is going on?"


    "Wanqing, it¡¯s not something that can be exined in a few words. In short, the things in this tomb are extraordinary, it¡¯s better that you don¡¯t know." Pausing for a moment, Ling Chen continued, "I¡¯ll exin it to Miss Suter, but until then, please don¡¯t meet with her."


    Seeing Ling Chen¡¯s serious expression, Nanrong Wanqing realized the matter was far from simple. Otherwise, Ling Chen wouldn¡¯t treat her and Su Lin this way.


    "Alright, I¡¯ll go back to the tent first."


    After watching Nanrong Wanqing and others leave, Tang Yuan came to Ling Chen¡¯s side and asked, "Tang Yuan, I¡¯ve done everything you asked. But are you sure you want the military involved in this?"


    Ling Chen nodded, "You¡¯re not aware of the seriousness of this matter. In any case, this must remain confidential, currently, only Su Lin knows about the secret of this tomb, so we must keep a close watch on her, not allowing her to contact anyone, or usemunication devices."


    "What exactly is the secret of this tomb?" Tang Yuan asked curiously, "Did you discover something down there?"


    "That¡¯s right! Come with me, I¡¯ll show you something." With that, Ling Chen called Tang Yuan along and re-entered the room at the bottom of the stone coffin.


    After looking through a record left by the tomb owner, Tang Yuan stood in ce, mouth agape, enough to fit an egg. It took him a while to recover from the shock.


    "Tan... Tang Yuan, is this real?" Tang Yuan asked in disbelief, "There shouldn¡¯t be such things in this world."


    "Just because you don¡¯t know doesn¡¯t mean it doesn¡¯t exist, I can assure you, this is real."


    "Why?" Tang Yuan looked at Ling Chen, puzzled, "Why are you so certain?"


    "You don¡¯t need to ask too much about that. Old Tang, can you give me a day? I need to go through all these materials."


    "Since you¡¯ve had the military take over this tomb, this matter must be reported."


    "I know, I just want to make a copy of these materials. Once I¡¯m done, you can report it. However, I would like to ask you to keep this a secret, don¡¯t tell anyone."


    "This..." Tang Yuan hesitated for a moment, then slowly nodded, "Alright, for the sake of our friendship, I¡¯ll keep it a secret, but I have one condition, you can¡¯t keep things from me."


    "Deal!"

 Chapter 1345 - 1653: The Eerie Ancient Tomb (3)

    <h4>Chapter 1345: Chapter 1653: The Eerie Ancient Tomb (3)</h4>


    After leaving the ancient tomb, Ling Chen went straight to the tent where Su Lin was. ording to Tang Yuan¡¯s orders, Su Lin was kept alone in the tent, with dedicated personnel guarding it outside. "You can leave now," Ling Chen gestured, and the soldiers guarding the tent responded and immediately withdrew.


    Entering the tent, Ling Chen saw Su Lin sitting on a folding bed, with leftover meal boxes and a bottle of mineral water beside her. Upon hearing footsteps at the entrance, Su Lin turned her head, saw Ling Chen approaching, and immediately got up to greet him, displeasure evident on her face as she said, "Ling Chen, what do you mean by this? Why are you restricting my freedom and even took away my phone?"


    "Miss Su, don¡¯t be anxious, I¡¯ll exin to you slowly."


    After both resettled, Ling Chen spoke, "Miss Su, regarding everything you saw in the ancient tomb, I hope you can keep it a secret and not reveal it to anyone, including Wanqing."


    "Why? You must give me a reason."


    "Miss Su, do you think if such a matter were to spread, how many people would believe it? Ordinary people would only treat it as a topic for idle chatter and dismiss it with augh. However, if those in power knew about it, they would undoubtedly stop at nothing to get to the bottom of it. You must know, for longevity, many people are willing to give up everything. At that time, as the whistleblower, do you think you would be safe? Besides this, there¡¯s another very important reason: the government will take over this ancient tomb, and they will definitely issue a gag order to you. If you dare to reveal even a word, the government will definitely hold you ountable, and even those around you would be implicated. So, for the sake of yourself and others, it¡¯s best to keep this matter locked in your heart forever."


    "What about Professor Hao and the others?"


    "They are not aware of this matter, so you don¡¯t need to worry about them. When the government people arrive, they will talk to you, and you just need to agree to their terms. Remember, do not go against them; it won¡¯t do you any good," Ling Chen advised.


    If possible, Ling Chen wanted to keep this matter hidden, not even telling the government. However, this idea was too unrealistic. After all, too many people knew about the existence of this ancient tomb; it was impossible to conceal it. Moreover, if they did try to hide it, by the time the government pursued it, they would definitely face dire consequences. So, for now, all they could do was let the government handle this significant discovery.


    Su Lin pondered for a moment, then nodded, "Alright, I¡¯ll listen to you."


    Hearing these words, Ling Chen couldn¡¯t help but smile, "Miss Su, this is the most sensible choice. Now, you should rest, I have other matters to attend to." With that, Ling Chen stood up and started to walk out of the tent. Just as he reached the entrance, Su Lin¡¯s voice suddenly came from behind, "Have you encountered simr matters before?"


    Ling Chen turned back, "Why do you ask?"


    "I just suddenly thought about your initial reaction upon learning about this matter. If it were an ordinary person, they would definitely think this was a bizarre story. But your first question was ¡¯How did you know about it,¡¯ which shows that you¡¯ve encountered simr matters before. Am I right?"


    After listening to Su Lin¡¯s analysis, Ling Chen couldn¡¯t help but be taken aback. This girl... How had he never noticed her quick mind before, able to deduce so much from just one sentence?


    Seeing Ling Chen hesitating to speak, Su Lin nodded to herself, "It seems my guess was correct. No wonder you asked me about the mutation gene thing, you¡¯ve already been researching their reasons for longevity, haven¡¯t you?"


    "Miss Su, it¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve truly admired you in all the time we¡¯ve known each other."


    "I want to participate."


    "What?" Ling Chen was momentarily at a loss.


    "No matter what research you¡¯re doing, I want to join in." Before Ling Chen could refuse, Su Lin continued, "If you reject me, when the government peoplee, I¡¯ll surely tell them about this matter. At that time, don¡¯t me me."


    Ling Chen chuckled, "Miss Su, it seems you¡¯ve really grown up a lot, now you even know how to threaten people."


    "Be straightforward, do you want me to join or not?"


    "Miss Su, let me ask you first, what¡¯s your purpose for wanting to join? To research why they live so long? Don¡¯t forget, your specialty is in archaeology, not scientific research. And, to be honest, I have indeed encountered simr people, but only met them. So, seeking me is useless. Even if you tell the government personnel about this, I will say the same. Alright! If there¡¯s nothing else, I¡¯ll take my leave; I still have a lot to do." After saying that, Ling Chen turned and walked out of the tent.


    Under Tang Yuan¡¯s arrangement, everyone was stationed at the entrance of the ancient tomb, leaving only Ling Chen inside. After spending about an hour in the room, Ling Chen had taken photos of all the materials with his phone and sent them directly to Hu Fei for safekeeping.


    After finishing all this, Ling Chen returned to the main burial chamber. Staring at the stone brick in the main burial chamber, a hint of doubt arose in Ling Chen¡¯s heart. Since the tomb owner of this ancient tomb, like Ling Gengqiu, had lived for hundreds of years, why did he die? It¡¯s essential to know that Ling Gengqiu had been dismembered centuries ago but survived after hundreds of years. So, this mysterious tomb owner might not be dead, but merely in a state of deep slumber.


    Thinking this, Ling Chen walked straight to the stone coffin, hesitated for a moment, leaned down, and pressed his ear against the surface of the stone coffin, carefully listening to the sounds inside.


    Thump thump! Thump thump!


    Although the sound was extremely faint, Ling Chen, with his sharp hearing, heard it clearly. He suddenly lifted his head, staring intently at the stone coffin before him.


    A heartbeat... there was a heartbeat! It seems his guess was right, the tomb owner of this ancient tomb is not dead; he is still alive.


    Ling Gengqiu... and the mysterious figure from the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, both of them have been alive for hundreds of years. Besides that, there¡¯s one more thing they have inmon: they are both terrifyingly powerful. It seems, those who have lived this long are remarkably powerful individuals.


    So Ling Chen couldn¡¯t help but worry whether the person lying in this stone coffin possesses extraordinary abilities, just like Ling Gengqiu and the others.


    No! Immediate action is needed, who knows when the person in this stone coffin will wake up. In a sh of thought, Ling Chen quickly walked towards the exit of the ancient tomb. This matter must be reported to Tang Yuan right away, and defensive measures should be taken to prevent any incidents.


    However, just as Ling Chen was about to exit the main burial chamber, a faint sound suddenly came from the stone coffin behind him.


    Ling Chen quickly turned back, his face changing dramatically, only to see that the coffin lid of the stone coffin had moved a fraction.

 Chapter 1346 - 1654: The Eerie Ancient Tomb (4)

    <h4>Chapter 1346: Chapter 1654: The Eerie Ancient Tomb (4)</h4>


    Dammit! No way, Ling Chen felt a chill rising in his heart. He was just thinking about whether the tomb owner might wake up, and unexpectedly there was already a reaction. Standing there, Ling Chen looked at the opened coffin lid and couldn¡¯t help but swallow.


    However, a minute passed, and the lid had only opened a crack and did not move any further. Moreover, there was no movement from inside.


    Seeing this, Ling Chen dared not stay any longer. If the tomb owner really crawled out of the sarcophagus, he would be in danger. With this thought, Ling Chen hurried towards the entrance of the ancient tomb. Not long after, he reached the entrance, and saw Tang Yuan arranging work with a group of soldiers.


    "Old Tang."


    Hearing Ling Chen¡¯s call, Tang Yuan turned around and walked over in a few steps, asking in a low voice, "Is everything done on your end?"


    "Let¡¯s not talk about that right now, Old Tang, that... the tomb owner isn¡¯t dead yet. He mighte out of the sarcophagus, so you¡¯d better organize a team immediately."


    "What?" Tang Yuan was somewhat doubtful, wondering if he heard incorrectly. He looked at Ling Chen with a face full of surprise, "Tang Yuan, are you out of your mind? Do you know what you are saying?"


    Ling Chen said solemnly, "Old Tang, we¡¯ve known each other for so many years. When have I ever lied to you? Trust me, the tomb owner lying in the sarcophagus is still alive. Just now, I listened to the sarcophagus and heard a heartbeat. Not only that, the lid was moved from the inside."


    "Really?" Upon hearing this, Tang Yuan¡¯s expression changed. After pondering for a while, Tang Yuan nodded and said, "Alright, I¡¯ll gather a team immediately and go in with you to check."


    As soldiers, their actions were fast. In less than two minutes, twenty soldiers were assembled. Because this was an archaeological operation, the soldiers did not carry weapons when they arrived. For safety reasons, Tang Yuan distributed the shovels and picks from the archaeological team to the soldiers as a temporary means of self-defense. Once everything was ready, Tang Yuan followed Ling Chen, bringing along twenty soldiers into the ancient tomb once more.


    Soon, the group arrived at the main burial chamber of the ancient tomb. However, when Ling Chen and Tang Yuan reached the main chamber, they found that the sarcophagus in the center had already beenpletely opened. ncing at Tang Yuan beside him, Ling Chen gave him a signal. Thetter understood and immediately circled to the other side of the sarcophagus, as the two of them approached it cautiously from both sides.


    Standing beside the sarcophagus, Ling Chen looked in to see that it was empty except for the padding at the bottom.


    Gone! Ling Chen¡¯s heart sank, knowing this was not good. It must have been when he left the main chamber that the tomb owner had crawled out of the sarcophagus. The ancient tomb was so vast. Heaven knows where he might be hiding.


    "Everyone, stay vignt," Tang Yuan instructed. "Be careful of sneak attacks."


    Ling Chen held his breath as he surveyed the surroundings of the main burial chamber. This area was quite open with no cover, so the mysterious tomb owner must have already left. However, they hadn¡¯t encountered him on their way in, suggesting the person was likely still inside the tomb.


    "Old Tang, arm yourselves. That person might still be in the tomb."


    Tang Yuan nodded, gripping the shovel in his hand as he followed Ling Chen, moving slowly through the corridor. Over ten minutes passed, and the group searched the entire ancient tomb but found nothing. "Tang Yuan, I asked the people guarding the exit and they haven¡¯t seen anyone leave the tomb."


    "If that¡¯s the case, then the tomb must have another secret exit that we haven¡¯t discovered yet." Ling Chen sighed helplessly. Pity! The tomb owner still got away. Although he wanted to capture the person, Ling Chen felt somewhat relieved. After all, he wasn¡¯t sure of the opponent¡¯s strength. If his guess was correct and the tomb owner had strength simr to Ling Gengqiu, then having more people wouldn¡¯t help.


    After leaving the tomb, Ling Chen talked briefly with Tang Yuan and then went back to the tent to rest.


    About half a dayter, several buses finally arrived at the camp outside the tomb. Seeing soldiers in military uniforms jumping off the buses, Ling Chen and Tang Yuan went up to meet them immediately. Tang Yuan had already reported their findings in the tomb to the government. The government took the issue very seriously, not only assigning more personnel but also sending the entire National Archaeological Team.


    The one in charge of this mission¡¯s safety was Tang Yuan. As an elite of the Lonely Wolf and part of the military formation, involved in all the tomb actions, he was the most suitable choice to be in charge. With the arrival of the National Archaeological Team, Hao Dongnan and others all became sidelined. Furthermore, even Hao Dongnan and his team¡¯s qualifications to enter the tomb were stripped. Apart from government personnel, no one was allowed to enter the tomb privately.


    If it weren¡¯t for Ling Chen¡¯s good rtionship with Tang Yuan, even he wouldn¡¯t be allowed into the tomb.


    "Wanqing, now that Miss Su is safe, why don¡¯t you head back to East Sea City?" Ling Chen suggested at dinner.


    "Alright, since the government is involved, Lin and the others staying here is pointless; they might as welle back with me." Just then, Nanrong Wanqing saw Su Lin walk into the tent from outside.


    "Lin, are you okay?" asked Nanrong Wanqing, rising to greet her with concern. "What did the government people want with you?"


    Su Lin nced at Ling Chen, who was eating, and said, "Nothing much, just some questions."


    "Ling Chen just suggested that since there¡¯s nothing much to do here, we should go back. What do you think?"


    Su Lin nodded, "Yes, the National Archaeological Team has taken over the tomb. There¡¯s nothing for us here."


    "You eat something first. I¡¯ll go talk to Zhong Wei and have him arrange a ne." With that, Nanrong Wanqing walked out of the tent.


    After Nanrong Wanqing left, Su Lin angrily sat down at the table beside Ling Chen. Seeing Su Lin giving him a side-eye, Ling Chen put down his chopsticks and smiled, "Signed the nondisclosure agreement?"


    "Did I have a choice? If I didn¡¯t sign, they would restrict my personal freedom. Hmph! Can¡¯t believe those people are so unreasonable."


    "I warned you, this matter is no joke, and it¡¯s not something you can meddle in. Since you signed the nondisclosure agreement, act as if nothing happened these past few days, so you won¡¯t get in troubleter."


    "I¡¯m just curious, wanting to understand why someone could live for hundreds of years, and there¡¯s more than one. Don¡¯t you find it strange?"


    "In this Great Thousand World, there is nothing without wonder. There are many things in this world that science cannot exin. The more curious you are, the more you risk getting caught up, unable to extricate yourself."


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 1347 - 1655: The Eerie Ancient Tomb (Part 5)

    <h4>Chapter 1347: Chapter 1655: The Eerie Ancient Tomb (Part 5)</h4>


    "If you ever figure out the reason for their longevity, will you tell me?" Su Lin asked as she looked at Ling Chen.


    Ling Chen smiled slightly and nodded, "No problem. However, I can¡¯t guarantee that there will be an answer."


    The next morning, Ling Chen saw off Nanrong Wanqing and Su Lin. The matters at the ancient tomb were not fully resolved yet, and Ling Chen wanted to stay and see if there would be any other discoveries. In the morning, the National Archaeological Team staff would transport all the ancient corpses from the tomb for proper preservation.


    Around ten o¡¯clock, Ling Chen and Tang Yuan stood at the entrance of the tomb, watching as the ancient corpses were carried out one by one.


    The corpses included men, women, young, and old. Even though they had been dead for many years, their bodies were extraordinarily well-preserved, appearing as if still peacefully asleep. Honestly, Ling Chen had great admiration for the tomb¡¯s owner; considering the medical conditions from hundreds of years ago, it was an incredible feat.


    Moreover, from the well-preserved corpses, it was evident that the tomb owner must have discovered the secret to longevity. It¡¯s worth noting that despite years of research by both the Southern Ling Family and the Northern Ling Family, utilizing high tech, they still had not made significant progress.


    Once all the corpses were removed, Ling Chen picked up his phone and dialed Hu Fei¡¯s number.


    "Hello! Fatty, have you decoded all the data?"


    "Still working on it. The information you sent me is too messy. I need to sort it out first, which may take another two or three days. Why, are you in a hurry?"


    "Not really, just checking the progress. Remember, once the data is decrypted, send it to the Guo Family¡¯sb immediately for them to start their research."


    "Don¡¯t worry, I know what to do." Pausing for a moment, Hu Fei added, "By the way, I¡¯ve taken care of those matters you asked me to."


    "Good, let¡¯s leave it at that. Keep me informed if there are any updates." With that, Ling Chen hung up the phone and returned to Tang Yuan¡¯s side.


    "Tang Yuan, I got a call this morning that the government ns to build a researchb here to oversee the archaeological research of this tomb."


    "So you¡¯ll have to stay here long term?"


    Tang Yuan shook his head, "I¡¯m just a temporary worker. Once things stabilize here, someone else will take over my job." As they spoke, a soldier came running over and saluted Tang Yuan, "Report, equipment has been delivered."


    "Good, take a team and try to set everything up before nightfall."


    "Yes!"


    Listening to their conversation, Ling Chen curiously asked, "What are you guys up to?"


    "This area has been designated as a restricted zone by higher-ups. We¡¯re ordered to establish a defense line within a hundred meters around the tomb. Let me tell you, the discovery of this tomb is a serious matter. The authorities are taking it very seriously; top leaders have issued strict orders to protect this tomb. No information can be leaked. Otherwise, it could be considered treason. So, you¡¯d better be careful and not get on the government¡¯s bad side."


    Ling Chen smiled faintly, knowing well what Tang Yuan meant. Tang Yuan was afraid he might reveal the tomb¡¯s secrets to outsiders. If that happened, not only Ling Chen but Tang Yuan might also get implicated.


    Night fell.


    Ling Chen was in his tent, lying on the folding bed. Not far from him was a makeshift research facility where members of the National Archaeological Team worked tirelessly to study the discoveries from the tomb. Besides the ancient corpses, even the tomb owner¡¯s stone coffin had been moved out.


    They spected that since the tomb owner had been in the stone coffin for hundreds of years, there might be some hair or skin kes left inside that could allow for DNA testing. However, Ling Chen knew very well these research methods would not yield any significant results. Neither the Southern Ling Family nor the Northern Ling Family nor even the Guo Family had made any breakthrough in decades of studying Ling Gengqiu¡¯s remains.


    As he pondered, his phone suddenly rang. Ling Chen pulled it out of his pocket, and upon seeing the caller ID, he immediately got off the bed and walked swiftly out of the tent.


    Half an hourter, Ling Chen and Tang Yuan arrived on foot at the county town of North County.


    "Sixth Brother, over here." Upon hearing a familiar voice, Ling Chen looked and saw Yuan Yun standing at the corner, waving towards him.


    "Third Brother," Ling Chen greeted as he approached and asked, "Where are the others?"


    "They¡¯re keeping tabs on those guys. We shouldn¡¯t waste any time; let¡¯s head over quickly before they escape." With that, Yuan Yun led Ling Chen and Tang Yuan through the alleys of North County, twisting and turning. Before long, they reached the meeting point.


    All the members of the Eight Oddities were present except for Yuan Yun.


    "Sixth Brother, do you see that house over there?" Qiu Yong pointed to a house more than twenty meters away. "The people you¡¯re looking for are inside. I counted carefully; there are twenty of them, but I¡¯m unsure of their strength."


    "Do you know their identities? I don¡¯t want to end up confronting allies," Ling Chen said.


    "I¡¯m not sure about that, but I suspect these guys are from the Southern Ling Family. If they were from the Northern Ling Family and knew you were here, they¡¯d surely find a way to contact you."


    Hearing this, Ling Chen nodded. Qiu Yong¡¯s words made sense. After the secret of this tomb was discovered, Ling Chen pondered many things. Given the Southern Ling Family¡¯s expansive influence and connections, they would know about this tomb. So, the Southern Ling Family would likely take action to gain all the tomb¡¯s secrets.


    Thus, Ling Chen had Hu Fei inform Qiu Yong and others toe quickly. If members of the Southern Ling Family intended to make a move on the tomb, they would undoubtedly pass through North County. Over the past few days, Qiu Yong and others had been secretly lying in wait in North County, watching for any suspicious individuals.


    "Sixth Brother, should we act now or wait for them toe out?" Xia Yue asked.


    Ling Chen thought for a moment and said, "Since they¡¯re still inside, why don¡¯t we take the initiative and catch them off guard." With that, Ling Chen turned to Tang Yuan beside him, "Do you have everything you need?"


    Tang Yuan grinned and nodded, "Don¡¯t worry. After your notification, I made all the necessary preparations."


    "Alright then, you go first, and we¡¯ll surround them from the sides."


    Once everything was in ce, Tang Yuan, with his backpack,y low in the grass and slowly approached the house. Soon, Tang Yuan reached the wall beside the house. Once everyone was in position, Ling Chen gestured to Tang Yuan by the wall, signaling him to take action.


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 1348 - 1656: The Eerie Ancient Tomb (Part 6)

    <h4>Chapter 1348: Chapter 1656: The Eerie Ancient Tomb (Part 6)</h4>


    Receiving Ling Chen¡¯s signal, Tang Yuan immediately pulled out a few shbangs from his backpack and threw them through the nearby window.


    Bang! Bang!


    Apanied by several loud bangs, bursts of strong light shot out from the bungalow, filling the air with smoke. Taking advantage of this moment, Ling Chen and the others quickly rushed to the front of the bungalow, kicked open the door, and charged inside.


    Inside the bungalow¡¯s living room were seven people, all stunned by the shbangs, clutching their eyes and crying out in pain.


    Ling Chen showed no mercy, swiftly approaching the men, and with lightning speed, they were all knocked to the ground in the blink of an eye.


    At this moment, people from the two guest rooms rushed out from the doorways, totaling thirteen in number. Seeing Ling Chen in the living room, one man¡¯s expression slightly changed, and he hurriedly said, "Split up and go!"


    As soon as the man spoke, Ling Chen locked his gaze on him. As expected, this man was likely the leader. Instantly, Ling Chen lightly tapped his toe and quickly dashed forward, intercepting the man¡¯s path.


    Blocked ahead, the man was forced to ept the challenge. Meanwhile, hispanions all smashed through the window, fleeing outside. Ling Chen was not worried about their escape; Qiu Yong and others were guarding outside unless one of them was a Heavenly List expert. Otherwise, they could not escape.


    Bam!


    A punch was thrown, forcing the man back a few steps. Watching Ling Chen step closer, the man¡¯s face turned dark with anger, "Ling Chen, we haven¡¯t provoked you, so why are you against us?"


    "Sorry! The ce you want to go is already mine. If you¡¯re wise, leave early, and tell those behind you that if they dare to target that ancient tomb again, I won¡¯t be so polite."


    "Fine, Ling Chen, remember this, those who oppose the Southern Ling Family will never have a good end." Finished, the man smashed through the window, quickly running outside.


    "Stop!" Seeing the opponent emerge, Qiu Yong immediately chased after him.


    "Big brother, don¡¯t chase, let him go, someone needs to carry a message back."


    Hearing Ling Chen¡¯s voice, Qiu Yong stopped, "Besides the guy you let go, everyone else is taken care of."


    Ling Chen nodded, "Hand them over to Old Tang, let him deal with it."


    Just then, a phone ringtone suddenly rang. Looking at the unfamiliar iing call disyed on the screen, Ling Chen answered, "Who is this?"


    "It¡¯s me."


    Ling Tao! Ling Chen immediately recognized the caller, "You still remember me. How are things recently?" Ling Tao had previously called him, saying the Southern Ling Familyunched aprehensive offensive against the Northern Ling Family. As a result, the Northern Ling Family had shrunk back for a while, vanishing without a trace; it was unexpected that Ling Tao would call today, seemingly for the ancient tomb matter.


    "Rest assured, your father and the porridge girl are fine." Ling Tao shifted to the main topic, "Ling Chen, have you heard about the ancient tomb in North County?"


    "I¡¯m currently in North County."


    "Really?" Ling Tao seemed somewhat surprised, but his tone quickly turned to joy, "That¡¯s the best. I heard there¡¯s a significant discovery in that ancient tomb; the person buried there, just like Ling Gengqiu, possesses immortality."


    "Indeed! But the person in the stone coffin is missing." Ling Chen promptly briefed Ling Tao on the general situation.


    "You did right; that person should be very dangerous, try not to have direct contact. By the way, can you send me the materials you mentioned?"


    "No problem, I¡¯ll notify Hu Fei."


    "Good." Ling Tao directly hung up. Ling Chen had a lot he wanted to say, but could only hold it back.


    After handling the scene, Ling Chen and his team didn¡¯t linger, heading straight to the camp. On the way back, for some reason, Ling Chen always felt as if someone was watching him from behind. However, every time he turned around, he saw nothing.


    Was it just his imagination?


    Ling Chen shook his head and caught up with Qiu Yong and the others.


    Back at the camp, they stayed another two days; the ancient tomb¡¯s relics had all been excavated and stored in a warehouse, guarded daily by dozens of soldiers. Since the matter gained top-level attention, security was raised to the highest; all soldiers were on duty fully armed. Moreover, a provisional research institute had been set up, requiring all archaeology members and security personnel to wear identification cards. Those without these cards were asked to leave.


    During approvals, Tang Yuan reported Ling Chen¡¯s name, but it was rejected. With no other option, Ling Chen packed up and returned with Qiu Yong and others to East Sea City.


    After leaving the airport, Ling Chen didn¡¯t go directly home but drove to the base.


    "Fatty, did you get those materials ready?"


    "Sure!" Hu Fei handed a neatly arranged document to Ling Chen, "All the materials you transmitted from the ancient tomb are here. I¡¯ve marked them; those with red markings are very important materials."


    Ling Chen nced through, asking, "Has Ling Tao contacted you?"


    "He has, asking me to send him all the tomb materials. But I¡¯ve only sent most of it, keeping a small portion back."


    Ling Chen asked puzzled, "Why?"


    Hu Fei earnestly replied, "Ling Chen, don¡¯t me me for speaking up; though you¡¯re close to the Northern Ling Family, you shouldn¡¯t fully trust them. As they say, you shouldn¡¯t intend harm, but you must guard against it. Moreover, with your current strength, you can be independent; there¡¯s no need to follow their orders. If they need you, cooperate, but rify the terms. Remember, we¡¯re working for you, not for the Northern Ling Family, so I must consider your interests."


    Ling Chen thoughtfully nodded, "I¡¯ll remember what you said. By the way, which materials did you keep?"


    "Here." Hu Fei pulled out a file bag from the drawer, "Guard this; the tomb¡¯s value is all in here."


    "Alright, I got it." Taking the file, Ling Chen returned to his room.


    Closing the door, Ling Chen brewed some tea, sat alone on the sofa, and attentively reviewed the materials. Hu Fei¡¯s work was done well; the materials were sequenced from shallow to deep. After going through a few initial documents, Ling Chen finally had some understanding of the mysterious tomb owner¡¯s identity.

 Chapter 1349 - 1657: He Zhishen

    <h4>Chapter 1349: Chapter 1657: He Zhishen</h4>


    The owner of that ancient tomb was named He Zhishen, a martial artist. When he was over ny years old, he mastered martial arts. Over the next ten-plus years, he found his body strangely growing younger, even his appearance changed. Moreover, in the following decades, he never suffered illness, and his body grew stronger. It was then he realized his uniqueness.


    At the time, He Zhishen was puzzled, thinking something was wrong with him. To understand his situation, he spent a lot of time researching his body. Unbeknownst to him, he had already lived for over two hundred years. Watching those around him grow old while he retained his youthful appearance made him an outsider in others¡¯ eyes. To avoid drawing attention, He Zhishen moved to a new ce every ten years. Eventually, he settled in the mountains, cutting off human interaction.


    Living alone, although peaceful, meant that He Zhishen was ultimately alone; no one can endure centuries of solitude and loneliness. Spending so long on the mountain, he nearly lost the ability to speak. So, he often wrote to record his life in detail.


    Many of He Zhishen¡¯s records written on the mountain were found in the ancient tomb by Ling Chen.


    Ling Chen casually flipped through several pages, finding mostly descriptions of He Zhishen¡¯s mood and questioning his own condition. In these records, the sentence he wrote most frequently was: Is this a gift from heaven, or a curse? Clearly, each time He Zhishen wrote this line, his emotions were veryplex.


    Setting aside He Zhishen¡¯s life records, Ling Chen picked up Hu Fei¡¯s documents marked with a red imprint. ording to Hu Fei, these were very important documents.


    After reading the first document, Ling Chen looked very surprised.


    Back then, when He Zhishen lived alone in the mountains, he kept many wild animals as pets to alleviate loneliness. Among those pets was a wild wolf. ording to He Zhishen¡¯s records, he encountered a wolf pack of over a hundred wild wolves while wandering in the mountains.


    Attacked by the wolf pack, He Zhishen fought back fiercely, relying on his formidable strength to ughter over half the wolves. However, because of the sheer number of wolves, He Zhishen made a mistake during the battle and was bitten by the pack leader, nearly losing an entire chunk of flesh.


    Later, the wolf pack was brutally ughtered by He Zhishen and fled in defeat. As they escaped, He Zhishen captured the pack leader and took it back to his dwelling to raise it. Over the following ten years, all other wild animals kept by He Zhishen died, but that wolf did not die, nor did it show signs of aging. Because of this, He Zhishen suddenly realized that the wolf¡¯s survival was likely rted to consuming his flesh and blood.


    Guided by this idea, He Zhishen conducted numerous attempts and experiments. He discovered that through blood transfusion, any life could remain young and extend their lifespan. However, it merely extended life, not granting immortality like himself.


    "Blood... no wonder!" Ling Chen nodded to himself, thinking that the ancient corpses found in the tomb maintained their state without decay despite dying hundreds of years ago because they had received He Zhishen¡¯s blood transfusion.


    Although Ling Tao and Guo Ming found Ling Gengqiu¡¯s body, it had been ced for hundreds of years, and the body was shattered with coagted blood. ording to He Zhishen, only live blood would work, which is why Ling Tao and the others had made no progress.


    To revive the blood, Ling Gengqiu¡¯s body would have to be made whole again. Earlier when Ling Tao called, Ling Chen had forgotten to tell him about Ling Gengqiu¡¯s matter. But this couldn¡¯t be med on him; Ling Tao hung up the phone in a hurry, leaving him no chance to speak.


    "He Zhishen, where are you?" Ling Chen muttered to himself. Since He Zhishen crawled out of that stone coffin, he must still be alive in this world. Unfortunately, his whereabouts are unknown now. If he couldmunicate with him, it would be a good thing.


    After resting for a night.


    The next day, Ling Chen sent the documents to Guo Ming. The Guo Family¡¯sboratory had decades of research experience, not only well-equipped but experienced, so it was best to leave this research to them.


    After breakfast, Ling Chen packed his things to visit his home. Just then, he received a call. The call was from Xia Mutong, with whom he had not been in contact, busy with various matterstely.


    "Ling Chen, where are you?" Upon hearing Xia Mutong¡¯s familiar and sultry voice, Ling Chen¡¯s mouth curved into a smile, "Officer Xia, long time no see. I¡¯m in East Sea City, is there anything you need?"


    "You¡¯d bettere by the police station."


    "What¡¯s the matter?"


    "Don¡¯t ask so many questions, I¡¯ll tell you when you get here." Without waiting for Ling Chen to ask more, Xia Mutong directly hung up the phone.


    Putting down the phone, Ling Chen smiled wryly; this girl was as fiery as ever. Since he needed to visit family, he might as well go to the police station on the way. After notifying Hu Fei, Ling Chen drove alone to the police station.


    Upon arrival, Ling Chen went straight to the third floor, to Xia Mutong¡¯s office.


    "Officer Xia." Ling Chen greeted with a smile as he pushed open the office door. At first nce, Xia Mutong seemed the same, but upon closer inspection, there was something different, perhaps... a touch more makeup.


    Ling Chen clearly remembered that Xia Mutong never bothered with makeup, always showing her bare face. With her looks, even without makeup, she¡¯d be an exceptional beauty. Now, with foundation, she appeared even brighter, giving an eye-catching impression.


    ncing at Ling Chen at the door, Xia Mutong stood expressionlessly without inviting him to sit, directly leading him out of the office.


    Following Xia Mutong, Ling Chen curiously asked, "Officer Xia, what¡¯s the matter for calling me here?"


    "The police in Jin Hai City found a body by the sea, and clues from the body led them to you. Since you¡¯re from East Sea City, the case was transferred to our East Sea City police for handling."


    "A body?" Ling Chen felt a jolt; he had killed many, who knew who this body by the sea belonged to? However, Ling Chen was puzzled; he never left clues, how did the police find their way to him?

 Chapter 1350 - 1658: Female Corpse

    <h4>Chapter 1350: Chapter 1658: Female Corpse</h4>


    Before long, Ling Chen followed Xia Mutong to the morgue. Just as they were about to enter, Ling Chen suddenly thought of something and asked, "Officer Xia, is the body you mentioned a male or female?"


    "Female," Xia Mutong replied with two words, then pushed the door open and went inside.


    In the morgue, several bodies wereid out. Xia Mutong went straight to a cold iron bed, opened the zipper of the body bag. Immediately, a bloated female corpse appeared in front of Ling Chen. "Do you recognize her?" Xia Mutong asked Ling Chen.


    ncing at the corpse in the body bag, Ling Chen¡¯s expression changed slightly, a hint of surprise in his eyes.


    It¡¯s actually her! Ling Chen never expected the body found by the police would be her. His mind racing, Ling Chen nodded and said, "Officer Xia, to be honest, I know her." After a pause, he continued to ask, "I want to know how she died?"


    Xia Mutong remained silent, instead fully unzipping the body bag, revealing the entire body of the female corpse to Ling Chen.


    Looking at the scars on the female corpse, Ling Chen couldn¡¯t help but furrow his brows. This female corpse had about a dozen wounds on her body, judging by the width and depth of the wounds, they appeared to be made by a dagger. Moreover, there were bruises on the wrists and ankles, indicating she was tied up with a rope at the time, then stabbed repeatedly with a dagger.


    Brutal! Ling Chen squinted his eyes, those people were really cruel. As he pondered, Xia Mutong asked, "I checked the archives for her information, couldn¡¯t find anything relevant. Since there are clues rted to you on her, can you tell me who she is?"


    "Her name is Lin Yiyi, she¡¯s from the Ling Family in the south." Ling Chen said, then he asked, "By the way! Officer Xia, you mentioned there are clues rted to me on her, what does that mean?"


    "When Tianhai City police found her body, they discovered a small wooden piece in her hand with your name engraved on it. I specte, she might have pried a wooden piece off the board when she was trapped, then carved your name on it so we could find you."


    "So that¡¯s what happened." Ling Chen asked, "Do you know why she was killed?"


    "ording to the coroner¡¯s spection, she was killed the day before yesterday and then dumped in the sea. Having been soaking in the seawater for a whole day, her body became slightly bloated. Ling Chen, since you know her, do you know why she was killed? I hope you can provide some clues so we can catch the murderer as soon as possible."


    Ling Chen shook his head, "Officer Xia, don¡¯t bother thinking about the murderer, you won¡¯t catch them any time soon. If I¡¯m not mistaken, the person who killed Lin Yiyi should be someone from their own Ling Family."


    Hearing this, Xia Mutong asked in confusion, "Someone from their own family? If so, why would they kill her?"


    "I think... perhaps it¡¯s because Lin Yiyi betrayed them." Ling Chen said. Back then, because Lin Guodong was secretly purged by the Ling Family in the south, Lin Yiyi, who was closest to Lin Guodong, was heartbroken. Later, she proactively contacted Ling Chen, seeking revenge for Lin Guodong. After that, Lin Yiyi stayed in the southern Ling Family, secretly providing information to Ling Chen.


    It¡¯s likely that the people from the southern Ling Family noticed something, which is why they sent an assassin after Lin Yiyi. Thinking of this, Ling Chen sighed. The people from the southern Ling Family are truly ruthless, not even sparing their own.


    "Alright, since you have no more clues to provide, I won¡¯t keep you any longer." With that, Xia Mutong zipped the body bag back up.


    Just then, the sharp-eyed Ling Chen noticed something. "Officer Xia, wait!"


    "What else do you want to do?"


    Ling Chen pointed to Lin Yiyi¡¯s body and asked, "Has the forensic doctor examined her body?"


    "Not yet, why, is there a problem?"


    Ling Chen rubbed his nose, looking puzzled, "I just find it strange. Why did Lin Yiyi want you to find me? Is it just to tell me she was killed? I think what she wanted to convey wasn¡¯t that simple."


    Saying this, Ling Chen put on a pair of disposable medical gloves. Then, he leaned closer to Lin Yiyi¡¯s body, carefully examining her wounds. Seeing Ling Chen¡¯s actions, Xia Mutong asked, "Did you find anything?"


    Ling Chen pointed to a wound on the abdomen, "This wound is different from the others. The other wounds are all made by a dagger, but this one is special. From my experience, this wound should have been made three or four days ago, and Miss Lin seemed to have treated it, because it was soaked in seawater, this wound looks much like the others."


    "What does that imply?" Xia Mutong was somewhat puzzled, "Even if it is a wound from a few days ago, it doesn¡¯t mean anything."


    Ling Chen picked up a pair of hemostatic forceps, gently flipped over the edge of the wound, and examined it closely.


    "Huh?" All of a sudden, Ling Chen seemed to have discovered something, a hint of surprise shed in his eyes. Immediately, he inserted the hemostatic forceps into the wound, slowly pulling out what was inside. Instantly, a small stic bag was revealed inside the wound.


    Seeing the stic bag, Xia Mutong¡¯s eyes couldn¡¯t help but light up, surprised that something was hidden inside the body.


    After taking out the stic bag, Ling Chen immediately took out its contents. It was a phone memory card. Indeed! Ling Chen nodded to himself; Lin Yiyi hadn¡¯t wanted the police to find him for no reason, she did it to pass on information to him. Because the Ling Family in the south had started suspecting her, to avoid being discovered, she wounded herself, hiding the phone memory card inside her abdomen.


    It has to be said, Lin Yiyi was very brave, something ordinary people would find difficult to do.


    "Give it to me." Xia Mutong extended his hand, attempting to grab the phone memory card. However, Ling Chen reacted quickly. Seeing Xia Mutong¡¯s outstretched hand, he immediately turned around, dodging Xia Mutong¡¯s grab.


    "Officer Xia, this is something Miss Lin left for me. How could I casually give it to you?"


    "This is important evidence, it needs to be handed over to the police." Xia Mutong extended his hand to Ling Chen, wearing an unyielding expression, "Either you hand over the phone memory card, or you spend a few days in the detention center. I¡¯ll let you out when you¡¯re willing to give it to me."


    Ling Chen looked troubled, "Officer Xia, we¡¯re such good friends, why do this? How about we..."


    Before Ling Chen could finish his sentence, Xia Mutong immediately interrupted him, "Don¡¯t y games with me, one word¡ªare you handing it over or not?"


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 1351 - 1659: Lin Yiyi’s Sacrifice

    <h4>Chapter 1351: Chapter 1659: Lin Yiyi¡¯s Sacrifice</h4>


    "Alright, alright." Ling Chen said with a look of helplessness, "Since Officer Xia has spoken, how dare I disobey." As he finished speaking, Ling Chen obediently handed the memory card over to Xia Mutong.


    "Officer Xia, how about this, you make a copy of what¡¯s in here for me? How about it? That way, no one loses out."


    "No way! I¡¯ll consider giving it to you after I take a look."


    Ling Chen shrugged and sighed, "Fine, you¡¯re the boss, you decide. Since there¡¯s nothing for me to do here, I¡¯ll take my leave first." With that, Ling Chen shook his head and walked out with a displeased expression.


    Watching Ling Chen¡¯s back as he left, Xia Mutong couldn¡¯t help but chuckle to herself. After dealing with Ling Chen so many times, she finally saw him defeated. Hmph! Trying to negotiate with me? There will be consequences. Immediately, Xia Mutong took the memory card back to her office and inserted it into herputer.


    Before long, a folder popped up on theputer screen. Xia Mutong quickly opened the folder, searching for useful clues. However, when the folder opened, Xia Mutong who was sitting in front of theputer, was dumbfounded. What was this pile of stuff? Games? Videos? Music?


    Where were the clues? The intelligence? She found nothing. After a moment of being stunned, Xia Mutong suddenly realized that she had been tricked by Ling Chen.


    "Bastard!"


    Suddenly, the entire building could hear Xia Mutong¡¯s furious shout.


    At this moment, Ling Chen was sitting in his car smiling, driving towards the base. y games with him? It¡¯s a joke, who was he? How could he possibly hand over something so important to Xia Mutong? He had already secretly swapped the memory card when pleading with Xia Mutong, and what Xia Mutong got was the card from his own phone, which contained nothing.


    Upon arriving at the base, Ling Chen went to the control room and handed the memory card to Hu Fei, "Fatty, quickly check what¡¯s inside."


    Hu Fei nodded, inserted the memory card into theputer host, and soon a window popped up on the screen.


    "There¡¯s a video file." As he spoke, Hu Fei clicked on the video, and the scene appeared showing a dark, narrow room. A few secondster, Lin Yiyi appeared on the screen. It was clear that Lin Yiyi looked very haggard, as if she hadn¡¯t slept well in a long time, with dark circles under her eyes.


    "Ling Chen, when you see this video, it means something has happened to me. Recently, the Ling Family has been probing for moles, and anyone suspicious, regardless of evidence, is executed. In the past few days, I feel they have started to suspect me. Although they haven¡¯t talked to me, I can sense their different treatment towards me, guarding everything from me, keeping me out of the loop. Still, I found out about their ns through other means."


    After a pause, Lin Yiyi continued, "The southern Ling Family has be extremely cautious recently, with all senior members leaving Huaxia. A few days ago, the Ling Family received relocation orders, everyone had to wear hoods, no one knew where they were going. Based on my secret investigation, I should be on a cargo ship now. They don¡¯t allow me out of the room, so I can¡¯t get more information."


    "Ling Chen, the war between the southern and northern Ling Family has already begun, and from the current situation, the southern Ling Family is gaining the upper hand. If you want to eliminate the southern Ling Family, this is a golden opportunity you must not miss."


    With these words, the video ended.


    "Fatty, open that file and take a look."


    As the image opened, Ling Chen found it was a map, not only that, but the map was also marked with many red dots, more than twenty locations.


    "These should be the southern Ling Family¡¯s secret bases in Huaxia." Hu Fei said, "This Miss Lin is truly remarkable, acquiring such secret information. Ling Chen, with this, we can significantly weaken the southern Ling Family¡¯s power."


    Ling Chen nodded, "Fatty, help me determine which secret base is the closest, most suitable for us to act."


    Hu Fei pulled up the map, carefully examining it for a while before finally pointing to a ce, Tianhai City. "Didn¡¯t Miss Lin say she¡¯s been on a ship all this time? I¡¯ve looked at all the bases and the secret base in Tianhai City is the only one near the sea, so if we take this base, we might find information about that cargo ship."


    Hearing Hu Fei¡¯s analysis, Ling Chen agreed and nodded slightly, "Alright, do as you say. Arrange the manpower quickly; it¡¯s still early. From East Sea City to Tianhai City isn¡¯t far, send a few people over first to investigate the situation, strive to act tonight and take down that secret base."


    Hu Fei gave an ¡¯OK¡¯ sign and got busy immediately.


    "Oh!" Just about to leave, Ling Chen seemed to think of something and turned back, "Fatty, Miss Lin¡¯s body is still at the police station, once they¡¯vepleted their procedures over there, help me retrieve her body and arrange a proper burial." No matter what, Lin Yiyi¡¯s death was partially his responsibility. If she hadn¡¯t provided intelligence for him, Lin Yiyi wouldn¡¯t have been suspected by her own people.


    Now that she¡¯s dead, the least he can do is help her find a good burial ce andy her to rest properly.


    "No problem."


    "Alright, you get busy, I won¡¯t disturb you anymore."


    Leaving the base, Ling Chen drove home. It wasn¡¯t until three o¡¯clock in the afternoon that he received notification from Hu Fei and headed to the airport.


    At this moment, a private ne was ready, and the personnel for this operation were all in ce, just waiting for Ling Chen to board. Besides Ling Chen, only Zhang Zhongfeng from the Eight Oddities participated in this mission. The reason for inviting Zhang Zhongfeng along was to allow the Divine Arrow Team to conduct actualbat training.


    Under Zhang Zhongfeng¡¯s training, the members of the Divine Arrow Team had all mastered basic archery skills. To test their training results, actualbat was undoubtedly the best touchstone. Besides Zhang Zhongfeng and the Divine Arrow Team, there were also Ji Gang, Zhu Qing, Kaelina, and Qin Genglong, along with Zhou Jun.


    Zhou Jun was Zhou Qi¡¯s grandson. Originally, he wasn¡¯t part of this mission, but he went to Hu Fei and got himself a backdoor entry. Everyone knew that Zhou Jun and Hu Fei were as close as brothers,pletely kindred spirits.


    As for why Zhou Jun wanted toe along, Ling Chen knew a thing or two. It was said that Zhou Jun had a thing for Zhu Qing, but unfortunately, Zhu Qing didn¡¯t pay any attention to Zhou Jun. No matter how much Zhou Jun tried to court her, Zhu Qing remained unmoved, repeatedly having him hit a wall.


    Ling Chen found it amusing, knowing Zhou Jun¡¯s character well. To make him give uppletely, he needed to hit a wall hard enough and bleed a little.

 Chapter 1352 - 1660: The Southern-Northern Rivalry (1)

    <h4>Chapter 1352: Chapter 1660: The Southern-Northern Rivalry (1)</h4>


    By the time they arrived in Jin Hai City, it was already evening. After Ling Chen and his group left the airport, they went directly to the pre-booked hotel.


    After a brief rest, they heard a knock at the guest room door. It wasn¡¯t anyone else who came in; it was the sentry sent by Hu Fei to Jin Hai City, responsible for gathering intelligence on the secret base. "How¡¯s the situation?" Ling Chen asked, looking at the visitor.


    The man took out a stack of photos from his backpack and ced them on the table, saying, "Mr. Ling, here are the photos of the secret base. Take a look."


    Ling Chen picked up a photo, which showed a three-story building with a row of bungalows about ten meters away that seemed to have seven or eight rooms. Right next to the bungalows was arge warehouse. Besides, the whole building was surrounded by a fence.


    "How many people are inside?"


    "I only saw thirteen people," the man replied. "Additionally, there are motion sensors installed in the grassy areas surrounding the house. Anyone entering the grass will be detected."


    "Is there any other way to get in?"


    The man shook his head and said, "I¡¯ve checked, and there isn¡¯t any. The only way to get in is by a direct assault."


    "A direct assault?" Ling Chen pondered for a moment while looking at the photos in his hand, and asked, "Does the opponent have heavy weapons?"


    "I¡¯m not sure about that, but since this is Jin Hai City, they definitely wouldn¡¯t dare use firearms." As he spoke, the man pointed to the three-story building in the photo and said, "This building is the core of the secret base. The people living in the bungalows are the security personnel. As long as we deal with the security and take this building, we will be fine."


    "Good." Ling Chen nodded slightly and said, "You¡¯ve worked hard, take a rest first, we¡¯ll act after midnight."


    For this operation, Ling Chen was not worried. They had enough manpower and strongbat capabilities to suppress the opponent.


    After having dinner at the hotel and resting briefly, at ten o¡¯clock, Ling Chen led the group directly to the secret base of the Southern Ling Family.


    The secret base was located in a coastal area of Jin Hai City, with a row of sea-view vis not far away. To protect privacy, the secret base maintained a distance of about a hundred meters from those vis and was about fifty meters from the beach. Ling Chen used binocrs to look and saw two speedboats moored by the shore, likely the secret base¡¯s transportation tools.


    Although it was already ten-thirty, the lights in the secret base were still brightly lit. Since the windows were covered by curtains, it was impossible to see inside.


    Time passed by the minute, and soon it was midnight.


    Ling Chen checked the time, then took out his mobile phone and dialed a number, "Hey! Brother Zhou, are you ready on your side?"


    "OK! Everything¡¯s fine on my end, ready to go any time."


    "Good, take care. Once you rush in, we¡¯ll follow up." Hanging up the call, Ling Chen and Qin Genglong crawled on the ground, moving slowly toward the three-story building. At this moment, the roaring sound of engines came, and Ling Chen looked up to see several headlights shining from both sides. Following that, two trucks charged in fast from left and right, crashing into the surrounding fence and smashing into the row of bungalows.


    "Let¡¯s go!" Ling Chen called out to Qin Genglong and quickly got up from the ground, hurrying toward the three-story building.


    At this moment, the doors of the bungalows opened, and more than a dozen men rushed out, each holding an electric stun baton.


    As these men approached, Zhou Jun and Kaelina jumped out of the two trucks, attacking from the front and rear, rushing into the crowd. Although the security personnel of the secret base had the advantage in numbers, Zhou Jun and Kaelina¡¯s capabilities far outmatched these men. Within moments, four or five people were knocked to the ground, unconscious.


    "Enemy attack! Enemy attack!"


    With the shouting, the warehouse next to the bungalows was opened, and about twenty people rushed out.


    However, before these people could go to support theirpanions, an arrow suddenly shot through the air, hitting the front man¡¯s thigh. Bang! The man¡¯s legs gave way, and he fell to the ground.


    Whizz! Whizz! Whizz!


    With the sound of countless arrows piercing the air, the mening from the warehouse for support were shot by arrows and fell to the ground. As the outer security personnel were all dealt with, Ling Chen and Qin Genglong had already reached the front of the three-story building.


    Bang! Qin Genglong didn¡¯t hesitate, kicked open the door, and quickly rushed inside. As soon as he stepped in, two electric batons fell from above, hitting Qin Genglong hard. Despite the heavy blows of the two batons, Qin Genglong¡¯s expression remained unchanged, seemingly unaffected.


    "Get out of the way!" Qin Genglong shouted, raising his arms mightily. The two men who were sneakily attacking behind the door were immediately flung up, crashing heavily against the wall, their fate uncertain. Seizing this opportunity, Ling Chen headed straight for the stairs. Along the way, several people tried to intercept him, but none could stop Ling Chen¡¯s advance.


    In no time, Ling Chen reached the third floor. But once he got there, he saw that everyone on the third floor had been subdued, with Zhu Qing sitting in a chair, waiting for him.


    "You¡¯re quite fast," Ling Chen said with a smile. Zhu Qing was an assassin; Ling Chen had not assigned any tasks to her but let her act freely.


    Looking at theputers and equipment filling the third floor, Ling Chen nodded secretly. It seemed the intelligence was correct; this was indeed the core of the secret base, and all the data was here. "Have you found the intelligence?" Ling Chen asked.


    "I was a stepte. I intended to prevent them from contacting the Southern Ling Family, but they managed to send out a distress signal," Zhu Qing said, throwing a mobile hard drive to Ling Chen. "All the data is in there, but it¡¯s encrypted. You can take it back and have Hu Fei decrypt it."


    "Alright..." Ling Chen opened his mouth, about to speak, but at that moment, a series of phone rings suddenly sounded.


    Looking at the constantly ringing phone on theputer table, Ling Chen stepped forward, nced at the strange number on the caller ID, and, without needing much thought, knowing that since they had sent a distress signal, it must be a call from the Southern Ling Family.


    Thinking for a moment, Ling Chen quickly picked up the phone and connected it to theputer data cable. The equipment here was veryplete; maybe it could trace the location through the phone signal.


    When the call connected, Ling Chen didn¡¯t speak, waiting silently for the other party to speak first.


    "Hello! What¡¯s the situation over there? Do you know who¡¯s attacking you?" Hearing the voice from the phone, Ling Chen¡¯s face changed.


    This... this voice... why is it so familiar!


    "Hey! Did you hear me? Speak."

 Chapter 1353 - 1661: The North-South Conflict (2)

    <h4>Chapter 1353: Chapter 1661: The North-South Conflict (2)</h4>


    "Uncle Ling?" Ling Chen took up the conversation and said.


    Immediately, the person on the other end of the line was slightly taken aback, and it took a while before they spoke, "Are you... Ling Chen?"


    "It¡¯s me." Ling Chen uttered the words with a bitter smile. He never expected the caller to be Ling Tao. He couldn¡¯t understand, wasn¡¯t this the secret base of the Ling Family in the South? Why was Ling Tao calling from there, unless...


    "Ling Chen, what are you doing there?" Ling Tao demanded to know.


    "Isn¡¯t this the secret base of the Ling Family in the South? I..." Before Ling Chen could finish his sentence, Ling Tao on the other end immediately interrupted angrily, "Who told you that¡¯s the Southern Ling Family¡¯s base? That¡¯s our secret base. Which bastard gave you this intel?"


    Ling Chen stood frozen, not knowing what to say. He thought that the map Lin Yiyi gave him marked all the secret bases of the Southern Ling Family, only to find out that it was the Northern Ling Family¡¯s secret base. How could the Southern Ling Family know so much about the Northern bases unless... Realizing this possibility, Ling Chen¡¯s heart sank.


    Not good! There must be a mole in the Northern Ling Family; otherwise, how could the Southern Ling Family grasp such secrets?


    "Ling Chen, what¡¯s the damage over there?" Ling Tao asked, adjusting his emotions.


    "I..." Ling Chen was about to speak, but before he finished, he heard the signal from Ling Tao¡¯s side drop, leaving only a busy tone in the phone.


    Seeing this, Ling Chen quickly dialed back, only to hear the system prompt: "Sorry, the number you are calling is not in service area..."


    Oh no!


    Just moments ago, they were still on the call, and now it indicates ack of service area, something¡¯s definitely wrong. Could it be... Could it be that the Southern Ling Family has taken action?


    Thinking of this, Ling Chen immediately focused on theputer screen. Although the call had dropped, during the conversation, the software had already locked onto Ling Tao¡¯s signal.


    This is... Seeing the red dot on the map, Ling Chen was taken aback. Isn¡¯t this East Sea City? He didn¡¯t expect Ling Tao to be in East Sea City.


    Bang!


    Just as he was thinking, Ling Chen suddenly heard a dull sound from outside. "What¡¯s happening?"


    "Ling Chen." At this moment, Qin Genglong rushed up from downstairs and said seriously, "We are under attack."


    "By whom?"


    "Not sure yet. The numbers arerge, but the Divine Arrow Team is suppressing them. They can¡¯t break in for now."


    Ling Chen nodded and said, "Lady Zhu, let¡¯s go first."


    Leaving the three-story building, Ling Chen looked ahead and saw several off-road vehicles parked along the roadside, forming a temporary defensive line. Behind them, about twenty people crouched behind the car bodies, avoiding the assaults of arrows.


    Taking the opportunity, Ling Chen, Zhu Qing, and Qin Genglong sped up, circled behind the enemy, and suddenlyunched an attack. Before the enemy could react, all twenty were knocked to the ground. Scanning the fainted individuals, Ling Chen casually grabbed a man by his cor and pped him twice. Once the man regained consciousness, Ling Chen asked, "Who are you?"


    "The... Ling Family." The man stammered in reply.


    "Southern Ling Family?" Seeing the man nod, a glint of realization shed in Ling Chen¡¯s eyes. It seemed his suspicions were correct. The Southern Ling Family wasunching a full assault on the Northern Ling Family, with all secret bases attacked simultaneously. In such a situation, the Northern Ling Family couldn¡¯t withstand the assault at all.


    "Old Qin, you stay here to handle the aftermath. Lady Zhu, notify the others to head back to East Sea City with me immediately," Ling Chen instructed.


    His father and the porridge girl were with Ling Tao. If Ling Tao was attacked, Ling Kun and the porridge girl might be in danger. Immediately, the group drove the off-road vehicles and rushed towards the airport. On the road, Ling Chen called Hu Fei, telling him the locked location from before.


    "Fatty, check the situation over there immediately."


    "Hold on." As the words fell, Hu Fei¡¯s sound of typing came through the phone. A minuteter, Hu Fei said, "I found it. The ce you mentioned is holding a fireworks show tonight, with a huge crowd. Hey! Are you sure it¡¯s there? Did you make a mistake?"


    "No mistake, it¡¯s definitely there. Fatty, inform Big Brother and Sir Chen immediately. Make sure they rush over¡ªmy father might be there. No matter what happens, ensure their safety."


    "No problem, I¡¯ll handle it personally."


    After hanging up, Ling Chen tried calling Ling Tao again but couldn¡¯t get through, making him incredibly anxious, unsure if Hu Fei and the others could make it in time.


    Along the way, with Ling Chen¡¯s constant urging, it took less than half an hour for the group to reach the airport from downtown. By then, the ne was ready, waiting for their arrival to take off.


    "Hello! Ling Chen, we¡¯ve arrived at the destination, but the environment here is too chaotic, and your location is not exact; finding them is very difficult right now." On the ne, Hu Fei was in contact with Ling Chen via phone.


    "No way. Use any means you have to find them."


    After the call, Qiu Yong approached Hu Fei and asked, "What did Ling Cheng say?"


    Hu Fei shrugged with a helpless expression, "What else? We have to keep looking." Hearing this, Yuan Yun frowned. "With everything so chaotic, how are we supposed to look?"


    At this moment, before them was a massive crowd, thousands swarming the surrounding streets, all there for the fireworks show. Coupled with the sound of explosions and the cheers of the crowd, even if there was a shootout somewhere, they couldn¡¯t hear a thing.


    "How about this?" Hu Fei thought for a moment and suggested, "I¡¯ll send people to the nearby high points to keep watch, while others spread out in the crowd, looking for suspicious targets."


    Qiu Yong nodded in agreement, "That¡¯s all we can do now."


    Minute by minute passed by, and Hu Fei stood on a rooftop, looking down at the surrounding situation. But all he could see were masses of people, nothing else. Checking the time on his phone, Hu Fei couldn¡¯t help but curse silently.


    It¡¯s been so long, and there¡¯s no sign of anything.


    Bang!


    The night sky burst with brilliant fireworks, transforming into countless splendid sparks, truly mesmerizing. Hu Fei raised his head, stared at the night sky illuminated by fireworks, and immediately picked up his phone to dial a number.


    "Tell them to pause all firework shows. If they refuse, screw them, no need for any nonsense," Hu Fei said fiercely.


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 1354 - 1662: North-South Rivalry (3)

    <h4>Chapter 1354: Chapter 1662: North-South Rivalry (3)</h4>


    Five minutester, the fireworks disy was forcibly paused. Hu Fei didn¡¯t bother with the dissatisfied audience; he needed to quickly find the whereabouts of Ling Tao and the others.


    "Mr. Hu, we heard some noise. It¡¯s in the third house on the south side."


    Hearing the voice from the walkie-talkie, Hu Fei felt a burst of joy and immediately shouted, "Everyone, head over there now."


    Before long, Chen Junfeng, Qiu Yong, and others arrived outside the house. Bang! Yuan Yun kicked the door open and was the first to rush in. As soon as they entered, the group immediately found several bodies lying behind the door.


    "Quick, they must still be inside," Hu Fei urged eagerly.


    However, after searching the entire house, they found nothing but corpses and blood. "Mr. Hu, I saw them. They¡¯re on Beihang Street, more than ten of them, and they¡¯ve captured a few people."


    "Chase!"


    Leaving the room, the group quickly headed towards Beihang Street. However, due to therge crowd around, their progress was significantly slowed.


    "I see them, over there!" Xia Yue, with sharp eyes, pointed at a few business cars at the front of the crowd and shouted.


    Hu Fei focused his eyes and saw all those people getting into cars. "Where¡¯s our car? Where¡¯s our car?"


    Everyone looked at each other, unsure where they had parked. Besides, even if they got to their car now, they wouldn¡¯t be able to catch up. "Damn!" Hu Fei cursed, quickly ran to a Porsche, and kicked the car window, shattering the ss. Unlocking the car door, he crammed his bulky body into the driver¡¯s seat and connected his phone to the car¡¯sputer. In less than twenty seconds, the Porsche¡¯s engine roared to life.


    "One more person, get in."


    "I¡¯ll go." Xu Ming volunteered. Seeing him step forward, everyone nodded approvingly. Besides Chen Junfeng, Xu Ming was the strongest among them. With him, the hope of rescue increased.


    Once in the car, Hu Fei floored the elerator. With the screeching sound of tires against pavement, the Porsche¡¯s front shot forward.


    After about three hundred meters, several business cars came into view for Hu Fei and Xu Ming. Due to the crowd watching the fireworks, the business cars couldn¡¯t travel fast, allowing Hu Fei an opportunity to catch up.


    "Get to their back." Xu Ming pointed to the rear of thest business car.


    Hu Fei acknowledged, immediately pushing the speed to the limit. In terms of speed, the business cars were no match for the Porsche. In a blink, the Porsche closed in on the business car¡¯s rear.


    Seeing the gap close, Xu Ming opened the door, nimbly climbed onto the roof, and slowly moved forward. Standing on the engine hood, he seized the opportunity, his legs thrusting forward to break through the rear window. But just then, the business car¡¯s rear door suddenly opened, revealing an elderly man in Xu Ming¡¯s sight.


    Just meeting his gaze, Xu Ming felt a chilling presence emanate from the man.


    A master of the Heavenly List!


    Feeling the opponent¡¯s strength, Xu Ming¡¯s expression darkened. Seeing Xu Ming standing idle on the engine hood, Hu Fei grew impatient.


    Suddenly, the elderly man on the business car spread his arms, leaping like a great roc,nding steadily on the hood.


    In this situation, Xu Ming dared not hesitate any longer. He charged forward, fists punching straight at the man¡¯s face. Seeing Xu Ming approach, the old man¡¯s lips curled into a slight, disdainful smirk.


    Without any visible move, he merely waved his arm lightly. Instantly, it felt to Xu Ming as if he had crashed into a wall, his body thrown backward. Fortunately, Xu Ming reacted quickly, grabbing the Porsche¡¯s rear spoiler with both hands, preventing himself from hitting the ground.


    At such high speed, if his body hit the ground, even a master of the Heavenly List would face a dire fate.


    Witnessing the old man¡¯s power, Hu Fei was startled, stepping hard on the brakes. Using the momentum, the old man¡¯s body soared,nding securely on the business car ahead.


    Damn it, is he even human?


    Hu Fei stared at the old man, swallowing hard. After a brief hesitation, he remembered Xu Ming behind the car, quickly getting out to check.


    "How are you?"


    Xu Ming waved his hand, leaning against the car, and as hended, a ¡¯poof¡¯ sound was heard, apanied by a mouthful of blood he spat out.


    An hour and a halfter, a taxi arrived at the City People¡¯s Hospital. The door opened, and Ling Chen swiftly ran towards the hospital.


    In no time, Ling Chen reached the third floor of the inpatient department. Entering the ward, he saw Qiu Yong and others present, while Xu Mingy in bed, resting.


    "Second Brother, are you alright?" Ling Chen asked with concern.


    "I¡¯m fine. Sorry I couldn¡¯t stop them for you."


    "Second Brother, don¡¯t say that. The opponent had a Heavenly List master; it¡¯s normal to fail. Your safety is all that matters." Pausing, Ling Chen turned to Hu Fei and asked, "How many people did they capture?"


    "Six. I checked the surrounding surveince and identified them. Your father, the porridge girl, Ling Tao, and three others¡ªall captured. Additionally, we found more than ten bodies in that house, all brutally murdered."


    "We failed," Ling Chen sighed. "We should¡¯ve prepared earlier if we¡¯d known the map marked the North Ling Family¡¯s secret base."


    Hu Fei chimed in, "When Miss Lin found that map, she probably didn¡¯t realize it marked the North Ling Family¡¯s secret base and gave it to you, mistaking it for the South Ling Family¡¯s."


    Ling Chen said with a headache, "What should we do now?"


    "Don¡¯t worry, we still have a chance," Hu Fei reassured. "I¡¯ve had all exits from East Sea City sealed. If they try to leave the city, we¡¯ll definitely find out."


    "Hopefully, nothing will happen to them." As soon as Ling Chen finished speaking, his phone rang. Taking it out and seeing the caller ID, he immediately answered, "Who is this?"


    "Hello, Mr. Ling. You probably don¡¯t know me, but I have your father and the others. If you don¡¯t want them harmed, you¡¯d better do as I say."


    Ling Chen replied in a deep voice, "What do you want?"


    "It¡¯s simple. I know East Sea City is your territory, so I want to make a deal with you. Are you interested?"


    "A deal? What kind of deal?"


    "My people want to leave East Sea City, but yours won¡¯t let us. How about this: I¡¯ll release one person, and you let us go. How about that?"

 Chapter 1355 - 1663: The North-South Struggle (Part 4)

    <h4>Chapter 1355: Chapter 1663: The North-South Struggle (Part 4)</h4>


    "You want to negotiate terms?" Ling Chen calmly said, "Sure, release everyone, and I¡¯ll let you leave East Sea City safely."


    "No, no, no." The other party chuckled, "Mr. Ling, though I¡¯m not very smart, I understand one thing: never hand over all your chips. If I do that, I certainly won¡¯t walk out of East Sea City alive. So, I can only hand over one person. You now have two choices: either agree to my terms, or we fight to the death, at worst, perish together. At that point, you won¡¯t be able to save anyone."


    Ling Chen pondered for a moment, then said, "Fine, then release my father first."


    "Mr. Ling, I¡¯m very sorry, I can¡¯t agree to that request. I can only hand over that woman to you, if you agree, we¡¯ll meet at the Hongyu Group¡¯s port in an hour." After a pause, the other party continued, "Mr. Ling, I advise you not to y any tricks, otherwise, you won¡¯t save anyone." With that, he hung up the phone.


    "Sixth Brother, who called you?" Qiu Yong asked.


    "People from the Southern Ling Family." Ling Chen frowned and said, "They want to make a deal with us using hostages, one person in exchange for theirplete safety."


    "This won¡¯t do." Hu Fei red and said, "Those bastards are too savvy in doing business, this isn¡¯t right. No, one is not enough, at least three people. Ling Chen, just stay firm, if they don¡¯t agree, we can fight it out with them."


    Ling Chen thought for a moment, then nodded, "I understand. They arranged to meet an hourter at the Hongyu Group¡¯s port. Fatty, send a few people to keep an eye on the outside of the port. They will surely be on guard against us, so be careful, and don¡¯t get discovered."


    "Don¡¯t worry, leave this kind of thing to me, there won¡¯t be any problems." With that, Hu Fei quickly walked out of the hospital room.


    "Second Brother." Ling Chen walked to the bedside, looked at Xu Ming on the hospital bed, and said, "Rest up, I¡¯ll have Eighth and Seventh Brothers stay behind to take care of you."


    "Sixth Brother, be careful yourself. The Southern Ling Family¡¯s master on the Heavenly List is very formidable, his strength is almost on par with Su He. With my strength, I can¡¯t even withstand one move from him." Xu Ming advised.


    "I will be cautious."


    Leaving the hospital, Ling Chen and Qiu Yong drove straight back to the base. Along the way, Ling Chen¡¯s expression was grim, even with his optimistic nature, he couldn¡¯t take this situation lightly. Porridge girl, Ling Kun, these were his family; no matter the cost, he had to save them. As for Ling Tao and the others... to be honest, he wasn¡¯t very close to them. It would be great to save them, but if not possible, he could only choose to let go.


    By the time they reached the base, Hu Fei had already arranged everything.


    "The area around the port is surrounded by us. I¡¯ve ced personnel in the nearby buildings, they¡¯ll monitor the port constantly. Also, I¡¯ve called Hongyu Group, they¡¯ve closed the port, and all staff have been evacuated."


    Ling Chen checked the time; there was still half an hour left until the arranged time, "Have they shown up yet?"


    Hu Fei pointed to arge screen, "I¡¯ve pulled up the surveince near the port, as soon as they approach, we¡¯ll definitely spot them."


    Just then, a technician who was watching the surveince footage stood up abruptly and said, "They¡¯re here!"


    Everyone focused on the surveince screen, seeing three vans slowly driving along the road, stopping in front of the port¡¯s main gate. After the vans stopped, someone from the front passenger seat of the first van got out, opened the closed gate, and once all three vehicles entered the port, he closed the gate and joined the convoy.


    After those people entered the port, their tracks were lost on the surveince screen.


    "Switch to the cameras inside the port." Hu Fei immediately ordered. Soon, the surveince footage changed, and the situation inside the port was clearly disyed on the screen. Once the three vans stopped, people inside began to get out, including those from the Northern Ling family, Ling Kun, Ling Tao, porridge girl, and three others Ling Chen had never met. Judging by their ages, they were likely high-ranking members of the Northern Ling family.


    These people stood by the cars, examined the surroundings, then found a warehouse and took the hostages inside.


    "Ling Chen, should I have someone sneak in?"


    Upon hearing Hu Fei¡¯s suggestion, Ling Chen shook his head, "It¡¯s useless. They have a master on the Heavenly List on guard, unless we intervene personally, there¡¯s no use. Let¡¯s not rush, we¡¯ll wait and see."


    The time passed slowly, and soon the half-hour had psed. As the hour deadline arrived, Ling Chen¡¯s phone rang right on cue.


    "Hello! Mr. Ling, we¡¯ve arrived at the port, where are you?"


    "Sorry, I didn¡¯t n on epting your terms, so I didn¡¯t go to the port."


    "Ling Chen, what do you mean?" The other party¡¯s tone turned noticeably colder, "Are you really nning to watch them die?"


    "If I can only save one, I¡¯d rather save none." Ling Chen replied coolly, "If you want to kill, go ahead, the entire port is already surrounded by my people. If they die, I¡¯ll immediately order a full attack. If I can¡¯t save them, avenging them would suffice."


    He paused, then continued, "Listen carefully, my terms are simple: release all hostages, and I¡¯ll ensure your safe exit from East Sea City. I¡¯ll give you half an hour to consider. If you haven¡¯t reached a decision by then, I¡¯m sorry, but I¡¯ll have to order an attack."


    "Ling Chen, can you really bear to see your father killed?" The other party said chillingly.


    "If you darey a finger on him, I swear, I¡¯ll make sure you live a life worse than death. Enough talk, decide for yourselves." Ling Chen said, then hung up without giving them a chance to bargain further.


    "Ling Chen, do you think they¡¯ll agree?"


    "No, but I believe they¡¯ll make the right decision. This operation involved considerable manpower from the Southern Ling, and it would be a heavy loss if those people lost their lives in East Sea City."


    Just then, a technician spoke, "Mr. Ling, we found a yacht heading toward the port in the nearby waters, about ten kilometers away."


    Hu Fei chimed in, "That must be their getaway vessel, keep an eye on it."


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 1356 - 1664: North-South Strife (5)

    <h4>Chapter 1356: Chapter 1664: North-South Strife (5)</h4>


    "The yacht has stopped." A few minutester, the technician reported thetest situation.


    "They¡¯re still waiting for the signal from those at the port." Ling Chen had just finished speaking when he heard his phone ring. Answering the call, he immediately heard the voice of the man from before: "Ling Chen, we¡¯ll give you at most two hostages..."


    Before the other party could finish, Ling Chen directly hung up the phone. "Big brother, Sir Chen, we should get going."


    It¡¯s not very far from the base to the port, a little over ten kilometers, about a twenty-minute drive. Near the port, Ling Chen got out of the car and went into a shop nearby. "Boss, a cup of coffee, please." Ling Chen called out, while cing his phone on the table.


    When the cup of coffee was almost finished, his phone finally rang again.


    "Ling Chen, three, three hostages, that¡¯s our bottom line. If you don¡¯t agree, then let¡¯s fight to the death."


    "Okay, three, that¡¯s what you said." Ling Chen slightly raised the corners of his mouth, revealing a faint smile. He knew this was the limit of what the other party could ept; if he pushed them further, it would definitely end in a mutual destruction.


    "Ling Kun, Ling Tao, and the porridge girl, I want these three people. Get ready and meet at the port gate in ten minutes." After hanging up the phone, Ling Chen drank the rest of the coffee in one gulp and then stood up, leading everyone to the port gate.


    About five minutester, someone finally appeared at the port. Seeing Ling Kun and the other twoe into view, Ling Chen secretly breathed a sigh of relief. As the other party got closer, Ling Chen stepped forward, looking at the man in charge of escorting Ling Kun and the others, and said, "Leave them here, and you can go."


    "Ling Chen, you better keep your word, don¡¯t forget, I still have three hostages." After saying this, the man nced warily at Chen Junfeng and the others, slowly backing away. Watching them leave, Ling Chen immediately ran to Ling Kun, untying the ropes on the three of them.


    "Dad, porridge girl, are you okay?"


    "I¡¯m fine." Ling Kun exhaled slowly. Other than looking a bit pale, he seemed alright.


    "Ling Chen, tell your men to act immediately, we absolutely cannot let them escape." Ling Tao urged from the side: "Those three are the core high-level members of our Northern Ling Family, they can¡¯t be allowed to meet any mishaps."


    "If weunch a strong attack, they¡¯ll definitely kill the hostages. But don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ve already arranged for backup."


    After speaking, the group got into their cars and returned to the base. Upon reaching the control room, Hu Fei spoke up: "Those people have already boarded the yacht, heading towards the public sea."


    Ling Chen nodded and said, "Keep watching them, see where they go. ording to Miss Lin¡¯s intel, the people from the Southern Ling Family are hiding on a cargo ship; that yacht is likely heading to meet them."


    "I understand. I¡¯ll let you know as soon as there¡¯s news."


    "Dad, I¡¯ll take you to rest first."


    Ling Tao shook his head and said, "No, I want to stay here; I can¡¯t focus on anything else until we rescue them." Saying this, Ling Tao nced at Ling Chen beside him, sighed, and said, "You should have made them give us the Family Head. As long as the Family Head is safe, no matter the loss, we can find a way to recover. s..."


    "It¡¯s not his fault; he doesn¡¯t know who the Family Head is. He only knows the three of us, so of course, he saved us first." Ling Kun interjected, "Thankfully, this kid has some brains; otherwise, the two of us wouldn¡¯t be standing here."


    Seeing Ling Tao insist on staying, Ling Chen didn¡¯t say much, but took Ling Kun and porridge girl out of the control room, arranging a room for each of them.


    Having not seen the porridge girl for a long time, Ling Chen stayed a little longer with her. Seeing her weary face, Ling Chen gently caressed her cheek and said tenderly, "Get some good rest for a while, don¡¯t worry about the Ling family matters anymore; I don¡¯t want you, young as you are, to turn into an old nag."


    The porridge girl chuckled softly, "Anyway, Master has already promised me to you, so even if I be an old nag, you can¡¯t abandon me."


    "Yes, yes, I couldn¡¯t bear to abandon you." After pausing for a moment, Ling Chen said seriously, "Since the Northern Ling Family is in trouble, you shouldn¡¯t follow them anymore. Stay with me; I don¡¯t want you to be in danger again."


    "But, Master..."


    "I¡¯ll talk to my dad; you don¡¯t have to worry. Besides, with the Northern Ling Family like this, I don¡¯t want my dad to be involved anymore. Our family has finally reunited; I don¡¯t want any idents."


    While they talked, there was suddenly a knock on the door. Ling Chen got up to open it, finding Xia Yue standing outside.


    "Fifth Sister, do you need me for something?"


    "Sixth Brother, you should go and have a look; that guy Ling Tao is arguing with the fatty."


    "Arguing?" Ling Chen¡¯s expression changed slightly, and without thinking further, he hurried to the control room. Before he even entered, he heard Ling Tao¡¯s voiceing from inside: "Remember, not just you, everyone here has to listen to me. Understand?"


    "Listen to you?" Hu Fei sneered. "Are you joking? Who are you, and why should we listen to you?"


    "Because I am from the Northern Ling Family."


    "Pah! The Northern Ling Family is finished. Stop using that name to pressure me. Besides, even if the Northern Ling Family is something, do you think I would be afraid? If it weren¡¯t for our help, you all would be done for by now."


    "Shut up!"


    Hearing this, Ling Chen frowned slightly and quickly entered the control room, "Uncle Ling, fatty, what¡¯s going on?"


    Seeing Ling Chen approach, before Hu Fei could speak, Ling Tao had already taken the opportunity to say: "Ling Chen, you came just in time; immediately get this fatty out of my sight, and don¡¯t let him appear at this base again."


    Ling Chen smiled and patted Hu Fei on the shoulder, "Uncle Ling, what¡¯s going on? We¡¯re all on the same side, no need to be unpleasant with each other, right? Fatty, you too, Uncle Ling is a guest; as the host, you should at least be a bit polite. Come on, apologize to Uncle Ling, and let¡¯s move past this."


    "No way!" Ling Tao said sternly, "He must leave."


    Hu Fei shrugged, nonchnt, saying, "Leave then, what¡¯s the big deal." After a pause, Hu Fei continued, "Ling Chen, it¡¯s not that I¡¯m not being courteous, but this guy is too annoying; whatever I do is my business, why should I listen to him. Ling Chen, you judge: should this base listen to me or to him?"


    Ling Tao said coldly, "This is the property of our Northern Ling Family, naturally it listens to me."


    Hearing this, Ling Chen couldn¡¯t help but nce at Ling Tao and, with a smile, asked, "Uncle Ling, what do you mean by that?"

 Chapter 1357 - 1665: Power Seizure?

    <h4>Chapter 1357: Chapter 1665: Power Seizure?</h4>


    "Ling Chen, don¡¯t forget that everything you have today is thanks to the help of the Northern Ling Family. If it weren¡¯t for the Northern Ling Family backing you, do you think you could have built such arge enterprise? So, this base, including everything you own, belongs to the Northern Ling Family¡¯s assets. Over the years, many people have tried to harm you, but we¡¯ve blocked them to ensure your steady development. Once the Northern Ling Family faces changes, you are our capital to rise again."


    After listening to Ling Tao¡¯s words, Ling Chen touched his nose and said with a half-smile, "Uncle Ling, hearing you say that, I suddenly feel like all my hard work and effort over the years have been in vain."


    Ling Tao said, "Why in vain? You¡¯ve done very well, building such arge foundation in just a few years, enough topare with the Northern Ling Family at its peak. Ling Chen, believe me, as long as we rescue the Family Head and defeat the Southern Ling Family, the whole world will be ours in the future."


    "The whole world? Uncle Ling, everything I do is for self-preservation, so my friends and family can live their lives in peace. I¡¯ve never thought of the whole world, nor do I have such great ambitions. If you insist on imposing the ambitions of the Northern Ling Family on us, I¡¯m sorry, I won¡¯t and can¡¯t do it. I only want to live my own life, as simple as that."


    "Ling Chen, do you know what you¡¯re saying?" Ling Tao said with a stern face, "As a member of the Northern Ling Family, how can you have no ambition at all?"


    Ling Chen smiled faintly, "Our ancestors never stipted that people of the Ling Family must have grand ambitions. Besides, even our ancestor didn¡¯t have great ambitions: his only ambition was to charm every beautiful woman in the world. But to be honest, our ancestor¡¯s great ambition is more challenging than yours."


    "Insolence!" Ling Tao scolded lightly, "How dare you nder your ancestor at will?"


    "I¡¯m not ndering; I¡¯m just telling the truth. Even if Ling Gengqiu were here, he would agree with what I said."


    "Enough! Ling Chen, if you still consider yourself part of the Northern Ling Family, then listen to me and let this fat man leave."


    "Uncle Ling, I¡¯m very sorry, but I can¡¯t fulfill your request. Moreover, this base was built single-handedly by Hu Fei; I¡¯m just the hands-off manager. He¡¯s the true owner of this base, so you have no right to make him leave. On the contrary, you should be grateful to him for letting you stay here."


    Upon hearing this, Ling Tao¡¯s expression changed, and he pointed at Ling Chen, "You..."


    "Uncle Ling, ask everyone here why they stay. I¡¯m sure they have countless reasons, but not one of them is for the Northern Ling Family. I admit, the Northern Ling Family has helped me a lot. But I want you to remember, Ling Kun is my father, and I am his only son. If he doesn¡¯t help me, who will? So, the Ling Family helping me is only natural. Uncle Ling, if you have nothing else, please go back to your room and rest. We don¡¯t need you to worry about us anymore."


    "Fine, fine." Ling Tao took a deep breath, tried to calm his anger, and nodded, "I¡¯ll go find your father and see what he has to say."


    Watching Ling Tao storm out of the control room, Ling Chen shook his head helplessly. He had been loyal to the Northern Ling Family, but Ling Tao¡¯s actions instantly made him lose goodwill towards the Northern Ling Family, not to mention that sense of belonging.


    All along, Ling Chen thought the Northern Ling Family was different from others, but now it seems, what¡¯s the difference between the Northern Ling Family and the Southern Ling Family? They¡¯re both the same, driven by ambition and desire.


    "Fatty, your judgment is still spot on." Ling Chen patted Hu Fei¡¯s shoulder and said.


    A few days ago, he was nning to send all the information obtained from the ancient tomb to Ling Tao, but Hu Fei withheld some important information. Initially, he felt bad about it, but now he didn¡¯t feel guilty at all; instead, he felt grateful to Hu Fei. If not for Hu Fei¡¯s caution, he would have suffered a big loss.


    Not only that, he was also nning to tell Ling Tao about Ling Gengqiu¡¯s situation, but now, he no longer has that intention.


    "Ling Chen, don¡¯t me me for not reminding you; you¡¯d better be careful. Who knows what they might do." Hu Fei said.


    "Don¡¯t worry, I know. Alright, go on with your work, and don¡¯t let such matters disturb your mood." With that, Ling Chen walked straight out of the control room.


    At the doorway, Ling Chen hesitated for a moment, then turned to head toward Ling Kun¡¯s room. At the door, he knocked, and the door was quickly opened.


    Seeing Ling Chen at the door, Ling Kun smiled and said, "I knew you¡¯de,e in."


    "Did Uncle Linge by earlier?"


    Ling Kun nodded, "He threw a fit and then left."


    "Dad, you can¡¯t me me for this; he just doesn¡¯t know when to quit. Why should everything I¡¯ve worked so hard to build be the property of the Northern Ling Family? Would you agree if it were you?"


    "I understand how you feel. This kind of thing... sigh!" Ling Kun sighed and said, "I am from the Northern Ling Family, and you are my son, so naturally, you are one of us. Back then, watching you grow step by step, the Family Head and I discussed and decided to let you slowly develop in the rear. We would be at the front, blocking the onught from the Southern Ling Family, giving you ample time to grow strong yourself. Once you be strong, you could join forces with the Northern Ling Family to annihte the Southern Ling Family. Unfortunately, things didn¡¯t go as nned; who would have thought the Northern Ling Family would suffer such a great blow? I¡¯ve estimated that after this incident, the Northern Ling Family¡¯s power has decreased by at least eighty percent. That¡¯s why Ling Tao is in such a hurry to take over your forces to rebuild the Northern Ling Family."


    "Dad, if you put it that way, it seems it really is my fault." Ling Chen scratched his head and said.


    "I just told Ling Tao that you would fully assist us in revitalizing the Northern Ling Family, so no matter what, you need to show some effort."


    "Dad, since you¡¯ve spoken, I¡¯ll naturally give it my all. However, I don¡¯t want anyone stepping in and pointing fingers. If Uncle Ling insists on taking over himself, that¡¯s fine¡ªI will hand over this base and all the resources I control to him. But whether anyone is willing to listen to him by then, I can¡¯t guarantee."


    Ling Kun chuckled bitterly and said, "You kid... this would really put him in a tough spot. Don¡¯t worry; I¡¯ll exin to him. Just do things as you see fit. You¡¯re my son, and no matter what happens, I¡¯ll stand by your side."


    "By the way!" Ling Chen suddenly thought of something and asked, "Dad, is there a traitor in the Northern Ling Family?"


    "A traitor?"


    "I got a map from the Southern Ling Family, marking over a dozen secret strongholds. At first, I thought they belong to the Southern Ling Family, butter I realized I was wrong. The Southern Ling Family could have only obtained such urate information if there was a traitor among you."

 Chapter 1358 - 1666: Mysteriously Disappearing on the Sea (1)

    <h4>Chapter 1358: Chapter 1666: Mysteriously Disappearing on the Sea (1)</h4>


    "I also find it strange," said Ling Kun. "Although the Southern Ling Family has been attacking us recently, the Northern Ling Family has only suffered minor losses without any critical damage. For such a full-scale attack, targeting all our bases and even our current location, it definitely isn¡¯t simple."


    At this point, Ling Kun shifted his tone, "However... these secret locations, including our position, are confidential, and only a few people in the Northern Ling Family have ess to them. Even the porridge girl isn¡¯t particrly clear about them. If there is a traitor, who could it be? Surely, it won¡¯t be someone high-up in the Northern Ling Family."


    "Perhaps it really could be one of them. Dad, whether it¡¯s the Northern or Southern Ling Family, to them, profit is above all. As long as there¡¯s enough profit, nothing can¡¯t be abandoned. The so-called ¡¯Ling Family¡¯ is just a slogan. Honestly, how many of them are truly dedicated to the Northern Ling Family? Dad, if you ask me, you should quickly get out of this mess before you get in too deep. Anyway, my foundation isn¡¯t weak now. How about working with me?"


    Hearing this, Ling Kun chuckled, "You rascal, are you trying to make me work for you?"


    Ling Chen nodded, "Dad, at least you¡¯re a top expert on the Heavenly List. What Ick most now are experts. Father and son united, together we can cut through an iron mountain. As long as we stick together, who else in this world would dare to bully us?"


    "This..." Ling Kun hesitated for a moment. "Let¡¯s talk about itter. I can¡¯t make a decision right now. Son, I¡¯m different from you. You don¡¯t have much contact with the Northern Ling Family, so there is little attachment. But I¡¯m different. I owe everything I have today to the Northern Ling Family¡¯s nurturing, including the Secret Society. The Secret Society is a force secretly established by the Northern Ling Family specifically tobat the God Organization. Initially, I was ordered to take over the Secret Society. Later, as the God Organization disbanded, the Secret Society also lost its purpose. With the Family Head¡¯s approval, I handed the Secret Society over to you, including all its funds. Otherwise, do you think I could have easily decided to give the Secret Society to you? The Family Head did this to provide you with enough resources to gradually develop. That¡¯s why Ling Tao¡¯s words weren¡¯t wrong. You owe a lot of your sess today to the Northern Ling Family."


    Ling Chen was stunned, not expecting all these hidden matters. If that¡¯s the case, he really shouldn¡¯t have said those words to Ling Tao, no wonder Ling Tao was furious, probably angered by Ling Chen¡¯s heartlessness and indifference.


    "Son, for now, don¡¯t tell anyone else about the traitor situation. I¡¯ll investigate in secret to prevent mutual suspicion among everyone."


    Ling Chen had no objection to Ling Kun¡¯s advice. After a pause, Ling Chen suddenly remembered something, "Dad, I¡¯ve always wanted to ask you something, can you be honest with me?"


    "Ask away. As long as it¡¯s something I know, I won¡¯t hide it from you."


    "Why did you kill Su Zhengyang and his wife?"


    "You mean those two?" Ling Kun¡¯s eyes shed with a sharp light at the mention of Su Zhengyang and his wife, "I killed them because they deserved to die."


    "Why?"


    "Because they deserved to die," Ling Kun said coldly. "Do you think Su Zhengyang was a good person? The people from the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion are a bunch of hypocrites. Su He was like that, so was Su Zhengyang. The only one with a slightly better character is the current Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion Master, Su Mei."


    Ling Chen asked, puzzled, "Dad, what exactly did Su Zhengyang do?"


    "Over the years, after Su Zhengyang stepped down as the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion Master, he seemed to wander freely, but in reality, he was secretly overseeing secret research for the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion. ording to our investigation, Su Zhengyang secretly captured many people to provide more experimental materials for his research, including some minors, even children as young as one or two. I killed him not only because of a power struggle but more out of righteous anger. Ling Chen, you haven¡¯t seen the photos of those children after the experiments; it¡¯s simply inhumane."


    Research? So, theb they found at the Skyhawk Pavilion headquarters back then was actually under Su Zhengyang¡¯s supervision.


    Realizing this, Ling Chen suddenly understood a lot. If that¡¯s the case, then Su Zhengyang and his wife didn¡¯t die unjustly.


    After thinking for a while, Ling Chen changed the subject, "Dad, doesn¡¯t the Northern Ling Family have Ling Gengqiu¡¯s severed arm? Do you know where that severed arm is?"


    "It was snatched away by the Southern Ling Family when we were ambushed. Why are you asking this?"


    Snatched away... Ling Chen touched his nose, realizing that the Southern Ling Family now held three of Ling Gengqiu¡¯s severed limbs. It seems, for both public and private reasons, this battle must continue.


    "Dad, help me retrieve all of Ling Gengqiu¡¯s severed limbs, and I¡¯ll give you a great surprise."


    "What surprise?" Ling Kun asked curiously. Before Ling Chen could reply, there was a ¡¯knock knock knock¡¯ at the door.


    Opening the door, a man stood outside, "Mr. Ling, Mr. Hu requests your presence."


    "Alright, I know." With that, Ling Chen turned his head to Ling Kun inside the room, "Dad, get some rest. I have to go."


    Upon reaching the central control room, Ling Chen walked straight to Hu Fei by theputer and asked, "What¡¯s the situation?"


    "The news just came in. After that yacht entered the public sea area, it immediately stopped. So far, no ships have appeared to receive them. I¡¯m considering whether to take action now."


    "Are the helicopters ready?"


    Hu Fei nodded, "Rest assured, everything is ready to go at any time." Recently, Hu Fei had specifically purchased two helicopters for convenient operations, parked atop the base¡¯s high building.


    "Inform Sir Chen to bring people to the rooftop to meet me."


    "Alright."


    Before long, Ling Chen, Chen Junfeng, Ji Gang, and Qiu Yong boarded the helicopter, flying directly towards the yacht¡¯s location. Although there were two helicopters, they were sightseeing helicopters, each with only five seats excluding the pilot¡ªeight seats in total.


    After over half an hour of flight, Ling Chen, in the co-pilot seat, finally spotted the yacht on the sea. Picking up binocrs, Ling Chen checked around the yacht, finding no other ships nearby, nor anyone walking on the yacht.


    "Ling Chen, should we continue monitoring or go down directly?"


    Hearing Zhu Qing¡¯s voice, Ling Chen pondered for a moment and said, "Let¡¯s circle around a bit more. There¡¯s a chance the Southern Ling Family might send someone to pick them up. If we find no other ships, then we¡¯ll go down."

 Chapter 1359 - 1667: Mysteriously Vanished on the Sea (2)

    <h4>Chapter 1359: Chapter 1667: Mysteriously Vanished on the Sea (2)</h4>


    Centering on the yacht, two helicopters flew a round from both ends, but no boats were seen within ten kilometers around.


    Ling Chen found it strange. Why would the yacht stop on the sea? Aren¡¯t they worried that someone mighte after them? This is the Public Sea, beyond any state regtion, and you can do whatever you want. After pondering for a while, Ling Chen gestured to the pilot to fly towards the yacht.


    Soon, the two helicopters reached the sides of the yacht. Observing from high above for a while and confirming that there was no one on the deck, Ling Chen leaped directly onto the yacht from the helicopter, which was more than four meters high.


    Once everyone boarded the yacht, Ling Chen went straight to the cockpit. Pushing the door open, he saw there was no one inside.


    "Sixth Brother, we¡¯ve searched below, but there¡¯s no trace of them."


    Hearing Qiu Yong¡¯s words, Ling Chen frowned. How could this be? Not a single person was on board. When this yacht left the port, there were at least a dozen people on it. Hu Fei had been having people watch it all the way, and no other boats approached this yacht. Moreover, the yacht¡¯s intable and motorboats were all still here, so they shouldn¡¯t have left the yacht.


    But why? After pondering for a moment, Ling Chen took out a satellite phone and dialed Hu Fei¡¯s number. Upon hearing there was no one on the yacht, Hu Fei¡¯s first reaction was disbelief.


    "No boats approached it; they couldn¡¯t have left." Hu Fei stated with certainty.


    "I think so too, but the problem is that there¡¯s no one on board. They must have slipped away by some other means."


    "Did they leave from underwater?" Hu Fei questioned, puzzled. "But there are no boats for tens of kilometers; even if they dove, there are no tools to travel that far, unless they have a submarine. But that¡¯s impossible."


    "Nothing is impossible. On the international arms market, you can buy any equipment if you have the money. And this is the Public Sea, not in Huaxia¡¯s waters." At this point, Ling Chen had a sudden inspiration and said, "How about this, I¡¯ll ask some friends in the military to investigate if there have been any unusual signals in this sea area."


    "Alright."


    After hanging up the phone, having gained nothing, Ling Chen had no choice but to return to the base by helicopter.


    Originally, there was a n to rescue some of the North Lin Family¡¯s executives, but now not only couldn¡¯t they be found, even their trail was lost. If it were as they guessed, and the South Lin Family had a submarine, it would be difficult to rescue them.


    Back at the base, Ling Kun and Ling Tao were waiting in the control room for Ling Chen. Seeing Ling Tao, thetter still looked visibly angry.


    "Dad, you all know the situation, right?"


    Ling Kun nodded and asked, "No clues at all?"


    "None. They¡¯ve entered the open sea; nobody knows where they¡¯ll go. If Miss Lin were still here, maybe she could help us, but now... we can only wait."


    "Hmph!" Ling Tao snorted coldly, "The South Lin Family people are just a bunch of cowards, hiding in the sea."


    "I think they¡¯re quite smart," Ling Chen interjected, "The sea is the hardest ce to chase. Just now, my friend passed on a message that they found radar signals in the area where the yacht was docked. After analysis, it was likely a World War II submarine. So we can now confirm that the South Lin Family has a submarine. With the advantage of a submarine, the South Lin Family¡¯s executives can go anywhere. Moreover, the open sea is vast, and thews of various countries are ineffective there. The South Lin Family can act recklessly."


    "Son, they can¡¯t stay in the submarine forever; they¡¯ll need supplies," Ling Kun pointed out.


    "Exactly! Dad, there are many inds in the Public Sea, many of which are unvisited. Since the South Lin Family has a submarine, they can easily find an ind and build a temporary base there."


    Ling Tao furrowed his brow slightly, "Are you saying we can¡¯t find them?"


    "Not necessarily," Ling Chen replied, "If we search aimlessly, we won¡¯t find them. But we can start from the source."


    "The source?" Ling Tao asked in confusion, "What do you mean?"


    "That World War II submarine; on the international arms market few actually buy submarines. Even if someone has a submarine, enough skilled personnel are needed to operate it. So, we can investigate along this line, and perhaps we can find some clues." After speaking, Ling Chen turned to Hu Fei beside him and said, "Fatty, this task is for you."


    "You don¡¯t need to remind me. I¡¯ve already got people on it. If everything goes smoothly, we¡¯ll have news soon."


    Hearing this, Ling Chen couldn¡¯t help but smile. Having a reliable person nearby is definitely good, saving much effort in exnations.


    After exiting the control room, Ling Chen caught up with Ling Tao and said, "Uncle Ling, I¡¯m really sorry for today. After talking with my dad, I realized how much the North Lin Family has sacrificed for me."


    Ling Tao said ndly, "As long as you know."


    "Uncle Ling, although I can¡¯t give you control of this base, I promise to do everything I can to rescue the members of the North Lin Family. Also, the South Lin Family will be my primary target."


    After hearing Ling Chen out, some of Ling Tao¡¯s anger seemed to subside, "I hope you can keep your word."


    Once Ling Tao returned to his room, Ling Chen didn¡¯t stay long at the base and drove alone to the Dragon Tiger Hall. Just after returning, He Ziyun called him over, saying there was something to discuss.


    At the Dragon Tiger Hall, Ling Chen headed straight for the director¡¯s office. Entering the room, he saw Tong Zhentian and He Ziyun brewing Kung Fu tea and discussing matters. Ling Chen walked up and grinned, "The two of you are in a good mood."


    "You¡¯re just in time," said Tong Zhentian, pointing to a seat nearby. "Have a seat."


    "Elder Tong, what do you need from me?"


    "It¡¯s about the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion; they¡¯ve taken action," He Ziyun said.


    "Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion?" Ling Chen was slightly taken aback, "Mr. He, are they causing trouble for us?"


    "Not exactly. We received news a few days ago that the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion has been aggressively recruiting people. In just a few days, nearly a hundred people have joined them. Furthermore, the number is still growing."


    "Really?" Ling Chen was surprised, "Mr. He, didn¡¯t the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion¡¯s reputation take a big hit because of Su He? Why are people still willing to join them?"


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 1360 - 1668: Borrowing a Life

    <h4>Chapter 1360: Chapter 1668: Borrowing a Life</h4>


    "The Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion has gotten smarter this time." Tong Zhentian said, "In the past, the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion kept their treasures to themselves and was unwilling to share them with others. However, after this incident, they¡¯ve learned from our Dragon Tiger Hall and have made many martial arts secrets public. As a result, many in the martial artsmunity have been drawn to them. Although the reputation of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion has been affected, everyone knows that their foundation is incredibly rich."


    "So that¡¯s how it is." Ling Chen smiled and said, "I didn¡¯t expect, Su Mei has also learned to be flexible. Eh! Elder Tong, this shouldn¡¯t affect our Dragon Tiger Hall much, right?"


    "The impact is not significant for now. However, it¡¯s clear that the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion intends topete with our Dragon Tiger Hall by doing this. No matter what, we should be cautious, who knows if the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion will y tricks."


    Ling Chen nodded and said, "Better safe than sorry. Given Su Mei¡¯s personality, I doubt she would do anything insidious." Pausing briefly, Ling Chen shifted the topic, and asked, "By the way, it¡¯s been so long, do you have any news about Su He?"


    "Not clear. He was so severely injured; he must have gone somewhere to recuperate, he won¡¯t appear for a while." Speaking of this, Tong Zhentian looked worried, "However, Su He is indeed a threat, no one can ignore his strength. If he truly intends to assassinate someone, we might find it hard to prevent."


    "Then what should we do?"


    "I don¡¯t have a solution either unless you can find Su He and eliminate the threat forever. If not, we can only be vignt and not give him a chance to strike."


    "Alright, I¡¯ll have someone keep an eye out to see if they can find him."


    ...


    At this moment, in the Shi Family Mansion, Su He stood beside the courtyard, instructing a few young people on their martial arts skills. Having been at the Shi Family for some time, Su He, as an Earthly List master, was treated quite well. He enjoyed freedom each day, asionally advising the Shi Family disciples on their skills, with no constraints on him.


    A few days ago, the family head Shi Hongyu had personally met with him. Su He was not worried about being recognized, he had left the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion decades ago, if it were the older generation of the Shi Family, someone might have recognized him, but the older generation of the Shi Family was basically all gone.


    "Elder Su, am I making good progress?" A young man stopped his practice and walked up to Su He, asking.


    Su He nodded with a smile, "Not bad, keep working hard, and you might have a chance to be a Heavenly List master." Although he said this, Su He inwardly disdained them. The Shi Family disciples¡¯ aptitude was too poor, even the ordinary disciples of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion were better. If not for needing a cover, he had no interest in instructing these people.


    "Elder Su."


    At this moment, someone came up, "The eldest daughter invites you over."


    "Alright, I¡¯ll be right there." After speaking, Su He said to the young people, "Continue practicing, no cking off. If I find anyone cking, don¡¯t me me for being rude." After a reprimand, Su He turned and followed the person to a room.


    "Ms. Shi, did you need me?" Su He asked, looking at Shi Su.


    "Elder Su, I will be going on a long trip tomorrow, it will probably take one or two months, I need someone to apany me, can youe with me?"


    Su He agreed straightforwardly, "Of course, no problem."


    "Thank you for your trouble then."


    Leaving the room, the smile on Su He¡¯s face turned cold instantly. Leaving with Shi Su for more than a month was too long for him, he didn¡¯t have that much time to waste. It seemed he would need to act soon.


    Night fell.


    Su He tidied up his clothing and left the room on his own. Before long, he arrived at the central room of the Shi Family Mansion.


    Thud! Thud! Thud!


    With the sound of knocking, the door was opened, and a young man appeared in front of Su He, "Elder Su, what brings you here?"


    Su He smiled and said, "I came to see the Family Head, could you please inform him for me?"


    "Elder Su, it¡¯s already sote, the Family Head is about to rest, couldn¡¯t this wait until tomorrow?"


    "This matter is extremely important, I cannot afford to dy."


    Upon hearing this, the young man nodded and said, "Alright then, I¡¯ll inform the Family Head." Before long, the young man returned to the doorway, looked at Su He waiting outside, and said, "Elder Su, you may go in, the Family Head is waiting for you inside."


    "Alright, thank you."


    Entering the room, Su He came to the living room to find Shi Hongyu sitting on the sofa, dressed in loose pajamas, holding a cup of hot tea. Seeing Su He, Shi Hongyu smiled and asked, "Elder Su, I heard you have something important to discuss with me?"


    Su He stood properly to the side, nodding, "Yes, Family Head, this matter is of great importance, I only wish for you to know about it."


    Shi Hongyu scrutinized Su He, then shifted his gaze to the young man at the door and gave a signal. Thetter understood and immediately withdrew, closing the door behind him.


    "Elder Su, it¡¯s just you and me now, feel free to speak."


    "Family Head, I would like to borrow something from you."


    "Elder Su, you¡¯re too polite, you¡¯re practically one of the Shi Family now, just tell me what you need, and I¡¯ll certainly fulfill it."


    "Thank you so much, Family Head, actually... I want to borrow your life."


    "My life?" Upon hearing this, Shi Hongyu¡¯s face suddenly changed, and he said in a deep voice, "Su Sanshui, what do you mean by this?"


    Su He smiled coldly, "I told you, I want your life." With those words, Su He suddenly lunged forward, instantly closing in on Shi Hongyu.


    Feeling the fierce wind attacking, Shi Hongyu was startled and quickly jumped up from the sofa, angrily shouting, "Su Sanshui, it seems you¡¯re courting death!"


    "Who is courting death is not certain yet." Saying this, Su He made a quick step, and the Nine Yang Qiankun Step was instantly deployed. Seeing the flickering afterimages in front of him, a look of shock shed in Shi Hongyu¡¯s eyes.


    "You..."


    "Did you think you were the only one who¡¯s a Heavenly List master?"


    Hearing the mocking voice of Su He beside his ear, Shi Hongyu¡¯s heart trembled violently. Before he could react, he felt a severe pain coursing through his body, as if his whole being was falling apart.


    "You... you..." Shi Hongyu opened his mouth, as soon as he uttered a word, he saw the afterimage sh before him, and his entire body fell directly to the ground.


    Looking at the fallen Shi Hongyu, Su He sneered disdainfully. What¡¯s the use of being a Heavenly List master, in front of him, he was nothing more than trash. Then, Su He hoisted Shi Hongyu¡¯s body, opened the back door of the room, and easily leaped over the wall. In the blink of an eye, his figure vanished into the deep night.


    No one knew how much time passed before Shi Hongyu finally regained consciousness. Feeling the tremor of his own body, Shi Hongyu opened his eyes, looking at the surrounding environment, finding himself in a vehicle, with Su He sitting next to him.

 Chapter 1361 - 1669: Ancestor

    <h4>Chapter 1361: Chapter 1669: Ancestor</h4>


    "Su Sanshui, you... what do you intend to do?"


    Hearing Shi Hongyu¡¯s voice near his ear, Su He turned his head and said lightly, "Family Head, don¡¯t worry. We¡¯ll be there soon."


    "Who exactly are you?" Shi Hongyu asked coldly.


    "Me?" Su He said with a faint smile, "At this point, haven¡¯t you guessed my identity?"


    "You... Su Sanshui... Su Sanshui..." Shi Hongyu murmured, his mind repeatedly pondering over this name. Suddenly, he seemed to realize something, and his expression changed dramatically as he eximed, "You... you¡¯re... Su He of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion?"


    "You do have some wits about you."


    "But... why?" A chill surged in Shi Hongyu¡¯s heart. He thought that after sessfully breaking through to the Heavenly List realm, he would have a ce in the entire Martial Arts world. However, considering his current situation, he had no thoughts of resistance at all.


    What about being a Heavenly List expert? He¡¯s still fallen into Su He¡¯s hands.


    "Shi Hongyu, I said I wanted to ask for your help, and you agreed."


    Shi Hongyu said hastily, "No, no, I haven¡¯t agreed to anything. Elder Su, I was blind to Mount Tai and offended you. Please show mercy and spare me. Okay?"


    "It¡¯s toote to say that now. My main purpose for going to the Shi Family was because of you."


    "Elder Su, don¡¯t forget, it was our Shi Family who saved you. A life-saving grace should not be repaid with harm, at the very least, you shouldn¡¯t harm our Shi Family."


    "Don¡¯t worry, after you die, I will take good care of the Shi Family." As soon as he finished speaking, the car slowly came to a stop, and the driver turned his head and said, "Elder Su, we¡¯ve arrived."


    "Wait for me here." After saying this, Su He opened the car door, carried Shi Hongyu, who was lying on the seat, on his shoulder, and walked out withrge strides.


    With each step Su He took, Shi Hongyu¡¯s body swayed. Looking at the surroundings, Shi Hongyu¡¯s expression changed slightly, and he eximed in surprise, "This is... the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion?"


    Su He remained silent and walked straight toward the forest. Seeing no reaction from Su He, Shi Hongyu struggled desperately, trying to escape his restraints. However, he found his hands and feet were unresponsive, as if they had lost all feeling.


    After over an hour of intermittent walking, Shi Hongyu was taken by Su He to a mountain valley.


    Looking at the wooden house not far away, Su He took a deep breath, then quickened his pace and walked to the front of the wooden house. Before Su He could knock, the door was already opened by someone, and a young man appeared in front of Su He.


    Seeing the other person, Su He threw Shi Hongyu, who was on his shoulder, to the ground, then sped his fists respectfully and said, "Young brother, please announce that Su He has something to ask for."


    The young man nced at Shi Hongyu on the ground, expressionless, and uttered two words, "Wait a moment." After speaking, he turned and closed the door. After about two minutes, the door opened again, and the young man walked up to Su He and said, "Master invites you in."


    "Thank you!" Su He felt a sense of relief and stepped into the room. Standing in front of a bedroom, Su He¡¯s emotions appeared somewhat uneasy. As a Heavenly List expert, it had been a long time since he felt this way.


    After adjusting his mood, Su He gently knocked on the bedroom door.


    "Come in."


    Hearing the voice from inside the bedroom, Su He pushed the door open to a gap wide enough for a person and entered with his head down. As the door closed, the entire bedroom¡¯s lighting was very dim. The only window was covered by ckout curtains, perhaps not having been ventted for a long time, filling the room with a peculiar smell.


    Since entering the room, Su He had kept his head down, not daring to look around, only able to judge the other¡¯s position through breathing sounds.


    Thud!


    Su He was seen kneeling on the ground, respectfully kowtowing three times, "Fifth generation disciple of the Su Family, Su He, greets the ancestor."


    "Rise, we¡¯re all family; no need for such formalities."


    "Yes." Su He responded, stood up, and stood aside. Throughout the entire time, he didn¡¯t dare lift his head.


    "If I recall correctly, when you first came to me, you were around twenty years old. In the blink of an eye, you¡¯re now white-haired." The voice was hoarse, always pausing intermittently. Perhaps because it hadn¡¯t spoken for a long time, it seemed a bit inarticte.


    "What brings you here this time?"


    "I would like to ask the ancestor to lend a hand." Su He said with his head lowered.


    "Help you? Then you should be aware of my rules. For me to act, a certain price must be paid."


    Su He nodded and said, "I know. I have already brought the person. That person has just entered the Heavenly List realm."


    "Very well, as long as they are a Heavenly List expert. Tell me, what do you want me to do?"


    "I hope the ancestor can step forward to revive the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion and eliminate all its rivals."


    "With your strength, you can¡¯t achieve that?"


    "To be honest, ancestor, I was ambushed by the opposition some time ago, suffering severe injuries and losing a Heavenly List expert. Right now, I have no one usable by my side. As far as I know, the enemy still has three Heavenly List experts. With just my own strength, there¡¯s no way I can contend."


    "Three Heavenly List experts?" The other¡¯s tone instantly became excited, "Alright, I agree to this matter. Give me their details, and I¡¯ll resolve it."


    "Thank you, ancestor!"


    "You¡¯re wee. You¡¯re our Su Family¡¯s descendant; naturally, I must wholeheartedly work for the Su Family. Alright, if there¡¯s nothing else, you should leave. I need to rest."


    "Yes." Su He sped his fists, paid his respects, then turned and exited the room. From start to finish, he never dared to lift his head to look at the other person.


    Upon leaving the room, the young man could be seen having already brought in Shi Hongyu. It was unclear what the young man had done, but Shi Hongyu¡¯s expression had be nk, as though entirely devoid of awareness, dazed to the extreme. Seeing Shi Hongyu¡¯s appearance, Su He didn¡¯t say much, merely nodded at the young man before walking out the door.


    Standing outside the wooden house, Su He feltpletely rxed. In front of the ancestor, the reason he didn¡¯t dare lift his head was because of the innate pressure from the ancestor¡¯s presence, making him too intimidated to breathe freely.


    Ling Chen... Su He muttered, a hint of coldness shing in his eyes.


    With the ancestor stepping forward, let¡¯s see how long you can endure. The Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion... will forever be the dominant power of the Martial Arts world. No one can shake its status.


    Leaving the mountain valley, Su He stood on the periphery of the Yangxin Pavilion, gazing into the distance, observing a few Yangxin Pavilion disciples practicing martial arts. He hesitated for a moment and ultimately gave up on the idea of returning to the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion.


    Having decided to let Su Mei take over the entire Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, there was no need for him to intervene. He hoped that his granddaughter would not disappoint him and, more importantly, not let down the entire Su Family.

 Chapter 1362 - 1670: Special Agent (1)

    <h4>Chapter 1362: Chapter 1670: Special Agent (1)</h4>


    In the blink of an eye, a week passed.


    At eight in the morning, Ling Chen was called up by Yang Qingling, "You child, it¡¯s already sote and you¡¯re still in bed."


    Seeing his mother standing at the door, Ling Chen hastily covered his body with the quilt, "Mom, I¡¯m so grown up, how can you just enter my room?"


    "No matter how grown up you get, you¡¯re still my son." Yang Qingling put her hands on her hips and said irritably, "Hurry up and get up, there¡¯s a guest outside."


    "A guest?" Ling Chen quickly sat up and asked, "Mom, who¡¯s here?"


    "I don¡¯t know him, your dad is hosting him right now."


    "Okay, I¡¯ll be right down." After Yang Qingling left, Ling Chen dressed quickly, rushed through his washing up, and then went to the first-floor living room.


    In the spacious living room, he saw Ling Tao and Ling Kun there; naturally, in East Sea City, he would stay at home. Besides them, there was a stranger ¡ª a middle-aged man. The man was dressed in a Zhongshan suit, had short hair, and sat with a standard posture, seeming to have a military background, with a capable appearance.


    Seeing Ling Chening down the stairs, the man immediately stood up from the sofa, proactively approached Ling Chen, and extended his hand, "Mr. Ling, hello."


    "Hello." Ling Chen smiled politely and asked, "I haven¡¯t had the pleasure of knowing your name yet?"


    "My surname is Li, Li Bin, I am a specialmissioner appointed by the military, speciallying to East Sea City to meet Mr. Ling this time."


    A specialmissioner from the military? Hearing the man¡¯s title, Ling Chen was slightly stunned. Why was the army looking for him? Why hadn¡¯t Tang Yuan mentioned it?


    In a sh, Ling Chen smiled and asked, "I wonder what¡¯s brought Mr. Li from Beijing to find me?"


    "It¡¯s like this. Recently, the government established a research institute in North County, which we are responsible for taking over. At that time, Mr. Ling participated in various tasks in the ancient tomb excavation, correct?"


    Ling Chen nodded, "Correct. If Mr. Li is here regarding the confidentiality agreement, rest assured, I was a soldier before too and understand confidentiality agreements thoroughly, I wouldn¡¯t reveal a single piece of information about the ancient tomb to outsiders." After pausing, Ling Chen added, "Including my family."


    "Mr. Ling, although you say that, ording to the intelligence we obtained, you copied all the materials you found in the ancient tomb secretly to study on your own. Am I wrong?"


    Upon hearing this, Ling Chen¡¯s expression changed slightly, looking at Li Bin with surprise, "Mr. Li, this is entirely nder, I haven¡¯t done any of what you said. Moreover, there were troops with me at the time, how could I have had the chance to do such things?"


    "The person you mentioned, is it Tang Yuan? He has been detained by us and is undergoing investigation. Mr. Ling, as a military man, I hope you cooperate with our work ande back to Beijing with me to thoroughly investigate this matter."


    Ling Chen frowned slightly, feeling puzzled. The things he did with Tang Yuan were only known to the two of them, how could the government know? Did someone tip them off? But besides Tang Yuan, who else could it be?


    "Mr. Ling, the car is ready, please."


    "Mr. Li, is there some misunderstanding about this matter?" Ling Kun and Ling Tao hurried over, "Ling Chen would never do anything illegal..."


    "I know." Before Ling Kun could finish, Li Bin interrupted, "We¡¯re just asking Mr. Ling to return for investigation, if he¡¯s innocent, we¡¯ll definitely rify everything."


    "Mr. Li, can I make a call?" Ling Chen asked.


    "Of course, I have no problem with that. However, I hope after you make this call, you can cooperate with my work."


    Ling Chen nodded, then walked into the kitchen, took out his phone, and dialed Pang Jiulin¡¯s number. Soon, the call connected, and Pang Jiulin¡¯s voice came from the other side, "Ling Chen, are you okay?"


    "Instructor, the military people are already at my house, they want me to go to Beijing to assist with the investigation."


    Pang Jiulin sighed and said, "As expected! They¡¯re still targeting you."


    "Instructor, what exactly is going on?"


    "Sigh, I don¡¯t know who tipped them off, saying you secretly hid valuable materials from the ancient tomb. You don¡¯t know, ever since the discovery of that tomb, the government has paid extreme attention, even having a battalion stationed near the research facility,yering protection around the ancient tomb. To prevent secrets from leaking, the government keeps a tight lid on confidentiality. Anyone and anything rted to the tomb undergo thorough scrutiny to prevent any problems."


    Ling Chen asked, "Instructor, do you know who reported me?"


    "I don¡¯t know. After Tang Yuan was taken away yesterday, I tried using many connections to get him out, but hit walls everywhere. Now, as soon as people hear it¡¯s rted to that tomb, everyone avoids it. Ling Chen, it¡¯s not that I don¡¯t want to help you, but I¡¯m truly powerless. You and Tang Yuan can only fend for yourselves now."


    Hearing this, Ling Chen let out a bitter smile secretly and replied, "Instructor, I understand, thank you!"


    "By the way! One more thing, don¡¯t go looking for the old General. Because of you two, the old General is also suspected now. Luckily, he is a national hero, and the government hasn¡¯t done anything excessive to him."


    "I understand. Instructor, don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll find a way to resolve this myself."


    He hung up the phone and returned to the living room. Li Bin spoke, "Mr. Ling, should we go?"


    "Let¡¯s go."


    "Son!" Ling Kun hurried forward, blocking in front of Li Bin and Ling Chen, "No, I can¡¯t let you take him."


    Li Bin frowned and said, "Mr. Ling, by doing this you¡¯re opposing the government, I advise you to think clearly before deciding."


    "Dad, don¡¯t worry about me, didn¡¯t Mr. Li say? I¡¯m just going to Beijing to cooperate with the investigation, not being convicted of anything."


    Hearing this, Ling Kun hesitated for a moment, then stepped aside, say in a deep voice, "Son, don¡¯t worry, no matter what happens, I will definitely save you."


    As they walked out the door, they saw a jeep parked outside, with two soldiers standing beside it.


    Getting in the car, under the watchful eyes of Ling Kun and others, the jeep slowly drove out of the neighborhood and disappeared from everyone¡¯s sight.


    "Ling Kun, will Ling Chen be okay?" Yang Qingling asked worriedly.


    Ling Kun gently stroked his wife¡¯s hair, reassuring her, "Don¡¯t worry, our son is very capable, I believe he¡¯ll be fine."


    "Do you think...could this be the work of the Ling family from the south?" Ling Tao pondered for a while and then spoke.


    "The Ling family from the south?"


    Ling Tao nodded, "It¡¯s very possible they set up Ling Chen. Initially, someone from the southern Ling family went to the tomb but was intercepted by Ling Chen, aplishing nothing. This incident might be their revenge."

 Chapter 1363 - 1671: Special Agent (2)

    <h4>Chapter 1363: Chapter 1671: Special Agent (2)</h4>


    Beep Beep!


    At this moment, the sound of a car horn came from nearby. Ling Kun and the other two looked up and saw two military jeeps driving toward them, stopping at the entrance of the Ling Family.


    The car door opened, and a man in military uniform jumped down from the vehicle, striding up to Ling Kun and the others, and saluted formally.


    "Hello, I¡¯m Lieutenant Zheng Jiong from the Beijing Military District, ordered to pick up Mr. Ling. There is something that requires Mr. Ling¡¯s cooperation, do you know where he is?"


    Upon hearing this, the expressions of Ling Kun and the other two changed dramatically. Damn it! They fell for it!


    ...


    After half a day of traveling, Ling Chen, following Li Bin, finally arrived in Beijing, at a three-story factory building located in the Beijing Suburbs. This factory had been abandoned, surrounded by wilderness. However, the ce had been taken over by the military as a secret interrogation site for prisoners.


    Standing at the entrance of the factory, Ling Chen suddenly stopped in his tracks. Looking at the front gate, a glint of light shed in his eyes. For some reason, he had a very bad feeling. Once he walked through this gate, he was very likely to be in danger.


    Having been an agent, Ling Chen was well aware of what such a ce represented. This was a secret military interrogation base, easy to enter, but difficult to leave, some people were trapped in ces like this for a lifetime.


    "Mr. Ling, why aren¡¯t you moving?" Li Bin, walking ahead, turned around and asked Ling Chen, who stood still.


    "Mr. Li, I want to know where Tang Yuan is."


    Li Bin pointed at the factory ahead and said, "He¡¯s inside here, you will see him soon. Come on, everyone is waiting for you, don¡¯t waste time."


    Upon hearing this, Ling Chen shook his head helplessly. Now that he¡¯s reached this ce, it¡¯s impossible to turn back. At this moment, Ling Chen adjusted his mood, followed behind Li Bin, and walked straight toward the factory.


    Although the factory had three floors, the ce Ling Chen headed to was the basement beneath the factory¡ªa basement that was over six hundred square meters in size, divided into many small rooms, each reinforced with concrete and steel, specially designed to imprison criminals.


    Walking down the stairs into the basement, a foul smell instantly assaulted his senses.


    Ling Chen looked around and asked, "Mr. Li, where is Tang Yuan? When can I see him?"


    "Don¡¯t rush, he¡¯s resting now, I¡¯ll take you to sit somewhere first, and someone wille to ask you a few questions soon, hope you¡¯ll cooperate."


    Ling Chen nodded, and soon, he was taken by Li Bin into an interrogation room.


    "Mr. Ling, wait here, I¡¯ll go find Tang Yuan."


    "Okay, thank you." After watching Li Bin leave, Ling Chen found a seat on his own, patiently waiting. As moments passed, Ling Chen reached into his pocket to get his phone. However, when he felt an empty pocket, Ling Chen finally remembered that he had handed over his phone upon entry as Li Bin had requested.


    It¡¯s been almost half an hour, why is no one here yet?


    Ling Chen thought to himself, frowning silently. Besides, isn¡¯t this a secret interrogation base? It¡¯s too quiet, not even footsteps or any sound can be heard.


    After waiting a few more minutes, the restless Ling Chen stood up and pushed open the door of the interrogation room. Stepping into the corridor outside, Ling Chen looked around and found there was no one around.


    Seeing this situation, Ling Chen felt increasingly strange. He walked to the neighboring interrogation room, pushed the door open, and saw inside, the room was in aplete mess, all dpidated, seemingly untouched for a long time.


    This... Seeing the scene before him, Ling Chen was slightly stunned, feeling increasingly uneasy. Without time to think further, Ling Chen hurried to the next interrogation room, and simrly found it in the same condition, all filled with rubble, except for the interrogation room he was in, none of the other rooms had been cleaned.


    Moreover, there was not a single person in the entire basement.


    Damn it! What¡¯s going on here? Ling Chen cursed quietly, quickly walking toward the stairs, only to find the door at the top of the stairs already closed. Bang! Bang! Bang! Ling Chen reached the door and started pounding on it, but there was no indication of movement outside.


    Without thinking, Ling Chen kicked at the door fiercely, intending to break through the door in front of him.


    However, to his surprise, except for feeling a strong recoil, the door showed no signs of damage. After a brief moment of staring, Ling Chen pulled out a set of keys and lightly scraped across the door¡¯s surface.


    Shortly after, Ling Chen found in despair that the door was made of steel, both in hardness and thickness, beyond his ability to break. Damn it! Who the hell did this?


    Ling Chen thought silently. It seemed that Li Bin he met earlier wasn¡¯t actually from the military, otherwise, they wouldn¡¯t have brought him to such a ce. The real purpose of those people was likely to trap him here, leaving him to fend for himself in this hell-hole.


    What should I do?


    Ling Chen ruffled his hair, frustrated at being deceived by those bastards. Having called Pang Jiulin and learned about the situation in Beijing, Ling Chen didn¡¯t doubt Li Bin¡¯s appearance at all. But only now did he realize that someone was impersonating a military officer.


    Great, now, without a phone, without food, without drink, calling for help from the heavens or the earth would be futile, all he could do was wait for death.


    Fortunately... This basement had venttion shafts, at least he wouldn¡¯t suffocate to death. Just as he was thinking about this, smoke suddenly began to spew from the venttion shafts in the basement¡¯s ceiling.


    Seeing the thick smoke, Ling Chen couldn¡¯t help but curse loudly. These bastards! Truly despicable, using such methods to deal with him. Without a second thought, Ling Chen ran over, took off his clothes, and stuffed them into all the vents to prevent the smoke from seeping inside.


    After spending about five minutes, all the venttion shafts in the basement were blocked, preventing the smoke froming in. But simrly, losing venttion, the basement waspletely sealed, with no air cirction possible.


    Considering the size of this basement, without air cirction, it would hold out for a few hours at most.


    No! I must quickly find a way to escape or I¡¯ll really die here.


    With this thought, Ling Chen began searching room by room, hoping to find a way out. However, after half an hour, Ling Chen sunk into despair. Besides the steel-made door, the basement had no other exits. Moreover, he had tried digging a tunnel to escape, only to find that the walls surrounding the basement were made of concrete and steel, extremely hard, and it was impossible to escape relying solely on his own strength. With limited air, he couldn¡¯t engage in intense physical activity.


    Damn it!


    Ling Chen slumped to the ground, leaning against the wall, wondering if he was truly going to die here.

 Chapter 1364 - 1672: Citywide Search and Rescue

    <h4>Chapter 1364: Chapter 1672: Citywide Search and Rescue</h4>


    "Have you found anything? Have you found anything?" Ling Kun asked anxiously.


    "Uncle Ling, don¡¯t worry yet, I¡¯m looking for clues." Hu Fei wiped the sweat off his forehead and kept tapping the keyboard. Since learning Ling Chen was taken away, the entire base panicked, everyone was searching for Ling Chen¡¯s whereabouts.


    A few minutes passed, Hu Fei shook his head and said, "No, I can¡¯t find any information on that Li Bin, also, I¡¯ve checked all the flights going to Beijing, and found no suspicious targets. Since the other party is impersonating military personnel, they must be well-prepared, we¡¯repletely at a loss now, with no clues at all."


    Ling Kun asked from the side, "Is there no progress over there in Beijing?"


    "Falcon Private Security Company and all the underground forces members are searching for Ling Chen¡¯s whereabouts. However, Beijing is so big,pleting the search in a short time is impossible, who knows where they¡¯ll take Ling Chen."


    Ling Kun took out his phone, nced at the time, and said in a deep voice, "It¡¯s been so long, and there¡¯s no news from Ling Chen at all, he must have fallen into the opponent¡¯s trap. No way! I can¡¯t just wait here, I must go to Beijing."


    "I¡¯ll go with you," Ling Tao said.


    Hu Fei nodded and said, "I¡¯ll arrange a ne for you, it¡¯ll take off in half an hour." Although the Beijing forces are under their control, with no one on-site in Beijing, it¡¯s better for Ling Kun and the others to go there, at least to issue orders in person.


    At this moment, not only Ling Chen¡¯s forces, but even the Beijing police have joined the search and rescue operation. Knowing someone impersonated military personnel to take Ling Chen away, Pang Jiulin immediately contacted the Beijing police and military personnel. Ling Chen is identified by the military as a person of interest, now someone dares to impersonate military identity, the military won¡¯t let that go. Therefore, now the entire Beijing is agitated due to Ling Chen, with all forces in motion.


    As time ticks away, in the underground room of an abandoned factory building, Ling Chen leaned against the wall, trying to minimize his movement to preserve the underground room¡¯s air from depleting too fast. Ling Chen calcted earnestly, as long as he utilizes the underground room¡¯s air properly, he shouldst about three days. Going three days without food and water is not a big issue considering his physical condition. However, once it exceeds three days, he will be in mortal danger.


    So now, all hopes lie in the hands of those people outside, if they can¡¯t find him within three days, then he¡¯s really finished.


    Southern Ling Family... Ling Chen clenched his fist, a sh of fierceness in his eyes. Thinking carefully, the mastermind behind this isn¡¯t hard to guess. The Southern Ling Family knew he got involved with that ancient tomb, so when the government showed great interest in that tomb, the Southern Ling Family only needed to find one or two insiders and anonymously report, directing the government¡¯s attention to him.


    Although the forces he controls now are quite formidable,pared to the nation, he¡¯s just an ant under the giant¡¯s foot. Hence, as long as he¡¯s within the country, he mustply with government orders, not defy them. Through this matter, the Southern Ling Family seized the opportunity, impersonating military personnel, no matter how vignt he is, he couldn¡¯t identify Li Bin¡¯s false identity.


    Just wait! Ling Chen thought to himself. As long as he survives this, he¡¯llpletely crush the Southern Ling Family people.


    ...


    In a sh, a day and a half had passed.


    "What good are you, thousands of people can¡¯t even find one person." In the Falcon Private Security Company, Ling Kun cursed in the conference room.


    So much time has passed, still no clue of Ling Chen, how could Ling Kun not be anxious. After all this time, Ling Chen might already... Ling Kun didn¡¯t even want to continue this line of thought. To find Ling Chen, he¡¯s gone two days and nights without resting, Ling Tao apanied him, tirelessly searching for Ling Chen¡¯s whereabouts.


    Unlike Ling Kun, Ling Tao is well aware, if anything happens to Ling Chen, then the Northern Ling Family will be finished forever, with no hope of rising. So, his emotions closely matched Ling Kun¡¯s, both longing for Ling Chen to return safely.


    Faced with Ling Kun¡¯s scolding, everyone in the conference room hung their heads, not daring to breathe heavily. These were all high-levels of Falcon Private Security Company, along with some major and minor leaders of the Beijing underground forces. To find Ling Chen, all mobilizable power has been deployed.


    Taking a deep breath, Ling Kunposed himself, looking at everyone present, saying, "Sorry, my emotions got out of control earlier, I hope you can understand." Pausing for a moment, Ling Kun continued, "Tell me about your progress."


    A middle-aged man stood up and said, "The Southern District of Beijing has been searched with no results, police and military personnel are searching the Northern District, currently with no progress."


    Hearing this, Ling Kun frowned and said, "Does that mean there are three districts still unsearched?"


    "Mr. Ling, Beijing is toorge, it took over a day just to search the Southern District, to search the entire Beijing, it¡¯ll take at least six to seven days. Adding Beijing suburb, it¡¯s at least ten days."


    "What I¡¯mcking most now is time." Ling Kun said sternly: "Listen up, I don¡¯t have ten days to give you, maximum three days, I must get news of Ling Chen. Do you hear? Alright! Dismiss now, don¡¯t waste time here."


    After the conference room emptied, Ling Kun and Ling Tao quickly headed to Falcon Company¡¯s tech department. Pushing the door open, seeing over a dozen busy technicians, Ling Kun asked, "How¡¯s it going, any results?"


    "Not yet, ording to the surveince footage from the airport the day before yesterday, there were three people in total, they left the airport in a military jeep. However, these people were very cautious, deliberately avoiding areas monitored by surveince cameras on the road. We¡¯ve organized all the traffic surveince from that day and are checking them one by one. Beijing¡¯s surveince coverage is seventy percent, no matter how careful those people are, it¡¯s impossible to avoid all surveince."


    Ling Kun nodded and said, "Keep searching, if manpower is insufficient let me know, I¡¯ll find a way."


    "Understood."


    Exiting the tech department, Ling Tao patted Ling Kun¡¯s shoulder,forting him: "Don¡¯t worry too much, you and I both know Ling Chen¡¯s skills, he won¡¯t be in trouble."


    Ling Kun sighed lightly: "Let¡¯s hope so. If anything happens to him, I wouldn¡¯t know how to face Qingling. Honestly, I¡¯m already regretting it, maybe I shouldn¡¯t have let him get involved, letting him remain an ordinary person would have been better."

 Chapter 1365 - 1673: Su Mei’s Decision

    <h4>Chapter 1365: Chapter 1673: Su Mei¡¯s Decision</h4>


    "Pavilion Master."


    In the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, Du Kang gently pushed open the door and walked into Su Mei¡¯s room. Seeing Su Mei pretending to nap, Du Kang called out softly.


    Opening her eyes and seeing Du Kang in front of her, Su Mei slowly sat up straight from her chair and made herself a cup of hot tea, "Elder Du, is there something you need from me?"


    "I¡¯ve just received news that Ling Chen might be in trouble."


    "In trouble?" Su Mei¡¯s hand holding the cup paused slightly, and she looked at Du Kang with surprise, asking, "Elder Du, what happened to him?"


    "I¡¯m not entirely sure about the specifics. However, ording to the information we¡¯ve received, many people are currently searching for Ling Chen¡¯s whereabouts in Beijing. Even the government is involved, and all TV channels are reporting on this, with missing person notices almost covering the entire city."


    "So, Ling Chen has disappeared?"


    Du Kang shook his head and said, "I don¡¯t really know, maybe he¡¯s missing, or perhaps he¡¯s been kidnapped. Pavilion Master, I don¡¯t think this is something you should be concerned about. Don¡¯t you see this as a rare opportunity for us?"


    "Opportunity? Elder Du, what do you mean by that?"


    "While everyone¡¯s busy with Ling Chen¡¯s matter, our Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion can take this chance to apply some pressure on Dragon Tiger Hall and slow their expansion. From what I know, besides their headquarters in East Sea City and their branch in Beijing, Dragon Tiger Hall is already preparing to establish branches in ten first-tier cities. Once these branches are established, Dragon Tiger Hall¡¯s influence will expand further. Over the years, although our Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion has been a dominant force in the Martial Arts world, we¡¯ve focused primarily on that domain. Dragon Tiger Hall is different; they have two development paths, one targeting martial artists and another for the future popce."


    "Dragon Tiger Hall is essentially a martial arts academy, recruiting arge number of talented youths for training from a young age. Unlike other academies that charge fees for profit, Dragon Tiger Hall differentiates their learners into two levels. Ordinary learners need to pay a fee to train in Dragon Tiger Hall, while talented learners are highly valued; they are trained in martial arts for free and also receive significant welfare and financial support. To put it inly, Dragon Tiger Hall is cultivating talent for themselves. When these learners grow up, they won¡¯t leave; they¡¯ll stay with Dragon Tiger Hall, serving it."


    "Pavilion Master, I must admit, Dragon Tiger Hall has more foresight than us. They¡¯re not after short-term glory; they¡¯re considering the future. Just think, when Dragon Tiger Hall¡¯s branches cover the country, how many talented learners would join them? In ten years, once these talented learners mature, Dragon Tiger Hall will possess the strongest power, and no one will be able to shake their position. By then, the future of the Martial Arts world will belong to Dragon Tiger Hall, and our Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion¡¯s glory will be entirely overshadowed by them. The most terrifying part is, whether the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion can survive until then is uncertain. If we don¡¯te up with a strategy soon, it will spell real disaster for us."


    Upon hearing Du Kang¡¯s words, Su Mei felt a chill run through her body. She thought that by emting Dragon Tiger Hall¡¯s methods and using the treasured martial arts secrets to attract martial artists, she could go toe-to-toe with Dragon Tiger Hall. Now it seemed like a naive wishful thinking. While she was pondering how to restore the pavilion¡¯s glory, Dragon Tiger Hall had already set their sights firmly on the future.


    Ten years... Du Kang was right; if she didn¡¯t take action and allowed Dragon Tiger Hall to continue its development, in ten years, it would be questionable whether Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion could even exist.


    "Elder Du, what do you think we should do?" Su Mei asked.


    "We absolutely cannot let Dragon Tiger Hall¡¯s branches open smoothly. Additionally, we must establish our own martial arts academy modeled after Dragon Tiger Hall; it¡¯s the only way we can confront them as equals."


    "Establish a martial arts academy?" Previously, in the eyes of Su Mei and others, martial arts academies were merely money-making schemes, with their founders considered the least reputable in the martial arts world. Now, even the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion had to open one, and it was imperative, which left Su Mei feeling conflicted.


    "Pavilion Master, our Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion isn¡¯t short of money; financially, we can match Dragon Tiger Hall."


    After pondering for a moment, Su Mei nodded and said, "Alright, I approve of this."


    "Rest assured, Pavilion Master, our Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion will have its day of glory again."


    ...


    Ling Family.


    Ever since the missing person notice about Ling Chen was reported on television, Nanrong Wanqing, Tang Shiyun, Liu Xiyao, and other women rushed to the Ling Family to stay by Yang Qingling¡¯s side,forting her and waiting for news about Ling Chen.


    Among the women, no one was more worried than Nanrong Wanqing. As clever as she was, she clearly understood the danger Ling Chen was facing. If it weren¡¯t for desperate circumstances, the forces behind Ling Chen would never have issued a missing person notice on television.


    "Wanqing, you don¡¯t need to worry too much. I believe Ling will be alright; he has a knack for surviving tough situations," Tang Shiyunforted.


    Nanrong Wanqing gently nodded, trying to muster a smile, "I believe he will be okay too."


    Just then, a phone started ringing, and everyone¡¯s gaze turned to Yang Qingling. She quickly pulled out her phone, answered it, and asked, "How¡¯s it going? Any news of him? ... Really? Okay, okay, I understand."


    After hanging up, Nanrong Wanqing eagerly asked, "Mrs. Yang, is there any news about Ling Chen?"


    "Your Uncle Ling just called to say they¡¯ve found the car that transported Ling Chen. They¡¯re currently following the trail, hoping it might lead to his whereabouts."


    Hearing Yang Qingling¡¯s words, Nanrong Wanqing felt her heart sink. After all this time, Ling Chen was still missing. It¡¯s been over two days now, and although they hope for his safe return, the longer it takes, the less hope they feel. Perhaps... Nanrong Wanqing closed her eyes, shook her head, and pushed that possibility out of her mind.


    No, it can¡¯t be. Ling Chen will definitely be alright. Nanrong Wanqing bit her lip, and tears slowly streamed down her face.


    "Wanqing..."


    Liu Xiyao looked at the grieving Nanrong Wanqing, sighed softly, and offered her a tissue.


    "Thank you!"


    "Don¡¯t be sad; everything will be alright," Liu Xiyao said confidently, "I believe Ling Chen wouldn¡¯t let us down."


    ...


    "I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ll disappoint you all..."


    In the confined basement, Ling Chen sat limply on the ground, muttering to himself with a hint of weakness in his voice.


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 1366 - 1674: Jiubao Village

    <h4>Chapter 1366: Chapter 1674: Jiubao Vige</h4>


    Two and a half days have passed, and the air in the basement has be thin, making each breath extremely precious.


    Now, every time Ling Chen takes a breath, he has to hold on for several minutes before changing breaths. Only in this way can he endure for a longer time.


    Slowly exhaling a breath, Ling Chen gave a bitter smile to himself. From hope at the beginning to despair now, he has nearly given up. It seems he truly cannot escape this disaster this time. Even with the Prajnaparamita Sutra, he can¡¯t do anything.


    He¡¯s not a deity; without air and food, any master from the Heavenly List couldn¡¯t survive. Perhaps only someone like Ling Gengqiu with an immortal body could live through this.


    Holding his breath for several minutes, Ling Chen reached his limit, his mouth slightly open ready to change breaths, but he quickly realized that the air in the entire basement had been depleted. Is he going to die... Ling Chen thought secretly. The suffocation from theck of air led to oxygen deficiency in his brain, and soon, Ling Chen felt dizzy, with his consciousness gradually bing blurred, everything before his eyes slowly turning hazy.


    Seems like... he¡¯s truly hopeless now...


    Bang!


    As everything turnedpletely dark, Ling Chen¡¯s body slightly leaned against the wall and directly fell to the ground.


    ...


    At this moment, ten kilometers away from the abandoned factory, Ling Kun and Ling Tao were sitting in a car, followed by a dozen vans slowly driving ahead along the road. Looking at the buildings on both sides of the road, Ling Kun asionally issuedmands through the walkie-talkie. Soon, several vans from the convoy would head towards those buildings for a search.


    Just a few hours ago, the tech department finally found that military jeep in the surveince footage of Beijing, even though it was only one image. Using the direction of that military jeep, the tech department has pinpointed the possible area where Ling Chen might appear. With this clue, the entire search range has been narrowed down to the Beijing Suburb.


    At this moment, everyone including the police has put efforts into the search operation in the Beijing Suburb.


    After driving for over half an hour, Ling Kun had already searched all the buildings he saw along the road but still found no clues rted to Ling Chen.


    "Mr. Ling, there¡¯s an abandoned factory ahead, should we go take a look?"


    Upon hearing the voice from the walkie-talkie, Ling Kun responded, "Let¡¯s go."


    Before long, the convoy stopped next to the abandoned factory. Getting off the car, Ling Kun looked at the surrounding environment. Because it had been abandoned for a long time, weeds grew around the factory.


    "Ling Kun, look over there." At that moment, Ling Tao who was apanying them seemed to have discovered something and quickly ran towards the front. Upon reaching, Ling Tao pointed at the ground, "Look here, these weeds have been pressed down, it should be tire tracks. Moreover, there are four tire marks here, indicating that a vehicle has stopped here."


    Squatting on the ground, Ling Kun examined the tire marks, then measured with his fingers, "The width of the tires matches that military jeep, and if there are no surprises, Ling Chen was probably confined here." With that, Ling Kun stood up and said to everyone behind him, "Search this factory thoroughly."


    As everyone entered the factory, it wasn¡¯t long before the search personnel made a discovery.


    Upon hearing the news, Ling Kun and Ling Tao quickly arrived inside the factory, looking at a damaged door, and couldn¡¯t help but frown.


    "Did you break this?"


    A man shook his head and said, "No, it was like this when we arrived."


    Ling Tao examined it for a moment and said, "Judging by the damage marks, it should have been caused just recently. Is it possible that Ling Chen broke through this door and escaped from inside?"


    "Impossible." Ling Kun pointed at the scattered stone and the iron door on the ground, "The iron door fell inward, indicating the person who broke this door did so from the outside." Saying that, Ling Kun¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly and took a few steps to the iron door, reaching out and touching the dent in the middle of the iron door.


    "Look at this mark, doesn¡¯t it look like a fist imprint?"


    Ling Tao approached closely, astonished, "This iron door is two fingers thick, and the door frame is fixed tight, yet someone managed to punch through this iron door, their strength surely reached the Heavenly List level."


    Ling Kun nodded, "Indeed! Let¡¯s go, let¡¯s check inside first." Entering the basement, everyone turned on the shlights built into their phones.


    Soon, Ling Kun found a piece of clothing in the basement¡¯s venttion hole, "This is the outfit Ling Chen was wearing when he was taken that day."


    "Seems like we found the right ce, Ling Chen was confined here all along. Look at the residue marks on the clothes, someone tried to smoke him out. Thankfully, Ling Chen was clever enough to use the clothes to block the venttion duct."


    "But who could have rescued him from here?" Ling Kun asked puzzled.


    "That we don¡¯t know, but what we can confirm is that Ling Chen is at least still alive. The person breaking this iron door was clearly not among those who held him, or else they wouldn¡¯t need to resort to such violent methods. Don¡¯t worry, Ling Chen might contact us soon."


    "Let¡¯s hope so."


    ...


    Not knowing how much time passed, Ling Chen groggily woke up, opening his eyes, looking at the surrounding environment, Ling Chen felt his head heavy, weighed down. Lying on the bed, Ling Chen took a deep breath. He didn¡¯t expect to still be alive! At that moment in the basement, he thought he was surely done for.


    But who rescued him? Looking at where he was now, it seemed less like a hospital; more like an old abandoned house, the window ss was shattered, the roof asionally let wind in, even the bed hey on was made of straw.


    After resting for a while, Ling Chen slowly got up from the bed, then moved around the bedside a bit. Once his body had sufficiently recovered, Ling Chen pushed the door open and walked outside.


    Standing outside the house, Ling Chen looked around and saw fields of rice paddies, the air was very fresh. Typically, only the countryside has such clean air.


    Looks like he¡¯s not in Beijing. Just then, Ling Chen suddenly saw a person walking from a distance. To be precise, it was a middle-aged man. The other was dressed simply in a vest, carrying a bundle of firewood, and a couple of straw bundles, striding towards him.


    When the man approached, Ling Chen hurriedly went to meet him and asked, "Uncle, can I ask you, where is this ce?"


    "This is Jiubao Vige."


    "Jiubao Vige? How far is this ce from Beijing?"


    "Not far, more than forty kilometers."


    Thankfully, more than forty kilometers is not too far. Ling Chen nodded secretly. "Right! Uncle, do you know whose house this is?"


    The middle-aged man grinned, "This is my home."

 Chapter 1367 - 1675: Yao Zhensheng

    <h4>Chapter 1367: Chapter 1675: Yao Zhensheng</h4>


    "Your home?" Ling Chen asked in surprise, "Then... how did I end up at your ce?"


    The middle-aged man smiled and said, "Someone entrusted you to me and asked me to take care of you. You seem to be recovering well. Come, eat something first, andter help me repair the house. This ce hasn¡¯t been lived in for many years, and it¡¯s not suitable for living now."


    Seeing the buns and water brought by the middle-aged man, Ling Chen couldn¡¯t contain his hunger. He hadn¡¯t eaten or drunk for days, and his stomach was already empty. In no time, Ling Chen devoured five buns, drank the water, and wiped his mouth, saying contentedly, "Thank you, Mr. Yao!"


    "No need for thanks."


    "Mr. Yao, I still don¡¯t know your name?"


    "My name is Yao Zhensheng, just call me Mr. Yao."


    "Mr. Yao, can you tell me who entrusted me to you?" Ling Chen asked curiously. He was eager to know who had rescued him from the basement.


    "Sorry," Yao Zhensheng shook his head and said, "I can¡¯t answer that question. I promised that person I wouldn¡¯t reveal their identity. You just need to know that person doesn¡¯t mean any harm to you." Without waiting for Ling Chen to ask more, Yao Zhensheng brushed the grass off his pants, stood up, and said, "Alright, since you¡¯re full,e and help. We need to fix this house today; otherwise, we won¡¯t have anywhere to stay tonight."


    "Um... Mr. Yao, can I make a phone call to my family? I¡¯ve been missing for so many days, they must be worried."


    "Don¡¯t worry, it¡¯ll be fine." Yao Zhensheng said as he climbed adder, carrying straw to the roof and starting to repair it.


    Ling Chen looked around and saw nothing nearby except fields. The nearest building was over a hundred meters away. After hesitating for a moment, Ling Chen decided to help Yao Zhensheng. After all, Yao Zhensheng knew the person who saved him. Besides, he had many unanswered questions and hoped to find some answers from Yao Zhensheng.


    Seeing Ling Chen climb onto the roof, a bright smile appeared on Yao Zhensheng¡¯s face, as if he was quite pleased.


    After two whole hours, Ling Chen and Yao Zhensheng finally finished repairing the entire roof,ying a newyer of straw. They also collected wood, cutting it into t nks to seal the drafty spots in the house. However, even though the house was repaired, they couldn¡¯t make furniture inside, leaving it looking very bare.


    Yao Zhensheng seemed quite satisfied. "Come, I¡¯ll take you to get some food. After working hard all afternoon, we deserve a reward."


    Without resting, Ling Chen quickly followed Yao Zhensheng toward the mountains north of the field. Along the way, Ling Chen spotted many wild rabbits and pheasants. Wow! There¡¯s quite a lot of game on this mountain.


    Yao Zhensheng broke off some branches from a tree, sharpened the ends with a knife, making some simple spears, and handed them to Ling Chen, "I heard you¡¯re skilled, so I¡¯ll leave the hunting to you."


    Ling Chen nodded and dly agreed. In no time, using the spears, he had caught several wild rabbits and pheasants. Carrying their game, the two returned full-handed to the house¡¯s side.


    "You go rest first, I¡¯ll prepare the food." Yao Zhensheng said while skillfully cutting and cleaning the game.


    Ling Chen sat quietly, asionally ncing at Yao Zhensheng, observing this extraordinary middle-aged man.


    "Mr. Yao, where is your home?" Ling Chen asked. The house beside him had just been repaired, and inside it was a mess, with thick dust showing that no one had lived there for years. Yao Zhensheng must have lived elsewhere before.


    "You mean my home?" Yao Zhensheng turned and nced at Ling Chen, smiling as he said, "Actually, I don¡¯t know where my home is. I¡¯ve stayed in many ces and only recently returned here. Although the world is vast, I prefer these quiet and peaceful ces."


    "You don¡¯t have family?"


    Yao Zhensheng shook his head, a hint of nostalgia in his eyes, "I haven¡¯t had family for a long time. Over the years, I¡¯ve forgotten what it¡¯s like to have family around." He looked at Ling Chen and said, "I actually envy you, having so many people who care about you. You¡¯ll never know what loneliness feels like."


    "Mr. Yao, if you¡¯re willing, you could leave with me. My friends could be your friends too." Ling Chen suggested.


    Yao Zhensheng chuckled and said, "Thank you for your kindness, but I¡¯m used to living alone."


    As they chatted, the aroma of the roasting game under the mes became more intense, making Ling Chen¡¯s mouth water. Taking the roasted chicken handed over by Yao Zhensheng, Ling Chen tore off a drumstick and took a big bite, savoring the juicy and vorful taste.


    "It¡¯s a pity..." Ling Chenmented, "If only we had some wine now."


    Yao Zhenshengughed heartily and said, "I almost forgot. Wait a moment!" With that, he went to the side of the house, found a shovel, and began digging into the ground. Shortly, Yao Zhensheng unearthed two jars of wine.


    "Here, try this, it¡¯s been buried for decades."


    Without hesitation, Ling Chen took a swig from the jar. The rich and aromatic wine flowed down his throat, and Ling Chen¡¯s eyes lit up. He had thought the wine he drank at Du Kang¡¯s was the best, butpared to this wine, Du Kang¡¯s couldn¡¯tpare at all.


    "How is it?"


    "Excellent wine, the best I¡¯ve ever had in my life." Ling Chen praised without reservation.


    "This is probably the only time you¡¯ll taste this wine in your life."


    After they were full, Ling Chen and Yao Zhensheng sat outside the house, chatting by the fire. "Mr. Yao, you really can¡¯t tell me who saved me?"


    "It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t want to tell you, but I promised someone I wouldn¡¯t reveal their identity. Rest assured, he means no harm, and you¡¯ll be able to return in a couple of days."


    "Didn¡¯t he leave any message?" Ling Chen found it strange. There had to be a reason for someone to rescue him and bring him here.


    Yao Zhensheng nodded, "He left a message for you, but now¡¯s not the time to tell you. Get some rest, and I¡¯ll let you know tomorrow morning." With that, Yao Zhensheng belched and stood up, saying, "I drank a bit too much, so I¡¯ll head to bed first. You should rest early too; there¡¯s plenty to do tomorrow."

 Chapter 1368 - 1676: The Cave Dweller (1)

    <h4>Chapter 1368: Chapter 1676: The Cave Dweller (1)</h4>


    Watching Yao Zhensheng walk into the house, Ling Chen stood up by himself and walked to the two empty wine jars, a peculiar glint shing in his eyes.


    The next morning.


    Ling Chen crawled out of bed, looking at the bright sunlight streaming through the window. He walked out of the room, only to see Yao Zhensheng already up, wielding an axe and chopping wood. Ling Chen greeted him, and Yao Zhensheng pointed to the table outside the house, saying, "Breakfast is there, eat it while it¡¯s hot."


    Breakfast was simple, two steamed buns and a bowl of millet porridge. Ling Chen wasn¡¯t picky; after days of hunger, he¡¯d eat anything.


    After breakfast, Yao Zhensheng walked over to Ling Chen and pointed to therge mountain to the north, saying, "Do you remember the path I took you up the mountain yesterday? Follow that path all the way up, and when you reach the top, you¡¯ll find a cave, where someone will be waiting for you."


    "You mean... the person who saved me?"


    Yao Zhensheng nodded, "That¡¯s right. You have many questions, don¡¯t you? He will help answer them."


    "Mr. Yao, aren¡¯t youing with me?"


    "I won¡¯t be going, and perhaps we may never have the chance to meet again." With that, Yao Zhensheng turned around and continued chopping wood.


    Watching the busy Yao Zhensheng, Ling Chen said nothing more and headed straight up the mountain. Following the winding mountain path, it took Ling Chen about an hour to finally reach the summit. Upon arrival, Ling Chen immediately spotted the cave Yao Zhensheng mentioned.


    Outside the cave, Ling Chen didn¡¯t rush in but instead surveyed the surroundings. At that moment, a low voice suddenly came from inside the cave, "Why are you hesitating outside when you¡¯re here? Are you afraid toe in?"


    Upon hearing the unfamiliar voice, Ling Chen hesitated for a moment, then stepped inside. The light inside the cave was very dim, and it grew darker as he ventured further.


    After walking about ten meters, Ling Chen stopped, choosing not to proceed further. It was pitch ck ahead, and he couldn¡¯t see his hand in front of him. Who knew if there might be danger lurking? It was best to be cautious. From his current position, he would be able to escape immediately should there be any danger.


    "Who are you? Why did you save me?" Ling Chen asked.


    "I believe you should have guessed who I am." The unfamiliar voice replied, "Perhaps you don¡¯t know, but I¡¯ve been following you these past days, observing you in secret."


    Startled upon hearing this, Ling Chen realized this person had been monitoring him, yet he hadn¡¯t noticed. This showed the person¡¯s extraordinary skill. Ling Chen asked, "Why were you watching me?"


    "Because you know people like me, and I find you very intriguing."


    People like him... At that moment, Ling Chen¡¯s heart raced, and he guessed the person¡¯s identity, "You... you¡¯re... He Zhishen?"


    "It seems you¡¯re not too dim."


    It was indeed him! Ling Chen was internally shocked. Back in the ancient tomb, the person in the stone coffin vanished without a trace, and now it was clear he had been secretly following Ling Chen. No wonder he knew where Ling Chen was imprisoned. The thought that the person before him was another century-old anomaly made Ling Chen feel aplex array of emotions.


    "So you saved me to learn about the person like you?"


    "Pretty much," He Zhishen replied. "You should know, people like me are rare in this world, so finding someone like me is extremely difficult. I tried in the past, but it was all in vain. Hundreds of years of solitude are beyond your imagination, which is why I chose to bury myself. If you hadn¡¯t opened the ancient tomb, I might have slept forever."


    "Ling Chen, arrange for that person to meet with me. Consider it repayment for saving your life. How about it?"


    Faced with the request, Ling Chen hesitated. "What, are you unwilling?" Seeing Ling Chen¡¯s dyed response, He Zhishen asked.


    "It¡¯s not that I¡¯m unwilling, it¡¯s just... that person¡¯s situation is moreplicated. Unlike you, who are whole, he now only has a head and can¡¯t speak. So even if you meet,munication won¡¯t be possible." Pausing, Ling Chen shifted his tone, "Can I ask, if you were to meet, what would you discuss?"


    "Of course, we¡¯d discuss the question that¡¯s troubled us for centuries. If I¡¯m the only one like this in the world, it means I¡¯m very special, but since there are others like me, there must be a reason. I¡¯ve been searching for the answer to this question for centuries. Now, the world has changed and progressed. Perhaps I can find the answer."


    Ling Chen thought for a moment, then asked, "Have you practiced martial arts?"


    "Yes, I started practicing at five, and in thirty years, I broke through to the realm of the Heavenly List, then spent another fifty years reaching the pinnacle of martial arts mastery. From that moment, my life underwent a tremendous change."


    "Seems like my guess was correct."


    He Zhishen asked, "What do you mean?"


    "Every person with immortality has reached the pinnacle of martial arts mastery. Simply put, your martial arts realm has surpassed the Heavenly List, reaching another unknown level. As practitioners of martial arts, we all understand that besides strengthening the body, martial arts also unlocks potential and breaks physical limits. Perhaps the unknown level you¡¯ve reached has surpassed human limits. I believe this is the most reasonable exnation."


    "Life limits..." He Zhishen said, "Your guess is indeed reasonable."


    "Mr.... Mr. He..." Ling Chen struggled with how to address He Zhishen and finally called him ¡¯Mr. He¡¯. After all, given his age, he absolutely deserved the title.


    "Everyone seeks longevity, and many would stop at nothing for a few more years of life. In this world of billions, only you have such long lives. Isn¡¯t that good?"


    "Perhaps you think it¡¯s good, but to me, it¡¯s the beginning of pain. My appearance doesn¡¯t change, and I won¡¯t age. So we can¡¯t stay in one ce too long, about ten years; if people notice I haven¡¯t aged, I must leave. Otherwise, I¡¯ll be a ¡¯monster¡¯ in people¡¯s eyes, hunted by everyone. Consequently, I must keep moving, constantly meeting strangers. When those strangers be your friends or family, all you can do is watch their lives end while you¡¯re powerless to help. Do you know how painful that feels?"

 Chapter 1369 - 1677: The Cave Dweller (2)

    <h4>Chapter 1369: Chapter 1677: The Cave Dweller (2)</h4>


    After listening to He Zhishen¡¯s words, Ling Chen nodded to himself. Indeed, not everyone is as carefree as Ling Gengqiu. For Ling Gengqiu, as long as there are women alive in the world, he has a reason to continue living.


    "I went to visit your tomb, it seems like you¡¯ve done a lot of experiments."


    "That¡¯s right, I want to find out the reason for my longevity, so I can let more people I care about continue to live."


    Hearing this, Ling Chen was taken aback, "You want to replicate your longevity onto others?"


    "Yes. To achieve this goal, I¡¯ve tried countless methods, but unfortunately, none seeded. Apart from extending their lifespan by decades, they eventually died. That¡¯s why I grew disheartened and decided to bury myself forever."


    "What about now?" Ling Chen asked, "Are you still willing to fight for this goal?"


    "I don¡¯t know, these days, I¡¯ve been following you, observing this new world. To be honest, I¡¯m very confused right now, so I need someone who can help me understand."


    "So you want to meet with someone like you." Ling Chen nodded and said, "I understand. How about this, I¡¯ll try to arrange for you tomunicate with them. How does that sound?"


    "Alright. Once you have everything arranged,e here and find me."


    "Do you n to stay here? The current world is vastly different from the one you knew, don¡¯t you want to go out and see it for yourself? If you¡¯re willing, I can take you around and help you understand this new world."


    "Thank you for your kindness, but no need, I still prefer a quiet life."


    "Alright then, I¡¯lle back to find you." With that, Ling Chen didn¡¯t linger, turned around, and walked out of the cave. Previously, Yao Zhensheng had told him that this ce was only a few dozen kilometers away from Beijing. After descending the mountain, Ling Chen identified the direction and headed straight for Beijing.


    After walking for about an hour, Ling Chen arrived beside a wide highway. After waiting for a while, he finally hitched a ride.


    Once in Beijing, Ling Chen immediately borrowed a phone to call Hu Fei. In less than half an hour, several business cars arrived at his location.


    Seeing Ling Kun and others walking briskly from the car, Ling Chen smiled slightly and quickly approached, "Dad, Uncle Ling."


    Ling Kun looked Ling Chen over from head to toe, and once he was sure Ling Chen was safe, he breathed a sigh of relief and patted him vigorously on the shoulder, "You little rascal... you almost scared your dad to death."


    "Dad, don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m tough. See, I¡¯m perfectly fine."


    "Son, who exactly saved you?" Ling Kun asked curiously, "When we found the ce where you were held, you had already been rescued."


    "It¡¯s a long story, not something that can be exined in just a few words. Dad, let¡¯s head back first."


    "Alright then, get in the car."


    On the way back to the Falcon Private Security Company, Ling Chen called his mom to let her know he was safe. Initially, Yang Qingling wanted toe to Beijing to see him, but he managed to talk her out of it.


    After hanging up, Ling Kun, next to him, said, "You should call Elder Tong; he¡¯s encountered quite a few troubles. Because of you, Dragon Tiger Hall has suffered some losses recently."


    Hearing this, Ling Chen immediately dialed Tong Zhentian¡¯s number.


    "Hello! Elder Tong, it¡¯s me."


    "Ling Chen? Great, you¡¯re finally safe." On the other end, Tong Zhentian obviously breathed a sigh of relief.


    "Elder Tong, I heard that something happened at Dragon Tiger Hall? What¡¯s going on?"


    "Sigh!" Tong Zhentian sighed lightly and said, "Originally, Dragon Tiger Hall nned to open ten branches in several first-tier cities in the country. However, in the past few days, all those branches that were being prepared were attacked. Fortunately, there were no casualties, but all the facilities were destroyed. I¡¯m afraid our ns will have to be postponed for several months now."


    Frowning, Ling Chen asked, "Elder Tong, how did this happen? Do you know who did it?"


    "If I¡¯m not mistaken, it should be the handiwork of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion."


    The Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion... Ling Chen was slightly taken aback, it turned out to be Su Mei! This... with Su Mei¡¯s personality, she shouldn¡¯t have done something like this.


    "Elder Tong, could there be some mistake? The Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion shouldn¡¯t provoke us at this time."


    "Who else could it be if not them? The Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion really knows how to seize opportunities. Since you disappeared, all of Dragon Tiger Hall¡¯s efforts have been focused on you. Taking advantage of this, the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion not only destroyed our branches but also opened more than twenty martial arts academies in major cities in just a few days. By doing this, they clearly want topete with us."


    "Alright, I understand." Ling Chen replied, "Elder Tong, don¡¯t worry too much about this matter, let the people from Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion taste a little sess, and I¡¯ll handle it when I get back."


    "Okay."


    Putting down the phone, Ling Chen looked at Ling Kun beside him and said, "It seems the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion couldn¡¯t hold back anymore and wants topete with us."


    "What the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion did is smart. If they didn¡¯t do this, in ten years, they might cease to exist. They must have realized the crisis, which is why they chose to act. However, with Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion making a move, Dragon Tiger Hall¡¯s days will be tough."


    Ling Chen smiled faintly and said indifferently, "It doesn¡¯t matter, it¡¯s good to have a rival. I don¡¯t want to be like Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, dominating everything. Onlypetition can truly promote the development of the martial arts world."


    "By the way!" Ling Kun suddenly changed the topic and said, "Later, I¡¯ll take you to meet someone. I think you¡¯ll be happy to see them."


    "Really?"


    Before long, the convoy reached the Falcon Private Security Company. Getting out of the car, Ling Chen followed Ling Kun and went straight up to the fifth floor by elevator. Outside the room, Ling Kun opened the door and led Ling Chen inside.


    Upon entering, they saw someone sitting in the spacious room, or to be precise, tied to a chair with ropes. Seeing the person, Ling Chen couldn¡¯t help but be a bit surprised, "Dad, where did you find this guy?"


    "In recent days, I¡¯ve mobilized thousands of people to find your whereabouts, but instead of finding you, we unexpectedly discovered his traces. Now that you¡¯re back, I¡¯ll leave this person to you to handle."


    Ling Chen nodded and walked directly in front of the person, with a faint smile, he said, "Mr. Li, we meet again." This man was none other than Li Bin, who impersonated a military officer that day.


    Watching the smile on Ling Chen¡¯s face, Li Bin¡¯s expression instantly turned extremely unpleasant.


    "Mr. Li, tell me, who instructed you to do this, was it someone from the southern Ling Family?"

 Chapter 1370 - 1678: Whereabouts of the Southern Ling Family

    <h4>Chapter 1370: Chapter 1678: Whereabouts of the Southern Ling Family</h4>


    Li Bin kept his mouth shut, his eyes fixed on the ground, ignoring Ling Chen¡¯s words. Seeing the other¡¯s reaction, Ling Chen¡¯s lips hinted at a smile. He brought over a chair and ced it in front of Li Bin. "Mr. Li, the name Li Bin probably isn¡¯t your real name. Do you realize that if it weren¡¯t for my luck, I¡¯d be dead in that basement by now? So, if you don¡¯t want to suffer, you¡¯d better tell me everything you know. Otherwise, don¡¯t me me for what happens next."


    After hearing Ling Chen¡¯s words, Li Bin slightly raised his head, nced at Ling Chen, and his face showed a hint of determination.


    "Won¡¯t talk?" Ling Chen nodded slightly. "Alright, if that¡¯s the case, don¡¯t me me for being ruthless."


    "Bring some people." As Ling Chen¡¯s voice fell, two security personnel in suits entered from outside. "Mr. Ling, what are your orders?"


    Ling Chen pointed to Li Bin in front of him and said, "First, get a big wooden barrel and then bring over a dozen rats. Strip him naked and put him in the barrel with the rats. Since he doesn¡¯t want to associate with people, let him spend some time with rats."


    Hearing this, Li Bin¡¯s face finally showed a slight change.


    "Mr. Li, enjoy your time. I have plenty of tricks up my sleeve. Find me when you feel like talking." With that, Ling Chen turned and walked out.


    "Dad, did the military pass on any messages?" Ling Chen asked Ling Kun beside him. The military wanted him to assist in an investigation, but due to his disappearance, the matter was postponed. Now that he¡¯s been rescued, he wasn¡¯t sure if the military would still call him in.


    "Not clear yet. Don¡¯t you have contacts in the military? Why don¡¯t you give them a call?"


    Ling Chen nodded and said, "Alright." To be honest, Ling Chen wasn¡¯t worried about cooperating with the investigation; his only concern was Tang Yuan. The military had already taken Tang Yuan away, and he wasn¡¯t sure about his current situation.


    Returning to his room, Ling Chen called Pang Jiulin to inquire about thetest developments.


    "d you¡¯re alright." Pang Jiulin smiled on the other end of the line. "You don¡¯t need to worry about Tang Yuan; the military¡¯s investigation is over, and he¡¯ll be back soon. Moreover, since you were taken by someone impersonating the military, the military suspects this anonymous report was likely a plot against you. You¡¯ll just need to exin the situation, and they won¡¯t trouble you."


    "Really? That¡¯s great." Ling Chen breathed a sigh of relief; he hadn¡¯t rushed back to East Sea City just to handle the military matters. He didn¡¯t want to ruin his rtionship with them. In a way, he should thank Li Bin for helping him avoid the investigation.


    However, what¡¯s done is done, Li Bin nearly caused his death, and that¡¯s something he couldn¡¯t just let go.


    After resting for half a day, Ling Chen went alone to the basement¡¯s holding room. Currently, inside the room was a giant wooden barrel sealed with a nk. Standing outside, one could asionally hear roars and screamsing from within.


    Seeing Ling Chene over, the two suited guards quickly opened the holding room¡¯s door.


    "Remove the nk." At Ling Chen¡¯smand, the two guards immediately lifted the lid from the barrel. Approaching it, Ling Chen saw Li Bin leaning against the edge, sitting inside with over a dozen rats crawling over him. If one looked closely, they¡¯d notice numerous tiny bite marks on Li Bin¡¯s body, all caused by the rats.


    "Mr. Li, how¡¯s it going? Enjoying it? Rats carry bacteria, and with all those bites, without timely treatment, your life may notst long."


    Gritting his teeth, Li Bin said grimly, "Ling Chen, if you¡¯re going to kill me, just do it. Why torture me like this?"


    With a slight smile, Ling Chen replied indifferently, "This is just the beginning. If you still refuse to confess, I¡¯ll have to resort to other methods. Mr. Li, you¡¯ve probably seen my background, you know what I used to do. I¡¯m very skilled at this craft. Have you ever tried electric shocks? Or having toothpicks driven under your nails... Of course, these aren¡¯t the only methods I have. If you¡¯re interested, you can try them all. I guarantee it¡¯ll be unforgettable."


    Hearing Ling Chen¡¯s descriptions of torture, Li Bin¡¯s body involuntarily trembled, fear evident in his eyes.


    "Alright." Ling Chen shrugged helplessly. "Since you still haven¡¯t made up your mind, I¡¯ll wait a bit longer." With that, he signaled to his subordinates, who immediately understood, preparing to cover the barrel with the nk again.


    "No, no, I... I¡¯ll talk, I¡¯ll tell everything!" Li Bin suddenly shouted at that moment.


    With a hint of a smile, Ling Chen said, "If you¡¯d cooperated sooner, you wouldn¡¯t have had to suffer so much. Tell me, were you sent by the Southern Ling Family?"


    Li Bin remained silent, only nodding.


    "Where are they now?"


    "I don¡¯t know."


    "Hmm?"


    "I... I really don¡¯t know. They have a submarine constantly moving in the Public Sea."


    Ling Chen pondered for a bit, then asked, "Do they have a base in the Public Sea?"


    "Yes, it¡¯s an ind," Li Bin said. "But I don¡¯t know the exact location of the ind. People are taken there by a special ship from the Southern Ling Family. The ind is strictly managed. Besides the base¡¯smunication tower, no one else can contact the outside world."


    "How do you contact them afterpleting your mission?"


    "They gave me a number. Afterpleting the mission, I contacted them. They told me to wait, that a ship would leave for the ind in a few days, and they¡¯d notify me of the specific time."


    Hearing this, Ling Chen¡¯s eyes lit up. Having a ship going to that ind was undoubtedly good news. As long as he found that ind, he could destroy the Southern Ling Family¡¯s base. Then, when the submarine replenishes supplies on the ind, he could easily capture it. At that time, the Southern Ling Family would never rise again.


    "Once they contact you, tell me the time and ce, and I promise to spare your life." With that, Ling Chen turned to instruct the security personnel beside him, "Take him to the infirmary, then arrange a room for him and keep watch on him twenty-four hours."


    "Yes, Mr. Ling."


    After leaving the holding room, Ling Chen went straight to Ling Kun¡¯s room. He knocked on the door, and upon receiving permission, he pushed it open and walked in.


    "Son, what¡¯s up?"

 Chapter 1371 - 1679: Father and Ancestor

    <h4>Chapter 1371: Chapter 1679: Father and Ancestor</h4>


    "Dad, are you okay? I want to take you somewhere."


    "Where to?"


    "Don¡¯t ask too much now, you¡¯ll know when we get there."


    After leaving Falcon Private Security Company, the father and son drove straight to the Guo Family. Since they were in Beijing, Ling Chen seized the opportunity to reveal Ling Gengqiu¡¯s secret to Ling Kun. In matters like this, there was no need for the father and son to keep secrets.


    Once at the Guo¡¯s, Ling Kun asked strangely, "Son, are you bringing me to see Guo Ming?"


    "Dad, you know him?"


    "Of course, he¡¯s a renowned master craftsman in the Martial Arts world. Many martial artists wish for Guo Ming to forge a good weapon for them. How could I not know someone as famous as him?"


    "Okay, good that you know him." Saying this, Ling Chen pushed open the Guo Family¡¯s door and strode in.


    Though Ling Chen and Ling Kun casually entered the Guo Family, they passed at least five checkpoints on their way. There were at least dozens of Dark Posts lurking outside the Guo Family, tasked with verifying the identity of anyone entering. Having received the news, Guo Ming soon appeared in Ling Chen¡¯s sight, and seeing Guo Ming brisklying over, Ling Chen smiled and greeted him.


    "Mr. Guo, let me introduce someone to you, this is my father, Ling Kun."


    "So it¡¯s Mr. Ling, hello." Guo Ming smiled lightly and proactively extended his right hand.


    "Mr. Guo, hello, I¡¯ve long admired your name and unfortunately haven¡¯t had the chance to meet you. Meeting you today is my honor."


    "Haha! Mr. Ling, you¡¯re too kind." Saying this, Guo Ming turned to look at Ling Chen and asked, "Are you here to see him?"


    Ling Chen nodded and said, "Is he awake now?"


    "He¡¯s awake, I just returned from him. Come, I¡¯ll take you there."


    Listening to the exchange between Ling Chen and Guo Ming, Ling Kun was rather curious, not knowing who they were referring to. Moreover, what surprised Ling Kun was how his son had built such a good rtionship with Guo Ming. Over the years, all of Ling Chen¡¯s moves had been under his supervision, so logically, he shouldn¡¯t have been unaware. As these thoughts raced through his mind, the three had arrived at the Guo Family¡¯s secretboratory.


    Looking at theboratory before him, Ling Kun was once again shocked. No time for questions, he saw Guo Ming stop and point at the sterile room ahead: "You can go in, I won¡¯t disturb you. I¡¯ll go ahead and prepare some tea, we¡¯ll drink itter."


    "Alright," Ling Chen responded.


    After watching Guo Ming walk away, Ling Chen led Ling Kun through the door into the sterile room. Behind the thick transparent ss, Ling Kun stared, seeing a strangerge metal box inside the sterile room, not knowing what it held.


    "Who is this person?" At this moment, a row of text appeared on arge screen hanging at the top of the ss.


    Ling Kun, surprised, asked, "Son, who is asking?"


    "Son? Ling Chen, is this man your father?"


    Seeing the words on therge screen, Ling Chen smiled and nodded, "Yes, he¡¯s my dad."


    "So, he¡¯s also my descendant."


    "Who do you mean by descendant?" Ling Kun¡¯s face changed slightly, shouting at the words on the screen.


    Ling Chen, amused but exasperated, exined, "Dad, why are you so worked up, he isn¡¯t wrong. You are indeed his descendant."


    Ling Kun paused, looking puzzled at Ling Chen, and asked, "Son, are you out of your mind?"


    "Dad, let me be frank, the personmunicating with you is Ling Gengqiu, the ancestor you¡¯ve been searching for."


    "What did you say? Ling Gengqiu?" Even with his strong will, Ling Kun was stunned by Ling Chen¡¯s words, unable to react for a while.


    "Dad, here¡¯s the situation." Ling Chen then exined everything to Ling Kun. After listening to Ling Chen¡¯s recount, Ling Kun finally understood. Immediately, he knelt down on the ground, respectfully knocking three times on the ss, "I didn¡¯t know who you were earlier. Please forgive me if I¡¯ve offended you, ancestor."


    "Stand up, there¡¯s no need for such formalities in my presence."


    Standing up, Ling Kun moved closer to Ling Chen, grumbling slightly, "You rascal, why didn¡¯t you tell me beforehand so I could be emotionally prepared."


    Ling Chen grinned, "Wasn¡¯t this meant as a surprise?"


    Ling Kun scolded his son affectionately, this surprise was quite significant.


    "Dad, you should have a good chat with Old Ancestor; I won¡¯t intrude on you guys." After saying that, Ling Chen waved his hand and turned to leave the sterile room.


    Upon leaving theboratory, Ling Chen arrived at the Siheyuan¡¯s main hall, where Guo Ming had already prepared hot tea and was waiting for him.


    "Ling Chen, have any more of Ling Gengqiu¡¯s body parts been found?"


    Upon Guo Ming¡¯s inquiry, Ling Chen replied, "If nothing unexpected happens, there should soon be results. However, I haven¡¯t found Zhu Hong¡¯s whereabouts yet. Old Ancestor¡¯s leg is in his hands, no idea where he¡¯s hidden it." That¡¯s what troubled Ling Chen; having dealt with Zhu Hong many times, he knew how cunning Zhu Hong was. With his own faction now booming, Zhu Hong certainly wouldn¡¯t challenge him head-on. He would likely hide in a secluded ce, slowly strengthening, waiting for the right moment to covertly strike.


    In the midst of these thoughts, his cellphone suddenly rang. He answered the call, and though it was unclear what the person on the other end said, Ling Chen¡¯s eyes brightened, "Okay, got it. Prepare yourselves, I¡¯ming back soon."


    Ending the call, Ling Chen chatted casually with Guo Ming for a while. Ten minutester, Ling Kun entered from the outside alone, seeming to have had a pleasant chat with Ling Gengqiu judging by his smile.


    "Dad, you¡¯re just in time, there¡¯s a matter at home I need to address. Let¡¯s head back now."


    "Alright." Ling Kun nodded, thanked Guo Ming, and then left with Ling Chen.


    On the way back, Ling Chen nced at Ling Kun in the passenger seat and asked, "Dad, what did you talk to Ling Gengqiu about?"


    "Just about his past. Son, since Ling Gengqiu¡¯s most important body parts are with us, we need to find a way to gather the rest quickly."


    "Thepany called earlier, some from the Southern Ling Family have reached out to Li Bin. With this lead, this time we should be able to handle the Southern Ling Family."


    "Good," Ling Kun responded eagerly, "Once the Southern Ling Family is taken care of and Old Ancestor is resurrected, our Ling Family¡¯s good times are finally here. After all these years, I can finally rx and enjoy an ordinary life by your side."

 Chapter 1372 - 1680: Setting Out to Sea

    <h4>Chapter 1372: Chapter 1680: Setting Out to Sea</h4>


    Back at Falcon Private Security Company, Dong Ying was already waiting for Ling Chen¡¯s return. Sitting in the chairman¡¯s office, Dong Ying handed a piece of information to Ling Chen and said, "This is the time and location. Chairman, I¡¯ve already arranged the ne, we can depart at any time."


    "Great, thanks for your hard work. You can go handle other things now." After Dong Ying left, Ling Chen picked up the information in his hand and looked it over.


    Tomorrow morning at nine o¡¯clock, depart from Jin Hai City¡¯s port.


    Plenty of time left! Ling Chen smiled slightly, as long as they find that ind, there¡¯ll be a chance to catch the Southern Ling Family all at once.


    After getting prepared, Ling Chen, Ling Kun, and Ling Tao flew directly to Jin Hai City. By four in the afternoon, they arrived at the hotel where they were staying.


    As they entered the hotel lobby, two people quickly approached from the sofa¡ªHu Fei and Kaelina. East Sea City is rtively close to Jin Hai City, so Hu Fei and the others arrived in advance.


    In the hotel¡¯s presidential suite, the eight peculiar people and Chen Junfeng were all present. For this operation, Ling Chen virtually deployed everyone. There¡¯s no choice¡ªthe opponent is the Southern Ling Family, and ording to the information from Ling Kun, the Southern Ling Family has at least two Heavenly List experts stationed. Therefore, for safety¡¯s sake, they had to bring enough personnel for this operation.


    After resting for a night in the hotel, the next morning Ling Chen, apanied by Ling Kun, arrived at Jin Hai City¡¯s port, waiting for that ship to appear.


    At eight o¡¯clock, a cargo ship slowly approached the port. Noticing the ship¡¯s number, Ling Chen immediately identified it as the cargo shiping to pick up Li Bin.


    As the cargo ship docked at the port side, several middle-aged men walked down from the deck. Meanwhile, several loading vehicles slowly drove over, preparing to transport goods onto the ship. Ling Chen and Ling Kun hid aside, observing carefully. Next to the boarding area, two men were stationed there, counting the personnel and goods boarding the ship.


    As the time approached, Ling Chen picked up the walkie-talkie and whispered, "You can move now."


    Just as Ling Chen issued the actionmand, a team of over ten people in the sea gradually approached the bottom of the cargo ship. Once they reached the back of the ship, Yuan Yun, who was the first to surface, took out a grapple hook and threw it upwards forcefully. The hook was immediately secured on the ship¡¯s side. Following the rope hanging from below the hook, they climbed onto the cargo ship one by one.


    "Ling Cheng, we¡¯re all on board." Hearing Yuan Yun¡¯s voice from the walkie-talkie, Ling Chen secretly breathed a sigh of relief. As long as the main team is aboard, everything else would be manageable.


    By eight forty-five, all the goods had been loaded onto the ship. A few middle-aged men stood at the boarding entrance, persistently watching the time, their expressions showing a hint of impatience. After a while, one of the middle-aged men took out his phone and dialed a number.


    Meanwhile, a vibrating sound came from Ling Chen¡¯s pocket. Taking out the phone and seeing the disyed number, Ling Chen did not answer but directly hung up. The phone belonged to Li Bin, kept with Ling Chen as a precaution.


    "Dad, you can send him now."


    Not far from Ling Chen, Ling Kun held Li Bin in check and said coldly, "If you¡¯re smart, you¡¯ll know what to do. Remember, don¡¯t y tricks; the poison I gave you can only be cured by me. Got it?"


    Li Bin nodded obediently. At this point, he dared not entertain any thoughts of resistance. Otherwise, he would have no other path but death.


    "Go on."


    Seeing Li Bin appear at the boarding entrance, Ling Chen couldn¡¯t help but tense up. There¡¯s no choice; to avoid arousing suspicion from the opponent, they had to let Li Bin show himself. Luckily, Li Bin was equipped with a listening device, allowing Ling Chen to hear every word they exchanged.


    After meeting, those middle-aged men merely grumbled a fewints, ming Li Bin for beingte. Watching them board the cargo ship, Ling Chen immediately shifted, running towards the edge of the port. Then, he leapt into the sea.


    Finding an unattended spot, Ling Chen took out two suction cups from his body, adhered them to the surface of the ship, and slowly climbed up. Before long, he sessfully reached the cargo ship.


    Since it was a cargo ship, the deck was piled with many containers. Ling Chen maneuvered between the gaps in the containers, searching for a concealed spot.


    "Dad, how are things on your side?"


    "Don¡¯t worry about me, I¡¯ve already found a spot."


    "Good." After ending the call, Ling Chen slowly exhaled, finally calming his anxious heart. Now that everyone was safely aboard, all they needed was for the cargo ship to reach the destination, and then unleash havoc.


    Without realizing it, the sky gradually darkened. Ling Chen checked his watch; it was already evening. The cargo ship had been sailing on the sea for nearly ten hours, with no idea how much longer till the destination. Fortunately, everyone was well-prepared, with ample water and food.


    The crew on the cargo ship wasn¡¯trge, only about twenty people, half of whom were security personnel. Roughly every hour, these security personnel would patrol around, checking for any unusual urrences.


    Taking advantage of the moment, Ling Chen closed his eyes to recharge. After a few more hours, nearing midnight, Ling Chen noticed the cargo ship¡¯s speed gradually decreasing.


    Arrived?


    Ling Chen abruptly stood up, climbed to the top of the container, gazing into the distance. Given it was night, the light was weak; Ling Chen could barely discern a blurry silhouette in the distance.


    Strange, why did the cargo ship stop here?


    While pondering, Ling Chen, with his keen ears, suddenly heard the sound of enginesing from the sea. It¡¯s intable boats! Three intable boats!


    Ling Chen nced around and noticed from the sshing water that all three intable boats were speeding towards the silhouette direction. In a blink, they reached around the cargo ship.


    What are they up to? Ling Chen was startled. As he mulled over, he saw all the personnel aboard the cargo ship walking out from the cabin, gathering on the deck, smoking and chatting as if they didn¡¯t find anything unusual.


    Soon, all personnel on the three intable boats boarded the cargo ship. Ling Chen nced secretly, seeing that about twenty fully armed people hade aboard.


    Once on board, the armed personnel first did a thorough ID check of the sailors on deck; only after ensuring everything was correct did they start searching the entire cargo ship.


    Damn!


    Ling Chen cursed silently, the Southern Ling Family is really cautious, halting the cargo ship at sea for inspection, ensuring no suspicious personnel enter the ind. This is bad! I hope my elder brothers won¡¯t be discovered. Ling Chen worried, as they had hidden twenty-plus people aboard this cargo ship.


    Just then, rapid footsteps suddenly approached Ling Chen¡¯s location.

 Chapter 1373 - 1681: Island Raid (1)

    <h4>Chapter 1373: Chapter 1681: Ind Raid (1)</h4>


    Dang! Someone¡¯sing. Ling Chen¡¯s heart sunk, and he looked to his side where the footsteps wereing from. To his left was a container, and the footsteps were approaching slowly alongside it. Damn... Ling Chen frowned slightly to himself. He was currently wedged in the gap between two containers, barely fitting, unable to make any significant movements.


    If that armed personnel walked this way, they would surely see him. No, this position is not favorable for counterattack; he must relocate immediately. Thinking of this, Ling Chen quickly climbed up the container, preparing to transfer from the top stealthily.


    However, just as Ling Chen reached the top of the container, a powerful beam of light suddenly shot down from above,nding right on him.


    Not good! Ling Chen sharply raised his head, but due to the strong light, his vision was somewhat obstructed, and he could barely make out two figures atop the cargo ship. What a miscalction... Ling Chen thought to himself. Besides people on the deck, there were watchers on the top.


    "Someone¡¯s on the container, quick, grab him."


    Upon hearing the voices from above, the armed personnel on the deck rushed towards the container. Hearing footsteps approaching from all directions, Ling Chen dared not hesitate any longer, quickly climbing down from the container to change his position.


    "Fatty, speed!" Ling Chen shouted, then leapt off the container,nding squarely on the head of an armed personnel.


    Bang! With a punch swung, the armed personnel didn¡¯t even have the chance to resist, falling directly to the ground. Meanwhile, seven or eight armed personnel rushed from both sides, encircling Ling Chen. Faced with this encirclement, Ling Chen was nonchnt, not waiting for them to take the initiative, he had already charged in, instantly diving into the crowd. In a blink, more than half of the seven or eight armed personnel were down.


    "OK! Done!" Hearing Hu Fei¡¯s voice through the earpiece, Ling Chen finally breathed a sigh of relief.


    "Done!"


    "Both atop settled." Soon, the voices of Yuan Yun and others came through the earpiece one after another.


    After dealing with the armed personnel on the deck, Qiu Yong and others quickly came over. Hu Fei was holding aptop, carrying arge backpack with three antennas at the top.


    "Fatty, you¡¯re sure there¡¯s no problem, right?" Ling Chen asked. Before the action, Ling Chen¡¯s biggest worry was the armed personnel notifying the ind base about the situation on the ship, as who knows if the ind folks mightunch a missile sinking this cargo ship.


    Thankfully, Hu Fei had prepared extensively before departure, promptly jamming the entire cargo ship¡¯s signals. This way, the armed personnel and the ind were disconnected. Hearing Ling Chen¡¯s inquiry, Hu Fei made an ¡¯OK¡¯ gesture, smiling as he said, "Rest assured, not a single message got out. But we have to hurry with arrangements, if there¡¯s still no message, the ind folks will definitely start asking questions."


    Ling Chen thought for a moment, suddenly breaking into a grin, and said, "I do have a method."


    "What method?" Qiu Yong asked from the side.


    Ling Chen pointed to the armed personnel on the ground and said, "Since the ind sent armed personnel to search this cargo ship, someone must return, or else the ind folks will certainly get suspicious. So, including us, there are about twenty people, just enough to disguise as them andnd ashore. What do you think?"


    Ling Kun nodded in agreement, "This method is good, I agree."


    "Alright, since there¡¯s no objection, let¡¯s quickly prepare." Having said that, Ling Chen turned his attention to Li Bin and the crew on the deck.


    With Ling Chen¡¯s ¡¯kind¡¯ persuasion, Li Bin and the crew were very perceptive. Before long, everything was ready, Ling Chen and others changed into the armed personnel¡¯s clothing, then took three intable boats to head towards the ind.


    Approaching the shore, Ling Chen saw someone on the shore using a searchlight to illuminate the sea. When the three intable boats reached the shore, staff immediately came and stabilized the boats. Ling Chen and others jumped off, not fearing recognition from those people. All the armed personnel wore masks, so even if they encountered ind folks, they wouldn¡¯t be recognized.


    Disembarking, a staff member approached, saying: "Go report to the captain, he¡¯s waiting for you."


    "Where¡¯s the captain?" Ling Chen casually asked.


    "Are you new here? Of course, it¡¯s themand center." Leaving this remark, the staff member no longer paid attention to Ling Chen and walked away.


    Command center... Ling Chen surveyed the surroundings, noticing this ind wasn¡¯t veryrge, with a distance of only about two kilometers between the two ends. Despite not beingrge, the ind was well maintained with towering buildings everywhere, and even had a runway in the middle.


    Judging by this setup, the southern Ling Family must have been managing this ind for years. Tsk tsk! Ling Chen secretly marveled; given this scenario, the northern Ling Family¡¯s loss was understandable. Compared to the northern Ling Family, the southern developed faster and more efficiently.


    Not far from the shore, several jeeps were parked. Since buildings were far from the shore, cars were essential transportation.


    Driving, Ling Chen headed straight for the cluster of buildings ahead. After a few hundred meters, nearing the buildings, sharp-eyed Ling Chen noticed several jeeps parked outside a two-story building, probably themand center.


    "Let¡¯s go, check it out, everyone stay alert," Ling Chen reminded.


    Soon, the jeeps parked outside the two-story building. Getting off, Ling Chen led everyone inside. Upon entering, the room was filled with equipment andputers, several staff were busy at theirputers. In the center of the room stood a strategic table, where a middle-aged man dressed like an officer was standing, unsure of what he was examining.


    Hearing footsteps at the door, the officer looked up, ncing at Ling Chen and others, then returned his gaze to the strategic table, "That cargo ship is all clear?"


    The inquiry was evidently routine, so Ling Chen simply replied with, "No issues."


    "Alright, there shouldn¡¯t be anything tonight; you all head back and rest; I¡¯ll notify you if needed."


    "Understood." Ling Chen replied, heading straight towards the officer. Noticing Ling Chen¡¯s move, the officer looked up, asking, "Anything else?"


    "Captain, I have a few questions I¡¯d like to ask you."

 Chapter 1374 - 1682: Island Assault (2)

    <h4>Chapter 1374: Chapter 1682: Ind Assault (2)</h4>


    "What¡¯s the problem?"


    "How many armed personnel does this base have, and what defense systems are inside the base?"


    Hearing this, themander¡¯s face suddenly changed, and he said in a deep voice, "Why are you asking about these things? These are not matters you should be concerned with."


    Ling Chen smiled slightly, "But I¡¯m very interested in the answers, so I would appreciate it if you would tell me honestly."


    "You are quite bold. Everyone, seize him for me." Themander coldly ordered. However, the crowd standing behind Ling Chen remained motionless, as if they hadn¡¯t heard hismand.


    Seeing this scene, themander¡¯s face instantly turned cold, frowning as he said, "What are you doing? Are you nning a rebellion?"


    Ling Chen took off the mask from his face, apologetically saying, "Sorry, we are not your subordinates, so there¡¯s no need to follow your orders." Having said that, Ling Chen waved his hand, and the people behind him immediately charged forward, controlling all the tech personnel and themander in the operations room.


    Themander struggled desperately, but his strength was far inferior to Yuan Yun¡¯s. Realizing the strength of his opponent, themander finally gave up resisting, looking coldly at Ling Chen, questioning, "Who are you people?"


    Ling Chen pointed at his own face, "You¡¯re from the southern Ling Family, don¡¯t you recognize me?"


    "You..." Themander carefully scrutinized Ling Chen¡¯s appearance, and suddenly, his expression changed, as if he realized something, he said, "You... you are..."


    Ling Chen smiled and nodded, "It seems you¡¯ve recognized me. If you don¡¯t want to suffer, you¡¯d best answer my earlier question obediently."


    Themander hesitated for a moment but ultimately chose life over loyalty. "There are three hundred and sixty people in the base, of which two hundred are armed personnel, and over a hundred are scientific research staff and workers."


    "Very good." Ling Chen patted themander¡¯s shoulder and said, "You¡¯ve made a wise choice." After speaking, Ling Chen walked to Hu Fei¡¯s side. At this moment, Hu Fei had already taken over theputer of the opponent¡¯s tech personnel and was examining the base¡¯s system and setup.


    "How¡¯s it going, have you found anything?"


    "There are two independent systems in this base. One is the outer defense system, including radar, torpedoes, and Hellfire Missiles. Any foreign vessel approaching the ind would be blown to bits by torpedoes and bombs. The other is the internal system, which has to be controlled from within the base; I can¡¯t invade it from here."


    "Shut down their defense systems, stop all defensive weapons. Also, help me locate the important positions in this base."


    "No problem." Hu Fei replied and his hands quickly struck the keyboard. In a short time, Hu Fei had found three important facilities in the base.


    "Look, here¡¯s the armory, this is the dormitory building where all armed personnel reside. It¡¯s deep at night now, other than routine patrolling personnel, the rest are resting. If we destroy these dormitory buildings, it will render most of the armed personnelbat ineffective." After a pause, Hu Fei continued, "The armory and dormitory building are my responsibility to handle. Your target is over here, theb. Ling Chen, you should be on alert; thisb is quite unlike any we¡¯ve seen before, its shape is very peculiar."


    "Peculiar?" Ling Chen asked in confusion, "What do you mean?"


    Hu Fei pulled up a diagram from theputer, and Ling Chen moved closer to the screen, asking, "What... what is this?"


    "This is theb."


    Upon hearing this, Ling Chen was taken aback, "Fatty, you¡¯re not mistaken, right? This thing is ab?" Honestly, at first nce, Ling Chen thought this was a giant eggshell. There was no alternative, as theb¡¯s shape was indeed like an ovoid eggshell, without a single window.


    "ording to the data I have here, thisb is about fifty meters high, equivalent to a ten-story building, upying hundreds of square meters. Because I¡¯m on an externalwork, I can¡¯t ess the internal diagrams of theb; you¡¯ll have to be cautious during the operation and make sure nothing goes wrong."


    Ling Chen nodded, "Don¡¯t worry, I understand." After his words, Ling Chen pointed at Zhu Qing and Qin Genglong behind him, saying, "You two stay here and protect Fatty, make sure nothing happens to him. Also, once things here are dealt with, make sure to find a ne or ship and arrange the withdrawal route."


    After giving instructions, Ling Chen took the others and drove straight to the location of theb. Theb was situated at the center of the ind; after driving the jeep for not too long, Ling Chen saw the peculiarly shapedb. From a distance, it really looked like an eggshell on the ground.


    Choosing a rtively safe spot, Ling Chen parked and picked up binocrs to observe theb. Just as Hu Fei had said, thisb was very unique, without a single window.


    "Is this really ab?" Xia Yue asked beside him, "This spooky ce doesn¡¯t even have a door, how are we supposed to get in?"


    Ling Chen shook his head, unsure of how to enter thisb either. For the moment, Ling Chen moved his binocrs downward, only to see more than twenty armed personnel patrolling back and forth outside theb, guarding its safety.


    "Hey! Fatty, are you receiving?"


    "Received."


    "We¡¯re in position, ready to move anytime."


    "OK!"


    As soon as Hu Fei¡¯s voice fell, several streaks of light appeared suddenly in the night sky, descending toward the ground. Suddenly, several loud ¡¯bang bang¡¯ sounds echoed, mes shot into the sky, and even the ground trembled slightly.


    Ling Chen picked up the binocrs and looked in the direction of the mes to see a warehouse already destroyed by the explosion, and besides the warehouse, several dormitory buildings had been demolished and crumbled, sending dust flying into the sky.


    "Fatty, nicely done." Ling Chen said with a smile. Hu Fei had already taken control of the base¡¯s defensive weapons, using Hellfire Missiles to demolish these ground structures was a mere trifle for him.


    Putting down the binocrs, Ling Chen turned to look at everyone, saying, "Most of the armed forces on the ind have been dealt with, now it¡¯s our turn."


    "Ling Cheng, look over there, someone ising out."


    Following Yuan Yun¡¯s pointing direction, theb¡¯s bottom suddenly opened a door. Subsequently, over ten armed personnel rushed out, spreading around theb and vigntly scanning the surroundings.


    "We¡¯ve found the entrance,e on, let¡¯s go together." After speaking, Ling Chen started the engine, driving the jeep rapidly toward theb.


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 1375 - 1683: Island Assault (Part 3)

    <h4>Chapter 1375: Chapter 1683: Ind Assault (Part 3)</h4>


    As the Jeep drew nearer, the armed personnel guarding around theboratory immediately reacted, forming a human wall along the Jeep¡¯s path, prepared to intercept it. However, just at that moment, several people stood up on the back seat of the Jeep, each holding a longbow.


    Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!


    Apanied by the piercing sound of arrows, seven or eight armed personnel were instantly shot and fell to the ground. Taking advantage of this moment, Ling Chen lightly stepped on the brakes, his hands turning the steering wheel. Instantly, the Jeep¡¯s body tilted sharply, drifting forward and knocking several armed personnel to the ground.


    As Ling Chenunched his offensive, Qiu Yong and others rushed over, and soon all the armed personnel outside theboratory were dealt with.


    "Done!" Ling Chen jumped out of the car, striding rapidly to theboratory¡¯s entrance, ready to open the door. But, before anyone could act, a fist-sized hole suddenly appeared in the middle of the door, followed by a gun barrel protruding from the hole, unleashing a burst of bullets outside.


    To avoid the bullet attack, everyone had no choice but to retreat to either side. However, this was only the beginning; around theboratory, multiple holes appeared one after another, each with a gun facing outside. Anyone attempting to approach theboratory would instantly be shot to pieces.


    "Quick, retreat, find cover." Ling Chen shouted loudly, while retreating back, taking shelter behind the body of the Jeep.


    "Son, what now?" Ling Kun said gravely.


    Ling Chen chuckled bitterly, having no idea at all. Thisboratory was like a fortress, with guns every half meter, making it impossible to approach, even for Heavenly List experts. Though their skills were formidable, they were still flesh and blood, unable to withstand the barrage of bullets, unless... unless they approached from above.


    Above... Suddenly, Ling Chen had a brainstorm, and his mind was instantly filled with ideas. Those outward-facing gun barrels could only move horizontally, unable to move up or down, so by avoiding their firing range, there was a chance to enter theboratory.


    Thinking of this, Ling Chen took off his backpack, finding a few smoke grenades inside, along with two suction cups. These suction cups were tools he had used to sneak onto a ship and had carried them with him in case of need.


    As several smoke grenades were tossed out, theboratory was soon surrounded by smoke. Taking advantage of this, Ling Chen crouched down, quickly approaching theboratory. As the smoke began to dissipate, Ling Chen had already dashed to the side of theboratory. Using the two suction cups, Ling Chen¡¯s hands adhered to the surface of theboratory, quickly climbing up, easily avoiding the firing range of those gun barrels.


    Before long, Ling Chen reached the top of theboratory. Securing the suction cups in ce, Ling Chen tapped on the surface of the ¡¯eggshell,¡¯ instantly hearing a nging sound, very crisp. This confirmed that this was definitely a solid steel wall. With Ling Chen¡¯s strength alone, there was no way he could break it. Additionally, each steel te junction was welded shut, making disassembling impossible.


    How to get in? Ling Chen couldn¡¯t help butin. The southern Ling Family people were truly extravagant, actually transforming thisboratory into a real iron fortress. If not using powerful weapons, it would be hard to damage the surface of theboratory.


    However, Hu Fei had already destroyed the arsenal, leaving no suitable weapon. Using a Hellfire Missile would likely demolish the entireboratory, resulting in too great a loss, more than they could bear. Ling Gengqiu¡¯s other body parts were definitely in thisboratory, and also the three hostages from the northern Ling Family, sorge-scale destructive weapons couldn¡¯t be used.


    What now?


    Frowning, Ling Chen pondered deeply, but had no ideas.


    "Son, how is it?" Hearing Ling Kun¡¯s voice from the earpiece, Ling Chen didn¡¯t think further, using the smoke grenades¡¯ cover to quickly return to the Jeep.


    "Dad, it seems we¡¯ll have to think of another n." Ling Chen said helplessly, "Thisboratory is no different from a fortress; we can¡¯t break through."


    "What to do then?"


    "Let¡¯s retreat first, with us guarding outside, they surely won¡¯t daree out. Anyway, we have plenty of time; we¡¯ll think of ways slowly."


    Ling Kun thought about it, nodded, and said, "Guess we have no choice."


    Immediately, Ling Chen conveyed the retreat order to everyone; apart from leaving a few to monitor theboratory¡¯s movement, the others retreated to the operation room.


    Upon learning of the situation, Hu Fei rubbed his head and said with annoyance, "That¡¯s quite a problem. If we can¡¯t take thatboratory, everything we¡¯ve done is meaningless."


    "This isn¡¯t the most troublesome," Ling Chen chimed in, "We originally nned to catch them off guard, to leave them unprepared. But now, they already know we¡¯re here and will definitely take measures. The key issue is, the hostages are still with them; they might use it to threaten us."


    "Damn!" Hu Fei cursed, saying, "I say, let¡¯s just blow up the entireboratory."


    Ling Chen shrugged, not continuing the conversation. Everyone knew clearly this wasn¡¯t possible, otherwise, they wouldn¡¯t be so worried.


    Suddenly, everyone fell silent, thinking of countermeasures. After a moment, Kaelina, who hadn¡¯t spoken, suddenly said, "Isn¡¯t theboratory shaped like an eggshell? Perhaps we can start from this point."


    Hearing this, Ling Chen asked, "Do you have a n?"


    "Not exactly a n, just a rough idea." Kaelina then shared her thoughts. After listening, everyone exchanged looks, unsure whether to agree.


    Ling Chen thought seriously, then suddenlyughed, saying, "I think this method is worth a try; we have no other ideas right now, maybe this could really work."


    "What about the hostages? If theye to harm..." Ling Tao began but was interrupted by Ling Chen, "Uncle Ling, I think you don¡¯t need to worry about that. Didn¡¯t you say that the northern Ling Family members are all experts? Being experts, surely their physical condition isn¡¯t bad. Besides, if they can be rescued, a few injuries are eptable, don¡¯t you think?"


    "Alright." Ling Tao nodded, saying, "Since you say so, I have no objection."


    "Good." Ling Chen stood up, "If everyone has no objections, let¡¯s rest for a bit and act in an hour."

 Chapter 1376 - 1684: Island Assault (4)

    <h4>Chapter 1376: Chapter 1684: Ind Assault (4)</h4>


    An hourter, Ling Chen and his team returned to the exterior of theboratory. Since they werest here, there had been no sign of activity inside. The people inside were likely relying on theboratory¡¯s security measures, believing that as long as they stayed inside, they would be safe.


    Ling Chen slowly approached the jeep, repeating his previous tactics by first using a smoke grenade to obscure the enemy¡¯s vision. Then, he used a suction cup to climb to the top of theboratory again. To execute Kaelina¡¯s n, Ling Chen hade fully equipped this time.


    Fastening himself to the top of theboratory, Ling Chen pulled out a chain gun, firing shot after shot along theboratory¡¯s edge. The base¡¯s equipment was veryplete, with dedicated areas for storing tools besides the arsenal. In no time, Ling Chen had fired over forty shots onto the surface of theboratory, with all the nails firmly embedded into the steel te, connected to chains on the back.


    It took more than half an hour for Ling Chen to secure over a hundred chains to the top of theboratory.


    "Dad, I¡¯m all set over here."


    "I¡¯m ready too." On the other side of theboratory¡¯s rooftop, Ling Kun put down his chain gun and slowly slid down.


    Retreating back to the jeep, Ling Chen tugged on the bundle of chains in his hand, wiping the sweat off his forehead. With over a hundred chains all gathered together, the weight was several hundred pounds. Fortunately, Ling Chen had a strong physique, able to withstand such a heavy load.


    At this moment, Qiu Yong and his team dragged over several chains thick as an arm, connecting them all together to form two long chains. About a dozen heavy trucks were parked a few dozen meters away from theboratory. The group dragged the chains to the back of the heavy trucks, hooking them onto pre-prepared docking hooks.


    "OK! Everything is ready." The group looked at Ling Chen and asked, "How about it, can we start?"


    Ling Chen nodded, gestured to the driver inside the heavy truck. Thetter immediately understood, and all at once, the dozen heavy trucks started up, pulling the two chains, heading in the same direction.


    Soon, the few hundred-pound chains were pulled tight, hanging in mid-air. However, despite the unified force of the dozen heavy trucks, the egg-shapedboratory remained unmoved, its presence unyielding. Witnessing this, a glimmer of disappointment appeared in everyone¡¯s eyes. They had expected Kaelina¡¯s n to work, but now it seemed that this method waspletely ineffective.


    "Ling Chen, it looks like this method won¡¯t work," Ling Kun sighed softly.


    Ling Chen smiled faintly, "Dad, don¡¯t rush, we¡¯re just getting started." With that, Ling Chen picked up the walkie-talkie and said, "Fatty, it¡¯s your turn."


    "Roger that."


    "Alright, everyone step back a little." Ling Chen directed the group, having them all hide behind cover. Everyone was puzzled by Ling Chen¡¯s actions, not knowing what he was nning. This method had clearly failed, yet was he going to keep at it?


    Just as everyone was filled with doubts, two streaks of fire appeared in the night sky. Upon seeing the rapidly approaching mes, someone finally reacted, eximing, "That is... a Hellfire Missile?"


    Qiu Yong turned to look at Ling Chen not far off, asking, "Ling Cheng, what are you doing? Do you intend to demolish the entireboratory?"


    "Big brother, no need to worry, I¡¯m not that reckless." As his words fell, two massive booms echoed from the sky. More than twenty meters away from theboratory, two Hellfire Bombs detonated instantly, with dazzling firelight bursting forth, forming a powerful shock wave that spread outward. The steel tes on the northern side of theboratory were all dented inward under the impact, and the entireboratory swayed slightly.


    Seeing the changes in theboratory, Ling Chen¡¯s gaze brightened. His idea was indeed right, but unfortunately, the shock wave was just a bit weak.


    Theboratory¡¯s contact area with the ground was several hundred square meters, definitely anchored by something below. To topple theboratory, relying solely on the dozen heavy trucks certainly wouldn¡¯t work. Therefore, Ling Chen utilized the Hellfire Missile¡¯s power, not directly hitting theboratory but detonating it near theboratory, using the explosion¡¯s shock wave to apply strong push force to theboratory.


    However, judging by the situation earlier, the impact of the two Hellfire Missiles was still insufficient to topple theboratory.


    "Fatty, try five Hellfire Missiles."


    Upon receiving Ling Chen¡¯smand, Hu Fei immediately fired five Hellfire Missiles. Shortly after, the missiles came from the sky, causing another round of explosions. This time, the powerful shock wave was more than twice as strong, instantly lifting half of theboratory¡¯s foundation, causing theboratory to tilt.


    Seizing the opportunity, the dozen heavy trucks exerted their strength, pulling on the chains. With the strong pull from the heavy trucks, the incline of theboratory increased. As the eggshell lost its bnce, a loud ¡¯bang¡¯ sounded, and the wholeboratory mmed heavily onto the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust. The impact was so intense that the shape of theboratory changed.


    "Charge!" Upon witnessing the scene, Ling Chen no longer hesitated, rushing forward quickly. Simultaneously, everyone else followed closely, sticking to theboratory¡¯s edge.


    Although theboratory had fallen, the exterior steel tes remained intact. Therefore, to enter theboratory, the outer steel tes had to be removed.


    Ling Chen had already prepared for this. Two cutting machines lined up along the seams of the steel tes, slowly slicing them away. Shortly, a steel te fell off, revealing a thickyer of soundproof cotton and a steel frame. Peeling away the soundproof cotton, the innermostyer was a rather thin steel te, which Ling Chen effortlessly kicked out with just two kicks.


    Sessfully entering theboratory, Ling Chen scanned his surroundings, searching for enemy positions. Due to the copse of theboratory, the resulting shock knocked many people unconscious, with some still dazed and not yet fully awake. Soon, they neutralized all armed personnel who had lost the ability to fight.


    Aside from more than twenty armed personnel, there were over sixty scientific researchers in theboratory. Ling Chen looked around, quickly finding a few culture dishes containing Ling Gengqiu¡¯s two severed arms and one leg. Fortunately, the culture dishes were sturdy, remaining intact despite the collision.


    Exhaling a breath, Ling Chen immediately ordered people to transport the three culture dishes out. These items were one of his mission objectives, and they mustn¡¯t be lost.


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 Chapter 1377 - 1685: Island Assault (5)

    <h4>Chapter 1377: Chapter 1685: Ind Assault (5)</h4>


    "Ling Chen."


    Hearing Yuan Yun¡¯s voice, Ling Chen turned his head and asked, "Third Brother, what¡¯s up?"


    "We¡¯ve found them. The three hostages from the Northern Ling Family are all locked in theboratory. Your dad and Ling Tao have already rescued them."


    Ling Chen nodded and said, "Then our mission is almostplete." Pausing, he shifted his tone and asked, "By the way! Didn¡¯t you find those experts from the Southern Ling Family?"


    "Not yet, but from the previous situation, it¡¯s likely that the Southern Ling Family¡¯s experts aren¡¯t on this ind."


    Ling Chen frowned slightly. They weren¡¯t here. For this mission, he specially called up Chen Junfeng, Ji Gang, and included Ling Kun, three Heavenly List experts, which was enough to deal with the two Heavenly List experts from the Southern Ling Family. Didn¡¯t expect they weren¡¯t here.


    "Then what about the people from the Southern Ling Family? Did you find any?"


    "We found four. They¡¯re the ones in charge of thisboratory. Those guys have some skills and tried to resist when they encountered us, but with us brothers taking action, they had no chance to escape."


    "Alright, first take control of the entireboratory. The core figures of the Southern Ling Family are probably on that submarine. With such a big incident happening at the base, they must have notified their people, and that submarine might be heading this way. In any case, have everyone be prepared, and be wary of sneak attacks from the enemy."


    When arriving at theboratory hall, Ling Kun and Ling Tao were present, along with three elders. Ling Chen had seen them on surveince footage and knew they were high-ranking figures in the Northern Ling Family, but he hadn¡¯t met them in person.


    "Ling Chen,e here quickly, let me introduce them to you." Ling Tao waved at Ling Chen, pointing to one of the elders, who was 1.7 meters tall with gray hair and wrinkles all over his face, "This is the Family Head I¡¯ve told you about, Ling Haitian." Ling Tao paused and then pointed to the other two elders, "These two are Ling Gao and Ling Jun, both are the Family Head¡¯s deputies, core people of the Northern Ling Family."


    "Family Head, to have sessfully rescued you and destroyed the base of the Southern Ling Family, we truly owe it to Ling Chen, we really should thank him."


    Ling Haitian nodded, about to speak. But before he could say anything, Ling Jun interjected ndly, "Why thank him? He¡¯s someone we, the Northern Ling Family, have nurtured. It¡¯s right for him to serve the Northern Ling Family."


    Hearing this, the smile on Ling Tao¡¯s face became somewhat awkward, fully aware of Ling Chen¡¯s attitude and stance on the rtionship between both sides. Ling Chen shrugged and didn¡¯t take Ling Jun¡¯s words to heart. He was prepared for this, and besides, he couldn¡¯t deny the Northern Ling Family¡¯s contributions to him. However, he wouldn¡¯t agree if everything he achieved now was attributed entirely to the Northern Ling Family.


    Though the Northern Ling Family nurtured him, much of his current achievements were due to his own effort. Moreover, in Ling Chen¡¯s eyes, his greatest achievement wasn¡¯t building a massive power, but befriending many like-minded people. Like Tong Zhentian, the Eight Oddities, Chen Junfeng... these friendships were the true treasure he possessed.


    "Uncle Ling, you should take the Family Head and the others back, I¡¯ll arrange for a ne."


    "You¡¯re noting with us?"


    "The Southern Ling Family¡¯s people should be on their way here. Since they¡¯reing, we must settle this."


    Ling Tao nodded slightly and said, "Good. Once the Southern Ling Family is eliminated, the Northern Ling Family will no longer be threatened." After saying that, Ling Tao turned to Ling Haitian beside him, "Family Head, I¡¯ll first escort you off the ind."


    Ling Haitian smiled and said, "Ling Tao, even though I¡¯m getting old, I¡¯m not that old yet. Today is an important day for the Northern Ling Family, and as the Family Head, I must participate. Alright, don¡¯t try to persuade me. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity; I¡¯ve waited too many years for this day. No matter what, I must ensure that the Southern Ling Family disappearspletely."


    Seeing that Ling Haitian wouldn¡¯t leave, Ling Tao had no other choice. As a member of the Northern Ling Family, he must obey the Family Head¡¯s orders.


    "Ling Chen."


    Hearing Ling Haitian call his name, Ling Chen promptly responded, "What does the Family Head need?"


    "You are the main force this time; all movements and arrangements are entrusted to you. I hope you won¡¯t let me down."


    "Rest assured, Family Head, I¡¯ll do my best."


    Ling Haitian shook his head and said, "I don¡¯t want you to do your best; I want sess. Do you understand what I mean?"


    "Understood," Ling Chen replied faintly, afraid that Ling Haitian would say more, and quickly turned and walked out. This Family Head really took himself too seriously, speaking with such amanding tone. Frankly, Ling Chen felt a bit annoyed. If not for giving face to Ling Kun and Ling Tao, he wouldn¡¯t bother dealing with this so-called Family Head.


    Leaving theboratory, Ling Chen led the group straight to the operations room. Besides their group, Ling Chen also specifically took Ling Gengqiu¡¯s body parts with them. Joking aside, he had spent so much effort just to find these body parts, he didn¡¯t want to leave them by Ling Haitian¡¯s side.


    "Fatty, arrange for two people to take these culture dishes back by ne first." There¡¯s an airstrip on the ind, plus two small nes, very convenient.


    "No problem."


    Once Hu Fei arranged the nes, Kaelina, sitting in front of theputer, suddenly took off her headphones and said, "Ling Chen, I just receivedmunication from that submarine."


    "What did they say?"


    "They¡¯re asking about the status of the base. How should I respond?"


    Ling Chen thought for a moment and said, "Didn¡¯t we capture a few of the Southern Ling Family¡¯s people at theb? Bring them over."


    Soon, four middle-aged men were brought to the operations room. Ling Chen nced at them and said, "We just received a signal from the submarine; they want tomunicate with people on the ind. I hope one of you will step forward to help me respond to the people on the submarine. I assure you, whoever is willing to help, not only will I spare your life, but I¡¯ll also provide you with arge sum of money, ensuring you live a life of ease for the rest of your days. Remember! There is only one slot, so you¡¯d better be proactive, or someone else might take the opportunity."


    Upon hearing this, the four middle-aged men exchanged nces, with none stepping forward.


    "Ling Chen, don¡¯t waste your time trying to tempt us. We, from the Southern Ling Family, will never betray our own, so I advise you to give up on that idea," one middle-aged man said coldly.

 Chapter 1378 - 1686: Discord

    <h4>Chapter 1378: Chapter 1686: Discord</h4>


    "Really?" Ling Chen¡¯s lips curled slightly, watching the other party with a half-smile, and said, "I admire your loyalty. Since you refuse to betray the Southern Ling Family, I respect your choice." As the words fell, Ling Chen¡¯s right hand suddenly reached for his waist. Before the four middle-aged men realized what was happening, a gush of blood suddenly spurted out, sttering onto the ground.


    Upon closer inspection, the middle-aged man standing farthest to the left was clutching his throat, asionally emitting ¡¯ugh ugh¡¯ sounds. Blood streamed through his fingers and quickly stained his clothes.


    After holding on for a few seconds, the middle-aged man¡¯s body swayed slightly and fell directly to the ground, lifeless.


    Seeing theirpanion die, the other three middle-aged men froze for a moment, a sh of fear in their eyes. At this time, Ling Chen had turned his gaze to another person. Feeling Ling Chen¡¯s indifferent smile at the corner of his mouth, the middle-aged man involuntarily stepped back, stammering, "You... what do you want to do?"


    Ling Chen shrugged and said, "Nothing. Since you don¡¯t want to help me, you have no value to continue existing. I usually destroy things that have no value."


    "No, no... you..."


    "I¡¯ll help, I¡¯ll help you." Suddenly, a middle-aged man stepped forward, speaking in a trembling voice.


    "Ling Geng, what are you doing?" Seeing apanion agree to help, the other two middle-aged men immediately scolded, "Don¡¯t forget, you¡¯re part of the Southern Ling Family, even if it means dying, do not betray the Ling Family."


    Ling Chen smiled slightly, "Gentlemen, I don¡¯t see it that way. Instead, I think he¡¯s quite smart because he¡¯s someone who values life." After speaking, Ling Chen didn¡¯t wait for them to speak again and waved, signaling Yuan Yun to drag the remaining two middle-aged men out.


    "Follow me." Ling Chen led the middle-aged man named Ling Geng to the control panel and said, "I need you to report to the people on the submarine, tell them that the situation on the ind is under control, and request their reinforcement. You¡¯re a smart person; you¡¯d better do smart things. Otherwise, your end will be miserable, understand?"


    Ling Geng nodded, picked up the earphones, and contacted the people on the submarine. Ling Chen walked to the side, put on headphones, and listened carefully to the conversation between Ling Geng and the other side. Ling Geng¡¯s performance was decent, without any out-of-line behavior.


    After about a minute, the submarine cut offmunication. Ling Chen put down his phone, smiling and saying, "Very good, you are indeed a smart person. Rest assured, I won¡¯t go back on my promise."


    After taking Ling Geng outside, Ling Chen walked beside Hu Fei and asked, "Can you track the location of that submarine?"


    "The position isn¡¯t very urate, error within two kilometers."


    "It¡¯s okay, as long as we have a rough direction and distance."


    "If I¡¯m not mistaken, the submarine is about thirty kilometers from us, and if they sail at full speed, they¡¯ll soon reach the ind."


    "Good, notify everyone to prepare for battle. Fatty, keep an eye on the sea, as soon as that submarine surfaces, don¡¯t hold back, seize the opportunity and bomb them directly."


    "Got it."


    Time passed second by second, and all they could do was wait. After ten minutes, Ling Chen finally heard the news from Hu Fei, "They¡¯ve arrived, right on the eastern sea, surfacing now."


    Upon hearing this, Ling Chen immediately shouted, "Send them to the bottom of the sea." After speaking, Ling Chen quickly climbed up a nearby watchtower, picked up his binocrs, and looked towards the eastern side of the ind. Under the thick night, a vague object seemed to be floating on the sea. Due to the distance, Ling Chen couldn¡¯t see it clearly. However, based on the information from Hu Fei, it could be confirmed that it was the Southern Ling Family¡¯s submarine.


    At this time, several streams of fire shot up from the ind, drawing beautiful arcs straight towards the sea. A few secondster, a dazzling sh appeared in Ling Chen¡¯s binocrs, apanied by an earth-shattering explosion.


    After a few minutes, all that was left on the sea was the zing fire; nothing else.


    "Haha!" Soon, Hu Fei¡¯s excitedughter came through the earphones, "Ling Chen, how did I do? Sent them straight to hell."


    "Nicely done." Ling Chen put away the binocrs and smiled, "Alright, the submarine has been sunk, everyone can stand down. Fatty, pack up and prepare to evacuate."


    "Understood."


    Returning to theb, Ling Chen first went to see Ling Haitian and reported thetest situation to him.


    After hearing Ling Chen¡¯s report, Ling Haitian seemed very excited, "Are you sure the submarine was sunk?"


    "Absolutely," Ling Chen nodded and said, "You should have all heard the explosion, at that level of explosion, no one could survive."


    "Good, very good. We¡¯ve finally wiped out the Southern Ling Family after fighting for so many years. Ling Chen, well done, you were a great credit to this operation; when I return, I will certainly reward you handsomely."


    Ling Chen gave a faint smile, "No need for a reward, this is what I should do."


    Ling Jun spoke up from the side, "You have this awareness, we didn¡¯t waste so much effort in training you." After speaking, Ling Jun turned to Ling Haitian and said, "Family Head, since the Southern Ling Family is extinguished, we should go back; there¡¯s still much work to be done rebuilding the Northern Ling Family."


    "You¡¯re right, let¡¯s go."


    Before long, everyone arrived at a small hangar by car. At this moment, Hu Fei and the rest were ready and could depart at any time. However, because there¡¯s only one small passenger ne left, which can only amodate fifteen people at a time, they must fly two rounds.


    "Family Head, please board the ne."


    As Ling Haitian boarded the ne, Ling Tao and others followed closely behind. However, when Hu Fei and his group prepared to board the ne, they were stopped by Ling Jun.


    "You take the next flight."


    Upon hearing this, Hu Fei¡¯s face became ugly, "What do you mean? This ne can clearly seat fifteen people."


    Ling Jun replied coldly, "We are the high management of the Northern Ling Family, and have important matters to discuss, no outsiders allowed."


    "You..."


    Before Hu Fei could explode, Ling Jun turned his gaze to Ling Chen and said solemnly, "Keep your subordinates in check, they have no sense of decorum." After speaking, Ling Jun pointed to Kaelina and Zhu Qing in the crowd, "Bring these two up to serve the Family Head."


    Ling Chen raised an eyebrow, he could ignore Hu Fei¡¯s matter, but seeing Ling Jun asking Kaelina and Zhu Qing to serve them was a bit excessive.


    Darn it! Really treating his friends like they¡¯re servants of the Northern Ling Family.

 Chapter 1379 - 1687: North-South War (Part 1)

    <h4>Chapter 1379: Chapter 1687: North-South War (Part 1)</h4>


    "Ling..." Ling Chen opened his mouth, about to speak, when suddenly a loud shout came from behind: "Watch out! Someone is ambushing us!"


    Ambush? Everyone was momentarily stunned, and quickly turned to look behind them. Immediately, they saw two shadows rapidly approaching from the rear. Several members of the Divine Arrow Team, caught off guard, were instantly knocked to the ground, blood spraying everywhere.


    "Ling Chen, be careful!" Chen Junfeng shouted from the side, suddenly rushing over. He pushed Ling Chen aside, then swung his fist towards the front.


    At once, there was a muffled sound of ¡¯boom¡¯, as one shadow was forcefully driven back by Chen Junfeng¡¯s punch. When the two shadows came to a stop, Ling Chen¡¯s expression changed slightly. Damn! It turned out to be people from the Southern Ling Family. Judging by their strength, they should all be Heavenly List experts.


    Weren¡¯t the Southern Ling Family¡¯s people supposed to have sunk to the bottom of the sea with that submarine? Why are they still alive?


    "Ling Chen." An elderly man on the opposite side looked at Ling Chen coldly and sneered, "Did you really think we would fall for your trick? You¡¯re not the only one who¡¯s cautious. That submarine was just to draw your attention. We had alreadynded on the ind from the other side with intable boats."


    As he spoke, more than thirty people gradually appeared from behind the small hangar.


    Seeing so many people from the Southern Ling Family appear, Ling Chen¡¯s brow furrowed slightly. He hadn¡¯t expected to be fooled by them. Before, he was still wondering why it was so easy to deal with all the Southern Ling Family¡¯s people, which seemed unbelievable. Now it seems, they were not as easy to deal with as he had imagined.


    He was very cautious, but the Southern Ling Family¡¯s people were even more so.


    At this moment, the people on the ne had all disembarked. Leading the way was Ling Haitian, who said in a deep voice, "Ling Ao, Ling Feng, I didn¡¯t expect you guys to still be alive."


    "Ling Haitian, aren¡¯t you an old man still alive too? I really regret it now. I should have just killed you sooner, instead of letting you live this long." A voice came, and everyone¡¯s gaze focused on the person. The man was a very old elderly man, slightly hunched, his face full of wrinkles and age spots, looking like he was a hundred years old.


    Seeing the man step out from behind Ling Ao and Ling Feng, Ling Haitian¡¯s expression darkened, "Ling Jian, you really have a long life. Over a hundred years old and still not dead." As he spoke, Ling Haitian nced at Ling Chen beside him, a trace of reproach in his eyes.


    Ling Chen shrugged indifferently. He understood Ling Haitian¡¯s implied meaning, but how could he be med? Who knew the Southern Ling Family¡¯s people were so cautious, sacrificing a submarine just to distract them?


    "Ling Chen, kill them for me, don¡¯t let a single one escape." Ling Haitian ordered coldly.


    Ling Ao and Ling Feng, these two elders were the backbone of the Southern Ling Family, two Heavenly List experts. However, the one Ling Chen couldn¡¯t figure out was that Ling Jian, despite being over a hundred years old and looking feeble and unable to truss a chicken, somehow gave Ling Chen an extremely dangerous feeling. ording to Ling Kun and others, the Southern Ling Family¡¯s head, like Ling Haitian, was an Earthly List expert, hardly a threat.


    Forget it! No need to overthink it, as long as Ling Ao and Ling Feng are dealt with, the Southern Ling Family will surely be defeated. With this thought, Ling Chen signaled to Chen Junfeng. Understanding his hint, Chen Junfeng immediately started moving towards Ling Ao. At the same time, Ling Kun took on the other Heavenly List expert, Ling Feng.


    "Big brother,e with me to clean up the rest." Ling Chen said.


    Qiu Yong nodded, without saying a word, and charged straight towards the people behind. Yuan Yun and the others followed closely, as the Eight Odditiesunched their attack.


    Against the onught from Chen Junfeng and Ling Kun, Ling Ao and Ling Feng appeared calm andposed, easily deflecting every move. A battle between Heavenly List experts can hardly be decided quickly, so the main focus still lies with Ling Chen and the others. As long as they eliminate all the Southern Ling Family¡¯s experts, they will have arge part of their team free to deal with Ling Ao and Ling Feng. No matter how strong Ling Ao and the others are, facing two Heavenly List experts and a group of Earthly List experts, they are bound to lose.


    The attack from the Eight Oddities was extremely fierce. With just one encounter, three or four members of the Southern Ling Family had fallen. However, it must be acknowledged that the people the Southern Ling Family brought were all elites. Besides a group of Dragon List experts, they also had seven or eight Earthly List experts, which was indeed the true foundation of the Southern Ling Family.


    In no time, Ling Chen¡¯s and his group¡¯s assault was blocked. The person fighting Ling Chen was a middle-aged man, whose strength was formidable, enough to rank in the top three of the Earthly List. If it were before, Ling Chen might not have been a match. But with his efforts and guidance from Ling Gengqiu over this period, Ling Chen¡¯s strength had improved rapidly. Of course, the most critical factor was Tang Shiyun. Without Tang Shiyun¡¯s voluntary offering, his progress in the Prajnaparamita Sutra wouldn¡¯t have been significant.


    "Heaven and Earth Reversal!"


    With the idea of ending the battle swiftly, Ling Chen didn¡¯t waste time with his opponent and directly executed the ultimate move of the Nine Yang Qiankun Step. Instantly, Ling Chen¡¯s body split into three afterimages, moving at extreme speed in front of his opponent, making it impossible to distinguish between the real and the illusory.


    Just as the opponent was overwhelmed, one afterimage abruptly rushed forward, crashing into the opponent¡¯s body forcefully.


    Immediately, a mouthful of blood was spat out as the middle-aged man¡¯s body was directly knocked flying. Before the opponent couldnd, there was a sharp ¡¯whoosh¡¯, and a sharp arrow suddenly shot forward, piercing through his vital spot instantly.


    ncing at Zhang Zhongfeng holding the longbow beside him, Ling Chen returned a smile. With Zhang Zhongfeng controlling the overall situation at the side, no one could withstand their onught. Whenever someone was in danger or needed help, one or two arrows from Zhang Zhongfeng would solve the problem.


    Soon after, the remaining Southern Ling Family members had been mostly cleared by the Eight Oddities, with only a few Earthly List experts still stubbornly resisting. However, given the formidable nature of the Eight Oddities, their defeat was only a matter of time.


    However, just at this moment, a shadow suddenly burst forth, charging swiftly towards Yuan Yun. Before Yuan Yun could react, there was a loud shout, and Yuan Yun¡¯s body suddenly flew up, crashing heavily into the oil barrel beside him.


    Puff!


    Seeing the blood spat from Yuan Yun¡¯s mouth, Ling Chen and the others¡¯ expressions changed dramatically, eximing in shock, "Who is it?"


    As soon as the words fell, Ling Chen suddenly perceived a blur in front of him, followed by a strong sense of crisis surging from his heart. Not good! Ling Chen¡¯s pupils narrowed, hastily retreating backwards. Although he retreated less than half a meter, this action allowed him to narrowly escape disaster, as a sharp palm wind struck the air, missing his face by just a few centimeters.

 Chapter 1380 - 1688: The Great Battle Between North and South (Part 2)

    <h4>Chapter 1380: Chapter 1688: The Great Battle Between North and South (Part 2)</h4>


    At this moment, Xu Ming and Qiu Yong had already reacted and quickly rushed to Ling Chen¡¯s front, their fists striking towards the opponent. However, the person¡¯s speed was faster. Before the attack could approach, the opponent had already retreated, avoiding the two¡¯s offensive.


    Once the opponent had steadied himself, Ling Chen finally saw clearly the person¡¯s appearance. Ling Jian! Ling Chen¡¯s gaze sharpened, as expected, this Ling Jian was extraordinary. From the strength he had just disyed, this person was undoubtedly a Heavenly List expert.


    Three Heavenly List experts... at this moment, Ling Chen finally felt the pressure.


    It was apparent that Ling Jian aimed to eliminate their group. With Ling Jian¡¯s strength, if Ling Chen and the others were caught unprepared, achieving that would not be difficult. Last time when besieging Su He and Qin Chuan, although they could jointly kill Qin Chuan, it was because everyone had already arranged tactics, just waiting for the fish to take the bait. But this time was different, Yuan Yun was wounded, the truebat strength consisted of only Qiu Yong, Xu Ming, Ling Chen, Zhang Zhongfeng, and Xia Yue; Yang Chen and Wei Jiahao needed to look after Yuan Yun, and besides, their strength wasn¡¯t suitable for joining the fight.


    Seeing Qiu Yong and the others slowly encircling, Ling Jian sneered coldly, not taking any of those present seriously at all.


    Taking this opportunity, Ling Chen nced at the others; Zhu Qing and Qin Genglong were suppressing the Southern Ling Family¡¯s Earthly List experts, keeping them upied and unable to interfere with the battle here. Five Earthly List experts against one Heavenly List expert, honestly, Ling Chen didn¡¯t feel very confident.


    But regardless, the arrow was on the string, and they had to shoot; they must withstand Ling Jian¡¯s offensive to buy time for the others. In a sh of thought, Qiu Yong lightly tapped his toe, swiftly rushing towards Ling Jian.


    Seeing Qiu Yong engage, Ling Chen and the others followed closely. Without verbal or eyemunication, everyone already understood the tactics. Qiu Yong practiced cross training, with strong defensive power in his body, so he stood against Ling Jian from the front. Xu Ming¡¯s strength was the strongest among them, tasked with restraining Ling Jian, relieving part of Qiu Yong¡¯s pressure. Besides, Ling Chen, Zhang Zhongfeng, and Xia Yue were responsible for leading the attack.


    Facing Qiu Yong and the others¡¯ strategic allocation, Ling Jian sneered coldly, his gaze disdainful, not putting Ling Chen¡¯s attack in his eyes. If there was anything that posed a bit of a threat, it was probably only Zhang Zhongfeng. Zhang Zhongfeng¡¯s archery was indisputable; as long as one arrow hit, it would be a deadly threat to Ling Jian. So, besides dealing with Ling Chen and the others, Ling Jian always diverted some attention to Zhang Zhongfeng, evading his arrows.


    After a brief exchange, Ling Chen finally had a general understanding of Ling Jian¡¯s strength. Though Ling Jian was a Heavenly List expert, his time on the Heavenly List shouldn¡¯t be long. During his times at Dragon Tiger Hall, Ling Chen had sparred with Chen Junfeng and Tong Zhentian multiple times. Chen Junfeng and Tong Zhentian, as long-established Heavenly List experts, exuded a powerful presence when battling them. Without a move, just that presence was enough for Ling Chen to lose half. However, when facing Ling Jian, Ling Chen did not feel that.


    It was evident that Ling Jian¡¯s strength was much lesser than Tong Zhentian.


    At this moment, during the attack, Ling Chen nced at Ling Haitian and the others not far away, just seeing them standing by the airne, watching the battle, with no intention of intervening. Seeing this, Ling Chen couldn¡¯t help but feel a bit irritated. Damn! At a time like this, they still have the mind to watch the fight on the side, don¡¯t they know toe and help?


    Ling Chen had heard from Ling Kun that the Northern Ling Family had two Heavenly List experts. Besides Ling Kun, another one was Ling Jun. Additionally, the elder named Ling Gao was also an Earthly List expert, with strength simr to Xu Ming¡¯s, already touching the threshold of a Heavenly List expert. As long as they helped, the Southern Ling Family¡¯s people wouldn¡¯t be able to resist.


    "What are you guys doing standing there." Ling Chen said coldly: "Help out quickly."


    Upon hearing Ling Chen¡¯s shout, Ling Gao and Ling Jun both turned their gaze towards Ling Haitian, waiting for hismand.


    Ling Haitian pondered for a moment and spoke: "Ling Gao, go help them; Ling Jun stays by my side."


    "Yes." Ling Gao responded, immediately joining the battlefield to help Ling Chen encircle Ling Jian. With Ling Gao¡¯s added strength, Ling Chen felt much relieved.


    "Why isn¡¯t Ling Juning to help?" Ling Chen asked. If Ling Jun intervened, with their strength, they could easily take care of Ling Jian.


    Ling Gao replied nonchntly: "It¡¯s too chaotic here; Ling Jun needs to be responsible for protecting the Family Head¡¯s safety."


    Damn!


    Hearing this, Ling Chen couldn¡¯t help but curse inwardly. That Ling Haitian was really something, everyone else was risking their lives for him, yet he only cared about his own safety, not considering others at all. Despite the curses, no matter how much dissatisfaction was in his heart, Ling Chen could only bear it for now, settling ounts after dealing with this situation.


    Facing the fierce attacks from Ling Chen, Xia Yue, and Ling Gao, Ling Jian began to struggle, slowly retreating backward. However, Xu Ming was constantly looking for opportunities from behind, asionallyunching surprise attacks that gave Ling Jian a headache.


    "Stand aside, let me." At this moment, Ling Chen shouted loudly, his speed suddenly increasing, rushing directly at Ling Jian, his steel fist aiming straight at the opponent¡¯s face. Upon hearing Ling Chen¡¯s shout, Qiu Yong and Ling Gao both moved aside to avoid hindering Ling Chen¡¯s move.


    As Ling Chen closed in, Ling Jian sneered disdainfully. Truly courting death, daring to match himself in strength. Immediately, Ling Jian¡¯s palm turned, directly meeting Ling Chen¡¯s steel fist. As the fist and palm were about to collide, Ling Chen abruptly stopped his advance, swiftly moving aside.


    At the same time, a figure darted out from behind Ling Chen, supplementing the previous attack position.


    This sudden change made Ling Jian slightly flinch. At this moment, both had already charged in too close, retreating was toote. Seeing this, Ling Jian gritted his teeth, inner strength gathered, striking fiercely.


    Suddenly, the spectators only saw two figures swiftly approach, followed by one of them suddenly flying out, heavilynding on the ground.


    "Family Head!"


    Seeing Ling Jian copsed on the ground, engaged inbat, Ling Ao and Ling Feng couldn¡¯t help but be shocked. How was this possible? Ling Jian was a Heavenly List expert; who could punch him flying? After a brief stupor, everyone turned their gaze to the one who struck.


    Ji Gang?


    Soon, the people of the Southern Ling Family identified the opponent¡¯s identity, unexpectedly discovering another hidden Heavenly List expert.


    "Haha!"


    Ling Chenughed loudly, patting Ji Gang¡¯s shoulder, looking at Ling Jian slowly climbing up from the ground, saying: "You¡¯re not the only one capable of hiding strength."

 Chapter 1381 - 1689: The Great War Between North and South (Part 3)

    <h4>Chapter 1381: Chapter 1689: The Great War Between North and South (Part 3)</h4>


    From the start of the battle, Ling Chen hadn¡¯t let Ji Gang show himself, precisely to achieve an element of surprise. The original n was for Ji Gang tounch a sudden attack, helping Ling Kun and Chen Junfeng to deal with the two Heavenly List experts of the southern Ling Family. Who would have thought Ling Jian was also a Heavenly List expert? So, Ling Chen had no choice but to let Ji Gang take care of Ling Jian first.


    Now, Ling Jian was already seriously injured. Even if Ji Gang didn¡¯t act, he wouldn¡¯t be a match for Xu Ming and the others. Ling Jian clearly realized this too, as he retreated with a grim expression. Seeing the unfavorable situation, Ling Ao and Ling Feng quickly withdrew from the fight, rushed to Ling Jian¡¯s side, and guarded the family head behind them, warily watching the others.


    At this moment, Qin Genglong and Zhu Qing walked over. The Earthly List experts of the southern Ling Family and those small fry had already been dealt with by them. As long as these three were eliminated, the southern Ling Family would forever be history.


    "Ling Chen, what are you standing there for? Hurry up and kill them!" Ling Haitian shouted lightly from not far away.


    Ling Chen didn¡¯t even look at the other side, acting as if he hadn¡¯t heard anything, and simply walked towards Ling Jian, saying, "Ling Family Master, surrender. You have no chance left."


    "Surrender?" Ling Jian snorted, "Ling Chen, do you think I lost? No, you¡¯re wrong. In my eyes, I will never lose." After saying this, Ling Jian suddenly roared, "What are you waiting for? Move!"


    As his words fell, while everyone was feeling puzzled, noise suddenly came from Ling Haitian¡¯s direction. Ling Chen turned his head to see Ling Gao holding Ling Haitian¡¯s neck, a sharp dagger poised at Ling Haitian¡¯s vital point.


    This sudden change left everyone present stunned.


    "Ling Gao, what are you doing?" Ling Jun shouted from the side, "Put the knife down immediately." Saying this, Ling Jun was about to rush over.


    "Stop!" Ling Gao said coldly, "If you don¡¯t want him dead, stand still. If anyone dares to take a step forward, I¡¯ll kill him immediately."


    Ling Chen looked at Ling Gao and said with a faint smile, "So, you¡¯re the traitor within the northern Ling Family. I was wondering who exposed the northern Ling Family¡¯s secret base. It could have been you, Ling Jun, or Ling Tao. I thought it would be Ling Jun, but I didn¡¯t expect it to be you."


    Ling Gao sneered, "Even if you know, what can you do about it? What can you do to me now?"


    Ling Chen shrugged, "I can¡¯t do anything to you, so... what do you want?"


    "What do you think?" Ling Jian interjected from not far away, "I told you, we will never lose. Victory is always on our side. Today, we just happen to eliminate all of you northern Ling Family people."


    "Why?" Ling Haitian gritted his teeth, "Why betray me?"


    "Hmph! You have the nerve to ask why. Ling Jun and I both serve as your deputies and have been dedicated to the northern Ling Family. But you? You only value Ling Jun because he¡¯s a Heavenly List expert, giving him all the benefits while leaving all the dirty, tiring work to me. Ling Haitian, have you considered my feelings?"


    "Is this why you betrayed me?"


    "I know the ins and outs of the northern Ling Family. Following you, the northern Ling Family will never defeat the southern Ling Family. Do you know why? Because you¡¯re too greedy. The northern Ling Family has amunal ount. It¡¯s the collective funds of the northern Ling Family. You, as the family head, instead of strengthening the northern Ling Family, only know how to indulge yourself. Tell me, how much money have you embezzled from the ount? And Ling Jun, you two treat the northern Ling Family¡¯smunal ount like your private bank, taking as much as you want, yet I¡¯m not allowed to do the same. Do you think this is fair to me? Later, Ling Jian approached me, promising that once the southern Ling Family united, I could have whatever I wanted. Ling Haitian, that¡¯s the difference, understand?"


    Hearing this, Ling Jun shouted angrily, "Ling Gao, what nonsense are you spouting."


    "Am I spouting nonsense or are you just guilty?"


    "You..."


    "Enough!" Ling Jian said coldly, "No need to waste words with them, kill them all, leave no one alive."


    Ling Chen¡¯s lips curled into a slight smile, and he said, "I should be the one saying that. Sir Chen, no need to be courteous to them, finish them all."


    "You dare." Ling Gao shouted, "Ling Chen, you¡¯d better not move, otherwise, I¡¯ll kill him immediately."


    Ling Chen touched his nose indifferently and said, "If you want to kill, kill him. What¡¯s it got to do with me? Do you think I care about his life?"


    Ling Chen¡¯s words left Ling Jian and the others dumbfounded.


    "Ling Chen, you¡¯re part of the northern Ling Family, aren¡¯t you..."


    "Who told you I was part of the northern Ling Family? My dad is, but I¡¯m not. Besides, even if I were, I wouldn¡¯t risk my life for people like you. To me, it doesn¡¯t matter who among you wins; it doesn¡¯t mean anything to me. I only care about my own interests."


    "Alright." Ling Jian said, "If you leave with your people, I won¡¯t hold it against you, and I won¡¯t trouble you in the future. How about it?"


    Ling Chen smiled and said, "That¡¯s a decent offer, but... I still have a few things unfinished. Back then, Nanrong Yuan was killed by your people, and there¡¯s also Miss Lin Yiyi. If you hand over the culprit to me, I¡¯ll leave immediately."


    "The culprit?" Ling Jian¡¯s expression changed, looking at Ling Chen with cold eyes, "It seems we can¡¯t agree because I¡¯m the one who killed Lin Yiyi."


    "Is that so? That¡¯s a pity." Ling Chen sighed softly, "It seems this final battle is unavoidable."


    "Ling Chen, we still have three Heavenly List experts remaining. If a fight breaks out, even if you kill us all, you¡¯ll pay a hefty price. Since they¡¯re dead, why waste your effort for them?"


    Ling Chen pondered and nodded, "You make a good point. However, just leaving like this feels unsatisfactory. How about... giving me some goodies? I came all the way here, spending time and effort. You should provide me somepensation."


    Hearing this, Ling Jian frowned slightly and asked, "What do you want?"


    Ling Chen grinned, "I¡¯m a simple man. Given that your southern Ling Family can afford submarines and build an offshore base, you must have a considerable fortune, so..."


    "I understand, fifty billion US dors, aspensation from our southern Ling Family. How about that?"


    "Fifty billion... isn¡¯t that a bit low? You¡¯ve seen it yourself, I¡¯ve lost a few people too."


    "Sixty billion US dors!" Ling Jian gritted his teeth, "Ling Chen, don¡¯t be too greedy."


    Ling Chenughed, "Alright then, since the Ling Family Master is so sincere, I¡¯ll agree. Fatty! Come over and collect the money."

 Chapter 1382 - 1690: The Great Battle Between North and South (Part 4)

    <h4>Chapter 1382: Chapter 1690: The Great Battle Between North and South (Part 4)</h4>


    Upon hearing about payment, Hu Fei immediately ran over with his notebook excitedly, cing it in front of Ling Jian. Watching Ling Jian enter a series of numbers expressionlessly, Hu Fei¡¯s small eyes lit up with excitement. For him, this was undoubtedly the happiest moment.


    Once theputer screen disyed ¡¯Transfer Sessful¡¯, Hu Fei grinned, nodding at Ling Chen before closing his notebook and retreating.


    "Ling Chen, the money is received. Aren¡¯t you supposed to withdraw with your crew?" Ling Jian said.


    "No rush." Ling Chen said with a smile.


    "Ling Chen!" shouted the captured Ling Haitian loudly. "Don¡¯t forget, you have all of this thanks to the northern Ling Family. Are you going to betray us too? Tell me how much you need to solve them, and it¡¯s not a problem."


    "Shut up." Ling Gao, standing behind with a dagger, said coldly, "Ling Haitian, you¡¯re not qualified to say such things. How much does the northern Ling Family have? You should know better than me. Forget about sixty billion US Dors, you can¡¯t even provide half."


    "I..." Ling Haitian¡¯s face changed color, his mouth agape, unsure of what to say.


    At this moment, Ling Kun and Ling Tao both looked visibly ufortable. All along, they were responsible for the northern Ling Family¡¯s external affairs, while the internal matters were handled by Ling Haitian, Ling Jun, and Ling Gao. However, they hadn¡¯t expected the internal individuals to be a bunch of parasites, secretly embezzling the northern Ling Family¡¯s funds. They fought tirelessly outside for the northern Ling Family¡¯s uprising, yet these people enjoyed their lives behind closed doors. Anyone would find it difficult to ept.


    "Family Head, is what he said true?" Ling Tao asked gravely.


    Ling Haitian hurriedly defended, "Ling Tao, you... don¡¯t listen to his nonsense, this is nder. I¡¯ve never done anything to harm the northern Ling Family. I..."


    "Humph!" Ling Gao sneered, "Ling Haitian, you¡¯re really shameless to speak such words. You¡¯ve kept three college students and five mistresses in Beijing and East Sea City, and I¡¯ve helped in buying houses for those women. Besides, you¡¯ve purchased properties all over the country, valued around two billion, have I said anything incorrect? Besides these, your annual expenses on food and drinks are at least eight digits."


    Hearing this, Ling Haitian¡¯s face turned pale, angrily shouting, "You¡¯re talking nonsense!"


    "Nonsense? Do you know everything you and Ling Jun have done is recorded by me, in great detail. Should I show them these records? So they can see your true face?"


    "Family Head, Ling Kun and I have worked tirelessly for the northern Ling Family, without a moment of ck, spending every penny wisely, never indulging in luxurious living, you... s!" Ling Tao shook his head lightly, "Perhaps Ling Chen is right, the northern Ling Family has no reason to exist anymore."


    "No, I..." Ling Haitian tried to speak, but Ling Gao forced his words back with the dagger near his throat.


    "Enough!" Ling Chen cleared his throat, saying, "These are family ugliness, no need to say more. Since things have reached this point, there¡¯s no need for more words. Sir Chen, go ahead and solve this quickly, so everyone can rest."


    With these words, Ling Jian¡¯s face turned sullen, coldly demanding, "Ling Chen, you promised me, take the money and leave immediately, are you going to go back on your word?"


    Ling Chen shrugged, "Ling Family Master, I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m a person of integrity. However, my integrity depends on the person. For people like you, it¡¯s better off dead." With that, Ling Chen waved his hand, and the always ready Chen Junfeng rushed forward.


    At the same time, Ling Kun and Ji Gang made their move, charging toward the trio of Ling Jian.


    "Ling Chen, you bastard!" Ling Jian roared angrily, retreating in panic. Meanwhile, Ling Ao and Ling Feng quickly shielded themselves against the onught of Chen Junfeng and the three.


    Having suffered a setback at Ji Gang¡¯s hands, Ling Jian had already lost hisbat abilities and could only rely on the protection of Ling Ao and Ling Feng. However, this meant Ling Ao and Ling Feng needed to consider Ling Jian¡¯s safety, unable to counterattack freely, their skills restrained, and they fell into a passive stance.


    Whoosh!


    Suddenly, a sharp sound sliced through the air. A sharp arrow flew from an unexpected angle, straight towards the rear of Ling Jian.


    "Family Head, watch out!" Ling Ao¡¯s face showed surprise, retreating quickly to intercept the deadly arrow. But, Ling Ao¡¯s retreat exposed a weak point in their frontal defense. Ling Feng alone couldn¡¯t withstand thebined attack of Chen Junfeng, Ling Kun, and Ji Gang.


    In an instant, Ji Gang and Ling Kun nked from both sides, targeting Ling Feng¡¯s wings. Meanwhile, Chen Junfeng dashed forward, nearing Ling Feng rapidly,unching a powerful punch.


    Even with Ling Feng¡¯s skills, facing abined assault from the trio was overwhelming.


    Bam!


    Apanied by a dull thud, though Ling Feng blocked Ling Kun¡¯s attack, Ji Gang¡¯s and Chen Junfeng¡¯s fists hit him. With a mouthful of blood spat out, Ling Feng¡¯s body wasunched into the air, crashing heavily onto the ground.


    Seeing Ling Feng down, Ling Ao and Ling Jian were taken aback. The tide was already against them, and losing a major figure meant that the two alone couldn¡¯t repel the opponent¡¯s assault.


    "Ling Gao, what are you standing idle for." In desperation, Ling Jian shouted loudly.


    Hearing Ling Jian¡¯s call, Ling Gao finally reacted, pressing the dagger against Ling Haitian¡¯s neck, shouting viciously, "Stop, or I..."


    Before Ling Gao finished speaking, Ling Chen signaled Zhang Zhongfeng with a nce, who immediately understood, drew an arrow and ced it upon his longbow.


    Whoosh!


    Instantly, the arrow pierced through Ling Haitian¡¯s chest.


    This sudden change left everyone on-site stunned, even Ling Tao was taken aback.


    No one anticipated Ling Chen would be so decisive, having Zhang Zhongfeng kill Ling Haitian directly. With Ling Haitian dead, Ling Gao lost his only leverage.


    Sensing Ling Haitian¡¯s weakening breath, Ling Gao dared not linger, quickly pushing Ling Haitian¡¯s body forward and escaping rapidly backward. The situation was lost, and if he didn¡¯t flee, his life would surely be left on this ind.


    "Leave that guy to me." Xu Ming threw out a sentence, swiftly pursuing Ling Gao¡¯s escape direction.


    Ling Chen felt concerned, given that Ling Gao¡¯s strength matched Xu Ming¡¯s.


    "Big brother, you and second sister go help second brother to prevent any mishaps."


    "Okay." Qiu Yong responded and immediately followed with Xia Yue.


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 Chapter 1383 - 1691: The Unification of North and South (Part 1)

    <h4>Chapter 1383: Chapter 1691: The Unification of North and South (Part 1)</h4>


    At this moment, the offensive from Chen Junfeng and his twopanions grew increasingly fierce, leaving Ling Ao on the defensive. Given the current situation, his defeat was just a matter of time.


    "Enough! Everyone, stop!" Suddenly, Ling Gao shouted, quickly retreating to create some distance.


    "What is it?" Ling Chen spoke, "Do you have something more to say?"


    "I surrender." Ling Ao gritted his teeth, squeezing out a few words, "Let us go, and I will give you anything you want."


    Ling Chen shook his head and said, "I¡¯m afraid you can¡¯t give me what I want."


    "How do you know I can¡¯t give it? The Southern Ling Family has a history of hundreds of years, with abundant resources. I can give you as much money as you want."


    "This isn¡¯t about money," Ling Chen said. "If I let you go, it¡¯s like letting a tiger back into the mountains. As you said, the Southern Ling Family has deep resources and endless money. Even if you fail this time, with sufficient funds, you could rise again. At that time, who knows if the Southern Ling Family wille to trouble me once more. There¡¯s a saying, ¡¯If the root is not removed, the grass will grow again with the spring breeze.¡¯ I want a peaceful life, and as long as you live, I can never be at ease."


    Ling Jian chimed in, "I can promise you, we won¡¯t cause any more trouble for you in the future."


    "Promise?" Ling Chen smiled faintly, "Ling Family Master, do you think your promise has any value? People like us don¡¯t easily trust others because you¡¯re not someone trustworthy. So, only by killing you can I truly be at ease. Enough has been said. Sir Chen, do it, don¡¯t leave them any way out."


    Seeing Chen Junfeng and the others slowly approaching him, Ling Ao hurriedly said, "Ling Chen, I am a Heavenly List expert. If you are willing, I can serve you."


    Ling Ao¡¯s words reached him, but Ling Chen remained unmoved. Heavenly List experts are indeed valuable, but if Ling Ao can betray the Northern Ling Family today and serve him, who knows if he will switch sides again when he falls out of power. A fickle person like this, even if he were the best in the world, would not tempt Ling Chen.


    "Ling..." Ling Ao opened his mouth, wanting to say more, but unfortunately, Chen Junfeng didn¡¯t give him the chance. With a quick stride, Chen Junfeng was instantly in front of Ling Ao, both fists releasing, Qi Force erupting, and the onught was fierce.


    Ling Ao had already lost the will to fight. Facing Chen Junfeng¡¯s storm-like offensive, he kept retreating, unable to counterattack.


    Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!


    At this time, a series of piercing sounds shattered the night sky as several arrows shot towards Ling Ao.


    ncing at the direction from which the arrows came, Ling Ao immediately dodged. However, those arrows suddenly collided with their own tails, altering the trajectory of the foremost one. Such a change was something Ling Ao never anticipated. Or rather, he had never seen such miraculous archery.


    Caught off guard, Ling Ao¡¯s thigh was struck by an arrow, and his body slumped heavily to one side. In that moment, Chen Junfeng took advantage, punching down and hitting Ling Ao directly on the head.


    Instantly, Ling Ao¡¯s legs went limp, and he copsed to the ground, blood gurgling out from his mouth, nose, eyes, and ears.


    Seeing Ling Ao lying lifelessly on the ground, Ling Jian and Ling Feng were stunned. They hadn¡¯t expected Ling Chen to be so ruthless as to really kill Ling Ao.


    "No... no... I... I surrender, spare me..." Ling Jian begged desperately, "I¡¯ll do anything if you just let me go."


    "Sorry, keeping you alive is just a disaster waiting to happen, so... I prefer to cut the problem at the root." As soon as the words were spoken, without waiting for Ling Jian to say more, Chen Junfeng rushed forward, striking Ling Jian¡¯s head with his palm. With Ling Jian dead, Ling Feng also couldn¡¯t escape Chen Junfeng¡¯s assassination. As of this moment, all three Heavenly List experts of the Southern Ling Family were dead.


    Today marks the end of the Southern Ling Family¡¯s fate.


    Shortly, Xu Ming and Qiu Yong also returned. By their expressions, it was clear Ling Gao had not escaped and would remain on this ind forever.


    "Ling Chen, he..." Ling Tao pointed to the prone Ling Haitian.


    Ling Chen smiled slightly, "Uncle Ling, rest assured, he¡¯s not dead, just unconscious." Zhang Zhongfeng¡¯s arrow didn¡¯t hit a vital point in Ling Haitian, intending to create the appearance of fake death to deprive Ling Gao of leverage.


    Of course, if it weren¡¯t for Ling Kun and Ling Tao¡¯s sake, with Ling Chen¡¯s temper, someone like Ling Haitian deserved death.


    "Ling Chen, you¡¯ve done well." At this moment, Ling Jun approached Ling Chen and said, "With Ling Jian dead, from now on, the Southern Ling Family will be history. You yed a significant role in this."


    Ling Chen looked at Ling Jun in amusement, "Why are you telling me this?"


    "Ling Haitian is no longer suitable to be the head of the Northern Ling Family. I think you¡¯re great, brave and resourceful, and youmand such strong forces. If you take over the Northern Ling Family, I believe the future will be ours."


    "You want me to be the Family Head?"


    "Yes, I think you¡¯re the most qualified for it." Ling Jun looked at Ling Kun and Ling Tao, "I believe they won¡¯t have any objections."


    "With the fall of the Southern Ling Family, there will no longer be a divide between North and South in Huaxia. There will only be one Ling Family. However, I have no interest in the position of Family Head. Frankly, I¡¯m still wondering if there¡¯s any real necessity for the Ling Family to continue to exist."


    Ling Jun frowned, "Blood of the Ling Family runs through your veins, how can you utter such sphemous words?"


    Ling Chen nonchntly shook his head, unwilling to argue further. Why would Ling Jun rmend him to be Family Head? Anyone with a brain could easily guess his intentions. Ling Chen didn¡¯t like Ling Jun as a person, nor was he interested in bing Family Head. The burdens on his shoulders were already heavy enough, and there was no need to add more pressure with the task of rejuvenating the Ling Family. Let someone else handle it.


    After a brief rest, as daylight broke from the east, Ling Chen walked over to Ling Kun and asked, "Dad, are youing with us or...?"


    "You go back to East Sea City first. Ling Tao and I have a lot to deal with here."


    Ling Chen nodded, quietly advising, "Dad, be careful of those few. The Ling Family is a big cake now, and everyone wants a bite. If things be impossible, juste back and leave them to it."


    "Don¡¯t worry, I know what to do. Be careful on your way!"


    "Got it."


    After saying goodbye to Ling Kun, Ling Chen boarded the ne with everyone and flew straight towards East Sea City. Watching the ind below grow smaller and smaller, Ling Chen retracted his gaze and slowly let out a breath.

 Chapter 1384 - 1692: Unification of North and South (Part 2)

    <h4>Chapter 1384: Chapter 1692: Unification of North and South (Part 2)</h4>


    Finally, it¡¯s over!


    Ling Chen closed his eyes, thinking to himself. From the God Organization to the Southern Ling Family, everything has concluded. From now on, he can finally live a peaceful life.


    "Ling Chen." At this moment, Hu Fei¡¯s voice came through. Opening his eyes and seeing the satellite phone Hu Fei handed over, Ling Chen asked, "What¡¯s up?"


    "Mr. He¡¯s call, looking for you."


    Ling Chen quickly took the satellite phone and asked, "Mr. He, is there something you need me for?"


    On the other end of the line, He Ziyun asked, "When can youe back? A lot has happened at the Dragon Tiger Hall while you¡¯ve been away."


    "I¡¯m on the ne now, just a few hours until I arrive."


    "Alright, we¡¯ll wait for you at the hall."


    After hanging up, Hu Fei asked curiously, "Hey! What does Mr. He need you for?"


    Ling Chen shrugged, sighing helplessly, "What else could it be? It¡¯s always the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion that can make Mr. He this anxious. Sigh! I was nning to rx for a while, but it seems I¡¯m destined to be busy, never a moment of leisure."


    After resting on the ne for two hours, by the time it arrived at East Sea City¡¯s airport, Jiang Hao was already waiting with a convoy outside the airport.


    Getting into the car, Ling Chen massaged his temples and took the fast food Jiang Hao had bought, eatingrge bites. He hadn¡¯t eaten anything sincest night, and his stomach was nearly empty.


    "Jiang Hao, how have things beentely?" Ling Chen asked casually.


    Jiang Hao was among the first to follow Ling Chen. Now, Jiang Hao and Zhao Zhengxiong are well-known figures in East Sea City, controlling the entire city¡¯s underground forces. Initially, there was also Nanrong Hao, but since he had to take over Hongyu Group, he didn¡¯t have the energy to manage too many things, so he withdrew.


    "Chen, don¡¯t you trust my work?"


    Ling Chen joked with a smile, "I do trust you, but it¡¯s important to stay alert in peaceful times. I¡¯m worried you might get toofortable, and by the time enemies reach your doorstep, you won¡¯t even be aware."


    "That won¡¯t happen. Chen, I¡¯m not idling around; I¡¯ve been expanding our power. Besides East Sea City, the surrounding towns are under our control. I¡¯ve discussed with Xiong, and we¡¯re nning to continue expanding, taking over a few second-tier cities nearby." Jiang Hao spoke enthusiastically about his ns.


    However, despite Jiang Hao¡¯s excitement, there was a trace of concern in Ling Chen¡¯s eyes.


    "Jiang Hao, listen to me, don¡¯t expand any further. Just hold onto East Sea City and ignore the rest."


    Hearing this, Jiang Hao asked in confusion, "Chen, why should we miss out on such a great opportunity?"


    "Underground forces are always part of the underworld, and many things can¡¯t see the light of day. Moreover, the nation despises the underworld. Once you cross their line, the government won¡¯t stand by idly. When that timees, you could be in danger. Do you think the government is unaware of what we¡¯ve been doing in East Sea City? In fact, they¡¯ve been monitoring us all along. Because you¡¯ve been following the rules and haven¡¯t done anything unjust, no one bothers you now. But if you step over the line, they¡¯ll certainly cause trouble for you."


    "Really?" Jiang Hao wiped the sweat from his forehead, "Chen, you¡¯re not trying to scare me, are you?"


    "Have I ever lied to you? In any case, just manage what you have well, and stay away from drugs, gambling, and prostitution. Otherwise, if something happens, even I won¡¯t be able to help you. Got it?"


    Jiang Hao quickly nodded, replying, "Chen, don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t do anything reckless."


    As they spoke, the convoy had already reached the headquarters of the Dragon Tiger Hall. Upon getting out of the car, Ling Chen headed straight to the Dragon Tiger Hall¡¯s office. Upon entering, he saw He Ziyun and Tong Zhentian both present, waiting for his return.


    "Elder Tong, Mr. He, what¡¯s the urgent matter?"


    "Recently, the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion has been causing a lot of trouble for our Dragon Tiger Hall, so we wanted to discuss with you how we could turn the situation around."


    Ling Chen curiously said, "Elder Tong, our Dragon Tiger Hall has already made a name for itself. Even if the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion follows in our footsteps, they can¡¯t surpass us all of a sudden. Could it be... they¡¯re using some underhanded methods again?"


    "Not really." He Ziyun chimed in, "This Su Mei is much better than Su He, she hasn¡¯t used any tricks, but instead seems sincere, even surpassing our Dragon Tiger Hall."


    "Is that so?" Ling Chen became interested and asked, "How are they being sincere?"


    "The Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion¡¯s foundation isparable to ours. This time, they not only opened more than a dozen martial arts academies but also offered many rare martial arts secrets. However, the most attractive is the Heavenly Mechanism Pill. You know, the Heavenly Mechanism Pill is a unique elixir of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, especially effective for martial artists. Besides our secrets, Dragon Tiger Hall really can¡¯t offer anythingparable to the Heavenly Mechanism Pill. So in recent times, the recruitment rate for the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion has been several times higher than ours, and many talented individuals have been poached by them."


    Hearing this, Ling Chen¡¯s lips curled into a smile as he said, "Who knew, the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion is willing to spend so much, even offering their Heavenly Mechanism Pill. By the way, Elder Tong, where have they opened their martial arts academies?"


    "Beijing, Jinhai City, and many first-tier cities, even here in East Sea City, there¡¯s one not far from our Dragon Tiger Hall. This time, the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion has clearly marked us forpetition."


    Ling Chen nodded and said, "Competitions lead to progress. As long as it¡¯s healthypetition, we¡¯ll go along with it."


    "So how do you n to handle this matter?"


    "Well..." Ling Chen scratched his nose and said, "I have no understanding of elixirs, so asking me won¡¯t help. Besides, elixirs aren¡¯t something you can just concoct out of thin air; the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion has taken hundreds of years to develop the Heavenly Mechanism Pill. So, if we want topete with the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, we¡¯ll need something equally appealing to draw people in."


    "Elder Tong, Mr. He, how about this, let me think about it for a while. Also, I¡¯d like to find some time to visit them."


    "Fair enough," Tong Zhentian said. "To my knowledge, Su Mei is also in East Sea City these days; you could meet with her."


    "Actually, I have a foolproof solution," He Ziyun said from the side.


    "Mr. He, what solution do you have?"


    "Isn¡¯t the Pavilion Master of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion somewhat interested in you? If you put in a little effort, you might win thedy¡¯s heart. Then everything she has will be yours. Elder Tong, do you think what I¡¯m saying makes sense?"


    Tong Zhentianughed heartily and said, "Makes sense, quite a lot of sense. Ling Chen, you should give it a try; after all, you¡¯ve got nothing to lose."

 Chapter 1385 - 1693: Martial Arts Academy Rivalry (1)

    <h4>Chapter 1385: Chapter 1693: Martial Arts Academy Rivalry (1)</h4>


    Ling Chen wore a speechless expression as the two elderly men teased him. As he emerged from the office, Ling Chen met with Chen Junfeng and others. This action was much thanks to Chen Junfeng¡¯s help, and Ling Chen felt the need to express his gratitude.


    After a brief rest at the Dragon Tiger Hall, Ling Chen drove by himself to the Martial Arts Academy set up by the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion. He Ziyun had mentioned that the Academy was not far from the Dragon Tiger Hall. Ling Chen had thought this "not far" meant at least a few kilometers, but after just a few hundred meters of driving, he saw two stone lions standing outside arge gate. On top of the stone lions hung red ribbons, and a que at the top bore the fourrge characters "Heavenly Mechanism Arts Hall," written in a vigorous style.


    Ling Chen parked the car and went directly to the entrance of the Heavenly Mechanism Arts Hall. It seemed they were in a rush to open, as many painting jobs were not fullypleted, and at the moment, a few painters were outside painting the walls, with the air filled with the smell of paint.


    Before entering, Ling Chen saw two young men in the Academy¡¯s uniform walking out.


    "Hello, sir. May I ask whom you¡¯re looking for?" one of the youths asked politely.


    Ling Chen smiled slightly, "I¡¯m Ling Chen. I¡¯ve heard that Master Su is here, so I came by to pay a visit."


    Hearing Ling Chen¡¯s name, the youth was taken aback, quickly sping his hands together in respect and saying, "Oh, so it¡¯s Mr. Ling, pleasee in." Inside the Academy, Ling Chen looked around and saw there were up to a hundred students on the vast practice field, ranging from five or six-year-old children to teenagers. They were all diligently practicing their basic skills.


    Seeing this, Ling Chen couldn¡¯t help but see Su Mei in a new light. In his eyes, Su Mei had always been a righteous person, never willing or needing to use any unscrupulous means. However, after going through so many things, Su Mei finally changed, or rather... she had gradually matured. As the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion Master, if it were the era when the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion dominated the Martial Arts world, her kind of personality would be suitable. However, when facingpetitors, Su Mei¡¯s personality is a significant weakness.


    From this incident, Su Mei had learned to use strategies to achieve her goals, even if those strategies were not entirely aboveboard. This is one of the essential factors for a mature leader.


    In fact, after the incident with Su He concluded, Ling Chen didn¡¯t want to sh with the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion anymore. ording to his n, in less than a decade, the Dragon Tiger Hall could entirely surpass the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion. However, the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion was quite clever and saw through their n. With the opening of the Heavenly Mechanism Arts Hall, the Dragon Tiger Hall¡¯s expansion ns had to be temporarily halted; otherwise, continuing would yield little benefit.


    Soon, the two youths led Ling Chen to the reception room. "Mr. Ling, please wait a moment, I¡¯ll notify the Pavilion Master right away."


    Ling Chen nodded, picked up a cup of tea, and started drinking it by himself.


    Meanwhile, in a room within the Heavenly Mechanism Arts Hall, after listening to the two youths¡¯ report, Su Mei waved her hand and said, "I understand, you two may leave now."


    Once the two youths had exited the room, Su Mei turned to Du Kang beside her and asked, "Elder Du, Ling Chen hase to see me at this time, I¡¯m afraid he¡¯s here to cause trouble. What do you think we should do?"


    "Ling Chen came alone, so it likely isn¡¯t to cause trouble. Pavilion Master, if you don¡¯t want to see him, perhaps you can find an excuse to send him away. However, I suggest you meet with him to understand the Dragon Tiger Hall¡¯s intention."


    "Alright, I understand."


    After waiting a few minutes, Ling Chen, seated in the reception room, finally saw Su Mei walking gracefully from outside.


    "Miss Su." Ling Chen greeted, standing up and going towards her with a smile.


    "Sorry to keep you waiting."


    "No problem, the Heavenly Mechanism Arts Hall just opened, you must be busy with many things. I encountered some troublesome matters recently, otherwise, I would havee a long time ago to congratte you. My visit today was unnned, and I haven¡¯t prepared any gifts; I hope you don¡¯t think I¡¯m being stingy."


    Su Mei smiled lightly, "Your visit is more than enough to make me happy, please have a seat." Once they were seated, Su Mei said, "Ling Chen, I apologize for taking away the Dragon Tiger Hall¡¯s business. I initially thought you were here to demand an exnation."


    Ling Chen waved his hand and grinned, "Listen to yourself, am I such a petty person? As I¡¯ve said before, the Martial Arts world needs fresh blood, only this way can it grow and rejuvenate. The fact that your Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion is willing to abandon old habits and innovate makes me happy. I believe, as long as we work together, the Martial Arts world will eventually reach its peak again. So, we¡¯re both contributing to the future of the Martial Arts world, with amon goal, there¡¯s no need to talk about ¡¯stealing business¡¯."


    Hearing this, Su Mei was silent for a moment before saying, "I heard you were missing for some time, what happened?"


    Ling Chen acted helpless, sighing, "Floating in the Martial Arts world, how can one not get hurt? The more people you have, the more enemies you naturally rue. But luckily, I¡¯m someone with a strong life force, there¡¯s no obstacle I can¡¯t ovee. See, I¡¯m now sitting here perfectly fine in front of you, right?"


    Changing the subject, Ling Chen asked, "By the way! Miss Su, may I ask, your grandfather..."


    Before Ling Chen could finish, Su Mei gently shook her head and said, "I have no news about him, and the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion has severed ties with him. From now on, his actions have nothing to do with the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion."


    "Miss Su, you misunderstood me, it¡¯s been so long, I don¡¯t wish to pursue it further. No matter what, Elder Su counts as half my master. If possible, I hope to sit down with him, have a drink, and chat, and let bygones be bygones." After a pause, Ling Chen continued, "In truth, I understand Elder Su¡¯s actions, only that his method was wrong. Miss Su, if you get a chance to see Elder Su in the future, please pass on a message for me. ¡¯Once a teacher, always a father; no matter what happens in the future, he will always be the most respected person.¡¯"


    Su Mei nodded, "I¡¯ll mention it if the opportunity arises, but I personally think that chance is slim."


    "Alright." Ling Chen smiled, stood up, and said, "With the Academy opening, you must have a lot to do, so I won¡¯t disturb you further. Let¡¯s keep in touch more often. As long as there¡¯s nothing going on, I¡¯m usually in East Sea City."


    "Then let me walk you out."


    As he left the Heavenly Mechanism Arts Hall, Ling Chen exchanged a few polite words with Su Mei before driving back to the Dragon Tiger Hall.


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 1386 - 1694: Martial Arts Academy Showdown (2)

    <h4>Chapter 1386: Chapter 1694: Martial Arts Academy Showdown (2)</h4>


    "So, how did it go? What did you chat about with Su Mei?" He Ziyun asked, sitting in the office.


    "Not much, just some casual talk." Ling Chen crossed his legs and said, "The Su Mei of today is not the Su Mei of the past. Although we only talked for a while, I could sense her wariness towards me, so I didn¡¯t ask too much and came back directly."


    In the past, when chatting with Su Mei, she would inadvertently reveal her emotions, but this time, each of Su Mei¡¯s smiles felt stiff and not naturally expressed. That¡¯s why Ling Chen had this feeling.


    "So what do we do now?" Tong Zhentian asked, "Their Martial Arts Academy is opening right at our doorstep. If we don¡¯t act, the people in the Martial Arts world will mock our Dragon Tiger Hall for having no courage."


    Hearing this, Ling Chenughed indifferently, "Elder Tong, Mr. He, to be honest, I don¡¯t really care about this. Have you forgotten the original purpose of establishing Dragon Tiger Hall? We set up Dragon Tiger Hall not topete and win but to carry on and revitalize the Martial Arts world, setting an example for everyone in it. From the establishment of Dragon Tiger Hall till now, I think we¡¯ve basically achieved our goal. Although Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion is doing this to limit the development of Dragon Tiger Hall, aren¡¯t they also cultivating new talents for the Martial Arts world? I think as long as it¡¯s healthypetition, there¡¯s no need for us to deliberately fight them, just keep a good direction and maintain a bnce."


    After listening to Ling Chen¡¯s words, Tong Zhentian nodded and said earnestly, "You¡¯re right, we were thinking too narrowly. Sitting in this position for a long time makes one uncontrobly want to seek greater power and ambition, almost forgetting what our original intention was. Ling Chen, although I¡¯ve lived for over half my life, I can¡¯t escape the erosion of desires, in this regard, you do the best, being indifferent to fame and fortune..."


    "Elder Tong, please stop," Ling Chen hastily said, "I¡¯m not as good as you said, I just don¡¯t have much pursuit of power, so I see many things more clearly."


    "Alright, both of you stop ttering each other." He Ziyun interjected, "Even if we want healthypetition, we have toe up with a response n; otherwise, more and more people will be attracted to the Heavenly Mechanism Pill. By then, if Dragon Tiger Hall has no students, that would be truly embarrassing."


    Ling Chen thought for a moment and said, "Mr. He, I¡¯ve seriously considered this issue. Although the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion uses the Heavenly Mechanism Pill as a lure to attract others to join, we all know that they can¡¯t possibly offer so many Heavenly Mechanism Pills to everyone. So, there must be some restrictions, and these restrictions won¡¯t be low. Otherwise, even if Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion has deep foundations, it couldn¡¯t withstand such consumption."


    "So what do you mean..."


    "Try to make Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion lower the conditions for obtaining the Heavenly Mechanism Pill, allowing more people to get it. Once the Heavenly Mechanism Pills are exhausted, what will they use to lure people? Unless they manufacture fake Heavenly Mechanism Pills, but such reputation-damaging acts Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion likely wouldn¡¯t do."


    At this, Ling Chen looked at Tong Zhentian and asked, "Elder Tong, what resources do we currently have that we can offer?"


    "Martial Arts manuals, that¡¯s the only resource we own. However, because of Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion¡¯s involvement, Martial Arts manuals are no longer novel."


    Ling Chen nodded, "The resources of Dragon Tiger Hall are indeed too monotonous. Elder Tong, Mr. He, besides Martial Arts manuals and Spiritual Elixirs, what else do people in the Martial Arts world like?"


    "Well..." Tong Zhentian and He Ziyun exchanged a nce, "It should be weapons, especially for those who specialize in the eighteen weapons of martial arts. Their greatest desire is to own a handy weapon."


    "Exactly!" Ling Chen grinned, "I can invite Mr. Guo over. The benefit of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion is the Heavenly Mechanism Pill, while ours at the Dragon Tiger Hall will be the Divine Weapons. I believe, with Mr. Guo¡¯s reputation, we can certainly attract a lot of people."


    "That¡¯s not a bad idea," Tong Zhentian agreed, "After all, the Heavenly Mechanism Pill is a consumable resource, but weapons are permanent. If it¡¯s a long-term battle, Dragon Tiger Hall will ensure we overpower Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion. However, will Guo Ming agree to help? As far as I know, he has already retired."


    Ling Chenughed, "Elder Tong, rest assured. I am confident I can invite Mr. Guo here," jokingly, as he and Guo Ming are on the same boat now. As long as he asks, Guo Ming will not refuse.


    Mentioning Guo Ming, Ling Chen suddenly recalled something important, which is Ling Gengqiu. Hu Fei has already transported Ling Gengqiu¡¯s parts to Beijing, and he wonders how well Ling Gengqiu has been recovering.


    Leaving Dragon Tiger Hall, Ling Chen drove home. On the way, he shared his idea with Guo Ming and asked about Ling Gengqiu¡¯s recovery.


    "Rest assured, he¡¯s doing very well now. If everything goes well, he¡¯ll be up and about in a few days,"


    "Great, Mr. Guo, I¡¯ll trouble you with things over there, and I¡¯ll pick you up at the airport when the timees."


    Back home, Ling Chen found only Yang Qingling there, as his grandparents were out for a walk. "Mom, where are dad and the others? Didn¡¯t theye back already?"


    "They went to the hospital. Ling Haitian got injured and is receiving treatment; your dad and Uncle Ling went to visit him." After saying that, Yang Qingling held Ling Chen¡¯s hand and advised, "Son, don¡¯t be like your dad, better to stay out of Ling Family affairs in the future."


    "Mom, don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll handle things well."


    Just then, the door was pushed open from outside, and Ling Kun and Ling Tao walked in one after the other.


    Upon seeing Ling Chen, Ling Kun gestured for him toe over and said, "Son,e here, I have something to discuss with you."


    "Okay," Ling Chen replied, obediently following Ling Kun into the study. "Dad, Uncle Ling, what do you want to talk about?"


    "It¡¯s like this, the Southern Ling Family has already been wiped out, but as you can see, the situation in the Northern Ling Family is problematic now with Ling Gao dead. How to deal with Ling Haitian and Ling Jun is a big issue,"


    Ling Tao added, "Ling Haitian definitely can¡¯t continue as the Family Head, as for Ling Jun... he¡¯s too self-serving. Your dad and I are thinking about who should inherit the Ling Family."


    Ling Chen pointed to himself and said, "Dad, you¡¯re not thinking of me, are you? I¡¯ve already made it clear, I have no interest in being the Ling Family Patriarch. Don¡¯t look for me. Moreover, the Ling Family is in ruins, and I¡¯m too busy with my matters to have the energy to handle this."

 Chapter 1387 - 1695: Reunion with an Old Friend (1)

    <h4>Chapter 1387: Chapter 1695: Reunion with an Old Friend (1)</h4>


    "I¡¯m just asking, if you don¡¯t have any ideas, then let your dad take over as the head of the Ling Family."


    "My dad?" Ling Chen nced at Ling Kun and asked, "Dad, would mom agree?"


    "She shouldn¡¯t have any objections. The Ling Family has no rivals now; we just need to develop slowly. I believe your mom will agree."


    "Alright." Ling Chen nodded and said, "As long as I don¡¯t have to be the head, you guys can do whatever. But Dad, what are your ns for Ling Haitian and Ling Jun? Ling Haitian is not a concern, but Ling Jun is a top expert on the Heavenly List. It¡¯s hard to dismiss him, yet keeping him is a problem."


    Ling Kun and Ling Tao exchanged nces and said, "Ling Jun can¡¯t stay in the Ling Family. We will give him some resources to be self-reliant. From now on, whatever he does has nothing to do with us."


    "As long as he doesn¡¯t cause trouble, that¡¯s fine."


    Ling Chen actually means to abandon the Ling Family, but Ling Kun and Ling Tao are obviously reluctant. After all, their bond with the Northern Ling Family runs deep, and seeing the Ling Family be history is heart-wrenching for them.


    After discussing with Ling Chen, Ling Kun left the study to find Yang Qingling. Seeding as the head of the Ling Family is no small matter. Ling Kun definitely needs to convince Yang Qingling and gain her support.


    While waiting for his parents to decide, Ling Chen found himself bored and decided to drive out of the house.


    Before he knew it, Ling Chen drove to the entrance of Hongyu Group. After parking the car, Ling Chen walked into the lobby alone, where he saw the sofas filled with men in suits, all with briefcases, discussing animatedly.


    "Chen?" At this moment, Nanrong Hao¡¯s surprised voice came over.


    Ling Chen turned his head and saw Nanrong Hao elegantly dressed in a sleek suit, walking toward him with brisk steps.


    "Wow! You look more and more like a sessful entrepreneur." Ling Chen teased with a smile, "Hey! What are all those people doing there?"


    Nanrong Hao nced at the dozen suit-d men waiting in the lobby and said, "They¡¯re here to discuss business with us. Chen, you wouldn¡¯t know, but recently I¡¯ve been so busy that I barely have time to sleep. Every day there are countless contracts to sign. Look, I¡¯ve been holding a pen so much, I¡¯m getting calluses."


    "Come on, isn¡¯t earning money a good thing?"


    "Chen, I might have cared about how much money was made before, but now, money is just a number to me. Every day, there¡¯s a huge crowd of people here wanting to coborate with us at Hongyu Group. Our business department has expanded from three teams to ten. By the way! Chen, are you here to see my sister? She¡¯s in a meeting now; why don¡¯t youe and sit at my ce for a while."


    Ling Chen nodded and said, "Alright, I have nothing to do today anyway. Might as well have dinner on you."


    "No problem, I¡¯ll call Jiang Hao and Xiong. We brothers haven¡¯t gathered for a long time."


    As they spoke, the two took the elevator to the top floor. Nanrong Hao¡¯s office was opposite Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s. Inside, Ling Chen saw the ¡¯Vice President¡¯ sign on the door and chuckled, "You finally got promoted."


    "My sister said that in a year or two, once she gets married, she¡¯ll pass her position to me. Chen, it¡¯s up to you now; my sister can¡¯t wait to get married."


    "Get lost, it¡¯s still early for me and your sister. As for you, being the Vice President of Hongyu Group, aren¡¯t there women chasing after you? With your status, there must be countless women interested."


    Nanrong Hao waved his hand and said, "Those women are after my money. I¡¯m not interested in gold diggers. Now, I value the feeling; no matter her family background or looks, as long as there¡¯s a connection. But, I¡¯m facing a small problem."


    "What problem?"


    Nanrong Hao embarrassedly smiled and said, "It seems there are quite a lot of women I¡¯m interested in."


    "You brat... truly can¡¯t change your nature." Ling Chen helplessly shook his head, thinking Nanrong Hao had reformed, but he was still as flirtatious as ever.


    After chatting for a while, a series of knocks sounded from outside the door.


    "Come in."


    After Nanrong Hao spoke, the office door opened from the outside, and secretary Wang Lan quickly walked in. Seeing Ling Chen, Wang Lan smiled in greeting and then turned her gaze to Nanrong Hao, "Mr. Nanrong, the folks from Changlong Technology are here; the chairman is in a meeting and wants you to host them."


    "Changlong Technology?" Nanrong Hao was slightly surprised and asked, "Why are they here? Wasn¡¯t it scheduled for the day after tomorrow?"


    "They changed their schedulest minute, and we just got notified. The manager of Changlong Technology is already at the door, Mr. Nanrong, so..."


    "Alright, I got it." Nanrong Hao stood up reluctantly and said, "Chen, sit tight. I¡¯ll go meet the guests. Lan, you stay here with Chen."


    "Yes." After watching Nanrong Hao leave, Ling Chen asked curiously, "Lan, what¡¯s Changlong Technology all about? You seem to value them greatly."


    "Mr. Ling, Changlong Technology is a foreign enterprise, ranked within the world¡¯s top 100. This time, they have a big project in Huaxia and are seeking partners. They¡¯re interested in Hongyu Group¡¯s qualifications and want to discuss coboration."


    "I see." Ling Chen nodded; no wonder Hongyu Group gives them such importance. Nanrong Wanqing has always wanted Hongyu Group to expand beyond Huaxia and be one of the world¡¯s top 500panies. Coborating with Changlong Technology might be an opportunity.


    After sitting in the office for a while, secretary Wang Lan received a phone call. With matters to deal with, Ling Chen let her leave first.


    Noticing the time was already past four in the afternoon, and with Hongyu Group having visitors, Nanrong Hao would surely be busy hosting them, likely causing the evening gathering to go awry. Thinking of this, Ling Chen sent Nanrong Hao a text message and then got up to leave.


    At the door of the office, Ling Chen opened the door and was about to depart. However, at that moment, a group of people approached, led by none other than Nanrong Hao.


    "Chen, where are you going?"


    Ling Chen smiled and said, "I figured you¡¯d be tied up hosting guests tonight, so I decided to leave. We can gather another day when you¡¯re free."


    "Chen, wait!"


    "What, anything else?"


    Nanrong Hao said with a peculiar expression, "Chen, do you know who Changlong Technology sent to negotiate with Hongyu Group?"


    "Who?" Ling Chen asked curiously, "Could it be someone I know?"


    As soon as the words left his mouth, before Nanrong Hao could respond, a familiar yet strange voice came from the crowd behind, "Ling Chen, long time no see."

 Chapter 1388 - 1696: Reunion with an Old Friend (2)

    <h4>Chapter 1388: Chapter 1696: Reunion with an Old Friend (2)</h4>


    Ling Chen¡¯s gaze cut through the crowd,nding on the woman standing at the very back, and he couldn¡¯t help but be startled.


    It was... her!


    Unconsciously, Ling Chen thought of her promise. A year, a yearter, she would return to East Sea City. He hadn¡¯t realized how quickly time had flown by; it had been over a year in the blink of an eye. Looking at that familiar, exquisite face, Ling Chen felt momentarily disoriented, as if everything had happened just yesterday.


    Lost in thought, the woman had already approached, smiling as she spoke, "It¡¯s only been a bit over a year, and you¡¯ve already forgotten me?"


    Ling Chen snapped back to reality, smiling slightly, "Feifei, how could I forget you? It¡¯s been over a year, and you¡¯re still the same."


    The woman before him was none other than Leng Feifei. Back then, Ling Chen had gotten involved with Leng Feifei to save a life. At that time, Leng Feifei had left a letter and then went abroad to study. In the letter, Leng Feifei expressed her feelings for Ling Chen and also told him that when she returned after studying, as long as he wasn¡¯t married, she would definitely pursue him. Over this year or so, Ling Chen had never been idle, and Feifei¡¯s words had gradually faded from his memory. Seeing her again now, every word from that letter vividly came to mind.


    Looking into Ling Chen¡¯s ink-clear eyes, Leng Feifei¡¯s lips curved slightly, and her bright eyes seemed to glisten with tears.


    "Have I really not changed?" Leng Feifei tilted her head, chuckling lightly as she asked.


    Hearing this, Ling Chen carefully observed the Leng Feifei before him. Although her appearance hadn¡¯t changed much, her demeanor had transformed profoundlypared to before. If before, Leng Feifei was a fledgling university student, now she had evolved into a career woman, exuding a sharp and decisive aura from head to toe.


    However, Ling Chen felt that although Leng Feifei had changed a lot, the one thing that hadn¡¯t changed was her proud bosom. Leng Feifei and Nanrong Hao were university ssmates, and back at East Sea University, she was known for her baby face and ample bust. Now it seemed, not only had Leng Feifei¡¯s figure be more slender, but her full bosom was even more eye-catching.


    Noticing Ling Chen¡¯s gaze darting now and then to her prominent features, Leng Feifei¡¯s pretty face flushed. This scoundrel... after more than a year, he was still the same.


    Just then, Nanrong Hao, standing nearby, cleared his throat and said with a smile, "Chen, since we¡¯re all old friends, why don¡¯t you stay?"


    Ling Chen hesitated for a moment, and feeling Leng Feifei¡¯s hopeful gaze, he gently nodded, "Alright, then I¡¯ll stay as a guest."


    Returning to the office, Nanrong Hao invited Ling Chen and Leng Feifei to sit on the sofa, then personally brewed two cups of tea and ced them in front of them.


    Ling Chen inadvertently nced around; Changlong Technology had sent a team of about ten people, but aside from Leng Feifei, everyone else stood neatly behind the sofa, quiet as could be, as if they had undergone professional military training.


    "Didn¡¯t you go abroad to study? How did you end up working for Changlong Technology?" Ling Chen asked curiously.


    Leng Feifei smiled politely and said, "It¡¯s a long story; I¡¯ll tell you another time when I have the chance." With that, Leng Feifei turned her gaze to Nanrong Hao and said, "Mr. Nanrong, there¡¯s no need to busy yourself. I¡¯m here today to discuss a coboration. Since it¡¯s work time, why don¡¯t we chat first and make the final decision when Chairman Nanrong arrives."


    Nanrong Hao nodded, "Alright."


    Once Nanrong Hao was seated, Leng Feifei said, "I believe Mr. Nanrong has already seen our prospectus, so I¡¯ll skip the project introduction and talk about some practical matters. Our project is divided into three phases. The first phase investment is three billion US dors. Depending on market response, if sales are promising, we will expand globally. Based on our projections, as long as progress is smooth, the second phase investment should be about five billion US dors."


    Hearing Leng Feifei¡¯s numbers, Nanrong Hao was a bit taken aback, "Miss Leng, if we invest the amount you mentioned, how much equity would we get?"


    "Forty-nine percent, the absolute controlling rights must remain with ourpany. If Hongyu Group can take on this forty-nine percent stake, it¡¯ll save us the time and effort of finding another partner. If youck sufficient funds, we¡¯ll have to share some equity to find other partners. In any case, the number of shareholders in this project cannot exceed four."


    Nanrong Hao mused for a moment, then said, "The first phase of funding is not a problem, but for the second phase... I¡¯m concerned we won¡¯t have enough working capital. Is there no way to reduce it?"


    "I¡¯m sorry, the investment amount can¡¯t be reduced by even a cent. Changlong Technology is a world-leading techpany. Although tech products have huge profits, the research costs are equally immense. Mr. Nanrong, as I mentioned earlier, you can choose the amount of equity based on yourpany¡¯s funds. I¡¯ll find others to take over the remaining shares. How about it?"


    "What kind of project requires so much funding?" Ling Chen, sitting to the side, asked.


    "Here," Nanrong Hao handed a project proposal to Ling Chen, "this is it."


    Ling Chen casually flipped through a few pages, and his expression became peculiar. The proposal involved numerous tech products, including mechanical wearables and simple mechanical control devices¡ªin short, intelligent robots. However, these intelligent robots are primarily used for military purposes.


    Having read the proposal, Ling Chen silently marveled. If all the projects in the proposal werepleted, there would be a revolutionary shift in current technology, potentially altering the global militaryndscape.


    No wonder Leng Feifei needed so much investment. If these projects seeded, the profits would be unimaginablyrge.


    "How about... I take a share too?" Ling Chen tentatively asked.


    "You?" Leng Feifei looked at Ling Chen, surprised, "You want to invest too?"


    Ling Chen nodded, "Yes, this proposal is very appealing. If sessful, it will have a massive impact on the world, and I enjoy being part of something so fulfilling."


    "Participating is fine; after all, the decision-making power is in my hands, but regarding funds..."


    Ling Chen grinned, "Don¡¯t worry about it; tens of billions of US dors is nothing to me. Haozi, how about giving me some shares?"


    "Chen, if you¡¯re asking, how can I refuse? However, how much to allocate to you, my sister will have to decide."


    Just as Nanrong Hao finished speaking, Nanrong Wanqing entered, apanied by Wang Lan.


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 Chapter 1389 - 1697: Reunion with an Old Friend (3)

    <h4>Chapter 1389: Chapter 1697: Reunion with an Old Friend (3)</h4>


    "Sister, you¡¯re finally here." Nanrong Hao hurried over to greet her.


    Seeing Ling Chen there as well, Nanrong Wanqing was just about to say hello when her gazended on Leng Feifei¡¯s face, causing her expression to pause slightly.


    "Miss Leng?"


    "Sister, you might not know this, but Miss Leng is the representative from Changlong Technology. She¡¯s fully responsible for the negotiations with our Hongyu Group."


    Upon hearing this, the surprise in Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s eyes deepened. She was well aware of Leng Feifei, including what had happened between Ling Chen and Leng Feifei. It was because of these events that she and Ling Chen had fallen into a cold war, neither speaking to the other. Unexpectedly, after over a year without contact, Leng Feifei had returned and transformed into the representative from Changlong Technology.


    Nanrong Wanqing was well aware of Changlong Technology¡¯s status¡ªa top 100 global enterprise, and if assessed solely on technology, their level would definitely rank in the top three. She was very curious about what experiences Leng Feifei had gone through to have be part of Changlong Technology, and furthermore, to be the negotiator for this coboration. This role was by no means simple and indicated that Leng Feifei enjoyed considerable trust from the higher-ups at Changlong Technology.


    "Miss Leng, hello, it¡¯s been a long time." Nanrong Wanqing seemed to forget about Ling Chen standing beside her and walked straight up to Leng Feifei, extending her hand.


    Leng Feifei stood up, politely shook hands, and smiled, saying, "Chairman Nanrong, it¡¯s a pleasure to meet you. I hope our coboration will be a great sess."


    "I heard your conversation just now. Since Ling Chen is interested in joining, I can allocate twenty percent of the shares. I wonder what Miss Leng thinks about that."


    "If Chairman Nanrong has no objections, then neither do I." With that, Leng Feifei gestured to the staff behind her, and someone immediately took out several documents from a briefcase andid them on the table, "These are the contracts, please take a look, and if there are no issues, we can sign right away."


    Nanrong Wanqing carefully went through them, confirmed everything was in order, and signed her name. Next to her, Ling Chen, seeing this, signed his name at the end of the contract without even looking.


    "Great." Leng Feifei smiled and said: "To celebrate our sessful coboration, I¡¯ll host tonight. Please don¡¯t refuse."


    "Feifei, you are the guest; we can¡¯t have you hosting." Ling Chen interjected, "Let me arrange a ce, and we can all enjoy a drink."


    "Since you¡¯ve already suggested it, how can I refuse? Well then, if there¡¯s nothing else, I¡¯ll head off first. See you tonight." With that, Leng Feifei and her group left the office straightaway.


    Ling Chen and Nanrong Hao escorted Leng Feifei to the elevator before turning back.


    "Wanqing, how did you link up with Changlong Technology?" Sitting on the sofa, Ling Chen asked curiously.


    "Changlong Technology is looking for a capable partner in Huaxia. Our Hongyu Group has been making quite a sshtely, so naturally, Changlong Technology noticed us. After several evaluations, they finally decided to partner with us. However, I didn¡¯t expect this project to require so much funding. Recently, Hongyu United Investment Company has invested in many industries, and a majority of our funds are depleted. If you didn¡¯t want to join, I¡¯m afraid those twenty percent shares would have gone elsewhere. But to be honest, the project proposed by Changlong Technology certainly has potential, but the risks are equally significant. Nobody knows if it will seed. So, you need to be mentally prepared."


    Ling Chenughed indifferently, "No problem, I don¡¯tck money for now, and I can afford to lose several billion US dors."


    "How¡¯s your grandfather doingtely?"


    "He¡¯s well, his health is still decent. But given his age, some ailments are inevitable."


    "I¡¯ll find time to visit him." Looking at the time, it was already five-thirty, close to the end of the workday. Ling Chen still needed to arrange the dinner. After setting the time with Nanrong Wanqing, Ling Chen drove home directly.


    Upon entering the house, he saw Ling Kun and Yang Qingling sitting on the sofa, chatting softly, with no sign of Ling Tao.


    Seeing Ling Chen return, Yang Qingling waved him over. "Mom, what do you need me for?"


    "I just discussed with your dad. I¡¯ve decided to support your dad in taking over as the head of the Ling family."


    Ling Chen grinned, "That¡¯s great news, Dad. Let me congratte you in advance."


    "Don¡¯t say that just yet. Since I¡¯ll be taking over as the head, we definitely can¡¯t live here. The roots of the northern branch of the Ling family are in Beijing, where there is an old family estate¡ªour foundation. I¡¯ve decided to move there with your mom, so it¡¯s easier to manage the Ling family¡¯s affairs."


    "To Beijing?" Ling Chen was momentarily surprised, then nodded, "It¡¯s fine, after all, Beijing isn¡¯t far from East Sea City. I¡¯ll visit you often when I have the time." Ling Chen wasn¡¯t reluctant. Over the years, he had be independent and self-reliant, long ustomed to living alone, so he didn¡¯t mind Ling Kun¡¯s decision. Furthermore, Beijing was within his influence, so as long as Ling Kun and Yang Qingling¡¯s safety was ensured, it didn¡¯t matter where they went.


    "Alright, since you have no objection, we¡¯ll be leaving in a couple of days."


    "So soon?"


    Ling Kun nodded, "The Ling family has many matters that need my attention; I can¡¯t waste time here."


    "Okay, let me know when, and I¡¯ll take you to the airport." With that, Ling Chen returned to his room alone and changed into a neatly pressed suit.


    Around six-thirty in the evening, Ling Chen drove to a high-end Chinese restaurant. Before arriving, he had already asked someone to book a private room. The restaurant¡¯s decor was ssic and elegant, with a particrly quaint atmosphere in the private room, surrounded by screens painted with ink lotus and green leaves, creating a refreshing and rxing ambiance.


    After waiting in the private room for a while, there was a knock on the door. As the door opened, Nanrong Wanqing and Nanrong Hao walked in one after the other. Both were in casual attire, without deliberate dressing up. However, with Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s natural beauty, there was no need for embellishment.


    "Chen, I brought two bottles of good wine today. Let¡¯s have a good drinkter."


    Ling Chen smiled and nodded, "Sure, I¡¯ll definitely keep youpany." With that, Ling Chen pointed to the seat beside him, "Wanqing,e sit here."


    Nanrong Wanqing smiled gently and acknowledged softly. The three of them hadn¡¯t chatted long when they saw Leng Feifei walk into the private room, led by a waiter. Although they were all old friends, Leng Feifei was the honored guest tonight, so Ling Chen and the others stood up and courteously invited Leng Feifei to be seated.


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 Chapter 1390 - 1698: Strong Scent of Jealousy

    <h4>Chapter 1390: Chapter 1698: Strong Scent of Jealousy</h4>


    "No need to be so formal, right?" Leng Feifei said with a smile, "It¡¯s not like we¡¯re meeting for the first time."


    "Your status is different now."


    "The status may be different, but I¡¯ve never changed," Leng Feifei looked at Ling Chen and said, with a hint of deeper meaning in her words.


    Feeling Leng Feifei¡¯s gaze, Ling Chen¡¯s heart skipped a beat. He quickly looked away, chuckled awkwardly, and said, "Feifei is right, we¡¯re all friends here, no need to be so distant." Saying this, Ling Chen called over the waiter at the door to serve the dishes.


    Soon, all the dishes were served, a total of thirteen, extremely abundant.


    While eating, Nanrong Wanqing casually asked, "Miss Leng, how long do you n to stay in the country?"


    "I¡¯ll be stationed in Huaxia in the future. Thepany executives have already issued a notice that I¡¯ll be in charge of all Huaxia operations."


    "Will you be staying in East Sea City or Beijing?"


    "The branch will be based in Beijing. After all, it¡¯s the political andmercial center of Huaxia, which is more convenient for thepany¡¯s development."


    Hearing this, Nanrong Wanqing nodded gently, smiled, and said, "Beijing is indeed nice. There are many talented young people there; you might even meet someone you fancy."


    "I¡¯ve been at Changlong Technology for so long, didn¡¯t learn much else but met plenty of talented young people from all over the world. However, in my view, none of them canpare to Ling Chen," Leng Feifei said, implying something.


    "Ling Chen is indeed exceptional, otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t attract so much attention from women. But something good is one thing, whether it belongs to you is another. If you force it, you¡¯ll only lose more than you gain. Miss Leng has been in the business world for quite some time, I believe you understand this principle."


    Leng Feifei chuckled indifferently, "Chairman Nanrong is right, but as the saying goes, ¡¯Sincerity can break the hardest stone,¡¯ with enough effort, even iron trees will bloom."


    Listening to the exchange between Nanrong Wanqing and Leng Feifei, Nanrong Hao instantly sensed a strong sense of rivalry. At this moment, Nanrong Hao couldn¡¯t help but regret, had he known it would be like this, he wouldn¡¯t havee to meddle in the first ce. It would be much more enjoyable to go and have fun alone. Thinking of this, Nanrong Hao couldn¡¯t help but nce at Ling Chen, only to see him calmly sitting there, eating heartily, seemingly oblivious to the tension in the air.


    They went back and forth for more than ten minutes, finally realizing that the main person at the table hadn¡¯t made a sound. Feeling their gaze focused on him, Ling Chen picked up his wine ss, took a sip of red wine, smacked his lips, and said, "Haozi, this red wine is nice, where did you get it? Send me two bottles sometime."


    Nanrong Hao tactfully replied, "Chen, don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll send it over another day. But red wine should be paired with Western food; Chinese food is best with white wine. I still have a few bottles of Moutai, very pure."


    "Alright, bring them along. Lately, I¡¯ve been inexplicably wanting to have a couple of drinks. Hey! Wanqing, Feifei, I heard red wine is good for yourplexion, you two should drink more. This vintage isn¡¯tmon."


    Nanrong Wanqing rolled her eyes at Ling Chen, saying nothing. Leng Feifei pursed her lips, chuckling to herself. With their intelligence, how could they not understand Ling Chen was ying dumb? Since the main character wouldn¡¯t y along, neither of them had the interest to continue sparring.


    After some idle chat, the dinner quickly came to an end.


    Leaving the restaurant, Ling Chen told Nanrong Hao to take Nanrong Wanqing home first and to be careful on the way. Watching them leave, Leng Feifei approached from behind and asked, "Are you free? Shall we find a ce to talk?"


    Ling Chen was about to speak, but at that moment, his phone rang. Taking out his phone, he nced at the caller ID, apologetically smiled at Leng Feifei, and then answered the call.


    "Have you arrived? Okay, I got it. I¡¯ll head over to pick you up right away."


    After hanging up, Ling Chen turned to Leng Feifei and said apologetically, "I might not be free tonight. I have something important to deal with."


    Hearing this, Leng Feifei¡¯s eyes showed a trace of disappointment, but she forced a smile and said, "It¡¯s fine, I¡¯ll be in East Sea City for a few more days, we can meet up when you have time."


    "Definitely." Ling Chen nodded.


    Leng Feifei had her own chauffeur. Watching her vehicle disappear from sight, Ling Chen immediately got into his car and headed towards the airport. He had just received a call that Guo Ming had just arrived in East Sea City by ne. Compared to Leng Feifei, Ling Chen was now more concerned about Guo Ming¡¯s arrival.


    Soon, the car left the city and onto the airport avenue. Although it was nighttime, the airport avenue was still bustling with traffic. However, at that moment, a Mercedes sedan suddenly changednes beside him and headed straight for the back of Ling Chen¡¯s car.


    Noticing the Mercedes sedan in the rearview mirror, Ling Chen frowned and immediately increased his speed to widen the distance between the two cars.


    However, before Ling Chen could escape from the Mercedes sedan¡¯s line of sight, two Range Rover SUVs appeared ahead, nking him from both sides, blocking the road ahead. Seeing this, Ling Chen realized things were not good. However, the airport avenue was filled with vehicles; even if he wanted to changenes to evade, other vehicles obstructed his path.


    Damn it! Ling Chen silently cursed, mming the pedal to the metal, heading straight for the Range Rover ahead.


    If someone dared to mess with him, he¡¯d see who exactly had a death wish.


    Bang!


    With a loud crash, the hood of Ling Chen¡¯s car collided directly with the rear of the Range Rover. Using the force of inertia, Ling Chen¡¯s body crashed through the car window, flying forward. Using this opportunity, Ling Chen¡¯s hands firmly grasped the top rail of the SUV, steadying himself.


    Once the Range Rover stopped, Ling Chen quickly climbed inside, punching the driver in the seat.


    There was no one else inside the SUV besides the driver. Ling Chen shoved open the car door, kicking the unconscious driver out of the seat, then started the engine and drove the wrecked SUV forward.


    However, the Range Rover hadn¡¯t traveled far before being sandwiched by another SUV and a Mercedes sedan from both sides, crashing into the sides of the vehicle. This time, the entire car was deformed,pletely unable to move.


    Having no choice, Ling Chen abandoned the car and jumped out.


    ncing at the Mercedes parked at the side, Ling Chen, with no hesitation, rushed straight towards it. But before he could get close, a fierce gust of wind suddenly attacked from the side.


    Not good!


    A strong sense of danger arose, and Ling Chen quickly halted, turning to look to the side.

 Chapter 1391 - 1699: The Mysterious Kidnapper (1)

    <h4>Chapter 1391: Chapter 1699: The Mysterious Kidnapper (1)</h4>


    Suddenly appearing in front of him was a middle-aged man. However, despite the man¡¯s appearance resembling that of a middle-aged man, Ling Chen sensed from his deep-set eyes that this person seemed to have weathered countless changes over the years. Who was this person? Ling Chen carefully scrutinized him. In his memory, he had never seen the man standing before him. Although this middle-aged man gave off a calm-as-water vibe, Ling Chen was acutely aware through years of experience that this person was anything but simple.


    "Who are you?" Ling Chen asked. This person had suddenly ambushed him, and he was eager to uncover his identity. Nowadays, the Southern Ling Family had been annihted, and there shouldn¡¯t be anyone left to pose a threat to him. So, he was very puzzled and had no idea about the origins of this person.


    "Are you Ling Chen?" The middle-aged man asked, seemingly ignoring Ling Chen¡¯s question and speaking to himself.


    "Yes, that¡¯s me." As he spoke, several more cars drove up around them, with seven or eight people stepping out, each dressed in suits and sunsses, exuding a menacing aura. Ling Chen nced around, secretly vignt to prevent a sneak attack from the other party.


    "Very well." The middle-aged man nodded, "I¡¯ve been looking for you for a long time. Come with me." As soon as he finished speaking, the middle-aged man waved his hand, and a Mercedes business car promptly drove over and stopped in front of them. A man in a suit hurriedly stepped forward to open the car door and ushered the middle-aged man inside.


    Seeing the man¡¯s actions, Ling Chen was slightly taken aback. What did this guy mean? Just by throwing out a simple sentence, he expected Ling Chen to obedientlyply? Ling Chen chuckled to himself, shook his head, and said, "Sorry, I have urgent matters to attend to. If you want to invite me as a guest, you should make an appointment in advance, and maybe I¡¯ll find time to meet you."


    Having said that, Ling Chen turned and walked away. However, after only a few steps, a strong sense of foreboding suddenly welled up from deep within his heart. From ghosts till now, Ling Chen had faced countless dangers, but he had never felt such terrifying foreboding. He felt that if he took another step forward, death would instantly descend upon him.


    Seeing the men in suits gradually closing in from both sides, Ling Chen took a deep breath and slowly retracted his foot. After an intense mental struggle, Ling Chen chose topromise. He had no choice; the killing intent was too overwhelming. Even when facing Qin Chuan, a master ranked on the Heavenly List, he had never felt this way. For the sake of his life, he could only make this choice.


    Seeing Ling Chen returning to the Mercedes business car, the middle-aged man¡¯s cold face finally showed a slight hint of a smile.


    "Mr. Ling, please hand over your phone." The man in the suit sitting in the passenger seat said. Ling Chen obediently took out his phone and handed it to him. Thetter took out a jamming device and inserted the phone into it. After a while, the red light on the jamming device turned green.


    "We can go now."


    With that, the driver immediately started the engine and drove the Mercedes business car in the opposite direction of the airport.


    Sitting in the car, Ling Chen carefully observed the middle-aged man in front of him. From the moment he got in the car until now, the man hadn¡¯t said a word and kept his eyes closed as if dozing off. However, for some reason, even though the man didn¡¯t open his eyes, Ling Chen felt as if he had been stripped naked,pletely seen through by him, and this feeling made him extremely ufortable.


    After a brief silence, Ling Chen couldn¡¯t help but speak, "You¡¯ve ¡¯invited¡¯ me here, shouldn¡¯t you tell me who you are?"


    Upon hearing this, the middle-aged man finally opened his eyes, looked at Ling Chen across from him, and said lightly, "You don¡¯t need to know who I am; that¡¯s just a waste of time."


    Ling Chen squinted his eyes and said, "It seems like my life won¡¯tst much longer."


    The middle-aged man nodded and said, "You¡¯re quite self-aware." As he spoke, the Mercedes business car slowly pulled to a stop, entering a standalone luxury vi. The vi was surrounded by iron fences, with men in suits patrolling around, observing the surrounding activities.


    Once the car was parked, the middle-aged man ignored Ling Chen and walked straight into the vi. Meanwhile, the man in the suit sitting in the passenger seat got out of the car and led Ling Chen to follow. Upon entering the spacious and luxurious vi, the man in the suit pointed to a single sofa, indicating for Ling Chen to sit. Shortly thereafter, a woman with a delicate appearance brought over tea and a fruit te, cing it beside Ling Chen.


    To an outsider, it might seem like Ling Chen was a guest of this vi.


    "Here, make a call." The man in the suit took the phone off the jamming device and handed it to Ling Chen.


    Ling Chen was momentarily stunned and confusedly asked, "Who do you want me to call?"


    "Your friend, your family, anyone you think can save you, you can invite them over." Pausing, the man in the suit continued, "I don¡¯t need to tell you the address, right? With your influence, I believe they won¡¯t have any trouble locating you."


    The man spoke lightly, but Ling Chen¡¯s heart sank heavily. What did this mean? Letting him actively call for rescue ¡ª how many kidnappers would do such a thing? The fact that they did this could only mean they were absolutely confident they could ensure those who came to rescue him would remain here permanently.


    Thinking of this, Ling Chen instinctively nced at the distant middle-aged man. He simply sat there silently, without even turning on the television, like a lifeless puppet. Who exactly was this person? Ling Chen¡¯s heart surged with doubts.


    Undoubtedly, these people¡¯s greatest reliance was that mysterious middle-aged man. His might was terrifying; just a single nce could instill a soul-deep fear. All these years, Ling Chen had never encountered anything like this before.


    Ling Chen, holding the phone, found himself lost in contemtion, not knowing what to do.


    "Not nning to make a call?" The man in the suit saw Ling Chen sitting there dazedly and couldn¡¯t help but urge him.


    Hesitating for a moment, Ling Chen finally dialed a number. Before long, the call connected, and a familiar voice came through: "Hello! Son, do you need something?"


    "Dad, I¡¯ve been kidnapped." Ling Chen said helplessly.


    "Kidnapped?" Ling Kun eximed in surprise over the phone, "Who did it? Where are you? I¡¯lle and rescue you right away."


    "Don¡¯te." Ling Chen nced at the man in the suit in front of him, calmly saying, "Remember my words, don¡¯te to rescue me, otherwise we will all die." With that, without waiting for Ling Kun to ask anything more, Ling Chen directly hung up the phone.

 Chapter 1392 - 1700: The Mysterious Kidnapper (2)

    <h4>Chapter 1392: Chapter 1700: The Mysterious Kidnapper (2)</h4>


    Seeing the phone Ling Chen handed back, the man in the suit sneered, "You¡¯ve got guts, but unfortunately, even if you don¡¯t tell us the location, as long as my phone stays on, they¡¯ll find their way here sooner orter." With that, the man in the suit called for one of his men to take Ling Chen to a room upstairs.


    Despite being kidnapped, Ling Chen was treated well. At least the ce he stayed was luxurious, no less than a five-star hotel. Not only that, but there was also 24-hour meal service if he got hungry, just like staying in a hotel.


    Standing by the window, Ling Chen drew back the curtains and looked at the night view outside. A trace of worry surfaced in his heart. He had just called Ling Kun, telling them not toe to rescue him because he didn¡¯t want them to fall into the other party¡¯s trap. He didn¡¯t want others to be in danger because of him.


    Sigh... Ling Chen breathed a light sigh, wondering if his father understood his message.


    At this moment, back at the base in East Sea City, Ling Kun hurried to the control room. As news of Ling Chen being kidnapped spread, everyone gathered in the control room in no time, inquiring about the situation.


    "When Ling Chen called me, he only said one thing: Don¡¯te to rescue him," Ling Kun said with a furrowed brow. "I don¡¯t quite understand what he meant. Since he was kidnapped, why would he call me and stop me from helping him? Don¡¯t you find it a bit contradictory?"


    As he spoke, Hu Fei¡¯s voice came over, "I tracked Ling Chen¡¯s phone location; it¡¯s in a standalone vi more than twenty kilometers away."


    Upon hearing this, everyone gathered around theputer screen, looking at the map showing the location. "Sixth Brother has always been cautious. There must be a reason for his actions. Perhaps he doesn¡¯t want to drag us down," Qiu Yong suggested.


    "Elder Qiu, I disagree with you," Zhou Jun said, "If Ling Chen didn¡¯t want to involve us, there was no need to call Uncle Ling. Moreover, doesn¡¯t it seem strange to you? Typically, kidnappers are very careful after kidnapping someone, keeping the hostage in a secret ce. But now, the situation is quite the opposite. Those kidnappers seem afraid we won¡¯t know where Ling Chen is. Something¡¯s off here."


    Hu Fei nodded in agreement, "I think Zhou Jun is right. Although no one answers Ling Chen¡¯s phone, it remains on, as if the other side intends for us to lock onto Ling Chen¡¯s location." Pausing for a moment, Hu Fei continued, "Of course, another possibility can¡¯t be ruled out. Perhaps Ling Chen isn¡¯t in that vi at all, and someone just took his phone to lure us there."


    Yuan Yun spoke up, "I think Hu Fei¡¯s spection makes a lot of sense. Only that aligns with the behavior of kidnappers. How about... let¡¯s send two people to scout first. If Ling Chen isn¡¯t there, we¡¯ll find another way. What do you think?"


    "That¡¯s fine; rather than wasting time here, it¡¯s better to investigate in person," Ling Kun volunteered, "Leave this matter to me."


    "Ling Kun, I think you¡¯d better stay here," Qiu Yong interjected. "It¡¯s not that we don¡¯t trust you, but because you¡¯re Sixth Brother¡¯s father, your judgment might be impaired in case of an emergency. So, it¡¯s better for a few of us to handle this, while you stay here to oversee things."


    "Well..." Ling Kun hesitated for a moment, then slowly nodded, "Alright then. Elder Qiu, I¡¯ll trouble you all."


    Leaving the base, Qiu Yong and his team hurriedly headed to the luxurious vi by car. To avoid being discovered by the other side, Qiu Yong and the others were very cautious, getting off the car a hundred meters from the vi, approaching slowly.


    Soon, they finally arrived near the vi. Looking at the vi in close proximity, Yuan Yun sneaked around the iron fence, surveying the outside and getting a rough idea of the conditions, then returned to Qiu Yong¡¯s side.


    "Big Brother, I just checked. There are over a dozen security personnel outside." At this point, Yuan Yun¡¯s expression appeared somewhat odd.


    Noticing the change in Yuan Yun¡¯s expression, Qiu Yong asked, "Third Brother, what¡¯s wrong?"


    Yuan Yun, puzzled, said, "I can¡¯t quite figure out who kidnapped Sixth Brother. Sixth Brother is quite strong, at least among the Earthly List experts, few are his match. So, I think the kidnappers should be Heavenly List experts. However, the security personnel outside are not experts."


    Just then, Xia Yue suddenly rushed to Qiu Yong and Yuan Yun, saying urgently, "Big Brother, Third Brother, I¡¯ve seen Sixth Brother."


    Hearing this, Qiu Yong¡¯s eyes brightened, and he quickly asked, "Where?"


    Xia Yue pointed to the balcony on the far left of the second floor of the luxurious vi, "Look there."


    Following her direction, they indeed saw Ling Chen standing behind the ss window on the balcony with the curtains on both sides drawn open, without any cover. Not only that, Ling Chen was holding a tea cup, seemingly rxed.


    Seeing Ling Chen¡¯s situation, everyone was puzzled. This... this doesn¡¯t look like a kidnapping at all; rather, it seemed like he was a guest.


    Was Ling Chen... really kidnapped? This left everyone quite confused.


    "Big Brother, what should we do now?" Yuan Yun asked with a wry smile.


    "How about we go straight to Sixth Brother?" Xia Yue suggested.


    Qiu Yong pondered for a moment, then shook his head, "No one should act rashly. We¡¯ve known Sixth Brother for so long; shouldn¡¯t you be clear what kind of person he is? He may be a bit muddled about minor matters, but he never jokes about big stuff. He knows well how many people would run around for him if he were kidnapped, so he wouldn¡¯t mess around with everyone on such matters."


    After speaking, Qiu Yong thought for a moment, then asked Xia Yue to contact the base and inform Ling Kun and others of the situation here. Additionally, Xia Yue specifically took a picture of Ling Chen and sent it to Hu Fei¡¯s phone.


    As time passed, Ling Chen continued to stand by the window, quietly watching the outside.


    Suddenly, there was a crisp shattering sound, and the whole ss pane was forcibly broken. Fortunately, Ling Chen reacted swiftly, retreating in time to avoid being injured by the ss shards. Looking closely, he found an arrow embedded in the wall behind him.


    Zhang Zhongfeng!


    Ling Chen raised an eyebrow, hurriedly pulled the arrow from the wall. A note was tied around the middle of the arrow. However, at this moment, hurried footsteps sounded outside the door.


    Not good! Ling Chen¡¯s heart sank, and he quickly put away the note.

 Chapter 1393 - 1701: The Mysterious Kidnapper (3)

    <h4>Chapter 1393: Chapter 1701: The Mysterious Kidnapper (3)</h4>


    Just as he put the note into his pocket, he saw the door being pushed open from outside. Shortly afterward, several men in suits rushed in and surrounded Ling Chen. Watching the arrow in Ling Chen¡¯s hand, one of the suited men frowned slightly, reached out to take the arrow, and asked, "Where is the person?"


    Ling Chen shrugged and said, "What person? It¡¯s just me here."


    The suited man snorted, walked to the shattered ss window, stuck his head out, and took a few nces outside. After a while, he turned his gaze back to Ling Chen and said, "Yourpanions havee to rescue you, aren¡¯t you feeling happy?"


    Ling Chen replied indifferently, "I¡¯m still here; what¡¯s there to be happy about?"


    "It¡¯s best if you think that way, because those who came to rescue you won¡¯t leave alive. I advise you to stay put here." After finishing, the suited man waved his hand and left the room with his men.


    After they left, Ling Chen immediately pulled out the note from his pocket and nced at its contents.


    Signal? Ling Chen was slightly startled, and his lips curled into a faint smile. After thinking for a moment, Ling Chen walked to a switch, turned off the room¡¯s lights, then turned them back on, repeating the process several times.


    Meanwhile, outside the vi, Qiu Yong and others noticed the change in the lights of the room and exchanged a look. Zhang Zhongfeng understood and stood up again, with a bow and arrow aimed at Ling Chen¡¯s room, prepared to send the message over.


    Whoosh!


    Apanied by the sound of breaking through the air, the arrow shot directly towards the room. Since the ss of the room had already been destroyed, everyone didn¡¯t have to worry about causing attention.


    However, just as the arrow was about to enter the room, it suddenly wobbled mid-flight. Subsequently, the trajectory of the arrow veered to the side, embedding itself in the wall.


    Seeing this, Qiu Yong and others were stunned, all focusing their gaze on Zhang Zhongfeng. The name of the "Arrow God" is not in vain; with Zhang Zhongfeng¡¯s skill, such a low-level mistake wouldn¡¯t happen.


    Zhang Zhongfeng frowned slightly and spoke, "Someone interfered with my arrow."


    "Who?"


    Zhang Zhongfeng shook his head and said, "Not sure. However, being able to aplish this means the other¡¯s strength is quite formidable." Just as he finished speaking, a ¡¯whoosh¡¯ sound was heard, as if something was breaking through the air. Before Qiu Yong and others could speak, Zhang Zhongfeng¡¯s face changed drastically, urgently drawing his bow and firing an arrow.


    It was only at this moment that everyone noticed an arrow shot from the direction of the vi. With Zhang Zhongfeng¡¯s movements, the two arrows soon collided in mid-air. Amazingly, when the arrows collided, the arrow shot by Zhang Zhongfeng was split open by the other arrow. Not only that, but the momentum of that arrow didn¡¯t diminish, heading straight for Zhang Zhongfeng.


    Seeing the arrow quickly approaching, Zhang Zhongfeng hastily drew two arrows and quickly shot them out. Under the blockade of three arrows, that arrow was finally knocked down. Although they sessfully resolved this sudden attack, Qiu Yong and others broke out in a cold sweat.


    Everyone knew Zhang Zhongfeng¡¯s prowess; his arrows were feared even by ranking experts on the Heavenly List. However, it was unknown who made the shot¡ªit was terrifyingly powerful. At this moment, everyone finally understood why Ling Chen advised Ling Kun over the phone not toe for the rescue.


    "Big brother, what should we do now?"


    Upon hearing Yuan Yun¡¯s inquiry, Qiu Yong thought for a moment and said, "Let¡¯s go, we¡¯ll discuss further after retreating. No matter who kidnapped Ling Chen, they are not someone we can provoke." Everyone agreed with Qiu Yong¡¯s decision without any objections.


    At once, they slowly retreated from around the vi and then returned to the base by car.


    After understanding Qiu Yong and others¡¯ encounter, Ling Kun and others fell into silence. The Southern Ling Family had already been destroyed, and now suddenly a master appeared, leaving everyone puzzled about who would do such a thing.


    While pondering, Ling Kun nced at Zhang Zhongfeng beside him and said, "Zhang,e over and help me with something."


    Zhang Zhongfeng, without a word, followed Ling Kun to a spacious spot. The crowd, seeing this, didn¡¯t know what Ling Kun intended to do and gathered around.


    "Zhang, could I borrow two arrows from you?"


    Receiving the arrows from Zhang Zhongfeng, Ling Kun slowly retreated, putting some distance between himself and Zhang Zhongfeng. Seeing Ling Kun¡¯s actions, everyone immediately understood his intention¡ªhe wanted to evaluate the strength of the master from the vi.


    "Are you ready? Here I go." As he finished speaking, Ling Kun flicked his wrist, sending an arrow shooting forth, quickly heading towards Zhang Zhongfeng. Seeing the arrow approaching, Zhang Zhongfeng skillfully drew and fired an arrow, instantly knocking the arrow out of mid-air.


    "How much power did you use just now?"


    Upon hearing Qiu Yong¡¯s inquiry, Ling Kun replied, "About seventy percent." After pausing, Ling Kun continued, "Now I¡¯ll try using full strength."


    Yet, the result remained unchanged; Zhang Zhongfeng easily knocked the arrow down to the ground, feeling no pressure at all.


    "Let me give it a try."


    At this time, a voice came from behind the crowd. Turning around, everyone saw Tong Zhentian and He Ziyun walking side by side.


    "Elder Tong, Mr. He, you¡¯ve arrived."


    Tong Zhentian nodded and said, "I heard Ling Chen was kidnapped, so we came to check out the situation." Saying this, Tong Zhentian took Ling Kun¡¯s ce and took an arrow. With a slight preparation, Tong Zhentian¡¯s entire aura erupted, shooting the arrow forth like a gust of wind, instantly flying away. Ordinary people wouldn¡¯t be able to catch a glimpse of the arrow¡¯s shadow.


    ng!


    Amidst a crisp sound, the tips of the two arrows collided fiercely, both dropping to the ground. Upon closer inspection, the tips of the two arrows were deformed. This demonstrated the tremendous power contained within them.


    Zhang Zhongfeng slowly put away his longbow, shaking his head and said, "Your power hasn¡¯t even reached half of that person¡¯s."


    Upon hearing this, everyone¡¯s expression finally changed. What a joke! Tong Zhentian is a towering figure in Martial Arts, a universally recognized expert. If Su He from the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion is considered the first in the world, Tong Zhentian¡¯s strength would rank in the top three. Yet, Zhang Zhongfeng imed he wasn¡¯t even half as strong as the opponent. How formidable must that person be?


    "Fourth Brother, are you sure you didn¡¯t make a mistake?" Yuan Yun asked, "In Martial Arts, those stronger than Elder Tong are few; could that person truly be that powerful?"


    Zhang Zhongfeng nodded and said, "That person¡¯s strength is extremely terrifying; I have personally experienced it. Furthermore, the scariest thing is that we still don¡¯t know if that is their true strength."

 Chapter 1394 - 1702: Fated Rival (1)

    <h4>Chapter 1394: Chapter 1702: Fated Rival (1)</h4>


    Ling Kun turned to look at Tong Zhentian and asked, "Elder Tong, you are a Martial Arts elder. Over the years, have you ever heard of such a formidable expert?"


    Tong Zhentian pondered for a moment, shook his head and said, "Never heard of him. As far as I know, the most powerful one is Su He, who has been in the Heavenly List realm the longest. Moreover, his advancement speed is faster than all of us. Other than him, I really don¡¯t know who else could be more powerful in this world."


    After speaking, Tong Zhentian put down the arrow in his hand and said, "I don¡¯t think there¡¯s any need to try anymore."


    "Why not let me try?" At this moment, an unfamiliar voice came through.


    Upon hearing the sudden voice, everyone turned around to look, only to see an old man and a tall, handsome middle-aged man approaching.


    Among these two, everyone only recognized one, and that was Guo Ming, the most renowned forging master in the Martial Arts world. As for the other middle-aged man, none of the people present had seen him before, except for Ling Kun. Upon seeing the middle-aged man beside Guo Ming, Ling Kun¡¯s expression suddenly became excited. He hurriedly ran over and knelt down with a ¡¯thud¡¯, respectfully kowtowing three times.


    Seeing Ling Kun¡¯s sudden action, everyone present was stunned. What... what is this about?


    Just looking at Ling Kun and the middle-aged man¡¯s appearance, they seemed to be of simr age. Ling Kun kowtowing to the other, what could this mean?


    While everyone was bewildered, the middle-aged man waved his hand slightly and said indifferently, "No need for such courtesy, stand up." After saying this, the middle-aged man ignored the astonished looks from the crowd and walked straight to Tong Zhentian, taking an arrow from his hand.


    "Are you ready?" The middle-aged man looked at Zhang Zhongfeng on the opposite side and said, "You better be careful."


    "Zhang Zhongfeng." Ling Kun spoke up in a reminder, "Bring your best state, and do not underestimate him." Ling Kun was aware of the middle-aged man¡¯s strength and was concerned that Zhang Zhongfeng might not take him seriously, hence the warning to avoid any public mishap.


    Zhang Zhongfeng nodded, his eyes slightly narrowing, paying serious attention to the middle-aged man¡¯s movements.


    Yet, even without any visible movement from the middle-aged man, the arrow suddenly shot out and swiftly came close. Without thinking, Zhang Zhongfeng immediately drew his bow and fired an arrow, hitting the iing arrow precisely. At the moment of collision, not only was the middle-aged man¡¯s arrow not knocked down, it actually broke through Zhang Zhongfeng¡¯s arrow, continuing forward, albeit at a slightly reduced speed.


    Seeing this, Zhang Zhongfeng¡¯s face darkened, and his gaze became serious.


    In almost an instant, Zhang Zhongfeng shot three more arrows in quick session, finally knocking the arrow down.


    Witnessing this scene, everyone present was stunned by the prowess disyed by the middle-aged man, including Tong Zhentian. The middle-aged man¡¯s demonstrated skill was at least several folds greater than his own. When did such a formidable character appear in the Martial Arts world?


    Connecting Ling Kun¡¯s act of kneeling and kowtowing, Tong Zhentian immediately suspected something. Ling Kun, being a prominent Heavenly List expert, was willing to lower himself and pay such respect in front of everyone, which signified the status of this middle-aged man in his heart.


    "Is that person¡¯s strength about the same as mine?" At this moment, the middle-aged man¡¯s leisurely voice pulled everyone back from their shock.


    After a brief moment of being dazed, Zhang Zhongfeng snapped back to reality, quickly nodding, and said, "Yes."


    "Then I understand." The middle-aged man replied with a smile, "You guys being able toe back alive, really lucky. Perhaps, he disdained killing you few."


    After speaking, the middle-aged man pointed at Ling Kun and Guo Ming, saying, "You two,e with me."


    Ling Kun and Guo Ming dared not dy, quickly following behind the middle-aged man as he swiftly entered the control room. Shortly after, Ling Kun emerged from the control room and called a few individuals toe in.


    When the group entered the control room, they saw the middle-aged man sitting on a chair, with Guo Ming standing respectfully beside him. "Ancestor, these are Ling Chen¡¯s most trusted elders and friends."


    The middle-aged man nodded and said, "I think Ling Chen¡¯s kidnapping this time was not idental. The opponent came specifically for us. More precisely, for a few of you." The middle-aged man pointed at Ling Kun, Tong Zhentian, and Chen Junfeng.


    "Us?" Chen Junfeng asked in confusion, "What do you mean?"


    "The person captured Ling Chen, yet did not promptly kill him, instead imprisoned him in a ce known to all. Why do this? Given your intelligence, it shouldn¡¯t be hard to guess the opponent¡¯s purpose."


    Hearing this, Tong Zhentian and the other two¡¯s expressions changed slightly.


    They finally understood why Ling Chen wanted to phone Ling Kun, emphasizing not to act rashly in the rescue attempt. Because Ling Chen had guessed the person¡¯s intention was to use him as bait to draw several Heavenly List experts to rescue, thereby dealing with them one by one.


    Figuring this out, the group asked, "Then what should we do?"


    "Had I note, you would surely march to your death. Now, you can rest easy, with me here, I naturally won¡¯t let Ling Chene to harm. Shortly, we¡¯ll rest for a bit, then I¡¯ll go meet this person and see their true identity. By then, you needn¡¯t follow; go directly to rescue Ling Chen, I¡¯ll handle the rest."


    "Ancestor, if there¡¯s nothing else, we¡¯ll head out first." Ling Kun sped his fists together respectfully, then led the group out of the control room.


    "Mr. Ling." As soon as they exited, Tong Zhentian immediately approached Ling Kun, eagerly asking, "Who was that person just now?"


    Ling Kun apologetically said, "Elder Tong, I¡¯m sorry, I cannot disclose this person¡¯s identity for now."


    Hearing this, Tong Zhentian felt a bit regretful. As one who practiced martial arts, encountering such a master, he naturally wanted to make an acquaintance. However, he understood that the higher the level of the master, the broader the horizon, and they might not regard even a Heavenly List expert highly.


    Thinking of this, Tong Zhentian couldn¡¯t help but sigh. "There is always someone better," indeed proven true. All along, he thought his skill was rare in the world, with few opponents. Now, this middle-aged man¡¯s appearance rified for him what it meant by the saying "a frog in a well." Perhaps, such individuals are truly worthy of being called reclusive masters.


    After a brief rest and preparations, Ling Kun then led the group and headed towards the destination. With the middle-aged man present, everyone was considerably relieved, no longer bearing the previous anxious expressions. Though the opponent was strong, their strength wasn¡¯t insignificant either.


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 1395 - 1703: Fated Rival (2)

    <h4>Chapter 1395: Chapter 1703: Fated Rival (2)</h4>


    Actually, this mission didn¡¯t require too many people. However, everyone was eager to join. As for the reason... Rescuing Ling Chen was secondary; the main attraction was witnessing the confrontation between that middle-aged man and the formidable opponent.


    Even Tong Zhentian was no exception. Several Heavenly List experts were excited, eager to see what a real battle between masters would look like.


    Before long, the convoy slowly arrived outside the luxurious vi.


    The group didn¡¯t bother to disguise their intentions, openly getting out of the cars and heading straight to the vi, observing the surroundings. Ling Kun and Tong Zhentian led the way, not even bothering to greet the guards, kicking down the vi¡¯s iron gate and striding inside.


    Immediately, the security personnel responsible for patrolling around the vi rushed over, forming a human wall blocking Ling Kun and the others from entering.


    "Get your boss out here," Ling Kun demanded.


    A man in a suit stepped forward, nced at the crowd, and asked, "Which one is Ling Kun?"


    Ling Kun replied, "That¡¯s me."


    "What about Tong Zhentian, Chen Junfeng, and Ji Gang? Are the three of them here?"


    Tong Zhentian frowned slightly. It seemed their guess was right; these people were well aware of the Heavenly List masters around Ling Chen, clearly intending to draw them here.


    "We¡¯re all here, so it¡¯s time for you to call your master out," Tong Zhentian said in a deep voice.


    "I¡¯m right here." The voice captured everyone¡¯s attention. They looked up and saw a person standing on the third-floor balcony of the vi. To be precise, it was a middle-aged man in in clothing, with unremarkable appearance, hardly standing out in a crowd.


    At this moment, the man was standing with his hands sped behind his back, looking down at everyone. Whoever his gaze fell upon couldn¡¯t help but feel a chill in their hearts.


    How terrifying! Even for Heavenly List experts like Tong Zhentian, Ling Kun, and Chen Junfeng, they could sense the man¡¯s formidable presence. That gaze alone was enough to defeat without a fight.


    ng!


    Just then, there was a crisp sound, followed by someone jumping down from the second-floor balcony. Seeing who it was, everyone couldn¡¯t help but breathe a sigh of relief.


    "Ling Chen, are you alright?"


    The oneing wasn¡¯t someone else; it was Ling Chen, who had been kidnapped earlier. Facing the concerned gazes, Ling Chen smiled slightly, "I¡¯m fine. They fed me well and treated me nicely. If it weren¡¯t for thinking about my life, I wouldn¡¯t even want to leave."


    Earlier in the room, hearing themotion outside, Ling Chen knew the rescue team had arrived. The mysterious middle-aged man merely wanted to use his presence to draw Tong Zhentian and the others over. Since everyone was here, there was no point in staying in the room; better to rush out and fight alongside them.


    "Hey!" Ling Chen raised his head, shouting at the man on the third-floor balcony, "You¡¯ve achieved your goal, so shouldn¡¯t you reveal your identity now?"


    "I said, you¡¯re not worthy of knowing my name." The middle-aged man¡¯s tone was devoid of emotion, coldly saying, "Tonight, everyone appearing within my sight must die."


    "Tsk tsk! Quite the arrogance. I say, you¡¯d better watch it so you don¡¯t regret itter," Ling Chen mocked.


    "Oh, really?" The middle-aged man sneered, "In that case, I¡¯ll start with you." As he finished speaking, he lightly tapped with his toes, like an eagle spreading its wings, swooping down from the third-floor balcony at lightning speed. In the blink of an eye, he was in front of Ling Chen, striking towards his forehead. If it hit, Ling Chen¡¯s life would be finished.


    But at this critical moment, the alert Tong Zhentian swiftly moved forward, striking Ling Chen¡¯s back with one hand. Suddenly, propelled by that Power, Ling Chen¡¯s body thrust forward, narrowly evading the middle-aged man¡¯s assault.


    Meanwhile, Chen Junfeng and Ling Kun attacked from the left and right,unching offensives from either side. Faced with their pincer assault, the middle-aged man sneered disdainfully, not taking their attack seriously. As Chen Junfeng approached, the middle-aged man tapped his feet, instantly disappearing.


    Where is he?


    Seeing this, Chen Junfeng and Ling Kun were shocked. He vanished!


    While the two were stunned, Tong Zhentian¡¯s voice suddenly came from the side, "Watch out above."


    Hearing Tong Zhentian¡¯s warning, the two hurriedly looked up at the sky, realizing they didn¡¯t even know when the middle-aged man had jumped up. At that moment, the man had his feet upwards, palms downwards, striking towards Ling Kun and Chen Junfeng¡¯s heads.


    The middle-aged man came on fiercely, moving quickly, with Chen Junfeng and Ling Kun having no time to dodge. With no other choice, they gathered all their Inner Strength, punching towards the sky.


    As flesh and fists collided, Chen Junfeng and Ling Kun, standing on the ground, sank sharply, knees slightly bending, almost knocked to the ground.


    However, seeing their flushed cheeks, although they barely withstood the attack, they wouldn¡¯tst long. After merely a few seconds, their knees and waists bent further, almost unable to hold on.


    Beside them, Tong Zhentian, fearing they might be in trouble, tapped his toes, quickly leaping from the ground and kicking towards the middle-aged man in mid-air. Observing, onlookers expected the middle-aged man to retreat. Nevertheless, the man had no intention of retreating; as Tong Zhentian¡¯s attack approached, he suddenly rotated his body in mid-air, spreading his legs in opposite directions to form a split.


    Suddenly, before Tong Zhentian¡¯s foot could contact the man¡¯s body, the middle-aged man rebounded him with a kick, sending him flying far away. At that moment, a ¡¯whoosh whoosh¡¯ of breaking air came from above.


    Looking closely, Zhang Zhongfeng was drawing bow and arrow not far away, shooting over ten arrows to forcefully limit the middle-aged man¡¯s movements. Taking this opportunity, Chen Junfeng and Ling Kun, down below, quickly retreated, escaping from under the middle-aged man¡¯s palms.


    Whew whew!


    Retreating to a safe zone, Ling Kun and Chen Junfeng breathed heavily; in those brief seconds, their clothes were almost soaked in sweat.


    Exchanging nces, Ling Kun and Chen Junfeng saw a trace of fear in each other¡¯s eyes.


    Though they knew the opponent was powerful, experiencing it firsthand made them realize that the opponent¡¯s power wasn¡¯t just strong but terrifying.


    Three Heavenly List experts teamed up to attack, yet not only did they fail to inflict damage but were easily repelled instead¡ªwhat kind of strength is this?

 Chapter 1396 - 1704: Fated Rivals (3)

    <h4>Chapter 1396: Chapter 1704: Fated Rivals (3)</h4>


    "Your strength is too weak." The middle-aged man shook his head and said, "I thought you could at leastst a minute."


    Tong Zhentian looked at the opponent with a grim expression. Although the man¡¯s words made him ufortable, he had to admit that this person in front of him indeed had the right to mock them.


    "All of you step back."


    At this moment, a voice came from the crowd. Upon hearing this voice, Tong Zhentian and the others couldn¡¯t help but feel a surge of spirit and retreated one after another.


    "Oh?" The middle-aged man looked at the crowd in surprise and said to himself, "Is there an expert who hasn¡¯t appeared yet?"


    "Heh! An expert may be too much to say, but I think it¡¯s more appropriate for you to call me an old acquaintance."


    With these words, a man stepped out from the crowd. Upon seeing this man¡¯s appearance, the middle-aged man¡¯s expression suddenly changed,pletely losing the calmness he had before.


    "You... you are actually... alive..." The middle-aged man pointed at the person in disbelief and said.


    "Aren¡¯t you the same? To be honest, I¡¯m more surprised than you; I thought you were long dead. Su Cheng¡¯en, speaking of which... it¡¯s been a few hundred years since west met, hasn¡¯t it?"


    A few hundred years? Upon hearing their conversation, the crowd was somewhat confused. Was it that these two spoke unclearly, or did they hear wrong? A few hundred years... are they even human?


    Compared to the puzzled crowd, Ling Chen and Ling Kun, who knew the inside story, were even more shocked to realize that this person was from the same era as Ling Gengqiu.


    Su Cheng¡¯en... surname Su... could it be! Ling Chen¡¯s expression slightly changed, and he couldn¡¯t help but cast his gaze toward Xu Ming, not far away. At this moment, thetter lowered his head, hiding in the crowd, seeming very afraid of being discovered by Su Cheng¡¯en.


    Perhaps feeling Ling Chen¡¯s gaze, Xu Ming slightly averted his head, looked at Ling Chen, and then gently nodded. Indeed! With Xu Ming¡¯s confirmation, Ling Chen finally affirmed his thoughts.


    Su Cheng¡¯en! This was the person Xu Ming mentioned before. It turns out that the person who kidnapped him was actually Su Cheng¡¯en, no wonder his strength was so terrifying.


    "Are you going to intervene in this matter?" Su Cheng¡¯en asked coldly.


    Ling Gengqiu said lightly, "The person you captured is my person. You causing him trouble is the same as going against me."


    "Hmph!" Su Cheng¡¯en sneered, "Ling Gengqiu, anyway, we have quite a bit of resentment between us already, so it doesn¡¯t matter to add one more, don¡¯t you think?"


    Ling Gengqiu nodded and said, "You¡¯re right. In that case, why don¡¯t we exchange some blows and see if it¡¯s you or me who¡¯s stronger after all these centuries?"


    "I¡¯m not afraid of you." With these words, Su Cheng¡¯en turned and ran towards the luxurious vi. Upon reaching the wall, Su Cheng¡¯en lightly tapped with his toe, his body akin to a shadow, instantly climbed to the top of the vi, and then disappeared.


    Ling Gengqiu turned to Ling Chen and said, "Wait here, I¡¯ll go teach that guy a lesson." After saying that, Ling Gengqiu followed Su Cheng¡¯en¡¯s steps and disappeared on the vi roof.


    Ling Chen knew there was arge terrace atop the vi; Ling Gengqiu and Su Cheng¡¯en didn¡¯t want others to see their duel, so they chose it as their battleground.


    Seeing Ling Gengqiu and Su Cheng¡¯en disappear, Tong Zhentian and the others couldn¡¯t help but feel disappointed. They came along mainly to witness the duel between Ling Gengqiu and Su Cheng¡¯en, but in the end, they couldn¡¯t see anything, only hearing ¡¯bang bang¡¯ sounds from the rooftop and the scattering stones.


    More than ten minutes have passed, and the battle on the rooftop became increasingly intense. Ling Chen and the others grew tense, unable to discern the oue of the fight above.


    A few more minutes passed, and finally, no sound came from the rooftop, nor did anyonee down for a long time.


    "Dad, do you think something happened to him? Should we... go up and see?" Ling Chen asked. He wasn¡¯t worried about anything else, but if Ling Gengqiu and Su Cheng¡¯en both ended up severely injured, they should hurry up and strike.


    Ling Kun apparently thought of this as well and immediately ran towards the vi.


    Before long, Ling Kun and Ling Chen arrived at the terrace of the vi. As soon as they stepped out, they saw therge terrace inplete disarray, the ground entirely cracked with stones scattered everywhere. In the center of the terrace stood Ling Gengqiu alone. Apart from him, there was no trace of Su Cheng¡¯en.


    "Old Ancestor." Ling Chen hurried over and asked, "Are you alright?"


    Ling Gengqiu turned around, looking indifferent, and said, "I¡¯m fine. Haven¡¯t fought in hundreds of years, almost got rusty."


    "Where¡¯s Su Cheng¡¯en?"


    "Ran away." Ling Gengqiu said helplessly, "That guy is still as cowardly as ever, afraid of death, not daring to risk his life against me. Sigh! It¡¯s too boring, I wanted to loosen up my muscles properly, but that guy didn¡¯t even give me a chance."


    "Old Ancestor, how strong is that Su Cheng¡¯en?" Ling Chen asked.


    "Extremely powerful." Mentioning this, Ling Gengqiu¡¯s expression turned solemn instantly, "I¡¯m not kidding, Su Cheng¡¯en¡¯s strength might even surpass mine at my peak. However, from the looks of our recent fight, he seemed to have some concern and didn¡¯t dare to go all out. Otherwise, I wouldn¡¯t have had such an easy time."


    Hearing this, Ling Kun couldn¡¯t help feeling strange, "Could he be testing?"


    "Maybe." At this, Ling Gengqiu sighed lightly, "I never expected, after hundreds of years, to still encounter my arch-enemy, seems like we are destined adversaries."


    Ling Chen curiously asked, "Old Ancestor, who exactly is that Su Cheng¡¯en?"


    "He is the founder of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, the first Pavilion Master, Su Cheng¡¯en." Pausing, Ling Chen added, "The bastard who took my wife."


    Uh...


    Ling Chen was aware of Ling Gengqiu¡¯s romantic past. Back then, because of Ling Gengqiu¡¯s amorous nature, his wife left in anger andter followed the first Pavilion Master of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, probably the source of the grudges between Ling Gengqiu and Su Cheng¡¯en.


    "Old Ancestor, everywhere in the world, there are lovely women, no need to cling to just one flower."


    Ling Gengqiu¡¯s eyes lit up and he patted Ling Chen¡¯s shoulder with a smile, "Well said, very sensible, looks like you have a lot of potential, kid."


    Ling Chen chuckled, then shifted the topic to Ling Gengqiu¡¯s physical condition, "Old Ancestor, how¡¯s your physical recovery?"


    "Not bad, but unfortunately I lost a leg. Luckily, there are quite a few new things in this era, Guo Ming got me a set of exoskeleton armor, usually no big problem. Only, with iplete limbs, my strength is hard to restore to peak levels. Before, with my strength, I could handle all troubles, but things are different now, since Su Cheng¡¯en is still alive, I have to be wary of him."


    Ling Chen nodded and said, "I understand. Rest assured, Old Ancestor, I¡¯ll do my utmost to help you find that lost limb."

 Chapter 1397 - 1705: Su Cheng’en (1)

    <h4>Chapter 1397: Chapter 1705: Su Cheng¡¯en (1)</h4>


    Outside the wooden house located in the valley of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, there was a muffled ¡¯bang¡¯ as the door was forcefully pushed open from outside. Hearing themotion at the entrance, a young man immediately walked out from inside the house. Seeing the person who had entered, his expression changed slightly, and he hurriedly went up to greet, "Master."


    "Ancestor." At this time, Su He also walked out from the room and respectfully called.


    Su Cheng¡¯en nced at Su He and the young man without speaking a word, his face gloomy as he walked into his room. Su He was slightly stunned, immediately realizing something was wrong, and quickly followed the young man into the room. Seeing Su Cheng¡¯en sitting there with a dark expression, Su He didn¡¯t dare to breathe heavily and stood honestly to the side. At this moment, he no longer had the demeanor of the world¡¯s greatest expert.


    After a long while, Su Cheng¡¯en slowly raised his head and directed his gaze towards Su He. Feeling the other¡¯s stare, Su He lowered his head even further.


    "Ling Chen didn¡¯t die." Su Cheng¡¯en opened his mouth, squeezing out a few words through his teeth, "The Heavenly List masters by his side are unharmed."


    Upon hearing this, Su He couldn¡¯t help but ask, "Ancestor took action personally; it¡¯s impossible for there to be a mistake..."


    "You are right; this failure wasn¡¯t due to my mistake but because of someone¡¯s appearance. Su He, you were once the Pavilion Master of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, with many things under your responsibility, yet you havepletely disappointed me. Do you know who I encountered?"


    Su He shook his head, feeling a bit uneasy. He knew all too well the strength of Su Cheng¡¯en; the person who made Su Cheng¡¯en return without sess must be extraordinary.


    "Ling Gengqiu." Su Cheng¡¯en practically spat out the name through gritted teeth.


    "This is impossible!" Su He¡¯s expression changed dramatically, "He has been dead for so many years; how could he still be alive? Besides, wasn¡¯t he dismembered by us?"


    Seeing the look of shock on Su He¡¯s face, Su Cheng¡¯en coldly replied, "Never underestimate the mysteries of this world. Ling Gengqiu possesses immortality, a fact you and I both know well. Even though I dismembered him back then, his limbs never decayed. Haven¡¯t you discovered this through all these years of research?"


    "Back then, Ling Gengqiu¡¯s severed limbs were stolen and scattered across various ces. We mobilized so many resources from the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion but never found their whereabouts. How did Ling Chen manage it?"


    "I don¡¯t care how he did it; all I know is none among you canpare to him. The Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion has gone through how many generations of Pavilion Masters? Yet there hasn¡¯t been any gain. That Ling Chen found in just a few short years what you failed to uncover in centuries. Hmph! I want to ask you, has the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion be useless to this extent?"


    Su He hastily apologized, "Ancestor, please calm down; it is our ipetence, failing your efforts."


    "If you weren¡¯t a descendant of the Su Family, I would really like to kill you." With a deep breath, Su Cheng¡¯en calmed his anger, and slowly said, "Since Ling Gengqiu has been resurrected, this matter is no longer yours alone."


    Su He pondered Su Cheng¡¯en¡¯s intentions and said, "Is Ancestor nning to officiallye out of seclusion?"


    "What else could I do? Do you think you alone can contend with Ling Gengqiu? Ling Gengqiu¡¯s strength hasn¡¯t fully recovered, and this is our best opportunity."


    "Ancestor, if there is anything you need from me, just say the word. I will give it my all and will never let you down again," Su He dered with determination, sping his fists.


    "Rest assured, I still have use for you, so you are of significant value to me right now. But don¡¯t me me if I remind you ¡ª I do not wish to see you fail again; otherwise, don¡¯t use me of being impolite. Understood?" Su Cheng¡¯en coldly admonished.


    "Yes." Su He promptly responded.


    "The current Pavilion Master of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion is that little girl named Su Mei. When you have the chance, bring her to see me."


    Hearing this, Su He couldn¡¯t help but be taken aback, asking with a puzzled expression, "Why does Ancestor want to see her? She¡¯s just a little girl, unaware of anything."


    "I know. However, Ling Chen¡¯s power has already formed, and now with Ling Gengqiu aiding him, do you think the two of us can dismantle their power? Without leveraging the forces of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, we can aplish nothing. To eliminate Ling Gengqiu and Ling Chen, the first step is to curb their power, and the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion is undoubtedly the best choice."


    "But... if that¡¯s the case, she must know all the secrets."


    Su Cheng¡¯en replied coldly, "So what? I¡¯m her ancestor; does she dare not listen to me?"


    "No, that¡¯s not what I mean, I just... worry she won¡¯t be able to handle it."


    "A descendant of the Su Family won¡¯t be thatcking." Pausing, Su Cheng¡¯en shifted the topic: "If you don¡¯t want her to know too much, that¡¯s not difficult. Have you personally step in and take over the entire Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion. That way, I wouldn¡¯t have to meet that little girl."


    Su He thought for a while, nodding: "I¡¯ll give it a try and see if I can persuade her."


    Stepping out of the wooden house, Su He looked at the familiar valley surroundings and couldn¡¯t help but sigh softly. Originally intending to detach from the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion and let Su Mei develop on her own, considering the current situation, it seems that won¡¯t be possible. The thought of meeting with Su Mei gave Su He a bit of a headache.


    He knew his granddaughter well, though she was the Pavilion Master of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, she was, after all, a woman, pure-hearted, and many dirty, bloody affairs were not suitable for her. Because of this, over the years, he had undertaken almost all the ndestine activities.


    Unknowingly, Su He had reached the Yangxin Pavilion.


    "You¡¯re finally back."


    The voice came, and Su He turned to see Du Kang leaning against a big tree, holding a wine gourd, drinking by himself.


    "You¡¯ve worked hard during this period."


    "Not really hard, I just did what I should do," Du Kang said ndly, "But I am curious why you have returned this time. Is it to reminisce with her or something else?"


    "That¡¯s none of your concern; just handle what you¡¯re responsible for," Su He replied, then walked straight towards the exit of the Yangxin Pavilion.


    Watching Su He¡¯s gradually disappearing back, Du Kang took a sip of wine, gently shook his head, and murmured to himself, "The Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion will probably never find peace."


    Before long, Su He skillfully avoided the patrolling members of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion and arrived directly outside the room where Su Mei lived.


    Knock knock knock!


    Apanied by the sound of knocking, Su Mei¡¯s sweet voice immediately came from inside the room: "Come in!"

 Chapter 1398 - 1706: Su Cheng’en (Part 2)

    <h4>Chapter 1398: Chapter 1706: Su Cheng¡¯en (Part 2)</h4>


    As the door was pushed open, Su He strode in and casually closed the door behind him.


    At this moment, in the spacious room, Su Mei was sitting beside the tea table, seriously brewing kung fu tea. Hearing footsteps slowly approaching, she asked without lifting her head, "What is it?"


    "Little girl, it¡¯s me."


    Hearing the familiar voice, Su Mei¡¯s hand, which was holding a teacup, trembled slightly. She slowly shifted her gaze to Su He. After staring for a moment, Su Mei lightly bit her thin lip and stood up from her seat.


    "Grandpa, you... I thought I would never see you again."


    Su He quickly walked up to Su Mei, reached out to stroke her hair, and smiled fondly: "You¡¯re my favorite, I would definitelye back to see you. I¡¯m sorry, because of me, you¡¯ve endured a lot of hardships."


    Su Mei hurriedly shook her head and said, "I¡¯m not troubled. I just don¡¯t understand. Grandpa, why did you do it? Going against the entire Martial Arts world, this choice was too unwise."


    "Little girl, it¡¯s not about being wise or unwise." Su He said earnestly: "For us, everything has only two oues: either win or lose. This time I lost, and I¡¯ve already faced the consequences. But I¡¯m very grateful, because of your decision, the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion has been preserved intact."


    "Grandpa..."


    Su He waved his hand, stopping Su Mei from speaking, and said, "Little girl, I came back this time to discuss something important with you."


    "What is it?"


    "Lately, I¡¯ve been watching your actions closely. I must admit, you¡¯ve grown rapidly, and you¡¯ve handled many things very well, including establishing the Heavenly Mechanism Arts Hall. If not for your decisiveness, the status of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion would have be precarious."


    "That was Elder Du¡¯s idea, I just epted his suggestion."


    Su He smiled and said, "A sessful leader must learn to adopt others¡¯ suggestions, but not blindly. You need to have your own ideas and then make judgments. I don¡¯t expect you to grow to that level overnight, just giving you advice. The predicament the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion currently faces is a good test for you. If you ovee this hurdle, you will truly grow. I believe the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion will flourish in your hands someday."


    "I will try my best." After a pause, Su Mei curiously asked, "Grandpa, you still haven¡¯t told me, what important thing do you want to discuss with me?"


    "I want to talk about Ling Chen. I originally didn¡¯t want to interfere with your and the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion¡¯s development, but this situation is severe enough that I have to step in. Little girl, Ling Chen has someone very skilled by his side now. That person¡¯s strength is beyond your imagination, even I am not his match. With the power Ling Chen currently holds, he can easily crush the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion. So, we can¡¯t give him this opportunity; we must find a way to eliminate this threat."


    "So, Grandpa, what do you mean...?"


    "You¡¯re currentlypeting with the Dragon Tiger Hall, that¡¯s good. But I hope you can continue to pressure them, forcing them to focus all their attention on the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion. Only this way will I have enough time to prepare other things."


    Hearing this, Su Mei couldn¡¯t help but ask, "Grandpa, what are you nning to do?"


    "That you don¡¯t need to know. In any case, I won¡¯t involve the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion." At this point, Su He changed the subject and said, "There¡¯s one more thing, I want you to release Wang Hao."


    "Wang Hao?"


    "Because of the Skyhawk Pavilion incident, you¡¯ve kept him locked up in the cell. This person is still of great use to me. I hope you release him, so he can be my assistant."


    "This..." Su Mei said with some difficulty, "Grandpa, just releasing him like that, I¡¯m afraid it will arouse suspicion, how about..."


    "I understand." Su He, being so clever, immediately grasped Su Mei¡¯s intentions, "Don¡¯t worry, I will handle it personally."


    ...


    That evening, the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion was attacked by unknown individuals. More than ten Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion Disciples were injured. By the time Su Mei and Du Kang arrived with reinforcements, Wang Hao, who was held in the cell, was nowhere to be found.


    "Pavilion Master, do you know who rescued Wang Hao?" Du Kang, after inspecting the site, quickly came to Su Mei¡¯s side and asked.


    Su Mei shook her head and said, "I don¡¯t know. However, anyone daring enough to rescue someone from the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion must be strong. Elder Du, help me release a Heavenly Mechanism Order to search throughout the Martial Arts world for the intruder¡¯s whereabouts. Daring to act recklessly at the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, I must make him pay."


    "Heavenly Mechanism Order?" Du Kang was slightly taken aback, feeling it might be an overreaction. Since the establishment of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, a Heavenly Mechanism Order has been issued fewer than five times. Now, to use a Heavenly Mechanism Order for one intruder seemed unnecessary.


    "Pavilion Master, should we reconsider?"


    "No need." Su Mei sternly said, "The dignity of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion cannot be desecrated. I want everyone to know that, past or present, those who oppose the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion will never meet a good end."


    Seeing Su Mei¡¯s determination, Du Kang simply stopped persuading and nodded, "Alright then."


    Watching Du Kang leave, Su Mei let out a sigh of relief, fearing he might see through anything.


    Grandpa, I¡¯ve done everything I can, wish you good luck!


    ...


    These days, Ling Chen¡¯s life had been quitefortable. Although Su Cheng¡¯en¡¯s appearance gave him a scare, fortunately, nothing happened. Moreover, with Ling Gengqiu¡¯s arrival, Ling Chen felt all the threats had disappeared. It¡¯s a joke, who would dare bully him with such a formidable ancestor around?


    A few days ago, Ling Chen had sent Ling Kun, Yang Qingling, and Ling Tao on a flight to Beijing. They were determined to rebuild the Ling Family, and Ling Gengqiu¡¯s appearance only strengthened their resolve.


    Not only had mom and dad left, but even grandma and grandpa went to Beijing with them, leaving Ling Chen alone in theirrge house. Fortunately, with Ling Gengqiu around, taking advantage of his status as a Ling family descendant, Ling Chen invited Ling Gengqiu to live at home, under the guise of honoring his ancestor. In reality, his true intention was to learn from Ling Gengqiu and increase his knowledge.


    Ling Gengqiu was a man full of stories, and given his many years of experience, talking with him was a delightful thing.


    In the past couple of days, Ling Chen and Ling Gengqiu hadn¡¯t left the house, spending their days lounging, eating, drinking, and enjoying azy life.


    Ling Gengqiu was by no means a righteous gentleman. Such a life of wine, meat, and attendants was something he longed for. The only pity was theck of women.


    Ling Chen was quite filial, providing good food and drink every day. He wasn¡¯tcking money, so as long as his ancestor had any requests, he would immediately make a call and have them arranged.


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 1399 - 1707: Taking the Old Master Out for Some Fun

    <h4>Chapter 1399: Chapter 1707: Taking the Old Master Out for Some Fun</h4>


    "Hey! I say, you punk, we¡¯ve been cooped up at home for so many days, isn¡¯t it time to go out and do something?" Ling Gengqiu swung the empty wine bottle, burped, and said.


    "Elder Ling, where do you want to go for fun?" Ling Chen asked with a smile. The two had been hanging out for a few days, and the rtionship had gotten quite close. Ling Gengqiu was someone who didn¡¯t like being constrained by rules. Ling Chen kept calling him ancestor, which annoyed Ling Gengqiu. Eventually, he forced Ling Chen to change the way he called him to ¡¯brother,¡¯ making him feel younger.


    But honestly, Ling Gengqiu¡¯s appearance and physique were well-maintained. At a nce, people might think he just turned thirty.


    Except for the beginning, when he was unustomed to the new title, Ling Chen got used to it after saying it enough. Fortunately, Ling Kun and the others weren¡¯t around; otherwise, if they knew Ling Chen and Ling Gengqiu addressed each other as brothers, they¡¯d probably scold Ling Chen thoroughly.


    Ling Gengqiu¡¯s eyes turned as he spoke with a half-smile: "People like us, young folks, of course, should go where there are a lot of peers. What do you think?"


    As expected!


    Ling Chen shook his head slightly. Ling Gengqiu¡¯s mind was still on women. As the saying goes, a mountain can be moved, but a nature can¡¯t be changed; this ancestor of the family was beyond saving.


    Oh well, let¡¯s treat it as showing respect to the elder and take him out to indulge a bit.


    "Alright, bro, I¡¯ll go get the car. Tonight, I¡¯ll take you out to have a real good time."


    In no time, the two of them drove from home, heading straight for the busiest area in the city center.


    Half an hour passed, and Ling Chen parked the car by the roadside, then led Ling Gengqiu to a nightclub outside. Listening to the explosive musicing from inside the club and looking at the sexy beauties dressed skimpily outside, Ling Gengqiu felt rejuvenated and couldn¡¯t wait to rush forward.


    Was he that eager? Ling Chen felt helpless and quickly held Ling Gengqiu back, "Bro, don¡¯t rush; the exciting part is still inside. Come, let me show you around first."


    Upon entering the nightclub, someone immediately greeted them, "Chen!"


    "Yo! Xiong, what are you doing here?" Ling Chen asked with a smile.


    "One of my guys just got your call saying you wereing over to hang out, so I definitely had toe to apany you." While speaking, Zhao Zhengxiong nced at Ling Gengqiu beside him and asked, "Chen, who is this?"


    "This is Ling Gengqiu, my bro," Ling Chen casually introduced.


    Zhao Zhengxiong immediately greeted, "Chen¡¯s bro is my bro too. Qiu, my name is Zhao Zhengxiong. In the future, no matter what you want to y, just let me know, guaranteed satisfaction."


    "No problem, no problem," Ling Gengqiu responded vaguely.


    "Chen, your private room is ready. Come, I¡¯ll take you inside."


    The private room Zhao Zhengxiong personally arranged was undoubtedly the best spot in the entire nightclub, located on the second floor, offering an excellent view of the whole ce.


    Sitting in the private room, Ling Gengqiu nced left and right, searching everywhere for the presence of women.


    Seeing so many sexy beauties twisting their bodies in the dance floor, Ling Gengqiu couldn¡¯t sit still, itching to dive over immediately.


    "Bro, watch your image," Ling Chen whispered beside him.


    Just then, the nightclub¡¯s performance began, with over a dozen sexy bikini-d women stepping onto the stage, twisting and turning their figures freely under the explosive music, exuding passion and allure.


    Ling Gengqiu stared wide-eyed, watching the sexy women dance without blinking, his throat asionally undting as he swallowed mouthfuls of saliva.


    "Tsk tsk! You kids from this generation are truly lucky."


    Hearing Ling Gengqiu¡¯s exmation, Ling Chen chuckled and asked, "Bro, what¡¯s up?"


    "In our generation, where were there any women daring to dress like this? They all wrapped up tightly, and a slight exposure would be considered disgraceful. Ah! You¡¯re the lucky ones. Women, if you have something good, you should show it off, share it with everyone, right?"


    Listening to Ling Gengqiu¡¯s insights, Ling Chen couldn¡¯t help but cough lightly. Is he really someone who¡¯s lived for hundreds of years? Why does he seem like an oddball?


    Zhao Zhengxiong, who was a quick thinker beside him, saw Ling Gengqiu gazing intently at the beautiful women on stage and immediately called a subordinate over to whisper instructions.


    Before long, the private room door opened, and a young man led seven or eight slim, young, and pretty women inside.


    "Qiu, see if there¡¯s anyone you fancy. I have lots of women here, and if you don¡¯t like these, I¡¯ll call another batch right away."


    Ling Gengqiu examined the beauties lined up before him, smiling and nodding, "They¡¯re all decent quality. This one, this one, and this one, just these three."


    "What are you all standing around for? Quicklye over to apany Qiu for drinks," Zhao Zhengxiong immediatelymanded, "Qiu is my bro, so you all better take it seriously and serve him well."


    Hearing this, the three beauties¡¯ eyes lit up. Everyone in East Sea City knew Zhao Zhengxiong¡¯s name, and someone who¡¯s a brother to him was naturally not an ordinary person. As long as they pleased this elder brother well, there would surely be many benefits.


    Looking at Ling Gengqiu, surrounded by three beauties and full of smiles, Ling Chen felt helpless. Humiliating, too humiliating!


    After sitting in the private room for a while and seeing Ling Gengqiu enjoying himself thoroughly, Ling Chen got up and left, conveniently taking Zhao Zhengxiong along. If the two of them stayed around, Ling Gengqiu definitely wouldn¡¯t let loose. Since they brought him out to have fun, naturally, he should enjoy himself to the fullest.


    As they shut the private room door, Zhao Zhengxiong took out a cigarette and asked, "Chen, is this Bro Qiu... freshly released?"


    "Hmm? What do you mean?" Ling Chen didn¡¯t catch his drift immediately.


    Zhao Zhengxiong chuckled, "I saw how thirsty he looked, so..."


    Hearing this, Ling Chen finally caught on and smiled as he said, "Sort of, he¡¯s been holding back for many years."


    "No wonder. Chen, why note sit in my office? It¡¯s quieter there, and we can go back when Brother Qiu has had his fill."


    Ling Chen nodded and said, "Sounds good."


    And with that, the two walked through the second-floor corridor straight to Zhao Zhengxiong¡¯s office. Although the office was on the nightclub¡¯s second floor, its soundproofing was excellent, hardly letting any outside noise through.


    Sitting on the sofa, Ling Chen crossed his legs, took the wine ss Zhao Zhengxiong handed him, and asked, "What have you been busy withtely?"


    "I¡¯ve been busy with nothing. Didn¡¯t Chen tell Jiang Haost time? So we¡¯ve halted all expansion ns, even letting go of nearby towns."


    "East Sea City is a rich piece of meat, big enough for us to feast on. No need to put energy into those things. You¡¯ve worked hard for so long; it¡¯s time to enjoy yourself, find a woman to marry, you surely won¡¯t stay a bachelor for life."

 Chapter 1400 - 1708: Who Is the Dog? (1)

    <h4>Chapter 1400: Chapter 1708: Who Is the Dog? (1)</h4>


    "Chen, are you joking? Do you think someone like me can attract a woman?" Zhao Zhengxiongughed self-deprecatingly. "Yes, that¡¯s right, we do have our moments of glory, always having a group following us wherever we go, with others nodding and bowing to us for fear of offending us. But, while we enjoy things others can¡¯t have, we also can¡¯t enjoy what ordinary people have. To us, family is both a longing and a vulnerability."


    "At your level, do you still fear someone would use your family against you?" Ling Chen shook his head with a smile, "I believe no one in East Sea City would dare to do that."


    "Not now, but what about the future?" Zhao Zhengxiong said helplessly, "Chen, we¡¯ve done a lot of bad things, and made many enemies, there¡¯s karma for this, it just hasn¡¯t caught up with us yet. I don¡¯t want my family to bear unnecessary risks because of me. Moreover, the world changes every day, and we can¡¯t guarantee we¡¯ll be hereughing and chatting ten years from now."


    Hearing this, Ling Chen immediately understood Zhao Zhengxiong¡¯s concern. No one knows what will happen tomorrow; Zhao Zhengxiong can¡¯t guarantee, and neither can he. While the future holds endless beauty, it also harbors countless dangers.


    "What I need to do now is enjoy and cherish every day." Zhao Zhengxiong suddenlyughed, "I heard that Jiang Hao kid seems to have found a girlfriend. Last time, when we dined together, he brought her to meet me, said they were just friends, but I could tell their rtionship was not ordinary."


    "Is that so?" Ling Chen became interested, "That kid never mentioned it to me. Hey! What does that woman do?"


    "Seems she¡¯s a teacher, a recent college graduate. She looks decent, and is quite gentle. Jiang Hao is quite lucky; I hope the two of them make it."


    "Okay, next time there¡¯s a chance, I¡¯ll definitely want to meet her."


    Just as they spoke, there was a ¡¯knock knock knock¡¯ on the door outside.


    "Come in."


    The door opened, and a young man in a suit walked in to report, "Xiong, there¡¯s trouble outside."


    "Trouble?" Zhao Zhengxiong chuckled lightly, "This is truly rare. No one ever dares to make trouble in my ce. Who are these people?"


    "I don¡¯t recognize them, all unfamiliar faces, plus a few foreigners."


    "No wonder, no one from East Sea City should dare make trouble here. Chen, interested in checking it out with me?"


    "I¡¯m just as idle, let¡¯s go and have a look."


    With that, Ling Chen followed Zhao Zhengxiong out of the office and straight to the nightclub¡¯s first-floor hall¡¯s private room.


    Before they even entered the room, they could hear ¡¯bang bang¡¯ sounds from inside, clearly things were being smashed. At the door, several men in suits stood guard, with no one going in.


    "Chen, Xiong."


    Seeing Ling Chen and Zhao Zhengxiong approaching, the men in suits quickly stepped aside.


    Ling Chen nced into the room, only to see three foreign friends and several Huaxia people fighting, the ground littered with debris from smashed bottles, and even a few chairs were broken.


    However, what surprised Ling Chen was that besides the fighting men, there were two women in the room, one of them also a foreigner, blonde and blue-eyed, and very beautiful.


    But it was the other woman who caught Ling Chen¡¯s attention.


    Leng Feifei!


    What is she doing here? Ling Chen was taken aback and turned to say something to Zhao Zhengxiong. Thetter immediately made a gesture, and the men in suits pounced into the room like wolves and tigers, quickly separating the fighting individuals.


    At this time, Leng Feifei also noticed Ling Chen¡¯s presence, got up quickly and walked over, "Ling Chen, you¡¯re here too?"


    "This nightclub belongs to a friend of mine, so I came over to take a look. I didn¡¯t expect to run into this." Ling Chen said, pointing at the foreign friends, "Are those people your friends?"


    Leng Feifei nodded, "Just a misunderstanding, we¡¯ll handle it ourselves. Please tell your friend we¡¯re very sorry, and we¡¯llpensate for the damages at cost."


    "That¡¯s not a problem, as long as no one was hurt."


    "Feifei, is this your friend?" The blonde-haired, blue-eyed foreign beauty stepped beside Leng Feifei, looked Ling Chen up and down, and asked in not-so-fluent Chinese.


    "Sofia, let me introduce you. This is Ling Chen, a very good friend of mine. I owe a lot of my sess to his help."


    "So this is Mr. Ling, nice to meet you." Sofia was very polite.


    "Hello."


    "Feifei, let¡¯s go, don¡¯t stay with these white dogs, or you¡¯ll catch their stench." As he spoke, a handsome, tall young man strode over with an angry face. Due to the earlier fight, his casual suit was soaked in alcohol, and even his tie had been pulled off.


    White dogs? Ling Chen was slightly startled, his gaze swept over the faces of the foreign friends, and he understood the young man¡¯s meaning. These were all Caucasians, no wonder the young man called them white dogs.


    Leng Feifei frowned slightly, dissatisfied, "Shao An, watch yournguage, they¡¯re all my friends, don¡¯t insult them."


    "Feifei, look what I¡¯ve be? If it weren¡¯t for these bastards, would I be like this?" The young man named Shao An said with anger, "I¡¯ve never suffered such a loss in my life. Just wait, I¡¯ll deal with them sooner orter."


    "Chen." Taking advantage of the situation, Zhao Zhengxiong quietly came to Ling Chen¡¯s side and whispered, "I know this Shao An, he¡¯s the eldest son of the Shao Group, very wealthy, a regr here."


    "Shao Group?" Ling Chen thought for a moment and shook his head, "Never heard of it."


    Zhao Zhengxiong subtly ttered, "Chen, a person like you, it¡¯s no wonder you haven¡¯t heard of a smallpany like that. The Shao Group¡¯s headquarters are in Beijing, among the top 100 enterprises in the country. Hongyu Group is currently ranked first domestically, and the Shao Group is at ny-eighth."


    With thisparison, Ling Chen immediately recognized the weight of the Shao Group.


    A smallpany, not worth mentioning!


    "Mr. Zhao." At this moment, Shao An noticed Zhao Zhengxiong outside the private room and his face lit up with joy. He immediately beckoned Zhao Zhengxiong over with a wave.


    Zhao Zhengxiong hesitated for a moment, his eyes falling on Ling Chen. Since Ling Chen was here, he naturally had to follow his lead. Seeing thetter nod slightly, he walked over to Shao An with a full-faced smile and asked, "President Shao, what can I do for you?"

 Chapter 1401 - 1709: Who’s the Dog? (2)

    <h4>Chapter 1401: Chapter 1709: Who¡¯s the Dog? (2)</h4>


    Shao An pointed at the foreign friends, displeased, and said, "Don¡¯t you have a lot of subordinates? Teach these bastards a lesson for me and show them how powerful I am."


    "That¡¯s not a good idea." Zhao Zhengxiong looked troubled and said, "Once inside, everyone is my guest, and I can¡¯t be biased towards anyone. Besides, it¡¯s better to resolve enmity than to deepen it; there¡¯s no need to blow things out of proportion. President Shao, please do me a favor and let it go. All the expenses tonight will be on me; let¡¯s consider it as my treat. What do you say?"


    Shao An originally intended to show off in front of Leng Feifei, but he didn¡¯t expect Zhao Zhengxiong to refuse, which made him furious and embarrassed. Suddenly, Shao An pointed at Zhao Zhengxiong¡¯s nose and cursed, "Give you face? Who do you think you are to make me give you face! Don¡¯t think that just because I call you Mr. Zhao, you are someone important. In my eyes, you are not even qualified to be my dog. Hmph! Do you think I care about this little bit of drinking money? Let me tell you, I am not short of money." Saying this, Shao An took out a thick stack of hundred-yuan bills from his pocket and threw them in Zhao Zhengxiong¡¯s face.


    When themotion started, the whole nightclub¡¯s attention was drawn here. At this moment, seeing Shao An¡¯s actions, everyone fell silent, even the DJ paused the music. The entire nightclub became extremely quiet, with only the sound of everyone¡¯s breathing rising and falling.


    Zhao Zhengxiong rubbed his somewhat pained cheek, but still maintained a smile. However, those who knew him well understood that this was a cold smile, indicating he was genuinely angry.


    "President Shao, no one in the whole of East Sea City has ever dared to treat me like this; you are the first." Zhao Zhengxiong said indifferently.


    "So...so what?" Shao An asked. At this point, he sensed something was amiss, especially the looks from the onlookers outside, as if they were looking at a dead man, which made him feel uneasy.


    "Not much." Before Zhao Zhengxiong could speak, Ling Chen smiled and took over the conversation, saying, "I¡¯m a civilized person and don¡¯t like violence. However, Xiong is my brother. If you mess with my brother, you¡¯re messing with me. If I don¡¯t do something, wouldn¡¯t that make us look ipetent? Don¡¯t you agree?"


    Shao An sized up Ling Chen and said disdainfully, "Just you? Hmph! I know you have a lot of people, but so what? Do you dare to touch a hair on me? I¡¯ll make you spend the rest of your life in prison."


    "Don¡¯t worry, I just said, I¡¯m a civilized person, not fond of fighting and killing. By the way, what did you just say? My brother isn¡¯t even qualified to be your dog? Is that correct?"


    "I said it."


    "Very good." Ling Chen nodded and took out his cellphone, dialing a number.


    "Hello! Dong Ying, sorry to disturb you sote. I¡¯ve heard of a Shao Group in Beijing, do you know it? Yes, that¡¯s right, tell the chairman of Shao Group that his son is here with me, and he just told me I¡¯m not even qualified to be his dog. Do you get what I mean? Okay, I¡¯ll hang up now." After speaking, Ling Chen ended the call and looked at Shao An with a smile, saying, "I hope you continue to stick with what you just said."


    Shao An opened his mouth and said, "I didn¡¯t say that you..."


    Ling Chen responded coldly, "He¡¯s my brother. Do you know what brotherhood means? Brothers are like limbs; insulting him is the same as insulting me."


    Upon hearing this, others didn¡¯t feel much, but Zhao Zhengxiong was immensely touched.


    In less than two minutes, Shao An¡¯s phone rang. He took out his phone and upon seeing the caller ID on the screen, his expression changed slightly. He nced at Ling Chen nearby, then turned around and answered the call.


    "Hello! Dad, I..."


    Before Shao An finished speaking, a torrent of cursing came from the other end of the line, clear enough that even the surrounding people could hear it. After a while, Shao An shakily hung up his phone, looking pale as he looked at Ling Chen and Zhao Zhengxiong.


    "That... Mr. Ling..." Shao An swallowed hard, trying to squeeze out a smile, and said, "Mr. Ling, I didn¡¯t recognize Mount Tai, please forgive my ignorance... I..."


    Ling Chen sneered and said, "Didn¡¯t you just say that we¡¯re not even qualified to be your dog?"


    "I... no, it¡¯s not, I... I just..." Shao An was sweating profusely, stammering with no idea what to say. He initially thought Ling Chen and Zhao Zhengxiong were merely thugs, but his father¡¯s call just now nearly scared him to death.


    Ling Chen! The controller of some major power in Beijing, the one who reced Hong Wei. Offending him is tantamount to seeking death. Just now, his father had issued a stern ultimatum: if Shao An couldn¡¯t earn Ling Chen¡¯s forgiveness, then his father would have no choice but to cut ties with him.


    "Actually, I don¡¯t want to make things difficult for you. I just want to know, amongst the three of us, who is really the dog." Ling Chen said indifferently.


    Hearing this, Shao An¡¯s heart moved. He quicklyy on the ground, crawling around Zhao Zhengxiong and Ling Chen like a dog, barking ¡¯woof woof¡¯ twice.


    "Mr. Ling, in front of you I am just a dog. Please, be merciful and spare me this time. I promise, there will not be a next time." At this moment, Shao An could no longer care about his face. Compared to his dignity, the safety of the Shao Group was far more important.


    "Good." Ling Chen nodded and said, "At least you¡¯ve recognized your ce. Since that¡¯s the case, I will give Shao Group some face and won¡¯t make things difficult for you." After speaking, Ling Chen waved impatiently, "Go, don¡¯t let me see you again."


    "Yes, yes!" Shao An, as if receiving a great pardon, hurriedly got up from the floor, leaving his subordinates behind and quickly ran towards the outside.


    As this farce came to an end, Zhao Zhengxiong gestured to the DJ on stage, who understood and vibrant music once again burst from the speakers. Soon, everyone forgot the conflict that had just urred, and they danced freely in the dance floor, burning with passion.


    "Thank you for your help," Leng Feifei said to Ling Chen.


    Ling Chen smiled slightly, "Don¡¯t get me wrong, I was helping my brother this time."


    "Mr. Ling, you¡¯re really amazing." Sofia, standing to the side, looked at Ling Chen with glowing eyes, as if discovering a new continent, examining him with great interest, her fiery gaze making Ling Chen a little ufortable.


    "Everyone, I¡¯m really sorry for disturbing your pleasure. How about this, I¡¯ll arrange another room for you and cover all the expenses tonight." With that, Zhao Zhengxiong immediately arranged for someone to vacate the room next door and moved Leng Feifei and the others there.


    "Chen, stay with your friends, I¡¯m going to check on Qiu."


    Ling Chen nodded and said, "Okay, let me know when things are done on his side."


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 1402 - 1710: Exceptional Ancestor

    <h4>Chapter 1402: Chapter 1710: Exceptional Ancestor</h4>


    After watching Zhao Zhengxiong leave, Ling Chen sat on the sofa with Leng Feifei. At the same time, Sofia was quietly chatting with her white friends, and the four of them asionally nced at Ling Chen.


    "Feifei, are these your friends?"


    "Yeah, they¡¯re all friends I made while studying abroad. They¡¯re from good families and insisted on visiting when they heard I returned home. We were all having a great time until we ran into Shao An." Leng Feifei looked a bit troubled when mentioning Shao An.


    "How do you know Shao An?"


    "Shao Group and Changlong Technology have some business dealings, which Shao An and I handle. From the first meeting, Shao An was very forward andter often asked me out under the guise of business talks. Initially, I went along for the sake of business, but I realized his real intentions, so I started refusing. I didn¡¯t expect him to show up in East Sea City for the contract signing with Hongyu Group and even find his way here. Earlier, he tried to forcefully take me away, but my friends stopped him, leading to a conflict."


    "So that¡¯s how it is."


    While speaking, Sofia came over, sat boldly beside Ling Chen, and a faint fragrance wafted over.


    "Mr. Ling, what do you do?" Sofia asked with interest.


    "Me?" Ling Chen replied with a polite smile, "I¡¯m not doing anything. Just unemployed."


    "Then your family must be wealthy."


    "Well, it¡¯s okay."


    Hearing Ling Chen¡¯s answer, Sofia was a bit disappointed. She thought Ling Chen might be someone important, but it turned out he was just a second-generation rich kid. Having seen many people with well-off families living off their parents without any abilities, she found them no better than parasites.


    For a moment, Sofia lost interest and went back to talk with her white friends.


    "I¡¯m sorry." Leng Feifei apologized, "Sofia doesn¡¯t know you well, so..."


    Ling Chen waved his hand with a smile, "It¡¯s fine, I never mind these things."


    "By the way! Last time we met, you didn¡¯t tell me how you joined Changlong Technology?"


    "It¡¯s partly luck." Leng Feifei said, "When I was studying abroad, I ran into an elderly gentleman in the school¡¯s exhibition hall who was very interested in Huaxia culture. I helped him a bit as he couldn¡¯t recognize ournguage. You know, I minored in historical literature at East Sea University and am well-versed in ancient Huaxia culture, so we had a great conversation. He even gave me his business card and invited me to his home."


    "I thought he was just being polite, but the next day, a car was waiting outside the school to take me to his ce. It turned out that he was the founder of Changlong Technology. I was studying Economics and Management abroad, and he asked if I¡¯d be interested in working at hispany. Such a great opportunity, of course, I wouldn¡¯t refuse. So, I studied while interning at the head office, gaining experience."


    "In just half a year, because of my outstanding work, I earned his appreciation. After graduation, he entrusted me toe to Huaxia to lead a tech project. Foreignpanies differ from domestic ones, where age and experience are critical. Important roles are seldom given to young people, but foreign enterprises emphasize innovation and enthusiasm. If you have the ability and drive, they¡¯re willing to invest in you. I was fortunate enough to be given a tform to showcase my ambitions, thanks to that elderly gentleman¡¯s recognition."


    Ling Chen smiled and said, "Besides opportunity, the most important thing is your own ability. It wouldn¡¯t matter how much someone appreciates you if youckedpetence."


    "Which is why I cherish this opportunity. And you?"


    "Me?" Ling Chen asked, confused, "What about me?"


    "How¡¯s your rtionship with Miss Nanrong progressing?"


    "We¡¯re taking it naturally. We¡¯re both quite busy and haven¡¯t had time to discuss it."


    Hearing this, Leng Feifei couldn¡¯t help butugh, "As long as you two aren¡¯t discussing marriage yet, I still have a chance. I know I can¡¯tpare to Miss Nanrong now, but I have confidence in bing as sessful as her."


    Uh...


    Ling Chen touched his nose awkwardly at thisment, unsure how to respond. Just then, there was a knock on the box door, and Zhao Zhengxiong came in, looking at Ling Chen, "Chen, Qiu is looking for you."


    "Alright, I got it. You go ahead, and I¡¯ll be there soon." With that, Ling Chen stood up and said, "Feifei, I have something to do. Enjoy the time with your friends, and if anything happens, find Xiong."


    After leaving the private room, Ling Chen followed Zhao Zhengxiong to a luxurious box on the second floor. Upon entering, he saw Ling Gengqiu sittingzily on the sofa with a beer in hand, looking very pleased.


    "Hey, are you having fun?" Ling Chen smiled as he walked up and asked.


    "Not bad," Ling Gengqiu squinted and said, "You still have some sense, knowing how to treat the elderly."


    "Want to go out and get something to eat?"


    "I haven¡¯t been this happy in a while. Let¡¯s go eat something nice to replenish my energy."


    "Chen, Qiu, I¡¯ll see you out."


    After leaving the night club, Zhao Zhengxiong wanted to apany them, but Ling Chen declined. When he¡¯s with Ling Gengqiu, they can speak freely, but with Zhao Zhengxiong around, Ling Gengqiu might not be asfortable, so it¡¯s better for just the two of them.


    Not long after, Ling Chen drove to a food street. It was already past ten in the evening, and the street was lined with food stalls. Ling Chen casually picked a stall and sat down with Ling Gengqiu, ordering some marinated dishes.


    Recently, Ling Gengqiu has taken a keen interest in food. Compared to his era, today¡¯s food preparation is more diverse and full of vor, especially street food, which Ling Gengqiu loves and insists on dragging Ling Chen out for every night.


    After a few drinks of white liquor, their conversation increased.


    "Bro, keep this safe." Ling Chen handed an ID card to Ling Gengqiu. He had leveraged many connections for that.


    "You already have a phone, and here¡¯s a bank card. I¡¯ll take you to the bank someday to show you how to withdraw money. If you¡¯re short on cash when chasing girls, just withdraw some yourself."


    "You rascal, women today may be more open, but top-notch ones are rare. When will you take me to find some real top-notch beauties?"


    Ling Chen grinned and said, "Bro, top-notch beauties are hard toe by. Don¡¯t count on it."


    "Not necessarily, I..." Ling Gengqiu was about to continue when he seemed to notice something, his gaze suddenly brightened, and he abruptly got up and rushed out of the food stall without finishing his sentence.

 Chapter 1403 - 1711: The Patriarch’s Hobby

    <h4>Chapter 1403: Chapter 1711: The Patriarch¡¯s Hobby</h4>


    Ling Chen looked at Ling Gengqiu with surprise, only to see him quickly run up to a beautiful woman, gesturing wildly as he spoke. The woman was quite attractive, with a slightly above-average aura, likely a career woman, dressed in a short outfit, carrying a delicate handbag.


    However, from the woman¡¯s attitude, it was clear she wasn¡¯t very interested in Ling Gengqiu, as she kept looking down at her phone. Ling Chen couldn¡¯t help but smile, guessing that their family¡¯s ancestor was about to hit a wall.


    To be honest, Ling Chen really admired Ling Gengqiu. After being so carefree with Zhao Zhengxiong, he still had the energy to try and pick up girls. Who knew how much energy he had.


    As expected, a few minutester, Ling Gengqiu returned with a disappointed face. Sitting back in his seat, he picked up a ss of liquor and drank it all down.


    "Kid, what¡¯s up with women these days? I talked to her so much, and she didn¡¯t react at all, didn¡¯t even look at me, just kept staring at her phone andughing. Do you think they have a problem?"


    Ling Chenughed and said, "Brother, they don¡¯t have a problem. It¡¯s just that times have changed, and romance isn¡¯t all about talking anymore."


    "Then what¡¯s it about?"


    "It¡¯s about the phone." Ling Chen took out his phone and pointed at the apps installed on the screen, saying, "See, nowadays peoplemunicate using social apps. With these, you can chat with a beautiful woman even from a thousand miles away. If you can get them to agree to meet, you¡¯ve seeded. But women today have high standards and won¡¯t easily agree, so you must really show your charm."


    "Wow! There are such great things." Ling Gengqiu quickly took out his phone. Previously, Ling Chen had only taught him how to make calls and send messages, he hadn¡¯t mentioned the other functions. Upon learning that the phone could be used to pick up girls, Ling Gengqiu immediately became interested.


    From ten o¡¯clock to one in the morning, the two sat in a street stall, drinking and teaching Ling Gengqiu how to use those social apps. It must be said, living for hundreds of years makes a difference, and with highprehension, in just over two hours, Ling Gengqiu had mastered various functions.


    Seeing Ling Gengqiu so absorbed in the world of phones, unable to extricate himself, Ling Chen couldn¡¯t help but shake his head and invited him to head home together.


    The next day.


    Ling Chen and Ling Gengqiu went straight to the Dragon Tiger Hall, feeling it was time to do some proper work after such a leisurely period. Upon arriving at the hall, they saw He Ziyun alone in his office, while Tong Zhentian was outside checking on the students¡¯ training.


    Seeing Ling Chen and Ling Gengqiu approach, He Ziyun quickly stood up and invited Ling Gengqiu to sit. Ling Gengqiu only thanked him, his eyes never leaving his phone.


    Seeing this, He Ziyun felt a bit puzzled and nced at Ling Chen. Thetter shrugged, looking helpless. Since teaching Ling Gengqiu to use social appsst night, Ling Gengqiu hadn¡¯t slept, chatting happily with several beautiful women in the living room right up until this morning.


    "Mr. He, don¡¯t mind him, he¡¯s already obsessed." As he spoke, Ling Chen pulled He Ziyun to sit aside and inquired about thetest situation at the Dragon Tiger Hall.


    "Ever since Mr. Guo joined the Dragon Tiger Hall, ourpetitiveness has greatly improved, attracting many martial arts enthusiasts, effectively curbing the momentum of the Heavenly Mechanism Arts Hall."


    "That¡¯s good. As long as we slow down the Heavenly Mechanism Arts Hall, we have a chance to surpass them. By the way!" Ling Chen shifted the topic and asked, "How is the preparation for the construction of the Dragon Tiger Hall¡¯s branch going?"


    "Everything is proceeding as nned. In about a month, ten branches across the country will gradually open. Additionally, a branch will also be established in East Sea City. We have no choice; the hall has recruited too many people, and the housing and area are far from adequate."


    "That¡¯s no problem," Ling Chen said. "Didn¡¯t I have Hu Fei allocate a special fund to the Dragon Tiger Hallst time? It should be enough. If you¡¯re short, let me know. After all, I¡¯m not short of money right now."


    "Alright." Speaking of which, He Ziyun seemed to remember something and asked, "Have you heard about what happened at the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion a few days ago?"


    "What happened?"


    "Someone broke into the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, injured the pavilion¡¯s disciples, and rescued Wang Hao from a cell. Because of this incident, the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion Master announced that they would severely punish anyone who trespassed on the pavilion. However, several days have passed with no news of that person."


    "Ha!" Ling Chen chuckled softly, "There won¡¯t be any news. If I¡¯m not mistaken, the person who trespassed into the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion is definitely Su He. Su He is all alone now, with no resources, and Wang Hao is an obedientckey. Su He would surely not abandon him."


    "If it¡¯s Su He, doesn¡¯t the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion Master know?"


    Ling Chen thought for a moment and said, "I think Su Mei probably knows. It¡¯s impossible for Su He to enter the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion without seeing Su Mei. However, the Heavenly Mechanism Arts Hall has severed ties with Su He, and Su Mei couldn¡¯t openly release Wang Hao, as that would likely arouse suspicion. So, they staged a y, letting Su He storm the pavilion to rescue Wang Hao. This way, even if something happens to Su He and Wang Hao in the future, the Heavenly Mechanism Arts Hall can absolve itself of responsibility."


    At this, Ling Chen couldn¡¯t help but smile, "Sometimes, only through experience can one grow. Su Mei is undoubtedly a good example. She is increasingly bing like a Pavilion Master. However, I hope she can maintain her integrity and not follow in Su He¡¯s footsteps, doing something out of line. Otherwise, even if I have a connection with her, I won¡¯t let her off."


    "Kid." At this time, Ling Gengqiu, who had been ying with his phone with his head lowered, suddenly looked up excitedly and said, "Quick, arrange a car for me. I need to go out."


    Ling Chen was slightly taken aback and asked, "Brother, where are you going?"


    "I just arranged a lunch with a beautiful woman, and we¡¯re also going to see a movie and stroll around. Wait a moment." Ling Gengqiu looked at his outfit and shook his head: "No, I need to change clothes. Kid, first take me to buy a couple of high-end outfits."


    Ling Chen said with a wry smile, "Brother, why the rush? It¡¯s only nine o¡¯clock. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll help you sort it all out. Mr. He, if there¡¯s nothing else, we¡¯ll take our leave."


    "Alright." He Ziyun nodded, but his gaze toward Ling Gengqiu was somewhat peculiar.


    Leaving the Dragon Tiger Hall, Ling Chen drove with Ling Gengqiu in the car. As the car started, Ling Gengqiu suddenly said, "Su Cheng¡¯en probably can¡¯t sit still. You should be careful."


    "Hmm?" Ling Chen didn¡¯t react immediately.


    "Since Su He is making moves, it means Su Cheng¡¯en is ready to act. He knows my current strength hasn¡¯t fully recovered, so he¡¯s likely to take this opportunity to cause me trouble."

 Chapter 1404 - 1712: Jiang Hao’s Girlfriend (1)

    <h4>Chapter 1404: Chapter 1712: Jiang Hao¡¯s Girlfriend (1)</h4>


    "Bro, what should we do then? How about..." Ling Chen suggested, "We strike first, find a chance to take them out?" Ling Chen knew where Su Cheng¡¯en lived, hence the idea.


    "You know where he lives?"


    Ling Chen nodded and said, "He lives in the valley of the Yangxin Pavilion at the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion."


    "Alright, find someone to check it out. If he¡¯s still there, we can take the initiative. Su Cheng¡¯en alive will always be a threat. Only after dealing with him can I be at peace chasing girls."


    Uh... Ling Chen didn¡¯t even know how to respond to that.


    Chasing girls... is it really that important? Shortly, Ling Chen took Ling Gengqiu to arge shopping mall. He found a brand store and got Ling Gengqiu several outfits, spending over a hundred thousand. Then, Ling Chen took him to a watch store and spent more than two hundred thousand on a handcrafted mechanical watch.


    If you want to look the part, you have to be willing to spend. With time to spare, Ling Chen took Ling Gengqiu to a high-end hair salon for a haircut.


    Over an hourter, Ling Gengqiu was refreshed from head to toe.


    "Bro, it¡¯s about time. I reserved the best spot for you at a Chinese restaurant."


    "OK! Let¡¯s go, apany me to pick up the beauty. From now on, you¡¯re my private driver and bodyguard, got it?"


    Ling Chen touched his nose. With the ancestor giving the orders, how could he dare say no?


    Following the instructions given by the beauty, Ling Chen drove to the destination. Once there, he rolled down the car window and nced outside a few times. Soon, a beautiful woman with flowing long hair appeared in his view.


    The woman was about 1.7 meters tall, with long slender legs d in ck stockings, topped with a leather jacket¡ªextremely sexy. Her beautifully dressed face was charming and alluring, deserving of the title ¡¯beauty.¡¯


    "Bro, is it her?"


    Ling Gengqiu nodded and said, "I¡¯ll go meet her first, keep an eye for me." After saying this, Ling Gengqiu pushed open the car door and headed straight towards the beauty.


    Ling Chen sat in the driver¡¯s seat, watching Ling Gengqiu interact with the beautiful woman. There¡¯s no denying, his investment of hundreds of thousands wasn¡¯t for nothing, as the beauty quickly followed Ling Gengqiu back.


    Time for me to show up. Ling Chen thought to himself, as he hurriedly got out of the car to open the back door for them.


    "Ling Chen, drive."


    "Yes, Mr. Ling." Ling Chen responded quickly and drove towards the restaurant.


    Along the way, Ling Gengqiu and the beauty were sitting in the back, chatting freely withughter asionally heard. Listening to their conversation, Ling Chen couldn¡¯t help but admire that the ancestor really had skills in picking up girls. At this rate, he might have to book a hotel tonight too.


    Outside the restaurant, the beauty was already holding onto Ling Gengqiu¡¯s arm as they went upstairs, leaving Ling Chen alone in the car.


    Checking the time, it was already noon, Ling Chen closed the car door and prepared to find a spot for lunch. However, at that moment, a Hyundai slowly drove up and parked by the roadside.


    Ling Chen took a nce, and his eyes immediately fell on the license te of the Hyundai.


    Oh! It¡¯s Jiang Hao¡¯s car.


    Sure enough, as the Hyundai door opened, Jiang Hao jumped out from the driver¡¯s seat. He quickly ran to the passenger seat to open the door and weed a young woman out of the car.


    The woman looked about twenty-three or four, with striking features, standing 1.6 meters tall, dressed in casual wear paired with light blue jeans, her long hair draped over her shoulders, holding a handbag, looking very serene.


    The two got out of the car, immediately linking arms and heading directly to the Chinese restaurant. Ling Chen, fearing running into Jiang Hao, quickly hid behind the car. Only after Jiang Hao and his girlfriend entered the restaurant did Ling Chene out.


    Tsk tsk! Just heard from Zhao Zhengxiong that Jiang Hao was dating, didn¡¯t expect to run into them so soon.


    This guy... hid it well, didn¡¯t even tell me. Ling Chen thought for a moment, took out his phone, and dialed two numbers.


    Within twenty minutes, a Porsche and a Jeep Wrangler arrived outside the restaurant one after another.


    The car doors opened, and out came Zhao Zhengxiong and Nanrong Hao respectively. They greeted Ling Chen, curiously asking, "Chen, did something happen since you called us so urgently?"


    Ling Chen grinned and said, "Nothing serious, just bored and wanted to invite you guys for a meal."


    "Chen, you should¡¯ve told us earlier, I already ate at the office."


    "Then have a couple of drinks,e on." With that, Ling Chen pulled Nanrong Hao, heading straight for the restaurant.


    Upon entering the restaurant, Ling Chen scanned the room and soon spotted Jiang Hao in a corner of the hall. At that moment, they were sitting at a round table, pointing at the scenery outside the ss window, smiling happily, seemingly having a great conversation.


    Following Ling Chen¡¯s gaze, Zhao Zhengxiong¡¯s eyes lit up and his lips curled into a yful smile, "Chen, is this probably the real reason you invited us here?"


    "Chen, who¡¯s that woman with Jiang Hao? I¡¯ve not seen her before."


    "That¡¯s Jiang Hao¡¯s girlfriend. The kid kept it such a secret, told no one. If I hadn¡¯t stumbled upon them, we¡¯d still be in the dark."


    "Really?" Hearing Zhao Zhengxiong¡¯s words, Nanrong Hao got interested instantly, "I¡¯m going to say hi."


    "No rush." Ling Chen grabbed Nanrong Hao¡¯s arm, then called over a waiter and whispered instructions. Shortly after, the waiter headed to the table next to Jiang Hao¡¯s.


    Minutester, guests at the adjacent table all left the restaurant.


    "Let¡¯s go." Ling Chen gestured, leading Zhao Zhengxiong and Nanrong Hao to the table. The spot was right behind Jiang Hao. So far, Jiang Hao hadn¡¯t noticed, engrossed in talking to the beauty.


    "Gentlemen, what would you like to order?" Asked the waiter, holding a menu.


    Nanrong Hao rolled his eyes and with a smile asked, "What¡¯s the status of your chefs here?"


    The waiter hesitated a bit but still replied honestly, "We have two master chefs here."


    "Good, take note of the dishes: Flying Together, Till Old Age, Bathing in Love River, Evesting Unity, Perfect Match, Harmonious Melody, Phoenix in Flight, Perfect Symmetry, Centenary Happiness. Mm, that¡¯s about it, go make them, quickly."


    The waiter looked troubled and said, "Sir, we don¡¯t have such dishes."


    Hearing this, Nanrong Hao red and said, "If you have master chefs, can¡¯t they make these dishes? Less talk, go on, whatever the price for these dishes, it¡¯s no issue."


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 1405 - 1713: Jiang Hao’s Girlfriend (2)

    <h4>Chapter 1405: Chapter 1713: Jiang Hao¡¯s Girlfriend (2)</h4>


    Regarding Nanrong Hao¡¯s special request, the waiter had no choice but to find the restaurant manager. Shortly, the manager came over to Nanrong Hao, smiling, and said: "Mr. Nanrong, don¡¯t worry, we¡¯ll make sure you¡¯re satisfied."


    "You know me? That¡¯s good. Just so you know, if things don¡¯t go well, I won¡¯t hesitate to ruin your restaurant."


    "Yes, of course." The manager quickly retreated.


    At this moment, the beauty at the next table noticed Nanrong Hao¡¯s gaze repeatedly drifting toward her, and she couldn¡¯t help but feel a bit annoyed. However, she said nothing, just lowered her head, ignoring Nanrong Hao¡¯s eyes. Sensing his girlfriend¡¯s difort, Jiang Hao asked concernedly, "Liu Xin, what¡¯s wrong? Are you feeling unwell?"


    "No." The beauty named Liu Xin gently shook her head and whispered: "The guys at the opposite table keep looking at me. I don¡¯t like that look."


    Hearing this, Jiang Hao frowned and said seriously, "Wait here, I¡¯ll deal with them."


    "No." Liu Xin quickly grabbed Jiang Hao¡¯s hand, "Don¡¯t go. It¡¯s rare for us to have time to go out on a date today. Let¡¯s not let those few people ruin the mood. How about we change seats?"


    "How can that be? My girlfriend isn¡¯t someone anyone can just stare at." Saying this, Jiang Hao patted Liu Xin¡¯s delicate shoulder and said, "Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll just talk to them and reason it out. I won¡¯t get physical."


    With that, Jiang Hao stood up despite Liu Xin¡¯s attempts to dissuade him, turned to look at the table behind, and said coldly, "You guys... uh!"


    No sooner had he spoken than Jiang Hao froze. At this moment, Ling Chen and his twopanions were sitting in a row, smiling at Jiang Hao, and asked, "What about us?"


    Hearing Ling Chen speak, Jiang Hao finally came to his senses and said with a wry smile, "Chen, howe you guys are here?"


    "We¡¯re here for a meal. We thought about inviting you, but you seemed too busy. So we didn¡¯t call you. It¡¯s okay; you keep busy. We¡¯ll eat without disturbing you."


    With a face of helplessness, Jiang Hao said, "Chen, can¡¯t I just admit I was wrong?" After speaking, Jiang Hao coughed lightly and turned to Liu Xin, saying, "Xinxin, let me introduce you."


    Liu Xin curiously walked to Jiang Hao¡¯s side and asked, "You know them?"


    "This is Ling Chen, this is Haozi, and this is Zhao Zhengxiong. They¡¯re all like brothers to me, my closest friends."


    Zhao Zhengxiong chimed in with a smile, "Brothers are brothers, but whether we¡¯re the closest isn¡¯t certain. Chen, what do you think?"


    Ling Chen nodded and said, "True, having a girlfriend and not telling your brothers."


    "Yes, yes, my mistake." Jiang Hao hurriedly admitted his fault: "Chen, I was wrong; how about I punish myself with three drinks?"


    "Alright! Just joking with you,e and sit down." Ling Chen pointed to the seat beside them and said, "Haozi specially ordered nine dishes for you guys, soter we can all eat together." At this point, Ling Chen apologized to Liu Xin, "Miss Liu, sorry for interrupting your date."


    Liu Xin smiled slightly: "It¡¯s fine, I¡¯m d to meet Jiang Hao¡¯s friends. Oh, I forgot to introduce myself; I¡¯m Liu Xin, a middle school Chinese teacher."


    "Pleased to meet you. Jiang Hao is lucky to have you as his girlfriend. If he ever dares to bully you, just let me know, and I¡¯ll set him straight."


    "Jiang Hao, we¡¯ve known each other for so long, howe you¡¯ve never mentioned your friends?"


    Jiang Hao coughed lightly and awkwardly smiled: "I was waiting for the right moment to tell you."


    Liu Xin rolled her eyes at Jiang Hao, "What¡¯s a right moment then? Does it have to be when we¡¯re married?" Without waiting for Jiang Hao to respond, Liu Xi looked at Ling Chen and hispanions and said: "I¡¯ve been curious; we¡¯ve been dating for months now, and I¡¯ve never met his friends. It¡¯s like he¡¯s doing something shady."


    Nanrong Hao helped smooth things over: "Actually, it¡¯s not Jiang Hao¡¯s fault. We¡¯re often on business trips, rarely staying in East Sea City, and this time it¡¯s a rare opportunity to gather together."


    "Business trips? What kind of work do you do?"


    "I¡¯m with Hongyu..." Nanrong Hao was about to exin when he felt a kick on his left foot. Looking up, he saw Jiang Hao winking at him incessantly.


    "Xinxin, Haozi works for Hongyu Group, they¡¯re often on business trips," Jiang Hao quickly filled in.


    Liu Xin nodded and then turned her gaze to Zhao Zhengxiong. Before Zhao Zhengxiong could speak, Jiang Hao immediately said, "Xiong is in the small business of selling alcohol."


    "Haha! I¡¯m currently unemployed, not doing anything," Ling Chen jokingly interjected. Although he didn¡¯t understand what Jiang Hao was up to, Ling Chen yed along.


    "Haozi, Xiong, chat with Xinxin for a while. I¡¯m going to get some wine with Chen." With that, Jiang Hao gave Ling Chen a look and then walked toward the restaurant counter with him.


    "What are you up to?" Ling Chen asked puzzled, "Are you afraid your girlfriend will find out our real identities?"


    "Chen, I really have no choice. I can¡¯t very well tell her I¡¯m involved in shady business, right? When we first met, she told me she dislikes those little punks who loiter and cause trouble everywhere, even corrupting students in schools. If I told her I¡¯m the leader of those punks, she¡¯d definitely dump me."


    Jiang Hao was full of helplessness: "Chen, I really like her, please help me and don¡¯t expose me."


    "Even if you keep it a secret now, what about the future? Are you nning to hide it from her forever? I think you guys have been dating long enough, and since you know each other so well, why not try telling her the truth? She might ept it. After all, women hate being deceived the most, and you¡¯re ying with fire here."


    "I know, that¡¯s why I¡¯m so troubled right now and don¡¯t know what to do. Otherwise, I¡¯d have taken her to meet you guys long ago."


    "As long as you¡¯re sincere, I think she shouldn¡¯t mind." Pausing, Ling Chen asked, "What did you tell her you do for a living?"


    "I told her I¡¯m a bar owner and that I run a small bar."


    That exins it!


    Ling Chen nodded to himself; earlier, when he saw Jiang Hao outside the restaurant, he noticed he was driving a Hyundai sedan. That car was bought a long time ago, and since he got a luxury car, he hadn¡¯t driven it. At the time, he thought it was odd; Jiang Hao has several multi-million-dor cars, so why drive an old car to pick up his girlfriend? Now, after his exnation, he understood.


    "Although I, as a brother, want to help, this is the kind of thing you¡¯ll have to solve yourself. Like I said earlier, the sooner you find an opportunity to tell her the truth and ask for her forgiveness, the less likely things will get worse."

 Chapter 1406 - 1714: Scum (1)

    <h4>Chapter 1406: Chapter 1714: Scum (1)</h4>


    "Let¡¯s talk about itter," Jiang Hao said with a bit of a headache. "Maybe we can keep it a secret."


    The two returned to the table, where Liu Xin and Nanrong Hao were happily chatting. To avoid giving themselves away, Nanrong Hao and Zhao Zhengxiong seldom spoke, mostly listening to Liu Xin¡¯s amusing stories from school.


    As they listened to Liu Xin, Ling Chen and the others finally understood why Jiang Hao was so worried. Being a teacher, and of middle school students no less, he knew that kids this age were easily led astray. In Liu Xin¡¯s ss, many male students had been recruited by gangsters to run errands, skipping sses, fighting, and generally making their parents worried and their teachers anxious.


    Liu Xin wanted to guide those students, to reform them, and persuade them to stay away from the gangsters outside school. However, the students not only refused to listen but also insulted Liu Xin right to her face, using her of meddling. Because of this, the principal reprimanded those students one by one.


    Yet, the students felt wronged and med Liu Xin for the criticism. Consequently, gangsters frequently jumped over the school wall for a whole week to harass Liu Xin in the teachers¡¯ dormitory. One day a window would be smashed, the next day the door would be graffitied, and some even banged on her doorte at night, making indecent remarks.


    The week¡¯s events were pure torment for Liu Xin. Being from Jinhai City and knowing no one in East Sea City, she had no one to turn to and had to endure it all alone. It was during that time that Liu Xin met Jiang Hao by chance. Faced with his pursuit, she quickly fell for him. Apart from Jiang Hao¡¯s sincerity, Liu Xin needed someone she could rely on.


    After listening to Liu Xi¡¯s story, Ling Chen and the others exchanged nces. No wonder Jiang Hao dared not reveal his identity; it was because of this. Understandably, Liu Xin despised those gang members. If she found out Jiang Hao was their leader, she certainly wouldn¡¯t treat him kindly.


    This is indeed a problem!


    "That¡¯s why I often tell Jiang Hao to quit the bar business. ces like that are filled with those wayward youths. I¡¯m really worried something might happen to him one day," Liu Xin said worriedly. "Ling Chen, you¡¯re all Jiang Hao¡¯s good buddies. Help me persuade him to switch to another business."


    Ling Chen smiled perfunctorily, "No problem, we¡¯ll definitely help you talk to him."


    Soon after, the nine dishes that Nanrong Hao ordered arrived one after another. There¡¯s no denying it, a top chef is indeed a top chef; each dish not only had a unique appearance but also looked, smelled, and tasted amazing.


    "Jiang Hao, I specially picked these dishes for you all," Nanrong Hao said with a smile. "Manager, ask your chef toe out and introduce the dishes for us."


    The restaurant manager quickly responded, "Sure thing."


    Soon, the chef came to the table and introduced the names of the dishes.


    Listening to the auspicious dish names, Liu Xin¡¯s face lit up with smiles, "Thank you all."


    "No need to be so polite; it¡¯s what we should do. When you two get married, I¡¯ll prepare a great gift for you."


    "Oh!"


    Just then, a not-so-friendly voice came over. Everyone turned to see a young man in a suit walking toward them. The young man was quite ordinary in appearance, not particrly tall or charismatic, except for his brand-name clothing which stood out.


    Seeing the young man¡¯s approach, Liu Xin¡¯s face changed slightly, a hint of unease in her eyes.


    "Liu Xin, what a coincidence, running into you here," the young man said as he casually moved to the table. Looking at the sumptuous spread, heughed, "Such a feast, are you having a gathering?"


    Liu Xin replied coolly, "Yang Ping, I¡¯m dining with friends."


    "Friends?" The young man named Yang Ping nced around at everyone at the table and smirked, "All males except you. What kind of friends are these? Could they be boyfriends? One woman with four men, can you handle that?" Yang Pingughed lecherously.


    "She¡¯s my girlfriend, show some respect," Jiang Hao abruptly stood up, snapping coldly.


    At this, Yang Ping looked Jiang Hao up and down, a sneer ying at his lips, "So, you¡¯re her boyfriend. Honestly, I don¡¯t see anything special about you. Liu Xin, I have to say, you¡¯re great at everything except your taste in men, choosing him over me. If you were with me, not only would your career be smooth, but you¡¯d also live in luxury every day."


    "Thanks, but I¡¯m not interested."


    "Fine, if that¡¯s how it is, pretend I said nothing. But if you ever change your mind, you can alwayse find me. You have my number and know where I live." Saying this, Yang Ping walked off on his own.


    "That bastard..." Watching Yang Ping leave, Jiang Hao ground his teeth, speaking in a low voice. "I really want to teach him a lesson." With that, he was about to go after him.


    Seeing this, Liu Xin quickly grabbed Jiang Hao¡¯s arm, shaking her head, "Don¡¯t go, you can¡¯t take him."


    "How do you know I can¡¯t?" Jiang Hao retorted, frowning.


    "He¡¯s the son of one of our school¡¯s board members, holding a titr position. He¡¯s arrogant and unrestrained, and no one dares to provoke him. Many female teachers have suffered because of him. His family has strong connections, which intimidates everyone, making them either endure in silence or resign. Not long ago, he sneaked into a female teacher¡¯s dormitoryte at night. The teacherined to the principal, but Yang Ping was unscathed, and instead, the school fired her. In outrage, she sued the school, but nothing happened to Yang Ping or his backers. Instead, she was used of misconduct, and eventually, she even lost her teaching license." Liu Xin sighed lightly and said, "That¡¯s how society is today; thew favors the rich and powerful."


    Jiang Hao frowned deeply, "He didn¡¯t do anything to you, did he?"


    "One night, he came to knock on my door. I didn¡¯t open, and to my shock, he had a key to my room. Fortunately, I had deadbolted the door from the inside, otherwise, he would have gotten in. I was terrified and had no idea how he got the key. The next day, I immediately had a locksmith change the lock. He¡¯s been bombarding me with texts and calls, which I¡¯ve ignored. I heard he¡¯s leaving the country soon. Once he¡¯s gone, things will be better, so there¡¯s no need to provoke him now."


    Ling Chen shook his head, "Schools should cultivate talents, yet there¡¯s scum like him. And your school¡¯s board not only does nothing but also abets his behavior. Clearly, they¡¯re no better. Liu Xin, honestly, you should resign and find a job elsewhere."

 Chapter 1407 - 1715: Scum (2)

    <h4>Chapter 1407: Chapter 1715: Scum (2)</h4>


    "Xinxin, Chen is right. You should change your workce. At worst, I can help you find a more legitimate school," Jiang Hao chimed in.


    "No need," Liu Xin replied. "Finding a job isn¡¯t easy these days. It¡¯s not like I haven¡¯t thought about switching schools, but I haven¡¯t seeded. A school seemed interested in my application and even scheduled an interview with me. But for some reason, just when I was about to leave, they suddenly called and said I was no longer needed because they weren¡¯tcking teachers."


    "Do you think it¡¯s that Yang Ping causing trouble?"


    "I¡¯m not sure. In any case, he¡¯s about to go abroad. Once he¡¯s gone, no one will bother me anymore." After speaking, Liu Xin picked up her chopsticks, smiled, and said, "Let¡¯s not talk about this anymore. It¡¯s rare to meet with you all, so let¡¯s be happy."


    Ling Chen nodded, choosing not to say more. Since Liu Xin felt there was no issue, he didn¡¯t want to waste his breath. After finishing their meal, they took a short break before Ling Chen received a call from Ling Gengqiu.


    "Everyone, I have something to attend to. Take your time; I¡¯ll head out first."


    "Chen, let¡¯s go together. I have to head to workter," Nanrong Hao said.


    Zhao Zhengxiong asked, "Jiang Hao, do you have any ns for the afternoon?"


    "I¡¯m nning to take Xinxin to the amusement park for a bit of fun." As he spoke, Jiang Hao nced at the time, stood up, and helped Liu Xin with her bag, suggesting, "Should we head out as well?"


    "Okay."


    The group left and headed toward the restaurant exit. As they approached the door, Liu Xin suddenly grabbed Jiang Hao¡¯s hand and whispered, "Did you pay the bill?"


    "Haozi already took care of it. Xinxin, what¡¯s wrong?"


    "They¡¯re all regr employees and aren¡¯t as well-off as you. This restaurant is quite expensive, and the meal earlier probably cost a few thousand yuan. It¡¯s not right to let them pay for it."


    Jiang Haoughed and said, "It¡¯s okay; they¡¯re not as broke as you think. Let¡¯s go!" With that, Jiang Hao took Liu Xin and walked out of the restaurant.


    Meanwhile, Ling Chen and the others were waiting outside for Jiang Hao and Liu Xin. After watching them drive away, Zhao Zhengxiong and Nanrong Hao each left in their luxury cars.


    Ling Chen adjusted his suit, returned to his car, and shortly after, saw Ling Gengqiue out of the restaurant with that stunning woman. Earlier, the woman had been holding onto Ling Gengqiu¡¯s arm; now, her body was tightly pressed against him, especially with Ling Gengqiu¡¯s arm nestled between her ample assets.


    Looking at Ling Gengqiu¡¯s enjoying expression, it was clear that the lunch was quite delightful.


    Once in the car, Ling Gengqiu, with the beautiful woman beside him, said, "Ling Chen, arrange a ce for the afternoon. I want to have a deep conversation with this lovelydy."


    Ling Chen wanted tough, knowing exactly what kind of "deep conversation" it was. However, as a driver, he couldn¡¯t very well mock Ling Gengqiu openly. Ling Chen then called to book a presidential suite in a luxury hotel in East Sea City.


    After a half-hour drive, Ling Chen drove Ling Gengqiu and the woman to their destination.


    Watching their figures disappear into the hotel entrance, Ling Chen whistled and drove straight to the base, with no time to spare on Gengqiu¡¯s leisure.


    Upon reaching the base, Ling Chen went to the control room where he found Hu Fei with a cup of coffee, leisurely watching videos.


    "Fatty, you seem pretty free today."


    Hu Fei nced at Ling Chen and kept his eyes on the screen. "After being busy for so many days, it¡¯s nice to rx a bit. What brings you here today?"


    "Just thought I¡¯d drop by since there¡¯s nothing else to do. Hey! Any news on the thing I asked you to check?"


    "I just got their report. The ce you mentioned is empty, and Su Cheng¡¯en has already moved.


    "Empty?" Ling Chen¡¯s heart sank, realizing Su Cheng¡¯en was already on guard. He had intended to make a move, but it seemed another strategy was now necessary.


    "Fatty, what about that other guy? Still no news?"


    "You mean Zhu Hong?" Hu Fei shook his head. "That guy is as cunning as a rat. Who knows where he¡¯s hiding? Not a single clue. If he keeps his head down, he¡¯s hard to find. But if Zhu Hong is smart, he¡¯ll find some remote ce to stay and not return home. Given the force youmand now, if he tries anything, it¡¯s practically suicide."


    "Let¡¯s hope so."


    After chatting with Hu Fei for a bit, Ling Chen checked the time. It was nearly dinner, and Gengqiu was likely done with his afternoon dalliance. Ling Chen said goodbye to Hu Fei and left the base alone.


    Driving away from the base, Ling Chen merged onto the highway, heading toward the hotel. As his car gradually disappeared from view, a young man seated in an outdoor caf¨¦ lifted his head, adjusted his baseball cap, tossed a hundred-yuan bill on the table, and got up to leave.


    On reaching the roadside, the young man hailed a taxi and mentioned a location, prompting the driver to head off.


    About ten minutester, the taxi arrived in East Sea City¡¯s Old City. Thanks to significant investment by the Hongyu Group and government support, the Old City had been transformed into the city¡¯s new district, with all the old buildings reced by high-rise structures.


    Alighting from the taxi, the young man adjusted the brim of his hat and hurried to a rolling gate.


    Soon after, the gate slowly lifted, and the young man bent under it to enter.


    Once inside and the gate closed, the young man finally removed his baseball cap.


    "Mr. Zhu." Seeing the young man return, a middle-aged man in ab coat immediately approached. "Our pharmaceutical supplies are running low. When can you procure more for us?"


    The young man was none other than Zhu Hong.


    After hearing the middle-aged man, Zhu Hong scanned the surroundings. In the warehousey various equipment, with over a dozen researchers bustling about. At the center stood a transparent ss vessel soaking a severed leg in liquid.


    After a quick nce, Zhu Hong turned his attention back and asked, "Can it wait?"


    "I¡¯m afraid not. Our experiment is at a critical stage. Without enough drugs, the experiment might fail, wasting all our previous investments."


    Zhu Hong nodded. "Alright then, give me a list, and I¡¯ll figure out how to get the supplies."


    "The list is ready," the middle-aged man said, handing Zhu Hong a slip of paper.


    Looking at the inventory of drugs, Zhu Hong couldn¡¯t help but frown, "Why are they all banned substances?"


    "We have no choice. Regr drug doses aren¡¯t sufficient."


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 1408 - 1716: Speeding

    <h4>Chapter 1408: Chapter 1716: Speeding</h4>


    "The illegal drugs you¡¯re prescribing aren¡¯t avable at pharmacies, onlyrge hospitals can get them, and every hospital has a fixed quota. The amount you¡¯re asking for is equivalent to the quota of severalrge hospitals, where am I supposed to get it for you?" Zhu Hong said.


    "Such drugs should be avable on the ck market."


    "The ck market does have them, but they can¡¯t be bought domestically. Are you suggesting I go abroad to get them for you? Not to mention whether it¡¯d clear customs, it would take at least a month time-wise."


    The middle-aged man shook his head and said, "That¡¯s not possible, time is too short; these drugs must be obtained within three days, or the experiment can¡¯t continue." Pausing, the middle-aged man said, "As far as I know, on the third of every month, a special vehicle delivers drugs to various hospitals. All the drugs I need are on that vehicle, and the quota is sufficient. If you can figure out a way to deal with that vehicle, the drug problem can be solved."


    "You make it sound easy." Zhu Hong pondered for a while, then nodded and said, "All right, I¡¯ll handle this. You all focus on the experiment; no matter what, this experiment must not fail. Remember! You¡¯ve repeatedly promised me that if there is any ident with the experiment, don¡¯t me me for being harsh."


    "Rest assured, as long as you follow my n, there will be no problems."


    Upon arriving at his independent studio, Zhu Hong turned on theputer and checked the information regarding the drug delivery vehicle. The third of the month... that¡¯s the day after tomorrow, Zhu Hong muttered to himself, furrowing his brows; time is extremely tight, preparations must be made quickly.


    If possible, Zhu Hong wouldn¡¯t want to use this method to obtain drugs, it¡¯s too conspicuous, and could easily expose his identity. During this period, he has been living under Ling Chen¡¯s scrutiny, being very cautious to avoid drawing attention, handling everything personally. The fewer people who know, the safer his situation is.


    "Still not enough manpower." Zhu Hong was a bit worried. Besides himself, the only one he could use now was Chen Quan. Although Chen Quan is a top expert on the Heavenly List, very powerful, capable of taking on ten people, some things can¡¯t be done by one or two people alone. Toplete this operation smoothly, help is urgently needed.


    "Chu Huaiyang, Song Mingzhe..." Zhu Hong quickly thought of these two people, but back when Chen Quan was abandoned, Chu Huaiyang and Song Mingzhe felt betrayed, and although they are both in East Sea City, it might be difficult to ask them for help. Moreover, as he knows, these two are quite close to Ling Chen. If his whereabouts were exposed because of them, he¡¯d be doomed.


    He must find a few people he canpletely control... Zhu Hong pondered for a moment, then suddenly brightened up, a n forming in his mind.


    In the blink of an eye, two days had passed.


    "Hey, bro, can you stop staring at your phone all day?" In the living room, Ling Chen looked helplessly at Ling Gengqiu. He was truly impressed! Ever since Ling Gengqiu discovered the joys of social media flirting, he¡¯s constantly glued to his phone, sometimes chatting with over a dozen women at once.


    Looking at Ling Gengqiu¡¯s excited expression, he¡¯spletely immersed in it.


    Responding to Ling Chen¡¯sints, Ling Gengqiu didn¡¯t even lift his head and said, "After being bedridden for so many years, I¡¯ve finally found some enjoyment, are you heartless enough to take that away? Would you believe I¡¯d report to your dad if you did? Before he left, your dad told you to take good care of me."


    "Old Master, it¡¯s not fair to say this. Haven¡¯t I been treating you well enough already? I provide all the funds for your flirting, I act as your chauffeur whenever you go out, while you¡¯re enjoying yourself in the hotel, I¡¯m stuck listening to the radio in the car; you ought to consider my feelings."


    "Alright, alright!" Ling Gengqiu said, "It¡¯s just driving, isn¡¯t it? I¡¯ll go learnter, and from now on, I¡¯ll drive myself when I go out." Then, Ling Gengqiu turned his phone screen towards Ling Chen and said, "This car¡¯s styling is pretty good, go get me one, I¡¯ll drive it in the future."


    Ling Chen nced at it, and his eyes immediately widened. Damn! "Old Master, do you even know how much this car costs? Don¡¯t you ever look at the prices?"


    Ling Gengqiu replied with, "Do I need to?"


    Ling Chen was speechless; this is a limited edition Ferrari, costing at least seven figures. He had to admit, the old master¡¯s taste is quite remarkable.


    After chatting with those beauties for a while, Ling Gengqiu finally put down the phone and dragged Ling Chen outside to learn how to drive. As a master amongst masters, his reactions, awareness, andprehension are far superior to ordinary people. In just over ten minutes, Ling Gengqiu grasped the essentials of driving.


    "Okay, I got it. You stay home, I¡¯ll go out for a drive." With that, before Ling Chen could say anything, Ling Gengqiu stepped on the gas, and the car shot out, disappearing from Ling Chen¡¯s sight instantly.


    "Bro, bro..." Ling Chen called out anxiously, but Ling Gengqiu was already gone, nowhere to be seen.


    Shaking his head, Ling Chen sighed and had to return indoors. With Ling Gengqiu¡¯s skill, nothing should go wrong. Ling Chenforted himself.


    However, the more you worry about something, the more likely it is to happen.


    Two hourster, Ling Chen received a phone call.


    "Hello! Where are you?"


    "Hey, Officer Xia, long time no see. What¡¯s up, are you missing me, wanting to ask me out for a meal?" Ling Chen teased.


    "Cut the crap, you better get over here soon."


    "What¡¯s going on?"


    "Someone was driving recklessly on the road, causing a major traffic ident. Not only that, he resisted arrest and injured several people. If you don¡¯te over soon, we¡¯ll have to takepulsory measures."


    Upon hearing this, Ling Chen¡¯s expression changed. His family¡¯s old master really is a troublemaker, only knowing how to cause trouble for him. Without much thought, Ling Chen hurriedly asked for the address and then drove over.


    Arriving at the location, he saw several police cars parked outside a caf¨¦, and not far at the intersection, over a dozen cars were involved in a collision, parked chaotically on the side of the road, blocking the entire intersection. Ling Chen whispered to himself that this was bad, and rushed to the caf¨¦¡¯s entrance, where Xia Mutong was waiting for him.


    As soon as they met, Ling Chen hadn¡¯t spoken before Xia Mutong asked, "Exin this clearly to me, who is that person to you?"


    Ling Chen smiled apologetically and said, "Officer Xia, I¡¯m really sorry, he¡¯s a family member."


    "Family member?"


    "Yes, yes. Uh... I¡¯ll go inside and call him out, we¡¯ll discuss the matterter." Saying this, Ling Chen stepped into the caf¨¦. At this moment, the spacious caf¨¦ had only Ling Gengqiu alone; he was sitting in a booth, holding a cup of coffee, leisurely eating,pletely unfazed by the outsidemotion.

 Chapter 1409 - 1717: The Carjacker (1)

    <h4>Chapter 1409: Chapter 1717: The Carjacker (1)</h4>


    "Hey, big bro, what are you up to?" Ling Chen looked at Ling Gengqiu, asking with a headache.


    Ling Gengqiu took a sip of coffee. The bitter taste didn¡¯t sit well with him, and he frowned slightly, saying, "Nothing much, I was just driving. Who knew those people would go crazy chasing me, and causing a mess. I thought I¡¯d give you a call, but then they tried to arrest me, so of course, I taught them a lesson. Hey! You got here just in time, help me sort this out. I¡¯ve got a dateter."


    Ling Chen rubbed his forehead, feeling his head swell.


    "My dear ancestor, those people are police officers. Do you know what the police are? Going against them is asking for trouble."


    "What¡¯s so special about the police?" Ling Gengqiu said indifferently, "They¡¯re all wimps. I can knock them down with just a couple of kicks." After a pause, Ling Gengqiu seemed to think of something and added, "That woman outside is not bad, really strong, but unfortunately, all brawn and no skill. If she were given a little training, she might be an expert."


    There¡¯s no need to ask, Ling Gengqiu was referring to Xia Mutong. Back then, Xia Mutong was captured by the God Organization and forcibly subjected to an enhancement experiment, which increased her strength several times. Later, Ling Chen rescued her from the hands of the God Organization, and her enhanced strength remained.


    Recently, Xia Mutong has been solving cases one after another. Her outstanding abilities even earned her amendation from the Ministry of Public Security. All of this is closely rted to her bodily enhancement.


    "Bro, the police enforce thew. Going against them won¡¯t do you any good, and I might not be able to help you." Ling Chen was helpless. If he had known Ling Gengqiu would cause such a mess, he wouldn¡¯t have let him drive off. Now, not only did he cause trouble, but he also alerted the police. It¡¯s really troublesome.


    "Enforce thew?" Ling Gengqiu thought for a moment and said, "You mean... they¡¯re government officials?"


    Government... Upon hearing this peculiar term, Ling Chen was slightly stunned and immediately understood. Many of Ling Gengqiu¡¯s thoughts were still centuries old, from a time when there were only government officials, no police stations.


    "Although the terms are different, the meaning is pretty much the same."


    Ling Gengqiu frowned slightly and said, "In our time, people from the martial arts world dreaded dealings with government officials the most. Kid, seems like this is serious."


    Ling Chen nodded. His ancestor finally realized the gravity of the situation.


    "Since it¡¯s so serious, I¡¯ll leave it to you to handle. I¡¯ll wait for your news at home."


    Hearing this, Ling Chen was taken aback, and by the time he reacted, Ling Gengqiu had vanished. Looking at the slightly shaking window pane, Ling Chen couldn¡¯t help but crack a wry smile. He thought Ling Gengqiu would face the music bravely, who knew he¡¯d slip away instead.


    Sigh! Such a hassle.


    Ling Chen shook his head helplessly. There was no choice; he had to step in to smooth things over.


    As he stepped out of the caf¨¦, Xia Mutong immediately approached him, her eyes looking past him, "Where is he?"


    Ling Chen shrugged, looking helpless as he said, "Don¡¯t bother looking, he¡¯s already run away."


    "What, run away?" Xia Mutong¡¯s face fell, looking at Ling Chen angrily, "You must have instructed him to flee and evade thew."


    "Injustice, I¡¯m wronged." Ling Chen hurriedly raised both hands, saying innocently, "I originally wanted him to turn himself in, but who knew he¡¯d slip away when I wasn¡¯t paying attention."


    "I don¡¯t care." Xia Mutong tossed her head, refusing to believe Ling Chen¡¯s nonsense, "He¡¯s someone you know. Either you find him and hand him over to me, or you help him face justice. The decision is yours."


    Ling Chen said bitterly, "Is there a third option for me?"


    "No."


    "Alright then." Ling Chen sighed. He definitely couldn¡¯t hand Ling Gengqiu in, given Ling Gengqiu¡¯s character, who knows what trouble he¡¯d stir up if brought to the police station. Sigh! He¡¯s my ancestor, after all. If the ancestor makes a mistake, it¡¯s up to me to handle it.


    "Officer Xia, in that case, I¡¯ll go with you." Ling Chen extended his hands obediently.


    Upon seeing this, a nearby officer immediately pulled out a pair of handcuffs, preparing to put them on Ling Chen. However, Xia Mutong quickly stopped their action. She rolled her eyes at Ling Chen, saying grumpily, "These things are useless on him. If he really wanted to leave, none of you could stop him."


    Hearing this, Ling Chen grinned: "Officer Xia, you know me best."


    "Phooey! Only a ghost would know you. Get in the car. Wait till we get back, and you¡¯ll see how I¡¯ll deal with you."


    Ling Chenughed it off, obediently getting into Xia Mutong¡¯s police car.


    "You guys take the other cars, I can handle this one alone." Xia Mutong sent her colleagues off and then started the engine, driving the police car towards the station.


    On the way, Ling Chen gazed at the scenery outside the window, asionally teasing Xia Mutong. However, knowing his nature, she didn¡¯t engage in his teasing.


    Talking to himself was dull, so Ling Chen looked around bored. Seeing a newspaper on the backseat, he casually picked it up. Reading the headline news, Ling Chen found it interesting and asked with a smile, "Officer Xia, are you in charge of this case?"


    "It¡¯s not happening in East Sea City, what¡¯s it got to do with me?"


    "Tsk tsk! Even nowadays, someone dares to hijack a prisoner transport. Really bold,pletely disregarding the police." Ling Chen remarked.


    "Don¡¯t you think this case is strange?"


    "Strange? What¡¯s strange about it?"


    "Take a closer look at the report. I don¡¯t believe you can¡¯t spot the issue."


    With Xia Mutong¡¯s words, Ling Chen immediately focused on the content of the news, examining it word by word. After finishing the entire report, he finally understood what Xia Mutong meant by ¡¯strange.¡¯


    "None of the criminals in that transport were major offenders, and none had ties to any criminal organizations. Plus, the ones who hijacked the transport weren¡¯t aiming for a single target; they rescued everyone. These criminals have no connections with each other, so who on earth would go to such lengths to save all of them? Or is it to divert attention, hiding the actual target?"


    Xia Mutong nodded, saying, "Your spection makes sense. But this case isn¡¯t under our jurisdiction, so there¡¯s no need for us to poke our noses in."


    As they talked, Xia Mutong gradually slowed down, looking at the traffic jam ahead and couldn¡¯t resistining, "It¡¯s all your friend¡¯s fault. If not for him, we wouldn¡¯t have had toe this far. With the traffic like this, it¡¯ll take at least an hour to get back."


    Ling Chen chuckled and said, "How about we find a ce to rest a bit first, and I¡¯ll buy you a coffee?"

 Chapter 1410 - 1718: Carjacker (2)

    <h4>Chapter 1410: Chapter 1718: Carjacker (2)</h4>


    "Hmph! Do you think everyone has as much free time as you?"


    Just as Xia Mutong finished speaking, an urgent voice suddenly came from the police channel on the radio: "Attention all personnel near Jinhai Road, a medical transport vehicle has been hijacked. The driver and staff are in the hands of the hijackers, please proceed immediately for reinforcement. Repeating, all units near Jinhai Road..."


    Upon hearing the call for backup on the radio, Xia Mutong immediately picked it up and replied, "This is Xia Mutong, I¡¯m on my way."


    After speaking, Xia Mutong swiftly reversed the police car and then turned onto another road. Meanwhile, several other police cars followed suit.


    "Jinhai Road..." Ling Chen took out his phone to check the map and found that Jinhai Road was less than two blocks away from their current location, very close indeed.


    "Nowadays, there really are all kinds of people, even robbing medical transport vehicles."


    Xia Mutong remained silent, eyes fixed on the road ahead, pressing the gas pedal with his right foot, elerating the car.


    "Watch out! Watch out!" Seeing the red light at the intersection ahead and the constant flow of traffic, Ling Chen couldn¡¯t help but grab the car handle and loudly remind him.


    However, Xia Mutong showed no sign of slowing down, instead, the speed increased. Watching the vehicles at the intersection move toward the center, Ling Chen widened his eyes, his heart pounding.


    In just one second, Xia Mutong drove the police car straight through the red light. Fortunately, the other vehicles reacted quickly and braked urgently, otherwise, a severe traffic ident would have happened.


    Crossing the intersection, in no time, Ling Chen and Xia Mutong saw the hijacked medical transport vehicle. Around the vehicle, more than a dozen men had gathered. Some were moving boxes of medicine from the transport vehicle to two other vans.


    Ling Chen nced around and immediately locked eyes on the two staff members being held hostage.


    With the arrival of the police car, the criminals turned their attention toward them. Ling Chen observed them, eyebrows raising slightly, these people... looked somewhat familiar, as if he¡¯d seen them somewhere before.


    That¡¯s it! In a sh, Ling Chen recalled and quickly picked up the newspaper beside him. On the front page, there were photos of the criminals who escaped the previous day. No wonder they seemed familiar, these were the ones who escaped yesterday.


    Strange!


    Why are these people here and hijacking a medical transport vehicle?


    "Officer Xia, leave the hostages to me." With that, Ling Chen directly pushed open the car door and quickly charged toward the criminals.


    "Courting death!" A burly man wearing a tight vest, muscles bulging, roared and swung a machete toward him.


    Ling Chen didn¡¯t slow down, acting as if he didn¡¯t see the attack. As the machete was about toe down, Ling Chen slightly tilted his body, easily dodging the blow. Simultaneously, his fist flew out, striking hard at the man¡¯s abdomen.


    In an instant, the man¡¯s body flew away like a ball, hitting the ground heavily.


    Witnessing Ling Chen¡¯s prowess, the other criminals hesitated for a moment, then quickly gathered and surrounded him, intending to take him down together.


    As the group slowly approached, a faint smile appeared on Ling Chen¡¯s lips. His body suddenly leaned forward, turning into a blur, disappearing from their sight. Before the criminals could pinpoint Ling Chen¡¯s location, screams erupted from their midst.


    In seconds, the six or seven men around had all been knocked to the ground.


    At this point, the men moving the medicine boxes saw this, their expressions changing, abandoning theirrades, and hurriedly jumping into the vans to escape.


    However, Xia Mutong had already blocked the vans¡¯ path.


    "Crash through, run her over," one man shouted loudly.


    Watching the two vans quickly driving toward her, Xia Mutong¡¯s expression didn¡¯t change at all.


    When the first van was about to reach her, Xia Mutong suddenly leaped up, kicking through the van¡¯s windshield, hitting the driver squarely.


    The driver couldn¡¯t even struggle before passing out under Xia Mutong¡¯s kick.


    As the first van came to a halt, the second van couldn¡¯t dodge in time and crashed into its rear, the fronts and ends of both vehicles deforming instantly.


    This gave Xia Mutong the opportunity to quickly jump from the first van, circle around to the second, and forcibly drag the driver out.


    "Captain Xia!" At this point, Xia Mutong¡¯s colleagues arrived one by one.


    "Arrest them all, and call for reinforcements," Xia Mutong ordered.


    "Officer Xia, are you okay?" Ling Chen, with his hands in his pockets, walked over with a smile.


    Xia Mutong nced at Ling Chen, saying, "Thanks for your help this time."


    "No need to be polite." Ling Chen looked at the handcuffed criminals being led to the police cars, curiously saying, "What¡¯s with these guys? They just escaped yesterday and now they¡¯re hijacking in East Sea City. Whoever broke them out surely has aplex motive."


    "I know, I¡¯ll investigate this thoroughly." As they spoke, a male officer approached, reporting, "Captain Xia, we¡¯ve captured them, seventeen in total."


    Xia Mutong nodded, "That¡¯s right, there were seventeen people who escaped yesterday, the numbers match. Bring them all back for a thorough interrogation."


    "Yes."


    "Officer Xia, if there¡¯s nothing else, I¡¯ll head back now."


    As Ling Chen turned to leave, Xia Mutong immediately called out, "Where do you think you¡¯re going? Don¡¯t forget you still have unresolved matters."


    Ling Chen scratched his nose and said, "Officer Xia, I¡¯ve made up for my mistakes. Can¡¯t you let it go? How about this, I¡¯ll treat you to dinner another day."


    "Alright, you said it."


    d that Xia Mutong didn¡¯t pursue his mistakes further, Ling Chen thanked her, and after watching the convoy leave, he took a taxi home.


    Bam!


    In an alley not far from the crime scene, Zhu Hong smashed his coffee cup on the ground, his face livid. Ling Chen, it¡¯s Ling Chen again... Zhu Hong gritted his teeth, his eyes zing with anger.


    After all his efforts to gather a team, the entire n was ruined by Ling Chen. Zhu Hong couldn¡¯t fathom how Ling Chen suddenly appeared at that ce.


    A ghost that won¡¯t rest. Now, all the medicines have been taken by the police as evidence. Where on earth will he find more in such a short time?


    Thinking of that crucial experiment, Zhu Hong felt utterly despairing.

 Chapter 1411 - 1719: The Young Lady’s Invitation

    <h4>Chapter 1411: Chapter 1719: The Young Lady¡¯s Invitation</h4>


    When Ling Gengqiu returned home, he was already back, leisurely sitting on the sofa, holding his phone, chatting with those beautiful women.


    Seeing Ling Chene back, Ling Gengqiu said without raising his head, "So soon."


    "Big bro, take it easy in the future, stop giving me trouble."


    "Hey! Who was that woman you met today?" Ling Gengqiu asked with interest, "She¡¯s not only pretty and well-shaped, but also capable. She was originally going to catch me, but as soon as I mentioned your name, she stopped immediately. Tell me honestly, do you have an unusual rtionship with her?"


    Ling Chen said, crying andughing, "Big bro, can you stop making wild guesses? What unusual rtionship could we have? We¡¯re just simple friends."


    "Just friends?" Ling Gengqiu asked with a dubious smile, "Don¡¯t tell me you have no thoughts when faced with such a beauty. If it weren¡¯t for her rtionship with you, I would have made a move long ago."


    Ling Chen opened his mouth, about to argue, but at that moment, he heard a series of knocks on the door. Opening the door, he was slightly taken aback upon seeing the person outside, and he asked somewhat unexpectedly, "What brings you here?"


    "Thepany had nothing today, and I happened to be passing by, so I came to check on you. What? Is it inconvenient? If so, I can leave first."


    "No, no, no, it¡¯s not inconvenient at all. Come in!" Saying this, Ling Chen hurriedly weed Nanrong Wanqing inside. Zhong Wei and Liang Zhao Hui were very tactful; they greeted Ling Chen and then stayed with the car outside, noting in.


    Upon entering the house, Ling Gengqiu raised his head, his gaze immediately fixed on Nanrong Wanqing, full of amazement and unable to move for a long time.


    Feeling Ling Gengqiu¡¯s gaze, Nanrong Wanqing looked at him twice. She was ustomed to such gazes, so she didn¡¯t feel he was being rude.


    "Ling Chen, who is this?"


    "Oh! I forgot to introduce him, his name is Ling Gengqiu, my distant cousin who hase to East Sea City seeking refuge with me."


    Nanrong Wanqing nodded and politely greeted Ling Gengqiu.


    Hearing that gentle voice, Ling Gengqiu finally came to his senses, quickly put down his phone, stood up from the sofa, and walked quickly to Nanrong Wanqing, greeting her with gentlemanly charm, "Lovely Miss, very pleased to meet you. You are the most beautifuldy I have ever seen."


    Nanrong Wanqing said with a charming smile, "I¡¯m also very pleased to meet you."


    Ling Chen on the side gave a light cough and said, "Big bro, let me introduce you, this is Nanrong Wanqing, my girlfriend." When he said ¡¯girlfriend,¡¯ Ling Chen intentionally emphasized it. He knew very well what kind of person Ling Gengqiu was; if this guy set his sights on Nanrong Wanqing, things would get troublesome, so he had to remind him not to have any ideas.


    Ling Gengqiu nced at Ling Chen, fully understanding his intentions.


    "I¡¯ll leave you two to chat, I have things to do and need to head out." Ling Gengqiu, being very tactful, didn¡¯t stay in the room to disturb them, and left on his own.


    Ling Chen called out, worried, "Don¡¯t drive out again."


    "He¡¯s grown up, can¡¯t you trust him to go out on his own?" Nanrong Wanqing asked with a smile.


    Ling Chen shook his head, "You don¡¯t know what he¡¯s like. Whenever he¡¯s let out alone, he¡¯s bound to cause trouble for me. Come, sit down, I¡¯ll make you some tea."


    "No need, I¡¯ll sit for a bit and then head back. We have guests at home today."


    "Who¡¯sing?"


    "Someone you know, Xiaozhu."


    "Xiaozhu?" Ling Chen was surprised. He hadn¡¯t been in touch with Zhu Xiaozhu for some time, having heard she was in Beijing. He didn¡¯t expect she¡¯d visit the Nanrong Family. Ling Chen was well aware of the past misunderstandings between Nanrong Wanqing and Zhu Xiaozhu, which had caused tension in their rtionship. Only recently did they resolve those misunderstandings and be good friends.


    "It¡¯s not just Xiaozhu visiting; her parents areing too, so I need to go back early to prepare. Regardless, the Zhu Family and our Nanrong Family are old friends, so as they value this rtionship, we naturally should reciprocate with hospitality."


    Ling Chen chuckled, "The Zhu Family never visited before. Now that the Hongyu Group has be the top domestic enterprise, they rush to East Sea City. If you ask me, they¡¯re also looking to benefit from your sess."


    "It¡¯s human nature. I had my suspicions when they said they wanted toe. But for my grandfather¡¯s sake, we¡¯ll help wherever we can, as it doesn¡¯t cost us anything." At this point, Nanrong Wanqing changed the subject and asked, "So, are you interested in attending tonight¡¯s dinner party?"


    "You want me to go?"


    "Of course, since you¡¯re my boyfriend, you should attend unless you have other ns?"


    "No ns." Ling Chen thought for a moment, then nodded, "Alright, I¡¯ll make sure to be on time."


    "Then it¡¯s settled." With that, Nanrong Wanqing got up and said, "I¡¯ll head back now, see you tonight."


    "See you tonight."


    Seeing Nanrong Wanqing out the door and watching them leave, Ling Chen turned back into the room and immediately received a call from Hu Fei.


    "Hey! I¡¯ve looked into what you asked. The medical transport vehicle was filled with illegal drugs, mainly stimnts and sedatives, alongside some cellr medications. I checked, and those illegal drugs onboard were allocations for eight hospitals."


    "There must be more to those criminalsing to East Sea City to rob the drugs. Unfortunately, they were all caught by Xia Mutong. Check around for me, see if you can uncover anything. If the situation isn¡¯t severe, let the police handle it; we don¡¯t need to interfere."


    "Alright, no problem." With that, Hu Fei hung up the call directly.


    Ling Chen looked at the time, realizing there were still a few hours before dinner. He called Ling Gengqiu and found out he was on a date, so he didn¡¯t inquire further. As long as Ling Gengqiu wasn¡¯t causing trouble, he could do whatever he wanted.


    Knock, knock, knock!


    Just then, a knock came from outside.


    Ling Chen wondered, someone else after Nanrong Wanqing? Who could it be?


    He went to the door and opened it, only to find the entrancepletely empty, with no one there. Seeing this, Ling Chen peeked both ways down the hallway.


    Where¡¯s the person?


    He was sure he heard knocking just now, there was no mistake. Howe there¡¯s no one when I open the door?


    Could it be someone ying a prank?


    Ling Chen mumbled to himself and casually closed the door. However, at that moment, a strong sense of crisis suddenly hit him from behind.


    Oh no!


    Ling Chen¡¯s pupils narrowed, and he instinctively shrank his body. Suddenly, with a ¡¯bang,¡¯ the door in front of him was sted apart, the whole door flew inward and out.

 Chapter 1412 - 1720: Explosion Skill

    <h4>Chapter 1412: Chapter 1720: Explosion Skill</h4>


    Using the opportunity, Ling Chen didn¡¯t hesitate and rushed out through the destroyed doorway. However, the person behind him followed closely, and the distance between them was shrinking, with Ling Chen constantly facing danger.


    Feeling the gust of wind from behind, Ling Chen gritted his teeth; in such circumstances, it was difficult to escape the pursuit. Only by catching the opponent off guard could there be a chance to escape. With a quick thought, Ling Chen took a deep breath, instantly gathering Qi Force throughout his body. Suddenly, his forward steps abruptly stopped, and he turned around to punch towards the person behind.


    The pursuer was obviously not expecting Ling Chen¡¯s move, but with powerful strength as backing, the pursuer didn¡¯t take Ling Chen¡¯s counterattack seriously. Watching the steel fist approach, the opponent did not evade and responded with a punch. However, at the moment the two fists collided, the pursuer¡¯s pupils slightly contracted with a trace of shock.


    Bam!


    With a muffled sound, Ling Chen and the pursuer¡¯s bodies separated sharply, quickly retreating backward. Stumbling back several meters, Ling Chen finally steadied himself. At this moment, his face was slightly pale, gasping for air, looking somewhat weakly at the opponent. The person opposite him wore ordinary clothes with a face covered by a cloth, making the appearance unclear. However, from the graying hair, it was apparent the person was quite old.


    At this point, the person¡¯s fist was bleeding profusely, with the entire sleeve of their arm bursting open, revealing a blood-stained arm. Looking closely, there were several cracked wounds on the arm, with blood and flesh blurred. Seizing this chance, Ling Chen didn¡¯t think twice and started running. In his current condition, staying and engaging further wasn¡¯t going to end well.


    Watching Ling Chen gradually disappear into the distance, the pursuer squinted, seeming somewhat hesitant. Despite wanting to chase after, the pain in his arm constantly reminded him, causing him to hesitate.


    "Consider yourself lucky!" The old man coldly snorted, not lingering further, and quickly fled the scene.


    After a while, Ling Chen reached the roadside, gasping for breath, and waved to stop a taxi, then got into the back seat. After telling the driver a destination, Ling Chen immediately took out his phone and dialed Hu Fei¡¯s number. As the call finished, Ling Chen¡¯s head felt dizzy, his entire body devoid of strength, and everything in sight became blurry. After a while, a wave of fatigue hit, and Ling Chen couldn¡¯t hold on any longer, resting his head against the window and falling into a deep sleep.


    Not knowing how long had passed, Ling Chen vaguely heard voices beside him and opened his eyes in a daze, rubbing his slightly aching brow and slowly sitting up. "You¡¯re finally awake." Hu Fei¡¯s relieved voice sounded, and Ling Chen turned to see everyone surrounding him at the bedside, looking at him with concern.


    "How long did I sleep?" Ling Chen took the teacup handed by Xia Yue, drank some water, and asked.


    "Three hours," Hu Fei replied. "Luckily you called me to pick you up from the taxi, otherwise, that driver might have taken you directly to the hospital. Hey! What¡¯s going on with you? I just had a doctor do a full check-up; you¡¯re mostly fine, just severely exhausted."


    "I was ambushed by someone." Ling Chen touched his nose and said, "That person broke into my house and attacked me from behind when I wasn¡¯t paying attention. Fortunately, I reacted quickly; otherwise, you would have been preparing my funeral by now." Ling Chen paused and continued, "The person was masked, so I don¡¯t know their identity, but probably around sixty or seventy years old and a Heavenly List master. There shouldn¡¯t be many fitting those criteria. Fatty, help me investigate thoroughly and see if we can find them."


    "Sixth Brother, well done." Yuan Yun patted Ling Chen¡¯s shoulder with augh, "Being able to escape from a Heavenly List master shows you¡¯ve made progresspared to before."


    Beside him, Xu Ming chimed in, "If I¡¯m not wrong, you probably used Inner Strength externally to drive the person back, right?"


    Ling Chen nodded. He had used this move before when sparring with Xu Ming, and its power was incredibly formidable. However, the aftereffects were severe, as his own strength hasn¡¯t reached the Heavenly List, making usage extremely taxing. Faced with the surprise attack from the Heavenly List master, Ling Chen could think of nothing but this move. Being a Heavenly List master, pursuing an Earthly List master like him, they certainly wouldn¡¯t use their full strength.


    So, using this point, Ling Chen managed to surprise and injure the opponent and escape smoothly. Reflecting on the situation at that time, besides being grateful, Ling Chen was more shocked. He had seen firsthand the Heavenly List master¡¯s injuries, with the entire arm almost crippled. At the moment of their fist sh, Ling Chen¡¯s condensed Inner Strength invaded the opponent¡¯s arm entirely, erupting from inside like an explosion, instantly damaging the opponent¡¯s arm.


    Explosion! Thinking of this word, Ling Chen felt it aptly described this move. Since this move doesn¡¯t have a name, might as well call it ¡¯Explosion.¡¯


    Qiu Yong pondered for a moment and analyzed, "We know only a few Heavenly List masters. Since the opponent ambushed you, it suggests they have a grudge and intend to kill you. Sixth Brother, do you think... the person who ambushed you might be Su He?"


    Ling Chen thought for a moment and shook his head, "Probably not him. I¡¯m familiar with Su He¡¯s strength; if he had struck, I wouldn¡¯t have been able to escape."


    "Chen Quan." At this moment, Xu Ming uttered a name, "He is associated with Zhu Hong; it might be him who ambushed you."


    "If it¡¯s Chen Quan, it¡¯s possible; only these two Heavenly List masters have grudges with me. However, despite the conflict with Zhu Hong, why would he attack me without any reason? Zhu Hong has been missing for so long; if he directed Chen Quan to strike, wouldn¡¯t that expose himself? With Zhu Hong¡¯s cautious nature, he shouldn¡¯t act this way."


    Qiu Yong reminded, "Overall, be cautious; if there was a first time, there might be a second. I think you should keep Lady Zhu by your side; in case something happens, at least there¡¯ll be support."


    "I know." Ling Chen responded. Originally, Zhu Qing was responsible for his close protection, but recently he¡¯s been with Ling Gengqiu. Given the strength disparity within Huaxia, few are a match for Ling Gengqiu. Because of this, Ling Chen gave Zhu Qing a break. Today, the opponent was lucky, catching Ling Gengqiu out. Otherwise, even if two Heavenly List masters came, it wouldn¡¯t matter.


    "Fatty, what¡¯s the time now?"


    Hu Fei checked the time and said, "Six o¡¯clock, why?"

 Chapter 1413 - 1721: Members of the Zhu Family

    <h4>Chapter 1413: Chapter 1721: Members of the Zhu Family</h4>


    Ling Chen suddenly realized he had a dinner appointment with Nanrong Wanqing, and it was almost time. He couldn¡¯t break his promise. Although he was still quite tired, a few hours of rest had restored a bit of his strength.


    At this point, Zhu Qing drove Ling Chen home, and after he changed his clothes, he headed to the Nanrong Family¡¯s residence.


    "Lady Zhu, do you want toe in with me?"


    Zhu Qing shook her head and politely declined, "No need, this is a family dinner, I won¡¯t go in and disturb you all."


    "Alright then, you wait for me outside." With that, Ling Chen pushed open the car door and tidied his clothes before stepping forward into the Nanrong Family¡¯s home.


    At the door, Nanrong Hao was waiting for Ling Chen, and when he saw him approaching, Nanrong Hao quickly went up to him, "Chen."


    Ling Chen nodded and asked, "Are all the guests here?"


    "Yes, they are in the living room chatting with my grandpa. Come on, I¡¯ll take you to greet them first."


    Upon entering the living room, Ling Chen nced around and saw three people sitting in the spacious area. One was the pir of the Nanrong Family, Nanrong Yong, and the other two were a middle-aged couple. The man looked about fifty, bald, and slightly overweight, while the woman, in her forties, wore thetest fashion with well-maintained skin. Considering she could have a daughter like Zhu Xiaozhu, her appearance was naturally notcking.


    Seeing Ling Chen beside Nanrong Hao, the middle-aged man nced twice and asked, "Old master, who is this?"


    Nanrong Yong introduced with a smile, "This is Ling Chen, a very outstanding young man I mentioned to you. Ling Chen,e over, I¡¯ll introduce you. These two are Xiaozhu¡¯s parents, Zhu Qianshan and Mrs. Shao."


    Ling Chen politely greeted, "Mr. Zhu, Mrs. Shao, hello, very nice to meet you."


    Shao Qing smiled slightly, "You must be Wanqing¡¯s boyfriend? Not bad, indeed a talented young man."


    "Ling Chen..." Zhu Qianshan quietly repeated Ling Chen¡¯s name, as if recalling something, his expression changing slightly. He quickly stood up from the sofa, approached Ling Chen, and extended his hand, "I¡¯ve often heard your name mentioned in Beijing, but never had the opportunity to meet you. I¡¯m d we did today."


    Ling Chen smiled and said, "You¡¯re too kind, I¡¯m no match for Mr. Zhu." Zhu Qianshan, being from Beijing and a businessman with vast connections, surely knew Ling Chen had taken over as the leader of the underground forces from Hong Wei.


    "Mr. Zhu, feel free to continue chatting, I¡¯ll go check on Wanqing." With that, Ling Chen signaled to Nanrong Hao, and the two immediately left the living room.


    After Ling Chen left, Zhu Qianshan returned to the sofa. Next to him, Shao Qing leaned in slightly, somewhat discontentedly saying, "That Ling Chen may be Wanqing¡¯s boyfriend, but he¡¯s just a junior. You didn¡¯t have to be so polite to him."


    Shao Qing didn¡¯t mean anything by it, she just felt Zhu Qianshan was lowering his status by being overly courteous.


    "What do you know?" Zhu Qianshan quietly responded, "If he were just Wanqing¡¯s boyfriend, I definitely wouldn¡¯t need to be polite."


    "Does he have another identity?"


    Zhu Qianshan nodded, "His background is quite extraordinary. In short, it¡¯s beneficial for our family to maintain a good rtionship with him."


    At this moment, Ling Chen and Nanrong Hao had arrived at Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s ce. Before entering, they already heard lively chatter from the living room where three women were conversing.


    Hearing footsteps at the door, Nanrong Wanqing and the three women turned their heads toward the sound.


    "Ladies, long time no see." Ling Chen grinned and greeted the three of them.


    Seeing Ling Chen, who they hadn¡¯t met for a while, Zhu Xiaozhu¡¯s pretty face blushed slightly. However, catching sight of Nanrong Wanqing beside her, the brightness in her eyes dimmed immediately. Ling Chen was there as Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s boyfriend, practically the host. Thinking about her status and her rtionship with Ling Chen, Zhu Xiaozhu couldn¡¯t help but feel a little downhearted. Once, she wished she could take Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s ce. Now, she didn¡¯t even dare to entertain that idea. With Ling Chen appearing in such a formal setting, it meant the Nanrong Family had already epted him, and he and Nanrong Wanqing onlycked a marriage certificate.


    The one least enthusiastic about Ling Chen¡¯s arrival was likely Su Lin. Since the archaeology incident, Su Lin had paused her internship ns, deciding to rest at home for a while before looking for a job.


    "What are you chatting about?" Ling Chen sat next to Nanrong Wanqing and asked with a smile.


    Su Lin responded, "We were discussing men of the new era."


    "Men of the new era?" Ling Chenughed, "I wonder if I qualify."


    Su Lin pretended to study Ling Chen and nodded, "You qualify, but you¡¯re just a new era man, not a good new era man."


    Hearing this, Ling Chen asked with interest, "What does it take to be a good new era man?"


    "A key quality of a good man is caring for his wife. Do you think you meet this condition?"


    Uh... Ling Chen scratched his nose and defended, "It¡¯s just that I¡¯m busy."


    "That¡¯s amon excuse for you men, always using ¡¯busy¡¯ as a justification. Can¡¯t you earn a little less and spend more time with your girlfriend?" Su Lin snorted lightly, "I¡¯ve been back for weeks, and you¡¯ve only visited once, not even calling Wanqing. Is this how you act as a boyfriend? If it were me, I would¡¯ve dumped you already."


    "Yes, yes, yes." Ling Chen nodded quickly, "It¡¯s my fault, I¡¯ll correct it."


    "Cousin, Chen has truly been busy recently, juggling both thepany and the club, where does he have the time to apany Sister?" Nanrong Hao defended Ling Chen.


    Su Lin red at Nanrong Hao, "You still dare to speak? You¡¯re not much different. You¡¯re at an age where you¡¯re the only male in the Nanrong Family, yet you don¡¯t hurry to find a girlfriend and get married, perpetuating the family line, but instead, all you know is work and frequenting entertainment ces. Ling Chen might not have time for Wanqing, but at least he doesn¡¯t go out and fool around like you do."


    "Cousin, I don¡¯t even have a girlfriend yet. I should enjoy the freedom while I can. Once I¡¯m married, I¡¯ll be stuck at home."


    "Says who? My cousin and I were just discussing you."


    "Me?" Nanrong Hao paused, puzzled, "How am I involved now?"


    "We think you¡¯re getting to the age where you should start looking for a girlfriend."


    "Finding me a girlfriend? Cousin, you... you wouldn¡¯t want me to go on a blind date, would you?" Nanrong Hao immediately jumped off the sofa, shaking his head, "No way, I won¡¯t agree to it."


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 1414 - 1722: Forced Blind Date

    <h4>Chapter 1414: Chapter 1722: Forced Blind Date</h4>


    "Even if you don¡¯t agree, you have to agree." This time it was Nanrong Wanqing speaking, and there was no room for negotiation in her tone.


    "Sister,e on." Nanrong Hao said with a mournful expression, "I¡¯m your own brother, how can you trick me like this?"


    Nanrong Wanqing chuckled and said, "Precisely because you¡¯re my brother, I care about your better half. Actually, I¡¯ve never told you, but recently, many people have approached me wanting to introduce their daughters to you. I think you¡¯re not getting any younger, it¡¯s time to consider life¡¯s big events. So, I¡¯ve picked a few outstanding ones for you to meet, see if there¡¯s anyone suitable."


    "No, definitely not going, even if they beat me to death, I¡¯m not going." Nanrong Hao¡¯s attitude was very resolute, refusing to go no matter what his sister said.


    Nanrong Wanqing said lightly, "Don¡¯t worry, you don¡¯t have to go anywhere, just meet them." She paused, and before Nanrong Hao could speak, she continued, "I¡¯ve already invited them over tonight, you can interact with them then."


    Upon hearing this, Nanrong Hao was dumbfounded.


    "Sister, are you really my biological sister?" Nanrong Hao quickly looked to Ling Chen for help, "Chen, you have to help me, what kind of sister does this?"


    Ling Chen teased with a smile, "You¡¯re lucky she¡¯s your sister, if it were someone else, who would care about your lifelong issues? Come on, don¡¯t be so coy, since you¡¯re being set up on a date, just go meet them, you won¡¯t lose anything, maybe you¡¯ll actually find someone you like."


    With Ling Chen saying so, even if Nanrong Hao had a hundred objections, he could only reluctantly agree.


    After idling together for a while, Liu Kun walked in from outside, saying the meal was ready, and invited everyone toe eat.


    In the dining room, Zhu Qianshan, Shao Qing, and Nanrong Yong were already seated. As everyone took their seats, the housekeeper promptly served the dishes. Both families were old friends, naturally there were lots of topics to discuss. Ling Chen, though an outsider, was not neglected, especially by Zhu Qianshan, who kept on toasting him, making Ling Chen almost embarrassed.


    After all, this was a family dinner, and Zhu Qianshan was Zhu Xiaozhu¡¯s father, his elder, so Ling Chen had no choice but to return the courtesy. Before long, the two had finished a bottle of Moutai.


    Nanrong Wanqing couldn¡¯t help but advise, "Mr. Zhu, maybe drink a little less, Ling Chen still needs to driveter."


    Zhu Qianshanughed heartily, "Niece, I¡¯m sorry, but Mr. Ling and I hit it off so well. As they say, ¡¯A thousand cups aren¡¯t enough when drinking with a friend,¡¯ this is just one bottle, not much at all."


    Ling Chen shrugged, he knew Zhu Qianshan was deliberately ttering him but chose not to call it out.


    Quickly, dinner concluded amidughter and conversation. After the meal, Ling Chen sat with Zhu Qianshan in the living room for a while. Around eight o¡¯clock, Zhu Qianshan and Shao Qing got up to leave, leaving Zhu Xiaozhu behind.


    Back at Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s ce, Su Lin checked the time and asked, "Sister, didn¡¯t you invite them over for nine o¡¯clock? It¡¯s almost time, why don¡¯t I go out to wait for them?"


    "Sounds good, since I invited them, we should send someone to wee them." With that, Nanrong Wanqing turned to her brother and instructed, "Go change clothes, make yourself presentable; after all, as the vice president of Hongyu Group, you should keep up appearances."


    Ling Chen grinned, "You don¡¯t have to worry, I¡¯ll keep an eye on him. Haozi, let¡¯s go, over to your ce."


    Once outside, Nanrong Hao whispered, "Chen, why don¡¯t we sneak away?"


    "No way, if you sneak off, your sister wille after me with trouble. Haozi, just going on a date, there¡¯s no need to be so scared. When theye, I¡¯ll help you screen them." Just then, a phone started ringing. Ling Chen took out his phone and nced at the caller ID, saying, "It¡¯s the fatty calling, probably needs something. You go inside and change clothes, I¡¯ll be right there."


    Nanrong Hao nodded, heading over to his vi gate. As he opened the door, he nced at Ling Chen who was engrossed in the phone call, not noticing him, and quickly slipped away into the garden.


    Nanrong Hao was fundamentally against blind dates, so if he had a chance to escape, he¡¯d take it.


    Once in the garden, he pulled out his phone, thinking of inviting Jiang Hao out for some fun, but recalling Jiang Hao¡¯s girlfriend, he quickly abandoned the idea.


    Forget it! Better head over to Xiong¡¯s nightclub.


    With his mind made up, Nanrong Hao headed for the wall. Su Lin was keeping watch at the front door, so he¡¯d have to climb the wall to get out. Just then, he heard an irate female voice in the garden, "It¡¯s such a modern day, yet I¡¯m expected to go on blind dates, no idea what Dad and them are thinking."


    From the sound of it, it was a girl, and a soft-spoken one.


    Based on years of experience and intuition, Nanrong Hao believed this girl was beautiful.


    Thinking this, he moved toward the direction of the voice to validate his spection. Soon, in the center of the garden pavilion, he saw someone sitting.


    Though it was night, the pavilion had a light, and under the dim illumination, Nanrong Hao studied the woman closely.


    She looked young, probably around twenty-two or three years old, slim figure, delicate features, a round face¡ªa picture of cuteness, the shiny ck hair adorned with a butterfly hairpin, adding a youthful touch.


    Wow!


    A loli? Nanrong Hao widened his eyes with interest.


    He had only heard of lolis but never encountered such a top-tier one.


    Thump! Thump! Thump! In the dark night, Nanrong Hao almost felt his elerating heartbeat.


    At this moment, the loli beauty took out a box of cake and a cup of milk tea from her handbag, eating it on her own, not noticing Nanrong Hao at all.


    Before long, the cake and milk tea were finished. Watching the loli beauty savor thest bits from her fingertips, her enchanting actions made Nanrong Hao¡¯s heart skip¡ªa sensation like he was electrocuted, struggling to keep a steady breath.


    Damn! I can¡¯t take this, I can¡¯t... Nanrong Hao took a deep breath, adjusted his mood, then coughed to catch her attention.


    As expected, the loli beauty was so startled by his cough that she looked toward Nanrong Hao, asking nervously, "Who... Who are you?"

 Chapter 1415 - 1723: Loli

    <h4>Chapter 1415: Chapter 1723: Loli</h4>


    Nanrong Hao smiled as he looked at the loli beauty and asked, "I¡¯m from the Nanrong Family, but I¡¯ve never seen you before. Who are you?"


    The loli beauty pouted and said, "I¡¯m a guest of the Nanrong Family. My name is Yang Baohui."


    "Since you¡¯re a guest, what are you doing here?"


    "I..." Yang Baohui was about to speak. Suddenly, she seemed to think of something and cautiously asked, "Hey! Since you¡¯re from the Nanrong Family, you must know Nanrong Hao, right?"


    Nanrong Hao held back hisughter, nodded, and said, "Of course I know him. He¡¯s the young master of the Nanrong Family."


    Yang Baohui asked curiously, "What does he look like? Could you tell me?"


    "Can¡¯t you just go see him yourself?"


    "I¡¯m toozy to meet him." Yang Baohui said with a disgruntled look, "If it weren¡¯t for my dad pushing me for a blind date, I wouldn¡¯t havee here. Just tell me what Nanrong Hao looks like, so when I go back, I can report to them."


    Upon hearing this, Nanrong Hao couldn¡¯t help butugh, "You really don¡¯t want to have a blind date with him?"


    "What¡¯s so good about him? I heard he¡¯s a yboy, spends all his time partying and doesn¡¯t do any proper job. He doesn¡¯t even manage his family¡¯s business and only knows how to fool around. This kind of man is totally unreliable."


    Nanrong Hao coughed lightly and said, "That was in the past. Our young master has already mended his ways. He¡¯s a good man of the new era now."


    Yang Baohui said disbelievingly, "He¡¯s your boss, of course you¡¯d praise him."


    "I¡¯m telling you the truth." Seeing Yang Baohui¡¯s indifferent expression, Nanrong Hao scratched his head and decided to change the topic, saying, "Since you¡¯re not interested in the blind date, how about I take you somewhere fun?"


    "Where¡¯s the fun ce?" Yang Baohui asked with interest, "Is there food?" At the mention of food, Yang Baohui couldn¡¯t help but swallow her saliva.


    So she¡¯s a foodie loli beauty. Nanrong Hao smiled to himself; this was going to be easy.


    "Come on, I¡¯ll take you to eat something delicious."


    "Alright." Yang Baohui nodded, picked up her handbag, and got ready to leave with Nanrong Hao. However, after walking a short distance, Yang Baohui suddenly stopped and asked worriedly, "If I leave, how do I exin it to my dad?"


    "It¡¯s okay. Even if you stay here, you won¡¯t see our young master."


    "Why?" Yang Baohui asked, puzzled.


    Nanrong Hao whispered, "To be honest with you, our young master doesn¡¯t like blind dates, so he¡¯s already slipped away. I just helped him escape."


    "Really?"


    "Why would I lie to you? It¡¯s true!" Nanrong Hao said confidently, "Didn¡¯t you just say it yourself? The young master of the Nanrong Family is a yboy, so how could he give up a whole forest for just one tree? Besides, the blind date was his sister¡¯s idea, and he¡¯s very much against it. I just helped provide cover so he could escape."


    Yang Baohui nodded lightly, thinking it makes sense, "Where are you nning to take me? This is my second time in East Sea City. Thest time was ten years ago, and I didn¡¯t expect it to develop so fast."


    "Of course, East Sea City is an international metropolis. In all of Huaxia, only Beijing canpare to East Sea City. Since it¡¯s your second visit here, I¡¯ll take you around tonight to taste the local delicacies. Let me tell you, East Sea City¡¯s food street has specialties from all over the country." Nanrong Hao noticed Yang Baohui¡¯s interest and used ¡¯food¡¯ to entice her.


    As expected! Just hearing about food, Yang Baohui¡¯s big eyes lit up immediately, and she nodded eagerly, "Sure!"


    "Follow me." Nanrong Hao gestured for Yang Baohui to walk with him.


    Soon, the two arrived at the fence of the Nanrong Family. Looking at the tall wall, Yang Baohui asked, puzzled, "Why don¡¯t we just walk out through the main gate?"


    "That¡¯s something you don¡¯t know. I just helped the young master escape. If I go out the main gate, they¡¯ll definitely find out. I¡¯m the assistant of the young master; if he¡¯s missing, they¡¯ll surely trouble me. So it¡¯s safer to go out from here¡ªour young master also left through here."


    Saying this, Nanrong Hao moved a retractabledder from the side and ced it on the fence. He guided Yang Baohui to the top of the fence, and Nanrong Hao followed closely, then ced thedder on the other side. Before long, the two sessfully climbed over the wall and found themselves outside the Nanrong Family.


    "Wait here; I¡¯ll get the car." Nanrong Hao left this sentence and immediately ran to where he parked.


    At this moment, in Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s vi, seven or eight beauties who came for the blind date had already arrived. Everyone was sitting in the living room, with Su Lin, Nanrong Wanqing, and Zhu Xiaozhu apanying them, chatting about interesting topics, and the atmosphere was quite harmonious.


    Although everyone knew they were there for a blind date, no one broke the ice, treating it as just a gathering.


    At this point, Nanrong Wanqing gave Su Lin a meaningful look, and Su Lin immediately understood, got up, and walked out of the room. "Hey! Where is Nanrong Hao?" Seeing Ling Chen outside making a call, Su Lin couldn¡¯t help but ask.


    Ling Chen shrugged his shoulders and said helplessly, "How would I know? When I was on a call earlier, that boy slipped away without me noticing. I called him and his phone is off; I have no idea where he went."


    "I don¡¯t care." Su Lin said with hands on her hips, "You have to find a way to bring him here. The girls have all arrived, and with the main character not showing up, how do you expect us to exin?"


    "Just tell them the truth. That kid even turned off his phone; where am I supposed to find him?" Ling Chen really didn¡¯t expect Nanrong Hao would secretly slip away without even notifying him. He really didn¡¯t take him seriously. Next time when he sees him, he¡¯ll definitely give that kid a good lesson.


    After finally sending Su Lin away, Ling Chen went alone to Nanrong Hao¡¯s residence. There were all women at Nanrong Wanqing¡¯s ce, and he didn¡¯t want to stay there, preferring solitude for peace. Entering the room, Ling Chen opened the fridge, took out a bottle of beer, and sat on the sofa with his legs crossed, browsing the information on his phone. It was the interrogation information just sent by Hu Fei, with all the details the car hijackers had confessed.


    ording to those criminals, they were rescued by a masked old man andter taken to East Sea City to hide in an abandoned warehouse. The other party gave them a phone, and all the action details weremunicated through the phone. They didn¡¯t even know who was behind the scenes. However, the other party offered them a deal: if they helped hijack the medical transportation truck and stole the medicines, once the job was done, they would arrange for a ship to take them abroad.


    For freedom, those criminals chose topromise.

 Chapter 1416 - 1724: Risking Himself (1)

    <h4>Chapter 1416: Chapter 1724: Risking Himself (1)</h4>


    Another masked elder again... Ling Chen slightly furrowed his brow; if he was not mistaken, the masked elder was probably the one who ambushed him this afternoon.


    Chen Quan? Thinking it over, only Chen Quan seemed to fit the bill. He currently had three main enemies: Su Cheng¡¯en, Su He, and Zhu Hong. Zhu Hong and Chen Quan had a master-disciple rtionship; Chen Quan¡¯s ambush was surely under Zhu Hong¡¯s orders.


    A while ago, during the siege of the Skyhawk Pavilion headquarters, Zhu Hong fled with one of Ling Gengqiu¡¯s severed limbs, and there has been no news since. Now that Chen Quan has appeared, it indicates Zhu Hong is definitely nearby. The most dangerous ce is the safest ce; thinking this, Ling Chen¡¯s lips curled slightly ¡ª Zhu Hong had a clever n, no wonder his whereabouts were unknown for so long, he had been hiding under their noses all along.


    Zhu Hong possessed one of Ling Gengqiu¡¯s severed limbs; he likely sent people to steal those drugs toplete the experiment.


    After figuring this out, Ling Chen immediately called Hu Fei, asking him to mobilize personnel to search the entire East Sea City to see if they could find Zhu Hong¡¯s whereabouts.


    At this moment, inside a warehouse located in the Old City.


    Researchers in whiteb coats gathered together, faces full of disappointment. After painstakingly carrying the experiment to this point, theycked sufficient agents to supplement, forcing the experiment to end in failure. As researchers, having spent so much energy and time, they felt deeply saddened by this oue.


    At this time, Zhu Hong walked over apanied by Chen Quan. The crowd¡¯s attention was immediately drawn to Chen Quan¡¯s arm. His right arm was wrapped in thick bandages, even covering his hand.


    "What are you all standing here for?" Zhu Hong coldly eyed the group of researchers and asked.


    A middle-aged man stepped forward and said, "Mr. Zhu, without sufficient agent, we have no choice but to stop the experiment."


    "Who said that?" Zhu Hong said coldly, "I haven¡¯t given the order; who allowed you to stop the experiment?"


    "Mr. Zhu, besides stopping the experiment, we have no other option. If we enforce continuing the experiment, all the test subjects will merely die in vain; I don¡¯t think we should waste these subjects."


    Upon hearing this, Zhu Hong strode to the ss chamber on the warehouse¡¯s left side. To ensure the experiment proceeded smoothly, he specifically constructed a sterile ss chamber in the warehouse. At this moment, two iron beds were ced inside the chamber with two young men in their twenties lying on them, respectively connected to over a dozen intravenous conduits. Zhu Hong stood outside the ss chamber quietly for a moment, then turned back and asked, "How much of our agent do we have left?"


    "Very little in stock, not even enough for one person," the middle-aged man replied.


    Zhu Hong said in a deep voice, "I have invested too much in this experiment; no matter what, we can¡¯t stop it, and it must go on."


    "But..."


    "No buts," Zhu Hong interrupted before the middle-aged man could finish his sentence and barked in anger, "go, bring out both test subjects."


    Although puzzled, the middle-aged man obediently followed orders. Soon, both young men were transferred out of the ss chamber. Meanwhile, Zhu Hong removed his upper garments and directly walked into the ss chamber. Seeing Zhu Hong¡¯s actions, the middle-aged man couldn¡¯t help but be shocked and asked, "Mr. Zhu, what are you doing?"


    "I¡¯ll be the test subject."


    "That¡¯s not feasible," the middle-aged man hastily said, "Mr. Zhu, the risk is too great; a slight oversight could be life-threatening..."


    Zhu Hong waved him off, halting his words, and said, "I know the risks. Since there aren¡¯t enough agents, I will step up myself. My body has been enhanced before; it is three to four times that of a normal person. Even without sedatives and painkillers, I can endure it." He paused for a moment and, seeing the middle-aged man wanted to speak, impatiently urged, "Quit the chatter, hurry and get me ready."


    The middle-aged man dared not defy Zhu Hong¡¯s orders; he immediately assembled personnel into the ss chamber, attaching intravenous conduits onto Zhu Hong.


    Watching Zhu Hong lying quietly on the bed, Chen Quan, standing outside the ss chamber, asked, "Have you really thought this through?"


    "It¡¯s my only way forward; only by seeding will I have a chance to contend against Ling Chen. Otherwise, what¡¯s the point of living? Master, if anything happens to me, please help ensure my ashes are sent to my family. Also, tell my parents their son was unfilial; I will repay them in the next life."


    Chen Quan nodded and said, "I understand."


    Soon, preparations for the experiment werepleted. When all researchers exited the ss chamber, the middle-aged man responsible for conducting the experiment approached a machine, flipping several switches. After repeated confirmations, he picked up the walkie-talkie and said, "Mr. Zhu, if there are no other issues, I¡¯ll begin."


    After speaking, the middle-aged man turned to his colleagues and said, "Everyone, get ready for the first stage."


    As the middle-aged man¡¯s words fell, red liquid gradually appeared in the intravenous conduits attached to Zhu Hong, injecting into his body. Meanwhile, fresh red liquid flowed from another conduit out of his body.


    This was the first step of the experiment: blood exchange!


    After multiple experiments andbined with Skyhawk Pavilion¡¯s research data, Zhu Hong finally discovered the key element, which was the blood. However, the blood in the severed limb had already solidified. To rece the blood in his body, Zhu Hong used artificial blood. Time flowed second by second; after about half an hour, Zhu Hong¡¯s blood was mostly exchanged. After the blood exchange wasplete, Zhu Hong fell into a seeminglyatose state, lying motionless with his eyes closed.


    If not for the monitoring equipment detecting his heartbeat, his appearance would be like that of a dead man.


    "Proceed to the second stage, injection of cell enhancer," the middle-aged man ordered.


    Instantly, a light purple agent appeared in the intravenous conduits, injected entirely into Zhu Hong¡¯s body. Immediately, his body seemed struck by lightning, violently trembling, and blood trickled out of his nostrils.


    Witnessing this, Chen Quan¡¯s expression changed and he said in a deep voice, "What¡¯s going on?"


    The middle-aged man frowned, looking worried, and said, "His blood and body haven¡¯t fully fused yet. The cell enhancer caused a rejection response upon injection."


    "What will be the oue?"


    "Hard to say; if he can¡¯t endure it, his life could be in jeopardy."

 Chapter 1417 - 1725: Risking One’s Own Body (2)

    <h4>Chapter 1417: Chapter 1725: Risking One¡¯s Own Body (2)</h4>


    Hearing this, Chen Quan grabbed the middle-aged man¡¯s cor and said coldly, "Listen to me, if anything happens to him, I¡¯ll bury all of you with him, understand?"


    The middle-aged man quickly replied, "Sir Chen, don¡¯t worry, it¡¯s not that bad yet." After speaking, the middle-aged man hurriedly instructed his assistant, "Inject him with painkillers and sedatives, and also inject ten milliliters of cell dissolution solution."


    "What is that cell dissolution solution you¡¯re talking about?" Chen Quan asked.


    "It¡¯s a neutralizing agent that can help alleviate his body¡¯s rejection, giving him enough time for his blood toplete the fusion." After a pause, the middle-aged man continued, "At this point, I¡¯ve done all I can. Now it all depends on him. As long as he can get through this, the experiment is more than half sessful."


    Chen Quan walked to the ss room, looking at the still trembling Zhu Hong, and asked, "Can¡¯t you give him more painkillers?"


    The middle-aged man shook his head and said, "We don¡¯t have enough in stock, we¡¯ve used up all that¡¯s avable. If it were an ordinary person, they wouldn¡¯t withstand this pain. Mr. Zhu¡¯s body is different from ordinary people. It¡¯s not easy for him to hold on until now."


    As time ticked by, Zhu Hong¡¯s fusion continued. At this moment, lying on the bed, Zhu Hong¡¯s face was pale, and he was drenched in sweat. Moreover, the most terrifying thing was that his body was showing a bluish hue, looking extremely frightening.


    Chen Quan couldn¡¯t help but ask, "How much longer will it take?"


    "Hard to say, we don¡¯t have experience with this experiment either." As soon as the middle-aged man finished speaking, his assistant excitedly eximed, "It¡¯s sessful! The body and blood have one hundred percent fused."


    "What about the cell enhancer?" the middle-aged man quickly asked.


    "It¡¯s slowly merging; there shouldn¡¯t be any major problems."


    "Great." Hearing this, the middle-aged man finally breathed a sigh of relief, "Sir Chen, rest assured, Mr. Zhu has pulled through."


    "Then how long until he wakes up?"


    "I can¡¯t say for sure. After the cell enhancer merges, there are still a series of tests to undergo, but they are not very dangerous. The main focus is to check the stability of his body to see if there will be any abnormalities."


    In no time, two more hours passed. Zhu Hong was still lying on the bed in the ss room, while the middle-aged man led several researchers to examine Zhu Hong¡¯s body.


    "From the current situation, Mr. Zhu is very stable, with no abnormalities, except that, for some reason, his limbs have be a bit stiff."


    "Stiff?" Upon hearing this, the middle-aged man pinched Zhu Hong¡¯s hands and feet, finding his limbs extremely rigid, not as soft as a normal person¡¯s skin, but as hard as a steel pipe.


    Seeing this, the middle-aged man asked, "Are you sure there are no abnormalities in his body?"


    The assistant shook his head and said, "His condition looks very good from the data. Could the stiffness be temporary? It might be fer."


    "Then let¡¯s wait and see."


    Unbeknownst to anyone, the night passed. For Zhu Hong¡¯s safety, the middle-aged man and his research team stayed up all night, constantly monitoring Zhu Hong¡¯s condition. Chen Quan didn¡¯t leave either, finding a chair in the warehouse to take a brief nap.


    "Awake!"


    Someone shouted, prompting Chen Quan to open his eyes immediately and quickly walk to the ss room, looking at the iron bed where Zhu Hong was lying.


    At this moment, Zhu Hong slowly opened his eyes, looking at the researchers beside him, and spoke, "Am I still alive?"


    The middle-aged man smiled slightly, "Mr. Zhu, congrattions on sessfullypleting the experiment."


    Hearing this, Zhu Hong sat up from the iron bed, then ced his feet on the ground and carefully stood up. Watching Zhu Hong¡¯s movements, the middle-aged man supported his hand and asked, "Mr. Zhu, how do you feel?"


    Zhu Hong nodded, "It¡¯s fine, but..." Saying this, Zhu Hong nced at the middle-aged man supporting his hand, frowning slightly, "Why can¡¯t I feel your hand?"


    "Can¡¯t feel it?" The middle-aged man thought for a moment and immediately took a needle from the side, directly stabbing it into Zhu Hong¡¯s arm, "Mr. Zhu, do you feel anything?"


    "No, I can¡¯t feel anything." As he spoke, Zhu Hong used his left hand to squeeze his right hand, quickly changing his expression, "Why has my body be so stiff?"


    "Well..." The middle-aged man said awkwardly, "Mr. Zhu, we are not sure of the reason either. Based on the data, your body is very healthy, with no difort. So... I guess this might be an aftereffect of the experiment, and it might recover over time."


    "That¡¯s just your guess." Zhu Hong said coldly, "Go, bring a mirror."


    The middle-aged man dared not be slow, hurriedly bringing a mirror in front of Zhu Hong. Looking at himself in the mirror, Zhu Hong found no difference between himself before and after the experiment.


    Putting down the mirror, Zhu Hong moved his hands and feet a little, then walked out of the ss room, directly approaching Chen Quan.


    "Master."


    "How is it, everything okay?"


    "Aside from the stiffness, everything¡¯s fine. Master, I want to test what changes have urred in my body."


    Chen Quan nodded, "Alright, first try your strength. Come, punch me and see."


    Hearing this, Zhu Hong, without hesitation, gathered all his strength and swung his fist towards Chen Quan. As Zhu Hong¡¯s fist approached, Chen Quan stood still. Only when the fist was close did Chen Quan extend a hand to block Zhu Hong¡¯s attack.


    Although Zhu Hong used all his strength, Chen Quan remained stationary, unmoved.


    "Not bad!" Chen Quan nodded affirmatively, "Your strength has increased several timespared to before, seems like the enhancement worked."


    "Only several times?" Zhu Hong was somewhat disappointed, "Master, with my current strength, can Ipete with Ling Chen?"


    "If you want topete with Ling Chen, that¡¯s impossible. Martial arts focus on gradual progression and building a solid foundation. You came into thister and relied on modern technology to enhance your body. In terms of mere physical strength, Ling Chen surely cannot match you, but your biggest w is being unable to utilize Inner Strength, which is the difference between you and him. With your current strength, you canpete with a master from the Dragon List at most, but not someone from the Earthly List unless you can double your current strength."


    "Is it only simr to the Dragon List masters..." Zhu Hong frowned, eyes showing a hint of disappointment. If it¡¯s just like this, then this experiment is a failure. Thinking that all this effort only led to this result, Zhu Hong was unwilling to ept it.

 Chapter 1418 - 1726: Rigid Man

    <h4>Chapter 1418: Chapter 1726: Rigid Man</h4>


    Bam!


    Just as Zhu Hong was contemting, Chen Quan, who was standing nearby, suddenly struck, hitting him in the chest with his fist. Under the impact of that powerful force, Zhu Hong¡¯s body was sent flying backward, crashing heavily into the wall behind him. With a loud noise, the entire wall was covered in dense cracks.


    This sudden change stunned everyone present. At this moment, Zhu Hong emerged from the dented wall, looking at his limbs with a face full of confusion. Seeing Zhu Hong¡¯s dazed expression, Chen Quan quickly walked up and asked, "Are you okay? I just wanted to test the strength of your muscles and see how much force they can withstand."


    Hearing Chen Quan¡¯s words, Zhu Hong raised his head and looked at Chen Quan with a strange expression, "Master, how much strength did you use just now?"


    "Thirty percent."


    "Now, try attacking me with fifty percent strength." Saying this, Zhu Hong took a step back, stood straight, and gestured for Chen Quan to make a move. Chen Quan hesitated for a moment, then channeled his inner strength, concentrating it in his palm. Immediately, he leaned forward and struck Zhu Hong¡¯s body directly with his palm.


    Instantly, Zhu Hong¡¯s body was sent flying again, tracing an arc in the air beforending heavily on the ground.


    Before Chen Quan could catch up, Zhu Hong seemed unfazed, got up from the ground by himself, and rubbed the spot where Chen Quan had just hit him, his face showing even more astonishment.


    "Are you hurt?"


    Hearing Chen Quan¡¯s voice, Zhu Hong shook his head and said with some excitement, "Master, it seems that this experiment not only strengthened my power. Your two attacks just now didn¡¯t harm me at all. More importantly, I didn¡¯t feel anything at all all over my body." After speaking, Zhu Hong hurriedly called over a group of researchers. There must be a reason for such a change in his body.


    Soon, a group of researchers surrounded Zhu Hong and led him into the ss room. After Zhu Hongy down, everyone connected all the medical equipment lines to his body and scanned his entire body.


    About half an hourter, the middle-aged man responsible for the diagnosis looked at the results and said, "Mr. Zhu, your body has very slight injuries, not very serious, and they won¡¯t affect your body. Also, perhaps due to your body being rigid, you can¡¯t feel any pain."


    "Is this good or bad?"


    "I can¡¯t easily conclude on this issue, it requires further observation. Mr. Zhu, I suggest you rest for a while to see if there will be other changes in your body."


    Zhu Hong sat up from the bed, waved his hand, and said, "No need, I feel the current situation is quite good." After a pause, Zhu Hong turned to Chen Quan and asked, "Master, you used half of your strength just now, it should beparable to the masters on the Earthly List, right."


    "That¡¯s right, equivalent to the top three on the Earthly List. With your current defensive power, you can stand toe to toe with Ling Chen. Moreover, I think your body has a lot of potential to be tapped into, I can help you try it out then."


    As they were speaking, the warehouse¡¯s shutter door slowly rose, and a young man crawled in from the bottom. Seeing the neer, Zhu Hong immediately walked out of the ss room and asked, "What are you doing here?"


    "Mr. Zhu, I just received news that Ling Chen has given orders and is searching the entire city for your whereabouts, so I came to remind you."


    Upon hearing this, Zhu Hong slightly frowned and said, "It seems he has already guessed."


    "Probably because I ambushed him," Chen Quan chimed in from the side, "If I¡¯d known, we shouldn¡¯t have acted rashly."


    Zhu Hong snorted coldly. It was his idea to have Chen Quan ambush Ling Chen because Ling Chen¡¯s appearance disrupted his ns, preventing them from acquiring enough agents. In a fit of anger, Zhu Hong made this irrational decision to kill Ling Chen directly in anger. Who would have thought Ling Chen not only escaped Chen Quan¡¯s ambush but also injured Chen Quan, causing his strongest fighter to be harmed?


    All these grievances added up, making Zhu Hong hate Ling Chen to the core now.


    "Disciple, East Sea City is full of Ling Chen¡¯s people. Although our location is very hidden, we can¡¯t guarantee they won¡¯t find us. I¡¯d say we should leave East Sea City first, find a safe ce to stay, and think about how toe back when things settle down."


    Zhu Hong pondered for a moment, then said to the young man, "Arrange for a truck and move all this equipment and personnel out."


    "Mr. Zhu, this area is filled with Ling Chen¡¯s men. Wouldn¡¯t getting a truck be too conspicuous? Also, as far as I know, Ling Chen has stationed men at all stations, airports, and highways. No matter which route we take, we¡¯re likely to be discovered."


    "Is there no way at all?" Zhu Hong¡¯s face looked very troubled. These researchers and equipment are all he has, and under no circumstances can he abandon them. Otherwise, he would truly be left with nothing.


    Just then, Zhu Hong¡¯s phone suddenly rang in his pocket, it was a text message alert. Taking out his phone and looking at the message on it, Zhu Hong¡¯s eyes suddenly lit up.


    "Alright! You don¡¯t have to worry about this; I¡¯ll solve it myself. You continue to monitor Ling Chen¡¯s men."


    "Understood." The young man responded and turned to leave the warehouse.


    "Master, you go to rest first, I¡¯ll be paying someone a visitter."


    "Don¡¯t you want me to apany you?"


    Zhu Hong smiled faintly, "No need, he won¡¯t harm me."


    ...


    The Nanrong Family.


    It was still early in the morning, and everyone except the nanny was still in bed. At this point, a figure suddenly climbed over the wall and then quickly ran towards the vi in the backyard. At the door, the person took out a key and then pushed the door open to enter.


    "You brat, you finally came back."


    The voice startled Nanrong Hao, who had just walked in the door. Once he saw the person in the living room clearly, he was relieved and asked with a smile, "Chen, did you not go backst night?"


    "Go back?" Ling Chen said with displeasure, "I wanted to go back, but your sister wouldn¡¯t let me. She insisted I find you. So, I had to stay over at your ce and see when you woulde home. Come clean, where did you go messing aroundst night? Your phone was off."


    Nanrong Hao smiled apologetically, "Chen, I just went out for a walk, really not messing around. You know, I don¡¯t like blind dates, so I could only escape."


    "Alright! Save it for your sister. It¡¯s gettingte, I have things to do today, so I¡¯ll head back first." Finished speaking, Ling Chen ignored Nanrong Hao and walked out of the vi by himself.

 Chapter 1419 - 1727: Disfigurement (1)

    <h4>Chapter 1419: Chapter 1727: Disfigurement (1)</h4>


    After leaving the Nanrong Family, Ling Chen was still preupied with the matter of Zhu Hong. With the manpower they currently had, searching the entire East Sea City wouldn¡¯t be difficult. As long as Zhu Hong was still in East Sea City, it was only a matter of time before they found him.


    Initially, Ling Chen nned to head straight to the base. However, thinking about Ling Gengqiu at home made him uneasy. Without him there to keep an eye, who knew what Ling Gengqiu might do. So, he drove to his home first.


    As soon as he opened the door and stepped inside, a pungent smell of alcohol hit him. Seeing the chaotic living room, Ling Chen¡¯s expression darkened.


    Was this still his home? Ling Chen couldn¡¯t help but groan. There were empty bottles and cigarette butts everywhere, not just on the floor, but even on the sofa, covered in trash, aplete mess. Moreover, Ling Chen found some women¡¯s intimate clothing on the sofa.


    He followed the stairs to the second floor, reaching Ling Gengqiu¡¯s room, and even before he entered, Ling Chen heard more than one person breathing inside. Four people... Ling Chen rubbed his nose, speechless. There was no need to guess what had happenedst night.


    Forget it! Since they were sleeping so soundly, there was no need to disturb them. However, Ling Chen had already decided in his heart that no matter what, he had to arrange for someone to stay by Ling Gengqiu¡¯s side to constantly prevent him from doing anything untoward.


    After leaving home, Ling Chen drove straight to the base. But halfway through, he received a call from Hu Fei.


    "Hey! Ling Chen, we¡¯ve found a ce where Zhu Hong might be hiding."


    "Are you sure? Where is it?"


    "In a warehouse in the Old City, it¡¯s under Jiang Hao¡¯s jurisdiction. I¡¯ve already asked him to send someone over."


    "If Zhu Hong is there, then Chen Quan is likely there too. Sending Jiang Hao¡¯s men is a death wish. Tell me the address and have Sir Chen meet me there immediately." After speaking, Ling Chen elerated towards the destination.


    More than ten minutester, Ling Chen, speeding all the way, finally arrived in the Old City. At that moment, a few business cars were parked outside a warehouse, with Jiang Hao leading people to check the surroundings.


    "Chen, you¡¯re here!"


    "Is it here?"


    Jiang Hao nodded and said, "Weren¡¯t you looking for Zhu Hong? After I was notified, I immediately had my men search the entire Old City. Later, a subordinate reported that this warehouse seemed strange. They often heard noises from inside, but the door was always closed, and no one ever went in or out."


    "And now? Is there anyone inside?"


    "I just listened but heard nothing," Jiang Hao said. "I¡¯ve already sent someone to find the owner of this warehouse." As he finished speaking, a young man brought over a portly, bald man.


    "Hao, Chen, this warehouse is registered under his name."


    Upon hearing this, Ling Chen and Jiang Hao scrutinized the bald man and asked, "Do you use this warehouse yourself or have you rented it out?"


    The bald man quickly replied, "Hao, I rented out this warehouse a few months ago."


    "Who did you rent it to?"


    "A young man with the surname Chen, named Chen Rong."


    Ling Chen took out his phone, brought up a photo of Zhu Hong, showed it to the bald man, and asked, "Is this him?"


    The bald man examined it closely, then immediately nodded, "Yes, that¡¯s him. When he first came to me, I wanted to sign a lease agreement with him and have him provide some information. But he told me that because he was from out of town, he didn¡¯t have much information with him. Later, he paid double the rent directly. Since there was money to be made, I naturally didn¡¯t refuse."


    Ling Chen nodded, "You can go now."


    Having confirmed it was Zhu Hong, there was no need for the bald man to stay. After waiting outside the warehouse for about ten minutes, Chen Junfeng finally arrived.


    With a master from the Heavenly List by his side, Ling Chen was much more at ease. He wasn¡¯t afraid of Zhu Hong, his main concern was Chen Quan. With his current strength, he couldn¡¯tpete with Chen Quan yet.


    Soon, everyone was ready. Ling Chen came to the side of the rolling shutter door, gave a signal to Chen Junfeng across from him. Then, the two kicked the bottom of the rolling shutter door open and lifted it up. At the same time, Chen Junfeng rushed into the warehouse, with Ling Chen following closely behind.


    However, upon entering the warehouse, Ling Chen was surprised to find that, apart from a few empty boxes and a ss room, there was nothing in the huge warehouse, let alone any people. "Chen, why is there no one here?" Jiang Hao came in from behind and asked, looking at the empty warehouse.


    Ling Chen frowned; he was still a step toote. It seemed Zhu Hong had already escaped.


    "Ling Chen, there are a lot of drag marks here," Chen Junfeng¡¯s voice came. Ling Chen quickly walked over and saw many marks left on the ground at the back door of the warehouse, as if something heavy had been dragged away. Immediately, the two lifted the back door of the warehouse, revealing several pieces of heavy equipment stacked outside.


    "Huh! Why are these things still here?" Jiang Hao asked strangely.


    Ling Chen said in a deep voice, "Zhu Hong must have left not long ago. He must have spotted your men and abandoned this equipment to escape. Immediately call the Fatty and have him check the surveince on the nearby streets. If Zhu Hong moved so much equipment, he must have used a truck or lorry."


    Jiang Hao responded and quickly took out his phone to call Hu Fei.


    After the call, just as Ling Chen was about to leave, he suddenly heard a familiar voiceing from the warehouse: "Ling Chen, you¡¯re really annoying, like an annoying shadow that I can¡¯t shake off."


    "Zhu Hong!" Ling Chen raised an eyebrow, looking around the warehouse. He quickly discovered a loudspeaker in the corner, from which Zhu Hong¡¯s voice was emanating. Furthermore, a surveince camera was installed in the corner of the warehouse, keeping all their actions under watch.


    "Too bad, even if you caught up, it¡¯s still futile, I managed to escape nheless."


    "As long as you haven¡¯t left East Sea City, you have no right to say that."


    Zhu Hongughed, "Is that so? I¡¯m afraid you¡¯ll be disappointed. I¡¯m currently on a ne leaving East Sea City, which will take off in five minutes. No matter how capable you are, it¡¯s impossible to rush here and stop me."


    Airport... Ling Chen¡¯s heart sank. He had clearly stationed people at the airport. Moreover, Hu Fei was constantly monitoring the airport surveince; if Zhu Hong showed up, there was no reason they wouldn¡¯t notice. With that in mind, Ling Chen no longer wasted time with Zhu Hong and ran straight out of the warehouse.


    However, just as they were about to rush out of the warehouse, there was a loud ¡¯bang,¡¯ and the entire warehouse instantly turned into a sea of fire.

 Chapter 1420 - 1728: Disfigurement (2)

    <h4>Chapter 1420: Chapter 1728: Disfigurement (2)</h4>


    At this moment, on a flight to Beijing, Zhu Hong sat in first ss, watching the raging fire on his phone screen, his lips curling up. Trying to catch me, huh! I¡¯ll make you suffer too.


    "Is everything resolved?" A middle-aged man¡¯s voice came from beside him.


    Zhu Hong nodded with a smile and said, "I hope so. But even if he survives, he¡¯ll be missing an arm or a leg."


    "What did you say?" Hu Fei, sitting at theputer, immediately stood up upon receiving the news, "The warehouse exploded? What about Ling Chen and the others, how are they, are they injured? What! You don¡¯t know?"


    Damn it! Hu Fei cursed, quickly put away his phone, and shouted, "Send people to the Old City immediately."


    Soon, Qiu Yong and others who received the news hurried over. Without saying much, everyone got into cars and rushed towards the Old City.


    When they arrived, the fire brigade and police had already reached the scene, and Xia Mutong was in charge of coordinating. Seeing severalmercial vehicles approaching, Xia Mutong immediately had the convoy stopped, prohibiting them from entering the site.


    "Officer Xia, it¡¯s us." Hu Fei jumped out of the passenger seat, shouting at Xia Mutong.


    "It¡¯s you?" Xia Mutong immediately recognized Hu Fei¡¯s identity and, seeing Qiu Yong and the others getting out, asked bewilderedly, "Why are you all here?"


    Hu Fei asked urgently, "Did you rescue anyone from the fire?"


    Xia Mutong shook her head and said, "The fire is still spreading, it might take a while to put out. Are there people inside the warehouse?"


    "Ling Chen and the others were all inside earlier."


    "Ling Chen?" Xia Mutong¡¯s face changed, "How... how could he be here?"


    "It¡¯s a long story. In short, we need to rescue them; if we¡¯re anyter, it will be toote." Hu Fei said hastily.


    Xia Mutong took a deep breath, tried to calm her emotions, nodded, and said, "You stay here; I will organize the rescue team." After speaking, Xia Mutong sprinted toward where the firefighters were. In a moment, a rescue team of ten firefighters quickly entered the fire scene, leaving Hu Fei and the others anxiously waiting on the sidelines. So much time had passed, they didn¡¯t know if Ling Chen and the others were safe.


    A few minutester, a firefighter carried out a bodypletely charred. It was obvious without checking that the person was already dead, the burnt smell from the body evident even from ten meters away. Soon after, more firefighters started rescuing more people. However, Hu Fei and his team were anxious because, while more than a dozen people had been rescued, they still hadn¡¯t seen Ling Chen or Chen Junfeng.


    "Mr. Hu, look, it¡¯s Hao, he¡¯s been rescued."


    Hu Fei focused and saw Jiang Hao¡¯s situation was slightly better, he wasn¡¯t carried but was helped out, limping, evidently having injured his left leg in the explosion. Soon, Jiang Hao was stretchered away by the doctors.


    "I¡¯ll go check on Jiang Hao, you keep watching." After saying this, Hu Fei quickly ran toward the ambnce.


    "Jiang Hao, how are you, are you okay?" Looking at Jiang Hao¡¯s face, marked by pain, Hu Fei asked in concern.


    "I¡¯m fine." Jiang Hao gritted his teeth and said, "Chen... have you found Chen yet?"


    Hu Fei shook his head and said, "Not yet. Jiang Hao, what exactly happened at the time?"


    "I don¡¯t know, I just heard an explosion, then Chen pounced on me from the side. What happened after that I don¡¯t know. Brother Hu, Chen... Chen will be okay, right?"


    "Don¡¯t worry, Ling Chen has always been tough, this time will be no exception. You go to the hospital first, if there¡¯s news of Chen, I¡¯ll inform you." With that, Hu Fei instructed the doctors in the ambnce, then got off.


    Not long after, more than a dozen people were rescued, including Chen Junfeng. Chen Junfeng¡¯s strength was considerable; at the moment of the explosion, he acted to protect himself, which resulted in not serious injuries, just fainting, luckily found by firefighters. Otherwise, if he stayed inside, he would be burned or choked to death by smoke.


    "It¡¯s Sixth Brother, it¡¯s Sixth Brother." At this moment, Yuan Yun, with sharp eyes, pointed at firefighters emerging from the fire and shouted.


    At this moment, two firefighters hurriedly carried Ling Chen¡¯s body out of the fire. Nearby medical staff saw this and rushed over with a stretcher.


    Once Ling Chen was sent to the ambnce, everyone gathered around. Although he was rescued, Ling Chen was still unconscious. Not only that, there were multiple burn marks on his body, especially his chest, which waspletely charred.


    "Sixth Brother!" Qiu Yong looked at Ling Chen with worry.


    "Quick, take him to the hospital," Hu Fei urged anxiously.


    Seeing Ling Chen¡¯s injuries, Xia Mutong felt a pang in her heart, her throat felt blocked, and she couldn¡¯t utter a word. If possible, she wished she could apany Ling Chen to the hospital, but as the scenemander, she had to stay and lead.


    Watching the ambnce drive away, Xia Mutong wiped her tears and focused back on the fire scene.


    At the hospital, doctors were already well-prepared and directly sent Ling Chen to the emergency room. Half an hourter, Tong Zhentian and Ling Gengqiu arrived at the hospital upon receiving the news.


    "Elder Qiu, how¡¯s Ling Chen?" Tong Zhentian asked gravely.


    Qiu Yong heaved a sigh and said, "It¡¯s still unclear, he¡¯s been in there for more than half an hour, should have results soon."


    "What exactly happened?" Ling Gengqiu asked, his face stern. Although usually frivolous with Ling Chen, when serious matters arose, he was more formidable than anyone.


    "Ling Chen went to chase Zhu Hong at the warehouse, and the warehouse exploded." Hu Fei recounted the events.


    "What about Zhu Hong?"


    "No idea, we haven¡¯t found him."


    Just then, the emergency room door finally opened, and a doctor in a white coat came out.


    "Doctor, how is he?" Everyone rushed over and asked impatiently.


    The doctor gestured for them to quiet down, then said, "Rest assured, the patient is out of danger, but his burn coverage is quite extensive, requiring hospitalization for a period. Additionally, we will have to perform some skin grafting surgeries."


    "No need for skin grafts," Ling Gengqiu interjected, "As long as his health recovers, nothing else matters." Pausing, Ling Gengqiu shifted topics, asking, "When can we see him?"


    "The patient is still unconscious, it¡¯s best not to disturb him."

 Chapter 1421 - 1729: Turning Peril into Safety

    <h4>Chapter 1421: Chapter 1729: Turning Peril into Safety</h4>


    Two hourster, Xia Mutong drove to the hospital. Standing outside the ward, looking at the waiting crowd, Xia Mutong eagerly asked, "Where is he?"


    Hu Fei pointed to the ICU and said, "He¡¯s still resting. The doctor said he¡¯s still in aa and shouldn¡¯t be disturbed for now." Just as he finished speaking, the door of the ICU was pushed open. A doctor in a white coat emerged, looking at everyone outside and said, "The patient has woken up, and he wants to see you. However, his injuries are quite serious, so it¡¯s best not to talk to him for too long to avoid dying his rest."


    Upon hearing this, the crowd immediately rushed into the ICU. At this moment, Ling Chen had already awakened, leaning against the slightly inclined hospital bed. Because of the explosion, his body was mostly covered in bandages, even his left cheek was wrapped up.


    "Sixth brother, how are you, are you alright?" Qiu Yong and others surrounded Ling Chen, asking with concern.


    Ling Chen managed to squeeze out a faint smile and said, "I¡¯m okay. It¡¯s already fortunate enough to be alive." After a pause, Ling Chen changed the subject and asked, "What about Jiang Hao and Sir Chen? How are they doing?"


    "Don¡¯t worry, both of them are fine," Hu Fei said, "Among the three of you, your injuries are the most severe."


    "Sigh! We were too careless this time," Ling Chen sighed lightly. "I didn¡¯t expect Zhu Hong would nt bombs in that warehouse." At this point, Ling Chen turned his gaze to Xia Mutong and asked, "Officer Xia, was the explosion damage severe?"


    Xia Mutong nodded and said, "I just got back from the scene. We found a total of nine bodies from the fire, all killed in the explosion. Besides your people, there were also two passersby who happened to be nearby the warehouse. There¡¯s a strict order from above to capture the perpetrator."


    "Fatty," Ling Chen looked at Hu Fei and asked, "Didn¡¯t I tell you to arrange people at the airport? How did Zhu Hong manage to board a ne and leave?"


    "I was puzzled at first too, but Iter checked. If I¡¯m not mistaken, someone definitely helped them board the ne secretly."


    "Who?"


    "Zhu Qianshan," Hu Fei said, "I checked all the flights departing at that time, and on one flight to Beijing, I found Zhu Qianshan¡¯s name. Later, I retrieved the surveince footage of Zhu Qianshan entering the airport. At that time, besides the couple, there were a few apanying people. I carefully checked the identities of thosepanions and found two of them were very suspicious. They should be Zhu Hong and Chen Quan."


    "Zhu Qianshan..." Ling Chen frowned slightly, surprised it was him. But thinking about it, it made sense; they were father and son. If Zhu Hong reached out to Zhu Qianshan for help, thetter wouldn¡¯t refuse. Thinking of this, Ling Chen instructed, "Zhu Hong should have arrived in Beijing. Notify the people in Beijing to keep an eye on Zhu Qianshan¡¯s movements to see if we can find Zhu Hong¡¯s whereabouts."


    "Understood."


    Ling Chen pondered for a moment and then added, "Also, don¡¯t tell Wanqing about my situation for now. I don¡¯t want them to worry about me."


    "Got it."


    After chatting for a while, since the doctor advised Ling Chen to rest more, everyone didn¡¯t stay in the ward for too long, except Ling Gengqiu, who stayed behind.


    "Kid, you¡¯re really fortunate this time," Ling Gengqiu said with lingering fear, "You don¡¯t know, when I got the message, I was worried sick."


    Ling Chen jokingly said, "You worry? I thought after living so many years, you would be indifferent to life and death."


    "Actually, that¡¯s the downside of living too long. Even though you¡¯re ustomed to life and death, it still feels terrible when it involves someone close to you. Maybe I¡¯m a bit carefree usually, but I really care about you all. Rest assured, anyone who crosses you won¡¯t have a good time."


    Ling Chen smiled slightly, "No need to use a sledgehammer to crack a nut. Zhu Hong is just a minor issue, I can handle it myself." Then, as if remembering something, Ling Chen changed the subject and said, "By the way, big brother, there¡¯s something else. Besides Su Cheng¡¯en, there¡¯s someone else in this world quite simr to you all."


    "Oh?" Ling Gengqiu got interested and asked, "Do you know who?"


    Ling Chen nodded and said, "Not long ago, we discovered an ancient tomb hundreds of years old. The tomb¡¯s owner, like you, lived for hundreds of years. Later, tired of endless life, he put himself into endless slumber until we unearthed the tomb, waking him up. Recently, I was nearly killed by the conspiracies of the Nanrong Ling Family, and it was him who helped me to narrowly escape. I had a brief conversation with him, and he seemed very confused, not knowing what direction to pursue in the future. I told him that there are others like him in this world. Moreover, I promised him that if there¡¯s a chance, I¡¯d bring you to meet him. Perhaps you¡¯ll have manymon topics."


    "If that¡¯s the case, I would be very interested to meet him. ording to what you said, he should have lived longer than us." After a pause, Ling Gengqiu continued, "Do you know what I¡¯m most interested in now? Huaxia has over a billion people. Given that a few of us possess immortality, living for so many years, maybe there are others like us in this world that we haven¡¯t discovered yet. If there are more like us, it would certainly be interesting."


    "Interesting?" Ling Chen chuckled bitterly. He didn¡¯t think so. If it were true, this world would be in chaos.


    "Big brother, aren¡¯t you going to rest?"


    Ling Gengqiu waved his hand and said, "No, I will stay with you until you¡¯re discharged, in case something else happens. Su Cheng¡¯en and that Su He are still lurking, waiting for an opportunity. If they learn about your incident, who knows what they might do. So I think it¡¯s safer if I stay here."


    Ling Chen nodded. With Ling Gengqiu by his side, he indeed felt more at ease. Still, thinking of so many people dying in this ident, he felt terribly bad. Therefore, he had already instructed Hu Fei to properly take care of the families of those who died, including substantialpensation for the two passersby.


    Not only that, but Xia Mutong also just called. Since the ident was orchestrated by Zhu Hong, they have already issued a wanted order in the public security system, searching for Zhu Hong¡¯s whereabouts with all their might.

 Chapter 1422 - 1730: Ling Gengqiu’s Guidance

    <h4>Chapter 1422: Chapter 1730: Ling Gengqiu¡¯s Guidance</h4>


    In the blink of an eye, another week has passed.


    After this period of treatment, Ling Chen¡¯s body has mostly recovered, but because the explosion burned a lot of his skin, he now has to be wrapped in bandages, so that no one can see his terrifying appearance. However, the fortunate thing is that possibly due to the Prajnaparamita Sutra of the building and his own gic mutation, the areas that originally required skin graft surgery have grown new flesh, and it won¡¯t be long before his looks are restored.


    These days, Ling Gengqiu has been by Ling Chen¡¯s side, as well as Zhu Qing, who is responsible for looking after Ling Chen¡¯s diet.


    After a week¡¯s recovery, following the doctor¡¯s diagnosis, Ling Chen moved out of the intensive care unit to live with Jiang Hao. The two brothers lie side by side on the sickbed, and can chat now and then, chew the fat, and don¡¯t feel bored.


    "Come, have some chicken soup. I made it with my own hands today, it¡¯s very fresh." Jiang Hao¡¯s girlfriend Liu Xin handed a bowl of chicken soup to Ling Chen, then personally fed Jiang Hao with a spoon, making Ling Chen next to him envious.


    "I say, can¡¯t you two be a bit more low-key?" Ling Chen said helplessly: "At least consider my feelings."


    Jiang Hao grinned and said: "Chen, look at how you¡¯re talking, we¡¯re not showing off our love in front of you. Right, Xinxin?"


    "Ling Chen is not getting any younger, is he? Why not find a girlfriend?"


    "Ugh! I¡¯m not as lucky as Jiang Hao to find a virtuous girlfriend like you." Saying this, Ling Chen nced at Zhu Qing who was busy beside him, handed the chicken soup over, and said with a smile: "Lady Zhu, why don¡¯t you feed me?"


    Hearing this, Zhu Qing rolled her eyes at Ling Chen with displeasure, "You¡¯re not without hands or feet."


    Having been snubbed by Zhu Qing, Ling Chen couldn¡¯t help but sigh, and drank the chicken soup in the bowl cleanly in one gulp.


    "You guys rest well, I have ss in the afternoon, I¡¯lle see you after work." Liu Xin said while tidying up the dishes.


    "Xinxin, you don¡¯t need to run over every day, it¡¯s too tiring for you. Anyway, my injuries aren¡¯t serious, after a few days of rest I can be discharged, you stay home and have a good rest."


    "That won¡¯t do. Without me by your side, how will you take care of yourself? All right! No more talking, I¡¯m leaving now. Bye-bye!"


    Watching Liu Xin leave, Ling Chen grinned and said: "Jiang Hao, you¡¯re a lucky guy, don¡¯t miss out on such a good woman."


    "I know."


    Not long after, two nurses came in and helped Jiang Hao go outside. Jiang Hao¡¯s leg is injured, although he¡¯s mostly recovered, he still needs further physical therapy, requiring two hours of activity outside each day.


    Watching Jiang Hao leave, Ling Chen also let Zhu Qing go rest, leaving only Ling Gengqiu in the ward.


    "Jiang Hao¡¯s girlfriend is nice, good for a lifetime," Ling Gengqiu said while peeling an apple.


    "I think so too, actually I¡¯m quite envious of them."


    "What¡¯s there to be envious of, your girlfriend is so pretty, and you have so many close female friends."


    On hearing this, Ling Chen touched his nose, smiled bitterly and said: "Brother, actually I¡¯m curious how you used to handle suchplex rtionships? You have so many women around you, do they all not know each other¡¯s existence?"


    "No." Ling Gengqiu shook his head and said: "On the contrary, not only do they know about each other¡¯s existence, they all live together. In my time, polygamy wasmon, so this phenomenon wasn¡¯t strange. However, I want to tell you, although the system allowed it, having so many women living in harmony is a very difficult thing."


    Talking about women, Ling Gengqiu seemed very proud and boastful, "Kid, I¡¯m not bragging, when ites to experience with women, ten of you wouldn¡¯tpare to me. Actually, I understand your confusion, because in this era the system lets you choose only one woman as a wife, and you must be loyal, avoiding extramarital affairs. However, a man¡¯s wandering heart can¡¯t be changed with the times. Furthermore, the more outstanding a man is, the more women he has around him, just like you, besides your official girlfriend, you have many female friends with whom you¡¯re very close. Actually, some women don¡¯t care about a title, they care about how much you really care about her, you understand? If you¡¯re willing to give up everything for a woman, as long as she truly loves you, even without a title, she¡¯ll stay with you unwaveringly."


    "In terms of emotions, women and men are actually very emotional creatures, few truly rational people exist. So my advice to you is, don¡¯t care so much about rules, when with women let your heart guide you, don¡¯t just avoid it. Like is like, why find excuses to hide it, repressing your feelings. As a man, be one who stands tall, takes responsibility, gives women a sense of security. Understand?"


    After listening to Ling Gengqiu¡¯s advice, Ling Chen nodded ambiguously.


    "Yo! Just you two?" at this moment, the door of the ward was pushed open and Hu Fei walked in with a few bags of fruit.


    "Why did youe today?"


    "As a friend, can¡¯t Ie see you? Where¡¯s Jiang Hao?"


    "Went out for activity."


    Hu Fei nodded, walked to the bedside on his own, put down the fruit, then took aptop out of his backpack.


    Seeing Hu Fei¡¯s actions, Ling Chen immediately realized his visit to the hospital might have an ulterior motive. Sure enough, as Hu Fei opened theptop, he said: "There¡¯s news from Beijing, we found Zhu Hong¡¯s whereabouts."


    As the screen on theptop opened, Ling Chen immediately saw Zhu Hong¡¯s face. Although the surveince video was shot at night, the picture was crystal clear.


    However, Zhu Hong only appeared in the surveince footage for three seconds before disappearing. Before disappearing, Zhu Hong nced at the surveince, seemingly noticing it and hiding to the side.


    "Where in Beijing is this?"


    "Next to a za," Hu Fei said: "After finding Zhu Hong¡¯s whereabouts, I immediately searched the surrounding area. Zhu Hong suddenly appeared there, likely for aplex reason."


    "Any findings?"


    "In an office building near that za is a research organization sponsored by a private tycoon, mainly focusing on cell evolution and gic research. I suspect Zhu Hong might have gone there for this research organization."

 Chapter 1423 - 1731: Reorganizing the Martial Arts Association

    <h4>Chapter 1423: Chapter 1731: Reorganizing the Martial Arts Association</h4>


    Ling Chen frowned and said, "What exactly does he intend to do?"


    "I¡¯m not entirely sure, but rest assured, I¡¯ve already contacted Falcon Company in Beijing. Coincidentally, the security for that private research organization is handled by Falcon Company, which is very convenient for our operation."


    "Have any experts been dispatched over there? Zhu Hong alone is not a concern, but we must be wary of Chen Quan by his side."


    "You don¡¯t need to worry about that; I¡¯ve already informed Officer Xia. Zhu Hong is now an A-level fugitive, and as long as he dares to show himself, the police won¡¯t let him slip away. By then, Beijing will dispatch police support. Even if Chen Quan is a Heavenly List expert, he can¡¯t possiblypete against bullets." Pausing for a moment, Hu Fei continued, "Anyway, Zhu Hong and Chen Quan hold no value for us. If they¡¯re dead, so be it. We just need to get hold of that severed limb."


    Ling Chen nodded and said, "Alright, I leave this matter entirely to you. I just asked the doctor, and with my current condition, it looks like I¡¯ll need to recuperate for another week before discharge."


    "No problem, just focus on healing; we¡¯ll handle the rest." At this point, Hu Fei seemed to recall something and spoke again, "Oh yes! There¡¯s another matter, not sure if they mentioned it to you. The Heavenly Mechanism Arts Hall has recently had a lot of big moves, and they¡¯re all aimed at Dragon Tiger Hall."


    "Is that so? They didn¡¯t tell me."


    "Probably because your health hasn¡¯t recovered yet, Elder Tong and the others didn¡¯t want you to worry and kept it from you."


    "Are you clear on the details?"


    "Longhu Martial Arts Hall isn¡¯t under my purview. I just heard that the Heavenly Mechanism Arts Hall convinced people from the martial arts association to host an exchangepetition, with participants from major martial arts academies across the country. However, everyone knows the real stars of thepetition are the Heavenly Mechanism Arts Hall and Dragon Tiger Hall. Additionally, it seems the Heavenly Mechanism Arts Hall proposed to reorganize the martial arts association, establish amittee, andprehensively manage all martial arts academies nationwide. In the future, whether establishing an academy or founding a branch, approval from the martial arts association will be required."


    Upon hearing this, Ling Chen¡¯s eyes narrowed. The proposal from the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion speaks for itself. They are used to being high and mighty, wanting to be the overlord in the martial arts world, and now in operating martial arts academies, they intend to dominate as well. Once the martial arts association is reorganized, the power it holds will be immense, and the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion will surely find ways to control the martial arts association, thereby restricting Dragon Tiger Hall¡¯s development.


    Tsk tsk!


    It¡¯s undeniable; the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion¡¯s idea is clever. If they seed, the development prospects for Dragon Tiger Hall are indeed worrying.


    "Fatty, how do they n to restructure the martial arts association?"


    "That I don¡¯t know; you need to ask Elder Tong and the others for specifics. However, for now, you don¡¯t need to worry too much about it. Elder Tong, with his age and experience, will certainly figure out a solution."


    "Got it, I¡¯ll give Elder Tong a call and ask at that time."


    After seeing off Hu Fei, Ling Gengqiu nearby asked, "Do you think the actions of Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion are rted to Su Cheng¡¯en and the others?"


    "There definitely is a connection, but we don¡¯t have evidence to prove it. And even if we had evidence, what could be done? Su Mei has be smarter now; she won¡¯t openly help Su Cheng¡¯en and Su He but will secretly create trouble for our Dragon Tiger Hall to ensure Su Cheng¡¯en can deal with them in peace."


    "If that¡¯s the case, why not directly eliminate Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion?" Ling Gengqiu suggested, "Just let me make a move; I guarantee solving them quietly."


    Ling Chen shook his head and said, "No, we can¡¯t do that. Everyone in martial arts knows about the open and covert fights between Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion and Dragon Tiger Hall. If Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion were suddenly eliminated, they would surely suspect us. Moreover, if we did that, how would we be any different from Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion? Even if we want topete, it¡¯s about defeating them openly and fairly, not using underhanded means. Besides, what Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion is doing now is exactly what I hope for."


    "What do you mean by that?"


    Ling Chen smiled slightly, "Competition brings progress. It¡¯s the right time to use Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion to reshape the entire martial arts world."


    "Your idea is good, but the key is, if you can¡¯t achieve ultimate victory, it¡¯s all for nothing."


    "I know, which is precisely whypetition bes fun. Otherwise, if one only seeks victory by any means, what¡¯s the point? Don¡¯t you think?"


    "You¡¯re right. Okay, since you don¡¯t want me to get involved, I won¡¯t meddle."


    After resting for a while, Ling Chen¡¯s mind returned to what Hu Fei mentioned, Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion... Su Mei, I hope you don¡¯t be another Su He, otherwise, I will have no choice but to act harshly.


    After contemting for a moment, Ling Chen took out his phone and dialed Tong Zhentian¡¯s number. Although Tong Zhentian would handle it, he still felt uneasy. After all, this matter involves the future of Dragon Tiger Hall and must be treated seriously.


    Before long, the call connected, and Tong Zhentian¡¯s voice came through, "Your call is quite timely; we just finished the meeting."


    "Were you worrying about the matter of the martial arts association?"


    "You found out?" Tong Zhentian replied with a hint of surprise.


    "Fatty just came to see me and mentioned it. Elder Tong, why didn¡¯t you tell me about such an important matter?"


    "Didn¡¯t want to disturb your rest. So, what¡¯s your take on the matter?"


    "Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion¡¯s goal is clear, aiming to restrict the development of Dragon Tiger Hall. Elder Tong, did youe up with a strategy during your meeting earlier?"


    "It¡¯s a bit problematic." Tong Zhentian said in a deep voice, "Things aren¡¯t as simple as we thought. Restructuring the martial arts association is something I look forward to. However, Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion proposed establishing amittee with nine representatives from the martial artsmunity, and every major decision in the association must pass throughmittee voting. We¡¯re now troubled by the issue of themittee members¡¯ slots. Representatives from the martial artsmunity must be people of influence within the martial world, a field in which our Dragon Tiger Hall falls shortpared to Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion."


    Hearing this, Ling Chen couldn¡¯t help but furrow his brows. He understood Tong Zhentian¡¯s point; the most respected figure in Dragon Tiger Hall was Tong Zhentian himself, and besides him, there were few people of influence in the martial world. Once themittee is established, Dragon Tiger Hall¡¯s control of the slots will certainly be inferior to Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion. Consequently, Dragon Tiger Hall will faceprehensive suppression.


    This is a big problem!


    "Elder Tong, do you have any ideas?"


    "There are a few revered elders in the martial world, and they¡¯ve received invitations to join themittee. If we can gain their support, perhaps we have a chance topete with Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion. However, I¡¯m now worried about another issue."

 Chapter 1424 - 1732: Attentive

    <h4>Chapter 1424: Chapter 1732: Attentive</h4>


    "Elder Tong, what is your greatest concern right now?"


    "The proposal from Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion took us by surprise. I believe they¡¯ve thoroughly prepared beforehand, possibly notifying the Martial Arts veterans. Therefore, even if we reach out to them now, sess is uncertain."


    Ling Chen felt a sinking feeling in his heart; indeed, this was a major issue, "What should we do then?"


    "I don¡¯t know what to do either." Tong Zhentian sighed helplessly, "The only option now is to seek them out and hope that they¡¯ll give some face to this old man."


    "Alright." Ling Chen replied, "That¡¯s all we can do. Ultimately, just giving our best effort should suffice."


    After hanging up the phone, Ling Chen felt weighed down. What initially seemed manageable now loomed as a threat to the very future of Dragon Tiger Hall.


    Once the Martial Artsmittee reforms, forming themittee, the nine representatives will be crucial. Whether it¡¯s Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion or Dragon Tiger Hall, controlling five representatives will not only thwart each other¡¯s progress but also secure maximum benefits.


    Within Dragon Tiger Hall, Tong Zhentian alone has the qualifications to be amittee member. Despite Chen Junfeng being a Heavenly List master, skill is not decisive; martial status and influence are key. In this regard, Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion undoubtedly holds a stronger advantage.


    A sleepless night ensued.


    The next morning, Ling Chen, pretending to nap, heard the hospital room door open. Only Zhu Qing would visit at this hour. Ling Chen yawned and turned with a smile, "What tasty food did you bring today..." Before finishing his sentence, Ling Chen froze in surprise at the visitor.


    What... it¡¯s her?


    "I brought century egg and lean pork congee and mung bean cake. I¡¯m not sure if you¡¯ll like them?"


    Hearing the gentle voice, Ling Chen finally regained hisposure, rubbing his nose with a sheepish smile, "I didn¡¯t expect it to be you."


    "Who else did you think it was?"


    Ling Chen wisely avoided further discussion on this topic. Instead, he asked, "How did you know I was here?"


    She blinked, "What do you think? The hospital director is my friend; I oftene here for medical exchanges, so a lot of people know me. Coincidentally, I was asked to consult on a special patient recently, and your name appeared on the list."


    Looking at Ling Chen wrapped in bandages, Zhu Xiaozhu approached the bedside, her soft gazes showing a hint of concern, "What happened to you? Why so severely injured?"


    Ling Chen opened his mouth but hesitated upon recalling Zhu Xiaozhu¡¯s rtionship with Zhu Hong, eventually swallowing his words.


    "It¡¯s nothing, just some minor injuries. A few days of rest and I¡¯ll be fine."


    Zhu Xiaozhu said irritably, "Stop hiding. I saw your medical records, 40% of body surface burns. You¡¯re lucky, anyone else in such a situation wouldn¡¯t have survived."


    "I know, thank you for your concern, but I¡¯m really fine. The doctors said I can be discharged after another week¡¯s recovery." Trying to prevent further questioning from Zhu Xiaozhu, Ling Chen hurriedly changed the subject, "I¡¯m hungry, let¡¯s eat."


    Seeing Ling Chen about to reach for the bowl of congee, Zhu Xiaozhu immediately stopped him, "Wait! You haven¡¯t washed your face or brushed your teeth, at least maintain hygiene." With that, Zhu Xiaozhu picked up a basin and walked out. Shortly thereafter, she returned with a basin of hot water.


    After Ling Chen brushed his teeth, Zhu Xiaozhu held a damp towel, gently wiping Ling Chen¡¯s chiseled face. Observing the scars on Ling Chen¡¯s cheeks, Zhu Xiaozhu felt an inexplicable heartache and muttered, "Honestly, you¡¯re so grown up, yet still can¡¯t take care of yourself. What if something serious happens to you?"


    Ling Chen didn¡¯t respond, just grinned foolishly.


    "Alwaysughing, never serious." Zhu Xiaozhu rolled up the towel, ncing at Ling Chen, then blew on the congee before feeding it to him.


    Taken care of meticulously by Zhu Xiaozhu, Ling Chen reclined in bed, feeling blissful. Though Zhu Qing usually took care of him, she never treated him like Zhu Xiaozhu did. Lately, seeing Jiang Hao and Liu Xin unting their love daily made Ling Chen quite ufortable. However, with Zhu Xiaozhu¡¯s presence, Ling Chen felt bnced.


    Around eight, Jiang Hao, ate riser, awoke. In fact, he¡¯d been awake for a while, but hearing sounds from Ling Chen¡¯s side, he remained quiet to avoid disturbing the pair.


    Greeting Zhu Xiaozhu, Jiang Hao had just finished washing when Liu Xin came in, carrying a bundle of items.


    "Ling..." Liu Xin was about to greet Ling Chen but was distracted by Zhu Xiaozhu beside him.


    Ling Chen smiled and introduced, "Liu Xin, meet my friend, Zhu Xiaozhu."


    "Ah, Miss Zhu, nice to meet you."


    "You¡¯re Jiang Hao¡¯s girlfriend, right? I¡¯ve heard him mention you." Zhu Xiaozhu smiled, "You can call me Xiaozhu, my friends all do."


    "Okay, Xiaozhu." Liu Xin teased Ling Chen, "Ling Chen, is Xiaozhu your girlfriend?"


    On hearing this, Zhu Xiaozhu blushed and lowered her head. Ling Chen coughed lightly, "I wish, but I¡¯m not that lucky."


    "What do you mean not lucky? I think you and Xiaozhu match perfectly, like a pair made in heaven."


    Seeing Liu Xin getting carried away, Jiang Hao quickly interrupted her. Everyone knew Nanrong Wanqing was Ling Chen¡¯s actual girlfriend; Liu Xin¡¯sments would only embarrass Ling Chen and Zhu Xiaozhu.


    "Xinxin, what did you bring me today?"


    "I brought your favorite cantaloupe, and some beers for you all. The doctor said a little beer is fine." Liu Xin unpacked the items, arranging them on the bedside table.


    "You chat, I¡¯ll wash some fruit for you."


    "I¡¯ll help you." Zhu Xiaozhu replied, following Liu Xin outside.


    After the two women left, Ling Chen stretchedzily into afortable position and asked, "Jiang Hao, haven¡¯t you thought about confessing to her yet?"


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